Angst with happy ending
Music: How do you sleep, by Sam Smith
—
Frustrated doesn't begin to explain how you are feeling... After the announcement of your engagement with Theseus, everything seemed to be going perfectly. You had been reinstated at St. Mungus with the war over. Theseus was the perfect fiance, wanting to take part in every step of the way until the big day. And you had started looking for an apartment to move into after the wedding.
Lately Theseus has been a bit tired and absent though you would say your relationship is still good. At least that's what you thought.
Ring ring
Getting up from the couch you have been sitting on for the past eternity, you moved to your foyer to retrieve the noisy phone. "Hello?" you asked sounding utterly bored.
"Y/n! I'm so sorry!" You sighed. "Something came up at the office and I'll need to stay longer than usual." Theseus had the decency to sound apologetic.
You mumbled "That seems to be the usual now."
"Sorry, love? I didn't get that."
"It's nothing... when do you think you'll be back?" You wanted to be patient and understanding but you knew you weren't doing a good job at it.
"Humm... well you shouldn't wait up... honestly." You could imagine him scratching is neck, a habit you usually found endearing... usually...
"Right. Goodnight!" Before he could answer you slammed the phone back into place.
You promised yourself you wouldn't be clingy and insecure about your relationship with Theseus, but this was testing your limits. How could you possibly hold yourself back from making up wild scenarios? This was too cliche...
Knowing you wouldn't be eating anything, you closed the pot and put it in your fridge to be warmed up another day.
When you were done cleaning up and about to hit the couch in resignation, a pecking noise came from the window. An owl awaited you with his big round yellow eyes and a small parcel on his beak. After retrieving the item and paying the animal, you sat back down to open it. On top sat a note that read:
To my wonderful girlfriend, sorry I've been absent lately. I'll make it up to you, for now here's a little token of my love for you,
T.S.
You couldn't help but melt a little. You knew this man's heart was precious and enormous but it still managed to surprise her how thoughtful he was.
As you read the note for the 5th time you noticed that he called you his girlfriend... That's odd since he hasn't done that even before he proposed.
*Throwback 1 month engagement*
You had just walked trough the doors of Theseus' department when you had been assaulted by a pair of warm and familiar arms.
"Hello gorgeous, what brings you here?" Theseus whispered in your ears, bringing a smirk to your face.
"Heard there were some handsome men in this department and thought I would check it myself. " His hold tightened around you in response to your tease.
"We'll look no further!" He twirl you around in his arms so your back was to his chest and shouted "Everyone I would like to introduce my fiancé, Y/n Y/l/n." Making you chuckle, was there even a point in correcting him anymore, you wondered.
"Look at you Scamander! Didn't know you had it in you!" His colleagues teased him and congratulated you warmly. "I don't see the ring on her finger though..." A silence descended on the office, people eagerly awaiting Theseus answer. Before he could retort you decided to help the situation further:
"I'll say! He hasn't even asked yet and already assumes the answer. Let him be an example of what not to do to your lady." Boisterous laughter was heard from the whole department, his director being the exception.
Deciding to finally open the box that was under the note, you were surprised by a delicate necklace with a cursive L dangling from it. The piece was gorgeous and simple, just like you loved, but what was the L for? Maybe love? He did say a token of my love. You swooned holding on to your new favorite jewelry and immediately put it on you. It sat a little lower than you would like but nothing that couldn't be fixed easily by a jeweler.
You ran to write a letter expressing your love and gratitude for his gift and went to bed with a smile on your face.
(A/N: I'm sorry if your name starts with the letter L... it won't make as much sense but the idea is that is not the characters letter.)
The next day you decided that you would turn your depressive state around and stay positive. There was nothing to worry about, it was all in your head after all.
Starting work at her desk you stayed resolute, even after being handed a pile of documents and asked to help two colleagues doing the work they were most certainly qualified for.
At lunch you went up to your fiancé's department hoping they could eat lunch together. You had pack yesterday's dinner, and Theseus' favorite, for both of you. Reaching the department it was clear things were stressful, most didn't acknowledge you too focused on work and half the team was missing. Knocking on Theseus' door the pep in your step was no longer there, expecting the worse.
"Come in." His rough voice said weakly.
