Preface: Greetings, all! What follows is the fifth chapter of a multi-chapter story that began with Chapter 1 here. The primary monstergirls are a nightmare, a weresheep, a dormouse, and a bogey. This story features only a little lewdness, so savor the fluff and feels!
And, to conclude with a standard disclaimer: The monster girls featured in this tale, and many elements of the setting, are based off of the works of Kenkou Cross, and as such this work is intended to be a tribute to his creativity. The characters, however, are my own. Pray neither sue nor steal; I have very little to take, but I love that which is mine.
The Sweet-Dreamers’ Sleepover
Chapter 7: A Nightmare at the End of It
The bathroom was quiet and empty, except for the girl refreshing her make-up in the mirror. It was the middle of fifth period, so it made sense only a few people would wander in occasionally, but the tall, lean girl at the mirror had been wasting time there for a while, in no hurry to return to Mrs. Frost’s boring history class. The woman mostly just used slides and monotone lecturing, and so the real challenge of that class was not getting caught either goofing off or sleeping. At least such was true for the other students, but Frost gave this girl in particular a wide berth, even when she was out like a light. Most teachers did, actually.
Even the faculty knew better than to mess with Patty Hall.
Re-capping her cherry red lipstick, the manticore eyed herself in the mirror as she smacked her lips, one clawed finger combing through her long blonde hair to smooth out a tangle. Her eyes searched her angular face for imperfections, but there were few to be found, and her smile bared pearly fangs behind those bright lips. Content with her make-up, she swept her tawny-furred paws down her top, smoothing it and pulling it taut over her full breasts, though even with that tug the shirt still bared dangerous amounts of midriff – far beyond what was allowed, and then further beyond what teachers would let others get away with. Patty turned to look at herself from the side, making sure she was immaculately hot – and she was, as expected. Her wings flexed behind her, and her barbed tail rested on her shoulder, completely uncovered despite school regulations. It never took more than a glance for anyone to realize that Patty Hall was an apex predator in lethality, athleticism, and sex appeal, and that this high school was merely her hunting grounds. Not many had the nerve to challenge her in the least, even adults, and so Patty Hall was used to getting whatever she wanted.
Which was why it was so surprising that someone had been staring daggers at her from the shadows near the door for a couple of minutes now. Not many had the balls for even that, and so Patty was willing to give this petulant stalker an audience of a moment or two, at least for a laugh.
Finished and satisfied with her inspection, Patty replaced her lipstick in her purse, zipping it closed with finality. “So, are you just going to sit and stare? Cause I would let you take a picture for like, a buck or two, and then you could stare at that instead.”
Patty didn’t turn, but she could see the girl’s reflection emerge from the shadows. She was a centaur, with lavender hair and fur, wearing a ratty hoodie with a band logo. Patty didn’t recognize her; she looked to be a freshman or sophomore, and there were only a few of those who were notable enough to draw the manticore’s attention. Her magenta eyes were narrowed at Patty’s back, and the manticore’s reflection grew a wicked smile as her tail began to wave back and forth. The girl walked a short distance away and stopped, still glaring balefully at Patty but not speaking.
Sighing pettily, deciding to get this over with, Patty whirled to face the other girl, leaning back against the sink. Her smile was sharp enough to flay with, and her blue eyes narrowed dangerously as she met the centaur’s hateful gaze. She casually crossed one leg in front of the other, but her claws gleamed even under the dim, humming fluorescent lights. “So, let me guess,” Patty mused idly, “I’ve flirted with your boyfriend, and-”
“Leave Ethan Yates alone.”
Patty smirked, but her mind worked. Ethan was a handsome junior, football player, quiet and maybe not so bright – Patty’s type. She had flirted with him, guilty as charged, but not especially aggressively – partly her seductive efforts seemed to have gone over his head, and the innocent ones were only good for a quick blush before they shied away. It was the lustier sort that she could lead around on a leash for a while until she got tired of them, but…
“And why should I?” Patty asked, examining one perfectly-curved claw. “Last I’ve heard, he’s single. He’s cute, big and brawny… looks like he’d be a lot of fun to play with.” She grinned directly at the other girl, deciding to enjoy her instead. After all, angry girlfriends were toys too, just like the lovestruck boys.
“Because he’s not like the guys you always lead on,” the centaur insisted, stepping closer. “He’s a good person, and if he actually ends up liking you then you will really hurt him.”
“And why is any of that my problem?” Patty asked, yawning. “If he falls for me, that’s his fault, not mine.”
The centaur girl crossed her arms before her chest. “It’s your problem because, if you do, you’ll dream every night about standing naked in front of the whole school as they laugh at you.”
Patty blinked, and looked closer at the other girl. “Are you…” She blinked again, her smile fading. “Are you threatening me?” The resulting laughter could easily be heard in the hallway beyond.
A bit nonplussed, the other girl continued. “I’m a nightmare, and that means-”
“That you have to touch me to mess with my dreams.” Patty’s smile returned to its previous edge, and the nightmare blanched. “I used to hang out with another girl like you, so I know.” She shrugged, her wings flaring behind her. “Do you have anything else?”
