Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Milo was exhausted.

It wasn’t that the pack meeting had so completely encompassed his attention that now his brain was too worn out to handle much more than taking these damn jeans off. Quite the opposite, actually. It seemed like every word out of David’s mouth was actively siphoning out his very life force through his ears with a straw.

In the nicest way, of course. He loved David. But man , that guy could talk about absolutely nothing for a very, very, very long time. And that he did. Milo just wanted to be done with the day. Maybe cuddle up with his mate and his cat and order take-out. He was a simple man with simple needs, afterall.

But neither of his potential cuddle partners greeted him as he entered the apartment. He hung his keys on their hook and paused to listen for a moment. Silence.

“Sweetheart?” He called. “Aggro?” When he got no response, he toed off his boots and made his way through the apartment, towards the bedroom. “Where are they…” He mumbled. Aggro came trotting out of the hallway with a raspy chirp. So, he had been napping. Milo bent down and gave him a head rub. “Hey, bud. Where’s our favorite cuddle buddy?” He chirped again, rubbing against Milo’s feet. Milo sighed. “Fine, I’ll find them myself.” But as he rounded the corner, his stomach dropped.

There, in the doorway of the bedroom, was Sweetheart.

Lying on their stomach.

Unconscious.

It only took Milo another moment to realize that they were not, in fact, deceased, but rather just having a nap in a very strange place. They had their arms folded under their cheek and had a soft smile on their face.

Milo mimicked the expression, heart so full it was about to burst. He made his way over to them, kneeling in the doorway and placing a gentle hand between their shoulder blades. “Sweetheart…” They took a breath in through their nose and blinked up at him. Both of their smiles widened. “Hey, there. Whatcha… Whatcha doin’ on the floor?”

“Did I fall asleep…?” Their voice was groggy, raspy like Aggro’s chirps.

“Seems like it, yeah. How’d that happen?”

They hummed, pushing themself onto their knees. “Ask Aggro.”

The cat in question bolted as Milo turned to look at him at the entrance of the hallway. “He seemed awfully guilty. What are his crimes?”

Sweetheart stretched, cracking more joints than Milo thought possible. “He wouldn’t nap with me.”

“On… the floor?” Milo spoke cautiously. He didn’t want to offend his mate by suggesting that their new napping spot was not ideal. Or normal. Or at all comforting to find when coming home from a long afternoon of David’s ominous adult shit.

Thankfully, they laughed and swatted at his arm. “No, stupid. On the bed. I was trying to lure him into the bedroom by getting down to his level and blowing kisses at him. I guess my nap had other plans. Snuck up on me.”

“Do you still wanna nap? I could be persuaded to have a bit of a lie down.”

Sweetheart smiled and stood, holding out their hand for Milo, who graciously took it and got to his feet. “I’m not super tired anymore. But I am hungry and in need of a cuddle that I didn’t get.” They raised their voice and directed their last few words over Milo’s shoulder.

He smiled, watching them fondly before wrapping them up in a big hug. “Alright, to the bed!” They shrieked out a laugh as he carried them into the room and practically leapt onto the bed. The two of them landed side-by-side but quickly settled with Sweetheart cuddled up under Milo’s arm. Just the way they liked it. He pulled out his phone. “What are you feeling for food? I’ll get you anything you desire for dealing with the criminal today.”

As if on cue, Aggro sauntered into the room, yowling, and hopped up onto the bed.

“Oh, now you wanna cuddle?” Sweetheart spat with a laugh. “Now that your dad is here, suddenly the bed is the hot spot in town.” Aggro purred, settling between the two without a care for their words. They groaned, and Milo stifled his laughter. “Can it, wolfy.” They paused, pouting (not that they’d ever admit that it was pouting). “I want pizza.”

Milo kissed their temple. “Then pizza you shall have.”

Chapter Text

Lasko was not known for starting or participating in physical fights.

He knew, deep in his heart, that he would never win, no matter who he fought with.

So, how he got into a pillow fight with Gavin was entirely unbeknownst to him.

“You swing like a baby.” Gavin mocked, a smirk plastered on his face. He didn’t look the slightest bit winded. Lasko, on the other hand…

“I… do not… swing… like… fuckin’ hell…”

“You alright, Lasky? Need a break?”

Lasko was also not known for giving himself breaks, even if they were needed. He just prayed that Gavin didn’t recognize the difference between the flush from the exertion and the flush from that fucking nickname.

“‘M fine…” He managed through rough breaths.

Gavin flopped down onto the couch. “Sit down, Lasky,” he said, slurring the first words together. “Take a breather.”

One thing Lasko was known for was doing what he was told.

So, sit he did, though he did so a comfortable few feet from Gavin.

“Oh, come on, you don’t have to sit so far away. I don’t bite.” He smirked. “Well… Maybe I do. But only Freelancer. Not you.” Lasko swallowed hard, face flushing for all the wrong reasons now. “Unless…” He leaned closer, lips almost against Lasko's neck. “You wanted me to…”

Lasko swung without thinking, smacking Gavin clear in the face with his pillow.

The room was silent. Even the dust bunnies sat quietly in the shock. Lasko looked horrified as Gavin’s face morphed into something devious. He swung his own pillow, but Lasko, on a roll it seemed, ducked at the perfect time, and the offending pillow flew out of Gavin’s hands

Lasko barked out a laugh, staring at the pillow across the room. “Ha! Missed me, missed me, now you gotta–” He looked back at Gavin and broke off into a pitiful whimper, seeing that devious look again.

He slid his hand against the back of the couch, leaning closer. “Now I gotta what , Lasky?”

Lasko didn’t think his face could get any hotter. “N-Nothing! Y-You don’t h-have to do–to do anything I-I didn’t–fuck–” He held up his hand in a desperate attempt to block the disgustingly sinful smirk. It didn’t help. “I-Is it hot in here? Are you–Are you h-hot? Sweaty! I-I mean sweaty–Are you sweating? I f-feel like I’m–F-Fuckin’ hell–”

Gavin put his free hand on Lasko’s knee, slowly moving it up his thigh. “Come on… What do I gotta do, Lasko? It seemed so important a minute ago…”

After taking a second to catch his breath, Lasko lowered his hand and turned to face Gavin head on. The determination and focus etched into his features was enough to make Gavin’s smirk falter.

“Fine.” He did everything he could to even his voice. “I’ll do it.” The boys found their eyes focused entirely on the other’s lips as Lasko leaned forward, his hand coming up to brush Gavin’s cheek. They both stopped, frantic eyes meeting frantic eyes. “I-I’m gonna do it.”

“O-Okay.” Gavin couldn’t even try to be flirty in that moment.

But still, they just sat there.

Staring. Gazes flicking between eyes and lips.

The sound of keys in the front door ripped the boys away from each other, and Lasko nearly launched himself to the other side of the couch. The door opened, and Freelancer walked in, smiling brightly as always.

“Hey, boys!” They chirped. Then, noticed how flushed and flustered they both were. “Did I… interrupt something?”

They spoke at the same time.

Gavin: “Maybe, maybe not. What’s it to ya? Mind your business.”

Lasko: “W-What?! N-No! Nothing g-going on here! Nothing at–at all! Ha-ha!”

The silence that followed was more tense than the post-pillow smack silence.

Freelancer hung their keys up and toed off their shoes without taking their suspicious eyes off of the boys on their couch. “Okay… So, the answer is yes.” Their gaze skimmed the room and landed on the long-forgotten launched pillow. “What the…” They stepped over, holding it up as if it was the most absurd thing they’d ever seen. Then their eyes landed on the pillow still clutched in Lasko’s hand. And it clicked. “ Did you guys have a pillow fight? ”

Again, they spoke over each other.

Gavin: “No, do you think we’re children? I’m a demon, I don’t have pillow fights.”

Lasko: “W-Well, yeah m-maybe I guess we did. B-But that’s all we did! We didn’t–”

Gavin smacked his hand flat against Lasko’s mouth, and the latter let out a pitifully muffled whimper.

Freelancer had their hand over their own mouth, barely covering their smile. “No, Gavin. Let him speak. What didn’t you do, Lasko?” Gavin obediently dropped his hand to his lap, and Lasko flushed, sputtering nonsense. Freelancer stepped over to the couch, now a mere foot from the boys. “Lasky…”

He whimpered. “W-We uhm… Well… We d-definitely didn’t k-kiss or anything…”

Freelancer smirked, running their fingers through Lasko’s hair. “Good boy.” Before Lasko could do anything, their attention was on Gavin, who visibly shrunk under it. “Now, why is that?”

Gavin swallowed, trying to muster up his gusto again. “W-What do you mean?”

Freelancer bent down to his level with their hands on their knees. “Why didn’t you kiss him, Gavin?”

Lasko shifted. “F-Freelancer, I–”

They held up their hand, and his mouth snapped shut. “Thank you, Lasko. You’ve been very good. But right now, I’m talking to Gavin. And he’s avoiding the question.”

Gavin cleared his throat and squirmed in his seat. “Because he was supposed to kiss me.”

God, it sounded just as stupid outloud as he thought it would.

Freelancer smirked, turning back to Lasko. Gavin deflated at the relief of being out of the spotlight, and Lasko whimpered under it. “So, Lasko… You weren’t a very good boy afterall, were you?” The boy in question opened his mouth, but nothing came out. “Can’t you see how badly Gav wants you to kiss him?” The boys looked at each other, both flushing a deep red. “C’mon, Lasky. Give ‘im what he wants.”

Lasko, who always does as he’s told, nodded. “O-Okay…” He scooted back over to the other boy, eyes trained on his lips. His hand came up again, this time brushing the hair off of Gavin’s forehead. He shivered under his touch. He had to physically bite back whatever pitiful noise was about to come out of him. This gave Lasko the courage he needed to finally close that gap and press a gentle kiss to Gavin’s lips.

Gavin, as if he wasn’t expecting it, was frozen in place and, for the first time in his incredibly horny life, he couldn’t kiss back. Lasko leaned back a bit and, upon seeing the look on Gavin’s face, scooted away again.

“I-I’m sorry, Gav, I–If you didn’t want me–I wouldn’t have–”

Freelancer took Lasko’s chin in their hand, tipping it up so he’d have to look at them. “Lasky, my good boy… You may be the only person alive to leave an incubus so flustered that he can’t even speak.” Lasko looked at Gavin, who was, in fact, speechless. He was still frozen, just staring at Lasko with a look that he’d never seen on anyone before. Freelancer smiled almost triumphantly. “You can kiss him, Gav. I’m sure he’d love that.”

Without so much as a nod at them, Gavin dove forward, capturing Lasko in a deep kiss. The latter boy squeaked, landing on his back as the incubus all but climbed into his lap. Freelancer watched, arms crossed, with that smile still plastered on their face. The boys continued their activity, seemingly forgetting that their instigator was even there. Maybe that was for the best.

Freelancer, without a word, made their way silently to their bedroom, leaving the door cracked in case something juicy were to happen.

“F-Fuck, Gav–” Lasko was being shoved towards the bedroom by the boy in question.

Gavin, though, could hardly keep his hands off of him. “C’mon, Lasky. Bedroom. I wanna fuck you properly.”

They pushed past the cracked door and landed on the bed, Gavin on top of Lasko. They kissed deeply for a moment, and then Gavin was running his tongue down Lasko’s neck. Lasko tipped his head back in a high moan. He blinked, and that’s when he noticed the figure in the bed watching him.

“AH FUCKIN–!”

Gavin jumped off of Lasko, eyes searching his face. “What? What is it? Are you okay?”

Lasko rolled onto his stomach and then onto his knees as Gavin’s gaze lifted as well.

Freelancer sat up against the headboard, smiling like the devil, with an open book in their hands. “Hey, boys. Nice of you to join me. Don’t stop on my behalf. It’s only my bedroom.” Both boys flushed with embarrassment, but Freelancer put down their book and crawled over. “Or… Did you both get the same nasty idea when you noticed that I was sitting here?” They turned their attention to Gavin, and he shivered. “Lasko, darling? What do you say we give our sweet Gavin here a little treat? I think he’s in control much too often, don’t you?”

Chapter Text

Lasko was known for frequenting his local 7-11.

Even now that he and Gavin were meeting at his apartment on a more… regular basis, he still found himself lingering in the convenience store more often than he would like.

On one particular night, it was much later than usual–so late that it was early–and he was just standing in front of the slushy station when a voice nearly made him jump out of his skin.

“Up late, huh?”

He turned quickly to see a tall, deeply ominous person next to him. He could feel their aura faintly but couldn’t guess what it was. “Y-Yeah…” He sputtered. Nice one.

“Nothin’ like a big gulp slushy to wash away the sorrows of the night.” They turned and gave a toothy grin, revealing a pair of sharp fangs. Vampire. Of course. “Folks call me Ammo.” Lasko just stared. “And… this would be the part where you introduce yourself…”

“O-Oh, right! Y-Yeah, of–of course. My name is La-Lasko.”

“Well, it’s good to meet you, Lasko. Mind if I ask why you’re out?” Not even Lasko knew the answer to that question. So, he just shrugged. Ammo gave a laugh. “Yeah, I feel that. Sometimes we just end up here, staring at the slushy machine like it’ll fix all of our problems.”

Lasko, like always, just stared. There wasn’t any time for Ammo to comment on it, because the sound of a gun clicking caught their attention. They turned to see someone holding a pistol to the clerk’s head, muttering something to him.

Ammo reached out and grabbed Lasko’s arm, gentle but with a purpose. “Lasko,” they whispered, “get behind me.” He obliged, following their gaze. They crept forward despite the insistent tugging on the back of their shirt.

“A-Ammo, you shouldn’t–” They turned and shut him up with a single sharp stare. He nodded, chewing on his lip and ducking behind a shelf.

The next few seconds were a blur. Lasko couldn’t see anything from his position, but he saw the flash of Ammo moving, a muffled what the fuck– and then a loud thud . There was a moment of quiet, and then Ammo’s voice. “You okay, man?”

Lasko peeked around the corner and saw them standing over a crumbled body, putting on a concerned face for the clerk. They slid the gun across the counter and said something quietly before turning back.

Their gaze met Lasko’s, and they smiled. “C’mon. Let me take you home. You really shouldn’t be out here alone at night.”

Lasko swallowed and hurried to follow them out the door, not even pausing to consider the wheezing man on the ground. He kept his attention on the vampire in front of him who had stopped next to–

A motorcycle.

Because of course the sexy vampire rides a motorcycle .

“H-Hey listen, I don’t need a ride.” He sputtered as they clipped on their helmet. “M-My place is–is right up the road, I’ll j-just walk.”

They handed him a helmet and swung their leg over the bike. “You never know what kind of scary shit is out there right now.” They smirked, running the tip of their tongue over their fangs. “Better safe than sorry.”

Lasko was clipping on the helmet and getting on the bike behind them before his brain could tell his legs to stop moving towards the sexy vampire motorcycle please oh god– “I-I’m in the complex b-by campus. The green–uh–the green building.”

“I know the one.” They started up the bike. “Arms around my waist, Lasko. Don’t want you falling off.”

He tucked his arms under theirs, hesitant to hold too tight. But the moment they peeled out of the parking lot, he clung to them with everything he had, fists balling up in the front of their jacket. He felt them laugh against him but couldn’t manage to lift his head or even open his eyes.

It was a short, cold journey back to his place. They came to a stop in front of the steps, and Ammo put their foot down in a half-lean. Lasko shakily got off the bike and handed the helmet back.

“Th-Thanks for the ride. I uh… and also the–the guy at the store um…”

They gave him a pat on the arm. “Sure thing, Lasky. Hit me up if you’re ever gettin’ that 7-11 vibe. Maybe we’ll actually get slushies next time.”

With a wink and a finger salute, they were gone before Lasko could mention that they didn’t give him their number.

It was a week later when Lasko was startled by a knock at his door as he made breakfast. He took the pan off the burner and stepped over to the door, cracking it open a bit.

“Hey, Lasky…”

It was Ammo.

Looking dirty and tired and bruised.

Lasko, yet again, just stared. “A-Ammo… Hey, uh–C-Come on in, I was just making breakfast. B-But I guess you don’t need that do you? Not like–Not like eggs or anything. I-I mean, I only made enough for one person anyway, b-because I wasn’t expecting company. B-But it’s totally okay that you’re here! A-And I can make–I can make you something? If you want?”

They watched him, smiling despite themself. “Thanks, Lasky.” They pushed past him and into the apartment, flopping down onto the couch with a wince. “I’m sorry for showin’ up like this. I would’ve just gone home but…” They motioned behind them, to the sunrise peeking through the window and the open door of the bedroom.

Lasko’s eyes widened, and he hurried to shut the bedroom door. “Fuck, I–I’m sorry–”

They just laughed. “You’re all good, dude, don’t worry. I don’t expect you to have your apartment pre-vamp-proofed in case I swing by.” They paused, sniffing the air. “You should check on your eggs, though.”

“Ah–Yeah, right!” He hurried back to his spot in front of the stove. “D-Did you want anything?”

Ammo shook their hand, lifting their shirt and wincing as they assessed the damage. “Not unless you’ve got a blood bag or time for a solid healing spell.”

Lasko plated his breakfast but set it on the counter as he looked over and saw the portion of their bare torso. “H-Holy shit… Ammo, what happened?”

They looked up and tugged their shirt back down, seemingly embarrassed. “Ah, um… Y’know, that’s not important.”

He stepped over, sitting nervously on the coffee table. “You came to me for help, right?”

They shifted in their seat. “I… Well, I mean…” They sighed. “Look, I just… I didn’t know where else to go. I was closer to here than home when…”

Lasko reached over, fingers brushing their leather jacket. “Can I take this off?” His voice was gentle, more gentle than anything that Ammo was used to. “J-Just to see, y’know… how to uhm–to–how to help you…” They nodded, silently slipping off their jacket and setting it next to them. There was something oddly intimate about seeing them in a t-shirt rather than their jacket, as he had only ever seen them. They might not have been anything to gawk at muscle wise, but seeing the skin of their arms, tattoos peeking out from their short sleeves…

Oh, fuck.

Ammo squirmed. “W-What…? Why are you just…”

Lasko flushed, forcing his gaze to meet theirs. “S-Sorry, I–I didn’t–I wasn’t trying to uhm–trying to be w-weird or–or–or anything I–”

They laughed nervously. “I-It’s okay. But um… all the damage is… under my shirt…”

He nodded. “C-Can I… Do you–Do you w-want me to…”

They lifted their shirt, actively avoiding eye contact, to reveal their side and stomach. It was littered with bruises and deep scratches that had begun to scab over. “I um… It’s a long story…”

“You don’t… uhm… don’t have to tell me.” He leaned in to get a closer look, and Ammo sucked in a breath. Their gaze locked on his pulse point, shuttering at the thoughts that crossed their mind. Lasko looked up. “Are you–Are you okay? Do you–you still want me to–to help?”

Ammo nodded, chewing on their lip. “Yeah, I just uhm… I’m sorry, Lasko, I–” They dropped their shirt and scooted back. “I’m um… hungry.”

Lasko sat back. “O-Oh, okay. I can go whip something up for you. Is there anything–”

“Lasko…” They were quiet. Embarrassed.

And he remembered.

“ O-Oh– ”

“I’m so sorry, Lasko, I–Fuck, I didn’t–I wasn’t implying anything by coming here I just–I didn’t know where else to go, and I didn’t realize that I was so–” They scrubbed their face. “Fuck, I’m so sorry–”

Lasko took a breath. “How uhm… How can I h-help?”

“I don’t know… There are places to get ethical bags but–I can’t exactly go out there right now to get them, and I couldn’t ask you to just leave me in your apartment so that you could–”

“C-Could you… feed on me?”

The room was silent as the two stared at each other. Neither of them had expected that.

Ammo was the first to speak, and they did so quietly, almost a whisper. “Lasko… I can’t… I can’t…”

Lasko hurried to interrupt them. “R-Right, I’m sorry–sorry I don’t–I don’t know how it uhm–I don’t know how it works and if you can just–”

“No, Lasko, that’s not–” They sighed, hands shaking. “I can feed on you… technically… I just…” Lasko watched them carefully, nervously. “It’s… kind of intimate. I can’t ask you to do something like that for me…”

“You saved my life last week,” he argued gently, “and you need help. I–” He made himself take a breath. “I-I want to help you, Ammo.”

They searched his face wildly, looking for any sign that he might be lying–even to himself. When they saw nothing but his genuine, sweet smile, they deflated. “Okay…” They shifted to the edge of the couch. “Can I… Can you give me your arm?”

Lasko did as he was told. “I-I thought it was a–like a neck thing.”

Ammo flushed. “No, no–! I mean–Yeah, it is sometimes–But that’s like–That’s really–Usually it’s only um–”

Lasko caught on, and his face was equally red. “O-Oh, fuck I’m–I’m sorry I d-didn’t mean to–to–to suggest that you–” Ammo froze, taking a deep breath in through their nose. “Wha…”

“S-Sorry… You um…” They shook their head. “Your heart is beating really fast. I can… Your blood. I can… smell it…”

“Does it… Does it smell good…?”

They looked at him, almost pleading with their eyes. “Amazing.”

He gave a nervous laugh. “Is it um… Is it gonna hurt?”

Ammo shook their head. “No. No, I’m gonna make sure of that. But if it does… you let me know, okay?” He nodded. “Promise?”

“P-Promise.”

“Good.” They looked down at the arm in their lap and held out their other hand. “Here. Hold.” Lasko took it with his free hand. “Just… Might be more comforting.” They picked up his arm, almost shuttering at the smell as it got closer. “Are you um… Are you ready?”

“Y-Yeah.”

They spared him one last glance before leaning down and pressing a few kisses to his veins. They felt him shiver under their touch. They needed him. So, with one more kiss, they bit.

Lasko moaned .

He didn’t mean to, it just came out. Thankfully, Ammo seemed too caught up in their own… intimate noises to notice much of anything else. They swallowed him down with a whine, lapping at the sweet, cool blood on their tongue. It didn’t take long for them to be full enough to pull away. They breathed hard, licking at the mark left behind.

“H-Holy fuck…” They breathed. “You taste… God, you taste good. Cool and refreshing. Almost minty. Like a breath of fresh air.” They looked up to meet his gaze.

Lasko was staring again. Slack-jawed, flushed, and overall seemingly fucked out of his mind. He tried to make some semblance of a noise of approval, but it just came out as a desperate whimper.

That had them worried. “Are you… Are you okay, Lasko? That wasn’t too much, was it? Did it hurt?”

He barely had time to think before he was practically launching himself at them, pressing his lips firmly against theirs. They gasped against him, and he took the opportunity to push his tongue past their lips. He tasted himself on their tongue. Warm and metallic and fuck, why was it so hot?

Ammo regained themself and gently pushed Lasko back by his shoulders. He was all but in their lap, now, with his arms draped over their shoulders. “Hey…” He looked at them breathlessly. “What was that about?”

“I-I-I j-just… Fuck, I couldn’t help–help it…”

“You felt my… excitement, didn’t you?” He nodded with a soft whimper. “Wow… I mean, it’s not that I don’t enjoy–” They motioned to their position. “–all of this. I just–Well, I wanna make sure that you’re doing it for the right reasons.”

