НÐ€ÐƑ Н‹Ðˆð€Ð‘ †’ Alphas X M! Reader 03. | feel it still

CHAPTER THREE;
goodbye to my hopes and dreams

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

In just three ridiculously short days—you got slammed by Jude’s car, woke up in the hospital the next day, got jumpscared by Louis and now, you’re still stuck under hospital care—you’re already on the verge of tears in this strange new world.

But those tears aren’t from despair, thankfully… or at least that’s what you keep telling yourself. They’re just the default response to this increasingly absurd situation.

You’re utterly at a loss on how to react to the surreal scene unfolding in front of you.

“Goddammit! Can this fucker just shut up?!”

For the past half-hour, Louis has been futilely swinging his fists at Jude, who seems completely oblivious to his ghostly attacks. It’s honestly starting to get real embarrassing to watch, like watching a drenched Pomeranian barking at the rain.

Speaking of Jude, he hasn’t stopped talking for what feels like eons.

“—shouldn’t discount the potential for delayed symptomatology post-incident. Even though you’re feeling okay now, it’s crucial to be vigilant for prodromal indicators of discomfort in the ensuing days. Your body needs time to heal properly, so take it easy and don’t overexert yourself. Optimal convalescence necessitates judicious moderation in physical exertion to facilitate proper tissue repair processes. We’ll schedule a follow-up appointment to ensure everything is progressing as—”

Yeah, seems like your brain is still on vacation.

You don’t have a clue what he’s talking about. Hopefully, your mouth isn’t gaping like an idiot right now. You’ve got an image to maintain after all, especially in front of the very handsome and charming doctor.

In your attempt to remain cool, you quietly nod along to his monologue with a tight-lipped smile.

As Jude continues his unique commentary on your health, much to Louis’s absolute annoyance and dismay, your gaze unintentionally shifts downward to Jude’s lips.

Wow, Jude’s lips are seriously well-moisturized. Impressive. You’ll definitely have to ask Jude about his chapstick game later.

“Dude,” Louis suddenly interjects, catching your attention momentarily before you immediately return your focus back to Jude’s lips.

“Dude,” he repeats, “Stop looking at his lips and get him to shut the fuck up!”

You brush him off, opting to continue and listen to Jude’s velvety voice. Louis lets out an audible groan in response, crossing his arms with a scowl.

What is he, a kid?

[ LOUIS ]

get Jude to stfu
right now
he’s annoying me real BAD
i don’t think he’s even speaking
in the same fucking language
stop ignoring me
dumbass
idiot
bufoon

[ NAME ]

…
maybe you’re just annoyed by how charming he is
which you aren’t
besides he’s my doctor
listening to his words
is very
important

[ LOUIS ]

no way you actually understood all that
just hurry and shut him up you moron

[ NAME ]

oh yeah?
how
give me an idea genius

[ LOUIS ]

with a
_ _ _ _
there i don’t need to
spell it out right?

[ NAME ]

…
with
a kiss???
okay then

[ LOUIS ]

A FIST YOU MORON
WITH A FIST!!!
UGHHHH
DONT U DARE KISS HIM IN FRONT OF ME

[ NAME ]

why??
u jelly???
:3

[ LOUIS ]

i’ll BARF

[ NAME ]

…
can a ghost even barf?
pfft

[ SYSTEM ]

I’m glad you two are getting along well
( ⸝⸝’ê’³’⸝⸝)

[ NAME ]

hell no.

[ LOUIS ]

FUCK NO

A hand waves itself in front of you. Jude’s concerned face comes into focus. “[Name]? Are you listening?” he asks, his voice tinged with something akin to worry.

“Nope,” you blurt out like an idiot.

Jude blinks owlishly in reply, the worry melting away from his expression.

“Ah, is that so? Well,” he begins, a hint of amusement creeping into his tone, “that’s alright. But do be sure to tell me if anything is wrong. I’m always willing to listen to you. You’re my patient, after all.”

You nod again, before something inside of you pauses for a moment.

Jude looks every bit like the novel described him to be, from the contours of his cheeks, to the silky dark curls on his head, but there’s something… off about him.

