Chapter Text
She winced under his shadow, whimpering and asking for forgiveness
"..husband, please" she pleads; "..please I'm sorry..."
She flinches under his moves, her frame felt smaller than it already was, at the edge of holding her tears, she held her breath as he started yelling.
"Please what? WHAT WOMAN? YOU'VE TURNED ME INTO THIS AND ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS?" He roars.
She was nearly disappearing under his shadow, let alone himself.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" she keeps repeating. "I'm sorry to think I knew better husband I-" Her breath hitches, she covers her mouth in embarrassment, holding back her tears as she was terribly shaking .
He took deep breaths, raising his left hand to brush his bangs back.
How funny, she was scared by just the raise of his hand, hiding behind her worryingly thin arms.
"Know what exactly? Turning me into-" He takes a moment to look at himself. To look at what remained from himself. Bone and flesh, the combo he hated most. What he devoured, he became it. His hands trembled in anger, making her sob even more.
"..Paracelsus, please" she keeps, repeating futile pleases as if it was a prayer. As if there was a god to keep her safe. She was in her own limbo, by her own creation she loved very dearly. She had no idea their loving relationship would turn into this.
"You disgust me." He says
She locks her gaze onto her lap, too ashamed to look at him, her hands on her lap holding to the thin blanket he gave her out of mercy. As if she was expecting some mercy from the blankets itself too.
She could see the tears dripping into her lap
He could too.
"Tch." He kicks the chains restrained her by her ankles.
"Look at you. It's all because of you."
He placed his hands at his chest, pointing at himself with an inhumane frustration
"You yourself were pathetic enough and as if it wasn't satisfying enough for you turning me into this too? Curse on the god fucking damn day I did accept you as a wielder. You're a pathetic excuse of a human being."
He chuckles. The short joy leaves its place to disgust again.
"You even can't manage to properly function as a human, yet you have the damn audacity to-"
His throat tightens. He couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. He looks behind him, over his shoulder. He couldn't accept the fact and the body he was in.
She saw the opportunity to reach to him, with terrified hands, he put her fingers on point of his shoes.
"...my dear, we can work this out.." A pale smile shapes in her face "..like the old days.." She looks at him with a tiny glimpse of hope yet it wasn't enough to hide her fear in the trembling voice of hers.
Cheeky woman, daring to love him despite all the curse she's been sworen to.
He took a deep breath.
Kneeled down to her level.
She was scared and hopeful at the same time. It's been a long time since she could read him and it wasn't one of those times.
He looked at her, with blank eyes.
Her heart was aching as if it was boiling in a pan while it was beating inside her still.
He took his hand to her cheek.
To what was left from her cheek, she's been losing too much weight since she's been here. He probably could feel her bones by his touch.
"You're more stupid than I have mistaken you for"
He smiles.
Her heart sank, but she rested her cheek on his palm still, missing her husband.
She didn't wanted to accept the fact that he was long gone, gone insane.
She smiles too.
"Isn't that why you've accepted me from the beginning?"
He nods.
"Yeah. Yeah it is."
Chapter Text
She was woken up by the chirps of birds. She yawns, lazily hugging the blanket that was barely covering her body.
Shame.
Shame hit her again, remembering nothing was covering her body at all.
She shivers by the sudden realization of the cold, trying to keep her body warm in a futile try.
The baby blue blanket and shackles was her only friend, if she could call the shackles her friends. Also to mention her beloved bandages, what a pity that at this point she wasn't wearing them because she loved and found them fashionable but because she needed them to keep her together.
How could she knew that the weapon she wielded to slaughter and end other lives would come back and bite her now?
She held her forehead at the thought, giving her headache and sadness.
She loved him, she guessed.
She took deep breaths, trying to see if she could hear the birds again.
She waited.
Waited.
But they were gone too, just like her lover.
Or so she thought, she could hear the footsteps coming closer. In a hurry and embarrassment, she tried to cover her body with the blanket as her eyes locked to the door.
The sound of key, it's struggle to open the lock and the whining door from how old it was.
It felt like years to her for him to show himself again meanwhile it was just some seconds for the world.
She gulped as she was avoiding eye contact with him.
"...morning" he said, as if he cared.
She nodded as she was looking at her lap. Her hands, her wrists wrapped in bandages.
He put a tray somewhere. Not to feed her but just to keep her alive. He didn't knew why he was bothering to keep her alive. She was thankful anyways.
She murmurs a response, something not even I could hear to write.
He kicks the dust in basement. He was here yet absent. He couldn't make it any more obvious he doesn't want to be here yet he was, for unknown reasons to him.
