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lubdubsworld · 3 years

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Better Man.

~~~~We might still be in love, if you were a better man. ~~~~

Taehyung x OC

Rating 18 +

Angst.

Implied Infidelity in the past.

Chapter 1 ~ Walk out the first time.

"Are you okay?" My mother's soft voice came from behind me and i panicked, hurriedly swiping at the tears that were streaking down my face. Heart pounding, I grabbed a bunch of tissues from the dresser, patting my face down hurriedly , making sure to keep my back to her.

"I'm fine, Mom." I said , voice surprisingly steady as I turned around to smile weakly at her. She stood near the doorway, a petite woman of fifty with greying hair and too many wrinkles.

I thought she looked older than she was and i knew I had a part to play in that. Sighing, I tried not to cry more, moving to gently take my son out of her arms.

He was four years old, fast asleep and smiling sweetly in his slumber. He had downy black hair, feather soft and warm brown eyes. He looked incredibly like his father, the resemblance stunning even though he was so young. I stared at him some more, laying him down on the bed and brushing the hair off his face.

"Are you sure there is no mistake? Taehyung ssi wouldn't hurt us like this..." My mother said, sounding broken and I felt a pang of sympathy. But also annoyance.

Us.

Us....like she had an equal share in the hurt I was feeling.

I was the one getting a divorce but my mother made it sound like it was personal to her as well. Like somehow, the fact that she now had to meet her friends and tell them that her daughter was divorced could compare to the pain I was feeling. To the sheer anguish that was filling me.

To be fair though, my mother had loved Taehyung very much. Her favorite son-in-law . My sister's husband had been a mean drunkard who had brought a lot of misery to our family. Taehyung by contrast had been a loving, filial son in law. He had cared deeply for my parents, paid for my father's funeral ( even though the man itself was nothing more than a drunk , cheating fool who had abandoned us ) and he had been the most kind man .

I swallowed.

Maybe , you should have forgiven him. Maybe , you shouldn't have divorced him . So, he slept with another woman. Fine. It was one night... just one night. you should have gotten over it! Was it worth it to spend all these countless nights alone? To break your mother's heart a thousand times over?

The funny thing was, i had forgiven him. Maybe right after I had found out. He had stood there, looking shell-shocked and horrified and his eyes had begged me for forgiveness and my heart had cracked , the way it always did whenever I saw him in distress. And when he had looked me in the eye and said, " I’m sorry, Jang mi..." I had forgiven him right then and there.

But it was the forgetting that was hard. The fear that it would happen again. The fear that somehow, I was the reason he strayed. And that kind of fear can be debilitating. For the first three weeks, I'd tried to pretend it hadn't happened. I had tried hard to see him the way I had always seen him but it had been impossible. everytime I saw him, my heart had broken anew. It had been hard but I had to accept that things would never be the same. That I would forever look at him and remember what he’d done. That I would forever wonder if he would do it again.

So we had done the wise thing.

At first a break.

A few days apart to get our head on straight. Then I’d found a job and I had to move closer to the office to make the commute easy. And then suddenly, I wasn’t seeing him even during the weekends , to spend time as family for our son’s sake. And just like that , a whole year had passed and we were separated. Only meeting to hand Hoshi over to each other.

"I'm sorry mother." I said softly. I knew that she blamed me, a whole lot for the separation.

People with children didn't leave each other over infidelity in my country. You hit your husband, denied him from your bed maybe but you didn't break up a family over one night of bad decisions. You just didn't .

But for me, it was beyond the act. It was the broken trust, the shock of knowing that some other woman had given him something I couldn't, the fact that he had even wanted it from another woman had been enough for me to crumble on the inside.

But, none of it mattered now.

He wanted a divorce. Officially. Wanted to end it for real.

It was jarring, how badly it shook me. I felt unaccountably lost and confused and disoriented. I couldn't imagine not being Taehyung’s wife , i realized with a stunning sense of self realization.

Call me irrational, but apparently, I couldn't stop thinking of him as my husband , even after two years. Soon he wouldn't be my husband.

He would be my ex -husband.

i hated that word.

It had such a plethora of negative connotations to it. When you hear it , you just brace yourself for unpleasantness.

Because it is unpleasant. A marriage ending, a family breaking, feelings hurt , hearts shattered, angry words tossed...its all a very unpleasant experience for everyone involved.

An ex husband was seldom a harbinger of happiness, more often a reminder of choices gone wrong, regrets and wasted time. and I didn’t want to associate Taehyung with a word like that.

Taehyung who was still the kindest, warmest human being I knew. The best father in the world.

I felt like someone had sucked all the strength out of me.

I didn’t really want to think about the call I’d gotten from Taehyung last night. An appointment with a divorce lawyer. It had been followed by an apology because apparently, someone in the law firm had let the info leak. And now it was all over the sleazy tabloids that fed on people’s misery.

It was impossible to escape it too, Taehyung was famous. An idol. And actor. The country's sweetheart. And he was the epitome of perfection. The beautiful, talented actor with an impeccable record of well behavior.

I knew that literally everyone on the planet thought he was a literal angel.

I remembered how much , by contrast, I had been hated when I'd married him.

I could just imagine how much more it would all be this time around. And i wondered if it bothered Taehyung too. Did he perhaps wish he’d never met me

It had been sheer luck that we had met....

In fact, if Jimin's car hadn't broken down right outside our home on that cold December night, I wouldn't have even met Taehyung. A great cosmic shift, somewhere some butterfly flapped its wing a certain way and suddenly, Jimin’s car ran over a thumbtack and his phone was dead so while he tried to fix the damage , Taehyung just had to knock on our home and I had been the one to open it.

Boom. That was it. Love at first sight.

I had been a high school kid and he had been barely nineteen. Fresh faced and cheerful , the struggling idol from a small company. He hadn't been surrounded by fans or chased by saesangs. He hadn't had security tailing him. No daesangs, BBMAs, or acting awards. No blockbuster movies to his credit , no chart-bursting songs either .

And I had fallen in love with that version of him.

The hardworking, talented young man who worked twice as hard as anyone around him.

That's right. You've loved him for fifteen years. So it's understandable that you're upset. Now, maybe you can move on too. Go on a few of those blind dates that Jiyoung is always setting you up on. Go live your life instead of being a zombie. Get a hair cut. Dye your hair red. Do something to get your life in order.

"I still find it hard to believe that he would want a divorce. Jangmi yah... did you tell him you forgave him? Tell him you wanted to try again..." My mother said again and the distress in her voice was equal parts heartbreaking and exasperating.

"Mother, I don't want to try again . We aren't married anymore. It's over, whatever it was between us. "

Whatever it was.

How cruel, to have all that love, all that affection reduced to a phrase like that.

What a pity.

"But what about Hoshi? He needs his father..." My mother cried out and I willed myself not to snap. She means well, I thought miserably.

"He has a father. Taehyung is an excellent father and you know that. Don’t start that again.”

My mother sighed.

"I still feel that this wouldn’t happen if you tried a little bit. He’s a good boy. Such a good boy and you could never do anyone better. Why are you so full of pride, Jangmi... so prideful...you should be a little humble. Think of the kind of man he is...where would you find a man like that ? And moreover .... Taehyung loves you. i know he does." My mother said stubbornly.

I sighed, feeling my fingers shake from the effort not to scream. I wasn’t strong enough to have this conversation with her. Not now. Possibly never. Taehyung did love me. Had never made any effort to hide it. But sometimes, love wasn’t enough. It just wasn’t.

And I wanted to yell at my mother she was at least partially to blame for me walking out on Taehyung.

My father had left us for another woman , when I was twelve. I had seen the toll it had taken on my mother and I just knew that I would never let a man do that to me. My mother had later confided in me that it wasn’t the first time. He had done it before. A lot of times. And my mother had always forgiven him. Let him back into our lives.

And one night, drunk on soju she had confided between hiccups, ‘ I wish I’d walked out the first time.”

And that had stuck with me.

Walk out the first time.

If he cheats on you , walk out the first time. Don’t stick around waiting for him to do it to you again. Walk out the first time.

And so I had.

“ Should I talk to him? Tell him you’ve changed your mind? “ My mother began and I felt my patience snap.

