"be careful what you wish for"

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Hands trembled as they glided along the staircase softly. Y/N wanted nothing more than to sleep in the bed- husband or no husband- but the old man's warning left her paranoid. 

Unfortunately, she had a stubborn attitude.

"Tap... tap... tap...."

Her feet made muffled steps across the carpet as she made her way to the old door and grabbed the rusty key to open it.

Bricks, she hums and touched the solid wall, it was all a dream.

Deciding to leave the big brown door unlocked, she headed back upstairs and locked her door this time. 

No sooner than she had closed her eyes, she heard a small voice calling out from outside the bedroom door.

She immediately opened the door to her baby girl fidgeting with her nightdress and a pallid face- as if she had seen something that unsettled her.

"What's wrong Feli?" Y/N cooed, wiping the sweat off the blue-eyed girl's brows.

"Can- can I sleep with you?" She piped up in a mellow voice, "I don't think I feel so good."

The woman walked towards her with gentle steps and led the small girl by the hand towards the bed. Y/N smiled reassuringly at her daughter who gazed back at her with beautiful blue orbs, and turned off the lampshade by the bedside table.

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"Have fun with papa at dinner tonight, sweetheart!" A small hand waved to the woman from the car. Her husband gazed at her from the driver's seat. When she blew him a kiss, his ears perked and he flinched giddily before diving back down. She laughed at his reaction. Before the woman went inside the house, she felt something rubbing against her legs. Her grin widens at the sight of the black cat who purred as she rubbed its back before going inside the house.

This time the woman was all alone in the house. Despite the warmth coming from the fireplace she had lit, Y/N could not help but shiver in her beige sweater dress. She could feel eyes watching her, although she did not know where they were- she somewhat had a small idea that she knew where they came from.

CREAK!

"Huh-" Her slight shriek was cut off by the big brown door in the drawing room. Y/N was surprised to find it open.

'This was real' she realized, hands ghosting over the faded wallpaper around the frame before she grabbed the rusty knob. It shuddered open. She smelled the sweet, otherworldly stench of candles, rose petals and vanilla sifting through the misty air.

'Everything really was real.'

She contemplated at the dusty furniture, the painting of the Victorian-Era woman sitting sadly in her portrait and the feeling that she was about to enter another world yet again.

And she let go, slipping into the hallway.

Y/N finally noticed her surroundings as she padded along the hallway like she was on a leisurely walk through the park. Vines grew along the walls, creating shadows through the light of the candles flickering about. The walls suddenly rumbled. It shuddered for a moment before it moved- like something very very old, and very very slow.

This prompted her to quicken her pace and reach for the door on the other side. She immediately decided that she did not like that hallway at all.

Y/N opened the door to the same drawing room, with the same dusty furniture and pretty snow globes along the mantlepiece of the chimney. In the big, bright red armchair with lion's feet, sat a man. He looked up from his book and smiled, glossy teeth shining and buttons glistening with wonder.

"My dear," Adonis droned boudaciously, "back again, aren't we?"

"I believe this is still a dream."

A pause.

'Still in denial aren't we?' he muses. He lifts a pallid finger.

"Come hither," she approaches him, hesitant yet compliant. She truly did not know what she was feeling. He gestures to his lap, strong arms flexing in his white work shirt as he adjusted himself.

"Step closer." 

Step.

"Closer." 

Step.

Lanky digits wrapped themselves around her waist, feeling the stretchmarks and body rolls in his cool palms. Ignoring the h/cette's squeal, he let her weight settle on his thighs as she squirmed.

"Does this feel real enough?"

No answer, although he could hear Y/N huff in retaliation. Guffawing with amusement, Adonis continued, "Settle down, dearest, for I shall read you a poem."

"If you take me,

Take me for who I am.

If you love me,

Accept me with all my faults.

If you love me,

Don't judge me when I make mistakes,

For I am only... human..."

He paused at the last word. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes. They both knew he was anything but human. The raven-haired man's face remained expressionless before he smiled at her, leaning down to kiss her temple. The movement just felt so intimate, felt so light and chaste that it made her eyes close, clutching the fabric of his shirt tightly. Feeling her heat up against him, he chuckled before continuing.

"And longing to be loved.

If you truly love me,

Don't worry about the looks.

Deep within may be the seeds of love

Waiting to burst forth.

Love is like a bud:

Beautiful, blind and ready to blossom.

Love is like a petal: poised and pretty,

As glorious as a summer's day.

Embrace the beauty of my heart,

Caress the beauty of my soul.

I am who I am,

So... accept me for who I am."

They both stared at each other as the word falls from his lips. Y/N watched his button eyes, his pallid cheeks and the way his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. 

"... Shall we head on to theater my love?" Adonis spoke after he gained his bearings. She perked up.

"Theater?" This time, the black buttons gleamed a different light. She budged from his lap and he stood from the chair. Holding out a hand, he smiled.

"Why, theater with the missus Spink and Forcible of course."

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Creaking down the steps towards the basement where the retired burlesque actresses lived, Y/N noted the small fairy lights flashing in red and white colors lining the door laying ajar.

The big room smelled of dust and velvet. Y/N turned to Adonis who only smiled and mouthed for her to wait.

The curtains covering the entrance to the hallway fluttered and out came a black Scottie dog, snout gray with age and its nose pink and perky. She flinched when the dog pointed the flashlight in his mouth at them.

