#Just wear the damn suit Regis

[spellwing777]

How does a giant bat wear a snowsuit? Reluctantly. 

[clericofshadows]

don't ask about Ryuusei

Description: Regis Shepard receives an odd invite from Joker, which leads to him falling through a fish tank, being taken care of his lovers, and finding out that there's an identity theft plot against him--all in that order.

Pairing: Regis Shepard/Kaidan Alenko/Zaeed Massani

Rating: M

Word Count: ~14K

Regis was sitting at his desk, scrolling through his terminal when he saw a message from Moreau pop up.

Shepard, I've got a few things I wanted to go over with you. With the Normandy in dry dock, I figured we could meet up at that Ryuusei sushi place down in the Wards. I hear it's the best. Joker

Something was a bit off on the tone of the email, but it wouldn’t be the first time Moreau made EDI type up something for him.  He didn’t recognize the name of the restaurant, but the mention of sushi made him pull a face so he searched it up.  The first link revealed that it was not only a fancy, high-end sushi place but also housed in a fucking fish tank.  He knows how much Regis hates fish.  Hell, he was there when Regis boasted about getting the Cerberus crew to remove the eye-sore in his cabin.

So why would he ever suggest Ryuusei over any other restaurant?  Regis will go the extra mile for some of his crew, but taking someone out to a fish tank themed restaurant is crossing the damn line.

He pushed the chair away from his desk and stalked back over to the living room.  Kaidan made a concerned expression, sensing his anger from a mile away, making room for him on the couch.

“I’m going to murder him,” Regis said, flopping back down on the couch, pulling his omnitool out to show his husbands. “What the hell is this?”

Zaeed looked over his shoulder, squinting his eyes at the omnitool. “Are you sure it’s from him?”

“I’ve scanned it, ran it through my filters. Do you want me to message my friend in infosec? It’s legit,” he replied. “I’ve already looked up the place. It’s a fucking fish tank that only serves sushi and seafood. I’ll pass.”

“Joker’s an ass, but he’s not an idiot,” Kaidan said. Fair point to make. Moreau values his life over jokes when it comes to Regis. Most of the time. “Want us to go with you?”

“I might need some material witnesses, but I’d argue you’re both too damn biased to be of any use,” Regis said, turning to kiss Kaidan on the cheek. “I appreciate the offer, though.”

“That’s what Spectre authorizations are for, right? Abuse your goddamn power. Wipe your slate clean,” Zaeed chuckled. “So, are you going to go?”

“Might as well. What’s the worst that could happen?”

He could get food poisoning again.  He was fifteen years old, and his mother took him out to a place on Arcturus known for its seafood.  He was sick for days afterwards, his mother somehow escaping from the horror that he felt.

Regis swore off fish in any form since then. 

“I could think of a few things,” Kaidan said, furrowing his eyebrows. “You just jinxed us.”

Regis rolled his eyes. “Just be on standby, loves. Hell, why did this place highly recommend formal wear? I rather not waste one of my suits on Moreau.”

“Think of you wearing one of those suits as something we can take off of you later,” Zaeed said, leaning over the couch to whisper in his ear.

Regis smirked, pulling him in for a kiss. “You have good ideas, Massani. Fine, I’ll wear one of my suits. But not my nicest one.”

He got up from the couch. “I’ll be back. Don’t follow me, because I know damn well you’ll make me late.”

“What? We would never,” Kaidan replied, laying his hand on his chest in mock offense.

Regis walked backwards to the stairs. “Bullshit. I can see you two already scheming.”

“Only about tonight, baby,” Zaeed said, curling up next to Kaidan. “We would never sabotage an important meeting.”

Regis stopped at the stairwell, a hand on the railing. He glared at them with narrowed eyes. “Sure,” he said, drawing out the word. “And I’m definitely straight.”

“The horror!” Kaidan chuckled.  “Go get ready.  We’ll hold down the fort.”

Regis smiled as he walked up the stairs into their bedroom, opening the closet and sorting through his suits.  He grabbed a red vest, a black button down, slacks, and a pair of his combat boots.  For comfort.  He grabbed his silicone wedding rings and placed them on top of each other on his ring finger, keeping the real ones safe on his dog tags hanging in the jewelry box.

He also reached for his holster, designed to fit his N7 Eagle perfectly underneath his shoulder.  

Sitting on his weapon bench was one of his visors.  A thinner, smaller model turians tend to prefer to use, recently co-opted and refitted for human use.  He tucked it in his vest pocket, one of the arms of the visor hanging off the side of his pocket.

Because you never know.

He took his time getting ready, ensuring no piece was out of place.  He finished up by finger-combing some product in his hair and rubbing some oil into this beard.

When he walked down the stairs, rolling up his sleeves, revealing his inked arms, Zaeed let out a whistle.  Regis rolled his eyes as he stood in front of the couch, twirling around so they could look at his outfit.  “Good enough to take off of me later?”

“I don’t know,” Zaeed said, a sparkle in his eye.  “This is a picture I want to keep.  May just have to worship you with it on, only taking just enough off to make you writhe.”

Regis gave him a look , but he doubted it had much fire behind it.  “You are not going to ruin my suit.”  Zaeed held up his hands in surrender, keeping that smug expression on his face.  Bastard.  That’s all Regis is going to think about during the damn meet up.

Dry cleaning does exist…

Kaidan shook his head at Zaeed’s comment.  “Do you really need the Eagle?” He asked, pointing at the holster.

“I’m a Spectre.  I can open carry,” Regis said, crossing his arms.  “Too much?”

“Yes, I know you’re a Spectre.” Kaidan rolled his eyes.  Regis stuck out his tongue.  “Nah.  It suits you.  Makes it clear how you feel about the meeting.”

“I’m going to be pissed if I find out this could’ve been a damn email.” Regis said.  He stepped forward to kiss the both of them on the cheek.  “I’ll be back soon.”

“Try not to kill our pilot.  Don’t have many of those that will put up with our crew,” Zaeed called out as Regis opened the door.

He shot him a one-fingered salute in response.

The ride to the restaurant was quick enough.  Regis toyed with the rings on his finger, twisting them around.  He wasn’t anxious, per se, but he wasn’t exactly looking forward to the meeting.

Mostly because he was going to give Moreau one hell of an earful.  

The skycar stopped and he stepped outside, looking at the line of people.  As he walked to the end of the line, all eyes on the first Human Spectre and Admiral, the host waved him forward.  He sighed and got out of his place in line, stepping onto the fish tank floors, looking down on them with barely disguised annoyance.  Moreau waved him over to a table in the back, a grin on his face and wearing a casual blazer and jeans.  

Okay, something is weird.  Something is definitely up.  There’s no way he’ll ever be this enthusiastic about a meeting with Regis.  They tolerate each other, and that’s it.

He almost wanted to see if someone was behind him.

He walked over to the table and sat down, lacing his fingers together on the table.

Moreau’s gaze landed on his gun.  “Uh, was that really necessary?”

“Oh, you mean this?” Regis pointed at his holster.  “I don’t know. Why the hell did you invite me to what I could consider the biggest abomination of a restaurant on the Citadel?  You know I would’ve been perfectly fine at a damn noodle stand.”

“Wait a minute, you messaged me .  For a second, I thought it was a prank.  I mean, hello–” he gestured around.  “I know you.  This is your personal hell, but maybe you decided to let that all go to celebrate your favorite pilot.”

“My favorite pilot is EDI,” Regis deadpanned, keeping his face neutral as Moreau clutched at his chest in offense.  “Shit, so you got a message from me, and I got a message from you… I knew I should’ve involved infosec.”

“You were about to involve infosec?  Let me see that message you got,” he replied.  Regis obliged, pulling up his omnitool.  He read over it quickly.   “That’s weird.  My message is almost the same, except from you.”

“My filters and scans didn’t pick up any anomalies, so I just assumed you had EDI write and send it like you have a tendency of doing,” Regis replied, shutting it off.  “This isn’t good.”

“Hey, she offers!  It’s efficiency,” he defended.  His gaze fell to something behind him.  “Uh, there’s a low-ranking officer in blues trying to get our attention.”

Regis turned around to see a young woman waving desperately to get their attention, clothed in perfect dress blues, hat in place, and shoes shined to perfection.

Almost too perfect, but not uncommon with some of the lower ranks.  Wanting to make themselves seem as important as possible, which he couldn’t blame.

Still… This whole situation made him unnerved.  Regis got the attention of the host who was trying and nearly failing to hold her back.  He made a “come here” motion and the host reluctantly let her through as she stumbled forward.

Another thing bugged him.  Kaidan and Zaeed knew he was here.  How did she know he was here?  Did the press announce it that quickly?  Admiral Regis Shepard spotted at Ryuusei, more at 11?

She stopped at their table, holding a datapad, almost sounding out of breath as she introduced himself.  “Staff Analyst Maya Brooks.  Alliance Intelligence.  Com–Admiral Shepard, there are people trying to kill you.”

He’s been an Admiral since the end of the war.  Kind of annoying that some people still try to call him Commander.

He and Moreau shared a look.  Moreau spoke up.  “Uh, yeah, that’s pretty typical for Shepard.  What’s new?”

“No, like I’m aware of the remnants of Cerberus and other orgs, but ugh–” she shook her head, looking frustrated with herself.  “Someone is hacking into your accounts.  Comm channels, personal records… They’re targeting you specifically.”

Regis narrowed his eyes.  “I figured that out before you got here.  You and your department must’ve dropped the ball.  I have my own fucking security, so what the hell is going on?”

She flinched back at his hostility, but something about it looked exaggerated.  Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so harsh, but her high energy was getting on his nerves.  “We don’t have all the intel yet!  And I’m not about to guess when we don’t have all the information.”

Regis made a motion with his hand to continue.  “Well, what do you know?”

“Take a breath, Brooks,” Moreau said.  “Not like this is a life-or-death situation or anything.”

At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a lot of movement from the entrance.  With a hand on his gun, Regis watched as a whole group of armored, armed mercenaries started pouring in, pushing the host aside.

Shit.

Regis made no move just yet, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself.  He readied his Tech Armor on his omnitool, ready to flash-forge it over his body.

It’s a good thing he didn’t wear his best suit.  He had a feeling it wasn’t going to survive this trip.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!  Tonight's performance is brought to you by random acts of violence,” one of the mercs announced, presumably the captain.  At his word, his fellow mercs started shooting in the air, causing chaos and throwing up tables, causing the civilians to scatter and cower in fear.  They shot at the glass, and Regis put on his visor as he got up, shielding Moreau from the fire and using the table as a make-shift shield.  

As the visor calibrated, he noticed that the structural integrity of the building was severely compromised.  You would've thought that an expensive restaurant would spring for the best glass for their precious fish.

He was going to leave a one-star review if he gets out of this mess.  

“Spread out boys!  Find me Shepard!” the captain announced.

Regis pushed Moreau down, keeping an eye on the analyst.  He drew his gun and activated his omnitool, typing out an SOS to Zaeed and Kaidan.

Need help.  Suit up fast.  Ryuusei.

The message lagged a bit before eventually sending.  Shit, they’re jamming comms too?  He sent it just in time, but the warning signs on his visor weren’t helping with all the chaos on the tanks.

A fish restaurant is not going to kill him today.

“Stay there,” he ordered Brooks.  “Moreau?” He asked, turning to him, looking him over with a concerned eye.  “Are you okay?”

“Ow, my pancreas,” he groaned, clutching his side.  “I’m fine.  More durable than you think.”

Regis rolled his eyes, about to move forward, but a merc came forward and yanked Brooks out of her cover.  She stumbled as they dragged her across the floor.  “Goddamn it,” Regis muttered.

“Listen,” he said, getting Moreau’s attention.  “I’m going to go after her.  I’ve already sent word to Kaidan and Zaeed but rally the crew.”

“Rally the crew and your crazy husbands, got it,” he said, slowly getting up from the cover.

Regis smirked and kept an eye on Moreau, waiting for a trooper to try and get the obvious bait, holstering his Eagle.  And then, one shouted.  “Hey!”

Regis reached up and yanked the merc over his cover, flash-forging his omni-blade and sinking it in his chest with a growl.

He took the weapon off the corpse, not recognizing it as anything currently on the market, much less the Spectre market.  Lightweight, suppressed, and human made.

Interesting.

“You used me as bait!” Moreau accused.

“Yes, I did.  Now get the hell out of here!” Regis replied, twisting his fingers into a barrier, feeling the dark energy settle over him.  He forged his Tech Armor as well, trying to provide as much protection on him as possible before leaving the compromised position.

Regis peaked around the corner, aiming with the new pistol and headshotting the nearest merc, watching in satisfaction as they collapsed to the ground.  The gun barely made a sound, low enough to not be immediately detected as a gunshot.

Well, his Eagle is going to be useless.  Damn. His favorite gun is already overshadowed by some new black-market tech. 

He crept forward, gathering dark energy in one hand, twisting it into a Reave, tossing it at the nearest merc.  The merc panicked, making him a perfect target.  Pull the trigger, and then-–dead.

Regis prepped an overload on his omnitool, using his eye-tracking software to pinpoint the group of mercs near the bar, creeping towards his location.  In a flash of red, he overloaded their shields in a rain of sparks, making them vulnerable to a blast of dark energy.  He teased the energy in his palm, twisting his fingers to point forwards into a shockwave.  The energy pulsed on the ground before blowing up in their faces, knocked out by the force of the blast.

“I’m over here!” Brooks called out.  Shit.  Another merc turned towards his direction, walking away from his position at the bar.  Can she not read the fucking room?

Regis reloaded the pistol, grabbing a fresh heat sink from the ground and vaulting over the bar.  He rushed towards the merc, detonating his tech armor with a clench of his fist, causing them to stagger.  He forged another omni blade and stabbed it through the helmet, ripping it away in a spray of blood.

There definitely goes his suit.  

Brooks was lying on the glass in front of the entrance.  He ran towards her, gunning down the merc guarding the entrance.  He slid down to her.  Holding out a hand, he helped her up, her grip very tight.  “You alright?” Regis asked, brushing off his vest, stuffing the new gun in his other holster.  “Come on, we need to–”

He heard the sound of jet-propelled armor, and then a flash of red.  She pushed him out of the way, Brooks took the shot meant for him, clipping her side.

Regis gritted his teeth as he moved to get up, winded by the way he fell on his back.  The merc continued to fire around him, missing every shot, hitting the glass…

Well, shit.  His visor flashed with warnings, the glass started to creak ominously, and then–

The glass shattered.

Regis cried out, reaching deep within the gravity well to start to slow his fall, but it failed, a spike of pain coming from his neck.  He blindly reached for something, anything to grab onto.  His hand slipped on the neon sign, the panels shattering with his weight until he stopped at the very end, his hand covered in cuts and starting to sting with the saltwater raining from above.

Slowly, carefully, he raised himself up, cringing at the pain radiating up from his hands and bare arms.

How the hell is he going to get out of this?

He started to try and climb up more, but then it started to creak.  He widened his eyes as the sigh failed to support his weight, and he fell with a shout, rolling down the glass windows.

Reaching out for more purchase, his grip landed up an open window, and he was dangling once more.  No time to think, no time to do anything as he looked up and saw more glass and remnants of the sign raining down.

He took a breath and let go of the open window, sliding and rolling down the wall until he landed on a solid platform.  

Water still rained down on top of him as he slowly rose up, clutching his side and looking over his body.  His hands were shredded and covered in blood.  His arms were marred with cuts.  He was soaked and smelling like fish.

Sure, he’s been through hell many times.  But somehow the fish part made this encounter part of his worst.  

With a pained sigh, he activated his omnitool and cursed at his low level of medigel, barely enough to seal the worst of the cuts on his hand.  He applied it gently to his hands, ripping off parts of his dress pants to create a crude bandage.

It will be enough for now.

He glanced at his visor’s HUD, noticing that his amp was overloaded.  Shit.  No wonder he couldn’t levitate down.  

He’ll need a new replacement, stat.

A flick of his wrist, and his omnitool reactivated.  He searched through the comm feeds, only picking up on a local one.  All others were still blocked, no way to get a message through to any of his crew.

He reached for the suppressed pistol, looking around to try and get his bearings.  

“Admiral! I found a secure terminal.  Are you okay down there?”  Of all the people that are able to reach out to him.

“Yeah, feeling peachy.”  No, he’s not okay.  Not about to admit that to her.

He made his way through the scaffolding, jumping over to the next platform and sliding down the ladder.  “Didn’t you get hit?” He asked, making conversation.

“Yup!  I used a lot of medigel.  Too much of it, maybe.  Everything is a bit… bouncy?”  She sounded very chipper, almost manic.  

“You used too much,” he confirmed absentmindedly, jumping over to another set of platforms and sliding down another ladder, wincing at the contact with his abused hands.  “Alert C-Sec.  I’m looking for a way out.”

She didn’t immediately reply, and Regis was almost thankful for it.  His gaze landed on a skycar lot across the street, selling top of the line models.  A skycar took off from the landing pad.  “I see a lot and a landing pad.  Cision Motors.”

“Yeah, I see it!” 

“Good.  Get a shuttle there ASAP,” he ordered as he made his way down, finding himself in front of a freezer storage of some sort.

“So, um, it turns out that C-Sec has the whole area locked down.  It’s going to be tricky to get a shuttle down there.”

Great.  Regis made his way through the freezer, rubbing his arms at the sudden chill.  “Well, keep at it and find a fucking solution!”  He glanced back down at his omnitool, seeing two comm requests pop up.  He read through their signatures and pushed them through, recognizing his husbands’ sigs from a mile away.

Finally.  Some real help.  

“Oh, and you should stay off your comm.  Except for me!  Because it’s hacked.  And that’s how they found you.”  Ain’t that convenient.  He ignored her, climbing up the ladder and nodding at the salarian taking a smoke break, who barely spared him a glance.  

“Do you even know who these mercs are?” He asked, hoping she had something to give him.

“No.  They really don’t seem to like you!”

“That’s real helpful, Brooks.  Thanks for that very astute observation,” Regis growled out, crouching down at the top of the building.  

Why is it taking so damn long for their comms to get through?  He glanced back down at his omnitool and pushed them through again, changing the security on the fly so they could patch into Brooks’ comm instead of his own.

If she complains about it, he’s muting her.

He leapt from building to building until he stopped at one at the edge of the market, seeing a group of the same mercs patrolling around.  Shit.

Without his biotics, this wasn’t going to be fun.  His visor helpfully outputted that the temp of his amp had gone down, but diagnostics were still too volatile for him to risk it.

“Regis!  Can you hear me?” Kaidan’s voice appeared, and Regis relaxed minutely.  

“Yes, love.  Loud and clear.  Zaeed got routed in, too?” Regis replied with a relieved smile, still perched on the top of the building, scanning the area before dropping down quietly, crouching down behind a random stall.

“Of course.  We’re on foot, but close.  Goddamn, can we ever have a peaceful leave?” Zaeed said. 

Regis was looking forward to them peeling his suit off of him.  Now all he wanted to do is soak in that hot tub and never come out.  

“Joker let us know what happened.  Did you really use him as bait?” Kaidan chuckled.

“Excuse me, who is this?  You’re on an unsecured channel, and you are putting Admiral Shepard in danger!” Brooks yelled out.  Regis shook his head and shot at the nearest merc, watching him collapse to the ground in a satisfying crumble.

“And who the hell are you?” Zaeed cut in.  “Not like we have a lot of options here.”

Regis ignored the conversation as he summoned a drone, directing it to distract the mercs heading towards the body.  

As they focused on the drone, he detonated it, overloading their shields and making them vulnerable to a few well-placed shots. Well, if they aren’t going to introduce themselves, he might as well do it.  Not like he’s fighting for his life here or anything.  

“Zaeed, Kaidan, this is Staff Analyst Brooks.  Brooks, these are my husbands, Zaeed and Kaidan.  Not the type to be putting me in danger,” Regis explained as he crept through the alleyway, keeping an eye on any other mercs.  “Play nice, because I’m in the middle of something here.”

“As if you ever play nice,” Kaidan said with a barely disguised snort.  “Can you send me your diag?”

Regis sent the outputs through the comm, hoping there was enough bandwidth to handle the data transfer.  Luckily, it went through, and Regis rolled over to the nearest stand, aiming for the next group of mercs with another primed and ready overload.

“We’ll make sure to call Vik so they can get you checked out.” Regis could hear his wince across the comm.  Yeah, he knew they weren’t great, but Kaidan was the most knowledgeable about bio-feeds.

The fact that he’s favoring Vik over Chakwas is signal enough that his amp problem is something serious.  Great.  Just like he thought but hoped he interpreted incorrectly.

He fired off the overload, taking down the second group with precision, disposing of the smoking heat sink and scooping up another off of the corpses.  

“Just my amp.  Can easily be replaced.  I’ll be fine,” Regis said, checking his program cooldowns before switching over to the cryo freeze, firing it off at a sniper who was getting set up at the back counter.  

He took a deep breath and continued forward, starting to feel weary.  His hands and arms ached, and he was sure he was going to be a massive bruise by tomorrow.  

Keep pressing forward, Regis.  It’s this or death.

At the end of the street was a locked door.  He glanced at the security and pushed through his Spectre credentials, the door opening and confirming his status.  

“I’m almost at the lot.  Just have a few more mercs I need to fight through,” Regis said, crouching behind an elegant potted plant.  “Unless any of you are close enough to go ahead and save my ass?”

“Almost there!” Kaidan said.  “Hold out a bit longer.”

“You say that like it’s easy,” he muttered, temporarily muting himself.  He unmuted, “Glad to hear!”

He summoned his drone again and drew some of the mercs towards him.  His hands started to shake as he raised up the pistol.  Shit.  He needs to get out of here, fast.

His first shot went wide, but the next hit home, taking down one of the mercs as the other shot at his drone.  

He ordered the drone to shock the merc in a blast of sparks, finishing them off with another bullet.  Only a few more to go.

He glanced at his diags again, seeing the output of his amp improving.  Normally, he wouldn’t do this, but this is not a normal situation.  He flicked his fingers into a singularity, feeling his corona roar to life before tossing it at the group of mercs waiting at the entrance to the skycar lot.

“Admiral!  There’s a C-Sec shuttle inbound if you can get to the car lot,” Brooks announced.

“Got it,” Regis said, trying to keep his voice steady.

He’s going to pay for that later with one hell of a migraine.

Worth it to stay alive.  

He grabbed some more clips and holstered the suppressed pistol, noticing a M-11 on the side.  He traded it out for his Eagle, not caring for stealth at the moment, although he noticed that the gun pierced through armor like no other, almost like a mini Widow.  

As he walked into the lot, he saw Kaidan holding a group of mercs in the air with his biotics, his corona burning blue.  Zaeed had his Widow out, sniping the heads of the mercs before Kaidan threw them against the wall in a blast of dark energy. 

Regis holstered his gun as Kaidan walked towards him, his corona slowly dissipating.  To his immense pleasure both Zaeed and Kaidan opted to wear their matching long coats and infiltration style gear, Kaidan’s blue duster marked with the Spectre logo.

Kaidan’s expression morphed into one of concern as he got a better look at him, gaze falling on his hands.  “What happened?”

“Fell through a fucking fish tank,” he replied, opening his arms for a hug.  Kaidan hugged him back, and Regis let Kaidan support him as Zaeed prepped some medigel.

“And your amp?” Zaeed asked after they broke apart, clasping Regis on the shoulder.  “I still want to take that suit off of you.”  Kaidan rolled his eyes, shaking his head at his husband.

“Me too, so we can burn it later.” Regis sat down on the curb, taking a breath.  “My amp needs to be replaced.  It’s better than what it was, but I don’t trust it right now.”

“We’ll be calling Vik the moment we get back to the apartment,” Kaidan said with a nod, sitting down beside him.  “Now be honest.  Scale of one to ten.”

Regis closed his eyes.  “Five, maybe six?  That fall fucked me up.  Only came out of it unscathed as it did probably due to Cerberus’s enhancements.”

Zaeed activated his Kuwashii visor and performed a scan of his own, kneeling down, starting to administer some medigel to the more superficial wounds.  “Don’t see anything too abnormal, but I’m no medic.  Your goddamn amp is still going crazy.”

“I may have used some biotics even after it threw a warning,” Regis admitted.

Kaidan gave him a hard look, but it was softened by the concern still written on his face.  “Don’t use any more until we can get you checked out.  Are your programs still running at optimal levels?”

Regis gave him a hard look of his own.  “You know who you’re talking to, right?” He stood up and forged his tech armor.  “No issues at all.”

“Then stick to them,” Kaidan said with a pointed look, checking over his N7 Valkyrie.  

Zaeed stepped in between them.  “Love the foreplay.  Let’s get out of here?  Landing pad is beyond a locked gate, maybe we should find a way to open it so we can get on with it?”

“Oh, I’m sure you want us to get on with it,” Kaidan muttered.

Regis rolled his eyes and stalked over to the set of offices where there was likely some sort of master lock to unlock the gates.  They followed him as he activated his omnitool, priming it to overload the door.  “Stand back.”

Kaidan slowly lowered his raised arm.  “Just a minute, love.” He moved to knock on the window, and Regis noticed a volus sitting underneath the window.  Ah.

“Would’ve been faster if you let him destroy the damn lock,” Zaeed said, gesturing with the Widow.  “Hell, I could’ve blasted it off for you.”

Kaidan ignored them both.  “Could you unlock the gate?”

With a mechanical sound, the gates lowered into the floor.  “Thanks.” Kaidan said, walking past both of them with a smirk on his face.

“Well, I could’ve done that ,” Regis muttered, following close behind him.  

“Boring.  We could've been out of here by now if you hadn’t played nice,” Zaeed said, clapping him on the back.  

“Isn’t that what you love about me?” Kaidan shot back, walking backwards towards the landing pad.  “We need someone in this relationship who doesn’t immediately resort to violence.”

“There’s a key word in that sentence, love,” Regis teased.  “‘Immediately.’”  

As they made it to the landing pad, they saw a C-Sec shuttle flying towards them.  Regis lowered his gun, raising up an arm to shield his face as the shuttle started to lower.  The shuttle door opened, and he caught the flash of a turret.  Shit.  Nothing is ever easy.

“Get down!” Kaidan ordered, summoning up a biotic bubble as the mercs opened fire, bullets stopping in the wake of the dark energy surrounding them.  Zaeed pushed them both behind the lot’s sign, throwing off a bundle of Inferno grenades to cover them before ducking into the bubble.

Kaidan let the bubble go, conserving his energy.  They all shared a look, looking at each other first before glancing back at the shuttle, looking for a way out.

And then, the sound of glass shattering and the distinct sound of a krogan war cry came out of nowhere.  Regis glanced at his diags to make sure he hadn’t fallen into shock.

“Is that–fucking hell…” Zaeed said in growing awe as the sound of an engine blowing up filled the air.  “Good goddamn timing.”

The shuttle crashed to the ground and Regis risked a glance around the sign, seeing Wrex pummeling the mercs without breaking a sweat, headbutting and pushing them around before tossing one unlucky bastard out the back door.

“Just to make it clear, Wrex was not one of the people we informed,” Kaidan said, walking out of cover.

Wrex walked towards them calmly after kicking another merc out of the shuttle.  “Maybe you should’ve, Alenko.  Almost missed all the fun!”

Wrex pulled a minigun from a corpse and tossed it to Regis, who caught it with a grin.  “Glad to have you here.  So, what exactly are you doing here anyway?” Regis asked.  

“Butting heads with the Council over krogan expansion,” he said.  “Shepard, you should take up the human council position!  We’ll have someone who could have our backs.”

Regis shuddered at the thought.  “Respectfully Wrex, that’s going to be a hell-fucking-no.”

“Ah, what a shame.  I get it though.” Wrex nodded at Zaeed who did the same in response.  

Regis looked over the minigun as an explosion rocked the area, coming from inside the building.  He sighed, shaking his head.  “Wrex, you with me?”

“Always, my friend.  Now, stay back.  You’re too squishy in that outfit of yours,” Wrex said, priming his shotgun.

Mercs poured in from the ceiling, jumping down and ready for a fight.  Two biotics–well, technically one at the moment–one krogan, and one pissed-off merc versus a whole company of mercs.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

Regis dashed over to the nearest cover, which was yet another sign advertising the business.

“So, we got a way out of here?” Wrex asked as he lifted a whole group of mecs for Zaeed to snipe.

“Of course we do.  We’re goddamn professionals,” Zaeed replied, picking them off one by one. 

“That’s not a yes, love!” Kaidan called out, throwing out a quick overload to take down an engineer about to set up a turret.  Regis sent out his drone to assist, despite being low on resources.  He tested the gun and took down a group of mercs advancing towards him, mowing them down without much effort.

He’s still going to mostly sit this one out.  He’s not an idiot.

“Admiral!” Moreau’s voice filled the comm.  “We’re on our way.  I picked up Brooks.  Figured you have a few questions.”

Sure, but not right at this minute.  “Maybe later.  By the way, that shuttle you sent?  The C-Sec shuttle wasn’t C-Sec, it was filled with a bunch of mercs.  So please, hurry up,” Regis replied, taking out a few enemy drones heading towards him with precision.  

“What?!” Brooks asked with an exaggerated inquiring tone.  

“You heard me,” Regis growled out, taking a breath as he replenished his tech armor.  

“Right, sorry.  We’ll be there soon!”

Regis started to feel a little bad for being so hostile, but something about her was rubbing him the wrong way.  No one can be that damn chipper.

“Great place to fight in.  Lots to destroy!” Wrex announced and the tell-tale sound of glass shattering filled the air.  Zaeed shouted with glee as he fired off something explosive.  Kaidan started to fall back, heading to Regis’s position.

Regis shook his head but was grinning all the same.  Yeah, he missed this kind of action, not getting up to much of it post-war, clearing out Cerberus stations and herding survivors, working to scout the galaxy and continue looking for more history.

“Approaching your position, Admiral.  Just following the gunfire,” Moreau chuckled.  “Sorry it’s taking a while.  Had to take the scenic route.”

“Copy that,” Regis acknowledged.  He prepped another overload as a sniper tried to sneak up on him, their cloak revealed by his visor.  No match for his technology.  He fired it off, paying little mind to the arguing going on the comm.  Brooks started yelling at Moreau for nearly crashing multiple times.

If it gets them here faster, Regis didn’t care how they did it.

“Hey, Shepard, get to the shuttle!” Moreau announced as the sounds of whirring engines grew louder and louder.  

Kaidan yelled.  “Fall back!” Starting to provide cover fire, he extended his barrier so that it would also envelop Regis, the blue dark energy surrounding him in a protective field.  

Moreau maneuvered the shuttle so it was hovering just above the ground.  Wrex charged towards the shuttle, throwing a set of Warp grenades behind him that exploded in a flurry of blue and red before jumping aboard.  Zaeed was close behind, jumping on and holding out an arm.  Regis grabbed onto him, and Zaeed pulled him close, holding onto Regis tightly as he stumbled forward.

Kaidan jumped aboard once everyone was secure and Moreau shut the shuttle door, halting the path of gunfire.

He took off in a burst of speed that was definitely illegal for this sector of the Citadel, the sounds of gunfire slowly quietening down.  

Regis clung to Zaeed as they headed back to safety in silence, Kaidan watching them with a concerned eye.  Even Wrex looked worried, leaning against the back wall of the shuttle.

“Vik’s meeting us at the apartment,” Kaidan said, breaking the silence. “Finally got the comms through.”

“Thanks.  Adrian coming too?” Regis asked, trying to keep the exhaustion from creeping into his tone.

“Nah, just them.  Figured you wanted a quiet apartment when we get home,” Kaidan replied.

Regis nodded in response, Zaeed rubbing circles into his back.  “We’ll be home soon, babe.  Ready to jump in that tub?  You smell like shit.”

Regis couldn’t help but laugh.  “I’m well aware.”

Before they entered the apartment, Wrex asked, “Someone want to tell me what’s going on here?”

Kaidan stepped between him and Regis.  “After we get cleaned up.”

“But it’s important we stop the threat now!” Brooks said, moving past to try and get into the apartment.

“And it can wait until I get my damn amp replaced,” Regis said, blocking her from moving any further.  “Get the rest of the crew up to speed.  A few hours isn’t going to make any difference.”

“Come on, Brooks,” Moreau said, motioning for her to follow, meeting his gaze with a nod.  “We’ll meet with the crew down on the strip.”

Wrex stayed behind as Moreau more or less started dragging Brooks with him.  The moment they stepped into the elevator, Wrex motioned at the door.  “Want me to keep an eye on your place as you take a breather?”

“That would be great,” Regis said, relieved.  “I’m expecting Vik, remember them?”

“Sure do.  I’ll make sure that only they get in for you.”

“Much appreciated, Wrex,” Zaeed said, shaking his hand.  

“Anything for you. Try not to get too distracted with each other,” he laughed.

Kaidan rolled his eyes as he unlocked the door.  “I make no promises to that.”

His laughter filled the air as they walked into the apartment, only quietening down after the door was closed.

Safe in the apartment, Regis started to pull off his ruined suit, tossing both his Eagle and the mystery M-11 on the coffee table.  Kaidan moved in to help him, batting his hands away as he unbuttoned the silk shirt, gently pulling it off of him to not disturb the healing skin.  Some bruises had already started to form, coloring his chest in a mass of purple.  Regis winced as Kaidan ran a gentle hand down his chest, feeling for any abnormalities.  “Let’s take the rest of this upstairs.”

Regis looked over at the stairway with hesitation.  “Is it too much to ask for one of you to carry me?”

“‘Course not,” Zaeed said.  “But before I pick you up, don’t play the strong Admiral.  How are you really feeling right now?”

“Terrible,” Regis said with a sigh, sitting down on the couch despite his ruined pants.  He kicked off his boots.  “Neither one of you want to know how close I was to falling to my damn death back there.”

“Joker let us know.  He caught a glimpse of the hole,” Kaidan said quietly, pressing a gentle kiss on the pulse point of his neck.  “But you’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”

“I felt so helpless,” he admitted, looking down at his knees.  “When my amp failed, I thought that this was it, no way out.  Too damn lucky that I caught my hand on a sign and then on an open window after the sign broke.” He shook his head.  “If any of the crew even thinks about joking about what happened…” he trailed off with a yawn, his unspoken threat losing steam.  “You get the idea.”

“Most of the crew has a good head on their shoulders.  Doubt they’ll risk your ire,” Zaeed said, taking off his gloves and tossing them on the couch, shrugging off his duster.  “Ready?”

Regis nodded and allowed himself to be picked up into a bridal carry, cradled close to Zaeed’s chest as they walked upstairs.  He could’ve made the trip, honestly.

But he wanted to be taken care of, and he was glad they picked up on that.  He hadn’t felt so vulnerable in a long time, and he hated that he was put into that position.

Especially in front of an officer he knows nothing about.

Zaeed put him down in front of the bathroom and Regis pressed a kiss on the corner of his lip before stripping down, throwing the ruined and torn pants into a corner of the room.  Kaidan had followed them inside their bedroom, stopping in the doorway.  “I’m going to wait for Vik downstairs and start looking into this mess in the Spectre channels.  Need me for anything?” Kaidan asked.

“I think we have it handled, babe,” Zaeed replied.  “But don’t get too deep into it right now.”

Kaidan smiled.  “I make no promises, love.  Now relax and get better, Regis.  Take all the time you need.”

“Don’t worry, I definitely will,” Regis said, pulling off his underwear and slipping inside the hottub with a groan.  He felt both their gazes on him as he sunk into the water, dunking his head to get his hair wet and to start to scrub out the grime from the day.

“If you’re going to look at me, join me,” he said, pointing at them both.

Kaidan chuckled once Zaeed started to strip the rest of his leathers down, pulling off the reinforced fibers with quick precision.  Regis watched as Kaidan leaned in to kiss Zaeed on the lips, cupping his head and pulling him close, pulling away just before it got heated.  Zaeed almost seemed to chase after Kaidan, wanting more as he walked away from the bedroom.

Regis thought they all needed some quiet reassurance.  

Zaeed tugged off his underwear and joined him in the tub. Regis raised up and Zaeed settled behind him, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him in close against his soft chest.  He sighed, closing his eyes and relaxing into the embrace.

Zaeed grabbed Regis’s favorite shampoo and started to lather it into his hair, massaging Regis’s scalp with expert hands.  He allowed himself to be pampered, to be taken care of.  

A ritual they do if a mission almost went south.  When they knew it was life or death. 

They knew the score.  So called “old” soldiers and mercs have been at it for too long and yet none of them want to leave.  

Moments like this, however, reminded them what danger still lurked, how easy one of them could be taken away.

When Zaeed was done with his hair, Regis took a second to wash out the suds.  About to grab the bottle to do the same for him, Zaeed batted his hand away, pushed the shampoo further away from him, and instead reached for the citrus scented conditioner.  “You can take care of me later.”

Regis only hummed in response, relaxing even more as he started to work the conditioner into his hair, expertly applying it to his curls and combing out tangles with his fingers, making perfect little coils as he went along.  

Maybe he’ll keep his eyes closed.  Yeah, that felt nice.  The sensation of being taken care of along with the repetitive sounds of the jets in the tub lulled him to sleep, allowing himself to relax fully knowing he was safe in the arms of a man he loved.

“Regis?” 

His eyes popped open and he realized he wasn’t in the tub anymore as he raised up quickly, finding himself clothed in loose joggers and resting on their bed with a knitted blanket wrapped around him.

Was he really asleep for that long?

He rubbed at his eyes and noticed that the cuts on his body were nearly healed by the medigel, but the remnants of the heavy bruising still remained.  It’s going to take a couple of applications to get rid of that, and Regis preferred healing things like that naturally, not liking the feeling of medigel unless it was necessary.

Kaidan had changed into a blue sweater and jeans, sleeves rolled up.  “You fell asleep on Zaeed.  He cleaned you up and got you tucked in.  Only been about thirty, forty-five minutes.”

Looking around the room, he saw no sign of Zaeed.  “Took care of me and bailed?” he chuckled.  

“He’s out there with Vik and Ash.  She wasn’t about to let Wrex stop her from checking up on you,” he explained.  

Ah, Ash is here too?  Great.  He wanted to hear her thoughts on this mess before his apartment becomes home base for whatever the hell is going on.  

“Good. Go ahead and send them up for me.  And can you hand me one of my sweaters?” He asked.

“Of course, love.  One of your off the shoulder ones?” He replied, opening one of the drawers after typing a quick message on his omnitool. 

“Yeah.  Vik needs easy access to my port.  Are you going to get yours checked out while they’re here?” Regis asked after Kaidan handed him the sweater.

“Nah, they already ran some basic diags.  All my outputs are good, so they’re not worried.  We use different amps anyway.”

“Knew I shouldn’t have tried that fucking Savant.  Work well but get pissy if you mod them,” Regis muttered as he pulled on the black, loose sweater.  

“You modded a Savant?” Kaidan shook his head.  “I doubt the Serrice Council will take kindly to that.  Reason number one why I don’t use their stuff.  Too damn regulated.”

“Hey, they have great outputs that are even better if you overclock them,” Regis defended.  It’s not that he liked the Savants, but rather he enjoyed beating them down into submission. 

“And that’s why I stick to HMBA.  Modifiable, open source to Spectres, and I’m not breaking any terms of service in the process,” Kaidan said with a pointed look.

“Regis, my darling, you know how much I hate the Savant line,” Vik said as they entered the room, carrying a case full of their supplies.  “If you’re going to go crazy, use one of my Armali mods if you must.”

“Armali has shitty power output,” Regis said, crossing his arms. 

“Which is why I modded them,” they repeated.  “I even have a license in order to do so.”

“Don’t argue with the doc, Regis,” Ashley said, leaning against the doorway.  “We need to get you back out there so we can deal with the bastards who decided to target you.”

Regis rolled his eyes.  “Good to see you too, Ash.  Keeping my crew in check?”

“Only had to shut down a few who thought it was unfortunate you destroyed their favorite restaurant.”

“Thanks,” he nodded.  

“No problem,” she waved it off.  “Zaeed’s currently deciding if he wants to go down there and give the crew a piece of his mind or continue his debate with Wrex.”

“Do I even want to know what they’re arguing about?” Regis asked, watching Vik place their case on his weapon bench and take out some supplies.  

“Last I heard they were bitching about shotgun mods,” Kaidan said, crossing his arms.  

“It’s gotten worse.  Inferno versus Warp grenades,” Ashley said, almost sounding grim.

“Inferno grenades are superior.  If you’re going to Warp someone, do it right from the get-go.  No external hardware required,” Vik said, walking back over to the bed, omnitool active and diagnostic tools in hand.  “Sit up straight for me.”

Regis did as they said and closed his eyes as Vik felt for the synth-skin covering his wetware, housed just underneath his Torfan tattoo–the black skull that used to represent his squad.  “Ah, there we go.  Dare I say that Cerberus improved on interfacing?” They commented, raising up their omnitool and inputting a code.  

Regis felt a twinge as his cybernetics adapted to the code, pulling the skin away to reveal the port underneath.  “Which is why I’m working with Miranda to adapt this technology on a consumer level.”

“And you two are doing impressive work.  Cannot wait to see it leave the trials.  You are going to revolutionize biotic interfacing and so much more,” Vik said.  “Kaidan, how is it working on you?”

He rubbed his neck.  “Feels weird having easy access to my ports again, but I knew what I signed up for when I kept mine underneath the skin for better protection.  Never liked the idea of exposed ports.”

Vik hummed as they scanned the port for any abnormalities.  “I don’t see anything concerning.  Just a temperature spike that caused the amp to shut down before rebooting.  What were you doing when it shorted?”

“Trying to levitate down when I fell from that fucking fish tank,” Regis said, keeping his head still.  

“Ah.  Well, it’s going to happen again if you do anything intensive like that, I’m afraid.  Were you able to do feats like that previously with no issues?”

“Been a while since I’ve had to do a maneuver like that, so honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever tested that specific mnemonic with it.  Handled everything else I threw at it,” Regis admitted.

“Say it with me–” Vik started to say, but Regis interrupted him.

“Yes, yes, I know, test all maneuvers with any new amp and any new mods,” Regis sighed.  “Been a little slow lately, so I never got around to testing everything.”

“Regis…” Kaidan started, getting that tone of voice that meant Kaidan was more than a little annoyed with him. 

“Yeah, I know,” he repeated, closing his eyes.  “I won’t do any more experimenting with my amps without testing everything I do.  Happy?”

“Only once I see it in practice,” Kaidan said, his voice taking on a lower tone.  

“Ah great, you two are flirting,” Ashley said, exasperated.  “Keep that up and I’m leaving.  Don’t need to hear how you solve problems.”

Kaidan chuckled.  “Sometimes he makes it so easy.”

“He is right here,” Regis muttered.  “Vik, can you remove it already?”

“Of course.  What do you want me to replace it with?” they replied, professional as ever.  

“How are your Armali mods?  I like the blending they provide, but again, I miss the better power output in return.”

Vik grabbed the sealed container housing the chip.  “Very comparable to an overclocked HMBA.  You’ll still find that HMBA has better power outputs, but you lose out on the blending you prefer to do.  HMBA is perfect for more controlled powers versus on the fly.  Armali will allow you to stick to your style without sacrificing too much.  If you hate it we can swap it out for something else.  I probably won’t be offended.”

Regis mulled it over in his head.  HMBA isn’t a bad amp per se, but he wasn’t too fond of its rigidity.  Which suited Kaidan just fine, as he tended to stick to one mnemonic at a time, giving time to cool down and settle his field in between.  

Regis was a speedcaster, switching and twisting mnemonics together to create reactions and unpredictable attacks only his lovers and most trusted companions know how to read.  Sure, he could stick to rigidity if needed.  But after Cerberus, he almost seemed to do far better with on-the-fly adjustments than ever before.

He blames it on the constant feeling of survival he felt while trapped in their claws, his biotics never quite the same since his resurrection. Kaidan always reassured that his field felt the same, when their coronas would intersect and twine with each other on the battlefield and in the bedroom.

But he could never shake the feeling that his biotics turned into their own beast after Lazarus.  

