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The red light of the Nest barely lit up the hallway infront of them, moving as fast as they could through the maze of the underground.
It wasn't meant to be like this, it was never meant to be this bad. He was Nathaniel fucking Wesninski, he had looked his father in the eye when he was 10 and watched a man get butchered while Kevin and Riko shook behind him trying not to puke.
The past game had been particularly bad in the Ravens' favour, they hadn't lost, that wouldn't be acceptable but it was closer than they would like to admit, it wasn't their usual landslide that they won by and every Exy News station was all over it with their commentary.
Nathaniel remembers Riko storming in furious.
He had never seen that look on his face before, never felt the rage suffocate a room to the point even his throat had felt painfully tight in the face of it, but still, he moved to intercept him before he got close to Jean who was stood at his bed, having gotten up when Riko came in.
The only time Riko looked close to the way he had been a few hours ago was when Kevin had left to run to the Foxes and had left him and Jean behind.
He remembers the snarl on Rikos' face and the spittle that flew from his mouth when he spoke.
"What the fuck was that?" He demanded, "your performance at that game was laughable."
Nathaniel sneered back at him, "oh piss off, we were underprepared for their playing style you're just too self-centered to admit it was your fault, you know, as Captain and all."
Red bloomed across Rikos' face as rage flushed his cheeks and a hand came down across Nathaniels' face, forcefully snapping it to the side as it's own shade of red bloomed across the sickly pale skin.
The sting of it was familiar but the force of it sent him backwards a step, Riko was usually a lot more careful about marks that would appear anywhere easily visible, and it may be news to Nathaniel but the last time he checked the face was pretty damn visible.
He bit back a hiss as Riko grabbed his face, fingers digging into his cheeks as he dragged him closer until they were almost nose-to-nose.
"Your performance as a backliner tonight was piss poor Nathaniel, even Jean did a better job than you and he's been training a few years less than you." He hissed.
Nathaniel couldn't help it, Riko made it so damn easy to get his temper flaring and Riko was such a good laugh to rile up—disregarding the usual consequences of such comments of course.
"Performance issues aren't anything to be ashamed of Riko, it's quite common—"
His sentence was cut off as he was flung to the floor, collapsing in a bewildered heap before he was rolled over onto his back and a heavy foot slammed into his ribs, forcing the air out of his lungs.
Wheezing for breath Nathaniel glared at Riko, who only increased the pressure on his ribs until he felt it start to creak with a sneer on his face. Nathaniels eyes went past Riko to Jean who was still stood beside his bed, eyes painfully trained onto him, Nathaniel knew Jean couldn't do anything unless they wanted it both worse in the long run, but then again they both knew this was worse than a tantrum that Riko usually threw if he wasn't satisfied with their performance.
Jeans eyes silently and painfully begged Nathaniel to keep quiet, to bend to Rikos will and keep him happy but Nathaniel couldn't do that. He knew that if he started submitting to Riko now he would turn to Jean and he couldn't let that happen. It was easier if Riko was focused on Nathaniel because he was the one that had to protect Jean, Jean was his partner and Nathaniel had promised to protect him when Jean first arrived at the nest, speaking little to no English and barely knowing how to hold an Exy Raquet.
The increased pressure on his chest brought him back and away from Jeans eyes, ripping him out of his memories as he looked back up at Riko, who was now grinning at him.
"Now now Nathaniel, where did you go? I want you here and looking at me, I want you to feel the power I have over you, lest we want something to happen with Jean, I hear Grayson's been lonely lately."
Nathaniel hissed, his hands grappling around Rikos ankle and trying to relieve the pressure on his ribs as he gasped for breath.
Riko only smiled wider, pressing harder and then suddenly getting off of him, letting him turn onto his side, cradling his aching ribs and gasping for breath, his painfully empty lungs suddenly filling with oxygen.
Behind him he heard Riko click his finers at Jean, ordering him closer, "grab him and take him to the court, since he's so eager to talk about performance."
