Dragging himself into the bedroom like a kicked puppy, Lucas is quick to step back into his boxers and jeans, slipping shirt back over his head. All the while the heavy feeling of lead sits in the pit of his stomach, growing stronger with each passing momemt. A quick glance to Max only makes that worse. There's something else going on, he can feel it. The temptation to look back and find the answer has never been greater.
Pushing that thought down, Lucas tucks it away to hold onto in case of an absolute emergency. Instead he turns his focus onto Max and the stiff way he's holding himself while hurriedly trying to get himself dressed. Lucas draws in closer, seeking to help Max with his belt once his shirt is tucked in.
So many questions run through his head, so many he wants to voice. None of them make it past his clenched throat, tight with fear. What were they going to do now?
---
It is becoming alarmingly apparent that Erik's position here is more precarious than she anticipated. Eshe waits only a moment longer before slipping back away and returning again to her human shape. She's made similar fragile alliances in the past, only to have them crumble the moment the pressure became real. With Erik's territory bordering hers there's a real possibility of any chaos spilling over into her house.
And she was not about to let that stand.
Another concern, and no less for being thought of secondarily, are the two humans in this household now. Eshe can guess what Cassandra means about Max and the truth of it threatens the very precarious balance Erik has established here. If IOPSA were to stick their noses in it would only cause further complications that none involved needed.
"Ah, there you are, darling." Eshe steps into the room moments later, amber gqze fixed to Erik. She makes a small show of belatedly noticing Cassandra, knowing that none here believe she truly hadn't been listening in somehow. That's a bluff Eshe wants Cassandra to call her on, but doubts that she will.
"Well, I was going to ask you if you wished to join me on the balcony, but..." She drawls slowly, lofting a brow as she peers at the other woman. "It has been quite a few ywars, hasn't it, Cassandra?"
Max offers Lucas a thin but grateful smile when the man moves to buckle his belt for him. That leaves his hands free to start fixing the tie. His fingers are shaking so much even the well-practiced movements are jerky and uncoordinated.
As the silence stretches on, he finally finds the courage to speak. He has to say something. "Lucas... I'm so sorry. I... I don't want to go. I don't want you to see..." To see how broken he will be when he comes back.
"What I mean is... Cassandra can be really hard on me."
---
Cassandra's posture goes rigid when the vampire queen enters. "Eshe? Yes. It has. I wasn't aware you were here." There's an edge in her voice, not of aggression but of fear.
"Perhaps if you had called ahead," Erik commented tartly.
He reached for Eshe, to take her hand as both a symbolic show of unity and out of a true desire for comfort. He, of course, guessed that the woman had heard every word spoken. Was it foolish to hope that her interjecting now was because she desired to help unstick him from this situation?
"Mistress Cassandra has brought us news," Erik says smoothly, going along with Eshe's ruse, "I suppose I should thank her for coming to report her betrayal so swiftly."
"Now, see here, Erik!" Cassandra begins to protest. "Our pact was such that I would not begrudge your control over territory that should rightfully have been mine. That agreement has not been breached."
It scares him how much Max is shaking and all the reasons that could cause it. The visit is obviously important in some way but Lucas finds he can't remember if he's heard the name Cassandra before. Vampire politics was outside the normal bounds of his expertise and Erik's name was only familiar because he neighbors Eshe's territory directly, his own kingdom as large as hers.
All these thoughts go right out the window. I don't want you to see... Lead instantly drops in the pit of his stomach, and it feels as if all the blood in his body drains right out of his bare feet.
"Don't go." The thought escapes from between his lips before Lucas can filter it. He swallows and doubles down, louder this time. "Don't go, Max. You don't have to. If Cassandra scares you this much..." He steps between Max and the stairs leading out, hands curling around Max's upper arms, pale gaze swimming with clashing emotions. Worry and resolve. "What's going on, Max. What does she do to you?"
If need be, Lucas steels the thought in his mind, he could pull the IOPSA card out, shield Max as best as he can. No matter what it takes he doesn't want to see this look of fear on the man ever again.
-----
Especially arches her brows momentarily higher. Erik's pointed out what needs to be said and practically rolled the red carpet out for her. If Cassandra had more forethought she'd surely continue getting away with this arrangement, whatever it was.
Her fingers lace easily between Erik's, tightening in wordless reassurance. The way he seeks her out only cements her decision. One doesn't become master of their realm through cowardice, but holding the line at the frontier is dangerous on the kindest of days. Come what may Erik has her support.
"Why not fight for it, were it truly yours." Her tone is measured, carefully even. She was not seeking a scrabble here necessarily, but would not be disappointed if Cassandra lashed out. Or perhaps, she thinks to herself while her thoughts trailed to the two humans in the mansion, she did wish for a fight. Even a Pet should be treated as more than mere stress relief.
Her top lip curls subtly.
"Or pick the side of your ally, if that's what you claim Lord Osborne to be. Don't roll over and show your belly while begging for treats."
They could stand against her. Should Cassandra chose to flee into the arms of Erik's enemies he would have Eshe's support. The Ozarks could not crumble or that chaos would sweep eastward with sureity.
If only it were that simple. He wants so badly to cave, and curl into Lucas' arms, and refused to go up those stairs. If he did that... it would be the first time in a long time that he ever disobeyed a direct order from Erik.
"You're wrong. I have to, Lucas. I have a job to do."
He doesn't want to say. He doesn't want Lucas to know. The job? How could he even explain? What she does to him is... it's good until it isn't.
He can't bring himself to look Lucas in the eyes, even as he begs, "Please, you have to let me do this."
----
The immense wave of relief that washes over Erik from just that affirming squeeze of her hand is almost too great to believe. But, he sets it aside for now. He can revel in it later, once the danger had passed.
"'Twas your dear Lord Osborne who wished to avoid the fight," Cassandra snarls. Her lip curls too, in disgust, at seeing the two of them clasp hands. "He knew I would have defeated him then."
"You and I seem to remember things differently, Cassandra," counters Erik. "I did not wish to fight you. I never said that I could not. Perhaps that fight is overdue."
Erik can feel the tension in Eshe. He's come to know her well. She may just be spoiling for such a fight. And, while Erik was not as sure all those years ago that he could win decisively. He is now.
"I am begging for nothing," Cassandra continues. I want no part in this conflict. I want to stay out of it."
"Do you really think you can?" presses Erik. "Do you really think, if Ophelia does what she has been threatening to do all this time, that the war will not touch every single one of us? I need to know where you will stand when that time comes."
Cassandra looks between Erik and then Eshe. And the silence stretches on.
That alone sends up alarm bells, twisting his gut into a tight knot. There's something else to this job, something that Max and Erik don't want him...no, IOPSA, finding out.
Planting a hand to Max's chest, like he has any hope of actually stopping the man if he chooses to push him aside, Lucas steels himself, voice low but determined. "No, Max. If I have to get to the bottom of this, I will, but I can't ignore that something is going on. Whatever the hell it is...you don't have to tell me." His voice breaks there, but only for a moment. "All you have to do is ask me for help and I'll do anything I can."
Which isn't much, even Lucas will admit. Alone out here in a house of vampire's and a Pet, he's too tangled up in this mess. But that promise he made during their first days together Lucas intended on keeping. No matter the cost.
"You don't have to do this." The pleading tone in his voice shines through in whole now, desperate for Max to at least look at him. To grab hold of this lifeline. Whatever the storm to come, even if Max chooses Erik now, he'll remain steadfast. Max wouldn't be rid of him so easily...
---
Silence is ever her ally. Eshe is patient, letting her beast stew in the lengthening laspe of words. It would have to be sated later, but for now she holds it back with practiced grace.
Silence is also an answer. Cassandra has made a choice, conscious or not. There were no true neutral parties, she would not merely sit back and watch events unfold. That was ever the nature of the game.
Drawing in a purposeful breath through her nostrils Eshe stares Cassandra down, appraising in the way a leopard looks down at its prey, "I believe that concludes your business here then."
There's no reason to drag the humans into this just yet, unless Cassandra presses the matter.
Max shivers at that touch, his eyes draw down to the hand squarely on his chest. He could move past it, easily. But he can sense in this moment that doing so would be a fatal breach of trust. If he pushes past Lucas now, what they have will be broken. Maybe forever.
All he has to do is ask for help? Lucas is acting in his capacity as an IOPSA agent now. Not just as a friend.
He feels so cold. The shivering won't stop. He might vibrate apart at any moment. When he finally manages to bring his gaze up to meet Lucas', tears are quivering at the creases of his eyes. His lip trembles almost too much for him to speak.
"If I don't go up there to meet her..." he croaks, "she might decide to break her alliance with Erik. Lucas... please. I don't want to choose. I don't... I don't want to lose you. It's just... she's rough. When she plays with me. That's all. Just a little too rough. I can handle it. You don't need to do this."
---
"She speaks for you now, does she?" Cassandra demands of Erik.
He sneers at her. "In this regard, we are of the same mind. So. Yes. Get out of my house, Cassandra. And do not consider yourself welcome here again."
"Erik," Cassandra stamps her petite foot. "Oh! Very well. If it is a pledge you desire, then you shall have it. I shall take your side, should the war begin openly. Does this please you?"
"Not at all," he tells her coldly. "A weak bond is no bond at all. You have enjoyed my hospitality too long as it is, and I have got nothing to show for it."
"Nothing? Really Erik?"
"Attack me then," he says with a careful shrug. "Come take that land you find so disputed. We shall see what comes of it."
Cassandra's fists ball up at her sides, and she growls low in the back of her throat. She stares at him long and hard, as if deciding to throw a punch or not. But a glance aside at Eshe seems to make the choice for her.
"You will regret this, Lord Osborne." And, that said, she stomps her way to the front door.
The shivering scares Lucas the longer it goes on. He can only guess as to the reason, that by begging Max to defy Erik he's put the man between a rock and a hard place. If he hadn't been with IOPSA maybe he would let it go, but he can't. Those words only unscore the need to step in. Cassandra's rough when she plays with Max...doesn't he get a say?
"I don't want you to choose. I'm...I'm sorry. You can hate me after this is over but I also can't stand by and let this happen." His breath catches, catch between a swallow and a sob that threatens to crack him wide open. "You are still a person, even if you're a Pet. You can still say no. And if he's not letting you..."
