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

Act 2 - 025

"Can I ask you something, Dread?"

I glance at him as the two of us trail the three girls on our way to find the last two. I am watching the three of them all smile as they lead me straight towards them but for the sake of answering Memory's question I slowed my pace to allow us some privacy if the situation needs it.

"Being?"

"Do you surround yourself with these women out of choice?" I cock my head at his question. "Save for the few males I have met, save for the few that you lost. I count more female companions than that of males."

I nod slowly. "Where's the question leading to?"

"Curiosity. I have no love for my kin. We are free to feel, to experience, to take... but never once receive. Our legacy is the abyss and our birthright the nothingness enveloping that grand chasm. There's no room for love, the emotions fall dead on my lips."

 I return my stare to the three in front of us. "Love is volatile. It's a strange feeling that I can't describe but I believe it is an overwhelming sense of happiness, adoration... trust. Belonging... comfort."

"The Abyss doesn't promise any of these," he states. "Perhaps that's why it feels so foreign. Perhaps we weren't birthed for that purpose, maybe our understanding leaves little room for such fickle feelings. Maybe my nature conflicts with it."

I cock my head at him. "Perhaps... I don't have any real input to offer, Memory."

He shakes his head. "I don't need any, I only saught understanding of a foreign concept."

"No love among the Nightmares?" I ask him.

"None to be had, none to offer, none to be found." He disappears from my vision with his voice still in the back of my head. "The perspective is refreshing, Dread. Do not mistake my curiosity for disapproval."

I chuckle as I breathe out, "Almost thought you were going to do exactly that, tell me to keep my distance from those around me. That Love would work against the nature you determined for me."

"You misunderstand. Despair is unable to experience exactly that, Violence only begets Violence, Lonely must isolate his prey. But on the other hand... Violence makes Violence stronger, Lonely will overwhelm one, Despair... all his Nightmares will cause despair making him stronger. You are dread, you will never experience that emotion anymore but your presence will instil that same fear you can no longer recognise."

"I see..."

Memory adds afterwards. "You will become stronger, you will soon be able to give the shadows to those around you. They will become stronger through you without you ever needing to take their lives... make them your Nightmares, Dread."

Is that even possible?

Do I ever need to go that far?

Maybe I do. It entirely depends on me, and what comes next.

***   ***   ***

"There she is," Evelynn points in the direction. "Also you can beat the boyfriend up, I don't care, honestly will be easier to get Ahri back with us that way."

"Eve-"

Akali stops Kai'Sa. "Evelynn has a point."

I shake my head at the two of them and walk past them to meet up with Ahri. Her ear twitches and she quickly glances at me through the corner of her eye, then does a double take to see me approaching her slowly.

She pushes herself off the side of her seat and rushes towards me, she wraps her arms around my shoulders and hugs me tightly.

"Welcome home," she whimpers at me.

I warp my arms around her middle and hug her tightly. "I missed you," I breathe out. "I..."

"Yeah?"

I shake my head as I lose the words. "This... I honestly didn't expect you to react like this."

"Been thinking about this moment for two days now, (Y/N). Even then... I was hoping that I'd see you just pop up with a stupidly cute smile... maybe even... I don't know what I was expecting but I really hoped that you'd come find me."

"I missed you too, Ahri."

"It feels so fucking unreal," she hugs me tighter. She pulls away and rubs her thumbs over my cheeks as if to make sure it is really me standing in front of her. "You..." she shakes her head, "you really are here, huh?"

I furrow my brow at her but still maintain my stupid fucking smile. "I wouldn't even torment anyone like this even if I did die, Ahri."

"Good," she rests her head against mine as she shuts her eyes.

"Ahri-" I stop her, creating some space between the two of us. "I..."

She furrows her brow at me. "Oh... am I being a bit too much?"

"No not that..." I clear my throat. "You... don't you have a boyfriend?"

Her expression shifts to a pained smile, she lowers her gaze to my chest as she shuts her eyes tightly. "No. I don't. I did but the moment I heard you were alive, the way it made me feel I knew I had to tell him that I wouldn't be able to be with him. Even if I do regret this later, I feel like this was the better decision to make without me ever breaking his heart by looking your way and leading him on."

"Ahri-"

I shake my head at her, the gesture alone enough to make my heart soar. Everything that led up to this moment of meeting all of them again... I feel like I was worried over nothing. As if I expected the worst when all anyone ever needed was a nudge.

She rests her head against my shoulder. "I am coming off a bit strong, I don't need you to respond to my feelings either. Right now I just want to celebrate that you are back and alive, welcome home, (Y/N)."

I hold her close to me. "Sorry... for taking two years."

"Better than never," I can feel her tail wrap around me as if to keep me from disappearing.

Evelynn walks up to the two of us, she breathes out almost like a mom scolding a child, "You know with the way you are clinging to him it's enough to make any girl jealous, and your boyfriend. Not to mention the fact that you've been isolating yourself-"

Ahri breaks away from me and almost tackles Evelynn to the ground as she hugs her. "I am so sorry, Eve."

Evelynn pats her back. "Good enough of an apology," she winks at me. "I guess she missed me just as much."

Ahri breaks away from her. "Don't act like I was the only one, you were just as fucking depressed as everyone else around here."

Evelynn looks back at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"You were just as bad. Point. Full stop. Don't you dare try to deflect?"

"Only if you promise to tell the truth and only the truth?" She counters.

"I know what I did, it's you blaming everyone else."

Evelynn looks at me, "She's dramatic."

"Hm mhm?"