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(Don't) Give Up

Summary:

“Wh...what? And you know this how? What makes you so sure that you are right-”

“Because this already happened before!”

Short drabble set after Victor almost messes up a match (or does he?)

Notes:

listen to time after time by cyndi lauper for maximum effect (jk jk idek if that song fits this)

um so i wasn't sure if to post this because i have another time loop idea for a fic that is kinda similar to this and i didnt want to have The Same Idea on my ao3 esp since this one was so short anyway but like. i ended up deciding that i might as well.

there's not rly anything else to say other than maybe there's some oocness or maybe the characters don't align perfectly w popular hcs but um i hope this can still be enjoyable despite that!

Work Text:

“Victor!” A stern voice forced the postman to turn to its source like a scared rabbit. It was uncharacteristic of Andrew to shout, especially to Victor, but he could no longer keep his frustrations inside. Not after the last match, where his and Kevin’s plan to save Luca was almost sabotaged due to Victor’s stubborn desire to save instead. If luck hadn’t sided with the survivors, the outcome of the match would’ve been a very different story. “What were you thinking? We had it covered but you...did you really want to be a hero that badly?”

 

And yet, Victor stood his ground and wrote his response with conviction: ‘You wouldn’t have made it, Luchino would’ve jumped so he could pin you down.’

 

“That’s why we had Kevin there, so he could grab Luca in case that happened”

 

“Hey, hey!” Luca attempted to interrupt the younger man, hoping he could diffuse the situation. He didn’t want to see them fight, especially when he noticed how fragile the postman looked. Even his handwriting was off: it attempted to retain its past elegance, but failed to hide the fact that the owner was shaking when writing it. “Sure, it was risky but it worked out, right? We’re all still here, there’s no use in arguin’!”

 

“It worked out because we were lucky!” Andrew silenced him immediately, making Luca wish he held onto his electric charge. Maybe a good zap would work better. “Victor we…” he paused to let out a tired huff. “We almost lost you. Don’t you understand? We all had ways to get out in case things went south but you…if you missed that pallet stun you would’ve been done for!”

 

‘So, Andrew was worried about Victor’s safety, huh?’ Luca thought. While he understood where he came from, he wished that the gravekeeper had a better way of communicating that other than lashing out.

 

‘No, I had to go. Kevin would’ve missed the lasso, then Luchino would be onto him next and I would’ve been left all alone again.’ By now, Victor’s handwriting was messy and desperate, reminding the prisoner of his own when he’d hurry to put down an idea right as it was slipping out of his head.

 

“Wh...what?” Andrew stopped for a moment, confused at the detail in Victor’s made up scenario. But he recollected himself quickly and shook his head in disbelief. “And you know this how ? Did the seer tell you in some prophetic dream? Or do you just not have any faith in your teammates’ abilities? What makes you so sure that you are right-”

 

“Because this already happened before!”

 

This time the words didn’t come out of Andrew or Luca, but from Victor himself. And that was enough to finally shut Andrew’s mouth.

 

“I’ve seen you two die over and over and over and I don't know how much of it I can take! I've been trying to change fate, to avoid your tragedy but all I could do is delay it! What can I even do anymore? Whenever I try to interfere people get mad because it's not my job to be a rescuer that I should stay put on the sidelines and just send these stupid letters! But what are these pieces of paper going to do!? Give you a boost for a few seconds? How can I just sit back as the only two people who make my miserable life worth living are being taken away from me by the cruel hands of death!? So that’s why I’m actually doing something now. I'm sick of seeing you dying. I'm sick of your blood spilling and I'm sick of failing to save you every time!” As Victor paused to give himself a break, all his insecurities started to sink in. “I...no matter what role I play, the ending is the same…so what's the point? What's the point in me saving when I’ll just end up seeing you die in some other horrific way? It's just a new nightmare to plague me when I sleep. I....” With his knees unable to keep him up any longer, the postman fell onto the ground and curled up into a ball. His hands proceeded to claw at his head like they were trying to rip his hair out, but the strength they needed to do so was absent. “I really am...useless…” he whispered before his voice broke into a quiet sob.

