#i know he bites mc in the myth card | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

luxexhomines · 5 years ago

Text

why did you have to betray him?

This is the second SFW Leviathan fic I’ve published on my AO3! Please click here if you would like to read it on AO3. If you venture onto my AO3, please be warned of NSFW and problematic content that may include triggering topics! Click here to read my card. Commissions are open (but I won’t start working on them until after May 8th because of other responsibilities)!

This is a Hanahaki disease work; MC/Reader has Hanahaki’s for Levi. If you need to know the ending before you start reading, feel free to skim the tags. I’ve included a short excerpt before the cut for the rest of the story.

--------

“Sorry, Levi, not today.”

You shut the door in his face, and Levi feels his heart sink for what feels like the hundredth time in the past month. It’s not like he’s been counting, but even with all the years he’d been alive, it sure seemed like a whole lot of rejections in such a short amount of time.

He had even gone as far as to go knock on your door and ask in person—but you had still turned him down. Sighing, he trudges back to his room. Levi’s not sure why he’s so surprised. Or disappointed. Because this is only natural, only expected, that you wouldn’t want to hang out with someone like him. A repulsive otaku shut-in. There was no reason for you to want to hang out with him in the first place. He should be surprised that you’d even hung out with him before you started rejecting him.

Maybe it was time for him to give up on asking. He shouldn’t harbor hope in his chest anymore, no matter how badly he wants to spend time with you, to see your smile, hear your tumbling laugh, look into your shining, bright eyes. The times he did get to spend with you, it almost felt like all of that, all of you had been meant just for him. For him, and him alone.

But he supposed that ended today. Or, rather, it had ended weeks ago. Levi couldn’t help it if you’d realized that you didn’t want to hang out with him. It had only been a matter of time. And the time had finally come.

He shuffles into his room morosely and shuts the door. Only the sound of the aquarium is here in his room, a quiet, calm, trickling sound, constant, almost unnoticeable. But in the face of your absence, it was loud. It isn’t silent, but it's quiet enough in his room that the space feels glum.

Levi stands in front of his shelves of discs and runs his fingers along the sides of each one, the smooth plastic cool under his touch. He’ll pick lively music to listen to today, he thinks to himself. Sucre Frenzy’s newest album would do just fine. But instead, he ends up pulling out a Bithir Gloom album. He frowns but slides it into the CD player anyway. Maybe it was fine to wallow in this misery. Just for a little while.

Although he knows a little while always ends up being a long time, ranging anywhere from a month to a century. It’s his nature, isn’t it? At least, that’s what he always told himself. It made him feel better if he couldn’t help it; if it was a part of him. He couldn’t deny the nature of his existence.

Yes, he was the Avatar of Envy, and he was a repugnant, otaku hikikomori.

His chest aches, and the sole sound of the melancholy piano drifts from the speakers faintly, discreetly filling the room with the elegiac, dark tones, like a mist of shadows engulfing him.

He embraces it. As he always does. As he always will.

It’s a part of him, after all.

----------

You’re hunched over at your desk, trying to distract yourself by studying as furiously as possible.

From that incessant, severe pain. Or maybe, more accurately, from your flowering, profound feelings.

No. You can’t think about that. You turn back to the textbook, Ancient Lore and Myths of the Devildom’s Cursed Artifacts, but it’s too late.

Something is swelling within you.

You let it because keeping it in would be more painful.

You cough into your arm, and the action seems to take years off of your life. It’s a deep heaving of your lungs that, out of its pure force, makes the rest of your body quake violently for moments after it’s gone.

On your tongue is the taste of iron. You want to dismiss it, to forget about it and go back to your work, but you stand and go to the bathroom instead, against your better judgment.

The fluorescent lights burn into your skin, and you lean in toward the mirror over the sink. When you open your mouth, you see red. Crimson red. Not the muted, pinkish-red of your tongue and cheeks.

Blood red.

A chill rushes down your spine, and you close your mouth, swallowing dryly before realizing you should perhaps wash it out. With trembling fingers, you bring water to your lips and rinse. You spit out bloodied water, tarnished, impure, dirty, disgusting. You can’t bear to look at it, and you run water over the remnants in the bowl of the sink. No evidence could be left behind. No evidence of your burgeoning, vile feelings. Of your betrayal. You’re willing to die with that betrayal kept a secret. As long as he doesn’t know.

Leviathan can never know that you love him.

You amble back to your room and lay down on your bed, exhausted.

Bad idea.

You’re sitting up and hacking again before you know it. You’re not sure what it feels more like: being set aflame as the tongues of fire eagerly lap at your chest, or asphyxiating to death under the pressure of water and drowning. Take your pick. Not that there was much to pick between, anyway. It was both, and it was neither. It couldn’t be described, not really. Sensations like these could only be felt to be understood—although, no one would willingly accept that fate, knowing what it entails. You didn’t. You were dragged, kicking and screaming, and confined to it with heavy shackles that fettered your movement, kept you from escape, or any hint of freedom. You’d never asked for this, never wanted this, but here you were, regardless.

When you finish coughing, there’s that same taste in your mouth again, and your chest is sore. You rub it in hopes of alleviating any amount of the pain, but it’s useless. If it were that easy, you wouldn’t be coughing, to begin with. You lick your lips and then become aware of something, some foreign entity in your mouth. You open your mouth and let it fall into your hand.

It flutters gently, despite the violence and agony it signified.

A petal.

It’s a motley, striped purple, slightly long and oval, tapering off and curved outward. The first to appear. You’re not sure what flower it comes from, but you sense that it doesn’t bode well for you. Not that you couldn’t have already known that with all the blood you were coughing up and the pain that had persisted in your chest for a few weeks already. You were so, so tired. Nausea was rising from your throat, closing up.

You stare at the offending petal. More evidence of your abominable love. Regret surges inside you.

Why did you have to make this mistake?

Why did you have to love him?

Why did you have to betray him?

Tears bud in your eyes, and there’s nothing you can do but let them fall, bitter and full, unwarranted and yet irrepressible. Just like your feelings for him. Just like this pain. Just like-

You don’t finish that thought. It hasn’t happened yet. You’re still praying it won’t, even though you know there can be no other answer to the question of your fate. No other ending.

You have no say in it, and you resent it.

You curl up on your side and let yourself escape the pain of reality as you fall into a dreamless sleep.

----------

Waking up is excruciating. Because it’s then when you know that tomorrow has come and that another day awaits before you, full of tangles and roots waiting to trip you, to cling to you, to hurt you. Dread lives in you, but you’ve long grown numb to it. After all, this is reality. You’re not going to escape it. There’s nothing that convenient. It’s all you can do to just manage, day-to-day.

You peel yourself from your bed and force yourself to go through the morning routine. Somehow, you make it to breakfast, where you slouch in your seat and pick at your food, slowly shoveling a few bites into your mouth.

You glance up when Levi arrives and feel a pang of guilt. You had been avoiding him for weeks now. Well, for the few weeks since your chest had started to hurt because you had your suspicions, and you ended up being right. You had hoped to nip your flowery little problem in the bud, but clearly, it hadn’t worked. You supposed that wasn’t how it worked. You were supposed to not love someone in the first place. You couldn’t just unget feelings. It was a painful realization, both physically and emotionally.

