𝗍𝖺𝗎𝗋𝗎𝗌- 𝗍.𝗅.

𝖺 𝗇𝗂𝖼𝖾, 𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗆 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀

Night was shrouding the house in a blanket of darkness and the croak of crickets. Purring was emitting from the two cats curled beside Alex on the bed beside her, her marred arm wrapped around them gently. Alex's bedroom door creaked open. Tate crouched down to brush hair from her face, smiling slightly. The girl stirred, rolling over to be greeted with his pale complexion.

"How'd you get in here?" she whispered, head lay on her hands, not at all alarmed by his strangely comforting presence.

"Your dad left the back door unlocked. I threw a couple rocks at your window but you didn't wake up. Can I crash?" Tate traced her inflamed skin with his fingers. Alex winced as he ran his hand too close to her fresh wounds. Tate immediately retracted his hand. "Sorry, got a bit too close." He gently kissed the area better.

"It's ok. You can crash, c'mon." Alex moved the bundle of blankets and kittens further across the bed, creating enough space for Tate to climb in.

"Thanks," he whispered, slipping his shoes off before climbing under the covers. "C'mere." He held his arms out for the girl to crawl into, holding her close to his chest once she was safely in his grip. "I'll never hurt you," he whispered, staring at the posters tacked to her ceiling. "I could never do that. Not to you."

Alex smiled as she drifted in and out of sleep, "that's good to know, Tate."

The boy cautiously kissed her hair, inhaling the lavender scent of her shampoo. "I get this feeling when I'm around you. It's calming. Like being high but... nicer. I'll take care of you, Al. Don't worry." His fingers, feather light against her skin, drew tiny circles and the occasional swirl, lulling her into a comforting sleep.

"Thank you, prince charming," her tired voice whispered back. Alex tightened her arm around Tate's waist, "get some sleep, it's late."

The two quickly lost themselves in blankets and the sound of harmonious, soothing purrs. Tate made sure to tighten his arms around Alex any time she stirred.

Before he was finally asleep for the night, Tate made a silent vow to ensure Alex never found out he was dead. He just wanted to protect her, and to do that, she needed to be completely clueless to his macabre existence.

☠︎

When Alex woke up, blanket pulled to her chin, she expected to be alone. But, upon coming to her full senses, she realised that she was still very much wrapped in Tate's arms, and that it was also only six in the morning. Alex carefully slipped from his grip and scooped the kittens in her arms, finding a syringe and a bottle of kitten milk in the cooler that she had stored in a cupboard, which she had decorated the exterior of with posters, the night before. She quickly hurried downstairs to warm the milk, cats still asleep in her arms whilst she hurried to mic some wet food in a bowl for Wooly. When the microwave was finally done, she slipped the bottle into her dressing gown's pocket and carried everything she needed back up to her bedroom, careful not to wake her parents. She sat Wooly beside her with his breakfast whilst she checked the temperature of the milk on her wrist. Perfect. She filled the syringe before unwrapping Pippa, holding her carefully to her chest whilst she took hungry swallows of the warm milk, spilling it down her face in the process.

Alex smiled at Tate's resting figure, noticing how his chest never seemed to rise or fall. He must be a heavy sleeper, she assumed, wiping milk from Pippa's chin.

When the kittens were both done eating and ready for another few hours of napping, Alex placed them into the bed that rested on her desk, sliding the heat pad under it to keep them warm. The two slept close together. The girl slipped some clothes on, taking a look at herself in the mirror. "I've looked worse," she whispered to herself as she emerged from the closet that connected her and Violet's rooms, checking on the cats. They were still asleep. She stalked back over to the mirror in the clothing-filled room, taking a photo to post to instagram.