"You- uh, you were really cool back there."
Lance's eyes rose, his mind adrift while watching Bael's fingers trace along the stone wall. Silence had fallen between them as he followed the other's lead, so when Bael finally spoke it was to great surprise.
"Now I know you're teasing me. That, or you're softening the blow of something awful you need to tell me."
Bael huffed through his nose, his next footstep hesitating before continuing on instead. "Why must it be teasing? What's so difficult to accept about me thinking you're cool? You just challenged a mobster to his face and stayed calm the whole time."
"That? I was a nervous wreck the whole time; it just so happens I've a talent for hiding it. Plus, mobsters aren't all that different from politicians. If you oppose them in any way they all want you dead. One just has the guts to kill you out right." Gang members were definitely much easier to read, truth be told. In the political sphere you never really knew where you stood with someone until it was too late and they'd stabbed you in the back.
"Lance," Bael said after a drawn out pause.
"What?"
"Nothing you just said makes you any less cool, so stop deflecting."
"To me, cool is having crazy magic powers that strike fear into everyone around you. How long have you been able to do- well, any of that stuff back there? That gerudo seemed to think you're really powerful," Lance answered, voice picking up as he recalled the vivid memory. The scent of hot steel invaded his nostrils as the hairs on the back of his neck raised.
"I don't feel proud of any of that. It should scare you that I can hurt people so easily."
"I think you're terrifying," Lance said, expression softening at the tiniest dip in Bael's posture, "but you don't frighten me."
"You put a lot of faith in my control."
"I place a lot of faith in you."
Bael stumbled, catching himself against the wall. Lance's hand reached out to grasp him by the forearm, but Bael reacted quickly and slipped away from the touch. Curiously, Nyx was chuckling above them but otherwise still quiet.
"You have to stop saying things like that. It's becoming more than I can reasonably handle," Bael spoke shakily.
"Things like what? I'm only speaking what's on my mind. Would you rather have me lie?" Lance frowned in confusion, the lines on his face deepening as Bael shook his head, further befuddling him.
"I refuse to believe someone can be so- so charming naturally. It's infallible and utterly frustrating."
"Um, well forgive me if I misunderstand, but isn't charm supposed to be good? People like people they find charming, don't they?"
"Under normal circumstances our conversation would have ended before getting this far, if you understand my meaning. But our lives seem to be anything but normal in every sense," Bael sighed.
"Okay you're losing me. Have I done something to offend you?"
"No, no, Goddesses, no." Bael's head dropped into his hands, stopping in place as he turned to the side. Nyx continued to fly ahead, stopping several yards away and leaving them in dim lighting.
Lance's hand reached out once more, this time to maintain awareness of where Bael was exactly. He grasped at the other man's wrist, this time not slipping away. Bael moved in closer, his other hand tracing against Lance's inner arm.
"Please, tell me what's on your mind. I know we have pressing matters of the world at our backs, but we have to make time for ourselves and our troubles."
Bael made a noise, one that often accompanied a bemused curl of the lips. "You're doing it again. I'm going to have to find the off switch one of these days."
Lance remained silent, only peering down into the dark where he believed Bael's eyes to be.
"What you said back there in the clinic, well, I've not stopped thinking about it."
Lance's face flushed with heat as it was his turn to feel flustered.
"Your feelings, your overwhelming passion and affection, they scare the shit out of me. No one has ever told me they feel that way about me. Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful and makes me feel happier than I've ever known. I just don't know how to answer it. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
Lance answered with a shaky laugh, foot splashing in a small puddle as he stepped back. Suddenly it felt as if his hands were in the way no matter what he did with them, alternating between rubbing his upper arms and stuffing them away in his pockets.
"So once again I've presumed too much and placed unwanted feelings upon you. I'm sorry, you can just forget about it," he whispered meekly.
Suddenly Bael's presence was all but pressed against Lance as he stood toe to toe with him, peering up in annoyance.
"Stop twisting what I say into some kind of displeasure towards you. You meant what you said, right?"
"I meant it from the depths of my soul," Lance half-shouted, that tone of uncertainty in Bael's voice caused his heart to leap into his throat.
