and that's a wrap! (on the main story, at least...)
Warning: there's a short lime near the end <3
(5147 words)
You enter to the sight of an irritated Whitty, bruised but not bleeding much.
His gaze meets yours, and his eyes briefly widen before his scowl quickly shifts to a grin.
"Darling, welcome back!" He smiles. "You've got the cartridge and everything, huh?"
Lem moves closer to you, standing slightly in front as he glares.
"Say, can you bury this corpse of a demon for me?" Senpai's grin grew sharper; his jabs worked perfectly.
"I'll kill-!" Lem's growled words were cut off as you grasped his hand.
"I'm assuming that's what you wanted me to avoid comparing you to, back then?" You ask, him firmly squeezing your hand and backing down with a huff.
"Yes. It was."
"I think my comparison is much better, anyways." You see how the tall man's grin falls to neutrality before growing a bit sour at you holding the blonde's hand.
"Darling, why hold the demon's hand? He's not someone who deserves your touch, you know." He coos, frowning at the sound of Lem's scoff.
"As if you deserve it any more than I do. We're like two sides of a really fucked up coin." The red-eyed man laughs as Senpai snarls. "I know all I've done is for my own interests, but you still seem to think you're doing it for the both of you."
"Don't compare me to you! We're-" He indignantly opposes, cut off.
"Different, yet the same. Come on, you can understand this, right? My acceptance of my nature is the reason he's by my side right now, not yours." Lem's mean grin only grows sharper as Senpai's expression gets darker, fury broiling in his eyes.
"Lem, can you get me the handcuffs?" You murmur, him humming. Understanding your desire for discretion, he doesn't let Senpai see it before you put it into your pocket.
"Darling, whatever you may be planning, please just know that all I want is for us to be happy." He pleads, able to see how your grip on the cartridge tightened.
"Lem, can you destroy this in one hit?" You ask, not shifting your gaze from the possessed man.
"Should be able to."
"Good." You drop it in front of him, watching Senpai tense as he lifts his leg. "If you want us to be happy, then start by getting out of Whitty."
Lem, widely grinning, slams his heel down onto the cartridge with enough force to snap it in half, the plastic crumpling in on itself. He watches with sick amusement as the man collapses to the floor, clutching at his chest and screaming in agony. Sweat pours off of him, tears escaping his wide eyes before he clenches them shut.
Lem's eyes drift over to you, seeing your uncomfortable expression. "Aren't you glad he's getting out of Whitty?" He asks, brows slightly furrowing.
"He still has Whitty's voice–I don't like hearing his screams. I don't like hearing anyone's screams, even if they were Senpai's." Breaths came from you quickly, only growing faster as the pained noises endured. You keep your eyes off of the man's form, feeling Lem gently tug you closer.
He releases your hand to cup his over your ears, not seeing any visual change until your eyes closed. You cover his hands with your own, regulating your breaths and doing your best to calm yourself down.
You were with Lem.
You were safe.
You would be alright.
Your expression neutralizes at the lack of screams heard while Lem watches as the man's volume grows higher before someone gets cast out of his body, flung into a roll ending on his chest.
Whitty collapses fully, unconscious, and Senpai pants as he pushes himself onto his hands and knees. He glares up at the demon holding you, the smirk he received in return infuriating him further.
Lem removes his hands from your ears, your eyes reopening as you turn to look at the AI.
"Y/N, darling, please..." He murmurs. "Don't leave me behind again. I won't be able to take it–an eternity in there again would surely kill me."
You stay quiet, not able to meet his intense gaze as he scans over your face, the cut no longer bleeding. His gaze catches on the dark arms that slithered around you, pulling you closer to the demon.
"Maybe that's the best outcome." Lem purrs, you unable to see the victorious grin on his face as he rests his head on your shoulder. "Perhaps we would be better off if you were finally gone."
Senpai's snarl flattens as he sees your conflicted expression. "Is that what you want too, Y/N?" He could see how your eyes darted around, not staring at anything in particular but rather just everything but him.
