cherri

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Between Two Liars

Ever since your talk with Goku, he hadn’t been quite the same.

He hadn’t gone back to the abrasive man you had originally been introduced to, but he was more shut off than before. Before, Goku was willing to at the very least try to hold a conversation with you. But now, you were lucky to get more than a few words out of him at all. 

You worried that you had pushed it, that your question about his family was way out of line. You didn’t know him, you couldn’t say you were friends, so why did you think you had the right to ask about something so personal? You made many attempts to bring it up, to apologize, but you hardly got three words in before he found some excuse to leave. And when it came time to treat your wound, he asked that you give him silence to allow him to focus. 

It had now been almost two days of this now, your fifth day with Goku slowly coming to a close. More and more with each day, you could feel the wound on your side improving, slowly but surely. Goku had worked his wonders on you, and it would only be a matter of time now before you were back to the hum drum day to day, and you would part ways with him. The thought almost made you sad to have to say goodbye to him. 

The book in your lap laid long forgotten, staring out the window, soaking in the warm summer breeze. As much as you enjoyed getting so much time off from work, you couldn’t deny that being stuck in your bed was beginning to drive you a bit stir crazy. With how quickly you were improving, you could now walk around your own apartment without too much fear of falling, but Goku didn’t like for you to push it. So, in bed you remained, trapped. It would have been a really good day to go out, too. 

But you couldn’t stand laying in bed all of the time like this, you could feel your muscles begin to ache from lack of usage. Against Goku’s wishes, you slowly pushed yourself out of bed, careful not to twist your body too much for fear of another accident. The floor beneath your feet was cold, creaking as you made your way into the living room. Passing by the sofa, you spared it a glance, wondering if Goku had slept alright. You hadn’t given it much thought till now, but it couldn’t possibly have been comfortable sleeping on a sofa so many nights in a row. And even though he had done a miraculous job cleaning it, you still couldn’t forget the blood that had soaked it. Perhaps it would be best to consider replacing it, even if he did remove any visible traces of blood. 

Faint noises in the kitchen caught your attention, turning away from the sofa as you looked for your caretaker. Even now, almost a week since the incident, it felt strange having someone else in your apartment. Aside from Aleina, you’d never had anyone over. Not even your parents came to visit, and certainly no partners. Maybe if you did have a partner, your parents would visit, if only to bug you about grandchildren, and moving into a proper house. As if you could afford that. 

Turning the corner to the kitchen, you finally spotted the elusive man living with you. He was such a strange person, with the strange clothes he wore, and his refined manner and way of speaking. He almost looked like an entirely different person when he was acting so... domestic. 

“Goku?” 

The sound of your voice pulled him from his focus, slowly stirring a pot of spaghetti sauce. He looked up to you with wide eyes, and you weren’t quite sure if that was a look of surprise over seeing you up, or if he felt like he had been caught red-handed. Setting the stirring spoon down and wiping his hands clean, he turned to you with furrowed brows, giving you a look of disappointment or even mild annoyance. “What are you doing up? Did I not tell you to stay in bed?” 

“You did, but...” You glanced around the kitchen as you walked in, taking it all in. It certainly wasn’t what you remembered. Within five days, he not only managed to clean your kitchen top to bottom, but you could’ve sworn some of your equipment and dishes had been moved around. It looked like he had made the kitchen his own domain, but you couldn’t really complain, you didn’t use it much anyway. And perhaps it was better like this. Looking around with furrowed brows, you made your way to the fridge, curious to see what he had restocked. Opening both doors, you were taken aback by the surplus amount of groceries, almost piling right out of the fridge. Staring in bewilderment, you looked up at him as he approached you by your side. “You know I can’t eat all of this, right?” 

“It’s not just for you. Despite what you may think, I require far more energy and nutrients than the average person,” Goku spoke, crossing his arms. It was left unsaid, but his reasoning for that was because of how much energy was required to heal you at a slow pace, a side effect of this body. If he healed you too fast, not only would it compromise his identity, but it would use up too much energy, something he couldn’t risk. Not while he was being hunted down. He had to conserve his energy, and lay low, which meant making sure this body’s health didn’t fall behind. But that wasn’t something for you to know, so he leaned further into your line of sight, closing the fridge. “You didn’t answer my question. Why are you up?” 

“I can only handle so much laying around. I can walk now, I’m doing better, and I’ll be careful. Plus...” your voice fell quiet, eyes drifting down to the floor. This was the most you had spoken since that day. You couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. “I wanted to talk to you about something.” 

“Is it important?” Goku asked, squinting his eyes at you. 

“It is.” You answered right away, trying to keep your resolve firm. He stared for a moment longer, before letting out a hum of agreement. 

“Fine. What is it?” He asked. A smile tugged at your lips, following him as he returned to the stove, turning off the flame. 

“Well, um...” you paused, your voice sitting hesitant on your tongue. Even though you had wanted to speak to him about it, to try and amend things, actually talking about it felt like a daunting task now. Though he had mellowed somewhat and dropped the off-putting attitude, he still felt unapproachable at times, downright intimidating. “I wanted to talk about the other day.” 

Goku furrowed his brows at this, looking down at you with a mild scowl. “You’ll have to be more specific than that.” 

Scratch that; he still hadn’t quite mellowed out. Letting out a huff, you crossed your arms. “I mean that day we were... talking about our families. I wanted to apologize.” 

You weren’t quite sure what you were expecting. Maybe guarded, quick to anger, or completely shut down. Goku was impossible to predict, but you thought you might have had an understanding of his personality at this point. But you certainly weren’t expecting the look of surprise, his eyes going wide as he stared down at you. 

“Why?” He asked, his body stiff, fists squeezed tight. Avoiding his wide gaze that burned into your eyes, you looked down to the pot of abandoned spaghetti sauce. He did so much for you, the least you could do was apologize for overstepping your bounds. 

“I shouldn’t have asked such a personal question when we’re not that close. I wasn’t really thinking at the time and didn’t consider that it could be a sensitive topic,” you hesitated, looking to the floor beneath your feet, to his pristine white boots that somehow never got stained. Apologizing was never easy for you. “My point is that, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I was only trying to get to know you better, so you might feel more comfortable living with a stranger, but I only made it worse. I’m sorry.” 

“There’s... no need,” Goku spoke, and as you looked up, you realized that he too had turned his gaze away, staring at your cabinets with wide eyes. “I’m simply just... unused to this. There aren’t many who know so much about me. But it isn’t something to apologize for, it is natural to feel curious about the one caring for you.” 

“So, you’re... not uncomfortable, right?” You asked, Goku’s eyes finally moving back down to yours, making contact once again. Even eye contact with him felt difficult at times. It was almost overwhelming. 

“I am not, no. But...” Goku paused, and a long pause at that. He held your gaze, his brows furrowed, as if lost in thought, debating with some unseen entity. But finally, he let out a long sigh, closing his eyes. “Thank you for your concern.” 

That was a pleasant surprise, a grin pulling your lips up. “Of course. You’re my guest, I have to make sure you’re comfortable and happy here, even if I am incapacitated.” 

You laughed, but then you remembered a thought you had before, switching the subject. “Oh, I almost forgot, I wanted to talk to you about something else.” 

Goku hummed, and though you failed to notice it, his gaze lingered on you, on your eyes as they jumped all over the place with each thought that passed through your mind. He noticed each fidget of your body, each little nervous smile you made, still somewhat shy around him. 

“I can’t imagine sleeping on my couch every night is very comfortable, and since I’m able to move and walk around more, I thought it would be a good idea to help you find a better sleeping situation. If you’d like, you could get a hotel room, I can pay for it, it’s the least I can do for everything you’ve done. You’ve helped me so much, the least I can do is help you with this.” You spoke, giving him a smile. Though you couldn’t be on your feet for too long, you were at the very least able to walk to and from your bathroom at night if need be, and Goku would be here during the day, so you didn’t see any point to him putting himself in the uncomfortable position of crashing on your couch anymore. You were more than willing to pay for his hotel room, and he’d start getting proper rest, something you were sure he missed. 

“Excuse me?” Goku tilted his head in confusion, before furrowing his brows. “Are you suggesting I stay somewhere else?” 

“Yeah! You’ve been helping me so much, but you need rest too, I could help you find a nice hotel if you need help, I—” 

“No.” Goku crossed his arms, giving you a soft glare. “I am not going anywhere.” 

“Huh?” You looked up at him in confusion. “You really don’t need to worry about me, I’ll be okay by myself at night, it’s not like I’d be doing much walking anyway—” 

“No.” 

Once again, he had cut you off. Now you were getting a little annoyed. He wouldn’t even consider the idea. It wasn’t that you wanted him out of your apartment; you actually didn’t mind him staying. It was simply the fact that you wanted to pay him back, that you were technically still indebted to him, that you wanted to do something nice for him. 

“Goku, if it's the cost, I’m willing to cover it, just listen to me—” 

“You don’t seem to understand,” Goku stopped you, stepping closer, into your personal space. “My answer is no. I am not leaving.” 

“I’m trying to do something nice for you! Not to mention, you still haven’t told me how to pay you back yet, you said I’m indebted to you! Well, this is me trying to pay you back. I don’t understand why you’re being like this, I just—” 

Goku raised his voice suddenly, saying your name in a stern tone. “I do not want to leave you by yourself. I left you alone for five minutes before, and you completely reopened your wound. Who’s to say what would happen if I were gone overnight and you pushed yourself too hard, trying to do something you’re not ready to do? I wouldn’t find you for hours. If I am to care for you, I will do it until I am certain you do not need me anymore.” 

You stared up at Goku in shock. He was so much more caring than you had initially expected. Not to mention... 

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say my name.” 

Goku’s eyes went wide, before letting out a small huff, turning away. “Forget all that nonsense about me leaving. I was never uncomfortable, and you needn’t worry yourself. Return to your bed, I will have your dinner ready in a moment.” 

He shooed you away, making you smile. He was certainly... a character, alright. Goku was so much different from the man in your expectations, but it wasn’t bad at all. You actually were beginning to enjoy it. He was... fun, in his own way. 

Finally giving in and listening to him, you turned and left. When the kitchen fell silent, and he remained alone, Goku looked down to the palm of his hand, staring. A nauseous feeling twisted deep within him, like his body was revolting against him. His lips curved and moved to the sound of your name, mumbling it to himself, to hear the sound of it once more. 

Flexing his fingers, Goku let out a frustrated huff as he ran his fingers through his bangs, bringing himself back to reality. You were far too distracting for your own good. 

Two plates of food in hand, Goku made his way through the quiet little apartment, making his way toward your bedroom, where he expected you to be. But instead, he found you sitting comfortably on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, giving him a large grin. 

“I thought since I’m able to sit up properly now, I should start eating in my living room again,” you spoke, pretending not to notice the slight annoyance written across his face. Goku let out a sigh, handing you your plate, before sitting down on the other side of the couch, making sure to leave a lengthy amount of space between the two. 

Deciding that this was your apartment that you paid for and could use it however you pleased, you turned on the tv, setting it to some random hospital soap opera, keeping the volume low for Goku. You just couldn’t stand to sit in silence, even if it wasn’t that awkward. And besides, you haven’t gotten to just shut your brain off and watch tv in days; you deserved this. 

Staring at the tv though, you found it hard to focus on the screen, their voices muffled in your mind. Instead, your attention was drawn to the man on the other side of the couch, watching him from the corner of your eye as he took slow bites of his food, his brow twitching in irritation every so often as he watched the show. Maybe picking a hospital drama wasn’t the best idea when living with a doctor. 

Clearing your throat, you turned towards Goku, scooting closer to him ever so slightly. “I’d been meaning to tell you, you’re insanely good at cooking, I’ve never had food this good before.” 

“It’s nothing special,” Goku mumbled, looking down at his own plate. When he had acquired this form, it came with a few needs he hadn’t quite been familiar with before, the need for food being one of them. To keep it in peak shape, he had to meet his daily nutritional needs, which meant learning how to cook such food in a short time. It wasn’t hard for someone like him. 

“No, really. If you ever have to quit being a doctor, you could totally be a chef at some fancy restaurant,” you said, giving him a smile. “At least that way I could support your work without having to get hurt.” 

You chuckled at your own joke, but your breath nearly escaped you as Goku’s lips curled into the smallest smile of his own, his eyes meeting yours as he spoke. “I will take it into consideration then.” 

For a moment, you couldn’t seem to drag your gaze away, staring into his eyes, watching his lips move as he spoke. Something in your chest throbbed, squeezing tightly, as if it held your lungs in its tight grip, threatening to suffocate you. And once you had realized you were staring longer than was considered friendly, you averted your gaze, your hand moving to cover your lips, for reasons you couldn’t gather. 

“A-Anyway, I saw you weren’t too interested in this show, I didn’t really think too much about it when I put it on, but it makes sense you wouldn’t like it, it’s probably not too realistic,” you were rambling now, reaching for the remote, ignoring the heat spreading across your cheeks. And though you were right that he wasn’t a fan, it wasn’t for the reason you were thinking, simply that he didn’t care for the drama. “Why don’t you pick something? We can watch it together.” 

Goku hummed, before accepting. You scooted closer, sitting beside him and controlling the remote for him, as you had quickly discovered that he had no idea how to control it. You were starting to believe that maybe he really did come from somewhere out in the sticks, because who didn’t know how to use a tv remote? 

You weren’t sure what to expect in the beginning, but it certainly wasn’t a horror movie. You weren’t the biggest fan of the genre before, but it only worsened after your attack. The screams echoing through your living room were ear-grating, but Goku seemed much too absorbed into the movie for you to ask to change it. 

The woman in the movie, hunted by demons, had burst into flames, her body burning to nothing but a crisp, her deafening screams making you wince. Staring at her body, you were reminded of the other attack, the one you had seen on the news. Their body had been similarly burnt, as if they just went up in flames. There had been no other signs of a fire anywhere but on their body. 

“I wonder if they ever found who killed that person the night of my attack...” you wondered aloud, and once the words left your lips you realized how tense you were, your voice struggling to get out. Goku looked down at you, furrowing your brows. 

“You don’t need to worry about that, they won’t bother you ever again,” Goku said. The wording certainly sounded strange, as if he had taken care of them himself. But at the same time, it made something within you flutter to life. 

“We can’t be sure about that, wh-what if they come looking for me? What if they try to kill me, just to do th-that to my body too? Surely they noticed my body disappearing. Plus, if they had been caught, wouldn’t the authorities have found out about my attack by now? Nobody has come looking for me, something isn’t right, I—” 

The sound of your name cut you off, your eyes widening. You had been rambling, your eyes watering as your heart thumped wildly in your chest. Looking up to Goku, you weren’t sure anymore if the flutter in your heart was from anxiety, from the way he called your name and looked at you, or both. 

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Goku spoke. He turned his body to face you, and it was then you began to notice how close you were, how his form towered over yours, how if you leaned any closer, you would be curled up to his side. The heat in your cheeks returned, your heart fluttering wildly in your chest. “I promise that so long as I am here, no one will ever bother you again. So don’t worry yourself.” 

You knew his intention was only to calm you down, but you couldn’t focus on anything but the sound of his voice, the way it made your body feel like fireworks. You couldn’t see anything but the shape of his lips, wishing they would give you more attention. You wished he would pay you more mind, so that you might hear his sweet voice all the time, relishing in the way it made your stomach burst with butterflies. More than anything, you wished he’d cup your cheeks in his large hands, leaning in as his eyes flutter closed, pressing his sweet lips into— 

The sound of your name snapped you out of your stupor, looking up to Goku with wide eyes. “Are you feeling unwell? Your face is quite red.” 

“Uh—” You inhaled too sharply, almost choking on your own spit. “N-No! I’m okay, I was just surprised, haha! I’m glad you care that much! But y-y'know, I should head to bed, it’s getting late.” 

You flew out of the blanket so fast it was still falling when you jumped to your feet. Giving Goku one last large, nervous grin, you quickly turned and made your way to your bedroom. “G’night, Goku, see you tomorrow!” 

The door to your bedroom slammed shut, hiding within the safety of your room. Leaning against the door, you drank in heavy gulps of air, like your lungs had been starved for oxygen. Your face burned, hot to the touch, running your hands down your cheeks. What was wrong with you? Was this Stockholm Syndrome? It couldn’t be, you weren’t being held captive, you could leave at any time. Then what was the syndrome for falling for your hero? Sure, Goku did save your life, but did it really qualify to make him your hero? And even worse, why on Earth would you fall for— 

Oh. You had already admitted to falling for him to yourself without even realizing. Great. You were completely and thoroughly fucked. 

Sitting alone in the dark, the movie having ended and rolling credits, Goku stared at your now closed door, where you had retreated for night. Perhaps he had said something wrong, with the way you had been acting. His chest ached, as if something important had been taken, and he was left empty, hollow. He already missed your presence, your smile, your laugh. You were so... pleasant to be around, he didn’t want to be around anyone else. But the shifting of the moonlight beyond the balcony door beckoned him, forcing him to stand. 

“It took her long enough,” the man outside grumbled, crossing his arms as Goku Black crossed the threshold onto the balcony. “I can’t take this anymore.” 

“What do you mean?” Black asked, already growing irritated by his partner. 

“These things drive me mad. There’s never any peace and quiet to be found. They’re all violent selfish pigs with no capability of deeper thoughts,” Zamasu shivered in disgust, holding himself tightly. “Please tell me your pet is almost healed, my patience wears thinner with each day. I don’t know how much more I can tolerate of these things.” 

Black sneered, fists balling up tightly. But he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. He should have agreed with him, that these humans were thoughtless heathens, that you were nothing more than a pet to him, an experiment. But instead, his first instinct had been to teach Zamasu not to speak that way about you. You weren’t a pet, a pet didn’t have the capability to challenge his opinions with nothing more than being yourself. You were anything but thoughtless. 

“Have patience, Zamasu. It couldn’t kill you to just lie low for a while and relax. It’s not as though I’m forcing you to watch over the humans at all times, you’re doing that of your own accord.” Black spoke, turning to look up at the moon. He hadn’t realized how accustomed to this world he had grown until Zamasu had begun to complain. Not once had those thoughts passed his mind within the last few days. 

“You quite literally are forcing me! We wouldn’t be here conducting this nonsensical experiment if it weren’t for you! The original plan was for you to test that body out on this version of the Earth, and tie up our loose ends here. But you decided you wanted to linger on this planet longer, putting us at risk of being caught! You do understand that we are actively being hunted by a God of Destruction, right?” Zamasu turned his irritation onto Black, glaring at him, before a thought, a realization hit him. “Wait. Don’t tell me. You haven’t become soft for that thing, have you?” 

“Excuse me?” Black glared at him, though the thought didn’t anger him nearly as much as it should have. He stepped closer into Zamasu’s space, grabbing him by his coat, Zamasu’s eyes widening. “You would do well to remember your place and stay in your lane. You’ve only made it this far thanks to me. You were a coward who could never take a single step towards our goals. You will follow me, and do as I say. You don’t have any room to criticize me.” 

“Have you completely forgotten that we are the same person?” Zamasu hissed, meeting Black’s glare with one of his own. “If you did it, so could I.” 

“And that’s exactly what separates us,” Black spoke, finally shoving Zamasu back, the Kai stumbling. “I started this. I will finish it.” 

But whether or not that would be with his counterpart had yet to be seen. And something within his chest tugged tightly, feeling as though he were trying to lie to himself. But if he couldn’t be honest with himself, who could he be honest with?

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The People We Leave

The phone in your hands suddenly vibrated, ringing loudly, eyes going wide with a start as the phone slipped from your hand, accidentally accepting the call.

A loud voice suddenly boomed from the loud box, words flying at you faster than you could process them. Hands scrambling to scoop the phone back up, you lowered the volume, praying Goku hadn’t heard it as you lifted the phone to your ear. 

“It’s been so long, I haven’t heard from you in forever, how have you been, what have you been up to, have you—” 

“Slow down!” You exclaimed, just loud enough to cut her off before she could ramble her voice dry, but quiet enough that your guest couldn’t hear. “Why’d you call? Did something happen?” 

“That’s what I wanted to ask you!” The voice on the other end spoke, her voice firm, as if reprimanding you. “You haven’t messaged or called in forever, I was starting to get worried. You’re not overworking yourself, are you?” 

A small sigh escaped your lips, closing your eyes as you furrowed your brows. Some days, it paid to have a best friend who worried as much as she did. She had always been there for you, for as long as you could remember now. Your best friend for the last decade, or even more, Aleina. But right now, you couldn’t let her find out about the situation you were in. As supportive as she was, you really didn’t want anyone else involved, for fear of how much the situation could escalate. You weren’t sure how Goku would react if he knew someone else was involved. While he hadn’t given any reason for you to be so worried about it, he also hadn’t given any reason for you to be sure it would be okay. 

“No, I’m not. You know I just like to keep busy,” you spoke, twisting your body the slightest to relax further into the bed. But just as you did so, a sharp pain radiated from your side, eyes blowing wide as you sucked in a sharp, pained breath. And then, when the line went silent, and all you could hear was her slow breaths, you realized your mistake. 

“What was that?” 

“Nothing, I just- I just have a headache,” you were quick to lie, biting your lip nervously. Another beat of silence passed, before you heard a huff of annoyance. 

“See, you are overworking yourself, you need to take a break! Why don’t we go out today? I’m free, we could go get something to eat, and—” 

“I can’t,” you cut her off once again, running a hand over the bandaged wound, glaring down at your own body. “I’m busy, and I don’t feel the best, it’s just not a good day for me. Maybe next week.” 

The line suddenly burst with noise from her end as she rambled into the phone, saying something about how it had already been weeks since they last met up, if not over a month, you weren’t quite sure of everything she said as you pulled the phone back from your ear, wincing. It was already something you felt bad about, and had you known you would be bedridden like this before, you would’ve made more time to visit her. But you hadn’t known, and this was the way things turned out, and it was not something you could help. You tried to cut into her rambling, to apologize, but before you could, the door to your bedroom suddenly creaked open, another voice filling the room. 

“I’m going out to restock on food, I—” Goku paused, staring wide eyed as he spotted the phone in your hand, your friend’s voice audible even across the room. “Oh, you’re occupied, I see. I’ll return later.” 

Before you could so much as call out to him, the door had closed once more. And as he disappeared, so too did your friend’s voice. So much for keeping his presence a secret. 

“Who was that?” Aleina spoke, her voice low, suspicious. Your jaw hung agape, at a loss for words. “Was that a man’s voice?” 

You were screwed. Thoroughly and completely screwed. “I-I’m at work, yeah, it was just my coworker.” 

“Then why was he talking about ‘restocking food’? You don’t keep food there! Not to mention, I called your work phone first! You’re lying!” She exclaimed, though you could almost hear the grin spreading across her cheeks. “So that’s what you were ‘so busy’ with! And let me guess, that pained noise you made wasn’t from a headache, it was from what he must’ve done to your poor sensitive—” 

“That’s enough!” You shouted, heat blooming across your cheeks and ears. “No, that is not what happened, you couldn’t be further from the truth!” 

“If you say so...” Aleina said with a teasing voice, your face falling into a grimace with a huff. “So then, who is it? You must be at home since you didn’t answer your work cell, so... Why do you have some guy in your house, getting you groceries? Because it really does sound like a secret boyfriend type of situation.” 

“But he’s not a secret boyfriend,” you said, furrowing your brows as you held a hand to your throbbing temple. “He’s helping me with something. I had... an accident.” 

There was no way for you to keep things under wraps at this point, knowing your friend. If you didn’t explain the mystery man and why he was in your home, she’d come and investigate herself. Knowing her, she’ll still come by, but hopefully faster than Goku can return home. That way, you can get her in and out without any confrontation. If, on the off chance, they meet though, maybe he would understand. You didn’t see why he wouldn’t, but at the same time, something about him still felt off to you. There was something about him that he kept hidden from the public view, perhaps something not so innocent. And you didn’t want you or your friend to get too wrapped up in it. 

“An accident? Did something happen?” Aleina asked, her voice losing its teasing tone. A small noise of contemplation rumbled within you, the words on the tip of your tongue as you thought of a way to ease her into the details. If you just explained everything right off the bat, it would freak her out. It would freak anyone with a functioning brain out; it freaked you out. 

“Yeah, I... got hurt,” you spoke slowly, choosing your words carefully. “It was pretty bad. But I was found and brought home by someone who offered to take care of me, he’s a doctor. He’s been doing a really good job by the way, so there’s really no need to worry, I’ll—” 

“Woah, woah, woah,” Aleina interrupted you, your heart thumping hard in your chest as she spoke. “You just let some random guy into your home? Just because he’s acting nice now doesn’t make it any less dangerous!” 

“It’s not any different from when you bring guys home from the bar, I just don’t intend to fuck him,” you said as you rolled your eyes. “And I’m well aware of the danger, but I was kind of in a tight spot at the time, and he was offering immediate treatment.” 

Aleina let out groan, sighing. “I don’t know... You said he’s a doctor? What’s his name?” 

“Goku, Son Goku.” You gave it right away without thinking, but then your eyes went wide as you realized what you had done. It was just a name, right? Surely, he wouldn’t mind. Besides, he was a doctor, he had to give his name all the time, it should be fine now. 

“Wait,” Aleina interrupted your train of thoughts, catching your attention. “I think I know that name.” 

“Huh?” Your mind blanked at that. She knew him? It hadn’t even crossed your mind that someone else could possibly know him. It made sense that it never had; he said he wasn’t from here. But at the same time, he was a doctor, so it also made sense that plenty of other people could have known him. But somehow, it still caught you off guard. “How?” 

“I think he might be related to my professor, he has a really similar name, Son Gohan. Wow, what a coincidence,” Aleina laughed, feeling more at ease now. “I’ll have to ask him about it next time I see him. But at the very least, knowing he’s probably close to Professor Gohan, I feel a little better now about it.” 

“Yeah...” You were a little stunned. It really was a coincidence that he was related to Aleina’s professor. Son was the furthest from a common name, so you really couldn’t see it being anything but the truth, they had to be related, very closely. A family of prodigies, that certainly was interesting. 

After a few more minutes of conversation, Aleina finally left you to your rest, wishing for you to heal quickly. Staring up at the clouds that drifted idly through the sky, sunlight peeking through and into your room, you let out a deep sigh, your body finally relaxing. You hadn’t realized just how much you missed your friend’s voice. You had let yourself get too distracted, your head too deep in your own work to notice how long it had been since you last spoke to her. And most certainly it had been even longer since you last spoke to your family. All of it had nearly been lost too. It was only thanks to Goku that you could hear their voices again, it was thanks to him that you could chat with Aleina like that again. Guilt racked at your heart, having taken for granted such things. When Goku returned, you’d make sure to thank him once again for everything he had done for you. 

That was the last coherent thought to pass through your mind, exhaustion taking hold of you once more as your eyes fluttered, giving in to slumber’s sweet hold. 

Dreams only came to you occasionally, most nights spent in the arms of darkness. But now, you were greeted with whisps of color, soft and warm, a vague image. Bright and sunny, a typical summer day, a refreshing breeze brushing past. Sitting beneath the shade of an umbrella, on the table before you sat a pop of colors, bright and vivid. You recognized the scene well, it was your favorite ice cream shop, you came here frequently either alone or with Aleina. What you did not recognize, however, was the splotches of dark colors beside you. 

It didn’t hit you until you heard his voice, distant and surrounding your being, as if wrapping a warm blanket around you. He called out your name, a hand reaching out to you, fingers brushing against your cheek. It felt electric, it felt real, it felt like your body was a magnet reaching for his warmth. It felt like your body was splitting at the seams, threatening to burst into a sea of butterflies. So much so that your eyes snapped open. 

Sucking in a sharp breath, the memories of your dream hit you like a wave, crashing into you and pulling at your heart strings. Both guilt and disgust roiled within your stomach, anxiety racking at your mind. You dreamed of Goku. It felt wrong, the way it had made you feel, the way you enjoyed it, making you wish you were still asleep. You couldn’t believe yourself, what was wrong with you? 

“Oh, you’re awake.” 

Eyes wide, you froze like a deer in headlights. Why did it feel like you had been the one caught red-handed, when he was the one in your bedroom while you were asleep? Immediately sweeping the embarrassment of your dream into the back of your mind, you furrowed your brows with a huff, pushing yourself up slightly. 

“Why are you in here? Do you want something?” You asked, trying to will away the warmth that still lingered in your cheeks, chest aflutter. Goku let out a hum of contemplation, and you swore you saw his eyebrow twitch in slight irritation. 

“Your dinner is ready,” he spoke with a slight hint of annoyance in his tone. That snapped you out of your projecting irritation, remembering that he was the one taking care of you and was allowed to wake you when necessary. That dream had certainly thrown you off quite a bit. 

But then, as his words settled in, you realized what that meant, casting your gaze over to the window, where the moonlight streamed in. You had slept all day without even realizing. And so went the third day that Goku had been staying with you. Flickers of memory flashed through your mind as you recalled your conversation earlier that day with Aleina. Knowing that Goku could’ve possibly, perhaps very likely, been related to Aleina’s professor brought you more comfort than you had initially realized. But at the same time, it wasn’t a guarantee. Even if the surname Son was rare, that didn’t automatically mean they were related. And you had given out Goku’s full name without permission. Even if it was just a name, you had a feeling Goku was one of those people who didn’t like their name getting out without them knowing. So, with that in mind, you weren’t too keen on telling him what you had done, not quite yet anyway. You would wait until you spoke with Aleina again to mention any of this to him. It wouldn’t look good if you said something now and he had no idea who this Gohan was. 

You were brought back to reality as Goku set a plate down on your lap, a steak made to perfection practically glimmering in the light. You almost wanted to mourn for when the day came that you wouldn’t get to regularly eat delicacies like this anymore, going back to your cup ramen and takeout. 

“Thank you,” you mumbled out as you lifted the fork, fidgeting with it for a moment. Goku let out a noise that you assumed meant you were welcome, before turning to leave. Staring down at your food, a thought that you almost missed passed your mind, wondering if he had eaten too, or if he was trying to eat alone. “W-Wait, um...” 

Goku looked back at you, meeting your eyes, and for a moment you were brought back to your dream. Though, in the dream, he was nothing more than a few splashes of color, as if simply a concept. Now, when you had the real deal in front of you, gazing down at you with eyes that were reminiscent of a vast dark sea, you felt the words in your throat begin to die out. When you had first met Goku, you thought his eyes were empty, dead, lacking any kind of light. But now that you had spent time with him, lived with him and shared what could be considered intimate moments, they were anything but that. You were beginning to understand the saying that eyes were a gateway to the soul. But what Goku’s soul was truly like, you couldn’t quite say yet. But it was far more than just vast emptiness. 

“What is it?” Goku spoke up, pulling you out of your thoughts. Warmth spread across your cheeks, hoping you hadn’t stared too hard. 

“Have you eaten already?” You asked. When he shook his head no, you cleared your throat, as if having to prepare yourself to ask your next question. “Then, would you mind eating with me? I don’t think I’ve seen you eat at all since we’ve met.” 

Goku’s eyes seemed to widen at that, as if the mere idea of sharing a meal with you had never once crossed his mind, seemed preposterous even. His gaze fell to the floor, and a single second of silence passed before he looked up to the door before him. “Very well. I will be back in a moment.” 

And with that, he left, leaving you alone with your thoughts, and the very tempting aroma rising from the plate in your lap. Why was it so hard for you two to just act like normal acquaintances? It wasn’t strange to ask the one living with you and caring for you to eat meals together. Yet with him, it felt like you were asking for something deeply personal. You supposed that was simply just because of how tightly under wraps he kept himself. He kept himself so drawn away from everything that a simple dinner together felt like a daunting thing to ask of him. It felt invading on his personal space. 

True to his word, Goku returned just a moment later, his own plate in hand. Pushing yourself to sit up more straight, as much as your injured side would allow, you patted the bed space beside you. He stared at it for just a moment, before sitting on the very edge of the mattress, barely on the bed. Even when they were eating together now, sitting in the same bed, he still felt reserved, distant. If this man had any friends, they had to have either spent years digging at his personal space inch by inch, or simply grew up with him and knew him better than anyone could nowadays. 

It almost felt nerve-racking, each second that went by in silence, watching as he took slow bites of his food. Even something as mundane as eating looked strange with him. It made you anxious, like any second now he could do a 180, like he was on the verge of snapping, even though he gave you no reason to think such a thing. 

Unable to take the silence much longer, you cleared your throat, shifting to give him your full attention, making his gaze turn up to you. “Um... I know you don’t like to talk about yourself, or even talk in general...” 

You winced at your own bluntness, not meaning for it to come across so rude, but it was the truth. Goku didn’t seem to notice though, or he otherwise kept it well hidden. “But seeing as how we have to spend so much time together and well, do things that are way outside of the bounds of being acquaintances together, I wanted to get to know you better. I see you and talk to you so much now, but it still feels like you’re just a stranger to me.” 

He really was. Outside of his name, you knew nothing about Goku. He claimed to be a doctor, and with how well he was treating you, you had no reason not to believe it. It wasn’t like any normal guy could bring you back from the brink of death, so he had to know his way around these kinds of things. At first, you had been suspicious that he might’ve been some kind of serial killer who just knew the ins and outs of the body and for some reason helped you, but it didn’t make sense for a serial killer to keep someone alive. That didn’t rule the possibility off the table, but the chances of him being a doctor truly were higher than a serial killer. Especially since finding out he might be related to someone Aleina knows, if he truly was related to this Gohan person, it could clear Goku of suspicion. But the fact that you were having to learn who this man was from other people didn’t sit right with you. You would wait for Aleina’s call to find out more, but that also didn’t mean you couldn’t try to get the truth from the man himself. And if he didn’t open up, at least you would have a backup solution. 