Bael's cheeks reddened but his expression stayed stern. "A man shouldn't ever lie about his feelings. If you say something and you mean it, stand by that. Never doubt what you believe in."
"Right," Lance agreed, shoulders relaxing as his nerves settled. "So, what are you upset about then?"
Before answering, Bael turned around and continued his way down the hallway towards the unknown destination. "When you feel like you're interested in another person, what are the things that come to mind that you want to do with them?"
The first images that immediately filled Lance's mind were distinct, vivid memories of when Bael had kissed him the first time they were in Ikana City. He thought about Aryn and the nights they spent on the ranch, counting stars and speaking of dreams of the future.
He imagined a person, face obscured, with hair splayed out around their head. The skin of their neck was splotched with red that radiated down to their chest. Brushing away beads of sweat before reaching out to interlock their fingers with his, pressing the hand down against the bed.
"Uh, the usual suspects," Lance said with a laugh. "Spending time together, being open and honest, showing affection. Being- um, intimate with each other."
"A typical answer. Not a bad one, mind you, but the one I would expect."
"That's not how you feel?"
"To be honest with you, I've never had the chance to figure it out. I've never had a relationship like you described. They were brief and mostly unattached. Scratching an itch one could say."
"So like a temporary alleviation of loneliness?" Lance asked, voice uncertain. He frowned as Bael laughed abruptly.
"More like someone found my unusual appearance attractive and wanted to fuck me. And a fey doesn't turn down the opportunity for a little fun." The way Bael spoke just now sounded like his usual nonchalant voice, but something wasn't quite right. The sag of his shoulders, his head dropping slightly, and the lull of his pace was concerning.
This conversation terrified Lance, as it was broaching topics he had long since buried deep within. It felt wrong that an act of affection could cause such a wave of panic to seize his heart, despite it having been something that consumed his mind since waking with Bael at his side. What was wrong with him? Lance wasn't certain it was a conflict of gender anymore. It ran deeper than that.
"Is it better that way? To be unattached?" Lance asked, holding his breath afterward.
"It was exciting, admittedly, to play with humans. Your kind is all too eager to please. But in the morning they're gone; real relationships and families to return to. Then there's me. All alone."
Lance failed to respond, uncertain how to respond. He released a deep sigh as he looked ahead for Nyx who was flying ahead, both on the lookout and just giving the two of them space. She wasn't going to pipe up with a diversion to uplift the conversation or divert the topic like she often would do. He was on his own to connect with Bael.
Connecting with people was an ongoing nightmare for Lance. Not even this powerful attraction could guide him toward his goal. Bael felt as if he were just beyond Lance's fingertips.
"I'm sorry I'm not more like those in the past. The ones who know how to act and all the right steps to take. Being with someone is just a lifelong fantasy of mine and I don't want to mess it up. Sometimes it feels like I'm not going slow enough, and other times I wish I could just skip ahead to knowing you better than myself. It's really overwhelming, especially with past relationships leaving me scarred."
"And I'm sorry I'm not like a fairytale princess awaiting a charming prince. Dainty as a flower and equally as naive. Besides, I don't want you to be like those people. I probably like you so much because you're the opposite of people like that." His next step hesitated before continuing. "Nothing wrong with a fantasy. Perhaps you even have some I would suit?"
"A bold promise when you don't even know the extent of all of them," Lance countered, matching the playfulness in Bael's voice.
"Then I guess when we're done with stopping Twinmold you'll just have to tell me about them. Or better yet, maybe you could show me one or two."
Lance brightened and only wished he were able to see the look on Bael's face as he spoke. He wished to know if the other man was as flushed as he felt.
"Well, you know there's this common occurrence in the novels I read. When the hero and heroine are alone together, oftentimes in a spooky place like this. You see they usually-"
"Shh. Do you hear that?" Bael interrupted, stopping in his tracks.
Lance yelped before closing his eyes and focusing on any sounds that might be around them. At first he only heard what sounded like rocks and loose dirt being shifted around, but on a closer listen there was another sound. A crackling whimper, intermingling with frustrated hisses.
"Is that…?"
