An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Who's ready for some more Vericho!? @hedwigoprah and I have another one for you! This one takes place right after The Injury (formerly called The Stabbening) posted here on tumblr and now also on AO3 (go show it some love over there too!)
When Veryl Ingellvar needs to meet with a contact to ask for a favor, Jericho Mercar tags along, surprised to find out that her contact is someone who was once important to him.
Soft light streamed in through the single window of the messy one room flat, rousing him gently. He'd slept much better than usual, and from the way she breathed steadily against him, it seemed she had too. It was starting to become somewhat of a strange habit between friends. Though, he couldn't argue it an unwelcome one.
Warnings: MDNI, smut. Oral, fingering(Janis receiving), coarse language
In which, a typically reserved reader lets her protective side shine and Janis secretly loves it, becoming a cute, flustered mess.
The moment you got together with Janis, the whole school found out immediately. You see, after the whole shit show with Regina’s Burn Book got resolved, and the fact that Regina got the unbelievable punishment of getting hit by a bus, Janis and Regina who once couldn’t stand being in the company of the other, started being civil to each other so much so that they were now almost friends again. But you, well…you couldn’t stand it- the way she hurt Janis. Especially the fact that Regina had been getting people to make fun of her for months before she realized…the sissy lis incident. Every time you think of it, it makes your blood boil. Janis knew it made you angry, it still made you angry and she was honestly impressed. You were the good kid– but not the teacher’s pet. The student who just existed in the environment, under the radar. Regina didn’t even know you existed till you walked into the school with Janis’ arm around your waist. That was what caused the beloved queen bee of North Shore to notice your existence.
“Hey, Janis.” Regina shut her locker and approached Janis, “Who’s this?”
At first, you were pretty certain she meant no malice- because Janis greeted her without seeming like she wanted to punch the blonde in the face. “My girlfriend,” Janis answered simply as she went about her current task of picking out the necessary textbooks from her locker– which was surprisingly neater than your own (She makes fun of you for it sometimes, but she means no harm). The artist was a big softie and you knew it- only you knew it. Damian too, maybe, but it was never truly that obvious.
“I know.” Regina responded in her usual tone, “But who is she? Never seen her before.”
“Now you have.” Janis shrugged. But that tone made you want to claw at her- that condescending tone. Intentional or not, it was driving you nuts and fast.
“Strange…” You finally opened your mouth, and her eyes searched for your voice a little before her gaze lands on you, “I know who you are...and I know what you did. I’ve been in your classes since middle school and I cannot believe you.”
Your body was tense as you felt the warmth of Janis’ hands touch your shoulder, to calm you down. Regina tries to look unfazed, nonchalant…but there was a moment where you caught the shock in her eyes- they faltered.
“You’re right Janis, now I do know who she is. Impressive, like a secret weapon, hm? She looks so…sweet and innocent, but once that cute little mouth of hers opens up, it surprises you.” Regina continues. Seriously? Your nostrils flared as Janis shot her a disgusted look, “Are you done, Regina?” Janis was slowly but surely losing her patience, being nice. “What are you trying to do here? Tormenting me wasn’t enough? You want to intimidate my girlfriend too?” At this moment, Cady has arrived at school with Aaron and Damian.
“Lighten up, Janis. It’s a compliment.” Regina chuckles, “Pity, we would’ve made a pretty hot couple. But you two are cute as shit together.”
“Well- you snooze, you lose, Regina.” You snapped, “Maybe fumbling Janis was the worst punishment for you.”
“Baby.” Janis said into your ear, “Damn, it’s all good. She’s been trying to change, really. But this is her odd way of being nice and complimenting something.”
“Don’t you think she sounds so very condescending?” You looked at Janis directly now.
“This is a hell of a change from how she used to treat anyone. Don’t take it to heart.” Janis told you, right as Regina turned on her heel and left.
“Okay, spill. What’d we miss?” Damian hurried over.
“Oh. Nothing, just y/n being protective…”
“You?” Damian asked you with wide eyes.
“Yeah,” Janis confirms, shutting her locker and zipping up her bag.
“Damn, I did not expect this from you girl- always seems to be the other way around.”
“What’d Regina want?” Cady asks
“Uh…I think she wants my girl.” Janis told the redhead.
“Janis, I am begging you- I need context.” Damian squealed, Cady laughed. “Now I really gotta know what happened.”
“Me too. Now I just wished we were all here to see it.
You were still tense, even after Regina had disappeared from view. Janis could tell you were upset by Regina so she took your hand, squeezing it as she walked to class with you.
Classes dragged on, it felt like the day would never end. The interaction with the school's queen bee had stuck with you and you couldn't shake it and all you wanted to do was spend time with your girlfriend.
It was finally time for lunch, so you headed to the cafeteria to meet up with Cady and Damian since Janis had texted you saying she was gonna be late because she was finishing an art project. “Hey, are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine Cady.”
“I don’t buy it.” Damian disagrees. “If you don’t wanna say anything, I’ll just ask Janis when she gets here.” You sighed, and Cady told him that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. “Well, I’m worried, our friend looks like something’s after her.” You choked on your drink hearing that. “Mkay, who’s after you?” He pressed.
“Fine, Regina came up to me and Janis, and she was being…I dunno weird? Flirting with me, maybe?”
“Weird?”
“Well, that’s what the whole interaction felt like. First, she asked who I was, Janis told her. Then she proceeded to say that she and Janis would’ve made a hot couple, but me and Janis were really cute together?” You started to explain, “She never knew I existed until Janis and I started to date. And it’s been what, six months now almost? Janis always tries to play nice but Regina is just…something else. I finally had enough and just sorta lashed out, I said that maybe her fumbling Janis was her biggest punishment.”
“Damn! And we missed that?” Damian had a hand clutching his chest, “You go girl.”
“That’s what happened? Oh, my God. Regina didn’t hurt you did she?”
“No, it was more like I scared her.” You snorted, laughing, “She tried to play it cool but there was that split second of a ‘oh, shit. Okay’ in her eyes.”
“Looks like Janis has rubbed off on you, sweetie.” Damian shrugged, satisfied.
“We don’t need another Janis.” Cady says.
“Of course, that girl’s a handful.” Damian laughs, “That’s why this girl is extra important because she mellows Janis out a little bit. Only she has successfully stopped Janis from punching the heck outta a student. Remember that?”
As Cady and Damian continued yapping, you got a text from Janis- telling you to meet her in the janitor’s closet. “I have to go.”
“Where are you going?” Cady asks, confused.
“Uh…Janis texted?”
“Okay, spare us the details- just go.” Damian shooed you away.
You quickly gathered yourself, rushing out of the cafeteria as Damian burst into laughter, earning a light slap on the arm from Cady. As you made your way to the janitor’s closet, a pair of pink Louboutin heels stepped in front of you, effectively making you stop in your tracks. “Where are you headed in such a hurry?” Regina practically purrs, her voice dripping with false sweetness. The blonde's tone only made you roll your eyes, doing your best to hold your tongue.
“Piss off, Regina,” you bit out, shouldering past her as you continue on your way.
“Going to see your girlfriend?” she asks, her tone betraying her seemingly innocent words and you whirl around, furious.
“Leave Janis the fuck alone, you were awful to her and you didn’t fucking deserve her friendship,” you growled, spinning on your heel and stalking towards the closet.
There was only so much of Regina you could handle before you ran out of patience. You hated the Plastic for what she’d put Janis through but since she was attempting to make amends (or at least made it seem that way) with your girlfriend you usually held back when it came to showing your anger, not wanting to upset the new balance of their civility towards each other. Today, however, Regina had lit a fuse in you, causing your outbursts. All you could focus on now though was what Janis called you to the janitor’s closet for, but your bubbling anger caught up, slowly taking over your arousal and making you more sober. No fucking way you would let that happen completely. As you moved, the blonde moved with you, blocking your way at every move. You bit back a scowl, and your fists clenched, feeling your frustration skyrocket.
“Aw, someone’s getting a little frustrated, hm?” Regina teased. Without a second thought, your fist slams into a locker to get the anger and frustration out a tad. “Get out of the way, Regina.” You spat. She doesn’t, but instead tilts your chin up with her finger to get you to look her in the eye. How could she be so smug?
“Let go of my face.” You growled.
“Regina!” It was Gretchen, “What are you doing? Stop being so rude and mean to her.”
“Lucky you, sweet Gretchen saves the day.” Regina’s finger left your chin, “She’s just rushing off to see her girlfriend, no big deal.”
“But you didn’t hit her, right?” Gretchen looked at you worriedly before you scurried to your destination.
“Uh, no. Just talking…” Right, talking or threatening you for no damn reason?
Standing in front of the closet, you knocked. “Yeah?” It was Janis’ voice. Shrugging, you opened the door and stepped inside. “Hold on.” She started, “Something happened.”
“Yes, yes. Whatever.” You responded dismissively, looping your arms around her and placing your hands on her lower back. “Did Regina bother you again?” Asked Janis, backing away from your face so she could meet your gaze. “Of course she did. A leopard never changes its spots, Janis. She was born to terrorize the entire student body and staff population.”
