Part 56 - Finally over

Y/n

I can confidently say that I have never had this much smoke in my lungs before right now, and I was glad that it took this long for it to happen, because it was not a nice feeling at all.

There was a burning that ran throughout my whole chest, and the smoke that I knew I was inhaling instead of oxygen, was doing some pretty nasty damage to the organ located in my ribcage. It caused me to cough involuntarily, before I was even able to will myself into opening my eyes, which were equally affected by said smoke.

I was honestly getting sick of blacking out like I had already done twice tonight. It truly is impossible for a girl to catch a break, isn't it.

My whole body ached from head to toe, and there was a ringing in my ears that was slowly becoming quieter with every second more that I was awake, but I could still hear it in the back of my brain as I groaned in pain.

It was so freezing cold up here that I couldn't feel my feet at all, only a numbness that made me a little fearful that maybe it was something more than just a low body temperature, but the longer that I focused on it, the more feeling came back a little at a time. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

There was no longer a steady buzz from above, so I could only assume that the machine really did overload with power, and was now no longer in any shape to be fixed. It'd take a miracle to get any of this stuff working again.

I really thought that I was going to die when that thing blew up, and the last thing that I saw before everything went up in a bright flash, was the very same black and white stripes that I had come to know like the back of my hand, and it was accompanied by a warmth that belonged to the one boy who had held me in that moment, shielding my body from the blast with his own.

Oh god.

Pugsley.

In that very fraction of a second when I realized what he had done, my eyes shot open through the pain that they felt from being exposed to the air around me, and my view was blurry only for a moment before it adjusted, and I saw piles of debris and there were still small but sure sparks being spat out from the panels that were now thrown to the floor.

When I couldn't immediately see him, my heart dropped. But it was in that same second that my sense of feeling came back, and I noticed a weight draped over my waist that I hadn't felt before, making my neck turn to look down at what I already knew it was.

Those stripes...

The moonlight was gone now, but when my head turned just that little bit more, I could still see he was there, laying on the ground behind me unconscious still holding me like he had done before the explosion. 

I lifted my upper body up from the floor on my hand, and a sharp pain shot up all the way from my finger tips to the mid section of my arm. I had forgotten what had happened to my hand until now, and my eyes dipped down and are met the view of now dried blood and the results of when Pugsley had caught me from falling.

It hurt like nothing ever before, but I would rather be stuck with a scar than die.

My injuries weren't the ones that had me worried right now though. Not when he still hadn't opened his eyes.

Seeing his arm fall from where it lay across my body when I sat up, sent a fear up my spine that made that lump form in my throat again when my mind raced with the thought that maybe his eyes weren't going to ever meet mine again, and it scared me more than the prospect of my own death did.

But thankfully, the afterlife had seemed to not claim him just yet, and that sinking feeling in my gut was soon proved wrong by the sight before me, and my fear was replaced with a relieved exhale when my gaze flicked to his shoulders as they rose and fell softly, indicating he was still breathing.

I still needed him to wake up. I can't let myself breathe again until I know for sure that he's okay.

I turned my body to fully face his asleep form, and my hand reached for the side of his face closest to me, not caring about the subtle aching pain that persisted that pulsed through the veins of my right arm, and I cupped his soot stained cheek, getting a drop or two of blood on his face from my finger tips as I shook his head softly.

"Pugsley.."

When he didn't wake up from me being gentle with him, I upped the aggressiveness in my attempt to get him to wake up, and it was quite the familiar feeling to be the one doing this, just as I have done many times before when he refused to get out of bed for class.

But this time I really need him to listen to me.

I moved his head back and forth a little firmer this time, and his shoulders shook along with it while my voice got more desperate for him to open his eyes.

"Pugsley please...wake up."

I swear if he doesn't come back to me right now I am going to-

His chest spasmed slightly as he let out a string of coughs, getting the dust and lingering smoke out of his lungs, before I saw his eyes slowly start to flutter open, and I finally let out a deep exhale while watching him blink a couple of times, trying to register what was going on.

Thank the gods...I don't have to kill him for dying after all.

It took a few seconds, but his gaze eventually turned up to look directly at my own, and I didn't give him time to even speak a single word before my arms had pulled his body up into my hold, and I gripped onto him like nothing else mattered, burying my face in his shoulder and letting that overwhelming feeling in my chest finally take over.

The iron collar had been broken off from his neck in the blast, and it now lay on the floor discarded nearby, meaning I was able to feel his full warmth against me as he returned the embrace, sighing deeply into my hair.

I think this was the first time in the history of hugging him, that he hasn't held me like I was some sort of breakable object. And I didn't want him to, not when I just spent the most recent minutes of my life thinking that he was dead. I wanted him to hold me so tight that it crushed my bones, and I would do the same.

My not bleeding hand came up to the back of his head, pulling him just that little bit closer as my finger ran through the already tussled strands, and I could feel my eyes start to water in pure relief that he was okay.