"Right, let's see your tickets," it spoke gruffly. Adonis bent down to hand it with what seemed to be the tickets. It woofed appreciatively before gesturing for them to follow it through.

Red curtains were pulled back to reveal a vast indoor amphitheater. The dog lead them towards the front row, just in front of the stage. The other seats were seemingly empty. But as soon as her eyes got used to the darkness, she realized that the other inhabitants were also black Scottie dogs. 

For a moment, she forgot that Adonis was beside her until she felt him wound his fingers through hers a needle sewing through fabric. He could see him grin in the darkness before a spotlight shone on the stage. A sudden hissing noise came from behind the stage. Y/N decided that it was the sound of an ancient record being put onto an equally ancient record player. The hissing became the noise of trumpets; of honking bicycles and chittering birds, and Miss Spink and Miss Forcible came skipping onstage.

Miss Spink and Miss Forcible looked the same as they always did, but with buttons for irises and throwing flower petals in their wake. Both of them scattered the flower petals across the stage as they went. They reached the front of the stage, and the two old women bowed low.

All the dogs thumped their tails and barked, barked and barked happily. The couple up front clapped politely too.

Then they unbuttoned their fluffy round coats and opened them. But their coats weren't all that opened: their legs, arms and faces opened, too, like empty nutshells. Out of the old empty fluffy round bodies stepped two young women. They were thin and pale, and quite pretty- yet they still retained their black button eyes. Adonis laughed at her gaped-mouthed expression.

Miss Spink held out a dagger and shouted, "Is this a dagger I see before me?"

"Yes! It is!" The Scottie dogs shouted from their places, "It is, it is!"

Miss Forcible stepped forward and Miss Spink leaned forward as if to thrust the dagger and let it pierce the other woman's chest before speaking a verse.

"What piece of work is a man, how noble in reason,
how infinite in faculties, in form and moving,
how express and admirable in action, how like an angel in apprehension,
how like a god!"

The dogs woofed joyfully. The women bowed low before Miss Forcible stepped forward.

"Theater and acting, truly a beauty in the works of man! Now we should like to have some volunteers to do something beautiful of their own!" She chittered cheerily, "May we have some volunteers please?"

"That's you and your... partner," The dog beside Y/N nudged her with its paw.  She glanced at her partner to find him already standing. She swallowed, hand in his as they ascended up the stage. Adonis mouthed something to the two women before he proceeded to glide along the stage with Y/N in his arms.

His shoes stomped along the wooden floor. Positioning his arms around her waist and her hand around his neck, he whispered into her ear and his throaty voice caught her off guard.

"Follow my lead."

The record music was promptly cut off, before the sound of a guitar sifted through the air. Almost immediately, he swayed and clicked his shoes together. Soon, he began to lead her into a trot, and then a sensual twirl, whirling and moving his hands around her body as their feet frolicked along the floor.

'Flamenco', Y/N discerned as she quickly matched along with his steps while the music grew faster, and faster, and faster, and faster.

The music of the Spanish guitar halted abruptly before it continued again to signal the ending. The woman was dipped, with the man's face close to hers. Y/N shut her eyes, exhilarated as Adonis carefully stood her up. Her legs felt shaky as she stood back on the stage.

The dogs thumped their tails with approval and woofed happily. The couple bowed low.

"I didn't know you were such a good dancer," The h/cette gazed at him breathlessly as they descended the steps. The buttons in place of his scleras glinted mysteriously and his reply made her stiffen.

"Learned everything from university days, my dear."

Miss Spink handed her some chocolates, thanking her for being such a good sport and continued to recite verses, proses and such with her fellow actress.

"You were both very good," the dog beside Y/N commented as they took their seats. It began to eye the chocolate in her lap with hungry button eyes.

"Would you like one?" She offered before shaking her head, "Or maybe not. I should like to give you one, but they said chocolate is bad for dogs."

"Maybe where you're from!" It yipped and Y/N raised an eyebrow, "here, it's all we eat!"

A hand brushed her shoulder and she turned to face Adonis, who motioned for her to sneak past the stage and out the doors. Y/N said goodbye to the dog before she took his pale hand. Together, they left the theater.

"How long does the theater go on for?" She asked him as they strolled. He stopped, as if to ponder about it before replying, "All the time. It goes on and on and on." At this point, the both of them had reached the end of the garden. She yawned and he chuckled, draping the blazer he had around her shoulders.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight, my beloved?"

"Very much so," She dozily agreed. Adonis smiled affectionately as he swiftly lead her up to the house before he set her in his lap in the bright red chair with the lion's feet. Nestling up to the cozy fire in the drawing room, he hugged her to him.

Y/N leaned upwards to peer at him with sleepy eyes. He laughed huskily before he leaned in- hot breath heaving against her nose before he angled his head and nudge at her cheek to ask for consent. No sooner than that did she feel his cool lips against her warm mouth press for a blissful moment before he pulled away, chest heaving and peppermint scent overwhelming her into sleep.

"Sleep. Sleep, my darling doll."

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sorry if this seems rushed. i just got instant brainrot and didn't check anything so this is unedited lmaoo

poem is 'budding love' by jackie sallis 

verse is taken from the play 'hamlet' by william shakespeare :)