Then, you had wondered if you could just hang out with him, knowing what was going on—but then also realized that you would probably cough around him, which would raise questions and potentially expose you. That was the one thing that couldn’t happen. At this point, you couldn’t stop the growth, but you could keep him from knowing the truth. And that was what you were going to do. No matter what it cost.

You have to admit that he doesn’t look too good today. Dark circles were under his eyes, and he looked like he was about to collapse—it seemed like a miracle he’d even gotten to the breakfast table today. He plops into his chair, not even sparing a look in your direction. You guess it only serves you right, after how you’ve been treating him the past few weeks. Each time you had to turn him down was like another barb in your heart, tightening around it and drawing blood. But there was nothing you could do. Perhaps it was selfish of you, to want to protect yourself from the imminent lash back of crossing the boundary you shouldn’t have.

Of betraying his true friendship.

You shake off your thoughts and clear your dishes. You glance at Levi again, who’s eating like a zombie while scrolling on his D.D.D., but ultimately scamper away. This was for the best—or at least, for you, it would be. You’re not sure what would hurt Leviathan more. Your betrayal, or your rejection.

And you don’t think you want to know. Because you think you might know the answer, and confirming it would only deepen the wounds in your heart.

Levi has been in a haze ever since he woke up. He had hardly slept, having stayed up until the wee hours of the morning in his misery, and once he did sleep, he didn’t sleep well. He’d tossed and turned and overall had been half-conscious but also trapped in a darkness that he couldn’t navigate.

He isn’t paying attention to anything. How could he? He’s not even sure what he’s eating right now, or what he’s looking at on Devilgram. All he’s aware of is this dull pain still in control of him, filtering the world around him, turning it all to darkness.

“Levi.”

He blinks slowly and lifts his head. Asmo is looking at him with a concerned face.

“...What?” he mumbles. The words barely even leave his lips.

“What’s going on? The two of you have been in a mood lately. Both of you came in looking like someone had broken your hearts and are generally listless.”

He swallows the spoonful of—what even was it? Poison apple oatmeal with a smattering of sugared newt eyes?

“What do you mean? Everything is fine.”

But he knows he doesn’t sound convincing. He doesn’t believe those words himself, so how could he? The one thing that did surprise him was the fact that Asmo thought you were also dispirited. You were the one rejecting him, so how could you be unhappy? Consciously remembering what led to his current state only drives another stake into his chest. He winces.

Asmo is peering at him like he’s transparent, surveying him closely with discerning gold eyes. Levi knows it’s never a good sign when Asmo looks at him like that.

“No, it’s not. Your skin is rougher than usual. Come on, be honest with me. Something is going on, and it has to do with each other, doesn’t it?” Asmo puts a hand to his cheek in thought. “You two have barely been talking or spending time with each other in the past few weeks. Did you fight?”

Leviathan stiffens. How was he supposed to answer that? He wasn’t even sure what exactly had happened. One day, you’d just stopped hanging out with him, and that was that. It hadn’t even petered out. He also hadn’t been able to recall anything particularly dumb or offensive that he’d done the time before it’d happened. He’d just assumed it was because he was—well, him.

He bristles and throws Asmo a dirty look.

“Why are you asking, anyway? Even if we did, it doesn’t involve you,” Levi grumbles. “But no. Not really. I don’t know. Don’t ask me anymore.”

Asmo huffs and crosses his arms.

“I’m your brother. I can’t not ask you when it’s been going on for this long. I’ve already been holding back, okay?” He looks around the room conspiratorially and then back at Levi. “Just for today, I’ll make an exception and skip school for you. You have to tell me what’s going on. It affects both of you, not just yourself.”

Levi protests half-heartedly, but he’s shot down, as he knows he will be. Asmo is a lot pushier than he might seem, and he has to give in. He wonders if talking about it might help, although it seemed hopeless at this point. An unsalvageable situation. Or relationship. Whatever. The two of you had been true best friends, right? But then you’d just up and left, and now it was just him again. Alone. As he’d always been. As perhaps it always should have been, until you came and disrupted it. But it had been a welcome disruption, he thinks to himself longingly, his heart aching.

Asmo follows Levi into his room, and they sit. Asmo’s orange eyes are serious, and his pink bangs sway slightly as he tilts his head, scrutinizing Levi.

“You’re a wreck,” he says bluntly. “Tell me what’s going on. I don’t know isn’t an acceptable answer.”

Levi sighs and slumps forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“I mean, I don’t know,” he starts, but seeing Asmo’s face, continues hastily. “One day, they just stopped hanging out with me, and then it continued. And we haven’t talked much or spent time together since before that happened.”

He sneaks a look at Asmo’s expression, which is disgruntled. Asmo seems to be in thought, puzzled.

“Do you know why? Or have any ideas?” he prods.

“If I knew why it would make this easier, wouldn’t it?” Levi exhales in frustration. “No, I don’t know why. I spent hours thinking about everything we did the last time we’d hung out and if I’d done anything dumb or offensive. But there was nothing different from usual. And it was sudden, too, when we stopped hanging out.”

Asmo leans in curiously.

“So it wasn’t gradual. Any other details?”

The other demon blows his bangs up with a puff of air, out of his eyes.

“No. Uh, I mean, I’ve asked to hang out multiple times. I even went in-person. And they said no, every single time.” He pauses. “Usually, they said it was because they were studying. Or they didn’t say why. But I mean, it’s no wonder they wouldn’t want to hang out with a disgusting otaku like me.”

The sound of the aquarium water filter punctuates the silence as both sit in thought.

“Did you notice anything weird about their behavior?” Asmo looks into Levi’s eyes. “Because I think something is up. I don’t think it’s because of you, or they wouldn’t have spent time with you before, either. They seem distracted all the time, and they’ve been shutting themselves in their room a lot more often, too.”

Leviathan leans back, crossing his arms and thinking. Weird behavior? None that he could think of. Or anything that mattered. He frowns.

“No, not really. Although I had wondered if they were sick because the other day I heard them coughing through the door of their room after they said they couldn’t hang out.”

Something glints in Asmo’s eye, and Levi’s not sure he likes it. His palms are starting to get clammy, and he rubs them against his trousers clumsily. It doesn’t help, but he does it again anyway in vain.

“Levi.” Asmo catches his attention and he freezes, looking up. “We need to talk to them. I don’t think they’re sick, exactly—not in the way you’re thinking.”

Levi’s shoulders droop. How was he supposed to talk to you when he could scarcely get within a five-foot radius of you? That was too tall a task for him to accomplish.

“You’ll have to talk to them alone,” he says dejectedly. “I’ve barely been able to talk to them, much less approach them the past few weeks. They hightail it immediately when I come into the picture.”

Asmo sighs and shakes his head.

“Alright, alright, fine. I’ll talk to them for you. You owe me,” he smirks.

Levi opens his mouth to object—he doesn’t want to be in Asmo’s debt -but thinks better of it. This was the best chance he was going to get in terms of ever finding out what was going on, and why in Devildom you’d been avoiding him. He just nods.

