(*~This one's very long, hopefully it can at partially make up for the wait... x*x''~*)
Soon enough tomorrow night came, and you and Ghirahim had agreed to go to the party. You were hesitant about the whole thing at first, of course, but he assured you he would be alright, so you gave in. But, before anything else, there was the matter of traveling with your friends.
You were currently trying to find something that was at least somewhat appropriate for a party, but you being the kind of person you were, fashion and style were never your thing.
"How about I give you something to wear?" Ghirahim suddenly suggested, he was in his Griffin form but his voice was the same for the moment.
You turned to him, surprised at his offer, you certainly weren't expecting that. He did mention the other day about wanting to see you wear something more 'his style', but you weren't sure if he actually meant it until now.
"Really?"
He nodded, a small smile painting his lips. He stood and walked over to you, holding one arm in one hand and putting a finger to his lips in thought.
"Hmm..." Then he smiled a bit wider. "I have just the thing."
He snapped his fingers, and in a flash of diamonds in red, yellow, and black, your outfit completely changed.
(~I'm not the best with clothes so I decided to use an image so that you can see exactly what you're wearing, it should be at the top of the chapter. Also, ignore the earrings. 'x) )
You looked at yourself in the mirror wide-eyed.
"Whoa..." You breathed out in awe.
"Do you like it?" Ghirahim asked, a surprisingly hopeful look on his face.
"I... I love it! Thank you! You cheered, jumping a little.
Without even thinking about what you were doing, you embraced Ghirahim in your arms tightly. He almost immediately tensed up, and that was what made you realize your actions.
"Ack-- I'm so sorry!" You jumped back, fearing that he would be upset.
But instead of lashing out, you could actually see a small blush on his cheeks and an amused but embarrassed smile form on his lips.
"It's alright, I... I honestly didn't mind it." He chuckled faintly.
"Y-You didn't?" You were completely shocked that making contact didn't send him into a fit of disgust or rage, or even both.
He shook his head, still smiling.
"Thank goodness." You mentally sighed in relief.
For some reason, he leaned a little closer, thinking to himself.
"Hmm... it's missing something..." He mumbled.
"What is it?" You wondered in your head.
Then, Ghirahim snapped his fingers and a familiar blue diamond earring appeared in his hands. The light from your lamp reflected off of it, making a faint blue light appear against the wall.
"Normally, I'd never let another being lay a finger on this, but just this once, I'll make an exception. Consider it a start for repaying you for all you've done for me." Ghirahim's smile returned, reaching up and gently placing the earring on your right ear like how he would wear it.
You almost thought you were imagining things, but he'd actually entrusted you with his one and only earring. You thanked him at least three times and he seemed amused by your excitement. Afterwards, you looked back at the mirror and once again marveled at your clothes, still in disbelief that Ghirahim actually did this for you. It was unbelievable!
"You look lovely in that outfit, you know." Ghirahim's words left you breathless.
Did... did he just call you lovely???
"Th-Thank you." You stammered after a minute, already noticing your face turning as red as the cape-like garment you were wearing. You didn't dare turn to look at him in that moment, but due to the reflection of the mirror you knew he could see you regardless, and he seemed to smirk briefly, much to your embarrassment.
"I might need to find something else to wear on top too, we're going to be riding in the back of Josh's truck so I don't want to get my clothes dirty." You tried to distract him from your blush.
"... What's a... 'truck'?" Ghirahim asked quizzically, raising a brow at the word.
Oh, right, cars didn't exist back then.
You awkwardly pushed your hair back and sat him down on your bed, trying to think of the best way to start.
"Well, you know those minecarts that moved on their own on the surface? The ones from ancient times with those little robots?"
Ghirahim nodded, listening intently.
"They're kind of like that, only bigger, and you can control wherever they go, left, right, backwards, forwards, and even in circles if you want to be crazy with it." You laughed a little, remembering the day Josh first got his truck, he did all kinds of crazy tricks and almost got his first ticket by that afternoon.
Ghirahim seemed curious about your laughter, but he simply nodded once more and smiled slightly.
"They have this compartment in the back similar to the minecarts in shape, it's usually outside so it gets dirty over time if it isn't regularly cleaned. And knowing Josh, he was probably scrambling all over the place just to get that done today." You laughed again, and surprisingly, Ghirahim actually snickered a bit.
"He seems like a lazy fellow."
You nodded this time, still laughing. "Very."
You decided to tell him more about vehicles to pass the time, going on about all the details you could think of. In the middle of the conversation, Ghirahim decided he'd give you something soft to sit on once it came time to sit in the truck, so the small issue about getting your new outfit dirty didn't have to be worried about. You'd basically told him about every kind of vehicle that you knew when you heard a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" You called.
"Guess!" You heard a familiar girl's giddy voice call from behind the door.
"One minute." You rolled your eyes, a silly grin playing on your lips.
"That's... Marie, correct?" Ghirahim whispered.
You nodded, smiling.
