MY ONE AND ONLY - ᵛᵃʳᶦᵃⁿ ˣ ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ ᵒⁿᵉˢʰᵒᵗˢ

six years [ending two] [eleven]

varian, has been seeming pretty... varian like. it was still too early to tell his true intentions, you could guess what they were. also, somehow ruddiger found his way to your house, and was currently residing around varian, the two of them seeming pretty happy to see each other.

you could only watch with a wary gaze, hating to admit it, but you felt hesitant, almost unsafe around him. though, you just tried to shake those thoughts of doubt away. it's been six years, surely things have changed, but how exactly have they changed?

letting out a quiet sigh, you got up from your seat and walked over to him. he was currently playing with ruddiger on his lap, but wore a blank look on his face. "hey, varian," you greeted, sitting beside him. stopping what he was doing, he softly hummed and turned his head to look at you.

"what... what do you think of rapunzel? do you, still blame her for..." you couldn't bring yourself to mention quirin, who was still encased in amber. king frederic had tried to free him, but... it was no use. and to this day, they were still working on a way to break him out.

varian's expression fell, as he lowered his head and looked at ruddiger, scratching the raccoon's head. "i..." he was saying, his voice quiet. you frowned, wondering what his answer going to be. it was almost like he wasn't sure. hearing nothing but silence made your heart ache with anticipation and worry.

"i... i regret the things i did. if i could, i would apologize to her..." he told you in a sad, quiet voice as he scratched under ruddiger's chin. you had no way of telling if what he was saying was the truth, but it didn't sound like he was lying. it sounded like, he really did regret attacking corona, and you believed him.

you couldn't help but smile, not regretting your decision to let him stay. getting up from your seat, you extended a hand out to him. "well, if you want to apologize, why don't you?" shocked by what you said, his eyes widened looked and he immediately turned his head to look at you, standing up, making ruddiger jump off his lap. "NO!" he practically shouted at you, before realizing what he had done and cleared his throat, sitting back down. "n-no thanks, i'm pretty sure king frederic wouldn't want to see me, ever, again... and i don't want to see him." he mumbled the last part, so you couldn't quite catch what he said.

"i was only kidding," you told him with your hands up, remembering that the split second anyone saw his face, they'd alert the guards of his presence. realizing that you didn't actually mean it as a suggestion, he let out a deep sigh and sat back down, ruddiger coming back over to the chair.

though, you didn't think that he'd react like that, you'd just think that he'd either give you a stern no, or sheepishly say no with a chuckle. not react like so loudly like that, and the way he said the king's name, it just rolled off his tongue, filled with... venom? nah, you just shook it off.

"right... well, um, what do you wanna do now?" you wanted to say something to get his mood back up, or do something that he'll enjoy. but you didn't know what. before an idea popped into your mind, causing you to suddenly stand up. "i'll be right back!"

then, you ran off to get something, leaving him there dumbfounded. he watched as you ran off, before his eyes glancing away. he saw something poking out of a cupboard, curious, he stood up and walked towards it. opening it, his staff fell out and he caught it in his hands. he looked down at it, just staring and not doing anything, before holding onto it tightly.

"hey, sorry for suddenly running off like that. i had something i wanted to show you, but... i couldn't find it." that was odd, you swore that you had just left it in the same spot as always, next to your bedside table. but for some reason, the music box, the first thing that varian had successfully made without blowing up and decided to give to you, wasn't there. which was a disappointment, because you thought it'd bring back good memories, and the two of you could even dance to the music, though you doubted he remembered the dance moves. after all, he must of had other things on his mind, being with lady caine and her goons.