The Wizard and the Void - Chapter Thirty-Four (Complete)n
Author: Milady Dragon
Author's Note: This is the last chapter of this story. I'll start posting the sequel tomorrow, once again trying to post a chapter a day (although that didn't exactly work out so well) until I get caught up with what I've already posted of the sequel, "The Hunters and the Prey", on AO3, then go back to Tuesday-Thursday posting schedule. There isn't much to catch up to, so that won't take long.
Also, a special shout out to I Love Ianto, who has commented on every chapter of this...in fact, they have been my ONLY commenter. Thank you so much for all of those lovely comments. I really appreciate each one of them.
Phil couldn't believe it.
He was actually the Grand Master of Void Order.
Well, not permanently, but he didn't think he'd be leaving the position for a while, not until this mess from Hydra was cleaned up and a new Grand Master could be chosen.
He really didn't want the damned job.
What he really wanted was to get to know Clint better once again; it had been years since they'd last seen each other, and they were different people now. Still, he thought they had an excellent chance of developing something special between them, and he wanted to explore that possibility.
He wanted to keep on raising Daisy, and to help her with her schoolwork…and maybe teach a little something to her friends, what he could that would go along with their own studies. He wanted to have a nice long talk with Lincoln, the boyfriend…not to scare him off, although as her father that any conversation they would have would be enough to rattle the young man into treating his daughter well. And, if he did hurt her, then he could threaten the young man.
And he wanted to see about taking a Novice.
Ever since he'd overheard Pepper mention it during the Quorum, Phil had been seriously considering it. Wanda would be his choice, if just because he wanted to learn more about her, and her life after Buda-Pest. He sensed a kindred soul in her, and wanted to help her blossom into the sort of Void Wizard he never had the chance to be. In many ways she could be his redemption, although not in the same way Daisy had been; with Wanda, he could teach her the lessons that Mistress Suzie had done her best to instill within him, only he'd been too angry at the world for them to actually sink in. This could be a tribute to her, and to her teachings, and hopefully he could do her memory justice.
However, there was still Hydra out there, and they needed to be taken care of before he could go back to his semi-hermit lifestyle at Shield Keep, and maybe invite Clint to join him in his solitude.
"Are you alright?"
He glanced up, meeting Ianto's sympathetic eyes. Nick's suggestion had been taken up by their entire group – including Daisy's friends – and they'd all congregated to one of the small meeting rooms in the Quorum House. They were private enough for their purposes, and Stephen – he was just barely getting used to calling Ianto by his given name, and now Stephen Strange wanted him too, as well – had arranged for food to be brought in. It had been set up buffet style, and Phil had taken a plate to fill it with various items he wasn't really paying attention to, so lost in thoughts was he.
He'd found a seat open next to Ianto; Jack was seated on the other side of the Grand Master, and Clint had plopped himself down on Phil's other side, his plate so full it was a wonder he hadn't spilled anything on his way over. Lola had curled up at his feet, contentment singing through their link, her back against Ianto's Myfanwy, who had also taken up position on the floor within touching distance of her Wizard. The two of them seemed to be getting along famously.
Daisy and her friends appeared to have adopted Wanda and Pietro; they were all sitting on the floor near the buffet table, chatting easily, plates on the carpet and seemingly forgotten…except for their various dragons, who to a single one looked as if they were just waiting for their chance to pounce on the neglected food.
Both Pepper and Mistress Maria were speaking to the Great Wizard who had stood up for him; he'd introduced himself as Alphonso Mackenzie or, as he said, Master Mack, Jemma and Leo's teaching Master. Nick was hovering around Maria, which was almost too cute for words…not that Phil would ever say anything to that effect. Marcus would have made sure he was dead for good if he dared.
The really surprising thing was that Mistress Elena Rodriguez had joined them, and she seemed pretty interested in Master Mack. Well, who could blame her? He was quite handsome, and had more muscles than Clint did, which was saying something.
Personally, Phil believed she would eat the poor man for breakfast. Just from what he'd seen today, she was certainly very strong-willed, and Master Mack seemed to be a walking marshmallow, from the very little time he'd had to observe the man. Just knowing he was Jemma and Leo's teaching Master told him quite a lot about the man.
Phil turned back to Ianto, letting his mouth curl up in a self-deprecating smile. "Never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe I'd find myself in this situation."
