You looked down at your bare, muddy feet and wiggled your toes a little. The skirt of your dress was also a muddy mess and the dirt was concentrated in two large circular stains from spending so much time on your knees. You still believed it was unfair to be treated that way.
"Aww but Miss P-"
"no buts"
"But it's time for dinner" you pouted
"You should have thought about it before getting dirty like this" the older woman crossed her arms "you're not going to enter my house like that"
"It's our house" you said in a low voice "besides, you get upset if I don't come to dinner, but you don't let me in either. What do you want from me, woman?!"
You watched as Alma tried to hide the birth of a smile and looked up at the sky with feigned exasperation. You knew the ymbryne had a soft spot for you, especially when you acted so childish.
"You are by far the most difficult girl I have ever had in my care" she told you
"But I'm a big girl" you said, making the most convincing puppy face you could.
It worked, because Alma's cheeks tinged slightly pink, although she tried to hide it by turning her head to avoid looking directly at you. Damn your doll face and damn her guts for reacting immediately to you.
Alma was not one to deny her feelings, and she had long since accepted that you held a special place in her heart, although she usually managed to banish those thoughts to the back of her mind.
But then there were times like this when you were so damn cute and she wanted nothing more than to kiss you. An inappropriate thought that no ymbryne should have of any of her children.
Well, technically, you weren't a child, but you were still under her care, so there was a certain line she couldn't bring herself to cross with you, no matter how much she wanted to. For now, she would be content to have you around as an assistant and confidant. It would have to suffice.
"You're not going to leave me without dinner, are you?" you said, snapping her out of her thoughts "it's not my fault that my gift requires me to spend so much time on earth"
"Miss Frauenfeld's is also earth-bound and she doesn't stain half as much as you do, Miss Y/L/N."
"Ah, but Fiona doesn't deal with special missions like me" you said with a mischievous smile
"Is that so?" Alma raised an eyebrow "and what kind of mission did you do today?"
"A very important one! The most important of all!" you said dramatically "it was my duty to find the second most beautiful flower of all"
"second?" she blinked confused, not following your train of thought "and may I ask what for?"
"To give it to the first one, of course" you said
Alma didn’t understand until you revealed what you had behind your back and offered her a small but beautiful white flower. The older woman this time couldn't hide the blush on her cheeks and her hand trembled as she took the gift.
"Oh Y/N" she sighed "what am I going to do with you?"
Despite her fake disapproving tone, she smiled at you, making you feel proud that you had achieved that look on her, the one that was exclusively for you.
"Letting me in for dinner sounds like a viable option to me" you joked lightly, rocking back on your heels.
Alma laughed softly and shook her head affectionately. You were definitely a special case, even among all her peculiar children. And you were definitely going to be a problem for her, but one that she would gladly put up with just to see you for the rest of her days.
"...you have five minutes to clean up. And try not to stain the carpet too much" she told you.
You made a small victorious noise and swung your feet on the porch before rushing past her. The ymbryne watched you disappear up the stairs and closed the door to head into the kitchen.
If the children thought it strange that she had a white flower tangled in her hair, none of them said anything.
42 years and 230 days exactly if you were to ask either one of them.
At the moment, they were arranging Enoch 's collection of pickled organs, as you do. However, they were interrupted by Jacob
It was clear he didn't like being around the pickled organs but whatever it was, it seemed urgent enough that he ignored them.
Don't you two ever get tired of- well-organs?
"They're important, Jacob!" Y/n protested
He glanced to the side which was a big mistake on his part.
Jacob swayed gently as he noticed several watery-looking eyes staring back at him from one of Enoch's jars.
Well, Miss Peregrine wants to see you, Y/n. Try to get back to her as soon as you can, okay?
They looked at him, confused.
"Why?"
"I'm not sure, she looked serious, but then again, she normally does. Anyways, I'd go check with her."
At that, he dashed up the stairs and slammed the door.
Jacob clearly wasn't the biggest fan of pickled organs.
"Alright." Y/n raised an eyebrow at Enoch.
He merely shook his head.
He didn't know what it was either.
๑*˚🍓˚*๑
Several minutes later, the door to the basement crashed open for the second time that day.
Y/n ran down the stairs and practically threw themselves on the table next to a very unsavory-looking bowl of mouse hearts.
" Enoch I don't know what to do"
About what? You know how to pickle these things, you clean them, get some salt and formaldehyde-
"No, it's not that. Just, everything's so confusing I just don't know what to do right now."
The boy raised an eyebrow.
Normally Y/n would just get to the point and talk, but today seemed a bit different.
They picked their head up from the table slightly.
"Y/n, what's bothering you?"
Enoch had dropped his usually surly attitude, this definitely wasn't normal
"Y/n tell me what's going on. As much as I hate to admit it, you're starting to act like me and i don't like it"
They took in a breath and sat up finally
"Enoch, I have a cousin in another loop and they need my help. I don't know why or how they found me but either way, I'm leaving."
Enoch almost dropped his sheep's heart.
"You're what?"
"I'm leaving, I don't have a choice!"
"Y/n...yes you do! you always have a choice! What's wrong with this loop?"
"Nothing! I really want to stay, you know I do!"
He gave them a hard look
"You know what? Do whatever you want.:
Enoch slipped out of the room and slammed the door.
Y/n sighed.
They really would miss him.
They didn't know how or why but they would.
At first, they'd thought he was like a brother, but it was clear now that wasn't it.
There was something more, definitely.
A crush? This couldn't be.
The exact cliche that always popped up in the movies Y/n had watched.
Falling in love with your best friend? No! They didn't want to!
Even that couldn't mask the fact that no matter what they did or didn't want, it had happened.
They'd fallen for Enoch, and they'd fallen hard.
Perfect! Just perfect! The worst part was they probably didn't even have a chance to confess anything.
It really was sad, but y/n knew that sitting around wouldn't help anything.
They decided to start packing their things.
๑*˚🍓˚*๑
After some time, they'd finally finished.
It really was strange how all the things in their room they'd acquired through the years could be stuffed into a few bags in a matter of hours.
Y/n had just finished hauling their very large heavy suitcases down the staircase, which they were cursing the existence of that moment when a voice from behind them jump.
"Y/n! Thank god I found you."
They turned around, nearly slapping the person who, to their relief, had stepped aside before y/n could whack them.
It was Enoch
He still looked downcast, but didn't seem to be angry at all.
" Well, I won't keep you for long... I just wanted to tell you something before you went away for good"
He paused again.
"I wanted to apologize. I don't want any hard feelings between us"
Y/n nodded. "Of course! It's okay, we can move past this. "
He smiled slightly, but didn't leave.
He almost seemed to be waiting for something.
"Enoch, is there something else you want to say?" Y/n asked curiously
"Well- yes"
"In that case, will you just say it, please? I don't have all day!" Y/n said with a small smile.
He rolled his eyes and took a breath in.
"Alright, well if you must know, I like you. I don't expect you to feel the same. This is terribly short notice too, but in case you do-"
A homunculus tapped y/n on the leg.
They looked down to see the small clay doll holding a flower.
"Is this for me?"
The tiny clay figure nodded as y/n took the flower, then skipped away.
"Oh my"
The familiar feeling came back.
The crush Y/n had tried so hard to forget.
There was no escaping it, they were head over heels for him.
Well, it was now or possibly never, what was the worst that could happen?
"Enoch, I'm leaving soon, but I want you to know that I feel the same way"
He nodded as y/n noticed his cheeks go pink.
"I should've told you earlier."
