Other First Kiss fan fics!!!
Jin Tohma Luca Alan Leo Sho Haru Towa Ren Haku Subaru Taiga Romeo Jiro Rui
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After breaking his curse, whenever you’re around, Rui clings onto you as much as time and space allows.
Writing files? His knees press against yours. Doing chores? He’ll rest his chin on your shoulder. He sees you in the hallway? Immediately linking arms.
And now you were on a picnic with him, his shoulders attached to yours.
You’re not complaining. It wasn’t just Rui that wanted to experience this.
You both view the falling leaves in silence.
The moment felt surreal. You’ve gone on a picnic with Rui many times but every time, there was a distance that needed to be kept. Now it was gone.
“MC-” You turn your head to face him, he does the same. You didn’t expect his face to be so close and you can tell Rui feels the same way.
Your heart races, not just because of the distance but because of what comes after.
But the hesitation lasts a bit too long.
“L-let’s eat.” He shifts toward the basket, his fingers stumbling to open the lid. You’re left a bit stunned.
“R-right.”
________
You try to eat the delicious food, but it’s hard to swallow.
“Sorry.”
“Huh?” You look at him, startled at the sudden confession. “For what?”
“You know…. For dodging that kiss.”
You shake your head immediately. “N-no it’s ok. Sure, it was a bit embarrassing but I totally understand. It can feel like a huge jump, especially for you.”
“That’s not why.” He averts his gaze, his hands clutching the blanket. “I just felt like if we did, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself.”
You purse your lips so your jaw doesn’t drop to the floor.
He always seems to have everything put together. Seeing him, a blushing mess fired up something within you.
“Rui?”
“Hm?” He turns toward you but before he can react, you hug him to the ground.
“M-MC?”
You land a small peck on his cheek. Then his jaw. And his nose. Again and again.
He lifts his hands to his face to hide the growing redness. “Cutie, if you keep going, you might actually kill me.” He murmurs into his palm.
“Rui.” You call out endearingly, sweet as honey. “Rui~ Rui~”
Finally, he cups your face and kisses you, immediately stopping your mischievous antics.
Maybe you should’ve heeded his warning because now it wasn’t you in control.
His arms slide around your waist, pulling you closer like he’s claiming every single part of you.
By the time you pull away, your breathing is uneven.
His eyes don’t look flustered anymore.
They look determined.
“Rui…” you whisper.
He studies your face like he’s memorizing it.
“Wow,” he whispers. “I must be the luckiest guy on earth.”
Description: Rui broke his curse and was sent to pose as a masters student for his fourth-year field work. Now that he can follow through with his flirtatious antics in a place full of ladies, he feels less sure of himself and what he is doing. While trying to figure out his new reality, he finds one thing that grounds him.
Pairing: Rui x fem!reader
Word count: 5.5k
Warnings: anxieties, killing, semi-death
cross-posted on AO3
Rui didn’t know how to feel when his curse was finally lifted. It had been his normal for so long, he wasn’t sure how to react. He simply stared at the spot where the demon he had just slain evaporated into dust. At some point, he managed to start dragging his feet back home. He walked into a low hanging branch, and a leaf scratched his cheek instead of disintegrating into dust.
“Ah,” he said. “I’m no longer cursed,” he finally vocalized.
That night, Rui laid on his bed and fell asleep.
Rui woke up one morning, turning off his alarm before it even had a chance to ring. He pulled on his turtleneck and gloves before walking out of his room to brew some tea. As he waited, he looked around his apartment. Its walls were white, and a cream carpet laid under his slippers—a clear contrast to Obscuary’s darker tones. Potted plants sat on his balcony rather than anomalous vines invading his windows.
At 9:30, he headed towards Taiyo University’s campus. It was, after all, his first day of school. On the way, he noticed a pair of girls spotting him and stopping to gawk. Rui realized at that moment he could now say hi, shake their hands, and even give them a hug. He could deliver his honey-sweet lines like he used to and follow through with the things he said. He could, but instead, the thought makes his skin prick. Putting his head down, he hurried away.
