Nana

"Hello? You in there?", Spencer's muffled voice came from outside your apartment. "What's wrong? You weren't at work, and you didn't text me all day, are you okay?", he asked worriedly. You groaned softly, pulling out the tissue that you stuffed up your nose before tossing it in the trash can.

You forced yourself up, sniffling as you walked to the door, opening it ever so slightly, just enough to peek your head through. "Allergies. Very sick. Very snotty", you said softly, your voice sounding nasally and congested.

"Well who cares about that? Let me in, you should've texted me", his voice grew immediately concerned as he moved closer. You paused, a little surprised by his insistence.

"Sorry, babe, I'm not exactly the epitome of health right now. And I know how you are about germs...", you chuckled softly, eyes drooping from how tired you were. You knew Spencer's germaphobia was always an issue. It took atleast a month of dating for him to be comfortable with just kissing, and you'd only been dating for 5 months now. Being around you while sick felt like a 9 month milestone sort of thing to push upon him.

"R-really? Spencer, it's like...really bad. I've been sneezing all day. Runny nose, sore throat, all that shit", you shook your head. "Lots of germs". Spencer scoffed, rolling his eyes. It was rare that he got sassy but he was always adorable when he did so you couldn't even take it seriously.

"Darling. Let me in. And let me take care of you", he said, voice stern. You sighed, but relented, opening the door. Spencer immediately stepped inside, walking through your home like he owned the place. He headed straight for the kitchen, grabbing a pot and filling it up with water before placing it on the stove to boil.

"What are you doing?", your voice was congested as ever as you followed after him.

"Taking care of my girlfriend", Spencer smiled, walking towards you. He cupped your cheeks and kissed your forehead. "Why don't you go sit down and put a movie on and just rest, hm? Turn the lights off too, it'll help", he said softly. You nodded, too tired to argue as you went to lay down.

Spencer came back about half an hour later with some soup and a fresh box of tissues. He replaced the old one and kissed your head again, running his fingers through your hair. "Come on, sit up. You gotta eat something...", he said softly, feeding you the soup.

You hummed, quietly drinking it. Whenever you pulled away to sneeze, Spencer just smiled fondly, helping you blow your nose with the tissue. It was a surprise that he was so comfortable being around you when you were like this.

"Spence, seriously. Are you sure you don't mind?", you asked worriedly. He shook his head, feeding you another spoonful of the soup.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're my girlfriend, it's my job to take care of you.", he sighed. "Besides, you're sick from allergies, it's nothing contagious", he shrugged, tucking a hair behind your ear. "Come on, I boiled some water with herbs. Just breathe the steam in, it'll help".

You agreed, sitting at the dining table, breathing in the steam from the pot with a blanket over your head. It surprisingly did help alot to clear your sinuses and the herbs also reminded you of home which was a plus since you always got homesick when you were sick.

When you removed the blanket, Spencer was already at your side, wiping sweat and steam off your face and neck with a cloth. "Come on, take these", he handed you some pills. It looked like your allergy medication and a vitamin C pill. After you took them, Spencer ran you a bath and laid out a fresh set of clothes for you.

In the bath, you felt like crying. You were disgusting and sweaty and had a runny nose. Still, your germaphobic boyfriend who couldn't even press an elevator button without some cloth barrier on his finger, was currently taking care of you as if he were being paid to do it. You couldn't remember the last time someone took care of you like this, or even bothered to be there for you.

After your bath, you got changed into your pyjamas. Spencer stood by your bed, setting up your humidifier. You walked over, hugging him tight, making the man pause. "Want me to cuddle you?", he asked, voice soft as he pet your head gently. You sniffed, rubbing your itchy eyes as you nodded.

He wrapped his arms around you, picking you up so he could lay you gently on the bed. For a man that never worked out, he always seemed to gather strength for you.

"I'll play your ocean sounds, it should help you sleep", he whispered, dimming the lights. You nodded, humming softly in content as the soft sounds of whales and underwater waves filled the room. You felt sick and tired and weak. But you were also happy that you had such a loving boyfriend to take care of you.

And what better way to learn anatomy than to use your very own learning device aka your boyfriend's body?

"How long exactly is this going to take", Jack snickered as he looked up at you. You had him trapped on the couch, straddling his hips while you stuck sticky notes onto his shirtless body. Your board certification exam was in two weeks and you needed to study.

"This is the sternum...with manubri sterni up here...and the xiphoid process...just above the intestines", you pressed another sticky note onto his sternum, writing down a few notes. "It acts as an anchor point for diaphragm muscles, the abdominal wall and...serves as...um...serves as...", you furrow your eyebrows, trying to think.

"Come on...you got this", Jack's palm moved from your waist down to your hip, slipping his thumb under the waistband of your shorts to trace circles into the skin there. Your cheeks flushed ever so slightly as you closed your eyes, trying to think harder.

"You're distracting me", you grumbled. When you finally opened your eyes, Jack was smirking up at you knowingly, sticky notes plastered all across his body.

"Well if I'm gonna be a study tool for you, I might as well have some fun with it", his palm slipped under your shorts to rest on your ass. You gasped softly, trying to pretend like this didn't affect you. Like you didn't know how incredibly sexy your boyfriend was.

"Go on...xiphoid process also serves as...?", his other hand rested at the small of your back, a soft pressure that made you go dizzy. "If you get it right...I'll give you a reward...", he leaned in, kissing up your neck, nipping at the soft spot under your ear that made your breath hitch.

"And if I don't?", you rolled your eyes, trying to breathe normally. Jack chuckled, pinching the side of your waist, making you yelp in surprise.

"If you don't, I'll punish you", his voice dipped lower, hands roaming your body. "Either way I'll be having a lot of fun", he shrugged, that smirk back on his face.

"Um...", you breathed out, looking up, tilting your head to give him more access. Jack's hands moved lower down your body, gently squeezing your flesh as he sucked and kissed at your neck. "It's...", you tried to focus, but your eyes were drooping shut at how good you felt, how good he was making you feel.

"L-landmark...serves as a landmark. What to avoid for CPR", you groaned softly, your eyes fluttering shut. Instantly, you felt him standing and you quickly wrapped your legs around his waist so you wouldn't fall.

"J-jack I can walk!", you yelped, worried for his prosthetic, but he shut you up with a kiss, his tongue delving into your mouth as he brought you over to the bedroom.

"Shh...time for your reward", he laid you back on the bed, one hand undoing his belt while the other pulled you closer to him by the ankle. The way he looked while manhandling you made you almost pounce on him right then and there.

"I'm gonna make you feel good....and then I'm gonna take what I want from you, alright?", he whispered, slipping his thumbs under your shorts, pulling them and your panties down in one move.

"I need words, baby", he got on the bed, hovering over you, one hand slipping up under your shirt to thumb at your nipple. He loved whenever you went braless around the house. You could practically see how giddy he was as he lifted your shirt, taking it off of you with ease, his mouth replacing his thumb.

You almost moaned at that, feeling him nip and suckle at your nipple, his hand moving to give the other one some attention. You sucked in a breath, your hands reaching for his chest but Jack stopped you immediately, pinning your wrists above your head. You whined, wanting to touch him. He only shook his head and shushed you gently.

"No, baby. Your job is to just sit back, relax...and let me take care of you", he whispered, his hand leaving your breasts to move between your thighs, nudging them apart.

"Fuck...so wet already", his fingers circled over your folds, lathering it in your own wetness before he found your clit, pressing down on it with his thumb. The moan that came out of you was breathless and sinful as you squirmed under him, wanting nothing more than to touch and hold him. But his grip on your wrists didn't allow that.

"Please...please Jack...", you whined under him as his hands roamed your body. He was teasing you, touching the most sensitive parts of you and yet not the part where you wanted him the most. You could see the smirk on his face and it made you even more frustrated because of how sexy it was.

"That's it...good girl, begging for me", he whispered, his voice deep and low as he finally slipped two fingers in with ease, muffling your moans with a kiss. Simultaneously, his other hand went back to your breasts, groping and kneading at them.

One by one, you could see the sticky notes falling off his body from how much he was moving. You pouted a little at the loss of all your hard work but Jack just chuckled, picking the sticky note off his chest, the one that read sternum, before tossing it aside.

The fingers in your cunt moved deeper, curling just right to hit that spot inside you. And then he started thrusting, gently at first. But then he moved faster and faster, slipping in a third finger. It was agony and pleasure all at the same time.

"Please", you whined, voice louder from desperation. "Please Jack...I need...I need you, all of you", you begged him, trying to pry your wrists out of his grip.

His fingers slowly dragged out of you, making you whine at the loss of pleasure. Almost instantly though, he replaced it with his thick head. "Fuck!", you gasped in surprise, clenching around him.

"Needed all of me, hm?", he pushed further in. You whined at the stretch, squirming under him. "What...isn't that what you wanted, baby?", he smirked, pushing deeper, knocking the air out of you.

"That's it...Shh...just feel it...", his voice was deep and low as he bottomed out, your ass hitting his pelvis. "You're doing so good, baby, taking me so well. God look at you...look how beautiful", he groaned into your ear as he stayed like that, letting you adjust to his size.

"Jack..", you whimpered, and he finally let your wrists go, allowing you to wrap your arms around his neck.

"My knees aren't what they used to be baby", he grunted, and you looked down to see his thighs shaking a little, his prosthetic leg heavy against the bed. "You wanna get on top? Think you can do that for me?", his voice was strained as he kissed your neck soothingly.

You moaned, nodding breathlessly as you let him flip you over. The new position did nothing to relieve how full you felt. "Oh Jack!", you moaned, hands braced against his chest as you sank down onto him. "Jack...mmh...too...full!", you gasped out in between breathless moans.

He held your hips, gently guiding you as you moved forward and in circular motions. "Fuck...", you moaned, slowly finding the strength to ride him. He groaned underneath you, hands enveloping your hips to help you move faster.

"That's it baby...fuck you feel so good...so gorgeous", he groaned, squeezing the flesh of your ass as you bounced on him. You moaned out louder, feeling him hit you in all the right spots. It was heavenly.

Within minutes, you clenched around him, hips stuttering. Jack could feel how close you were so he rolled his hips up once, then twice, arms holding onto your body as you gasped from pleasure. "Jack!", you moaned, body spasming against his as you came.

"That's it, baby. I've got you", he groaned, dick twitching inside you as he reached his own climax, spilling his warm seed into you. "Fuck...so good...so tight...you're so good for me, baby", he panted softly as you collapsed onto him, his hands engulfing your body into a hug.

A few seconds of silence passed, where you two just lay there, basking in the afterglow. "If I fail my exam, I blame you", you grumbled tiredly. Jack chuckled softly, kissing your forehead.

"What", you paused, not knowing if you heard that right. Was this some joke? Had he been pretending not to remember you, or did he just now recognize you? Either way, why start conversation now? After plainly ignoring you just a few days ago.

"Your glasses...you used to wear them", he said, an air of calm and blaséness around him. You pursed your lips, taking a deep breath. If he wanted to play this stupid game of nonchalance, then so would you.

"I got lasik after college", you faked a picture perfect smile, the one you used to give to your students' parents when they asked you bullshit questions. "Being a private school teacher really paid well so...", you shrugged.

Daryl seemed a little taken aback, but he quickly masked it with his regular expression. "Yeah, I guess you made it big after college...forgot everyone back home", he said flatly. You could feel your blood boiling at that, a vein twitching out of your forehead.

Fuck nonchalance.

"I forgot? You were the one who practically ghosted me! You broke up with me. What, did you want me to cry and beg for you?", you scoff, snapping at him. Daryl's eyes widened before he shook his head

"Nah nah don't pin this on me. I didn't break up with you. You wanted to go to some fancy college and I didn't stop you", he raised his hands in surrender, letting out a disgruntled scoff as he averted his gaze to the lamp in the room. You were practically seething at this point.

"I got a scholarship! I wasn't going to pass that up! Besides, I sent you letters everyday for weeks after I left. You were the one that ignored them all, you didn't even reply to one!", you yelled back, jamming a finger into his chest.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about", Daryl shot back, his southern drawl evident as he swung his arm forward, like he always used to do during an argument. You almost laughed at the fact that that habit of his never died. "I ain't got no goddamn letters", he scoffed.

"I sent them to your address, Daryl. What the fuck do you want me to say", you pinched the bridge of your nose in frustration. "You argued with me the night before I had to leave. And you didn't have a phone so I figured I'd write you letters to your address", you sighed. "You never sent any back"

Daryl's gaze softened as he paused, his mind working at a million miles per hour. "Listen to me...", his voice grew gentle as his gaze softened. "I didn't get any letters", he sighed. "I...my old man used to empty the mailbox and throw out all the mail in case they were bills...maybe he threw yours away too", Daryl thought aloud.

"Oh...", you mumbled, the anger slowly leaving your body. But then it returned again at full force, almost giving you whiplash. "Well either way, you still didn't even recognize me that day. You didn't even say hi and you told that Carol lady that you didn't know who I was! We dated for two years and we've been friends since we were kids and you didn't recognize me until now?", you rambled, tears stinging the back of your eyes.

"I recognized you. Ofcourse I recognized you, I ain't stupid", he grimaced. "I just...didn't know what to say so I left". When he spotted the tears in your eyes, he short circuited from panic, hands moving to hold you but stopping before he could actually touch you. "What- why the hell are you crying? M'sorry alright? I was bein petty, stop crying", he grunted.

You sniffled, wiping your tears. "I thought you forgot me, asshole. I thought...maybe I didn't really mean anything to you. That I was just someone you had a fling with in high-school-", you try to speak, only to be cut off by Daryl's lips crashing into yours.

You gasped softly as he kissed you deep, his hand finding your waist while the other moved to cup your cheek. When he finally pulled back for air, he leaned his forehead against yours, breathing softly against your parted lips. You couldn't help but shiver at his touch, your cheeks flushed.

"Don't...ever think that....you were everything to me. The only one I ever loved, I never forgot you, not once", he said softly, his thumb tracing your cheekbone. "I shouldn't have argued with you all those years ago. Hell, I should've followed you to your fancy college and worked somewhere, or made something of myself. But I didn't and that was my fault. I'm not letting you go again", he closed his eyes, kissing the space between your eyebrows.

You immediately wrapped your arms around his neck, hugging him tight. Daryl melted into your hug headfirst, his nose buried into your neck as he let his arms wrap around your body, pulling you into him. "You're an asshole", you grumbled, making him huff against your neck.

"Yeah I know....I'll make up for it", he muttered, pulling back to look into your eyes. "Just tell me how to make up for it, I'll do it", he whispered.

»┼)➝

"This is how you want me to make up for it?", Daryl chuckled, his hand ruffling your hair as he helped you load up his crossbow. You remembered how you would play with his crossbow outside his house, and you two would aim at his dad's empty beer cans that were laying around on the ground.

"Yeah I haven't picked up a crossbow in eight years. I wanna play", you smirked, making him roll his eyes. He handed the crossbow back to you, and leaned against the nearby tree. You were both just outside the prison walls but still within the fences. Daryl had lined up a few old bottles for you to aim at.

"Ain't a toy", he grumbled, yet passed the crossbow to you anyways. You smiled, holding it up as you aimed at one of the bottles. Daryl shook his head, holding back a smile as he came up behind you, a hand on your hip while the other gently maneuvered you to aim the bow slightly to the left.

"Gotta account for the wind", he said softly into your ear, making the hairs on your neck stand tall. Back when you were teenagers, he was the same height as you so if he ever did something like this, you'd shove him off and laugh about it. But now, there was no shoving off this behemoth of a man behind you, with his rippling biceps on full view on account of the sleeveless denim vest he wore.

"Guess I'm out of practice", you said softly, keeping your gaze forward. Daryl just grunted in response, not moving. He stayed behind you, hands holding you against him. Carefully. Protectively.

You pulled the trigger, watching as the arrow shot forward, shattering the bottle on impact. Daryl smirked, his arms wrapping around your waist. "Beginner's luck", he snickered, making you roll your eyes.

"Beginner's luck? No, I'm just amazing at everything", you said exaggeratedly, tilting your head up to look at him. You could see his lips pursed as he held back a smile. "You know I've been thinking about this for a while...but...you really grew huh?", you said softly, the crown of your head touching his chest.

Daryl rolled his eyes, looking down into your eyes. "Yeah well...it's the goddamn end of the world. Everybody changes", he muttered and you quickly shook your head.

"No no...I mean...physically....you're taller...bigger....stronger", you said softly and you could see in real time a tint of pink coating his cheeks. He turned you around so you were facing him, before grabbing his crossbow from you.

"Yeah? You sayin you find me attractive now?", he let go of you, stepping back. "Not that skinny little kid anymore...am I?", he grunted, a sense of insecurity lacing his tone as he aimed the crossbow at the bottles, getting ready to shoot them down.

"No, you were always attractive to me", you smiled. "Pretty face...pretty hair...and your skin was always so clear I got jealous sometimes", you said softly, inching closer to him. He just scoffed, not turning to look at you.

"Daryl...", you called out softly, using your hand to lower his crossbow. "Can you hold me again....like before...like you used to...". Your voice was gentle and soft, careful with the words you used.

He was always sensitive under his tough exterior. You weren't an idiot, you knew how this apocalypse had hardened even the softest of people. You knew the Daryl that let himself be soft around you all those years ago was still in him now. You just had to coax it out a little bit.

He grunted, looking away, but his hand still reached out for you, pulling you in so he could rest his chin on your head. You had been apart for so long that it was difficult to get back to how you used to be. But now, this was comfortable. This was familiar. And that was enough.

»┼)➝

The prison didn't have much space for privacy. And it had already been weeks since you two had your reunion. To say you were pent up would be an understatement. Which was why you two were in one of the watchtowers. You were straddling Daryl's lap, his hands gently rubbing circles into your hips.

"I haven't done this in ages...", he muttered, kissing your shoulder gently. You hummed, running your fingers through his hair. "You were my first and last, did you know that?", he scoffed.

"You were mine too", you smiled, kissing him softly. "But you're telling me you didn't get with anybody after me? Not even before the world went to shit?", you snickered, nosing at his cheek. You found a it a little hard to believe nobody ever wanted him. He was always a sweet guy. A little rough around the edges. But sweet.

