GUARDIAN|M.LANGDON

PART 5|TATTOO

(A/N- this is inspired by the AMAZING book ANGELIC—micheal langdon by antiqueblythe, please read it! Inspiration goes to her!!)

I tense when I hear my name and I guess Mallory felt it, she grabs my hand quickly and strokes it

Langdon keeps looking at me, I could hardly take it as I put my head down "The process should only take me a couple of days, so you won't be kept in suspense forever"

He goes on for a bit... about some morbid details, and by the time he's finished he looks at me and motions his hand to follow him

I get up and before I leave Mallory grabs my hand

"Let me know what happens?" I look at her and smile, reassuring her I'm okay

Bullshit, but still

I follow him behind scrunching my dress in my hands, as I follow him into a room I hadn't seen before, he opens the door for me as I walk in, thanking him quietly

God Evelyn, why are you such a pussy? He won't kill you

I walk in and sit at a chair, nervous

"So how does this work?" I speak meekly

"I'm not going to tell you what criteria I'm using to grade you, things you may feel may be hurtful, things you may feel will compel rejection..." he speaks boldly, making me more nervous than before, he looks at me before he continues

"...may be exactly what I'm looking for" this was strangely, soft? Compared to what he was like before, and I nod slightly, it helped me calm down

"If you hedge I will know" he continues to speak quietly, I guess he didn't think he needed to be so authoritative for a one on one, and I was thankful "if you lie, I will know and if you try to trick me, I will know"

He goes to say something else, but backs out in it, probably about the consequences of my actions, but another panic arises, what if he knows I'm not meant to be here? Fuck

"Are we clear?" I nod

"What's your sexual orientation?"

I widen my eyes and fumble "I-I'm straight, but I've never really dated... or anything but I'm attracted to boys, I think"

Oh my god shut up woman

"Tell me about your past"

I look at him plainly "I don't know" and he cocks his brow at me

"You don't know?" He asks me again, I look away panicked

"I got into an accident or something, I can't recall anything about my life apart from the past year before the apocalypse, so I don't know"

I continue "I worked in a cafe, lived alone in an apartment, that's about it, I don't have any family that checks up on me, or anyone who cares... I'm alone" I keep playing with my hands, it's embarrassing, eighteen years of life, and I can't even remember it? I finally gain the courage to look back up at him and he looks...

Sad? Not something I was expecting, hes looking down to the clipboard he's holding, but not writing anything down
And on instinct I do something very dumb-
I place my hand on his

Why am I doing this?
A good question

I've only just met this man, from what I know, so why did I feel the need to make him okay? It was my memories that I lost, not his

"It's okay, I can make new memories" I hum slightly, I break out of my trance as I realise what I'm doing and go to take my hand away, but he holds it, he stands up and I follow, him staying very close to me, saying nothing

"Why do I feel like I know you?" I ask him honestly, because I did feel like I knew him, but he says nothing- instead changing the subject

"What about the tattoo behind your ear?"

I look up at him in confusion, the question taking me back- we were both stood up now, a staggering height difference obvious

"What tattoo?"

He walks away, grabbing two pocket mirrors and handing me one, he then pulls my hair away from my face and tilts my neck back, making my hair stand from the closeness

"This one" he whispers as he holds up the other one so I could see it- and there it was

Two wings etched onto the back of my neck, I touch behind my ear in disbelief
Flat

My shock seemed to be enough for him to believe me, as he finally put the mirror down, staying behind me for a second longer than what was needed- I felt like I had to hold my breath

Finally he moved away, leaning onto the desk beside us

"Is it important?" I look up at him, I felt like I couldn't ask a question, but I needed to know

"To me, yes" he sighs leaning more into the desk and I swallow, what does that mean?

"You may leave, I'll see you soon Evelyn"

I nod and go to make my way out, but I stop

"Why is it important?"
I'm overstepping my boundaries here

I look at him, stern eyes meeting mine, and I feel I shouldn't have asked that question,

"In a few days there will be a feast, apple bobbing" he moves away from the desk, now making his way towards me
But he deflected the question?

With a swift motion he's right beside me, holding my chin lightly forcing me to look up at him- I couldn't help but blush

"If your name has taught you anything, eve, don't eat the apple, nothing but despair will come if it"

I gulp and nod, and something unexpected happens

He smiles, a genuine smile, and kisses my forehead lightly before letting me go, I let out a shaky sigh from his action, and I slowly make my way out the room

Safe to say, there was a lot of questions running through my mind