The door slammed a moment later, most likely Riko walking out to get to the court before them.
He felt hands on him a moment later, slowly pulling him up until he was sitting, Jean kneeled infront of him.
"You stupid devil, what were you thinking?" He hissed, eyes roving over him, hands hovering over his aching ribs.
Nathaniel huffed out a breath that was almost a laugh, "you know I can take it, you over salted baguette."
Jean huffed, looking mildly affronted before getting up into a crouch and pulling Nathaniel up with him.
He grunted, arm wrapped around his torso as he gained his footing and stepped away from Jean, "see? I'm fine."
Jean shook his head and nudged him forward, "move, do not keep him waiting."
Nathaniel huffed but obediently moved forward, leaving their shared room with Jean moving behind him and heading through the halls of the nest, the hallways filled with red light.
Eventually they made their way to the court and found Riko already standing in the middle of it, holding a line raquet and a bucket of balls, cheerily waving when he saw Nathaniel and Jean approach.
"Hey, did you get lost on the way here?" He grinned and if Nathaniel didn't know better, he'd say that Riko was in a great mood, which you could say he was but in the im-going-to-beat-the-shit-out-of-you way rather than he got a gold star for doing basic math.
"Yeah yeah, hope you didn't miss me too much," Nathaniel grinned back, it hurt his cheeks, the skin pulling wide and he felt his lips slitting slightly with the force of it.
Riko rolled his eyes and clicked his fingers at Jean again, "you, wait off-court."
Jean blinked at the order before hastily leaving the court and shutting the door behind him, staring through the plexiglass walls at him and Riko.
Riko nodded and pointed towards one end of the court, "since you were so eager to talk earlier you're going to stand in goal and block my shots, each shot you let through well—I haven't decided yet but I guarantee you won't be making the same mistake again."
Nathaniel grit his teeth, his eyes flicking about and realising there was no goalkeepers racquet, no helmet or padding. He would have to block with his body alone and considering Rikos' volatile mood today he wasn't going to risk letting many get through.
Nathaniel stood in front of the goal, Riko a handful of feet in front of him and picking up a ball with his racquet, setting his feet and swinging, the ball popping out of the net.
Nathaniels eyes followed the arc of the swing, his feet already moving as the ball slammed into his leg with a rough scrape before bouncing off to the side. Nathaniel grit his teeth as his leg ached, blood rushing to the spot and a yellowing bruise spreading across his skin, he looked up but Riko was already scooping up another ball and firing it at him.
Nathaniel didn't have enough time to move, he shuffled towards the ball but it missed him by inches, lighting up the goal red, he turned to face Riko again, who was laughing gleefully, his brows downturn cruelly.
"That's your first strike Nathaniel!"
The second ball smacked him in the torso hard enough to make the breath leave him.
The third caused a sprawling bruise up his collarbone.
The fourth grazed his arm and flew into the goal.
"Second strike!"
The fifth smacked into his knee, making him crumple under the strain.
The 6th flew past him effortlessly while he was still hunched over and cradling his aching knee.
"And that's three, Nathaniel! I have to say I'm disappointed, I thought i trained you better than this."
A high laugh reached his ears and he screwed his eyes shut, his body covered in blooming bruises that would no doubt darken later, a whistle cutting through the air and the sound of the plexiglass door opening and footsteps coming onto the court. Looking up in time to see Jean coming towards him, fingers fluttering at his sides as he slid an arm around his waist and helped him over to stand in front of Riko, letting him go to step behind him.
Riko took hold of his chin and dragged his head up until his eyes met his, "you've really pissed me off today, a poor performance at a game and an even worse performance for me."
He glared up at him, "go fuck yourself."
Riko met his eyes, his eyes burning with rage and his grip on Nathaniels chin tightened, "I am your King, Nathaniel, you belong to me."
"I belong to no one. And you're a pretty shit King."
