A/N- Just a oneshot I wanted to do for Halloween. EddxMarie focused meet-cute.

If there was one thing Eddward wasn't a fan of, it was being scared. He knew the psychological reasons why other people like it of course. The adrenaline of escaping near death. Feeling one's heart pound even knowing that the danger was simulated. The thrill of flying through the air at terrifying speeds but being safely restrained by a harness. Eddward understood all of that. He just wasn't a fan of it. In cases where he couldn't avoid the genre however, he had his fail safes. For horror movies, he focused more on the ingenuity of the practical or digital affects than the scares. On the rare trips he took to the amusement park or fair, he always made himself the watcher of his friends' items in order to avoid roller coasters.

But even with all of his contingencies in place, he should have known that he couldn't avoid the popular genre forever.

The looming, multi-storied house may have been magnificent in its younger days, but now it stands decrepit and dilapidated. Shapes move ominously past curtained, dimly lit windows. And the sound of screams pierces the air.

"This is going to be so sweet!" Eddy grins in excitement. "I heard that last year some guy crapped his pants."

"That's why I wore two pairs of underwear," Ed brags.

Eddward stands behind his two best friends, too nervous to join in their eager exclamations. It should have been odd calling them his best friends considering that he had only known them a few weeks, but the truth was since the first day he met them, they shared a sort of strange bond that made them such fast friends. They even had similar names to the point where he was nicknamed Double D.

Unfortunately for him though, both Ed and Eddy were large fans of horror, especially Ed. And as soon as October rolled around, they subjected Double D to an endless parade of horror movies, horror games, and horror comics. He had endured using his usual tricks, but now he didn't see much of a way to get through this. Haunted house attractions were notorious for being highly immersive. There were very few animatronics to analyze. Instead, there were actors. Very good actors from what Eddward heard. Some who didn't even follow the rule of having no physical contact with the customers he heard.

"Come on, sockhead!" Eddy jostles him with his elbow, "Get syked! We're almost next."

"Eddy, I believe I have a confession to make," Double D swallows nervously, taking another look at the intimidating house, "I'm not exactly a fan of this particular attraction. Actually, I'm not ashamed to say I'm down right terrified."

Eddy scoffs, "No duh, Sherlock. I got that from you trying to suggest we go something else every five seconds. We're purposely ignoring you."

"B-But, Eddy-"

"No butts, mister," Ed pushes both him and Eddy to the front of the line, "Scares are good for the hair on your chest."

"Tickets, please," A squeaky voice, pimply teen stops them at the gate. "Wait for the green light, please."

Shaking, Double D hands over his ticket along with Ed and Eddy and they wait for their turn to go in. The ticket taker is only a few years older than they are and wears poorly applied bloody make-up. But not even that can distract Double D from the daunting house before him.

All too soon the light turns green and the ticket taker opens the gate to let them in. Even the short walk up the walkway aids in building up the suspense. Low fog clings to the ground, twisting around tombstones. The grass is overgrown, hiding invisible possible dangers. A chittering noise comes from Double D's left making him jump.

"It's just a hidden speaker. There's nothing to fear. It's just a hidden speaker," He chants to himself.

"Come on, sockhead!" Eddy calls impatiently.

Double D looks up (he didn't even realize he closed his eyes) and finds Ed and Eddy a few feet ahead of him. He runs to catch up with them.

"This is going to be sweet!" Eddy exclaims and opens the door.

It's almost entirely pitch-black inside, impossible to see more than a few inches in front of them. Double D nearly steps on his friends heels in an effort not to be left behind. The door swings shut before he can stop it and the three of them are left in total darkness.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A ghostly visage suddenly flares to life in front of them, giving an inhuman shriek. Double D's scream is just as loud as his friends' but without their underlying tone of enjoyment. The ghost flies away, still giving its mournful cries and dim lights flicker on and off briefly illuminating the house's interior. There is the vague suggestion of a path that they're supposed to follow, but it seems to disappear with the flickering lights.

And if the outside of the house scared Double D, the interior was downright terrifying. The flashing lights made everything disorienting. The floor seems to twist under his feet. The walls seem to shift positions.

"Help ME!"

