Ashes; part v
jongkey | cinderella!au | angst | pg | part v/?
a/n: short, but it had to be done. also, finals shouldn't exist why do teachers insist on hurting students this way? *cries*
Kibum was smiling as he rode Dilly home, completely dazed as he trusted her to take the right path back to the estate before nightfall. His horse slowed upon reaching the entrance to the main gates, skirting around the open iron gates, settling into a smooth walk all the way to the stable. She huffed when Kibum didn’t dismount immediately, effectively bringing him out of his daydream.
He put Dilly away and snuck through the servants’ entrance to the house, hoping that Lady Tremaine would buy that he was out in the back gardens or tending to the farm animals. He doubted she would, though, since she rarely believed him even if he was telling the truth. Actually, this would be his first lie to her. Granted, he’s barely grazing the truth, but he felt goosebumps rise at the thought of rebelling, even if it was something simple.
To his surprise, he managed to make it to his attic unscathed, smiling in victory and collapsing onto the loveseat.
Today was the best day I’ve had in a long time, he thought.
Picking up Jinki from his basket, Kibum set him down on his lap and slowly stroked the fur on his head. “Jinki, do you know who I met? Oh gosh, of course you don’t, but I’ll tell you,” he said, pausing to smile.
“You won’t believe this, but I think he likes me, just a little bit. Who could have ever thought that someone would like me? But Jinki, oh Jinki, he was attentive and talkative, you would’ve thought he actually cared about me!
“He was so kind to me when he helped me get to town after falling off of Dilly. I don’t understand why he didn’t simply go on his way when he saw her, but for whatever reason he stopped what he was doing and came to find me, and he sent others after Dilly!” Kibum sighed wistfully, his eyes glinting in the moonlight.
“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it, little Jinki? I thought I could only have you in this life, but now… now I think I can have more. I don’t deserve this kind of attention, but I do know that I can get it. Do you understand me, Jinki?”
The rabbit blinked; once, twice, thrice before finally closing his eyes and flopping onto his side. Kibum laughed whole-heartedly, “Talking to you is silly, isn’t it, Jinki?”
With that, he closed his mouth and lied back onto the old, dusty pillows. Instead of castles and joy and magic; he dreamed of a man named Jong, of contentment and of friendship.
Kibum awoke to a loud banging at his door, the wood threatening to splinter from the force of the ‘knocking’.
“Cinder! Wake up this instant!” His step-mother shrieked, her usually calm and composed threats flying out the window to make room for her rage. “Don’t think I didn’t see you last night! You tried to run away, didn’t you!? Well know this, one more mistake like that and my daughters and I will be eating rabbit stew, understood!?”
Kibum, shivering, stepped closer to the door so he could reply. “Yes, Lady Tremaine.”
“Louder!”
“Yes, Lady Tremaine! I apologize!”
With a sinister smile unseen by Kibum, the woman’s voice changed back to her usual demeanor. “Good. I expect breakfast on the dining table in an hour. Don’t be late, Cinder.”
Surprisingly, the boy did not cry. He stood by the door, unmoving and emotionless as for the first time in his life, he wanted to hurt someone else. Kibum felt guilty for thinking like this, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted his step-mother to fall down the stairs, to get trampled by a stage coach, to eat a poisoned apple -anything that would rid the world of her filth.
The birds began their loud chirping, tweeting to each other and beginning their morning songs and dance. Startled out of his thoughts, Kibum shook his head and walked away from the door. He sat by the window, and begged his parents for forgiveness, to his father for wishing ill-will against his second wife, and to his mother for breaking his promise.
He never felt so alone.
Once the boy left his attic to do as Lady Tremaine suggested, his rabbit noticed something quite peculiar. Kibum had left the door open, which he never does on purpose, in order to keep his lovely friend inside the room, hidden and safe.
Jinki shuffled across the floor, his nose twitching wildly as he considered the prospect of having this new freedom. Long ago he used to follow Kibum everywhere, but lately he felt caged in the tower and he needed a moment to breathe again.
Quickly, he hopped out the door. Quiet and swift, he went down the stairs, and to his surprise, the door at the bottom of the staircase was open as well.
Feeling lucky, Jinki peeked out the door and into the hallway. Seeing no living being nearby, he exited and hopped down the hall and towards the servant’s door.
Kibum had left that door open as well. Even though he has no idea how lucky he is to be free for a moment and receive the chance to run amongst the wildflowers with Kibum, Jinki went outside into the sunshine.
