LEGENDS

[thelegendsdrabbles]

ADELRUNE (au drabble)

She’d only meant to escape the rain.

Rune had overused her powers when avoiding her ex boyfriend at the pub. Bar. Whatever they were called there. She was stuck in her cat form for another fifteen hours because of it, and that made finding a place to stay dry much harder than she’d expected. No one was willing to let a random cat hide in the corner of their shop until the rain stopped, and there were much fewer options outside than she would have thought.

Which left her with one option: a random door.

It was simple enough to sneak into the apartment building when a tenant entered. They didn’t look twice at her, so focused on the phone in their hands, which suited her just fine. Rune didn’t need someone chasing her out back into the storm that had sprung up. She’d wait it out inside and leave when it cleared. It was a foolproof plan.

She chose a doorway that was far enough up and in that there was no chance of the cold wind following her. There was no telling how long she’d be stuck inside in her cat form and she wasn’t going to let the weather make her any more miserable than she had to be. It was bad enough she wasn’t going to be able to sleep in her own bed that night. But this hallway was quiet and warm, and Rune found herself drifting off as she curled up on the mat.

Only to be awoken when the resident of the apartment actually showed up, nudging her with his foot. She swiped at him halfheartedly, but perked up when the door opened. It was far warmer in his apartment than it was in the hallway, and she slipped in before he could shut the door behind him, hoping he wouldn’t notice or wouldn’t care.

The latter seemed to be true, at least for the moment. Maybe it was the late hour or maybe it was…whatever it was that was on his suit (it smelled terrible), but he barely spared her a second glance before he started tugging his tie off on the way to his room.

She would only stay until the storm was over or she could regain human form, she told herself. It wouldn’t be long and he’d never realize she had left.

She managed to hold to that for a full half hour, until he left his bathroom, towel around the waist, freshly showered. Rune couldn’t help but stare, eyes following a stray trail of water as he walked back to his room.

Oh. Had he looked like that?

Maybe she could stay just a little longer, if he'd let her. She'd even be nice and curl up on his lap.

He'd never have to know.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

ADELRUNE (au drabble)

Erik hadn’t been paying enough attention to his coworkers. Apparently he was too focused on the movements and connections of the Elysion agents to even look at what the other FBI agents were actually up to. And he only realized that when he returned to find out that Adelrune Nott, the granddaughter of Tristan Alcott, was currently in their custody.

Which was odd, as she wasn’t a part of Elysion, at least not yet. He’d heard rumor that Tristan wanted to bring her in, to train her, to replace him as its head, but as far as he was aware, she’d never set foot inside one of the bases. So how, he wondered, did anyone find out about her, let alone find her to arrest her? He’d never once reported on her, as he had always thought she was completely unconnected.

The rest of the team had caught wind of Tristan Alcott’s current location and had left to deal with him, which meant Erik was left all alone and very, very bored. If he was going to be responsible, he would have gone back to his gym to wait out the upcoming battle and deal with any waiting challengers, but this was Erik. He was never responsible. Instead he found himself leaning against the wall inside of Rune’s interrogation room, quietly watching the young woman who was handcuffed to the table.

She’d tried to ignore him at first, judging from the way she’d actively avoided looking at him. But he was nothing if not persistent, and he was well aware that she’d had little non-hostile contact in the…36? or so hours that she’d been held. She’d talk, he was sure of it. He had the time to wait it out.

It only took another five minutes before she looked up, glaring daggers at the green haired man. “What do you want?” she hissed, all the pain, the anger, the fear lacing her every word. “Have you come to mock me as well? I have done nothing.”

“I know.”

“I—you…what?” Erik’s simple reply caught Rune off guard, and she stumbled over her words, having expected more accusations. Erik couldn’t help the smirk. She’d been so close to continuing her tirade against him. A small part of him regretted cutting her off so soon. Erik tsk’ed at her, grinning, not moving from the wall. “Now, now, little princess-“ he took note of the slight frown at the nickname, making a mental note to continue it, “you’re stuck here until your grandpa takes your place.”

[unfinished, but for the best]

[thelegendsdrabbles]

ADELRUNE (au drabble)

She knew that the FBI was fighting Elysion that afternoon. Sirius had told her as much before he left, leaving her at his apartment in DC with only a kiss goodbye. He trusted her to not get involved, to stay back no matter what may happen to her grandfather, and she did her best to live up to that trust.

After what he and Scor had told her, it was no wonder he’d been so cold to her before that. This was her grandfather, the man she’d looked up to her entire life, and Siri knew that. If he really was involved as deeply as—no, they wouldn’t lie to her, not them. Because her grandfather was so deeply involved, it was a more miracle that Sirius believed those who told him she wasn’t, that he still wanted to be with her despite knowing what her family did. That had been the hardest week, between the lack of affection and the news, topping even her loss and break up with Declan. She wasn’t sure who to trust, who had ulterior motives, who was really hiding their true selves…

But the look in Siri’s eyes was still love. He loved her and that was something she was able to believe in, even when he left to fight the only hero she’d ever looked up to. That look couldn’t have been a lie, not after all their time together.

She expected her grandfather to get arrested. He deserved it after all the things he’d done, and she was sure that Scorpius and Sirius had left things out, though whether for brevity or to spare her feelings, she wasn’t sure. But she didn’t expect Tristan Alcott to die. He was stronger than that, one of the strongest gym leaders in the world.

She didn’t expect her family to be destroyed so easily. She didn’t expect her grandfather to take out Sirius along with him.

Kaito had been the one to break the news to her. Disbelief and denial set in immediately. Siri hadn’t left her, not like that. He was supposed to come home to her. He didn’t leave, he’d promised her that a dozen times. Forget the other two agents who died in the same battle, Siri wouldn’t have left her like that, so there must be a mistake.

Her protests sounded hollow even to her.

She insisted that he was wrong, that she had to see him, and she wouldn’t give up on that. Kaito eventually gave in and reluctantly escorted her to the morgue. He didn’t want to see his partner like that again, but Rune was hurting far more than he was.

