Open ruthless

[Elio Boneheart]

*open after Marga posts with Mikael

It was Saturday now and honestly Elio was getting a little annoyed. The first couple of days he'd assumed that Mikael was studying or involving himself with his prefect duties and so he'd pretty much left him to his devices, but it'd been a week now and he knew something was wrong. He should have trusted his gut in the first place. Then, of course, he'd run into Bailey and that conversation hadn't gone as expected. "Why'd you break up with Mikael?" Elio had been shocked because, as he said to Bailey, they didn't break up. "Well he seems to think you did." She'd said and that had brought Elio to the third floor corridor where Mikael was just about heading out of Charms. Bailey and Theo following not too far behind. "MIKAEL, what the f*ck! Why are you telling people we broke up?"​

 

[Mikael Nightray]

Mikael had stayed behind in the classroom to clarify the reading material with Misha. After Theodore's rather loud proclamation - almost a challenge - Kael figured it was better to be prepared for anything the annoying Gryffindor was planning. That included further familiarizing himself with the spells that were mentioned in class. He should probably train with Terror again to figure out how to counter most of those spells in a duel. It wasn't the most pleasant of thoughts since he could still feel the effects of the last session. He didn't expect Elio's loud voice to be just outside the classroom as he walked out. He stiffened then, not really wanting to be in the vicinity of the Gryffindor after how the last conversation went, though he forced himself to relax, guarded. He hadn't seen Elio since then and made an effort not to since it was just too difficult to deal with. His eyes narrowed as the other boy yelled at him about telling people about their breakup as if he wasn't announcing it to the castle at this very moment. "I didn't realize I was suppose to keep it to myself," he said coldly. So he was just supposed to pretend everything was fine then. Mikael had told two people - in confidence. He was never telling them anything ever again. "I will strive to make sure to keep quiet on the matter then. If you'll excuse me," he said before turning the other way. He didn't want to be here.​

 

[Theodore Nightray]

Theodore had just gotten out of class, leaving Mikael behind to go off and search for entertainment. His cousin had been acting weird in the last few days, and it wasn't really anything that Theo could pinpoint. His cousin has just been off. Mikael had a short fuse. Smaller than a grain of rice. Lately, though, it seemed like it was smaller than a speck of sand. Which probably didn't seem like much but, it was quite the difference. Anyway, he'd been about to head off into the great outdoors when he'd caught sight of Elio stomping his way towards where Theo had just come from, the Hufflepuff who he now knew to be Bailey following close behind with quite the amusing look on her face. And the Gryffindor just lived for the chaos so he followed his best friend back only to find him yelling at Mikael for telling people they broke up. The jaw drop Theo had was totally called for because wow. And his cousin not even denying it. He couldn't help it, he laughed. Loud and boisterous. This was just too funny. He'd only found out that they were together a week ago and now they were broken up. He swaggered towards Elio, sh!t-eating grin on his face. "Finally snapped back to your senses then and realized I'm the better option than the miserable git?" he said loudly as he slung an arm over Elio's shoulder. He could see Mikael's shoulders tightening at that as he walked and boy does his cousin got it bad. Poor git. Theo almost felt bad for him. Almost.​

 

[Elio Boneheart]

Elio's brows furrowed as Kae's cold response hit him like a slap. “What are you even talking about?” he asked, his voice incredulous but slightly quieter now. He stood there, trying to piece together the logic - or lack thereof - behind Mikael’s reaction. "I never said we were broken up, where did you get that idea?" There was a little tingle in the back of his mind that said maybe Theo had something to do with this, "why would I break up with you?" His voice softened slightly towards the end, a flicker of hurt slipping through despite his best efforts to stay composed.

When Theo swaggered up, slinging an arm around Elio and making his obnoxious comment, Elio shoved the arm off immediately, shooting him a glare. “Theo, not now,” he snapped. “Seriously, just go entertain yourself elsewhere.” Turning back to Mikael, he hesitated, his next words slower, more measured. “Look, I’m not trying to fight, okay? But can we at least talk about this instead of shutting me out or making it worse?” He stepped forward slightly, his voice quieter now. “Because I’m not going anywhere. And I don’t want you to either.”​

 

[Mikael Nightray]

Kael just wanted to go back to his dorm and lay down. Maybe have Terror cast a couple of healing spells because he still ached. The murtlap essence he'd used had worked, but there were just some that were better dealt with with spells. He'd need to ask Felicita to send some work murtlap essence - and prepare himself to sit through one of her howlers for allowing Terror to land that many spells on his person. It had proven to be a good distraction in the last few days though. Distractions didn't always last though. He'd already turned his back by the time Elio had begun to speak, and he cursed himself for the flare of hope that maybe Bailey was right and he'd gotten it all wrong. And then he heard Theodore, and... well... Theodore always had a way of knowing exactly which buttons to push. He'd stiffened and he could feel everyone looking. Watching. He couldn't be weak here.

He turned, cold mask up to push down the roiling emotions as he watched the Gryffindor take a step towards him. Elio may not want to go anywhere now, but he was clearly capable of walking away from Mikael with just one argument. He didn't want to fight. He didn't want Mikael to go. As if Mikael had wanted to fight that day or have Elio walk out on him. "You said you were done with us and done with me. I've left you alone as you wished, and I would appreciate it if you gave me the same courtesy," he just... He didn't want... It was hard to be around Elio when he couldn't... couldn't be near. "As to why you would break up with me, I'm pretty sure my cousins can give you a hefty list." The one good thing about this was Laurent wouldn't have to set his eyes on Elio now that news about their breakup would reach the little brat's ears. Now if only he could go back to his dorm now to mope rest.​

 

[Elio Boneheart]

"I meant I was done with the conversation not with you as my boyfriend!" Was he actually being serious right now? Elio couldn’t believe that he was being called the dramatic one when it was Mikael who was going around to tell everyone that they were broken up, which just wasn’t true, at least not from his point of view. “Like do you want me to break up with you because that’s what it sounds like, I mean merlin Mikael, are you going to act this way every single time we have a fight? If I was going to break up with you I would say that, I wouldn’t just walk away and not talk to you, do you really consider me to be that childish?” That hurt, actually, thinking that Mikael might think so little of him that this was how he was perceived. “Is that really what you think of me?”​

 

[Mikael Nightray]

Well how the f**k was Mikael supposed to know what's what? He may not have been intending to - he may have meant that he was done with the conversation - but it d@mn well felt like Elio was done with him. Done with dealing with all the sh!t that came with being with him. And now he was being asked if he wanted Elio to break up with him. What a joke. He'd barely known what to do since they'd broken up - that Elio was now currently claiming was not a breakup. How could he even want such a thing? Even if there was a small niggle in the back of his mind that it would be for the best - Elio wouldn't have to worry about things like avoiding a first year, or duels, or all the Pureblood family nonsense. He'd be far from Laurent's or Alexia's or anyone's sight because he wouldn't matter even if he mattered so d@mn much. "Me? And what does being childish have anything to do about it! You told me clearly you were done with me and then you walked away when all I have been was worried about you." He couldn't hide the pain lacing his voice even if he tried so he just shut his mouth. People were still watching. Perhaps he should be relieved that Elio wasn't really done with him. It was hard to dig up that relief though, not when all Kael had been doing in the past few days was shoving down - deep, deep down - all the emotions he'd have to face. Shoving and ignoring the crushing devastation that threatened to overwhelm him. At least now he didn't have to ignore them right? He just had to throw all those emotions away. They were useless anyway. There was no need to feel devastated when Elio didn't really break up with him. They were just having another fight. Another fight where Mikael had to wonder if Elio would walk out on him again. ​

 

[Elio Boneheart]

Merlin, why were they doing this here? It was bad enough that they had Bailey and Theo as an audience, but they were right outside of charms. He hadn’t realised how serious this was and now he regretted talking to him at all directly after class. He pinched the bridge of his nose, reaching out to gesture Kael to head a little further down the hall, he didn’t want to have this conversation in front of them but he now was also concerned that Kael didn’t want to be alone with him and maybe wouldn’t like Elio trying to push him around, which wasn’t what he was trying to do, obviously, but sometimes Mikael put words in his mouth, or misinterpreted what he was trying to do. “Kael I… never meant to…” he had said he was done with him, but he meant in the context of their conversation, not in general.

“You’re right, I did say I was done with you, but I didn’t meant it in that context, I was just angry at you and the conversation, I didn’t want to talk about it anymore, I had no idea that you would interpret it this way.” He crossed his arms, because if he didn’t he knew he would reach out right now and he wasn’t sure Kael would accept it, and he didn’t really want to be rejected in public right now. “I’ve been worried about you too, and I hate that it’s my fault you’re upset. I didn’t mean to walk away, that’s not what I was trying to do, I just… needed space from the situation, not from us as a couple, I…” he leaned forward slightly, so they couldn’t be heard by everyone else around. “I love you, Mikael, just for you.”​

 

[Mikael Nightray]

It was honestly a relief when Elio gestured for them to move. He glared at Theodore, who was still grinning madly but raised both hands in surrender. Mikael didn't believe him for one second. He moved anyway, walking until the pair of them were out of sight and hearing range. He made sure to cast Muffliato though he hesitated with the Disillusionment Charm. He decided against it. He turned to Elio then as the Gryffindor started to speak again. Started to explain himself which he shouldn't have had to do if only Mikael were... If he were better. If he were good enough. Would he ever be good enough? He didn't know. But Merlin did he want to be. He wanted to reach out to him, to apologize for not being good enough, apologize for not understanding. That it wasn't his fault - that it was Mikael's. But he was stuck there, fist clenched and unable to utter a word. His mother had always said that he was too much like his father. Words fail him too often. Actions mattered to him too much. He'd never been frozen by words as much as he was then though.

Love? Elio... loved him? Even with all this? When Mikael was so obviously a failure. He didn't know how many moments passed - probably a few seconds, maybe a minute. All he knew was that he took one step towards Elio, then another, and another. And then he was wrapping his arms around the Gryffindor and pulling him in, holding on to him tightly as if to make sure he really was there. Maybe he was shaking as he buried his head on Elio's shoulders but he was only probably imagining it. No. He was probably only imagining it. Mikael does not shake. "Say that again," he said in a hoarse whisper. He needed to hear it again. Needed to make sure he heard it right. Make sure that it was true.​

 

[Elio Boneheart]

Elio didn’t move as Mikael stepped closer, though his heart raced as the distance between them disappeared. When Mikael finally pulled him into that tight embrace, Elio wrapped his arms around him without hesitation, holding him just as fiercely. The weight of Mikael’s head on his shoulder, the tremors he wouldn’t dare point out - it was all grounding him in this moment. He closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath before leaning his head slightly against Mikael’s. “I love you,” he whispered, his voice unwavering. He tightened his hold, as if he could somehow erase the doubt lingering in Mikael’s mind. “And I’ll keep saying it as many times as you need to hear it. Because you’re a stubborn @sshole, but you’re more than enough.” Even if he didn’t think he was. He let the silence stretch for a moment, his grip tight on Mikael, “you don’t have to apologise for anything, we’re in this together, and I’m not planning to go anywhere.”​

 

[Mikael Nightray]

It was a marvel to hear those words. To be told that he was loved and that he was more than enough just for being who he was. Mikael's parents loved him - he knew they did. He also knew parents had their favorites. Mikael might have been the first biological son of Liam and Ai Nightray, but he was definitely not their first child or son. Jai had no doubt been the first and the golden child. He had been too young to remember, but he could sort of recall Tiziano having the attention span of a fly that it worried their parents quite often. He was sort of better now. Eurydice was the first daughter. And Annika had been the baby for so long. At first, Mikael had thought that he needed to be the forefront heir, to be the next head, to get his parents to acknowledge him. But he'd lost hope already when he first realized just how big of a gap there was between himself and Jai. Added to that, he was never going to be enough for the family anyway. He was a half blood with an ambition to lead a Pureblood family. He might be working towards those goals now, but he still knew, he was not going to be enough. Perhaps it was why even now, he still kept his goals, his skills, from his parents. Because he felt like he had something to prove. He knew he didn't. And still he felt he did. But now here was someone telling him that he was enough just as he was. Stubborn @ss and all. "You're not allowed to go anywhere," he said hoarsely, holding on tighter if he could before loosening his grip just slightly. "I..." he swallowed. Just like his father, they would always say. He didn't want to be just like his father. He wanted to be better. "I love you." And he did. For longer than he would probably like to admit.​

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F I N I S H E D​