"Y'know I -" He speaks.
"Maybe I should spare you from your misery."
He looks at her. It wasn't a question yet wasn't a statement either. He was checking on her.
"..you won't." She spoke. No worry in her voice.
"How come?" He asks as he walks nearby her.
She shrugs.
"You're speaking so sure for someone in that state."
He says, with a headache.
As if it wasn't him.
"Ugh."
He sits near to her.
"Give me your hand."
She hesitated. She would die for his touch, die to feel him once more again but...but was it still him? She fears. She doesn't know. She even suspect if he knows.
"Give me your hand."
He repeats as she gulps and puts her pale hand to his lap.
He gazes it. How fragile, how tiny it was. The bruises he had made earlier was still there too.
He wanted to tear her apart.
To feel her organs, her breathing lungs beneath his fingers, he wanted to feel the life vanish away by his hands as he was watching, as she did to him.
He let go of her hand, she hugged her blanket again.
It felt absurd to her that how he felt nothing about the fact that she was all naked all alone. Then she felt bad for herself again, rubbing her tights as she gulped. Watching him get up and get to where his tools was.
"Paracelsus my dear, my beloved please, please not today at least-"
He picks a box cutter. Not the worst he could pick in her situation, but she knows what's coming.
"Where's your stapler? Do you still have it?" He asks, as if he gives some fucks.
She nods, trying to hold back her tears.
"..is this your revenge on me?" She whispers as her faded teal hairs make a curtain to her face, maybe it was the confidence that the hair curtain gave her to ask for the question.
He doesn't answer, mumbling a song under his breath.
"Horizontal or vertical?" He smirks as he opens his left hand for her to place hers.
She gulps. He knew he'd do it vertical if she didn't answer.
It hurts. Like hell. To search for her lover for years, to shed blood and bleed for him, to give him something to prove her love.
Just for him to hate it. Her too. Hate it and hate her.
It hurts, but she isn't willing to die yet either.
"....h-horizontal.." she mumbles. Even answering the question was a torture itself. He knew that furthermore it was why he enjoyed it.
He squeezed corner of the blanket to her mouth, uncovering her bare tights. She felt a fever on her cheeks at the mere thought of him realizing how sweaty she was by down there.
Nasty. Disgusting. Needy.
He takes the knife out of the cutter. He searched for where to put the knife first. To her surprise, he opened her palms.
She tried to protest, but her mouth was full.
He cut open her hand, right in the middle of her palm.
She knew she wouldn't lose her limb, she knew her body could keep itself together that much at least. But she wasn't sure if he wanted that.
He takes deep breaths as the blood reveals itself from her palm.
He smells it, smearing his face all around her hand.
She takes deeper breaths. It was like a ritual to him, probably reassuring his blood lust and talking about lust, the feeling's itself was enough to A.B.A as itself already. He must have realized that for it.
"Disgusting, aren't you? Shameless for enjoying your situation." He spoke as he held her bleeding hand tighter, making sure it hurts.
She squirms, denying the truth
"..no why would I..you've mistaken me" she told under hear breath within a visible embarrassment and fever.
She grinds her knees at a terrible attempt of hiding it.
She felt bad for wanting it. But what else she could want in such situation? A little bit of satisfaction and relief was deserved for her, furthermore what could she desire from outside world anymore? From the world that turned back on her? She was consent with her life here, she assumed. She didn't knew.
He smirks, making his move to her tights.
"Open up."
"A-ah?" She was stunned by the demand, yet obeyed hoping for a bit of joy in shame.
To her surprise, he brings up the cutter. Ah. For a second, just for a second, fate had mercied her enough to forget her situation. But remembering hit harder.
She winches at the cold metal, slicing apart her skin.
"...paracelsus, please" She moans, pathetically.
"Enjoying it with no shame?" He says as he travels his free hand between bandages of her uncut tight.
Her eyes tear, she was unsure to be honest or not.
She nods in denial.
He grins "Oh yes you are, you damn are."
He leaves the cutter nearby her bleeding tight, working on her bandages.
She gasps in shock. "What're you doing stop-" she whines.
And he stops, unexpectedly.
She looks at him in confusion, she wasn't expecting him to listen to her.
"What's that look? Disappointed?"
She sobs, why and how was she enjoying it she didn't knew, and it just drove her mad.
He goes "aww", an obvious mockery to her feelings.
He opens the bandages anyways, revealing where the sweat and wet met at her. She was bleeding, sweating and drooling. The sight was a feast to him. He glanced between the cutter and her core, then her, to see her reaction.