A few more blocks and another girl stopped him.
“Hey there. My name’s Chiko.” She smiled a little too wide.
“H-hi,” he replied. Why’s she talking to him? What should he say back?
“What’s your name?”
“Rui.” His voice sounded weak.
“Okay, Rui. Where are you headed?”
“The life science building.”
“Oh,” she said in a sing-songy voice, “I am heading there too. Mind if I tag along?”
She reached her hands towards his arms, and Rui jumped back.
“I think we should go separately,” he yelped before rushing off.
He held his arms close to himself and hunched his shoulders as he realized more and more eyes on him. His ears began to ring as he willed his feet to move faster and faster and—
“Ah!”
Rui snapped out of his trance as he realized something had collided into him. He looked down and saw a girl on the ground.
“I’m so sorry!” he exclaimed.
“No, I wasn’t watching where I was going either,” she said. She stood up and brushed herself off.
Rui handed her the book she dropped.
“Thanks.” She took one look at his face when she thanked him, but quickly went back to being preoccupied by a scrape on her hand.
“I’m really sorry.”
“Really, it’s fine,” she assured him. “I’m just glad you’re okay. Have a good day!”
Of course he’s okay—he’s a ghoul, he thought as she waved and walked off. She must have felt like she walked into a brick wall. Discreetly, he kissed his fingers and sent a stream of golden dust towards her hand.
After a bit of wandering, Rui finally found his classroom. He was glad he left home extra early, because after getting lost multiple times, he barely had a minute to spare before class. When he walked in, everyone was already whispering in newly formed cliques. He still received a few leering gazes and a few people motioned to the seat next to them for him, but one particular smile caught his attention.
It was the girl he knocked down earlier. She’s smiling as if amused.
“Hello class. Welcome to Anatomy 199. My name is Dr. Bee. Please quickly find a chair,” said the professor as she walked in, startling Rui. He quickly went to take a seat and found himself next to the stranger from the morning.
She gave him a nod of greeting as he sat down before turning her attention to the lecture.
When class finally drew to a close, the girl stretched her arms forward to release the tension in her body before turning to Rui.
“I guess I should finally introduce myself, huh?” she chuckled. Placing a palm on her chest, she said, “My name is __. It is nice to meet you.”
“Rui,” he replied, his voice feeling uncharacteristically stuck in his throat.
“Cool. Guess we’ll be seeing each other around.” __ bent down to pick up her backpack.
“Wait,” blurted Rui before even thinking.
__ looked at him, waiting for him to continue, but he wasn’t sure what to say. She has been the only person since he’s moved here that did not make his skin crawl, and he wanted to stay with her for just a bit longer.
“I, um,” he stammered, “It’s my first day here, and I got kinda lost. Could you show me how to get out of this building?”
__ laughed. “Sure, I can do that,” she agreed, making Rui release a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Oh, and let me give you this too.” She pulled out a post-it note and scribbled her number on it. “If you need any help adjusting, you can give me a call.”
“T-thanks.” The paper felt warm in his hands.
“Well?” she said. “Are you going to leave?”
“Oh! Right!” Rui exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
__ let out another laugh, which Rui realized he could get used to.
“So where did you do your undergrad?” she asked.
“I came from Darkwick Academy.”
“Darkwick? Isn’t that super prestigious? What are you doing at Taiyo U?”
“Well they have a very, let’s just say, niche curriculum there. I thought I’d experience the real world a little too.”
“Still, doesn’t everyone from that school get a cushy, well-paid job?”
Well-paid is questionable, but having to capture anomalies in the middle of the night was definitely not what he would call cushy.
“I just thought I’d keep myself a little more well-rounded,” he lied.