“Fine. But only if you get to talk to them and find out something.”

Asmo laughs.

“Of course. I’ll get the job done, don’t worry.” He stands and heads for the door. “I’ll let you know when I have. Or, preferably, I’ll send them your way so the two of you can talk.”

Levi’s not so sure the second option is feasible, but he wants to hope that there’s still a chance, however slim it may be.

“Okay.” He looks at Asmo. “...Thanks.”

Asmo just grins and winks at him and pops out of his room.

Levi sits on his gaming chair, still feeling like he was half-dead. But at least he was a little less dead. Hopefully, Asmo would come back with news, whether good or bad. But he knows he shouldn’t hope. His hopes will only be crushed in the end, anyway.

----------

You’re walking back into the House of Lamentation after school and traipsing through the garden when someone calls out to you. You blink and turn.

“...Asmo?”

He smiles in that Cheshire cat way of his.

“The one and only! Listen, let’s have a little chat. I noticed you haven’t been doing the best recently.”

Before you can say no, he hooks an arm around yours and practically hauls you away and lets both you into your room. You stumble in and sit on your bed as he closes the door. Your throat is tickling, and you take a sip of water from your water bottle. You can’t cough. Not while Asmo is here. He’s too astute. You know he’ll pick up on the reason straightaway.

“So what do you want to talk about?” You eye him suspiciously.

Asmo sits on your chair, and suddenly his eyes aren’t laughing anymore.

“I know something’s not right. Tell me what’s going on.”

You smile and play dumb. It was always the best tactic, especially when you didn’t know what cards your opponent held—in this case, what Asmo knew.

“What are you talking about? I mean, my studies aren’t too great, but that’s nothing new.”

He shakes his head, disapproval leaking into his voice.

“You’re not doing anyone any favors by beating around the bush. You’ve been avoiding Levi.”

You register his words, and half-relief, half-dread crawls into your heart. At least that seemed to be most of what he knew. You purse your lips.

“...Well, I can’t deny that,” is all you can say. It wasn’t like you had any excuses for Asmo.

“Why?” he presses.

You fix your gaze to the floor and swing your legs back and forth.

“I’m just trying to catch up with my studying. Lucifer will skin me and feed me to Cerberus if I don’t get my tasks done right. It’s a lot to manage, so I haven’t had time to hang out.”

Asmo’s eyes are piercing. It’s an uncomfortable feeling, being stared at like that. But you also know that it’s not unusual, given the situation.

“You’ve been so busy that you suddenly had to stop hanging out with him at all? For weeks?” His tone softens. “Tell me the truth. You know I won’t judge.”

It’s true; Asmo had usually been an impartial bystander to all of the problems you’d encountered in the Devildom, a safe confidante and trustworthy. But you can’t tell him. No one can know.

“There’s nothing to tell,” you insist, even though you know it sounds weak. Your lungs are itching. You hope Asmo leaves soon. You weren’t sure how long you could last without coughing.

His face is skeptical.

“I know something is going on.” He puts a hand on your shoulder soothingly. “You look like you’re going through a lot.”

You glance up at him and then look away again.

“It’s nothing. I just have to manage my tasks and studies. Which I should be doing now,” you hint.

Asmo sighs.

“No. Not right now. It can wait.” He smoothes a piece of your hair and then pulls back. “You’ve been coughing.”

It’s a statement. Not a question. And you’re not sure what to make of it. You study him, but your silence speaks volumes.

“...Did you hear me or something?” You run your fingers through your hair, distraught. “I’ve been keeping quiet. There’s no way…”

He watches you panic with sadness etched on his features.

“You’re not sick, are you?” A pause. “At least, not in a conventional way.”

Your eyes meet his, and a flash of understanding goes through you. He knows. He’s known all this time. He was just trying to pry it from your lips, to hear it directly from you. You feel nausea building inside, and almost immediately, as if on cue, you start coughing. The inside of your mouth feels sticky, and you rush to drink water and wash the blood down your throat before he can see anything. But you start coughing again, and he shifts, sitting next to you on the bed. Asmo places a hand on your back and rubs in soothing circles. It’s enough to make you want to cry, and you do. Through all those tears, you finally stop coughing. But something is in your mouth again.

With cold, numbing dread, you part your lips, and it falls into your mouth. This time, it’s much bigger. It’s not a single petal, but the whole bloodied head of a decapitated flower and the sight clutches your heart as you realize what species it is.

“...Purple hyacinth.”

You feel Asmo’s touch halt. His hand is simply resting on your back now. Before you can do anything, he’s plucked the flower from your hand, and you stretch to try and get it from him in desperation, even though you know it’s useless since he’s already seen it.

He casts a knowing look at you.

“This is why you’ve been coughing, isn’t it?” He knows the answer. You’ve never wanted to curse him more than you do now. “I’ll admit that my understanding of flower meanings is lacking, but it’s obvious who this is for, given your behavior.”

You grit your teeth, but tears spring to your eyes again. A stray cough goes flying into your arm, and a few petals scatter onto the floor. They’re beautiful, that muted purple with hints of orchid mixed in, but dyed in its nature, cruelty, the red blood leaving stripes and dots across them, marring that beauty.

You grab Asmo’s shoulders frantically and your shaking fingers sink into his suede jacket.

“You can’t tell him!” You shake Asmo urgently. “Please, Asmo...you can’t.”

Strength is leaving you in spades—any strength you’d had since you’d been condemned to your fate, anyway. You sink to your knees, and they knock against the floor with a thud. Everything hurts, but your chest hurts the most. You don’t know what you’re going to do. It’s hopeless. You’re sobbing, panicked, and Asmo kneels in front of you, rubbing your head.

“Hey, breathe,” he urges.

He waits until you calm down, and you shoot him a murderous look, however weakened the effect of your stare is by the watery veil upon it, blurring the edges of your vision.

“You’re not going to tell him.”

Asmo’s eyes meet yours.

“No. You are.”

Suddenly, you’re laughing. But it’s a crazed, despairing laugh.

“What gives you that idea?” You snort incredulously. “No. I can’t tell him. I won’t. Never.”

His gaze hardens.

“Even if you die?”

You won’t back down.

“Not over my dead body.”

He pulls you to your feet and embraces you. His hug is warm and gentle, almost comforting in spite of what’s just happened. You’re still hurting.

“You need to tell him. The worst that can happen is that he’ll say he doesn’t like you, and you won’t be any worse off than you are now.” He pulls back and pecks you on the cheek gently. “And if he says he does like you, then you won’t have to avoid him or cough anymore. And you’ll be alive. I don’t know about you, but I’d much prefer you alive in the Devildom than not. You’d probably get sent up to Heaven, anyway.”

You can’t help but chuckle.

“Who knows.” You sigh. “Asmo, I can’t tell him. We’ve been such good friends up until those few weeks ago. If I tell him I like him, it’s…” You trail off.

Asmo purses his lips.

“It’s?”

“It’s betrayal,” you finish. “I’ll have been seeing him as something other than a friend. It’s a betrayal of the friendship we had. It’s better to be hated for the way I treat him than the way I love him.” Your eyes are still wet as you stare at Asmo, begging for him to understand. “Don’t you get it?”