“I swear, if she laid her hands on you, I’m gonna-”
You shook your head vigorously, “I don’t care what the fuck she does, but if she lays her hand on you, I won’t hesitate to beat her up. She made me so angry I nearly swung at her face. If it weren’t for Gretchen coming up to ask her to stop, trust me…I would’ve.”
“God, that’s so hot…” Janis chuckles lowly, her breath tickling your face as she leans closer to kiss you. Her lips meet yours and she lets out a moan - for a second there, you thought you were hearing things. That was…Janis? Already? No complaints though, hearing her like this made you happy, honestly. And as your tongue invaded her mouth, the action drew out another moan that you almost too quickly swallowed with a kiss.
Lucky for you, she was wearing a cropped t-shirt, so you easily slid your hand under there and started fondling her breasts. “Oh, fuck.” She mutters breathlessly, “God, you’re crazy.”
“Am I, now?” You bit back a smirk, unbuckling her belt together with her and finally getting to pull that down. “You haven’t seen it all yet, babe.” With her breath heavy, her eyes stayed watching you to mentally prepare herself for your next move. When your fingers looped themselves through the hem of her boyshorts, your eyes searched for her approval. Janis takes a deep breath and nods, and so you pull them down and leave them by her ankles. Your hands roamed her ass, giving them a squeeze that drove her feral, whimpering right into your ears as your hands got closer to where she needed you the most.
“You wanna sit down or do you wanna stand?” You ask while your hands continue caressing her ass and squeezing. Janis chuckles, “I don’t care. Just- take me.” That look in her eyes…damn she really needed you, bad. Your hands trail downwards when you get down onto your knees, coming face to face with her apex. You grinned. “You’re so ready, aren’t you?” You tease, the back of your hand ghosts the mound. Janis squirms. “Tell me, baby, use your words.” You looked up. She wasn’t looking at you- or anywhere for that matter. She couldn’t go much longer without stimulation and that was her tell. When your hands squeezed her thighs, her head snapped downward and her eyes met yours. “Just tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you.” You were thoroughly enjoying your rare moment of dominance over her- she was usually the one in control. But whenever you got protective over her, she got turned on and became a flustered mess. “Janis, honey…it doesn’t feel very nice, does it? The aching, hm?” Your breath was fanning against her most sensitive region now, and by the way that she was biting onto her lower lip, she wouldn’t be able to stay silent much longer.
She shakes her head, managing to say a ‘no’. You started by pressing a kiss to her inner thigh, on one side then the other. “y/n, I need you- please.” A whine follows her request. You gently kiss her clit and a yelp falls from her mouth. And as you rubbed circles with your thumb, you trailed a finger along her entrance slowly pushing it into her. “Oh, my God.” She cursed, “Fuck.”
“Mm-mm, no noise, baby. Not yet.”
The smirk on your face grew as you watched the girl squirm. You could feel her wetness drip onto your hand as you pumped your finger inside of her, curling it to hit her sweet spot driving Janis insane. Janis’s head fell back, her hips rolling in tandem with your movements. Her mind was emptied and filled with growing arousal as the seconds went by, biting down on her lip to keep herself from getting into trouble with you by making noise so soon. The more she squirmed under your touch, the harder it was for you to keep at your task- purely because she was already so wet, the friction just wasn’t there anymore. “Fuck, can I kiss you?” Janis asks, not garnering a response from you, “Please?”
You removed your fingers from her completely. And a whine fully just escapes from her lips, “Please, y/n. I need you, please.” God, her begging sounded like music to your ears. You gave in, starting to kiss her again, every noise she made swallowed by the movement of both your lips. Next, your hand returns to its previous position, plunging back inside her. She whimpers shakily, knees feeling like they might buckle. You kept a hand on her hip as your fingers carried on with their tasks. She’s made it so easy for you to go in and out that you didn’t even have to think about doing anything else to push her over the edge.
“You sure you want people to hear you, babe?” You caressed her cheek, looking right into her eyes. Janis swallowed thickly feeling the ache in between her legs worsen rapidly, she shook her head.
“Then what do you want, baby? Tell me.”
Her eyes started to avoid yours, but you held her chin and made her keep eye contact. Janis huffs frustratedly, licking her lips. “You gotta tell me, babe. Hm?”
“I need to come and I don’t care how you do it, just make me come.” Her usual attitude showed up briefly. You shot her a bewildered look in reply, shrugging then sucking your fingers clean as she watched painfully. “You know not to get like that with me, Janis.” You say, your hand massaging her thigh while you lower yourself to come face to face with the area where she needs you the most. You were on your knees, hands gripping onto her thighs as your eyes flicked upward to look at Janis.
“So you’re okay if I use my mouth?”
“What?” Janis exhales harshly, “Of course, I’m okay with that, baby. I fucking love it when you do. Holy shit, please.”
You trailed open-mouthed kisses along the inside of her thighs, smirking when she squirmed. Her hips bucked into the air when you got closer and closer to her heat. You were thoroughly enjoying her being so submissive- you wanted to make it harder for her, just for the heck of it. You pulled away from her thighs, staring into her eyes while you were face to face with the area where she needed you the most. She looked at you in sheer disbelief and scoffed, practically grabbing you by your head and putting you on back onto her- only this time, your mouth was met with her dripping cunt. You laughed, “So impatient.” You licked upwards, circling her clit with your tongue then pressing the flat of your tongue against it, “But ask and you shall receive, honey. We don’t have a whole lot of time right now.”
Her noises…they became so very frustrated, sounding like she was about to throw a full-blown tantrum if you denied her release any longer. But also, very needy and so high-pitched that it began to reflexively make you sound the same. “Baby, please- please y/n. Make me come. Now.” She asks.
You grinned, “Okay. You got it.” Speedily, you carry on lapping up her juices while your fingers fucked her rhythmically all while it begins to tighten around you. Janis gasps, tangling her hands in your hair for support as well as the wall behind her. You hoisted her legs up over your shoulders for more friction to aid her incoming climax. “Oh, God…” She panted, breathing ragged, “Fuck, y/n. Fuck, fuck, fuck!~”
She came undone into your mouth, soaking your fingers with herself. “Felt good, didn’t it, baby?”
“So fucking good.” Janis nodded with the biggest grin on her face, “Do that to me more often from now on. It’s so damn hot when you get all protective.”
You guffawed, wiping your mouth and chin off, “Oh, I will, Jan. Trust me. This is just the beginning. But you’re gonna have to wait till after school because we gotta go.”
“That’s fine.” She bit her lower lip, “I’m gonna need some time to recover from this anyway.” Janis pulls you in, pressing a passionate kiss to your lips, “Thank you, baby. You’re amazing.”
Caressing her cheek, you replied, “Aw, thank you- I try.”
The meeting called by her sister had been the perfect catalyst to rekindle their communication. Through and through, Cordelia’s inexperience with maintaining meaningful relationships seemed to follow her even regarding the sister she had truly come to hold dear. Some time had past since their last face-to-face interaction and much had transpired since Tural. There had been the occasional correspondence from one or the other but despite her attempts to be present and engaged in growing closer to her familial ties, her innermost instinct at what might have brought most to become more connected had caused Cordelia to stray in her ability to provide any sort of comfort and therefore seemed to pull back. Valeria’s death had been a shock to all those around her and while Cordelia found herself tending to matters regarding the integrity of her own household, she had ached to do more for Vahalia in the time following her twin’s passing.
Cecily was being seen to, thoroughly, allowing Cordelia some time to disconnect from the matter to attempt at reconciliation in her decision of unity with her last remaining family. She was pleased for Vahalia to have accepted her invitation, having the tearoom prepared with what she recalled of her sister’s preference of tea and some assorted snacks. Tilly had been instructed of the Cress woman’s arrival time and to have her guided there while Cordelia tended to the fire.
It was Tilly’s knock and voice at the door that ushered her presence forward with the Lady Cress in tow. Despite all that she had gone through in the stretch of several months, Vahalia looked much like herself save for the rounded midsection that barely gave itself away even to the most discerning set of eyes. There was grief and a mother’s glow upon her face, a battle from day to day – to be sure.
“Cordelia.” Vahalia spoke as she stalked the floor towards her half-sister, leaning inward and reaching for her hand. She placed a well-presented and meaningful kiss on the space by cheek and temple, “It’s good to see you again. I feel as if this has been long overdue, certainly in part due to my own busy schedule. I did receive your letter after the funeral but I had things that kept me from a proper reply. I had not wished to injure our chances of finding the people who were responsible for her death as I surmised I might have been watched closely, possibly missives being scoured through. Now…it’s easy to discuss as the threat has been contained.”
Cordelia leaned into the kiss, giving Vahalia’s hands a gentle squeeze. “Oh, I place no blame on you. Truly, much of your world has been through life altering changes and while I certainly would have been invested in aiding in securing your revenge, I also understand the importance of timing and such.” Smiling softly to her kin, she pulled away to settle in comfortably while Vahalia pulled to the seat across from Cordelia and found a nook to nestle and lounge herself into elegantly, “I suspect I’ve missed much, you have my apologies for such.”
The raven haired woman went about pouring their tea into cups, setting one in front of her company and taking the other into her lap. “I would say we have both missed quite a bit between us. Another congratulations, of course. I look forward to meeting my new niece or nephew and I most certainly need to see the twins soon. Admittedly, I never thought I would say I missed a child but now there are two.”