"NO!" She yells as she understands his ideas, trying to get him away by pushing him in a faint attempt. He collapses on her like a nightmare.
She whines like a sick dog, adorable yet pathetic. She was also aroused by her situation, which made it even more pathetic than it already was.
He lets out a laugh, placing his hands on her bleeding tight, squeezing some blood out.
She felt dizzy, for a second she felt like she was going to faint out. Took deep breaths as she held onto her chest, tears in her eyes. She was almost looking like a porcelain doll. So pretty yet so fragile. Pretty enough to awakening the questions, would she still be pretty if she was broken?
He realizes it, deciding it was enough for today.
"Close your wounds, I'll bring you some antibiotics." He says. Close her wounds by the stapler. He gazed back at her, all nude below hips. His mind goes mischievous and sadistic. He could use the stapler too just more than hold her wounds together.
She nods a yes in fear as he turns back, thinking he was waiting for an answer without any idea of what was going on in his mind.
Maybe another time, he thinks as he smiles to himself.
She wipes her tears as he leaves, trying to rub off the blood within her used bandages. She probably shouldn't be doing that, but it wouldn't matter at this point. She looked at the stapler after she was done.
Was he really expecting her to do it to herself? She gulps, looking back at her wounds. It seemed that bandages wouldn't hold it together yet she wasn't into trying her other options.
Surprisingly, he comes back within the antibiotics he promised. Looking at her, reading her expression like an open book. He smirks, it was getting frustrating now.
"Would you like me to sew it up for you huh?"
She looks at him, blankly.
"There's no anesthesia tho, you have to choose what you want." He looks at her within a fake pity.
She rubs her eyes at her forearm, instinctively, she realizes she was at the verge of tears again when she did that.
"...I think I'll be fine with just bandages." she spoke under her breath, as if there was someone out there who'd hear her, as if she'd die if she was heard.
He nods, somehow satisfied.
"Fine, you do you." He said as he handed some fresh bandages with the antibiotics.
He was acting absurdly chill , like it wasn't him minutes ago who was scaring her to death.
She takes the bandages thankfully, waiting for him to leave to work on herself.
He stared at her, for what felt like an eternity. She could swore his looks pierced through her soul, just like the knife through flesh. She could feel a heartache by his look.
The eyes once she was in love with, were now her own made prison.
She couldn't even look at him with the same eyes anymore. He was there yet he was not. It was unexplainable. She didn't even understood it herself. She was drawn away from her thoughts by the creek of the door.
She gave in a deep sigh. Looking at her terrible leg. The scars. The amount of scars she've collected under the basement of the very dear house they've choose together. If the new cuts weren't still bleeding not a single eye could tell the difference between the rest.
Thinking just hurts more, she thought as she opened the new package clumsily. She lost much more blood than she was used to, she probably needed to eat. Eh, whatever. She thought as she kept wrapping the bandages.
After a while of dizziness and tears she was satisfied with the pressure and her work. She looked around, it was one of the rare times he didn't chain her back. Probably because she couldn't even properly walk in this situation. She shrugged it off. Trying to get up to the so called medicine he left on the table with a glass of water out of mercy. She consumed it without a thought and going back to her corner again.
She hugged her blanket again. The once baby blue blanket was now stained by some red dots. She pouted at the sight. Now she had to remember this time everytime she looked at it. As if she could forget.
She sighed.
Hoping for a bit of comfort, she slid her fingers between her legs, smelling the blanket a bit, just to find a little of him.
Something of him that couldn't hurt her. In her imagination, they were still in love.
Chapter Text
It was a nice summer day. The sun shining just enough to remind it's existing, but not to an overwhelming point that it'd burn the city down.
Two adults were sitting nearby the cafe located close to the sea, the view and spot was rather nice.
They kept their chit-chat as they waited for their tea.
"So? How's everything going with your new life my friend?" They ask within a smile.
He shrugs "I'm still trying to adjust, there's just a lot and ah..."
There was a moment of silence.
"Ah..? Is there a problem with A.B.A? I feel like it must be hard for her to get used to your new form too, considering she was very, maybe too much, attentive to everything you do. How is she receiving it now that she has to give you space?"
Paracelsus didn't knew how to answer, well he kind of did but he knew he wasn't the trickster to lie to Testament. He was unsure if he could deal with them or not if they found out, if he'd be in trouble with so called government and anything. He wasn't his old self anymore; blood thirsty and violent yes, but not the weapon and Flament Nagel he once was.
His brows was crossed more than his liking, making him easy to read again.