"Nah...you were the only one stupid enough to sleep with me", he smirked, pinching the side of your waist, making you gasp and slap his chest in retaliation. Daryl grabbed your thighs, pulling you forward so your chest pressed against his. "Still stupid enough?", he kissed down your neck, his hands fiddling with the hem of your shirt.

"Maybe", you smirked, unzipping his jeans to palm his clothed bulge. Daryl gasped, his hands tightening on your waist. "It's been so long....you've probably haven't felt good in a while huh?", you whispered, slipping your hand into his boxers.

Daryl huffed, cheeks flushed as he lokked up at you with frantic, desperate eyes. "Oh fuck", he gasped when you stroked his dick once, twice, bringing him to full mast. He groaned, burying his nose into the crook of your neck. He was shy, embarassed, his breaths heavy against your skin.

"Woman, please...", he groaned, letting out soft whimpers under you. You smirked at the reaction, feeling pleased at how good you could make him feel. It was a little sadistic, but you couldn't help but feel a sick sense of pleasure that after all these years, your touch was the only thing he'd felt. That everytime he thought of somebody who had touched him and made him feel good, it would've only been you.

"Please what, baby?", you whispered, pulling your hand away, reveling in the pure satisfaction you felt when he *whined* at the loss of contact. Daryl tugged at your shirt, too embarassed to lift his head from your neck.

"Come on, you gotta speak up", you giggled. "I can't read your mind...", you slipped a hand under his shirt, slowly taking it off. Daryl huffed, looking up at you with flushed pink cheeks and glossy eyes.

"Touch me...need you to touch me...please", he whimpered. Your breath hitched and you instantly relented, pulling his boxers down and stroking him again. You were a weak woman who couldn't say no when he was being so sweet.

"I'll touch you...", you slipped your hand back to his dick, taking it out this time. "But you gotta look at me", you nudged his jaw up so he'd look at you. As soon as he gave in, you made quick work of your own clothes, tossing them aside.

Daryl's hands instinctively came to rest on your hips, helping you lift them as you aligned yourself with his tip. "Fuck....", Daryl groaned, his grip on you tightening as you sank yourself down, filling yourself up with him.

"Oh fuck...did you get bigger?", you moaned out, bracing your hands against his chest as he bottomed out. Daryl huffed, sitting up while wrapping an arm around your waist to pull you in closer.

"Body ain't the only thing that grew", he snickered, kissing you deeply, letting his tongue delve into your mouth. You moaned into the kiss, running your fingers through his hair, gripping it tight as you pulled his head back, allowing you to suck more marks into his neck.

When you finally moved your hips, the sounds that left Daryl's lips were sinful. Using the grip on his hair as leverage, you lifted your hips, sitting up before slamming yourself back down, watching the way his eyes glazed over.

"Aww...poor baby...", you cooed at him. "We just started and you're already close? What if I just stopped right now, hm?", you teased, unable to help yourself. It was a little mean, but he just looked so delectable under you, all weepy and pathetic.

"Fuck- no, please...please don't stop, don't stop, Daryl whimpered, pulling you closer so your chests pressed together. You kissed him softly, feeling a little bad now for teasing him

"Aw alright, baby", you whispered. A few more rolls of your hips and Daryl groaned, spilling up into you.

You gasped at the warmth inside you, feeling your own climax wash over you seconds later. Daryl's arms wrapped around you as you both let yourselves get comfortable against each other. Cleaning up could come later.

You were finally together again.

It was a hot, humid day. You were in your boyfriend's trailer, his head resting on your stomach while you sucked on a popsicle. It was one of those summer days where people would go to air conditioned malls or have spa days to cool off. But that wasn't an option for you two, so you just stayed inside in nothing but your underwear in hopes of battling the heat.

"Daryl it is too hot for you to be clinging onto me like this", you groaned, trying to push his head off. He just grunted and buried his face into your belly, making you chuckle softly. His hand traced circles into your thigh as he breathed into your waist.

"Nope. My house, my rules", he grumbled, to which you flicked his forehead. Daryl scoffed at that, quickly getting up to pin your arms down with one hand, using the free one to tickle your torso. You squealed, bursting out into uncontrollable laughter, the popsicle long forgotten as it melted onto the already stained bedside table.

"No! Stop, I surrender", you giggled and Daryl leaned down to kiss you softly. You hummed into the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck. His father would probably be back soon, drunk and cussing up a storm. Or his brother Merle would be storming in, yelling at you two to get a room.

"Oh you surrender huh?", Daryl chuckled. "Velma surrenders?", he nipped at your neck, making you squeal and gigle.

"Just because I wear glasses doesn't mean I'm Velma!", you smacked at his arm. "What does that make you? Shaggy? The hair definitely suits you", you smirked, to which he started tickling you even more.

For now, it was peaceful, and nice. And that was hard to get when you lived the way you and Daryl did.

"Wake up", he suddenly whispered, nudging your arm. You felt confused, tilting your head only for him to grab your shoulders, shaking you violently. "This isn't real!", he shouted, and you jolted awake, gasping for air.

Around you was a refurbished prison cell with a small desk and some plants. The bars were covered with curtains for privacy and although the bed was an old prison mattress, there were some extra pillows to make it more comfortable.

You hadn't had a dream of the old world, much less your ex boyfriend, in a long time now. You wondered how the memory of Daryl from your teenage years was still fresh in your mind. Though that was probably since he was such a big part of your life. Now he was most likely dead. Or undead.

Your first love, first boyfriend, first kiss, first everything. You loved him even after he broke up with you when you got accepted to college. It took months of heavy focus on your studies to get over him and even then, he was a sore subject. Why the hell did you have to dream about him now after all these years?

You sighed, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. You had arrived at this prison yesterday after one of their patrol guards saved you from a horde of walkers, and now they had welcomed you into the place, giving you food and a place to rest.

They really had a good community here and the kids were all so sweet. Speaking of kids, the man in charge, Rick had asked you yesterday to start helping out at the school they had going on. Since you had a degree in childhood education, you felt a little excited about putting your skills to good use.

But first, breakfast.

You got up and washed your face before getting dressed in some new clothes they gave you. Once you felt freshened up, you headed to the courtyard where they had a grill and a fire going on for cooking.

You noticed the way everyone seemed so excited and chattery, though you didn't know whether this was a daily occurrence or if something exciting happened today. "The supply runners really did well this time, there's so much food", you overheard someone saying happily, and a few more words being exchanged within that topic.

Keeping to yourself, you walked over to the table with all the food, getting some breakfast sausages for yourself. Just then you heard a voice behind you near the grill. A kid sounding really excited.

"Hey Mr. Dixon...I just wanted to thank you for bringing that deer back yesterday. I mean, it was a real treat sir...and I'd be honored to shake your hand", he said, his voice holding a hint of nervousness. You smiled softly at how cute the kid sounded, but then paused for a second. What are the chances there's someone here with the same last name as your ex? Dixon wasn't exactly a common one.

You turned to look, only to see the back of a very muscular man in a black vest that showed off his rippling biceps. That certainly wasn't Daryl. Your ex was scrawny and pale with no muscles whatsoever. Still was nice to cuddle with though.

As the man shook the kid's hand, you noticed Carol next to him. She was the only one you spoke to yesterday and she was kind enough to help you settle in. You figured you could ask her about the kids so you could make up a thorough lesson plan.

"Carol hey", you called out. She smiled when she saw you, but as soon as the man next to her turned, you stopped in your tracks, your heart dropping to your stomach.

"Oh Daryl, this is the girl we found yesterday, the one that's gonna start teaching the kids", Carol introduced before turning to you. "And this is Daryl, he is one of our supply runners. And a great one at that", she chuckled, nudging his shoulder.

You couldn't breathe. You couldn't even look at him. Your chest felt heavy as you forced your gaze up to his face. He was handsome. He always was, even when you dated him all those years ago. But now, he looked more mature, his hair grown out and his jaw sharp.

"Daryl, hey-", you try to smile but he just nods, cutting you off.

"Nice to meet you", he said gruffly, before walking past. Carol looked a little confused but followed him, asking him if he knew who you were. All you overheard him saying in reply was "No clue".

He didn't recognize you.

You dated for two years and that son of a bitch didn't even recognize you. If you weren't so hurt, you probably would've stabbed him out of anger.

You took a deep breath, taking your plate of breakfast sausages and storming back into the prison block. You wanted to eat in private so you could process your emotions in a healthy, civilized manner, like the well adjusted adult you were.

Which meant crying alone.

"Stupid Daryl and his stupid deer", you sniffled, rubbing your puffy eyes. This shouldn't have hurt you so much. You always had a feeling he meant more to you than you meant to him. It made sense that he wouldn't recognize you.

Maybe you hadn't even dated. Maybe that wasn't a real relationship and you had just been delusional. You never did actually go out on proper dates at restaurants or at the movies. You and Daryl mostly just stayed inside his trailer and fucked, or skipped school to get drunk.

To you, he was a big part of your life. But to him, you were nothing more than a fling he had in high-school, whose name and face he didn't remember. To him, you were irrelevant.

»┼)➝

It had been a few days since you saw Daryl. You managed to pull yourself together and distract yourself with work. Rick had given you a whole room for teaching the kids. There were about 10 kids all together, all different ages, with one of them being Rick's own kid.

