We'll say "unexpectedly."

“Jaq.” You wake up with a small start, realizing something’s on top of you. Visions of that Fuseli painting with the horse head and little incubus-goblin-thing flash through your head before you process what you’re seeing. Eva is straddling you, wearing a lacey, white nightgown you can’t remember ever seeing before. That said, it looks stunning on her, hugging her curves delicately and just see-through enough to detect the vaguest outlines of her nipples, her navel, and even her sex if you pay enough attention. “Hey there.”

“What are you doing?” you mumble to her as you get your bearings, realizing swiftly you’re not wearing much of anything. She leans down and kisses you before you can process that fact, and you arch your back, moaning into her as you return her kiss. Your hands slide up to her hips and your fingers press into them, pulling her against you.

“I want you,” she answers when your lips part. “More than a little. Don’t you want me, too?”

“So … so much,” you admit, staring up at her wide, shimmering eyes. God, she’s beautiful. “But we shouldn’t. I’m … being around me is dangerous. Being with me … it’s too complicated. And I’m not safe, not like this. Not for you.”

“I don’t care if you’re safe for me.” She kisses you again, and you can’t help but push back against her. She’s right, you do want this, more than anything in the world right now. “Make love to me, Jaq. All the way this time. I need you.”

You roll over, pinning her to the bed. She gasps, but smiles as you kiss her lips, then neck, then shoulders as your hands twine into the thin fabric. With a violent tearing, you shred the nightgown to pieces, ghostly white strips of fabric floating to the floor. It seems odd for a moment she’s just entirely naked now, but you don’t even try to figure out why. You just keep moving your mouth down, drawing your tongue around one of her nipples. She closes her eyes and pushes up into you as you suck on it, then gently bite it.

“Jaq!” she moans out as you keep descending, sliding down between her legs. She smells perfect, eager, wet, and you let out a satisfied groan as you slide your tongue into her pussy. She makes a very similar noise as you start to eat her out in earnest, so different on your tongue than any girl you’ve done it to before. Everything about her always seems to taste amazing …

You slide two fingers into her and pump her carefully until you find her g-spot, then tease it while you work over her clit. Both of them being played with at the same time has a profound effect on her, and Eva bucks down into your mouth, panting raggedly and uncontrollably as you feel her throbbing beneath your skillful lashes.

“God, yes!” she moans out, one hand running through your long, brown hair as she closes her eyes. “Don’t stop! I’m yours, Jaq, please do whatever you want to me! Fuck, you’re going to make me cum so goddamn hard, I love you!” She screams as she starts to squirt into your mouth, not even hesitating to lap up her juices as you keep fingerbanging her and working her clit.

After who knows how long, you can taste a difference in the liquid gushing into your mouth. Blood. You’d know her blood anywhere. You want to be concerned, to check on her, to be worried. You can hear her cries, still pleasurable, but getting sharper. As you ravenously eat her out, sucking down the torrent of blood pouring from her into your mouth, the noises get weaker, and weaker, and weaker.

Then stronger. It sounds like she’s growling, even as the flow starts to wane. It’s almost horrifying, something dark and brutal stirred up from the back of her throat. By the time it’s reached a grim, howling pitch, you realize it’s not Eva at all. It’s you. You haul yourself up, face and chest drenched in blood, and stare Eva’s lifeless corpse in the eyes. While part of you feels horror and shame, too much of you fights back against it. You feel endless rows of teeth slide into place in your mouth as shadow drenches your body, skin losing its color and draining away into an inky void. You shriek again as you dive down on her, hands tearing with jet-black claws as you dig into the body of your former best friend, shredding her to pieces just to get one. Last. Drop.

You scream as you shoot bolt upright in your bed. The light’s on, and as you frantically check your hands and face, you’re as clean as you went to bed, not to mention still in your pajamas. The door to the bathroom bursts open, and Eva, soap still in her hair, barges into the room.

“Jaq!” she yells before seeing you. She runs over to her desk and grabs her letter opener, eyes wildly scanning the room. “Did something happen? What is it, what’s here?!”

“It’s … just … a nightmare,” you **** yourself to say very slowly, the sight of your best friend ready to take on some dark, hidden evil with an office supply almost ridiculousness enough to push the horrific images still haunting you out of your head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t … it was really bad, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Oh …” She gently puts the letter opener down. She smiles a little, clearly embarrassed and trying to brush it off. “I thought. You were in trouble. I’m glad you’re not.”

“Me, too. But at least I have my noble champion to fight for me.” Teasing her helps you focus on more real, less horrible things, and her small smile break into a genuine grin.

“Damn skippy. Hey, we got a party in the hellhouse in an hour, so you might wanna’ get ready. I’m almost done in the shower, but you know you’re going to get shit if you show up in aqua PJ’s, right?”

“Oh, well, I’ll go put my makeup on. In the mirror.” You stare at Eva for a good ten seconds in complete silence.

“Maybe you just grab some clothes, and we’ll do the rest after you shower.”

“That’s probably a good idea.”

Despite the fact that you’re used to Eva just advising rather than literally applying your makeup, you’re pretty sure she’s done a better job than you. You kind of wish you could CHECK, but that’s not in the cards. Her choice for the night seems to be a red halter top with some very subtle frills at the edges and tight, black jeans, both of which look excellent on her. She assures you that your outfit is cool, but it’s sort of a “fuck you,” to Kappa anyway. The leather pants and jacket are very much not in the general vibe they’ve tried to put out under Atlee’s leadership, and the plain, white “You Make Me Sick,” shirt isn’t very subtle, either. Still, it helps to know that your “I know what the fuck you’re doing,” outfit still suits you, at least in her eyes.

After putting your nightmare and its … possible implications behind you over the course of your shower and prep, you feel a lot more ready by the time you and Eva are standing on the doorsteps to Kappa House. You can hear music already playing inside and feel your skin prickle at the thought of so many people being around you in your new state of being. Eva guides you up the front steps all the same, gives you a reassuring glance, then knocks on the door.