#hugo: but if nuru says something it MUST be true

[varibean]

i have so many fics i want to write but i’m saving the longer ones for later should i work on 

-fic where nuru is jealous of hugo/varian’s relationship bc she feels like she’s going to lose her best friend 

-varigo wedding fic with quirin giving them both a pep talk individually 

-varian gets on T fic

-or varigo short drabble fic about their relationship defined by the five senses 

[izaswritings]

Title: hello to my old heart

Fandom: Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure | Tangled the Series | Varian and the Seven Kingdoms AU

Synopsis: “Why do you trust me so much?” 

Or: the beginning of the end for the betrayer. In which Hugo asks a long-overdue question, and gets the answer he never wanted to hear.  

AO3 Link is Here!

.

It is midnight after the trial, after retrieving yet another totem, after everything, and Hugo thinks he might be sick.

Too close, he thinks. Too close. Everything that’s happened, everything he’s been doing… and Donella was there. She saw him, she met his eyes—pretended she hadn’t known him, kept his cover, and yet the unease is still there, itching beneath his skin, restless in his hands. Donella. There. The group had clashed with her. She’d warned them about the Library. Varian had said—

I won’t let you stop me!

—and she’d smiled. Smiled. Like she knew something Varian didn’t.

Nothing happened, Hugo reminds himself. It’s dark now—gone straight through evening right on to night—and their small group has settled down by the city limits, half-way in the trees. Yong has the campfire already lit and burning under Nuru’s supervision; Nuru has the maps spread out on her knees, plotting the best route towards the next kingdom. It’s domestic and normal and natural—and it makes Hugo want to scream, almost. When did he get used to this? It makes him feel jittery and thin and small, because for the first time in a long time—in months! Goddamn!—he’s been reminded, forcibly and irrevocably, of just how little he belongs here.

Nuru had noticed, earlier. Of course Nuru had noticed—she’s the most focused of the four of them, the most eagle-eyed, as one should be when making maps out of stars. Did you know her? she’d asked him then, after Donella had vanished, her voice low as they’d run and left the kingdom behind them. That woman? And when Hugo’s throat had sealed up, sudden and sharp and awful, Nuru had looked him full in the face and said, Oh. Never mind.

So stupid, Hugo thinks, leaning against a tree to hide the weakness in his knees, watching Nuru fuss over the maps. So, so stupid of her. Where has all her suspicion gone? She was always the most critical of him—he knows that, he remembers that, how can he not—even though she was never there for the beginning. And now— now.

Oh. Never mind.

His fingers curl in his sleeve. He chances a glance back, through the trees. Varian is off to the side, away from the fire, deeper in the shadows, his own private set up for a new experiment of his. He’s been there for a while, now, ever since they settled down to camp. Had said, laughingly, that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to mess with this compound around the fire, start dinner without me—and Hugo can only just barely see the shape of him through the shadows of the trees. That dark head of hair is bowed low over the makeshift workbench; he can’t see Varian’s face, but Hugo can imagine the focus of it, the intent. Trust. If Hugo is really going to start berating this group about faith, shouldn’t he start with the worst offender?

He’s only here at all, Hugo knows, with a sudden twist to his gut, because months ago Varian decided to have faith in him. For some reason. For…

Hugo doesn’t even know why. He’s never asked. It’s… never mattered before.

But Donella’s smile plays out in his head, and Nuru’s voice says, soft and careful—Never mind— and Hugo is walking over to Varian before he even knows, truly, what he’s doing.

It’s quiet here, away from the main camp. There is something strangely secret about it all, about the distance and the darkness and the way Nuru and Yong’s voices have faded to whispers behind him. The lamplight of Varian’s staff casts a quiet green glow across everything; it should be sinister, in a way, and yet it just feels warm. In the light Varian himself is focused entirely on the project before him—he likely hasn’t even noticed Hugo is there, Hugo thinks faintly, and for some reason, despite everything, this almost makes him laugh.

He leans against a nearby tree, arms crossed, and says, “Pretty sure that element explodes under heat, you know. I do hope you know that. Why are you trying to set it on fire?” He grins. “Oh! Oh, don’t tell me, did you mistake it for lithium? That’s adorable. Beginner’s mistake. So cute.”

Varian’s shoulders tick up, and his hand spasms, the vial almost dropped. “Gah!” His eyes flash sideways, narrow beneath his goggles. “Stop doing that! Why do you always sneak up on—never mind, doesn’t matter, shut up, I know what I’m doing.”

Hugo hums, as skeptical as he can, if only to make Varian scowl. “You’re doing it wrong.”

“Ha, ha,” Varian says, sarcastic, but the old bite is worn now, almost fond, though he sounds a little annoyed regardless. “You don’t even know what I’m making, shove off.”

“…True.” Hugo leans against the tree, sliding down until he’s sitting, one leg drawn up. He rests his elbow on his knee and watches Varian work. Whatever he’s making, it’s lovely—all silver and bronze and glowing solution like a liquid gold. For all his doubts on its application, Hugo can at least appreciate the aesthetics of it. It’s probably important. Probably for the machine, the gateway to the Library. Probably…

Probably something Donella would want him to steal, eventually.

The tightness returns, winding vicious in his gut. Hugo looks away, and lets the conversation drop, unsure of how to continue it, if he even wants to. Varian goes back to work without comment, obvious dismissal, and Hugo stays sitting there, awkward, feeling out-of-place and unsure of why.

But Varian hasn’t asked him to leave, yet—not that Hugo would even if he had, but whatever—so he stays, lingering on the fringes, watching Varian work. For all of Hugo’s teasing, Varian really is clever. The focus in those blue eyes, the intent line of his mouth—this is Varian thinking, Varian with the world spinning out in blueprints behind his eyes, and Hugo has always admired that feeling, always loved it, always appreciated the fact Varian knew and understood it the same way he did.

He leans his head back against the tree, and sighs.

“So,” Hugo says, finally, absent and casual and not-that-I-care-but, eyes deliberately turned away, “what’s your deal with me, anyway?”

Varian hums, not listening. Then the words actually compute, because he snorts suddenly, and pushes his goggles away from his face. “What?”

He’s smiling. Something about that sits wrong with Hugo; it flutters in his chest like a wound. Hugo tries not to scowl. Casual, damn it. “What do you mean, what?” He rolls his eyes. “This weird… I don’t even know. Faith, or whatever. I mean, seriously.”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, even from the beginning…” All of Yong’s protests, Nuru’s suspicions—and Varian, who listened and nodded and then waved them away. We’ll see, he’d said, to their fears. And to Hugo: I’m trying to trust you. Don’t prove me wrong, okay?

Hugo hadn’t cared, then, about the why. He hadn’t… it had been an in, an easy entrance, and so he’d never thought to question it. So what if Varian was naive, too trusting for his own good—all the better for Hugo, wasn’t it? And so Hugo had never asked. He’d barely even wondered.