"Come on, let's go," Bael announced, snatching Lance by the wrist to hurriedly drag him deeper into the darkness.
Inaudibly, Lance whined in the back of his throat. Perhaps it was a sign he should stop trying to skip ahead a few steps.
"It looks so pitiful," Lance whispered upon entering the cavern that housed the ancient god.
Three massive, dilated eyes peered at the visitors with pulsating agony. The chamber was large, but not nearly enough to contain something the size of these centipedes. That's why it didn't, because Ao was just a head with two segments still attached. The severed end oozed a putrid green substance everytime the creature twitched, which had increased with their presence. Only three of his legs remained attached to his body, but those as well were partially severed and dangling uselessly at the arthropod's side.
"It certainly explains the noise. Makes everything easier for us though. It's a shame you didn't bring your blade, but I suppose I can take care of it by myself."
Lance stepped forward with trepidation towards Ao, halting each time the god shuddered. The stench in the air grew as more of its blood spilled on the floor.
"We've come so far with the pure intentions of killing these creatures, but now that I'm here looking it in the eyes I'm wishing it needn't be the case."
"Luckily for me I can't say the same," Bael said flatly. "The closer I am the more eager I become to end this vile creature's existence." As he said this, Bael drew his dagger from its sheath.
"It just wants to live the same as us. Can't you sympathize with that desire?"
"Not when in a day's time thousands will die and become undead thralls, causing even more needless death. It's not right this thing came back to life."
"Sometimes I wonder if all the tragedy -all the endless agony- isn't because of me," Lance contemplated with his hand outstretched, inches away from brushing his fingers against the degrading chitin of its exterior. "If I'm the cause of it all, wouldn't it be better if I could just pass away and leave this world at peace?"
"Please don't start that-"
"I'm not- I'm not taking my life lightly again, I promise."
Ao's exoskeleton was cool to the touch, and the creature squirmed pitifully to get away from him. The head alone dwarfed the two of them by comparison, yet it cowered before them.
"It's just hard for me to accept that killing these things to prevent a cataclysm is objectively better just for a slight chance it will undo the cycle I'm trapped in."
"Lance," Bael uttered, feet shuffling against the uneven ground.
"Maybe everything is terrible because we are fighting it and we're just lying to ourselves that this is right. A life in perpetuity to repeat our mistakes until we finally accept reality"
Bael appeared alongside Lance, standing right under the creature's jaw. It's mangled mandibles clicked together but it failed each attempt to remove him.
"Are you going to kill it now?" Lance asked, fingers tracing every dip and blemish he could see.
"I'm going to try," Bael answered, lifting the blade as his eyes sought out a point of weakness. "And you may be right that this is all for nothing, but you're wrong about one thing. There is no sequence of events that could ever occur where your death is the best outcome. A world without you would be no better off, and more than likely to become a worse one."
"You're just saying that-"
A gunshot fired, echoing against the walls of the cavern. Ao thrashed in shock, and were it not for Bael's quick reflexes Lance would have been pinned beneath its body.
"If you would, kindly step away from my prisoner, hm?" the Don shouted across the cavern. He hobbled forward on his cane, flintlock gripped in his hand pointed to the sky. Torian was at his side but appeared to be unarmed.
A snarl ripped out of Bael's throat as his upper body arched downward. He bared his teeth like an animal, arms raised and ready to strike. The shift was abrupt, and Lance couldn't help but notice the red shimmer in his eyes.
A familiar red, the same as fresh blood. An encroaching darkness tinged the edges of his vision, but furious crimson still shone through, haunting and malevolent.
"You take one step towards me, boy, and I'll put a bullet between your friend's eyes faster 'n you could blink," the Don announced, thumb pulling down the hammer before aiming directly at Lance. "Get away from Ao slowly. If you kill it we're all doomed you idiots."
"Keeping me alive is only prolonging our suffering, two-legs," Bael rasped, voice low and crackling. His jaw moved as if to speak, but the motions did not match his words.
"Call off your dog, Lance!" Torian shouted, blood trickling down the corners of his mouth as he spoke. He hurriedly wiped them away with the edge of his sleeve only to leave a sickly stain.