Graciously Vahalia accepted the tea and hovered it below her nose, taking in the aroma, “You and I both. It wounds me that Valeria will not be able to meet them, but I am pleased that I have yet another such as yourself that will be present.” she looked to the tea and stole a gingered sip from the rim.
“They tend to grow on you quite quickly. Perhaps it as they say, when they are of no relation to you, children aren’t typically enjoyable but when they’re your own – well…” Vahalia’s words clipped and she tipped her head slightly.
Cordelia continued to hold her teacup in her lap as she listened to Vahalia, smiling softly across to her though there was a flash of sadness in her eyes briefly. “I am… truly sorry for not having been more supportive in the time after Valeria’s attack. I did have a hand in the events that set this all in motion and whether I had or not, you are precious to me and while she and I had not the opportunity to grow closer, she was still of my kin. You were both owed more.” She nodded, punctuating her thought before she finally brought the tea to her lips, relishing in the warmth of the vapors tickling her nose.
The teacup in Vahalia’s hand settled on the table before her, “There is no need to be sorry, you run your own business and House. That in of itself is enough to keep people wrapped up for long periods of time.”
A low hum escaped her, finger tracing the ornate design along the shell of the teacup, “Things have been well with you I hope? Business, personal life and health?”
Cordelia sighed softly, tipping her teacup in different directions as she watched the tea swirl around the cup. With a smile, she looked back up to Vahalia. “Ah, yes, very well. I have completely healed-“ she commented, a delicate hand raising to graze over her chest briefly where she had met the unsuspecting end of a blade during their time in Tural. “Business is busy as per usual, nothing I can really complain about there.”
Her lips pulled into a faint smile before she continued on, her teacup being lifted to her lips as she spoke over the rim. “And it would seem that I am engaged.”
“Engaged? My, I never expected you of all the people I know aside from myself to settle back into married life. I’m sure it will look good on you regardless. Being able to make your own choices is freeing.” there was a small smirk as she lifted her teacup, expression glinting over the rim briefly as she looked across to her sister.
“Congratulations, have you begun preparations as of yet or do you plan on having a private affair of it?”
A sound resembling a dry laugh came from Cordelia as she leaned forward to rest her cup to the table now, one leg lifting to cross over the other when she finally sat back. “I share in your surprise, if I am being honest. I never planned to remarry nor did I entirely wish to, but I always kept the prospect in mind for the potential future. At the very least, if I am to maintain the control of the Gray line, children are required to do so. While they may not hold the Gray name, they will inherit both Gray and Corvin entirely.”
She took a slow breath in, glancing over to the crackling fireplace and it was released with just as much control. “I would much prefer a small private matter but I imagine there may be some… kickback on that decision that I will have to manage.” Shoulders rose and fell in a gentle shrug. “I do hope this one fairs better than the last. I would hate to have to make myself a widow twice over.”
“Let's hope your second marriage is as fruitful as mine and you don't find yourself settled with regrets or you just might have to become a widower twice over as you said.” Vahalia sipped after her quip.
“A shame you'll be giving the name you worked so hard to rein in as yours to become a Blythe.” Vahalia followed Cordelia’s gaze, “Has Damien fought you on the matter? I'm sure there will be quite the amount of push back considering most are not be keen on seeing their family fortune and legacy go to heirs of a different name, family and line. Gray being the family you married into, especially since kin of the Gray name, directly, still lives.”
The Witch-woman licked her lips and regarded her teacup, “Be careful of whom you keep the company of and choices you make. At every turn there will be those who will look to erase your path forward.”
Cordelia turned her gaze back to her sister with a well-placed smile tinged with darker features. “I have no concerns regarding Ricard or his intentions, it is a known understanding that all Gray holdings will continue to belong to me and they will only be forfeit to my heirs.” A soft tch of her tongue came as she settled back further into her seat comfortably. “Damien has no leg to stand on, though he has sent his little sister to attempt to do his dirty work for him since he’s incapable of it on his own. Nevertheless, you are the first to know of the engagement, there is plenty of time for them to riot in tantrum soon.”
She pursed her lips, tilting her head slightly at an angle with curiosity. “I also was unaware you had remarried… granted with child on the way, it could be an assumption but the technicality of it all is neither here nor there as it would matter not to me. A babe of yours would be welcomed by me despite the circumstances.”
The sable-haired woman angled herself in the seat, elbow finding the armrest and her knuckles gracefully kept her jaw propped, eyes scanning Cordelia’s mien as she spoke. She wasn’t about to dabble in Gray's affairs nor that of Cordelia’s and Ricard’s as there was much of her own to tend to, however, the support would go without saying as she certainly knew Cordelia was aware.
They spoke each other’s language, after all.
“I remarried before leaving Tural. Hakan Belgrave as I’m sure you know him to some degree. He has grown into the idea of wanting a larger family beyond just the twins and I agreed. What better way to spend my days to come than married to the right sort, in both necessity and adoration.” she smirked lightly and tilted her head along her knuckles more, “I’m….happy.” she mused softly.
“I cannot say I’ve felt that feeling in quite a long time. Hakan is certain the child will be a girl. However, as we both know, sons are often favored but I’m no longer within the cage of Ishgardian society to care. Loosely tied and my property exists all the same as needed, when needed. Finally, I have someone who walks with me in all matters, is open-minded, apt, and willing to do what is necessary. By any means necessary, no less. My darkness is his, and his mine.”
Vahalia pulled her hand away from her jaw and she reached for her teacup, “I can only hope the same for you with your union to come. Do give Ricard my congratulations. I’ll be sure to send a gift in due course for you both.”
Cordelia’s expression softened, a reaction not many had ever been exposed to from her. “It warms me to know you have found happiness and a partner that tends to your wants and needs as such and even further that you’re bringing a new little one into the world.” A thoughtful sigh escaped her slightly parted lips as she rested her elbows to either side of the chair comfortably. “And for Ricard and I, I welcome the engagement and am hopeful that the sour blood between you may ease even if just enough to accept him as my other half. As I said before, I never anticipated or cared to remarry and somehow he has changed that which I can only perceive to be a positive thing. I will certainly extend your well wishes to him.”
A low hum escaped Vahalia and she nodded across to Cordelia, “What I think is inconsequential. As long as you are happy, then I am happy for you.” Sure, she could have gone into rhyme and reason, a plethora s to why Cordeila was far too good for the man she was tying herself to. But it had always been her choice to make, regardless. The third time was a charm and Ricard finally happened to bag himself a Cress after shifting through each of them.
Cordelia had a wild heart, one that mirrored Vahalia’s in a sense and deep down, Vahalia suspected that in time, she would grow restless – perhaps bored with the barefoot life staying settled within the confines of Ishgard and estate life. Forever craving more that Vahalia knew Ricard could not provide for her, but there was hope.
A fond smile was afforded to her sister and Vahalia tilted her head, “You’d make a lovely bride and a lovely mother, I’m sure of it. Should you ever need to get away for a spell, Black Water Bay is always open to you and yours and I will do my best to ensure Ricard is welcomed with open arms.”
Part of Cordelia was surprised with Vahalia’s response, it was welcomed all the same. “I am… happy, that is. Truthfully, it has all been quite the adjustment in feelings, learning how to navigate it all.” She hummed through a soft released breath, adjusting in her seat so that she swapped from one leg over the other. “And I do appreciate your kindness, I imagine whatever Ricard will be much the same. Certainly, depending on your schedule at the time, I hope you will be able to attend? Hakan is welcome, as well, of course.”
Low was the chuckle that left Vahalia followed by that signature hum of hers, “Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for anything. It is to be a big day for you and your happiness is a sliver of my own and I wish to see you take the next step forward of your own. It’s a powerful feeling being able to make your own choices without the hands of men interveneting to shift and build your world around you. This is of your own accord and making, there is pride to be had there in that.”
Vahalia gracefully pulled herself from her chair, layers of silken and lace decorated skirts slithered in tow as she made for Cordelia’s side and crouched by the armrest to level with her kin, “This may be bold, but have you ever considered me to be anything but?” her hand found the top of Cordelia’s, “You sound apprehensive, perhaps not as jubilant as a blushing bride could be over a person they love. I know not of what holds your hesitation of pensive tone but know this, no harm will come to you. Ricard may be many things but he certainly isn’t Ambrose. And should he step out of line toward you in any capacity, I will come for him. You are my only remaining sister; even if only by half. I feel it in full. You have my support and protection, reciprocity I know we both share for one another.”
The warm digits that had found Cordelia’s hand gently slipped away to the cooler touch of the hardwood under the Lady Gray’s forearm, “My bond with you will continue to remain infallible.”
Cordelia’s gaze followed the other woman as she stood and moved closer, a concerned curiosity filling her expression until her honeyed words met her ears. She placed her free hand over the one that covered her other, if only briefly to offer reassurance in her own words and appreciation for the regard of Cordelia’s wellbeing. “It is not apprehension in the man, himself, or even truly the decision to marry… “ Her eyes narrowed slightly, stained lips pressing together as she formed her thoughts carefully. “I never thought myself capable of having a reason to feel or express jubilance for such an occasion. However, you are right, Ricard is not Ambrose and I do not foresee there being any sort of transgression against me or any of the work I have put in to get to where I am. He accepts that I may not be the warm, expressive, placating wife that most men of Ishgard expect of their spouses and for that… I have grown to learn how to love another.”