“Why,” Hugo says, months too late but wondering all the same, “do you trust me so much?”

“Hmm.” Varian has raised a vial to his face, peering into the contents. He waves a dismissive hand, absent-minded. He’s not even listening, Hugo realizes, and it’s like a hot knife to his gut. “Why not?”

“I—” And oh, fucking hell, that had almost come out strangled. Hugo snaps his mouth shut, feeling slapped and not entirely sure why. For the love of… this is what he gets for being open, Hugo supposes. This is what he gets for asking too late. Gods. Screw this, anyway.

He climbs to his feet, face flushed, hands curled. “Whatever.”

He’s making back for the campfire when Varian’s voice stops him cold. “Wait.” Despite himself, Hugo looks back. Varian has lowered the vial. He’s looking at Hugo now—actually, truly looking, with a sudden intent that makes Hugo straighten on instinct. In the pale green glow of the staff, Varian’s eyes are sharp as glass.

Varian searches his face, and whatever he finds there makes his expression twist. “Oh.”

Hugo bristles. “What?”

Varian is quiet. His lips press. The sudden focus of his gaze is gone—now he seems drained, almost tired. He pushes his hand back through his hair, and his gaze wanders to the ground, and then, absently, he says, “When I was fourteen, I almost killed my dad.”

Hugo opens his mouth. Hugo closes his mouth.

“I mean, I—didn’t. Obviously. But I… I mean, he should be dead, actually, laws of reason dictate, and I’m pretty now it was only magic that… but I didn’t know that at the time, so really my belief was more denial than sense, in hindsight? And I’m still not sure how to feel about that... anyway.” Varian presses his lips together, the ramble cutting short. His hand is tight on his sleeve—so tight his hands must be white-knuckled under the gloves, and all the color seems to have drained from his face. He looks—older, in this light, with this expression. He looks exhausted.

“I was angry,” Varian says, simply, when Hugo doesn’t respond. “Um. Very… very angry. And I hurt… a lot of people. Some of them I knew. Most I didn’t. And some…” His hands curl. “Never mind. It’s not important. I— told you I’ve been in prison before. Right? I mean, I’m pretty sure I mentioned it, like, once— anyway. Um. Three counts of attempted murder, high treason, kidnapping, attempted regicide, drugging a whole castle with truth serum without their consent, I could go on, but. You probably get the idea.”

Yeah, Hugo does get the idea. The idea is straight-up freaking unbelievable. What? He… he can’t even fathom that. He’s seen Varian angry, he knows Varian can be dangerous, but…

“I don’t understand,” he says, before he can stop himself, and Varian curls in on himself with a laugh that sounds very hollow.

“Yeah, I—I get that. I don’t know myself, really. Why I reacted that way. I’ve thought about it over and over, and I don’t… maybe it was one thing? Or maybe it was everything. My dad was gone. I was alone, I guess. And—and in the end, it just felt… like a betrayal. Like my friends, like my town, like everyone had turned their backs on me, on my dad. And I just… I couldn’t stand that.” He shakes his head, voice going small, murmuring. “Betrayal. Dark word, isn’t it? Never done well with being… well.” Varian laughs. It sounds forced. “Um. This is all speculation, anyway.”

Hugo says nothing. The ground feels very shaky, suddenly; he feels fever-hot and sick. “Oh,” he says. He realizes suddenly his hands are shaking, and tucks them in his pockets. The ground has fallen out beneath his feet; the pieces have clicked into place. He understands. He does. It’s the answer to a question he’d never been able to ask, and even though it's exactly what he expected, it still guts him whole. “…Oh.”

And he thinks: When this is over, you’ll never forgive me.

Varian laughs again. “Yeah,” he says, muted agreement. He draws his legs up close, criss-cross, and rests gloved hands on his ankles. “But… I guess, to answer your question... Even after all that, despite everything—  someone still believed in me. Someone was willing to give me a chance. She—even though she had the most reason out of anyone to hate me… she still offered me her hand.”  

Varian tilts his head. He meets Hugo’s eyes. He smiles. “That’s why,” he says. “I trusted you because someone once trusted me. And I was right, wasn’t I?” He shrugs. “I trust you now because you’ve earned it.”

Hugo’s mouth is dry. His throat aches. He wants, bizarrely, to scream. “…Right.” How stupid. So, so fucking stupid of him. He’d gotten his second chance months ago, without ever realizing, and he’d thrown it back in Varian’s face before he’d even really known him. So fucking stupid. His head spins. “Right.”

Varian nods. His eyes drift away again. “Sorry,” he says, absent-minded. “For dismissing the question before. I thought you were joking, at first.”

Hugo shakes his head, thrown. “I… it doesn’t matter, it—” He exhales, sharp. “Why… why did you tell me this?”

“It seemed important to you.” Varian looks at the ground, gaze distant, like those words aren’t yet another gut-punch. Important to you. Like easing Hugo’s fears are worth spilling secrets for, worth—whatever this is. Goddamn. Goddamn. And Varian smiles then, a halfway-smile, a wry crook of his mouth that creases at his eyes, and something in Hugo’s chest misses a beat. “And faith always matters.”

“And what if Nuru was right?” Hugo doesn’t know why he says it, and wants suddenly to slap himself. The fuck? But still: once again, he can’t stop himself from asking, from digging in the knife. “When she said I couldn’t be trusted. What if you’re wrong?”

“Nuru doesn’t say that anymore. What’s with you today?” Varian rolls his eyes, briefly, then turns and fixes Hugo with a smile, bright and blinding. “Besides. Am I wrong?”

And the worst part is—the absolute worst part—is that he says it dryly, says it sure, says it—like Varian knows, implicitly, that the answer is no.

Yes, Hugo thinks. “No,” he forces out, and smiles, and hates it.

“There you go.” Varian shrugs and turns back to his experiment, conversation over. Hugo stares at  the back of his head. He feels sick. He feels dizzy. He feels like all the world has dropped at his feet, everything he’d never even known he wanted placed right in his hands—and the loss is sudden and sickening, because Hugo has already given this all away, handed it off long before he’d ever known what this treasure was worth.

Still. “Thanks,” Hugo says, through his teeth, and just barely manages to keep it from shaking.

And it’s terrible, all of it—the way Varian ducks his head, the way his shoulders curl, the way the other hides his smile against his arm like Hugo can’t see the gleam of his teeth in the dark, the gentle joy.

“Of course.”

Awful.

Hugo walks back to the fire. Yong is laughing at a joke. Nuru, once so suspicious, smiles up at him—then sees his face, and the smile falters. She frowns, suddenly, her brow furrowing. She says, “Hey, Hugo, are you okay?”

Never mind, she’d said earlier, all of Hugo’s secrets there before her to unravel. I want to trust you, Varian had said, months and months ago, offering his hand to a boy who’d already made the choice to betray them. Faith always matters.

Donella, smiling.