“I-If the right reason is that a hot vampire that I really –like really really–wanted to kiss is in my–in my living room making me dizzy enough to actually–actually do it without overanalyzing the consequences then–then–then… Y-Yeah. All the right reasons.”

Ammo smiled. “Are you dizzy enough to do it again?”

Lasko laughed nervously. “Y-Yeah. Definitely.”

Chapter Text

“I think we should break up.”

Gavin looked up from his phone, up at Lasko from his spot on the couch. His boyfriend was leaned against the counter, eyes locked on the ground.

“Do you?” He asked.

Lasko sighed. “I’ve been… researching. About cycles of abuse. I think we’re just not meant for each other.”

“Oh.” Gavin looked away just as Lasko looked over.

“Did you hear what I just said?”

He nodded. “Yes, I did.”

Lasko stood up straight, as if to make himself bigger. “I said, I think we should b–”

“I heard you the first time.”

At the dismissive tone, Lasko deflated. “Oh.” He paused, considering. “Do… Do you agree?”

Gavin tucked his phone into his hoodie pocket and stood, not looking at the other boy. “Yeah. You said we’re clearly not the right match, so… I guess this is it. I respect your decision.”

Lasko blinked. “Wait, no–”

Finally, Gavin looked at him again. “What?”

“You’re acting weird.” Lasko crossed his arms, almost defensively.

Gavin rolled his eyes, putting on a mocking, sarcastic tone. “Sorry, should I be on my knees begging you to stay? Should I be breaking furniture or cutting myself?”

A silence followed before Lasko responded.

“… I-I don’t know. Yes? I… Usually, that’s how it goes…”

Gavin shrugged, moving to get his shoes by the door. “Maybe I’ve grown as a person.” His tone was even. Resigned. “Maybe I realized this is unhealthy, even if I love you.”

Lasko huffed and took a step closer. “Okay, what the fuck is going on with you? Why are you being so reasonable? Where’s the screaming?”

Gavin righted himself quickly, pointing an accusatory finger at his partner. “Ha! I knew it! You like it just as much as I do! Go ahead, tell me you want to break up again.”

He swallowed, his defensiveness slowly being replaced by confusion. “I… want to break up?”

The incubus did his best to put on a mockery. “No! Noooo please stay! I’m worthless without you! Every moment you’re not by my side, I’m drowning . I’m going to kill myself if you leave!” He stopped, crossing his arms. “Is that better?”

“I–” What the fuck was he supposed to say to that? “Sorry.”

Gavin barked out a laugh. “Don’t be sorry! Play along.”

Raising an eyebrow, Lasko did. “I’m… not sorry?”

Gavin stepped forward and sank to his knees, practically clawing at Lasko’s clothes. “But you’re the only good thing in this entire world! Please stay–Without you, I’m nothing.” His acting was realistic, tears brimming in his dark eyes. “I need you. I need your everything . You are perfection in human form! I want to crawl into your skin and live there. I want to lock you up in my basement and never let you leave!” He paused, letting that simmer before standing up and crossing his arms again. Lasko stared at him, unsure of which of his many emotions he was portraying. “Ha. Look at you. You can pretend to look concerned all you want, but I can see the blush on your face.” Lasko’s hand came up to touch his cheek self-consciously. “ I might be monstrous, but you get off on it. You like me when I’m at my worst. You like to pretend that you’re doing me such a favor by staying by my side.” Gavin scoffed. “As if that makes you a saint. Does it fuel your ego, to be so above someone like me?” Another scoff. “You’re pathetic, Lasko.”

“I’m sorry.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Don’t pretend to be sorry. I get it now. We are meant for each other. We deserve this. We deserve this awful cycle.” He gestured to Lasko. “Go ahead and threaten to leave me without ever having the intention to actually do it. I know you adore seeing me begging and crying for you to stay.” He watched the other boy squirm uncomfortably under his attention. “You enjoy the idea that someone cares enough about you to harm and hate themselves for not meeting your expectations. It makes you feel powerful, doesn’t it? Makes you forget about your human-born bullshit.”

Lasko paused for a long moment, processing before uttering only a single word. “Fuck.”

“That’s what I thought.” The tension in the room lingered even though they were both ready to admit the truth. “Say it, Lasko. I wanna hear you say it.”

“You’re right.” His gaze was back on the floor. “Seeing you beg like that–like I’m the only thing keeping you going–it gives me a power that I can’t get from any kind of magic. Gives me a control that I don’t get at D.A.M.N.. And yeah… I love it. I love every second of it.”

Gavin sighed. “I’ll be in the bedroom. Come join me when you’re ready to fuck this tension out of the house.” He pushed past his boyfriend and down the hall.

He was only alone for four and a half minutes.

Chapter Text

Ammo smiled. “Are you dizzy enough to do it again?”

Lasko laughed nervously. “Y-Yeah. Definitely.”

Turns out, he was not.

Lasko did what he did best and simply stared at the person whose lap he’d placed himself in. They stared back, silently willing him to make the move.

But he didn’t.

“Lasko?”

That snapped him out of his daze, but not in the way that Ammo had been expecting. He was stumbling out of their lap only seconds after his name left their lips.

“I-I-I’m sorry–! Fuck–Shit, I di–I didn’t–Fuck, fuck, fuck–” He covered his mouth as he started pacing around the room, voice lowering to a mumble.

Ammo stood, stepping over cautiously as if dealing with a frightened animal. “Lasko? Are you… Christ, are you okay?”

He looked at them with a fear that they had grown used to seeing in people’s eyes. I bit him, why shouldn’t he be scared? “W-What? Y-Y-Yeah, sur–sure yeah–Of cou–Of course why–haha–why wouldn’t I be?”

They stopped, picked up their jacket with shaky hands. “I… I’m sorry, Lasko. I shouldn’t have come. And…” Fuck. “I shouldn’t have fed on you. I’m sorry.” They made a move towards the door but then there was a hand on their wrist pulling them back.

“No, wait–” They turned. Lasko sighed. “I-I’m sorry, I–This isn’t b-because of you. W-Well, I mean–I mean it is , but n-n-not for the reasons–the reasons you think–”

“Lasko, I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that. I know better. I’m not–” I’m not a fucking new blood. I’m over 20 years turned already. They sighed, scrubbing their face with their free hand. “Please let go of me so I can get out of your hair.”

For whatever reason, Lasko, for once, did not do what he was told.

Instead, he took a few steps closer, his hand slipping down to interlock with Ammo’s. “I like you, Ammo. A-A lot. I don’t know a lot about you but–Fuck, you saved my life . And you’re–you’re like–like really really hot . And you have a motorcycle . And you trust me .” He took a breath, trying to get his whole body to stop shaking. “And I really like you.”

“Does… that mean that you do wanna kiss me again…?”

Lasko laughed, but instead of answering, he just kissed them. It was so much softer than his first surprise kiss. His hands came up to cup their cheeks, keeping them close.

Ammo melted . Their jacket fell from their fingers, and they grabbed Lasko by his hips to pull him as flush with them as possible. The moment their chests connected, though, they hissed, instinctively stepping back.

Lasko looked at them with more concern than fear now. “W-What was that? Did I–Did I hurt you?”

They shook their head, lifting their shirt to reassess their wounds. Most of the bruising and scratches had faded, but there was a slash across their chest that was still only half scabbed.

Lasko’s fingertips brushed against it gently. “How can I help?”

Fuckin’ Christ.

They dropped the hem of their shirt. “You don’t have to. My body heals fast. Shouldn’t be more than a day before I’m good as new.”

Lasko pressed himself closer, fingers trailing down to the waistband of their jeans. “I-If you fed again… would that healing time go down…?”

Ammo sucked in a breath, trying not to focus on how flustered Lasko was just to be near them. “Y-Yeah. I didn’t… take a lot the first time, so my body burned it up pretty fast.”

Lasko tipped his head to the side as he wrapped his arms around their waist. With his pulse point exposed like that, Ammo thought that surely they were gonna pass out. “Go ahead, then…”

“Lasky…” They breathed.

“I-I know…” He whispered. “I want–I want you to.”

They were leaning down before they could stop themself. “Your neck, Lasko…”

“P-Please…?”

Ammo scooped him up under his ass and plopped him onto the kitchen counter. He was slightly taller than them now, which gave them the perfect vantage point to kiss his neck in every place that they wanted to. And they did. He gasped, whining and squirming against them. They shivered, smelling the sweet mint just under his jaw.

“You sure?” They murmured against his skin.

“Fucking bite me, Ammo– ”

Who were they to deny such a request?

Ammo sunk their fangs into the thin skin above his vein, and that heavenly blood spilled out over their tongue. They both moaned openly, pushing as close together as they could as Ammo drank him down. As they pulled away, a small stream dripped from the mark, and they collected the bead on their tongue, pulling one last whimper out of the boy on the counter. It was messy, and they knew that. Their mouth was tinted red, their gray eyes blown wide.

But Lasko was looking at them like they’d hung the moon.

Also like he’d had his brain fucked out of him, but Ammo wanted to be more focused on whatever weird romantic vibe they had going. They moved to kiss him sweetly, and he gladly reciprocated, wrapping his legs around their waist and tugging them back against him. He was whining, sputtering against their lips. It took them a moment to realize that he was speaking.

“ Please–Please, please, please– ”

They pulled back, much to Lasko’s dismay. “Lasko…” He looked at them through lidded eyes, whimpering with every breath. “What are you begging for, baby?”

He squirmed against them. “I-I-I can’t–I can’t say–say it–” Being pressed between his legs, they knew exactly what he was referring to. But, of course, they wanted him to say it.

“Oh, sure you can.” They pressed soft kisses down his neck, pausing to lick at the mark they had made.

Lasko moaned out, loud and needy. “A-A-Ammo, c-c’mon–Please–please you–fuck–y-you know–”

They trailed their hands down his body, eventually landing on his hips. “I think a good boy like you can use his words, don’t you think?”

He chewed on his lip, trying desperately to do as he was told rather than just whining pitifully. “T-Touch me–Let me–Let–Let me touch–I wanna–wanna touch you– Please– ”

Ammo’s hands moved as he spoke, undoing his pants before he even realized what was happening. They palmed him through his briefs. “Like this? You want this?”

Lasko just whined, bucking his hips up. “M-More than–I want–want more than–than that– Please , Ammo–”

In a second, they were on their knees, urging Lasko off the counter and tugging his briefs down just enough to pull him out. They stroked him slowly, with their hand to start. He leaned against the counter, lidded eyes focused intensely on Ammo.

They smiled. If he was gonna watch, they were gonna put on a show.

Their tongue flicked out from between their lips, quickly and lightly brushing over the tip and collecting the drop of precum that had beaded at the slit. Hands pressed to Lasko’s hips, they felt him shiver under their touch. He was gripping the counter so hard that his knuckles were white, and the heels of his hands dug into the edge. Never taking their eyes off of his face, they took him into their mouth, tongue flat against the underside of his shaft. He fit comfortably in their mouth in his entirety, just barely grazing the back of their throat when their nose brushed his stomach. He groaned at the wet heat and threw his head back.

Ammo watched from their position, bobbing on his cock like they were getting paid. His arms were shaking as he slowly unraveled on their tongue, and Ammo had the brilliant idea to help him out a bit. They reached up and took his hands in theirs, guiding them to the back of their head before closing their eyes and putting on the best fuck me face that they could.

“O-Oh holy–holy fuck–” He sputter, running his fingers through their hair. They’d stopped moving, giving him the chance to move them as he wanted, and he took the moment to just admire them. Their flushed cheeks, furrowed brows, the dribble of spit dripping from the corner of their lips as they waited– waited –to be used by him.

He wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity.

Lasko started slow, pulling their head back and then guiding it closer to him. They hummed their encouragement and dropped their hands into their lap obediently. Both parties knew who was in charge, but in that moment? Lasko had everything . He fisted his hands in their hair and, with a confidence that he didn’t know he had, timed his thrusts with his tugs and fucked down into Ammo’s throat.

His voice broke off into raspy moans as Ammo did all they could to go slack and let him pleasure himself on them. They took shallow breaths whenever they could, but when his hips started shuttering unexpectedly, they breathed at the wrong time and choked.

Lasko pulled them off of him before they even had time to panic. He cupped their cheek, thumb on their chin, and his eyes searched their face. “A-A-Are you–are you okay? I-I’m sorry I–I was getting–getting close and I–” They took his thumb into their mouth, sucking gently as they maintained eye contact. He shivered. “Fuck that’s hot… Can I…” He brushed their hair back. “C-Can I touch you? Pl-Please?”

They smiled around his thumb, leaning back with a soft pop and pushing themself to their feet. “Where do you want me?” He nervously spared a glance at the counter that they had abandoned as he struggled to tuck himself back into his pants.

They nodded, pulling themself onto the counter and yanking Lasko against them with their legs around his waist. “Go ahead and touch me,” they whispered against his ear, “maybe I’ll even let you fuck me on this counter, if you’re good.”

He clawed desperately at their shirt, their arms, their face. It seemed like his hands wanted to touch but his brain didn’t know where to start. Ammo took his hands in theirs and guided them again. One under the hem of their shirt, and one pressed between their legs. That seemed to give him the confidence to actually do what he wanted to do. He leaned in, peppering kisses all over their neck and jaw and tracing his fingers up their stomach and chest. They tipped their head back with a breathy whine as he hiked up their shirt and his lips trailed down, down, down. He watched their face carefully as his other hand dipped into the front of their pants. At the contact, they gasped, legs tensing around his waist.

He flushed. “I… You’re really…”

Ammo let out a laugh. “You uh… get me goin’, Lasky. Not just with the biting thing either. I love being on my knees for you.”

He nuzzled into the crook of their neck, fingers working around them. They groaned and tried to rut their hips into his hand. “Were uhm… W-Were you s-s-serious about letting me uhm… letting uhm…”

“You wanna fuck me, Lasko?”

He nodded quickly against them. “P-Please–”

They made quick work of pulling their pants and briefs down around their thighs and positioning themself on the very edge of the counter while Lasko pulled himself back out of his pants. He was on them in a second, kissing them like his life depended on it and trying to position himself correctly. Something about the position and their height difference wasn’t working, and he whined, almost dramatically.

Ammo smiled against his lips. “Can’t get it, baby?” He shook his head with another desperate whine. “Alright, I have an idea.” They uncrossed their ankles from behind his back and hopped off the counter. Lasko wanted to scream. He wanted to be inside them now and watching them flaunt themself in front of him was just making it–

Oh fuck–

Ammo settled, bent over the counter, knees apart and resting their weight on their elbows. In this position, Lasko knew he’d have the perfect angle. But now, seeing them there, he didn’t want to stop staring at them, watching the way their limbs twitched impatiently. They turned to look at him over their shoulder, face flushed. “L-Lasko, c’mon… I need you…” The last part was almost a whisper, and it nearly had Lasko cumming in his hand.

But, as always, Lasko did as he was told.

Hands gripping their hips with a strength that neither of them expected, he pushed into them. He paused with a shutter and a whimper, and Ammo, ever impatient, nudged back against him until their hips were flush. Lasko moaned openly, resting his forehead against the crest of their back. Ammo buried their face in their forearm. They seemed to be using all of their focus to roll their hips and pull every noise they could out of Lasko.

And it was working.

Lasko was near tears by the time he started moving. And when he did, Ammo whined gratefully. They felt him find his rhythm, only faltering when a particularly vulgar noise was ripped from their chest. Encouragement, he would call it. He fucked into them with everything he had, fingers digging into the meat of their hips. There was such a contradiction between his rough thrusts and his sweet, gentle moans. Ammo loved that about him. Ammo thought maybe they loved him .

They felt a hand on the back of their head, and suddenly, they were being yanked into an arch by their hair. They gasped out a moan that was only half-formed into Lasko’s name. He seemed to understand. The deathgrip on their hips became a deathgrip on their hair as the slapping of their hips echoed through the kitchen.

“B-Baby–” Ammo gasped out. “F-Fuck, I’m–I-I’m–”

“M-M-Me too–” Lasko whimpered from behind them. “Cum with–with me–Please–”

They shuttered out a moan as the spring in their gut wound tighter. Tighter and tighter and tighter until–

“ Oh christ –” They clenched around him and felt him spill deep inside of them, and they both rolled their hips in an attempt to ride their highs for as long as possible. Ammo shuttered, desperately trying to find a grounding grip on the counter.

When Lasko regained himself, he turned Ammo around, and they immediately went slack in his arms. He pet their hair, pressing gentle kisses to their cheeks. “Hey…” He whispered. “Hey, baby, take a breath. You did so good.” He rubbed his hands up and down their back as they got their footing and looked up at him from their hunched position. He smiled. “Hi baby…”

Ammo offered a tired, dopey grin. “Hi…”

Lasko kissed them sweetly. “Let’s go lay down, okay?”

They nodded and pulled their clothes back on, expecting Lasko to step away. But he didn’t. He kept his fingertips brushing against their skin the entire time. When they stood straight, they noticed his gaze locked on them and squirmed. “Why are you… What are you doing?”

He cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I just… You’re still standing here with me. You’re like… watching me…”

He blinked, seemingly very confused. “Uh… Y-Yeah… I-I-I just–just wanna make sure you’re… okay.” When Ammo just stared at him, he flushed, tucking his hands into his pockets and looking away. “I-I-I’m sorry–I didn’t me–didn’t mean to make you–uh–make y-you uncomfortable. I-I-I’ll just–I’m just gonna–I’m–” He pointed with his thumbs to the bedroom. “Over here. I’m going over here.”

The door closed behind him before Ammo could get a word out.

They knocked on the door gently, nervously.

“Y-You can come in–” Lasko’s muffled voice came from inside the bedroom. “Th-The blinds are uhm–I pulled them down.”

Ammo cracked the door open to see that the bedroom was well lit by lamp light. No sunlight, even at that point in the day. They slipped in and closed the door behind them. “Are you… Are you okay?”

Lasko was pacing around the room, nervously fidgeting with his hands. He wasn’t looking at them. “I uh–Y-Yeah, I’m–Yeah.”

“I’m sorry if I… made you uncomfortable,” they forced out, “I know we haven’t known each other long, and I… Well, I know enough to know that what we just did was kind of out of character for folks in our position. The sex, I mean.” Lasko shuffled nervously, and Ammo sighed. “I just… I wanted to say I’m sorry. If you regret any of that–”

“What?” Lasko finally looked at them, brows furrowed. “Regret it? W-Why would I regret it?”

It was Ammo’s turn to shift in place. “Well, I… I don’t know. You just… You were acting weird and now you’re in here and–”

“I didn’t want to leave you alone after…Y’know… But then you were uncomfortable with me sticking around, so I wanted to give you some space. Because I know we just met, and I know this was weird, and I didn’t mean to assume that this was anything more than a… reaction to the feeding. I didn’t mean to upset you by implying that this was anything more than just two people letting go for a second. And I–” Ammo cut him off with a tight hug, their arms wrapped around his neck and cradling his head. He buried his face in their neck without a second thought.

“Hug me back,” they mumbled into his hair.

And he did.

“You mean a lot to me,” they continued quietly, not pulling away, “I wouldn’t have done that with you if you didn’t.”

“But we…” He didn’t know what he should say. He didn’t even know what he wanted to say.

“I wanna try this with you… If you’ll have me…” They sounded so scared, so defeated. He looked up at them to see them almost in tears.

He cupped their face with his hands. “Ammo, I… I-I-I–Of course I’ll have you. I’d uhm–I’d consider it an–an honor.”

They smiled, pressing a kiss to his palm. “Thank you… Can you hold me?”

He returned their soft expression. “Of course, baby.”

And he did.

Chapter Text

Lasko could pinpoint the exact moment that he fell in love with Freelancer.

In fact, he thought about it often enough that the memory had burned its way into his eyelids. They had gone out for coffee–not a date, he reminded himself–and they’d mentioned D&D. They knew about D&D and how much it meant to him. He didn’t know at the time that they’d been playing for years and only feigned their ignorance because they wanted to hear him talk about something he was genuinely passionate about.

Yeah, so maybe he thought about that more than he’d care to admit.

But they were becoming friends, right? In the next semester, he wouldn’t be their guidance counselor anymore. He wouldn’t be anyone’s guidance counselor. With his new position, there were no conflicts of interest with any of his friends. None that interfered with work, anyway.

He’d met Ammo at some point during the inversion. He couldn’t remember many details anymore, but he did remember being starstruck from the moment they ripped that shade clean in half. He remembered the blush that creeped onto his face and the embarrassment that followed suit. He wasn’t in love with Ammo. But lord strike him down if he didn’t think they were hot.

“Lasko? You wanna play or are you just gonna sit there?” Damien’s voice snapped him out of his weird mood.

He looked over, noticing the controller in the other boy’s hand. He took it. “Y-Yeah, sorry.”

Freelancer sat on his other side and leaned over a bit. “You okay?” Their voice was quiet. Sweet. They didn’t want anyone else to be alerted to an issue.

Lasko nodded. “Mhm. My uh… My mind is just… somewhere else.”

They smiled, nudging him. “Well, reel it in and kick my ass at this two v two.”

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

It was a week later before they all got back together.

Fridays were their friend-date nights, as Huxley had become accustomed to calling it.

Lasko, Damien, Huxley, and Freelancer.

Freelancer .

They each had their own designated spots in the room. Huxley in the chair, Damien on the floor between his knees, Freelancer on the couch, and Lasko between them and Huxley. It was comfortable. Routine.

Until…

“Hey, y’all, can Gavin join us tonight?” Freelancer asked, eyes locked on their phone screen. “I’ve been trying to get him to get out more. Make friends and such.”

Of course, they’d all met Gavin. Some more… intimately than others. He was a friend, sure, but Lasko didn’t think he was considered one of the group. Not that he had any issue with that. Gavin was nice enough. But he wasn’t at D.A.M.N.. He had to go out of his way to hang out with them, but the group was formed of convenience. They had every reason to be around each other this much.

Truly, it had nothing to do with the way Gavin looked at Freelancer or the way Lasko wanted Gavin to fuck his brains out again like at the 7-11.

Nothing at all to do with any of that.

Damien and Huxley, as if plotting for Lasko’s demise, responded pro-Gavin. And then Freelancer looked at Lasko. They wanted his thoughts.

Please, no. Please, god, no. I just want this time with you. This is the only time I get with you anymore. He’s taking you from me, and I’m so scared–

“Sure.” He said, putting on a smile. “He should come by more often.”

The genuine smile that broke across Freelancer’s face was almost enough to wash away the regret. Almost.

Gavin became a regular with the group.

After a few weeks, he just started showing up with Freelancer with no warning. Or, if they hosted, he’d already be there.

He sat on the opposite side of them on the couch.

Lasko knew they were fooling around. Everyone knew. But that didn’t make the little touches any less painful. The gentle squeezes when they were focused on a game, the lingering pats when they lost, the diving hugs when they won.

They’d never treated Lasko like that.

One week, it got to be too much.

Freelancer had just beaten everyone in a one v four match that they insisted on. Lasko fought hard, but he knew the others probably just gave up eventually. The winning screen flashed, and they cheered, turning for their celebratory Gavin hug.

Except this time it wasn’t a hug.

Gavin pulled them in by their sweatshirt and kissed them–hard. They made a noise against his lips that made Lasko want to jump in front of a bus. They kissed him back, hands coming up to cup his face.