“No!! Could you just, for the love of God, stay out of this, ma? It’s over. Our marriage is over and it has been over for a long time. A piece of paper doesn’t really change that, does it? Its not my fault you can’t get over it but that’s a you problem. And you need to fix it yourself. “ I shouted.

My mother immediately recoiled, eyes shuttering down.

“Of course. You know the best. Who cares how anyone else feels, right, Jang Mi? You always know best.” She said softly, and I exhaled, shaken. There it was. The guilt trip. It was never ending.

Please... I just need to go now.” I moved to grab my bag, :” I need to go get ready for the meeting with the lawyers tomorrow. You can keep Hoshi with you tonight. I’ll come pick him up after I’m done and then I’ll drop him off at his father’s place.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With Taehyung and I, our break up hadn’t been terrible.

It hadn’t been terrible because our own penchant for being terrible had always been very minimal. We didn’t do swearing or fights or threats and it always annoyed our friends that we got along so well. That it was so easy for us to forgive and move on with each other . That we were the one couple who didn’t hold grudges or bring up past mistakes.

Which is why, when we did break up, none of our friends had tried to change our minds over it. They had accepted it rather calmly, shocked at first because it was so out of the blue but not opposed to the idea itself . They just trusted us to know the right thing to do because we were easily the most mature , the most level headed couple in the entire group. We were usually the sounding boards , the voice of reason in whatever petty conflict our friends were involved in .

So when it was us, needling a little advice, a little guidance, our friends had been woefully ill equipped to help. They had merely hummed and nodded and empathized. Maybe that was another reason I’d left. I hadn’t considered the alternative. No one had asked me to consider the alternative.

Our friends had watched us drift apart watched us break up, but they hadn’t really asked us why.

Because if something had caused Kim Taehyung and Jang Mi to break up, man, that must’ve been a really huge issue.

So the break up had been amicable. Gradual and slow but mostly amicable, eased by our mutual love for our son. We wanted him happy and he was happy when we were happy. So we put on a front, laughed and joked in front of him and let him have some semblance of normalcy in his life.

It wasn’t easy.

From him, it had been nothing but a mess of heated glances, touches laced with intent and eyes begging forgiveness . every gaze of his was a silent scream for a second chance that I was not at all ready to give.

Because for me, the raw hurt and anger and frustration that bubbled up every time I saw him , it had nowhere to go. It stayed churning in my gut, made everything bitter and unpalatable and I wanted to hurt him for hurting me. How could I think of a second chance when the hurt from the first, was still so fresh, an open wound festering.

Self esteem in tatters, I had hated him fiercely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The meeting was at his company, and I arrived at nine in the morning, with a few more minutes to spare. I knew the place like the back of my hand, was here at least once a week either to pick or drop Hoshi off and I knew that the conference room in the third floor was sound proof and cut off from the rest of the building for extra privacy.

Which was a little too late because I’d found two tabloid newspapers waiting outside my apartment this morning.

I opened the door carefully, surprised to see Taehyung sitting in one of the chairs, bent over a sheaf of paper on the table and next to him a leggy girl in a small skirt hovered, fingers resting lightly on his shoulder, bent at the optimum angle to show him her curves.

I sighed, looking away.

It was way too early for this.

“Mia!” Taehyung’s voice made me look up, and I watched as he stood up, pushing the chair away and moving to me . He was easily the most good looking man in the country. And he looked so good at thirty five that it was impossible to look away from him.

He was dressed in a pale blue shirt and black slacks and it never amazed me, how good clothes fit him.

I took in the broad shoulders, thick arms and the lean waist, the carefully styled hair and the breathtakingly beautiful face and sighed when he kept coming closer, hands held out. .

Of course, the customary hug.

i let him wrap his arms around me, my face buried in the comforting warmth of his body, the scent of his cologne filling my brain . He always smelled so good it made my heart hurt. I tried not to let myself get carried away. Tried to remind myself that this wasn’t anything more than a.....

A facade ? Or was it? Was his affection genuine?

Was I just too cynical?

I shook my head, pulling away and smiling a little at the genuine venom in the leggy girl’s face.

“Are you okay? Where’s Hoshi?” Taehyung brushed the hair off my face, eyes warm and I wondered if he’d forgotten we were here to get a divorce.

Whenever we met, Taehyung acted like we were still together.

No, that wasn’t it.

He just didn’t act like we had broken up. He was affectionate and open and cooperative. It always left me in a sort of limbo, unable to navigate our relationship with clear boundaries. There were no line to stop myself from crossing, because he just didn’t draw them.

“ Ms. Lee says we just have to go over the details like the alimony and the custody and the division of assets and then we can just proceed. Get it all finalized. “ He said casually, when I moved away and sat on the chair opposite him.

“Okay .” I said casually.

He smiled and turned back to the girl next to him.

“I’ll join you after the meeting Lisa.” he gave her a nice wide smile and the girl practically bloomed under the attention before bowing curtly in my direction. I watched her walk away, slightly amused.

“Bit younger than your usual type.” I commented , glancing at him. He gave me a look.

“I’m not dating her.” He shrugged.

“Does she know that?” I retorted.

It was dumb. Uncalled for. I was being a bitch, really but the urge to evoke some kind of reaction from Taehyung was something I’d never really out grown. I liked getting under his skin.

Taehyung sighed and gave me a little smirk.

“Are you jealous, Mia mine?” He teased.

It felt a little like someone had dug a nine inch dagger straight into my heart.

That stupid nickname.

God I couldn’t bear it.

Swallowing i looked away.

“Sorry. “ he said quietly, a few seconds later.

I nodded curtly.

“Don’t do it again.” I said hoarsely.

“Why not?” He whispered gently.

I groaned.

“Taehyung... “

“it’s just a name...why does it bother you so much?” He whispered.

“The same reason you’re asking me for a divorce.” I said softly.

He blinked.

“Mia...”

“Because we both know its time to stop.” I said quietly. “ Stop dancing around each other , stop doing...whatever it is we’ve been doing these past two years and give our relationship a name. “

“I’m not very fond of labels.” He shrugged. I glared at him.

“Well tough luck. Labels are good. Labels are great. They let you draw boundaries. “ I retorted.

“You sound like you’ve had enough of me.”

“Well, haven’t you had enough of me?” I snapped.

“Not even close.” He leaned forward gently, eyes pinning me to the table with a gaze so strong he may as well have used his body. And it didn’t help that two years wasn’t enough time to forget how it would feel if he had used his body. How it would feel to be stretched out on that table, him on top of me, hands working my clothes open, lips kissing their way down my jaw.

I could almost taste him, taste the minty freshness of his breath, feel his tongue in my mouth, the hardness of him inside me. My thighs clenched because I hadn’t gotten laid in two fucking years and even if i did, no one would ever compare to the man in front of me.

“Mr. Kim? Mrs. Kim? “

The lawyer’s voice broke the spell and i straightened, swallowing. Ms. Lee had walked in , and I watched her close the conference door behind her before locking it gently.

She was young, dressed in a business suit , a no nonsense bun and had small round framed glasses. She gave me a nice smile, shook hands with us both and placed her briefcase on the table before glancing between us.

“Shall we begin?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Note : its gonna be a bumpy ride.

#taehyung angst #taehyung smut #taehyung fics #bts fics #taehyung fanfic #bts smut #bts fic #bts fanfic

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hildagirl99 · 4 years

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The lovers of the night

Scarlett and Aaron

(part 3)

2 weeks go by, Aaron and Scarlett always saw each other in the evening, during the day, they gave each other almost ambiguous accomplice looks. They talked about everything and nothing, getting to know each other a little more, even though Scarlett remained mostly silent, preferring to listen to the Sheriff. Tonight, there was a good opportunity to meet again, the rodeo party, it is certainly not a very romantic place to declare his flame but they should not miss this opportunity.

"Tonight ?" she asks, surprised.

"Yes, if you don't mind."

"But will there be people?"

"It's the principle of the holidays, inviting people."

"Oh ... I don't like the crowd ..."

"Don't worry, we will step aside, we will be quiet."

"Well ... I'll think about it."

"I really hope to see you tonight, Scarlett."