The nightmare frowned, but didn’t back away. “Me and my friends-”
“I’m not afraid of Candy Coburg either,” Patty replied, chuckling. “Yeah, I know who you are. Nellie Something. Some of the cheerleaders made fun of her about you.” More than anything else, that seemed to make the nightmare withdraw, her eyes troubled. “Want to try one more time?”
Nellie stared at her for a moment. “Maybe I don’t have anything to threaten you with,” she said, backed into a corner. “I don’t care. If you hurt Ethan, then I will find a way to make you pay.”
Patty regarded her for a lingering moment before pushing off of the sink. She closed the distance between them, leaning forward to bring her face right up to the nightmare’s. Nellie didn’t flinch, stared her head-on. “Then how about we make a little deal?” Patty said, her tail waving behind her ominously. She searched the nightmare’s eyes, and found them unyielding. “I’ll leave Yates alone, and not wrap his delicate little heart around my finger…” She raised a single scythe-tipped claw, and used it to tap the other girl on the chest. “If you can tell me why I should listen to a girl who isn’t even his girlfriend, and probably never will be.” The manticore’s smile didn’t leave, but it had changed, become something simultaneously more challenging, a little more cruel, and yet more acknowledging.
Nellie was a long moment in answering. “Because, just like he deserves better than you… he deserves better than me. But I’ll protect him all the same.”
Patty stared at her for a long while, the smile decaying off her face. Finally, she shook her head. “Kid,” she started, “you came in here with threats. You know who I am. You know what I can do to you, right? Socially-”
“I don’t care.”
“I don’t know if your cheerleader friend would agree.” The heat in the nightmare’s cheeks was anger, now, Patty knew. “And, also, just think what I can do to you in front of your little crush?” Patty’s tail drifted closer, and the barbs ringing it flared slightly. Nellie glanced at that, but returned her iron gaze back to the manticore’s face. “One poke, and we’ll see what you really think he deserves.”
“Do it, then.” Nellie didn’t move. “I’ve controlled myself for years. Your sting doesn’t scare me, either.”
Patty watched her for another loitering moment, their gazes locked. Then, finally, the tail drifted down to settle on Patty’s shoulder. “I believe that,” the senior girl admitted, and her smile softened. “Something tells me that not much does actually scare you.” Chuckling, she shook her head. “I’ve decided I like you, kid. You have guts.”
Even this didn’t make Nellie shift. “Then does that mean you-”
“I’ll leave your little cutie alone,” Patty sighed, and walked past the nightmare, her grin sparkling ruby and pearl. “I want to play rough, and, while he seems deliciously breakable, dealing with the shattered pieces is annoying.” She glanced over her shoulder, pausing. “Still, you should know something. Being brave for someone else is a lot easier than being bold for yourself. Maybe try that sometime, and then you might just figure out what you deserve.” The smile she offered the other girl was, just for a moment, genuine and friendly, and then she was pushing the door open to step out of the bathroom, marching back to Mrs. Frost’s class, or wherever she decided she wanted to be.
For a long moment afterwards, Nellie stood in that bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror as she tugged at the cloth wristlet Ethan had given her, trying to imagine a world where she could be as bold as she wanted to be. A world where she could tease and flirt, drink in the sight of her loved one’s eyes staring at her with naked desire. But this wasn’t that world – that world was a whole different dream.
******
The world swam around Ethan as he made his way up the sloping ramp to his destination. Above, the treehouse stood out against the pale moon, and the bare limbs of the tree scratched at the heavens and clutched at the scattered clouds. He was exhausted – he knew that feeling well, from practices and games and studying, but this was something else entirely. Not just his body, not just his mind – his heart had been bled dry, and so there was nothing left of him but a hazy husk, fighting to keep his eyes open in the dim backyard light as a surprisingly-chill wind gusted over him. He struggled to keep his arm tight around the pillow and blanket he was carrying, to keep them from slipping enough to drop onto the dead-leaf-dappled surface of the ramp. Almost there… almost to safety…
He pushed open the door to the tree-house and staggered inside, ducking a little as he went – he had outgrown the structure for sure, but it was still big enough that he could spread out his pillow and blankets and bed down in there. He and Nellie had dozed in there on many autumn days, and even last summer he had come in here – to get away, away from the girls when they visited, to be on his own again…
He plopped the pillow on the smooth wooden floor, and spread out the blanket. It wouldn’t be as comfortable as his own bed, for sure – Melanie was there, would welcome him back – but right now, he could sleep on top of a pointed rock, he was pretty sure. His body would ache – maybe Anne could give him a massage in return – but at least he could find the peace and quiet of sleep. He sat down on the blanket, scooting in and covering himself – not as warm as Candy’s body had been, not as soft – and let his head sink back on the pillow. Almost as soon as he closed his eyes, he could feel his body turning off, leaving him adrift in darkness and a whistling wind… but, hung on a jagged edge of regret, his mind dawdled behind, not just ready to sail away into that blissful stillness just yet.
He wished… he could have said yes. To any of them. To all of them. Here, in the darkness, with all else departed, he could admit it to himself: he loved them. He would do anything for them. But they… deserved…
He could see their faces. Hear their voices. See their tears. Hear their cries. Dream of making them happy. Accept he couldn’t. Love them…
His sleep should have been dreamless, but right now fate had no mercy left for Ethan Yates.
******
“Are you just going to leave without saying goodbye?”
