daddy's girl

sitting in the seat makes him wary, a little tense because of how strange this means of transportation is. it smells of leather and smoke, almost overpowering salem’s scent. he hates that, already wishing they were out of the vehicle. hopefully no one would see them or ask any difficult questions– regulus can’t answer them, after all.

he doesn’t know what a seatbelt is, but he infers from the way she calls it a safety measure that it must be the strap she put over herself when she sat in the car. reaching over, he grabs his own, fastening it. he glances over at her shyly, looking for approval that he did the right thing. 

it’s strange, once she starts driving. the car is faster than he expected (but that must be why it’s dangerous), quickly becoming a hurtling hunk of metal on the road. he nods in agreement when she says they should dump it in the lake, because he’s sure these cars are one of the first clues detectives investigate.

he considers her question, even though she’s only teasing. there were compulsion spells, although they were tricky and required a lot of energy. he didn’t realize he had any power left until he killed carl, but then again maybe that was the Old One securing a much-needed sacrifice for himself. regulus decides to nod, because he does technically have ways he could get them out of a bind. luckily there wouldn’t be a body when he was done anyway.

they’re in the trees now, the car parked in the forest not far from where regulus needs to go. but salem reaches for his hand so he looks at her, green eyes warm as he twines their fingers together for a moment. he nods so she knows he understands, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her lips. he hovers there, wanting more but knowing they have work to do. so he pulls back, giving her hand a squeeze before letting go.

getting out of the car, he waits on her to pop the trunk again before gathering the body.

it’s even lighter on his shoulder this time; no burden at all. maybe he’s getting stronger already. the forest looks different than he left it, having changed over the years he was dead. luckily he can still recognize some of the markers, like a large oak tree off to the left. going a little further, they break into a small clearing, sheltered by tall trees that seem to whisper from the wind in their leaves.

then he sees it, near the cave where it used to be; an eroded rock, carved to be a table of sorts– an altar. there’s a pentacle engraved on top, but it’s been covered by moss and dirt. there’s blue paint on one side where someone had put graffiti on it– no doubt to make a mockery of something many in town were likely afraid of. it irritates him in the same way it always irritates him when someone touches his belongings. this forest and altar did belong to him, after all, just as he belonged to them. concentrating, he mentally recites ‘ventum emundat,’ an old incantation he learned as soon as he was old enough to make messes. he can’t speak, but the spell works all the same, feeling the air lift around him, forcefully pushing the debris and dirt from the altar. the paint dissipates, leaving the stone as clean as it could be, an empty surface for his work.

then he drops the body on it, blood spilling across the engraved pentacle. there are standing rocks around the altar; one for each of the five elements. typically, the witches would make offerings for each element before a ritual– candles for fire, incense for air, salt for earth and their own blood for water and spirit. he doesn’t have the candles, incense or salt, but he figures blood will be enough for now.

taking the knife from his pocket, he flicks it open, cutting his palm. holding his hand over the altar, he squeezes the blood out, dribbling down onto the center of the star. he can’t say the incantations out loud so he thinks them again, using every ounce of willpower and concentration. vocant diabolo, vocant diabolo, vocant diabolo.

carl’s neck has stopped bleeding, so he uses the knife to slit more of his throat, trying to coax it out. more of it pours onto the altar, mingling with his own. dedicationem faciunt. he remembers the incantations to the ritual like it’s second nature, because for most of his life it was. there are no candles flames to gauge the devil’s presence, but he can feel the shift in the air. it’s suddenly overcast as clouds roll in, covering the sun. the wind picks up, making the trees whistle more.

when he’s sure he’s been heard, he leaves the knife on the altar and turns to salem, taking the shovel from her. walking in front of the altar, between the standing stones, he begins to dig a hole in the center of the ground. piling dirt to the side, he works away, trying to be as quick as possible. if anyone caught them out here, it wouldn’t be explainable between a stolen cop car, a corpse and an altar for the devil.

when the hole is just big enough for the body, regulus retrieves it, hauling carl over to drop him down inside. he could use magic to close the hole, but he’s starting to feel a little weaker, so he uses the shovel to fill it.

when he’s done he drops the shovel, focusing on the incantation again, trying to connect with the presence around them. his eyes close, the wind picking up around him again. there’s a lightning strike in the distance, followed closely by rumbling from the sky.

and then he feels it; the familiar rush of power after a ritual completed. the ground glows a soft red, an incident so brief that he almost misses it when he opens his eyes. everything is sharper; his senses clearer and his body thrumming with magic. he knows his voice is back before he even tries to use it, relief already washing over him.

they finally arrive to where they need to be, at least where she thinks they do. everything here is overgrown and typically the only people who come around this place are drug addicts and people who were up to no good..then again that explains why they're here doesn't it? salem follows regulus's lead, watching as he pulls carls body from the trunk of the car and salem reaches for the shovel after him. she thinks about his response, how they will actually be able to get way with this using his magic. she's seen this stuff in movies and read about them in books but for it to be real, and right in front of her it was a hard concept to fully wrap her head around, like watching her fiancé throw someone in the air with a flick of his wrist, all that power and strength just to protect her from a monster.

she follows him a bit of the way until they reach an area covered by moss and dirty and a bit of graffiti, it looks as though this place has never been touched, taken over by nature. she looks at regulus when suddenly the air around them starts to pick up, clearing the space to reveal the alter they were standing on, her hair getting in her face a little as she tucks it behind her ear. had regulus done this? she thinks for a moment. all this power and not a word spoken.

and so, she stands there and watches everything from the way he cuts his own hand open with a knife to the way he bleeds out her step father, the way the air around them begins to shift and the clouds ovee rhem begin to darken as if a presence had clouded over them in response to what he'd done. she should be terrified right now, any normal person would be but with so much that has happened at this point that it doesn't scare her or maybe it never would've... she'd never been in love before, she's not even sure she's seen love before but she's sure this is what it is because no matter what she loved him more than anything, his power and strength, he was better than anyone plus it was kind of hot, with that look in his eyes so focused and determined maybe he put a spell on her and she wouldn't mind if he did.

the wind around them is loud almost making this humming sound. salem is only snapped away from her trance when he's taking the shovel from her to hide the body and salem walks near him, watching as he places carl's body inside. it's at this moment she wonders, what death is like...because for awhile regulus was in a hole, dead and forgotten by the world and now carl would be, rotted away and eventually nobody would remember him, just the way it should be.

before she knows it the body is buried and then the wind starts to pick up before the ground is glowing red...regulus opens his eyes to look at her again and the air suddenly feels heavy for a moment, the anticipation as she looks up at him until...his lips start moving and there are words coming from it. "r-regulus." she says, it's like the clouds have parted and angels have started singing a beautiful harmony. she smiles back at him, taking a step closer as hands cup his cheeks. "it's you...I mean it's your voice." she says excitedly, smiling up at him adoringly. "it's perfect, I never thought I'd get to hear you." she smiles.

he starts saying something about the body but she's already stopped listening, pulling him down so she can press a long and deepened kiss to his lips, hands moving to brush through his curls as she purrs against his lips. she moves away from his lips with a smile, nudging her nose against his own. "all I'm worried about is our marriage and officially becoming your wife." she whispers against his lips, before she's reaching in her bag and pulling out two plastic capsules "why not do it now? right here at the alter."

it’s something he knows how to do like the back of his hand now, so why not use that to help salem?

after reading his message, she tells him she has the knife, going to retrieve it from her collection. regulus nods when she says they should take his car– it would be obvious very quickly that something was wrong if her mother saw it left behind.

regulus watches her take the cash from carl’s wallet before she returns to read his next words, scribbled in the sketchbook he’s tilting towards her. she tells him she’s fine when he cradles her small face, gently tracing her cheekbone with his thumb. she presses a kiss to his lips almost like a reward, then giving him the knife. it’s beautiful, with a dark floral pattern engraved on the handle and the blade. making sure it’s fully closed, he pockets it before moving to put her sketchbook in the drawer of her end table.

he smiles faintly at the way she claims carl will finally be useful for once. regulus only hopes so, because he’s tired of not being able to speak to her. he wants to give her everything, including his words.

hyper aware of the fact he’s in blood stained pajamas, he leans down, taking hold of carl’s corpse and heaving it over his shoulder. he almost buckles under the weight as he starts to stand up, some blood dripping down onto the carpet. he waits for a moment until it stops, not wanting to get it on the stairs when they leave salem’s room. for some reason the heavy body isn’t as weighted as it should be; maybe some side effect of the magic that reanimated his body. that was the only way he was strong enough to crawl out of the ground, after all.

taking carl downstairs isn’t very challenging due to the newfound strength, so he follows salem through the house and into the garage. waiting until she pops the trunk, he awkwardly offloads the corpse into it. spotting the shovel propped against the wall next to other gardening supplies, he takes it to the trunk as well before closing it. waiting for salem’s lead, he looks at the vehicle with apprehension, realizing he has no idea how it works.

despite what he'd just done to the older man, regulus's touch seems so gentle as he looks at her with sweet eyes. her cheek at worst will form some type of a brusie, maybe a busted lip because the man hit so hard near it but she would be okay now...at least a little more okay than she was before. unfortunately carl wasn't the only monster in her story and the other one would be home in a few hours.

salem sighs deeply, letting out something she didn't know she had been holding in. "this has to work right?" she says looking up at him. "because you are my destiny and that means that whatever spell brought you back should be able to restore whatever else you're missing." she doesn't know much about rituals or the devil, this is all brand new to her but she wants to have hope in the process because she doesn't want him to have that look in his eyes anymore, the slight sadness he gets everytime she can tell that he wants to speak to her but can't because his words aren't there.

he lifts out the body with ease, tossing her lifeless step father over his shoulder. it's hard not to smirk just a little, how effortlessly strong he seems to be. the blood drips on her bedroom floor before salem begins to lead regulus down the steps. the house is empty, almost hauntingly quiet with carl out of the picture as she slowly walks them to the door entering into the garage.

