Gunned | SatoSere

Chapter 2 - Welcome Home

Serena had noticed that Ash brought out his phone, contacting somebody who picked up the call as fast as the call ended seconds after with a single drop of the location. The only thought that ran through her mind is where the car even appeared from as she saw a car colored in a deep shade of black pull up in silence by the curb of the sidewalk they were once walking on.

Upon the car stopping, Ash nods, satisfied, and walks up to the rear door and opens it for the fashion designer as she looks at him with a silly, confused facial expression.

The man raises his brow. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, of course not," Serena replies. "I didn't expect you to do this, is all."

"I told you I have manners unlike the other guys," he simply deadpans with his elbow moved up to rest on top of the door, trying to seem casual. "And I keep my word."

Serena bites her bottom lip to hold back her laugh and finally walks up to the car to turn to face him instead. She reaches up to his face, gently patting his cheek a few times with the palm of her hand while keeping her eyes on his, having him in a trance.

"Well, again, I thank you." She moves her hand away from his cheek and elegantly lets herself get settled into the car and scoots in as Ash watches her. "I'll hold you to your word as well."

The driver calmly greets Serena and Ash makes his way into the car himself, sitting beside her as the driver quietly greets him with all respect as well. When getting settled in, he knocks on the window using his knuckles, signaling the driver to start up the car.

Hands on the wheel, looking into the rear view mirror to eye the man, the driver questions, "where to, boss?"

"We've already spoken about that, Sawyer. No need for formalities," Ash says firmly, but in the way of comfort and truth behind his tone. "We're family."

He crosses his legs for his ankle to rest on his knee, adjusting his shirt due to the last fight. Serena sees the reflection of Sawyer in the rear view mirror with the kind smile that matched Ash's. Not being in open air and staying in an enclosed space such as this, his gravity seems much heavier.

"My apologies, Ash, sir."

"Guess that's the best I'll get from you, huh?" Ash sighs and leans further back into the seat, placing his hands pieced together in his lap. "We'll be heading home."

Along with the nod given, Sawyer asks, "And for the woman?"

"She'll be ours now. Understand?"

Another nod is given. "Understood."

With the car starting and making its way through the roads of Lumiose City, the lights passing by brush against the sharp line of Ash's jaw.

Usually, Serena would protest at the prospect of belonging to anyone because the sentiment alone was enough to not sit right in her system, or anyone unless they swing that way, that is. However, the way it's delivered from Ash, there's a warning on the edge of his voice which comes to the point of a poison dipped knife, and even deadlier. There's an invisible scale of whether she should be afraid or flattered by it.

"I'll be sending for your belongings by morning." Ash tilts his head to her, observing her with shining eyes. "Is there anyone who lives with you?"

"O-Oh, no." Serena blinks at the oddly caring tone because it's not what she expects and she fears she might get whiplash from all these different versions of him she's seeing. "I live alone, actually."

She didn't intend on sounding so lonely and it comes to thought the second she sees Ash's eyes narrow in what looks like concern. It was the truth since after her mom passed, she pursued her career in being a fashion designer and moved into the city, but she still felt something was missing. She had hopes of finding something more.

There's an angel and devil on Serena's shoulder, small voices bickering to each other. One was whispering to her that Ash was a walking red flag she shouldn't be around and the other was claiming that he's what she has been looking for. That something she was searching for.

"I see." Ash nods, rubbing his hands together. "Well, I hope you don't mind some noise. The other demons can be a bunch of animals that would make one believe they need to be put in a zoo."

"Demons?" Serena repeats, pointedly.

The devil on her shoulder would be the one to say they belong perfectly.

"The gang's name," Ash answers with a raised brow.

She couldn't stop her tone from coming out as flat as it did. "...Seriously?"

From the corner of her eye, she could see Sawyer flinch for her and more so frozen in his seat out of fear. She wonders if she went too far and her lack of filter would get her in more problems now which doesn't ease her heart or her nervousness.

Ash's face is impassive for a moment until it changes with his lip forming a pout as he asks, almost sadly, "what's wrong with the name?"

"Wait, what?" Serena was close to laughing in his face, but it comes out as a giggle pretty enough to make him blink several times at the sound. She finally smiles and comfortably settles back into the seat. "You're really... something, Ash. Just nothing like I expected."

"Nothing like you expected?" His voice drops and Serena feels her stomach turn with the angel on her shoulder saying they knew he was a walking red flag and she should evacuate immediately, but she stays and he continues. "And what am I like, Serena?"

There's more than enough thoughts going over the speed limit, racing around that question in her mind whereas the others are still processing the tone of his voice dripping from his lips and even how her name sounds out of it. Before anything passes from her own lips, the car comes to a halt and from the driver's seat, Sawyer clears his throat.

"We've arrived, Ash, sir, and Miss..." he pauses and Serena takes the hint.

"Serena is fine," she says kindly, a smile on her lips.

"Understood, Miss Serena."

She doesn't correct him because she knows it's pointless and lets it slide. She guesses it's what Ash goes through as shown minutes ago.

Serena turns her head and does a double take when she takes in the area. Her mind goes blank at the sight and she can tell it's like Ash in a way. A way that it's unlike anything she has seen before.

They're miles away from city and outside stands a building that could be mistaken for a castle that scrapes the sky with its height. The place was painted in a tan color, the roof was gray and lined in black, and the perimeter encasing it all in thick fences. Beautiful, bright lights were on with other nature like decorations, and up ahead were stairs that lead the way around a large fountain and to a pool with chairs surrounding it.

Serena's stupor is broken when Ash rounds the car and opens her door, extending a hand to her. She gently takes it, feeling that his hands are rough, and it doesn't surprise her. Despite that, they're warm enough to give her a sense of comfort, his larger hand wrapping around her smaller, soft ones, and she lets herself be pulled along his orbit, Ash being the very axis of Serena's new world.

The gates open upon Ash's arrival and he doesn't let go of Serena's hand when her feet hit the smooth floor, the sky opening up in glittering lights, an entire constellation that spells danger wrapped in a trill. Ash looks down at Serena with a smile and she feels the squeeze of assurance on the palm of her hand.

"Welcome home, Serena."

And she couldn't be happier.