You understand that Jude must have felt guilty about the car crash he accidentally caused, but would he really go to such lengths to show concern for Louis—someone you’re supposed to be right now?

Sure, the Jude you know from the novel would probably feel a twinge of guilt, but he would’ve definitely delegated the task of taking care of Louis to someone else, which is not at all what he’s doing right now.

Nah, maybe you’re just overthinking it.

“Nope. No questions from me,” you confidently answer as you feel the weight of Louis’s gaze from the side.

Jude smiles before leaning his face to yours. “I see. That’s good to hear.”

You nod eagerly, momentarily blinded by Jude’s handsomeness. But then, he continues—

“I need you to open your mouth now.”

You stare, dumbfounded. Did— Did you hear that right?

“…What?”

“WHAT?!” Louis screeches like a hyena from the sidelines.

“I said: I need you to open your mouth.” Jude peers at you curiously, a slight quirk at the corner of his mouth. “Ah, I forgot you weren’t paying attention. It’s just a final checkup. It’ll only take a minute, [Name]. Don’t worry.”

Oh. Uh, huh. Okay. That sounds totally convincing. You definitely believe him.

You remain very, very still as Jude’s hand ever so slowly rests against your jaw, catching a whiff of sweet caramel as his face inches closer to yours. From his other hand, Jude produces a tongue depressor seemingly out of nowhere.

You gulp.

“Oh, hell no. Fuck this,” Louis bemoans before backing away, as if he might catch a case of whatever disease is spreading between you two. In response, you shoot Louis a quick glare that you hope conveys your true message of ‘please shut up right now, or I’ll throw you off the building again, Louis.’

“[Name]. What’s wrong?” Jude asks, his breath tantalizingly close to the tip of your nose, and wow, do doctors always get this up close and personal with their patients?

“Ah, sorry. I thought I saw an insect flying around the room,” you answer, hearing a grumble of curses directed at you immediately after from the ghost at the corner of the room.

“I see. Well, I’ll tell the nurses to take care of that later. Now, please say ‘ahh.'”

You hum in reply before doing exactly as he says, unclasping your mouth to let the tongue depressor settle on your tongue, pressing it down, holding it in place.

You close your eyes, letting Jude proceed with his examination of—your gums, your throat? Yeah, that’s probably it.

And in the silence, your mind wanders. Why is Jude checking your mouth again? Shouldn’t he be focusing on your bones instead, considering you were in a car crash? Hmm, maybe he already did that when you were still unconscious the day before.

“Stay very still, [Name],” Jude instructs as he presses on your chin with his thumb, urging your mouth to stretch wider, and pushes the tongue depressor further back.

Oh, that feels odd. Not painful, just odd.

As your body instinctively tries to recoil from it, your gag reflex triggered, Jude swiftly moves his hand to firmly grip the back of your head, making it impossible for you to move away. “Still,” he whispers reassuringly.

Pinpricks of tears well up at the corners of your eyes, prompting you to finally open them and see what the hell is going on.

The color of molten amber envelops your vision.

Jude tilts his head slightly, silently observing your expression, and for just a second, you see his eyes narrowing at your open mouth, a strange, intense expression flickering across his face like he wants to— and then it’s gone, like a trick of the light.

Jude smiles brightly at you, finally withdrawing the tongue depressor as you catch your breath. “There, done. That was quick, right? Thankfully nothing appears to be wrong. I’ll go and get you some water now. You did well, [Name].”

“You…”

“Yes?”

“…No, nevermind. Thanks, doc,” you say instead of ‘just what are we.’

When Jude finally leaves you with the water he promised, you find yourself not drinking it at all. Your mind is vacant, so you contemplate the water’s existence as if it’s the latest piece of abstract art instead.

“I’m going to ignore what just happened… for both our sakes,” Louis says, his not-so-violent tone almost making you jump in surprise. In the extremely short time you’ve known him, you’ve grown far too accustomed to Louis’s loud and booming voice.

You sigh wistfully. “Nothing happened.”

“He just shoved a stick down your throat.”