"You trap me here and mutilate my remains only to stoke my brother's ire. The return of our master restores us to life, but neither of us desire existence in this world. Let the half-creature end my life, or I will bid it to destroy thine."
Lance backed away from Bael, whose body began to crack and pop as his limbs maneuvered in a manner never intended for a human body. Bael continued lowering himself to the ground to now stand on all fours, an action that would be comical if not for the horrific voice he now spoke in.
"Have you two just been a pawn of Twinmold this entire time? That explains all the oddities I've gone through today. Killing Ao- you, whatever you are now, is not an option. Aka will go on a rampage and everything truly will be damned," the Don shouted while waving the gun from side to side angrily.
As Bael, rather, the thing possessing him dropped its jaw to speak the cracking of its joints sent waves of nauseous through Lance's stomach. This wasn't right. Bael's willpower was mightier than any being in this world, yet how could he crack so easily? His companion, nay, his hero who had promised to protect him was gone in the blink of an eye. Just like that. It took a stalwart will of his own to resist throwing himself at this mangled shadow of someone so dear.
"This half-creature is the reason we are alive once more, and so it is true it is the only thing capable of killing us. My brother believes killing the man-creature our master seeks will give us rest, but I do not believe that to be the case. Our bodies were once used by an imp making mischief, and it was only by the courage of a man-creature we were permitted rest once more."
The Don's face contorted, utterly conflicted, and it was only the sound of Torian retching up more blood that pulled him from a staredown with the possessed Bael.
"You can't expect us to put faith in these strangers, ones that put us in this damned mess in the first place! It's my responsibility to protect this city, no one else in all of Termina cares for these lives except for us."
"Mr. Valerio," Lance spoke up, voice and body shaking. "It'll be hard for you to believe me, but I've been acting of my own accord this entire time. I just want to save Ikana the same as you." His eyes were fixed on Bael with only the occasional flicker towards the two gangsters.
"The man-creature speaks the truth. I have no control over its whims or wants." While saying this, Bael's arms further contorted to press his torso low to the ground with elbows tucked tightly to his side. Knowing it was Ao that had taken over his body, it would seem the creature couldn't help but make itself comfortable in its host.
The Don sighed and his gun hand hung limply at his side. "Kid, if I go along with you, do you at least have some idea of a plan to help me keep the citizens safe?"
Lance puffed out his chest. "I do. I can't promise you success, but I can promise you that I will die trying to make this work."
If I die, then I can forget about today. I can start all over and still make Aryn and Rachel happy.
Bael growled after he said this, but it was unclear who was in control of the action. Lance dared to ache in the hopes it was Bael breaking through because of him, but guilt shot through him immediately at such a selfish thought.
But all I do is give you a weakness to exploit. If I'd just stayed back quietly while you killed Ao you wouldn't be in this predicament. I can't even restart time and fix anything for you.
"Fine. I don't reckon I have much choice, I'm kind of being strong-armed into it all. You can have your rest Ao, but only after your brother is put to bed."
"I have suffered for many days now, but I will persist still if I must. So long as thou honor thine part, two-legs. I have made a link with this half-creature, and it will not be severed until I am dead."
"Bael won't come back until you're dead?" Lance asked, instantly panicked. The idea of acting on his own for the foreseeable future locked him in a mental deadlock.
"Worry not, man-creature. It is of no use to me with its cunning and tenacity suppressed. For a thrall of mine it is attempting to wrest control from me with surprising force I fear if I were to look upon thee its will would surpass mine."
"Well, you better give him back so we can start planning. Boy" -the Don then shook his head- "Lance, bring him along so you can inform us of your plans and explain your prophetic methods." The Don turned away as he and Torian supported each other while exiting the cavern.
Suddenly, Bael's head dropped to the floor. Nyx, who had been hiding far and away on the other side of the cave immediately darted over and began nudging her brother's face.
"Shh, shh, I've got you. Remember what to do when clearing your mind. Take deep breaths, there you go," Nyx said, coaching Bael as he gasped for breath.
