Secrets (One Shot)

”You stood him up again?” The deep voice asked with a hint of a condescending tone to it as Selene set her cell phone down after having sent a text to Damon, canceling their date for the 4th time that month. She sighed and gave a side glance to the large black house cat that was sitting next to her on the couch, giving him a small glare.

”I had to.”

”You really didn't have to” Hades corrected while he stood and arched his back in a large stretch ”at least pretending like your a normal person isn't going to kill you, you know.”

This got Selene's full attention and she turned her head to the side while turning her body so she could face her familiar. ”Don't even pretend like any of this is normal.” She snapped ” We both know what is going to happen so why not just stop it now before it gets to that point?” Another sigh but this time a sadness overcame her ”Besides..” She said quietly while pushing herself up to stand ”It's better this way.” as soon as she was standing Selene reached down and gave the cat a small pat on the head before heading off to her kitchen to find something to eat, since she had canceled her dinner plans for that night only a few moments ago.

”If that helps you sleep better at night” Hades commented with a yawn while curling up into a ball on the deep purple sofa as Selene walked away. She must have heard him because not soon after the words left his mouth he felt a very sharp pain in his right ear, like someone had flicked it. Hades rolled his eyes at his charges childish behavior but it also made him chuckle because he knew she knew he was right.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Damon was trying to feel pretty optimistic about tonight despite the impending 'doom' that was hanging over him but it was a losing battle. He hadn't seen Selene for more than a few minutes for nearly a month, she was always running off with some excuse or another and he was starting to worry that something else was behind it other than her 'busy schedule'. Maybe there was someone else...the two of them hadn't been dating for long, three months at most but it felt like less than that with the handful of 'dates' they had. They would make plans and she would show up for a few minutes before having to run off after giving the same excuse. Maybe she had found another guy or maybe she really just wasn't that interested in him. He had thought they were doing fine, could he have been wrong thou? He wanted to ask her but he also didn't want to make her feel like he didn't trust her but, with her always canceling on him or having to run off because 'something came up' it was hard not to wonder.

Maybe he was over reacting but somehow he doubted it.

Things with them had started out OK..or at least he thought. It was the usual story. He had recently moved to the area and was doing a bit of exploring. Nothing too exciting, just seeing what the city had to offer and came across a small cafe. The greater Seattle and surrounding areas had hundreds of cafes and coffee shops, all trying to compete with the big name brands and this little place had nothing special about it and he would have overlooked it completely, had it not started to rain and like a dummy he forgot his umbrella. Moving to Washington was a big change from Maryland..you wouldn't think so but it was and the biggest adjustment was being prepared for rain all the time something he hadn't quite grasped in his two weeks in town.

As the rain started to fall and increase Damon decided to take cover in that small cafe. It was dark and dimly lit, with small table lamps that offered just enough light for reading or conversing with the person across from you. It really didn't suit his taste at all, he was more of a social butterfly, preferring the loud and boisterous atmosphere of pubs than this but...since he was here he might as well get a drink while he tried to wait out the rain.

Damon walked up to the counter and ordered a latte and was pulling out his wallet when he saw her. There in a corner was Selene, sitting alone and reading. She was beautiful. There was something about her, something mysterious and earthreal. He must have been starring because the barista was calling him to get his attention, already having his drink ready....how long had he been like that? Damon quickly snapped out of his trance and gave the girl the money for the coffee, putting the rest of the change in the tip jar and going to take a seat off to the side...but not too close to this girl, not seeming to be able to look away. He should go talk to her but...he couldn't. He felt so foolish, he was a grown man, 31 years old for Christ sake but something about her made him feel..small. Made him feel like a bumbling teen and he couldn't muster up the courage to go over there. Not to mention how creepy would that be if he just walked up to her? Trying not the stare wasn't any better but he didn't know what else to do.

