Rough Around the Edges (Rookwood x Reader)

12- Assumptions

As the sunlight came through you both sat up and began to redress.

You shifted slightly to look at him. His face seemed serene as he did his buttons and slipped on his coat. He turned and found you staring at him.

"May I help you?" He asked amusingly.

You smiled before leaning in and kissing him tenderly. He was surprised by the affection but kissed you back- his hand on your cheek as he held you in place. You both didn't speak as he stood up and offered you his hand. Your fingers barely touched until you saw a familiar figure at the entrance of the cave.

It was Sharp.

You sat there in shock and looked up at Rookwood who also noticed his arrival.

"Professor Sharp!..." You didn't know what to say.

He stood there with one hand on the stone as he examined you. His eyes furrowed as they flashed between you and Rookwood.

"You-!"

Before you could react, Sharp had apparated to Rookwood and slammed him against the wall. His face was angry as he held Rookwood buy his lapels and glared into him. 

"Sharp!" You cried out.

"What...What are you THINKING?! She is a child!" His voice boomed and echoed between the stone walls.

"I am not-"

"She is not a child." Rookwood finished for you. This only angered Sharp more and he raised his hand to punch Rookwood in the face.

"Sharp STOP!" You stumbled your way over and hung onto Sharps' arm as it went back to Rookwoods' Lapel.

"Please stop!"

His head snapped to look at you. You've never seen him so angry as he did right now.

"What are you doing?!..With Rookwood?! Of all people..." He glared back at Rookwood again before pulling and slamming him against the wall a second time.

"You seem jealous, Aesop..." Rookwood finally spoke.

The words caught you off guard and your eyes went back and forth between both of them. Rookwood wincing from the pain and Sharps' gripping Rookwood so tight that his knuckles turned white.

"Professor Sharp, please!" You begged him.

He looked at you again, his face still angry but now softer at your plea.

"...He's not a good man, MC." He began before looking back at Rookwood. "...He's using you. All he does is use people-"

"No!-"

"You know what his reputation! His history! All that he's done and yet you're here with him, letting him use you!"

"I'm not letting anyone use me!"

"How long?!" His voice was so loud you felt a rumble in your chest. There was a silence in the cave before he asked again, this time more quietly.

"How long?"

"Does it matter?"

"...No." His voice was quiet now. He looked down on his arm where your hands held onto him firmly. Rookwood was surprisingly silent and still the entire time, a hint of red dripping from his cheek.

"Professor Sharp-"

"Is this about our argument? Did he promise you answers?"

"Excuse me?!" You were baffled he'd ask such a thing.

"Aesop Sharp, I would think you'd know me better than what you're assuming-"

"I wasn't talking to you, Victor." Rookwood frowned a little; still under his hands and firmly against the wall.

"I'll have you know-" You started. You waited until they were both looking at you to continue.

"Rookwood did not promise me anything! In fact, you BOTH have refused to tell me anything I asked about!" They glanced at each other as you proceeded to speak.

"BOTH of you have kept secrets from me and I've been nothing but honest."

"Oh really, MC? Honest?" Sharp finally released Rookwood and faced you fully. He pointed at Rookwood who slid to the ground behind him as he scolded you.

"THIS has been your secret, hasn't it? I tell you to stay out of danger and instead you SLEEP IN ITS ARMS!"

"He's been nothing but kind to me!"

"As most manipulators do!"

"If you would have just treated me as an equal then maybe-"

"Maybe what, MC? Maybe you wouldn't have slept with him? Maybe you wouldn't have been sneaking off nightly to the forest and putting your well being in constant jeopardy? Maybe I wouldn't have worried about you continuously on my own time, knowing you chose to purposely fall into the arms of a Dark Wizard whom you barely know?!"

Sharp took a breath as he turned away and laced his fingers through his hair. You stood silently as his eyes shut tight and his other hand rested on his hip.

"How..." You started asking. "How did you find me?"

"...Sallow is not as inconspicuous as he thinks. I followed him. Thankfully we had different instincts and I found you here before he did."

You wanted to be angry at Sebastian but the moment you were in required your attention. You looked over at Rookwood who stayed sitting, his arm rested on his knee as he looked away almost ashamed.

"You don't know him, MC, not really. You don't know the things that he's done or what he's capable of doing."

"And? What if I want to know? I'm not the new fifth year anymore. I can make my own decisions and be with who I want!"

Sharps' head turned to you and he gazed into your eyes. His emotions were mixed. Anger. Confusion. Worry. Pain.

"This is a dangerous path you are deciding on." His voice was calm and low. "You are making a mistake."

"... Then let me make my mistakes. I'm old enough to learn from them..."

Sharp turned his body to look at both you and Rookwood. His face was sullen as he spoke again.

"...Then you've made your choice."

Before you could respond he apparated away- leaving you and Rookwood alone.

After you collected yourself you ran over to him and knelt down.

"Are you okay?"

"...When everyone assumes the worst of you, it's easy to look the part."

"What?"

"He's right you know. We know nothing about each other. You don't know the things I've done...but I never wanted to do them in the first place.

You sat there and let him talk to you. He turned to finally look you in the eyes as he continued.

"When my father died, everyone assumed it was me. Then they assumed I killed anyone who got in my way. The assumptions kept going and it was just easy to go forward...until I had to prove myself. Then there was no going back. There were no assumptions anymore. No one to blame but myself...I didn't ask for this. I never wanted to be this."

The silence was deafening when you didn't know how to respond. You took your thumb and wiped the blood off his face; he leaned into your touch and closed his eyes.

"This isn't right. It was never right...us sneaking off like this. We knew it would catch up to us eventually."

"But-" 

"You can't come back anymore. We can't do this anymore."

"Wait, you can't-!" 

"I'm sorry."

He took your hand from his face and kissed it before letting go and apparating away. Now you were alone- staring at a stone wall. You waited a bit to see if he would come back.

Then you waited for hours.

Then it was night- and he did not return.

He was not coming back.