the sweetly scented killer

priorities

a/n: i'm back pimps 🤪 i haven't updated in like half a millennium for no other reason than i'm lazy but but but here i am and i think another update will be coming soon after this one since it's a little short

let's boogie

seth

She doesn't look like the sweet angel I knew when I first met her. Well, maybe that's not true.

She's literally skipping around humming and messing with leaves and shit.

But for the first time, I see past that. Flora is a lot more than what she lets on. A lot darker. And I saw that darkness in her last night. A darkness I never knew was there. A darkness that sparked something inside me.

I'm interested in this cynical side of my wife—how could I not be?

It's sexy and new and different. Maybe this is why we were mated. Because she has this fire in her that she's been suppressing. I won't coax it out of her, but I definitely won't encourage her to dismiss it.

I find myself watching the way she moves. The way she uses her hands. Her face when she thinks, how she pushes her curls out of her face.

I go into the closet while she's in there, my curiosity about last night getting the best of me.

"Hey," I say, sitting on the bench on her side.

"Good morning," she smiles. Flora plants a small kiss on my cheek.

"How'd you sleep last night?"

"Well."

"Yeah? Did you get up at all?" She turns her head and gives me a sidelong glance.

"No. Did you?" Hm.

I shake my head slowly and raise my eyebrows. "Not that I can remember."

Flora picks out a pair of corduroy pants and a shirt. "I'm gonna go shower." She smiles sweetly, then walks out of the closet.

I follow her with my eyes. Oh, I'm invested now.

***

We stand at the tall doors side by side. Flora brought some flowers. I've never seen her handle these kinds of flowers. When she brought them about with her hands, she gave them a look like they had a purpose to serve. She called them Black Dahlias.

She has two kinds of flowers in her hair—yellow carnations and begonias (yes, I'm learning flower names).

All of her clothes are white, including the sandals gifted to her from Erica.

She taps her thigh with her hand in a pattern, out of what I'm assuming is nervousness. So I take her hand and hold it.

"Flora," her mother smiles.

"Mother," Flora nods once with a faint smile on her lips. They stand there for a second until I look down at Flora with a smile. She smiles back at me as if it is only us here.

The moment lasts a few seconds longer, then is interrupted by the woman who opened the door for us. "Come in," she says.

The rest of the family stands just after the foyer, in the opening of the dining room.

I spot Fauna and the man she is holding hands with who I assume is Samuel.

I size up the man my wife used to love. Or, still loves.

He has the look of an angel—round cheeks, large eyes and so on—with his benign facial features.

He's handsome, nevertheless. When I imagine the type of man Flora might be attracted to, I imagine someone like him. Someone who looks caring and kind.

My eyes fall to hers as I try to see who they land on.

At first I think it's Samuel, and then I follow them down. Lower than Samuel. Fauna.

She watches Flora with a triumphant smile—one I want to smack off her face. Flora tilts her head up and smiles sweetly.

A man who resembles Flora runs down the hall, picks her up and spins her around. He laughs as he says her name. She laughs as well and hugs him. Her brother Castiel. I recognize him from that photo on her nightstand.

"I've missed you greatly, dear sister."

"I have missed you more," Flora grins.

The whole family isn't here—which I'm not surprised about. It's just Flora's mother, Fauna and Samuel, Castiel, and the triplets. Her mother informs us that Flora's father wishes he could be here, but has a meeting he could not miss. Bullshit.

We have greeted everyone except for two. Fauna and Samuel.

My hand remains on the small of Flora's back as she approaches them.

The twins share a mildly awkward hug. "So have you come to try to steal my husband?" Fauna laughs as if she hadn't just taken a dig at her twin sister. Flora lets out a clearly fake laugh.

"No, dear sister, I didn't come to see either of you," she smiles sweetly at her. Fauna frowns a little and looks her up and down. A smirk coaxes the corner of my lips to raise.

Fuck her up, Flora.

I slip my arm around her waist and pull her close. Flora aims a smile up at me. I smile back.

"So why are you here?" Fauna says in a flat tone of voice.

"I thought it would be good for her," I push a curl out of her face, just for it to bounce back. Flora chuckles and I smile.

I'm playing up a lovey-dovey facade right now, not only because I can feel what Flora wants and faintly hear her thoughts, but also because I have common sense and I can read a fucking room.

Fauna shifts her weight uncomfortably as Flora's attention remains on me.

When she looks away, a smile falls upon Fauna's features. Flora returns it. "How has it been? Being married, I mean," Flora asks.

"Wonderful," Fauna looks up at Samuel. But his gaze is fixated on me. I raise my eyebrows and give him a brief smile, but his hard gaze doesn't falter.

I hold it, and stroke Flora's waist with my thumb, just to rub it in more.

When I stop feeling ready to fight Samuel to the death, I look at Flora, because I know she had something to do with it.

Inside my head, I can hear her telling me to leave Samuel alone. That there are...other priorities.

Our heads both raise to look at Fauna simultaneously.

"What?" she frowns. "Why are the two of you looking at me?"

"I think it is about time to eat," Flora's mother announces.