Work Text:
Hours passed since James had been locked away. He had started to drift to sleep when careful, quiet footsteps alerted him to someone approaching. He looked up and met eyes with Emery. He smiled, knowing they’d come for him eventually. They way they looked at him during the investigation, the guilt in their eyes, they still believed in him. Even their gaze now, full of old love and guilt. They stepped up to the bars of his cell, weary of what James might do. They stopped just before the door with the key in hand.
“Come to live out childhood fantasies?” James taunted, a fear in him growing at how powerless he was in these shackles, fear he wouldn’t ever show. Emery certainly didn’t see it. They’re gaze shifted to look over him, his arms shackled above his head, forcing him to stand in an awkward position that let you see straight down his unlaced shirt.
“Are you judging me?” Emery raised their brows. James knew it would benefit him to play along
“No, I expected to see you” He hummed, looking Emery up and down the same way they did to him. They’d barely changed, copper hair that fell down to their jaw in waves and hazel eyes that were windows to their every thought. They shifted under James' gaze, questioning if they should stay or go.
“Are you really… Simon’s lover?” They hesitated as they spoke, like they really believed it.
James scoffed, “No, I have higher standards than that man.” He looked Emery in their eyes as he spoke, watching as they let out a breath of relief and a new spark appeared in their eyes.
“I’d hoped so,” They smiled. “I’d hoped that one day you would come back. I… I could never forget the look on your face, how you cried, and I would watch out the marsh to maybe see you again. For years I wondered where you were, if you were safe and if you still remembered me too. I wanted to grow up, take the vow of a Steward so that… So that I could find you, and bring you back home. But… we were 11”
Those final words twisted like a knife in James’ chest far more than he expected. When he learned he was a reborn the Stewards scorned him, he didn’t know Emery held on for so long, or that at some point they stopped.
“If I came back it always would have been like this,” He said, speaking honestly. “I didn’t belong here, it was all part of his plan”
“Maybe… but maybe if we didn’t (react) then you would still be here.” Emery replied. James shook his head, there was no changing what he was, The Betrayer, no fighting fate. Emery looked disappointed but he didn’t turn away, he still carried something heavy on his mind, something he wanted James to make better. Words that went unsaid or everything that had just happened. James relinquished himself to playing the part Emery wanted, something that came naturally to him.
“You were always a romantic” He hummed, his lips curving into a smile. Emery smiled back, finally unlocking the cell and stepping closer to James to free him from the shackles too.
“Promise me? Promise me you’ll let me help you this time?” They said, Now far closer to James, he could see the depth of Emerys eyes, a loving, heartbroken gaze set on him. James felt only pity, nobody truly loved him, he was something to be possessed.
“I promise.” I promise for tonight I can be yours.
Emery kissed the top of James head as they reached up to unlock the shackles. As they came off James felt a huge weight being lifted off his whole body, the feeling of his power returning to him. He let out a breath and rested his hand on Emerys chest
“Lets go,”
“Be quiet, everyone who isn’t asleep is gathered in the main hall. They’re distracted but on high alert”
James let out a quiet chuckle imagining the Hall in complete chaos. The shouting had calmed down since they threw him down here but things certainly hadn’t ended. Emery had a shaken look about them