He heard Jeans sharp intake of breath, a subtle indicator that Nathaniel was already pushing Riko with his already foul mood.
"Jean. How nice of you to join us." Riko suddenly said and Nathaniel bristled.
"This is between me and you, not him, I'll kill you if you touch him." He hissed.
Riko nodded, "you're quite right, I just need him for something."
Jean stepped forward when Riko gestured to him.
"You," he pointed to Jean then to Nathaniel, "hold him down."
Jean froze for a split second before taking hold and grabbing Nathaniels shoulders before almost gently guiding him down to the court floor and holding him there.
Nathaniel shifted under the hold but couldn't go anywhere, Riko stood above him gripping the racquet with both hands and raising it above his head, his eyes glinting. Nathaniel could feel Jean freeze, this felt familiar, oh so familiar.
Is this what Kevin felt like? When Riko broke his hand with a racquet? To see the boy he grew up with like a brother raise a racquet against him and shatter the only future he had been trained for?
The hands on his shoulders faltered as he could see Jeans' eyes flicker between Nathaniel and Riko, full of panic.
Nathaniel didn't have any time to react when the racquet swung down into his ribs, he cried out as he felt multiple bones snap, the air escaping his lungs quickly as he screamed in pain.
Riko wore a triumphant grin as he stepped back and kicked him in the side, "I want you on this court tomorrow morning, Wesninski."
And with that he turned and walked out, Jean immediately kneeling next to him, his hands fluttering over his chest like he didn't know what to do, "Nathaniel—how bad—Nathaniel—"
Nathaniel coughed, the air choking him as he wheeled and clutched his chest, it felt like he couldn't breathe anything in, rolling onto his side as he heaved, Jean quickly lifting his hair back as he puked up bile that choked him on the way up, burning the back of his throat as it came up and splashed grossly onto the court floor, Jean dragged him and hauled him up, wrapping a steady arm around him.
"He's a sadist," Nathaniel eventually choked out, the pain on his left side increasing with every breath that tore through him.
Jean immediately shushed him with a hissed, "be quiet you madman, god knows what that blow did to your chest, the bones—I've never heard anything crack like that."
Nathaniel quietened, glancing up at Jean, seeing the worry etched onto his unfairly gorgeous features, "I'm sorry," he whispered.
Jean frowned and looked down at him, "be quiet."
With every step they took towards their room Nathaniels breathing worsened, the pain increased and his breaths grew even more uneven and ragged.
Jean eventually pushed the door open and deposited Nathaniel gently onto his bed, hovering over him, hesitating slightly before softly pressing two fingers over his ribs, hissing with every wince Nathaniel made when Jean pressed down on a particularly sore area.
Jeans lip worried for a moment before steeling himself, he could see Nathaniels condition worsening, his lips turning a pale blue as his breaths got shorter and shorter.
Turning quickly he pulled out a duffel and shoved whatever he could into the bag, panic seizing at his chest, his heart thumped erratically as he watched his forever partner on the bed Choke to keep his life, he zipped it up and flung it over his shoulder before slinging an arm around Nathaniel again and bringing one of his around Jeans shoulder.
Jean couldn't waste anymore time, Nathaniel had to make it out alive, he had to. They travelled quickly through the black red-lit halls of the nest towards the stairs that led outside, he knew the code, knew it off by heart through how many times Riko put it in because he knew Jean Moreau would never attempt to escape the way Nathaniel would and had tried.
Trembling fingers input the digits and the door unlocked, sun shines into his eyes and blinded him, it had been a few hours since he had seen it, the game that decided Nathaniel was expendable to Riko without consulting anyone beforehand.
Jean made it a few steps towards the tall wire fences before Nathaniels knees gave out under him and sent him crumbling to the floor painfully.
Jean followed him down fully cradling him close as a wheeze cracked through Nathaniels body.
