Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sahed would call it a home sweet home if he could. But that would be a lie. The walls were painted such a bright pink that it had him wondering if he was seeing the spirit world. An ugly purple carpet took over the floors, the exact color for that disgusting grape medicine he always took when he got sick as a kid. He swore that a faint scent of some cheap Bath and Bodyworks perfume clung to the walls and glitter dotted the carpet. 

This place looks like a girl got her first home and an unlimited amount of money… how can anyone stand to live here on their own terms!?

He walked around the empty house, scoping out all the rooms and where he’d put his stuff. One room to be his gaming room, one dark closet for his lamps… honestly, he could just throw his mattress on the ground in any of the rooms and he’d have his bed all set up and finished. 

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of a box falling over. He ran towards the main room where his boxes were waiting to be unpacked. Utensils were scattered across the ground and the box laid on its side, opened. 

“Well, that’s fucking dandy…” Sahed muttered, scooping them all in the box.

As he put the closed box upright on the ground, a chill was sent down his spine as he suddenly felt cold. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to see in the spirit world. While he saw nothing, there was still something off about it.

It’s probably just those stupid stories I saw on the way here… there’s a reason this house is cheap, and it’s because of these ugly ass colors… not some stupid superstition bullshit. That’s all just propaganda. 

“Very scary of you,” Sahed chuckled out loud to nobody. “Ohhh, silverware on the ground. The only thing scary about that is I’ve gotta do more dishes now.”

The box fell to its side again, scattering the silverware all over the ground.

“I’m done. This is a tomorrow problem. I’m going to bed.”

He tore open random boxes to find a blanket, cursing at himself for not labeling them. Outfits, pictures, everything except the one thing he wanted. It was in the last box he found a blanket. He dragged it to an empty room that had just a mattress on the ground and flopped down, exhausted from the drive to his new house.

“I better not wake up to any more crap like this, I swear…” He sighed, drawing the blanket over himself. It had an unpleasant smell, likely from being stuffed in a box with who knows what for the last few days.

On the second day in the eye-straining pink house, Sahed was determined to put away as much as he could before giving the boxes a chance to fall over again. He put the cheap alarm clock in the same room as his mattress and shoved all the cheap utensils in a random drawer. He broke down every box he emptied, a silent thing to cheer him on as he went.

The small victories soon became became massive losses. Every time he went to put something else in the same cabinet he was sure he already put something in, he found it empty. The utensils were in a nightstand drawer. The pots and pans were in an empty storage closet where he thought he’d put the towels. The cheap alarm clock was in the kitchen sink.

“If something’s trying to kill me, this is a stupid method,” Sahed muttered as he removed a toaster from the shower. “Real classy, you know?”

Coldness took over the room again. He sighed, walking into the hallway, only to find the thermostat set at 65.

“If you’re going to spike up my bill, at least make it worth the time,” He turned off the air, raising the temperature. “What’s the deal with this, anyways? I know spirits can be free to move forever, so why stay here? And don’t play stupid, I know you’re here. I can sense more magic in this house than in a normal place.”

Sahed stayed still for a moment, waiting for anything. He gave up and returned to putting everything back to where it belonged. Just when he was putting some cleaners under the kitchen sink, he felt something hit and bounce off his head. He turned around and saw a crumpled-up piece of paper on the ground. He grabbed the paper, unraveled it, and read the note.

“I’m not a spirit. I’m a ghost. And stop destroying my house!” There was an angry face drawn at the bottom of the note.

“Ghost, spirit, just about the same thing.” Sahed chuckled. “Both feed off of magic. Also, this is my house now, I paid for it, so you better get used to me.”

The lights went off in the room.

“Oh, stop throwing a fit. If anything, you should be a lot kinder. Since I can use magic, I can do a lot of good for you. Maybe even bring you back, who knows.”

The lights flickered back on.

“Look, let me finish unpacking and stop messing with my shit, okay? Then we can work something out.”

Another note rolled across the ground, hitting his foot. He picked it up and looked at it.

“How long until you’re done unpacking? Don’t you dare move slowly.”

