Becoming the Luna

I sleep peacefully for the most part, grateful that I didn't get any nightmares, it wasn't even really surprising, it's just the same as in the past when I'd show Virgil bruises and scars that didn't hurt anymore just so that he would sympathize with me, it also helped that I had two now to shower me with the kind of attention I needed.

I make an exasperated face, not this kind of attention…

Dale and Virgil were shoving at each other's faces - gently - but it was hard not to wake up when you're being waddled around like the last cookie in the jar.

I roll my eyes as soon as I blink them open, not particularly surprised that they are back at being at each other's throats again, it sort of grounded me, brought hints of normalcy back to my life.

"What is going on?" I ask, trying to cross my arms in a peeve but unable to because each of them had a hold on my hands.

"Doll, you're awake." Dale drawls in his raspy morning voice that has me swallowing, hard.

"It's all your fault." Virgil accuses darkly, pinning Dale with a serious stare.

"If you had just let me stay like I wanted to then he wouldn't have woken up." Dale fires back.

"Because you were in my spot." Virgil says sardonically with an eyebrow up.

"You are literally on the other side of the bed." Dale replies in exasperation, throwing his legs over mine.

Virgil replies by kicking his legs off me. "Exactly, I don't understand why we have problems." He says seriously.

I just close my eyes in frustration, wondering just what I was going to do with them.

They fall back into another session of push and shove and I grab onto their tousled hairs to get their attention, I wasn't ready for it though because instantly they go still and turn their piercing, hooded gazes on me, expectant.

And what do you know, my speaking skills take a hike.

"I-I um…" I trail off, my hands slipping from their hair. 

At least I managed to get them to stop their rivalry even if it's at the expense of my mental and physical health too apparently because I don't think it's normal for people to get this red.

"Hmm? Sunshine?" Dale hums against my hair. "What do you need?"

I know what I need, right? Right?

Actually, wait, no I can't seem to remember anymore, was it something about them fighting? Or did I just want to bury my hands in their hair? Who the hell knew? I was barely able to hold brain activity to keep myself breathing with Dale murmuring in my hair and Virgil staring at me like the light at the end of the tunnel.

My hands unconsciously inch downwards to find something to fiddle with and it hits me that the blankets weren't over me anymore.

"C-Cuddles?" I stutter the first word that comes to my mind that actually made sense and didn't make me come off like I was retarded.

Instantly they swoop down and then there's more of that neck kissing around their bites like they were proud as hell of the definitely darkened spots.

I slap a hand over my mouth, where the hell was my brain to mouth filter? It was obviously broken and my idea of cuddles and theirs were obviously very different.

Dale's kisses trail to the front of my neck and I choke when he mouths over my Adam's apple…

"My spot." Virgil says darkly, shoving Dale away.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Dale bites out, shoving his face in return…

And just like that they get engrossed in another bout of face pushing, I just lie down, still with my arms crossed, a done expression on my face because I was done with them.

Rolling my eyes, I crawl out of their middle and get off the bed, not caring that I was practically wearing nothing but garters and an oversized sweater, I just needed a place where there was no face pushing for like a minute.

"You chased him." Dale accuses Virgil as I make my way across the room, my destination the bathroom, I needed to freshen up anyway.

The sounds of their tussling gets louder but I just ignore them, going over to relieve myself, brush my teeth, and wash my face.

The ends of my hair get wet and I pack in up in a loose ponytail with a pastel scrunchie and study my expression, it slightly surprising that I don't look different even though I feel slightly different so other than the faint bruises across my face and the hickies splattered across my neck, I look just like Hayden LeBaron.

I wish I feel the same…

The noise in the bedroom increases and I wander back in, wondering what was wrong.

I gape at the scene in front of me, Shana is in a hoodie and sweatpants and she has both Virgil and Dale in a death grip.

"I'll only say it one last time, where the hell is Hayden?" She asks villainously, sitting on Dale and throwing her legs around Virgil's neck to keep him down.

"We've told you a hundred fucking times, he went to the bathroom." Virgil replies in a muffled voice.

"Liar!!!" Shana yells, twisting her legs so that she's flipping Virgil to a more uncomfortable position.

"You didn't even check." Dale complains from his spot under her. "And  please get off me, you weigh a ton."

"Say please." Shana huffs importantly.

"I just fucking did."

"Say it again." She commanded with airs and I shake my head at their antics.

A slight movement catches my attention at the side of my eye and I turn to see Mae coming towards me with a happy smile on her face.

"I'm glad to see you're okay." She says, pulling me into a hug and resting her jaw on my head - it really isn't fun when everyone is way taller than you.

"Thank you."  I murmur into the hug then we separate and watch our friends mess around on the bed a bit.

"Do you think she knows I'm here?" I find myself asking Mae who had an arm wrapped around me protectively when Shana's gaze keeps sweeping over us.

"I don't know, I'm not sure she has seen you yet because if she has we would definitely know…"

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyddddddeeeennnn!!!!!" Shana's ear-splitting screech interrupts Mae's words which were true, if Shana sees me, we would all know because 'this' would happen.

"Do you think I should run for it?" I whisper to Mae, watching as Shana quickly fumbles around trying to disentangle her arms and legs from where they were wrapped around Virgil and Dale - those two really look traumatized - so that she can make her way towards me.

"I'm thinking you should, wait… too late." Mae cuts herself off, slipping her arm away from me. "You're a good friend Hayden but I'm not getting in the way of that." She says quickly, referring to Shana who's madly dashing in my direction with her arms waving around and screaming my name at the top of my lungs.

I gulp, could I possibly outrun Shana?

"My baby!!!" She screams louder, crashing into me and spinning us around so that when we fall to the ground I'm lying on top of her.

She doesn't make a bad cushion for my otherwise hard fall but she's squeezing me so tight and peppering kisses all over my face like I'm a lost but found gem.

"Shana, don't stick your tongue in my eye." I complain, defenseless against her increasing smacks all over my face.

"Don't be mean to me." She fake pouts, still holding me in that scarily tight way. "I'm so glad you're okay." She whispers, looking straight in my eye.

The pain and fear in her eyes are similar to the horrified look my mom had in her eyes, similar to Virgil's shaky breaths like he was suffocating and Dale's panic when he first found me.

H-He hadn't just hurt me but he also hurt the people that loved me so I had to heal fast so they would too.

She spins us to the side so that we're lying facing each other and I'm staring into her expressive hazel - gold eyes and feeling a deep happiness that everything turned out okay.

A mischievous twinkle sparkles in Shana's eyes and I narrow my eyes suspiciously.

"Don't you dare think about kissing me." I tell her seriously.

"I don't have a death warrant." She says, starting to grin now, that mischievous twinkle even brighter in her eyes.

I try to scoot back at this but her arms are wrapped tight around me. "What are you planning to do then?"

"Tee-hee." Shana chortles and my anxiety increases.

"Wha… oh n-no! P-Please stop!" I hiccup with laughter when she starts to tickle my sides, scrambling to get away from her.

She doesn't let up and I'm flaying around like I'm dying, tears are pouring down my face.

When she finally lets me go, I scramble across the carpeted floor, trying to get as far away as possible from the evil person who was grinning at my misery.

I just sprawl on the ground, heaving from exertion and smiling so wide that my cheeks hurt, what was I worried about again?