𝑊𝐴𝑁𝑇 𝑇𝐻𝐼𝑆 (locke and key gabe)

15 rewritten

Will you join me?

It seemed like such a stupid question, such a feeble hope of clinging to what once was, when I sat now, in chains, in tears. Helpless before him. 

He had almost killed my family. He had hurt and slaughtered and lied without remorse and yet... And yet part of me still longed for him.

"You're fucking delusional," I spat, tears falling faster as I blinked.

Gabe chuckled, dry and humourless, a sound that made me shiver. As I held his gleaming brown eyes, I felt fear unlike anything I have ever felt before. To love and to hate. 

We were a beautiful mess of opposites and juxtapositions, sweet lies and worthless promises. 

"I'm many things," He told me, "But I wouldn't say that delusional is one of them."

I shook my head, "You hurt people." I breathed, "You hurt me."

"Fuck, Avery," He breathed, "Why is everything always so difficult with you? I need you on my side. I won't fight you, not anymore."

"Right. You need me to be your pawn again." I snapped, voice dripping with half-yelled venom.

"I need you because you- you are the only thing stopping me from getting what I want!" He lashed, "You make me want to be good. You make me want to give it all up and I can't- no one, no one should have that power over me!"

If I wasn't in chains, I most definitely would have slapped him. 

"You don't have the right," I cried quietly, "You don't have the right to use me and fuck me over and play my feelings to your advantage."

My vision was clouded with tears, but I was glad. I couldn't look at him, I couldn't...

"Let me go," My voice was quiet and feeble. A timid, terrified mouse before a manipulative, sly serpent. Fear will get me nowhere. I reminded myself, attempting to steady my ragged breaths. 

Gabe said nothing. 

I will not beg. I will not beg. 

I will not be weak.

"Do you know why I still care for you, Avery, even now? Even after everything?" His face was without emotion. His expression blank and composed, entirely unlike the raw rage and hurt I had glimpsed mere moments ago.

I simply shook my head. 

"You are the only thing that I have ever loved in all my terrible years of existence." He said, dragging is words ever so slowly, "I know you, all of you, even the parts you never showed me. I know you hate this, this...life, this meaningless existence. I know you want more. I can give you that. I can give you the sun and the stars if only you ask. I could reshape the world in your image, make it anew,"

"No, you would make me a slave." I gritted, "A slave to whatever disgusting creature is inside you, inside Eden."

"I would make you a queen."

My desire betrayed me. He knew. He knew all I wished for. He was a manipulator unlike any other, dark and cruel and a master at spinning his lies, playing truths to his hand. 

Wanting makes us weak.

And he made me so achingly weak.

"It's done."

My head snapped towards my uncle, to the burning, white-hot metal he poured into the mould. 

"Now let us go."

Gabe shook his head, eyes dark with a wicked blankness. Void of warmth. Void of emotion.

"How can I be sure it works unless I test it?"

My eyes widened with dawning realisation. With fear. 

"Last chance to change your mind." Gabe said, stalking closer to the forge.

"Please,"

I would beg if I had to.

With a single, swift blow, Gabe shattered the brick mould into a dozen red shards, sending them scattering across the workbench and knocking against the floor. In the heap of brick, I spotted the gleaming red key, adorned with a wide-mouthed demon upon the hilt. I felt my skin crawl as Gabe plucked it between his fingers, the key so hot it would have made any ordinary boy howl out in pain. Only Gabe was no ordinary boy.

"Don't do this." My uncle pleaded. 

The tears were falling now, fast and heavy as I began to squirm in the chains. 

This couldn't be it. 

My binds retracted, and Gabe yanked me roughly by the back of my neck, dragging me to the workbench. I thrashed and screamed, but once again I was reminded that his strength was truly unmatchable. 

"I didn't want it to happen like this," He breathed, shifting his hand to my lower back, keeping me pinned over the bench. "I wanted you to choose this. I wanted you to choose me."

The side of my face was pressed against the rough top of the workbench, as Gabe's hands lazily trailed the hem of my shirt. 

"I will never choose you," I vowed. "I will never be like you or with you or yours, you monster."

He only chuckled, raising his hand slightly to expose a slither of the bare skin of my back. I felt the flesh tear to create a keyhole, only this time it hurt. It was nothing like using the head key, it burned every fibre of my being, I felt my every cell split in two to accommodate his key.

I raised my eyes to meet Duncan's. He was restrained by Eden, thrashing and crying out for me.

I felt the key slip beneath flesh, I felt it begin to turn.

"Wait!" I shrieked, breaths rugged, "Wait, please!"

The key stilled, almost half-turned.

"Not here, not like this."

I tried to crane my neck to look at Gabe, but his hand on my back remained strong, preventing me from even turning slightly. 

"A day. No tricks. No games. Just one last day with my family. And then I'll join you. Willingly. I just want to say my goodbyes. At least afford me that courtesy."

I could feel his silent consideration for a moment before he released me. 

I turned, jolting away from him, away from the bench, the key.

"If you try anything," Gabe warned, "I'll slit their throats and make you watch."

I grimaced. 

Simply because I didn't doubt for a moment that he would. 

That his threat was very much real.