"Who does?" the Cardinal Wizard asked, rhetorically. "But the universe has a mind of its own."
Clint was leaning against him as he chatted with Stephen, and Phil could feel the heat of him through his tunic. It was quite comforting.
Ianto had a very valid point about that.
"I do feel a bit like I've had the biggest practical joke played on me, though."
That had Jack, who'd been listening in, laughing. "I haven't stopped feeling like that since my first death, so you're not alone."
"I'm glad I'm not the only one, then." Phil took a bite of some cheese, enjoying the sharpness of it. "I'm just having a really difficult time dealing with all this."
It was hard to admit. Phil had always prided himself on being self-sufficient, so not being able to handle something was galling. However, he also knew he'd been denying it for years, so it was about time it all piled up on him. There was no way to avoid it. He just couldn't any longer, and feel he was completely sane.
"You're not alone," Ianto comforted. "You don't have to handle this all by yourself."
Phil knew that, and he was grateful. But, he knew Nick had been right…this was a punishment, and he also knew that his friend wasn't the only one to think if it that way. The Void was punishing him for his misdeeds, and he couldn't blame anyone for that but himself.
All he could do was make the best of the life he'd been given.
He'd already gotten a start with Daisy. Now, he could take the next step with Clint.
He didn't even want to consider losing them at the moment.
Or maybe ever.
"You know," Jack drawled, "what you really should be doing is grabbing that Elf by one of those magnificently pointed ears and dragging him out of here for a little alone time." He waggled his eyebrows. "I think some celebrating is in order, and I'm sure he wouldn't object."
"Jack," Ianto rolled his eyes fondly.
"Hey, it's what I'd be doing," the Deathless defended. "Or, I should say, it's what I'm about to do. Do you have any idea just how gorgeous you are when you wrangle a Quorum? All that dominant energy… it's almost a shame that you didn't use it on me."
"Well," the Cardinal Grand Master said, his accent thickening just a little, "we do happen to live nearby, and Eirlys will be busy with her duties until much later in the day since she had to spend the morning in Quorum…"
Jack dropped his plate onto the nearest table, grabbed Ianto by the hand, and was hauling him out of the room before another word could be said.
Phil couldn't help but laugh…and feel as if they had the right idea. Only, it was a little early for him and Clint, but…
He set his plate down on Ianto's abandoned seat, standing. He turned toward Clint, who had stopped talking and was staring up at Phil, his gaze curious. "How about we go somewhere more private?" he suggested.
The smile he got was bright and happy. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
Ignoring Stephen's smirk, Phil held out his hand and Clint, putting his own plate aside, was out of his chair in an instant, his calloused hand warm in his. Lola chirped happily as she got right up between them and, with a simple flick of his magic, Phil activated the Teleport spell in the thin bracelet he'd put on that morning, not caring that they were about to be very rude and not waiting until they were out of the room, like Ianto and Jack had done.
The slight wrench of teleportation faded out the moment his casting chamber appeared around them. Phil was about to invite Clint up and into the public parts of the Keep when the Elf took matters into his own hands, pushing the Wizard back against the central plinth and kissing him.
It was rough, and urgent, and absolutely perfect. Phil's hands flailed for a moment before resting on Clint's waist, tugging him closer, not ashamed to let himself get caught up in the kiss, their tongues tangling together, kissing until Phil's lips began to tingle and air became a valuable commodity.
"Well," he gasped when they broke apart, "this isn't exactly what I had in mind, but I'm usually very good at improvising."
"I've only been waiting years to do that," Clint was positively breathless, and the Wizard shivered at the knowledge that he'd done that just by kissing the archer.
He'd wanted to do the whole wining and dining thing. Phil had wanted to get to know Clint, after being apart for all these years. Explore their feelings and see if this was going anywhere.
And yet, all those resolutions were fading fast under a pair of kaleidoscopic eyes and a hard body….with something equally hard resting against his own, matching, hardness that Phil doubted was a knife.
Lola was cooing in the background, his mind filled with just how happy she was that her Wizard was finally letting Clint know just how he'd felt for years. He mentally shushed her, and she laughed at him.
Of course she did.
"Why don't we take this up to my bedroom?" Phil suggested, getting his breathing under control.
"Now that," Clint grinned, "sounds like an excellent idea."
Phil's grin matched his. "I do have them occasionally."
Fin…for now.