“I dunno, another day or two at most? You’ve set me back if anything. Luckily, I don’t have too much. Maybe you can try to find an Ouija board around here so we can communicate more clearly.”

The note was ripped out of his hands to the ground and a chill was sent down Sahed’s spine, but the lights stayed on.

“I’ll take that as you accepting the deal and also aren’t one for jokes, then.” He smiled, leaning against the counter.

It’d taken 3 days to unpack, and the ghost had made it clear that on the third day, they were done waiting. Cabinet doors slammed as Sahed walked by, and when he took a shower, the warm water suddenly turned cold.

“So you’re a perverted ghost? No morals or anything?” He muttered, changing the temperature to be warmer. He cursed as the full heat returned to the water, warmer than what he wanted, practically burning himself. 

When he stepped out of the shower, a note was on the bathroom mirror.

“Not perverted.”

Sahed snorted, rubbing a towel through his hair. “You went in here when I was showering. Like what you see?”

A rough drawing of a middle finger was added to the note on the mirror.

“Look, I’m done putting everything away. Grab a piece of paper and set it on the kitchen table, and let me get dressed for god’s sake. You can’t claim to not be a pervert and still be in here.” He grinned as he heard a drawer slam open with paper loudly rustling. He quickly tossed on a t-shirt and a pair of pants, walking into the kitchen to find an empty notebook and a pen with a chair pulled up to the counter.

“You’d think I’m in grade school detention.” Sahed tried to joke, but an impatient tapping came from the counter.

“You know I don’t actually know this stuff, right? I took some classes on this while in school, but we were never taught any seals to communicate with ghosts. We never had to since we could see ya’ll with our third eye. But I can’t see you for whatever reason- and don’t say it’s because you’re a ghost.”

The silence felt awkward. He grabbed a pen, sketching a rough circle onto the paper.

I know the ghost is nearby, but why now does it feel weird? He glanced up, looking at nothing in general as if he expected to see something. It’s not like I have a connection to it.

Sahed closed his eyes, letting himself see into the spirit realm.

I’ve just gotta focus on what they taught me in school…

He didn’t think about what he was drawing but focused on the magic flowing inside of him to take control of his hand. When he opened his eyes again, he had no idea how much time had passed.

“Hello?” A high-pitched voice spoke. “Can… can you hear me?”

Sahed rubbed his head which was now slightly sore. “Yes, I can- this seal isn’t permanent, and it’ll stop working when I’m drained of any magic left in me. Who are you?”

“I’m Julia- I used to live here.”

“Did you happen to like pink by any chance?”

“Do you have to be such a jerk?” She muttered. “I might be dead, but my feelings aren’t. Though that’s debatable for you…”

He snorted. “How will you get upset at me if you’re no better?”

“You started it!”

“You’re the one who’s been moving shit around my house!” He leaned forward toward the voice. “You’re a perverted ghost, that’s a lot worse than me being a bit sarcastic!”

Julia raised her voice. “For the last time, I didn’t see you in the shower!! You were going too slow and I felt like you were about to forget about me!”

“Still gonna call you a pervert,” he grinned. “So, how did you die?”

“Wow. That’s a quick way to jump topics.”

“Look, if all you’re gonna do is complain to me about me, I’m erasing this seal now so I can keep my magic and not be absolutely drained tomorrow. I’m doing you a favor- I’m losing more and more magic every moment.”

It was impossible to miss the concern in Julia’s voice. “What… what happens if you run out of magic? You don’t die, right?”

“Nah. I’ll just get tired and be pretty weak the next few days. That’s why I’m curious to know about how you died- the more you tell me, the more I can work with. When I make an official seal, it’ll connect to the unseen magic in the earth and not directly drain me.”

The first part was a lie- he didn’t need to know a thing about how she died- but if she used to be a human, then there was no way she couldn’t know.

If she’s going to spy on me in the shower, her backstory is the least she can say.

Julia sighed. “It’s not anything cool or unique, you know? Why even bother.”

“So I can get to know you more- for the seal.”

“For the seal…” she echoed, sounding skeptical. “Oh, whatever. Maybe if I tell you my tragic death you’ll grow a heart and be kinder to my home.”

“It’s my house now. The more you insult it, the more time it’ll take me to make more seals.”

