#adam du mortain/f!detective

[dwead-piwate-meggers]

It Seems Like I Should Say, "As Long As This Is Love"

Chapter 5 (1, 2, 3, 4)

Fed up with dealing with her feelings alone, Charlotte begins to write some letters. She doesn’t send them. She can’t send them. But at least she can pretend to tell him how she feels. Spoilers for Book 3.

Adam du Mortain x f!detective rating: t warnings: none Read Chapter 5 on Ao3

tag list: @brightpinkpeppercorn

The Warehouse

Written on Agency Letterhead

Here we are again. Penning the things I can’t (won’t) say to your face. I suppose I should be flattered that you seem to believe that I’m fearless. Are you so wrapped up in yourself that you can’t sense it? Or do I hide it so well that even a vampire can’t tell?

I’m not fearless, Adam. I wish I was. Christ, do I wish I was. It might make all of this easier. I'm not though. I'm scared. So scared. Of so many things. Of being the source of all this trouble for my home. Of watching you and Morgan and Nate and Farah put yourselves on the line for me, again and again. Of having to spend the rest of my life running and fighting just to be free. Life expectancy keeps creeping up - I could live well past 80. I’ve got a lot of fight in me (you know that). I don’t know if I have another 50 years of it.

The day’s going to come that I’m too tired to run or fight anymore. I’m scared of… of being taken again. Of being someone else’s experiment. Of being a tool, a battery. Being used to commit who knows what monstrosities. Of… of all… of that.

And I’m scared of loving you.

I have… Historically, the people I have loved lie to me and leave me. Overtly or by omission, through death or abandonment, I’m lied to and left.

I don’t know if you’ve ever lied to me. I'd like to think you haven’t, that you wouldn’t. But you've hidden things, haven’t you? Sometimes it’s been because of orders. (And we can debate the morality of that another time.) Sometimes, though, sometimes it hasn’t. (I don’t mean your family. That’s personal. That was your right to keep to yourself.) DMB? Trappers? There wasn’t really a reason not to explain those to me, not when I had clearance (I had clearance, didn’t I?) but you wanted to keep that information from me anyway. And maybe that’s not the same as an outright lie, but damn if secrets don’t feel close.

As for death or abandonment…well. Given your functional immortality, I’ve got a feeling for which of the two options is more likely. We sort of live there, don’t we?

C.

[calnexin]

drawing request! wayhaven!alina...perhaps book 4 if you've played...

wayhaven Alina.. that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time

[nreads]

Mishka had an old ask where MC jokingly proposes to N after seeing the warehouse library. Based on that, I thought about an A-mancing detective who is also a bibliophile revealing that they had the same impulse:

MC: You know, N, I nearly asked you to marry me after seeing the warehouse library.

N, smiling: Is that so?

MC: Yes, almost dropped down on one knee and everything.

N laughs and is about to say something before they are interrupted by A

A, shoulders tense, trying to keep their voice casual: You are aware, Agent, that several books in that library are my contribution?

All eyes snap to A. A shifts in their seat, regretting saying anything.

MC, pressing their lips together to suppress a smile, their voice full of amusement anyway: Do you want me to propose to you?

A, with tight voice: Of course not.

MC, F, and M laugh, and even N has to hide a grin, and A's shoulders just keep getting more tense.

F whispers to M: They realise they aren't even in a relationship, right? And they're joking about proposing?

M : They're idiots.

[wayhavenmemes]

Submission Sunday:

[mnasthaii]

see now the theme of soulmates is sprinkled throughout the romances of wayhaven chronicles. the detective can help control m’s pheromones and touch them without causing them pain (something no one else has been able to do), n states that they knew from the moment they met the detective that they were meant for each other, f (who feels like they don't belong anywhere) finds a home in the detective, and a’s shell that they have built up starts to disappear which has been something no one was able to do before (not even unit bravo). furthermore, the temptation of the detective's blood represents their connection to their love interest: they have special blood and vampires drink blood, showing that the detective contains something that the love interest needs to live (both metaphorically and physically). therefore, the detective has an intrinsic and unexplainable connection to their love interest that indicates that they were made for each other since the detective gives them something they have been lacking.

[agentark]

something I really love is how all the LIs pet names for the detective are like....

sweetheart (utter adoration disguised as snark)

my soul, literal light and love of my life

babe!!!!

......Valued Associate.