inside there's clutter, all of carl's tools and junk but in the middle of it all sat the one thing he loved more than her step mom...his police car. she takes the keys and sticks them in the keyhole on the trunk, popping it open so regulus can store the things they'll need before she makes her way over to the garage door to open it before climbing drivers side of the vehicle and getting inside, putting the key into the ignition. everything comes on including the cop radio that startedles her a little...she realizes she's not completely sure how to drive this thing but it can't be too hard right? "come on." she calls out, unlocking the passenger side for him to get in as well. "and out your seatbelt on....these things are a lot more dangerous than horses and carriages wouldn't want anything happening to that sweet face." she says playfully.

after they're both situated, seatbelts buckled she pulls out of the driveway and makes her way to the forest not too far from her house. her eyes flickering to regulus "we should probably dump this thing in the lake when we're done...a missing cop is going to be a big deal around here and this is the first thing they'll search for." she says, feeling slightly anxious as she looks back towards the road, driving the car into the wooded area where he wrote in her notebook for them to go, off near the lake. "you wouldn't happen to have some special witchy spell that made it so we wouldn't get caught for our crimes would you?" she says mostly joking, in hopes to lighten the mood a little as they close in near the lake and salem is putting the car in park.

she pauses for a moment, turning to look at him as her hand reaches for his own. "I'll follow your lead." she says and in truth she would probably follow him anywhere, they are bonded and their bond has just become so much deeper.

he’s about to let go of the scissors to make sure she’s okay, but suddenly she’s already kneeling beside him, placing her hand on his. her blue eyes are shining with tears, but she looks almost happy. her gaze softens, a smile on her lips as she tells him he saved her life. his shoulders go slack with relief, realizing he was afraid of her reaction. what if she had been scared? or worse, what if she hated him?

but instead she’s an angel who understands and accepts him, even when the rest of the world would burn him at the stake. she cared for him even when he was a skeleton in the ground, after all. he looks at her with shining green eyes, letting go of the scissors as he sits back. he was so scared carl would hurt her again, or take her away… she’s his family; all he has left. but even more than that, she’s all he could ever hope for, his one shot at having a soulmate and real happiness. maybe he could finally fulfill his dreams and have his own family– they just needed to escape hers first. he wonders distantly if he’s even fertile, or if that’s something she would even want.

she pulls his head from the clouds by wiping blood from his cheek, her gaze still full of warmth as if what he did was a good thing. he nods in response to her words, because he would do it all over again just to keep her safe. he wants to believe that manslaughter isn’t the nicest thing someone has done for her, but then again she’s surrounded by evil people. it makes it difficult for regulus to feel any sort of remorse for the dead body in front of him.

he’s still in slight shock, processing the fact there’s blood on his hands as well as some spilling onto her carpet. it’s not the first time he’s killed someone, so it’s more familiar than it should be, but he’s not used to having the girl he’s in love with present. 

she suggests it just as he’s thinking it; to use the body as a sacrifice. a small smirk tugs at his lips– she must truly be the same as he is, if she’s not bothered by any of this. he can’t help but agree that her step father is ugly– definitely as ugly as they come. but luckily the witches’s god wasn’t picky about his human sacrifice. so regulus nods, standing up.

wordlessly because he can’t speak, he goes to the bathroom to wash his hands before returning, walking to her sketchbook on the bedside table. writing a note on it, he takes it to her to read. 

“Help me take the body to the forest, close to the lake– there’s an altar we would consecrate offerings on. We should bring a shovel and a knife.”  then he pauses, cupping her cheek, running his thumb against her skin. this is where carl had struck her, making tears stream down her beautiful face. pulling away, he takes the pen again, writing, “Are you okay? I love you.” worried green eyes meet her blue ones, because how could someone possibly be okay after being hurt in such a way and then immediately seeing the perpetrator killed after?

but now her dragon was bleeding out on her carpet and her mother and lacy would be home in a few short hours, they had to get rid of the body and the evidence because she would be damned if carl tried to get in the way of her happy ending with regulus again, nobody would take him from her. blue eyes watching him for a long time as he goes from rage to that soft puppy look she had grown so accustom too, looking at her with love as she looks back at him the same, wanting to kiss him and tell him how much she loves him. "I always dreamed about this, that you would come and save me from my family, though it wasn't always you I guess sometimes it was just this faceless knight and shining armor but...now I can give him green eyes and a smile."

salem watches as a smirk pulls over his lips and the way he stands to his feet and she follows suit, standing up as well as she watches him make his way back to the bathroom as the faucet begins to run. her eyes looking back to the corpse now leaning up against her bedroom wall as she kicks him with a bit of force. "you were right about one thing carl...i guess I am stu macher's daughter...and it feels good." her father was seen as a monster but what if he wasn't? whst if everyone else was, sure stu didn't exactly go around killing people who morally deserved it but most people sucked anyway, ridding the world of a few assholes wasn't such a bad thing.

a few moments pass and regulus is walking back out of the bathroom, grabbing her book and pen again to write down a message. her blue eyes scan the page for a moment as a soft chuckle leaves her and a nod. "well...i already got the knife" she says walking over to pull one of the knives from her wooden collection box as she flashes it excitedly. "and there's a shovel in the garage, oh! we should take his car too just so it looks like he's gone on his trip." she walks over to carl before bending down to go through his pockets, pulling out his keys, and his wallet and opening it to take some of the cash left inside. "he won't be needing these." she says before turning back to her husband to be.

her smile fades a little as regulus softens, cupping her face where she'd been hit. she'd forgotten about it in all honesty but the sting starts to come back a little as he draws attention to it. she smiles sadly nodding her head at the next words he writes down. "I'm fine now because of you..." she says, blue eyes looking at him lovingly. "i love you too, more than you will ever know." she says before stepping closer to press a kiss to his lips before slipping the knife in his hand. "let's go clean up this mess and get you working again okay? that's all that matters now..i want you to feel like you again, i can't tell you're not fully comfortable yet...plus, carl gets to be useful for once in his life so it's a big day for him. "

he smiles faintly, because truthfully she doesn’t need to worry about being obsessive when it’s what he wants from her. he’s never felt this way before, being so wrapped up in someone else that it feels like they’re connected by way of their very souls.

he nods in response to her comment about her drawings, green eyes glancing up at her as she leans over him. her chest is close to his face as she brushes dye onto his head, making him blush. her body is already beautiful, but especially in this dress with the low neckline. he’s so distracted by her that he doesn’t notice how quickly she finishes the process.

she’s smiling at him, teasing him and making him blush again. he feels slightly vulnerable in front of her, having his hair changed in ways that wouldn’t have been heard of in his time. he knows she won’t judge, though, because somehow she withheld judgment even after seeing him crawl out of a grave.

she pulls some device out and does something with it, regulus watching with interest. what he doesn’t expect is how her arms go around his shoulders and her butt sits on his lap, salem leaning into him. his heart starts to race, a now familiar warmth flooding his body at the sensation of her against him. he likes knowing that she feels comfortable enough to sit on his lap and touch him like this, as if nothing is off-limits between them. feeling her press into him makes him flush, his green gaze flickering down to her body to check her out.

she distracts him by pulling at the necklace, gazing at it as she speaks, explaining how she hid it from her mother after her aunt’s death. he watches her with love in his eyes, hanging onto her every word. it makes him soften, the way she calls him her new favorite person, entrusting him with an object of such importance to her. when she wraps her arms around him tighter, he wraps his own around her middle, pulling her against him needily. green eyes flicker down to her lips with desire burning in them, wanting her more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life.

a smile tugs at his lips because of her compliment, and then she’s pressing her mouth to his in a soft kiss. she deepens it, her fingertips touching his nape and making him shiver against her. he kisses back eagerly, tilting his head to swipe past her lips, chasing the taste of her as she moans. the sound sends a thrill through him, needing more. he presses his lips to every inch of her own, a moan of his own escaping at the way the kiss deepens. it seems like he’s barely started when the alarm goes off and she breaks away, leaving him breathless and needy. she kisses him again, making him groan softly with frustration. but he obeys her words, standing up to move to the sink.

she washes his hair in it, combing her fingers through the strands until there’s red dye running down the drain. it feels good, so he lets her continue, eventually returning to the stool when she’s finished. she spends the next stretch of time cutting his hair and regulus enjoys being in her company, listening to her chat or simply closing his eyes to enjoy how her fingers feel in his curls.

when she finally finishes, she turns him towards the mirror, resting her chin on his shoulder. he’s so distracted by her pretty face that he almost forgets to take in the sight of his new hair, which is now colored with a vibrant red on the ends. despite being dyed, his curls almost look shinier and more voluminous, which he assumes is thanks to the conditioning and cut. he finally looks a little more like he belongs in her world, with all of its bright colors and bold appearances.

giving a nod of approval, he turns his head to place a kiss of thanks to her cheek. he barely has time to appreciate it when she kisses him back because of the loud banging on her bedroom door that follows.

she tells him to wait in the bathroom, making him frown in concern as she leaves. what if it was her step father? what if he tried to hurt her, or even take her away during their special night? regulus stands, instinctively grabbing the scissors from the counter and hovering by the door to listen.

he can hear carl let himself into her bedroom, storming in as if he has the right to. the audacity alone makes regulus’s fist clench around the scissors, already wanting to run to her rescue.

his anger only grows as the older man talks, claiming salem was an ‘attention hungry bitch’ who liked destroying his home and being ungrateful. regulus flushes with frustration, trying to hold back the urge to do something drastic to her step father. how dare he talk about her like that? the most caring, thoughtful person regulus has ever known, who just wanted her family to love her.

but then he calls her a whore and regulus clenches the scissors, realizing what he has to do. his anger is white hot, almost numbing because he’s never been so furious before in his life. salem is trying to argue back, but carl calls her ungrateful again, raising his voice. then he’s threatening her, claiming she’s psychotic, and regulus hears the break in salem’s voice as she cries.

his hand is already on the doorknob, opening it just in time to see carl smack salem in the face, her head being thrown to the side with the force of it.

