My Number One (001/Henry Creel/Vecna x Reader)

Commitment

I fell to the floor, and felt that slimy substance again.

When I opened my eyes, above me stood Mr Ballard.

He reached down, grabbed my wrists and pulled my up roughly. "What we're you doing in there?"

I blinked, a little dazed. "What?"

"What were you doing in the brothel again?" he asked, still holding my wrists.

"Telling Walter I'm okay."

"He doesn't need to know!" Mr Ballard yelled. "You're not working there, are you?"

"Yes," I said quietly.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you to leave."

"You're one to talk about trust," I said. "In the laboratory, when we were escaping, you told me you were going back to collect Eleven, when you really went and killed the other test subjects."

"I've explained this already. I did that for you," he said, throwing down my wrists.

"That doesn't make it okay. And, anyway, why didn't you mention before that there was a portal in the brothel?"

"Because I didn't want you going anywhere near there to use it."

"Why?"

Mr Ballard laughed and shook his head. "You really do know nothing about the world, do you?"

"That's not my fault."

"Yes, but it is your fault that you haven't listened to me. I tried telling you that it's bad, already."

"Well, I'm listening now. Why is it so bad?"

"The men there, they treat your body like an object. Haven't you experienced enough of that already in your life? They don't respect you, even though you're more worthy of respect than every one of those sad men put together."

I thought for a moment, actually taking in his words. "But, where else am I going to find somewhere to work like that? I get lots of money, and a free place to stay."

"Here."

I fell quiet. It was true enough. If I had known all this time that I'd have a free place to live in the Upside Down, why hadn't I done it. Why had I been trying to avoid it?

I think I knew why.

I was afraid of commitment.

I had spent so much of my life confined, unable to make my own decisions, and now that I finally had freedom, I was afraid of losing so quickly it all over again.

But did committing to Mr Ballard and the Upside Down really take away my freedom? Sure, it limited my options and experiences in life, but I'd still be left with so many more than what I had started with back in the lab...and, besides, those experiences I was left with were the ones I'd probably choose out of everything, anyway.

If I ever wanted to leave the Upside Down, I knew I could. I knew where the gates were now, and how to get through them, but I didn't want to make Mr Ballard mad if that ever happened.

But I'd give the lifestyle with him a chance, and hope it would never come down to leaving.

"Okay," I breathed. "I'll stay here. With you."

Mr Ballard's expression remained unchanged. He didn't smile, but he didn't often, anyway. I guessed he was probably secretly happy.

I looked around, and began silently taking small steps, exploring my surroundings. I was in the Upside Down version of the backstage brothel.

Mr Ballard came up from behind me and held me still with his hands on my shoulders. "I followed you here," he murmured in my ear.

"How?" I whispered, trying to move an inch.

"I listened to your footsteps, from my house, to Mike's house, and to the brothel. You can head very faint sounds from the real world. Listen," he said, now reaching round from behind me and covering my eyes with his hands.

I held my breath and listened.

He was right, I could hear the very faint sounds of voices, but I couldn't decipher their words. "Who are they? There was no one backstage when I left."

"Workers from the brothel. I heard them walk in a minute ago." Now he removed his hands so that I was no longer blind, and walked around to face me. "They're probably wondering where you are." Now he smiled. A very small smile, like a smirk, but still.

"I told Walter I'd let him know whenever I have to leave."

"Why does it matter if you're never going to see him again?" Mr Ballard said softly, reaching his hand out and placing his fingers under my chin, lifting my face.

"It doesn't," I agreed, butterflies circling my stomach.

He nodded, then let his hand drop.

He then began walking away from me, towards the backstage exit. "Come with me."

So I did. He led me outside of the building, and then waited on the pavement, facing away, for me to catch up.

"How are the portals created? And how many are there?" I asked softly as I walked up beside him.

"I don't know," he said, and he sounded as if he had been wondering the same thing.

"Where are we going?"

"To the lake."

"Lake?" I asked.

"You'll see."

Mr Ballard whistled suddenly, and, on command, from behind a building, crept a creature I had only seen once in my entire life...the one that had snatched me into the Upside Down.

I stepped back suddenly, but Mr Ballard quickly grasped my shoulder and held me in place. "Don't be scared."

How could I not be? This...animal, if I could even call it that...was quite large, about shoulder-height, walking on all fours, slimy, and had a face that was all mouth, and opened up like a flower covered in teeth. Its posture looked aggressive as it edged towards me, but Mr Ballard remained calm.

"What are we doing?" I whispered, barely moving my mouth as not to startle the creature.

"We don't have cars here, we have Demodogs," Mr Ballard responded. "The big ones are the horses of the Upside Down."

***

The next chapter is already published, thank you so much for reading!