"Never do that again, you hear me? You scared the crap out of me."

There was a huff of amused air that blew against my head, and he nodded.

"I'm sorry amor, I didn't mean to scare you.."

I pull myself away from his shoulder, and instead hold his face in between my hands as I smile at his exhausted expression. The machine took a lot out of him, so I'm not surprised that his energy was practically all drained by now.

I shake my head gently.

"Don't apologise. I'm just glad that you're okay."

At this point I couldn't even be bothered to make a big deal out of the fact that he had just called me 'amor'. Because honestly, it sounded and felt right for him to say it, and it made my heart flutter a little bit.

I may not know enough Spanish to know what he's saying when it's full ass sentences, but I knew that one word from years of TV and books.

Love.

And if his action of literally putting his life on the line to protect my own was any sign of how much of that he felt for me, then I think it's pretty safe to say that he's got boat loads of it in his heart right now.

I mean you don't accept death for just anyone, you know. 

My forehead leaned against his, and he sighed.

"Right back at you.."

We stayed like that for a little longer, just letting ourselves finally breathe knowing that the other was alive, and mostly okay. We both had gotten our fair share of wounds and strains on the mind and body, but none of it mattered to me as long as I still had him.

But after almost a minute of keeping my eyes closed, and holding him close to steal his warmth for my own body, I sensed a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach, it was telling me that there was something wrong, but I hadn't seen what it was when I first awoke.

So I pulled my head away from Pugsley, and looked forward over his shoulder at our surroundings, only to see a sight that brought that feeling of fear right back again, and my hold on him loosened as I could only stare at the body laying on the floor behind him.

"Oh no..."

The volume of my voice could barely be considered a whisper, and yet Pugsley obviously heard the nervousness that hid in my words, and he lifted his gaze up to my face in concern. Even though I wouldn't let my eyes look back at him, I could see his brow furrow as he saw my expression.

"What's wrong..?"

I didn't bother to try responding to his wondering tone with words, because frankly I don't even know how I would start to tell him what I was seeing. So instead I just moved my hand to hold his chin, and I twisted his head by force to make him look in the same direction I was, hoping that it would be enough for him to see what I was.

When his head finally did turn enough, I felt his shoulders drop, and a small shaky breath escaped him before he started to move away from me in a crawl towards his mother, whose body was lying underneath one of the pieces of the machine, and neither of us could see her breathing.

"Mom..? Dad?"

His words held a fear in them I rarely heard fall from his lips, and I followed after him carefully across the piles of junk and broken boards under our feet.

Pugsley's eyes didn't dare drift away from Morticia, while my own eyes caught a glimpse of another figure lifting up from the floor, her dark braids falling from her shoulders as she too saw the state of her mother, and Wednesday was immediately on her feet.

"Tish.."

I didn't look over where I heard the voice come from, but I knew it belonged to Mr. Addams, rising from his place standing on the escape ladder that led down into the floor, and his footsteps were soon scrambling up the metal and across the floorboards alongside both of his children.

While they lifted the huge piece of the machine, I moved myself over to where Morticia lay, trying to look for any sign of breathing that I could.

I crouched down next to her, looking over the way she looked so gracious even after what just happened, I was honestly a little impressed. I mean I think no matter what happens she'll just always look good. 

Her hair was fanned out around her on the floor under her head, with dark smoke stains on her pale skin just like Pugsley had, and her arms were laying as if she was posing for some sort of photo, and I have no idea if it's on purpose or not, but it looks graceful, and very dramatic. 

But like...in a good way.

Wednesday stood on the other side of the woman, staring down intently at her for the same reason I was at the moment, while the boys stayed a little further away, discarding the piece of equipment onto the ground a few feet from where Morticia was.

And even though I couldn't see her chest move up and down in the movement that would show me that she was still breathing, it didn't take long after her body was rid of the weight from the machine part, for eyes to shoot open with a very subtle inhale.

Her gaze moved towards her daughter, and she took a deep breath.

"I guess your premonition didn't come true after all."

I wasn't entirely sure what she was talking about, but I was glad that she was alive. I'd hate to have one of them end tonight without their lives, especially after so many close calls. I think we've all had enough of this evening.

Both Wednesday and I extended a hand for either of hers, and we held on as we pulled her up from the floor gently, making sure she was settled on her feet before she made her way over to the arms of her husband.

And once she had walked off, the girl standing adjacent to me focused her gaze over to mine, and her normally unreadable face showed a hint of emotion, as her lips turned up into a small, but grateful smile.

There was a slight pause between when she showed me emotion, and when she actually spoke, but her voice broke through the silence soon enough.

 "Thank you."

While I wasn't entirely that sure of what I was being thanked for, there was a feeling of understanding between the two of us, and I'm pretty sure that this is the only time in my whole life that I am ever going to get any form of gratitude from Wednesday, so I'm definitely not going to question it.