regulus’s anger overtakes him, a blinding rage that causes a tremor in his body, white-knuckling the scissors as he approaches. he’s never felt so protective of anyone before in his life; deeply hurt by just the thought of anyone harming her. seeing it happen– seeing the pain this man had caused with his words and touch– makes him murderous. the anger awakens something in him– some part of him he didn’t realize he still had.

somewhere in the background, regulus can hear carl threatening salem’s life, talking about her aunt. but he’s already decided carl is going to die, so he throws his hand out, using a surge of magic to telekinetically slam the man against the wall, pinning him there. he looks shocked to see a stranger in salem’s bedroom, but even more surprised that he’s being pinned against the wall with evil witchcraft.

regulus thought his powers had left him, but apparently the Horned One hadn’t forsaken him after all. he finds out just how much he still has as he twists his hand, using magic to cause carl’s wrist and arm to crack, breaking them easily without touching him once. “You’re lucky I don’t cut them off,” he wants to say, but he can only think it, his thoughts so loud that he wouldn’t be surprised if they picked them up psychically. it’s like regulus is in some rage-induced magic haze, his power overtaking him.

he wants to cut carl’s hand off for slapping her, because who did he think he was? regulus approaches him, using the pair of scissors to stab him directly in the carotid artery in one swift, violent motion. the blood splatters across his face and carl’s scream turns into a gurgling as the blood continues to spurt from the wound. stepping back, he lets go of the magic hold he had on carl, allowing him to fall to the floor, the scissors impaling him even further through the neck. he’s bleeding out quickly, making rasping noises like a dying animal. regulus kicks him in the balls, making him writhe as he dies. it’s what he deserves for calling his daughter a whore. 

then he bends down, taking the scissors and twisting them in his neck, furthering the man’s anguish as he bleeds out.

the tears are filling her eyes from the sting to her cheek, cupping her face as she takes a deep breath preparing for the worst to come but then regulus comes out of the bathroom and carl is being thrown against her bedroom wall. she doesn't know how to react to what she's seeing right now, regulus said he was a witch but it was a whole different story actually seeing such power happen before her very eyes, the way carl's bones begin to break with a flick of regulus's wrist.

carl begins to scream in agony, and she should be terrified right now, her husband was killing someone right in front of her but the sound of carl suffering didn't scare her, it didn't upset her...it brings this new feeling that comes over her, one she can't exactly explain until regulus is soon stabbing the man with the pair of scissors she left in the bathroom. the blood is gushing out quickly and carl's screams grow weaker, turning into gurgled gasps, the life fading from this brown eyes and he comes crashing down to the floor as salem takes a step closer.

she's never seen this side to regulus before, the anger and the hate he must've felt as he kicked the older male in the balls and continues his suffering it's at this moment a sadistic smirk tugs at the corner of her full lips, blue eyes sparkling as the life in carl's fades, going completely limp. her heart is pounding against her chest rapidly as her mind tries to make sense of what's happening, carl was dead on her bedroom floor and it was regulus who just killed him most of all he did it for her, to save her.

she walks even closer till she's right beside regulus, bending down to where he was lodging the knife inside of her step father "regulus..." her hand reaches out to lay over his that was holding the knife, making him look at her as she meets his gaze with soft eyes. "you just saved my life." maybe this isn't the emotion she should be feeling given what just happened but after all they did say she was just like her father and the man she loved loves her enough to kill for her.

she reaches over to wipe some of the blood off his cheek gazing at him with his blood covered face and his new look to match, a softness in her eyes as she watches him lovingly. "you killed for me..." she's still in shock as she looks back at carl and can't resist the chuckle that leaves her. "can't say the asshole didn't already have it coming but...you took a life because you wanted to save mine and that's possibly the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me." she says with a soft purr, biting down on her bottom lip.

as much as she would love to celebrate she knows it would be bad to just leave a body here, her mom would be home from work soon and as far as she knew carl would be out of town for the next week and that's when she realizes something. "you said your god needed a human sacrifice to make you whole again right? I mean know carl doesn't seem like one considering he looks more like an albino rat but he should do right?" she says with a playful smile as she looks back at him.

he clings to her even more tightly, nuzzling into her as if they could become one being. she melts into his touch, pliable, as if she wants the hug too. she even tells him she loves him, making his body warm from head to toe. he breathes in the sweet scent of her, cherishing it, nuzzled against her neck until she finally pulls away.

he sighs softly, maybe a bit dramatically, but she takes his face in her hands right away. she pecks his lips, making his eyes flutter again, continuously being teased with the soft taste of her lips.

she tells him what to do and he obeys, getting up as she takes his hand. following her into the bathroom, he obediently sits on the stool she pulls out. his eyes wander around her bathroom again, taking in all of the details; the items he’s never seen before, like a small handheld device that’s plugged in and has a vent on one end. there are so many bottles and containers, scattered across the counter.

she wraps a towel around him, opening the box of dye and starting to mix it into a bowl. he’s slightly amused and flattered by her words– she dreamed of him again, even without his ghost haunting her anymore? a smile tugs at the corner of his lips, allowing her to section his hair with clips before she starts to use a brush to apply the dye.

it feels cool on his scalp, surprising him, but he stays still because he trusts her. her possessiveness pleases him more than he’d like to admit, especially after spending all day wondering if she had any new pursuers because of her beautiful dress. he shakes his head in response, as if to tell her no girls would be looking at him (or at least, not for long if they did).

regulus gazes up at her with curious green eyes as she works, covering his hair with careful strokes. this is what peace is, to him; being soothed by her touch and listening to her gentle voice.

the smell is strong and tense, filling the bathroom but salem doesn't really mind it. she actually really likes the way it smells if she were being completely honest as her blue eyes flicker at him through the bathroom mirror to see the slightest smile on his full lips. "I'm glad you think it's cute because it sounds almost obsessive the way I think about you, even in my dreams and without your ghost you're in my head..." she laughs softly, kind of amazed with herself that she was capable of feeling this intense feeling for another person. "like how I'm sure you've already seen all the pictures I've drawn of you..." she remembers all the nights she'd woken up after a dream of him needing to put pen to paper and draw the beautiful victorian prince from her dreams, it became a habit and one of her favorite pieces to draw even if they were of the same sweet face over and over again, until he apparently became real.

she coats his curls in the dye, brushing it all n and making sure she didn't miss anything, her blue eyes watching fondly as each curl changed into a new color, becoming redder as time passes to tell her that it was working only for him to look up at her with those sweet eyes of his, her cheeks turning pink as she smiles softly. "you look like a strawberry." she teases, watching him back fondly. it's kind of domestic, doing your fiancé's hair in your tiny little bathroom while the house this could really be their life one day, just the two of them in a world where nobody else exists.

salem sets a timer to let his hair sit for awhile so the color could fully develop and be as vibrant as his sweet eyes before she moves over to wrap her arms around his shoulders and sit in his lap, blue eyes falling toward part of the chain from he necklace he was wearing as she gently reaches over to pull it out from under the towel. "you know my mom sold everything of my aunt's after she died but this was the one thing I managed to hide from her, it was my aunts favorite and mine too....there was always something so comforting about it and maybe its because my favorite person in the world wore it." she sighs softly, looking at the red pendant with a sad smile. "and now my new favorite person is wearing it and it gives me a new sense of comfort again...but it's different this time because now I know that I'll always be safe with you." her light eyes flicker up to look at his, wrapping her arms around him again as she smiles warmly. "I can tell it makes you feel safe too, so it's yours now...plus you look kind of hot in it, like a gothic vampire prince or something." a soft chuckle falling from her lips as she leans in to kiss him deeply for a moment as a soft moan leaves her, finger tickling the back of his neck for a moment as she saviors the taste of him for what feels like forever until the timer is eventually going off, indicating it was time to wash this crap out.

she kisses him once more on the lips before standing to her feet. "hold your head over the sink." she tells him, helping gesture him over the opening as she turns the water on lukewarm and grabs the cup next to the sink so she can begin to rinse the extra color from his hair, fingers brushing through it as she washes it out, seeing the red staining her porcelain skin until it eventually stops and regulus is sitting up again so she can condition, dry and cut it to her liking till after its officially been two or so hours and theyre finally done a smile on her face to see the work she's accomplish as she turns his stool around slowly to look at himself and her finished product. "so? what do you think?" she smiles softly, coming to rest her chin against his shoulder as she looks at the pair of them in the mirror. "because I personally think we're the hottest couple in this stupid little town." she laughs, pulling back as she takes the towel from around him. "now all we need is to get you dressed and I think you're officially made over..." she laughs, pressing a kiss to his cheek but before they can spend long celebrating his new look there's a loud knock on the door.