A filth-covered, bloody girl in a ripped-up dress crawls from underneath a table. She looks up at them with wide, terror-filled eyes.

"Help me! I can't- I can't-"

A spray of blood shoots out of her mouth, causing Double D to scurry away in panic.

"This is insane!" Eddy grins as he and Ed eagerly move on.

"The insanity lies in our choice of entertainment."

Double D maneuvers carefully around the girl to avoid stray drops of blood. He watches, still trembling and his gut-churning, as the girl chokes on more blood and slithers back under the table. He tears his eyes away only to make sure he remains on the path.

"Watch out, Double D!" Ed screams.

"Ah!" Double D yelps and nearly walks into a zombie chained to the wall.

"Nnnggghhh."

Double D nearly sighs in relief at the weak zombie groan. Its eyes are unfocused and glassy. Its head and one limply raised hand move in robotic jerky motions. The skin is waxy and bloated.

"Why Ed, this is nothing more than an animatronic," Double D explains more to himself than his friend, "well designed I grant you, but harmless."

But then the zombie's eyes jump to his and stares at him with frightful, deadly intelligence.

"GRAAAAAGH!" It gives an unmistakably angry low growl and lunges at Double D. The chain expands from the wall and Double D barely manages to avoid its blackened decaying fingers.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" A scream tears from Double D's throat and he runs behind Ed.

Eddy and Ed break into good-natured laughter and the three of them proceed to the next room. But Eddward's heart is still pounding and his stomach is twisting into knots. Eddy and Ed take their time looking around, enjoying the finer details and appreciating the scary atmosphere. Eddward, however, sees nothing but danger around every corner and crevice. Sounds echo with no source. Lights flash without truly illuminating anything. Monsters reach for him from every angle.

"Eddddddddy. Eddddddd," Double D groans and tugs down the side of his hat in an attempt to block out the scares. "I think that I must throw in the proverbial towel and find the nearest exit. Eddy? Ed?"

He tugs up his hat when he hears no answer, and his heart sinks to find his friends gone.

"Eddy? Ed? Fellows?" He calls again. They couldn't have gone far, could they?

A shriek answers from somewhere behind him causing him to jump in panic and run into the nearest room for shelter. The door closes with a click that sounds too much like a locking mechanism.

"Oh dear," Eddward rattles the doorknob but it holds firm.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A sinister, smoky voice drifts from the darkness.

Icey fingers clutch Double D's heart and he slowly turns around. The room walls are painted deep red. The floorboards a faded black, with splotches of what appears to be old bloodstains. And back against the far wall, laying on a chaise lounge in the shadows is a lone figure.

"It looks like I have a new boy toy," the figure speaks again and sits up, "just in time. I've been so lonely."

The figure emerges from the shadows. Perhaps the most frightening visage he has yet to behold. A lacy red bodice, a black dress ripped revealingly up to the thigh, a long mane of midnight blue hair covering most of her face except for one, piercing hazel eye, ringed with fire. Her blood-red lips part in a grin that reveals fanged teeth.

"Th-th-there s-s-seems to be some sort of m-m-m-mistake," Double D rattles the doorknob even harder but it's not giving, "Th-th-the d-door appears to be l-l-locked."

The vampire-ess only smiles harder, her one visible eye smoldering, "No mistake, cutie. How else can I keep you here to keep me company?"

She saunters towards him as she talks, her heels clicking against the floorboards. Double D backs against the wall, shrinking back against her advance. He tries desperately to see past her elaborate costume, remind himself that she was just an actress, but there was no act behind the hunger in her eyes. The insatiable need that verged on insanity. He was so busy staring in fact, that he didn't realize how close she had gotten until he could feel the heat coming off her body.

"Aww, what's the matter, dreamboat?" She smirks, "You're not scared of me, are you?"

She reaches out for him, her fingers tipped with claw-like, black nails and her hands stained maroon. A strangled gasp of fear escapes Eddward and he scurries away from her touch.

"M-miss, please," He begs, "I'm in serious need of air and space. If you'll just direct me to the nearest exit-"

"And why would I do that?" She coos, changing direction as he does, "We haven't even begun to have fun, cutie-pie."