“There isn’t much to know about me,” Goku spoke, his gaze falling away to the floor. “I can tell you whatever it is you’d like to know, but it won’t be anything of interest.” 

“Even if you don’t think it’s interesting, I would. I’m very interested in getting to know the person who saved my life,” you spoke, the corners of your lips perking up into a small smile. His eyes glanced back up to yours, to the smile on your face, a twinge of something unfamiliar tugging deep within him. But it went ignored, as you continued on. “Let’s start with something simple. Tell me where you’re from.” 

Goku seemed to go quiet at this, if only for a moment, his hesitation slipping under your radar. “I’m from the country. This is my first time in the city in quite a while.” 

That caught you by surprise. You had noticed that there was a slight southern lilt to his voice, but he spoke with such eloquence that you would’ve thought he was from some high upper-class city, where only the rich royalty lived. He didn’t seem like the type to come from the country at all, but it wasn’t unwelcome, rather a pleasant surprise. 

“That’s funny, I am too. But I’ve lived here in West City for so long that you wouldn’t know,” you chuckled at the thought, back when you had first moved to the city and didn’t know up from down. Your parents weren’t the type to frequent the city, keeping themselves tucked away in the quiet little villages out in the fields. They hadn’t been too keen on their only child moving so far away, and to such a large city at that. But you felt as though you were wasting your life away out there, knowing there was more to see, more to know about the world. And while you had been right, living in the city wasn’t the dream you had quite hoped for it to be, as you had lost yourself in your work. “The city is certainly... different, from what I grew up with. It’s not quite everything I hoped it would be. But I think that’s because I’m always so busy with work, I don’t have time for anything else. I’ll be lucky to even have my job still after this.” 

Once the words left your lips and a moment of silence passed, you realized you may have dropped a little too much personal information, heat warming your cheeks as you let out a nervous chuckle. “B-But anyway, what made you move to the city? To get your degree?” 

Goku’s brows furrowed, eyes darting around the room as he processed an answer. He wasn’t quite sure what a degree was, but he couldn’t come up with any other answer, so he was forced to go along with your assumption. “That’s right. But I’m curious, what do you mean you’re always so busy?” 

“You know, I’m constantly working. This apartment doesn’t pay for itself,” you joked with a smile, although you didn’t find it quite so funny. Part of you wondered why he’d even ask such a question, because everyone knew what it was like to work yourself away to keep a roof over your head, aside from the people with generational wealth. Seeing as how he was from the country, you were inclined to believe he was not a part of the filthy rich, but then again, he spoke in such a fancy way sometimes that maybe he was rich, and his family just liked living away from the city. Guilt suddenly nipped at you as you realized how many assumptions you made about the man. It couldn’t hurt to just ask him instead of making assumptions and making an ass out of yourself. 

“So, if you’re not from here, and you’re a doctor, does that mean you’re a traveling doctor?” You asked. “Or... are you a doctor seeking work? Did you just graduate? Doesn’t it take like, eleven years to become a doctor? How old are you?” 

Once you’d started asking questions, they just kept coming, your curiosity for the man greater than you’d realized. Goku’s eyes widened as he was leveled with questions, each one followed by you leaning closer, looking up into his eyes. And with the final question of his age, he cleared his throat, making you cease in your questioning. 

“I am... seeking work,” Goku begun, his voice hesitant as he rushed to come up with answers. The issue was, Goku wasn’t entirely sure how old he was. “I am... 40.” 

“Damn,” it escaped you before you could have second thoughts, taken by surprise. The man was almost double your age, but he didn’t look a day over 29, which irked you because you were 29. But the second the word escaped your lips, you slapped a hand over your mouth, eyes agape at your own rudeness. “I-I am so sorry, it just surprised me because, well, you look like you could be my age, you look so young, I-I didn’t mean anything by it, I—” 

“Don’t fret over it, it’s nothing to apologize for. I understand it could be surprising.” Goku held up a hand, stopping you in your stumbling tracks. With the reveal that he was 40, you could absolutely see him being a doctor, he was in peak condition even with his age. While you hadn’t paid it much mind, you had absolutely noticed how well built he was under those clothes. He could’ve fooled you, he did fool you. You couldn’t wrap your head around how someone so attractive could be single even into his 40s. 

You put an immediate halt to that train of thought right there, as it reminded you of your dream, of the way he called out your name, of how his hand brushed against your cheek. This man was too attractive for his own good. And instead of actually acknowledging the fact that you found him attractive, you instead moved on to an entirely different thought and topic. 

“I know I’ve already asked a lot of personal questions, but there was something else I wanted to ask you...” And this one was one that could potentially overstep your boundaries. But when you had thought of your family, of how long it had been since you spoke to them, it piqued your curiosity for his. He gave you the go to ask with a small hum, your voice hesitant in your throat. “I wanted to ask about your family. Were they... okay with you leaving?” 

Goku froze. The fork laid abandoned on his plate, his gaze boring into you, as if he weren’t even looking at you, but the wall behind you, like you weren’t there at all. His family. What could qualify as his family? His wife and two sons? No, that wasn’t his family. That was Son Goku’s family. No, the man he truly was, his family... 

“I... don’t have a family,” Goku spoke slowly, as if only his body were present, but his mind was somewhere else. Your eyes widened at this, chest suddenly constricting, squeezing tight. Guilt racked at your heart, your voice dying in your throat. There was nothing you could say to him. His voice rumbled in his chest, a far cry from the confident voice you had grown to associate with him. “There was once... someone who had taken me in under his wing. Taught me everything I know, gave me everything I have. But... he didn’t agree with my aspirations. He didn’t think the path I had chosen for myself was correct. He wasn’t... long for this world. And I didn’t back down. I continued on, and he... is no longer here.” 

Goku had chosen his words carefully, making certain to not reveal his caretaker’s true fate. The man that he truly was, the man possessing this body, had killed him in cold blood. Or rather, he had killed the alternate timeline’s version, recruiting Zamasu there. It shouldn’t bother him so much. That man stood against his values, against his true justice. So then, why did it linger within him, wondering if it was the right thing to do? Part of him wished he could ask you. But he knew you would disagree, call him evil. You were weak, you couldn’t carry out true justice. But at the same time, why was it that you would disagree? You were above these other filthy mortals, you weren’t an unthinking monster with only your own desires in mind. You didn’t kill for the thrill of it, like the man who attacked you did, like... like him. 

Goku suddenly shot up from where he sat, his gaze entirely avoidant of you. He took your empty plate without another word, ignoring as you called out for him, as you called out for Goku. That’s all he was to you. He was Goku. You didn’t care about him... you cared about Goku. 

None of it made sense to him. You didn’t make sense, this grief that wrapped tightly around his heart didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense to Goku Black anymore. 

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷

Between a Truth and a Lie

A knock came to the door of the apartment.

Black’s attention was ripped away from Zamasu. The two looked at each other in surprise, before Black promptly left Zamasu, closing the glass door behind him. And as he looked back out on the balcony, he found it empty, as if his partner had never been there to begin with. 

Black hesitated before the door, almost hoping they might go away if he didn’t answer. But the knock came again, this time slightly more insistent. Whoever it was on the other side likely wouldn’t go away, or would find some other way to get whatever it was they were seeking. His only option was to answer the door. 

Slowly creaking open just the smallest crack, Goku peeked through to the other side, where a short little old lady stood, gazing up at him. Clearing his throat, he leaned further into the doorway, blocking the inside of the apartment from her view. On the off chance that he had missed a spot of your blood while cleaning, he couldn’t risk it being seen by anyone. “May I help you?” 

“I was just coming up here to check and see if everything was okay,” the old woman spoke, brows furrowed as she eyed Goku up and down. “I’m in the room below, I heard a loud noise, it sounded almost like a cry.” 

“Yes, my... partner has an injury, she slipped and fell in the shower,” Goku mumbled, avoiding her unwavering gaze. She was suspicious, he could sense it. 

“I didn’t know the young lady here had a partner. How long have you been with her?” The old woman asked. Goku bit the inside of his cheek, fighting the urge to glare at her as his fingers dug into the door, squeezing tight. 

“A while. I’m staying with her while she heals,” Goku said, struggling to reign in the blatant annoyance in his voice. Couldn’t she just mind her own business and leave already? He had already given confirmation that you were fine, she was overstaying her welcome. Not that she had been welcome in the first place. 

The elderly woman let out a hum, squinting her eyes at him, not bothering to hide her suspicion. “Very well. Tell her I wish her good health.” 

Goku let out a small hum of agreement, nodding his head in a silent bid of farewell, before promptly closing the door and locking it. He stood for a moment, breath silent as he listened for the other side, making good and certain she left, footsteps echoing down the halls. 

Once the footsteps had faded, Black let out a sigh as he leaned a shoulder against the door, finally letting the mask slip as he furrowed his brows, lips pulled into an annoyed snarl. Yet another thing he couldn’t stand about these humans, always sticking their noses in his business. He didn’t care if it was out of concern, he didn’t want mortals poking around in his business, regardless of whether or not they knew what they were doing. He knew it didn’t make sense to be annoyed, but he couldn’t help it. If he could have things his way, he would’ve simply removed the lady himself, her life didn’t matter to him. 

But it likely did to you. From the way she had spoken, the two of you at the very least knew some minor details about each other’s lives. You would have noticed if she had disappeared, just like you had noticed the second attack from that night. And he doubted it would go over very well with you if you discovered what he had done. It wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. 

To him, humans were like animals. To him, they were prey, meant to be hunted, to be killed. They were a great harm to the environment, like an invasive species. They ruined everything they touched, and it was up to him to right this wrong. But at the same time, he couldn’t help thinking that you were different, you were a different kind of prey. You were the kind that was skittish, scared and fragile, running at the slightest hint of danger. But when your trust was earned, you were sweet, you were soft, you were dependent. It was a rare event that most people would never get to experience in their lives. You were like a deer, sweet and beautiful, but always hunted for sport, just like the night you were attacked. It was only thanks to Black that you were alive, and he had earned your trust, for the most part. After all the work he had put in taking care of you, he wouldn’t screw it up now just because he had been annoyed by a nosy old woman. 

The air of the apartment grew still, silent as he stood in the hallway. He hadn’t gotten much time to talk with his partner, Zamasu, which was fine by him. Even despite the connection they shared, their thoughts almost identical, the man could be insufferable sometimes. He couldn’t wrap his head around why Black would want to be here, to observe creatures they already agreed they both hated. And while the interest to study them had been born when he obtained this mortal body, it was truly kick started the night he had witnessed your attack. What could push someone to do such a thing unprovoked, when they stand to gain nothing from it? To fulfill the sick desire of taking someone’s life? In the beginning, he had only saved you to see your reaction, to understand how mortals’ minds worked on a deeper level, beyond what he had already seen through this body. But then, somewhere along the way, he realized it was something more. Something about you held his attention in a way nothing ever had. You were an anomaly. You were unnatural, and he must understand why. He won’t stop until he knows what makes you stand out compared to the others, what makes you so special. 

Sprinkles of light poked in through the curtains, a cool breeze drifting in through the cracked window. You had long since adjusted to the sounds of the city, able to sleep through most of the noise, so your sleep remained undisturbed until late into the morning, when a soft knock came to your bedroom door. A thought passed in your mind to just ignore, forgetting in your sleep that you weren’t currently living alone, in the care of another. But that thought dissipated into the murky waters of your subconscious as the door creaked open, the man currently caring for you stepping through. 

“My apologies for waking you,” Goku spoke softly, as if his voice might shatter you into pieces. And you wondered if it might, memories of last night coming back as you rose from your slumber. All you had wanted was to wash away the old blood, but it seemed your body wasn’t having any of it. Your body had revolted against you, gushing out blood the second you lifted your leg too high to step into the tub. You were just glad you weren’t on your period, any more blood lost and you’d be see-through. 

Approaching the bed, Goku offered you a hand, helping you to sit up. A sharp pain shot through your body like a lightning bolt, wincing with a hiss, settling into place as you were, halfway sitting up. Goku hummed, brows furrowed. “The fall must have jostled something, your wound seems worse than before. After your breakfast, I would like to take a look, if you would allow it.” 

With those words, he set the bowl he had been holding in his other hand down on your lap. Greek yogurt with fruits mixed in. A simple breakfast, yet one that definitely screamed healthy. You weren’t sure you had eaten this good since you lived with your parents, and that was years ago. You were so used to eating just one big meal a day instead of three, often times even eating out instead of in your own home. You felt spoiled, even despite the circumstances. 

“Thank you,” you mumbled, fingers lingering on the metal of the spoon. Today marks the third day that Goku had been staying with you, caring for you. Turning a strawberry slice over, you let out a small hum, Goku’s gaze burning into your skin. “I-I’m sorry for last night. I thought I could handle it. I’ve been able to stand just fine for the most part, I thought...” 

Healing was a slow process, and you weren’t exactly known for being patient. You had a life, you had things you needed to get back to. Your job, your friends, the world wouldn’t wait for you. At the end of the day, you were technically replaceable. You knew your friends weren’t like that, but you couldn’t stand the idea of drifting away from them because of this. The thought had been lingering in the back of your mind since reading a message your friend had sent yesterday. It was just a simple one, asking what you were up to, likely wanting to lead the conversation to ask if you wanted to meet up. But you didn’t respond, didn’t even so much as open the text. You didn’t know what to say. You didn’t want to tell her about what happened, didn’t want to worry her, but at the same time, it was your best friend of over a decade. And you were receiving care, so what was the harm in it? Why did the thought bother you so much? 

“Don’t apologize, you can’t help wanting to do things that used to be normal,” Goku spoke. His firm gaze finally drifted away from you, to the curtains that waved in the occasional breeze. “I will try harder to heal you, so that you can do the things you want again.” 

Turning to look up to him, you let out a small noise of agreement, staring up at him. He felt different today, having a more polite, almost friendly attitude. But what could’ve caused such a change? Had it been your fall? You didn’t think he cared enough to have a noticeable change in attitude. And yet, you certainly didn’t mind it. The thought had your lips tugging into the smallest smile, taking a bite of your yogurt. Maybe he had already cared more than you realized. 

After finishing your breakfast, Goku took the bowl from your lap, setting it down on the nightstand. Glancing down at you, he cleared his throat, hands stiff at his sides. “Are you ready?” 

“Ready as I can be,” you joked with a chuckle. But then, as you laid back down, adjusting yourself, you realized you were lacking something quite important. “Oh, a-actually, could you get something out of my drawers for me?” 

He made a noise of agreement, taking a few steps towards your drawers, before looking back at you, waiting to know what you needed. For some reason, you felt more embarrassed now asking for two little things, than you were last night when he had seen you completely bare. Perhaps it was because you weren’t entirely there last night. Either way, you had to avoid his gaze, color blooming across your cheeks as you spoke. “I need a bra and underwear, please...” 

You couldn’t see the reaction written across his face, but from the way his entire body stiffened, you could tell he too was uncomfortable. But as you mumbled which drawer the requested items were in, he didn’t waste any time in retrieving them. And just a few seconds later, he stood at your side with the pair of under clothing in his hand. For a small second, your embarrassment was pushed to the side as you made a joking mental note, noticing he had decent taste. But the embarrassment quickly returned, realizing he’d know what your underwear looked like as you wore it for the rest of the day. Realistically, you knew this was more service than you’d get in a hospital, where you’d instead have to wear a gown that didn’t even cover your bare ass. You used that thought to quell the embarrassment, taking the clothing from his hand with a small ‘thank you’. 

Getting it on certainly wasn’t easy, but you weren’t about to ask the man who was barely an acquaintance to help you put on your underwear. So, he stood outside the door, trying to tune out the noises of struggle you made, until you were finally done and clothed enough to allow him to lift up the shirt you wore. 

Now that your intimate parts were covered, you had no issues with it when Goku pulled the fabric of your shirt up. After your fall, you vaguely remembered him pulling on the large shirt you wore, just enough to cover your body. But that meant you had no pants, so you felt a little bare as he exposed you, fingers brushing against the bandages wrapped tightly around your waist and stomach. You couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran up your spine as his fingers ran over your stomach, gentle like a soft breeze. 

“Close your eyes,” Goku spoke, his voice both sharp and comforting at the same time, piercing the silence yet carrying a gentleness to it. But you hesitated, brows furrowed. 

“Why? I can handle looking at it,” you said, fidgeting in place. You weren’t truly sure of that, but part of you wanted to see how he treated you, overwhelming the smaller part that wanted to close your eyes and pretend none of it ever happened. 

“You can’t,” Goku’s eyes didn’t meet yours, staring down at your abdomen, a look that you couldn’t quite read written across his face. “The extent of your injury is greater than you comprehend. Seeing it would only put you in a state of distress, which would slow the healing process.” 

Biting down on your lip, you hesitated, humming as you mulled over his words. But as you let his words sink into your thoughts, you felt a brush of skin over your eyes just before the light disappeared, jolting with a start. “Wh-Wha—” 

“This is for your own good,” Goku spoke, his voice disembodied as you stared into darkness with wide eyes.  

It certainly wasn’t easy working with only one hand, but he didn’t trust you not to take a peek. So, while he held one hand over your eyes, the other one slowly worked away the bandages wrapped around your abdomen, before staring down the injury on your side. Before your fall, he had almost completely stopped the bleeding, the wound sealed much similarly to how sutures worked. But it had been torn open when you pushed your body beyond what it could currently handle, lifting your leg and splitting the wound open. And then the fall worsened it, deepening the cut, tissue and muscle splitting further. If you had been in the care of anyone else, you would most certainly be dead. You were very lucky it was him who had found you. 

While he hadn’t been lying about the reason you couldn’t see it, it wasn’t the whole truth, or even a real reason. If he didn’t have to hide himself from you, he wouldn’t care either way if you looked. But if you saw how he treated you, how he healed you, you would likely panic, and his identity would be compromised. Perhaps it was true that the real Goku had abilities beyond what your human mind could comprehend, but you didn’t know that. You didn’t know the real Goku, so you didn’t need to know about this. 

Holding his palm just over your wound, close enough to feel the warmth of your skin, a soft radiant light bloomed in his hand. It wasn’t an ability he used very often, learned from a time before he became Goku, before he even initiated his plans, but in times like this it became useful. But with a wound as severe as yours, he would have to take it slow, only use it in short bursts, else he’d risk using up all of his energy. Initially, he planned to have you completely healed within a week, but seeing as how you had made it worse just trying to function like normal, he supposed he could pick up the pace just the slightest. If he could heal you within three more days, he could finish a day sooner than planned. 

The wound slowly but surely sealed back up, though that was only the surface. If you weren’t careful, it could split right back open and set you back to the beginning again. Finally finished, Goku stood up straight, pulling his hand away from your eyes. 

The light flooded your eyes as the warmth of his hand was torn away, making you flinch as you were forced to readjust. Blinking your eyes, you turned your gaze down to where his hand was pressed against your stomach, firm and warm. It hadn’t really crossed your mind until now how much physical contact you’ve had with this man who was barely more than a stranger to you, but now that you had noticed, the embarrassment from before came barreling through once more. Clearing your throat, your mind scrambled through your jumbled thoughts in search of a topic to fill the silence with. 

“I-I imagine your partner doesn’t like you doing this, huh?” You spoke with a smile, barely getting the words out as they came to your mind. But then as you finished the sentence, your blush only worsened as you realized you were assuming he had a partner. You laid dead still, not daring to look down at him as he froze. 

Goku stared with wide eyes down at your stomach, at his hands as they stilled. For a moment, he thought he had been caught, that he had walked into some kind of trap and you knew about Zamasu, about how he hated this plan of Goku’s. But then as his eyes flitted over to your face, to the strained smile tugging at your lips, cheeks dark with what he assumed was embarrassment or nervousness, he realized you were talking about a romantic partner. And he barely contained the sigh of both stress and relief, before resuming his work with wrapping your abdomen. 

“I don’t have a partner,” he said, his focus sunk into his work once again. At his words, you snapped out of your embarrassment, looking down at him with wide eyes. 

“Really?” You spoke before your mind could catch up to your voice, quickly realizing that was also rude to say. You did not function well when nervous, it seems. But you also were genuinely surprised someone like him didn’t have a partner. It certainly took you some time to warm up to him, and him saving your life twice now did help that a lot, but beyond the off-putting personality, he was very handsome. Perhaps he was a bachelor, jumping between different people but never settling down. With his profession, being a traveling doctor, you would believe it. You had a hard time believing someone like him didn’t have someone in his life though, you knew lots of men and women who would throw themselves at him for just a chance. But not you, certainly not. 

“Really,” Goku spoke, tone flat, bored by the conversation. But before you could say anything more, he stood up straight, taking a step back. “That’s all for now. I would recommend you stay in bed, but if you feel the need to get up, just let me know.” 

And with that, he took your empty bowl, leaving you to your own thoughts and devices. For a moment, you laid completely still, staring up at the ceiling as you focused on your body, on the places where his skin had met yours, where his warmth had all but faded, leaving only faint traces. You had never claimed to be able to understand other people. Hell, you struggled to understand yourself sometimes. But that man was a complete anomaly to you. You couldn’t wrap your head around him, around his behavior, around his motive. It wasn’t as though you had dismissed the idea of him being your attacker completely, but none of it made sense. If he was a doctor, why not take you to the hospital? Why not report your attack to the proper authorities? But if he was your attacker, what was the motive behind helping you? Or what was even the motive to attacking you in the first place? And if he didn’t care, why did he go so far out of his way for you? Or on the other hand, if he did care, why was he going about things like this? Keeping your attack under wraps, handling everything himself? None of it made sense. He didn’t make sense. 

But it wasn’t as though he was going out of his way to keep things out of the public eye. If that had been the case, he wouldn’t allow you to use your phone, he wouldn’t even allow you out of his sight. He knew you were technically capable of getting up and walking out of here, you could at the very least make it to your neighbor’s apartment before collapsing. That fact alone suggested that he was not the same person who had attacked you, but then, that contradicted the fact that he hadn’t gotten you proper help. If he was innocent, he would’ve taken you to a hospital, especially since he’s a doctor, or so he seems to be. 

Not to mention, you were still indebted to him. He hadn’t said anything about what exactly he wanted in return yet, and you could only imagine that was because you were still recovering. But what exactly did he want, what could someone like him stand to gain from someone like you? On the day you had first spoken to him, he mentioned something about research. Could it be related to his field of work? But you were no doctor, you had nothing to offer him when it came to that. Curiosity nipped at your mind, urging you to piece together this odd puzzle, but at the same time, your brain kept telling you that something was off. Somewhere within his words was a lie, something that you weren’t supposed to know. Now came the question, how much longer did you have before the truth came out, and you would have to repay him? 

A sharp throb shot through your head, wincing as you held a hand up to your aching head. Stressing yourself out over this was only giving you a migraine, and you already had enough on your plate as it is, letting out a deep sigh. You supposed you would eventually find out the truth, when that time comes. But for now, you had to focus on letting yourself heal, otherwise you might wind up in this bed for the rest of your life. And that wasn’t a chance you cared to entertain, already sick of being stuck in place. 

The light of your phone screen made you grimace, your head threatening to give another painful throb. But staring at your notifications, there sat a message still waiting to be acknowledged. You couldn’t ignore the message for much longer, then she’d begin to grow worried. And knowing her, she’d try to come by your apartment, check on you, and she’d find a strange man in your home, with you bedridden and halfway dead. That would get you into a world of trouble that you didn’t want to deal with, not yet at least. Which left you only with the choice of answering her message. You could lie, say that you were doing well, and when she’d inevitably ask to meet up, you could say you were too busy with work. It had been an excuse you had used for months already, but it was true then. It wouldn’t seem out of the ordinary now. 

So, with your mind made up, you typed out a message, hitting send, and giving her your answer. 

“I’m doing good.” 

It was a lie. But a necessary one.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Visions.

A physical manifestation of one’s ambitions, of one’s drive to achieve their hopes and dreams. Those who are driven by passion, by a need to see their dreams become reality, those who claw past obstacle after obstacle while chasing down the world they want to see, are rewarded with a gift from the heavens. A gift that grants them powers that emulate that of the gods, a gift to help them further towards their goals. That’s what it seems on the surface. But in truth, it's a contract with Celestia, they grant you power, and in return, your very soul is placed within an external shell. And should you lose it, all of your ambitions, all of your dreams, everything that breathes life into you is stolen, and you’re left nothing but a husk of your former self. What Celestia stands to gain from such a contract, he supposes he’ll never know, not until he’s dead and in the ground, if he even gets such special treatment.

But perhaps you knew. There were days where Dottore would get so lost in his thoughts, wondering what you were up to as he would gaze up at the stars. It has now been one hundred fifty-seven million, six hundred eighty thousand seconds since you left him alone on this miserable world, he counted every second. He has taken nearly forty-two million breaths since he last shared a breath with you, his heart has beat in the hollow husk of his chest at least one hundred seventy-five million times since he last felt your heartbeat. Or, to put it more simply, it has been five years since you passed away, leaving him to rot alone in this cold world.

He knew from the beginning he would outlive you. It was just a simple fact about him, he would outlive most human lifespans, and yours was no exception. And yet, it felt all the more unfair that you had left so young. You were hardly thirty years into your own life, yet it had been prematurely taken from you. You were gone. And he was still here, without you.

On nights like this, when the clouds cleared and the snow calmed, when the false stars shone especially bright, surrounding the moon like a halo, Dottore’s mind became occupied with distant memories, memories of you. Memories of standing beneath the very same faint moon light, your voice brushing against his ears. How he wished he had paid more attention instead of taking your presence for granted, perhaps he would’ve remembered your voice then. But instead, when his mind was flooded with these memories, they were all silent.

And with each day that passed, putting more and more distance from when he last saw you, the more your face became just a simple concept in his mind, nothing more than a few strokes of color. You were fading from his memory, and there would come a day where he would think of you one last time. And then you would be gone for good. As if you had never existed in the first place. It should have been something he looked forward to, he would finally get over this distraction. And yet, the thought only made his stomach twist with anxiety, dread crawling up his spine. He would forget you. Your voice was gone, your image was fading from his memory, you had left him nothing to remember you by. Nothing except the hollow shell that once housed your soul.

A vision without its master was nothing more than a lifeless rock, milky and glazed over, devoid of its spark. He knew he wouldn’t possibly be capable of rekindling your vision, you were vastly different from each other. Even if he could, he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to replace your memory.

Tucked within his coat, he kept your final memory on him at all times, simply for fear of forgetting you. And when he gazed up at the stars, he wondered what you were up to, if you were beyond the false sky, amidst the stars. If you were hanging the stars in the sky, forming constellations in the hopes of communicating with the one you had left behind. If you could see him beyond the false veil, and the state you had left him in. How he wished to hear your voice just one last time, to be reminded of your smile. How you could smile for someone like him, he would never know, but now more than anything, he wished to be graced with your warmth once more.

But that would never come. You were gone, and he was forced to go on alone. And there would come a day when he thought of you no more, and the stars would no longer hold any false warmth for him to yearn for. You were dead. You were gone.

And he was still here.

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

A pinch to his skin, like a thorn embedded within him.

Having a soulmate was more of a curse than anything. The chances of ever coming across your soulmate was almost impossibly slim, with no information to go off of. Most people go their whole lives without ever meeting the one on the opposite end of the bond. And those who do, sometimes they get unlucky. Sometimes it’s someone impossible to get along with. Sometimes it’s someone who stands against everything you believe in. And for whatever poor sap was at the end of his bond, got a Fatui Harbinger as their soulmate.

Celestia certainly had an interesting humor. Not only was it impossible to recognize someone as your soulmate until they said your name, or you said theirs, but you also felt every bit of pain they felt, albeit only mildly. Though that was something he had eventually learned to tune out.

Dottore was not one to find any interest in those around him, let alone a soulmate he’d never lay eyes upon. There was once a time when he’d held the smallest interest to try experimenting on their connection, to push the boundaries, to see if there was some small hint, a mercy Celestia might reward, to finding one’s soulmate. But of course, ever careless the gods were, nothing came about those experiments. And he felt it wise to cease harming himself to such degrees once he awoke to being tended by one of his segments.

Some days, when he was reminded of their connection, he wondered what the point to him of all people having a soulmate truly was. Was there even a point at all? He knew Celestia somehow recognized his age; he’d spent hundreds of years free from the curse that apparently afflicted everyone else, thinking he must’ve been too great a monster to even deserve that. Or rather, his potential soulmate had been spared from being connected with him. But that had been proven wrong when the pain started.

Small aches here and there, like he had sat in one position for too long, and his joints stiffened up. Originally, that really had been what he thought was the cause. But they became frequent, and happened in times when they shouldn’t have. Then the sharp pains started. All along his arms, even as high as his collarbone, small, sharp pinches that could be equated to a rose’s thorn pricking his skin. Even though it was mild, it drove him mad enough to show whoever it was on the other side that they were not the only one that could feel that pain now, which he did in a grand show of driving a knife through his hand. Multiple times. He did end up coming to regret that once his hand took over a month to heal.

Once he realized he had gained a soulmate, Dottore went out of his way to learn every passing person’s name, making sure to repeat it himself. He had to wonder if the whole point was simply to make a mockery of him, for Celestia to bestow upon him a divine connection, only to spit on him because of the obvious disadvantage he was when it came to finding his soulmate. After all, very few people knew his real name. His name had faded away with the passing of history, and while most people had an idea of his identity, knowing that he was an outcast, a heretic, his true name had been forgotten with time. Most of his traces up till his expulsion from the Akademiya were wiped from the history books.

It also didn’t help that apparently, none of his other segments had the connection. They never felt the prickles of pain, never once noticed anything amiss. He was the only one. So that meant he couldn’t have them search as well, testing their names. He was alone on this, much to his annoyance.

But it wasn’t something that could truly hold his attention, he had much bigger things to think about than something as trivial as a bond to a person he’d likely never meet. So, a year passed, then another, and another. And over time, he learned to tune out the aches and prickles, never noticing them. He only ever remembered the connection when he’d feel a larger spike of pain than usual, but was quick to dismiss it. It mattered little what happened on the other side. In fact, it’d greatly benefit him if they would just die.

Rays of warmth and light cast upon the skin of his face, save for his eyes that were hidden beneath his mask. Shadows of leaves and trees danced in the soft breeze, giving slight respite to the heat. While it really was no surprise given his line of work, Dottore had never intended on returning to his home nation, let alone reach out to the very same Akademiya that had turned their backs on him so many years ago. It was almost ironic how things had turned out like this.

Always the same, yet he always took the same amusement with the way people reacted when he simply walked in their general vicinity. It probably didn’t help that he was followed by more than a couple personal guards, always pushed upon him by his higher ups. Yet still, the gasps that mothers would emit, ushering their children inside, the whispers hanging in the air, all eyes on him as he strolled through, it always had his lips curling upward. It never grew old.

The dry dirt path beneath his boots crunched as he made his way forward, towards Sumeru City, the population slowly growing more dense. Face after face, yet none truly stuck with him, forgotten as quickly as he laid eyes on them. But in his peripheral, something had caught his eye, something vibrant, a myriad of color.

A soft, almost inaudible hum vibrated in Dottore’s chest, peering over the low wooden fence, technically barring entry, though it wouldn’t truly stop anyone. Even a child could step over if they tipped their toes enough. However, it wasn’t truly the fence keeping people out, no. It seemed the fence’s true purpose was to contain the garden inside, protected by the thorny shrubbery lining the inner fence. Gloved fingers brushed over a petal, before plucking the flower from its stem. A familiar prick to the tip of his finger, though it went unregistered. Pink, almost white roses. Basic, but given Sumeru’s general climate, still an achievement. Sumeru, namely its forested half, was home to countless types of flora and fauna, and yet, here someone was, growing knockout roses.

His eyes drifted further into the garden, bouncing from plant to plant, curious at how someone could cultivate so many various different plants in such a small space, before a particular plant caught his eye. A tall plant with thin stems, clusters of white flowers blooming on top. Cicuta maculata, water hemlock. Incredibly easy to grow, seeing as how close they live to the docks. Perhaps the owner was right to grow such thorny plants around their property, keeping naive children out of their garden for their own safety. It was certainly an interesting choice to grow in a flower garden.

“Can I help you?”

Dottore’s attention snapped from the strange choice of flowers, to the new face standing near his side, though making sure to keep plenty of space between the two. Dottore gave them a smirk, holding the plucked rose up to his nose.

“Just admiring the roses,” he spoke, the new face quirking their eyebrow with a frown. But before they could muster some kind of response, he continued. “You know, it is an odd choice to grow water hemlock in your garden. Surely you must be aware of its effects when ingested?”

Their frown seemed to sink even lower, crossing their arms. “It’s impolite to comment on other people’s gardens, you know. I am well aware of the effects. I don’t shy away from such things.”

Dottore’s smile grew the more their lips curled in distaste. He took a large step forward, crossing into their space, into their bubble, towering over them. His voice was low as he spoke, his words meant only for their ears. “It wasn’t intended to be rude, I was simply curious what your intentions might be with such a plant.”

Their face paled, as if caught red handed. Dottore let out a chuckle at that, stepping back from their space and giving them room to breathe. He held the rose up to the tip of his nose once more, taking in its fragrant scent. Something in the back of his mind tugged at his consciousness, as if reminding him to do something. It was years ago that he quit worrying so much about names, but suddenly the interest reared its head, like his focus would be completely lost for days if he didn’t get their name right now.