“Let’s try it.  If not, I’ll follow Kaidan’s route and trick out a HMBA,” Regis said.  He caught Kaidan’s gaze, and he looked so smug.  Bastard.  He’ll wipe that smirk off his face once he gets his amp back in order and kicks everyone out of his apartment…

“Great.  Now, take a deep breath for me,” Vik said, reaching in to disconnect the amp.  Regis breathed in slowly, waiting to feel the detachment.

He shuddered as Vik pulled out the amp, feeling like he was dunked in cold water, his veins turning to ice.  The corona pulsed around him once before winking out in a flash.  “Fuck,” he muttered, taking slow, deep breaths, his heart racing.  

“That’s what happens when you swap out an amp?” Ashley asked.  “Damn… how does it feel?”

“Getting dunked in cold water,” Kaidan said, face pinched in discomfort.  “Feeling sluggish even though your movements are clear.  Feeling like your sensations are both heightened and diminished.”

“Exactly,” Regis said.  “Feels different for every biotic, but most L2s tend to get the same effects.  More intense.”

“Afraid it's not much different for us,” Vik said, dropping the amp into a separate container. “Technically I’ll need to report this to Serrice, but they also won’t take kindly to someone interfering with their settings.  Even if you’re a Spectre.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Ashley asked.  “Come on, we can bend the rules.”

“And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.  I’ll wipe the logs with my software, fudge the numbers, and they won’t look at it any more than usual because they’re getting it from me,” Vik explained.  “Anything for you, Reggie.”

And there’s Vik’s way of showing that they’re doing him a massive favor.  Goddammit.  

“Wait, Reggie ?” Ashley repeated, her face breaking out into a grin.  “How have I not heard that before?”

If his amp port wasn’t open, he would’ve started strangling Vik already.

“Oops,” Vik said, not sounding sorry at all.  “Anyway, ready for the insert?”

“Do it,” Regis said with gritted teeth.  “So, I can strangle you faster.”

“Hmm, maybe I have more diagnostics to do.  Read some more logs.  Get a good picture of your outputs…” Vik chuckled and turned to Ashley.  "Childhood nickname that he secretly loves.  Don’t deny it!”

“Does that mean you have childhood pictures too?  Please, I need to see them,” Ashley said.  “He must’ve been so cute!”

“I was fucking adorable,” Regis said, interrupting their conversation.  “You can see all the baby pictures you want after you reseat my amp.”  Ashley gave him a cheeky thumbs-up, looking expectantly at Kaidan, who held up his omnitool to prepare a data transfer.  Traitor.  

“Breath in deep for me, darling,” Vik said, taking the new amp out of its case.  

Regis breathed in while they inserted the amp, his corona igniting in a bright violet in response.  He exhaled as he let his corona surround him, keeping a handle on biotics from flaring out, adjusting to the difference in outputs on the fly.  As a test, he pulled the scope sitting on his bench towards him.  It flew towards him quickly, landing in his hand without a hitch.  “Much better,” Regis sighed, crossing his legs into his meditative position, allowing himself to slowly levitate with a push off the bed before settling down.  

“Beautiful,” Vik observed.  “I think you’ll find that my amp will rank among the best.”  They finished up by scanning it once more and resealing the synth-skin with another code.  Regis rubbed at the now-sealed skin once finished, itching slightly after it meshed back together. 

“I don’t even know if I can test it fully with all this shit going on,” Regis said, retracting his field.  Kaidan’s biotics had reacted in kind, a subtle blue field around his eyes glowed while the rest of his corona was carefully hidden.  

“Armax is just down the street,” Ashley said.  “Surely we can get a few matches in.”

“Depending on what we find out,” Kaidan said, crossing his arms.  “None of the Spectre channels had anything that stood out, and I couldn’t get Hackett on the comm.  I could contact Hannah, but I figured you wanted to keep this on the downlow.” 

“Fair enough.  She’ll be worried, and I don’t want to deal with that right now.” Regis looked down at his loungewear.  “If I’m going to talk with the crew, I’m getting changed into something different.”

“You and your appearances,” Vik muttered, packing up their stuff.  “Need me to hang out while you debrief?” “If you want,” Regis said.  

VIk shrugged.  “Might need someone to patch all of you up.  Karin is at some sort of conference right now, right?”

Ashley nodded.  “Yeah, she’s sorry she can’t make it.  And both Kaidan and I told her to stay put.”

“Then I’ll hang around.  Ash, let’s sort through some pictures,” Vik said, offering a hand.  Ashley took it with a grin, leaving Kaidan and Regis in their bedroom.  He tugged off his sweater, looking through the closet until he found another one of his black button downs and slacks, pulling them on before grabbing a pair of socks.  

“Feel better?” Kaidan teased, eyeing him up and down before grabbing both his hands.  He leaned in for a kiss, and Regis returned it, soft and full of yearning.  Hesitant to break apart, they both kept chasing each other.  Regis removed his hands from his and pulled Kaidan in closer, cupping his neck and tangling a hand in his hair, breathing in his scent and his love.  They finally broke apart after Kaidan started to kiss down his neck, peppering light kisses on Regis’s tattoo, stopping at the skin showing at the unbuttoned collar.  “You smell better, too.”

“And here I thought you had more tact than Zaeed,” Regis rolled his eyes.  “We better head down before they all assume we’re doing something else.”

“Probably too late for that,” he chuckled, reaching for Regis’s hand again.  “Come on.”

They walked downstairs, hand-in-hand.  Zaeed whistled at them, changed into a short sleeve white button down and jeans.  “Beginning to think I needed to break you two up.”

“Or join them,” Ashley piped up, sitting on the couch next to Vik.  

“Says you,” Regis said, directed at Zaeed, the two of them joining him by the fireplace.  “Shall I tell the gang what you wanted to do to me earlier?”

“Might need to be more specific.  I probably said a lot of things,” he laughed.  

Regis shook his head as Wrex walked over to the door, letting Moreau and Brooks in.  “Finally!” Brooks exclaimed.  “You know, I can’t believe you survived all that.  They had guns!  And grenades!  And those drone things!”

“As did Cerberus and nearly every other organization I’ve had to fight against,” Regis said, opening his omnitool.  “Has anyone contacted C-Sec?  Need to get Bailey read in on this.”

“Okay, that sounds… Wait!  Wouldn’t that make whoever you contact a target too?” Brooks interjected, resting her chin on her hand.

Regis narrowed his eyes.  “It’s C-Sec.  You know, the security force onboard this station?”

“Honestly Shepard, she has a point,” Moreau said.  “Do we even need to take that risk?”

Regis sighed and shut off his omnitool.  “Fair enough. Guess we run this ourselves like everything else.”

“Wow, you agreed with me?  Can you say it again?” Moreau asked eagerly, a grin on his face. 

Regis gave him an annoyed look, about to tell him to bring up the rest of the crew when Brooks rambled, “Right.  Ourselves.  On our own.  Outside the law.  Okay, yeah.”

Even Kaidan started to look frustrated, a pinched expression on his face, his eyebrows slightly furrowed together.  “Brooks, you need to focus,” Kaidan said.  “You have a team of Alliance soldiers, Spectres, and top operatives from different species.  If you can’t handle this, I suggest you sit this out and let us handle it.”

“I can’t sit this out!” She replied, balling her hands in fists.

“Fine,” Regis said, staring her down.  “But this is my operation, and you will work under my orders.  If I find that you are a liability to us and the mission, I will contact whoever I deem necessary to deal with the situation and damn the consequences.  Clear?”

“Crystal,” she said with a nod, her voice surprisingly steady.  

He can’t get a read on her.  Maybe she’s too green, trying to over and undercompensate.  It’s been a while since Regis has dealt with anyone in Intelligence that wasn’t a high rank, and a lot of people did join up after the war.  

Perhaps he should withhold his judgment of her for now, skewed by his frustration at the whole situation.

“How did you even get involved in this mess?” Ashley asked.  

She straightened up.  “I monitor data for Alliance Intel to prevent fraud and hacking of officer IDs.  Like someone using an admiral’s pass to get into a nightclub on the Citadel when that admiral is currently stationed on Pinnacle.  I wrote a tracking program.  It’s really neat!   I named it ‘Mr. Biscuits’ after my cat.”

“Brooks,” Ashley said, getting her attention.

“Right!  Sorry… Anyway, my program detected a breach in your classified files.  Soon, everything we had on you was compromised: personnel files, mission reports, everything.”

Regis swore, shaking his head.  “So, what you’re telling me is that they now have access to my military codes?  My Spectre codes?  Explains why they wanted to kill me.”

“Nothing to stop them until the damage is done,” Wrex said with a nod.  

Regis looked at his crew, his gaze lingering on Kaidan and Zaeed.  “Then we need to figure out who they are and shut them down.  Ideas?”

“What about that pistol you picked up?  A goddamn work of art,” Zaeed said, motioning to the M-11 still sitting on the table.  

“Damn thing is so tiny I thought I was going to fucking break it,” Regis said, picking it up.  “Packs a punch like a mini-Widow.”

The door chimed and Kaidan moved to check on whoever was at the door.  A moment later he opened it to reveal Wren with her omnitool out.  

“Hey Wren!” Ash waved.  “Glad you could join us.”

“Of course!  Been doing some research on my own.  Glyph can hopefully give us some insight on that cute little pistol you have,” she replied, summoning up the drone.

“Did you ever get all the bugs fixed?” Regis chuckled.  “Stubborn little guy.”

“Not really…” she trailed off, staring at the cyan drone.  “It still bugs out some, but it is less bound to misinterpret orders.  85 percent of the time.  Anyway, Glyph, start looking into this M-11.”

“I’ll begin collating relevant intel for review, Major Clarkson,” Glyph said, discs spinning. 

“Well, I’m glad to see you in one piece.  Hell of a fall back there,” she said, holding out her hand.  

He shook it with a firm grip.  “I’m alright.  Still healing up, but I’m ready to deal with whatever happens next.”

“Good to hear.  You know, you did the galaxy a favor getting rid of that place.  Overpriced, overrated, and some of the blandest food I’ve ever had,” she said, shaking her head.  “Saved me the trip of having to take it down myself, if you know what I mean.”

She turned to Brooks.  “Come with me.  Catch me up on what we know.”  Brooks nodded and followed her to the dining table in the back of the kitchen.  

“Well, Wren’s on point,” Wrex said.  “So, where’s the rest of your crew?”

Moreau held up his omnitool.  “Getting that covered right… now.”

The door chimed.  Regis waved his omnitool to unlock it remotely.  

“Had to gather some people who actually like getting shot at, you know,” he said as EDI walked in, flanked by Tali, Cortez, and Javik.  

“Permission to come aboard, Admiral?” Tali asked cheekily.

Regis grinned.  “I don’t know.  This is my quiet place after all.”

“Good to see you doing okay.  Wasn’t sure how to react after I heard what happened,” she replied, hugging him from the side, her knitted poncho swaying with the gesture.  “Say, how did you get roped up into going to a sushi restaurant?”

“Thought Moreau was pulling a fast one on me and wanted to put him in his place,” he replied, glancing over at Moreau who ignored him in favor of talking with EDI by the bar.  “Turns out it was an assassination attempt.”

“It’s never a dull day, is it?” She laughed.  “Ah well.  I got a little bit of relaxation in, and that’s all that matters.”

Kaidan and Zaeed rejoined him by his side after catching up with some of the crew.  He turned to face both of them, lit by the fireplace.  “You know, it was nice to see you two in action at the car lot.  It was pretty hot.”

Both Ashley and Tali groaned.  “Really, Regis?” Tali said, sitting down on the couch next to Ashley.  Vik looked amused, watching them with a barely concealed glee.

He ignored them.  Kaidan crossed his arms, nudging Zaeed with his shoulder.  “Why, thank you.”

“We try,” Zaeed smirked.  

Regis smiled, feeling his cheeks heat up.  “What would I do without you both?”

“You’ll never find out,” Kaidan said as Zaeed chuckled, “There’s no goddamn way you’ll ever find out.”

“God, you three are so sickening,” Ashley said, shaking her head.

“Which is why we keep them on their toes!” Tali said, giving them all a look.  “Time and a place.”

“This is my apartment.  I’m going to do whatever I want in it,” Regis shot back as Zaeed kissed his cheek.  

“You tell them, babe.”

Regis shook his head.  “I’m going to check in with the crew, and hopefully soon Wren wil have figured something out.”

“Are we embarrassing you, love?” Kaidan asked.  “Go on, do your job.”

“I’m not the only Admiral here.”

“And yet you’re the one who is in charge of the ship.”

Regis gave him a look and twitched his fingers, sending a small burst of dark energy to shock Kaidan.  He walked away with a smirk, knowing his gaze was following him as he walked over to Moearu and EDI.

“You know, he used me as bait,” he said, sitting at the bar.

“Yes.  You have mentioned that a few times, Jeff,” she replied.  “A sound solution.”

“Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side!”

“I’m on the side of data, which states that Shepard’s strategy ensured that you got out with minimal injuries.”

“My pride is injured.”

“An unfortunate side effect that is rectified by personal growth and reflection,” she replied, not missing a beat.  

Yeah, they’re fine.  No need to interrupt.

Steve was sitting at the bar in the back of his apartment, away from all the chaos.  Probably the quietest part of his place at the moment.  “Hey Shepard.  Glad you made it out okay.”

“Hey Steve,” Regis said, sitting down next to him.  “Adrian didn’t join us?”

He shook his head.  “Nah, said something about a job he needed to look into.  He’ll try to stop by later, wanting me to tell you he is worried about you.  But I know he’s not going to miss out on spending time with Vik so…” He trailed off, a knowing look in his eye.  “I should’ve brought Tomas into this.”

“Coats would’ve been great to have on hand,” Regis said with a nod.  “I’ve been meaning to ask if he wants to transfer on board the Normandy.  Thoughts?”

“You matchmaker,” Steve said, blushing.  “If you can make it happen and he’s fine with being on board our little circus, I’m okay with that.”

“Of course, anything for my crew.”

“Almost anything,” Steve corrected.  “After that fiasco, never go out to eat with Joker!”

“Not that I ever enjoyed going out with him before,” Regis chuckled.  “If I need a pilot in this mess, you’ll be the first I’ll call.”

“I’m sure Joker will take offense to that.”

“He knows I prefer you on the shuttle excursions.  He’s a bit too… showy,” Regis said, shaking his head.  

“Oh, I agree.  Time and a place.  Finesse is what’s needed for drop-ins.”

“Admiral,” Javik greeted as he joined them.  “Much quieter back here.”

Regis motioned for him to sit down, but he stayed standing.  “It is.  Calm before the storm.  Anything you want to say?”

He shook his head.  “Nothing that hasn’t already been said.  This is a first for me.  Never heard of anyone in my cycle falling through a fish tank.”

“Wasn’t exactly my fault,” Regis said with a pointed look.  “Blame the mercs.”

“I think I’m going to enjoy teaching them a lesson,” he grinned, showing pointed, thin teeth.  “I heard our Broker say she found something out.  Maybe it will be useful to us.”

“Thanks, Javik.”

He walked down the hallway to join Wren and Brooks.  “If you’re ready, I already found something.”

“Want me to go ahead and gather the team?” Regis asked.  

“Please do.  The faster the better,” she said, not looking up from her portable terminal.

Regis announced for everyone to huddle up, and soon enough, the crew was around the dining table, waiting for Wren’s announcement.  Like always, Kaidan and Zaeed stood next to him, flanking him on both sides.

Wren looked around the table, seemingly counting off everyone before clearing her throat.  “We have a lead.  I called in some favors to run a trace on the gun.”  She typed something on her terminal that brought up a picture of an older man.  “Which brought me to Elijah Khan.  A casino owner who has been suspected of using his profits to smuggle weapons into the Citadel.”

“I found it interesting that after the attempt on Regis’s life, Khan made a call.”  She pulled up the audio, the picture changing to a basic media player.

“I’m cutting you off and returning your down payment now.”  The first voice must be Khan, sounding frustrated, perhaps even panicked.

“What’s the problem?”  Someone replied, their voice sounding altered to stay anonymous.  

“Turn on a vidscreen!  When I sell a gun, I don’t want it showing up on the nightly news!”  Great.  Guess he needs to expect an interview or two in the future.  

“You won’t be linked to me,” the voice replied.

“Save it.  Our association is terminated.  And if you even think about coming after me, I’ve got info on you ready for prime time, so you ponder that.  Khan out.”

The call ended, and Regis crossed his arms against his chest.  “Found our identity thief.”

“Unfortunately, they have an ID disguiser,” Vik nearly groaned.  “Not even Adrian can get around those reliably.”

Regis sighed.  “I was afraid of that.  Anyway, did you find anything on the mercs?  Affiliations, origins, any of that shit?”

Wren nodded, looking grim.  “A PMC named CAT-6.  As most of you should know, it’s the Alliance term for dishonorable discharge.  Criminal records, steroid use, violent histories… you know the drill.  Definitely hired by the thief, no association with Khan.”

“Good job with the phone call,” Kaidan said in approval. 

“We can lean on Khan, probably get him to squeal,” Zaeed said, looking down at the gun.  “Throw in a few Spectre threats and we can get him to talk all while taking the goddamn bastard down.”

Wren shook her head.  “If only it were that easy.  The casino has a panic room and chances are, he’ll go to ground there.”

“I would suggest providing programs to hack the doors alongside your own security,” EDI started to say, turning to face Regis and Wren.  “But there are many guards and cameras on the premises.”

“Yeah.” Brooks said, adjusting her hat.  “He could disappear or worse.  If his guards ever open fire, normal people could get hit.  Like I did.”

He hated to admit she had a point.  But ‘normal’ people?  Seriously?  “I agree.  We can’t risk any civilians that could be targeted by our actions.  So, we go in quiet.  Small team.  No gunplay.”

Glyph reappeared on the table.  “Major Clarkson.  This evening the casino will be hosting a charity event to continue to assist refugees from the war.”

Wren smiled.  “Perfect.  Purchase some tickets and pull up a layout of the building.”

A holographic display of the casino appeared with a few key points highlighted on the map.

“This is great and all… but how close can we get?  Who puts a backdoor in a panic room?” Moreau asked.

“Allow me,” EDI said, stepping forward and adjusting the sleeves on her button down, her visor changing blue as she interacted with the map.  Parts of the map changed red, highlighting air shafts and vents.  “This air shaft bypasses the security gate and ends up in storage.  From there, the panic room’s door-camera can be disabled.”

“This isn’t just any casino,” Kaidan said, tilting his head to the side.  “There has to be alarms in the shaft.”

“I have some countermeasures that should help.  I’ll know more once our team gets inside,” Wren said, swiping to another screen on her terminal.  

Javik looked at the map, resting his chin on his fingers.  “Whoever goes inside that shaft needs to be small in size.”

Wrex laughed.  “Yeah, that’s not me.” He gestured down at his armor.

Everyone’s gaze slowly fell on Tali.  She shook her head.   “I’ve done my time in the vents before.  And besides, my suit’s built in tech will be picked up by the sensors.”

EDI piped up.  “My presence in the casino would arouse suspicion.  Mechs are not allowed since they can have cheating software, even if I wore my mech’s synth skin.”

Ashley held up her hands.  “I can do infiltration, but not this kind of infiltration.  Sorry, but no.  You’ll need me for backup if things go south.”

Brooks looked at all of them. “What you need is somebody trained in zero-emissions tech.  No electronics, no metal.  Just undetectable polymers.  We had a course back at Op-Int, disabling a bomb with these little tweezers.  See, the bomb was filled with shaving cream…”

They didn’t have many options.  Regis, Kaidan, and Zaeed were all too large and filled with tech and would likely be the main ones on the field.  EDI and Tali were ruled out.  Same for Javik and Wrex.  Steve didn’t speak up during the meeting, but Regis wasn’t about to volunteer him.  Vik’s implants and enhancements to improve their skills as a surgeon also prevented them from doing it.  Wren’s running the operation.  

Looks like it has to be Brooks.  And Regis was hoping that wouldn’t be the case.

Regis met Brooks's gaze.  “All right.  You’re in.”

She stepped back.  “What?  No… What?!”

Regis gestured around him.  “You said it yourself.  We’ve all got too much tech.  And it’s too risky to bring anyone else in.”

“But… I managed to get shot just coming to talk to you!  Now I’m supposed to hack my way into a safe room?” Brooks replied, shaking her head.

“Getting shot was something no one would have planned for,” Kaidan offered.  “There was no way to know that the mercs were already after Regis.”

“Exactly,” Zaeed said with a nod.  “None of this is a typical situation and none of us have any goddamn options.”

She still looked hesitant, so Regis spoke up.  “I recall saying to you that this is my operation and you will be working under my orders.  Listen to our orders and focus.  You have a team backing you up.”

She let out a sigh and nodded.  Maybe this will teach her some confidence.

Or cause this whole operation to go down in flames.  

Wren clapped her hands together.  “Great!  Now that everything is settled, there is one last hurdle to get us inside.”

“Which is?” Regis prompted, raising an eyebrow. 

She grinned.  “Black tie required.”

“Oh hell yes,” Regis said, damn near cheering.  “It’s a good thing I didn’t waste my best suit on you, Moreau!”  Kaidan also looked pleased, but Zaeed started to frown, never quite enjoying looking nice.  

It took him no time at all after their wedding for him to start taking down his suit, leaving him in his button down while Regis and Kaidan stayed in their finery until that evening.

He’s going to enjoy dressing them all up to match and shutting up Zaeed’s bitching about the matter.

“I take so much offense to that,” he replied, shaking his head.  “Are we all going into the casino?  Or is it just these crazy lovebirds over here.”

“Small team.  So just those three and Brooks,” Wren replied, pulling up the tickets.  “The rest of us will say close, but outside, ready to react if need be.”

“When does it start?” Kaidan asked.  “How much time do we have?”

“It’s supposed to go on for the entire evening late into early morning, so we can get there at any time.  Fashionably late or just on time.  Doesn’t matter to me as long as we get inside,” Wren said.  “Now, let’s give our infiltration specialists time to get changed, shall we?”

WIth the meeting over, everyone dispersed, going back to hang out in the apartment, some deciding to leave to grab their gear so they’ll be ready to go if something happens.  Luckily, they all had spare versions of their preferred hardsuits lying around along with their main gear, so at a moment’s notice the triad can be prepared for anything.  

“Don’t take too long up there, boys,” Ashley said as she walked back to the couch.  

“You have nothing to worry about.  Regis is a goddamn tyrant when it comes to fashion,” Zaeed muttered, heading over to the stairs.  “I’m sure he’s scheming already.”

“I have an idea in mind,” Regis replied, walking up the stairs.  He stopped at the doorway, ensuring none of the nosy crew were within earshot.  “But you know you love it.  All three of us, matching on and off the battlefield, showing that I’m yours and you are mine. ”

“Don’t fret, love,” Kaidan said, wrapping an arm around Zaeed’s shoulders.  “Just think, afterwards we might be able to make that promise to Regis happen.  Except this time, it’s all of us.”

“And I’ll say it again: You aren’t going to ruin my damn suit,” he shot back, opening their closet to pull out three wrapped suits.  One with red detailing, one with blue detailing, and one with yellow detailing.  The human crew sometimes joked about them being the primary colors, but Regis didn’t care.  

All they cared about was looking damn good, and Regis ensured that both on and off the battlefield.  Fabrics made of strong synthetics, able to take a few hits if need be.  Able to tolerate light action.

And be ready for any format event that is thrown at them, like this.  

“A three piece?” Zaeed asked, slipping off the protective sleeve.  “Hmm.  Not bad.  When did you get these ordered?”

“A while back.  Wanted them for our anniversary… but I thought they would be great for this,” Regis said, running his hand down the fabric.  “What do you think?” he asked softly.

“Beautiful work,” Kaidan said.  “Can’t wait to see all of us in them, stealing the show.”

“And that’s the whole point,” Regis said, moving to kiss his cheek.  “Is it bad to say I’m actually looking forward to this?”

“Nah, I know you love showing us off,” Zaeed replied.  “Still doing okay?”

He nodded.  “Thanks, by the way.” “No need to thank me, baby.  Though I did panic a bit when you damn near went limp in my arms.  You needed the rest.  I only wish it was longer.”

“Me too.  I wanted to join the both of you,” Kaidan said, glancing over at the tub.  “Duty called and it still does.”

“It never stops,” Regis agreed.  “Hopefully we’ll get some time to ourselves after this.  We can’t be running this mission without stopping, and I want our apartment back.”

“I’m sure Vik and Ashley will ensure we get all the time we need to ourselves,” Zaeed said, starting to take off his clothes and put on the new suit.  “Or I will make sure of it.”

“You’ll hear no complaints from me, love,” Regis replied.  “Seeing you both out there…”

If he wasn’t covered in fish water, debris, and who knows what else, he would’ve shown his appreciation right then and there.  

“Love, your competency kink is showing,” Kaidan chuckled, moving over to the mirror to gel up his hair.  

“Can you blame me?”

“You know, there’s a reason why we chose those suits to wear…” Kaidan trailed off, heat behind his gaze.  

They continued to chat, recapping the events of earlier today and ensured they all had the details squared way before the event later tonight.

If it wasn’t soured by the threat over his head, Regis would loosen up, enjoy the evening as Regis Shepard-Massani-Alenko, giving interviews, press, and showing off his lovers.  Instead, he has to be careful to not draw any more attention than usual, and worry about the people around them, in case their assailant strikes while he’s vulnerable once more.  

Putting on the suit felt like putting on armor, immediately falling into his media presence persona.  How he wished he could be Regis at this moment, and not the ruthless Admiral.

But this time, he ensured he put the real rings on, the bands replacing the silicone ones that somehow survived the action of the day.  To his utter adoration, his husbands did the same, their commitments to each other shining in the light of their bedroom.

All ready for whatever comes next.  A casino heist at a charity event… if Regis knew where Kasumi was, she would be utterly delighted.

Just another day for Regis and his crew.

[limerental]

ficletober 2022 day nineteen - yenralt modern au

Ciri is about to go off to college and the extended family hasn't had a real beach vacation in about a decade. Everyone knows why. Yennefer and Geralt haven't been able to be in the same room together since their divorce nine years ago.

Content warning for a past mutually unhealthy/abusive relationship

It's somebody's hare-brained idea to rent a place on the coast a few weeks before Ciri flies off to her freshman year of college. A big family thing like they used to, as much as any of them have ever had family. Musing aloud about why they stopped like they don't all know.

The beachhouse they rent is unreal and clearly only in the budget thanks to the contributions of the resident popstar, who immediately claims the master suite. It's all big, big windows and sleek wood panelling and wet-shiny tile floors and too much glass. Ten bedrooms and an inground pool out back looking right over the dunes and the ocean, rippling.

Geralt scoffs at it, says, what do you need a pool for if the ocean's right there? His beach vacations as a kid with his brothers had been a stuffy motel room with the old man, lugging all their beach gear, towels, chairs, umbrella a few damn blocks on sandy asphalt to the beach and not leaving the water for hours and hours.

Nobody's all that interested in commiserating with his whiny grumbling. They haven't seen each other in years, and some of them haven't ever met at all, not all in the same room under pleasant circumstances.

Geralt's brothers fly in. Lambert's accompanied by his feisty and charming partner, Keira, who walks everywhere with one hand shoved in his back pocket, and Eskel comes bearing gifts of homemade wine and goat cheese and his usual, big, smothering bear hugs that threaten to crack your spine in half. Vesemir arrives and immediately sets himself up in a chair on the pool deck with a margarita, but he nods at Geralt and says something about him doing a good damn job with that girl and Geralt gets up to grab another beer before he can hear whether the old man's proud of him or not.

Triss shows up with regrets that her mysterious new partner is too busy with work, and she doesn't really look at Geralt much at all but kisses Ciri on both cheeks and twirls her around like she's still young enough to play princess tea party like they used to.

There's Uncle Regis, who mostly occupies himself with a little laminated birdwatcher's guide and tiny binoculars, and Auntie Milva with young foster Angouleme, who has maybe finally stopped getting into trouble, and cousin Cahir, who slathers himself head to toe in pasty sunblock and still turns lobster pink after the first day.

Jaskier appears in all his airbrushed tan, blonde highlighted, popstar noisy flourishing wearing pink-tinted glasses and a creamy linen kaftan and kissing everybody full on the mouth in greeting. He's got some young guy with him who must be just about Ciri's age, and they retreat to the master suite together almost right away and don't come out half the trip.

Ciri's delighted by the whole deal, shrieking like the little girl she still is in Geralt's eyes. She and Angouleme and her school friend Mistle scurry up and down the dunes and ride waves on their bellies in the water and return windblown and gritty with sand. Regis, hands on hips and floppy sunhat catching the wind tuts at them about the fragile dune ecosystems, and they stick out their tongues and make a series of rude gestures. Eskel scolds them about showering off before jumping in the pool, and when they resist, he and Lambert threaten to hold the ruffians under the spray of the outside shower, young ladies or not. 

And then, a few days in, Yennefer arrives. 

It's like all the air's sucked out of the atmosphere when she walks onto the pool deck. Geralt had been down on the beach all day and missed her arrival, and she's dressed in something gauzy and black, sheer enough to see her white bikini underneath and the familiar curves of her body, and her wild curls are loose and she's barefoot. Geralt stares at her toes and stays rooted to his spot by the poolside grill, gripping at a spatula so hard he's afraid the handle will crack.

Lambert leans on his shoulder and says, don't fucking burn the hotdogs, you doofus, and Eskel comes up on his other side and says, you got the shittiest hot dogs imaginable anyway, what did you just waltz in and grab whatever? And Geralt protests that they were on sale and you can't mess up cooking a hot dog anyway, and his brothers throw up their hands and nudge him away to take over. 

Then he's just standing there by the pool wearing a grilling apron with some busty tits in a bikini pastered on it, and Yennefer's toes start marching their way closer. He flees. He all but flings himself off the boardwalk down to the water, heels burning on the sand.

He balls up the apron in his hand and leaves it on the beach and breaststrokes out into the water imagining maybe he could swim all the way out past the buoys and just keep going. Or maybe get turned around enough that when he comes back out of the surf, he's in some alternate dimension from a decade ago where he and Yen and Ciri and his brothers still do yearly beach vacations and he didn't screw it all up and Ciri's not yet yo-yoing back and forth between each of her parents in their separate worlds. 

She's turned out OK, he knows, but it hadn't been easy for her for a moment and that never fails to chew him up with a nauseous sort of guilt.

When he crawls out of the water and goes back, it's already evening and the big house is fully empty. Gone ice cream, says a note on the kitchen counter and in someone else's chickenscratch it says ur a ding dong. The leftovers from dinner are stowed away in the fridge, and Geralt stands there in the glaring fluorescence of the stainless steel spaceship of a kitchen eating cold hot dogs one after the other until he feels less like he's going to float away from shaky hunger.

Then, he goes right to bed.

Of course, he can't sleep a wink in unfamiliar places, so he lies there in the blue silence of the too big room listening to everybody when they get back, voices echoing through the house. The lot of them play a board game with more gusto than seems necessary, hooting and hollering, and several times, there's a commotion and a splash as somebody gets chucked in the pool for being a sore loser or for cheating or the last time, just because of your face, Eskel yells as he dunks a screeching Lambert again.

Geralt lies there flat on his back and watches the glowing ripple of the pool water against the ceiling of his bedroom, and he must fall asleep eventually because suddenly the house is dead silent.

He can't breathe suddenly, knowing somewhere in this house is a room where his ex-wife is sleeping, maybe curled up with Ciri for old time's sake or maybe staring at the ceiling the same way he is. He doesn't know how to picture her as something that exists in the present, seeing her as she was when she was twenty-five with a slicked back ponytail and bouncing little Ciri on her hip looking a little shell-shocked like she still didn't know how she ended up there, holding a baby and playing house with a guy she only met a year ago. 

He remembers her saying, you said I'd make a shit mother and maybe you were fucking right.

He gets up. He tiptoes down the slatted main stairs and goes out the glass door to the pool deck. He's only been standing out there a few minutes when the door slides open, and she's right there. 

Like a mirage, the sickly-blue of the pool's chlorine glow washing the underside of her jaw, hooding her eyes, catching in her loose curls. She looks greyscale, ghostly, and Geralt thinks, zombie. As if he's not the one who's been shuffling, shambling, living dead for a whole decade.

He slumps forward against the impractical glass railing of the deck with the absurd thought that maybe if he holds still, she won't see him. When he was a kid, he always dreamed of camouflaging like some slippery amphibian, shrinking away into the background. His freaky albinism and his gangly, gaunt looks mean he's always stood out more than he ever liked to. 

Out of anybody, Yen's the only person he's ever met who had always toed this perfect line of looking right over his head, right through him when she felt like it and the next second zeroing in exactly where it hurt. Geralt's always been teetering on a similar knife edge of remembering only the fuzzy-warm good moments and then only the sickening worst of the worst.

The Christmases, the birthdays, the first infamous blind date, the nights in her apartment in Vengerberg where he had a side of the bed that was soundly his and a toothbrush there and a whole drawer in her wardrobe for his mismatched socks and single pair of blue jeans and ugly button downs. 

The dropped calls, the cheating, the times she shouted and he bitched and she bellowed and he flung cold, cutting insults, and the sticky red bloodstain congealing on the wall the night she hurled a pint of jam, how he'd sliced his palm cleaning the shards and bled fat drops across her living room carpet and worst of all, when little Ciri stood there moon-eyed and disheveled and woken from sleep watching them without a word.

Yen calls to him, and he doesn't look around. Geralt, you're not invisible no matter how much you want to be, she says, and he drops his head into his hands and pushes his palms flat against his eye sockets. I'm surprised you're here, he says, his voice sounding like someone else's, didn't think you'd actually show.

He can hear her bare feet slap on the damp concrete as she rounds the pool.

He has this weird thought that she's about to snug up tight behind him and her hands will sneak down to grip one buttcheek in each hand the way she used to sometimes, teasing and vulgar and juvenile the way she let herself be with him, putting her pelvis flush against the backs of her hands and calling him sweetcheeks with a throaty drawl that made it sound less like a cutsey moniker and more like a challenge. 

He remembers how she'd sometimes lean and kiss his body standing like that if they were alone, too short behind him to reach anywhere but the groove between his shoulderblades, her nose chilled and pointy and her mouth tickling and sending an itch all through the muscles of his back. He always thought about turning around to see what facial expression she hid against his back, but he never once did.

But of course, in the present, she just leans a polite distance away against the rail, and he looks out at the dark smear of the beach and can't really make out the tide or horizon line. Just dark, just percussive waves, and Yen rests a hip against the glass and doesn't look at him either when she says, you're the one who left, Geralt. In Vengerberg way back then. You left.

Geralt swallows and he feels it in every muscle in his face and throat and jaw, like he has to voluntarily flex every minor little one to make it happen. He doesn't know anatomy too well. He thinks he's missing some parts anyway or else it doesn't really make sense why he can't just open his mouth and not say something useless.

He says, yeah, I left. Yeah. You know why, and she hums. He doesn't know why, not with the surety that he used to. The good things and the bad things tangle into confusing knots, and it's impossible to weigh her bad things and his bad things on the scale to see who caused it, who's worse, who broke them.

Back then, he said it was what's best for Ciri, but now, he sees her years of shuttling back and forth across the country, her parents never in the same room for long a whole damn decade, never doing another family beach vacation again, and isn't all that sure. They maybe should have tried to tough it out for her sake, tried that couple's counselor, done some therapy.

Yen seems like she's thinking the same things, because she says, we didn't do too bad with her, did we? I mean. We didn't totally screw her up. He hasn't stood this close to her for so long in maybe nine years. He imagines he can smell a waft of her perfume, lilac-sweet. He says, not totally. Probably. But we did a number on her.

Geralt's half looking out of his periphery, enough to see her face crumple. I mean, he says, I guess no more than anyone does. I think we did what we could do.

Like something from a dream, Yen sighs and leans and suddenly her forehead is pressed against his shoulder, both of her hands are on his bicep, fingers curling tight in a way that hurts a little.

He only hesitates a moment before he turns his body toward her, holding her with the arm she isn't clinging to like a lifeline, and almost to herself, she says, there's still time. He wants to ask, time for what? 

He doesn't know how to make himself say all the stuff he wants to. How he even misses the manic pitch voice her voice took when she's yelling. How he thought about calling, texting, something. How when he went to the flowershop that last time, they'd asked him what he wanted to put on the card and he all he could think of was There's nothing at all wrong with you. Because he'd shouted that and worse the night before. But there's nothing wrong with you didn't sound good at all, and he couldn't make himself think what it was that was right with her.

In Vengerberg, he'd left the flowers on the kitchen counter, no note, and cleared his things out of his drawer.

He tucks his face into her neck, hunching down, and rubs his palms against her back again and again. Slow, like he can memorize how she feels again, like he ever forgot in the first place.

He wants to say, there's a lot of stuff right with you, there's nothing more right in the world, but instead he says, missed you, Yen. All small. Remembering how she lit up when he called her that the first few times back then. How she grinned against his smile and he mouthed Yen like it was precious. 

He says it now into the nighttime quiet of the pool deck and then can't stop saying it. Yen, yen, yen.

She winds her arms up around his back and clings, hiding her face. There's still time, she breathes, and he gets what she means. It's not a yes or a no but a knife-edge maybe, teetering.

He can feel the silent presence of his whole family sleeping in the hushed mansion behind them, and he knows Yen doesn't really have anybody else, doesn't know how to let herself have anything even though the wanting eats her up to nothing. And maybe he's been cruel, keeping her from this, making it awkward, making her feel like she has to skirt around the edges of a life he's carefully excised her from.

It's already almost dawn, a little glow pinking the horizon line. You want pancakes? he blurts, because it's his turn to do breakfast and she says, remember when you tried to make heart-shaped ones and they all looked like butts? 

He remembers. She pulls back a little, enough to really look at him and that means he can really look at her right back, and she says, make mine really really butt-shaped. 

And he laughs and is afraid to laugh and laughs anyway, and he doesn't say anything except, butts it is. 

When the rest of the house rouses themselves and trickles down to the kitchen hours later, they find a pile of lumpy pancakes warming in the oven and a horrible floury mess all over and a note on the counter that says

 really sorry for the mess. and the kitchen too - G&Y.

[a-world-in-grey]

Sola/Blood of My Blood - Coming of Age II

@secret-engima part 2 of Sola trolling everyone, and the set up to the actual gala itself.

.

"Are you sure we're allowed to wear gold?"

Axis gives Tredd an exasperated look. "You're worrying about this now?"

"We're not Chiefs!"

Sola rolls her eyes, keeping her head still as Nyx threads dozens of jeweled pins - gold and tanzanite, Sola really needs to thank the Ornata for making them on such short notice - into her hair to keep the elaborate, flower shaped braids in place.

She's not the only one wearing gems in her hair tonight, even if she has by far the most. They've all swapped out their usual wooden beads for gemstone equivalents - and pearls, in Tredd and Sola's cases. Libertus' hair is braided in a reverse braid down the center of his head, tanzanite and green onyx lining the sides.

If Sola isn't allowed to wear a ponytail, neither is Libertus, dammit!

Luche smacks Tredd's hands away from his jacket lapels. "Stop pulling at it, you'll crease the fabric, and I'm not saving you if you ruin Penny's hard work."

Tredd freezes, then glowers at Libertus when her husband laughs. "You're just as scared of her as I am."

"I know better than ta piss her off." With good reason. Penelopeia gets stab-happy when irritated and some of her pins are long.

Luche sighs as he straightens out Tredd's outfit. "Black is the restricted color in Lucian high society. Only the royal family and their Retinues are allowed to wear it at formal functions."

Even then, Papa, Noctis, Sola, and Libertus are wearing sable; the specific shade of black restricted to the royal family themselves.

Nyx pauses in scrutinizing his handiwork. "What about the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard uniforms then?"

"Same as the Retinue." Sola explains and she carefully tests the security of her braids. "They've sworn service to the King, and wear black and silver to reflect that. I'm neither the ruling monarch nor the Crown Heir, so I and my Retinue wear gold as a cadet branch."

"You are His Highness' Sword." Axis notes thoughtfully. "You could wear silver."

She could. It would be appropriate in Galahdian culture too - of any position in the Retinue it would be the Sword most deserving of that particular color. But Sola's not attending as Noctis' Sword tonight. She's attending as Princess, as the daughter of the King and as such she's wearing gold as tradition dictates.

It's also why she's wearing a Pyre-cursed dress instead of a suit like the rest of Noctis' Retinue.

Don't get her wrong. It's a beautiful dress and Penelopeia earned every last yen making it. Sable silk with golden embroidery, high waisted with flowing skirts and no sleeves on account of it being the end of August.

Sola would still rather wear pants.

"Hang on," Tredd says, "why does the King wear gold then?"

Sola deadpans. "He's the King. He can wear whatever he damn well wants."

Who's going to tell the King no?

"Where are we meeting Prince Noctis?" Libertus asks, testing the draw of the knife tucked in the top of his hose. The small blades that are part of Galahdian formal wear are ceremonial, barely the length of Sola's hand span from tip to hilt, and so elegantly decorated Sola could hang them on her wall as art. Of course, being Galahdian, the blades are just as serviceable in combat as any of their primary arms.

They don't expect to need them tonight, but Galahdian sensibilities and Sola's current condition mean all of them are going to wear them anyway.

"At the doors to the banquet hall." Sola wishes she could wear a weapon herself, but there's nowhere she can hide one and still easily access it given her current outfit. Not being able to use her magic for the next several months is going to drive her nuts. “Noctis will enter first with Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto, and we’ll follow after.”

It will allow them to pull attention from Noctis, rather than Noctis’ arrival pulling attention from them. It’s even following protocol, thank the Six for small mercies, because while Sola’s held the position of Noctis’ Sword for nearly two decades now, without the bond Ignis, Gladio, and now Prompto have with Noctis, Sola is still technically a Wayward Sword.

A fact the Court has yet to realize, but Sola has no doubts some will figure it out tonight.

Another reason for announcing her marriage. Hopefully it’ll keep the idiots distracted. Because if anyone seriously tries to Court Noctis for the ‘open’ position in his Retinue, Sola knows her brother will leave them bleeding out on the floor.

Not, Sola muses wryly, that she’ll react much differently. For the best she doesn’t have access to her weapons then.

She’ll have to settle for gutting them with words. She can do that.

Libertus eyes the smile pulling at red painted lips. “You’re sure about keeping your brother in the dark?”

“Only until tomorrow.” Sola replies. “A surprise birthday gift.”

Noctis will have enough to handle as is, and Sola’s job tonight is to ease the load not add to it. She’d rather Noctis focus on getting through the gala and subsequent ceremony than worry over Sola not being able to use her magic.

He’ll do enough worrying over the next several months. Even though he knows full well that Sola is fine. It’s normal for female Lucis Caelums. Sure, Sola was hoping it wouldn’t happen for another couple days, but she’s adjusted since losing her magic yesterday and she has a full Retinue to protect her if anyone manages to get past Aunt Tiz and Uncle Cor’s security.

And even then, Sola is not so far along she can’t defend herself. She’s never needed weapons or magic to kill a man.

Luche snorts. “You just want to see how many people you can shock at once.”

“Well… yeah.” It’s funny. “I’m hoping to make Uncle Cor faint. Again.” She was there when Aunt Tiz announced her pregnancy and Uncle Cor dropped like a sack of wet cement. Highlight of Sola’s week and made taking over as acting-Captain during Aunt Tiz’s bed rest and maternity leave completely worth it.

Sola doubts Noctis or Ignis will faint, but she’s hoping to get Gladio. Papa is unlikely to pass out learning he’s to be a grandfather again, and Sola doubts nothing will shock Uncle Clarus as much as meeting the Triplets and then Axis in the span of fifteen minutes.

Prompto is proving to be increasingly unflappable, but the blonde at least plays along so Sola can expect a reaction from him even if it’s half-faked. At least one of her fellow Retinue finds her funny.

She’s even taken steps to make sure no one catches on early. None of the dishes tonight contain anything that will set off Sola’s nausea and she’s going to be avoiding all the wine served except for the bare minimum sips required at the beginning of each course. Libertus and Axis will be sitting on either side her, and are prepared for some misdirection to help fool everyone into thinking she’s drinking more than she actually is, and them having her magic means they won’t get as drunk as they would otherwise. Having her Retinue close by the entire night will help prevent anyone with magic sense the changes - and even then Sola knows it’s only because Noctis and Regis’ magic doesn’t give them the same level of sense Sola and Dyn’s gold magic affords them.

