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echantedtoon · 6 months

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Until Death Do You Vow Ch5 Sealed In Blood

(Warnings: Mentioning of blood.)

The distant cry of a carnival mystery.

A pained wail. A pained moan. Looping through the walls and dancing on flowers.

The petals shake. Stems and pistals trembled. And perfume avalanche upon thee. A billion scents as strong as a forgotten sun.

Strong enough to sting your eyes

It was still dark when you came to. And the first thing you felt was the coldness and softness of something which you laid upon with a ringing in your ears, and for a moment you thought it was a dream. All of it. Just a terrible, horrible nightmare. And you'd open your eyes and be staring at the walls of your small home, laying on your sorry excuse for a bed in your apartment with Taylor bunking on the couch like so many times before when your investigations turned up nothing. The second thing you felt was pain and soreness the more your body began to wake. It started with a small throbbing headache just under your skull, as if someone was beating it from inside out. You didn't bother to move much other than lift a hand trembling to your head, wincing at the many cuts and bruises that lined not only this arm, but your other arm, where your legs weren't covered by your gown, and some on your face and neck from where you had fallen or been pushed over. The many small cuts, bruises, and scrapes stung like tiny annoying jabs at your skin. And to top it all off, you felt pins and needles in the left arm and leg you'd been laying on for a while when you forced yourself up just enough for you to lay on your less sore back and stare up at the blue ceiling above your body. F/c eyes blinked as something bright shown down at you from above. The sun???....No. It wasn't the sun. That would've been a very warm welcome to what it had ended up being. Your vision gradually, slowly came back enough to focus on what was swung above your head, and your brain registered it as ...the moon?

Yes. The moon.

The harmless thing hung above you shining through the window silently as if acting as a bright beacon for your darkened experiences. Despite its blood red menacing appearance. Which begs the question...Where WERE you!? You continued to lay there until the pins and needles fully left the right side of your body and you pushed yourself up into a sitting position, hissing at the soreness and somewhat numbness of your poor limbs. And with a hiss, you looked around. This uh...This wasn't your apartment. Or your bedroom. It looked like you had fallen through one of those old black and white photos from the Victorian times and landed in one of their bedrooms. The furniture around the room looked old but at the same time, in great condition like it was all brand new. Even the curtained bed you laid upon looked well made . The sheets silky and clean as if freshly washed, dried, and placed on the mattress and the pillows still fluffy from where you had laid on them. No damage at all could be seen around the room.

No mold. No mildew. No cobwebs or dust. No graffiti. No trash or broken furniture.

Nothing.

"....What the heck? Where am I?," you asked yourself the ringing still present.

Funny. You thought the ringing would leave by now. It didn't occur to you that the rings was not in your ears until you looked down at the bed and found your phone lit up and ringing loudly. It made you flinch as it moved before stopping and then someone called loudly through the earpiece once more.

"Oh God, Y/n!!," you winced as Taylor's voice yelled through the earpiece. "I've tried calling like fifty times since the connection dropped! What the hell happened?!"

"Ow! Keep it down, Taylor. I'm fine! I just passed out ..and somehow ended up in bed?" You gave another confused look around.

"Are you still in the mansion?!"

You paused. And paled as the events from before hit you. That...That WASN'T some dream or sleep deprived hallucination from Taylor's ramblings! YOU HAD BEEN TOUCHED BY A GHOST!! And not any ghost! THE Elias Gallagher. You shuddered and goosebumps appeared where you remembered his cold touch. A bigger shiver ran through you.

"Describe your location?"

You blinked before looking around again. "Well.. Everything is dark and a shade of blue, and I'm still in the mansion I think. So not too bad but I dunno if I'd consider it 'good'. I'm in some kind of bedroom."

"Wait. A bedroom?"

"Yeah. It's really weird. Compared to everywhere else this room is surprisingly really clean. None of the paint's chipping off the walls and all of the furniture looks almost brand new. But it still matches that Victorian mansion look. Here. Take a look."