I nod softly, returning her smile before she makes a quick move away from me, leaving my eyes to wander again, and they fall upon the Addams that I was most happy to see right now.

Pugsley began to walk the small distance that kept him from me now that there wasn't anyone blocking his path, and he was careful to step over all of the broken shards of glass and rusty metal on the floor, opening his arms lazily before he came to a stop in front of me, and he engulfed my body in yet another hug.

Naturally it took less than a second for my own arms to return the embrace in kind, and I released a deep exhale that I hadn't realized I'd been holding in, just letting myself melt in the gentleness of his hold. For the first time tonight, I could truly breathe, relax, and just be vulnerable in the arms of the boy that I love.

When he held me, it felt kind, sincere, and sort of like that feeling you get in the morning when it's cold outside and you don't want to leave your bed because it's just so warm and cozy under the covers, and you're desperate just to have five more minutes. 

Or even when you finally do will yourself to move away from that comfiness, only to find it again when the water from the tap running over your hands is just that perfect temperature, not so hot that it burns, but warm enough that it makes you feel as if you could fall asleep standing at the sink.

Everyone is okay. And maybe we'll finally be able to go home...

After several more seconds of basking in his warmth, Pugsley pulled away from me, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead, clearly not caring that my skin was covered in dirt and specks of blood. It was less soft than the one I had received from him back at the gala, this time it was like he was trying to ground himself with my presence.

"Peace at last.."

Even though he had literally told me himself that I was his calm, it still felt really nice to experience just how true it was. Moments like these where he just focused on me, had a special place in my heart alongside all of the memories that I've made with him these past few months.

And I wanted to just stay like this until I really did fall asleep, and trust me, I was close to doing so. The chain of events that have happened in the last few hours have left me on the verge of wanting to let my eyes close again and fall into a warm slumber, wrapped in a pair of safe arms.

I too was tired and delusional enough to think that this night was free from anymore chaos, but it was a hope that was soon crushed by the sound of a pair of footsteps that echoed across the room, kicking a piece of metal into the wall with a clanging noise as they came around the corner.

Wow you revive a guy once and suddenly he's literally immortal. That would have been nice to know sooner.

What is it going to take to get rid of this asshole? No matter what we do, he just keeps on coming back. At this point I'm tempted to just push him out the window and hope that does the job.

Isaac stumbled towards us with unsteady strides. His appearance was quite similar to everyone else's, hair messed up and dusted with smoke and burnt at the edges from how close he was to the machine when it blew up, his clothes were slightly ripped and he was covered almost head to with soot marks, with blood trickling down his cheek from the side of his head.

I could only assume he got the worst amount of damage from the explosion, seeing as he was dead set on trying to save it from overpowering in the first place, which was a pretty dumb idea on his part. I mean it wasn't exactly a secret that everything was broken beyond repair at that point.

All he really did was increase the chances of his death. Though unfortunately he has escaped that fate once again.

And the second that he came into view, causing every pair of eyes to be drawn over to him, I felt my body get pulled gently by Pugsley until I stood mostly behind him, and the action obstructed my view of the crazed man for a moment. But I was too curious to stay hidden for very long, so I leaned my body sideways slightly to see what was going on, even if Pugsley wanted otherwise.

I was flattered that he protected me just out of instinct, though I was plenty capable of taking care of myself. Especially when I had a bone to pick with this guy for putting both Pugsley and I through the wringer tonight, and of course all the days before where he's just been a little shit.

But my life wasn't the one that Isaac was going after in this moment of anger that he had going on, and it was made very clear who his psycho behavior was pointed towards, when his hand shot out towards Wednesday, and her body was forcefully pulled away from the group as her feet skidded across the floor.

A sound of shock escaped her throat as her hands came up to claw at it, just like I had done when Isaac used his powers on me, and I could only assume he was now doing the same to her now, cutting off her oxygen.

I knew this guy was crazy and all that, but he seemed pretty hell bent on getting some sort of revenge against this family. All I knew about his grudge that he so clearly has on the Addams', was what I heard back in the forest when he went on that rant about losing one of his limbs to the wrath of Morticia.

Is he seriously doing all of this just because he missed being able to use his right hand?

I mean each to their own I suppose...

That very same hand shook slightly, obviously straining what little energy he had left in his body in order to use his power, and the words that came out of his mouth next were spoken like it physically hurt him to talk at all. I guess the smoke did more to his lungs than it did to any of us.

"Because of you... I lost the only person I ever truly loved."

Wednesday's legs weakened even further, until she was forced to her knees, still gasping for air that wouldn't allow itself to enter her body, and the sight of it brought back that faint feeling of my neck being crushed that I knew she was being put through now too.

And as her form wracked with the depletion of oxygen, Mr. Addams' voice called out in front of us, pleading towards the source of his child's pain.

