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Harlequin was in his personal tent, shrouded in darkness, mask, and hat thrown and forgotten somewhere on the floor. He is pacing the length of his tent, when you walk in, calling out his name. He froze for just a moment dead in his tracks before calling back.
"Oh, and what brings you here, dearest?" his tone did not match the words, the usual playfulness gone from his voice. The air felt cooler, despite the summer night.
In total darkness and not knowing where the light switch was, you step into the tent, attempting to approach The Harlequin. Slow uneasy steps bring you two closer and closer.
"It doesn't take a genius to know you're upset." You throw at him.
Earlier at the café, you dropped a casual "Man, I hate to admit it, but I think I'll miss serving you coffee. It has become routine. You always pop into my head when I make an iced coffee at this point." You chuckled softly at yourself, waiting for a mirthful reply from the evil pickle, but it never came. He just left with a curt "bye".
"Look, man. I don't know what I did, but I would sure like to find out and try to make it better. Ideally with a little more light around, but I'm not picky...haha..." You were never good at hiding your nerves.
You reach out a hand in hopes you don't bump into anything but also to try to get a hold of him. A sour chuckle was your only response.
You were close now, just a little further, but before you could even touch his sleeve something thin and long slithers around your torso, clinging to your extended hand and then you stumble as you're pulled forward. You would've fallen, if it wasn't for the steady arms that caught you. As if a switch was flipped, you hear his whisper in your ear.
"Well, dear, I can think of at least one way in which you could make it better~" You could feel his body pressed against your own, hot breath hitting your neck. You shiver. He smiles.
You don't say anything else. You simply wrap your arms around his neck, holding him tightly against you. You bring him even closer, pressing yourself into him, your grip steady despite the tingle in your stomach, the tightness in your chest. You knew what he was doing, and it was very effective, but you wanted to make things right. Make sure your friendship doesn't fall apart. Those ropes however? You would concern yourself with that later. For now, he was just being a pain in the ass in classic Harlequin fashion.
His body goes rigid under your bold touch, before regaining his composure and wrapping his own arms around you. His hands wander all over your back and sides, claws pulling gently at the fabric of your clothes.
"My, you're almost convincing darling~" He draws out the last word like song. You feel it settle sweetly, like poison in your heart. With a steadying breath, you opt to stay as still as you can.
"Hmm...? Are you just going to let me have my way with you? Like a good little darling? Not nearly as exciting, but I guess that could help." With that, he licks a long stripe from your collar to your earlobe, nipping at it.
Gods, or whatever the hell there is out there, you could murder him. You can't help the heavy breath that leaves your lips. He was good. Really good. You were almost tempted to give in. With how long he has been teasing you like this, how many times have you wondered what it would feel like, pinned underneath him, heavy breaths, tangled limbs in bites and kisses... Fuck. Him.
You were on a mission.
You grab a handful of hair at the back of his head and shove him roughly against your neck. You tighten your grip on him with steadiness you did not feel, and continue to remain silent. An exasperated exhale was all you gave him.
Harlequin was all about words. That's how he disorients you. He loves to play, to push your buttons and revel in your reactions to his antics, but now? You were giving him very little. Well, as little as you could manage. Your body betrayed you like a close friend, but there was nothing you could do about that.
To everyone's surprise, Harlequin also went silent and rigid. His exploring hands came to a halt, settling on your upper back mid-stroke. He let you bring him closer to you. He let you touch and wrap around him. He could have stopped this at any point, but he chose to let you get close... in more than one way. You were not taking his bullshit this time, that was obvious enough.
He loved that about you, how delusional you were. Thinking you had the strength to stand up against him, as if you were any match for what he was, who he was. He hated that spark in your eyes, the look that saw more, sought to see more as if there was anything worth searching for in his rotten soul. He loved your guts, your wits. How you pushed back, unafraid. He hated the grip you had on him. How has he ever lived in a world where he had not known it?
With his forehead slumped in the crook of your neck, he tightened his grip around your body, and took a deep inhale.
"You're insufferable and I cannot stand the sight of you."
You blinked into the dark at his words, a lump forming in your throat. You tried to pull away, give both of you some space, but his hold on you only tightened more. Just short of painful.
"Don't ever leave."
Neither of you spoke for some time, air heavy with the tension of a conversation that needed to be had. You pull yourself together just enough to break the silence.
