Author's Notes:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARY THE WORLD IS UGLY! IT'S OFFICIALLY THREE YEARS OLD!
So, I ended up commissioning a title page! I'll put a link at the end of the chapter so you can look at it on Tumblr.
Thank you to all of you guys who keep reading and reviewing! We literally wouldn't have gotten this far without you :)
I hope you all have good holidays and a Happy New Year!
Chapter 77:
Laxus was dragged from the dredges of sleep by a migraine striking hot as fire through the back of his skull to dig claws into the backs of his eyes. He felt dazed and dehydrated, fighting out of the familiar cobwebs that tethered him down into dreadful waking. His mouth was dry and he blinked into the scathing morning light, winced at the ringing in his ears that slowly crescendoed before receding back into the confines of his mind.
He didn't remember going to sleep.
What had happened yesterday? Why did it all seem distant and faded, like a dream?
Yesterday…
…they'd run into Davian's brother, Orotrushit. He'd spent the day, then, picking up the shattered remains of Davian and trying to keep him together. Still smudged with burgundy wine and shaking, it had taken a lot of effort to get him back to the manor. Simple directions had worked best for the dazed, bird-eyed Major. He shook through the whole thing and there wasn't a moment that passed where Laxus didn't feel the prickling bite of his nails on his arm or his wrist. But that didn't explain why his mouth felt like cotton, or why his brain felt like he'd gone to bed after having far too many drinks and not near enough water.
He remembered puppeteering Davian into new clothes and looking for bandages. He remembered a crash from the kitchen and rushing down to find Davian eating feverishly, tearing through rather than opening packages and waiting in the living room until the frantic sloughing eased to an end along with the wet snaps of meat being torn. He'd found Davian standing with his hands on the wide sink and black ink rolling from his nose, looking every bit like he was going to throw up.
"Feel better?" Laxus prompted and those yellow eyes shot to him.
"No," he had growled in response, bending a bit farther towards the sink as if to emphasize his point.
Laxus sat up and glanced to the corners of the room, to the drawn curtains. His arms and legs felt heavy and weighted. Had he felt this way before? He had, hadn't he? When?
A shift from below his feet made his spine snap straight. For a second, he thought that maybe he'd misheard but there, just beneath the heavy taciturnity that clung to the body of the house, there were quiet footsteps. Someone else was in the house, and judging by the lack of solid boot heels, it wasn't Davian.
He slipped out of bed and realized he was dressed in the same clothes from the day before. He gazed out into the hallway, to the open and empty doorways, and somehow felt even worse about it than the day before. A frigid chill was inching its way down his spine as he stepped as silently as he could into the hall. His stomach turned, the lightning inside his belly suddenly made restless by his own apprehension. He walked to the landing and his eyes landed on a dark figure laying on the hardwood.
A dog, massive and covered in long, black fur, was laying there at the base of the stairs. As soon as Laxus stopped, it's ears perked up although it never moved its head. Eyes were trained ahead, vigilant and dark. Strangely, Laxus thought he knew its name. He furrowed his brow as the sound of shuffling skittered through the corridor and up the steps. The footsteps were light and sure, not the muted creeping of a burglar or intruder. He should know who was here.
Wait, that was right… Irena.
It was just when Laxus was about to ask if Davian had any alcohol laying around, that a confident knock sounded from the foyer; three solid raps in quick succession followed by an expectant pause. Laxus glanced to Davian who blinked, surprised and confused. Dread wormed its way through Laxus's chest first, quickly followed by indignation and contempt. Was he just going to be scared of everything now? A couple bad days and restless sleep was really going to reduce him so much? He set his jaw and ignored Davian as he lunged for him on the other side of the counter.
"Laxus! Wait…!"
When hands grabbed hold of his arm to stop him, he easily wrenched free from their grasp. Davian was in the middle of babbling something when he finally dragged the massive front entrance open, revealing much to his surprise an unassuming woman. As unassuming as a woman with scarlet hair could be, anyway. Long, unruly curls flared around her shoulders and Laxus had just opened his mouth to ask who the hell she was when a low growl snaked its way from just behind her. He craned his neck to the side to gaze right at two massive dogs. He wasn't sure the breed, but their size and keen eyes told him exactly what they were bred for. They both stared pointedly into the foyer, one with hackles raised, looking very much like a black bear, and one with head tilted to the side curiously.
