By the time Ivy walked out the front door, her mind was already made up. She turned to Cilian who perked up from his spot. "How did it go?" He asked, standing up straight.
Ivy shrugged. "He doesn't remember anything."
Cilian pursed his lips while stroking his chin. "So what do we do now?"
Ivy spared the door a quick glance before grabbing Cilian's wrist and pulling him down the hall. "Hey, the hell are we going?" She ignored his question and led them to the stairwell. She peaked her head over the railings to make sure no bum was loitering around letting out a breath.
"Look, to be honest with you- I don't really care how we ended up here. All I know is that this is a second chance for us. And for me, a chance to fix my regrets."
Cilian's face contorted, his nose scrunched up and eyebrows furrowed together. Whether it was out of confusion or disgust was a mystery to Ivy.
"Just hear me out." She pointed to her chest with a huff. "My dream was to finish University before Yuri took my savings and used it for his gang. After that, I was stuck by his side. I don't know your situation but it must've been pretty dire if it led you to work for my brother."
Ivy sensed Cilian tense up. "Get to the point." He hissed through his teeth.
Ivy waved a hand. "Point is, what if You become the leader of the Black Fangs in this timeline."
She threw the words out there in a hushed whisper, and Cilian's eyebrows shot to his forehead. This was her grand plan. To get back at her brother while also securing her own future. Cilian's too, of course.
"Are you nuts? How the hell would that work!"
"Simple," Ivy folded her arms, "I know exactly how my brother rose to the top. He would never stop bragging about it to me. All we have to do is make you retrace those steps and bingo. You get to be a gang leader with all the money you could ever hope for and I get a cut that I'll use to secure my future." Ivy let out a breath after pitching her idea. Perhaps those pre-uni business courses she took back then paid off.
The art of negotiation.
She could see the wheels turning in Cilian's head. He wrestled with the idea for what felt like an hour.
"Well, aren't you the little fox." He hummed out loud, earning a slight glare from the girl. "Sure, whatever. So do you agree or not? Or else I'll find another way to do it." That's right, apply pressure so he won't think too hard.
"... If I'm gonna do this, I want more than that." He finally answered.
Ivy flinched. What more could a guy like him possibly want?
"What do you mean? Are you really gonna-"
"I want to destroy Yuri."
Ivy's words instantly caught in her throat. She stared into Cilian's eyes as they darked, becoming more hooded. "You're not the only one who has a bone to pick with him."
Ivy felt the urge to question just how deep the history between Cilian and Yuri went. All she really knew was that day her brother came home with him saying he had joined his ranks. The pair never really interacted much after that, just the occasional greetings and pleasantries. That also reminded her. Why had Cilian cried when she died? It gnawed at her, but she reluctantly tucked that question to the back of her mind. For now.
"If that's what you want, I won't stand in your way. Except killing him, obviously." Sure she hated Yuri right now, but not that much.
"Deal." Cilian outstretched a hand towards Ivy, hovering between their torsos.
Ivy looked at it. A smirk tugged at her lips.
"Deal."
She gently took his hand and clasped her fingers tightly around it. The palm of his hand was rough, but emitted a warmth that distracted from it. Being this close, Ivy could catch his scent more clearly. It was citrus-like with a hint of earthiness. Irish spring? Ivy stifled a chuckle from the thought.
"Alright," Cilian pulled away first and rolled back his shoulders. "Where do we start first, little fox?"
Ivy loudly huffed.
"The same way Yuri started. At our school."