Request from Lukadrien_Unlimited
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~The Brink~
SHIP: Filedros/Fedros/Tillip (Tedros and Filip) (what even IS their Ship name?)
SETTING: Takes place at the School for Boys sometime during AWWP.
SCENARIO: Tedros manages to sneak into the school for Girls with intentions of killing his princess, Agatha, but little does he know that someone is following him, eager to change his mind. Will Tedros have a change of heart, or will Agatha's story come to an end?
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The night was dark and the darkness, infinite. The Cold seeped through Tedros's bones as he wrapped his cloak around him tighter, his boots crunching over the frosted ground as he made his way along.
Tedros's roommate, Fillip, had been busy with Storian duty when Tedros decided to sneak out. The trial between the boys and girls was to wage tomorrow, but Tedros couldn't bear to go in.
Everybody expected him to kill Agatha and Sophie, for it was him who'd placed a warrant on both of their heads. But Agatha leaving him behind for Sophie was a bigger betrayal to Tedros than anyone could ever realize.
Killing Agatha was more personal. Tedros, as Agatha's ex, had to kill her in a way that said he despised her with every fiber of his being. He had to prove to himself and everyone else that he wasn't like his father. He wasn't King Arthur.
Tedros's father had put a warrant on his own wife's head, a wife who'd been unfaithful by running off with Arthur's knight, Lancelot. Arthur had hated Guinevere for her betrayal.
Tedros, like his father, had been betrayed by his true love. He'd been rejected by Agatha for a blonde witch who'd almost destroyed the school for good and evil their first year.
Once upon a time, Tedros thought he could trust Agatha with anything. He thought he could trust her not to break his heart, but here he was, on his path to kill her.
Tedros had racked his brain through the many ways he could complete his task. He thought of giving Agatha poisonous lipstick (than, he remembered Agatha didn't like lipstick). He contemplated pushing her out a window (no doubt he'd find her in her old room). But nothing seemed right until his mind turned to Excalibur, his father's once treasured sword.
Tedros decided he would stab Agatha using good's greatest weapon. By killing her with Excalibur, he would be saving himself a lifetime of torment. Tedros would put an end to Agatha and when Sophie came around, he would use Agatha's lifeless body as bait to lure the blonde witch into a trap. Than, both girls would soon be dead and the schools would go back to how they used to be.
Tedros halted briefly, seeing the shield protecting the school for Girls glinting in the darkness. He reached into his cloak pocket to grab a piece of cloth.
It wasn't like Tedros had intended to sneak into the School for Girls without a way of breaking through the shield. He'd managed to procure a bit of Aric's blood, and given Aric was the only boy who could manage to break through Lady Lesso's defenses, it was plain luck that Tedros got a few drops.
It's been when Aric had gone into the sewers to punish Tedros. When Fillip has pinned Aric against the wall to save Tedros, Aric had bled on the back of his head—blood that smeared on the bricks.
Tedros shuddered at the memory of that sadist who was no doubt punishing boys as he stood there, about to sneak into the school for girls to kill his ex princess.
Tedros's thoughts turned to Fillip. After the short time Tedros and Fillip had gotten to know each other, they seemed to be the best of friends now. After all, it wasn't everyday that a strange boy saved Tedros's life.
Tedros was grateful to have Fillip as his friend. He'd never been so close to a boy who seemed to see him for who he truly was; not just a prince hiding behind a pretty face, but a boy not yet a man.
Part of Tedros feared he would lose Fillip in the trial, that Fillip would be struck down by Agatha and Sophie. But Tedros couldn't let that happen.
That was why he was sneaking through the shield now. He wasn't just doing this to protect his heart, he was doing it for Fillip too. To protect Fillip.
Tedros sucked in a deep breath as if to compose himself before he tightened his cloak once again. Extending his trembling hands, he lit his finger glow and directed the gold hue at the bloodied cloth.
"Tedros!" A voice made him jump in shock. He spun around, finger lit up in warning.
In the shadows, Tedros glimpsed blonde hair and a flash of green eyes. For a single moment, he thought it was Sophie, and he felt anger resonate within him. Than, as the figure came into view, he saw the intruder's body was muscular, skin covered by a boy's uniform similar to Tedros's own attire.
"Fillip," Tedros breathed in realization, finger glow dimming. "What are you doing here?"
Fillip bawled over instead of answering him immediately. The elfish boy's chest heaved and he was panting as if he'd just run miles.
"I caught you after—stor—Storian duty," Fillip panted, rubbing his calves. "Are you crazy, Tedros? You can't be this close to the shield. If the girls catch you, they'll kill you, especially—"
"Sophie, I know, I know," Tedros finished for him, crossing his arms. "Trust me, Fillip. I can handle myself. You didn't have to follow me all the way over here. And why are you panting so bad? I swear you act like a girl sometimes."
Although Tedros could only make out Fillip's green eyes in the darkness, he swore the blonde boy blushed.