He pets you on the head, and his eyes tell you what he thinks. That you’re being silly and worrying too much.

“Oh, he’s not going to hate you even if he doesn’t like you back.” He smiles. “And he does like you, so there’s that. I guess that’s not my place to say—but in my opinion, it’s kind of obvious, although his affection seems to masquerade itself under the guise of friendship.”

You furrow your eyebrows.

“Asmo, I would know if he thought of me as anything more than a friend. Trust me. With all the time I’ve spent with him, I would know.”

Asmo boops you on the nose, laughing.

“You seem to have forgotten that I’ve spent thousands more years with him, while you’ve only spent a few months with him,” he reminds you gently. “You’re also just much denser than you think. You don’t see the way he looks at you. And even for a friend, he’s been moping around, absolutely heartbroken this entire time that you’ve been avoiding him.”

You drop your gaze.

“You’re right. But still. I don’t think he likes me that way. I know it’s selfish, but I can’t stand the thought of being hated for what I can’t even control, which is liking him to begin with.”

“It’s not selfish. You’re just looking out for yourself,” Asmo relents. “But you’re not doing it in the right way. You should trust me. Just talk to him. If you don’t talk to him, I hate to say it, but I’ll tell him the truth for you.”

You grab his hands, lacing his slender fingers with yours, and give him big puppy dog eyes, which he only laughs and shakes his head at. You pout.

“Asmo, please! Just do me this one favor.”

He’s adamant.

“I think you forgot that you’re going to die if you don’t address this quickly. And I’m not about to let that happen. We’re going over to his room, right now.”

You squeal as he picks you up and runs out of the room. He’s strong, even if he’s not ripped like Beel.

“Asmodeus, stop! Put me down! You’re the worst, I swear,” you’re half-wailing at this point. But part of you might be relieved. Maybe you could just get it over with. And then you wouldn’t have to think about it anymore. You could die in peace, you supposed. Accept your death sentence.

Asmo opens the door and shoves you inside, flashing a thumbs up at you and Leviathan, who’s sitting in his gaming chair, now upright, tense, and gawking.

“Have a good talk!”

He slams the door shut, and you turn back to Levi. Being in front of him is harder than you originally thought it’d be. Your chest twinges.

“Levi, I…”

The way he looks at you is so woeful. He’s wretched. He still looks as drained as he did this morning. All of the air seems to seep out of him as he sinks back against his chair, sighing.

“Asmo dragged you here, didn’t he?” His orange eyes flicker darkly. “It’s okay, you can leave. Don’t worry.”

You wet your lips anxiously and take a few steps toward him. With each step, your chest grows tighter.

“No, uh… I should talk to you, anyway.” You hesitate. “I’m sorry, Levi. I didn’t want to avoid you. It’s just-...” You cut off abruptly. It was so hard to say it. You didn’t know how to, either. Your chest burns; you can hardly breathe under the current fire of the circumstances.

Levi shifts in his chair and leans toward you, rubbing his neck.

“What is it? You realized you don’t want to hang out with a disgusting otaku shut-in like me?”

The way he says those words, too, is just the worst. Because he sounds like he truly believes it, and knowing him, he probably does. It’s a knife to the chest. Your throat is itching, and you end up coughing again.

“No, that’s not it…!” You manage to sputter out that much in between your hacking.

He seems to forget himself as he leaps to his feet and rushes to you, closing the distance between the two of you, and he flusters, his hands flailing in the air as if torn between touching you and restraining himself.

“Are you alright? Are you sick? I knew something was wrong when I heard you coughing a while back.”

You glance up at him and your coughing eases for a moment.

“You heard me coughing?” Your stomach drops in horror. You hadn’t hid it as well as you thought. “Did you tell anyone?”

He starts to shake his head but then nods.

“Well, I told Asmo just today.”

You feel like you’ve kicked yourself in the foot as you start to understand what led up to your confrontation with Levi.

“So he didn’t hear me in person. He heard it from you.”

Levi wavers, and his eyes dart back and forth.

“I guess so. Is that important…?”

You shrug, and another cough sends another object into your mouth again.

“I mean, I don’t know, um…”

You let the new entity fall into your hand gingerly. It’s another purple hyacinth, of course. It’s whole this time, too. It’s just tinged with blood this time around the edges, mostly dry.

When you look at Leviathan, he’s in shock as he looks between the flower and you, confused and horrified.

“Did you just cough out a flower?!” He blinks. “Oh, wait, this is just like that manga I was reading, about how the main character coughs out flowers when they think their love is unrequited…”

Damn. It wasn’t surprising he knew, considering his plethora of knowledge for anime and fiction tropes.

“I guess the cat’s out of the bag,” you admit wryly.

Levi slumps.

“So it’s Asmo, huh? That’s why you asked me if I’d told him.”

You stare at him. Was Levi this slow?

“Levi, it’s not Asmo. I asked you because Asmo figured out what was going on with me, not because I like him.” You laugh. “Are you really this dense?”

Levi narrows his eyes and crosses his arms.

“Hey, are you mocking me? I’m not dense! I bet I can guess who it is. Uh…”

You can’t help but laugh. Despite the current situation, the two of you had easily fallen into the same comfortable banter you used to have, and it’s both a relief and slightly startling.

“Levi, at this rate, you’re never going to guess who it is.”

His eyes land on the flower in your hand.

“Wait, I can—just give me a sec… Is that...purple hyacinth?” His eyes look up in thought. “Those represent...apologies and sorrow…? I think they mean, ‘please forgive me.’” He frowns and his face crumples. “Never mind. Just tell me. I’m confused now.”

You chuckle and slip the flower into your pocket. It was time to tell him. Time to face your fate. Time.

You admire those orange eyes one last time. Molten orange, with a flame of shadowy purple leaping inside. You comb your gaze through his purple hair. Muted and soft. You read those lips, slightly pink and always so expressive. Finally, you turn your eyes back to his again, which are looking at you in bewilderment.

“Leviathan, please forgive me.”

There’s silence for a while. You can tell he’s still confused but knows better than to just ask. He’s processing. Then, his eyes light up. It’s the time of reckoning. His face turns pink.

“Wait...does that mean what I think it means…?” He pauses, his cheeks reddening further as he presses his hand to his mouth shyly. “D-Do you...do you maybe li-” He stops, defeated. “Ugh, never mind…”

You groan inwardly. Levi had always been wishy-washy. You would just have to spell it out for him.

“Yes. I love you, Leviathan.”

Those words come out much sharper and matter-of-a-fact than you’d intended. But you can’t take them back. Nor would you want to, anymore. You’ve come too far.

He’s staring at you in awe. But it doesn’t at least seem to be repulsion, so maybe you have hope, the hope of still staying friends, of maintaining the easy relationship you’d had with him before the entire debacle of this ridiculous and cruel lovesickness had fallen upon you both.

“Uh, are you sure? I mean, are you talking to the right person? Someone like me? Really? You must be kidding,” he sputters.

You sigh and take a step back.