“Tell me, what is your name?”

They looked up at him skeptically, brows furrowed, as if the mere idea of even giving him their name was wrong, a crime. A beat of silence passed, hanging over their head like a guillotine, before a soft mutter passed their lips.

A sound that brushed Dottore’s ears, but ultimately never reached them. With a quiet scoff, Dottore spoke with a firm voice. “Speak up.”

They looked up to him with a glare, letting out a huff, before repeating their name loud enough not just for Dottore to hear, but the guards behind him, and the nearby onlookers who hadn’t even needed to try to hear them. Their name settled heavily inside him, on his tongue. It certainly wasn’t a bad name, he quite liked the sound of it. Letting it roll off his tongue, Dottore tested the name for himself, curious to know what it sounded like in his voice.

His voice suddenly died in his throat as the last syllable left his lips. The world came to a stop, no, stopped spinning entirely. A wave of nausea crashed into him, tugging and pulling, lapping like the ocean, threatening to split him by the seams. It felt as though he had ascended all the way to Celestia, and was spit out and sent crashing into the earth below. The ground no longer existed, it was simply an ocean he stood upon, waiting for the waves to swallow him whole. And all that time, there you were. No doubt experiencing the same drastic shift as well.

Most people never found their soulmates, going their whole lives without so much as laying eyes on each other. Some got unlucky, finding themselves connected to people they could never love in any capacity. So where did Dottore’s luck fall on this scale? And what was he to do with the information?

He was ripped out of his thoughts as you took a hesitant step back, eyes wide, filled not with wonderment or curiosity at finding your soulmate, no. They were filled with fear. Fear at the discovery that you were connected in fate to a Fatui Harbinger, to The Doctor. What was he to do with you? Take you with him, understand how much deeper their bond might have gone? His gaze shifted to the flower in his fingers, its petals holding on with the little energy it had left. It would soon wither away.

“I am glad I found you,” Dottore said, before stepping around you. You stood frozen, not daring to turn around, to face the discovery that had just been forced upon you. “I will be back soon.”

As your name fell from his lips, you flinched at the sound, at the way it felt like he had both never said it, and spoken it countless times. It sounded so eerily natural. And that only made it worse coming from him of all people. You should’ve just minded your own business and lingered down the street when you spotted a Harbinger admiring your garden.

Your garden. Sumeru was home to many kinds of flowers, and yet, your garden shone like a star in the night, like the moon’s reflection across the waves. Many kinds of flowers, most not native to Sumeru, made your garden sparkle, setting itself apart from the dreary, empty neighborhood. It was your pride and joy. It was your life. Surrounded in a kaleidoscope of colors, swallowed whole till you felt like nothing but a concept, a simple shade in an assortment of flowers.

Phlox divaricata, solidago, verbena hastata, your little space was home to many different kinds of flora, all that you knew like the divots in the back of your hand. They were your world. You took care of them like you would your own child. You gave life to them, cultivated them. If you could have it your way, you’d sink into the bottom of their petals, disappearing.

But that was not your fate.

Dottore couldn’t say he enjoyed being back in the land that had twice cast him away. This project of his certainly was interesting, but not enough for him to fully enjoy the work. Not to mention, a certain variable had cropped up- you. Il Dottore’s soulmate, a gardener living on the poor outskirts of Sumeru City. What to do with you? It would be nothing at all to simply end your life, and he’d never have to think about you again. But then again, Dottore was not one to waste any kind of opportunity, even for the smallest experiments. If there was anything of interest that he could dig up through the bond, through their shared connection through Celestia, it could change things. Maybe not much, but he wasn’t going to ignore such a chance.

A smirk tugged on Dottore’s lips as he cast his gaze upon the work of machinery he had forged with his own hands. Despite being the blasphemous god-hating heretic that he was, it seemed Celestia wanted to test just how far his ambitions went, handing over to him not just the Electro Gnosis, but the string of fate that kept him tied to Celestia like a puppet. But he’d show that it wasn’t like that, it was the other way around, they were the puppet. And he, the puppeteer.

When the sun had dipped beyond the mountains that crowned the horizon, and stars sprinkled the sky above, surrounding the moon like a halo, your attention was dragged from the flower that rested in the palm of your hand. The clearing of a throat made your body jolt, blood freezing in your veins. Had your time come already? You looked down to the soft purple flower in your hand, scissors at the ready to cut it off, to behead it. What a delicate, defenseless creature, it was. What was the point to flowers, if not to remind of the fragility of life?

Finally giving in and glancing back, you were more surprised to find not your soulmate, but a single Fatuus, one of the personal guards that had been with the Harbinger earlier. In his hand, an envelope, sealed with the insignia of the Fatui. His hand was silently outstretched to you, no words necessary. You couldn’t decline.

Taking the letter from the Fatuus, you gently broke the seal, pulling out a single sheet of paper. Unfolding it, written in messy ink, were three simple words. “Come see me.”

Once again, there was no room for denial. Flipping the paper over to scan the other side just in case, you found it blank. A waste of paper, but you supposed it lined up with how these types acted. You almost wondered why he didn’t just have the Fatuus speak the message himself, since by the looks of things and how he silently waited, he was your escort.

Pulling your gloves off, you set them and the large scissors aside. It wasn’t that you were so silly not to think of keeping them on you as self defense, rather, you had a feeling gardening scissors wouldn’t fare well against a Harbinger. Not to mention, your escort likely wouldn’t allow you to so blatantly have something like that on you, even if they didn’t pose much harm in the end.

Each step you took away from your garden, closer to what you could only surmise as your end, felt like a weight pushing heavier on your shoulders. Each step sealed your fate, each step thundered in your ears. All so loud, yet the city was quiet, not a single soul haunting the streets. They knew. It was never good news to have so many Fatui in their home city, so they locked themselves inside their homes. Perhaps you should’ve had the foresight to do the same. But you couldn’t bear being in that house. It was no home.

You had never ventured beyond the lower levels of Sumeru City. There was no need to. You had been to the Treasure Street for the occasional grocery that you could not find from the locals on the outskirts, and you had bought many a flower seeds from the Grand Bazaar. But no more than that. You could hardly call yourself a local of the city.

You were escorted into the city, through the streets, up the slopes. You could only imagine one place you were being brought to that was viewed as worthy enough to house a Fatui Harbinger. The Akademiya. You had never been close to it, let alone inside. You were never interested. You had only ever heard bad things about it. That thought only made the anxiety in your gut churn more, your heart thumping against the confines of your chest. You couldn’t imagine what his intentions with you would be. To kill you? It made the most sense. What use for someone like The Doctor was a soulmate?

You felt your feet hesitating at the grand doors of the Akademiya. Was it really okay for someone like… you to be stepping inside such a place? It didn’t feel right for you to be stepping into such a grand place, regardless of the opinions you held of it. But the Fatuus waited, holding the door open for you to follow. You reminded yourself you didn’t have a choice, stepping foot through the large doorway.

You didn’t have much time to admire the grand architecture of the entrance, your attention swept away by the rushing fountain in the center, a chandelier in the shape of leaves turning the water into an array of greens. But before you could truly admire the almost otherworldly serenity of the entrance, you were led out another door. Tiled stone floor changed into wood, as if the path ahead had been carved from the very tree itself. You knew the upper echelons of Sumeru were something else entirely, but this was even greater than you had imagined. It almost distracted you from the fact that you were walking straight into the lion’s den. You were offering your neck to the wolf.

You were quickly dragged back down to reality as you climbed higher and higher up the pathway, weaving through itself, until finally, you had arrived at your destination. Death’s door.

Hidden beneath the overlapping slopes and paths that led higher into the tree, while small, stood three grand gazebos. Each housed a flower unlike anything you had ever laid your eyes upon, glowing ethereally in the night. It felt as though you had stepped into a completely separate world, tucked away into such a small nook. It would have felt magical, unreal, if not for the very real threat that stood before you.

You didn’t know much when it came to folktales, but you had heard whispers over the years of ravens, of how they were bad omens. How, if you saw one, it meant death was going to follow. They were harbingers of death. You supposed it was fitting how much the man before you resembled one, how he struck the very same fear in you. Where there were ravens, there was only death and decay.

“It’s good to see you,” he spoke with a grin, as if you were old friends, turning to cast his masked gaze onto you. Instinctively, you took a step back, your mind screaming at you to keep space between the two of you, but that’s when you noticed the escort was gone. You were alone with him. Not that having the escort there to witness your murder would have made you feel any better.

“Now, now, no need to be shy! I only wish to speak to you, to get to know you better,” he said as slowly paced around, but made no effort to come any closer to you, thankfully for you. His voice was incredibly smooth, clear and concise, yet silky all the same. It was certainly an interesting voice for a character such as himself, but you couldn’t imagine any other voice that would suit him. Everything, even down to the finest detail, spoke to you about exactly who you were speaking to. Even though his actual defining characteristics were hidden beneath cloak and mask.

“What would you like to know?” You spoke up. Your voice was the exact opposite of his, quiet, gone in the breeze if you didn’t listen close enough. Thankfully, it seemed the man before you caught that right away when you gave him your name, finely tuned in to the sound of your voice.

He paused his pacing for a moment, standing just a couple feet away from you. You could only assume he had turned to look at you, it was hard to tell with his eyes hidden beneath that mask. “The prickling in my skin. I take it, it's from the thorns of your rose bushes?”

Your hands flinched, squeezing them together as you held them in front of you. So he had felt that. You wondered what else he had felt. “It was. I don’t always wear my gloves.”

Though you couldn’t see it, his eyes lingered on your hands, on your fingers. On the many scars that littered the skin of your hands, how they disappeared beneath the sleeves of your shirt. He let out a small hum, on a train of thought. Though he had tuned out the mild prickles years ago, he had not forgotten where he felt them. All the way up to his collarbone. Certainly strange for just trimming rose bushes. Perhaps at some point, you had taller thorned plants? His thoughts were distracted by a particularly big scar in the center of your left hand.

“May I see your left hand?” He asked, offering you an outstretched hand, standing just close enough to inspect your hand. You hesitated, fingers tense. Once again, you were left unable to deny his request. Your throat squeezed, wondering just how much longer this would go on.

Your hand slowly, shaking, stretched out to meet his, his fingers brushing against your palm with a surprising level of tenderness, like you were a fragile porcelain. He ran a gloved hand over yours, humming. It was the same exact spot that he had stabbed his hand in. He didn’t realize you would feel it so much that it would leave a scar.

“My… apologies. This one was my fault,” he spoke softly, his voice losing that penetrating tone to it, leaving only its silky softness behind. Though it had certainly piqued his curiosity to see how much of his pain you could feel, he wasn’t in the mind to needlessly harm either of you. It wouldn’t warrant any worthwhile results.

You could only furrow your brows in confusion. Wasn’t it completely normal for someone in his position to get injured every now and then? Why blame himself? Not to mention, wasn’t it completely not normal for a Harbinger to apologize for accidentally hurting someone? It felt strange for someone as high up as him to be apologizing to someone as lowly as you.

“It’s no matter, I’m used to such things,” you said, pulling your hand from his. He could only let out another contemplative hum, something you were quickly noticing about him, he was very vocal, even when only in his thoughts.

“So you’re a florist then? Do you sell your flowers?” He asked, turning back to face the single flower beneath the gazebo. And even though you knew it wasn’t smart to follow, you stepped closer as well, admiring the flower up close. Its fragrance was faint, but unlike anything you had ever smelled. You wondered if you could perhaps sneak a seed or cutting for your garden.

“I don’t sell. They’re just a personal hobby.” Your gaze was glued to the petals of the angelic flower, your fingers running across its surface without a second thought. It felt like silk, much similar to his voice. “I never caught your name.”

You knew his name, or at least what he was referred to as. The Doctor. Second Harbinger. But you didn’t know much beyond that. You were barely clued in to the world around you, you were lucky enough to recognize who he even was when he stood before your little garden. And at the very least, you were interested in trying out your soulmate’s name yourself.

“For now, you may refer to me as Dottore,” he said. It sounded familiar enough to you, though you doubted it was his real name from the way he said it. “And, you should consider selling! I’m sure some people would be very interested in them. In fact, I was curious about a specific flower I saw.”

Your fingers tensed on the petal beneath them. He had mentioned it when he saw it before, but you didn’t think he would care to bring it back up. You should’ve known better. “What about it?”

“It’s meant for someone, isn’t it?” Dottore’s lips curled into a grin, stepping into your bubble. You could already tell he loved violating people’s boundaries. “Let me guess. Are they a secret buyer? They must’ve offered quite a bit to request such a thing of you. Or perhaps, they’re not willingly taking it.”

You didn’t dare look up to him, the petal between your fingers the only thing keeping you grounded. When you didn’t speak to clarify, you heard him chuckle. “Ah, that must be it, you have that look of guilt written all over your face. So, who is it for? Someone who offended you, who wronged you in some way? Someone who has something you want? Do tell, I’m quite curious to know what could cause my soulmate to do such a thing.”

Soulmates. They were a curse. You were cursed to have a soulmate like Dottore. Perhaps Celestia thought its bonds out more thoroughly than you gave them credit for though. You let out a small sigh, your hand dropping to your side. You stepped away from Dottore, freeing your space of his intrusion. When you looked up to face him, the ethereal light from the flower cast upon his face, your eyes landed on his lips. It was hard not to look there, to notice the subtle movements, given you couldn’t look him in the eye.

“You’re right, it is meant for someone.” You could almost see his face lighting up, like an excited child, though he kept it under wraps. “Since you’re already aware, you know what would happen when consuming water hemlock. The most toxic part is the root. Within thirty to sixty minutes of consumption, the human body will begin to experience nausea, projectile vomiting, and tremors, followed by severe cramps and convulsions. Most cases end in death. There are even cases of it being as quick as fifteen minutes.”

“My, my, you’re unexpectedly well versed in this. Now I’m even more curious to whom you’d give such a painful death to,” Dottore spoke with more interest than you cared to acknowledge.

Murder was wrong. This was instilled into you since the day you were born, it was a fact that was built into most as deeply as converting oxygen to carbon dioxide was. But, you couldn’t help the idea that, perhaps this rule wasn’t entirely right. There had to be exceptions, the rule had to bend sometimes, right? Take the man across from you for example, did he deserve to live? But it wasn’t for you to judge. The only person you could judge was yourself.

“It’s for me.”

That seemed to stop the train of thought going through his mind completely. His stare fell onto yours, meeting half way. He should’ve known. Now that he was truly looking at you instead of through you, like he did with all the other faces, he could see it in your eyes. The empty gaze, eyes that should have held life but had none to be found, the eerie silence that followed you. Perhaps you were more like him than he realized.

“I see. So you plan to… end your own life? When?” Dottore tilted his head, a curious inflection in his tone, though he couldn’t ignore the twinges of anxiety creeping up from within.

“I’m not sure,” you answered honestly, turning to look out into the stars beyond. You weren’t quite sure why you were telling him either. Perhaps it was because you knew he wouldn’t stop you. Why would he? This was a man who had no qualms with taking the lives of those who caused him minor inconveniences, without consequence. Not to mention, if he did truly kill you like you were suspecting, then it wouldn’t matter. Either way, your life was soon to end. “I haven’t planned a date yet. Preferably I’d do it when I’m far away from home, where no one will find me. I don’t want to burden them with handling my body. Though I feel a little guilt about it now that I’ve found my soulmate, it doesn’t change my plans. I’m going to die soon.”

That was certainly a twist Dottore wasn’t expecting. While the thought to just kill you and be done with it had crossed his mind, he ultimately decided it would be more interesting to push the limits to your bond. And if nothing ever came of it, perhaps then he’d reconsider. But that was based on the idea that you wanted to live. Even in his line of work, it was rare for him to come across those who so willingly forfeit their chance at life, those who took their fate into their own hands. Normally, he wouldn’t have been interested, and he knew that he shouldn’t be interested now either, yet his curiosity for his soulmate couldn’t help to beg the question- “Is there any reason in particular? Or have you simply grown tired of this dreary world?”

He couldn’t say he blamed you if that was the reason. This world, for all of its boundless mysteries and information to offer, still was not truly worth living for. Not in its current state. And with the way your brow twitched, your gaze falling from the stars back down to reality, he could tell he had struck close with his words.

“That’s basically the reason. I…” You paused, finally looking back up to him once more. This was your soulmate, the one Celestia deemed fit for you to spend your life with. But why? As far as you could tell, there was absolutely no correlation between you, nothing to spark a connection. You were exact opposites. You didn’t know much about him or the Harbingers, but you knew there was one big thing separating you two. “I’m not sure how well you’d understand. You’re so full of ambition, despite your… line of work. You’d never let anything stop you from reaching your goal. That’s why I don’t understand why we’re soulmates. I don’t have any ambition. No motivation, no drive to achieve anything, I don’t strive for anything in this world. The only thing I have are my flowers. But flowers won’t get you anywhere. They’re worthless.”

You stopped yourself before you could continue any longer, before you could spill your heart out so easily to the last person you should, turning away from him once more. He couldn’t see how pathetically weak you were. How worthless you were. Worthless as the flowers you needlessly grew, worthless as the vibrant colors you drowned your vision in day in and day out.

“I can’t say I see the interest behind growing flowers,” Dottore began, holding a finger up to his chin, as if in thought. As if thinking of the words to say. “But there is knowledge to be found in it. You’ve already discovered that for yourself with the water hemlock. No doubt it was tricky going out of your way to acquire seeds, then grow them outside of their natural environment, yes?”

Despite the mask, you could feel his gaze cast down upon you, your own eyes lifting to meet his stare. It was strange. Strange how easy it was to hold this conversation with him, how easy it was to show him things you had never spoken about before. Stranger so how you didn’t mind talking to him. You nodded in agreement, Dottore humming as he crossed his arms.

“I think with a nudge in the right direction, you could find this ambition you look for in your flowers. Have you ever considered becoming an apothecary? You could look past the skin deep level of the flowers and their beauty, and discover different uses for them, different effects they might have. It could be a very interesting line of work.” His lips cracked into a smirk, making you tense. “I would be interested to see the kinds of poisons you might develop.”

You couldn’t help the way your brows scrunched in distaste. Of course that was where his mind went. But you couldn’t deny that his idea had you intrigued. You never thought about testing out the effects the plants you grew might have. You could try growing medicinal herbs, or even as he had suggested, try making more potent things. Though it was already a well explored field, it still wouldn’t hurt to at least give it a try. Your fate was in your own hands, for the most part. If it didn’t work out, nothing would change.

“I suppose I could try… but if it doesn’t go anywhere, I’ll likely still…” you trailed off. Why now, was it so hard to say? You didn’t like the feeling it gave you, creeping up into your heart, taking hold and squeezing. It hurt. More than what you were used to.

“Of course, I won’t stop you if that’s what you wish,” Dottore spoke, taking a step forward, standing before you. “But if you’d like, I’d be happy to give you a hand. I am nothing if not a scholar, and if my soulmate wishes to pursue knowledge, I will gladly offer them the resources necessary.”

Your hands squeezed into tight fists, forcing your face to stay as neutral as possible, though you were sure he noticed the excitement suddenly bubbling within you. Was this truly the same man they said had no morals, was willing to try anything in the pursuit of knowledge, even so much as experimenting on people? The comment he made before no doubt confirmed that, but you still had a hard time believing he was being so… kind to you. Did the bond have some kind of effect on his mind, making him unwillingly show you kindness? You had never heard of such a thing. Some soulmates had no qualms about outright killing each other, even though it would cause them great pain. Perhaps he was only interested in the knowledge he could potentially gain through you, if you were to somehow make a breakthrough in that field. Perhaps he was only interested in finding subtle weapons to use, though he could easily make those himself. Either way, you wouldn’t look too deep into it. He was offering you resources to expand your garden, and he didn’t say growing more flowers was against the rules. The only rule was testing them for potential effects.

But at the same time… This was a Fatui Harbinger you were dealing with. Even just standing here, talking with him, could damage your reputation. It could send unwanted attention, dangerous attention your way. Anyone associated with him likely had to face a lot of trouble, and you weren’t exactly strong by any means. You weren’t really sure what you were signing up for.

“I’ll… have to think about it,” you said. Dottore’s smile thinned for a moment, before he stepped back, his hands behind his back.

“Very well. I’ll give you time. I’ll be in Sumeru for a project for a few days, but you’re welcome to visit any time. My guard will be stationed just outside the Akademiya, you can speak to him if you wish to see me.” He paused for a moment, as if thinking, before he stretched a hand out to you. “Shall I walk you back?”

Your gaze dropped to his hand. Your train of thought before had made its round back into your mind, wondering if he was normally this kind to everyone he worked with. Unlike before, you didn’t hesitate so much giving him your hand. Your eyes widened, heart giving an especially hard thump as his hand trailed past your palm, over your wrist and up your arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake. His arm wrapped around yours, interlocking them together loosely like a link. And with that, he gently pulled you along, leading you back the way you came.

As you left the serene garden of silence, you turned to look up to Dottore’s face, the moon shining beyond his visage. You couldn’t wrap your mind around it. Just when you were on the brink of ending your own life, toeing over the edge, your soulmate stepped into your life, stopping to smell the roses. And though you certainly weren’t expecting someone like him, you couldn’t say you were very deterred in getting to know him.

“If you were a flower, I’d say you would be a Cerastium Tomentosum, or a snow-in-summer,” you spoke, catching his attention as he looked down at you from beyond the mask, and for a moment, you swore you saw red. A vibrant, deep, uncommon red.

“I’ve never seen it.”

You weren’t surprised. If he spent most of his time in Snezhnaya, he would have never laid eyes on them, not even here in Sumeru. It was just too humid for them to grow here, much to your disappointment.

“I’ll try to grow them for you so you can see them,” you said. A moment of silence passed, before Dottore’s voice brushed against your ear, more quiet than you were used to.

“I look forward to it then.”

A smile tugged at your lips, looking down at the path beneath your feet. This wasn’t so bad, you supposed.

Once he had led you through the Akademiya’s entrance and back out onto the large platform, slopes leading back down into the quiet city, he stopped. Looking up to him curiously, disappointment bloomed in your chest as you lost the warmth wrapped around your arm, brushing at your side as he stepped away. “I’m afraid this is as far as I can go. It’s not wise for someone like me to be seen skulking around the city at this hour.”

You didn’t let your disappointment become apparent, instead giving him a small smile. “That’s okay. Thank you for walking me this far. And… thank you, for the offer. I will genuinely consider it.”

Your voice faded, hesitating, the words tingling on the tip of your tongue. “I’m… glad I got to meet you. You’re certainly not the one I was expecting, but… talking with you was a lot more pleasant than I thought it would be. I would like to see you again.”

His smile was quickly growing on you, sweet like honey, addictive like sugar. You were sure it was a manipulation tactic he had simply integrated into his being, unconscious of it, but you couldn’t deny how seeing his lips quirk up at your words made your chest bloom with heat. His hands reached out for yours, requesting it once more, and when you offered it to him, you found yourself surprised as he bent, leaning down. His lips, like a gentle breeze passing in the night, brushed against your skin, against the scar he had unknowingly left.

“I would like that as well.” Your name slipped past his lips like it was completely natural, like you weren’t complete strangers, but instead deeply woven into each other’s lives. You could say that you might be.

You couldn’t help the beat in your step as you made your way back home. What did this mean for you? If you were to agree? Would you see him more? Would he travel to visit you, bringing with him resources he gathered from all over the world just for you? Or would you go with him? You couldn’t imagine there being many places in Snezhnaya to grow a garden, not unless it was in a green house with a well maintained temperature. But with his knowledge, perhaps that was as simple as gardening was to you. Ideas overflowed like a well, like your heart had already accepted the deal and was just waiting on your mind to catch up, so much so that you barely noticed the disarray that you were walking up to.

The well of ideas and ambitions dried, leaving only an aching emptiness in your heart, an emptiness so vast, so deep, like sinking into the bottom of the ocean, swallowed whole by darkness. The colors, the kaleidoscope of vividry you had spent all your time cultivating was now nothing but a dull, muddied puddle. A single shaky hand reached for the wilted roses, trampled into the wet mud, plucking a single rose off. A small prick dug into your finger, maroon pooling at the tip, staining the petal.

A hand gripped your wrist, squeezing, twisting. A voice in your ear, words passing through, demanding to know where you had been, but you couldn’t hear it. Their voice was distant, muffled, as if underwater. Or perhaps you were the one sinking, held under the ocean’s crushing weight by their hand. With a yank of your wrist, the wilted flower tumbled weakly from your hands, your eyes following it as you were tugged inside. And then the door closed.

Fingers began to mildly ache, stretching them out before curling them back around the pen in his hand. The metallic tip of the pen tapped against the clipboard, humming in thought, though those thoughts weren’t about the notes he was writing. Dottore clearly remembered telling you he was only going to be in Sumeru for a few days. Yet, three days had passed and he still had no word from you. You had not once come to see him. But he didn’t want to rush, so he waited. But then, another day passed, then another. And now, his patience for you had him falling behind schedule. Perhaps this was your way of turning down the offer. He truly hoped that wasn’t the case, not only because it was downright rude, but also because he did have an interest in maintaining a pleasant relationship with you. It wasn’t often soulmates worked out so amicably, and he thought you had been rather delightful to hold conversation with.

But he couldn’t wait any longer. It wouldn’t be long before his plans take effect, and he’d rather get things sorted out with you before everything is set in stone. And that led him down to the outskirts of Sumeru City once again, standing in the very same place where he had first met you. Only, instead of finding your little piece of the world that you had filled with the color and life you yourself seemed to lack, he was met with a soulless husk devoid of color. All of your flowers were gone, wilted into the dirt, puddles of mud drowning what were once vibrant roses. It was as if you’d doused the entire garden in water, trampling the flowers until they were nothing but dirt.

One thing immediately stood out though. The water hemlock, the flower you had grown solely for taking your own life, was gone. Not stomped into a pulp of mud, but dug up. Gone.

What could have caused such a drastic shift in action? You had seemed fine for the most part the day you spoke, not happy, but you certainly spoke as if you still had time, more than five days. Was it his offer? Perhaps you’d realized what you were walking to, what it would be like having a Fatui Harbinger as your soulmate, especially one like him. The thought caused a subtle, but sharp pang deep within his chest. It was a shame. He didn’t mind your presence.

Lifting a hand, his knuckles gently rapped against the wood of the door, at least making sure no one was present in your home before intruding. He remembered you saying you would do it far away from home, but on the off chance that you had gone through with it here, he had to check, had to find your body. It was strange though, with the way you described the symptoms of consuming the plant’s root, it sounded as though it’d be quite painful. Surely he would have felt similar symptoms, and yet, there was nothing. He did vaguely recall an unusually painful ache a few days ago, but he thought it was because being hunched over in your garden for too long would cause such pains. If you were here, and not dead, he’d have to tell you to refrain from being in such a position for too long.

The door suddenly swung open, derailing Dottore’s train of thought as his eyes fell on the smaller woman before him. Though it wasn’t you, he could spot similarities between the two of you, perhaps a relative?

“Who are you?” She spoke, her voice shaky with age, but it certainly didn’t mellow out the attitude with which she spoke. It seemed she didn’t recognize him. Dottore wanted to chuckle at the thought, wondering how she would react upon learning who she was speaking to, but he didn’t have time for that.

Questioning your whereabouts, the woman furrowed her brows at him, eyeing him up and down, before huffing. “Oh, it must have been you. That worthless child took off in the middle of the night, I thought they were going to see you. I guess not.”

No, he supposed not. It seemed you were going forward with your plan, disappearing in the night and taking the water hemlock with you. While he did say he wouldn’t stop you, he at the very least wanted to see you, to find out what had been your final push over the edge. “Do you have any idea where they might have gone?”

“They like to explore around the cliffs outside the city. If you see them, tell them to hurry back home, there’s things to be done,” the woman said, before unceremoniously slamming the door in Dottore’s face. That certainly was an interesting interaction, one that he would push to the back of his mind and never think about again.

The cliffs outside the city. It was more like a ravine that cut around Sumeru City, separating it from the smaller half of Sumeru. And while it wasn’t particularly deep, one wrong step would most certainly be their last. It also wasn’t very far away from your abode, less than a half an hour walk before he found himself standing just before its edges. And sitting on its edge, he found you.

Guilt nipped at your heart, tugging, as if trying to bring you away from the brink you had been pushed to. You had just met your soulmate, and he had offered you an unimaginable deal, and yet… you still couldn’t stop yourself. If anything, you wanted him to magically appear, to finally address the strange pains you knew he felt, and whisk you away into a better life. Or as much better as it could get, going from this to being associated with a Harbinger. But you knew that wouldn’t be the case. He wouldn’t appear, he wouldn’t save you from this fate. Why you even expected him to, you weren’t sure. He was, by all accounts, an evil man. He had even said he wouldn’t stop you. So why did you want him to?

You glanced down to the root in your hand. Just a single whiff could make you violently nauseous. A taste was testing fate, and asking for a horrid stomach ache. But to downright consume it… was to sign your name over to death. You saw it a fitting death, letting the only thing you’ve ever loved in this world consume you. You’d give your very life over to the only thing that couldn’t judge you. Flowers didn’t see flaws. But despite that, your mind kept drifting back to your soulmate, to Dottore. Against your expectations, he was rather kind to you. Much more so than those who you called kin. It was strange that a Harbinger could afford you kindness, but the same could not be said for the people who were supposed to give you kindness as a bare minimum. Perhaps that was why you so wished for him to appear, to take away that which should have never existed in the first place. Because he was the closest to kindness you had ever been. Even now, days later, you could still feel his gloved fingers on you, brushing up your arm. If only he had lifted your sleeve up, maybe he would have seen more, would have seen it fit to keep you at his side instead of letting you return home.

But that wasn’t the case. That wasn’t your fate. Your fate was here. This was the end of the line, this was the end of your—

“There you are.”

The blood in your veins froze. Your thoughts fell quiet for what felt like the first time in years, perhaps in your whole life. And all you could hear was the slow thump of your heart, beating against the cage that was your ribs and lungs. Looking back, you met the masked gaze of your soulmate, who stood alone just behind you.

“D-Dottore? What are you doing here?” You looked up to him in confusion, brows furrowed. Why was he out here, in the middle of nowhere? He was supposed to be in the city, busy with his work. He was supposed to be too busy to notice your disappearance.

“You never returned to tell me whether or not you agreed,” he spoke. His gaze landed on the root in your palm, your fingers wrapped tight around it. “I suppose this means no then.”

Your gaze fell from him to the grass that gently waved with the breeze, brows knotted tightly in a crease. It wasn’t meant to be a no, it was meant to be a… potential future that was unable to be met. Your demise was meant to seem untimely. He wasn’t supposed to find you here, as much as you had wished for it deep within your heart.

“It’s not… a no. I actually didn’t even need time to think about it, I already knew I wanted it. But…” Your fingers squeezed tighter around the root, staring down below the edge you sat upon. “Something happened, and I just… couldn’t take it anymore.”

Your eyes snapped from the ravine your legs dangled over to the movement beside you, spotting his dark boots as he stood on the very edge. “Your garden, what happened to it?”

He must have seen it then. He must have visited your home, and seen the destruction. A lump in your throat had you struggling to pull your voice from within.

“It, um… was a punishment. My parents don’t really like when I leave without permission…” You barely muttered the words out. You were ashamed. You were a fully grown adult, yet obeyed to the whims of your parents. But what else could you do? They kept you shielded inside your whole life, you barely knew how the world worked. You barely knew how to function as a human outside of your garden, and it had been ripped away from you.

“I see. Yes, I believe I met your mother, she was rather unpleasant,” Dottore spoke, and you couldn’t help the humiliation that crawled up from the pit of your stomach. You wanted to ask what she said, you wanted to apologize, but he didn’t stop there. “Why not just kill them? You’re fully capable of it.”

The blood drained from your face, staring up at him with wide eyes. That was what set you two apart, you were in completely different worlds. He was completely indifferent to murder, while you…

“I can’t kill my parents, that’s insane! Regardless of anything they’ve done, I still love them,” you said, rising to stand up, to meet his eye. Dottore clicked his tongue, grabbing your wrist, yanking you towards him.

“You continue to love them despite the fact that they offer you nothing in return?” Dottore spoke, and before he could continue, you cut in.

“They offer me shelter, they make sure I don’t go hungry!” You exclaimed. But your words fell on deaf ears as he went on, his hand squeezing, though not tight enough to cause you any pain.

“And yet you’d rather take your own life than live with them a day longer. You’ve already made the decision that someone’s life needs to end, but why choose your own? If you’re capable of taking your own life, surely you’re capable of taking the lives of those who would do you harm? They haven’t offered you a single drop of love, yet you stand here and claim to love them? I think perhaps you’re just a coward—”

“That’s enough!” You shouted, your free hand moving of its own will, striking him across the face. The mask that he wore, the mask that kept his secrets wrapped in a neat bow, was ripped from his face, falling to the dirt with a silent clatter. And what was left behind in its place were vibrant, brilliant, unusually red eyes. Such a vivid color, so uncommon in nature, it reminded you of your garden, of the colors you had grown with your bare hands, such a color you could let yourself sink into, disappearing in its waves. But just as soon as you met his gaze unshielded, reality came crashing back down on you, realizing what you had just done. “Oh, no, I-I didn’t mean to, I’m s-sorry—”

“You’re willing to strike someone like me, someone of my stature, but you can’t find it in yourself to stand up to the ones who are supposed to treat you only with love…” His empty gloved hand came to fall on your cheek, brushing against the skin so softly you would’ve thought it was the wind if you couldn’t see him. “You are a strange one.”