And Rune wasn’t ready for what she found when they arrived. This wasn’t her Siri, was it?

The hands that had traced fire over her skin were cold. There was no trace of his usual heart melting smirk on his face. Green eyes were closed, never again to look at her with that love she’d seen earlier that day.

She felt something snap inside her.

Rune drew herself up, looking every bit the aristocrat she was raised to be. It was far easier to let manners and propriety that had been drilled into her head as a child take control than to let anyone there see her cry. The mask didn’t fall until she threw herself on his bed, breathing in the smell of him left on the sheets. Only then did she allow herself to break down into all the little pieces her heart had shattered into when she saw his body.

He wasn’t coming back. Her grandfather wasn’t coming back. She’d lost almost everything in one afternoon.

Death had never crossed her mind as a possibility for anyone. To her they were both invincible, they’d always be there. She’d never had to handle loss like this before and honestly, she didn’t know what to do.

Iseult handled Tristan’s funeral, Rosie Sirius’s, though Rune couldn’t remember either one. She was at both, the pictures proved it, but all she remembered of that time was disbelief and hurt. It took her weeks to come to any sort of sense, and even then she was…off. Scorpius noticed immediately, but chalked it up to her handling grief poorly. He’d only realize later that he should have checked up on her more often.

Soon after, Rune insisted that she take control of Sirius’s Pokemon. Ni’ihau needed Khirsanth more than ever, she told Kaito, and eventually he gave in. Most she let Rosie have, knowing his mother would take better care of them than she ever could, but not Kyogre. She didn’t want to risk seeing someone else in her dreams.

The dreams she still got were a curse at first. Happy memories were the last thing she wanted to deal with, not when every one of them was beyond her reach for the rest of her life. There was no replacing the man she’d fallen so hard for. He’d carved a place in her heart meant only for him, and no one was ever going to be able to take his place. Eventually, though, those dreams were the last real bit of Sirius she had left, and she held tight to them and to the Pokemon she was certain were behind it.

Rune took over his apartment, leaving everything where it was, where he had left it, as if he could come back any moment. The only people she saw were the few who came to visit, to check up on her. There was obvious worry in their faces when they saw nothing had changed in the weeks since their last visit, but she denied needing help.

Only Jack did she allow any assistance from, and only when it came to Kyogre and Rayquaza. He was allowed to take them from her, to let them out with his Groudon outside the city. They needed that, and it was something Rune was unable to give them. She wouldn’t leave the apartment.

She’d promised to stay. He may have left, but she couldn’t bring herself to break that promise.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

ADELRUNE (au drabble)

Rune had seen more than she’d admitted in her dreams of Sirius.

The dreams of him at his desk had shown occasional unblurred glimpses of his paperwork, of his files, and she’d learned very early on that he was FBI, that he was looking into Elysion. That was her family, her inheritance, and she couldn’t let him be the one to stop them. She couldn’t let anyone stop them.

The files on some of the crimes her operatives had committed had her convinced this wasn’t just a dream. He was out there somewhere, maybe seeing what she was doing as well. She’d stopped her Elysion activities as soon as she’d realized that the dreams were real, at the chance that perhaps he was seeing what she was doing as well. She had to find him, to make sure that he didn’t know anything, hadn’t caught on to who she really was.

FBI meant America. It helped to have the country narrowed down, though America was far larger than she’d like. She took up the mantle of a challenger trainer, visiting each city with a gym, looking into the FBI offices in each one, hoping to run into the man with those captivating green eyes.

She’d be lying if she said she didn’t find him incredibly attractive, but their safety had to come first. She, of all people, knew that best.

It was only in Washington, a stop she hadn’t anticipated making, that she found him. Or rather, he found her, coming up to her in the middle of the street with what would have been a cheesy pick up line to anyone else. There was a magic when they’d met; she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off of him, no he her. Had he been anyone else, she may have ran with it, seen where it could go, but not with an FBI agent, no matter how much she wanted him.

Who was she kidding, she didn’t have a choice. For all that she swore it was just to keep tabs on him, just to see what he knew of Elysion, she found herself spending more and more time with him. She made excuses to avoid missions in order to spend time at his side, used her evenings to text him from what ever city she’d ended up in that night, fell asleep dreaming of being back in his arms and in his bed.

She fell for him hard, and she didn’t even try to stop it, too caught up in how much she enjoyed just being around him.

Rune knew it couldn’t last, that one day everything would come to light. She could push it back as much as she wanted, but she was too deep into everything. And yet, even knowing that, nothing prepared her for the look of betrayal when he found out that she was involved in his case. Nothing readied her for the bitter anger and hatred in his voice as he accused her of doing exactly what she was doing. She couldn’t even deny it, not until he questioned their relationship.

That she could -and did- deny, but he didn’t believe her, and she couldn’t blame him.

She had to steel her heart then. She had to be the leader Elysion needed. The FBI knew too much and she had to do something to ensure their survival and continued operation, as her grandfather would have done.

Even if it meant that she lost him for good.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

LILY (au drabble)

Of all the agents in the office and on the task force, Lily had immediately taken to Kaito when she first joined the team. He was everything an agent should strive to be: professional, controlled, polite.

She’d done her best to learn from him, to be at his side when she could. Idolized, her mom would have called it, someone unobtainable that you can’t help but admire. And Lily admired, though she hoped he wasn’t so unobtainable.

If her heart had wanted to shoot for the stars, her boss would have been the better bet. But Kaito was human, and she got butterflies in her stomach whenever their eyes met. That was the feeling, wasn’t it? The one she should look for to know that she really liked someone. (Lily did not have much experience with love in general, and she was fairly certain it was obvious.) And she hoped that maybe, just maybe there’d be a chance for her in the future, when she’d proven herself as an agent and he could look at her as an equal instead of the new girl.

But she was the new girl, still learning the intricacies of the office and the relationships between the other members of the task force. Jason Scott had a fiance, she learned, and Tyler Kent was married. But maybe it was because she was the new girl that she didn’t see what was going on until it was right in front of her.