When evening came, Aaron was already there, 3 guards stood in front of the entrance, inside, it was crowded, alcohol and cigars smelled like noses.

Scarlett was still at home, not knowing what to wear for her date. Half of her wardrobe was mostly black. Did she have to dress in a simple way? Extravagant? If she put on lace, the Sheriff would take her for an easy girl, well what she doesn't want. She finally opted for a dress with a small black neckline, decorated with small diamonds. Watching her hair in battle, she decides to style and curl it, leaving her long curly lock in front of her eyes.

"It should be enough ... Come on ... I can do it." she thinks.

She puts on her black shawl and heads for the saloon.

"As long as she comes ..." thinks Aaron, in front of his small glass of whiskey, until he hears the guards' voices becoming imposing.

"You can't go back!"

"What? But it's not free to enter?" asks Scarlett, shocked.

"No, but to go back, it's 20 dollars!" asked the guard.

"Stop, I invited her!" said Aaron, arriving in time between the two guards.

"Sorry Sheriff, we didn't know that." said one of the two guards, embarrassed.

"Scarlett, come on, I've been waiting for you." said Aaron, holding out his arm.

She grabs his arm without hesitation and lets herself be dragged to the bar.

"I thought I couldn't go back. I didn't know it paid off." she said softly.

"I should have warned you, forgive me, but as I invite you, we have free rein." he said, looking at her.

"Fortunately you are Sheriff otherwise ... I will not have passed."

"Hehe, come on, come and have a drink."

"Since time. But I have no money ..."

"I'm the one paying, since I invited you." said Aaron with a charming smile.

While they were drinking, Aaron watched Scarlett from top to bottom.

"You're beautiful tonight, Scarlett ..." said Aaron, shyly.

"Oh… thanks… does that mean that on other days, I look like a rag?" she asks, suspicious.

"Huh? No, no, take it as a compliment! I'm sincere, now or on other days, you're ravishing."

"You have to say that to all the women you know."

"I'm not interested in other women, you mean the most to me tonight." he said, placing his hand gently against her shoulder.

Scarlett feels a shiver run down her back. Why was he doing this for her? She flees her gaze, not knowing what to do or how to react. In the distance, three women, provocatively dressed, call the Sheriff in the distance, then they start to walk towards him.

"Looks like you have company." whispers Scarlett to Aaron.

"Ooh dear Sheriff! You here? We weren't expecting it!" said one of them.

"Stay a little with you!" begs the other, resting her chest against him.

Aaron looked very embarrassed and couldn't help but blush.

"I would like to, but I'm already busy, ladies, but can you do us a favor?"

"Oooh? Which one?"

"Try to distract the guards, a little bit of your company would do them good." said Aaron, praying that it would work.

"Your desires are orders, Sheriff! Hihi! Come girls!" said one of them, jumping on the guards.

"Come on, Scarlett! Let's go outside!" said Aaron, taking her hand.

It was a diversion, the two of them rush out and sit at a table outside in the light of the lanterns.

"But why did you do this?" she asks, exhausted from this race.

"I didn't want to be locked up in this place with her crazy people… I saw that you were embarrassed. Outside, it's better, just you and me."

"Hehe, you're right, I was starting to suffocate, I don't like the crowd."

"I know it ... are you hungry?" he asks.

"Not too much ... Maybe a few aperitifs." she replies, touching her hair.

Once the aperitifs are there, Scarlett asks a question that was running through her head.

"Tell me ... Do you like what you do? Well, I mean, as a Sheriff." she asks.

"You know, being Sheriff was not a vocation for me." he replies, taking a square of cheese.

"What do you mean ?" Scarlett was starting to be interested.

"Since childhood, I had a dream, to go around South America. But I was brought back to reality by my father. I was very close to him, but the only one I did not like at his place was his authority and his arrogance. He himself was Sheriff before my turn, I had to be ready to succeed him because he was getting old. He said that traveling was for the gypsies and the Indians. instead, I saw the sea, as I told you before. The sea was my only comfort, I found peace. "

"It must be wonderful ..." sighs Scarlett, listening to him attentively.

"I will take you there, I promise you." he said, looking her in her eyes.

"You don't have to do this for me, there are other women who would dream of seeing the sea with you."

"You are the only woman I would like to take." he said, putting his fingers on Scarlett's hand.

She withdraws her hand a little, blushing.

"Why are you interested in me? I'm boring, and other women are better than me, they deserve you. One day, you will have to find a woman to be your wife."

Hearing this, Aaron wondered if it was the right time to tell him what he really felt for her. Suddenly, soft music cuts him off before a sound even comes out of his mouth. A slow… nothing better to get closer to the one who won his heart.

"Would you like to dance ?" he asks.

"I don't know how to dance ..." she replies, closing in on herself.

"Come, it's easy." he said, taking her hand.

They stand up and put his hands on her back.

"What are you doing ?" Scarlett jumps.

"Put your hands on my shoulders."

But being small, her hands land on Aaron's chest. Which makes him blush more and more.

"Let yourself be lulled and guided by me and the music." he whispers in her ear.

Scarlett was mesmerized by her words and her reassuring voice. She lets herself be entirely done. She sticks against him, Aaron felt like immense happiness in his heart and thousands of butterflies in his belly. Scarlett felt reassured in his arms, their dance turns into a passionate embrace. They cuddled for a long time until the music stopped.

"To answer your question before, I don't need to search among all the women who are here, because the only woman I love is in front of me." he said, taking her hand.

"Huh? What ... what did you say?"

Scarlett understood perfectly, but she refused to believe it. It was too much for her, she wanted to escape from this awkward moment. Aaron was waiting for her reaction.

"Um ... I think you are wrong, Aaron ... I am not the one you think ... or the one you want ..."

"Why do you say that ?" asks Aaron, who did not expect her reaction.

"Excuse me, I have to go back ..." she lets go of his hand and runs away.

Aaron is left alone and taken aback, what did he do wrong? He sets off in pursuit. She was opening her door.

"Scarlett! What did I do? Did I hurt you?" he wrote, joining her.

"Leave me alone, it's better for you and me that we each stay on our side. You have nothing to do with me." she said coldly.

"Scarlett, I don't understand, I just confessed that I love you! I thought that…"

"Well, think no more! You will never love me! I will make you suffer!" she writes.

Aaron didn't understand why she said that. He follows her to the kitchen.

"Get out of my house!" writes Scarlett, her eyes filling with tears.

"Scarlett, calm down… we can explain…" said Aaron, taking her in his arms.

Scarlett brutally pushes him away and grabs a knife, pointing it at him. Aaron steps back in fear.

"Ho! Scarlett! Put down that knife!"

"I will not make you happy! I am a monster! I will no longer trust a man!" she yells, hysterical.

Aaron closes the door to prevent his screams from attracting the attention of a villager.

"Scarlett, we can talk about it calmly, please, drop that knife." he said, advancing cautiously.

"Stop! Otherwise I will kill myself in front of you! I deserve it! I would rather die than surrender!" she said, turning the knife against her.

"SCARLETT !! No !!" he rushes over to her and grabs her wrist, removing the knife and letting it slide further to the ground.

"AAAH !! LEAVE ME! Kill me!" she yells, struggling.

Aaron holds her tightly in his arms until she calms down and she bursts into tears, falling to her knees, still in Aaron's arms.

"Shhhh ... calm down ... what's this story? Why should I stop you? Want to talk about it?" he asks silently.

She nods to say yes. He covers her with his coat and goes to the living room sofa.

"I don't come from here, actually. I'm from town. I was training with my mom so I was ready to inherit the business."

"I see ... but what is wrong with that?"

"In the meantime, I was forced to be with a man just to make me descendants. I was unable to conceive ... He ..." she stops in her sentence, feeling the tears come to her eyes.

"Shhhh, take your time ..." said Aaron, thinking about the worst that could have happened to her.

"He ... he raped me! Saying it's my fault ..." said Scarlett, bursting into tears.

Aaron was shocked by this revelation, he could never have thought of it, he cradled her in his arms.