“Fine,” Hugo says, with a smile he doesn’t feel, but the truth beats behind his skull like a heartbeat, and behind his back his hands are shaking. He’s played himself into a corner—caring about these people, about Varian especially. Hugo, the greatest fucking fool of them all, wanting to live up to their expectations only now, when its already too damn late.

“Just fine,” Hugo says, and settles by the fire, Yong’s chatter and Nuru’s worried eyes and Varian’s distant humming—and closes his eyes to it all, holding his breath, as though if he stays still and quiet and careful he can stretch this moment out, keep this moment here, and make it so he doesn’t have to lose them at all.  

[disneymiraculousefandomsblog]

Hey guys!! So I know I was taking a break from writing stories but I just couldn’t help myself so I wrote a story and I was really wanting to write a story with angst. This is not a Hugo/Varian ship story. Also thanks to @dangara2610 for helping me find a title for my story:)

Summary : Hugo is staring to get attached to Varian and the gang so he is wanting to get out of the mission Donella gave him but it does not end well for our boy.

TW: Donella, Cutting, Electrocution

AO3: link is here

Switching Loyalties

Donella had sent Hugo on an assignment to infiltrate the group and remain on good terms with Varian so he can lead him to the totems she needed. Hugo and Varian were always arguing and teasing each other like they were brothers. It had been about a week since Hugo had been undercover with the group. Varian and the gang had found the first totem and were on their way to get the second totem. Hugo was trying his best not to get attached to Varian or anyone for that matter he was on a mission to find the totems and give them to Donella that’s it. He was not there to make friends.

They stopped in the forest to camp for the night they were close to the kingdom with the second totem. They would go and get it in the morning.

Varian was the first to set up camp, “Alright guys, this looks like a good place to camp for the night” Varian stated.

“Really Hairstripe! You want us to camp out and sleep here where there can be bears or wolfs that could attack us!” Hugo said with a doubtful tone.

“For your information Hugo, there are no bears in this part of the woods. And wolfs don’t attack you unless they feel threatened so we should be fine.” Varian said sarcastically to Hugo.

“If you say so Hairstripe whatever” Hugo answered crossing his arms.

Varian rolled his eyes, “I’m going to go and get some wood to make a bomb fire to keep us warm” Varian stated.

“Maybe Young should go with you just to be safe” Nuru said with concern.

“I’ll be fine Nuru, I’ve been camping before” Varian answered.

“I know but still, and besides you can’t carry all that wood by yourself.” Nuru answered.

“Young would you like to go with Varian and help him gather wood for the fire?” Nuru asked Young.

“Sure i would like that” Young said with a smile.

“Alright If you insist” Varian said giving up.

Varian and young went to gather the wood while Hugo and Nuru stayed with the caravan. Nuru and Hugo never really talked much with each other because she felt a bit sketchy with Hugo she didn’t trust him, he never said why he was even helping Varian and he surely wouldn’t gain anything from helping him.

Nuru saw her chance to try and get to know Hugo and why he wanted to help Varian find the totems.

Nuru walked over to Hugo, “Hey Hugo, Are you ok?” Nuru asked him.

“Yeah I’m fine thanks” Hugo answered with a chuckle.

“So I know we don’t really talk much and that we don’t know each other that well, but in would like to change that. May I ask how you found Varian? and why you want to help him find the totems?” Nuru asked Hugo.

Hugo could not tell her the truth of why he really wanted the totems he had to come up with a believable story. “Well..I met Varian when he was trying to get the first totem, I the fire kingdom, I took it before they could, I mostly wanted it because I thought it would be worth something and maybe to use it for my alchemy potions. Anyway I wanted to know why Varian wanted the totems so badly. It was kinda funny to see him get upset when I took it. Once he told me why he wanted the totems and what he is going to do with them i knew he would needed my expertise to get him passed the other challenges even if he doesn’t admit it.” Hugo said with a chuckle to Nuru.

Nuru didn’t know if his story was true or not and he didn’t answer her question of what he would gain helping Varian. Hugo saw that Nuru was hesitant, “Look Nuru I know you don’t trust me, and I don’t expect you too but I’m not here to hurt Varian, I can tell you that truthfully” Hugo said with a half smile.

Nuru still didn’t trust him, but he seemed to be telling the truth. “Ok Hugo, it may take me awhile to try and trust you but I can see that you really do care for Varian so I will do my best. Thank you for being truthful” Nuru answered with a slight smile.

Varian and Yong came back with the fire wood,

“Were back! And we brought the wood for the fire” yong said with a smile.

Varian looks at Nuru and Hugo, “what happened? Did I miss something?” Varian asked.

Nuru and Hugo exchanged glances, “No we were just having a little chat” Nuru answered nervously.

“Oh what was is about?” Varian asked placing the firewood on the ground in a bundle.

“Eh, it’s nothing Hairstripe” Hugo answered.

“Oh-Ok” Varian answered hesitantly.

Varian grabbed two rocks and clicked them until sparks came out and lit up the wood. “There that should last us till morning” Varian said proudly.

“Heh thanks Hairstripe” Hugo said with a smile.

They sat around the fire and Varian made them some s’mores as a light snack and they went around telling different types of scary stories they have heard. They laughed and Hugo teased Varian with his puns and nicknames. The sun had finally set and the moon came out by the time they finished their s’mores and telling their story’s. Nuru was the first one to go to bed, “Alight guys I’m calling it a night, see you in the morning” Nuru said heading inside the caravan.

“Yeah me too I’m kinda tired, see you guys in the morning” Yong said walking behind Nuru.

“Goodnight” Varian answered.

Hugo never had fun before this was the first time experiencing fun, he enjoyed it, he never had any friends or thought he would even have any with Donella. Hugo had this weird feeling inside his stomach like he was actually starting to care for them and he could feel himself getting attached to Varian and the gang he didn’t like it. Hugo was lost in his thoughts when Varian snapped him out of it . “Hugo?” Varian asked.

Hugo snapped himself out and turned to looked at Varian, “yes Hairstripe” Hugo answered.

“I think I’m going it call it a night you coming?” Varian asked him.

Hugo wasn’t really tired and he really wanted to take a walk and clear his head.

“That’s fine Hairstripe, I’m gonna take a walk, I’ll be back later” Hugo answered nervously.

Varian knew something was up with Hugo but he went along with it. “Besides if he does not come back after awhile he could go check up on him. Ok” Varian answered with half smile.

“I’ll be back soon” Hugo said with a smile. He got up and walked into the forest, Varian stood at the door watching Hugo leave and he turned to go inside the caravan. Meanwhile someone is lurking in the darkness watching from afar. Hugo walked around pacing telling himself, “get it together Hugo!, what are you doing?, you can’t start having feelings, your on a mission!. You know what would happen if Donella found out your becoming soft...” All these thoughts flooding his mind. He saw a nearby tree and sat down under it. It had been 15min since Hugo left and Varian was getting worried but also because he couldn’t sleep either a walk would probably do him good, Varian left the caravan to look for Hugo. Hugo sat under the tree looking into the distance looked around when he heard a noise, “Hello, is someone there?” Hugo said getting up looking around seeing where the noise was coming from. He sat his eyes on a bush that was moving he got closer to get a better look and fell backwards with a small yelp.

Varian popped out from the bush, “Hugo! Oh I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you heh” Varian said embarrassed. Varian put out his hand to help Hugo up, Hugo Gabe him his hand and Varian pulled him up. “It’s ok Hairstripe” Hugo answered dusting himself off. “So what are you doing out here? I thought you were sleeping?” Hugo asked Varian.

“Heh well I couldn’t really sleep and I saw you weren’t in bed so I thought I come check up on you and see if you were ok” Varian answered with a half smile.

“Oh I-I’m fine...just lost in thought I guess” Hugo answered with a half smile.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Varian asked.

Hugo stayed quiet he could tell Varian the truth and then once Donella Finds out that he betrayed her they would all probably get killed or he could just lie like he has been this entire time. “Uh, it’s just stupid stuff from my past it’s not really important heh” Hugo answered with a small chuckle. Varian didn’t know Hugo we’ll but he knew how it felt to not want to talk about personal stuff or your past for that matter. “Oh ok” Varian answered. There was silence for awhile then Varian broke the silence. “Hugo, I just want to say... Thank you, for helping me get the totems it means a lot to me, I know we don’t always get along and we tend to fight a lot heh, but thank you for coming along with me to find the totems.” Varian said sheepishly rubbing his hand behind his head.

“This mission really means a lot to you huh” Hugo said with a half smile.

“Hehe, yeah it does I mean I may have never met her and I don’t even know If she is alive...but I’ll at least complete her mission and find out what this secret library is and why it’s so important. And make my Mom and dad proud” Varian answered with a smile.

“Hmm, it must be nice to have parents that love you” Hugo said with a bit of sadness in his voice.

“What do you mean?” Varian asked.

“Well, I Don’t have parents like you have your dad, My Mother died giving birth to me..my dad was so angry he blamed me for killing her he said it was my fault that I should have been the one to die instead of my mom. My dad hated me so much and wanted nothing to do with me so he put me in an orphanage when I was born. At least that’s what he told the orphanage. The orphanage closed down when I was 6 and I was left alone to fend for myself. I know you don’t know what it’s like to be by yourself for so long without anyone to help you. Hugo said with a heavy sigh.

Varian sat there quietly, he knew exactly what Hugo went through because he went through the same thing when his dad was encased. Varian didn’t like talking about his past he wasn’t proud of it, but he knew Hugo needed to hear it.

“No Hugo, I know exactly how it feels to be alone for a long time. I wasn’t always a Royal Engineer I had to really work for it, I’m not as innocent as I seem I’ve done some pretty bad things that I’m not proud of” Varian said with a sigh.

Hugo looked at Varian, “pff you no! You couldn’t have done anything bad” Hugo said with disbelief.

Hugo saw Varian’s face was serious, “oh you really mean it, what could you have done that was so bad?” Hugo asked Varian.

Varian shut his eyes and remembered, “Corona was being attacked by these magical black rocks that were unbreakable no one knew where they came from or why they were sprouting for the ground, I was 14 at that time and I really wanted to get to the bottom of these black rocks so I used my alchemy and did experiments on them with different type of compounds. Anyway one day my dad came Into my lab and he didn’t really like me studying the rocks and experimenting with them because he said they were dangerous, I didn’t listen he startled me and I tossed this yellow compound all over the black rock. This yellow rock started sprouting from the rock I was so upset at my dad that he didn’t understand that I just wanted to help the people and find a way to stop the rocks, before I could tell my dad he pushed me out the way of the yellow amber and he saved me. It ended up trapping my dads arm, I told my dad that I would be back and bring help, so I went to go get the princess and she refused to help me because of the snow storm she couldn’t leave her kingdom. I was so desperate I guess grabbed her by the arms pleading to help me but I guess it looked like I was attacking her so they tossed me out into the snow...when I went back to Telly dad he was....already encased completely in the amber..” Varian said tears starting to form in his eyes.

“After that I had to fend for myself for a whole year. I was so focused in finding a way to free my dad that some days I didn’t even eat or sleep. In my fit of anger I tried taking over corona and making the royal family pay for not helping me save my dad, so I ended committing treason, kidnapping, almost killing the princess, and...just some other stuff I’m not proud of. In the end the princess managed to find a way to free my dad and I was pardoned thanks to her.” Varian said wiping away the tears.

Hugo couldn’t believe what Varian just told him, how could a young kid like Varian even be able to do that. “I’m sorry Varian, I didn’t know” Hugo answered with guilt.

“It’s ok it’s not your fault, I’m over it anyway hehe” Varian answered nervously. Varian was lying he still had nightmares about his past and what happened but he didn’t want to tell Hugo that.

Hugo looked at Varian and smiled, “Well I guess we are kinda alike in a way” Hugo said with a chuckle.

“Hehe yeah who knew right” Varian answered with a smile.

Hugo gave a half smile he started to feel guilty for what he was doing to Varian, He had already been through so much. “Ugh Hugo! Your getting soft again!Maybe if I start being mean to him he’ll stop trying to be my friend.” Hugo though you himself.

Varian saw Hugo lost in thought again and pretty quiet, “Hugo, I just want you know your not alone anymore, you have friends now, we care for each other and we help each other.” Varian said with a smile.

Hugo didn’t know what to say he never had any friends or anyone who cared for him like Varian did. “You really think we’re friends? But you don’t even know me that well, how do you know I’m not just trying to use you to get to the totems, how can you trust me?! Hugo said with aggravation. Hoping this outburst would turn down Varian from wanting to be his friend.

Varian was stunned at the sudden outburst, but Hugo was right he didn’t know him very well yet and he didn’t why Hugo was really helping him. For all he knew Hugo could be working for Someone else that wants to get to the secret Library too. “Well are you just using me to get to the totems?” Varian asked with a sigh.

Hugo stayed quiet for awhile, he probably just blew his cover, he has to think of something fast. “No.. I’m not.. but how can you call us friends if we don’t even know each other that well? You don’t know what I’ve done in my past, how can you want to be friends with someone you don’t even know? Hugo asked confused.

“Because I can see that your a good person, if the princess taught me anything it’s that every person has a good side, your a good person Hugo. I know you have had a rough past, your right I don’t know what you did in the past, But the past does not define who you are you are who you choose to be right now. I’m still learning that lesson myself hehe.”Varian answered with a chuckle.

Hugo tried his best to not ponder the words Varian just told him but he have o successes. “Maybe he’s right, maybe I can change this, I’ll just tell Donella that I don’t want to do this mission anymore and to send someone else. Maybe if I tell Varian the truth he’ll forgive me.” Hugo thought to himself. He needed to know if Varian would forgive him if he told him the truth.

“Hairstripe what if I did do something to you that seems really hard to forgive, would you forgive me anyway?” Hugo asked waiting for his response.

Varian was surprised at that Hugo would ask a question like that. He really must be going through something that he obviously does not want to talk about. Varian understood thought. He put his hand on Hugo’s shoulder, “Well it depends really... but of course I would forgive you, that’s what friends do, we all make mistakes because no one is perfect. If I have learned anything though is that everyone deserves a second chance no matter how great the mistake is. Varian answered with a smile.

Hugo was surprised how could Varian after everything he been through be so nice and forgiving he just couldn’t understand it.

“Thanks Hairstripe, I appreciate it” Hugo said with a smile.

“Heh your welcome,”Varian said with a chuckle.

“You know you are starting talking like the princess, I’ve never met her but from the stories you have told me it seems that’s something she would have said” Hugo said with small laugh.

“Haha, yeah your right, you can tell that I hang around with her to much, but that’s a good thing, if anything I need to learn more from her” Varian said with a smile.

“Hey, uhh..Thanks for...you know listing, I don’t really like to talk about my feelings heh but thanks” Hugo said trying not to make it awkward.

“Hehe it’s ok I’m the same way, I don’t like recounting my past, but sometimes it’s good to talk to someone about it. I’m glad we talked your like a brother to me Hugo and It makes you feel so much better after you know?” Varian said with a half smile.

"Heh...T-Thanks Hairstripe... I’ve never had a brother before but I do consider you as a brother too”Hugo answered with a chuckle.

Varian smiled and bumped his arm. “Well I’m going back to the caravan, you coming?” Varian asked him.

“Yeah I’ll be right behind you” Hugo answered with a arm bump.

“Ok” Varian answered walking away.

Hugo got up and dusted himself off to follow Varian when a familiar person came out from the shadows. “Hello Darling!” The women said sarcastically.

Hugo felt a chill run down his spine as he turned around to look at the women. “H-Hello Donella! What are you doing here?” Hugo asked nervously.

“Well you know I just wanted to see how the mission was going and to make sure that your doing your job. From what I just saw It seems like you have that boy wrapped around your finger he trusts you good job.” Donella said with a grin on her face.

Hugo wanted to tell Donella that he wanted to back out from the mission but he couldn’t seem to find the right words. “A-Actually that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Hugo said trying not to sound nervous. “I don’t want to do this mission anymore I want out, I can’t do this to Varian! he’s already been through a lot he deserves those totems!. Hugo said with aggravation.

Donella wasn’t surprised at Hugo’s aggression, she knew this would happen, Hugo was becoming soft and to attached with Varian. “Hugo are you becoming soft?” Donella asked walking around him.

“No! It’s just that...we’ll...” Hugo was having trouble figuring out what to say. He was getting soft and getting attached to Varian and the gang he knew it.

“Tsk.Tsk.Tsk. You are becoming soft you actually care for him don’t you?. Hmm, you see him more of like a brother than a friend right...someone you can trust and tell all your problems too.” Donella said shaking her head.

Hugo remained quiet, but he knew Donella was right he saw Varian as a brother he never had.

Donella walked around Hugo, “isn’t that true Hugo?” Donella asked. Hugo still remained quiet. Donella was not a very patient women you did what she asked you or she would make you pay for being disobedient.

Donella turned around and grabbed Hugo but he arm and sent electricity through his arm, Hugo whence in pain, “I said isn’t that right Hugo, you think of Varian as a brother?” Donella said bitterly sending another shock through his arm.

Hugo yelped In more pain and answered, “yes I do!” Hugo answered in pain while the shocks were still gonna through his body.

Donella let go on Hugo’s arm, “that’s what I thought” She said with a grin. “Now Hugo you are going to finish this mission whether you like it or not. You really don’t have a choice. I need those totems and your the only one that can get them for me because Varian trust’s you” Donella said rolling her eyes.

Hugo grabbed his arm trying to stop the pain still going through his body. “Your wrong Donella! I do have a choice. I can tell Varian the truth.. he would believe me, once he knows the truth we would get to the totems first. You wouldn’t have anyone to get those totems for you, you would have lost!” Hugo said angrily.

Donella cringed, she hated people who talked back and were rebellious against her. She grabbed her dagger and swiftly cut Hugo on the cheek. Hugo groaned in pain putting his hand on his cheek blood filled his fingers. “That was just a warning darling, don’t ever talk back to me or I will do stuff so much worst and more painful.” Donella said angrily.

Hugo face was I shock Donella did torture him but never with a dagger this was a first. She usually sends electricity in his body, or put him in the water room, Hugo thought that was the worst.

“You May think you have a choice but you don’t Hugo, I am the one that rescued you, I gave you a place to stay, I taught you everything you know, you owe me.” Donella said with a grin.

“And just in case you forget your place.” Donella grabbed Hugo by his arms and used both her hands to send electric shocks all over his body.

Hugo tried his best to break free from her grip but the electric shocks going through his body were making his nerves weak. He started yelling In Pain, the cut on his cheek didn’t seem to hurt anymore with all the electric shocks running through his body. Donella kept doing this till she felt satisfied. After a few minutes she finally let him go. Hugo fell to the ground he couldn’t feel anything his body was completely numb, he could still feel the electricity running through his body.

“Now I hope you learned your lesson. I quiet enjoyed it but know that was just a warning remember darling I can do so much worst.” Donella said with an evil grin on her face.

Hugo was trying to pull his body up, he managed to move it up an inch when Donella came over and pushed him back down to the ground with her foot.

Hugo grunted, “Listen Darling I don’t care if you tell your little friend the truth, just know that you are putting him in danger as well, because I will the same thing to him what I have done to you maybe even worst. So I say it’s best if you keep doing your job or your little friend will be in worst pain than you are now.” Donella said with a evil chuckle.

Hugo knew Donella meant it she would go after Varian just to get back at him, if he wanted Varian and his friends to be safe he had to do what she said. He would have to find another way to stop Donella without hurting his friends.

Donella saw Hugo on the ground still groaning in pain, “Before I go I need you to answer one more question, Are you going to finish the job? Or should I go after your little friend.” Donella asked him with a grin.

Hugo grunted in pain while pulling himself up, “N-No I’ll do it...I’ll finish the job.” Hugo answered in between grunts.

“Good Darling that’s what I like to hear, Remember thought that I’m watching your every move so don’t try and do anything stupid because I will find out” Donella said with a chuckle walking away back into the shadows.

Once Hugo couldn’t see Donella he tired to stand up, it took him a minute but he finally picked himself up and stood to his feet. Hugo didn’t know how he was going to explain his injury’s to Varian but he would have to come up with an explanation. He couldn’t tell Varian the truth it would put him and everyone in danger he had to continue his mission until he can find a way to stop Donella some how. He walked back to the caravan hoping Varian and the others would be asleep. Unfortunately that’s wasn’t the case Varian was awake he barely made it to the caravan as well.

Varian heard movement and turned and saw Hugo badly hurt. “Hugo! W-What happened?!” Varian rushes to his side and puts his arm around his shoulder helping him to get to the caravan to sit down on a chair.

“Nothing Hairstripe I just fell” Hugo answered trying to make it sound believable.

Varian analyzes Hugo, he had bruises on his arms and he had a cut on his cheek he know a fall could not have done that. “Hugo you have a bunch of bruises all over your arms and you have a cut on your cheek a fall does not do that... what really happened?..” Varian said with concern.

“Ugh! it’s nothing ok! I’m fine!” Hugo answered with aggravation.

“No Hugo it’s not! Your hurt and I need to know why! Did someone do this to you?.” Varian snapped back.

“It’s none of your business If someone did do it! I’m Now just leave me alone!” Hugo snapped back.

“I’m tired and I’m going to bed” Hugo said with a sigh.

Hugo got up and went to bed. Varian didn’t know what happened that had a very nice conversation while ago and now they were fighting something was up and Varian was going to get to the bottom of it somehow. Varian went into the caravan and got on his bed too. He would have to figure it out tomorrow.

The End

I really hope you guys enjoyed reading this:) I’m not really good at writing angsty stories this is like my second time writing a Fic with angst so it won’t be that great 😐. Your Feedback and Reblogs are much appreciated I love to read your comments 😊

[sonicgetsrawed]

How Many Times Must We Play This Game, How Many Times Must We Lose

This was supposed to be a bad things happen bingo prompt but it kinda took a different turn than I expected. Inspired by some lovely art I saw of possessed Varian by @nightsky-wonderer! I’m going to try to link it here! Enjoy!

He couldn’t move, no matter how much he wanted to, no matter how hard he tried, he was stuck in place. His feet were frozen to the ground, his breaking heart weighing him down like an anchor. He was too late, too late to make up for his mistakes, too late to try and fix them, too late to save Varian. He had tried to wake him up, break him from the trance, but he couldn’t, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t speak. All he could do was shake with fear, eyes watering uselessly as he fought his own mental battle. He wasn’t like this, he never froze, so of course the one time Varian needed him, truly needed him, he couldn’t do anything. He could still hear Varian’s screams, his cries for help, begging for it to stop, crying for him to do something, and then the heartbreaking sob, the realization that Hugo wasn’t going to do anything, he couldn’t. The last I love you left Varian’s lips, he couldn’t even return it. Now he would pay for his mistakes, now it didn’t matter, nothing mattered, not when Varian was gone.

He stayed frozen in place, watching as Varian’s head snapped to the side, tilting dangerously to the side, his eyes no longer the blue he grew to love, but a sickly glowing green color. They held no warmth, no love, just emptiness. There was nothing when he looked into those eyes, no sign that Varian had even been there. Why hadn’t he done anything? Why hadn’t he fought?

He dropped to his knees, pressing a hand to his mouth in a futile attempt at holding back a sob. He knew what he’d be getting into. He knew that this would be dangerous, he knew that Ulla was dangerous, he knew exactly what he was going to be walking into. He thought he could handle it, he thought he could save Varian, but he couldn’t. The memories would be ingrained in his head forever. The magic snaking around him, Ulla’s hand caressing his face in a false sense of comfort, the terrible choking sounds as Varian clawed at his throat in a last ditch effort to get his mother’s magic out, and now he was nothing more than a puppet. And Hugo, well, he did absolutely nothing.

“Hugo, please, help me. I’m scared.”

He was scared too. It’s why he didn’t move, why he couldn’t. He couldn’t lose Varian, and by doing nothing is exactly how he lost him. There was nothing he could’ve done, nothing that wouldn’t have hurt Varian in the process. He couldn’t do that, he just couldn’t, so he didn’t.

“There was nothing you could’ve done, dear.” Ulla’s voice sounded off coming from Varian’s body, the way they merged together sent chills down his spine. Varian’s voice never sounded like that, it was wrong. This whole thing was wrong. He never should’ve come, they should’ve sent Donella, Nuru, Yong, anyone but him. He wasn’t strong enough, they lost because of him. They lost Varian, they lost the library, they lost everything, because he was fucking scared. Out of all the times, out of every possible outcome, this was what he was scared of happening, so of course it had to come true. There was nothing he could’ve done.

Maybe there was something he could do now, if he could just move, he could at the very least prevent Ulla from leaving the library. He could already hear her footsteps moving away, each step fracturing his heart a little more. He needed to do something if not for himself then for Varian. His fingers brushed a piece of splintered wood, it had broken off sometime during the possession, that word was terrible, it was terrible to think of it like that, but that’s what it was, wasn’t it?

He didn’t know if he was strong enough, he didn’t know if he could move, he just knew he had to, Varian didn’t want this, he had to end it. He gripped the makeshift stake, fingers trembling as they wrapped around the item. He pushed himself to his feet, the only thoughts that he allowed to fill his mind were thoughts of Varian, no self doubt, no fear, just Varian and his desires. He surged forward, the weapon catching on the fabric of Varian’s shirt. The tearing sound echoed throughout the library.

The weird mashup of Varian and Ulla turned slowly to look at him, an eyebrow raised delicately, as they brought a hand to the small cut across their arm. “You think you can bring him back with violence?” A harsh laugh came from their lips, wiping the small amount of blood onto their pants. “You foolish boy, you have much to learn about the heart.”

Hugo brought the stake up again, preparing for another strike. “I’m not the only one, bitch.” He lunged, they dodged, the blueish green magic lighting up their right hand. Hugo was furious, that stuff couldn’t be good for Varian, the cracks where the flesh met magic only proved his point. He was too caught up in his thoughts to properly dodge the strike. The magic collided with his stake, shattering it into a million tiny pieces. He was grateful for his glasses, several shards bouncing off them. He stumbled, letting himself drop into a roll in order to dodge the next strike, their hand coming dangerously close to his head, a few strands from his ponytail not being so lucky. He kicked their legs out from underneath them, smiling to himself as they hit the ground.

“Hugo?” He froze all over again, it was Varian’s voice, purely Varian’s voice, and for a second for a wonderful blissful second, his eyes were their normal blue. He looked dazed and confused, his eyes not really focusing on anything, Hugo wanted nothing more than to scoop him into his arms and get him the fuck out of here. Then the moment was gone, his eyes returning to that awful green. He wasn’t fast enough this time, the magic hit him square in the chest. He flew across the room, the wind being knocked from his lungs. He groaned turning over on his side, his chest felt like it was on fire, his head spinning as the pain fought to overtake the adrenaline running through his veins. He gripped a book, swinging it, not putting his full force into the attack. It hit its mark, their head snapping to the side. He took the opportunity to tackle them to the ground, his hands pinning theirs above their head. He was careful of the right hand, fingers digging harshly into their upper arm to avoid the magic.

“Let Varian go.” He hissed between his teeth, struggling to keep his grip.