Her adorable nephew sensed the changes in Sola shortly after Sola herself, and has since been sworn to silence. Dyn is rather gleeful in being in on the secret and is quite looking forward to surprising his father.

Of course, the scamp’s glee means that Noctis knows there is a secret, but he is indulging Dyn and Sola’s fun.

A knock before Crowe opens the door and pokes her head in. “His Highness is on the move.”

Libertus offers Sola his arm. “That’s our cue.”

Sola gets to her feet and takes it. Her Retinue arranges themselves around them. Nyx at the front, Luche on the right at Libertus’ side, Tredd at her left, and Axis bringing up the rear.

Sola grins, and knows it’s all teeth.

“Show time.”

[heartlessfujoshi]

12 days of christmas - day 6

Title: Under the Mistletoe Fandom: FFXV Series: Ruin AU  Pairing: Regnis (Regis Lucis Caelum x Ignis Scientia)  Rating: Mature (NSFW - Smut)  Word Count: ~2815

Summary: The annual holiday party is being held at the Citadel, and all Regis wants to do is abandon the party and spend time alone with his young lover. 

A/N: Here’s my next offering for 12 Days of Christmas. This is dedicated to my other half, who loves this AU and so of course I will write more of it for her. :) Please enjoy!

***

Holidays have always been a pain in Insomnia. If it wasn’t one group complaining about having to say ‘Happy Holidays’ versus wishing someone a happy festivus, it was something else. Tonight the royal family was putting on their annual holiday soiree, which was a black tie affair. Regis had instituted the dress code before his son was born, as it gave them an excuse to wear something frivolous that they might not wear any other time during the year. 

But this year, the party would be different from years past.

As Clarus droned on, Regis took a moment to look around the room to see if he could find the one person that was going to make this party pure torture instead of the annoying occassion that he usually found it being. It didn’t take him long to find him - the light in the room bouncing off of his glasses like a homing beacon to the King. Regis felt his chest grow tight as his eyes locked onto Ignis’, the two sharing a quick look before Ignis turned his attention back to the person on his right - his own son, Noctis, 

“You’re not listening, are you?” He turned to look at Clarus, who had stopped talking and was now looking at him with an irritated expression on his face. “Damn it, Regis. When did I lose you?” 

He didn’t have the heart to tell him his mind had been wandering the entire time as they had made their way to the party, so he chose to lie. “Before we walked in here.” 

“Never mind.” An annoyed huff left his confidant’s mouth. “Do you want some champagne?” 

Leaning on his cane, he nodded his head. “Please.” 

“I’ll go find the Marshal too, as I’m sure he’ll want to speak with you about what I was just discussing with you.” 

Regis definitely had no intention of speaking of business, and instead began to greet people and wish them a happy holiday as they approached him to wish him the same. Clarus returned with two champagne flutes, and apparently had corralled a few people to join him. 

He turned to look at the tall man that he knew was doing quite well with the Glaives currently. “Gladiolus.” He raised his glass to Clarus’ son, who raised his in return. “It’s a pleasure to see you here this evening.” 

“Thank you, Your Majesty. This is always one of our favorite parties to attend.” 

“Gladdy’s right!” Regis glanced down and saw the petite younger sister of the man standing in front of him. “This is really nice, Your Majesty!” 

“Well, if you think so then it must be true, Iris.” He leaned over and gave her a little bop on the nose, which caused the young child to dissolve into a fit of giggles. Looking to the left of Gladio, he saw his son flanked by both Prompto and Ignis, all men looking dapper in their suits. “Noctis - I’m glad you could join us tonight.” 

“He almost slept through it!” Prompto said, then gasped when he realized what he’d said, which caused Regis to release a full belly laugh. “I’m sorry, Noct!” 

“He knows me.” Noctis shrugged, then looked up at his father. “Nice party.” 

“I hope you all will enjoy yourselves. Ignis - glad to see you here as well, although I’m sure you would prefer to be up at your desk still.” It was a simple tease that held no real meaning behind it, but he knew that his lover would take the subtle hint - at least, he hoped he would. 

“I will go there later.” Ignis gave him a friendly smile, Regis realizing that the game was now afoot for the two of them as it was clear that Ignis did understand what he’d just said without seeming to be too obtuse about it. “A little revelry never hurt anyone.” 

“Nonsense.” Clarus joined their conversation. “You will not go back up to your office - the entire High Council is here tonight, and undoubtedly drunk so there’s no reason to do any more work if they aren’t.” Regis saw Clarus glare at him. “Just because he’s the youngest member of the Council doesn’t mean you can treat him like that.” 

“It was a joke, Clarus.” He put his hand on his friend’s shoulder, then turned him away from the five still standing in a semicircle in front of them. “I believe Clarus needs some more to drink. You lot have fun this evening.” As much as it pained him to not give more of his attention to his lover, Regis put his arm around Clarus and led him over towards the bar. “Come on, let’s leave the young ones to have their fun.” 

“Fine, Regis.” 

All throughout the evening, Regis sent subtle glances towards Ignis, who he could see was having a good time spending it with the Amicitia boy, his own son and his son’s best friend. It made him happy to see the four of them gelling so well together, when he knew that it would be beneficial to them with what was to come years down the road. But those were thoughts he was going to shelve for now, as the holidays were no time to think like that. 

“I’m heading upstairs.” Regis informed Clarus, who was talking with Cor, both men a little red in their cheeks due to the alcohol that was continuing to flow freely during the party. He was only a little inebriated, afraid that if he drank too much that he might make a fool of himself in front of certain people that he had to keep a specific face on when around them. “You enjoy yourselves.” Since it was his own party, no one took notice that he left. He hoped that someone would notice, as he took the elevator up to the floor where Ignis’ office was. 

Using his cane as more of a decoration this evening than actually needing it, he let it guide him towards the darkened hallway that he’d traveled to more often the last few weeks. With Clarus. Alone. He switched it up so that no one would suspect that naughty things were happening behind closed doors with the youngest member on the High Council. 

He sat down at Ignis desk, but not before putting a little gift he’d pulled from the decorations at the party downstairs. Making himself a little more comfortable, he undid the knot of his tie, and let it stay loose at the base of his neck, his fingers taking care to unbutton the black velvet vest he wore underneath his tailcoat. The door slowly opens fifteen minutes later, Regis breathing a sigh of relief as he saw his lover walk into his own office, then shut the door with a soft click locking it in the process. 

“You, darling, look utterly gorgeous this evening.” Regis stood up, as Ignis walked towards him. Before they exchanged a kiss as a greeting, he tilted his head back to look up at the object he’d strategically placed above their heads. “Oh how convenient that there is mistletoe above us.”

The laugh that leaves Ignis’ mouth sent heat surging through Regis’ body. “Why, Your Majesty - you know we shouldn’t. I’m far too young for you to be kissing in such a way.” 

“I will not tolerate a no tonight.” He murmurs low, dropping one hand to rest on Ignis’ hip, while his other cups his face with a gentle touch. “All night I’ve had my eyes on you - this was, by far, the worst party I’ve ever thrown.” 

Ignis’ eyes fluttered closed, as Regis began to lower his head to be closer to his. “I-It wasn’t that bad, Regis.” He felt Ignis put his hand on his own hip, Regis smiling as their hands both held onto each other with the same amount of pressure - not too light, but not painful in any sort of fashion. “Were you really watching me?” 

“Couldn’t you feel it?” Speaking softly into his ear, he dragged his lips down the shell, then gave a little bite to Ignis’ earlobe as he slid the hand that was on his hip to be against his lower back. “You were the most attractive man in the room.” 

“No, I wasn’t.” Ignis’ breath hitched as Regis let his beard scrape against the side of his neck. “That honor belonged to you, Regis.” 

Lifting his head, he brought his lips to Ignis’ and kissed him with as much energy as he could muster. The taste of red wine lingered on both of their tongues, as well as a hint of coffee on Ignis’ palette. He crowded him up against his desk, and helped him to sit on the edge, moaning low as he felt Ignis’ leg wrap around his left thigh, pulling them to be flush against each other as their mouths continued to dance to their own perfect rhythm. 

He ended the kiss, but began to kiss along the freshly shaven jawline as Ignis tilted his head back for him. “You wore my gift.” He’d left it for him in his office two days ago, an early holiday gift since he knew he might be able to see him due to other obligations that they shared. Regis had sent him a bottle of cologne that he knew would pair well with Ignis’ body, and smelling it on him let him know that he’d made the right decision. “Gods, you smell incredible.” 

“R-Regis, please…” Ignis’ soft moans were causing him to rut against him like a petulant child that wasn’t able to get his way. “Quit teasing me….Touch me...Kiss me more…” 

To hear Ignis request such things had him giving his young lover what he wanted. The papers that were on his desk were pushed off, fluttering to the floor as he pushed Ignis down to lay across it, His hands went to the dark red vest that clung to Ignis’ torso like a beautiful corset, a deep red tie matching it perfectly. The vest was pushed open, and then his fingers were working on the tie when he felt Ignis’ hands touch his chest, his shirt now somehow open, and a quick dose of fire magic was pushed into his body. The unexpected hit of magic made him moan low, forgetting that he was supposed to be taking care of Ignis when his lover decided to hit him with a second dose. 

“Now you’re not playing fair.” Regis murmured low, his skin tingling with the magic that Ignis had used on him. It had been a little while since they’d dabbled with it, both needing a little bit of a break as it had become a bit too intense for either of them to control. And while sex without it was equally as amazing as it was with it, introducing back into their play was causing Regis to be more turned on than he had been previously. 

Fingers danced their way up his chest, as Ignis slid his hand to the back of Regis’ neck, effectively pulling him down so that their lips could connect again with a heated kiss. “No one said I had to play fair.” Ignis whispered into his ear, which pulled a deep moan from Regis’ throat. Ignis was becoming more bold with his actions towards him, and he was loving every single time he had the courage to make it happen. “Will you fuck me in here, Your Majesty?” 

“Here.” He nodded his head, his hands returning to Ignis’ waist to pull off the belt. “Upstairs in my private chambers.” His hand slipped down the front of Ignis’ underwear, both of them releasing moans at a different pitch - Ignis’ was high and wanton, his own was dark and full of promise. “Wherever you wish for me to take you, say the word. It’ll happen.” 

“N-Now, Regis…” Ignis begged, as he got Ignis’ pants and underwear off, leaving his sock garters, socks and shoes on. Looking down at him, he saw that his face was flushed, his skin looking a little pink due to the desire that was clearly written all over. “I’m ready for you…” 

Looking between his legs, he saw that Ignis was telling the truth. Wanting to reward his lover for such foresight, he brought his hand to Ignis’ cock and gave him a return on the magic he’d given to him, pushing a little fire magic through to his cock. Ignis immediately sat up on the desk, a wrecked moan leaving his throat as Regis did it again and again. Hands gripped onto his shoulders as he brought Ignis right to the edge of an orgasm, and through one more small dose of fire magic he pulled him over the edge, flying into oblivion as Ignis’ sweet orgasmic cries began to fill his office. 

Regis pulled his hand away, and rather than lick up the mess that was on his fingers, he transferred it to his own cock as if it were a personal lubricant for himself. He reached into Ignis’ desk and pulled out the bottle that he himself had stashed there, and poured some onto his hand. Getting his cock slickened with both cum and lube, he brought the tip of his cock to Ignis’ gaping hole, then yanked him down towards him, sheathing himself quickly with the movement. 

The scream that tore from Ignis’ throat had him putting his hand over his mouth. Not that he was afraid that they would be caught, as who in their right mind would leave a party with free alcohol and food to explore parts of the Citadel normally off limits? No one. But he knew that Ignis had a slight thing for being forced to stay quiet, as he’d soon quickly learned when they’d found themselves in some positions that had been somewhat careless but their libidos had to be fulfilled somehow. 

Leaning forward, he kept his hand over Ignis’ mouth, and slowly rolled his hips. “Yes, darling…” He encouraged his lover, who was beginning to push down with each thrust. “Touch yourself for me…” 

Ignis listened to his request, his hand grabbing onto his own cock with a strong grip. Regis felt Ignis’ inner walls flutter against him, squeezing him in a deathlike grip as he pulled himself closer to an orgasm. Regis was teetering on the edge of one himself, but years of practice allowed him to stay in this wonderful twilight, waiting for his lover to reach a second climax so that they could share in it together. As soon as his inner walls clamped down tight around his cock, Regis pushed his hips forward hard and dropped his hand to be on Ignis’. Pushing magic through the tips of his fingers, he felt the heat of Ignis’ scream against the palm of his hand as he made him come hard. His own orgasm hit fast, his body going stiff as he released a deep, low moan, spilling himself deep inside of Ignis’ body. 

He pulled his hand away from Ignis’ cock first, then the other one against his mouth was pulled away. Lowering his head, he kissed him softly on the lips, the two sharing a quiet laugh together. “Can you come upstairs now? Or are your friends expecting you to return to the party?” He asked, as he helped Ignis get cleaned up a little. 

“As far as they know, I left.” Ignis looked up at him, a smirk on his lips. “If you wish for me to follow you upstairs to your private chamber, I wouldn’t say no.” 

Regis put his own clothes back into order, then nodded his head. “I’ll see you in a few.” 

He took the elevator up to his floor, and then went into his private chambers, leaving the door ajar for Ignis. Taking off all of his clothes, he went to the bedroom and laid down, waiting for Ignis to join him. When he walked into the room, he saw a blush appear on his cheeks, but Ignis did not avert his eyes. 

“Am I staying the night, Regis?” Ignis asked, as he slowly took off his clothes, then walked over to the bed, naked and aroused once more. 

“Yes, darling, I believe you are.” He pulled his lover into his arms. “While the party may have been the worst, the night is surely one of the best.” 

“I’m happy to hear you say that.” Lips kissed his again with a needy caress. “Take me again, Your Majesty…?” 

Carefully putting Ignis on top of him, Regis smiled and nodded his head. “It would be my absolute pleasure, Ignis.” 

As far as Regis was concerned, this was how he planned to spend every single holiday from now on - with his beautiful lover, Ignis Scientia. 

[moonraccoon-exe]

Hello! I was going through your supportive Regis to Iggy stuff and I’M MELTING!! I love it so much! Do you have anymore Regis-Ignis stuff or even other characters who support gladnis? I really wanna know!

*SMACKS WITH LOVE*

HELLO MUFFIN U THOUGHT I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU? HAH. U ABSOLUTE FOOL. I AM HERE TO SERRRRRRRRRVE 

I’m very excited to answer this because even though I still have 60+ asks (WAY over a year old now, god damn it), it made me so happy to get a new one with such old vibe? Idk how to explain it, it just felt like the first times I’d get asks anD IT MADE ME SO HAPPY OMG THANK YOU ;w;

But not gonna make the intro too long, you here for the nice stuff, so here we go!

The supportive Regis to Iggy stuff is old, some of my first, AND I FREAKING LOVE IT. Here you have supportive Regis being a good papa, and supportive Regis multiple headcanons if you missed it/don’t remember! :3

NOW LET’S SEE WHAT WE CAN GET FROM THIS

AU where Regis is Ignis’ supportive dad figure:

Quick summary following the previous posts’ canon: Iggy’s parents love him but aren’t very good parents. He’s just Noct’s adviser and a kingdom’s servant for them, and don’t care about Iggy’s relationships, not even his romantic one, so they never make any space to talk about it or interact or even care. Not kingdom issues? Then I don’t have time, sweetie, focus on your job and don’t make me waste my time.

So Regis has taken up on the role of Papa Regis for Ignis because a parent isn’t just feeding your child, WHERE IS THE GODDAMN SUPPORT, HE JUST WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE TIME HE ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED HALF HIS ICE-CREAM ON SATURDAY’S DATE NIGHT, CAN YOU JUST. FUCKING LOVE HIM GODDAMMIT HOW HARD IS IT 

Regis always gets some time to listen to Iggy about Gladio. Even if it’s a few shared whispers while crossing the door to Council meeting, he’ll always ask. Ignis has gotten a grip of that, and they’ve managed to get away with it, be it a long conversation, or two sentences, all so long Iggy gets to express a bit of what he feels :’)

You know what Regis does most? He disguises lots of forms of support in formalities so that Ignis can get away with his things.

Like the one post shared above where Regis made up the lame excuse of “oh, uh, you: drive the Regalia to the Amicitia house and then you’re free lmao” (it’s sO CUTE OMG HOW DARE PAST-ME WRITE SOMETHING SO CUTE). 

Ignis’ parents and council in general are always overwhelming and overloading Ignis of so much work, it’s sometimes a real struggle to find the time to dedicate to his relationship. Gladio understands, but it’s still not fair for Iggy.

So Regis is going to do the Thing: POWER ABUSE. FOR THE BABY.

Not rly power abuse lmao but he’s the king, he has the ultimate word and orders, right? So if he wants Ignis to have some time to himself, HE’S GOING TO FUCKING HAVE IT. But, so that his parents don’t notice or don’t have an excuse to complain, Regis will disguise some Ignis Free Time as orders.

Ignis wants to write a love letter for Gladio, but is stashed to the very last pore of politics paperwork.

“Excuse me, lord, ladies, can you be so kind as to get this paperwork done? I require of this young lad’s presence to be my personal scribe for a very, very important speech. *Closes door* Yes, right, where do we start? The…importance of…the crown, symbol of the city, emblem of…you write your thing, Ignis, I’ll just babble things, ok? the light and…stuff and things and I’ll just start reciting the whole of Kupo Wars intro speech and no one will notice if I speak regal and kingly like this are you good? you need anything you tell me, alright? LONG AGO IN A FAR AWAY GALAXY-”

It’s a special date and Ignis wants to bake something for Gladio because GladiO LOVES EATING SO MUCH, YOUR MAJESTY, HE’S SO HAPPY WHEN HE EATS AND I WANT TO MAKE HIM HAPPY

“Yes, hello, it seems like Ignis won’t be able to attend this interview because I want to impress the Tenebrae diplomats and I need the best chef of Eos aiding me, come here on royal duty, Ignis.”

((after Ignis finished baking the cake and people expected Regis to try it he just went “AAAH, GOODNESS, I FORGOT I’M ALLERGIC TO CAKE, WHAT A DUMBASS I AM, WELP, WE DON’T WANT IT TO GO TO WASTE SO WHY DON’T YOU TAKE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE YOU KNOW WILL LOVE IT, IGNIS? ( ´ ▽ ` )))

((regis how is anyone allergic to cake as a whole lmao))

Ignis is just sad because he wants to spend a bit of time with Gladio.

“HELLO IGNIS, GUESS WHICH ABSOLUTELY IDIOTIC KING RIPPED HIS CLOTHES, WHAT A MYSTERY, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN, I THINK YOU’LL HAVE TO GO BUY ME A NEW SUIT BUT DON’T YOU DARE GO ALONE, YOU’RE A FAMOUS FACE OF THE ROYAL WORLD, YOU OBVIOUSLY NEED A GUARD, AM I RITE, WHO IS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW-”

“well, Cor is-”

“GLADIOLUS, DEAR, WHAT A COINCIDENCE, I HAVE A JOB FOR YOU RIGHT NOW, BOY.”

Soft and gentle and loving as he is, Regis can also be shady af with people that deserve it.

Scientia father is talking about some stupid thing and he mentions his son.

Regis is giving him the most deeply confused frown of the world, and ultra genuinely asks “You have a son???????”

He does this. EVERY. TIME. Scientia parents talk about Ignis LMAO, EVERY FUCKING TIME

(just wants to make it clear he doesn’t see them as parents to Ignis but that’s just his opinion, right, what does it matter, fuck him)

Regis isn’t only a supportive dad for Iggy when it comes to Gladnis. He’s also a supportive papa in general.

Kiddo Ignis can’t. STOP STARING. At the aerial rope acts and acrobatics on TV. THEY ARE JUST. SO FUCKING ARTISTIC. SO ELEGANT. SO BEAUTIFUL. KIDDO IGNIS LOVES THE ACROBATS HELOVESTHEMSOMU- ok Iggy TV time is over, you have to go make your ridiculously advanced homework that sucks the childhood out of you ok baby boy?

40 year old Regis Papa Sense tingles. 

40 y.o. Regis is taking Ignis from his parents at a hallway while they were leading him to his first Crownsguard training lesson “Yes, I take it from here, I want to give him a little encouraging speech, you know how this can be a little disheartening from how hard it is? Haha yeah, children these days am I rite”

Ignis walks into the training hall expecting Cor or Clarus or some Crownsguard with a pole ready to fucking SMACK HIM.

Ignis walks into the training hall being received by Insomnia’s fifth best circus arts coreographer. 

“Hello, you must be Ignis. The king said you’re very excited about aerial ropes and acrobatics? That’s so cool. Are you excited to be learning it yourself, now?”

Little twelve years old Ignis is GASP .A. *looks up at Regis like ¿¿¿¡¡¡¡???!!!*

“It’s OBVIOUSLY just to have an expert acrobat fighter, the only one of your kind, flexible, agile fighter that can jump, am I rite, enemies won’t expect that. So this is NOT arts class, it’s…OBVIOUSLY your Crownsguard training as we told your parents. OBVIOUSLY. Right, boy? Now, we don’t want to spoil the surprise. No telling mom and dad, ok? You tell them it’s Cor teaching you to punch things. Have fun. I mean. TRAIN HARD, HUFFFFFFFF”

IGNIS WAS HYSTERICALLY HAPPY YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE SO MUCH JOY FITS IN THAT CHILD

Nineteen year old Ignis figured out his first real strategy at war table and it was an utter success.

Papa be like, not even looking away of his papers, “It’s your responsibility.”

REAL PAPA Regis rushed to hug him, grinning, and goes “Wow, Ignis, that’s fantastic!! Congratulations!! You worked very hard on it, and you helped save so many lives. Imagine all the families that will reunite thanks to you. You, fantastic boy, you’re so young and so skilled already, I’m so proud of you.”

Ignis had a literal nervous breadown out of stress overload.

Mama be like “take these pills, rest five minutes, now go back to your office, you can’t stay behind, you have all these paperworks DUE TOMORROW, YOU CAN’T JUST CALL IN SICK??? LIKE IT’S AN EXCUSE¿¿¿”

Ignis arrived to his office to find two sofas placed there together like a bed, comfy, cozy, with a blankie and cushions, and a therapist waiting at the desk.

“Hello. You must be Ignis. The king scheduled an appointment for you today. He also said you don’t need to worry about the paperwork, and said, I quote *reads paper* “…fuck paperwork”. Oh my. Anyway, come here, please lie down and let’s see what we can do for you, ok, sweetie?”

Seventeen year old Ignis is NERVOUS about his first date with Gladio. Like. HIS CRUSH. ASKED HIM OUT?? HIS CRUSH. NOT ANYONE, HIS ACTUAL CRUSH SINCE HE WAS TEN??????? THE GUY HE HAD BEEN PINING OVER FOR YEARS. THE GUY THAT HE FELT SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAY OUT OF HIS LEAGUE. HE. ASKED. HIM. OUT. WTF, HOW CAN IGNIS NOT BE NERVOUS, HE’S BEEN CRUSHING ON HIM SINCE EVEN BEFORE HE KNEW WHAT A CRUSH WAS

Papa be like “But?? I thought you were staying in today for training????? What about the prince’s interviews you have to cover for the day after tomorrow?? The paperwork for monday?? Your HOMEWORK¿¿ Ignis, you’re way better than this, leave the teenage drama alone. Free time? That you’re a teen and just want to go out and I just think about work??? Yes, no, I understand that, of COURSE I do, I just…nervous? IT’S JUST A DATE IGNIS OHMYGOD, don’t be so immature, just wear anything, go to your date, and be back as soon as possible, I won’t tolerate you being out after eight.”

Papa Regis is stopping a deep breathing absent-looking Ignis in the middle of the hallway to ask if he’s fine. It took like fifteen minutes of an embarrassed Ignis melting and becoming a puddle of shyness making excuses before he spilled the truth, blushing in embarrassment, whispering, feeling absolutely fucking stupid and like a dork.

“…I just…don’t know…what to wear…”

Regis be (・_・ )

An hour later locked away in Ignis’ office after having had an ACTUAL KINGSGLAIVE FUCKING SNEAK INTO IGNIS’ HOUSE AND BRING ALL HIS CLOTHES IN A HURRY (under royal command lmao), Regis is adjusting Ignis’ hair and glasses over and over, stepping back, staring with a >:| look, then going back in, re-arrange, step back, stare like >:|, step in to re-arrange, and so over and over, all while both discuss over it like it’s a death or life issue.

Regis becomes expert fashion critique

“HOW. Are you going to put those shoes on with THAT shirt.”

“YOU’RE RIGHT, I JUST. I’M SO NERVOUS.”

But being serious, Regis made sure to spend so very long in there with Ignis not because he didn’t know what to have him wear; that was the excuse to spend a while with Ignis to help him calm down. Boy was absolutely GONE, he needed to put his feet back on earth before his date or he was going to combust lmao

AND IT WORKED

Ignis’ shift is over and he goes “I wasted my last hour doing NOTHING ;A;”

“HOW DARE YOU SAY IT’S NOTHING WHEN WE USED IT SO WELL TO GET YOU READY”

Ignis is more honored by having had the king help him pick his clothes than working so it doesn’t feel as bad. Plus, Regis knows his way through the mess of his head to make him not feel guilty

Before going out of the office, Regis is taking his time to smile a lot and stare at Ignis, before he drops the whole king attitude or fashion expert and goes with this tender, warm, and genuinely happy voice “So he finally asked you out.”

Ignis absolutely changes then. He just…glOWS HAPPY AND LOVING. And of course he starts sharing the whole thing with Regis, from asking out to how long he had been liking him to how he feels about it and stuff. Regis listens patiently, and then he gets up from his place and goes to grab Ignis’ face and helps a bit with his hair, and he can’t help but stare and stare with these…these IMMENSELY WARM EYES AND THIS HUGE SWEET, TENDER SMILE

“I’m so happy for you two. You two have always looked good together, and I think you’re meant to be. You’ll be fine, son.”

Ignis may have teared up a little and looked down. He feels…sO ENCOURAGED, SO SUPPORTED, HE FEELS LIKE SOMEONE CARES, IT’S SO NICE AKLSDJFDG

of fucking COURSE it was the best first date EVER

Ignis sometimes wants to get Gladio presents, but he doesn’t know where to put them (as in, if he gets Gladio a gift, it may be a few days earlier, so where does he store it during those few days?). No way to put them in his room because his parents check his room (never looking for anything in particular but it’s to ‘’keep him in check’’ or some bullshit), and they have key to his office too. 

Regis motherfucking Lucis Caelum is going to store that unicorn plushie in armiger and you better not question him.

You know how Regis and Noctis have royal portraits taken each certain years?

Yes, there is an official royal photograph or Regis with a twenty year old Ignis because what the fuck do you mean it’s just for the Lucis Caelum last name he’s my son regardless of last names fuck you give me that stupid camera

Of course it didn’t count to the ‘official’ archives of the heir and monarch portraits but goddammit is Regis going to make sure it’s hung somewhere in the fucking Citadel.

You thought Regis was just taking the role at times? HELL NO, HE’S GOING FULL PAPA BEAR MODE, HE LOVES IGGY AS MUCH AS HE LOVES NOCT, OF COURSE HE’S GOING THIS FAR

He keeps making that little adorable slip of thinking of Noct and Iggy as literal brothers because he’s just so into supporting Ignis he keeps forgetting he’s not his son neither legally or genetically.

“You can’t just get rid of your brother-in-law, that’s ridiculous.”

“…who?”

“Gladi- ooh, yes, lmao, I forgot. I meant Gladio”

“DO NOT TALK LIKE THAT TO YOUR BROTHER.”

“But I don’t have a brother.”

“right”

“You should follow Ignis’ example, that’s what big brothers are for.”

“Dad you’re doing it again.”

“Hello, Ignis? I wanted to talk to your brother. Ah, fuck, I meant, Noctis.”

Regis gets really moody every time Scientia parents are around. He knows they’re not necessarily evil, but that doesn’t mean they’re not abusive. He’s been reflecting long about it and he sees them as abusive even if incidentally so of course he gets moody. HOW DARE THEY MISTREAT MY CHILD LIKE THAT.

Regis had Clarus review a literal petition to change Insomnia’s adult age from 21 to 19 so Ignis could move the fuck out of his house sooner.

council said no those pieces of shIT

Regis insisted

“Your Majesty, we can’t just change that law so easily and fast, and think of-”

DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CHILDREN WANT TO GET OUT OF THEIR GODDAMN HOUSE TO ESCAPE AN ABUSIVE ENVIRONMENT BUT FUCKING CAN’T BECAUSE THEY’RE “TOO YOUNG”

Regis mopped about it for a month

When Noct moved to his flat near school, Regis did it so he could grow a bit of independency…and to give Ignis the spare key.

“My son may need some watch every now and then. Leave the house duties to him, that’s fine, son, just…uh…keep an eye on him some nights. Any night you want. I happened to find only a flat with two separate rooms haha what a coINCIDENCE AIN’T IT so it’s fine if you want to spend the night with Noct :)”

He was basically gifting Ignis his own shared apartment WHAT THE HECK YOUR MAJESTY YOU’RE GIVING ME A WHOLE ASS APARTMENT?????? OMG NO STOP

((Ignis used that apartment very frequently the poor bby ;A;))

When Noct graduates and goes back to living at the Citadel, Ignis at first is sort of upset of having to go back to his house every day. He normally can’t get to spend the nights at Gladio’s or anyone else’s because his parents thing it’s inappropriate. But Ignis just looks…so upset. He doesn’t say anything, and he keeps talking about being happy of Noct’s growth and independency and graduation and his grades and him getting to be back with his dad and stuff, but when he’s alone he looks so upset. He looks like he’s sleeping less, and worse than before; he looks like…like carrying a heavier weight, that kept growing and growing. He looked less healthy, less happy, less bright.

And as soon as he notices, there we have him, king motherfucking Regis signing the official return of the prince’s gentlemen job, and signing Ignis in the goddamn title without even asking him first. 

Regis’ excuse is that Ignis is his first assistant, personal adviser, closest companion, so it only makes sense to have Ignis attend him personally at any time the prince so needs it, SO YOU BETTER NOT HAVE ANY EXCUSES YOU PIECES OF SHIT TO LET YOUR SON LIVE IN THE ROOM NEXT TO NOCT’S, OKAY, FUCK YOU.

It was a smart move because Scientia parents were delighted with the promotion and progress, yes yes, we told you working this hard would get you really far, son, of course it was due to the pressure we put on you that you get to be the prince’s personal assistant to a new level.

Regis really just wanted Ignis to get out of that goddamn place for most nights.

And not like Noctis asks for anything. Wakes up WAY later than Ignis, cleans his own room as best as he can (he’s trying, ok? LEAVE HIM ALONE), and it’s not like it’s the 1st century to be asking Ignis to dress him or anything, ew, get away of my room, you dork, this is my stuff!!

IGNIS HAS NEVER SLEPT SO GODDAMN WEL IN HIS GODDAMN LIFE, and it’s not like his parents don’t let him sleep or anything, it’s just…the air. It’s different. The environment is WAY comfier and more cozy, HE LOVES SLEEPING THERE.

Regis is also there when Iggy is having bad times.

As much as he’s eventually learned that his parents just Don’t Care, it’s not like it’s an easy thing to digest, you know? Because they’re this horrible mix between genuinely loving and still abusive and toxic. They want the best for him, but they’ve broken him to the point of literal physical breakdowns. They love him, but don’t know his favorite meal or color. They want him to go far but forget he’s a human, and just see his grades and work, and don’t know how he has fun and have never once listened to him about his YEARS LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH A MAN HE GENUINELY LOVES AND WHO HE HAS LIVED WITH THE MOST ADVENTURES. Ignis is often very troubled about his parents, because as much distance as he’s put in between and as much as he doesn’t acknowledge them as his parents because of all the bad they’ve done to him and how absent they’ve been, he just can’t help but…still be hurt about it, you know? 

So even though he has Regis’ full awesome support, and Clarus’, and other parental figures, it’s just not the people he grew up with all his life calling “parents”. They may be abusive and absent but goddammit, the child in him used to think they were his parents, and good ones. It’s not like he can just not care.

So it’s not rare that Ignis gets emotional over it, or has cried a few times, especially when he has something significative going on in his life and his parents just aren’t there, even when he reaches out to them and they’re just “too busy”.

SO ONE DAY

Nothing particular had happened. It was the constant storing of that kinda events, thoughts and feelings that kept building up until they were too many and made Ignis sort of break. 

His parents just wouldn’t speak about his relationship with Gladio. The most they have gotten to was telling him to not be explicit about it to save scandals about someone as important as an Amicitia, to always be perfectly sharp and as best looking as he could because an Amicitia just couldn’t be seen with someone less than Perfect, and would often tell him to not get hopes too high because Gladiolus looked like a man to constantly switch partners so you better be careful. But they never cared about knowing him, having him for dinner, talking about their dates, not even how or WHEN it started, they didn’t even know how long it had been going on, or the places they’ve been or the things they’d done together, NOTHING.

Ignis is so very often at the Amicitias’; has dinner, sleeps over when he can, has gone out with Iris alone SO MANY times, has been with Clarus alone SO MANY TIMES, has LITERALLY GONE ON VACATIONS WITH THEM, and his parents can’t even shake Gladio’s hand even when they all work in the same goddamn place? Were they for real?

Ignis once tried talking with them about the possibility of marriage. He had been with Gladio for a good couple years, and he was sure about it, and had even spoken a bit with Gladio about it, and it seemed like a bright plan. 

It took Ignis MONTHS. Literal months of mental preparation. He wrote the little speech and corrected it over and over and over and over for weeks to know what to tell his parents and how. He practiced in his head, with the mirror, with Noctis, he rehearsed aloud to an empty room. He had his routine of breathing before it to get ready, during it to not lose it, he had been gathering courage for all those MONTHS

“I’m sorry, Ignis, I know it’s important but I have to hand these papers in three days from now. Could you tell me some other day?”

He didn’t even get to the first word of his speech because he wasn’t even given the chance.

He dropped the bomb in the first sentence he said, on purpose, so his parents would know how big of a thing it was and wouldn’t discard it; “I’ve spoken with Gladiolus about marriage.” And he got this. I’m busy. Paperwork. Good that you’re marrying but can you please not interrupt me?

Ignis didn’t even get angry. He just stood there, in front of his parents, staring a little with a blank face. He still waited a bit, and his mom did look up from her papers as if asking if he needed anything. Willing to listen, and Ignis knew and saw it. 

But decided it wasn’t worth it, and he just turned around and left. 

He didn’t feel bad that night, or the next, and he worked just fine during the week…but he kept…to say it some way, withering.

 Like back when he had to go back to sleeping at his parents’ every night, Ignis started slowly looking restless and upset with each day. With the heavy air and shoulders, the tired look, and that exhausted aura that felt like he struggled at getting out of bed every day. 

And of course, Regis noticed. 

One day, he visited Ignis to see what was going on. He had Ignis sit on a chair and he sat across him, and had him talk about it. By that point Ignis has grown so much personal trust with Regis that he doesn’t struggle anymore at opening up with him. 

Ignis spoke long, much longer than he knew he had to speak, about all the things his parents don’t do and do, and went on and on, and it was past the shift end hour, it got dark and late and they didn’t even bother turning the lights on and just kept going. 

And then Ignis got to the point where one sentence alone had him break.

“I don’t understand, I’m their son, and they love me, so why don’t they care?”

Ignis stopped there because, as he said that last bit, he started crying. Fast, out of nowhere, not even noticing, he just…broke down right there. At first he stayed still while crying, as if only after saying it aloud had he noticed the weight it held. 

Little by little he started putting the head down, until he seemed to finally understand what he said, and so he started properly crying. Ignis tried cleaning his eyes, took his glasses off, and sobbed and cried.

It wasn’t long before Regis had stood from his chair and had reached for him. Got close, and took Ignis in a hug.

Ignis didn’t even care if this was the king or someone else’s dad. He didn’t. He just buried his face in his hands, and his hands and face in Regis’ chest, and started sobbing. 

Regis hugged him and kept him to his chest for as long as he needed. He pet his hair, rubbed his back, squeezed his arms, and didn’t let go while letting Iggy cry all that he wanted to sob out.

After a bit, Ignis tried cleaning his nose and eyes, and let go of his face to hug Regis back. It was a bit timid, and a little weak, but he held to Regis’ jacket like a scared, upset kid, and shyly sniffled while calming down. 

“Why don’t they care?” he whispered again mid-tears, genuinely lost…but not alone.

Later, when Ignis let go and Regis sat next to him, Ignis apologized because he “should” be grateful for what he has, and he has Regis and that’s way better than any parent he could have asked for and way better than the bad his real parents have done to him, and, surprisingly, Regis didn’t agree this time.

“It’s not something that can be replaced. A joy in your life doesn’t nulify the bad. When it hurts, it hurts. I can be your dad all that we want, but it won’t take away the hurt you feel for the real one. And that’s ok. You are grateful for what you have, but it’s also ok to be hurting on this. I would be hurting, too.”

someone give this man a prize already please

A week later Clarus walked into a very upset Regis giving a paper his Tantrum Frown.

“Regis?”

“Clarus how do I adopt an adult that has legal living parents?”

Regis, no.

REGIS ABSOLUTELY FUCKING YES.

Now Regis doesn’t ask the Scientia “you have a son?” whenever they mention Ignis, he just goes “Ah, you know his name?”

savage

One day, a 24 year old Iggy went to Regis’ chambers during a sunday hence day off. Regis was ? :3

Ignis asked Regis if he would please help him choose the engagement ring he was going to get for Gladio.

Regis was out of the room screaming and swinging the Regalia’s keys before Ignis had finished the sentence.

SHOPPING TIME

There we have him a PROUD PAPA going with his BEAUTIFUL SON to get an engagement ring because BOY IS GONNA ASK HIS BF FOR MARRIAGE AND JESUS CHRIST IS THIS EXCITING

Honestly I’m saving how excited Regis was because it’s just too much excitement to be described lmao 

Just imagine him screeching the whole way to the mall

and the dy after

and all over the week

Regis was so excited he slightly fainted at least twice across the week lmao thank the gods a chuckling Clarus was there to help but anyway back to RING SHOPPING

Just like that time Regis was his FASHION EXPERT on the first date Iggy had with Gladio, Regis is now becoming RING EXPERT for him

“HOW. Are you going to wear that ring with those SHOES”

“why are the shoes always the problem”

They didn’t spend as long in the store as they did with the clothes that once, but they did spend a good while looking at the prettiest rings and comparing and thinking about what Gladio would personally like, and etc etc. 

Basically Regis helping Iggy pick the engagement ring plEASE I BEG FOR THIS SCENARIO AKSLJDFDG *cries*

When Ignis got decided for one, he was just pulling out his credit card when RegIS. FUCKING. SLAMMED HIS DEBIT CARD ON THE COUNTER.

I PAY FOR THIS ONE.

omg but king Regis I’ve been saving up for a whole yea-

IT GOES ON MY BEHALF GOD FUCKING DAMMIT THIS IS MORE A GIFT TO ME THAN IT IS TO EITHER OF YOU SHUT UP

Regis = Gladnis shipper #1

Fun side story, an hour after Ignis and Regis left, CLARUS AND GLADIO ARRIVED. TO THE SAME STORE. LOOKING FOR THE EXACT SAME RING THAT IGNIS JUST BOUGHT. BECAUSE GLADIO HAD HAD IT IN HIS WATCH FOR OVER A MONTH NOW, BUT HE FREAKING…DIDN’T RESERVE IT, HE’S AN IDIOT, SOME STUPID ASSHOLE BOUGHT IT BEFORE HIM, IT WAS THE PERFECT RING, P E R F E C T, THERE WAS NO RING BETTER ON THIS PLANET OR THIS UNIVERSE THAT COULD COMPARE, AND WHAT WERE THE ODDS HE COULD FIND THE BUYER TO BUY IT BACK!?? WHAT WERE THE GODDAMN ODDS FUCKTHISSHIT GLADIO WAS SO A N G R Y.

fun side story #2 can we have Gladnis proposing to each other the same day because that’s disgustingly freaking adorable and I die with cuteness overload at the thought thank you. Like u know, those cute videos, I think there are two where partner 1 proposes to partner 2, and partner 2 just LAUGHS and partner 1 is ;A; ??? and partner 2 suddenly pulls out a little box too and it makes sense and the two just freaking lose it. Yes, Gladnis vibes, thank you

Let’s make it an Eos tradition that the father or parent or parental figure of the groom (or bride or person in suit) gets them the tie and only show them on the wedding day and they put it on their kid. (that’s actually a nice tradition, nice thinking Brain, I’ll steal this from myself later)

On the wedding day, in a room, Clarus is tying Gladio’s tie.

In the other, Ignis is tying his own. 

He did tell dad, but didn’t tell him about the tradition and dad assumed it wasn’t happening. It was fine, Ignis kept it a secret because he didn’t want his dad to do it, and he was fine getting his own tie. 

(Scientia parents are present, just Ignis asked them to be sat and away, he was fine on his own, and because Scientia parents don’t care they were just like okie)

And of course, there was then a knock at the door.

“Ignis?”

“…ki…KING REGIS!?”

Regis is smiling and going in and closing the door. Ignis stands up and he seemed to have been about to run towards him, but he freezes in his spot, and suddenly stands there like a lost shy kid, and his eyes immediately water. They say nothing for a while and just stare at each other, until Ignis, at the edge of crying, just whispers in a broken voice “You came.”

“Of course I did. What sort of horrible thing would I be if I missed your wedding? I’m sorry I’m late, I just didn’t know in which room you were. You should’ve told me!”

It takes a while as Ignis controls his tears and feelings and gets over the shyness before he says it.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d come and I didn’t want to pressure you by asking for this…extra thing, just consumes time, and I could do it alone, it was fine, really…”

“An extra thing?” 

Regis starts limping his way towards him. Then, when he gets to Ignis, he pulls out a little large box. Ignis finally starts crying when Regis opens it and there’s a tie inside.

While Iggy cries a bit, Regis undoes his tie, throws it away, and gently and very softly starts tying the new one. He does his best and prettiest tie, and pats it.

“It’s no extra thing. It’s my responsibility.”

Ignis immediately went in for a tight hug, crying into Regis’ shoulder.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t ask you for this, I’m so sorry…I…know you’re genuinely busy, and that’s ok, you run the biggest country of the world and a whole magic core alone, I know it’s genuine and I’ve never been upset for that, I just…know you’re genuinely busy…”

Regis returned the hug as lovingly and tight as only a father does, and kissed his head.

“Yes, a king is always busy. But never for my son.”

And that’s how Ignis was walked down the aisle by REGIS FUCKING LUCIS CAELUM CXIII OF HIS NAME THE MAN HIMSELF.

*cries*

HOW DARE YOU ASK ME FOR SUPPORTIVE REGIS, ANON, NOW I’M A MESS OF FEELINGS AND A CHAOS OF EMOTIONS ASKDJFKG GODS BLESS THANK YOU SO MUCH THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I’m an absolute disaster for supportive papa Regis. U see supportive Regis u show me, ok? OK? THANK YOU ;____;

But anyways, dear anon, HERE YOU GO WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL ASK THAT WAS SUCH A DELIGHT TO RECEIVE, AND SUCH A WONDER TO ANSWER. ( ˙꒳​˙ )

I hope you enjoyed these at least half as I did!

Thank you, and have a WONDAHFUL day! 

[riviae]

I love Regis' and Geralt's friendship with all my heart, but then I remember that Regis will outlive him and most of his other friends. Is anyone else thinking about this or is it just me?

oh anon, you’ve got a storm coming because i am /always/ thinking about this: 

—

Mourning does not come naturally to their species, that much Regis knows. Nothing is lost forever. Only the truly ancient vampires, the ones old enough to recall a time before the Conjunction of Spheres, know what loss is. 

Or so it goes for most higher vampires. But Regis has never quite been an ordinary higher vampire. 