Ethan sighed as he heard the stern voice behind him, pausing in his effort to shove another pair of socks into his suitcase. The luggage already bulged from all the clothes he had back into it, readied for his departure for the city hours away that would be his new home for the next several years. Still, as much as he wanted to focus on getting packed the last of his belongings that he would be taking, he knew he couldn’t avoid this conversation. He heard the judgment in that voice, the condemnation, and that made him dread turning around – a concept that seemed foreign, anathema, to him. He had never, ever feared talking to Nellie… but he did now.
He set the suitcase down, and turned to face his closest friend. She stood nearby, arms crossed in front of her chest, a stubborn scowl on her lips – and, perversely, he wanted to laugh, just so that she would. He wanted to poke her, or muss her hair – anything to make her smile, because that expression didn’t belong on Nellie’s face. She should be smiling, or lost in her own world, but not… glaring at him, like hers was one of the hearts he had broken.
“Of course I’m going to say goodbye to you, Nell. You and Dad and-”
“You know that’s not what I meant,” Nellie interrupted, and she unconsciously stamped her forehoof. “My friends are coming over this weekend, and part of the reason was that they wanted to see you off. But now, you’ve moved up the day you leave to tomorrow.”
He did smile, there – but it was fake, plastered on and crinkling at the eyes. “Well, there are some events they are having to welcome people onto campus, and I want to meet my new… roommates…” He trailed off, seeing the unwavering hardness in her eyes. If anyone would be able to tell when he was dissembling, it would be Nellie. “Anyways, this is your last hang-out this summer. You all don’t need me in the way when…” He coasted to a stop once again, seeing her frown spread, and she tapped her elbow with one of her fingers, a sign her mood was souring.
“Ethan,” she declared, claiming the uneasy silence, “you are running away from them.”
And there it was. A conversation, too, he had been running away from, ever since prom. His shoulders sank, and he looked away from Nellie, hoping she wouldn’t see how haggard he suddenly felt. He fought to find a way of refuting her statement, but it was a redoubt of the truth, resisting his undermining efforts before he could even launch them. Instead, he turned away from her, reaching for the next bag he had to fill with his belongings. “Maybe,” he admitted. It was a concession, and a closed door.
“Why?” Her word was a hoof stuck in the door, keeping it open. When he didn’t immediately answer, she tried again – and her voice softened, seeping past his rigidity. “Ethan, I know they didn’t do something wrong. That’s what they think-”
“Please don’t,” he said, pausing with a shudder.
“Then answer me. Did they?” The words brooked no compromise.
He tried to face her, but couldn’t bring himself to. His voice would have to be enough. “I swear: I can’t say the word ‘no’ enough times to answer that, no matter how long I tried.”
“That’s what I thought,” Nellie said, her voice back to being soft. He heard her hoofsteps draw closer, and the tenseness of his shoulders made his skin ripple with how close she must be to touching him. “That’s what I tell them.”
“Thank you.” The words were heavy with dense emotion, super-laden with gratitude.
“That doesn’t mean they believe me.” He flinched, even before he felt the hand touch his shoulder softly. “I think… there’s only one person they would believe.”
“I… can’t.”
“Why, Ethan?” Her other hand touched him, now, and for a moment he thought that she was going to hug him. He… wished…
“Because then it would all…” He sighed, lowering his head, but he felt her press more against him, and that gave him just a bit more strength. “Because I know what they really want.”
She froze, and then, gently, stroked his back. She had done that before, many times… like when he was exhausted after the last game of the season, when he was sick, when his mom had died. It made him want to surrender, to tell her the truth, all of it.
To admit that he ran because he wasn’t good enough for any of them. Including her. And maybe he never would be.
“And you… don’t want that…?” she asked, carefully. “You don’t want…”
He turned, and faced her, and there was something else in her eyes, which almost glowed in the darkness, a purple-pink intensity that burned at the fog in his heart. It was a question he couldn’t quite make out yet. She wanted something from him, something… he couldn’t give.
“I don-” he started, and the lie choked him. He frowned, not noticing how intensely she was studying him. “I want…” he started, and managed to give the most honest, least helpful truth he could produce. “I want them to be happy.”
Nellie laughed – a faint, feeble thing – and leaned into him, resting her head against his chest. He stiffened, and then relaxed. “Me too.” She looked up at his face. “But you running away doesn’t do that.”
“I think it will, in the long run.” He met her gaze, letting her see the resigned determination there. He leaned forward, and his forehead bumped hers as his eyes closed. “It’s better this way.” And he let his arms close around her, pulling her to him, and she clutched him back.
She didn’t believe him. He barely believed him. But there they stood, two self-made martyrs of the happiness of others, willing to sacrifice their own joy in the process because they had never believed in themselves. Enemies, allies, family, and more, they embraced each other in a private goodbye, a moment just for them that would keep them going in the days and weeks to come. It was a selfish thing for them both – but that didn’t make it wrong, except that it just didn’t go far enough.
And it hurt, too – but that was what they both thought they, themselves, deserved.
******
When Ethan stepped into the party, the first thing he noticed was that the music was too loud. It was a deep, primal thrum, a sound that spoke to the brain stem long before it was processed – music that was made to sway to, whether you wanted to or not. It was familiar, too, though Ethan couldn’t put his finger on why – only that he’d heard it before.