As he was debating with himself on what to do he felt his phone vibrate in his coat pocket. Damon looked down as he dug it out and when he looked up the mysterious woman was gone. He looked around the shop to see if she had moved tables but there was no sign of her. If she had walked out the front door he would have noticed because she would have to walk right past him and he didn't see any back exits other than the kitchen door that was behind the counter and he knew she hadn't walked back there...but she was gone, like she had just vanished. He had waited there for a hour to see if she ever came back, still not being able to figure out where she could have gone so quickly, he had only looked away for a second but, she never showed back up.

After that night Damon had found himself making the out of the way trip to that small cafe at least twice a week, sometimes more if he could manage it just to see if she would be there and each time she was and each time she would disappear before he could go over and say anything. Finally, after a month of this he finally decided that he was going to at least try to strike up a conversation with her before she had the chance to leave.

On this particular day Damon had paid for his latte and went to his usual table, figuring he'd give himself a minute before he went over there and spoke to her. As he sat down and took a sip he glanced over in the direction of the girls table only to see that she was gone...again. How was it that she was able to move so fast? He was about to get up to go see for himself when he noticed someone standing next to him.

”Can I help you?” a cool female voice asked and it made him jump. Not his proudest moment he admitted but that woman moved quick...like a ninja.

”um..” He started, trying to figure out just what to say to her. Up close she was just as beautiful and her eyes just sucked you in. ”I..”

”You've been in here almost every day for the past month and every day you sit there and pretend like your not looking at me. Either you have a reason or you're just really creepy She crossed her arms and I don't paticualary like being starred at. So, which is it?

Damon seemed to find his voice then and he cleared his throat ”I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable but truth is, I've been trying to work up the courage to come talk to you for a while now...” He brought his hand up to scratch the back of his neck. ”Not my brightest plan...I'm Damon, if it's not to creepy of me to introduce myself now.”

The woman looked at him for what seemed like forever and Damon knew she was just going to turn around and walk away or something along those lines, maybe call him a pig or a creep but instead she rose her brow and spoke”I'm Selene” and the rest was history

Days turned to weeks and weeks into months and he was really starting to fall for her the only problem was was that now he was second guessing her feelings toward him. One way or the other he had to find out and tonight would be the night they had the 'talk' if he didn't ask her he was never going to know and better he find out now before things really got serious. Right? Right.


Damon had just stepped out of the shower when he heard his phone vibrate on the counter. He wiped his face and towel dried his hair before securing the towel around his waist and picked up his phone. Pressing the small button in the center of the phone the screen lit up with Selenes name and a message:

I'm sorry but something came up, have to cancel on tonight

Those words made his stomach turn. There had to be someone else, had to...or if not then she just wasn't interested. Once he could understand. He knew she liked to be by herself more often than not and he tried to respect that and give her her space and most of their dates had been movie nights at one of their apartments...and he was fine with that but, then she started canceling on those and now this..

His slid his finger across his phone screen and brought up the text message and hovered his thumb over the dial button but thought against it. If he wanted answers he wasn't going to get them over the phone, she would just say she had to go or she wouldn't answer it but maybe if he went to her place and was up front with her then maybe he could get some answers.

With his mind made up Damon quickly went and threw on the clothes he had laid out for the night, combed his hair, grabbed his keys and wallet and was out the door to grab a taxi. Setting off on his mission.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The cab ride across town to Selenes apartment seemed like it took forever and Damon was trying to come up with what he was going to say...or trying to prepare himself for what he was going to find when he got there. When the cab arrived at her building Damon got out and paid the driver and began to ascend the three flights of stairs on the walk up and paused when he got to her door. He stood there a few minutes, trying to decide if he really wanted to do this but that was when he heard the voice of his girlfriend on the other side.

”What do you want for dinner? She asked someone, he had no idea who because she didn't have a roommate

”Surprise me” a male voice said and Damon’s heart dropped.

”You always say that”

There really was someone else. Why couldn't she of just told him that instead of playing the game she was? It would have hurt yeah but it would have been better than...this.

The two voices bickered back and forth and Damon had had enough, now he wanted answers and he raised his hand and knocked firmly on the door. As soon as he stopped the two voices stopped and he heard a 'hushing' noise on the other side. He stood there and waited and eventually once he assumed they were settled Damon could hear the locks being turned and the door opened.

