Bitter Place in a Broken Dream

by BerylCoronet

In a world inhabited by magic wielders and people with wings, Wang Yao, an academically inclined person with wings, never understand what it felt like to lose everything. But when his latent power was accidentally unlocked, Yao finds himself helping an infamous serial killer dubbed "The Arsonist" to go back into the past to undo everything. In his way, Alfred, his friend stands.

4. Chapter 4

Bitter Place in a Broken Dream C4

A/N: TODAY IS A WONDERFUL DAY! HIMA-PAPA FINALLY REVEALED MR SINGAPORE IN HETALIA! And he. is. adorable! Best part, THE WHOLE ASEAN IS IN IT 3! This have gotta be the best day of this year. And Illich, thank you SO MUCH! You even left a comment for every chapter TT. (Pssst psst, you are right tho hehe) Please enjoy this 4th chapter cause I'll be uploading the 5th one soon~

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The sun shines through the window into the house where the bed is, brightening the insides into a cosy morning. Ivan opens his eyes, but the warm comfort of the blanket and soft mattress that seem to hold him snugly made him purr with content as he closes his eyes again. Though the lingering phantom of the warm pressure in his arms make him yearn for Yao, the feather he willingly left behind is enough to make Ivan sleep well. It took Ivan awhile before he finally feels like he wants to wake up.

Rummaging through his kitchen cupboard, he found nothing. Comfortable days like this makes me want to live a normal life, Ivan thought, sighing at his empty kitchen. Maybe I should do some groceries shopping just for these two days.

And then he saw from the corner of his eyes, a bunch of plastic bags from a nearby supermarket. Opening them up revealed loads of groceries. Ivan smile. "This looks enough for two weeks. Though we would never need that long." He commented. "He did buy it!" Ivan yelp in surprise, taking out the bag of instant coffee, Ivan made a cup of coffee for himself.

Taking a sip as he walk to the door, the newspaper for the day was already dropped on his doorstep. It was technically not his own, but rather the original occupant where the space of his house is currently 'borrowing'. He picked it up and sat on the sofa, flipping it through, the usual news of the murderer, the arsonist, was splashed across the front page as usual, then came the smaller political news happening across the country, and last came the gossip news and horoscopes. A particular article caught Ivan's eye.

WINGED PEOPLE CULTURE:

In celebration of winged people month where we celebrate the existence of wing people, we are going to share a few facts about them:

Did you know? Winged people was once revered as messengers of God in the ancient past. The ones with pure white wings are believed to be closest to God and the winged people have no powers in order to not hurt the people.

Did you know? Flight feathers are treasures for winged people, in the Ancient Far East, winged people gave their own flight feathers to their partner at the day of their wedding to signify that their love and life is in each other's hands forever.

Ivan's eyes widened; the coffee that he was sipping almost came out of his nose from shock. He quickly put down the cup and newspaper before taking out the feather he have placed in underneath his inner shirt, against his skin. The vane of the long, snow white feather is slightly ruffled, but it is otherwise still presentable, Ivan stared intensely at it for an exceptionally long time. A hundred thousand emotions of different flavors mixed inside his brain and heart into a sort of bitter embarrassment, the feather; a gift from Yao, allowed him to feel warmth again, and Ivan could feel his face burn with weird emotions.

Am…. Am I really a pervert? I… put such intimate stuff from Yao on myself. Maybe I am really a pervert. But. But even then…. I don't want Yao to think of me like this. I don't really want to return it but…. I have to, don't I. Ivan thought.

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Alfred glance over at Wang Yao sitting just beside him. The class have already started long ago, but the words and meaning seem to bounce right off his head, there is only one thing in his mind. The blondie narrow his eyes at the winged person beside him. My gut feelings will never betray me. He thought. There is bound to be something that Yao is hiding from me.

"One day your eyes are gonna drop out of their sockets from the way you are looking at people." Yao commented, glaring back at Alfred.

"You are not telling me something." Alfred replied, under his breath to avoid the Miss Kay's policing.

"I already told you everything." Yao muttered harshly, not moving his lips.

"No, I'm sure you didn't. Look at that eyebags under your eyes. They are carrying more weights than you ever did in your life." Alfred retorted.