"You know why I have this scar on my cheek? It was beating me too! One day, it was one time too many, it hit me again and ... I grabbed a knife, and ... I wanted to defend myself but I ... I stabbed him ... "she said, whispering the end of her sentence, still bursting into tears.

Aaron finally understood why she was so scared and that she never went out. He continues to listen to her.

"What happened next ?" he asks.

"I ... I was tried, but I was released because I used self-defense. Half defended me and the other called me a murderer ... I left town to settle here after the death of my mother. I prayed that no one would recognize me when I went outside ... I didn't want it to end like that. " Scarlett replies, drying her tears.

"I'm on your side ... you defended yourself and this junk deserved it, no one has the right to hit a woman!"

Scarlett was amazed that the Sheriff was part of her terrible past.

"You have to stop me ..." she said.

"No ... I won't do it. I understand why you don't trust me ... rather men ..."

"I ... I didn't say I don't trust you. I need time for that ... you're the only one who really seems to want to take care of me ..."

"For the moment, I will make sure that no one does you harm ... for my part, I will never harm you, I will never leave you, we will take our time." said Aaron, hugging her.

"Aaron ..." whispers Scarlett, hugging him too.

"You deserve happiness, everything you told me stays here, your secret will be ours." he said, looking at her.

Gently, he approaches her face, his lips brush against hers, Scarlett turns her head slightly, everything was going so fast for her. But she couldn't help smiling after this delicate gesture.

"I'll wait for you, Scarlett ... take the time it takes." said Aaron, taking her hand.

"You don't have to keep more secrets between us." he finished, kissing her forehead.

"I will come to see you as soon as I can." said Aaron, getting up.

"I prefer the night, I like it when you see me at that time." said Scarlett smiling, then she continues.

"And thank you again for trusting me."

Aaron turns around, he comes back to her, puts his two hands gently on her cheeks and kisses her tenderly. Scarlett remains frozen as if someone had cast a spell on her, she doesn't protest and relishes this kiss.

He breaks the kiss and says to her:

"I love you…"

Scarlett didn't know if she should answer him, she didn't want to rush, yet her feelings were mutual. She answers him with a simple smile and Aaron leaves in silence.

To be continued...

Part 2 :

#oc #showdown bandit oc #showdown bandit #Aaron #Scarlett #Sheriff #fanfiction #miss undertaker

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ladyarwenevenstarlovesreylo · 4 years

Text

Will You Love Me?

Chapter 1

Rey was a servant working in the castle of Alderaan for King Han and Queen Leia. She hadn't always lived in the castle... just a month ago, she was living on the streets scavenging to survive. Being a servant was hard work, but she had everything that she had ever needed, ever wanted... well almost everything.

Rey finished setting out some flowers in the throne room, then she turned to look at the king and queen, the closest thing to a family she had now, she gave them a warm smile then turned to leave. But she stopped in the hall as heard she a commotion. She turned back towards the throne room to see what the fuss was about, when a guard bursted into the throne room and began speaking excitedly.

"Sir... we've finally captured him." It was not the proper way to start any conversation, and it was certainly no way to greet a king.

But the guard was fortunate that King Han had never been the formal type, he had become the king of Alderaan by marriage to the love of his life, Princess Leia. Now her parents were dead and the weight of ruling the kingdom fell to him and his wife.

King Han looked at the guard patiently. "Calm down, Poe. Start from the beginning."

"Kylo..." he breathed the name of the enemy general feared by most in the kingdom. He had slain many of their soldiers in battle. But there was no fear in the king and queen. Instead, there was only pain.

"Ben?" Leia asked.

Poe nodded, confirming that he spoke of their son. "He's been captured in battle and brought here your majesties."

The queen looked at her husband. "Our son is finally home," she whispered.

He offered her an encouraging smile, though on the inside he was more nervous than he could describe. "Bring him in," he said.

Poe nodded. "Yes your majesty." He stepped out of the throne room.

Moments later he returned with three other guards and a prisoner bound in chains.

Rey watched from the hall door, out of sight. As the prince entered the room, she felt her pulse quicken and her heart hammer in her chest. Anger filled her and she glared as she saw him, her father had been killed by him in battle. Her mother had died giving birth to her, and now she was an orphan...because of him. Her family had been very poor, so she had nothing, no home, no family. She had roamed the streets alone for months before she came to the castle and the king and queen took pity on her. They had given her a job at the castle. It wasn't easy, but at least she had food to eat and a warm place to sleep.

The prince was just as anyone would imagine a prince to be. He was beautiful, his thick black locks framed his pale face and fell to his shoulders. His eyes were dark and she knew that if his gaze had been directed at her, they would have pierced her skin to gaze into her heart. Snaking down his left cheek was a scar that he had received in battle. But her hazel eyes couldn't help but wander down to his dark lips. She couldn't even begin to describe them...

...But beneath it all was no man, she interrupted her thoughts... He was a monster.

The guards roughly threw him to the floor, so that he landed on his knees in front of the two thrones.

Rey felt no compassion for him, in fact she rather enjoyed seeing him be thrown to the floor in such an aggressive manner. It was more than he deserved.

Queen Leia stood and approached her son, and Rey found herself hoping that she would slap Kylo in the face. Leia moved her hand towards his face... but as her hand came in contact with his cheek, it was a gentle touch. Not one of anger, but one of love. She bent down and kissed her son on the top of his head. Rey was amazed, his mother loved him even though he didn't deserve it. But of course she was his mother... and deep down she knew that no good mother could ever stop loving their children, no matter what they had done.

"You have sided with Snoke in this rebellion against your kingdom," King Han said in an emotionless voice. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Kylo remained silent. He shook his head. "All I can do is beg your forgiveness, Father."

"You don't need to beg, Ben. You're mother and I have already forgiven you. Forgiveness is a gift and we give it to you gladly."

"Thank you, Father," he said.

"But... trust is something you must earn." Han continued in a grave and somber voice.

Tears filled Ben's eyes. "How... how can I earn your trust? After..." he trailed off to keep himself from crying. "...after everything I did."

"Prove to us that you can change, and become a man who your mother and I would be proud to call our son. Who Alderaan would be proud to call her king one day," Han replied.

"I will never deserve the crown Father, but I do want to be worthy of the mercy that you have shown me," Ben replied.

"Then you will do what we ask?"

"Anything, Father, I promise," he replied.

Han nodded then he leaned closer to his wife and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and a smile crept onto the king's face. "There's a new servant girl working in the palace. Her name is Rey. She came from nowhere, from nothing. She is no one. But the kindness that she holds in her heart has no equal, and we want you to marry her."

Upon hearing these words, Rey recoiled and quickly left the room. No one knew that she had been standing in the shadows listening and no one saw her leave.

"But..." Ben began.

"You made a promise, Ben. And keeping your promises is the first step to regaining our trust," Han interrupted.

Ben sighed. "Yes Father. It will be done."

"Good." Han replied. "Now let's get busy, we have a wedding to plan."

"When will the wedding be?" Ben asked.

"Tomorrow." Han replied .

Ben sighed, he was already beginning to regret agreeing to this. He should have begged for his parents to throw him in prison. It would have been much better. And while he didn't want to marry a girl that he had never met... he found himself feeling bad for this girl... Rey, more than himself. She didn't deserve this, she deserved to be happy. He on the other hand deserved nothing but to be thrown in prison without even the slightest forgiveness from his parents.

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isabellaflynns · 6 years

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The Men in White Coats | Chatzy

Summary: Harley tries to help Isabella after Edward leaves Trigger warnings: Blood, drugging, graphic injury Written by: @harlsquinns and @isabellaflynns

Isabella: All Isabella could do was cry. Her nose was blocked, and her breath was coming in gasps, and her eyes were shut. She heard Edward and Harley speaking, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Edward is going to leave, she thought, and she clutched her stomach and hunched over. She heard him stand, and walk across the room. The drawer opened, and it took Isabella a moment to realise that he must have been getting his phone. God, she wanted to scream at him not to leave. If he could just wait – let her gain some composure – they could sit down, and have some tea, and talk. If Edward wanted things to change, they could change. She would never handcuff him again, and she would never hurt him. She loved him.

