(jaylor au) clandestine meetings in beautiful rooms

This Train Runs Off Its Tracks

Austin sits beside me the rest of the day. I sleep on the side of the bed that is furthest away from him. I also pretend I am sleeping, a thing which left me hours ago. The searing, blistering heat is still throughout my body and it refuses to leave. It feels as if I am lying on a bed of hot coals, and they are imprinting into my body, leaving five degree burns.
It is an odd feeling, being so hot, but yet so cold at the same time. I turn over, forgetting that he is sitting on the other side of the bed, and groan. He takes a sip of his drink, looking up with a smile.
"Ah - I'm glad to see that you are awake." He's reading a book.

"I told you to leave me alone." I say, sitting up, the tone of my voice cold and bitter. "I don't want to see you."
"Here," he says, handing me a glass. "Have this. It will make you feel better."
"They are going to come and find me." I say, ignoring his outstretched hand. "I won't be here forever. And then, because of what you've done, you'll be alone again."
"I think you'll be surprised. They forgot about me. What's not to say that they won't forget about you? Why wouldn't they? They so quickly forgot all about me."
"I have a husband, and he won't stop looking for me." I say, deep down knowing that I don't know that. He will be glad that I'm gone. Fuck, my parents might even be glad that I'm gone. Apart from the fact that I was the heir to the throne... I caused nothing but trouble.
"That's your old life, Taylor." He gets up from his chair and sits down on the bed beside me. "Your new life is with me. Here. With your brother."
He puts the glass to my lips, and watches as I drink it.
"Stop-" I try to tell him, but her refuses, and watches until I have drained every last bit of it.
"You'll feel better now, I promise."
Immediately my mind feels cloudy. "What have you done?"
"I told you it would be gentler this time."
"Austin-"
"There shouldn't be anymore pain, and if it starts to hurt, you have got to tell me, okay?"
"I can't believe-" I start to say, but the fog gets heavier and heavier. "You can't do... this to me..."
"Oh, but I already have." He says, taking my hand. "Together, big sister, we are going to be unstoppable."

The fog eventually clears, but it's different now. My thoughts are different.
"Taylor." Austin asks. He left for a while. I know because in my subconscious, I remember hearing a door slam shut.
"Yes?" I say abruptly. The word seemed to fly out of my mouth before I had even thought of it.
"Do you trust me?"
It's harder to stop myself from talking, harder to get myself to say exactly what I know he wants me to say. I clench my jaw shut, refusing to let it open. I will not let him win. I need to be stronger than he is.
"There's no pain?" He asks gently, and I want to hit him. I want to scream and yell and fight, but I don't.
"No." I answer, but it's a different sort of pain this time. This time, it's foggy. It hurts because I can't think straight, and trying to concentrate takes everything in me.
"Perfect!" He says, throwing his hands up in the air.
"What... what is happening?" I say, my eyes welling up with tears.
"The serum - the new one, is working."
"Why? What do you have to-"
"Because I need to know the answers to the questions. You're the only one that can tell me them."
"You can't do this. It isn't possible." I sit up in bed, trying to stand up. My head is cloudy. It spins.
"Yes, my darling sister, it sure is."
"How long is it going to take to work? What is it going to do to me?"
"To fully set in? You have a day, at most. And then... we'll, I can't give away everything."
"So what, you're poisoning me into submission? Why?"
"So that you can stay with me, forever. Isn't that what you'd tell me before bed? That you'd love me forever, that we'd be together forever? Isn't that like one of the songs you would sing? About me and you being safe and sound? That even when everything outside of the palace is burning, you and I will be alright when morning light comes? I'll come back this evening, where I will send in some maids to help you get ready for tonight."
"Tonight?" That means I have a matter of hours to get ready, to try and force myself to focus. To try and plot my escape.
"My darling sister, tonight, we shall announce to the entire country of America our plans! Who knows, perhaps even your lover, or your husband might be watching." He smirks, before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
What is that poison, that serum going to do to me? Will I remember who I was? Will I lose who I was? Will I become too sick to fight? God, it's infuriating.
My thoughts are not my own anymore. I race over to the desk, where there is a pen and paper, and I write down any coherent thought that I have, just in case. I don't know if I'll know who I am by morning light.
I write down what Austin has done, what he plans to do and what he wants to know. If I am saved, if they come and find me, then these are the important things that I must know.