For What I Want, Love Isn't Required (Beastars)

Facilitators of Apologies

When she woke, the sun was high in the sky. Her head was pillowed by soft grass, and the sun shined down on her. A grove of trees surrounded her; their shape casted shadows on the ground. Tilting her head to the side, she saw Legosi still sleeping. A giddy smile crossed her face. She lifted her hand into the light of the sun and admired the ring that adorned her finger. The silver band glinted, the red gem glittering under the gentle rays. She could hardly contain the squeal that wanted to escape her mouth. Legosi was sleeping, and she didn't want to wake him. However, it didn't matter as she soon heard the wolf awakening.

She watched as his brow furrowed in confusion and his eyes crack open. Legosi raised a hand to block the sun, his own ring highlighted by the light. Unlike her, he didn't look excited by its presence. Jolting from his prone position, he stared at the ring that circled his finger. The look on his face made a pit form in her stomach. She knew he wouldn't be happy, but he needn't look like his world was ending. She did this for them.

She hesitantly asked, "Legosi?"

"Juno," was his reply. The soft exhale of her name caused the pit within her to widen. She told herself that he would be happy when he came around. Marriage was a destabilizing thing for some people. Not her, but she had built her life around being married.

"Are you alright?" She reached a hand over to comfort him, but Legosi flinched away from her touch. She withdrew as if burned, not knowing what to do.

Legosi pulled on the ring, yet it wouldn't budge. He tugged and tugged until his hands grew red from the effort. She watched him in silence. She saw how his frustration mounted as each attempt to remove the ring ended in failure. Helplessness gripped her when tears rolled down Legosi's cheeks, and he descended into sobs. She tried once again to reach out to him, but her touch was rebuked once again.

"Why?" he cried. Legosi curled into a ball, burrowing his head into his arms. She didn't know if it was because he didn't want her to see him cry or if it was because he couldn't stand to look at her. She prayed it was the former.

"Legosi," she cleared her throat, contemplating how she should word this, "I see that your ring has caused you great distress."

His voice was muffled, "Why can't I take it off?"

"Well, you see, these rings are very special rings. I read that they were forged by Aioste, and whoever wears them will be bonded."

"For how long?"

Juno's mouth dried, and her tongue felt too heavy in her mouth. She tried to tell herself that it wasn't remorse that she felt, but a response to the sadness Legosi exuded. The pit in her stomach was only because Legosi was being very ungrateful toward her effort. It was nothing else. It couldn't be anything else because she did the right thing.

At Juno's hesitation, Legosi raised his head to look at her. She had to look away from the accusation that burned his gaze. He repeated, "How long?"

"Forever."

The howl that left Legosi haunted her. She had never heard such agony before, and it tore at her that she caused it. He shouted, "How could you!"

"It was for us!" she shouted back.

Legosi turned to her, anger animating his every movement. His teeth were bared, his ears laid flat on his head, and his tail bristled. "You've never thought about us! It's always been about you!"

His aggressive stance had tears welling in her eyes. The audacity to accuse her of never caring about them had her hears pinning back as well. Her anger was a trickle compared to his, but it was there. "How dare you! How could you say that?"