As a youth, he chose to ignore the parts of himself that yearned for genuine connection. He made a reputation as a rabble-rouser, someone good at creating superficial ties between vampires who didn’t quite fit in–they were the lonely ones, the wild ones, the ones who took to drinking in excess, pouring drinks in favor of talking about anything important at all. The superfluous charm he had as a storyteller, a vampire whose drunken escapades were revered and shunned in equal measure, made it so he always had someone, some company to entertain. He was never alone with his thoughts so he never had to face the consequences of his actions, the families he destroyed, the ugly addiction that made him irritable and callous when sober. 

And then he died–or came as close as he could to death. Dismembered and buried under layers upon layer of dirt, all he had to pass the decades of slow healing was his mind. His memories repeated over and over behind his eyes an innumerable amount of times. Burned villages. Empty bassinets covered in blood. Laughter–his own, he knew it had to be his own, but it sounded unfamiliar. Foreign. As if his sense of self had been neatly cleaved in half. There was the monster that he was before his regeneration, and then there was the monstrous man who took its place. Not a monster–not anymore, but perhaps still the relic of one. A relic of monstrosity learning to be a person, something not quite human, but as close as his distinct biological structure allowed.

In the years that followed he felt the burden of his prior choices, allowed them to age him, to steal the dark from his hair, to mark his face with lines and age-spots. The first step to being something human, he surmised, was to age. So he did. It suited him, Regis thought, to wear a different appearance after his regeneration. One that more easily brought to mind that of a kindly barber-surgeon. 

He traveled the continent for centuries, acting as a barber-surgeon on the battlefield (because there was always a war somewhere, wasn’t there? bloodshed somewhere. a constant reminder of what he denied himself floating through the air, as sweet as honeysuckle, as pungent as copper.) and a door-to-door physician at whatever village he chose to settle down in as winter took hold once more. Regis preferred to travel the human way, using a donkey that he always gave a rather obvious name to, and he would not lose a good animal because of frozen roads and waist-deep snow. 

It was during the particularly long and chilling winters that Regis felt the cold sting of loss. Humans could die in so many horrifically tragic ways. He had helped bury babies and mothers and young children and young couples and elderly widows and everything in between. But in the winter, it was as if Death walked amongst them, pacing the doors of the young and old with equal ferocity. First, the livestock died. Then, as the snow continued to fall, as the ice grew more solid and insidious, the weeks turning into months, food storages dwindled. People grew hungry. Disease spread. And Regis could do nothing but act as a comforting hand, a gentle voice in the dark once the tallow ran out, nothing to make candles from. There was no cure for hunger or cold in those days, not when there weren’t any animals around for miles, when Regis spent most of his waking hours at dying people’s bedsides, watching as the life trickled out of them, heard their heartbeats slow and slow until everything grew silent. He thought he might grow mad–so many deaths in so little time, people he had joked and played cards with in the fall, whose homes he had been invited into with the promise of a hot meal and stimulating conversation, were now cold and dead, gone to a place he could not follow. 

And then, just when he thought he had enough of it all–humans die so quickly; why did he think it was worth it? this pain? this bone-deep ache when they inevitably took their last shuddering breath? his penance was never abstaining from blood; it was this wellspring of grief he felt at every severed connection, every life cut short in a world that damn well seemed devoted to inflicting as much agony as it could before finally pulling them into a shallow grave–he met Geralt and his company. 

He knew he shouldn’t get close. He could taste their deaths in the air–knew that they would likely be gruesome, drawn-out events. Deaths that would never leave him, not entirely. He knew that if he lingered, allowed himself and his damnable curiosity to take hold, he would never be able to leave. A logical vampire, one that traipsed through society in the shadows, who only formed bonds with other vampires, would have let Geralt and his company get drunk on mandrake moonshine and leave them there in his home amongst the ruins of the elven graveyard. He had thought about doing that. Saw their pink, dozing faces, saw how easy it would be to lull Geralt into a deep, dreamless sleep. 

(He also saw how easy it was to love them. Geralt and the brilliant mind he hid underneath a facade of indifference and stoicism. Milva and her golden heart–so strong, so lovely, so dedicated to living life as free as a red kite, a bird of prey. Dandelion’s passion for art, for music, for all the beautiful things that humans could make–a scholar, a romantic, and a loyal friend, this much was obvious to Regis.) 

That was why he left Dillingen, wasn’t it? Not because of the encroaching war (though the thick scent of blood nowadays only made his spine curl in revulsion as he associated the scent with loss, his days of playing the demon long behind him). But because he was tired. He wanted solitude. Peace. A time to heal. A time to devote to his studies. A silence not gifted by death. 

But if Regis had what would eventually be called a fatal flaw, it was this: from the beginning he had been drawn to humans in a way most vampires were not. He hadn’t known it in his youth, so blood-drunk and warm, so far gone out of his faculties, that he would have been just as satisfied with a night-long conversation with any of the charming humans he encountered then a goblet of their blood, or their body sprawled in his lap, drinking his fill and more. 

He hadn’t really ever seen humans as beneath him–even when he killed them. Their deaths were just an unfortunate price to pay for their sweet, addicting blood. Something he had not been able to stop drinking until his head was severed from his neck. 

Now, knowing that he would likely lose his new company much too soon, Regis joined in their journey to rescue Geralt’s daughter. He wanted to do something good. He wanted to make friends, to have people to share stories with, to eat with, to doze with in front of a small campfire. A sense of belonging, even if brief, was better than centuries of living in the dark, cold and alone. He’d brave anything for that warmth. 

Or so he thought.

—

He had survived the hansa’s death at Stygga–it had taken blood and time and the hope that, at the very least, Geralt and Yennefer had survived, had saved Cirilla, and made a home for themselves somewhere. And for once, fate was kind to him. He reunited happily with Geralt and Yennefer, and Cirilla, now a young witcheress, no longer bound by the destiny in her blood. He had even gotten to see Dandelion and Zoltan again, his visits to the Chameleon his favorite holidays away from Beauclair. 

In fact, the years after the events in Beauclair, after tempering Dettlaff’s fragile state into something that could, one day, trust humanity again, were the most peaceful years of Regis’ life. Beauclair was a warm, wine-drunk place, almost as if out of a fairytale. It made him complacent. Lax. Lulled into a sweet daydream.

Regis had forgotten that he wasn’t living in a fairytale. It was what made the tragedy all the more painful. 

He was here now, in front of a single gravestone. 

There were a string of lilacs surrounding the grave, as well as a wooden sword, the size a small child might wield. Regis placed his own offering: the last bottle of moonshine they had shared together. 

The vampire surveyed the graveyard, looked at the cloud of ravens that had flocked to him in his grief, their dark, questioning eyes boring into his prone figure as they perched in the pines above. Regis waved them away with a hand. He did not want the company. Not now. Perhaps never again. 

He felt his bones creak as he moved to sit behind the gravestone, leaning his back against it. If he focused hard enough, he could almost pretend that it was him, not a cold slab of rock. 

“Hello, Geralt,” Regis says, knees curled up against his chest, fingers toying with the strap of his satchel. 

He was met with silence–not that he expected anything else. 

“I’m… I’m not sure if I believe in an afterlife,” he starts, because what else was there to say? Geralt was dead–it would always be a one-sided conversation now. For eternity. “But I hope there is one. Wouldn’t that be grand? You could see everyone again. Milva, Cahir… even dear Angouleme.” 

The last name drove another achingly sharp stake into his heart. “So young, they were all so young. I failed you all then. At Stygga. I couldn’t keep them safe. I’m immortal and I can’t even keep one human safe.” A weak chuckle escapes him. 

What was the point of power if you couldn’t use it to protect those you cared for? It was a sad thought–how they should have all been at their safest with him beside them; but they had died as he flew across the battlefield, their deaths part of what sent him into a whirlwind of rage when he spotted Vilgefortz. Why he had gone for the mage’s eyes instead of his throat–he had wanted Vilgefortz to suffer. To feel even a passing inkling of the pain Regis had felt as he flew to protect Geralt and Yennefer from the mage’s wrath. 

The memory only increased the pain. “Wherever you are–or aren’t–know this, my dearest friend: you are so deeply loved. You thought yourself a monster, well, here is the truth. You had a monster weep for you. I miss you, already. It’s only been a few days, but time moves so slowly. I sometimes think of coming to Corvo Bianco, to sit out on the porch with you and Yennefer like before. She’d be pretending to read a book, you would be sharpening a blade–or perhaps attempting to write a letter to Cirilla. I would be regaling you both with some tale or another. You’d sigh that familiar sort of fond sigh that means ‘Regis, I wish you’d shut up already,’ while Yennefer would try to hide her smile behind the pages of her book. And then, just as it started to grow dark, the sun making its slow descent below the horizon, Marlene would call us all inside for dinner. I wish I hadn’t taken those days for granted. If only I had known just how little time we’d get. Years, yes, may seem long to some–but for me, it was like the blink of an eye.” 

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the approaching hooves. Didn’t hear as the rider swung off their horse, their footfalls growing louder and louder as they drew closer to him.

“Regis…” a voice called to him sweetly, their tone achingly gentle. It reminded him of how he spoke to patients on their deathbed, when they had but only a few moments and he comforted them as best as he could. 

(”It’s safe now. You can rest. That’s it, I’ll be right beside you. Close your eyes, my dear. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”) 

“I didn’t get to say goodbye,” Regis replies, hollow. He would cry, if he had the strength to. If it were possible to cry anymore than he did after seeing Geralt’s lifeless body at his crypt door. Still, it was almost a selfish thing to say; no one important to Geralt got to say goodbye. He regretted saying the words immediately. 

“I know.” Cirilla crouches down beside him, their knees knocking together as she mimics his position. If she is offended, she doesn’t show it. Her green eyes are lidded with grief, their usual bright spark dulled by a death none of them expected. But when was death every expected, really? Even the old expected to wake the next morning from their sleep. 

“I wish I had. If I could go back in time–if I could have stopped him from taking that contract…” he trails, biting at his lip. 

Ciri shakes her head sadly. “There’s no point in thinking like that, Regis. You couldn’t have known what would happen. You can’t blame yourself.” 

“But I can. Did you know that when I woke up that morning, I had the oddest sense of dread? I couldn’t shake it at all. And then the sun was setting and I was feeling relieved because nothing bad had happened. Then, just as I smiled to myself, I heard the thud outside. The sound of Geralt falling in front of my door.” 

“That still doesn’t change the truth. You are not to blame. No one is,” she paused, voice going soft again. “Regis, I know what you did. I saw his body before it was burned.” 

The vampire’s gaze fell to the ground. “Then you know that I failed him–both as a friend and as a barber-surgeon. He could have survived if I had been just a few moments earlier. He was still warm. If I had gotten a raven to alert Yennefer faster, if I hadn’t spent precious moments in a state of panic over the sight of him, then… then perhaps… perhaps he’d be here. Sitting with us. Not laying in the dirt below us.” 

(Ciri had seen it–the extent at which Regis had tried to bring Geralt back to life. The way he had performed chest compressions again and again, creating a series of post-mortem bruises across the man’s otherwise pale skin. How he had then tried to massage the heart into beating, to coax out a rhythm as he reached into the exposed chest cavity. How he had no human blood on hand to replace the blood Geralt had lost so he ripped open his own veins, pouring his own blood into the witcher’s mouth from his wrist.) 

Regis startles at her touch, at the gentle hand covering his own. This was the first time he could ever recall being comforted. His occupation as barber-surgeon usually had him taking on the role–but here Cirilla was, mourning her father, and she had chosen to carve out her time into comforting a centuries-old vampire. 

“Regis, it’s alright. We know you did all you could. We’re not upset with you. And I know Geralt isn’t upset with you either. Although, he’d probably be upset to see you moping by his grave so much.” 

Regis laughs and it almost sounds happy. “You are certainly right about that.” 

They are silent, for awhile. Regis listens to the sound of the leaves skirting over the ground, he listens to Cirilla’s heartbeat, its steady rhythm a balm of sorts. Geralt was gone. He wasn’t going to come back. But he still lived on, in a way. In the bonds he forged. The family he chose. In the way Cirilla stood up abruptly, dusting off dirt from her trousers, sporting a familiar grin, one hand offered to him.

“Now, come on. I came to invite you to dinner at Corvo Bianco. Yennefer will be upset if I come back empty-handed. And, Regis… you’re allowed to grieve with us. We’re a family. It wouldn’t be right for you to grieve alone. Not when we’re all still here.”

Regis, smiling, takes her hand and lets himself be lead back home. The ache in his heart is dulled, somewhat, and for now, it is enough. It has to be. 

[midwinter-fox]

Heartache

First Chapter

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Next Chapter

So, a quick note because I wanna. I've gotten way more people following me and liking my stuff than I thought I would!! It seriously fills me with so many good feels, I cry a little inside with each notification I get. I've been having a rough time keeping up with writing thanks to Life, the Universe, and Everything (not the book, but still a great read) so I was wondering if it'd be too much to ask for some kind of review..? It can be in the form of an anonymous ask, or a comment, or even a private message. I'd really like some motivation to keep going, or I might end up burning out.. Anyway, y'all didn't come to hear me complain, but I might be encouraged to pump out more fic if I can get some kind words. c: My bitching and moaning aside, here is the next chapter!

It was late into the night - or perhaps it was very early the next morning - before the lovers laid in pleasurable bliss, content with the extent to which they'd explored each other. Leonore's head rested on her lover's chest while her fingers tenderly stroked the coarse hair beginning to sprout from his jaw. She allowed her thumb to brush across his lips every so often, and each time she did, he would press a light kiss to it. Though he thoroughly enjoyed their time together, Dettlaff couldn't help the feeling of remorse that began creeping up in him.

He was there to care for her, not rut into the next day.

Eventually the hand that gently pet him stopped moving, her breathing slowed, and her eyes fluttered closed. She was thoroughly spent, especially considering she'd only barely managed to keep up with her vampiric lover and his seemingly endless stamina. She fidgeted only once when he kissed the top of her head, but then snuggled into him as well as she could. The way she cuddled was like she was trying to almost completely consume him, but it pleased him to no end. Were her bed big enough to accommodate both of them, he'd have attempted to embrace her in kind.

This was perfect, he thought. She was perfect. She wasn't Rhena, but he wouldn't have her any other way. The never-ending praise, constant smiles, and perpetual kindness made his heart feel full again - he’d received some when he had Rhena, but never to this extent and never to the point where he almost had to convince her to stop lest she overwhelm him. Though, now that he thought about it, was Rhena's affection ever truly genuine? He'd never know, but he sorely wished she'd have just told him when she had the chance. It would save him the torturous thoughts that still plagued him two years after he killed her. Then again, he did bring this upon himself.

Alone to his thoughts now that Leonore slumbered peacefully atop him, he began to feel the ever familiar aching in his chest that brought the ill twisting in his gut. Hatred for Syanna and what she did to him began welling to the surface, but who he hated most was himself. He didn't know what he'd done to drive his lover away, but whatever it was, he only had himself to blame; it was only about time before that same fatal flaw forced his current beloved to flee him too, was it not? The beast inside him wanted to pace and snarl and lash out, but when he looked down at the mess of brunette hair and the woman it belonged to splayed across his chest, it resorted to sulking and fuming instead. He dared not wake her up with his often violent temper, but his intrusive thoughts persisted.

Why had Syanna used him? Why the betrayal? Why the heartbreak? Why him? If all she wanted was an assassin, she could've had one of her brutes do it or found one for hire. Instead, she took his heart and cruelly toyed with it until she had effectively turned it black. She knew he would go to the ends of the earth for her - and still would though she lay in a crypt - so why would she give him such hope and love only to discard him then come back years later to take advantage of him? Pain unlike any he'd felt before choked him, but still he remained quiet in his mental torture.

The smell of blood hit the air, but Dettlaff recognized it as his own. He'd dug his claws into his palm deeply and could feel the crimson liquid oozing out to drip onto the bedding. Just as quickly as the wound was made, it stitched itself back together. What he wouldn't give to feel a prolonged physical pain to counterbalance the emotional one. He could just as easily rip his own still-beating heart from his rib cage and crush it beneath his heel, but it would regenerate back in his chest where it belonged only moments later.

Unable to lie still any longer, he decided to use his vampiric abilities to his advantage. With a sigh, he let himself fade into his incorporeal form and slip from beneath his lover, allowing her to gently plop down onto the bed that was beneath them. She stirred only slightly, but quickly settled back into a restful sleep. Dettlaff, on the other hand, stood in the center of the room and gathered his clothing from the floor.

Now that he was up and about, he could survey all of the damage he'd done to her room. Feathers from her pillows were everywhere, including the clothing he now gathered. Her headboard was cracked and there were skid marks on the floor where the bed had been forcefully pushed to the side. Holes littered her bedding and now there was blood thanks to his hurting his own hand.

Despite the destruction, he did not regret a single thing they had done that night. In fact, that particular memory would be burned into his mind. He was especially proud of himself for having not harmed Leonore save for a potential hickey or two, but it was hard to resist when presented with such delectable thighs. It was a trial trying to refrain from claiming her like his instincts roared for him to do, but if memory served, that very well could've been what pushed Rhena away. He was too bestial, too monstrous to be considered a conventional lover. He loved like an animal - he knew that much to be true. This fact was the very reason why he tried so hard to show restraint, for he greatly feared that he would drive Leonore to leave him too. Should that happen, he knew not what he'd do.

After dusting as much downy feathers out of his clothes as he could, he put them back on. Buttons and buckles fastened, he sat on the edge of the bed to slip on his boots. The shifting of weight on the bed made Leonore stir, her eyes ever so faintly opening as she tried to fight wakefulness.

"Dettlaff..?"

"Hush, liefje. Sleep."

"Where're you goin'..?"

"I am going out for some air and to speak with Regis. I will return shortly."

"Please don't go.." The pitiful way she whimpered for him made him hesitate in his decision to step out, but he wanted to clear his head before he did something he'd regret.

"I promise to return," he said softly before kissing her forehead. She hummed in sleepy defiance. Then, he remembered what she had done for him when he'd woken from his nightmare and ran his claws through her matted hair. His fingertips gently rubbed at her scalp while he avoided scratching her with his nails, making her groan softly then close her eyes once more. Soon, she was fast asleep again, so he took the chance to finish putting on his boots and stand carefully from the bed so as not to wake her again.

With one last glance to make sure she still slept, he left.

---

Regis was tending to an ill patient when Dettlaff returned to his home, but they elected to simply ignore each other until the mortal was gone. It was simply how Dettlaff preferred it - it brought less attention to him when humans were around. It was odd that someone be there at this ungodly hour, but mortals were wont to demand services when it best suited them and them alone - something he learned the hard way. Since he was there for Regis, he went to his room to wait for the stranger to leave before speaking with his friend.

The room was as he left it when Leonore slept there last. Her scent still lingered in his sheets, so he opened the window to allow for some air. It wasn't that the smell was repelling for him, but it didn't make his internal pain hurt any less. He seated himself on the bed as he waited, but before he could begin his downward spiral into his own thoughts again, Regis stepped into the room.

"How did everything go? I didn't expect you to be gone as long as you were, so when the raven told me of bandits on the farmstead, I daresay I began imagining the worst. How is Leonore faring? Was she unharmed?"

"She is well. A few scrapes and bruises, but she recovered quickly in regards to her emotional and mental state."

"I take it you got there just in time then." Dettlaff nodded in response, so Regis continued. "She's home asleep? Did she at least get to eat the food you brought her?"

Ah.

Damn.

Dettlaff groaned and covered his face with a hand - he couldn't believe that in all that time with her, he still forgot to get her some sort of sustenance.

"I'll take that as a no."

"Her horse ate it."

"Well. That is.. unfortunate. Were you not so disinclined to lie, I'd say that is possibly the worst excuse I’ve ever heard. As is not the case, I sincerely hope the horse enjoyed it at the least."

"She seemed pleased."

"Leonore?"

"Lola."

"I'll assume that's the horse." There was a faint smile on Regis' face, but judging by the way Dettlaff still rested his face in his hands, there was clearly something bothering him. "Is everything alright, my friend?"

"No," Dettlaff sighed, but he didn't move so much as a fraction. Depression was weighing him down, making him feel heavier than even he could carry. "I needed air, so I left Leonore in her bed. I.. need to sort out my thoughts."

Concern now found its way into Regis' expression, and had he been wearing his satchel, he'd be clutching the strap. As such, his arms crossed as he leaned a shoulder against the door frame.

"What happened after the two of you left the farm? I'd like to know everything that transpired."

"It.. Mh.. I dispatched the bandits without difficulty. The farmer and his children sustained minor injuries, but I instructed them to find you if need be."

"I know that much. They came to see me earlier in the day, told me about how a dark stranger came and saved them without demanding so much as a thanks. When I informed them that you were a friend of mine, they all but threw themselves at my feet and begged me to thank you in their stead. I patched them up and sent them on their way, but not before the farmer saw fit to leave me a few extra coins for both my services and yours."

"I do not want it."

"I know, but they refused to take it with them, so I've set it aside for the time being. Now, what else happened? After the farm nearly being ransacked."

Dettlaff was slow to answer, almost as though he was nearly embarrassed to divulge such information - after all, it was his private life that Regis was prying into, and it was not how he'd intended for his day to go. Really, he'd have been happy to simply spend the next few hours in her arms again, but to have been in, on, and around her had been a pleasant alteration to his plans.

"I told her I love her. Then we returned to her home and laid together until less than an hour ago."

"It's about damned time. I'm assuming you two went back to her house to have sex then."

As loathe as he was to admit it aloud, Dettlaff nodded. He didn't regret their intimate night together, but he wished he hadn't been so rash. There was nothing tender about their mindless rutting; it was two years that he'd secluded himself, but he was so miserable in that entire time that he'd never really thought about his body's sexual needs. The pent up frustration had burst forth as soon as Leonore's lips touched his neck.

"I had a moment of weakness."

"That moment lasted for nearly ten hours, Dettlaff. Is she still intact?"

"Yes, and I did not take her nonstop for that entire time, Regis." He didn't mean to snap, but he felt bad as it is. Even to him though, his excuses sounded terrible - like a child coming up with reasons for naughty behavior. "We.. did other things within that time. Talked, held each other, slept."

"So sex and aftercare. Then more sex." To say Regis was amused was an understatement. He was having too much fun teasing his companion like this, for he was elated to know that his dearest friend finally found someone to fill the holes in his heart.

With a growl, Dettlaff stood and turned to face the window so he didn't have to face the other. The ruthless jesting grated on his already tender nerves, but Regis was the only one he could and would speak to about matters such as this. They'd both seen each other at their most vulnerable, and Regis had a wisdom that he valued deeply. Sensing only his companion's growing unease, the mirth left Regis promptly.

"I still find myself thinking of Rhen-" Dettlaff paused to correct himself, "Syanna, when I am left to my thoughts. Now I am.. unsure of whether I acted too rashly. I cannot deny my feelings for Leonore, but Syanna still holds pieces of my heart. I both long for what once was and hate her so strongly." He all but snarled, his fists clenching at his sides. Anger was rising in him again, and he was prepared to leap out the window and take out his fury anywhere that wasn't his friend's home.

A hand rested on his shoulder, squeezing to provide reassurance that he wasn't alone to deal with his worries and frustrations.

"It's not going to be overnight that you heal from such trials. You are perfectly justified in your feelings, though I do wish I could take that heartache from you and bear it myself. It pains me to see you suffering like this, especially when I once knew a time when you were almost happy. Please, Dettlaff, let me know should there be anything I can do to help you."

"I..." For a moment, Dettlaff was overcome with emotion. There was hurt, sadness, anger, hatred, and yet, he also felt the love and compassion of his beloved friend. Were he not also so empty inside, he might feel the faintest bit of the happiness he was once capable of. "I think I need to be alone."

They stood silent momentarily before Regis sighed and gave Dettlaff's shoulder another squeeze.

"So be it. What should I tell Leonore if she comes by?"

"I told her I would return to her, but should that not be the case, tell her I will be back soon. I simply need time to think.”

With that, he let himself fade, his body becoming nothing more than a fine mist. He needed to escape, and so he left for the Brokilon Forest where his kin resided.

---

With the dryads being a constant threat to any who entered the Brokilon, there were few who dared venture into its depths. After so many warning arrows, however, Dettlaff knew where their boundaries lay. His kin was permitted to cross it so long as they strayed from the dryads' settlements and did not disrupt the natural balance of the forest. As such, they were limited in how much they could hunt, but with how much game there was, he doubted that would ever become an issue.

When he entered the forest and the domain of his pack, he was greeted with enthusiasm. The juveniles he'd spoken fondly of were among the first to approach, the three lamb-sized young ekimma bounding up to him with excited chittering. It was hard not to smile when they brushed against him with their soft, downy bodies and demanded his attention with playful nips.

"I missed you, as well," he mumbled affectionately as he ran a hand through the fur of one. They weren't sentient like the higher varieties, but they were still intelligent in their own respects. They understood him just as he understood them, though they were incapable of speech.

After petting one, the other two grew jealous quickly and either tried shoving their sibling out of the way to receive attention or nudging his hand to demand he move on to them. This was what he'd sought when leaving to sort out his thoughts. There was something soothing about being around his own kind, surrounded by those who were not bothered by the trivialities of mankind nor the devastation it brought in its wake. They lived simplistically, and he wished he were not so complex a being so he too could live without worries or cares.

How could humans think such beings to be monsters? In all of his experience, he'd never known them to attack unless their territory is encroached upon, and even then it was in self defense. The stories in which his kind were depicted as hungry, vicious creatures with only the capacity to kill always filled him with dread. Were mortals not so ignorant, so close-minded, they would see that there is so much more to them. Never had he thought himself a monster before Syanna's betrayal, but what she made him do turned him into the very thing he swore not to be. Leonore was right, monsters killed without cause, and while he felt his reasons were justified at the time, they clearly were not once Syanna's plot was revealed. He killed innocent people, some of which had shown him selfless kindness, and he laid waste to them like a monster truly would.

It was a fitting name for him now, he supposed. Dettlaff truly could be a Beast if he wanted to be, and he made that blatantly clear when he ordered the attack on Beauclair. Guilt still wracked him, but he did what he could to make up for his misdeeds by caring for those of his flock that survived.

He shed his coat so he could avoid having it torn, but once set aside, he gave the young ekimma a playful growl, provoking them into a game. They pounced on him, and though he could easily throw them off, he allowed them to overpower him at times then knock them off easily and nip right back. It amused him to no end how they tried to dominate him, but it also gave him a chance to teach them how to use their claws and teeth to their best advantage. Rarely did they learn, but he took the time to both lead and play. It was better than taking his anger out violently on the environment, for he got plenty of exercise and was content to have the chance away from polite society.

Dettlaff spent the better part of the morning letting loose and allowing his feral nature take him where it may. He hunted and cavorted, wrestled and nurtured; he did what a leader should when in command of a flock of beings the world would otherwise deem horrifying and dangerous. By dawn, his body was coated in a sheen of sweat and his remaining clothing was tattered and torn. His overcoat remained intact at least, which was all he could ask for, really.

All too soon, he knew he had to return to civilization to at least make good on his promise to Leonore. She probably wouldn't even be awake by the time he got back, but he wanted to be there when she woke. He knew how it felt to wake to an empty bed when only a few hours prior someone had shared it with you.

---

Sleep evaded Leonore almost as soon as Dettlaff left. The warmth he had been sharing with her was gone, leaving her feeling cold and alone. Why had he left her..? Surely it wasn't something she'd done? Regardless of how much she tried to rationalize everything, her heart still ached. He was gone for only a few hours, but it felt much longer to her. Rather than try to reclaim lost sleep, she sat in bed and sighed in the dark.

Creaking brought her head up from where it rested on her knees, her body curled up and legs to her chest while she waited to see if he'd really return. Booted feet across the wooden floor, nearly silent, brought him into her room. Dawn peaked in through her window, allowing her to see his blue eyes despite the darkness. Without a word, she stood and went to him, her arms enveloping him just as his automatically did her.

"Why are you awake?" his deep voice rumbled through her, and for some reason she felt it sounded like he'd recently been crying. Yet, when she looked up and met his gaze, there wasn't any sign of tears.

"I waited for you. Something didn't feel right and I.. I waited for you to come back."

Heart clenching painfully, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I am fine. You need your rest."

"No, you're not. Don't take me for a fool, Dettlaff. I know when you're hurting."

Rather than give her an answer, he gently led her back to her bed. When he sat down, she crawled into his lap and hugged him close before he could even try to so much as remove his boots. Her tenderness was soothing to his worn heart, but now he had the growing suspicion that she was feeling his heartache. After all, he left her to wake alone, and though he'd expressed that he would return, it was hours before he came back. As such, his arms found their way around her again, but he had to grit his teeth against the rising lump in his throat.

"I apologize for having brought you concern. I needed to sort out my thoughts."

"And have they been sorted?" she asked, her head not rising from his shoulder.

"No." The admission almost broke his resolve, but he stayed strong. He had to - for her.

Her head rose from its resting place so she may press her forehead to his. The loving gesture was not one he felt he deserved, but he held her close despite his feelings.

"I'm here for you. No matter what happens, no matter what plagues you, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, no matter your weakness or sorrow. Please, do what you must to try to heal, but do not forget me. I wish to be your balm when your hurt still burns you so."

For but a brief moment, he was grateful she'd closed her eyes. He couldn't stand to let her see his silent tears. His face was buried into her shoulder, arms tightening almost painfully as he fought to stop the pathetic quivering in his chest. Tears spilled down her still naked skin, but she said nothing, did nothing besides hold him close.

"I love you, Leonore."

"Hush, love. I know, and I love you too."

[chaniters]

Burdens of the Red

(Fallen Hero, Super Sentai AU, part 4)

Steel’s leadership is challenged by the surge of a new, cunning antagonist!

I have edited this part so many times it’s not even funny. Had to split it into two episodes too.  I’ll go on finish editing the second part, should be up in a day or two.

Enjoy!

(Spoilers for Fallen Hero ahead)

____________________________________

(Apocalypse Force’s HQ)

He stumbled through the control room, like a blind bull in a china shop, operators either staying clear of his way or actively pushing him away from the sensitive equipment as he stumbled forward.

No one helped him. No one wanted anything to do with the walking failure that was Dr. Blitz.

His scorched armor was still smoking with burnt circuits that and the unquestionable stench of defeat. The mask bore the fresh traces of lady Argent's claws.

"Ahh.. how kind of you to visit us, Dr. Blitz. We have been all been observing your miserable and humiliating defeat. It did have some entertainment value to all things considered...  But go on,  by all means, share your report, perhaps you can yet redeem yourself before the Apocalypse Force." Regis spoke on an amused tone that betrayed her murderous anger.

"They... they had new technology! Combat suits! New weapons!"

"Technology? Combat suits? Weapons?" She asked mocking his broken tone. "We have plenty of those as well. How is that an excuse?"

"They were very advanced... I believe it was Nanite-based..."

"NANItes???!" she asked standing up "Nonsense! No one has used such since the Nanoswarm incident!"

"I was right about their teleportation technology! And I saw the nanites! I recorded it!"

"Then show me!" She said slowly.

Blitz took of his derelict helm and offered it to one of the operators. Expert hands cracked what was left of it open in a matter of seconds, and the inner hardware was plugged it in. Soon enough video of the battle streamed through the screens.

Regis narrowed her gaze as she saw the colorful nanites swirl in a cloud and converge, rapidly forming the Titan. The regenes watched in awe as well.

"It seems we're up against a new formidable opponent in this ranger team" she let on speaking confidently, regaining control over the situation. "Which brings us back to the fact that twice you have proven useless against them"

"Give me another chance! I will have my revenge on that pink bitch! I have been working on other mutants! I can deal with them!" he cried.

"Why should I? You haven't learned a single thing about how to defeat them...! Take him away… we’ll deal with him later" she started turning back her attention to the screens

"No…” he coughed and spat some blood over the floor, falling on his knee. He still held his head high “... WAIT! I know something! One of them... one of them is a regene!"

"A turncoat soldier?" she said stopping her motion, suddenly interested once more

"A cuckoo! That's how he infiltrated our operation!"

"A rebel... hmr.. we have dealt with such in the past… too bad the archives were lost during the rise of the Apocalypse Force"

"If you just give me a chance I can..."

"No!" she said, shutting him up immediately. "I believe this will take a more... indirect approach. One of your creations will be taking over, but not your mutants… Dr. Terror, approach us" she called

"What? You can’t have the child replace me!" He cried

“My life for the Regis” A teenage girl wearing a simple dress walked over, taking a fist to her heart and bowing deeply, regene tattoos clearly visible on her arms and legs. She had a butterfly pin on her hair.

“Dr. Terror” Regis smiled, “You say the nicest things… Did you overhear everything?”

“Of course My Regis”

“Excellent. You will take over where Dr. Blitz failed. One of the rangers is a regene and we’re dealing with nanite technology. Do you think you can use this information to our advantage?”

"Indeed Regis. I have already devised a plan to finish them all.  I will make the necessary arrangements."

"Excellent Dr. Terror. Your enhanced intellect has never failed us so far. Do not let this be the first time" she said turning her attention back to her workers.

Dr. Terror walked out, with Blitz following closely.

“You miserable girl! How dare you steal my place? It can’t be helped now… I suppose I’ll have to keep control of this operation and you’ll just report to the Regis. You will stay out of my way!”

Dr. Terror turned to him with an angelical smile “I will do no such thing”

Blitz looked at her fully enraged. “What?”

“Are you surprised? You’re the one who thought me my lifespan would be determined by how useful I was to the Special Directive. You burned that lesson in my flesh a long time ago, after you made me… and you made sure I could not forget. I’ve made myself very useful since. To the directive. To the Regis, and to the apocalypse force. I have conquered city after city. You, on the other hand, are not looking very useful to anyone right now, are you?”

Blitz extended a palm at her, his damaged armor struggling to generate an energy blast… one that never came, as he was struck down by a creature emerging from the very wall. The thing placed a hoof over his neck, pinning him down.

“Pathetic” Terror smiled as looked down on the creature’s prey. The apparition seemed ready to finish Blitz on her command. “You can barely stand Dr. Blitz. I suggest you lay down and let me take care of this. It will be fun! I will soon take everything that ever belonged to you. This is just the beginning. And I’m going to enjoy every moment of it” her cruel words stinging her maker more than her minion’s attack.

She walked past him, followed by the shadowy mutant, leaving him alone as he tried to crawl behind them.  

_____________________

(Mortum’s lab facility)

“So, what do you think about these modifications?” Mortum asked handing him a tablet.

“Oh.. erm… I’ll review them and get back to you Doctor?”

“Of course! The sooner you do, the sooner I can get back to work”

“Indeed” Steel kept walking through the corridor.

“You have a call from above!” one of the numerous workers told him.

“Very well, I’ll get it in my office!” Steel said without stopping.

Mortum’s underground lair had turned into the focal point for their resistance movement.  And he was in charge of it all.

He entered the office and picked up the phone.

Oh damn. San Diego’s Mayor again.

He kept demanding they take down the Apocalypse force occupying the city before anything else.

It was his duty to make him understand that they were doing the best they could but they couldn’t quite take action there yet. Not with so many Apocalypse armies in between them. The mayor wasn’t shy of name-calling when furious, he had learned.

As he hung up, Herald appeared to ask for an assignment. Apparently, no one had given him one. He wasn’t experienced in this kind of situation enough to know where to be. (And who was, he wondered) He obviously had to make something up on the spot or the kid would feel useless. He ended up sending him to help in the hospital ward. He wasn’t a medic but his presence alone inspired morale.

As he closed the door there were a bunch of workers coming in to report their supplies were delayed. Fantastic. He redistributed what they had for the sixth time of the day on the spot.

Crap! When had this job become so tiring? He knew his responsibilities had increased with the current situation but this was getting ridiculous.

He looked through the window. There was a small park next to Mortum’s hideout. And sure there was Cyrus sitting on a bench featuring his trademark “why me?” expression that had never left his face since he came back to the world of the living. One would think he would feel better now that all his lies had come to an end, but it was even worse. Because Ortega wasn’t talking to him. Cyrus could be here with him, finding out what people needed by reading their minds before they came up to him and instead he was just staring at pigeons.

And of course, Ortega, who had been the Marshall before him and could be his much needed second in command was probably being depressed somewhere else out of sight as well, because his closest friend turned out not to be human. It was like he had died a second time.

Nerve-racking.

He took a seat … And the chair bent and broke under his weight, his coffee mug spilling over the table.

“Not again!!”

He tried to stand quickly, but it was too late… Mortum’s tablets were ruined with coffee all over. And he fell on his side, still stuck on the bent chair.

“Shit!” he cried. “Shit shit shit shi…”

“Need a hand?”

He looked up startled. Argent was standing next to him, the door wide open.

“I hear your job can be stressing” she smiled offering a hand.

“It can be challenging at times” he smiled taking the offered hand as she lifted him up.

“Well... If you’re serious about helping, there’s one thing you could do for me”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Cyrus and Ricardo. I need them back on the game. Yesterday if possible.”

“That’s a tall order,” she said looking at Cyrus through the window.

“I know. But they both listen to you”

“That they do…” She said turning.

“Thanks. You know, this was never the deal I accepted”

“What do you mean?”

“Charge was going to be the leader. I had enough of that during the war… I was just going to be a soldier using overpowered equipment to deal with local villains.”

“I see how that turned sideways.”

“You got that right. Everything went overboard with Heartbreak. He had basically adopted Sidestep. and when he died, he went back with him. And now he returns, but he’s a depressed villain? And now it turns out he’s not even a villain but a government lab experiment and torture victim… And Charge’s lost once more”

They kept talking. Not noticing the teenage girl with the butterfly pin calmly walking through the park in a straight line towards Cyrus’s seat.

___________________________________

Cyrus turned rapidly.

“Who are you?”

“Oh. Me? I’m like you, cousin! Just coming to visit!” she offered him a beautiful smile”

“If you’re here to kill me, it won’t be half as easy as you’re expecting…”

“It won’t? We have a list of all the traitors like you… And given your closeness to the Rangers, I was pretty sure It would be you. Aren’t you going to try to control me? I would totally not expect that!”

“Why are you still helping them? You can be free!”

“Oh poor Cyrus… that’s your name, right? Cyrus? Well, there are things you don’t know… Or maybe you know them too well. There’s no stopping the Apocalypse force. It’s is going to conquer this whole planet one way or the other. And I’ve made myself useful, so i’ll be at the top when that happens!”

“You can’t possibly believe a bureaucrat scientist like Regina will…”

She chortled with clear laughter.

“Regis Regina, you mean? Oh no no no… I mean she’s kind of smart and powerful and all but… The Apocalypse Force is alive cousin! It’s alive and it’s coming to bite all the humans in the ass! You know, if you turned to our side, then it would all be much easier...”

“I’m never going back to the farm!”

“So you’re staying here, waiting to see if Charge’s going to come back and smooch you? That’s your plan? Because he abandoned you there, you know? I always do my homework, I studied him. Do you want to know what he did when you were being tortured? He got drunk and fucked around the whole town!”

“SHUT UP!”  

“Awww that’s too dramatic cousin… This isn’t the farm!” she grinned. “Didn’t you see how we changed the whole theme?. We even got matching outfits!” It was true… even her dress had the dark colors he had come to expect. “You would have a great time! And I’d love to have a handsome cousin like you helping me out! Must say I love what you did with your hair. If you came with me… I’d show you everything! You can be my assistant!”

“No. Fucking. Way. Get lost!” he said standing up.

She sighed, putting her hands in jars “Tsk tsk. You should be nice to your little cousin Cyrus. I’m afraid you’re going to have to be punished” she said taking a small electronic device from her pocket.

His mind was pressing against hers in an instant… only…

It wasn’t a regular mind. It was huge… like a labyrinth…

“Don’t feel bad cousin! I’m sure you could probably do what you’re trying to do If I gave you enough time. But you know, you were nasty to me so...” she said flipping the switch

___________________________________

“How did this happen?!” Ortega's voice was almost panicking. He had only just arrived and the reality of the situation was still sinking in.  

They had to strap Cyrus to the medical bed to stop him from harming himself. He was now sedated but several people needed to restrain him to bring him in.

“Surveillance video shows a young woman approaching him and activating some kind of small electronic device… He must have sensed something because he tried to stand, but ended up convulsing over the floor” Steel told him.

“No trace of her” Herald added. “I looked everywhere. Must have teleported out. She had to be with the enemy”

“Shit… Cyrus!” Ortega tried to hold his hand but was shushed away by Dr. Mortum.

“Loving gestures from a static-charged people aren’t going to help right now. You could fry all the equipment Charge! Let me do my job and stay back!” he said placing some scanner devices over his head.

“This can’t be fucking happening!” He was clearly losing it. “I’m going to kill them… I’m going to …”

“HEY!” Argent said shaking him forcefully “Ricardo, I know what you’re going through but Either keep it together or go take a walk to cool down and come back!”  

“I …”

“You’re not helping!”

He said nothing else but just stood silent, his fists trembling visibly. He finally sat down, his mind going through the ugly cocktail of terror, fury, and impotence.

It took a good quarter hour before Mortum looked at them again.

“His brain implant was deactivated” he finally sentenced.

“What does that mean?” Steel asked trying to keep a neutral tone.

“Well, Regene brains are not exactly human… That implant plays a vital role in regulating it’s … chemistry so to speak. The intruder... Whomever she was… she must have activated some sort of kill-switch.”

His words echoed through the room, as Ortega covered his face with his hands as if he had just pronounced him dead.

“Is… there something you can do for him, Doctor?” Herald asked finally as Mortum kept checking the results from the scanners.

“As a matter of fact… THere’s a lot I could do… It’s been a pet project of mind to work in restoring comatose brains…” he said casually “... just a side project of course…”

“So you can fix him?” Ortega asked looking back at him

“Not exactly… as I said, it’s a regene brain… if his implant’s not reactivated there’s not much I can do for him.  But I can restore him to wakefulness with some medical nanites”

“How do we reactivate his implant?” Steel asked.

“We can’t Not without the proper codes… But… I’m guessing he can probably help us with that question once I wake him”   Mortum spoke as he loaded a syringe with a crystalline liquid substance oozing with nanite sludge.

“What, right now?” Argent looked at him bewildered

“Yes? I mean the sooner I stabilize him the more time he has to live. Or do you have a better idea mademoiselle?”

“Do it” Steel sentenced.

Mortum slid the syringe directly into the medical tubing connector, and the nanites slowly flowed into his bloodstream.

“Miracle workers… let’s see if you can live up to your promises” he cheered them

The nanites went through and nothing happened for a few minutes.

Until the alarms began sounding over the medical devices, Cyrus’ vitals changing rapidly, and his whole body convulsing again.  

Steel and Herald helped hold him down as Argent made sure Ortega didn’t approach.

“This is all normal! His body is just responding to stimuli!” Mortum tried to calm them down, a bit too late.

Cyrus eventually stopped moving, his vitals becoming stable once more. And he opened his eyes wide.

“It hurts! It hurts so much! Make it stop!” he started screaming. “Make it stop! Make it stop!”

Steel and Argent looked at Mortum. He was adjusting the nanites settings on a console…

“... and… there! Any better?”

Cyrus’ screaming ceased, and he just lay there breathing heavily.

“What’s … happening?” he asked confused.

“That’s a very good question mon amie. I’m afraid It will take a few more minutes of scans before I can provide you with an answer”

Steel approached Cyrus’ beadhead and tried to explain it to him in a hushed voice. It took several attempts before Cyrus finally nodded in understanding.

“Do you know where can we find activation codes? Manuals? Anything that can help Mortum figure out farm technology?”

Cyrus smiled back at him as if it was a very obvious question.

“M… map,” he said finally. “Write… Write down… Coordinates… in Nevada” Steel did as he said.

“Thank you, Cyrus”

As he turned to the others, Cyrus' hand pulled him”

“Take.. me with .. you”

“You’re out of it Cyrus!”

“I know that... Hell hole… please...” and then he passed out again.

“Well… I’d say we have both good news and bad news” Mortum said finally.

“Start with the good news” Steel said looking at Ortega, who seemed about to throw up.

“Well, the good news is the nanites are doing an excellent job replacing his implant. I think he should be … decently coherent for a few hours. He could even be on the field himself, which should prove quite useful to go to this mystery location…”

“And the bad news?”