Her hand fell away before Vahalia’s did, chuckling as if she were almost embarrassed. “Listen to me, like a young schoolgirl.” She took a deep breath before maintaining her gaze on the contrasting light eyes of her kin. “And mine, with you. Though, should your Hakan do any ill deeds against you, I trust full well that you would see to him before I even had the chance.”
An impish smirk pinned into the corner of Vahalia’s lips, dimple flashing, “Only in the bedroom, dear one.” she mused though loosed a soft chuckle and stood, “He treats me very well and ensures I make sound decisions. As is the way of spouses, no?”
Sidestepping, Vahalia lowered her hand to adjust the fabric that covered her legs, “I should be heading back else some might come snooping where they ought not to. Fatigue has been catching up to me as of late and I’ve been on strict orders to rest and relax since much of the Whitlock situation has been handled and buried.”
The sable-haired woman lowered once more, though this time to place a tender and affectionate peck to her sister’s cheek, “Shadows guide you, and blessed be, sister. The tea was wonderful, do look forward to my parcel.”
"Be well." Cordelia spoke softly, leaning into the brisk kiss to her cheek as she offered her own.
“I do not desire your despair,” Mairon croons, his voice smooth as silk, his fingertips a ghostly brush against Finrod’s temple. “I only desire your love.”
A harsh laugh escapes Finrod, tinged with bitter irony. “What you call love is nothing more than a romantic guise for ownership.”
“Yet you seek it all the same.”
“I do,” Finrod admits, his voice weary. “I do. Perhaps because when all strength has been spent on hatred, what else remains but love? When the heart yearns for affection, what else is there? What else but this paradox, where you cherish me as much as you torment me?”
Mairon’s lips curl into a knowing smile, his voice smooth and almost tender. “Is it so surprising? For in this twisted dance of ours, I find something profound. I feel a true, raw love for you, my precious. It’s not merely a matter of ownership or possession. In your suffering and your resistance, I see the depth of our connection, something far more real than any fleeting sentiment. My feelings are as genuine as the torment I inflict—perhaps even more so.” His gaze remains locked on Finrod, a complex mix of longing and dark affection in his eyes. “I love you, my most precious, maksima, my beloved, in a way that transcends mere possession. It is because of your strength, your defiance, and your unyielding spirit that I am drawn to you. Your suffering, your resilience—these are not just tools for my pleasure, but the very essence of why I love you. You challenge me, you evoke in me a depth of feeling that I cannot easily define, yet cannot deny. In your pain and your resistance, I find a reflection of my own tumultuous heart, and it is this profound connection that binds me to you. How could I ever yearn for one who shows me no defiance? How could I long for someone who has forsaken their entire being just to please me? When I have you—when I have you by my side, who blends both devotion and resistance so perfectly?”
E | Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort | 8,181 words | Complete
Tags: Explicit Sexual Content, Canon Divergence - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Extremely Underage, Chan, Bodily Fluids, Blood, First Time, Watersports, Comedy of Errors, Crack Treated Seriously, Grooming, Tom is 16, Harry is 12
Summary:
When Harry gets his hands on Tom Riddle’s diary in second year, Tom comes up with a plan to get his material form back. Harry is eager to help his new friend.
Macaque has been focused on defeating Wukong for so long that he forgot there were other threats in the world. Now, four demons have decided to remind him that even Celestial Primates could get their asses kicked.
Now wounded and with no where to go Macaque has to figure out how he's going to survive the approaching winter without alerting MK or Wukong to what happened.
If he manages to make it to winter at all.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yet another part of the Chirp AU written by myself and @monkiebois.This series is a lot of fun but just a reminder that this is a side project. Monkiebois and I both have other projects we're working on. :D Between that work/school and a bunch of other day-to-day things this series will probably be slow to update but will be updated when we can.
* arises from the depths of the void *
SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG COLLEGE AND FINALS AND AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA- anyways thank you all so much for the love youve been giving this au artemis and i appreciate every little comment and kudos. enjoy the chapter!
* falls back into the void to pass out *
Something Macaque often forgot about being a demon with a long extensive history is that he made a lot of enemies in the past. It didn’t help that he had been so focused on revenge that he forgot to consider protecting himself from other enemies that weren’t Sun Wukong. Though, he also didn’t consider most of them true threats.
After all, he was a Celestial Primate, one of the most powerful beings in the three realms. He was the Six-Eared Macaque; able to hear the past, present and future! He was just as powerful as Sun Wukong and nobody dared to mess with him. At least… that’s what he spent nearly his entire life convincing himself. But there was a problem with this ‘amazing hearing’. He couldn’t shut it off if he didn’t physically focus on shutting it down, meaning that often heard everything all at once, and it made it hard to tell what was future, past and what was happening in that moment.
It wasn’t until he was thrown into the heat of a situation that he could properly recognize danger.
Which was exactly what he was experiencing now.
Macaque slid across the room, his back hitting his counter with enough force to dent the side of it. He let out a shaky breath, growling at the four demons who had apparently decided that this was the perfect time to practice teamwork in order to strongarm him out of his territory. They were fast and about as strong as the average middle-grade demon but their team work put them at a bit of an advantage.
They wouldn’t be able to kill Macaque, but the bruises he was already sporting was proof enough that they were determined to chase him out of his dojo whatever the cost.
Macaque glared, dashing to the left at one of the enemies, managing to slide around them to get behind them. He then dropped down, sweeping his foot and knocking the feet out from under the demon who crashed to the ground with a pained noise. Macaque then scrambled to go after the next demon when arms grabbed him from behind, pinning his arms to his side as the larger of the demons began to squeeze. This demon was only a bit shorter than Sandy and the strength behind the muscles was nothing to laugh at, especially when he could feel his already bruised bones creek under the strength. Macaque let out a pained cry, slamming his head backwards into the chin of the demon, who shouted and dropped Macaque.
Macaque then stomped on the demon's foot, swinging his elbow backwards, hitting him in the ribs and knocking him back. He jumped out of the way of the third demon who swung a punch at his jaw, stumbling slightly as his left ankle throbbed. He was running out of energy, but retreating would mean losing his territory. Where would he go if he lost his home? Where would he build nests for MK?
He formed a staff, swinging it at the next approaching demon who to his surprise pulled out a sword. Suddenly this fight grew much more dangerous as the sword blocked his attack, giving the demon he needed to attack again. He was easily the fastest out of the four, shoving back on Macaque knocking him slightly off balance which gave the demon the opportunity to kick him in the stomach. Macaque hissed, sliding back as he slammed into his training dummies.
The four demons began to approach him, having him once again cornered.
‘ Run away! ’ His instincts scrambled at him. ‘ It isn’t worth it! It’s just a building! ’ But at the same time he couldn’t convince himself to run. If he ran away then MK would lose his ‘safe space’. He had to keep fighting, he would keep fighting.
Macaque dropped out of the shadow, letting out a pained whimper as he hissed and put pressure on his side. At least two of his ribs were broken, his left eye was swollen shut, his lip was split, his ears were ringing, and he had rips through his clothing from the sword that had been used. Thankfully the only wound the sword managed to leave on him was a slice to his left rib cage that had only grazed him.
That being said, it was still bleeding considerably which was… not great.
He had lost his home. MK had lost his safe space. The only good thing about this situation was now Wukong didn’t know where he was and that he was able to leave with his life. The rest of it sucked though.
Macaque glanced around, frowning. He had ended up not far from Pigsy’s Restaurant in some abandoned buildings that had been condemned after the Spider Queen’s New Year's Fiasco. There were plenty of demons and humans who crashed there though, so he would be safe there, at least for a short time.
He walked over to a wall, leaning against it before he slid down with a heavy sigh. His healing would kick in soon which would heal his injuries but it didn’t fix his problem. He was still homeless and without help he could stay that way forever. But it wasn’t like he could go crawling to anybody asking for help. If he told MK he would undoubtedly help him but then he’d have to admit that he got his ass kicked and chased out of his own house. He couldn’t tell anybody else, because he wasn’t friends with anybody else! He could - in theory - tell Pigsy but that would still be admitting that he wasn’t strong enough to protect himself and his home.
Keeping MK away from the Dojo was the easy part, all he had to do was message Pigsy and have him tell the kid that he’s been busy and working around the city so he wont be home often but would check in whenever he could. The harder part was the fact that Macaque had very little to his name on a good day and now he had nothing. Just enough money to buy a water bottle that he could fill up at the mall or park and a vending machine sandwich for one day.
That was it.
That had been all he had been keeping on his person at the time he’d been kicked out and he was far from strong enough to have a rematch. Which meant it was time to do some old-fashioned hard work. His original plan had been the theater! After all, that’s how he made money before but the second he entered the building he was handed a bill and said that ‘the damage you caused last time you were here isn’t worth the risk of employing you again. Also, pay this sum or we’ll take your monkey ass to court ’.
So that… wasn’t great, adding it to the list of ‘ reasons this whole situation isn’t great/sucks ass ’.
