Love from, Hell

Julie's eyes were playing tricks on her because she was staring at a very convincing hallucination of Malcolm as he came striding through the crowd, in a suit she recognized as her brother's, though all suits look similar. However, no one looked as stunning as Malcolm did in a black suit. He came and stood directly in front of her, his eyes staring down intensely into hers.

"Julie?" Malcolm said urgently.

Julie blinked. This was real. "Yes?" she whispered. Now that her brain could acknowledge this wasn't an illusion, relief washed over her body and where ache had hurt her was happiness. Julie tried to summon up some anger for Malcolm standing her up but it was useless. She just stared at him willingly.

"I'm sorry," he said and his apology burned with sincerity.

Julie wondered vaguely if he was acting.

"May I sit here?" he asked so softly Julie could barely hear him.

Julie nodded anyway. Malcolm sat in the chair next to her and turned to face her, putting one arm on the table.

When he began to speak though, he looked away. "I… understand if you are angry with me. My behavior must seem irrational and is inexcusable," Malcolm said to her clearly, but was looking at the flower center piece.

Julie frowned a little, watching him. Malcolm looked up at her.

"But I am sorry. I don't want to hurt you, my intentions are far from that," he apologized again.

But his voice was strange, not trying to beg her forgiveness, just upset and pained with himself. In spite of everything he'd done, Julie wanted to comfort him. She refrained, though, and just smiled. Malcolm stared at her expression.

"It's alright, I… um forgive you," Julie said, feeling weird saying those words.

Malcolm raised his eyebrows, but didn’t object as he gazed at her.

"I'm glad you're here now," Julie explained with a shrug.

Malcolm paused for a moment, looking at her sternly. Julie realized that he was trying to judge if she was lying.

Julie smiled again. "Really. I am," she said.

Malcolm looked a little appeased, but his blue eyes were still staring at hers, partly suspicious.

Julie bit her lip. "Just… don't disappear again," she murmured, feeling vulnerable.

Malcolm's eyes were suddenly intense again, fiery and bearing down on her. Julie had that feeling of being x-rayed.

"I won't," he vowed absolutely, as though he made the promise out of not wanting to cause her pain.

Julie pursed her lips. "Do you promise?" she teased breathlessly.

Malcolm's expression finally softened and he smiled a little. "Cross my heart," he said seriously.

Julie smiled. "Good," she breathed.

Malcolm leaned back in his chair and looked around him, as though remembering that he had arrived here and hadn't looked at his surroundings.

"Are you hungry?" Julie asked him.

Malcolm glanced at her. "I'm fine," he said.

Of course. Julie suddenly remembered the two girls, but they weren't at the table anymore. She saw them giggling with their friends on the dance floor.

"Hi Julie. Malcolm."

Julie and Malcolm looked up, surprised by someone else's presence. Nicole was standing there, her boobs almost popping out of her lavender bridesmaid's dress.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked Malcolm and smiled.

Julie tried to admire Nicole's drunken guts instead of feeling jealous.

"No, thank you," Malcolm declined very quietly.

Nicole's smile wavered a little, but then she grinned, trying to shrug it off. "No worries, I'll see you guys later," she said lightly and then left them.

Malcolm turned back to the table and then glanced at Julie out of the corner of his eyes. Of course she was staring at him, but she didn't look away when he noticed her looking.

"Julie? You want to dance?"

Julie looked up dazed. Matt was looking at her, but shot Malcolm a quick dark glance. Startled, Julie couldn't think to copy Malcolm's rejection and stood automatically. Only when Matt held her hand to take her out to the dance floor, did she realize what she was doing, but it was too late to turn back.

She let Matt guide her around the dance floor, and only smiled and nodded at his conversation. She tried not to look at Malcolm's reaction, but couldn't help it. The first time she glanced, he was staring at her with a strange intensity. Julie cringed and looked away. But when she looked again, not a second later, he seemed perfectly calm, looking at the flower centerpiece.

When the song was over, Julie smiled at Matt and escaped back to her table before he could ask her to dance again. Julie watched Malcolm carefully as she sat back down.

