Masky x reader

Ch. 7

They talked and talked as they strolled through the forest, Masky careful to avoid the center where they would be easiest to detect. In reality, Slenderman did not control the entirety of the woods, only most of it. The outskirts, mostly on the North-West side, were perfectly safe for humans. He led her over fallen logs and around semi-frozen ponds, thoroughly enjoying her yelp of surprise when he picked her up to get her over a thicket of thorns, since her legs weren't as well covered in a skirt as his were in thick denim. He answered her question about the mask, as promised, along with all of her other fairly arbitrary ones, for which he was glad she seemed to be avoiding anything too important or uncomfortable to discuss.

"Okay, how about your favorite color?"

He could tell she was running out of small talk by now. "I don't know, green, I guess. What about you?"

(Y/n) smiled. "(F/c)," she laughed lightly, "I wear that color so much, my mom pokes fun if I don't wear it."

Masky smiled from beneath his mask. The two kept walking and talking until (Y/n) stopped short. He had led her back to her school while she was distracted by the conversation, and she gave him a look that could be practically read as "Really?"

"Just because you're dating a masked man who lives in the woods doesn't mean you can start skipping school," he teased, to which she managed not to blush.

"Dating? You wish," she replied childishly, giving him a warm smile as she turned to leave.

••••••••••

Crunch.
Masky froze in place at the errant noise that came from behind. He knew who it was, how did he not notice him sooner? Hesitantly, he turned to confront his friend.
Hoodie regarded him, with either betrayal or loathing, Masky could not tell from behind his cloth mask.
"Don't kill her," he started, begged. "I'll do anything."
The hooded man wandered closer, disturbingly silent.
"Who said I was going to kill her?" His nonchalant, almost careless tone took Masky by surprise. Hoodie never sounded careless, and especially not about something this serious. "It's not like you're the only one hiding a girl from the boss."
"What?"
Hoodie shrugged, "I mean, mine was a while ago, but that doesn't change my mind. I'm not going to tell."
A while ago? Is she dead now?
Hoodie seemed to notice his awkward wording, and quickly corrected himself. "She moved away about a month after I met her."
"Why are you only telling me this now?"
"Would you have let her live if you knew then, before you felt how you do now?" He paused, letting his words sink in. Masky had to admit, the odds were pitifully slim.
"I'll keep it a secret for as long as I can, but you're going to need a backup plan for when-- or if, I suppose-- the boss finds out. My backup plan went into effect before he caught wind of it when she went to college, so just know... you might have to send her away, before anything happens," Hoodie warned.
If something happened. Masky couldn't bear the thought of it. "You promise? You won't tell?"
He gave Masky a "you're-really-asking-me-that?" look, but relented. "Of course."