"Enoch," Y/n pulled him into a hug
"All that matters is that we both know how we feel"
๑*˚🍓˚*๑
Five hours later, Y/n had been introduced to their new ymbryne.
Everyone had come out of the house to their goodbyes.
As Y/n waved goodbye, they felt unbearably sad.
Of course they wanted to see their cousin and meet new peculiars, but they'd stayed with these people for so so long.
It felt like they were losing too many people in too short of a time.
It felt so wrong.
Unfortunately, it had to be done, no matter how unpleasant leaving was.
Lastly, Y/n faced Enoch.
Abruptly, he pressed a kiss to their cheek, discreetly enough that even Miss Peregrine didn't notice.
Hi everyone, just a little note to let everyone who has made a request for anything Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children related; These are all currently in the works and should be posted within the next couple of days. Sorry for any delays on these I’ve been refreshing my mind on the series. I am behind on a few of the books but hopefully should still be able to complete all your requests. again apologises for any delays.
Synopsis: Is it possible to fall in love through stories? Well, it happened to me. I fell in love with the stories that my grandmother told me.
Masterlist
(Okay, maybe I got a bit too excited writing this. But it was worth it, I liked the result, even if first I was going to make a whole fanfic out of this idea. And I based it off the movie as I still haven’t read the books. AU where Jacob was never followed by Barron.)
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I analysed the sepia photograph that almost shattered in my hands. It was old and worn out - from the time and the number of times it has been handled. The photo represented a small cave that seemed to be forgotten by everyone. The passage to the time that permeated most of my grandmother's teenage stories. I lowered the photo, seeing that I was directly in front of that same cave, on the small Welsh island of Cairnholm. I put the photograph in the pocket of my torn jeans and took a deep breath, trying to ignore how shaky my hands were. This was the moment I had been waiting for years, since my grandmother started telling me stories about this loop and I fell in love. I took a deep breath, knowing that this moment would change my life and I would not go back to my time again. I was prepared to leave everything I knew behind, with the proper farewells already made.
I squeezed the strap of the backpack that held some of my belongings and entered the cave. I could tell when I entered 1943. The air changed around me, becoming more dense before quieting. The sounds became calmer and my breathing heavier despite being in less polluted air - but I could blame the emotions. When I returned to the beach, the sky was no longer terribly cloudy. Instead, blue was prevalent, with only a few clouds. I smiled, because that meant I had done it. I followed the beach along the path I had taken the day before, when I visited the wreckage of the orphanage. It hadn’t been a pleasant visit. Even knowing the loops existed and how all the children were saved, seeing the place in pieces was heartbreaking. No wonder Grandma never returned to that place. But as I retraced my journey - familiar and at the same time unsettlingly different - I was trying to control my emotions. I didn't know how everyone would react to my presence. Grandma was still in correspondence with Miss Peregrine, but I didn't know the extent of their knowledge about me. Much less if they knew I was coming and whether they would be receptive to my arrival or not.
I started to hyperventilate when imagining the possibility of not being accepted, by everyone and by a peculiar one in particular. I stopped where I was, a few feet from crossing the small stream before the trees that hid the orphanage, and tried to take a deep breath. Even though there was a chance I wouldn’t be accepted, I had no other choice. Grandma was already getting old to protect me alone from the Hollows and I had no choice but to head to one of the loops around the world marked on the map Grandma gave me - and of course my obvious choice would be the one where my grandmother spent almost a decade living. When I felt calmer, I continued my walk. Seeing the big house - with reddish bricks and flowers growing through the structure - that housed Grandma's best childhood friends, I couldn't help the smile forming on my lips. The first to see me was a small, blond little girl in a pink dress that swayed around her body as she ran towards me.
“Eloise! You came back!”
My heart sank and the smile was gone.
“I ... I'm not Eloise. I'm her granddaughter, Y/N.” I replied. She stopped in front of me, studying my face.
She looked a little sad, but soon opened a big smile. “You look a lot like her. I'm Claire. Come, you have to meet everyone! They will be very happy!”
She started pulling me by the arm and, as much as I was eager to get to know everyone - even though I already knew from the stories I heard all my life - there was something I needed to do before.
“I would really love to, but I think I need to speak to Miss Peregrine first. Can you take me to her? Then you can introduce me to everyone.”
“Of course! Let's go!
Claire took me to the door. Every few meters that we walked, some new child turned to see who Claire was guiding so excitingly. Whispers and murmurs after a few seconds of silence. My arrival left the other children in an uproar. Wide eyes and surprised faces, they started whispering to each other, but none approached as Claire led me to the door. Perhaps because of my resemblance to my grandmother or the current clothes I wore. I looked among the children who were watching me, but the face I was looking for, however, was not among them.
“Miss Peregrine!” exclaimed Claire, entering the house with me.
As soon as we passed the bluish door, I looked around in wonder. Everything was so clear and clean. The staircase in front of me was complete, as were the side doors and the corridor hidden under the stairs on the right. So different from the orphanage that I visited back in 2019, the day before. That orphanage was destroyed, the wreckage left by the German bombing more than half a century before, still lying there.
“Y/N!
I looked at the person who called me and instantly recognized Alma Peregrine from the pictures Grandma showed me. Thin face and short hair with bluish threads. Blue eyes wide with a gleam of insanity, anxiety and wisdom. I smiled when I saw her approaching me with two cups in hand.
“Just in time, dear.” She said, handing me one of the cups. The smell that rose made me realize it was mint tea. “Claire, you can go play with the others. I'll take Y/N to meet everyone in a moment.” she told the blonde girl who still held my hand.
“But, Miss Peregrine...” Claire started to mumble, but the woman gave her a steady look that made her release my hand and jump happily back out.
“My name is Alma Peregrine, but I imagine I already knew that information.”
I smiled, nodding and accepting the handshake. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Peregrine.”
“The pleasure is mine, dear. Eloise talked a lot about you and warned us of your arrival.” She put a hand on my shoulder and guided me down the hall under the stairs, but stopped before we entered. “Leave your bag by the stairs, you can take it to your room later.”
I did as she asked and we headed down the hall, then into the kitchen and finally out into the courtyard. It was large, with grass, trees and shrubs pruned in various shapes - I could recognize an elephant, a centaur with a bow and arrow stretched out and a dinosaur farther down, near a football goalpost, where two boys played. One had bees around him and the other, well, I could just make out the clothes. Hugh and Millard. A blond boy was sitting under the dinosaur-shaped bush, shouting penalties at both of them while sharing his attention with a book. Beside him was a girl with brown braided hair and a few freckles watching the two boys play. Horace and Fiona.
Before we approached the presentations, however, I remembered something important.
“Oh, Miss Peregrine.” I said after taking another sip of tea. I reached for my jeans pocket by the folded letter and handed it to him under a curious look. “Grandma asked me to give it to you as soon as I arrived. You’ll have her new address, some new information before she forgot and… let's say attempts to keep in touch while you can.”
Alma Peregrine looked up at my face and I immediately recognized the look of pity and anguish that I so wanted to avoid.
“I'm sorry for your family, Y/N. And for Eloise too.”
I broke into a forced smile.
“It's all right. My parents' death happened many years ago, it isn’t something that bothers me very much.” I said and, on the one hand, I wasn’t lying. I was only eight when the Hollows killed them trying to get to me and my grandmother. Since then, Grandma and I haven't settled in one place for a long time and she was always with me, taking care of me. Until she thought it was appropriate for me to go on a loop because Alzheimer was advancing little by little. “And about Grandma... Well... We both knew that day was coming and she prepared me for it.”
