COBWEBS AND THE LIES

His warning suddenly meant nothing as she was assaulted by the horrific sounds that she knew all too well. “Jackson!” Lilith was off the bed in seconds, finding him by scent. The blindfold was torn from her as she sought to see him, to know that it really wasn’t as bad as it sounded. She never could’ve imagined what awaited. The in between state of a shifter was strange, there was no denying that, but it did nothing to sway her movement to hold and comfort him. To take away the pain of changing. “You’re beautiful,” she cooed, her voice holding nothing to it but sincerity. And he was beautiful. No matter how grotesque he believed himself to be in this state, she’d argue the contrary every time. “You’re beautiful and you’re mine.”

“Perfect,” she answered, totally blinded by the fabric. As if to prove this, she made an attempt to grab his hand, flailing a bit before connecting with a squeeze. “I love you,” she breathed just before releasing him, a seriousness to her tone.

Sounds worse than it is. Well, that wasn’t entirely foreboding. It was just something she’d have to keep in mind throughout the process. “Definitely. To both questions,” she answered with a playful grin, a contrast to the worry she now felt.

“Maybe later, that tie can be the only thing left on me,” she cooed with a flirtatious smile. She hoped a bit of mood lightening would help to calm him before what came next. She left his side to have a seat on the corner of his bed, eyes never leaving him. “Is there anything I need to know? About what’s about to happen, I mean.”

“Are you telling me you don’t have an actual blindfold?” Lilith teased, leading to his bedroom, as she assumed it would be where he felt safest. “I don’t have anything in mind, but I’m sure we can figure out something to use.”

“I promise you, Jackson, I won’t look. Yours is the only trust that matters to me, and I’d never do anything to compromise that.” No matter how badly she might want to in this case. As if to give added reassurance, she lightly squeezed his hand and gave him another peck on the lips. She could only hope that at some point a day would come where he’d finally feel ready to show her this part of him, that he wouldn’t be afraid of it.

He was scared, she could tell so easily, even in him. Especially in him. As much as she wanted to push the issue, be her usual self and keep going until she got her way, she wouldn’t. Not with something that meant enough to Jackson that she knew it without ever being told. She swallowed hard, trying to think of some compromise, and only able to come up with some ridiculous one. “Could I stay with you during if I wore some sort of blindfold? You have my word I wouldn’t remove it until you gave permission.” To anyone else that was a meaningless promise, but her record with him was spotless.

“Yes, you are,” Lilith insisted, more than ready to fight him if necessary. “And if it makes it any easier for you to accept this, these tears are happy ones. Happy because I haven’t lost you, and I was so afraid I had.” She leaned forward as he stated he would change later, pressing her lips to those of the face he wore without hesitation, for underneath it all he was still him. No matter what face he chose to wear, her love him would never be changed. Not even by the intermediary step between shifts that she knew from his tone he was nervous to show her. “Jackson, please, I want to see it. I want to see all of you, to know everything there is to know. I want you to see that despite all of it, I will still love you. That there is nothing you can do to change that.” A confession she hadn’t meant to share just yet, but held firm on now. “I love you, Jackson. Please…just let me show you that.”

Lilith: Perhaps you should sleep on the couch tonight

Lilith: I'd hate to be woken up by you sneaking in at 4am

Jackson: It's a big turn on lbr

Lilith: Just concede already

Lilith: You know you want to, and you're already halfway there with that little admission

Jackson: Last time I try to be sweet smh

Jackson: Sex is just sex Lils, it can be good with almost anyone

Lilith: You have fun tho

Jackson: I mean, you could

Jackson: I could always just spend the night out

Jackson: You are such a tease

Lilith: And in that little red number you seem to like so much

Jackson: Oh

Lilith: You know I hate taking care of myself