The third law [Terzo x Reader]

The Third Law

Note: Well, I failed terribly with writing more quickly... I had the worst writer's block ever and I am actually surprised I managed to finish this. There were many moments I thought I couldn't make it. And I hope I didn't mess it up because it is a very important chapter, but I admit that I forced myself to write even in moments I wasn't inspired at all.

I hope you like it, and please be aware that we are going some dark paths here, if topics like death, drug addiction and self harm are triggering for you, be prepared.

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You were sitting cross-legged on the bed in Ivar's apartment; your long hair falling messily over your shoulders and wearing nothing but a pair of ripped jeans. You sniffled, rubbing your nose a bit, then looked at the bare back of the man who was smoking something, sighing as if he had just quenched his thirst with a cool drink in the height of summer.

You crawled towards him, lifting your face to see under the long black bangs that partially covered his eyes. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, resting your cheek against his, but he turned his face to kiss you.
This was the life you had chosen, what you had decided to become by saying goodbye to your shyness, to your monotony, and to your family; to the friends you had inevitably pushed out of your life, leaving that small space only for Ivar.

Was it the electrifying existence you had imagined? At the time, you didn't know it would become much more so, and that, despite yourself, you would never be able to free yourself from it, even if one day you changed your path.

Nonetheless, you could swear, without remorse, that you felt happy. Or at least you were very close to believing it.

Ivar, on the other hand, was something inexplicable. Not only did he look incredibly attractive despite being in his forties, but he also possessed a sharp intellect and extensive knowledge, making one wonder why someone like him was holed up in an apartment seeking solace through needles and powders instead of teaching at some university. He himself couldn't have answered that, but something must have gone terribly wrong when he started smoking. And when he trusted his friend who brought some acid to a party, it was a short leap to opium, and an even shorter one from opium to heroin, which had led him to where he was now: lying on a bed after smoking crack, next to the girl he loved despite everything.

He could still consider himself lucky... very few addicts could boast such fortune all at once.
"I want to give you something..." said Ivar, stretching towards the nightstand beside the bed, from which he pulled out a book.

Intrigued, you looked at him and took it from his hands when he offered it to you. You examined the visibly worn cover, which depicted only a black-and-white image and a title. "Charles Baudelaire?" you asked, tilting your head to the side.

"Don't you know him?"

"Yes, but I don't know his poems," you mumbled. You flipped through the pages absentmindedly, finding notes, additions written by Ivar himself, and some underlined phrases throughout. You paused to read one, opening up in a semblance of a smile. "It's really beautiful... thank you." you whispered sincerely.

"I think you'll like it, it has been my guide for a long time." he said, caressing your cheek as you continued to look at the pages with interest.

"What does this note mean?" you asked, pointing to a handwritten line on a blank back page. "Newton's third law... For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction..." you read with some difficulty, given the intricate handwriting. "That's not Baudelaire..."

"Oh no, but it's a nice concept, I wrote it there because that poetry made me think about it." he replied with a small smile. He leaned towards you, tenderly kissing your face, from your cheek to your jawline, teasing you by brushing the corners of your mouth. You tried to follow his mouth that eluded your lips, smiling from desire and curiosity.