"Hey, honey... how are you doing?" You peaked your head in the mess that was his office. Piles of folders and documents littered the floor, the cork board on the wall was filled to the brim and Theseus looked awful slumped on his desk.
"Y/n!?" His voice broke and your heart with it, he was miserable you could tell. As quick as you could you were next to him holding him close, whispering sweet nothings to him. He hugged you for a second and then pushed you away, which you couldn't understand.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was distant and cold.
"I came to check on you..." He was clearly having a bad day and you were afraid of pushing him by being annoying.
"Thank you, Y/n/n." He didn't sound happy though. "I'm fine but very busy, we should talk later." He got up from his chair and went to pick up a folder on another corner as if to prove he was working.
"I understand." And you did. "I brought lunch though, I feel like it would be good for you to take a break if you can."
"Well I can't." He said harshly, and sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm very tense and don't want to take it out on you. I'm not good company right now. Just leave it on my desk, thank you." You knew this was the best you were going to get and you were happy he understood how badly he was treating her.
Without another word you left the lunch behind and went to the cafeteria to have your own. Your resolution broken, it was not going to be a good day.
At the end of the day, you went up again mostly to get your container back but also to check if there was any developments. Knocking on the familiar door there was no answer. After knocking a couple more times and asking a passing colleague if they knew of their director's whereabouts and not getting any satisfactory answer, you decided to just go in.
The office was still a mess and hardly anything had changed from when you were there earlier. Spotting the half empty container on his desk you decided to retrieve it and leave, maybe you missed each other and he left a message on your desk. Lifting the food container a couple notes fell on the floor which you hurried to put back. Without meaning you read it:
Hello, my love.
I know how stressed and lonely you've been lately and I want to help. Come by my apartment tonight, I have your favorite wine and you can wind down before going back to your case.
Can't wait to see you again,
L
Your hands were trembling as you came to the end of the letter, violent hiccups escaping you. What was this? You weren't dumb, you knew what it was, there was no mistaking it... it couldn't be a colleague when it says my love on it, but you couldn't believe it! Of everything that could have gone wrong in your relationship you never imagined him cheating, you thought if he ever fell out love he would be the kind of man to break things off before venturing with someone else.
Then to add salt to the wound you noticed the trash with half a container of lunch was. It was nothing compared to the letter but it just threw you off the edge. You tore the letter to pieces in your agony and threw what was in your hands to the floor. You must have looked like a child throwing a tantrum but you couldn't care. What were you supposed to do.
It felt like an eternity had passed, you on the floor leaning on the desk and crying out your broken heart. Relieving every moment he had made you believe he was the one, every little thing he had done or said that made you feel special. Foolish little girl, your dad would have said condescendingly. Her relationship, her trust, her future, her dreams, how fragile they were to be broken with two sentences.
Leaning forward in what might be close to fetal position, the necklace Theseus had just given her slithered from under the confines of her dress. An L glinted back at her, teasingly. An L? An L! Like a mad woman she scramble for the pieces of the wretched paper looking for the evidence she needed. There!
see you again,
L
It couldn't be, could it? His lover signed with L and his letter said girlfriend...
"He sent me the gift that was for his lover!?" Inexplainable rage filled you like an all consuming fire. Preferring to feel that instead of a painful void you embraced the hot emotion.
How could he!? Was he trying to get caught? Did he send two gifts at the same time and got them mixed up? But his lover didn't seemed fazed in their letter, so they knew I existed? The situation seemed more dreary by the second and you decided you had spent long enough moping on this office floor, risking being found in this awful position. You had to go home!
Getting home was a blur and you were glad your long cry in the office made it so you didn't bump into anyone on your way out. Feeling completely drained of energy you decided to take a shower and go to bed. It was an awful poorly slept night which made the next day all the worse.
When you got home again and looked yourself in the mirror you seemed to awake for the first time that day. You looked worse than a dementor, hollow eyes, dark purple bags, a permanent frown, to name a few of the similarities.
That realization seemed to snap you out of your pity party. You were done hating yourself and crying over a cheater. You had done nothing wrong! You love Theseus unconditionally and he knew it, you were not perfect but you did all you could to be perfect for him. How could he have done this!? How could he sleep when he lied to you!? Why were you loosing sleep when he was the one in the wrong? There were no good answers to this questions, but you were done feeling less than over something you had no control over.
Then and there you decided to confront Theseus, to finish this sham of a relationship and get closure.