Holding up your phone, you turned it on and snapped a few pictures the flash lighting up the room- Just as a strike of lightning lit up the room in all its glory. You jumped looking out the window again only just now noticing the clouds that had nearly blocked out the entire sky. It would rain any moment. Shaking your head, you went ahead and sent the photos to Taylor before noticing something else.

.....Where the heck did these gloves come from?!

Your hands were covered in some kind of fancy silk gloves and a shiny ring slipped on over one . Your get up didn't come with these! Obviously you didn't put them on. Which meant someone had to have removed this ring, placed these on you, and then slipped the ring back on your finger. ..A gift from Elias maybe?

"Huh." After a moment Taylor spoke back up which means he must've seen the pictures you texted him. "Maybe the door was locked and nobody got in?" He suggested. "This place is a known party hub. Maybe whoever else wrecked this place but they couldn't get into there?"

"I don't think so. Even if that was true, don't you think there still would've been a whole bunch of dust in here? And rotting furniture and stuff?"

"That's really strange."

"No kidding. Maybe Elias likes a clean living..uh dead space. But this whole situation is crazy. Way different than the last time I had a ghost encounter." There was a loooong moment of silence before Taylor gave a nervous laugh making you raise a brow. "Taylor, what's so funny?"

"I- ..Uh . That's because the last mission I sent you on wasn't the real thing. That was a uh-..fake ghost encounter."

There was a pause..."WHAT?!"

"Hey. It wasn't a bad thing." He quickly defended himself as your anger suddenly grew. "We did get a few members after we posted your reaction."

"For a few weeks before they left! Are you freaking kidding me, Taylor?! I can't believe you'd do something like that! When I get out of here, we're going to have a VERY long talk!" You shouted annoyed at him before grabbing your phone and swinging your legs off the bed. "As soon as I find a way out of here, you're so dead! Then we can film you as a stupid ghost and get members that way!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hang on a sec. Aren't you lightheaded or dizzy or something? I think I heard you fall and I've been trying to reach you for TWO HOURS! You might have a concussion or something!"

You deadpanned. "I feel fine besides finding out my best friend faked a ghost and didn't tell me." He audible winced. "Besides I only fainted...Either I was really scared, or that ghost was really powerful. What did you hear while I was out cold?'

"I just kept hearing that guy's voice and a rush of air. So...was it really Elias?"

"Are you sure this isn't another one of your fake ghosts?" Maybe you shouldn't have said that but you were angry and hoping that maybe he'd say yes so you could believe that this really didn't happen.

"What?! N-No! I swear!" Ok. There goes that hope. "So you really talked to THE Elias Gallagher?"

"He held my hand too."

"Ok. I'm coming in! We have to get you outta there!"

"WHOA ! Hang on there! You can't just barge in here! We don't know what might happen if another person disturbs a ghosts resting place! Plus I don't even know where I am! There's no sense in both of us getting lost!" You slowly stepped towards the door you were sure wasn't a closet. "Plus, maybe I can take a picture of Elias if I come across him. Isn't that what you wanted? Proof of ghosts?"

"Yeah. I was sorta prepared to find a ghost not for you to go M.I.A for two whole hours!!" Taylor hyperventilated.

"Taylor, calm down. Deep breaths. I'm fine. I'm still here and talking to you aren't I?"

You passed by a full length mirror and gave it a look. And paused. You were surprised to find your entire reflection perfectly clean and dirt free. Your dress was perfectly clean and as beautiful as the Moment you put it on. Shouldn't it be torn with dirt stains from all the falls you took? No. Your hair was still perfectly done up. Your make not smeared as if you had just put it on. Your dress without a wrinkle. Your body without a dirt stain. You looked just...

Perfect.

Just like this room. The only thing out of place on your body was the ring that still smeared a bit red with your blood droplets. ...That was really weird.