But she didn't say anything. She just sobbed as he walked past her, and she heard him reach the bedroom door. He was going to walk away, and leave their home, and leave her, and she did nothing to stop him. What could she do? Harley had said. It was time to let him go. So, she just stayed where she was on her knees and cried. All their progress, all the work she'd done, all the moments they'd spent together in this room, were for nothing. Her one true love was walking away, and Isabella didn't even glance up to watch him. She just heard his footsteps recede, and it made her lungs ache like she was going to be sick.

There was something thick soaking into her dress, and she opened her eyes and blinked rapidly, because they were blurred with tears. Oh. Her hand was bleeding. The bullet was lodged in her palm, slightly visible in the middle of her flesh. But she didn't care. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered except the fact that her reason for existing had just walked out of their home and he hadn't said a word to her. Why had she told him to stay quiet? She didn't mean it. If he came back, she would have let him talk for as long as he wanted, about anything he wanted. She would have sat at the end of his bed and watched him, just listening to his beautiful voice, so blessed to be able to hear him.

But he wasn't coming back. Oh God. That thought made the agony rise again, and she dissolved into sobs and bowed her head. Her whole body was shaking with each sob, and she gritted her teeth and screamed – a high-pitched, broken, sound. All she could think over and over again was He's gone. She knew Edward was unhappy here. He had told her. But she had never thought he would actually choose to leave, when given the option. He had said he wanted to leave, but he had been growing to like it here. He had been acclimatising. He just needed a few more days, or a few more weeks, and then they could have had forever.

Wasn't he adjusting? Hadn't he been content? How had everything slipped away in under half an hour? Why couldn't they go back? Just ten minutes? To when she had him. To when he was hers. She would have uncuffed him and held him close and hugged him and told him she was sorry for hurting him. It wouldn't have mattered if Harley was there – she would have let them. And she would have asked him what he wanted. What would make him love her? What would make things better here? She would have done anything he asked. Anything to make him stay with her.

He had left. And she was alone, screaming and sobbing on his bedroom floor. Was it that she had wanted them to die together? Was that why he'd left? She hadn't meant to scare him. It would have been peaceful. Perfect and calm and so quick, and then eternity. God, she wanted that. More than anything. She wanted rest, and peace, and to be with Eddie. But if he came back to be with her forever, like he'd promised, like he'd said he would, she would never, ever, mention it again. They didn't have to die. They could live. Isabella kept crying, heaving and gasping as she did so, and bargained in her head. Come back, Eddie. Please.

Harley: Watching Edward leave was bittersweet. On the one hand, it was great that he was finally getting to go home. But on the other, it was awful, because it left Isabella broken. Harley had no idea how to comfort her, or what to say. How could she possibly take away any of the pain the woman was feeling? If she could, she’d have taken it all herself, so that her friend didn’t have to feel anything at all. She knew how it felt to have your heart broken by the man you the thought the world of. It felt like you were literally going to die without them, and that there was no possible way you could go on.

Harley stayed seated on the edge of the bed, too scared to move, in case she upset Isabella further. It would’ve been so easy to just get down on the floor with her, and wrap her arms around her. But what if Isabella didn’t want that? What if she wanted Harley nowhere near her? It was so difficult to just sit there and do nothing, and say nothing. She’d betrayed her, though. There was no coming back from what she’d just done. She had allowed Edward to leave, and been the one to set him free. How could Isabella forgive that?

When she heard Isabella scream in anguish, Harley felt her own heart breaking inside her chest. It was the most agonising thing she’d ever heard, and she knew that she couldn’t just sit idly by now. She had to comfort her friend, because she was the only person that could. There was nobody else there, and nobody else that understood how she felt. Nobody that could understand the pain of letting go of the person you were made for.

Getting off the bed, Harley walked around it, then knelt down in front of Isabella. She could see that her clothes were now soaked with blood, due to the gunshot wound to her hand. But that wasn’t the priority right then, comforting her was. Reaching out, she placed both her hands on Isa’s cheeks, like she had that night when she’d been hysterically angry about Oswald and Ed. “Hey, hey Isa, look at me...” she said softly, gently tilting the woman’s head up, so that she was now looking at her. She looked so broken, and now that Harley had seen her face, and just how hurt she looked, she couldn’t stop herself from crying with her.

“I’m sorry.” It felt ridiculous to be apologising, but it was needed. She needed Isabella to know that she hadn’t set out to hurt her like this, or to ruin her dreams of being happy with Edward. If she thought that the two of them stood a chance of being happy together, then she’d have left them alone. But it simply wasn’t the case. “I’m really, really sorry.” It hurt to look at her friend, and she wanted so badly to find a nice spot on the wall to stare at, but she couldn’t. That would be weak, and Isabella needed her to be strong.

Her thumbs wiped away some of the moisture from beneath Isabella’s eyes, and Harley let out a shaky breath. “You’re okay,” she whispered. “You’re okay, and everythin’ is gonna be okay.” Maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say, but she couldn’t think of anything more reassuring. Finally, she dropped her hands from Isabella’s face, and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close and holding her as tightly as she could. It felt so good to hug her again, and to be close to her. It was a relief to know that she was safe now that Harley had found her, and that she was going to get the help she so desperately needed.

Isabella: There was the sound of the bed creaking, but Isabella couldn't look up at Harley. She just hugged herself and sobbed. Harley had taken him away. Harley had burst into their home and destroyed everything and let Eddie go. Why couldn't they just have another week? Another few months? Edward would have been happy with her. He would have grown to love her, but now he was gone, and she couldn't bear it. But she wasn't angry at Harley. There was no room in her shattered heart for anger. She was grieving so utterly, so completely, that she couldn't feel angry. Even though it was Harley's fault.

The other woman knelt in front of her, and Isabella just cried, staring down at the floor. And she felt Harley's cool hands on her face, and she said look at me, and she tilted her head back. Isabella could hardly see – her eyes were blurred with tears, and her breaths were stopping and starting. Everything inside her ached. Her brain felt like cotton wool, stuffed inside her skull, and her chest was so tight. Edward had walked away, and she hadn't even tried to stop him. Her reason for being. How was she supposed to carry on? She had him here again, the way she had wanted, the way it was supposed to be. And now he had left her. God, she would have done anything to have him back.

Harley said she was sorry, and Isabella closed her eyes and pressed her lips together and cried. What did sorry do? It didn't bring him back. It didn't take back what she'd done. If she'd been kinder, would he have stayed? If she'd trusted him? Maybe she should have given him more freedom, in the house? He could have helped with meals and washing. Would that have made him happy? She screwed her eyes shut and tried to stop herself from bursting into uncontrollable tears again. But she couldn't stop begging, desperately bargaining in her head. She would have done whatever he asked, if he just came back through that door. She would have taken him anywhere in the world, as long as it was them, together. Anything. Edward, please.

She felt Harley wipe away tears from her face, and she let out a sound that would have been a laugh, if she hadn't been crying so much. Okay? She wasn't okay. Nothing was okay, and how could it ever be okay again? She'd had the one thing in her entire life that made her happy, here with her, in their perfect home, and she had let him go. She should have let him leave. How had she just sat there, on the floor, while he'd walked away? Her Eddie. She laughed – a few strangled laughs – and then Harley pulled her into a hug. When was the last time she had been held? Just simply held?

She clung to Harley as if she was a raft, and Isabella was drowning. She buried her face in her best friend's shoulder and cried. "I'm not, I'm not," she sobbed. "I lost him. I shouldn't have let him go. I should have stopped him. Harls –" She couldn't continue, and she just sobbed quietly, holding her friend, and being held by her.

Harley: Holding Isabella felt a little surreal. It felt wrong to be pulling her so close, and to be comforting her like she hadn’t been the one to storm into the house and ruin everything. It was so hard for Harley to be close to her, knowing that the only reason Isabella’s heart was breaking was because of something she’d done. But at the same time, it felt right to be the one to try and take some of the pain away, even if it was only the tiniest bit. They understood each other in ways that nobody else would ever be able to, and maybe that was the reason Isabella wasn’t pushing her away, or screaming at her for letting Edward go. Maybe their bond was strong enough to overcome such an awful betrayal.