"You're horrible." Yao retaliated, a little too loudly, with an audible smack across Alfred's arm.

"Hey. The two of you. What did I say the other time about disrupting the classes? This is the last reminder, any more disruptions and I will not hesitate to report this to the head office, you can kiss your top in this class goodbye by then." Miss Kay called out.

"No! Miss Kay. I'm sorry!" Yao shouted.

"Yeah, sorry Miss Kay." Alfred added.

Then turning back to glare at Alfred, Yao mouthed: "Your fault."

"It's you." Alfred mouthed back in return. "You're not telling me everything!"

Yao look away from him, continue scribbling his notes, anything to not look at Alfred's burning glare. The class soon ended, and as they are packing their stationaries, Wang Yao finally turned to Alfred and said: "So what do you want? I don't want to cause us, or rather me, my grades. Top in class is still very much important to me."

"It is important to me too. But you are not telling me everything and I know it. Yao. I have known you since forever. I'm worried." Alfred replied, the last two words slipped out of his mouth gently.

Anger and annoyance turned into guilt in an instant, Wang Yao soften his face. "I'm sorry for being so mean Alfred, but there is really nothing else. I'm so-…" the image in front of him move inwards towards himself, and his eyes blur for a moment, he held his head, falling over.

"What's wrong?" Alfred blurted out, hovering his arms around Yao to prevent him from hurting himself.

"I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Y-Yeah… Just need to rest a little." Yao replied, pressing down his temple with his fingers, and gripping on to Alfred with another.

"No, you're not okay. I'll bring you to the infirmary." Alfred added.

"Don't move me! My head is spinning. I want to puke." Yao held onto Alfred's arms even tighter.

"Right. I'll… I'll carry you. Just sit down, I'll pack everything and bring you over right now." Alfred quickly said, slowly putting Yao back to the seat before throwing their stationaries into their respective bag. Then turning his back to face Yao, he carried him on his back.

Wang Yao is not that light, but to the Alfred that was born in a genetically strong family, Wang Yao is light, even with the large heavy wings on his back. His eyes darken with thoughts as he move. Maybe there is something that Yao is facing, and he can't tell anybody, not even to me. That happened before, there's no reason it won't continue, and it won't escalate. Don't worry, Yao. I'll protect you. Alfred thought. Step by step, he continue to the infirmary, and left Yao in the care of the nurse stationed there before heading to his next class.

"I'll bring you home after school today." Alfred said, before he left.

"There's no…." Yao replied, but Alfred was already out of the room. "Need." Closing his eyes, Yao mutter to himself: "What is wrong with me."

Alfred kept to his word and came for Yao the moment the last bell rang. He appear before Yao, who look worse off than he did when he first dropped him off. Pale lips, cold sweat dotted forehead, Wang Yao made opening his eyes look like a drag, he turn his head to face Alfred.

The nurse came in and said: "Wang Yao. Can you call your parents to bring you to the hospital?"

"They are not free. I'll ask them to bring me to the hospital when they are back."

"Your fever is not going down; you need to call your parents."

"I'm alright. I will ask them to bring me to the hospital once they are back."

"No, I can't let you go then."

Alfred cut in, "I will bring him over now. I'll take over from here."

"No, I cannot let the two of you go." The nurse insist.

"Yeah. I'll go back on my own." Yao added.

"Nurse, we live just two houses away from each other. I'll take care of him." Alfred reassure.

"Fine. Sign here then. You too." The nurse pass on the consent forms to the two of them, Wang Yao hesitated before signing it, but once Alfred signed it too, they are both promptly let go. Alfred carried Yao on his back, again with ease. Wang Yao laid his head on Alfred's shoulder. "My parents are not home."

"Eh?" Alfred turned around, startled by the news. "Then.. I'll bring you to the hospital now."

"I don't want to. I'm very tired. I just want to go home now." Yao whined, tightening his feeble grip onto Alfred.

"Okay…. I'll bring you home now." Alfred replied. Then he stopped. "D-Do you have any money on you? I spent mine on lunch."

Alfred could hear the light sigh against his ear, he winced a little. In a struggle, Yao replied: "Ahh… I forgot to bring my wallet today, I'm sorry. I think you can let me down; we can walk back together."

