point me towards tomorrow [vic]

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It had been a long time since he had seen his best friend, Royal mused. It was his fault, and he had no trouble admitting it. The pain of losing Abby had crippled him in every way imaginable, and getting back to being a semi-functional human being had been difficult. It was only after going on his blind date and spending time with Callisto that Royal realized that he was being social, and along the way, being healed. While reaching out to Vic had been the next thing on his to-do list, the blonde had beaten him to it with a letter inviting him to her apartment. Royal was pleasantly surprised by the invitation, but he put off the impeccable timing to it just being Vic. She had always known him better than he had known himself, and she had probably used the timeline following his father's death to figure out when he'd be ready to speak to her following Abby's. She was brilliant like that. Royal arrived at the entrance to Vic's apartment, and knocked firmly on the door, trying not to get caught in the tempest of his thoughts before his best friend was there to help quiet the storm.

@victoire

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Vic really had meant to clean up so that Royal didn't notice that she hadn't been living at home, but she was just too tired to do so. The majority of the apartment was covered in a layer of dust, but it was still hard enough for her to walk around, let alone clean the whole place. She had told Teddy she would be fine going home, just like she had told him she would be fine at the grocers the day before...

Either way, she was going to tell Royal the truth today so there was no point hiding it from him, and so she didn't have to use her tired body to do anything. She lay on the couch, eyes on the ceiling when she heard the knock at the door. Royal had been through so much and, once again, she hadn't been there for him. She didn't want to make things worse with her problems... but, now, maybe they could talk about Abby and other things.

She got up slowly, wishing she had already been standing before crossing to the door and opening it. A smile broke out on her face, "Royal," she said, a slight chuckle escaping her, "handsome as always. Come in," she invited, moving to step aside. But her feet carried her toward him instead and her arms lifted, wrapping around his shoulders in a hug.

@royal

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Seeing Vic again felt like stepping into the sun after a long time in the dark. She was warmth and she was light and she was… Merlin, she was everything, and Royal felt a painful tug on his heart as he looked at her. She looked paler than usual, but Royal smiled at her nonetheless. She said that he was handsome as always, and there was really no other response than the one that he gave. “And you are beautiful as always.” Even with her faint pallor, Vic was stunning. Royal wanted to attribute it to her Veela blood, but she was barely Veela and it was just a thinly-veiled excuse for the resurgence of less-than-platonic feelings that he had for his best friend. Royal had contented himself long ago with being nothing more than Vic’s friend. She had Teddy, and Merlin knew he was never going to be able to compete with the Metamorphmagus. Teddy and Vic were made for each other, and Royal was made to support them both through the ups and downs. Victoire made to step aside, but then changed course. Royal was all too happy to gather her up in his arms, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his head in her hair. “I’ve missed you.” He mumbled. He hadn’t realized how much until she was there again. Vic felt skinny – too skinny – in his arms, and Royal wondered if there was more to this story that she wasn’t telling him. It didn’t matter, though, as long as they were together. He would learn what was happening eventually.

@victoire

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Beautiful. Even with her veela charm Vic hadn't felt beautiful in the last four months. Not that Teddy hadn't tried to convince her, but she relied so much on her magic and her career that losing them both in one blow just shot her self esteem real quick. Roy said he missed her as he returned the hug and she squeezed him a little tighter, not that she had much strength to make it very tight. "I miss you. Missed you," she corrected. She missed him currently too, though, somehow. She missed him in ways she really had never had him...

Her feelings for Royal weren't really a secret to her or Teddy now, not since she thought she was going to die. Royal was tied to her in ways that no one else was, even Teddy. She was her best friend in the whole world, and she loved every inch of him. Hugging him now only made that more obvious to her... but how could she even explain any of that. She knew Royal, though. She knew he'd understand but... that wasn't what she was here for.

She didn't pull away, "we should go in," she muttered softly.

@royal

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Royal wished that he could squeeze Vic tighter when she said she had missed him, too, but with how fragile she felt, he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk it. He didn’t want to break her. She didn’t pull away from the hug, and he didn’t either, not even when she said that they should go inside. He just wanted to keep holding her a little longer, and a little longer, and a little longer… Without warning, a sob split open the air, and it took Royal a moment to realize that he was the one who was crying. He knew that he ought to pull away so that he didn’t get Vic’s clothing wet with his tears, but every thought he had to let go just made him want to hold tighter. “Vic.” Royal said in between gasping breaths. “My sister is dead.” It was like the full reality of it hadn’t hit him until that moment, when he was in his best friend’s arms. Even though everything felt fuzzy and blurry, it made sense to Royal that he would break down here, and now. With Vic, he was safe in a way that he rarely was. “Abby’s gone.”