He was one to talk. You would have been more confused about why he was treating you so gently even after you had struck him, but you were much more distracted with absorbing his unrelenting gaze. So deep and vibrant, like staring into a blood moon, like staring into a sea of red roses. Perhaps he was less like the snow-in-summer you imagined, and more like roses of the reddest shade. Not quite original, but your mind couldn’t help drawing the connection.

“If you are so unwilling to end their lives, why not just come with me? It would be a waste for your life to end like this,” Dottore spoke. You sighed, finally dropping his gaze as you looked to the ground beneath you, pulling your wrist from his grip. Though you didn’t step away from the hand that rested against your cheek.

“I don’t just want to leave them. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain,” you mumbled. It felt different just leaving them than to take your own life. “I want them to finally… notice, to care. Even if that means ending my life. If I just ran away from them, it would only make them more upset with me.”

“It is not worth wasting your life hoping to get the attention and love of people who will never care. They caused you pain…” Dottore spoke softly, unnaturally so for someone like him. But as his voice trailed off, drifting into his thoughts, he realized something. Those aches and pains he had felt, they weren’t you. They weren’t poor posture, they weren’t for lack of caring for yourself. They were hurting you. And the sharp pains, like rose thorns prickling him all the way up to his collarbone…

Dottore suddenly grabbed your wrist once again, pulling a startled yelp from you as you dropped the root, his gloved hand running across your wrist. He let out a contemplative hum, before pushing the sleeve of your shirt up your arm.

“W-Wait, that’s—!”

“Did they do this to you too?” Dottore asked, blood red eyes on the many scars that were littered up and down your arms. Unlike the scars on your hands, they ran much deeper, bled much heavier. They were intentional.

“No, no, that wasn’t them, they wouldn’t do that!” You exclaimed, yanking on your arm, trying to pull yourself free from his iron grip.

“Then who? You?” Dottore pressed, and with that, you hesitated, and that was all he needed to answer his question. So that was it then. All those times, all those prickles of pain running up and down his arms, for all those years, it was you. It was yourself, it was intentional. “You were cutting yourself.”

A humiliation unlike anything you had ever felt flooded through your veins, screaming at you to run away, to never be perceived by this man again. You turned away from him, squeezing your eyes shut, unable to meet his eye. He must have thought you were so weak, so pathetic. He must have thought it was a joke, that he received you as a soulmate. And you thought it a cruel torture. Someone as powerful, as unstoppable as him, stuck with someone as worthless as you…

Gloved fingers brushed over the skin of your arm, grazing over scars both old and new. It wasn’t a concept that was new to him, taking out internal pain externally on yourself, whether out of immediate frustration and wanting to focus on a different kind of pain, or wanting to write your flaws across your skin as a reminder of what you were. He could equate it very literally to wearing your emotions on your sleeve, something he held a strong disdain for, but he also couldn’t deny that he was very familiar with it.

Dottore ignored the way you jumped in your skin as his thumb brushed over your chin, turning your head to look at him, to meet his eye once more. “Are you… ashamed?”

Your eyes jumped away, not wanting to close them, but too scared to look him in the eye. Nobody had ever seen so much of you, so much of your vulnerabilities. They weren’t supposed to.

Once again, your silence answered his question, a soft sigh escaping his lips. “There are no such words that could take away the urge humans have to harm themselves when they feel less than adequate, when they feel they don’t deserve to exist. I am familiar with the concept of hating one’s self, of causing harm to yourself.”

This took you by surprise, finally looking up to meet his eyes, so vivid, so red, so bright under the sun hanging above. Each and every little thing about him was defying your expectations. How could he possibly hate himself when he had so much power, when he could live life however he chose, with no one to stand in his way?

“But in your case, you’re judging your worth based on what people who will never care think. You’ve been unable to flourish, trapped in a cage, following the whims of people who think nothing of you. ” His other hand dropped from your chin, sliding down to squeeze your shoulders, where he had undoubtedly felt your pain for all those years. “You carved a special place for your pain, so it came back to hurt you every night, reminding you of all the flaws that had been driven into your brain by blind people. People who can’t see the invaluable worth in you.”

Not once, not once in your whole life, did it feel like anybody ever saw you. All the faces in your life, all of their gazes, they went straight through you, never once seeing beyond the surface. They never cared, not your parents, nobody. Nobody would have bat an eye if you had gone missing any sooner, because they had never seen you in the first place. And yet, the second you had met your soulmate, regardless of the kind of person he was, he still saw you. He could see every little flaw of yours, the flaws you wore on your skin, and even still he treated you with a kindness far greater than anything you had received from those who were supposed to care, from those who were supposed to give you kindness as a bare minimum. It was almost laughable, the Il Dottore, being a kind person. It brought to life a flutter deep within your chest, taking hold and blooming within your heart.

A streak of warmth running down your cheek snapped you out of your stupor, finally able to pull yourself free of his hands, turning your head away to hide your teary eyes. Wiping away the warmth that had welled up in your eyes with a sniffle, you stepped away from Dottore, bending over to grab the forgotten mask on the ground. But just as you turned back to Dottore, your eyes widened to find his heel crushing the root you had dropped before.

“Oh, I didn’t see that there,” Dottore spoke with a grin, sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight. “I suppose you’ll just have to grow another one if you intend to continue with your plan.”

Your heart thumped against the confines of your chest, lips curling into a smile. “It could take me months to grow another one like that again.”

“Then I suppose we’d better get to work. I still have to spend some time in Sumeru, but after that, I’ll take you to Snezhnaya with me, and you can grow a proper garden there,” Dottore spoke, coming to stand before you. You let out a small chuckle, glancing down to the mask in your hands. You still couldn’t believe someone like him was your soulmate. Everything about him contradicted each other. He held himself with pride, yet apparently held disdain for himself. He was amoral, if not totally evil, yet he still managed to give you the kindness that had been deprived from you.

For most people, having a soulmate could be considered a curse. It was hard to find the one on the other side, and even then, some of those who did found themselves with people they could never love in any capacity. Where did you fall on that scale? If you gave it time and nurtured it like a flower, you could see this blossoming into something much more. And the thought only made you more excited to pursue this new opportunity, to open a new door and never look back.

Holding his mask out to him, you gave him a smile, burning the image of his ruby red eyes into your brain. “Then, shall we go?”

Taking the mask and slipping it back on, Dottore offered you his arm, to which you happily accepted. He returned your smile in full, your heart fluttering at the sight.

“Let’s.”

[tags - 18+, VERY LONG STORY, romance, love triangle, sexual content, canon typical violence, graphic violence, descriptions of blood, gore, themes of body horror, themes of psychosis, death, amnesia, use of Y/n]

[notes - PLEASE READ THE TAGS. As stated in the tags, this story is VERY LONG. If you get reading burnout easily, this may not be the story for you. Should you choose to read it, I HIGHLY recommend taking breaks often. This story was made in an attempt to reach a goal I've always had of writing a book with 100 parts. It was also made to improve my writing. Chapters 1-50 are old, and aren't written as well. Plots were picked up and dropped, and characters are ooc. However, it's still a readable experience, with breaks. You WILL have to take breaks. I'm posting this on here to advertise my story, in the hopes of finally reaching my goal of 100k reads. Should you choose to read, I thank you]

[NOT PROOFREAD]

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Spiraling

Goku was a strange man.

Despite being the one to come into your home and insist his care upon you for a price, he was surprisingly solitary. He kept his distance, hardly ever spoke outside of checking to make sure you were taking care of yourself, and would just up and disappear at times. You didn’t know where he went, and you weren’t sure you should even ask. He already gave you bad vibes, but he was caring for you much better than most doctors would, so you didn’t say anything. It wasn’t like you could do much in the scenario that he did turn out to be some psychopath maniac. Even with his expert treatment, you still had a stab wound in your side. You weren’t fighting fully grown men nearly double your weight anytime soon. 

Goku sat at the end of the couch, which he had somehow scrubbed clean of your blood, a book opened in the palm of his hand. It was one of the random books you had somehow managed to acquire despite rarely ever purchasing them. A generic reprint of Wuthering Heights, you gathered from the slightly obscured cover. You never did enjoy classical literature. You couldn’t get past the older style prose, or the frankly psychotic characters. Even though he gave no reason for you to feel so, Goku reminded you of Heathcliff. You felt bad for whoever may have been his Catherine. 

The tv played at a low, almost silent volume, your attention only barely tuned into the local news. Somehow, you got the feeling that Goku wasn’t into medical soap operas or anime, and you wanted to be hospitable to your guest, so you put on something that could stave off your boredom without being annoying. You realized you were assuming quite a lot about him, but it was hard not to when he was borderline mute. 

Just as your mind began to wander on what type of person Goku might have been behind the wall of silence he put up, a familiar scene on the television caught your eye. Though instead of the view you hazily recalled, the scene was now surrounded with police tape and investigators of all types. It was the same exact street you had been walking down the night of your attack. 

You had been returning home from eating out. Cooking wasn’t exactly your forte, to put it lightly, and you decided to just get some cheap ramen just down the street from your home. It was a street you had walked up and down countless times, even at night. And while it was considered a safe area, it was still a big city, the biggest around. No city could guarantee complete safety, and you had found that out the hard way. Apparently, so had someone else. 

“No way,” you muttered, eyes wide, your attention fully on the screen. Through your peripherals, you could see Goku’s gaze turn up from his book, his dark eyes on you. “S-Someone else also got attacked in the same place I did, the same night...” 

But this was different. Unlike your attack, which had clearly been done by an amateur in the spur of the moment, this was much more brutal, it was downright evil. They had been burnt alive, to the point that they were unidentifiable. There was no way it was related to your attack, right? But it was so close. Just a short few minutes away. You remembered walking through that part of the street just shortly before your attack. Had you been a target? Maybe they intended to return for more. Maybe they intended to dispose of your body in a similar fashion. You felt sick to your stomach all of a sudden. 

“There’s no way our attacks weren’t connected,” you spoke, your voice just barely audible as your thoughts ran too fast for your voice to keep up. And then a thought crossed your mind that silenced the noise in your mind. You looked to Goku with wide eyes, your gaze returned with what you could only assume was complete indifference. “D-Did you see it?” 

Goku was silent for a moment, before returning his attention back to his book. “I’m afraid I didn’t. It must’ve happened just after I removed you from the scene.” 

The way he worded it sounded almost wrong. You wanted to believe him, you truly did. But you knew that was because you didn’t want to think about the other possible scenarios. It was hard not to let your anxiety run rampant though, when you also had another realization. The news made no mention of the evidence left behind by your attack. You knew there had to have been evidence by the amount of blood you had lost. Despite how hazy your memories were of everything, you still vividly recalled lying in a pool of your own blood. You were bleeding out there. There was no way they hadn’t found it. Not unless it had been cleaned up. 

Suddenly Goku saving you seemed all too convenient. How much time had passed between your attack and Goku finding you? You had lost so much blood, you were on the verge of dying, it felt like hours and seconds all at the same time, and your memories were too blurry to really judge how much time had passed. But you knew it couldn’t have been much because he still had time to take you home and save you before you bled out. So, there shouldn’t have been any way for him to miss an attack as brutal as someone being burnt alive, even if it happened around a corner. 

The nauseous wave of sickness from before suddenly wrapped tight around your heart, as if to squeeze and silence it. Perhaps your attacker wasn’t as amateurish as you previously thought. Because your prime suspect seemed to know exactly what had been punctured, and exactly how to treat it. 

Your own home suddenly felt like a trap. You were but a small mouse, caught in a trap, completely immobile. You could walk, but you knew if you tried, Goku would follow you, and there was no telling how far you’d make it without complications. You couldn’t run. You were trapped in your very home, with potentially the very same man who had attacked you. You were a target. A target wrapped neatly in a bow and ready to be taken however he pleased. 

The book snapped shut, your entire body jerking, as if trying to jump away from the danger that sat right beside you. Pure black pools that gleamed in the sunlight peered down at you, and you almost thought you could see your own reflection staring back at you through his empty eyes. He hummed, standing up. 

“Try not to linger on the events of last night. Your attacker won’t be bothering you anymore,” Goku said, adjusting the sleeves of his shirt. He turned back to face you, that indifferent, unreadable face looking down at you. You wondered if it wasn’t indifference, but rather that he may have been covering up his true emotions. Possible depraved emotions. “I’ll begin on your lunch now. Call if you need assistance.” 

Was it normal for murderers to care for their victims? Maybe you had assumed too much. You knew it was possible for him to really just be an anti-social doctor traveling from out of town. But the timing, and the way he acted, all seemed suspicious. It seemed like too much of a stroke of luck that someone like him had been the one to find you. Not to mention the fact that he never reported the attack to the police or turned you over to the hospital. His reason for being enough wasn’t adequate, he was definitely keeping you out of sight. He was keeping your attack under wraps. 

You turned off the tv. You didn’t need any more added stress. Just thinking about your potential fate, thinking about if you’d meet a similarly brutal end, it felt like your heart was going to pop. If only you hadn’t been stupid enough to leave your phone on the charger in your bedroom. You could get up and get it, but risking a fall seemed like a good way to put yourself on Goku’s radar and make him suspicious. Then again, you could also use it as a way to test him. 

“Actually, could you do something for me?” You asked Goku before he could disappear behind you towards your kitchen. At your words, he halted, stepping back into your field of view. You feigned a smile, nerves frying with every passing second, almost losing your breath as you forced your voice out. “Could you get my phone for me? It’s in my bedroom.” 

Goku made a small noise of agreement, stepping away once more. And, much to your surprise, he brought you your phone. Either he was the stupidest murderer of all time, or he truly wasn’t worried. As if he didn’t have anything he felt he needed to worry about. Were you just overthinking things? Coincidences were possible. And despite the convenience of the timeline, there actually was no telling how much time had passed between the other victim’s murder, and your attack. It could’ve happened hours after your attack, which was why Goku hadn’t seen anything. For the time being, all you could hope for was the police finding the man responsible for the murder. And perhaps in turn, they would find your attacker. If not, you could always go make a report yourself after your recovery, if Goku really was innocent. You could even get his help. You were trying to think positively, because your heart couldn’t take any more stress. 

The conversation that took place on the balcony the night before lingered in Black’s mind as he mindlessly prepared your lunch. Caring for a human wasn’t difficult by any means, so long as you never found out that he wasn’t actually a doctor. He could tell you had become suspicious of him; it was easy to see the switch of fear flip inside a human. He could practically sniff out fear in them. Normally, it was a thrill Black chased, but something about your fear felt different. Perhaps it was because he had gone out of his way to save you. You had seen the violent nature of those around you, and yet you hadn’t shown any signs of that same instinct. You weren’t actively planning your revenge, you weren’t angry at the world around you. Or perhaps he just hadn’t spent enough time around you to see it. Either way, so far, you didn’t match his ideas of mortals. You weren’t acting out violently. And that made him all the more interested to see how your attack would change you. 

Though he didn’t have all the time in the world. He had to return, to take care of business. Not only that, but Black was being actively hunted. He couldn’t give them any chances to catch him. He wanted to use this chance to further experiment, without sacrificing his plans. He just had to hope his partner wouldn’t screw things up, seeing as how he was practically trapped here until Black was ready to leave. 

Carefully and slowly, you sat yourself up as Goku approached you, a plate of salad in hand. It was strange to you, eating three healthy meals a day. You had never been very good at taking care of your diet before, often eating microwave dinners or takeout. You didn’t exactly have the greatest job and rent in West City wasn’t cheap. Healthy food was a luxury to you. 

“Where are you getting this food? I’m pretty sure I didn’t have lettuce in my fridge,” you spoke with a smile, thanking him as he handed you the plate. Now that you were sitting up, it felt like there was even more space between the two of you as Goku sat at the end of the couch. 

“I went out and got it myself,” Goku said. And while it went unbeknownst to you, Goku hadn’t exactly acquired your groceries the way you were thinking. Though that was a piece of information he conveniently kept from you. 

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that, thank you.” You shot Goku a smile, trying to push down your anxieties that threatened to crawl up from the pit in your stomach. He was doing a lot for you, a lot more than it made sense for a murderer to. Goku hummed, his gaze drifting to the floor as he rested his chin on his fist. But the more you thought about everything he was doing for you, the more you wanted to investigate, the more you wanted to find out about what happened behind the attacks. If Goku was related to them, or if he really was just a witness with both bad and great timing. 

Clearing your throat, you set your fork down, turning your body and giving Goku your full attention. This seemed to catch his own, his gaze turning to you in slight surprise. “I really have been meaning to thank you properly, for everything. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. All you had to do was report seeing me, but you went above and beyond to save and treat me, and now you’re taking care of me. I still feel like I owe you for this. When I get better, just ask for anything, and I’ll try to do it.” 

Goku’s eyes widened slightly, and for the first time, you got to see an emotion that wasn’t complete indifference or something along those lines. He looked genuinely taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected you to be grateful for his work. And that made you wonder if he expected you to not care, to expect his treatment. Something about the way he looked so surprised by you appreciating him made you happy, your grin lighting up. You wanted to show that you were truly thankful to him, for everything. Those thoughts helped to push away your anxiety, realizing that your attacker likely wouldn’t be doing all of this for you, he wouldn’t care if you were thankful if you were simply a target. That didn’t mean you wouldn’t investigate further, but you had your doubts it was Goku. For now. 

Though you were unaware of it, your words had far greater effect than what was revealed on the surface. A sincere thank you was the very last thing Goku, or rather the man beneath the mask, Black, expected to hear. He had prepared himself for every possible scenario that he could imagine, except for that. Something within him stirred, like the dust had become unsettled, and something unknown began to swirl within his heart. An anxious feeling began to settle in its place as a realization slowly began to dawn on him. You, a mortal, a human, had just thanked him. You were sincerely thankful. It was wrong. You weren’t supposed to be thankful. You were supposed to be demanding, accusatory, rude to him, anything but sincere. 

Your eyes widened with a small gasp as Goku flew up from his seat suddenly, retreating in the direction of your kitchen. You wondered for a moment if you had said something wrong, or perhaps he was shy. Though shy didn’t quite seem like the right word for a man like him. Maybe more like brooding. He left to absorb the fact that you were actually kind to him, possibly. You didn’t want to assume. It was getting increasingly hard to not assume things about your mysterious caretaker. 

A small ‘ping’ caught your attention as your gaze turned down to your phone, the screen lighting up with a notification, a message. 

A single hand gripped the edge of the counter tightly, the other going to his chest as Black let out a strangled breath, his thoughts tangling up in each other as they swirled through his brain. This wasn’t right, it went against everything he knew about humans. Humans were cruel beings fueled by fresh hatred for each other. He had seen it with his own eyes when you had been attacked by a random stranger on the street. They didn’t care for each other, seeking out the thrill of bloodshed, even of their own kind. They were violent, they were malevolent, they were not kind as you seemed to act. That must’ve been it, it was all an act, a ruse, because there was no way you were thankful to him. You weren’t dumb, and neither was Black. Black knew he was your prime suspect in your attack. You were suspicious of him, possibly even blamed him. So why would you show such sincerity, if not because you were after something? That must’ve been it. 

But that didn’t explain the burning in his chest, like his heart had been disconnected, like you had played with the strings of his heart like a harp. You were an angel of cruelty, and his torment was your melody. That was what this was. Black was regretting this experiment. He didn’t want to be disproven about his ideas on mortals. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. He had to see this through, had to see how you would handle this situation, under the pretense that Black was possibly your attacker. That was what he convinced himself with. 

Just as Black was finally beginning to calm his heart and thoughts down, a loud thump echoed through the apartment, accompanied by a muffled cry. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he was running through the apartment towards the sound before he could even tell his legs to move. 

Goku failed notice the loud snap of the lock breaking as he ripped the bathroom door open, his gaze immediately fixing on the tub. The shower was running, steam fogging the room, the rushing water making Goku deaf to the sound of his thumping heart. Blood was smeared against the tiled wall, against the wall of the bathtub, and on the floor laid you, eyes empty as your own blood rushed free from the cut to your gut. Your bare thighs were drenched in red, water washing away each wave of blood that spilled out. 

You were barely conscious of his touch as Goku lifted you up into his arms, ignoring as your own essence stained into his clothes, soaking through onto his skin. His arms wrapped tightly around you, your face pressed into his shoulder as his lips drew near to your ear. “Close your eyes.” 

You did as he said. Just like last time, you were wrapped in a warmth akin to a hug, but this time, it was so much brighter. It burned through your skin, coursing through your veins, filling you with vitality. It was unnatural. 

When Goku finally set you down, it was on the cold hard floor of your bathroom. His hands were busy wrapping gauze around your waist, lucky for you that you had kept it in your bathroom. Your brain was blank, energy drained despite the rush of vitality you had just gotten. You didn’t even have the energy to think about what that even was, or how he was capable of such a thing. 

“You should’ve asked for help,” Goku mumbled, his voice faint under the sound of the rushing water. You wanted to joke back, say that you didn’t want to seem like a pervert asking for help with a shower. But the heavy taste of metal kept your tongue still, as if weighing down on it. 

As he finished wrapping the gauze almost too tightly around you, you felt his hand drift up your side, and suddenly you were all too aware of the fact that you were stark naked. His hand was hot on your skin as he squeezed softly, his eyes meeting yours. His pupils were blown out, turning his already dark eyes into an endless night, completely void of stars, void of any light. 

Goku didn’t know what had come over him. He didn’t know why he reacted the way he did. One thing he was sure of though, was that he could not let you out of his sight anymore. It had only been a short few minutes, and you had already gone and got yourself hurt. Were you possibly upset with him for leaving? Or just plain foolish, forgetting that your gut had been practically split in half? Whatever the reason, Goku could see that you were not fit to be left alone for the time being. 

Lifting you back up into his arms, Goku held you close as he turned, leaving the bathroom. The sound of the running water turned faint as he closed the door behind him, though you didn’t have the energy to worry about your water bill as he carried you toward your bedroom. 

“You’re not fit to be moving around right now. You strained your body by standing for too long, and you’ve worsened your injury. Until your injury improves, I’m afraid you’ll have to stay in bed. Once you get better, I will help you clean yourself. For now, you will rest.” 

Your mind was slowly drifting, teetering on the thin line between conscious and unconscious, and you didn’t process the fact that he was offering to clean you. Your mind was preoccupied with trying to keep your grip on reality, focusing on the way his chest vibrated against your ear with each word he spoke, his fingers digging into your thigh and shoulder as he held you tightly. 

You didn’t notice you were still soaking wet until he laid you down on your bed, skin prickling with goosebumps as you felt the chill of damp sheets beneath you. And when he disappeared from your side, you suddenly missed his presence, yearning for him to come back, his voice and touch the only thing keeping you tied down to reality. 

You had nearly slipped into slumber when he finally returned, holding a towel. He sat beside you, taking the towel to your wet skin, dabbing it dry with the gentlest touch, as if you might fall apart at the slightest pressure. It was a real possibility too. 

The only thing breaking the contact of skin was the towel as his hands glided down your body, palms firmly pressing against you every now and then, warming the skin there. You wondered how someone of his physique could possibly be so gentle, how he had such control over his strength so as not to hurt you as he maneuvered your body, drying your thighs. Your mind was so far gone in the depths of exhaustion that you couldn’t even understand how vulnerable you were, how intimate this would normally seem. 

Once your body was dry and warming up, Goku rose from where he sat beside you, moving towards your closet. After a brief moment, he returned with a large shirt, one long enough to cover what was not hidden with underwear. He lifted you up just enough to pull the shirt over you, before wrapping you up in your blanket. You couldn’t help the small smile that tugged on your lips as you relaxed in your bed, the pain having subsided and allowing your body to rest. 

Goku leaned over you, his eyes holding your gaze, watching as you struggled to stay awake. His fingers brushed against your cheek, brushing aside a strand of hair. “I am sorry if that felt violating. I will leave you to your rest now.” 

Goku’s fingers lingered on your cheek a moment longer, soaking in the warmth of your skin, before finally breaking the contact and stepping back. And the minute his eyes were no longer fixed on you, your eyes fell closed, falling into a deep slumber almost instantly. 

But instead of leaving you alone, Goku instead found a place leaning against your wall, relaxing as his gaze remained trained on you. He couldn’t let anything happen to you again. He had to keep you alive, even if it meant devoting all of his time and energy to you. You couldn’t survive without him; you were entirely dependent on him. He was your lifeline right now. And you... you were special. Black couldn’t quite place it, but he knew you were special. You weren’t like every other human, you weren’t cruel. Even though you were suspicious of Black, you were kind to him, you treated him with respect. It was a quality Black had not found in any other mortal. And that meant he had to keep you alive. Even if it was just an experiment. 

Just as Black was finally beginning to relax, allowing the tension in his shoulders to disperse somewhat, a noise from outside your bedroom caught his attention. And it was then that he felt a presence, very close by. He hesitated, his eyes stuck on your sleeping form, before leaving you as he made his way back into the common room of the apartment. 

The sun was setting, putting an end to another day of Black’s time here. Another day he had cared for you, another day he had evaded being caught. The orange of the sky bled into the room, streaming through the balcony doors. And piercing through that light was a long shadow, the shadow of a person standing on the balcony. They turned around, pitch black eyes meeting empty grey ones. 

“You took your time. What, did she not want to sleep?” Zamasu asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice as Black stepped outside. Black huffed, though he didn’t respond to Zamasu’s question. Zamasu wasn’t interested in you or the state of your health, so there was no point explaining things to him. Zamasu could tell Black wasn’t interested in continuing the subject, so he moved on. “How are things coming along?” 

“Fine,” Black muttered. Things were not fine. But he knew Zamasu wouldn’t accept it if Black told him there was a mortal who might actually be good. Besides, Black didn’t know you quite yet. He would have to spend more time with you, find out more about your personality and opinions before he could truly say whether or not you were a good mortal. 

Zamasu hummed, brows furrowed, but he didn’t say anything more. He could tell there was nothing to be said. That, or Black didn’t want to confide in him. That just meant that things weren’t going according to plan. And Zamasu would have to find some way to change that. 

But for the time being, he would follow along with Black. Trapped in this timeline, there wasn’t much Zamasu could do to make things go his way. Not while they were being hunted down. For now, he would just have to lay low and wait until Black finally made up his mind on their next step. 

But their plan depends on whether or not Zamasu would actually agree to it.

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷

Death's Door

A vile, putrid smell filled the night air as a dark crimson liquid splattered across the ground.   

Gasping for breath, you collapsed to the ground, your attacker taking off in the dark of the night. You gagged as the taste of your own blood filled your senses, the very essence of your life spilling from your mouth. You attempted to push yourself up, blurry eyes scanning for any sort of help, but a gargle of a gasp escaped your lips as your arm slipped from under you, your face smashing into the sidewalk below. You couldn’t even utter a sound of pain, your body stilling as you lay in a puddle of your blood. 

Your hands squeezed the soft flesh where you had been stabbed, tears brimming in your eyes as you wished you hadn’t even risen from your bed earlier that day. You choked on a sob as you realized the sight of the sidewalk stained in your blood would be your last. You would never get to go back home, get cozy, and watch tv or read books for hours on end. You would never get to talk to your friends or family, or find that one special someone. You were doomed to lie here on the cold, hard concrete, the moon’s light reflecting off the fluids pouring from your body. 

As that feeling of hopelessness began to set in, you barely heard the nigh hysterical screaming off in the distance. It didn’t even register in your head that something was going on, not even as a pair of white boots stood in the river of your blood. Your eyes fluttered closed with the cold comfort knowing that at least someone saw your death. 

Or at least, that was the feeling you recalled upon your “passing”, but as light began to rouse you from your slumber, you groaned in annoyance, peeking your eyes open. As you took in your surroundings, staring at the curtains covering the open window as they blew in the gentle breeze, your eyes widened. 

You were in your own bedroom. You stared with wide eyes, full of shock as you scraped your mind for your most recent memory. You very clearly remembered being attacked, but your memory after collapsing grew fuzzy. Perhaps it had all been a dream? You lifted the blankets off, your breath catching in your throat as you spotted the maroon stains splotched across your shirt. Swallowing thickly, fear gripping you, you lifted your shirt hesitantly. Just as you pulled the cloth up, you squeezed your eyes shut, as if terrified of what kind of sight might be awaiting you. 

You pushed those fears into the back of your mind, trying to reason with yourself that there was nothing wrong. Perhaps you had managed to crawl your way home and wrap yourself up. The fact that you knew nothing of first aid prodded at your mind, but you ignored the thought as you opened your eyes. You looked down in surprise to see bandages neatly and meticulously wrapped around you, as if done by a professional, or perfectionist. You wanted to be thankful for the sight, knowing that you had survived the attack, but a particular thought began to make your stomach twist with anxiety as you tried to remember how you were taken home and treated. You knew realistically it couldn’t have been yourself, so how? 

Just as the thought crossed your mind, a small creak from within the tiny apartment you lived in made you jump, your skin crawling as you realized there was only one reason this happened. A hazy memory made your hair stand on-end as you remembered someone had been there. Someone had seen your body, you were certain. 

Pulling your legs from the blanket, you were careful not to make a single sound as you tip-toed toward your closet. Carefully opening the door, you grabbed an old, discarded metal bat you’d long forgotten in your closet. You clenched your jaw at the thought of having to fight someone, your injured side aching and begging you to lie back down. Furrowing your brows, you held onto the waning feeling of bravery as you made your way toward your bedroom door. 

You failed to notice the moving shadow beneath the door, taking a deep silent breath as you reached for the doorknob. However, just before you could lay a hand on it, it twisted from the other side. You stared blankly, as if to let your brain process the action, freezing in place as the door opened. Your eyes met a pair of pitch-black eyes, the sight of a lumbering man towering over you making your bowels nearly empty themselves as your heart plummeted to your stomach. 

Without a second’s more hesitation, you let out a shrill screech, swinging the bat with all your strength. The man’s eyes widened in surprise, the bat coming to an abrupt halt in the palm of his hand. He gripped it tightly, ripping it from your grip, your heart thundering in your chest as he glared at the bat, dropping it on the ground. 

A hysterical cry escaped your lips as you fell onto your bottom, scrambling backwards, your back hitting your bed frame. The man looked down at you with furrowed brows, almost like he was merely annoyed. Your eyes welled as you stared up at him, waiting for him to attack, to spew insults or demands. But your eyes widened in shock as he crouched down to your level, holding his arms out as if to show he wasn’t going to make any sudden moves. 

“Calm yourself, mortal, I mean no harm to you,” He spoke, his voice smooth and soft, speaking gently in your presence. You stared at him in a mix of horror and confusion, taking a closer look at his appearance. His sense of style matched his odd way of speaking, with his hair sticking out wildly in every direction, defying gravity. He wore a dark martial arts gi, confusing you even further, unable to make a single sound in response. He sighed deeply, his dark eyes meeting yours, as if staring straight through you and looking into your soul. “I happened to witness your attack last night and took care to bring you home.” 

“H-How did you know where I live?” You managed to question, worst case scenario thoughts intruding your mind, such as the idea that you had a stalker. The man smirked, sending a chilling shiver down your spine as he pulled out a card, your driver’s license. You let out a deep sigh of relief at the sight, taking the card as he handed it to you. You couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of dread building in your gut, staring at him nervously as he rose to stand. “Wh-Why?” 

“Hm?” The man looked down at you in confusion, a brow raised. His lips twitched downward into a frown as he processed the question. Indeed, why, why did he feel it necessary to go to such lengths, and for a mortal? 

He sighed, running his fingers through his bangs as he feigned a smile to the best of his abilities. “I just felt compelled to help you. However, that makes you indebted to me now.” 

You felt your face pale, squeezing your shirt in your fist to still your shaking hands as you opened your mouth to speak, the word barely spilling out, “I-Indebted?” 

“That’s right. You see,” He paused for a moment, as if to think of his next words carefully. He gave her a soft, almost deceiving smile as he held his hand out to her. “My name is Son Goku. I am here to observe.” 

His vague words only made you question his intentions more, glancing between his sickeningly sweet smile and his outstretched hand. Hesitantly, you placed your hand into his own, noting how calloused and rough his skin was. Goku pulled you onto your feet, his fingers ghosting over your shoulder as he made sure you stood steady. As you stood before him, his tall figure still leaving you feeling small, you cleared your throat. 

“What do you want from me? Money? Y-You can take anything, I don’t care,” you said, rubbing your shoulder nervously as you looked away from him. Goku let out a light chuckle, holding a hand to his mouth, as if to hide his smile. 

“No, that won’t be necessary. I just simply want your help in my research,” Goku said. You looked up at him with wide eyes, the feeling of dread from before growing exponentially. Just what had you gotten yourself into? 

After that, you quickly discovered that Goku was not someone you should be associated with. You couldn’t quite place it, but something was off about him. The first thing that sent the alarms in your head blaring was the fact that he insisted he stay with you. You had questioned why he didn’t get medical help for you, and he said his help was “more than adequate”. Which appeared to be true, as your stab wound had quickly begun to heal. You had little issues with it, and even when it reopened, Goku was swift in treating it. 

It had only been a few hours after getting acquainted with Goku that your injury reopened the first time. You were sent spiraling into a world of pain, dropping to the ground with a sudden thud. Goku whipped around, eyes wide as they landed on your shaking form. 

