[part 3.]
Artful’s eyes widened at the use of his real name. He had really only told two people what his birth name was. Sherman and his number one fan had been the only people with that knowledge. Gripping the velvet tablecloth, he felt a shiver go up his spine. So many conflicting feelings overloaded his head.
“Sherman-”
“Jean, we need to talk.”
The music was heavily muffled as they sat at the small desk in Artful’s room. Music sheets, quills with dried ink, and different magic shenanigans created a neat mess on the desk. Sherman sat down on one of the stools after asking for permission as Artful sat his hat on the coat rack.
The illusionist felt the room grow stuffy as the two sat in silence as Artful tried to come up with words. There had been so much that he wanted to say “If it's a lecture about what happened believe me, I’m still suffering from what happened.” Sherman’s hands clasped together before bowing their head, listening was his top priority. For so many years he wondered about Artful, he wondered if it was because Sherman wasn’t good enough or if it was a twisted misunderstanding.
I know what happened was all my fault and that I am an awful person. I know that you think I deserve to rot in Hell, everyone else does too! Je me déteste!” Artful planted his head in his hands as he began to cry. Tangling his fingers in his hair, he pulled tightly as his emotions began to spill further. Artful had never discussed his feelings with anyone, not even the other killers. For someone who had hidden from the public and his crimes for so long, opening up was like trying to explain a fake magic trick without breaking a child’s heart.
Sherman waited for an opening before scooting the stool forward. Putting a gentle hand onto the magician’s shoulders, he took a deep breath. “Jean, you are not like them.”
Lifting his head up, the illusionist tilted his head and scoffed out of bewilderment at the statement. “Like whom?” The gesture made Sherman’s nose wrinkle out of irritation. “I'm not like you Sherman! I'm not like anyone else and you need to realize that!”
Sherman composed their emotions before his hand gently rubbed circles into the magician’s shoulder, “You are not an evil person.” Leaning forward, the banana butler laid his cheek on the back of Artful’s head.
“Arrêtez ces bêtises, you saw what happened! How could you even suggest that I am a good person when I killed them all with my own creations!? The thing I wanted people to love ended up scaring and ruining them!”
Sherman sat up straight again before lifting Artful’s head to look back up at them. Looking at his messed up makeup, Sherman’s thumb glided a tear away before planting a gentle kiss onto Artful’s cheek. “You are not violent like Pursuer. Nor are you as careless and cursed with an irritating ego like Devesto.”
Artful looked down before sniffling, "Ce sont toutes des mensonges, you are just saying this to make me feel better."
The butler sighed as they wrapped their arms around the magician and pulled Jean into a loving embrace, “You are not a mindless and emotionless machine, Jean. You are human with real feelings and thoughts of guilt and accountability. You’re a better person than most because you acknowledge your faults. I wouldn't say this if I didn't mean it, you of all people should know that, Jean.”
“I couldn’t ask for a better angel on my tree. Still the person I fell in love with,” Artful kissed Sherman before pulling away to stare in amazement with tears in his eyes.
“Forever till the end, no more running, Mon rayon de soleil.” Sherman cradled Jean’s face before pulling him back into a warm embrace of their lips gently colliding.