That was nearly the only thing that was familiar here. The rooms were dim and dark and hazy – someone had gotten overzealous with a fog machine – and glowing lights writhed in the shadows in the form of bracelets or necklaces. The half-seen forms of party-goers gyrated to the beat, pressing together, mingling, moving away, and over again. Ethan felt like if he walked towards that dance floor he, too, would become one of those unsubstantial shades, trapped in this foggy purgatory of sound and mist.
But then, she walked out of the haze, and became the only clear thing in the world.
The woman – she would probably be his age, judging from her face, but the way she moved her body spoke of experience beyond his understanding – was incredibly beautiful, there was no denying that. She was almost monochromatic – ivory skin gripped by very little dark leather, and topped by long, flowing ink-black hair. With a studded choker, fishnet stockings, and a plethora of bangles on her wrists, she was definitely a goth, though the rapacious hunger in her eyes spoke of the word’s historical origins more than the modern concept. Her long, tapered legs trapped his eyes even across the room, the rolling sway of her steps giving her movements a fluid grace that was defiantly sexual, much like the sharp smile on her wine-dark lips, and the light in her emerald green eyes. She was erotic even without the low-cut top exposing a deep shadowed valley and pale, high breasts, but taken altogether she was seductive from a glance, a natural-born siren of the eyes.
Ethan blinked as she walked straight towards him, glancing behind him to see who it was she was aiming her bedroom gaze towards, but he was alone at the door, and the nearest partygoers were lost in the haze to the sides. Instead, she advanced inexorably towards him, that dangerous smile quirking at her lips as she strode right in front of him. He realized, as she claimed the space just a bit too close in front of him with her hips angled and one slim hand resting on her dark skirt, that she was just a bit shorter than him, reminding him of-
“Hey,” she greeted him, her voice husky and thrilling, “you’re cute. Let’s dance, hm?” Her eyes arrested him, and he found it impossible to look away from her, from the way her eyes sparkled as she stared at him, to the sleek angles of her face and the plump curves of her lips. She reached out and took hold of him, pulling him along before he could even stammer out his reply, and his body slavishly obeyed her, instinctively eager to please this dark fairy.
“I, ah… I’m not great at dancing,” he managed, as they neared the edge of the open space ringed by the swaying shadows of the dancers. He paused, and she looked back to him, a hint of annoyance fading away in an instant, replaced instead by smug decisiveness. She spun, pivoting against him, her hand coming up to rest on one of his shoulders and trailing down to his chest as she pushed her body against his, and she shuddered a bit as she looked up at him.
“That’s fine,” she surrendered imperiously, “I’d rather be alone, anyways.” He saw the tip of her tongue wet those lips, like dark cherries, and a glimpse of teeth white and sharp. “Let’s find somewhere we can sit and… talk.”
And, in a whirl, she led him away from the dance floor and deeper into darkness. Though the fog cleared as they walked, the rooms were darkly lit, and he didn’t see anyone he recognized as they navigated through the chambers – until finally they reached a smaller room, this time with a deep-cushioned loveseat and a few shelves cloaked by the shadows. She took him to that seat, and with expectant insistence rather than strength pushed him towards it, until he sank down into its plushness with a grunt, looking up into those nearly-glowing eyes as she stalked closer to him.
“Look,” he started, “I don’t think-”
And she was upon him, taking him as her own seat. She sat in his lap facing him, those smooth legs hooking around his waist as her chest shoved closer to his face, leaving him staring into a cleft that smelled of vanilla and incense. Even if he had wanted to look away, one of her hands slid over his shoulder and tangled in his hair, tugging slightly so he looked up at her, and the way she adjusted herself atop his lap was more smoothly-rolling than it strictly needed to be. ‘What is my luck recently with couches-?’
“We’re all alone in here,” she promised, her voice warm like honey, and pressed herself against his chest until he sank back against the couch, trapped by her body and her eyes. Her lips hovered next to his, drawing close as she shifted, and then away, never letting him be certain of what she intended as she got comfortable atop her new throne. “So… let’s have some fun.” Her eyes pinned him, and she leaned closer, those lips parting as she drew nearer, daring him to try to move away…
He was tired. Tired of being run down. Tired of only reacting. Tired of… that loud music.
The girl atop Ethan blinked as the music quieted, and she glanced at Ethan with widened eyes as she noticed him looking in that direction. A moment later the door, which he had left open as she had towed him into the room, closed quietly, and she jumped, blinking at him in surprise. He was frowning, and though her confidence was clearly ruffled, she quickly pushed to reclaim her footing.
“Good,” she purred, and squirmed in his lap, pressing every sweet hungry part of her against his body in a way that he couldn’t ignore. He looked back to her, and she grinned, moving her lips close to his, and then past, letting her cheek caress his to whisper into his ear. “Now we won’t be interrupted.” He shivered as he felt something soft and damp tease his earlobe – and then the sharp surfaces of her teeth pinched that skin lightly. She pulled away, but left heated lip prints along his neck as she meandered back forward, as if her lipstick was burning hot as it left faint traces of her territorial claim. She kissed along his jawline, and as she came further ahead, he could see her looking into his eyes through the haze of pleasure, deeper than the fog around the dance floor outside.