Eventually Taylor evened his worried breathing. "Ok. Ok. You're right. But if he was able to put you to sleep then he's a lot stronger than we thought!"

"Well if you're heading out then I'm coming in! I trust that guy as far as I can throw him which is t much considering he's a ghost."

You rolled yours eyes. "In a mansion where you can get lost? Nah. I'll meet you out."

"No, no, no! On second thought, stay where you are! We have no idea what the dude's up to!"

"All the more reason to leave! Ugh. Look, Taylor. If he really wanted to hurt me he would've already done it by now instead of putting me in a nice bedroom. Just let me handle this. The last thing we need is for you barging in here and making him mad or worse you hurting yourself. Trust me on this. Ok?"

There was silence for a moment before Taylor sighed. "Fine. But you are STAYING on the line with me and giving me status updates!"

"Deal. But I am serious. When I get outta here we're gonna talk about what you did."

Taylor grumbled but you paid it no mind as your hand grabbed the doorknob and turned. Luckily it wasn't locked and you opened it enough to just stick your head out. A long hallway greeted you. Lightning flashed lighting up both ends as you looked left and right.

"Ok. I'm definitely still in the mansion but I don't see any ghosts...And I think I'm on the second or third floor. I'm gonna try to find the stairs."

"Alright. Be careful. What happened before you fainted anyways?"

You slowly closed the door behind you, careful to not snag the floor length veil into the door. Also careful to be very quiet closing it. Hopefully the thunder and lightning would muffle the creaking door.

"It was pretty normal until it wasn't. Remember when we were joking about Ian?"

"Yeah?"

"Well something invisible grabbed my hand, and then the ground just started moving like those zombies in movies before they bust outta their graves!"

"So Elias is a z-z-z-zombie!?," Taylor's voice sounded terrified all of a sudden.

"No. He's not a zombie. He's definitely dead but he's not a even close to a zombie." Taylor sighed in relief. "He's a pure ectoplasmic ghost. But he sure gave me a scare." You looked behind you as more lightning lit up the building. Still nothing. "I dropped the rings Ian gave me and he took them.." you gave another glance at your hand. "Well one of them. Next thing I know he's talking to me, I faint, and then I wake up in a strange room."

"You must've accidentally disturbed where he used to be buried or somehow summoned him."

"Well I felt like I was being watched the entire time I was out there so I must've said something that made him come out."

Taylor hummed. "Huh. I wonder what it was. If no one else was successful in getting him to show himself then you must've said something that caught his eye. Can you tell me what he said?"

"Didn't you hear everything?"

"Not everything. The connection kept swinging in and out. I only heard glimpses of you screaming and the some muffled static and a few words."

"Well he asked me why I was here? I told him the truth that this was a ghost hunt. And he asked why I was wearing a wedding dress. I told him basically that I only wore it cuz of our common interest in tragic weddings." You curiously tried a nearby door reaching out to turn the doorknob and opening it to peer in. Nothing but an empty closet. You closed it. "Oh. He also thought I was proposing to him."

"Hang on... WHAT?!"

"Yeah. He thought I was proposing to him." You paused. "... Maybe that's why he took the rings and came out."

"Hang on. I think you're skimming over the important details here! You proposed to a dead guy!"

"No I didn't. He just thinks so."

"Uh. THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART!! Why aren't you more worried about this?!"

"I don't even know if he's still in the mansion with me. For all I know he might've gone back to rest again. It won't matter if I get out of here anyways." You walked further down the hall.

"And if you DO run into him?!"

"Then I'll explain everything to him. Now stop yelling off my ear will you?"

Taylor grumbled but he didn't yell anymore. You took the chance to walk further up the hallway before pausing again as a sound other than the thunder and wind outside entered your ears. It sounded like.. humming? Your brows rose and you slowly began to follow the source of it. Each slow step left your heels clicking softly and the floor slightly creaking. You followed it until reaching the end of the hallway and poked your head around. Still nothing but the humming was louder and it seemed to be coming from a particular room. Slowly your head retreated.

