I am back. Haha. As if anyone reads ToTA fanfics with Natalia and an OC. I own nothing, dearies. Except Zarzar.
Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear was walking around the campus known as Auldrant High. She noticed a boy with long, flaming red hair that reached the lower part of his back. She ran towards him, yelling out his name.
"Asch!!" She yelled.
The red head turned to his head stiffly to look at her, an annoyed expression plastered to his face.
"What do you want, Natalia?" He asked icily.
She stopped in front of him, panting slightly. "Is there any reason as to why you do not come and visit the student council office recently?" Natalia demanded haughtily.
"I've been busy." Asch replied vaguely, looking away from her emerald green eyes which, for some unknown reason, could extract the truth out of any being.
"Doing what?" She demanded. "Being Noir's personal slave?"
Asch frowned, face crumpled. "What?"
"I've seen you Asch!" Natalia exclaimed, voice rising. "I saw you doing everything for Noir! How could you stoop that low?!"
Asch gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Mind your own business, Natalia." He muttered, walking away.
Natalia sighed as he watched his retreating figure. Resuming her walk and turning a corner, she immediately saw the person she was looking for the whole morning.
"Zarken!" she called out, running as fast as her slim legs could allow and into his arms, lifting her high above the ground with a laugh.
As soon as he set her down, the raven-haired geek's face brightened considerably. "Hello Miss Lanvaldear. You look magnificently stunning today, much like everyday."
Natalia blushed at her lover's admiring comment. She thanked him and pouting adorably, she reprimanded him for calling her Miss Lanvaldear again.
He laughed quietly at this. "I know." Zarken stated simply. "I was simply messing with you."
She rolled her eyes at his antics and grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the cafeteria.
It's been three months since Zarken transferred to Auldrant High, and three months since he and Natalia; the student council president became lovers. It's funny, how they met.
Rather than that, their love blossomed to be something more than sex against the bookcase in the student council office. Zarken was a gentleman, in more ways than one. And Natalia has the itch that had to be scratched. They were inseparable.
Zarken met the whole group consisting of Luke fon Fabre, Natalia's cousin; Guy Cecille, a servant from the fon Fabre manor who Luke insisted on attending the school too; and Tear Grants, sponsored by Luke's parents to attend the same school as the rest of them. He was deeply approved upon, of course. Natalia will never let them live it down if they disapproved of him. Rest assured, they became a whole group of friends, along with Anise Tatlin from the lower years, and with Jade Curtiss, professor of Biology who has a rather strange attachment to the small crowd. But it's all good.
"Oh, there's Natalia!" Luke exclaimed as soon as Natalia entered the hall. "With her love slave too." He added, teasingly.
"Hey there guys." Zarken greeted Luke, Tear and Guy who were sitting at a table nearest to the huge glass wall. He sat beside Luke and jabbed his arm, Natalia next to him.
"Play nice children." Natalia said as she scolded the two.
"Yes mom."
"Yes princess."
Tear chuckled at their jokes, making Luke blush at the small sound. Guy noticed this and elbowed Luke on the ribs.
"It looks like Zarken isn't the only one who's whipped." He pointed out with a grin. Zarken smirked and made whipping noises, along with Guy.
When the three stopped teasing each other, the five got to discussing about miscellaneous topics like Luke's new video game, Tear's singing lessons, Guy's machines, Natalia and Zarken's weird relationship and finally, Asch.
"Asch is being such a bastard lately." Luke complained with a chug of his drink. "More than ever. Maybe it's the PMS kicking in."
Guy laughed while Natalia glared at him. "May be. Or it's because of Zarken." He answered with a suggestive waggle of his brows.
"Zarken?" Tear asked curiously. "What about him?
Guy smirked, and Natalia leaned forward to hear his reasons clearly. "Oh I don't know. Maybe because he replaced him at the National rankings, beat his sorry ass at Track and," He paused for a climactic effect. "He's got Natalia."
The Kimlascan princess flushed at this, and pondered at Asch's reasons for avoiding them; for avoiding her. She rose up from her seat, downing the rest of the drink Zarken bought for her.
"I'll be back." She stated, and ran outside, Zarken's gaze following her every move. He turned to the remaining three who was watching him.
"Permission to follow?"
They nodded absently and he rose from his seat to run after her.
As soon as Natalia was within view, Zarken ceased running and stalked behind the trees to prevent from being seen. He saw that she was with Asch.
"Look Natalia," Asch began with impatience in his voice. "I don't really care that you're dating Zarken."
"You're lying." Natalia replied bluntly. "Why would you act like that towards him, and most of all, to me?"