“Levi, it’s true, whether you believe it or not.” You should go. You grasp the door handle and turn and look at him one last time. “Please forgive me,” you muster a weak smile. “I’m sorry.”

He flounders and comes over, grabbing your wrist.

“W-Wait, no! Don’t go,” he pleads. Levi’s eyes are open, shining, genuine—something in them is so beautiful, but you’re not sure what it is. “I, uh. I just found it hard to believe. Why are you apologizing, anyway?”

You turn halfway to look at him and tilt your head as you look him in the eye. Your chest hurts. You want to cough again, but you suppress it. The way you’ve been suppressing your feelings. The way you’ve been suppressing the truth. But you can’t suppress the latter two anymore, not the way you could hold in a cough. Perhaps this had been inevitable; as inevitable as your love that had blossomed for him.

“I’ve betrayed you.” Those words, heavy and pained, are almost soundless as they leave your lips. “I’ve betrayed our friendship. We were best friends, weren’t we? And then I ruined it. That’s why I’ve been avoiding you,” you confess. “Because it would be so much less painful to be hated by you for what I could control than to be hated by you for what I couldn’t. And I couldn’t stop myself from loving you. I tried, but I couldn’t.” Your voice breaks in the last few words, and you try not to burst into tears again. You didn’t need another waterworks show, and neither did he.

Levi lets go of your wrist, but he clearly wants you to stay, so you turn fully to face him as you wait for him to respond. He mostly looks stunned, but his face is also bright red. More than you’ve ever seen it before, which is a feat in and of itself.

“You didn’t betray our friendship,” he says. You search his eyes, and they’re honest. Relief overtakes you, although you’re still waiting for more elaboration. “I would never hate you. I was just...depressed when you were avoiding me. I didn’t hate you. And I don’t hate you now.” He fumbles over his words, but you wait patiently. “I mean, I guess what I’m trying to say is… I love you, too.” His last words come out in a rush, and he hurriedly continues. “Like you said y-you...you couldn’t not love me,” he blushes, “I could never hate you, and I also can’t not love you.”

You don’t know what to say. It sounds too good to be true. Like what dreams are made of. Although, you’d readily admit that all your dreams recently have been far from lovely or wonderful or anything close to what this moment was bringing you; pure, unbridled joy, only made stronger by the prolonged absence of it previously. The pain in your chest has dissolved, and in its place is a warmth. You bite your lip.

“Really…? You’re not just saying that to be nice?”

He nods firmly, still red in the face. He shoves his hands in his pockets.

“Ugh, I’m the worst at saying these things,” he sighs. “The way you said it sounded like something straight out of an anime, and then I went and ruined the moment.”

Laughter is bubbling out of you before you know it, and you throw your arms around him, ecstatic.

“Leviathan, you didn’t ruin anything. I love you, and I thought you were adorable. Like you always are.”

He’s tense at first, but he also wraps his arms around you.

“L-Like I always am…?! You’re just saying that, aren’t you?”

His voice is still doubtful. You sigh. You’d have to work on that with him. With him. The thought sends you over the moon and back. You hug him with renewed strength.

“I wouldn’t just say anything. I promise, I only tell the truth when it comes to you, and you’re the cutest demon in the Devildom. And I love you,” you drag out your last words.

Levi’s speech is largely incomprehensible, but you do get a few words out of it.

“I-I love you, too…” He sighs happily into your embrace. “I’m not dreaming, am I? This isn’t an April Fools prank? I’m not getting filmed on the gag comedy show where they trick people and film their reactions?”

You snicker.

“Levi, April Fools passed a long time ago. And you’re awake, in case you couldn’t tell. Should I hold you a little tighter?”

“N-No!” He blurts. “Uh, I mean…! If you hold me any tighter, I might just die of happiness. This is already a lot to handle. I probably used up all the happiness in my life just now.”

You pull back just a little and see his face drop slightly, but then it’s glowing and red again when you kiss him on the cheek.

“How about that? Not going to die from that?”

Levi looks like he’s stopped breathing as he holds you in a fixed state, his eyes glazing over. When he finally does answer, he’s breathless.

“No, I… I’ll survive, I think…”

You place a kiss on his other cheek sweetly, joy fluttering in your chest. You can’t stop smiling.

“Good, because you’re going to have to get used to it from now on. Be prepared.”

34 notes · View notes

emilyplaysotome · 8 years ago

Text

Part 50 - An Ending

Down the Voltage Rabbit Hole is an ongoing story about our MC, who could easily be anyone in voltage fandom. She woke up in hospital bed only to discover that she’d somehow been transported Voltage universe.

This is the last chapter, so please use the link to the masterpost below to read from the start:

http://emilyplaysotome.tumblr.com/post/159383977157/down-the-voltage-rabbit-hole-master-post

Part 50 - An Ending

I made us all some tea with the hope that should Leon still have his powers, the time spent in this world would dull them. I was concerned that he’d take us back against our will, seeing as how he’d come on a mission from the king and had always been difficult to reason with.

Seeing him and Zyglavis together made me realize how much happier Zyg appeared these days, and as I went about my business preparing the tea, I couldn’t help but smile at how much I’d seen him change during our time together.

Back in the otome world, he always seemed to be bogged down with his responsibilities as Chief Minister of Punishments.

However since he’d changed careers and left his life as a God behind him, he suddenly had an ample amount of free time outside of work, and we found ourselves spending the bulk of our down time together. In this world, I was the one who would occasionally bring work home and when that happened, he would step out of the apartment and visit a local bartender he’d befriended in our neighborhood.

Outside of Ricky (the bartender), he’d also made a handful of friends at work, and for the first time in his life it appeared that his friendships revolved around shared interests and not status.

During the past few months, he’d opened up about his life in the Heavens and admitted to having internalized much of the frustration that came with being a God in a position of power. He’d felt that Gods and Goddesses often approached him for the wrong reasons (putting his prestige over who he was as an individual), and told me that for the first time in his life he felt free.

In the Heavens, Chief Minister Zyglavis was known as a serious, anti-social sort of man, which he claimed was a byproduct of spending the past several hundred years around social climbers. With a smile he’d noted that he liked how humans got to know him as simply “Zyg” and nothing more.

The frustration and trepidation he once felt upon being approached was no longer there. The people in my world didn’t see him as an all powerful God - they just saw him as a guy who loved chocolate, books, science, and all of his other random interests.

Considering the fact that I loved him for who he was, it made me happy to see him fitting into this world without any problems.

I’d lost sight of how uptight he’d been back in the otome world, but as he sat next to Leon the memories of his old persona as a stuffy, quickly irritable, and stoic God returned. Seeing him in that defensive posture for the first time in months hurt my heart, and I silently vowed to do everything in my power to resolve this situation as quickly as I could.

For the most part, Leon chided Zyglavis for not attempting to return after the king had made it clear that he had not intended for Zyglavis to go with me. Zyg, as he always did, had a short fuse around Leon and argued that shortly after arriving in this world, he’d lost his powers and that there was nothing he could do from that point on.

“You can’t possibly be happier here,” Leon said as I set the tea down before them. “This hovel of an apartment is far too small for two people, let alone a God of your stature.”

