Yu-Gi-Oh x Male! Reader

Aster x Male! Brother! Reader - I Loved You

(This is a Part 2 to Haou x Male! Prisoner! Reader. This is the story told in more of Aster's perspective. I recommend reading Part 1 before reading this one)

Aster was panicking.

Zane could obviously see how anxious and on-edge he was. The silvernette was on the verge of a breakdown as they ran through Haou's castle, trying to locate M/N.

"Aster-"

"Don't talk to me," Aster interrupted, sounding much more in control than he actually was, "Let's just find M/N and get out of here."

They ran through seemingly endless hallways and descended down flights of hundreds of steps until they finally reached the dungeon.

Aster peered through the bars of each cell, ignoring the cries for help rising around him because only one prisoner mattered to him.

He reached the last cell, and looked in through the bars. The hope drained from his blue eyes as he scrambled for the key beside the cell.

"M/N!"

He unlocked the door just as Zane reached him. The black-clad duelist watched in growing horror as Aster cradled the limp, bloody body of his younger brother in his arms.

"M/N!" Aster cried, tears falling from his brilliant blue eyes, "M/N!"

He kept crying his brother's name. Zane felt a pang of pity for the silvernette. He would probably act the same way if Syrus was the one lying there, so still and cold.

Aster's suit was stained red. M/N's head was resting on his shoulder as he sat cross-legged in the pool of blood. M/N couldn't have died all that long ago. His wound was still fresh.

"M/N..." Aster buried his head in his brother's soft H/C hair, "I knew. I knew all along, and I didn't say anything."

Aster had known about M/N's depression. He'd known about Jaden's little affair with Jesse. He'd known what his brother had done to his wrists when nobody was around, and had then used the sleeves of his Slifer Red uniform to hide such scars. He'd known how useless and unloved his brother had felt, and he hadn't done a thing about it.

If he'd said something, done something, then Haou might not have been able to break him.

"I loved you..." Aster choked on a pent-up sob before screaming, "I LOVED YOU!"

He hugged M/N's corpse tighter. The words he'd wanted to say for so long were now empty without M/N there to listen.

Their father had compared them. He'd known how Aster would always be higher than his brother. Aster would always be better.

And Aster had loved that.

He'd loved how his brother was no match for him. He'd loved it. He'd loved the attention and the adoring fans and the way he was carrying on his father's legacy. He loved the interviews and the photo shoots and the duelling. He loved the hopelessness on his opponents' faces as he destroyed them without breaking a sweat.

But, now, he would gladly throw it all away if he could see M/N bright and happy and breathing.

"I need you...Please, I love you..."

M/N would never know how much his older brother had loved him.

Haou would pay...

...For stealing the one thing he loved