Damien whistled from behind Lasko. “Yo, get a room, you two.”

Gavin, still devouring Freelancer, flipped him off.

Without a word, Lasko stood and walked out of the room, not turning back to see if anyone had noticed.

They didn’t speak of it the next week.

Freelancer had moved their spot to the space on the couch right between Gavin’s legs, his chest pressed against their back as they played. Lasko caught him peppering kisses all over their neck and shoulders on multiple occasions. Not that he was watching.

But not even Damien and Huxley were that affectionate when they were all together. It was a respect thing. Minimize the PDA for the folks who were still single and didn’t have anyone to smooch. Though, thinking that, Lasko realized that the number of folks that applied to had just minimized by 300%.

It was just him now.

And that would simply not do.

Freelancer couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment they realized they were in love with Lasko, just that it had happened, and suddenly they were stuck dealing with the feelings. When Gavin became a regular part of their life, they told him. Of course, he already knew, being an incubus and all. Or maybe he had no idea, and he was just being a dick.

It didn’t matter. Freelancer was in love with Lasko, and it was eating them alive.

Gavin didn’t mind. In fact, he was more supportive of them telling Lasko than Freelancer themself was.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” He asked once, exasperated.

Their mind reeled. “Well, he could say that I’m weird and that he would never have feelings for me and why would you ever think that I had feelings for you? And then our friendship is awkward, and our group gets tense, and suddenly we’re not hanging out anymore, and then I lose all my friends, because I’m the one who made it weird, so they all take Lasko’s side, and then you realize how bad of a mistake it was, and you leave too.”

There was a pause where Gavin just stared at them. “Wow, that was… Definitely somethin’.”

They swatted at him. “Shut up, I’m serious.”

“I am too. I think you should tell him. You know how I feel about him.”

It was true, they did know. And they thought it was sweet.

“Okay. Okay, fine. But I’m gonna wait for the right moment. I don’t wanna fuck this up.”

Lasko found himself knocking on the apartment door before he could convince himself that this was a bad idea. Ammo cracked the door, wearing nothing but a t-shirt and boxers.

“Lasko.” They sounded surprised. “Hey, dude.”

“Can I come in?”

They nodded, pulling the door open all the way and then closing it behind them. “What’s up–” Lasko had shoved them against the door with his mouth on theirs within a second. They sucked in a breath but didn’t hesitate to pull him flush against themself. He pulled away, breathlessly, after a moment. “Wow… Shit, Lasky, I didn’t know you had that in you.”

“Date me.”

Fuckin’ hell.

Ammo blinked, a smile blossoming on their face. “Hell fuckin’ yeah, man. Absolutely.”

Lasko kissed them again to solidify the deal, pushing his tongue past their lips but wishing they were someone else.

“Hey, do you guys mind if my partner joins us?” Lasko asked the next week, trying to be as casual about it as possible.

Damien paused the game. “Dude, you’ve got a partner ? Since when ?”

Everyone looked at Lasko. So much for casual… “End of last week. Just… Spur of the moment thing.”

“Lasko. Being spur of the moment?” Gavin laughed. “Sure, yeah, okay.”

Huxley reached over and gave Lasko an encouraging nudge. “Proud of you, man. The hardest shit is admitting your feelings. I’d love to meet them.”

Damien and Gavin shared his sentiment.

It didn’t go unnoticed that Freelancer was doing everything in their power to avoid eye contact.

A few minutes later, there was a knock. Lasko got up to get it, and Ammo was already kissing him as they walked through the door. Freelancer gripped their controller as Lasko whimpered. They felt Gavin’s hand on theirs, but it did little to calm them.

“Yo, are we the only modest couple here?” Damien laughed. “Can’t have a moment without someone having their tongue down their partner’s throat.”

Gavin and Huxley joined in on the laughter. Freelancer just stared at Lasko.

Lasko noticed and avoided their gaze like the plague. He gave a nervous laugh. “This is my partner, Ammo. They’re uh…”

They smiled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “I’m a vamp. Solaire clan.”

Fucking of course they’re Solaire , Freelancer thought bitterly, I never stood a chance.

Ammo found their spot settled behind Lasko, mimicking Gavin’s kisses and gentle touches. It made Freelancer want to vomit.

The next week was a bigger party than the gang was used to.

For one, it was a party , and for two, it wasn’t just the five of them.

Huxley was throwing some big thing for the start of the new game season. The new semester. Lasko’s new position. Huxley’s new place. There were a lot of things to celebrate.

So, it was only fair that Ammo came too.

That’s what Freelancer kept chanting to themself as they nearly crushed the can in their hands while watching the two of them dance in the living room.

Gavin stepped up, putting a hand on their arm. “Freelancer, I–”

“I need to tell him.”

“What?”

They sighed, setting down their drink. “This is killing me, and he deserves to know. I can’t–I can’t just sit and watch him parade himself and that fucking beast of a partner around like it doesn’t affect anyone. Because it does .” They turned to Gavin. “It’s killing me, Gav. I’ve got nothing on Ammo. They’re cooler and hotter and stronger and–” They cut off, hearing Lasko’s scream of a laugh from across the room. Their face fell. “I never stood a chance with him. You did. You’re… Well, you’re you. We know he’s got a thing for you. But me…” They watched Lasko get swung around and lifted, laughing all the while. “I need him to know so he can reject me outright, and I can fucking move on .”

“A-Ammo, I don’t think we–”

“Quiet, handsome. No one’s even gonna notice that we’re gone.” They pulled him off into the guest bedroom, closing the door behind them. They pressed him against the wall next to the door. It was dark in there. No overhead light, no sunlight at this hour–The only light in the room came from under the door. And Ammo used that to their advantage. They had their face buried in his neck and their hand buried in the front of his jeans before he even knew what was happening.

He whimpered. “O-Oh–Oh, fuck–”

They smirked, dragging their tongue up the hollow of his throat, ripping more little noises out of his chest. A knock at the door pulled Ammo out from Lasko’s neck. He looked like he was about to pass out as they brought their hand up over his mouth and put a single finger over their lips, still curled up in a smirk. He nodded pitifully, and they cracked the door. Lasko was out of view. Whoever was there couldn’t see him, and he couldn’t see them. He closed his eyes, willing himself not to moan at how vulnerable he was.

“Oh, hey Ammo.” It was Freelancer. They sounded–surprised? Disappointed? “I uh… I was just looking for Lasko. You haven’t seen him around, have you?”

He shivered as Ammo’s grip on his mouth tightened. “No, no, I haven’t. Is everything okay?”

Freelancer paused, and Lasko wished he could see their face. Wished they would come in and join the fun or something . “Uh… Yeah, everything’s… Everything’s fine. Sorry to bother you.” He heard footsteps padding away as the door shut, and Ammo turned their full attention back to him.

They moved their hand to cup his jaw. “What a good boy you are. Being quiet so we don’t get caught.” They pressed their fingers against his lips, and they parted without hesitation. He sucked the digits into his mouth, lapping at them with his tongue in a vulgar way that surprised even him. Ammo smirked. “So good for me…” They leaned in, kissing at Lasko’s neck as his head tipped back, and his eyelids fluttered closed. The fingers in his mouth moved back. Deeper and deeper until they were fucking his throat.

I was just looking for Lasko.

And suddenly, he was sucking on Freelancer’s fingers while their lips worked expertly on his neck. It was them grinding against him with those breathy whimpers. He moaned, choking as the fingers reached his throat again.

“Good boy…” It was Ammo’s voice.

Ammo. Right.

Not Freelancer.

Never Freelancer.

He was so fucked.

Freelancer knew that Lasko had been in the room with Ammo that night.

Even two weeks later, they were still trying to convince themself that it didn’t eat away at them every time they closed their eyes.

Gavin knew otherwise.

“Freelancer,” he started one day as they sat on the couch alone, “baby, you’ve been stewing for weeks.”

They flopped over, burying their face into the cushions. “I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about.” Gavin sighed, settling next to them and rubbing their back. They groaned and pushed themself back into a sitting position before covering their face with their hands. “What am I gonna do, Gav?”

It was at this point that he realized just how close to crying that they were. “Baby…”

They turned to him. Sure enough, tears brimming. “I tried, Gavin. I really tried. But they’re so–” Cool? Sexy? Strong? So much better than I’ll ever be, so I may as well just fuck right out of Lasko’s life and never even attempt to contact him again? “–Fuck!”

Gavin continued to rub their back. “Everyone’s gonna be here soon. I’ll talk to Ammo and give you a second to talk with Lasko, okay?”

“But I–”

“ Okay? ”

They paused, then nodded. “Fine.”

Ammo had a feeling that they knew what was going on.

It came into their head again as they stood outside Freelancer’s apartment, hand-in-hand with Lasko. He was shaking, like he always did before these visits. When Freelancer opened the door, he tensed, squeezing Ammo’s hand.

Just like he always did when he saw them.

The two of them were the last to arrive, Damien and Huxley already deep in a two v one with Gavin. When the door shut behind them, Gavin looked up, making him lose the match. He didn’t seem to mind, though.

“Ammo!” He said with a smile. “I was hoping you’d be here. I wanna show you something.” He waved them over and, with a kiss to Lasko’s cheek, they joined him on the couch.

Lasko watched them, trying not to look at Freelancer, who hadn’t taken their eyes off of him since he walked in.

“Lasko.” He flinched at their voice. “Can I… Can I talk to you for a second?” He looked at them, and they nodded their head back to the bedroom. “Privately?”

He swallowed. “Y-Yeah, sure.”

Ammo pretended not to care as they watched the door close behind them.

“W-What did you uhm… What did you want to… talk to me about?”

Freelancer wasn’t looking at him. They were looking everywhere but at him, actually, which made everything about this so much worse. They were fidgeting, bouncing their knuckles off of each other the way they always did when they were anxious.

“I uhm… There’s… Well, there’s something I have to tell you.” Oh fuck. “It’s weird, and it’s a lot, and I’m really sorry.” Please just say it. “I didn’t know how to bring it up to you, and I was looking for you at Huxley’s party, because I thought maybe that would be a good time.” Just spit it out, you’re killing me. “But then I couldn’t find you, and I’ve been too freaked out to talk to you since then and–”

“Freelancer.” They stopped, took a breath, and finally looked at Lasko. “Tell me.”

I know you like me, and you’re making it weird–

“I’m in love with you.”

What?

“What?”

They broke down, going back to their fidgeting. “I know, I know, I’m so sorry, Lasko. I know you have a partner. I know you’re in love with Ammo. I know all those things. But I also know that I love you so much , and it’s literally tearing me apart to see you with them. And I’m not saying that you should break up with them! You love them, and I’d never ask you to choose. I just needed you to know, because it was–”

And then he was kissing them.

They made a noise against his lips, but the kiss wasn’t long enough for them to properly react or even consider what would be a proper reaction.

“I love you too, Freelancer.” His voice was so quiet, like he was embarrassed. “And I would choose you every time.” He stopped, brows furrowed. “But Gavin–”

“–Knows. He loves you too, in whatever weird way he can.”

Oh fuck.

“Oh, fuck.”

The two of them stared at each other in a long moment of silence. They both knew what had to happen, but neither of them wanted to admit it out loud.

“Ammo, baby? Can I talk to you?”

Their heart beat hard and fast in their throat as they turned to see Lasko and Freelancer stepping out of the bedroom. They nodded, standing and walking over to meet their boyfriend in the doorway.

“I uh… So, I just… Freelancer and I–”

They put a hand on his shoulder. “I know.”

The blood drained from his face. “You… What?”

“I’ve known since you introduced me to everyone.” They gave a sad smile. “You’re in love, aren’t you? Both of you?” Lasko nodded, unable to look them in the face. “Yeah… Hey.” They ducked their head down to catch his gaze. “It’s okay. I figured this was going to happen sooner or later.”

“But you…”

“I’ll be okay. I’ve had some time to process this. I was honestly just waiting for you to tell me.” They shared a weird laugh, despite everything. “Can I just… Can I just kiss you one more time before I go?” Lasko smiled softly and nodded, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to their lips. They sighed as he pulled away. “Alright, well uhm… I’m gonna head out.”

Lasko grabbed their arm. “No, no, you don’t have to–”

“I know. You guys are…” They laughed. “You guys are so fucking sweet, I know you wouldn’t care if I stuck around. But… I need to go.”

Lasko nodded, letting them go. “Do you want me to walk you to the door?”

They shook their head with a small smile. “No, I’m a big kid. I can handle it.” They reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. “Good luck, Lasko.”

“You too, Ammo.”

It was a few months before they saw each other again.

At a coffee shop, oddly enough. Lasko was typing away on his computer when a shadow stepped in the way of the fluorescent lighting. He looked up.

“Ammo?”

They smiled. “Hey, Lasko.”

He closed his lap top. “W-W-Wow you uh… Wow I-I-I-I mean you look–you look g-good–you look good.”

Fortunately for him, they laughed. “Thanks. So do you.” They motioned to the seat across from him. “Can I sit?”

He nodded. “Y-Y-Yeah! Yeah, of–of course. How are you… How’ve you uhm… How’ve you been?”

They smiled, sipped their drink. “I’ve been… I’ve been good. I uh… I’ve got a boyfriend.”

Lasko blinked, surprising himself with a toothy grin. “Oh! Oh, that’s–that’s–that’s great!” He paused. “That’s…that’s great, right?”

They gave another laugh. “Yeah, yeah. His name’s Ivan. We um… We’re really happy.”

Lasko watched the genuine happiness sink into their features as they talked about him. About the dates they’d gone on. About their favorite things to do together. They’d never looked at Lasko like that. In another life, that thought alone would’ve broken Lasko’s heart. But not this life. Not this Lasko.

He smiled as they spoke. “I’m really happy for you, Ammo.”

They smiled back. “Thank you. How are you guys doing?” Lasko’s blush and nervous laugh was enough of an answer. “I’m glad it all worked out.”

“You should uhm…” He hesitated. “You should come by for game night. Bring Ivan.”

They nodded, smiling bigger. “Yeah… I’d like that.”

Chapter Text

Angel hadn’t heard from David in a few hours.

He was supposed to have been home by that point, but they knew sometimes jobs ran later than expected. David didn’t like it when they worried, so they tucked themself into bed at a reasonable hour, just like he wanted them to.

It wasn’t important that they spent an ungodly amount of time reading a book instead of trying to sleep.

Eventually, they heard the door open and keys drop onto the table. They sighed with relief but didn’t make a move to get up. David would come to bed. He always did.

Sure enough, not a few minutes later, the bedroom door squeaked open quietly. David stood in the doorway, sweatshirt on, shoes off, and stopped when he met eyes with Angel.

“Still awake?” He asked in a raspy voice.

They shrugged. “I was just reading.” They set their book down. “How was the job?”

David grunted and stepped over to Angel’s side of the bed. They gave him a sweet, innocent smile in the hopes that it would spare them a lecture. He hooked his arms under their knees and pulled them down so they were lying flat on their back. Their mind raced at what he could be thinking. Was he angry that they weren’t asleep? Did he want to let go of some… tension from the day? What was his–

And then he was laying on top of them, head on their chest and hips settled between their thighs. He let out a sigh as his body deflated against theirs. They smiled and brought their hands up into his hair.

“Is someone touch starved?” They joked.

“Shut it,” he mumbled with zero threat behind his words, “just wanna be held.”

They pressed a kiss to his head, fingers combing through his hair. “You know I’ll always hold you, Davey…”

He hummed and nuzzled into their shirt. He fucking nuzzled . David Shaw had gone full touch-starved-puppy mode, and Angel was doing everything in their power to not draw attention to it for fear that he would shut away again. Instead, they moved one hand out of his hair to gently scratch his back.

“You saved my life, y’know…” He mumbled sleepily.

Angel felt their heart skip a beat. “I… I didn’t know that…”

“After dad died, I was in a rough spot. You know that much.” They nodded. “Shit was bad with the pack, shit was bad with me. And then you… stumbled into my life… into that McDonalds… You were so kind to me, despite my attempts to push you away. You were like this… light. This beautiful beacon of hope for me.” He paused for a long time, and they actually thought for a moment that he had rambled himself to sleep. But then he spoke again. “‘S why I call you angel…”

Angel didn’t want to cry.

They weren’t going to cry.

They weren’t .

But the tears had their own agenda and flowed freely–silently–at his words.

Even with the lack of noise, David could feel their shuddering breaths and knew what was going on. He looked up at them, chin on their chest. “Was that… too much?”

They shook their head, laughing through their tears. “No, no, Davey–God, no that was–I’m just–” He kissed them sweetly, slowly. It wasn’t often that he kissed them like that, and they sighed when he pulled away. “I’m just really happy that you’re here.”

“Did you miss me that much while I was gone?”

They swatted gently at his head, pulling a sweet laugh out of him. “That’s not what I meant.” He gave them a look. “I’m glad you’re alive, David. I’m glad you were able to push through it all. I’m glad I–” Their words caught in their throat. “–I’m glad I could be there to help you.”

He was staring at them with a look they had never seen before. Like he was so deeply and truly in love that he didn’t know what to do with himself–or with them. He settled on a kiss. More heated than the last but just as slow and sweet. His hands came up to cup their face, and they sobbed against his lips. When he pulled away, they could see that he was crying too.

“I love you, Angel. So, so much.”

They smiled their big, dopey grin. “I love you too, Davey.”

Chapter Text

“Angel, I’m back.” David called as he tossed his keys onto the counter. The only sound in the house was the water running from the kitchen. He sighed when he heard it. “Angel… I told you to stay in bed. You’re still recovering after–” The sink was running, yes, but Angel was not standing there. David paused. “Angel? Where are you, baby?” He rounded the corner of the island to turn the water off, and there they were. Angel was lying, unconscious, in a heap in front of the sink. David all but slapped the faucet off before dropping to his knees and pulling Angel into his lap. “Angel? Fuck–Angel, can you hear me?” He checked for a pulse, checked for breathing. Both were okay. He pulled his phone out and dialed as fast as he could. “Sam.”

“Hey, David, what–”

“I need you over here. Now. Bring Tank.” He hung up and gently touched a hand to Angel’s cheek. “You’re gonna be okay, Angel, I promise. We’re gonna take care of you.”

It wasn’t more than a few minutes before Sam and Tank were practically kicking down the door to get in. It was Sam who spoke first. “David?” He called. “Where are you?”

“Down here!” David responded from the floor behind the island. Angel hadn’t moved a muscle since he found them.

Sam rounded the corner with Tank in tow and was immediately on his knees on the other side of Angel. “Oh, shit–What happened? Are they breathin’?”

David nodded. “Y-Yeah. I uh–” His words caught in his throat. This was the second time he’d had to call Sam to bring back someone he loved. He didn’t want to cry like that. Not again. But he couldn’t stop it. “I-I just came home and they–Fuck they–the sink was running. They were supposed to be in bed–”

Sam took Angel’s face in his hands and a surge of magic passed between the two of them. Angel’s body seemed to deflate at that, and David found himself weeping into his hands. Tank had their hands on his shoulders before he could even ask for support. Not that he would, anyway.

It was an hour of panicked pacing before Angel woke up. Sam had worked his healing magic for longer than needed, just to be sure, and Tank waited by their bed while Sam tried to talk David down from the ledge.

But now Angel was awake, and everyone was in the room.

“What happened, Angel?” David demanded.

Angel blinked. “I uh… I was gonna ask you the same thing.”

He scoffed. “Oh come on. Don’t do that. What were you doing out of bed?”

Sam grabbed his arm but was quickly shrugged off. “David, chill out–”

David doubled down. “Angel, what happened ?”

Angel looked like a deer in the headlights. Did they always look like this when David raised his voice? How often did David raise his voice at them? “I-I… The dishes, they–”

David huffed out a laugh, pushing himself away from the bed. “The dishes. You risked your life and your safety for dishes .”

“I-It wasn’t my life and safety–”

“Clearly it was!” He motioned to them in bed. “You could’ve died. I told you to stay in bed, where you could rest and be safe. I told you not to move. I told you –”

“Davey, I know what you said, but I–”

“You’re so fucking stupid sometimes, you know that?” Angel flinched at his words, and Tank was nearly shielding them with their body. “You don’t ever think about the consequences of any of your actions, and you make me so fucking angry–”

Sam reached out. “David you–”

“– I’m the one who has to clean up after you. I’m the one that has to call someone when you fuck up. And sometimes I just hate you so fucking much I–” He stopped, seeing tears on Angel’s cheeks and fear in their eyes. What was he doing? What was this? “Angel I–”

“Don’t call me that…” They mumbled, sniffling.

He stepped towards them, almost pleading. “No, no, I–”

They scootched back on the bed. “Get away from me, David.”

David felt tears on his own face. He didn’t mean to lash out like that. He was just so worried and scared and– “Angel–”

Sam’s hand was tight on his arm suddenly. “Let’s go, David.”

He could do little more than follow him as he was practically dragged out of the room and away from his sobbing mate.

When they were out in the other room, Sam shoved David–hard.

“What the fuck was that?” He practically spat his words out. “They nearly died and the first thing you say to them is that they’re stupid and you hate them?”

“Sam, I–”

“No, you’ve said enough. If I ever spoke to Tank like that, you’d hunt me down and tear my throat out without a second thought. When Milo told you that the others were bullying him, you shut ‘em up faster than any of us could blink. Why is Angel any different? Why do they deserve your abuse when you go to such lengths to protect everyone else? Why did you even call me if you hate them so much?”

David didn’t have an answer. He just sat on the couch with his face in his hands. “I didn’t mean to… to say any of that stuff… I don’t hate them…”

“How often do you talk to them like that?” Sam’s voice was softer now but no less stern.

“Too much.” He scrubbed his face. “Sam, I’m not a good man. Not to them, not to the pack, not to–”

“Shut the fuck up , David.” The man in question blinked in surprise. “You don’t get to throw yourself a pity party after the stunt you pulled in there. You’re a great man–to everyone except your mate. That’s the issue. Don’t downplay this like you treat everyone else just as bad.”

“Sam–”

“Do you remember when Asher almost died? During the inversion?” David nodded, because he did. “Do you remember what happened when he woke up again? What you did?” He left a pause for David to think. “You hugged him , David. You cried with him. You damn near told the man you loved him. But your mate wakes up from a near death experience that, mind you, wasn’t expected like the inversion, and you do nothing but shit all over them.” Sam sighed. “You’re right, you’re not a good man. And what makes you even worse is that you can’t even tell how bad you actually are.”

There was a long silence before David spoke again. “How do I fix this?”

“You don’t. Angel will come to you if and when they’re ready. I’m taking them home with us tonight.”

“Sam, I’m not–”

“Not what? Not gonna scold ‘em? Berate ‘em? Hit ‘em–”

David growled, getting to his feet. “I’ve never laid a hand on them, and I would appreciate if you didn’t–”

Sam stood his ground, crossing his arms. “The look in their eyes tells me that they’re expecting it. Not sure if that’s any better.”

The door opened, and Tank peaked out. They gave Sam a look that David didn’t understand. But Sam did.

He turned back to David. “We’re taking them home with us. End of story. And you need to explain to your pack members why Angel, Darlin’, and I won’t be at the meetings for the foreseeable future.” He motioned to Tank, and they stepped out of the room, shielding Angel as they made their way to the front door. Angel had a bag in their hands. A big one. And they were doing everything they could to avoid looking at David. Sam followed closely behind them. “Goodbye, David.”