Harley could feel Isabella’s body racking with sobs, and she wanted desperately to make everything okay. She wished that there was some kind of magic wand that she could wave, and suddenly everything would be fine. There was no cure for her friend’s sadness, though. No matter how hard Harley wished for her to feel better, and for her suffering to stop, it wasn’t going to happen – it just wasn’t possible. They lived in a world where superheroes existed with their mighty superpowers, but there was still no cure for heartbreak. It was almost laughable.

When Isabella told her that she wasn’t okay, Harley’s arms tightened around her, and her hand rubbed her back as she rocked them back and forth. She had to help her calm down somehow, so that she could look at her hand before deciding what to do next. “You did the right thing, Isa. Really, ya did.” She knew that her words wouldn’t mean much, and that Isabella probably wouldn’t believe them, but she still felt the need to say them out loud, so that she knew that Harley thought that, even if she didn’t believe it herself.

“Lettin’ him go tonight meant more to him than you can even imagine, honey. You chose to let him walk outta here, and ya didn’t try to stop him, or force him to stay. He’ll remember that, y’know? He’ll remember that you were kind, and that you loved him enough to let go for now. He’s gonna respect that a lot more than if ya stopped him.” Pulling back a little, so that she could see Isabella’s face, Harley tried her best to smile at her, despite the tears running down her cheeks, which made it look completely out of place. “Where d’ya keep the first aid kit?” she asked, using the sleeve of her jacket to gently dab away the tears from Isabella’s eyes. “I gotta fix up that hand of yours.”

Isabella: Isabella kept her eyes shut and held Harley. She tried to tell herself that it was actually Edward, that he had come back and forgiven her, and he was going to stay. But Harley didn't smell of him, and as Isabella pressed her hands against her friend's back, she felt the wisps of her long hair against her fingers. As much as she wanted to pretend it was her Eddie, she knew it wasn't. But she hugged her friend back, and tried to calm her breathing. She took deep breaths in as Harley rubbed her back. It was a comforting feeling, and she focused on it. God, she used to draw on Edward's back with her finger – little question mark shapes, when he had a nightmare, and needed to be held. Even the fact that she used to be that close to him seemed unreal. Like someone else's life.

"It doesn't feel like the right thing," she said, through sobs. It felt like the worst mistake she had ever made. How could she have let him leave? He had been right there, just minutes ago, with her, in that room. She had him, and she had allowed Harley to uncuff him. He had promised to stay with her forever, to live there and be happy, the way they were meant to be. Isabella hugged Harley as tightly as she could without hurting her, and cried onto her shoulder. It wasn't the right thing.

Edward belonged here. He could have been happy here. Why hadn't she made Harley leave? Regret was like a vice on her lungs. She wanted to go back to this morning when they had been sitting together in comfortable silence. If she could just stay there, before Harley arrived, before everything was ruined, she would. Where everything was perfect.

Harley kept speaking, and Isabella just shivered in her arms. How did Harley know? How did she know what Edward felt? She was wrong. Edward didn't know what was good for him. If he was grateful, that was only because he didn't understand that he was supposed to be with her. She needed him back. Her everything. She closed her eyes and clung to Harley, and remembered that morning. Less than two hours ago. When he'd been writing in his journal, sitting on his bed, deep in thought. Why hadn't she asked him what he was writing? Why hadn't she taken every single opportunity to be with him, to listen to him speak, to watch him simply exist?

Would he really respect her for letting him leave? He had wanted to go, hadn't he? How many times had he begged to go home? And Harley was right. Isabella had been kind, and she loved him enough to let him make his own decision, even though it was the wrong one. She loved him enough to allow him to make this mistake, so he could work out that he couldn't live without her, the way she couldn't live without him. And he would come back. He would. She just had to wait for him to come willingly.

Harley pulled back from the hug, and Isabella blinked at her. She'd gotten some control of her breath now, so she was just softly crying, hardly noticing. It wasn't like an uncontrollable scream inside her head anymore. It took her a moment to realise that her friend was crying too – her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet with tears. She'd been so caught up in her own agony that she hadn't even realised. Harley dabbed her cheeks with her sleeve, and Isabella sniffed. The first aid kit? Why did Harley want that?

Oh. Her hand. The gunshot wound. She looked away from Harley, and to Edward's bed. "It's under his bed," she said in a shaky voice. She didn't care about her hand, or the blood, or the bullet, but she was exhausted. She just wanted to curl up in his bed and pretend he was still there. Arguing with Harley was too much effort. So, Isabella just sat there and stared into the middle distance.

Harley: Harley expected the words before Isabella said them out loud, and she just let out a soft, inaudible sigh. It was obvious that her friend wasn’t ready to see things clearly yet, and that she probably wouldn’t for a very long time. She could understand why she wanted to be in denial, though. It was so much easier than facing the truth. Denial was a beautiful thing, and it made living with the pain of losing someone so much easier. You could pretend that things hadn’t happened the way they had, and believe that everything was the way you wanted it to be, rather than the way it actually was. But in this case, it seemed like not being able to face up to the truth was putting Isabella in more pain, instead of easing it.

The first aid kit was under Edward’s bed? Harley didn’t want to think about why it was there. If she did, she’d have probably wanted to throw up again. Normally they were kept in the bathroom, or sometimes even the kitchen. But no, Isabella had stored her one beneath Edward’s bed. It spoke volumes about what had been going on there, and Harley was glad that she’d managed to track them down, even if it had broken her best friend’s heart.

Nodding, she let Isabella go, moving to reach for the kit. As she pulled it out from beneath the bed, she bit down on her lower lip nervously. In a moment, she’d have to finally look at the damage she’d done to Isabella’s hand, and she wasn’t sure that she’d ever be ready to face that. Opening the kit, she took out the tweezers, then reached for her friend’s wounded hand. She almost opened her mouth to apologise for the fact she was about to hurt Isabella, but then she remembered that she couldn’t feel physical pain. Swallowing thickly, Harley inspected the bloody hole in the middle of the other’s palm. The sight of it didn’t make her feel nauseous, but the guilt most certainly did.

Grimacing, Harley used the tweezers to remove the bullet, a shiver running down her spine as she dug around in Isabella’s flesh for it. It was so alarming that the woman didn’t even react to it. She was sobbing moments earlier, hunched over in pain from losing Edward. But Harley digging around in her hand to retrieve a bullet was nothing to her. It was crazy how emotions worked, and how strongly they could affect a person. Even a clone.

Once the bullet was out, she began to clean the injury, making sure that it was properly disinfected, so that there was no risk of infection. Harley doubted that the nurses at Arkham would even bother to change Isabella’s bandages, or check the wound, so she had to make sure that she’d done everything herself beforehand. Soon she’d be calling up the place she hated the most, and asking them to collect her best friend. She didn’t want to think about that, though. Pushing the thought away, she finished up what she was doing, her thumb brushing over Isabella’s wrist once she’d finished bandaging her hand.

“All done,” she said softly, using a Hello Kitty band-aid to keep the bandage in place before pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. Looking at Isabella, Harley wished that she could stick one of the band-aids on her heart, or use all of them to piece it back together. Everything would be so much easier if she could do that. “Do ya some want tea?” she asked, rubbing her friend’s shoulder with her hand. “Someone told me it’s good for shock. It was probably you.”

Isabella: The first aid kit had to be accessible for Eddie, which was why Isabella had put it under his bed. She knew that he was always damaging himself, and there was every chance that he would hurt himself when he had a tantrum, so she'd placed it under his bed. And she'd been right to put it there, because he'd broken his thumb, and needed to use it. So, when Harley stood up to get it, Isabella rubbed her eyes with her knuckles, trying to wipe the tears away, and took a few shuddering breaths. The pain in her lungs was still there, but she was controlling it. A sort of numbness was settling over her mind, like a blanket.

Harley sat down in front of her, opened the first aid kit, and held her hand. There was a gory mess in the centre of her palm, and Harley dug the tweezers into it. Isabella felt them forage around, gripping the bullet, and she just watched. She kept sobbing gently, unable to stop, and tears dripped down her face, but there was absolutely no pain. Harley had shot her in the hand, to stop her from going with Edward. She knew she would be angry at her best friend – she should be furious – but all she felt was emptiness. Even the utter agony of losing her one true love wasn't crushing her. She was just blank, and hollow, and the pain was quietly buffeting her in waves.