One evening she stayed late to finish her reports. She’d thought she was the only one left in the office when she finally completed her work, walking it over to Shields’s office. But before she pushed open the cracked door, she heard the soft groans coming from inside followed by heavy breathing.

Curiosity got the better of her, and, holding her breath, she glanced into the office through the crack in the door, almost gasping at the scene before her. Kaito and Shields locked in an open mouthed kiss, the latter pushing the other up against his desk as Kaito started to loosen Shields’s tie. Lily almost dropped the files that she was clutching so tightly, her heart in her throat. There were other agents who would have found this attractive, who would have enjoyed the show as long as they could. Lily just ran.

She had feelings for Kaito, she realized that truly now, making her way back to her desk to drop the files off. She wanted to be the one he was kissing, the one he treasured. She didn’t want it to be anyone else. She didn’t want it the boss she looked up to so.

Lily kept her tears at bay until she made it home, but it took her three more days before she was able to return to work after crying herself to sleep. Her heart had broken even though she’d never confessed, and broken hearts hurt a lot more than people said.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

SCORPIUS (drabble)

Scorpius had never liked Declan.

Rune had introduced them two weeks after they’d started seeing each other. He never quite got the full story of how they met, but he could tell just by watching her how infatuated she was with the blue haired man. Not quite stars in her eyes, but a fascination that he’d never seen her direct at a person before. Declan didn’t look at her the same way.

It didn’t sit right with Scorpius, but he supposed it was still a new relationship. Or perhaps Declan simply showed his affections differently. As long as Rune was happy, it wasn’t his place to judge. At least, not out loud. He’d keep quiet until she voiced her frustrations and then he would step in.

But the more he saw of Declan over the next few months, the more he disliked the man. It started with little things, like Declan always needing to pull Rune away when he was talking to his cousin, or how Declan always managed to sit between them. Innocuous things, easily written off, but not with the frequency they did.It had stopped being accidental after the fourth time in a row, and he started to see the pleasure in his smirk whenever he interrupted them. 

He was trying to come between them and it was working. 

Rune denied it when Scorpius confronted her about it. He made the mistake of putting her on the defensive from the start, but he was scared. Scared of losing the only bit of family he’d thought he’d have forever. But he’d started it wrong, and Rune fought back, glares and hisses and how dare he. 

It was the worst fight they’d ever had.

Things weren’t the same between them after that. In some ways, Scor felt like he’d driven away his best friend. The one person he had thought would always be there, that he trusted more than anyone in the world, had all but left. They talked, they passed in the hall, but it was different. Colder. Ruined. 

He threw himself into his final work for university, into his relationship with Ellie (who admittedly loved the extra time, for all she too was worried over Rune), anything to fill the hole of what he’d lost. It wasn’t the same, nothing ever would be, but it was enough for the moment, enough to get him by. 

And then, a month later, as he returned late from an evening at the pub with his classmates, he found her sitting on the floor at the base of his bed. His cousin was beautiful, even he’d admit it, but she looked absolutely terrible at that moment. Her hair was a mess, there were bags under her eyes, and he just stood there, both staring at the other for a moment.

“…Rune.”

“Scor…”

And then he’d swept her up in a hug and buried his face in her shoulder and she clung to him and it was like those two months had never happened. There was no need for a verbal apology, it was something they’d both understood. It was just a passing fight. They were ok. They still had each other and nothing could or would ever change that.

That was a late night for Scorpius. They’d settled on his bed to talk, to work through everything that had happened, but there were cracks in the small smile Rune wore. Cracks that grew larger the longer they talked. It took less than ten minutes for the mask to fall entirely and for Rune to break down in front of him. When was the last time he’d seen Rune cry? Years at least, and yet here she was, bawling her eyes out.

He only got the full story once she’d calmed a bit. How she’d fallen head over heels for Declan, and how she’d thought he’d felt the same. How they’d trained together for Pokemon battles - him for the league challenge, her to defend it. How he’d wanted all of her attention, and how she’d let him take it. At the cost of everyone else, Scorpius had interjected, and Rune had simply gone quiet, miserable, before trying to continue.

The battle in the gym, the old bylaw, the week of trying to pretend it was fine, how he broke up with her for not being ok with everything that had happened. “He said I should be happy for him,” she said, bitterly, furious and heartbroken and defeated all at once, and Scorpius just held her tighter, angry for her.

There was more talk after she talked her heart out, more crying, even a little from Scorpius himself. But it would stay between them, just as their secrets and weaknesses always had. The trust between them hadn’t been broken.

It was a week before their grandfather was home, and Rune had to tell him about the gym badge that had been handed out. He couldn’t blame Rune for the archaic rule that had won the badge on a technicality, but there was disappointment in his voice, and Scorpius could tell Rune felt it to her core. 

It took Rune two weeks to get out of her own head enough to leave her room. Scorpius would sit with her, they’d talk, but his cousin hadn’t quite returned in one piece. He couldn’t blame her.

It took a month before he saw her smile again. Admittedly, he hadn’t done the best job of trying to cheer her up, as he had wanted to give her time to think things though, but one stupid joke and one little smile had changed that line of thought.


It was another two months before Rune could even bear to look at her own tattoo. The gym badge she had been so proud of inheriting was inked into the skin at her hip bone, and he’d seen her go back to one piece bathing suits in an effort to not have to see it when they went down to the river.

At five months, Rune approached him about going to the United States for their Pokemon League challenge. Scorpius was surprised, as just the previous night at dinner their grandfather had mentioned considering retiring from everything and passing things along to them. But then he looked at her, really looked, and he understood. She wasn’t the confident young woman she’d been at this point last year. If she ever wanted to succeed their grandfather, she needed to find that again, to put Declan behind her.

So he gave her his blessing and helped her prepare. One month later he said goodbye as she left for the airport, and he saw a lightness in her heart that he hadn’t seen in months. She’d be ok, he was certain, but he was going to be calling her every day just to make sure.

