family in everything but blood

( private blog for lauren)

[phantomscore-deactivated2021060]

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Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Duis ex justo, suscipit non malesuada vel, imperdiet eu lacus. Sed quis tempus nisl. Maecenas pulvinar ultricies urna at blandit. Curabitur a tortor lectus. In sed ante dui. Pellentesque congue vel purus vel efficitur. Suspendisse dictum sed erat ac tempus. Suspendisse ornare libero ut dapibus consectetur. Morbi venenatis massa sit amet leo lobortis varius. Pellentesque magna magna, cursus vitae tincidunt ut, finibus vitae metus. Pellentesque pretium lacus vel augue maximus bibendum. Nam dignissim euismod ligula. Proin sit amet justo cursus, auctor metus in, maximus ligula. Duis luctus purus ac varius laoreet. Ut et quam ex.

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[forcricket]

Nolan’s kiss tasted of blood and alcohol and cigarettes. Darcy ran his tongue over the other’s lips and teeth; the action was as instinctual as breathing. It took several moments for his vision to come into focus and several more for muffled sounds to become apparent. He felt as if he were underwater. The world was made up of swimming colors, shadows and light, and garbled noises that he could not readily identify. He prodded his foggy mind and remembered being surrounded by blankets and pillows, wishing Nolan a good day, dozing off as Nolan kissed him good-bye and his footsteps faded from the room…. then….

His body lurched upward and fingers of cold crawled along the surface of his skin. There was a gaping darkness in his memory between that moment and now; even the memory of the lazy morning was rapidly slipping through his fingers like a dream forgotten upon waking. He didn’t know where he was and the harder he tried to remember, the more the darkness spread, eating away at the edges of his mind. Scrambling backward, he looked frantically about the room and clutched his chest. His heart was beating so hard, he feared it might burst. “Where…. where am I? What’s happening to me?”

[laurenisarealstar]

Nolan did nothing more than take out a zipper to light the end of a cigarette. He refused to let his lover’s confusion affect his unnatural calm. If he broke his character, the other man would break into pieces faster. It’d mean the world had gone on without him and not many could deal with such a truth. He moved from the blood circle to wait in a more comfortable position.

His one regret was that he didn’t have time to change out of his blood-soaked black shirt and leather jacket. He could still hear the crackle of fire that burned the other man alive. The taste of him that was formerly so sweet had the tang of ash to it.

“You died, Darcy. I brought you back…” He took a long drag and blew out smoke. “Want some clothes?” Nolan lounged back in his office chair. The animator motioned at the small pile of one sweater with a countless array of stitched cats upon its sleeves, one pair of black jeans, and underwear on the desk. “I salvaged whatever I could from the office.”

[laurenisarealstar]

forcricket‌:

The French auror’s words hit their mark more easily than the spells, which Theseus tossed back toward the man with a flick of his bare hand over his shoulder. He did not break stride, but his eyes did cut to Newt, meeting his brother’s gaze with a worried frown. It was not difficult to conjure images of the hulking beast tearing into the younger Scamander’s chest, the blood that would pool in the streets, the short lived screams. “Newt…,” He began, but his brother’s words cut him off. Tightening his jaw, he  twisted on his heel to face their pursuers, throwing a red spell from outstretched fingers.

Clovis’ form quivered with Vail’s command; the sound of his voice was almost enough to drive him to distraction. His jaws were spread wide, his tongue lolling, and he could almost taste the blue fabric of the beastmaster’s coat. The spell’s magic coiled about his snout and snapped his teeth together with an audible crunch. The monstrous beast skidded to a stop, lifting a massive paw to claw at his face, tearing free hunks of fur and flesh. Whining and growling, he scraped his snout against the cobblestones, fur bristling at the back of his neck.