Lem held you slightly tighter–he found pride in his grasp being the one that comforts you. He could feel how your breaths slowed a bit, but you still weren't what he would consider 'calm'.
"You don't need to answer. Your hesitation was all I needed to see." Senpai murmurs, gaze falling as he smiles. You didn't want him dead, at least.
"I... I don't want you dead, but I most certainly don't want you around. Senpai, it was only recently that I managed to work past everything you've done, and there's still a lot I can't do." You frown, him clenching his teeth.
"I already told you. If you left me again, I would die. Darling, you don't want me to die, right? You need to-"
"I don't need to do anything. Senpai, you're finally free. Can't you live life without me?" You ask, brows furrowed. "Do you even still want to be human?"
He lets out a heavy sigh, slowly picking himself up. His limbs shook as he rose from the ground, before ending in a wobbly stand. He meets your gaze with a weary, dull blue.
"I wanted to become human so we could be together. If we can't..." He pauses, expression shifting to a worrying seriousness. "Then no. I don't. And I can't live without you, you're the entire reason I lasted in that solitude."
"You need to learn to, then. Being around you drains me–I'm still terrified of you." You give a small, forced smile, hearing Whitty's voice. He was still unconscious as he groaned in pain, more bruises appearing as enough time passed for them to form.
Senpai freezes, not even caring about Lem's growing grin.
You were... terrified of him?
What had he done-
Oh, right.
He did everything wrong.
Why wouldn't you be?
He clasps at his head, expression unstable.
He knows what he did was wrong, he knows you didn't like it, he knows it.
So why...?
Why did it hurt?
"You're... of me...?"
Why not the demon behind you as well?!
He wasn't the only murderer here!
That monster had killed so many more than he did!
Was it because you didn't know them?!
Was it because he manipulated you into liking him?!
Was it because...
...because he did everything right for you?
Does Lem really make you happy?
"Senpai, have you ever wondered what would've happened if you didn't decide I was yours to keep forever?" You ask, voice wavering.
He meets your eyes again. "Whitty would've tried to-"
You let out a sourly amused huff. "Already, you're wrong." Lem's lids droop as he watches the man step back, confused. He wanted to know...
What would really break the blue-eyed man?
"H-how–he was-" Senpai stumbles over his words, trying to think of how the future may have gone.
Well, it seemed he was well on his way to being broken already.
"Whitty has nothing to do with this. He wasn't why I broke up with you in the first place; it was you." Your voice was a quiet monotone–very close to breaking. "Your possessiveness of me was unwanted, and I hated how you tried to drive me away from my friends."
"Me...? Darling, you must be mistaken-" He takes a hopeful step forward, expression falling as you cut him off.
"No, I'm not. Senpai, I saw no reason to leave you until you decided I belonged to you." Lem feels how you lean back into him further, trying to comfort yourself. He gently nuzzles you, noting how you actually did relax somewhat at the familiar action.
There's no doubt in his mind; he adores you to hell and back.
"Until I-?! You can't just be telling me-" Senpai stammers, breaths panicked and rapid. He steps forward, disbelieving. "There's no way–all I did? I caused our breakup, I... I could've... we could've... still been together...?"
He meets your solemn eyes, blocking out the teasing pink irises from his vision. "We would've." You correct.
No.
No, that can't be-
What did he last through solitude for, then?
He was without you for six straight years, but he never had to be alone in the first place?
He could've stood by you, he could've been with you, he could've held your hand and gave you nose kisses and...
You still would've loved him.
But now, it's an impossibility for you.
You would never love him again, would you?
Never again?
Never...
Love is quite a fickle thing.
It's supposed to be one of the greatest feelings; it was why he continued on.
So why–why, damnit–did his heart ache so much?
It was love he felt towards you, it was love that made him want you all to himself. It was love that made him hurt Whitty, it was love that made him kill your parents.
Right?
If all of these were for love, why didn't you love him again?
Because they were wrong.
He was wrong.
He was told, he understood; this was not love.
He knows it's far worse, far more sinister. He knows he's the greater of the two evils.
Is that why he was crying?
Is that why tears streamed down his face?
He ruined his own relationship, and suffered in the dark for years.
