Covens and Proxies

27

Reader's POV

Masky calls every few nights after the... Incident. Last night, he told Toby he'd come to get him for their mission tomorrow morning. Early in the morning. So, you're enjoying your last night of his little vacation together. You'd managed to convince Zemra to stay with her own boyfriend, leaving the house to us completely.

You sit on the couch, Toby's arms around you, one of his favorite classic horror movies on. You'd gotten him sucked into the genre.

A girl screams as the killer traps her, making you both laugh. "She's so obvious." You mutter, watching murderer splatter her blood as he kills her.

"Such an-an easy kill. It looks bor-boring." Toby agrees.

Of course, with the death comes the end of the movie and credits roll.

"I can't bel-believe you got me into horr-or movies." He mutters, looking down at you.

You smile up at him. "That's what I'm here for, isn't it? To show you things you wouldn't believe?"

He grunts at the innuendo, grabbing up the remote, only to shut off the TV and relax into the sofa more. "Ye-yeah." He mutters, shutting his eyes as his head rests on the back of the furniture.

You look quizically at him before sitting up and putting your fingers to his temples. He smiles softy, his voice a calm whisper. "I want to-to try something. If you're will-illing." One of his eyes peeks open, a great warmth in his dark pools. Such an inviting stare, you wish you could dive in and let the black swallow you in all it's wholeness.

You smile and nod, letting him guide you both to your feet, to the open space of floor behind the couch. A few clicks on his phone before setting it down, soft music playing to set an ambiance. Your face heats with a quiet blush as he guides your hands around his neck, his own wrapping around your waist. He guides you in a steady circle, his warmth and scent enveloping your senses, his scarred flesh shimmering in the calm light of the lamps, his eyes sparkling. He smiles, his shredded cheek twitches.

He lifts you at the height of the music, drawing a laugh from you. He sets you down, twirling you as the sound dies, before pulling you back in.

It's quite, except for his breath and your heart hammering hard in your ears. Your certain he can hear it, can feel it in his chest, with his forehead pressed to yours, eyes closed.

He takes his hands off of you, leaving you briefly disappointed, before he guides yours to his temples again. His words are so soft, so careful, you wonder if he'd really spoken them. "Make me unaf-fraid." He breaths, pulling you even closer.

Swallowing, your work your way through his mind, untangling his fears, his worries, his anger. Something clicks as you settle it all again, pulling back to reality only to realise he's kissing you, deep and passionate.

His lips are chapped and scarred against your soft skin, but they lull you into such a peace you'd think you'd died and gone to heaven. His arms are strong and warm, pulling you up into him to deepen the kiss more.

You wind your hands in his hair, pulling him closer if possible. You're head is spinning, your lungs burning slightly from the lack of air. All of your nerves are on fire, painfully aware of everywhere he touches. And aware of the pain forming behind the kiss.

If you hang on, you'll push him too far, so you slowly pull yourself back to Earth, panting to replenish your air and steady your head. His eyes are still closed tight, opening when you brush a hand over his shredded skin. You smile at him, kissing the remnant of the wound.

His own smile is forlorn and melancholy, so you lay your head on his chest and hum the tune from before, swaying with him.

The silence of the night envelopes you as he holds you, song thrumming through your being as you work to comfort yourself and him. You both know he won't be back for a while. He's going to kill a lot, innumerable innocents, to let loose the built up anguish that accumulated over his 'vacation'.
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You wake before the sun the next morning, fully wrapped in Toby's arms, and savor his warmth, the sound of his breath, his heartbeat, before forcing yourself up. He sighs, his dark eyes opening at your movement.

"It's time." You murmur, looking down at him.

He nods grimly, climbing out of the bed to get dressed. You help him dawn his harness, the blades stained with the blood of so many. He takes your hand before you can step away, squeezing it tight in his gloved grip.

"You don't have to." You choke out, fighting the burning behind your eyes. He shakes his head, staring at his thumb as it traces circles on your hand. "We could run away. Hide. Somewhere no one could find us. I could hide us." You know you sound like you're begging, but you don't care. You don't want him to go. "We could work together. I could heal you. Permanently."

He takes your other hand before it can touch him. He shakes his head again, finally looking at you with wet eyes. "I can't. Y-you know I couldn't." He kisses your forehead softly, caught in a hug before he can pull away.

"Just promise me you'll come back soon." You manage around the knot in your throat as tears streak your cheeks.

His hand runs over your hair carefully, his lips pressing to the top of your head. "I promise I will-will come back. I promise this isn't the la-ast time you'll see me." He mutters, finally pulling himself from your grip.

You watch him shut your bedroom door, hear his footsteps thump as he walks through the hall, the back door opening and shutting. Walking to the window, you watch Masky land in front of his friend, waiting for Toby to cross the lawn to him. A last glance to your window, the goggles masking his eyes in the dim light, and he's gone. Over the fence, out of your reach.

A pit opens in your stomach, forcing you to sit before you wretch. Dread and loss wind through your mind, curling in your stomach, weighing your heart down deep. With shaky hands, you press your grip to your temples, feeling your own warmth flow, letting up the suffocating pain of knowing he is not here.

He won't walk up the front drive and knock on the door.

He won't stumble back into the backyard, rapping on the back door or your window.

Not for a long while.