#fear words

They took the nobles. Every last one. Most had tried desperately to escape. To blend in with the commoners, or to off themselves with dignity. Some slipped through, but in three days' time, the most important figures had been rounded up like hogs.

Ready to be slaughtered.

Among the first was the 12th princess. The attackers that burst to her room noted how calm she appeared, sitting on her chair with her favorite wine in hand. She'd given them a smile and told them they did a good job.

She was sent to the dungeons with the rest of her family.

Saber knew he shouldn't face her. What was done was done. She had served her purpose as his master, and now, he was free from her command. He was free.

And yet, he grimaced every time he passed the heavily guarded chambers to the underground. They beckoned him.

Only a day was left until the executions. They would be public and humiliating. The best show the country would ever get. And she would be a part of it.

He knew going down would be a mistake. He knew, as much as he denied it, that he'd regret it. That seeing her look at him after his betrayal... would be able to break him.

And still, that night, he ventured.

He used the guards' blindspots. This was a... private affair. He didn't want to explain this to the others. The dungeons creaked and wails prevailed. Heavy doors kept him from seeing their faces. But he had already memorized everyone's place, so he skipped to the end of a row. When he reached her cell, he was surprised by its stillness. Knowing her, she would have been one of the wailers. Her pampered lifestyle meant she'd get aches from the floor of her cell.

A thought targeted him, fast and quick.

What if she's sick? Already dead?

He fumbled with the lock, his initial fear was replaced with the anxiety to check. A swing of the door later, and his terror vanished.

She was standing, facing the outside on the small barred gutter with her head resting in her arms. She hummed as the door closed.

"Is that my little shadow?" She turned to look at him. She had expected him.

Knowing this made him feel conflicted.

Why wasn't she crying? Why did she look... content?

She wasn't being herself.

"You did it." She grinned. "You succeeded. I'm so proud of you!"

She came at him fast. He braced himself. Punches. Thrashing. A slap. Something would make contact, surely this would be her petty litte revenge but-

No.

An embrace.

It felt the same as others she had given him.

She hugged him completely, wholeheartedly nestled into his chest.

And she repeated herself.

"I'm so proud!"

He hated this outcome.

He pushed her. She stumbled but didn't fall.

"You... knew?"

"Of course!"

"How??"

She laughed. It was genuine and hearty, with a snort at the end.

"Saber... I've always known."

What the hell was she talking about.

"I... need you to explain."

She nodded. An explanation of everything was owed. A long one. She theatrically sat in the only bench available, and smoothed her dress.

"I am not a good person, Saber. You of all people know well my wickedness." She held a cheek with a hand. "I knew of the people suffering. I knew that I had the power to stop some of it. But... well, I'm lazy, Saber. I'm lazy and... It was easier not to. To believe that as the least favorite, I couldn't do a thing.... So I'd planned on living life quietly, sending prayers for the poor.

But then they gave me you."

She gazed at him. Met his eyes. They were warm and deep and welcoming. The same eyes as the day he had met her.

"You hated me. You hated everything about us, of course, but serving me especially... you directed it towards this foolish, stubborn princess. And you know what? I found you so admirable for that! You were a person who would change the world! And you'd make it so much better for everyone! So strong, so committed, so intelligent! Oh Saber! You're wonderful!"

Her grin brought him back to annoyance. There was an expression he finally recognized. The one he always felt was patronizing... but... perhaps it had never been. Her words...

Wait-

"So you knew about my plan to betray you? Did you recognize then... my disguise- those nights!"

His cheeks burned. The princess was hysterical.

"Saaabeeer, I knew, I knew! And I liked it. I always loved your touch, Saber. I was so happy too. You saved me from the anxiety of parties and people that I hate... I treasured those moments filled with passion..."

Both cheeks were in her hands now. Saber felt the need to explain himself.

"Those weren't supposed to happen... I had lost myself in the alcohol! I wouldn't have-"

"Oh. I know Saber. It's okay!" Her reassurance quieted him. "Your spite never went away. I'd never delude myself into thinking otherwise! You had a goal. It was just... the wine."

There was a pause. He couldn't look her in the eye.

The alcohol. He'd never drunk any, and... if she had known it was him, she may have been sober enough to know that too. But she was going along for him. He felt ashamed.

"I'm just a dumb princess."

He looked back up.

"I knew that's all I would be. But if I could help you... I thought, at least that'd be good for you. So, I played my part. I never paid attention in my classes. I let you do my homework for me. I made you memorize the secret passageways for dumb errands.... I blabbed about all the gossip I could gather at those stupid parties. And everything fell into place."

She shook a bit. He almost took a step towards her. He was getting distracted. Pieces were falling into place...