[blinkvlink]

things i predict will happen in the upcoming books

• the detective will be cage-gassed. (it's physical also i doubt that it's magic so it would work on them)

• Tina/Verda will get kidnapped if they know.

• N will go into the berserk state and hurt detective (im willing to bet my money on that this is book 5 stuff)

• A and M relationship inevitably begins at the end of book 4

• The mayor learns/ already knows the stunt Rebecca has been pulling (Book 4 since Sera has been saying he will have an intense role in book 4)

• Douglas will go rogue if you are hard on him enough

• Aunt big baddie reveal either at the end of book 4 or in the middle of book 5

• book 6 has no direct villain and is more so focused on picking up the pieces of whatever the fuck is gonna happen in book 5

• murphy will come back by attacking the detective if he escaped in the first book

• book 7 is like an endgame event where everyone the detective won over as allies (maa-luse, sin etc) comes back to fight the supernatural rogues.

• rook will make an appearence one way or another.

• rebecca will not die but will get very hurt (book 5)

• F will get kidnapped in book 5 (there is this ask where someone asks sera what would each UB member would tell to past version of themselves about their romance with the detective and F says 'They came for you')

• Drinking the detective's blood thing will happen as a last resort after the LI takes a mortal wound from the aunt big baddie. (book 5)

• If your relationship with bobby is good, A's route will use this factor the most and the detective will have the choice to get closer with Bobby while A foams at the mouth in the background.

• M's crystal is going to be broken by a villain (maybe book 5) and theu will go delulu for a while as they regain their memories.

• Douglas will hurt the mayor bad in an argument they have if he is a supernatura

• If Auntie exists, her name will be either choosable or just the whitest name you can imagine

• ending of the LT (who you will be sticking permanently with will be at the end of book 4 OR towards the end of book 5

•In book 5, LT, A's and M's routes will take a back seat when it comes to angst while F and N's will get worse.

• Alima (the girl thats in love with M) will come up to the detective and be like 'leave them while you can before they hurt you' ORRR 'whats so special about you? why didn't they want me but they want you?' OR BOTH before M shows up and goes 'go the fuck away' and has a fight with her.

• A's love confession will be right before the offical relationship starts. So like they will go 'I LOVE YOU!!!' and then, like maybe a few chapters later or right after it will be offical

this is it for now. i will add as i come up with more.

[0-jloves-0-blog]

Per usual when i reread book 1 it's so insane to me that UB is old as hell but was so childish when they were introduced to the detective. Like am i the youngest one here or are yall?😭 and rebecca was just standing there letting it happen. Like these are the people who yall chose to represent the agency😭lmao.

They was just rude, bitter, and nasty at THEY BIG AGE COLLASAL AGE.

[royaltyontuesdays]

Agent du Mortain you are fooling no one.

[zennyshoneybunch]

Adam du Mortain x F!Detective

Disclamer: These characters do not belong to me, they belong to The Wayhaven Chronicles, an amazing interactive fiction game from #seraphinitegames. If you don't know it yet and enjoy well-written romance games, I advise you to take a look.

This is just a drabble of an idea that popped into my head during lunch time. Fluff. May contain personality/traits spoilers if you haven't read Adam's route yet.

Wordcount: 866

After everything that's happened you'd think staying in the same room as Adam would have little effect on you by now. But that is not the case. As we wait in silence for the rest of the team to join us I wonder if my living room has become even smaller since the last time I sat here. The tension and heat in the air is sizzling, merely from being in the same confined space together.

I steal a glance at Adam, standing with his muscular back to me, arms crossed as he looks intently out the window. I could never understand what he finds that is so appealing outside or if he's just always in surveillance mode. For a moment I think I caught his eyes in the glass’s reflection, but I am probably just hallucinating at this point. 

I force my eyes away from the man that owns my heart and my every thought to look back at the folder in front of me. Stifling a sigh I reach for the pen, when I catch movement from the corner of my eye, a shadow crawling on my coffee table, creeping closer and closer. I slowly look at my side and there it is. Its eight furry legs carry it a few inches closer yet before stopping, as if taunting me. 

My body paralyzes for a moment, my mind freezing at the mere sight of the horrible threat, before my legs are forced into action by springing me up and away from the table. 

The movement as well as the sound of my fumbling legs scattering me away brings Adam's attention to me. In less than two seconds he's already next to me. Not that it would take him much longer than that to cross from one side to the other of my entire apartment, even if he wasn't a super fast vampire. 