"Don't move. It's okay. Just stay. I'll carry you home." Alfred reassures.

Wang Yao made no attempts to move anymore. Alfred knew he's not faking it. Normally Yao would rather die than owe him a favor, but today he willingly let him carry him on his back. "Just let me take care of you this time round okay."

"You still have to pay me back my money." Yao whimper, pushing his face closer to Alfred's neck.

"Yes, yes, yes. I'll pay you back everything." Alfred let out a silly smirk, but he knows better. He will borrow again before paying back, as he always does, and Yao would always chase after him with that irritated and annoyed face. Alfred walk out of the school and begin the pilgrimage home; he could feel Yao is beginning to get heavier and Alfred knows that he fell asleep.

Wang Yao's thigh started sliding off Alfred's waist, and his arms was barely clinging on as Alfred panic. He quickly let him down on a nearby public bench. "My goodness, he really fell asleep." Alfred slap his palm over his head over this sticky situation. "Sorry for making a mess out of your wings." He whispers. Sliding his arms across Yao's back, Alfred carried him up bridal style. His wings press against the strong arm that held him up, Alfred held him tight against him, and Yao's face fell onto his chest. "Look at you, sleeping so soundly. While I'm here carrying your heavy ass. Not that I'm complaining." He commented and continued his way.

"Yao." Alfred called out, shaking him a little. "We have reached your house; how do we get in?"

Wang Yao slowly open his eyes and found himself in Alfred's arms. Then he quickly squirm a little to be let down, his head immediately spin the moment his feet touches the ground. The intense nausea gushes all the way to the back of the throat, he was held on by Alfred.

"In my bag. The keys." He struggled to say.

Alfred fumbled through his bag, found the keys, and open the door to the house. Wang Yao moves into the house and close the door after him, Alfred's arms stopped the door from slamming in his face. "Don't close the door, I'm not in yet." He said.

"You can go home now; I can make my way up the room myself." Yao slurred, opening the door, and looking over at Alfred. "I'll… pass you the other spare key then so you can lock the door on your way out." He continued, moving unsteadily over to the nearby drawer in the living room.

"I have decided to stay overnight and take care of you okay. Your parents are not home, nobody is taking care of you. You're really sick do you know that? I'm just very worried about you." Alfred nagged, the first time ever. Wang Yao look back and stare at Alfred, a few moments passed, and he finally said: "Are you really Alfred?"

Alfred groaned. "It's free. I'm doing this for the interest you might charge me for the money I owe you. Like you did last month."

But Yao could not hear another word. A bolt of weakness gripped him, the loss of strength made him lean on the drawer, sliding down on to the floor. Alfred rushes over and held onto him. "Let me stay, okay?"

"No.. Alfred. You have to go back. Take the keys in the drawer and lock the door please." Yao mumbled. "It's dangerous." The last two words trailed off as Yao fell unconscious in Alfred's arms, it's not loud, but Alfred heard them loud and clear.

Wang Yao knows that he is in a dream. He hovers in the air where skies are red and the buildings and everything else look like dark vantablack silhouettes that seems to swallow the lights from his eyes. He felt restrained by the energy inside, he could feel the same irritation oppressing his body, invading his brain. The violent impulsion to release the energy to destroy things feels like an addiction his heart wants to indulge, and it scares him. The black bruising on his body spread with accelerated speed, his wings changed colour from yellow, to orange and then red, maroon and finally it turn into a soot black. It spreads out, larger and stronger than his original pair of wings. The palm on both his hands seems to open a passage for him to release all the pent up energy in him.

And he let them go.

Relief and comfort awash his entire being, the coursing energy passes through them and released from his palm felt soothing even. Lightning like veins spreads, cracking across the skies with its savage, dazzling light, one after another. Thunder like drums followed after, tearing through the atmosphere, one after another. One by one, they strike the buildings standing tall, crumbling them to the ground. Holes tear through the fabric of reality and swallows the silhouette people running and screaming on the ground. The music of destruction and apocalypse sounds so pleasing to his ears, he loves the sight, the sound, the smells so much he wants to sink into them. In his delight, he twirl around in the air, his power swirls with him, turning into a violent whirlwind. It left him and moved on its own, sucking and spitting out wreckage in its wake. He burst out in a childish laughter, feeling the fun of it. A few more twirls he made, and he heard a faint sounds.