“Hey, good for you.” Pointing to a door, she said, “And there’s the exit. I’ve got another class in this building soon, but I’ll see you next week.”
“Okay,” agreed Rui. He didn’t want to part so soon, but he couldn’t keep her any longer, and a ping from his pocket told him he needed to check his phone soon. “Thanks for your help.”
“No problem.” She flashed him a smile—one that didn’t make him queasy—and turned to leave.
After __ walked out of sight, Rui pulled out his phone to check his notification. Sure enough, it was from whom he expected.
‘Darkwick: Tonight. Expected around the west soccer field. Class C.’
Rui sighed as he tucked the device back into his pocket. The real reason he was here was to complete his fourth year field work, and Taiyo University had been experiencing a strange increase in anomalous activity. Guess he won’t be sleeping much tonight.
After a full night of exterminating a persistent army of two headed moles, Rui shuffled into his Anatomy lab wondering if he should start drinking coffee. It proved to be unneeded as his adrenaline shot up when he saw who walked in five minutes later.
“__?” If he were Lyca, his ears would have popped straight up.
“We’re in the same lab session too? We must be connected by fate,” she joked. Her words made Rui’s stomach squeeze. She chose to sit next to him, which the professor later announced would make them lab partners for the rest of the semester.
“Put on gloves as your TA passes out these femur cross sections,” instructed Dr. Bee. “I want you to appreciate the difference in thickness in cortex and think about the type of stress each side receives.”
Rui pulled off his leather gloves and reached for the nitrile ones sitting above the bench. As he did so, he noticed __ staring.
“Am I doing something wrong?”
“N-no,” __ replied and quickly went to pull on her own gloves. “Sorry for staring.”
“Darkwick’s labs are pretty different, so please let me know if I am doing something wrong.”
“It’s not that, it’s just… Your hands look, well, normal.”
“My hands?”
“You’re always wearing gloves, so I thought—” She waved her hands around to finish the sentence for her.
“Oh.” He had started wearing gloves as a precaution after he was cursed and never really thought about stopping. Unbeknownst to him, they had become sort of a comfort item for him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to assume. Not that there’s anything wrong with having any sort of hands. Or no hands,” she blabbered.
Rui gave her a reassuring smile. “No worries. I’m not offended or anything. Gloves are quite popular in Darkwick, so I guess I just got used to them. It is kind of a dark, medieval kind of place.”
“Oh, I see. They do look cool! You should keep wearing them if you want to.”
Rui nodded as a bone was placed in front of them. He quickly took the chance to change the topic. “So one side of the bone should have a thicker cortical layer, right?”
Over the next couple of months, Rui got to spend more and more time with __. Being lab partners, they often stayed behind in class for extra review or studied together. Their go-to study spot quickly became Rui’s apartment since the library was too loud and __’s non-Darkwick-sponsored apartment was not big enough for two people.
One day, after a few hours of struggling with cranial nerves, the two decided to take a study break by baking cookies. Pretty soon, the smell of red velvet filled the space.
“We are such nerds,” Rui snorted, looking at the neuron-shaped goodies __ placed on the cooling rack.
“And proud,” __ agrees. She turned to hang up her mittens when Rui reached for a unipolar cookie. Having taken off his usual gloves to bake, the heat from the treat travels straight into his hand, making him drop it with a loud clang. “Ah!”
__ whipped around and quickly assessed the situation. “You idiot!” Wasting no time, she flipped on the tap and reached for Rui’s hand. Just as soon as she did so though, she jumped back, putting both hands in the air and leaving Rui confused.
“I’m sorry!” she yelped.
“Why?” Rui asked, putting his hand under water himself. “I was the one who touched the cookie.”
“I know you don’t like being touched.”
Rui looked down at his bare hands. That’s right. “It’s okay. It was necessary,” he assured her.
“But you flinched away.”
He did? He shouldn’t be surprised, but he was disappointed. He’s not bound by his curse anymore, and he didn’t want to live like he was, especially not with __. His heart squeezed with an unknown feeling.