"Nathaniel—we're almost there, the bus stop is just a few feet ahead—Nathaniel please get up—" Jean begged, trying to coax him up but teary eyes stopped him.
Nathaniel shook his head as he choked on words, his chest barely moved.
"You—go," he wheezed.
"Nathaniel don't be stupid—I'm not leaving you," Jean hissed tugging on him again, "Nathaniel, Get. Up."
Nathaniel shook his head.
"Please," Jean begged, his lip trembling, Nathaniels chest constricted painfully. "Don't do this to me now, Nathaniel, you have survived more."
Nathaniel shook his again again, gritting his teeth, "not this time, Jean." He whispered, the sound almost inaudible.
The strain took it's toll on Nathaniel, every breath tore more and more from him, every cough costed him minutes.
"No—this isn't funny, Nathaniel." Jean pleaded, clutching Nathaniels shoulders tighter to his chest, "Don't do this to me."
"I'm sorry...Jean" Nathaniel choked put, clutching his chest as another cough tore from his chest.
Jean shook his head angrily, "No—no you are not doing this—get up—what am I meant to do?"
"Live," Nathaniel begged, "find—find good people, go to the Foxes...they'll love a lost cause like you."
"I am not a lost cause," Jean immediately scoffed, "they are mildly overgrown children."
"Only mildly?"
"Many didn't reach very tall."
Nathaniel choked on a laugh and Jean held him closer, Nathaniels' lips were a brighter shade of blue and his fingertips were quickly turning too.
"I don't—" Jean suddenly choked, "I don't know what I'm going to do."
"You live. You live and have a.....a good fucking life Moreau."
Jean shook with held sobs, "my place is with you. It always has been."
"You can't—you can't hold on like this forever Jean. We—hell—even Kevin knew i wouldn't make it out of the nest alive."
"Kevin is a coward," Jean spat, "he is not you."
"Jean please," Nathaniel begged. Tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.
Jean's shoulders shook and he pulled Nathaniel in closer, shutting his eyes tightly and burying his face in his hair.
"I don't know what I'm going to do without you Nat."
Nathaniel laughed with a painful wheeze caught in his chest, his head resting against Jeans chest.
"I want you to live, Jean Moreau, promise me." Nathaniel took a hold of Jeans jaw, pulling back slightly to look him in the eye. "Promise me you will."
Jean nodded, "yes—yes I promise, Nat."
Nat gave a small satisfied smile before slowly falling into Jeans chest, a ragged breath catching in his throat.
Jean squeezed him tighter, tears quietly streaming down his cheeks as he buried his face in Nats' hair, a quiet sniffle as his shoulders shook, absently rocking their bodies soothingly.
He didn't know how long he was there, clutching the cooling body of a boy he had loved so fiercely and died only after making him promise he would live for the both of them. Nathaniel Wesninski was a marvel.
Jean pulled back, glancing down at him, almost immediately regretting it at the sight of his dead partner, lips stained blue and parted like he was going to say something else, eyes half closed with exhaustion and dull, glazed over iris', nothing like the icy blue Jean had become so devoted too.
He choked on a sob and propped Neil up against the wall, "I can't—I can't take you with me," he cried.
"You deserve so much better than this, I shall miss you, you irritating little devil."
Jean moved some of Nats' hair out the way and pressed a single lingering kiss to his temple before standing on shaking legs, the clothes he had packed were Nat's and none of his own, because he expected that Nat would be the one to escape Evermore.
Now here he stood, alone, the survivor of the nest out of the two, with nowhere to go and the ghost of the boy he loved so dearly echoing through his mind.
Nat had said to go to the foxes, for a second chance, a chance that he never thought he would get, he would see Kevin again, and he wasn't sure how he would react coming face-to-face with him again without Riko controlling the scene.
Jean finally turned, knowing if he stayed and stared at Nats' body he would never leave, he took in a shuddering breath and started towards the fence—and to freedom without the one person he always felt free with.