"F-fun?" Double D stumbles but doesn't lose his footing, "And what, pray-tell, is fun about this?"

"Oh, I don't know. The way you squirm. The way you tremble. The way you shrink away from me, even though something else tells you to come closer," Her tongue runs across her fangs in a way that is both disturbing and yet somehow erotic. "It's delicious."

Double D swallows thickly. He hates himself for it, but part of him admits that she's right about one thing. He's terrified of her, absolutely, but... But. If he had truly wanted to escape, he could have definitely tried harder. Scream. Bang on the door until his friends or someone else heard him. But instead he was shrinking away from her, and yet he hadn't taken his eyes off of her.

There's a soft thunk as his back hits the wall. The vampire-ess moves with a sudden burst of speed and pins him against the wall with her hands on either side of his head. She leans in close, so close that her lips almost touch his. Eddward closes his eyes, waiting for the unwanted kiss that never comes. Instead, he suddenly feels her breath by his ear.

"Mmmm," she moans softly, sending not completely unpleasant chills down his spine, "you smell good."

Double D cries out as the wall suddenly gives way behind him. He opens his eyes to see his vampire-ess standing over him. The lighter room behind her and the dark hallway behind him create a halo effect around the vampire-ess. Like some dark angel come to claim his soul. Eddward suddenly yelps and spreads his legs just as her stiletto heel comes down. Her expression is a wild combination of tenderness and utter viciousness.

"Awww, my poor cutie-pie," She croons, "Would you like me to kiss it and make it all better?"

Double D scrambles up as he takes a quick look at his new surroundings. Blue light is the only thing lighting the hallway revealing mold lining the walls. Cold fog covers the floor. A white ethereal figure wanders near the end of the hall, but Eddward has no more time for observing. His vampire-ess is advancing towards him again, her possessive, deranged smile churning knots in his stomach.

"M-madam, please, contain yourself!" He tries another desperate plea, "Hasn't this act gone far enough? If you'll just point me to the exit-"

The vampire-ess clicks her tongue and Double D is momentarily distracted by her pursed lips.

"Don't be in such a hurry, cutie. I promise, once you become my love slave, you'll never want to leave me."

She punctuates her statement by sensually licking the tip of one of her clawed nails. Double D swallows thickly, his knees shaking as he backs away from her advance, and yet he finds her eyes mesmerizing. The red ring around her iris seems to be hypnotizing him. Even knowing the effect must be achieved with contact lenses, he just can't seem to break away and run.

The ghost gives an eerie moan right behind him now, but Eddward barely hears it as he continues to cower. The ghost even shrinks away from his vampire-ess whose focus is solely on him. She gives a dark chuckle and licks the corner of her mouth.

"Mmmm, I think I'm going to enjoy eating you up. I wonder if you taste as cute as you look."

"Cute?" Double D chuckles, momentarily forgetting his terror, "I assure you miss, if you desire a more visually appealing victim, you'd do better to find someone more athletically built than my scrawny physic."

They cross the threshold of another room, this one filled with red light and the sound of chainsaws. But all Double D could see was the glint as his vampire-ess's teeth as she grins.

"Lucky for you, I like 'em scrawny."

The roar of a chainsaw and an irate growl sounds next to Eddward but he barely hears it. It's hard to notice anything with his pursuing vampire-ess so close to him. She must have quickened her pace without him noticing because surely, he wasn't allowing her to get so close. Was he?

"Don't be so shy, dreamboat," the vampire-ess coos, "I bite, but I promise you'll like it."

She trails her fingers lightly across the tops of her breasts, raising goosebumps on Double D's skin. He swallows thickly. A bead of sweat rolls down his neck and the completely unwarranted image of her catching the drop with her tongue before gently nipping his neck makes him shiver. He shakes his head and quickly banishes the lewd thought from his mind.

"I-I can h-hardly image a bite from you b-being enj-joyable," He stammers and tugs nervously at his collar. Maybe it was this game of cat and mouse, but it felt like someone had turned up the thermostat.

"I'll promise I'll be gentle."

"Somehow I doubt that."

"Aw, see? You know me so well already."

They cross the threshold into yet another room, this one filled with blue light and eerie rocking cradles.