They eventually settled on phone calls every three days, with texts and pictures in between. He got to watch her slowly return to the Rune he knew she could be, her pride and confidence growing with each week and every new badge.

Scorpius never liked Declan, and he’d been right in the end. Now he just had some questions about the two guys that had started showing up in some of her more recent pictures…

[thelegendsdrabbles]

ADELRUNE (drabble)

Rune’s stop in Washington DC had been far more worthwhile than she had expected. It wasn’t just the same sort of brief meeting she’d had with Sirius the first time they’d bumped into each other, and it was more than the simple get to know dinner she’d hoped to have. 

She’d found Sirius attractive from the moment they’d met, but she hadn’t expected their relationship to take the turn it did. When she’d invited him out for dinner, she’d only wanted to hear more about him, to learn more about the man who had caught Kyogre. Their Pokemon seemed to call to each other, so they’d be seeing more of each other whether they wanted to or not. But she wanted.

Dinner had been planned, but the kiss afterward hadn’t. How he’d gotten under her skin enough was something she’d have to think about, but the evening had been fun. Fun and mostly satisfying. But she didn’t regret a second of it. No, that was a lie. She regretted stopping when he’d asked again, when they were already back at her AirBnB. She hadn’t wanted to risk ruining their friendship with a stupid drunken mistake.

But now she was sober and she still wanted him. Their dynamic had already changed, but it wasn’t a mistake. She was happy about it, even. As long as she got to kiss him like that again.

The texts at the airport had only made it worse. Her heart had skipped a beat when he said to ‘skip the airbnb next time’, and she hadn’t quite been able to convey just how badly she still wanted him. Though she’d been able to sleep through most of the flight, she found herself thinking of the kisses, of the text messages for the rest of it. He’d caught her attention.

There were more texts between them on the train ride to Nottingham, ones that were almost as teasing as their conversations were after dinner in DC. By the time he had to stop to participate at work, she was almost regretting making her flight. She’d have to work on getting him out of her system when they met next, she decided. As much as she’d enjoyed the night of kisses, she wanted more.

But she was going to have to wait. Patience.

The train ride felt even longer once Sirius was too busy to text. She finally made it to the Alcott manor around 11pm, which meant her familial greetings would have to wait until the next morning, as her family was most likely already asleep, being mostly early risers. Or so she thought, but as she walked past Scorpius’s rooms to her own, she noticed the light was still on from under his door. Immediately, she brightened, as her cousin was her favorite of her family members and the one she wished to see the most now that she was home.

As quietly as she could, she opened the door to his bedroom, stepping into a room that was as familiar as her own. Dark blues and soft silvers were draped across mahogany furniture, the room as tidy as it ever was, and her favorite person was laying in the middle of his bed. One arm was behind his head, his eyes focused on a small black box held in his free hand. 

Blue eyes immediately lit up as Rune realized just what was in the box. Only one piece of jewelry would be so small and yet have so much of Scorpius’s attention, so much that he hadn’t realized his door was open or that she’d made it home. And that latter point meant she had to tease him for his inattention as much as possible.

“Do you have a plan for that, cousin?” she asked with a smirk, shutting the door behind her as she made her way to his bed. Scorpius, for his part, immediately slammed the box shut, sitting up with a frown as he stuffed it under his pillows.

“It seems your time in America has ruined your manners. Ladies knock.” Rune rolled her eyes. “I have not knocked on your door in my life, Scorpius.”

He glared at her, gold eyes sharp, before breaking into a small grin, scooting to the side to give her room next to him. Smirking back, she climbed up onto his bed, tucking herself into his side. And waited, before glaring at him as she realized he was going to pretend she hadn’t seen anything until she addressed it directly.

“Show me.” With a sigh, Scorpius pulled the small box out form under his pillow again, offering it to her to open, which she did. The delicate ring inside was simple, a diamond flanked by amethysts, gemstones so reminiscent of his soon-to-be fiancee’s eyes. He’d obviously chosen it with care, and Rune couldn’t help but beam at it. “It is beautiful. Ellie will love it.” It was exactly her style: simple and elegant, almost understated.

“I should hope so, after the work I put into choosing it.” There was a note of pride and of relief in his voice at her approval; he’d obviously been a touch worried. He reached out to take the box back, though he didn’t shut it, staring at the ring inside instead. “I…had thought to ask this week, once you had gotten home.”

It was too important a moment to not have her there for. He didn’t have to say it, Rune understood. They were the closest family either of them had, and telling her over video chat just wouldn’t be the same. He wanted her there to celebrate with them, more than anyone else, even their grandparents. She was there for the week. It was the best time.

Rune’s next words were quiet, murmured, as she too turned her attention back to the ring. “She would be a fool not to say yes, Scor.” They were both aware that Eleanor Woods was no fool. She was smarter than both of them put together. It was part of what Scorpius loved about her.

Scorpius just nodded and pulled her closer, still looking at the ring. They fell asleep like that, side by side, just as they used to do when they were children. The maids found them like that the next morning, ushering Rune off to her room to be ready for the day as they giggled amongst themselves. ‘Some things never change.’

He proposed three days later, the day after Iseult’s birthday party, in the gardens behind the manor. The proposal itself was just the two of them, among the roses and peonies, while the rest of the family was taking a midday tea. When Eleanor returned with Scorpius at her side, she was smiling so happily that Rune knew she’d said yes, not that she’d ever doubted otherwise. The two had been a match made in heaven. Rune would have predicted this back in school.

The celebrations lasted through the evening, and planning began in earnest the next day. Rune had meant to tell Scorpius about Sirius and Braedon while she was home, but in light of all that transpired, that could wait until next time. It was such an eventful week that she even forgot to text Sirius, though she’d promised she would.

When she got to Miami, she’d make it up to him in pictures.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

RATH (au drabble)

Rath didn’t notice who his target was until it was too late. Until his blade had already slid across the pale skin at her throat, stealing away any breath she had left. He didn’t notice it was Keavy until she was laying at his feet. Dead. 