"I mean, technically you're the one leaving me, so..." you spoke softly, willing your voice into a lighter tone to make the situation better. Goodbyes were always painful, hell you didn't even know when the circus was going to leave, but the thought alone ate at you just a little bit.
More.
Despite his front, Harlequin grew on you. Despite his front, you grew on him too.
Given his lifestyle it makes sense that he wouldn't want to become attached to people, yet here you both are. It must be hard for him to deal with it. No amount of experience makes goodbyes easier to bear. No matter how many times you have to go through them.
At least that was your narrative, blissfully unaware of the real turmoil that was happening in Harlequin's head. You weren't too far off of course, but the scale of things would turn out to be a huge oversight on your part. Especially when it's too late to run.
It's just who you were, tender, and soft and oh ever so helpful. Always seeking to comfort, to nurture. That hurt more than any wound Pierrot has ever given him.
You were simply such a fool; to feed your affection and goodwill into a starved creature that has long forgotten how to digest any of it. And for what? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, as if unconditional love was just the norm for you. The audacity.
You deserve to be devoured. Slowly. Torn apart inch by painful inch. Chewed up and spit out. How could he handle something so sweet such as yourself. How could he deserve it. He could try, and he would be so sick, trashing, clawing at nothing in his suffering. Like acid was eating him alive from the inside out. And he would beg for more. That realization alone could end him.
Because he is a victim of his own accord and he would not have it any. Other. Way.
There was another issue though. One long overdue for a solution.
"Dearest." His rough voice sent shivers down your spine, the vibration of it clinging to your very bones.
"You are such a dangerous little thing, you know? I crave you. In every way possible, at all times of the day, all times of the night, and it simply drives me-" a shaky breath "absolutely mad." He exhales. "And I hate you for it. You're like a drug that has been shoved down my throat, burning everything in its way, making me want to vomit. You disgust me, you repulse me, you make me want to sink my teeth into you so deep that the absence of me feels so wrong that you learn to love the pain. Learn to love me."
His grip on you started to feel painful.
Now this was interesting. You've always wished for Harlequin to be honest with his feelings and to drop the act that makes your blood boil on a daily basis. You did not expect for his sincerity to make your blood run cold. This was new. And terrifying. You were scared. And he knew that.
"Say, my dearest~ What would you do if I showed you what we truly are, hn? Would you melt like sugar on my tongue?" He licked your neck again. You were too stunned to react this time.
"Would you try to run, scream, escape a horrible unfortunate fate?" His chuckle ran through you like oil and hit like thunder, or was that your heart?
"You know it would be in vain, but you would try anyway. Which is fine. I like a good hunt, but I would catch you and I would finally see if you taste as sweet as you act. Oh and you know how I hate sweets, my dear. My dearest. My angel," his voice dropped to a whisper.
"I would devour you all over again, starting with your sickeningly sweet soul and end at your heart. Desperately beating between my fingers as if in a last desperate attempt at escape. Oh how the thought of it alone excites me... I wonder how much your dear little brain thinks I'm being metaphorical." If your blood wasn't already frozen, his chuckle would've made you think it was suddenly winter.
"I am not."
This time, you did not move because you couldn't. Your heart was beating so fast you thought it might run out of your chest. Maybe you wished it did, because his ridiculous words were extremely convincing with the "ropes" slithering along your body at an agonizingly slow pace. Your head was spinning, and soon you realized it was due to lack of oxygen. His grip was so tight you couldn't breathe properly, suffocating in your panicked state, in his words, in his presence.
You felt him everywhere, his body over your own, his breath in your ear, his voice in your head, and his smell. It was so overwhelming you couldn't even name it.
He pulled back just enough to get a look at you, tilting your face upward with such a gentle touch that it almost feels like mockery coming from him.
It must've been the lack of oxygen, because it looked like his eyes were glowing; an intoxicating green taking over your vision. The "ropes" just kept tightening and enveloping you. They were warm. Comforting almost.
The world started at the glow of his eyes and ended at the touch of his hand on your cheek.
You were beyond terrified.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
You are.
His smile grew and you could feel his face inching closer to yours. You parted your lips on instinct.
"Then I will show you."
You hear the tent flap open and the sound of something sharp lodging itself into flesh.