𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐘𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐃 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐋 | [Royal!Sycamore/Hybrid!Reader] | POKÉMON

XII

𝐗𝐈𝐈
𝐩𝐨𝐯.: 𝐲/𝐧

You are startled awake by the brightness of the room. Sun shines past the curtains, drenching the wooden interior and walls in a hearty orange. Your eyes burn as they flutter open, and you look at the blurry ceiling above you. You feel the bracket enveloping your chest. Though to your surprise... you feel no muzzle pressing against your face.

You blink a few times, trying to regain proper eyesight. You feel tears draw from your sore eyes.

It doesn't take long for memories to return, followed shortly by painful aches all across your body. Your back hurts. Your shoulders do too.

How long had you been out?

You feel pressure against your side. Lifting your right arm into the air, you look down, only to see the prince sitting next to you. His head is nestled into your side, eyes closed as he continues to sleep peacefully. His back rises and falls with every breath he takes. He sits on a wooden chair, his jacket and sword cast aside. You cannot imagine his position to be anywhere close to comfortable.

You watch him as he dozes, listen to his shallow breaths. A single window is opened. As a breeze of fresh air filters into the quiet room, you take a big breath.

You ease into the soft pillows once more. Your hand settles down again, though this time, on the back of the prince's head. You're aware you shouldn't do this. You're balancing on a fine line already. If you fall now, you'll fall deep. Into an abyss you won't be able to escape from.

His love feels good. His love feels right. It's as though you had discovered something that gave your life a meaning like nothing ever has. You've always been on the pursuit of freedom, chasing after the fantasy of complete control over your own self. But now, after feeling him and his world, you understand that there are even more layers to life than you could've dreamt of.

The problem is, that he cannot give you both you desire. Even when he doesn't intend to, his love restricts. He rids you of the chance to live.

While you understand that you feel love for him in a way,- in a way you had never experienced before, you cannot stay here any longer. You can't live like this for the rest of your life.

You want to be free much more than you want to love.

And yet, despite knowing your feelings very well, you're right here, driving through his wild black hair with carefully strokes, caressing its tips and his scalp.

Why?

Because it feels right. You watch him sleep. Your thumb brushes the side of his nape, travelling down his neck.

You had protected the kingdom with your actions, you're reminded.

𝑌𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒.

You wonder what the hybrids would think of it. You had risked your life, had collected bruises and wounds for them, and for what? A kingdom in which you were seen as a monster. You had killed for them.

It occurs to you in this very moment, that you had never killed anybody before.

So then, why did you not feel repulsed? Why were you not aching emotionally,- why was there not a single thought of regret running through your mind? What was happening to you?

... 𝐧𝐨. You had protected the princess. You had protected the prince and his honourable knights. Not this foul net of hierarchy, lies and fraud.

Humans are so complicated sometimes. If only they'd live like you and realize, just being able to live in peace was worth so much already.