Chapter Text
Panicked breaths tore through the soft patter of rain on the empty sidewalk.
A pair of bruised hands reached out to clasp the jagged brick wall as he swung his body around the corner and threw himself into the alleyway. The man hurriedly drove his body against the wall just inside its mouth, the rough surface of the wall dragging raised, white lines against his skin.
Lungs choked painfully with every sharp breath, eyes blinking against the bite of the chill air that had rushed past only seconds ago. He couldn’t afford to stop moving like this, he knew that.
A bead of warmth trailed down his temple and came to rest at the end of his chin. An unsteady hand shifted up to wipe it away, but the rosy colour of wine that streaked across his fingers stopped his heart. No…. not wine….
Blood.
The red dripped steadily down his arms, curling around his elbows and sinking into a puddle at his feet. His shirt was soaked in the colour, warm still and torn in places, blood staining the skin beneath like paint. A cruel reminder of what had happened only minutes ago, and what would happen still if they caught him.
The almost indiscernible clink of a can rolling along the side walk caught his attention instantly. They never made mistakes like that, this was intentional. He had to make a run for it.
Pushing off the brick wall, his feet trailed quickly to the opposite end of the alleyway, head pitched uncomfortably over his shoulder anticipating a distinct silhouette or two to darken the pool of blood he’d once cowered. His escape fell short however as his body collided with a tall, looming figure at the end of the street. Its body was hunched over at the shoulders, hands nestled casually in its pants pockets, and a thin streak of black hair curved under the right side of its jaw. The figure bared its pointed, white teeth in a grin, slanted eyes lidded in amusement. It grew to its full height as it pushed forward, its strong body forcing him backwards, deeper into the alley.
The man scrambled back, falling heavily onto the cobbled street below, feet tripping over one another as his brain screamed to run. He twisted over himself, legs finding purchase against the ground as he pushed off in a sprint the other direction. The radiance of the street at the other end however did not bless his eyes. A figure identical to the one behind him wound from behind the wall, blocking any light from seeping into the alley and casting an intimidating shadow across the man’s stricken face.
Understanding that his escape was impossible, he sunk to his knees, blood soaked hands dragged down his face, now accompanied by streams of salty tears. Sobs racked his body, lungs gasping on air and muttered pleas for mercy that grew in volume as the pair moved closer.
Soft giggling floated down from the figure in front of him, accompanied by an unhinged cackling crouched behind him that was so close he could feel its hot breath wash over the raised hairs along his neck.
Somehow he knew it would end like this, after all, blood in the water is akin to ringing the dinner bell.
‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. ‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. ‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.
A short, rhythmic knock at the door pulled Riddle from his reverie.
He gently placed the watering-can down next to the roses blooming on his windowsill before wiping his hands along the soft cloth of his red apron. Sunlight streamed passed the red curtains tied at each side and through the open window, inviting a cool morning breeze that rustled the red petals and bringing with it the sounds of the waking city.
Riddle made his way towards the front door, taking a quick glance in the mirror hanging by it. Reflected in it was himself hugged by a cropped, cream-coloured cardigan, buttoned loosely underneath the scarlet apron tied around his waist. His eyebrows drew down slightly as he tugged his fingers through the messy red hair that framed his face, combing the tangled strands into something a little tamer.
Riddle brought his hands behind himself to untie the apron as another knock, longer this time, hurried him along.
“Just a second!” He called, successfully untying the apron and hanging it from the hook by the mirror. He strode over to the door, swiftly unlocking it.
His face broke into an easy grin at the two men standing behind it, his best and longest friends Trey Clover and Chenya.
“Hey Riddle,” Trey smiled back, “Hiya Riddle!” Chenya parroted, crossing his arms behind his head casually.
“Hello you two, please come in” Riddle swayed backward, opening the door wider to let the pair in. Trey entered first, carrying a white, plastic bag that smelled suspiciously sweet. The thought of indulging in some homemade desserts from his friends’ patisserie warmed his heart. Chenya followed closely behind, dropping his arms and sauntering in, head tilted as he took in the decorum of Riddles’ entryway.
Riddle lived in a burgundy two-story townhouse, adorned with a cozy bay window by the front door and a small balcony overlooking the fenced backyard. He had decorated every inch of his home with bright red roses and mementos from his childhood, taking care to maintain the order and organisation he had prioritised so strongly when he was young. It was perfectly him.
His favourite part of the home however was not hidden within its walls, but rather flourished in his backyard. Red and white roses blossomed from every vine that climbed the houses’ structure, wrapped enchantingly around the white arbours and metal arches that coiled around the garden, leading up to a small patio with an outdoor aluminium bistro. Red and white enveloped the whole garden, partially obscuring a timber porch swing sat in a far corner. The setting was used primarily for tea time and whenever he invited guests over, which was exactly what Riddle had planned for this day.
“It is good to see you both again, I trust you have been well?” Riddle chimed as he closed the door and made his way toward the kitchen.