“What is wrong?” 

The obvious concern in his voice, no doubt resulting from what I can only guess is my terrified expression, makes me feel even more pathetic about the whole situation. Nevertheless I point a finger at the disgusting creature. 

“Can you… can you get rid of that, please?”

His eyes follow the direction I'm pointing at, his eyebrows lifting slightly as they land on the goddamn thing. It takes him a beat to react, but clearing his throat he walks up to the table with ease. 

“Should I kill it or set it free outside would suffice?”

My brain immediately screams for the first option, but noticing the tinge of amusement in his voice I settle for the latter. 

“Just get it away from me.”

I can't see the look on his face, but there's the slightest shake on his shoulders before he leans down to scoop the beast from the table’s surface with his bare hands - which I'm not embarrassed to admit drew a gasp from me, goosebumps erupting all over my skin at me mere thought of touching that thing. 

Adam proceeds to move to the window to dispose of it outside. Once he closes the window I realize I was holding my breath and I sigh in relief. Adam keeps staring at me with a strange tightness in his expression, as though he's trying not to smile. 

“What?” I ask, my embarrassment making me sound more defensive than I'd like to admit. 

He shrugs, eyes downcast as he slowly walks closer to me. “Nothing.”

“Well, your face doesn't exactly say ‘nothing’.”

He lets out a breath that sounds a lot like an amused huff before raising his gaze back to me.

“If you must know, I was thinking that you are the bravest, strongest woman I have ever met. And I would never have expected you to be scared of a tiny spider.”

There’s a shadow of a smile on his lips and it only makes me feel more flustered, heat flushing to my cheeks. 

“Hey! First of all, that thing was not tiny in the slightest!” 

My outburst makes his smile grow wider, the breathtakingly cute dimples appearing with the sole purpose of making my mind go blank and my heart race. It still amazes me how one single smile from this man holds this kind of power over me. And now I'm flustered for a whole different reason. 

“And… it's not fear, it's disgust.”, my voice decreases in intensity as I avert my gaze, ending in barely more than a mumble. The lighthearted chuckle brings my attention back to him, his expression is soft and his demeanor relaxed. 

“Well, then I stand and correct it, Detective.” 

The tenderness in his voice and the hidden emotion behind his eyes pull at my heartstrings, bringing back those shreds of hope I am always pushing back. We don't look away from each other, instead we smile as our obvious unspoken feelings hang around us. And it's not until we hear familiar voices growing closer that our bubble bursts and we reluctantly move away, back to our previous spots. But this time, as I look at where Adam stands by the window, I am sure I can see his beautiful green eyes looking back at me through the reflection.

✨✨✨✨✨

For this man I don't mind being a 🤡

[violetlunette]

So, I recently got back into The Wayhaven Chronicles—A CYOA text adventure story for those not in the know—and was curious about thoughts other people have on some of the major choices.

[neoendydy]

gremlin activities interrupted by boyfriend Commanding agent almost dying

saving sanja in book2

[avadmortain]

honestly….. when i first read book 3 i truly thought the handler was going to kidnap the RO to fuck with the detective’s head instead of tapeesa/ vieno…… and i TRULY believe that that would have been such a better storyline like flip the script have the detective worry and go insane over the ROs for a change!! & imagine the reunion scenes 👀👀👀👀

[captiveinwayhaven]

I found my stash of screenshots from the last playthrough of twc and I'm screaming again

[wolfbabywitch]

Wayhaven as twilight quotes part 2

F: “Dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go”

N: “I feel very protective of you”

M: “Everything about me invites you in”

A: “Can you at least watch where you walk?”

Tina/Verda: “There’s something... strange about the way you two are together… The way they watch you – it’s so... protective. Like they’re about to throw themselves in front of a bullet to save you or something.”

[elegantmadness]

Going Rogue (A Wayhaven Chronicles Fic)

Fandom: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Spoilers through Book 1 only)

Summary: Murphy finds the Detective before Unit Bravo. Unfortunately for Murphy, they're not who he needs to worry about most. Once Murphy is dealt with, Unit Bravo tries to hold their ground, but they're susceptible: both to the allure of the Detective's blood and the promise of what they've secretly always wanted. By the time the Agency arrives, there's no sign of the Detective or Unit Bravo.

