Modern Monsters

Ari the Unseelie

Female Main Character x Male Monster

Heloise took the key dangling in front of her face, her fingers slipping along the shimmering, purple ribbon attached to it. "What's this for?" She craned her neck back to look up at Ari smiling down at her.

"It's to my house," he replied, purposefully vague.

A little frown crossed Heloise's face. "You have a house?" She asked, turning around as Ari came to sit beside her.

"I do now," He tucked a dark lock behind his ear, enjoying the expression that crossed her face as he spoke. She had freckles like stars in the sky, and Ari adored each and every one. Her big, dark brown eyes were always wide and alert, but he noticed when she looked at him they softened ever so slightly.

Heloise pressed her lips into a tight line. "Don't tease me now, Prince," she growled at him.

Ari set down the folder he was holding on the desktop. There was some scribbling along the front that Heloise was attempting to decipher before Ari covered it with his hand. His hands were long and thing, signs of his Unseelie heritage. She scowled back up at him then whipped her head aside, her wild mane fluffing with her irritation at his teasing.

"What do I care if you have some secret, mystery palace," she held the key back out to him without meeting his gaze.

Ari clasped her hand and made her fingers close around the cold iron. "That's your copy." He said, a shimmer going across his pale skin.

Heloise flinched, nearly turning back to him, but she remained still. "My copy?" She muttered, biting the inside of her cheek.

Ari's fingers squeezed. "That's correct," his voice a soft purr. "You can put that key into any door, and it'll open into my home. It won't work while we're at school of course, but when you get home."

Heloise took the key back and turned to look at him, her expression serious. "So...this place is real then? You're not just trying to tease me?"

Ari smirked, "now why would I ever tease you?"

Her lip curled up, showing off her sharp teeth. "You always tease me," she huffed. "That's all you ever do to me."

Ari tapped her lip, tucking it back down. "It's part of my inheritance," he pulled his hand away and tucked them back over his desk.

Heloise's eyes widened, and her lips went into a pout. "Oh," she gasped, unsure how to respond. She reached out, her warm hand falling onto his shoulder and clasping tightly. "So, uhm..." he was always so defensive about himself, his past locked away in an iron vault. He always asked her about her home, her family, only telling her about his present and future plans.

It was known Ari was part Unseelie, but other than that, his past was a complete mystery. He came to the school as an orphan, taken in by one of the professors so he could complete his schooling. He was always quiet and observant, keeping his head down despite the constant picking he suffered. He was always tall, extremely pale, and his sharp features made him look odd. But to Heloise, even when she used to act like he hated everything, she always thought Ari was beautiful.

Ari's hand covered hers on his shoulder, and he sighed deeply. "It's ok," he turned, and his smile made her heart melt a little. It was warm but sad at the same time. "I'm sharing my home with you, the only family I need."

Heloise's cheeks flushed, burning to the tips of her ears. She leaned her forehead against his arm, her fist clenching onto his cardigan.

Ari chuckled, petting her soft hair, "did I say it just right?"

Heloise clutched the key in her other hand and held it to her heart. "Thank you," she grumbled quietly. "This means a lot."

"I hope you'll visit me soon," he scratched at the back of her neck. "It needs cleaning desperately."