Warning: This chapter contains smut at the end.
Garth slept until midmorning, and then only woke because Reaver had taken to poking him in the face. As he groaned and pushed the irritating Thief's hand away, he found that though his body still ached, he could actually move it. It was a vast improvement to the previous night.
"Mage, hurry up and get up so that Sparrow and his kid can get the hell out of my house." Reaver sounded irritable, and almost desperate. Garth blinked and looked at him - he looked so awful that Garth felt all of his ill feelings at being woken melt away. There were deep dark circles under Reaver's eyes, his complexion was pallid and even his hair was limp. He had clearly been up all night.
"His kid?" Garth asked sleepily. Reaver gave a small nod.
"The girl; I don't remember her name. That mangy beast is here too, of course. It's stinking up the carpet."
"Put it outside." Garth suggested flatly.
"I believe I shall. Everyone's in the dining room." Reaver replied, and quit the room.
Hammer looked even worse than Reaver. Her head was on the dining table, her cheek against the cool wood as she struggled to stay awake. Her eyes were screwed shut, and Garth guessed that she was suffering from the aftermath of a night of heavy drinking. When she heard Garth drag a chair out from under the table, she groaned and opened her eyes slowly.
"Why's your cheek red?" she asked groggily.
Reaver, already sitting at the head of the table, sniggered softly. Garth shook his head and sat to the right of him.
"He poked me until I woke up."
Hammer chuckled. "You planned that, didn't you." she said to Reaver. "No wonder you were so eager to wake him."
Reaver shrugged. "The world will never know," he said dreamily. Hammer laughed again, and Garth was amused to realise that all it took was a near-death experience for them to get along.
Sparrow's girl was sitting on the windowsill, watching for movement outside. Tall and slim, she was a solemn girl, and she paid no attention to the sleepy jesting around her. Her long brown hair was braided down her back, and she had her father's blue eyes. She had a katana and a pistol on her person, and Garth was impressed to see the beginning of Will scars on her tan skin - Sparrow was teaching his children his craft.
When Sparrow introduced her, Elisabeth simply inclined her head. Garth felt a wave of sympathy for her - no doubt her experience with Lucien had affected her.
Sparrow rarely sat still on the best of days. He paced along one side of the room and ran his hand through his hair, as he so often did when he was worried. He paused momentarily to address Garth.
"How are you feeling?"
Garth smiled grimly. "Much better than last night, thank you."
Sparrow nodded, looking satisfied, before continuing his pacing. Finally, a heavy sigh forced its way through his lips. "I thought I'd killed them all!" he burst out, startling Garth and causing Hammer to jump. "Where are they coming from now?"
"There are many holes for mice to hide in, especially in Albion," Reaver pointed out lightly. "While I'm quite annoyed, I can't say I'm too surprised."
"I suppose you're right," Sparrow sighed again and ran his hand through his hair. "It bothers me that they waited until Garth was back in Albion before they showed themselves. They weren't that smart in the Spire."
"Reaver said last night that you two openly defied Lucien," Hammer said, looking to Reaver, who nodded in confirmation. "So maybe he's right - maybe they're after you two."
"And not you?" Sparrow said dryly, more to Reaver than to Hammer. Reaver raised his eyebrows.
"There were no Guards present to witness that final confrontation with Lucien," he said coolly. "So how would any of them know what actually happened? All they know now is that you and he were open enemies of Lucien."
Garth rested his arms on the table as he massaged his temples. His head hurt far too much for this. But he could reason along this line of thinking. "So they capture me, use me as bait to lure in Sparrow, and… then what, kill us?"
Reaver shrugged. "Maybe. Tough luck to you if that's the case."
He said it whilst looking at Sparrow, but it had been in response to Garth's question - Garth felt hurt. He scowled and looked away.
"If that is the case, Sparrow, you'll need to be home with your family." he muttered. "Your wife and young children may be in danger."
He heard Sparrow hiss sharply, and when he looked up, there was a stricken expression on Sparrow's face. It was as though that thought had never occurred to him. "Damn him," he seethed. "Even in death he won't leave my family in peace. Burning for eternity is too good for him." He must have realised what he'd said, because he looked quickly at Elisabeth. The girl hadn't even flinched, her eyes still focused on outside.
"Go back to your children," Garth instructed firmly. "Surely we can handle Oakfield, now that we know to be on our guard."
"Yeah, my monks should be enough," Hammer said, though she sounded unsure. "They didn't get to fight last night, because Reaver had killed them all by the time we heard the commotion, but they should be ready."
"We could use more of your Guards," Reaver cut in, looking at Sparrow. "Two groups of ill-trained buffoons are far better than one, after all."
Hammer looked insulted. "You little weasel-"
"All right," Sparrow cut in firmly. "Fine. I'll send an order of the Guards here as reinforcements. I trust you've places to house them?"
Reaver shrugged. "The main room in the Town Hall should suffice. Lay out some bedrolls and they'll be good to go."
A strange look passed over Sparrow's face - Garth was surprised to realise Sparrow was impressed with Reaver.
"Put the Mage out on the field and you'll be asking for trouble though," Reaver added, and Garth choked.
"And what makes you say that?" he asked tersely. Reaver met his gaze evenly.
"You go looking for them and they'll gather in the one place until you find them. Then they overpower you again. Simple."
"I was caught off guard last night," Garth growled. "It won't happen again."
Reaver scoffed at him. "Says you," he said, and Garth seethed quietly. If he needed to use his powers on Reaver to prove he could take care of himself, then so be it. At the moment, he certainly wasn't above that idea.
"Perhaps," he growled. "I should go somewhere else. Away from people."
Something flashed behind Reaver's eyes, but it was gone before Garth had a chance to decipher it. "And leave yourself even more vulnerable to attack?" Reaver scoffed. "Come now, Mage, you're supposed to be the intelligent one!"
"I'll stay." A quiet voice put a halt to the arguing as effectively as a shout. Elisabeth had turned in her seat, her eyes now focused on her father pointedly. "You have dozens and dozens of your guards at Bowerstone. Let me help here."
Sparrow returned her gaze, looking unsure.
"She can stay with me," Hammer offered helpfully before stifling a yawn. "I'll keep an eye on her if that's what you're worried about. She'd be a great help, Sparrow." Elisabeth smiled at her, and the difference it made was startling - she was certainly her father's daughter.
"You've trained me well, Father," she insisted. "Let me put my skills to good use."
Sparrow looked from his daughter to Hammer, and then sighed, defeated. "Alex is going to killme," he muttered.
"Thank you, Father."
"Oh, babysitting. How joyous!" Reaver said, and Garth scoffed.
"Eighteen is hardly a baby."
"I actually meant you, my dear Mage," Reaver replied, and Garth felt his cheeks heat up as another wave of anger swept through him. Reaver could blow his self-importance out of his arse-
"Ignore him," Sparrow said. He looked at Hammer. "Forgive me, I know you've probably scoured the area, but-"
"You need to do it yourself," Hammer interrupted. She smiled. "I figured you would. I'll come with you."
"Now there's a surprise," Reaver sneered at them for a moment before looking at Garth. "Would you like her to hold your hand too?"
"Geeze, did you get up on the wrong side of the bed or something?" Hammer snapped.
"I didn't get up on any side of the bed, thank you," Reaver replied curtly, and Garth suddenly found himself willing to forgive Reaver for his testy attitude. No one could go a day without sleep and have their house destroyed without being cranky.
Hammer softened, too. "Neither did I." she said. "That's why I'm going straight to bed after this. The monks can handle themselves for one day."
"I doubt we'll find anything," Sparrow added plainly. "But we'll look just in case. Garth, take care." He nodded to Garth before flicking his wrist at his daughter. "Elisabeth, with me."
Elisabeth jumped off the windowsill and pushed her bangs out of her face. She nodded to Garth as she followed Sparrow and Hammer out.
"So much fun," Reaver muttered, and he stifled a yawn. "For once, I think I'll actually listen to the Hammer-troll." He stood lazily, and rubbed one eye sleepily. "My bed sounds inviting, and not for its usual reasons," he said, and flashed a grin. Garth couldn't help but chuckle. "You can stay in that room you were in last night. It's right next to mine, actually." he added thoughtfully. "What do you think about that?"
"Oh, great. I'll be able to hear everything." Garth jested.
"I'd be alarmed if you couldn't hear your own voice," Reaver said cheerily, and Garth choked, his cheeks on fire. "I told the doctor to come around this afternoon, to remove the stitches in your shoulder," he said, nodding to where Garth had been stabbed. "Be sure to observe his astonishment thoroughly if I'm not awake - he didn't believe me when I said they would be ready to be removed this afternoon."
"Of course," Garth replied dryly, and Reaver bowed theatrically.
"Do stay out of trouble, dear Mage," he said, and with that he retired to his room.
As soon as his door shut, Garth went upstairs, curious to see the damage to his former room. The destruction was amazing, he decided as he scanned the room. Furniture had been strewn about, wallpaper had been singed, unpleasant red marks smeared here and there, and a layer of dust covered everything. But that wasn't what caught Garth's attention. He stepped over the wreckage carefully, mindful of slipping, as he approached the damaged wall. The hole was perfectly rounded, he noted wryly. It was clean too, with no cracks travelling across the rest of the wall from it, which was lucky - the house's structure was stable.
He looked out of the hole to the ground below. Where he had landed was obvious, marked by a huge dirt patch where grass had once been. Debris and glass was strewn across the lawn, and Garth decided he agreed with Hammer - it was remarkable he hadn't been knocked out.
He stared out across the town, sensing its silence even from there, and wondered if perhaps he should leave. But Reaver was right - he would be setting himself up for attack if he did that. Spire Guards were powerful - who knew how many of them were out there? When he and Sparrow had escaped the Spire, the had barely made it out alive. A dozen or more of them could overwhelm any of them. They had a much better chance of defeating them together.
Besides, he truly did not want to leave. Garth grit his teeth at his own selfishness. Once, he would have scorned the idea of putting an entire town of people in danger for the company of a wicked pirate.
**
Reaver had had bad days before. Getting captured by Lucien was the most recent one. His ship getting attacked by the kraken was another, and his mansion in Bloodstone burning down after that crazy bitch Penelope set it on fire was another. Then there were days that were off the charts - Oakvale's attack, his so-called initiation into pirate life, the death of… He shuddered. These were things he blocked out completely, things that only haunted him in his dreams, and nothing could ever compare to them.
Still, the last twenty-four hours had sucked eggs, as far as he was concerned. He had been having such a good night, too - he always enjoyed a good party, whether it was a simple dance or a wild bash. He'd noticed Garth leave, and had waited until the end of the current song to follow him.
He knew Garth was attracted to him. There was no mistaking it now, and Reaver was tired of waiting. He had followed Garth home with the intention of tumbling into bed with him, knowing that he wouldn't be rejected.
Finding Garth's broken and battered body in the front yard had been a shock. Seeing the damage to his house in addition to that had caused Reaver to, as one of his former crewmen used to say - flip his shit.
He'd had the element of surprise on his side, shooting all seven of the men in the heads before they managed to work out he was a competent enemy. He was under no delusions that, had they been prepared for him, he would have been able to take them all down. Perhaps with Garth's help, yes, but not by himself, and especially not if one of them could use magic. They had already nearly killed him once.
Oh, but Garth's condition had frightened him. The world's most powerful mage, taken out with a single attack. Well, it would not happen again. Reaver would make sure of that.
It was late evening, and though Reaver hadn't eaten since breakfast, he found he wasn't hungry. He was dressed for bed, but he didn't care. He was going to see Garth.
He rapped on the bedroom door, and Garth answered, giving him permission to enter. When he opened the door, he found Garth standing in front of the full-length mirror, inspecting his healing wounds. Reaver was pleased to see the stitches in his shoulder were gone.
Garth noticed. "The poor doctor was absolutely astounded." he said quietly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "He checked and rechecked them to make sure he wasn't mistaken before he removed them. Perhaps you should have made a bet with him."
Reaver laughed, startled that the suggestion had come from Garth. "Perhaps I should have," he agreed. "Ten gold pieces that you would be pretty much healed by the night! The thought didn't occur to me at the time." He ventured a little closer, eyeing the cut. "It will scar."
"Yes, though that doesn't matter," Garth said flippantly.
"Your Will lines will make it pretty." Reaver grinned.
"Something like that, I suppose," Garth replied dryly. His eyes met Reaver's in the mirror and he grew still.
Reaver glanced him over - the way the light played off his muscles, the way the Will scars glowed - and stepped forward. His eyes still locked with Garth's in the mirror, he stood behind the Mage, and ran his hands gently over his biceps. He danced his fingertips over a particularly large Will scar, and it left them tingling curiously.
Garth let out a shuddering breath, but otherwise stayed silent. He flinched a little when Reaver made to remove his monocle, but Reaver stilled him with a kiss pressed to the back of his neck. He handed it to Garth and Garth placed it out of the way, where it wouldn't be broken.
Well, that was practically a green flag from Garth. Given the way he carried on about that eyeglass, it was almost a marriage proposal. Reaver tried not to laugh at the thought, and instead ran kisses down Garth's neck and across his shoulders to distract himself. Garth gasped at every touch, unfamiliar with the sensation.
"Have you ever been with a man?" Reaver murmured against his skin. He needed to know how to approach this.
"I… yes. One." Garth replied hesitantly, his voice barely a breath. "And that ended a long time ago."
Reaver suspected he knew who that man was, but didn't press the subject. Now was not the time to bring up a ghost like that. "And women?"
"Three."
"At once?"
"Of course not," Garth scoffed, his cheeks pink.
"How innocent," Reaver chuckled, with only the slightest hint of irony. Garth scowled and turned away, and Reaver quickly stilled him. "Don't be coy, Mage. I find it endearing!"
Garth laughed breathlessly, and Reaver felt a hand behind his head as Garth pulled him into a kiss. He ran a hand down Garth's torso, intent on discovering what made him tick. He pinched a nipple gently, and held back a scowl when Garth didn't react. He raked his fingernails across Garth's skin, and smirked in triumph when Garth's body shuddered, the Mage gasping into the kiss. He pulled away.
"I usually like to be taken," he said, and laughed when Garth looked surprised. "What? It feels good."
Garth's lips quirked. "You never fail to surprise me," he admitted. Reaver was touched by the sentiment, but didn't comment on it.
"As I was saying, I prefer to be taken, but I can make an exception in this instance." He smirked as he raked his fingernails down Garth's back, and Garth gasped. "Pay attention, Mage, so that you may switch places with me next time with confidence."
"Next time?" Garth echoed breathlessly, but Reaver silenced him with a kiss, devouring him with lusty hunger. He walked Garth backwards, tumbling with him onto the bed, mindful of Garth's still-healing injuries. He kissed and nipped at Garth's neck and torso, and soon Garth was writhing under him, and Reaver felt a thrill knowing that he had the world's most powerful mage under his control.
He tugged at the lacing on Garth's trousers and pulled them off in a swift movement, Garth lifting his hips to help. Reaver sat back on his heels and admired the naked Mage for a moment. Garth returned his gaze, eyes hooded with lust.
"I've never been with someone who glows in the dark before," Reaver remarked, smirking. Those Will scars were eerily beautiful in the dark.
Garth chuckled. "Then perhaps it's time to broaden your horizons, hmm?"
Reaver laughed at the suggestion and moved back down to kiss Garth. His hands grasped Garth's wrists and held them down, and it was then that Garth stilled.
Reaver had encountered this behaviour before. For whatever reason, his partner did not like to be held down. Reaver scowled, wondering if the Spire had played a part in it, wondering if any of the men he had killed last night had ever forcibly touched Garth.
Garth mistook Reaver's expression. "Apologies," he muttered, turning his head to the side.
"There's no need for that," Reaver replied distractedly. He pressed a kiss to Garth's jaw and climbed off him. "Wait here."
He stood and undressed slowly, making a show of it. Garth watched with obvious pleasure - A voyeur, perhaps? Reaver mused as he sat down beside Garth and pulled the man into his lap. Garth blinked.
"What, you've never done it this way?" Reaver asked, grinning.
"No."
"Your previous partner was inadequate, then. Or perhaps you didn't partake in the pleasures of the carnal sort too much." Reaver began to stroke their lengths together and Garth gasped, his back arching and his fingers digging hard into Reaver's shoulders. Reaver moaned softly - he liked a bit of pain with his pleasure. Distractedly he reached over to the bedside table and fumbled about in the drawer, finally retrieving a condom and a small vial of lotion.
Garth stared at him. "You keep those on hand, do you?" he asked. Rather than sounding angry, he sounded faintly amused. Reaver took that as a good sign - the man understood him, at least a little.
"Short answer? Yes." Reaver grinned and opened the little packet carefully. "Long answer? You'll find them in every bedroom, in the bedside table. Judging by your surprise, I'm assuming you've never snooped through it. And, well… I always use protection. I'm not a disease-ridden wench."
"There's a surprise."
"Oh, you'll pay for that." Reaver knew Garth was only joking. He planted a kiss on Garth's mouth and held up the vial of lotion. "Shall we skip the formalities, then? Do you need preparing or not?"
Again, he was answered with a bemused stare. "You are a strange man." he said. "This time, yes. Next time, we use a potion as lubricant. It heals and relieves that initial pain."
Reaver blinked. In all his two and a half centuries of life, he had never thought of that. But he didn't comment on it as he coated his fingers in the lotion and pressed one carefully into Garth. Garth hissed in a breath but made no other signs of discomfort as Reaver added another finger, and then another, slowly stretching and preparing him.
It had been a while since he had been with a man, and it took him a few moments to find that sweet spot all men possessed. But when he did, Garth gasped and arched up against him. The sight made Reaver's breath hitch and his mind scream with want.
He couldn't wait any longer.
He pulled his fingers out and began to coat his member in the lotion. Garth watched him wantonly, cementing Reaver's suspicions that perhaps he was a bit of a voyeur. He would have to remember that for next time.
He lifted Garth up and onto him, pressing him down slowly, mindful of hurting him. Amusingly enough, Garth thought he was too slow, for he swatted Reaver's hands away and lowered himself onto Reaver at a steady pace.
"Impatient, are we?" Reaver breathed. Garth was so tight…
"You've no idea," Garth replied, sounding just as breathless.
They began to rock together, and for a while the only sounds were moans and uttered curses. Garth bit into Reaver's shoulder to silence himself, and Reaver shuddered, his body appreciating the bit of pain.
"Harder," Garth panted suddenly.
Reaver would have raised an eyebrow had the suggestion not totally distracted him. So the crazy bastard liked it a little rougher, did he? Well, Reaver was more than willing to oblige.
He slammed Garth's hips down, forcing a throaty moan out of the smaller man and spurring him on even more. He whispered an order to Garth to touch himself, and Garth did so as he buried his face in the crook of Reaver's neck.
Reaver let out a moan. He forced Garth to look back up and promptly slammed their lips together. The action pushed Garth over the edge. He cried out into Reaver's mouth as he climaxed, sending a thrill through Reaver's body as he clutched onto him.
Reaver choked out something incoherent as wave after wave of pleasure built up slowly, his climax seeming both far off and very near. Garth was smirking at him, moving his hips deliberately, and Reaver realised that that bastard Mage had done something.
The dam broke, and all thoughts were washed from his head as he orgasmed, his entire body shuddering intensely as he sought to catch hold of something, anything. Garth kissed him again, and Reaver held him there until the strong pleasure subsided.
After a few long moments, Garth climbed off and sprawled out on the bed, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. Reaver slumped down flat next to him, pausing only to take filled condom off carefully. He dropped in on the floor - it would be easy enough to clean up.
When he finally caught his breath, he turned on his side and stared at Garth. "What the hell was that?" he demanded.
Garth gave him an all too innocent look. "An orgasm, dear man. Has it really been that long?"
"I know what an orgasm is!" Reaver replied exasperatedly. "What I meant was, what did you do?"
"You didn't like it?" Garth was smirking now. Smug bastard.
"I… yes. Just tell me!" Reaver cursed himself. His charisma seemed to have already fallen asleep.
"If you must know," Garth replied, stifling a yawn. "I slowed down time." His eyes fluttered shut. He was ready for sleep.
Reaver scanned his body, to make sure their exertions hadn't reopened any of Garth's wounds. He looked all right, so Reaver rolled onto his back and shifted into a more comfortable position as a wave of lethargy overtook him. "So you're not against using your little powers in the bedroom?" he asked.
"No," Garth replied sleepily. Reaver smirked.
"We'll have to make good use of them, then."
"If you say so," Garth mumbled, and within moments they were both asleep.