You stood and walked over to the door, opening it to greet your friend. She was wearing a dress that had a mix of purple and black, and she was wearing a good bit of makeup too, which was normal for her since she loved to wear it for parties and such. She had dark highlights and purple eyeshadow, plus a bit too much eyeliner for your liking. Her hair had been straightened and swayed over her shoulders. She almost immediately reeled back in shock, her mouth agape as she took in your appearance.
"Oh my gosh, your outfit! You're gorgeous!!" She practically squealed.
You giggled a bit, trying not to blush.
"Thank you, you look great too!"
She peered behind you and her eyes widened but she giggled and waved over at Ghirahim.
"Hi, Griffin! Nice to see you again!" She said cheerfully.
Ghirahim seemed a bit surprised but he slowly waved back. "Hello." He replied calmly with his 'Griffin' voice.
"Is he gonna come with us for the party??" Marie asked excitedly.
You once again held back a blush and said: "Yes. He came by earlier and I really want him to get a better feel for this kind of stuff, y'know?"
Marie nodded enthusiastically.
"Of course! I hope he gets to like the city just as much as we do!" She beamed.
The three of you made your way outside the hotel, saying your usual goodbye to Wilfred before walking out the door.
You saw Isaac in the seat next to Josh, waving to you with a grin.
"Wow! You look great!" He called.
"Thanks." You laughed.
"Everybody in the back!" Josh shouted out Isaac's window, making Isaac jump and rub his ear for a moment, giving him a look.
You led Ghirahim to the back of the truck and he stepped right in, offering his hand to help you do the same. You bashfully took his hand and he lifted you up, sitting you down on a decently sized white blanket that you didn't remember seeing there before. It had golden diamonds sewn into it, giving you an idea of where it came from.
"Thank you." You giggled, and Ghirahim winked before sitting down next to you.
"Any room for one more?" Marie asked hopefully, and Ghirahim surprisingly nodded, scooting himself closer to you to the point where your sides touched, offering her the spare room.
"Yay!" Marie eagerly sat down beside Ghirahim, looking cozy as could be.
You tried not to squeak from either glee or embarrassment, probably both, feeling the warmth of his body partially combined with yours.
"Alrighty, let's get this show on the road!" Josh stated, and you were on your way.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
The city was like a lightshow, it was a beautiful sight with all the signs and flashing lights from inside buildings, parties were held pretty often, and it just so happened that on this night, half the city was living it up celebrating who knows what.
"It's marvelous..." Ghirahim whispered in awe, his dark brown eyes taking in everything they could.
You were glad Ghirahim was enjoying himself, you were worried that he'd be more uncomfortable with being in the truck and seeing the city, but he didn't seem to mind any of this at all!
"Could you imagine The Surface like this?" He whispered in your ear, sounding like a curious child.
You looked at him and smiled sweetly.
"It would definitely be the sight of a lifetime."
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
An hour went by before you finally arrived at Ethan's party, the plaza was packed, and there was a huge stage in the very back. The fountain in the middle reflected all of the glowing lights from the stage, making it seem like the water itself was glowing.
Josh parked the truck in the parking lot outside the plaza and the group made its way in.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived!" Josh announced with his arms outstretched like a show-host as he looked back at you all.
"How much money does this guy have?" Isaac looked flabbergasted at how much the plaza had changed.
"Who cares? We're here and gonna have a heck of a time for no extra cost!" Josh brushed his question off, dragging Isaac to the nearest drinking station, probably to see who could chug the most root beer.
"I'll meet up with you guys later, Imma go try and catch myself a date!" Marie winked and skipped off, leaving you and Ghirahim to yourselves.
"Well, here we are." You said a bit nervously. Big parties were another thing you weren't really good with, especially when over 100 people were involved.
"My my, Kyle's brother certainly has high standards." Ghirahim stated, looking around in surprise.
"Yep."
"...What on earth is that?" Ghirahim pointed to the stage which was covered in speakers and instruments, along with a turntable with a DJ already at work. You'd taught Ghirahim that little phrase while you were surfing the web with him earlier that day, and he eventually learned that 'Earth' was what the planet was called.
"Oh, that's called a stage. When someone important is around, for example: Someone with a talent like music, they stand on that and perform. It's so that people can see them better basically." You tried to explain.
Ghirahim seemed to get the gist of it.
"How is that man causing this... 'music'?" Ghirahim sounded sarcastic at the word 'music', probably meaning he didn't like it very much.
"He's using something called a turntable, it's kinda like an instrument only a lot more complicated. It's something pretty advanced." You didn't exactly want to explain every little detail about it, so you kept it brief.
"I see... can we go inside somewhere perhaps? This noise is starting to be bothersome..." Ghirahim looked irritated, putting a hand to his head as if he were in pain.
You quickly led Ghirahim to a building where nothing too crazy was going on, it was kinda like a chill room with drinks and food. There were a few groups of teens but nothing too stressful.
You sat down across from him at a booth, and he sighed in relief.
"Much better, thank you." He said, and you nodded.
"Well well well, look who's here!" A familiar voice chuckled.