"wait here..." she says, keeping him in the bathroom and closing the door behind her as she goes to open the front door to her bedroom. blue eyes widening as a disgruntled carl stands at her door, clearly itching to start something as salem wonders what she possibly could've done this time to set him off. "aren't you supposed to be on your trip?" she asks curiously, knowing he was supposed to be attending some cop convention this weekend. carl ignores her, pushing himself inside her room as he walks around. "you know when I decide to date your mother I knew all about her past, how she was manipulated into falling for your father and having a child with him...such a sweet woman caught up in such a mess." he says, words making a new emotion wash over salem, anger in her chest as she looks up at the older man, she knew this wasn't true...her mother certainly wasn't sweet or manipulated, in fact she was only here because salem's real father didn't want her. "that's not..." she starts to say but the older male cuts her off. "but despite how much I loved your mom I knew you would be trouble, just like your father, always looking for attention...but I accepted you as my own for the sake of stacy just for you to come into my home and prove to be the ungrateful, attention hungry little bitch I knew you'd be. destroying my home, those so-called 'nightmares' that would make you wake the whole house up...and now here you are, standing before me dressed like a whore." he looks her up and down with disgusting and salem doesn't know what to say. "I never asked to be here anyway, I begged my mom to let me stay in woodsboro, I never wanted to be apart of this 'family' where I'm already as much as an outcast as I am at that stupid school." salem argues, nothing she ever did to carl or his family was intended to be malicious as the male claims, she tried to fit in and be good but there wasn't much she could do because he already made his mind up about her.

the older man's nostrils flare, not caring what she was actually saying and making his own version of events once again "there you go, fucking ungrateful. I pulled you and your mother from that shit hole and here you are whining and complaining." he steps closer to salem, towering over her. "maybe I should send you somewhere after all, a place that keeps psychotic little bitches like you from the streets." the words sting as the threat once again leaves his lips, her eyes welling up at the idea of being forced away. "I'm n-not going to that place...I'm not crazy." she says with a frown, choking on her own words but they only make matters worse because before she can get another word out a rush of heat slams against her cheek, making her head toss sideways as he slaps her harshly on the cheek. "don't you dare talk back to me unless you wanna end up like that aunt of yours." he shouts loud enough that the walls nearly shake, but salem is too stunned...it wasn't the first time she's been hit but usually it was by her mother, leaving bruises on her skin to prove it she never expected carl to threaten her though as her mouth falls open, holding her cheek as she freezes completely unsure what to do, fearing he has finally won...he would tell her mother she pushed him too far and salem would go away, leaving regulus behind in the process right when things were starting to feel right with the world.

he watches her with sleepy green eyes as she explains her day, wishing he could contribute with words, a familiar feeling now. he’s a little surprised that she mentions him, claiming she thought about his eyes all day. was he really in her head the same as she was his? the thought makes him happier, the tears shining less in his eyes.

he looks at her like he wants to kiss her, gaze darkened with desire. she notices him fiddling with his necklace, placing her hand over his as she moves in closer, making his heart rate pick up.

he feels slightly ashamed by how emotional he is— it’s her day after all, and he doesn’t want her to think he’s ungrateful of everything she’s done for him. he nods a little when she says it felt like forever, a frown tugging at his lips. the frown doesn’t last because she calls him adorable, taking his chin and forcing him to look up at her as she presses her nose to his. it takes his breath away, lips parting at how close her mouth is to his. 

regulus is mesmerized by her; by how gorgeous she looks in her dress and how close she is, her forehead against his and their noses pressed together. she’s so beautiful that it doesn’t feel real, hearing her words about wanting to be his wife. she presses a kiss to his lips, one he tries to capture, wanting more.

but now she’s talking about taking him to school and he can’t deny that he wants to, if only to be at her side. she reaches into the bag to show him the dye, asking him if he’ll be her doll. he nods without hesitation, because he would be her anything. placing the stuffed animal down, he leans forward, wrapping his arms around her middle to pull her into a tight hug, tucking his chin against her shoulder. he needs to hold her close, clinging to her to feel her solid, warm body. it means this wasn’t all a dream; she was his, after all of the time he spent dead and longing.

she sighs softly after pressing her lips to his before pulling back as she smiles. "I can't believe you really slept, you're already becoming human already." she giggles, smiling up at him already giddy to see that he's getting better finally, even if he's only been 'alive' for a day. she smiles warmly, pressing a kiss to his lips once more as her hands slide down his chest. "before you know it we'll be talking each other's eyes off for hours." she purrs, looking at his pale chest as she smiles.

her blue eyes look down at his lips with a soft smile, she wants to kiss him so bad again, feel his touch against her lips but she's holding back just so she can spoil and pamper him, the least she could do after he did the same for her because salem finally feels good in her own skin, her body draped in a beautiful dress that makes her feel like her...she wants to do the same for him, find a look that calls his name and makes him feel real.

salem smirks when he nods but before she can say a word more he's setting his plushie down and pulling her into a tight hug, her body melting against his as she smiles a little, wrapping her arms around his slender frame as she nuzzles her face in his neck. "I love you too." she whispers, knowing what he was trying to say without even saying it as she smiles softly at the feeling of his warmth, brushing her nose against his skin as her nose fills with his scent of lavender, wishing they could stay like this forever.

after moment she's pulling away, cupping his face in her hand again to press a quick peck to her fiancé's lips as she giggles softly "okay..." she hums. "now let's turn you into the rose that you are." she purrs, sliding off the bed as she takes his hand and pulls him to the bathroom again,.pulling out a stool for him to sit on as she pats the spot before wrapping a towel around him and opening the dye box and doing the steps to mix it until it's a red paste, before she starts to apply it. "so I was thinking, we dye it and we give you the hottest mullet there is...I know I said they were ugly but I had a dream last night and I think you would be the first man in history to pull it off and look sexy." she giggles, sectioning his hair out. "I might have to be careful with letting other girls see you though."

he hates when they break apart, but gives a small nod when she explains how he can make himself at home. but at least she kisses his cheek again, as if she’s somehow addicted to doing so. he finds himself surprised once again that she truly wants him– someone who was in a grave not twenty-four hours ago. 

he watches her sadly as she goes, standing there for a moment and listening to her voice as she chats with her sister downstairs. and then it’s quiet and he’s alone again, just like before he found her.

at first it’s not so bad, regulus spending his time exploring her room more. he looks at some more of her art, admiring it, especially gazing at the pieces she made of him. he can’t fathom how much care she put into them, or that there were so many. did it mean his love was requited this entire time? it feels hard to believe, what with him being dead until last night, but then again nothing about their connection felt usual.

he finally wanders to her shelf, trailing his fingers across the spines of some books he recognizes. she read to him many times, curled up at his tombstone with several books. recalling the sound of her sweet voice, he desperately wishes she were here to do it now. but she has a life to live, going to school looking stunning today in her beautiful dress. he hopes she doesn’t forget about him in the aftermath of the attention she’ll get– after all, the other students are living people while he’s a sin against nature. he’s handsome, but is that enough to make him the better option against a living man?

the thought makes him sad, but he tries not to focus on it, instead picking a stephen king book and returning to her bed. he sits for awhile, cracking open pet sematary to read the story of a man and his family who had just moved to a strange town with a graveyard of dead pets. it’s not as soothing to read a book without her soft voice narrating, but he tries to imagine the feeling it gave him to the best of his ability. it’s better to occupy himself with something than let his thoughts wander or think about what she’s doing at school without him.

after all, he’d gotten her in trouble with her step father and they wanted to send her away. he arguably ruined her life, at least in some respects. doesn’t he owe it to her to fix it and protect her? he prays she’ll still love him and always will, but he also knows he would do anything to get her to.

the thoughts cloud his brain until he can’t read any longer. he’s still not hungry and he hasn’t used the bathroom, so maybe he isn’t human yet– just another thing separating him from her world.

dwelling on it becomes too saddening, so he puts the book down on her bedside table, standing up to walk to the bathroom.

that’s where he searches for it– the necklace that salem had given him, that he handed back to her after breaking into her house. he finds it on the counter, where she had probably placed it while taking care of him last night. picking it up to fasten around his neck, he wraps his hand around it, clutching it lovingly as he returns to her bed. it makes him feel something– warmer, like he’s connected to her somehow. like he could eventually become real through her love.

maybe his body didn’t function in certain ways, but couldn’t he sleep if he really put his mind to it? he was dead for a century, after all.

looking around, he spots a plushie propped against one of salem’s pillows; a bunny character that resembles the one on his pajamas. taking her, he snuggles into bed, burying his face in the stuffed animal. she smells like salem; a sweet lavender scent, like home.

he doesn’t think it’s possible, but he eventually drifts into a small slumber of sorts, his eyes closed as he hugs the plush. it’s the only way he can escape the thoughts creeping in about everything that had happened and what her family wanted to do to her next, all because of him.

he’s thinking about her even when he’s asleep, startled awake to the sound of her opening the bedroom door. she has many bags on her arms, putting them down carefully as she greets him. he missed her voice and relief floods through him that she sounds like she wants to see him still. what if their brief separation had made her rethink things?

he sits up, his dark curls messy from tossing and turning in her bed. he’s still clutching her stuffed animal, looking up at her with sleepy green eyes full of the warmth he feels for her. she cups his face, reassuring him that she missed him, making a soft smile tug on his lips. tears shine faintly in his eyes as emotions overtake him, realizing how much he missed her for the hours she was away. it was like his soul ached for her, feeling the distance stretch between them. he didn’t feel right when she was gone, but more than that he was still disoriented by this world and now scared for her as well. 

his hand reaches up for his necklace, wrapping around it as he meets her gaze, completely vulnerable. he’s never shown such emotion to someone before, usually shoving it down to become the perfect son and person everyone wanted him to be. but he has nothing else now but salem; his heart is laid bare to her, whether he likes it or not.

it only now dawns on her just how badly she missed him this entire day, nearly losing her mind because of how much she thought of him and what he was doing and how he is because now that she's sitting in front of him it feels like a huge weight had been lifted from her chest, she could finally breathe again knowing he was here, his curls a mess and his face exhausted but he was the most beautiful man shes ever seen, maybe even cuter now that shes gotten to see what he looks lile fresh out of bed. "school was weird, I went from invisible goth freak to having everyone stare at me..." she says softly as she starts to tell him about her day "but all I could think about is how none of their reactions compared to the way you looked at me this morning, it's all I could think about were your pretty green eyes on me." she smiles a bit, her fingers coming up to play with his curls.

she notices his hand reaching for the necklace around his neck, almost completely missing the fact he was wearing it, the one she'd given him before she ever met him...salem was so distracted with making sure he was okay that she'd left it on the bathroom counter and now it seems he'd gone back for it almost as if it brought him comfort, but there is something else she notices, a sadness in his eyes almost like a lost puppy a frown tugging on her face as her hand gently rests over the one fiddling with his necklace.