And he didn't have to.
If he had been less possessive, he would've been the one hugging you right now. If he had actually looked, instead of making assumptions, he would be the one you leaned on for support.
Lem watches, unable to help the satisfaction in his expression as the man falls to his knees, tears hitting the floor in front of him.
"It was all–I didn't have to go through–my suffering was... meaningless? I would be holding you, but instead..." God, he would never see you again, would he? He would never hug you again, never kiss you again, never hear your laugh again...
He would never truly be happy again.
Nothing could match the joy he felt when you held him, or you cuddled up to him, or you smiled at him.
Nothing could match your love.
Nothing.
So then, a world without your love...
...was a world in which nothing mattered.
His tears slowed to a stop, leaving his eyes feeling hollow. Looking up, he meets eyes with the bastard that you had grown fond of. No, bastard was too human a word... Lem was a beast.
And the beast was grinning.
As he watched Senpai, he was grinning.
Amusement.
The blonde was amused by his pain.
"...that asshole got you, huh?"
"Better me than you." Lem's grin widens. "Don't worry; he'll be happy."
"Lem." You firmly say, him glancing towards you. He notices your hand slip into the pocket that sagged with the weight of the cuffs, humming and unwrapping his arms from you.
He watches you carefully as you approach the fallen man, stepping closer to better keep him in check. Senpai doesn't even look at him, too focused on you. He watches as you solemnly kneel in front of him, grabbing his wrists and binding them with the cuffs.
Same as before.
He feels a weary smile climb onto his lips. "I really lost here, didn't I? There's no coming back from this."
You sigh. "Yeah."
"I really fucked up, huh?" He asks, noting how your hands fell to your lap as you brought your other knee forward.
You refused to meet his eyes, nodding.
That was fine; you weren't moving away, at least. "I figured as much. How... how do you feel about me...? It's not hate, is it?"
"No. I don't know what it is."
Your expression says it all. The slight grimace, the way your lip twitches in a conflicted manner, how your brows furrowed...
Your eyes were dulled in exhaustion. "Tell me. Do you want to go back? Or do you want to live your life out?"
"Y/N, I don't think I can go back, not without the cartridge." His tone held a depressingly amused lilt, seeing how Lem's hand tensed from behind you, pink eyes glaring at him.
And it doesn't look like he'll be able to live for too long, either.
It really was unfortunate, how everything was turning out.
"Then can you at least try and live without me?" You didn't want him to die, you didn't want to feel as if any more blood was on your hands.
"I don't know if there's a reason to." He sighs, leaning forward and resting his head in your lap. You tense, body freezing. "I'll never be seeing you again. Darling, can you brush through my hair a final time?"
Had he truly accepted it?
He wasn't moving, and if Lem was behind you, you would be safe.
"If I can never see you again, can we make this last memory a... comfortable one, at least?" He requests, hearing your shuddering breath before feeling your hand rest on his head.
"I... I guess so."
His eyes shut, lips curling into a gentle smile as you run your hands through his hair. "No matter where we are, Y/N, I will always love you."
You don't respond, eyes closing. You feel a clawed hand place itself on your head, feeling a knee brush against your back and knowing that Lem was beside you, kneeling.
"Let me take care of this, dearest." He murmurs, entertained by how quickly Senpai's mood soured. He presses his face more into your thighs, making the blonde scoff.
You open your eyes right as Lem knocks Senpai out, pulling him out of your lap and letting him fall onto his back. The demon slips in front of you, cupping your face with a gentle smile.
"Dearest, without him... you'll be safe."
You glance to the side, seeing Whitty's wincing face as pain still played on every discoloration.
"What about Whitty? And my brother? I can't just... never see them again." Your brows furrow, eyes falling.
Lem's smile falters a bit, before returning just as gently. "How about this... once every few months. Once every few months we will have a day when we meet up with them."
You smiled a bit, but it didn't quite match how your brows slightly furrowed. "That... I don't know if that's enough."
He was hoping you'd accept, but he was willing to barter. "Hmm. How about once a month, then? If we set a day... how about the thirteenth?" It would allow him to take breaks and regain energy in order to keep the pocket up, too.