You looked over and saw a dressed up Kyle walking over, he was wearing a leather jacket with a 'Linkin Park' T-shirt underneath.
"Hey, Kyle." You grinned.
"Good evening." Ghirahim greeted him.
"So, I'm guessing Griff here didn't like the music?" Kyle leaned down placing his arms on the table, seeming curious.
"No, it's obnoxious and far too loud for my liking." Ghirahim didn't try to be polite about it, he just seemed annoyed.
Kyle looked a little surprised, but as he usually would he brushed it off and said: "I get it, I didn't like it too much either at first, but I'm sure you'll get used to it if you're here long enough."
Ghirahim just rolled his eyes.
"Wow! Lookin' good, (Y/n)!" Kyle's eyes widened as he noticed your outfit.
"Thanks." You smiled slightly.
"It's great to see you guys here, but I gotta head back out, the band for later tonight is getting ready and I don't wanna miss the sound checks!" Kyle stood up straight and laughed.
"See you later then, Kyle."
"Keep an eye out for Ethan!" Kyle called as he ran outside.
You'd almost forgotten you'd have to look for him at some point, hopefully Ghirahim would be able to adjust to all the commotion and music.
"Can I get you two anything?" A girl questioned, she had light purple hair and a lip-ring, and was wearing a black tank top with rips in it, her jeans in the same style. Ghirahim looked disgusted by the sight of her.
"Some water would be great." You replied politely.
"Sure thing." She walked off.
"What is that woman's appearance?! Her outfit is almost as bad as Link's!" Ghirahim whispered, sounding appalled.
"It's just a kind of style around here, a lot of people like it." You yourself didn't mind her look, but you didn't want Ghirahim to be more uncomfortable than he already was, so you tried to convince him that it was okay.
"Good grief... Well, as long as I don't have to wear rags and have my hair like that, I suppose I can bring myself to live with it." He sighed.
You giggled a little, then the girl came back, carefully placing a pitcher of water and two glass cups on the table.
"Thank you." You said.
"No problem. Anything else?" She asked.
"We're alright for now." You responded.
She simply nodded and walked off to another table.
"So, you're saying she likes looking like that?" Ghirahim asked incredulously.
You held back another laugh and nodded.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
You spent the next hour just talking to Ghirahim about different things, also doing your best to keep playing teacher when he had a question like usual.
"In truth, I don't know how I would get by around here without you." He admitted after a while, smiling in gratitude and taking another sip of his drink.
You could feel your face burning as you tried to keep your composure, but overall failing miserably. You wished you could pour the rest of the water over your face just to cool off.
"O-Oh, no, I-I don't think I make th-that much of a difference..." You shook your head nervously, subconsciously slapping yourself for sounding so embarrassed.
Ghirahim simply smirked a bit and chuckled, the sound of his laugh causing butterflies in your stomach.
"You needn't downgrade yourself for my sake, you know it's true. In this world besides my own, I'm nothing more than a lost outsider, but thanks to you, I blend in perfectly." He stated.
You just giggled again, trying your hardest to stop blushing but of course to no avail.
His smirk widened a bit more.
"Do I embarrass you, (Y/n)?" He questioned slyly, reminding you of his old, mischievous self from back in the game.
"N-No, not at all..." You wished you could hide under your cape garment.
He chuckled once more, obviously aware you were lying, but after that he stopped teasing you.
After ten more minutes, Ghirahim decided he was ready to go back outside.
You both walked out, and Ghirahim groaned irritably at the DJ's still playing music, but he shook his head after a moment and assured you he was fine.
The two of you walked around the plaza, avoiding people that were partying a little too hard for your liking as you went, and Ghirahim started to talk.
"What's the point of these... events? Is it something they do for their amusement? A way of passing time?" He questioned.
You shook your head, saying: "Not always, parties like these are for special occasions, like birthdays or other kinds of celebrations."
He hummed in understanding.
"I see... so if an army won a war in this world, people would celebrate?"
You paused to think about the question, then answered:
"Maybe not like this kind of party, but definitely in some other way. There are different kinds of ways of celebrating things, not just like with loud music and dancing."
"Ah." He simply said.
"What would they do if someone died?"
You nearly tripped hearing that question and you came to a stop. Your mind went blank word-wise so you couldn't reply. Images of your parents' funeral and the car crash on the news flashed in your mind like pictures in a photo-booth, and you felt distant, the music that surrounded you sounding as if it were being drained out.
"(Y/n)?" You heard Ghirahim's voice, but it sounded muffled.
"(Y/n)?" He said again, sounding more concerned, but you could only see your mother and father's faces as they laid motionless in their coffins.
"We'll be back soon, (Y/n), we love you!" That was the last thing your mother ever told you before they left your home that day, never to be seen alive again.
"(Y/N)!" You jumped as you felt his hands strongly gripping your shoulders, and just like that the music became fully audible, and your vision cleared, seeing 'Griffin's fearful gaze as he stared back at you.
"Are you alright?" He asked you with immense concern, one hand moving to the side of your face.