"You never once disappointed me. Or the people. You're a hero, Saber! You'll be legendary."

She got back up. He took a better look at her now. Her unkept hair. Her dress had torn and become dirty from sweeping the floor. Her eyes showed her lack of sleep, and the moon made her skin deathly.

But she was still the girl chained to him. She was still the girl with eyes that were glued to him, never out of malice but always out of love.

She had loved him.

She still loved him.

"Princess..."

"When will I be killed?"

His blood ran cold. Reality came flooding back..

"I heard the guards talking about an execution. But I never got the date... and it's been..." She looked to the wall. Three little notches had been made.

"Three days. When will the day be? How much longer will I have to stay here?"

Saber was back to feeling lost.

"I... I don't know."

He lied.

It would be tomorrow.

The princess crossed her arms. She blew out a breath like she always does when she's annoyed.

"Well, I hope it's soon. And I hope you can be the one to do it."

"Me?"

His voice almost cracked. Now she looked stunned.

"Of course you, you jerk! Don't tell me you weren't planning on doing me in yourself! With those eyes? With that built up grudge? I won't have it any other way! It has to be you!"

She got right up to his face. The usually warm eyes were cold. This was a demand. He hated when she did this.

But his usual defiance couldn't be mustered now for some reason...

He couldn't find any bite at all.

He felt his shoulders slump.

Killing her...

"Why are you so okay with this? Why did you let this happen?"

The flame of anger was welling up inside again.

"You could have stopped me. You could have- helped me! If I had known-"

She laughed again. "What do you mean? You hated me! You still hate me! Telling you I'm helping you would've only made you despise me more. Or it'd make you seem unreliable to the others on your side. We nobles are the enemy. Why would they trust in me?"

She shrugged.

"Theres no use in thinking about what could have been. What's done is done."

What's done is done.

"My fate would have been the same. For a better tomorrow with no future royal blood, we will all need to be killed."

No mercy was their rule.

Saber recalled the plan. The guillotine. The space made for the heads and bodies, each to be separated. And to be paraded around.

He couldn't help himself from reaching for her. Softly, he touched her neck.

"So, a beheading?" She had guessed.

It dawned on him how clever she actually was.

He had never noticed.

"Well," Her hand brushed over his. She held it firmly there and was back to meeting his eyes. "I'm glad you came to visit. And I hope you're getting everything you ever wanted."

How can she say such things without an ounce of malice?

He left her cell with her words in his heart. What is it that he wants? The moon was still high. The execution would be in the morning. Her place in line would be near the middle, with the lesser nobles.

She'd be surrounded by the people that mocked her. To die with those she hated.

The hand that touched her neck burned.

He could kill her now.

Surely that'd be preferable?

He imagined it. Squeezing her neck. Watching her eyes bulge. No longer would they smile.

He wanted to cut off his hand.

He can't.

He needed another plan.

He made his way to the servant quarters.

Tonight, he would be a villain.

~

When you first met Alex, you were doing the rounds, trying to greet and meet everyone in town. You had on a friendly smile and shook his hand as you told him you were the new farmer. He smiled back and told you it was nice meeting you. Your attention was taken by his guardians, who started asking questions about the farm. He took you in as you talked. You were very clearly a stranger to hard labor, and having heard about your past life in the city, it was no wonder. He concluded to himself that you wouldn't last. The farm would stay claimed by the elements and you would get bored and leave.

But, to his surprise, you weren't taking your new life lightly. You ran into him everyday, almost as if it was on purpose. Even as he saw you lugging supplies with a barely functional backpack, or when you were clearly in a hurry before some shop closed, you'd stop to tell him hello and ask how he was doing. To anyone else around him, you would merely nod...

Why? Why were you trying so hard? Why did you keep talking to him?

He might have begun suspecting that... perhaps he had given you the wrong idea that he'd be interested in you... and he started dreading a conversation where he'd have to fix that when-

He found you talking to other bachelors too. Over and over again. Laughing and getting closer... he realized... he wasn't special. It was load off his back... he hadn't feel one way or another about you... after all.

But.

Now that he knew the truth, he coukd relax. And began wanting to watch you more. He had come to the wrong conclusion before because he hadn't seen you around townspeople that WEREN'T taken... so clearly, there's more things about you that he's missed. It pricked his mind. He'd follow you sometimes to see what you were planning. He didn't mean for it to become a habit, for him to begin making a schedule of when he'd be free to skulk around you.