"what's wrong?" she says softly, blue eyes searching his. "I know it probably felt like forever with me being gone, but I had to stop by the mall to grab you all this stuff so you feel a little more comfortable in my world...even though I think you look adorable as you are." she smiles, hand moving down to cup his chin as she nudges her nose against his playfully. "but I did miss you, more than I'd miss all the stars in the night sky if they faded away...all I could think about was how I would become your wife today and get to start this new life with you." she says softly, pressing a kiss to his lips before pulling away. "who knows maybe once we give you your makeover we can work out how to get you to come to school with me...I doubt it's the same as it would've been in your day but I don't know I think it would be nice to strut down the halld with my super sexy zombie husband with his super hot new hair color..." she teases, leaning down to reach into one of the bags as she pulls out red hair dye "what do you say? can I make you my doll for a few hours while I tell you how much I love you?"

her brows furrow in confusion or maybe surprise, looking at the dress he offers her. she explains it belonged to lacy, saying she was only planning on using it for halloween since she didn’t think she could pull it off. regulus frowns, knowing this isn’t true and pushing the clothing towards her stubbornly. he knows her and he can tell it would be a good fit in every sense, probably making her look like everything she dreamed to be; everything he could already see she was.

a sweet smile tugs on her face and she relents, taking the outfit only to then press a kiss to his cheek. warmth spreads through his body, gazing at her lovingly as she pulls back. he loves listening to her talk; she’s humorous and her voice is smart-sounding. in fact, she’s far too smart not to realize just how incredible she is. but regulus is positive she’ll figure it out after she puts the dress on and stops worrying about her parents or her school.

he smiles a little to himself, because it’s so ridiculous even picturing her not pulling something off. but he rolls his eyes and nods in response to what she says, because she’s funny and cute and he does like being called her husband.

when she returns, he’s not sure where his eyes should rest first, from how beautiful her face looks framed with her dark hair and the hat, to how low cut the dress is, fitting snugly on her perfect body. it brings out her curves even more, drawing his attention down to her shapely thighs, which are covered in sexy fish nets.

his lips part, as if he’s trying to find the words to explain how beautiful she is, despite not even having a voice to do so. he looks her up and down with burning green eyes, savoring every inch of her and not bothering to hide the way he’s staring. he even makes a point to look at her neckline, glancing pointedly at her cleavage before looking back up to meet her gaze as she approaches. he nods eagerly, because it’s the only way he can tell her how beautiful she looks.

a smile tugs on his lips at her joke, melting into her touch as she wraps her arms around him. his heart skips a beat when she leans up, her lips grazing against his in a soft kiss, gently pressing their mouths together before pulling back.

the black dress hugged her nicely, complimenting her in ways she didn't even know existed, paired with the cute hat and fishnets as well, all she needed were her cute black boots and she would be ready for the day and it was all because of her sweet and wonderful fiance. her arms wrap around his frame, her light eyes looking into his as she smiles warmly. "thank you.." she says in the softest voice, nuzzling her nose against his own. "you helped make me feel beautiful which is saying a lot because usually I'm used to trying to disappear as much as possible." she says softly, cupping his face as she leans in to peck his lips once more almost as if she couldn't resist his sweet taste.

she knows she's kind of prolonging her departure, hating having to leave him even if it's only for a few hours but time was running out and she knew her stepsister would be waiting downstairs for her. "I'll be home soon, don't be shy to make yourself at home...this is your room too after all." she assured him, pressing another kiss to his cheek before leaving her bedroom with a slightly heavy heart and making her way to meet lacy in the living room.

"hey- woah look at you!" lacy says almost as if she's surprised to see her sister in something other than a sweater and jeans. salem smiles shyly, shrugging "does it look okay?" lady laughs with a bright smile. "you look amazing, seriously this look totally suits you, dare I say you even look better than me in that dress." despite what a nightmare her dad was lacy was genuinely kind, always encouraging and looking out for salem which seemed strange because stereotypically she's the type of cheerleader to make her life hell. lacy gives salem another kind smile before the two step out to leave for school, salem takes one last glance towards her bedroom window already worrying for regulus and she hadn't even left yet.

the rest of the day is... strange to say the least, different eyes on her because of her new look as if people were genuinely taken aback that the freaky goth girl was actually pretty or something. it makes salem feel like she could honestly run the world if she wanted too but it wasn't just because of her new look, it was because she was the happiest girl in the world with a man back at home was the one even more confident than she was to pick out such an outfit and love her in ways she'd never been loved before. it's all salem can think about until the last bell rings, the teacher giving them their assignments for the night and sending them off.

lacy stays after school for cheer practice so salem takes her car to the mall to pick out some things for regulus's new look. she starts by picking out a couple shirts and pants as well as some shoes and jewelry before lastly picking out some pjs so he wouldn't be stuck wearing hers all the time, she also makes a stop at the hair supply shop to buy some hair dye before making her final stop to pick up some dinner for the two of them.

after what seems like the longest day of her life salem is finally back home, large bags in her hand as she makes her way upstairs to where he waits for her, looking like a lost and lonely puppy dog as salem smiles softly at him. "honey I'm home." she says in a playful tone, walking over to the bed where he sits as she sets the bags down to her feet. "and I've got a few surprises for you..." she says almost excited to show him everything she's bouht but first...she cups his face, eyes meeting his won with a sweet gaze. "today has been the longest day of my life without you, I missed you so much my sweet prince."

he almost hates when the sun starts breaking through the curtains, illuminating her room with the glow of morning. the day would interrupt their love now, taking over all of her attention as she had to see to her usual duties. she had her education to think about, as well as her family (even though they didn’t deserve it, since they didn’t ever think of her).

the sound from what salem had called a ‘radio’ blasts through the room to wake her, so she reaches over and shuts it off. an adorable groan escapes her before she’s turning on her side to face him, a tired smile on her full lips. he smiles back without even realizing he’s doing it, reaching out to stroke her face with the back of his hand. her skin is soft, making him wonder if it would feel just as soft under his lips right now. 

he leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek, allowing his lips to stay there for a long moment. then he drags soft kisses down her face until he reaches her lips, kissing them sweetly, one hand cupping her other cheek. he cuts off her sleepy words a little, despite how cute they are, mouth locked with hers in a slow kiss. he moans quietly before their lips part, green eyes fluttering open to meet her blue ones as her hand touches his cheek too.

he shakes his head, because she doesn’t have to be sorry. he likes cuddling her, especially for hours into the night. pushing strands of dark her hair from her face, he strokes her temple and cheek with a gentle touch, admiring her slender, angelic features.

he’s tracing the pad of his thumb against her cheekbone as she leans in to kiss him on the lips again, making his heart race. a small smile tugs at the corner of his own mouth, unable to resist.

he then sighs a little dramatically at her words, not particularly wanting any of her family members to barge in. but he nods when she asks if he wants to help, reluctantly letting go of her to stand up.

going to her closet, which is cracked open a little, he slips between the doors. it’s dark, difficult to make out the different outfits on hangers. but he does his best, looking through everything she has and finding many articles of clothing that had him questioning if they were truly her style. not that she wouldn’t look beautiful in them– she would look gorgeous in anything. he truly believes she could wear tattered rags and look stunning beyond belief, still the prettiest woman who’s ever lived. but he wonders if she isn’t repressing her own fashion, ignoring her beauty because her family made her forget how special she truly was.

she licks her lips a little as if to taste him as light colored eyes look up to meet his own. wouldn't it be heaven if she could stay like this with him forever? his sweet face so gentle and charming looking like a prince straight from a movie. her lips stay pulled in a loving smile as she nuzzles her nose against his once more. "if you kiss me like that everyday for the rest of our lives I don't think it'll be possible for me to ever be sad again." she teases with a hum, a deep sigh leaving her as she refrains from kissing him another time because she knows if she does then she's certainly going to be late for school and now she doesn't just have herself to think about but him as well.

he gets out of bed before her as she sits up tiredly, blinking the sleep out of her eyes as she starts to undo the loose braid in her dark hair, letting her silky hair undo itself as she brushes her fingers through the waves. regulus surprisingly takes a moment, as if he's really trying to think of what to dress her in which she actually finds extremely endearing because it's just school, nobody really cares about how she looked anyway but she allows him to get to work, eventually rolling out of bed too as she walks over to her dresser to grab underwear before walking towards regulus.

he finally pulls something out and her brows knit together for a second at the black dress with the flower hat. "oh that's lacy's she gave it to me because she said she got too many compliments." everyone loved lacy, head cheerleader and soon to be prom queen, she always had the cutest clothes. "I was going to use it for like a halloween costume or something like a witch or lydia deetz from beetlejuice...I don't think I could actually pull something like this off." she chuckles before looking up at him with that hopeful look in his big green eyes. he did put a lot of thought into it, and he seemed excited for her to say yes so how could she deny such a sweet face and so, with a sigh she gently takes the hanger from him a soft smile pulling on her lips. "I guess I could give it a shot." she says with a smile, leaning in to press a kiss to her fiancé's cheek. "but if I don't pull it off you have to pretend I do, that's a husband's job is to feed into his wife's delusions." she teases before walking over to her dresser and grabbing a pair of fishnets as well so at least her legs aren't completely bare.

"I'll be right back." she walks over to the bathroom to change, dressing from her pjs into the outfit her dear soon-to-be husband picked out just for her, stepping into the fishnets and then the dress he'd given her as blue eyee look at herself in the mirror to put on some light make up as well. she's not sure if it really suits her but it does look good, making her actually admire her own figure for a moment before sighing softly as she places the hat on top of her black curls to finish the look.

once she's dressed she walks back out into the bedroom where regulus waits for her a soft smile on her lips as she rocks side to side a bit anxiously for his reaction. "so? how do I look?" she asks with a shy hum, hoping he likes it as if he wasn't the one who just picked it out for her. "if the people from your time saw me in this would they burn me at the stake or what?" she says teasingly doing a playful pose and a soft giggle leaves her lips as she walks over to wrap her arms around his slender frame. he's still dressed in her kuromi pjs that are much too small for his body making her giggle softly because he still looks adorable, she leans in to press another kiss to his lips before pulling away.