You started with Science first. Most of the kids were around 12 to 13 years old, except for about three of them who were 9 and 10. You decided to teach the older ones, who you dubbed as Group 1, about Cells and the younger ones, Group 2, about Solids, Liquids and Gas.

"Alright, Group 1. You guys are old enough to be responsible. Do the question sheets I gave you. Once you're done, we can go over the questions", you smile as you explained. "If you really don't know the answers, just leave em blank, it's okay".

"Carl, I see you copying Patrick's answers. Stop it", you said flatly as you went over to help the Group 2 kids with their work. The thing about being a teacher for 7 years before the apocalypse, you had eyes in the back of your head for student shenanigans. Surprisingly, it became extremely useful for survival instincts too.

Carl groaned and went back to doing his own work, his sheriff hat drooping over his head. Cute kid. All the kids were adorable. Except for that one girl, Lizzie. You didn't know why but that kid freaked you out a little.

A few hours later, you managed to teach them the topic pretty well, and even assign them some homework.

"Alright guys don't forget to do your homework. Tomorrow we're gonna work on Math so you guys have some time to do it", you announced, grabbing your books. The kids immediately packed up their things, excited to finish class.

As the kids left the room, you saw Daryl by the door, leaning against the doorway. Your breath hitched as you immediately turned your head away, pretending you didn't see him. You focused on your files, reading the paper to pretend you were busy doing something.

Was it immature? Yes. Did you care? No.

"Hey kid, how was your first day of school?", Daryl said sarcastically, with a small grin. Carl snickered, rolling his eyes, handing the Daryl his books. Daryl grabbed them without complaint, helping the 12 year old to carry them.

Damn him for being such a kind asshole.

"Your teacher any good?", he asked Carl, making your eye twitch from annoyance. He doesn't even remember you and now he's trying to insult you to your student, right in front of you. This was reaching a new low. You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down. You probably would've been devastated if you weren't so angry.

"She's alright, I guess", Carl muttered, uninterested. You held back a scoff at that. Et tu, Carl?

"Alright kid, your dad's waiting for you. Go ahead", Daryl chuckled. You hesitantly peeked back at the door, only to see Daryl staring at you with an unreadable look in his eyes. You probably would've went back to pretending he wasn't there, but you made eye contact already and he was very obviously looking at you.

"Can I help you?", you fake a smile. If he didn't remember you, there was no reason for you to act like you knew him. Daryl hesitated for a second before shaking his head.

"Just...wanted to ask about Carl...kid's like a nephew", he said, gruffly. You paused for a second before nodding, grabbing one of your files with Carl's worksheet in it.

"Well it's only the first day...he leaves alot of questions blank but that's to be expected since they haven't actually studied anything in a long time", you say, trying to sound professional and not at all affected by how hot he looked leaning against the wall with his rippling and sweaty biceps that made you want to-

Woah, reel it in.

You shook the thought out of your head, focusing on Carl's paper with the multiple blank answers. "He'll be fine, he's a smart kid, just needs a little guidance", you assured. "But uh....shouldn't I be talking to his dad about this?", you raised an eyebrow.

Daryl paused, staring at you blankly. "His dad's busy", he blurted out after a few seconds of silence, making you raise an eyebrow. You expected him to leave but he just continued to stand there awkwardly, which just made you uncomfortable now. He seemed like a lost child who didn't know where to go.

"Need anything else, Mr. Dixon?", you faked a smile, hoping he'd go away now. But Daryl's gaze just softened as he shook his head. "Just...had a question", he said gruffly. You sighed, but nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

You could feel the pounding of your heartbeat in your ears, your chest moving up and down as you panted heavily. You stood up, looking up at the starry sky, the faint sounds of the werewolves in the Lupin cages echoing further away. It was peaceful. Yet your body was filled with so much energy and adrenaline and so far, this was the only way to get it out.

Ever since draining Francoise's energy, you were pent up. There was so much power coursing through you at every second and you had nowhere to channel it. Running helped but the energy always resurfaced once you went back to your room after settling down.

However much energy you drained from Francoise, it was enough to last you for months without needing to feed ever again. It was good, but it was also way too much energy for a boogeyman who hadn't even reached adulthood.

"Wait...stop....just...rest for...five...minutes....", Isaac groaned from not much further away as he caught up to you. You smirked down at him as he dropped to the ground, gasping for breath, his clockwork heart ticking erratically.

He was wearing a plain white t shirt, and now as he tried to catch his breath, you could see through the sweat-soaked collar. You almost felt bad for running so far and so fast, but you did tell him not to follow you. He was just stubborn and didn't want to be away from you.

"You know you could always go back to the tower. I just need to wear myself down and I'll be fine enough to sleep for the night", you said as you helped him up. Isaac groaned, shaking his head, still panting heavily as the sweat beaded on his forehead. His hair was damp and he looked so wet and pathetic. It made you even more attracted to him.

"No...no, it's almost midnight. It's not safe for you out here alone", he said breathlessly, still groaning from how much running he had done. At times like these, you realised just how unfit he was for physical activity. It was hilarious.

"Oh and you're my asthmatic knight in shining armor?", you teased, and he shot you a glare as he stood up, finally having caught his breath. Isaac rolled his eyes, running a finger through his damp hair.

"I'm not asthmatic. I have a heart condition. Two different organs", he scoffed, taking a deep breath. "Besides, just because you're capable enough on your own, doesn't mean you should be alone", he said flatly, before kissing your forehead.

"You're very sweaty", you smirked, kissing the bump on the bridge of his nose, which you had grown to love doing. Isaac snickered, nudging you off playfully. You sigh, looking at your trembling hands. Maybe you had pushed yourself too much. But you still felt so fidgety and full of energy that you couldn't exactly stop now.

"Still feel restless?", he muttered as he grabbed one of your hands, gently massaging it. You nodded, letting out a shaky breath, your veins itching to run again, or go for a swim, or just punch at something. Isaac noticed.

"Come on, I have an idea", he says, linking your fingers with his, leading you back to Iago tower.

_ _ _⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆_ _ _

Once you reached the top of the tower, Isaac excitedly led you to the couch. He had you sit down while he rummaged through his cabinets for something. You sat up, tilting your head at his excitement. It was adorable the way his dimples were a little crooked and uneven on both sides.

"Isaac, you gonna clue me in?", you chuckled softly. He almost tripped over his own feet as he stumbled to a cabinet in the corner of the lab, throwing it open.

"Aha!", he bellowed triumphantly as he grabbed something from inside, holding it up. A large liquor bottle. Isaac smirked as he walked over to you, flopping down on the couch next to you.

"I may or may not have gotten it from Stoneheart's office", he snickered, popping the bottle open. He tipped his head back, drinking it straight before groaning softly. "Oh that is....wow", he chuckled, leaning back against the couch as he passed the bottle to you.

You held it up, examining the label. Jacky Truchot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru. A lengthy name for a large bottle that definitely looked way too expensive for a high school professor. You raised an eyebrow at Isaac. "This is supposed to calm me down?", you smirked, to which Isaac just nodded calmly.

"Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that lowers your inhibitions and stimulates the GABA pathway in your brain which calms you down", he explained as he leaned his head against your shoulder. You snickered, taking a sip of the alcohol, instantly coughing out as you felt the putrid acid-like taste hit the back of your throat

"Oh God! No...no no no, that is awful", you grimaced, handing the bottle back to Isaac who was busy keeling over from laughter, his body practically spasming. "What even is that? Does all alcohol taste that bad", you groaned as you watched Isaac take another sip.

"You get used to it", he shrugged, putting the bottle away. "I drink sometimes...when my brain feels like too much. And I want things to just quiet down", he muttered. "Now it takes atleast five glasses for me to get drunk".

You hummed, leaning your head against him as well, your feet repeatedly tapping against the ground from how much energy you still had. Isaac noticed, watching the way you were still fidgeting restlessly.

"I have a different way to calm you down", he smirked, and before you knew it, he was crashing his lips into yours, lifting you onto his lap. You gasped softly, tasting the liquor on his tongue as he delved it into your mouth, kissing you soft and deep. Instinctively, your hand moved to cup his cheek.

"Are you calm now?", he whispered sultrily, tucking a piece of your hair behind your ear. You hummed softly, brain still in a daze. In all honesty, you could barely hear him. The liquor paired with the sweet taste of Isaac's tongue was enough to send your body into a state of contentment and relaxation.

"I'll take that as a yes", he kissed you again, making your brain go fuzzy. He gently laid you down against the couch, a hand holding onto your waist as he loomed over you. "You're very beautiful, do you know that?", he whispered into your ear before nipping at your earlobe, sending a shiver down your spine.

"Isaac...just so you know, I...I've never", you began but Isaac just kissed your forehead to soothe your worries.

"Don't worry...neither have I", he smirked. "But I have however studied up on various books to know exactly how to make you feel good", he whispered, sucking on the spot on your neck just under your ear.

You gasped in surprise, letting out a soft moan as you arched your back. "Studied? You read sex books to please me, Isaac?", you teased, trying to focus but the way he sucked marks from your neck down into your collarbone made your brain go blank. The plan to make you less restless and fidgety was definitely working.

