I woke up from a relatively restless sleep. I sat up and looked at Julie besides me, still sleeping. My eyes wander over to Jericho also still asleep, on the floor. I sigh and rub my face in frustration.
I pick up the journal that had fallen onto the floor during the night. I hold it tightly and convince myself to not throw it violently at the wall out of rage. I swung my legs off the bed and sat at the edge staring at the wall.
I was mad, mad at myself mostly. I mean, here I am doing everything I can to revive Elaine who I'd only known for a short period of time, whereas Julie I had grown up with and I had essentially forgotten about her. My selfishness and obsession had led a girl I cared deeply for to go through absolute hell.
Some hero I was.
While my brain processed everything I don't notice a moving presence next to me.
"It's you."
I jump at the unexpected sound. I turn and see Julie sitting up in bed, eyes wide and mouth parted slightly. We stare at one another for a few silent seconds before the corners of her mouth curl upwards into a slight smile.
"I must be dead," she breathed out, with a quiet chuckle.
The staring match lasted a few moments more until she jumps forward, burying her head in my neck and wrapping her arms tightly around me in a hug.
I sit still, shocked. I quickly loosen up and exhale, the tension leaving my body as I reciprocate the hug. I run a hand through her tangled hair and sigh relieved to see her awake and ok.
"Julie, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you, I should've come back."
She shushed me, pulling her head out of my neck. Her face was directly in front of mine, a wide grin.
What I did not expect, was for her to lean in and kiss me right there. My mouth dropped in surprise, but I couldn't help myself, I kissed her back.
"AGHH!" I heard from across the room.
I pulled away and turned to look at Jericho whose face was as red as a demon, and her eyes locked on us.
Julie jumped back on the bed and reciprocated Jericho's surprised scream, pulling the covers up over her face, a cute little habit she's had since she was a kid.
I guess she was so surprised to see me she had not noticed Jericho on the floor.
She lowered the blanket slightly so just her eyes were visible.
"Is this your..? Do you have a girl—" Julie spoke quickly, her eyes darting between me and her in a bit of a panic.
"Jericho is a friend." I reply bluntly.
"So Ban, you and her are just friends too?" Jericho asked skeptically, recalling what I had told her yesterday. She stood up from the floor, trying to get the upper hand.
"Yup," I replied smugly.
Julie's face visibly fell, and Jericho almost looked like she felt bad for her. Julie pushed the blanket off her legs and stood up. This was the first time I had really noticed just how small she had gotten. I was surprised she could even stand, she had practically zero muscle on her.
I eyed her, not sure what she was doing. She walked straight for the door and put her hand on the knob. She turned around before turning the handle.
"Thanks for helping me."
With that she opened the door and walked out. I stared down the closed door in confusion and glanced to Jericho who laughed out a "good job, idiot."
I ran out the door and into the hallway following her.
"Wait, Julie! I'm sorry."
She hadn't made it that far and her breathing was already labored. She stopped, but I don't think it was because I asked her to. She leaned over slightly, grasping at her stomach breathing heavily.
"Julie, hey look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad, please just come sit down, you are obviously not well."
She huffed, "I'm fine."
"Teenie, please just let me help you. I know I'm entirely too late, but I'm here now. We're together now." I practically begged, it was a little embarrassing frankly.
She lifted her head up to look at me, her eyes shined brightly after hearing the nickname I had always called her.
She bit her lip, looking conflicted.
"Fine. I will go with you and your girlfriend, but only because I have nowhere else to go and I still feel woozy after Othello's last injection."
"Not my girlfriend." I replied, rolling my eyes.
"Mmhm." She mumbled.
She stood up straight ready to go back to the room before departing on our journey. She took a few steady breaths and I chuckled. I scooped her legs up in one arm and her back in the other. I carried her back to the room and her cheeks flushed pink.
"I could've walked," she grumbled, crossing her arms.
"What if I wanted to carry you?" I smirked. How I loved to see her freckled cheeks go red.
She buried her head into my chest as I opened the door to the room and Jericho gave me a look, raising her eyebrow at me.
"So, where to next?" Jericho asked.
"Well, we've got this crazy hybrid girl here who needs to learn how to utilize all these new skills, and I know a group of people who could teach her." I smiled, obviously referring to the sins who I hadn't seen in a little while.
Julie shoved me when I referred to her as a crazy hybrid girl, and Jericho gave me a knowing smile.
"Ever heard of the Seven Deadly Sins?" I asked Julie.
She looked up at me, her blue eyes sparkling. She shook her head. Of course she didn't know about the sins, she'd been in a fucking basement for nearly a decade.
"Well, I guess it's time for you to meet the rest of them." I smirked.
Her cute little eyebrows crinkled, "the rest of them?"
"I am no longer the Ban the bandit you knew. Introducing, Fox Sin of Greed, Ban the Undead."
Her eyes widened, "Undead?" She stammered.
"You see Teenie, we had a very different past ten years, but it seems like we've still had very similar outcomes. I am immortal, and from what I understand, you're damn near close."
She nodded, somewhat solemnly. I'm sure it was a bit of a sensitive topic that she had become indestructible because a crazy man experimented on her for years on end without her consent.
"Looks like we're going to be stuck together, forever." I heard Julie say quietly under her breath. I looked down at her and she was smiling and I couldn't help but match her grin.