"Is Major Bishop here?" her words were sharp and it took a moment for Laxus to realize who she was.
"Irena?" he asked and she seemed surprised, then amused.
"Oh, so he talks about me, does he?"
"Oh dear…" Laxus whipped his head around to Davian who was standing just behind him, looking almost more horrified than when they'd seen his brother earlier. He backed up a step, then another.
"You… you bastard!" Irena seethed and Laxus didn't need any convincing to get out of the way. In fact, in that instant he decided he wasn't in any mood for whatever this was about to turn into. As soon as she was through the door, he was sidestepping past massive fur balls in order to get out, and Davian was yelling something about how he couldn't just leave.
But he could, and he did. With a solid slam to the heavy door, he was gone and making his way back through town feeling about as scattered as the sand that was blown across the sidewalk from the beach. With no particular destination in mind, Laxus marched his way miserably through the market, ghosted through the docks and towards the sea. It wasn't exactly a revelation when he figured out he was heading towards the ferry. Where else was he going to go? It wasn't like he knew anyone in this goddamn town. The only person worth knowing, to him at least, was currently suffering from magic deficiency, exhaustion, and second-degree burns.
He he headed for Ember Island and stewed in his agita, and realized he was restless, so restless. And tense. And he was itching for something but wasn't sure what he could do about it. He just wanted things to be ok again. He wanted to make them ok. That and a drink. Goddamn, he wanted a drink. And he wanted it with Gajeel.
He wanted… well, he wanted…
…to wake up to the smell of iron, the sharp taste of it on his tongue. The thought alone made him heady. Those hands, slender and tan fingers, possessive and deceptively gentle; he wanted to shiver from their softness. It made his chest feel tight, his heart beat faster.
Here Irena was, walking about the kitchen as if she'd always been here, and it made Laxus miss the way Gajeel could get angry, how he'd use his teeth, how he'd get carried away. How was it that Davian could get the person he cared for and didn't really deserve but Laxus was stuck dreaming of the way Gajeel's eyes would gaze into a vast distance whenever he'd get lost in thought, how sometimes he'd get lost like that while gazing at him.
You're just lonely.
He walked down the stairs slowly, passed the guard dog at the base of the stairs. A glorious smell wafted from the kitchen and his entire body responded with wretched hunger. He'd gone to bed without dinner, had went an entire day without a meal, and his stomach was ready to revolt.
Irena's scarlet twists were pulled up in a bandana yellow enough to remind Laxus he had a migraine. She smiled at him radiantly and Laxus noticed her eyes were an intimidating shade of blue.
"Good afternoon," he sort of resented how warm her voice was, "I was starting to wonder if you'd wake up at all."
Laxus grimaced, "It's late…"
"Mm, yeah…" she smiled thoughtfully, "He said you'd be like this. I made you some tea."
"He?" Laxus said it but immediately knew who she was talking about, "What in the hell did he do?"
"Not sure… you two were arguing last night," she grabbed the kettle from the stove and poured the steaming drink into a large mug. Laxus could smell wintergreen as she slid the mug over to him, "Willow bark tea. It's good for migraines."
Laxus stared at it, "We were arguing? About what?"
"A boyfriend, maybe?"
"Goddammit…" Laxus growled, rubbing at his temples.
Why couldn't he remember?
The nurses were changing shifts when he'd finally left Gajeel's side. He had asked when the doctor would be in again, asked someone to call him if Gajeel woke up, and ignored the confused way the nurse looked at him as he walked away. He figured the house would be asleep by the time he got back, given how late it was, which was why he was so surprised to find one of the windows lit as he approached. It was odd how such a kind, ordinary thing could seem so malicious, like one massive eye glaring down at him under the dark slope of the roof. He stared at it as he approached, as if breaking its gaze for even a moment would spell some sort of end. One blink and he'd miss something extremely important.
But it was just a window. It was just a house. So, he forced his eyes to the door and ignored the feeling of something massive looming overhead as he stepped up to the porch and pushed the door once again open. The fireplace was lit and there was a massive pile in front of it, two eyes glinting at him in the shadow, and a low growl.
"Cersei," Davian's tired voice called from down the hall, through one of the doorways he couldn't see into. Laxus gritted his teeth because it was the dining room. The dog didn't move, just watched Laxus as he walked through the foyer in search of the Major. He took the lack of growling to be a good sign.