“Still” Peregrine said, putting the letter in her dress pocket and hugging my shoulders “, I'm sorry.”
I nodded. “Only you and I have her new address. She wanted me to correspond with her while the disease is not yet very advanced and she can still remember.”
“Of course!” Peregrine stated. I sighed, relieved. I knew that someone other than her corresponding to the outside of the loop could be dangerous and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to have contact with Grandma. “As long as possible, you can send letters to her and I will help you with that.”
“Thank you, Miss Peregrine.”
She smiled warmly at me, before being distracted by someone calling her name. I followed his gaze and saw Claire approaching again, this time with a girl about her size, with brown curls dangling around her face. I smiled as I recognized Bronwyn and right behind them the twins dressed in white clothes from head to toe.
“Y/N, you already knew Claire” Peregrine started the presentations. “and this is Bronwyn and the twins.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I said, smiling at the children in front of me.
The twins jumped a little, looking excited, but Bronwyn stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my legs. She lifted me up and I had to hold on to her shoulders to keep from falling when she lifted me off the floor.
“I'm very happy to meet Eloise's granddaughter, she was always sending photos of you.”
“Bronwyn, put her on the floor!” Miss Peregrine hurried to say, but I could only laugh.
“It's quite alright.” I assured. “It's really nice to meet Grandma's friends too, Bronwyn, she talked a lot about you.”
She giggled as she put me back on the floor and let out a “it'll be great to have you live with us” before running with Claire and the twins into the house. I looked at Peregrine, a little confused.
“The children knew that when you came it was to stay, Eloise always warned us of this, although not everyone believed that you would really come.” she paused and I wondered if she knew I could guess who she was referring to. “Claire must have spread it to everyone that you were here.”
We went further into the courtyard, approaching Horace and Fiona, who soon got up when they saw us.
“These are Horace and Fiona.” said Miss Peregrine. “Fiona, it's almost time.”
Fiona smiled broadly and waved at me before running towards the front of the house, to the garden there, while Horace watched my clothes curiously.
“This is an interesting attire.”
I lowered my head, examining my clothes. Half-worn jeans, a white T-shirt and a denim jacket on top, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. On my feet I had a pair of black mid-high all stars. Ordinary clothing, at least for the year I came from. I opened my eyes wide when I realized that I would have to adapt to the 1943 dress. Which meant I couldn't wear pants, let alone jeans.
“Miss Peregrine, will I not be able to wear my clothes?” I asked, almost getting desperate. I wasn’t at all comfortable in skirts and dresses.
Peregrine sighed, half defeated. I was sure Grandma must have had some discussions about it with her in the letters.
“It wouldn’t be ideal, but if you only use them inside the house, where no one but us would see it... I think we can work out a deal.” She said, taking me farther in the yard, passing the boys playing. “These are Hugh and Millard.” they waved at me, but continued the game. Well, Hugh waved and Millard must have touched his hat, which moved a little in the air. “And this is Jacob and Emma.”
I turned my head at the sound of the strange name. Emma was easy to recognize from Grandma's photographs. Blonde and very beautiful. She was barefoot and tied to a rope, floating back to the floor. On the other side of the rope was a tall, thin boy with black hair and blue eyes. Beside him were Emma's heavy shoes. But as I looked more closely, I realized that the boy was familiar to me. Not from Grandma's pictures, because I never heard a story that included any Jacob, but I recognized him. I had to hold the cup with both hands in order not to drop it on the floor due to the fright.
“Jake?!”
He turned so fast and startled that if Emma hadn't already been putting herself back in her shoes she would have flown away.
“Y/N?!” He seemed as surprised to recognize me as I was.
“Do you know each other?” asked Peregrine, frowning.
I blinked a few times to dispel the astonishment.
“Yes, we... We studied together in Florida for a few months before Grandma moved us.” I answered.
“My God, Y/N, it's you!” Jake hugged me quickly, before returning to Emma's side. “You look so different, older!”
“Well, it is 2019 on the outside, Jake, I think I aged a little bit more than you.” we laugh, including Emma.
“You must be Y/N, Eloise's granddaughter. I'm Emma, nice to meet you.” She said sympathetically, shaking my hand with a smile.
“Wait, is Eloise your grandmother? Eloise who left with my grandfather from the loop?”
I looked sideways at Emma when I heard Jacob's words, but she looked fine, smiling with Jacob's hand clasped in hers. I think there were some updates from the peculiar kids that Grandma didn't let me in on.
“So Abe is your grandfather.” I said, finally understanding why Jacob was there. “I don't think we found out before because I never saw your grandfather with you.”
“So you met him?” He frowned, confused.
I nodded. “Yes, Grandma took me a couple of times to see him, but when he was alone. He said he didn't want his grandson to know about the peculiars before he was 18. I'm really sorry for your grandfather.”
Jacob nodded, a little ruefully.
“Well, I see that you have a lot to talk about.” said Miss Peregrine. “I'll leave them then while I prepare dinner. Emma, take Y/N to her room later and lend some dress while we don't fix her wardrobe.”
“Has she met everyone?” she asked.
Miss Peregrine gave me a look that I couldn’t decipher and, by her next words, I wondered how much she knew me from the letters exchanged with Grandma.
“Y/N can meet Olive and Enoch at dinner.”
She took my cup of tea, which by now was cold, and went back into the house alone, leaving me with Emma and Jacob.
“So this means I'm now older than you?” I asked, hoping to break the silence.
And it worked, for Emma's laugh and Jacob's eyes roll.
“Only in appearance, Y/N, only in appearance.”
“Still, I'm 19 and you are 16.” I laughed with Emma when I saw Jacob's exasperated expression. “What is your peculiarity? It shouldn't be too obvious, since I didn't realize it when we were at school.”
Jacob scratched the back of his neck, a little uncomfortably.
“It's the same as my grandfather's, I can see the Hollows.”
After a few seconds of tense silence, I finally said something.
“Wow, that would have been so useful and easier than binoculars.”
“ Binoculars?” asked Emma.
I nodded. “A few years ago, Grandma, Abe and I created out of Grandma's peculiarity a type of binoculars to make visible what is invisible. So you can see the Hollows and even Millard if you want. We tried to recreate it to send another one to Miss Peregrine, but we couldn't.”
“And where is it now?” Jacob asked.
I swallowed hard and tried to respond as naturally as possible.
“With grandma. She would need it out there more than I do in here.”
Their faces became a little sad, but Emma soon changed the subject.
“And do you have the same peculiarity as Eloise? Artistic reality?”
“Yes and no.” I broke into a small smile when I saw their confused faces. “Grandma could give life to her paintings, but she was limited to canvas and paint. I just need a place to draw and a pen or pencil.”
“This is so cool, I would love for you to demonstrate!” Emma exclaimed, looking cheerful. “But dinner starts in a few minutes and we need to get you a dress.”
I think it was easy to see how I felt about dresses in my horrified expression, because Jacob started to laugh. Emma barely cared, holding my hand and leading me back to the house. Jacob came after us both, still laughing at my reluctance. But I knew there was no escape. We entered through the back door and passed the kitchen, where Peregrine was already busy with dinner. Jacob stayed behind to help her place the table in the dining room. When we returned to the foyer, I only had time to grab the strap of my backpack quickly before being pulled by Emma toward the marble stairs, covered in a dark red carpet.
