there's so much beauty in a storm » k.q + v.f

10| the eye of the storm

winter had dawned in the form of a rather intense snowstorm. if it hadn't been for kellin's town being on top of a hill, school would have been closed, but it wasn't. so that monday, all of the kids trudged their way through snow and ice to get to their first class. the whole scene felt too familiar to kellin as he walked through the forest.

uncomfortably familiar.

that of course became the least of his worries as vic's best intentions could no longer be considered anything but a tyrant's attempt at love. this was not right. this was not protective. this was not caring. this was viscous.

if anyone so much as looked at kellin, vic's grip would tighten, his head spinning as everything blurred together until there was only red. it was a sickening kind of ache that kellin's reassurance could never shake. unfortunately, there was only one way vic knew you could take control. it was all he'd ever been shown. violence.

the day had started off fine, beginning as it always did with the two waking up in vic's bed to a morning kiss before they both went off to school. kellin had heard from his parents and reassured them that he was okay and safe, he was just staying at a friends until it sorted itself out. even though they were hesitant, they soon saw that it was a good idea while decisions were made.

as a positive, kellin realised that ryan's drama club never even congratulate him when he trips him up or calls him something. kellin just put it down to the fact that he never responds to his taunts. to be honest, it was only ever ryan who teased him, no one else seemed to care about kellin's presence. in fact, even ryan had laid off recently.

once school had finished and kellin was casualty free, everything felt too good to be true. so, as usual, one thing improving meant something else would have to take a hit. that thing of course had to be vic. although, the hit was something more literal than the saying perhaps intended. a hit was entirely the problem.

"vic, stop!" kellin cried, his eyes wide as his body shook. he didn't know what to do, and the helpless and terrified way ryan looked at him as his body was dragged by a seemingly invisible force towards the frozen over lake was getting too much for him to handle.

"please!" he screamed, running after the pair with his heart in his mouth, stumbling and slipping. nothing was even or constant and he wasn't sure what to do about it. "he was just scared i was trying to take brendon away! you'd be exactly the same way if it was me! he meant no harm, please!"

vic didn't even turn or stall for a second, continuing to take the writhing boy to his doom. his features were fixed into a frown, but he wasn't angry. oh no. he was fuming. ryan was asking for it from day one, picking on kellin like that. there was nothing anyone could do to stop this.

vic was in love. he was possessive. he was a storm.

but that was what kellin signed up for.

"kellin, help me! what's happening?" ryan cried. he didn't know which way to pull. he didn't know how to fight back. this was crazy. it was impossible. he was even questioning whether he was actually awake, considering just letting it happen so that he could get out of this disturbing lucid dream.

"vic!" kellin screamed as vic stopped dead on his tracks, throwing ryan's lanky body to the ground. the ice was so thin that kellin had to stop running at the sound of a crack. a shift beneath his feet. he froze completely in place, watching like a deer caught in headlights as ryan stopped moving too. the sound caused his gut to tremble. the look on ryan's face made kellin's blood run cold.

too fast. too heavy. too familiar.

they both knew what was about to happen. they both knew that they couldn't stop it.

kellin felt that same sinking feeling in his gut as the ice moved again, but he could hear it getting closer to him. the sinking feeling got worse. vic wasn't paying attention to him, and kellin couldn't bring himself to call out for help. maybe it was the lack of fear of dying or the knowledge that he was the reason that ryan would die. if ryan couldn't be saved, why should kellin be?

first, he slowed his breathing down, focusing on the slowly approaching crack beneath his feet. he looked up to make eye contact with ryan. he was crying hysterically, probably whispering some final prayer, but by the time he was nearly done, kellin felt it.

he went first, feeling like he had fallen faster than his organs, completely hollow inside as the water claimed his body. the darkness didn't scare him as much as the feeling of paralysis did, but he couldn't bring himself to scream this time.

it was worse than his nightmare. this pinching ice pricking his skin was worse than he was able to fathom.

wonder if he'd hit the bottom before the water stopped his racing heart.

the only time he felt anything after the chill was when light opened further down. ryan had fallen too. he could just about make out the silhouette of ryan thrashing about and clawing for help.

"kellin!" vic screamed, the chilling reality of his actions hitting him as he realised there was another hole in the ice.

kellin was sinking fast. his eyes wide. his fists balled.

ryan still had hope. he still had life. he still had a will to live. save him.

he wasn't sure if it was possible to cry underwater, but if it was then he was doing it. with the last air in his lungs he was crying for ryan. he didn't deserve any of this, no matter what he had done. no one did.

the hole above kellin's head was getting smaller and smaller as he ignored his body's instinct to panic.

"kellin! im so sorry! i'm coming! fuck i-i'm coming—!" vic cried as he jumped in after his boyfriend.

kellin was too frozen and light headed to react, so all he could do was beg vic with his eyes to leave him alone. he couldn't face this. he didn't deserve to survive.

the last thing he felt was vic's hand on his leg before everything faded to black. once again, he felt cold.

yikes?