Wake up.

Wang Yao stopped. He look around him. The red and dark offer no hint to where the sound came from, the energy within him slowly pent up again.

Wake up, Yao.

He turned around, wondering where the sound could be coming for. The tender desperation in that voice calls him, like a bucket of cold water splash across his face, the voice seems to bring him back to his sense. But the energy building up starts feeling uncomfortable again.

Please be okay.

He heard it again. A light hint of coldness touches his cheek, he opens his eyes, finally remembering that it's all just a dream. Alfred's face smile at him, gushing blood from his head dripped and covered half of his face, his high nose bridge swelling with fresh blood trickling out of his nose. He looks beat up, with bruises and scratches on his skin. The familiar half-frameless spectacles that always lie on top of his nose is gone. "You're awake. Pardon me. But it's…. kind of… hard to prop myself with… only one arm." Alfred wheezes out with difficulty, a reddish bubble made from blood and mucus blew out from his nose. He sniffed, and it burst. "I'm… still your hero, right?"

Without waiting for a reply, Alfred fell onto Yao. His body grow cold in an instant. Wang Yao closed his arms around the body lying on him. Wet, sticky, and metallic smell in the air invaded his senses, he pull his arms slightly away from where he touches Alfred and found it covered in blood. Dread and fear fills him up again. "Alfred." He called, shaking him. "Y-You can't fool me. Stop playing with me. I don't want to play. You're not my hero. Wake up." Yao continued, hot tears dripping out uncontrollably from his eyes. "Alfred, I'm so sorry. Alfred…" He sniffed, bawling, and holding onto the body tightly.

The dim lights from above, the only thing that was fortunately left unscathed in the broken room. Energy that was slowly built up in the dream, continued building up within him, it amplify his guilt, consuming him inch by inch. It felt so thick, Yao could feel them caking on his skin. Purple cloaked skies peeking through the broken ceiling are steadily turning red, as red as the blood red skies in his dream. But his mind is only full of thoughts of how he have killed his friend.

"Yao." A voice break him out of his fixation on the blood red skies. He turned to his left and found Ivan standing. "Snap out of it. It's consuming you."

"How?"

Ivan's face remain emotionless. He reaches out and tried to pry Alfred's body from Yao.

"NO! Don't take him away!" Yao pulled away agitatedly, tear stain his cheeks as he stare angrily at Ivan. He sat up, curling into a protective ball over Alfred's body.

"This person must be someone important to you." Ivan commented quietly.

"I'm a horrible person. Ivan… Help me." Yao replied, face softening into a begging mess.

"Of course. Anything for you." Ivan said gently.

Ivan stood still, and he reversed the time again.

"Yao." He heard Alfred calling him. Wang Yao open his eyes. "We have reached your house; how do we get in?"

"Alfred." Yao muttered. "You're alive." He continued, gripping his hands on Alfred's face. "You're alive." He repeated, tears dripping out of his eyes.

"W-What's wrong?" Alfred replied, seemingly caught off guard with Yao's behavior. "Are you feeling unwell again?" He let Yao down onto the floor.

The intense nausea strike again, he felt like puking. "In my bag. The keys."

Alfred fumbled through his bag, found the keys, and open the door to the house. Wang Yao moves into the house and close the door after him, Alfred's arms stopped the door from slamming in his face. "Don't close the door, I'm not in yet." He said.

"No Alfred. Go home. I want to be alone." Yao replied, pushing the door against Alfred's arms.

"Ouch!" Alfred yelp. "You're horribly sick, I'll take care of you."

"NO! Leave now and stop being so clingy." Yao purposely agitate him.

"Me? Clingy? I just… want to take care of you." Alfred retorted.

"I don't need you to take care of me. Just go home." Yao stare back intensely at him. "Please." He added quietly.

Alfred's attitude soften a little. After a while, he said: "If you need anything, or whatever, just… give me a call."

Yao nodded.

"Even in the middle of the night, don't hesitate to call me. Alright?"

"Just go already. Go. Go." Yao shooed him away, and promptly shut the door after.