“The bakery is as busy as ever,” Trey replied modestly, “we recently hired some casuals to help with the service, and they certainly shine in the kitchen but they haven’t quite grasped the reigns of customer service yet.” He chuckled, shaking his head softly.
“Not everyone is as charming as you inside and out of the kitchen Trey,” Riddle prodded playfully.
Trey only smiled in response, following Riddle into the kitchen and placing the bag he was carrying onto the polished countertop.
Chenya snuck up behind the two, eyeing the bag as he answered, “Nothing much has changed for me Riddle. Same old, same old. But I did manage to pull a nya-sty prank on Trey here a little while ago mwhehe”.
“Really? I thought Trey was too vigilant to fall for your pranks Chenya?” Riddle blinked in surprise, turning to look at the two of them.
“I pounced when he was most vulnerable. He never even saw it coming!”
“How could I? I didn’t have my glasses!” Trey countered.
Riddle giggled at their easy banter, listening to their back and forth as it reminded him of his home in the Queendom of Roses. A place he was too afraid to step foot in since the last time he saw his mother.
“How are things with Cater, Trey? Last you told me you were considering moving in with him?” Riddle interjected their teasing, curious about how his friends’ romantic relationship was fairing since their last visit.
“Ah…” Trey and Chenya shared an indiscernible look as an uncomfortable silence blanketed the kitchen.
“Perhaps we should talk about it in the garden? I have missed seeing the roses so in bloom since our last visit in winter…” Trey trailed off, spinning around to collect the teacups from one of the top cupboards. Chenya slowly faded into nothing, giving riddle a small wince as his head joined the rest of his body in invisibility. Moments later the glass door leading to the backyard drifted open slowly.
Riddle frowned as he watched the door, eyes shifting back to Trey as he moved through kitchen. His skillful hands prepared the tea, pouring it effortlessly into the teacups laid on the silver tray Riddle had procured from one of the cabinets.
The pair walked out into the garden, gently carrying the tray of tea and a second, smaller tray with the treats Trey had brought set on top. One of the chairs seated at the bistro was positioned further away from the table, indicating that Chenya was in fact present and listening.
The two set the trays on the table and took their respective seats, taking in the beautiful atmosphere the garden always provided in the warmer months.
“We aren’t seeing each other anymore…” Trey spoke softly, gaze held firmly on the splendor of the roses.
“Oh, Trey…” Riddle whispered, hand reaching over to rest sympathetically on his forearm, “Are you alright?”
Trey sighed, refusing to look anywhere but at the burning red of the garden, “I think so… it’s been a while since it happened. We just weren’t clicking like we used to and I… we both knew it wasn’t something we could simply overlook”.
“I’m so sorry Trey, I am sure someone new will come around eventually. Just stay positive alright?” Riddle attempted to reassure him, but his lack of experience in the subject caused some difficulty.
“I've been through worse Riddle, please don’t worry too much.” Trey looked down at Riddle, his lips lifting into a slight smile. Chenya took this as his cue to fade back into corporeality, his mouth turning up into a grin.
“What about you Rosehearts? Any knights in shining ar-meow wander into your rose garden yet?” Chenya snickered, dragging the attention off of Trey and throwing Riddle into the deep end as he flushed a deep red.
“T-there has been nothing of the sort, you know how high my standards are Chenya. I am focused solely on my work,” Riddle stuttered, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his head away from the pair, hoping to draw golden eyes away from his rosy face.
“Awh, but you got the perfect set-up for a true love’s kiss right here in your own backyard! Maybe all you really need is a couple of dwarves to-““STOP RIGHT THERE!” Riddle commanded, throwing his hands out in front of him to indicate an end to this flippant topic.
Trey reached for his teacup through the bickering, smiling into it before taking a sip.
“How has the shop been Riddle? You said something about setting up a….” Their conversation continued pleasantly, bringing the warmth of nostalgia Riddle had craved since his departure from his home country.
He had missed his friends.
‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. ‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. ‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.
As the sky began to fade into warm pinks and oranges and a cold wind settled through the leaves, the trio gathered all of the crockery to bring inside. Spending a little extra time together as they washed the dishes, the last rays of sunlight slipping below the horizon signified the end of the day.
Riddle embraced his two best friends, overflowing with love and happiness, he was smiling all throughout their goodbyes.
He threw them one last wave as the pair stepped into the magic mirror they had used to travel.
With a sigh, Riddle turned back into the house. With nothing left to do for the rest of the evening, Riddle decided he would do some reading before drifting to sleep.
His footsteps padded quietly across the wooden floorboards, turning off all of the lights before pausing in front of the television as it played the local news channel.
“-reports say the man was part of the well-known cartel before it was brutally taken down during the night. The gruesome nature of the crime suggests a rival gang may have been involved in these killings, however evidence to support these claims remains undiscovered. We encourage viewers to keep their doors locked and to not approach any strangers, especially late at night. If anyone has any information regarding the victims or have noticed any suspicious behaviour, please call our hotline-“
Riddle frowned at the news, a slight chill running down his spine as he reached for the remote.
The house was plunged into darkness as Riddle walked upstairs, his thoughts swirling on the news report.