@victoire

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Vic knew the sob was coming before it came. She had felt it. She squeezed him a little just before it happened, and then he spoke those horrible words. Vic nodded just a little and her eyes welled with tears quickly. One of her hands went to the back of his head and gently held it there against her hair. She was sure that he hadn't cried like this to anyone else about this. At least, not in the same way. This was Victoire and Royal. They were best friends. This is what they did. They found themselves in each other, even if themselves were people who were falling apart at the seams and ripping at the edge. They found each other, and she had found him now. She didn't stop her own tears, but she gently started to back up, trying to pull him inside.

Once in, she lightly flicked her free hand so the door would shut on it's own. Even that tiny bit of magic had her panicked for a moment, but she did it for Royal. She was so afraid of using magic that she didn't realize she hadn't since she was told she was on the mend, under a week ago. The door closed behind him and her physical strength faltered a little, but she took it back with gusto and held him tightly against her, no longer moving her feet now that they were inside.

@royal

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Royal didn’t think when Victoire guided him inside the apartment, didn’t want to resist. He just followed, because he knew that she wouldn’t lead him anywhere that he didn’t need to be. Her hand on the back of his head was a comfort, a tether to the world. Even if it was a world that he hated, he would say there, because she was there, and she needed him. And he needed her. Royal could feel Vic crying, too, and it felt like a benediction. It was okay for him to be sad, it was okay for him to rage, because she felt the same. The world was not the same as it had been when they were children, and they were allowed to feel something because of that. “I want her back.” Royal cried. “I want them back!” He dissolved into another round of sobs, his shoulders shaking as he clung onto Victoire for dear life. He wanted his father back and he wanted his sister back and he wanted the world not to keep trying to take the people that he loved, because it wasn’t fair! He sniffled loudly before burrowing himself back into Victoire’s hair. He hadn’t expected their first meeting to go this way, and he hadn’t really wanted it to go this way, either. He had wanted to smile with her and laugh with her and be happy. His tears faded into silence, and Royal wondered if he would ever be able to let Vic go.

@victoire

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His words were breaking her heart. Not because she felt the same way in the same sense, they weren't her family, but because someone who she loved so much was going through so much pain. She sniffed too, trying not to make too much sound. She didn't want to distract from what he was going through by crying aloud herself. Even though she knew he would care. She gently started to stroke his hair at the back of his head as he started to quiet down, her own tears subsiding. She hadn't said anything in response to his cries and wishes because she knew there was nothing she could say that would make them come back, and restating the facts that Abby was in fact dead was a waste of words as well. For now, all she was was a shoulder to cry on and warm arms. That's all she could be.

After a few moments of silence, though, she gently pulled her free arm from his back and slid it around until it was just under his chin. She pulled away a little, her hand softly trying to lift his face toward hers from the chin. "Sit with me," she said softly, almost in a pleading tone. She wasn't actually sure if she could stand much longer, but she would if he didn't want to sit down. She wanted to ease his pain but... she also knew she was about to make it worse. Maybe now was the best time.

@royal

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Royal had been avoiding silence as much as possible recently, not wanting to leave himself alone with his thoughts. Sometimes avoiding it meant doing something for his mum or for Addie, but mostly it meant thinking about something – or someone – else. Now though, Royal let himself wallow in the thoughts for just a little while, knowing that Vic was there to pull him out when he needed to stop. And she did pull him out, with a simple command. Vic told him to sit with her, and Royal complied easily, shifting his arms around so he still had one around Vic’s waist when they sat. “You had something else you wanted to talk about?” He half-said, half-asked, trying to guide the conversation away from his breakdown and towards whatever Victoire had actually intended for this meeting. He didn’t want to usurp her agenda, even if it had felt amazing to get everything off of his chest.

@victoire

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He asked about what she waned to talk about, and she felt a little guilty or changing the subject, but she also knew that Royal wouldn't want to dwell on it for too long and that he wouldn't want to overstep why she had asked him here. Part of the reason she had asked him here, though, was because she did want to see how he was doing and spend time with him, whether happy or sad. So, he really wasn't stepping on her agenda at all.

Still, she wanted to get this over with... Royal and her usually cut to the chase when together, not being two to mince words when it really came down to it. She took in a deep breath, one of her hands in her lap and the other around her shoulder. Her fingers lightly traced the skin under his ear there, absentmindedly. She looked away, though, at her feet for a moment. "In medias ignis," she muttered. Then she looked back over at him, "have you heard of it?"