They thrashed underneath him. “No! This is my only way out of here! I won’t die here.”

“But you’ll let Varian?” The words seemed to strike a chord, they faltered for just a second, but it was more than enough time for Hugo to slip the dagger out of Varian’s belt.

No sooner than he had a grip on it, he was flipped, head spinning once again as his back collided with the floor. “You know nothing!” Their hand was poised to strike, ready for the kill.

It hurt, it hurt so bad, but Hugo pressed the tip of the knife to their abdomen. “I would think about your next move very carefully.” He was proud of himself for keeping his own hesitance out of his voice, although the threat was breathier than he’d have liked.

“You wouldn’t-“

“It’s okay, I trust you Hugo.”

He blinked as their eyes flickered, changing from green to blue at such a rapid pace he almost couldn’t keep up. Their words slurred together forming half sentences as they fought each other for dominance. It was all he needed to know. Varian was still fighting, and he’d be damned if he’d give up so easily. He kept the knife between them as a safety precaution, moving it instead to their neck as he pulled the front of their shirt down. He stared intently into their eyes, only speaking when they turned blue. “Come back to me, goggles. I love you.”

He pressed their lips together, putting all his faith and passion into the kiss. He pulled away reluctantly, smiling as he stared into a pair of wide blue eyes. Varian opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, whatever it was would never be known, instead his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed against him. He moved as carefully as possible, laying Varian on his back, a small line across his neck from where the knife had accidentally cut, it wasn’t deep by any means, but it would be a cruel reminder of their time here for a bit. He watched as the magic slowly faded from the younger, his right arm sporting a nasty burn from it. The green energy gathered, swirling in the air, he gripped the knife tighter, ready for another fight should it come to it.

Ulla turned to him, her form made completely of the energy. She looked sad, defeated, but also content, a soft smile gracing her lips as she looked up. “He cares a lot about you.” He eyed her suspiciously as their eyes met, any malice they previously held was gone. “You will take care of him, won’t you?”

Hugo lowered the knife, standing as tall as possible. “I will.”

She smiled again, tears falling down her cheeks. “That’s all I needed to know.” And then she was gone.

He stood there for far too long, looking at the empty space that once held Ulla’s form. It was a surreal experience, part of him wondered if it even happened, one glance at Varian told him it did. He was frozen once again, but this time it wasn’t from fear, this time he stood watch over the person he loved. He wouldn’t let anyone or anything hurt him again, he would stay here as long as he needed. He was done playing these twisted games fate had in mind for them, he had finally won, and he wouldn’t lose again.

[fletchphoenix]

You Still Make Me Weak

Chapter 13 has ascended upon us - sorry for all the angst, I can assure you it’s gonna get better very soon for the boys. Anyway, thank you for all your support and onwards we go with the chapter 

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  As soon as Varian made his way through the doors of the library, Nuru could tell something was wrong. First off, his annoyance of a boyfriend wasn’t accompanying him, which was a massive giveaway that something had happened between them. They were, quite literally, inseparable, wanting to spend every second of every day in each other’s presence, so to see the pair apart was..truly something to behold. Secondly, Varian’s eyes were red and slightly swollen, a clear indicator that he’’d been crying, along with the little snivels he made as he made his way to their table. As Varian sat down, he hurriedly took out his books and profusely apologised to her and Yong, the latter looking up at her with a worried frown. Nuru returned his worry, patting his back gently to reassure him before turning her attention back to the teen across the table. “Varian, are you alright?”

  “Huh? Oh, yeah I’m good..all, uh, all is fine on my end!” he replied quickly, Nuru’s eyebrows furrowing as she looked at the older teen. Okay, yep. He was definitely hiding something. But what was it? Of course she didn’t want to push him too far and make him uncomfortable, but...she just had to know what his problem was. She hated when he’d shut everyone out and bottle up his feelings until it became too much, which at that point they’d come out explosively in some massive argument or...something like that.

  “Varian,” Yong spoke up, moving closer to the other boy, “We aren’t stupid and can tell something is wrong so...can you please kind of sort of tell us?” he asked as he sat beside Varian, Nuru taking Yong’s lead and sitting the other side, a hand resting on the other’s back in reassurance. 

  “Yeah, Varian. We both really, really care about you and are here for you no matter what happened. We really do care.” she moved her other hand to rest over the other’s, Varian withdrawing his hand quickly with his eyes focused on the table. Nuru frowned and shuffled back in confusion, leaving the other boy to have some space. Maybe they’d pushed him too far? Maybe it was still fresh in his mind and he didn’t feel as though he could talk about it yet, but..it still made her uneasy to leave the boy to his own devices when he seemed so saddened by something. “Varian?”

  “I don’t wanna talk about it. Can we please just get this over with before Eugene comes to pick me up?” his voice was taut and tremulous, as if he was struggling to keep it monotone, holding back what he was truly feeling. Regardless, her and Yong silently agreed, moving back to their previous positions. Nuru let Varian go first, explaining to Yong Avogadro’s law and percentage yield. She tried her hardest to listen to him and take in what he was saying, but she just couldn’t. All she could focus on was how upset and wobbly his voice was, and that was when it clicked. 

  No Hugo, a sad Varian, not wanting to talk about it..it could only lead to one conclusion: they broke up. 

  That’s all she could conclude - after all the pair were inseparable and suddenly not being together was..way too out of character for either of them. What didn’t make sense was why. They both seemed so happy, and she sure as hell knew that Hugo was absolutely smitten with the other and wasn’t going to just break up with him out of the blue, so clearly it was Varian’s decision. Why would he do that? Why was he so sad if it was his decision? What in the world had led up to those two just..breaking up? She couldn’t reach a suitable or satisfying conclusion before Varian had to leave, standing and walking out of the library. Almost immediately, Yong’s eyes met hers as he took out his physics notebook and the accompanying textbook. “What’s wrong with Varian?” he asked quietly as he began to write.

  “I’m not sure, however by process of elimination, I’ve deduced that..maybe Hugo and Varian broke up-” She lunged to cover the boy’s mouth as he let out a loud gasp, apologising to the librarian, who simply glared at the pair and shook her head. When she’d determined the initial blow had set in, she removed her hand and looked at the boy. “Hey, not so loud okay?” She stated before letting out a sigh.”It’s not confirmed, obviously, but from the look on his face and the significant lack of a certain, blonde haired, green obsessed inconvenience, it’s the only conclusion I could come to. Also, that would be gamma rays with high penetrative power and low ionizing power.”

  “But why would they do that?” He asked before checking over his notes again. “Oh yeah, thank you Nuru!” he said with a smile, correcting his notes with a smile before looking back over at her, worry plastered all over his face. “Do you have Hugo’s number? How about we ask him?” Yong added, leaning against the table.

