"Am I not your Sheriff, Fabien?"
Phyre lifted Fabien's chin, forcing them to look directly into their eyes. The detective had caught on to what they were mulling over. After all, others had done it to him so many times. Despite that, he did not resist.
"Ah, right, Camarilla protocol," he said with a casual resignation. "Go on, then, Sheriff. Scramble my grey matter. Chain me to the radiator. A stake through the heart, why not? Now, that'll really make sure that I'm not going anywhere."
"You could simply do as I say," they whispered, half a lullaby and half a threat, their eyes a golden glow. "Can you not understand? I am tired of watching you get hurt."
"And I'm not tired of watching you hurt yourself for me?" Fabien caressed their face in return. "I'm sorry, Phyre. Big, bad Nomad or not, I'm not going to stand back and let you put this all on yourself. Not of my free will, I won't."
He was well aware that Phyre could force him to comply with little effort. What was the point of this futile obstinacy? Why was he being so needlessly difficult?
"This is foolishness, Fabien."
"That could very well be the case," he admitted with a little chuckle. "Love does have that tendency to turn fellas into fools."
It would be so easy to change his mind. Just a single word. The Nomad had done it so many times, even on lovers. It would be for his own good.
An Elder compelling their subordinate would have been par for the course — so unremarkable as to not even be worth protesting against. But Fabien had been Phyre's guide and counsel before he had ever been their Hound. The only way they had survived the trials of this city was through heeding his voice.
Phyre sighed in exasperation and closed their eyes. Love does indeed make fools of us all.
Fabien blinked in stunned disbelief. "Phyre, I didn't… huh..."
Gone was the cocksure audacity of a man expecting to be punished no matter what he said. Now, he didn't quite know what to say. He smiled with the guarded awkwardness of a beaten animal experiencing its first gentle touch. In the hundred years serving as Hound, when was the last time someone didn't muzzle him when he dared to bay?
"You really are something else. Thank you. I mean it."
No pressure tagging @dantecowboyofkischou, @fabienlaguna, @darkshadows93, and @vampemoqueen