Characters: Gender Neutral Detective (They/them pronouns), Ethan Murphy, Felix Hauville, Nate Sewell, Mason, Adam du Mortain

Pairings: Felix/Detective, Mason/Detective, Adam/Detective, Nate/Detective (building up to a polycule sorry not sorry) Tbh not a lot of romance here yet.

Rating: M, mainly for blood, dubious consent regarding the Detective's ability (nothing sexual for now though!). Please note vampire-y blood-drinking too.

Word Count: 4k or thereabouts. I do plan another chapter since I didn't even get to write the scene that's been stuck in my head.

Notes: Unit Bravo's first meeting with the Detective is in the warehouse where the experiment takes place. Please note this is a darker universe given the Detective's abilities! Consent is kind of an issue (not in a sexual context for now, though), but if that bothers you, please do not read this fic!

Wayhaven was small, too small. Yet, somehow… it was in such an isolated place that the former Detective discovered that the world was not so small as previously believed. Supernatural creatures walked amongst humankind, blending into the shadows as readily as in the light.

Well, until the line between the two began to blur.

It had started out innocuously enough – a strange reaction from a nurse at the local urgent care facility, a few curious looks from locals who had otherwise kept to themselves. There had even been a pointed look after an accident where the Detective had needed stitches, but nothing could compare to the kidnapping. 

The defining event had been one, nameless vampire with delusions of power and a freedom he would inevitably never be afforded in such a world; the Agency whose very name he spat from his mouth would never have allowed their presence known, after all. 

Your blood is special, Detective. So much power…

Being abducted had, of course, led to terror and trepidation, but it had also opened up… possibilities. If supernaturals were so keen on this mutated blood, then why not use it? Why not revel in the power it offered? The supernatural world was still a wholly foreign concept, but surely enticing those who might approach with such temptation would give the Detective the upper hand? 

Such thoughts were moot until the present threat was dealt with, however; Murphy – no doubt a moniker for his own purposes – saw the Detective as little more than his organic battery, and until he was out of the picture he would doubtless continue to be a thorn in the Detective’s side.

“Company.” Murphy tensed as he spoke, his eyes narrowing as the Detective glanced down at their restraints and began tentatively to tug, searching for a weak point to exploit. 

“Come quietly, Murphy. This doesn’t need to end in violence.” A calm, measured tone permeated the silence, and the Detective didn’t need to look up to see Murphy sneer. 

“Besides, it’s four on one. You really think you stand a chance?” A younger voice spoke up this time, cocky and playful, and the Detective had to suck in a breath as one of the restraints tugged a little too firmly against a track mark. 

The Detective could smell the barest hint of cigarette smoke before hearing a snarl, the disturbance of air and a dull thud the only indications that anyone had moved. It wasn’t a surprise, really; vampires were preternaturally fast, after all. 

Hissing out another breath, the Detective’s arm trembled as they slid it free, numb fingers reaching across their blood-smeared torso to release the other. 

“Give up!” The severe tone gave even the Detective pause, though after glancing up they made to stand – a grievous mistake as their legs gave way and their hands grappled towards the chair to keep themselves upright. 

“Just where do you think you’re going, Detective? We have so much more time to spend together.” Murphy’s tone was a curious cross of furious and desperate, but even as he reached an arm out and rounded it across the Detective’s torso, there was a curious… levity that followed the motion. 

“Let the Detective go!” 

Who was speaking? Murphy was sending back some scathing remark about the Agency’s pets, but the Detective’s attention was focused elsewhere, their eyes drawn to the fleshy joint of Murphy’s neck and shoulder. It was inexplicable, really, the draw the Detective felt, yet when they reached a tentative hand up and touched the spot, Murphy froze on the spot, his eyes wide before he dared to glance down at the Detective.

Confusion was apparent in the narrowing of his eyes and the slight parting of his bloodied lips, though before he could offer a reprimand or a question, the Detective’s fingers made contact. How could they sense the magic there? The… what had Murphy called it in his mindless ramblings? Pheromones? He’d lamented earlier that they’d had no effect on the Detective because of the mutation of their blood, but… it was certainly more than that now. 

“Why don’t you relax, doctor?” The words had flown from the Detective’s mouth unbidden, an instinctive knowledge that, even in hindsight, would make no sense. Even with Murphy’s experiments the Detective was still human, but then… how did they know?

Murphy’s grip lessened until the Detective slipped free entirely, the group that would be their savior tense and frozen on the opposite side of the room. Was there recognition in Murphy’s gaze? His eyes were entirely unfocused, and the Detective could little help the twitch of their lips before pressing on. “Your friends at the Agency are on their way for you, doctor. It would be most inhospitable to keep them waiting any longer than you already have.” 

“Is this for real?” 

“What the fuck is going on?”

The Detective could hear the others in hushed tones, yet their focus was entirely on Murphy as he nodded mechanically. “Yes, of course. I will stay here and wait for them to arrive.” 

“Splendid,” the Detective hummed approvingly. Though moments later they leaned closer to whisper, “If ever I see your face again, I will ensure the Agency’s accommodations seem welcoming in comparison.” Murphy’s nod was, once more, mechanical, and the Detective had to hold in a dark chuckle when he seated himself on the floor, looking lost and mindless – an assessment not terribly far from the mark, if the Detective were any judge.

The group tensed again when the Detective finally turned back to them, the aching in their limbs becoming much more pronounced. Was it from whatever had happened with Murphy’s pheromones? Or the blood loss? Both, the Detective decided, taking several steps closer and having to hold in a chuckle when the group tensed even further and seemed to recoil from the proximity.

“Surely you are not afraid of me?” the Detective couldn’t help but taunt, the blond tensing even further as the one with a cigarette clenched between his lips growled in response.

“Well, I mean, that’s not exactly normal, is it?” The shortest one of the group laughed uncomfortably, gesturing towards Murphy and glancing back as if waiting for someone else to speak. 

“Don’t tell me you’re feeling sympathy for him,” the Detective shot back with a raised eyebrow, though the question did little to ease the mounting tensions. It little helped that blood continued to drop down the Detective’s arms, the quiet plops as they dripped onto the concrete earning more than a few glances from the group who still looked as ready to flee as attack. 

“Explain what you did to him,” the blond demanded, jaw taut and green eyes flashing angrily. 

“So you are afraid,” the Detective taunted further, though such was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back. A blur of burgundy swept closer, angry and growling, and the Detective merely smiled as the man’s hand reached for their neck, yet… seemed to falter halfway there. 

“Mason!” The voice of reason shouted, daring to step closer, though he flinched away moments later, a tawny hand lifting to cover his mouth. 

“What the fuck are you?” Mason ground out, his hand falling back to his side as he caught the Detective’s gaze. 

Oooh. Whatever pheromones this Mason had were much more potent than Murphy’s, and the Detective dared to reach a hand towards Mason’s shoulder. “By Murphy’s own admission, I should still be ‘boringly human’,” the Detective responded with a quiet chuckle, pleased to see hostility draining out of the vampire who’d ventured so close despite the hand hovering only inches away. 

“Your blood…,” his voice trailed off, his eyes narrowing and his lips pulling back into a sneering grimace. 

“I’ve heard it’s quite potent,” came the flippant response, nearly glib, and Mason snapped his head back up. “I’d be happy to offer you a taste, if you’re curious.” Mason flinched as though being punched in the solar plexus, though he did not move away, even after the Detective’s hand moved past his shoulder, tantalizingly aloft mere inches from his face. 

“Mason!”

“Don’t do it! You know what’ll happen if the Agency finds out–”

“Mason, please! Don’t be baited.” 

The Detective didn’t miss the flicker of Mason’s tongue as it swept over his bottom lip, the barest hint of a tremor stuttering his breath as he undoubtedly tried to talk himself out of the impulse. 

The blond sprinted towards Mason, though he could have been moving in slow motion for all the good it did him. A tongue lapped at the sensitive skin of the Detective’s wrist, cleaning it free of blood before dragging up their forearm towards the elbow, a visible shudder raking down his spine. His grey eyes were far away and dilated when he dared to look up, the barest smear of red coloring his top lip and the tip of his tongue, and… was that a fang? 

One of the blond’s hands grasped Mason’s upper arm tightly, likely in warning, though before he could say a word Mason was snarling at him, freeing himself angrily, and the Detective had to hold in a laugh as the blond went soaring back into the wall from the motion. 

“Now now, there’s no need for violence,” the Detective chided Mason softly while the other two went over to the blond. 

“What the hell are you doing, Mason!” The youngest one was full of anguish, his face screwed up tightly as though trying not to cry.  

Mason offered him a shrug, looking only mildly concerned about the now-groaning blond as their tallest friend helped him back to his feet. “What’s the problem? He’s fine.” 

“Aren’t you going to apologize? Are you even sorry?” The tallest one was speaking again, angry and upset as they and a whole host of other emotions swept across his face. Though, as he started towards the pair, Mason tightened in place, a protective hand sweeping out in front of the Detective. 

“Thank you, Mason, but I promise I can look after myself.” He blinked at that, noticeably uncertain even as his his arm lowered slowly; the other continued his approach purposefully, long legs crossing the distance swiftly before long-fingered hands began reaching for Mason’s shirt. 

In his haste he’d nearly forgotten all the blood still dripping from the Detective, however, and he froze to see it all, his gaze unmoving from the Detective as the tips of his fangs began to graze over the top of his bottom lip. 

“Care for a taste?” the Detective murmured softly, the offer making his eyes widen. Everything about him was so soft, so familiar and casual, but even in the warm depths of his brown eyes there lurked something darker… something more primal, and the Detective was inexplicably drawn to it. 

“You can’t even imagine the taste, Nate,” Mason told him softly, his hands reaching for the Detective’s arm as he began to lap up the blood once again with a groan. 

“Why are you resisting, Nate?” His name came out a purr, and the Detective reveled in the sight of his control breaking down before his hands caught the Detective’s free arm and brought it up to his face. He was much less gentle than Mason, however; he allowed his eyes to hover over the pulse point in the Detective’s wrist before plunging his mouth down, fangs easing into the skin there as he let out a rather loud, positively obscene sound. 

It should have hurt, should have engendered something other than pleasure, but between his deft handling of the Detective’s wrist and Mason’s clever tongue dipping into the spaces between their fingers for every last trace of blood, it took all of their willpower not to buckle. Fortunately, Mason and Nate seemed to be on the same page as two, strong arms rounded the Detective’s waist.

Oh. Right. There are still two here.

Nate’s breath shuddered as he finally pulled away, blood dripping down his chin before his tongue swept over the area greedily, his brown eyes hazy. The smile at his mouth was… markedly different from the man who’d first arrived, however. There was something almost sinister in it, something that sent a faint shudder down the Detective’s spine, though the power was unmistakable: just like Mason’s pheromones.

“Is something the matter, Adam?” Nate asked lightly, too-softly, his smile just a touch jagged at the corners, and unsurprisingly, being addressed in such a manner made the blond tense further, his eyes narrowing. 

“Of course something’s the matter! What the hell’s wrong with you two?! We were supposed to find and protect the Detective, not turn them into our next meal!” 

Nate’s chuckles were subtle and soft, darkness lurking beneath them like sharks beneath the surface of the water. “Don’t you see, Felix? The Detective has freed us, has shown us the way.” 

“The way to what?! Being crazy?”

“You don’t understand,” Nate answered with a shake of his head, his gentle smile returning. “I haven’t felt this whole, this complete since before I was turned. Don’t you see? The Detective gives me – gives us – the strength to accept every part of ourselves, even those parts we despise the most.” 

“It… doesn’t hurt anymore, Felix,” Mason stated, finally seeming to come back to himself as he gently released the Detective’s arm with a soft kiss. “I can… control them, for once.” His eyes were almost glassy as turned them towards Adam and Felix, his free hand balling into a fist as he let out a shaky breath. 

Nate’s eyes narrowed in soft sympathy as he gingerly laid a hand on Mason’s shoulder, and to his credit Mason didn’t even flinch or jostle it free. “I’m so pleased for you, Mason,” Nate murmured, offering his shoulder a squeeze even as his hold on the Detective’s waist tightened. 

“This can’t be real. It just can’t. Don’t you think if the Agency could have helped with the pheromones–”

“But they couldn’t, Felix,” Nate responded in consternation, his hand lifting from Mason’s shoulder to instead pinch at the brim of his nose. “Only our Detective here is capable of such wonder,” he added, quiet chuckles tumbling from his mouth. 

“Wait wait wait. Hold on a sec! What are you guys saying?”

“I am uncertain what this Detective has done to you, but you cannot trust them. Look at what they did to Murphy! Does it not bother you?” Adam tried to appeal to Nate’s more logical side, though he merely offered his oldest friend a sad, pitying smile. 