His world shattered in front of him. He’d killed his best friend, the woman he loved, the only person who had been able to get past every wall he’d ever put up. He’d ended her life with his own hands.

It had been over two decades since he’d last cried, but that didn’t stop the tears from welling up, blurring his vision as he sank to his knees in front of her body. One, shaky hand reached out to touch her hair. What had he done? How could he have…

The grief overwhelmed him, the guilt weighing heavily on top. Suffocating. He wasn’t thinking straight. But he couldn’t live with himself after what he’d just done. There was no going back now, he thought, as he plunged his knife into his own heart. Death was too light a punishment for the blood on his hands, but it was better than living with the memory of killing her.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

FINN (au drabble)

She hadn’t thought to warn them of that part of Vegas. She always figured they’d stay where the tourist were, that they’d know there wasn’t any money to be had where the lights died down and the shadows ruled. Even she only ventured out there once in a blue moon. 

But she was there that day. She was the one who found their bodies as she slipped down a familiar alley. The green hair was a dead giveaway, but she refused to believe it was true until she saw their faces. But then there was no denying it. They were gone, just like that. 

There would be no more adventures together across the town. No more cheating at the casinos. No more tourist watching from the rooftops. No more secret kisses from Nate when Nick wasn’t looking.

She’d lost them both overnight. And Finn, the girl who didn’t think Vegas could hurt her, had her heart broken by her city while she slept. And all she could do was burst into tears and cry over the two that would never smile at her again.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

ERIK (au drabble)

One night.

Erik allowed himself one night of wallowing in misery before he threw himself back into his work. One night of drowning his sorrows in vodka and sending half coherent texts to everyone but her. Sirius would give him shit for it the next morning but he didn’t care.

It was over.

It was for the best, he supposed. His line of work meant that anyone he cared about was a target. He was always on the road, never home. He didn’t even have many people he could introduce her to. What kind of life was that for someone like her? How could he blame her for leaving that?

Fuck.

He should have learned after Ethan.

Double fuck.

Maybe Sirius had the right idea.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

SIRIUS (drabble)

Washington D.C. would never be Siri’s home. Its cheerful cherry blossoms and marble domes were undoubtedly impressive, but it could never compare to home. He’d only left Florida a few days ago, and already he missed the white sand and the arcing turquoise waves. Sirius missed the feeling of salt water on his skin and the sun in his hair, and the sense of self he felt when he returned to his native state.

Sirius blew a breath through his lips, and turned to watch a gaggle of dorky tourists pass by. People watching at Metro Station was one of the highlights of Siri’s evenings. He liked to watch the way that they carefully folded their maps, how they talked of where they’d get dinner, complained about the unrelenting summer heat, and the souvenirs that they wore proudly. The politics in this city were as much of a tourist attraction as the Lincoln Monument.

There were dumb tourists in Florida too, of course, but a different breed. Not a gaggle of middle schoolers on a class trip with a haggard looking chaperone…

His attention was diverted from the odd group only at the feeling of his phone buzzing in his pocket. “Please don’t be work,” he mumbled to himself. He’d only just left. It had been yet another late night. Finally, the Elysion case was beginning to come together. “Carson,” he answered shortly, not bothering to check. He’d just left, it had to be Kaito recalling him to the damned office for some painful, tedious task.

“So official.” His mother’s voice teased, he could hear the amusement in each word. “Lighten up, baby. They’ve already got you wearing a suit, don’t let them turn you into one.” Sirius chuckled. She thought it was an insult to call someone a suit, and she wasn’t wrong… It wasn’t often that he acted the part anyway.

He glanced down the train tracks and frowned. Still no train. All he wanted was to go home, but even that was a challenge today. “I just left the office.” He explained. “That explains it.”

“Hardly,” Sirius retorted,  “I’m as badly behaved as ever. You don’t need to worry.”

He heard her hum in agreement through the phone, and at once he realized that there was a reason for her call. This was not a simple hello. Just as quickly, Sirius understood precisely what this was about. “So I’ve heard.” Yup, here came the scolding. “Moreno told me that you were in Miami over the weekend?”

“I had a––“

“What the hell, Sirius?” She demanded. Fuck. He hesitated. In truth, he didn’t really have a good explanation for any of it. The portion of the trip that he’d spent in Miami was over just as soon as he’d gotten settled, and he had admittedly, been a little bit preoccupied. Just as he wasn’t comfortable telling Erik about Rune, however, he wasn’t certain how the hell he was supposed to explain to his mother that he’d been shacked up all weekend. “Not even a clever explanation?” She asked. His mother knew him too well.

And there in the distance was the train. It twin lights glowed dimly as it entered the station. If he went onboard, however, he might lose signal and she would be even more upset. “I was there for work,” he told her and watched as dozens of people filed onto the trains. Maps, stupid hats, fanny packs, and all… Well, at least it was a little quieter. Sirius watched as the doors closed and sat down on one of the benches.

“You’ve had work in Miami before, and you still found time to come home.” She was too smart to believe that he’d spent the entirety of his time working.

“Well…” he started, his tone obviously shifting. There was none of his usual confidence or playfulness, just back-peddling “I wasn’t in Miami the whole time, Ma.”

She huffed. “That’s a bad excuse, Sirius.”

The station was damn near empty. He sat back and leaned against the stone seat back. For a long moment, he merely let the silence stretch between them. He understood why she was angry, of course, but he hand’t intended to hurt her feelings. Sirius groaned and pressed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose.

“You’re ready to be honest now?” Despite his annoyance, his uncertainty, his inner turmoil, he couldn’t help but smile faintly. She knew him too well…

“Yeah, fine,” he mumbled. “I don’t know, there’s this girl…” She didn’t respond right away, and Sirius could tell that she was waiting for him to divulge more information. It was a tactic she’d used since she was a kid, and one that the F.B.I. had taught him later. People are uncomfortable with silence, and feel the need to fill it. Despite knowing this, so did he. “The weekend was over before I knew it and boss man needed me in Tampa.”