“Yeah,” you sigh again before finally taking a sip of the cold water. It’s refreshing, but your mind remains blank, running at 99% capacity but completely failing to process anything.

“Stop sighing, you idiot. I’ll help you get back at him after you explain to me what you know about all this,” Louis continues, gesturing at his ghostly form.

Get back at him? Who? Jude?

You pause, a brow raised. “…What?”

Louis strolls over to you, his chin held high like he’s auditioning for a giraffe impersonation. “That weird maniac. Who does he think he is, pulling off a move like that? Intimidating another alpha with such a cheap trick. Ha!”

“Huh?” you gasp aloud, eyes widening. “He was… intimidating me?”

Louis nods at you with a smug grin, confident of his answer. “It was obvious, dude. Why else would he do that, you know?”

Well, since you are replacing Louis’s role, his words are slowly beginning to ring true in your head. Maybe, just maybe, there’s some truth to what he’s saying? Jude was indeed… intimidating you? Yeah, that definitely sounds plausible to you.

You take a deep breath, sinking into the comfort of the bed as you stare at the white-haired man. “Okay, Louis. You said you wanted answers, didn’t you? Let’s talk then.”

Louis frowns disapprovingly at your ready-to-sleep figure in this early afternoon. “Come on, at least sit up when you’re talking, you moron.”

You sigh and shrug. “But… I’m too lazy.”

“…”

A sharp ping interrupts the silence, and you slowly sit up, just a little, as you glance over the message.

[ SYSTEM ]

Since we’re starting to
discuss things with Louis now
I think this might be the best time
for me to remind you not to act
too OOC, [Name]
( ｡ •̀ ᵕ •́ ｡)

[ NAME ]

what??
couldn’t you have said
that EARLIER???
how ooc was i anyway

[ SYSTEM ]

Umm, would you be angry
if I say… very
(⚆ᗝ⚆)

[ NAME ]

…
system
you’re lucky i can’t beat you up

[ SYSTEM ]

[Name]!!
That’s it!
You’re starting to sound like Louis <3

[ NAME ]

…

[ LOUIS ]

yo guys

[ NAME ]

what is it

[ LOUIS ]

whats OOC?

[ NAME ]

damn we need
to catch you up with
a lotta things huh?

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Turns out, being stuck inside a hospital with barely any entertainment—technically there is a TV in your room, but flipping through the channels only reveals a catalog of romance dramas, which you won’t be watching with Louis around—is mind-numbingly dull.

So, in a valiant effort to banish the boredom, you opt for a leisurely trip through the hospital’s park, located in the open area of the building’s fifth floor.

Speaking of buildings, your hospital room is perched on the 31st floor, which, really, prompts you to ask—

“What was it like, falling from that many floors, Louis?”

“Like shit,” he replies simply, his hands tucked snugly into his pockets.

“Pfft.”

“Fucking giggle one more time and I’ll give you a firsthand taste of what it’s like to plummet that many floors, you absolute piece of—”

Before he can finish his threat, a raucous burst of laughter escapes your lips.

“Uh, huh. Sure. When you can touch me maybe,” you quip back, a smirk tugging at your lips. Who cares if you’re being a bit mean? You will show no mercy to the guy who tried to beat up your innocent self in a bathroom of all places.

…Or at least, that’s what you tell yourself until Louis unexpectedly crouches down in the middle of the park, wallowing in his current existence.

“Dammit, why did it have to be me who got replaced?” Louis sobs, voice cracking, “Why wasn’t it those two morons instead?! Fuck! I’m ten times the alpha they’ll ever be!”

You rub the back of your head, a twinge of guilt creeping into your conscience as you gaze down at Louis. Just a little twinge.

With no one else around in the park, you crouch down beside him. “Umm, there, there,” you murmur, attempting to pat him on the shoulder.

Of course, your hand finds only empty air, prompting an awkward readjustment as you settle for awkwardly patting the space just above his shoulder. God, you silently pray, let no one bear witness to this embarrassing display of empathy.

Noticing your unique attempt of comfort, instead of a ‘thank you’, Louis gives you a scowl so potent it could make milk sour. Geez. Thanks a lot, Louis.