"Isaac..Isaac! It's over, let my daughter go.."

It brought an odd feeling to my chest to see a father care so much about his daughter's well-being, and I'm not saying that I feel particularly envious of Wednesday's current situation, as it wasn't the most comfortable place to be in right now, but there was a small part of me that wished my own father cared in the way that Mr. Addams did..

A dream that stays in the realm of things that I will never attain.

Isaac's head moved gently, disregarding the desperate tone that the man standing a few feet away from me held in his voice.

"Sorry old friend. Now you two...will know what real pain feels like."

His crazed eyes focused back to the girl kneeling on the floor, and his hand snapped further out to her, and there was a very quiet crunch of bone being squished in the invisible hold around Wednesday's neck, causing yet another pained sound to be choked out into the air.

And it was at that almost unnoticeable crushing noise, that I felt a hand grab my wrist.

Not in any sort of harsh, hurtful way, but in fear.

You wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at his face, but Pugsley was more scared than he was putting off, and I knew that just by the feeling of the subtle trembling that shook his hand as his fingers grasped my skin.

He already had to go through watching his sister nearly die once tonight, and now having to see her on the brink of death again because of the same fucked up guy that just won't let up, had to be affecting him more than it may seem.

So, I shift my hand up to grab a hold of his own, before interlocking my fingers with his. 

The open wound in my palm stung when I did so, but I pushed past it silently to be there for him, to try and be that grounding source of comfort for him, quiet, but there.

This was the only thing I could think to do right now, it was an action that brought peace to me when he did it, whether he was intending it to be that way or not, and I hoped that I could bring that same feeling to him.

He didn't look down at me when I felt him return my hold, but his hand held mine tightly in a way that made me know that I was helping, even if it was only a little.

I just don't want him to be afraid, and I'm not sure what else to do.

Morticia tried to make a move for Wednesday, clearly also scared for her daughter the same as Mr. Addams was, but her attempt to reach Wednesday was cut short by the more angered shout of Isaac.

"One more step, and I SNAP her neck!"

They were at a loss, we all were. If any of us tried to stop what he was doing, he won't hesitate for a second to kill Wednesday, but if we do nothing, then she'll die from the lack of oxygen anyway. There was no winning, and he knew that.

The space between him and us held an uncertainty of what to do, and Morticia's head moved to look between Wednesday and Isaac.

And when her gaze finally landed on the mad man again, I could see that she wasn't actually looking at him.

But rather the hand that he still had extended out to keep control over her daughter.

"Thing...we know you're still in there."

I could tell just by hearing the waver in her words that even she thought that her attempt to pull Thing out from the hold that Isaac had taken over him, was a long shot. But her pleas were soon backed by the man next to her.

"Come back to us Thing, we love you. We're your family!"

I can't say that I really spent that much time around Thing, but in the small amount of minutes that I did stay with him back in the forest, he had shown himself to be quite the dependable part of their family, just as Mr. Addams claimed. I couldn't imagine what it felt like to see him be taken away like that, to be used as just a means to hurt others, knowing that if he weren't attached to Isaac, he wouldn't do any of this.

Isaac scoffed, seeming to be quite fed up with the idea these two had that they would be able to get Thing back to being himself again, and he rolled his eyes.

"This was never a part of your family. It's a part of me!"

Would it kill him to at least not call Thing an 'it', I mean he had a life away from Isaac. Actually you know what, I hope it does kill him to say that.

There was a pause, where nobody said anything, or moved an inch. But my eyes dropped down to Morticia's legs as they took a singular step forward, just far enough that she was able to swing her leg back and kick the axe that had been discarded on the ground, making it slide across the floor.

And Wednesday reached down to stop it. She didn't even have to look back, she just knew when it was going to reach her, and she grabbed it swiftly, lifting it up overhead with one hand, and threw it towards Isaac.

But in her weak state, her aim was just that little bit off, and she wasn't able to hit him, instead making the axe fly past his body, and it landed itself into one of the panels behind him causing it to chuck out a few sparks upon impact.

Thankfully though, in his action of dodging the weapon, Isaac's focus was broken, and the link that was once connecting his power to Wednesday's neck, broke right along with it.

And it was at that moment that I could practically fell the fear lift from Pugsley's shoulders, and his grip became gentle, loving. And his thumb started to run back and forth over the back of my hand softly, still keeping his gaze locked onto the view in front of us.

After a second of letting myself stare up at him, I did the same, and I felt relieved knowing that he was okay now.

Wednesday was finally able to breathe again, and took a few deep and raspy inhales, coughing lightly as she regained the air in her lungs, which let her pull herself up from the ground, and stood still as she kept her gaze on the grin that spread across Isaac's face.

"You missed!"

His hand shot out towards the girl again, attempting to retake the hold around her throat that had been ripped from him merely seconds ago, and it trembled just the same as before, but this time..