“Oh! I see, you like her.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.

At once, Sirius felt himself become defensive. What was it about him lately that gave people a hint that something was up? Well, Erik had seen a text… but his mother? It wasn’t like he’d said anything of importance, had he? “What? I didn’t say that. No.”

“You’re so full of it.” She teased.

Judging by his own uncertainty and unwillingness to give Erik her number, Sirius had started to suspect that she was right. He tapped his foot impatiently, considering and finally shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah, I guess I do.” Sirius frowned. “I didn’t mean for it to happen like this,” he confessed, “it was only supposed to be lighthearted, but I fucked up.”

She was quiet for a moment, Sirius could feel her considering what he’d said. “It’s not a bad thing, Siri.” She told him gently. “Just be careful.” Sirius couldn’t promise that. He’d thought that he was being careful before and he’d ended up in pieces. There was no guarantee that it wouldn’t happen again… or that she even felt the same way. “But next time you’re in Miami, you’d better come to visit. Bring her too if you’d like. I’d like to see who had you so preoccupied last time you were home.”

Already, the station had started to fill up with tourists. Another train would come soon. “We’ll see what happens,” he told her with a smirk, “I’m sorry I didn’t come to visit you. I’ll try to make it back soon.”

“Be good.” She replied.

And with a laugh he replied. “I won’t.” It was a goodbye as old as time for the two of them, and there was some comfort in getting these feelings off of his chest. With that, he hung up. God damn, he couldn’t wait to get home and pour himself a drink…

[thelegendsdrabbles]

ADELRUNE (drabble)

It was never a surprise to find a four year old Rune in four year old Scorpius’s overly large bed at nights. Tristan had long since given up trying to convince his daughter to pay more attention to the child. Rochelle was too caught up in her twin boys to see the potential and drive in the young girl. It suited him fine; he was already raising his grandson, and Scorpius and Rune were practically siblings as it was.

He would, however, have to find her a room of her own soon enough.

But for now, there were two energetic four year olds eagerly awaiting their traditional bedtime story. He had, admittedly, grown fond of the tradition over the years. It gave him something besides Iseult to come home to, not that he needed more of a reason.

“Story time, is it?”

The two children were practically squirming in excitement, wiggling under the blankets with big grins on their faces, trying so hard to keep quiet. Tristan looked at them for a few moments more before the requests started to pour in, the two unable to keep their excitement under wraps.

“Tell us about how you met Grandmother again!”

“Bleh, not again. That’s kissy stuff.”

“So? I like it.”

“I want one with dragons in it! Where they go whoosh through the sky and—”

“We always have ones with dragons in it!”

“’s better than the kissy stuff.”

“Enough, children.” Tristan cut them off before Scorpius was able to retort back. Scorpius settled for smothering Rune under a pillow instead, leaning on top of it so she couldn’t escape. “…Scorpius.”

“Yes, Grandfather?”

“Enough.”

The boy, though still learning manners and how to behave in polite society, knew better than to roll his eyes at his grandfather and instead let his cousin out to breathe. One gasping breath later, and the two were both giggle machines, causing Tristan to pinch the bridge of his nose in annoyance. Whatever Iseult had given them for a  bedtime snack would have to be exiled from the house permanently.

“If you do not hush, there will be no story.” Before he could finish the sentence, both children were back under the covers, the blankets pulled up to their chins, both actually attempting to smother their laughter. It was as good as Tristan was going to get.

The story was a generic one, a typical fairy tale with the dragons that Rune wanted so desperately and a true love’s kiss at the end for Scorpius. And by the time he finished, the two were curled up against each other, fast asleep.

There was a peacefulness, watching them sleep. Tristan never regretted taking in his grandchildren. His own children were grown and had flown the nest, and the large manor had begun to feel rather empty with just him and Iseult. Having the grandchildren was a blessing.

A hand, one stained with more blood than any could imagine, was beyond gentle as Tristan brushed the hair from their foreheads, leaning down to kiss each of them goodnight before he left.

Next year they would work on the giggle issue.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

RATH (au drabble)

It was Christmas Eve and Rath found himself standing in front of a little suburban house outside of Seattle, Keavy by his side with her hand clutched tight in his. The snow was falling gently around them, the streets quiet aside from the occasional passing car. Most people were home for the night, spending time with their loved ones

Somehow she’d convinced him to reach out to his…was he even allowed to call them his family? Legally they were, but he wasn’t sure they’d even want him around. He’d understand completely if they didn’t. After all, what sort of family just up and leaves after being treated and…and loved so well?

He was still surprised Keavy wanted him with her, after all that had happened. Surprised, but thankful.

“Thank you. For coming with me, I mean.”

“You’re my best friend. Of course I’m with you.”

And she was his, first and foremost. And more, he though, his thumb brushing over the ring on her hand as he started to let go. It was wedding planning that had sparked this whole idea, and he couldn’t deny that she made good arguments. His therapist agreed with her. The least he could do was try.

So here they were. Trying on a day he was certain everyone would be there. The Dar’jeeds weren’t Christian, they didn’t celebrate any holidays in December at all, but even when Rath was a child, they had always used the holiday break to be together. And it was so warm and so loving that Rath had always felt guilty just being there.

It was probable too late to return to them. He should have done it over a decade ago, before he ever joined Elysion. Maybe things would be different then. No. That was a dangerous thought path to tread. One deep breath, then another. There was no use dwelling on what ifs when he already had the best part of his life at his side.

He raised Keavy’s hand to his lips, offering her a small, shaky smile, before he dropped it, walking those few short steps to the door.

He paused.

He rang the doorbell.

The door opened.

The man and Rath stared at each other, seeing familiarity but unable to place it. And then recognition.

“Ryan.”

“Rath.”

And Ryan decked him.

One punch, straight to the jaw, sent Rath sprawling to the ground. He sat up slowly, rubbing at the sore spot. Yeah. He deserved that, if not more. But Ryan wasn’t done.

