26: Look at What You've Become
When both of your paths never collided from the start
Warnings: Possible heart-breaking, Generally Angst, Cursing
What if he never even met you in the first place?
Would things have been much different or would it affect not even the slightest of things?
Would he still be him?
All these impeccably foolish questions resonated through your head in a taunting manner, making your head and heart ache terribly at your own thoughts and what ifs. They were littered in golden possibilities within your feeble mind and it made you so frightened yet so curious of what Fate had in mind.
It's funny how after such a long eventful day (previous chapter), your mind attacks you with these damned judgements just as you began to think you had the chance to spend the rest of the day lying down and finding peace within yourself. Determined to receive a good rest, you forcefully shut your eyes close, hiding those dulled (e/c) hues and warily went to sleep with an uncertain heart.
As you drifted into a troubled slumber, you saw nothing but darkness-not the usual soothing one but the empty void that terrified you to no end as you sat in anticipation.
You waited for something to happen-and it did.
Francois Bonnefoy
You groggily awoke your senses in a bed that you instantly knew wasn't the one from the hospital. No, this bed was immensely fluffy to a point in which you thought you'd fall back to sleep if you close your eyes for a moment-it was unlike the dreadful hospital bed you were provided with, the one that was deceivingly soft yet awfully uncomfortable to lie on. This realization brought upon your awakening was conveyed by a sense of familiarity to your senses but it still left you quite unsure.
With one eye open to take a peak, you found yourself correct with the guess that you were back within the walls of your shared bedroom with Francois, but something felt horribly wrong and out of place. Hoisting yourself up and deciding to take a look around for yourself, you swung your feet to the side in order to get on your feet but you fail to do so as a startled gasp came from your lips. With (e/c) eyes as wide as saucers, you were unable to let go of the breath you've been holding back at the sight of a piece of lingerie lying on the carpeted floor. You were very much sure about one thing;
Sure as hell, those damned pair of lacy baby blue panties weren't yours.
Crawling towards the clean and opposite side of the bed, you fumed as you gently tip-toed around the clothes scattered on the floor with a heart pounding wildly against your ribcages. Once you made it out of the bedroom, distant voices began to reach your ears and it piqued your curiosity. Along your little quest to find the source of the noises, you noticed that the place was duller than the last time you recalled seeing it-you began to wonder why.
The sound lead you to a familiar path to Francois' office and you took notice of how the doors were already wide open. Immediately, you let yourself inside but regretted doing so just as fast as you entered, seeing another woman draped across Francois lap like needy dog as she was dressed in only his shirt. More hurtful was the fact that he didn't do anything about it at all. He only sat there silently, barely listening to her talk and inhaling the cancer stick between his lips. The woman noticed his behaviour and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Are you even listening?" she whines, trailing her hands across his chest.
Francois seemed to have had enough of her presence by then, purposely blowing the cigar smoke to her pathetic face. "I didn't pay you to talk and pester me," he harshly comments, placing the cigar back to its tray as he pushed the lady off his lap. He began to reach for an envelope and opened it to reveal a bid wad of cash that made the girl almost drool at the sight. He tossed it at her and waved his hand in a gesture. Simeon came out of nowhere and grabbed the woman's arm-it almost terrified you to see him so solemn like that. "Leave," Francois barely commands as Simeon dragged the woman to the exit, ignoring her calls for a next time.
You couldn't discern the tears that flowed endlessly down your cheeks, not until you felt the tears pool down your neck, drenching the fabric of your hospital gown. You had to look away from him and his state and when you did, you couldn't believe your eyes. There on the wall was the calendar, telling you the date and how it was set back two years ago-the day when you first met Francois.
Is this what Fate had in mind for the French counterpart-in a life without you?
Allen Jones
The familiar pungent smell of down town Los Angeles filled your senses, causing you to flutter your eyes open at the feel of familiarity. It reminded you of a certain day back when Allen had attempted to steal your heart then learned to work hard for it through time. You smile fondly at the memory, not even realizing that the very man you were thinking of was approaching you closer by the minute-not until he literally walked through you as if you were a mere speck of dust.
