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

Act 2 - 030

The night went on as good as it could I suppose, maybe need to iron out some of the kinks between everyone but nothing we can sort out later. But as for the people I have yet to talk to? I'll find them later, hopefully, or in some cases, hopefully never.

I push through the door of my apartment to see Ashe resting against the kitchen island. Those tired eyes won't just be fixed with one nap, but at least she looks like she could sleep for at least a couple of hours longer.

"Welcome back," she lifts her hand to her mouth to reveal her cigarette.

"Hey, Ashe," I gesture at the kitchen, "want something to eat?"

"If you are going to suggest me making it, then no."

I shake my head at her and walk behind it to see what I have in this place. I've barely moved in and there's a good chance there is nothing here at all. "I was never going to dare suggest that the insomniac would ever have to make me something to eat."

"With the way you are going about it, you are never going to see a shred of gratitude from me," I glance over my shoulder to see her turn to face me with an arched brow. "How was everyone?"

"Good," I state. "Well, better now. A lot of things that need to be sorted and worked out but nothing that will just be fixed by saying sorry and moving on, not everyone can move on that quickly and then come back to it."

"Eh," she lifts her shoulders into a shrug. "Too many times people overthink things because they depend on closure and without it, the mind takes its reigns and wreaks a certain havoc that would make even the most hopeful cynical."

"Why it never work on you?"

"Born a cynic," she chuckles. "Died without an ounce of sleep, but every night I am alive more and more."

I snort. "So I am helping a ghoul at this point?"

"I'd say walk a few steps in my shoes but I have a feeling you'd pass out the instant you did, I'd be a bit envious and also a bit pissed at the fact." Then with a heavy exhale, "But for me, it is just one more night to blink away. Now that my slave is back I can finally get a wink of sleep."

I lift what I found onto the counter and narrow my gaze at her. "Slave?"

"Hm mhm," she takes another deep pull. "Did you know that I started smoking to mellow it out? To numb myself so that I can't focus on the feeling of being sleep deprived, it was either that or hard drugs."

"That's a leap."

"It is," she nods. "So be a good slave and finish food, I'd love to have the chance to try and quit."

I shake my head at her. "From mommy issues to slave," I start prepping us something to eat.

"There are men out there with worse that would jump at the opportunity, even challenge me to put me and my mouth in its place. With you, it's like dangling a cat's toy in front of one and it just won't play with me," she pouts dramatically.

"So a lot of sexual tension from you?"

She narrows her eyes with a lecherous smile. "Maybe a little bit, just think about it for a bit (Y/N). How's a girl supposed to relieve herself with barely enough energy to keep herself on her own feet?"

"It almost makes me wonder how you managed to live all these years."

"I didn't," she answers plainly. "Never have I ever felt like I was living but rather tortured for being able to do what I can do. There were days that were worse off, others that were just good enough to keep me from twisting the knife," she takes another deep pull.

"What stopped you?" I ask wondering why she chose to sit with the insomnia.

"Lauren." She states. "One night was terrible," she cracks a smile and shakes her head before chuckling, "I still remember how pissed she was at me, she dragged me out of my room and wrapped her fingers around all the cuts and healed them shut. It fucking hurt twice as bad, and made me scared of ever wanting to try it again. The pain just wasn't worth it."

"Ashe..."

"Don't cry for my past," she crosses her arms and shuts her eyes. "I don't deserve tears being wasted upon me. But..."—she opens one of her eyes with a smile—"If I knew that someone out there would be able to relieve me, I think she would have held on, I just wish I could tell her back then. Maybe life would have been kinder on me."

I nod slowly. "What is it about me that can make you fall asleep?"

"I don't know." She answers. "I tried with others, but they can't mimic the effect. Maybe the darkness in you is enough to mend the broken part in my head. Wouldn't that just scratch the dramatic itch, huh?"

"Maybe," I shake my head with a chuckle. "I gave up on my life at an early stage. Everyone around me grew with power and I was terribly human for the longest of times... I hated that I was left behind because catching up would never be possible for someone like me."

"And then powers out of nowhere?"

"Yeah." I nod slowly. "Late bloomer, but I don't even know what brought it out."

"Powers develop as our maturity does. Maybe you never grew up, maybe never allowed for it to grow because you were too busy enjoying life as is to allow room for greater aspirations. A lot of people stifle growth like that."

"That badly?" I ask her.

"Yeah. That badly. But look at you now,"—she shuts her eyes again as she whispers out into the air—"would you think that you'd be able to get this far? Through Jhin? Through the Void?"

I tighten the muscles in my face as I think it through. "I don't know."

"But you have," she exhales. "That's more than enough I suppose."