charisma

blackout

We were plunged into cold, unfeeling blackness. The dark hallway was now even darker, and I couldn't see a thing. "Okay... We got this. This is a... temporary setback," I tried to say confidently, not feeling confident at all. "What kind of girls are afraid of a little darkness anyway?" "We should've asked for directions," Liddy whispered. Maybe just fucking maybe that would've been a good idea. Curse those unfairly hot men, our lovesickness had gotten us lost. As I maneuvered through the cramped space, I realized I wasn't holding Liddy's hand anymore. "Lid?" I yelled. Silence. "Li-id? Liddy where the fuck did you go?" I was talking more to myself now. I took a tentative step forward, still calling my friend. Three "Liddy's" later, I gave up on trying to find her and just kept making my way through the mess of cords, boxes, and props. I stumbled over a few... somethings, swearing as I crashed headlong into something sharp and metal. But also warm. And hairy. "Fucking hell..." I mumbled. "What even are these things I keep running into? Props? God..." I took a step to the side and tried to move past the... thing. I took a step forward and smashed my forehead right into a cold, metal something. "Oww..." I complained, defeatedly. I laughing very close to me. A familiar, rough, teasing sound. "Wait... Gene?"

"Yes, (_____)?" came his deep, mischievous voice. "You... that was you. That I ran into" I said, half panicked and half exasperated. "Why didn't you say anything?!" "It was kinda funny hearing you yell at the dark." I swear to God, I felt him smirking at me. By this point, I'd seen that expression so much in the short period of time I'd known him that I didn't need to look to know when he was smirking. I heard the clanking of his armor and felt warm hands find my shoulders. "So, you're lost?" he drawled, running his hands up and down my arms, as if he wasn't sure where I was. "Yes," I muttered, embarrassed. "I lost my friend in the blackout."

"Well that's a shame. Ace'll be devastated."

"She'll find her way. Me on the other hand, I can't go four steps without tripping over something."

"That must be annoying. I wouldn't know anything about that."

"Yeah, cause the dark is perfect for you, isn't it? A fiery demon, lurking in the shadows, waiting to suck out a poor innocent girl's soul."

"Never thought of it that way... I was gonna say I just know my way around. Which is ironic, cause this isn't my city. Of course..." I felt his fingers trail across my cheek and unsuccessfully tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "The dark means I can't see you. And as much as the demon likes the dark, he doesn't like that." My breath caught in my throat, my face burned. He kept trying to push the strand back, missing my ear each time. "I... I don't think you're gonna get it," I said, softly, talking about the hair. "Probably not. I have more important things to do." "Oh?" I said, confused. "You heard me. I've got more important things to do than play with your hair." Excuse me? I thought angrily. This man did not just flirt with me this morning and all last night, and get my hopes so fucking high up just to brush me off in the blink of an- "Like this," he said, grabbing my chin and crashing his lips into mine.