”Damon.” Selene said in shock as she opened the door and saw her boyfriend on the other side of it. ”What are you doing here?” She asked, not moving aside to let him in but not standing in the way either

Damon locked eyes with her and stepped forward 'I just thought I'd come see how you were, you know since you canceled...again. Mind if I come in?”

Selene looked behind her a moment ”Uhh....sure.” She opened the door more and stepped aside to allow him access. ”I'm sorry about tonight but...you know...work is crazy, always needing something.”

As soon as she was out of the way Damon entered and looked around, expecting to see the other man she had clearly been talking to on the other side but, no one. Maybe he was hiding. He stopped in the middle of the living room and looked into the kitchen seeing the table set for two. While he was standing there Selene's cat Hades rubbed up against his leg and purred loudly. The animal was just as mysterious as Selene and sometimes he swore it knew exactly what was going on...too bad he couldn't share.

”Right....work.” He tore his eyes from the table and looked at Selene. ”what's really going on?”

She shook her head. ”what do you mean?”

”Who else is here?”

”No one” She sounded sincere but he knew what he heard and if there wasn't anyone else here then why was their two plates?

”I heard you two talking, Selene. Where is he? If you wanted to end it why didn't you just say so, why play the games?” Damon shooed the cat away from his leg and crossed his arms as he looked at the woman in front of him, he wanted answers and he was going to get them.

”It's not what you think, Damon.” She told him firmly. Great, this was great. Of course she didn't want to end their relationship but Selene knew it was better that it did end. Things in the Magical world were getting to dangerous and people were dying left and right and sooner or later they would come after her and the people closest to her. She didn't want Damon to get dragged into that and she had hoped that by canceling on him again that he would get bored with her and eventually move on but...it seemed that wasn't the case. She sure as hell didn't expect him to show up at her doorstep while she was arguing with Hades about what to have for dinner and she had no idea how she was going to explain that away.

”I heard you, Selene. Why couldn't you just tell me?' He didn't understand, she had never seemed like the type of person to do something like this but apparently he was a horrible judge of character. Their argument went on like this for a few minutes with each of them saying the same thing over and over again as their voices and tones rose until eventually Selene had had enough and she told him to go look around her apartment which Damon did. Meanwhile Hades sat there and watched the two go back and forth.

After he had did his search Damon came back to the spot he had privilege been standing in the living room and shook his head. ”I know what I heard.....' But...no one was here and there was no way anyone could have gone out the window or anything, they were on the top floor of the building with no fire escapes to climb down. Sudden realization of what a ass he had just made of himself hit him and Damon looked at Selene ”I'm so sorry...I just...I thought..” He moved to take a seat on her couch as he started to try to think of ways he could apologize for his behavior. As he sat down Hades jumped into his lap.

Selene wanted to tell him, she really did. There was something special with Damon and he was someone she could see having a future with but, being a Magical Girl didn't allow that. They were doomed to live lonely lives and it was not a life she wanted him to be part of. But...maybe if she did tell him he would think she was crazy and leave her. It was better than lying to him about how she didn't want to be in this relationship any more but sooner or later he was going to start asking questions that she couldn't answer and it was better for the both of them to put a end to it right now. It would hurt but it was for the best.

”Do you really want to know what's been going on?” She asked and Damon and Hades both looked at her expectnaly.

”Yes, I really want to know.” He told her.

Selene stood there for a moment and took in a deep breath, held it for a moment and slowly let it out. Here goes nothing. ”I'm a Magical Girl.” As soon as the words left her mouth she instantly regretted them. They were never supposed to tell anyone about who they were, for the obvious reasons of safety but sometimes things happened and people found out and she had been carrying this burden for ten years and never told a soul. It was good to finally tell someone even if they weren't going to believe her and think she was insane.

Damon heard the words but he didn't really understand them and it took a minute for it all to register. She did just say she was a magical girl, right? Like the crime fighting anime girls that went around in froofroo dresses and shot rainbows at people? ”Like the cartoons?” He asked, just to clarify only to see Selene nod her head. ”This is unbelievable..” He said to himself in a disbelieving laugh while rubbing his forehead. ”Look, if you didn't want to be with me all you had to do was say so, there's no need to make up stories like...that.”