Nothing.

Not a single gasp, choke, claw for air, none of it.

It wasn't working.

And the only one confused in this moment, was him. Because I think we all knew the reason behind why his powers had suddenly stopped affecting his target, and I couldn't help but smile subtly at his look of pure shock.

Nothing more amusing than watching a man's confidence crumble.

No matter how many times he tried to use his power, the hand that was supposed to wield them appeared to have a very different idea.

A certain right hand pal has snapped out of the trance Isaac put him under, and he was back for good this time.

"Come on Thing.."

The whisper fell from Wednesday's lips, only moments before Thing began to contort, twisting himself and disregarding whatever kind of order's the rest of Isaac's body was telling him to do, and he fought back.

With every movement that clearly wasn't Isaac's doing, his face grew even more confused, weirded out even. I guess it's not every day that your right hand gets sick of you and quits, but there's a first time for everything.

Thing came to an abrupt stop, now making his sentient nature obvious to the man whom he was still attached to via a very rushed sewing job, and Isaac was speechless, staring down at Thing for a moment with a look on his face that reminded me of how I probably look when somebody says something stupid, and means it.

"What is happening.."

I'm not sure what Thing's plan was from this point now that he had gotten everyone's attention, but what he chose to do next made me think that he and I would actually get along pretty well.

He turned himself around, flipping Isaac off and catching him quite off guard, meaning Isaac's eyes moved away from him at the very split second that Thing used the crude gesture to poke him right in the eye, pulling a pained yelp from the man.

And thus began their very odd looking fight, that very much summed up the entire sentiment of 'why are you hitting yourself?'.

Punches, hair pulling, being thrown into the wall repeatedly, Isaac was being put through it all. And rightfully so, though I must admit it was a humorous sight, and I could feel both myself and the boy standing beside me wrack with soft laughter as we watched him get a taste of his own medicine.

He tried to fight back against Thing's attacks upon his body, but his efforts were for naught. I don't think he was going to be able to get out of this one alive, and my mouth curved up into a small grin at the thought of not having to deal with this guy anymore.

There was a small part of me that kind of wished I could be the one to rid this world of Isaac Night, but I think the Addams' deserved to be the one's to do so, it was clear that there's something between them and Isaac that I wasn't fully filled in on.

Plus it was nice to just sit back and watch as the guy who has caused us all so much pain, finally faced the consequences of his actions. Pain that you reap, is pain that you sow after all. And he was getting it given back to him ten fold.

I held Pugsley's hand a little tighter, feeling slightly nervous that maybe this would finally be the end of all this exhaustion, the end of the pain that none of us ever asked for. And his thumb continued his comforting motion, before his head tipped down towards mine, pulling me closer to him when he noticed my on edge expression.

It didn't take long for the comedic side of things to start to fade, and it got a little more intense when Thing hooked one of his fingers into the upper side of Isaac's gums, forcing him to move in the way that Thing chose, so that his flesh of his cheek didn't get ripped.

Isaac stumbled backwards back into the middle of the floorboards, holding his wrist so that Thing couldn't reach his face any longer, but Thing had other plans.

Instead of attempting to injure Isaac's face any further than he already had, he reached down towards his chest, ripping open the fabric of his shirt to expose the skin underneath.

Along with his mechanical man made heart.

And it was at that moment when the subtle red glow and the repetitive ticks of the gears inside his chest came into the light, that I felt myself be pulled into a familiar pair of arms, and I was spun around until my view no longer had Isaac in it, but was instead blocked by Pugsley, who had lifted either of his hands up to the sides of my face, so I couldn't see what was going on behind me.

"Wha- Pugsley what are you doing?"

He sighs with a smile.

"Y/n, as much as I would LOVE for you to stare at that guys chest, I have a feeling it's about to get pretty gruesome, and I don't want you to have to see that."

Well I'll be damned, I think that he may be a little bit jealous. I mean it's not like I was staring on purpose, but that's where the spectacle just happened to be, so yeah I was looking. But I guess I can't argue with his logic, I wasn't too fond of watching Thing do what I thought he was about to do.

So I just smile, looking up at him softly.

"Alright, well don't you want to watch?"

He shrugs, shaking his head.

"Nah, I've already got the perfect view right here."

Smooth motherfucker...

I still find it incredible how many butterflies I get in my stomach when he says stuff like that, and it's almost impossible not to smile when he does so, because he just has that much of an effect on me, just with a few simple words.

He kept his head tilted down towards mine as he stared into my eyes, seeming very content with his place right now as he held me, and I returned his gaze just as kindly.

But that fluttery feeling in my chest was very soon interrupted by the sound of what I knew was Thing reaching into Isaac's chest, and he let out a very pained shout as his heart was being dug out from his flesh.