The door closed behind them, and suddenly David was alone.

“Where’s Tank and Sam?”

Of course Asher would be the first person to ask.

David sighed. “They’re uh… not gonna be here for a while.”

Milo looked around the room. “And Angel. Where’s Angel?”

“Gone for a bit.” That was all David could muster at that moment.

Milo huffed. “‘Gone for a bit’... What happened, David. I don’t wanna have a pack meeting without knowing where the whole pack is.”

“It doesn’t matter where–”

Asher stood suddenly. “What happened, David? You’re avoiding the question.”

David sighed again and rubbed his face. “I fucked up, okay? I said some nasty shit that I didn’t mean, and Angel is staying with Sam and Tank while it blows over.”

“What did you say?” Milo asked quietly.

David shook his head. “I can’t repeat it. Not here. Not ever.”

“Is it… ever gonna blow over?” Asher asked. “How bad was it?” David’s silence was enough for him. “Christ, David, I–”

Babe put a hand over their mouth and looked over at Sneaks, who was reacting similarly. They both had their phones in their laps. David groaned and covered his face, knowing exactly what that meant.

“You said what ?” Sneaks was the first to speak. Maybe because they were empowered they felt like they stood a chance if David fought back.

But he didn’t. “I know, I know, I–”

“What the fuck, David.” It was Milo. David opened his eyes to see both boys with their partner’s phones in their hands. There were four sets of eyes on him. Mostly angry, but Asher…

“Who are you?” He asked, sounding as heartbroken and disappointed as he looked.

“I–”

“We’re done. Come on, babe.” He started towards the door with Babe in tow. He turned. “Milo, you comin’?”

Milo was staring at David like he wanted to rip his throat out. He nodded. “Yeah. C’mon, sweetheart. We’ve got an angel to visit.”

And again, David was left entirely alone.

It was a month before David heard from anyone.

The security company mostly took a pause, but David worked every gig he could by himself. He threw himself into his work to keep his mind occupied.

Most nights he slept on the couch. He couldn’t bear to sleep in the bed–their bed.

It had been almost five weeks since the fight when there was a knock at the door. David, not wanting to seem too desperate to see anyone, slowly made his way over.

And there they were.

“Angel.”

“Hi David. I wanna talk.”

David stepped back, letting them in and closing the door behind them. “You have a key, y’know. You could’ve just come in.”

They shrugged. “It felt wrong. Thought maybe we could start on the right foot by you letting me in willingly.” David nodded and sat on the couch. Angel sat next to him, a few feet away. “I have a lot to say to you right now, but I want to hear you first. Talk to me, for once in your life. Tell me all the things you’ve been bottling up, and tell me why you said those things to me.”

David took a breath. He’d been practicing what to say to make it sound better, but there was no way to word his thoughts that was going to justify his behavior. “I’ve lost so much in my life. And I blame myself for most of it, even if it can’t be tied back to me in any way. My mom, my dad, Ash during the inversion… you… I want to protect you–all of you–but sometimes… Sometimes I feel like you don’t want to be protected. You throw yourself out into the world and into danger without a thought about how it could hurt you. You scare me, Angel. Your recklessness and unending desire to keep yourself occupied–They were cute when we first started dating. Endearing, actually. But now…” He sighed. “I’m scared for you every time you leave the house. Every time you do something that’s even remotely unsafe I–” He took a breath. Just say it already. “I’ve been having a lot of panic attacks recently. I’ve been hiding them in long showers and late nights at work but… I haven’t had them this bad since dad died. And they’re all about you. About you not telling me where you’re going and ending up hurt. About you trying to be selfless and killing yourself. About you–” His voice broke. “–Cracking your head open because you just had to do the dishes before you were healed. I didn’t mean anything I said that night. I was terrified of losing you. Terrified that next time, Sam wouldn’t be available, and you wouldn’t make it. All that… It doesn’t excuse what I said, and I am truly sorry that you ever had to hear me say those things. I love you so much, Angel. I would do anything to make this right.”

Angel watched him silently, processing. “I know you would. Thank you for being honest.” They sighed. “In the uh… spirit of honesty… I should tell you that I’ve been advised by every single one of our mutual friends to, quote, ‘dump his ass and take the house’.” David winced. “But… It’s not their call to make. It’s mine.” They paused, trying to choose the right words. “And I… I choose to give you another chance.” David looked at them. “There are conditions. I don’t usually give second chances. Not for shit like this. But… I love you too, and I know how hard you’ve had it recently. I can’t imagine what this month must’ve been like for you not hearing from any of us.” David shrugged. “Talk to me, okay? That’s all I ask. I want to help you. I want to be there for you. That’s what a mate is supposed to do. And we’re mates, right?”

He smiled at them, tears brimming. “Y-Yeah… Yeah, we are…”

Angel wrapped him in a hug, tugging him so his head was buried in their neck. “And I’ll… be more careful. I think more about my decisions so that you don’t have to worry so much.”

He laughed through his tears. “Thank you… For all of this…”

“Don’t thank me yet.” They kissed the top of his head. “We still have to tell everyone else.”

David winced. “Oh no…”

Angel nodded. “Oh yes…”

Chapter Text

For ten years, David tried to convince himself that he wasn’t in love with Tank.

And, for ten years, it didn’t work. Though, he’d managed to convince everyone but himself, it seemed.

“You’re too hard on them.” Asher told him after a pack meeting where he had, in fact, been too hard on them. “They were just trying to help out in any way that they could. It’s not like you let them go on jobs or anything.”

“As much as I appreciate your thoughts, Ash, I don’t hold them to a different standard than anyone else in the pack. I don’t play favorites.”

Asher scoffed. “I’m not saying you do. I’m saying you play least favorites.”

David looked up at him and dragged his tongue across his teeth. “Is there a point to all this? Because if not, I really need to finish this paperwork for the Wexford job in a few days.”

Asher sighed, combing his fingers through his hair. “I guess not. I’m going home. Call if you need me.” He fully intended for the door to close as harshly as it did behind him.

The next day, Tank was the one in front of his desk.

“We need to talk.”

David looked up as the door slammed. “Tank. What’d you need–”

“Put me on the Wexford job.” It wasn’t a question.

He sighed. “I can’t just–”

“I’m not asking, David,” they demanded, “put me on the job. Milo already said he’d stay back if my being there would push us over capacity.”

“That’s not the issue–”

They slammed their hands flat on the desk, making David sit back in his chair. “Dammit, David, then what is it? Why do you leave me out of everything? Why can’t I just prove myself to you as a pack member by doing good on a job? I know my family came into the pack later than the rest of you, but–”

“Tank, that’s not it–”

“–But I’m tired of doing everything right and still being ignored and brushed aside like some fucking runt –”

“Would you shut up for just a second?!” Tank blinked at David’s tone, and he sighed, rubbing his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell, I just–”

“What am I doing wrong, David?” They sounded so dejected. “Just tell me so I can do better.”

“You’re not doing anything wrong, Tank,” he assured, “you’re an incredibly important member of this pack, and we all value you and your contributions–”

“Then please put me on the Wexford job.” Their voice was so quiet, almost a whisper.

David sighed. “I’m not gonna do that. My decision is final.”

“But why ?” They pleaded. “ Why won’t you just–”

“Because I don’t want to see you get hurt.” The words left his mouth before he could stop them. Tank just stared at him, and he tugged at his hair in frustration. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you got hurt on my watch, so I never put you in the line of fire.”

They crossed their arms. “So, you don’t think I can protect myself.”

“Tank, that’s not what I–”

“Oh, no, I get it, David, don’t worry.” Their tone was mocking now. “I understand perfectly clear. You don’t think I’m strong enough to protect myself on a simple security job, so you’re doing me the favor of keeping me on the sidelines–”

“Don’t be like that–”

“Fuck you, David,” they spat, “fuck you, and fuck your stupid favors.” They turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door and leaving David to question every choice he’d made in the last ten years.

They didn’t show up to the next few pack meetings.

Milo said they went back to Washington to stay with their other family for a while. No one mentioned it further. David sent them a text wishing them well and to let him know if they needed anything. They never responded.

It was late one night when he got a call from an unknown number. The area code was Dahlia, so he decided to answer it.

“Shaw speaking.”

“David…?” The voice on the other end was fuzzy but unmistakable.

“Tank?” Panic rose in his throat. “What’s going on? Where are you calling from?”

“Payphone… West end of town…” Their voice was strained, like they were in pain. “I’m sorry–”

He disregarded the second bit. “I’m coming to get you. Stay put.”

They gave a hoarse laugh. “Don’t think I could move if I wanted to.”

“I’m on my way, darling, just keep breathing, and I’ll be there soon.” He didn’t even have time to process the pet name before he was hanging up and pulling on his shoes.

It didn’t take him long to find them.

There were only so many payphones in Dahlia, and even less of them had blood-soaked werewolves in them.

David left the car running when he jumped out and ran to the booth. “Tank–Fuckin’ Christ –What happened?” He dropped to his knees next to them.

They look at him through puffy, lidded eyes. “Davey… You came…”

“Of course I came, you brat.” His hands hovered over them as he assessed the damage. It was worse than he was expecting. “Can I pick you up? We need to get you to Marie.”

“I’m sorry–” A few tears ran down their cheeks, cutting through the dried blood. “–I was being stupid, and I–”

“Darling, please.” David’s voice was quiet, almost shaking. “I want to get you somewhere safe.” They nodded but winced when they were moved. “I know, I’m sorry. You’re gonna be okay, just keep breathing.”

“I don’t want you to be mad at me…”

He looked down at them, but they had their face buried in his neck. “I’m not mad at you. I could never be mad at you. Not really.”

“But you’re always so…” They trailed off with a whimper.

“Not mad, Tank.” He paused. “Scared. Scared of something like this. I just wanted to keep you safe. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

They fisted their hand in his shirt as he shifted to open the passenger door. “Careful, it’s starting to sound like you care about me.”

He knew they were trying to make a joke, but it still made his heart hurt. He buckled them in and pressed a ghost of a kiss to their forehead. “That’s because I do.” It was so quiet that neither of them fully processed it.

And then David was sliding into the driver’s seat and speeding off in the direction of home.

David didn’t like pacing.

He knew how astonishingly unproductive and incredibly unhelpful it was to just be walking back and forth and panicking , but he couldn’t help it. Marie had asked for space to work almost an hour ago, and he hadn’t heard the sounds of her magic in at least ten minutes. What was he supposed to do ? Go home? Fuck that .

He dragged his fingers through his hair and tugged. He couldn’t just sit here –couldn’t just stand here –like a useless bastard. He was the alpha of his pack, for fuck sake. He could do a lot more than just pace . He just… didn’t know what to do.

The door to the spare room opened, and Marie appeared in the doorway. “David–”

“Are they okay?” He asked quickly, hurrying over. “Are they–”

She put a hand on his shoulder. “Take a breath, David.” He did, realizing she’d probably never seen him in this state. Not since he was a kid, at least. “They’re okay. Just sleeping off the magic now. They’re gonna be fine.”

He sighed, all the tension in his body flooding out of him as he brought his shaky hands up to scrub his face. “Okay… Okay, I–I can just–I’ll just–”

“Dave…” she started. It was enough to send him over the edge. Tears rolled down his cheeks and dripped off of his chin. Her arms were around his waist in a heartbeat, pulling him against her. He let his head fall onto her shoulder as he wept. “You don’t have to be strong for everyone. Just because you’re the alpha doesn’t mean you can’t be vulnerable around us. Do you know how many times I held Gabe when he cried? Too many to count.” She gave a soft laugh. “That man cried more than you did when you were growing up. And there’s no shame in that. He was still an incredible alpha.” She grabbed his face in her hands and wiped his tears with her thumbs. “And so are you. Tank might not’ve made it if you didn’t bring them here.” She tugged him down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Go and sit with them. Your anxious brain needs to see them alive and healed up.”

“‘M not anxious…” Was all he could muster.

Marie laughed. “Sure you’re not.” She ruffled his hair. “Go, Dave.”

He offered a gentle smile. “Thanks, Marie. For everything.”

She just huffed and urged him into the room. “I’ll be downstairs. Come get me if something happens, yeah?”

David nodded and turned to the bed as the door closed behind him.

Tank was, in fact, asleep. They were in different clothes, their bloody rags in a neat pile on the dresser. Their face and body were cleaned up too, it seemed.

He settled next to them on the edge of the bed. What was he doing here? They were fine now. They didn’t need him sitting there doting on them. He made a move to get up but stopped when he felt fingertips against his wrist. He turned back, and his gaze met Tank’s.

“Davey…?”

He smiled. “Hey… I was uhm… I was about to head out. Didn’t mean to wake you. Go back to sleep, you need the rest.”

“Will you stay?” Their voice was so pitifully quiet, David almost thought he’d imagined it. But the pleading look in their eyes told him just how real it was.

He swallowed. “Do you want me to stay?” They nodded, trying to reach out to him again. “Okay. I’ll uh… I’ll be right here if you need anything.”

Their fingers wrapped fully around his wrist, gentle but insistent. “No… Closer. Come lay next to me.”

His heart skipped a beat, even though he knew they never would’ve meant it in the way that he wanted them to. Regardless, he walked around the other side of the bed and crawled in next to them. He sat up stiffly, not wanting to push any of their unspoken boundaries. But they had other plans, it seemed, as they tucked themself under his arm and nuzzled their face into his chest.

He raised his arms instinctually. “T-Tank, what’re you–”

“Hold me…” They murmured. “Please…”

David hesitated but eventually let himself slowly slide flat onto his back and wrap his arms around the person snuggled up to him. They decompressed against him with a content hum. He couldn’t help but let one of his hands trail up their back and hold their head tighter against him. They didn’t seem to mind, actually opting to snuggle closer as his fingers worked in their hair. He smiled, but he knew his heart was pounding so hard that it was probably punching them in the cheek. If they felt it, they didn’t say anything. It was a comfortable silence.

David woke up to a body stirring in front of him. He opened his eyes to see Tank blinking up at him sleepily. They smiled.

“G’morning…”

He swallowed. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

They took a deep breath and snuggled back against his chest. “A little sore but overall a lot better. Thanks for staying with me last night. I know it was kind of a lot for me to call you–”

“Hey.” They looked up at him again. “Stop that. You know I’m always here for you. To keep you safe, no matter what.” They stared at him, lips parted, and he tried to backtrack. “A-As your alpha, I mean. It’s my job to make sure you’re okay, and–”

“Do you have pet names for everyone else?”

Oh, fuck…

He offered a nervous laugh. “So… You remember that.”

“‘Course I do. I’ll never forget the day David Shaw went soft.” They smiled deviously.

“Don’t act like you didn’t have your own dopey moment, you stinker. For the record, I’m not letting you call me ‘Davey’ ever again.”

They laughed. “Not even if I’m dying again?”

He stopped. Images from the night before flickered in his mind. The cuts, the blood– “Don’t… Don’t talk like that. You didn’t… You weren’t…”

“I know…” The tone in their voice told David what he already knew. They had almost died that night. And they had been aware of the severity of it. Fuck, he almost lost them … He rubbed his face as tears burned the back of his eyes. They lifted a hand to cup his cheek. “Hey… For what it’s worth, I didn’t intend for… y ‘know…”

“You wanna tell me what happened?”

They sighed, hugging their shoulders. “I um… I went after a lead.”

David furrowed his brows. “A lead? A lead on what?”

“On… Quinn.”

Oh, you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me–

“Quinn?” He asked. “Like… raging murderer vampire Quinn?” They nodded, and he sighed. “Why didn’t you tell anyone? We all thought you were still in Washington.”

“About that…” Catching the look on his face, they sucked in a breath. “I wasn’t… actually in Washington. I never left Dahlia.” David opened his mouth to reply, but they hurried to continue. “Milo didn’t know. No one did. I told everyone I was out of state I–I didn’t want anyone trying to stop me from–”

“What did you do, Tank…”

They paused, watching his face carefully. “There was a woman. A vamp that had been with Quinn. I… sensed him at her house, like I did at Wonderworld, but when I got there, it was just those two vamps and–”

“You fought two vamps ?” They nodded. “ Alone? ” Another nod. “And you walked away? ”

“Well, I hobbled, but yeah. You saw the state I was in.” They dropped their gaze, visibly embarrassed. “My phone got… crushed in the fight, so I dragged myself to the phone booth to call you. I’m sorry, I just–I wanted to prove to you that I could protect myself–That you could trust me on jobs but I– Fuck , I guess I–”

David put his knuckle under their chin and lifted their gaze to meet his. “Darling, you don’t have anything to prove.” His voice was so gentle, it made them want to cry. “I trust you more than most of the pack. I just… I don’t trust the world. And I want to be there to protect you from it all but…” He sighed. “It’s not… right. I can protect you as your alpha but not… Not like–”

And then they were kissing him, and he was making some pitiful noise against their lips. Their hands pressed against his chest, but he did everything in his power not to touch them anymore than he already was. When they pulled away, they didn’t move far. “Like that?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, like that. Look, Tank, I’m–”

“If you don’t want me like that, then tell me.” They paused, eyeing him. “But… If you do want me like that…” Their hands trailed down and rested on his stomach. He sucked in a sharp, shaky breath. “Then I want to kiss you again.”

David prided himself on being able to weigh the consequences of his actions and make decisions on the fly. He thought thoroughly about every single split-second choice he had to make in his life. But his mind went blank as he leaned down to kiss them again. And, for once in his life, David Shaw didn’t care about consequences.

Chapter Text

The hunters had given Sneaks their nickname for a reason. They were good at what they did, even for a stealth. And this was not their first rodeo by a longshot.

“Anyone got eyes?” They whispered into the walkie mic on their collar.

“Alpha, negative.”

“Delta, negative.”

They swore under their breath. They’d been at this all day, and now that the sun had set, it was getting cold. They were sick of waiting around. They wanted to do something.

“I’m moving in,” they told their team, “I’ll update as needed.”

“Alpha, copy.”

“Delta, copy. Good luck, Sneaks.”

They scoffed. “You say that as if I need it, Delta. Sneaks, out.”

Everyone on the team knew they didn’t need any luck. Hell, they barely needed any help on most missions. But they still poked fun, because it was endearing to hear their usually-stuck-up comrades get a bit of a laugh because of them.

Adjusting the bag on their hips, they crept forward, around the tree they’d been hiding behind and into the clearing. They had cloaked and knew that no one would be able to spot them, least of all the Shade they were hunting. But something in the air shifted as they passed the treeline.

They could sense another aura.

Before they could even react to it, their back was pressed against the nearest tree, and there was a strong forearm on their throat.

“Who are you?” Asked a gruff voice in a Jersey accent.

Sneaks flickered back into the visual world and grasped at the arm, blinking away their brief moment of panic. “Who’s asking–”

The owner of the arm–a shorter man with a wild wolf cut, they’d determined–huffed out a laugh. “Not sure if you’re in the position to be askin’ questions, sweetheart. Start talkin’. Who are you, and what are you doin’ on our turf?”

“Name’s Sneaks–” They gasped as the arm threatened to wipe out their consciousness completely. “‘M not here for you, lighten up–”

The man moved his arm down to pin against their shoulders, and they sucked in a deep breath. “Alright, Sneaks. Talk. If you’re not here for me, then what are you here for?”

“That’s none of your concern–”

“And that’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart.” His tone was almost mocking, as if he held some sort of power over them. “You have found yourself on Shaw territory. And I happen to be the member of the pack on watch tonight. So, your business is, in fact, my concern.”

Shaw pack? Like David-fucking-Shaw pack?? “If you’ll let me off this tree, I’ll tell you everything you wanna know, wolfy.”

He pressed harder against them with a growl. They felt their mic shatter under the pressure. Fuuuuck . “Watch your tone, stealth. I’m not afraid to use my teeth on you.”

They raised an eyebrow, trying anything and everything to distract him. “Who says that’s a bad thing?”

He blinked, face flushing for a brief moment before he regained himself with another low growl. “No matter how cute you might be, you’re not gonna be able to flirt your way outta this one. Now talk. Or do I need to get my alpha involved?”

This runt, Sneaks could deal with. David Shaw? Even they knew their limits. They paused, considering their very limited options. “Fine. I’m on a hunt.”

“Yeah, I figured that out by your sneaky bullshit. What are you huntin’?”

They shifted uncomfortably, averting their eyes. “I really shouldn’t be–”

“ What are you hunting? ”

They paused before mumbling, “A Shade.”

The man blinked in surprise, grip loosening. “You… You’re hunting a fuckin’ Shade ?”

“Yeah, and I’d really appreciate if you didn’t announce that to the entire forest, including, but not limited to the fucking Shade .”

He stepped back, crossing his arms. “What makes you think there’s a Shade in this forest? And, if there was, what makes you think my pack hasn’t already handled it?”

“I tracked it in here, smartass,” they snapped, rubbing at the place where his arm had been, “and if you’d already taken care of it, you wouldn’t have been so surprised when I brought it up.”

He sighed. “Okay, sure. Let’s assume you are hunting a Shade–”

“I am.”

“–Why would the department send someone so young to do it alone? You’re, what, my age?”

They scoffed. “First of all, I’m not with the department. And second of all, it’s bold of you to assume that I came alone.”

The man made a dramatic effort to look around the clearing. “Well, I sure as hell don’t see anyone else.”

“That’s because someone’s forearm shattered my mic–” They motioned to their collar with an exaggerated expression “–and I haven’t exactly had the chance to contact them via walkie about what’s going on. Not sure if you realize, but I’m a little held up at the moment, and I think reaching for my belt might be a little threatening.”

He seemed to deflate a bit before motioning to them with his chin. “Go ahead.”

They nodded and pulled their walkie from their belt, unplugging the mic and tucking it away. “Alpha, Delta, do you copy?”

Their static voices came through, almost simultaneously. “Copy.”

Sneaks sighed with–unfortunately–visible relief. “There’s nothing here.” As they spoke, their eyes were locked on the man in front of them. “We should call it a night; it’s fucking cold. I’ll meet y’all at the trailhead. Sneaks, out.”

“Trailhead, copy. Alpha, out.”

“Trailhead, copy. See you soon, Sneaks. Delta, out.”

They hooked their walkie back to their belt. “Thanks for the choke, but I’ve gotta go meet my team.”

The man was watching them carefully. “You didn’t tell them about me.”

“What, are you jealous? At least take me to dinner before you demand to meet the family–”

“Don’t you think it would be smart to let your team know that you’re on Shaw territory?” He had that demeaning tone again, this time with a twinge of confusion that he couldn’t hide. “That you, perhaps, might’ve just caused a lotta conflict by doin’ so?”

They eyed him. “ Have I caused a lotta conflict?”

He hesitated. “Well, I mean–”

“Exactly.” They motioned between the two of them. “You and I worked it out, and now I will be on my way. No reason to get the team in a fuss.”

“Who is your team, anyway? They all as young as you?” There was a movement behind him, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Hey. Stealth. I asked you a question.”

“Yeah, yeah, uhm…” Their gaze focused over the man’s shoulder. “I’m the youngest. Whoopdeedoo, you got the runt of the litter.”