Selene did not say a word as Damon pushed Hades off his lap and stood, beginning to head for the door. ”It's not a story, it's true.” She was sure she wasn't helping her case any but if he already thought her crazy then why not get a bit off her chest?

”Sure it is..Look I...I got to go.”

”She's not lying, you know.

Damon was about half way to the door when he heard that same deep, sophisticated voice as before and he stopped dead in his tracks and turned in the direction the sound had come from, expecting to see a man standing behind him but all he was was Hades. He looked around and glanced at Selene hoping she would have a explanation but she looked just as shocked as he did.

I thought I heard someone...”

”You did” The voice came from behind him again and time time Damon turned around fully. This had to be some kind of trick, right? Maybe Selene was a ventriloquist and he didn't know it? Yeah, that had to be it because there was no one else here besides them and....

No. No way. That was impossible.

Damon pointed at the cat that had now moved to the top of the couch and was sitting there looking at him with those piercing blue eyes, the tip of its tail slightly flicking back and forth. ”Did...this is going to sound crazy but did...” He couldn't even bring himself to finish the scentance because of how crazy it sounded but he really had no idea. He glanced at Selene quickly and then back at the animal just in time to see its mouth begin to move.

”For a school teacher, you really aren't as smart as she said you were, are you?”

OK...OK....the cat had clearly just said that. He had seen it, had heard it. That. Cat. Just. Talked. Damon looked back at Selene hoping she would have answers but she was just standing there, palm to her forehead while she shook her head disapprovingly. Holy shit. She was telling the truth.

”You can talk....” He stammered, was it getting warm in here?

”yes, I think we've established that already

You...ta..lk” That was it, his mind had reached its limit and with those last words the room around him began to spin and the last thing Damon saw was the ground as it got closer.

While this was all going on Selene could do nothing but stand there in horror. It was one thing to say she was a Magical Girl but it was a whole nother thing to actually show him. She could not believe Hades had done that....just....ugh. What was he thinking?! She saw Damon start to go as his knees buckled but she couldn't move fast enough to catch him and he fell to the ground pretty hard. Quickly she moved to his side and knelt down to make sure he was OK and after checking his head for any obvious signs of damage she quickly turned her attention to the cat.

”I can't believe you!” Selene scolded ”what were you thinking?!”

Hades remained where he was, perched on the couch and looked down at them, casually licking his paw ”Don't make this my fault. You were the one to tell him what you were.”

Yes but I didn't expect him to believe me!” This was a disaster, she didn't know how she was supposed to explain this now. It wasn't like she could make him forget, she didn't have that power.

”We both know you didn't want him to leave so...I took care of it. You should be thanking me” He finished licking and jumped down to the floor next to where Selene and the indisposed Damon was laying, Hades got close to the mans face and nudged it to the side, Damon's head rolling. With the young mans head in the position he wanted it Hades jumped on Damon's chest and looked down at him, the felines blue eyes glowing as he took in the damage. ”He's fine. Nothing too serious...just going to have one hell of a headache after he wakes up.”

Selene could feel her own headache coming on. This was a disaster, this was never supposed to happen. Hades knew it, he knew the danger telling the mortals posed but he still went and did it anyway! How...ugh! She couldn't even think straight right now but she had to get her head in the game because when Damon woke up he was going to have lots of questions that she was going to have to answer. As she sat there trying to formulate a plan on how she was going to handle this Hades began batting at a loose string on Damon's jacket and Selene swatted him away.