“I didn’t mean to. I’m sor—”
At that moment, his phone buzzed. He recognized that particular notification sound. It is one he couldn’t ignore.
“I’m sorry,” he sighed. “It’s work. Give me a second.”
__ nodded as Rui turned off the water and walked towards his phone. He didn’t even get to read the message before an explosion was heard outside.
“What was that?”
“Nothing!” Rui said a bit too quickly.
‘Darkwick: Class A anomaly in your area. Response required IMMEDIATELY.’
Rui let out a curse. “I need to go in. It’s an emergency.”
“Okay. I will clean up.”
“Thanks,” he said, heading for the door. Before he made it all the way though, he turned back. “__, listen. I don’t hate your touch. I’m just… sorting through some stuff.”
The girl nodded. “I know.”
Rui immediately felt lighter. “And stay here, okay? No matter what. I’ll walk you home tonight. Don’t go before then.”
She nodded again, her cheeks a little red. “Okay.”
Rui took one more look at her before rushing out the door, hand going towards his belt.
The anomalies have been getting more and more violent, he realized as he trudged back home after a narrow victory against tonight’s beast. He willed his feet to go faster, not wanting to keep __ waiting. It was pretty late by this time, and he wondered if she was still in his apartment. He had placed an anomalous barrier around his unit, so it was the only place he knew she’d be safe. He prayed she was still there, but the way his leg was bent backwards made it a long time before he found out.
Rui let out a sigh of relief when he saw a light emanating from his unit. When he got to the door, he already had an apology on his lips.
“__, I’m sorry I—”
His words were cut short when he noticed that she was curled up on his couch, a throw blanket covering her sleeping shoulders.
Rui softened and legs finally gave out, making him collapse onto the floor. Despite his body’s cry for first aid, he pulled himself towards her. Tentatively, he reached out one finger.
__ had always been so patient and honest with him, always keeping her word and making him feel welcome without expecting anything in return. His mind drifted back to their earlier conversation and how he let his past ruin his present and hurt __. He pursed his lips together and, with more determination, willed his finger forward until it came into contact with one of hers. He let out a breath and felt her warmth spread through the single point of contact.
He wondered if she would understand if he told her the truth.
Rui chose a table in a cafe, placing a latte in front of himself and a scone in front of the seat across from him. He could hear whispering voices around him and eyes digging into his skin. He could disappear into the shadows with his artifact, but today, he had to wait. She’d be here soon anyway.
“Rui!”
His gaze popped up from his lap at the sound of her voice. He smiled as she took her seat.
“Hope you like scones,” he said. “I don’t remember you ever bringing coffee to class, but I know you like sweets.”
“Sure do, thanks,” she affirmed.
At that moment, a girl with bleached hair bounced over to his table.
“Hey there, Handsome.”
“Um…” Rui tugged his gloves further up his wrist, and his stomach churned. His eyes darted to __ and found her staring.
“Can I get your number?” the girl asked bravely, shifting her weight onto his table and tipping her phone towards him.
“Excuse me,” interrupted __.
The girl turned to look at her, annoyed and whipping her hair into Rui’s face in the process. “What?”
“I’m literally right here.”
“So? Are you like his girlfriend or something?”
“Yes,” __ said calmly.
The girl scoffed. “Whatever. Guys have time for two anyway, and I can show him a much better time.”
She turned her attention back to Rui who was as red as a tomato. “I-I would never!” he exclaimed.
“Lame,” she tched and stood to leave. “What a waste of time.”
Rui let out a breath when she was finally gone. He could not figure out why he was like this now when honey-laden words used to easily flow from his lips. It was frustrating, especially with how the world began to spin as he ruminated over how all he could do in that situation was sit there like a fool. He could hear a high pitched noise crescendo in his ears until—
“Are you alright?” __ asked, snapping him out of his head.