He looked up at her, calm and placid. "You haven't been drinking tonight have you?" he wanted to know, sounding a little concerned.

Julie smiled, but then pretended to be put out. "Even if I had, I can handle myself fine thank you very much," she informed him.

Malcolm smiled brilliantly and looked down at the table then back at her. "I'm sure of that. What I'm concerned about is how others will handle themselves," he told her.

Julie frowned, curious. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Haven't you noticed the pattern of unfortunate events that arise whenever you are at an event that hosts drinking?" Malcolm asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Hmm, I see what you mean," Julie breathed, thinking. "But that's just a coincidence," she said.

Malcolm smiled. "I don't think so Julie," he told her quietly.

Julie's heart fluttered when he said her name. "Well it’s a good thing you’re here to protect me from myself and others," she said aloofly.

Malcolm chuckled and Julie grinned.

"I hope the job isn't too demanding," Julie said, pretending to be snubbed again.

Malcolm smiled. "It isn't in the slightest," he assured her.

Julie's skin tingled and she smiled at him.

"Do you want to dance again Julie?"

Julie looked up again, startled by Matt. He was looking at Malcolm, giving him a dirty look. Julie wondered if Matt had been watching her pretend to be offended by her and Malcolm's conversation. She had her mind clear this time, so she had the ability to decline.

"Actually, we were just about to. Julie?" Malcolm offered suddenly, his tone kind and his eyes polite.

Julie got caught up in his blue eyes and stood and walked to the dance floor with Malcolm, forgetting to say no to Matt. Malcolm took her carefully in his arms, leaving a cautious space between them, but glided her gracefully across the floor. Julie was a little disappointed that she didn't have to teach Malcolm how to dance, but was impressed that he was incredibly good at it.

"So Matt's a bad element?" Julie asked him.

Malcolm looked down at her sternly, but his eyes were soft. "Immensely," he promised her.

Julie pretended to be thinking about it. "Hm. That's strange. He seemed so nice when he was driving me over here…" she said and glanced at Malcolm to gage his reaction.

"I'm sorry you had to let him drive you. All my fault," he said lightly, apparently at great ease, but Julie could feel his grip had tightened minutely.

Julie felt bad for provoking him, but couldn’t deny that she was a little pleased by his small dislike towards Matt driving her somewhere.

"So… where did you go?" Julie asked, trying to sound as light and at ease as he did, but she could hear the burning interest in her voice. She glanced at Malcolm.

He wasn't looking at her, but didn’t appear to be looking at anything in particular. "To the dam," he answered.

Julie had been expecting a 'no where', so the surprise of his answer made her blurt out her next question. "How come?" she asked.

Malcolm ignored her question for a moment and spun her out from him and then wound her back into their original position easily, with little need for cooperation on Julie's part.

She looked up at him, partially disoriented. "Make me dizzy all you want. I'm still curious," she told him.

Malcolm took her up on this and spun her around in many different ways, leaving her breathless every time his hands reconnected with hers. He continued to twirl her around effortlessly until the song was over. He'd done his distraction well, and Julie let him guide her back to their table and sit down. He excused himself after asking if she'd like a drink. Malcolm returned with a tall glass of water for her.

"I'm still wondering," Julie reminded him, and reminded herself, as she sipped the water.

Malcolm paused. "... what is it that you're wondering, exactly?" he asked her carefully.

"Why you went to the dam," Julie replied.

Malcolm looked at her quickly. Julie blinked.

"It's peaceful there. There were lots of cloud shadows over the water," he told her.

Julie smiled at the cloud shadow reference and Malcolm smiled back.

A live band came in then and began setting up. The moment they started their jazzy set, the party livened up. The music was infectiously better than the canned stuff. If people weren't dancing around to it, they were tapping their feet and watching the musicians appreciatively. Julie sipped her water.

She and Malcolm sat and listened to the music as the night continued. Now that Malcolm was here with her, Julie felt exponentially less bored and much more content. She found that she was enjoying the wedding, watching everyone get progressively drunk and happily dance around with their friends and family.