”Stop that”

”Old habits, darling” The cat said while jumping off Damon's chest

With Hades gone Selene began to stand, leaning down and wrapping her arms around Damon's unconscious body. She could at least move him off the floor and to somewhere more comfortable. Once she had a good grip Selene picked him up off the floor...silently thanking her lucky starts for Magical Girl strength. When she had him up Selene carried Damon to her room and gently laid him on her bed and once he was settled she went to grab a clean, damp washcloth from her linen closet to put on his forehead.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ugh, his head was killing him. This was possibly the worst migraine he had ever had, it felt like he had been hit with a baseball bat...a wet baseball bat. Why was his head wet? Where was he? His eyes didn't want to open out of fear of any bright light that would make the pain worse but Damon forced them to open, slowly, preparing himself but instead of brightness he was met with the pleasant and welcoming sight of a dim room. But, it wasn't his room.

The room in question was dark...and not just because of the lack of light but the color pallet was dark as well and it was filled with things he couldn’t exactly make out and the bed was softer and fluffier than his own. Yep, definelty not his room but then...It must be Selene's right? He vaguely rememberd coming over to her place. Maybe he had dozed off? That didn't really make sense but right now it was the only thing he could think of. Maybe once his mind put itself back together he could figure this out because trying to think right now was not doing his aching head any favors.

Damon closed his eyes once more and dozed off and when he awoke this time he was not alone, there was a pressure on his chest. Slightly he opened his eyes and gently lifted his head from the pillow to look down at Selenes cat that was sitting on top of him looking down. Damon didn't have the energy to move the animal so he just rested his head back down and laid there. A few seconds later a dim table lamp turned on next to the bed and he head a familiar voice.

”Hey...' She said softly after entering the room to check on him, "Your awake...how do you feel?' Selene asked as she walked into the room and carefully sat herself on the edge of the bed, reaching out to take the washcloth off of Damon's head.

”Like I've been hit by a truck.' He answered groggily. ”I had the weirdest dream thou, don't really remember much but Hades was talking to me.'” He chuckled slightly at how ridicolous that sounded while absently reaching out and patted the cats head forcing Selene had to bite back her lip, not having the heart to tell him.

”I sincerely hope our conversation would have been memorable enough for you to remember” Well, Hades sure as hell didn't care.

The moment he heard that voice everything came flooding back to him and Damon quickly sat up in bed and pushed the animal off of him. Your cat talks! He said in horror, clutching his head in pain from his sudden movement.

”Yeah.... Selene said while glaring in the cats direction and watching Hades go to the opposite end of the bed to avoid any sudden movements on Damon’s part. ”He does that.” She tore her eyes from Hades and looked to Damon, not knowing what to say and figuring it was best to let him take this all in at his own pace.

”It wasn't a dream then...”

Selene shook her head "No"

”Then your really a....” He couldn't even bring himself to finish that sentence because of how silly it sounded. Those were supposed to only be cartoons, fantasy that people could enjoy but here he was, having a conversation with one and her talking cat. Damon tried to logic this out, maybe he had hit his head harder than he thought, maybe he was just as crazy as she was. He took his hands away from him head and looked at the woman across from him, hoping she would start laughing and pull a 'just kidding!' But, she never did all Selene did was nodding her head 'yes.' Seeing that didn't make him feel any better and Damon went back to clutching his head, feeling like he might pass out again. "I must still be dreaming. I mean, obvisouly I am..because cats don't talk." He looked up and pointed to the large animal that was watching him from the other end of the bed, almost looking like it was amused...Which didn't help this any and Damon groaned as he grabbed one of the decorative pillows from behind him and buried his face into it.

Perhaps we should knock him out again, it was much quieter”

Shut. Up. Hades!” Having had enough and seeing that no progress was going to be made with the two of them acting like they were Selene got up from the bed and walked over to where the cat was sitting.

"What?" the feline asked innocently but his innocent tone was canceled out by the devious look in his eyes. Which got a 'are you really doing this right now?' look from Selene

"Your not helping" Selene bent down and scooped him up caring him out of the room. She set Hades down and shut the door so he could not bother them. Once that was taken care of she walked back over to the bed and sat back down, hearing a muffled voice from the other side of the door as Hades continued to taunt the unstable man. She shook her head but said nothing. Figuring she would give Damon a few minutes to let everything sink in before she spoke and began to explain.

”I guess we have a lot to talk about....'


End.