"after school I'll stop by the mall and get you some actual clothes to wear, maybe something for that pretty hair of yours, I just got paid by the cinema I work at so it should be enough." she kind of hates the idea of having to leave him alone for most of the day, it makes her a bit sad how would he even take care of himself? but she knows she can't really take him out like this either, they had things they needed to take care of before regulus could become part of society. she reaches up, pushing a curl from his forehead a she sighs. "there's some snacks in the draw beside my bed if you get hungry and like a hundred books you could read, I should be back in a few hours okay? don't miss me too much." salem smirks a little at the end of her sentence. "and when I get home we can finally make our marriage official. maybe something else too..." she leans in to press a kiss to his lips one last time.

even if it’s true that the comet was always meant to arrive again on the day it did, it still feels like destiny in some sense. does it mean they were born to be together, set on this path by the cosmos before they even existed?

it touches his heart, knowing that his love wants to marry him so soon, not caring for formality because she wants him. it would have been blasphemous when he was alive to even consider such a thing, but it seems everything about regulus’s life is blasphemy now and he’s already happier this way.

it helps that the girl in his arms is beautiful and soft, melting into his chest, grasping at his shirt. slowly stroking his fingers through strands of her dark hair, he places a gentle kiss to her forehead, nodding. he wants to be with her forever and feel her warm body curled against his chest just like this. he always expected he would have to learn to love whatever marriage he was appointed by his parents, never quite expecting to marry for love. his parents didn’t work in such a way; wouldn’t abide by that decision for their family.

but now they’re dead and gone and he’s safe, tucked in salem’s bed and being warmed by her love as she speaks to him in a soft tone, pondering how his voice sounds. he allows himself to imagine it; getting to speak to her finally, holding the conversations they could only have in dreams. maybe they could, if he finished whatever spell his mother started. maybe the Horned One could fix it all, completing whatever was happening to his new body. maybe a sacrifice on his altar would be all it would take.

regulus can’t feel his magic; like he’s blocked, or it’s missing somehow. maybe with a reconnection, he could fix this. his body doesn’t hold the humming power of it anymore– all he can feel is his psychic link to salem, which seems like it’s getting stronger by the minute.

he smiles against her lips when she steals another kiss before lowering her head to snuggle against him again. he can tell she’s done crying because her breathing slows, tucked against his body as she seems to fall asleep. one hand is on top of hers and the other is on her waist, hugging her gently.

he sighs in contentment, staying still for a long while, enjoying her nearness and the way she breathes. her warm cheek is pressed against his bare chest, making him feel good in a way he never anticipated. he knew he loved her, but he never expected he would get to cuddle so soon after showing up at her house. at most, he’d hoped she wouldn’t be afraid of repulsed.

but salem is kind– gentle with him, so caring and eager to love him. and now she’s asleep, her breath soft as she snoozes against him. she’s so cute and small that he doesn’t want to wake her, but over an hour passes and there’s something restless in him. maybe it has something to do with being dead for so long, but regulus isn’t an expert in the subject.

so he carefully shifts her off of him and onto her pillow for now, and luckily she only stirs a bit. he smiles to himself because she’s so cute, especially with her dark hair splayed across the pillow and her thick lashes fanning out across her cheeks, completely still as she sleeps.

slipping out of bed, he wanders her room in the dark, starting to take a look at everything in detail. he examines her dresser, running his fingers across the wooden surface, admiring how different it is from an armoire from his time. green eyes fall on the posters covering her walls, trying to decipher the images even though he has no idea what they mean. maybe some of them have something to do with these modern plays she spoke of– movies. he can tell it’s art, even though he doesn’t quite understand it yet.

but then he finds the corner with ‘real’ art; art that’s familiar to him. it looks like a space where she often draws, her sketchbooks and pencils scattered across the desk. pinned to the wall are various pieces of art, ones created by salem. he recognizes her unique style; beautiful and gothic, depicting darker elements than most would typically illustrate. but what catches his attention is the collection of drawings that look exactly like him, making him pause. leaning in, he takes a look at one, realizing he’s wearing the vest in it that he wore before he died. it must mean she really did see him in her dreams, then. he remembers them, even if it’s foggy in the same way being dead feels like a dream. a long, bizarre dream that only became more pleasant when her warmth had flooded into it, occupying his very soul.

the way she draws him is beautiful, sketching out his dark hair and pointed nose. it’s not as if he doesn’t know he’s handsome, but it still flatters him to see that salem seems to think so too. it’s as if each line was placed carefully, with love or even admiration. there are more drawings, all beautiful. seeing them makes him flush a little, just imagining salem drawing him with such care. 

he glances back at where she’s sleeping, curled up on her bed. suddenly missing her, he returns, sliding under the sheets to tuck against her body, positioning himself as her big spoon. his arm goes around her middle, tugging her gently against his body, her back pressed to his chest. he buries his nose in her hair. she smells good, like lavender and clean fabric, so he sniffs again. snuggling into her, he hugs her middle tightly, almost possessively. thoughts of her art of him float through his mind, wondering how she felt when she illustrated them.

she only wakes up for a second when h's crawling back into their bed, she didn't even realize he had wiggled out but his arm is slipping around her middle pulling her up against his chest as she smiles tiredly, letting her hand rest on top of his before she quickly drifts off back to sleep, lacing her smaller fingers with his own longer ones.

the next morning the clock radio goes off playing some madonna song as her blue eyes flutter open and she tiredly groans, regulus's arm still wrapped around her frame as she sluggishly reaches over to hit it before turning over to his side of the bed to face him. his green eyes were already open, almost as if he'd been awake this entire time.

she smiles tiredly. "I was hoping when I woke up you'd still be here...not because I thought you'd leave but because it means you're real and we're really getting married today. " she says in her sleepiest voice her hand coming up to rest against his cheek, fingers brushing against his soft cheek. "sorry I fell asleep I didn't even realize how tired I was..." she's almost dreading having to get up and get ready for school, wishing she could just spend the day in bed with her soon to be husband..maybe pick up where they left off last night but her parents were already threatening to send her away the last thing she needed was her teachers to tell them she skipped school. "I guess I should get ready for school before lacy comes banging on the door.." she sighs, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips as she nuzzles her nose against his. "wanna help me pick out my outfit today?"

her parents don’t understand her, only seeing the worst in her, but regulus knows better. he knows she’s more than what they expect. she was forced into this world, subjected to all of its cruelty, and yet she saw beauty where no one else would. he spent his days as a ghost, listening to her read and watching her draw, entranced with how smart and beautiful she was. she was beautiful like her art and the art she loved, her every action laced with so much care and thought that it inspired him. how could someone who was given such a miserable life be so full of beauty and talent?

salem wasn’t afraid of the dead– she wasn’t afraid of him. even before she knew him, she cleaned his grave, giving him meticulous care he never thought he would receive again. he was sure this cold, brutal world would swallow him up again, even if his mother’s spell worked. but instead he’s in her warm bed, holding her against his body, his heart racing because he can’t comprehend how she can be so perfect.

a sob finally escapes her, clinging to his chest as she starts crying. he gently slips his fingers into her soft hair, brushing through it soothingly. he wants to comfort her; tell her he’ll never leave her and he’ll do anything to protect her from her step father. he needs his voice and he’s decided he’ll do anything to get it back.

she says she hates them and regulus can’t help but agree. what kind of heartless parents would send away the most precious daughter they could have? she’s smart and talented, likely to be successful, and on top of that she’s so beautiful that she could surely marry well (regulus has foiled this, but her parents don’t know yet). if this were his time, it wouldn’t make any sense how they were treating her.

she rambles softly about wishing everyone else would disappear so she could just be with regulus, making him blush. she looks up at him when she says she loves him, those tears staining her pink cheeks. cupping her jaw with his other hand, he wipes a tear away with his thumb, admiring her adorable face. he’s never felt such warmth for someone before, needing to protect her and hold her more than he needs the air in his lungs.

instead of saying ‘i love you’ back, he leans in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. then he kisses both cheeks, lingering there for a moment. he would kiss every single tear away, if he could.

that's why she can never leave him on his own, regulus was like finding something precious that you lock away in a box for safe keeping, so fragile and elegant, beautiful art created just for her to enjoy and she would be damned if anyone ever took that away from her but how did she fight back against her parents who wanted to send her away? she could run away but neither of them had the money or resources to survive on their own, regulus's body was still adapting to being functional and part of her didn't really wanna leave lacy behind...they could also kill them, if they wanted. that's what they need to do to help regulus isn't it? but she's never killed before she wouldn't know what to do without his love, or his warmth. he was her reason for living.

her tears eventually stop, being wrapped into him becoming too comforting to feel as sad and as scared as she did before, a soft smile pulling at her lips as she peers up at him with a loving gaze she's never had before. he was an angel sent from heaven to grace her with his love, his beautiful defined face and green eyes looking back at her as if he feels the same as she does. "I'm happy that comet chose my life time for you to be in....I never really believed in fate before but with you it's hard to deny." she smiles sadly, fingers brushing against his shirt. "I wanna marry you tomorrow, let's not wait...we don't need fancy rings or anything I just want you to be my husband." she smiles softly, she didn't need traditional bullshit, she just wanted to be his wife, make love to him the way he deserves.

