Sorry

sorry

Yandere!AU!Bro Strider x Reader

Diederik was a strange man, though you couldn't really be sure if he was stranger before or after you had broken that creepy little doll.

It wasn't like it was on purpose, of course - the Strider household was filled with all sorts of puppets and dolls, among… Other things. An accident was bound to happen at some point.

Lil Cal, as Dierderik had referred to the doll as, was surprisingly fragile, your foot caving into his skull in a single misstep, far too quick for you to stop yourself.

You recalled the raspy ringing in your ears (almost like screams) and the lights flickering after you had broken the puppet. When you removed the offending appendage from the hole in "Cal's" face, you could have sworn that it's big, blue eyes dimmed, as though the life had drained from it's eyes.

"Oops..." You had said on instinct, stomach sinking at your mistake, face heating up with embarrassment and worry.

"Oh shit," Dave cursed from beside you, his body going tense. The boy began pacing, pulling at his hair.

Dave was a good kid. You were assigned to a sort of big sibling to him in the program you were in. Apparently, the kid needed a better role model in his life than the brother he already had. Dave acted aloof and stoic, too cool for school and everything else, too. You could tell that it was all an act, and that somewhere, deep inside, there was an anxious kid using it as a front so as to not confront his problems, or maybe to protect himself.

"I can just- I, I'll tell him that I broke it, that it was me-" Dave babbled, pacing furiously around the room.

You made to tell him to calm down - it was fine, it was your mistake, you'd take responsibility - but was cut off by a scream coming from the other room.

You and Dave rushed in to find Dave's older brother, "Bro," holding his head in both hands as he writhed and screamed in pain on the floor.

It had taken a good few minutes for you to calm the man down, to help soothe whatever had ailed him. Dave had stood in the doorway the whole time, simply watching.

When "Bro" had come to, he was a completely different man the one you had first met. Bro Strider was stoic and quick to the point, speaking in slow, drawled out sentences. He gave off an aura of… Something unknown, an enigma wrapped in a mystery. He didn't talk much - simple sentences and simple answers. Head nods and grunts of agreement. He carried a feeling of tension that made goosebumps pop up on your skin.

Diederik... Not so much.

Diederik was his real name, he had told you. His voice was barely above a whisper, as though he was afraid of getting caught, like he was doing something wrong. He had taken off his ridiculous sunglasses, revealing a pair of dark orange eyes. They darted about wildly, never quite staying in one place.

He hadn't been himself in a long, long time - at least, that's what he had said.

"It was Cal," he had told you, voice hushed and shaky. "It was always Cal. And- and when I figured it out, it was too late. It was too late. I… I was just a kid, I've never even lived my own life, I, I don't even remember… I didn't mean to… Dave, I-"

You had almost forgotten Dave was there. Just as you turned about to look at the younger boy, he vanished from the doorway. You were stuck, alone with Diederik Strider as you helped him through a panic attack, first of many.

---

You stay the night at their apartment, trying to tell yourself that it's for Dave's sake. You didn't want him to be left alone overnight with his brother in such a state.

Diederik is calmer the next morning, sitting you down to explain everything better. Like you, he hadn't gotten any sleep - with how jittery he was, you'd guess he'd crossed the line between tired to hyper. His knees bounce and his eyes dart around, his arms hugging his chest, trying to keep from shaking.

"I- I always had Lil Cal, even when I was a baby," He explained. "I… I was so stupid. I didn't even realize he was messing with my head 'til I was Dave's age.

It… It was terrifying. I would black out and wake up in different places. I didn't know what was going on. Nothing felt… Real anymore. And eventually, at some point, I just… Stopped waking up. There were flashes of things I remember, mostly of Dave. It was like… Dreaming. None of it felt real. But it is."

You gulped, leaning forward to rest a hand on the man's knee - only to retract it when he practically jumped out of his skin at the touch.

"That sounds really scary…" You speak slowly, choosing your words carefully. "Maybe it's something you could bring up to a doctor?"

Diederik's body is visibly wracked by nervous shakes. "I know you don't believe me, I get it. But, it's true. Do… Do you know what it's like to be a prisoner in your own body? I… It's like, it's like I'm not even a real person. I never got to BE a person. I feel like I have no identity. I don't even remember half of my life, I never got to choose, I-... I was just… Just a puppet. I was no one.

...Un- until you…" He finished, so quietly you weren't sure he actually said it.

Your eyes roam over his face, and it's only then that you notice that those honey eyes aren't frantically darting about anymore. No, they were completely locked… On you. Panic stirred in your stomach. You didn't like the way his eyes shined as he looked at you, swirling with something better off left unknown or unsaid.

You attempt to to rise to your feet, already thinking of an excuse to finally leave - when a hand grasps your wrist. It's gentle, but you can almost feel the unused strength in Diederik's strength.

With his free hand, the man slowly took off his hat. He had a serious case of hat hair, and it was a lot wavy than you had expected.

"Please stay," The man croaked. "You and Dave are all I have. He likes you, and from what I remember, he has every right to hate me. He needs you."

You tried to wrench your hand away, but to no avail - his grasp on you is akin to silk rope bound to your hands, soft and gentle but tight like iron.

This can't be happening.

"Please let me go." You squeaked out, feeling your stomach drop.

"I'm sorry," He said, eyes swirling with sadness and regret. "I… I need you. You saved me. I need you. I have to have you, please."

The man rose to his feet, pulling you into a hug. You squirmed and tried to fight him off, but his muscles alone were a clear indicator that he was far stronger than you.

"I can make this work," Diederik whispered. "I… I love you. And we can take care of Dave, together. And I can learn to be a person. You'll see. We'll be so happy… Finally happy…"

You weren't sure if he was talking to you or himself.

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