"I think I found out where Elias went. It's really weird. This is all really weird. Is it possible I went back in time?"

"No. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to communicate. Why?"

"Because none of the house looks old anymore. It's not even cold. Seriously, does he have like a ghost maid or something that cleans up around here? For a party house it's not really wrecked."

Again another pause. "If the house looks better is it because of Elias? The fact that it's not cold has to mean something. I think you've really awakened him."

"Say what?"

"Your presence has given him something he hasn't had in forever. I think this house confirms to his spectral energy. You've made him happy. You've satisfied part of his unfinished business for romance but..I would be careful with how the rest of those desires are filled."

You stood there for a long moment. "So a ghost is happy because he thinks we're engaged. Yeah. Why not have this happen on Friday the Thirteenth?"

Your sarcasm was not lost on Taylor who sighed. Curiously you peeked back around.. before slowly moving towards the door that the humming came from. Each click of your heels got you closer until you stood in front of the door left ajar. Slowly you moved the front of the veil from your face to lean forward and peek through the crack in the door. The room looked like an old study. A few sofas, a desk with an office chair, and a bookshelf on the far wall stuffed with books. And there in the middle of it all was Elias. The spook hummed in a absolute happy way, one arm holding a small stack of books while the other skimmed the shelves looking for something. Eventually he pulled out a book adding it to his stack before floating over to the coffee table and setting them down next to a teapot, teacup, and a plate of presumed snacks....Wait. Could a ghost even eat or drink?

CRASH!!

"AH!!"

You squealed as the loudest crash of thunder yet sounded out causing you to jump forward pushing the door open and startling the ghost inside. You both froze staring at each other for a moment before a look of concern fell over Elias.

"Oh, Y/n my dearest. Wait there." Oh no- Elias was quick to phase through the furniture and soon he was standing right in front of you looking working. "My dear, you mustn't wonder around. Things are still out of sorts."

...You blinked. "Really? The place looks clean to me." Taylor groaned in your ear but you ignored it. "And I woke up anyways. I couldn't just sit around and do nothing."

"And here I thought I had been quiet as to not disturb your slumber. My sincerest apologies", Elias apologized profusely making you hold up your hands.

"No it's fine. I woke up by myself."

You watched as he cocked his floating head making it bob a bit more. You tried not to stare at the obvious place where his head was disconnected from his neck or the red staining his otherwise blue body. "And yet it doesn't excuse the unreadiness of this manor. After all I have to do all the cleaning myself. Look at the study. So far from its glory days." His eyes gave a look of distaste at the room.

"Didn't you say the place looked clean?," Taylor asked confused in your ear.

It's true the place looked better than most dorms you've seen. Either Elias was a perfectionist or you both were seeing two different versions of the manor. "I think it looks good."

He offered a small huff and smile. "Just wait and be amazed. I will have to find new staff quite soon." He pondered holding up a hand to his chin. "Sadly they didn't stay behind as I left my body." He groaned closing his eyes. "Oh. If only they had."

"Is he serious? Who'd work for a ghost in a moldy old manor?"

You again ignored Taylor. "Well I'm sure you'll find some more eventually. You'll be able to really look around and..stuff."

At this he shook his head and held up a finger. "On the contrary, arrangements must be made with all haste."

"Arrangements? Arrangements for what? Staff interviews?"

He smiled widely and happily. "Our wedding of course."

Taylor choked on air through the earpiece as you just stood there staring at the smiling spook. .... What?! You guessed you couldn't blame Elias for wanting to have that fairytale wedding he never got to have after so long but- HOLY COW!! Taylor mumbled something in your ear and you totally agreed.

"Whoa! Hang on there a moment!" Elias blinked as you held up your hands. "I think we're jumping the gun a bit here!"

He slowly blinked. "Jumping the gun?...Is that a wedding tradition I haven't heard about? If you want that I can surely arrange it. I'm sure my father's musket is around here somewhere."