“I don’t care about my status,” Zyglavis said. “This is my home and I would appreciate you not being so rude.”

Leon laughed heartily, and as I sat to join them I attempted to break the tension by asking, “If the king wanted us to return, why did he wait so long send you here?”

“Truthfully he was going to be magnanimous and let it go, but as time went on our world began to fall into chaos.”

“How so?”

Leon sighed, and with the snap of his fingers my living room turned into a theater of sorts. Zyglavis and I were shown several scenes in which Jin and Soryu were introduced to their proper MC but failed to move on.

“I’m sorry but my heart belongs to someone else,” they’d each said to the girl who stood in front of them. “She’s different. No one can replace her and I just can’t stop wishing that we’ll be together one day...”

Leon snapped his feelings and I felt a few of those old feelings come racing back. With that said, I tried to keep my cool upon seeing Zyglavis’ irritated expression, clearly displeased by having my exes paraded around in front of him.

“They’re not the only ones,” Leon said. “I can’t explain it, but they won’t stop wishing. Not only do I still have a headache, but the energy in our world...something is off. The balance that was once there is broken and we need you to fix it.”

“I don’t know how though…”

Leon glared at me and snapped, “You managed to get yourself and him home - I think you can put the same effort into making things right.”

“I’d appreciate it if you would not speak to my fiancé that way,” Zyglavis said harshly.

“As far as I’m concerned you’re just as culpable Minister Ponytail.”

Zyglavis scoffed, “I can’t expect you to understand, seeing as how you don’t love anyone other than yourself.”

“Says the man who needed my help in physically expressing it…”

"I forgot how arrogant you are!"

"And I forgot how uptight you are! It's a wonder you managed to find yourself a woman."

"Why you!"

“Guys!” I yelled, breaking up the escalating argument.

“I’m sorry my love...I got carried away.”

Leon scoffed at Zyglavis’ words, and Zyg ignored him, putting his arm around me protectively.

“Leon, you’re not taking her from me. And we’re not going back. I’m sorry but that’s final. Just wipe their memory and things should be fine.”

“You really don’t understand a thing, do you?”

Leon glared at us both and snapped his fingers. What happened after that moment, was something I was truly unprepared for.

Toshizo Hijikata stood in my living room, looking incredibly confused, filling my studio apartment with that earthy smell of his.

Upon seeing me his eyes widened, and he smiled at me in a way that made it clear he remembered it all as vividly as I had. He came towards me, unconcerned that Zyglavis had his arm around me and pulled me up from the couch and into his arms.

“I thought I’d lost you…”

A lump formed in my throat as I remembered our last moments together before Leon had plucked me out of the Bakumatsu period and placed me back in modern day Tokyo.

“You...remember me?”

“How could I ever forget?”

“I’m sorry I just left you like that.”

Before Hijikata could say anything else, I felt Zyglavis pull me out of his embrace and with a possessive glare demanded that Leon to send him back. Leon snapped his fingers and I felt myself reach out towards the spot where Hijikata once stood. I’d done it on impulse and quickly saw that the action had caused a hurt look to form on Zyglavis’ face.

“Naomi…”

“I’m sorry, I just…”

“Do you understand now, Minister Ponytail? They do not forget her.”

Leon stayed with us late into the night arguing with Zyglavis over what should be done, and I found myself preparing the groceries I’d bought for the three of us. Being in our world was beginning to take its toll on Leon, and he found himself feeling hungry for the first time in his life.

“How is it?” I asked Leon, who tentatively took a bite of pasta dish I’d made.

Upon realizing he’d be joining us, I quickly ran out and grabbed some pre-made chicken meatballs which I figured would help stretch my groceries from a dinner for two to a dinner for three. Seeing as how I knew they were Leon’s favorite, I figured that making them might help him relax, allowing us to enjoy a peaceful meal together.

“Not bad.”

“There’s plenty more if you want seconds.”

“Mmm.”

“If his highness is so worried, why doesn’t he just use his own powers?” Zyglavis asked, unconcerned with pleasantries and clearly wanting Leon out of our hair as soon as possible.

“I can’t say. He’s tasked me with this and demanded that I bring you back or not return.”

“What do you mean...not return?” I quietly asked.

Leon took a out rumpled social security card, in addition to an ID and Passport, and tossed them on the table.

“Exactly that. He sent me here with these papers, a lifetime supply of money, and told me that if I cannot convince you to return, my penance will be living as a human until the Goldfish’s demise. At that point I figure he’ll come for both of us and...it won’t be pretty.”

Zyglavis sighed with recognition and muttered, “That man does love his games.”

“I suppose the only silver lining of this shitty situation is that ever since I came to this world my head has been freed from those damned wishes!”

Leon scoffed and continued to wolf down his food, soon holding his plate out towards me and demanding seconds. I fetched him another helping and upon returning to the table, Zyglavis encouraged me to show Leon the games on my phone.

Even though there was a tangible animosity between the two of them, Zyglavis knew how difficult the king could be as much as anyone, and felt that we owed it to Leon to paint the full picture as far as what was really going on.

At first he was resistant towards the idea that the world he left was an offshoot of something created in this one, and to say that Leon was humbled upon seeing his own route in Star Crossed Myth would be the understatement of the century. As much as he didn’t want to believe it, the truth became obvious to him after seeing he was “offline” considering the fact that he was here.

He requested that I show him all the apps that had been riddled with bugs since my return, and he soon let me know that every man who was offline had been one to fill his head with wishes.

“Before you came here,” I noted. “Zyglavis was a selectable character in these games. But now...he’s gone.”

I pulled up the Voltage Facebook page and showed Leon a public post, explaining that they were having a hard time fixing the problematic apps.

The post explained that Star Crossed Myth was back up and running, though they were unable to get Zyglavis back online. As a result, they’d credited all users $20 worth of stories in the app, and removed him completely - both as a main character in addition to a supporting one.

The post went on to say that they would be looking into doing the same with Kissed by the Baddest Bidder, Era of Samurai: Code of Love, Her Love in the Force, and Metro PD: Close to You. It apologized again for any inconvenience and noted that should the stories remain offline users would be credited in full (plus additional) as an apology.

“I don’t understand this,” Leon finally said, completely void of his usual bravado. “But you need to return. You need to figure out how to get these working again.”

Zyg managed to convince Leon to give us time alone to talk everything over.

I’d hoped that Leon would be returning to his world for the night, but instead I learned that he was staying nearby at a hotel. The king had made it clear that he was not to return empty handed, and not wanting to disobey the king, he grabbed the key card off our foyer table and let us know that he’d allow us one last night together in order to make the proper arrangements before returning with him tomorrow.

After he’d left, I couldn’t help but start crying seeing as how I couldn’t fathom a scenario in which we got out of having to go back with Leon. My life with Zyglavis had been so peaceful and I wasn’t ready for it to end.

It was obvious that Leon was still prepared to use brute force and take us against our will, despite the fact that he now understood the magnitude of the problem. This was not as simple as forcing these men to forget or move on and he now understood that their existence was tied to this world through the games that they inhabited.