"I'm not sticking around to find out how far he is intending on taking this. I'm not going to loose myself!" Was the mantra you repeated in your head to not loose courage.
Apparating to Theseus' street you felt lighter than you've felt in the past 24h hours, even thought you knew you were about to do the hardest thing you've done in your life. Taking a deep breath you walked up to his door, wishing you had something to give you strength.
As you knocked on the door, you noticed it wasn't entirely closed which was weird and you pushed it open.
"Theseus? Are you there?" You hated how weak and vulnerable you sounded, but there was nothing you could do about it.
Heels clicked in your direction and your stomach dropped as you saw the outline of a certain woman coming down the stairs. "Leta..?" A whisper left your lips, you were speechless. You knew how much she had meant to him, but he had intently reassured you those feelings were trough when you first started going out and you had believed him. Foolish little girl!
"Oh Y/n!" Her surprise sounded incredibly fake even to your ears. "I'm so sorry... we didn't mean to put you trough this... I know what it is to be in love and can't imagine how betrayed you must be feeling. I just hope you know~" Leta's words faded into the background. How easily she had started her rant, almost sounded rehearsed. We're they planning on breaking the news to her sooner rather than later? This was too much for her to process.
"Where's Theseus?" Your voice was cold and strong, how you managed that you didn't know, even Leta looked take aback.
"Humm huh... he is in the kitchen... making dinner." Passing past her bumping her on the shoulder you made a beeline for the kitchen.
There was only one thing left to do. Seeing him relaxed and happy, moving around the kitchen without a care in the world made your heart break more than meeting Leta. How could he be so unbothered by all of this?
Clearing your throat you caught his attention. "Theseus, happy to see you look much better than this morning."
"Y/n..." was he speechless? Great there was nothing he could say any way.
"No need to say anything. I just wonder how do you sleep when you lie to me? I don't want an answer either. Here!" You slammed your beautiful engagement ring in front of him. "I have no need for this anymore. Don't call me." You knew if you said more you were going to break down and that's not how you wanted them to see you. "Good bye, Leta. Hope you are very happy." You were about to close the door when you said: "Just friendly reminder, if he'll cheat for you, he'll cheat on you." You slammed the door, cutting any possible rebuttal and immediately apparated back to your street.
As soon as you stumbled on your feet the water works started. All you hid during your altercation with the love birds came forward, too much to keep contained. You were close to falling on the street floor too weak to wait to get home when arms wrapped around you.
"Y/n! Y/n!" The panicked voice of no one other than Theseus f*cking Scamander rang in your ears. "What happened, my love? Are you hurt? Talk to me!" You did your best to stop crying so you could focus on pushing him away from you. His touch practically burned you and you couldn't wait to get away.
"Leave me alone! What are you doing here?" You finally got some distance between you even though Theseus kept reaching out for you every time you swayed.
"What? I was coming to apologize sincerely for having treated you so badly at lunch time yesterday. Francis also told me you had come after work and were asking for me and when I got inside my office your food was on the floor and I thought you must be mad at me because I didn't eat your delicious meal and I'm so sorry I was going to eat it for dinner since I didn't have time for lunch." Theseus rambled on looking absolutely panicked, you had never seen him like that. Behind him you spotted a gorgeous bouquet of y/f/f.
Looking back at him you couldn't help feeling bad for causing him so much pain when you remembered what you had been trough the past day.
"Are you kidding me!? Is this a joke!?" You couldn't handle what was happening it was too much.
"What joke? Y/n/n, I know how distant I've been the past month even so you always stay by me and do your best to be understanding and supportive. It broke my heart to know that I caused you even more pain by being an arse yesterday..." He pleadingly looked at you expecting some response, anything. "Is there anything I can do to make this better?"
You were at loss for words, does he have selective memory. Deciding this must be some cruel joke they were playing on you, you brushed by him to get to your door ignoring him.
"Y/n, please!! There has to be something!" He was practically on his knees.
"Are you trying to mess with me right now? It's over! I already said what I had to say and I'm not going back. It's ridiculous that you think you can ignore what happened and everything you'll go back to how it was. Be very happy and leave me alone!" The look of confusion on Theseus' face could only be surpassed by the immense heart break visible.
"Over..." he whispered in disbelief. "No! I don't accept this, I can fix this, I can be better! I can't loose you..."
