Chapter Text
"Desprit much?" She caught as she walked with much more confidence up the path and into the house after one last nerve-racking glance towards the still watching figure, taking another drag on her cigarette across the street.
Funny really. Catching the eye of a random stranger and on Halloween, no less.
But then Misty gives herself a little shake and squares her shoulders.
She needed to focus. No destructions.
Ben. She had to find Ben.
Shauna seemed almost magically confident that Misty's crush would be in attendance tonight. And it was up to Misty to close the deal the two had made.
"Remember, Misty, as hard as that is for an airhead like you." Shauna had coached, leaning over the passenger seat after ditching Misty on the sidewalk. Still, Misty wasn't listening, funny enough, because as soon as Shauna started saying the rest was the same moment Misty spotted that watchful stranger across the street, lazily watching the growing number of party guests spilling onto the sidewalk.
Correction.
As she seemed to watch Misty as if Misty were the most fascinating person worth noticing that evening, the glow of the still-burning lighter highlighted the cut of a soft-looking jaw before it was flicked out and replaced with the smaller glow of the newly lit cigarette.
"Christ, she's so pathetic."
"She knows Ben is gay, right?"
"Wouldn't you change teams at least publicly if you had her wanting in your pants?"
"True enough." One of Ben's soccer teammates agreed as Misty mingles deeper into the full swing party around her.
"Just when I thought she couldn't get weirder," she catches one of the slurring cheerleaders snickering as she sloshes her drink onto her shoes in her overly needed jesters in Misty's general direction as Misty hunts out the kitchen.
Misty ignored all of them, of course, waving only towards a friendly smiling Laura Lee whom she spies sitting in the lap of a dark-haired girl Misty guessed to be Laura Lee's own crush, given how Laura Lee was so quick to blush and melt the second the taller girl's arm hugged her closer as another delt hand was shuffled out onto the table the pair were seated at.
Tarot Cards.
Of course. Because what respecting Halloween house party wouldn't have a card reader for an hour or so.
Misty giggled to herself as she elbowed her way into the kitchen for a drink, making another quick search of the gathered guests, earning more whispers, mostly "God who let the freak in," as Misty took a few tentative sips of the offered liquor.
Not really her taste, but she wasn't here for anything but what Shauna had promised.
And Shauna had promised Ben.
"So you're the famous Misty, huh?"
The question surprised her. Or that might be because of the boldly slid hand through Misty's tamed curls as an overly warmed arm was dropped around her shoulders.
In no way did Misty's heart skip a beat or two just from the unexpected touch or from the sound of her name from this sudden stranger at her side.
"I don't know about famous." Misty shrugs, ducking her chin to hide the growing blush spreading across her cheeks.
Whomever this newcomer was, she was definitely athletically inclined. All hidden muscles and coiled power. Misty cleared her throat and took another tentative sip of her drink to cool her thoughts, and forced her eyes back to another attempted Ben sighting.
Still no luck.
"Hating my company already?" The athletic-bodied stranger prods, seeming more amused than truly hurt.
"No, no of course no--" Misty tries to argue, but the sunglasses the taller girl was still wearing in the house slide down, and Misty catches a shade of honey-orange she hadn't been expecting, even for Halloween-themed contact lenses.
"Your, your eyes." Misty gaped.
It wasn't quite like looking into a fire or the end of a burning cigarette, more like seeing a quick flash of a warm, red-orange sunset.
What was in that drink?
That was crazy.
No. No. Impossible. No, it was just contacts she saw. Just very distinctly distracting contact lenses.
"Name's Natalie." The newcomer is introduced with a greeting smile as she deliberately slides her sunglasses higher over her eyes, "So, how's the drink here?"
The question was hardly asked before her drink cup was snatched from her hand.
"Mmah, yeah, more like sludge," Natalie grumbled with a curse as she spat that single taken sip back into the cup before shoving Misty's taken liquor cup, spit back and all, into the closest slackened hand they pass making Misty gag at the action as she was just as smoothly led away until a not so dulled cheer of "Scottie boy, you came" brought Misty back to her true reason for being at this silly party.
And sadly, it wasn't to keep company with her new acquaintance, Natalie.
No matter how quickly Misty was finding she wanted it to be.
That's right.
Ben.
Shauna promised Ben would be here.
They'd even made a very official-seeming contract about Ben being here tonight.
Yet now that Misty thought about it, she really couldn't say what was in that contract she'd signed in trade for Shauna's magical interference with guiding the school soccer star in Misty's direction. Only that she had.
At least for tonight, Ben was going to be hers.
And how Misty was going to enjoy ever second of that stolen time while it lasted. If it ever started that is.
Jackie, whom Misty guessed was Shauna's much nicer other half, had been helping Misty with her outfit and some light makeup to get ready for the party. At the same time, Shauna rambled on and on, scribbling more lines into her notebook in a more or less one-sided talk between the three of them.
"You know what they say about making witch deals on Halloween, right?" Natalie asked as if reading Misty's muddying mind.
But it was only when Misty turned to try and extract herself out of Natalie's warm orbit to go hunt out Ben herself that Misty noticed Natalie's apparent outfit for the costume party.
Oohhh.
Now those red-gold, fire-ish contacts made much more sense.
And very clever too.
"You make a cute devil, Nat." Misty praises, nudging Natalie's shoulder with her own.
"Wh-- what are you talking about?" Natalie asked, "I'm not a..."
