Love from, Hell

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.

"Are you ready to leave?" Malcolm asked Julie quietly; almost husky from what might have been breathlessness.

Julie blinked while his voice hit her as stunningly as it had the first time he'd ever spoken to her. "Yes," she said, and couldn't be distracted enough to be embarrassed by her complete breathless condition. She walked back to the table in a trance and collected her clutch.

Malcolm led her over to Connie.

"Congratulations Connie," Julie said dreamily, her thoughts somewhere else.

"Oh thank you Julie! Are you guys leaving already??" Connie said touching Julie's arms.

Julie nodded.

Connie pouted for a second but then smiled warmly. "Thanks for coming. I'm glad you both did," she said.

Julie smiled. "I hope you and Trevor will be very happy," she said kindly.

Connie grinned, glowing. "Thanks," she said.

Julie turned away. "Bye," she called over her shoulder.

Connie waved.

Malcolm surprised Julie just a little by offering her his arm subtly. Regularly, the gesture would have floored her, but Julie was already flying high. She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and Malcolm led them outside. She didn't see him take his keys out, but his car flashed in the night, unlocking. Malcolm opened her door for her and Julie was pleasantly surprised again.

In the short moment when she was alone, Julie exhaled loud and quick. Malcolm sat fluidly in the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove slowly through the streets. Every light from outside had the chance to glow in the car and illuminate Malcolm's profile. For the first time while he was driving, Malcolm glanced at Julie unnecessarily. He did this a few times, as though something couldn't stop him from looking at her.

They pulled up at Julie's curb and Malcolm didn't pause as he got out of the car. Julie barely had time to turn before Malcolm was there, opening the car door for her. He was a sudden flood of gentlemanly manners now, offering her his hand in assistance out of the car. It came so naturally out of him and Julie, of course, wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to touch him. He shut her door quietly behind her and then offered her his arm again, smooth and subtle as before. Julie took it and he walked her up to the house.

Julie unlocked the door and opened it. The house was dark, excepting for the outside lights, which her parents had left on considerately for them. Malcolm had entered the house and shut the door behind him. Julie reached behind him, feeling the attraction sparks flow when she was close to him, and turned off the outside lights, plunging them into darkness.

Julie couldn’t breathe as the spell kicked up into high sexual gear. Her every cell was highly aware of Malcolm's presence near her. For a moment, there was only their breathing in the dark. Then Julie barely saw Malcolm's arm reach around her, but she very acutely felt it touch her waist. Her skin burned through her dress, it felt wonderful. But, Malcolm gently turned Julie around and guided her up the stairs. Although she was completely sober tonight, Malcolm kept his hand on the small of her back as they ascended the stairs.

They stopped outside Julie's bedroom. Julie turned around, trying to move slowly, and calm the raging want to jump on Malcolm. She faced him and inhaled, about to close the space between, at the very least to feel the sex spell overtake completely again. But Malcolm reached out and touched her cheek, not coming closer. Julie could feel the shivers down her spine as she stared at Malcolm in the darkness, feeling his eyes scorch hers. His hand moved down from her cheek to her neck touching her with a feather's lightness and the sharp tingle of attraction was much stronger than his touch.

Then he backed away silently in the dark and Julie saw him slide into Kyle's bedroom and shut the door without a sound. Julie remembered to inhale, her cheek and neck hot and the rest of her skin ragingly jealous. She turned to go into her bedroom, but then stopped, her hand on the doorknob. She wasn't tired in the slightest and knew that even when she did get tired, wouldn’t be able to calm her thoughts enough to go to sleep.

Julie turned and walked lightly over to the stairs and then quietly descended them. She was careful to not let her heels click across the kitchen floor as she went to the back door and opened it. She slipped outside. The air was fresh and cool and the goose bumps it gave her felt oddly nice. Julie walked across her lawn to the small space between the side of the house and the fence where they kept the trash cans.