It also meant that he had to do things the old-fashioned way.
He glanced around, letting out a shaky breath. It had been a longtime since he had to do something like this but at least it made easy money. Macaque let out a slow shaky breath, stepping up onto a rock in the park as he looked around. He then placed a paper cup he’d grabbed from a nearby trashcan and put it on the ground in front of him. Sucking in a slow breath, I began to sing.
He wasn’t like Wukong.
He couldn’t draw, or make friends easily. Not to mention his still healing injuries would prevent him from doing much manual labor. So he sang, one of his few talents. He tried to stick with more modern day songs so that those who were in the park would know some of the songs that he was singing, but he also didn’t know a lot of ‘modern’ songs. He would just sing what he knew and go from there.
At the end of the day, when his voice was weak from all the singing he’d done he returned to the abandoned building, stomach growling as he looked at the pitiful amount of money he’d gathered. He hadn’t counted on the fact that most people now used plastic currency rather than loose change. He had enough money for either some food or some warmer clothing. Or rather… a thin jacket.
Macaque zipped up the thin jacket he had bought and pulled the hood over his head. The winter breeze brushed past and left Macaque shivering under its cold embrace. Winter was approaching so he used the money he had made from singing to buy a dark purple jacket. It might be made of thin material but at least it was something. Macaque doesn't know how long he’s going to be homeless for, especially with this debt he’s racked up from the theatre–memories of said event made him wince slightly.
So for now warm clothes and cheap food was a priority. At least until he can find a warm place to stay for the winter, which he doubts. Without enough money he’s more likely to be forced to sleep under a highway bridge then actually find somewhere warm. Macaque just hopes and prays it doesn't snow. His currently fur and currently layered clothing can only hold off the chill for so long. But even with the cold taken care of–for now– he still has food to worry about. Purchasing the jacket left him with barely enough for a candy bar so for now he’s gonna have to settle.
He’s done it before, so he doesn't know why he hesitates, even for a moment. It's embarrassing despite how he’s done far more embarrassing things in his life. Either to save his sorry ass or because Wukon-
.
He’s not going to finish that thought. Macaque sighs and rolls up his sleeves. The cold prickling the skin underneath his fur as he approaches the dumpster. He needs some food, whatever is fine. He just needs something to keep him on his feet. He pushes the lid open slowly, careful not to make too much noise and alert the restaurant owner inside. He reaches his arms over the edge and kicks his feet off of the ground. Successfully leaning over the edge and into the dumpster. It was…disgusting. As any dumpster would be but it's what he expected. Dumpster digging is not pleasant under any circumstance. So he searched through the empty containers, dirty pieces of plastic, and all kinds of things. The rotten stench made his nose twitch but he pushed through.
He pushed through and all he managed to find so far was an extremely rotten half eaten apple. Not the most appetizing.
Oh who is he kidding, it has something green,slimy and unholy growing on it, he’s not eating this shit.
Macaque throws the apple behind him as he groans and lets himself hang limp over the dumpster.
A sudden yelp and a crack behind him makes Macaque panic and stumble into the dumpster in a pathetic attempt to hide like a cat caught in the cookie jar…if the cookie jar smelled like literal shit. Maybe jumping into the dumpster wasn't the most logical decision but, look he’s already homeless and has debt on his ass. He’s not about to be grabbed and thrown in jail for digging through dumpsters.
“Macaque?”
The familiar voice had Macaque's ears perk up while he was ducked into the dumpster. Who would have ever thought that the inside of a dumpster smelled worse…
“I saw your furry ass lookin’ through the dumpster Macaque stop hiding”
Macaque flinched, he contemplated shadow teleporting out of here because the smell was becoming too much for him to bear and he didn't want to be seen like this. Well technically he’s already seen but-
“Get your ass out or im getting Mk”
Macaque burst out of the dumpster with a loud and dramatic gasp, then laid over the edge and looked at Pigsy who just stared at him with a raised brow and a bag of trash in his hand.
“Hi” Macaque gasped out.
“Why are you diggin’ through my dumpsters Macaque?” Pigsy asked bluntly, grabbing the bag with both of his hands.
“Would you believe it if I told you the secret to beating Wukong in a fight was in here?” Macaque said sarcastically as Pigsy threw the bag into the dumpster.
“Nope, so you might as well tell me the truth,” Pigsy said, stepping away from the dumpster and reaching a hand out to help Macaque get his ass out.
Macaque stared at it for a moment, hesitating. Then swallowed whatever pride told himself to swat away the hand or turn it away and he took it. Letting Pigsy help him climb out and onto the concrete ground.
“Preparing for winter” Macaque stated, wiping off anything he could from his clothes with his hands.
Pigsy gave him a look Macaque didn't notice while wiping off the dirt and grime. A mix of disgust, confusion, frustration and pity.
“Come inside” Pigsy stated turning away from Macaque and into the noodle shop. Macaque knew he could decline. He knew all he had to do was walk away and he wouldn't have to face what was inside the shop. It's not like Macaque had him by the tail and was dragging him in. He had every chance in the world to turn away and leave.
So he followed Pigsy and walked into the noodle shop. Part of him wishes he checked exactly what restaurants dumpsters he decided to search through before diving in, another part of him relished in the warm air the noodle shop provided. Macaque decided to take a seat beside the noodle shop's island table while searching for Pigsy who had mysteriously disappeared into the kitchen.
Macaque turned away from the kitchen to look around the shop. Noting to himself how empty and quiet it is. Business must be slow lately. Macaque's attention was pulled back towards the kitchen when a full and heavy bowl was placed in front of him with a pair of chopsticks.
“I can't accept this” Macaque said, staring down at the noodles.
“You will” Pigsy replied, leaning on the table.
“I don't have any money” Macaque said, refusing to look up at Pigsy.
“Don't want your money Macaque”
“Then what do you want?”
“For you to shut up and eat something dammit”
Macaque hesitated for a moment, looking at the bowl. This wasn't like when Pigsy fed him after fighting LBD, this wasn't an obligation… but the prospect of Pigsy doing this out of kindness was enough to make his heart ache. When was the last time he had felt genuine kindness and compassion that wasn't laced with some kind of backhanded comment, guilt tripping, or fact that he owed them something in return?
With a shaky hand he took the chopsticks into his left hand and began to eat. The moment the soup and broth touched his tongue tears began burning his eyes. His throat hurt from singing, his body ached from the wounds that weren't fully healed, he smelled awful, his already dirty and matted hair and fur felt even more disgusting, and all he wanted to do was go home.
"What happened, Macaque? And don't give me that 'preparing for winter' crap." Pigsy said, and while he was firm with his words he wasn't demanding an immediate answer.
"Where should I start? The fact that I was attacked in my own home and chased off? The fact that I have to pay for repairs to the theater and they won't let me work there again? How about the fact that I spent the last 12 hours singing and only made enough to buy this jacket from a pawn shop while it was on sale?"
Pigsy's brows raised in alarm, a sympathetic look filling his eyes. "Wait… you were attacked? Are you hurt?"
Macaque sniffled, using a napkin to wipe his eyes so he didn't get dumpster slime in his eyes. "I'm fine… all that's left is a scab on my ribs and some bruising. I don't heal as fast as Wukong but I'll be fine in a day or two."
"You mean to tell me you were attacked to the point where you were bleeding and then climbed into a dumpster with a healing wound?"
Macaque flinched, "Uh… yeah, in hindsight not a good idea."
"A terrible idea!" Pigsy sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Tell you what we're gonna do. You're gonna eat those noodles and if your still hungry, I'll make you more."
"But-"
"I'm not done. After you're done eating I'm taking you back to my place for a shower and a good night sleep. I'm also going to look at your wounds."
"You don't have-"
"And we'll figure out the rest tomorrow. Macaque… I'm not giving you a choice this time. Even if it's just tonight, let me help you. If you don't I'll have to call in MK… or worse Sandy ."
Macaque sighed. Calling MK for this was bad enough, the guilt alone would rip him up. But Sandy ? Gods, he'd not only have to deal with the guilt but he'd also have to deal with talking about his feelings and stuff.
"Alright, fine." Macaque sighed softly, tapping his tail on the ground. "Just don't bother the blue-guy and MK… it's not a big deal."
Pigsy sighed, "You and the kid, I swear." He grumbled.
Macaque didn't know what he expected when he walked into Pigsy’s apartment, but he was honestly surprised by what he found. Which was Tang doing the dishes while wearing pajamas.
"M-Macaque?" Tang half-questioned, half-greeted. "How… are you?"
"Fine." Macaque said, as Pigsy looked at Macaque.
"Bathroom is the second door to the right. Go in there and get cleaned up, I'll find you some clothes." He said, his eyes slightly narrow.
"Fine." Macaque grumbled, walking down the hall as he heard Tang whisper.
" What the hell is he doing here? "
Macaque opened the door to the bathroom, stepping inside as he let out a sigh and dragged his hands down his face.
'The monk and the pig? Seriously? … Cute. But not great when I'm trying to keep attention off of me. ' He thought, looking in the mirror.
His clothing was filthy, yet thanks to his glamour his skin looked okay. At least that was the case until he dropped said glamours, showing off the white on the tip of his tail and his hair. It also showed his plethora of scars and healing bruises.