“It bothers me less than knowing I am now who I was always meant to be,” Nate answered simply, Mason nodding firmly as if to drive home the point. 

“What has the Agency done for you, Adam? Truly? Endangered your life and the lives of your friends for almost nine centuries? All in the name of protecting others? They would sacrifice our lives in a trice if it meant their agenda was furthered,” Nate countered after several seconds, his eyes blazing with a rare, charismatic fire. 

Whatever Adam had been expecting, Nate’s argument had certainly not been it. His face began to pale, though whether Nate was getting through or because he now knew Nate to be lost to him was impossible to tell. 

“Don’t you wish to be at peace? With your past? With all the loss? You’ve fallen on your sword in grief for as long as I’ve known you, never living your own life and instead using the Agency as a crutch to move forward. Please , Adam. This is a chance for us to be–”

“Brainwashed?!” Felix shot back angrily, his lips tremulous as his fists tremored at his sides. 

“Whole. Who we were meant to be, rather than leashed hounds sicced on our prey,” Nate corrected him just a little sharply. 

“I will not allow you to leave and desert the Agency,” Adam finally stated flatly, his voice a curious monotone devoid of tautness. Was he resigned? Or was he regretting that he would have to face his friends in an altercation if he wished to do as he claimed?

“Don’t be an idiot.” Mason rolled his eyes as his hand twitched at his side before reaching for the Detective’s wrist. He seemed to ease as the pad of his thumb brushed over the Detective’s steady pulse, though there was still a knot of unease between his shoulder-blades. “You heard what Murphy said, and you remember what happened earlier when you tried. Under normal circumstances we probably couldn’t win, but with the Detective’s blood? You don’t have a chance.” 

“And yet, still I must.” 

It was then the Detective noticed Nate catching Mason’s gaze, the pair exchanging a wordless conversation before Felix and Adam both disappeared from view. The Detective gasped when a pair of arms rounded their torso, though before Felix could so much as take another step, Mason was on him: shoving him back with the flat of his palm at his shoulder until he careened into a support with a soft, tapered cry. Mason’s expression twinged uncomfortably before glancing back towards the Detective. 

“You good?” 

The Detective merely smiled before nodding, though quiet grunts garnered their attention moments later: Nate and Adam grappling and neither seeming to make headway. 

“Snap out of it, Nate!” Adam ground out, though Nate merely shook his head with an amused smile. 

“I am well in control of my faculties, my friend,” Nate answered with that slightly-jagged smile from earlier, though he released his hold on Adam’s hands as the Detective stepped closer. 

It was easy to see Adam swallow as the distance between them grew smaller, though even as he made to step back, Nate grabbed a hold of his wrist to keep him in place. The blond struggled in his hold, his eyes widening in realization at just how much stronger Nate was now; he hadn’t been bluffing after all. 

“There is no need for violence here, Adam,” the Detective whispered gently, approaching him as warily as one might have a wounded animal preparing to lash out. “But you cannot pretend you are unaffected by the blood, either.” His pheromones weren’t nearly as pronounced as Mason’s, and the Detective didn’t miss the sudden tightening of his jaw as he forced his gaze elsewhere. 

“No on is going to harm you here, Adam, save perhaps for yourself,” the Detective chuckled lightly, taking a few moments to marvel at the man’s physique. “I will not force this on you, Adam. It will be your choice,” the Detective added softly, tenderly even, the tips of two fingers lightly brushing against the stark line of his jaw. They’d expected resistance, struggling even, but understanding warmed in Nate’s eyes as he released Adam’s wrist, and the blond finally lifted his head and pinned the Detective in place with so pleading a look it nearly broke their heart. 

How long had he been in such agony? How had no one seen it for so long? Or if they had, how had they allowed it to fester and grow into such a tangle of pain and guilt and grief? 

“We’ll never allow you to be alone again, Adam. You will never bear your sorrow and suffering alone again.” Previously-icy eyes warmed, daring to hope for one, fearful moment; the Detective could see him swallow, his adam’s apple bobbing as thirst tightened in his throat. 

The Detective hadn’t even seem him move, but then his imposing form was suddenly inches away, his breath warm on the side of their neck. 

“ADAM! WHAT ARE YOU–”

Felix’s screams were cut short when Adam’s mouth lowered to the Detective’s neck, his fangs barely scraping the skin before the blood began to cloy across his tongue and a full-bodied moan reverberated throughout him. 