He had to… think. This wasn’t…
“Ethan… I need you…” He jerked as he felt her start to lift his shirt, but he couldn’t resist, and in a moment she had shucked it off him, leaving him bare for her to explore and play with. He could see the lust burning nakedly in her eyes while she drank him in, and her sharp nails traced along his skin as he watched her chest rapidly rise and fall as she lost herself in her desires. Cold flooded his stomach even as heat erupted elsewhere as he watched her reach for the laces binding her top closed, knowing that soon it would be her bare skin pressing against him, and then…
Not right… not how this is supposed to go…
The dark-haired girl looked down at herself, and frowned. “Well,” she said, in a contralto voice that was still thrilling despite its bland displeasure, “this makes things more complicated.” But, despite the hoodie that had just miraculously replaced her skimpy top, she was undeterred, and reached for the bottom edges of the garment.
“We shouldn’t do this,” he said, and she frowned more as she noticed that his shirt, too, was now instantly back on, even though she had thrown it far to the side.
“Are you sure?” she said, her smile fading but not quenched just yet, “Because I can feel a part of you that really wants to.” And he couldn’t suppress a groan as she rocked atop him once more. She leaned in to kiss his cheek, and whispered into his ear, “You’re special, Ethan. You always have been. You know this is just a dream, but you deserve this, so much. We go can as far as you want, do everything you want, all night long… and I’m human, so it’s just for fun. It doesn’t hurt anything, so just… let go…” And her hand grasped one of his wrists, and guided it to the smoothness of her thigh, the satin skin that felt so hot to his touch.
He blinked at that – that isn’t right, at all. And he frowned. She didn’t notice, even as his other hand brushed hers, took hold of her wrist, and guided it closer to his face…
And, when she looked up, she saw him staring at something with a raised eyebrow, and followed his gaze to her own slim arm, to the bangles decorating it – to the single cloth wristlet amid them, lime-green and faded, that his finger had hooked.
He remembered the look on her face when she had opened the little box, clumsily wrapped – he had insisted on doing it himself, even though his mom had helped a little. Her eyes had widened, and when he had explained that he had seen that she had liked it in the store and had snuck back to buy it, she had thrown herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love it!” she had told him, as he floated in the clouds from the feeling of her embrace. “I’ll wear it forever and ever!”
She gaped at that wristlet, then back to him. “It’s, ah, just a little-”
Ethan cleared his throat, staring at her with a patient accusation. Her feeble excuses trickled to silence, and for a moment, still wearing the sultry face of the human woman, Nellie sulked, sinking into his lap with a demeanor she had worn when she had been called her out in the past, like when she had forgotten chores and he had been forced to cover for her.
“Nell,” he said, and let his smile peek through, “you wear it even to bed. Of course you’d forget to hide it in a dream.” And the blush in those pale cheeks, the sullen pout, made him laugh. Her eyes flickered as he did, the green giving way to magenta, and her features slowly softened as her fabricated self-image began to decay. With a huff, she pushed herself off of him – and within a few steps away from the couch, her body shimmered, and her two legs became four.
For a moment, she stood there in silence, her arms crossed in front of her chest. The illusion crumpled away, and in a moment she was the girl he had spoken to in the hall outside his bedroom, in her favorite hoodie and centaur shorts. She wouldn’t meet his eyes now, was too embarrassed by a mile, and he knew she was angry and frustrated and hurt. He had wounded her, with his denial and more, and he knew he needed to smooth things out. But, for just a moment, he felt at ease, and he couldn’t quite say why.
Maybe, he decided as he leveraged himself out of the clutching loveseat, it was because he had Nellie with him, and they could work anything out. Maybe it was the confirmation of something… something he had long suspected, even craved, but had always shied away from. Or maybe it was because he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to get seduced again this evening, because he no longer had any reserves of willpower left whatsoever.
“Nell…”
“I don’t… I don’t want to hear it, Ethan,” she said, and her body turned, keeping the length of her horse body between him and her face. “It’s fine. Just… forget this ever happened, and…”
“Well, that’s not going to happen,” he admitted drolly, sidestepping her equine half and coming closer. She still kept her face pivoted away from him, even when he rested a hand on her shoulder, which sank at his words. “I don’t think I could, and I don’t want to.”
She lowered her head, sighing, nearly having to crane her head to avoid facing him as he circled around her. He could see the grief, shame, and anxiety on her face, and knew the responsibility he had here. “I wish you would,” she grumbled, tensing as she felt his hand touch her cheek, and grudgingly relented, turning to face his smile. “This is mortifying.” But, when he leaned in to wrap his arms around her, she hesitated for only a moment before relaxing into the embrace, finding comfort in that familiar connection that defied this new pain.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” he told her, and she snorted in reply, defiantly dismissing his request. He pulled back, staring into her eyes, leaning his forehead against hers, and smiled. “Please.”
Her cheeks glowed in the darkness, and she tried, it seemed to him, to hide behind the dark strand of hair that covered one of her eyes. “Kinda hard not to be.”