I grimaced at the gross noise, and there was a small clang of metal that fell to the floor once his heart had finally been removed, and his yelps quieted into more soft gasps, making the room around me to be filled with only the sounds of his dying breath,

And the sound of his heart, the ticks slowing with each time the gears spun around, until there was a soft thud as his body fell.

The ticking was now gone, and the air silent with the knowledge that he was really dead. For good. And I swear, if he comes back again I will just burn him alive until he's a pile of ashes.

Pugsley held me just as close as before, if not a little closer, but now that the gross part was over, I turned my head to see the results of Isaac's final breath.

And Pugsley knew he couldn't stop me from doing what I wanted, so instead he joined me in my curiousness, looking over at the body laying dead on the floor just as intently as I was.

The crater that once held the piece of equipment that kept him alive, now was left empty, dripping a small amount of blood from the points of connection, and down his cold and pale skin onto the floor beneath him.

His heart lay near the hand that had stolen it from his body, bloodied and dark without the energy it needed to stay ticking.

There was a stillness, a feeling of uncertainty that hung heavy in the air between every person here, because none of us were sure if the hand that had ripped out the heart, had died along with it or not.

Thing lay on the floor, unmoving and covered in the blood that wasn't his won, but was an artwork of his heroic actions, and not a single eye on this room dared to look away from him as we waited for even just a small sign that he was still here, even just a twitch.

And a twitch we got.

I could hear the collective breath of relief that filled the room when Thing finally moved, and he flipped himself onto his finger tips, pulling Isaac's lifeless arm along with him as he started moving, in what I suppose you could call a walk. But if a hand walks isn't that just a hand stand without the rest of the body?

Whatever it was called, he moved carefully along the floorboards, seemingly tired from his efforts and the fact that he had successfully killed a man, and because he wasn't strong enough to pull Isaac's entire body as he scurried, it put strain on the stitches that connected him to the man.

And after a few more seconds, they eventually snapped under the pressure, and Thing was free from Isaac's arm. He picked up the pace a little bit as he returned to the two people in front of us, who were crouched down in wait for him, smiles on their faces and a newfound happiness to have him back.

As the parents greeted Thing with open arms, I felt a hand grab the underside of my chin, and my head was gently turned back to face the boy who still held me in one arm, looking down at me with a kindness in his eyes, and a loving grin that made my heart beat loud enough for the whole world to hear.

He guided me a few steps away from everyone else, and he sighed deeply as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, a gesture that never failed to bring me comfort when I needed it the most, and something that always came so naturally to him.

"Hi..."

It came out as a whisper, soft and sincere enough to make me melt on the inside.

His hand lingered against my cheek, and I leaned into his touch as I returned his greeting just as quietly, so only he could hear.

"Hey..."

He brushed his thumb across my cheek, wiping away the tiny bit of blood that had been smeared on my skin from my hand earlier, and he blinked a couple of times, as if he was trying to hold back that tiny bit of fear still left in his stomach from everything that's happened.

"I'm really glad that you're okay. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you.."

I shake my head reassuringly, knowing how scared he must have felt when he saw me fall, because I felt that same fear in my chest when I had watched him almost die too. But he isn't going to lose me, and I won't let myself lose him either.

"You won't. I'm not going anywhere...I promise."

The tension in his shoulders disappeared, and he nodded.

"Good."

That one word was the last spoken for a good several seconds, and the small space between us was filled with a silence only broken by a deep sigh on his part, and his hand lowered down to rest on my arm as he spoke.

"Hey uhm...about what you told me up there, you know...the uh.."

He was starting to get flustered, and his face was turning a deeper shade of red with each fumbled word, it was absolutely adorable watching him struggle while trying to gather his thoughts. I knew what he was getting at, but it didn't feel right to interrupt his focus, he was trying so hard to get the words out.

Seeing him get so nervous about asking what my words meant now that we finally had a moment of peace away from danger, now that he truly wanted to talk about where we stood, it was the cutest thing in the world.

I just stared up at him as he finally spoke.

"Okay uh, how do I say this...Do you remember what I said to you back at the gala? About how I wouldn't be able to call you mine?"

Oh he has no idea. I remember each and every word that he said to me that night, from the moment he caught me standing on one foot behind that curtain, all the way to when he left me with a heavy heart and teary eyes.

I remember it all.

He didn't even have to ask, but I nodded softly anyway.

"Yeah, I do."

I could feel his grip on my arm tighten slightly, but not so much that it hurt. Only enough for me to realize just how anxious he was to say these next few words.

"Well, then...I guess what I'm trying to say is..."

He took a deep breath.

"Can I...call you mine? I want to be able to say that I have the greatest girl in the entire world, I want you to be mine, and fucking hell there is nothing I want more than to be yours...please...let me be your boyfriend."

Oh how I love this boy.

To think that some part of him, even a small one, believes that there was a chance that I don't want the exact same thing that he does, was honestly a little sad. I'm going to make sure that he knows just how much love I feel for him, every day for the rest of my life.

