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Language:
English
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MCYT Title Swap 2025, Barry's Berry Patch
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Published:
2025-08-31
Words:
350
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
3
Kudos:
7
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3
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39

Tragedies Walk in Pairs

Summary:

Tragedies do not walk alone.
The first tragedy is this: he is free, and who knows what he will do now.
The second tragedy is this: you are alone, and what are you to do now?

Notes:

This fic was written for the MCYT Title Swap! The title source is a traditional saying.

Work Text:

The first tragedy is this: he is free, and who knows what he will do now.

The second tragedy is this: you are alone, and what are you to do now?

There are more than just this pair, of course. But you cannot help but focus on these, the ones that are the most painful to you. The one because it is your fault. The other because it is your tragedy, and them both because one without the other is an impossibility. These have always been your tragedies; has there been a moment in your life when you have not been lonely?

There have been moments when you were not alone, certainly. You have, in fact, hardly been alone at all these past several months, host that you were to him. But that does not mean you were not lonely.

There have been moments when you were not lonely, surely. There must have been. With Ruby, with Rue, with Avid even. But they had not known the truth about you. About him.  

Ruby does, now. But then, Ruby left. Left their kingdom. Left their partner. Left you.

He left you alone too, doubly so now with Ruby gone. It still feels like a betrayal. Though you know you will not be the one to suffer the most for it, it is. He promised you you would not be alone. That was your deal, your contract. Broken, now. (And you with it.)

The heartbreaking part, you think, is that there is nothing you could have done to prevent this fate. Oh, you could have refused the deal when he first came, but you never would have, desperate as you were. Desperate as you still are. And if you had… if you had, you would be just as alone as you are now.

Maybe this is who you are. Certainly this is your tragedy. Or maybe you are a tragedy, just a lonely woman who foolishly thought she could be otherwise.

But no, that cannot be. Tragedies do not walk alone. Tragedies walk in pairs; and who would ever walk with you?