Zyglavis held me in his arms and rubbed my back until my sobs quieted, and in a quiet voice admitted that he too was uneasy about the whole thing.

He’d hated seeing me with Hijikata but knew that if we were to return not only would he be forced to know that I was back in the lives of my exes but it was unlikely that the king would allow him to come back to my world and the life that we’d built together (should we even succeed in fixing things).

“I have an idea,” he finally said. “But I feel bad...it involves being a bit underhanded.”

“Zyg…”

“I just don’t see any other way.”

As he outlined his plan to me, I felt sick to my stomach knowing that what we were about to do would put into motion the very thing I’d done my best to avoid. However, the longer we spoke, the harder it was to find another way and before bed we both found ourselves making arrangements to stay home from work in order to properly execute our plan.

From there we went about our usual nightly ritual, but when I came out of the bathroom seeing Zyglavis in his underwear and sleeping shirt sparked something in me that had faded a bit with time.

The idea that the happiness we took for granted was on the brink of being stolen away hurt my heart, and I found myself aggressively kissing Zyglavis, wanting to be as close to him as possible. Naturally he reciprocated, feeling the same way I did, and with our Friday free from work we mustered all of the passion we had for each other late into the night.

Neither of us slept well, unsure as to the ramifications of Zyglavis’ imperfect plan. As promised, Leon buzzed our intercom precisely at 10 A.M. and with a grumpy expression let us know that we’d be returning shortly.

“Wait,” Zyglavis said stoically. “Naomi and I have talked and we do not believe your story.”

“Excuse me?”

“We have both experienced how duplicitous the king is and agree that this is a ruse meant to force me back into my old role as Chief Minister of Punishments.”

“And you say I’m arrogant...”

“I don’t believe that was the Hijikata I knew,” I said, further egging Leon on. “And I don’t believe that Namba, Hiroshi, or Soryu is as stuck on me as you claim. It just feels like another trick.”

“How foolish!” Leon barked, his anger clearly growing by the second.

“It’s not foolish. It’s logical. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.”

I watched Leon closely as Zyglavis’ words further antagonized him. His eyebrow twitched slightly until he finally let out an annoyed sigh.

“Fine! Don’t believe me? Well...see for yourself.”

With that, he summoned Jin Namba, followed by Soryu Oh, Hiroshi Kirisawa, and finally Toshizo Hijikata.

It's important to note that with each snap of his fingers I heard the same odd fizzling sound I'd previously heard and just as we’d planned, my studio apartment was soon full of every ex I'd had (other than Shun, who had managed to move on) in the otome world.

"Leon...do you understand what you’ve just done?" I asked, waiting for him to realize what Zyglavis and I had been banking on.

"Oh, I'm sorry is this awkward for you?" Leon asked sarcastically.

“You really don’t understand a thing, do you?” Zyglavis asked, throwing Leon’s own words back at him with a smirk.

“What are you yammering about?”

“Your powers...can you send them back?"

Zyglavis looked triumphant even though my heart sank as I grappled with what we had done in the name of preserving our own happiness.

Leon scoffed, arrogant as ever, but when he snapped his fingers...nothing happened.

“No! No! This can’t be!”

Zyglavis sighed, and in a quiet voice said, “I’m sorry...I just didn’t see another way.”

“You idiot!” Leon shouted, grabbing Zyglavis by the collar and pushing him up against the wall. “You realize that we’re all stuck here now? That the king told me…”

“Don’t return without them, yes. I know. I’m sorry.”

Leon socked Zyglavis as hard as he could and I ran over to Zyg’s side who rubbed his bruised face.

“I deserve that...but I wasn’t about to lose her which would have happened if we’d returned.”

“If you’d just returned...”

“I couldn’t have fixed this,” I said. “At least with them here they’ll do what they did with Zyg and I hope that order will be restored.”

I brought Zyglavis and Leon ice packs for their injuries (Leon’s hand and Zyglavis’ face). Both were starting to swell and the two men pouted on the couch as my exes were still unconscious from their journey to this world.

Unlike yesterday, as Leon’s powers had begun to weaken, more physical strain had been put on each man.

When Leon had summoned them, they’d arrived unintelligible and woozy before passing out on the spot. At the moment the four men were lying in various places around my apartment, and while they slept Zyglavis and I outlined the plan we’d cooked up last night for Leon.

Considering that Leon had been sent here with a lifetime supply of money, we tasked him with caring for the group until they all got on their feet.

At first he resisted, but ultimately took responsibility for the fact that his carelessness had resulted in them all being trapped in this world.

After much back and forth he agreed to see to it that they were properly cared for and admitted to having more than enough cash in which to do so. I’d come up with a few careers I thought each man might be able to find fulfillment in and had started pulling together information from various job sites.

For Hijikata, he would need to wrap his head around the technological advances in this world, but would require a job that didn’t rely on the tech he’d eventually come to learn.

I’d remembered how lovingly he tended to his cowhide plants and suggested that Leon help him look into a career in landscaping. At the moment there were several openings in the tri-state area, but I thought he’d want to hold off in applying until he’d properly acclimated to his new life here.

Out of all of the men, being from the 1850s gave him the clearest disadvantage, however I had faith that he’d be able to overcome this rather quickly with the help of Leon and the others. I also promised to spend my Saturdays helping him get up to speed as well, figuring that under my tutelage he would be motivated to step up his game.

Hiroshi Kirisawa was a motorcyclist enthusiast, and I’d found a few listings that I thought might help him in his new life as a mechanic.

On top of that, I’d done a marketing job a few years back for a man who built custom motorcycles, and had reached out to him with the hope that Hiroshi might be able to come on as an apprentice of sorts. He’d let me know that my timing was perfect, and that Hiroshi sounded like a great fit for an assistant.

I had no doubt that his positive attitude, and solid leadership skills would result in Hiroshi prospering should he want this new career.

Before leaving otome-ville, I’d heard that Soryu Oh had gotten into crossfit, and seeing him after all this time it was clear that he’d made substantial physical gains as a result.

When I’d known him he’d possessed that perfect otome body, but now he was a specimen to say the least. It would be easy for him to get a job as a personal trainer and crossfit instructor, and having remembered that Meg’s ex before Noah had been a trainer, I’d reached out to him and got Soryu an interview in a few days’ time.

Of the everyone, Namba was the hardest to reinvent, and as a result I’d struggled to figure out what new career might work for him.

With that said, from his otome route I’d remembered that he was amazing with the elderly. His maturity, patience, and respect for his elders made him a great fit for a career in elder care.

I’d found a few classes online that he’d need to take before he was able to work at a nursing home or an assisted living community, but I had faith that he’d be excited to take it on seeing as how he loved to help others.

“I have to say Goldfish...I underestimated you,” Leon finally admitted quietly.

“How so?”

“Truthfully, I thought you were one of those women who just chased attention...but now I see that you’re different. You really cared about each of them, didn’t you?”

Zyglavis pursed his lips, expressing his displeasure to the room but I still had to nod in response to Leon’s question.

For the first time in our history together, Leon offered me a genuinely warm smile and said, “You really are quite lucky Zyglavis.”

