SGE His Darkened Heart (A Japaric Fanfiction)

CHAPTER 18 The Dress

~JAPETH'S POV~

The Copper haired boy stared out the window, his eyes focused down the road where a figure stood by the street sign, a mere shadow in the moonlight. The cramped house Japeth stood in was dark, empty, and lifeless. Staring outside, Japeth could see even the dirt road seemed desolate and barren, the neighborhood eerily quiet as if no life stirred within any of the rundown houses lining Stropshire Lane. 

But despite the emptiness, there the shadow stood, still as death as if it was watching something, and Japeth could feel eyes boring into his soul. Than, as Japeth watched, the shadow suddenly moved forward, heading past the street sign and down the road, closer and closer to the House Japeth was in. 

There was a sudden heavy sense of danger that hung like a sheet in the air as Japeth's gaze followed the shadow's movements as it went past the window out of his view. Japeth scrambled across the empty room that'd once been the Livingroom and found himself at the front door. Through the fear Japeth felt clenching at his gut, he felt something else...A strange tingle of anticipation swelling in his heart. 

But why? Japeth had no reason to feel suddenly excited about the prospect of a strange shadow lurking outdoors. Japeth was alone. He'd awoken long into the night to find his brother, Rhian, gone and the house even more empty than he remembered seeing it before. For all Japeth knew, his brother had abandoned him in the middle of the night to run away to Camelot and this shadow was going to break into his house to attack him, try to rob him of all he had. 

Japeth felt his Scims awaken all at once, their gurgles accompanying the dreadful silence as Japeth stared at the front door, his entire body feeling suddenly constricted by the scims coating every inch of his skin. 

Than, the doorknob rattled, turning all the way and Japeth's scims readied to attack the shadow that stepped into the doorway, their fangs spitting and their heads rearing, prepared to strike at any given moment. Japeth's heart was pounding so hard in his chest that he swore the shadow could hear it, and he tensed as he watched the door open, flinging against the wall with a deafening crack. 

Japeth's heart lurched and his eyes widened at the sight of who stood in the doorway before him. The shadow was no longer a shadow, but a boy with spikey raven hair and lethal violet eyes, dressed from head to toe is black. The boy's black boots thudded against the floor as he stepped through the threshold, his deliberate footfalls carrying him closer and closer to a stunned Japeth. 

"Did ya miss me?" the boy asked, his voice as husky and malicious as Japeth remembered it. 

"Aric?" Japeth blurted, his Scims no longer spitting, but squealing excitedly. 

"I'm sorry for everything I've done to hurt you," Aric whispered, so close now Japeth could see the tears glistening in Aric's violet eyes and his defined cheekbones, pale as a ghost. One of Aric's hands neared his and than Aric wrapped his pinkie around Japeth's own in a touch that felt too familiar to be real. 

"I'm sorry for attacking your brother," Aric went on, voice tight with emotion. "I'm sorry for leaving you like I did, but I'm back now. Rhian's gone, ran off to Camelot like a coward,  and we can be together now without him trying to tear us apart."

Japeth's mind whirled with questions as he tugged Aric close, overcome by emotion as he chocked out a sob that he couldn't suppress. It was all too much for Japeth to have his best friend suddenly arrive back to him. Japeth had only pictured what it'd be like for him and Aric to reunite, and now his friend was here, by his side, and Japeth prayed nothing would take that away from him; Not Dean Burnhilde, not Arbed and certainly not Rhian.