After we passed the two flights of stairs, I found myself facing a half-dark corridor full of doors and a window at one end. Emma guided me to one of the doors to the left of the stairs. But I froze before following her into the room. I heard two voices coming from one of the rooms on the right side of the stairs, along with some strange noises, like scissors and clicks. I widened my eyes when I remembered that in the destroyed orphanage I saw in 2019, that room was the one with the bookcase full of broken jars. Enoch?
“Y/N?”
I turned to Emma, eyes wide and cheeks burning.
“Yes?” My voice came out squeaky and I was sure Emma noticed.
She raised her eyebrow, a little cynically, but said nothing. She just entered the room again, and this time, I followed.
“This is my room.” She said, going to the old wardrobe. Well, old for me. “Your room will be at the end of the hall, I'll take you there to change. But first, let's find a dress for you.”
I mumbled a little "okay" to her and watched as she went through her things. Emma took a small look at my shoes and pulled out a simple light blue dress, cut similar to the baby pink she was wearing, from inside the wardrobe.
“I think this dress here will look better on you with your... modern shoes.”
I giggled at her hesitation, but accepted the dress. Emma smiled and led me back into the hall. We passed the stairs and through the room that I had heard the voices before. We stopped in front of a room two doors down from that. After she said it would be my room from now on, she left me alone to change and get down in ten minutes. I looked around me. A simple single bed, an old wardrobe, a medium size mirror hanging next to the door and a simple table with a chair and a lamp under the window that faced the orphanage and the vegetable garden. The room was simple, but it looked cozy and I smiled. That would be my room for the next few decades and I wish I could make it my own corner. I left my backpack by the bed, knowing I could unpack later. I didn't bring much more than clothes and personal items in it, I knew that no electronic device would work there. Although I brought at least my cell phone and my polaroid camera. I knew I could design some kind of adapter for the plug and more paper for the photos.
I changed my clothes quickly, leaving my shirt and jeans folded on the bed. When I put on the dress, a little reluctantly, I went to the mirror. I was surprised to find that I was beautiful with it, despite some discomfort when using it. And Emma was right, it didn't look so bad with my black all star. I didn't want to be too late, so I just fixed my short curls and left the room towards the stairs. When I got to the hall, I realized that I had no idea where the dining room was. I heard the chirping voices of the children and followed one of the doors on the sides of the hall. The dining room was well lit and decorated. There was a large table in the middle, full of food and where everyone was already seated, except Miss Peregrine, who was standing at one end. There was an empty seat on his right side and soon after Emma, Jake, Bronwyn, Horace and Fiona, with Claire, Millard, Hugh, Olive and the twins on their other side. I looked at the other end of the table, at the boy I had been looking forward to meeting since I knew I was coming to the orphanage.
They must have heard it when I opened the door, because everyone turned to me. I smiled, a little embarrassed by the attention, but it widened when Enoch's dark eyes met mine.
“Eloise?!”
My smile closed slightly when he stood up abruptly, looking at me with a kind of horrified expression. I knew I wouldn't have a very good reception from him, but I think I was still hopeful that it would be different.
“Now, Enoch, of course not! It's Y/N!” exclaimed Millard, looking delighted that I joined them.
“Of course, you and Olive haven't been introduced to her yet.” said Miss Peregrine, holding out her arm for me to approach. “This is Y/N, Eloise's granddaughter. We've talked about it, kids, Y/N will be joining the orphanage from now on.”
I smiled when I realized that Olive and the others seemed to give me warm, welcoming smiles when I sat down next to Peregrine. But not Enoch. He was still looking at me with a dark and unreadable expression. He wasn't happy that I was there, but I couldn't figure out what else my arrival was doing to him. I didn't have much time to find out, as he soon turned and ran out of the dining room, with the children screaming for him.
“Okay, kids, we can have dinner today without him.” said Miss Peregrine.
Some children looked surprised. I don't think it was very common to have a meal with someone missing. But it seemed that everyone knew the reason behind it, from the effort they made to not mention it during the entire dinner. Other than that, however, the dinner was very lively. I avoided saying anything unless a question was addressed directly to me. Which means that I talked almost all the time that I wasn't chewing. Where were you born? How's Eloise? Why did you come? What do you think about meeting your grandmother's friends? Where have you two travelled before? Is it true that you already knew Jake?
It wasn’t so uncomfortable to answer the questions. Everyone there already seemed to know about Grandma's situation and why I would come here at some point. So even with the heaviest responses, the mood was not tense. When everyone was done, a phone rang in the background and everyone fell silent. I was a little confused, since I didn't remember Grandma talking about a phone call they received that September 3, 1943 in whatever story she told.
“Well, we will have to answer it.” said Miss Peregrine. “Emma, why don't you go ahead and answer it? Children, go with her and soon I will go. Y/N, wait a minute, please.”
As everyone went out into the hall, Peregrine took the empty plate that was in Enoch's place and began to fill it with the leftover food in the middle of the table, while I waited standing beside the chair. When she looked satisfied, she wrapped the cutlery in a napkin and placed it in my hands along with the plate.
“Can you take this to Enoch, dear?” she said, with a twinkle in her eyes that I dare say is a little suspicious. “His room is the first door to the right of the stairs.”
Of course it was.
“Are you sure it isn’t better for you to take it?” I asked in a low voice, a little afraid. “I don't think he'll want to see me.”
“He needs to get used to you sometime, Y/N.” She stated in a sweet voice. “Now go and come down again before reset.”
I nodded and headed for the hall. I could hear the children's tumult in the hallway leading to the kitchen, but I ignored them and went up the stairs, trying to prepare my heart to face the boy who had stolen my attention in all the stories Grandma told. I took a deep breath when I stopped in front of the door indicated by Miss Peregrine. I was nervous and afraid to drop the plate from my shaking hands. I knocked on the door and waited, but got no answer.
“Enoch?” this time I called when I knocked again.” Enoch, I brought your dinner.”
When I didn't get an answer again, I decided to test the knob. The door opened and I went inside. The room was as I imagined it from Grandma's descriptions and from what I could see from the wreckage of the orphanage in 2019. It had another door facing the entrance and a lamp in the middle of two large shelves full of pots. Some empty and others with dark water and shapes inside. I didn't need to look any closer to know that they were animal hearts. On the other side of the bookcase was the room itself. The single bed beside the door and a table directly in front of it, full of the most diverse objects, tools and doll parts. On the other side of the table was a large window with a closed blue partition. On one side of it was a sink and a half-dirty mirror and, on the other, a hammock hanging from the beam with more pieces of dolls. Despite the big window and the lamps and lamps scattered throughout the room, the atmosphere was still dark and impression of being somewhat morbid.
Enoch was facing the window, one hand in his pants pocket and the other arm resting on the frame. His expression was somber and, although he seems to be too absorbed in watching the sun almost set outside, I knew he was aware of my presence by his tense posture. I took a deep breath, preparing to formally introduce myself and leave him his food, but he spoke before I could open my mouth.
“What are you doing here?” His voice was low and anguished and at no time did he turn towards me.
“Miss Peregrine asked me to bring you dinner.”
“I didn't mean up here, I meant what you are doing here in the loop.” He turned abruptly, with clenched fists. His gaze met mine and I had to control myself not to back down. I came knowing that my presence would bring painful memories to him and that he would be rude to me, but I didn't imagine that I would see so much hatred and contempt in his eyes. “If you are to leave just like Eloise did, you can go now. We don't need you here.”
I took a deep breath and tried to keep the pieces of my heart from becoming tears. I knew it would happen, I was prepared - it was what I kept repeating in my mind. Even so, it still hurt.