"Come on, sweetie," the vampire-ess playfully pouts, "let's stop playing these games. You know you want me. Just give in already."

"I-I assure you ma'am I want no such th-thing," Double D says politely as he can but in reality, he isn't so sure. His heart is pounding in a way that it never had before, but it wasn't an entirely unpleasant sensation. What was unpleasant, however, was the diabolical expression in her eyes. Or rather eye.

"Aren't you tired of running from me, dreamboat?" His vampire-ess sighs, "We could use that energy for something much more...fun."

Double D chuckles weakly, "P-perhaps if we had met under different circumstances, we could have taken the time to get to know each other. M-maybe actually find something in common-"

"The only thing I want to find," His vampire-ess interrupts, "is your big, thick... artery."

Eddward's face flames at the near innuendo and he stumbles. Her hand shoots out again and grabs him by the collar. As her fist knots in the fabric, he can feel the heat from her hand. She backs him up against a wall and presses close against him. This time Double D doesn't close his eyes. Instead, he stares into her alluring, fiery hazel eyes, flecked with green.

"I could sink my teeth into you right now," She purrs.

"Th-th-that w-would h-hardly b-be appropriate," He stammers.

"You'd be mine forever."

"Un-unwillingly."

"Is that so?" The vampire-ess takes one sharp nail and runs it down the side of his face making him tremble, "Because your body tells me differently."

Double D opens his mouth to retort, but finds that no sound will come out. His vampire-ess smirks and suddenly lets go of his shirt and hits something against the wall. The wall swings out and Double D finds himself briefly falling through air. Before he can even scream though, his short fall is broken by bushes. He blinks at looks up. His vampire-ess smiles down at him, before blowing him a kiss and melting back into the darkness of the house. Somehow, without him even realizing it, the vampire-ess had led him through the house to some sort of emergency exit.

"Yo, sockhead!"

Just beside him, Eddy and Ed are coming out of a door marked "exit". Eddy frowns at him in confusion.

"How did you get out ahead of us?" He asks, "Ed and I thought we lost you back at the zombies."

"I was... enjoying the house," Double D takes another look at the house, wondering (hoping) to see the (his) vampire again, but the emergency door was camouflaged on this side of the house by vines.

He suddenly remembers his earlier panic though and stands up angrily, "It's nice to see you two again though. Didn't think to actually look for me, did you?"

"Hey! We tried looking for you, but we sort of got... distracted," Eddy argues.

"Yeah, we tried looking for you Double D, but a monster with big teeth tried to eat Ed's brains," Ed shudders.

"You ain't got no brains lumpy," Eddy shivers too though, "Besides, that red-headed witch was the real horror. I swear she had no eyes."

They start to walk off, both of them starting to argue who was scarier. Double D follows closely behind them, cautious not to get left behind again. He takes one final look at the house before turning around again. He doubts he'll be getting any sleep tonight.

A few days later:

Double D happily breathes in the cool, crisp morning air as he makes his way up the stairs to Peach Creek High. Eddy and Ed lag behind yawning and complaining, but Double D loves starting his morning with a good education.

"Come on, fellows, let's put some pep in those steps," He smiles at him over his shoulder, "we don't want to be late for-oof!"

He accidentally bumps into someone, scattering his and their books and papers everywhere. He apologizes profusely and bends down to pick up the dropped items.

"I apologize, truly. I wasn't looking where I was going," He quickly finds and locates his books and gathers the few books of the other person. "I hope I didn't scuff your materials too badly."

"It's no problem... cutie."

Double D freezes, feeling his heart stop. That voice. He knows that voice. His eyes go from the school materials on the ground to the pair of black combat boots in front of him. Ripped jeans, tight, black mid-driff. Shoulder length, bright blue hair concealing most of her face except for one hazel eye flecked with green.

"I-I-I-" He stammers but can form no coherent words.

The girl smirks and holds her hand out for her things, "You think I can get my stuff back?"

"Eddward!" Double D bursts out before blushing profusely, "I-I mean, I apologize. My name is Eddward and I was-"

"Don't care," she snatches her things from him and begins to walk away.

Double D watches her go until she pauses and glances back.

"My name's Marie."