The younger Scamander’s heart lurched as flesh ripped out of the creature’s face; he refused to allow the magical beast to suffer more than it should. Newt’s wand shook and shuddered to form a coarse version of a music box to play a lullaby. The compulsion in its notes leads everyone who heard to relax their guard, yet lucid enough to react. He ignored the two men in favor of turning his complete attention to the one who needed him. He blinked, and the bindings fell away from the other’s closed jaw.

Despite himself, the Veela recognized mercy. The gentler man who held a connection to misunderstood beasts couldn’t bring himself to feel rage. He met his fellow Auror’s worried gaze with a haughty look of his own. “How crude of you,” he began, shaking his head. Vail touched the red spell with a simpler flick and deflected it down into the cobblestone. “Let me have another question? Tell me why that information is so important, Theseus?” 

[forcricket]

In the span of a single ragged breath and a flutter of heartbeats, Clovis had burst through the doors of the Ministry and stumbled down the steps. He spilled into the street, pushing off against the cold cobbles with the fingertips of one hand, and started running again. Fingers trembling, he tugged at the collar of his shirt, finding it suddenly quite hard to breathe. His chest was already beginning to expand; his shoulders hunched and strained against the fabric of his rumpled suit jacket. With a shudder, Clovis shrugged out of the jacket, feeling a vague sense of dismay as it fell behind him to the damp street. He couldn’t allow himself to focus on the loss of the jacket or the tie that was now fluttering into a dirty puddle at the edge of the sidewalk. His eyes were fixed on the fleeing wizards, and his bones were being broken and remade.

He staggered and fell, scraping the heels of his hands and his knees against the uneven stone, but he hardly noticed. There were brief, but terrible flashes of pain when the base of his spine extended into a tail and claws tore free his human nails from their beds. His mouth was crowded with teeth now- teeth that yearned to tear flesh and shatter bone. He hadn’t realized he was running again; his long strides were quickly bringing him closer and closer to the fugitives. Nostrils flared at as the scents of hundreds of animals mingled together with the distinct tang of whiskey.  The one smelling of whiskey was just ahead of the one who smelled of prey, so the monster that had once been Clovis spread his jaws wide and snapped at the fluttering end of a long, blue coat.

[laurenisarealstar]

Two blue blasts of light shot out of Vail’s wand as he raised his other hand to give the command for Clovis to attack. During the day, the streets of Paris remained unaccustomed to the unnatural silence; but, the night belonged to the wizards and witches. The veil that separated their kinds heightened and a curfew had been issued. Due to the threat of Grindelwald, wizarding citizens shut themselves in their homes. There shouldn’t be anyone in the Ministry, but four individuals disobeyed the laws to find their own sense of justice.

The French Head Auror couldn’t understand why the brothers would risk their lives for such secrets. He shut down many of the alarms, but he understood someone would’ve been alerted. “Do you think I wouldn’t recognize your magic? Mr. Scamander, you must remember you have someone you need to protect,” he said, baring his teeth. “My darling beast will rip his heart out without a care in the world.”

The beastmaster continued to run with Dumbledore’s family tree in his grip. His soft gaze searched for his sibling’s eyes to search for his emotions. He hated how humans never could be his strongest suit, but he hated how painful empathy was for him. There was only ever one person worth such an attempt. “Don’t you dare, Theseus,” Newt murmured, swinging his wand to attempt a tying spell. He’d done the work before to muzzle the mouths of dragons.

[laurenisarealstar]

@forcricket

He wanted to die ever since he joined the Ministry family. Their itchy suit robes didn’t have the comfort of his blue jacket, but he refused to be selfish with the Dark Lord on the rise. He lounged on the Head Auror’s sofa with a quill in his hand. “I understand why I don’t have a life, but you?” With the other, Newt nudged the little bowl of fire whiskey forward so Pickett and Honeysuckle could drink. His eyes blurred as he stared down at his copious amounts of paperwork. 

The darkness felt long even in good company. “Voldemort won’t kill us in one night, Theseus. You should go to the pub with your auror friends…” An awkward grin. “Despite my concerns, it seems that the consensus is Harry Potter is lying…” He paused, head shooting up to stare at the turning clock on the wall. 