“I came to stay.” I replied and realized when he gasped with my firm tone and not intimidated. I left the plate and cutlery on the table, in a part free of dolls and tools. “I know that my presence is not pleasant at this moment, Enoch, but I am not leaving. I don't have the desire that she had to know the world outside because I already knew him. Since I was a child and heard stories about this place, I knew that this was where I would come when Grandma couldn't take care of me anymore. I imagine that like the others you must also know her situation. She was everything I had out there, so I have no reason to leave.
He opened his mouth to say something and I just raised my hand so he wouldn't interrupt me.
“No matter how much you want me to leave, I won’t. I came to 1943 to stay. You may have been the person I most wanted to meet. Yes, I know about your story and how much she hurt you, but she told me the amazing person you could be when you’re not in a bad mood around the corner and she always said that one of the biggest regrets in her life was leaving it. Before crossing the ocean, she asked me to take good care of you, because she knew you could be someone special to me and I intend to keep that promise, whether you want to or not. So you can treat me as badly as you want, I will not give up and I will not leave!”
I turned abruptly and left, without looking at him one last time. I was surprised at myself, for having said more than I intended, but at least I felt a weight coming out of my chest. And I wasn’t lying. Grandma said that one of her biggest regrets was having left him to go live in the world outside, but that at least it had led her to have mother and me. And the promise was real. I would take care of him in one way or another and I did intend to get him out of that armour.
“Oh, Y/N.” Peregrine looked at me with a warm and pitiful expression when I went down the stairs and that's when I realized that some tears were streaming down my cheek. I dried them quickly, hoping that it wouldn't be too apparent when I joined the other kids. “He just needs time, my dear, you just need to be patient.”
I swallowed hard when I realized that Grandma had talked more about me than I felt comfortable with. How embarrassing is your new headmistress to know about you liking the same boy your grandmother was romantically involved with? Is this just because of the stories told by the mentioned grandmother? I could almost feel my face exploding with shame.
“C'mon C'mon.” she rushed me, putting a gas mask in my hands and guiding me to the patio. “It's almost time to reset.”
I noticed that the children were all outside in the rain, with their masks on their faces and behind a small wooden table, where they had a gramophone and an open umbrella. Miss Peregrine hurried to put a clock on the table and turn on the gramophone. Typical '40s music started playing and I smiled as I put on the mask and joined the kids. It was a little nostalgic to hear it, as I always listened to it with Grandma. Olive, who was at my side, put her thick-gloved hand around me in a brief hug.
That's when I saw the flashes between the clouds. They looked like thunder, but they were orange. The first plane flew over the orphanage and I gasped, shocked to see a German plane live, even after I had prepared for it. It seemed too unbelievable that I was there, in the middle of World War II. Two more planes flew overhead and Miss Peregrine looked again at the pocket watch in her hand. Eight more planes passed over the house. A final plane flew over, and when it was near the orphanage, it opened the cargo hold and a bomb fell. I could see the swastika painted in white from my place on the floor. I winced. Not just because of the cold rain that ran down my clothes or because I knew what would happen if Miss Peregrine didn't return the last 24 hours - because I knew she would do it precisely. But because I knew everything that that symbol painted on the bomb meant. These kids living in a loop unaware of what happens in the future seem like a gift that Jacob and I wouldn’t share. Our knowledge of history seems to be a burden.
Seconds before the bomb hit the house, time stopped. The bomb stopped and so did the rain droplets. I saw Miss Peregrine turning the clock and everything moved in reverse. The bomb returned to the cargo compartment of the plane, which flew backwards in the sky, as did the other planes that had already passed and now returned. The raindrops returned to the sky, as did those that had already fallen. Time came back and it was day again. He came back more and it was night, but not like the one I had seen seconds before. It was a clear night with a starry sky. The clock read 2 September 1943.
I took a deep breath and sighed when I took off the mask. I was impacted by the reset. Despite everything Grandma had said and as she described it, seeing it in person was another experience. I was here, finally. My dream came true and I was here, in Cairnholm, Wales, living in Miss Peregrine's orphanage with other peculiar children, just like me. I would live my life frozen at the age of 19 and reliving September 3, 1943 every day.
And I couldn't be happier, despite all the circumstances that have brought me here.
“Y/N, Y/N!” Claire's voice took me out of my thoughts. She was already pulling me by the hand towards the house and the others laughed a little behind us. “Today I want Y/N to tell me a story!”
I laughed too. “But of course, princess. You just don't have to rip my arm off.”
The others continued to laugh and I smiled.
Before Claire pulled me through the door, however, I looked up. In one of the windows on the second floor I could see a figure watching us. Despite knowing that Enoch probably had a closed expression when he watched me, I put the mask under my arm and used my free hand to wave at him. I made sure to keep my smile on my face.
~*~
The months went by and when I realized it had been a year since I arrived. I was able to adapt easily to the life in the loop. Everyone there was very receptive to me - well, almost everyone - and the daily tasks weren’t so difficult, since they were distributed among all thirteen children. Many times when I stayed to prepare breakfast or lunch, Enoch was responsible for helping me. And I was sure I had been Miss Peregrine's idea. She seemed to want to help me interact with him. Not that it helps much, since he doesn't speak to me more than strictly necessary. But at least it was progress from the first many months, when he was just rude all the time. Olive also tried to help. She was closest to Enoch and, after a girl’s night in my room with her and Emma - when they not only tried on my 21st century clothes with a lot of laughter but also forced some secrets out of me - Olive tried to make him open up a little and not just plainly ignore me. Still, I treated him as I treated everyone: with a smile on my face and always willing to approach.
I became part of the routine there. Between the letters I exchanged with Grandma and the daily chores, I quickly became friends with everyone. Most of the morning I spent with Bronwyn, Claire and the twins, whether playing with dolls or playing tag. During the afternoon I played football with the boys or chess with Emma or Jacob. At least once a week I would join Emma and Olive for a girl’s night. When I didn't feel very well, either because I missed Grandma or because Enoch was extremely rude to me, I would sit in the library and spend all day there reading. Horace used to join me these days. Sometimes he managed to get some conversation going, sometimes we just kept each other company while we read. It was comforting.
When I first took my camera out of my room, everyone was curious. Miss Peregrine had a strict rule about talking about the future or having things from the future, but I think that since Jacob arrived three years before me, she didn't care so much about a few slips. Especially if it wasn't something that could cause too much impact. Even Enoch seemed interested, even though he tried not to show it in front of me. I made sure to take pictures of everyone and leave a copy for each peculiar. I even taught Emma how to use the camera and she loved taking it with her when she was out walking with Jake.
As for my peculiarity, I never practiced it as much as there in that loop. The younger children were always asking me to make them a new doll or toy for them, Hugh always asked me for a new ball when the old one burst and I managed to avoid some trips outside the loop by doing some things that Miss Peregrine needed. I always carried a pen I had in 2019 in my dress pocket. It was easier to be prepared, since there was always someone asking for something. And I didn't complain, it was always good to be able to see the smile on their faces afterwards and to be able to practice. Each new order was a new challenge. I had even started a new project to make binoculars that allow Miss Peregrine to see invisible things. It still hadn't had the same effect as I did with Grandma and Abe, but I was on the way.