“Medical nanites are dangerous. I’ve designed these with a limited lifespan. They will start dying off in about 8 hours and I only have enough to fill two more doses. They are not easy to produce either. We will run out within a day.”

Steel took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes as hard as he could before turning to the others.

“We’re going to have to put an x on a map using these coordinates… and we need to make some calls around the government on the east, see what we can find out about their pet project.  Charge, Herald, I need you both with me.”

Ortega lifted his gaze to Steel. “I’m staying with him! I’m not losing him again!”

“Well I don’t plan to do that either! You’re have contacts that we need right now Ortega!  People are more likely to answer if it’s Charge asking. And Herald, everyone knows your voice. I have no idea who will or won’t be willing to tell us anything but if we can convince at least someone it could mean…”

“Alright alright, I get it!” Herald said

Charge reluctantly walked with them.

“Good. Argent… stay with Mortum and learn EVERYTHING you can about brain implants he can teach to you in the next hour”

“Done” she nodded slowly.

“And Mortum… , make sure to do whatever you can to have Cyrus in the best walking and thinking conditions you can within the hour”

Mortum nodded as well. He did love a challenge.

__________________________________

(The Farm exterior, Nevada desert)

“No! No no! Please don’t take me back! Please! Don’t!”

“Cyrus, please! It’s me! We’re just trying to help you!” Ortega, in his blue nanoranger suit tried to comfort him as he and Argent who was also wearing her nanoranger armor dragged him onwards.  

“I won’t go back! Please don’t make me go back, Ricardo! I’m sorry! I’m sorry for everything but please...”

It was painful. The teleportation had not been the best since they didn’t know the exact spot where the entrance was located. Still, they made quite good progress.

Cyrus had been acutely coherent most of the way. He even understood the mission and asked to go along -again-. He shared a lot of insight about the farm, but once they came upon a certain distance he just fixated on the building’s facade going blank for a split second before turning batshit crazy, hallucinating about the farm having captured him again. And with the way they were forced to drag him, it certainly looked that way.

Mortum told them it would pass momentarily, that the nanites would correct the imbalance eventually, but It was breaking mettle Ortega’s by the second.

“Do we have to bring him?” he asked.

“We need him. We have no idea what security systems there’ll be down there. And he escaped the place twice!” Argent spoke as they kept marching on.

“But… it’s hurting him”

“I know, but if we can’t find what we’re looking for…” she didn’t finish the sentence as they walked towards the building, following Steel and Herald close by.

Eventually, Cyrus quieted down as promised regaining some resemblance of normality and started walking of his own accord.

“I’m sorry… it’s just… “ he apologized

“I know… I know”  Ortega said “We’re about to enter… can you use your Henshin bracer?”

He looked clueless for a second before remembering what he meant.

“Yes… I think so?”

“Use it… armor will keep you safer.”

The others kept going forward as Ortega helped him change into the black ranger.

“What’s that?” Herald asked about a strange mound in the sand. Steel squinted his eyes at it… then engaged his enhanced sight modes. He instantly froze, going over similar mounds all around them”

“What is it?” Argent asked as they finally caught up.

The red ranger kicked one of them, revealing a corpse, buried under the sand. USA military gear, wearing the Special Directive’s logo.

“I guess this answers why there’s no one to meet us...” he said grimmly, as they reached the stairs that led to the first gate. Or what was left of it.   

___________________________________

My Fanfics: https://chaniters.tumblr.com/post/181692759294/my-fanfiction-for-fallen-hero 

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fan fiction using characters and the setting of the Fallen Hero: Rebirth and upcoming Fallen Hero: Retribution games written by Malin Riden. I do not claim ownership of any characters from the Fallen Hero wold. These stories are a work of my imagination, and I do not ascribe them to the official story canon. These works are intended for entertainment outside the official storyline owned by the author. I am not profiting financially from the creation of these stories, and thank the author for her wonderful game/s, without which these works would not exist.

[the-truth-will-light-the-sky]

Road Trip with Prince Regis and His Crew

Prince Regis Lucis Caelum crosses the continent alongside his friends Cid Sophiar, Weskham Armaugh, Clarus Amicitia, the young but firecracker Cor Leonis and an unexpected guide. Who can shower in the rain? 

Long Headcanon post...again. 

The song playing in my mind each time I imagine Prince Regis and his friends cutting across the continent towards Accordo is “Blowing in The Wind” by Stevie Wonder (his version is so beautiful). Imagine the prince and his friends singing the lyrics to the songs they love, not minding if they’re out of tune or out of sync (that’s Cid).

Regis  

Regis is the fussiest among the rest of the crew. Not about mud or dust. It’s not that. The only thing he’d ever care about are his dirty clothes.

He’s used to presenting himself in the best image at all times, he’s used to keeping his look pristine and well-kept and so must his clothes.

Oh and hygiene. He’s fine with dirt. But no proper baths or showers? Expect the prince to be pouty until their next motel or caravan stop.

Gloves all day, every day. In the cold, in the heat, while sleeping, while eating --  Prince Regis doesn’t like dirt in between his fingernails. 

Aside from all these, Regis is a complete outdoors man. He can adapt to any situations and would always have the best solution to the weather.

Rain? He’s got an umbrella at his disposal. Too hot? He’s brought his sleeveless shirts (black and sleek, of course. He has to wear those for the photos because Aulea loves seeing him in those things). Too cold? He’s got the thickest and comfiest coat. Fashionable too, of course.

When it comes to food, despite being used to the finest cuisine Lucis and Insomnia has to offer, Regis can stomach just about anything.

He’s endured so many things even at a young age. Five star food can wait. At twenty, Regis doesn’t mind if he’s eating toast all day or beans. He can eat any vegetables that Weskham can find.

Regis brought most of his essentials with him. As mentioned, there’s his hygiene and shaving kit. He’s also brought his sewing kit to fix those loose buttons and yes his pants that is ripped in the middle, his medicine (he gets allergic to the outdoors sometimes; Cid calls him a princess), his favourite book, extra pairs of gloves (must hide that ring), flashlights, extra weapons just in case he loses yet another dagger, his favourite coffee brand and of course, and of course his phone card (gotta call his sweetheart Aulea).

Regis is a really bad driver — every one of them would scramble for the seat belts only to know there aren’t any. Instead, they’d hang on to their dear lives each time he’s behind the wheel.

Regis would drive and chat, much to everyone’s horror. Cid’s incessant cursing doesn’t help either, as it even encourages Regis to be animated with his expressions and uses his hands to tell his stories.

Regis is not the first to rise in the mornings, but he’s not the last either. He’s more of the middle.

He’s one of the last to sleep, though. He’s got a lot on his mind. 

And the complete darkness gives him the chills. He’s used to the comfort of Insomnia’s bright lights or his bedside lamp.

The Prince has the quickest reflexes and the sharpest hearing, too. So if anyone starts to fight their pillow in their sleep (it’s Cid), he’s the first to grab his heavy flashlight to brandish about as if all of Eos’ daemons are jam-packed in their already full tent.

Regis would give Cid a playful kick in the leg to rouse him from his sleep, much to no avail.

Being a proper prince and all, Regis is not an unruly tent mate. He keeps much to his own space and rarely snores.

Just don’t deprive him of his pillow and blanket. He’s used to comfort and his back hurts a lot if he doesn’t have any cushioning. Cid calls him a sissy, to which the Prince retorts that he won’t share his exquisite Lucian blanket when the temperature gets cold. 

He kept his word, of course. Cid immediately regretted the decision as the comforter reached up only until Weskham. He’d have to endure the surface and the cold. His favourite line of ‘Oh my achin’ back’ originated from this little event.

He’s the guy who wants the oil lamp to be set to dim at night inside the tent, not to be extinguished at all.

The Prince of Lucis does the dishes. Don’t let the sharp suit and neatly trimmed nails fool you. He’s built for hard work and he’s willing to do it all.

Just don’t make him put up the tent, if you don’t want it to look like a child’s make-believe fortress in the end.

Prince Regis can be a rebel out in the wild. He’s not a stranger to mischief despite his gentlemanly demeanour. Like every young man, he always likes to get away with some trouble making.

Regis prefers to use his weapons against daemons whenever they stayed too late out in the wilds. He would be inheriting the Ring of the Lucii but he prefers not to use it against the daemons.

He’s not afraid to fight them off. Although, he has a particular dislike of those Nagaranis and Necromancers. Gives him the shivers like the Frozen’s Glacian’s breath breathing down his neck.

The Prince, despite his wealth, is the stingiest of all the guys. He’d hold back until the last moment a.k.a. until the seller gives up and gives him half the price. Score!

Thinks he’s the coolest guy in Lucis whenever he drives his car. He’s a bit vain when he’s out on the road; he knows he looks too damn fine and sexy in his gloves as he drives out into the wild in his sleek and shiny Regalia.

Cid

The able mechanic has all his tools with him. It’s stored in the back of the Regalia, inside his pockets, even inside his jacket or his screwdriver tucked in his pants. Don’t ask where he keeps the screws.

Cid is the rowdiest of the group. And he never shuts up.

He does keep to himself sometimes, but if he’s in one of his moods, Cid will just keep on singing to his heart’s content.

He likes to take the wheel when on the road, but Regis says no.

Aside it from being his car, Regis knows that if Cid is behind the wheel, it means that the grumpy mechanic holds all reins to the car audio system.

It’s all country music or swampy music of course. Cowboy tunes are his favourite.

Not that the guys mind, of course. They’re not choosy. But it’s Cid’s incessant singing that bugs them.

He can’t even sing the songs right, almost always singing the lyrics late. When he realises this, he tries to quicken his singing to keep up with the song. It’s like listening to those tapes that you fast forward. It’s both funny and annoying at the same time.

Cor would never admit it, but he likes it whenever Cid starts singing. It gives him the best laughs in his ‘boring’ life.

In the whole crew, Cid is the most un-fussiest of them all when it comes to camping.

Beans for lunch? Great, tastes like caviar. No water for showering? He can shower in the rain. A snoring Clarus for the rest of the night? Why, music to his ears. A bratty Cor Leonis? Lemme handle this brat.

Cid loves camping. He’s ecstatic to be out in the wild. He’s not fond of the bright lights of Insomnia. He likes looking out into the wild lands each time he has the chance. And now he’s out here and there’s nothing that he could ever ask for. Oh, uh, except for peace of course. Peace needs to be won.

Cid, despite his hard demeanour, is a softie for the wild animals. The rest of the crew loves animals, of course, but the animals love Cid like he’s their daddy.

The mechanic can even tame a bloody sabertusk, petting its head while Clarus wrestles with one beside him, screaming as he does so.

Regis runs away from a pack of rogue Daggerquills while Cid has one perched on his shoulders like he’s freakin’ Snow White. He’s proud of it, of course.

‘They ain’t like the varmints folks call ‘em — they’re practically a softie!’ Cid says about a skarnbulette.

He even thinks a behemoth is an adorable little kitty. Clarus gives him the weird look reserved only for the looniest of people. Cid’s the second in that list of his, and that’s not a compliment.

Cid Sophiar puts up the tent. He’s the best tent maker around. The rest of them can screw it. Yup, his own words, not mine.

Cid is almost always awakened each time Regis rises from his sleep. The two best friends are inseparable despite their differences.

It is also universally known that if Regis catches the stomach flu, expect Cid to get the same predicament or something similar.

Cor Leonis gets on Cid Sophiar’s nerves. Not because the fifteen year old ‘stuck up’ is a hyper active teen because he’s not. It’s because he treats Cid with the utmost respect even if the older man tries to rile him up to get any kind of reaction from him aside from his usual stoic scowl.

Cid Sophiar always gets the ladies’ numbers if they’re ever stopping by civilisation. He’s a ladies’ man. Sorry, Weskham.

If only Cid’s incessant cursing and badmouthing can kill even the fiercest of daemons, Regis would be grateful. The mechanic slings out bad words like a freakin’ machine gun.

Weskham

This Keycatrich native is the calmest of the group.

Nothing ever freaks him out. Not even a rogue Behemoth screeching eerily close to their camps at night. Nope. Not even Cid’s stink eye nor Cor’s tantrums.

He’s the parent of the group. He’s the one who administers the medicines and the salves, the one who cooks, the one who is the first to rise from sleep.

He’s also got the longest patience. Cid can mumble his cowboy tunes like a broken vinyl record and Clarus can snore as loud as a behemoth until dawn and Regis can be all too fussy for not showering for two days and Cor can keep on babbling about the empire’s demise all day and night. Weskham doesn’t bat an eyelash. He’s chill.

But if anyone loses any of his pens or scratches his pans, expect a little scolding. Yes, even Regis…especially Regis. The prince accidentally washes his prized pan with the rough texture side of the sponge.

Being an able cook, Weskham can whip any delicious food up with just about any ingredient, to which the crew is very much grateful for. At least they won’t have bean soup for the third night straight. He’s looking at Cid.

Weskham is the most civil when it comes to getting rid of both vicious animals and villainous daemons. Swift and painless.

He has the best tunes than the rest of the crew. Whatever he picks to play in the Regalia, anyone would say it’s an agreeable choice.

Weskham loves to tell stories by the camp fire. This is Regis’ favourite part of the night.

The wise man always has something to tell and most of the time his stories are both exciting and insightful.

The guys look like children huddled by the camp fire, their eyes glued on the charismatic man as he regales them of tales of days past.

Weskham, suspiciously enough, has keys for almost everything.

When it comes to sleeping, Weskham is a shallow sleeper. He can rouse from his sleep just like Regis but unlike the Prince, this gentleman handles his sudden awakening with a very calm and collected demeanour, not thrashing about like a coeurl.

He is the only one in the group with a watch. In fact, he’s got like, five pocket watches?

He’s also the one they can rely on when it comes to reading compasses. But without it though, Weskham is, in Clarus’ own words, as useless as a dessert spoon.

Weskham is the voice of conscience. If Regis is driving recklessly, expect him to tell the prince to glue his eyes on the road. He’s also the one to tell Cid not to bother poor Leonis.

He is also the negotiator of the group. Cid is the opposite of course. When Cid gets them into trouble with anyone, especially at diners, Weskham is the man to do the job of clearing things. Regis can’t do it though because he won’t stop laughing at the bumbling mechanic.

Clarus

Clarus Amicitia hates bugs. He won’t stay still whenever he sees one. He won’t freak out, goodness no. But expect him to be jumpy each time he’d feel a mosquito on his skin. Those hundlegs? No thanks.

This is where his skill with blades come in handy. A fly on flying in front of you? SLASH. Clarus just slashed it in half with his little dagger. Cor wants to emulate it…he fails each time.

Cor asks his secret to being precise and agile. Clarus agrees to do so if Cor can tell him if the mosquito was a female or male. The young soldier gives him the famous Cor Leonis scowl. Priceless.

Clarus is the most adaptable to sleep and waking up. He needs to wake up early? No prob, he’ll be asleep by eight pm. He needs to stay up? No prob, bring in the coffee and expect him to be as hyper at four in the morning.

He likes to work out as much as he can. He also trains young Cor as Weskham cooks their food and Regis does his regular shave.

Clarus and Cid get on each others’ nerves sometimes. Nothing serious, though. It’s more that Clarus is used to keeping quiet and Cid is just the blabber mouth of the group. 

He particularly HATES it whenever Cid clicks his tongue to fill in the silence, especially at night.

He likes watching the stars before he goes to sleep. There’s something so calming about it each time he’d gaze at the stars in their millions.

He keeps a journal where he writes his star charts. 

He also writes about the animals and plants he sees. Everything about the wilderness amazes him. Yes, Clarus is the explorer of the group. One day, he’ll live out somewhere in Duscae where he’s surrounded by all things living. Insomnia’s just too full of buildings…and malls.

Clarus smuggled a frog in their journey. It’s his favourite pet, found it in Alstor Slough. His name is Pepito. Please don’t ask him why. Regis can’t get rid of it, not that he hates it. He likes it and wants it for himself. It’s just that, they can’t keep it from croaking all the damn time. Plus, Cid says frogs give warts. Weskham wants it out. Cor wants to keep it because it keeps the mosquitoes away. The said frog made it back to Insomnia.

He likes to sing in the mornings. He’s just way too happy in the early dawn.

Sabertusks hate Clarus. He doesn’t know why, but they always try to go after him. Remind him to bring extra clothes because he always ends up having ripped sleeves.

He’s the one who gets the fire going. Nobody else can do it like he does.

Clarus is not fussy with anything at all, except for his weapons. They have to be polished each time. 

Oh and, they must always have some hot sauce in their spices. This man lives for the spice.

And please, no matter what happens, please don’t give him those instant noodles. He wants real food. And real food takes time to be cooked.

Dirty nails, every damn time, no matter how many times he cleans them. It sets Regis’ hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Has the best whistle in the group; could be heard hundreds of feet away. No joke.

He’s also the navigator of the group. Regis is a lost cause in map reading and Cid is always holding the map on the wrong end. Weskham helps, but he’s not good with the actual terrain. 

Clarus sees a coin on the ground. He takes it. He sees a wonderfully shaped stone. He stashes it in his pocket. He finds a small crystalline curiosity. He covets it like a diamond ring. He’s the pack rat of the group.

Cor

Cor Leonis only thinks of one thing: keep the Prince safe. It’s hard-wired into his system. A pesky Voretooth is gnawing at the prince? Get rid of it. A cockroach is crawling on the prince’s shoulder? Smack it away. No more coffee? He’ll walk a kilometre to buy one.

Despite this, however, he’s no pet. He’s only doing his duty. Cor is not afraid to call out the prince if he’s doing something wrong. And it always happens.

Rain or shine, the young soldier always wears his hat. He’ll chase after it if it gets blown away. Cid teases him that he’s hiding something in his hat. He probably is, who knows?

Cor can sleep anywhere. He’s not fussy how he falls asleep. This boi can sleep standing up. 

He sleeps as still as a door nail -- he doesn’t move at all. He’s the perfect tent mate.

He loves to read his books before sleeping. Not maths or his studies, those are boring, he says. He likes to read nonfiction books about the world and of course, philosophy.

Cor can deny it all he wants, but he secretly likes it whenever Weskham makes a bowl of chilli. He lives for chilli nights.

He’s an all-around-er, meaning he can do almost anything. He’s a walking Swiss Knife.

If there are any imperial locks they needed to pick, Cor is expected to open it with ease. Oh and those tough cans of beans, he’s the only one who could open them.

Cor Leonis is stuck in the Regalia with older men. It’s not like he’s bothered by it; he even thinks as if he’s older than Cid. 

What he doesn’t get is their taste in music. He prefers the silence.

He likes to whistle, however. It’s the only habit that he can’t stop himself from doing.

He has a dislike for V, their guide. He doesn’t like that she dresses in men’s clothes and hides her face most of the time. He doesn’t trust people with secrets even if they have a good reason for it.

Cor treats her with courtesy but expect him to square his jaws whenever she gets to an enemy before him.

The wild animals love Cor Leonis. Even the bugs, much to his dismay.

He’s also known as the ‘Sunburn Kid’ as he always ends having his nose red after a long day on the road. He wears longs sleeves to shield himself from the sun, but his nose couldn’t escape the wrath of the sun.

He’s also the one who is more likely to catch a cold. He would have allergies too that would cause him to sneeze incessantly. The older guys feel sorry for the firecracker kid. He gets all pouty and his eyes would get so watery he looks like an innocent child.

Cor has names for everyone in the group, but he would never divulge it.

In fact, he has names for almost everything. It’s his way of amusing himself when the group starts talking about things like allergies or romance. Gotta keep himself entertained or else he might lose it.

Whenever they end up stopping by a gas station or a Crow’s Nest diner, Cor is the centre of attention.

Women of all ages gawk at him. The way he presents himself is a real lady killer. The older ladies remember their old romances back in the day, the moms would fuss about him asking if he’s already eaten and the young girls his age or the young women in their twenties would stare at him like he’s a rare chocobo.

Regis loves making fun of him, taking photos of the stoic young soldier as he whistles. He’s kind of proud of the ‘lil heartbreaker.

Clarus gives him the stink eye. It’s unfair.

Buys postcards from every damn outpost. He never sends it to anyone. He likes to collect them in his journal of mementos. Yup, Cor is loves to journal.

Cor is also the one with the most mosquito bites after a night at camp. He doesn’t know why, but bugs just love him.

Clumsy. He’s supposed to be the paragon of stoicism and grace, but somehow Cor ends up spilling his coffee on his pants, tripping on flat surfaces or knocking down merchandise. 

Beside disliking V, he found himself imitating her love for the word ‘phony.’

V

V finds herself crossing paths with Prince Regis and his crew. During their journey, she’s hired by the prince as their guide after she defeated a group of Reapers faster than any of them ever did.

That was before they knew she was a woman. She wore men’s clothing, trying not to show her face just in case someone who knows her sees her and asks why she hasn’t aged at all.

This triggered Cor’s suspicions about her when she revealed that she’s a woman by speaking since Cid won’t stop asking her about things.

Cor wants her out but Regis was adamant. Her skills and expertise in medicine would prove useful if they ever run out of potions supplies and their supplies are indeed running out, as well as their money. Plus it doesn’t hurt having a girl in the group.

After escaping Somnus Lucis Caelum two millennia ago, she lived her life as a rogue traveler, performing odd jobs from healer to scholar to hunter. That’s how she learned how to survive, hiding from the eyes of her most hated Lucian King.

During their days together, she doesn’t know who the guys are, even Regis. They never told her of their real identity nor their missions. In turn, she didn’t reveal her full name and never once stated her disdain for the Lucian line.

A wild woman in the battlefield. Cor considers her a savage in the way she fights as she fights with unrefined movements and uses every damn thing she can to her advantage. 

A crate on by the rocks? The perfect thing to throw on a Bulette before it rolls over and flattens poor Regis. A crouching Clarus? Why the perfect leverage for a pole arm dive attack. Cor’s daggers tucked in his back pockets? The best emergency weapons.

Veritas would often shout to the crew about the daemon’s weaknesses and would encourage them to use whatever they can to exploit the daemons’ weaknesses to kill them swiftly and painlessly.

She helps with the herb gathering, often times saving the guys from stomach aches or worse by telling them which mushrooms are not fit for consumption. Whoops. No wonder Regis gets stomach aches as he always picks the wrong ones! Good thing he didn’t get the ones with poison.

V can barter with the prices whenever they’d stop over at a market. Despite concealing her face, people know of the mysterious hunter who saved their hides a lot of times. So when this woman needs some discount, they’re not hesitant to give her some. They’d even throw in some free things, too, much to the crew’s gratitude. They once drove off with two boxes full of supplies and hurrah, Regis’ favourite coffee brand.

When it comes to hygiene, V is just like Clarus. She can handle all the dirt. She doesn’t have to shower a lot, much to Regis’ dismay. How can a woman be so unlady-like? V doesn’t mind, there’s always some place she can find for that most coveted shower time.

One of the boys. If there’s one thing that the crew has noticed is her lack of…femininity.

She can be as brusque as Clarus or as bad-mouthed as Cid (to a lesser degree, thank goodness) and as tough as Cor.

But show her a spider and all femininity goes back to her in a snap. 

She once spilled her hot cup of coffee on herself when a spider jumped at her one morning and Regis found himself holding on to a scared witless V. That started their friendship that would last a long time since in fact, Regis himself is terrified of spiders. So they both ran towards Clarus who also ran towards a very confused Cor Leonis who in turn held the spider in his hands (Regis cringes) and out of their sight.

V loves to catch the first rays of the sun as well as the last golden light at dusk. She talks of different things with them, especially with Weskham whose wisdom and calm demeanour she finds refreshing.

When it comes to sleeping, V sleeps outside the tent, much to their protests. Cor Leonis is suspicious of her, so he sleeps outside sometimes too.

She likes listening to the guys as they banter. She’d inadvertently join in, causing a ruckus when she defeated Cid in a ‘back talk’.

She doesn’t need saving, even from persistent men in the diner. 

Regis likes watching her turn down good looking men and women. She once smacked a guy in the face when she felt him feeling her up. 

Clarus had to carry her away. That’s the only saving she needed, much to the prince’s amusement. He remembers that, even until today.

[yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy]

Magic and Miracles

Ok so since Tumblr is being cool and offering my own posts back to me with the read more intact. Let’s try this again. 

Magic and Miracles, all the way from the beginning. Because I’m feeling nostalgic, that’s why. Also I’m slightly recasting. As always, Johan Akan as Nyx Ulric. Now featuring Liza Soberano as Selena Ulric. The ever lovely Nastya Kusakina as Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Alex Pettyfer as Ravus Nox Fleuret because when I think of pretty blonde guys who can both be douche bags and have some character development and turn out into sweetheart hearthrobs, I think of Alex Pettyfer, I’m taking creative license. And Greg Blackford as Luche, I can’t recast him. He’s too perfect and pretty. And Heather Graham will be playing Sylva Nox Fleuret, that’s a good looking family right there. 

So again you can read it here-> AO3 or below. 

Magic and Miracles

Chapter 1

Nyx was walking into school with his little sister Selena, his best friends – Libertus, Crowe, Pelna and Luche before they saw a white limo pull up in front of the school.

“What kind of pretentious ass-wipes do we have now?” Crowe complained, her irritation and disgust clear.

The rear driver’s side door opened and a tall blonde guy came out, polo shirt that looked pressed and khaki slacks and just everything about him screamed prep, his posture was proud and the unimpressed expression he carried on his face was to those who looked on- was hardly surprising. He walked around the car to open the car door on the passenger side and opened it, offering his hand to the occupant in a very gentlemanly like manner. A slender, almost fragile hand reached out and grasped it. Nyx stood still, barely breathing, as a blonde girl, hair as brilliant as sunshine stepped out, it was in a twisted side braid and the prettiest blush dusted her cheeks as she came out of the car. She happened to look in his direction and their eyes locked and for that moment, while minuscule to everyone else, it seemed to stretch until it felt that time had stopped. Her big blue eyes were hypnotizing, then she smiled bashfully at him before she ducked her head and stole into the guy’s side as she took his arm before he escorted her into the school.

“Uh oh,” Libertus teased before giving a playful punch to Nyx’s arm to break him out of his trance.

“What?” Nyx blinked rapidly a few times before he turned to his friends who were snickering.

“Damn, Nyx, one look, one look,” Libertus teased.

“I’ll bet you ten bucks he’s smitten,” Crowe crooned.

“Shut up,” Nyx dismissed as he shrugged it off and began to walk into school.

“You better not be man,” Luche muttered, being the only one not snickering.

“Why?” Selena asked before Nyx could.

“Dude, have you not heard the rumors? That was probably Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, and that was her brother, Ravus Nox Fleuret, their family owns Miracle Hospital.” Luche informed them.

“What’s she doing here then?” Nyx asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Well, the last I heard, their mom wanted her kids to have a ‘well rounded’ education. Looks better on a resume apparently.” Luche shrugged.

“Well here’s to hoping we’ll get new uniforms,” Libertus chuckled as they all made their way into school.

When they walked past the office, he could see Lunafreya and her brother talking with Principal Regis Caelum. It was when Lunafreya was talking to the Principal that he saw her smile and his heart fluttered and he could feel himself swoon and his steps slowed to a stop as he stared through the windows of the office. It was almost odd since Lunafreya had now taken Regis’ arm like he was now escorting her and the way she looked up to him, the adoring bright smile was completely unlike the way any other girl looked at the Principal before, almost like the way a little girl would look up to her loving and doting father. Which didn’t make much sense, Principal Caelum only had one son unless she was like a niece? She must have been his niece, because it was such a familial smile that Principal Caelum and Lunafreya both smiled at each other with. But it was such a gorgeous smile nonetheless.

“Oh, Nyx Ulric.” Principal Caelum said as he escorted them out of the office.

“Yes sir?” Nyx answered shaking his head out trance.

“Ravus, Lunafreya, meet Nyx Ulric, he’s our quarterback and captain for our football team, he should be more than happy to show you around and to your classes.” Principal Caelum invited before he reached into his suit coat jacket pocket to pull out his note pad and wrote Nyx a pass to excuse him from all tardiness from all of his classes for the day.

“Sure,” Nyx nodded. ‘Jackpot!’ Nyx thought to himself he just had the best excuse to get closer to her.

“Excellent, if either of you have any questions or concerns my door is always open,” Regis invited before shaking Ravus’ hand with one hand while Luna had taken Regis arm and was practically glued to it and Luna hugged his arm before he wrapped his arm around her and they hugged each other from the side before he, out of habit and not thinking twice about it, kissed Lunafreya on the crown of her head. Oh yeah, she had to be his niece. And only barely registering her brother roll his eyes and glare at both of them in disgust. “Have a good day Sweetheart.” Regis bid Lunafreya who nodded eagerly and flashed the brightest of smiles back at him.

“Will do, I’ll come to you at the end of the day and give you a full report.” Luna offered with a light and melodic laugh that had Principal Caelum crinkling his nose at her. Oh yeah, doting uncle. Nyx had to be on his best behavior.

“So, what classes do you guys have?” Nyx asked once Regis retreated back to the office.

“AP Chemistry,” Ravus answered.

“Biology,” Lunafreya answered.

“Awesome, well, Ravus your class will be just up the hall,” Nyx invited as he turned to lead the way.

“So what brings you to Lucis High?” Nyx began curiously.

“Our mother insists on us having a well rounded education,” Ravus answered aloofly. “Personally, I prefer Tenebrae Prep or even Niflheim Academy.” Ravus added.

“I think it’s a great idea to come here,” Lunafreya countered softly.

“Yeah?” Nyx asked, as he turned his head to consider her curiously.

“Tenebrae Prep and especially Niflheim Academy has nothing but elitist snobs who are sheltered in bubbles of their own making who have no idea how the world really works.” Lunafreya professed softly, Nyx had to strain his ears just to hear her over the general roar of the throngs of students. But while her words were softly spoken, they were still quite astounding and Nyx found himself agreeing with that sentiment because he felt the same way.

“You’re just repeating what mother said,” Ravus retorted snidely.

“Doesn’t mean she’s wrong.” Lunafreya argued quietly before they came to Ravus’ class.

“Go break a leg.” Luna bid Ravus and Ravus just rolled his eyes as he walked into class.

“Sorry,” Luna apologized to Nyx once Ravus walked away.

“What are you apologizing for?” Nyx asked as they turned and Nyx led the way to their class.

“For him, he’s the biggest elitist snob I know.” Lunafreya murmured lowly with a playful grin as she walked a little closer to him so he could hear her before she reestablished their distance. Even so, Nyx got a good whiff of her perfume. It was sweet and floral and it took all of Nyx’s self control not to breathe in as deep as he could to try and smell it some more.

“Oh I’ve met worse.” Nyx dismissed.

“Gosh I would hate to meet worse.” Lunafreya grimaced with a soft laugh. Everything about this girl was soft and Nyx felt himself completely swoon. She wasn’t even wearing makeup and goodness gracious she was still so pretty. Model Pretty. 

“So what other classes do you have?” Nyx inquired curiously as he mentally tried to map out his route for the day.

“Oh um, after biology, I have social studies, algebra, history and then I have second lunch then there is gym, drama and study hall.” Lunafreya listed off from her schedule.

“Awesome, we actually have some classes together,” Nyx grinned.

“We do? Which ones?” Lunafreya asked, the light of her enthusiasm making her eyes shine bright.

“Well, we have biology then lunch, gym and drama together.” Nyx informed her.

“Awesome,” Lunafreya grinned happily.

“So, Luna-freya was it?” Nyx started, slowly enunciating her name.

“Just Luna, please, my friends call me Luna, only adults and my brother call me Lunafreya.” Luna insisted. “I don’t care for it.” Luna shrugged.

“Why?” Nyx inquired.

“Because my full name sounds pretentious and stuffy and blah,” Luna made a disgusted face which Nyx found utterly adorable.

“Ok, well Luna, here we are,” Nyx said as he nodded toward their first class. “After you,” Nyx invited as he gestured for her to walk in first taking advantage of her walking in front of him so he could get one more lungful of her perfume.

“Thank you,” Luna ducked her head as her cheeks stained rose again as she tried to hide her smile.

“Luna?” Noctis said as he saw her walk into the class.

“Noct!” Luna gasped happily as she quickly jogged over to him and the two hugged each other tightly like they hadn’t seen each other in years.

“What are you doing here?” Noctis asked as they pulled away.

“Remember when I told you about my birthday wish and mom’s idea? Yeah, that,” Luna excitedly informed him.

“Awesome!” Noctis cheered before the two began their super friend handshake. “You’re so sitting next to me, Prompto, move over bud,” Noctis directed.

“Nice to see you again Prompto,” Luna greeted as they too hugged but not quite as tightly as Noctis and Luna had.

“Princess.” Prompto grinned as he moved over. Luna rolled her eyes but smiled none the less as she sat down.

“Please don’t call me that here,” Luna requested of Prompto.

‘Dammit,’ Nyx cursed inwardly as he hung his head in defeat and walked to the back of the class where Libertus could barely contain his laughter.

“Shut up,” Nyx murmured under his breath he took his seat.

“Aww, poor Noctis stole her away already,” Libertus pouted sarcastically.

Nyx glared at him in return.

“So what classes do you have?” Noctis asked Luna.

“See for yourself.” Luna invited as she handed her schedule over to him.

“Sweet, we have most of your morning classes together and lunch, oh and drama, for the win!” Noctis raised his hand to give Luna a high five.

“Ok, settle down class, we have a new student with us today. Would you like to introduce yourself?” The teacher invited.

“Hi, I’m Luna,” Luna said as she quickly stood up, waved a little to everyone before she sat back down.

“Oh come on, all of it,” Noctis prodded as he grabbed her arm and shook her gently. Luna was so tense it made to motion look more forceful than it was as her whole body seemed to move stiffly with the motion. Nyx frowned at the gesture, wanting to rip Noctis’ arm off in a flare of his temper which he quickly stamped down. It wouldn’t be a wise idea to rip the Principal’s son’s arm off. And who was he to be so protective of a girl he just met?

“No,” Luna hissed.

“This is my best friend, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret,” Noctis introduced proudly. Luna ducked and covered her face as she blushed scarlet. Nyx could see her ears turn bright red as he imagined the rest of her face to be as well.

“Idiot,” Nyx mumbled under his breath as he rolled his eyes. Was Noctis blind? Could he not see how embarrassed she was? Before he realized that Noctis said ‘best friend’ not ‘cousin’. Ok this wasn’t adding up anymore and Nyx suddenly worried that Noctis and Luna perhaps were ‘friends with benefits’ and that thought made him sick to his stomach and he couldn’t say why exactly. Maybe she was dating Noctis? And Principal looked at her like a future daughter in law? That made him even sicker.

“Also known as Princess,” Prompto added loudly.

“No, no, please don’t,” Luna spoke up, panic evident in her tone as she shook her head before giving Prompto a glare that could freeze lava. Luna then gave Prompto a jab in his side with her elbow in retaliation.

“Ow,” Prompto gasped as he rubbed his side.

“Alright, that’s enough, Luna, this is your textbook, we’re in chapter 14,” the teacher started to teach the class.

After class Noctis went up to Nyx. “Hey Nyx, I have the next few classes with Luna so I can walk her to those, ok? See you at lunch.” Noctis said.

“Sure man,” Nyx smiled politely.

“Bummer,” Libertus snickered as Noctis walked away.

Nyx shot Libertus another glare and simply went to his next class.

At lunch, Nyx wasn’t surprised in the slightest when Noctis continued to keep Luna by his side, moving his friends around so he could sit right next to her. So close their sides were touching and shared their food with each other as well as Noctis’ friends who all seemed very happy to see her and have her with them. She was talking with Ignis about something… about her phone before she handed it over to him. She must have been having issues with it. But when Ignis had solved whatever the matter was, Gladio took it from Ignis and held it just out of Luna’s reach.

“Give it back!” Luna demanded as she tried to get it out of Gladio’s hold.

“I just want to see your wall paper Princess,” Gladio waved off.

“I said,” Luna bit out before she got up, marched around the table and reached out and grabbed his ear and twisted it violently.

“Ow! Ow, ow, ow!” Gladio yelped as his towering frame crumpled from the pain.

Luna held out her palm expectantly and Gladio laid her phone into her palm before she grasped it and let go of Gladio with a victorious smile. Nyx smiled to himself. Gladio was a tower of muscle but he deserved what he got for messing with her. Ok so maybe she wasn’t all soft, she had an edge or two, he could definitely dig that.

After lunch Nyx walked Luna to the girls locker room for gym.

“So how is your first day treating you?” Nyx asked as they strolled down the hall.

“Treating me just fine,” Luna assured him.

“Having trouble with Gladio?” Nyx asked.

“You saw that huh? He’s...harmless, he’s just being...himself.” Luna shook her head as she waived it off.

“I can make him do extra push ups.” Nyx offered.

“Oh that’s right, quarterback and captain of the football team,” Luna recalled. “It’s ok, don’t worry about it. But I’ll keep that in mind the next time Gladio decides to be a jerk, I’ll have extra ammunition.” Luna grinned mischievously and Nyx found that grin out right enchanting. “Thank you, by the way for escorting me today,” Luna graciously thanked him.

“You’re welcome, happy to help.” Nyx said as he stopped just short of the girls locker room before he turned and went to the boys locker room himself.

He tried not to stare at her when she stretched, clearly doing the splits as she did so.

“Damn girl,” Crowe remarked.

“Ballet,” Luna tried to explain as she pointed her toes to deepen the stretch.

“Oh I gotcha ya,” Crowe nodded in understanding.

Nyx smirked as he continued to stretch, so she was a ballerina, he could definitely see that. She had the slender physique and grace of one. It was also evident in the way she ran, it wasn’t so much a run as it was bouncing and leaping from foot to foot. It looked beautiful. But she had very little hand eye coordination. They practiced basketball and she could barely dribble or shoot the ball.

The big surprise came in drama when everyone gave their own little performance. She had taken out her notebook, perhaps to recite poetry.

“Luna, Luna, play Hallelujah!” Noctis begged. “Play and sing,” he insisted as he shook her arms again.

Luna huffed in defeat and got up and went to the keyboard and selected the piano setting. She was blushing again, giving her pale complexion such a beautiful contrast. She squared her shoulders, sitting up straight but keeping her focus down at the keyboard and laid her hands on the keys and began to play the familiar melody. She slowly swayed a little to the rhythm, causing the wisps of hair that had fallen out of her braid to sway as she did so.

“I heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord.” Luna began softly as she focused on the keys, trying to block out the rest of the class as they quietly talked among themselves before the teacher shushed them.

“But you don’t really care for music do you?” Luna continued in the same soft tone before she looked up at Noctis who was smiling and nodding at her, trying to encourage her.

“Well it goes like this. The fourth, the fifth. The minor fall and the major lift. The baffled king composing Hallelujah.” Luna sang out much stronger as she found her voice’s sweet spot. And everyone’s eyes got wide as they all seemed to realize the girl had a hell of a voice and had already been classically trained.

“Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu-oooh-ooh-oooh-ooh-ya,” Luna closed her eyes for a moment, as a gently smile played on her lips, the class was silent except for the sound of her playing the piano and her singing.

“Your faith was strong but you needed proof. You saw her bathing on the roof. Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you.” Luna sang as she chanced a look up at Nyx. He was staring in awe and he instinctively gave her an encouraging smile and nod. She smiled shyly in return before she looked back down at the keys.

Nyx couldn’t believe his eyes or ears, God she had to be an angel, she had to be. How could she not be? She was kind and sweet and gracious and funny and so pretty, he was definitely smitten, beyond smitten. God and she was so talented! Was there anything this girl didn’t have or couldn’t do? Then the tone of the song made as her face change to that of sadness and her tone was filled with such moving emotion, everyone seemed to forget that they were watching a student and not a professional singer.

“She tied you to a kitchen chair. She broke your throne, and she cut your hair.” Luna’s face morphed into one of pain and agony as her voice began to crack like she was in real physical pain as Luna tried to just imagine she was at home alone playing and singing and not in front of a class of strangers and her new instant crush, which made her so nervous, she wanted him to like her, so much, she didn’t know why she did either, she just...did, she wanted to impress him, make sure he knew that she was smart and kind and funny and she had tried to get him to laugh but she did get a grin and a smile and they had been beautiful and she didn’t care if she made a little bit of a fool of herself. God he was so handsome and so far had been nice and sweet and careful around her, almost like he instinctively knew she was a fish out of water and awkward that that was ok, she just...she felt safe around him. Which is something she hadn’t felt around guys other than Noctis and his friends in forever. She almost didn’t recognize the feeling but when she did, she was so pleasantly surprised and longed for more.“And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah,” Luna continued. “Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu-oooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ya.”

“Baby, I’ve been here before, I’ve seen this room and I’ve walked this floor. I used to live alone before I knew you. Well I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch. But love is not a victory march. It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah!” Luna cried out, her sorrow temporarily replaced with anger as she sang the last two verses and finding a raspy growling edge to her voice as Nyx’s eyebrows nearly shot up into his hair line, he wasn’t expecting that, that was surprising but thrilling. “Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelu-oooh-ooh-oooh-ooh-ya.” Luna continued to sing before her key change.

“I did my best, it wasn't much. I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch. I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you. And even though it all went wrong, I'll stand before the Lord of Song. With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah!” Luna sang forcefully.

“Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelu-oooh-ooh-oooh-ooh-ya.” Luna sang acapella her eyes closed serenely as she did so before playing the piano again. “Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelu-ooh-ooh-oooh-ooh-ya, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelu-ooh-ooh-oooh-oooh-ya.” Luna sang as she continued to look at the keyboard, not being brave enough to look up at her classmates, too afraid to look up at Nyx, what if he thought she sounded horrible? What if he hated it? What if he didn’t like her singing? What if he didn’t like her? She faded her voice before she ended the song and was about ready to cry, her thoughts spinning and running away from her. But the whole class erupted in applause, whistles and cheers that it made Luna snap her head up as she looked at them in surprise, as she jumped in her own skin a little, not used to that kind of outburst but when she noticed that it was Noctis and Nyx who were cheering the loudest and clapping the hardest and the smile of relief that quickly donned her face and the small, soft giggle left her as she bashfully had to look down at the keys and wondered if the class wanted to hear something else.

“Are you in choir?” The drama teacher asked.

“No,” Luna shook her head.

“You should be,” The drama teacher encouraged.

“Thanks.” Luna smiled.

“Nyx,” The teacher called out. Nyx grabbed his special deck of cards and walked to the front of the class, gently and “accidentally” bumped into Luna as she made her way back to her table she shared with Noctis and Prompto before shuffling the deck in these very elaborate ways.

“Noctis, help me out,” Nyx invited and Nocits rose and stood next to Nyx.

“Pick a card,” Nyx invited as he spread the deck out and Noctis chose his card.

“Show the class if you want.” Nyx suggested and Noctis showed a king of spades before he put it back into the deck.

“Did you like your card?” Nyx asked as he began to re-shuffle the deck.

“Yeah man,” Noctis nodded.

“Good,” Nyx said before he held up a joker card. “Was this your card?” Nyx asked.

“No,” Noctis shook his head with a laugh as he perceived the trick going wrong.

“Huh, maybe Luna has it.” Nyx grinned and the class looked over to see Luna pick her hands up off the table in a ‘I surrender’ motion, a playing card underneath her sleeve on the table.

Luna’s jaw dropped as she picked the card up and looked at it before turning it around to show the class- the king of spades.

“How?! How did you do that?” Noctis demanded as he went over to Luna to get the card from her.

“Magic,” Nyx smiled victoriously as he took the card back and took his seat again.

Luna continued to stare at him in amazement before she got her notebook out and wrote down something before turning her attention to the next performer in class. Luna bumped into Nyx on their way out of class giving him a knowing smile as she did so before she went with Nocits who showed her where the library was so she could attend study hall. Nyx went to his next class and sat down before he heard the crinkle of paper in his back pocket. He reached out and pulled out a little note. Nyx looked at the folded piece of paper in curious amusement. Noting the definitely feminine way his name was written before unfolding the intricate folds.

‘Thank you Nyx, for helping me today. P.S. I know exactly how you did it. But don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. Let me know if I can help again. Sincerely Luna.’ Nyx smiled wide as he reread it over a few times. He refolded it carefully and put it into his pocket, his front one this time for safe keeping.