Harley pulled the bullet out of her flesh, and then began cleaning the injured area. Isabella watched her through tear-filled eyes, blinking rapidly. The bandage was wrapped around her hand. She didn't care about any of this. What did it matter if her hand had a hole in it? Why should she care if she'd been shot at? She had let her Eddie go. She couldn't think of anything else to bargain, anything else to promise, if he came back. It had been over five minutes now, and he hadn't returned to her. He wasn't coming back. Oh God. She felt the horror of the loss threaten to overwhelm her again, and she closed her eyes tightly when Harley stuck a band-aid on the bandage.

Harley offered her tea, and she knew that was what she needed. Tea would calm her down. She would be able to think properly, with a mug of tea, about how to get him back. They didn't have to be here. They could be anywhere. She could go to Oswald's home, and talk to Eddie there. Or perhaps she could follow him, and wait until he was alone, and talk to him then, when it was just the two of them. Whatever it took, she would think of something.

With her eyes still shut, Isabella nodded. "Yes," she said, her voice about to break. "It was me. And tea would be good. Milk. Lots of sugar." She pulled her hand away from Harley's and cradled it, breathing slowly, trying to stay calm. She couldn't burst into tears again. As much as everything inside her was in pain, she had to keep it together, to devise a plan to get her darling back. So, she hugged herself and controlled her crying, letting the tears drip down her face and the sobs escape her in small gasps.

Harley: When Isabella said yes to having a cup of tea, Harley felt relief wash over her. At least her friend wasn’t so broken that she no longer wanted her favourite drink. Lots of sugar? There would certainly be more than just sugar going in her beverage, but she didn’t need to know that. “Milk and lots of sugar. Got it,” she replied with the faintest hint of a smile on her face. She considered reaching under the bed, and taking the gun with her downstairs. Would that make Isabella mad, though? Would she even remember it was there anyway? Not wanting to take any chances, she lay on her stomach, pretending she was pushing the medical kit back to where it came from. She felt like such a snake as she put her palm on the gun, then slid it up the sleeve of her jacket.

“Gotta keep this place tidy!” she said, her voice a little too chipper as she got up from the ground, and quickly turned on her heels and bolted for the door. Once she was out of the room, she took a moment to lean against the wall, her breathing rapid as she removed the gun from her sleeve. It was covered in Isabella’s blood. Looking around, she noticed the bathroom, quickly opening the door and flinging the gun in there. “Oh my god,” she groaned, wiping her bloody hand on her jeans. “This is the worst day ever.” It made her feel better whenever she talked to herself, because right then, she was the only person willing to listen to what she had to say.

Harley took some time to inspect the house as she made her way to the kitchen. Isabella really had made it nice for her and Edward, which was kind of sweet, if you took away the fact that she’d kidnapped him, and kept him handcuffed upstairs. It was made to like like a 1950′s dream home, but really it was just a mask to hide the true horror of what went down there. It was sad, and so...creepy. Harley couldn’t allow herself to think about it too much, though. If she did, then there was the chance that she might begin to unravel, and she couldn’t do that until she was alone. There was no time for her to deal with her own emotions. Not when her best friend was still crying on the floor upstairs.

As she entered the kitchen, she noticed little post-it notes on the wall. All of them were reminding Isabella to do things. It wasn’t like they were huge things, either. There were reminders to feed Edward, along with other simple things. This wasn’t like her friend at all. Normally she was so on top of everything, and this just proved how much she was slipping. It proved how much she needed help. Help that Harley couldn’t provide, no matter how much she wished she could. She was a doctor, and she was qualified to work with people like her best friend. But there was too much work to do with her alone. It would end up breaking her. Perhaps it would even end up to be another Joker situation. it wouldn’t be hard for Isabella to manipulate her, and use her for personal gain. Not when Harley already thought the world of her.

Taking a cup out of one the cupboards, Harley tried not to pay attention to her surroundings. She had things to think about, and stuff to prepare. Filling the kettle with water, she thought about what she was going to say when she called Arkham. She’d have to tell them exactly what had happened, and that her friend required sectioning. God, sectioning. How could she do this to her sweet, and loyal best friend? Harley knew what Arkham was like, and how awful it could be. It was going to be so hard on Isabella, but that was what she needed. It was the only place that could handle someone like her, and had the facilities to accommodate her. That didn’t mean that Harley felt any better about it, though. This was going to ruin their friendship, or at least what was left of it.

Harley scrolled through her contacts list on her phone, while she waited for the water to boil. Her thumb hovered over the call button, when she found the number she was looking for, and she felt tears running down her cheeks again. This was such a betrayal, and she hated that she was going to do it. But she had to. There was no other way for Isabella to get the help she needed. Harley couldn’t just let her keep going on like she was. She was a danger to herself, and to others. Maybe she’d even end her life, if she was given the chance. In Arkham, she wouldn’t be able to. Harley knew that if she was acting like Isabella was, she’d want someone to section her, no matter how horrible the place she was going to was.

Finally, her finger tapped call, and she held her breath, waiting for the person on the other end to answer. Part of her hoped that they wouldn’t, so that she could back out of this choice easily. But then they did, and it was time for Harley to speak. “Hello, I’d need ta section my best friend.” When the person asked her why, she closed her eyes, trying to pretend this wasn’t really happening. “She’s a danger to herself n’ others. She kidnapped a man, then threatened ta kill him, and herself. I can’t keep her calm. She’s unpredictable n’ off meds. I dunno what else I can do. She’s a superhuman. Her strength n’ stamina is off the charts, and she’s super intelligent. She has rapid healing, too. You’re the only place that can take her.” When asked who she was, Harley had to bite back a laugh. It seemed utterly ridiculous that she of all people, was about to send someone to Arkham. “My name is Harleen Quinzel.”

The rest of the conversation seemed to go by so quickly, consisting of Harley giving them the address of where they were, and various other details. Before Harley knew it, they’d agreed to send the men in white coats out to fetch her best friend. But she had at least an hour with Isabella until then. The water was boiled, the tea bag was in the cup. Pinching the bridge of her nose between her forefinger and thumb, Harley tried to think. Where would Isabella keep the sedatives? She knew that they must’ve been somewhere, because there was no way she hadn’t needed them for Edward. He was quite the dramatic fighter, and could make a lot of noise. Pulling open all of the cupboards and drawers, she rummaged through them, trying to make as little noise as possible. “Gotcha!” she said with a smile of relief. Things would be much easier now.

Harley wasn’t sure how many she was going to need to knock out somebody like Isabella. Her metabolism worked differently from regular humans, which made this increasingly difficult. Shrugging, she popped out all of the sedatives in the foil slide, crushing them up in Isabella’s cup. This betrayal felt worse than calling Arkham. She was putting drugs in her best friend’s favourite drink. There was no way this day could’ve got any more messed up. Grabbing the kettle, she poured the hot water into the cup, watching the sedatives dissolve, and the water turn a murky brown colour. Milk and sugar. That was next. Looking around, she spotted the sugar bowl. Wanting to be safe, and to make sure Isabella couldn’t taste the drugs, Harley took five cubes, dropping them into the tea. Maybe that was excessive, but she couldn’t take any chances.

Once she’d taken the milk out of the refrigerator, she poured a little into the tea. Now she was ready. She was ready to go back upstairs, and face Isabella again. “Hey,” she said quietly as she walked back into the bedroom. “I’ve got yer tea. Sorry it took so long, I couldn’t find the cups,” she lied, handing the drink to her friend. “It’s got lots of sugar, just like ya wanted.” God, Harley felt so awful. She wanted to vomit, and start crying while telling Isabella exactly what she’d done. But she couldn’t. She had to lie. That was all she could do. It was the only way anything was going to get better.

Isabella: Harley smiled, and Isabella just looked at her. She felt completely hollow. But perhaps, if she had something warm to drink, she would be able to think. Sitting on the floor and sobbing about Edward wasn't going to get him back. But I miss him, she thought, and, as Harley walked out of the room and left her alone, she closed her eyes and hunched over again, and let it wash over her. The agony, the sickening grief, the regret.

Where was he? Had he walked back to the city? She pictured him, staggering and stumbling, the way he did when he stood up from his bed, towards New York. Or perhaps he had called someone to pick him up? Of course, that was why he had taken his phone. Now, she imagined him talking to Oswald, or Daisy, or Selina Kyle, giving them the address of their home. It was such a horrific image, so full of betrayal and sadness, that she let out a strangled cry and her shoulders shook.