Enoch, however, had never asked me for anything. Not that it stopped me from taking my pen and using several pieces of paper to draw hearts of all sizes. At least once a week I filled pots with hearts and left them in front of his room. At first he seemed upset by this and even told me to stop, but of course I ignored him - especially after I heard him saying to Miss Peregrine that their efficiency was equal to that of animal hearts. One of the times that I left the pots for him, I hid behind my bedroom door and waited for Enoch to leave his room. I could have sworn I saw a small smile on his lips before he slammed the door.
I was happy that Enoch seemed to open up to the other kids at least. A few weeks ago, after talking to Bronwyn about Victor on a day that she was particularly sad, I left the house looking for Claire, as I knew that maybe she was a little disoriented without her usual company. When I approached a tree furthest from the garden, I was surprised to find Enoch sitting in the shadows with Claire, giving life to several dolls in order to distract her. I stayed away, watching as he made her laugh with a small smile on his lips. I turned around and joined Bronwyn in her room again, my heart warming from the scene I witnessed, but not wanting to disturb them.
But even after the progress I made with Enoch, perhaps today it was the trigger for everything to go down. My emotions have never been so close to exploding.
Tonight was a movie night. Horace had announced that morning that he had dreamed of more than just clothes and Miss Peregrine decided that we would see after dinner. Everyone spent all day anxious, as it’s been many days since Horace hadn’t dreamed of anything interesting to be shown. Several times throughout the day I caught him looking at me like he was having an inside joke that I didn't understand. When everyone had finished dinner, we spread out in the living room. Claire sat on my lap, like almost every time we watched Horace's dreams, and I started braiding her hair, being careful to keep my fingers out of her backmouth. The twins sat on the floor, leaning against my legs, and Bronwyn sat down with Enoch on the couch directly across from us.
“Everyone ready, dears?” asked Miss Peregrine when she arrived in the room after taking the call.
“Horace said he had a very interesting dream! What do you think is it about?” Claire asked me, looking excited.
“We’ll find out soon enough, princess.” I replied, finishing braiding the blond hair.
When Miss Peregrine turned off the lights and Horace projected the images on the wall, I almost immediately regretted being there in that room. The first image was a girl with short curls and a tear-stained face. It was me. I couldn't see much beyond my face and my hand moving a pen over a piece of paper. I didn't seem to be doing my drawings, I was writing. I sniffed, with more tears streaming down my face, and ran my hand over my cheek to dry some of them, before leaning over the paper. Something moved behind me and it was then that I realized it was a door opening. A figure came in and the dream me turned around in fear. I felt the eyes of the other children on me and I swallowed, hoping the images would soon change. And they changed. The next image was of a beach, with calm waves. It stayed in that image for a few seconds before changing again. Horace was trying on a suit and looking at himself in the mirror.
The image changed again and I almost felt my face explode with shame. The dream showed me sitting in the shadow of a half-hidden tree, probably at the back of the orphanage courtyard. But I was not alone. Enoch was with me, his back against the tree and hugging me around the waist. I was leaning against his chest, between his legs. I had a book in my hands and read it aloud. We both laughed at something and he kissed my face several times until I turned and kissed his lips.
I just wanted a hole to open in the floor and swallow me. Some kids started giggling and Claire nudged my arm, laughing softly too. I heard a whistle from one of the boys and Jacob, who was sitting next to me, raised his eyebrow at me with a mocking smile on his lips. I gathered courage and looked up to see Enoch's reaction. I wish I hadn't done it. He didn't look at me, but he had an expression of pure disgust on his face. And it hurt more than I expected.
“I think it's fine for today, Horace, thank you.” said Miss Peregrine, turning on the lights while the others made noises of indignation. “Come on, come on, kids, it's almost time for reset.”
Everyone got up quickly. I wasn't in such a hurry, I was feeling a little dizzy with everything. When I finally got up from my seat on the sofa, the children had already gone after Miss Peregrine and only Enoch remained in the room. I avoided looking him in the eye when I passed him to leave too. But I was stopped abruptly when he grabbed my arm in an iron grip. I turned to him, confused, and the question stuck in my throat when I saw his black eyes shining with pure contempt.
“If you think that will happen, you are extremely wrong.” he said with so much venom in his tone that I almost choked on tears that were threatening to rise. “Now that Horace has shown us the dream, I will stop it.”
I didn't want to hear anymore. My emotions, which had been choking me for the past few days, seemed to bubble. I yanked my arm out of his grip and barely felt the sting that his fingers left on my skin. I practically flew out of the room and into the kitchen, ignoring the curious looks of those still in the hall. I needed to calm down. I took some water and took a sip. I took a deep breath, trying to contain the tightness in my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. I stayed there for a few minutes and, when I heard the rain starting to fall, I decided that I would go to the room instead of watching the reset. All I wanted at that moment was to write a letter to grandma. She would know the right words to say to me so I wouldn't let my emotions take over my decisions and end up leaving for another loop. I finished drinking my water and left the kitchen. When I was heading for the stairs, however, I heard voices coming from the living room. It seemed to be an argument.
“… right to say that to her, Enoch!”
Emma.
“Doesn’t matter.” he said in a voice so low that I almost couldn't hear. He didn't seem as angry as he used to. He seemed almost… sad.
“Of course it matter!” Emma did look annoyed. “Y/N was nothing but kind and sweet to everyone here, especially you! You cannot treat her that way when she has given you no reason to do so.”
“You don't know that! She can decide to simply take her things and leave just like Eloise did! And what will prevent it? And what will become of me when I have to go through this pain all over again?”
“Enoch, put this in your head: Y/N is not leaving! She came here knowing that she will live here forever.”
I appreciated the fact that Emma was defending me, but I needed to act on my own. I opened the door and they both looked surprised to see me there.
“Emma is right, Enoch.” I said in a voice so calm that it surprised even myself, because I felt the complete opposite of calm. “Yes, there have been times when you treated me so badly in the last few months that I got to the point of almost taking the map I have with the loops and leaving. But do you know why I didn't and won't do it? First, because you wouldn't be the one I would leave behind. I made friends here, I made a family. I wouldn’t be able to abandon them because of you. And how many times do I need to repeat that I don't need to go back to 2019 because I have no reason to remain there besides my grandmother who is no longer able to live with me without attracting Hollows. In addition, I made a promise that I intend to keep.”
Emma tried to leave the room quietly, but I raised my hand and motioned for her not to go. My head was spinning so much that I needed her there with me in case I passed out in front of Enoch. He, in turn, just watched me while I vented everything. His shoulders fell and his eyes shone with an emotion that I didn't recognize when they strolled across my face. It was then that I felt tears streaming down my cheeks, but I didn't even bother to dry them.
“I promised grandma that I would take care of you, Enoch. And it's not just because you were an important person to her, but because, with all the stories I heard from this place, I managed to fall in love with yours. I know this is weird. To I fall in love with someone just hearing about that person? Well, it happened. And then I get here and I can only fall more in love with you. You have become an important person to me and I feel completely pathetic for being in love with someone who has treated me badly since the moment you saw me. But I made a choice, I chose to come to this loop and I will stay true to that choice. Maybe I’ll regret it in the future? I might, but I will remain here because you are here and, even if you spend the next few centuries hating me, I will spend the next few centuries here enduring it, because I am pathetic. I'm pathetically in love with you.”
I finished talking and I was almost in tears. My breathing was heavy and my vision blurred. Emma looked at me biting her lip, as if holding a smile, but Enoch looked at me with wide eyes and completely bewildered. It was then that I realised everything I said and after a few seconds paralysed, I ran out of the room. I only stopped when I was back in my room, just in time to see through the window the night turning into day and night again. The children would soon begin to return to their rooms for bed. But I couldn't sleep after everything that happened that day. I just needed Grandma there with me, to give me a hug and make her special hot chocolate.