IMMINENT DANGER. 

“Is that normal?”

[laurenisarealstar]

forcricket‌:

Theseus clutched his brother’s hand tightly as he scanned the shadowed boughs that knit together above them. He gave a low whistle to cut through the quiet and felt a little thrill of panic and excitement when the sound was returned to him from the gloom. Even after all of this time, he had not ventured into the Forest beyond scurrying across the boundary line and standing there with his back to the trees while shivering classmates counted down the seconds. He held the record.

Now that he was there, he found that it was not so frightening- at least not in the way the others believed. He was humbled by its vastness; he had never before felt so small, so young, and so inexperienced. His attention was drawn back to the moment and his brother when he felt him shivering. With a grin, he brushed the pad of his thumb across the inside of Newt’s wrist, sending magical warmth from his fingers into his brother’s skin.

A warmth of a different kind sparked in his chest, and despite himself, his eyes began to sting. He cradled the jar and brought it to his face, staring in awe at the little creatures inside. “What are they?” His fingers were already twisting the jar’s lid and tearing it free. “How did you find them?”

What others feared felt like home to Newt; the Forbidden Forest’s weeping trees curled down on the brothers with a protective aura. He breathed in the crisp air and recognized the silence. His fellow students didn’t acknowledge their place among the wilds, but he’d teach them for his creature’s sake and his own.

He won’t admit how much it meant for him for his sibling to walk amongst these woods. If he failed him, it’d be a disgrace to the person who taught him he need not face the blackness alone. With a stroke of a hand, Theseus’s warmth hummed in his core. Newt smiled brightly at the familial magic that sung to him in both a familiar and foreign language.

His gaze drifted to the floating creatures who lit up in lion golds and reds. They buzzed in dizzying loops that sparkled in the night. “The other wizards and witches haven’t made a name for ‘em,” he replied, leaning against his older brother. “I don’t think I’ll say anything. It’ll be bad if they got hurt because of me.”

“What are you gonna do after Hogwarts, ‘Seus?”

[laurenisarealstar]

forcricket‌:

A muscle in Klaus’ jaw twitched at the sound of his full name, but he only leaned into his brother’s touch and allowed his smirking mouth to open just enough to expose his fangs. “My apologies. I did not realize civility was expected when conversing with house pets.” His eyes cut over Elijah’s shoulder to regard Tristan. Klaus held the sire’s gaze as he brought his hands up to cup Elijah’s wrist. With the edge of one nail, he brought to the surface a single, perfect crimson droplet. The Strix were rising from their places now, nostrils flaring at the scent of their sire’s blood. Tristan kept his eyes locked with Klaus’ even as the hybrid extended the tip of his tongue and ran it across the inside of Elijah’s wrist, sweeping away the drop of blood.

“I was sitting at home,” He murmured into his skin. “With my pets and I thought to myself, ‘Elijah has not once invited me and my playthings to his soirees.’ So, I decided we would just drop in and see what all the fuss was about. The humans speak very highly of your club. Though I can’t imagine why.” He let his eyes rove over the sprawled mortals and the Strix, who were coiled like springs where they stood or reclined, ready to pounce. The scent of Elijah’s blood still hung heavy in the air.

“What do you say, Elijah?” Klaus’ lips curled into a wide smile. “Might we join you or should we seek amusement elsewhere?”

Their disagreements over the proper terminology of their sires reached centuries old at this point. The same annoyance occurred for his insistence on calling his brother Niklaus, rather than Klaus. This question was another of their games to test each other’s patience. It was difficult not to indulge him when they both already knew the answer. He’d give the hybrid anything if the other man remained under his supervision.

