a/n: may challenge day 7. obsession, possessiveness, manipulation.
“Is that another love letter?”
“That’s the third this week, isn’t it?”
“You think it’s a first-year? Or maybe…a teacher?”
You closed the door to your shoe locker, and almost immediately the whispers stopped and the few students around quietly dispersed. You didn’t like being the centre of attention, far from it, actually…but thanks to the notes that you’d been finding stuffed into your locker, you felt you had eyes on you at all times for the last few weeks. One after another, they never stopped coming, or at least that was how it seemed. And the content of them was of a different kind altogether…
I hope you have a nice day today.
I love your smile. It’s giving me strength for my exams this week.
I wish I could tell you who I am, so I could say these things in person…but I fear you might just be disappointed.
If it wasn’t so frustrating, you would be able to just revel in how sweet the little notes were. But you had no clue who your admirer could be, and so you couldn’t hope to guess whether you would reciprocate their feelings or not, which just gave you more anxiety with every letter. Today’s note, however…it stressed you out for an entirely different reason.
I wish they would all stop looking at you.
Usually, the paper your admirer wrote on would have doodles of little hearts or flowers, or they’d be accompanied by the soft scent of coffee or vanilla…but this one was blank save for that string of words, the sentence staring you down and causing the hairs to stand up on your neck. It was at that moment that you decided enough was enough–with trembling hands, you crushed the note up into a ball and dropped it into the nearest trash can, as you ventured into the bathroom to wash up before leaving school for the day. Luckily for you most students had hurried on home, and so you could splash some cool water on your cheeks alone, and release the breath you’d been holding in as you tried to scrub the worries from your mind.
Once you picked up your bag and stepped back out into the hallway, though, that was when the terror returned to you so fiercely your breath got caught in your throat.
Just minutes earlier, you had walked through the corridors of the school you knew so well–but somehow, in a frightening twist of fate, you left the bathroom just to be met with walls you didn’t recognize and floors that echoed with every click of your shoes. So distracted with the sudden change of scenery, and trying to figure out if this was all just a dream, you didn’t even notice the two figures approaching until they were almost on top of you.
The word broke you from your dreamlike stupor, and you whipped around to face the two identical beings in armour…as well as their long, sharpened spears that looked as though they could cut through you like glass and spear you like a fish. The guards advanced on you swiftly, ordering you in metallic voices to surrender to the “king of the castle”, whoever that was–but just before they were close enough to take a stab at you, you felt the floor falling out beneath your feet, and it took several tense moments to realize you’d been swept up in someone’s arms. Whoever it was took a running leap to clear the two guards completely, and before they could even turn to give chase, you were being carried through a huge, gaudy ballroom and down another few hallways, before finally coming to a stop through a door and into an empty room. The whole experience whizzed by in a blur, and by the time you were set back on your feet and given a minute to actually breathe, you found yourself clutching at your hero’s jacket and trembling in his presence.
“…Oh, did I scare you? I apologize…you’re safe now, though. They can’t get us here.”
He patted your head reassuringly, and it was only when you felt your heart rate slow finally that you were able to look up at your saviour’s face.
Of course, that was a bit difficult when he had a mask over his eyes, but even still…you were taken aback at how handsome he was, jet-black hair framing a fair-skinned face, and soft eyes that regarded you with something akin to charming intrigue. Strangely, even though he was striking enough to surely be someone you’d remember seeing, the stranger almost seemed familiar in some ways…
“Wh-Where…what happened to the school?”
With a hand on your waist to steady you, he served you some complicated explanation as to your current situation, the details getting jumbled up in your frightened mind–but he stayed calm despite your anxiety, constantly reassuring you that everything was okay, and that he wouldn’t let you be harmed. It seemed practiced, in a way, but you could only guess that he was a regular when it came to saving people. He certainly seemed like it, with his elegant costume and all.
“..Well, I should get you home. I know a way out of here, so just stay close to me, okay?”
With his hand on the doorknob of the small room, a jolt of fear pierced through you at going back outside, with those things lurking around–but when you huddled in close and grabbed his arm for safety, you missed the smile that tweaked at his lips, as well as the pleased shiver that ran up his back at your touch.
“My…m-my name is Joker, by the way. You can hold my hand, if you like…and don’t be scared. I’ll always keep you safe.”
With a soft creak from the door, the two of you slipped out of the room, and he pulled you along carefully behind him, to ensure you weren’t seen as he intentionally brought you to the escape point that was twice as far as the closest route. He knew for sure you’d encounter more shadows, and in a sadistic way, even though he felt bad about it, he knew you needed the fright of seeing those enemies up close and personal. He wouldn’t let you get attacked, obviously–but every so often he brushed his gloved fingers over the crumpled paper in his pocket, to remind himself of how hurt he was watching you throw his love letter away.
This would teach you, though. You didn’t have to know who he was to know he was your hero…and by the time he carried you out of this palace, and gained enough strength to kiss you, you’d finally get all the love that he couldn’t express through a few words on a page. Whether you wanted to accept it, or not.
janainaart
prguitarman
theartofmadeline
titsay
discoholicmusic