“Dammit...” Goku muttered, a hint of annoyance in his tone, but you couldn’t care less about that at the moment as searing hot pain shot through you. You hissed in pain, curling into a ball as you squeezed your side, staining your hand and your carpet with your blood. Your eyes widened as you felt Goku’s hand on your shoulder, prying you from your curled position. “I’m going to need you to close your eyes for me.” 

“Wh-Why!?” You exclaimed, much louder than you had intended. Goku furrowed his brows, giving you a cold, stern look. 

“Do you want to see your own blood spilling out? If so, then by all means, keep watching,” He spoke, his voice making you want to curl further into a ball. But you did as he demanded, closing your eyes hesitantly. 

Immediately, you had to suppress a shiver as you felt his rough hands grab your shirt, pulling it up to reveal blood-soaked gauze. Careful not to harm you any further, Goku pulled the bandages off your skin, maroon fluid pouring down your skin like a river. A strangled whine left your lips as you covered your mouth, resisting the urge to fight Goku’s touching hands. 

You felt Goku press his palms to your injury, what you thought was him applying more gauze and cleaning the blood. Your eyes shot open as you felt a soft, almost comforting warmth engulf you, looking down to Goku with wide eyes. 

Goku leaned over your injured form, eyeing your wound carefully as his hands firmly pressed to your skin. You swore you saw something glimmering with light before Goku scoffed, glaring at you. “Close your eyes, woman!” 

A yelp escaped your lips, eyes squeezing shut. You heard Goku let out a huff, returning to his work as he applied pressure to the wound. Despite the pressure, the warmth of his hands seemingly took away the pain, and before you knew it, he had pulled his hands away. The skin where he had touched you froze, and you almost wished he hadn’t removed his hands. You had to wonder just how much blood you lost if you were freezing in the middle of the summer. 

“Try not to move around too much,” Goku said. As his voice pierced the silence, your eyes peeked open, looking up at him. Just as you were starting to take in his eyes, a small gasp pushed past your lips as he lifted you up into his arms. You couldn’t bring yourself to say a word though, still trying to swallow down the faint taste of metal. He laid you down on your couch, which you noticed already had blood stains on it. So much for keeping it clean. He must have dressed you there the night before. 

“Is it bad?” You asked, though you should have known. You felt like you skyrocketed past level ten on the scale of pain. That knife was definitely not legal carrying size, you felt like it stabbed straight through your chest and back. And all for a couple of zeni, you didn’t have any money on you. 

“Your inferior epigastric vessels were perforated, and your small intestine had some tearing. You will die if you don’t let me treat you,” Goku said. The tone in which he spoke was completely flat, as if entirely uninterested in your health, whether you live or die. Was this truly the man who saved you? Now you could see why he felt you were indebted to him. This was just a chore. 

“I-I’m sorry. I can just go to a hospital, you don’t have to do this for me.” You looked down, avoiding his gaze. Even if he was a seemingly good doctor, you’d rather have somebody that actually cared. 

“I do have to. And you will pay me back. I’ve done this much for you already. Be thankful.” Goku pulled away, stepping back. You watched as he walked into the bathroom, grabbing some gauze and a towel. You guessed he allowed himself to explore your apartment while you were asleep. You supposed you couldn’t complain; he was treating you for what sounded like a deadly injury. You didn’t know, you weren’t a doctor. 

Returning with the tools in hand, Goku knelt by your side, pressing the towel to the injury. It wasn’t seeping blood as much as before, and when he wiped the blood away, that’s when you noticed it. The wound wasn’t sutured. He must have been one hell of a doctor to keep it closed without suturing it. 

“Which hospital do you work at?” You asked, trying to fill the silence between the two. You only just now realized you were assuming his occupation, but from your eyes, it was obvious. The way he spoke, and how he treated you screamed doctor. Or so you assumed. 

“Excuse me?” Goku looked up to you in confusion, as if the question made no sense at all. You wondered if maybe he just wasn’t aware of the other hospital, clearing your throat. 

“You know, do you work at West General or South Shore?” You asked. A beat of silence passed, the two just staring at each other, Goku’s eyes widening slightly. And then you wondered if you were wrong about your assumption. A doctor was the only reason you could think of as to why he was so well versed in anatomy and diagnostics. You thought serial killer, but then it didn’t make sense that he was saving his victim. A little counterintuitive, right? You even wondered if he was the one who attacked you, but you didn’t recall your attacker wearing martial arts clothes, his hair styled in a way that you wondered how many containers of hair gel it took for one day of styling, or the pure white boots that somehow weren’t stained despite stepping in your blood. Only doctors and serial killers were sticklers about everything being pristine, and only doctors saved people. Then again, a killer doctor wasn’t unheard of. 

“Not from here,” Goku muttered, his eyes dropping from your gaze. You wanted to question where he was from, why he was here in West City, but he rose to a stand before the words could leave your mouth. “No more moving. If you want to live, I suggest you lay there and don’t move. I will handle your meals from now until you are healed.” 

“How long will that be?” You asked. Goku hummed, turning around, his hands behind his back as he stared out the window walls that overlooked the bustling city outside. 

“Not long. If I treat you daily, about a week. If you have any plans, I recommend you cancel.” And with those words, Goku stepped away, leaving you on the couch. To where he went, you could only guess. Your kitchen was in the direction he had stepped in, so perhaps he was going to take a peek at your storage of food. He wouldn’t find much. 

The sun was reaching its peak in the sky, which meant that the injury you had suffered was now over twelve hours ago. That fact only further reassured you that you were in good hands. You wondered what you would have to specialize in to be so good at identifying injuries without having to look inside. 

Your eyes widened as Goku suddenly appeared at your side, his approach silent, setting a plate of food in your lap. It was the last food you’d expect too, a plate of steak and roasted veggies. The thought to ask if he had prepared it crossed your mind, but you were more concerned about if this food would actually make it to your other end. 

“Can I really eat this? Didn’t you say I had intestinal tearing or something?” You asked with a brow raised. You were no medical student, but you were pretty sure digested food leaking through a tear into your body would be pretty bad. 

“You’ll be fine. Eat it.” Goku wasn’t giving you much of a choice. But you didn’t want to argue, he was the medical professional. You did wonder if you could possibly put in a complaint though, his bedside manners were lacking, to say the least. 

The food was good. If he did cook it - and judging by how long he had left you lying on the couch, it was a high probability, you didn’t ask - then he was an amazing cook. Great at cooking, an almost flawless doctor, and he was traveling alone? If he was married, then his partner must have been completely secure and trusting. But then again, a married man wouldn’t be asking to stay with a stranger for a week, injury or not. 

Even though you only ate around lunch, Goku must have known you would be getting sleepy far too early to eat dinner. The sun was still fading beyond the horizon, and you were struggling to keep your eyes open. Goku sat at the end of the couch, a book that had caught his eye in his hand. You shifted slightly, your back aching from laying in one position for hours, your movement bringing his attention away from the book. 

“Am I supposed to be getting sleepy so soon?” You asked, half worried that you might be dying, half asleep. Goku sighed, the book in his hand snapping shut as he rose from his place. You watched him with blurry eyes, eyes that widened in surprise as he pulled you into his arms, holding you against his chest. Maybe you were being creepy, noting all of his good qualities mentally, but he was also very well built. He was more statue than human, it felt like your cheek was pressed against a wall and not his shoulder. 

“It’s normal. Your body is burning more energy than normal to heal itself. It’s why I fed you that specific meal. Protein and vitamin c promote soft tissue repair. You’ll feel sleepy for a few days,” Goku said. You hummed, relaxing in his arms as he carried you towards your room. You thought you had bad luck getting stabbed, but it seemed you were wrong. You must have had the best luck possible to have a doctor like him find you. If he hadn’t taken such good care of you so far, you would be putting up more of a fight to a stranger being in your home. Not that it would do you much good, he already knew where your home was. If he turned out to be crazy, you’d have to run away from your own home. But it still didn’t make sense for a killer to save his victim, so you didn’t let it worry you too much. Him saving your life earned your trust. 

Laying you down on your bed, Goku pulled the blanket up and over you. You smiled, thanking him, still nervous about doing much more movement after what happened earlier that day. Your eyes stayed on Goku as he walked around your bed, opening your window just a crack and allowing fresh air in. 

“If you feel any pain, call for me. I will be just outside,” Goku said, stepping through the doorway. 

“You can sleep on the couch if you want. You might have to lay a blanket over it though...” You muttered the latter part as you recalled the blood stains. They were dry, but you wouldn’t want to sleep on someone else’s blood stains. 

“There will be no need.” 

The door shut behind him before you could even process that answer. Your brows furrowed as you looked up to your ceiling, the flashing lights outside slightly muted by the curtains. No need? What was he, a vampire? 

Sliding the glass door open and stepping out onto the small balcony, the sounds of the city roared below. How people could live through this noise, let alone sleep through it, he would never understand it. It would be the equivalent of subjecting himself to torture. 

“Having fun?” 

The man chuckled, leaning on the rail, looking over the city. The flashing lights were sickening, but for all the different reasons. He looked down, unable to stop the small bubble of laughter that escaped his lips. “She thinks I’m a doctor.” 

“She already trusts you? That was fast.” The other scoffed. And that’s when he looked up to his guest, who floated beside the small balcony. Green skin that stood out from everyone else, poofy white hair pushed to one side of his head, and empty grey eyes stared down at him, unamused. “You’re wasting time here. We have no need for this timeline, Black.” 

“But it’s fun. No harm in having some fun. This is the experimental timeline, and we’ll build our paradise in the other,” the man, “Black”, said. The summer night breeze brushed against his dark bangs, turning his eyes up to the sky. He groaned, his smile falling. “You can’t even see the stars from here. I could never understand why anyone would subject themselves to this. It smells putrid here as well.” 

“So why are you here? We could simply go back, finish our plans. That boy, Trunks, is nothing but a blip in our plans, he doesn’t stand a chance at stopping us. Killing him would be a simple matter, if only you would actually go back—” The man was cut off as “Black” looked up at him in annoyance. 

“I think you forget who’s in charge,” he spoke, his tone dripping with a poison the other man didn’t dare test. “I’m the one that initiated this. I’m the one that brought you to this point, Zamasu. I think you can be a little patient.” 

“I’m fully capable of being as patient as you’d like,” the man, Zamasu, glared at Black. “But it’s a difficult request of you when you won’t explain why we’re here.” 

Black huffed, standing up straight and turning his back to the city. He stared into the dark apartment, where you slept soundly, unaware of your guest. “I want to understand them more. See what makes them tick. What makes them so violent.” 

It was an interest that had been born when he took on the body he currently resided in. The body that made him mortal, and one of the most violent ones at that. He chalked his interest up to how the Saiyans were drawn to battle, had a thirst for blood and violence unlike any other. It was something even he struggled to reign in, especially since he was still quite new to the body. He’d only had it for a few weeks at this point. It made him want to know more about mortals. If they were all just as violent, or if some were different. 

He’d certainly been convinced that they were all violent monsters when he witnessed an attack the previous night. A woman had been minding her own business, walking home in the dead of the night, when even the city had finally gone to sleep. And out in the open, for no reason at all, she had been attacked and left for dead. That woman was you. He had to know more, and that led him to caring for you. He was curious to see if you wanted revenge, if you were going to seek out your attacker, surprise him with the fact that you were still alive, and kill him. 

“Mortals are certainly interesting beings, I’ll give them that.” Black chuckled, sliding the glass door open. “A few more days. After that, we can go.” 

And with that, the conversation died, and “Goku” disappeared inside the silent apartment.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Something about you pulled Goku in like a reel. Like you knew exactly what you were doing, slowly and carefully pulling Goku into a deep trap from which he could never escape. The deeper he fell, the more he wondered what sort of toxin, what sort of poison you must've slipped him that made him so dizzy for you. Just your mere presence sent his heart and mind into a spiral that went deeper and deeper, digging a hole in his heart. 

You invaded his mind at every waking moment. There was no peace from the insanity that you wreaked within him. No matter how much he ran, it felt like you were at every corner, waiting for him to fall back into your arms. The kicker? You didn't even know you did this to him. It was obvious in the way you acted; only getting as close as a friend comfortably could. You never initiated physical contact, never said anything remotely flirtatious. You were a best friend for all intents and purposes. 

Goku was not an emotional person. It wasn't something he quite understood. He didn't know how to react when overwhelmed with intense emotion. It festered deep inside him, worsening with every dream you appeared to him in, like an angel descending from the heavens just for him. Goku couldn't place what it was that had him following you like a sick puppy. He equally loved everything about you, from your bubbly, kind but shy personality, to the way your hair framed your face, shielding your sweet, soft skin from the setting sun. You truly were an angel in his world. 

After his emotions had overwhelmed him to the point of melting an irreparable hole in his heart, he had finally asked for help from his closest friend and confidante, Bulma. And that was when the final piece that he had been unable to see this whole time finally revealed itself, like a blindfold had been lifted from his eyes. He was madly in love with you, and had been for nearly two years. Two years of suffering in silence, watching you from the corner of his eyes at their gathering of friends. Two years of his chest aching with a pain unlike anything he had ever experienced watching you give everyone attention but him. Two years of his love festering and spiraling almost out of his control. Emotions weren't Goku's strong point. In fact, they were known to be explosive before. 

It all had happened so fast. Goku's life was always a blur, but it was too much, too fast. A fight had broken out, and Goku had to get involved. It unraveled faster than he could control. 

People die. It's a natural cycle of life. You live, you experience life, and you die. Goku had seen his fair share of death before, and often had to go out of his way to reverse it via the Dragon Balls. But this was different. Because this time, it wasn't just anyone, it was you. 

The very second Goku realized what had happened, he was at your side in an instant. You were just a small, frail human. Humans were fragile. You weren't supposed to be there, you weren't supposed to follow Goku, you should've stayed put where he had told you to. You never listened to Goku, and now it would cost you gravely. 

Blood trickled out of places you didn't know possible, namely your ears. They rang louder than the explosions going off in the distance. You couldn't hear Goku's voice as he lifted you by your shoulders, pain streaking through your body, burning you alive. You couldn't move your fingers; you couldn't beg your arm to lift itself and wipe the tears that streamed down his bloodied cheeks. 

People die, it's natural. You live and experience life. But you felt as though you had squandered your chance to truly live. You had been a coward, and never spoke of the feelings that had lingered within your heart, lest they be unrequited. 

Your lips, cracked and sticky with blood, parted as a whisper of your broken voice slipped out. You could only hope your words reached him, and your voice hadn't already failed you like your hearing had. 

“I love you, I'm sorry.” 

You felt Goku's fingers digging into your skin. He squeezed his eyes shut, lashes wet with tears, teardrops dripping down from his cheeks. A single thought crossed your mind as you realized you had never seen Goku cry. After all, he wasn't an emotional person. 

He pulled you close, your forehead pressed against his shoulder. Heat brushed against you, clashing with the freezing cold sensation that had begun to settle within you, like you were slowly sinking into a frozen pond. Spots blurred your vision, melting away into a darkness unlike anything you had ever experienced, like you were falling into a sleep from which you would never wake, your permanent slumber. Goku's jaw moved, like he was speaking, but no words reached you. Only pure silence, and the fading feeling of his warmth. It was cold, but you couldn't remember why anymore, and you couldn't remember why you missed the warmth. 

A moment of silence passed, and it was just the two of you in the entire world. If only it were other circumstances that caused this feeling, of being alone with you. And now you were slipping away, leaving him all alone. 

Then that moment passed, taking it with you. Your body grew cold and stiff, your last breath the scent of Goku as he held you. Laying you down to rest, his eyes lingered on the dull color of your own. It was the first time Goku had seen the life fade from someone's eyes, the vibrant color that had once made him smile now a far cry from the lifeless eyes that gazed up at him. 

Within the festering of his own emotions, a coil pulled tight, his fingers digging into your cold arms. If only he had paid more attention, noticed the danger you were in. If only he were stronger. You had depended on him, and he failed you. It was all his fault. 

And suddenly, that coil snapped, like he had blacked out. He didn't remember what happened, and only came to the day after. He thought it was a dream, until it was broken to him that you were still gone. Everything hit him all at once just like before, his chest burning, like his heart was simply going to pop. 

Against Bulma's recommendations, telling him he needed rest, Goku had left with the Dragon Ball radar. It was just like all the other times. He had seen people die before, and many times he had brought them back with the Dragon Balls. 

The minute your eyes peeked open once again, the vibrant color that Goku had come to know returning, you were suddenly smothered in a searing, suffocating kiss. Fingers dug into your soft flesh, holding you down against himself as Goku burned a kiss into your lips. You were all his now, and he swore to himself you would never leave his sight again. 

Your life never returned to normal. Goku was your best friend, you knew him as well as you knew yourself, but something wasn't right anymore. He didn't feel like the same person. Something about him had changed after your death. 

You first noticed a difference when he never left your side, and you swore his eyes never left you. The first few days after your resurrection, Bulma had requested you to stay at her place just to make sure you were all good. Goku never left your room, not even when you were sleeping. One night, you stirred awake, an unsettling feeling sinking into your stomach. Alarms blared in the back of your mind, the very base of your instincts telling you that there was a predator nearby, about to pounce. You could feel it, his eyes on you. Burning holes through your back. Never leaving you alone. 

You forced your panic deep down and closed your eyes, telling yourself to sleep. It was just Goku. He was your best friend. You knew him like you knew yourself. You thought you did. But this was new. 

Now every night, you were waking up around the same time, feeling his stare on you. Until the third night, when you awoke, something felt different. You no longer felt his eyes on you. 

Instead, you felt a pair of arms wrapped tightly around you, holding you against his chest. Your blood ran cold, your heart thumping wildly in your chest. You tried to calm your heart, reminding yourself that you were a couple now, but the way he had been acting every night made you wary. Was he awake? Did he know you were awake? 

Slowly, hesitantly, you turned your body over, turning to face Goku. You let out a nearly audible sigh of relief to see his eyes shut, mouth wide open as he snored softly. Perhaps you had been wrong about everything, and was simply paranoid thanks to your death. There was also the chance that Goku was paranoid as well, and hadn't been able to sleep the last few days. 

The thought helped to calm you, allowing yourself to relax against his chest. For a moment, it felt as though your life was finally falling back into normalcy. You failed to notice his grip on you tightening, his eye peeking open to look down at you. 

It felt like an eternity before Bulma finally dismissed you, saying you were in good health. You were excited to finally get to return to your home and get some proper rest. 

Then Goku followed you home. He was immediately following after you as you left for your home, whining about you leaving him. He gave you that goofy grin you always knew, but something about it felt off, disingenuous. You pushed it down, chalking it up to paranoia again. 

You let Goku into your home. It wasn't his first time being there, but this time, it felt like you had unleashed something into your house, like you were the prey that had its territory invaded by a predator. The grin that he gave you as he closed the door behind him, not bothering to hide as he locked it making your heart sink. 

He promised that it was just to keep you safe. You were fragile, as he had put it. It suddenly felt like you were trapped in your own home, the walls closing in on you as he stepped forward. He promised you he would never let anything happen to you again. You were all his now. He promised it. 

His fingers gripped your arms tightly, nausea swirling within you as love festered within him. Love turned into possessiveness, and possessiveness turned into obsession. He was hooked on the poison that was you, his delicate angel that he had to protect. 

His lips were against your own, teeth digging into your bottom lip, your eyes watering. Where had your love gone? This wasn't the same man you had fallen in love with before your death. You thought you knew him as well as yourself. You truly thought you did, but this wasn't what you knew. 

“I love you, I'm sorry.” 

Goku apologized. He knew his love had spiraled out of control. After all, it was a well-known fact that, despite not being an emotional person, his emotions could become explosive. He would never be able to let you go again. You were his, and he was yours. 

Something about you drove him to madness. Like you knew exactly what you were doing, faking your innocence, but he knew it was real. You were his innocent angel, who had no idea what sort of effect you had on him. But you loved him, and now you had fallen into a trap of his own setting. 

You were an angel, and he wasn't afraid to taint you with his love.

⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. You had a life once, hopes and dreams that you aspired for. You didn’t ever let life get you down, always looking on the positive side. And you felt like you were actually doing pretty good in life. You had your own home, friends and family. You felt like you were at the top of the world. You didn’t think anything could take you down, turn your world upside down. 

And then he appeared. Just plucked you up from the streets as you were walking home one day. Told you no one would miss you, that he was doing you a favor. In one fell swoop, your whole life had been ripped from your grasp, and you lost everything, at the hands of the mad scientist, Doctor Eggman. 

He had promised you a better life, said you were the first in a series of experiments to create artificial life. He had stripped away your humanity, turned you into a monster for his own use. He turned you against your own friends and family and forced you to attack your hometown as a “starting point”. You were his very first biotechnical android, trapped by the code he put in you, turning you into just another villain for his archenemy to take down. Your doom had already been sealed the moment he took you that fateful day, and the only thing you could do was watch. 

You let out a pained cry as your back hit the wall of a dark alleyway. As you slid to the ground, your bleary vision landed on the silhouette stretching before your feet, the moonlight casting the shadow of your foe. You tilted your head up, ignoring the pain that shot through your back and neck, your eyes immediately drawing to the bright red pools glaring down at you. You knew you were dead the moment you had become an android, but it was just your luck that you were up against the morally grey side of the hedgehog counterparts. Shadow the Hedgehog, once someone who had worked alongside the Doctor, now someone who went around destroying everything related to the Doctor, regardless of innocence. Not that you were innocent anymore, you knew you had to accept your fate, but Shadow didn’t make it any easier. 

You didn’t even bother trying to speak on your behalf. You were fully capable of it, you had freedom on that part. The only thing in your life you couldn’t control was the strong urge to destroy everything in your path. You couldn’t resist it; it was in your own coding to destroy without regard. So there was no point in trying to prove your own innocence. 

You couldn’t even fight anymore, Shadow had made certain of that. With your eye blackened and swollen, your bones ached and begged for you to stay down. Every twitch of your muscles made them throb, leaving you to lay on the ground, waiting for what you could only hope to be a swift end. But it seemed your luck wouldn’t allow that, as the sound of his approaching footsteps stopped just before you. 

You forced your head to lift just enough to see what the holdup was, brows furrowed in confusion as you looked up to see his face. The moonlight shone down through the cloudy sky, his body blocking the light from you, surrounding you in his cold silhouette. But through the darkness, you could see his bright red eyes, and the confusion in them. 

“Why?” 

You almost didn’t catch his singular word of question. Blinking, you looked up at him with wide eyes, your mind disoriented and foggy. You had even begun to wonder if you had imagined it, until you heard his gruff voice speak up, much more annoyed this time. 

“Why are you doing this? You look like just a regular person, you don’t have any business with the Doctor,” Shadow spoke, bending slightly at the hips, staring into your eyes. You could only look up at him in shock, astounded that he would even take the time to ask you such a question. From everything you had heard about Shadow, he wasn’t one to ask questions. He was more the type to act first, ask questions later, or so you had assumed. What was so different now? 

“Don’t make me ask again.” Shadow’s eyes squinted, his patience quickly thinning. You swallowed thickly, taking in a quick, shaky breath. You had your opportunity to explain yourself, so why? Why were you hesitating? 

You had nothing to return to. Even if you somehow got out of the situation you were in, you had nothing left. Your friends and family were gone, running away from you. Your home was gone, your whole life was gone. This was all you had left, all you were. The villain you had been forced to become had consumed you and became your entire identity. 

You didn’t even realize your cheeks were soaked with tears until you choked on a sob, squeezing your eyes shut as you turned your head away in shame. You didn’t have any right to shed tears, you were a horrible person, weren’t you? Even if you were forced, even if you tried to resist, you had still done bad things. You still had to accept your responsibilities and let go of the hope that you could go back to your old life. 

Shadow’s eyes widened as he watched you turn away, raising a shaky hand to your face, trying to wipe away your tears. He couldn’t wrap his mind around you, around why you were like this. You showed up without warning some time back, going around city to city just destroying with reckless abandon. Or so that was how it had seemed at the time, but with the way you were breaking down in front of him now, he had his doubts that you enjoyed it or even wanted it. 

“You don’t want to, do you?” 

Your hands slowed to a stop as you looked up at Shadow, your tears streaming freely now. Hesitantly, you shook your head, unable to open your mouth. You were surprised he had even deduced that much, but then again, Shadow had been defying your expectations since the second you met him. 

Shadow sucked in a deep breath as he stood up straight, before looking down at you with what you thought was an almost sympathetic look. Your eyes widened as a hand was suddenly stretched outward to you, your gaze snapping between the hand and Shadow’s eyes. You only took the hand when you noticed Shadow’s growing impatience, his eye twitching with irritation. 

“What did he do to you?” Shadow asked, pulling you up and onto your feet, leading you out onto the sidewalk. You rubbed your arm nervously, tempted to just make a run for it, knowing you were stuck like this no matter what. The look Shadow gave you told you it was a bad idea to even think about trying, making you exhale in enervation. 

“Turned me into an android,” You muttered, avoiding Shadow’s gaze. You closed your eyes, as if to try and block out the world, your voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t control it. Sometimes, it’s just an accident. Sometimes, he forcefully directs me towards places he wants gone. I was just a normal person before he took me away from my home. I can’t go back even if I wanted to, he made me destroy everything I cared about.” 

You didn’t open your eyes to see his reaction. You didn’t care to see it; you didn’t want to see the pity in his eyes. You didn’t want your enemy pitying you, unable to help you. What could he do? Besides destroying you, there was nothing Shadow could do to help you, as far as you were aware. 

“Your whole existence seems fuckin’ hopeless,” Shadow muttered, making your eyes snap wide open as you looked down at him, completely dumbfounded. You didn’t think you’d ever heard anything quite as rude as the words that had just come from his mouth. You could feel yourself bristle as your fists clenched, nearly splitting at the seams with anger when Shadow’s voice dragged you from your violence-filled thoughts. “You think your life is wrecked, huh?” 

Your eye twitched with anger, rolling your eyes heavily as you slumped down onto the edge of the sidewalk, your muscles aching too much to care about fighting him. Just as you sat down though, you felt Shadow’s presence just behind you, an almost evil smirk pulling at his lips as he bent down to your level. 

“Well, let me just say, you’re correct,” 

“Wait, what?” You looked back at Shadow with wide eyes, your gaze lifting from his shoes as he backed up, up to the small smirk on his face as you met his stare. 

“You’re a loser, a fucked up whiny bitch,” Shadow’s grin grew almost sadistically as he noticed you flare up with anger, your fists clenched as you tried to get up, your tired muscles keeping you down. However, just as you had begun to turn away and ignore him, you heard his voice drop to a mumble. “You’re a loser, just like me.” 

Slightly surprised, you tried to shrug it off as you hugged yourself, giving Shadow the middle finger as you faced away from him. “Thanks, asshole.” 

Shadow rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help the smile that graced his lips, an odd feeling blooming within him. He didn’t think he’d ever relate to anyone’s situation, let alone sympathize, but he supposed there was a first time for everything. 

“There was a time I thought no one could relate to me, but letting walls down can sometimes set you straight,” Shadow stood beside you, shooting you a small smile, as if to comfort you. But the glint of sadism hadn’t quite faded as his canines flashed. “We’re all living in the same shit sandwich.” 

You looked up at Shadow in shock, before an almost airy feeling washed over you, a giggle escaping your lips. And just like that, you had completely forgotten why you were mad in the first place, returning the smile as Shadow sat beside you. 

As the silence filled the air once more, your gaze was turned onto the full moon in the sky, basking in its cool blue hues of light. You sighed deeply, eyes drifting shut as you hung your head down. “I’m trapped and it gets worse with every hour.” 

Shadow stared down at your small, miserable form, before his eyes jumped to something in the distance, avoiding you as he spoke. “You’re a loser...” 

Shadow watched you bristle in the corner of his eye, making him smile as he continued. “But just maybe, if we eat shit together, things will end up differently.” 

And just as soon as he had angered you, Shadow had somehow stunned you into silence, your eyes staring into his. Your silence dragged on for an awkward moment, as if waiting for him to say some new obscenity to anger you, but it never came. You rolled your eyes, scoffing as you smiled. 

“You know, you make a pretty shitty friend,” You said, your words making Shadow chuckle softly. 

“So I’ve heard. But I mean it,” The smile on Shadow’s face faded as he turned to you, looking you directly in the eye. “I can find you the help you deserve. You shouldn’t have to be forced into a life of servitude for that man, and I’ll make sure you can get back a better life.” 

Shadow stood up, holding a hand out to you. But this time, you didn’t hesitate or think about it, placing your hand in his own, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips. Once again, Shadow had defied your expectations, pleasantly surprising you with his odd offer of something akin to a friendship. 

Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be like this in the beginning. You had never intended for your life to go this direction, but maybe it didn’t have to be so bad now. You had finally found the positive side, and had something to look forward to again, alongside your new friend, Shadow the Hedgehog.

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷

Dark thunder clouds rolled in, covering the overgrown city in a deep darkness. As the city grew darker, flashes of light beamed down the corpse of what used to be a lively city. Turning a corner, the light revealed yet another empty street, much to your relief. Despite having walked these streets every day for the last five years, you were still wary of any signs of life. After all, most life left were the undead, the immortal corpses of loved ones long gone. As far as you knew, you were the only person left alive. You considered yourself especially lucky, you had never even left your apartment building from before everything collapsed. You maintained your old life to the best of your abilities, just with more isolation, and no internet for entertainment. 

You still recalled what life had been like before with vivid recollection. You remembered your old life back in high school, with all of your friends, human and mobian alike. You remembered the fairly frequent emergencies your world used to face, at the hands of a mad scientist. But that was a time gone by, a distant memory soon to fade from this world entirely. Assuming you were one of the only people left alive and sane, you were the sole carrier of those memories. It felt isolating, lonely, but you tried not to let it get to you. You didn’t want to live out your last days miserably. 

Letting the light of your flashlight guide you back toward the safety of your home, you silently walked across the street, glancing around occasionally for any stray undead. You had discovered they tended to stick together, following sounds, likely blind. But the darkness almost heightened their senses, so you had quickly made your way back home upon noticing the signs of a storm. Unfortunately, you hadn’t beaten the dark clouds, and had been forced to use your flashlight. While you were certain most undead were blind, not all were, and that had you worried. Coming across a human undead wasn’t much to stress about either, they were weak, bones and flesh crumbling at the slightest touch. It was the mobians that had you worried. Most mobians had strength beyond the comprehension of humans in their life, and that had carried over into their undead. You had managed to avoid them for the last five years, but that didn’t mean you weren’t stressing over finally finding one every time you went out for supplies and food. 

As the rundown, boarded up apartment building you called home came into view, you let out a sigh of relief, a small smile tugging at your lips. Just as you took a step forward, you heard a soft tap behind you, sending a violent shudder up your spine as you whipped around, flinging your flashlight in the direction of whatever had caused the source. The sound of your heart thundering filled your ears as your gaze bounced around in a panic, trying to identify the source. As your eyes fell to the ground, you noticed a tiny, circular dark spot on the ground, a wet spot. Staring at it as your panicked mind tried to piece together what was happening, a swashing sound filled your ears, your body suddenly soaked as the sky poured rain. Finally realizing it was only rain, your shoulders relaxed as you scoffed with a smile, rolling your eyes at your own paranoia. Perhaps isolation had done more damage than you had initially realized. 

Turning around, your heart came to a screeching halt in your chest, your blood freezing ice cold in your veins as your eyes met a pair of muted golden, bloodshot eyes. Tufts of messy white quills stood tall, nearly taller than you, stained a deep red shade. His maw was soaked in gore, the heavy stench of iron wafting from his being. He stared lifelessly into your eyes, almost as if looking straight through your head. Your mouth hung open, fear freezing your whole body as a silent scream began to build up within your throat. It seemed your luck finally caught up with you, as the especially tall mobian stood before you, his very presence setting your demise. There was absolutely nothing you could do to fend off the mobian, so as your instincts finally began to kick in, you chose the flight option of flight or fight. 

Turning tail, you immediately bolted down the street. Biting your lip to swallow your terrified scream, you glanced back to see if he followed. Your eyes flew wide open as his eyes were directly in your face, his presence filling the air behind you. He was fast. The scream you had bit back finally freed itself as you whirled around, slamming your flashlight into the side of his skull. You had expected the sounds of squelching to fill the air, but you had been surprised by how intact his flesh still was. How great for you. He just so happened to be one of the especially strong mobians. You were thoroughly screwed. 

His head whipped to the side as your flashlight smashed into his temple. The flashlight flew from your grip, momentarily distracting the undead hedgehog as the light whirled through the air. In that single moment of hesitation, you took the opportunity to run away, zigzagging through the dark. You hoped, prayed to anything that would listen that he happened to be at least slightly blind, but your luck had run bone dry as you heard the drum of footsteps just behind you. 

You pushed yourself harder, running as fast as your legs would carry you. If you could just lose him, for just a second, you could wrap back around and run home. You knew the city like the back of your hand, but you couldn’t risk leading him directly to your safe place. No amount of boards and nails could hold something like him back. 

Beginning to pant wildly, your lungs felt dry, suffocating you as you forced your legs to keep going. You couldn’t let yourself die like this, not after how long you had survived. Your eyes brimmed with tears as you swallowed, your mouth burning and dehydrated. But your ears were zeroed in entirely on the footsteps behind you, or rather, the fading sound of them. Pushing yourself onward, you immediately noticed the lack of footsteps behind you. Hope had instantly begun to overflow within you as you turned a sharp curve, circling back to your apartment building. 

