Work Text:
“Aventurine I swear to god I am not playing your petty games again.”
You angrily huff as you cross your arms and glare at Aventurine with disapproval. The audacity of this man was truly something, especially at a time like this. You both were stuck in an interesting situation, where Aventurine had made a gamble with an enemy territory and he wanted you to be part of it. More precisely, he wanted to turn you into his bargaining chip for a while. There was one tiny problem. He wasn’t asking for your approval, he had already made the deal.
“The table has already been set, friend. You just have to play your role real well.”
Your jaw hangs low when you realise what he has done.
“Aventurine don’t tell me….”
“They have decided to ask for you in exchange of information. Do not worry, I will find a way to-“
He doesn’t get to finish his sentence as a loud slap resonates across the room. You stare at him in disbelief with tears welling your eyes, unable to process what he has done. A shaky sigh leaves his mouth and he stares at you, bewildered by your behaviour.
“It hasn’t even been a full week since we finished another deal and you want me to jump head-on into another one?!”
“Was there a need to slap me like this? If you’re forgetting, friend, you agreed to help me out on these deals regardless of the risk. Or should I have the doctor examine your memory?”
“Aventurine I agreed to help you out, not be used however you please! You could have at least asked me first before making the deal!”
You rub your temples and rethink the entire situation through. Your relationship with Aventurine was compatible due to one simple fact: you both loved taking risks. The thrill of the gamble and the adrenaline of waiting for the results kept you both alive. It was the drug you both needed in this cruel unjust world.
But this, this was different. This wasn’t just any gamble and it wasn’t a small one either. Being traded off to the enemy territory for a few weeks was no easy task and you have no idea what the hell Aventurine was thinking. In your last deal, you barely made it out alive as the tables turned against your favour. It was a miracle your assets weren’t taken and that you weren’t killed in the process.
“…I promise you will be fine, friend.”
Tears sting your eyes and you try to take a deep breath.
“How can you be so sure?”
“The Gaiaithra triclops blesses me abundantly. We will not lose.”
“Is that what you said to Lilac as well before her demise?”
You hear how his breath hitches in his throat at the mention of Lilac. He coughs a little and then stares at you with a look you cannot decipher.
“Do not bring her up.”
His voice is a mere whisper and you know you’re crossing some lines already. Yet you don’t stop there. You jab your right index finger into his chest with every word you speak.
“I don’t know what’s worse, being a gambling chip on purpose or being a gambling chip unknowingly, like she was.”
He grips the hand you have on his chest tightly. You can’t help but wince a little at how he’s looking at you with red eyes filled with regret and anger. He tries to speak but you cut him off.
“Was losing her not enough to learn your lesson? Or do you turn everyone you love into pawns of your game?”
“You’re crossing the line now.”
He warns and you shake your head.
“You treat everyone like an asset, even the ones who truly love you without any hidden agenda. No wonder you couldn’t save Lilac-“
“Enough!”
Before you can process what is going on Aventurine pulls out a gun from his inner coat pocket and shoots a random vase on the table behind you. The bang of the gun and the loud shattering of the ceramic into pieces makes you jump and shake a little. He then shifts his gaze on you and lets your hand go before issuing his warning.
“…you need to leave. Leave before I accidentally hurt you.”
“I-“
“I said leave!”
He points the gun at you. His hand is shaking in a manner you have never seen before and you can tell he doesn’t want to do this but you’re giving him no choice. You stare at him for a moment and nod your head before scurrying away.
Once you’re out of his sight he plops onto the nearest sofa and drops his gun. It lands with a loud thud as he puts his head into his hands and shakes visibly. Flashbacks of that dreaded day start to play over and over in his head and he clenches his teeth as a tear rolls down his eye.
Lilac was a woman he met during one of his travels as an IPC stoneheart. They got along pretty well and eventually fell in love. A few years ago, Aventurine asked her for help during a deal he made and she agreed only for the other party to target her as leverage against Aventurine. He still remembers the pain in her eyes as she looked at him, confused and hurt from how she became the target. He remembers holding her in his arms apologising over and over for his lack of foresight, unable to figure out where he went wrong.
It was the first and last deal he ever lost.
And now you, his new partner after several hard years of grief, were bringing up old wounds that never healed. Gaps of his heart that nothing would ever fill. Another tear rolls down his eye as he grits his teeth further. Had he known you would bring her up like this, he would have never told you about her.It’s always the closest ones that hurt you the most.
—
You apologised. The first thing you did when your emotions calmed down and you thought things through was to go apologise. You stood in front of his room, nervously fidgeting with your hands and wondering if he would be ok with seeing you. Would he get upset at you again? Threaten to shoot you? Would he hurt you?