He let out an unsure noise, pulling off his jacket before pulling off his shirt. Bruises covered his chest and stomach, the healing wound on his ribs was looking rough , which wasn't a surprise given how dirty he was.
He shook his head, taking off the rest of his clothes before he turned on the shower and stepped under the water.
The warm water against his bruised skin and dirty fur was like heaven on earth. Tense muscles relaxed and he finally felt like he could take a breath. As he scrubbed the dirt out of his fur he decided to think. Really think. About what he’s going to do with the cards he’s been dealt. First he has Sun Wukong on his ass despite the promise he made to Mk, then he’s been forced out of his home and is left homeless with barely a penny to his name, lastly he’s knee deep in debt to the theatre building to pay for the damages he caused.
He’s in deep shit. The Monkey king, some pathetic demons and the bank are all after his ass and he has no way of getting out of any of this. At least not right now. He’s survived worse, this shouldn't be too much trouble.
Right?
He doesn't have a job, and no way of getting one right now. So with this debt he wont be able to get a place to stay for the winter. He’s gonna be forced to live outside during the winter…that's not gonna be fun. The only upside to all of this is now Wukong wont know where to find him.
A high pitched and scared chirp echoes in his memories. Macaque freezes, letting the water drip freely through his fur as he reminisces that familiar urge in his chest. A warm surge-like electricity coursing through him paired with an urge strong enough to pull him wherever it wishes. Macaque's arms go limp against his sides and his head falls. The showerhead hits directly over him and drowns his fur. He watches the water drip down his head and fur onto the floor. Not a drop of clear water to be found. Every ounce of clean water that touches him ends up filled with a disgusting mix of blood, dirt and sweat.
Maybe he should stay away from Mk.
Maybe Wukong was right, that Macaque would only bring trouble to Mk if he stuck around. He’s been nothing but a thorn in Mk’s side since they met and now he’s trying to stick around like some kind of adopted parent? It's pathetic really, pathetic that he’d try to insert himself into a family that doesn't need him. Attach himself to a kid that would be better off without him.
Pathetic to think that he could ever have someone,a family.
“I’m not sad, bud.”
“You are though. Your eyes are… they’re sad.”
“hmm, thanks…Momma.”
The feeling so warm and foreign in his chest, a light airy feeling that he hadn’t felt since the days of ripe peaches and sunshine. It’s revitalizing and almost addicting, leaving Macaque with a yearning that he hadn’t become aware that he had even lost.
A yearning for life.
Macaque doesn't know when the tears started mixing with the dirtied water, nor does he know when the water started to clear. Not like he cares. The memories of the past few weeks have been haunting him like a ghost, latching on no matter how much he tries to push it down for his own sanity. So now here he stands under the shower hiding his tears with the dripping water.
“But I’ll stay close so you can come see me now and then and I’ll stop hiding from you and your friends when you swing by…”
He made a promise to Mk, and he’s not about to break that promise just because some debt or demons get in the way. He’ll stick around even if it costs him more then he’s bargaining. He’ll stick around because he needs to be here for Mk even if Wukong wants him gone. He wont leave, the mere thought hurting his heart more than the idea of experiencing death all over again. He knows what it's like to be abandoned; he's not about to be the cause of his cub experiencing that same pain.
He’s not leaving Mk.
Only when the water is completely clear of dirt and grime does Macaque stop scrubbing, even then he takes another minute to just stand in the water and soak up its warmth. After he’s had enough he steps out of the shower and grabs the thickest towel from the bathroom closet to dry himself with. On the floor beside the door is some clean and folden clothes. Close enough to the door Macaque suspects Pigsy cracked open the door and stuffed them in without entering the bathroom.
They were nice, a soft grey long sleeve shirt with some old college logo on it and dark red sweatpants. Perfectly warm and soft enough to sleep in. Macaque decided to slowly and carefully leave the bathroom. While he was sure Pigsy was okay enough with Macaque around he knew Tang was still on edge and he didnt wanna push any buttons whatsoever. So best to be careful.
He looked around and saw that Pigsy and Tang were in the kitchen together, Pigsy had an arm around Tang's waist as they faced the oven with their backs to Macaque. Pigsy held Tang close and seemed to be saying something to him while they remained close.
There have been too many unfamiliar feelings stirring within Macaque, things he cannot explain. Yet now he feels something he knows and has been far too familiar with for years. Especially when he sees Pigs holding Tang so close and gently against his side. Both comfortable with each other embrace as they speak.
Macaque approaches the kitchen and sits at the island. Acting like he doesn't notice when Tang jumps and whips around to face him while Pigsy turns around casually.
“M-Macaque! hello i-i uhm-hi!” Tang stutters out while Pigsy gets back to his cooking. That pig never stops cooking does he?
“Hi” Macaque greets.
"So… Pigsy says you're staying the night?" Tang asked and Macaque nodded.
"Guess so." He grumbled, putting his head down on the counter with a shaky breath. "Sorry for the intrusion."
"Oh, it's fine." Tang promised, though he still looked nervous. "It's just…"
"Uncomfortable?" Macaque guessed.
Tang shook his head, "Unusual." He smiled, "Normally you're alone or refuse to let people help you. Did… something happen?"
Macaque bit the inside of his cheek for a moment, before letting out a soft sigh. “Infestation. My house isn’t currently… usable.” He said, turning his head away from the scholar.
PIgsy let out a soft noise, that wasn’t any kind of a grumble but definitely let out the same energy as if he had said, ‘ Infestation my ass ’.
“Infestation huh, well that sucks. Well, don’t worry. Our couch is free, you can use it for as long as you need to.” Tang offered.
Macaque wanted to immediately turn down the offer. The last thing he wanted was to bother these two for one night, the idea of bothering them for more than one night? He’d rather cut off his own tail. But… At this point what other option did he have? Try to go fight those demons again while he was still wounded? Keep digging in the trash hoping he didn’t catch some kind of infection or virus? Let them call MK, Sandy, or worse still - Wukong ? No he couldn’t do that either.
For now - as much as it pained him to admit - the safest space for him was right here with these two.
“I’ll think about it.” Grumbled Macaque.
“Alright, soup’s done.” Pigsy said, dishing bowls in front of both of them, surprising Macaque.
“I just ate…” He reminded him.
“Yeah, but if you’re anything like that monkey butt Wukong you’re probably hungry again, right?”
Macaque’s stomach growling quietly proved Pigsy was right as he blushed slightly and looked away. “Alright… thanks.”
“Infestation, huh?” Tang said as Macaque whimpered from where he was laying on the couch, letting Pigsy clean his wound.
It fuckin’ burned . It was sharp, sudden, and felt like ice. Ice that was on fire. Icy-Fire full of pain, agony, and absolute fuckin’ bullshit! Macaque clawed at the couch, biting the inside of his cheek once again as he tried to remember how to breathe through the pain.
“More like infection. Your little dumpster-diving adventures lead to a pretty nasty wound. We’ll keep an eye on it and check it out tomorrow, but you shouldn’t go climbing in dumpsters any time soon.” Pigsy said as he patted the wound dry then sighed. “Worst part is it’s on your fur, so unless we want to wax you, we can’t bandage it.”
“I’d rather not do that.” Macaque said, trying to ignore the dizziness and nausea that clung to his stomach and throat. He let out a slow breath, pushing those feelings down. “Are we done now?”
“Yeah, we’re done.” Pigsy said, letting Macaque roll back down his shirt before he laid on his uninjured side, curling up into a small ball.
He hated pain. He hated feeling sick. He hated all of this .
Pigsy let out a soft sigh, tossing an orange blanket over Macaque. “Get some rest, monkey. You look exhausted.”
Macaque just grunted letting him know he understood him, but then just curled up tighter under the blankets as he let out a slow and tired sigh.
He would be fine in the morning, a good night's sleep would help.
By five in the morning Macaque felt worse than before. His head hurt, his stomach hurt, he couldn’t stop shivering, and the entire wound site felt warm to the touch. He was too hot and too cold at the same time, he couldn’t get warm enough and he couldn’t cool off. His head felt like it was full of rocks, making it hard to keep it up properly.
His stomach was growling and he could physically feel the blood draining from his face as forewarning about what was going to come. He got up, scrambling towards the bathroom as his vision spun and his legs crumbled under him, causing him to fall and crash into a small table near the hallway. The table slid about a foot before it hit a door jam and stopped suddenly, throwing all of the decorations (which were mostly picture frames and books) to the floor.
Macaque didn’t have time to worry about it though as he clawed at the table, trying to stop himself from collapsing the rest of the way onto the floor. He was so dizzy, so sick, so exhausted. Thankfully, he was granted a small mercy in the fact that there was also a trashcan on the bottom half of the table. He scooped it up, shaking violently as he coughed and gagged, throwing up into the small bin.
Macaque heard a door open to his right but didn’t have time or energy to question it before he threw up again.
A small hand touched his shoulder causing him to jump slightly before easing into the touch of the hand as it rubbed circles on his back. Tears burned at Macaque’s eyes similarly to how the bile burned at his throat. It was all too much, and between how awful he felt and the embarrassment of all of this he was struggling to keep it together.