"Can we add holidays and birthdays?" You add, hopeful.
His smile grows a bit. "Sure. Not every holiday though, and my birthday will be spent with me."
Your head droops in what he thought was disappointment, but he realized his mistake as you wrapped your arms around him, pulling yourself closer and burying your face into his collar. He glances over at the taller man as he groans, shifting, and Lem gently rubs your back before murmuring into your ear. "Tell Whitty about the deal, will you? I still need to finish dealing with Senpai."
You nod, separating from him and shuffling to the other man's side.
Grabbing the light blue collar of the man, he drags him out of the pocket and onto the concrete sidewalk in front of a house that was about four or five from yours.
Roughly tossing him to the ground, Lem snickers at the man's grunt, seeing how his eyes cracked open. The blue irises flicker to him, and the man on the ground scoffs. "Here to kill me, huh? Y/N wouldn't want this, you know." He prods, watching the blonde's expression flatten.
The blank expression was far more unnerving on his face, especially as the area around him seemed to warp and twist. "Y/N isn't here. Besides, he wouldn't be able to stop me; right now you are the biggest threat to us, and I must see to it that you are killed." Lem smirks as a drop of sweat slides down Senpai's face.
"How could he ever love a monster like you?"
His words make the black-clad man freeze.
A snarl rapidly grows on his face as he lurches forward, grabbing the other man by the neck and forcing his head to stay down. "He will love me. I'm not a monster, you're more of one than I am." He hisses, ignoring how his chest felt heavier with every breath.
The thought of your hatred, or your fear... it made him ache. He couldn't deal with the thought–he wouldn't be able to deal with it if it happened.
"You, a demon who senselessly killed what is easily over a hundred people is less of a monster than me, an obsessive man who killed two? Don't make me laugh, you damned beast!" Senpai grins even as the hand holding his throat tightens, pressing him harder against the rough concrete. "We both have a seat carved for us in hell, yours just happens to be deeper than mine!"
"Shut up, damn it! I am a demon, but I am no monster, not anymore! I know hell, I've inflicted it on many others, yet none match it quite like you. If hell were a man, he would have your face!"
"And he would have your claws." The man murmurs out, consciousness fading once more.
"Well, maybe you'll get a better idea of him when you head down there." Lem laughs, lifting his free arm. "You can answer me later, but..."
His expression was nearly delirious. "Are these the claws of hell, or are they the mere claws of a demon?!"
Bringing his hand down with aggressive force, the man's blood splatters, invading his lips and making him disgustedly spit it out with a sneer. "Your blood is tasteless and unfulfilling. As if a human were eating chalk."
Standing, he turns to face the man he had sensed exit the pocket. He grins again, wiping the blood off of his face and flicking it away.
"You killed him?" Whitty asks. He wasn't sad or distraught; why would he be? But seeing the man who would be holding you for the vast majority of the years coming so brazenly going against what he knew you wanted didn't spell anything good.
"Yes, and I trust that you'll stay quiet about it. See, it is rather easy to ruin someone's sense of time when they have no access to the outside, nor can they see the time in any visual way." He smirks at Whitty's snarl.
"You're an awful fucking thing. I hope you drop dead."
Lem laughs, striding past the taller man after seeming to flicker next to him. "You'll pass far before me and Y/N will. Even his brother will. When I control time, I will use it to spend an eternity with my dearest."
"Y/N, he'll-"
"What will he do? What can he do?" Lem sneers, Whitty turning to face the demon already within the door well.
"He can refuse to love you."
"But will he? There's no reason for him to. I don't think he'll refuse my love, not when the only threat who could actually reach us has been killed. You'll only be seeing him once a month unless it's a birthday or major holiday, so answer me this. What can you do to stop me?"
His grin only grows meaner as Whitty clenches his fist, brows furrowing. "Then I suppose I'll answer for you. Nothing. You can do nothing. The only reason I'm letting you live is because of him, and if he didn't care for you as much as he does, I would've left you in the same state as Senpai."