Why was Nat suddenly looking around, panicked and nervous-looking?
But her sunglasses had slipped down her nose again, giving Misty a better view of Natalie's otherworldly sunrise-cored eyes.
"So... pretty," Misty sighed, scooting closer along the sofa Natalie had thoughtfully guided them towards.
And horns too.
Natalie had actual, literal devil horns curling out of the top of her head.
And not the fake Halloween costume kind.
Somehow Misty knew just looking at them that those horns were just as much a part of Natalie as Misty's arm and fingers were a part of her.
"Your... your not scared?" Natalie asked, surprised.
Misty shakes her head with a questioned "May I" of her own.
Just cause Misty was effectively straddling Natalie's lap right now for the gained closeness didn't mean she'd lost all of her manners completely.
Natalie nods her consent with a shaky jerk of her head.
Misty starts with her sunglasses. Easily tugging them free.
"Misty."
Natalie's voice whispers, full of raw surprise, when Misty's fingers lift to trace with the softest care along the obvious shape of horns growing out from the messy waves of short, chopped dark hair under her hands.
Misty should be looking for Ben.
She loved Ben....
"I want to kiss you, Nat," Misty admits, her voice low.
"Are you sure?" Natalie asks, looking from Misty's lips to her eyes and back. "I'm a demon after all. A certified Hell claimed---"
Instead of a verbal answer, Misty leans in pressing that claiming cinnamon flavored kiss to Natalie's lips, quieting the others' rambling for a few stolen moments.
Yeah, this was right. This was better even
So much better candidate for her first kiss than what she could grovel from kissing Ben.
"Misty."
Her name was a whisper between them: "Fuck Misty" was moaned a half beat later making Misty's head dizzy with the sound.
Seemed Misty's teeth snagged against Natalie's lower lip, drawing a few blood drops into Misty's mouth.
After all, what was one kiss with this virtual stranger going to hurt when she planned on sharing much more with Ben as soon as she found him?
Shauna had promised her after all.
Shauna had promised to make Ben hers if only for one night.
But until then....
Pain cut through the warmth of the traded kisses as Natalie’s teeth suddenly bit hard in playful retaliation into Misty's lower lip, seeping fresh blood onto Natalie's waiting tongue.
Her blood and Natalie's blood mingle into yet another kiss trade between them.
"Your mine now Misty Quigley." Natalie whispered into her ear drawing her closer "you gave me your blood, and i sacrificed mine. We're bound together now, you and me."
Misty should pull back; she shouldn't be enjoying the feeling of Nat's fisting hands closing against the back of her jacket, holding her in place against Nat's lap, she shouldn't want more of Nat's skilled tongue flicking at her bloody lip, soothing the sting, then daring to slip deeper into Misty's offered mouth in tentative exploration.
Actually, maybe she should want it.
"Misty," Natalie whispered as Misty scoots closer against Nat's offered lap hunting a friction she couldn't name. Didn't want to name if it meant stopping this latest kiss trade.
"Misty?!?"
That mumbled whisper did get Misty's attention. That mumbled whisper did make her twist around just enough to see--
"B--Ben?"
It wasn't just Misty stumbling over his name as Ben Scott himself stumbled into the room.
The most attractive of the school's senior class, current varsity soccer team captain, record-holding swimming champion, and Misty's not-so-secret crush, who'd been attending the same high school for the last year or so, was staggering into the room like a drunkard in his fireman-themed Halloween outfit. Even complete with an awkwardly settled bright red plastic fireman's helmet hiding his short cut hair.
"Claws off my girl, demon," Ben growled, the same time Natalie’s hands curled with obvious intended possession around Misty’s hips, with Misty herself still straddling Natalie's lap with Misty's arms linked tight around Natalie's neck, anchoring herself against Natalie's warmth.
The fire ax Ben raised with a shaking arm was clearly nothing but a plastic toy, yet Natalie still glared at it like it was a sharpened war sword aimed by a rescuing knight to steal back the sacrificial maiden from her dragon-worthy grip.
"Do they not realize the winner of this thing gets freaky Quigley as the prize?" Misty dimly hears being asked from somewhere beyond the safety of Natalie's lap, her arms, or the separating arm of the sofa.
Ben slurrs something not even Natalie can hope to understand as he brandishes his play toy ax towards them again, inching closer until he could shake a jelly-legged Misty free of Natalie's lap before retreating again. Misty held tight to him as if for a kind of human shield as he backed away, Misty stumbling with him on every step.
Natalie was on her feet half a second after her sunshine-mirrored eyes, glowing like real fire now in her anger, as she glared Ben down, looking ready to burn Ben alive if it meant having Misty back.
Still, for all her glaring, Nat didn't seem to be bothered to follow them either. Almost as if she were fixed in place.
Not that Misty notices much, or if Natalie noticed her attempted 'M sorry' apology as guilty tears blur her eyes, letting Ben lead her up the stairs and into the closest empty bedroom.
But this was what she'd wanted.
This was what she'd bargained for.
Ben. Ben being hers and only hers if only for this single night, sharing his bed, feeling his most intimate touches.
But now she had it, had Ben alone and willingly stripping out of his clothes and then clumsily shedding her of clothes as she sat, glazed-eyed, against the edge of a stranger's bed. All Misty could do was cry guilty tears and bite again and again at the scratch Natalie's teeth nicked into her lower lip for comfort until Ben's kiss replaced Nat's against her mouth as Misty fell back onto the bed under him.