The families mostly danced around in little units, with the different generations discovering that the others could dance. The friends were all clumped together and were rambunctiously springing around, pretending to jive and laughing continuously. When Julie glanced at Malcolm, his expression was interested and calm and, thankfully, not bored either.

Julie was about to ask a question about what her parents had said when Malcolm had returned for the suit, but Trevor was suddenly in front of her, grinning happily and looking very pleasantly inebriated.

"Hello Julie! I haven’t seen you in a long time. You want to dance?" he asked.

Julie didn’t have the heart or the guts to say no, since it was the guy's wedding. Julie stood and walked with Trevor a short distance to the edge of the dance floor. He comfortably got into a closed position dance with her before the song started.

Suddenly, Malcolm was there, tapping his shoulder.

"My congratulations to you, Trevor, but would you mind if I cut in? Your lovely wife if looking for you," Malcolm said to Trevor. Trevor's eyes lit up at the word 'wife', since it was a wonderful novelty at the moment. He excused himself quickly and skipped off. Malcolm came forward.

"What was wrong with Trevor? He is an old married man," Julie demanded playfully.

"Who said his wife wasn't really looking for him?" Malcolm wanted to know.

Julie felt a little foolish, but was pretty sure Malcolm had invented Connie's inquiry.

"Would you like to dance?" Malcolm asked her, his voice quiet. The band had started up a slow number, calming and romantic. Julie nodded, staring up at Malcolm. He stepped closer to her and took her in his arms.

The slow song caused them to be close, and Malcolm left only a small amount of polite, normal slow dancing space between them. Still, Julie reveled in being so close to him. She noticed now a faint scent coming off of his skin. It didn't smell like cologne: it was more natural. It couldn't be labeled by one particular smell, like wood or cotton, but it was warm and intoxicating, with a slight edge that made Julie want to lean in and smell more. She glanced up at Malcolm.

He was staring down at her. His blue eyes were gazing at her face, unmoving. "You look beautiful," he said quietly, almost to himself.

"Thank you." Julie blushed a little, but kept staring at him. "You look very handsome, of course," she said back to him.

Malcolm didn't respond to her comment about him and continued to look at her face. "Your father might have been right about you not wearing white. It's no wonder Trevor wanted to dance with you," he continued in his soft way of speaking to himself.

"Was Connie really looking for him?" Julie whispered.

"No," Malcolm admitted.

"So then… why did you tell him that?" Julie breathed.

Malcolm didn't answer.

They continued to sway fluidly. Then, in a moment, Malcolm was closer to her and there was no space between them. His hand moved against the small of her back, his fingers seemed to touch her through her thin dress, spreading warmth on her skin. Julie was suddenly aware of Malcolm's chest and his shoulders and his throat and the scent coming off of him was stronger and twice as attracting. Julie eye's looked up at his face.

Malcolm was looking down at her, but now he was looking into her eyes, searching in them deeply. But the search wasn't for answer about himself; he was looking for an answer about her. Julie would have traded her soul a second time and this time she'd hand it over willingly, if Malcolm would close the last and only space between her face and his. Her heart was pounding erratically, at hummingbird speed. Malcolm's lips had parted a little, and his breath came in barely there, teasing wisps on her eyelids. It wasn't in her mind, Julie was positive; Malcolm was feeling the spell too.

At this realization, Julie's breath caught and she had to breathe through her mouth also, parting her lips slightly. She didn't want her exhales to interrupt Malcolm's scent and his light breathing on her skin. The scent, she gladly noticed, was not marred at all and continued to hit Julie stunningly.

What surprised Julie was Malcolm reaction. His eyes suddenly increased with intensity, impossibly, and Julie was not caring in the slightest where she was and who she was around. If Malcolm wouldn't close the space, Julie was going to. She was having a hard time dealing with the magnetic attraction and not pressing all of her body against Malcolm- the reaction every instinct in her body was begging her to obey.

The song ended, diffusing the spell, although not entirely. Malcolm stepped back only a little from Julie, still staying unconventionally close to her. He still stared at her, sending shivers down her spine.