“What can I do?” Pigsy’s voice sounded a bit distant compared to Tang who responded from right next to Macaque.
“A glass of water? Maybe get a wet cloth and the thermometer? He’s really warm.”
Pigsy grunted, walking away as Tang gently spoke to him.
“Deep breaths, Macaque.” He said, still rubbing those slow circles on his back as the feeling went away and he was able to calm himself down.
“Sorry…” He grumbled, trembling slightly.
“It’s alright.” Tang said.
Pigsy walked over, carrying a glass of water, handing it to Macaque. “Sip on this, I’ll be back.”
Macaque took the glass in a shaky hand, sipping on the water, rinsing out his mouth before he actually drank some.
The water was cool and refreshing against his burning throat. He chugged down every last drop so he turned to where Tang was supposed to be but found he wasn't there…when did he leave?
Macaque looked around the unfamiliar landscape and realised he had no idea where he was. Where’s his bed, where’s his pillows and blankets? He really wants those right now.
Where's his cub?
Macaque let out a chirp, calling for his cub. After a moment of silence-well he heard something but it wasn't his cub so he didnt care– he chirped again but louder.
“Macaque, are you okay?” A blurry figure appeared in front of him, but it wasn't his cub.
“Wh-...where's my cub” Macaque slurred out,setting the glass of water down on the floor as he began to lose focus of the world around him.
“cub?........are you-.......Mk?” The sounds around him were muffled and Macaque could barely make out what was being said to him but as soon as the fuzzy thing in front of him had said Mk Macaque chittered in reply.
“Hmm, i want…my cub” Macaque pouted, his unglamoured ears folding against his head and tail curling up.
“Ta-......Call Mk….” Another deeper voice said as something pulled him up off the floor. Macaque felt himself being set down on something warm and soft. Then something else soft was placed on top of him. Macaque looked around and couldn't find his cub. Where is he? He’s just a baby, he shouldn't be alone. He chirped again but got no reply.
With one final desperate and tired chirp Macaque couldn't keep his eyes open any longer and let himself fall into darkness with a silent sob.
When Mk got the call he was still in bed, half asleep as his alarm screamed at him to get up. Pigsy never calls his phone this early. He’s usually in the kitchen by now setting up shop. No need to call when Pigsy can just knock on his door if something happened. So when Mk heard the ringtone he had set to Pigys’s number he jumped out of bed and answered the phone.
The last thing he was expecting to hear was that Macaque was staying at Pigsy’s because he had an infected wound and because of the infection he was too sick to function and was crying for his “cub” before promptly passing out.
So now he was running through the city, completely forgetting about the tuk-tuk, Pigsy’s house isn't too far off. So with all his sudden energy and forgetting about breakfast, he rushes through the city and finally makes it to Pigsy and Tangs house where Pigsy is standing outside waiting for him.
“Is he okay?” MK asked quickly, sliding to a stop. “How did he get hurt? What happened?!”
Pigsy put his hands on MK’s shoulder, “Kid, breathe. He’s alright, but we don’t want him pushing himself harder than he is. We want you to go with him while we wait for Sandy to make it back to port so he can come to check on Macaque. Until then though you might be our only hope and to keep him in one spot.”
MK let out a soft sigh, “Okay.” He said, following Pigsy into the apartment and over to the couch.
Macaque was laying on his right side on the couch, curled up under a blanket as he shivered violently. Macaque’s cheeks, nose and ears were slightly red and he looked paler than normal. But what really caught MK’s attention about Macaque at that moment was his appearance. The tip of his tail and the ends of his hair was white, he had streaks of a blue-gray color through parts of his fur, the last and biggest change though was his ears. The name Six-Eared Macaque now made sense. He had three ears on each side with strange colors within the inside of each ear; cyan, blue, and red.
“Macaque?” MK sat on the floor near Macaque, gently putting his hand on Macaque’s forehead.
“His temperature is like… deadly high for a human, but for a demon…” Tang said with a sigh, “We have no idea what we’re looking at.”
“What do you mean? How high is it?”
“106.8”
MK let out a nervous noise, digging out his phone. “Should we call Monkey King? He might be able to tell us what we’re dealing with.”
Tang seemed more onboard with the idea than Pigsy did as the pig let out a soft sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Listen, kid.” Pigsy began, “Wukong and Macaque worked together during the Lady Bone Demon shit, but they’re far from friends. Plus… if Macaque found out we called Wukong he would freak out. We need to think about what Macaque would want for now, if he gets worse or isn’t getting better then we’ll call him, but for now we should keep Wukong as far from this situation as possible.”
Mk’s grip on his phone tightened, for a moment he considered not listening to Pigsy and calling Wukong anyways. The memories of the last time Wukong and Macaque were in the same room together, the fighting, the screaming…the blood. Mk closed the phone app and instead opened google and searched for ‘average demon temperatures’.
“It says…its not healthy but not deadly either” Mk continued reading “demons can withstand more intense fevers than humans so he should be fine as long as he rests” Mk explained before he turned off his phone and put it away
Pigsy sighed, "That's reassuring at least. Now we know he isn't dying, just feels like he is." Pigsy walked over and rolled down the blanket a bit before pulling off gaze from his ribs.
The wound under the gaze wasn't looking good, it was off-color and smelled awful. It was also oozing a bit which was unpleasant to see. Though, it was obvious what kind of wound they were dealing with.
"How did this happen, Macaque…?" MK questioned, running his fingers through Macaque's hair as the older male panted in his sleep. "How did he end up here?"
"I uh… found him in an alley, brought him home, and cleaned him up." Pigsy said, "Poor bastard was gonna try to tough it out but let us take him in for the night. Good thing too, can't imagine where he'd be right now if I didn't find him."
MK frowned, putting his head on Macaque's shoulder. His chest ached at the prospect of Macaque dealing with this kind of stuff alone, but what made it worse was the fact that Macaque was used to doing it alone. He was hurting, sick, and miserable… It was terrible to see. MK just wished that he had been there for Macaque when he needed him rather than off playing at the arcade with Mei.
'I'm sorry, Macaque… ' He thought, ' I promised that I'd protect you… '
Okay, so his promise had been to protect him from Monkey King, but still. MK hadn’t been there when Macaque needed him.
Sandy arrived a little over an hour later and gave the still-unconscious Macaque an exam. His fever had stayed about the same, but thanks to an IV with fluids and medicine to get the fever down, as well as a freshly cleaned and dressed wound, Sandy was sure he would be fine. Though, Sandy did agree to stick around for a while until Macaque was awake.
Sandy was also the reason that Mei found out, and Mei was how Red found out, and in turn, Princess Iron Fan and Demon Bull King found out.
"Room for two more?" Mei asked from where she was standing at the door with Red Son who was as surprised, as was the basket in his hand.
The two walked in just as MK was putting the final touches on a nest for when Macaque finally woke up.
"This is for the monkey when he awakes. But this is for you." Red said, handing Pigsy a bottle of wine. "My father says, and I quote; ' Drunk monkeys are a pain, but sick monkeys are a nightmare. But at least you're stuck with the more tolerable of the two '."
Pigsy laughed half-heartedly, "Thanks for the warning."
Red and Mei walked over to the living room and while Mei investigated the nest, Red checked Macaque's temperature.
"What happened?" Red asked.
"Don't know, Pigsy said he was hurt when he found him. His wounds got infected." MK said, "They called me when Macaque passed out while calling for his 'cub'."
"Cub? But monkeys have infants, not cubs." Mei pointed out.
"I know, but it's cute so I don't question it." MK shrugged.
"Animal Demons are often called 'cubs' while more human-ish demons have different terms depending on location." Red explained. "Now, I should go. I delivered the basket and I have a lot of scheming to do."
"No, wait, please stay." MK pleaded. "Sandy knows the medical stuff but… we don't feel safe calling Monkey King… you might be the only option we have…"
Red looked at him for a moment before he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. " Fine . But if that's the case, Nyoodle Boy, then move over because we're gonna fix this nest of yours."
"Why are you making a nest anyway, MK?" Mei asked.
"Macaque said that nests help with physical health… so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm not very good yet."
Red sighed, "That's fine, you're new to it. Let's get it finished."
“ And I’m telling you they don’t stack. ” Said the first voice that reached Macaque’s ears, sounding so sudden and loud it nearly made him whimper.
Why was the world so loud? Why did his head hurt? Why was he so uncomfortable and sticky? Why were all these voices so close?
“ And I’m telling you, Red Boy, they totally stack. Which means you have to draw 12 cards. ”
Those voices… the dragon girl and Red Son…? What were they doing so close?
“Macaque?” This next voice was right next to him, as a hand touched his shoulder, causing Macaque to finally open his eyes, glaring against the light. Looming off to his side was… MK? But… what?
Memories of the attack, losing his house, and then being found by Pigsy flashed through his mind followed by bits and pieces of that morning. He let out a soft groan, why had they called the kid? He didn’t want the kid to know what happened but now he was here seeing him in person? What was fair about that? Nothing was fair about any of this.
But since when was anything in Macaque’s life?
“Hey, bud…” He said, blinking sleep out of his eyes, “What are you doing here?”