Rushing through the doors, you slammed them shut behind you, taking a shaky breath as you slid to the floor. You were fairly certain that whole escapade shaved off ten years of your life expectancy, but at the very least, you were still alive. You supposed somebody out there must’ve heard your prayers, you thought for sure that undead would never run out of stamina. He is undead after all. 

Taking a moment to calm your breathing, you sucked in a deep breath, relaxing against the doors. Just as you thought to get up though, a loud thud rang through the room, vibrating against the door. Your heart jumped into your throat, eyes flying wide open as you forced your back firm against the door. You could nearly feel its presence just beyond the barrier of glass and boards, banging on the wood. 

Sucking in a sharp but silent breath through your teeth, you slid the bag that hung over your shoulders off, freeing your shoulders of its weight. Grabbing one of the loose boards, you steeled your nerves for whatever came after your next move. You knew you didn’t stand a chance fighting him, so you had to find a way to hold him off while searching for an escape route. 

With the remainders of your courage, you lifted yourself off the floor, back still firmly pressed against the door. The slamming grew more violent, almost as if it were getting impatient, the doors rattling as the boards weakened. You could hear the glass beneath the boards begin to crack, soon to give way. Taking a deep breath, you jumped away from the doors, the doors flinging wide open just as the pressure of your body gave way. 

The hedgehog stood before you, his silhouette being illuminated by the strike of lightning in the far distance. His golden eyes, despite being muted by the lack of life, nearly glowed in the dark, highlighting the spatter of blood across his face. 

You had expected him to immediately run for you, but he hadn’t budged from his spot, staring at you with an almost curious-like aura. You held the wooden board tightly in your grip, prepared to use it as a weapon, waiting for the lifeless body to make its move. Your body was nearly shaking now, the effects of your adrenaline beginning to wear off as your exhaustion caught up to you. You grit your teeth and bore through it, but the suspense had begun to take its toll as your body shook with fear. 

Your gaze had shifted down to his feet as you noticed his leg twitch, foot sliding forward ever so slightly, as if trying to sneak up on you. Your eyes widened upon the realization, an audible gasp slipping from your lips as your mind began to panic. It was intelligent, enough to attempt to evade your alarm. Your whole body bristled as your grip on the board tightened, before the tension in your body suddenly snapped. 

Letting out a scream of terror, you swung the board with all of your strength, the end hitting him square in the neck, knocking him to the ground. You lifted the board once more, slamming it on his head, before turning and taking off further into the building. You could hear it let out a frustrated growl, as if annoyed, his blood-soaked boots squeaking against the floor as he rose. But you didn’t dare look back as you ran towards the stairwell, flinging its metal door open and taking shelter inside. 

As soon as the door slammed shut, clicking into place, you ran up the stairs, your mind panicking as you tried to come up with a way out of this. There was no way out of the building other than the entrance that you had come in through. All of the first-floor windows were heavily boarded up, and there was no exit within the basement. The only other way you could think of was the fire exit, which was in the lobby, where the hedgehog hunting you down was. 

Through your jumbled thoughts, you hadn’t even noticed you had made it to the roof of the building until you pushed the door open, immediately being soaked by the onslaught of rain and wind. Thunder cracked in the sky, streaks of lightning flashing in the clouds. Your attention had momentarily been forced on the storm directly above you, before the sounds of footsteps echoing through the stairwell dragged you back into reality. 

You shut the thick metal door behind you, walking toward the edge of the roof. The wind pushed back as you stepped forward, the slick ground making you stumble as you stood over the edge. The drop was far too long for you to make the jump and survive, which meant you were now trapped here, with a hedgehog that had been very persistent in getting to you. This was it. You had finally met your end, after all these years. But you wouldn’t let the undead corpse have its way, even if you had to take your fate into your own hands. 

A loud thud pulled your attention back to the door, the sound repeating as visible indents had begun to form. You inched backwards, ever closer to the edge, until your heel was pressed into the edge, ready to slip with any slight movements. 

And then, with one final violent slam, the door burst open, revealing the infected hedgehog. An almost animalistic look glinted in his eyes as lightning struck, and you could’ve sworn you saw a faint aura surrounding him before disappearing in small flecks of glittering light. 

Taking a step forward, the hedgehog was immediately soaked in the rain as he approached you. A sharp gasp pushed past your lips as your eyes snapped from the undead to the edge just behind you. Your foot slipped ever so slightly, a startled cry catching in your throat as your arms flailed, attempting to regain your balance. 

Your heart leapt into your throat as your body tipped over the edge, your mind suddenly in a flurry as you realized this was your end. At the very least, you weren’t going to be eaten alive like you had feared. That was the only comfort you received as you fell over, your balance slipping as the ground disappeared from beneath your feet. 

Eyes squeezed shut, you had expected to feel the wind rush past you, before meeting a swift end. Memories flashed through the darkness at a dizzying rate, your heart beating so fast you thought it’d explode before you hit the ground. You had expected everything around you to disappear, the chill of your soaked clothes fading into nothingness, or the feeling of your heart finally stilling. But the only new sensation that had hit you was the feeling of a hand wrapped tightly around your wrist, yanking you upward. 

You felt the air forced from your lungs as your body collided with something wet, freezing cold. A chill ran down your spine as your eyes opened, vision being filled with white despite the darkness. Your nose tingled as strands of fur tickled the tip, leaving behind a cold sensation as your senses were suddenly overwhelmed, overflowing. You were still alive. You had been pulled back up into safety. Or so it had seemed, but the false sense of safety suddenly washed away like the rain as you finally realized what had pulled you back up. 

The hedgehog’s grip around your wrist remained, his other hand now holding your opposite wrist. You stood completely frozen, your mind trying to understand just exactly what had happened. Never, in the last five years of your isolation, living in a world with the undead, had you seen anything of the sort. Not only had every single thing that could walk wanted you dead, but none had the capacity or understanding to save you from death, not even for their own gain. Whatever this thing was, it certainly wasn’t like the others. It wasn’t entirely dead or alive. 

You didn’t know what to do. Judging by the blood spatters dotting his body, the hedgehog was definitely infected. The blood couldn’t have been his own. Which meant that, regardless of his mental capacity, he was still fully willing to eat a living being. Your life was still in danger, even if he had pulled you into some twisted form of safety seconds ago. You were stuck in place, you couldn’t move. Who was to say he wouldn’t sink his teeth into your throat the second you moved even an inch? He certainly had the perfect view of your throat after all, his muzzle leaned against your shoulder. 

After a long moment, one that had felt like years, you finally gave off a sign of life, your wrist twitching in his hold. When he made no efforts to bite into your neck, you gently pulled away just enough to look down at him, to at least try to gauge what was going on beneath the surface. But there was nothing in his eyes to suggest any thought process, no expression that told you he was in control. He simply stared up at you, his eyes shining with the occasional strike of lightning. Even without the sparkle of life, they still seemed bright, a remnant of what once was. 

A particularly close flash of lightning caused you to jolt, eyes going wide. As your facial expression changed, so too did his, eyes going wide slightly, like a delayed reaction. Almost as if mimicking you. You sighed deeply, unsure of what to do. You certainly couldn’t shake the hedgehog, you were stuck with him, but you couldn’t just stand out here and wait for the lightning to finish the job. So, despite what your gut was warning you of, you gave the undead’s hand a slight tug. 

“You, ah...” You paused, half wondering if he could even understand you. What were you even thinking, of course not, but that didn’t stop you from at least trying. “You seem smart. Do you understand me?” 

No reaction. Not even a blink of the eye. You didn’t know what you were expecting, a twitch in his facial muscles or a fully constructed sentence. Regardless, you continued, with the hope that maybe some nerves in his brain were still alive and kicking. He did save you, after all. “We need to go inside. It’s not safe out here.” 

Still unreactive, you decided to just hope your words got through to him, and gave his hand a stronger tug. You pulled the hedgehog slightly, waiting with bated breath for a violent reaction. But he simply let you tug and pull, dragging him back inside, back into the safety of the building. And yet, it had lost its sense of safety as you pulled the undead hedgehog behind you, straight to your safe space, your own room. 

Pushing the door open, a sense of security washed over you, happy to at least be home once again. Even if the hedgehog killed you here, at least it’d be in your home. You had to look on the positive side of having an undead follower for now. 

“This is my home,” You spoke, despite knowing your words would never reach him. You had even shot him a nervous smile, trying to be friendly. It was the least you could do to calm yourself and hopefully the hedgehog as well. Your mind was in shambles. 

“We’ll be safe here. I’ve been here for years.” You said, leading the hedgehog further into your home, telling yourself over and over in your mind to just pretend he was alive. Pretend he wasn’t a threat. 

As you continued to speak, walking around with the infected in tow, you attempted to pull your wrist from his grip, the same wrist he had grabbed to save you. The wrist that he hadn’t released the entire time since pulling you back from that edge. You pulled your wrist away, without even thinking as you spoke all about your time surviving the last few years. It had been your first time talking in years, and had gotten carried away, forgetting that you were still in the midst of danger. You had been forced back to reality as he gripped your wrist nearly painfully tight, pulling you back to his side with force. You looked down at him with wide eyes, your heart rate quickly picking back up as you looked down at him. 

Still showing no signs of life. You didn’t understand what was happening, what was going through that head of his. Some thought must have been present, he had the ability to understand your life had been in danger, he understood to follow when you pulled. He had the ability to resist killing you. So why? Why did he seem so dead, when there was obviously still some amount of life hidden just beneath the blood coated surface? 

“Um... You can let go now,” You tried to calmly say. Instead of seemingly not understanding though, now your words seemed to annoy him, as his empty stare turned into a frustrated look. You felt his fingers tighten around your wrist, his grip quickly growing painful. “I-It’s okay, really. I won’t go anywhere. I’ll stay right here.” 

You hoped that was what he wanted to hear. It was the only thing you could think of that made sense. He didn’t want you to leave his side, but why? Was he saving you for later? Did he still fully intend on taking your life? Why wait? You tried to wrap your mind around the situation, despite knowing there likely was no explanation. At least not one you could get to on your own. Likely, the hedgehog himself was the only thing that knew what was going on. He definitely had some train of thought, you were certain of it now, especially since he confirmed being able to understand you, to some degree. 

“Uh...” Mind scrambling for anything that could help you, you looked around your small apartment, trying to find something to get you out of this situation. “Wh-Why don’t you sit down? Come on.” 

You gave a light tug, trying to direct him to the slightly tattered sofa in the room. He didn’t budge for a moment, staring at you, as if he were eyeing you. But after a second’s passing, he let you pull him toward the sofa, sitting him down. He sat down with no direction at all, which had surprised you, as you didn’t think you’d ever actually seen an infected sitting down. 

You sat down next to him, being sure to put a few inches between you and him. He stared at you once again, putting an unsettling feeling within your being. But just as that feeling began to form, you felt his fingers loosen around your wrist, surprising you. His eyes remained trained completely on you, but at the very least, he seemed calmer. 

As your eyes met his, your brows furrowed as you thought. You had never even thought you’d be in a situation like this. You wondered if you could even take this to your advantage. He didn’t seem to be after your life anyway. 

“You can understand me, can’t you?” You asked. When you received no indication that your words got through, you began to think. Perhaps he wasn’t entirely capable of showing that he understood? He could show facial expressions, but so far you had only seen expressions of annoyance or frustration. Maybe he couldn’t show signs of other emotions. You hummed, finger tapping your chin as you tried to think of something to help you get through to him, or at least form some type of communication. A thought crossed your mind, making you perk up as you jumped to your feet. Your sudden movement clearly startled the hedgehog, but you failed to notice as you rushed past him with a burst of excitement. 

Practically shoveling through a closet of your old belongings and things that just had no use nowadays, you finally found what you had been looking for. You slammed down a pencil and paper on the coffee table before the hedgehog, missing the sudden jerk of his body as you surprised him. You looked up to him with a bright grin, unable to contain your excitement at the idea of getting to study the infected, getting to know him and have a look into his mind, without your life being in danger. 

“Okay, so you obviously have some capacity for thought,” You began, reaching out for his hand. He didn’t resist when you grabbed ahold, placing the pencil in his hand. “Try writing something, anything. A word, a number, your name, whatever you want.” 

The hedgehog just stared at you, unmoving. As seconds began to turn into minutes, you wondered if you got too excited. It did seem silly, now that you thought about it. You had assumed that since he managed to express some emotions, especially to your words, that he had some understanding of language. And he had shown himself to possess some motor skills, so why not writing? At the very least, he could do a little scribbled drawing. But it was pretty farfetched to think that something like him, something lacking thought and morals, could communicate. 

But your thoughts were cut off as you heard the scratching of lead against paper. With much applied force, the hedgehog began to slowly but surely make out letters, and soon, a very poorly written word had been forcefully drawn on the paper. The paper had ripped in some places, and the pencil had broken, making the lead appear rubbed. But despite that, there was still very plainly a word written in large across the paper. “Silver”. 

“Silver...” You squinted your eyes at the paper, before they widened as you made the connection. “Is that your name? Silver?” 

The lack of reaction this time finally confirmed your thoughts. If you had been wrong, he would’ve shown signs of frustration, but there was nothing. This was your sign. You had been right. He just lacked the ability to show other expressions, but still had the ability to think. There were still signs of life inside him after all. 

“Oh wow, this is...” You fell to your knees in front of the table, sitting across from him. You stared into his eyes, momentarily awe-struck. You had found somebody; somebody you could actually communicate with. “I can’t believe it. You can actually talk. I-I haven’t spoken with anyone in years. Wait, can the others talk too?” 

Silver’s brows furrowed slightly, your sign of communication, his version of “no”. You visibly pouted, disappointed by the answer, but you couldn’t be surprised. Silver was the only one who could even think, let alone show emotions. 

You wanted to ask him more. You wanted to get to know him. You had gotten lost in your thoughts, trying to figure out more ways to talk with him. You had come up with the idea of asking him yes and no questions and having him write down the answers on the paper. He had been bad about writing too big to fit multiple words on the paper, which had resulted in you running out of paper and ending up just writing on the wooden table. But you didn’t care at this point, too interested in finding out everything you could about Silver, which ended up being quite a lot. 

You had discovered that Silver was once one of the heroes who used to defend the world from the mad scientist who often put it in danger. You had also found out that he was the very last hero to live in the end, every one of his friends dying off one by one to the virus. Thanks to his psychokinesis, he had survived for years, only recently finally losing the fight. Apparently, he had been searching for the cure all this time, a person with special immunity to the virus. In the end, his efforts had gone to waste though, and he had died. You didn’t even know how to begin to process any of that, and by the time you had found out everything, it was late into the night hours. You were running on fumes, eyes struggling to stay open as you thought of another question to ask Silver. 

Your eyes widened slightly as Silver set the pencil down, leaning back onto the sofa. You couldn’t get past the jarring, dead and empty look in his eyes, which never even blinked. It felt odd seeing him move around, seeing him interact with his surroundings, with you, despite the obvious lack of life. For the most part anyway. 

Silver’s hand caught your eye as it softly pat the sofa next to him. You tilted your head in confusion, before realizing what he meant, surprising you. You didn’t think he was capable of that level of awareness, noticing your own emotions. You let out a soft chuckle as you stood, stretching out with a yawn. 

“I’m still shocked that somebody like you even exists,” You said, giving Silver a smile. You failed to notice the slight twitch of his eyes; the flicker of some emotion hidden deep within him. “I guess all those years of perseverance keeps you going. I bet you could cure yourself if you tried hard enough.” 

You joked, but it also made some amount of sense. He was a super powered hedgehog, far beyond anything like you’d ever seen. If anyone could overcome the virus, it would likely be him. You had assumed at this point that his interest in you was because he’d finally found someone alive, someone who wasn’t braindead. You would quickly find though, that wasn’t the only reason for his interest. 

You had decided against Silver’s offer, telling him you were going to sleep in your own room. He had expressed slight annoyance at this, but calmed down after you told him he could sit and watch for danger in the living room. And while it felt nice to know there was somebody who wanted to protect you now, you also didn’t trust that Silver could control his hunger. So just in case, you had locked your bedroom door. You knew it’d do little to stop him, should he really want to get in, but it gave you some comfort. 

Despite your initial excitement, you couldn’t help the fear that Silver was still a danger to you. He could think and communicate, sure, but did that stop him from eating people? Had he actually eaten anyone before? You didn’t dare ask him, scared it was a touchy subject. He had emotions, so it was obvious he must’ve felt something toward his sickness, his “condition”. He was dead, of course it was a touchy subject. So, you lived in uncertainty now, fearing the day Silver lost control. 

But you’d find out his hunger wasn’t what you had to worry about. You found that out almost immediately the next day, explaining to Silver that you had to go out again and search for food. To put it simply, he was not happy. 

“Silver, I have to go out! I will literally die without food!” You argued, pulling on your wrist as Silver held you tightly. He didn’t move or even budge a single muscle, your efforts doing little to escape his hold. You grumbled in annoyance, glaring down at him. “Would you rather me die? I don’t think I’ll be as lively as you when I’m dead.” 

Your words seemed to cut through whatever stubbornness he had been feeling as he returned the glare tenfold but released you. You huffed, rubbing your pained wrist, turning away from him. You grabbed your bag that you had retrieved from the lobby (without Silver, of course), stuffing inside anything you may need on your trip out. You had to leave space for food though, which meant you couldn’t bring very much with you, aside from a flashlight and a knife. 

“I’ll be fine, Silver, promise. I’ve been doing this longer than you, after all,” You teased, though you’re unsure he found it very humorous. But you didn’t linger on it, slinging the bag over your shoulder. “You could even come with me and help. It’d be nice to have some help for once.” 

This seemed to perk Silver up, as his glare relaxed into that empty look you were coming to know. You smiled, a small chuckle escaping your lips. Perhaps he still retained that heroic personality he had in life, trying to protect you from any and all harm. 

With that settled, you and Silver headed out. Silver took the lead right away, keeping a lookout for any infected. The city was empty and silent, most undead out in the woods, looking for wild animals for sustenance. The eerie silence was still jarring to you, even after all these years. Even with all of the plant life overrunning the city, there was a lack of wildlife. No birds chirping, or squirrels running about. As far as you could tell, Silver and you were the only life for miles. Or so you had assumed. 

A splash of water broke through the silence, drawing your attention as you looked down into the murky puddle your boot had stepped in. Your reflection rippled through its surface before disappearing as you lifted your boot, unsettling the mud. You let out a soft hum, eyes glancing around your surroundings. All was quiet, even with Silver at your side now. You found his silence gave you almost a sense of foreboding. Were the infected all this quiet? 

Your attention focused on Silver; you didn’t even register the sound of water splashing just behind you. You barely had time to process the hand that reached out from behind, a shiver running down your spine as your mind lagged behind, realizing just seconds too late what was happening. 

Silver’s feet dragged as he trudged forward, bleary eyes shifting back and forth as he looked around. All was quiet, and his sharp sense of hearing didn’t pick up anything other than the thuds of your footsteps just behind him. Hearing a splash of water, Silver’s ear twitched slightly, but shrugged it off as your presence. It was strangely quiet, even for him. 

A sharp, shrill scream pierced that silence, startling Silver as he whipped around, trying to focus his eyes, trying to find you. His eyes landed on your form, legs kicking as you tried to fight off the infected that had snuck up on you. Its hand wrapped around your face, other hand holding your shoulder as it leaned in close to your neck. 

Swinging your body back and forth, you tried to shove it off, letting out a startled cry as you felt its hot breath down your neck. Tears brimming in your eyes, you grabbed it by the arm, using all of your strength to fling it over your shoulder. Its body slammed against the ground, the rotten flesh of its arm tearing clean off. 

A shudder ran down your back as you dropped the dead flesh, your blurry eyes landing on Silver as he rushed to your side. But you didn’t have time to focus on him as your peripheral vision caught sight of movement, whipping to face whatever was approaching next. Your eyes widened to see not just a few stray infected, but an entire horde. The streets were filled with undead, the putrid scent of death hitting your nose. 

“Th-They’re everywhere,” You muttered, turning to look at Silver. If an infected could look panicked, Silver surely did right now. His eyes were wide, shoulders stiff as he leaned closer to you, as if to try and protect you. But even Silver couldn’t fight off an entire horde, he had found that out in his final moments of life. 

The storm had to have led them in, you assumed. They relied on their sense of sound and must’ve lingered even after the storm passed. They had you and Silver completely surrounded, and there was nothing you could do to get through. Your heart hammered in your chest, your breathing growing erratic as your eyes darted around for any kind of escape. 

Body trembling, you felt your knees grow weak with fear as you realized, this was likely your end. It had been just your luck to finally find someone who could change your life, only to have it all ripped away from you. You squeezed your eyes shut as you noticed the infected beginning to approach, your tears streaming down your face as you tried to shut the world out. 

Just as you closed everything out though, you felt a cold hand wrap around your own, fingers squeezing gently. You peeked your eyes open, meeting the pair of golden eyes you thought you’d never get the chance to see again. But something was different, there was a whole new layer of color to them, a turquoise aura surrounding both you and him. But that wasn’t what caught your eye. It was the smallest upturn of his lips, crinkling his muzzle ever so slightly. You hadn’t even thought it possible for him to make any expressions other than aggravation, but in your final moments, he had given you the comfort you didn’t even realize you desired for all these years. 

Your mind had been distracted from what you had assumed would be your final few seconds in life, your eyes entirely on Silver. Something about your gaze, the way your eyes lit up upon seeing his smile, it made something deep within Silver flutter to life. Something he had rarely ever felt, even in his days alive. It gave him the strength to use up what little power he had access to in his rotten body, lifting his body from the ground. You hadn’t even realized what was going on, having closed off the world as your mind focused entirely on Silver’s face, on his smile, his soft and kind eyes. It wasn’t until your feet had left the ground, did you finally come back down to Earth. 

Your eyes widened as you looked down, the ground getting further and further away as Silver lifted you just above the infecteds’ reach. Your eyes practically lit up with exuberance, nearly welling with more tears as you realized Silver had once again saved your life. But that excitement quickly dissipated as your eyes met his, noticing the strained look written across his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a soft groan as the aura surrounding you had begun to flicker and disappear. He had just barely managed to land on the roof of a tall building, thankfully with no entry to the roof. They were safe, for the time being. 

“Silver, that was amazing!” You exclaimed, wrapping your arms around him without even thinking. Silver’s eyes widened as he felt you squeeze him close, muttering words of thanks over and over as you pressed your face into his shoulder. 

A sharp jolt burst through Silver’s body, causing him to twitch slightly in your hold. It felt electrifying, like something within him had been shocked to life. It almost felt as though his heart had been jumpstarted, his cold, dead body, blood that had long since stagnated beginning to heat up his body. But it wasn’t just that. It wasn’t that your touch had brought his body back to life, more so that it had given life to a brand-new feeling, an indescribable feeling that Silver immediately knew he had to protect at all costs. 

“Oh, but...” You pulled away slightly, much to Silver’s dismay, as you cast your gaze over the edge of the building. The sky was still cloudy, blotting out the sunlight, the wind sending a chill down your spine. “We’re stuck up here now. Do you think you could fly the rest of the way home?” 

Silver frowned deeply, giving you your answer. You sighed, shoulders drooping in disappointment. That meant, that until the horde either dispersed, or Silver gained enough energy to fly once again, you were stuck up here. And the fact that you had yet to eat anything today was finally starting to catch up with you, your body feeling tired and weak. 

Your gaze lifted back up to Silver’s, finally realizing your arms were still wrapped around him. You could barely even recall the fact that he was dead anymore, the only reminders being the sickly sweet smell coming from him, and the droopiness of his eyes. But the way he held you softly in his arms, the smile he had given you to comfort you in what could’ve been your final moments, it felt so much like a real person. Like there was still somebody in there. Somebody who cared for you. 

“Can you smile again?” You asked, both genuinely curious, and missing the presence of his smile. Silver seemed a bit caught off guard, his body tensing slightly. His hands pulled away from you, leaving a cold, empty feeling where they had been, which you ignored. It had been far too long since you felt physical contact with another being. 

Silver’s cheeks twitched slightly as he struggled to curl his lips upwards. He had even squeezed his eyes shut, trying to pull his lips upward, but they simply wouldn’t budge. You frowned slightly, wondering if doing even the simplest things overexerted his muscles. They were pretty much dead, after all. It was shocking he could even do it before. 

Letting out a frustrated growl, Silver lifted his fingers to his cheeks, pushing the corners of his lips upward. Your eyes widened at the annoyed hedgehog who forcefully turned his lips upward, giving him a very strange and almost scary appearance, had you not known what was going on. For a moment, you could only stare in pure surprise, before a sputter of laughter escaped your lips. Covering your mouth, you tried to hide the laughter that bubbled up within you, but you couldn’t help the giggles that escaped. Soon enough, your hidden giggles turned into uproarious cackling, sides nearly splitting as you doubled over. 

Like an infection, your euphoria spread to Silver, nearly having to do a double take as you caught sight of his face. His lips had been pulled into a tight smile, mimicking your own. His sharp canines stood out, stained slightly red, his gums showing from how hard he was pulling. But despite that, you couldn’t help the excitement bubbling within you at the sight, chuckling. 

“You have a lovely smile, Silver,” You said, your words causing Silver to falter, his lips trembling. It felt like his heart was trying to stutter back into life, almost painfully so. He didn’t think he’d ever felt an emotion as strong as what was going through him now. And your words only made it worse as you continued. “I’m so glad I met you.” 

Silver knew from that moment that he needed to keep you, he wanted you at his side, forever. 

It had taken a few hours, but the horde of the undead had finally begun to disperse, following sounds in the woods, looking for their next meal. Silver had also gathered just enough energy to fly back home, holding you tightly, taking every chance he could to squeeze you against his own body. You were so warm against him; it was becoming addicting. 

Before finding you, Silver had assumed there was no life left aside from the occasional wild animal. But even those were becoming rare. He thought it a curse that he could see the world around him, that he still had some thought and comprehension, but that he lacked control of his own body. It wasn’t until he saw you for the first time, roaming the dark streets, did he finally feel like himself. He needed to see you, to see an actual living being. He had died all alone and thought the rest of his undead life would be the same, and you changed that. You were like his lifeline, keeping him connected with his humanity. He needed you. 

Once you had made it back home, you made sure to lock the front door, pushing a shelf in front of it with Silver’s help. It wouldn’t stop a group of infected, but it might stop one or two. Maybe. Silver didn’t make it seem like a silly idea, so you found comfort in that. 

As the hours grew late, putting a close to your second day since finding Silver, you found yourself practically attached at the hip to Silver, the same going for him. Asking him more questions about himself and his life, you were enthralled by him. It had been many years since you got to bond with anyone, it felt like you couldn’t detach yourself from him if you tried. 

Letting out a yawn, you leaned back onto the sofa, having run out of ideas to ask him. Communicating with someone via yes or no questions could only get you so far, and you felt like you had hit that limit. There wasn’t much left to ask him, now the information you sought could only be given by him, and that obviously wasn’t possible. As much as you wished for it, Silver still lacked the ability to actually speak, and likely would forever. 

“I guess that’s it for today. It’s too bad we couldn’t find anything, I’m starving,” You mumbled, your stomach growling. It wasn’t like you hadn’t gone a day without food before, but it was still slightly painful. You sighed, standing up as you smiled at Silver. “I guess I’ll just have to try again tomorrow. Hopefully they’ll have cleared out by then.” 

As you turned away, going to prepare for bed, you failed to notice the look of disapproval on Silver’s face. He watched you walk away, a slight scowl on his face. 

Walking into your bedroom, you stretched out your arm, though came to a screeching halt as an intensely sharp pain stabbed through your shoulder, nearly drawing a cry of pain out of you. You hissed, letting your arm go slack as you rushed into your bathroom. The dim moonlight bathed the room in an almost blueish light, highlighting the red gash that had been scratched across your neck and shoulder. You could only stare with wide eyes, your mind unable to process the sight before you, breath caught in your throat. How had you failed to notice that? When did it happen? 

As the memory of the infected that had snuck up on you passed through your mind, you faintly recalled feeling an uncomfortable scratch across your collarbone that you hadn’t given much thought to at the time. Your life was in danger, you were focused entirely on escaping the situation. But now that you were home, and hours had gone by, the blood had dried, and the wound had begun to heal. It wasn’t a deep scratch. Just enough to break the skin. But was that all it took to turn? To become infected? 

It had been hours, you reminded yourself. Turning was usually immediately. But you also knew there were rare cases where it could happen over a course of time, slowly killing the host. You had been infected. There was no doubt about it. 

Stumbling back into your bedroom, you collapsed against the old, beaten mattress. There was nothing you could do except hope that you woke up tomorrow morning. You couldn’t tell Silver. He had finally found someone he could talk to. Someone he could bond with. You didn’t want to crush that so soon. 

Closing your eyes, you ignored the pain in your shoulder, letting slumber take you. You had been fully prepared to just never wake up again, at least not fully. But much to your surprise, you woke up the next day, sunshine pouring into your room through an unboarded window. You blinked away your sleepiness, slightly confused as to why you were still you, before jumping out of bed. 

Rushing to your bathroom, you checked your collarbone once again. The scratch remained, still healing. You had honestly thought it to be a dream when you woke up, but seeing it there, feeling the remaining pain as you moved your shoulder, you knew it was real. 

You didn’t know what to do. Your mind was rushing for a solution, or at least a way to keep this from Silver. You didn’t want him to see you change. You had to come up with some sort of plan to get away from him before changing, and today was the perfect opportunity. 

That was what you had thought, until Silver had decided not to let you out at all today. Just like yesterday, he held you by your wrist tightly, refusing to let you walk through your door. You had even tried the same reasoning as yesterday, saying that he could come with, but he still wouldn’t let you go. You had thought it was because he hadn’t been there to keep you safe from being grabbed, but you were fine as far as he was aware. There was no reason for him to feel bad. 

“I have to go out, I need food, I’m hungry! Just let me go!” You huffed in frustration, ignoring the pain in your shoulder as you tried to tug your arm free. Silver simply glared up at you, visibly growing more frustrated the longer you fought him. He didn’t understand why you thought it was okay to go out again, not after yesterday. Not after he nearly lost you. 

“Let me go!” You raised your voice, trying to urge him to free you. It seemed your tone only made him mad, as he roughly yanked your arm, a searing pain shooting through your shoulder. You cried out in alarm, holding your shoulder as you hissed. “You’re hurting me, Silver!” 

Your cries of pain seemed to startle him as his grip loosened significantly, almost enough for you to pull your arm free, but his grip returned just as you tried to pull. As your eyes met his, you could see a look of not just frustration in his eyes, but confusion. Guilt suddenly squeezed at your heart, making you sigh as your shoulders fell. 

“Okay, if you don’t want me to go, then why don’t you? You’re one of them after all,” You said, giving him a small, comforting smile. “That way, I can stay safe at home, and you can bring me food.” 

Silver let you go at that, agreeing immediately. He walked past you, shoving the shelf blocking the door aside with ease. As he looked back, your eyes widened as he gave you the tiniest of smiles. The sight made your heart flutter, but at the same time sink, knowing it would be your last time getting to see such a smile. The smile of someone with perseverance great enough to live beyond death. 

You gave Silver a bright grin in return, your smile remaining until the door had closed behind him, leaving you alone with your own thoughts. It was just like before now, when you were all alone. Silver was gone. And it had left a bigger hole in your heart than you thought it would. 

But you had no time to waste. You didn’t know when it would happen. You had to disappear before Silver could return, without being noticed. You waited until you were certain Silver was gone before preparing. 

The table was covered in Silver’s scribbles now, with little room left. Taking a marker, you wrote over Silver’s handwriting, writing a small apology, that you didn’t want him to see you turn. With your final words written, you took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of your old apartment one last time. Since showing up, Silver had left that sickeningly sweet smell everywhere he went. A smell that once made you sick and terrified, you found some sense of comfort in, knowing it was from him. 

You wished you could’ve had more time with him. You wished you could’ve met Silver before everything, before he and everyone around him died. You imagined you would’ve been great friends. But you couldn’t linger on that, not anymore. 

Slipping out of your apartment, you made certain that you were completely alone before exiting the building. The streets were silent once again, but this time, you knew nothing was around. Not even Silver. You were alone. 

Making your way into the woods that had begun to creep up on the old city, you were surrounded by the darkness the trees provided, hiding you from the light. Even in the woods, it was dead silent aside from the wind rustling the leaves and branches. It was a lonely final resting place, but you preferred that over putting Silver in even more pain. 

With one final glance back, you could see your memories flashing through your eyes just like before, but at a slower pace now, reminding you of everything you’d lost, and the friend you were going to lose now. You were simply thankful you got the chance to meet Silver. For a mere second, you thought it might’ve been possible he himself was the cure he had been searching so long for. After all, he was still alive, even though his body technically wasn’t. The thought made you smile, comforting you as you disappeared into the darkness. 

The sun had begun to drift lower and lower into the sky. Silver stared up at the sky as it turned from a bright blue into a brilliant orange. Despite the beautiful view, Silver only wished you could’ve been with him to witness it. He knew he had made the right decision in leaving you home, especially since he had seen a few infected during his search. But he still couldn’t help but miss you, wanting to be always at your side. 

Making his way back home, Silver pushed the door open, mustering up his best smile as he held his arms out, showing off the food he had found in his search. But upon seeing the empty room, Silver dropped the food without a thought as he looked around. Where were you? Why were you not here waiting for him? 