Asch gritted his teeth in exasperation. "After I saw what happened in the council office…"
Natalia blushed a bright red. "Y-you saw that…?" He simply glared at her, confirming her question.
"I simply did that for the reason that I became tired to waiting for you!" She exclaimed, aggravated. His gaze softened slightly.
"Really?"
Natalia nodded eagerly.
"Break up with him then." Asch grinned in triumph.
She blinked. "What?"
"You heard me. Break up with him. I'll leave Noir if you do."
Zarken was simply standing there, at a loss and in doubt. His knees bucked and he struggled to remain standing. How could the princess, his beloved princess, think of such a thing to do to him?
He shrugged the feeling off for the time being. He walked back towards the cafeteria where his friends, that were Natalia's original, reside.
Falling unceremoniously against the chair, he dropped his forehead on the cool glass, completely aware of the three pairs of eyes watching him worriedly.
"What happened?" Luke asked, breaking the stressful silence.
"She's breaking up with me." Zarken's voice was muffled. "She was just using me, apparently. To get to Asch."
Tear patted him comfortably on the shoulder. "I'm sorry."
He looked up and gave her a watery smile, glasses fogged. "I'm more or less used to the heart breaks, Tear. Please forgive me for shedding some of you."
Tear smiled at him, for making a small joke despite the internal war he was raging. His eyes, filled with despair and desolation did no good to the feel of the group.
"Isn't this awkward?" Luke sighed. "Look man, I'm sorry about Natalia."
"No worries." He assured him. "It's not like I ever deserved her or anything. I'm just someone she met three months ago. She knew Asch ever since Yulia knows when." Zarken chuckled. "Let's not be awkward, or else she'll suspect something."
Meanwhile, Natalia was struggling an inner war with herself too. Would she break up with the man who sacrificed his time and offered his body to her, or be with the man she once saw in her dreams?
"So, you'll break up with him?" Asch asked.
"I will…" She mumbled. "You'll leave Noir, right?"
"Of course," He replied breezily. "You have to make it painful though."
"What?" Natalia exclaimed, looking up. "Why?"
"If you don't, he'll still continue to go after you." Asch explained impatiently. "Make him hate you."
When she said nothing, "Come on, Natalia." He replied to her silence.
She breathed out a 'fine' and left him smirking in his own glory. Natalia headed towards the cafeteria. She felt her heart plummet to the base of her stomach at the sound of her lover's cheerful voice. It brought pain to her heart.
"Hey there," Natalia greeted too cheerfully, pecking Zarken on the cheek. He smiled back, like nothing was wrong in the world he's living in.
"Where have you been?" He asked, rubbing her knuckles.
"Washroom." She replied. "Listen, Zarken? Can we talk outside?" Her voice quivered as his name rolled off the tip of his tongue. The familiarity of it all brought so much; too much to her chest.
Zarken smiled reassuringly and kissed the palm of her hand. "But of course." He whispered.
He rose first, and he offered his hand for hers to take. He spared a quick glance at the three sitting on the table, eyes brimming with support. He mouthed a small 'thank you' and led Natalia outside.
When they were at a secluded area, surrounded by a cluster of trees, Zarken let go of the hand that held him for three months. He steeled his mental resolve and looked deeply into her green, green eyes.
"What's wrong?" He asked gently.
"Zarken," Natalia began, heart throbbing painfully against her ribcage. "You're such a wonderful person, and I'm so grateful to have known you."
The blue-haired man feigned ignorance, pushing his glasses closer to his eyes. He said nothing.
"What I'm saying is…"
"Hey muffin," Asch's voice interrupted their conversation. Zarken can't help but feel deep hatred and annoyance at the given pet name.
"Hi Asch." Natalia replied half-heartedly. She shifted uncomfortably and Zarken lifted a curios brow. "I-I need to talk to Zarken."
"Make it painful" He whispered against her ear and she nodded slightly. Asch slithered away from her, smirked at Zarken's direction and left.
"Natalia…?"
She turned to him, his eyes, dark as a fresh brewed coffee. She steeled herself, despite the knowledge of the pain she was about to inflict upon his soul; his heart.
Natalia inhaled deeply, eyes masked with aggression. "I hate you." She spat angrily and without so much as a millimeter of remorse. "You're nothing—nothing but a toy!"
She saw the pain that clouded his dark-shaded eyes. They were tears that fogged them. Zarken bowed his head to hide; much to his futile attempt. Who is he kidding? He's vulnerable—weak.
"I-I beg your pardon…?" He whimpered in a strangled voice, tears falling despite the will of it to stop forever for the sake of the only woman he loved with everything – with every fibre in his body.