He laughed at that. “You and me both, then. Maybe it’s fitting that you came by while I was on duty. Besides the fact that anyone else in the pack probably woulda’ killed you on the spot–”

The movement came again, closer. “Hey–”

“–Both of us bein’ the littlest ones is kinda a funny coincidence, dontcha think? Tryina’ prove ourselves by gettin’ the upperhand on each other–”

Their hand dipped behind their back for the gun tucked in their jeans. “Wolfy–”

He threw his hands up. “Alright, well now you ruined it. We had a good thing goin’ for a bit–”

Everything happened in a second.

Sneaks had their gun out and firing over the man’s shoulder before his sentence was even finished. At the same time, the Shade appeared, only partially corporeal, right where the shots were aimed. It hissed and screamed, making the man jump to the side with a curse.

And then it was gone again.

Sneaks still had their gun out, trigger finger at the ready.

The man took a heaving breath, hands resting on his thighs. “What the fuck ? You coulda’ shot me –”

“But I didn’t.” They commented, not looking at him.

“Yeah, but you could’ve . Why didn’t you just tell me the Shade was right behind me?”

“I tried to , but you don’t know how to shut up.” They motioned to him vaguely with their gun. “Exhibit B: right now, when I’m trying to find out where that sneaky bastard went.”

“Alright, well, excuse me for wanting to know why you refuse to act like a rational person at any point since we’ve met.”

They turned their attention fully to the man, who had just regained himself. Big mistake. “I am plenty rational. I’ll have you know, I’ve been working on this team for–”

“Sneaks, look out–!”

Suddenly, there was a set of claws digging into their chest and a set digging into their cheeks. They tried to cry out but were cut off by the semi-corporeal hand over their mouth, sucking their lifeforce out from between their lips. Just as their vision began dimming, they were knocked to ground, gasping for air. They barely processed the sounds of growling and hissing through the ringing in their ears.

But then it was quiet. The ringing settled, and there was nothing but heavy breathing.

And then they were being pulled into a sitting position against a tree. The man sat on his knees in front of them, assessing their body. “Hey…” His voice was gentle. They didn’t want to think about how much they liked it this way. His hand came up to cradle their cheek. “Hey, you still with me?”

They gave a nod. “Mhm… Hurts like a bitch.”

He breathed a laugh through his nose. “I meant the lifeforce, sweetheart. The thing was tryina’ suck you dry.”

They waved him off. “I’ve had worse.” He gave them a look. “Okay, maybe not, but I’ve had run-ins with this guy before. This isn’t the first time he’s fed on me. I’ll be fine.”

“Alright, well… We should get you back to your team.”

They tried to laugh but winced. No laughing. Got it. “Not sure I’m gonna be able to walk, wolfy–”

“Milo.”

They squinted. “What?”

“My uh… My name’s Milo.” He seemed nervous all of a sudden.

“Oh.” Nice.

“Look, if you can’t walk, I can always carry you–”

“I appreciate the offer, Milo , but I’m not really in for my team’s well-practiced lecture on self-preservation right now. They give enough of those as it is. God knows what they’d have to say about all this.” They motioned to themself. “I need to heal myself a bit first.”

“Heal your–” He sighed. “You’re a nutcase, you know that?” They blinked at him. “Lemme take you back to the pack. We’ve got a healer that–”

“As if I trust you enough–”

“Do you have another option?” They opened their mouth to respond. “Another viable option.” When they were silent, he nodded. “Alright. Can I pick you up? We’ve got a place not too far from here. I can call up our healer to swing by.”

Sneaks weighed the outcomes: go with the weird guy and get healed (Maybe get kidnapped? Maybe get a kiss? ). Or stay out in the woods and drag themself back to the trailhead, if they didn’t get fully drained by that Shade first. Their pain-riddled brain modified that first option to seem more enticing than they would’ve liked to admit.

“Yeah,” they mumbled eventually, “I’m so fuckin’ cold, I don’t even care if you kidnap me at this point, as long as we’re going somewhere warm.”

Milo laughed, scooping them up in his arms as gently as he could. “I’m not gonna kidnap you, sweetheart. Not now that I know you’ve got a gun, at least.”

They smiled in a daze. “Mmm… Better watch out. Might hit’cha this time.” As they started moving, a garble of static at their waist cleared their mind for a moment. They lifted their walkie to their ear and caught the end of a sentence.

“–the fuck are you, Sneaks? You’re freakin’ us out, now.”

“‘M fine, Delta.” They managed to not sound like they were rightfully on their way to a healer. “Got a lead on my way back. Go home, I’ve got this.”

“Sneaks–”

“ Home , Alpha.”

There was a pause before Alpha responded. “If you don’t update us by call-time tomorrow, I’m calling a search party to ransack those woods.”

They laughed, then winced. “I’ll hold you to it. Sneaks, out.”

They felt Milo laugh as they tucked the walkie away. “Y’know what’ll happen if your whole team busts in here, right?”

Sneaks nodded with a dopey smile. “Exactly why I’ll be sure to check in on time.”

Chapter Text

“Ash, I super do not wanna be here right now.”

Milo was usually not the type to complain while working a job.

But usually , it wasn’t this fucking cold in August, and usually , he brought a snack with him. These were not usual circumstances, and Milo was hangry.

Asher sighed, leaning against the wall. “I know, man. I don’t either. We both know David would’ve taken this job if he could’ve. It’s a hefty sum–”

“Yeah, because it’s fuckin’ freezing –”

“–No, because it’s a crime scene , Milo. Didn’t you read that NDA shit that David made us sign?”

Milo waved him off. “I don’t read half the shit David makes me sign.”

Asher laughed. “Fair enough. Look, just stick it out, and dinner’s on me, yeah?” He only got a long groan as a response, to which he responded with a swat to the chest. “Shape up, the department just got here.”

Sure enough, a car pulled up with a subtle D.U.M.P. sticker plastered to the bumper. The back door opened, and the most beautiful person Milo had ever seen stepped out, taking the clipboard from the officer that met them.

Asher swatted at him again. “Dude, you’re drooling. At least be subtle about it.”

Milo shook his head in an attempt to reel himself back in. “Right. Yeah. Subtle.”

But they were anything but subtle. Their shirt was one button too open with the sleeves rolled up and tucked into pants that hugged them oh so nicely . How was Milo supposed to be subtle when they were over there lookin’ like a four-course meal on legs?

It was then that they pulled their sunglasses onto their head, and their gaze landed on Asher before flicking over to Milo. He felt himself flush, lips parted like he had anything intelligent to say.

And then they were walking over.

Oh fuck fuck fuck–

“Hey, guys. I’m the investigator on this case. You can just call me Sneaks, everyone does.” They held out their hand to Asher first, and he shook it.

“Asher. Shaw pack beta.”

Sneaks turned their attention to Milo, who was still just staring. “And you are…”

“Milo–” He squeaked out, shaking their hand. He cleared his throat. “My name’s Milo. I’m just… another pack member.”

They gave a tight smile and a nod. “Good to meet you guys. I’ve gotta get to it, but I’ll keep you both in the loop. Thanks for being here.”

As they walked away, Asher chuckled quietly. “ ‘My name’s Milo’ ,” he mocked, making his voice crack.

Milo flushed and swatted at him. “Shut up–It’s not funny–”

“You’re right, it’s fuckin’ hilarious. I wish I got that on video.”

This was gonna be a long day.

It was long past sunset before officers started rolling out.

Sneaks only got more and more frustrated as the day went on. Not that Milo had been watching. Not that at all. He was actively trying not to watch them by entertaining Asher in whatever he was rambling about.

“Dude, are you even listening?”

Milo shook his head. “Not even a little bit.”

Asher pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay, fine. Let’s talk about something you’re interested in, then.” Don’t you fuckin’ dare– “What are we getting for dinner?”

Oh, thank god.

“Honestly, anythin’ sounds great right now, but I’m really feelin’ Chinese food.”

Asher nodded. “Chinese food it is.”

“Y’all talkin’ about Chinese food?”

Sneaks’ voice nearly had Milo jumping out of his skin. He did, however, actually make a very embarrassing squawk noise that he knew immediately he would get shit for later. He turned to see the source of the voice. They were so much more disheveled than the last time that Milo definitely-did-not-check-up-on-them.

“Yeah,” Asher answered, “I promised Milo dinner if he behaved.”

“Do you mind too terribly if a certain department investigator were to join you?” They wrung their hands like they had any reason to be nervous. Milo was about to shit himself. “I don’t mean to intrude, but I don’t think I’m gonna be able to handle office food after the day we’ve had.”

Asher shrugged and nudged Milo. “I don’t mind, but it’s up to the big man. It’s his celebratory dinner after all.”

And suddenly the attention was on Milo. He sputtered out some kind of affirming statement, and Sneaks smiled. Oh boy, oh man…

“Thanks, guys. I appreciate it. Let me go wrap up real quick, let the team know where I’m going, and I’ll meet you back here? I didn’t drive, so I’m gonna need a ride, if that’s okay.”

Asher gave a two finger salute. “You got it, boss.”

Milo, of course, just stood there like an idiot.

Apparently, Asher thought it would be the funniest thing in the world to put the leftovers in the passenger seat and make Milo sit in the back with Sneaks after dinner. As if it wasn’t enough that he made them sit on the same side of the booth by manspreading his way to the Meridian, now Asher was reveling in the fact that Milo was packed like a sardine next to Sneaks, who apparently never dropped their shit-eating grin once they got comfortable enough to share it.

“How’re you two doin’ back there?” He asked.

“Very comfy,” Sneaks answered, as if to spite the man next to them, “thanks, Ash.”

Milo just glared at his packmate in the rearview mirror.

“Good, good, I’m glad.” Asher was actively ignoring the if-looks-could-kill sniper in the backseat. “You sure you don’t wanna just crash with one of us?”

Sneaks shook their head. “Yeah, I feel like I’ve intruded enough by joining in on your ‘Milo’s been a good boy celebratory feast’.” They laughed. “Plus, I feel like I’m about to fall asleep in my slacks, and I’d rather do that in my own bed.”

Asher laughed, but Milo couldn’t tell if it was in response to Sneaks’ words or the flush that spread across Milo’s cheeks. “Understood.”

The rest of the drive was silent, save for Milo’s thundering heart rate as Sneaks slowly began melting against him. When they got to the apartment complex that they had directed Asher to, they hopped out of the car.

“Thanks again, guys,” they chirped, “I’ll see you around.”

The boys said their goodbyes and made it back to Milo’s apartment in silence. Almost.

“They left their sunglasses back here,” Milo said, holding the metal frames in his hands.

Asher didn’t skip a beat. “Great! You can stop by their apartment and drop them off tomorrow.”

“Oh, no, I absolutely will not be doin’ that–”

Milo buzzed the button next to the only apartment that was labeled with tape. They had covered whatever name was there and wrote “Dt. Sneaks” in sharpie on the tape. Endearing as it was, Milo was, again , about to shit himself. They probably weren’t even home. It was like 10am. Prime time for hot-shot department workers to be in the office, not waiting up for–

“You’ve got Sneaks.”

Ah Christ.

“H-Hey, Sneaks, it’s Milo.” He stopped there but quickly realized that maybe they hadn’t remembered him. “Th-The Shaw security guy from last night. I don’t know if you remember–”

“Oh, hey Milo! Of course I remember you. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

“You uh… You left your sunglasses in the car.” God, he felt so stupid. “I wanted to return them.”

There was a pause, and, for a second, he thought they might’ve dropped the line. “That’s awful sweet of you. I’ll buzz you in. Just come on up.”

Up? As in… “into their apartment” up??

“Okay, cool.” Dude, you are so lame.

Two and a half minutes later, Milo was standing in front of their door, still holding those goddamn sunglasses. The door opened, and they greeted him with a smile.

“Hey! Come on in.” They held the door open for him, and he, ever the idiot, walked right in. “Make yourself at home. Mi casa es su casa and stuff.”

Milo just stood there for a minute before holding out the sunglasses with a stiff arm. Way to go, loser. You look like a middle schooler giving flowers to his crush. “Here.”

Sneaks looked at the sunglasses and then met Milo’s gaze. Their bright smile faltered as they took the glasses. “Oh. Yeah. Thanks. Sorry, I–I didn’t mean to assume that you–I guess this is the only reason you’re here, huh?” They laughed nervously, as if they’d embarrassed themself. Milo was the one standing there like a fucking idiot. “You’ve probably got other things to do today–”

“I don’t.”

Milo, man, you’ve got such a way with words.

They blinked. “Oh. So you… Are you…”

“I don’t want to intrude on your day.”

“It’s my day off, actually…”

“Mine too.”

They nodded at each other in the single most awkward way that two people could nod at each other. They kept missing each other’s gazes, but when they finally met, they both just stared for a long moment before speaking at the same time.

Sneaks: “Do you–Oh, sorry, I–No, you first–No, I–”

Milo: “Did you–Go ahead–Please, it’s–”

They both laughed nervously, and Speaks was the first one to regain some sensibility. “Do you wanna sit?” They motioned to the couch. “We can put on a show or something.”

Milo smiled. “Sure, I’d love to, sweetheart.”

They flushed, and he pocketed that little nugget of knowledge for later.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Milo, I’m hom–Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

The last thing that Sweetheart expected to come home to after a late night at work was dinner. Not because Milo didn’t cook for them, but because there was no way that their mate could plan out anything well enough to be able to have dinner be done and be hot right when they got home. They loved him but man .

So, when they walked in and noticed the bowls set out on the table and the pot of something bubbling on the stove, they immediately wondered if something had happened and David was spending the night. But then their eyes panned around the room and–

“Oh sweet Jesus…”

There, curled up on the couch, wearing what they’ve affectionately started calling his “emotional support hoodie”, was Milo. Dead. Fucking. Asleep.

Sweetheart sighed, unable to stop the fond smile from creeping onto their face. They padded to the kitchen, making a quick pit stop to give Milo a kiss on the head, and poured themself a bowl of what turned out to be their favorite soup. Just because he was asleep didn’t mean that they shouldn’t be allowed to partake in the festivities.

After a few bites, though, they had to put their spoon down for a moment. The empty seat across from them was inherently a sad sight, even if the owner was only across the room. He’d done such a nice thing for them, and they would never expect him to stay up and wait for them… But seeing his empty bowl on the table… Eating dinner alone after a long day…

They put their face in their hands. Why couldn’t they just be grateful? What was–

“You’re eating without me.” The voice came from directly behind them and was followed by two arms snaking over their shoulders. Milo… They instinctually went slack against him.

“I didn’t want to wake you,” they answered, “I figured you needed sleep more than you needed soup.”

He grunted. “Mm… Maybe.” He peppered their cheek and temple with kisses. “I tried to wait up for you…”

They turned their head, pressing a kiss to his lips. “You know you don’t have to do that. You don’t have to do any of this.”

“But I want to.” He hugged them tighter. “I wanna take care of my mate.”

They sighed, letting their eyes fall closed. “Thank you, Milo…”

He hummed. “You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now, finish your soup so we can cuddle. This hoodie can only do so much once your smell has worn off of it.”

Chapter Text

Darling woke up at an unfortunate hour of the early morning to a feeling that they were all-too familiar with: The beginning of the bloody hell week.

It started with the dull cramp that woke them from their peaceful REM sleep. And then came the awareness that they were a little more sticky than they remembered being when they went to sleep. And then, once the world came into focus, the nausea. They hurried to the bathroom, nearly tripping over themself in the dark, and stripped from the waist down the moment the door was closed behind them. The unmistakable red had soaked through every layer. It was probably on the bed, too. The bed that Sam was sleeping in.

They groaned. Out of embarrassment, out of pain, out of discomfort. They pulled their feet up onto the toilet seat, some small respite that they’d found however many years ago. It wasn’t helping now as the real cramps set in. They found themself whimpering with every breath, rocking themself ever so gently.

They didn’t know how much time had passed with their knees pushing against their eye sockets, but eventually, there was a knock at the door.

“Darlin’? You okay in there?”

Sam…

“Y-Yeah, I’m–” A strong cramp hit them like a tidal wave across their entire body. “–I’m okay. Just go back to bed–”

He paused. “It’s mornin’. How long have you been in there?” They didn’t have an answer to that, so they said nothing. “Can I come in?”

They lowered their feet to the ground, eyes flicking around the room. The bloody clothes, their half-naked body, the tears they didn’t realize had been flowing– “Y-Yeah…” They hunched over self-consciously as the door cracked open.

Sam was in his t-shirt and boxers, assessing the situation silently before speaking. “Oh, darlin’...”

They started to cry again. “I hate this…”

He was at their side in half of a second, fingers combing through their hair as he pulled their cheek against his chest. They were probably sweating at least a little bit, but if they were, he didn’t react. “I know… How can I help you?”

They sniffled. “I’m sorry–”

He came around in front of them, kneeling down and taking their face in his hands. “Hey. Hey, none of that. You can’t help how you’re feelin’. Just cause this happens every month doesn’t mean you’ve gotta be used to it, and it sure doesn’t mean you’ve gotta enjoy it. There’s nothin’ you need to apologize for.” He paused. “How can I best help you?”

“Can you…” Their voice was soft, embarrassed. “Can you help me take a bath?”

Sam smiled. “Of course, darlin’. Do you want me to go make you somethin’ to drink while it’s fillin’ up?” They thought for a moment and then nodded, feeling too gross to make anymore words. “Alright.” He pressed a kiss to their forehead and made quick work of setting everything up. In a few seconds, the bath was running (with oils and salts already in it), and they could hear him rustling in the kitchen. They smiled, thinking about how the only thing that could slow a vampire down was heating up water. He was back quickly, though, with a hot cup of tea in his hands. He got on his knees in front of them again, handing the mug over. “Here. Sorry it took a second. Your clothes are in the wash.”

They glanced over and saw that their clothes were, in fact, no longer on the floor. They shifted, feeling the urge to apologize again but forcing it down. “Thank you…” They managed.

Sam let out a soft laugh. “Darlin’, this ain’t somethin’ you’re supposed to be thankin’ me for. You need my help, and I’m here. No questions asked, no thanks needed. This is what I'm here for. I just wish I could help more.”

“You’re too good to me…”

He kissed their forehead. “Shh… None of that,” he whispered, “no such thing.”

The bath was warm, and it smelled incredible. It soothed Darling’s tense muscles and calmed their rising emotions about the whole situation.

Sam did everything for them, despite their protesting. He insisted on washing their hair and their body and then drying them off when they got out. He was away from their side for only a moment, but when he returned, he was holding one of his sweatshirts and a pair of his sweatpants. And they were warm .

“I put ‘em in the dryer when I made your tea,” he admitted, “thought you might be comfier in somethin’ like that.” He helped pull them on over their new, clean pajamas and then bent down to scoop them up in his arms. “C’mon, we’ve got a big day ahead of us.” They were about to protest and then they saw what he meant.

The bed had a few extra blankets on it (and a few extra chocolate bars), and Sam’s laptop was propped open at the end of it. The joys of having a boyfriend that can move fast? He can set up the cutest, sweetest date in under 20 seconds.

He set them down gently in their spot before settling in next to them, arms immediately pulling them close. “Here.” He pressed a few pills and a bottle of water into their hand. “I know you usually like to get ahead of the worst of the pain.” They took the medication gratefully with a swig of water. He smiled when they handed the bottle back. “How are you feelin’?”

“Mm… Better…” It was true. Even though they still felt like they were being run over by a steamroller, at least they were comfier now. “Would be even better if we could watch some movies.”

Sam laughed, pressing a kiss to their temple. “Of course, darlin’. What’d you think I meant by ‘big day’? C’mon now. Where do we start?”

Chapter Text

“Angel?” The groggy voice from the doorway of the bedroom made them jump. “Why are you out here on the couch? Are you still working?”

They nodded. “Yeah, I… I know it’s late, I just have a lot of stuff to do, and I didn’t want to bother you by typing away in bed.”

David hummed. “Well, as much as I appreciate it, you should be in bed too. It’s like… 2 in the morning, angel. How long have you–” They shifted, and he stopped. “Is that… Is that a fucking hot pocket? Where the fuck did you get a hot pocket? You know I don’t keep shit like that in the house.”

Angel smiled deviously, mouth full. “Asher gave me a care package when I mentioned how stressed out I was.”

“And it contained hot pockets? ”

They shrugged. “Among other things.”

David grimaced. “Do I even want to know?”

Angel leaned over and rustled around in something he couldn’t see. “Well, we’ve got… hot pockets, obviously. Fruit snacks. Gatorade. Mountain Dew–”

“Christ, I–” David let out an over-dramatic sigh. “Angel, if you wanted something to eat, you could’ve just had leftovers from dinner.”

“Yeah, but this was easy. Plus, it’s brain food.” They popped a handful of fruit snacks into their mouth with a wink.

“It most certainly is not. I–” He stopped, collected himself. “I’m going back to bed and pretending this was just some whacky dream. We will not speak of this in the morning.”

“I love you, Davey!” They called as he made his way back to the bedroom. “I’ll save you a hot pocket!”

“Please don’t!” He called back, mockingly cheerful.

Angel smiled and pulled out their phone.

You were right. This shit works wonders on Davey’s nerves ;)

Chapter Text

Nearly losing Asher made David realize two things.

Number one: Asher is the single most stubborn bastard he’s ever met, and he couldn’t be more proud to call him his beta.

Number two: Love is a weird thing that David doesn’t understand in the slightest.

“I don’t know which of us is leaning more on the other at this point.” Asher cuts himself off with a laugh. David can’t find it in himself to do much more than grunt.

“We’ll call it taking turns,” he manages, “how’s that?”

Asher spares another laugh. “Works for me.” As they come up on the stadium, he stops. “Wait, is that… Is that both of them?”

David looks up and finds his gaze landing on two figures running towards them. “Angel…” he breathes.

Asher is already in tears next to him. “Babe!”

Their mates crash into them in a showering of hugs and kisses, sending both men into a flurry of yelps and curses.

“Careful–” Asher manages. “Careful–”

Angel’s eyes flick between the two of them. David has never seen them so scared. “D-Do you guys need help standing?”

“No, w-we’re fine but–” He grunts, trying to fight the urge to collapse against his mate.

“Right about now, we’re both being held together with duct tape and a prayer,” Asher chuckles.

Angel scoops David in their arms, gentler than before. He wants to let go. Wants to just let his knees buckle and let himself fall slack against them. But Asher is still here. Asher still needs him. “Angel…” He musters.

“I love you, babe,” he hears Asher say before breaking into sobs, “I love you so fuckin’ much.”

He doesn’t have time to consider his thoughts about that before Angel is kissing him sweetly. He wants to enjoy it. He wants to revel in feeling his mate again and knowing that they’re safe , and he’s alive .

But he can’t.

Because Asher is crying and kissing someone right next to him, and he doesn’t know how to feel about it. Because his best friend is kissing his own mate , and David can’t fucking get his shit together.

But then there’s Angel, attentive as always, cupping his face. “Davey… You’re safe, now. It’s okay.” They pull him back into a hug, tucking his face into their neck.

“You feel so fucking good…” He mumbles against their skin. He doesn’t like where his wishful thinking is taking him.

It’s two days later.

He hasn’t seen Asher, because he told him to take it easy until he was ready.

I love you too, David.

That’s what he’d said after David slipped up and confessed something he wasn’t even totally sure of himself at the time. Of course, he's more sure of it now, 48 hours after the inversion, but…

“David?” Angel’s voice breaks him out of his thoughts. He looks up at them from his spot on the couch. “Hey… I lost you for a second. Do you need to talk?”