Another swallow. What else is being hidden from him? Pushing aside being Max's lover, what is Erik really up to, what other horrors has Max been subjected to? He should have pushed harder, asked more insistently. He should have, but didn't, swept along like no ill could ever come of such a mismatched pairing.
"I'll talk to Erik," Lucas decides, turning away quickly before his resolve gives way or Max catches him. He still has to get past Josiah, but he'll try. He has to, for Max's sake.
---
There's a long beat of silence after Cassandra leaves where Eshe stares at the space she had occupied, her fingers still laced in Erik's. This is her vow and it's not one she makes lightly or in haste. Though they had only spoken pleasantries in passing for decades, she has kept an eye on her neighbor. And likely he has done the same. They were destined to be rivals or allies sooner or later and she finds, in the darkest pit of what used to be her human heart, that she is glad for this outcome.
Her grip tightens.
"We need to speak about a few matters, of course, and cement this alliance completely, but most pressing is our dear humans, hm?" Subtly a brow arches as Eshe eyes her fellow Elder. "I imagine it hasn't escaped my Medium's notice that something is afoot by now, especially concerning Max. So, it's best you're clear with me first. Is Max a Pet of yours or a slave?"
Because the difference, subtle as it is, means everything.
Lucas is going to talk to Erik?! No. No, no, no. No! There's no way this can end that won't result in him being banned from seeing Lucas ever again. And then, what if Lucas comes back with reinforcements? What if IOPSA tries to take him from Erik? Max puts his hand out to catch himself on the door frame. He's suddenly faint.
"Lucas... no! Don't. Please don't," he begs weakly.
Josiah meets Lucas in the hall, blocking the way, an imposing figure with arms crossed. In a gentle but firm voice that will brook no argument he says, "I suggest you go back to Max and help him back to the bed. Erik is indisposed at the moment. I can't let you speak to him yet."
Oh yes. His master has much to answer for; that is true. But Lucas will need to wait his turn.
---
Erik finds himself wishing, at this moment, that he had not joined hands with this dangerous queen. Because he can feel the trap tightening now, even before she turns those sharp words on him. No room for escape. Not even to maneuver. A point blank question. One he so desperately wishes to avoid answering. But he knows, as sure as the sun will rise, that she will not let him move from this spot until he has answered it.
He looks her in the eyes, because to do otherwise would be fatal. "I have been thinking of him as my Pet but I find now that I... have let the boundaries blur too heavily."
He sucks in a sharp breath, and feels the dreadfully hot burning of shame seeping through him. "I have called him a Pet, but I have treated him as a slave."
And when Lucas discovers that fact, all will be in ruin.
Forcing himself to move forward down the hallway despite Max's pleas Lucas isn't surprised to see Josiah there. Now here's an immovable force to contend with, except it's not a physical rebuke that makes Lucas want to turn back, it's Josiah's tone. An undercurrent of warning.
"With Cassandra or--" Lucas makes the mistake of looking back to Max, who's holding onto the door frame like he might faint. A bolt of panic sings through him, forcing action before he can think, and rushes back to Max's side.
"Hey, hey, lean on me." What the hell is he doing to poor Max!? A well of guilt rises in his chest as Lucas wraps an arm around Max, hoping to steady the shocked man before he passes out. "I...Let's just...get you to the bed. Come on."
Please forgive me, Lucas thinks, but bites it back. The fallout from this hasn't even hit the fan yet, but as soon as he gets a chance to speak to Erik he's still going to take that risk.
---
Erik is wise to speak truths to her, even if they are painful ones. It is that pain she understands. In her younger years in this unlife Eshe made terrible and rash decisions with her humans. It was only in that darkness that she found a better way, a slow and careful way. Never taking another on as a Pet, but something close enough. It is a lesson Erik need not learn in the same manner, not with two human lives on the line.
She squeezes her hand briefly tighter, reassuring almost, before settling on something in between while not letting him go.
"Why not? Do you believe those words? It shouldn't continue. Because your territory is at stake, because by saying otherwise you will have me to contend with as well?" Her words are laconic but measured, calm at the surface.
"Why send Max after my Medium then, hm? If not to turn my gaze towards you. What was your goal? To leverage IOPSA's favor, perhaps? To capture another Pet in your web? Whatever the case, you have my attention now. And all it entails." There's a pause, an edge in her gaze and tone as she regards her new ally. "I don't think you realize the treasure you have right under your nose. Let me remedy that for you."
Max hates when this happens. He can go from being so strong to suddenly so frail. He clings to Lucas, still trembling, and stumbles his way over to the bed. When he's close enough, he lets himself drop onto it bonelessly.
"Go ahead and loosen his tie," Josiah advises from the doorway. "He won't be going up there tonight."
The vampire won't say any more than that on the issue, but he does hope that will assuage Lucas enough to keep him down here until Erik is ready for round two.
---
It does not feel good to speak such things. To realize how far he has fallen. But that brief squeeze from her? That does feel good.
A part of him worries that perhaps she is manipulating him the way he has done others so often. Could she be playing him? She could. Or, she could be teaching him a lesson he apparently sorely needs to learn. That is a far more attractive idea. Call him foolish for clinging to it.
"The threat of your disapproval is quite compelling," he admits. "But what smacks worse is realizing how far from the righteous path I have strayed. I, who once knew the weight of the yoke on my own shoulders. How could I?"
Yes, he wants her approval. Yes, he wants to retain her support. But, most all, he wants to stop the sick churning of his gut as he looks over his deeds and sees them for what they are.
And now he sees too, how far her influence stretches. She knew all along that he had plotted to send Max to Lucas. That it was no accidental meeting. She really has outplayed him all along.
"I knew Lucas was yours," he admitted. Time, at last, to come clean of it all. "I sent Max to him to see if it might turn your head my way. And, if not, then Max might at least pick up some level of influence in IOPSA, perhaps he could bring me some interesting new information. He has a talent for drawing things out of people." That is a treasure all on its own.
"I never dreamed it would lead to this. I never imagined the two of them might... fall In love." Because that is what's happened. A blind man could still see it.
He thought at first it might be a passing infatuation. And what a tool it could be? He'd have to be a fool to stamp it out. but then it grew and grew. And now? This is territory Erik never dreamed he'd be navigating. A chart has never been made for such a place as this. What is he to do?
"If that is the treasure then... I realize it and do not know what to do with it. If that is not it then, please, enlighten me."
Lucas stumbles with Max, landing on the bed beside him, only to snap his wide, pale gaze up at Josiah. What did the vampire mean by that? "He...won't?"
What the hell is going on upstairs? Whatever it was Max is his main priority now, so with trembling hands Lucas loosens Max's tie before throwing his arms around the man, "I'm sorry...." He croaks, clinging so hard his knuckles stand out against his skin.
"I'm sorry..."
---
If Erik is a fool then so is she. For all of her machinations of the decades and centuries, the wildcard that humanity plays has surprised her once more. Even she could not forsee how close the pair would become, but Eshe's not sorry for it.
"Whispers of your Max's charm were not over-exaggerated. I heard of that before your arrival and one of my children watched them at the bar. I thought it might play out in such a way that I might gain a foothold westward," If Erik must admit his short comings, then she couldn't in good faith ignore hers. "But we were both blindsided."
Slowly Eshe comes around to face Erik, clasping his other hand in hers and standing so close their foreheads nearly touch. This alliance is fragile now, but in time...not even she could guess where this would lead.
"Humans are funny that way," Eshe glances up, a faint smirk playing at her lips. "Even now after so long they still surprise me, but you're right. That love is a treasure and it should be protected. Max is alone in a house of vampires and Lucas stands apart in a world of humans."
The mirth fades from her expression, replaced with an old sadness. "Do not learn this lesson the way I did, Erik. These two lights are so...so very precious. You cannot undo what you've done to Max, but you can take up that yoke again. You can walk that path again. It's not too late."
"No," Max says feebly, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to..."
The color is still gone from his face. He's ashen and cold. But, as Lucas loosens the tie, he finally starts to take deeper breaths. He clings to the Medium as those breaths are punctuated by harsh sobs.
He's threatening to come undone just as hard and fast as when Lucas held him in his apartment. How Max hates this. He's supposed to be strong. Why does he always fall to pieces when Lucas holds him this way. And why does it always feel so... good isn't the word but... needed.
---
"So," Erik says with a wry chuckle, "you and I were both attempting to play the game, only to find our pawns have decided to eschew the rules and make up their own."
It does bring him some comfort to know he was not the only one taken by surprise. Even Eshe, with her vast experience, could not have calculated for this.
As she clasps his other hand and faces him, he feels again that strange new warmth. And this time, he doesn't wonder at it. Not with her so close. So close he could almost... No, he must resist such temptations. This is too new and too precarious.
Still. Can it be that there is more at stake here than a simple alliance? He would like to call her friend. He would like to call her more. And as they stand here and speak of love, some little fantasy he has long kept caged suddenly beats at the bars for freedom. But that is a foolish thought and he silences it immediately.
"It makes perfect sense, in hindsight, that they would be drawn to each other as they are."
That tragic look that crosses her countenance could break his stone-dead heart in two. She is right. This thing before them is precious. And each of them holds one half of it in their care. They must nurture it together as one.
"I cannot set him free. To do so would spell his doom. But I can remove the weight from his shoulders. I can loosen the chain. I thought this would be a fleeting love between them. Now I see that, despite such heavy odds, they have flourished under these dark conditions. So, it seems the only sensible thing left to do... is let in more light."
"Shhh, I've got you, Max." Lucas coos quietly, drawing a large circle against the man's back. With his other hand he slips the tie off completely, moving to try and shimmy the man out of his jacket one arm at a time while holding him close.
"I've got you."
Max could break apart and Lucas will hold onto every single piece. For as long as it takes. All the while a storm of emotions rages beneath his worry for his love. Max can't keep living this way. Erik has no right and it a wrong Lucas intends to fix. For now, though, Max is his only worry.
"Come on, lay back for me? Let's...let's get you comfy, some water...I'll take care of you." No matter what happens, Lucas vows, he'll take care of Max.
---
A dark part of Eshe's mind is thinking similar thoughts. For so long she has stood apart and this alliance may lead to something more than a fellow Elder to turn to for help. But she crushes the thought down. Erik is someone she needs to know and understand completely, what his true intentions are. After all, he could be saying these words to pay lip service and Bide his time. Wait for the perfect time to stab her in the back.