"You already did... and there's nothing you can do. Now go back to Leta and leave me alone." You ascended the steps to your house breaking the enchantment on the door to let you in.
"Enough! You are talking non sense. What the hell does Leta have to do with this?" His eyes were a pool of emotions.
"This is tiring. I don't have anything to say to you, just leave!" You threw your arms in the air in exasperation.
"No! I'm not giving up on us, specially when I don't even understand what's happening anymo~" suddenly he froze making you look at him. "Where's your ring?" His voice was so low you barely heard him.
"I already gave it to you back!" Why couldn't he just let go!
"No you didn't... did you leave it in my office?" His voice was monotone and his eyes didn't start from your ringless finger.
"No... I gave it to you! At your house! After being greeted by your lover! And catching you red handed cheating!" You were positively livid at his games. Him making you say all of this again just broke everything in you, how could he be so cruel?
"Cheating!?" He finally looked back to you, his eyes wide in panic and rage. "I would never EVER cheat on you!"
"Yeah well too late for that don't you think? It's like your ignoring that I caught you and she confirmed it." Tears were streaming down your face now, you looked away from him.
"My love, I'm truly confused about everything that you are saying... where and when did you caught me?" You sighted.
"Like right before this conversation, at your house, like I already told you! What are you playing at?"
"I was not home at all this afternoon... I finished work at the office at lunch, went home to change and shower and went to the florist and apparated here right before you." Now he was in front of you holding you arms so you couldn't stop yourself from looking at the sincerity in his eyes.
"What are you saying? I saw you? You were in your kitchen all happy and cute cooking for Leta! She opened the door for me and apologized for the affair!" You were a sobbing mess now barely holding on to sanity.
"My love, my heart, my life, my y/n/n... when was the last time you saw me in the kitchen?" He gently ran his fingers over your cheeks cleaning the tears away.
"When we first started dating and you tried to make tea and appetizers... and almost burned your kitchen down..." you whispered slowly making sense of what was happening.
"Right! How could it possible that you found me in your kitchen cooking a whole meal!?" He was smiling at you reassuringly but his eyes were hard and his jaw tense.
"I don't know..."
"Here" he took one hand to rummage trough is coat pocket taking a little paper out "I got the receipt for the flowers and they stamped the time. I wasn't lying." It showed to be the time that she was at his house. How is this possible?
"Your coat..." you moved his coat away from his body to check his clothes. "You are wearing different clothes from when you were at the house..."
"Leta set us up..." his voice was cold making a chill run down your spine even if it wasn't directed at you.
There was nothing that could prepare you for the rollercoaster of emotions you were living today... How could you digest all this new information after new information? You were grieving the lost of the love of your life and now you are feeling an immense rage for this petty person that almost managed to break you.
And then Theseus was hugging you close, whispering loving words of encouragement, trying to bring you back from the hole you dug for yourself. In that moment you felt guilty for ever doubting him, but you knew that everything pointed in that direction and he wouldn't hold it against you.
"I love you so much! I would be the most foolish person if I ever let you go. You are absolutely incredible and I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you will never have any reason to doubt my love for you. I could never ever cheat on~" you kissed him deep, swallowing all the apologies that were sure to start coming and that were absolutely unnecessary.
"I can't believe this just happened..." you whispered tiredly resting your forehead on his.
His arms held you tighter against him letting him be your pillar now that you were feeling completely drained from all this situation.
"Let us go inside, you need to rest. I'll sleep on the couch and tomorrow we will... take care of Leta." He spit her name like it was poison. Looking back down at you his face softened. "I'm sorry this happened... I'm sorry for all you just went trough, I'll make sure to be more attentive to prevent this or something else from ever happening again. I never want to loose you." There was so much warmth and love in his gaze that all the pain melted away. You knew you could go trough this and much more if he was by your side.
"Don't apologize, no one could have imagined this would happen... I love you." You gently reached out for his face, pulling him down for another kiss. "Thank you for always being here when it counts."
♡ A/N ♡
Thank you for reading! I've a possible part 2 planned where briefly Theseus and you confront Leta and then lots of fluff, to apologize for all the angst I just wrote. Comment if you would like to read a second part.
Comment if you have any one shot requests, either a story idea or a song to use, I would love to write your ideas!