I took a deep breath, my back still against the closed door, and tried to control my tears, but I couldn't. The memory of the dream of the two of us under the tree and the way he treated me were still stuck like iron to my eyelids. I looked at the table under the window and ran to it. I turned on the lamp and took a piece of paper from the corner. I took my pen out of my dress pocket while I sat down and started writing a letter. I just hoped the handwriting was minimally readable, since I couldn't see very well between my tears.
Hello Grandma,
How are you? How is the nursing home treating you? I hope you haven't had any problems and that no Hollow has found it. I know it hasn't been more than a week or two since the last letter I wrote to you, but I think maybe I’ve reached my emotional limit. I know what you're going to say "but Y/N, it's only been a few months!" I know, grandma, I know. But I think I let everything accumulate and I couldn't take it after today's events.
I think the progress I reported to you was not so positive. I am quite sure that Enoch hates me perhaps more than he hates you. I'm sorry if I failed the promise to take care of him. In my defence, I did and continue to do whatever I can to let him at least know that I am being truthful about my intentions here. But after today I know he will hardly want to be in the same place as me, let alone open up again and stop being so… lonely.
Tonight was a movie night, Grandma. Do you remember how delighted I was every time you told me about them? And that, the first time I saw it, I wrote a whole letter about it? I am still fascinated by how Horace manages to project his dreams, but today all I wanted was for him to have kept that dream to himself. Maybe then my heart wouldn't be so broken. Horace dreamed of us, Grandma, me and Enoch. Together. Sitting under a tree and being kind to each other. Enoch even smiled in the dream. And while my heart was filled with a warm and euphoric feeling at the sight of it, Enoch later shattered it into thousands of pieces. He made it very clear that it would never happen, as he would do his best to avoid it.
Grandma... Is there something wrong with me? You were the only one who was present with me in my whole life, my only constant, my only friend and family. So I ask you to be completely honest with me and I trust you to be. Is something wrong with me? To prevent people from getting closer, to prevent me from being happy in the only place I have felt at home in my entire life? Is it my fault that I am unable to find the peace I have always sought here?
I feel so small, Grandma, so small and pathetic. Maybe it's my fault for not being able to be happy here. While everyone is so warm and welcoming to me... I feel like I blew it with Enoch, who was the biggest reason I chose 1943 in Cairnholm to stay. I told him, Grandma. I know you said that I should have told him before and in a way that I wouldn't scare him, but I practically screamed at his face that I was in love with him. I never felt so stupid and never really wanted so badly to go back in time and avoid my mistake. He will never want to look at me again...
I should have kept that secret with me forever. And it was the first time that I felt that maybe it was a mistake to come to this loop. What if he was better before I arrived? I don't think we ever got to talk about that possibility, but I admit that it just crossed my mind today. What if he was already better and I just made it worse? Should I go? Should I ask him if he wants me out? I'm sorry, Grandma, but I think I would have to break our promise and go. My heart sinks at the thought of leaving the others, but I would do anything to make Enoch happy.
I had to stop writing the letter for a moment when more tears started to flow. I ran my hand over my cheek in a futile attempt to dry them and leaned over the paper again, trying to organize my confused thoughts into coherent sentences. But I didn't get to write, because the sound of the door opening caught my attention. I turned around scared, because I didn't expect anyone to come here after the curfew. I widened my eyes even more when I realized it was Enoch at the door and stood up, surprised.
“Enoch?!”
Enoch said nothing as he closed the door behind him. I rested my hands on the table behind me, embarrassed and nervous. When Enoch took the necessary steps to approach me, I had to support myself with my hands and waist on the table, as my legs no longer supported me. When his scent - a mixture of earth, soap and formaldehyde - hit me hard, I looked up and looked at his face. I was even more surprised when I saw anguish and sadness in his dark eyes. He raised a callused hand to my face, but hesitated only for a second when I tensed. I gasped and closed my eyes when his fingers touched my cheeks and dried my tears.
“Y/N...” Enoch said, his voice low and choppy. “I'm so sorry.”
I opened my eyes wide. An apology from him was the last thing I expected.
“I didn't want you to feel that way. Okay, I wanted to, but not for the reasons you think.” He added when he saw my raised eyebrow. He wiped away more tears that had just fallen and continued to hold my face in his hands. “I don't hate you, Y/N. At least not anymore. I wanted to hate you, I wanted you to hate me, but I can't. Even when I was rude to you, even when all I did was give you reasons to be rude to me too. But I feel different with you, when you open that smile even when I do my best to ignore you. When you put hearts on my door, when you share all your free time with others, giving them your attention and never complaining.”
My breathing became heavier as I began to understand the words he spoke as a small smile opened on his lips. His eyes shone a little brighter with each sentence and his gaze roamed my face with an emotion that I couldn't identify. When he spoke the next sentence, however, I felt like I could pass out right there.
“I fell in love with you, Y/N, and I'm sorry for everything I did with you. I just didn't want to get hurt again.”
I couldn't formulate any sentences. I felt like my brain had stopped working properly. I could only look at Enoch's face, opening and closing my mouth, trying to say something but without succeeding. After a few minutes of looking at us, Enoch's expression fell and he started to walk away from me. That's when I started to panic because I needed to give him an answer. I grabbed his wrist before he could walk to the door and put my other hand on the back of his neck, pulling him closer to me. Our lips touched and I felt like my heart was going to explode when he didn't pull away. I felt his arms wrap around my waist and my entire body relaxed against his. His kiss was magical and I couldn't concentrate on anything other than Enoch - his scent, his arms around me, his chest against mine, his curls wrapped around my fingers, his lips forming a smile against mine.
We broke the kiss, but we didn't move away. I felt my cheeks burning when I saw his eyes watching me with a fondness I wasn’t used to. I hid my face against his shoulder, embarrassed, and he hugged me against his chest. The feeling of being in his arms was wonderful.
“Y/N?” he called and I leaned away minimally. I followed his gaze to where I had left the letter I wrote to Grandma and hurried to hide the letter behind my body. Enoch looked up at my face with a determined expression. “Y/N, I don't want you to leave. Please don’t leave me.”
The pain in your voice broke my heart.
“I won’t.” I guaranteed, placing my hand on his face and caressing his cheek. He leaned closer to my touch, seeming to relax. “I won’t leave. This is my home now. With Miss Peregrine, with the children and with you.”
Enoch took me by surprise when he kissed me again when I had barely finished my sentence. His kiss this time was stronger, more passionate. He pulled me even closer and I felt immersed in his perfume and his touch. One kiss became two, three, four and neither of us wanted to let the other go. Enoch lifted me up and my feet left the floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist to keep from falling and he held my thighs. His touch on my skin, his hair under my fingers, his lips against mine. I could only think of that moment, right now and how happy I was. Enoch guided us to my bed and leaned over me when my back touched the mattress. He looked into my eyes, searching for confirmation, and I pulled him to kiss him again.
I don't need to say what happened that night.
~*~
The next day I woke up with something soft against my cheeks. Despite the sleep, I managed to open my eyes and see the smile that Enoch was giving me. It was such a rare smile that I couldn't help but smile as well. Enoch leaned over again and placed a kiss on my lips. When he pulled away, I couldn't help but try to go after him to prolong our kiss. He laughed.
“I need to go back to my room, Y/N.” He said and I frowned. “Miss Peregrine will wake up in a few minutes and it won't be good if she finds me here and in the situation we are in.”
