Day Twelve: I'm not saying I didn't like it.

Characters/Pairings: Rose/Nigel; Jake/Rose

Rating: T

Content warnings: stalking; restraints; curses (? Not the swearing kind)

Don't forget that you can find me on tumblr: we - are - all - of - legend - now and that my ao3 account is wearealloflegendnow (even though I haven't posted there yet)!

~TLL~

Nigel strode down the hallway, feeling a smile start to spread across his face as he saw Rose, standing at her locker. He snuck up behind her, like he had done every day for the past year, and she pretended like she was actually surprised, like she did every day. Rose turned to face him and Nigel leant in to kiss her. Unlike every other day, however Rose didn't throw her arms around his neck and arch up into his kiss. Her hand came up between them, giving the barest push. It was enough to break Nigel's heart and he just started shaking his head at her.

"No."

"I think we need to talk."

"Please don't say it."

Nigel knew Rose well enough to understand that look in her eye. She'd already made up her mind.

"I'm breaking up with you."

"Why? What happened?

"This really is about me and not about you or our relationship. I'm not saying I didn't like it or that it didn't mean anything to me. I'm just learning more and more about who I am and who I want to be and that is a person who likes you and appreciates you but who knows we're not going to end up together." Rose leant up and kiss his cheek. "I hope we can still be friends."

Nigel wanted to shout and shake her. Friends? FRIENDS?! How could he ever be friends with her when eh loved her? They were worth way more than the thirty seconds he had been given and for a very brief moment, Nigel understood why witches of old turned people into frogs. Nigel could just keep her, like a little pet, and she wouldn't be able to run away from him.

Instead, Nigel nodded, because that was the normal thing to do in a school hallway.

"Sure, Rose, we can be friends."

Rose squeezed his hand and Nigel wondered how she didn't still feel it. He felt it. But, maybe, this was something that she had to do. Maybe he had to trust her to do it. So that they could get back together. Three days, Nigel thought. One she had a weekend without him, she'd be back.

"Yeah, friends," Nigel said, squeezing her hand back. "I'm fine."

And that was what he told himself through the next few days. He was fine; they were fine; everything was fine. Once they were back at school, they'd go back to being them. Nigel had himself so convinced of it that it was all he dreamt of on Sunday night. He'd walk into school and go right up to Rose's locker and she'd throw her arms around his neck and kiss him and they wouldn't have to say anything; they'd just know what the other was feeling.

Nigel strode into school with a swagger, making a beeline for Rose's locker. Nigel saw the swing of her long blonde hair as she turned. Nigel opened his mouth to call her name and then realized that Rose was turning away from him, rather than toward him.

Rose turned straight into the arms of Jake Long.

Nigel stopped dead in the middle of the hall, a bright red tinge to his vision as he watched them kiss. Three days after breaking up, his girlfriend of almost an entire year was in the arms of someone Nigel would have called a friend.

Nigel ran through every curse he could think of, not caring that they were in school and that there was no way in hell that Jake wouldn't fight back. He just wanted them to suffer and burn. They didn't deserve happy. Not when Nigel's heart was so broken.

Jake and Rose moved out of sight and Nigel remembered where he was. Nigel couldn't do anything at school and he couldn't just do anything. He needed to be brutal and clever and do something that would truly haunt them forever.

Nigel left school and went to the one place he swore to never stop foot, to visit with the one person he swore he would never worth with.

"Make me your apprentice," Nigel said.

Then, he knelt at Eli Pandarus' feet.

(-.-)

For the better part of six months, Nigel trained, pretended everything was fine, and kept a sharp eye on Jake and Rose. They were disgustingly, disappointingly, happy. If they hadn't been, if Rose had realized the error of her way and come back to him, maybe Nigel wouldn't have dedicated himself to darkness and the hardened part of his heart and schemed the perfect revenge plan.

A plan that when Eli heard it, he nodded in satisfaction, slightly jealous of Nigel's ingenuity.

"You are ready," Eli said, "just be sure you get then alone."

Oh, Nigel would.

It was easy enough with his newfound skills in manipulation and all the magic tips and tricks that Eli had passed on. Nigel sauntered to the spot that he had picked, taking a moment to peek in on the unsuspecting couple. There were Jake and Rose, peacefully on a picnic blanket, on a date both thought he other had organized. Nigel watched as they kissed, feeling his heart twist.

It was time.

Summoning what he could of the elements, Nigel made the sky go dark, the wind rattle and roar, and the tree branches grow thick. Nigel stepped into the circle as the branches closed in, trapping the three of them in one bubble. He took a deep breath, satisfied by the looks in Jake's and Rose's face. No one would ever say he wasn't dramatic. Jake stood up, angry and ready to fight, but Nigel had been expecting that too. With a flick of his wrist, he froze them both in place, and it was time for the second most delicious part: the villain monologue.

"You I loved," Nigel said, leaning close to Rose, as if he were going to kiss her. Nigel delighted in the terror in her eyes. He strode over to Jake. "I know we've had our differences but I really would have called you my friend. And yet, I have to think you were moving in on my girlfriend while we were still together. What kind of a friend would do that?"

Jake was trying to struggle but it didn't matter. Nigel had the power now.

"I hear all the gossip around school, you know. All about how in love you are and how you're soulmates and how cute you are and it makes me want to kill you every time because you don't deserve what was going to be my happiness!"

Nigel took a deep breath, struggling to control himself. Now was his moment. He turned back to his captive audience.

"But, I'm not going to do that. Number one, it would be too easy for you. Number two, it would be too inconveniencing for me. The council probably frowns on killing a world dragon. However," Nigel paused for effect, "cursing one is more of a grey area. So, here is my curse for you: from now on, you are poison to each other. One touch, even the slightest graze of your clothing, and one of you will die."

Summoning all his strength, Nigel boomed out the words he and Eli had spent hours memorizing, binding his curse to reality.

When the last syllable fell form his lips, Nigel was drained. His revenge had been taken and his heart still felt like it was dying. Nigel slumped as he turned his back on the two of them, keeping them frozen until he was far enough away that Jake wouldn't come after him.

Nigel was, however, still close enough to hear their screams of anguish.