You tried grabbing a fistful of his dearest bomber jacket but failed to do so as it simply slipped past your fingertips. Not even at the call of his name, he didn't turn his attention towards you and continued on with whatever business he had, going to a familiar street-the very street where you first met, over a year ago with a very awful pickup line.
In shock, you let out a gasp when he suddenly retraces his tracks, going back to a vending machine opposite the street that started it all. "I think I'll get... Root beer," he ponders to himself, clapping in satisfaction when his drink was delivered to him, fresh and ice cold. "Jones, it's a pleasure seeing you here," you both heard a voice taunt. Staring at the opposite way, Allen meets the cold eyes of an old foe. Two men came out of the shadows and into your field of view, instantly seeing them toying with their knives. Instinctively, you were horrified but Allen only grinned like a Cheshire cat with a crazed glint in his red eyes that made you equally petrified.
"Well, hey there Big Joe," you boyfriend merely greeted, or at least you thought he still was. With the way he's acting, it reminded you of the old Allen and he was someone you didn't quite like. The alpha of the two snarled at Allen's remark, glancing briefly at the nailed baseball bat within Allen's hold. "You know, my brother lost his life thanks to that shitty bat of yours," 'Big Joe' mused as he started to crack his knuckles, "I think I should return the favour."
Allen thankfully ducked in time at the sudden swing of knife thrown at him. As the fight began to commence, there was nothing you can do with a ghostlike state and it tore you apart, seeing Allen in his old ways and get his stupid ass beaten up. But what 'Big Joe' said really shocked you; Allen killed someone? How could he? I mean, sure he's a big dingle but to that extent? Really?
What really pulled your eyes away from the scene, however, was a figure walking by the street and by God, you almost lost all the shit in your system, seeing the fact that the person you were looking at right now was...
YOU. [*le gasp*]
The real you in flesh and blood, wearing the same set of clothes you recall wearing to work that night you met Allen [and handed his ass to him]. (Y/N) halted on her tracks, hearing the ruckus Allen and his 'friends' made next to the garbage cans. You could've sworn she and Allen had a brief eye contact before she quickly walked away, not wanting any shit he was having.
But right now, with your mind blurring in confusion, your thoughts began to attack you once more to a point that it made your head hurt at the suggestions and theories it thought of.
If your assumptions about the situation at hand were correct in any way; that would mean that the date mirrors the faithful day of your first meeting with Allen-that would also mean that this is the aftermath of not having to be involved with him. Would that mean he'd be an immortal soul lost in his own way without meeting you in the first place?
[YES. He's very much fxcked up if he ain't gon be with you. Istg this boy.]
Mathieu Williams
It almost scared you shitless, waking up to a sense of a barren space beside your motionless figure. The lost sensation of Matt's arms around you almost felt dreadfully foreign and it brought you back to the painful days before that faithful moment. Finally mustering enough courage, you fluttered your eyes open, only to find out that you were lying on a soft pile of snow. The fact that you haven't already frozen to death stunned you to oblivion, considering you were only clad in the thin clothes you wore to bed the night before. Everything felt numb and it was a deafening silence that almost agonizingly ticked at the back of your head. You almost itched for a commotion to happen with all the unusual tranquillity. For God's sake, not even so long ago, you were attacked by wolves!
It was until you heard a distant crunching of snow, signalling an arrival of an entity near you. You immediately got to your feet, despite of your discomfort to the numbing sensation throughout your body. With your (e/c) eyes scanning the environment like a hawk, you instantly spotted a massive bush rustling. To your surprise, Kuma's familiar furry head came into view, sniffling about on the ground. An irresistible grin formed on your face straight away after seeing the huge polar bear.
Just as you took a step forward to nuzzle into Kuma's fur, an enraged Matt came into view. Oddly, he looked more ragged than usual-much like the old times. "Matt?" you curiously called out but it went unheard as you watched him approached Kuma in angry stomps. "Kuma you little shit, get back to the cabin!" he scorned, throwing his arm out to point to a direction which you figured was where the log cabin was. The polar bear let out a ferocious snarl before begrudgingly obeying Matt's orders and strutting off into the cold forest. Matt angrily let out an outbreath and kicked a meek pebble off the ground, leaving once he got himself together. From the corner of your eyes, you could've sworn you saw yourself pass through the trees and at this, your eyebrows remained knitted together in worry and confusion. What exactly was going on?