Lance just stood there, dumbfounded by everything he had just witnessed. He looked up into the eyes of Ao to glean the level of intelligence that was just displayed while possessing Bael. The creature's three eyes locked with Lance's, but no deeper meaning lurked behind them.
"If you've got time to stand around get over here and help him up!" Nyx shouted, flying between Lance and Bael as she emitted a ringing sound that accompanied her irritation.
Lance obeyed, still visibly shaken. His sweat slickened hands struggled to lift Bael into a sitting position, causing him to dig his fingers deep into the skin to maintain a grip. Bael winced in response but his eyes remained closed. Lance couldn't bring himself to look at his face for more than a split second.
"That's good, just hold him up like that and support him against yourself."
He was now seated as well on the floor, legs crossed with Bael's back pressed against his stomach. Just a day prior they shared this touch in tenuous intimacy, yet now Lance was horrified to even be near him.
Bael coughed as he took deep breaths, Nyx counting through them all the while. He wriggled against Lance, the discomfort evident on his face.
Lance placed a reluctant hand atop Bael's head and began smoothing the wild strands of his hair down. As he did this, Bael gasped before releasing the air in one long uninterrupted sigh. Then he began to hum low in the back of his throat.
"Are you okay?" Lance whispered.
Bael grumbled. "Maybe if you rub my stomach I will be."
Lance's hand paused its motion as he contemplated this request. Slowly his hand lifted and moved downward.
"No, no, I'm just kidding." Bael laughed as his head tossed to the side. He caught Lance's hand with his as his head rolled back, looking up at Lance with ocean colored eyes. "Another time, at least. It would be weird now."
"You didn't answer my question," Lance responded, jaw taut while his hand stiffened in Bael's grasp.
"I'm gonna be alright. I don't like his methods, but Ao and I have a kind of understanding now. He just figured it would be easier to get things done if he spoke up- hey, are you okay?"
Lance's jaw quivered, eyes welling over with moisture as a sob lurked at the bottom of his throat. "I was so scared. I didn't know what the hell happened to you and you're just making jokes like everything is okay."
Bael rotated until he was sitting on his knees, rising up until he was eye level and releasing Lance's hand. "I had no idea you were going to be upset. I'm sorry, I didn't have much of a choice in the matter. It was pretty scary for me too." His attitude took a drastic turn as that usual smirk was replaced with a tense frown.
"If it was so frightening, h-how come you're just laughing it off like no big deal?" Lance blubbered as tears kept spilling down his cheeks. Even he felt like he was overreacting, but today had been a great ordeal for him and it was barely halfway over. It was overwhelming, and the threat of losing the person that brought him comfort was terrifying.
"Well, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but laughing about it is kind of how I deal with most things." Bael appeared as if he had something he wanted to say but paused before continuing. "I wish you wouldn't cry over me. It's barely been a day and you're making me break my promise."
As he said this, Bael reached his bare hand up to brush away the tears with his thumb. Lance whimpered, leaning into the contact as his hunger for affection reared its head.
"Is it alright if I give you a hug?" Bael asked in a hushed voice, as if the question were a secret for only the two of them to hear.
Never once had the other man asked Lance before doing something. Bael took without any regard for others, and Lance had always thought of that as part of his appeal; a man who took charge and all others be damned. Yet here he was, one of the strongest living things Lance had ever met, asking for permission just to touch him. If it was supposed to stop the tears it had the opposite effect.
"Nobody's ever asked me that before," Lance stuttered between hiccups.
Bael stared back with a crooked smile, kneeling with his hands firmly pressed against his thighs.
Lance eventually nodded, hands now wiping away at his tears. Bael lurched forward and pulled Lance's head to his chest in a tight hug. A hug that said he never wished to let go, that said he would do anything to protect the person in his arms. Lance's fingers clung to the back of Bael's shirt, surely stretching out the collar while soaking the front with his leaking face.
He didn't care, and he couldn't imagine Bael did either as his arms wrapped even tighter still. Lance hated to have so much fear and apprehension of what he felt for this person that fell headfirst into his life. Because during moments like this all his uncertainty vanished and he knew the truth of his heart.
