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Things were okay again. For now, at least. Nacho was home, though the threat of the dark federation still lingers in the air of the quiet night. Multi was sat outside Nachos room, staring down at the ground, his knees pulled to his chest.
His once pristine labcoat was coated in cobwebs, charred and singed at the bottom from the lava he nearly burned alive in.
He had one question on loop in his mind since the confrontation with Katie, how fucking could she?
Was Nacho not worth protecting? Was Nacho not worth the loyalty she seemed to have to everyone else? Was... he.. not worth the loyalty?
He felt a swirl of emotions, nausea, and exhaustion run through his mind. He was so angry. He barely remembered half the things he did that day, all of it was so blurry and overwhelming.
He hates her. He hates her for what she did to her son. Their son. He hates the way she tried to paint herself as a hero for her selfish, cruel choices. He hates the way Nacho looks at her, not with the all too familiar love and joy, but the harrowing, sickening fear. He hates how much he aches for her, how much he hurt upon realizing what she had done.
He thought she was hurt too. He was ready to kill every goddamned person on this island, simply for her and his son. He would've slit anyone and everyone's throats for her safety. Turns out, she's the danger he was worrying about.
Nacho slept soundly in the room behind him. He wouldn't sleep tonight, or for many nights to come. He wondered if things would change much now. If Katie would no longer look at him with the bubbly happiness in her eyes. He wanted to make her smile like that again, yet he also wanted to bring tears to her eyes. He was stuck, crushed between love and hate, peace and war.
He stood, ignoring the slight dizziness in his mind that always ate at him when he rose to his feet. That never happened before. Now it was a constant. He paced back and forth a moment, trying to physically clear his head. Maybe if he walked long enough, he'd forget all about her. Maybe if he walked long enough, he'd stumble into a world where she was in his arms and not in the clutches of the Dark Federation.
He paused after a few minutes of doing this. He was a fool, he needed to clear his head. He peaked into Nachos room, seeing him sleeping soundly. He quickly covered the doorway with reinforced blocks, he would not have a repeat of today.
A short walk wouldn't hurt. He needed it, anyways. He needed to think. He needed to.. breathe. He always felt sick at the reactor. He always felt sick. He grabbed his waystone, teleporting to the first place he knew was outdoors. Katie's HQ.
The waypoint was outside, so it was the perfect place to teleport. He went without hesitation, almost forgetting why this may be a poor choice right now. It wasn't until he was already there he realized.
He took in his environment as the world came back into view. The large, pink HQ stood before him, the place his son calls his second home. The place the woman of his dreams, and now his nightmares, resides. There's a chance she's there right now. There is a chance she hears him, sees him, standing there longingly. He can't tell if he fears this outcome, or prays for it.
However, the sounds of footsteps broke him out of his thoughts, as he sees Katie rushing outside upon hearing the noise. She froze upon seeing him, as if she was expecting anyone else. They locked eyes, and neither of them moved.
It made him nauseous. He recalled all the times that she'd spot him in the distance, and book it over, her wonderful, beautiful voice calling his name, with more joy than he had ever imagined anyone would have in regards to him. This was nothing like those days. This was a heavy, dreaful silence of two people who had their lives torn apart and mangled. Multi wished he had the ability to let go. Katie wished she had the ability to think before acting.
Katie spoke first, her usually energetic demeanor was nothing but a saccharine memory now.
"... Multi.."
Silence for a moment, before she spoke again.
".. did you-... no.. uhm.. look, Multi-"
"Save it, Katie."
He interrupted, spitting out the words. There was less malice in his voice than he wanted, the anger covered by the heartbreak in his voice. He tried to cover the shakiness in his voice, however it didn't work whatsoever.
"... Multi, please- We got them back, my plan worked.. What more do you want from me-??"
She pleaded quietly, her eyebrows furrowing together as she frowned. She looked small. Vulnerable in a way he didn't often see her.
"What more do I want-?! I want you to have kept my trust-! I want us to be a fucking family again, Katie-! Kurwa- You-"
He paused, shutting his eyes tight. She didn't need to see the water that reflected off the light of the moon. She didn't need to see his grief, not again.
"... Multi.."
She breathed out his name, her voice shaking, matching his own distress.
"Please, Multi.. I- I don't know what else to do-! I can't regain your trust if- if you don't give me a chance at all-!"
"How am I supposed to give you a chance when you- you harmed our son-?! He thinks you hate him, Katie-! How am I supposed to explain to him that his mother doesn't hate him when you gave him up to a fucking dark fed-?!"
He scoffed, running his hands over his face. He didn't understand how she could do this to her own son. He didn't understand how she could still be so fucking important to him despite her crimes.
"... okay..."
"... 'okay'? Just.. 'okay'?? Katie- Do you not care at all!?- Nacho thinks his own fucking mother hates him! 'Okay'?!-"
"Of COURSE I care, Multi!- You- You don't wanna hear it, so I'm leaving it alone-! I don't understand what you want me to do-! Apologize, don't apologize- I'm trying!"
He didn't have an answer for that. He simply sighed quietly. He... didn't know either. He was torn.
"Just.. be there for Nacho. Nothing else fucking matters, alright? Just.. him."
".. Nacho.. yeah.. okay, Multi.."
".. yeah."
Multi turned quickly, walking away faster than either of them could process. He couldn't handle the pain, the disappointment in her eyes as he indirectly destroyed the bond they had before. It was back to being just for Nacho, and not the joy that sparked in their hearts when with one another. That joy was dead now, leaving only a rotting sense of loss that would consume them both.