Soft knocks resound on his door as you wait for him to answer. After a few more rounds of knocking and no answer, you grow increasingly worried and twist the door handle only to see Aventurine’s tear-stained face as he slumps on the sofa asleep. The tiny frown on his face and his gun lying on the floor tells you all you needed to know: you hurt him deeply and your words broke him.
With tears in your eyes, you quietly tiptoe over to him and cautiously sit next to his figure, carefully wiping the remaining tears from his face. His forehead is cool to the touch as you brush his hair away from his eyes, soothingly running fingers in his hair and watching over him. Him crying like this was your fault and you hated how you said such hurtful things without thinking twice. Unknowingly, the tears in your eyes plop onto his forearm from the surge of sadness you feel which prompts him to stir awake.
“Hm…?”
His sleepy voice rings in the room and you panic as you try to blink your tears away. He looks confusedly at you for a split second which makes your panic even worse and so you quickly get up from the sofa, thinking he wouldn’t want you around, only to be yanked back.
“Where are you going?”
He asks quietly as his arms wrap around your waist and he looks into your eyes. The redness of his puffy eyes and the dark under-eye bags make you burst into tears and bawl on his shoulder.
“Aventurine I am so sorry for hurting you like that I shouldn’t have said such cruel things I am so sorry for the things I said I-”
He inhales sharply as he hears you apologise; taken aback by your breakdown and the pain in your voice. Tears well up in his eyes too and he hugs you tighter. You both stay like that for a good amount of time, letting the tears flow unapologetically as the proximity between you both eases the pains of your hearts. After a while, when he sees you have calmed down, he gently pries you off his shoulder and cups your face.
“I should have confirmed with you before I did anything.”
You shake your head and caress his face sadly.
“No, I should have been more patient with you. I shouldn’t have brought up Lilac Iike that-”
“The matter has passed. Let us speak of it no more.”
You immediately hug him, wrapping your arms around his waist and squeezing him. He reciprocates and smiles as he rests his head on your shoulder.
“I will never allow you to get hurt, I promise you. You are my good luck, my royal flush.”
Hearing him say that makes you giggle and you kiss his cheek.
“And I promise I will do my best in this deal. What is your plan?”
You both spend the rest of the day discussing the deal and coming up with different strategies to handle the enemy territory. He was right, you always made it out alive even with the wildest risks and your life at stake. Why would it be any different this time? The Gaiaithra triclops always looked out for him…right?
–
“Aventurine…”
The cold metal shackles on your body hurt. Every limb is cuffed and chained tightly to prevent your escape. Despite the painful aching that sets in your body, you call out for Aventurine whose face appears on the phone screen in front of you. In contrast to the cold dark dimly lit room, his face is bright, like an angel that has come to your aid. The salty tears that flow from your eyes sting the fresh slashes on your cheeks adding to your agony. You struggle in your sleep-deprived state to keep your eyes open and see him clearly. Your throat burns and you don't remember the last time you drank water.
“Hello sweetheart- W-what happened to you?!”
You hear the horror in his voice as he stares at you, trying to make sense of your horrible state. Seeing his face brings you a strange amount of comfort and you try to smile but fail. There is so much you want to say but no words leave your mouth as you gasp for air.
“My lucky charm?”
You sob harder upon hearing his term of endearment for you. Your heart aches so badly and you want to run far away from this place into his arms but alas, you are chained and doomed to be imprisoned here.
“Your lucky charm isn’t so lucky is she? She won’t be able to answer you anytime soon, Aventurine from the strategic investment department of the IPC.”
The man who is holding your phone in front of you speaks with a cold monotonous voice. There is an evil grin on his face and you know he has no remorse for you based on the way he glares at you. Aventurine cannot see the man which further agitates him.
“Coward. It is impolite to talk to someone without showing your face to them, don’t you think?”
“It is more impolite to infiltrate our territory on the premises of mutual respect.”
Another man who is responsible for keeping you restrained pulls onto your chains and you shriek in pain at how your body is practically dragged across the floor. Like a plastic bag that is sucked into the currents of the wind.
“Urgh!”
You wince at the impact as your limbs scrape against the cold metal floor like cheese on a grater. When the man finally stops dragging you, he harshly tugs on the chain around your neck which makes you choke in pain.
“You! How dare you touch her, you bastard!”
Aventurine’s yelling rings in the room. You cannot see his face anymore as you’ve been pulled to the other side of the room but you can see your bright phone screen and your gaze remains fixated on it, as if your lover would step out of the phone and come save you.
“Don’t worry, we won’t touch her. We do not need to do so. Take a good look around this room.”
The man stands up and shows Aventurine around the room as if they were two old friends on a video call. He continues to grin as he points to various things in the room.