"I wish you could talk and I could hear your lovely voice...at least I'm sure it's lovely because a pretty face like that has got to have a sexy voice to match." she remembers talking to him in her dreams but she couldn't quite remember what he sounded like, the memory is blurrry now but she has a feeling it sounds beautiful and soft, smart...she nuzzles her face against his but before she can say anything else hes capturing her lips with his own, kissing for a moment before kissing her cheeks as well as if to dry the tears and salem smiles, a soft giggle leaving her because it tickles a little.

she steals one last kiss before moving back against the warmth of his chest, nuzzling her face closer as she smiles. it's soothing and she starts to feel a bit tired as her eyes flutter closed, she doesn't even mean to fall asleep when she does, her eyes had just gone heavy, curling up to him peacefully as she sleeps throughout the night.

everything feels hot, his body burning with intense desire as he surrenders to her, allowing her to keep sucking as she makes another beautiful sound. it feels good and he never would’ve expected to do such a thing– he never knew people could kiss like this. he pushes his tongue further into her mouth, allowing her to suck on more of it. he’s never known such a primal urge before, needing to taste her and be hers because she’s so beautiful.

he likes it, how she takes charge of the situation by kissing him so forcefully even though he’s on top, his hand squeezing her throat dominantly. she gasps when he drags his cock against her, which only makes him want to do it more, needing to push the sounds from her. so he humps her like he’s trying to, slotting himself against her even though their pajamas separate them.

her hands touch his chest, moving lower before she speaks again, murmuring the most romantic words she’s said since asking to get engaged. he wants to respond but can’t, so instead he starts to kiss her back desperately, only breaking away when they’re interrupted by loud commotion from downstairs.

she pushes him off of her and he sits back, feeling stunned as he remembers her parents and the mess he’d made when he broke in, something that feels years ago now. guilt sears through his chest, already realizing what she’s about to go through. as he’s worrying about her, she cups his face, kissing him again and making his heart flutter before she leaves. how could she not be even a little upset with him?

regulus stands from her bed, moving to the door to listen in. some of it is difficult to make out, but her step father raises his voice, shouting about her making a mess of his home. salem’s voice is quieter, soft and scared and regulus can hardly hear her words. whatever she says doesn’t seem to help, carl going on a tangent about her being dangerous and shouting about her father. her sister chimes in, raising her voice to argue they can’t send salem away.

his fists clench into the fabric of his pajama pants, anger flushing his body because stacy and carl want to hurt her and take her away from him. if he had his voice he would use it; stand up for the beautiful, lovely girl who opened her home and heart to him when he had nowhere and no one. they didn’t understand how thoughtful and lovely she was, more special than anyone he’s ever known. how could they do such a thing to a girl they were supposed to care for and protect? even his own mother hadn’t been a monster capable of shipping him away somewhere he wouldn’t be safe.

he steps back when he hears salem starting to open the door, silently waiting for her to slip in and close it behind her. he can see it on her beautiful face that she’s struggling to hold back tears, apologizing to him even though she shouldn’t. he can feel how hurt she is through their bond, making him sense that aching sadness and frustration, mixing with his own. he feels guilty for making a mess; for causing her pain, even if it’s truly her parents who are the cruel ones.

but he doesn’t have the words to explain, so he walks towards her instead. bending down to scoop her up, he easily picks up her small body, carrying her in his arms to return to her bed. placing her down on it, he crawls onto the mattress beside her. then he tugs her into a hug, using his hand to gently press her face against his chest, urging her to melt against his body. slowly stroking her soft hair with that hand, he presses a kiss to the top of her head, waiting on her tears. it was too late to fix his mistake and he didn’t have words to make it better, but he could at least hold her in her small bed.

however, even without saying a word it's like he's calling her out on her bullshit as his arms wrap around her and pulls her up surprisingly so. just a few hours ago he could barely walk on his own but as he carries her to her bed it's almost effortless. she sniffs a little as he's laying her back in the mattress, pulling her into his warmth as her face pressed into his chest. he smells like soap, lavender to be exact and his skin is so soft against her own, it gives this sense of home like she's actually safe for once in her life and she can hear the weak sounds of his heartbeating telling her that he really is alive, and hers and they're made for each other.

the words of carl come back to mind, how he wanted to send her away to some nuthouse. she could tell he meant it too because since he married her mother he'd always been looking for a reason to get rid of her, her father was a monster and her aunt was strange so she must be too, it was in her blood...she feels her blood running cold as she imagines what would happen if they sent her away? regulus didn't know this world, he couldn't function all on his own, he would be so lost and scared without a voice to call for help and plus people could be cruel, they could take advantage of his sweet soul and there would be nothing she could do to stop it. the thought alone makes her body feel tense, a shaky breath leaving her as he holds her tight, his fingers stroking her hair as she melts into him for a moment and finally allows the tears to shed, a broken sob leaving her.

"I hate them." she says softly, knowing she shouldn't say it at all as her fingers dig into his pj shirt. "I hate them so much and everything they've put me through..." It wasn't her fault she was stus daughter, she never asked to be born. "I just wish they'd all disappear and it could just be you and me like I always dreamed." she says with a frown, pulling her face away so she can look up at him. "you're the only person in this world that I love."

he could get off on the thought alone; making love with the most perfect woman he’s ever known. her lips taste good sliding against his, her hands cupping his face to kiss him even more passionately. his mouth goes pliant beneath hers, opening up to taste her, realizing distantly that this is far past what should be an appropriate way to kiss your fiance. but they’ve done more than what’s appropriate already, regulus still recalling her hand around his length, making him feel so good that her touch was a spiritual experience.

and it is now too, making him moan into her soft mouth as she kisses him deeper, her tongue slipping out to trace his lips. he stops moving, eyes fluttering as he enjoys the feeling of her gentle tongue tracing his mouth, leaving a trail of her saliva behind. his entire body is on fire, a pleasure he’s only felt once before spreading through him again. he’s throbbing between his legs like he was earlier, pushing his tongue out to meet hers as she finishes tracing his lips. the feral desire tears through him, making his hand press harder against her throat, pushing her down into the mattress as his tongue slowly slides against hers for a moment. he never knew he could do this or feel such a way, completely taken over by a primal need he’s never experienced.

it doesn’t help that she arches up into him, that sweet moan leaving her because of his hand. she murmurs those teasing words against his mouth and he shakes his head, but it’s not like he would know anyway. he never kissed or touched any other girl like this. his past life isn’t something that matters, anymore– all that matters now is salem. the sweet smell of her filling his senses and her warm body pressing up against him as if she wants him just as much as he needs her.

she nibbles his lip, making him moan again, allowing her to bite down on it. then she goes for a deeper kiss, making his heart race as their mouths touch again, regulus already melting into her. she slips her tongue fully into his mouth, making him whimper, eagerly pressing his own tongue against hers. he licks her, savoring how good it feels and the way it makes him throb, the intense arousal taking over his body as he sinks into the overwhelming pleasure of kissing her. his hand tightens on her neck because she seems to like it, choking her against the bed as he starts to press down against her, his hard cock dragging against the front of her pajama pants.

regulus also seems to like the way her tongue moves against his, almost like he's not expecting it either and he tastes good too, making her purr softly as she pulls him in closer, nudging her nose against his own and letting her legs wrap around his hips to pull him in closer. he begins to lick her own mouth as if to follow her lead which causes her to smirk a little before pushing her tongue against his with a little more force, making it sloppy and wet before shes wrapping her lips around his own tongue and sucking on it with a muffled moan as his hand wraps around her throat.

his dick is pressed against her pj bottoms, rolling over her crotch over and over making a shiver trickle down her spine as a soft gasp leaves her, she feels her underwear start to get damp as he grinds down into her, pressing against her cunt as she kisses him harder and allows her hands to brush against his chest, moving lower and lower until it pasues just above where their middles meet. "I've waited so long for you, my comet." she breathes softly, leaning in to kiss him deeply once more as if she needed him more than she even needed air to breathe.

but before she can continue suddenly the stinging voice of her step father rings through the house demanding she comes downstairs immediately. "oh shit." she says, gently pushing regulus from on top of her and sitting up as the memory of all the mud regulus tracked into the house washes over her. she quickly gets up from the bed "just stay here." she says quietly, cupping his face to kiss him once more before getting up to go meet her visibly angry parents and confused step sister downstairs.

"what the hell is this?" her mother says, pointing at the mud all over the carpet. "the front lock is broken and there's mud all over the floor?! what is wrong with you." salem tries to speak up but stutters on the words to explain it because how does she explain it without giving away her fiance being back from the dead and coming to find her. "I told you stacy, something is very wrong with that girl she's been causing nothing but trouble since she got here." her step father chimes in staring her down with that look in his eyes that she hated so much. "can everyone calm down? I can explain I just-" she starts but before she can finish he's speaking again. "you just want attention as always, what excuse could you honestly come up with that would explain why you've made such mess of my home?" salem swallows, clenching her fists tightly and it's as if lacy nocties her sisters discomfort because she tries to defuse the situation by asking her father to stop but he simply brushes her off. "this isn't the first time you've caused destruction, starting to think you're their a spoiled brat or just down right dangerous, maybe it's best if we send you away for a few months, make sure she isn't a deranged psychopath like her father." he spits. "dad stop! you can't just send her away!" lacy chimes in but Salem almost doesn't hear her and that was the thing that strikes through her chest the most, causing a stinging in her eyes as she opens her mouth to speak again "no..I'm not like him...I could try to explain if you just let me I...." it's almost as if they intentionally didn't want to give her the chance, just so they could continue taking such vile anger out on her "salem just go to your room, there are things me and your father need to discuss." and with that they shoo her away, salem drops her head and makes her way to her room.

upon entering she sees regulus there, almost as if he's been waiting for her as she lets out a soft sigh trying hold back the tears stinging in her eyes. "I'm sorry you had to hear that..." she says biting down on her bottom lip wishing she could force a smile.

it surprises him to hear that marriage is more about love than before, making regulus puzzle over why it changed. maybe wealth is shared differently, or the way status works is different. it would’ve been unfathomable to his parents for him not to marry daphne, bringing their families together and making a good business strategy for his father.

but regulus was a romantic at heart, always longing for someone who made him feel something. it doesn’t feel real to have that someone before him now, looking so beautiful as she tells him she loves him. her thumb brushes his cheek, a soothing motion as she explains that a few people dying really wouldn’t matter to her. it should surprise him, but some part of him knew she would be the same as he was.

she tells him she never had hopes for love, struggling just to live, which makes him deeply sad because he’s never met anyone who deserves happiness as much as this gentle, interesting girl who cares for graves and uses her art to make things beautiful that most wouldn’t find beauty in. but regulus knows more than anyone that the world is cruel and happiness is difficult to come by, especially with obstacles like disease, death and even other human beings.

her nose is nudged to his, her lips close, making his heartbeat quicken again. she looks down to read what he wrote, a small smile tugging onto her beautiful face. he wishes he could speak so he could compliment her more, because there’s so much to say he’s sure he could talk about his love for her all night.

but she pushes the sketchbook away, tugging on his pajama shirt as she lays back against the bed, pulling him on top of her. he blushes, arms pinning on either side of her, their bodies pressing together as she leans up to kiss him. it catches him by surprise; her soft, perfect lips moving against his so slowly. he moans a little, the sound slipping out against his will, his hand moving to slide against the side of her neck as he kisses her back. moving slowly, he takes his time to feel her soft lips, memorizing the taste and opening his mouth in hopes of getting more of it.