He let the blood drip from his wrist to his brother’s lips with a sigh. His free hand raised to lower the Strix from their defensive positioning.  “They are not pets,” Elijah muttered, rolling his eyes. “If I wanted a ‘house pet’ as you’re apt to call them, I would have paid money.” His gaze swept across their faces with an emotion akin to love. “My fledglings will change the world with their capabilities.”

He motioned for his second-in-command with a wave and a glance. “Does Tristan do nothing to create a certain delight to your senses?” There was a teasing grin to his smile as he turned back and leaned forward closer to Klaus’s face. “I’m surprised considering you’re not one to share.” Elijah mockingly sniffed the air. “Is that the smell of desperation for your favor at my door?”

[laurenisarealstar]

His mind felt warped from all those months in Kai’s head. When the other man obtained his empathy, the blond gained the shadows. He wanted him, couldn’t have him, and their coven took him away from their family.  It was a desperate move to choose time travel, but it didn’t matter in the end. Luke collided into his psychotic, older brother and warped him out of the creepy mist in the woods. “Hello, Kai,” he murmured, releasing the man onto the motel floor. “My name is Luke Parker.”

[forcricket]

The weekend had only just begun and already there were mortals draped half conscious over the chaise and the recliners with glasses dangling from limp fingertips. Booze dripped from the brims of the delicate cups and pooled on marble floors and carpets. Music rose in erratic, jazzy bursts from puffed cheeks and scampering fingers across bone white piano keys. The members of the Strix were stretching themselves like cats, moving through the toppled furniture and skirting pools of spilled spirits. They gathered up the mortals into feverish dances or nuzzled sleepily into warm necks and chests and wrists. Blood and alcohol flowed freely.  

Tristan heard his name called here and there amid the music and drunken laughter, but his eyes were hunting for someone particular. His search carried him into the expansive parlour just as someone else  entered through the foyer. A hush began to wash over the members of the Strix, but the mortals were too far gone with music and drink to know that death had passed the threshold. Tristan took a slow step backward and dipped his head forward. “Sir…”

“I’m here to see my brother.” Klaus interrupted. “Will you go fetch him for me? There’s a good boy.”

[laurenisarealstar]

He played the smooth tones on his piano, which infected the entire room with a hazy reverie. Elijah’s club gave him a sense of humanity throughout his existence.  The vampire felt like he progressed as he improved his business, but it also offered a focal point for the Strix. A rigorous atmosphere that didn’t allow them to indulge in their darker instincts.  

This gentle aura left the moment he scented his brother’s cloying smell. He was an alpha in every regard; the scent drove normal men and women wild. His sires were no less affected since the laxness in the room dissipated into a tense fear. As for him, it brought a smile to his face and caused him to rub the tiredness out of his eyes.

His speed allowed him to appear in front of Tristan and his sibling in a blink of an eye. “I see my attempts at teaching you politeness and civility have not stuck, Niklaus,” Elijah murmured, reaching up to strong the sharp line of the hybrid's cheekbone. His brows crinkled as he then pondered, “Now who has bored you enough to make you come to me today?”

[laurenisarealstar]

@forcricket

His pitch-black wings fluttered out to ‘accidentally’ stroke against the other man’s arm. Matt Murdock’s face, in most instances, did the trick whenever he wanted a companion for the night from Josie’s Bar, but the heady scent of the individual seated at the encounter was too enticing. 

He never expected to find someone who drove his instincts wild. The lawyer didn’t want this opportunity to pass in failure. “Hello, my name is Matthew,” he purred, offering up his best smile. “Could I buy you a drink?”

[forcricket]

The cage was little more than a box, magically sealed to keep the Niffler from flattening himself enough to squeeze between the lid and the box proper. The little creature had given up trying to claw or bite through the box and instead spent his days sprawled on his stomach in one of the box’s corners. A beam of sunlight spilled through the small holes poked through the top and fell golden and bright onto the floor. He liked to paw at the warm spots and bathe in them while he caught snatches of sleep. 

