#vtsom drabble

[lordtraco-fanfics]

Saw in your tags you wanted another song! How about "Hate This and I'll Love You" by Muse? (VTSOM again if you please. Also as usual you can toss this if you don't wanna)

Such a simple lovely song but it has me SO conflicted. Vincent to Myers? Vanora to Myers? Draco to Vincent? Vanora to Vincent?

I settled on Draco to Vincent, then spent the last couple days debating on how much Draco knows. Here's a "Draco knows everything" tiny drabble.

"It has been proven to work, Master. There is no need to put her through this anymore." Draco spat out blood, unfazed by the damage. His brother was holding back.

"I'm growing tired of your disloyalty, Draco." Vincent advanced on his butler, menacing green eyes showing no remorse for the pain he'd just caused him.

"To the contrary, I am nothing but loyal. Is that not why you made me with his memories?" Draco dodged at the last second, knowing the reference to Victor would buy him some time.

"Precisely. So why must you besmirch his gift by siding with Myers scum?"

"She is her own-" much like his brother, a reference to a loved one made him falter. Draco was thrown across the room yet again, but flipped in the air to land softer.

"Myers stole everything from me, Draco." With slow, purposeful steps, Vincent made his way forward again. "He will use that cyborg to steal from you as well. Do not let her act sway you."

"I would have killed her!" Draco yelled, eyes darkening. His outburst stopped Vincent for a moment. "I would have killed her with my own hands if she wasn't able to use that power! How could you ask that of me and then question my loyalty!?"

"I can ask anything I want of you, Draco. You live only to serve me." Vincent stood before him, looking down at him with a bored frown.

"Perhaps I was, once." Draco said, sighing. "I was ruled by my fate, accepting it as my only option. I did as I was told."

He stood, fixing Vincent with a gaze so human, so full of life.

"But then I met someone. Someone who taught me the value of choice. Brother, just as you changed Victor's life, she has changed mine." His tone was full of love, but it did not seem to faze the one before him. "I am not helping Myers, Vincent. I am helping Vanora."

"All the same, in the end. Get out of my way."

The ensuing fight left both battered and bloody, but Vincent was quick to hide the damage. After all, he had to see for himself if those powers were truly working in that Myers trash.

It was regrettable how much he had to damage his butler, his secret weapon, simply to reach the cyborg lady. Deep down, Vincent truly was proud of Draco for coming to his own decisions. He'd had the pleasure of watching Victor grow into his passionate self, of course he'd want the same for their- for his brother.

But it was unthinkable. If she regained her memories and loyalties to Myers while holding his brother's heart in her hand, there was no winning. He had to put an end to it, one way or another.

[lordtraco-fanfics]

Septangst 2: Impermanence

For Vincent: the Secret of Myers

Inspired by this tweet (warning for major character death in tweet and in drabble below)

At one time, Victor had known the terror of losing his beloved. It plagued him for years that another car crash could happen any moment that Vincent was out of his sight. Those days without him, of thinking he was gone, were unbearable. Perhaps that was why he so quickly made peace with his own mortality.

If he died first, he wouldn't have to lose Vincent a second time.

Still, standing on a balcony next to his husband and watching a sunset in silence made him think. Was that all they were? Was their life together a short display of beautiful colors? Was it made all the more special and memorable because of its impermanence?

Victor imagined his hands would have been thin and veiny by now, softened with age. There was no softness in metal, no matter how gentle he was to compensate. Yet Vincent seemed not to mind when that metal hand brushed against his cheek.

Outlined in reddened hues, Vincent was a stark monochrome against the world's colorful beauty. Much like a tree darkened by the coming night, he would outlive most if simply left to grow. The thought made Victor smile. He was no less mortal or real simply for living longer. His lover was still part of the wonderful world. No amount of metal could strip that away from either of them.

Vincent didn't smile at the touch, but his eyes softened to the same effect. While his faked smiles were beautiful and his more common smirks were adorable, Victor liked those neutral frowns most of all. It was proof that Vincent didn't feel the need to change for him.

Pressing a kiss to that frown, Victor felt the same rush that their first had brought. Ever the same, his Vincent. It was returned slowly and Victor felt warm, gentle hands against both of his cheeks.

Bliss, pure bliss. Yet just as the sun must set, so too must their kiss end. When he opened his eyes again, it was to a darkened world and the eerie, familiar glint of green behind Vincent's eyes. This time, however, it didn't register as proof of his inhumanity, but as a tree. Something so full of life and time.

He could feel his own slipping away, but that could be addressed later. Surely, the world would grant him one more sunrise with the love of his life.

(end here on a hopeful note

Or look at this tweet for extra angst)

[lordtraco-fanfics]

So I wasn't sure if you were tired out of doing the song-based VTSOM stuff, so no obligation to do this, but I heard a particular song and felt it could fit at least one character and was like "I should send this to lordtraco," so if you want, how about a short fic based on "Canals" by All Time Low?

I'm honestly having a blast with these, feel free to fill my inbox with as many songs as you like!

"Could fit at least one character" is right, dang! It goes from reminding me of Victor, then Vincent, then Vanora. I shoulda made it a Vanora fic.

But I saw the Septangst for today is "Frozen" and that got me stuck on the line "the canals are freezing" and Victor angst happened.

...