He stares at them. They’re all soft smiles and sweet laughs, and he’s just… Well, he’s in love with his best friend. He doesn’t even know where to begin. “Ash…”

Angel nods, sitting next to him and wrapping him in their arms. “I know, baby. He’s okay, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that you almost lost him.” They pull him down so his head is in their lap, and their hands are in their hair. “Do you want me to call him to come over? Just so you can see him and verify that he’s okay?”

David can’t find his words. He can’t find anything within him but a heaving sob that leads to raw, guttural weeping. He can’t hear what Angel is saying, but he can feel their voice humming against him. He knows they’re trying to comfort him. Then they’re… having a conversation? Did they call Asher? Babe? Someone else? He doesn’t have the capacity to do anything more than cling to his mate’s legs and cry.

Hardly any time passes before the front door is opening, and two people are stepping into the house. Angel greets them. David is still crying. He doesn’t even realize who it is until his head is on much larger, firmer thighs, and the voice humming against the back of his head is much more familiar.

“David?”

Ash…

He feels calloused fingers brush across his temple and into his hair, and that alone almost makes him lose it again. But this isn’t Angel anymore. Where did Angel go? This is Asher. Why is Asher here?

David sits up, scrubbing his face and trying not to make eye contact with the man sitting next to him. The hand in his hair slides down to rub his back. “I’m sorry, Ash.”

“For what?” His voice is so soft. Why is he being so gentle? “There’s nothin’ you’ve gotta be sorry for, buddy. Your mate called me over. Told me what happened. They’re out with my mate right now. Givin’ us some space, they said.” David just nods. “What do you need from me?”

He doesn't know the answer to that. He thinks he has an answer, but it’s not one that he or Asher–or either of their mates–would like. “I just… needed to make sure you were alright.”

Asher’s arm hooks around David and pulls him close again. “I’m okay, I promise. I mean, I better be. You poured all your magic into savin’ me. I… I don’t think I ever thanked you for that.”

“You would’ve done it for me.” Would he have?

Asher hums. “Yeah. Yeah, I would’ve.”

“Y’know…” What are you doing, David? “I meant what I said before… before you got hurt.”

“You mean that little sappy moment we had?” Asher jokes.

David doesn’t smile, doesn’t even look at him. “Yeah… I meant it when I… when I said I love you…”

“I know… You don’t say it a lot but… I know.”

David sighs, tearing his fingers through his hair. “No, you–you don’t get it, Ash. I’m not just saying that –”

Asher looks at him, confused. “Yeah, I… I know. You never say anything that you don’t mean. Man a few words and stuff.”

He stands. He needs to move. The adrenaline that has decided to kick in is going to make him go crazy if he’s just sitting on the couch. And then he’s pacing.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa–David hang on. Why are you–What’s goin’ on? You seem–”

“Nervous? Stressed? In over my head in shit I know nothing about? Pick any number of the above options.”

Asher stands with him, hands out as if he’s comforting a scared animal. In a way, he is. “David…  Take a breath, buddy. It’s okay–”

“It’s not okay, Ash– ” He doesn't mean to yell. He doesn’t want to yell.

But Asher doesn’t react. That stupid, sweet, worried look in his eyes never falters. “Is this about the healing magic? Look, I don’t expect you to heal me all the time just because–”

“You don’t get it– ” God, he wants to cry again. But he can’t . Not here. Not now. Not in front of Asher.

And then there are hands on his biceps, stopping him from pacing. He stares at Asher, dumbstruck. “David. Please. Take a breath. You’re spiraling.” David just blinks at him. He knows he’s right. “What’s goin’ on in that head of yours?” Oh no, no, no, no, no– “You can talk to me, you know that.” Ash, stop. You don’t know what you’re saying– “I’m here for you, and I–mhph–”

He’s kissing him.

Asher.

David is kissing Asher.

Fuck fuck fuck–

He pulls back, breathing hard from the anxiety of it all. He’s so fucked. He can’t do this. He shouldn’t do this. He’s being stupid and reckless and–

Asher’s fists are balled in his shirt, pulling him back in within a second. Lips meet, and David feels himself start to cry again. He’s weeping against Asher’s mouth, kissing him desperately, as if he’s going to slip away from him if he loosens up at all. Maybe he won’t. David doesn’t want to find out. He almost lost him once, and he’s not about to experience that heartbreak again, even at this low of a level.

But then there are big hands on his cheeks, pulling him away and wiping his tears. “David…” Asher’s voice is nothing more than a breath passed between their lips. Neither of them knows what to say.

David is just looking at Asher as if he’s the only one that can save him from this situation. Maybe he is. Maybe David just doesn’t want to crawl out of this pit alone. “Ash, I–”

“I’ll be honest with you and say that when you said you loved me, I didn’t wanna hope that that’s the kinda love you meant.” What? “You’ve… I mean, you never really say it in any context, I just figured you meant as a… brother or something… And, in the spirit of honesty… That broke my heart.”

“Ash–”

“I love you, David. I convinced myself I didn’t, because when I call Babe my mate, I feel that fire in my heart.”

David nods. “I feel it for Angel, too.”

“But I do love you. I think I always have.” They both stare at each other for a long moment. “Is it… Is it possible to have two mates?”

David doesn’t know. Some part of his brain notes that this would be something he’d ask his dad. He swallows that thought down. “Say it.”

Asher blinks. “What?”

“Call me your mate. See how it feels.”

“I-I don’t know, David…” He’s nervous, and he has every right to be. What David’s asking of him… It’s overstepping, and they both know it. And yet… “We both have mates already. There’s no way that you could be my mate–”

They find themselves staring at each other again. The fire blossoming in their chests is obvious by the flush on their cheeks, and for the first time in their lives, when their cores reach out, they get a response. But neither of them knows what to say. What are you supposed to say when you realize a fundamental truth in your life is a lie and–

“We have to tell them.” David is speaking before he can stop himself. Regardless, he knows he’s right.

Asher nods. “Yeah.” But he doesn’t move. “David?”

David’s breath catches. He doesn’t know why. “Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you again?”

David can’t do much more than nod and let himself be swept up in the relief of this love.

Chapter Text

Something about Lovely had always been familiar.

Maybe that’s why Vincent had always been protective of them. To say that they felt like home would be the understatement of the year. They were so much more than that to him. They felt like life . And that was something that Vincent didn’t get to feel a lot of these days.

Tomorrow was the day. The anniversary of his turning. 22 years ago, he was just some college kid trying to have a good time with some cute stranger at an amusement park and now…

“Vincy, are you even listening to me?”

He turned to see Lovely. Right. They’d been talking about something. “Yeah, I’m sorry, I just got lost in my head for a second.”

They laughed. “What, are you that deep into planning my birthday dinner tomorrow? I told you that you don’t need to go all-out.” He blinked. That was tomorrow? They noticed his confusion. “Did you… forget my birthday was tomorrow?”

“No, I… I mean, I knew it was this week but I…” He shook his head, unable to make his words.

“Did you… make other plans?” They looked like they were about to curl into themself and disappear.

“What? No, no–No, it’s nothing like that, lovely, I promise. We’re still on for dinner, don’t worry.”

They reached out and took his hand in theirs. “Then what’s going on, baby? You seem pretty upset.”

“I… I don’t know…” He shook his head again, as if it’d clear like an etch-a-sketch. “Tomorrow is… the anniversary.”

“Anniversary?”

“Of… my turning.”

They stopped. “Oh. I… I didn’t know we… I didn’t know it was on the same day.”

He managed a laugh. “Yeah, I didn’t either.” Something in his brain clicked. “How… How old are you gonna be?”

“Just because you’ve been alive for 40 some years doesn’t mean you’re actually 40 some years old,” they joked, “not to me, anyway. I don’t mind that you–”

“That’s not why I asked.”

“Oh.” They slumped a little. “I’ll be 22. Why?”

It all started to make sense. The comfortable feeling of their hand in his. The softness of their voice. The look in their eyes when they talked about something they were scared of.

He looked at them–really looked at them–and finally saw it, finally saw all the little details that he’d somehow missed. The color of their eyes, the curve of their nose, the tilt of their smile… It was all so familiar . Just like he’d seen 22 years ago in line to the final ride of the night.

Chapter Text

“Hi, my name is Caelum, and I–”

“AH WHAT THE FUCK–!” The book left Sneaks’ hands about as quickly as the words left their mouth. The daemon that had rifted into their living room did not duck in time and was nailed with a hardcover headshot before he could even react. Both parties took a moment of silence to process.

Caelum held his nose, tears brimming. “Ow, that really hurt…”

Sneaks stood and stepped over to him with their arms extended. What were they doing? They had no idea who this guy was or why he was in their apartment but… Usually, when someone comes into your house looking for trouble, they don’t cry when it hits them in the face. “Shit, little dude, I’m sorry. You just scared the fuck outta me. Here, come sit, I’ll… I can try to heal it up.” They led him over to the couch and settled themself next to him. “You said your name was Caelum, right?” He nodded. “Okay, Caelum. Is it okay if I touch you? I’ll be gentle.” Another nod. Sneaks slowly pulled his hands away from his face and placed their fingertips on his nose. Their healing magic sputtered through them, rough and inexperienced.

Caelum whined and pushed their hands away the moment the magic settled. “Ow! You’re not very good at that.” He felt the wave of disappointment wash over them.

“I know…” They admitted. “I don’t have a lot of practice externalizing my magic like that. I’m not a healer, I just… wanted to try to make you feel better. You didn’t deserve a rom-com to the face, even if you did just rift into my apartment with no warning.”

He laughed nervously. “I’m sorry… And… I do feel better. Thank you.”

“So… You wanna tell me why you’re here? I don’t just let daemons in all willy nilly.”

Caelum nodded. “Right, right, sorry. I’m an empathy daemon, and I’m here to help you with your emotional issues.”

Sneaks just stared at him. “My what ?”

His eyes widened, feeling their mix of confusion and shame. “I-I don’t mean–That’s not a bad thing–Well, it is a bad thing, that’s–that’s why I’m here but–but it’s not wrong for you to f-feel like this! I-It’s totally normal to–”

“To feel like what?” Their voice was steady, and Caelum knew he only had a second to fix this before their sympathy for him wore off.

“I-I’m here to help you,” he said simply, “it’s my job to make you feel happy and good. And right now, you’re not feeling that–”

“Probably because there’s a daemon on my couch that just rifted past my wards on a Tuesday afternoon.”

Caelum sighed. “Y-Yeah, I guess I really goofed that up, huh? Not the best first impression. But I just wanna help you! You’ve got a lot of knots to untie.”

“I dunno what the fuck you mean by a knot, but I assure you that I am more than capable of handling whatever it is by myself.” Sneaks stood, crossing their arms. “I’m just about out of patience, now, so if you’d be so kind as to–”

“I can help you with your fear of commitment!” He sounded much too excited about that.

Sneaks’ lips parted as they blinked in shock. “You… My what ?”

“O-Or I could–I could help you sort out your feelings for Milo?” Caelum stood, almost eager to be presenting these options. “I know a lot about him because of Ash and Davey!”

They flushed at the very mention of Milo, and that only made them angrier. “Speaking of Mr. Greer, I can call him up and get him to forcibly remove you from my apartment if you don’t–”

“What about your parents? I can help you fix your relationship with them so that you can go and see them again soon!”

Sneaks sighed deeply, rubbing their temples. “Caelum, I don’t need your help with any of my so-called ‘emotional issues’, so you’re free to go. And please do, actually. This is getting weirdly insulting.”

Caelum wrung his hands and shifted nervously on his feet. “I-I don’t mean to be ins–isnu–in–”

“Insulting.”

He nodded. “Yeah, that. I don’t mean to be… that. B-But it’s my job to help you. I have to help you fix something .”

Sneaks thought for a moment. Briefly considered the idea that they might have emotional issues that they need help fixing. Briefly. They concluded that that was not the case. “Okay, Caelum, I’ll tell you what. If you can help me keep up with cooking meals so I actually eat during my shifts this week, we’ll call it even. You get to help me, and I get to not starve. Deal?”

Caelum smiled so big and bright that Sneaks almost regretted their words. “Deal!”

This was gonna be a long week.

Chapter Text

“Mmm… Mornin’, angel…” David stretched and groaned as his muscles adjusted to being awake. When he got no response from his mate, he slid his hand across the sheets to where they had fallen asleep the night prior. But the bed was cold. His eyes shot open in a panic. There was no dent in the mattress, no phone on the nightstand. “Angel?” He swung his legs out of bed, suddenly confused at the lack of things in their bedroom. The little knick knacks on the shelf were gone. Angel’s favorite jacket wasn’t hanging on the door. Now frantic, David rushed to the closet to find it half as full as he’d expected it to be. There was no trace that Angel had been there at all. Had they moved out while he was asleep? Taken all of their things and silently left without a word?

With tears in his eyes, he snatched up his phone, but their number wasn’t in his contacts or even in his messages or recent calls. They’d deleted themself from his life completely. What had he done wrong? Sure, he wasn’t perfect , but he’d just proposed, and they’d said yes! That had to mean something, right? His eyes scanned the room one last time, searching for anything that might prove that they’d been in his life for even a moment.

It was then that he heard muffled voices from the living room. Praying for his mate, he hurried out of the room and down the stairs. Instead, he found Asher, uncharacteristically exhausted, talking quietly on the couch with Milo and Tank. The three of them looked up as David entered the room.

“Hey, David,” Asher said, putting on a smile, “you okay, buddy?”

“Where’s Angel?” His voice was near breaking.

Tank sighed and rubbed their head. “Fuckin’ hell…”

Milo stood, stepping up to David as if he were a frightened animal. “David… I think it’s time we get you some help. Look, we’ve done everything we can to try to sense this… Angel of yours, but the fact of the matter is… they aren’t real.”

David blinked, anger and confusion more than visible in his features. “What? What the fuck kind of sick joke is this?”

Asher joined Milo in front of David. “This isn’t a joke, David. You’ve lived by yourself in this house for three years, and we’ve been staying with you interchangeably ever since you started talking about Angel back in your apartment. Maybe the stress of losing Gabe was–”

“Don’t you dare bring my dad into this,” he growled, fists clenched, “Angel is real. You’ve all met them countless times.” He motioned to Milo. “Lunch the other day. With you and your mate.”

Milo furrowed his brows and shook his head. “It was just the three of us. I thought maybe Sweetheart would be able to pick up some signature that we were missing. I thought maybe Angel was a stealth. But David… You were alone. There’s never been an ‘Angel’.”

David’s gaze danced between his packmates, desperately searching for any sign that this was all some sick, horrible prank. Seeing his distress, Tank got up and joined the group, placing a hand on David’s shoulder.

“David…” Their voice was more gentle than he’d ever heard from them. “It’s okay.”

He felt tears start streaming down his cheeks. “They’re real… I… I know they are…”

“I believe you,” they insisted, “but we can’t see them. And even if Angel is a demon that’s only showing themself to you, we would be able to sense something . But we don’t. No one does. Maybe… Maybe Angel is only real to you.”

“And that’s okay,” Asher added quickly, “but it’s consuming your life.” He held up his hand which cradled a small ring box. One that David immediately recognized. “Please let us help you, David. I can’t … I can’t lose my best friend.”

David took the box with shaky hands and cracked it open. The engagement ring that he’d given Angel–that he thought he’d given Angel–last week was still firmly set in the slot, as if it had never been removed at all. He brushed his fingertips over the stones, feeling heaving sobs tear from his chest.

The first stage of grieving is always denial.

Chapter Text

“What do you think they’re talking about back there?”

Angel stirs their drink absentmindedly, smiling at Babe’s words. “Probably nothing important. Whenever they’re together, the sexual tension in the air is too thick for them to do much more than bicker.”

Babe barks out a laugh. “So, I’m not the only one that noticed, then?”

“Look, no offense to Sneaks, but it doesn’t take a detective to figure out what those two have going on. Or, more accurately, what they don’t have going on.”

“Yeah…” Babe trails off with a sigh. “I’ve tried talking to Ash about it.”

“He’s just as closed off about it as David is, huh?”

They nod. “Yeah, and it sucks , because then he just gets himself stuck in a spiral, and I can’t talk him down because–”

“He doesn’t know that you know.”

Babe huffs and slouches in their chair. “Exactly!”

Angel hums. “I’m dealing with the same thing. I mean, I expect that kinda thing from David. But Ash?” They shake their head. “This has gotta be killin’ him.”

There’s a long pause, both mates lost in thought, before Babe speaks again, more tentatively than usual. “Have you ever… thought about it?”

Angel looks up at them. “Thought about what?” The uncharacteristic nervousness radiating off of their friend makes them sit up. “Hey… What’s up?”

“I dunno, I…” They shrug. “I guess maybe… I was just wondering if you’d ever thought about… us. Like… the four of us.”

“Together?” Angel asks. Babe nods. “Yeah, I have.”

“And… what did you… think about that idea?”

Angel’s lips turn up in a smirk. “Are you asking me out, babe .”

Their friend flushes. “Hey, you can’t–You can’t just–”

Angel laughs. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this flustered.”

“Stop iiiiiit,” Babe growls between their teeth, then sighs, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I can see where David is coming from with your unapologetic-ness.”

“Oh hush. I didn’t say that you getting flustered was a bad thing. I think it’s cute.”

“You–You–Ugh!” Babe scrubs their face. “You never answered the question.”

Angel crosses their arms, still smirking. “That’s because you never actually asked.”

“I-I did,” they sputter, “I asked what you thought of… of that… idea.”

Angel leans forwards, resting their elbows on the table. “That’s not what you wanted to ask, though… was it?”

“N-No. No, it–it wasn’t.”

“Then ask.”

Babe swallows. Sure, they’d thought about Angel like this. Many, many times, actually. But right here? Right now? Not a confident bone in their body wants a say in the conversation. “I uh… Do you… want to… fuck, I don’t even know how to word that. ‘Do you want to go on a date’ is weirdly formal. ‘Do you want to be partners’ sounds like the start of a crime show–”

“I have a boyfriend, but I’m interested in you, too. Would you be down to give that a shot?”

Babe looks at their friend, slack jawed and silenced for a moment longer than they’d ever care to admit. “I uh… Yeah, I mean–Fuck yeah–I would–I would really like that. But I have one condition.”

“And that is…?”

“You’ve gotta try your charm out on Ash. I don’t know what kinda drugs you put in that cheeky little smirk, but it works so good , and Ash is so easy to fluster already.”

Angel laughs. “I think I can handle that.” They check their phone. “We should probably head back. This conversation is steering towards ‘we need to talk to our boys’.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” Babe agrees, “but we should… maybe start subtle. Let them come to us about it.”

Angel nods. “Yeah, maybe. Let’s play it by ear. Text Ash. Tell him we’re on our way. We don’t want to walk in on anything, y’know?”

on our way back. is that okay?

Asher is the one pacing now. The text from Babe sits open on the coffee table.

“You should probably respond,” David tells him from the couch, “they’re gonna get worried.”

“ I know that, David .” He groans, settles next to the other man. “I just–Ugh!” He picks up his phone and sends off a quick affirmative before tossing it back down.

“You’re tense.”

“Thanks, Sherlock. You been hangin’ out with Sneaks recently?”

“Ash…”

Asher groans again. “I’m sorry, I just–My body doesn’t remember how to be right now. Like–I can’t remember how we used to sit on this couch or–or–or–or talk or text or anything before that kiss. I’m trying to act natural, but nothing about this is natural, and I’m freakin’ out here, David.”

With a sigh, David leans forward, taking his friend’s face in his hands. “Ash.” Their eyes meet. “It’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna be okay. We just have to talk this out.”

Something in Asher’s face softens. “You’re always so gentle with me… Even when we used to play as kids… You never played as hard with me as you did with the others.”

David smiles, so tender that Asher almost melts in his hands. “I want to keep you safe, Ash. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Their lips meet again, and it’s just as electrifying as the first time. It’s soft and loving and it says so much without either of them having to utter a single word. Asher holds his breath as they pull away. “David, I–”

The jingle of keys outside the door rips the men away from each other. They sit, visibly tense, a few feet away from each other on the couch as Babe and Angel come in and close the door behind them. They share a look that the boys don’t recognize.

Angel is the first to speak. “Hey, guys. You doing okay?”

Asher tries to sputter out a response, but looks to David after a moment. David stands, nodding for his friend to do the same. “There’s something we need to talk about.”

Babe looks over to Asher as he stands too. “Is everything okay?”

“You both are unempowered,” David continues, “you don’t… know a lot about the intricacies of what being a… mate really means.”

“That’s not to say that you guys can’t use the term or anything,” Asher hurries to add, “it’s totally fine that you do that, because we use it with you, and the bond goes both ways, and it–”

“What Asher is trying to say is that it’s a very convoluted subject.” David sighs, and it’s impossible to ignore how shaky it is. “There’s a lot to unpack about the limits and… rules of being mates and resonating with that label. We have–What? Why are you looking at each other like that?”

The two partners in question smile, turning their attention back to the boys. Angel shakes their head. “Nothing. It’s nothing. Keep going.”

“No, you–You’re laughing.” David gestures to Babe. “Angel, why are they laughing?”

Angel can’t help the breathy laugh that escapes their own mouth. “Davey, it’s nothing. Seriously, keep going. This sounds really important.”

Asher makes a sound akin to a growl, drawing everyone’s attention to him. He looks like he’s about to cry. “It is really important. Can you just be serious for one second so we can talk to you?”

Babe gives their mate a softer smile. “Ash, it’s okay. We’re listening to you. I promise.”

David turns to his own mate, eying them knowingly. “No, you’ve got something to talk about too. What is it?”

Angel tips their head to the side almost teasingly. “Why don’t you tell us what you did and then we’ll talk.”

David blinks. “‘What we did’? W-What makes you think we–we did anything?”

“Besides that response?” Babes asks. “You’re little preface about mates sounded a lot like the start of a defense. So, what are you defending?”

They immediately respond in sync.

Asher: “We kissed. A lot. A few times.”

David: “We’re not defending anything. We–Asher, oh my God–”

Babe and Angel attempt to contain their reactions, but the moment they make eye contact with each other, they both fold over in rich, sweet laughter. They have to hold onto each other to stay standing while the boys look on in confusion.

“What?” David asks. “Why are you… What is this?”

Babe takes a breath, beaming. “Well, it’s about fuckin’ time , wouldn’t you say, angel?”

Angel nods. “At this point, I thought you and I would hook up before they did.”

“We didn’t–It’s not–” Asher cuts himself off with a grunt. “What do you mean ?”

“We mean –” Angel continues. “While you two were schmoozing away, we had a little… conversation of our own.”

David squints suspiciously. “What… kind of conversation?”

“Oh, y’know, just about how much you two wanna fuck each other.” Babe blurts out, earning them a smack from their compatriot. “What, it’s true!”

“You guys… knew?” Asher’s voice is barely audible.

Angel sighs. “Yeah, we’ve always known. You guys aren’t very subtle about it.”

“And you’re… not angry?” David hasn’t taken his eyes off of his mate. “You actually seem fairly happy about that fact.”

“Do you both still feel the bond for us?” Babe asks, their tone now serious. Both boys nod without hesitation. “Then what do we have to be angry about?”