You blinked a few times, snapping out of your daze, and with a shaken voice you replied: "Y-Yes, I'm fine, I just, uh... got distracted."
Ghirahim seemed to be panting and took a step back putting a hand to his forehead.
"Goodness, I thought I'd caused you to have a heart-attack or something!" He told you sounding surprisingly shaken himself. You'd also taught him what those were along with other health issues.
"I'm sorry..." You said guiltily, taking a step closer to him.
"It's alright... I was... just worried." He shook his head slightly, then looked at you and smiled somewhat.
"You know, I can't remember the last time I've cared for someone in such a way..." He seemed to be saying this more to himself that you.
"Perhaps I never have..." Ghirahim's gaze fell as he started thinking to himself.
You weren't sure what you were thinking in that moment, but you took another step and put your arms around him, placing your head against his chest. He stiffened up like before, but you didn't pull away this time.
"(Y/n)..?" He whispered, you were able to hear him despite the loud music since you were so close.
"I care about you, too." You simply said, only realizing what you'd said immediately afterwards.
He seemed to make a sound of shock, and you felt slightly scared that he would be upset, but after a few moments you felt him slowly relax. You saw his arm slowly raise up, then felt both place themselves around your back, gently returning your embrace.
"Thank you." His voice was soft like silk, you felt uncontrollable butterflies in your stomach while your heart fluttered, but you gave it your all to overcome your newfound
You both pulled away and you looked at each-other for a moment, just smiling.
"Hey!" You heard a voice call to you. You both looked to see a guy who looked eighteen running over to you, he was dressed in a dark red tank top and ripped black jeans while his hair was dyed crimson. He nearly tripped to a stop when he reached you both and hunched over as he tried to catch his breath.
"What's wrong?" You inquired.
Once he was able to speak again he asked: "Are you (Y/n), the girl that's friends with Josh?" You felt dread fill you.
"Yes, why..?"
"He and this dude Zack got into a huge fight about your friend Marie, they're about to beat the crap out of each-other!"
You went rigid, your mind racing, and Ghirahim looked on edge.
"Where are they?" You quickly asked.
"C'mon! I'll take you to'em!" The guy pulled you by your gloved arm, leaving Ghirahim in the dust.
"Ghi--Griffin!" You strained to call and reached out to him in vain as you were dragged through the crowd of people, you could've sworn you saw him reach back.
"(Y/n)!" His voice quickly became distant and was soon lost to the music that was still blaring, and you hoped to Farore that Ghirahim would be okay on his own.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Your guide pulled you through the double doors of what looked like some kind of nightclub. It was dark but there were flashing lights that reminded you of a disco party.
"They're in here." He led you into the back room where a crowd of teens had surrounded Josh and another guy with blond hair like his. He had ocean blue eyes that seemed to be glaring daggers at Josh.
The teens were all cheering for the two to fight, while you saw a petrified Marie being cradled by Isaac in the corner. You thanked the man that led you here and quickly walked over to them. Marie immediately rushed into your arms, her eyeliner tainted tears staining your cape-like garment, but you couldn't care less.
"What happened?" You asked your friends fearfully.
"That guy Zack was hitting on Marie and things went too far, Josh told him to knock it off but he's stubborn." Isaac sighed, looking over at the circle of people.
Marie was in too much distress to say anything, but you shushed her and told her that it was okay.
You didn't know what you were doing, but you told Marie to stay with Isaac and went to the circle.
"Wait! Don't go over there!" Isaac protested while holding Marie, said girl then reaching out to you looking terror-stricken.
You didn't listen and pushed your way through the crowd, looking to see the two men still standing in a stalemate.
"Josh! What's going on?"
Your friend turned his head halfway to look at you and simply warned: "Stay back, (Y/n)." Before turning back.
The other blond smirked as he noticed you.
"Aww, is your sister here to save you?" He teased, causing three teens behind him to nearly topple over a fit of laughter.
"Shut up." Josh growled.
"Ooh, am I making you mad?" Zack eyed Josh menacingly.
"Leave him alone!" You shouted at the blonde, making him look at you and laugh.
"And what're you gonna do about it if I don't?"
Your hands balled into fists, feeling anger bubble up within you at a fast rate. Without even thinking, you stepped past Josh, causing the crowd to gasp in surprise.
"(Y/n)! What are you doing?!" Josh reached to you, but you dodged his hand and stepped up to the other man.
"Looks like someone's got some nerve!" Zack tilted his head looking teasingly impressed.
"I'll say this only once. Leave. My friends. Alone." You warned sternly, with a dangerous voice you didn't even know you had, and the crowd 'ooh'd in anticipation. You weren't really thinking, you were just acting on the instinct to protect the people you cared about.
The blond merely laughed once more, then leaned closer and said: "How about you learn how to listen to them first?" Then, without warning, he pulled his fist back ready to punch the light out of your eyes, but Josh pulled you back by your garment and rushed in front of you, resulting in Zack's punch nailing him right in the eye. He fell to the floor on pain, holding his face in his hands.