"Are you okay with this?", Isaac whispered, leaning his forehead against yours as his hand hovered over the hem of your tshirt. You nodded desperately, needing his hands on your skin, touching anywhere, everywhere.

Slowly, Isaac's hands lifted your shirt over your head, his breath hitching as he saw your skin. His hands trembled, hovering above your waist as if debating on whether to touch you or not. Finally he did, his hands tracing the skin on your ribs down to your waist.

"Did you know....the female vulva doesn't necessarily have to be touched. The body has many erotic spots that can make you feel pleasure if stimulated properly...", he mused, his hand moving under your back, causing you to instinctively arch to give him space. Isaac's hand fiddled with the clasp of your bra, letting it fall free off your body.

"I wonder how many spots you have...how good I can make you feel...before actually touching you", his free hand brushed the underside of your breast before he leaned down, taking your nipple into his warm mouth. You let out a soft gasp of surprise, moaning at the sensation.

Nobody had touched you like this before. Hell, you had never even touched yourself.

Isaac pinched your other nipple with his free hand, squeezing your breast in the process. You squirmed under him, letting out soft moans. He then released your nipple, looking up at you with a smirk, loving how unraveled you had become.

"I assume my studying was worth it?", he smirked and you chuckled softly, which melted into a soft pleasured groan when he sucked another mark into your neck.

"So...so worth it", you gasped out, reaching out to tug at his shirt. He immediately obeyed, taking it off. You looked up at him in awe. Freckles. So many freckles like starry nights all over his chest and shoulders, most likely spanning down his back as well.

It reminded you of a starry constellation, so you held an arm out, tracing the ones on his chest, right under his clockwork heart. You had seen him shirtless before but it never got old.

He was gorgeous.

"Do...do you want me to cover up the heart? I understand it can be uneasy to look at", he said softly but you immediately shook your head.

"No...never", you sat up, kissing him deeply, your fingers brushing over the metal plate over the gears, making Isaac groan softly. You reached a hand up to his hair, running your fingers through the curls. Isaac pulled off from the kiss to unbutton your pants, revealing your cartoon print panties. Of all the days, you cursed yourself for wearing this pair today.

"Hello Kitty?", Isaac chuckled softly. "Everytime I think you can't get any cuter, you prove me wrong", he smirked, palming your mound through your panties. You moaned out at the touch and Isaac smiled excitedly as if he was looking at a successful experiment.

"You're very wet....", his voice was soft and husky. "I'm glad....it means I'm doing this right", he whispered, kissing you deeply as his fingers rubbed circles over your clothed heat. You let out soft gasps and whimpers as he continued to stimulate you.

"Does this feel good...", he muttered, using his free hand to pinch your nipple again. You nodded desperately, grasping onto his shoulders as you groaned. "Words, my darling....I need to know if I'm doing well....if I'm giving you...pleasure", he muttered, punctuating his sentence as he pressed his thumb against your clothed clit.

"Yes!", you moaned out. "Oh...Isaac please...please...", you begged, not even knowing what you were pleading for. You just knew you were missing something and Isaac was the only one who could give it to you now.

"I know...I know, darling", he soothed, kissing you softly before pushing your panties to the side, letting his index and middle fingers to be coated by your slick. You whimpered at the feeling, hating how his touches felt so good yet never enough.

Isaac smiled when you started grinding your hips down to feel more of him. He loved having this control over you, to know that whatever pleasure you felt was thanks to him. The idea that you felt sexual pleasure thanks to something he was doing was enough to send him climaxing right then and there.

"There, does that feel good?", he pushed two fingers inside you with ease. Any moans or sounds of pleasure you made were instantly swallowed by him kissing you deeply while he thrusted his fingers into you. Simultaneously, his thumb pressed against your clit, sending you into a state of bliss.

"When I was doing my research for this, I learned something that many women apparently love when you're stimulated right here", he muttered curiously. "It's useful to know exactly where this little part of yours is....especially if it means I get to see your face like this all the time", he smirked. "Beautiful...blissed out...perfect", Isaac whispered into your ear before slipping his fingers back out.

The protesting whine you let out was both loud and involuntary, but you couldn't help it. You needed him back inside you, any part of him. Though it seemed Isaac read your mind because a minute later, he had slipped your panties completely off, his tongue replacing his fingers.

"Isaac!", you moaned out, your hand instantly tangling into his curls. The soft groan Isaac let out against your cunt made your hips buck up, your eyes rolling to the back of your head. His tongue swirled inside you and ever so often, he'd pull away just to suck at your clit.

As he lapped at you greedily, you felt a pressure building up in your lower belly, making your breath hitch. Isaac felt the shift in your body language, taking the hint to move faster, thrusting his tongue in and out, in and out, until you succumbed to your pleasure, your fist tightening in his hair as you screamed loud enough you were sure the ghosts in the nearby cemetery stirred.

As you slowly recovered from your high, Isaac pulled off, reaching up to kiss you so you'd taste yourself on his tongue. His arms enveloped your body, the two of you laying down together on his cramped yet cozy couch.

"I don't feel so fidgety anymore....", you whispered, feeling a little shy after what you just did. Isaac smiled victoriously, nosing at your cheek. His expression was that of a scientist whose experiment had. proven successful. "Do...do you um...want me to...to touch you...now?", you stuttered out nervously.

Isaac paused, a soft red tint blooming across his cheeks. "That....that is not...necessary. I already um....finished", he muttered, turning his face away. Your eyes widened in both shock and confusion. You would be lying if you said you didn't find this newfound knowledge of Isaac's sensitivity extremely attractive.

"How? I didn't even touch you there", you looked up at him, only causing him to blush even more. Isaac buried his face into the crook of your neck, mumbling something softly, soft enough you couldn't clearly hear him. You tilted your head, letting out a soft questioning hum

"The friction against...the sofa was um...enough", he mumbled again, slightly louder this time. You pursed your lips, holding back a chuckle. He was both somehow adorable and yet sexy at the same time.

"That's alright...I'll learn how to touch you next time", you whispered as you nuzzled into him. "We have the rest of our lives together", you mumbled, looking up into his eyes.

"Are you sure everything's alright? No shadows? No anxiety?", Isaac asked for the tenth time that day. It had been a few days since he had cured you, but the mad scientist had insisted on running test after test to ensure you would be safe to absorb Francoise's energy and deplete her of her hyde.

You had a weird-looking helmet device on your head which was connected to an old computer, the screen showing various squiggly lines which were supposedly your brain waves. Isaac had been meticulously charting everything to make sure you really were cured now, and that this wasn't all some fluke.

"Yes, Isaac, I'm fine!", you groaned. "I told you, I'm cured! I had my presentation for my Gothic Literature class yesterday and not one black finger. And you know how much anxiety is going around on presentation days", you shrug, swinging your legs up and down, making the corner of Isaac's lip twitch.

"Am I wrong for wanting to make sure my girlfriend is safe?", he raised an eyebrow. He was wearing his Nevermore uniform shirt with his sleeves rolled up, revealing his arms. Isaac wasn't a very fit person, but tinkering with machines all day meant his arms were pretty defined, the veins bulging out of his forearms.

"I'm your girlfriend now?", you smirked, teasingly. Isaac paused, cheeks flushing a soft red as he looked at you. You let your eyes trail back down to his arms, wondering how the rest of his body looked like, before quickly snapping yourself out of those thoughts.

"You are, are you not? Is this not how things work? We kissed. Naturally, we need to carry on to the next step required", he muttered, as if he were speaking about a scientific procedure rather than about your relationship. He searched your gaze, almost nervously, awaiting your response.

"Yeah...I guess I am...", you held his hand, linking your fingers with his. Isaac smiled, leaning down to kiss you, only for his head to bump against the helmet, a loud thunk sound echoing through the lab. He grunted in pain, tilting his head back as he slapped his palm over the bruise on his forehead.

"Shit! Argh", he groaned, stumbling back. You burst into giggles, unable to help yourself. Isaac shot you a glare, which would've been scary if it weren't for the dark bump growing on his forehead. "Not funny", he shot back, sending you into another wave of giggles.

"Ha ha ha", he laughed monotonely, before striding over to you, taking the helmet off. He leaned down, kissing you properly this time as he cupped your cheeks. "I suppose if you really are cured, we should set a date for my sister to come", he smiled.

Just then, you felt a sudden darkness in the air. You tensed, sitting up straight. Isaac immediately noticed your nervousness, his hand searching yours, but you brushed it off, getting off the table. "What is it?", he asked softly, but you were already walking to the door.

"Hey, what- what's going on?", he followed you. You opened the door, expecting to see someone, but nobody was there. You furrowed your eyebrows, wondering if you were going crazy. No, you could sense it. You could feel it coming.

And then the lights shut, leaving you both in pitch darkness. Isaac gasped, whipping his head back. He moved to grab his flashlight, but you stopped him, holding his arm. Isaac was going to question you about it but you shushed him, ignoring the way his face immediately sported an offended expression.

"Dad?", you call out and Isaac's blood ran cold. Dad as in 'THE boogeyman' dad. Isaac was going to meet one of the most infamous myths in outcast history, who also happened to be his girlfriend's father. He hadn't felt this tense since he almost died from heart failure.

