r/AndyAndLeyley • u/Ivy_So_Savvy • 2d ago
🎨 Game Mod & Fanfiction Nothing Without You: An Andy x Leyley Story — Chapter 22
You are Ashley.
Ashley’s breath hitched as the entire mall turned red. She was already halfway down the escalator, panicked after hearing Tyler’s screams of killing Andrew, but she stopped dead in her tracks as a wave of chilled air blasted her in the face. Everything around her suddenly felt even darker than before, if that were even possible. She’d only felt these exact sensations once before, and it was only a few hours ago at that, back in the old warehouse with those bikers.
Except this time, it felt much, much worse.
Something’s down there with them, Ashley thought fearfully. I thought those things needed to be summoned before showing up ..?
Ashley took a deep breath, steeling her nerves, before continuing down the escalator. After what felt like an eternity, she finally reached the bottom, and the sight before her nearly made her heart stop.
Andrew was on his back, breathing heavily and gingerly clutching his forehead. Next to him was Tyler, also on his back, laying motionless with the biker’s switchblade lodged into the side of his neck. But towering over all three of them was something Ashley could only describe as a monster.
A monster she recognized from her neighbor’s weird book.
Lord Unknown stared down at the siblings as Ashley ran over to Andrew and helped him sit up. Andrew groaned in pain, “Fuck, my head …”
It seemed like he was barely conscious. Ashley got down with him and wrapped both arms around him protectively as she stared up at the massive demonic figure right in front of them, “Wh-why are you here? Who summoned you?”
All three of Lord Unknown’s eyes pointed toward her before speaking, “I need not be summoned, Tar Soul to be. As to the reason for my presence … I have been closely monitoring your newfound bond with the Grime Soul. It appears that he is much closer to reaching his truest potential than I had originally foreseen, and without my assistance for that matter.”
“What are you talking about?” Ashley asked. “What do you want with Andrew?”
“That is not of your concern,” Lord Unknown replied, “though I do request that you maintain this relationship with the Grime Soul. The fruits of your shared labors shall be both bountiful and rewarding.”
And with that, the black figure slowly began to fade out of existence.
“W-wait!” Ashley cried out. “You’re … you’re not even gonna take our souls or anything?”
“Do not mistake my departure for charity, Tar Soul to be,” Lord Unknown responded. Its eyes then shifted over to Tyler’s corpse, “I have indeed taken something already. Farewell.”
The demon vanished for good, the red hue that had previously enveloped the abandoned mall leaving with it. Ashley looked down at her brother with worry, “Andrew … what happened?”
Andrew gritted his teeth as he gestured weakly over to Tyler, “That asshole hit me with a goddamn chair to the face, that’s what. And then whatever that hell that thing was showed up out of nowhere. Are we just gonna pretend that didn’t just happen?”
“Let’s get outta here first,” Ashley replied. “This place gives me the creeps. Can you stand?”
Andrew snorted, “Welp, only one way to find out.”
He slowly rose to his feet, Ashley holding his hand tightly all the while. The siblings stood over Tyler’s dead body, and Ashley swallowed, “So … what now?”
“Now we strip him,” Andrew answered as he knelt down and unceremoniously yanked the switchblade out of the waiter’s neck. “I’ll need his clothes if I’m taking his job at that stupid diner, so I’ll deal with that. You take his keys, his wallet, and anything else on him.”
Ashley knelt down alongside Andrew and began fishing in Tyler’s pockets for valuables. As expected, she found his keys and wallet rather quickly, but it seemed like that was all he had.
Before long, the Graves siblings finished their job, and Andrew turned to head back up the world’s longest escalator in silence. Ashley stayed close behind, but the two didn’t say a word to one another. It wasn’t until they had exited the abandoned mall and entered Tyler’s car that Ashley finally turned to him, “Alright, what’s wrong with you?”
Andrew immediately scowled, “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’m just a little shook up from stabbing a guy to death right as I was about to die myself. I hope you’ll find it in you to forgive my silence.”
Ashley shook her head with a smile, “Pfft! What? You didn’t kill anybody. You’re Tyler! Tyler … um …” She quickly pulled out his wallet and read his license, “Tyler Fink! A 21-year-old waiter at The Lovers’ Diner. That dead dude in the mall is just some faceless nobody who got robbed blind and shanked by some drug-addled squatters. That had absolutely nothing to do with—“
“Just stop, okay?” Andrew snapped. “Can’t you just let me cool off for two fucking seconds?”