"JOSH!" You yelled and dropped to his side, holding him up in your arms. He definitely had a black eye, you could see it swelling through the cracks between his fingers. You felt stupid for what you'd done, he'd told you to stay away, but...
"Ha! You've got some guts, I'll give both of you that, but I'm gonna advise you to learn to stay in your lane." Zack stated pridefully as his friends cheered for his victory.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" A voice bellowed furiously, making everyone in the room go silent within a second. Even Zack's smirk had faded as everyone turned to the entrance of the room.
There, standing in the doorway, was Ethan.
His hazel eyes were beginning to look aged, probably from stress, and he still had short, brown hair like you remembered.
"All of you, out. NOW!" He demanded, and the circle of teens groaned in disappointment as they disbanded to file out the door one by one.
Ethan grabbed Zack by the collar of his jacket and snarled: "You and I are gonna have a serious talk later." Then shoved him and his friends out.
He slammed the door shut, then looked at the four of you with concern.
He placed a hand on Marie's shoulder as a way of gently asking if she was okay, and she nodded slightly, still sniffling a bit as she clung to Isaac for dear life. Isaac nodded too but looked over at you and Josh in worry.
Ethan wasted no time in making his way over, kneeling down on the other side of Josh.
"Lemme see, buddy." Ethan nudged Josh, and the blond hesitantly moved his hands away, revealing his swollen right eye. You cringed, feeling guilt sink in.
"It's all my fault." You said, looking down.
"No, it isn't, you were just trying to help him." Isaac retorted, and Marie nodded, but Josh didn't look all that agreeing, because he didn't look at you.
"I'm sorry about all this, I should've known something would happen, especially with that troublemaker around..." Ethan shook his head frustrated.
"You'd better believe Kyle's gonna get a talking to when I tell him about this. He thought he should give Zack another chance after everything he put you two through in school." Ethan looked at you.
"Wait... you mean that was Ratliff??" Your eyes widened.
Back in middle-school and then one year of high school, you and Kyle were bullied by a kid named Zack Ratliff. He was always making fun of you for being shy, and when Kyle defended you he poked fun at him by calling him a 'softie'.
It wasn't until your second year of high-school when Zack was sent to a military school long ways away. He'd gotten expelled for pulling a prank that was intended for Kyle on the janitor. He'd trapped a racoon in Kyle's locker and intended on it attacking Kyle the next morning, little did he know Kyle had asked the Janitor, -who was his uncle coincidentally enough- to help him clean out his locker because he was switching to another one and didn't have time to stick around after class. That evening the older man had to call animal control and the racoon was released back into the wild, and Zack got into plenty of trouble with his parents. You'd thought you'd seen the last of that guy, he was a real pain... You and Kyle had even given him the nickname 'Zackrat' after hearing about his last name.
"Yep, the very same. Can you believe it?" Ethan chuckled.
You shook your head. "I thought he'd still be in military school or something..."
"He was in military school?!" Isaac gasped in disbelief.
"N-No wonder that punch sti-still hurts like heck..." Josh groaned, sounding dizzy as he tried to keep his head still, you held his head in your hand carefully to help him, but as he noticed this he still avoided your gaze.
"I'll admit, I'm surprised he didn't recognize you, but I'm also glad. Things could've been a lot worse if he did." Ethan pointed out, sounding relieved.
You cringed, knowing what he meant.
"Let's get your friend up on his feet, shall we?"
You nodded and assisted Ethan in lifting Josh up, Isaac and Marie came over to help too.
"You alright, man?" Isaac asked, carefully examining Josh's eye.
"I-I'm fine. Le-Let's just get ba-back to my truck and go..." Josh pushed himself away from you and Ethan, nearly falling, but Isaac caught him.
"Hold up, young man, we need to get you some ice for your eye first, and you're in no condition to drive." Ethan intercepted, then walked out the door to grab some.
"Sc-Screw ice. I'm fine..." Josh was stubborn, but so was Isaac when it came to taking care of his friends.
"'Screw the selfish-tough guy-act', is more like it. We're getting you ice then we're leaving, got it?" Isaac stated, placing a hand on Josh's shoulder.
"F-Fine, whatever..." Josh groaned.
You went to help hold Josh up, but he pulled away and he glared at you with his one good eye, making you flinch back and look away guiltily.
"Hey." Isaac growled, getting Josh's attention.
"Don't even think about being mad at (Y/n) for this, Zack is the one that punched you, not her."
"He-He only got that punch because she wo-wouldn't stay put!" Josh hissed.
"Swallow your stupid pride and be grateful that she tried to protect you!" Isaac shouted in his face, making Josh reel back a bit.
You frowned and motioned for Isaac to stop, making him and Marie look at you in surprise.
"He's right. I'm the reason he got hurt, I was mad and I thought I could help..." Your head drooped.
"Don't say that..! You stopped what could've been a way worse fight..." Marie whimpered, walking up and hugging you. You hugged back and then you both pulled away after a few moments.
"She's right. This wasn't anybody's fault except for Zack's. How do you and that man know about that guy by the way?" Isaac looked at you curiously.