I fake ponder for a moment, being dramatic with the pause that I took to 'think about it' even though I already knew what my answer was, it was just kind of fun to watch him panic a tiiiny bit.

I couldn't help the grin that was tugging at my lips, and I raised up my hand to pinch the edge of his sweater between my fingers, glancing down before meeting his gaze again.

"Boyfriend, huh?"

Pugsley's breath hitched for a split second, and I watched as his pupils dilated at my question, and soon enough my idiotic grin was mirrored right back at me as he nodded.

"Mhm, and I swear to you, I will treat you like a queen every single day. Because you deserve the world and more. I'll be whatever you want, do anything that you need me to, and I will do it all with a smile on my face. There would be no higher honor than to be the one who you call yours."

I bit back my grin, knowing that if I smiled this wide for much longer my face muscles were going to die, and my fingers reached up to the softness of his hair, curling themselves around the strands as I nodded a little too quickly, and I let out a slight huff.

"I really like the sound of that."

He paused at that, staring down at me while still grinning ear to ear, before his own hands came up to hold my face carefully, and he was back to being afraid of me breaking if he held me too tight as he spoke.

"Really?"

I nod.

"Mhm, really. I mean, as long as the titles are mutual. You kind of already act like a boyfriend, so I don't see why not. Plus I like...have a huge crush on you, in case it wasn't obvious."

His thumb ran over my skin once again, and he leaned in a little closer to me.

"It's pretty obvious now that you mention it...and trust me, the titles are definitely mutual.. There won't be a single person on this earth that won't know that you're my girlfriend. I'll shout it for everyone to hear, until I lose my voice."

With his face moving closer to mine slowly with every breath he took, I felt my heartbeat speed up to the point where it was thumping so hard in my chest that I thought it was going to jump out of my throat.

And by close, I mean that soon enough the air that I breathe in, will be inhaled straight from his lungs, and the only thing that I'll be able to think is that eventually I'll die from a lack of proper oxygen intake.

But I didn't dare stop him.

This is the furthest he has ever leaned in before, and I knew exactly what his next move was, but dear god I wish he would just hurry up and do it already.

It took him a couple of seconds to finally have his lips hovered merely a fraction of an inch above mine, and I was fully prepared for him to close that tiny gap that still lay between us, for him to just take the leap and land precisely where he was aiming.

It's not like this is my first kiss or anything, but part of me was still nervous to a degree so high that it felt like it was. I knew that I was supposed to remember what it felt like to be kissed, but the last time that it happened with in the fifth grade.

That party that my friend insisted I tag along to turned out to be a lot less innocent than I thought it would be. Somehow the parents of the girl who was hosting were nowhere to be found, and that led to a very pressured game of spin the bottle that I had no desire to be a part of.

But seriously, peer pressure is terrifying.

I ended up having to kiss one of the boys in the grade above me, which to the other girls sitting in the circle was totally awesome, because he was this really cool sixth grader, but to me he was just this guy whose breath made me want to throw up.

Not exactly how I thought my first kiss would end up going, but nothing I can do about it now.

This though, this was so much different than back then. Because the guy leaning in right now was a guy that I actually liked, cared for, felt love for in a way that I've never felt before.

But just mere milliseconds before he closed that minuscule gap that kept me from him, he paused. I thought maybe he had changed his mind at the very last second, and didn't actually want to kiss me after all, 

Except the look in his eyes when they darted up to meet mine told me that those worries were simply my head giving me crazy ideas. That look was all I needed to know that he wanted this just as badly as I did.

But in his everlasting need to be the gentleman that he is, he just had to ask first.

"May I?"

Oh dear god if this boy does not just kiss me right now I am going to crash out.

While I do admire his consistency in always asking permission before doing anything intimate like this, I kind of wish that he would just go for it like I so desperately want him to before I grab his adorable fucking face and do it myself.

Though I will admit that him wanting to ask for my consent first is making him all the more attractive in this moment, and it makes the final result of his actions worth the wait. Especially when I know that he is the only guy that I ever want to kiss again, I can wait an extra few seconds for him to give that to me.

I lifted one of my hands up to hang off of his forearm, and I raise my brow in a look of challenge.

"Don't do it, see what happens."

There was a quick, amused huff that left his lungs at my sarcastic remark, and his hand shifts further up into my hair, holding me close while I stood up on my tip toes to lend him a little bit of help in his endeavor.

And he finally gave me what I desired.

Out of everything that Pugsley has ever done for me, all the sweet gestures and words, every fleeting moment of touch that we've shared in our time together, the warmth he makes flow through my heart without even trying,

None of it compared to this.

He closed the remaining breath of space that kept his lips from mine, and in that moment as my eyes closed over, I got to feel just how much affection had been building up in his heart, and he made very sure to make it known how badly he has wanted to do this.