It was when the sunlight faded that he began to grow restless. When the warmth was gone, the voices and hands came.  In the beginning, he had bristled his fur and tried to make himself look more frightening, but that had done nothing to stop them. Now, he preferred to curl in on himself, become small as possible until it was over.

[laurenisarealstar]

Newt never managed to pull off the haughtiness that other wizards and witches expected from a pure-blood from an old family. He didn’t have the nerve to command a room. In truth, he relied on his spell work rather more than on his softer personality. While Theseus could scatter the Gryffindors who circled around the box like vultures with a look, the younger Scamander needed a more overt threat. 

A flick of his wand and wolves that burned red-hot charged through the summer grass. Fiendfyre was dark magic, but an illusion didn’t harm anyone, even if the flames seemed real to the untrained eye. 

Luckily, the niffler relied more on its nose rather than its sight. He would never want to scare the poor beast after the ordeal it went through.  When he knelt next to the box, Newt managed to tug it open and offered the creature inside a few galleons and worms in his open palm. There was no point in offering soothing words if he didn't lace them with action first.

[laurenisarealstar]

forcricket‌:

Mr. Knight prided himself on being the only member of their system who could control his emotions. In this moment, with the devil of Hell’s Kitchen clutching his lapel and dragging him within inches of that blood smeared mouth, those faintly swollen lips and bared teeth, Mr. Knight found his hold on the reins slipping. In their shared mind space, he stood among the others of the system with a hand over his mouth while his head shook slowly. I want to kiss him, he told the others, but Steve reminded him that their lover was in a fragile state of mind at present and it wouldn’t be proper. Even so, it was hard to keep from sinking his teeth into the other’s parted lips.

“I happen to be quite fond of danger.” The corner of his mouth quirked. He knew his thoughts would be obvious to Matt just from the pace of his heartbeat.  A gloved hand lifted to cup the other’s jaw delicately. “I know that you would be alright on your own, but I am not sure we would be. Allow us to be selfish, won’t you?” Both hands fell to rub the bloodied knuckles coiled about the white fabric.

“May we sit with you a while? We’ve been very worried and it is quite the relief to see you in one piece… breathing… talking…”

He stayed when Matt’s own family and friends left him alone. When they called Daredevil an addict, the system supported his justice. It didn’t make him feel because this path would end in tragedy, but he didn’t travel in the dark by himself. 

Wasn’t the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen one of Khonshu’s protectorate? After all, the devil traveled only ever at night.

His ears picked up the rapid pace of the detective’s heart. He wanted him, and the pieces of a broken man’s sanity felt glad he could, at least, answer this request. “I don’t think you’re interested in talking, Mr. Knight,” Matt replied, lifting the other’s mask and lunging forward to bring their lips together. The blood on his mouth smeared upon the other man’s skin. “Your carnal instincts are telling me something different…”  

A twist of hands, legs, and he had him on his bed. His thighs bracketed the larger man’s sides and he loomed down at him, considering. “I’ll let you stay if you can make me hurt.” While grin did turn sharp, there was a hint of Matthew’s warmth behind it.

“Deal?”

[selfsaving]

AGGRESSION   //   SEXUAL  TENSION .

acts  that  could  be  aggressive   //   or  a  little  bit  sexy   //   or  both.                     send  a  symbol  from  your  muse  to  mine.  feel  free  to  combine  actions  or  add  specifics  even  when  it  doesn’t  ask  for  it   !     can  send  non - sexually  as  well.

THREATENING

🔪   //   put  a  knife  to  my  muse’s  throat .

🖐️   //   put  a  hand  around  my  muse’s  throat .

👕   //   slide  a  weapon  up  under  my  muse’s  shirt     (   can  specify   ) .

👔   //   grab  my  muse  by  the  collar   &   pull  them  closer .

🔒   //   lock  my  muse  in  a  room  alone  with  your  muse .

🗩   //   verbally  threaten  my  muse     (   please  specify   ) .