“Pigsy called me when you started calling for your cub.” MK explained and Macaque felt his cheeks grow even warmer. Macaque ran his hand down his face to try and hide it. “But it’s not just me. Mei and Red are here too because they were worried.”
“I wasn't worried, my mother sent me.” Red said, as though to remind him.
“Alright, Mei was worried and Princess Iron Fan was worried so she sent Red.” MK corrected himself, “Sandy and Tang are in the dining room, and Pigsy is making lunch.”
‘Lunch?’ Macaque thought, it hadn’t even been sunrise when he first woke up, how long had he been sleeping?
Macaque looked down at his right arm, which had an IV in it, attached to a pole against the couch above his head. Between that and the new bandages around his wound, it was clear that Sandy had been there tending to his injuries which he was equally thankful and embarrassed about.
What kind of warrior couldn’t treat his own wounds or protect his own house?
He was the worst .
Maybe that’s why Wukong abandoned and killed him. Because he knew he was useless. Because he was broken. Because when Pengu created him they made him with whatever was left over from creating all the other Celestial Primates. He was a mistake and a failure.
Macaque let out a shuddering breath, draping his left arm over his eyes to try and hide the left eye as it began to burn with tears.
“Are you okay… does it hurt?” MK asked.
He wanted to tell the kid what a loaded question that was but instead just replied with; “Nah… just tired, bud. I’m alright…”
Mk squinted his eyes, he opened his mouth to say something but Redson quickly interrupted him with a slight push “you look like your in pain” he stated plainly.
“Red!” Mk scolded
“What?” Red gasped offended
“You don't just-”
“He does, I thought we were supposed to be taking care of him!”
“Well you could be a little nicer then ‘you look like you’re in pain’”
“I'm just stating facts, he's injured and you wanna sugarcoat things?”
“Well no but-”
“Exactly my point now” Redson turned to Macaque and Mk followed suit “Macaque why are you crying?”
“REDSON!”
“WHAT?!”
Oh, was he still-...Macaque had been so focused on the two boy’s bickering he completely forgot he was upset for a moment. It was kinda funny so he admits he got distracted watching them and that he forgot his cheeks were still wet with tears.
“I’m okay…” Macaque quietly told them, “Or… I will be.Just don’t handle being sick very well.” He said, rubbing the tears off of his face as he let out a shaky breath. “Can you guys help me sit up? I feel like my tail is going to fall off.”
“Sure.” MK gently took Macaque’s arm that was free of any IV’s while Red went behind the arm of the couch, grabbing Macaque under the arms as the two worked together to move him into a sitting position.
It was dizzying and a bit uncomfortable sitting up again, especially when the pain in his ribs continued to radiate and feel unnaturally warm, but it wasn’t at a point where he felt like throwing up again. Once Macaque was sitting up he was able to look around the apartment, namely towards the dining room where Sandy and Tang were in the dining room, playing a board game quietly while glancing over at him occasionally. On the other side of the dining room in the kitchen was Pigsy who was cooking something that honestly smelt really good.
“Sandy!” Mei called, causing Macaque to flinch slightly at the volume. “Macaque is awake!”
“Mei, inside voice.” Pigsy reminded her as the teen stuck her tongue out at Pigsy.
Sandy chuckled, getting up off his seat as he walked over to Macaque. “How are you feeling, Mr. MaQuack?”
“Fine. Little confused why everybody is here though.” He admitted.
“Pigsy called me and MK after you fainted. I mentioned the situation to Mei because I needed help getting some things, and then she told Red who was sent by his parents with some items from the Demon Bull King and Princess Iron Fan.” Sandy explained, taking a forehead scanning thermometer and gently placing it against Macaque’s forehead. He then smiled, “Your temperature is back to a normal range, which is good. Can I look at your wound?”
Macaque lifted his arm, letting the blue skinned man remove a gauze bandage and examine it.
“The infection looks like it’s clearing up finally too and your healing is starting to kick in. You should be mostly healed - if not fully healed - by tomorrow.” Sandy said proudly.
“Great, thanks.” Macaque said, keeping his arm up as Sandy taped a new bandage over the wound. “Can I get this IV out? My arm is cramping.”
“Sure.” Sandy said with a smile.
Macaque looked away as Sandy got to work, not because he was squeamish or anything but because he just didn’t want to look. After it was removed Sandy gently patted Macaque on the head then walked back to the table.
“So what happened, Macaque?” MK asked anxiously. “All Pigsy said was that he found you wounded in an alleyway and that he brought you here to help you take care of your wounds.”
Macaque was thankful for that at least, he didn’t want the kids knowing the whole story, especially when he knew that if the kids did know Wukong, Princess Iron Fan, and Demon Bull King would all find out and have different reactions. Wukong might think that Macaque deserved it, Demon Bull King would probably laugh at Macaque, and Princess Iron Fan would likely end up destroying his house while trying to help Macaque get it back. The kids would have their own reactions too, but he didn’t want any of them getting involved in this.
“I’ve… I got a bill for the theater I destroyed, they threatened to take me to court if I didn’t pay for repairs and so I’ve been doing odd jobs around the city to try and earn the money I need to pay them back.” He said, which was only a half-lie. “After one of my jobs I was jumped by a group of demons. I was tired from working all day and couldn’t properly protect myself from them. But I’m feeling better now, really. I’m okay.”
“Right…” MK said anxiously, “Is there anything we can do to help you earn money? Like… d-do you need help?”
“Nah, kid. Once I find a steady job I’ll be fine.” Macaque promised, reaching over and putting his hand on MK’s shoulder. “You’ve got enough on your plate, cub. You don’t have to worry about my shit too. I’m fine.” Macaque noticed the glance that Pigsy and Sandy shared but decided not to worry too much about it as he tried to distract MK and the other kids from the situation. “So what’s the nest for?”
“ Nyoodle Boy here thought you needed one after all you went through. So he made it for you when you woke up.” Red explained.
Macaque’s eyes went wide as he looked at MK. “You did that… for me?”
MK’s cheeks were slightly red as he played with his hands. “Of course I did.” He said quietly. “You would do the same for me - you have done the same for me. S-so I figured… why not.”
Macaque smiled, letting out a happy chatter as his tail swished slightly and he pulled MK into a half-hug. “Thanks, Bud… it means a lot. I feel better already.”
Now it was MK’s turn to perk up, a big smile forming. “Really?”
“Yeah. Can you help me over there?” He asked.
MK was happy to help, as he helped Macaque to his feet, the two going to the nest and getting settled in before Red hesitantly joined them as well, sitting a short distance away from Macaque. He looked weirdly content in this situation, which was almost funny given how often he tried to convince people that he couldn’t stand MK and Mei. Though, Macaque hardly had room to talk on that front.
“We were playing Uno, do you want to join?” Mei asked.
“Uno… that’s that card game with the four colors, right?”
MK nodded, “That’s the one.”
“Alright, then sure.” Macaque shrugged, “Warning, I’m terrible at card games.”
While the kids started the game with Macaque beside them now Sandy and Pigsy stood in a far corner of the room, whispering among themselves. Macaque’s ear’s twitched.He might be injured and a bit out of it but he’s not deaf. I mean, six ears. Don't they know whispers do nothing to hide their secrets from the Six eared Macaque? So while the little card game continued Macaque tuned his hearing into the two demons attempting to hide in the corner of the room.
“I think we should let him choose” Sandy whispered.
“Hm, I wanna keep a close eye on him tho’” Pigsy grumbled.
“And i can do that on the ship, i can take care of his injur-”
“I don't mean his injuries” Pigsy interrupted “i mean…him. I can handle his injuries as well as you can Sandy, we both underwent the same training back in the day. I just want to watch him, i want to see what he does. If he’s really serious about being better and being there for Mk”
“I understand friend, but still…i can do that as well and i think we should let Mr. Macquack decide whether he wants to work on the docks or in your shop”
Macaque dropped his cards and quickly turned to face Pigsy and Sandy.
“What?”
The two on the other side of the room jumped slightly, then turned to face Macaque as Tang coughed and mumbled under his breath.
“ He’s the Six-Eared Macaque guys, of course he could hear you. ”
Pigsy sighed, dishing up lunch and laying the bowls of soup onto the table before walking over with a bowl for Macaque. “Sandy and I were just talkin’. You need the money and we could both use the help around the ship and the shop, so how about you come work for one of us?” He suggested, making Macaque raise a brow. “You’d help me clean around the shop and help MK with deliveries on the days it’s particularly busy, or you’d help Sandy move around things on the ship and prepare for his deliveries whenever he hits port. Workin’ with me runs the risk of bumpin’ into Wukong now and then but you’ll be closer to MK. Working with Sandy would keep you away from Wukong but also would keep you away from the kid for extended periods of time.”
Macaque frowned, the idea of leaving his cub for any amount of time hurt more than he expected or wanted it to. It hurt more than running into Wukong scared him. “If… you’re fine having me, Pigsy, then I think I could chance working at the Restaurant for a while. Or at least give it a try.”
Macaque could see the way that MK lit up at the idea as he looked at Pigsy who handed the bowl over to Macaque.
“I’d be happy to have you. That being said, you and I will figure out the other thing later. For now, just focus on getting better, you’re safe here in the meantime.”
Macaque gave Pigsy a sad smile before he looked at the soup.