"It's a figure of speech. It means you're moving too fast." You explained.

His face regarded you before frowning. "But you're heart. I can hear it's tears fall upon your shattered soul. I promise you, my dearest, that a heart does not heal easily. No matter how many takes of tragedy and hardship one reads, reality is always more painful." Well you couldn't argue with that. A hand pressed over his chest where one's heart would be. "Why my heart has been broken more than a dozen times over the course of my life and alas it has never once healed. Only turned to an aching scar. And I have tried my damnedest to ignore those wounds. To let them bleed out and form into some semblance of strength, but it left me sickly instead. If a heart must be mended, then surgery must be immediate."

You stared at him for a long moment because...Well that's EXACTLY how you felt after Ian stood you up at the alter. But ..still as much as it pulled at your heart strings,you couldn't just pretend that this whole thing was ok! You needed to sit him down and talk to him.

"Do NOT trust him! AT ALL!!" Taylor's voice warned. "But don't do anything to upset him either. Play it cool."

Ok..Got it. But you couldn't NOT tell him! It'd be cruel AND ridiculous! You couldn't get hitched to a ghost! You held up your hand to get his attention but paused as he smiled warmly and grabbed it in his own cold hands.

"And here before you is someone who can mend your broken heart. Someone who can cherish you, stay with you, bring happiness to you. I never had that chance in my mortal life and after so long, I want you to choose happiness not sorrow, My Dearest. And I want to be the one to give you that happiness."

You fell silent for a moment just staring at his smiling face and despite yourself your face heated up a pink, although you sighed. "Elias, can I talk to you for about something?"

He blinked. "Oh. Yes. Of course. Anything."

You gently removed your hand from his before slowly walking over and sitting down on one of the old sodas. These heels were killing you. You took a moment sighing in relief before looking at the slightly worried ghost. "Elias...Are you aware that I wasn't actually proposing to anyone?"

Blunt but there really wasn't any point in beating around the bush. Immediately Elias looked shocked at your words. "But..your vows.."

"Those vows were what my ex was supposed to say to me on our wedding," you explained the best way you could for him to understand. "I was upset about what he did and I was just..." You couldn't say joking around with your friend because Elias might interpret that as you mocking his situation. "*sigh* I was just acting out what I didn't get to have said to me." That was true, and it was the easiest way to explain it to him. "I dropped the rings when I tripped over my dress on accident." You gestured to the dress. "I wasn't actually expecting literally ANYONE to show up. Not you or anyone else."

Elias fell silent as he stared at you with a neutral face. "But..I thought you were looking for me."

"I was but not to propose, I wanted to see if there was any truth to the stories of this place," you explained further to him. "I just happened to be reminded of my own bad wedding while I was here and acted out because I was upset. I wouldn't have done it if I knew you would be disturbed and I am really sorry for that. That's why I wore the dress like I explained to you a few hours ago."

Again Elias fell silent for a long moment seemingly in thought until he sighed and nodded. "I think I understand now."

You sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I thought you'd be angry at me."

"Oh course not. After all, you were only acting out due to a broken heart and thus sought solace in someone of a similar situation. Nevertheless I shall not let this put a damper on the ceremony."

"SAY WHAT?!" A glass shattering sound went off in your mind as Taylor yelled.

"Wha- N-Now wait a second." You held up your hands. "Did you not understand anything about what I said?

"Oh no. I understood you perfectly," he clarified holding up his own hand, "Nevertheless I accept what fate that has brought us poor souls together. Rest assured that I will not be like that snake who so carelessly spured your affections so carelessly and drove you to me."

"Um..Elias, how long ago do you think I was stood up?"

"Judging by your gown, I would think that you would've been spured less than a day ago."

"Wrong. It happened over two years ago, so there's no need to worry about me."

"Two years?!" He gasped a hand clutching his chest. "Well it's not a wonder you came here. Surely it has not been as long as my heart has endured but two years of festering sorrow is too much to wait."