"... you've got quite troubles in your relationship I assume?" They broke the silence.
Stupid human body, it was betraying him so much. He hated it. He hated her for trapping him here.
He was trying to form words when the waitress came, losing his focus for a second.
"Thank you." They kindly gestured the waitress as their teas were ready.
He hugs the cup between his palms before he opens his mouth to talk.
"..well you can say that. I'm...confused it's all so new, still." He says.
"How long has it been since you've acquired your new body?"
"Ahh..? What months it was again?"
"July, fourteenth to be exact."
He thinks for a while.
"Five months I assume?"
Their eyebrows raised in suprise
"Has it been that long since we've last met?" They laugh as they brush it off. "I've remember the last time we've talked like yesterday. A.B.A was still carrying you around."
He chuckles nervously.
"Haha, yeah.."
"Talking about her, how's she doing?"
Silence again.
He shrugs
"Not any better than I."
"Oh? How so?"
"Well...she's not fond of the new changes either... She uhm.."
Left? Does that even sound believable? He didn't even needed to tell anyone about her that now he didn't knew what to say.
Testament could smell something was terribly wrong.
They look at him from head to toe, there was something odd, really really odd.
"I see. She didn't even company you to come here? Is she getting distant?"
He nods as he gulps, holding the cup of tea even harder than before.
"And it was unexpected?"
He shrugs
"I mean... to this extended..? Yeah, she doesn't talk to me, she isolates herself while refusing to eat and I-I really don't know what to do with her, she's been getting sicker and-"
He looks at them with pleading eyes as if apologizing for what he was about to say.
"She've changed so much in me, some I loved and some I hated but never ever was she an easy person to be with? Now with this body I am more confused than ever with myself, let alone know how to help her."
Testament puts their hand to his shoulder.
"Relax a little, I'm sure you'll work it out. I can see your worries but being this worried will tire you more than you already are my friend."
They smile.
"I hope you're informed that you, and your dear partner are such valuable friends of mine. I appreciate it that if you're asking for my help, I'll see what I can do sometime."
Paracelsus didn't even realize they were done with their tea.
They get up, gathering their stuff.
"Tell her I said hi, I'd love to visit her when you're capable of inviting me."
They didn't even look back while they were walking away, not even suspecting him a single.
He gulped.
It was easier than he expected it to be.
He smirked.
Gear or human, homonculus or not, these low-life beings wasn't his equal in any way.
He was in a good mood that day. Maybe even generous enough to have her own day good too. He shrugs, just a maybe.
He took his time on his way back to home. Wandering around, for the first time in months he felt happy in his mortal body. The heavy boots on his toes, the grass he stepped on. The teal grass he stepped on.
Teal. He loved teal.
She was sleeping when he arrived home. He opens the door gently, he knew the creek door would make usually, not willing to hear it this time.
She seemed peaceful, almost normal. Except the bruises and cuts she had visible. He kept gazing her, her hair, it was fading. She was coloring it he assumed? Yeah she did, it used to be red he thinks to himself. Thinking about it, and looking at her with a better focus he realizes her roots were red too now. Probably because she didn't get the chance to dye them in a close time.
She moves, from her right to left, she turns her back to him on his sleep. He sighs, leaning closer to her, just to lay next to her for a while. She was asleep, she wouldn't notice it anyways right? He gently wraps his arms around her, under her chest, holding her torso closer to him.
Not so tight to choke her, but not too lose to let her go too.
Just enough to keep her steady.
He could feel her chest rise, the basement was so quiet that he was also able to hear her breaths. Tiny, steady and precious.
He wandered his hands around her shoulders and her neck.
Her breath was too steady, he thought to himself.
He put his fingers through her neck, his thumb to right side of her neck while rest held the left. He was gentle, for some seconds.
Then he held her, till she wake up in shock and fear.
She opened her eyes within terror, trying to move her body to see what was going on. She nearly kicked her by her arm and legs, only to stop when she realized it was her formerly husband.
He relives his grab, patting on the bed to sign her to sleep back.
She was confused, and scared.
"...how have you been?" He asks.
She was...feeling uneasy. Woken up between breaths she couldn't take, arms she couldn't recognize.
He kept hugging her still, placing his face to her shoulder, nuzzling like a loving husband.
It was when she realized her hands were shaking, she couldn't tell if it was from starvation or the uneasy stress she's been under so long. She didn't bother to care.
She shrugs.
"...usual...I guess"
There was a long time of silence. She felt like she needed to break it. While he was this close to her, unannounced and unreadable, silence felt like death bells to her.