Nyx watched as Luna and her brother walked out of school and into the limo that was waiting for them. Luna caught his eye and flashed him a bright smile and a small waive which he returned before she got in the car.

“Ready for practice?” Libertus asked as he nodded to the football field.

“Yeah, sure thing.” Nyx nodded.

“So why do you guys call Luna- Princess?” Nyx asked Gladio as they did push ups together.

“Oh it’s what her dad used to call her all the time,” Gladio explained.

“Used to?” Nyx inquired.

“Yeah man, he died, of cancer, like five years ago, we all keep calling her Princess in memory of him, and we’ve all been friends since we were little, her dad was a real cool dude, she misses him a bunch, and she’s practically been adopted by Uncle Regis, and she’s practically adopted him too, calls him ‘Dad’ and everything, pisses Ravus right off every time she does.” Gladio explained between push ups.

“Oh, then why doesn’t she want to be referred to as that anymore?” Nyx asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“Well, especially in this school, no one knows about any of that, I think she’s afraid people will assume she’s a spoiled brat, which, I mean she kind of is spoiled, you saw the limo right? But she’s not a brat, not even close. Her brother though, he’s the spoiled brat through and through. But keep that to yourself man,” Gladio urged with his own scheming and knowing grin. Having picked up on Nyx’s interest at lunch. And Gladio knew Luna well enough that he knew Nyx and Luna would be really good together so he would do all he could to steer Nyx her way. Nyx was the hero, always, and that’s exactly what Luna needed.

“I will,” Nyx nodded as they finished their rep. Now all of it made much more sense. Well they weren’t related by blood but they were basically family, and that meant that she practically was, for all intensive purposes, Principal Regis Caelum’s daughter. Ok, that made him a little nervous and felt a little inadequate, he was on good terms with him, was a pretty good student, but he felt like he should be asking Principal Caelum for “permission” to date his “daughter”. But he then started to worry again about the ‘friends with benefits’ thing again.

When Nyx got home, Selena was sitting on the couch watching TV. “Hey, how was practice?” Selena asked, happy he had made it home because she could barely contain her excitement another second.

“Fine, how was your day?” Nyx mirrored.

“Good, I made a new friend today, we made plans to hang out Saturday. She also helped me with my homework, got it done in study hall so I didn’t have any when I got home.” Selena baited with a scheming grin. 

“Oh yeah?” Nyx asked as he crashed on the couch with her.

“Yeah, she’s really nice, explained geometry better than Mr. Hills ever could.” Selena grinned wider and waited for Nyx to ask the inevitable. But Nyx was too tired at the moment. Selena frowned, wanting so badly to tell him her ‘news’.

“You’re not going to ask me who it is?” Selena finally asked.

“Should I?” Nyx asked as he turned his head to consider her curiously.

“I don’t know, I would think you would care if she came over to the house, considering she also told me about how you threatened Gladio with extra whatever for messing with her. She thought that was really sweet. She also, took a personal interest in me asked me what I wanted for a career and what college I was thinking of going to.” Selena explained as she started to smile even more mischievously.

“L-Luna? The new girl we saw this morning?” Nyx asked, suddenly much more alert as he angled himself toward her and leaned toward her expectantly as his heart started to pound in his chest.

“Luna, blonde hair, big blue eyes, really pretty and bright smile, totally your type? Yes, and I may have informed her that I was your little sister.” Selena teased as she got up and went to the kitchen to get another Gatorade.

“And?!” Nyx asked, he couldn’t help himself, he happily jumped right into her trap.

“And then it was 20 questions,” Selena giggled at the look on her brother’s face as she tossed him a Gatorade.

“What did she ask? What did you tell her?” Nyx demanded. Oh his luck could not get any better. She was interested in him enough to ask about him! This had to be a good sign.

“Oh gosh, we talked about your music tastes, which she, by a giant surprise, knew just about all your favorite bands and had been to their concerts this past summer with Noctis and his friends. And then we talked about your football career and wondered if you were going to go on to play professionally and wanted to know your college choices. And then it was what was your favorite food and your favorite everything else and blah blah blah.” Selena waved off. “I think she really likes you.” Selena ventured.

“You think so? Are you just saying that to mess with me?” Nyx asked. 

“I would say you like her too, by the way you kept staring at her.” Selena ventured.

Nyx hung his head. “Yeah a lot of good it’s going to do, Noctis has been hanging all over her all day, they are practically an item.” Nyx informed his sister as his head hung and his shoulders slouched.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Selena smiled evilly.

Nyx’s head shot up and fixed her with an expectant look.

“Do the dishes for me, and I’ll tell you.” Selena brokered.

Nyx groaned in frustration and pulled himself off the couch and went back to the kitchen and unloaded the dishwasher before reloading it and turned it on. He went back to the couch and sat next to his sister and folded his arms over his chest.

“Spill,” Nyx ordered.

“Ok, so I asked her about her relationship with Noctis and she said that they were just strictly platonic friends, like best friends and that they’ve known each other since they were little kids and that she stayed with him when he was hospitalized as a kid when he was in that horrible car accident and they’re more like brother and sister than anything and that she’s actually single.” Selena divulged. “But she was, I believe I would use the term – delighted- to hear that you’re single too.” Selena revealed with a bright beaming smile of her own.

Nyx’s eyes went wide as his jaw dropped. “No way,” Nyx breathed in disbelief as his hopes soared.

“Yeah so like maybe get to know her, keep walking her to class, see what happens.” Selena encouraged.

Nyx smiled and gave a small cheer of himself. Oh this could not get any better! “I will do just that.” Nyx vowed before he got up and went to his room to do his homework at his desk.

Once in his room, he shut the door and sat down at his desk and took the note out of his pocket and carefully unfolded it again to read it again. He set it aside and tried to focus on his homework but it took him forever to complete it because he kept looking from his homework to the note. He had to reciprocate. He needed to do something for her but he had no idea what.

Meanwhile…

Back at the Nox Fleuret’s residence, Luna had emerged from her room for snacks and was dancing around the kitchen as she cut up an apple and sliced some cheese and got a bunch of grapes, lip syncing her music. She ducked into the pantry to get crackers and when she emerged Ravus was standing in the kitchen with a friend he had made that day. Luna screamed and jumped as she dropped the box to the floor at the sudden appearance of them.

“Ravus! You scared me!” Luna scolded as she pulled the earphones out from her ears and put her hand over her heart to calm its racing rhythm.

“I’ve been talking to, if you stopped listening to that pop and rap crap you would have heard us.” Ravus retorted as he and his friend tried and failed to control their snickering laughter. “Could you please make us sandwiches?” Ravus requested.

Luna looked from Ravus to the guy standing next to him curiously then to back to Ravus.

“Lunafreya, this is Luche, he’s in most of my AP courses.” Ravus introduced as he realized she may not know his new friend yet, but knowing she should get to know him sooner than later.

“Lovely to meet you, please, call me Luna,” Luna greeted cordially as she regained her composure and shook Luche’s hand. “Would you like a sandwich as well?” Luna asked politely.

“If it’s not a bother,” Luche ventured.

“No, it’s not a bother, she loves to cook and host,” Ravus answered for Luna.

Luna cut her eyes at her brother for a brief second before turning back to Luche to try and save face. “It’s no bother at all, we have turkey, a couple different kinds of ham and roast beef and I have white, wheat and I think rye bread.” Luna explained as she went to the fridge to get out what she needed.

“So...” Luna began as she continued to gather her ingredients. “What do you like on your sandwich?” Luna asked.

“Chef’s choice, I’ll refer to your superior and refined tastes.” Luche smiled as he took a seat next to Ravus as they sat at the breakfast bar as he watched her appreciatively, not being the only one to be instantly smitten at sight of her that morning.

Luna smiled politely at that, goodness gracious, he was laying on the flattery a little thick wasn’t he? Right out of the gate too, she got the feeling Luche was going to pursue her as hard as he could and that made her feel dread. She didn’t want him. He was handsome and obviously charming but that feeling of safety that she felt with Nyx was non existent with him. In fact, she very much felt like prey and she felt on edge and could feel his eyes on her. She went back to the fridge to get out her favorite ingredients before she went to an herb planter in the kitchen window. She snipped a few herbs off before going back to the cutting board and assembling her own favorite sandwich before she plated it artfully and presented it to Luche.

“Thank you, so much.” Luche smiled as he graciously took it from her.

Luna nodded as she went back to make Ravus his preferred sandwich of turkey, lettuce, tomato and mayo on white. She went ahead and plated her snacks before she started to put her ingredients away before Luche practically moaned.

“Good?” Luna guessed as she shot him a curious look over her shoulder with a hopeful smile. 

“Oh this is extraordinary,” Luche praised. “What did you put on this?” Luche asked.

“Oh, um, smoked honey ham, arugula cause it’s spicy and sweet basil for extra flavor, and I used an heirloom tomato and this probably overpriced sandwich sauce...” Luna listed off before she showed Luche the bottle. Luche took his phone out and snapped a picture of it so he could find it for himself.

“Smile,” Luche prodded as he focused the camera on her. Luna indulged him and posed with the bottle herself like she was a model on the price is right.

“I’m happy you like it,” Luna grinned as she took a seat on the other side of Ravus, putting him between her and his new ‘friend’ to eat her snack. “So you're in the same classes as Ravus?” Luna asked politely, no use in being rude and get accused as a frigid bitch by her brother, again.

“Yeah, we take a lot of the same AP courses.” Luche answered.

“Wow,” Luna nodded, ok so he was smart. “So what college do you want to go to?” Luna asked civilly.

“Harvard.” Luche answered and Luna wanted to snort a laugh. Every ‘smart’ person wanted to go to Harvard. Ravus included.

“Well I hope you get in, maybe you and Ravus can be roommates.” Luna remarked with a dry humored sense of sarcasm that Ravus immediately picked up on and gave her an unimpressed side glance but it went right over Luche’s head and he thought she was being sincere.

“Where do you want to go to college at?” Luche mirrored.

“My mom wants me to go to Julliard for ballet and something Ivy League to get my doctorate.” Luna answered, purposefully being vague to keep him from immediately changing his mind and decide to go her school of choice to be ‘closer’ to her.

“So you dance ballet?” Luche asked even though Ravus had already told him that his sister danced. But Ravus had encouraged Luche to ask Luna about it as a way to find a common ground that they were both athletes. “That is one tough sport, anyone who says it’s not a real sport has obviously never tried it.” Luche complimented and smiled charmingly when Luna smiled appreciatively in turn. Ravus gave Luche an encouraging smile and nod of approval at that.

“Thank you, I try, but I don’t have the passion for it that perhaps I should, I would rather be a pediatrician.” Luna revealed.

“Wow that’s awesome, I’ll keep you in mind the next time I’m injured on the field.” Luche grinned.

“Oh you play a sport?” Luna asked.

“Yeah, football, wide receiver, get tackled a lot.” Luche informed her proudly.

“Oh, yeah totally, I work with a lot of the sports medicine doctors at Miracles, yeah from one athlete to another, you guys have a game on Friday night right? I’ll bring my goody bag just in case.” Luna offered and immediately wanted to face palm herself. WHY DID SHE JUST OFFER THAT? WHY?! She didn’t want to give this guy some false hope that he had a chance as Ravus smiled encouragingly at Luche. 

“That would be great,” Luche smiled even brighter and more victoriously and Luna immediately wanted to retract her offer. But then she remembered that Nyx played football, so she could still go and cheer Nyx on, so it wasn’t a total loss.

“I should get back to my homework, it was lovely to meet you Luche. See you tomorrow.” Luna bid him before she got back up and put her plate in the sink before retreating to her room again.

“You’re sister is really awesome,” Luche said to Ravus.

“Yeah, she is.” Ravus nodded in agreement. He had hoped the introduction would go well, instantly liking and clicking with Luche on so many levels and they had hit it off so well already and Ravus had hoped that Luche might be the one to get Lunafreya out of her frigid bitch phaze and start coming around. All she needed was the right guy and Ravus had a really good feeling about Luche that he could be that ‘right’ guy. Especially since Luche had been so respectful and curious and not derogatory in any way when Luche had asked Ravus about his sister.

Back at the Ulric’s residence, Nyx was banging his head on his desk while groaning and whimpering, trying to wrack his brain of how he could respond to Luna.

“Selena,” Nyx called out.

“Yeah,” She answered.

“Did Luna say anything about her favorite... anything?” Nyx asked as he leaned out of his room.

“Yeah, her favorite flower is the sylleblossom.” Selena answered from her room as she folded her own laundry and put it away.

Nyx went back in his room and googled images of the sylleblossom as he got out his drawing pad and practiced and practiced drawing them before their parents came home from work with takeout. Nyx took his food and went back to his room to eat and continue to practice the rest of the night before he finally made a decent picture of a field of wildflowers, most of which were sylleblossoms with butterflies. He signed the lower corner and oh so carefully folded it up to give to Luna in the morning.

He tried to sleep but the anticipation of the next day had his brain fighting off sleep no matter how badly his body begged for it.

The next morning he practically jumped out of bed and got ready for school, giving himself a pep talk to give himself the added confidence. He put the small folded piece of paper in his pocket for safe keeping.

He went to school and met up with his friends in front of the school but Luche was showing everyone a picture on his phone.

“And she made me the most delicious sandwich.” Luche boasted.

“Wait, what happened?” Nyx asked, not catching the first part of Luche’s story.

“I went to Ravus and Lunafreya’s house yesterday after practice and stayed for dinner, oh you should have been there, Lunafreya was so sweet and hospitable, made me her favorite sandwich, which is now my new favorite sandwich, and then she and her Nana made me the most amazing, delicious dinner and their mom is amazing, real firecracker, Luna said she would be coming to game on Friday to cheer me on,” Luche bragged as he showed the pictures of a smiling Luna, cropped from her shoulders up, both in her kitchen and at the dinner table. The ones at the dinner table tho were clearly taken in secret.

Nyx’s stomach dropped. How, how had Luche weaseled himself into Luna’s life already?! It wasn’t fair god damn it!

The white limo rolled up and dropped Ravus and Luna off. Luna found Nyx in the crowd and flashed him another bright smile as she left her brother to walk up to the group before she realized Luche was standing with them and froze at the sight of him.

“Ravus! Luna!” Luche invited and smiled and waved them over. Luna smiled politely back and forced her feet to move toward them and that was only because Nyx and Selena were there too. Nyx especially. She would be ok if Nyx was there. Even though Ravus had come and had his hand on her back and was pushing them over to Luche and his friends.

“Good morning,” Luna greeted everyone politely before standing between Nyx and Luche while Ravus stood between Luche and Pelna, Luna however stood closer to Nyx than she did to Luche by both subconscious and instinct.

“Good morning, thank you again for your hospitality yesterday,” Luche thanked her as he leaned towards her slightly Luna leaned back slightly to keep the same amount of distance between herself and Luche before he introduced her and her brother to the rest of the group. And it was then that Selena realized that Luna’s brother Ravus was actually… really... ok, he damn handsome himself, like crazy super fine hot kind of handsome even up close. But the way Luna talked about him, Selena knew she would be giving him a wide birth. He sounded like a fuck boy and she had no interest or patience for those. But still, whew, lord have mercy, why were all the super pretty boys assholes? Why? This wasn’t fair. 

“You’re welcome, happy to oblige,” Luna nodded at Luche before she turned to Nyx.

“Hey Nyx, would it be horribly inconvenient for you to show me to class again today?” Luna inquired hopefully, as her instincts told her to run and put some space between herself and Luche. “I’ve been trying to study the school layout and I suck at directions.” Luna tried to explain.

Ravus snorted at that. “That’s an understatement.” Ravus muttered under his breath. Selena frowned at that. Not liking the way he said that, because he was mocking his sister. Ravus noticed the change on Selena’s face and blinked as he noticed how Nyx’s sister was actually... really pretty herself. She had that slightly exotic look with her dark brown eyes and dark brown hair and olive skin tone and she was slender but had softness where it counted and she looked... beautiful if he was honest, she would be an absolute knockout if she did her hair or put make up on because she had a lot of natural beauty to build up on and actually... she seemed...really sweet, he decided. And he realized that she was actually so his type. But then he remembered that he shouldn’t be looking, since he currently had a girlfriend. One that would have his hide if she knew he was looking at another girl. Besides his current girlfriend was all woman and Selena was still clearly in her girl turning into a woman phase, but God, what a beautiful woman she’d be when she would... But that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate another girl’s beauty right? But it bothered him that she frowned at him and cut her eyes at him and looked at him with...disapproval. Every other girl always smiled at him. No matter what. But she didn’t, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she could see right through him. And Ravus didn’t know why that...it just didn’t feel right, like she saw who and what he was and was already disappointed in him and didn’t like what she saw- and he wanted her to smile at him, to like what she saw when she looked at him. He quickly tried to tell himself that he shouldn’t care what she thought of him. That it didn’t matter. But that resolve was the weakest resolve he had yet.

“Yes, I mean no, I mean, it would not be inconvenient, I would be glad to show you to class.” Nyx happily and readily agreed, tripping all over his damned self and flushing with embarrassment at his so not smooth answer as Crowe was damn near crying not to laugh too loudly. Oh but she was going to roar with laughter once they left. 

“Awesome, thank you so much.” Luna thanked him appreciatively before the bell rang and they began to walk together.

“So your brother and Luche are friends now?” Nyx asked as they weaved their way through the throngs of students.

“I guess,” Luna muttered with a heavy sigh. “I take it you’re friends with him too?” Luna guessed with a hint of apprehension and wariness. Oh god, what if there was like a “Bro Code” that they stuck too? What if Luche had already ‘staked a claim’ on her and that meant no one else could try? What if Nyx became deterred by Luche’s advances, thinking he didn’t have a chance? How could she possibly assure him that she wanted his attention, she wanted him to keep trying. She wanted to get closer to him without coming off as creepy or desperate?

“Yeah, kind of.” Nyx admitted even though deep down Luche was like a brother to him and was like another big brother to Selena but right that second he was the competition that needed to be beaten.

“Why do you ask? Is everything ok?” Nyx asked curiously, hoping Luna didn’t like Luche back. Hoping he still had a chance.

“Well, um,” Luna stuttered and stammered as she tried to be delicate about this. And then it dawned on Nyx that Luche made her uncomfortable and it was clear as day to him in her behavior.

“Was Luche a creep?” Nyx guessed with a barely contained knowing grin and laugh Luna immediately relaxed and the look of relief on her face was clear as day.

“Yes! And it was so awkward! So hear me out, so I emerge from my room for provisions and Ravus and Luche sneak up on me in my kitchen, nearly give me a heart attack and then Ravus demanded that I make them sandwiches, which, they have two hands they could have made themselves sandwiches but whatever. So Luche is all ‘chefs choice’ so I make him what I like on a sandwich and of course he thinks it’s the ‘greatest thing ever’ and just pouring on the flattery nice and uncomfortably thick and so I show him what I put on the stupid thing and he takes a picture and then he goes ‘smile’ and snaps a picture of me holding the sandwich sauce like I’m a model on the price is right, and of course he just had to stay for dinner and, ugh! It was so creepy! Like I was just waiting all day yesterday to go home already.” Luna confided as she put her things in her locker as she got ready for her morning classes as Nyx snickered a good hearty laugh. Yes! she was able to see past his pretty face and see him for who he was, a suck up. Nyx had listened attentively, relieved to hear her side of the story and eternally grateful he had chose to walk her to class, his hope and faith were restored.

“And so then he invited me to the game and I, sadly, feel obligated to go.” Luna grimaced.

“Well the next time that happens, you could always say you have plans,” Nyx suggested.

“With you?” Luna asked, raising a quizzical brow and a barely contained grin. Quite proud of herself for being that quick.

“Sure,” Nyx immediately agreed before he inwardly chided himself for appearing too eager, he had to play this cool, Luche had been too eager and had crashed and burned. He had to go slower. He couldn’t scare her off. He liked her way too much to chance scaring her away. Besides his gut was telling him, no, screaming at him that he had found someone, someone special, someone that could and would change his life forever. He couldn’t mess this up. He had to get this right.

Luna smiled brightly at him as she took out her phone and tapped on a new contact page before she handed it to Nyx. “Name and number please.” Luna watched as he Nyx typed in his name and cell number in.

“Thank you,” Luna smiled brightly again as she took her phone from him before she turned and walked into class.

He went in and sat down before he felt something in his back pocket again. He pulled it out and found it was an ace of spades with her own number written on it. Oh she was smoother than he gave her credit for. He pulled out his phone and put the number in it and saved the contact as Luna before Libertous walked into class himself.

On the way out of class, Nyx slipped the picture he had made for her in her own pocket.

While Luna continued to sit with Noctis and his friends at lunch, she did spare Nyx several smiling glances while he did the same. After lunch Nyx walked Luna back to the girls locker room.

“Thank you for the drawing, it was beautiful, you’re a really good artist,” Luna praised feeling herself become absolutely smitten and falling hopelessly for him. He was handsome and sweet and talented. And he was a freaking artist and her heart immediately melted because what were the chances?

“Thanks, and thank you for the card.” Nyx replied bashfully.

“Well if Noctis was the king of spades, then you should definitely be the ace,” Luna reasoned as she ducked her head back down to hide her own bashful smile as she cheeks started to stain rose and she fidgeted with the edge of her sleeves. The bell rung before Nyx could say anything else.

“See you in there,” Nyx bid her as he turned and walked quickly to the boys locker room.

And for the rest of the week, they would continue to subtly flirt with each other, afraid that if they flirted too hard it would drive the other away and it was clear to the whole school that something was happening between them even if both of them were too shy and uncertain of themselves to make a real move on the other yet. But they did get to know each other and quickly became friends even if they both wanted so much more. And Nyx was blown away that Luna wanted to be a doctor, a pediatrician of all things and was practically a doctor already with how vast and intricate her knowledge was about it. He could listen to her talk all day long and never get tired or bored of it.

When Friday evening came around, Luna found herself sitting next to Selena and her parents while Ravus sat behind them with Luche’s parents and Luche’s little sister Luca who was a decade younger than Luche but who Ravus got along with really well, kicking into cool big brother mode. Meanwhile, Luna practically froze in her white hoodie and jeans.

“Here,” Selena offered as she shared the blanket that she and her mother were using to shield themselves from the cold snap that had seemed to come out of nowhere. Luna, Selena and her mom snuggled together closely to retain heat and Selena’s mother broke out their thermos of hot cider and Selena and Luna shared a cup, taking turns holding the cup to keep their hands warm.

“Next time I’ll bring hot chocolate,” Luna offered. “And a blanket, and a coat, preferably a parka, like the kind they use in the arctic. And boots, and a scarf, and a hat, and a face mask, and hand warmers, possibly some wool layers.” Luna muttered to Selena as they laughed. Noctis arrived not long after with Ignis and Prompto. Noctis sat on the other side of Luna as Ignis sat on the other side of Noctis while Prompto took pictures of the game. 

Nyx and his team came onto the field and everyone cheered. He chanced a glance at his parents and did a double take to see Luna sitting next to them, sitting extremely close to his sister. Luna smiled brightly at him and gave waive. Nyx gave a small wave back. Thrilled that she was there, and unbelievably pleased she was with his family as he suddenly put so much pressure on himself that his team needed to win this game, if only to have Luna see them win, see him win. Every girl loved a winner right?

“Wait is that Crowe?” Luna asked as she saw her on the field too.

“Yeah, our school is quite progressive, she isn’t the only one,” Selena revealed as she pointed out two other girls on the field. “The best players make the team, no matter their gender.” Selena informed her. Luna nodded her approval of this.

“Alright, you guys are going to have to talk me through this because I have no idea what’s going on.” Luna explained as the teams warmed up before the game started. Selena, Noctis and his friends all tried to explain the game but Luna, for all her trying, still could not figure it out.

However, only into the first quarter, Libertus sustained a sprained ankle in a pileup when the opposing team fumbled the ball. Luna left the group and grabbed her bag and made her way to the field and talked with the medic and coach Drautos before she was allowed on the sidelines.

“Hey, Libertus is it?” Luna asked as she knelt down in front of him. “On a scale from 1 to 10 how much pain are you in?” Luna asked as she dug through her bag to find the tube of cream she had been looking for before she pulled out a pair of exam gloves and put them on.

“11,” Libertus told her as he tried to keep his cries and hisses of pain down to a minimum.

“Sounds about right,” Luna nodded in understanding. “Now Libertus, what I have in this tube is a proprietary medicine, still being tested by the FDA for human use, it should help alleviate the pain and swelling, think bio-freeze or mineral ice on super jacked up steroids.” Luna informed him.

“Do it, put it on.” Libertus authorized.

“Do you swear to not hold me or the school liable for any ill effects.” Luna warned.

“I swear,” Libertus confirmed.

“Ok then,” Luna grinned as she squeezed some out into her hand and carefully took the ice packs off his ankle and applied it generously.

Libertus watched in amazement as the cream, within less than two minutes alleviated nearly all of the pain before the joint became nearly completely numb.

“I don’t suppose I get to keep that tube of yours.” Libertus hinted as Luna took off her gloves and sanitized her hands.

“Uh, well, sure, um, just,” Luna stuttered before she blushed scarlet and whispered something in Libertus’ ear. Libertus blushed crimson himself and nodded before Luna handed it tube over to him.

Nyx, Crowe, Pelna and Luche watched the exchange curiously. Luna carefully replaced Libertus’ ice packs before standing and turning to them.

“He’ll be fine,” Luna assured them. It was only when she was closer that Nyx realized she was wearing makeup. Subtle but gorgeous all the same. And her hair was either naturally curly or she had curled it and it was sticking out around her face from her hood, framing her face with it’s golden brilliance. She was like an angel who had materialized in front of them again.

“Thank you,” Nyx thanked her earnestly before the rest of them followed suit and thanked her.

“You’re welcome, happy to help, sorry it’s needed.” Luna smiled and nodded before she went back and sat with Nyx’s family.

“What did she say to you man?” Nyx asked as he took a seat next to Libertus.

“I’ll tell you later,” Libertus muttered.

“Oh come on, what did she say?” Crowe pressed before Libertus whispered it in her ear before she fell onto her knees cackling. 

“What? What?” They pressed her. 

“Apparently, this stuff is so potent, if you try to jack off with it, your dick will literally fall off!” Crowe cackled as she laughed so hard she was crying. “Tredd! Tredd! I have lotion you should jack off with!” Crowe howled as Tredd frowned and flipped them off. 

With Lucis winning the game, everyone decided a victory pizza party was in order. Luna continued to sit next to Selena who was quickly becoming another best friend, only this time Selena chose to sit with Nyx and the rest of the team, putting Luna between herself and her brother purposefully trying to get them together like she had been subtly encouraging them to do all week. While Luche invited Ravus to do the same, putting Ravus across from Selena while Luche sat across from Luna.

“Libertus, how’s your leg doing?” Luna asked Libertus who was sitting on the other side of Nyx.

“Doing fine, thank you again, that’s some miracle cream.” Libertus informed her.

“Good,” Luna grinned before she pulled out her notebook again and wrote down recommendations for doctors to see and programs to use to help with his recovery and tore the page out and folded it and handed it to Nyx to pass to Libertus as Nyx smiled proudly, eternally grateful she went to that length to make sure his best friend would be taken care of. Her heart was just so big and she really, genuinely cared and he went from smitten to head over heels for her. He really needed to make a move sooner than later. He just needed the right moment. He couldn’t let her slip through his fingers because he was too afraid. Maybe tomorrow when she came over to his house. When they wouldn’t have everyone staring at them, she seemed to be such a private person, he doubted she would be up to being asked out in the middle of Pizza Hut in front of the whole football team, even though part of him wanted to stake a claim to her in front of all of them, especially Luche who hadn’t let up in the slightest and who was giving her every look, smile and compliment and piece of praise he could. And while Luna had accepted it all with grace, it was clear she just didn’t like him like that at least and while she was friendly, civil and polite, she was never more than that and that gave Nyx so much hope. 

[theperidotshade]

Tell me about the different fashions between the country s? only LCs can give ppl the right to where black (i think) and this is before Shiva did the eternal winter thing?

Oooh, excellent question!

See, I don’t think anyone from Niflheim would actually care about the Lucis Caelum association with black (we certainly see Ardyn wearing black in canon, when no one knows he’s a Lucis Caelum, and so does Aranea)—however, they are on a diplomatic embassage, so they might stick mainly to Niflheim’s red and white.  Ardyn is the exception; he dgaf about unity of appearance or even consistency, and wears whatever he pleases (he’s too damn old to care).  Design-wise, I think the fashions would have some continuity with what we see in canon, just fewer layers and lighter materials since this is pre-Shiva’s revenge.  Lots of dramatic swoosh and high collars on ensembles that look like military uniforms, and high necklines with cut-outs and tight sleeves (if any) on long gowns, for formal evening wear.  Most of them would actually be in uniform for the negotiation part, with the exception of Ardyn and his staff.  His staff are probably in business formal attire, and Ardyn himself...sometimes variations on his canon attire, sometimes extremely complicated gowns, suits, and coats designed to conceal as much skin as possible without it seeming purposeful.

As far as Lucians go, I’m sure they’d be more respectful of the color association with royalty.  This is also just year or so before the time when Noctis is attacked, so what little we see of people’s clothing in the flashbacks would be the right general styles to picture.  So, business formal would be like Regis’ pea coat and tie ensemble in the Kingslgaive flashbacks, just in navy or grey instead of black.  Evening wear I’m thinking will be along the lines of what you’d see in a movie on the extras in a cocktail party scene.  Suitably dignified for a diplomatic event, but showing off a little.

[clericofshadows]

a night to remember

Sequel to don't ask about Ryuusei. Description: Regis, Kaidan, and Zaeed dress-up to invade Khan's domain at the Silver Coast Casino and learn more about the identity theft plot against Regis.

Paring: Kaidan Alenko/Regis Shepard/Zaeed Massani

Regis put the final touches on his outfit, a pair of cufflinks adorned with both the Spectre and Alliance logos and a chain across his shirt collar, gleaming in the light of their bedroom.  In some ways, he considered formal wear to be another type of armor, another way of masking and protecting himself.

He also enjoys looking damn good, so there’s that too.  

In a sudden burst of inspiration, he knocked Zaeed out of the way in the bathroom and grabbed the pencil eyeliner from the drawer, lining his eyes with a bit of smudge, preferring a more lived-in look over precision.  

Zaeed wrapped his arms around Regis’s body, making the atmosphere in the room even more intimate. Regis turned his head slightly to meet Zaeed's gaze through the mirror as he continued to line his eyes.

“If we weren’t about to go on a mission, I doubt we’d ever make it to the door,” Zaeed teased, a mischievous glint in his eye.

“Yeah, yeah, you’ll make good on your promise eventually,” Regis said, putting the cap back on the eyeliner and placing it back in the drawer.  “What about my own ideas?  Remember one of the first nights in this apartment, and I took the both of you apart with only my biotics, you two bare to the world while I was dressed to the fucking nines?’

Zaeed kissed a spot of skin under his ear.  “Oh yes, I do remember.  You can be a sadistic bastard when you want to be.”

“We all contain multitudes,” Kaidan said, leaning in the doorway.  Regis took him in, noticing a bit of nude lipstick and highlighted cheeks, a hint of blush and shadow around his eyes, a beautiful addition to the three piece suit he wore so well.

"That we do, love," Regis replied. "Damn we look good."

"We are going to steal the goddamn show," Zaeed said, leaning in to steal a quick peck on Kaidan's lips before heading towards the bedroom door. "A damn shame we're working this evening.  Would've liked to be able to show off and let loose."

"We can still do that, you know," Kaidan said, linking his arm with Zaeed's. Regis followed behind them. "All part of the mission.”

A whistle and a round of applause greeted them as they walked down the stairs.  Regis preened under the attention, knowing that he was the mastermind behind their ensemble.  “Looking good!” Ashley whistled.  “Almost too good.”

Regis rolled his eyes.  “Isn’t that the whole point?”

“For you, maybe,” Zaeed muttered, keeping himself pressed against Kaidan’s side. 

“I doubt anyone will bother with us once we’re inside,” Kaidan replied.  “All the spectacle of us being there will be lost once we start mingling with the masses.”

“No matter what, we’ll be one hell of a distraction for Brooks,” Regis said.  “Speaking of, where is she?”  He didn’t see her among the crowd.

“Getting ready in the spare bedroom,” Wren said, now sitting at the bar with a colorful drink.  “Myself, Ash, and EDI have volunteered to be your immediate backup.”

“Good team,” Zaeed nodded.  “Are we just waiting on the specialist?” He shuffled on his feet, hands going up to adjust his tie.  Zaeed gave him a pleading look, and Regis let out a resigned sigh, motioning for him to take off the damn thing.  He grinned at him and pulled it off, setting it down in a heap on the coffee table.  There goes that perfect pressing.

Wren nodded, taking a sip of her cocktail.  “Of course, in the world of rich socialites aboard this station, being late is almost expected.  But with you here, Regis, I can’t expect you to abide by that.”

“Being on time is a good thing,,” Regis replied, crossing his arms.  “I doubt the information business thrives on lack of punctuality.”

Wren's lips curled into a sly smile as she leaned back in her barstool.  “As far as I’m concerned, I make the rules.  I have enough agents where it doesn’t matter.  Sometimes being a little late works in our favor, don’t you think?  Panic… fear… all good motivators to get what we want.”  

Regis smirked.  “Fair enough, but I’d like to get a handle on this situation ASAP.  Not exactly fond of someone trying to gain my identity.”

“Of course not.  I’m doing what I can, but this whole thing even has me stumped,” she said, finishing off her drink.  “And I hate being in the goddamn dark.”

“Amen, Wren,” Zaeed said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.  Again, messing up the perfectly pressed suit.

Regis will make him pay for that later.  He knows this kind of shit annoys him…

“Makes you wonder if it's someone close,” Kaidan mused.  “Or at least, someone familiar with our methods.”

“I’ve approached that angle and haven’t come up with anything yet.  Joker was kind enough to let me check the sigs of the messages you both supposedly sent out.  Curiously devoid of any information save for the signs that belong to you.  Location data was a bit fucked, but these days that’s normal.  Very impressive work, I’m afraid,” Wren elaborated, pushing the empty drink away from her.  “Hope you don’t mind me taking shit from your bar, by the way.”

Regis shrugged. “I don’t drink most of that shit anyway.  Take what you want.”

That was more of Kaidan’s and Zaeed’s hobby, the two of them sharing a similar taste in drinks.  And men, Regis couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.  They are the ones who will squabble over the perfect liquor for the evening, while Regis just grabs a hard lemonade or cider from the fridge and uses that as his drink of choice.  He wasn’t much of a fan of mixed drinks either, unless they were mostly sugar and syrup and fruit.  

Something he definitely got from his mother.  She and Adrian have both teased him how he managed to find men who had damn near the same taste in alcohol as his father.

It’s been a while since he’s thought about Atlas.  Sometimes he wonders what he would’ve thought of Regis’s career in the Alliance, his choice in relationship, and his ultimate decisions in the midst of the Reaper War.

In these times of peace, Regis’s mind wandered more and more.

“Be careful who you say that around,” Wrex piped up from the kitchen.  

“I think we have enough credits to cover everyone here if it came to it,” Kaidan chuckled.  “Not that we have any krogan liquor here, but if you put it on the tab, I might be inclined to pay for it.  You did help save our lives after all.”

“It amazes me how good of a person you are, Kaidan.  I won’t take too much advantage of your generosity.”

“I will!” Tali exclaimed, seated next to Wrex.  They fist bumped. 

Kaidan rolled his eyes.  “Thanks.”

“You do have an impressive bar here,” Ashley said, moving to grab Wren’s empty drink, pour out the ice, and drop it in the sink.  She sat down next to her.  “It’s a damn shame you never took up my offer for that drinking contest.  Didn’t want to lose against the ‘Glamorous and beautiful superstar Spectre agent’?”

“My biotics and my modifications would give me an unfair advantage.  I don’t get drunk easily,” Regis defended.  Mostly he didn’t want to drink whatever hard shit she would insist on, and she most definitely knew that.  Better suited for Zaeed and Kaidan to take her up on her offer.  “Cute title.  Might need to come up with one like that for Kaidan.”

“I’ll get right on it,” she laughed, giving Kaidan a wink.  He merely shook his head, walking into the kitchen to sit with Tali and Wrex.  Zaeed joined Vik on the couch.

As Regis moved to join Zaeed by the fireplace, he saw Brooks rushing towards them from the spare bedroom, wearing a simple, but elegant dress, just enough to fit the dress code without drawing too much attention.  She had pulled her hair up into a bun and curled her hair, adding a bit of extra makeup to her face and finishing off the look with a hint of gloss.  “Sorry for the delay!  Got a little distracted.  Wow, you have such a great apartment!”

Regis nodded his head at the compliment.  “Ready to go?  Or do we need to debrief again before we take the skycars over?” He motioned to the door, anxious to get on with it. 

He was more unnerved about the situation than he let on, wondering how someone managed to get past his security and get too close to ending him once and for all.  After they get the apartment back to themselves, he's going to seek comfort in Kaidan and Zaeed, hoping that this will all blow over soon. 

They know how vulnerable the restaurant attack made him.  His injuries and immediate clinginess was enough proof of that. 

“Skycars?” Brooks asked.  “Plural?  I thought we would all be walking in together?”  She looked a little put out.

“This is as much of a press event as it is a mission,” Kaidan said.  “Better for the three of us to get all the attention first, while you follow behind.  Nothing personal.”

“Maybe a little personal,” Zaeed said under his breath.  Kaidan would’ve elbowed him for that.  Regis wasn’t that tactful. 

"Okay, that makes sense!  I'll be able to slip away and get ready while you three steal the show.  Got it," she said with a nod. 

Yes, that was the point of the mission.  Regis kept his snide comment silent.  “So, are we ready?  Any last minute preparations?”

Wren stood up and shook her head.  “None at all from my end.  We’ll also be in civilian wear, to not draw too much attention to ourselves in the area.  The rest of the squad will be ready to go in full gear if necessary, but somehow I doubt that will be an issue.  I’ll hail the skycars.”

– –

They stepped out of the skycar, and Regis held out his arms, waiting for Kaidan and Zaeed to link arms with him before heading down the red carpet lining the path into the Silver Coast Casino.  Flashing lights, cheering crowds, and adoring masses lined the area, held back by rope barriers.  

Regis couldn't help but flash a charming smile to the crowds. “We are going to be all over the headlines tomorrow morning,” he remarked, amused at the whole situation.  There were benefits to being the man in the middle, having no hand free to wave to the crowd.

Kaidan waved at the crowd, playing the ever-so-perfect media darling.  Regis could play the part as well, but Kaidan was quite the natural at it these days.  Let Kaidan do the talking, while Regis stands menacingly for recruitment posters.  “All part of being who we are, I’m afraid.”

“Don't rope me into your celebrity statuses, babe," Zaeed grumbled, keeping his free hand stashed in a pocket, "I'm just an accessory to both of your Spectre and Admiral nonsenses."  He may have sounded reluctant, but Regis knew he secretly enjoyed all the attention, loving that he could be out and open in the spotlight with his husbands by his side.

“You love it, though,” Kaidan said as they walked through the grand doors, stopping at the foot of the stairs.  Regis moved his grip to brush against their hands before breaking apart.  They stayed close together, shoulders touching, unafraid to be out and open with who they are.  “The press are only allowed outside.  We should have nothing to worry about once inside. Except for some extranet gossip, but that's normal."

“I am going to hold you to that,” Zaeed said, popping another button open on his collar, smirking at Regis as he did so.  Regis narrowed his eyes a fraction, raising an eyebrow.  Zaeed mirrored the motion, as if goading him into doing something about it.  And oh, he wanted to.  Wanted to find a stray alcove or hidden corner somewhere and wipe that damn expression off his face, make him let loose and ruin his suit under Regis’s terms.

This is going to be a game all evening, isn’t it?

Brooks joined them soon after, walking quickly down the red carpet behind them.  “Well, I guess I’ll get to the ventilation shaft.  Wish me luck!”

As she walked up the stairs, Regis double checked the comms and activated his link.  Kaidan and Zaeed did the same.  “Wren, have anything for us?”

“Not currently.  EDI and I will keep in contact in case we’re needed.  As you can imagine, Khan is a paranoid bastard, and has lots of surveillance.  Act natural, mingle, and be in oh-so-disgusting-love,” Wren said, chuckling at the end of her sentence.

“It’s like you want us to be all over the extranet,” Zaeed muttered, shaking his head.  “Remind me why I signed up for this?”

“I’d imagine because of whatever Regis and maybe Kaidan promised you.  And I don’t want to hear it.  But remember: this is supposed to be a press-free event on the inside.  You’ll be fine, Zaeed.  Also: mute button.  Use it!”  Wren chimed in.

Regis rolled his eyes, despite knowing she couldn’t see it, and muted his comm for now.  “Time to meet the riff-raff.”

“And I’m going to hang out at the goddamn bar,” Zaeed said, making a motion with his thumb.  “You two can look pretty and talk politics or some shit.  Lots of crowds mingling.  Maybe you can learn something new.”

There were plenty of groups, mixed between humans and aliens, all in formal wear.  Some were hanging out by the gambling areas, others stayed put in the various couches for a semblance of privacy.  Others were walking hand in hand, pointing and marveling at the spectacle.  It was quite the elegant place, a soft piano ambience in the air mingling with the sound of the crowds.  

“So you want us to do all the distracting work so you can look pretty drinking the night away at the bar,” Regis said, linking his arm back with Zaeed's.  “Come on, where’s your sense of adventure?”

“I left it at the door with my guns.”    

Regis did let Zaeed guide him to the bar, where he asked for some sparkling flavored water.  “Three of the strawberry flavored, will you?”  He held up three fingers, nodding once the bartender set three cans on the table.  “Have to stay focused tonight, you hear me?”  The bartender nodded, likely getting lots of similar requests.  People either wanting to get drunk and have fun, or those that want to take part in the festivities without losing face.  Or a lot of money.

Huh.  Maybe he did plan something out of this.  Kaidan looked at him curiously, grabbing a can and opening it, taking a long sip.  “Are a lot of people enjoying the evening?” Kaidan asked, motioning to the well-stocked bar.

“People are feeling adventurous lately.  Some asari gelatin shots that kick like a shotgun.  Even some hanar delicacies.  Ever heard of mindfish?”

Regis and Kaidan shared a look.  Zaeed grinned.  “Sure have.  Never tried it myself, it seemed too goddamn wild even for my tastes.”

“So, what is it?” Regis asked, taking a drink.  

The bartender went into detail about hallucinogenic skin oils and how it works in humans.  Yeah, no, not for him.  He likes being in control.  And something like that sounds like his worst nightmare.  “I think I’ll pass,” Regis said, finishing off the small can.  The bartender took it off his hands.

“I don’t blame you.  We have many more ‘normal’ concoctions, if you desire to get something stronger.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Kaidan said diplomatically, finishing off his drink.  “Have a good evening.”

“You too, gentlemen.”  They stepped away from the bar.

“Well, that was a waste of time,” Regis muttered, heading towards the grand stairway in the back.

“Isn’t that the whole point?  To waste time?” Zaeed asked, giving him an unimpressed look, but following behind him.

“He’s got a point, love,” Kaidan said, moving up beside Regis.  “Besides, do you really want to entertain most of the people here who are probably vying to get a special talk with the oh-so-great Admiral Shepard?”

“As if you aren’t the oh-so-wonderful Admiral Alenko.  But fair, I can concede to that,” Regis admitted, moving to lean against the railing in front of the waterfalls.  “This should be my element,” he murmured, crossing his arms against his chest.  “I sometimes like doing these things, but tonight I just want to get to Khan.”

“It’s not a normal evening,” Zaeed said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek.  “We’ll find the bastards that are doing this and make them fucking pay for nearly taking you away from us.”

“I know.  Can’t help but dwell on it,” he sighed.  

“Admiral, I’m upstairs by the grate leading to the shaft, but there’s a problem.  Can you meet me?” Brooks said over the comm, sounding worried.

Kaidan answered, “We’re on our way.”

