Our Love Is Tainted

Chapter 24: Freedom, Happiness

I sit at the edge of the gate, starring off into the distance, and thinking about the night we finally got rid of him, of Taint. The pain we had suffered because of him, it ended the moment he turned into dust by a single touch of the sun and blew away by the wind. But even then, I feel exhausted, all that energy I had used, Tate had used, it seems that we'll never get it back. I slowly drive my hand through the walls of the still, broken metal, watching as my hand successfully goes through the walls, feeling a tingling sensation, just like before.
"Never gets old does it?"
I turn to face the voice coming from behind me, smiling at Tate, graciously. He's dressed in casual clothing, looking sexy as hell, with his blond curly fringe slicked to the side. He appears to be enjoying his haircut, he wanted new, so that's what he got. Damn, he does look handsome.
"No, it never does," I smile. "Where are we going today?"
"I was thinking; we go get you some new clothes, go see a movie, go out for dinner, then back home for some, fun."
"Sounds great to me," I smile at his plans, watching as he walks closer to me, placing his hand out, to which I take it, and head outside with him.

We enjoy the sunshine together, holding each other's hands, smiling at one another.
"How's Nora?" I ask, starring at the place he appears to be stopping.
"She's good, getting heaps of sleep now."
"Tate?"
"Yeah, Vi?" He asks back, starring at his old house, his mother holding his son through the windows.
"What are we doing here?" I ask back.
"Do you want to see your brother?"
"As much as he kinda' is my brother, my parents and I, we spoke about that whole, situation."
"And?" Tate questions, his eyes tearing up.
"He seems more like a Langdon, than a Harmon."

Tate smiles at me, even if he doesn't quite understand the situation, hell, neither do I really. Michael, he's different, I mean, his father is technically dead, and one day, he'll be older than Tate. We'll adapt, one day, it'll just take some time first, Tate and I, we'll explain to him what happened when the time is right. We walk away from the house, making our ways down the road, not expecting Tate's next question.
"Is it weird?" He asks me, smiling as he looks down at my smiling cheeks.
"Is what weird, Tate?"
"Don't give me that shit," Tate jokes. "I mean, we're technically still dead, nobody can just walk up to us and kill us. We can still use our ghost abilities in the real world, and-"
"Tate," I giggle. "Keep your voice down, people will think we're crazy as fuck."
Tate chuckles at my words, his dimples smiling down at me. "Didn't think that through."

He was right though, we were still technically dead, with the same ghost abilities, but we're through the gates, and, it's not Halloween. After Taint broke through the gate with Tate in his arms, they did someone to the gate, somehow, burnt down the barrier between the world of the dead, and the living. We didn't think much about it, we just went with the fucking flow, and plus, Chad didn't give a shit and used himself as the test dummy, he wanted to buy pumpkins or some shit for future Halloween parties. Tate though, he seemed excited to finally be free, he told me, he had never felt that amount of freedom, not once in his life. And because of that statement, I smiled for fucking days. That was two weeks ago.

Tate and I walk through the park near our old school, trying not be seen, just in case someone recognises us. Don't want anyone seeing a dead, and a missing person, right? Tate suddenly grips onto my legs, picking me up, and holding me tightly.
"Tate!" I giggle. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Hold on tight!" He yells, making us appear in a different location, a familiar location.
"This wasn't," I stop, starring at the beautiful beach spot Tate loves so much, but specifically, a heart-shaped rock to sit on. "Oh, Tate."
"I did it myself, broke it off, and smoothed it down," he explains nervously. "Do you like it?"
"I love it!" I scream, sitting down, feeling its beauty and comfort. "You really didn't have to."
"But I wanted to," he smiles beautifully. "It was on my mind."
"I love it," I smile at my amazing boyfriend. "And I love you."

I take him into my arms, feeling his warmth once more, enjoying every moment of our hug. It's moments like this, that doesn't make the afterlife seem so terrible, if I could have this, forever, I'll be set, for absolute, fucking, life.
"Tate Langdon, I don't entirely understand what you are, but I do know, you're special."
"I've been thinking," Tate begins. "We haven't had time for ourselves in, forever. How about we go on a trip, take a train, a plane, whatever it takes. But, we go somewhere, just for a month or two, just us. Our only problem would be identification, that would be a pain in the ass, seeing, you know. But I promise you-"
"Tate!" I stop him from speaking any more. "I would absolutely love to have a holiday with you, but first; location? What did you have in mind?"
"I was thinking," he smiles. "New Orleans."

I smirk at the idea, he knows I've always wanted to go, I've felt drawn there since I was a child, and now, we're going. Everything I've ever wanted; a family, a loving boyfriend, a life worth living, I have that now, and I never, ever plan on letting that go. I stare at Tate lustfully, staring straight into his chocolate brown eyes, enjoying every inch of them.
"What is it, Vi?" He asks me, staring at me the same he stares at me.
"I have a new plan."
"Oh really?" He asks. "Please, do tell."
"We skip all of the plans we had previously, and instead, we skip to the end. Bed."

Tate smirks at me, a look in his eyes as he grabs onto my waist, kissing me lovingly.
"Let's go then."