Taylor groaned and you fought the urge to facepalm yourself. "Elias, that's also more than enough time for someone to move on. You never forget but you can find happiness some other way." You tried to be gentle to his worried puppy eyes. "Like focusing on yourself and trying new things. Putting yourself first and spending time with the people who matter the most!" You smiled widely at him. "Have you ever thought about doing that? You must meet lots of people coming through here."

Sheepishly he looked away. "I..Have thought such things, but when you are in my situation.." he looked down at himself with a frown. "Your options are very limited, and no one has shown me the kindness you have. Even if your proposal was accidental, I still accept it with honor."

"Well.." He really wasn't getting it was he? "Even if you did, surely we can't be married. There's not a ceremony."

He smiled again. "Fear not! I shall arrange everything we need."

"Well surely it's not a binding one. There's no one to do the rites!"

"And remember the famous lines! 'Til death do you part!'," Taylor added quickly, "He's a ghost! Death has already parted you both!"

"And death has already parted this!", you added quickly with Taylor's point. "I'm afraid this wouldn't be any good even if we do have a ceremony."

Instead of getting upset he only smiled at you wider. "On the contrary, our pact holds truer than most engagements." As if to make a point, he presented his hand where the ring still sat on his own hand where one would expect a man to wear a wedding ring. It shined golden with minor red smears. "Our vows are sealed in blood. All we're lacking is the proper ceremony. But first I must make the proper preparations. Like the cake. My grandmother's recipes are still somewhere in the manor. I remember eating them when alive and adoring them. Then there's the flowers. Unfortunately you seemed to have lost yours, so I'll supply that as well" he held up his hands to you in a gesture of comfort. "Your energy is still exhausted, so you must rest a little bit longer. Please wait here for a moment and I'll get you something."

Before you could say anything, Elias literally sank through the floor and a second later he was gone leaving you alone. After the stunned silence Taylor spoke again.

"Y/n...Why did he say that your vows were sealed in blood?"

"I have no idea! I didn't give him any blood if that's what you're thinking!"

"Wait. Didn't you say that you got a papercut or something?"

"Yeah. One of the roses you got me pricked my finger. Why?"

There was silence for a moment before Taylor sounded VERY nervous. "Y/n, PLEASE tell me you didn't touch him with a bloodied hand!"

"What? No! Why?"

"Because I think you accidentally made a big magical mistake."

You paused. "What are you talking about?"

Taylor groaned before sighing. "Ok, ok! Do you remember how in ancient history people would make blood sacrifices to appease deities? Or how people refer to close friends as 'blood brothers' or something?"

"What are you getting at?"

"UGH! I'm saying that blood is used in a lot of supernatural or magical properties. Look at vampires for a prime example!"

"Elias isn't a vampire, Taylor."

"The point is!! That I think you inadvertently made a soft of pact with him by accident. Not in the demon like sense, but a marriage is still a pact, just in a different and more intimate way."

You froze. "...No."

"Yes! You made those vows and drew blood, and offered it even if it wasn't directed at Elias. He accepted it and now...I think we're in a lot more trouble than I thought."

You didn't say anything about it but yelled out and slammed a fist on the soft sofa cushion harmlessly. "Well now what are we gonna do?!"

There was a moment of silence before Taylor spoke again. "Maybe we can convince him to move on."

"What?"

"Elias is still around because he never got to experience what he's always wanted, which was to be married. Right? Even if the ceremony isn't legal or has any standing, maybe holding a fake ceremony will bring closure to him and allow him to move on finally. If he moves on then, the contract breaks and you're scot free."

"And if it doesn't?"

"....I dunno. We'll think of something. Right now it's the only thing I can think of."

#the groom of gallagher mansion #thegroomofgallaghermansion #tgogm #Until death do you vow #taylor potts x reader #taylor potts #elias gallagher x reader #elias gallagher

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