SOOOOOOOO, I'M BACK. ON CHRISTMAS BREAK. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, BUT HERE WE GO BACK INTO THINGS! IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE UPDATED AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A LONG TIME, AND I WANT TO FINISH THIS STORY EVENTUALLY!

Y/N/N - Your Nickname

"Dear, can you tidy up at the front, please?"

"Sure thing." Y/N's voice hung eerily through the back, her shaking hands trying to rub the fabric of her skirt over and over again. Had she been aware that she had been beginning to start these odd habits, she would've been finding herself acting mad.

To put on a facade, even now for someone she loved, she didn't exactly know what was going on anymore. Being pulled in and out of concentration, she sometimes found herself just sat somewhere, thinking to herself about... nothing.

Y/N was aware that something was more than going on, and for better luck, she was bringing a certain something to having more feelings.

Pennywise visited more and more, especially during the evenings before she was to settle for bed. Sometimes she would wake up in the middle of the night to find It just standing there, not speaking nor doing anything to frighten her. Just... something she hadn't expected.

When she had been awake when It had visited, the two had formed an odd relationship, something that any two sane humans would decide to do when it came to wanting companionship. But Y/N knew that there was no-one sane in Derry, not even herself anymore, and she could see it forming as to why.

It was nothing too strange, but it had started from that evening when It laid beside her as she slept, and nothing of it, but it really came about fully when she was sat by her desk, drawing, the jiggles of the bells of Its suit indicating to her of the arrival.

She hadn't said much, but a long and drawn-out mewl came from behind her, towards her bed. Sort of similar to a tomcat in the middle of a fight, but more... demonic.

Y/N turned, seeing that Pennywise was on her bed and not some stray cat that had found its way inside. She was more than confused as to the noises coming from the eldritch's mouth.

With a beckoning finger her way, blue eyes as pretty as the sky, Pennywise said two words:

"Come here."

She remembered her confusion as she made her way to the other side of the bed with her things, and in an instance, Penny had yanked and thrown the pencils and notepad behind him. "H-Hey!" She warned, her words coming out in a higher pitch as she was quickly enveloped into the soft padding of Penny's chest.

They didn't need to say anything to each other, no platonic words nor questions about their days, just silence, and Y/N holding her breath more so than often when she was coddled.

She finally got an answer from It one of the nights, late until morning, and she was growing heavy and tired with sleep. "Little Bird, you're not the first human I've cuddled with."

That got her thinking: who else could've cuddled such an 'innocent' clown?

Y/N knew children were to be easy meals as soon as they even got arm's length of It, so that was a definite nope. But adults? She knew that there was only one other person in the history of Derry to ever want to cuddle a shape-shifting, child-eating, muddy and bloody creature and sadly, they used to look exactly like her.

So, she didn't say anything to It, just simply allowed Penny to cuddle her (or an attempt to cuddle her) through the evenings, not allowing her to sleep until the very early hours of the next day, where It would leave her around 7 or 8 am.

Maybe that was why I was feeling like shit. She thought, collecting her thoughts as she managed to drag her heaving body to the front of the shop, sorting piles and spraying plants and flowers.

It got her thinking more and more, zoning out when she felt something wet and cool begin to collect around her sneakers, soaking them. Y/N blinked out of her day-dreaming, finding that she had completely overflown a pot full of water, and now there was water and soil on the floor.

"Just my luck." Y/N muttered, seizing a cloth, brush pan and broom from the back.

"Dear, the door rang, could you help them?" Her nan called, strangely her disembodied voice made Y/N question her whereabouts, but she solely threw the things for clean-up on the floor, trying to find her inner joy to greet the next customer.

Y/N rounded the corner to get to the front once again, head down and focused on the water as she finally spoke up, noticing that the shadow of the person was rather long.

"Sorry, sir, I'll be with you in just a moment."

"No, no, please take your time."

All movements halted, muscles rigid as if she had been slapped across the face. Blinking her eyes rapidly, she tried to recall the voice that had just spoken. It was masculine, soft yet shy, friendly, maybe even very familiar?

Y/N poked her head up from the floor, looking up to the person standing very close to the counter and register. Blue eyes and they look nice too.

Although used to tall people like Pennywise, this guy was just as tall, reaching maybe 6'4 with a lovely face and figure. He wore simple jeans and a leather jacket, making her question his intent for his clothing when it was perhaps the hottest day of the summer and here she was, in a skirt and t-shirt.

But he had lovely eyes... and nice hair. Y/N countered, enjoying the way this handsome stranger smiled to her, eyes twinkling with mirth. His accent, he wasn't from here either - maybe Scandinavian but he had been living here for a while? She wanted to ask - but she kept the blushing at bay, resuming her calmness although her beating heart wouldn't stop.