He still felt kind of dizzy and like his skin was crawling, but it wasn’t anything he wanted to concern her with. “Yeah, that was just weird. Thanks for sending her off.”
__ pressed together her lips. “You know…” she began slowly, “that was a stressful encounter. I think you handled that really well.”
“Thanks? I didn’t do anything though.”
__ shook her head. “You were polite to her even though you didn’t have to be. I think she appreciates it even if she doesn’t realize it. You really did the best possible things with the given situation.”
“Thanks…” A different kind of heat crept up Rui’s neck.
“Do you want to go somewhere else? I can wrap up the scone in a napkin,” __ offered.
“No, it’s okay. The cafe is pretty.” Besides, he realized focusing on her voice made all the other voices melt away. All the eyes prying at him were fine as long as hers was on him too, keeping him safe like a childhood blanket.
“You know,” he said, taking a more cheery tone, “I used to be a huge flirt back in Darkwick.”
“Really?” __ laughed along.
“Seriously. But alas, my youthful days are behind me.”
__ rolled her eyes humorously. “You must have had a lot of girlfriends then.”
“Nah, I just liked to put on a show.”
“So no girlfriend? Not even one?” __ raised an eyebrow.
Unknowingly, Rui’s heart rate began to speed up. “Why do you ask?”
“Have you looked in a mirror?”
Rui choked on his latte at her response. “I, um, uh, t-thanks.”
__ laughed again and handed him a napkin. The conversation flowed elsewhere, but her words stayed in Rui’s brain.
“That means she finds me attractive, right?” he asked an anomaly that night as he sliced its neck with his scythe.
“Maybe she just meant objectively. Like I guess my face is pretty symmetrical, and I did a pretty good job with my haircut this time,” he contemplated with his shower head while lathering shampoo.
Or maybe, he thought while spitting out his toothpaste, “As a man?”
“I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, but the possibility isn’t zero, right?” he mumbled into his pillow.
Rui had gone mad. He must have. He didn’t know if it was due to all those late night anomaly hunts or all the spinal pathways Dr. Bee had him memorize, but one way or another, he had gone mad. Otherwise, there was no way he just blurted out what he did.
“Can I hold your hand?”
__ looked up from her notes from across Rui’s coffee table. Her eyes blinked in surprise.
“I-I mean! I-I was just thinking I should get over my fear of physical contact, y’know? Like it’s probably good if I go into a career with patient interaction. And like, in general, it’s probably good to be able to be a normal person!” he rambled, waving his hands in the air erratically.
__ stifled a laugh. “Sure,” she agreed.
Rui froze while still in a strange pose. “Wait, really?”
“I don’t see why not. If it will help you, I’ll hold your hand any time.” __ shifted her laptop to her left and slid her right hand across the table. She then turned her attention back to her screen.
Rui’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at her fingers. They looked so dainty and fragile. He felt like he could hurt her just by touching them even without his curse. Still, she said it was okay, and Rui knew he had to do this. No, he wanted to do this. Gingerly, he slid his own hand across the table.
It’s okay, he told himself. The curse is gone, and I’m still wearing gloves.
At long last, he managed to brush his fingertips against hers. Almost instinctively, he flinched back, but __ reached forward and grabbed his hand with hers. Her hand was on top of his, applying a firm pressure that felt like it was grounding him. Slowly, Rui allowed himself to relax.
The two stayed like that for a while, silently with the only sound being the clicking of keys and the turning of pages. That was, until __ spoke up.
“You are normal.”
“What?”
“I said you are a normal person,” she replied, referring to what he said earlier. “Even if you have haphephobia, you’re still normal.”
“I’m not what you think I am…” Rui mumbled towards his lap.
“Rui.”
He looked back up at her, pasting on a wide smile. “I was just kidding earlier. I know I’ve got a thing, but it doesn’t bother me too much.”