He loved Bael. He loved him so much that it made his chest hurt. It baffled Lance, to only know Bael for such a short time and yet before he knew it that irritating little man from the forest meant everything to him. In a way he hated it, this tendency of his to fall in love with people that open up to him. The first time it made him fall in love with someone that would never see him as anything more than a friend. That rejection still hurt to this day, but it was a dull ache compared to this fire scorching his insides. With every beat of Bael's heart against his ear the flames of his own heart were fanned.
"You've been through so much. All I do is keep pushing you and pushing you. It's no wonder you've hit a breaking point," Bael continued to whisper, stroking circles on Lance's back with one hand as the other held his head. "You're such a brave and honorable person to put yourself through all of this."
Lance mentally cursed Bael. How was he supposed to stop crying when Bael kept saying such kind and heartfelt things like that? Instead of voicing these feelings, Lance simply burrowed his face harder against Bael's chest.
"See? That's what it's like talking to you. You say things like this all the time and it's really hard to answer them."
He pulled his head away, snot smeared across his face as he looked up with furrowed brows. "Fine, I'll just be an ass and make smarmy comments all the time like you," Lance retorted with his cheeks flushed red. Be it from the wallowing or his emotions, one couldn't be certain.
"I like it when you're sweet and heartfelt. It's just that I can't stand the thought that maybe that's how you talk to everyone and not just for me. I'm of the fey, which makes me more greedy than most. I want your kindness all to myself."
This was quickly flying out of what Lance could reasonably handle. His face grew warm, and even worse Bael cracked a smile as his cheeks became burning hot. It should be a crime to be this casually seductive, especially moments after being possessed by a giant bug and right before that admitting to being bad at feelings. It wasn't fair; Lance didn't have a natural skill like that to fall back on when things were getting out of his control.
Maybe it was his chance to tell Bael how he felt. He knew inside what was on his mind, that he loved this boy so much it made him act stupid. Well, more stupid. Emotions were the only weak point he knew of Bael's that he could exploit. He just needed to be confident.
"I've got plenty of nice things to say. But first you've got to earn them."
What the hell is wrong with me? That's not even a little bit what I wanted to say!
Bael snorted and pulled away with a pat on Lance's back, eliciting a whine from him as Bael moved apart. "Well how about I start earning them by finally ending this nightmare in Ikana City? The Don's probably waiting on us, and I know Nyx gets irritated every time we ignore her for too long."
"R-right. You're right."
They both stood up and dusted themselves off. Lance dried off his face while Bael attempted to wring the moisture from his shirt.
"By the way, what's your plan this time? I remember you telling the Don you had some kind of a plan for dealing with this. I'm assuming this one is just as much of a risky maneuver as the last one was."
"Huh?" Lance asked, roused from his rumination while continuously wiping away persistent tears. "Oh, well it's even less concrete than what I did before. This one relies more on the cooperation of someone we've never spoken with."
Bael nodded, silently asking for more information with immense curiosity.
"Ikana City has a Great Fairy just like Clock Town, doesn't it? We should ask her for help, what with you being a part of the fey and all."
Bael's eye twitched as soon as Lance mentioned the word Great Fairy. "No. No, I'm not doing it. Pick literally anything else. Like just blowing everything up, we haven't tried that yet."
"Okay, you're going to need to explain to me what the issue is here. The Great Fairies are always helping good people do what's right."
"Correction, they're always helping good 'humans' do what's right. I'm not human. They don't care for me very much."
"Bael actually tried this a few times during the cycles," Nyx chimed in while making her presence known once more. "It never ended well."
"Well fine then, I'll go and talk to her. It's at the very least worth a try."
"Uh, no offense, but at the very best you're probably just going to get toyed with. They're very particular with the kind of people they determine worthy of their aid."
"Oh ye of l- little faith, we'll just see about that," Lance finished before stepping ahead of Bael to lead the way out of the catacombs as he retraced their steps from earlier. A display that was significantly less impressive with red eyes and periodic hiccups. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing, where he was going, or what a Great Fairy even looked like. That didn't stop him from proudly marching down the long corridor.
"Oh, Sir Lancelot, you're going the wrong way."
"...I knew that."