Deciding on following your boys back to the lodge, you marched towards the little cabin whilst you clutched Matt's red flannel closer around you. Once you arrived at the front door, you reached for the knob, almost scaring yourself to death when your hand went through. Hesitantly, you allowed yourself to go through the door and with timid steps, you ventured through every room in the house, noticing that a lot of the things were misplaced and unorganized as hell. You were almost certain that a raccoon can be hiding underneath the mess in the living room.
In the end, you found Matt sprawled across the bedroom floor with Kuma curled up far away from him. It would've made you laugh, seeing them like this, but seeing that things are out of hand without anything you can do about it, you deemed it helpless. Matt suddenly opened his lips to voice his thoughts, startling you and Kuma (almost). "I'm starting to feel hopeless, Kuma-almost lonely too. Being an immortal sucks when you have no one else to spend even a fraction of your endless life with, you know? I'd almost beg for someone else other than you, but then that wouldn't shut Allen up-that little fucker's a pain in the ass," he confesses out of the blue as he stares up the ceiling. He feels Kuma's stare on him, making him unenthusiastically laugh at himself. "God, I'm going nuts, aren't I?" Matt then looks at his best friend with the littlest of smiles.
"But I guess, it'll just be me and you, buddy,"
[Omfg. Too much?]
Oliver Kirkland
The whole 'waking up to the scent of freshly baked goods' was the usual for you ever since you became Oliver's girlfriend. Odd thing was, when you just fluttered your eyes open to the aroma of (your favourite) cupcakes, you were greeted by the vivid contrast of blue and pink wallpaper in the bakery. It was more vibrant that you last recalled it was-as if it were just recently painted. In fact, all of the bakery décor surrounding you right now was unusually reeking of "new and fresh". There were lesser tables and chairs occupying the space, but all of them were polished clean, nonetheless. The welcoming sign you gifted Oliver was gone from its usual place. Some of posters you and Ollie made were missing from the wall as well. Did Ollie arrange a repainting and reorganizing scheme without you knowing?
Once you took it upon yourself to investigate further, you saw Oliver taking out a fresh batch of (your favourite) cupcakes from the oven. "Not even my (f/c) apron is on the hook!" you murmured to yourself, irately coming up to question him. A bit of the sanity you had went down the drain, seeing your hand go through Oliver's shoulder. Barely even uttering straight, your eyes wandered around in panic for an explanation of sorts. The pink calendar on the wall told a specific date and you began to understand-sort of. "Oh-kay, breathe, (Y/N), breathe. This is just a dream, okay? This'll be first time you and Ollie met, okay? It's all going to be fine," you began to assure yourself with deep intakes of air to keep yourself from panicking. Your eyes then darted for the clock, seeing that it was around eight in the morning. "I went to the bakery around ten-I think. This should be easy," you started to watch Oliver bake as you wait for the other you to arrive.
All the while, you saw Oliver began to sulk when he saw not a single customer in his bakery. "Goodness, not a single customer since eight," he frowns at the strike of nine-fifty. "Don't worry, Ollie. I'm sure someone will come," you told him, even though you were certain that he couldn't hear a single word you said. With his eyes turning glossy and brimming of tears, your heart broke into pieces, seeing as you couldn't do anything about it. Stubbornly, you kept throwing your arms around Ollie even if it fell through at times. "I'm such a failure," he wept into his hands as he hid behind the kitchen doors. "Arthur was right... Investing in this bakery was pure nonsense. I couldn't even go through a day without giving out leftovers at the end of the day," you shook your head at Oliver's words. "That's not true! Everyone loves your cupcakes!" you went against him, almost crying yourself. "A week into business and I already lost more money than I earned... Why do I even exist?" he continues to mope, staring upwards into the ceiling. "Why? Is this a cruel joke to you? Am I a joke to you?" Oliver's breathing became uneven from his feverish sobbing, hurting you inside as well.