"His name is Ethan, and he's my friend Kyle's older brother. Kyle and I were friends since middle school, before I ever met you guys. Kyle was the only friend I had because I was really shy, and Zack would bully me because of it, and then bully Kyle because he would try to protect me. He was sent away to military school because he got expelled from our high school." You explained.
"Wow..." Marie gasped sadly.
"That's awful... at least you didn't have to deal with him for a while." Isaac looked at you sympathetically.
You nodded.
"By the way, Ethan is the one hosting the party." You mentioned.
"Seriously??" The three said in unison.
You laughed a little and nodded again.
"Holy crap! We've gotta thank him for taking the time to help us!" Isaac pointed out, sounding thankful.
"Definitely..!" Marie agreed, still trying to recover herself.
"Whatever..." Josh rolled his eyes.
Isaac looked like he wanted to take a swing at Josh in that moment too, just to snap some sense into him.
"Dude! Don't be disrespectful after he saved your behind!" Isaac scolded.
Ethan returned five minutes later with an ice pack, and Josh slowly took it and placed it on his swollen eye.
"Thanks..." He mumbled.
"Thank you." Isaac and Marie both said.
"You're welcome. I'm still sorry for what's happened, you seem like nice kids, especially since your with my brother's friend (Y/n)." Ethan said, smiling.
"She filled us in, thank you for the amazing party too." Isaac smiled back.
Ethan snickered. "Ah, of course, I try my best."
"Can we get going now?" Josh complained, backing out from Isaac's grip.
"Alright, alright, fine." Isaac gave in.
*~Third Person P.O.V~*
*~Elsewhere~*
Once (Y/n) had disappeared into the crowd, Kyle, who was oblivious to the situation, found Ghirahim and offered to take him up on stage to show him the guitarist, who was getting his sound check ready. Ghirahim was hesitant since he wanted to go looking for the only individual in this world that he trusted, but Kyle eventually just dragged him along.
"What even is a guitarist?" Ghirahim asked uneasily.
Kyle gasped, reeling back dramatically.
"You don't know what a guitarist is?!" He inquired sounding flabbergasted.
Ghirahim just shook his head, looking at him in confusion.
"Wow. We gotta change this." Kyle put his hand on Ghirahim's shoulder, giving a stunned expression. Then he led Ghirahim behind the stage as he started to explain things.
From what Ghirahim could understand-which was very little- a guitarist was one that played in instrument called a 'guitar' and it was loud, but for some reason enjoyable to many people. There were also different types, and the one that this particular guitarist was using was an 'electric' one.
"Wouldn't something electric be deadly?" Ghirahim decided to ask, beyond unable to fully comprehend everything Kyle was saying.
Kyle snorted then had a laughing fit, making Ghirahim raise a brow but also feel a tad foolish.
"Nah, an electric guitar is perfectly harmless." He eventually replied, wiping a tear from his eye.
Ghirahim said nothing and simply nodded, resisting the urge to snap at his behavior over a question due to the fact that he was (Y/n)'s friend. Unlike him, (Y/n) actually respected his lack of knowledge, which gave the demon lord a sense of relief and comfort despite that it bruised his pride knowing there was someone that knew more than even himself, though he tried not to let it get to him. (Y/n) was a humble and kind person, that much he knew, so he felt at ease regardless of when he was forced to ask what could possibly be very simple questions that had obvious answers to her, but not himself.
Kyle led Ghirahim up the stairs that led up to the stage, and Ghirahim noticed the DJ was now gone. He hadn't even noticed the noise that the people around here called 'music' had finally stopped. In his place, there was a guy that looked to be in his late twenties plugging wires into a few holes in a speaker.
"What is he doing?" Ghirahim tilted his head in confusion.
"He's plugging the guitar in, electric ones don't work without a speaker." Kyle explained.
Although his answer didn't fully satisfy Ghirahim, the demon in disguise simply nodded, taking a few steps closer to further inspect the guitarist's actions.
"I'm guessing this guy's a newbie around here?" The musician asked after he'd finished up with the plugs, causing annoyance to fill Ghirahim's mind at what he'd called him.
"Yeah, but I'm helpin' him out." Kyle chuckled, making Ghirahim give him a sideways glare briefly, but he changed his expression when the boy looked over.
"Well, if this don't help him get what my guitar's all about, nothin' will." He smirked, grabbing said instrument from it's place against the DJ's turntable that'd been moved to the corner of the stage. Ghirahim took a step back, not knowing there was a speaker twice his size behind him.
"Let's do this!" Kyle stated excitedly, watching the guitarist ready himself to strike down on the instrument for its first test run.
Back with (Y/n), the group was making their way back to the truck, but the girl stopped when she looked around to try and find the missing demon.
"What's the holdup?" The injured blond spat, looking back at her while the other two looked concerned.
"Griffin's not with us! I need to go get him!" The 19-year-old tried to explain, turning to run off, but she was stopped by Josh dragging her by the collar of her garment.
"He can walk home! I ain't waitin' around for anybody!" Josh snarled.
"Josh, let her go!" Isaac snapped, eyeing Josh angrily.
"Get my truck started already! We're outta here!" Josh retorted, sounding furious.
"No! I'm not leaving Griffin here!" (Y/n) argued, trying desperately to break free, but the blond was too strong.
"I-I'm sure Griffin will be okay, (Y/n), h-he's able to take care of himself..." Marie tried to console her as she climbed into the back of the truck, sitting on the blanket Ghirahim left there.
Josh suddenly pulled the (h/c) haired girl up into the back and practically threw her down next to Marie, stunning her. In reaction, the red-head gasped and embraced her friend in shock, then looked up at Josh angrily.
"Why did you do that you jerk?!" Marie screeched, but Josh just scoffed and stepped down, shutting the back of the truck's door with a rough slam.
Isaac muttered to himself as he started up the truck, the engine revving up and the headlights turning on. Josh climbed into the passenger seat and pulled his door shut, then motioned for Isaac to go, and with a heavy sigh he began to drive off.
"No..!" (Y/n) groaned, pushing herself up as fear enveloped her entire being, imagining the worst that could happen once she got too far away, and then...
The guitarist struck down on the strings, causing the speakers to blare its sound like alarms, and Ghirahim was suddenly sent flying by a shockwave that sent a brief but mind-breaking spike of pain through his entire body. A table that was nearby split in half upon impact, and Ghirahim went rolling along the concrete before finally coming to a stop.
"HOLY CRAP!" Kyle shouted while everyone in the plaza gasped in shock.
While in the distance, (Y/n) could swear she heard a sound in the skies...
...as if a bomb had gone off.
She barely had enough time to catch herself from making a fatal mistake before she screamed:
"GRIFFIN!!"
She hurled herself out of the still moving truck, causing her friends to gasp/yell in shock.
The truck then came to a stop not a minute later, and Isaac jumped out, rushing to his friend that was now covered in dirt and scratches, but just before he could touch her she bolted away, running like a mad-woman back to the plaza.
*~Your P.O.V~*
While you felt a burning pain in your legs and stung all over, the adrenaline in your veins kept you moving. You'd gotten too far away and something undoubtedly happened to Ghirahim.
When you finally made it back you choked as you gasped in horror.
There was a huge crowd gathered around talking amongst themselves in worry, and you pushed past uncaring of the looks they gave you from your now tarnished appearance. The dress was ripped and the garment had turned halfway around, everything else you wore was torn and covered in dirt. You only prayed that the earring was still in tact.
You made it to the cause of the distress and you felt like collapsing in guilt right then and there. Ghirahim was drenched in different drinks from the table he'd crashed into and he had bits of wood all over his clothes and in some places on his arms and legs. He was unconscious and Kyle was trying to wake him up.
"Crap crap crap please wake up, Griff!" He sounded terrified.
You didn't even say a word before you rushed over and pulled 'Griffin's body into your arms, crying uncontrollably into his chest.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." You cried, and although you were in despair you held back your voice to the best of your ability.
"(Y-Y/n)! I-I'm so sorry! I don't know how this happened, I-I... I thought everything would be fine..." Kyle sounded shaken, but you couldn't look at him.
You felt both your mind and mouth speaking at once as you continued to say:
"I'm so sorry, Ghirahim, I'm so so sorry..!"
After that, much to your relief, you heard a familiar voice groan in pain and the chest your face was pressed against heaved as the man in your arms breathed in and out.
"Don't worry... I'm alright..." He sighed, and you felt a hand grip one of your arms. You shot up and both you and Kyle looked at 'Griffin' in shock. You both helped him sit up and you heard the crowd speaking to each-other in disbelief.
"Dude! He went flying twenty feet and broke through a table, and I don't even think he broke any bones!" One guy in the crowd shouted.
"That guy's got the body of a frickin' tank if he's still breathing!" Another said.
"How is he not dead?!" A girl inquired.
And so on.
You and Kyle assisted 'Griffin' to his feet and Kyle started apologizing frantically.
"I'm so so so sooooo sorry, Griffin! I had absolutely no idea something like that could happen!"
Ghirahim seemed irritated, but as he used your body to support himself he simply replied: "It's fine, it was an accident."
After that, you helped Griffin out of the Plaza, and the two of you walked along the sidewalk that led to your hotel, all the while you were resisting the urge to break down.
"Are you okay..?" You asked after what felt like an eternity of terrifying silence.
Ghirahim for some reason seemed... ashamed, as he weakly spoke."I should be perfectly fine, I've spent half of my existence training to withstand even the worst possible torture imaginable..! This should be nothing to me, but..."
You felt the guilt worsen and you held back a sob, determined not to cry until you were home.
Upon arrival, Mr. Wilfred rushed to aid you, assisting you in taking Ghirahim up to your room. He'd offered to take him to the hospital, but you assured him you'd be fine taking care of him on your own.
After he hesitantly left, you noticed Ghirahim was now back to his usual self, and he was using some kind of magic spell on himself. You quietly stepped over, not speaking a word as you watched him. You could see beads of sweat on his pale forehead and a pained look on his face as he strained to concentrate, and after a while you saw his wounds begin to fade, and the wood vanished with a simple snap.
