Chapter Eight: Unexpected

I stood under the showerhead, staring down at my feet yet again, unsure what event would unfold tonight. I had planned to stay locked in my room, away from him and everyone else for that matter...

*what a shitty day...*

I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, imagining if I hadn't missed with my knife. The thought was amusing, though I didn't want to take another life, even if it is a lying low life like silver tongue.

* it's like an eerie calm before the storm hits.*

I got out of the shower, wrapping my hair up in a towel, walking into my room. The knock at my bedroom door, my towel dropping from around me as I watched him peek his head in. He froze as he saw me, naked and skin flushed and steamy from the shower I had just gotten out of. My lips pulled back over my teeth in a grimace, though I wasn't shy about my body. I had no reason to, I just don't want this horn dog starting at me.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You're supposed to wait for an answer before you barge into a person's room. What do you want?" I snapped, leaning down to grab my towel, drying off like he wasn't even there. I then pulled the towel off the top of my head, letting my red ringlets fall around my shoulders, clinging to my skin.

It seemed as though he had a distant look on his face, his pupils dilated before shrinking to tiny pinholes. "I just wanted to say night, get yer rest. " his eyes wandered me for a while longer before lifting to my face; he then left without a word, closing my door a little too hard.

I stared at the door where he had just been not even a moment before, turning it back to get ready for bed. When I was confident that he wouldn't come back to the door, I turned my lamp off and walked over to look in the peephole.

He didn't even bother to close the door; I watched as he stripped his clothing, leaving him bare to my naked eyes. I held my breath when he turned his torso, his muscles rippling underneath his skin, coiling and relaxing, it was a mesmerizing sight.

He then walked out of his room with a towel and a washcloth sporting neatly folded on his shoulders, willing myself not to look down at his manhood, but my eyes drifted anyway.

My mouth opened with a pop and a squeal left my lips, causing him to stop in his stride to the bathroom. He looked at my door, his eyes meeting mine even though he couldn't see me, but I froze, holding my breath for so long my head felt like it was swimming.

He then went about his way into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

My breath exploded out of me, and I gasped as my heart pounded ridiculously fast within my chest.

*fucking horn dog, he has no shame whatsoever.*

I took that as my cue to sleep before something happened that neither of us could take back. Not bothering to put on any clothing, I climbed underneath my blanket and let unconsciousness take me.

****

I was bombarded again this night with another dream of the man I enjoyed punching. The scenery was beautiful; there were so many trees with a lake as big as a football field right in the middle of it all. The water was clear and still, and it reflected everything like a mirror, and I watched as he came into focus as he walked through them, his hand outstretched to me.

"ya look beautiful in green..."his compliment reached my ears as I reached out to grasp onto his hand. It was in first-person point of view again, and there stood Bar-brawler's doppelganger.

We were walking, hand in hand, my darker skin contrasting strongly against his lighter, and he wore a ring with the same sun that I had seen on his coin. The smile that pulled at my lips was evident enough that I adored this man.

"Maybe if I saw myself, I could say the same, aye Lugh?" I could feel my breathing stop as I said the name, the same name that I screamed out in pleasure the night before in a dream. He just chuckled, pulling me against his tall form, dragging me over to the lake's shoreline. When I had caught the reflection of who stood next to him, I stiffened. The woman staring back at me was, in fact, me.

Her hair was just as red as mine, though it was long past my hips and flowed freely in its tight curl pattern. The green dress I was in was practically see-through, and with every slight breeze, it blew the skirt of my dress around my ankles. The same sun-like insignia was on a necklace I wore and on an elegant piece of jewelry that hung loosely on my hips.

That was all fine and dandy, and I wouldn't have thought anything of it until I saw my eyes; they should have been the first thing I noticed though my attention was focus elsewhere.

The eyes that stared back at me within the water's reflection seemed to glow, while one glowed red like lava, the other was silver, almost white as the moon. I was now starting at the doppelganger, my hand gripping his tightly, sadness overtaking me.

"I've known you for a very long time, I've fought alongside you, but I fear leaving you. One day I'm going to be reunited with the earth, and you will be left to suffer in thousands of years of loneliness." I watched his face contort in pain, but his eyes glowed just as bright as the sun. "I promised, didn't I? Ya needn't worry. I'll be 'ere when ya return."

Everything went black after that, though I could feel my brain traveling somewhere else, and I struggled to wake myself up. I was pulled under yet again, this time to see him walking away from a battlefield; I was one of the many bodies that littered the ground. He walked away from me, and I should have been angry, but I knew why he did.

My body was pierced through in several different places, but I had a smile on my face, and as I watched from the outside looking in at me bleeding out on the ground, I could hear my voice, labored with breathing and weak.

" I will return for you. Please, go and find me."

-

I awoke with a start, screaming at the top of my lungs, just as a flash of lightning illuminated my room, the clap of thunder shaking the walls of my house along with my howl of agony.

"Lass?! LASS?!" His voice was just as loud as the thunder that rumbled overhead, barging into my room panicked and scared. His face had all but drained of color when he saw me writhing violently, tangled within my bedsheets.

I screamed again in frustration, sweating just like I had before, my hair sticking uncomfortably to my skin. "Get this shit off me!" I squirmed violently, only for him to walk over, pulling me out of bed and won't the floor.

The blankets loosened as I crawled my way out of them, gasping for breath, glaring up at him.

"What're ya screamin' for?" He had relaxed after a while but still held the look of concern in his eyes as he checked to make sure that I was okay. He had squatted down to get a better look at me, brushing the hair out of my face.

"Lugh..." I whispered his name, the rain coming down forcefully against my window. He rocked back off the balls of his feet, falling right on his ass, shock taking him once again.

"Why was I asking your doppelganger to come find me?" I questioned, watching his eyes grow impossibly round, his mouth falling agape.

"Of all times for this to happen....." He shook his head, the shock in his features turning to pain. For a moment, it looked like his eyes were watering, like he had so much to tell me, but he didn't know how. I could see the pain it brought him. He was struggling with himself.

"How old are you?" I whispered, crawling closer, staring up at his face. He started down at me, leaning back onto his hands, contemplating on whether or not he should say. He gave a sad smile and reached forward to touch my cheek, letting his hand fall. "Over four thousand years old." I sucked in a breath as I started up at him wide-eyed and confused. "So it was you..." I whispered in a shaky breath, my lips beginning to tremble as I fought my tears. " Aye.." He nodded with a somber expression, staring into my eyes.

I shook my head, trying to piece everything together, to try and understand, but I was having a hard time. "So you are... A Leprechaun?" The tears overflowed, rolling down my cheeks, watching him stiffen at the sight of them fall off my chin and lips. He swallowed loudly before sitting forward, pulling me closer to him. "Aye, though I'm a little more than that, Lass, but I'm sure ya know that by now, don't ya?" He brushed his thumbs against my cheek as he peered down into my distraught face.

The one question I wanted to ask was at the tip of my tongue; I wanted more than anything to gear the answer to something I had already been shown. "What are we to each other?" He smiled a bit, brushing his thumb over my lips. "An ancient story brought to life. I'm yer sun, and yer my moon." He leaned back on his hands which in turn had me face planting in his case chest. "It would be better to show ya."

I quirked an eyebrow, confused as to what he meant. "We're goin' into The Horde."