You were just... a form of entertainment in this boring town. He let hikself continue, thinking that eventually, he'd be bored of you too. But whenever there was an inkling of a day being more rinse and repeat, like a rerun-

He saw you have bad days. Hard days. Dillemas you couldnt immediately fix. Times when you were close to passing out. But you kept pushing. And your progress was showing... everything in the farm looked better. Your crops began to sprout. You were adjusting.

It was inspiring.

He let himself grow feelings of... admiration. You were someone dependable and strong. He respected that...

Your chats with him felt... more genuine somehow. He smiled just by seeing you. He'd wave as you passed by. You were glad. Shen you first met him, he seemed like he was putting up a front and you were originally worried he didnt like you, but you attribute his new attitude to your hard work in keeping up with him and giving him treats. It only makes you want to keep going. You like being friends with the townspeople!

Alex is different from what you think. He is now somewhat... addicted to watching you. Couldn't be happier. He likes anticipating your struggles. He likes seeing you grow. He could step in at any moment... to help with a load or two, or to drag you home when you stumbled. But why interfere with perfection?

You were doing so well. He just wanted to bask in your journey.

... until the spring dance came. You nervously looked around as people chatted and wondered if you could ask anyone to dance. Your eye caught his and his smile boldened you to step forward. He stiffled a laugh. You were cute asking him if he could be your partner.

He shut you down. He had already agreed to being Haley's.... and besides. He wanted to see the face you were making now. Embarrassed and disappointed. You moved away from him, and he watched your back while reveling the fact that you asked him out of everyone.... but his smile left him when he saw you approach Harvey.

Again... he had taken too much credit.

You were rejected by everyone. It was humiliating, but you could only sigh and sit in the corner, licking your wounded pride. Alex had to go change but... he still eyed you as he left.

He felt betrayed. He was relieved that everyone else had also already had dates but that wasn't enough. For one, he was somewhat dumbfounded that no one else took your offer. He had seen you be friendly with everyone... was nobody really interested in you romantically? Does that put him, once again, on the same pedastol as the rest of the town?

... no. You came to HIM first. Maybe... he could feel a little smugness. Maybe he should throw you a bone.

As your number one supporter, it's only right to keep pushing you forward. To see... how far you could go for love.

He knew you were a good person. You were loyal, hardworking, friendly, passionate... amazing. Everything anyone could need.

Admittedly.... everything Alex felt he lacked.

... he should begin changing himself too. He wanted to do better. To be better. To keep your attention.

He wants you wrapped around his finger... as a game, surely. To mess with you.

Thank you for being my first request!! I gave this my all 💜💜💜 Hopefully it's to your taste!

Yandere! Karkat x Supportive Troll Y/N

You've been his helper since day one. Never questioning his leadership, always eager to listen, and you are the first to take him seriously on any matter. He was suspicious of your agreeable nature at first, but eventually he got used to relying on you. You became his second pair of hands. There's no one he could trust more than you… which led to…

A phase of denial as he first realized his emotions. He couldn't be red. He shouldn't be. Not with you. He tried to nitpick your flaws. He tried pushing you away by giving you an excess of chores. He even got meaner. But you'd do your work fast and you brushed off his snark. Nothing worked.

'.... I've been an asshole to you… why are you still here?' 'Karkat, I don't know what you think about us but I see you as a friend. I know you get more closed off when you're going through something. I don't know what it is, and you're not obligated to tell me, but… I want you to know I'm here for you. I want to be.' '.... fuck.' 

He's red. He's so red. You're too fucking nice. Too good. Too sweet. His self loathing takes over. How could he bring himself to confess? He's not worth it. You'd be unhappy with someone like him. He resigned himself to a lifetime of being your friend… to keep you at an arm's length. 

You could feel a wall forming. He only talked to you to give orders. He would step back when you approached him. Heck, he'd walk out of a room if he noticed you were there. You prayed whatever mental hang up he was having would be cleared soon so he could talk to you again. Then, he got a message from a future self.

'Do it. Get what you want, coward.' No explanation given. Future him logged off immediately after. Anyone that noticed laughed it off and teased him. They didn't realize the storm that was brewing in Karkat's mind.

He scoffed at first. What right did future him have to meddle and call him names? Did he forget who they were? The friendship at stake? What kind of old-man regrets was he passing down? He got away from his screen and brewed with anger. The only thing that brought him back to his senses was seeing you walk in. He was going to walk out and leave you again… but this time you were walking with Eridan. And laughing. … Eridan? He did not like that at all.

