Dream of Us Together (Various Anime Characters x reader)

Beneath the masks (Charles Grey x OC)

Hehe, I'm back. And I've brought with me a little gift. I haven't seen many Charles Grey fanfics on Wattpad so I decided to upload this one😅

Ngl I feel like writing a separate story js for him, like a story with abt 15 or so chapters, like his relationship with my OC based/during the book of Atlantic arc. Maybe...

Also this fic doesn't really have a POV so yaa. Enjoy~

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The moon hung low over the Atlantic, its silvery light dancing across the waves as the Campania sliced through the dark waters. Onboard, chaos reigned. The corridors were filled with the moans of the dead, reanimated into grotesque mockeries of life—Bizarre Dolls, driven by a hunger that could not be sated.

Earl Charles Grey, with his sword drawn, moved through the ship like a silver wraith, each swing of his blade dispatching a Doll with precision. His aristocratic features, usually calm and composed, were now set in a mask of grim determination.

Across the deck, Emilia Midford fought her own battle, her rapier a blur of steel as she struck down the Dolls that swarmed her. She moved with the grace and ferocity of a seasoned fencer, her eyes burning with the same fire that had driven her since childhood. She had always been competitive, always striving to best her brother, Edward—and, of course, Charles.

Their rivalry had been legendary in London's elite circles, a constant duel for supremacy. Whether it was on the fencing piste or during horse rides through the lush Midford estates, they had always pushed each other to the brink, neither willing to admit defeat.

But that was years ago.

Now, as they fought back to back against the grotesque onslaught, there was a different kind of tension between them. A tension hidden beneath layers of tradition, duty, and the masks they wore for society. No one knew that the fierce rivals were, in truth, something much more—lovers.

Emilia's blade arced through the air, severing the head of a Doll that had lunged at Charles from behind. He turned, his sharp grey eyes meeting hers, and for a split second, the world around them seemed to pause. A small smirk tugged at his lips.

"Still trying to one-up me, Emilia?" he teased, his voice light even in the midst of battle.

She rolled her eyes, though there was a warmth in her gaze that belied her annoyed tone. "Someone has to keep you on your toes, Charles. Can't have you thinking you're better than me."

"Perish the thought," he said, his voice dropping to a softer, more intimate tone as he moved closer, his back almost brushing against hers. "I know better than anyone what you're capable of."

They moved in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, a testament to years of familiarity with each other's skills and rhythms. It was as if their rivalry had been transformed into a dance of death, each step they took flowing seamlessly into the other's.

The Dolls continued to swarm, but neither Charles nor Emilia showed any sign of fatigue. Their swords were an extension of their wills, cutting down the undead with relentless efficiency. Yet, amidst the carnage, there was an unspoken connection, a silent understanding that only they could share.

As they fought, memories of their youth flashed through Emilia's mind—of the day she had first met Charles at a fencing tournament, the way he had infuriated her with his cocky smirk when he won. And then, of the night in the stables, years later, when that same cocky smirk had softened into something else, and they had finally allowed themselves to be honest about their feelings.

A loud crash interrupted her thoughts. The ship was beginning to tilt, its structural integrity compromised by the relentless assault of the Dolls. They could hear the screams of the remaining passengers, the panic spreading as fast as the infection that animated the dead.

"We need to get to the lifeboats," Charles said, his tone all business now, though the urgency in his eyes was partly for her.

Emilia nodded. "But first, we need to clear a path."

They charged forward, cutting down any Dolls in their way. Finally, they reached the edge of the deck, where a few lifeboats remained. The survivors, huddled in fear, looked at the two nobles with a mixture of awe and hope.

As Charles helped the others into the boats, Emilia stood guard, her blade still gleaming in the moonlight. When the last passenger was safely aboard, she turned to join him, but a hand on her wrist stopped her.

Charles pulled her close, her body pressing against his, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered, "We've played our roles long enough tonight, Emilia. Let's drop the masks, just for a moment."

She looked up at him, her heart pounding, not from fear or exertion, but from the nearness of him. In that moment, the rivalry, the danger, the entire world faded away. There was only Charles, and the truth they both knew but rarely spoke.

Emilia nodded slightly, and for the first time in what felt like ages, she allowed herself to smile—a genuine smile, not the one she wore for the world. "Just for a moment," she agreed, winking.

Placing a finger under her chin, he tilted her head up, the light from the moon illuminating her features, making her look even more majestic than she already was.  

He kissed her, a brief but fervent connection that grounded them both amid the chaos. Then, with a final shared glance, they stepped into the lifeboat, their hands entwined as they drifted away from the doomed ship, leaving behind the horror and the masks they wore for everyone else.

Together, they would face whatever came next—rivals in public, but something far deeper in the shadows where only they existed.

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Hehe🤭 I'm acc quite proud with this, no clue what possessed me into imagining it but yea🫠

I kinda wanna post smth else by the end of this week but I said the same thing last time and its been abt a year and a half since the last time I uploaded, sooo I'm not gonna promise anything🥲

Until next time🫶🏻