Work Text:
Papers were scattered all over your table.
Notes. Worksheets. Blank pieces of working paper.
Everything was all over the place, the need for tidiness and organisation long since damned, forgotten and thrown out the window.
At the heart of it all, your elbows rested against the table as tears streaked down your face, eyes puffy and cheeks red from crying for such a long time.
The computer in front of you was one of the only sources of light in the entire room, illuminating the dark bedroom you were in. Yet, despite the screen lighting up the place in the darkest of places, the contents of the screen extinguished the very last flames in your soul and plunged everything into absolute darkness.
"Your score: 35.0%."
Amidst all the text on the screen, the assessment details and the feedback document, those were the only words illuminated on the screen that you could focus on.
Nine hours of your life. You spent nine painful, gruelling hours on that assessment, and that was the fruit of your hard labour. You spent nine hours on that assessment, and even more during the revision for it. You thought you had that assessment in the bag, you thought victory in your grasp, but no. Fate was cruel, and it played its cards well. You were nothing more than another marionette on its strings in its eternal puppet show. It snuffed out the light of hope within your soul. It lured you into another one of its sweet traps only to send you barreling down into a deep, dark cavern, where nothing but jagged spikes waited patiently for you at the end.
And this time, you would let fate take you to the end.
Your body trembled and shook from the sorrow, and all that could come out of your mouth was a single, pained wail.
You couldn't even muster the strength to form words any more. Not after whatever that was.
The door to your room creaked open. With a soft click, the lights in your room flicked on.
"Sweetheart...?"
It was your beloved, Valk. The idol you didn't know how you managed to date, nor did you know how he ended up loving someone like you.
"Are...are you okay?"
Your mind wandered back to the recent Phestival and the ones before it.
Comedy VS Tragedy.
Pirates VS Mermaids.
Dove VS Crow.
In each and every one of them, Valk was always so hyperactive and optimistic. Alongside his brother, Dom, the two of them were able to attract fans from all around the globe.
Because of that, each Phestival was always enough to generate enough income to sustain each brother for a very, VERY long time. And considering the fact that the Flipside hosted these phestivals once every half a year or so, plus the fact that they also got revenue from regular Phights, they never failed to make bank each and every year.
You, on the other hand, were still studying despite being around Valk's age. Perhaps he had reached stardom early, or you were just a slow grower, but you were still learning. And at snailspeed.
While Valk was thriving alongside his brother, surrounded by millions of loving fans from all around the world, you were still getting by with a part-time job at a fast food chain.
You've seen some of his fans before. Some of them were incredibly wealthy, since you've been able to take a look at the front-row seats from backstage. They were incredibly nice people, too- you've seen them chat with Valk and Dom before.
And even after all that, Valk still chose you. You, a regular Inphernal. Not wealthy or successful, nor perfect and beautiful- you were just you.
As Valk frantically stepped towards you and wrapped his arms around you in a haphazard hug, all you could do was rest your chin against his arm. You were too tired to move and too weak to say anything.
Eventually, you finally mustered up the strength to utter one single word.
"Why?"
That was all you could manage out before breaking down into tears again.
"Why...why do you love me? You have so many loving fans out there who are so much better than I am...more successful...richer...prettier...why me? Why, Valk? I...I really don't deserve you..."
As you fell apart in his arms, Valk hugged you closer to him.
He knew what you were going through. He knew you had those bouts of self-hatred.
And he hated those times with a burning passion.
He hated it when you put yourself down again and again. He hated to see you depressed...because he loved you so much.
"Sweetheart..."
The idol wrapped his wings around you.
"...I wish you could see the world from my eyes...feel what I feel...because I see you for much more than what you think you are.
Valk kissed you on the cheek.
"You're my everything...I don't want perfection or beauty. I want you."
He kissed you on the forehead.
"You're my everything. You've been here long before I even started the Flipside with my brother. You've been with me at my lowest. You see me for who I truly am, not for my fame or my wealth, but you see me as...well...me."
His hand tenderly brushed against your chin, tilting your head up to look at him.
"Of course I love you, (Y/n). Why won't you see yourself for who you are? Your achievements, your beauty...they don't define who you are. I love you because you're unique. You're you. And I love you for that."
His lips connected with yours in a sweet, tender kiss.
A single tear fell from your eye, and you hugged Valk as he poured all his love and care for you into those few seconds.
As he pulled away, his sunshine yellow eyes glanced into yours as he shut the screen of your laptop.
"Please, rest for the day, my love...you have a few more attempts on the assessment, don't you?"
You nodded in response.
"Yes, but...it's due at 2359 tomorrow...I need to try until I pass, I-"
Valk shut you off by clamping a hand over your mouth.
"Hush, nope- I heard that you have more attempts remaining, and I heard that it can wait until tomorrow. You have the entire day. Rest. I'm not hearing you otherwise, unless it's a good reason."
As Valk carried you to your bed and switched off the lights, your room was plunged into darkness yet again. But this time, your laptop was shut, the artificial lighting no longer present to calm you to sleep.
But as your beloved slipped under the covers and nuzzled into your shoulder, you realised that you no longer needed the laptop to light up your surroundings.
The candle in your soul had been relit.
And this time, the light shone upon your reason to carry on.