Last night's memories flooded my mind and I realised I was out of my pyjamas under the covers while he was already dressed again. I blushed, but I couldn't help smiling.
“Yeah, I don't think it would be a good idea.” That was all I managed to answer, still feeling the euphoria of happiness in my chest.
Enoch laughed again and placed another kiss on my lips, this time taking longer.
“Get changed and go downstairs, I'll meet you at breakfast. After that I want to take you on a walk.”
“Alright.”
He pulled away to leave, but I grabbed his arm and kissed him again, a little resistant to let him go. He smiled against my lips and dodged my arms. I laughed when he winked at me before closing the door. I laid down again and sighed. The smile didn't leave my lips and I started to doubt that it would fade at some point. I just wanted to stay in that bed, going over the memories. But following the logic that the faster I got up, the faster I would meet him, I got out of bed and put on one of the dresses Horace had made for me.
Before leaving, however, I decided that I would finish the letter I wrote to Grandma. Maybe I would even write another one. When I sat down at the table, however, I noticed something interesting. The letter was already finished, in a letter that wasn’t mine.
Dear Eloise,
I heard about your situation and I hope you are well as far as possible. I know that I cannot erase the past as I so often found myself imagining. I also know that the hole you left in my chest when you left may never close properly again. But I found someone who makes me ignore it and makes me concentrate on the happy moments here in the loop instead of drowning in sad memories. For a long time I hated you for the way you broke my heart when I left, but I won't be sinking into that feeling anymore, because if you hadn't left, if you hadn't left me, I wouldn't have known the reason for my smile. If you hadn't gone, I never would have met Y/N.
I don't say that as if the time we both spent together was in vain, as if nothing had meant anything to me. But looking at Y/N now, sleeping in her bed with such a serene expression on her face, as I complete her letter, I realise that maybe I was wrong about the intensity of the love I felt back then. Y/N makes me happy, truly happy. She makes me light and euphoric, as if there is nothing in the world to worry about while she is beside me. I know I made her suffer during the year that she was here and seeing how she didn't give up for a moment made me fall in love with her even more. And it also made me realise that I couldn’t deprive myself (or even deprive her) of that happiness just because of my fear that she would also leave me.
So I end this letter (heartbroken after reading the first half) by making you a promise just as she had done: I promise that I will take care of Y/N. I promise that I will spend the rest of our lives making up for the pain I caused her in her first few months here. I love her and all I want is for her to be happy here, beside me.
Thank you for having a wonderful granddaughter and I thank you most of all for the opportunity to have her in my life.
Affectionately,
Enoch O'Connor
I couldn't help the lonely tear that ran down my face when I read the letter, just as I couldn't help my lips parting in a smile. I felt like I was falling in love again and even more when reading Enoch's words. I folded the paper and placed it in an envelope that was next to the lamp. I checked that I was properly dressed and left the room with the envelope in hand. I would like to ask Miss Peregrine to send it as soon as possible.
During breakfast the children looked confused and skeptical with the looks that Enoch and I exchanged, while Miss Peregrine had a small smirk on her lips and Emma was barely trying to hide her smug expression. I didn’t care. I was too anxious to take the walk with Enoch and to spend the next few centuries with him.
Needless to say, Horace's vision of the two of us in the shadow of the tree happened just a few weeks later, right?
A/N: this has been in my drafts since September, omg i thought it posted but apparently not 🙃 Also i just re-read this for the 1st time since I wrote it this is it, this is the best thing ive ever written
....
Y/n and Millard had known each other since almost forever. Millard had been in the loop before them and was the one to show them around. Since then they've been inseparable and the others always liked to tease them.
Today was just like the day before that, and the day before that, and so on. Following the same routine every day for years was honestly annoying. Millard did have a way to make it a little less of the same thing every day by visiting the town and recording everything that happened. He had it a lot easier by being invisible and all so he just went wherever, whenever. But on the days Y/n stuck with him he had to think a bit more.
"So today I was planning on observing this one farm that's right next to the woods so there should be no problem for you to hide." Millard told them on your way out of the house.
Y/n nodded, "That's perfect. I hated sitting behind that bush last time."
Millard stopped and turned to face them, they knew because they were holding hands, "Hey that was on you! I told you there would be complications and you decided to go anyway."
You laughed, "I guess you're right."
"I always am!"
~~~~
Upon arriving back at the house you could already see the kids turning to each other and giggling.
"Hey the lovebirds are back!" Enoch yelled from sitting under a tree. He was making clay figures as usual.
Y/n rolled their eyes and jokingly said, "Go back to your dungeon of darkness."
Enoch started to get up and being his petty self said, "Maybe I will!"
Y/n and Millard laughed.
"I think they're cute!" Claire said as Enoch passed her.
"Me too! They're just like Hugh and Fiona except they talk about it." Her eyes went wide at her mistake. "I- I mean what about Hugh and Fiona?"
"Its alright, we all know already." Millard whispered to the girl.
"We talking about the lovebirds? I've been waiting to plan the wedding for years!" Emma said as she approached the group.
Y/n shoved Emma jokingly, "Oh shut it."
"You've been planning it? I've done every bit of planning so far. You've just decided what candles to use!" Horace jumped in. Turns out he'd been listening from the upstairs window.
Y/n looked up and narrowed their eyes, "You shut it too before I 'accidentally' throw away one of your favorite suits!" And with that he quickly said 'sorry' and dove back into the room.
Y/n laughed and then noticed that Millard's hand, who they have been holding this whole time, was sweating. They knew that if he were visible he'd clearly be blushing like mad. They lightly laughed as the two walked back inside.
Requests are open, please look at my masterlist for the characters I write for before making a request and please be a little descriptive in what you want.
I decided to make a full list of characters I want to read for. If you write any x readers for these characters please let me know so I can both support you and request from you. You guys are all such talented writers and I think that gets over looked some times. I love you all. Can’t wait to read your stuff!
Here it is:
X-men-
* Charles Xavier
* Alex summers
* Scott summers
* Hank
* Quicksilver*
Avengers/Marvel -
* Steve Rogers*
* Peter Parker*
* Quicksilver (Maximoff)*
* Frank Castle
* Matt Murdock
* Loki*
* Thor
MPHFPC-
* Jake
* Enoch
Psych-
* Shawn Spencer*
Flash-
* Barry
* Cisco
NYSM + NYSM 2-
* Daniel Atlas
* Jack
The Hunger Games-
* Peeta*
* Finnick
* Gale
SPN-
* Sam
* Dean
Teen Wolf-
* Stiles
* Lahey
The Bodyguard-
* David Budd
Kingsmen-
* Eggsy
Stranger Things-
* Steve*
* Billy*
I Am Not Okay With This-
* Stanley Barber*
Outer Banks-
* JJ****
Criminal Minds-
* Reid*
* Derek
Glee-
* Finn
* Ryder
* Sebastian
* Sam
* Jesse
Bones-
* Sweets*
* Booth
* Aubrey*
* Hodgins
AHS-
* Kyle Spencer (post and pre death)*
* Kit*
* Jimmy*
Hemlock Grove-
* Roman*
Harry Potter-
* Draco*
* Fred
* George
Star Wars-
* Kylo
* Poe
* Luke
* Anakin*
The Mortal Instruments-
* Jace*
* Simon
I might add more to this as I watch/read new things but this is the list for now! Can’t wait to read! Bonus friendship points if you write any of the ones with a * after them! ! 💖