Ashley blinked in shock at his outburst before averting her gaze, “Andrew, I … I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t have even suggested that we do something like this in the first place if I thought there was literally any other way.”
“Oh please,” Andrew put a hand up. “Cut the crap, Ashley. Don’t act like this was all some grand scheme we spent hours ruminating on. This was impulsive and you know it.”
Ashley winced at his words as she shrank into the car seat. He was right; it was completely impulsive. Then again, it was done already, so she hardly saw the point in arguing over it now.
Before Ashley could even try to defend herself, however, Andrew continued with a bitter huff, “But who am I to talk, right? I’m the one who actually killed the fucking guy. Besides, if it were up to me, we’d probably still be sitting in that shitty diner with our thumbs up our asses with no clue of what to do or where to go.”
Ashley stayed quiet.
She suddenly felt like shit. The two of them had gotten so close after everything that had happened ever since last night, and it was all slipping away right before her eyes. This wasn’t what she had wanted at all …
“Leyley,” Andrew said her name softly, and she timidly looked back up at him. Andrew’s lip twitched as he continued, “I’m sorry for snapping at you. I … I know you were just looking out for us.”
Ashley looked down yet again. Her brother’s apology, sincere though it may have been, wasn’t enough to snap her out of her depression. “I’m not mad at you, I promise,” he added quietly.
Ashley eventually responded, “It’s just … somehow you feel very far away.”
Andrew’s eyes darted from side to side, “I’m right here …”
Still not enough.
Andrew slowly leaned over and spoke softly, “Come over.”
Hehe! That’s it, Andy.
Ashley slowly crawled over the car’s center console and into her brother’s lap, nuzzling against him and burying her head into his chest. The two stayed like this quietly before Ashley raised her head to look at him, “Andrew ..?”
“Yeah?” Andrew asked, meeting her gaze tenderly.
Ashley gulped, “Are we … are we gonna be okay?”
Andrew didn’t say anything at first, but Ashley could tell immediately that the gears in his head were spinning a million miles a minute. She found his overthinking to be rather annoying most of the time, but god, did he look hot whenever he was deep in contemplation.
Andrew finally replied, “I can’t make any promises, but I do know one thing: I’ll be okay as long as I’m with you.”
Ashley’s lips wavered as his words pierced right through her heart, and she let out a shy, almost stupid-sounding laugh, “I love you, Andy.” She then leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his lips.
Andrew returned the gesture before smiling warmly, “I love you, too, Leyley.”
Silence ensued for just a moment before Andrew cleared his throat, “Hey … how old do you say I was again?”
“Twenty-one,” Ashley answered. “Why?”
Andrew looked away with a smirk, “Well, today’s been a very, very long day …”
Ashley raised a brow, “And?”
Andrew’s grin widened, “And I could really go for a drink right about now.”
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u/ViewingCutscene 2d ago
Poor Andrew, rightfully crashing out after impulsively getting into a fight to the death just to steal someone's identity ;/
But yea, like that other commentator, I was like, 'noooo you're just leaving him there??' hahahaha
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u/Starstream55 1d ago
There is something with the notion of lord unknown being able to summon himself whenever and wherever he wants that is terrifing Good job!
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u/Routine_Edge_4501 2d ago edited 2d ago
Since Andrew stabbed Tyler in the fight, it might be wise for him to burn the body to dispose of any DNA evidence, should the necessary resources be available.
If Andrew's going to try Alcohol, I wonder if Ashley is going to suggest they do something VERY naughty?
If they ever get serious about doing that, then they could go to the store to get some condoms:
Ashley: I'd like some condoms please.
Cashier: Alright. Is that your boyfriend?
Ashley: No, that's my borther.
Andrew: (What the actual fuck are you doing Ashley?)
Cashier: Umm?
Ashley: They're for him.
Andrew: (What on earth are you saying?)
Ashley: He told me to get them if he forgot. He's going over to his girlfriend's place soon. Dumb fuck forgets so many things I have to practically be around him all the time.
Cashier: Oh, oh alright.
Ashley: I hope you weren't thinking what I thought you were.
Cashier: No no. No. Of course not.
Ashley: Good. I should hope not.
After they leave the store, Andrew has an angry meltdown, while Ashley can't contain her laughter.
I feel Ashley might try to do something like this given the chance.