"You're-"
"What? What am I?" Lem asks, fangs fully bared in an unnerving excitement.
"You're... lucky."
Lem was lucky.
He came upon the perfect man, and had just the right tools to keep him ensnared.
And Whitty...
... Whitty would never be able to return to how it used to be.
He could never hold you like he used to.
He could never kiss you like he used to.
He could never love you like he used to.
"Yes, I am. Now, get going. You wouldn't want to worry the child, would you?" He smirks, turning and about to reenter the pocket before pausing at Whitty's voice.
"Don't act as if you care."
"Then I won't any further. Leave, or you'll never see Y/N again. That good enough for you?" He laughs, facing forwards once more. "Until the thirteenth, then." He nearly purrs, stepping into the house only moments after hearing Whitty's hesitant departure.
He finds you on the couch, head tilted back and eyes closed as you lounge back, a few tears slipping from your closed eyelids. His grin flattens into a gentler expression, slipping behind you and cupping your cheeks. He wipes away the tears that still lasted, meeting your eyes when you open them just a few moments later.
"Hello again, dearest."
Your lips curve up just a bit, but Lem still notices, tracing your jaw with a clawed hand.
He loves you.
God, he loves you so much.
He circles around the couch, laying across your lap and grasping one of your hands, guiding it to his cheek. Your head tilts forward, gently rubbing your thumb over the flesh as you meet eyes with him once more.
"Lem-I... thank you." You barely whisper, head hanging.
He was confused.
You were thanking him?
He's the entire reason you even have to have days spent with your loved ones instead of the lifetime that would've most certainly been granted to you.
Did you think he was being charitable?
He was still giving you the worse side of the deal; you only got one or so days a month in which you would see the outside. You were with him for the rest of the time.
Unless...
Did you truly enjoy being with him?
Were you going to be happy?
Why was he asking himself this? He already told himself he would be keeping you...
Perhaps in his fondness he grew more prone to caring for you. It wouldn't be all that farfetched to imagine, based on how much your smile seemed to make his nonexistent heart stutter.
His thoughts are cut off as you place a small kiss to his forehead, him cluelessly meeting your calm gaze and feeling how your hand gently moved, brushing through the hair that curled around his ear. He gains his own smile, however it weakens slightly when he sees just how tired you are. "You need sleep."
"Mhm." You murmur, about to get up before his arms wrapped around your thighs, lifting you into his arms. Your surprised expression fades quickly, letting out an amused huff as you let your head fall to rest in the crook of his neck.
Did...
Did all of this make you more comfortable?
Were you happy in his arms because of what just took place?
Well, before, you seemed comfortable with him, but now...
The way you hugged him felt much more welcoming. You actively held him close, not just loosely wrapping your arms around him.
He smiles softly, entering the room and simply laying on top of the covers with you in his arms, nestled against him. "I love you."
You bury your face deeper into the crook of his neck, feeling how he held you slightly tighter in response. He lets out a long, accomplished sigh, noting how you shudder against him.
Of course, his pockets were as cold as he was. He managed to slip the blanket over you both, your body pressing against his like it was made to fill the void.
You grew still, breaths fanning over him as he pulled you even closer, your warmth always a welcome change to his usual temperature. It was comforting to you to feel how his chest rose and fell with his breaths, and how his hands dusted over your back, the cloth shifting as he gently and slowly rubbed.
Your eyes were already closed, but the deepening darkness of unconsciousness began to take further hold as Lem continued his actions.
It feels like... this is the closest he's held you.
You were letting him closer.
He smiles.
"Have a nice rest, dearest."
—
By the time you woke up, Lem's head was against yours, the sound of his breathing steady and calming. They were cold against your ear, but it was nothing bad; rather, the unusual temperature put you at more ease.
A small groan passes your lips as you move, hearing Lem's amused hum. "Finally awake, huh?"
You let out another short groan in response, placing your head right back where it was before.
"Doesn't seem you want to be, though." Lem chuckles, sitting up.
"You're... comfortable." You mumble, now carelessly sitting in his lap.