“I thought magic made you work faster? I swear if you go slow just to be a jerk-“

Sahed cut her off with a smile on his face. “The power of believing.”

“Give me the pencil. I’m erasing the seal, I can’t deal with you…” She muttered.

“Wait, no, sorry- but I do want to know about your past.”

The pencil was taken off the desk, and Sahed restrained himself from grabbing it back. He stared into space just above where the pencil was floating.

“Want to know or need to know?” Julia asked.

“Want. I… I want to know.”

“I’m surprised you’re being honest. I’ll tell you the truth, then. Also, please don’t just stare into blank space- I know you can’t see me, but you’re staring at my boobs, and it’s really uncomfortable. You’re looking at me like you can actually see me.”

Sahed rubbed his temples with a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry for staring at your boobs that I can’t see, but I think if anything that makes us even after the shower incident- look, can you just tell me what happened? I can feel my magic wearing thin, and unless you want to be stuck with written communication only for the next few days, I suggest we hurry this up.”

“Okay, fine, I’ll give it to you short. I used to live here with my roommate Kamille. She got the chance to study abroad and took it. I died a few nights after she left from a random heart condition- I’m not sure what it is, but my dad died pretty young to something similar as well.”

“Oh…” Sahed looked away from where her voice was coming from. “Um, I’m sorry about your dad- and you, of course.”

“Do you think you could really bring me back, or was it a lie?”

“I made this seal, didn’t I?” He tapped the paper with his index finger. “If I can make this permanent where it won’t drain my magic, I’ll just figure out one to be able to see you. From there, I’ll find out how to bring you back to life.”

Julia’s voice trembled. “Y-you’d do that?”

“Yeah. I’d like to have you out of my house.”

“And there goes the moment,” She grumbled. “So what can I do to speed this up?”

Sahed bit his knuckle, looking at the paper and thinking. “Not sure, but leaving my shit alone helps a lot.”

“Anything else than leave your stuff alone in my home?”

“Making my meals would help a lot,” He rolled his eyes sarcastically. “My name is on the house, don’t know what else to say.”

“I can’t tell if you’re sexist or that you just don’t know how to cook.”

“Whatever would have you leaving my stuff alone.”

“You’re insufferable,” Julia sighed. “Goodbye, Sahed. I’ll leave your stuff alone for now.” She erased the seal, and the room went eerily silent again.

Sahed sat in silence before he furrowed his eyebrows. “Wait, how’d you know my name?”

There was no answer and the pencil was placed on the counter beside the notebook. It was clear Julia had nothing else to say.

“Look, my body is killing me, give me a day or two to rest and let the magic come back to me before you start doing your annoying ghost shit.”

The room was motionless. He got up from his chair, heading to his mattress in the makeshift bedroom. His body ached- his back hurt, he had a miserable headache, and it felt impossible to keep his eyes open. There was no doubt in him that he’d spend most of the next day sleeping.

That night, dreams were meaningless in the idea of anyone significant being there. There was no plot in the dreams, but just one person. Or ghost, should he say.

Julia. It was her. In every single dream, she was there. He dreamed of her in a million different ways, trying to figure out the person behind that voice. She was a new ghost who died recently, she had to be well aware of what she looked like.

Sahed woke up staring at the roof countless times wondering if she was there. In the same room, sitting next to him, or even speaking about him.

I don’t need some Truman Show crap going on in my life; I don’t care if she sees me or not.

The next few days were tiring for Sahed. He stayed up late every night and woke earlier than normal, putting full focus on the seal. In the past, he’d always wanted to be able to focus on seals this much. But now, sitting with his head in his hand and back aching, doubt crept in. Would he be able to find a permanent seal to let him speak whenever without drawing energy from him? Would he be able to see her and also make a permanent seal?

And what about bringing her back to life? Could that even work?

He glanced over his shoulder, then back at the paper. He was so close, every time he cast the seal and spoke to Julia he felt a bit less energy being taken from him.