“You left! You didn’t even say goodbye, you just left us there! Like we meant nothing to you!” There was anger in his voice, thirteen years of hurt and disappointment that he didn’t bother to try to hide. And then he paused, drew himself up, and took a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t think I can forgive you for that.”

Rath looked down, shame coursing through him. He knew, deep down, that this was a bad idea. “I understand.”

He expected the door to be slammed in his face then. He didn’t expect for Ryan to reach down and pull him up into a tight bear hug. He didn’t even hug him back at first, too surprised at what was happening, but slowly, tentatively, his arms moved to hug his brother -was he allowed to call him that now?- back. Forgiveness. Acceptance. Until a year ago, Rath had no idea what those really felt like, but now he could name them just as easily as he could feel them. He held tight to the man in front of him, tears starting to well up in his eyes as he felt Ryan shake.

Only to then be sent toppling to the snow in front of Keavy as Rajan threw himself onto the brotherly hug, knocking all of them over in a laughing and crying mess. It was more reminiscent of twelve year old boys than thirty year old men, but it was the childhood bond that Rath had always denied himself. Ryan and Rajan had never stopped thinking of him as their brother, this was just the first time Rath had accepted it.

There was more crying when the Dar’jeed parents finally made it to the door, hugs and kisses abounding, even to Keavy. They welcomed both into the home, taking Keavy into the kitchen with the other significant others while the boys went upstairs to change. By the time Rath returned with his brothers, Ryan’s fiancee and Rajan’s boyfriend were huddled around Keavy, looking at all the awkward preteen photos of the three boys that the parents had. The Dar’jeeds cried more happy tears when Rath told them he was engaged, even more when he said he wanted them at the wedding. There was dinner, there was laughter, there was love.

It was the family Rath had never been able to accept before. He couldn’t thank Keavy enough for it.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

KEAVY (au drabble)

Keavy looked out at the vast wilderness surrounding them. Mountains rose from the earth around them like jagged teeth, white and mysterious. Despite the hardships that she and Rath had endured here, despite the challenges that the Isle of Skye had dealt them, she’d fallen in love with this land. And the winter’s snow only made it more beautiful.

She’d perched at the edge of a rocky cliff top and stared down into the Fairy Pools below, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She loved that this place seemed almost otherworldly, as though it belonged in her imagination, never to be explored. But then… that was the life she led.

Keavy smiled as Rath sat beside her, and reached for his hand. Her fingers wove through his just as easily as if they belonged there. He, too, was more than she’d ever dreamt of. She sighed softly and leaned her head upon his shoulder, letting her eyes drift closed for a moment. His lips pressed gently against the crown of her head, and she squeezed his hand gently, her heart leaping with joy.

With love.

At first, this trip had been meant to rebuild. Keavy had faced an immensely talented challenger, a woman who specialized in dragons just as she did, and Keavy had lost. The woman’s Rayquaza was a sight to behold, taking on Kearney with a ferocity that had been awe-inspiring and heartbreaking. If she was to be as good as her opponent, she wished to have a legendary of her own. This new ambition had driven her from Maui, from her home, in the hopes that she would become stronger.

She had planned to go alone. This would be her own adventure, proof that she could capture a legendary pokémon all on her own. Just before she’d left, however, she’d met up with Rath. He was free now, no longer shackled by Elysion and its vicious ruler, but he seemed lost. There was a sadness in him that she’d never recognized before, and at the last minute she’d decided to invite him along. Kearney wasn’t pleased, but she held firm in her decision.

Once and for all, she’d decided, she wanted to see who he really was. 

But she’d known him all along though. Despite the things that Rath had done in his past, despite the crimes he’d committed to survive, he was who she’d always suspected that he was. Kind, protective, and a little broken, but she wanted all of him. Most importantly? He was there for her. Rath was by her side when she needed him when things got hard or when she felt like turning back, and she loved him for it.

She laughed softly at herself and sat up, lifting her head off of his shoulder. “Rath, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” she told him with a gentle kiss beneath his ear. A shudder.

“Yes?”

“I’m in love with you.” She whispered, “I think… I have been for a while now.” There was no fear of rejection in her voice, she knew that he felt the same way, he’d said as much in that letters long ago. And, more importantly, he’d shown her everyday since. “We’ve been through so much together and… you are the very best thing that has ever happened to me.” And it was true. Despite her position and the pokémon that she loved, she found that she couldn’t stand the thought of losing Rath again. “Stay with me?”

He smiled back at her. “Always.”

[thelegendsdrabbles]

SIRIUS (au drabble)

Sleep had evaded him. Sirius managed to rest for an hour, maybe two, before it all came rushing back in the night. He lay there, trying his damnedest to control his breathing, but it was no help. The Elysion task force had just stumbled upon an enormous lead, and he understood better than anyone just how much danger they were all in. Information like this? Elysion would do anything to keep from being snared, and that meant their lives were in danger.

This realization had plagued Sirius’s every waking moment for the last few days. No matter how much logic he used to try to counter his fears, no matter how hard he tried to pretend that everything was okay, he wasn’t sure that it would be… and it was this feeling of dread that forced him to face what he felt for her.

Sirius turned onto his side and watched the gentle rise and fall of Rune’s chest. The sound of her breathing was a comfort. She was impossibly beautiful when she was awake, a force of nature just like the dragon pokémon that she’d mastered, but asleep? Rune looked like a dream. She might disappear if he dared to reach out.

“I love you,” he whispered, trying the words on. Just to see…

Did he mean it?

Siri’s fingers ghosted over her skin, tracing the line of her cheekbone gently as if to ensure that she was not a mirage. The pads of his fingers pushed further, brushing lightly through her hair, and he watched Rune quietly. In the daylight, he was all bravado and flashy grins, but at night? There was no one to perform for. At night, Sirius could be a little bit more truthful with himself.

And he knew then that he meant those words.