"Isn't it a wonder that even after a millenia we can still be caught unawares?" Her smile is rueful and sombers quickly.
"You will need to explain to me the situation with Max in full, but perhaps we should at least...reassure them that Cassandra is no longer an immediate problem." She has her ideas on how Erik acquired such a Pet, but nothing concrete. That needed to change and quickly, but even she knew not to act with too much haste. "Or send word, at any rate. We have much to discuss, my friend, and emotions are likely at their peak. I would caution speaking to our dears at the moment."
Let them tend to each other and let tensions die down. Eshe knows what she will ultimately have to ask of Lucas and it sits uneasy in her stomach. IOPSA must never know how Max has truly been treated, only that from now on it will be as a true Pet. She hopes. Oh, for an Elder to have hope such as this it's almost frightening. Were Erik to betray that now or in the future, her fury would be like no tempest on this planet.
With stilted movements, Max attempts to pull himself out of his suit jacket. Together, they manage to do it. As soon as he's free of it, he goes right back to clinging hard to Lucas. He needs that connection. He needs someone to hold him together while the world spins around him.
Lucas' whispers comfort him. He believes. In this moment, he trusts that Lucas won't let him fall. So, he does as he's asked. He lays back and pulls himself all the way up on the bed. Then he curls onto his side and attempts to drag Lucas in with him. So he can curl his body around the Medium and hold him.
Josiah appears at the bedside with a bottle of water in hand. He offers it to Lucas silently. The vampire guard's expression is neutral, his movements all passive and impartial. Yet, he stands like a stoic sentinel at their side, seemingly ready to ward off any danger that might approach.
Then his phone rings and he picks it up on the first ring. The other half of the conversation isn't audible, but he gives a few curt 'Mm-hm's' before finally saying, "I understand. I'll let them know."
Then he shuts off the phone and turns to the two of them to say, "Cassandra has gone. She won't be welcome back again. Erik would like the two of you to stay down here until the morning."
More directly to Lucas, Josiah adds, "Mr. Osborne realizes you have things you want to discuss with him, but he really must insist that it wait util then."
---
"It's one of the reasons why I could never agree with my sister about humans," Erik admits. If he's going to have to explain all, then there's no point avoiding this topic.
"She saw them as dumb animals. We know better."
He pulls out his phone, saying, "I'll update my man, Josiah, on what's occurred."
Josiah, of course, had already heard most of it. He, with his ears well placed all over this house. Erik quickly instructs him to have the boys remain downstairs for the night, that he would brief them fully in the morning. That should give him plenty of time to iron things out here with Eshe.
With that done, Erik beckons Eshe to follow him to the sitting room. "Let's get comfortable, shall we? The story is a long one."
"I got you," Lucas repeats, over and over. He'll say it as many times as Max needs to hear it, until his throat is raw and his lips are numb. "Okay? I've got you."
As Max lays down, Lucas goes half down with him, except he hasn't forgotten the promise of water. Before this night is through Max will need to re-hydrate himself. Just like the first days together, he needs to break down, to let the pain out. Only then can they try and figure out a way to move forward. Lucas had nearly forgotten Josiah in the other room until the water bottle appears in his field of view. He glances up, silently questioning the vampire before he slowly takes the offered bottle. "Thank you."
It seems strange that Josiah would help. Lucas figured the head of security would watch over them, to make sure either one didn't do anything rash, but to help even in this small way? Lucas turns again, gently carding his fingers through Max's hair and quietly reassuring him until the phone call is over.
"She...she's gone?" This is big. Whatever went on upstairs Lucas wonders if Eshe had a hand in it. He nearly asks, but Josiah stops him short. They were staying here until the next morning. He wasn't going to complain about that, not even protesting the last bit of what Josiah says. Erik can choke on his words tomorrow, but maybe later...later he can get a message out to Miles. A backup plan in case things really hit the fan here.
"Alright," He says instead. "Thanks, Josiah."
And now his attention is truly laser focused on Max, unbutton his shirt, unbuckling his belt. "Let's get you comfy, then I'm going to cuddle the absolute shit out of you, Max." All day and all night if he needs to.
---
"She's not the only one who thinks that way, unfortunately." Cattle, livestock, vermin. Some vampires considered humanity less than the animals they transform into. Eshe could understand the appeal. She had the very same way of thinking so long ago.
Eshe waits in silence until the phone call is over. She can only hope that Josiah keeps a proper eye on the pair. Lucas might have his hands full with Max, but she fears it might not be enough to prevent him from doing something foolish. Humans are unpredictable like that.
"Mmm, yes. Let's." She does follow and takes up the first comfortable seat offered to her, offering out her hand again as she does so. Reaffirming her word. She's cast her lot in with Erik, for good or ill. "Fortunately for you I'm a patient listener."
Most of the time, but this would surely be one of them. So much hangs in the balance now, it's difficult to focus on anything else. A misstep now, in these fledgling hours of this alliance would surely spell doom, not just for those in this mansion but well beyond.
It is Josiah’s curse that he must be in the middle of Max and Erik always. His first loyalty is to his Sire. That is the way of things. It cannot be changed. He cannot let himself grow too close to Max, because the Pet is still a threat, whether he means to be or not. Josiah must always hold himself apart.
But he’s not blind. He could see all along that this was wrong. And, despite how his duty compels him, he loves Max. He will always love Max. Even if he must some day put the human to death. He will bury some piece of himself that day too. He knows it. He prays it will never be necessary.
So, he helps where he can. How he can. It is the best he can offer. He cannot be Max’s friend. Or Lucas’ friend. But he can be kind.
Max closes his eyes and settles slightly at Lucas’ touch to his hair. He’s so tired. It would be nice to sleep. Lucas is here. He’s safe. But his eyes fly wide again when Josiah tells them that news.
“What?” He tries to sit up but fumbles weakly on the bed and ends up collapsing back down. “Why? What happened. Josiah?!”
The vampire puts a finger up, one quick sharp motion and Max falls instantly silent.
“Tomorrow, Max. We will discuss everything tomorrow. Please refrain from making any bold moves until then.” The vampire stares hard at Lucas while he says that last.
“If that is all, then I will leave you to each other now. I am needed upstairs.” Without waiting to hear any protests from either of them, Josiah turns and strides out of the room.
Max shifts in closer to Lucas again, clinging to him like a lost child. “Cuddling sounds really nice...”
----
He grips her hand tight. Telling this story will be... daunting.
“My sister did not appreciate the Accords,” he starts. “She delighted in disguising herself a young college woman and going out to have her way with young men at their campus parties. Max was one of those unfortunate young men. She intended to drain him and leave him for dead. It would have looked like alcohol poisoning to anyone, at first.
“But Max had more fight in him than she bargained for. Perhaps it was luck. Or fate. But, in the battle the raged that night between them, Max came out the victor. My sister was slain."
There is a touch of sadness in his expression, tainted with regret, and anger. So much he hadn't realized until it was too late. If he'd known, could he have stopped her?
"She had allies. Powerful ones. She had, unknown to me, been amassing an army. She meant to move against me. She would have, soon. Those allies were not pleased to see her put down by a mere human, as you might imagine."
Surely she can see where this is going now? They called for vengeance. An inferior human killed one of their own? They wanted blood. They wanted Max's head on a pike.
"But she was my sister. My blood. My grievance with him took priority. My right to satisfaction was strongest. So, I named my price. Not death, but servitude. It was the only way. I claimed him to keep him alive. If I ever relinquish that claim, they will come for him. They have not forgotten."
Lucas peered up at Josiah, his pale eyes wide. There would be no plea from him for Josiah to stay, not with the line so clearly drawn. He'd have to wait to try and contact Miles or anyone else. His immediate concern was Max now that it was just the two of them again.
"Yeah, it does." Lucas kept his voice low and soothing, kissing the top of Max's crown gently. All of his questions and worries would have to keep until the morning. And the anger simmering further back from it all. Lucas had the distinct feeling he was missing parts of the story. Not that they would frame these visits from Cassandra in any kind of positive light, he imagined, but he'd been deceived.
By Erik, most certainly, but the question remained; did Max lie to him, too?
"I'm not going anywhere." Lucas chose to focus on Max instead. The poor man was about to shake into pieces, so Lucas freed him of his belt and pressed the man close against himself.
"You're okay, Max...you're okay."
----
Eshe sat in stony silence. Erik's pain etched so plainly that it tugged on long dead heartstrings. She knew this pain well, not of a sibling's death, but someone she might have considered one were the circumstances different. And for her to meet her end by accident?
Now wonder the hounds clamored for blood.
As much as vampires now held themselves above the scrabbling cry of their beasts, it was still there. Howling in the distance. Roaring when it got the chance.
They'd want for blood and only Max's would do.
"Our kind has a long memory." She stated quietly. Servitude. The word was poison lead in her mind. Her back itched, a faint reminder of an era long ago and her own servitude to another.
"But even in servitude he is still human." Her words are measured again, amber gaze fixed upon an indistinct spot upon the floor. "What's done is done, and perhaps some of it can be undone. Make Max a true Pet, a human to cherish. A bright star in a long, suffering night. Two now, actually."
This was the treasure of it all. Though she doubted Erik intended for his Pet to fall for Lucas, and the opposite had certainly been true of her plans, it happened nonetheless. Her mind turned away from this rare joy, to churn on problems that still lay ahead.
"If these usurpers wish to rally against us, we would do well to have IOPSA on our side. You will have to curry favor through Lucas for that. He will need the truth, and he will need to hide it for everyone's sake. This isn't something I will ask of him lightly." Her gaze flicked to Erik again, softening at its hard edges. Her fondness for her Medium peeking through for a few moments before clouding over with a sliver of the rage she had held for Cassandra.
"I cast my fate with you now. You would be wise not to squander it." Erik would have to choose his path and for his sake, and the sake of the two humans huddled downstairs, she hoped he chose correctly.
Max dreads answering that question. Had he lied? Yes. To Lucas. To himself.
He's been telling himself it was necessary. It was his duty. It was his lot in life to do as Erik commanded. He told himself it wasn't so bad. It wasn't until he saw the horror, the anger reflected back in Lucas' eyes that he realized how far down the rabbit hole he'd fallen. Is there any way back out of this?
Will it really be okay?
He wants to believe as he curls up in Lucas' arms. He wants to be okay. He wants to find a way back to the happiness they had before it was so abruptly shattered.