She flipped one over and stood up on it. She placed her hands on the top of the fence and, in one move, Julie heaved herself up on to the fence. Sitting, she turned and carefully leaned forward, bracing her hands against the roof the house. Julie stood up on the fence, holding on to the roof and then pushed herself quickly off from the fence and lifted herself up on to the roof. When she was a kid she would climb on the roof to her parents' oblivion on warm nights in the summer.

Julie walked cautiously across the shingles and settled herself in a more central spot that could overlook the backyard. She bent her knees and leaned back on her hands, propping herself up with her arms. She breathed in the night air through her nose and looked up at the stars.

Thanks to the cloudless day, the night sky was alight and filled with clear, twinkling constellations. A warmth inside of Julie that had been ignited by Malcolm kept her warm and excited. Although not content per se, Julie was happy, gazing at the stars and letting her memory sweep up sensations in her body when she thought about dancing with Malcolm, and his touch in the dark hallway.

A noise below Julie made her look down quickly. The back door had closed. Julie watched and her breath caught when Malcolm stepped out far enough into the backyard that she could see him standing on the deck. He was standing there, still dressed in his suit pants and shirt- just minus the jacket- and his hands in his pants pockets. Just the sight of him sent tingles on Julie's skin.

Malcolm turned, although Julie made no noise, and looked up at the roof. His expression was surprised for a flash second but it quickly morphed into the scorching look. Julie's stomach dropped a little when he looked away and walked back toward the house. She sighed and looked back out over at the roofs of the other houses. She wrapped her arms around her legs, holding herself and wondering what Malcolm was doing now.

Julie's thoughts were answered when sudden movement to her left made her head spin in the direction, a prickle of fear and shock shooting through her veins. But the fear quickly disappeared when Malcolm easily lifted himself up on to the roof. Her heart beat faster and her tingling skin laughed at her silly fearful reaction a moment ago.

Malcolm approached her slowly and stood above her. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" he asked her, giving her the option to say no.

"No I don't mind," Julie answered quietly. Of course she didn't mind, she would have minded if he left.

Malcolm sat down next to Julie and bent his legs loosely, resting his arms on his knees. Julie relaxed her legs to the side, her bottom leg touching the cold roof. She kept her hands in her lap.

"Are you sure I'm not intruding? This seems like a private place," Malcolm said softly looking at the backyard. "One of the nicest private places I've seen," he finished.

Julie smiled at him. "It is. But you're not intruding at all," she assured him.

Malcolm was quiet, but seemed to have something he wanted to say. "Julie?" he began.

Her heart fluttered when he said her name and Julie hoped it would never get used to him saying it. "Yes?" she said.

"I was… worrying about something," he continued.

Julie raised her eyebrows, surprised that he was confessing that something was worrying him and was doing so in a way that implied he wanted to tell her what it was. She was also, of course, incredibly curious as to what it was.

"What is it?" she echoed her thoughts.

Malcolm looked at her and a slight apologetic frown was on his face. "I was thinking… did I… cross a line earlier?" he wanted to know.

The first thing Julie thought was that he was far from crossing lines in an offensive way and she would have been welcomed it if he decided to bound wildly over them. Her second thought was at the way he asked the question: as if he were both worried he'd offended her and he was lost as to where crossing the line was.

"When?" Julie decided to ask. she didn't want to answer an unasked question and make a fool of herself.

"When… I cut in and prevented you from dancing with Matt and Trevor," he said, concerned. The common names sounded so strange in his stunning voice.

Julie blinked.

"You had every right to dance with them if you wanted to. I don't want to be overbearing and I realize that I might have been. Did I offend you or anything?" Malcolm continued and then looked in her eyes, waiting anxiously for her answer.

"No, Malcolm. In any case, I didn’t want to dance with them," Julie assured him immediately.

Malcolm nodded and his frown relaxed. Julie felt a spike of happiness: she'd soothed him of a problem. He looked back out over the backyard and Julie did the same. Although her mind was bugging her to keep looking at Malcolm's handsomeness, she was content for the moment to just be in his presence.

"The stars are gorgeous tonight," Julie commented and looked up. She could tell Malcolm was looking up now too.

"Don't you think so? Can you see them very clearly where you live?" Julie asked him curiously.

