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“I hate you.”
The two stared at each other, one trying their best to keep up their usual grin and the other frowning deeply. Opposites of each other.
“Did I just, hear you right? You-“
“Yes, I hate you.”
The two were rather similar to one and other, arriving ever so recently to the manor, both missing an eye and involved with fire in some sort of way. Most of the people immediately thought these two would not get along considering the fact that Matthias never spoke while Florian could chat anyone up like it was nothing.
But yet, here they both were. Florian sat up on Matthias’s bed while the Matthias was lying with his head on the other man’s lap. The two were simply staring at the , together.
“Anddd, care to explain why?”
Florian asked, his eye drifting down to stare at Matthias who looked just as expressionless as ever.
“I. Hate. You.”
Matthias replied, his eye dull as ever. He was never the person you’d expect to use strong words against other people, obviously it would be normal to hear him scream how he hates a certain puppet but no, not today. Today his hatred was targeted towards the Fire investigator.
“And, why is that? Whyyy, do you hate me?”
Florian chirped, his grin obviously struggling to hold. Was he shocked by this? Stunned? Saddened? Perhaps he was overwhelmed by the sudden sentence Matthias muttered.
Besides, the two had become quite close as of late. People could even say they were friends at first glance. But they weren’t really, not in Matthias’s eyes anyway.
The was no reply from Matthias, his eye simply stared lifelessly up at Florian’s. All he did was stare, stare and judge.
“You’re different. I don’t like that.”
“You don’t like that I’m different? How? That doesn’t make a lick of sense—“
“You don’t see me as the inspiration for that stupid doll, alright?!”
The Puppeteer sat up from his position on the bed, an angered expression how plastered on his usual dull face.
“You don’t see me as a ruined Louis! You don’t see me a puppet! You don’t- you don’t compare to that damn puppet and I hate it!”
“…I thought you didn’t want to be compared to Louis?”
The Puppeteer was stunned, lost in his words as a now blank expression resides on his face.
“..I don’t but,”
He let out a long sigh.
“But I’m so used to it that people not comparing me is new, it’s weird. I don’t like the sudden change. It’s weird.”
“I know, I get you.”
“You do?”
Florian nodded, his smile seeming genuine as fingers gently brushed against the other man’s cheek, which was rough to the touch considering his injuries.
“Change is not something everyone can enjoy , kind of the same way people don’t enjoy fire unlike me, who loves it!”
The puppeteer listened in to the investigator’s words, his expression softening as more words left Florian’s grinning face.
Florian understood Matthias and he liked that, he didn’t see him as weird or creepy and he liked that. He liked Florian.
He loved Florian.
Can a person love and hate another soul?
“Nevermind then.”
“Huh? Did you change your mind?”
Matthias was now sat up, his expression now giving a slight judgemental look to the other man. Was he confused on his emotions? He wasn’t sure.
The Puppeteer let out a sigh which hid under his breath, his hands and head now resting against Florian. Was this his attempt at affection ?
Florian chuckled quietly, his grin now softened to a smile and his eye now looking down at the other man. His arms now around the other’s waist, pulling him into a hug. The two now embraced in each other’s warmth and comfort, gentle yet caring towards each other as to make sure the other is not harmed.
“I love you too.”