Shadows of our end - KDA x Male Reader (Original)

Act 2 - 022

"Here we are," Eve stops short of a group of people not sitting far from the campus main building. "Akali's probably seated between all those dudes and girls there," she gestures at the group all hanging around.

I ask her. "She been distant?"

"All of us have been," she states. "Just..." she takes a deep breath before patting my lower back, "do what you think is right. I am not going to talk to her till you've said your part and she's said her part, then we know where she stands. If she even has a stance."

I cock my head at her. "Thinking this could go wrong?"

"One never knows till you've done it, a leap of faith," she pushes me forward toward the group and I head straight towards them knowing damn well this might blow up in my face.

I dig my hands in my pockets as if to show that I am laid back, or maybe they think that it would be harder for me to do anything to them because I am choosing to keep my hands to myself. I don't know how else to approach them because... it isn't a matter to smile over.

If Eve won't even walk with to talk to Akali then you can count on the fact that it all must have been bad. How do friends fall apart... and why am I the one nominated to do this? Maybe Evelynn hopes that I can do something she couldn't. Or maybe she thinks that seeing me would change their scope.

I have no clue. I really don't.

I've been playing this world's twisted games and right now? I was so caught up in being me that everything else changed. The people in it, the world, the circumstances... even the monsters look differently.

I am determined to be me, that's it.

But that existential dread is hanging over me like a curse, but I am feeling my title I suppose.

I step closer and most of the conversation comes to a halt, only whispers linger before all attention settles on me. They all glance at one another before one of them finally opens up their mouth.

"Number One, right?"

I cock my head at him. "Something like that."

"What do you want?"

"Friends?" Another breaks through the group and steps to the front. His stance is aggressive and probably meant to warn me off from wanting to be in their group. "None here for you."

I exhale through my nose trying not to show that I am annoyed. "You think I'll walk up to you if that wasn't the case? Or maybe that's just it, ain't it? That you know that I am looking for someone in this little circle of yours."

He shakes his head slowly. "Honestly? Just don't want anything to do with cunts like you, what you've been through? How is that enough to-"

"Want to go there?" I interrupt him. "So that you can be my judge, then I'll give you the benefit of playing God." I gaze past all their bodies to see a set of eyes watching me intensely, and she knows that I can see her but she hasn't said anything yet.

(Designs/Preference are up to you.")

"You attacked this place, you think that we should just let you back in-"

"Can't ever just get along with anyone, can't you?" The voice that I am after finally speaks, she pushes through the group that makes space for her before she shakes his head at the guy who only crosses his arms at the situation.

I crack a sad smile. "You know me. Never been one to take things lying down, much less people who don't know who I am."

"We all know who you are," he answers. I get a look at him, not someone that I know.

I almost expected that it would be Brian but it isn't. Just another guy that has the same bulky face and wide shoulders as him, brown hair, and his nose looks a bit busted but apart from that? He's handsome if you look at it objectively.

I won't speak for my experience with him so far, just another person who wants to speak for someone else. Another one in my way.

Akali speaks in turn. "Nobody ever forgot who you were, hell... there are kids on these grounds that still remind us that we failed you when it mattered the most." She cracks a smile and shakes her head at me.

"Akali?" he glances at her.

She steps forward, stopping short of me she opens her mouth to speak but she trembles, her eyes locked onto mine as she takes a deep breath before lowering her head to my feet.

"I should have killed Troy when I had the chance."

"Akali-"

"It's true right? I mean, I am right. It was him, always was, who else would be that fucking sick to push you in and you came all this way back just to see that he is still fucking breathing. I guess they were right, we did fail you."

"And what? Keep me from having that satisfaction myself?" I scoff. She lifts her gaze to say something but I quickly interrupt her. "What more is there you could have done that would have made a difference to the outcome, Akali?"

The muscles in her face tense. "I wanted to believe that I could have done something to change it all but in the end, I couldn't."

I shake my head at her. "It's not about not doing anything... but what was there to do Akali? Kill yourself to find me? Kill him when it wouldn't bring me back? What use is honouring my memory when there was nothing EVER telling you it was that fuck?"

"I knew better," she breathes out. "That's what killed me, and I... I need you to tell me right fucking now that I could have been better."

"To what end?" I counter. "They said you failed me when it mattered the most, but aren't you one of the people who actually knew me? Not just my name."

Lifting her hand to rub her eye out. "You are... just... not working with me here."

"Didn't come here for that."

She laughs at me, "Then what? To rub it in that you practically wiped me with the floor?"

"I recall saying sorry."

"I recall you saying that it was you," she corrects me. "I was on the ground terrified that what came back wasn't you. But something else entirely, and now? Number fucking One. I couldn't believe it, just how fast it all went down and right now I am standing here like the idiot I am blaming myself and you standing there with that" She gestures at my face, "and trying to tell me that I couldn't do anything."

"What's wrong with my face?"

"Your expression- I... can you stop that?" She furrows her brow at me. "It's hard... to make things right when you brush it aside like that-"

I step closer and wrap my arms around her. I didn't know what she was going to do or how she reacted but I was going to take it as it is. She didn't react or respond to my hug for what felt like a while before I finally felt her shaking her head.

"Welcome back," she finally whispers.

"It felt like you were blaming me for a second."

She sighs, "It's hard to blame yourself after all these years, even harder to come to terms with the fact that you are right. Nothing I could have done would have made the difference and that hurts just as much... and I just sound like this."

"I missed you," I tighten my hug and she finally responds by wrapping her arms around my middle.

"I am happy you are still alive," I try to break away from her but she clings to me still, "sorry but hold me for a bit longer..." she chuckles into me, it almost sounds like she is on the verge of tears.