“Rui,” she said again, ignoring his words. “And even if you’re not, I still like you the way you are, and I will be here for you even when you feel like I shouldn’t be.”
His jaw hung open as she continued to hold him with his gaze. After a while, he bit his lip and choked out, “Do you believe in demons and curses?” He unconsciously held her hand tighter.
“No.”
He felt his heart drop and his grip fade.
__ re-adjusted his hand in hers. “But I will if you tell me they exist.”
That hardly made any sense. “Why?”
“Because I trust you. And if it is something you went through, and if I want to understand you better—which I do—then it is crucial I believe it too.”
Rui couldn’t help but look at her incredulously. She had either got to be a saint or a complete fool. “How can you trust me that much?” Especially when he had done nothing but lie about his entire identity?
__ shrugged. “Maybe because I see the desperation in your eyes for someone to. Or maybe because even you won’t give yourself the benefit of the doubt.”
“You shouldn’t… I’m not who you think I am.” He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to gate in the tears that threatened to fall.
“I know you are someone who wants the best for me, no matter the cost. Am I wrong?” she said gently.
“No,” he choked out honestly, “you’re not.”
“Then that’s good enough for me.”
How could that be good enough for her? Surely, anyone—let alone someone so kind hearted—deserved someone who wasn’t a life-sucking, demon-eating, pathological liar. Someone like __ didn’t deserve all his fabricated stories and emotional baggage.
“I’m sorry.” He felt a tear slide down his nose and the dam quickly completely breaking soon after. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
__ walked around the table with his hand still in hers and sat beside him. She leaned his head against her shoulder which he did not resist nor flinch against.
“I’m sorry,” he continued sobbing, letting all the lies he told eat at him. He recalled every excuse he told her when Darkwick called and the stories he’d spin when he returned. He recalled telling her the fake background story Darkwick made up for him and her memorizing every detail. Everything she knew about him was a lie. Everything except how he felt.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated weakly when all his strength had left him through tears.
“I know, and it’s okay,” she said, making him feel like everything really was.
“I like you… so much,” he mindlessly mumbled incoherently.
__ shifted his weight as Rui began to droop more and more.
“Tell me about a curse,” she prompted him.
“Well, there is this one with a grim reaper…”
He told her stories, real ones, until his words began to slur and his consciousness gave into her warmth.
Rui woke up to a ray of sun shining through the window. He realized he was on the ground with his head on a pillow and a sheet pulled over his torso.
“__?” he called when he realized her presence.
The girl quickly ran her hand across her eyes and turned to him. “You’re awake. Sorry about the floor; I couldn’t lift you into bed.”
“That’s fine,” he assured her. His brows furrowed when he took a closer look at her. “__, is everything okay?”
She took his bedding and quickly turned away. “Y-yeah.”
Rui frowns. “Hn.”
That was enough to get __ to whip around. Her eyes were definitely red. “Y-you!”
“Me?” Rui blinked.
Another tear slipped down __’s cheek which sent a wave of panic through Rui.
“Why’d you have to go through all that?” she wailed, pointing at her laptop.
Rui followed her finger and saw multiple tabs on the grim reaper’s curse.
“You spent all night crying for me?” He felt his heart swell.
__ mumbled something incoherent and threw the pillow at his face. Rui couldn’t help the smile that spread across his features. He took the blanket from her and tossed it onto the couch. To both their surprise, he then moved to wrap her into a hug.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
“We can’t dawdle; we got a test today,” __ complained weakly.
“You’re not letting go either,” Rui chuckled, feeling her arms tighten around him.
“One more minute,” she bargained.
After a while and after they had freshened up, Rui grabbed his bag to meet __ by the door. He went to open it when he felt a tug on his hand. He turned to see what was wrong.
__ cleared her throat. “L-let’s go,” she said, not letting go as a blush spread across her face.
Rui was about to reply when a familiar ping sounded in his pocket.
“Do you need to get that?” __ asked with a frown.