"Darling, I don't wanna know." Victor mouthed the words, recalling the way he'd used them to hush his adorable friend. The wine and martinis loosened lips, but he'd had the sense not to allow too much honesty.

There had been a tension, an expectation, a push for a confession. Somehow the conversation had led them to such a spot of vulnerability. As much as his heart had been in his throat, threatening to spill everything, Victor had stopped it. He had to.

Vincent knew full well that he held an entire heart and all of his loyal affection in his hand. That much was obvious. But the reverse? Victor hoped, but the coldness Vincent exuded in every interaction did not leave him much certainty.

In truth, he desperately wanted to know for certain if his love was returned and to stop their years-long guessing game. He wanted to move forward, to discuss pet names and living arrangements and perhaps even rings. But…

But the fear of rejection shook him to the core. Victor had chosen the path that would keep him near Vincent, always chasing after him with a smile. He didn't regret a single choice along that path when it meant that he could see that adorable face. Would rejection change that? Would an end to that hope that he'd clung to in his darkest moments change him?

So he'd stopped it. And he would stop it again. He froze their relationship so it never had to change.

Victor rolled over and reached for a cigarette. He didn't bother lighting it, just enjoying the sensation of it against his teeth.

The chill of the room crept into his shoulders where his metal limbs attached. He truly felt frozen, both physically and metaphorically. In both regards, it might not have been so if he hadn't spoken up. Perhaps.

Perhaps Vincent would have reached a warm hand to his cheek, pampering him with affection so dry yet honest. Perhaps they would have shared a kiss. Perhaps his lonely bed would have a welcome presence beside him. Perhaps he would feel whole, loved, and awash with positive emotions right now.

Instead, he'd watched Vincent leave with an offhanded "goodbye" that spoke of disappointment and melancholy.

"Am I a villain?" He spoke aloud to the empty room as if it could answer. Was he himself the only obstacle in the way of his own happiness? Or Vincent's happiness?

There came no answer. He was frozen.

The heater was right there. The lighter was right by his bedside. Vincent was a single phone call or short drive away. Yet he couldn't bring himself to reach out for the relief he craved.

The chill wormed its way into his heart and left Victor staring blankly at the far wall. It was a long and painful wait until sleep finally overtook him. Only then was he free from the restless apathy and the regret.

[lordtraco-fanfics]

Septangst 6+7: Etch & Bitterness (missed one so I blended the two)

For, you guessed it, Vincent: the Secret of Myers!

This is kinda a sequel to Septangst 4: Frozen, this time from Vincent's side of things.

A sour thrum coursed through the room, like an echo of his own pained thoughts. Alcohol had always provided a relief, but the connections that brought such feelings about were displeasing tonight. The martini glass was ever a reminder of Victor.

Victor Blake… he tasted the name on his lips and felt them curl into a snarl. The man meant everything to Vincent. Time and again, he proved to have an understanding and loyalty so boundless that it almost scared him. The man wore his heart on his sleeve for all the world, shamelessly calling him "dear" and "adorable" no matter who overheard.

It was so obvious that his affections were reciprocated, yet Victor constantly stopped him from bringing it up. It took time to muster the courage to confess, but those moments he planned for always failed to have the desired outcome. A busy day, a lengthy conversation to derail his thoughts, or the sudden arrival of a "mutual" friend always stopped things. He was beginning to believe that Victor was purposefully sabotaging his plans.

Tonight, he'd resolved to have it come to pass. After years of their chess battle of emotions, Vincent Edgeworth had been determined to finally speak of the affection he felt for his beloved friend. Drinking at his own house on a weekend negated a couple potential threats to his plan. A convenient cut to the wifi would also prevent most methods of interruptions.

The bitter taste of his earlier drink soured his stomach. The final piece to the puzzle had been to become just drunk enough to explain away his forwardness or blush. But it had left him slow, slow enough to be interrupted by the one man he didn't calculate against.

"Darling I don't want to know." The words felt as if they'd been etched into his heart with a dull blade. It hurt. His friend had never stopped him from speaking his mind like that. Not once in all their time together. Much less imply that his words weren't welcome.

That's how he'd ended up in his study, still holding the martini glass. He wanted to destroy it, but only the thought of Draco prying into his affairs in the name of "cleaning up" stopped him.

Vincent ran a hand down his face with a groan. Of course the bitterness would spread to Draco as well. His brother was far too alike Victor, for plenty of reasons. It wasn't fair to mistrust him over some heartbreak.

That was it, wasn't it? He had been rejected. By the one person in the world he felt eternally connected to, the only person he ever needed. Vincent knew he was dependent upon Victor, but never once had that been taken as anything but a compliment. He thought it had only been a waiting game, that Victor was there at the finish line and all he had to do was speak his feelings.

And yet, here he was. Despite knowing so deeply in his heart that Victor loved him… It was now undeniable that it had been Victor himself foiling his every potential confession. It was unclear the reason why.

Vincent looked at his hand, the wretched facsimile of his flesh only disgusting him farther. Was that it? Did he no longer love this rebuilt version of himself? Did Victor only love the human he once had been?

The most likely possibly hit like a punch to the gut. The only real difference between his old and new self was his lack of aging. With the dangerous life he led, it wasn't much to dwell on. But perhaps the idea of being outlived was too much.

Vincent slammed a fist against his bookshelf, glaring at the papers and novels that fled the destruction. Just when he thought Myers had already taken everything from him… he took away Victor's love.