  Nuru considered his suggestion for a second. It would help them get to the bottom of what was happening between the two boys, and potentially save them all from an awkward summer if they decided to hang out..but if it was true, then Hugo probably didn’t want to talk about it at all considering he would most likely be broken-hearted. She bit the inside of her cheek, nodding to Yong in approval before taking her phone out, laying it down on the table and dialling Hugo’s number. She set it on the table, on top of a thick, hardback book about astrology before turning on speaker mode. 

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  The house was literally miles away from where they’d stopped, or at least it felt like it as Hugo watched everything pass by, the sky slowly getting darker and darker as they travelled down country roads that felt endless. It reminded him of Rapunzel’s house and driving there on Wednesdays, cuddling with Varian in the back of the car without a care in the world. No. No thinking about him. Hugo scolded himself and continued with pouting and looking out of the window as though he were in a teen movie after a break up (well, technically one of the aforementioned facts did apply to him, however that factor was something he really didn’t want to think about as of right now). 

  Cyrus pulled into a small, makeshift driveway and left the vehicle, Hugo following suit and looking up at the hose. It was small but homey..Hugo could get used to the rural setting of virtually everyone’s houses, however nothing compared to the apartment he was staying in only a few days prior. How they’d managed to put so much character into five rooms and a hallway was beyond him - but it had just felt so them with how it was laid out, every corner dripping with their personalities. It was perfect. Too bad it had to end. 

  Cyrus pushed open the door, instantly being hugged by a brown haired woman, completely dwarfed by him in a tight hug. Hugo stood aside awkwardly as the couple united, the woman in question then bringing him into the hug too. “Oh hello! You must be Hugo, Cyrus tells me about you all the time! I’m Ophelia, his wife, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” she explained with a wide grin on her face. “Oh, I should take you through to the dining room - we have dinner all set up now. Cyrus said we’d be having another visitor tonight but he didn’t specify who!” She took his hand in her own and guided him through the house, which was miraculously much bigger on the inside than he’d anticipated. 

  Sitting him down, she continued her rambling as he sat down and she began to plate the food. “You’ve become somewhat of a living legend in this house. Cyrus would tell me all the time about all the little schemes you’d have and how much Donella cared about you! It’s sweet to know you have a mother who believes in you, even if Donella really doesn’t show it.” She elaborated, Hugo’s face creeping into a smile before his phone started to ring. Nuru. He quickly excused himself from the table, walking outside into the hallway with a frown.

  “I have a few questions, namely why the hell you’re calling me. You never call me, you hate me.” Hugo bluntly stated, leaning against the wall of the household and examining the pictures on the wall. Some of Ophelia and Cyrus when they were younger, one of them presumably at their wedding with Ophelia in her husband’s arms. It was heart-warming, really, but Hugo couldn’t help the bitter feeling that built in his stomach. That’s what he’d wanted with Varian, however he guessed he’d ruined the other’s life and some things just weren't meant to be.

  “Yeah, well I have a few of my own,” the girl replied. He could faintly hear Yong in the background, whispering to her and turning the pages of a book. So they were in the library for their little study meet then. Nice. “Did you and Varian break up?” 

  The question hit him like a brick, catching him like a deer in the headlights as the reality of the situation finally hit him for real. He fumbled for words, hating how helpless he felt at even the sound of someone else saying the other boy’s name. He truly thought he’d accepted it and that he wasn’t bitter over Varian leaving him - after all, he was happy now and that’s all Hugo really wanted. However, Varian wasn’t happy with him. Hugo paused to regain his breath before swallowing thickly. “Yeah. Yeah, we broke up. It was his decision, because apparently I’d ruined his life and he never wanted to see me again. And we’re done here. Goodbye.” he concluded as he hung up the phone and headed back towards the dining room. 

  ‘Time to get over it.’ Hugo muttered to himself as he pulled a smile, sitting down and laughing along with Ophelia and Cyrus, ignoring the hole in his heart and how empty he truly felt without the other boy. He wasn’t going to let them see it was getting to him. He was going to pretend until everything was fine in his life and everyone forgot about Varian - though he knew he never would. 

  Time to fake it. Just like he was used to.

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  After dinner, Ophelia had insisted Hugo stayed over for the night and made Cyrus send Donella a message to let her know as she and Hugo went upstairs to prepare the room. He was a sweet boy - always offering to help her with different tasks such as making the bed or cleaning. She’d tried to make the room as green as possible after Cyrus told her about the boy’s obsession with the color. It sounded like an adorable childish quirk, however she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. How he acted didn’t correlate with any of the stories Cyrus had told her prior to meeting the boy. She’d expected endless sarcasm and quips, not just silent nods and exaggerated, fake laughter. Cyrus must’ve caught on too, pulling her into a hug as they sat down on the couch downstairs after leaving Hugo in the room to his own devices.

  “He’s just been through a break up - from the sounds of it, Hugo was really devoted to the kid. Had plans to get engaged and marry him one day - hell, he’d even planned out where everyone was going to sit at the wedding, but Ulla showed up and from there...well, everything’s gone a bit downhill. The kid, Varian, told him that he’d ruined his life and some other...really dark crap. Tried to stop him from leaving today, as well, which sent Hugo into an anxiety attack. I’m not sure he even knew he was having one. Just..god, I feel bad for the kid. He really loved Varian and it just doesn’t seem fair that he’s dealing with so much emotional turmoil because of what their moms did. It just doesn’t seem fair.” Cyrus explained as his fingers braided his wife’s hair. 

  Ah, that explained a lot. Ophelia sighed and cuddled against her husband, letting out a groan of frustration. “Have you tried talking to him about it?”

  “I did initially, but he didn’t answer my questions at all. I just..want the old Hugo back. It hurts me to see him so broken-hearted over a boy, and it hurts Donella just as much. I had to destroy at least ten papers on her desk which were schemes to sneak into the boy’s house and kill him in ways the police would declare accidental. The woman is..straight up murderous and hates him for hurting her son.”

  “Geez, sounds like it.” Ophelia commented and moved into her husband’s lap. “Carry me upstairs, I’m tired and my legs have stopped working.” 

  “Oh no. Well, I guess I have no choice but to assist my dear wife!” he stated as he lifted her into her arms and carried her all the way to their bedroom, stifling their giggles and chuckles as to not disturb Hugo at all. Even when they were settled in bed, Ophelia couldn’t shake the worry bubbling in her stomach for the boy down the hall. She prayed he wouldn’t try anything stupid and that he’d be okay soon as she fell asleep in her loving husband’s arms.

  Hugo neglected to tell them at breakfast how he’d cried into his pillow all night at the sound of their happiness as a couple and how they have everything he’d ever wanted with his now ex boyfriend. He didn’t tell them how desperately he needed the boy to be back in his life because nothing made sense without him. Instead he put on his happy facade and ate, complimenting Ophelia’s cooking with a wide smile on his face despite how it all felt like a lie on the inside. And as they drove back to Donella’s workshop, Cyrus told him over and over things will get better with time, but..

He didn’t want time to get over Varian.

He just wanted Varian.

Little did he know...the other boy felt the same.