Malcolm glanced at her. "No, I can't, actually," he answered her second question quietly. "And yes they are lovely…" he trailed off.

Julie looked back up at the stars, trying to pick out the big dipper.

"But they pale in comparison," Malcolm said.

Julie looked at him, curiously. He was looking at her, his expression calm, but his eyes more intense. Julie felt a blush spread but she waited for confirmation.

"You really did look beautiful tonight. More than Connie, I will easily admit it," Malcolm confirmed for her.

Julie was glad it was dark enough outside that Malcolm couldn’t see her flush with pleasure at the compliment. "But she was the bride. She's the most beautiful one there," she insisted playfully, but she was a little breathless.

Malcolm shrugged. "That's just an expectation, not a rule," he informed her.

Julie smiled and looked at the sky. While her mind was glad to revel in the compliment, Julie also wanted to keep moving the conversation. She sighed a little, frustrated. Malcolm looked at her.

"I can't find the big dipper," Julie explained, scanning the night sky.

Malcolm paused and then leaned closer to her, propping himself on his arm closest to her and pointing his other hand right above them. "There. Do you see?" he said, his voice close enough that Julie could hear the musical quality of it. It was a good thing Malcolm's pointing was accurate and easy to follow because Julie's mind and body were quite distracted.

"Oh," she breathed.

Malcolm leaned away again, although not all the way.

"What about the little dipper?" she asked him quietly and looked at him.

Malcolm glanced at her and then looked to her right at the sky. He leaned even closer to her than before and pointed his arm across her vision. "It's there," he gestured.

Now Julie could hear the musical tone and she could smell his scent and she could feel his breath on her cheek as she turned to look. Sure, yes there was probably a little dipper over there. Julie's skin was tingling all over and the spell was winding around her even though she wasn't facing Malcolm. He leaned away, but again, he was closer to her still, more than before. Close enough to keep the spell alive.

"Julie?" he said softly.

"Yes?" Julie said, unsure of her self control if she looked at him now so she kept looking in the little dipper direction.

"Are you afraid of dying?" he asked.

The question caught her off guard. Julie turned to look at him, surprised and wondering why he would ask that. "Not so much dying…" Julie began.

Malcolm waited.

"More of… what comes after. And I don't know if I'm so much afraid as worried." Julie said. She had this answer because she'd thought about it before. Kyle's ever changing religions had made her think about afterlives.

"What are you worried about?" Malcolm asked quietly.

Julie looked at the backyard. "Eternity and what to do with it. And I'm worried that I won't have enough time to do good before I die," Julie answered. "Not that I have, like, these ambitions to be a saint. But I just… want to do something good before I die," she finished quietly.

"Are you worried that you won't get into some version of heaven if you don't do good?" Malcolm asked his voice husky and barely audible.

"Not exactly," Julie said truthfully, but her voice was unsure.

"You will go to heaven you know," he told her.

Julie looked at him. He looked completely confident and a little sad somehow.

"How do you know?" Julie whispered.

Malcolm shrugged but didn’t stop staring at her. "Good people get to go to heaven," he said matter-of-factly.

Julie frowned a little at his tone. "Don't you think you'll go to heaven?" she asked him, concerned.

His expression abruptly changed and his eyes stared deeply into hers. Julie's breath caught at the strange, devastating pain on his handsome face.

"You will, you know," Julie told him, trying to soothe him of his pain. She couldn't stand to see him like that.

Malcolm continued to look at her with the same heartbreaking look.

"You will Malcolm. You've already done good," Julie told him.

Malcolm's expression turned again. The heartbreaking pain turned into something else just as vulnerable but easier to stomach. And this look sent butterflies into Julie's stomach and made Julie's heart flutter like one and she was caught completely under his blue, scorching, and searching stare.

Malcolm frowned a little, as though utterly confused at what he was doing, but he couldn't deny whatever was compelling him to lean forward. He closed the small space between him and Julie.