“Well, we…” Asher starts, “also feel the bond… for each other.”

Babe steps up and takes their boyfriend’s hands. “Asher… If he makes you happy, that makes me happy.”

Angel follows in their footsteps, and David watches them carefully. “Same goes for you, David. I couldn’t care less about the inner workings of the magic behind it all. If you love him, I still love you. No matter what.”

Asher’s eyes flick between the two of them. “What… does this mean?”

Babe rolls their eyes. “This means we’re fully supportive of the four of us… y’know…”

“Becoming a polycule,” Angel finishes, “we’re more than a little into each other, and we’re down to give this a shot if you two are.”

There’s a tense pause before Asher scoops Babe up in a tearful hug, mumbling some sniffing mess of gratitude. David, brows furrowed, is still looking at Angel.

They look back at him, bring a hand up to his cheek. “It’s okay, Davey.” Their voice is so soft, he doesn’t think anyone can hear it but him. “Do you want this?” He nods and before his own tears start to fall, he’s kissing them and feeling his core radiate with their love again. He’d almost let himself believe that he wouldn’t feel it after everything. But here he is, with his core singing out to the quiet of their unempowered aura. And he is safe in the familiar.

Chapter Text

It was late (early?) when Sam finally toed his boots off at the door of his cabin. He hung up his keys with a huff, shucking off his jacket to no-doubt just toss onto the first surface he saw. “Fuckin’ hell…” he muttered to himself, “I might just crash on the couch at this rate.” Moving his focus over to the living room, he noticed a dim light from in there. A single lamp left on, it seemed. “Damn, was I really that out of it earlier?” He shook his head. “I really need some sleep.” He made his way into the room, instinctively reaching for the table lamp before he noticed the body on the couch.

It was Tank, sleeping curled up with their jacket tucked around them. Their breathing was steady and even. Sam rarely saw them this peaceful. They still had their shoes on, but Sam couldn’t find it in himself to be bothered by the dirt on the couch. He smiled fondly. “Well, hey, darlin’… Funny seein’ you here.” He crouched next to them, reaching out and brushing their hair out of their face. It gave him enough space to press a kiss to their forehead. They stirred, which made his smile grow. “Good mornin’, darlin’.”

They hummed, a sleepy grin playing at their lips. “Welcome home…”

“How long’ve you been here? Why didn’t you call me?”

Tank sat up and stretched with a squeaky yawn. “You gave me the key, remember? Said I could just let myself in.”

Sam sighed out a laugh. “Yeah, I did say that. But I still would’ve tried to come home early if I’d known you’d be waitin’ here.”

“It wasn’t so important,” they told him, “I just wanted to spend the night here. With you, preferably, but if you didn’t get home until late, then that’d be okay too.”

He gave them another kiss on the head, running deft fingers through their hair. “Well, I’m back now. Do you wanna come to the bedroom with me?” Tank raised an eyebrow, and Sam rolled his eyes. “Not like that, you menace. I’m offerin’ to hold you while we both get some well-deserved rest.”

Tank nodded with a soft laugh that made Sam’s heart flutter. “Please?”

“Of course. C’mon.” He reached out, scooping them up bridal style in his arms. They immediately tucked themself against his chest. “Look at you bein’ sappy.”

“Shut it, cowboy,” they grumbled, “‘m tired.”

Sam’s laugh hummed under their ear. “Right, right, because god forbid you show your man a little love sometimes.” They heard the bedroom door creak and then they were being placed on the bed. “Here, let me get you some comfier clothes. I’m not lettin’ you sleep in jeans and combat boots.”

Tank undressed as Sam went off to dig through his closet. “Can I have that one t-shirt that I like so much?” He was back by the bed in a second, said t-shirt and boxers in hand. They smiled. “You know me so well.”

He gave them a slow and sweet kiss. “Course I do.” He started tugging off his own clothes and crawling into bed in nothing but the boxers he was wearing. He held open the blanket.

When Tank had changed, they slipped into bed, pressing themself against him, chest to chest. “Thanks for this…”

He wrapped his arms around them and kissed the top of their head. “Anything for my darlin’,” he replied, “now get some sleep, alright?”

“Mhm… I love you, Sam.”

He held them closer, and they swore they heard his heart speed up. “I love you too.”

Chapter Text

The buzzing in the air was something that Vincent had gotten used to. It radiated throughout the house, bouncing around every corner and settling on every surface. It kissed his cheeks and his nose every time he was around Lovely or their space. He’d shocked himself enough times to not really notice it.

But it wasn’t around anymore.

It’d been a while since he felt the spark.

When he got home that day, he could feel that something was off. He could sense Lovely somewhere in the house, but the air tingled with the faintest bit of magic. Magic he hadn’t felt in months but still recognized instantly. He followed the feeling to the bedroom. The door was cracked, so Vincent peeked his head in slowly. The lights were off, curtains drawn. It was pitch black. Vincent’s fingers felt blindly against the wall and flicked on the light switch.

Lovely, who was sitting on the floor, cried out with joy. They shot to their feet, laughing through sobs. “Oh my god–It worked–I can’t believe it worked–I have to tell–” They turned towards the door, and Vincent watched as their gaze bounced from him to his hand, still cradling the light switch. He could see the gears turning in their head. Watched as the realization set in. A wave of confusion, then defeat, hit them so hard they actually stumbled a bit. “You… You did that… You… turned on the light.”

Vincent looked at them, brows knitted in concern. “Lovely, I… I didn’t know that you…”

They shook their head. “No, it’s–It’s fine. It was stupid of me to think that–” They broke off into a raspy sob, and Vincent was next to them in a second.

“It wasn’t stupid, little one… C’mon. Come sit with me.” He pulled them over to the bed, and they did little to resist as he sat and tugged them down next to him. “Talk me through what you’re thinking.”

They sighed, rubbing their face with shaky hands. “I just… I can feel it, y’know? I can feel my old core and the electricity in it. It’s still there, I know it is . I just can’t get to it.”

Vincent watched them as they spoke. “Right. So, you’ve been… trying to get to it?”

“I’ve been digging deep,” they told him, “which is hard, because the magic has always come really easy. It was built up for so long that it just wanted to come out. It’s harder, now, but I know it’s still there. Because I still have a core, right? Sure, it’s not the same, but I can still use magic. I can still use the spark. So, I–” They looked up at him and stopped, seeing his expression. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

He needed to choose his words carefully. “Lovely…”

They clenched their jaw. “You don’t believe me.” When he didn’t respond, they stood up, leveling him with a glare. “You think I’m fucking crazy, don’t you?”

“I didn’t say that–”

“You don’t have to, Vincent! ” They raised their voice, as if being louder would stop the shakiness that stuck in their throat. “I see the way you’re looking at me. You don’t think I can do it anymore.”

Vincent stood, holding his hands out. “Baby, that’s not what I’m saying at all–”

“Don’t fucking touch me,” they spat, “I don’t need your pity.”

“Lovely, I–”

They held their hand up. “Just stop, okay? I don’t wanna hear it.”

“Please, listen to me–”

“No, I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. You just think I’m some nut who’s stuck in my past, and you know what? Maybe I am! Maybe that’s who I am now! Maybe that’s the monster you made when you turned me–”

“ Lovely! ” They blinked at the sudden harshness in Vincent’s voice. He took a breath. “For the love of god , please let me say something.” Lovely shuffled on the balls of their feet, clearly unhappy with that but staying silent nonetheless. “I believe you. When you say that your magic is still there, I believe you. Do you know why? Because I felt it . As soon as I got home, I felt it again. The little sparks. It was dim, but it was there.” He stepped closer, offering a gentle smile. “You’re not crazy, and you’re not a monster. If anyone could do something like this, it’s you. And I’m here to help you every step of the way, alright?”

Lovely just stared at him for a moment before scooping him up in a tearful kiss.

The slight prick of static electricity that passed between them did not go unnoticed.

Chapter Text

A loud crash from the kitchen tore Guy away from his computer. He pulled his headphones down to his neck. “Honey? You okay?” There was no verbal response, just some shuffling. He mumbled a goodbye to his friends on the call and hurried out of the room, practically tossing his headset onto his desk. “Honey?” He rounded the corner into the kitchen but didn’t see his lover. He felt his anxiety skyrocket. “Are you in here, baby? Is everything okay?” Their head popped up from behind the island, but he didn’t have time to be relieved. Their eyes were frantic and brimming with tears, which made Guy’s heart drop down to his stomach. “Fuck, honey–” He was over at their side in a second. Between the two of them, a glass was shattered across the tile of the floor. Honey was kneeling down, trying to collect the pieces with shaky fingers.

“I-I’m sorry–” They mumbled. “I didn’t–I didn’t mean to–I’m cleaning it up, I’m sorry–”

Guy crouched down to their level and took their hands in his. “Honey… You don’t have anything to apologize for. Hey… Look at me.” They did, sniffling. “Mistakes happen. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He brought one of his hands up to cup their cheek, thumb brushing away one of the tears that streaked towards their chin. “C’mere, baby. Let’s stand up. We can come back to this in a second, once you’ve taken some deep breaths.”

With his help, they got to their feet but immediately fell into their panic again. And, just as fast, Guy pulled their body into his, holding their head against his chest. His arms were tight around them, creating that all-around pressure that he knew helped calm them down. They deflated against him with a sob, and his fingers worked against their scalp.

“You’re okay, honey,” he told them, “you’re safe with me. I promise.”

They clutched his shirt as if it was the only thing holding them up. “I’m sorry I–I know you’re not gonna get mad at me I just–I got scared and–”

He pressed a kiss to their head. “Shh… You don’t have to explain. Just take some deep breaths with me, okay?” He mimicked the breathing exercise that he knew worked for them, and they mirrored him. “Good… Good job. It’s just a glass. We can buy another one.”

“I know…” Their voice was raspy and muffled by Guy’s chest. “I knew you wouldn’t be mad about the glass but… I thought… I was worried you’d be mad that I had that reaction anyway.”

Guy pulled back, cupping his lover’s cheeks and tilting their head up to face him. “Oh, honey, no–No, no, never. It’s a trauma response. Your brain is trying to protect you. It doesn’t know for sure what’s gonna happen, so it just reacts how it’s always had to. That’s not your fault, and that’s nothing to be sorry for. I’m never gonna get mad at you for that.” He offered a gentle smile. “Baby.” They blinked at him, sniffling. “I love you so much. And all I want is for you to feel safe and happy.”

“You do make me feel like that…” They leaned up and gave him a soft kiss. One that he reciprocated but didn’t push. “You make me feel like that every day.”

Guy felt tears pricking the backs of his own eyes now. “Good… Good, I’m glad. Now, why don’t you bring over the broom, and I’ll start gettin’ the big pieces.”

They nodded, a smile playing at their lips. “Thank you…”

He kissed their forehead. “Anything to make sure my honey is okay.”

Chapter Text

Days were longer now. And maybe the world seemed a little duller.

Gavin hadn’t really cared to notice. He had other priorities.

The most important one being the weeping empathy daemon in his lap.

His hands worked in Caelum’s hair and across his back in a comfort stemming from his own numbness. This wasn’t exactly his thing, but Caelum needed him , not some serenity daemon who could actually help. A particularly heavy sob from Caelum tore Gavin out of his thoughts. He looked down at the broken boy clutching his legs. He’d never seen Caelum like this. He never thought he would ever have to. His thumb brushed against one of his horns in a feeble attempt to comfort him further. Gavin truly was in unfamiliar, uncomfortable territory. But nothing was familiar anymore. Not since the freelancer…

He shook his head. He had to be here for Caelum right now. A shaky breath did little to bring him back down. “Talk me through it,” he said, voice barely a whisper, “what are you feeling?”

Caelum sucked in a gasp to calm his sobs. “I-It’s my fault–” He sputtered. “I couldn’t–I got them in–into trouble and–and they–now they’re–because I couldn’t–I wasn’t strong enough–”

“Hold on, bud–” Gavin shifted and helped lift Caelum into a sitting position next to him. Caelum wiped his face with the sleeves of his sweater pulled over his hands. “Let’s get one thing straight: This is not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“B-But if I hadn’t pried–” He choked. “If–If–If I had just minded my–minded my business–V-Vega told me what would happen i-if I didn’t stay away, but I–I kept going anyway–”

“This is on Vega, not you,” Gavin stated, taking the younger daemon’s face in his hands, “you couldn’t have known that he would make good on his word. You did the right thing, Caelum.”

“How can you say that, Gavin?” His voice was so broken. “How can you say that when the freelancer is–is dead because of what I did?”

Gavin didn’t know what to say. On one hand, Caelum was right. The freelancer’s death was a direct result of Caelum pushing the boundaries of a merciless sadism demon. But on the other hand, Caelum wasn’t the one who killed them. He was just trying to help those people. He was always just trying to help.

“I can say that,” he started with a hesitance unknown to him, “because it’s true. You were doing what you thought was right. You stuck to your morals, and that’s admirable.”

“But no good came of it. We couldn’t even save those people…”

Gavin sighed, pulling back to hug himself. There was a weight in his chest so suffocating that he thought he’d stop breathing altogether. For the briefest moment, he considered that a mercy. “I know… I know it… It seems like it was all for nothing. But you couldn’t have known what would happen. You couldn’t have…” He trailed off. It was starting to bubble over in him now too. Fat tears slipped down his cheeks. “You couldn’t have…”

“Gavin…?”

At the sound of his name on Caelum’s lips, the dam broke, and Gavin wept into his hands, losing all the strength he had to hide his own grief and succumbing to the tidal wave of his new reality. The freelancer–the love of his life–his sun, moon, and all of his stars–was gone , and the worst part is that he never had the chance to tell them how he felt. He’d been so afraid of his own feelings that he’d ruined the opportunity to experience any of the joys of love with them. And now he’d never be given that chance again.

To be blunt, he’d been a coward. Both emotionally and physically. He hadn’t been able to stand up to Vega either. He should’ve been able to protect them, all of them. The freelancer and those poor people trapped in Vega’s little “project”. But he couldn’t . What good was he in the world if he couldn’t protect anyone?

Caelum’s hand on his shoulder brought him back to the moment. The young daemon’s features were etched with concern, and Gavin could feel all of his own guilt mirrored back at him from Caelum’s core. The kid harbored all the same feelings that Gavin did. The guilt, the shame, the hopelessness. All things he never wanted to feel out of his friend.

He thought about what the freelancer would say if they were here. They’d tell them to think happy thoughts. Think about their days together. Their adventures with baking and gaming. They’d tell them to remember the good times. Gavin, holding them in the morning light, playing with their hair as he watched them sleep. Caelum, poofing into the room when they needed him most and cheering them up with his overwhelming optimism.

But they weren’t here.

They were gone. Their hair, so soft under the pads of Gavin’s fingers. Their eyes, so beautiful and somehow always seeing right through him. Their lips, and their taste. Their ecstasy, and their joy. Gavin would never feel the sweetness of their pleasure in his core ever again.

“I miss them…” he finally managed, “Caelum, I miss them so much.”

Caelum wrapped his arms around Gavin’s neck, giving Gavin the freedom to weep into his shoulder. “I miss them too, Gav…” He mimicked his friend’s earlier actions and wound his fingers in Gavin’s hair. “But we have each other, right? We… We aren’t alone.”

Gavin pulled back enough to be face-to-face with Caelum. “Yeah… Yeah, we do, buddy.” He fell into Caelum again, and the two held each other so tight that their auras tangled together in a mesh of magic and emotions. And then, just for a moment, the world seemed a little bit brighter.

Chapter Text

Milo rolled over with a grunt, squinting at the blinking alarm on his nightstand.

5:30 am was much too early to be functioning at any capacity, but David had this job, and Milo really wanted to take his sweetheart out for a nice dinner with the disproportionate amount of money he was being paid to work for the day. With a sigh, he turned back over, reaching blindly for a certain someone to wrap his arms around. When he found the other side of the bed cold and empty, he opened his eyes again. “Sweetheart?” He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, still trying to wake up. His mate’s spot in the bed was made as if they’d never come to bed at all. “What the…” He looked towards the door as if it would have the answer. “Sweetheart?” He called. No response. Worried now, Milo swung himself out of bed and pulled on a t-shirt before padding barefoot out of the bedroom.

Immediately, he saw the reason why his mate wasn’t in bed. They were sitting at the kitchen island with about a million papers spread out in front of them, and they had their cheek lying against them. Milo smiled with an exasperated sigh. He stepped over to his mate and ran his fingers through their hair, pressing a soft kiss to the top of their head. “Sweetheart?” They stirred a little but didn’t wake up. “You goof… Alright, I’m takin’ you to bed, sleepin’ beauty.” He slid his arms around them, picking them up bridal style against his chest. Still, they didn’t wake up. He made it all the way back to the bedroom and had them tucked under the covers before they even stirred again. Milo brushed the hair out of their face. “There. Much better. You can’t be overworkin’ yourself like that, you’re gonna burn out one of these days.” They groaned, blinked their eyes open. He met them with a smile. “Hey, baby…”

They squinted at him sleepily. “Milo?”

“The one and only.”

“What happened?” They rubbed their eyes. “When did I come to bed?”

Milo gave a soft chuckle. “You didn’t, sweetheart. I had to carry you here when I found you passed out in a pile of paperwork.”

His mate’s eyes widened. “Oh fuck I–I didn’t finish my work. I have to–”

“You have to rest .” Milo tucked the blankets tighter around them. “Those papers will be there when you wake up. And at this rate, I might be back from work by the time you’re ready to face the world.”

They groaned, visibly melting into the bed. “‘M only gonna take a short nap.”

“Uh-huh, sure.” He kissed their forehead. “I’ll see you later, sweetheart.”

They reached out, weakly gripping at Milo’s arm. “Wait, baby–”

He sat on the edge of the bed and stroked the back of his fingers against their cheek. “What is it? What do you need?”

“A kiss,” they mumbled with their signature shit-eating grin, "pretty please."

Milo chuckled, rolling his eyes. “You fuckin’ menace…” He leaned down and caught their lips in a slow, sweet kiss. “There. Better?”

“Mhm…” They snuggled down against their pillow. “Now get outta here so I can nap.”

Chapter Text

Asher expected a lot of things when he checked his phone after a long day on the job. A message from his mate, a few notifications from Milo on social media, an email from David about the next job. What he didn’t expect, though, was a text from Tank.

meet me at the lake

He stared down at the message, immediately forgetting about everything else lighting up on his phone. Why would they be at the lake? How could they be at the lake? Weren’t they still in Washington after the whole Quinn thing?

“Ash?” David’s voice tore him out of his thoughts.

He looked up. “What’s up, buddy?”

The alpha furrowed his brows. “You okay? You look kind of shook up.”

“Yeah, I’m–” Asher nodded, almost as if he was trying to convince himself. “Yeah, everything’s good.”

“Did something happen?”

Asher glanced back down at his phone. If Tank really was back, why didn’t David know about it? And if he did know about it, why hadn’t he told Asher? There was something weird about all of this, and Asher knew what he needed to do.

He shook his head. “No, nothing happened. Just tired after this job.”

David nodded, but Asher knew he didn’t believe him. “Well… Get home and get some sleep. You’ve got a few days off. Enjoy them.”

Asher gave a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”

I can be there in a few hours.

Asher pulled up to the rundown lot next to the lake and shut off his truck. The drive up had been silent. No music, no phone call. Just him and his thoughts. He didn’t even know why he’d come. There was no way that Tank could actually be in Dahlia without anyone in the pack realizing. But here was Asher, getting out of his truck and making the short journey down to the lake’s edge.

But he knew better than that.

He took the detour through the trees like it was second nature. Maybe it was. The image of the pier so ingrained in his subconscious that he had no choice other than to follow his feet. He found the wooden structure empty and looking like it was going to sink below the surface of the lake at any moment. And yet, Asher walked over to it, settling on the edge and never taking his eyes off the moonlight rippling across the water.

He’d been to the lake dozens of times. Everyone in the pack had. This was their little retreat close to home. Where they’d go when they were kids and the sun was hot and their parents needed a day off. But life got the better of everyone, and people stopped coming. Even David and Milo eventually turned down Asher’s offer to join him when everything became too much.

Tank was the one that found the pier. One summer afternoon when they were teens, they’d shown it to Asher, and it’d been their spot ever since. They’d go there to smoke and drink and talk honestly about their lives. About their parents. About their partners. Asher’s fingers traced the splintering wood beneath him as he realized he couldn’t remember the last time he was here. When was the last time he’d had one of those nights with Tank? What had they talked about?

“You still remembered the way, I see.”

Asher couldn’t fight the smile on his lips as the familiar smell of smoke and leather filled his nose. He turned just in time to see Tank settling beside him and gave them a nod. “Yeah. Hard to forget. We used to come here a lot.”

Tank breathed out a laugh. “We did, didn’t we?”

There was a long beat of silence where Asher just stared at Tank as their gaze flicked across the lake. He studied the lines of their face, trying to pick apart anything that could help him help them. When had they gotten so old? When had the two of them grown up? He swallowed. “So, you’re uh… You’re not in Washington.”

Tank smiled. “No. No, I’m not. I was . For a long time. But… I came back about a month ago.”

“Why now?”

They sighed, leaning back on their elbows. “Quinn.”

Something clicked in Asher’s brain. Something that had been dancing in his thoughts since the moment Tank left for Washington. “The department doesn’t have him, do they?”

“Not to my knowledge,” they admitted, “apparently, he’s been stirring up quite the shitstorm with his former clan since I’ve been gone.”

Asher watched them carefully. “How do you know that?”

Tank opened their mouth to speak but then shut it, furrowing their brows and sighing deeply. Asher knew they didn’t want to say it out loud. But he also knew by the look in their eyes that they desperately wanted to get it off of their chest. He placed his hand over theirs in a silent motion of encouragement.

They finally met his gaze. “I went to Wonderworld. It was the first place I stopped when I got back. I… sensed Quinn there.” They shook their head. “I was so weird. Not like tracking magic or anything I’ve ever seen before. I talked to Sam about it, and–”

“Sam?”

They sucked in a breath, face suddenly turning a deep red. “Uh… Yeah. Sam.”

Asher gave them a cheeky smirk. “You wanna tell me who that is and why they’ve got you all blushy?”

“I’m not blushing,” they insisted, swatting at him, “I don’t blush.”

Asher chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Okay, David . Let’s say you aren’t blushing. Who’s Sam?”

“He’s… a vamp. Solaire clan.” He could tell by the tone of their voice that Tank was embarrassed by that fact alone. Quinn had been the same, it’s no wonder they felt that way. Asher sure wasn’t gonna bring attention to that.

“And you’re… friends? Together?”

Tank shrugged. “Somethin’ like that.”

Asher squeezed their hand. “You wanna tell me about him?”

“He’s a vamp, Ash,” they said, flopping onto their back, “I can’t do that shit again.”

Asher laid down next to them, tucking his hands behind his head. “Well… Is he a murdering psychopath?”

“...Not that I’m aware of.”

He shrugged. “Then he’s a step up from the last one.” A flurry of swats from his companion pulled a string of sweet laughs out of his chest. “Okay, okay! I’m just sayin’.” He turned his head to face Tank. “Do you like him?”

Their brows furrowed as if they hadn’t quite gotten the answer themself. “I dunno… I think so.”

“Tell me about him.”