A part of her wanted to think he hadn't left, that he was on their front porch, dithering about coming back to her. Perhaps, any moment, she would hear the front door creak open. And Eddie would come up the stairs and see her here, on her knees for him, and he would crouch in front of her and take her hands in his. He would say he was sorry for abandoning her, that he wanted to stay here, that he was happy, that he loved her. She knew she was lying to herself, and the fact that she knew he wouldn't say that made her sob harder. She allowed herself to just wallow in her own suffering, to feel the loss so strongly that it made her nauseous.

She sat there for a few minutes, crying and gasping, until the pain receded to that numbness again. Like a tide of fog, the ache of her loss pulled away and gave way to a dull deadness. Isabella slowed her breathing, and sniffed several times, and wiped her face. Her head felt thick, like it was full of cotton wool, and her lungs were heavy. She opened her eyes and blinked to force the last of her tears to fall.

Edward was gone. No amount of pretending would change that. And no amount of regretting would make the clock go back to when he was hers. All she had now was his empty bedroom, his abandoned bed, and all his possessions. Her gaze slowly dragged across the room, settling on the bookcase filled with his books, the closet full of his clothes, and his bed. What she wouldn't give to have him back in there, resting on his back, in his adorable half-asleep state, with his messy hair and thick voice and skewed glasses. Her beautiful beloved Edward.

She stood up and swayed a little, unsteady on her feet. And she walked over to his bed and sat on it. Where he had lain for the past week or so, where he had been adjusting to their life together. Isabella lowered her face to the pillow with her eyes closed, and breathed in. She placed her palms on the bedsheet and gripped it tightly, as if she could still feel his warmth there, as if she could pull him back to her by just holding where he'd slept.

The chasm inside her chest threatened to open again, so she sat up and breathed out slowly. I mustn't break down again, she thought firmly. Though the dark tide of agony and mourning was hovering just in the edge of her mind, Isabella ignored it. She had to get her darling back. She had to focus on that.

How was it possible that she had lost him so quickly? Just this morning, just hours ago, he'd been sitting right where she was sat now, safely in her care. There had been no end to their time together – forever stretched out so wonderfully, so perfectly – and now it was over. Before Edward had even said he loved her too. Before they had even kissed. Isabella couldn't understand it.

Why hadn't she fought harder to keep him? She should have done anything she could to keep him. Forced Harley to go, to leave them in peace, even after she'd been shot in the hand. She didn't need a gun to send Harley away. She should have physically removed Harley from their home, and rendered her unconscious, and then taken Eddie somewhere safer. Somewhere they wouldn’t be found. Whatever it took, to keep him. Why hadn’t she tried harder?

The bedroom door creaked, and Isabella looked up to see Harley enter. She was holding a mug of tea, and the sight of it made Isabella smile. “Oh,” she said, not surprised that Harley couldn’t find the mugs. She took it from Harley, and wrapped her hands around it, allowing the warmth to seep into her skin. It was an immediate tiny comfort. “Thank you,” she said softly.

She began drinking it, and then stopped to pull it away from her lips, wrinkling her nose. Goodness, how many sugars had Harley put into it? “It’s very sweet,” she said, but she didn’t mind. The warm tea and extremely sweet flavour was a good distraction, and she kept drinking it steadily, allowing it to soothe her aching heart and calm her frayed nerves. This would make it all better. This would stop her from breaking down again.

But, as she drank more, her head began to feel funny. As if she had been drinking alcohol, not tea. She blinked slowly, and frowned. She felt suddenly dizzy, like she was going to fall over, and she swayed where she sat. There was something in the tea. Harley had put something into her drink and given it to her. Her best friend had drugged her.

Her body felt cumbersome and slow and distant. It was as if she weighed too much, as if she was struggling to keep her eyes open with every blink, and her head was spinning. Tiredness overcame her, but not natural tiredness. It was sedation. She knew the physical signs from when she had put Edward under.

“Harls?” she asked, frowning quizzically at her friend. “What’s happening? What did you do?” There was something in the tea. Isabella knew. But she couldn’t understand. Why had Harley done this? What was going on? She wanted to ask, but her words were slurred and ran together, like she was inebriated. “You put – you did something – What –”

She felt her grip fail, and the mug fell from her hands and smashed on the wooden floor. But she didn’t care. Her whole body was heavy, and her limbs were like weights. It was impossible to think. Difficult to sit up. She breathed very slowly. A kind of mist descended over her mind, sending her further and further down. Down, down, down. Isabella felt herself fall backwards onto the bed. She knew Harley was beside her, but she felt a million miles away. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she felt everything fade into darkness.

Harley: It felt like Harley was literally twisting a knife into Isabella’s back as she handed her the tea, and heard her thank her. She didn’t deserve thank you’s, or any kind of words from her friend. What she’d done was unforgivable, and she knew that if someone had done this to her, she’d never want to speak to them again. In fact, she’d probably hunt them down and murder them in the most brutal way possible.

Her heart thudded loudly in her chest when Isabella mentioned how sweet the drink was. Did she know that Harley had done that in hopes to disguise the taste of the sedatives? She was very intelligent, so it wouldn’t have surprised her, if her friend had worked out what was going on. But luckily for her, Isabella just continued to drink the tea, and all Harley could do was sit there, waiting for the drugs to finally kick in.

When she heard her nickname, she turned her head to look at Isabella, trying to keep her expression neutral. The last thing she wanted was to look guilty, and like she’d done something wrong. But then Isabella asked her what she’d done, and Harley felt her face fall. She knew. She’d figured it out. “I –” she started, then looked down at her floor. There was no way she could look her best friend in the eye now. “I’m sorry.”

It was a little difficult to understand what Isabella was saying, but Harley could work it out, if she listened closely. The guilt was beginning to suffocate her now, and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t even deny the accusations being thrown at her, because they were completely true. She had done something. She’d put something in the tea, which had completely betrayed Isabella’s trust. “I love you. I had to do this. You wouldn’t go with ‘em, if I didn’t.” It felt ridiculous to try and explain herself to the other, but she had to. She couldn’t let her pass out completely without knowing why Harley had done what she had.

When she heard the mug smash against the hard, wooden floor, Harley let out a quiet sob. She couldn’t believe that she’d done this. Being a villain meant that she’d of course betrayed people in the past, but not someone like Isabella. Not someone she was so close to. Not someone who she loved so fiercely. Even though it was her friend that had lost the person she loved, and was about to be locked up in Arkham, Harley was acutely aware of how painful and heavy her heart felt in her own chest.

She lifted her head, turning it to look at Isabella, who was now laying on the bed, her eyes closed. Despite the situation, she looked so peaceful. So far away from all of her problems. Harley couldn’t believe that it had come to this. Ever since she’d first met Isabella, she’d been protective over her. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her, to keep her safe, and make her happy. If Isabella asked her to jump, she’d have asked how high before doing it. The woman meant the world to her, and she couldn’t wrap her head around the fact she’d had to drug her, and call Arkham. It felt like she was having the most awful nightmare. Gosh, how she wished it was just a nightmare.

There was a lump in Harley’s throat, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t swallow it down. The guilt was eating away at her, making her feel like she was either going to completely lose it, or throw up all over the bed. She felt like such a monster. Part of her wished that she could back to not feeling anything for anyone but Joker. But if she did go back to that version of herself, that would mean that she’d lose everyone she cared about. Eddie, Oswald, Selina, Pam, Isabella... That couldn’t happen. She couldn’t isolate herself like that again.

Closing the distance between herself and the bed that Isabella was laying on, Harley leant over, pressing a kiss to Isabella’s forehead. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice was strangled, and all she wanted to do was let go. To release all of the pent-up emotions she was feeling. But there would be no point. It would only make things worse, and there would be time for that later. “I love you, I’m sorry.” Pulling back, she wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her jacket, then made her way towards the door. The people from Arkham would there soon, and that meant Harley had to be strong.

“I’ll see ya real soon.” She didn’t know whether that were true or not, because there was no telling how Isabella was going to feel about Harley visiting her once she’d woken up, and realised that she’d been sectioned. With one last look at her best friend, Harley turned away and pulled the door shut. It was all over. For now.

#[i am done]#chatzy #harlsquinns #blood tw #drugging tw #graphic injury tw

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