"But seriously," Tedros said. "If you're too chicken butt to sneak into the girl's castle, you can go back. I'm tired of our stupid training and preparing for the trial. Besides, no one back at the boys' school appreciates me anymore after the way they blamed me for 'losing the Storian.'"
Fillip neared closer to Tedros and the prince finally made out his friend's soft, almost feminine features. Fillip had a concerned expression on his face.
"I appreciate you," Fillip said in his deep voice. His hand squeezed Tedros's shoulder, and Tedros couldn't help the way his heart seemed to flutter at the contact.
"I need to kill her," Tedros told Fillip, his voice shaky as he struggled to keep his emotions at bay. "I need to kill both of them. Only when Agatha and Sophie are dead can I be free. Free of the pain they caused me. Free of my father's shadow that always seems to cast over me. You understand, Fillip. Don't you?"
Fillip didn't respond. Tedros watched his mouth open, but no words came out. The elfish boy was gaping at Tedros as if he couldn't believe his ears. It was like Fillip didn't fully support Tedros in his goal to destroy two girls who'd belittled him. It was like Fillip was on their side instead of his.
"You get it, Fillip," Tedros spoke up when Fillip still hadn't said anything. He stared deep into his friend's emerald green eyes, the same shade of the eyes of a girl Tedros hated. But the boy before Tedros was Fillip, his pal, his best friend. "I can't become him. I can't become what my father was," Tedros insisted, grabbing Fillip's shoulders and squeezing.
"You're Tedros," Fillip said, his voice raspy as if his tongue was suddenly made of sandpaper. "You kill Agatha and Sophie and you'll become evil. Every good deed you've done along the way will mean nothing if you lose your soul. Please, Tedros. You're better than this. I know it. I've seen it."
Staring into Fillip's big green eyes, Tedros felt his already broken heart shatter like glass. The two boys had only known each other a few days, but here they were, acting as if they'd been lifelong friends.
Fillip shouldn't have been so concerned about Tedros losing his soul. Yet, Fillip acted as if he knew Tedros, inside and out, as if they'd known each other for much longer than a few meager days.
"How do you know?" Tedros asked, feeling the wind ruffle his golden hair. "How do you know I'll lose my soul if I go through with killing Agatha and Sophie? You can't possibly know me, Fillip. You're wrong. I'm not better than what I used to be. You're blind!"
Fillip seized Tedros's wrists and before Tedros could react, Fillip shoved him forward. Tedros felt his elbow scrap against the frosted ground and in the darkness, his knee accidentally jammed in between Fillip's legs. A groan ripped from Fillip's throat and it was only when Tedros lit his finger glow did he find that he had fallen on top of Fillip with Fillip on his back.
"What was that for—" Tedros began, but Fillip cut him off by slamming a hand over his mouth.
Tedros saw Fillip's attention was directed past him and Tedros followed his gaze to the shield protecting the School for Girls. In the darkness, two girls were twirling about, seemingly dancing.
Tedros couldn't see their faces, but he could pick up the sound of their voices flitting on the rising wind.
"Who needs boys when we can be free of their masculinity, of their controlling demeanors?" The first girl spoke, her voice soft. "I might've liked Tristan, like a lot back at the school for good, but I'm completely over him now. He's old news!"
Tedros recognized the voice. It was Kiko. He strained to see who Kiko was with, but Fillip yanked him down. The boys' chests were flush against each other and Tedros could hear the steady thump of their heart beats syncing up.
It was only when Tedros and Fillip's eyes locked that Tedros realized how undeniably close they were to each other. Their noses brushed and their breathes fanned each other's faces in a battle for dominance.
Tedros knew he should pull away. He knew it wasn't right for two boys to be so close to each other, but Fillip's intense gaze kept him rooted to the spot.
Agatha, Agatha, Agatha! Tedros's mind screamed over and over again. Agatha was still his princess although she'd rejected him for Sophie. Deep down, a part of Tedros still loved Agatha despite his urge to make her pay the price for her betrayal.
But staring at Fillip's face, Tedros felt the thought of Agatha drift away until he couldn't even remember why he'd cared so much for Agatha in the first place. All Tedros could focus on was the boy laying beneath him, a boy who saw the true him the same way Agatha used to see him.
"You're not broken," Fillip whispered, his tone soft. A finger caressed Tedros's cheek and in the elfish boy's gaze, Tedros saw his own shattered soul staring back at him.
"I'm the broken one," Fillip went on, his chest rising and falling beneath Tedros. "I know what it's like to lose yourself, to feel as if everyone you've ever loved has betrayed you. Killing Agatha and Sophie won't solve your problems. Killing them won't save yourself from anymore pain."
Tears pricked Tedros's eyes and when he blinked, those tears were rolling down his face, falling onto Fillip's own face. Fillip's mouth gaped as if to catch Tedros's fallen tears on his tongue, to taste the saltiness of Tedros's sadness.