The next morning, over a cup of warm tea, the missing part of the seal spoke to him. How he overlooked something so minor, he couldn’t understand. But he bit his cheek to hide his smile as he grabbed a fresh sheet of paper and sketched out the seal cleanly one final time. He felt a chill behind him as he was putting the final touches on the seal. Pride and warmth swept over him as he stepped back, showing the finished seal to Julia.

“Say something,” He put down the pen, looking around. “I think I might’ve figured it out!”
“How can you be sure this is the right one?” Curiosity was in her voice- while it sounded snarky, he understood her concern. It seemed each time he worked on the final seal, her voice grew more tired and hopeless.

Sahed beamed. “I’m sure this is it! I feel no energy being taken away from me- how do you feel?”

“I mean, normal? I dunno, I haven’t been able to feel anything for a good amount of time.”

“And soon that’ll change- this was the hardest part, figuring out how to convert the seal to use energy from the natural elements of the world itself instead of me.” He hummed, his fingers tapping the wooden table as he looked over the drawing again. “I’ll put this somewhere where it won’t get damaged until I figure out how to bring you back.”

“If you manage to bring me back, would you need to hide the seal that you used?” She asked, a note of anxiousness in her voice. “What if I come back but one day the seal is destroyed-“

“When, not if.” He corrected her. He didn’t want her to hold any doubts about returning back to life. “And no. When enough magic is used, often in some creation or restoration of life, they’re brought back with strong magic that wears off over time as your body gets used to fully functioning. At least, that’s what I read in some textbooks before. This stuff isn’t practiced too often, as people often get upset when we test magic and life together. A lot of humans claim we’re trying to play god or even take over the world.

“I mean, bringing people back to life is playing god, is it not?”

Sahed’s expression fell. “Well, if you’d like to remain a ghost, go ahead. I’ll just move away and not save you and ‘play god.’”

There was a stillness in the air before Julia spoke.

“I’m sorry- please don’t move. When this house was being sold and people came over, nobody could hear me. It was… I don’t know. I didn’t like it. I’m glad someone can hear me,” She admitted.

In less than a week, Sahed was wishing that he waited to perfect this seal. Julia was a chatterbox, to say the least. She was always talking, always humming, and there was always noise with her. She asked about his outfits and his past; she hardly stopped speaking. He’d fall asleep listening to her tell stories of her and her old roommate and listened to her talk about her favorite foods when he cooked meals for himself- he never made anything fancy, but enough to keep him alive and his body satisfied. She seemed to demand his constant attention, or at least a halfhearted “mhm” as she spoke. Hell, when he showered or was in the bathroom, she’d keep talking. Though after a few jokes about him inviting her inside, she got quiet almost instantly.

“I’m glad I figured out how to make the seal permanent without draining my energy,” Sahed told her one afternoon. He was looking over his old textbooks about seals, pencil in one hand tapping a blank paper and the other hand in his hair. He stayed awake longer and longer, upped his caffeine intake, and made himself into someone who didn’t need sleep.

“Why are you saying that?” She asked. A chair was pushed out at the table, and Sahed assumed she was sitting there. She said earlier that week that she felt more included that way and more human. She spoke a lot about what she thought it’d be like to come back to life- fears of her body and how it’d look, pain during the moment, or if she’d forget her memories. He’d dismissed it as stuff that was overly exaggerated in the movies.

“‘Cause you talk, like, a lot girl,” Sahed chuckled, leaning back. “Not being rude, I understand why, but damn would I be drained right now. It’s got me thinking about what’ll happen when I figure out a seal on how to see you- I know now how to make it permanent without draining me, so that’ll take no time.”

“So what now? Like, figuring out the seal-“ She was cut off as the doorbell rang. Sahed instantly shot up in his seat, a grin on his face, and opened the door.

“Rainah!” Sahed grinned, hugging the woman. She was a bit shorter than him and had long, golden blonde hair. 

Rainah returned the hug, stepped inside, and was unable to hide a look of shock and humor on her face at the house. It was still a decent mess- boxes were in the corners, furniture looked slightly out of place, and the walls were still so bright they hurt to look at.

“Wow. Never took you for this type of decoration,” Rainah laughed softly. “It looks like you’re living in a young girl’s house.”

“You’re not exactly wrong!” Julia snapped.