Red ink scrawled across the table caught his attention, golden eyes landing on the message. Taking in its words, Silver didn’t even think it possible to feel his blood pressure skyrocket, and yet the feeling that overcame him in those two seconds rivaled the feeling. 

Silver didn’t think he’d ran that fast since he was alive. He didn’t even know he could run as fast as he was, nor did he think he had the same heightened sense of smell as the other infected until he was completely zeroed in on your scent, on the blood in your scent. He couldn’t lose you, not now, not after he’d finally found someone to be with. Someone who was alive and made him feel alive. He had to have you, no matter what. Even if you were infected, he’d find a way to help you. You could be just like him; he would make you be just like him. Even if he had to infect you himself. 

The sun had begun to dip below the horizon, and the woods grew darker with each second. You shivered as the wind blew a chill down your spine, wrapping your arms around yourself for warmth. Despite the pain in your shoulder, you couldn’t feel any effects of the virus. Perhaps you were one of the rare cases that had to suffer longer? It certainly lined up with the luck you had. 

The leaves crunched softly underneath your boots as you walked, your mind drifting as time slowed to a crawl. You were just ready for it to be over. Silver was probably already home, though you couldn’t even begin to guess what his reaction would be. You guessed he might try to look for you, but you’d already be turned and long gone before he could find you. You felt guilty, but it wasn’t like letting Silver watch you turn was any better. 

Your mind was brought back to reality as you heard a particularly loud gust of wind. Looking around, you felt your fear begin to crawl from the pits of your stomach, and up your spine. Squeezing yourself tighter, you forced yourself to take a deep breath, before continuing on. 

Before you could take even a single step forward though, you were suddenly and violently tackled to the ground. You let out a startled cry, your shoulder slamming against the ground, forcing a scream from your lungs. You felt a hand grab your injured shoulder, flipping you over with great force, nearly knocking the wind out of you. 

Your eyes met a pair of wildly glowing golden eyes, a sneer pulling at his lips, revealing his canines. You cried out in alarm, trying to crawl away, Silver’s tight grip holding you in place underneath him. You had no time to react, no time to stop him as he bent down, immediately sinking his teeth into your collarbone. You let out a shrill scream, feeling your own blood soak your clothes and skin, staining Silver’s muzzle. You fought and shoved against him, feeling the cool air hit your skin as he pulled away, revealing his dripping maw, blood trickling down his canines. 

“Mine,” A strained, raspy voice spoke, startling you. He repeated the word over and over, rubbing his nose against your neck. He switched to the other side, making you panic as you felt his sharp teeth brush over your skin. He sunk his teeth into your flesh, taking in your scent, practically burning it into his brain. He was never letting you out of his sight again. You were his, he needed you, you were all he had left in this world. 

Pulling away, Silver stared at the sight of you below him. Your neck was littered with bites, and after the third bite, you had lost the strength to fight him, just waiting to succumb to your death. Your eyes drooped, a sleepiness unlike anything you’d ever felt washing over you, granting you relief. 

As your eyes fell shut, you could feel Silver lift you, holding you against his fluffy chest. You leaned into his surprisingly warm hold, deciding to just go with it. You were dead anyway, so you might as well soak it in. Despite everything, you were still glad to have met Silver. 

It felt like time had slowed to a near stop, and you couldn’t differentiate minutes between hours, and days between years. It felt like you had been forced to wake though after a long time, sunlight pouring over you, bathing you in its warmth. It was strangely warm. You had expected everything to be cold, dead. 

Eyes slowly peeking open, they blurred in the light, making you groan. Just as you began to stir, you heard a gasp, startling you fully awake, eyes clearing up immediately as you sat up. Just before you stood Silver, or what you had assumed was Silver. He was strangely... lively. Almost like he was alive. 

“You’re awake!” He exclaimed, his crystal-clear voice startling you to your core. It wasn’t like he was almost alive; he was alive. His golden eyes held that flicker of life that was once missing, his lips curled into the biggest smile you had ever seen. 

As if able to tell you were both shocked and confused, Silver chuckled, sitting down next to you on the bed. “A little while after I bit you, I got better. It surprised me too, believe me. I guess it turns out you were the immune person I’ve been looking for all this time!” 

Your brain didn’t process a single word he said. You were shocked you were even still alive, especially after how Silver had bitten you, and many times at that. The memory of Silver biting you over and over suddenly filled your head, the pain still ever present in your neck. You ran your hand over your neck, feeling the deep teeth marks scattered across your skin. Silver’s eyes fell to your hand, his smile remaining, but the glimmer of innocent cheerfulness fading from his eyes. 

“I wanted to be the one to turn you,” Silver said, his voice forcing your attention back on him, looking up at him with wide eyes. He smiled at you, the corners of his lips reaching his eyes and forcing them to crinkle. “I was going to make you like me. But this is better! This means that you can’t turn, and even if I do, I can just bite you and cure myself!” 

Something about Silver’s words, or the way he smiled, put an unsettling feeling in your stomach. Something about this didn’t sit right with you, but you couldn’t quite place it. Was it kind that he wanted to turn you himself? You couldn’t tell. 

“What does this mean? A-Am I going to have to cure everyone else?” You asked, confused. You didn’t think you could handle getting bitten that much. You didn’t even have enough blood to spare a few hundred people. And wouldn’t that, you know, kill you? 

“Oh, no!” Silver chuckled, shaking his head. He took your hand into his own, squeezing it much more gently than he had when he was infected. “I can’t let you be getting hurt. It’s just you and me against the world.” 

Silver gave you a big smile, his eyes filled with love, and yet, you knew, there was no real love to be found. His love had died with him when he died so long ago. 

“Hey, bitch, you alright in there?” 

You ignored the voice on the other side of the door. You didn’t dare crawl out of the safe space that was your blankets. The thought that he might be standing on the other side made your gut twist in fear, even if you knew that wasn’t the case. You didn’t dare risk it, even if you knew there was no way Adam and Lucifer would be standing side by side outside your room. 

Adam grumbled in annoyance at the lack of a response. Charlie had begged him to come check on you after you disappeared into your room days ago. You refused to open the door for anyone, not even Charlie, and the only person she thought could convince you to open up was Adam. He didn’t see the point in bothering, saying that they should just leave you be to mope, but Charlie insisted. So, here he was, against his will, checking on you. 

As the silence drawled on, Adam rolled his eyes, grabbing your door handle and giving it a twist. It was locked, but locked doors meant little in Hell, applying just a tad bit more strength to twist it open. The door gave in, opening to reveal your bedroom. 

You heard the door creaking open, shooting up out of your blankets. Glaring at your intruder, you're curled into the blankets, completely wrapped up in the only thing keeping you safe from Adam. Even though you knew he was completely harmless, you still didn’t feel comfortable being in the presence of anybody at all, not right now. Not after what you’d witnessed in Lucifer’s room. 

“So, the fuck is up?” Adam asked as he threw himself down onto your bed, the bed creaking loudly from the sudden addition. He laid on his side, leaning his cheek on the palm of his hand, his masked eyes looking over at you curiously. He couldn’t deny that he too wondered what had suddenly got into you. You were fine the night they drank together. “You’ve been holed up in here for days, the bitch is starting to get worried.” 

By “bitch”, you knew he meant Charlie. You knew she was worried; she had been coming up to check on you the last four days you had been isolated in your room. You would give her a short reply, saying you just weren’t feeling well, but you’d never open the door for her. Well, she’d certainly be able to come in now that Adam had broken the lock on your door. You’d have to ask Alastor to fix it, which you were not excited about. 

“I’m fine,” You rolled your eyes in annoyance, turning to lay on your side and hide your face from Adam’s view. “I told Charlie I just wasn’t feeling well. Tell her not to worry, I’ll get over it soon.” 

“Tell her yourself, bitch, get out of bed,” Adam said, laying on his back as he casually examined his nails, which had now turned into claws since his second death. You growled in annoyance, kicking him in the side, earning a pained cry from him. “What the fuck is your problem!? Being a little fuckin’ rude, aren’t ya? Even after I came up here to check on your ungrateful ass!” 

“Maybe don’t break into people’s rooms, Adam!” You shouted, sitting up and glaring down at him. Adam huffed, crossing his arms as he sat up. He practically eclipsed you in size, especially as his wings ruffled in annoyance. 

“What’s your deal? You were fine the other night, are you just pissy with me? Did I do something to piss you off?” He asked. You looked at him in surprise, eyes wide. 

You didn’t think about it until now, but that’s probably how it appeared to Adam and the others. You had spent another long night of drinking with Adam, only to suddenly close off the entire world, including Adam, with no explanation. You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose as you shook your head. “No, it wasn’t you, you didn’t do anything. It was...” 

You paused, unsure if it was the right idea to tell Adam of all people what had happened. When Adam leaned in curiously, a brow raised, you decided it was too late to back out of telling him now. “It was Lucifer. He was... I found him singing, about me, about us...” 

Adam looked down at you, confusion written across his face. “Singing about you? That’s fucking weird. He sounds totally into you, fucking gross.” 

You winced at his harsh words, though you didn’t disagree. Lucifer was missing you; he had sung all about how much he missed you, how much it hurt him to see you again. You found it somewhat pathetic that he was hurting, when he was the one who abandoned you. It was his fault he was missing you. 

Your anger revitalized, you clenched your fists as you huffed. “I know. It’s honestly pathetic; he’s the one who cheated! He shouldn’t be surprised I’m not going back to him.” 

“Woah, wait, what?” Adam grabbed your shoulders, looking down at you in pure shock. It took you a minute to process why he was so surprised, when it occurred to you that Adam didn’t know. It had completely slipped your mind that you hadn’t told anyone the actual connection you had with Lucifer. As far as everyone else knew, you two just used to be close friends. Nobody knew you were actually married. 

Your throat dried at the realization, tripping over words as you tried to come up with an explanation. Adam immediately saw through your lies, gripping your shoulders tighter, demanding the truth. You chuckled nervously, leaning away from him, although unable to escape his grip. 

“We, ah... Lucifer and I were actually married before everything happened. He cheated on me and left me for Lilith...” You spoke, hoping and praying to anyone that would listen that this didn’t get back to Charlie. You should have known Adam better though. He was going to make this a huge deal. 

“No fucking way,” Adam released you, placing a hand on his head as he came to terms with the bombshell information. “No fucking way. This is perfect.” 

You raised a brow in confusion, wanting to question him, but you had no time to voice your thoughts as you were ripped out of your bed. You yelped in surprise as Adam squeezed your wrists, bending over to have his face directly in front of yours. 

“Let’s make him super fucking jealous,” Adam grinned from ear to ear, his mask visibly glitching with excitement. He could finally get back at Lucifer, take his revenge for stealing both of his wives. “Come on, it’s fucking genius. Little man stole both our lives from each other! He stole my wives, and cheated on you with them! So, wouldn’t it just be so perfect that we just happen to get a little too close, fuck around, and make him super jealous? It’d be the perfect revenge, and hey, you’ll get to dick around a little too with the Dickmaster.” 

You cringed at the title he chose for himself, pulling back from him, but not strong enough to escape his grip. “I don’t know, Adam. I’m not into you like that. And I don’t want to catch Lucifer’s attention any more than I already have.” 

“Come on, babe, everyone’s into me like that,” Adam scoffed, pulling you to him by the waist. “Let’s just give it a try! He likes to sing about you, huh? I wonder how much he’d like it if I sung about you.” 

“W-Wait, Adam—” 

Before you could resist any harder, Adam whisked you away, throwing you over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes as he flew back to the main hall, where everyone sat about in the lobby. You went limp against him, knowing there was little use in fighting the stubborn demon, a small chuckle escaping your lips. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have a little fun with the situation, as messed up as it was. 

“Oh! Adam!” 

You heard Charlie’s voice as Adam came to a stop in the center of the lobby. He set you down on your feet, turning to Charlie with a smirk. “Got the bitch out, no need to thank me, I know I’m the best.” 

“Right...” Charlie gave him a forced smile. She turned her eyes onto you, about to ask you a question, when Adam spoke back up, ripping Charlie’s attention away and back onto him. 

“So, listen, CharChar,” Adam smirked as his particular use of the nickname caught a certain Devil’s attention. “I just came up with a sick ass way to thank you for letting me freeload off you while I’m down here. Seeing as how you guys all love a sappy fucking song, I decided, why not have the First Man put on a little show? I’ve got the voice, I’m the best at what I do, it’d be the fucking best.” 

Charlie’s eyes visibly lit up with excitement, Adam’s words surprising the other residents as well. The entire time Adam had been staying at the hotel, he refused to do anything for anyone, and especially refused to thank Charlie for allowing him to stay. Charlie had assumed his sudden change had occurred because of you, giggling excitedly at the thought. Finally, she was seeing some progress. Or so she thought. 

“That’d be great! When would you like to do it?” Charlie asked, beaming up at him. 

“Right fuckin’ now,” Adam smirked, grabbing her wrist. Charlie yelped in surprise as Adam dragged her toward the lobby steps, leading her toward the roof of the hotel. 

With that, Adam had set up a very impromptu concert. You had tried to tell him that it was too much for a little bit of messing with Lucifer, but Adam was dead set on doing it. You didn’t even understand what a concert had to do with making Lucifer jealous because, as far as you knew, you weren’t even joining Adam in his little surprise concert. Adam didn’t tell you anything, just that he was going to have a little fun with the song. 

Charlie had materialized a small stage on the roof of the hotel, the hotel’s bright lights lighting up the stage brilliantly. She was nearly bursting at the seams with excitement, so much so that Vaggie was having to calm her down somewhat. You looked at Charlie with a brow slightly raised, almost concerned for the woman, before your gaze drifted onto a person standing in the back. Lucifer. 

You knew he was only up here because Adam had led Charlie up here. Lucifer didn’t trust Adam a single bit, barely letting the demon out of his sight sometimes. In fact, the only times where Lucifer wasn’t watching Adam like a hawk was when Adam was with you. The thought made you frown, huffing as you walked up to the stage where Adam stood, tuning his angelic guitar. 

“Hey, Adam,” You called out, trying to get his attention without earning others’ unwanted attention. Adam looked down at you, before smirking and walking up to the edge of stage you leaned against. 

“Wassup, babe?” He asked, sitting down. You hummed, your finger pressing into the wood of the makeshift stage, pulling at one of the jagged chips. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea? It’s going a little far just to make Lucifer jealous...” You muttered. Adam scoffed, his eyes rolling heavily enough to be seen even through his digital mask. 

“Come on, this is our revenge! This is our way of getting back at that midget for fucking our relationships up. He’s a little cheater and a wife stealing asshole. Let’s just have fun with this!” Adam exclaimed, grinning widely, baring his fangs. 

Before you could reply, Adam stood up, pulling his guitar up to rest on his shoulder. His movements as he walked to the center of the stage caught the attention of the little audience, everyone’s eyes landing on him. You huffed, stepping back to stand next to Charlie as Adam spoke up. 

“You guys ready to have your fuckin’ panties blown off by my sick skills!?” Adam yelled, getting excited himself. Not only had it been a long time since he got to play any music, but it was all to fuck with Lucifer. This was the best kind of music. “Let’s do this shit!” 

Adam strummed the strings of his guitar, making an almost bursting sound, before easing into a slow tune. You looked up at him in surprise, not aware that he could make any music that wasn’t just loud noise and screaming. It sounded shockingly good, almost like he planned this, and you knew he hadn’t. 

“Nothing is holding you back now,” Adam began, his voice soft, and lacking any of the curses he usually threw around. He looked down at you, winking and blowing a kiss, causing your face to warm up as you chuckled nervously. “No one can push you around.” 

“What do you wanna do? You’re the master of you,” Adam stepped closer to the edge of the stage, his eyes trained completely on you. He reached his hand out to you, surprising you as you hesitantly took it. “And isn’t the thought enough to lift you off of the ground?” 

Adam yanked you up off the ground, pulling a squeal out of you as he threw you into the air. A pair of wings sprouted from your back, the lights of the hotel and the city shining all around as you floated high above everything. Looking down at Adam, he gave you a large grin and a thumbs up, making you giggle. 

“Nothing,” You sang along, a grin spreading across your face. “Is holding me back now. No one can push me around.” 

Landing next to Adam, you looked up to the taller demon with a beam, your lips tugged upward into a smile. “What do I wanna be? I’m the master of me, and isn’t the thought enough to lift me off of the ground?” 

Your wings flapped in sync with Adam’s as you both lifted off the stage, mimicking each other’s smiles. Adam took the lead, leaning into you as he sang. 

“We could be independent together, independent together, we can fly,” Adam leaned his back against yours, your wings pressed together, moving together as one. “Independent together, independent together,” 

You looked up to Adam with wide, awestruck eyes, your genuine smile a sight to see. Adam had been the only one to make you smile like that in a long, long time, and he knew it. It made something within him flutter to life, something he hadn’t felt in a just as long time. Genuine happiness. He truly enjoyed singing with you. 

“Independent together, you and I,” Adam shot you a smile, making you giggle as you pulled away from his back. 

Adam looked back to you in surprise, his eyes widening as two more pairs of wings sprouted from your back. A halo formed above your head, its form in the shape of a crown on your head. Its white coloration immediately drew attention as your hair fluffed out, much like that of a seraphim. Your bright blue eyes shone brightly, matching the new pairs of eyes that dotted your body and wings, your clawed hand reaching out to Adam. 

Adam looked up at you in shock, no doubt unaware of what status you had been as an angel. You giggled as he hesitantly took your hand, momentarily awestruck by your transformation. He quickly recovered though as he pulled you to him, holding your angelic form against his own demonic body. 

“High above an endless sea,” Adam’s face leaned in closer, his breath fanning your face. You smiled up at him, leaning into his hold, letting him guide you. “No one brought us here but me. Every step and every choice...” 

His body turned, squeezing your hand as he pulled you along. Backs pressed together; you fell downward back to the stage. “It’s my fault, it’s my thought, it’s my words, it’s my voice,” 

Landing on the stage with an explosion of light, you let out a giggle as you used your own angelic magic to summon a matching bass to play along with Adam. Adam’s face visibly lit up as you began singing and playing along, your voice taking on a more angelic sound. 

“Independent together, independent together, if we try,” 

You and Adam leaned in, your smiles lighting up the stage as you sang together, perfectly in sync. “Independent together, independent together, independent together, you and I,” 

You had completely forgotten the whole point of this impromptu concert at this point. You forgot that there was an audience, that the rest of the world surrounded you. In the bright lights of the city and hotel, you could only see Adam before you, his face progressively getting closer. 

“Independent together, independent together, we can fly,” Your six wings spread out, your eyes glowing with exhilaration. You didn’t notice just how few inches apart your face was from Adam’s, nor did you see just how that affected the Devil that caused this whole concert to begin with. 

“Independent together, independent together,” Your hand reached out to Adam, your palm pressing against his masked face as you looked into his eyes. He could have sworn you were looking straight through his mask and into his eyes with how you were holding eye contact, getting lost in each other’s eyes. “Independent together, you and I,” 

Your wings slowed to a stop as you and Adam landed. You leaned your forehead against his, surprised as he returned the gesture full heartedly, nearly leaning into you as the song slowed to a stop. 

“Independent together, you and I...” 

You looked up to Adam in both surprise and excitement. Adam held the same exact expression, as if surprised by how carried away they had gotten. Laughter bubbled from within you as the bass you held disappeared, jumping into Adam’s arms with a squeal. Adam chuckled as he held you up, spinning around, before setting you down. 

“That was fucking awesome, babe!” Adam exclaimed, throwing his arms up in exaggeration. You chuckled at his reaction, before remembering that you had an audience. You turned your attention to see their reactions, your eyes widening. 

Tears streamed down Lucifer’s face as he stood in the very front of the small crowd. He looked up to you with a desperate, almost pleading look. Charlie called out to him with a worried tone, snapping him out of his daze as he roughly rubbed his sleeve across his face, whipping around and storming off without a single word. 

“Dad, wait! What’s wrong!?” Charlie yelled, watching as he slammed the door behind him, disappearing into the hotel. A loud burst of laughter caught her attention as she turned around to see Adam completely doubled over, struggling to contain himself and breathe. 

“D-Did you see his fucking face? We broke him,” Adam stuttered through his laughter, wiping away a fake tear from his mask. He stood up straight, turning to see your reaction, his laughter coming to an abrupt halt as he saw the distraught look on your face. 

“Wait a minute,” Charlie held her hands up, shaking her head in disbelief as she approached the stage you and Adam stood atop. “You mean you did that on purpose? What the fuck is wrong with you?” 

“Come on,” Adam groaned in annoyance, jumping down onto the floor before Charlie. “We were just messing around. We wanted to get a little revenge for Luci ruining our relationships.” 

“What?” Charlie’s brows furrowed in confusion, turning her attention to you as you stepped down from the stage, your angelic form disappearing in a flash of gold. “What is he talking about? What relationship?” 

You stilled at Charlie’s words. It seemed your hesitation caught the others’ attention, Charlie leaning in closer as she glared down at you. You growled in annoyance, turning your irritation on Adam. “Come on! They weren’t supposed to know!” 

“Oh, shit, my bad,” Adam held up his hands defensively, stepping back from you. Your attention was shifted back to Charlie as she urged an explanation from you, making you sigh in frustration. 

“Ch-Charlie, there was a reason I never said anything. I didn’t want to get in between you and your family, even if Lucifer and Lilith are split up. I didn’t want you to be mad at Lucifer, I—” 

“What are you saying?” Charlie cut you off, confusion written across her face. She didn’t understand. She didn’t want to understand, but she was already beginning to get somewhat of an idea. She knew what Lucifer did to you, abandoning you in the garden and running away with Lilith. But she didn’t even imagine that there was a whole other layer to it. She didn’t want it to be. 

“Charlie... Your dad and I were married,” You spoke softly, as if scared your words might harm her, scar her. She loved her father deeply and held him up on a high pedestal. She would often talk about how her parents met, and how she loved their love story, even if they were split up. You couldn’t bear to ruin that image, even if you were mad at Lucifer. 

Charlie’s eyes widened as she froze up. It almost felt as though her heart came to a halt in her chest, stilling the blood in her body. “Wh-What?” 

“I kept it a secret because I didn’t want to ruin the image of Lucifer that you have. Please don’t be mad at him, I—” 

“How could I not be mad!?” Charlie exclaimed. You looked up at her in surprise, your eyes going wide. You didn’t think you’d ever heard Charlie yell in the time you had spent in Hell. You almost didn’t think she was capable of getting genuinely angry. 

“All my life, I thought mom and dad had a perfect relationship,” Charlie paced back and forth, pulling her hair by the roots, something that had become a habit in times of stress. “Even when mom left, dad still stayed loyal, he wore her ring, he didn’t try to move on. I-I can’t believe he would do that! He’s such a fucking asshole!” 

“Babe, calm down...” Vaggie tried to plant Charlie in place, placing her hands on Charlie’s chest to keep her from pacing. Charlie growled in annoyance, sidestepping Vaggie as she continued to walk her anger off. 

“And you! How could you stay quiet about this?” Charlie looked down at you with a pleading look. “I deserved to know what kind of a man my dad is. I should have known what he did to you, what he...” 

Charlie trailed off, hiding her face in her hands. Her body shook slightly, the telling sign of the turmoil that lay just beneath the surface. Your heart broke at the sight of Charlie struggling to keep herself together, stepping toward her as you gently grabbed her wrists. 

Pulling her hands away to reveal her sorrowful face that had been soaked in tears, you gave her a soft smile, your thumbs caressing the palms of her hands to try and calm her. Charlie had been the only person aside from Adam to be friendly to you, the only demon down here that truly cared for you. You couldn’t stand to see her breaking down, not over something that was between you and Lucifer. 

“Charlie, despite what Lucifer did to me, he’s still a good person. He’s spent the last ten thousand years trying to make up for what he’s done, to make up for his past mistakes. I don’t want you to be mad at him, not when he’s putting so much effort into making a change,” You dropped Charlie’s hands to move to her shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze. “Besides, isn’t the whole point of the hotel to atone and become a better person?” 

Charlie’s eyes seemed to widen at that, as if remembering her whole mission with the hotel. A soft chuckle bubbled within her, lifting her hand to wipe away the stray tears that remained. “Yeah, you’re right.” 

Charlie pulled you into a hug, momentarily surprising you before you returned it in full, holding her tightly. You felt her sigh shakily against you, releasing the remainders of her stress, before pulling away with a renewed smile. 

“You know, if you keep making progress like this, you’ll be redeemed in no time,” She said, making you chuckle. But your laughter died down as you turned your attention back to the door that Lucifer had stormed through not too long ago. 

“Maybe you should go check on him,” You said, gesturing toward the door. Charlie’s eyes followed your own, a soft hum on her lips as she mulled over it. She couldn’t help but still be slightly upset over the reveal of her father’s infidelity, having to remind herself that the whole point of her mission was to forgive those who did wrong. 

She looked down at you with a smile, holding her hand out for you to take. “Could you come with me?” 

You looked up to her, bright blue eyes going wide. You weren’t entirely sure you were ready to talk yet, still afraid that you might give in to your emotions and give him another chance. You were still afraid that he would take advantage of your weak emotional state and hurt you again. 

But the look Charlie gave you promised that she wouldn’t allow her father to hurt you, never again. So, despite your better judgement, you trusted her, placing your hand, and your emotional security, in her own. 

Leading you back into the hotel, you and Charlie went out to search for Lucifer. Finding his bedroom to be empty, the two of you made your way down into the lobby, surprised to find him just about to leave. Charlie called out to him, surprising him as he whipped around, a forced smile on his face. 

“Ah, Charlie! I was just about to head out, I—” 

Lucifer cut himself off upon seeing you beside Charlie. The forced smile immediately dipped into a frown, but he stayed in place as you and Charlie approached. He wanted more than anything to disappear from the world and never been seen again, especially as he felt your cold blue eyes meet his own. 

“Dad, there’s something we should talk about,” Charlie began, before taking a deep breath and looking at you. “Something you should talk about.” 

You looked up to her nervously, your heart thundering in your chest, especially as Charlie released your hand and stepped back, leaving you to stand alone before Lucifer. Your gaze landed on his eyes, bright red irises that you had always found alluring. You opened your mouth to say something, Lucifer doing the same, but nothing came out, no words were spoken. You could only look away, casting your stare onto the floor. 

Charlie seemed to notice the thick, tense air between you two, sighing deeply. A small smile pulled at her lips as her soft voice filled the lobby, catching the attention of you both. “Why don’t you talk to each other?” 

Charlie stepped toward you, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder and back, pushing you toward Lucifer. Both yours and Lucifer’s eyes widened at the sudden close proximity as Charlie continued. “Why don’t you talk to each other? Just give it a try,” 

Charlie grabbed her father’s hand, Lucifer’s eyes stuck glued to yours, giving you an almost fearful look. He jumped in his skin as he felt Charlie place his hand in yours, the touch of your corrupted angelic skin the exact same as he always remembered. “Why don’t you talk about what happened? I know you’re trying to avoid it, but I don’t know why,” 

“You might not believe it,” Charlie gave you a reassuring smile as she stepped back, leaving you in the presence of Lucifer. You glanced at the hand where you were connected with him, unable to help the heat that rushed to your cheeks, or the tears that began to well in your eyes. “You might not believe it, but you got a lot in common, you really do,” 

“You both love me, and I love both of you...” 

Lucifer sighed, his hand squeezing yours gently, taking in the way your soft palm felt under his thumb. He looked away, taking in a shaky breath as he forced his voice to work for him. “Look, if I were you, I’d hate me too.” 

“I don’t hate you...” You muttered, keeping your gaze on the floor as you held back your tears. Your throat squeezed tightly, trying to keep everything tightly wound up inside you, trying to hold yourself together. 

“Why not?” Lucifer looked up to you with wide eyes, as if begging you to hate him. Because it’d be easier for him to come to terms with you hating him, than for him to accept that you’ve moved on and don’t care anymore. “Y-You should hate me, you should want me dead,” 

You looked up to him in surprise, a stray tear escaping your eyes as you chuckled, your cheeks crinkling slightly. “I guess this place is just rubbing off on me. I got so tired of being mad, I just couldn’t bring myself to fight you anymore. I would rather just forgive you and move on.” 

“B-But—” Lucifer cut himself off, tears brimming in his eyes. He deserved to be hated, he was the most hated being in existence. It simply wasn’t fair, he hated that you forgave him before he forgave himself. He couldn’t forgive himself. He would never be able to. 

His eyes widened as he felt your hand on his cheek, wiping away the tears that he hadn’t realized escaped. He looked up to you in shock, trying to understand what was going through your head, why you were doing the things you did, the things that made him miss you even more. 

“If you wanted to, we could move on together. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to trust you again, but I trust Charlie, and I know she won’t let me get hurt here,” You chuckled softly, looking over at Charlie with a smile, before turning your attention back to Lucifer as you stepped closer to him. “You’ve raised a wonderful person, Lucifer. She’s the entire reason why I can forgive you. She’s the reason why I want to move on with you.” 

Lucifer stared up into your angelic eyes, his body shaking as tears streamed down his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, crashing into your arms as he held you like his life depended on it. “More than anything,” 

He looked up to you, his eyes glimmering in the lights of the hotel, his lips pulling into a soft smile. “I’d love it more than anything.” 

You giggled, grabbing hold of his hands, pulling him to a slow dance. Lucifer was practically beaming at you now, his tears streaming freely down his face as he chuckled, following along. 

Charlie couldn’t help the smile that graced her face, watching the scene before her unfold as she continued to sing, wiping away the tears that had fallen from her eyes as well. “I know you both need it, I know you both need it,” 

“Someone who knows what you’re going through,” 

Your laughter filled the room as Lucifer spun you around, the sound making his heart flutter. A chuckle escaped his lips, before he too was laughing, getting lost in the sounds of your joy. A sound he’d missed for far longer than he realized. 

“You might not believe it, you might not believe it, but you got a lot in common, you really do,” 

Your feet slowed to a stop as you looked down into Lucifer’s eyes, your hands moving to cup his cheeks. You leaned in, resting your forehead against his own, strands of your hair tickling his face. You felt him wrap his arms around your neck, his breath fanning your face as he sighed. 

“You both love me, and I love both of you...” 

“You have no idea how much I missed this,” Lucifer said, looking into your bright blue eyes. You smiled, moving to pull him into a hug. 

“You have no idea how much I missed you,” You muttered against his shoulder, basking in his presence. Perhaps this was the happy ending you had waited so long to get. It wasn’t perfect, but nothing was. Not even angels were perfect, as you had found out. But now, you wouldn’t have things any other way. Because now, you were finally happy. You could start anew, with the new friends you’ve made, with Lucifer. You were finally ready to let him back in. 

“You both love me, and I love both of you...”

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

It was an understatement to say you fell after everything. It was more like you crashed and burned, any semblance of a life in Heaven disappearing after your attack on Hell. You had quite literally raised Hell in Heaven, tearing your way down into the depths just to get your revenge. You had struck down the Princess of Hell, nearly erasing all of her memories, had her friends not helped her. And in the end, you backed down, your guilt finally catching up to you. You thought if you had let your anger control you, you would easily be able to kill Charlie and her friends. But the more time you spent in Hell, the more your anger ebbed away, leaving an empty shell in its place. 

In the end, the story remained the same. Your happy ending faded from view, and Charlie remained the hero of the story, along with her father, Lucifer. You were nothing but the bad guy, just another person standing in the way of the true story. Everything felt like a game to you, and you had to figure out how to climb your way to the top, to win. Losing this fight to Lucifer had dropped you all the way down to the very, very beginning. You had nothing. This time, you didn’t even have any friends. You were all alone. Or so, you had wished. Oh, how it was quite the opposite, actually. 

When you were cast from Heaven, Sera and Emily made absolutely certain that you didn’t end up in some rotten corner of Hell. Oh no, they had you fall right into the lap of Lucifer himself. They had begged and pleaded for him and Charlie to take you in, try to redeem you. Or at the very least, take care of you. It was what you deserved, Sera had said. Charlie was immediately all in, happy to have you despite what you had done. You had nearly wiped the demonic side of her clean, which would have ruined her life and stolen her memories. Yet, she happily accepted you with open arms, literally. She squeezed you in an almost deathly tight hug, promising to make up for what had happened to you. After you had shown her your memories, Charlie had become especially clingy to you, to make sure you were happy, that you weren’t lonely. 

The other hotel residents didn’t take to you as kindly as Charlie. Vaggie hated you with every fiber in her being, which you didn’t blame her for. Angel Dust and Husk both would team up on you and constantly remind you of what you had done. Alastor had been about as normal as you expected him to be, but you did notice he was rather pushy about information on your past, of which you indulged him none. Knowing he was either coveting your soul, or information on Lucifer, you tended to keep your distance from him. 

As for Lucifer himself, you hadn’t spoken a single word to each other in the week you had moved into the hotel. You didn’t want to speak to him, not after everything. Not after what he put you through. It was hard enough not getting to have your happy ending, you didn’t need him rubbing salt in the wound. Just his smile alone was enough to sour your whole day. And it seemed others knew that too, as Angel Dust would constantly question your relationship with Lucifer, and what it used to be like. Knowing it would end up getting back to Charlie, you kept quiet on the finer details of your past with him. Nobody, not even Charlie, knew he was once your husband in the eyes of Heaven. All that mattered now was that he was a nobody to you, a stranger. 