'Do it.' He hates feeling like he's playing into something his future self wanted. But still, he's finding himself by your side when you join a conversation. He hovers behind as you do your daily check ups with the others. He stares and nitpicks your form as you do the chores he assigned you for the day. He's an annoyance. You begin to believe he had a sort of grudge against you. When you're finally done for the day, you tell him you're going to sleep. You're glaring into his eyes, hoping to get some message across that will make him back off. To your surprise, he averts his eyes and has a hand over his face. He mumbles. 'Yeah, you did good today.' … Was it you that made him feel uncomfortable? You left with a feeling of sadness. Maybe that was it. Maybe you calling him a friend overstepped a boundary. You were oblivious to Karkat behind you, trying to stop his face from flushing. He had liked the way you looked at him.

His brand of weirdness only got… weirder. It wasn't your job to check in with the others every day. You had to be next to him. In fact, all of your chores revolved around where he was. Sweep while he chatted with a human. Get information from Kanaya as he checked in with Gamzee. Follow him to his room and wait as he looks for something. This took over an hour, as he'd sometimes pause his search to ask something completely unrelated and forget why you were both there in the first place. He liked having you in his room. He wanted to stay there, unbothered, for as long as he could.

You allowed the conversation to drift sometimes, relaxing as his tone returned to the friendlier one you knew from before. You decided to ask some questions of your own. About good movies, favorite foods, simple things, but he seemed to beam with your interest. He even began to smile. You smiled back, finding this side of him endearing. It was a look so warm it made him stop talking, and he was back to staring. The silence brought the environment back to being uncomfortable. You decided it was time to go back outside and asked about the item again. Karkat was still in a daze but he found it easily this time, and you headed out. You could still feel his eyes all day.

He's needy. He's so needy. He knows. He hates it. He hates himself so much. But he can't bear it. His side feels so cold without you. You have to be next to him. You have to be within eyesight. He can't focus anymore without seeing you in the corner of his eyes. The others notice and begin taunting him. Distracting him as someone else talks to you. Asking for help from other rooms, making him move all over to keep up.

The final straw was Tavros innocently slipping and falling on you as you tried to catch him. He wasn't even in on the teasing, but he was ripped apart from you and yelled at, all of Karkat's rage focused on tearing him to shreds. When he was done, the room was silent. No one had seen Karkat blow up like this before. Finally, Vriska broke the silence with an explosion of laughter. Karkat wanted to turn around and give her a piece of his mind too, but his eyes met yours. And you looked so hurt. He was dumbstruck, arm weakly following you as you got up and ran away. You were done with this behavior. 

He catches up with you before you got on your teleporter. He's pleading for you to wait. You finally turn and see the scared look in his face. You also see the audience that followed behind him. Without much thought, you grabbed his hand and brought him to your room, sick of feeling like everyone's soap opera. This was a private affair. You let go of him as soon as you're alone, though. You still can't look at him.

'What's been up with you?' It's time you confront your fears. 'You've been… insufferable. Micromanaging, nagging, never letting me out of your sight! What did I fuck up? What did I do that made you treat me like a grub?' Your frustration is evident. You're mad at him. Karkat isn't used to diffusing these kinds of situations involving him. Especially not with you. He's terrified he's ruined things. He's terrified of losing you. All at once, his panic makes him break. He grabs at his hair as he explains. 'You didn't do anything! You've been great! Fucking anything I could ever want! I-In a partner- I-' He stumbled. He's hyperventilating. He squeezes his eyes shut and continues. 'I fucked up. I didn't want to be alone… so I just kept following you. I shouldn't have, I know I'm annoying. I'm sorry-' His voice breaks. He's choked up. This is the most vulnerable you've ever seen him. It melts your heart. 'Karkat…'

'I'm sorry!' He continues, a tear streams down his face but he wipes it fast. 'Please don't be mad. I'll leave you alone now. You don't have to help-' 'No! No no no, I want to help! Karkat, I love helping you!' His breath shakes and he finally looks at you with wide eyes. What were you saying? You got closer and held his hand, earnest with your words. 'I'm not going to stop, ok? If you were lonely, you could've just said so, dummy! It's… awkward to have you everywhere I go… but knowing it's not because you hate me is a lot better than what I was thinking, haha.' You were smiling at him again. So warm, he couldn't believe it was real. 'You can keep following me...' You let go of his hand and shyly turned away, realizing how close you had gotten. 'Uh… if you still want to.' Kind. Good. Sweet. Perfect. Fuck, he loved you…

He caressed the side of your head, fingers running through your hair. It was soft… His gaze turned to your eyes and reality hit him like a brick. What had he done? He felt a wave of embarrassment. He retracted his hand immediately, blushing, frantic. He turned his back to you and hid his face with his hands. You were too shocked the first few seconds to react, but soon concern bubbled as he went on a rant. He shouldn't have touched you, he's sorry, please pretend it never happened, don't fucking tell anyone! He's shaking. You can't have that on your watch! You were just reconciling!