@royal

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Royal furrowed his brows slightly when Victoire began down the path she had originally set them on. “Of course I’ve –” Wait. Victoire must have been asking that question for a reason, and she was so skinny, so pale… There was really only one conclusion that he could draw from the information. He looked Victoire in the eyes, desperately searching for something that would refute his theory, but found nothing. “No.” He whispered, his voice soft and hollow. “You can’t – you can’t –” His voice cracked. Royal knew that in medias ignis could be fatal, and the idea of it was causing his stomach to turn in ways that definitely weren’t healthy or natural. “You can’t leave me too!” Royal finally sputtered out. His breaths were coming faster and faster, until he was in danger of hyperventilation. A small voice in the back of Royal’s head whispered that he was being incredibly selfish, and that her sickness had hurt Victoire more than it could ever hurt him, but he was so scared of Vic being the next in the line of people who he loved and lost.

@victoire

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Vic knew that this reaction would come, and she let it. She looked into his eyes as he looked into hers. She didn't cut him off, mostly because she felt so bad about having to tell him any of this in the first place. She was sort of freezing up, seeing the way his mind was wrapping around the idea of her dying. "You can't leave me too!" was the thing that reminded her that she needed to put a stop to the hysteria. "I'm not leaving you," she quickly chimed in, wrapping her arm around his neck and stroking his jawline with her thumb. "I didn't tell you because you've been through so much, Royal. So much," she took in a deep breath, her eyes tearing up again. "But that's where I've been. But I'm better. Getting better. The healers said it's almost over," her voice was quick and frantic, almost as if she was afraid if she didn't get it out fast then he would pass out and then she couldn't make him feel better about this. His reaction, though, had just strengthened her thoughts that not telling him before was a good idea. It could have killed him. "Royal," she said again, her free hand moving to clasp his knee, "I'm not leaving you. Never again."

@royal

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Victoire rushed to assure him that she wasn’t leaving him, and it did little to dull the sick feeling in his stomach. Royal knew that Vic would never choose to leave him, but it wasn’t like she really had a choice. None of them had a choice and that was almost as sickening as the fact that they had to die in the first place. Vic’s arm around his neck made him pause for a moment, and her thumb along his jawline was enough to force him to breathe for just a minute. “That shouldn’t be your choice, Vic.” He mumbled. It should have been his choice as to whether or not he could handle it, and he hated that she had gone through her sickness alone just because she was worried about him. Then again, given his reaction, it was probably better that Vic hadn’t told Royal when she was actually sick, or he probably would have succumbed to actual hysteria. She said she was getting better, and Royal just nodded, unsure whether or not that made a difference. Vic moved to clasp his knee, and Royal leaned into the touch. “I won’t let you.” He declared when Vic said that she wasn’t going to leave him. “You’re stuck with me for a long, long time.” He whispered. Royal leaned his head forward so his forehead was pressed against Vic’s. Royal wasn’t going to let any more of the people he loved die. He would make a deal with Death if he had to, but Victoire Weasley was going to live.

@victoire

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He steadied his breathing and Vic slowed hers too. He said that it shouldn't be her choice and she knew what he meant. He was saying that she should have told him. But... she still stood by her decision. He would learn to stand by it too, she hoped, or he would just accept the reality was that it was too late to change that now. Royal said that he wouldn't let her leave him, and she bit her lip, nodding. When he whispered that she was stuck with him she found herself chuckling a little, some semblance of bliss slipping through. She leaned into his touch of her forehead, closing her eyes tight for a moment before saying anything. "I want to..." she started, her voice soft. She wanted to tell him how she really felt, but she knew it wasn't the right time for that. She still had to get more out of Teddy about all of that.

She sighed, "I wanted to tell you. Please know that I made the choice not to after a lot of thought," she said firmly. "And I love you," she reminded him, her hand on his neck tightening it's hold a little, "let's just stay here," she whispered.

@royal

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Royal stopped to listen when Vic began her sentence, about wanting something. She didn’t finish it, but Royal waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts again. This had been an emotional reunion to say the least, and trying to bend words to fit everything they were feeling was no small task. When Vic started again, Royal again focused on her words. He knew that she hadn’t just decided not to tell him on a whim, but there was still a part of him that screamed that as her best friend, he had deserved to know. But he wasn’t entitled to anything, Royal reminded himself, and continuing to be angry at Vic over the situation was just going to drive a wedge in their friendship. They needed each other, and he wasn’t going to jeopardize their relationship for some childish grudge. Royal hummed his approval of her suggestion of just staying there, holding each other close. This was the way they were meant to be.

@victoire
(le end)