The strain from maintaining that façade is pure agony, and the acid from his stomach slipped a little out of his throat, burning him. He held his stomach and slowly made his way up to his room. He thought of just lying on the bed and sleep, but he found a slouching figure sitting in the corner of his room.

"Ivan…" he said under his breath.

Ivan look up, his pale complexion even paler. "Come over here. I'll make you feel better."

"No."

"You will wreck the whole place again."

Wang Yao stood there, as though thinking for a moment. Then he said: "At least get on the bed."

Smiling, Ivan push himself up with some difficulty, then walk and plopped himself on the bed, stretching his arms out wide for Yao. A stray trail of blackish fluid dried across Ivan's left cheek, Yao noticed it, it blew his hesitance away replacing it with guilt again, and he too, climb up onto the bed and laid down beside Ivan, in his arms. A sense of comfort awash his soul, he felt at ease, and he silently wondered if he wanted this all along.

"You'll be okay."

And true enough, Yao started feeling much better. The silent and violent shudder of his shoulders betrayed his emotions to Ivan, a wet patch form on Ivan's chest area soon after. Fingers scrunch up into a fist, grabbing onto Ivan's clothes desperately.

Silence stick in the air for a while, and Ivan started talking:

"When I was young, my father always told me the story of the firebird. It was a bird with golden glowing feathers, eyes resembling jewels. Little Ivan was caught by an evil magician one day and he kept him in his grandiose castle casted with spells and guarded by demons so that little Ivan can never leave. One night, while little Ivan was walking in the garden filled with trees of magical golden apples, he saw the firebird pecking on them, and he caught it. The firebird gave little Ivan a magic feather in exchange for setting it free. When the magician came back, he set the demons loose and tried to turn little Ivan into stone, but the feather protected him, and the firebird came and defeat the magician. Little Ivan was freed from the castle and lived happily ever after." Ivan narrated. Slight sniffing could be heard. Ivan continued: "I've always wondered if the firebirds in our folklore are the same as the angels or the phoenix." Silence continue to ensue, but he knows Yao is listening.

"Speaking of feathers…." Ivan said, catching a sight of Yao's wings, moved to pull out the feather from his coat. "There… I saw the newspapers today. They said that in the Far East, giving a feather means putting their life in their partner's hands. It's a little broken now, but.. now that I know what it mean.. Can I…. still keep it?"

Wang Yao did not reply.

Ivan smile, another bout of ejection from his stomach was stopped at his throat. A slight trickle drip out from the corner of his mouth, and he wiped it away with the sleeve of his free arm. "After tomorrow, everything in your life will be back to normal. Will you be free tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Yao sniff, with a sound barely even audible.

"Do you… want to go to the amusement park with me?"

"Amusement park?" Yao asked.

"Yes. I've never been to one before."

"Are you serious?"

Ivan nodded with a straight face. "After the amusement park, I'll teach you how to use the magic inside you and we can start the ritual soon. Else, you can come over after your school. It will be fine."

"Okay…"

Wang Yao wipe the last stray tear from his eyes and turn. He is lying on Ivan's arm right now, staring at the ceiling. Occasional bout of sadness still strike now and then, and tears keep threatening to fall down his eyes. The image of Alfred's lifeless body seem to be seared in his head, the smell of his friend's blood, the look of death in his eyes, the steely cold of his body touching his own skin. His own white wings he saw, with splashes and dots of fresh redness, seemingly mocking him, taunting him with evidence that he was the one who killed Alfred. Then he thought of Ivan. It doesn't take a person much to link from one event to another, Ivan must be suffering from severe consequences for helping him.

"I'm sorry." Yao choke out.

"I was the one who took everything away from you because of my own selfish intent. It's just how things goes." Ivan replied as a matter of fact.

"But I was the one who killed Alfred. I saw in those dreams that I killed everybody. It feels horrible." Yao cried, retreating his face back on Ivan's chest.

"I know. I know how it feels. You'll be okay. I promise." Ivan reassure, stroking Yao's hand gently.

It's Yao's warmth that drew Ivan to him, and Ivan's offer of comfort in a strange, dangerous plane of reality that kept Yao sane. The room slowly darkens, so as the daily activities going on outside. The quiet space is filled with silent sobbing, and soon the night lulls the two strangers to sleep.