In Every Universe

10

"You are spying on him a lot, for someone who's supposed to let him go."

"Why do you keep coming back here?"

"It's not like I have things to do or anywhere else I have to be," Love sighs as she makes herself at home on Bright's pillows.

"Please do nothing somewhere else. My room is not a hangout place."

"Let's strike a deal. I will leave if you stop staring at them like some pervert."

Bright looks away from the driveway for a moment to throw his phone at Love. But it passes through her like nothing. She merely snorts, making Bright more irritated.

He turns back to the driveway, covertly watching Win and Kit idle by the gate.

Love was right of course - he should stop watching the romance blossom between the two. But it was hypnotic torture. He couldn't look away.

So here he was, watching Kit's fingers shyly trail downwards Metawin's forearm as every vein his own body felt like it was going to burst from pent up anger.

How dare that fucking mortal touch his Metawin?

But then again, Metawin wasn't his. Not in this lifetime anyway.

He looks at his beloved's face and sees a small grin play at the corner of his lips. Bright's pain magnifies.

But isn't this what he wanted? For Win to finally have a life devoid of tragedy? For him to have love and affection without the curse slowly killing him?

He watches as Kit slowly leans in.

This is their fourth date. That would mean. Oh God, that means -

"STOP!"

Bright hears a loud voice shout. It was so loud that the dog of their next door neighbor starts barking. So loud that Win and Kit jump backwards.

Win looks upwards and glowers. If looks could kill, Bright would be dust by now.

That's when Bright realizes, the loud shout was his.

Love was full on laughing, rolling around the bed. "On second thought, I approve of this madness. It is highly entertaining."

"Shut up," Bright hisses, scrambling to close his blinds even if it was clearly too late to hide his presence.

He stands in the middle of the room at a loss at what to do next.

"You should apologize to him. He was about to get kissed and you ruined it," Love says as she studies her perfectly manicured nails.

"What do I even say? What do I even say?.." Bright panics.

"I still don't understand why you are doing this to yourself."

"Not wanting Win to die is not enough of a reason for you?"

"Do you really think The Benevolent would let you get away with circumventing their punishment? You may be sacrificing all this for nothing. Ever thought about that?"

"How am I circumventing punishment? I am in excruciating pain while making myself look like a buffoon."

Love sighs. She is tired of drilling reason into Bright's too thick skull. "The Prince of Ice also broke their rules. He is not exempt from the punishment."

"It's one lifetime. One. Surely they can let him grow old and happy in one lifetime."

A knock on the door disrupts their conversation.