He sighed, and a finger tapped her shoulder. When she, reluctantly, met his gaze directly, he grinned at her. “Well, I’d started figuring you out pretty early, and, as you pointed out, I got pretty into it, so…”
Her cheeks bloomed like roses at the implications of his words, but her eyes fell. “Yeah… well, that was because…”
His smile collapsed like a toppling tree. The detail about their encounter that had bothered him the most returned to the fore, and certain hints he had picked up over their years together began to congeal into a quiet conclusion. “Nellie… why did you want to look human?” he asked, confronting the issue head on.
Again, she adamantly refused to meet his gaze. Even when he rubbed her shoulders, patiently giving her time to formulate her answer while he made it clear he wouldn’t allow her to escape the issue, she was still and silent. Finally, in a quiet voice he fought to hear despite their closeness, she surrendered, “You talked to me once, after what happened with Anne. You asked me about what ‘imprinting’ was for monsters, and how it worked… how mana works for us, and why we only ever take one mate in our lifetime. I know… that makes you nervous.” It was his turn to lower his eyes and sigh, but she continued. “But, if I was human, then that wouldn’t be an issue…”
“You mean,” Ethan stated, his voice hardening, “it wouldn’t be an issue for me. Nellie, I did my research on nightmares back in middle school – that’s how I knew what was happening, and how I knew I could control the dream a little.” She looked up at him, surprised that he had chosen to research her race. “And it said that mana exchange still happens in the dream. If I had gone ahead with that, then you would have been…”
She looked up at him, and for the first time, he could see that desperation had hammered her crumbling will into steel as she hugged one of her arms to her chest. “What, Ethan? Bound to you?” She scowled, looking down, not wanting to say what she was about to – but there was no turning back now. “I already am.” She glanced back up, magenta burning like flares as his eyes widened in shock. “Mana imprinting is permanent, sure. That’s how we monsters were made, long ago. But we were made for love, above all else… and real love binds us far more than mana ever could.” She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “It’s too late, Ethan. For Mel… Anne… Candy…” She stared into his eyes, not saying the last word. She didn’t have to.
Ethan felt like the ground had been ripped out from under his feet. He gaped at her, shaking his head. “I’ve heard about monster girls liking boys, but then getting over them-”
“That’s a crush, Ethan. This is… different. We have a harder time with it than humans do, and the further it goes…”
He closed his eyes, and slumped down, all but holding on to her shoulders for support. “Then… I’ve done something horrible, to all of you…”
“We’ll be okay.” He looked up at her, and she smiled, but he knew better than to believe her for a second. “You can’t help how you feel, Ethan. Just because we love you, doesn’t mean that you-” She paused, surprised, as his eyes hardened with crushing intensity.
“That’s not it, Nellie. It never, ever has been – and you know it.” He straightened, his outraged pride filling him like air in a balloon. “I ran away because I didn’t want to hurt you – any of you. Not because I didn’t care for you.”
“‘Care for,’” Nellie started, looking to the side with a glum expression, “isn’t-”
“Penelope.” She paused, blinking, and turned to him. He almost never used her full name, and this wasn’t the tone of a scolding parent… it was something far more mature, and intimate. His expression was serious, but something in it made her feel suddenly weak at the knees. “I love you.” Her eyes widened even further – this was the same as in the hallway, earlier tonight, but the tone, the tone! “I ran away to protect you. Same as with them.” He tried to smile, but couldn’t quite manage.
“Protect us from what, Ethan?” she asked, reaching out to touch his chest. “Please, I need to know…” He looked away, and she pressed harder. “If what you are saying is true, then-” Her face plummeted as he pulled away, and his eyes turned to the door leading out of the room, but before he could move, he felt her hand tighten on his shirt, and when he looked back to her, she stared up at him with resolution burning in her gaze.
“From me.” She didn’t relax her grip, but he sealed his mouth, unwilling to let more escape. After a moment, she knew he was struggling to shape his words, fighting to overcome the tension that had festered inside for so long, and so she tugged him closer, and wrapped her arms around him, her own mind fighting to deal with everything that had come out in the past minutes.
Ethan wasn’t done running. Not yet. “You know, though,” he said, and she scowled up at him, knowing he was going to change the topic. “I don’t think you were totally honest, first.” She met his stare. “You looked like a human to make me think that there wouldn’t be consequences from us, ah…” They both shared a blush at the thought of what had almost happened. “But something tells me that wasn’t it. Was there another reason that you decided to look like that?”
“Ethan, I need you to finish-”
“A fair trade.” His hands gripped her shoulders, so that neither of them could escape. “I’ll… tell you. But I asked you first, and I don’t entirely believe the answer you gave me.”
Nellie lapsed into silence. The bargain he was offering wasn’t one she could refuse. To find out the real reason that he ran from the other girls, even her – that was worth whatever price it took. But this was… “It’s… I’m a centaur, Ethan.” Her eyes closed, seeking what succor she could from his piercing gaze. “I’m not… like you. Or a lot of girls. I’m… half horse. Half animal. What kind of guy would want a girl that… he could never be the big spoon for? Or who buys nails instead of laces when she needs new shoes? Someone who smells like a barn…” Her voice was quiet, wavering, and too frail to hide a single lie. He could hear the self-disgust in her words, but waited just a moment longer, letting her bleed out the pain. “What kind of guy would choose a girl like me, when he could have a normal girl?”