"... however my day could be here....haha.."
He nods, she doesn't see it but feel it on her shoulder.
"I see, I see." He takes a deep breath. "Well I met with Testament today." He pauses for a bit. " You remember them right?"
She nods. How absurd it was to ask? She could remember of course, they were nice and sweet and kind enough to offer her friendship while she felt her worst. Her eyes get teary at the thought. They helped her to achieve her biggest goal, only to get her here.
"They were worried about you." He positions his hand to her left arm, to the arm she was laying on. "I told them you were isolating yourself Right A.B.A? You're sick." He tightens his grip as he speaks. He was obviously waiting for a reply, a reply to a question he didn't even ask. She was confused.
"I hear you, I don't understand why I have to know this tho."
It was probably the longest she spoke in months.
He leaves her hold on her and sits, towering over her. Mostly to talk on a more comfortable position but also to remind her the situation. That she was under him and that was all she needed to know. Just like how it's been for all the years they've been together.
"Well they want to see you."
"So?"
He shrugs
"So I said they could come over, the hell was I supposed to do? Tell that you ran away?"
They stare at each other for a second.
She makes sure the blanket is covering her again.
"So they'll visit to see you and you'll behave A.B.A"
She states at him blankly.
What? With no shame he asks her to behave?
"What you mean?"
"They're the only outsiders that know about us, enough to come see us A.B.A. If they see something wrong here it'll be the end, both for you and I."
She shrugs, carelessly.
"Okay and? It wouldn't bother me."
It was neither the reaction or the answer he expected. What was even expected about her? She's always been on her own mind which was never enough for anything.
He was mad, holding her by her shoulders, shaking.
"Wouldn't bother you? C'mon who you are lying to A.B.A. We both know you choose to stay here. We both know you enjoy this and we both know how much of an excuse of human being you are A.B.A. How you can't exist alone and how you found your purpose in me. Make yourself something worthy and be useful. If they take me away you'll be the one getting sad over this than I. And when I come out, wherever they take me, prison or hell, I'll get out of there just to make sure I take your life myself. Got it?"
She smiles.
"So you'll look for me?"
He was dumfounded.
What the hell this woman was on? Wasn't she scared for her dear life a little? Nothing, nothing about her made sense.
They just stared at each other.
She kept smiling.
"You'll have to look for me once you get out of prison."
She stops for a second, weirdly but not surprisingly she was struggling to put the words together.
"To take my life by your hands, Paracelsus, a fate I've already accepted even before you had your hands which is funnily, given to you by me. You think that's a threat to me Paracelsus? You think that's a fate I wasn't aware while endow you this body? But the effort you'll put into it. You'll look for me Paracelsus?"
He took his hands away from her shoulders, disgusted and confused.
How could she even make the meaning that she was cared for out of all those words? Something to make her happy?
What kind of mindset it was?
She was more confusing than he ever felt like.
He shook his head, of course it was little games of hers to feel better.
"Thinking twice, I won't A.B.A. Die as alone you are."
Her face visibly shifts, nodding in defeat.
Fine. She would.
She would.
Not that she minded.
She turns her back again, seeking comfort in the beloved blanket once more.
He stares at her, his hand under his chin while covering his mouth.
Silence ties both of them together. The only thing that's was keeping them together at that moment.
Pity to them, that tie was also to be broken by him as he turns his back to the door, having that awkward feeling in him about his words.
No because she deserved them. If she were to bend words like that she'd need something harsh enough that she couldn't bend, right?
Why what she thought even mattered to him?
The thought slammed him back to reality, realizing he was at the living room again.
He looked at the nightstand that was near to the sofa. The beer he left from morning.
Instinctively he took it, leaving his weight on the old and poor sofa that could hardly carry him as the warm drink made his way from his mouth to his stomach.
Ew.
Nobody ever told him to not consume beer warm.
Well how and why would anyone anyways, he never needed to drink anything earlier.
He throw the glass on the floor. Shattering, the thin structure letting all the noise to be heard from the basement too.
She held her breath that night, scared, if he was having one of his episodes of anger again.
It was common he broke stuff, but it was the first time she actually felt like he could hurt her, if not so more than he already had, hah.
It was so uneasy, to not care yet to be scared.
Not for long, thankfully, all of her thoughts vanished in the night as the owls hoot and the moon shine.
If the divine stars knew her situation, maybe they'd mercy
her, but she was all alone in that basement.
And he was the only one to have the freedom to see the divine stars in that house tonight.
laceoverlord on Chapter 2 Thu 31 Jul 2025 06:49PM UTC
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