"What are you still doing awake?" Laxus muttered, knowing fully well Davian could hear him even though they weren't in the same room.
"Working."
He felt disjointed as he ambled into that dim room with its twitchy wallpaper. He ignored it, hurled his gaze straight for the man who was surrounded by binders and journals and pictures. His eyes never looked up at him. His pen was moving, darting up and down, the quill tip of it cutting the air like a knife.
"What happened with Irena?"
"She's staying," Davian sighed, leaning back slightly in his chair, "For as long as she likes."
"Oh, good."
Davian stayed silent.
"That's good, right? You got the girl? Isn't that how all good stories end?" Laxus walked slowly up next to him, grabbed the chair directly beside him and sat down. The wood creaked and the sound made him nervous. He wasn't quite sure why.
"Most would say that good stories tend to see the villain upended and dead somewhere," he crossed his arms.
"You ain't a villain."
"I'm not?" his eyes flashed yellow but he didn't look at him, "I'm inclined to disagree."
"Shouldn't you be happy?"
"I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill her and then I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life."
Laxus scoffed, "You're not going to kill her."
"I almost did, Laxus," he hissed, tongue flickering out for just a moment as he became more upset. His voice dropped until he was barely speaking, "What happens next time? When I don't stop? How could I live with myself?"
"You're not going to kill her, Davian," Laxus put emphasis in his words, stressing the truth he felt was there. Davian didn't seem to hear it.
"How could you possibly know that?"
"That's not who you are."
"You know nothing about who I am."
"I know enough," Laxus snapped, "and I know it doesn't matter either way. Irena wants to be here and you're not going to stop her. So you can wallow in your own self-pity all you want…"
"It must be so nice from your golden throne, Laxus," Davian snarled, "Here you are chastising me when you have the exact same fears."
"I do not."
"Don't you?" his voice turned into the flat of a knife, all cold and smooth but not quite biting, "Weren't you the one talking about how terrified you were of losing control?"
Laxus bristled, "That's different."
"How exactly? Please enlighten me,"
He glared at Davian out of the corner of his eye, "It won't happen again."
"How can you possibly be sure?" Davian pressed.
"Because I won't let it," Laxus spoke the words as calmly as he could but still the t landed harshly at the end of his last three words.
"Hubris," Davian scoffed, "Often accompanied by a fall."
"I'm not an animal."
"We're all animals," Davian snarled, "Some of us more than others."
"Davian, stop it."
Strangely enough, he did. They both lapsed into vile, ear-splitting silence. Laxus could hardly breathe through the range of emotions falling off the Major in waves. The anger, the fear, the regret, all of it familiar because he'd felt that way once as well. He had a difficult time being numb to it but he couldn't spiral into this all again. Laxus clenched and unclenched his jaw. Davian wasn't good for him. He was too volatile, struggling too much. He was dragging Laxus down with him whenever he started to spiral. Laxus really shouldn't care so much, but he did, and it was an agitating thing. He wanted to help but Davian was becoming a leech to his side, gorging himself on Laxus's insecurities, opening wounds Laxus thought should be well healed. He didn't want to deal with it. He was too tired.
But he also didn't want them to begin to resent each other.
"So," Laxus tested the tight line between them, felt the tension, "You figure out any more of your puzzle?"
"Hm? Oh…" he took off his glasses and rubbed his palm against his forehead, "Somewhat… but I only have more questions for all my efforts."
"More questions?" Laxus didn't like how that sounded.
"Yes well… I suppose I just don't understand."
"There's not a helluvah lot to understand, Major."
"So you say," he murmured. Laxus watched him, eyeing the translation he had in front of him. He just barely couldn't make out the words and was craning his neck to try and read them when Davian finally noticed and slid the stack of papers over to him, "I think I finally figured out how all of this started, at the very least."
"More products for her clientele?" Laxus muttered as he flipped through the pages. Davian was leaning into his palm, watching him.
"She was sterile."
"Okay? I don't see what that has to do with…"
"She's not much use to Father if she can't bear him any children."
"You're fucking kidding me," Laxus growled, "That can't be…"
"She did her work on her own kind first, if you remember. Specifically, all from the Qaholom line."
"I don't know what that means."