They walked up the stairs and met her off to the side, away from the dance floor and yet another well-stocked bar.  She was standing in front of the vent, her omnitool out.  “Ah, there you are!  Okay, just like we thought.  There’s an alarm on the grate.”

“We’ll need to bypass it,” Regis said with a nod.  “Something tells me this isn’t something I can do cleanly with one of my programs?”

“Probably not…?” She trailed off, glancing back at the vent.  “In any case, Major Clarkson gave me these to pass to you.”  She pulled out a small lens case from her pocket.  “These are resonance emitter lenses.  They will let you see security grids and wiring.”

Regis sanitized his hands with a quick flash of his omnitool and put in the lenses, blinking quickly as his eyes adjusted to the intrusion.  A slight haze settled over his vision, and he saw bright blue glowing wiring on the wall surrounding the vent and climbing down to the floor.

“I love your glowing eyes, but that’s freaky on another level,” Zaeed said, blunt as ever.  Kaidan gave him one of his signature looks.  

Regis ignored them but made a point to catch his reflection later. “Good.  I'll disable the alarm.  Should be rudimentary with this shit in my eyes.”

“Fingers crossed!” She said, holding up a hand.   

“I’ll be right back,” Regis said.  He activated the comm.  “Wren, the lenses are working great.  Bit disorienting though.”

“Yeah, they aren’t my favorite thing either.  Calibrated well with your cybernetics?”

“Perfectly.  Great work as always.”

“You flatter me.  Follow the blue wiring for me.”

As he walked across the upper floor, careful to not bump into any of the dancing, drinking patrons, he noticed glowing areas around the cameras.  “I see the camera zones as well.  I’ll keep an eye out for them.”

“Wasn’t even worried about you.”  

He stopped at the wall on the other side of the room, directly across from the vent.  “I see the junction, and of course a camera is watching it.  Need me to hack and fool it, or am I going to need a Wren and EDI special?”

“Pfft, nah.  You got the good shit.  The stuff I have is a fork of your stuff anyway.  It’s pretty sad that the shit you and Adrian do was far better than a lot of stuff in the former SB’s database.”

Regis chuckled, activating his hack with a flourish and disabling the alarm.  “Thought I’d ask anyway.”

“Such a gentleman.”

The camera turned back on a moment later, and Regis stepped away.  “Should be disabled now, Brooks.” He took a moment to glance at his reflection by opening the camera on his 'tool.

His normally red glowing eyes were lined with yellow scan lines. He blinked a few times and the light dimmed some, but not going away completely.

Zaeed had a point. It was a little off putting, even by his normal post-Lazarus apperance.

“Good!  Zaeed helped me get the grate open and… in we go!  Act casual, this could take a while.”

Kaidan and Zaeed rejoined him in the center of the room.  “Nice and efficient as always,” Kaidan praised, leaning up against him.  He motioned to the dance floor.  “Want to let loose for a bit?”

“The kind of dancing I want to do with you two is not appropriate for this kind of shindig,” Zaeed chuckled, his eyes darkening.  “But I did catch an interesting figure there in the back.  Ashland… Jonah, I believe.”

“Of Eldfell-Ashland Energy?” Regis asked, the name vaguely familiar.

Ah, right.  The owners of the facility on Zorya, back when they hired Zaeed to free it from the Blue Suns…

“One and the same,” Zaeed nodded.  “Want to say hello?”

“Probably one of the more interesting people up here to talk to,” Regis said.  “Shall we?”

A well-dressed older man was leaning against the bar, speaking to a turian dressed in casual wear.  As they approached, his face broke out into recognition.  “Two Admirals and a well-known mercenary.  Interesting company.”

“Enjoying the party?” Kaidan asked, joining him against the bar.  Regis and Zaeed stood next to Kaidan, getting comfortable.

“Young people party.  I drink.  Tonight it’s ryncol on the rocks,” he chuckled, holding up his glass.  “What brings you here?”

“Business,” Regis said, keeping it truthful but vague.  “A common reason here, I’m sure.”

“It’s never just business,” Ashland replied, looking over at Zaeed.  “I heard what you did on Zorya back a few years ago.  Good work keeping our people safe.  Blue Suns can be such a stain on this galaxy.”

He couldn’t help but share a look with Zaeed.  They long since worked past Zorya, and the moment Wren became the Broker, they were able to hunt Vido down once and for all before their final mission with Cerberus.

Still, it wasn’t easy thinking about what had happened.  No regrets from the both of them now, but Regis hated what that mission did to them, hated how fragile things could get concerning his command.

One of the few times he wasn’t sure if he would have done the same thing if he could repeat the mission.  Best to leave those thoughts buried in the past with Vido’s corpse.

“All in a day's work,” Zaeed said, brushing off the compliment.  “I had Shepard’s resources on my side.  Good to know that it worked out in the end.”  It worked out for the company.  For them?  Eventually.

Kaidan sent a reassuring push into the gravity well, sensing the change in the air between them, caught in their old conflict like everyone else on board the SR-2.

Regis sent one back.  They will be fine.

They continued to talk more about the state of the galaxy.  Ashland offered up some information pertaining to his company's growth and reconstruction post-war.  He kept his comm open, knowing Wren would likely enjoy the tidbits of knowledge.  

“Seeing all this,” he said, gesturing around him.  “Nobody is afraid of each other anymore.  You’ve made the galaxy quite a better place, Admiral.”

“I wanted to win,” Regis said.  “And the only way was to unite the galaxy to the best of my ability.”

“I’d argue you did far more than that.  Enjoy your evening, gentlemen.  Don’t waste your time speaking to me.” He raised his glass and took a long sip.

“I’d argue you’re one of the more interesting people here,” Kaidan said, amping up the charm as always.  “It looks like most are here to throw around their wealth and status.  What brings you here?”

He laughed and talked about his daughter, asking if they had run into her yet.  They hadn’t and the topic changed to her and his concerns about her.  Young, impulsive, not yet knowing much about the world.  Like they all were once upon a time.

Eventually, it was time for them to move on, Regis departing with a laugh and well wishes.  They walked back down the stairs, heading back down to the main area to grab some more refreshments and eat some of the variety of foods offered to the event’s guests.  However, an asari caught his eye at the bottom of the stairs, looking somewhat familiar.

She caught his gaze and tilted her head to the side.

Sha’ira.

“Admiral Shepard,” she greeted.  Regis stayed a few feet away, recalling their last meeting with a bit of distaste.  He doubted she would do anything–hell, she backed off when he asked her to–but he found the whole situation… uncomfortable, especially with Kaidan and Ash in the room with him, as if she wanted to put on a show.  “Or do you go by your full name these days?”

“Whichever you prefer,” he replied.  “It’s been a long time.”

“My idea of a long time is different from yours.  I see some of your companions have remained the same,” she said softly, nodding at Kaidan.  He returned the gesture, but Regis could feel the tense air around them.  Kaidan also wasn’t too happy at her display back in her chambers, ranting about it the moment they left the chambers.  “And some are new.”  Zaeed didn't introduce himself, and she didn’t ask.  

He remembered their call to Zaeed all about her later that day, catching him up on everything that had gone on since Eden Prime.

They have come a long way since then.

“I’ve put a lot of living in the past few years,” Regis replied, adjusting his tie.  “But even these times must feel long to an asari.”

“Indeed,” she said, taking a sip from her drink.  “If this was a couple of years ago, I would have had more advice for you.”

“Oh, really?” Regis asked, admittedly a bit curious to learn what she had to say.

She smirked.  “One word: win.  You’ve done far more than that, and I applaud you.  I would offer you a drink, but something tells me you would decline.”

“Want to have a clear head tonight.”

“I see.” She sat her glass down.  “Good to see that you are doing well, Admiral, after everything.”

“Same to you,” he offered.  “The galaxy has come a long way since its first human Spectre.”

“And now there’s more than a few,” she glanced over at Kaidan.  “Some even I would consider honorary in deeds if not in name.” Her gaze landed on Zaeed.  

She turned back to him.  “Did you ever find a use for that trinket?”

A vision on Eletania, after examining a floating prothean relic.  A chance, a hunch, a sensation from the trinket that brought him to test it in the slot.

He became enmeshed in the life of a Cro-Magnon hunter, captured by a prothean drone.  The implication of being watched and studied, but unable to comprehend it.

It disturbed him and still does to this day.  

“No,” Regis lied.  “I did not.  It was lost with the SR-1.”  That part wasn’t a lie.  It stayed hidden in a drawer after it detached itself from the relic.  He damn near wanted to blow it up, but he kept it, just in case.

His visions may have played a part in preventing him from destroying it.  Dwelling on it these days creates nothing but disquiet and unease.

Zaeed sensed a change in the air and brushed up against him  Right.  He never told him about the vision, barely even giving Kaidan the details after they got back to the Normandy and ensured Regis suffered no ill effects from the relic.

“A shame.  Maybe some mysteries were never meant to be solved.”

“Agreed,” Regis said, moving to take Zaeed’s hand.  He squeezed it tightly in response.  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to enjoy the rest of the evening with my husbands.”

“I can see saying that makes you very happy, Admiral.  I wish you peace for the rest of your life,” she nodded.  “A better gift of words than the ones I gave you all those years ago.”

“Thank you,” Kaidan answered, taking Regis’s other hand.  “Times are better for us.  I hope they are also peaceful for you too.”

“As do I, Admiral.  Have a good rest of your evening.”

“What was that about?” Zaeed asked as they walked back to the railing in front of the waterfalls.

“The trinket?” Regis asked, already knowing the answer.  

“Yeah, exactly.”  Zaeed nodded.  “Trust me, I remember the story about her.  You lied to her, didn’t you?”

“Can’t hide anything from you.  We found a relic on an UNC.  Her trinket just so happened to interface with it.�� I saw… and damn near lived the life of an ancient hunter.  The protheans were watching us, throughout our history” Regis said.  Zaeed and Kaidan both provided reassuring squeezes, punctuated by Kaidan reaching into the gravity well, his eyes igniting blue briefly.  “It’s… not fun to talk about.”

“That’s about what I got out of him after it happened,” Kaidan said for Zaeed’s benefit, moving in to brush a soft kiss on the side of Regis’s neck.  “Never expected to see her again.”

“That prothean shit freaks me out.  No offense,” Zaeed said.  Regis waved it off,

“Can’t say I’ve enjoyed having it in my head either.  It is what it is,” he sighed.

“Admiral!” Brook’s voice appeared over the comms in a harsh whisper.

“What?” Regis asked, lowering his voice.

“There’s a guard right below me.  He’s on the uh–left? Side of the room?  From your left.  Not mine.”

Regis looked over and saw a guard on the other side of the bar. “Don’t panic.  We’ll get his attention.”

But how… Hmm.  The three of them shared a look, and Kaidan kicked off from the railing, volunteering himself to do the job.  “Excuse me.” The guard turned to him, his visor shutting off momentarily.  Interesting little feature.  Kaidan leaned in close, as if he was telling a secret.  “You may want to check out the men’s restrooms.  I don’t want to snitch but…” He lowered his voice.  “Might have seen some people using red sand.”

“Goddamn snitch,” Zaeed chuckled.  “Hope there aren’t any unsuspecting folks in there.”

“It’s effective,” Regis defended, watching as the guard opened his omnitool and relayed the information to the rest of security. “But I’ll agree.  Was damn near tempted to bring my Astras with me.”

“Thought you quit that.”  His tone wasn’t accusatory, but his glare damn sure was.

“I did.  Shit like this wants me to bring it back.”

Zaeed wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close to his side.  “I get it.  Just don’t like you relying on them.”

“Neither do I.”  But he still has that feeling all the same.

“We’re taking care of it sir.  Appreciate your help.  You have a good night, now.”

Kaidan rubbed the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish.  “Uh, no problem.”  The guard turned away from him and started on a different patrol route.  Kaidan rejoined them as Regis relayed to Brooks that the route was clear.

“Thanks!  I’ll see if I can get to the panic room.”

Zaeed motioned for them to follow him, walking over to the other side of the room in the back, a quieter area with some mixed seating and refreshments.  A bit of a break from standing around and making conversation with people.  Regis was very thankful for it.

Kaidan grabbed a couple of little tarts and passed them around.  “Looked like you two weren’t too impressed with my display there,” he commented, taking a bite out of the tart.

“Wasn’t all about that,” Zaeed said, eating his in one go.  He wiped away crumbs from his mouth, getting some on his suit.  Regis moved to brush them off, but he dodged him, stepping aside with a laugh.  “It will be fine, babe.”

“You’re paying for the goddamn dry cleaning.”

“Our money anyway.” He shrugged.  “Anything to get out of this suit faster.”

“There’s a coat check,” Kaidan helpfully suggested.  He moved in, grabbed Zaeed’s suit by the lapels.  “You’ve always looked better without the jacket, showing off those arms of yours.”

Regis couldn’t exactly disagree with that.  But it’s about the fucking principle.  “And what happened to me making all of us match?”

“We’ve matched for the goddamn press already.”  Zaeed let Kaidan slip the jacket off his shoulders before he started rolling up the sleeves of his black, silk shirt.  Regis tried to not focus too much on the action, knowing it will definitely betray his real feelings on the matter.  “Take off your coats too and we can all match again.”

“Tempting.” Regis narrowed his eyes as Kaidan walked over to a room in the corner.  “But I'm not going to do it.  Besides, didn’t you want to take this off of me later?”

“You’re still all dressed up,” he purred into his ear.  “One less layer just makes it easier for me to make you writhe.”

Regis had to hold back a shiver.  It’s been a while since they were able to take a moment for themselves.  This shore leave was meant to be a bunch of self-indulgent laziness, plenty of sex, and ignoring the responsibilities of the greater galaxy.

Instead, he was fighting off yet another attempt on his life.  When will people learn that it isn’t easy to take down Regis Shepard?

“Careful,” Regis replied.  “You may be the one helpless if you keep up this game of yours.”

Zaeed popped another button, showing off more of his skin in response.  

Kaidan rejoined them, watching them with an exasperated look on his face.  “Not that I’m not enjoying the show, but time and a place.”

“Says you,” both he and Zaeed said together.  

Kaidan held up his hands in surrender.  “I like what I like.  But the last thing I think you want to deal with is getting in the moment and hearing Brooks’s voice over the comm.”

“I hate it when you’re being so reasonable,” Regis said, shaking his head.  

Kaidan hooked his arm with Zaeed’s.  “You can do whatever you want to each other later.”

“You aren’t involving yourself?” Zaeed asked with narrowed eyes.  “What are you planning?”

“I think I’m going to let you two take the lead on this one.  See who wins out on this petty game you have going on.”  Kaidan always liked to watch when it was the three of them, being a vocal spectator, directing the scene to his specifications.  Or he’ll be content just watching in silence, joining in after Regis and Zaeed were nearly spent to push them all over the edge.

Regis walked back over to the table of refreshments and grabbed some more desserts.  He was getting hungry, and these tiny little portions weren’t helping.  “Whatever happens will be after we get some takeout.”

“And we still need to test out your amp,” Kaidan reminded with a pointed look.

Regis rolled his neck.  “I can test out plenty of maneuvers in the bedroom,” he said, looking at Zaeed as he did so.  Zaeed smirked in response.  “Anyway, want to gamble some of our money away?”  He pointed to the door.

“Not particularly,” Zaeed replied, letting Kaidan guide him over to the door.  “Who else is there to even talk to in this place?  Politicians and shit?”

Regis followed them back to the main area, heading to one of the side gambling areas.  They can at least watch and feign interest in what's going on.  This was getting old, fast.  “Wren, did you ever get a guest list together?” He asked, unmuting himself. 

“I can send you one.  Why?  Zaeed complaining about the company?”

She knows them so well. 

“Am I wrong?” Zaeed shot back. 

She snorted. “No.  I’ll send you a list.  But since I haven’t seen anything too untoward posted to the ‘net about you three, I think you’re going just fine.”

Their omnitools pinged with the file transfer.

Zaeed opened it, examining the dossier.  “See, I was right.  Mostly a bunch of bullshit.”

“At least many are high paying donors.  And as far as I can tell, most of the money goes where it says it's going to be.  I’ll make sure that it all gets routed to the charity efforts.  I’ll leave you three to it, unless you have anything else for me?”

“I think we’re good, thanks,” Regis said, taking a cup of water from a nearby waiter.  “We’ve made good progress.”

“To be honest, I’m impressed.  Like you, I thought this whole thing was going to go up in flames.”

“A little faith goes a long way,” Kaidan said diplomatically.  

“You’re too goddamn nice, Kaidan,” Wren chuckled.

Kaidan looked at Regis and Zaeed, shaking his head.  “Someone has to be on our team.”

Before Regis could even attempt to defend himself–and it would be for naught, as it is very hard for him to be nice most of the time–the comms came to life from Brooks.  “Um, I’ve got a pressure pad and an obstruction detector ahead.  I can’t disable them from here.”

What kind of spy-movie bullshit is going on in this place?  Then again, physical security was never Regis’s thing.  Maybe this kind of stuff really was effective.

“Sounds like a job for EDI,” Zaeed answered, to his surprise. “We’ll figure this shit out for you.”

“I was talking to–oh nevermind!  Okay… I’ll stay here, hoping to not blow up anything.”

Her enthusiasm and focus on him was getting real grating.  Zaeed grimaced, muting his comm.  “This shit can’t end any sooner.”

“I don’t foresee how you need my help.  You have Shepard, who is capable enough with his own programs to handle your situation from my knowledge.  Unless you want me to improve outputs by an incremental only I will notice… then no,” EDI piped up.  “Wait, you wanted her to get off the comms.”

“You’re goddamn right, EDI,” Zaeed said.  “Regis, what do you got for us?”

Regis scanned the room, now since used to all the extra information coming from the lenses.  He identified one point in the gambling area they were in, and what appeared to be another on the other area on the other side of the room.  “We’re in the perfect spot, found one of the junction points.  Only problem is we have both a camera and a guard over here.”

The guard was weaving between the betting races and the quasar machines, making a long, but predictable path.  Moving fast enough to where Regis knew he couldn’t hack the junction and deal with the camera without her noticing.  

“Don’t worry.  I’ll distract her,” Zaeed said, undoing his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves to his elbows.  He handed Kaidan his cufflinks.

Kaidan gave him an unimpressed look.  “Zee, I love you, but–”

“No buts.  I can handle this.  You both do remember what I used to do for a goddamn living, right?”

Yes, in many explosive and non-clandestine ways.  But Regis also wanted to see what he was planning, and chose to not support Kaidan in this.  When Kaidan looked at him for back up, Regis shrugged.  Kaidan’s gaze fell on Zaeed’s arms and pursed his lips.

He got to see those large, muscled arms.  Can he really judge him?  Focus, Regis.  You can’t let him win.

Kaidan sighed and waved him off, moving to make small talk with some of the gamblers as Regis moved to the junction, starting by disabling the camera.  

“Hey, can we talk shop for a second here? What kind of resume do you need to work at a place like this?" Regis overheard Zaeed ask the guard as he inputted his program and waited for the camera to clear.

He had to stifle a laugh.  Effective for sure. 

“Well, if you're really interested, we have an extranet site with the details,” she replied, sounding hesitant, as if she was expecting something else out of him.

The camera cleared out, and he slid over to the junction, keeping a mental timer in his head.  Plenty of time to get rid of the first obstruction.  According to the printouts, this belonged to the pressure pad.

“Ah, thanks.  You see, I think a gig like this can really help me impress my boyfriend.”

Regis wanted to know which one, feeling like he could hear Kaidan rolling his eyes.  He finalized his entry, looking through the printouts as they appeared to ensure there were no errors.

His display flashed green, and he was in the clear just in time for the camera to recover.

One down, one more to go.

He sent a push through the gravity well to let Kaidan know he was done.  Kaidan nodded at the group he was talking to and walked up to Zaeed, reaching out for his hand.  “Hey love, what are you getting up to?”

The guard only smiled at them before continuing her route.  “Oh, you know, just making conversation.”

“Hope you weren’t flirting,” Kaidan teased, lightly punching him on the shoulder.  “Come on, let’s check out the other activities.”

Regis started to make his way over to the other side of the room.  “Brooks, try the pressure pad.”

“Checking the pressure pad… no alarms.  Looks good!”

“Good, I’ll get the other module disabled.  Stay put.”

“Not like I’m going anywhere anytime soon!”

Regis glanced behind him to make sure Kaidan and Zaeed were following him as they made their way over to the roulette tables.  

He saw the junction on the wall, confirming it was the right one by following the wires.  Unfortunately, this area was also heavily guarded.  Two guards were patrolling, and sending both Zaeed and Kaidan to deal with them would look suspect.   However, there was no camera this time.

Regis positioned himself near the junction panel.  “One of you needs to distract the guard, while the other keeps an eye out for me.”

“Sounds like it’s my turn,” Kaidan said, adjusting his suit, heading towards the guard that was patrolling closer to the junction controls.

Regis wondered how this was going to go.  Zaeed gave him a nod and settled near one of the roulette tables, keeping an eye on the game and the guard.

“Excuse me, sir,” Kaidan began, sounding a little… guilty?  “Uh, I accidentally used biotics on the roulette wheel.  Sorry.” Regis had to hide a snort.  He started to input his program, watching the printouts for anything he might need to adjust on the fly.  Nothing.

Man, the security in this place is terrible.  Either that, or his programs are that good.

Most likely a bit of both, if he had to guess.  The guard replied, “We can eject you for that, sir.  Do I make myself clear?”

The program was almost done.  “Extremely.  Though, I’m not the only one, those groups of asari–” he pointed behind him.  “Watch.”

The display flashed green before Regis turned around to see where Kaidan was going with this.  To his surprise, Kaidan was right.  Two asari’s eyes flashed a light violet as the roulette spun.

The guard hurried over to the table without a second glance.  Nice one, babe.

Regis sent a push through the gravity well, and they were off, leaving as the guard started to escort out the cheating asari.

Zaeed started to laugh as they settled down in a quiet corner.  “I love you, Kaid.”

“Noticed it when we walked over.  I wasn’t going to ‘incriminate’ myself at first, but why not.  Funny seeing him get so mad until I dropped that bombshell onto him,” Kaidan said, a smile tugging on his lips.

“I was wondering where you were going with that,” Regis said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek.  “Nice one.”

“I don’t get a kiss for my distraction?” Zaeed said, crossing his arms, looking unimpressed.

“Depends on which boyfriend you were talking about back there,” Regis replied.

“Uh, did you get it working?” Brooks asked, interrupting their conversation.  Ah, right.

“Yes, the detector should be disabled.”

“Okay… yes!  Alright, I’m already at the storage room grate.  Time to hit the lock.”

“Be careful,” he said, and then heard sounds of metal and general commotion.  “Uh, Brooks?  Everything okay?”

“Oh, son of a–hey, Admiral?”

The three of them shared a look.  “What happened?”

She started to whisper.  “Infrared laser hooked up to a silent alarm.  I didn’t get it in time.”

Shit.  EDI piped up, “Shepard, I’ll call the responding guard to say it was a false alarm, but you must stall her before she reaches Brooks.  She is coming from the racing area.”

“Got it, EDI.  Thanks.”

Regis hurried back over to the other gambling area, wondering if it was the same female guard Zaeed was talking to earlier.  As he rounded the corner, he saw that it was, her hand on her comm link and the other holding up her omnitool display.

He motioned for Kaidan and Zaeed to stay behind.  “Hey!” he yelled, trying to get her attention.

She held up her hands.  “Jesus, calm down.  I’m trying to do three things at once here!” Her omnitool pinged with an alarm.  She held up a finger.  “One moment, please, sir,” she sighed, activating the vid.

“EDI’s got it handled, thankfully,” Wren said quietly.  “She’s so cool”

Regis only smiled, despite knowing she couldn’t see it. 

Will she do something about it already?

“Barrow?” The guard sighed.  “What is it?”

“Ma’am, we’ve checked out the alarm in storage.  It’s nothing.  Minor accident,” EDI said with her voice disguised to be that of one of the guards.  

“Find out who tripped it and get them in my office by the end of the shift!” she ordered, shutting down her omnitool.  She brought her attention back to Regis.  “Now you. What is it you needed?”

Uh… that’s a damn good question.  He was going to be a little shit and bring up Zaeed, but maybe that’s not a good idea.  Try not to bring too much attention to them.  So… what now?

“Ah shit, I’m sorry.  Thought you were an old friend of mine.  Sorry about that,” he said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.  “I’ll leave you back to your work.”

Good enough.  Plausible, if a bit weak.

She paused and shook her head.  “You… have a good evening, sir.” She walked away.

Regis returned back to his laughing lovers.  “What is it?” he sighed.

“You came up with that on the fly, didn’t you?” Zaeed laughed. 

Regis ignored them.  “Brooks, you’re in the clear.  Please, be careful.”

“Thanks, Admiral.  I will!  I’ll see if I can get to the panic room.”

So close to getting to Khan.  Regis was getting tired of this back and forth, running on fumes at this point.  He moved to lean against the wall, taking a breath.  He knew he wasn’t getting a migraine, none of the tell-tale signs were there, but his head was starting to pound.  

Kaidan picked up on it.  “Regis, love, everything okay?”

“Just tired,” he said. “Shouldn’t have volunteered to do this so soon.  Wren, can you do me a favor?”

“Depends.  Related to the mission?”

“Not this current one.  I’ll say it anyway.  Get my goddamn apartment cleared before we get in there, and I don’t want to hear anyone bitching about it.”

“Ah, I see.  No problem.  I imagine some of us might want to stay behind in case there’s a problem… Vik already let me know they were going to meet up with Adrian to get him informed on the situation.”

“Sure, that’s fine.  Got a number in mind?”

“Myself and EDI… Ash for sure…”

Wren and EDI… that’s something he’s been keeping a close eye on from the beginning.  He first thought Joker was interested in EDI, but when Regis made that suggestion, he shot it down fast, saying that he and EDI were best as friends, even making a comment about Wren’s interest.

He also knew Traynor had a thing for EDI as well, but he wasn’t sure if that was just attraction to her voice or something more.  Wren, however, got to know EDI and her mech would often spend time in Wren’s office, helping her sort out stuff with her network and her liaison, an N7 Paladin by the name of Seth Nomad, still on board the old Broker’s ship.  

Keeping that ship intact gave them a lot of good resources in the Reaper War.  Too valuable to be decommissioned or sacrificed.

“That’s fine with me.  We have two guest bedrooms you can bunk in,” Regis said, looking at both Kaidan and Zaeed who nodded at the suggestion.

“I’ll let them know.  I know you want some time alone, so we’ll keep to ourselves.”

“Thanks, Wren.  You’re the best!”

She laughed.  “I’m well aware, my friend.  You three are being quite antisocial.”

“At this point, we’re tired of all this bullshit,” Zaeed said.  “I, for one, was tired of it when we walked through the goddamn door.”

“Fair enough.  Not that I really expected anything else from you,” she chuckled.  “Ah, well, as long as we get something out of Khan I don’t really care what you three get up to at this point.”

“I’d be careful, Wren.  Best not to give them anymore leeway they need,” Kaidan said, a smirk tugging at his lips as he looked at Regis and Zaeed.  

“What are they doing now?”

“Zaeed keeps messing with his suit,” Regis supplied, and Wren made a sound of understanding.  “It’s become a whole thing.”

“And Kaidan, you say that like you aren’t the reason why I cleared the camera feeds in the docking bay a couple of months ago.”

He shrugged as Regis recalled that memory.  Kaidan and Zaeed got a little… distracted with one another, to put it simply. 

Both of their exhibition kinks will be the death of him. 

Kaidan had the decency to look a little guilty at that, rubbing the back of his neck.  “Fair enough.  We’re all horrible.”

“That’s more like it,” Wren said.  “Don’t worry, we love you three anyway even if y’all love each other a little too much.”

Regis opened his mouth to reply, but Brooks appeared over the comms once more.  “Okay, so now I think you just need to get to me.  I’m on the other side of the security gate.”

“Sounds good.  We’re on our way.  Have you bypassed the camera back there?” Regis asked, eager to finally get the answers they came here for.

“Well, I got my side.  Yours is still on, though.  We need to finish this before someone comes by.”  Regis wondered if the security differed that much between the two areas, but then again, time wasn’t exactly on Brooks’ side.  It’s not like it would take him long to hack into any of the cameras on his side, but something about her blase attitude bugged him despite being so nervous earlier on.

Maybe she’s becoming more sure of herself as she goes through the motions.  Or maybe he’s just really fucking tired and is trying to make sense of something that doesn’t need it.

“Took the words right out of my mouth.  On it,” Regis replied, nodding at Kaidan and Zaeed.

“It’s the yellow wiring,” EDI chimed in.  Regis glanced down and made note of the path, leading them to an area in the back of the casino.  

“I can’t get the security gate to open from here.  The junction must be on your side,” Brooks said as they got closer to her location.  “It might be tricky, just so you know.”

Regis chose to not reply to that statement, looking into the doorway,

All that remained in order to get inside the safe room was a few cameras, a patrolling guard, and a stationary one looking bored against the wall. They were alone in the room; a couple walked out as the three of them lingered nearby the entrance.

“So, how are we going to handle this?” Regis asked, pathing out a way to disable everything as cleanly as possible.

“Don’t worry, I have a plan,” Zaeed said, motioning for Regis to enter the room. “Get yourself nice and positioned by the controls, and we’ll make sure you get us in with no problems.”

Regis looked at Kaidan who merely shrugged in response, not appearing to know what Zaeed was planning, which didn’t concern him at all. Nope.

If worse comes to worse, they can just Stasis the guards and threaten Khan. Not the end of the world.

Regis gave them one last lingering look before walking inside, sitting down on one of the couches closest to the first panel. He made a show as if he was searching for something in his coat, waiting to see if any of the guards were about to approach him.

Regis was in the clear. Ready to activate his omnitool at any moment, he kept a lazy eye out for his lovers, watching as they walked inside, looking a little flustered.

Oh, no. Really?

“What the hell were you thinking, spending all my goddamn money like that?” Zaeed asked, his voice in a low, dangerous growl reserved for the worst of the scum of the galaxy.

“‘My’ money,” Kaidan replied, with dramatic air quotes, his voice carefully flat. “I don’t know, what was that doc we signed all those years ago, signifying the joining of what, exactly? Remind me of that Zachary!”

Regis had to hide a snort as he activated his omnitool. The stationary guard shuffled on his feet, careful to look at anything other than them.

“Yes, yes, commitment and all that goddamn shit, I haven’t forgotten! Do you know what I was saving up for you, Kevin?” Laying it on thick with the names, loves, Regis thought to himself, listening out for the tell-tale sign of the program finishing up. It was taking a bit longer with this one.

“I don’t know, tell me. You’ve been awfully cagey lately. And hey, I ended up making more goddamn money than what we started with, so stop with your complaining!”

“Yeah, you may have made more money, but guess what? That wasn’t your fucking decision to make. Because I was going to buy us a goddamn home on Bekenstein, and you nearly robbed us of a chance for that!”

Aw, how sweet. The program chimed, and Regis got up to deal with the next one. The other guard in his route had moved closer to his lovers, slowing down as he assessed the situation.

“You… what? Our dream home?” Kaidan asked, all starry-eyed. He’s sure Wren was getting an absolute kick out of this, but she was suspiciously quiet. Maybe she was enjoying the show as much as Regis was.

“Yes, you blind idiot!” Out of the corner of his eye, Regis saw Zaeed step closer to Kaidan.

“You should’ve told me! You know how much planning I have to do now to make it perfect? Come here, you asshole.” Kaidan closed the distance between them, grabbing Zaeed by the shirt collar, and pushing him up against the wall near the door.

Regis activated his omnitool the moment he heard the patrolling guard clear his throat awkwardly, inputting the program and watching for the cameras, both still disabled. He would’ve love to watch the show, having just enough of them in view to see that they were ignoring the guard, too absorbed in each other and their love. Or something.

The other guard had joined his partner, clearing his throat louder and trying to find a way to deal with the… situation.

The program chimed, and Regis moved away from the wall, sending out a quick pulse in the gravity well to signify he was ready to go.  In the corner of his eye he saw Brooks outside the door with her omnitool out.  Just in time.

He watched, amused, as they broke apart. “Sorry, gentlemen. A place like this makes you feel so in love,” Kaidan sighed. “We’ll finish this later, darling. Got to show all my appreciation somehow.”

The guards waved his lovers off, turning their backs to them and giving them a bit of space.  Honestly, it was a good plan, making the air awkward and causing the guards to stumble in their routine.

Still, they could work on their acting skills.  He has half a mind to call them by their fake names on their way back to the apartment, just to see how they will react.

They slipped past the guards, the three of them now ready and waiting in the hallway in front of the door.  Brooks nodded at them and opened the door, the four of them rushing inside the office as the doors closed and locked behind them, the faint voice of a guard shouting cut off by the sudden closure.  A problem they will deal with later.

The office itself was fancy, a large, long, wooden desk that appeared to be an Earth antique, and had to be decades, if not over a hundred years old judging by the craftsmanship.  Dimly lit by a fireplace, the office had a nice aura to it.  A couple of chairs lined the desk, and Khan’s chair with him in it was facing away from them.  

A large vid screen was placed above the fireplace, clear of any data.  Other screens lined the walls of the office, filled with scrolling text.  Perhaps something of interest could be gleaned from those later.

The lack of reaction upon their entrance was not lost on Regis.  Or Kaidan and Zaeed, judging by their narrowed eyes.  

“Khan,” Regis began, stepping forward.  “We need to talk.”

No reaction.  Only silence.

Regis sniffed the air, fine tuning his senses augmented by Cebrerus’s project.  Blood.  Singed flesh.  Shit.

Kaidan tilted his head to the side and walked around the desk.  Once he got a look at Khan, a grim expression formed on his face as he turned the chair around.  Khan was slumped in his chair, dead.

“What the hell?!” Brooks exclaimed, stepping forward to join Kaidan behind the desk.

Kaidan scanned his corpse with his omnitool to confirm it.  “Dead by cardiac arrest.  An overload, perhaps.  This wasn’t accidental.”

“And here I had this bad-cop routine all planned,” Zaeed muttered as he and Regis joined them, all huddled around the smaller terminal.  It was open and logged in.  Brooks moved to activate it, but Regis pushed her aside and starting looking through the outputs.

“Fucking hell,” Wren cursed.  “Got me in?”

“Almost there… ah, there you go,” Regis said, getting her linked into Khan’s systems.  “And well, shit, there’s a deletion order.”

“Goddammit.  What a fucking–ugh.”  Wren let out another string of curses, her composure surprisingly lost.  

Brooks started to ramble behind them, pacing back and forth and apologizing if this was because something she did.  Regis paid her no mind as he continued to look through the terminal along with Wren in his ear in case there was something left.

And there–a comm that was left.  Only the terminal was wiped.  Amateurs Regis scoffed to himself.  “Looks like our killer is an idiot.  Didn’t wipe everything.  Let’s see what this is.”

“So, that means we can bring it back to the safe house and scan it or–”

Regis rolled his eyes and activated the comm, turning around to face the screen once it went through.

A figure appeared on the screen, obscured by static and a feed disguised to be lagged out.  “Already on it, Regis,” Wren said.

“Elijah, come crawling back?” The voice taunted, the same modulator as the earlier call Wren got her hands on.

Regis couldn’t help but smirk, crossing his arms and punctuating it by roaring his corona to life.  “Afraid not.”

“You!  I see you’ve recovered from flopping on the floor like a fish.” The voice was carefully neutral, only losing a bit of composure at the beginning.

Have they not checked the news feeds?  Or maybe this was just part of the show they are putting on?

“Fucking pathetic work,” Regis scoffed.  “Please, you must know my track record.  Did you really think falling from an abomination of a restaurant would be my end?”

“Brave.  I thought as much, but it won’t matter.  You have nothing.  All you can do is wait for the hammer to fall.”

Regis blinked.  Is this guy serious?  “I have nothing?  Huh, interesting.  And yet you want me and all that I stand for.”

“Don’t worry.  I’ll take everything you have and everything you are.  And there won’t be anything you can do about it.”  The call ended from the voice’s end.

“Shit.  Almost enough time to track it.  Still, it’s something,” Wren muttered over the comms, almost sounding a little defeated.  “Pull out any data drives you can find.”

“Already on it,” Zaeed said, taking Regis’s place at the terminal.  “Think EDI can find something?”

“I’ll be surprised if I am unable to locate anything from the drives,” EDI said.  “Also, there are guards and C-Sec behind the door.  I suggest letting them in so you can explain the situation.”

“Never a dull day,” Kaidan said, moving to unlock the door, already prepping his Spectre credentials.  A few armed C-ec and a couple of the casino guards were waiting on the other side, their own pistols drawn.

Brooks instinctively put her hands up, but Zaeed shot her a glare, causing her to slowly put them down.

“Excuse me, Kaidan Alenko, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance.  With me here is Regis Shepard, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance, Zaeed Massani, Spectre liaison, and Maya Brooks, Alliance Staff Analyst,” Kaidan said, smoothly diffusing the situation.  “This is under our jurisdiction.”

The salarian officer stepped forward and scanned the credentials.  “If we didn’t recognize you by sight, these definitely prove it.  What’s the situation, Spectre Alenko?”

The next hour passed in a flurry as Zaeed prepped the data drives for transport and Kaidan and Regis talked to the officers to prepare basic reports about the situation, giving the officers a general breakdown of the situation, careful to not reveal anything about the identify theft plot but instead about Khan’s seedier operations.

Enough to provide plausible reason without informing more people of the situation, heeding Brooks’s earlier warnings.  Not that Regis still wanted to abide by them at this point, but there was wisdom in giving information as little as possible.  

Soon enough, they were able to gather their things and leave, Regis making a point to stop by the coat check to give Zaeed his goddamn suit coat with a pointed look that went nowhere.

The only good thing to come out of this mission, really, their teasing keeping things interesting even if they don't keep their promises to do something about it in the end. 

At least they weren’t entirely empty handed, but it didn’t inspire confidence either.  EDI was known to work miracles, and even more so with Wren by her side.

The ride back to the apartment was slightly awkward as they only called one skycar for the four of them to share.   And one of them had to be the one to break the news that the apartment was off-limits to Brooks, who seemed eager to get to the bottom of this, even more so than Regis.

Which, again, fair, but Regis was only human, and he was tired of chasing ghosts.

“But, we have to–”

“No, we fucking don’t,” Zaeed interjected, stopping Brooks from responding to Kaidan telling her to join the rest of the crew in local accommodations.  “Shepard is exhausted, hell, we all are.  And we’ll be goddamn useless if we don’t rest for a few hours before reconvening. Give EDI time to look over our shit.  The Reaper War wasn’t won in a day, and neither will this.”

She slumped down in her seat, and the rest of the ride was filled with an awkward silence.

– –

The smell of soup greeted them as they entered the apartment, shrugging off jackets and taking off their dress shoes.  EDI immediately reached out for the physical drives to go along with the data transfers they sent her before they left the office.  “Ashley took the liberty to order some food.  She opted for an array of soups from a local kitchen, citing that comfort food is exactly what the three of you need.  Was she correct?”

“She was,” Regis said, waving at her in the kitchen.  “I’m going to get undressed, and I’ll be right down.”

“Same here,” Kaidan said, and they all made their way upstairs.  

The door to their bedroom was barely closed before they all started stripping down.  This night should’ve concluded with them enjoying each other, high after a successful mission.  Regis making good on his own promise to take Zaeed apart, as Zaeed fought to do the same to him.  Kaidan watching, observing, waiting to find the right moment to join in.  Or maybe he would’ve been drawn into their shenanigans anyway, siding with the partner he agreed with most at the moment.

Instead, they barely even looked at each other as they shrugged on some comfy clothes, washed their faces, and hung up their suits to be dry cleaned later.  Regis took out the lenses and trashed them, not worth it to reuse them for a later mission.

They all did make a point to prep their hardsuits for later, just in case something were to arise.

Doesn’t hurt to be prepared.

Waiting for them downstairs were bowls of piping hot soup.  Homestyle chicken noodle for Regis, cheesy baked potato for Zaeed, and a hearty vegetable stew for Kaidan, their usual orders. 

“Cute,” Ashley said as she sat down with them at the dining room table, also changed into some loungewear.  “I like your shirts.”

Regis shrugged, knowing he was wearing one of Kaidan’s Spectre shirts, and Kaidan wore one of Zaeed’s yellow tank tops proudly.  “Are you really surprised that we wear each other’s shit?”

“No, but I like teasing you about it anyway.  Big bad merc wearing your too small N7 tank top,” she said, looking at Zaeed.  

He raised his glass of water in response.  “What are you trying to say, Ash?  Want me to flex for you?”  

Ashley raised her own glass in response, winking at him.  “Be my guest, if only for your husbands.  You’re a great friend.  Rather not see more of you than I have to.”  Zaeed barked out a laugh.

“However much I would like to see that,” Regis began, smiling at Wren who sat down with a bowl and a datapad.  He pulled the datapad away from her with a pointed look.  She rolled her eyes and started eating.  “It’s still my tank top.  And l like that one.”

“Between the two of us, we have plenty,” Kaidan said between bites.  

“Whose side are you on?” Regis asked, putting his spoon down.

“The side of seeing Zee in an N7 tank top,” Kaidan replied with a smile on his face. “Everyone wins.”

As they continued to eat, the conversation changed subjects to the mission, all expressing disappointment at the outcome.  “EDI has situated herself in our-er the downstairs bedroom,” Wren said, reaching back out for her datapad.  Ashley and him shared a look, the same way Kaidan and Zaeed did, but Wren didn’t appear to notice.  Regis was tempted to just tell EDI already so she will make a move in lieu of Wren.

Regis gave it back to her.  “Don’t stay up too late pouring over reports when EDI can handle it without worrying about organic shit.”

“I make no promises.  But yes, I’m sure we’ll be working into the night.  We’ll try to get you a few hours of sleep instead of relying on stims, that I can promise you.”  

At that, Regis let out a yawn.  He finished off his soup and got up to put the bowl in the sink.  “And with that, I’m going to get some sleep and hope this all turns out to be some weird nightmare.”

“If only it were that easy,” Kaidan chuckled, moving to do the same.  “Good night, ladies, and good luck.”

“Try to actually get some sleep, boys, but by the way Regis here looks, he ain’t putting out tonight,” Ashley grinned.

Zaeed punched her lightly on the shoulder as he passed by.  “Trust me, the only thing this goddamn merc is doing is getting some rest.  Damn near gave me a heart attack when you sent that distress message.  I blame Kaid for calling that jinx.”

“Regis started it,” Kaidan replied, crossing his arms against his chest.  Regis didn't argue, he did make light of the whole weird email situation and he’s definitely regretting it now.  “Either way, it’s never a dull leave.  Hell, did anyone complain when you commandeered our apartment back?”

Regis didn’t even think to ask, too focused on getting some goddamn rest.  

Ashley shrugged.  “Not really.  Everyone understood.  Even Joker wished you weil.” “He did see me on the front lines.  Not easy when you’re always behind the scenes,” Regis said.  “Reassure everyone that I’m fine, but even their Admiral needs some time to himself.”

“Trust me, we did,” Wren said.  “Or at least, Vikram did in your place.  Everyone knows to listen to your doc.”

Regis smiled, stopping at the base of the stairway.  “Thanks, guys.  Remind me what I’ll do without you?”

“Hopefully you never find out,” Ashley replied good-naturedly, echoing what Kaidan and Zaeed said to him prior.  He rolled his eyes, but leaned into his lovers beside him all the same.  “Goodnight.”

Regis replied the same in response, as did Kaidan and Zaeed, and they hurried up the stairs.  Kaidan dimmed the lights in their bedroom, moving to turn down the covers while Regis and Zaeed went to do their nightly routines.  Regis admittedly rushed through them, the comfort of their bed calling for him throughout every step, barely spending the time to get his teeth cleaned and some of his piercings taken out before getting in the middle.  At a more subdued pace, his husbands finished their routines, sharing a quick kiss before crawling in the bed next to him.

Zaeed settled behind him while Kaidan was in front of him, turning to face Regis to kiss him softly and sweetly on the lips.  A lazy wave of his omnitool turned off the lights completely, leaving only a couple of night lights to light the way for the non-cybernetically enhanced members of their triad.