Sahed rolled his eyes. “Now’s not the time, Julia!”

“So you weren’t joking…” Rainah crossed her arms, looking in the general direction of the voice. “You really do have a ghost trapped here- and the seal to let her speak isn’t connected to you directly?”

“Nope,” Sahed grinned. “I managed to do it myself! Can you believe it? I’ll be better than you at this rate.”

“As if!” Rainah scoffed. “Tell me why I’m here again.”

“Yeah, Sahed, tell us why she’s here in my house!” Julia muttered. “I don’t want her in here.”

“If she’s keeping up this attitude, I’m leaving.” Rainah turned to Sahed.

“She’s here to help me,” Sahed informed Julia. “Not because she’s… better… but because two heads are better than one.”

The blonde smiled. “I’m better, just so you’re aware.”

“Or six eyes are better than three…” Julia mumbled.

The smile fell off of Rainah’s face. She shoved a book with papers sticking out of it into Sahed’s arms. 

“I’m not helping someone like her,” Rainah told Sahed. “My notes are in here. Read it for yourself. If she gets a sincere apology, I’ll debate about coming back. Honestly, Sahed, I don’t see how you keep getting yourself into situations like this.” She left the house, the door softly slamming behind her.

“Well, hope you’re pleased with yourself for fucking this all up,” Sahed tossed the books onto the couch, rubbing his face. “I’m going to bed early. Can you please, for the love of gods, just let me be tonight?”

There was no answer, which was good enough for him. He went to his room, shut the door softly behind him, and let out a heavy sigh as he flopped onto the mattress.

The next morning, Sahed didn’t emerge from his room early. When 10 AM hit, Julia started questioning him.

“Sahed? Are you in there? Are you alive? Could I see you if you died? I’m going to come in, so I hope you have some clothes on- I’m not a pervert! I just wanna make sure you’re okay.”

The sight of Sahed wasn’t a stunningly beautiful one, but more one that caught Julia’s heart in a way that a scruffy puppy would. He was flopped over the side of his bed, his wife beater strap falling off his shoulder and short shorts that revealed a good bit of thigh. His hair was a scruffy mess, partially covering his eyes as he lay on his back.

“Are you okay?” Julia asked.

He let out an animalistic groan.

“Is this a man thing or a you thing?” 

She was given no response.

“I swear, you better just be one of those people who wake up slowly… Kamille always was, unless we were going shopping or out for breakfast. I get up fast, so I know just the way. Stay here, I’m going to get a big bucket of ice-cold water to dump on you!” She made sure to say the last part extra loud, leaving his room.

“I’m tired! I’m drained, I’m alive. I’m just drained magic-wise.” Sahed raised up his arm, proving he was alive. He pointed to the side of the bed, and Julia noticed the book Rainah had given him. The papers were spread out and the book was open to a random page.

“How do you get your magic back?” She asked, peering over the book.

“An apology.”

“An apology?”

“Yes,” Sahed let out a shaky breath as if he was struggling to breathe. “Apologize for yesterday, I might have enough strength to sit up and recollect myself…”

“Men are so dramatic…” Julia muttered under her breath, quiet enough for Sahed to not hear. “Look, I’m sorry about yesterday and that I scared your girlfriend away-“

Sahed started laughing, cutting her off. He sat up, leaning against his arms. “Girlfriend? You think Rainah’s my girlfriend?”

“Yes..?”

“Oh, god.” Sahed flopped backward again, still laughing. “She’s not my girlfriend. Just a friend from college. She’s brilliant with seals, honestly.” After a few more moments of laughter, he collected himself, sitting up straight again.

“Thanks to her notes, I think I’ve figured out a seal to where I’ll be able to see you- if it works, I’ll just do what I did with the seal that allowed me to hear you, and then I can focus on the real deal.”

“Bringing me back…” Julia breathed.

“Yep. Now hand me my pencil and a paper and hope you’re wearing something sexy.”

“Sahed!” Julia threw a pencil at him.

“Oh, relax.” He caught the pencil, reaching out to one of the pieces of scrap paper. He flipped it to the cleaner side and started drawing out the seal.

“How are you sure this will be right?”

