Oorah - Salim x M!Reader [House of Ashes]

Chapter Twenty

It wasn't much later when the two came a large hole, glowing green. (Y/N)'s face scrunched up in confusion. "That's not something you see everyday," (Y/N) muttered, walking closer. There was a fence around it. (Y/N) and Salim peered down, inspecting it. There was too much fog to see what was at the bottom.

"Allah..." Salim whispered. How far down did it go? "It's like nothing I've ever seen."

"Like everything else down here," (Y/N) sighed. He kept walking forward. There were cables, indicting there was an elevator. "Look," (Y/N) pointed to them. "The explorers must have made this. They must've went down there."

"I don't think they made it back up," Salim says, following (Y/N) closely. He didn't want to get too far from the other.

(Y/N) looks at the elevator itself. It seemed in good condition. There were no broken pieces or any screws missing. (Y/N) hummed to himself, thinking. "I think the elevator might still work."

Salim could see what the other was thinking. "No," He said to him, shaking his head. They were not going down there. They could die.

"Come on, Salim," (Y/N) replied. "Maybe the explorers found stuff down there, like a cure or something."

"The archeologists didn't make it out," Salim reminds him. "You are not going down there."

(Y/N) can see Salim's worried expression. (Y/N) smiles a tiny bit, realizing. "You're worried about me?"

"Of course I am!" Salim scoffs. "If you go down there, there's no guarantee you'll make it back up. Our world is up there, not down below."

"It's not like we have much choice. This is the only way to go," (Y/N) shrugged. Going back led to nothing. There was no way out over there.

"We can turn around. Maybe there's another way," Salim suggested. (Y/N) just looked at him with a smile on his face. "What...?"

"You're cute when you're worried," (Y/N) teased.

Salim frowned slightly, though he wasn't actually mad. "That's what you're focused on?"

"I can't help it," (Y/N) grinned. "You're-" Screeches began to echo through the tunnel. (Y/N) and Salim turned, wide eyed. The creatures were coming. "Shit..." (Y/N) sighed. "We need to get the elevator running!"

Salim didn't want to. But he knew that had no other choice. He ran to the generator, working on getting it started. (Y/N) had his gun drawn, ready in case a creature popped up. The two could hear the elevator as it came up. "(Y/N), come on," Salim urged as soon as the elevator was ready. The shrieks were getting louder. (Y/N) and Salim ran inside. (Y/N) pushed the lever, causing the elevator to go down. 

It shook a bit, causing (Y/N) to nearly fall, but Salim caught him, helping him to stand up. It felt like forever. Slowly, the elevator went further and further down. Eventually, the two reached the bottom.

(Y/N) and Salim stepped off. (Y/N) couldn't believe what he was seeing. There were vines, moss, trees, normal things, but they weren't normal. They were glowing green. The tree limbs were twisted, irregular. "Maybe this wasn't the best decision..." (Y/N) mumbled.

"You think?" Salim said to him. Salim looked back upwards. "I don't think the vampires are following."

"At least there's some good news." (Y/N) and Salim began to walk forward, carefully. (Y/N) spotted something odd and walked closer to it. "What is that...?"

"It looks like a cocoon," Salim noted. "The creatures must come from it." (Y/N) wanted to get a closer look. He tried to walk even closer, but Salim put his hand on (Y/N)'s chest, stopping him. "Careful."

(Y/N) smiled gently. "Salim..."

"I'm sorry, but it's hard not to worry," Salim told him. He was cautious of everything. Everything here was new. Salim didn't know bad from good. He didn't want (Y/N) to get hurt.

"I get it," (Y/N) replied. "Come on. Maybe the explorers left something down here."

The two kept walking. There were multiple cocoons. (Y/N) inspected them, but he didn't get too close, to Salim's relief. Salim noticed a book on the floor. He bent down, picking it up. "It belongs to Randolph Hodgson," Salim said, reading the name on the cover.

"That's the same guy who left the notes upstairs," (Y/N) explained, standing next to Salim. 

Salim opened it, but the pages were gone. Torn out. "Shit," Salim cursed, setting the book on the ground.

"Maybe the page we found earlier came from the book. The notes must be scattered all over," (Y/N) thought aloud. His eyes trailed the area as he talked. "Did he scatter the notes himself or did- oh fuck me..."

"What?" Salim asked, worried.

"Over there," (Y/N) gestured his head. There was a dead body. (Y/N) saw it while he was talking. (Y/N) and Salim walked closer to it. It was man. "There are a lot of pages here... Mostly nonsense. This must be Randolph." (Y/N) sighed. The notes were mostly scribbles, words half written, pen pressed too hard against the paper. 

A gleam caught Salim's eyes. He kneeled down, picking up the item. "It's a pocket watch," Salim explained. (Y/N) looked at the item in Salim's hand. Salim opened it, revealing a picture of a young woman.

(Y/N) remembered seeing a name in Randolph's notes. "Mary Hodgson. His wife," (Y/N) concluded. He kept the pocket watch all the way to his grave. "Randolph must've really cared for her..."

Salim looked at it for a moment. "Maybe I should get a picture of you for something like this," Salim suggested.

"Moving a little fast there, lover boy?" (Y/N) laughed softly.

"Oh," Salim realized what he had said. He set the watch back down, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I thought it would be nice..."

(Y/N) tilts his head slightly. "I'm just messing with you, Salim." (Y/N) smiled at him. "I think its a good idea."

"Truly?" Salim perks up. He was worried he was moving too quickly. He thought (Y/N) got scared off.

"Yeah. I'm not very photogenic though..."

"I'm sure you look lovely in any photo," Salim smiled at him. (Y/N) was very attractive. Salim couldn't believe that (Y/N) didn't know that.

(Y/N) laughed gently. "We get out of here, I'll let you take as many photos as you want."

Salim's mind went to... suggestive places. He had to force himself to snap back to reality. "I'll hold you to that."

"I'm sure you will," (Y/N) could sense what Salim was thinking. He could tell by the blush on the man's cheeks, the way his breath hitched. (Y/N) pressed a kiss to Salim's cheek before walking on, ready to get the hell out of this place.