Zaeed pressed a kiss on the back of Regis’s neck, wrapping himself around him to make Regis his little spoon.  “We got you, baby,” he murmured.  “Safe in our arms.”

Regis smiled, cuddling up against him.  “I know.  This mission is getting to me.”

“I’m sure we’ll have some answers in the morning.  We’ll make them pay,” Kaidan said, his eyes flashing blue momentarily.

“I love you,” Regis said, cupping Kaidan’s face and glancing back at Zaeed.

“I love you too,” they echoed, and they all settled down in the comfort of their bed, in each other’s warmth, and hoped that this mess of a mission would be over soon.

[xylianna]

Xy’s 100 Ways Challenge - Prompt #90

Fandom & Pairing: FFXV - Gladnis

Rating: Teen

Prompt: “You can tell me anything.”

For: @theginia

Xy’s 100 Ways Challenge Masterlist - Prompts OPEN!

Tugging at his jacket collar in irritation, Gladio scowled at his reflection. Yeah, he looked great in his formal dress fatigues, but Gladio already longed to be back in his old, faded Crownsguard tank and denim cut-offs. But being on duty during Council meant dressing the part. You’d think Gladio’d be more used to it be now, but some things never changed.

After tying his long hair back into a ponytail at the base of his skull, Gladio eyed himself one last time. His beard looked neat enough, though it would need trimming tomorrow. The buttons on his uniform gleamed brilliantly, and they paled compared to the polish of his boots.

Enough dallying, Amicitia. Squaring his shoulders, Gladio left his quarters and made his way to the Council chamber. He was one of the last ones there - oops - and the bemused look leveled at him by one Ignis Scientia as he took his post next to the king’s throne made Gladio’s heart skip a beat.

Ignis had always been a handsome man. He wore those suits like a second skin; Astrals knew Gladio had noticed over the years the way Ignis’s pert ass filled out his pants so very, very well. But while Gladio had admired the Ignis of their youth, he was in awe of the changes maturity and adventure had wrought. The scarring at his eyes seemed to make the scintillating green more striking; the small blemish marring his lip made Gladio want nothing more than to kiss it and see what it felt like under his mouth.

The meeting was called to order, though Gladio would be hard pressed to tell you what was on the day’s agenda. The part of his brain not focused on guarding Noctis - a role that was largely ceremonial these days, since the King was more than capable of protecting himself - was mulling over what Ignis’s lithe muscles would feel like beneath his calloused hands, how that pristine, perfect accent might sound shaping words of passion instead of listing the Citadel’s inventory.

Gladio tore his eyes away from Ignis and focused on the far wall, straightening his posture. That side of the room, arranged intentionally where Noctis could see them from his massive chair, where blown up copies of photographs Prompto had taken over the years.

Some were from before everything changed - King Regis with his son, both of them wearing ridiculous fishing gear. A photograph of the late Lady Lunafreya - not a shot Prompto took, but given a place of honor. A group shot of old members of the Kingsglaive, lost in the fall of Insomnia.

Only one was from their arduous journey. A group shot taken by… fuck, Gladio couldn’t remember… containing not only the four of them but many of their allies.

The rest were from after the Dawn, cityscapes showing the progress of Insomnia’s restoration. In fact, Prompto was off traveling right now, taking shots from Lestallum to Altissia and back again, cataloguing the changes wrought on the world by ten years of endless night. The daemon scourge had left its mark on Eos, that was for sure.

After the meeting drew to a close, Gladio sighed, rolling his shoulders. Standing still for so long wasn’t as easy as it’d been when he was younger, but he had his pride and waited until everyone had left before shaking out the stiffness.

Or so he’d though.

“Gladio,” Ignis called out. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Iggy,” Gladio muttered, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously.

Ignis crossed the room to join him. “May I?” he asked, quirking his scarred eyebrow inquisitively.

Gladio’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t sure what Ignis was asking, and he didn’t care. “Sure.”

Relief flooded through him when Ignis gently lay a palm on his shoulder, pouring a healing spell into his body.

“Thanks,” Gladio said gratefully. “I’m sure you have more pressing matters than taking the edge off my aches, yeah?”

“None at present,” Ignis smiled. “I thought we could catch up.”

And so they did, whiling away the afternoon in Ignis’s office with a pot of ebony and a plate of sandwiches. Just as Gladio was congratulating himself on staying cool and not jumping Iggy’s bones, the fucker shot right to the heart of the matter.

“What’s bothering you, Gladio?” Those verdant eyes were piercing, and the intensity of the regard made Gladio squirm in his seat.

“Can’t talk about it.”

Ignis frowned. “Gladiolus… we’ve known each other how long now? You can tell me anything.”

Gladio leaned forward, laying his forearms on his knees. Guess how much he cared that it would wrinkle his formal shirt? At least he’d lost the jacket. “Can I though?” he rumbled out with a laugh.

“Of course.” Ignis’s words were wrapped in concerned confusion. “Gladio, you’re worrying me. What is it? Is something wrong with Iris?”

“Naw, Iggy, nothing bad,” Gladio said quickly. “It’s just… it’s like this…” After a couple false starts he swore under his breath. “Shit. I’m no good at dancing around so I’m just gonna say it.” He met that steady, seafoam gaze, and prayed his sincerity shone in his burnished eyes.

“I love you, Ignis.” Gladio shaped the words tenderly, and felt as though a behemoth was lifted in his shoulders at the relief of finally saying the words out loud. “Have for years. And I’m tired of hiding it.” He reached out, took one of Ignis’s gloved hands in his. Damn Ignis’s poker face; those sharp, delicate features were giving away nothing as Gladio continued to speak. “I wanna be with you. Now. Forever. If you’ll have me.”

Ignis laughed. He fucking laughed.

And then Ignis kissed Gladio, and that was all the answer he needed.

[cha0ticmimzy]

Chapter IX: A Car, a Torch, a Death

Author’s Notes: It’s spicy. It’s sad. It’s painful. It’s soft. This chapter is a mixture of a lot of things and I enjoyed writing it, so I hope you all enjoy reading it. Word Count: 5933 Warnings: It’s spicy from the get go. NSFW content (nudity, mentions of sex).  Rating: Mature

“I began to understand why God died.”-Twenty One Pilots

           “Don’t stop,” the blond gasped out, hands entangled within midnight locks. Teeth grazed along a freckled neck, threatening to pierce skin. The headboard of the bed thumped against the wall, echoing through the room, mingling with the sound of skin hitting against damp skin, of soft gasps and long moans.

           “I don’t plan on it.” The vampire responded, bloody hues clouded with lust as his thrusts gained speed, pulling free a high moan from the human beneath him. He could smell him, could smell the blood pumping through his veins. Could feel how warm and soft he was, pliant. It would be so easy to feed from him right now. Just one little bite, that’s all.

           “I’m gonna-” the blond choked out, gasping as he reached his peak, body tensing, shaking. The vampire stilled within him, reveling in the way he clenched and spasmed around his length. So warm, so soft. Rouge gaze met with not cornflower blue, but lilac rimmed with amethyst; such a riveting combination, such an inhuman color.

           Inhuman.

“We’ll have extra security from Tenebrae coming in within the next few days, so we can go over the protocols then. Until then, however, we need to go over a few rules,” Drautos spoke, voice loud and clear through the training hall. They had all paused in the middle of weight training when he’d come in with not one, not two, but three large bags filled with the dreaded uniforms that they would be forced to wear. “Yes, we have different uniforms. Yes, you have to wear them. No, you cannot customize them, Furia.”

           A round of soft laughter filled the room as the man called out slumped down upon the bench with a pout.

           “Now, moving on: the King has announced that the Gallery will be open to the public during the day of the event. This is a rarity, and the public will jump at the chance to get inside the Citadel. This cannot happen.” There had been an incident once, years ago, when a human managed to get past security and wandered the halls of the Citadel.

           He never saw the light of day again.

           “Due to this, we will be spread thin. I won’t force you to work both the day and the night, however, should you choose to do so, you will receive compensation for your time.” A ripple moved through the group. Compensation could mean anything from a day off to extra pay. It was definitely worth the risk. “HOWEVER,” Titus’ voice boomed, silence the murmurs, “the king has asked for a select few to be assigned to the Gala to keep an eye on things. Ulric, Altius, Lazarus- you three will work the Gala, and you will keep an eye upon the crown prince and Lady Lunafreya. Lady Sylva has her own personal guard already, as does the Lord Ravus and his fiancé.”

           “Sir,” Nyx spoke up, brow furrowing, “what is it that his majesty wants us to do, exactly?”

           “Keep an eye on the prince and Lady Lunafreya; there’s tension between the two and given the disaster that happened nearly a decade ago at the Gala, we’d prefer to keep things as calm and non-dramatical as possible.” And to make sure that the prince didn’t have another slip up; that didn’t need to be said aloud, however. “You’re dismissed for the day to make arrangements with the Citadel tailor if your uniform does not fit.” With that, Drautos left the room, and barely a minute passed before the Glaive all but launched themselves at the garment bags.

           Crowe got to it first, ripping them open and reading the labels out loud. “Wow, these are fancy,” she mumbled, holding her own up. It was similar in make to their normal uniforms; black and silver, jacket and pants. However, she realized that her own was lacking… Pants. “A dress. I have to wear a- Nyx, I swear to the Six, if you don’t STOP laughing I can and will punch you through that wall!”

           “Wow, a dress? Regis really is going all out.”

           “I’m not wearing a dress.”

           “Yes, you are,” Nyx replied, holding his own uniform up. A deep violet band had been sewn into the left sleeve, showing that he wasn’t a shifter like the rest of the Kingsglaive. “If I have to wear a monkey suit, you get to wear a dress.”

           “But-”

           “And just think,” Pelna chimed in, coming up behind his mate, his arms wrapping around her waist, “I get to see you in a dress. And we get to dance. And you get to drink. And we get to dance.”

           “Get a ROOM.” Tredd booed, grabbing his uniform and slinging it over his shoulder.

           “We say that to you all the time and yet you’re still here.”

           “Fuck off, Ulric.”

           “You offering?”

           “CHILDREN.” Libertus broke the pair up, keeping a steady hand upon Nyx’s forearm, keeping him from stepping closer to the redhead. “Calm yourselves. You’re both pretty.”

           Nyx sighed, shaking Libertus’ hand off so he could grab hold of his uniform and hold it up. It was similar to their normal work uniform, only more… Dressy? He couldn’t decide what made it different. Perhaps it was the fact that the make was more delicate, the fabric being more akin to velvet rather than the rough leather. Silver threading took place of the metal normally in place, and delicate buttons lined the left side, each one with Insomnia’s symbol engraved into the metal. “Wonder how much this cost?”

           “Don’t wanna know,” Libertus replied, pulling on the suit jacket. He made a face as he moved, feeling the strain in the shoulders. “Nope, nope, nope. We gotta fix this. A trip to Mister Scientia is in need if I’m gonna wear this monkey jacket.” He attempted to pull it off, only to pause, eyes widening as he realized his arms were stuck. “Nyx- Nyx, babe, help. I can’t- stop laughing you dick help me out of this before it rips!”

           “Calm down, you oaf,” Nyx teased between laughs as he pulled the jacket the rest of the way off before holding it out, only to have it snatched away by Libertus. “C’mon, let’s go. I need to drop off some documents with Clarus, anyways.”

           “Finally finish your report?” Luche asked, a brow raising as he folded his uniform over his shoulder. “I finished mine yesterday- didn’t really want to revisit that hell, but…”

           “Yeah,” Nyx sighed, shaking his head. “The footage that my body cam caught… I still can’t figure out what that thing was.” A grave silence fell across the room as memories of their mission a week and a half ago. Even after watching and re-watching the footage, he couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever that creature had been, it was old and dangerous. “Either way, it was terrifying.”

           “It looked like-” Axis began, only to be cut off by Luche.

           “Don’t.” Luche interrupted, shaking his head at Axis. “That’s impossible, you and I both know that. We all know that. That isn’t possible because they don’t exist any longer. That was hundreds of years ago, before the last war, even.”

           “Right…” Nyx frowned, brow quirking as he glanced between the two. Hooking an arm through Libertus’ own, he pulled his lover closer. “We’re gonna… Head up to see Scientia. Don’t burn down the rec room.”

           “Damn!” Pelna cursed jokingly. “There goes my plans for the evening.”

           “I always knew you were a hidden arsonist!” Nyx shot back with a wink before leading Libertus out of the room, their uniforms in hand. Once outside, the door firmly shut behind him, he paused. “That was weird, right?”

           “Yup. But maybe Luche’s spooked, still. I mean, I know you couldn’t pick up the scent we could, but that thing was more of an Alpha than Drautos was. I wanted to roll over and bare my neck…” Shaking his head, Libertus let a shudder dance through him. “Whatever the Nifs are working on, it’s dangerous.”

           “Right. Listen-… I need to talk to Clarus. About what we saw. Because we saw what that thing was, and I know it’s impossible-”

           Libertus interrupted him with a swift kiss and a reassuring smile. “Go do what you gotta do. I’m gonna got get poked accidentally with some needles and complain about wearing a uniform.”

           “I’ll walk you up?”

           “Whatta charmer!”

           Sunlight peeked through the curtains, dancing across his face. Noctis was already awake, sitting beside the blond. His freckles weren’t just on his face- they were all over. He’d tried to kiss them all last night, but… That would have been impossible. Hell, last night seemed impossible, but Prompto was still sound asleep in his bed. His hair was a mess of a blond spikes, and his neck was covered in bruises left from Noctis’ lips.

           It brought a smile to the prince’s lips.

           Yawning, he fell back against the pillows, listening the steady breaths Prompto released beside him. He didn’t wanna wake him, not yet. He needed rest- humans needed sleep, right? Or was it dangerous if they got too much? He remembered watching a news story about how too much sleep was dangerous- was Prompto getting too much sleep now?

           … Where was Ignis when he needed him?

           “If y’stare any harder I might turn t’stone…” Came the sleepy voice of Prompto, startling Noctis so bad he nearly leaped off the bed.

           “Sorry,” Noctis apologized, cheeks flushing. “How do you… Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”

           “Mm,” Prompto hummed, rolling over onto his back and stretching. “My back sorta does, but my back always hurts so that’s nothing new- is that breakfast? It smells wonderful!” Prompto rapidly changed the subject, sitting up and all but crawling over Noctis to get at the tray beside the bed.

           A laugh bubbled free from Noctis as he held still, watching the blond in amusement. “They brought it in about an hour ago. It should still be warm…. I dunno what they made.” He got his answer right after as Prompto raised the lid to reveal a plate of French toast and berries. A moan slipped free from Prompto as he pulled the plate off the cart and onto the bed, settling it down between them. Silence fell as Prompto began to stuff his face, eyes closed as if he were basking in the taste.

           “That’s it. I’m stealing your chef. I need this in my life every day all day.” Prompto moaned around a mouth full of food. Noctis hummed, stealing a strawberry. Sure, they couldn’t eat a lot of human food, but a few little bites here and there didn’t cause that much damage.

           Prompto fell silent again, focused on eating. Noctis found himself thinking on the events that transpired; the kiss- which evolved into more kissing. The touches, the way Prompto looked beneath him, how he felt, how he sounded. It made his skin tingle, just thinking about it. But that tingle dissipated when the thought of Prompto’s eyes came to the forefront of his mind. Right now, they were their normal sky blue; gorgeous and light. But last night, they were lilac and rimmed with amethyst. They weren’t blue, they weren’t normal.

           Did Prompto know?

           Mouth opening, he was about to ask when a swift knock sounded upon his door. Groaning inwardly, Noctis sat up. “Enter.”

           “Good afternoon, Noct, Prompto,” Ignis called as he made his way into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. “Noctis, you’re needed in the council. There’s been…” He faltered, something that was rare to see from the normally put-together man. “There’s been an altercation.”

           A chill danced down Noctis’ spine. “What happened?”

           “It’s better if-”

           “No. Tell me before I get down there.” He all but demanded, already climbing out of bed. He silently thanked the Six he managed to put on underwear before falling asleep last night. “I want to be prepared, and since you’re so shaken up, it must be bad.”

           Prompto shifted on the bed, pulling the sheets closer, sinking in on himself. The tension in the room had rose, putting him on edge.

           “There was an attack in Tenerbae. The remaining members of the royal family were not in any danger, but…” Ignis sighed, running a hand through his hair, ruffling the carefully groomed brunet locks. “Lady Aurora’s parents were murdered.”

           Noctis dropped the brush he’d been holding, his eyes wide as he stared at the mahogany top of his desk. Prompto wanted to reach out, to say something, anything, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it- not with everything in him screaming for him to run. Noctis’ back was tensed, anger flowing off him.

“Get a maid to bring Prompto some clothes.” He finally spoke as he pulled on a simple black hoodie and yanked on a pair of jeans. Turning to the blond, he gave a small smile. “I’m sorry- I… This- I gotta go. I’ll try to catch you before dinner, but…” Shoulders rising in a small shrug, he suddenly looked unsure.

“Noctis, we need to go.”

“Right-” clearing his throat, the prince straightened himself. He went to walk forward before suddenly changing his mind and walked to the edge of the bed. Soft, cool hands reached out, cupping Prompto’s cheeks, holding him in place as he placed one, two, three soft kisses against his lips. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Alright…” Prompto sighed, smiling, as Noctis withdrew. The prince left quickly after pulling on a pair of shoes, the door closing behind him. And then he was alone.

Again.

He fell back into the multitude of pillows, sinking into the soft mattress. The bed was easily three times the size of his back at his apartment, and far softer. And, he noted as he rolled over, it smelled of Noctis. Soap, of woodsmoke, of a sharp tang of ozone and something sugary sweet. A smile curled his lips as he buried himself beneath the sheets. Maybe a nap wouldn’t hurt…

“Don’t touch me.” Aurora hissed as soon as Noctis opened the door. Ravus took a quick step back, hands up. She was seething with rage; her normally sapphire eyes had deepened in color, resembling an angry ocean more than a gem. The anger was palpable in the room; even Sylva seemed to be put on edge. “They are dead and you refuse to do a damned thing. Sylva, I will not beg. I will not ask again. I am demanding that you retaliate against them!”

“Against who?” Noctis finally spoke up, flinching as Aurora spun around to face him. She still had tears falling, and her hair that was normally curled elegantly fell around her face and shoulders in dramatic waves. “Who did this?”

“Niflheim,” she growled out, hands- no, entire body shaking with the anger she felt. “Those damned bastards did this. They attacked Galahd, and now they strike at the holiest country? How can you sit on your-”

“Aurora!” Ravus interjected finally, and it was as if all her control finally slipped. She crumbled to the floor, falling upon her knees and leaning over, her hands curled into fists upon the floor. Ravus knelt beside her, his arm wrapping around her, pulling her to him. It hurt to see such a strong, happy woman completely wrecked. Her sobs made her entire body shake, and as Noctis watched, he could see tears trailing down Ravus’ face.

Attention turned towards the two coven leaders, he took notice in the way Sylva seemed to be made of stone- not reacting to what was happening at all. His father, on the other hand, looked ready to commit murder. “Within this room are the only ones who know of this tragedy.” Looking around, Noctis took in the faces: Cor and Clarus behind his father, Nyx beside the door, Ignis and Gladio behind him, Lunafreya and Drautos behind Sylva. Twelve people, total. The rest of the Glaive, the remainder of the council, Lady Sylva’s security- none of them knew.

Aside from Prompto.

“Tomorrow, we will make an announcement of this attack. During this, we will address the attack on Galahd as well. Niflheim will be brought forth for trial.” Regis paused, giving Sylva a pointed look. Noctis couldn’t help but wonder what that was about… “For genocide and for murder of a royal clan. We will seek justice. We will not stoop to their levels; war is not what we are searching for. We are looking for an answer.”

“I want blood.” Aurora muttered into Ravus’ chest, though it was loud enough for everyone in the council room to hear. “I want the one who executed my mother and father. I want to show them how it feels.”

“That’s the anger talking, love,” Ravus murmured, brushing his fingers through her hair. “… Though I agree. I’d like to see the one who gave the final killing blow brought to trial and persecuted-”

“Executed.”

“Executed.” Ravus finished, leveling his mother with a hard stare. Noctis watched as Sylva simply raised her wine glass to her lips and took a long sip.

“We can talk of that after tomorrow. You’re all dismissed. Noctis, come with me; we need to speak.” With that, the room cleared out relatively quickly, Clarus, Cor, Nyx, and Drautos being the only ones left behind to act as guards for them. “We cannot enter into another war, you understand this. You know how crippling the last war had been. Insomnia nearly fell had it not been for the surprise attack Tenebrae launched against Niflheim. I fear this is their retaliation for that attack.”

“But that was… What, over a hundred years ago? Before I was even born, so almost two hundred? And they’re still angry?” Noctis asked, confusion evident in his voice. “Why attack now?”

“They’re working on some sort of secret weapon. During our reconnaissance to Galahd, we were attacked by Niflheim airships. There was…” Nyx faltered, brows furrowing. “Something in the forest. It’s impossible, I know, but there was a shifter in the forest. One that wasn’t like us- now, that is. It resembled the original shifters. Like the werewolves of old.”

“How is that possible?” Alarm caused his voice to pitch upwards, much to Noctis’ annoyance.

“We don’t know,” Cor spoke up. “We’ve sent agents to Niflheim over the years, but none of them have ever returned. I assume they were taken hostage, defected, or took their own lives before Niflheim had the chance.” A grim silence spread through the room.

“I’ve reached out to Iedolas Aldercapt; he’s the president of Niflheim.” Regis broke the silence, voice soft. “He has agreed to meet during the upcoming Gala. It’s a risk, but that was the only way he would agree- if we did this during the Gala.”

“He’s planning something.” Clarus stated harshly.

“I know. Which is why I’m going to make sure we have our best on guard during the Gala. Drautos, I want you to remove your Glaives from patrolling the morning. The Insomnian police force can handle the public,” Regis ordered, magenta hues focused on the marble floor beneath their feet.

“Of course, your majesty.”

“I want Lazarus and Altius to be on the Gala floor at all times. Khara will be on the upper floor with Arra, Ostium and Furia in the gardens. Nyx will remain near Noctis or Lunafreya at all times- when Noctis is not with Gladiolus or Ignis, Nyx will be with him. Any other time, he will be with Lunafreya. We cannot have her injured.”

“Sir?” Nyx interrupted, brows raised.

“I fear they will attempt to strike at Lady Lunafreya. Lady Sylva is too much an obvious target, and Lord Ravus is an accomplished warrior that would be too difficult to fight.” Noctis shifted nervously. His father really had thought everything through already, hadn’t he? “We must be prepared for the worst. If an attempt is pulled, we will default to Alpha Phase One.”

“Which is?” Noctis asked, leaning against the edge of the oak table. “If I’m here, it involves me. What’s this… Alpha-whatever?”

“Alpha Phase One,” Regis began, shooting his son an amused glance, “is a plan of escape that only a few know. And I will keep it that way.” His tone was final.

“So I don’t get to know it?”

“No.”

“… Ouch.”

“You have your own escape route that Gladiolus and Ignis know and will take should something happen.”

“They know it?” Noctis asked in surprise. “And I don’t?”

“Exactly.” Regis replied smugly.

“Rude.”

“I think you’ll survive.”

“You shouldn’t be here!” Titus hissed as he closed his apartment door, quickly locking it. Ater shrugged, perfectly comfortable with sitting atop the counter. “Do you realize how much trouble I could get in? You aren’t supposed to be seen here.”

“And no one saw me.” She replied simply, sliding off the counter. “You stress too much, babe. No one saw me. I even went as far as using prosthetics.” She waved a hand to the mess on the kitchen table. “It was a pain in the ass to get on and off. Oh, and disposable contacts. And a wig. I made sure I wasn’t recognized.”

Groaning softly, the general ran a hand over his face. “You’re going to be the death of me, you realize this?” He muttered as he walked closer, hands coming to rest upon the vampire’s hips, pulling her close. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“They sent me out before they dispatched the Gloriam clan.” Her voice was soft as she reached up to cup his cheek, his scruff scratching at her palm. Icy hues took in the dark shadows beneath his eyes. “I didn’t know what they had planned. I don’t even know what- or who- they sent out. It wasn’t me, or Highwind. I would know- I was out drinking with her when we got the news.”

“Well, shit.” Sighing, Drautos released her and began to work on removing his coat. “Regis is pissed. They do realize that they didn’t get the entire clan, right?”

“… They didn’t?”

His blood froze in his veins as he turned slowly, taking in the genuine surprise that splayed across Ater’s face. “… They didn’t realize Aurora was still here.” He whispered, panic settling in. His heart began a tap dance within his chest. “Who authorized the attack?”

“Aldercapt.”

“That idiot!” Hand banged against the counter, the wood releasing a groan in protest. “He moves without thinking and creates a mess that I have to clean up.” Drawing in a slow, deep breath, he forced himself to relax. It wouldn’t be good to shift in his apartment. “Regis is going to address the public in the morning about the attack on Galahd and the murder of the Gloriam clan.”

“Shit.” Ater mumbled, biting on her thumb. This managed to mess everything up. “What of the girl?”

“Aurora?”

“Yes.”

“She’s untouchable, especially now. She’s engaged to Ravus, and we all know what the Lord is capable of. He saw battle when he was a barely an adult. He killed. He’s ruthless and dangerous.” Drautos shook his head, jaw working. “Iedolas is coming to Insomnia in a week… Why are you here? Had he planned on coming here?”

“He wanted me to come and check in on you. Watch- since you haven’t been sending in your reports…” Ater trailed off, shrugging. “And to get familiar with the city.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s planning something. I don’t know what it is- I can’t ever get him alone to talk to him, that scoundrel of a man is always there, whispering in his ear. I don’t trust him, Titus. I don’t like him. He’s… Wrong.” Shuddering, she moved closer, her arms coming to wrap around his middle. Cold fingertips slipped beneath his shirt, nails just barely dragging across the skin of his back.

“Ardyn is dangerous,” Drautos agreed, fingers trailing down her spine, hooking in the waistband of her pants. “But now that you’re here, I don’t have to rely on phone calls or texts.” He murmured, leaning down to steal a fierce kiss. A surprised noise escaped Ater before she reached up, holding onto his shirt, pulling him closer. His teeth grazed her lip, and her fangs pierced his own. Blood welled up between them, the kiss growing far more messy, animalistic. His hands wandered lower, grasping her rear, squeezing, pulling her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he held her up with one arm. His free hand slipped beneath her shirt, preparing to unclip her bra, only to be met with bare skin. A laugh melted into the kiss from Ater.

“I didn’t bother with one.” She whispered, pulling back to lick at her lips. Blood smeared down her chin, across her lips. He could feel blood across his own chin, in his mouth. But a growl of approval slipped free as she pulled her shirt off, over her head. “I’m not wearing any underwear, either.” She added, watching as his pupils dilated. He leaned down, pressing a kiss within the valley of her breasts. A soft breath left her, her head tilting back as he pressed more kisses against the soft skin before pulling a nipple into his mouth. His tongue laved against it before he bit down gently.

“Good.”

“It’s late, my lord.” Cor murmured in lieu of announcing himself as he entered the study. Regis sat in a plush armchair before the wall of floor to ceiling windows, gazing out across Insomnia. “You need to rest. It’s been a long day…” The room was softly lit due to the fire burning within the large fireplace. It smelled of cinnamon and nutmeg; warmth.

Regis hummed in response, slowly swirling the remnants of his glass of bloodwine. “Sylva is planning a coup d'é-tat.” He spoke simply, listening to way Cor’s footsteps paused. Even from here, across the large room, he could hear the way his friend- no, lover’s- heart skipped a beat.

“Sir?” He asked, as if he hadn’t heard him correctly. “How do you…?”

“She isn’t the only one with spies within the ranks.” Came the soft answer as Regis rose from his seat. Standing there, back illuminated by the fire slowly dying in the fireplace- it brought Cor back to their first time together. So many years ago, he’d been so young, and Regis had been so very gentle and kind. Strong. Smart. Heartbroken.

“You have Aurora working for you, then.”

“Yes,” Regis replied, turning to face the human. Cor had changed out of his uniform and into a pair of sweat pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Ready to sleep, and yet he came to check on him. It warmed his heart. “I had made an agreement with her shortly before her engagement to Ravus. He knows, as well.”

“And Lady Lunafreya…?”

“Is a pawn in Sylva’s game.”

“That poor, poor girl.”

“A shame. She was once so gentle.”

“And now she’s the perfect blade for her mother to weild.”

Silence fell as Cor moved closer, stepping around the desk to stand beside his king. Glacier hues stared out upon the city below; it never stopped moving, never stopped advancing. Never slept. The feeling of Regis moving closer, stepping in behind him, made a shudder dance through his skin. He leaned back against the vampire, head resting upon his shoulder. Regis, I turn, wrapped his arms around his middle, leaned his head against Cor’s. Together they stood, watching the city, as the last embers died out.

“Take me to bed, Cor.”

“Of course, your majesty.”

Prompto had been playing a game on his phone when Noctis came back to his room. Dinner had been delivered three hours earlier, along with an apology from Noctis. Some sort of meeting happened, and he couldn’t leave until it was over. Which was fine! Prompto had plenty to do! Update his Instagram, play games on his phone, snoop through Noctis’ drawers (he was a boxer brief guy, apparently), and look through the books that lined the wall. Prompto knew that the Citadel had its own library, but Noctis had his own personal one within his bedroom.

He may have spent too long looking through the comic books.

“Is Aurora alright?” He meant to say hello, how are you, but he needed to know. She was such a kind, sweet girl. For her to be hit with this…

Noctis sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he toed off his shoes. “No. She’s… Angry. Sad. Grieving. I spent the last two hours with her and Ravus. She tore up their bedroom- literally.” Prompto’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. She’s mostly mad at Sylva for not doing anything. Or suggesting any action. Dad took it upon himself to decide to make a public statement…”

“Why isn’t Lady Sylva doing anything?” That was confusing. Prompto scooted to the edge of the bed, feet barely grazing the floor as he watched Noctis move about, pulling the hoodie off. “Isn’t Aurora Tenebraen?”

“She is. I don’t know why Sylva isn’t doing anything- she barely spoke during the council meeting. I dunno. The entire situation is just… Weird and bad.” Shrugging, Noctis slipped into the en suite. “I had them bring you dinner- did you eat? Did you like it?”

“I did!” Prompto called back, grinning. “I had to have that girl- Crowe? She was the one who came with the maid. I had to have her help me figure out how to eat lobster tail… I’d never had it before.”

“Really?” Noctis poked his head out, brows raised, toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.

A snort spilled free from Prompto as he nodded. “Yeah. But it was good! And that linguine was so good. I swear I’m going to steal your cook.”

“Nah, you can’t have Iggy.”

“IGNIS COOKED THAT?!” He hadn’t meant to be so loud, but he couldn’t help it. Finding out that Ignis cooked that entire meal was surprising.

“Yeah, he’s been trained to be my personal chef. Lowers the risk of being poisoned.” Noctis answered, coming back into the room with an amused smile. “Since that’s a thing that happens to royals.”

“Oh…” Right. That was a thing that Noctis had to worry about. “… You have a lot of books.” He changed the subject easily as Noctis pulled open a drawer, rummaging around before pulling a pair of sleeping pants out.

Tugging his jeans off (and nearly falling in the process), he glanced over to the book shelves that took up an entire wall. “Yeah- dad used to read to me as a kid, and it just… Stuck. I only like fiction. Like… Magic. That kind of thing.”

A sudden question popped into Prompto’s mind. “Have you ever played Dungeons and Dragons?” He asked, watching as Noctis paused, pants pulled back up.

“… No.”

“You’d love it! It’s sort of like… If the characters from Lord of the Rings clashed with Dragon Age.” Prompto attempted to explain, and received a laugh in response as Noctis settled down onto the bed before collapsing backwards. “I’m serious! It’s really fun, too. You can make your own character and there’s always detailed stories…”

“Prom?”

“Yeah, buddy?”

“… Stay the night with me.”

Prompto froze, cheeks flushing at the request. “I… You sure?” He asked, fidgeting with the hem of the pajama top that had been brought for him. It was too big, but that was perfect. “I mean, I can go back to my room-”

“I’m sure.” Noctis replied, reaching out to tug on the edge of Prompto’s shirt. “Not to… Not to have sex. But just- I don’t wanna be alone. And I sleep better with someone beside me.” He explained almost shyly, not meeting Prompto’s questioning gaze. “If you don’t want to, I won’t force you, but-”

“I do!” Prompto exclaimed, before quickly backpedaling. “I mean, I’d love to. I’m good. I like it here. I like… I like being with you. Near you.” He wiggled in place for a moment before falling back on the bed beside the vampire.

“Good.” Noctis nodded, pulling Prompto closer. “I just wanna lay here. Today was… Rough.”

“Alright,” Prompto hummed, lacing their fingers together. “Then we can just lay here- as long as you want to, Noct.”

Noctis nodded, eyes closing. Prompto shifted, tucking his head into the crook of the other’s neck. It was nice, to just lay with one another. Prompto hadn’t realized how much he wanted, no, craved this. This softness, this warmth. Slowly, he tangled his legs with Noctis’, who hummed and cracked open an eye. He pulled his hand free to clap twice, and the lights dimmed by themselves.

“… That is so cool.”

“I know, right?” Noctis grinned as he took Prompto’s hand into his own once more, giving it a gentle squeeze. He felt the blond yawn against his shoulder and answered it with one of his own. “I’m glad you’re here, Prom.”

“Me, too.” Prompto murmured, pressing a tiny kiss just below his ear. Within minutes, the pair had fallen asleep.

Neither one noticed the way the bedroom door opened slowly, letting in the shadows of the hallway.

Her breaths came fast, panicked. Running, running; why did the family have to put in a maze in their garden? She could hear the water lapping against the shore; she was so close to finding the exit! The sound of growls behind her made her run faster, ignoring the way her feet bled, the way her dress was torn to shreds. She’d been there when they arrived. She’d hidden, contorting herself to fit into the hiding hole in the Lady of the house’s closet.

They thought they got everyone.

The little Lady was not here. She was gone, in Insomnia. They didn’t know that. They couldn’t know that. They wouldn’t know that. She wouldn’t tell them.

She thought they were all gone. She came out, and it was quiet. She went into the sitting room and found their bodies there. She didn’t scream; she couldn’t scream. Her vocal chords had been damaged when she was little. She couldn’t make a sound, even if she tried.

Then she saw it. It was big, and scary. Its fur was dark brown, and it smelled bad. Like rotting bodies. It had seen her, and it stared at her, golden eyes seeming far too human like. It was big, too; easily reaching her shoulders. And then she ran, and it followed, crashing through the house.

It hunted her through the maze, and it was still hunting her. Right, left, right, and she should be out!

No. No, no, no. No, this couldn’t be. There was supposed to be the exit here, not a dead end! Turning, she looked about frantically. She couldn’t climb through the bushes; the thorns would tear her to pieces before she even made it to the top. The sound of a growl made her freeze, her entire body shaking.

It was here.

She turned, slowly, coming face to face with the beast. It was… Smiling. Smiling in a far too human way. No shifter should look that human, like it was a human sewn into bear skin. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she backed up against the hedge, feeling thorns press into her back. It advanced. For the first time since she was three years old, she managed to make a noise.

She screamed as its teeth closed around her throat.

[blacklister214]

Second Son (New Chapter): Uninspired

It had been nearly twenty years since Jacob had set foot inside a hospital, but one whiff of the bleach, sanitizer, Lysol and recirculated air and it all came rushing back. The fear. The anger. He felt like that foster child all over again, being escorted down sterile white halls by various hospital staff. He'd hated them. Hated the ones that believed the lies his foster parents had told. Hated the ones that hadn't and had called Social Services, patting themselves on the back, and not realized the consequence that inevitably befall Jacob because of them. Mostly though, he'd hated himself, for being so small. So weak. So helpless. He'd sworn after that last cast had removed only a few days shy of his thirteenth birthday that he'd never feel that way again.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Hartwell appeared at his elbow wearing a lightly flirtatious smile. Apparently her distemper with him had passed.

"I'm wondering where you left your primary." He took a long sip from his bottle of water, waiting for a response.

"She's in the bathroom down the hall. I presume you don't intend for me to follow her into the stall." He was half tempted to tell her to just that, but that was simply his bad mood taking the reins. He knew that nothing that had happened was Hartwell's fault. It was a situation neither of them could have anticipated and they both had reacted as best they could. He needed to put his own feelings aside and play the hand he'd been dealt.

"What have the doctors told Scott about Korpal's condition?"

"Broken bones, internal injuries. They'll know more when he gets out of surgery, but that will take a few more hours." Presuming the doctor didn't die on the table, he would be relatively safe until he was in recovery. By that time Dembe would be a position to ensure no one entered Korpal's room who wasn't meant to.

"Visiting hours will be over soon. Are they kicking Scott out?" Jacob had no idea how these places worked. He couldn't see the harm in letting family members linger in waiting rooms while their loved one were under the knife, but he wasn't a hospital administrator.

"I wish. Currently the woman is the reigning queen of this place. It seems like every member of staff has dropped by to offer prayers and sympathies." Hartwell's tone told Jacob she shared his opinion regarding the value of such sentiments. Empty words, signifying nothing. Social niceties people felt obliged to pay, lest they be thought insensitive. Still, not everyone thought like he did. Maybe Liz did take comfort in the platitudes offered by Korpal's co-workers.

"What more can you tell me about the incident?" The agent had to have something to offer him other than the license plate. Glen had promised to run the number, but it undoubted belonged to a stolen car that would ultimately be discovered torched somewhere. He needed some kind of lead to chase.

"Not much. I was following the target out of the restaurant. He kissed the blonde on the cheek and put her into a cab. The boyfriend then left on foot, in the direction of the hospital. He waited for the signal and just as the light turned, a grey sedan roared around the corner and mowed the guy down in the middle of crosswalk." Korpal put the blonde in a cab? Why hadn't he gotten in with her, back to her place, or to a hotel?

Jacob shook his head. How Korpal choose to conduct his affair wasn't the issue here. He needed to stay focused on the details that mattered.

"If the assailant drove around the corner, there's no way he could have seen Korpal was in the street without a spotter. Did you see anyone?" Hartwell's lips thinned. The moment's pause was all it took to tell Jacob that the exemplary agent had slipped up in some way. He waited a beat, wondering if she would compound her error by lying to him about it.

"A waiter followed me out with a cell phone in his hand. He asked me if it was mine. I'd thought he was just hitting on me." He had to hand it to the kid, it was a good excuse. He probably sent the text the second he had eyes on Korpal, then covered his tracks by pretending the phone had been lost by one of the restaurant patrons.

"Description?"

"5' 10. Hispanic. 120-125 pounds. 17/18 years old. He took off after the accident." Jacob fixed Hartwell with his coldest stare.

"And you didn't think that was suspicious?" Hartwell returned the look with a scowl of her own.

"A teenage boy of color avoiding the police? No, I didn't think it was overly suspicious. This kid was no agent." Though Jacob didn't relish jumping to conclusions, he was inclined to agree. From his description and the way he'd fled the scene, the boy didn't sound like a professional. Odds were the kid was just as much a mark as Korpal, which meant he was likely in just as much danger.

"Doesn't have to be, just greedy and gullible." This was actually good news. The kid could be decent lead, assuming Jacob could find him before the hit-man did. Assassins tended not to leave loose ends. The question was, would he seek out Korpal first or this witness?

If it were Jacob, he'd target the boy. Korpal was unreachable at present, and even if the doctor did survived and regain consciousness, it wasn't as if he possessed any remotely damning information.

Jacob checked his watch. It had been about two hours since the attempted hit. That was more than enough time for the driver to destroy and ditch the car. The killer would already be looking for the boy. The fact the kid took off was promising. It told Jacob the teenager knew he life was in jeopardy. Whatever story the assassin had feed the kid to get him to cooperate, it probably hadn't included vehicular homicide. Hopefully after realizing he had been lied to by a murderer, the kid knew better than go home. If he didn't then the boy was likely already dead.

"Did you establish a cover story?" Hartwell rolled her eyes as if insulted by the question.

"I chatted up an old woman when I arrived. Her husband had a stroke and is in surgery. If anyone asks I'm his beloved niece. How about you? Do you intend stand here, holding up the wall all night?" Jacob considering telling her, but after her slip with the waiter, and the fact it took her two hours to share that piece of pertinent information, he wasn't interested in reading her in. He settled instead for one of his trademark enigmatic smiles.

"You should head back." Hartwell tilted her head to side, not doubt trying to gauge his mood.

"Not without what I came for." The operative stepped around him to the vending machine on his left. After feeding in the dollar, she bent at the waist, ostensibly to check the prices on the lower selections. Thanks to her swoop top, the action afforded an excellent view of her black lace bra, not to mention her perfect and prominently displayed ass. A quick scan of the hall told him he was not the only man, and in one case woman, to have noticed.

Hartwell glanced up at him and smiled seductively. A week ago he would have been more than willing to smile back, but now he merely raised an eyebrow. He was under no illusions about her motives for this little display. She was hoping to use sex to control him. If Hartwell thought fucking him would buy his silence about her screw-up, she had not read him well at all.

Whatever the operative saw in his face, it was clearly not the expression she'd anticipated. She straightened, her smile disappearing into a look of total indifference. Whether that was any more genuine than the flirtatious facade was anyone's guess. She entered in the code for a Snickers bar, collected her snack, and left without another word.

Jacob watched her retreating form with detached admiration. She was objectively stunning, but that fact mattered significantly less to him today than it had when he'd first met her. Jacob wasn't exactly a believer in monogamy or long term relationships, but it wasn't like him to lose interest so quickly, especially with someone as talented in bed as Hartwell was. Was his professional irritation with the woman that had left him suddenly uninspired by her? Or was it something else?

"Was that the St. Regis operative? You truly have the most unfortunate taste in women." A genuine smile stretched across Jacob's face as he turned toward the rich and familiar voice. Dembe stood before him, regaled in the blue shirt and black slacks of the DC police. A badge was clipped over heart, and a walkie attached at the shoulder. Jacob squinted at the pin that sat atop the right breast pocket of his brother's shirt.

"Well, well, 'Officer Lawrence', is it? The uniform suits you. I was a bit worried Sergeant Thomson wouldn't be able to find one in your size." He made a mental note to send the cop a bonus for setting Dembe up so another lesson from Reddington: Good work should be acknowledged and rewarded. That's what kept people loyal.

Dembe raised his eyes to the heavens. Jacob mentally congratulated himself. It usually took him much longer to exasperate his perpetually zen brother.

"You do remember I cut my visit with my daughter short to do this for you?" Jacob felt a rare pang of guilt. Since Dembe discovered the girl's existence, about six years ago, he'd make it a point to maintain regular contact, calling every few weeks, and visiting every six months. Jacob himself have been dragged along more than once. Watching his oldest friend with the girl had been a revelation. Dembe adored her. His whole face lit up in way Jacob had never seen before.

"What? I was paying you a compliment. If I was a criminal and I saw you running at me wearing that thing, you'd scare the hell out of me." Dembe's lips fought the smirk threatening to soften his expression, but Jacob could tell it was a losing battle.

"You are a criminal." Jacob waved him off.

"You know what I mean. So how is that niece of mine?" He'd never admit it, but every time his brother went to visit Isabella, he had nightmares that Dembe would never come back. Jacob knew he should want that for his best friend; the happiest Dembe felt went he was with his child. He should encourage Dembe to settle with her permanently, to give up the dangerous and rootless life he led with Jacob and Reddington. Unfortunately he was too selfish for that.

"Even more lovely than when you last saw her. Missing her uncle, of course." And the hits just kept on coming.

"Please send her my love." Jacob resolved to send his niece a large gift when all this was over. Not exactly an even exchange for stealing precious time with her father, but it was something.

"Of course." With Jacob's guilt slightly lightened, they could both get down to business.

"Check in with head the nurse. Korpal should be in surgery for a few more hours. Hartwell and the primary are in the waiting room on the other end of this floor." Jacob strode toward the elevator, confident Dembe could handle any issue that arose. His mind hummed with singular purpose, with no more thoughts of Dembe, Isabella, Hartwell, or Elizabeth Scott. He would find the waiter, with any luck while the kid still had a pulse.