Rui looked at their hands. “No, it’ll be fine,” he decided. “We’ve got a test.”
The way __’s face brightened increased his confidence in his decision.
“Let’s go!”
‘Darkwick: Unknown HIGH energy anomaly detected nearby. Response required IMMEDIATELY.’
The room was silent save for the scritching of pencils on paper. Rui’s phone was completely turned off and stored in his bag. Not exactly pressured to do well, Rui allowed himself to shift his gaze over to the girl beside him. Her brows were slightly furrowed in concentration, and her lips were pressed into a little frown. Rui smiled to himself, finding everything about her adorable. He was about to turn back to his paper when—
BANG!
It happened in a split second. The roof collapsed as something huge, black, and sharp swung down. Before Rui could even react, the object impaled through __’s neck. She immediately lost all consciousness: her arms dangled down, pencil rolling away to who-knows-where. She laid pinned face-down into the desk in front of her.
“__!!!” Rui rushed to her side as the fire alarm started blaring and people ran for their lives. Rui reached for the black blade sticking out from her back, and a familiar energy surged through him. That was when he realized there was no blood, despite the traumatic injury. The memory of that morning’s text from Darkwick flitted into mind followed by fear and regret. He looked up at whatever was wielding the weapon, knowing exactly what to expect.
“Shinigami.”
The creature reared its giant head towards Rui. Its eye curved into hideous crescents when it recognized him.
“yOU! YoU’rE thE oNe whO kiLLeD my sErvAnT!”
“What do you want?” Rui demanded.
“I’m HunGrY! I nEEd EnerGY! SUCK MORE ENERGY!”
With that, the creature moved to lift its synth. Rui acted quickly, holding down the spiritual blade. He knew it would pull __’s soul out with it, and there was no way he was going to let that happen.
“wHat. Let gO!”
“Release her!” commanded Rui. The blade of death sank deeper into his skin the tighter he held on.
“nO! ThaT’s my fOOd!”
“I’ll carry your curse again!” he bargained, voice cracking in pain and desperation. “I’ll eat for you! I’ll kill for you! Just let her go!”
“You’VE beTRAyed ME!”
With that, the reaper turned into dust and rushed towards Rui. The ghoul got knocked off his feet as the creature flooded into him through his eyes, mouth, and ears. Rui could feel himself eroding from the inside, but perhaps due to his supernatural body or the tolerance he built from hosting the curse all these years, he was able to fight off the anomaly for the moment.
With a cry, Rui threw himself towards __. He released __’s soul from the now-abandoned synth and flung it to the side. The wound in __’s neck disappeared like it was never there, but the girl laid motionless still on the table.
“What?” With the grim reaper inside him now, he could feel __’s life buzzing under his fingers. Why wasn’t she waking up? He couldn’t see the state of her soul with his current physical eyes. He had to escape his current limitations if he wanted to see what was wrong.
“Damn it!” he cried. His attention shifted to the synth he casted aside. He only hesitated for a second before he plunged the blade into his chest. He ignored the shearing pain as he ripped his soul out of his body.
Once outside his physical confinement, he could see __’s soul. To add to his current panic, he realized see was littered with cracks.
“N-no,” Rui whimpered. He reached a hand out only for it to go straight through __.
To add to the list of problems, Rui’s body began to move. Its arm cranked up into the air followed by the body then the head. At last, it was fully standing. It smiled widely as it opened its eyes. Instead of the usual pink irises, a black void sat in the sockets.
“This feels amazing,” cackled the reaper, flexing Rui’s muscles. “Thanks for leaving this behind.”
Rui snapped his head towards his body. “What did you do to her?”
“Oh that?” The reaper took its time rolling out Rui’s neck. “That happens to normal souls when they have my synth in them long enough. You truly are special to be in such an intact state yourself.”
“Fix her!” he demanded. “You have to undo this!”
