Chapter 27
Theresa
After last night, Theresa reverted back to her old routine.
Standing in her room all day; ignoring all activities and just staying in bed.
Silena and Mike took turns to check up on her; brining her lunch and dinner.
The only difference is that Theresa didn't even try to draw, she couldn't be bothered too. She just laid on her bed and stared at the ceiling.
Christopher hadn't returned since yesterday and that drove Theresa crazy. Her imagination ran wild, did he get eaten by the Cleaning Harpies? Did he hurt himself while hallucinating? What was going on with him anyway?
Why hadn't she gone out to check on him in the morning? What was wrong with her?
"Warm milk." Theresa spoke to the magical goblet and it filled itself the liquid. You can judge her for it but it always helped her go to sleep at night and since Christopher wasn't here to hold her and distract her from the darkness, she needed all the help she needed to get.
Theresa walked over to the light switch and reached for it. She reminded herself that she needed this. She needed to get over the darkness, it was harmless- Even at the very least it always stopped her from functioning; she couldn't allow it to do that.
She couldn't allow the fear of darkness to influence her, especially after the incident with Christopher-
Theresa took a deep breath and switched off the lights.
She held back the yelp as the darkness immediately covered up the space where the light had taken up before. Theresa tried to regulate her breathing in a desperate attempt to calm herself down.
Theresa took in a deep breath which unfortunately only worked to make her have a panic attack. She reached up and switched on the light and crumpled to the floor; hugging her knees.
Theresa sobbed. Off all things she had to be scared of why did it have to be something she couldn't escape from? Why darkness?
She thought about Christopher, who always looked to in tuned with the darkness. As if his presence was welcomed by it, respected him even.
Where was he? Where was her defender from darkness?
"Tess? What are you doing on the floor?"
Theresa looked up at the source of the voice. There he was.
"Hey." Christopher bent down to meet her eyes. "Why are you crying?"
Theresa reached around and wrapped her arms around him.
"Tess!" Christopher struggled as Theresa pulled him down and he had to struggle to maintain his balance. "Theresa. Theresa Oecila look at me."
"I'm sorry." Theresa sobbed into his shirt. "I'm sorry not flowing you. I'm so sorry that I'm scared of the darkness more than I love you. I'm sorry."
"Hey, hey." Christopher wiped her tears away. "It's okay. It was fault too, I didn't have my head on straight."
Theresa looked at him, up at his eyes. Wait, were his eyes golden? "Say my name again."
"What?"
"Say my name. I want to hear you say it."
Christopher paused for a moment. "Theresa."
"My full name."
"Theresa Oecila."
"Again."
"Theresa Oecila."
Theresa wrapped her arms tigher around his neck. She had almost forget his accent, or lack of rather. "I love you. I love you Christopher."
"I love you too." Christopher bent down to kiss her.
Theresa smiled as they broke away. "You finally said it."
"Yeah. I decided that it was time." Christopher kissed her again. "I can say it again if you want."
"Please."
"I love you."
"With my full name."
"I love you Theresa Oecila." Christopher kissed her on the forehead.
"I should record that so I can hear it whenever I want to."
"Why record it? Just ask me to say it when you want to hear it."
Theresa smiled. "I love you Christopher-even-though-that's-not-your-name."
Christopher chuckled. "I love you too. Now come on, we have somewhere to be."
"What? Where are we going? It's the middle of the night!"
"Technically it's 8 pm." Christopher pulled her up. "It's a surprise."
"But it's night-"
"I'll protect you. I promise." Christopher hefted her up. "Come on and stay quiet."
"I'm wearing my pyjamas!"
Christopher looked down at her attire, sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Hang on." He grabbed his jacket that hung on his bed frame and put it around her shoulders. "Here. Now let's go."
Theresa put his jacket on properly and let him pull her along, down the staircase and out of the big house.
"Can we at least tell me where we are going?" Theresa whispered.
"Well we're boyfriend and girlfriend but the problem is that we've never been on a date." Christopher smirked.
"So you're asking me out? I think you need my permission before we do that." Theresa teased.
"I mean we can go back to the room, I'll get on my knees, ask you out and then we'll run back here."
"Nevermind." Theresa smiled at him.
As they were running, Theresa realised something for the first time.
Christopher's footsteps- they were soundless. Christopher made no sound when he ran.
"Over here." Christopher led them to a group of vans near the hill. He led her to one to the far right.
"Zed!" Christopher knocked on the van doors. "Zed, it's us!"
The doors of the van opened. "Hello Peasants." Zed grinned.
"Shut up." Christopher climbed in and helped Theresa in as well.
Zed exited the back of the van. "Hold back from each other alright?" He closed the doors then moved to the front of the van.
"Who's driving?" Theresa asked.
"Aaron." Christopher adjusted so that she sat in between his legs. "So we're all alone at the back of this van and we have a bit of time."
Theresa smiled. "Just what I was thinking. No dirty stuff though, alright?" She looked to the front of the Van skeptically. "They can't see us, can they?"
"No. I personally covered up the window that allows them to see us." Christopher leaned in. "So we doing this or what?"
"Let's." Theresa covered the remaining distance and kissed him.
"We'll be back in 2 hours." Aaron said to them from the driver's seat.
"Yeah, yeah." Christopher waved it away. "Now get lost. You're ruining my date." He teased.
Aaron grinned. "Alright then. I wouldn't want to do that would I?" He started up the engine.
"Remember to use protection!" Zed shouted out the window as they drove away.
"Let's go please." Theresa covered her face in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. "I'm wearing the clothes I wear to bed and Zed just shouted that at us."
Christopher laughed. "Alright let's go then. We have a movie to catch." Christopher pulled her along.
"I can't believe there was an ice cream shop open at this hour." Theresa noted.
"Yeah." Christopher licked his lips. "It's pretty good too."
They had finished the movie a while ago and they still had time to kill, so they were walking around Central Park. The movie was good, though Theresa was mainly focused on not being scared of the darkness and more of focusing on Christopher hand that was intertwined with hers.
She didn't even remember what the movie was about though Christopher was pretty into it. However his ADHD got the better of him after a while so he started paying attention to other things; mainly Theresa's lips.
"What's the flavour of the Ice Cream by the way?" Christopher asked.
"Vanilla."
"Can I have a taste?"
"Sure." She held out her ice cream but Christopher ignored it and went straight to her lips.
Theresa understood by what he meant when he said 'Can I have a taste' because she could taste his strawberry ice cream through the kiss.
"Jerk." Theresa wiped her mouth as he pulled away.
"Don't act like you didn't like it." Christopher smirked.
"Shut up you annoying prick." Theresa frowned.
"That's the closest thing to being British I've ever heard you be." Christopher smirked. "Seeing as you lived in London for most of your life, I'm surprised you don't speak with an accent."
Theresa smiled. "Oh really?" She turned on her accent. "Am I more pleasant now?"
Christopher laughed, he finished the last of his ice cream and grabbed her hand. "I love you."
"I love you too." Theresa smiled.
The walked in silence for a while, walking along the reservoir hand in hand.
"So, do you want to play the random question game?" Theresa asked.
Christopher raised an eyebrow. "Sure. You go first I guess."
"Okay. Well, what parts of me do you love?"
Christopher jerked up. "Well- Your smile. Your strength even though people have said so much about you, you don't talk back. I love seeing your beautiful face everytime you wake up-" He paused when he saw he blushing. "Wow, really just spoke up huh? Heart on my sleeve here."
"Yeah." Theresa looked away. "So you're turn."
"Okay well- How could you love a orphan like me?"
"What kind of question is that?" Theresa frowned. "So what if you're an orphan, you're still human."
"Alright fine. I asked the wrong question." Christopher sighed. "Your turn now."
"So." Theresa thought of the question. "Well, what's your real name?"
Christopher froze on the spot.
"Christopher?" She tugged at his hand. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
Christopher paused and stood in front of her. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her in close.
"Christopher-" She said as Christopher pulled her in for a kiss. Christopher's hand went up to her back and pulled her even closer.
Theresa pulled away from him, looking up at his eyes; yeah they were gold. When did they-
"Aidan." Christopher said.
"What?"
"Aidan. My real name's Aidan." He revealed to her.
Theresa smiled and held back the tears from her eyes. "Well then. Hello Aidan, I'm Theresa. Nice to meet you."
Aidan smiled. "Say my name again."
"Aidan."
"Now say I love you."
"I love you."
"With my name."
"I. Love. You. Aidan." Theresa emphasised every word.
Aidan smiled. "Here. I got something for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small locket. "I got Aaron to make it for me."
"Oh my gods Aidan. It's beautiful." Theresa took the locket from his hands. It was circular object, small enough to fit into the palm of her hand. It was made of a steel (she guessed) and it was engraved with a picture of her with a rose resting behind her ear.
"It better be." Aidan smirked. "I owe Aaron a foot massage for it."
"I love it." Theresa kissed him on the cheek.
"And I love you." Aidan smiled.
"Help me put it on." Theresa grabbed her hair and swept it aside. Aidan grabbed the locket and hooked the chain around her neck.
"How's it look?" Theresa turned to him.
"It looks great." Aidan kissed her forehead. "And you're beautiful."
"Why are you so perfect?" Theresa rested her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah I kinda am huh?" Aidan hugged her tight. "We should probably go."
"Yeah." Theresa grabbed his hand. "Let's go. Aidan."
Aidan smirked and he pulled her forward, towards the meeting point.
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For the stronger the Light; the thicker the shadows that fall. 20:15, September 24, 2014 (UTC)