#literally how did the devil himself bring back my like for whump?!

[fycoren]

wuh oh-

[copper-wasp]

Even a Devil May Drabble: Vergil x Reader - Tender Heart (Part 20/?)

This is for @shiranyaaww, who won my 400 tumblr followers giveaway! The request was for Vergil x Healer Reader, with some pining and whump. I hope you like it!!

Rating: T

Warning Tags: None, just some smooching and feels

Words: 2,043

Tagging: @xalmasyx @exsultry @drusoona @synchronmurmurs @harlot-of-oblivion @amicitiayes

Your eyes widened when you saw him fall. The Yamato was loose in his grip, practically a stick in his hand as his back collided with the ground. You wanted to run to him, but there were still demons everywhere, not to mention the scolding you’d have gotten from Vergil himself.

“Dante!” you called out, pointing to Vergil’s prone form when you met his eye. With a wicked smile, Dante dispatched the creature who had harmed his twin with a flourish, an unnecessary pirouette as he separated the hell spawn’s head from its shoulders.

With just a few more minor demons left, Dante charged at them, giving you the opening you needed to dart out from your hiding spot, rushing over to his side as quickly as you could while dodging the demon guts that littered the street.

The slash on Vergil’s abdomen was deep - dark red blood oozing out from three identical claw marks.

“Why isn’t it healing?” you mumbled, rhetorical and to yourself, when the smell hit you. Sweet and tart and acidic. Poison. It must be counteracting Vergil’s demonic healing, keeping the wound open.

You looked up at his face, a mixture of pain and annoyance on his features. “Don’t look at me like that,” you sassed, trying to peel the ruined fabric of his shirt away from the wound.

“You should still be hiding,” he said through gritted teeth. “There are still enemies around.”

“Yes, I’m aware,” you said, rubbing your hands together to generate warmth before hovering them over the wounds. “But you’re bleeding out, Vergil, and I thought your chivalry might take a backseat this time.”

“You’re in danger.”

“So are you.” This wasn’t the time to argue, but you knew Vergil wouldn’t consent to your healing unless he made it known that he didn’t approve. The man was incorrigible that way - always treating you like a baby bird too scared to jump out of the nest. Most of the time you hated it, hated that he thought you were so fragile, but some times, only a couple times at most, you appreciated the care he took with you. You knew it was just a sort of professional courtesy, but there were parts of you that hoped that his incessant care for, and an almost blatant need to, protect you might mean more. You’d been drawn to Vergil from the moment you’d met, a longing burning in your chest for the man who always seemed to hold you at arm’s length, would look away if your eyes met, would jump if you accidentally brushed his arm like a frightened cat; so you tried to keep the same professional courtesy... most of the time.

You looked in his eyes, daring him to challenge you again, before he nodded near imperceptibly. You let your own eyes close, focusing on pushing energy into the gashes, your body the conduit for the healing energy. You heard Vergil groan and hoped the sound was due to the relief you were giving him. You could hear the tissue knitting back together, feel the decrease of Vergil’s heart rate as the blood started flowing where it was supposed to, envisioned the poison leech out from the wound.

You vaguely heard Dante’s footsteps as he jogged back over to where the two of you were, the scent of demon viscera strong where it clung to his clothes.

“That should be all of ‘em,” Dante said with a sigh, “and I closed the portal, so we should be okay at least for tonight.”

“Thank you, Dante,” you replied, eyes opening as you finished pushing the last bit of healing energy into his twin’s body. Vergil was trying to look as if he was pain-free, but the twitch in his jaw told you otherwise. “I did the best I could, but there’s probably still some venom I couldn’t get out, so you might be weak for awhile yet.”

Vergil tsked, but offered you a silent thanks anyway, another slight nod of acknowledgement.

You tried to stand, but wobbled when you got to your feet, lightheadedness overwhelming you.

“Hey sweetheart, you okay?” Dante asked, and you assumed it was his hands on your shoulders to steady you.

You nodded, immediately clutching at your head at the motion. “Y-yeah... yeah, I’m okay. Just didn’t realize how much energy I used up,” you managed to get out, teeth clenching as you willed the world to stop spinning.

You felt yourself be pulled against a firm surface, and you cracked an eye to see that Vergil had removed you from Dante’s grip, holding you gently against his chest.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” he said quietly, enough for only you to hear.

“What, helped you?”

“Used that much energy. I don’t want you putting yourself in danger for me,” he explained, and if you could’ve rolled your eyes, you would’ve.

“That is literally my job, Vergil. And I’m going to keep helping you when you need me to, whether you want it or not.” Your reply was much more snarky and loud than you intended it to be, and you heard Dante chuckle.

“Come on, you two can bicker back at the office,” he said, slinging his bloody sword over his shoulders.

-:- -:- -:-

Vergil made a beeline for the leather sofa when the group of you returned to the shop, sitting down far less gracefully than he usually did. You felt that pang in your chest again when you looked at him - guilt for maybe not doing as much as you should, though Dante had nearly had to carry you back the last couple blocks due to your own exhaustion. But who were you kidding? It wasn’t professional courtesy that had your heard beating out of your chest with worry; it was affection, simply that.

You sat down next to him, trying to move his jacket out of the way to look at his wound. The skin was healed, just a little redness remaining from the demon’s attack. But Vergil still needed rest to purge the poison from his veins. You debated whether or not to try to urge him to bed, but when he relaxed into the worn leather, his eyes closing as sleep overcame him, you decided to let him stay there and keep him company.

You fought the urge to sleep yourself, Dante bringing you something to eat a few minutes later. He waved off your thanks, giving you a winning smile before proclaiming that he was going to wash off all the demon guts in the shower. After rolling your eyes at Dante’s suggestion that you join him, you turned them instead to his twin, watching the subtle rise and fall of his chest.

Without thinking, you placed your hand over the remnant of his wound, just trying to trickle a little more energy into it; Vergil was important, he needed to be fully healed as soon as possible.

“You shouldn’t do that,” he mumbled, cracking an eye to look at you, but your hand stayed firm on his abdomen.

“I don’t like seeing you in pain,” you replied, refusing to look at him, but still seeing his stern look in your peripheral.

“And you think I like seeing you in pain? Exhausted from pushing yourself too hard for me? Wasting your strength for my sake?” Vergil said, concern in his words.

“It’s not a waste. Not if you’re healed,” you said, and Vergil grabbed your wrist, his strength seemingly fully returned.

“Stop,” he said in a dangerous tone, and you finally met his eyes. His face was surprisingly soft, eyes deep and icy blue and you couldn’t stop your next words from flowing out.

“Why won’t you let me care for you, Vergil? Why? Do you hate that I love you that much? Is that it? Because I can’t help that I-”

He stopped your words with his lips, pressed against yours with warmth and desperation. Vergil shifted into the couch, his hands moving to cradle your body to his, not breaking apart from you. You wanted to take a breath, but the tingle of his mouth on yours kept you there, the subtle movement of his too-soft lips a drug you wanted to become addicted to.

You didn’t know if it was the exhaustion, or just that it was him, but your kiss seemed to go on forever, and you still felt him there on your lips when he pulled away.

Your hands moved to cup his face, Vergil giving you a slow blink as he leaned into your touch. You kissed him softly again, having to part as a tired giggle escaped.

“What are you laughing at?” he asked, urging you to swing your legs up onto his lap.

“You, you idiot!” you replied, and Vergil’s hands paused where they were caressing your back.

“Pardon?”

You chuckled, pressing your forehead against his shoulder. “I just can’t believe that you feel the same as I do,” you said, muffled against the fabric of his coat. “It’s funny because we probably could’ve done this a lot sooner.”

Vergil cleared his throat and you moved to look at him again. “It... took me awhile to come to terms with my feelings for you,” he said, as straightforward as usual. “I didn’t want to become involved with you due to my past... transgressions. I didn’t want to put you in any more danger, as I still have a lot of enemies in both worlds, that might want to use you.”

“But I can-“

“I know you can take care of yourself, you’re incredibly stubborn,” he interrupted, but you knew he was saying it as a compliment. “But I still struggled with knowingly putting you into unnecessary danger.”

You wanted to kiss him again, but he kept speaking, the flutter in your chest growing stronger.

“You saying that cut the last string holding me back.” He brushed the back of his hand over your forehead and down your cheek until he tilted your chin up. He ran the pad of his thumb over your bottom lip before dipping down to kiss you once more.

You were more ready for this one, scooting as close as you could on his lap, Vergil’s hand trailing lower down your back. You gently pressed your tongue to the seam of his lips, Vergil expectantly parting them to meet you. You kissed him for another millennia, your tongues lightly touching and intertwining before he pulled away to press gentle kisses to your cheeks.

“You need rest,” he said, and for once you didn’t disagree with him. Nodding, you felt him kiss your forehead, before one arm slipped beneath your knees, the other staying on your back as he lifted you up.

“Come on, I’m not that helpless,” you whined, kicking your legs a little to try to get him to put you down.

“Let me care for you,” Vergil said softly, sending your earlier words back to you. You opened your mouth to retort but quickly closed it, choosing to rag doll in his arms instead, resting your heavy head against his shoulder.

-:- -:- -:-

Vergil laid you down on your bed, helping to remove your shoes and coat before tucking you in. You only managed to get a little demon blood on you, so you weren’t too worried about contaminating the sheets. He turned to leave, and seemed to have a great mental battle with himself when you asked him sleepily to stay.

You were glad he decided in the affirmative, the heat from his warm body threatening to have you fall asleep in record time.

“You’re... all right with this?” Vergil asked, tentatively wrapping his arms around you where you were snuggled against his side. You nodded with a sleepy, pleased noise and he chuckled softly, the sound rumbling in his chest. He kissed the top of your head and you cuddled up as close as you could, hooking your hand around his waist.

You swore you heard him say ‘I love you’ as you drifted to sleep, but your eyelids were far to heavy and your voice too tired to ask if you heard right. Luckily, he didn’t mind saying it again in the morning.

-:- -:- -:-

Thank you for reading!

Find me on:

Twitter: @copper_wasp_

AO3: @copper_wasp

Discord: @copper_wasp#1545

[killian-whump]

OUAT 3x05: Rewatch Liveblog

Hello, my friends! It is I, Killian-Whump, here with another Rewatch Liveblog.

This one's for episode 3x05, "Good Form" - and let me tell you right now, it might be awhile before you see another one, because it will probably take me 15 years to GIF all of the whump, angst and sexy faces that appear in this episode.

BUT BEFORE THAT HAPPENS!!!

I gotta watch the episode. So let's settle in, click the link below... and do just that.

Looks like we’re starting off this episode with Neal getting thrown in a cage, for all of you who are into that kind of thing.

Normally, I would be one of those people, but I'm not really into Neal... and what the hell is up with these camera angles? Meh. Could be better.

OH GUYS! GUYS! This is the Lost Boy whose face annoys me. I thought he was in S6, but here he is here. Is he maybe in both seasons? I'll have to keep an eye out for him when I get to S6 in my rewatch and spontaneously combust.

Aww, my baby’s having some unexpected feels over there while Emma's talking about her days in the foster system.

Aww, look at him trying to share his feels and connect with another human being on more than a superficial level. Bless him.

Look at him getting shot down because Emma assumes it's just an attempt to get in her pants.

Aaaaaand look at Dave telling him he's nothing but a pirate.

Like I said, I'll be GIFing this shit until sometime in the 2030s.

Oh, look! It's Navy men! What kind of flashback could this be?

Why, that looks like a Naval Officer, someone of good standing, with a jaunty little ponytail and a spry bounce in his step. Who could it-

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS, IT'S HOOK

"Perhaps you mean younger brother." 'I MEANT WHAT I SAID, BITCH'

Ummm.... So... 'Only YOU can navigate us on this hero's journey!' 'Where are we going?' 'BITCH, I CAN'T TELL YOU'

OH GOD, GUYS, THAT BRIGHT SHINING SMILE FULL OF HOPE AND PROMISE T_T It kills me every time I see it. Colin could literally light up a city block in a blackout with that smile of his. We rarely get to see Colin's smile on Hook's face, but he uses it to such great effect right here. Bless.

...and here we are back to angsty, lusty, almost downright creepy staring at Emma XD

WHY IS HE FUCKING LIKE THIS (that’s what she said)

Hahahahaha, Snow. "Thanks for the advice." Like, she literally could not sound less dismissive if she tried. She gives so few fucks about Hook's thoughts, she might as well have walked over there and taken all of his OWN fucks away, as well. 'Nope, sorry, now NO ONE has any fucks for you. Not even you.'

My fucks... Now I have none T_T

I wish someone at the camp had answered WHY Hook had to go with David for more rope with, "You're freaking us all out, actually." XD

"What would you like to yell at me about now, Dave?" I love it when Hook calls him Dave, haha :D

Dave: "But if I do die-" Hook: "WHEN" Hahahahaha, you little shit <3

Aaaaaaaaand a swing and a miss. Dave, that was the absolute lamest attempt at whumping Hook that I have ever seen, AND I HAVE SEEN THEM ALL. Multiple times.

"Mate? Mate!" Umm, try his name? We know you know it. You used it thirty seconds ago.

LOL, I like to think Hook was, like, pouring Rum on Dave's mouth like a five year old trying to feed a sleeping parent or something.

Aww, he plays David so well. Hook: "No, it's too dangerous." Dave: 'Well, now I HAVE to do it.'

Liam, you ass. "Haha! That was close!"

Liam: "Employ the Pegasus!" And all the sailors, who obviously know what the Pegasus is, all spring into action, repeating the order and following it. So they all KNOW what the Pegasus Sail is and how to use it, while Killian, the LIEUTENANT and second in command here, has no fucking clue what's going on, what the Pegasus is, that the ship can fly, or where they’re going.

Regina: "How do we know you're not lying?" Hook: "Oh, you don't." Aaaaaaaaand he is. Hook: "But I'm not." Yes, he is.

Dave's TOTALLY OBVIOUS "goodbye forever beloved family" goodbyes XD

Ah, Liam, you stubborn arse. Listen to the strange demon child. Listen to your brother. Spoiler Alert: He never listens.

Oh, look. It's time for "Conversations with Pan That Are Somehow the Most Homoerotic Thing Ever Put on Television That Aren't Overtly Gay OR Sexual at All."  FYI: If sexual innuendos about Captain Pan bother you, you’re gonna want to skip to the next line break. I’m just saying.

Creepy silhouettes. Darkness. Pan: "Come back and work for me." Work? Is that what we're calling it now? Pan: "Like the old days." TELL US MORE ABOUT THE OLD DAYS. Hook: "I don't miss the old days." Great, but TELL US ABOUT THEM ANYWAY.

BLIP! Sudden Closeness Alert.

"We've known each other a very long time, Killian. We've done business before." TELL US ABOUT IT IN GREAT DETAIL OR ISTG

Pan: "You know me." Pan: *whoooosh* Pan: *appears directly behind Killian* Pan: "I like action." Hook: *closes his eyes* Hook: *licks his lips* Hook: *hangs his head* HE LIKES ACTION BACK THERE. BEHIND YOU. BUTT ACTION. I FUCKING SAID IT. I ain’t taking it back.

Hook: *turns to face Pan* Pan: *moves around to be behind him again* That's... I mean... I don't even have to make the innuendos myself here, do I? IT'S BUTT STUFF. I'M THINKING ABOUT BUTT STUFF.

Pan: "I want to see your hook inside his body." WHY DOES HE FUCKING SAY IT LIKE THAT?!?! Like he's a fucking expert at things he wants to see inside people's bodies.

Get a little closer there, Pan. If you even can.

Oh, sorry. There is literally no way you could possibly get any closer to him without putting your SELF inside his BODY.

AND THEY'RE ALONE. THIS ISN'T NECESSARY. THIS CLOSE TALKING ISN'T NEEDED. NO ONE NEEDS TO WHISPER. IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE HUSH HUSH.

THIS DOESN'T NEED TO BE WHATEVER THE FUCK IT IS.

BUT IT IS.

JFC even though I've seen this scene a frankly very embarrassing number of times, EVERY time Pan grabs Killian's flask, I always think he's grabbing something else with that sudden jerking motion. And then he pulls the flask up into the shot and I'm like. "Oh. Oh, that's right."

Pan: "Have a drink." Hook's reaction. GODS ABOVE... Pan: "You know it always helps you think."

AHHHHHHHH and then we see why Pan was whispering, and why he put the flask in Killian's hand just then, because Pan knew Dave was approaching and he wanted Hook to look bad in front of him.

...and for butt reasons. FIGHT ME, BITCHES. You know I’m right.

Yeah.

Yeah, sure.

That fucking plant dripping black shit ominously looks like medicine.

Suuuuuuuuuuuure.

EVEN KILLIAN SAYS IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MEDICINE.

"You choose to believe that boy over our King?" Well, to be fair, that boy fucking LIVES there.

Oh, Liam. Liam, listen to your brother. Liam, don't. Liam...

*siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh*

Every. Fucking. Time. I. Watch. This. Episode. He never listens.

Annoying face time again. I wish Regina would just rip his fucking hear-

Oh, there we go. Thanks, boo.

Snow: "The cost can't be this family." Emma: "It won't be." As long as you stop being a judgmental stick in the mud, MOM.

Aww... My baby, giving as wide a berth to the Dreamshade as he can. I love how afraid of it he is. He's so precious.

Ooooh... Swordpoint. This is a much better attempt at whumping our pirate, Dave. I commend you for not giving up after the first try went so poorly.

AHHHHHH and Dave backs him up against the Dreamshade he's so afraid of. LOVE IT.

Oooh, suckerpunch. And Dave's out for the count.

Pan: "Maybe you shouldn't have goaded him into it." LISTEN, YOU JUMPED UP LITTLE SHIT... And Killian just falls right into the trap, just accepting that he's to blame and trying to explain why he did such an awful thing... Oh, my pretty pirate baby T_T

Pan: "Don't leave the island unless you're willing to pay it." Ahhhh, you tricky little devil. You TOLD him, but you didn’t tell him.

Also, remember how Pan said to Baelfire last episode that all the pieces were where he wanted them... I wonder what his purpose was for bringing Killian to the island and setting all this up. He likely knew the resulting cascade of dominoes would bring Killian back... and back again. But why?

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

(Hint: It's butt stuff.)

Awwww!!! They got the message to Henry!!! :D Yay!!! Success!!!

And they only had to rip a young annoying-faced kid's heart out to do it :)

And now the show would like to rip all of OUR hearts out with a touching scene of brotherly love and agonizing death and beautiful crying faces.

"I will follow you... to the ends of the earth, brother." T_T STOP IT

T_T

T_T

T_T

Damn show.

AWWWWWWWW. He's so cute, suiting up and "bloody hell"ing and pulling a bandana over his face for the task ahead.

Sweet peanut, facing his fears and hacking away at the Dreamshade.

Awww, the way he looks himself over afterwards, and looks soooo relieved that he's emerged unscathed. Such a fraidy cat. I fucking love it <3

"I didn't do it for you, mate." <3

Regina's so sorry she turned to see what was going on back there, lol.

Snow: "I'm not complaining, but what was that-" Snowing: *more kissing* Emma: "Okay, I'M complaining." :D Regina: "What I wouldn't give for another sleeping curse." HAHAHAHA <3

Awwww, Dave giving his future bro and maybe kinda sorta mate some credit. ...and Hook looking so shy and embarrassed by the attention. Bless <3

Oh. Ohhh. Ohoh!!

CS Kiss Time. As kisses go, this is a damn good one, because it has Colin O'Donoghue in it and Hook in it and Killian Jones in it and... it also has Emma grabbing him by his lapels and yanking him to her forcefully and keeping him there until she's damn good and ready to let him go and that speaks to me on a deep, primal level and did I mention that Colin's in this scene?

...and the way he looks so fucking BLOWN AWAY afterwards. Like, that boy's brain is SAUCE right now and I love every second of it. THAT... That is a man who has been kissed within an inch of his life and that is how a man should always look when a Domme lady is done with him :)

"A one-handed pirate with a drinking problem." LISTEN, YOU WALKING COAT HANGER...

By the way, this "Neal's alive and in Neverland!" cliff hanger here goes down in history as one of the lamest ones ever, seeing as Hook ends up telling the secret, like, literally 30 seconds later in show-time.

More Neal in a cage.

Pan: "Hang him up, over there. Next to the other one." Oh, how ominous...

WHO COULD BE IN THE OTHER CAGE?!??! We'll have to wait to find out!!!

Although, thankfully, you all already know... considering it'll be over a decade before I finish GIFing this episode and actually watch the next one... T_T

Pew Pew Pew Peeeeeeeeeeeew

[broken-clover]

12 Days of Whump- Hypothermia

Old habits die hard, eh? This is mostly my fault, I got roped into a surprise visit for my grandfather and didn’t get home until about 7pm, pretty much blazed through this and now I can’t feel my fingertips. That’s how life be sometimes! I’ll try and get tomorrow’s on time, especially because this one’s gonna be extra-special! I’m really sorry for being late.

Day 8 of the 12 days of Whump- Hypothermia, featuring Sol/Axl! A bit of a guilty pleasure for me

Translation note-  In the Japanese version, Axl refers to Sol as 'danna,' which has multiple meanings including as a title of authority and as a term for one's husband. I've seen it be translated as 'chief' but I thought 'partner' better fit the ambiguity.

Some days, Sol was well convinced that the world was always trying to complicate his life. No matter how hard he tried to make things simple and straightforward, something inevitably tossed a spanner in the works and fucked up his plans. And it seemed like more often than not, that spanner was named Axl.

Sol Badguy could put up with quite a bit, despite his gruff exterior. He’d watched the world go to shit, dealt with the stick up Ky’s ass for far too long, and killed so many Gears he could make a drinking game out of it. Still, somehow, the little time-traveling imp managed to drive him up the wall.

So of course as soon as he decided to take some alone time to hunt Gears up in Finland, he gets a magic-com call not one day after getting there.

“He-hey, partner! Guess who finally got the com working?”

“Good for you.” Sol replied, with a sarcastic bite. “Thought I told you to stop calling me that.”

“Right, yeah, sorry. Um, anyway, I just got dumped out on some bloody freezing mountain smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, But the com tracker says you’re like a few kilometers away! The hell are you doing this far north?”

“Gear Hunting.” Sol was already getting a headache. He knew exactly what Axl was trying to get at. “Just get to the point already.”

“Eh? Oh. Mind if I swing by wherever you’re at? I’m really not dressed for this weather, figure you’ve probably got at least a cabin or somethin’, yeah?”

The Gear groaned, covering his face with his free hand. “Just get the hell over here, I’m already there. Just follow the com signal and try not to die.”

“Aye-aye, partner!” Axl’s voice was remarkably cheery, despite the circumstances. He paused to sneeze. “Gross...get some nice warm blankets or a fire or something before I make it down there, I’m already going numb here.”

Sol reclined back in the rickety chair that had come with the cabin. At least Ky was useful for helping him find places to crash on hunts. Saved him the effort of having to talk to people. Sure, he had no trouble sleeping in the woods- he generated enough heat to keep himself warm pretty much all the time, anyway- but admittedly, it was nice to have something other than dirt to sleep on.

At that, he glanced across the single room and realized, with more than a hint of dismay, that he was going to have to find a way to share a single lumpy bed, two worn pillows, and one thin blanket once Axl showed up. It was not likely that the man was going to leave anytime soon, unless he managed to timeslip once again, which would make him someone else’s problem for the time being. Otherwise, he was probably going to have to give up the blanket and at least one pillow, unless he wanted Axl sharing the bed. Which he very much did not.

He briefly considered going out and trying to find Axl, but it seemed like more trouble than it was worth. Axl was a grown-ass man, despite his behavior. He’d be fine all by his damn self.

Alright, maybe that was a little too mean. Sol couldn’t exactly fault the guy for ending up in the middle of nowhere, it wasn’t something he could control. He just couldn’t help but be at least a little pissed that his quiet trip was now going to be far noisier than he would have liked.

Instead of stewing over it forever, he decided to step out and start drawing some water up from the nearby half-frozen well. At least there was water to be had so far north. He presumed part of it must have come from the frozen lake that the cabin sat right by the edge of. Made for a nice view, even if he didn’t trust all 74 kilograms of his flame-spewing body to even step on it more than a few feet out. That was just asking for trouble.

Maybe if he could get some nice hot water, it’d be enough to get Axl to shut up and leave him be. He was pretty sure he’d seen some kind of tub in the closet. Axl could get warm, Sol could get some peace and quiet, and nobody had to get mauled.

“Oi, partner! Partner!”

“Speak of the fuckin’ devil…” The bucket was left by the well as Sol stood back up. “Should’ve figured-”

The Gear looked back up, only to find the other man waving furiously from the other side of the lake. Axl was a garish blue-and-red smear against the tranquil white landscape, making him easy to spot even if his always-too-loud voice didn’t do the job well enough.

After realizing that he’d been spotted, Axl offered another wave and began running over the ice towards the cabin. “Partner!”

Sol resisted the urge to shout at him. What the hell was he doing?! Did he even look before he ran? Was he that desperate to get out of the cold? Maybe it’d gotten to the point where it was messing with his brain.

“Partner!” Axl called again, bringing Sol back to attention. “Part-”

With his enhanced sense of hearing, Sol could make out a tiny little crackle a split second before Axl suddenly vanished from sight.

“What the-” The words fell out of his mouth before his brain decided to work. “Oh, son of a- !”

He hadn’t been wearing anything different than his usual clothing, and his shoes skid on the slick surface as he sprinted. Because the universe hated him, the ice held up perfectly all the way to the middle of the lake. The hole that had been punched into it was too small for him to fit. Sol didn’t think as he knelt down and slammed a fist into the ice, making a chunk splinter off and start sinking into the inky-blue depths. He could make out a vague shape further below, less from the sight and more from the quickly-dwindling heat signature that his fire affinity made him keen to.

The ice felt cold as fuck as he dove into it, and he couldn’t think of much of a better term to suit it. Sol could feel his body involuntarily reacting to the temperature drop, dialing up his internal thermostat to keep him from freezing to death. At least, it meant that he didn’t immediately lose all strength in his limbs as he began swimming, even if instinct was telling him to resurface and find a place that was easier to rewarm himself in.

It didn’t take long for him to catch sight of an outstretched arm and grab onto it. Axl was stiff and motionless in the water, presumably still in shock from the cold. Even with all the time he must have spent trekking in the snow, the frigid water was something else entirely. His core temperature was already dropping.

Sol breached the surface loudly, taking in a deep breath as he dragged himself and the limp body out of the lake. He wiggled across the surface for a few feet until he was sure the ice was thick enough to stand on, pulling Axl along the entire time.

“Shit, shit, shit-”

Axl couldn’t even manage to stand upright as he was basically dragged back to the shack. His body was still stiff and sluggish. He couldn’t grab onto Sol’s arm, so the Gear did it for him.

Sol hardly waited before the cabin door slammed shut to start peeling the soaked, half-frozen clothing off of his companion’s body, and then his own. He thought over the sentiment of stripping another man naked for all of one second before he went back to work, more concerned with the concept of someone dying from hypothermia than the idea of seeing someone else without their clothing on, even if he was also naked.

“Still with me, kid?”

All he got in reply was a slurred mumble of incoherency. That definitely was not a good sign.

Sol had to hold himself back, keep himself from impulsively slipping into his Dragon Install. If the sudden spike in body heat didn’t literally burn Axl’s body to a crisp, it would be too much a change too quickly, and could make his heart go out of rhythm.

Instead, he moved the both of them to the bed, settling the other man down in his lap while tossing the blanket over the both of them. Sol kept his hand warm as he pressed it against a damp, cold chest, letting the warm radiate against the skin. He could feel a heartbeat, slightly weaker than it should have been, pulsing under his touch.

Despite the slurring and confusion, Axl tried to pull away as a hand was very gently wrapped around his neck to funnel in more heat. Instead of trying to force it, Sol let go, instead pulling slightly and letting Axl rest his head against his own chest, in the secure little spot below his throat. Cold, damp strands of blonde hair plastered onto both of them.

“Shh. Stop wiggling.” Sol traced little circles of warmth on the other’s skin, trying not to rub too hard. “God, look at what you’ve done to yourself, you idiot.”

“Hnnh…”

Because the universe absolutely wanted to spite him, Sol’s evening was exactly as he’d wanted it to be- incredibly quiet. He only left the room once, to retrieve the forgotten bucket of water from the well. Axl hadn’t been too happy about that, for all the weak grip and incoherent whines he could manage, but he seemed far more willing to forgive him when he had something hot to drink, and could immediately go back to snuggling for warmth.

There was definitely something weird about it, but not quite as weird as Sol would have anticipated. It definitely would have felt weird if he was doing this with Ky, or with Sin, but his relationship with Axl was a bit more complicated. Sol wasn’t good at emotions in general. Axl had always been rather unsubtle about his own feelings- he called him ‘partner,’ for crying out loud- though half the time Sol was convinced that he was just ‘like that’ and had no filter to speak of. It really was hard to tell. Axl could get on his nerves a lot more than the average person, but Sol also found that he could be himself a lot more around the guy than pretty much anyone else.

Emotions were complicated. Emotions were hard. It was why he didn’t like to think about them.

Axl made a little sleepy noise by his side, trying to take in more heat as he was getting too tired to sit up. Sol moved to lie down, to make himself easier to huddle up against. As much as he had despised the thought initially, it seemed that they were going to have to share a bed for the night, with both of their clothes drying in another corner.

And if he was being honest with himself, Sol didn’t mind all that much.

[icecubelotr44]

Threats (Whumptober/Inktober Day 20)

You all get this early today in hopes that it will get seen before the tunnel vision that is Friday Night New Once is on, y’all.  (And so I can watch the episode without having to worry about posting)

As always, for the inktober whump prompts HERE.  Thanks @whumpreads! @killian-whump, @ladyciaramiggles, @cocohook38, @nothingimpossibleonlyimprobable, @xhookswenchx, @gusenitsaa, @pirate-owl All prompts: HERE Previous Days: Knees | Bag | Cell | Noose | Explosion | Bone | Guilt | Scar | Self-inflicted | Gunpoint | Sacrifice | Starvation | Sleep-deprivation | Brainwashing | Drugged | Sensory | Withdrawal | Flashback | Panic

Set in the same universe as The Darling Affair - specifically, pre-fic in the time after the events of chapter 11

“You know, reading without the proper light can do a real number on your eyes.”

Liam Jones looked up from the intelligence report he’d received hours ago on the operation he wasn’t supposed to know about going on in the country that his brother wasn’t supposed to be in.

“Who are you?” he asked warily, standing from behind his desk.

The man smirked, and Liam thought it looked sinister.  How did he get in here?

“Who I am isn’t important,” he replied without answering the question.  “What is, is I’m here to help you fulfill your dreams.”

Liam’s eyes drifted subconsciously towards the locked drawer in his desk that held his service weapon.  “My dreams?  How do you know about them?”

“Oh, I know a lot about you, Liam Jones.”  The man stood taller before reaching forward and flipping on the lamp on Liam’s desk.

When did it get so dark? Liam thought incredulously before looking at the time.  He’d been pouring over the report for hours trying to glean any information as to why his brother had been radio silent with him since going to Somalia.

“There,” the man chuckled, pointing to the lamp, “that’s better.”

“What”—Liam glared—“do you want?”

The man shrugged genially.  “To help you.  You can call me Hades, surely you’re familiar with aliases?”

Liam nodded mutely.

“I usually get more of a reaction to that.  Funny.  Anyway,” Hades continued, “I’m sure you’ve heard all about the mess your brother got himself into the other day.”

Hades had his full and undivided attention now.  “Killian?  What do you know about my brother?”

“More than you, apparently.  Pity.  Rumor is that your brother had some kind of breakdown in Somalia.  Snapped and nearly killed his commanding officer.”

“Commander Teach?  Why?  Is Killian all right?”

Hades shrugged.  “Your brother is in the brig on ship, pending charges of attempted murder among others.  He’s looking at the end of his life as he knows it.  Which is why I came to offer you a deal.”

“What do you want?” Liam asked again.  

“You agree to… do me a favor, let’s say, sometime down the road when I come calling.”  Hades sat in the chair across from Liam, as if he had no cares in the world.  “You do that, and I promise to use my expertise to ensure that your brother comes home to you, safe and sound.  And I’ll even sweeten the deal.  You allow me to save your brother from the witch hunt that’s coming for him, and make no mistake that the wrath of the Royal Navy is about to fall square on his shoulders, and I’ll grant you both honorable discharges.”

Liam started.  Leave the Navy?  

Hades continued.  “Make no mistake about it, Liam.  There’s no future for you or your brother in Her Majesty’s service any longer, not with how he snapped.  They’ll lock him in the brig and throw away the key.  And you?  The name Jones will be so taboo that you won’t even be able to look at a ship without someone spitting on you.”

Liam sunk into his own chair.  “What will you do?”

“Assure that you and your brother are set for the rest of your lives.  I’ll find you gainful employment wherever you’d like, set you up to be masters of your own fortune.  You name the time and the place, and I’ll make it happen.  You’ll never have to worry about someone else dictating your brother’s missions.  You’ll make the calls.  He’ll be safe with you at the command.”

It wasn’t a hard decision.

Knowing somehow that he was selling his soul to the Devil and not caring a whit if it meant Killian would be safe from whatever mess he’d gotten himself into, Liam made the deal.

>>> 

That moment in his office in London had shaped their futures, make no mistake about it.  Everything that Liam had built for them since he’d decided to bring Killian to Boston to try and save him from himself stemmed from that moment.  It was as if he’d built the foundation of JR Solutions on quicksand, just waiting for the right moment to swallow them all whole.

And now Hades was back.

He couldn’t have come at a worse time, with Killian still healing from that whole mess with Rumplestiltskin and Pan and Emma Swan.  Killian was only just now cleared to return to desk duty; Liam couldn’t drop this on him now.

But he had to get them out from under Hades’ thumb.  Somehow.

There had been plenty of small favors over the past few years.  Cargo that came in under JR Solutions manifestos that Liam hadn’t ordered, nor would he ever see.  Missions that would have been vetoed were pushed through, private security gigs that Killian was kept far away from lest he smell something off.

And all the while, Hades loomed.

Liam knew that he could sink their firm in a heartbeat, that Hades could steal his brother away from him - whether by false charges or his name and location leaked to the wrong men.  He wasn’t entirely sure that Hades was behind that disastrous mission Killian had only barely made it back from - coming back from the supposed dead to return to Liam.

And now, the Devil wanted his due.

Liam wasn’t sure what he wanted this time, had been avoiding the man all week by attending meetings on the opposite end of the city.  But it was only a matter of time.

Liam watched the surveillance video from the parking garage for a third time, wishing he had audio installed and wanting desperately to know what Hades had said to Emma that afternoon when she - quite literally - ran into him on her way up to bring his brother lunch.

He couldn’t ask her.  Emma Swan may not have any formal training in how to be an operative, but he knew that she’d see right through him if he brought it up.

Liam Jones prayed to a god he wasn’t sure he believed in that Hades wouldn’t come after her or his brother in retaliation for what he was about to do.