“Calm down,” waved the reaper. “Aren’t you even concerned about your body being taken over?”
“Don’t try to change the topic!”
“She must be someone very important.” Its uncanny smile spread even wider across its face. “But no matter how much you beg, there’s nothing I, the bringer of death, can do to heal a soul.”
“There HAS to be—”
“But!” the creature interrupted. “You can.”
“What?”
“I sense there is something else in here that’s after your soul. Something with just enough power to heal a soul.”
“My stigma?” Rui’s stigma had never been a strong one. Whereas his colleagues were able to command an army or run at the speed of sound, he was only able to alleviate minor pains and fatigue. To heal a soul? Rui had never even considered such a possibility.
“Bingo!” sang the thing. “I’m not sure why you kept trying to heal physical injuries when that’s not even what it’s for.”
Rui whipped towards __’s broken form. “Then I can save her.”
“Yesss,” agreed the reaper.
Rui missed the glint in its hollow eyes. Instead, he stood before __ and gathered all his energy. “I can do this,” he told himself. “I have to.” He chanted his incantation and blew as hard as he could a storm of golden dust over the girl. When he saw the dust slowly mending the cracks in her soul, Rui felt the tension around his heart slowly begin to relax.
“AHAHAHA!” cackled the anomaly, signaling the end of Rui’s celebration.
The ghoul heard a crack and looked down to see his own soul cracking. “What is happening?”
“You can’t heal anything with a demon’s power, you fool!” it cackled. “You just suck up their pain. Thanks to my curse, you always had enough energy to never notice it before, but now, you have no such luxury. Kind of ironic, isn’t it? With both the ghoul’s and reaper’s curse, you could have done such great things. But you just had to break it, didn’t you? And for what?” it sneered. “To hold a girl’s hand?”
“Oh,” said Rui.
The reaper looked at him in surprise, not expecting such a mellow response. It followed Rui’s eyes as he looked at his own cracking hands then at __.
Silently, Rui treaded to __. Slowly, she began to shift in her seat.
“Mnnhg,” she stirred. She then blinked once, twice, three times.
“__…” breathed Rui.
When she finally came to, she looked at him. No, not at him, but rather through him.
“Rui?” she said.
Rui opened his mouth to reply, but a voice spoke behind him. His voice. “You’re awake! You hit your head during the earthquake. I was so worried!”
__’s lips spread into a smile, one that was supposed to be meant for him. “I’ll be okay. Since you’re here.”
“What’s happening?” he gasped, either unable or unwilling to grasp the situation. “You can’t— You can’t pretend to be me!”
Rui watched as his body brushed some hair out of __’s face and her leaning into its chest. “And I will always be here for you.”
“I’m kind of sleepy,” she mumbled.
“Then sleep. I’ll be right here.” The anomaly held __ close to it as it smirked in Rui’s direction. The latter could only stare, bewildered, as a crack formed across his face.
( @bluebellestorybrooke , Belle to Rumple , after the s7 curse breaks )
It takes him a moment to register what is being asked of him before the man steps toward the woman. There was conflict on his face and fear as he was staring at the woman. As if he is looking at the image of a ghost. "Y-yes, of course." The man known as Weaver speaks before he offers his hands out to her to come toward him.
Written for @flashfictionfridayofficial #294 prompt: Cursed Trio. Trigger warning for Child Abuse
Secrets. It had to be kept secret. "Don't tell grandma. It will upset her." Did she tell when Grandpa touched her? Did Grandma react badly? Is that why she told me this? Would it have made a difference later had those secrets been revealed?
Would she have been a better parent, able to protect her own child from abuse if she wasn't carrying this curse of buried abuse, like her mom did before her? She doesn't know. What she does know is it ends here. Her own babies are where family curses come to die. The reality of their abuse won't be hidden away. It will be spoken about, let into the light where darkness dies. Her grandbabies will not suffer the same. This is her solemn vow!