Your life in Hell hadn’t been all that bad though. Aside from Charlie forcing her friendship down your throat, you had actually managed to make one friend in the hotel, and it hadn’t surprised anyone a single bit when it happened. Adam, First Man, died during the exterminations, had become your closest friend in Hell. You could barely tolerate his attitude, but relating to him when it came to getting the short end of the stick was fun sometimes. You could spend hours with Adam, talking about how shitty Hell and the hotel was, getting lost in drinks and partying all night long. It was the first time you had genuinely smiled in the last ten thousand years. 

Tonight had been one of those nights. You and Adam stayed in the bar long after Husk had retired for the night. Drinking away afterlife’s issues, listening to music, talking about everything and nothing. Adam could talk a lot, and you were happy to finally listen to someone and just bask in their presence once again. But the nightly hour began to crawl up, taking its toll on you. You let out a soft yawn, leaning into the bar. 

“Adam, I’m pretty tired, I think I’m gonna call it a night,” You muttered, your voice slurring slightly. Adam hardly paid you any mind as he chugged his drink, giving you a thumbs up. 

“’Kay, ‘night, bitch,” He mumbled back, keeping his attention focused on the drinks that melted away his memories. You sighed, pushing yourself off the barstool, making your way back to bed. 

Your body felt sluggish, dragging behind you as you walked down the long, never-ending halls. You didn’t remember the hallways being so long. You groaned sleepily, trying to steady your body as you pressed a hand to the wall, letting the surface lead you down the hall. You leaned your weight onto your palm, barely picking your feet up off the floor. You were so tired. Tired of living here. Tired of eternity. Eternity was simply too long. 

You let out a yelp as the wall disappeared from underneath your hand, stumbling to the side and into the open bedroom doorway you had tripped up on. Your eyes snapped up to try and identify whose room you had fallen into, your gaze falling upon the open balcony door. The red light of the sky streamed into the room, making your eyes blur with sleepiness. Rubbing them, you leaned against the door, squinting your eyes at the person who leaned against the balcony railing. 

“I was fine with the men, who would come into her life now and again,” 

A familiar voice sung a soft tune, instantly sobering you up. Your vision cleared almost immediately, the sight of Lucifer holding a red rose making your throat close. He sighed, bringing the rose to his face, letting the petals tickle his skin. 

“I was fine cause I knew that they didn’t really matter until you,” His voice was somewhat breathy, as if he were on the brink of tears. You had to wonder what had pushed him to such a point, curious as to whom he was singing about. You found yourself planted in his doorway, watching as he brushed the pad of his thumb over the petals of the rose. 

“I was fine, when you came, and we fought like it was all some silly game, over her,” Lucifer took a deep breath, looking up into the deep red sky. “Who she’d choose. After all those years, I never thought I’d lose...” 

Pulling his hat off his head, Lucifer squeezed the brim tightly in his fist, before dropping it on the floor. Holding the rose with both hands, he stared out into the bright lights of Pentagram City, the lights reflecting and glimmering in his eyes. 

“It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?” He leaned into the railing, standing on his tiptoes, threatening to tip over the edge at any second as he reached out into the city lights. “It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?” 

Dropping back down onto the heels of his feet, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to contain his emotions. “You won, and she chose you, and she loved you, and she’s gone,” 

You watched with wide eyes as Lucifer’s wings sprouted from his back, giving a soft flap and lifting him into the air. His shoes landed on the edge of the railing with a soft tap, a shaky sigh coming from within him. “It’s over, isn’t it? Why can’t I move on?” 

Lucifer looked down at the red rose in his hand, the thorns breaking the skin of his palm. Golden liquid pooled in his palm, soaking the stem, staining the petals, giving it an otherworldly glow. He glared at the sight, his emotions pooling over, overflowing. 

“War and glory, reinvention, the garden, freedom, her attention,” Lucifer walked along the edge of the railing, his body tipping back and forth between threatening to fall over and sinking back into his room. 

Your brows furrowed deeply at the mention of the garden, fingers digging into the doorframe. Was he singing about Lilith? You knew he and Lilith had split, Lilith disappearing over seven years ago now. You had even accidentally let out a laugh in Lucifer’s face when Charlie had told you that fact, furthering the man’s sadness. Not that you felt bad about it. 

But now, a sickness began to twist within your gut, making you want to hide away and never be seen again. He missed Lilith. You shouldn’t have been as upset about that as you were. If anything, you should’ve been laughing at his misery. But it only left a souring taste in your mouth, bile threatening to come up. 

“Out in daylight, my potential, bold, precise, experimental,” Lucifer smiled as the memories of a time gone by came and went in his mind. Back when he still fought for his dreams, back when he wanted to give humanity the greatest gift imaginable. If only he had known just what his gift would entail, maybe things wouldn’t be like this today. “Who am I now in this world without her? Petty and dull, with the nerve to doubt her,” 

You turned your back to Lucifer, unable to continue listening to his depressing serenade anymore. You glanced back, eyes wide to find Lucifer lying on the balcony’s edge, as if uncaring what would happen to him should he fall. 

“What does it matter? It’s already done, now I’ve got to be there for her redemption,” 

Your whole body froze, blood going still in your body. Even your heart seemed to quieten down, barely thumping against your chest. Surely you hadn’t heard that right. Surely, he didn’t say redemption. Your redemption. He was singing about you. 

Your thoughts ran a mile a minute, trying to understand what was happening. Why would Lucifer, the man who abandoned you for ten thousand years, sing about missing you? You scraped your memories for any reason he would suddenly miss you, wondering what you had done to earn such attention. You had purposely been avoiding him, you thought you had taken the proper measure to never form another connection with that demon ever again. 

Your mind drifted back to what you had been doing before stumbling across Lucifer’s room. You had been spending time with Adam, the man who, apparently, Lucifer stole everything from. Lucifer had stolen both his wives, Lilith and Eve, and had made an eternal enemy out of the man. You felt the air in your lungs hitch in your throat, realization washing over you, drowning you in misery once more. Lucifer was jealous. 

“It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?” Lucifer closed his eyes, leaning over the inner edge of the railing, dropping onto the floor, landing on his feet with a thud. He held the rose to his lips, ignoring the cold feeling of the breeze brushing past his face, teardrops falling down his cheeks and drenching the rose. “It’s over, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t it over?” 

He turned to face the city once more, the bright lights reflecting in his tears. He furrowed his brows in frustration, squeezing the rose tight enough to snap the stem. “You won, and she chose you, and she loved you, and she’s gone!” 

Lucifer threw the rose over the edge, the golden shimmer of his blood glittering as it poured like rain. He watched as the glitter disappeared in the bright city lights, his tears drying against his cheeks. “It’s over, isn’t it? Why can’t I move on?” 

Looking down at the teardrops that had fallen to the ground, mixing with the droplets of blood dotting his balcony floor, Lucifer sighed deeply. “It’s over, isn’t it? Why can’t I move on?” 

Silence filled the air once more, with the occasional sniffle from Lucifer as he wiped his teary eyes on his sleeves. He looked down at his hand, the shallow cuts already beginning the process of healing. Clenching his hand into a tight fist, he turned around, his energy fizzled out after his burst of emotions. He had just so happened to see you spending another long night with Adam in the lobby, and everything within him finally snapped. 

Turning around to retire to his bed, Lucifer’s eyes widened as they instead found you standing in his doorway. You visibly flinched, your blood running cold. You should’ve left long ago, but you found yourself stuck in place, watching the man before you break down. Now he was faced toward you, and the air suddenly felt suffocating. 

Without thinking, you whipped around, taking off running down the hall. Your sleepiness was replaced with a sense of panic, your feet thundering down the hall as you ran as fast as you could. You heard Lucifer’s voice, calling out to you, begging for you to wait, but you didn’t dare stop. You didn’t think you could talk even if you wanted to. You didn’t trust yourself not to succumb to the desire for older times. You knew, deep down, that if given the opportunity, you would willingly sink back into Lucifer’s hold, allowing yourself to be vulnerable to him once more. You also knew it would never end well. 

So, you ran. And eventually, you no longer heard Lucifer calling and chasing after you. You made it back to the safety of your room, curled into your bed, and passed out. You didn’t want to be awake and present in the moment, not when he could show up at any moment. You just wanted everything to disappear. 

“The Hazbin Hotel is now officially open! Come stay with us for a chance to have your soul redeemed, and earn your place in Heaven!” 

The video flickered ever so slightly, the television displaying the image of Charlie Morningstar, princess of Hell, for both angels and demons alike to see. As the video played, Charlie giving more details about her hotel, a trio of angels looked on, the seraphims keeping their eyes glued on the ancient angel before them. You. 

Upon finding your near lifeless body standing in the abandoned Garden of Eden, Sera and Emily quickly took you into their care. You could hardly pay them any mind since Sera had told you of Lucifer’s fate, of the curse he had put on himself. He had become the Devil, the sin of pride. He had cheated on you and left you for Lilith, who he soon had a child with. The girl on the screen before you happened to be said child. The very personification of Lucifer’s betrayal. 

Your blood boiled at the sight. You had demanded information from Sera, someone you had once considered a friend. You knew she was innocent in all of this, but you could not help your anger at the fact that not only had she let Charlie into Heaven, but was working with her to redeem the sinners that Lucifer had been the cause of in the first place. He was the reason sin and chaos existed in humanity in the first place. You were mad that things had spiraled to this point, you were mad that this was apparently how the story ended. 

No. You wouldn’t have it this way. If you had known just how good Lucifer was having it now after what he did to you, you would have rather stayed ignorant of everything. Perhaps even rather let the garden claim your body, than be here, in this horrible reality. But you were here, and now, you were going to change the ending of this story. You intended to have your happy ending, at any price. 

A soft hum filled the long, glowing halls of the Hazbin Hotel, the sounds of shoes tapping with each step accompanying the hum. With a twirl of his staff, and an adjustment of his top hat, the man entered the grand entrance hall of the lobby, where everyone, including his daughter, waited. His heels clicking as he came to a stop, Lucifer stood atop the steps, looking down at everyone with a smile, his daughter catching his attention right away. 

“Dad! There you are!” Charlie exclaimed, running up the steps. Lucifer raised a brow in confusion, meeting her halfway as he walked down the steps. 

“Charlie? What’s the matter?” Lucifer asked, curious. Surely, their newest resident hadn’t already started causing trouble, right? Lucifer knew the man would be uncomfortable here, but surely Adam wasn’t jumping straight into causing chaos, hopefully. 

Charlie grabbed her father by the wrist, dragging him down the stairs, towards the small crowd of people standing in the doorway. Lucifer immediately noted the uncomfortable, even downright fearful look in their faces, even Adam seemingly upset, or at the very least, startled. His attention was whipped to whatever had caused their discomfort, his eyes widening at the sight. 

“Tears in the sky are appearing all over, and they’re clearly from Heaven,” Charlie spoke, pointing up at the rip that had begun to appear over the hotel, the golden outline of the tear drawing attention. More rips and tears dotted the skies of Hell, all across the pride ring. A soft, white light shone from inside, though nothing else seemed to come through. 

“I thought Heaven agreed to back off, I-I don’t understand,” Charlie grabbed her hair by the roots, pulling tightly. She felt the calming hand of her girlfriend, Vaggie, on her shoulder, but it did little to soothe her anxiety. 

Vaggie huffed, glaring up at the sky, clenching her angelic spear tightly in her other hand. “Well, you know how Heaven can be. They might’ve decided they’re too good for us.” 

But that didn’t seem right. Not to Lucifer at least. He knew Sera. Even if she had intended to betray them, she would’ve gone about it in a more subtle way. This seemed far more... personal. Almost as if they wanted to be seen, to catch the attention of something. Lucifer tried to piece together just what was going on, and just what he should do about it. 

His eyes widened as he noticed the rip just above the hotel widen, and something, someone, coming through. The hair on his neck suddenly stood on end, the light masking the angel, hiding their face and casting a large silhouette over the hotel. 

“Hey!” A loud, booming voice suddenly yelled, Lucifer nearly jumping in his skin. He could clearly see the ethereal glow of their eyes, and the snarl that pulled on their lips. “Are you Charlotte Morningstar?” 

“Um...” Charlie sweat nervously, putting on her best friendly smile, silently begging that maybe they were a friendly angel. But she knew that wasn’t the case, not if this was their entrance. “Yes?” 

Their lips curled upward into a smirk, grinning down at her. “Perfect.” 

Their wings curled into their back, disappearing in a burst of golden magic. Dropping to the ground, they landed just before the hotel with a loud thud, bright blue eyes turning up to look at them, crinkling at the edges as they grinned maniacally. You finally made it into Hell. 

Letting out a sinister chuckle, you stood up straight, nearly bursting at the seams with excitement. “Well, well, well, well, well! Let me get a look at the menagerie!” 

Your eyes, glowing almost ominously, roved over the group before you. Each and every person, you studied meticulously, you knew exactly which ones were of no concern, which one would stand up for the hotel, which ones you would kill. 

“You must Vaggie,” Your eyes landed on the fallen angel, watching as she visibly flinched at the sound of her name coming from your mouth. You moved onto the next one, smirking. “You must be Alastor,” 

Alastor’s eyes narrowed at you, curiosity and even a hint of worry eating at him. Something didn’t seem right about any of this. This wasn’t like the other angelic attacks, no, this seemed far more malicious. He didn’t fail to notice the horror written plainly across the Demon King’s face either, especially as your eyes finally landed on him. Lucifer. 

“And Lucifer, the King of Hell, wow! She keeps you here, isn’t that just swell?” You rolled your eyes in annoyance, your grin ever present as you tensed. You knew Lucifer was in and out of the hotel, but you had hoped to catch Charlie in a moment of vulnerability. Not that it mattered in the end, they were all going to suffer the same fate. You’d already decided how this would end. 

“I-It can’t be...” Lucifer stuttered, nearly stumbling backward, his heart thudding in his chest, drumming loudly in his ears. You let out a string of laughter, your eyes watering at the sight of his trembling frame. This was all so perfect. 

“Oh, but it can be. And it is!” You ran your fingers through your hair, watching as Lucifer’s fearful gaze was drawn to the charcoal color of your hands, as if you had been burnt, the off coloration seeping down your arms, into your skin. Purple lines streaked through your arms, your fingers more resembling claws than hands now. “I got a new style, and a few new toys that are gonna put an end to your happily ever after, once and for all!” 

“Woah, woah!” Charlie jumped to the front, holding her hands out defensively. “This has gotta be a misunderstanding! In case you haven’t heard, I’ve established peace with the Heavens—” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve heard,” You snapped, glaring at Charlie, who flinched. You clenched your fist, raising it as you glanced at it, before smirking at Charlie. “I’ve had your little message to the Heavens, on loop!” 

A ball of light formed in your hand, your grin stretching across your face as you threw it Charlie. The demon’s eyes widened, letting out a startled cry as it hit her square in the chest, skidding across the grass, tripping on the steps of the hotel entrance. Lucifer was immediately at her side, checking her for injuries, shooting you a dark glare. You giggled, however, your grin leaning on maniacal as your eyes glowed. 

“I just love that part, where Lucifer spends the rest of his days in this nowhere realm, with a bunch of nobodies!” 

Something in you finally snapped, rushing at Charlie. She let out a startled scream as you grabbed her by her ankles, yanking her out of Lucifer’s caring hold, standing her up straight as you danced around with her, flinging her left and right. 

“That’s right, I heard the story over and over again,” You sung cheerfully, spinning Charlie out of your grip, turning your anger on Vaggie as she flew at you, spear pointed to your heart. 

Grabbing the spear handle, the tip just barely pressing into your chest, you flung Vaggie, giggling all the while. “Gee, it’s swell to finally meet his other friends!” 

You watched as the cat demon, Husk, tried to attack, a pitiful attempt in your opinion. You grabbed him by his wings, pulling him up and pulling his feet out from under him, dropping him on the ground. “That’s right, I heard the story, don’t really like how it ends!” 

A tall, spider-like demon, Angel Dust, rushed to Husk’s rescue, yelling as he barreled towards you. You grinned as you sidestepped him, watching as he tripped over Husk. “Gee, it’s swell to finally meet his other friends!” 

Your attention zoned back in on Charlie, who was still trying to gather her wits. Grabbing her by her wrists, your pair of wings flapped behind you as you flew into the air. Charlie cried out in alarm as you tossed her upward, grabbing her by her ankles and dangling her around. “What did he say about me, what did he say?” 

Dropping Charlie, she landed with a thud as you whipped over to Vaggie, grabbing her by her waist and spinning round and round. “What did you do without me, what did you do~?” 

Throwing Vaggie, you turned your attention to the demon who had been narrowly managing to avoid you, Alastor. You grabbed him just before he could melt into the shadows, pulling him up off the ground as you held him by his waist, looking up at him with big, deceivingly innocent eyes. “Did you play games without me? What did you play?” 

Releasing him just before he could retaliate, your wings flapped as you dodged each oncoming attack with ease, gliding towards your true victim. “Did you think all this time that I wouldn’t find out about you!?” 

Your wings spread out, your blue eyes glowing as you floated just before the Devil himself, grinning madly, as if excited. Lucifer flinched under your cold gaze, completely frozen in place. However, he found himself being ripped from his place as silky golden ribbons poured from your hands, wrapping around Lucifer, around each and every sinner and demon. With a flap of your wings, you yanked the ribbons, pulling them together as they smashed into one another. 

“Oh, that’s right I heard the story over and over again, gee it’s swell to finally meet his other friends...” You landed on the roof of the hotel entrance, giggling at the sight of the demons before you scrambling to get their bearings. 

“She’s running circles around us!” Husk hissed, clawed hand running through the fur on his head. Angel scoffed, sitting up as he rubbed his pained arms. 

“I’m rusty, give me a break!” He grumbled, pushing himself up. 

As everyone stood up, one demon remained, stuck on the ground. It felt as though the whole world was spinning, threatening to uproot everything good in his life. Karma certainly was a bitch. “I-It really is her. But she can’t be serious...” 

“You know her, dad!? Can you tell us who she is?” Charlie asked, looking to her father with worry. She had never seen him look so utterly terrified. 

Charlie’s words made the thin thread of patience within you snap. You grit your teeth, blood boiling, your skin burning, your hands aching, aching to squeeze the life out of them. “Who am I!? Who am I? What are you even saying!?” 

You stomped down toward the edge, your shadow casting over them in the glowing lights of the hotel. “I’m the loser of the game you didn’t know you were playing!” 

But this was different. This time, you wouldn’t lose. Your lips twitched, curling into a shaky smirk, nerves fried and emotions haywire. “Let’s play another game! This time, I’ve got to win!” 

A burst of light from your palm startled Lucifer, the light turning into a long staff, almost electrifying. A blade formed at the top in the shape of a scythe, the glow of your angelic power combined with the ominous glow of your eyes offputting. 

“Lives on the line, winner takes all, ready or not, let’s begin!” 

With a flap of your wings, you flew at the demons, watching as they jumped to dodge you. You let out a burst of laughter, slamming your foot into the gut of one of the demons, flinging them across the hotel yard. Another demon jumped at you, the handle of your scythe smashing into them, knocking them into the others. 

“Oh, that’s right, I heard the story over and over again, gee it’s swell to finally beat his other friends!” You sang happily, grabbing the arm of Vaggie and throwing her just before she could attempt an attack. Vaggie cried out as she crashed into the ground, battered and bruised. 

“Oh, that’s right, I heard the story, don’t really like how it ends!” 

You shoved demons aside, throwing them around, all the while Lucifer could only watch. He could only watch as you terrorized his friends, and you were reveling in it. The tables had finally turned, and now, he was playing your game. 

“Gee, it’s swell to finally beat his other,” You flew around, dodging demons, zoning in on one demon in particular. This was it. “Other...” 

“Other friends!” 

Your scythe sliced clean through Charlie’s waist, the angelic weapon leaving a trail of gold through her body. Charlie’s eyes widened, a silent scream stuck in her throat, her vision blotting and clouding. The last thing she saw was the horror in her father’s eyes as he stood before her, completely frozen, unable to move. 

Charlie collapsed to the ground, the golden trail healing like a scar, almost as if it hadn’t cut through her at all. You giggled as Vaggie rushed to Charlie’s side, the other demons shortly behind her as they checked to make sure she was still alive. Your eyes remained on Lucifer, his body deathly still, as if he weren’t even breathing. He wasn’t. Because he knew exactly what you’d done. 

“Don’t worry, Luci,” You called out, a wicked grin spread across your face, as if knowing exactly what was going through his mind. “I didn’t kill her. I simply hit her with my divine light. I do wonder what would happen to a half demon being filled with angelic light...” 

Let’s go in the garden, 

You’ll find something waiting, 

Right there where you left it, 

Lying upside down...

Excitement shot through your system, your feet dragging along the ground as a giggle bubbled from within you. You paused every few seconds as the man before you looked back, a single brow raised at your antics. He took a few steps forward, the sounds of your feet tapping as you followed along filling the air. He sighed, turning around. His eyes, golden sclera and deep red irises, landed on your own, though unfocused. Almost as if looking straight through you. 

He’d tried to keep you here, to stop you from following. He knew you were only doing what you were meant to do. You were made for him. An angel born purely to keep Lucifer in check, to keep him happy. You loved being by his side, you loved spending time with him on Earth, in the garden. You thought he loved it too. You thought he loved you. 

Taking a deep breath, Lucifer forced a smile for you. His wings softly flapped behind him, lifting him off the ground, raising him to be just above your face level. His finger tapped your nose, his enchanting voice coming through. “Here in the garden, let’s play a game, I’ll show you how it’s done.” 

“Here in the garden, stand very still,” His hands on your shoulders, you looked up at him with a beaming smile, happy to spend time with your love. 

“This’ll be so much fun,” Your voice, soft and delicate spoke, earning a smile from him. Your heart fluttered at his smile, his cheeks crinkling slightly as his eyes closed, appearing relaxed. At least to you. But appearances weren’t all what they seemed. 

“And then he smiled, that’s what I’m after,” You clenched a fist, pressing it to your chest, trying to calm your fast beating heart. You could feel the eyes of the demon behind you on you, the very demon that came from him. “The smile in his eyes, the sound of his laughter.” 

You could see the scene replaying before you all over again. You could even hear the soft chuckle that had once escaped his lips, his hands softly squeezing your shoulders. You knew she could see it too, but you didn’t want to acknowledge the memories that had begun to rush back to you, memories from long ago. Memories you’d wished you could forget. 

“Happy to listen, happy to play, happily watching him drift away...” 

Lucifer’s grip loosened on your shoulders, his wings flapping as he pulled away, leaving you to your little game. You watched him fly into the bright sky, disappearing in the light of the sun with another. But you didn’t think anything of it, because he loved you. He was playing with you, spending time with you. 

The girl behind you could only watch in silence, her throat squeezing closed as she tried to keep her inner turmoil to herself. She knew exactly where she was, exactly where you had taken her. The wilted bushes, the out-of-control bramble, the spiraling roots through the grass. This was the long-abandoned Garden of Eden. This was where it all began. Where Charlie’s father, Lucifer, had started humanity’s spiral into chaos, starting with you. 

“Happily waiting, all on my own, under the endless sky...” You glanced up to the stars dotting the night sky. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. You never wanted anyone to see this, you never even wanted to see it again yourself. Yet, here you were, sharing your vulnerability with the person you’d come down to Hell to kill. The princess of Hell herself, and Lucifer’s daughter, Charlie. You had let her in, showing her your memories. “Counting the seconds, standing alone, as thousands of years go by...” 

The roots had begun to cling to your still form, your body aching, your wings begging to be spread once more. Your hair, once something you had been proud of, now in shambles, grown out nearly to your feet. Deep bags had sunk into the skin under your eyes, a telling sign of your exhaustion. For how much longer must this game go on, you wondered, but never dared voice it. You were meant to make him happy, right? 

“Happily wondering, night after night, is this how it works? Am I doing it right?” Your fists clenched, unable to bear looking at your old self any longer, watching as your sickened form disappeared, turning into speckles of gold in the wind. You stepped forward into the place where you had once showed Charlie your older memories, resuming the familiar stance you had been in for over ten thousand years. “Happy to listen, happy to stay, happily watching him drift away...” 

A cool breeze blew through your hair, reminding you of the countless nights you took solace in the feeling, the only thing that reminded you that you were still alive, still conscious. Your eyes met Charlie’s, a faint smile on her face as you spotted the tears welling in her eyes. You turned away with the breeze, taking a step in the opposite direction of Charlie, startling her as she was quick to follow. 

“You keep on turning pages, for people who don’t care, people who don’t care about you,” 

You walked along the edge of a pond, legs brushing against the soft petals of the flowers surrounding the pond. The breeze pulled along the flowers, a long dead water lily being ripped from the ground. Grasping the weakened petals of the flower in your hand, you turned to Charlie with a soft smile, placing the flower in her blonde hair that felt just the same as his. Just as you pulled your hand away, turning your attention to the water, the flower crumpled in her hair, falling apart. 

“And still, it takes you ages, to see that no one’s there, see that no one’s there, see that no one’s there, everyone’s gone on without you...” Your eyes drifted back to the spot you had become a part of for so long. The spot you thought would one day claim you and set you free from the pain that he’d left behind in you. Charlie’s eyes followed, her eyes widening to see more of your memories, more of what her father had caused. 

“Finally, something.” 

The two seraphims, Sera and Emily, stood before you, fear and sorrow written across their faces. Emily ripped roots that had grown to hold you down tightly off, while Sera ran her fingers through your broken hair, tears streaming down her face. 

“Finally, news, about how the story ends.” 

Sera rambled on and on about everything you had missed. About how humanity had progressed. About the angels that had replaced you in society. Everybody thought you were dead, at the hands of the Devil. You didn’t understand any of it, not until she explained just what had happened, why you were even standing here, playing this game. 

“He isn’t an angel anymore, fallen long ago, leaving you for Lilith, and his brand-new daughter...” 

“Isn’t that lovely?” 

Tears streamed down Charlie’s face as she watched your younger self burst into tears, sobbing violently into Sera’s chest as she hugged you tightly, muttering useless apologies over and over. You cried and screamed, telling her to stop lying and to bring you to Lucifer, to end this game already. You begged and pleaded, telling her that it wasn’t like that, that he loved you, he asked you to stay and play with him. He couldn’t abandon you. You were his angel, his love. 

“Isn’t that cool?” 

You ignored the pain that squeezed your heart, watching as your memories faded in those familiar golden glimmers, begging that this would be the final time you’d have to see them. You ignored the hot tears that dripped down your cheeks, your emotions leaking through, escaping the tight hold you’d kept them in for so many years. 

“And isn’t that cruel? And aren’t I a fool to have happily listened, happy to stay, happily watching him drift, drift...” 

You squeezed a fist to your chest, your heart slowing down finally as you sighed deeply. This was the end. This garden, where everything had begun, would finally see the end of the story. Where you would finally let go of the memories that haunted you for ten thousand years, and move on with your life, putting an end to his little game. 

He would follow you around and criticize you for what felt like hours on end. It was enough to drive anyone mad, and he did it to you on purpose. He was a man on a mission, out to make your life as miserable as possible. That’s just how it was, being acquainted with the prince of all saiyans. It didn’t matter if you tried to avoid him, he would find you, and he would let you know of every flaw in your life. Almost as if he took a sick satisfaction in seeing you wallow in your own misery and insecurities. 

“Vegeta, her house is none of your business,” Bulma scolded with a harsh glare, slapping your discarded napkin out of his hand. You hadn’t had the time to clean up your living space before Bulma and Vegeta dropped by, unannounced. You didn’t mind surprise visitors, but Vegeta was an exception. Every single time he came by, which had become noticeably more frequent, you made absolutely sure that he could not find a single reason to complain or nitpick. You were simply thankful Bulma was there to keep her dog on his leash. 

“Sorry for the mess,” you forced through grit teeth with a smile, before your face relaxed as your eyes landed on Bulma. “What brings you here? You’re not one for random visits.” 

“Right, sorry,” Bulma chuckled, brushing some strands of her azure hair behind her ear, glancing over at Vegeta as he tip-toed through the specks of dirt in your carpet. Bulma rolled her eyes at the dramatic saiyan, sighing. “I need you to keep an eye on him. I don’t really trust him to be alone at Capsule Corp., and my mom and dad are out on vacation. I’ve got a big workload on my hands and can’t deal with him right now. I’ll pay you good, I promise.” 

You wanted to say no. You wanted to tell both of them to get out of your house and never come back. Babysitting Vegeta could have perhaps been Bulma’s most unreasonable request for you. He had not been on Earth for long, and yet had antagonized you more than anyone. You rarely even showed your face at Capsule Corp. anymore because of the man. And Bulma was your best friend that you visited nearly daily for years. She knew how much you hated Vegeta. 

And yet, when she pulled the wad of cash out of her pocket, you immediately found yourself agreeing to the impossible task. Bulma’s payments were usually unreasonable amounts, as if the stack of paper zenni she handed to you was less than allowance money for her. It felt wrong to take, but what could you say? You were living independently in the city - you needed any cash you could get. Even if it meant spending a day with the most annoying being in the universe. 

As soon as Bulma had left, it was not long before Vegeta started to act up. He almost acted like a prepubescent boy at times, unable to properly convey his feelings, resorting to anger to vent. You had even made a point to clean up around the house so he wouldn’t feel so uncomfortable, but some of the things he complained about were unreasonable. 

“The geometry of your living space is poorly designed, woman,” Vegeta commented as he stood in the midst of your living room, looking around at the furniture. You rolled your eyes as you vacuumed the carpet, tuning his voice out. 

“Nobody is stopping you from just leaving. You hate all of us, I don’t understand why you continue to torture yourself on this planet,” you muttered, unsure if he heard you over the vacuum. You didn’t care much if he did or not, barely having the energy to speak to or at him. 

“I’m waiting for Kakarot to come back to this miserable planet. But I’m starting to doubt he will,” Vegeta said as he placed his hands on his hips, searching for more things in your house to nitpick about. You had done a pretty good job hiding things for him to complain about. 

“Maybe he’s avoiding you,” you said with a smirk at the idea. You would not blame Goku one bit if he was avoiding the entire Earth because of Vegeta’s presence. Vegeta did not find your comment very funny as his head whipped to your direction, glaring harshly. 

“Then I would track him down and drag him to this miserable planet to humiliate him in front of his loved ones,” Vegeta sneered, lip raised in a slight snarl, as if the mere assumption were the most offensive thing he’d ever heard. 

“Is it really that hard to accept that somebody doesn’t like you and doesn’t want to see you? I really don’t understand you, Vegeta,” you stood up straight as you turned off the vacuum, turning to glare at him. “You antagonize people on purpose, and then get mad when everyone leaves. What do you want from us? Why won’t you just leave?” 

“My business is none of your concern, woman. I suggest you close your mouth and not utter a single sound from now on, unless you really want to see what antagonistic looks like. I could put you through a world of misery with words alone, I haven’t done anything to you yet.” Vegeta’s harsh eyes stared into your soul, as if knowing you weren’t going to listen. He had been here less than a year, and yet knew you would not stand for such nonsense. 

“This is my house! I suggest you shut up if you know what’s good for you, asshole!” You yelled, leaning closer to his face. His warm breath hit your face as he scoffed, looking down at you as if he were so high and mighty. He was barely three inches taller than you.

“I could destroy you, and this house, and this whole planet in a matter of seconds if I wished. Your empty threats mean nothing to me, human.” Vegeta smirked down at you. That was your breaking point as your hand moved on its own. Even Vegeta found himself shocked by your sudden movement as your hand left its mark across his cheek, its shape searing into his cheek. Head turned from the sudden force, Vegeta stared at you with wide eyes, as if to let his brain process the attack on him. You expected him to blow up. You needed to gain control, fast. You would rather your house remained intact by the time Bulma returned. 

“Wh-What’s with the surprised look? Didn’t think a girl could hit you? Bet you’re completely smitten, huh?” Your face lit up like a lightbulb, cheeks burning as you smirked, watching his every muscle movement. You didn’t even mean for the words to escape your lips, but as they did, you knew you were dead. “You want to kiss me so bad, huh, Vegeta?” 

You saw the blush bloom across his cheek, making your hand mark burn ever brighter. That was the first time you had ever seen an emotion other than anger or pride on his face. But the view did not last long, as you suddenly found your vision obscured, his large frame right in your face, his lips connected to yours. This was an unexpected development, to say the least. 

His touch sent lightning through your nerves as his hands uncharacteristically gently slid up your arms, gloved fingers brushing over your cheeks. His kiss was soft, as if to show you everything he had been unable to get across before, many emotions flowing through one small touch. That one small touch, however, began to grow more desperate as Vegeta grabbed your shoulders, firmly pressing his lips to yours. Your scent was intoxicating, and every little jolt of electricity to his nerves sent him spiraling through his pent-up emotions even more. 

It wasn’t until your palms were pressed to his chest, trying to push him off, that he broke from his much-needed kiss. You stared up at Vegeta in surprise, watching many emotions flow through his dark pupils, before he finally came to his senses. You were pushed away, although much softer than you would have expected, his warmth pulling away from you as he left you standing there. He plopped down onto the sofa, sinking into the cushions as he crossed his arms, avoiding meeting your gaze. Your eyes stayed glued to him for a moment longer, before you let out a silent scoff, smiling in amusement. 

Vegeta had not uttered so much as a word after that. No more comments on her habits or appearance, no more jabs at her life and home. He had sat silently at her side, stealing glances at her every once in a while as she read her book in peace. And perhaps it was the cleaner environment, or just something in him beginning to bloom, but you looked much better than when he had shown up.