"I hate you! You're a worthless, pathetic sap that doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as I do!" She shouted her voice filled with spite. "Asch is ten times the man you could ever hope to be!!"
It was at that moment Zarken looked up; his eyes bore no sign of misery or anger despite the tears still streaming continuously down his cheeks like an endless flowing river.
"Do you mean to say," he began firmly as he could. "That you were with Asch, even when you pushed me against the wall of the Student Council Office and claimed me as yours?"
Natalia's heart clenched like a vice grip. She was spewing out nonsense and bold-faced lies. She knows better, but what can she do? It's impossible to love two men, she thinks -- but here she is doing the very same.
"Yes, that is what I—"
"Liar."
That single word was said so bluntly, that they both know it was true. They knew that the other was the best thing that ever happened in their lives, and that they would rather die than let go. But Natalia refuses to see.
"That is not what you said," Zarken hissed. "When you were on top of me this morning, screaming MY name. You weren't screaming Asch's name, you were screaming MINE!"
His breathing was heavy, as well as his heart. Zarken doesn't know what to do, what to say, or what to think. He slumped against the wall, demoralized.
"If this is what you want, tell me again. Tell me how much you hate me. Tell me that I'm worth nothing despite all the things that you said. Even if you were the one who started this—this magnificent relationship you claim to be naught." He murmured in a silent mantra, coffee-coloured eyes glowering at her green ones.
"I hate you," She said in a fierce undertone. "You are nothing but a waste of a life. You deserve nothing, and I am sorry for wasting my time with you."
At her final utterance that is when it happened. Zarken broke, and he doubts that anyone can fix him anymore. Not without Natalia by his side, smile unwavering.
He smiled at her, the carefree grin that he wore only for her. "Regardless of the pain you just caused me, you are still the most amazing woman that I have ever had the fortune to feel, to meet and to love."
Tears still streaming without so much of a sign of stopping, he turned away, chest racked by sobs. He walked away from his life, and her life that was once was walked away from her.
Natalia wasn't a single bit happy when she returned to the cafeteria, only to see Luke, Guy and Tear remaining. There was no sign of Zarken, and a wave of relief came crashing down upon her. She sat down on her seat, three pairs of eyes watching her cautiously.
"What?!" She spat angrily, staring at her doing little to improve her mood.
"Oh nothing," Luke said nonchalantly. "It's just that you might break up with us without so much of a warning."
The Kimlascan princess stood up abruptly, knocking down her chair in the process. "Did he tell you?"
"No," Guy replied. "He doesn't need to."
"How could you do that to him, Natalia?" Tear asked silently. "How, when you were the happiest couple I have ever seen in this lifetime?"
She was hit with regret and guilt. They were indeed, happy. But won't she be happier when she's with Asch? They were meant to be, not her with Zarken.
Suddenly, Luke stood up, bag slung across his shoulder.
"Where are you going?" Natalia asked him, sitting back down.
"I'm going to look for Zarken." He replied without as much as a glance towards her. "For all I know, he's blaming himself and crying over you. I'm going to calm him down before he kills himself." Looking at Guy and Tear, he bade goodbye.
Natalia slumped against the table, ignoring the other two who was still watching every move she made. She can't deal with this, besides; Zarken was just a passing fancy – a decision made in a whim. He meant nothing to her. He was there for her and that's all that mattered.
Who is she kidding? Zarken was important to her. He showed her things, took her places she can't believe existed. He was the greatest guide in pleasure a woman could ever have. His nimble fingers just know where to go, when to press down hard and—
She shook of the urge to shiver. She refuses to relive their moments of elation in each other's hands. She refuses to believe that he was the one and only person that touched her in her innermost crevices—that she, herself cannot imagine Asch doing.
"Natalia, are you alright?" Tear asked carefully, in case she's still in an irritable mood.
"What…? O-oh yes… I'm fine." She replied quietly.
"Why did you do it?" Guy asked in equal silence. "What is it that brought the unexpected desire to suddenly tell him you loathe him?"
"Because I do," Natalia replied without hesitation. She has to keep her act up even with her friends. "I do indeed loathe him. He was merely nothing to me."
"Liar," Both Tear and Guy stated. "We know you're lying and in denial, Natalia."
"I AM not!" She answered indignantly.
The two remained silent to point out her mistake. Natalia sighed desperately and stood up to leave.
Pausing briefly before the entryway of the deserted cafeteria, Natalia heaved out a sigh and looked back at Guy and Tear, who were watching her worriedly.
"I'm fine," She whispered audibly. "It's Zarken you should be worried about… I'm going to look for Asch, alright?"
With a crashing wave of finality, the Kimlascan princess left her friends for the man she imagines that she loves.
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