his crotch brushes against hers as their bodies tangle, dragging himself down against her as he kisses her more deeply, hand clutching at her neck gently. he knows he shouldn’t, but something about how she pulled him on top of her sets him off, making him feel more animal than human because of his need.

she doesn't know much about love but she knows that what they have is beyond just love, it's so powerful...if they were alive in his time they probably would be forbidden, he'd probably have to marry some rich fancy girl who would help his family climb up the social ladder but it doesn't really matter, they aren't in his life time anymore, now he gets to love her for as long as the two of them shall live.

she wants to express that in the best way she can, show him that they're no longer held back by the restraints of being proper, sure what she did to him in the bathtub should've been enough but she wants more as her fingers wrap into the pj shirt and she's bringing him down with her to lay against the bed, she can see the way his cheeks flush a little and she finds it cute as her nose brushes with his own pulling him into a deepened kiss as a pleased sigh leaves her body at the taste of him.

he's fully falling into her body, kissing her back with eagerness and the sound of his sweet moans vibrating against her lips making her giggle against his lips a little. the moment feels so right as she kisses him passionately, her hands moving from his shirt to cup his face instead as her tonuge slips out to trace against his lips slowly for a moment, her back arching a little when his hand wraps around her neck making her moan a bit. "I bet they didn't do this back then did they?" she laughs teasingly, nibbling a little at his bottom lip before pulling him back in for an even deeper kiss as she allows her tonuge to slip into his mouth completely.

she seems receptive enough to the truth he shares with her, even telling him she’s always wanted to be a witch. he scribbles something on the paper before showing it to her again. “You could be. We have rituals for bringing people into the coven. It’s rare– most of the time, you have to be born a witch. Our god is particular about that.” he realizes it probably sounds insane; not very plausible at all. to people in his time it was heresy, but now it seemed to be turning into a frivolous entertainment of sorts. but it doesn't seem frivolous to salem-- it seems deeper, like it means something to her and speaks to who she is somehow, that she takes an interest in it.

he stares at her with a doubtful look as she chastises him for underestimating what she would do. most people would not be okay with murder and despite what he senses about her, it seems wrong to assume she would be.

she leans in, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, her nose bumping against his and making his lips tug upward at the corner. then she says it out loud, that she’s okay with sacrificing people for him, her lips brushing his and making him shiver from his repressed need. he tries not to pursue that need, pushing his desire down. instead he focuses on what she’s doing now, pulling away to reach under her bed.

she opens a box, revealing a collection of different knives, his green eyes sparking with interest as he examines them. she talks about why she has them, mentioning her issues with her father, which regulus is familiar with because of their long talks at the cemetery. he hates that the men around her didn’t treat her like she deserves, wishing he could whisk her away from all of the pain and complication of her life. but he listens to what she says, explaining how she feels they’re the same. he nods, gazing into her beautiful face as he realizes that his intuition about them being similar was always right. after a pause, he writes on the paper again before turning it towards her. “You don’t feel like other people because you’re not like them. You’re better.” and he’s never believed anything else in his life as much as he believes this.

blue eyes flicker at the paper he's showing to her again, her eyes flicker up at him in surprise when he tells her she actually could be a witch. she mostly meant it as a passing desire she had growing up, something like a childish dream that you knew wasn't possible but being told she actually could be powerful like her fiance does make her heart flutter a little "and do you think your god would accept me into your exclusive club?" she asks softly a bit of a chuckle falling from her lips. "I can't believe witches are real and I'm getting married to one, seems being the weird girl actually pays off for something." she teases, leaning in to kiss his cheek. she wonders what she would use her powers for, if she would make him proud as a witch and be by his side through it all, she always found magic to be beautiful in a world where it beeve existed but now that she knows it does it's so much more.

salem saw the doubtful look in his eyes, as if he didn't really believe she would be so accepting of his..pratices which also seems strange to her considering she's proven to him this far that shes completely in it for him but salem realizes she has to prove herself, showing him the collection and telling him about her deep feelings should be enough right? "I get marriage in your day wasn't exactly about love but for the most part things have changed...I love you regulus and I'm choosing to give my all to you no matter the risk." she says softly, her thumb coming up to brush over his cheek. "so maybe a few people have to die, it's not like it's going to matter in the end because you're still here."

she eventually closes the box, moving it back to the floor as her blue eyes flicker down at her lap for a minute. "to tell you the truth I never cared about love before, finding someone wasn't really a concern of mine...it was hard enough just getting out of bed in the morning but the moment I saw your sweet green eyes through all that dirty and grime I knew my life was about to change forever and I think the universe has picked us to get together...so I want to do this with you, so you can fully be who you are." she smiles leaning in to nudge her nose against his.

the next thing he writes brings a smile to her lips, her blue eyes flickering up to find his own with a bit of a sad smile. she's never been told this before, usually she was disregarded and seen as a freak or a mistake if you were asking her own mother...being told she's special though? and the crazy thing is she actually believes him, salem gently takes the book from his hands and pushes it to the other side of her bed before her fingers tangle into the pj shirt he's got on as she tugs him down on top of her slowly when she presses her back against the mattress. "I can't wait to be your wife." she purrs before leaning up to kiss his lips deeply.

he hates it when she pulls away, missing the pleasure he received from her wet mouth sucking at the same sensitive spot. she’s gazing at the same area she targeted, making him wonder if she left something behind on his flesh.

her hand slipping through his curls and her words praising his beauty distract him. he smiles a little, charmed by her and her soft, soothing touch. he never would’ve thought of himself as particularly smart looking, but maybe years of rigorous studies had paid off somehow. he wishes he could speak back; flirt with her too. so he settles on pressing his forehead to hers, breathing her air again, their lips dangerously close to touching. he desires her; to taste her once more.

he allows her to read the words he wrote, waiting for her reaction as green eyes fix on her face. she looks puzzled at first, like she didn’t expect it (and how could she have?). then she speaks, asking him if he’s from a family of witches and inquiring about his god. he nods to the first question and shakes his head at the second, because no, his god is nothing like the Christian god. in fact, this god is everything they fear. if salem were like everyone else, she would be scared too.

her hand presses to his face, her touch gentle as she traces his cheek, making his eyes flutter from enjoyment. her voice is soothing and sweet, almost as kind as her words. he loves being touched by her, but more than that he loves hearing out loud that she’s truly his fiance and they’re to be married. he has no idea how he’s gotten so lucky but he cherishes it, never wanting to let her go. but part of that is not wanting to scare her or bring her into a life she wouldn’t be happy. would she really want to kill someone else, or be okay with doing so? part of him feels that they’re alike on some deeper level, knowing almost psychically that everything would be okay. but the other part of him worries still, fretting that this is too much.

he sighs, looking away before picking the pen up again. beneath his previous note, he writes, “I’m not confident you’d want to be apart of such sacrifices, my beloved.” he meets her eyes when he’s done writing, gazing at her with warmth and love mixed with lust and dire need. he likes having her in his lap, pressed against him, but it makes him want more of her, which he knows should be wrong. he feels warm all over just having her body on his, one of his arms wrapping around her waist to pull her in closer.

it's so intimate and romantic, sitting there in the quiet of her little room just wrapped up in each others embrace. the air feels lighter and she's pretty sure she's never laughed and smiled this much in her life, which seems even more insane considering he hasn't been able to actually talk to her yet and she's the one who's had to do most of it.

she smiles softly as he rests his forehead against hers again, their lips only inches away as his breath brushes against against her skin and it's so intense that salem even worries that her fiancé can hear the sound of her heart beating quick against her chest, thumping like a loud drum as it calls out for him, needing him like needing air to breathe as a shaky sigh leaves her, almost as if it's killing her not to kiss him but there were some important things they needed to talk about first.

it's hard not to smirk a little at his answer to him being a witch, there's always been legends about the existence witches and magic, her name sake being connected to one of them. but most of it wasn't real, or it at least didn't seem to be...until now. he could very easily be full of shit if she hadn't just witnessed him raise from the dead but she's kind of glad he isn't. "that's so cool." she muses. "I've always wanted to be a witch." she says teasingly thinking about when she was younger and going to stay with her aunt for halloween they would watch movies about witches and even dress up. but his answer only leads to more questions, like who exactly his supposed god was but she thinks she might have a theory.

but salem decides to wait, eyes watching as he looks away against nd begins to press his pen to paper before once more handing it over to her. it's not exactly a mind game as to what he's referring too at this point and salem knows what he's implying is kind of insane because this would be the part most people would run as fast as they could...but she stays put, in fact she even laughs a little at his words, finding the old timey pet name endearing but more so finding his lack of confidence silly. "and I think you underestimate just what I would do to keep my sweet husband happy." she says, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she presses her nose against his with a hum. "so to bring you back fully we have to sacrifice people im guessing...and if that's what it takes to bring you back completely then so be it." she says smoothly, her eyes filled with confidence as she brushes her lips near his. "I have something I wanna show you too..." she breathes before breaking away from him, she doesn't move far though as she reaches under her bed and pulls out a large box setting it on the bed between them before opening it to revel a bunch of different knives she's collected over the years. "I guess maybe being a total psycho freak is in my blood because ever since I was a little girl I was obsessed with knives...I always wondered if it was because my dad was a serial killer and it made me feel closer to him in some fucked up daddy issues kind of way..." she shrugs before looking up at him. "there's this darkness inside of me, that's always been there, I don't feel the way normal people do and for the most part I mask it, I know I should be scared of you and the fact you're telling me this but this is me showing you that I'm really not...if anything it kind of makes me love you kore because you're like me." truth is she's never felt closer to anyone, not even her aunt who had always wished salem would never repeat her father's mistakes and salem only keeping the mask up because she didn't want to disappoint the only person who actually loved her...but now she's gone and salem can't pretend, she doesn't have to because she has someone who will truly appreciate her for who she is. "I'll do whatever it takes to help you."