Before he could make it past the vegetable garden, however, two large hands wrapped around his middle and picked him up, squeezing only a bit too tight around his torso.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here? I think I have the perfect use for you.”
a/n: short, but it had to be done. also, finals shouldn't exist why do teachers insist on hurting students this way? *cries*
Kibum was smiling as he rode Dilly home, completely dazed as he trusted her to take the right path back to the estate before nightfall. His horse slowed upon reaching the entrance to the main gates, skirting around the open iron gates, settling into a smooth walk all the way to the stable. She huffed when Kibum didn’t dismount immediately, effectively bringing him out of his daydream.
He put Dilly away and snuck through the servants’ entrance to the house, hoping that Lady Tremaine would buy that he was out in the back gardens or tending to the farm animals. He doubted she would, though, since she rarely believed him even if he was telling the truth. Actually, this would be his first lie to her. Granted, he’s barely grazing the truth, but he felt goosebumps rise at the thought of rebelling, even if it was something simple.
To his surprise, he managed to make it to his attic unscathed, smiling in victory and collapsing onto the loveseat.
Today was the best day I’ve had in a long time, he thought.
Picking up Jinki from his basket, Kibum set him down on his lap and slowly stroked the fur on his head. “Jinki, do you know who I met? Oh gosh, of course you don’t, but I’ll tell you,” he said, pausing to smile.
“You won’t believe this, but I think he likes me, just a little bit. Who could have ever thought that someone would like me? But Jinki, oh Jinki, he was attentive and talkative, you would’ve thought he actually cared about me!
“He was so kind to me when he helped me get to town after falling off of Dilly. I don’t understand why he didn’t simply go on his way when he saw her, but for whatever reason he stopped what he was doing and came to find me, and he sent others after Dilly!” Kibum sighed wistfully, his eyes glinting in the moonlight.
“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it, little Jinki? I thought I could only have you in this life, but now… now I think I can have more. I don’t deserve this kind of attention, but I do know that I can get it. Do you understand me, Jinki?”
The rabbit blinked; once, twice, thrice before finally closing his eyes and flopping onto his side. Kibum laughed whole-heartedly, “Talking to you is silly, isn’t it, Jinki?”
With that, he closed his mouth and lied back onto the old, dusty pillows. Instead of castles and joy and magic; he dreamed of a man named Jong, of contentment and of friendship.
Kibum awoke to a loud banging at his door, the wood threatening to splinter from the force of the ‘knocking’.
“Cinder! Wake up this instant!” His step-mother shrieked, her usually calm and composed threats flying out the window to make room for her rage. “Don’t think I didn’t see you last night! You tried to run away, didn’t you!? Well know this, one more mistake like that and my daughters and I will be eating rabbit stew, understood!?”
Kibum, shivering, stepped closer to the door so he could reply. “Yes, Lady Tremaine.”
“Louder!”
“Yes, Lady Tremaine! I apologize!”
With a sinister smile unseen by Kibum, the woman’s voice changed back to her usual demeanor. “Good. I expect breakfast on the dining table in an hour. Don’t be late, Cinder.”
Surprisingly, the boy did not cry. He stood by the door, unmoving and emotionless as for the first time in his life, he wanted to hurt someone else. Kibum felt guilty for thinking like this, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted his step-mother to fall down the stairs, to get trampled by a stage coach, to eat a poisoned apple -anything that would rid the world of her filth.
The birds began their loud chirping, tweeting to each other and beginning their morning songs and dance. Startled out of his thoughts, Kibum shook his head and walked away from the door. He sat by the window, and begged his parents for forgiveness, to his father for wishing ill-will against his second wife, and to his mother for breaking his promise.
He never felt so alone.
Once the boy left his attic to do as Lady Tremaine suggested, his rabbit noticed something quite peculiar. Kibum had left the door open, which he never does on purpose, in order to keep his lovely friend inside the room, hidden and safe.
Jinki shuffled across the floor, his nose twitching wildly as he considered the prospect of having this new freedom. Long ago he used to follow Kibum everywhere, but lately he felt caged in the tower and he needed a moment to breathe again.
Quickly, he hopped out the door. Quiet and swift, he went down the stairs, and to his surprise, the door at the bottom of the staircase was open as well.
Feeling lucky, Jinki peeked out the door and into the hallway. Seeing no living being nearby, he exited and hopped down the hall and towards the servant’s door.
Kibum had left that door open as well. Even though he has no idea how lucky he is to be free for a moment and receive the chance to run amongst the wildflowers with Kibum, Jinki went outside into the sunshine.
Before he could make it past the vegetable garden, however, two large hands wrapped around his middle and picked him up, squeezing only a bit too tight around his torso.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here? I think I have the perfect use for you.”