Title: where gold and fire abound

Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Donne

Warnings: implied child abuse (set before child abuse was a recognized thing); pre-canon

Pairings: none

Rating: PG
Wordcount: 500

Point of view: third

Prompt: any/His Dark Materials. any. touching someone else's daemon

When they were 9, after the first time Pa came home drunk and raised such a fuss, Bucky and Kenna snuck out the fire escape and went to Steve's. Kenna was a dark shadow above him, swooping through the air as a bat they didn't have a name for, guiding Bucky through the night. It was a struggle, jumping high enough to grab the fire escape outside Steve's apartment building, but Bucky finally managed it, and with Kenna clinging to him, they climbed.

Ealga met them at the window; Bucky had known Steve was sick, but he wasn't even awake enough to hear them slip inside. "What's wrong?" Ealga asked Kenna, nosing at her; Ealga had been a beardie for a few weeks now.

Kenna landed on Ealga's shoulder and folded up her wings. "Pa was angry," she said.

Bucky's eyes went to the bed, where Steve hadn't even stirred. He didn't know what to do about Pa, about the money Pa wasted tonight, about the girls having to see Pa like that. He wanted to go to Ma – but Ma was dealing with Pa, and Grayson with Laurel. He couldn't comfort the girls when he needed –

He sighed, settling at the window, sinking down and letting his head rest on the sill. He ignored the tears, bringing one of his hands up to cover his eyes. Steve's breath was wheezing, and the daemons were whispering to each other, and he matched his own breaths to Steve's.

He startled when Ealga said, "Bucky." She was very close when he looked over, within touching range, and he carefully shifted his body away from her. Kenna was still on her head.

"Bucky," Ealga said again. She stepped closer, her whole body intent. "It's okay," she assured him, angling her head the way she did when wanted Steve to rest his hand between her ears. "Kenna and I talked it over."

His eyes went to the bed. "'s'not right," he said, "not without Stevie."

"I'm sayin' it's alright." Ealga tossed her head, her ears flopping. "You callin' me a liar, Buck?"

"No, I'd never do that," he said, looking at Kenna. "You sure this is alright?" he asked her.

Kenna said, "I promise." She fluttered her wings a bit. "Please, Bucky. We need this."

So he reached out a trembling hand, and Ealga stepped in close, and he started to cry the moment his palm touched her fur. She whined, pressing against his torso, and he curled his arms around her.

It felt – like warmth in every part of him when he'd been cold for so long, like knowing there'd be enough food for tomorrow and every day after, like there'd be money to get the girls the pretty things they deserved, and that dress Ma wanted, and Steve all the art supplies he'd ever eyed with longing. He buried his face in Ealga's neck, muffling his sobs in her fur, and cried and cried and cried till he fell asleep.