Beautiful Tragedy || A BTS Fan Fiction || AU Time Travel

Under the Rug

It has been 2 weeks since the project started. Mina's death has impaired her department. Everyone acted like they were emotionally affected with her tragic death but everybody also knows that their man-power is also greatly afflicted. The company has lost a great talent.

With huge projects like this, they all have to work altogether in a gymnasium that the company owns. They all agreed that seeing each other's work in progress will bring in more unity and will produce work that has a sense of wholeness.

"Wholeness my ass." Louisa thought silently as she worked on a metallic piece. Nico has not said a word to her ever since the funeral. They should be working side by side. Her sculptures should always coincide with his furniture pieces.

She looked around and saw Nico who's lazily painting a piece of an ensemble. His eyes are restless, the bags under his eyes are unusually dark and heavy. He seemed to have felt her gaze and looked up. Their eyes met for a second and then he instantaneously looked away .

Are you being serious right now? she gritted her teeth.

To add insult to injury, he proceeded in shifting his work so he's facing away from Louisa.

Oh, that does it. She stood up, took off her apron and stomped towards Nico. She caught a few attention from the others too.

She stood in front of Nico with crossed arms. "Nic, we need to talk." He looked up with furrowed eyebrows.

"What do you want, Lou?" He looked down again, proceeding with his work.

"Is this how you want it to be? Huh?" She's now slightly raising her voice. More and more people in the gymnasium are paying attention. "Is this about what I said? I didn't mean it, okay?"

Everyone was feeling the tension building up between them for the past weeks. Everybody knows they were both best friends with Mina and it seemed odd that they were not hanging out anymore.

"Let's just do our jobs that YOU seem to love so much and get this over with." he meaningfully said dismissing Louisa. 

"What the fuck did you just say!?" Now she's in full rage mode. "Do you think I'm doing this just for myself Nic!?"

"Who else is this for, then!?" Nico now stood up hovering over Lou. "You were about to quit, remember?! Why are you still here, Lou!? Isn't it because of "him"? You're still here working for this shit because of him!"

Lou was stunned for a moment. How can Nico think this way? Why is he being selfish right now? She looked around and everyone's attention is now towards them. She looked back at Nico with eyes full of tears.

"What am I supposed to do, Nic? I lost her too." She managed to calmly answer back trying to stop herself from wailing. "Who am I doing this for? "Him"? You think I'm THAT shallow?"

"You were even blaming yourself but look at you now." His eyes were full of hate and fear. "You've moved on so quickly; you don't even look like your best friend just died." 

"How dare you say that. You don't know half of the pain I'm going through."

"Then fucking act like it." He then turned and walked away.

She decided to go after him; whatever it was that they were enduring, they needed each other. She geared up her patience knowing that Nico's anger was no doubt a stage of grief he has to go through.

She left the gymnasium unbothered by the stares and murmurs of their co-workers.

She ran after Nico who entered his work room and  found him gathering his things from his locker.

"Nico. Can we just please talk decently? What's happening to you? Tell me please!"

He did not answer her and just continued stuffing his bag with all of his locker's contents.

She moved in closer. "What are you doing? Are you leaving?"

Nico closed his locker and leaned on it. He turned his face towards her with pleading eyes.

"Let's get away from here, Lou. Just be by my side where I can protect you." He pleaded. "You wanted to quit right? Let's do it. Let's create our own world of arts. You and I."

"What are you talking about?" Lou was bewildered with Nico's words. "I...I can't. I need this." She started retreating as instinctive fear crept over her. She realized that no one else was in the room and even in the hallways.

"Why?!" Nico slammed his hand on the locker making a loud bang. "Why do you want this so bad?! Do you think you will ever get a chance to be with him?! Stop your delusions, Lou! Wake up!"

"Stop it, Nic!" She heard enough. She just can't let Nico judge her intentions anymore. "You know how badly she wanted to do this! You know how happy she was!" Tears streamed down Lou's face.

"What does it have to do with this? She's gone!"

"I know she would want me to do this. And not just me, Nic. Let's do this for her and make her proud like she wanted."

"You're so full of bullshit! Are you that desperate to have a celebrity fuck you??!"

The last ounce of patience that was holding her exasperation finally left her body. Before she even knew, she already landed a loud slap across Nico's face.

She saw how his face changed from anger to full outrage. He grabbed Lou's arm and slammed her against the locker. He pinned her body with his and cupped her face with his strong hands. He aggressively pressed his lips against hers.

He was too full of anger to even hear Lou's whimpers or feel her attempts to push him away. He forcibly made his way inside her mouth. Her strength was no match to his strong physique.

However, Nico then felt Lou's tears gushing from her eyes. He felt it in his hands and tasted it in his mouth. He snapped out of his hysteria and let go of her. She clasped her mouth, and slowly sat down while sobbing heavily.

"Forgive me, Lou.. I didn't mean to- I'm.. sorry, please forgive me!" Nico pleaded, still standing with his head in between his hands. "This was all my fault. I truly am sorry for everything." His voice full of shame and remorse. He gestured his body to the door. "Good bye, Lou." 

Lou's shock slowly dissolved into heartache and the memories with him fleetingly flashed before her. Memories she treasured so dearly shattered right before her eyes. 

She looked up and stared at Nico's back knowing that things will never be the same between them. Grief turned her best friend into someone she didn't know anymore. 

She tried to wrap her head around what just happened. Even in the midst of her anguish, she recalled some of the things Nico has said. 

Just be by my side where I can protect you.

This was all my fault. I truly am sorry for everything.

There's something about his words that felt askew from the reality that she knew. But her distressed brain couldn't put a finger on it. 

However, she was sure about one thing. Nico was hiding something from her.