The lights flickered back on, revealing a tall man with dark grayish skin and black hair, shadows wafting off his body as he took slow heavy steps towards you. He smirked down at you, showing off his pearly whites, his eyes holding a mischievous glint. "Baby girl!", he chuckled, holding his arms out.

You smiled, sighing in relief as you ran to hug him. Your father, contrary to popular belief, was your biggest supporter. He didn't care that you had a disorder which made you different from him. He just cared that you were safe and healthy. Even after doctors appointments that never went well, he'd always take you out for ice cream to cheer you up.

"What are you doing here?", you pulled back. Your father chuckled, ruffling your hair as he looked around the place, shooting a glare at Isaac, who shifted awkwardly behind you.

"Well, I could sense my baby wasn't being plagued by shadows anymore so I came to see how she was cured", he said as-a-matter-of-factly. "You didn't think to call your father who raised you? I had to wake up to a vision of my daughter absorbing all the negative energy around her effortlessly?", he sighed, instantly making you feel guilty.

"Oh...I...I mean, we weren't sure whether I was actually cured or not. Besides, I...I didn't think you could...you know...sense it or anything", you mumbled, your tone unsure. Your father scoffed, throwing his hands up in the air dramatically before placing them on his hips like a dissapointed grandmother.

"You 'didn't think I could sense it'? Baby girl, I birthed you!", he shot back, making your cheeks flush from embarassment. You hated when he brought that up. Boogeymen were created from their parent's shadow, so both men and women could procreate to have children on their own. And your father loved lording it over you because he thought it was funny.

"Don't say it like that!", you shrieked, to which he just rolled his eyes.

"Oh you're embarassed, are you? All grown up, now you don't want your dad anymore?", he crossed his arms, to which it was now your turn to roll your eyes. Your father examined the lab again, looking at the notes on the desk and the helmet device you had worn earlier. Then, he turned to face Isaac. "You're the one who cured her?", he questioned.

Isaac nodded, stepping forward. "W-welcome to my lab, sir. I'm Isaac Night", he introduced himself, holding an arm out. Your father silently stared. You always thought of Isaac as tall and intimidating, but next to the literal boogeyman, your boyfriend looked like a timid child.

A few seconds of awkward silence later, your father finally spoke.

"Thank you", his gazed softened as he took Isaac's hand, giving it a firm shake. From the way he looked at you with a soft smile, you could tell he knew of your relationship. And from the way he hadn't dragged Isaac into his shadow realm yet, you could tell he approved.

"A DaVinci?", your father smiled at you. "You caught a smart one. Did I ever tell you about the time I dated a DaVinci? The things she could do with her telekinesis, I-", he began but you instantly cut him off.

"Okay! Dad, come on, I'll show you around Nevermore!", you changed the topic, dragging your father away by his arm. As you opened the door, you turned once to give Isaac a small wave. Isaac nodded, waving back at you as you left the lab.

You ended up telling your father everything, from how you met Francoise to how you and Isaac planned to cure her now that you could properly use your powers. Your father was worried to say the least. Ofcourse he was. You were his only daughter and he couldn't help but be concerned for your safety.

Still, he was supportive as always. He knew you could take care of yourself and he knew you were strong. Yet he made sure to give you an articulate and lengthy threat on how he would hurt Isaac if anything happened to you.

When he finally left, he gave you all the extra hugs and kisses that he missed out on during your past few months at Nevermore. And you felt grateful to have such a loving father. Even if he got a kick out of embarrassing you.

_ _ _⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆_ _ _

"Francoise will be here soon....", you whispered as Isaac peppered kisses along your neck. You and Isaac had set a date today to cure Francoise but she was late and so your boyfriend had the great idea to practically grope you while you sat on his desk. He really had started getting more handsy now that you were dating.

"I'll know when she gets here...she has very loud steps", he murmured in between kisses, his hand gripping your hip. "Sometimes I forget how perfect you are...and then I feel you in my hands, and I remember everything again", he sighed, nipping at your earlobe.

You giggled softly at the feeling, running your fingers through his curls. Isaac smirked at the sound, loving your soft gasps and giggles. "You know if my father was lurking around the shadows again, he'd probably cut your arms off for this", you whispered teasingly.

Isaac immediately tensed, completely letting go of you. "I thought you said he left", he said worriedly, looking around the lab just to be sure. You held back a laugh at how nervous he seemed, silently pulling him towards you again by the collar of his shirt.

"He did leave. Don't worry, I checked", you assured. Isaac sighed in relief, burying his face in the crook of your neck. You opened your mouth to say something but then you heard the sounds of loud stomping on the metal staircases. You couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle as Isaac groaned, standing up straight while he fixed your shirt for you.

"Remind me again why we aren't telling Francoise about us? Wouldn't she be pretty supportive?", you said softly, slicking back his hair with your fingers. You loved the way you could play with Isaac's hair for hours and never get bored. And the way he melted each time you touched his scalp was always precious to watch.

"She would...but she'd be a little *too* supportive, asking me questions about you, asking when we'll cover the bases, bla bla bla", he rolled his eyes. Isaac loved his sister to death. He'd do anything for her. He has done everything for her. But any mention of romance in Isaac's life and Francoise combusted, needing to know every bit of information. It could get overwhelming.

"What are the bases?", you asked, tilting your head. You had spent your entire life as an isolated, defective boogeyman with only one or two friends, so social commons weren't something you were familiar with. Isaac chuckled awkwardly, shaking his head. He remembered the day Francoise came to the lab after a date she had at the time. Much to Isaac's disgust, she had explained what each base meant in gruesome detail.

"It's this standard that normie kids have for relationships. Each base determines how deep you are in your relationship. First base is kissing" he explained. "We've done that!", you said excitedly and Isaac noded as he admired how adorable you were.

"Second base is touching...above the waist, under your clothes", he continued, his voice getting lower. Your cheeks flushed slightly at that. "We have not done that...", you mumbled shyly and Isaac nodded again, holding your hands in his.

"Third base is touching below the waist...intimately", he leaned in, making you blush even more as you averted eye contact. "And then there's the home run where you finally go all the way", he whispered, kissing your cheek before pulling away from you just in time, Francoise stepping in at that moment.

"You're late", Isaac called out to his sister who was skipping in giddily. She was wearing makeup, a simple look, which meant she had been out with her new normie boyfriend.

"I got held up. I'm here now, aren't I?", she smiled, walking over to you and Isaac. "So how do we do this? Do I have to turn into a hyde first or...", she asked, shifting her feet excitedly. You could feel her happiness in waves now that she was finally going to be relieved of her curse.

"We're going to have to strap you down, in case your hyde gets aggressive", Isaac said, to which Francoise nodded determinedly.

As she laid flat on the surface, Isaac used the harnesses on the platform to tie her down. The brunette girl took deep breaths, channeling her inner negative energy. Before this, you would've felt the pain and anxiety almost instantaneously. But now, as Francoise Night transformed into a large vicious beast before you, you almost involuntarily absorbed her energy, feeling a high off of how much power you felt.

"Oh shit...okay...", you gasp softly, grasping onto the hyde's arm, letting out a soft groan when you felt the surge of power run through your body. It was pure ecstasy. You had never taken drugs but you imagined this was what it would feel like. You felt almost addicted to the way the energy coursed through your veins like ichor.

"Fuck...this is...alot", you groaned softly, gripping the hyde's arm tighter as it thrashed against its restraints. And then before you could comprehend it, you felt yourself slip into a state of subconsciousness, your eyes turning pitch black.

When you opened your eyes, you weren't in Isaac's lab anymore. You were in a void. You could still hear everything, like the hyde's snarls, and Isaac's worried voice asking you to come back. Everything was fuzzy though, and all your brain could comprehend was static.

You took a few steps forward, but it felt as if you were getting nowhere. And then you spotted it. Hunched over a little further away, there was a small and frail girl, no older than 13.

"Hey...", you called out, only for your voice to come out muffled, like you were speaking through cloth. You furrowed your eyebrows, moving closer, trying your best to reach her. She stood up, turning to look at you, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Her dark brown hair was short and messy. She looked a little too thin, and there were raw red bruises on her wrists as if somebody had cuffed her too tightly. The bruises didn't end there though. There were multiple scars on her arms, and a bruise blooming on her cheek, her lip split open.

"It's not my fault", she sobbed. "It's not...it's not my fault", the girl cried again, making your heart drop at how scared she seemed to be.

"Francoise?", your voice was gentle, soothing as you stepped forward. The girl looked up at you, nodding hesitantly. It was Francoise. A younger version. A smaller, more scared version. But it was her nonetheless. It was still the girl you'd grown to care for as if she were your own little sister.

"I just want it to stop", she sobbed again, falling to her knees, her shaky hands moving to cover her ears. "Make it stop....", her voice broke as she looked up at you, desperately.

You stepped closer, kneeling in front of her as you pulled her into a crushing hug, your hand patting her head soothingly. "You're okay....you're going to be okay. It'll all be over now", you assured her. The little Francoise whimpered, clutching onto you tighter for comfort, to which you obliged, wrapping your arms around her.

"I didn't want to hurt anyone", her voice was soft and shaky as she buried herself against you. "Sometimes I have no choice....it comes out even if I don't want it to", she continued, her body trembling against your hold.

"I know...it's okay...everything's going to be okay", you whispered, gently tracing circles into her back with your palm. And just like that, the static sound that persisted in your ears gradually faded into silence. Peace.

"It doesn't control you anymore", you cupped her cheeks, so she would look up at you, your voice no longer muffled. "You're free now", you laid your forehead against hers, feeling the way her negative energy slowly seeped away into you. You couldn't feel her pain or fear anymore. And you knew for sure, the hyde was gone.

Francoise Night was cured.

_ _ _⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆_ _ _

When you woke up, it was in the arms of Isaac who was arguing with his sister, both speaking in hushed voices. You could hear the soft ticking of Isaac's clockwork heart through his chest, giving you a sense of comfort. You couldn't make out exactly what they were saying but you could hear bits and pieces. Though since you couldn't feel any negative energy, you sensed it wasn't a very serious argument

"Don't you think I should know if I'm getting a sister in law?", Francoise whined and you could almost hear the way her eyes rolled. Isaac scoffed, and you felt the movement of his chest against your head, making you smile softly. You figured they hadn't noticed that you had woken up, or else they wouldn't be speaking so freely.

"Sister in law? That- she's not- my goodness, Francoise, we just started dating. It's not that serious yet and I don't need you scaring her off", Isaac shot back, his voice still hushed, and you noticed the way his tone sounded flustered. "Now be quiet, you're going to wake her", he muttered, patting your head gently.

"I'm the one that's gonna scare her off? Need I remind you, I'm not the one who was outside her window on a tree like a stalker", Francoise snickered, making Isaac even more flustered. He knew he planned to keep your relationship a secret, but when you passed out like that, Isaac couldn't help but immediately bring you into his arms.

What if his cure didn't work after all? What if you had absorbed too much energy and your body couldn't handle it? You were now one of the most important people in his life, next to his sister. But if curing her meant he'd have to lose you, he didn't want to go through with it. He would've tried to find a different way. Any other way, no matter how long it took, as long as he could keep you both safe.

"You were on a tree?", you finally spoke, your voice soft and hoarse as you opened your eyes fully. Isaac tensed under you as he turned his head away to hide his embarrassment. Francoise squealed in excitement, quickly rushing to hug you tight.

"You're okay! You're okay!", she giggled, practically crushing you against her chest. "Oh I was so worried! You've been asleep for hours and Isaac panicked! And then I panicked and then we debated calling your dad but we figured he'd probably kill Isaac if he saw you passed out", Francis rambled on and on. It took Isaac clearing his throat loudly for her to finally quiet down and let go of you.

You turned to look up at Isaac, who still had you in his arms, grateful his sister wasn't crushing you anymore. He looked into your eyes, gently cupping your cheeks. You could sense his worry, his anxiousness, his fear, but you could also sense the small hint of relief inside him now that you had finally woken up.

"I'm gonna...give you two some privacy", Francoise smirked before slowly inching away, leaving the lab. You smiled softly at the sound of her loud stomping on the metal staircases as she walked down the tower.

"Are you okay?", Isaac cautioned, resting his forehead against yours. When you nodded, he smiled softly, kissing the space between your eyebrows. "I was worried you wouldn't wake up. The last time you absorbed too much negative energy...I...", his voice quivered. "There weren't any shadows this time but I...I thought maybe something had happened and...", he stammered nervously.

"I'm okay...I promise", you assured him. "You're not getting rid of me that easy", you smirked up at the curly haired boy that you adored so much. You reached your palm up to his cheek before running your fingers through his hair, pressing a soft kiss to the bump on his nose bridge.

"I've tried about fourty seven different variations of the cure, and two have been successful so far. They work well with your blood, but putting it inside your body is a whole different thing", Isaac explained while you sat on his desk, feeling more comfortable now that he had put a cushion on the table.

"So to make sure it won't hurt you, I also have an antidote that reverses whatever effect that the cure has", he pulls out a green vial, and some syringes. "I've tested both serums on rats, and they survived, but your body might react differently, so...so I hope you know this has its risks, okay?", he looked at you, his gaze soft and worried.

You nodded, averting eye contact. "Yeah, I know. I'm willing to take the risk", you said softly. You felt uncomfortable with the things he was doing. You made it clear you wanted your relationship to be professional, because he was the one who pushed you away and said you weren't his friend. So why was he doing all this?

You looked at the little scented candles. You recognized the smell because it was the exact one you always had in your room. It brought you comfort but you also felt a little uneasy about how Isaac knew what your room smelled like. Pushing the thought away, you looked at the way the lab wasn't messy anymore. It was lived-in, but organized and it made you feel like you were safe and at-home.

"Alright, anytime you wanna stop, just tell me. If it starts hurting, inform me immediately", he said sternly, leaning forward to look into your eyes, which made you a little flustered. You couldn't deny you still had a crush on him. It was something that couldn't fade that easily.

"I will...", you said softly, trying to turn away but Isaac just followed your gaze, maintaining eye contact. He needed to be sure you understood the exact consequences if the serum didn't work. "I will, I swear..", you assured, to which he finally nodded and backed away, moving to another table.

A few minutes later, Isaac was back at your side, holding a syringe and needle filled with a strange-looking translucent green liquid. He wiped at your inner arm with a cotton pad soaked in alcohol, before grabbing the needle.

"Ready?", he whispered, looking into your eyes. You couldn't help but be pulled into the way he looked at you, as if you were important and precious. It unnerved you, making you think of how no matter how you tried to resist it, the little crush you had of him seemed to grow bigger and bigger into a feeling you didn't want to think of.

"Ready", you assured, holding your arm out for him. Isaac handled you gently, slowly sinking the needle into your skin. You winced softly as you felt the liquid being pushed in. At first, you felt nothing. And then, a few minutes passed. Still nothing. And when Isaac looked at you expectantly, you didn't have the heart to tell him.

"So?", his voice was soft, nervous. You shook your head, looking down at your fingers. The room was silent. Almost too silent. Neither of you said anything. "You don't feel anything? No stress relief? Nothing?", he sighed. You bit your lip nervously, shaking your head.

"Maybe...it'll take a while?", you offered, but Isaac was already pacing across the floor, biting on the tip of his thumb. You could feel the nervous energy off him in waves. On instinct, you looked down to your fingers, ready to pinch at your blackened fingertips. And then you noticed your fingers weren't black.

Maybe it was just that Isaac's negative energy wasn't strong enough. Or maybe the serum actually worked.

"Isaac, wait", you called out and he instantly stopped pacing, turning to face you with wide, doe eyes. "Think of something...something sad, or scary. Something that makes you feel bad", you said. Isaac looked confused at first, but then his eyes widened in realization.

"Oh...oh yes, yes ofcourse", he furrowed his eyebrows, closing his eyes to concentrate. Slowly, you could feel a soft wave of pain emanating off him. But this time, there was no overwhelming anxiety or shadows that accompanied it. In fact, you could almost feel yourself growing more powerful.

You gasped softly, holding onto his arm as you absorbed his negative energy. You felt rejuvenated, as if all the sleepless nights you've had lately were forgotten. You felt energy fueling your brain, giving you the strength and power that a boogeyman was supposed to have. But most of all, you felt no anxiety at all.

"Isaac I...I'm okay...I don't feel anything", you chuckled softly. "No shadows", you smiled, raising your arms to show him your hands. "See?". You were in shock, as you stared at your palms. Was this really happening or were you dreaming? You remembered the days when you were a kid in a doctor's office with your father while they spoke worriedly about you as if you weren't right there. Back then, you had promised yourself you wouldn't ever get your hopes up. So the sight of your hands looking normal with not a speck of shadow, it made your breath hitch.

Isaac let out a huff of air, his lips twitching into a smile. "It...it worked?", his voice was soft, incredulous. "It actually worked? Are you sure? Maybe I could...I could think of something sadder? I...I can think of a bad memory? Something horrible! I have alot", he offered, a little too excited for somebody that wanted to recall their most traumatizing memories for an experiment.

You shook your head. "No...no it's fine. I can feel your negative energy. It just...it isn't affecting me like it used to", you smiled. "You...you cured me...Isaac", you chuckled softly, still baffled by the idea of it. After years and years of this, you were finally cured. Finally.

"Why? What's wrong?", he asked you worriedly, cutting your train of thought. It was then that you realised the teardrops spilling down your cheeks, onto your palms. "Hey, what is it? Does anything hurt? I thought you were fine", he grew more worried, quickly moving closer to you.

"No I...I'm happy...", you smiled, rubbing the tears. "You have no idea...how happy. I mean...after all this time, after...after everything I've tried...", your voice broke, your lips quivering. You always wondered how someone could cry from being so happy but now you understood.

Before you knew it, you were sobbing with a smile on your face, tears streaming down your cheeks. Isaac's eyes were wide and concerned, his hands hovering over your shoulders as if he didn't know whether to touch you or not.

Then he pulled you in, wrapping an arm around your waist while his other hand cradled your head. You sobbed into his shoulder as he gently rubbed circles into your back. You wanted to just bury yourself into him and never pull away.

Things were supposed to be professional. You were supposed to be further away from him, not melting into his touch while he whispered soothing words into your ear. Why was he doing this? Why was it that every time you tried getting over this boy, he pulled you back in without even trying?

"I've got you, it's alright. You're alright, my shadow", he soothed gently, his hand still cradling your head as if you were precious. "You're cured. I promised I'd cure you and I did. And from now on, I swear to you, I will make sure you never feel the need to cry, ever again", he whispered. "I promise".

_ _ _⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆_ _ _

By the time you had calmed down, Isaac had already engulfed you in his arms, still standing against the table so he could hug you closer. You wanted to stay like that forever, but both of you knew you'd have to pull away eventually.

From where you were laying against Isaac's chest, you could see the serums and vials on the table, each arranged in a straight line, all of them labeled with different alphabets. There was even a notebook open, various chemical formulas and equations scribbled on it, showing how much Isaac had worked to cure you.

"I guess...this is it huh?", your voice was soft, cutting through the silence. "Tomorrow I can cure Francoise...and then...we won't have to see each other again", you muttered. Isaac stiffened, immediately pulling back, but not letting you go.

"What do you mean?", he frowned. "Why would we not see each other again?", he scoffed, stepping back as he let go of you. You could see the hurt and anger in his eyes, making your heart clench. You didn't want to hurt him, but you knew nothing good would come out of this.

"Once Francoise is cured, there would be no reason for us to talk to each other anymore", you said softly, trying to avoid eye contact. But Isaac gripped your chin, forcing you to look up at him, his jaw clenched as he glared down at you.

"There doesn't have to be a reason for us to speak. I want to, isn't that enough?", Isaac frowned, staring at you as if you'd grown a second head. He was angry, ofcourse he was. Curing you meant you were supposed to forgive him. You were supposed to hug him and be friends with him again and everything would go back to normal.

"Isaac I told you, we're supposed to be profess-", you try to speak, but Isaac quickly cut you off.

"Fuck 'professional'!", he snapped. "You're my friend. You are. You are my only friend and I was....I was a damn idiot to have said what I said", he sighed, his voice softening. Your breath hitched at how broken he looked. For as long as you'd know Isaac Night, you never knew him to be emotional.

Except he seemed to be pretty emotional when it came to you.

"You're not pathetic. You were suffering. You had a condition, and you came to me for help. You were just talking to me and making conversation and I was so...so stupid. I was angry and jealous and I didn't know how to deal with it so I yelled at you. I'm sorry", Isaac apologised without break, staring into your eyes as he spoke with an intense determination.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm sorry I let you leave sad, I'm sorry I didn't say sorry before. I...I'm...", he furrowed his eyebrows, panting softly as he took a minute to catch his breath. The boy who never apologized to anybody before was pleading for you to forgive him.

"Isaac...", your voice was soft, unsure. You'd like to say you had a little more backbone than to just forgive him immediately. But then you saw the way he looked close to tears, as if the possibility of you rejecting him now was enough to make him break down. "I'm too clingy, I talk alot...I'd be draining to be around", you sighed.

You could see Isaac's vein popping out of his forehead at that, anger and frustration flowing off him in waves, contributing to the negative energy you absorbed. "I don't care if you're clingy, I want you to cling to me. I don't care if you talk too much because I want to listen to you. And I don't care if you think you're draining, I want you to drain every part of me until there's nothing left", he spat out, moving closer to you with each word.

The fact that he was so angry sent a shiver down your spine. You should've been scared concerned, but all you felt was an excitement pooling deep in your chest. You blamed it on your boogeyman powers. "Okay...", you let out a shaky breath, holding his hand to calm him down. "Okay", you nodded, looking up at him, not afraid to meet his eyes for once. Isaac instantly softened.

"O-okay? Okay...what? Okay as in...you forgive me?", his voice was soft as he gripped your hand tighter. "We're friends again?", he smiled.

"No, we're not friends again, Isaac", you rolled your eyes, but still held onto his hand. The taller boy's smile dropped, his shoulders sagging in dissapointment. Had he done something wrong? Did his anger scare you? But before he could ask for clarification, you pulled him in by the collar of his lab coat, pressing your lips against his.

The kiss was soft yet passionate. Isaac's eyes widened in surprise before melting shut, his hand instinctively finding your waist, wrapping around you so he could hug you closer. He kissed back feverishly, like a man starved. He'd been dreaming of this, of you, right here on his desk, all for him.

Even when you pulled away to gasp for breath, Isaac didn't allow it, cradling your head to pull you back in as he delved his tongue into your mouth, swallowing your soft moan of pleasure. "You have no idea...how long- fuck....I've been...waiting", he groaned softly between kisses, as if the mere act of having you in his arms sent pleasure shooting through his body.

You pulled back slightly to look at him. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes hazy yet focused on your kiss-swollen lips. "I...I thought you wanted to be friends", you smirked, taunting him as you tried to catch your breath. Isaac scoffed, burying his face into the crook of your neck, his long nose tickling you.

"I can be anything you want...so long as I can keep doing this", he muttered. "Holding you...kissing you...touching you", he whispered roughly, as he laid soft kisses against the skin of your neck, under your ear. "So long as I'd get to have you as mine...", he smirked, looking up at you.

Then he paused, straightening up. "Which means you don't go out...with pathetic boys...anymore...", he said through gritted teeth. You paused, raising an eyebrow. Then it hit you. How he knew about the scented candles in your room, how he knew about your date with Corbin, and how he seemed so knowledgeable about you lately.

"Isaac, were you following me?", you scolded. Isaac tensed for a second, forgetting that you weren't exactly aware of his stalking. You weren't aware of the way he stayed up in the tree outside your dorm room, watching your every movie. You weren't aware of the way he memorized each part of your schedule, making sure to watch you even as you ate.

"Um...I...", he stammered, standing straight up. "Well...no, I...", he chuckled awkwardly, stepping back. You spotted his nervous tell instantly, his eyebrows furrowed as he fought to think of an excuse. Now that your boogeyman powers were working better, you could pinpoint the exact feeling of his nervousness.

"Isaac!", your eyes widened. "For how long?!", you shrieked. A part of you felt mortified that he had been following and eavesdropping on your conversations. Was he there when you went on your date too? Did he watch you in your bedroom? And if yes, how much did he see? But then there was that inkling of outcast weirdness inside of you, that part that seemed to have a crush on every single serial killer you saw in movies.

That part couldn't help but be a little aroused.

"Just...for a few days or...weeks", he said dejectedly. "I swear it wasn't anything weird. I was just worried about you. I needed to know you were safe", he cupped your cheeks, looking at you pleadingly. "And when you went out with that boy, I...I just needed to make sure he wasn't going to hurt you", he sighed.

Your gaze softened as you nodded. "Okay...", you whispered, leaning your forehead against his. Isaac sighed in relief, kissing your head, and then your cheeks, and then the tip of your nose. You smiled softly at how sweet he was being. You didn't think he had it in him.

"So...does this mean you'll break up with that gorgon?", Isaac muttered, looking up at you hopefully. "Because I don't want to be some hidden secret for you...", he rubbed circles into your knee as he nosed at your cheek. He was being so soft and cuddly that it made your chest flutter.

You giggled softly. "Gorgon? You mean Corbin?", you smirked, making Isaac grimace at the name. "Isaac, we never dated", you chuckled, ruffling his dark curls. Isaac looked confused, his eyebrows furrowed. You thought back to that day at the drive-in.

If Isaac had stayed to watch you the whole night, he would've known once the movie ended, you had told Corbin it wouldn't work out between you two because you didn't like him like that. Corbin had accepted it, understanding your point of view, and you both had went your separate ways. "I mean, we went on one date, and then we decided we were better as friends", you shrugged.

Isaac sighed, feeling stupid over how much he had been freaking out, only for it to be over nothing. He buried his face back into the crook of your neck, feeling embarrassed. It reminded you of a sad wet cat needing comfort.

"You know...all this could've been solved if you just talked to me...", you wrapped your arms around his neck. "You know I've liked you for a while now...I would've reciprocated had you told me", you shrugged. Isaac sighed, groaning softly.

"That's the issue....I didn't even know...that I liked you", he said softly. "My whole life...everything was about surviving, staying alive, keeping Francoise safe. And...and when you started becoming important to me, I didn't know what it was. It scared me", he nuzzled into your neck, not wanting to look at your face as he finally started opening up.

"My...my father wasn't a good man", Isaac hesitated. "He beat me and Francoise, and from what I remember of my mother, he hurt her too", he sighed, holding you closer to ground himself. "Romance and love wasn't exactly a priority when your experience of it leaves you with bruises and pain. The Night men aren't meant for pure love"

Isaac's voice trailed off as he recalled his past. You felt the need to deny his words, and tell him it wasn't true and that he deserved love as much as anyone else.

"I never want to hurt you, my beautiful shadow", he whispered.

"You won't", you ran your fingers through his curly hair, before moving your palm to his cheek. "You won't because you're not your father...", you smiled. The sound of crickets was especially loud today, giving you both a soft sense of familiar comfort. Isaac looked up, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"I've hurt you before...", he muttered. "It wasn't physical but I still hurt you...I made you sad", he held your hands, linking your fingers together. "How are you so sure it won't happen again", he whispered.