pretending i was tagged in wip wednesday monday so i can share a blood choke scene i actually worked on for the first time in 500 years
"I think you're right. For whatever it's worth," Sasha says then.
You glance over at him, prickling slightly. "It's worth nothing," you scoff. "Maybe a hundred years ago. But it's too late, now."
Sasha shifts from foot to foot, avoiding your gaze.
"Yeah. I guess so," he sighs. The two of you stand apart, Sasha staring down at his boots as he finishes his cigarette. "But I just want you to know, $name. Whatever happens next... I am on your side."
"What are you, five?" you retort, flicking your own cigarette butt into the gutter. "We can never be on the same side. Atlas has made that very clear, Sasha."
"But I'm not Atlas," Sasha blurts. "I'm not Atlas, and I'm not Julien." He takes a deep breath then. "I just... want to make this right."
"Sure. It only took me coming back from the dead to scare you into it."
"Yes," Sasha agrees, catching you off-guard. "I'm not going to sit here and pretend like I've never done anything bad. That I haven't hurt you, or Valentina. I was-- comfortable. I was safe. That's all I wanted, was to be safe. You coming back-- I'm not safe. It made me realize I was never safe. And I've been turning away from it all for a long time. It's easy to do." He pauses, shaking his head before running a hand through his hair. "It's so easy to do, isn't it?" he repeats.
You narrow your eyes at him, your jaw clenching. "I wouldn't know."
Sasha deflates a little, clasping his hands together. "If I tried to stand up to Atlas, you and I both would have ended up in a goddamn sarcophagus, and Valentina would have been left all alone."
"You and I? But it wasn't you and I. I was the one that ended up in the fucking sarcophagus, Sasha. It was Valentina that was forced to marry that bastard Standard. What the fuck did you do?" You step closer, jabbing your finger at his chest. "But what is it Atlas said? We deserved it, right?" Sasha opens his mouth, but you keep going. "No. There is only one person here who ever got what he deserved, and it was Julien. And if you don't want to end up like him, then get the fuck away from me, Sasha!"
Sasha flinches, and quickly retreats a few steps out of the way as you storm past. You feel his eyes on your back, and you hear him take a long, weary breath-- you stop at the mouth of the alley, glaring back over your shoulder at him. But then he just sighs, bows his head, and lets you go.
titsay
theartofmadeline
jbbartram-illu
turnnoffyourmind
