Happy Together

Happy Together

The room was quiet except for the haunting, slowed melody of "Happy Together" echoing through the apartment. The warped, ethereal tones turned what should have been a love song into something sinister, a soundtrack to the moment Alistair’s grip on reality slipped away.

The reflection in the window shifted—Lucius’s smirking, cold eyes stared back at him, mocking him. Alistair stumbled, the room tilting violently around him as his knees buckled. The last thing he heard before the darkness consumed him was the warped refrain of the song:

"So happy together..."

When his eyes opened again, they weren’t Alistair’s anymore.

Lucius stretched, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck as if shrugging off chains that kept him bound. An evil smile crept across his face, one that hadn’t graced Alistair’s lips since his time in Berlin. He flexed his fingers, marveling at the sensation of control, of freedom.

“Happy Birthday to us,” he murmured, his voice a low growl as he looked around the apartment.

The place was tidy, boring even—a reflection of Alistair’s careful, controlled life. Lucius sneered at it, disgusted. His eyes landed on the small cake box on the counter, and he snorted.

“Pathetic,” he muttered, shoving it aside as he walked to the window.

The street below was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of streetlights. But Lucius wasn’t interested in the peaceful scene. He was thinking about her.

“Victoria,” he said, her name rolling off his tongue like a secret he wasn’t supposed to say out loud. He chuckled darkly, his smirk widening.

“Oh, Alistair,” Lucius said to no one in particular, his voice dripping with mockery. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time. Inviting her into your little life, thinking you can keep me locked away forever.”

He leaned against the window, his reflection staring back at him—this time, fully his own. “But now... she’s part of our story, isn’t she?”

Lucius turned away from the window, his mind already racing with possibilities. He rummaged through Alistair’s closet, pulling out a leather jacket and slipping it on with a flourish.

“Let’s see what she’s up to,” he said, grabbing Alistair’s phone from the counter.

He scrolled through the messages, finding Victoria’s name near the top. There it was—their plans for tomorrow night. A food truck date.

“How cute,” Lucius said with a twisted grin. “But why wait until tomorrow?”

He typed out a quick message:

"Hey Victoria, I was thinking... Why don’t we hang out tonight instead? I know a spot you’ll love. Let me pick you up in an hour."

He hit send before Alistair could even think about stopping him, his grin widening as the notification dinged moments later:

"Sure! That sounds great. Can’t wait!"

Lucius laughed, low and menacing. “Oh, Victoria,” he said, his tone gleeful. “You’re going to make this the best birthday ever.”

He pocketed the phone, grabbed Alistair’s keys, and headed for the door. The darkness in his eyes flickered like a storm on the verge of unleashing its fury.

Tonight wasn’t about Alistair anymore.

It was Lucius’s night now.

Meanwhile Victoria stood in front of her mirror, running a brush through her long brown hair. The message from Alistair had surprised her, but it also made her smile. She liked the spontaneity of it—this wasn’t the cautious Alistair she’d grown used to seeing at the coffee shop.

“Maybe he’s finally loosening up,” she said to herself, pulling on a light jacket.

The thought warmed her. There was something about him that intrigued her. He was quiet but kind, his gaze always carrying a weight she couldn’t quite decipher. She wanted to know more about him, and tonight felt like the perfect opportunity.

By the time she stepped outside, the night was alive with the hum of crickets and the distant sound of the ocean breeze. She glanced up at the stars, taking a deep breath of the cool evening air. Her excitement grew as she spotted Alistair’s car pulling up to the curb.

When the door opened, Alistair stepped out—or at least, she thought it was him. He was dressed differently tonight, the leather jacket giving him a confidence she wasn’t used to seeing. His movements were smoother, almost too assured, and the faint smile on his face didn’t quite match the Alistair she knew.

“Hey,” Victoria said brightly as she approached. “You look... different. I like it.”

Lucius tilted his head, letting the words roll over him. “Thanks,” he said, his voice low and smooth. “Thought I’d switch things up tonight.”

Victoria didn’t notice the flicker of coldness in his eyes as he opened the car door for her. She slid in, smiling as she buckled her seatbelt.

“So,” she said, glancing over at him as he slid into the driver’s seat, “where are we going?”

Lucius started the engine, the rumble vibrating through the car. He turned to her, his grin widening just enough to feel unsettling if she had been paying attention.

“It’s a surprise,” he said.

Victoria laughed, leaning back in her seat. “Okay, mystery man. I trust you.”

Lucius’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel for a split second before he forced himself to relax. “Good girl,” he said, his tone almost too calm. “You should.”

As they drove through the winding streets, Victoria noticed they weren’t heading toward the boardwalk or any part of town she recognized. The roads grew quieter and darker, the streetlights fewer and farther between.

“Is this a shortcut?” she asked, trying to keep her tone light.

“Something like that,” Lucius replied, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

The air in the car shifted, a tension creeping in that Victoria couldn’t quite place. She fiddled with the hem of her jacket, glancing out the window at the increasingly unfamiliar surroundings.

“This is a little far out, isn’t it?” she said, her voice tinged with nervous laughter.

Lucius finally glanced at her, his smile sharp and unsettling. “Don’t worry,” he said. “We’re almost there.”