"Lucas," he whispers, barely more than a breath, "Please don't go. Please..."
I love you.
---
"They had to believe," Erik looks into her eyes, his gaze full of cold steel. "They needed to believe it was a punishment. They required their pound of flesh. That mark he bears. That was my concession."
His guilt twists like a knife every time Erik sees it. That burn. That brand. Funny, isn't it? Max has forgiven him for it. He has never forgiven himself.
"The rest I did in an effort to ease the agony of his transition. I fear that damage is irreversible. If I could go back and do it again... No, I do not think I can say I would have done it differently. I did what I felt was needed." Not right. It wasn't right. But, it was the best he could do.
"But it has been long enough now. Max has paid his debt and more. I cannot release him, but I can acknowledge him. I can give him the long lead he desires... and deserves. So that he can bask in the light of your own bright star."
Lucas, that one is a treasure too, is he not? Yes, Erik finds himself inexplicably drawn to the boy. It's no wonder at all why Max has fallen for him.
Erik clasps her hand in both of his now. "Eshe, my dark queen, I will not squander such riches as your trust. Allow me to prove myself. This very morning Lucas will be given the facts. What he does with them will be... up to you."
"I'm not going anywhere." Lucas can hear his own voice cracking, quiet as it is. It mirrors how his heart cracks in two. Even if Max had lied, there had to have been good reason. He clung to that hope, because the love he held for the sobbing man in his arms was stronger. This was a hurdle they needed to face together, even if it happened to be a wall at the moment.
"I'm staying with you." The last word came out as a hiccup, snagging there as tears spilled anew down his cheeks. "Always..."
Because I love you.
Lucas drew his arms in as tight as they would go, curling around Max like a warm blanket. Nothing could move him now and nothing would, until morning. Only the sweet bliss of slumber would finally bring his tears to a standstill, but even in sleep he held Max tight.
----
Eshe understood. As a fellow walker of the night, she knew while the duality of their kind. The burden weighed heavily on Erik's shoulders but it was the cost of sparing Max's life. One hand for humanity and the other for the brutality of the wilds.
There was no going back, only forward, from here.
The path ahead was more uncertain, even as she vowed her support. The next few days may very well bear out the direction. A path towards a brighter future or a bloody one.
Slowly she cupped her free hand around Erik's, eyes cast downward at their connection. Only then could she allow herself a warm smile. Her bright light. If only she could truly lay claim to Lucas, a true Pet to be utterly spoiled.
"No, my friend. That will be up to my dear Lucas. You'll find him wiser than his years, he carries the burdens placed on his shoulders unflinchingly. He will be angry, no doubt, but not so much as to blind himself." And angry on behalf of his love, which Eshe felt certain Erik would understand. To that end, weren't they all concerned with the poor butler's well-being?
Lifting her amber gaze, her smile actually remained. "I will, of course, ask him to hold onto yet more dark secrets, but make no mistake he is not my Pet. Though I would have enjoyed making that a reality. I believe we can make the most of this new path, but the morning will bear it all out."
Though she had no need Eshe drew a deep breath, settling the beast within her for the time being.
"Until then, perhaps it;s best we retire for the evening?"
"I will place my trust in your judgment of the Medium," Erik answered. There was little choice. Yet, Eshe's judgment had not proven false yet.
"I would like very much to retire with you, but I should find Josiah and brief him before I do. Feel free to go on without me."
In truth, Erik desired more to hear what had transpired below from his right-hand man. How had the scene played out? Josiah was, of course, keen to relay this information. As keen as he was to hear what had been decided upstairs too. The two would speak for an hour before Erik finally did retire for the night. But he would be up again at sunrise, anticipating Max's morning alarm.
---
Max tossed and turned fitfully. But each time he almost broke from sleep completely, the warmth of Lucas next to him, held fast and tight, lulled him back to deeper slumber. That warm presence chased away the nightmares too. But, it couldn't keep the dawn from approaching.
At 5:30 am, Max's alarm went off, waking him with a start. He slapped the phone off automatically, but then he rolled back over on the bed and laid there gathering his wits. Everything that happened the night before came rushing back in a tidal wave of emotions. Fresh tears stung his eyes, and a gasping sob jerked in his chest. Why couldn't it all have been a bad dream? He looked to Lucas and sobbed harder.
Would this be the last time they'd hold each other like this?
Eshe dearly hoped her great confidence in Lucas would bear out. There was good reason she trusted his reactions, of course, because he had proven her right time and again, but there's always a note of human unpredictability involved. The added wrinkle of involving someone he loved so completely is another worrying factor.
This alliance had begun on the barest of threads, but skilled weavers could still turn it into a tapestry.
"Hold that thought for another time, then. The offer will stand." She could retire with Erik another time and get a better feel for her fellow Elder then. No doubt he would prefer to speak with Josiah on his own, she had meddled enough for the time being. Taking her leave of him, Eshe stalked off to her guest room. There were preparations to make on her own end in case everything went south.
---
Max's presence in his arms was an anchor against his own nightmares too, but still Lucas found restful slumber to be elusive. It had dimmed the heat of yesterday's anger somewhat. The alarm jolting him out of sleep made that and everything else come sweeping back in. Morning. Erik said he'd speak to them soon.
As Max began to sob Lucas wrapped himself around him once more, not bothering to hide his own tears even as he tried to soothe away his love's. This wouldn't be the last morning together, he vowed. Come what may, Max was too precious to let go.
Eventually his own tears began to slow and he squeezed the man briefly tighter. "Hey, maybe we should get some coffee going? Breakfast?" Lucas asked in a voice raspy with emotion. Maybe something mundane would help. He wasn't eager to go looking for Erik, but maybe the commotion would signal to the vampires that they were up and moving finally.
As much as Lucas dreaded what was to come there was no avoiding it.
Erik had simply nodded to her, keeping his expression neutral. But, oh, how he wishes he could abandon duty and retire to bed with her. Never has he regretted so much having to say no to such a thing. His relief is just as strong hearing the offer is not isolated to this moment.
"Another time," he allows his voice to belie how much he hopes for this. Another time, he will gladly go with her. Assuming the morning does not bring this all crashing down. Only Lucas can decide that.
Erik will wait until he hears Max's alarm go off. When he does, he rises from his sleepless bed and begins to groom himself for the day. Doubtless it will be some time yet before the two emerge. Time enough for him to shave and arrange his wardrobe. He will pick something soft, and hope it does anything to lessen the perception Lucas has that he is the villain here. For all the good it may do.
---
Max sniffles and nods his head, the movement brushing against Lucas' shoulder where he'd buried his face. "Okay." His voice is so small, so hesitant.
"I can go make us some." Maybe he'll add a little whiskey to his. "I can, um, make something to eat too but... we'd have to go upstairs."
They would have to go out into the main kitchen, which puts them one step closer to Erik. And one step closer to the end too, thinks Max, once Lucas hears the whole truth. How could he want to stay after that? That fear drags another hiccupping sob out of Max. He hugs in tighter, suddenly reluctant to get up at all. As if staying tangled up in Lucas' arms like this could somehow delay that outcome?
Eshe would wait until morning, making her plans, contingencies, while keeping a quiet hope that they could all navigate this dark day and come out the other side of it to the benefit of everyone.
She would meet Erik once she heard the alarm, waiting out of the rooms in a plain sundress that she wore like regal robes. She would stand vigil with her new ally.
Time would tell where this would all lead. To ruin or to a brighter future.
---
"Me neither," Lucas admits just as quietly. Talking to Erik fills him with unnatural dread, dripping slow down his spine. He didn't want to to have that talk. Couldn't that be left to someone with more clout, someone wiser than he, who could decide with a clearer mind? All he wants is right here in his arms.
Swallowing thickly Lucas doesn't fight Max's hold around him, he stays clinging tight, as if leaving the bed would suddenly make this whole affair vanish. It wasn't right, whatever had been hidden from him, but what scares the Medium more is he's not sure he cares.
"I promised you...I was with you no matter what, Max. And I promise you that again," Somehow Lucas keeps his voice from wavering until the last word leaves his lips. Now he can barely contain a tremble in them. "I'll always come knocking at the door. You can't keep me away, not when I..."
Now finally his voice hitches. Three little words carry so much weight. He needs to say it, but now isn't the time. Not with such a dark cloud hanging over them.
"I hope you know how I feel by now," He murmurs instead. "But I need to know what's going on, that you're going to be safe from someone like Cassandra when I'm back home. I don't know if I can leave knowing you have to--" He chokes up from the effort it takes not to bawl. "Max, I just want you to be safe and happy and loved. That's all I want, okay?"
Erik comes to Eshe's side holding two glasses. The crystal may be a clouded blue to mask the color of the contents slightly, but doubtless she knows the scent of blood.
"A little something to give you strength for the morning?" A little something to sip while they wait.
---
Not when he...? What? Max finds himself leaning in, hanging on Lucas' every word. He so desperately wants to hear them, the words left hanging between them unsaid. Is he right? Are they the three words he hopes for?
He should know by now... But what if he's wrong?
"I... " his voice falters. "I hope you know I feel the same way. And I... whatever happens, I never meant to hide things from you. I never wanted to. I was just..." So scared.
His fists clench up tight where he clings to Lucas. Another sob breaks in his chest. Lucas can't leave here if he thinks Max isn't safe. But Max can't leave with him. That's not safe either. What will happen? What will become of them if Lucas has to do the duty his job asks of him? Who will Max pick if he's called on to decide? Or will the choice be taken from him?
"I am," he croaks. "I'm safe. And I'm loved." By you Lucas. Loved by you, isn't he?
Happy is relative, and Max mostly is. It's good enough. Why can't it be good enough? Why did this have to happen?
"I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you. But I need you to promise me something first. Promise you will hear Erik out before you judge him for it?"
Taking the glass Eshe lifts it briefly, nodding her head. Her expression is solemn but radiates strength, a calmness she nearly feels entirely. Her French fluid as she toasts, "Lever nos verres."
And now they wait. It was a strange twist of fate that so much would be decided by two mortals. Moments like these made believing in fate an easy task. What else could it be?
A bright future, she hopes, and Eshe reached out a hand once more to Erik. This alliance would stand. Perhaps that would lend her fellow Elder the courage to face it.
---
Lucas finds himself hanging off of every word, too. Would Max be braver than he was? Could he say what obviously needed to be said? Still it was no surprise those words remained unspoken, but Lucas vows in that moment that he would speak them if this doesn't go all to hell. He would, because even if they both felt the same way, he should tell Max in no uncertain terms.
For now his attention is solely on the present and those words spilling from his love's lips. Safe. and loved, but not happy. Not entirely? How could he, being trapped in a gilded cage. But how could he leave with hungry wolves lying in wait just outside of the bars, ready to snatch the poor man up and rip him to shreds.
Erik had been protecting Max, as much as that truth sits uneasy in Lucas's mind. IOPSA could only do so much, stretched thin as they are, but was it enough?
He didn't want to be the to judge. Lucas knows it would be biased to Max's safety and well-being, and possibly his own benefit, too. A shade of dark grey, muddled and mired in murky morals. Exactly where IOPSA usually operates. The world isn't black and white, after all.
Lucas takes a breath, slowly nodding. "I can't make a call if I don't know the whole story. All...of it." His gaze drops as he pulls back just enough to simply clasp Max's hands, trying to force himself not to cry again. "Even the ugly bits. So I promise you, I'll listen to all of it."
Swallow down his anger on Max's behalf, his fear and worry.
"You should be happy, too, you know." Tears slip down his cheeks again as Lucas looks up to Max. "So I'm sorry for...all of this. But also, I'm not sorry for it. Something has to change. If Erik's serious about sending Cassandra away...that's a start. Right?"
he squeezes Max's hands, trying to bolster his own courage. "We should go find him."
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2021-02-18 08:08 pm (UTC)Pushing that thought down, Lucas tucks it away to hold onto in case of an absolute emergency. Instead he turns his focus onto Max and the stiff way he's holding himself while hurriedly trying to get himself dressed. Lucas draws in closer, seeking to help Max with his belt once his shirt is tucked in.
So many questions run through his head, so many he wants to voice. None of them make it past his clenched throat, tight with fear. What were they going to do now?
---
It is becoming alarmingly apparent that Erik's position here is more precarious than she anticipated. Eshe waits only a moment longer before slipping back away and returning again to her human shape. She's made similar fragile alliances in the past, only to have them crumble the moment the pressure became real. With Erik's territory bordering hers there's a real possibility of any chaos spilling over into her house.
And she was not about to let that stand.
Another concern, and no less for being thought of secondarily, are the two humans in this household now. Eshe can guess what Cassandra means about Max and the truth of it threatens the very precarious balance Erik has established here. If IOPSA were to stick their noses in it would only cause further complications that none involved needed.
"Ah, there you are, darling." Eshe steps into the room moments later, amber gqze fixed to Erik. She makes a small show of belatedly noticing Cassandra, knowing that none here believe she truly hadn't been listening in somehow. That's a bluff Eshe wants Cassandra to call her on, but doubts that she will.
"Well, I was going to ask you if you wished to join me on the balcony, but..." She drawls slowly, lofting a brow as she peers at the other woman. "It has been quite a few ywars, hasn't it, Cassandra?"
no subject
Date: 2021-02-27 08:48 pm (UTC)As the silence stretches on, he finally finds the courage to speak. He has to say something. "Lucas... I'm so sorry. I... I don't want to go. I don't want you to see..." To see how broken he will be when he comes back.
"What I mean is... Cassandra can be really hard on me."
---
Cassandra's posture goes rigid when the vampire queen enters. "Eshe? Yes. It has. I wasn't aware you were here." There's an edge in her voice, not of aggression but of fear.
"Perhaps if you had called ahead," Erik commented tartly.
He reached for Eshe, to take her hand as both a symbolic show of unity and out of a true desire for comfort. He, of course, guessed that the woman had heard every word spoken. Was it foolish to hope that her interjecting now was because she desired to help unstick him from this situation?
"Mistress Cassandra has brought us news," Erik says smoothly, going along with Eshe's ruse, "I suppose I should thank her for coming to report her betrayal so swiftly."
"Now, see here, Erik!" Cassandra begins to protest. "Our pact was such that I would not begrudge your control over territory that should rightfully have been mine. That agreement has not been breached."
no subject
Date: 2021-02-28 03:31 pm (UTC)All these thoughts go right out the window. I don't want you to see... Lead instantly drops in the pit of his stomach, and it feels as if all the blood in his body drains right out of his bare feet.
"Don't go." The thought escapes from between his lips before Lucas can filter it. He swallows and doubles down, louder this time. "Don't go, Max. You don't have to. If Cassandra scares you this much..." He steps between Max and the stairs leading out, hands curling around Max's upper arms, pale gaze swimming with clashing emotions. Worry and resolve. "What's going on, Max. What does she do to you?"
If need be, Lucas steels the thought in his mind, he could pull the IOPSA card out, shield Max as best as he can. No matter what it takes he doesn't want to see this look of fear on the man ever again.
-----
Especially arches her brows momentarily higher. Erik's pointed out what needs to be said and practically rolled the red carpet out for her. If Cassandra had more forethought she'd surely continue getting away with this arrangement, whatever it was.
Her fingers lace easily between Erik's, tightening in wordless reassurance. The way he seeks her out only cements her decision. One doesn't become master of their realm through cowardice, but holding the line at the frontier is dangerous on the kindest of days. Come what may Erik has her support.
"Why not fight for it, were it truly yours." Her tone is measured, carefully even. She was not seeking a scrabble here necessarily, but would not be disappointed if Cassandra lashed out. Or perhaps, she thinks to herself while her thoughts trailed to the two humans in the mansion, she did wish for a fight. Even a Pet should be treated as more than mere stress relief.
Her top lip curls subtly.
"Or pick the side of your ally, if that's what you claim Lord Osborne to be. Don't roll over and show your belly while begging for treats."
They could stand against her. Should Cassandra chose to flee into the arms of Erik's enemies he would have Eshe's support. The Ozarks could not crumble or that chaos would sweep eastward with sureity.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-09 02:44 pm (UTC)If only it were that simple. He wants so badly to cave, and curl into Lucas' arms, and refused to go up those stairs. If he did that... it would be the first time in a long time that he ever disobeyed a direct order from Erik.
"You're wrong. I have to, Lucas. I have a job to do."
He doesn't want to say. He doesn't want Lucas to know. The job? How could he even explain? What she does to him is... it's good until it isn't.
He can't bring himself to look Lucas in the eyes, even as he begs, "Please, you have to let me do this."
----
The immense wave of relief that washes over Erik from just that affirming squeeze of her hand is almost too great to believe. But, he sets it aside for now. He can revel in it later, once the danger had passed.
"'Twas your dear Lord Osborne who wished to avoid the fight," Cassandra snarls. Her lip curls too, in disgust, at seeing the two of them clasp hands. "He knew I would have defeated him then."
"You and I seem to remember things differently, Cassandra," counters Erik. "I did not wish to fight you. I never said that I could not. Perhaps that fight is overdue."
Erik can feel the tension in Eshe. He's come to know her well. She may just be spoiling for such a fight. And, while Erik was not as sure all those years ago that he could win decisively. He is now.
"I am begging for nothing," Cassandra continues. I want no part in this conflict. I want to stay out of it."
"Do you really think you can?" presses Erik. "Do you really think, if Ophelia does what she has been threatening to do all this time, that the war will not touch every single one of us? I need to know where you will stand when that time comes."
Cassandra looks between Erik and then Eshe. And the silence stretches on.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-09 06:22 pm (UTC)That alone sends up alarm bells, twisting his gut into a tight knot. There's something else to this job, something that Max and Erik don't want him...no, IOPSA, finding out.
Planting a hand to Max's chest, like he has any hope of actually stopping the man if he chooses to push him aside, Lucas steels himself, voice low but determined. "No, Max. If I have to get to the bottom of this, I will, but I can't ignore that something is going on. Whatever the hell it is...you don't have to tell me." His voice breaks there, but only for a moment. "All you have to do is ask me for help and I'll do anything I can."
Which isn't much, even Lucas will admit. Alone out here in a house of vampire's and a Pet, he's too tangled up in this mess. But that promise he made during their first days together Lucas intended on keeping. No matter the cost.
"You don't have to do this." The pleading tone in his voice shines through in whole now, desperate for Max to at least look at him. To grab hold of this lifeline. Whatever the storm to come, even if Max chooses Erik now, he'll remain steadfast. Max wouldn't be rid of him so easily...
---
Silence is ever her ally. Eshe is patient, letting her beast stew in the lengthening laspe of words. It would have to be sated later, but for now she holds it back with practiced grace.
Silence is also an answer. Cassandra has made a choice, conscious or not. There were no true neutral parties, she would not merely sit back and watch events unfold. That was ever the nature of the game.
Drawing in a purposeful breath through her nostrils Eshe stares Cassandra down, appraising in the way a leopard looks down at its prey, "I believe that concludes your business here then."
There's no reason to drag the humans into this just yet, unless Cassandra presses the matter.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-09 06:56 pm (UTC)All he has to do is ask for help? Lucas is acting in his capacity as an IOPSA agent now. Not just as a friend.
He feels so cold. The shivering won't stop. He might vibrate apart at any moment. When he finally manages to bring his gaze up to meet Lucas', tears are quivering at the creases of his eyes. His lip trembles almost too much for him to speak.
"If I don't go up there to meet her..." he croaks, "she might decide to break her alliance with Erik. Lucas... please. I don't want to choose. I don't... I don't want to lose you. It's just... she's rough. When she plays with me. That's all. Just a little too rough. I can handle it. You don't need to do this."
---
"She speaks for you now, does she?" Cassandra demands of Erik.
He sneers at her. "In this regard, we are of the same mind. So. Yes. Get out of my house, Cassandra. And do not consider yourself welcome here again."
"Erik," Cassandra stamps her petite foot. "Oh! Very well. If it is a pledge you desire, then you shall have it. I shall take your side, should the war begin openly. Does this please you?"
"Not at all," he tells her coldly. "A weak bond is no bond at all. You have enjoyed my hospitality too long as it is, and I have got nothing to show for it."
"Nothing? Really Erik?"
"Attack me then," he says with a careful shrug. "Come take that land you find so disputed. We shall see what comes of it."
Cassandra's fists ball up at her sides, and she growls low in the back of her throat. She stares at him long and hard, as if deciding to throw a punch or not. But a glance aside at Eshe seems to make the choice for her.
"You will regret this, Lord Osborne." And, that said, she stomps her way to the front door.
"No," Erik says cooley, "I don't believe I will."
no subject
Date: 2021-03-09 09:15 pm (UTC)"I don't want you to choose. I'm...I'm sorry. You can hate me after this is over but I also can't stand by and let this happen." His breath catches, catch between a swallow and a sob that threatens to crack him wide open. "You are still a person, even if you're a Pet. You can still say no. And if he's not letting you..."
Another swallow. What else is being hidden from him? Pushing aside being Max's lover, what is Erik really up to, what other horrors has Max been subjected to? He should have pushed harder, asked more insistently. He should have, but didn't, swept along like no ill could ever come of such a mismatched pairing.
"I'll talk to Erik," Lucas decides, turning away quickly before his resolve gives way or Max catches him. He still has to get past Josiah, but he'll try. He has to, for Max's sake.
---
There's a long beat of silence after Cassandra leaves where Eshe stares at the space she had occupied, her fingers still laced in Erik's. This is her vow and it's not one she makes lightly or in haste. Though they had only spoken pleasantries in passing for decades, she has kept an eye on her neighbor. And likely he has done the same. They were destined to be rivals or allies sooner or later and she finds, in the darkest pit of what used to be her human heart, that she is glad for this outcome.
Her grip tightens.
"We need to speak about a few matters, of course, and cement this alliance completely, but most pressing is our dear humans, hm?" Subtly a brow arches as Eshe eyes her fellow Elder. "I imagine it hasn't escaped my Medium's notice that something is afoot by now, especially concerning Max. So, it's best you're clear with me first. Is Max a Pet of yours or a slave?"
Because the difference, subtle as it is, means everything.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-09 09:52 pm (UTC)Lucas is going to talk to Erik?! No. No, no, no. No! There's no way this can end that won't result in him being banned from seeing Lucas ever again. And then, what if Lucas comes back with reinforcements? What if IOPSA tries to take him from Erik? Max puts his hand out to catch himself on the door frame. He's suddenly faint.
"Lucas... no! Don't. Please don't," he begs weakly.
Josiah meets Lucas in the hall, blocking the way, an imposing figure with arms crossed. In a gentle but firm voice that will brook no argument he says, "I suggest you go back to Max and help him back to the bed. Erik is indisposed at the moment. I can't let you speak to him yet."
Oh yes. His master has much to answer for; that is true. But Lucas will need to wait his turn.
---
Erik finds himself wishing, at this moment, that he had not joined hands with this dangerous queen. Because he can feel the trap tightening now, even before she turns those sharp words on him. No room for escape. Not even to maneuver. A point blank question. One he so desperately wishes to avoid answering. But he knows, as sure as the sun will rise, that she will not let him move from this spot until he has answered it.
He looks her in the eyes, because to do otherwise would be fatal. "I have been thinking of him as my Pet but I find now that I... have let the boundaries blur too heavily."
He sucks in a sharp breath, and feels the dreadfully hot burning of shame seeping through him. "I have called him a Pet, but I have treated him as a slave."
And when Lucas discovers that fact, all will be in ruin.
"This cannot continue. It will not."
no subject
Date: 2021-03-09 10:48 pm (UTC)"With Cassandra or--" Lucas makes the mistake of looking back to Max, who's holding onto the door frame like he might faint. A bolt of panic sings through him, forcing action before he can think, and rushes back to Max's side.
"Hey, hey, lean on me." What the hell is he doing to poor Max!? A well of guilt rises in his chest as Lucas wraps an arm around Max, hoping to steady the shocked man before he passes out. "I...Let's just...get you to the bed. Come on."
Please forgive me, Lucas thinks, but bites it back. The fallout from this hasn't even hit the fan yet, but as soon as he gets a chance to speak to Erik he's still going to take that risk.
---
Erik is wise to speak truths to her, even if they are painful ones. It is that pain she understands. In her younger years in this unlife Eshe made terrible and rash decisions with her humans. It was only in that darkness that she found a better way, a slow and careful way. Never taking another on as a Pet, but something close enough. It is a lesson Erik need not learn in the same manner, not with two human lives on the line.
She squeezes her hand briefly tighter, reassuring almost, before settling on something in between while not letting him go.
"Why not? Do you believe those words? It shouldn't continue. Because your territory is at stake, because by saying otherwise you will have me to contend with as well?" Her words are laconic but measured, calm at the surface.
"Why send Max after my Medium then, hm? If not to turn my gaze towards you. What was your goal? To leverage IOPSA's favor, perhaps? To capture another Pet in your web? Whatever the case, you have my attention now. And all it entails." There's a pause, an edge in her gaze and tone as she regards her new ally. "I don't think you realize the treasure you have right under your nose. Let me remedy that for you."
no subject
Date: 2021-03-10 02:20 am (UTC)"Go ahead and loosen his tie," Josiah advises from the doorway. "He won't be going up there tonight."
The vampire won't say any more than that on the issue, but he does hope that will assuage Lucas enough to keep him down here until Erik is ready for round two.
---
It does not feel good to speak such things. To realize how far he has fallen. But that brief squeeze from her? That does feel good.
A part of him worries that perhaps she is manipulating him the way he has done others so often. Could she be playing him? She could. Or, she could be teaching him a lesson he apparently sorely needs to learn. That is a far more attractive idea. Call him foolish for clinging to it.
"The threat of your disapproval is quite compelling," he admits. "But what smacks worse is realizing how far from the righteous path I have strayed. I, who once knew the weight of the yoke on my own shoulders. How could I?"
Yes, he wants her approval. Yes, he wants to retain her support. But, most all, he wants to stop the sick churning of his gut as he looks over his deeds and sees them for what they are.
And now he sees too, how far her influence stretches. She knew all along that he had plotted to send Max to Lucas. That it was no accidental meeting. She really has outplayed him all along.
"I knew Lucas was yours," he admitted. Time, at last, to come clean of it all. "I sent Max to him to see if it might turn your head my way. And, if not, then Max might at least pick up some level of influence in IOPSA, perhaps he could bring me some interesting new information. He has a talent for drawing things out of people." That is a treasure all on its own.
"I never dreamed it would lead to this. I never imagined the two of them might... fall In love." Because that is what's happened. A blind man could still see it.
He thought at first it might be a passing infatuation. And what a tool it could be? He'd have to be a fool to stamp it out. but then it grew and grew. And now? This is territory Erik never dreamed he'd be navigating. A chart has never been made for such a place as this. What is he to do?
"If that is the treasure then... I realize it and do not know what to do with it. If that is not it then, please, enlighten me."
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Date: 2021-03-10 03:11 am (UTC)What the hell is going on upstairs? Whatever it was Max is his main priority now, so with trembling hands Lucas loosens Max's tie before throwing his arms around the man, "I'm sorry...." He croaks, clinging so hard his knuckles stand out against his skin.
"I'm sorry..."
---
If Erik is a fool then so is she. For all of her machinations of the decades and centuries, the wildcard that humanity plays has surprised her once more. Even she could not forsee how close the pair would become, but Eshe's not sorry for it.
"Whispers of your Max's charm were not over-exaggerated. I heard of that before your arrival and one of my children watched them at the bar. I thought it might play out in such a way that I might gain a foothold westward," If Erik must admit his short comings, then she couldn't in good faith ignore hers. "But we were both blindsided."
Slowly Eshe comes around to face Erik, clasping his other hand in hers and standing so close their foreheads nearly touch. This alliance is fragile now, but in time...not even she could guess where this would lead.
"Humans are funny that way," Eshe glances up, a faint smirk playing at her lips. "Even now after so long they still surprise me, but you're right. That love is a treasure and it should be protected. Max is alone in a house of vampires and Lucas stands apart in a world of humans."
The mirth fades from her expression, replaced with an old sadness. "Do not learn this lesson the way I did, Erik. These two lights are so...so very precious. You cannot undo what you've done to Max, but you can take up that yoke again. You can walk that path again. It's not too late."
no subject
Date: 2021-03-10 01:39 pm (UTC)The color is still gone from his face. He's ashen and cold. But, as Lucas loosens the tie, he finally starts to take deeper breaths. He clings to the Medium as those breaths are punctuated by harsh sobs.
He's threatening to come undone just as hard and fast as when Lucas held him in his apartment. How Max hates this. He's supposed to be strong. Why does he always fall to pieces when Lucas holds him this way. And why does it always feel so... good isn't the word but... needed.
---
"So," Erik says with a wry chuckle, "you and I were both attempting to play the game, only to find our pawns have decided to eschew the rules and make up their own."
It does bring him some comfort to know he was not the only one taken by surprise. Even Eshe, with her vast experience, could not have calculated for this.
As she clasps his other hand and faces him, he feels again that strange new warmth. And this time, he doesn't wonder at it. Not with her so close. So close he could almost... No, he must resist such temptations. This is too new and too precarious.
Still. Can it be that there is more at stake here than a simple alliance? He would like to call her friend. He would like to call her more. And as they stand here and speak of love, some little fantasy he has long kept caged suddenly beats at the bars for freedom. But that is a foolish thought and he silences it immediately.
"It makes perfect sense, in hindsight, that they would be drawn to each other as they are."
That tragic look that crosses her countenance could break his stone-dead heart in two. She is right. This thing before them is precious. And each of them holds one half of it in their care. They must nurture it together as one.
"I cannot set him free. To do so would spell his doom. But I can remove the weight from his shoulders. I can loosen the chain. I thought this would be a fleeting love between them. Now I see that, despite such heavy odds, they have flourished under these dark conditions. So, it seems the only sensible thing left to do... is let in more light."
no subject
Date: 2021-03-10 06:19 pm (UTC)"I've got you."
Max could break apart and Lucas will hold onto every single piece. For as long as it takes. All the while a storm of emotions rages beneath his worry for his love. Max can't keep living this way. Erik has no right and it a wrong Lucas intends to fix. For now, though, Max is his only worry.
"Come on, lay back for me? Let's...let's get you comfy, some water...I'll take care of you." No matter what happens, Lucas vows, he'll take care of Max.
---
A dark part of Eshe's mind is thinking similar thoughts. For so long she has stood apart and this alliance may lead to something more than a fellow Elder to turn to for help. But she crushes the thought down. Erik is someone she needs to know and understand completely, what his true intentions are. After all, he could be saying these words to pay lip service and Bide his time. Wait for the perfect time to stab her in the back.
"Isn't it a wonder that even after a millenia we can still be caught unawares?" Her smile is rueful and sombers quickly.
"You will need to explain to me the situation with Max in full, but perhaps we should at least...reassure them that Cassandra is no longer an immediate problem." She has her ideas on how Erik acquired such a Pet, but nothing concrete. That needed to change and quickly, but even she knew not to act with too much haste. "Or send word, at any rate. We have much to discuss, my friend, and emotions are likely at their peak. I would caution speaking to our dears at the moment."
Let them tend to each other and let tensions die down. Eshe knows what she will ultimately have to ask of Lucas and it sits uneasy in her stomach. IOPSA must never know how Max has truly been treated, only that from now on it will be as a true Pet. She hopes. Oh, for an Elder to have hope such as this it's almost frightening. Were Erik to betray that now or in the future, her fury would be like no tempest on this planet.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-11 01:33 am (UTC)Lucas' whispers comfort him. He believes. In this moment, he trusts that Lucas won't let him fall. So, he does as he's asked. He lays back and pulls himself all the way up on the bed. Then he curls onto his side and attempts to drag Lucas in with him. So he can curl his body around the Medium and hold him.
Josiah appears at the bedside with a bottle of water in hand. He offers it to Lucas silently. The vampire guard's expression is neutral, his movements all passive and impartial. Yet, he stands like a stoic sentinel at their side, seemingly ready to ward off any danger that might approach.
Then his phone rings and he picks it up on the first ring. The other half of the conversation isn't audible, but he gives a few curt 'Mm-hm's' before finally saying, "I understand. I'll let them know."
Then he shuts off the phone and turns to the two of them to say, "Cassandra has gone. She won't be welcome back again. Erik would like the two of you to stay down here until the morning."
More directly to Lucas, Josiah adds, "Mr. Osborne realizes you have things you want to discuss with him, but he really must insist that it wait util then."
---
"It's one of the reasons why I could never agree with my sister about humans," Erik admits. If he's going to have to explain all, then there's no point avoiding this topic.
"She saw them as dumb animals. We know better."
He pulls out his phone, saying, "I'll update my man, Josiah, on what's occurred."
Josiah, of course, had already heard most of it. He, with his ears well placed all over this house. Erik quickly instructs him to have the boys remain downstairs for the night, that he would brief them fully in the morning. That should give him plenty of time to iron things out here with Eshe.
With that done, Erik beckons Eshe to follow him to the sitting room. "Let's get comfortable, shall we? The story is a long one."
no subject
Date: 2021-03-11 02:54 am (UTC)As Max lays down, Lucas goes half down with him, except he hasn't forgotten the promise of water. Before this night is through Max will need to re-hydrate himself. Just like the first days together, he needs to break down, to let the pain out. Only then can they try and figure out a way to move forward. Lucas had nearly forgotten Josiah in the other room until the water bottle appears in his field of view. He glances up, silently questioning the vampire before he slowly takes the offered bottle. "Thank you."
It seems strange that Josiah would help. Lucas figured the head of security would watch over them, to make sure either one didn't do anything rash, but to help even in this small way? Lucas turns again, gently carding his fingers through Max's hair and quietly reassuring him until the phone call is over.
"She...she's gone?" This is big. Whatever went on upstairs Lucas wonders if Eshe had a hand in it. He nearly asks, but Josiah stops him short. They were staying here until the next morning. He wasn't going to complain about that, not even protesting the last bit of what Josiah says. Erik can choke on his words tomorrow, but maybe later...later he can get a message out to Miles. A backup plan in case things really hit the fan here.
"Alright," He says instead. "Thanks, Josiah."
And now his attention is truly laser focused on Max, unbutton his shirt, unbuckling his belt. "Let's get you comfy, then I'm going to cuddle the absolute shit out of you, Max." All day and all night if he needs to.
---
"She's not the only one who thinks that way, unfortunately." Cattle, livestock, vermin. Some vampires considered humanity less than the animals they transform into. Eshe could understand the appeal. She had the very same way of thinking so long ago.
Eshe waits in silence until the phone call is over. She can only hope that Josiah keeps a proper eye on the pair. Lucas might have his hands full with Max, but she fears it might not be enough to prevent him from doing something foolish. Humans are unpredictable like that.
"Mmm, yes. Let's." She does follow and takes up the first comfortable seat offered to her, offering out her hand again as she does so. Reaffirming her word. She's cast her lot in with Erik, for good or ill. "Fortunately for you I'm a patient listener."
Most of the time, but this would surely be one of them. So much hangs in the balance now, it's difficult to focus on anything else. A misstep now, in these fledgling hours of this alliance would surely spell doom, not just for those in this mansion but well beyond.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-20 05:28 am (UTC)But he’s not blind. He could see all along that this was wrong. And, despite how his duty compels him, he loves Max. He will always love Max. Even if he must some day put the human to death. He will bury some piece of himself that day too. He knows it. He prays it will never be necessary.
So, he helps where he can. How he can. It is the best he can offer. He cannot be Max’s friend. Or Lucas’ friend. But he can be kind.
Max closes his eyes and settles slightly at Lucas’ touch to his hair. He’s so tired. It would be nice to sleep. Lucas is here. He’s safe. But his eyes fly wide again when Josiah tells them that news.
“What?” He tries to sit up but fumbles weakly on the bed and ends up collapsing back down. “Why? What happened. Josiah?!”
The vampire puts a finger up, one quick sharp motion and Max falls instantly silent.
“Tomorrow, Max. We will discuss everything tomorrow. Please refrain from making any bold moves until then.” The vampire stares hard at Lucas while he says that last.
“If that is all, then I will leave you to each other now. I am needed upstairs.” Without waiting to hear any protests from either of them, Josiah turns and strides out of the room.
Max shifts in closer to Lucas again, clinging to him like a lost child. “Cuddling sounds really nice...”
----
He grips her hand tight. Telling this story will be... daunting.
“My sister did not appreciate the Accords,” he starts. “She delighted in disguising herself a young college woman and going out to have her way with young men at their campus parties. Max was one of those unfortunate young men. She intended to drain him and leave him for dead. It would have looked like alcohol poisoning to anyone, at first.
“But Max had more fight in him than she bargained for. Perhaps it was luck. Or fate. But, in the battle the raged that night between them, Max came out the victor. My sister was slain."
There is a touch of sadness in his expression, tainted with regret, and anger. So much he hadn't realized until it was too late. If he'd known, could he have stopped her?
"She had allies. Powerful ones. She had, unknown to me, been amassing an army. She meant to move against me. She would have, soon. Those allies were not pleased to see her put down by a mere human, as you might imagine."
Surely she can see where this is going now? They called for vengeance. An inferior human killed one of their own? They wanted blood. They wanted Max's head on a pike.
"But she was my sister. My blood. My grievance with him took priority. My right to satisfaction was strongest. So, I named my price. Not death, but servitude. It was the only way. I claimed him to keep him alive. If I ever relinquish that claim, they will come for him. They have not forgotten."
no subject
Date: 2021-03-21 03:55 am (UTC)"Yeah, it does." Lucas kept his voice low and soothing, kissing the top of Max's crown gently. All of his questions and worries would have to keep until the morning. And the anger simmering further back from it all. Lucas had the distinct feeling he was missing parts of the story. Not that they would frame these visits from Cassandra in any kind of positive light, he imagined, but he'd been deceived.
By Erik, most certainly, but the question remained; did Max lie to him, too?
"I'm not going anywhere." Lucas chose to focus on Max instead. The poor man was about to shake into pieces, so Lucas freed him of his belt and pressed the man close against himself.
"You're okay, Max...you're okay."
----
Eshe sat in stony silence. Erik's pain etched so plainly that it tugged on long dead heartstrings. She knew this pain well, not of a sibling's death, but someone she might have considered one were the circumstances different. And for her to meet her end by accident?
Now wonder the hounds clamored for blood.
As much as vampires now held themselves above the scrabbling cry of their beasts, it was still there. Howling in the distance. Roaring when it got the chance.
They'd want for blood and only Max's would do.
"Our kind has a long memory." She stated quietly. Servitude. The word was poison lead in her mind. Her back itched, a faint reminder of an era long ago and her own servitude to another.
"But even in servitude he is still human." Her words are measured again, amber gaze fixed upon an indistinct spot upon the floor. "What's done is done, and perhaps some of it can be undone. Make Max a true Pet, a human to cherish. A bright star in a long, suffering night. Two now, actually."
This was the treasure of it all. Though she doubted Erik intended for his Pet to fall for Lucas, and the opposite had certainly been true of her plans, it happened nonetheless. Her mind turned away from this rare joy, to churn on problems that still lay ahead.
"If these usurpers wish to rally against us, we would do well to have IOPSA on our side. You will have to curry favor through Lucas for that. He will need the truth, and he will need to hide it for everyone's sake. This isn't something I will ask of him lightly." Her gaze flicked to Erik again, softening at its hard edges. Her fondness for her Medium peeking through for a few moments before clouding over with a sliver of the rage she had held for Cassandra.
"I cast my fate with you now. You would be wise not to squander it." Erik would have to choose his path and for his sake, and the sake of the two humans huddled downstairs, she hoped he chose correctly.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 01:03 am (UTC)He's been telling himself it was necessary. It was his duty. It was his lot in life to do as Erik commanded. He told himself it wasn't so bad. It wasn't until he saw the horror, the anger reflected back in Lucas' eyes that he realized how far down the rabbit hole he'd fallen. Is there any way back out of this?
Will it really be okay?
He wants to believe as he curls up in Lucas' arms. He wants to be okay. He wants to find a way back to the happiness they had before it was so abruptly shattered.
"Lucas," he whispers, barely more than a breath, "Please don't go. Please..."
I love you.
---
"They had to believe," Erik looks into her eyes, his gaze full of cold steel. "They needed to believe it was a punishment. They required their pound of flesh. That mark he bears. That was my concession."
His guilt twists like a knife every time Erik sees it. That burn. That brand. Funny, isn't it? Max has forgiven him for it. He has never forgiven himself.
"The rest I did in an effort to ease the agony of his transition. I fear that damage is irreversible. If I could go back and do it again... No, I do not think I can say I would have done it differently. I did what I felt was needed." Not right. It wasn't right. But, it was the best he could do.
"But it has been long enough now. Max has paid his debt and more. I cannot release him, but I can acknowledge him. I can give him the long lead he desires... and deserves. So that he can bask in the light of your own bright star."
Lucas, that one is a treasure too, is he not? Yes, Erik finds himself inexplicably drawn to the boy. It's no wonder at all why Max has fallen for him.
Erik clasps her hand in both of his now. "Eshe, my dark queen, I will not squander such riches as your trust. Allow me to prove myself. This very morning Lucas will be given the facts. What he does with them will be... up to you."
no subject
Date: 2021-03-24 02:27 am (UTC)"I'm staying with you." The last word came out as a hiccup, snagging there as tears spilled anew down his cheeks. "Always..."
Because I love you.
Lucas drew his arms in as tight as they would go, curling around Max like a warm blanket. Nothing could move him now and nothing would, until morning. Only the sweet bliss of slumber would finally bring his tears to a standstill, but even in sleep he held Max tight.
----
Eshe understood. As a fellow walker of the night, she knew while the duality of their kind. The burden weighed heavily on Erik's shoulders but it was the cost of sparing Max's life. One hand for humanity and the other for the brutality of the wilds.
There was no going back, only forward, from here.
The path ahead was more uncertain, even as she vowed her support. The next few days may very well bear out the direction. A path towards a brighter future or a bloody one.
Slowly she cupped her free hand around Erik's, eyes cast downward at their connection. Only then could she allow herself a warm smile. Her bright light. If only she could truly lay claim to Lucas, a true Pet to be utterly spoiled.
"No, my friend. That will be up to my dear Lucas. You'll find him wiser than his years, he carries the burdens placed on his shoulders unflinchingly. He will be angry, no doubt, but not so much as to blind himself." And angry on behalf of his love, which Eshe felt certain Erik would understand. To that end, weren't they all concerned with the poor butler's well-being?
Lifting her amber gaze, her smile actually remained. "I will, of course, ask him to hold onto yet more dark secrets, but make no mistake he is not my Pet. Though I would have enjoyed making that a reality. I believe we can make the most of this new path, but the morning will bear it all out."
Though she had no need Eshe drew a deep breath, settling the beast within her for the time being.
"Until then, perhaps it;s best we retire for the evening?"
no subject
Date: 2021-04-06 10:59 am (UTC)"I would like very much to retire with you, but I should find Josiah and brief him before I do. Feel free to go on without me."
In truth, Erik desired more to hear what had transpired below from his right-hand man. How had the scene played out? Josiah was, of course, keen to relay this information. As keen as he was to hear what had been decided upstairs too. The two would speak for an hour before Erik finally did retire for the night. But he would be up again at sunrise, anticipating Max's morning alarm.
---
Max tossed and turned fitfully. But each time he almost broke from sleep completely, the warmth of Lucas next to him, held fast and tight, lulled him back to deeper slumber. That warm presence chased away the nightmares too. But, it couldn't keep the dawn from approaching.
At 5:30 am, Max's alarm went off, waking him with a start. He slapped the phone off automatically, but then he rolled back over on the bed and laid there gathering his wits. Everything that happened the night before came rushing back in a tidal wave of emotions. Fresh tears stung his eyes, and a gasping sob jerked in his chest. Why couldn't it all have been a bad dream? He looked to Lucas and sobbed harder.
Would this be the last time they'd hold each other like this?
no subject
Date: 2021-04-07 12:00 pm (UTC)This alliance had begun on the barest of threads, but skilled weavers could still turn it into a tapestry.
"Hold that thought for another time, then. The offer will stand." She could retire with Erik another time and get a better feel for her fellow Elder then. No doubt he would prefer to speak with Josiah on his own, she had meddled enough for the time being. Taking her leave of him, Eshe stalked off to her guest room. There were preparations to make on her own end in case everything went south.
---
Max's presence in his arms was an anchor against his own nightmares too, but still Lucas found restful slumber to be elusive. It had dimmed the heat of yesterday's anger somewhat. The alarm jolting him out of sleep made that and everything else come sweeping back in. Morning. Erik said he'd speak to them soon.
As Max began to sob Lucas wrapped himself around him once more, not bothering to hide his own tears even as he tried to soothe away his love's. This wouldn't be the last morning together, he vowed. Come what may, Max was too precious to let go.
Eventually his own tears began to slow and he squeezed the man briefly tighter. "Hey, maybe we should get some coffee going? Breakfast?" Lucas asked in a voice raspy with emotion. Maybe something mundane would help. He wasn't eager to go looking for Erik, but maybe the commotion would signal to the vampires that they were up and moving finally.
As much as Lucas dreaded what was to come there was no avoiding it.
no subject
Date: 2021-04-12 06:52 pm (UTC)"Another time," he allows his voice to belie how much he hopes for this. Another time, he will gladly go with her. Assuming the morning does not bring this all crashing down. Only Lucas can decide that.
Erik will wait until he hears Max's alarm go off. When he does, he rises from his sleepless bed and begins to groom himself for the day. Doubtless it will be some time yet before the two emerge. Time enough for him to shave and arrange his wardrobe. He will pick something soft, and hope it does anything to lessen the perception Lucas has that he is the villain here. For all the good it may do.
---
Max sniffles and nods his head, the movement brushing against Lucas' shoulder where he'd buried his face. "Okay." His voice is so small, so hesitant.
"I can go make us some." Maybe he'll add a little whiskey to his. "I can, um, make something to eat too but... we'd have to go upstairs."
They would have to go out into the main kitchen, which puts them one step closer to Erik. And one step closer to the end too, thinks Max, once Lucas hears the whole truth. How could he want to stay after that? That fear drags another hiccupping sob out of Max. He hugs in tighter, suddenly reluctant to get up at all. As if staying tangled up in Lucas' arms like this could somehow delay that outcome?
"I'm not... really hungry."
no subject
Date: 2021-04-12 08:26 pm (UTC)She would meet Erik once she heard the alarm, waiting out of the rooms in a plain sundress that she wore like regal robes. She would stand vigil with her new ally.
Time would tell where this would all lead. To ruin or to a brighter future.
---
"Me neither," Lucas admits just as quietly. Talking to Erik fills him with unnatural dread, dripping slow down his spine. He didn't want to to have that talk. Couldn't that be left to someone with more clout, someone wiser than he, who could decide with a clearer mind? All he wants is right here in his arms.
Swallowing thickly Lucas doesn't fight Max's hold around him, he stays clinging tight, as if leaving the bed would suddenly make this whole affair vanish. It wasn't right, whatever had been hidden from him, but what scares the Medium more is he's not sure he cares.
"I promised you...I was with you no matter what, Max. And I promise you that again," Somehow Lucas keeps his voice from wavering until the last word leaves his lips. Now he can barely contain a tremble in them. "I'll always come knocking at the door. You can't keep me away, not when I..."
Now finally his voice hitches. Three little words carry so much weight. He needs to say it, but now isn't the time. Not with such a dark cloud hanging over them.
"I hope you know how I feel by now," He murmurs instead. "But I need to know what's going on, that you're going to be safe from someone like Cassandra when I'm back home. I don't know if I can leave knowing you have to--" He chokes up from the effort it takes not to bawl. "Max, I just want you to be safe and happy and loved. That's all I want, okay?"
no subject
Date: 2021-04-27 05:34 pm (UTC)"A little something to give you strength for the morning?" A little something to sip while they wait.
---
Not when he...? What? Max finds himself leaning in, hanging on Lucas' every word. He so desperately wants to hear them, the words left hanging between them unsaid. Is he right? Are they the three words he hopes for?
He should know by now... But what if he's wrong?
"I... " his voice falters. "I hope you know I feel the same way. And I... whatever happens, I never meant to hide things from you. I never wanted to. I was just..." So scared.
His fists clench up tight where he clings to Lucas. Another sob breaks in his chest. Lucas can't leave here if he thinks Max isn't safe. But Max can't leave with him. That's not safe either. What will happen? What will become of them if Lucas has to do the duty his job asks of him? Who will Max pick if he's called on to decide? Or will the choice be taken from him?
"I am," he croaks. "I'm safe. And I'm loved." By you Lucas. Loved by you, isn't he?
Happy is relative, and Max mostly is. It's good enough. Why can't it be good enough? Why did this have to happen?
"I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you. But I need you to promise me something first. Promise you will hear Erik out before you judge him for it?"
no subject
Date: 2021-04-29 12:52 pm (UTC)And now they wait. It was a strange twist of fate that so much would be decided by two mortals. Moments like these made believing in fate an easy task. What else could it be?
A bright future, she hopes, and Eshe reached out a hand once more to Erik. This alliance would stand. Perhaps that would lend her fellow Elder the courage to face it.
---
Lucas finds himself hanging off of every word, too. Would Max be braver than he was? Could he say what obviously needed to be said? Still it was no surprise those words remained unspoken, but Lucas vows in that moment that he would speak them if this doesn't go all to hell. He would, because even if they both felt the same way, he should tell Max in no uncertain terms.
For now his attention is solely on the present and those words spilling from his love's lips. Safe. and loved, but not happy. Not entirely? How could he, being trapped in a gilded cage. But how could he leave with hungry wolves lying in wait just outside of the bars, ready to snatch the poor man up and rip him to shreds.
Erik had been protecting Max, as much as that truth sits uneasy in Lucas's mind. IOPSA could only do so much, stretched thin as they are, but was it enough?
He didn't want to be the to judge. Lucas knows it would be biased to Max's safety and well-being, and possibly his own benefit, too. A shade of dark grey, muddled and mired in murky morals. Exactly where IOPSA usually operates. The world isn't black and white, after all.
Lucas takes a breath, slowly nodding. "I can't make a call if I don't know the whole story. All...of it." His gaze drops as he pulls back just enough to simply clasp Max's hands, trying to force himself not to cry again. "Even the ugly bits. So I promise you, I'll listen to all of it."
Swallow down his anger on Max's behalf, his fear and worry.
"You should be happy, too, you know." Tears slip down his cheeks again as Lucas looks up to Max. "So I'm sorry for...all of this. But also, I'm not sorry for it. Something has to change. If Erik's serious about sending Cassandra away...that's a start. Right?"
he squeezes Max's hands, trying to bolster his own courage. "We should go find him."
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