“Umm… Dad?” Blinking, Nellie glanced up at Ethan, who shrugged. “I mean, he married Mom too, but you see him now. You can’t tell me he isn’t madly in love with Marley.”
“Well, yeah, but… wouldn’t you prefer a girl like I was before? Didn’t you find that sexier than-” Nellie paused at the sudden chill in the room. Blinking, she glanced down at herself. Her clothing had changed. Now, instead of her usual hoodie, she was wearing a bikini, both top and bottom. It was striped purple on white, and the cups fought to hold the expansive chest that she usually hid behind her baggy clothing. She stared down at herself in confusion, at all of her skin on display, before slowly looking up at Ethan. He wasn’t quite looking at her, but his eyes flicked back and forth towards her chest, despite his best efforts. “Isn’t this… my favorite swimsuit? The one I wore to the water park?” It was the one she had been wearing in the picture she and her friends had fought over, she recalled. “Are you… do you… like…?”
He could only blush, redder than ever, and a smile spread on her face like a flower unfolding from a bud for the very first time, slow and beautiful and irreplaceable.
Ethan jumped as he felt her hand touch his face, and dragged his heels in letting her turn him to face her again, fighting to keep his eyes from falling onto the expanse of smooth skin just below her face. She saw his struggle, and joy burned in her like a torch, dropped into hay – soon it would be an inferno of happiness, but she had to be sure! “Ethan,” she said, smiling up at him coyly, “is this your way of saying that you had a crush on me, too?”
He looked down at her, and knew he was damned, one more time. He had to run, had to not hurt her – her above all! – more than he already had, but… she needed this. He needed this.
“No, it isn’t,” he said, shaking his head, and the glee dimmed in her eyes, for only a second. “But this is.”
And he lowered his face, and, after only a heartbeat’s pause for her to realize, to turn her face to counter his, leaned forward and kissed her for the first time.
It wasn’t passionate, this first kiss between two who had loved each other for as long as they could remember, feelings that had grown along with them. It wasn’t heated, or sloppy, or needy. It was as slow as their acceptance that this was really happening, but for all its gradualness, the kiss continued to deepen. They pressed against each other, supporting each other, because the world was fading away into irrelevance – all that mattered was this, and nothing else could feel so right, so real.
As their kiss deepened, as their arms wrapped around each other and bodies pressed tightly, Nellie began to believe. The doubts that had hounded her, had kept her from pursuing the one she loved, turned tail and scrambled away at the taste of his lips, his scent in her lungs, the way his hand trailed down her hair. He loved her – he had loved her, and still did – and that meant…
The kiss ended, and the comparatively-disappointing world rushed back in, like the opposite of air sucked into drowning lungs. Still, as she blinked and looked up at him, her heart hammered, and every atom of her asked for more – politely, for now, but maybe not for long. She looked up at the face of the boy she had loved for as long as she had known him, and despite all that time craving and pining and wanting, found that there was still so, so much further yet to fall. She clutched to him, not willing to let go, and stared into his warm brown eyes, needing the truth she saw there.
But that wasn’t the only thing she saw in his gaze. There was a hint of regret, and hidden pain. She had known him long enough to read him like a book, and she knew some part of him was still in agony. But his kiss had healed her, had given her a chance to hope for herself for once… so maybe she could offer him the same succor.
But first…
“Hmm… I’m not sure if I’m entirely convinced,” Nellie lied, grinning up at Ethan. He returned the expression, his eyebrow rising.
“Is that so?” he challenged her, restraining a laugh as she turned her face eagerly, ready for a second kiss. He made her wait for a moment, and when she looked at him curiously, he said the exact thing she had needed to hear, in the exact way she had needed it.
“I love you, Nellie.”
And they lost themselves in kissing once more, fighting to make up for wasted time, safe and lost in a world all their own.
******
An hour had passed when there was a knock at the door. Both Nellie and Ethan stared in surprise, but their shock melted into laughter as three girls poured into the room, decked out in gothic style to match the persona that Nellie had worn when she had first brought Ethan into the dream. Melanie’s outfit sported a cropped tee and ruffled black-and-silver skirt over stockings and clunky black boots, while Anne’s outfit left her arms bare except for her spiked bracelets. Candy’s shirt had been cut away to the point of threatening its structural integrity, but left enough space across her chest to display words in bold neon swipes, “SWEET AS SUGAR – MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH.’ Likewise, their hair had all been darkened, except for the weresheep’s, whose wool had been painted in fluorescent pastel shades that made Ethan oddly hungry.
Ethan and Nellie, who had been sitting together and talking, greeted their friends energetically with broad grins. “How did you guys know…?” Ethan asked, looking the girls over with an appraising smile.
“Oh, we recognized this scenario,” Anne explained, gesturing to the murky surroundings. “College Dance Party. Nellie came up with it a while back, but we haven’t done this one in ages.”
“And if you meant how did you know where you were, it was a pretty easy process of elimination,” Melanie pointed out. “Candy was in Nellie’s room, and we knew you weren’t in the other bedrooms, so…” Ethan’s cheeks blazed crimson at that.
“And so, after we gave you some time to… finish, we thought we would come visit you,” Candy explained, a smile on her face – though one that didn’t feel real enough to believe. “And we thought we should get a chance to get in on the dreaming, too.”
“Hey – we don’t have forever! It’s getting cold out in the real world, and you only had one blanket,” Melanie complained, tugging on Ethan’s arm. “Let’s go dance!”
Nellie watched as Mel and Anne escorted Ethan, laughing, a short distance away, and the music that had lapsed thrummed back to life. Nellie grinned beside Candy as the trio began to dance: Ethan haltingly but with a smile, Melanie a portrait of graceless, bouncy enthusiasm, and Anne with a swaying, bold confidence she had learned from her practicing after the Winter Formal. When Mel beckoned for them to join, Nellie waved her off for the moment, knowing that she and Candy had business to see to first.
Still, even though they wanted to join the others, it took a moment for either of them to speak, and so they stood in silence as the oldest of wounds between them hurt for one final time.
“Well,” Candy started, her smile melancholy but honest, “I hadn’t figured that you would be the one to win the night, but it looks like you did.” She reached out and placed a hand on her closest friend’s shoulder, and her eyes were brave and had happiness in them, even if it was overcast by gloom. “Congratulations on winning Ethan, Nellie.”
Nellie stared at Candy for a long moment. In the dream, the weresheep wore dark eyeshadow and long lashes, but the nightmare knew that in the real world, those eyes would still be reddened and her cheeks would still feature make-up smeared by tears. Nellie knew what had happened – some she had distantly overheard from the living room, the rest she had heard from Ethan – and for the first time, her conflict – conflict that had lingered in her heart since the day she had figured out that her friend loved the same boy as her – had cleared. Nellie smiled back at Candy, bright and honest, and she shook her head.
“No. I lost too.”
Candy blinked, her eyes widening. “Wait,” she demanded, her voice alarmed. “Don’t tell me…”
Nellie nodded with a bittersweet grin. “Yep. He turned me down. He loves me, but he can’t commit, just like with the rest of us.”
Candy’s face fell, and it was the first step in a chain reaction, toppling her shoulders, bending her spine, until she looked ready to collapse bonelessly on the floor. “This night – all of our planning, our efforts – it was all for… nothing?!” she cried, incredulous. “Even after everything, we’re just right back where we started!” She stared at Nellie as if beseeching mercy.
Nellie watched her, her smile unwavering. “Nope,” she rebutted bluntly. “Pretty much the opposite, if you ask me.” She savored Candy’s uncomprehending gape for a moment before continuing. “He admitted to me the two reasons that he has been running away. Plus, I have what I was missing before, too…” She grinned at Candy, her eyes sparkling with eagerness, and despite herself the weresheep felt a smile growing on her own face. “I’m not ready to give up. He better be ready, because this is when we put him to the real test.”
Candy watched her for a long moment, and then nodded, her back straightening once more as she smiled. Even after all of her own defeats and doubts, the show of spirit from the meekest of the Sweet-Dreamers had given her fire back, and so she took a deep breath and glanced over to Ethan, who was currently arguing with the bogey and dormouse (who had taken a chance to alter his attire, and while he was not pleased with the tight leather pants, Anne was quite appreciative of the view from behind, and Melanie even more so of the view from in front of him) and oblivious to the conversation taking place between the other two girls. Candy smiled at the man she loved, and glanced over to see the same expression on the face of Nellie. Nodding, they stepped forward, ready to join in the fun for now, before they moved on to the final phase of the evening.
The night wasn’t over just yet, for any of them
Author’s Note: Whew. With this, only one chapter remains. I have been prolific recently – two chapters and a one-shot in three weeks – but I doubt I will maintain that pace next week. After all, I have a ton of work deadlines coming up, including the play I will be directing and the final grades for my college course, so I will be pretty swamped. That said, I tend to write the most aggressively when I am procrastinating, so, who knows? Look forward to the Trial of Ethan Yates in “Blessed”; I will have it for you as soon as I can.
Speaking of related things, I will also hopefully soon be updating The Wildcat’s Sister with a cover image. A Kentucky Tea Party won first place (even though it got less feedback than usual), and this time I accepted the winnings as a partial payment on an art commission from a TFT member. Hopefully soon I will actually have a cover image of Valerie Hall for that story, and then… we shall see. I’d love to do the same for some of these other stories…
A final note as to my upcoming plans: I’m in a bit of limbo as to what I’ll do next. Once this story is done, two stories are awaiting completion, specifically The Wildcat’s Rival and Heroes, part of my fantasy series. I’ll need to return to that fantasy arc eventually, especially since it is only 8 chapters or so from its own ending. Also, on the modern front, I have Weston’s story to write, as well as one more I alluded to early in this work, so I’ll be trying to divine where my muse will lead me next… If only there were more hours in the day so I could work on them all.
But, thank you all for your recent feedback – it motivated me to get this chapter out earlier than even I had expected, especially in light of this chapter’s importance. Nellie’s dream form was one of the first scenes I imagined for this story, and I’m happy to have finally put it to paper. I hope you all enjoy, and will join me for the finale – not much further yet to go, and thank you for coming even this far with me.
Still, there is much to do before then; a tidal wave of tasks and toil and teaching. And, maybe, just possibly… sleep…
~Wynn Pendragon
.
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)You need to be a registered member to rate this post.
Loading...
0 thoughts on “The Sweet-Dreamers’ Sleepover – Chapter 7”