Rather than accept the compliment, Zyg glared at him and snapped back, “Stay away from her Leon.”

Leon laughed, “Afraid of a little competition?”

With that, and almost as if it were on cue, the men in the room began to wake up.

Namba was the first to stir.

He groaned slightly, holding his head, and sat up from where he’d been laid out on the floor. I’d place a pillow under his head, and before opening his eyes he’d taken a deep breath. He happened to spot me first, and blinking his eyes with an incredulous look on his face asked, “Little Bird?”

“Long time no see Namba,” I said, kneeling down beside him. “How do you feel?”

“Like hell, which doesn’t make sense seeing as how you’ve still got the face of an angel.”

It was obvious that he was over the moon to see me again, and even though it was clear he was in a fair amount of pain, he couldn’t help but give me a wink and flash me a toothy smile.

“Such a cheeseball.”

“What can I say...I’m an old fart.”

He reached up to touch my cheek, to which Zyglavis pulled me away from him.

As the room began to come into focus, Jin recognized Zyglavis who held me close. Upon realizing who he was, Jin let out a wry chuckle, almost as if he’d been brought back to our night in the hotel room, and he let out a groan as he stood up.

“So...this is your place huh?”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’ve got a lot of questions but we’ll answer what we can once everyone else is awake.”

Hiroshi woke up next, followed by Soryu, and finally Hijikata.

Once the initial shock of seeing me subsided, Leon, Zyg and I did our best to explain the situation to the men. I started by offering my sincerest apologies, before Leon stepped in to explain exactly what had happened.

Just as I’d done with Zyglavis and Leon, I showed the men their apps and watched as they struggled with understanding that their existence had been born from a game in my world. From there Zyglavis shared the theory we’d come up with - that by bringing them here, we’d allowed their existence to be removed from their world, thereby restoring order.

I had expected them to be furious with us, however even though we explained that they might be trapped in this world forever, none of them seemed to care. It was just as Leon said, as they appeared to be too caught up in the fact that their wish to see me again had come true.

I could tell that Zyglavis was actively holding himself back best he could as I spoke with each of them, continuing to apologize profusely for what we’d done.

“Please don’t apologize,” Hiroshi said with a soft expression. “I know you weren’t ready for something serious before, but now that we’re in your world I hope you’ll consider me.”

“I’m just happy that I got the chance to see you again,” Soryu said bashfully. “I’ve completed my anger management program and have cut ties with the Ice Dragons. I’m a new man, and I’m ready to make a new life for myself. I want to win you back.”

“I’m the same way Little Bird - my feelings for you have only grown in the time we’ve been apart. I can’t help but feel that meeting you again is fate, and that I’m the one you’re really meant to be with.”

“If she’s meant to be with anyone it’s me,” Hijikata said with a fierce glare. “I’ve traversed time to be with you. That’s how strong my feelings are…”

“You all have seemed to forgotten the fact that she has already chosen me!” Zyglavis finally barked, his jealousy getting the better of him.

“Enough!” Leon said with an eye roll. “You can all fight over this woman another time. Right now we need to focus on starting your new lives here.”

Leon’s words somehow managed to persuade the group, and within the next few minutes they began to head over to the Air BnB Zyglavis and I had booked for them last night.

It was a large, affordable space in Bushwick which would easily house 5 grown men for the foreseeable future. They each had their own, fully furnished rooms which came with all the necessary amenities required for living and working in this city.

As difficult as the next few weeks (and months) would be for them, I found myself feeling certain that Zyglavis and I had done what was best for both worlds. Now that these men were here, I was positive that the otome-world could move forward, and that five lucky New York women might be able to meet their otome man in shining armor like I had.

Zyglavis and I stood in our studio apartment, which felt silent now that Leon and the others had left.

As I’d expected, he took me in his arms and held me close. I reciprocated his embrace and gave him a squeeze of my own, hoping that the physical gesture would help calm his frazzled nerves.

“I can deal with having four more rivals,” he finally muttered, “but I couldn’t have dealt with losing you.”

“You know we’ll have to help them get settled,” I said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

“I know.”

“At some point I’ll probably be alone with each of them again, but I’ll need you to trust me.”

“It’s them I don’t trust.”

“Still…”

Zyglavis pulled back so he could kiss me and as his lips aggressively crashed into mine, I felt all the apprehension and jealousy that he was feeling.

He hadn’t kissed me like that in months - since before we’d arrived in my apartment, and my heart hurt a bit thinking about everything that might come to pass now that these men were loose in my world. There was no telling what the future held, and truthfully, seeing them caused a few old feelings to come rushing back.

While it was clear that Zyglavis was in an emotional state similar to the one he’d been in before I’d made my final decision, doubt was beginning to creep in for me as well.

There were two men specifically whose presence in this world made me question if I’d run away from their affections prematurely, and as much as I loved Zyglavis, the fact that this doubt had even been able to crop up again filled me with worry. I did my best to tuck these feelings away in the recesses of my heart.

In order to make amends for the confusion that threatened to overtake me, I found myself reciprocating Zyglavis’ love just as aggressively. That day I gave myself to the man I’d promised to marry again and again, in the hopes that I would be able to reclaim my conviction in our relationship.

We had both done something unforgivable, and it had been in the name of preserving our life together. In the months and years to come, I would need to do my best not to be rattled by the otome men who were designed to win my affections.

After all, I’d fought like hell to win this game and damn it, I was determined to live happily ever after.

After 50 chapters, our story finally comes to an end.

I hope you’re all satisfied even though I love ending on non-endings seeing as how life is always a bit messy. While this definitely leaves the door open for a sequel, at the moment I have no plans to continue this story.

I want to thank everyone who has been commenting and sharing as the weeks have gone on. It has meant a lot to me to see the positive reaction this story has gotten, and seeing as how I think this will be my first and last fan fiction, I appreciate you guys sticking with me.

I started writing this after I’d hit a wall with my IRL writing and wanted to write something free of stress. I’d forgotten how much fun the process can be and creating this was a great reminder as to why I love writing. I’m ready to return to my original characters and I hope one day my work will have a fandom as awesome as this one.

Thank you guys for reminding me what it means to create for fun. Thank you for reminding me that my words can bring joy to others. If you’ve discovered this story after the fact and it’s made you smile...please don’t hesitate to let me know.

I have no idea where I’ll be when you find it, but hearing that my work has made you happy only encourages me and I hope you’ll consider sending me (or anyone else whose work brought you a joy for that matter) a note letting them know.

Finally, in falling down this rabbit hole I’ve met many talented writers. While creating within this voltage world has been a lot of fun I selfishly hope I see you guys create your own characters and original stories.

There’s a ton of talent in this community and I’d love to see what your original stories look like.

If you’ve enjoyed the story, please show your support by sharing it with a friend or buying me a coffee!

Thanks for reading :)

Naomi’s IRL Apartment

IRL Zyglavis - David Chiang

IRL Leon - Jon Kortajarena

IRL Hijikata - Daisuke Ueda

IRL Soryu - Daniel Liu

IRL Hiroshi - Hideo Muraoka

IRL Namba - Hiroyuki Sanada

159 notes · View notes