A/N - Dark and Marvin meet...
...Nearly Three Years Later...
Marvin was in a bar and had been drinking a little too much for definitely not the first time that week. After all this time, his anxiety had honed itself into an early warning system for his brother's presence and it had really been ramping up the last few days. It was a shame. This was a really nice community and it sickened him to think of what he'd drawn to their doorstep. Yet more blood on his hands. Still, even after all this time, Marvin had no better plan and so here he was sat for one last drink.
Tipsy may be the right word for his state when the tall, dark, stranger came over to say hello. The man's grey skin didn't even strike him as odd while they spoke. Gentle chatting, a playful flirt; it's a peaceful moment until Marvin felt that horrid chill run down his spine. The TV turned to static, the lights flickered, the sound system blew. People were confused while Marvin panicked, standing to run stopping only when the stranger's arm caught him. He told the stranger to get out before tearing himself free and rushing for the door, pulling the fire alarm as he went.
After the evacuation, when the patrons returned to the very-not-on-fire building, everything was trashed. Glasses were shattered, tables and chairs were flipped and thrown about, one had been split in two and thrown to opposite ends of the room. A lone chair was hanging from a ceiling fan. Nobody knew what had happened and Marvin was long gone.
He'd been careless, left it too late before checking out of town. He couldn't do that again. From then on, he swore, as soon as Marvin could feel Anti closing in, he would leave. No final drinks. No last moments. Just get out of there before he could get caught, which usually only gave him a day or two in each place.
In the last six months, Anti had been speeding up, and his attacks were only getting more violent. Marvin's insomnia was back, bringing its friends with it which gave him all the more time to see all the people around him that he was putting at risk. Still he ran.
It was in a coffee shop about two towns over when Marvin saw Mr tall, dark, and grey again. The stranger, who looked a bit more striking in the brighter lights away from the bar, walked right up to him. Marvin's brain was halfway through short circuiting as he tried to remember where he knew this guy from while the grey stranger insisted he wasn't with the police or the fire department.
"In fact," he commented, pushing a bottle of water towards Marvin while subtly moving the coffee to another table, "I believe I may be able to help you."
He introduced himself as Dark. Explained that he knew of somewhere safe where Marvin could rest for as long as he needed. Somewhere he would be protected. Whatever it was that had attacked the bar, that was chasing him, would never find him there.
Marvin downed the water, not having realised how thirsty he was, having lived off cheap pizza, alcohol, and coffee since this had all begun. He thanked Dark but insisted that he could handle this. There was already a list a mile long of people he'd hurt. No need to bring in anyone else.
As Marvin moved to stand, Dark's hand took a firm grip of his wrist and held him in place. Dark knew it was all a lie. Marvin was scruffy at best, visibly exhausted, and obviously malnourished. So he made another offer.
One night. A good meal and a decent sleep in an actual bed. No running, no panic, no being alone. Just one night.
"And maybe that dance you promised back at the bar." Dark smirked.
A vague memory of having talked dancing floats past the back of Marvin's mind and his cheeks flared red. Oh lord.
In the end, Marvin caved, the promise of simple human comforts just too tempting to ignore. Though honestly he didn't believe he would be safe from Anti for long. Still, he could live as a king for just one night right?
It was a glorious evening. A full roast dinner, Marvin eating every morsel he could scrape off the plate; a decent shower that had actual warm water; and a bed that was pristine, as though it'd never been slept in. Apparently it was Dark's though he rarely used it, and when Marvin laid down on it it felt sooooo comfortable.
Every other bed felt cold. All those motels, they felt empty, hollow and lifeless but there was something in these walls that spoke of the buzz of life between them. For the first time, in a long, long while, as Marvin drifted off, he felt safe.
One night turned into two, turned into a week, until Marvin was basically living there. They never discussed it, Dark just never asked him to leave and Marvin never expressed a wish to go.
Dark suggested that Marvin stay away from the other residents, at least for now. It hadn't escaped his notice how jumpy the magician was, constantly apologising over every little noise. Everything from taking Dark's bed, to sleeping 'too long', to staying in the building was apologised for, and every time, Dark would calmly reassure him there was no need.
He was welcome here.