“Notice how we aren’t in the headquarters where you left your girl?”
“I do not have time for your games. What have you done to her?!”
The man completely ignores the question and continues to ramble despite the anger and frustration on Aventurine’s face.
“See that giant crate over there? And there? Those are our newly made explosives. Guess who is the lucky subject we are testing it out on?”
His laugh echoes in the room and your heart drops. You frantically look around and realise there are four of those crates in each corner of the room. And it just so happens one of those crates is right above your head. Panic sets in and you struggle against your chains which makes the man holding your chains tug on it harshly. You inhale sharply at the action and choke.
“Do you have any idea what will happen to you if the IPC finds you?”
Aventurine warningly questions, to which the man just laughs.
“We are ten steps ahead of the IPC. You can try, but you will never find us.”
Then he looks at you and chuckles.
“Or well, more precisely, even if you find us, you will never find your girl.”
His eyes narrow as he watches you shift uncomfortably in your chains. Then he flips the phone around to show Aventurine your dreadful state.
“After this phone call, she will simply cease to exist, Aventurine. You should have thought carefully before playing the Herald like this.”
“You son of a-”
Click.
The phone call ends and the two men in the room look at you. Neither says a word as the expression on their faces is enough: this was the end. your end. Your phone buzzes continuously in the man's hands and he scoffs at the caller ID before throwing the device towards you. Like a maniac, you attempt to catch the phone but unfortunately, your hands are tied which makes the device land on the floor shattering the screen. You try to drag the phone closer using your face, sobbing heavily as you see Aventurine’s name on the screen.
The men howl at your helplessness and proceed to walk away from the room, making sure your chains are tied to the wall first before doing so. The door closes with a loud bang and silence falls, making you shake in fear. You look at your constantly buzzing phone and attempt to accept the video call, struggling to unlock the phone in your tied-up state.
In what feels like forever you finally manage to accept the video call, huffing and withering in pain from your constant attempts. Aventurine’s face pops on the screen and your last few remaining tears drip on your phone.
“A-aven-”
Nothing but harsh chokes come out of your mouth as you try to call for him.
“I am on my way my love, hang on!”
You sob quietly as you watch him get on the aircraft, throwing around orders to his subordinates while simultaneously keeping an eye on you.
“I will find you. I will save you. Stay with me.”
A small smile creeps on your face as he speaks with conviction and you nod your head as if accepting what he was saying. However, a part of you knows that this is the end, that this is where you must part. As if to confirm your cruel destiny, the timers on all four explosive crates start to go off one by one, filling the room with an ominous sound. With wide eyes, you look around the room and then back at Aventurine.
“My love?”
You aggressively shake your head and gasp for air from the lack of oxygen in the room. The timers on the crates only get more jarring and cold sweat drips down the side of your face. With the last remaining energy you have left in you, you look up at the crater that’s hanging right above your head.
60 seconds.
A harsh choke leaves your throat and you try to show Aventurine the timer. When his gaze lands on it, he freezes.
“No, no!”
You hear him yelling more orders to everyone, asking the officers to locate you faster, asking the pilot to increase his speed but you know it’s not going to suffice.
35 seconds.
“A-aven…! A-Aven…turine…!”
You desperately try to get his attention in your final moments.
“Yes, yes my love?!”
He is completely facing you now as he replies to you. The deep frown and his heavy breathing tells you all you need to know; he is worried sick for you. You take this opportunity to mentally trace his features and take him in for one last time.
14 seconds.
“I…love…you…”
You choke out with all the power you have left in you. The timer gets increasingly louder as if signalling your demise.
“Stay with me! I’m almost there!”
7 seconds.
“I…love…you…Aven…”
The last of his name is lost in the constant beeping of the crates before it all explodes one by one like fireworks. You remember staring at his face lovingly as the last tear in your eye rolls down your face and the explosion hits you. Every inch of your body burns before silence falls and eternity sets in.
—
He’s been clenching his fist since the moment he picked up the phone call. The amount of outrage, anger and pain in his body is unexplainable. There is nothing more he wishes to do than to beat those men into pulp and carry you back home in his arms, safe and sound.
He has no idea how things turn out like this. Every single detail of this plan was meticulously calculated and designed to ensure nothing would happen to you. You both had gone over all the possible outcomes and devised escape plans but this, what he was seeing on the screen, was not one of them.
His head is pounding as he thinks of Lilac. He thinks of how she had gone through something very similar and how he was a split second late to save her. The fear that sets into his body is one he cannot explain as he feels his throat close up and his heart rate spike. No, no. He wasn’t going to relive that situation again. He wasn’t going to let you leave him too.