 

For a moment, the two other men stood like statues, neither of them being able to speak. But what could they even say? They just couldn’t wrap their heads around what they heard. Changing fate? Not being able to save them no matter what? He couldn't have been talking about the matches, for neither had died in them. Maybe Eli gave him some sort of reading that shocked him, but from Victor's words, he was experiencing everything himself... Luca's mind ran rapid with millions of explanations, but none of them quite fit the evidence.

 

None except one.

 

'No...' Luca closed his eyes and shook his head. 'That can't be right.' Time travel was impossible after all, even magic itself had its limits, according to the priestess and enchantress.

 

When he opened them, he looked at Victor, the only one holding the answer, but merely found a broken, sobbing mess who was overwhelmed by all the negative feelings that were no longer bottled up. The sight tugged at Luca’s heart, making him realise that now wasn't the time for scientific explanations and theories. Instead, he knelt next to the younger man and held him close. The prisoner couldn't imagine what he was going through, but one thing he knew for sure: he didn't deserve whatever hell was happening to him, even if Luca didn't quite understand it. "Hey, it's ok." He reassured Victor with a kiss on his forehead, hoping to ease the other’s misery, even just a little. "We're right here, aren't we, Andrew? We're not going anywhere."

 

Victor was apprehensive at first, but his face was soon buried in Luca’s chest with his hand gripping firmly at the fabric, as if a weaker grip meant that Luca would leave him forever. After a moment of hesitation, Andrew knelt down to join the two and he wrapped his arms around them. His action was awkward as he clearly had little experience in comforting others, but it was enough to calm Victor’s sobbing.

 

“I...don't really understand what's going on but...” The gravekeeper spoke slowly, he chose his words with care and maintained a softened tone that was the polar opposite of his previous one. “But we said we’d make it out together, so I’m going to make sure we will.”

 

“... you've said that so many times before.” The postman wasn’t convinced by their words and how could he be? What made this loop any different from the hundreds of others he suffered through? He’d be foolish to still hold onto hope. “But it...never worked out.”

 

“Then let's make it work.” Luca's determination shone through his words, matching Andrew’s resolve. “We just need to survive, right?”

 

Victor nodded.

 

“Then we'll have to cut down our selfless acts, I suppose.” Andrew didn't like saying it as someone who was taught to be as selfless as possible if he wanted God to accept him. "But if that eases your pain, then I'll gladly do so." Perhaps God would forgive this one selfish act, as long as he spent the rest of his life making up for it.

 

"Heh, shouldn't be hard for me, I'm usually the one gettin’ saved." Luca laughed only to realise what he just said: “Ah, but then that means I shouldn’t be gettin’ myself into trouble. That's...a little harder, but I’ve never let somethin’ difficult stop me!”

 

"You two..." The postman wasn't sure if those declarations meant anything, as it was easier said than done; not getting killed was ultimately decided by the hunters, and not all of them had mercy to spare. But the timeline was already different from the ones before, for he confessed what was happening. So, maybe, holding onto hope wasn’t that foolish. “...alright.” Finally, Victor's smile returned and the other two men could swear it was the brightest of them all.

 

“There we go!” Luca patted the man's back as a big grin plastered on his face, proving that Victor had a contagious smile. “Now let's rest, we’ll need plenty of it if we wanna kick some hunter ass!”

 

“I…” Andrew looked at the older man with furrowed eyebrows before he shook his head and smiled as well. He could scold Luca's vulgarity some other time. “But yes, rest would be good, especially after today...” He trailed off only to realise he wanted to add one more thing: “Oh, and, Victor?” He said with a serious expression.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Being a little more selfish so you don’t get yourself killed...that applies to you as well. Promise me.”

 

Victor paused for a moment. Escaping with Andrew and Luca was definitely ideal, but after so many loops, he came to accept that it might not be the final result. His wish was only to save them, so if that meant sacrificing himself, he would not hesitate to do so.

 

But Andrew didn’t need to know that. So, instead, he simply held out his pinky so the gravekeeper could wrap his own around it: “I promise.”