The demon sighed as he finally relaxed his bones, looking like the pain was finally starting to dissipate.
You looked away as he noticed your watchful gaze, feeling to afraid to look him in the eye.
You heard him sigh, and you felt tears escape when you heard his voice call to you.
"(Y/n)?" His voice was back to that soft tone he had back at the party, making you want to just curl up against him and never let go. But you forced yourself to turn away, feeling too ashamed to have him look at you.
You heard your bed faintly creak, meaning Ghirahim had gotten up, and you felt his gloved hands gently turn you around, making you face him.
You didn't dare look up at him, expecting a bloodthirsty glare or a sneer of pure hatred as he looked at you.
"(Y/n)... look at me..." He... cooed?
You unwillingly blushed when you noticed his cloak -which he'd removed to heal himself better- was still missing, revealing his muscular form to you. He looked the way he did back when he first met Link in the game, only he wasn't on a screen and his body had much more detail. His gloved hand reached up and held your cheek, his thumb gently caressing the skin and wiping away your tears.
You looked up just for a moment, then found yourself unable to look away as you saw him give you a gentle look that you didn't think would exist on his face. He seemed genuinely happy that you listened to his request, and he smiled. With another snap, your outfit was cleaned and patched up, as if the damage had never been done, same with your wounds, which made you wonder why he had to use some kind of spell on himself while you were healed within an instant.
"Much better..." He chuckled softly as you saw him reach up and the tips of his gloved fingers graced your ear.
"I must admit, I'm surprised my earring wasn't damaged." Ghirahim seemed relieved but amused, while you for one for a frozen and blushing mess. The fact that he was actually making physical contact made your mind reel. What had happened to result in this?
You tried to move, but your muscles refused to budge, and you wished with every fiber your being that you could vanish out of embarrassment when Ghirahim's black eyes looked back into yours, and his smile widened.
"My, don't you look flustered..." The hand that held your cheek continued to caress your face, it's coldness slightly soothing the intense heat that was practically radiating off of you.
"I-I... er... um..." You tried to say something, anything that would distract Ghirahim from the dominance he had over you, but you found yourself unable to form words.
He moved a gloved finger to your lips, making you blush even worse if that was possible. His smile turned into that playful smirk he had before, but after a few moments he looked a little dazed, and he suddenly fell towards you. The sudden urge to help him made you instinctively catch him in your arms, holding him up gently while he collected himself.
"My... apologies, I..." His voice faltered, and he seemed embarrassed himself, but clearly due to the fact that he was at a moment of weakness. You shook your head to snap out of your flustered state and carefully lead him back to your bed, sitting him down.
"Are you alright?" You asked, kneeling down in front of him.
Ghirahim didn't look at you for a moment, looking lost in thought, then he gazed back into your eyes and nodded.
You smiled and gently nudged him to lie down, saying: "You should get some sleep."
Ghirahim seemed to like that idea, but first he snapped his fingers and your outfit vanished, changing into a pair of pajamas you'd been in before.
"The outfit is in your closet." He simply said, looking away with unreadable eyes.
"Thank you." You scratched your neck shyly, then helped him lie down and you gingerly pulled the covers over him afterwards.
"If you need anything in the middle of the night, let me know. I'll help as best as I can." You stated, wanting for than anything to make sure Ghirahim would be well taken care of.
Ghirahim seemed shocked by your offer, but his expression changed when you added: "It's the least I can do anyways, since it's all my fault you got hurt in the first place..."
Ghirahim abruptly sat back up, making you jump and look at him in confused fear. Did you say something wrong?
He pulled you down to him, putting a hand to your face once you were on his level.
"While I may not fully know what the cause of all this was, I refuse to believe that you are one at fault."
Your eyes widened.
"But..." He put a finger to your lips again, then motioned for you to leave, but in a polite way.
"No 'but's. Now, off to sleep with you." He sounded more like his usual self in the game, making you giggle slightly. Ghirahim raised a brow at this but he smiled once more.
"Good night, Ghirahim." You said happily as you turned off the lamp that illuminated your room, and just as you were walking over to your sleeping bag, you heard a snap and you were already in it, snuggled up in the cozy fabric.
"Pleasant dreams, (Y/n)." You heard him say afterwards, making a huge grin form on your face for some reason. As you shut your eyes and let the darkness sink in, you cradled the earring Ghirahim had shockingly left on your ear, unable to feel anything but pure glee. Then your mind flickered over to Ghirahim's previous behavior before his exhaustion got the better of him. What would have happened if he wasn't tired?
Would things have taken a different turn..?
(~Goodness I've got to work on myself more. I'm terribly sorry that it took me so long to finish this one... x*x; Though, I must admit this is the longest chapter I've ever written, including this little note there's 8,227 words. o*o Thank you all for taking the time to read this book despite my lateness in updates though I don't deserve it, it truly means a lot to me... ^*^''~)