Deciding to distance yourself from the dramatic ghostman, you plop down onto the nearest bench, resting your chin on your hand with a heavy sigh.

“You know,” you muse aloud, “now that you mention it, I can’t help but wonder what it would’ve been like if I’d transmigrated as one of the others instead. Like Jude, for example—”

“—You’d make an awful and shitty doctor, [Name]. Don’t even think about it. Someone would’ve died under your care.”

“…Oi. I’m just trying to cheer you up here, you know?”

“You’re shitty at that too.”

You click your tongue in annoyance, crossing your arms with a huff. “Fine then, I’ll just shut up,” you mutter, before silence soon descends the park.

You find yourself gazing up at the sky, and in your boredom, start counting the fluffy sheep-shaped clouds that drift lazily by.

Before you realize how much time has passed, Louis plops himself right next to you. You’re surprised he doesn’t phase through the chair, and you suppress a chuckle at the mental image.

“Look, the system promised it can help you out once we meet Neil, alright? So after I get out of here, we’ll go and look for him. When was the last time you saw him anyway?”

Louis turns to meet your gaze, the intensity of his stare catching you off guard. “Like a week ago. He’s probably hanging around that pompous asshole again. Ugh.”

“Oh, you mean Enver?”

“Even his name sounds pompous,” Louis groans, “Who in the world names their kid Enver these days?”

You reluctantly nod in agreement,, even though you think Enver is a way better name than Louis. “Sure, yeah. You’ve got a point. We can always blame the author for that one too. After all, they’re the mastermind behind the name choice.”

Louis’s lips contort into another scowl. Ah, here we go again.

“‘Boyfriends from the Trash Bin.’ How dare they imply that I’m some sort of trash?!” he erupts, teeth clenched and eyes ablaze with fury.

It still reminds you of a—

“…Pomeranian.”

“What? Where?” Louis’s head jerks around, searching for the nonexistent creature.

“Sorry, false alarm. Must’ve been a figment of my imagination. Anyway, ease up, will you? I’m not the author, you know? If I remember right, the author called themselves Dilive… actually maybe it was Delvis.”

Yeah, that sounds about right.

Somewhere in the vast expanse of the universe, someone screams at their creation for not getting their creator’s name right.

Louis groans, his head shaking in disappointment. “No wonder they picked crappy names. They can’t even name themselves properly.”

“Wow, you’re just going to insult everyone,” you observe dryly.

Louis shoots you a deadpan look before a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth betrays a hint of amusement. “Can’t help it when there’s so many idiots around.”

“Like you, Louis,” you say, unable to resist the opportunity.

“You—!” In a sudden burst of resolve, Louis springs to his feet. From your angle, you can’t see his expression, but the determination in his voice is obvious. “Once I’m back in my own body, you better watch out, [Name].”

You fix him with a stare, remaining silent.

“I’m going to land you back in the hospital, you asshole,” Louis threatens, completely serious.

“Oh yeah?” You smirk, rising to your feet and stepping closer to him, mirroring his expression. “I could say the same to you.”

Louis seethes, and in the heat of the moment, somehow, you lurch forward and—

—land right on the ground, having tripped over absolutely nothing. Congratulations, [Name], you’ve just demonstrated the fine art of tripping on air.

You swivel your head around to find Louis frozen mid-motion, his hand still caught in a failed attempt to catch you. Noticing your fallen state, his expression changes to an unimpressed stare.

“Maybe I don’t need to do anything at all. You’re going to land yourself a trip to the hospital without me anyway,” Louis smugly says, mood fully restored.

“Shut up.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

!! author’s note !!

if this fic ever suddenly gets a Mature rating, i’m blaming it all on louis’s bad stinky language. i’m already holding back on his cussing y’all. he can’t go by without saying fuck in my head bruh help. one day, i should try writing this drunk to see how much chaos i can make lmfao

almost forgot holy but thank u so much everyone for all the support and comments <33 really really happy that so many people are enjoying this story mwah mwah. kisses for all of you !!