“No. No no no no no. This can’t be happening. This can’t be real.” Felix was sobbing now, his fists banging on the concrete floor as he watched helplessly. Nate’s expression tightened uncomfortably, and Mason shifted his weight at the sight and sound of it, but only once Adam finally pulled away with a shaky breath and an overheated hand in the middle of the Detective’s back did the Detective turn towards Felix. 

“You aren’t alone, Felix. We’re all still here,” Nate tried to comfort him, though Felix merely lifted his head and glared heatedly, his bare teeth bone-white and stark against the dark backdrop of his skin. 

“The hell you are!” Felix tossed back, trying to sound angry though only succeeding in sounding… broken. “What happened to family?!”

“We’re still your family, Felix,” Adam tried to reassure him softly.

“No you’re not! I don’t know what you are now, but you’re not the family I know, not the family I LOVED!” 

Everyone flinched at the accusation, though it was the Detective who pulled away to stagger closer, a frown tugging at their lips. They couldn’t explain it, but they could almost feel Felix’s pain, could almost see it emanating from him if they focused their energy. 

“Stay away from me!” he snarled before the Detective reeled back and landed heavily on a knee, the jostle sending pain arcing up the Detective’s hip with an exaggerated hiss. The brief flit of pain momentarily wiped the snarl from Felix’s face, and his lips parted – presumably for an apology – before he promptly snapped it shut again. “Why? Why did you take them from me?” Felix asked in a small voice, his golden eyes full of unshed tears. 

“I didn’t take them from you,” the Detective responded softly, reaching a hand towards him. “They’re all waiting for you, and so am I. This is your home, Felix. Your family. Full of people who love you.” It was so obvious now, his need to be accepted, to be loved, but even knowing that… didn’t make the Detective’s words any less true or real. Not doubt the others’ feelings were having some effect, but the Detective found they meant every word. Nothing would feel complete without Felix, and the Detective eased a soft, reassuring smile onto their face as Felix sniffled, his indecision growing. 

“I choose you, Felix,” the Detective spoke barely above a whisper, their words instantly making Felix gasp and catch their gaze. “No one else will do. Only you.” The Detective practically toppled back when Felix launched himself at them, his arms firm around them as he sobbed into their shoulder and held on for dear life. 

The others were kneeling on the ground half a second later, one of Nate’s hands settled warmly on Felix’s shoulder while Mason exchanged a fleeting smile with Adam. 

“...I think I get it now.” Felix pulled back from the Detective’s embrace after wiping his eyes sheepishly, his smile still watery. “Well. I guess if I’m going to be inducted into this weird-ass little family…,” he purposefully let his voice trail off, and Mason snickered as Nate let out a chuckle. 

“You smell delicious, Detective,” Felix rumbled against their ear, licking a line just below that same ear before pressing the tips of his fangs into the skin there as gently as possible. His eyes rolled back into his head at the taste, at the overwhelming sensation of rightness or outright pleasure it afforded him, but perhaps even more intoxicating was the power. He got it now, why the others had wanted this. Why had he fought it for so long? He couldn’t even remember anymore. 

“We should… go,” the Detective scarcely managed to get out, light-headedness beginning to make them dizzy. 

“Agreed.” Adam was the one to answer, and several hands helped steady the Detective as they got back to their feet. “The Agency will… not be pleased with what happened here,” he then added, perhaps a little unnecessarily, his lips thinning. 

“Do you care?” Mason asked with a raised eyebrow, and for the first time since meeting the Detective, Adam grinned. 

“For once, I cannot say that I do. Let’s move.”

By the time the Agency arrived, there was no trace of Unit Bravo or the Detective they'd been sent to save.

Ending Note: Yes, yes, there was a reason for the order of the vampires who feasted on the Detective's blood! Given how strong Mason's pheromones are, I figured he'd be the easiest to manipulate through them, and then Nate's... er, bloodlust? Or rather, how shaky his control seems to be at times??? I went back and forth as to who should be next after Nate, but I like how things ended up. Felix's entire story is about people WANTING him, and that was a big Deal I wanted to hammer home. I mean, yes, there's lots of mental fuckery going on, but I hope I got the point across that there's genuine feelings and affection in there too.

Anyway! The scene I wanted to write isn't even in this chapter so expect another at some point! Reblogs/comments are especially loved, but likes are cool too if you're so inclined c: