ʰᵒᵐᵉ ᶠᵒʳᵉᵛᵉʳ ˡᵒˢᵗ
𝔖𝔬𝔫𝔤: 𝔖𝔱 𝔍𝔞𝔪𝔢𝔰 𝔓𝔞𝔯𝔨
Warnings: Kidnapping (sort of I guess?)
♥♠♣♦ —— ☠ —— ♥♠♣♦
"Y/N."
The girl could feel someone shaking her and she grunted, pushing them away with a weak shove, rolling over and pulling the covers over her head. The last thing she wanted was to be awake this early. She could almost feel the dew collecting on her as the cold autumn breeze blew in through the window. She just wanted to stay asleep. She didn't want to deal with anyone this early in the day.
"Y/N."
The shaking continued and Y/N huffed, burrowing deeper into the blankets. If they didn't let up soon, they were going to learn what a smack in the face felt like.
"Y/N."
"All right," Y/N nearly shouted, throwing her blankets off of her body and wrapping them tightly around the form of whoever had been trying to wake her up. Her brother let out a scream as the blankets engulfed him, and Y/N clambered on top of him, holding him to the bed as he thrashed beneath the blankets.
"Say you're sorry," Y/N shouted. She had now realised who it was that was trying to wake her and felt more forgiving upon realising that it was just her brother.
"I'm sorry," Yuu huffed out, struggling to breathe. He managed to work one of his hands out from beneath the blankets and he tapped Y/N's arm, pointing to the blanket. Y/N quickly removed it and Yuu gasped, inhaling all the beautiful oxygen he could.
"You almost killed me," he wheezed, glaring at his sister.
"But I didn't."
"But you almost did."
"But I didn't."
"But you almost did."
"But I didn't."
"Fine," Yuu huffed, throwing his arms up in defeat. "You didn't."
Y/N smirked victoriously and flipped her hair over her shoulder, sliding out from beneath the covers, and slipping on her fuzzy bunny slippers. The ones that Yuu had given her for her last birthday.
"So why did you come in here risking your life so early in the morning," Y/N asked, heading over to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
"You might wanna sit down for this one, N/N," Yuu said, a smirk adorning his lips.
Y/N froze and turned back to him. What news did he have that she would need to sit down for? But, she did as he requested.
"Crowley told me last night before I got in," he said slowly, unsure of how Y/N would take this news, "that he has found a way for us to go home."
Y/N felt her heart jump. "Really?"
Yuu smiled. "Really."
"We're going home?"
"We're going home."
♥♠♣♦ —— ☠ —— ♥♠♣♦
"Now I'm sure that I don't have to remind you that this is the only chance you two have of returning home," Crowley said, approaching the twins with a strange stone in his hands. "This is the only transportation crystal left in the world, so you have to be sure that it won't be wasted."
The twins looked at each other and intertwined their hands, smiling.
"We're ready," Yuu said confidently.
Crowley smiled. "Well then. It's time for you to go home." He slammed the crystal on the ground and went to leave. "You two have a minute before it closes. Make sure you get through." And then he left, shutting the door behind him.
"Come on, Y/N," Yuu whispered, pulling his sister towards the portal. "We're going home."
Y/N smiled brightly, watching as her brother disappeared into the vortex, his hand slipping from hers as it did. "We're going home..."
But suddenly, Y/N was grabbed from behind, firm arms wrapping around her waist and wrenching her away from the portal.
"NO," Y/N shouted, her fingers reaching out for Yuu as the portal began to close. She struggled against the person's hold. She didn't want them. She just wanted to go home with Yuu. She wanted her brother.
"Y/N," Yuu exclaimed, turning back to the portal and stretching his arm back through, trying to grab his sister's flailing hand.
"No," the voice behind Y/N hissed, yanking her further away from the portal.
"YUU!"
"Y/N!"
The portal began to shut, creating a pulse that forced everyone away from it as it shut. Their time was running short. Y/N most likely only had a few minutes to get to the portal before it shut entirely, leaving her stranded in Twisted Wonderland, doomed never to see her brother again. Doomed never to see her home again. Doomed to live out the remainder of her life in the strange twisted world.
The portal shut with a large whoosh and a pop, Yuu's hand disappearing into the white vortex just before it could close. And only once the portal had shut, did the person finally release Y/N, allowing her to fall to the ground before her, sobbing violently as she mourned the loss of her only lifeline in this world. The only one who reminded her of her loving family. He was the only one who could truly give her the comfort she desired and needed.
"Y/N?"
Someone crouched down next to her and Y/N instinctively threw her arms around their form. She didn't care who it was. It could have been Trein for all she cared. All she wanted was a warm embrace. Someone to hold her as she sobbed for her brother to come back and find her. She just wanted him to take her home...
"Y/N," the voice whispered, and Y/N pulled away. She went to wipe her eyes but she was beaten by the hands of her comforter, gently wiping away her tears.
"A-Ace," Y/N asked in a soft voice.
"What happened," he asked, pulling her close to him and allowing her to crawl onto his lap as though she were a little child. He gently ran a hand through her hair, his other hand holding her body tight to his as he allowed her to cry. "It's okay," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "It's okay... It's okay... Just tell me what happened."
"Someone," Y/N sobbed, clutching Ace's blazer. "Someone held me back! The portal shut before I could get through!"
"Who?" Y/N felt Ace's arms tighten around her.
"I-I don't know," she cried, burrowing deeper into Ace's clothing. "I-I d-don't know..." She pulled away and stared at Ace, tears streaming from her eyes. "I-I c-can't g-go home now, A-Ace. I-I'm s-stuck here, f-forever!"
Ace gently caressed Y/N's cheek, pulling her close again as he realised that she still needed a warm embrace.
"I just want Yuu," Y/N whispered. "I didn't care if he was here. I... I just want him back." She inhaled sharply and sniffed, trying to dull the ache in her heart. "I want my brother back..." Y/N let loose another wave of sobs and clung tighter to Ace.
She didn't realise that he had picked her up. She didn't realise that he was slowly moving away from the mirror chamber and back to the Ramshackle dorm, all the while holding her tight in his arms, and allowing her to get out her sobs. All the while, he stroked her back, whispering sweet nothings to her as he kicked open the door to her dorm, taking her up the stairs and gently lying her down in her bed.
Ace gently pulled the covers over the girl's shaking form, brushing away the hair from her face, trailing his hand along her cheek. "Will you be all right," he asked in a soft voice. A softer voice than what Y/N was used to hearing from the boy.
Y/N's eyes slowly blinked open and she held Ace's hand tight in hers. She just wanted the contact of another body against her own. Though she desperately wanted her brother to hold her telling her that everything would be okay, she wanted someone... anyone... to hold her and tell her that they would take his place. Take Yuu's place in loving her. Take Yuu's place in giving her the comfort that she needed.
"I-I don't know," Y/N whispered into the back of Ace's hand, her lips gently caressing his skin. "I don't know..." The words started to sink in and she rolled over, turning away from Ace and sobbing into her pillow. It still smelled like Yuu. She lifted up the sweater she was wearing, inhaling the scent of her brother. It would only last for so long.
Ace sighed and got to his feet, shutting the blinds to Y/N's room. "You should get some rest," he whispered. He shut the other blinds and walked back over to Y/N, running his hand through her hair. "I'll go and let Cro-"
Y/N suddenly flew from the bed and threw her arms around Ace, burrowing into his chest. "NO!" She held his body tight, pulling him down onto the bed beside her. "No... Please..."
Ace frowned. "What do you want me to do?"
"Hold me," Y/N murmured. "Just hold me. Please."
Ace smiled and shrugged off his blazer, tossing it carelessly onto a chair in the corner of the room. Then, he shook off his shoes and crawled into the bed with Y/N, slipping in beside her and opening his arms. She dove into his chest, still sobbing tears of agonising heartbreak, and muttering incoherently. Ace gently wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"Please don't leave me, Ace," Y/N whispered as she felt a wave of sleep start to wash over her. She couldn't imagine someone else leaving her life.
Ace smiled and gently tilted her face to meet his. He gave her a small peck on the forehead and pressed his nose against hers. "I will never leave you, Y/N."
Y/N gave him a small smile and snuggled into his warmth, falling asleep in a matter of minutes.
Once he was sure she was asleep, Ace's calm smile morphed into a twisted grin. This was working out better than he had hoped. Not only had Y/N not been able to return to her world, but she was completely dependent on him now. He had been there for her in a time of desperate need, a time when her brother had unintentionally abandoned her, leaving her in a world that she didn't belong in. And Ace had been there to save the day. He was her hero. Now all he had to do was make sure that she didn't remember someone holding her back.
"Y/N," he whispered, gently shaking her, testing to see if she would wake up. When she didn't, he tried again.
But after the fifth time, he pulled out his wand and pressed the gem to her skull. She didn't need the memory of someone holding her back. All she needed to remember was that the portal had closed before she could get through and that Ace had been there to help her heal.
He had spent weeks in the library, preparing for this exact moment. He had overheard Crowley and Crewel talking months before about how to return the twins to their world, and upon realising that they were getting closer, Ace realised that he couldn't let his darling leave him. Not just like that. They were supposed to grow old together and live out the remainder of their lives in a small cottage in the Queendom of Roses.
Ace watched as Y/N shuddered, the memory slowly morphing in her head. When she awoke, she would only remember how Ace had been the one to help her. She wouldn't remember the feel of his arms around her waist, holding her away from the portal. She wouldn't remember Yuu reaching back for her. She would only remember Crowley warning them of the time constraint, Yuu walking through, and the portal shutting before Y/N could get to it. And of course, Ace swooped in to save the day.
No one would question where he was during the departure of the twins. Riddle had sentenced him to paint every one of the roses red, and with the use of some advanced magic, the roses were painted in a mere matter of minutes, leaving Ace to do as he pleased. Thank goodness he had to pass by the Mirror Chamber to reach his classroom. No one could question him.
"I love you, Y/N," Ace grinned, slipping his pen back into his jacket pocket. "And soon, you shall love me too."