“How are you sure it wouldn’t?”

That was enough to keep Julia silent as he finished the seal. He held his pencil over a small gap.

“When I draw this last line, I’ll be able to see you.” He said, looking up.

Julia held her breath. “What’s your type?”

He snorted. “I dunno. Short. Blue eyes.”

“Blonde hair?”

“Blonde is overrated,” He shrugged, looking back down at the paper, filling in the line. His eyelids fluttered as he instantly felt magic being drawn from him at a rate much quicker than the first seal.

Julia was… beautiful. Everything. Long brunette hair that was let down, with soft waves covering her shoulders. Stunning collarbones that made his heart skip a beat. Gorgeous sky-blue eyes that looked so calm. A blush took over her face as Sahed seemed to look at every little detail.”

“Holy fuck,” He murmured. She’s beautiful. He fell backwards, passing out. Julia flickered away, invisible again.

“Sahed!?” She gasped, feeling for his heartbeat. It was there, just weak. She took the pencil and erased part of the seal edge. Enough to stop it from absorbing any more magic but easy enough that he could fix it for the final seal.

“Well, I’m guessing it worked…” She said, looking over him.

Sahed woke up with a headache that had him wondering how many drinks he had the night before. 

“You’re back!” Julia gasped. “Stay right here, I’ve just got something for you!”

She returned moments later with a bowl and bottle of water. “I’ve got you chicken noodle soup from the restaurant nearby and some water- this is what Kamille and I get whenever we got sick, I think it’ll help-“

“It worked,” He grinned. “It worked, the seal worked!”

“It did. Sit up and eat, you were passed out for over a day.”

He rolled his eyes but ate quickly, hungry.

“How are you feeling?” She asked.

“Fine. Tired. I’ve got a killer headache, but it just reminds me of waking up the day after my birthday,” He joked. “What about you? I’m guessing you erased some of the seal seeing as I’m back this early.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me- you scared me! You just were… staring at me… and then you passed out for over a day!”

“You were beautiful,” He blurted out without thinking.

Julia made no response, but Sahed was sure that her face was red.

“Anyways, give me some time to get myself together, I’ll have the seal done later this afternoon…” Sahed hummed, laying back down some. “In all seriousness, I need some time to get back on my feet.”

“That makes sense. I’ll be outside this room- just let me know when you’re going to perform the seal, I’d like to be there for it.”

He nodded, watching the door open and close as she left.

Does she even need to open the door, or does she do it to humor me?

It was a matter of hours before Sahed called for Julia to enter. He was unsure of what she did during the time but didn’t ask. He appreciated the silence that allowed him to rest enough to perform the seal.

“After this, I will tell you that it might be a bit before I have enough strength to attempt the seal. I’m already low on magic in me, even though the magic won’t drain from me for the permanent seal, it still requires magic from me for the seal to work.”

“Will you teach me more about seals one day?” She asked.

Sahed froze. “Does that mean you’re going to stay if I’m able to bring you back?”

She let out a nervous chuckle as she stammered. “Would you let me? I know you own the house now, so…“

“Of course.” He bit back a grin. “The house is looking pretty empty, it could use some extra love for it.”

The silence after what he just said was deafening.

“I mean- not like we’re in a relationship, but the house could use some work! A woman’s touch, you know!” He stammered, a soft blush covering his face.

Julia started laughing, grabbing a paper and pencil. “I get what you mean. And who knows? I’m sure it’ll have some love in the future.”

Sahed took the paper with a wide smile. He started to sketch the seal, his hand softly shaking. “And what do you define as ‘in the future’?”

“I dunno. Whenever I’m brought back to life, I guess.”

There was more silence as Sahed focused on the seal. He kept glancing back to the one he did before passing out, using it as a reference. 

“Is this going to be motivation for you?” Julia asked, humor hanging softly in her voice.

“Just one second, dear, I’m almost done with this…” 

She went silent. A moment later, Sahed spoke again.

“Look at me- where are you?”

“I’m standing- sitting- in front of you.” The bedsheets sank some as Julia sat in front of the paper. “Why?”

“‘Cause I want to see you. If I’m gonna pass out again, I’d like it to be similar to last time.”

