'reflections'
act one.

chapter twelve: the look of love

"they are more than friends, they are family."

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YOU:

you can't remember exactly when you felt this way last. All of the others were imitations, fakes. A copy of a copy of the one you wanted more than the rest.

But now, you're close.

A wicked smile appearing on your face, you pick up the red scissors, the same color as her hair was to be.

The girl on the floor screams, duct tape only muffling her tortured cries by a little bit. You try to ignore her. She's not the real prize, just a stand-in.

You grab her harshly by the hair, and jerk her head back. She's struggles as you tighten your grip on her.

"Be still." you whisper. you let her hair fall down and then lift one single lock. You raise the scissors, cutting the hair.

and then, you cut her.

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VIENNA WANDERED TO DEAN'S ROOM. It had been two days since Cassie found out about Daniel Redding, and Vienna still hadn't spoken to Dean.

Sometimes, she found it hard to make conversation with Dean after they fight. She loved him like a brother, but their personalities were polar opposites, which caused them to disagree on lots of matters. Their love was complicated, but it was truly an unbreakable bond.

He was lying in his bed, eyes focused on the ceiling, tossing a small round ball up in the air, the only sound coming from his room was the thumping of the ball hitting the ceiling in a repeated motion.

Vienna gently knocked on the inside of his door, seeing as it was already open. "Hey, Dean-o." She says.

The blonde boy scoffs. "What did I say about you calling me that?" His voice was emotionless, and he didn't bother to look in Vienna's direction.

"That you hate it?" Vienna rocks anxiously back and forth on her heels in the doorway.

"Bingo." Dean replies.

"Listen, I really need to talk to you." Vienna enters his room fully, causing him to finally look up. "I'm sorry with Cassie the other day." She shuts the door after herself.

"It's fine. I just...don't want her to look at me differently. I mean, before she probably just thought I really knew how to look into criminals' minds, but now she probably thinks it'd because im part psychopath."

"Dean, she doesn't see you differently. She was just...shocked."

"Probably not after she saw his face. We look too alike."

Vienna sighs. Dean struggled with his looks, not because he was unattractive, but because he looked almost exactly like his father.

"Dean, you're not like him at all. I swear."

"I try to believe you when you say that. It's just-" he trailed off. Vienna could tell that he was trying his best to suppress his emotions, because he didn't show them very often.

Vienna inched closer, sitting next to where he now sat on the edge of his bed. His eyes were trained on the ground, unwilling to look at the girl sitting on his left.

"I know you do." Vienna rests her hand on his arm, looking at him with sympathy. "I'll say it until you believe me, Dean. You're nothing like him, even if you do look like him."

Dean opens his eye, and Vienna could've sworn she a hint of a tear, though it was only for a moment before he began blinking rapidly.

"Thank you, and I shouldn't have exploded at you like that. I know you're just trying to make Cassie feel welcome."

"I am." Vienna smiles at the mere thought of her new friend, she was excited to get to know her more. "What do you think of her so far?"

Dean seemingly perked up at the question, his body seemingly coming more rigid at Vienna's inquiry. "What do you mean?" He asks.

"Just like it sounds."

"She's nice-"

"Do you think she's pretty?" Vienna asks more directly.

"I knew you had a motive." Dean slouched again.

"I usually do. So, answer."

"She's not ugly." Dean answers vaguely.

Vienna scoffs loudly, a dramatic look growing on her face. "Obviously. You kissed her, now the question is whether you liked it or not, and would do it again?"

Dean frowns at her, though Vienna was smiling knowingly. "Townsend is really rubbing off on you. And not in a good way."

"Redding, answer the damn question."

"Fine, it was fine, Vi. She is pretty, but...."

"But what?"

"I don't know."

"Dean, she thinks that you don't like her, even as a friend. you need to convince her otherwise." Vienna blurts.

"She thinks I don't like her?" Dean asks, a flicker of confusion presenting on his face at once.

"A bit, yeah. Shes just new, Dean. I'm sure she wants everyone to like her. Not in a self-centered way, she's just sweet and I feel like she really wants this to work out."

Dean nods understandably.

"I know you're not the best with this kind of stuff-"

"Hey!" Dean says abruptly, and quite out of character to be quite honest. "You aren't either."

Vienna scrunched up her dark brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Michael?"

"What about him?"

"That idiot is head over heels for you." Dean says. "Everyone sees it, Vi."

"No, not everyone."

"Yes, everyone. Lia, Cassie, Sloane, myself, Judd, Locke, hell, even Briggs probably knows about it."

"Why has everyone been saying that lately?" Vienna asks.

"Have you seen the way he looks at you?"

"I thought it was normal?"

"No, it's like the biblical definition of the look of love. I feel like you of all people would recognize the look, you're obsessed with romcoms, aren't you?"

"Michael and I aren't romcom characters."

"You act like it. The few times I let you watch those kinds of dumb movies, they always start out really oblivious."

"oh, come on dean. seriously?" Vienna laughs.

"Yes, I'm serious." The serious look returns to Dean's face to nobody's surprise. "If you wont listen to me, let's just let it play out and see how long this takes."

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VIENNA WAS IN HER bedroom when a gentle knock came on the other side.

"Come in!" She hums, pausing her music and sliding her headphones off her ears.

"Whatcha doin?" Michael asks, entering her room and shutting the door with a slightly guilty smirk on his face.

"Listening to music, what are you doing?"

Michael says nothing for a moment.

"Michael." Vienna stares at him. "what did you do?"

"Briggs confiscated Sloane's laptop." He starts. "He didn't confiscate mine." he pulled a folder out from behind his back.

"you printed the files." Vienna processed.

"You got it." He hands her the file. "Gave one to Cassie too."

"Michael, have i ever told you that i love you?"

He grins at her. "I know you do." He grunts as Vienna throws herself into his arms, and he wraps his arms around her for a moment.

"i thought you'd be a bit more hesitant."

"Briggs already took my artist case. what else do I have to lose?"

Michael looks at her with concern. He knew that her artist case being taken away was making her more upset than she was letting on. "I'm sorry about that, Vienna. I really am. I shouldn't have tried to get you all to sneak around like that."

Vienna shook her head at once. "no, I shouldn't have agreed. It's not your fault. I'm just worried about Cassie now."

"Why?" Micheal looks to her, eyes softening as he looked at her.

"Well what if this killer is targeting women like her mother? what if she's in danger herself? this is really upsetting her, I can tell it is, Michael." her voice was growing shaky at once, though some of her nerves calmed as she looked to Michael.

he had the ability to calm her even without words, just his eyes seemed to be enough.

"then we'll figure it out. that's why we need your genius to help us even if Briggs gets mad again. If we are in danger, we'll get through it. I promise." though Michael was known to joke, he also knew when to be serious, too.

"I just don't want you-us-to get hurt." Vienna's hand began to shake for no apparent reason at all.

"I won't, and neither will you. Cassie will be fine, Briggs and Locke will solve this case and this bastard will be thrown behind bars for good. Just trust me, ok? Everything will work out." He squeezed her hand, causing a slight blush to creep to Vienna's face.

"Ok, I'll trust you." Vienna looks into his eyes, and just for a moment, she believed that maybe everything would be fine.

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cam's notes!

this was kind of a short filler chapter so i apologize 😭

i'm on winter break now so i'll probably be posting more chapters after christmas!'

qotd: what are you doing for the holidays? i'm going to my grandparents house but other than that i'm just staying home!

lmk what you think of this chapter and i'll see you in the next one!