The Guardian Demon [A Taron Egerton FanFiction]

24: After The Storm

"Five more minutes, Diva," a young man with an identity badge hanging down his neck called as he poked his head inside the small dressing room where Mallory was sitting in front of a large mirror, putting the last touches of her makeup on her face. Turning back in her chair, she recognized him as one of the stage workers.

"Thank you, Mickey, I'll be right there," she replied with a smile as she watched him nodding and pulling his head out, his fast steps echoing behind him on the corridor's floor outside.

Spinning back toward the mirror, Mallory gazed at her reflection. The traces of the previous events had certainly scarred themselves on her features as much as they did on her, but if they did anything other than breaking her down, they had built her up again.

It had been months since the Russians mayhem, months since she had lost the closest people she had, everything around her had took a sharp turn and twisted her life into a shapeless form.

It had been months since the last time she saw him.

She could still remember the last time she looked into his eyes, she could never forget the look they held, the question that hid behind the blazing of those green orbs.

When?

She wished that she could know the answer, but she herself didn't know. Her world had collapsed around her in the mere time of days, how was she supposed to know when, or how, for that matter, would they ever meet again?

She was finally back on her feet, back to work with more eagerness and more power than before, and with a new manager who seemed to be as excited for the new content as her.

As for her security, her new bodyguard, Natasha, was as strict as her predecessor, and despite all Mallory's efforts to befriend her, the new "muscle" was unfazed. Not that it bothered her, anyway, she got used to that kind of attitude.

The time that Mallory took to stay away from everything and everyone was a huge benefit for her, she used it to write new lyrics and create new melodies, some of them were peppy and enthusiastic, while some were calm and gloomy.

As she walked down the narrow corridor that led to the stage, Mallory contemplated on the previous time that led to that moment. Her new album was a hit, the positive reviews it collected had definitely boosted up her courage to get up and go out to face the world again. And there she was, standing on one of the largest stages in the city, surrounded by thousands of screaming fans.

She was at her element again.

Mallory's eyes scanned the human waves that surrounded her stage, boys and girls from different ages, colors, and shapes, moving in perfect sync with the rhythm of the music, it was as if each one of them was lost in a private world, a world where nothing is impossible.

And there, among the masses, she saw it.

A dark figure, clearly belonging to a man, stood still unlike the crowd that hedged it had caught her full attention. It was very familiar that her heart skipped a beat just by the sight of it.

This can't be, she said to herself as the music went up, sending everyone into a frenzy of dancing, except for the figure.

The bright lights floated over the crowd and casted colorful beams on the happy, innocent faces of the swinging youth on the floor, Mallory waited with a hitched breath for a glimpse of the figure's, she needed to be certain.

And at the right moment, she saw him.

There was no mistake about the soft features, the fiery eyes that held the very known warm gaze, the small smile that played on his lips as if he knew that her eyes were on him.

Suddenly, tears stung her eyes, that wasn't real, she was probably imagining it, maybe the ecstasy of the music had started to affect her mind.

He couldn't be there, but yet he was.

***************

Taron stood among the large crowd, watching Mallory doing what she does best. Being a star.

She was at her best, even better than the first time he had seen her. that was a new, advanced version of Mallory Cox standing before him, singing and dancing to the cheering audience, lost in the craze of the moment.

Until she caught a sight of him.

He could notice how her whole body language changed, she almost froze, limbs stiff, face blank.

He knew that she recognized him.

Smiling, he sent her a wink. Stepping back into the shadows to give her a chance to concentrate on the singing, already setting an arrangement for a post-concert plan.

*****************

Mallory's breath came in and out of her in short, erratic pace. Taron was there, in the same place where she was. She told him that she didn't want to see him again, yet, there he was, watching her like a hawk from his spot with his hands casually in his pockets. He was either too stupid, or too obstinate to understand. Or, simply, he was none of these.

Over the past period of time, Mallory had tried everything in her ability to forget, to keep her emotions bottled inside of her, hidden away so she wouldn't have to confront them again, but the fact was that she had royally failed at doing that. She attempted to find a reason to hate him, a flaw to hold against him in the hope that it would ignite some negative feeling toward him, she also failed.

Despite everything, Taron was the ultimate highlight of her days. The way he entered her life through a secret door, the way he altered her view to the world, the way he went through her feelings book page by page, burning every bad one down and rising every good one up was the best thing that had happened to her, nobody she knew could have that effect on her.

That was the reason why, whenever she searched for something to force her to erase him out of her heart, she simply couldn't.

Her love for him was stronger than anything.

Sighing, she returned his playful wink with a cheeky smile, already expecting what was running through his mind. He wasn't there just to watch her perform, he was there to stay.

Mallory's heart danced in her chest along with the music, the pleasure of seeing him reflected on her face as her smile widened into a pretty grin. He was with her again, and whatever would happen next, she would make sure to never let him go.

He was her love, her new life.

Her guardian demon.

**********************
[Y/N] it's been an exact month since the last update, I deeply apologize for that, but exams, work, and life has gotten in the way of writing, but I have finally found some time to check in.

So here it is, the final chapter of The Guardian Demon. It's been a wild yet an amazing journey with you and our favorite couple. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for all the love and support you have given to me through the past time, forever grateful for that.

One last time, don't forget to vote and comment, let me know what you think!

Thank you for reading :)