"Maybe we can be broken together," Tedros suggested gently, capturing Fillip's hand in his own. Their fingers became intertwined and their hands seemed to mold together like two puzzle pieces fitting into place.
Tedros's mind and heart were at odds as he found himself drawing closer to the boy beneath him. Even as his mind recalled all the many wonderful memories him and his ex-princess had shared (a princess he partially still cared for) his heart had been stolen by another.
Fillip of Mount Honora. He was a boy Tedros barely knew at all, yet still Tedros felt he could trust this boy with every fiber of his being.
Besides, Wasn't that how Agatha had felt towards Sophie?
Agatha had chosen a girl over a boy. She'd chosen friendship over love, and now—Now Tedros was about to choose a boy over her, just like she'd done to him once upon a time.
"Tedros," Fillip warned, tensing as Tedros's lips brushed against his own. Tedros detected a hint of weakness in Fillip's tone as if the two boys' closeness was having the same effect on him as it had on Tedros.
Before Tedros knew it, his lips were descending upon Fillip's and than Fillip's fingernails were digging into his hair, tugging the soft strands.
It was like Tedros was on the brink of losing himself and Fillip was his way out. Fillip was Tedros's savior. And kissing Fillip was like an addiction Tedros couldn't get enough of as their lips molded together, moving in sync for what felt like an eternity.
Suddenly, Fillip's palms pressed against Tedros's chest and Tedros felt Fillip push against him in an attempt to break them apart.
"I—I'm sorry," Fillip stammered, his green eyes flaring in alarm as he leapt to his feet, hands out in front of him in a gesture of peace. "I—I shouldn't have—"
"No, Fillip," Tedros objected, scrubbing a hand down his face. "It's my fault...I was the one who—who kissed you first." Just saying it made Tedros's chest tighten and he felt his fingers curl into fists.
Tedros screwed his eyes shut, turning away from his friend. But even blind, Tedros could still feel Fillip's body flush against his own, still taste Fillip's lips, and still recall Fillip's fingers tangling in his hair.
Tedros struggled to comprehend what had happened, but just the idea of him kissing another boy was unfathomable. It shouldn't have felt so right, so tender, so passionate to kiss someone he only saw as a best friend. It shouldn't have felt good to kiss anyone other than the princess who'd torn out his heart. But kissing Fillip was like nothing Tedros had never felt before, not even with Agatha.
"No, really," Fillip argued, and Tedros fixated his gaze upon the frosted grass at his boots as if that would keep his attention from drifting to the boy behind him.
"You...you're still in love with her—with Agatha," Fillip whispered, voicing Tedros's fears. "So why kill her just because she broke your heart? Why not just let her go, not by killing her, but by finding...a different love. A love you know won't hurt you."
Tedros felt his throat tighten as if an invisible hand had wrapped around his neck to squeeze the breath from his lungs. His hands moved behind him and his fingers curled tight around the bejeweled hilt of Excalibur. The famous sword was strapped to his back and the flat end of the blade pressed against his spine. The blade felt cold against his skin but the heat pooling in Tedros's chest couldn't be cooled down so easily.
Tedros had never felt so odd, so embarrassed in his life until that moment after him and Fillip's lips had locked. Now, the air was thick with awkwardness. The tension between Tedros and Fillip was so thick, it could be cut with a knife.
Tedros wondered if Fillip was thinking the same things he was about their kiss. Was Fillip feeling confused...overwhelmed...frustrated?
Fillip insisted Tedros let Agatha go instead of killing her. He insisted Tedros move on from Agatha and find somebody new, but who?
Nobody could ever replace the love Tedros had felt for Agatha. Nobody could compare to Agatha. But deep down, as much as Tedros tried to deny it, he knew Fillip spoke the truth.
To kill Agatha would be to destroy everything Tedros once was. By killing Agatha, Tedros would be losing a part of himself—A part he could probably never get back once he lost it.
"I—I'm scared, Fillip," Tedros stammered, his confession ringing through the air. His voice broke, his emotions breaking through the manly exterior he struggled so hard to maintain.
Fillip's arms wound around Tedros's midsection and before Tedros knew it, Fillip had rested his chin on Tedros's shoulder and than the elfish boy was holding the Camelot Prince close.
In Fillip's arms, Tedros felt himself let go. He cried in his friend's arms as Fillip comforted him with a soothing voice.
It was like Tedros had been on the brink of insanity, and it was Fillip who'd saved him from losing himself. And it was on that brink that Tedros truly saw himself in the same way Fillip saw him.
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How'd you guys like it?
I never really shipped Tedros and Fillip but now I kinda do.
Comment and vote??
I MIGHT STILL DO A FEW MORE BONUS CHAPTERS DESPITE THIS JAPARIC FANFIC BEING FINISHED, SO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THOSE.
—Alexis Peters ❤️