Tank looked over at Asher, meeting his gaze. “Well, he’s… tall. Almost like David. Think southern fried with the flannel and the boots. And he’s got these glasses that I know he doesn’t need, but he used to wear them when he was human, and it’s sort of a comfort for him.” Asher watched as a soft, genuine smile crept out from their teeth. It was one he hadn’t seen in years. “And he calls me ‘darling’ sometimes. Actually, he calls me ‘darlin’’, because he’s got this accent that–” They stopped. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Asher realized his own dopey smile, then, and chuckled. “Sorry, T, I just haven’t seen you light up like this in a long time. It’s refreshing.”

They turned away. “Oh, shut it, smartass.”

“I’m serious!” He barked out a laugh, but Tank just huffed, crossing their arms. Asher rolled over onto his side. “Tank.” They looked at him. “Do you like this guy?” They paused and then gave the slightest nod. “Then I like him too. I know you don’t need my approval, but I also know that there’s a part of you that wants it. T, if he makes you happy, that makes me happy. You’re my family, doofus. You know I’ll support you no matter what.”

Tank took a beat and then smiled. “Thank you, Ash…”

“And if that fucker tries to pull something, I’m gonna support you by ripping his damn throat out with my teeth–”

“Asher!”

He laughed and sat up. “I’m kidding! Mostly. But seriously. You’ve got me, you know that.”

“Yeah…” They pushed themself up next to him, immediately dipping down to lean their head on his shoulder. “I know.”

Asher wrapped his arm around them. “And hey… I’m really glad you’re home.”

They smiled. “Me too.”

Chapter Text

“Hey, sweetheart, what are you thinkin’ for–” Milo cut himself off, seeing his mate draped across the couch, fast asleep. He smiled as he stepped over. “Well, look at you, sleepin’ beauty. What’s got you so tuckered out today?” He sat next to them, brushing the hair away from their face and kissing their temple. Once. Twice. Four times. They stirred awake around kiss eleven. Or maybe they just stopped pretending to be asleep. Who to say? “Good afternoon, sleepy head.”

Sneaks hummed with a tired grin. “Hey, shortstack.”

“I’m gonna let that one slide, because I know that it was simply a lapse in judgment from your sleepy haze. But don’t test me again.”

They gave a soft chuckle. “Oh, you’re so scary.” They wrapped their arms around his waist, tugging him down next to them. He didn’t resist. Physically, anyway.

“No, no–” He started. “I can’t lay down right now. I’ve got chores to do that you fell asleep before finishing.”

“Whaaat? That doesn’t sound like me at all.”

Milo pulled them on top of him with their hips settled between his legs. “Mhm sure. Couldn’t be you. You’re nothin’ if not the pinnacle of punctuality when it comes to housework.”

“Yep, that’s why you married me.” They held up their left hand to show off the ring they’d bought together the week prior.

“Oh, are we just skippin’ all the details and jumpin’ straight to the label?” He tried to sound offended, but his grin gave him away.

“We said we didn’t need the paper,” they argued, “we didn’t say anything about the label. Plus, you did buy me a ring, so…”

Milo chuckled. “Alright, alright, you menace. You still wanna nap or are you done puttin’ off your work?”

They nuzzled closer. “You’ve given me such a good pillow, Mr. Greer, I don’t think I can ever leave now.” They chuckled. “The only thing that would make it better is if a certain wolf wanted to cuddle too.”

They felt his chest deflate with a sigh. “You want the wolf? Alright, fine. But y’know, Aggro might come runnin’. He’s startin’ to like me better when I look more like him.”

Sneaks sat up as Milo took off his shirt and shifted right there on the couch. He wasn’t tiny, but seeing him in those gym shorts, the elastic still intact, was always a hilarious sight. They grinned. “Hey.” He looked at them. “No dogs on the couch.” He growled playfully, tackling them in their fit of giggles. The two of them ended up on the carpet, curled together breathlessly. Just as they laid their head on his shoulder, Aggro trotted into the room with a purpose. That purpose ended up being to curl up between the two and fall immediately to sleep. Sneaks put a hand on him, smiling at his gentle purring. They pet Milo’s head lovingly with their other hand. “I love you, baby.” His tongue flicked out to lap at their palm. They kissed his head and settled back down, relishing in the soft beat of his heart and steady rhythm of his breathing.

Chapter Text

“Hey, honey, I’m–Oh my god is this an intervention?” Guy set down his bookbag by the door, not even bothering to toe off his shoes before making his way to the living room, where his two best friends sat with his partner.

“Is there something we need to intervene on?” Elliot asked with a chuckle.

“Yeah, tell him to take a shower.” Honey grumbled.

Guy scoffed. “Excuse me? I smell delightful, you shithead. I’ll have you know that I–”

“Guy, can you sit down, please?” The strangely serious tone of Geordi’s voice had the man in question doing exactly as he was told. “Thank you.”

Guy was suddenly and very uncharacteristically nervous. “What’s uh… What’s goin’ on? Why have we gathered here today?”

“There’s something we have to tell you,” Honey said, “and it’s gonna be kind of a lot.”

He didn’t like the look in their eyes. He knew his partner, and he knew the difference between their regular death glare and their serious death glare. This was something akin to the latter but somehow so much worse. He swallowed, his brain wracking through all possible situations that could lead to a statement like that. He didn’t like the one that he settled on.

“Are you guys… together?” He asked nervously. Better to just get it over with.

The next few seconds were a blur. Geordi’s face turned so red that Guy thought he was gonna pass out. Elliot barked out a laugh loud enough to warrant a noise complaint. And Honey stood, reaching over to take Guy’s hands with a gentle smile and chuckle.

“No, baby,” they assured him, “nothing like that. I promise.”

He sighed. “Oh, thank fuck. You all scared the shit outta me!”

“What, you sayin’ you’re not into me?” Elliot asked with a smirk.

Guy rolled his eyes. “I’d never say that, hot stuff.”

“Can we please get back to the point?” Geordi asked, finally having composed himself again.

“I’m not even sure I know what the point is,” Guy admitted, “but I sure would love to be enlightened.”

Elliot shuffled on the couch. “Okay so… We did mean to tell you earlier, but I wasn’t exactly… ready yet, and these two were nice enough to keep the secret.”

“What, are you like a wizard or something?” Guy joked.

Geordi gave a nervous laugh. “Or something…”

“I told you he was gonna say that…” Honey grumbled, scrubbing their face.

Elliot threw his hands up in the air. “Well, how was I supposed to know he was gonna nail it in one? Maybe you’re the empowered one here.”

Guy looked between his friends and his partner with a look of confusion. “Empowered? So, you’re saying you… are a wizard? What, like Harry Potter?”

“No, I’m–” Elliot groaned. “I’m not a wizard , Guy, I just… I can use magic. I’m… a dreamwalker.”

The room was silent for a long moment. Honey and Geordi looked serious, albeit a little nervous, which was of no help to Guy, who thought for sure his three favorite people had just collectively lost their minds.

He gave an almost frightened laugh. “Uh-huh… Well… congrats . That’s… That’s really um… That’s really cool for you…”

Elliot sighed and rubbed his face. “Dude, I’m not fuckin’ with you.”

Guy nodded slowly, becoming less and less convinced that this was a prank. “Mhm, sure, good one. Really got me there.”

“Guy…” Geordi started.

“What?” Guy looked around the room. “Wait–You’re expecting me to believe you?”

“He’s not kidding, baby,” Honey said, “this is serious.”

“Yeah, seriously fucked . What is going on with you guys?” Guy stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. “Look, ha-ha funny goof, but if you’re serious about this, I need to make some phone calls, because you three need help.”

“Baby, please, it’s–”

Geordi held out his arm to prevent Honey from standing. “Just wait. I was the same way when I first found out. Give him a sec.”

“A-A sec ?” Guy sputtered. “Are you serious ? It’s gonna take more than a sec , Geordi. You three are fuckin’ nuts –”

Elliot got up, keeping his eyes on Guy. “What do you need me to do to prove that we’re not fucking with you?”

Guy looked at him, bewildered. “Do some fuckin’ magic, Eli.”

“Guy…” Elliot sighed. “I can’t just–I told you, I’m a dreamwalker . I can’t just do magic . I’m not trained like that. You need to be asleep.”

“Oh, so now you can’t show me ? Just like your girlfriend in seventh grade who ‘ went to a different school ’? It’s not real , and y’all are fuckin’ crazy–”

Honey stood, despite Geordi clawing at them to sit back down. “El, just knock him out. Put us in a dreamscape.”

Guy blinked, eyes focusing on Elliot with a fear that he’d never felt before. “Knock me–Elliot, don’t you fucking dare–”

“Eli, don’t–” Geordi stood and pushed past Honey. “Come on.”

“What else am I supposed to do?” Elliot asked, almost as frazzled as Guy. “Either I knock him out or he’s gonna call the cops.”

Guy held up his hands. “Elliot, if you touch me, I’m gonna scream so loud.”

“Then can you at least sit down?” Elliot reasoned. “I’m not gonna fuckin’ hit you, man.”

There was an uncertain silence in the room before Guy sat back down in the chair, never taking his eyes off of Elliot. “There,” he said, “better?”

Elliot sighed. “Much. Thank you. Now you won’t hit your head when I knock you out.”

“When you–Elliot, don’t you fuckin–” Before Guy could finish his sentence or even register what his friend was doing, he felt finger tips on his forehead and then the world went dark.

Guy opened his eyes and found himself in an impossible place. It was like he was standing in a field, but the grass was softer, and the sky was a light purple, and there were no bugs buzzing around his head. He blinked and rubbed his eyes as if it would all melt away. When he opened his eyes again, Geordi, Honey, and Elliot were standing in front of him.

“Ah Christ!” He exclaimed, nearly falling back onto his ass.

Honey reached out and caught his wrist. “Woah, be careful, baby.”

And suddenly there were hands on Guy’s waist from behind. “Don’t worry, I’ve got him.”

Guy turned to see that it was Elliot. He looked back to the spot where his friend had just been standing next to his partner, only to find it empty. “What the–How did you–Where– What –”

“Do you believe me now?” In a blink, Elliot was right back next to Honey.

Guy whipped around, practically spinning in a circle at this point. “Stop–Stop doing that what the fuck man –”

Honey stepped forward and cupped their boyfriend’s face. “Baby, look at me.” He did. “It’s okay. Just breathe, okay? You’re safe with us, you know that.”

Guy nodded, taking a few deep breaths. “Alright, so… Where are we right now?”

“We’re in a dreamscape,” Elliot explained, as if that was supposed to make any sort of sense at all, “we’re all asleep right now. And, technically, we’re all in your dream, Guy. I’m just the one that made it.”

“You… made all of this?” Guy looked around the field again, taking a moment to actually process the details of what he was seeing.

“Cool, isn't it?” Geordi asked with a smile.

Guy nodded again. “I mean… yeah, of course it is. But…” He looked to the people in front of him. “Can you guys do stuff like this too?”

Honey shook their head. “No, no. Eli’s the only one of us that’s empowered. I only found out about it in the last few months. Geordi’s known for a while.”

Geordi scratched the nape of his neck. “You remember my ex?”

Guy scrunched his nose. “Unfortunately.”

“They’re a telepath.”

Something clicked in Guy’s brain, and he shivered with disgust. “That explains so much, and I feel incredibly violated right now.”

“Other than that, are you okay?” Honey asked.

Guy turned back to them and sighed, taking their hands in his. “Fuckin’… Yeah, I guess . But this is a lot. You guys have to know that this is a lot.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m sorry,” Elliot said nervously, “I really did want to tell you sooner.”

Guy stepped up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Honestly? I get it. Weird way to admit to being a wizard, but I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me.”

Elliot scoffed out a laugh. “You’re such an asshole.”

“Yeah, well… At least I’m not a wizard.” Guy paused, pulling his hand back to tap his chin thoughtfully. “Actually, no, I take that back. That’s really dope. Can I do this shit too?”

“No,” Elliot told him, “you’ve gotta be born with it.”

Guy threw his hands in the air. “Aw c’mon! You’re tellin’ me I can’t just use Maybelline to get super powers?”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Guy.” Honey muttered from behind him. Geordi snickered. “Don’t you fuckin’ laugh at him. You know that’ll go straight to his ego.”

“Nah, nah, hype me up, Georgie,” Guy said, throwing a wink to his friend, “I love you, man.”

Geordi rolled his eyes. “Nevermind, I take it back. I’m revoking my laugh.”

“Aw no!” Guy laughed. “I’m sorry, buddy, c’mon, don’t be mean to me.”

“I hate you.” Geordi said, crossing his arms. His grin gave him away, and Guy poked his tongue out at him.

Maybe Guy didn’t know exactly where the four of them were. Maybe he didn’t know the rules of the universe or what kinds of things were possible with magic. Maybe he’d never learn those things. But what he did know was that his friends were the same as they’d always been. And his love, still holding his hand, hadn’t changed a bit. So maybe, just maybe, being friends with a wizard was something Guy could get used to.

Chapter Text

This was it. The moment they’d prepared themselves for. Whatever was going to happen between them and Vega was going to happen now, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

“You ready?” Gavin asked them under his breath.

Freelancer nodded despite themself. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m… Yeah.”

“Hey…” He took their face in his hands. “It’s gonna be alright, my love, I promise. We’re gonna make it out of this.” He kissed them soft and slow and, for a moment, they almost forgot where they were.

“Thank you, Gav…” They whispered against his lips. “I love you.”

He smiled. “I love you too. Now let’s kick some ass, huh?”

Freelancer nodded again, sharing in his smile. The two of them steadied their breathing before rounding the corner to the open field where Vega had agreed to meet them. Whether this was to be a battle to the death or a meaningful conversation, Freelancer had no way of knowing. They prepared for the worst with fingers crossed.

Well, hello there. Are you two finally done with your heartfelt sentiments?

The unfortunately familiar sultry voice of Vega echoed through their mind and made them shiver. They watched as his figure lingered just on the edge of the shadows, barely hiding a second figure behind himself.

“Who is that with you?” Freelancer hissed. “You promised to meet alone.”

Ah well… I was outnumbered, and I found that distasteful. So, I brought along my Warden to stand by my side. And, little freelancer… You really shouldn’t make promises with demons. You know how we can be.

“There is no ‘we’ in that, Vega,” they spat, “Gavin’s not like you, right, baby?” When Gavin didn’t speak up, they turned to where he’d been standing a moment ago to find him gone. “Gavin?” They turned back to Vega but before they could speak, there was a sudden pressure in their chest that left them breathless. It blossomed into an electric, searing pain spreading out through their limbs. They reached out and clung to whatever was in front of them, which happened to be Gavin.

“My name is Vindemiator, darling,” he purred, pressing his lips against their ear, “it would do you some good to learn to respect those who hold power over you.” Freelancer tried to channel their magic against him but found their powers seemingly drained. “Oh, are you trying to use magic, little human? You need threads in order to do that. And I’m afraid you don’t have those anymore.” Freelancer gasped against him as their vision turned spotty. “It hurts, doesn’t it? You want it to stop, don’t you?” They nodded, tears streaming down their cheeks. “Luckily, I have just the thing.” A wave of magic rocked through their body, tearing a cry from their chest and knocking out whatever breath they’d found. It felt like whatever pressure had been building had finally burst. First came the relief, then the worst pain they’d ever experienced. Even if they had the breath to speak, they didn’t have the words to use to describe it. They could do little more than fall slack in Gavin’s arms. “Better, huh?” He gave a chuckle before dropping them like a ragdoll. “Vega, you can let the little pest go, now. There’s nothing he’s gonna be able to do.”

A surge of magic filled the air, and suddening Caelum was falling to his knees next to Freelancer. He was beaten and bruised and looked like he’d been crying for a while. “Y-You’re gonna be–gonna be okay–”

“And what are you going to do, exactly?” Gavin asked, cocking his head tauntingly. “We all know you can’t help them without good feelings, and you seem to have those in spades at the moment.”

“I-I-I can–I can get help–” He gasped out in defiance. “T-The freelancer’s friends they can–They–”

“They can’t see you , little one.” Gavin bent down to meet Caelum’s gaze. “No one can. Well…” He motioned with his head to Freelancer’s wheezing frame at his feet. “No one but this one, right? And that doesn’t do you much good, now, does it?” He hummed as Caelum wept, pulling Freelancer into his lap. “You empathy daemons really are pathetic.” He turned on his heel. “I’ll see you on the other side of the war, Caelum.”

With the whooshing sound of a rift, the field was quiet.

Freelancer heaved for a breath, causing Caelum to effectively break down again. “I-I-I’m sorry–I-I want to help–but I can’t–I can’t–It’s not–”

“Caelum…” They took his hands. “Stop.”

“N-No, I–I can’t just–If I stop, you–you’ll–you’ll–”

“I know…” They winced, their whole body seizing up for a moment. “Just… Just lay with me… Please…” Caelum did as he was asked and settled against their body with his face in their neck. His body shook with the sobs that wracked in his chest. “Caelum…” He sniffled. “Look at the stars… Aren’t they beautiful…?”

He turned onto his back and gazed up through foggy eyes. “Y-Yeah… They’re–They’re really pretty…” He felt their hand meet his between them and wept silently as their fingers interlocked. “C-Can you tell me about the–the const–constant–constellations again?” He didn’t get a response. “F-Freelancer?”

And the field was quiet again.

Freelancer watched as their hands dipped past the inky black water that moved past them, slow but strong. They sat on the edge, but it didn’t take them away.

“What are you doing, lost one?”

The calming voice of the figure in the river didn’t frighten them, though it probably should’ve. They looked up at him, took in his pale features and black eyes, and they smiled.

“I’m just… enjoying the peace,” they told him honestly, “I haven’t had that in… a very long time.”

He watched them carefully. “How are you sitting still?”

“I’m… I’m not sure. I just…” They scooped some water in their hands and watched it run through their fingers. “I sat down, and the water let me stay.”

“Perhaps… It is the balance, then,” he said thoughtfully, “the river decided that you deserved rest before the veil. Do you know what–”

“What’s your name?”

The man blinked. “My… name?” Freelancer nodded. “It’s… Brachium.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Brachium. You see a lot of people here, don’t you?”

“Yes um…” Brachium seemed more than a little confused. “Millions of people. I… I must ask, little one… Do you know where you are? How you got here?”

They nodded solemnly. “I can gather based on what I remember.” They took a breath and then shook their head. “But I don’t like remembering.”

“I understand. It can be hard. Would you like me to sit with you?”

Freelancer shook their head again, pushing up off the silt and out of the water. They stood facing Brachium and could see by his face that he’d never been matched like that before. “Are you against giving me a hug before I go?”

Brachium smiled. “No, I… I think I can manage that. But… You’re sure? I know I can be quite alarming to–Oh–” Freelancer wrapped their arms around him, effectively cutting him off. He gave a soft laugh and rubbed their back in turn. “I have seen millions pass down this river, but I will remember you, little one.”

They pulled away with a soft sigh. “Thank you. For the moment of peace.”

He nodded and watched as they settled into the silt in the middle of the river. The black currants immediately engulfed them, but they took it with a content smile. “Goodbye, my friend.”

And the river was quiet again.

Chapter Text

Asher woke up to the smell of blood and distant panic. Neither one was particularly good, and he was lucky he didn’t shift the moment his eyes were open. The room was dark, his phone lighting up at 5:47am when he tapped the screen. He patted the bed next to him. “Babe?” Instead of finding his boyfriend, his hand landed in something wet, and he bolted across the room the flick the light on. The pads of his fingers were tinted red from the pool of blood on the sheets. His face went pale. “Babe!” He called out, nearly in tears. “C’mon, baby, where are you? Are you okay?”

There was some shuffling in the bathroom before he got a response. “I-I’m in here! But I-I’m fine, just go back to bed!”

Asher looked at his fingers as he ran to the bathroom. The smell of his boyfriend’s panic grew stronger and stronger by the second and mixed with the smell of blood that had successfully filled the apartment. “Baby? Can I come in?”

“Uh… No, no, you don’t have to come in–” The panic grew in the air. “I’m fine. It’s fine.”

Asher growled. Not at his partner but at the primal instincts within him to protect . He felt helpless, anxious tears on his face. “Please. Please, what’s going on? Let me help. I don’t know much about healing, so we need to get you to Marie.”

He heard more shuffling. “It’s uh… It’s not that kind of issue, Ash,” his partner responded, sounding nervous, “there’s no reason to bother her with this so early.”

“Baby, please…” he sobbed, resting his forehead on the door, “please let me help you…”

The lock clicked, then, and the door opened to his boyfriend, dressed in a different shirt and boxers than the ones he went to bed with. He rested his hand on Asher’s cheek. “Hey, you goof, there’s no need for you to cry. See? I’m okay, I promise.”

Asher immediately started investigating, searching for any sign of a wound. “Are you hurt? Where are you bleeding?”

“Ash–”

He tried to lift his shirt, and his hands were quickly swatted away but not before he caught a glimpse of medical tape on his side. “Now isn’t the time to be stubborn. I saw the amount of blood on those sheets. I can smell your panic. Please, just–Let me see. At least let me make sure it’s bandaged correctly.”

His face paled. “What do you mean the sheets?”

Asher blinked. “The blood on the sheets. From wherever you’re hurt. There’s a lot of it.”

“Fuck–Fuck, fuck–fuck–” He tore his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry, Ash– Fuck –I’m sorry. I’ll wash them, I promise. I didn’t mean–I didn’t–”

“Hey–” Asher cupped his boyfriend’s cheeks. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault. I’ll take care of the sheets. I don’t want you doing chores with an injury like you’ve got.”

He sighed, leaning forward and resting his forehead on Asher’s chest. “I’m not… injured, Ash.”

Asher moved to envelope his partner and settle his hands in his hair. “You may think you’re fine now, but with that much blood–”

“It’s not from an injury.” There was a moment of silence where he realized the shifter had no idea what that meant. He sighed, nuzzling closer as if that would save him from the embarrassment of his confession. “I… I got my period.”

Asher didn’t say anything for a second, but then he hugged his boyfriend tighter. “Thank god–” He finally gasped out. “I was so scared, baby, you have no idea. I thought someone might’ve broken in or–”

“Wait–” He stopped, took a step back. “You know what that means, right?” Asher cocked his head. “I’m trans, Ash.”

Asher blinked. “Okay…?” When his partner didn’t say anything more, he shook his head in confusion. “Wait–Did you think I was gonna be upset about that?”

He shrugged, suddenly embarrassed again. “I dunno… I guess not, but I definitely thought you’d care .”

“Oh, babe…” Asher wrapped him in another hug. “I don’t care at all. Not in the bad way, at least. Like–I don’t care what you’re packin’. You’re my boyfriend, and I love you no matter what. I do care in the sense that I’m happy to know you and all of your identities so that I can support you.” He pulled back, hands holding onto his boyfriend’s biceps. “What do you need from me, baby? Anything at all?”

“Can you just hold me until the meds kick in and I can fall back to sleep?”

Asher kissed his forehead. “I’ll hold you until you forcibly remove me from your body.”

He laughed, wiping away the tears on his cheeks. “Thank you, baby…”

“Maybe… Maybe not on the bed, though…” Asher chuckled nervously. “You okay with the couch until I get the laundry done?”

“As long as I’m with you, I’m happy.”