"How can I help you today sir?"

"I don't know how to admit this, but I want to impress a girl, I just don't know what flowers to get her." He began, leaning closer down to the counter as he leant into it, making him then lean closer towards her. "Would you help me pick the best ones?" He grinned with a shy grin.

Be still my beating heart! This was not helping with her beetroot face at all, and up-close now, and closer to her height, he was truly beautiful.

"O-Of course! Hmm, well, the best offers are the mix, but if this is your first time buying flowers, I would say roses or lilies are the nicest." She suggested, coming round the counter to show him to them.

"I was interested in getting the roses, what colour would be best?" He followed her to the posts and hanging flowers, easily able to reach them from his height compared to her shorter stature.

"Well the chart has different colours and they all have different meanings. White for purity, pink for appreciation, lavender for love at first sight? It's all so many to choose from."

"What about black?" His voice dropped.

"Black?" Y/N recoiled, taking a step to the side just to look up at him properly? "We h-have black, but I'm unsure the lady wouldn't enjoy the colour. It's a bit... morbid."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll like it, Y/N. It would be very fitting."

Y/N withdrew quicker than a darting doe across the street, glimpsing a flash of wild auburn locks as they disappeared with a blink. She stared into his eyes, his face, for anything that gave him away, for anything to tell her that something was off. But, she was unsure as to why It would be playing such a game.

Her back hit the counter, as the man walked closer until he was towering over her, a musky smell hit her nostrils that smelt more putrid than anything else. Like rotting corpses. She barely had air to breathe.

Flies swarmed around her head, and the pungent odour was something of rotting flesh and decay like she was thrown into a grave already and the smell was of death on her skin.

The stranger's blue eye lolled to the side slowly, the signature smile forming over his clean skin. "W-What... do you want, Penny-"

"Y/N, I just found something you may like, Aunt Agnes says- oh?"

Y/N turned back to see her nan was standing there in the doorway, a look of confusion gracing her face, before a grin formed on her wrinkled skin. She came beaming around the counter, happy as anything, as if unaware of what was going on.

"Y/N, you never introduced me to your boyfriend?"

Boyfriend? Wait, what?!

The tiredness must be catching up with me now. I must truly be mad. "N-Nan-- what, it's not-"

"Hush, hush, my, you picked out a handsome fellow. What's your name, dear?"

"Robert Gray, ma'am."

"Robert huh? My, you must be a catch amongst the ladies. You two look most lovely together? I'm assuming you were here to come to pick her up?"

"That's correct, wanted to surprise her. She's not too busy?" 'Robert' asked.

"N-Nan- I think it's best-"

"Go on dear, go have fun, I can take it from here to look after the shop. Love you and speak with you later."

She ushered the two of you out the shop, managing to take her apron off as the door shut slam into her face. Y/N sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose in silent defeat.

"What the fuck Pennywise?"

"We're leaving." 'Robert's' voice was now matching the familiarity of Pennywise's, abruptly grabbing at her wrist and dragging her down the street, no-one in public being aware of her loud shouts for him to release her.

Y/N pulled and hauled herself to stop him, but his strength was as predicted, immense. She was dragged around half-way around the block, tugging and pulling, trying to get out of the man's grip.

It made no use to me, no-one will help nor pay attention. Y/N grumbled. They're all under Its influence.

A familiar place came closer to them and Y/N could feel her heart drop, digging her heels as much as possible into the concrete, until her feet ached. By now, Pennywise's original attire was coming back in small pieces, the poofy bottoms and victorian-esque details, the red pom-poms and his once slicked-back dark blond hair was growing increasingly redder.

Pennywise dragged her to the side of the house, throwing her to the wall behind, lifting her up with ease to be at her height. "What are you doing?" She huffed, trying to still the fear in not knowing what It would do next.

His usually stark-white makeup seemed to magically melt back onto his face, the human face of Robert Gray was wiped away like a mask, and the larger appearance of Pennywise came back to life; his buck-teeth were the last thing to come back to form as well as the red outlines across his face.

It leaned up into her face, the familiar smell of rotting flesh and cotton candy burnt her nostrils so much that she almost gagged, holding it in.

A familiar wide smirk came onto his face. "Wanna kiss Y/N/N?"

Y/N stared down at It owlishly, eyes bulging with visible confusion. "W-What are you saying?"

"Your old nan thinks we're dating. We will have to complete me wooing you for alllll of Derry to get the full picture." His bells rang awfully cheerful, his large head pressed close into her personal bubble.

"You're acting differently... I don't like it."

Pennywise sang matter-of-factly. "Want me to eat you?"

"Point taken."

A/N: