Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon or anything associated with the Inheritance Series.
Claimer: I, SussieKitten, own this plot and the story. Borrow or steal my plot, my original characters (Axel) or story and I will report you. I also own my version of Saphira/Thorn's human appearances.
Warnings: Slash/Shōnen-ai – meaning mild guy x guy action. Swearing or strong language. Femslash/Shōjo-ai hints – meaning mild girl x girl hints. If any of this disturbs you, click on the "back" button. I won't tolerate any flames.
A/N A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed, put this story on their favourite/alert list and read this fic. It's been a blast posting it, so really, thank you everyone. Here it is; the last part of Red Haze. I hope you enjoy it! Also, don't forget to read the A/N at the bottom of the chapter. It contains important information I'd like you all to read.
And last but not least, a huge thanks to my beta dragonrider713! I would never have made it this far without you, girl!
RED HAZE
Part Eight; Eternal
(03.26 PM - Wednesday 9th of July. Inside Slogum's Gas Station in Carvahall, Alagaësia)
"Tell me, why are you still working here?"
Beside him, Arya sent him a mischievous grin.
"I didn't feel like quitting my undercover job just yet. I don't have to be at the station as long as I work here and keep tabs on the criminal activity." She answered.
Eragon rolled his eyes and went back to watch the family of three that had come in a few minutes ago.
"Mommy, can I have one of these?" The little girl asked cutely.
Eragon concluded she couldn't have been more than five or six years old. The mother nodded and smiled down at her child fondly. Eragon looked away.
"I'll get some more pastry from the back." Eragon whispered to Arya as the family came closer.
Arya sent him a worried glance as he stepped into the back. Eragon ducked behind the door and sighed, letting his head drop forward. He had never had trouble seeing happy families before, not even after his parents had been killed, but somehow, today it had been almost unbearable.
He rubbed a hand over his face before going for what he had originally come for. He picked up a pack and walked back to the door. The brunet was about to step out when he heard murmured voices. He frowned and peeked out. He could see Arya and Axel, who must have just arrived, talking quietly together. Eragon bit his lip and strained his ears to listen.
"I suspected as much." Arya murmured. "He always was a stubborn mule."
"Nah, really?" Axel said and snorted. "He nearly attacked me when I asked what was going on. He gave Thorn and Saphira a real speech, me he just cursed at."
Eragon worried his bottom lip. He really shouldn't be eavesdropping, it sounded like a private conversation. And he usually wasn't one to eavesdrop either! But something made it almost impossible for him to tear himself away from listening in, or to walk in there and interrupt them.
"A speech? That doesn't sound too good." The green eyed female said worriedly.
"Hell yeah it isn't!" Axel stressed. "He's in too deep, both ways at that. He thinks he's protecting Eragon!"
Eragon felt his eyes widen. He knew now what they were talking about. He tried to swallow, but the lump in his throat had suddenly become too big.
"What?"
"Uhu. I never thought he could be this stupid." Axel murmured and rolled his eyes. "He's even got Thorn cursing him left and right. Yeah, I'm not kidding you. Thorn is seriously mad at him!"
"Thorn never gets mad." Arya said and shook her head. "Does he even realise what he's doing?"
"According to Thorn he thinks so, yeah. Which we all know is pure bullshit." The blond male said and snorted. "But how's Eragon holding up?"
"He tries not to show it, but he's heartbroken." Arya murmured and ran a hand through her black hair. "I just... I wish there was something we could do."
"We can't, not without fucking it up more. But there's something Eragon can do." Axel piped up.
Eragon watched as Arya frowned slightly. She leaned closer to her brother and raised an eyebrow.
"What are you planning?" She asked.
"Nothing really." Axel replied with a half shrug. "But you and I both know that the only person he'll really listen to is Eragon, yeah? We just need to tell 'Agon not to give up and go and talk to the bastard."
The brunet sucked in a breath and looked away. He leaned onto the wall beside the door heavily. His mind was spinning too fast for him to pay attention.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea." Arya muttered.
"What are our options? Murtagh doesn't see it yet, but he's working himself to the ground. So much I'm sure he won't stop until he's worked himself six feet under."
Eragon clenched his eyes shut. He was not hearing this. Nothing made sense anymore. Axel couldn't be talking about the Murtagh he knew. It didn't make any sense. But then again, his last talk with Murtagh proved that Eragon didn't know Murtagh as well as he had once thought.
"That moron." Arya hissed. "Why can he never listen to reason?"
"Love knows no reason." Axel replied.
Eragon felt his heart skip a beat. When it started to beat again he sucked in a breath. Had he really heard that?
"So, he admits it?"
"Oh no, not to others anyway." The blond said and sighed. "But it's far too easy to see. Tag loves the kid, he's just scared. Someone seriously needs to teach him how to feel again."
"And we know someone who is perfect for that job." Arya said in agreement.
Murtagh loved him? Eragon shook his head. That couldn't be. Murtagh wouldn't have hurt him so badly if he had. Something Saphira had said once suddenly rang through his head: you only really hurt those who are close to your heart.
But for that to be true, he would have to be close to Murtagh. The hazel eyed man had told him that much, but... love? Eragon could suddenly see the last time he had seen Murtagh. He remembered the look in his eyes, the desperate tone in his voice. He could almost feel him responding to his kiss, the bittersweet aftertaste it had given him. He could hear the murmured apology and feel the kiss on his forehead, the kiss that had marked his soul.
A soft voice seemed to almost whisper into his ear. He was trying to protect you, he said so himself. And you felt it in that kiss; you felt his love for you. He believes he's doing what's right, what you believed was right once before. Teach him; show him you'll never leave, no matter what happens. Go back to him.
Before Eragon quite knew what was happening, he had pushed the door open and walked outside. Axel stuffed his hands into his pockets and tried to look casual. Arya leaned back and folded her hands on the counter.
"Is he really that bad?" Eragon asked softly.
Arya's eyes softened. She shared a glance with Axel and gave him a soft nod.
"He's a complete wreck." He replied honestly.
"But it will never be enough." Eragon whispered. "I won't trick him to come back; I could never do something like that. If he truly believes that he's doing what is right, then let him."
"But Eragon, only you can make him see reason!" Arya exclaimed.
"No." The brunet shook his head and let the sorrow show in his eyes. "I tried, and I failed. Only he can fix himself."
"That's just what he can't!" Axel said on a disheartened voice.
"I can't force him to see when he won't open his eyes." Eragon said and cursed himself when his voice broke. "I know what he's going through, and no one could help me when I was in that place; I had to get myself out. If he can't do that, then no one can."
Arya opened her mouth to speak, but Axel shook his head. The black haired female closed her mouth and just continued to stare sadly at the brunet before her.
"You can keep telling him that he's being a fool, but it won't help. I could probably talk to him, yeah, but that wouldn't help either. No one knows what lies in his heart, why he is so scared."
"Not true. He's scared he'll lose you just like he lost everyone else he has ever loved." Axel murmured. "Thorn told me that."
"And we wouldn't ask you to talk to him, to try to convince him to do anything." Arya said softly. "But if you could visit the station, say hello to Thorn for instance, just to let him see you one more time. Maybe that would help."
"Why? So that he could see what he was missing?" Eragon asked and laughed bitterly.
"No. So that he could see what he's doing to you." Axel stated.
"That's mind-play!" Eragon exclaimed. "I couldn't do that to him!"
Arya and Axel sighed.
"We knew it was too much to hope for. All we want is for you to be happy, the both of you." Arya murmured softly.
"It's just that he refuses to see that he could be really happy with you." Axel said and stared forlornly at the wall behind Eragon. "Oh well, I should get going. Bye sis, Eragon."
Eragon watched the blond leave with a heavy heart. He knew they were only trying to help, but he understood Murtagh more than they did. He had gotten plenty of time to sit back and wonder what was going on in Murtagh's mind. And the little he had understood had hurt him in the process. If Murtagh ever wanted to love again, it was only himself that stood in the way. And the only way for that to happen was for Murtagh to realise that himself.
"Eragon, are you alright?" Arya asked softly.
The brunet just blinked and listened to the soft chime as someone else entered the shop, a married couple this time. Eragon just smiled sadly at his friend before looking away. He didn't know what to answer to that question. He didn't really know anything anymore.
--RED.HAZE--
(02.53 PM - Friday 11th of July. Inside the Police Department in Carvahall, Alagaësia)
Murtagh sighed as he finished his fourth coffee since getting up. It was practically the only thing he could stomach. Around him lay the files connected to the team's latest case. It was on the edge of being solved, Murtagh could feel it, but his mind just wasn't able to concentrate. Whenever he tried to think, all he could see was a pair of dark brown eyes, a mop of soft brown hair and an innocent-looking face. Eragon.
Murtagh cursed when he found himself thinking about the brunet yet again. He had sworn that he would stop thinking about him and move on. But apparently his mind, like his friends, was determined not to let him forget.
A knock on his door dragged him out of his thoughts. Nasuada was watching him with a soft glimmer of worry in her eyes.
"How is it going on the Walker case?" She asked softly.
"It's a dead end. Have you checked with Therr? I think he was supposed to be determining the murder weapon. That could be the case breaker."
Nasuada's gaze hardened.
"No, I haven't." She replied coldly.
"Nas, I have a question." Murtagh said and beckoned her to enter.
The dark skinned female raised her eyebrows slightly before stepping inside. She let the door stay half-open.
"Why do you hate Therr so much?"
"Besides the fact that he's a sexist, an uncaring bastard and the biggest jerk to walk this earth?" She countered. "He's been giving Arya and me a hard time whenever he sees us together."
"He's a homophobe?" Murtagh asked, genuinely feeling shocked.
"Certainly looks that way, doesn't it?" Nasuada said tightly.
"I had him pegged to be gay, actually. Maybe he's in denial?" The hazel eyed man drawled.
"Oh, and he's jealous of Arya and my relationship and our braveness of being open about it?" Nasuada asked coldly and snorted.
Murtagh smirked.
"Exactly." He said simply.
Nasuada opened her mouth in shock.
"In fact, he's always talking about Axel when he's not around. And he did sound really concerned when Ajihad sent him on the undercover mission before Axel had taken his exam." Murtagh commented and crossed his arms. "But that's just my humble opinion."
Nasuada let out an amused snort. A soft smile entered her lips before she turned serious again.
"Do you really think that's how it is?" She asked softly.
"It wouldn't surprise me. You could always ask him, or better yet, test him to see if that's the case." The dark haired male said and smirked.
Nasuada grinned and winked.
"I think I will." She said and turned to walk back out.
Murtagh let his smirk fall once Nasuada was out of his sight. He let his head fall into his hands and sighed.
"And for the record, Therr isn't the only one who's in denial on this team."
Murtagh's head snapped back up. Nasuada gave him an understanding smile.
"When it comes down to it, it really is better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all, Murtagh." The black eyed female said before leaving the other to his thoughts.
Murtagh curled a hand into a fist and started to hit his forehead with it. Just when he thought he had gotten Eragon out of his head, Nasuada just had to say that! He growled under his breath and got up to get himself another cup of coffee, seriously considering spiking it this time.
He had only started to open his door when a voice from the lobby, which was coincidentally very close to his office, made him freeze.
"Hi, I'm looking for Detective Thorn Marron."
Murtagh swore under his breath as he watched the woman behind the desk direct the person to the break room. The break room was very close to Murtagh's office as well; close enough that he could hear the conversation inside of it if. He watched as the person kept his eyes right in front of him before shyly peaking inside of the break room when he came that far. There he heard Thorn greet them and ask them to enter.
"This is a surprise." Thorn said and chuckled.
"Yeah, but Saphira didn't grace me with the news before yesterday. So I figured I'd come down here today and at least say hello." The brunet said sheepishly.
Murtagh closed his eyes and counted to ten. When he opened them again, he could still see Thorn talking to much smaller and slightly younger male. Eragon.
"Ah."
Murtagh was surprised to see Thorn look a little flustered.
"Was there something else you came to say to me?" He asked and cleared his throat.
"Just that you have my approval. Saphira's my best friend, and I can tell when someone's good for her." Eragon said and Murtagh cursed when he saw his sweet smile. "But know that if you hurt her, I will track you down and kill you with an ice-cream spoon."
Thorn tipped his head back and laughed. He ruffled Eragon's hair fondly and smirked when Eragon started to protest.
Inside of Murtagh, something protested too.
"Thanks." The redhead murmured so quietly that Murtagh had to read his lips to be sure he got everything he said. "And I'm sorry, about Morann."
Murtagh saw Eragon wince. He nearly cried out when the brunet turned so that his back was to Murtagh. He could no longer see what he was saying, for Eragon must have dropped his voice to a whisper judging by Thorn's reaction.
"Is there anything -?"
Eragon shook his head before Thorn could finish the sentence. The redhead looked up and his eyes met Murtagh's. Thorn just blinked and looked back down at the brunet.
"Come back anytime." He said and gave a slight nod.
Eragon nodded back before he turned and walked out of the room. Murtagh looked after him, making sure to keep his face blank. He saw the brunet wave to Axel, who had just gotten out of a lab room. Then he walked to the entrance, and before Murtagh could as much as blink, he was gone.
"It doesn't have to be this way, you know." Axel said as he walked past him.
Murtagh just glared after the blond. Axel turned around and held his hands up in surrender. Coffee forgotten, Murtagh shut the door to his office with a slam.
"Fuck." He hissed and sat down the cup on the desk harshly.
He leaned onto the surface, his face hidden in one of his hands.
"When are you going to open your eyes and greet reality?"
Murtagh hissed through his teeth.
"Leave me alone, Thorn."
"Did you ever stop to think that maybe the one person who really understands you is the same one you're pushing away?" The red haired male said, ignoring his friend completely.
Murtagh felt the hand that lay on the table curl into a fist.
"He deserves better than to be treated like this." Thorn growled. "You should actually consider yourself lucky he still has feelings for you. That means you still have a chance to fix this. But you can't do anything unless you're willing to open your goddamn eyes and take a chance. Worst case scenario? You could be happy for once in your miserable life."
A snarl entered Murtagh's lips. He turned around to give Thorn a piece of his mind, but was met by a closed door and nothing but air. Murtagh sneered at where he knew his friend had been standing a few seconds ago. He closed his eyes again and braced himself on the desk, leaning back to face the ceiling.
Thoughts were whirling through his mind. Saphira's voice joined Thorn's, along with Axel's, Arya's and Nasuada's. They argued inside his head, speaking in different voices and tones, but they were all saying the same thing; you're a fool! Lastly, a voice easily overshadowed the five others. Eragon, asking why he was doing this, why he was hurting him... why, why, why?!
Murtagh let out a frustrated yell. Even his own mind was against him now! Why couldn't people see he was protecting Eragon?! He was doing it for Eragon's own good! It was not like he wanted to hurt Eragon deliberately; he would kill himself before he did that!! He was just...
The hazel eyed man sighed tiredly. His head fell forward and his shoulders tensed.
He was scared, plain and simple. Scared that Eragon would get hurt, scared what he might do, would do if that happened. Scared that Eragon could leave him if he suddenly found Murtagh disgusting, scared that he would hurt Eragon somehow. Scared that... that he might actually be happy, that he might finally have found what he had always been searching for.
Murtagh laughed bitterly. It seemed like Thorn really knew him too well after all.
--RED.HAZE--
(08.23 PM - Monday 14th of July. Inside of Slogum's Gas Station in Carvahall, Alagaësia)
Eragon fiddled with the hood of his t-shirt as he walked out of the backroom. Arya had changed earlier while he had minded the desk. They were now waiting for the two that had the final shift.
"I heard you went to the station last week." Arya piped up softly.
"Yeah. Saph finally found the time to tell me she was dating the giant, so I went down there to give him my approval." Eragon said and stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets.
"And it had nothing to do with what Axel and I suggested?"
Eragon just shook his head.
"You may not believe me, but that was not my intention. Saphira is my best friend; I'm just looking after her." He replied.
Arya just sighed.
"I know, Eragon. We all want to beat some sense into his thick skull, but nothing is getting through to him." She murmured.
Eragon gave a sad smile.
"Thanks for trying, though. I just... I think I need to realise that my chances are zilch, and move on."
"Don't you dare." Arya said sternly. "Don't give up on him yet."
"Why not?!" Eragon asked loudly. "I'm the only one who wants a relationship! I'm the only one who's in..."
The brunet shut his mouth and looked away. A soft brush of pink was straining his cheeks.
"That's not true, Eragon. Murtagh wouldn't have stormed in to save you hadn't he felt the same. Oh, I know what you're thinking; sure he would have. No, he wouldn't. Not alone at least." Arya's eyes softened as she continued. "You are precious to him, Eragon. He connected with you like he has no other, we could all see that. He just needs to come around."
"I can't wait forever, Arya." The brunet said hoarsely. "I can't let myself."
Just then the doors opened and a male and a female walked in. They were chatting animatedly and grinning to each other. Eragon picked up his bag as they walked up to the counter.
"Sorry we're late." The red haired male said and grinned. "The bus was delayed, can you believe that?"
The girl beside him laughed.
Eragon just nodded to his co-workers and started to walk away. He heard Arya instruct them briefly about the accident that had happened a few hours previous before the doors closed behind him. He sighed and started to slowly walk towards the bus station.
"Eragon!" Arya called after him. "Eragon, just please listen!"
The brunet didn't answer. He simply waited for the other to catch up with him.
"Your car is in the other direction." He stated tiredly before he started to walk again.
"Please don't give up, Eragon. Promise me you won't." Arya begged softly.
"I can't make that promise, Arya." Eragon said sadly. "I don't know when, but soon I'll be done waiting. And all that will do is hurt me more. You can't change my mind, so please don't try."
"Eragon, I..." Arya cut herself off.
"I should do what he asked me to." Eragon said firmly. "I should just forget about him."
The black haired woman turned him around to face her. Her gaze softened when she saw the tears lingering in his eyes. She just gave him a pleading look before letting go.
Eragon brushed away the tears before giving her a small smile. He didn't wait for her to respond before walking away. Eragon could feel Arya staring after him, and it only seemed to make his heart hurt more.
The walk was spent in silence. His iPod lay in his bag, but he didn't care enough to stop and fish it out. He finally came to the bus station and looked up on the monitors. His bus would arrive in about thirty minutes. Eragon sighed and sat down on a bench beside the doorway his bus would stop at. He put down his bag and rummaged through it. A few seconds later he found his iPod and pulled it out, closing the bag afterwards. The brunet turned it on and put one of the plugs into his ear. Then he slipped his hands into the pockets in his thin jacket, taking the small player with his right hand.
The station was almost empty apart from him. He could hear a few teenagers gossip and giggle loudly a few benches behind him. In front of him, a few doors down, he could see a woman and her child wait for another bus, the child sleeping with his head in her lap. An old man sat beside her, reading the newspaper. Eragon sighed and changed the song that came on. He put the other plug into his ear and turned the volume up a notch.
He kept his eyes on the ground as the minutes slowly passed. A bus came and the teenagers left. A few more people came into the station and sat down. Someone even came to sit down on the bench in front of him. He could only see their shoes; black combat boots, and the slightly ruffled bottom of their jeans.
Eragon frowned when he thought he heard his name being called. He turned the volume down some and waited. Nothing came. He shook his head slightly and began to turn the volume back up.
"Eragon."
The brunet jumped slightly. He knew he had heard his name this time. He pulled one plug out of his ear and looked up. As he looked up he saw a pair of tight, but not too tight jeans, a soft looking shirt and a black leather jacket. His eyes stopped at the chest of the other male. He could just faintly see it move as he breathed. Eragon shook his head when he realised that someone was standing in front of him, and obviously knew
him from somewhere. He tipped his head up. A pale neck and a strong jaw met his eyes. A pair of lips that seemed almost too familiar and an elegant nose came next. Finally his eyes met a pair of startling hazel eyes framed by dark brown hair.
"Murtagh?" Eragon whispered.
Eragon concluded that he must have fallen asleep, and that he was now dreaming that Murtagh was standing in front of him. There was no way it could be real.
"This is real, Rider. I'm really here." An amused voice penetrated his thoughts.
Eragon shook his head and cursed when he felt a sharp pain come from his forearm. He looked down and realised he had started to pinch himself without even realising it.
"Wha... what are you doing here?" Eragon asked a little shakily.
Murtagh ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He nodded towards the empty place beside Eragon and lifted an eyebrow. Eragon shook his head, saying without words that he didn't mind him sitting there. Murtagh gave a half-smile and sat down.
"Actually... I was here on another matter. And when I saw you, I..." He sighed again. "I felt like I needed to at least say hello."
"Oh." Eragon muttered.
Eragon tugged out the second plug of his ear, letting it join its twin around his neck. He started to fiddle with his iPod inside of his pocket, never quite meeting the others gaze. Eragon snorted to himself over how ironic the situation was. The last time he had seen Murtagh, it had been the other who had avoided his gaze.
The station seemed to suddenly have become very silent. He could still see someone sitting at the other end of the station, but it was like he couldn't hear anything that wasn't said between Murtagh and him.
"Eragon, I owe you an apology." Murtagh said soberly.
The brunet turned around in shock. Whatever Murtagh had been about to say, he certainly hadn't expected that!
"I'm sorry for hurting you when I should have been explaining myself better."
"No, it's okay." Eragon interrupted. "I understand."
"No, I don't think you do." Murtagh said firmly. "Not by a long shot."
The brown eyed teen fell silent. Murtagh was staring deeply into his eyes, as if all the answers in the universe could be found there. Eragon found it hard to blink when Murtagh looked at him that way.
"I never meant to hurt you, I hope you know that." The dark haired man murmured. "I never thought for a second that you could fall for someone like me. At best, I'm fucked up."
Eragon frowned sadly when Murtagh laughed bitterly.
"Not one day has passed that I haven't felt guilty. And let me tell you, certain people have made sure I felt it too." Murtagh smirked wryly. "But they made me think, so for that I have to thank them. It's just that... it doesn't change anything."
Eragon felt the little hope he had left in him shatter. He clenched his hands in his lap and looked away.
"Please, just listen." Murtagh begged, lifting Eragon's chin so that their eyes could meet again. "I won't leave until I know you understand what I'm saying."
Eragon stayed silent, but nodded to show that he was paying attention.
"Thank you." He murmured. "I need you to understand that even if I didn't have my father's enemies and my own after me, I wouldn't even know how to be in a relationship with you. Thorn would protest on this, but the truth is that I don't really know how to love. But that doesn't mean that I don't love you."
"... I don't understand." Eragon murmured.
"I care for you Eragon; I care for you like I have no other. But I can't tell if it's love or something else. All I know is that I don't not love you."
"You're just confusing me more." The brunet said with a sad undertone.
A look of annoyance flashed in Murtagh's eyes, and Eragon could tell it was himself Murtagh was annoyed at.
"I care for you Eragon, and I always will. But I don't know if it's love, and if it was, then I don't know how I were to express it. All I know is pain and misery." The dark haired man said and smiled sadly. "And I don't want to burden you with that."
"You aren't a burden to me." Eragon practically whispered.
"Not now, but in a relationship I would be."
"But -"
"No buts, Eragon." Murtagh interrupted gently. "I'm not asking you to forget me, and I'm not saying that getting close to you was a mistake. Hell, I won't even ask you to move on even though I know your feelings towards me. I just want you to know that, if I did know how to love, I'd love you with all of my heart."
Eragon tried desperately not to let the tears well up in his eyes, but it was hard.
"I just want you to be happy." Murtagh murmured quietly.
"And if I'm happy with you?" Eragon asked just as quietly.
"Heh, then I hope you can find someone that can love you like I couldn't and more. Someone that could really make you happy." He replied with a small and sad smirk.
"And if I can't?" The brunet asked throatily.
"Don't be so pessimistic, that's my job." Murtagh said with a small wink.
"How can you be so calm while saying this?" Eragon asked, cursing himself when he heard how hoarse his voice had gotten.
"Rider, I've never been less calm in my life. I just know how to hide it." Murtagh said and Eragon was surprised to see his inner turmoil show in his eyes.
"I still don't really understand your reasoning, you know." Eragon murmured when a new silence started to stretch on between them.
"But you understand what I'm saying? What I'm telling you?" The hazel eyed man asked quietly.
Eragon just nodded meekly in answer.
"I don't agree with you, though." He added.
"So be it." Murtagh said and stood up. "I never asked you to, either. I just want you safe, Eragon. I want you to be able to really enjoy your life, and to be alive to live it."
"Did you know that I had never fallen for someone until I met you?" Eragon commented, looking up into the other's eyes.
"Thank you, Eragon. But I must say your taste in guys could use some improving." Murtagh finished in a joking tone.
"No." Eragon said and stood up, taking his hands out of his pockets as he did so. "I could never have fallen for a better guy."
Murtagh's eyes, if possible, softened even more.
"I wish you the best of luck with your life, Eragon." He said, and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "And I'm truly sorry I wasn't what you were looking for.
"Never say never." Eragon joked. "You could come around one day."
Murtagh leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Eragon's forehead. He retreated and let a soft smirk enter his lips.
"Don't wait for me."
Eragon heard the door behind him open and heard the bus outside come to a groaning stop. He both heard and saw people walk past him and down the hall, walking towards their own secret destinations.
"This isn't goodbye, Rider." Murtagh said and let the softness show in his eyes once more. "You know where to find me."
Eragon shouldered on the bag and looked at the other one last time.
"Yeah." He murmured in reply. "Until next time, then?"
Murtagh smirked.
"Definitely." The older man replied.
Eragon gave him one last smile before turning around. He showed his card to the driver as he stepped onto the bus and found a seat close to the rear doors. He looked out the window and into the station. Murtagh stood there still, his hands in his pockets and a half-smirk on his face. As the bus started to drive away, Eragon couldn't help but feel his
heart breaking again. He looked away and brushed away a small tear. He put the music back on and made himself comfortable in his seat, closing his eyes as he did so. And there he sat, listening to the soft music of his iPod and the beating of his breaking heart.
The End
A/N Please don't kill me for ending it here! Oh, I know that some of you must be very displeased with this ending, or maybe a bit mad at me, but I have a good reason for ending the fic here.
First of all, there's Murtagh. I just couldn't have him turn a complete 180 and suddenly want to give a relationship with Eragon a try. He's too scarred and scared for that right now. I've never made a character as complex as I did Murtagh in this story; and because of that I had to follow it through. But I couldn't end it without another meeting between Eragon and him, and thus chapter eight was born.
Secondly, as I've already said, I'm working hard on a sequel to this. The story doesn't end here, my friends! It will hopefully be done soon. The sequel will mostly be in Murtagh's POV, and in it I will try to look deeper into his character; give you all some answers to his mysteries. I think a lot of questions will be answered in it, and I hope it will live up to Red Haze. The sequel, which will be named Black Mist, will have another case in it. I'm not leaving the cop-world behind just yet, my apologies. Lol.
Also, I just wanted you guys to know that I've altered their ranks a bit inside the police. Ajihad is now Captain and Murtagh is a Sergeant. Thorn/Arya/Nasuada/Vanir are still Detectives and Axel will be an Officer. Why I've done this will be revealed in the sequel. But I can already tell you now that Ajihad is a Captain because he runs the Homicide unit. The ranks in this universe will not completely match the description I found online, but the supervising order is the same. As I said, I'll explain this more in the sequel.
Also, in the voting option a) won. That means that I'll be posting the first chapter of the sequel before I leave. I'll have it out on Thursday, so that I have Friday to answer any urgent questions before I leave on Saturday. And, lastly, I have some good news! I may be able to be online during my holiday, so if it's possible, I'll be able to post more of the sequel. I will at least be able to answer reviews and PMs. I can't say when I'll be able to post, and please don't ask me too much about this. Life's getting pretty hectic for me, so all I'll say is that I'll try my best to have the rest of the sequel out as soon as possible.
I hope you're all a little more at ease after reading this. Thank you all for reading!
I know you may already know some of the words, but I'm adding them all just in case.
Police Speak:
Six feet under – another way to say "to the grave/to death"