You anxiously waited for the other (Y/N)'s arrival, hoping that she'll come instead and comfort him since you had no ability to do so at the moment. Time passed by and Oliver numbly stares at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes and a bloody hand. Not long ago, he trashed his baking utensils and tools around in a fit of anger. Ten-thirty had passed and you idly sat still next to Ollie with tear-stained cheeks.
It was futile yet you kept hoping-hoping that you'd burst through the doors and save Oliver from his misery.
[MUCH SAD T-T]
Luciano Vargas
The feel of leathery surface and scent of Italian pasta were one of the primary factors of your awakening. Strangely, you found yourself lying across Luciano's expensive luxury sofa-very different from the place where you last recalled falling asleep. Did one of Luciano's men carry you to his office when you fell asleep in the van? If so, that was a very jerk move-a bed would've been much nicer. How long were you out anyways?
[I can probably sleep for more than 22 hours and beat Suga but as I was sayin;]
Another peculiar occurrence was the fact that everything was a huge pile of chaos; shattered beer bottles scattered on the floor, newspaper sheets blown away by the wind and stacks of empty pasta plates were threatening to teeter down. In the middle of it all was Luciano, snoring away in his armchair with pasta-stained lips.
While it came to you that Luciano wasn't the kind to get up and clean his office, you didn't exactly expect him to bask against his armchair in the middle of his muddled office. Truth be told, you, yourself, weren't the clean freak type either but that's not the point! Granted, Luciano's schedule must be quite full but he could've sent several maids and servants to clean his work place! How can he stand to work in such a cluttered mess?
A loud boom coming from the double office doors startled both you and the sleeping Luciano while Flavio came angrily marching in. "THAT'S IT, LUCIANO!!! GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THIS HOUSE OR I'LL USE FORCE!!!" Flavio bellowed, causing Luciano to fall out of his chair at the sudden volume of his voice. A colourful string of Italian words came from Luciano as he composed himself to stand on his feet. "You haven't gone out of this cave for five days after Catalina ended her relationship with you. Stop sulking, grow a pair and improve your social life, you bastardo!" Flavio continues to yell at his younger brother, thankfully much calmer than before. You found yourself repeating the last words he screamed. "Yeah! Grow a pair and impro-"
You paused as the words began to echo in your head. "-Wait! Who's Catalina?!" your question went unheard as if you were never there in the first place. You attempted to push Flavio for an answer but instead, you went through him like dust and you went falling towards the floor. After a fleeting moment of pain, your eyes met the ruby red sheets of the calendar, hiding behind the pile of paperwork. Today was supposedly the day you met Luciano-but how is that even possible?!! [with magic, (Y/N)]
Flavio and Luciano began to yell at each other in furious Italian which made your head hurt from trying to decipher their words. At one point, Flavio threw his arms up in feverish defeat, glaring at Luciano. "Fine! I'm going out without you! Enjoy the rest of your miserable life alone, Luciano," Flavio sneered with hate before leaving the room-making sure to shut it loudly to express his anger. After that, there was a deafening silence that gnawed you inside. You knew it wounded Luciano emotionally-he had that softening look on his face whilst he balled his fist in feeble attempts to not break down.
"He doesn't understand..." you heard Luciano seethe through his teeth. "... no one ever does... To hell with all of them!!!" he began angrily trashing objects from his desk, startling you as you cried at your futile state. You really wanted to hug him right now but this situation's making it impossible. Luciano began to turn red-You weren't sure if it was because of his boiling anger or bottling emotions. "Or maybe... I'm just meant to be alone... forever..." you heard his voice crack at the thought of it and somehow, it made your heart clench as well. He stared numbly at the ceiling, as if blaming God for his misery.
"Is to love and be loved too much to ask for?"
~
AND THE PLOT THICKENS!!! MwahAHHAHAH
But yeah, I know, I know, you guys want some fluff-BUT I can't give it to you guys just yet. A big one's coming soon and these angsty scenarios are somewhat connected to 'em-so hang in there!
Also, I'm sorry for taking so long... I was sulking over BTS...
Lots of Love,
Author-chan