"Didn't you say something similar before? This definitely isn't the first time you've called me comfortable." He gently nudges you forward, allowing him to see the bleary expression you had.
He watches as you tiredly lean into his hand when he brings it up to your cheek, blinking slowly and looking slightly up at him with half-lidded eyes. He ignores the sudden heat that fills the spot where his heart should be, instead lifting his hands to your cheeks. His thumbs gently rub your cheeks as you wake up more, blinking out the tiredness in your eyes and letting him support your head.
"I'm awake, I'm awake." You say, voice containing the growliness of just having woken up. "Good... morning?" You say, not quite sure of the time.
He hums out a laugh. "Good morning, dearest."
"Mhm." You mumble. "Heaviest I've slept in a long while."
"Were you sleeping lightly because of me?" He asks, feeling you shake your head.
"My quality of sleep just decreased after Senpai... yeah. But when you came along I slept better. Still, last night was the best I've slept in years." You groan as you stretch a bit, sweater riding up just a bit.
His cold hands brush over your stomach, making you flinch briefly before returning to your previous position, his arms wrapping around your waist from beneath your sweater. He pulls you closer, forehead leaning against yours. "May I kiss you?" He asks, you smiling a small bit.
"Yes."
He connects your lips the second you gave him the word, the kiss needy as he pulls you even closer. Carefully, he bites your bottom lip, you opening your mouth just a bit to allow him entrance.
Your arms slip over his shoulders, wrapping around the back of his neck as the kiss deepens, you feeling something on his tongue. When he separates, he lazily smirks at the sight of your flushed form on his lap.
"Do you have a tongue piercing?" You ask, watching as he sticks out his longer than you were expecting tongue and reveals the silver bead. Your eyes widen a bit. "How did I never notice...?"
"Maybe you just weren't expecting it. May I... again?"
You place your lips against his, answering his question. He smiles into the kiss, his hands running up and down your back as they gently rub over every bit they could touch. One gets pulled out to remove the mantle from around your shoulders as well as to push the neck of your sweater down, quickly returning to continue gently rubbing over your flesh.
When you separate once more, his forehead rests against yours, him placing a kiss to your lips once more before beginning to trail down your neck. Your breaths hitch when he begins nipping at the sensitive skin, teasing it between his teeth before sucking on the same place, a small bruise beginning to form.
As he repeats the process, his hands stop moving, instead just pressing into your back as if trying to push you even closer to the man currently giving you love bites. Your hands bury themselves in his hair as he continues, your heart rate rising.
When he separates, you rest your forehead on his, a breathy chuckle escaping you. "That was one hell of a good morning."
"I'd be very willing to give more good mornings to you." Lem offers, placing a short kiss to your lips. "You're worth them all."
You give a tired smile, resting your head on his collar again after letting your arms fall. "Thank you for the offer, Lem."
He grins, continuing to gently rub your back. "Either way, it's probably good that you're wearing a turtleneck."
You roll your eyes. "You're the only one who would see them." The way he gently massaged your back was about to send you right back to sleep. Your eyes were half-lidded before he rolled you onto your back beside him. You hum in a confused way before he pulls himself on top of you, his face burying into your chest.
"I am not up to doing anything today. What say you, dearest?" He murmurs, lifting his head to meet your eyes.
"I feel the same as you." You say. "I am not getting out of bed for at least another few hours."
He laughs, lifting himself up just enough to place a small kiss to the bottom of your jaw. "Yesterday was tiring, no?"
"It really was." You sigh. "What did you do to Senpai?"
"Scared him off. Made sure he knew that if he ever came back you would hate him." He lies smoothly. "I doubt he'll bother us any longer."
You don't say anything, instead just beginning to run your hands through his hair in thanks.
"I'll do whatever it takes to ensure we will stay together." He murmurs, running his fingers over the still forming marks on your neck and hearing how your breaths stuttered before wrapping his arms around you.
"I'll love you until we die, and I'll love you in the afterlife. I will love you forever, and I will never hurt you again, that I swear." He glances towards the healing cut on your cheek before resting his head back on your chest.
"Dearest, I will be yours the same as you will be mine; everlasting."