Everything is a blur as he rushes to board his aircraft and issues orders to his team. He tightly grips his phone as he keeps watching you, making sure you’re alive. Inova-XI wasn’t very far from the IPC, surely he would make it in a minimum of 10 minutes? And with the amount of brainpower his team had, he was certain he could locate you on his way there and save you.
All or nothing right? All or nothing. He had to give it his all if he wanted you back. His lucky charm. His goodluck. His royal flush. His future and forever. He was the blessed child, Kakavesha of the gaiaithra triclops. Nothing would happen to him. He wouldn’t lose anymore bets.
But all that hope goes out the window the moment he sees the countdown you struggle to show him.
60 seconds.
His heart drops. He looks at the tablet in front of him and he feels his blood go cold. 5 minutes left until the destination. 300 seconds to land on the planet. Not even save you.
“No, no!”
He screams. He yells more orders to everyone, asking the officers to locate you faster, asking the pilot to increase his speed, to just do something to get to you faster.
But deep down he knows it’s not going to suffice. He hyperventilates as he looks at you, who's struggling to call out his name.
“Yes, yes my love?!”
He answers you rapidly, afraid that even a second away from his phone would make you disappear into thin air. He cannot bear to see your condition as it reminds him of his own days as a slave, chained and tortured to be a puppet at play. Yet he continues staring at you, watching your face over and over knowing this would be the last time he sees you.
I…love…you…”
He swears if it weren’t for his duties he would burst out crying at your declaration. How he wishes he was hearing those words in a better circumstance, where you were safe and by his side, giggling and hugging him. As if things couldn’t get worse, he hears the timer get increasingly louder as if signalling your demise.
“Stay with me! I’m almost there!”
There is nothing else he can say except that. He looks at his tablet and clenches his teeth, fighting back angry tears as he looks outside the window. The planet is visible in his eyes but still so far away. He then looks back at you, eyes swirling with intense emotions of pure regret and pessimism.
“I…love…you…Aven…”
That’s the last thing he hears from you as the explosions go off and he loses signal.
“NO. NO NO NO!!!”
His subordinates jump at the sight of him yelling. Never ever had anyone seen Aventurine in such a frenzy, yelling and punching the armrest over and over.
“No, she has to be alive-! No she has to-“
He breaks down completely, tugging on his hair and staring off into the distance with wide eyes, a look so distraught that his team is growing increasingly concerned.
He can’t breathe. There is not a single atom of oxygen that passes through his lungs and into his blood. His throat is on fire as it completely closes up, restricting him from any taste of air. The aggressive throbbing of his head makes him stumble and he gasps for air, very much like you had been, while clawing his nails into his chair.
He doesn’t remember how he manages to stay alive for the next few minutes. He remembers screaming more orders and then falling to his knees on the floor. It is only when the aircraft halts and his assistant quickly helps him up does he recover to some extent.
—
His legs feel heavy as he walks towards your room of imprisonment. Or well, what it was. There is nothing left on the land except a massive hole in the ground implying that there was a structure there. Even in the severity of the explosion, he spots some chains left on the ground and upon getting closer-
“L-lucky charm..?”
-he sees a dead body slump on the floor, lying in a cradle position. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that’s you.
He falls to the floor as his legs give out from the realisation. Like a child, he crawls towards you, sobbing and heaving as he gets closer. He doesn’t care how undignified he looks, how his lavish bright attire is now covered in ashes and dust, how his hands sting from the stones puncturing his palms…he drags himself towards you with every fibre of his being.
“Sweetheart…my lucky charm…”
He calls for you over and over as he gently takes hold of your body, crying aggressively to the point his tears disfigure your already damaged body in his vision. The explosion has blown off a decent amount of your limbs, and the only thing that’s passably recognisable is your face. He is completely shaken by how you look, unable to believe this is what has happened to you.
He stays there in the ashes and dust with you, letting the smoke of the explosion completely suffocate him while he caresses your face. The anger that brims in his heart is subdued by the sheer amount of grief he feels. There is nothing left for him to do or say yet he mumbles your name continuously as if it is the very reason he can breathe.
“What will I do without you my love? Who will be my lucky charm now?”
He hangs his head as he continues to cry heavily, completely admitting defeat. His subordinates watch from a distance, turning their faces away at one point as they are unable to bear seeing this leader like this. No one disturbs him and no one has the heart to either, for their leader lost the very beat of his heart.
“Gaiathra triclops…you promised to protect me, then why, why couldn’t you protect my love?! Have you destined me to have a life of loneliness as I watch everyone I love die?!?”
His agony is lost to the winds. When Lilac died, he vowed to never gamble with his partner again. And now with you, with you gone, he vowed to never love again. In the gamble of life, he would always lose his love. Life was a grand gamble and when it came to being loved, he was the destined loser.