This kiss was warm. Julie literally felt warm all over, like it was a late August evening and not spring. It was soft and slow, just one kiss, Malcolm's lips parted slightly and pressing gently against hers. But it was the same as his touch: although feather light, attraction rippled happily over Julie. She could hardly believe she was kissing Malcolm… that he was kissing her. It was unreal.

Malcolm eventually drew away slowly. Julie opened her eyes several moments after the kiss was done and his expression startled her.

His frown was deeper on his face and he was staring at her with an odd, frustrated look that scorched desire in her very core. She really was drowning in his sapphire ocean eyes. It was as though the last kiss had answered one question, but aroused 10 more in him. And he looked less confused now too, like he knew exactly what he wanted to do and he needed very badly to do it. Malcolm lifted his hand to hold Julie's face and closed the small space between them again.

This kiss was fire. Malcolm's lips parted and moved against hers. Julie's hand instinctively went up to his shoulder as she kissed him back. She was on a livewire, the electric attraction shocking her because it was so high voltage and cyclical now, circling through Malcolm and then back through Julie, winding them closer. The spell kicked into full out sexual gear as Malcolm's tongue naturally joined in the kiss with light, enticing flicks. Selling her soul for Malcolm's kisses was well worth it. Worth it times 100.

Malcolm lifted his other hand to Julie's face and kissed her harder, and the aggression added to the bonfire searing pleasurably in Julie's veins. Julie's other arm went around Malcolm's waist. Malcolm pulled himself against Julie, one hand sliding down to her neck, and the kiss grew even deeper. If Julie could have focused on something other than Malcolm's kissing, she would have been surprised at her raging want to rip off his clothes.

Eventually, after an eternity of kissing that seemed much too short, Malcolm drew away, even slower than the first time. Julie could feel his breath coming labored against her skin. Julie pried her eyes open, to see his face again. Malcolm was staring at her, calmly, but hints of the previous passion still flickered undyingly in his eyes.

"Julie?" he whispered very huskily after a long silent minute.

"Yeah?" Julie whispered back, completely breathless.

"Please… if you're going to climb on the roof… could you at least wear flat shoes? You could hurt yourself," Malcolm requested softly, his eyes staring into hers and his breath tickling her skin.

Julie's smile came up automatically and she laughed a little, surprised that she could find the oxygen to do so. "Ok," she promised him.

Malcolm smiled at her. He helped her up and then climbed down from the roof and then watched tensely as she did the same. Julie could see his arms were half extended, as though waiting to catch her if necessary. She almost considered falling on purpose, just so he would catch her, but she remembered that she'd previously promised Malcolm that she wouldn't do that again. So Julie climbed down successfully on her own. Malcolm offered her his arm again and Julie took it as they walked back to the house.

They snuck back inside. Malcolm was good at creeping, he made absolutely no noise. His hand moved to hers in the dark as they climbed the staircase. Somehow it was darker now then it had been when they first came home.

When they reached the landing, Malcolm let go of Julie's hand but turned to face her. Julie stared up at his face, looking in his eyes again.

"Good night," Malcolm said softly.

Julie blinked dreamily. "Good night," she replied.

Malcolm leaned toward her, no frown at all on his face, at least none that Julie could see, and he kissed her a third time. This kiss was a lovely combination of the first two, with a gentle inclination to the first warm, soft one. Although Julie had loved the fiery passion of the second kiss, it was easy to love the tenderness of this one as well.

Malcolm drew away and backed in to Kyle's bedroom for the second time that night. He stopped, with his hand on the doorknob. Julie's heart skipped a beat, he'd never paused before. Malcolm looked as though he was trying to keep himself from doing something. Julie wished he wouldn’t be so damn gentlemanly, and wished she could make herself move and do the conversely unladylike actions. But Malcolm smiled a little then disappeared into Kyle's room. Julie turned and went into her room, shutting her door securely behind her.

It was easy to fall asleep. Julie barely undressed before crawling under her covers. She sighed under the soft duvet and snuggled her face down into her pillow. All these breathless, crazy bodily reactions had left her exhausted. Julie breathed in deeply, while dreamy images of Malcolm and stars moved through her head, absorbing all her sleepy attention. She was asleep within minutes.