He swallowed hard, the realization was thrilling and terrible all at once. Love had damn near broken him. When Nova left, Sirius had become more reckless and less worried about the consequences of his actions. It had taken the Elysion task force, Kyogre, and her to put him back together again. What if she left too? The rough pad of his thumb smoothed gently over her eyelid and he frowned at her. Why did love have to be so terrifying? Why did it have such power over people?

He ought to know better.

But the heart was a stupid, silly thing and he’d never learned how to tame it. A wild child, even now. A soft huff of laughter escaped him and he closed his eyes.

“I think I’m in love with you, Rune, and I’m terrified.” He forced a slow, shaky breath through his lips. He couldn’t tell her this in person, not yet, but soon. He’d have to tell her soon. If anything was to happen to her, he wanted to be damn sure that she knew what he felt.

Only, when he opened his eyes, he found that she was staring back at him. “Oh…” He breathed, feeling terror rise in his chest. God damn him. “Fuck.” He hissed.

“Is that true?” She asked, watching his expression carefully.

He stared back at her for a long moment. Was there any way that he could possibly back out now? Laugh it off? Pretend that he’d never said anything at all? It was so damn hard to maintain eye contact, but he forced himself to do so. He nodded, words failing him for once, and he offered her a lopsided, pained smile.

“Yeah,” he muttered when he could speak again. “It’s true, I…” Sirius hesitated. It had been so much easier to tell her how he felt when she was asleep. “I love you. I’m terrified, but it’s true.” She was generous enough not to make him sit in silence, not to make him wait and hope. Instead, she closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his and for just a moment he was able to forget all of the terror and strife that lay ahead. Maybe, just maybe, there would be a happy ending.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

ADELRUNE (au drabble)

Scorpius had always been Rune’s closest companion. Born only two months apart, they’d been stuck at the hip since they were toddlers, growing up under the watchful eye of their grandparents. The bond only grew as they got older, through childhood at the Alcott estate, through their teenage years at their boarding school in London.

They told each other everything. There were secrets between them that they whispered only to each other, secrets that none of their friends or family knew. But more than that, there was understanding, and neither hesitated to reach out to the other for advice when they were unsure just how to proceed with something. Someone who knew you better than you did yourself was always the perfect sounding board. 

So when Rune, halfway through her trip across the American Pokemon League, realized her feelings for Sirius Carson were far more than just a passing fancy, she only had one person in mind to talk to. And though Scorpius was mildly annoyed at her rather late night call (timezones were a bother that Rune sometimes forgot), he listened to her patiently, as he always did.

Rune wasn’t always the best at putting her emotions into words, especially emotions that she wasn’t used to experiencing, but that was something Scorpius was used to. He’d talked her through her own head over a dozen times before, for far more complicated feelings. So after twenty minutes of them going in circles, Scorpius just sighed, rubbed at the bridge of his nose, and closed his eyes. “Cousin. You know exactly what is going on. Why did you call?”

The other line was silent for a moment before Rune’s much quieter reply. “…should I, Scor?”

Ah, there was the question she had actually wanted to ask. He knew there had to be something for her to call at…ugh, three a.m. “I have not heard you this lovestruck since year 11. I will be disappointed if you don’t.”

“I am not—“

“You are.” There was no denying it when Scorpius used that tone of voice, and he could hear Rune’s objections cease. They both knew he was right. “Update me when you do, as long as it is at a decent hour.” Which, as Rune understood, meant that if she called him at this time again, he’d refuse to speak to her for a month.

It had happened once before. Rune had never been so miserable.

“…thanks, Scor.”

“Of course, Rune.” He stifled a yawn. “Now if you do not mind…”

“Right, of course. Pleasant dreams.”

Rune, completely across the ocean, looked down at her phone as the call ended, the screen going black. Scorpius was usually right, which meant she really was in love with Sirius. And she could feel the warmth in her chest spread as she considered that and just how ti sounded. Fuck. He really was right.

Telling him was going to be much harder than telling Scorpius.

[thelegendsdrabbles]

RATH (au drabble)

Standing there, in front of all their friends and loved ones, Rath normally would have been a little self conscious. He never did well at being the center of attention, but with Keavy there in front of him, holding his hands, he found he could drown them out and focus only on her. 

Gods, she was beautiful. She always was, of course, but knowing that she was willing - no, wanted - to be here with him? It was…well, everything. He couldn’t imagine being here with anyone else, especially not after everything they’d been through. But they were stronger for it. There were no more secrets between them, no dark pasts threatening the safety of either of them. Right now it was just about her and him.

He hadn’t written his vows ahead of time. He’d tried, but everything he wrote down seemed so…not right. Fake, like a hallmark card. But the words that spilled from his lips as he looked into her green eyes were entirely heartfelt.

“Keavy, I honestly never thought I’d be here today.” That alone had more meanings to it than he could count. She’d understand, he was sure. “Until I met you, life was…life.” Life was bleak. Life was pain. There were no bright spots. “And then…then there was you. And your smile alone makes getting up every day worth it.”

He paused there, offering her a small smile while he tried to get his emotions in order. When was the last time he’d actually cried? It had to have been decades ago, and yet he could feel the start of them as he realized just what this meant, for him and for them.

“I…I love you, Keavy. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I cannot imagine a life without you there. It doesn’t matter how many universes there are. There will always be a version of me standing by your side.”

He took a deep breath, willing himself to hold back, to not kiss her right then and there.

“I’ve lived a lot of places, Keavy, but you’re the only place I come back to. You’re the only home I need. If I can bring you a fraction of the happiness you’ve brought me…thank you. For everything. I…” He closed his eyes. Steady. Steady. “If the choice comes down to my life or yours, I’m always going to choose yours. I will do my best to make you happy, Keavy. I swear it.”

Could she feel him trembling slightly through their joined hands? He at least hoped no one in the audience could tell. He didn’t usually handle his emotions, so letting them out in a speech from the heart was almost painful. But for her, it was worth it. And he meant every word they said.

And then he was allowed to kiss her.