PINNING

🔙   //   push  my  muse  against  a  wall .

📌   //   pin  my  muse’s  wrists  above  their  head .

🔵   //   grab  my  muse  hard  enough  to  leave  a  bruise .

🔑   //   handcuff  my  muse .

➰   //   tie  my  muse  to  a  chair .

⭕   //   restrain  my  muse  with  an  item  of  clothing     (   please  specify   ) .

🚨   //   push  my  muse  to  the  ground   &   straddle  them .

📢   //   tell  my  muse   ‘  stop  squirming   !  ’ .

🔗   //   otherwise  restrain  my  muse     (   please  specify   ) .

LIGHTER

👀   //   grab  my  muse’s  jaw   &   direct  their  gaze  towards  yours .

⚡   //   tug  my  muse’s  hair .

⚠️   //   bite  my  muse     (   can  specify  where   ) .

😏   //   give  my  muse  a  hickey .

✂️   //   run  fingernails  over  my  muse’s  skin   &   scratch  them .

💦   //   cover  my  muse’s  mouth .

DARKER

💋   //   give  my  muse  a  kiss  that  draws  blood .

🗡️   //   cut  my  muse  with  a  knife     (   can  specify  where   ) .

💀   //   kidnap  my  muse .

😶   //   put  a  hand  over  my  muse’s  nose   &   mouth .

💥   //   tighten  something  around  my  muse’s  throat  that  restricts  their  blood - flow  /  oxygen  supply     (   please  specify   ) .

[laurenisarealstar]

@forcricket

They didn’t allow students into The Forbidden Forest, but Newt refused to listen to that rule. The rule was for blinkered people who didn’t understand the beauty of magical creatures. He wanted his brother Theseus to understand this love.

He dragged him out into the dark amongst the weeping trees. The moon rose high in the sky; despite the glow of its light, it couldn’t chase away the cold. The young boy shivered, and he wished Flitwick hadn’t insisted on teaching a warming charm to 2nd years only.

While he would bring Leta, the smaller boy didn’t want to bother her while she slept for rule-breaking adventures. “Happy graduation, "Seus!” Newt held out a small jar containing multi-colored, musical fireflies he raised. “If you let ‘em out, you’ll see something beautiful...”

[laurenisarealstar]

@forcricket

Mr. Knight sounded holy; all Daredevil wanted to do was cradle him in his arms and bite out his throat. Matt, on the other hand, did nothing but listen to the slow beat of his heart. The repetition resonated like a hammer against an anvil through the buzz in his right ear.

Foggy and Karen adored the softer, gentler man, while Elektra and Stick clawed out his grace with an ease. He didn’t know who the system would choose, but there was no small part of him that felt terrified of the answer.

His darker nature demanded more than a pound of the Kingpin’s flesh and Matt didn’t have the strength to deny those flames. He tugged the detective down hard. “You’re not safe if you stay,” the Devil rasped into his ear, fingers curling into the lapels of the other man’s suit. His lips close to the skin but not touching—never touching. “I’m a danger to you. Leave.”

“I’ll be fine on my own.”

[laurenisarealstar]

forcricket‌:

Theseus cradled his wand with the same reverence in which a soldier holds a gun; each spell burst from the wand tip with the light and snap of rifle fire. With one hand, he wielded his wand and with the other he cast a defensive curtain.  He kept his brother in his peripheral, but even he could not stop the sickly gas from drowning his brother in yellow and green. A curse of a muggle sort slid between his lips as he turned to face his sibling. “Newt…”

The other’s curse struck him directly in the chest and pain flared between his ribs. Tingling pins and needles crawled up his spine and prickled the back of his head. He touched his chest and sucked in a breath between his teeth. “Newton, you know you won’t win this fight.” He raised his wand and gave it a swift flick. “Expelliarmus.”

The part of him that refused to stay under the reverie scoffed at the normalcy of a disarming spell. His brother knew better than to use normal tactics on him. There was enough rage to half-way break through the waters of the Imperius. It didn’t stop him from being unnaturally pale or kept his breath from coming out in panicked bursts.

His glazed-eyed gaze tracked the other man’s hand movement. “Stop… being polite about it… and win already,” Newt gasped, swinging his wand up to throw a shield. The blue blaze of light morphed into a perfect bubble to deflect the green beam. “You’re the one… who taught me… after all.” He struggled through each word he passed through his lips.

It pained him to smile.

“Don’t be embarrassing. They’re getting away…”

[laurenisarealstar]

forcricket‌:

“Marc hasn’t been out in… a while.” His eyes fixed on the depths of the tea in the cup, and he set the mug down on the counter beside Peter. “He was the first to retreat. Jake stopped coming out after I ended things with Octavius. Moon Knight stopped patrolling, and Mr. Knight… well, he still goes out at times, but more and more he has stopped seeing the point. I’ve stopped seeing the point.” He drummed his fingers against his own thigh. “I was supposed to protect us, and you can see how well that has turned out.”

His breath caught the moment Peter’s fingers ruffled his hair;  the request and the words that followed brought tears to his eyes. In one movement, he stepped forward and pressed his lips to Peter’s. One hand cupped the other’s cheek while the other came to rest on the counter beside Peter’s thigh. “Peter…?” He breathed, pressing his forehead against his. “Is that really you?” The hand at the other’s jaw fell to his shoulder and squeezed. His breathing grew harder, and for a moment, his brows furrowed and his eyes became unfocused. “Is… um… I…,” Closing his eyes tight, the hand resting on the counter curled into a fist and slammed down against the countertop. The mug shuddered.

“It better be you. This better not be a trick. It better not be.” His voice had become a low growl. “You better be real…” He released Peter and pushed himself away from the island. Turning his back, he grabbed the edge of the sink and took a few steadying breaths before marching from the kitchen into the living room. His cell phone was charging there, and he all but ripped the cord from the wall in his effort to tug the phone free.

When he made it back into the kitchen, he held the phone up and tapped the screen. For long, quiet moments, he stared at the device, his jaw tensing and his hands beginning to shake. Swallowing, he tossed the phone aside and pressed his closed fist to his own mouth. “You’re here. You’re here… I…” He swayed forward and back, shaking his head. “I can’t believe it… “ His gaze snapped up suddenly. “You can’t leave, y'hear me? You can’t go again.” The heavy breaths had become sharp gasps; he fell back against the counter and cabinets behind him.

His entire form drooped as if a heavy weight had fallen upon his shoulders. Slowly, he sank to the floor and dragged his knees toward his chest. His head dropped onto his knees and a hand dragged back through his newly mussed hair. “Please don’t go…,” His voice was quiet again. “Please…”

Peter didn’t feel like he had come home until their lips came together. He couldn’t forgive himself for being gone for so long, but a glimmer of a chance rested in the hand against his cheek. This hope made him feel warmer compared to the touch of anyone else he’d ever encountered. When Spider-Man became a concern, his loved ones tended to cut and run.

He offered a small smile. “I’d never leave you out of my own volition.” He whispered as gentle as the breeze against the other’s mouth. “You gotta believe that…” While he wanted to reach forward and draw him closer, he couldn’t help but flinch at the fist that rammed down on the counter. “It’s great to see you too, Mr. Knight.” The uneasy tremor in his words betrayed the worry that grew in his consciousness. He knew how unusual it was for a switch to come on so quickly.

The young man stayed and waited for them to find their composure. He tried to keep his breathing level, but the air came out in hitches after the snapshot. “I won’t… I’ll be better… You don’t have to forgive me, but…” His hands shook from the shame and failure. “I never wanted to go…” It took all his energy for to Peter to jump down from the island to kneel beside Marc. He wrapped his arms around him and pressed gentle kisses to his face. “I never wanted to go…”