Afar
Characters: Eris Vanserra, Lucien, Tamlin
Summary: After surviving a lengthy stint beneath the Forest House, Eris receives a note from Tamlin urgently requesting his presence.
A/N: For power and passions day of @erisweekofficial I wanted to write out a HC I have for Eris and show some of the love he has for Lucien. Angst, canon typical violence, wc 1.2k
It was not ideal.
It cost a great amount of energy, far too much lucidity, and an entire outfit.
But whatever the cost was to answer Tamlin’s frantic message was well worth it.
Now come now to the manor for lucien now eris
He had been forced to ingest a large dose of faebane from his ‘father,’ the loss of winnowing was taxing his abilities more than the loss of flesh protecting his back.
Eris bit his tongue as he walked into his fireplace naked, saving a set of clothes and tedious cauterization.
The flames brightened to an opaque white that robbed his vision for a painful moment.
Eris yowled as he landed face-first into a rose bush.
He craned his neck quickly to confirm his bitter suspicions: a sconce high up on the cobblestone wall that was blazing above him.
At fucking least he didn’t fall onto his back. He let his head fall then regretted it.
“You should not have done that. I wouldn’t have asked you to come if I’d known—” A familiar chastising voice startled him.
“Shutup and help me!” Eris demanded, shouting at the ground.
Tamlin’s familiar growl did nothing but piss him off further. It had been a long time since Tamtam had intimidated him.
Entirely too easily, large hands gripped him by the flanks and hefted him into his cradling arms.
Eris thrashed out of the damsel-esque hold and ignored his display of limp dick to Tamlin. It was nothing he hadn’t seen before.
Taming his cringe, he plucked a thorn from his pec, then another from his bicep. He was so sure he looked nonchalant till Tamlin turned his head to laugh into his hand.
“You don’t seem so urgent, where is he?”
“You should go clean up before you go—”
“I need to see him. Come, on, Tam.”
His old friend who was rabidly pissing him off tilted his head as if to audaciously said alright, it’s your shit call. “Fine, just take this,” he passed his cloak, thick wool, Hybernian.
“Fine.” Eris shrugged on the garment, wincing as it settled against his raw back.
Tamlin cringed as he extended an arm Eris clasped quickly.
Winnowing in Spring always had an energizing affect, as travelling around Night could be lulling. The boost was much appreciated, as was the lended cape once a breeze passed by that pebbled his nipples and chattered his teeth.
Lucien was bare, a pile of each to his left used to be his clothes, Eris assumed. To the right lay a pocket watch and a bent sword.
“He’s been sitting here with a shield I can’t get past,” Tamlin gruffed, rough tone drenched with remorse. “But I found him bare in a clearing deep in the western woods, reeking of Ianthe, sex and fear.”
The author has no words to describe how his brain froze. Every worst case scenario he’d had before felt like a fairytale.
Tamlin kept talking, “I just wanted to get him to water and bathe but he shoved me away and erected that damn shield.”
Eris stepped forward, raised a fist to knock against the iridescent barrier. If Lucien could hear him, he didn’t show any sign of it.
He closed his eyes, brought his other hand and spread them both to feel as much of the shield beneath his fingers before he began to try and unlace the tightly bound threads of Lucien’s bubble.
Eris would be impressed with how impeccable the barrier was if it wasn’t keeping Lucien away from him. Every pluck he selected bit him in the ass, spawning three more strands in its place, tauter than prior. Eris wanted to scream.
He would kill that Ianthe bitch, bring Lucien her head so he can set it on fire. Vicious thoughts chased after one another, getting increasingly more vitriolic. He would get revenge, he’d do it painfully.
He balled his fists, his breath sawing through him, tears welled his eyes. He began banging, slamming his hands over and over to no avail—he didn’t think it would work, he just needed something to outlet the loathing eclipsing any functional part of his brain.
Over and over, no damage, no acknowledgment, the hope of his brother opening up were emaciated. If the noise wasn’t bothering him, Eris figured he’d keep up his pummeling.
Messy scrapes desiccated his brother’s back, each slash noticed further unhinged Eris’s sanity.
His fists started to ache, his knuckles were burning from relentless beating and still Lucien didn’t notice.
It was only when blood sluiced down the shimmering dome did Tamlin clapped his shoulders.
“I don’t think he’s—”
“I KNOW!“ Eris shouted, swiveling to punch or hug Tamlin, he wasn’t sure.
It was hug, if only because his hands fucking hurt. He buried his face in the crook of Tam’s neck, the beastly male wrapped his hands around Eris’s back and he appreciated the distracting wave of agony that washed over him.
“Take me to a bed somewhere, I can’t leave like this.” Eris’s voice was hoarse when he withdrew from the embrace. He didn’t feel any better, he looked over his shoulder at his oddly serene seeming brother and felt the need to set all of Spring ablaze.
“Do you mean your hands, your back, or the tears?” Tamlin tried to make light, it did not work.
“Actually the faebane, wisecrack.”
“Oh.” The half smirk vanished, what a pointless attempt at humor. No wonder Lucien was keeping him away now. “You can rest it off in a cabin nearby, I warn you I haven’t been there for upkeep in awhile.”
“Anything’s fine. I just need a bed.” He felt empty, another look over his shoulder to see his brother’s shoulders rise and fall. He was breathing, he was with nature, Eris cherished the scene. He would come back, as soon as he could.
Begrudgingly, Eris extended a bloodied hand to a glum Tamlin and allowed him to winnow them once more.
The cabin they reappeared was indeed unkempt, everything was wearing three layers of dust and the air felt still.
Tamlin frowned, muttering apologetically before ambling forward, a wave of metallic tasting power rolled off him, vanquishing all the grime in a display that drove Eris envious. He should have been able to do that.
“I recommend allowing your eyebrows time to regrow,” Tamlin turned back to him.
“Shit,” Eris groaned, walking thumpily to the sofa in the center of the... cozy room and planted his face into the mustard throw pillow that had no place on a fuchsia couch. He’d be there for a bit.
“There are probably some bandages in the bathroom, I’ll be back in a couple hours with some dinner,” Tamlin gruffed.
Eris grunted in a way he hoped sounded grateful.
Tam left, taking his earthy aroma with him, leaving Eris in shambles, presumably to go keep watch of Lucien’s silence.
Eris would get up soon, apply bandages and scour for some clothes. Soon.
It was always from afar, Eris sighed into the pillow pathetically, he would only ever get to care for Lucien from afar. The wedge between him and his youngest brother was one of his father’s worst sins, and the growing chasm was tearing him apart.
Thank you so so much for beta reading @the-darkestminds, your brain is my favorite 🧎♀️💗 dividers by @cursed-carmine 🫶🫶
I hope to also be doing days two, four and six for @erisweekofficial 🧎♀️💗
Pooookies @nus4y @astro-h0e-4azris @jules-writes-stories @makinglongwordsslutty @fourteentrout @buffy-vanserra @iftheshoef1tz @mistandmemories @mudandmire @queercontrarian @chunkypossum @brunetterebel010 @ejkreader @nightsandflamess @olenvasynyt @futurehunt @plumita-d-la-sangre @wrraccountant @3xolara @molcat07 @talibunny30 @icey--stars @sunstar-drabbles @the-darkestminds @irithiadourden @shadowsandlint @unanswered-stars @wovendreamscapes @jolenes-library @ysmtttty @skies-for-eyes-trees-for-knees @natasharomxnov @missblackstar lmk if u want in on the tag! 💗
