𝚂𝚎𝚒𝚣𝚎 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚢 [Varian x Reader] ✔️

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑉𝐼

𝚈𝙾𝚄𝙽𝙶 𝙽𝙴𝚆𝚂𝙸𝙴 𝙳𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙼𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝚂𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙰 𝙵𝙴

(Y/N) climbed up the ladder leading to the rooftop. Tears were streaming down her face. Frustrated, she kicked a nearby pot growing a small tomato plant that a resident of the building had placed down.

   (Y/N) pulled her (H/C) hair out of her ponytail, and removed her beige vest. She threw the elastic and vest to the ground, swearing. "Fuck!" she said. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

   She moved to the railing and looked out to the streets of Neserdnia. "Folks we finally got a headline," she sang. "'Newsies crushes as bulls attack'
My best friend's callin' me
Dumb crip's just to damn slow
Guys are fighting, bleeding, fallin'
Thanks to good ol' captain me
Well maybe I just wanna close my eyes and go!"

   (Y/N) pulled out a small piece of paper from her pocket. It was a picture she had cut out of a newspaper.

Santa Fe, New Mexico.

   (Y/N) whipped her tears. "Let me go~," she continued. "Far away
Somewhere they won't ever find me
Where tomorrow won't remind me of today.
When the city's finally sleepin'
And the moon looks old and grey
I get on a ship that's bound for Santa Fe~"

   She stuffed the picture back in her pocket.

   "And I'm gone!
And I'm done!
No more runnin', no more lyin'
No more fat old men denyin' me my pay~
Just the moon so big and yellow
It turns night right into day
Dreams come true
Yeah they do
In Santa Fe~"

   (Y/N) tightened her grip on the railing.

   "Where does it say you gotta live and die here?
Where does it say a girl can't catch a break?
Why should you only take what you're given?
Why should you spend your whole life livin'
Trapped where there ain't no future
Even at young fifteen
Breakin' your back for someone else's sake
If the life don't seem to suit ya
How 'bout a change of scene?
Far from the lousy headlines
And the deadlines in between~
Santa Fe~
My old friend
I can't spend my whole life dreamin'
Though I know that's all I seem inclined to do~
I ain't gettin' any younger
And I wanna start brand new~
I need space!
And fresh air!
Let 'em laugh in my face
I don't care~
Save my place~
I'll be there."

   Varian slowly climbed up the ladder. He stood on the top step, watching (Y/N).

   "Just be real is all I'm askin'" she continued to sing. "Not some paintin' in my head
'Cause I'm dead if I can't count on you today~
I got nothing if I ain't got Santa Fe~~~" she belted out.

   Varian slowly walked up to (Y/N). He put his hand on her shoulder, but she pushed it away. They stayed in silence for a while until Varian decided to speak up. "Where did they take Louis?" he asked.

   (Y/N) didn't look up at him. "To the orphanage," she replied. She looked out into the streets of Neserdnia. "I promised him he'd never have to go back to that hell. And now look at what happened." Tears began to fall from (Y/N)'s eyes. "All because of me." Her voice broke.

   Varian didn't know how to respond. He just stood there, watching as (Y/N) cried. "You two are really close, huh?" he finally said.

   (Y/N) nodded. She wiped some tears and spoke up. "Louis got sent to the orphanage when we's were nine. His and Benjamin's parents died in a fire. I was always in the orphanage. Been there all my life. Never knew what happened to my parents. Owen and Jamie know, though. Theys were three when they got there and I was about one. But they never told me about them."

   "(Y-Y/N) I'm sorry," Varian said. "I'm sorry I told you to stop the strike. I was just so afraid you would do what I did."

   "What do you mean?" (Y/N) asked, finally looking at him.

   Varian bit his lip. "A few years ago," he said, "black rocks started to appear all throughout Corona. I began messing with some with my alchemy in my lab. I spilled same chemicals on them and they started making amber. The amber encased my father completely.

   "I was so desperate to get him out. No one in Corona would help, so I had to find a way to get him free on my own. But I was so blinded by my anger. I lost my way, and lost my cool. Every loss got harder to excuse. I stole the most powerful magic flower in the seven kingdoms, tricking the princess to help me. Then I- I lost my faith and lost my soul. Until I lost complete control. I set an army of automatons to attack the royal guards. I was ready to kill for the sake of helping my father. But then I... I realized that I had nothing left to lose... At that point I had lost everything..."

   (Y/N) just stared at him. Varian was looking down now, avoiding (Y/N)'s eyes. He was so ashamed of what he did.

   "You lost your nerve," (Y/N) said. "And then you lost the game. But we're not the same, me and you. I won't lose sight of what we're doin'. I won't go out of control."

   "I know that now." Varian looked up at her. They locked eyes. "I trust you."

   They stayed like that for a few seconds, but it felt like hours to them. Analyzing every detail of each other's eyes.

   Something came over Varian. Everything inside of him — especially his heart — was telling him to kiss (Y/N). And so he did. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

   (Y/N) was startled. She didn't kiss back. Varian pulled back. He began to stutter. "I— u-um... I didn't mean to... I mean uh... I'm sorry I-...uhh," His face was red. "I-I should go."

   And without another word, Varian left down the ladder, leaving (Y/N) by herself.

   She stared at where he climbed down, and smiled.

•1025 words•