Everything that I have ever claimed to be the best feeling in this world, got completely knocked out of the park with this kiss.

It was hesitant at first, soft and careful as he mustered up the courage to put his whole heart into it, but once that initial feeling of nervousness disappeared from his movement, he poured his entire soul into how he kissed, and he pulled me even closer. That stuttering mess of a boy from only a minute earlier was gone, and I was happily welcoming this newfound hunger that he had about him.

He is an ocean that I feel myself drowning in, and I never want to be saved.

I could feel the air in my lungs be depleted with every time he tugged me further into his own body, seemingly trying to connect every inch of his heart with mine, all in the span of several seconds. I knew that I was going to have to come up for oxygen eventually, but I was so wrapped up in this dizzy feeling coursing through my veins.

His kiss was like a toxin that I couldn't get enough of, and apparently neither could he, because he made no move to let me breathe whatsoever.

Nothing could have prepared me for just how incredible this would make me feel, and honestly I was glad that it was left a mystery until right now. 

If you had told me all those moons ago that the awkward boy who walked into my dorm room that day would end up being the very same boy who could make my mind go this numb, removing all forms of logic and thought from my brain all with a simple kiss, I would have called you crazy.

But now, after everything we have been through, every stupid idea and adventure I've been dragged into, every time that I've wanted to smash my head into a wall because of something he's said, every sweet smile and soft touch that purely stayed platonic, even though deep down part of me knew it wouldn't be that way forever...

It was all worth it to end up here.

In everything that he has ever done for me, or simply just around me, he has never failed even once to make me feel safe in his presence, and now was no different.

From listening without judgment when I talk, all the way to defending my honor against a dirtbag when I myself am unable, he has always been my gentleman. The one I can depend on, no matter what.

And now when he had finally taken courage in hand and showed me passion that ran deeper than it ever has before, I still felt as safe as could be. Like he truly would catch me if I fall, over and over again until the day I die.

With his hands holding my head in place as his gentle attack on my mouth continued, plus the fact that I've been submerged in this breathless state for almost a minute now, my mind was starting to go numb, not from bliss, but from a lack of proper air flow to my brain.

As much as I loathed the idea that I had to pull away, I knew that if I ever wanted to kiss him again after this one, I would need to stay alive. And that meant sacrificing this feeling of pure happiness momentarily, so that I may allow my lungs to refill themselves with the air that he has stolen from me.

I didn't open my eyes yet, but the hand that I had kept wrapped around his arm tapped him a few times gently, and for a moment I thought that he was too intoxicated with me to notice the soft touch of surrender I had given him, but after a couple of seconds, he reluctantly released me from the kiss.

Not so far that I couldn't still feel how warm his face had become, but enough that both of us could finally take that inhale of breath that we needed, and his cheeks pulled up into a grin so wide that there were tiny dimples that formed on either side of his face.

Adorable...

He let out a deep exhale, and there was a faint cloud of steam that dissipated out into the cold night air around us, and he stood up straight again from how far he had to lean down, still keeping me close as he broke the silence.

"Sorry...I got a little carried away."

 The last thing he needed to do right now was apologize. Not after that.

I shake my head softly, and his hands loosened their hold in my hair, and one of his fingers twirled a piece of it while he kept his eyes on me.

"It's fine. Honestly I'm just sad that we didn't do that sooner."

He laughed, nodding as his eyes dipped down to my mouth for a second.

"Well..."

He dropped his head down, pecking my lips once again, and while it was quicker this time, it still felt just as nice.

"I guess we have a lot of missed opportunities to make up for then."

I was going to return the kiss to him, but there was a sudden realization that dropped onto me. I had been so distracted by Pugsley, so wrapped up in him kissing me, that I may or may not have forgotten that we weren't the only ones in this room right now.

Oh god...please no.

I swiveled my head towards the center of the room very slowly, knowing that my fears were about to be confirmed, and when I finally turned far enough, I'm met with two very smug grins, belonging to the parents of the boy that I had just kissed.

Even in my supposed moment of peace, I still cannot seem to catch a break.

I felt my face start to heat up in embarrassment as Morticia and Mr. Addams stared at us both with very knowing looks, before Morticia winked at me, and she looked away from me, forcing her husband to do the same.

Well isn't that just the most mortifying thing that has ever happened.

My hands came up to cover my cherry red face, before I hid myself in the chest of the boy still holding me loosely in his arms. 

He too had seen the look his parents had given us, and he sighed in defeat as he leaned down to kiss the top of my head through my hair, raking a hand through the strands again before he laughed softly.

I groaned, not wanting to ever let my face be seen again, and I uncovered my mouth for a moment.

"Can we please just go home..?"

Pugsley's shoulders wracked gently with his continued smug laughter, and his arms lifted up to wrap me in more of a hug around my neck.

"Yes, we can go home."