Like a flower made of iron

@Ash
Outfit: Link
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Ash had been working hard, wanting to show her worth to Clarissa. She was grateful for those she had met in Gaia, but things were complicated still. The bite on her upper arm had mostly disappeared, mostly thanks to Alec. Her wrist was another matter in itself. Maybe it was because the skin was so delicate, but she could still see the scars on there. The bruising had gone down a bit, but she had been careful to hide them when she was around Luna. She didn’t want to make her worry, and she didn’t even know how to explain everything. She had tried speaking with Clarissa about it, but things never really lined up, so she didn’t know what to do. Ash had found herself either crashing at Alec’s place or hanging out with Ricky if she wasn’t working. She had to go home today though, needing to take a long bath and see Luna for a bit. If Lucille was there, they would have to be careful of their words, She was a little golden child, no doubt about it, so Ash wanted to hide the cruelty of the world for just a little longer. She unlocked the door, stepping in, she dropped her keys off in a small bowl and kicked her shoes off. She heard Luna’s voice, and she couldn’t hide a little shy smile as she stepped into the living room. ”Hi,” she said with a small smile, shrugging at her sister’s question. ”It was alright, Clari had me sorting out the back room, so I’ve just spent the day organizing different herbs and things,” she said. She moved to the kitchen, putting the kettle on the stove. She had already had plenty of coffee, but it wasn’t like she was going to get any sleep anyways. The nightmares had evolved, now not only did she have to relive Elysian every night, she also had to be chased by vampires at the same time. Leaning her forehead against one of the cabinets she just listened to the water boiling. ”How’s your day been?” she called from the kitchen, feeling a little scared to actually face her sister.

She nodded, good to hear that Lucille was with friends. Ash had seen Luna struggle with being a single mother, especially after what happened to William. The kettle started to whistle, she made a mug of hot cocoa, offering Luna to make one for her too with a small gesture. She mixed the cocoa powder into the hot water, watching it swirl a bit in silence. She was tired, oh so tired of keeping things from Luna, but she was never lying. She just omitted some truth, a good thing when ones sister could make one say the truth. ”I know I don’t need to hide anything,” Ash said in a weak voice, not daring to look at Luna for a second. She knew that she would just blurt everything out, cry like the kid she actually felt like inside. Did she know about those vile monsters in the world? Ash exhaled, taking her mug in her hand to warm her cold fingers. They were always cold when she felt nervous. ”I’m just scared to show you, because you might freak out,” she whispered, not even sure if it was even audible.

Ash exhaled, taking a small sip of her cocoa but it was still too hot, so it burned her tongue a bit. Placing the mug down she still kept her gaze away from her sister, keeping her face as neutral as she could, but it was hard. Whenever she looked at Luna she felt home, she felt like things could work out, but this time it wasn’t just human’s they were fighting. It was something otherworldly. Luna promised to be calm, making Ash nod a few times as she walked over to her sister, moving her long sleeve from her bruised and bitten wrist. First she didn’t want to say anything, just wanted Luna to look at it, and just take it in. ”I was attacked a few weeks ago, toyed with by those who had followed me,” she whispered, scared to speak too loud. ”One of them bit me twice in the arm, but this scar hasn’t faded,” she explained, feeling like she was showing something she had been hiding forever. It felt like forever. They had never kept secrets from each other, unless it meant saving the other person’s life. She exhaled, covering up the scar again and wrapped her arms around herself. ”It was vampires, Luna,” she said, finally looking her sister in the eyes.

”Alec – I don’t know how he did it, but he … He’s always there when I need him for some reason,” she said, her eyes fluttering a bit as she thought of the witch. She had told Luna about a friend called Alec, but she didn’t know if she had seen him when he dropped her off at the apartment. There was some feeling she felt for Alec, but she couldn’t be sure what it was. It was like a bit of excitement, mixed with the unknown. Ash looked at Luna, hearing her disbelief, but she had probably looked the same when Alec had told her. ”It does sound insane, but it’s true,” she said in a weak voice, hating to say it out loud. She hugged herself closer, exhaling as she looked at Luna. It had been a scary few weeks, learning the world wasn’t what she thought. She nodded as her sister asked her if she was sure, moving over to take the mug of cocoa in her hands, taking another sip as it had cooled down a bit. ”I have no other way to describe it; Whatever it was, it drank my blood with it's teeth,” she said, shivering a bit at the thought.

Ash took another sip of the cocoa, feeling a little better having said it. Of course there was more to the story, but she already felt like she was in over her head. She didn’t have all the answers that Luna was looking for, but Alec did. She didn’t know how to answer everything, she didn’t even know if she really believed that the vampires were real, if not it was for the scar reminding her every time she looked down. Ash looked at her sister, frowning as she said she wanted to meet Alec. ”Lu,” she said in a pleading voice, looking mostly like a little girl getting scolded. ”You can’t just interrogate him,” she argued, looking away for a bit. Ash liked Alec, she liked how he made her feel, but she didn’t want to scare him away with what Luna was suggesting. She exhaled, seeing the look on her sister’s face, she knew she had no choice. ”I’ll text him … He’s a busy guy,” she mumbled, looking down into her cocoa again as she blushed a bit. It was strange. She felt like she was being pulled in so many directions, yet stayed at one place. Ricky gave her a feeling of safety, like she could relate to him in a way only humans could connect with each other. But Alec, well he was Alec; giving her a sense of adventure that she wanted to explore. Ash swallowed at her thoughts, playing with a droplet of cocoa on the side of the mug.

”Oh god, Lu, not that talk again,” Ash groaned like the true teenager she was. She hated when Luna pointed out her looks, mostly because she didn’t see it herself. She found herself just being, well, her. Ash had nothing to brag about, no experience about real relationships, and least of all a sense for how she looked. ”And regarding the safe thing; I think we both know it’s not really something we can ever be,” she said with a sad smile on her face. She exhaled, feeling like she had been cheated of her teenage life in a way, not really having been able to try dating all that much. She felt like it was worse for Luna though, having missed seeing her daughter growing up for three years. ”I’ll, uhm, go to bed,” she said, emptying her mug and putting it in the sink. She’d clean it in the morning. If Luna let her, she would walk to her room, closing the door behind her, exhaling as she found her phone. She ran a hand through her hair, tapping her finger against the side of the screen before she started typing.

[Messages between Alec and Ash]
[Ash: Hi … Uhm, weird request]
[Ash: I kinda told my sister about everything and …]
[Ash: She wants to invite you to dinner tomorrow]

Ash started removing her clothes as she waited for him to answer, moving her hands through her hair to untangle it a bit. She looked at the necklace as she took of her shirt, touching it gently as it laid there against her bare skin. She felt her heart flutter a bit, before hearing the phone vibrate. She got out of her skirt, hung it over a chair and crawled onto her bed. She took the phone, snuggling herself under the covers and looking at the screen as more messages appeared. She felt herself giddy all of a sudden, smiling to the words she read.

[Ash: I think around six is good]
[Ash: It’s better, but it still hurts moving it around]
[Ash: Am I interrupting you time off?]

She hid her face in her pillow, feeling like her body was spinning a bit thinking of him. He always had this look about him, like his blue eyes were an ocean.

How was it that when she was online, she was so much more talkative? It was like she forgot she was the quiet girl often sitting in the corner to not interact with others. His messages made her blush a bit, turning over on the bed, placing the cover between her legs.

[Ash: It’s not too bad]

She wrote, not really wanting to be a burden to Clarissa. Of course her boss was nice, but she didn’t want to be the one to take up her time as well. Ash bit her lip as she saw the text come up. Did he mean that line? Did his night get better? She wondered, but she felt like she returned that statement to him, she just didn’t dare typing it.

[Ash: Gotten into bed]
[Ash: I don’t know what’s going on though]
[Ash: I feel like I think about you more and more]

As she had texted that she threw her phone away, hiding her face in her bed covers as she thought about what she had just typed.

Ash was nervous, feeling a knot in her stomach and a rush in her brain. How dared he make her feel like this? She laid there for a while before she heard her phone vibrate a few times. A shaking hand moving over to grab the phone, but not daring looking at the screen. Quickly she turned the screen to face her, being a bit overwhelmed by the light it emitted. She felt her smile grow and her blushing getting out of control. She wanted to type something in return. Something that could match his words.

[Ash: We’re crazy, aren’t we?]

She giggled a bit into her covers, inhaling the scent of the duvet as she looked at the screen. It was like he made everything matter less. Like he could take even her darkest days and turn them on it’s head.

[Ash: And don’t hurt your head, I like looking at your face]

She bit her lip, feeling her stomach turn as she pressed send. She felt so brave when she hid behind the screen. All of this she would probably never be able to say, at least she didn’t think so.

[Ash: I think Luna has work tomorrow]
[Ash: I got the day off]
[Ash: …]
[Ash: You could come by when she’s left for work; we could surprise her with dinner?]

She really just wanted an excuse to see him now. It was ever so nice to be feeling this way.

She felt happy to read he had gotten home safely, it was just one of those things that could calm her down. She felt more like a teenager, the more she wrote with Alec. It was like he brought it out in her in some kind of way. She didn’t understand, but then again, did she need to understand?

[Ash: Welcome home!]

She typed it, feeling the giddy feeling as she really wanted to have been there when he got home. That might’ve been a weird wish, but she tried imagining his surprise if he was actually there.

[Ash: I am going to tape full advantage of you *stuck out tongue emoji*]
[Ash: She likes something simple, don’t need to wow her too much]
[Ash: Was thinking of cassoulet – real good comfort food]

She turned around, laying on her stomach as she looked at the screen waiting for another reply.

[Ash: Dessert? Do you just know the way to my heart?]

She blushed at herself and how she acted. She wanted him to be in the room, but Luna was here, and sneaking out she would get caught. He asked her about her favorite flower, making her think for a bit.

[Ash: I like potted plants more; they are still alive]

Ash was weird in that way. Seeing cut up flowers made her sad, rather weird in a society where it was seen as romantic to give bouqets. She hid her face in her pillow shortly, but wanted to write something to him

[Ash: I wish you were here]

[Ash: I like heartseases the most]

She smiled at the screen. It was a weird flower to like, but she liked the name of them, as well as the size of them. That and the fact they came in so many colors, they were just sweet to look at.

[Ash: Come and steal me]
[Ash: I just feel less need to sleep when I know you’re awake]

She breathed out, cluthing the necklace close to her heart. Things had been strange. She felt like she had fallen for two completely different guys. Ricky was something familiar, while Alec was something different.

[Ash: I’m basically just smiling at my screen]
[Ash: I’m pathetic]