“I’d rather you not pass out.”

“The sooner I can have this seal done, the sooner I can bring you back.” He had a serious expression on his face and looked down, finishing a line. He looked back up and saw Julia sitting in front of him.

He couldn’t remember what outfit she had on the first time he saw her, as he was too focused on his face. She had on a beautiful white dress that had flower cutouts on the bottom and lace straps that hung off her shoulders. Her eyes were wide and a blush quickly appeared on her face. 

Sahed reached out with a shaking hand. Julia reached out, her hand going through his.

“Ah… I thought I’d be able to…” The blush on her face was gone, and she looked sadly at her hand. She looked back up at Sahed, who looked pale. “How do you feel?” 

“I’m fine,” He exhaled, forcing himself to look away from her. “Though I feel like total shit. I’ll likely be unable to do much for a bit, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay- I can’t thank you for this enough!” She shook her arms out, looking at herself. “I never thought I’d be able to see myself, like, this clearly! I could hardly see myself before, but now it’s as if I’m alive again- besides the coldness in me and not being able to interact with you.”

Sahed nodded, rubbing his head.

“I’ll go get you some water,” She got off the bed and walked to the doorway. “I’ll try to be quiet since I know you need the rest- let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

For the next few days, the house was silent. Julia did all she could to help Sahed as he slowly recovered. She ordered him food the first few days, then tried her hand at cooking. She watched as he slowly grew stronger. Eventually walking around the house and digging his old college notes up from a moving box. Evenings were spent in the kitchen as Julia made some meals that required a lot of time to sit or simmer in sauce and Sahed studied everything he had.

Julia began to help him unpack- while she might not be able to come into contact with anything living, she could still move stuff around. She made the house feel more like a home, something Sahed would enjoy better than her old decor. The pink and purple walls disappeared as she put up stick-on wallpaper that was a light tan. She found countless boxes of beautiful handmade glass lamps, carefully hanging them up in a spare room she said he could have as his ‘man cave’.

“You still remember that?” He asked, smirking, as Julia told him the room she was putting the lamps in.

“Of course I do. It was the whole reason you moved in here and loved this house, you could practically see the man cave in that room.”

He snorted, rolling his eyes. “God, you’re amazing.”

Julia blushed and went to put the lamp into the room. 

They spoke about anything and everything. Now that he was able to see her, Sahed couldn’t stop staring. He felt less alone and enjoyed her company, even if it always brought a chill to the room. It seemed forever ago that this girl was a ghost he hated. Julia would always bring up her first memories with him and how annoying he could be.

“Annoying? You’re calling me annoying? You’re a pervert for god’s sake!” Sahed laughed, crossing his arms and leaning back.

“I’m not a pervert! I swear on my life that I didn’t even look at you!”

“Hey, I’m taking this as a compliment. When I bring you back, maybe I’ll let you do a bit more than just seeing.”

Julia’s face went red and she stood up, leaving the room and muttering something.

“This is done out of love, dear! You should be grateful that I’m not even making you ask for all this!” He hummed with a smile, watching her leave.

It was complicated to say where their relationship stood. There was an obvious mutual interest between the two, and ever since Sahed learned that calling Julia any name from “dear” to “babe” would have her red and flustered, he added it to his daily vocabulary. He had full intentions of letting her stay here when he brought her back to life.

She brought him teas and warm drinks in the late hours of the night as he strained his eyes over every book he could have, eventually falling asleep as Julia sat beside him. It was painful and heartwrenching to watch- he was obviously trying his best to figure out the seal as quickly as possible, and she couldn’t do a thing to show her thanks. Could never hug him, rub his back as he read, or give him a feeling of someone beside him as he gave in for the night and fell asleep. Instead, she’d cast a soft look over him, pull a blanket over his head, and leave the room to give him some privacy. He’d grown more silent, lost in his own thoughts and wonders of what would and wouldn’t work. Until one morning.

Julia walked in with his favorite breakfast tea, something a faint purple from the natural ingredients in it. Sahed had once gone on a long rant about the tea and the ingredients and how everything in it built up to make the overall flavor the wonderful thing it is. He swore up and down it helped him with his magic, to which Julia never questioned it, instead learning rather quickly how to make it on her own.

Sahed was sitting straight up, a bottle of ink on his nightstand. Black smudges were all over his arm.

“What happened here?” Julia asked, setting the tea beside the ink.

“I’ve done it. I know the seal.”

She stopped moving, staring straight at him. “Are… are you serious?”

He nodded, patting to the bed beside him. She sat down next to him.

“Look, I’ll tell you everything I know,” He started, “for this seal to work, we need to draw it on both our bodies. It doesn’t matter if it’s washed off after- I’m merely an anchor for when you come back to life. You’ll take a lot of energy from me when you come back, but you’ll be back until you die again. I’m not sure if it’ll hurt or not, but if it would, it’d only be for an instant. What do you think?”

“What do I think?” She echoed. “Sahed- I- I don’t even know what to say. This… it’s wonderful. Are you sure it’ll work?”

He nodded. “You’ll need to copy down the seal exactly as I do.” He reached for the ink bottle on the nightstand, placing it between them. He dipped a finger in, and Julia did the same.

Slowly he walked her through the entire process. The center of the seal, something similar to a sun. The small lines and shapes around it build out more and more around it until the last shape. Sahed drew a massive circle around it all, entrapping everything inside.

“And that’s it. Draw the circle, and you’ll be back.”

Julia looked up, tears in her eyes. With a shaking hand, she drew the final circle. The seal on her had slightly more wobbly lines, but it was still impressively close to Sahed’s.

Hot pain flashed through her and a whirl of different feelings on every part of her passed through- itching, cold, heat, soreness, and finally, weakness. She kept her eyes closed the entire time, eventually cracking them open. 

Sahed was breathing heavily in front of her, the arm with his seal extended and the other holding his head. Julia felt a tingle in her fingers as the coldness slowly faded away.

“Sahed!” She blinked away tears in her eyes as she practically tackled him. He fell backwards onto the bed. “Sahed, I’m here! I’m alive! I can feel the cold, I can feel everything! I can feel you!”

Julia grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips, a quick motion. Slowly, she let her hands move down- his robe that had fallen off his shoulders, the cotton fabric of his wife beater, his strong shoulders. Her hands started to shake as it fully became aware to her that she could feel him. Skin-to-skin contact.

She kissed him again and this time Sahed grazed her lower lip softly. She pulled back instantly with a soft gasp.

“Girl, I love you a lot, but you need to give me a moment,” He breathed, looking up at her. “Your hands are so damn cold, my god.”

Julia laughed as Sahed shifted himself so he was sitting up against the headboard. She hugged him tight, putting her face in the nook of his neck. He let out a soft hiss as her cold nose touched his warm skin.

“Did you just say you loved me?” She asked, looking up at him.

“Is that too early?” He kissed the bridge of her nose, rubbing her back.

Warmth flowed through Julia, she could actually feel the blush on her cheeks this time. “No, no, not at all- I just didn’t expect it.”

He grinned softly, hugging her closer. “Well, know I mean it. We can leave the perverted ghost stuff in the past now that you’re alive. I’ll make sure you have your own bathroom now that you’re living here.”

“I’m not a pervert!” She softly bit his neck, a sudden urge pushed by a slow-blooming love for the Ah’kon. “But I would like my own bathroom. You’re a slob and I need my counter space.”

Sahed chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do. I’m just glad the seal worked and you’re here- though I will be tired, that seal drained the hell out of me.”

“I’ll take care of you,” She ran a hand through his hair, still getting used to being able to feel it. “Thank you for bringing me back, I can’t even exclaim how much I owe you…”

“I think I know something.”

“Hm?”

“How about a date tomorrow night? I’ll take you to that restaurant you always spoke about- my treat.” He suggested.

“Oh my gosh!” She sat up, nearly butting his chin with her head. “Yes! I’ll actually be able to taste food! I need a new outfit instead of this white dress…”

“Maybe I’ll take ya shopping before, then. But for now, let’s just stay here another moment. God, I’m tired…” He breathed out. “But it was worth it. I’d do that all again for you.”

Julia smiled, her cheeks reddening.