"The Qaholoms are an old brood with a strong bloodline. I told you I had cousins that went into season. They all hail from that line," he reached across the table and pulled towards him the familiar binder from the cave.
"So why go after Gajeel? She had what she needed."
"I should think that answer is obvious."
Laxus raised an eyebrow at him.
"She didn't have what she needed. Rut and heat both, they just boil down to hormones. In men, it's a surge in testosterone. In women, it's estrogen and an increase in receptivity… being so closely related to humans, and especially Bianca being half human… that's not necessary to baring children. I'd imagine if all that was keeping her from her goal was a hormone imbalance then surely she would have stopped at creating a potion to induce it."
"Davian, she was doing it for her clients," Laxus didn't touch the binder, just looked at it with the same distaste he would a snake coiled to bite, "She said so herself. She needed something that made it so the victim couldn't say no."
"That's just too simple," Davian shook his head slowly, staring somewhere off into the distance. His voice was precise and direct when he spoke again, "A personal question, Laxus?"
"Mh?"
"You said male dragons were extremely territorial. That's why when you went into heat, you attacked Mr. Redfox,"
Laxus sighed, ignoring yellow eyes as they flashed towards him and instead chose to glance out into the hall.
"You just went from killing each other to wanting to have sex?"
"Gods alive, you're fuckin' blunt."
"We're both mature adults trying to figure out why you were targeted. Surely you can stand to talk about it for five minutes," Davian mused, tapping one of his claws against the table. "What makes you different?"
Laxus didn't really know the answer. He didn't know the intricacies of what happened to him, to Gajeel, only that it did. Even the aggression was something common in most animals, and by the way Davian didn't seem surprised, maybe it happened to his kind as well. He leaned back into his chair and stared at the ceiling, flipping it over in his mind and trying to stay impartial. He ran his tongue against his teeth.
"What about the venom?" he hadn't exactly meant to say it out loud, it was more a thought than anything, but the way Davian suddenly snapped his head towards him made him realize he'd spoken. He hesitated.
"The what?"
"Yeah… so when we go into heat, we produce venom. So, whoever we bite… it, uh…" Laxus shrugged and Davian narrowed his eyes at him.
"It what?"
"Well… I mean, I don't know, I've never been bitten,"
Davian leaned back slightly as if to take a good look at him, "Take your time. Use your words."
Laxus glared at him, "You're such a prick."
The corner of Davian's lip tugged slightly in amusement, but other than that he remained stoic and focused. Laxus clicked his teeth, "It increases their receptivity."
"You're joking," Davian raked his eyes up and down Laxus, incredulity clear on his face. Of course, Laxus hadn't been joking but Davian's sudden tense reaction made him uneasy. His eyes wandered across the table for a moment before his brows furrowed and his lips turned into a stark frown, "And that usually happens what time of year?"
"I dunno… late spring?"
"Late spring. Late… Spring…" he muttered, staring at the translation in front of him, turning the words over in his mind. He suddenly sucked in a quick breath, "Goddammit!"
Laxus jumped in his seat, shocked by the outburst. Had he heard Davian cuss before? Suddenly, the Major was on his feet, feathers darting in and out of his hair and his eyes flashing yellow.
"Of course, it's late spring. Why wouldn't it be…?!"
"Calm the fuck down… I don't go into heat, remember?" Laxus growled at him but he kept pacing, kept raging, turning sharply on his heel as he gesticulated with his hands wildly.
"Not you! Him!" Davian flicked his hand in the direction of the notebooks and Laxus felt his heart misstep.
"But he didn't…"
"Oh, of course, this is exactly what I need! One raging mage destroyed half the prison, now I'll have the other half destroyed!"
"He's not going to destroy the fucking prison."
"He's not?! An extremely violent and territorial man allowed to rampage for a week and you think he won't destroy my prison? Oh, if the Colonel didn't have my head already he certainly will now! No, I will not have my career ended by this… this…!"
Laxus gritted his teeth, "Can't you just put him in solitary or something?"
"I have an entire cellblock decommissioned for repairs. There is no solitary! Everyone is sleeping two to a cell. I'd have to reorganize the entire layout! Do you know how much work-?"
"Fine! Here's an idea: release him. He shouldn't even be in prison anyway!" Laxus snarled.
"With what evidence?"
"What the hell do ya think this is?" Laxus was on his feet, made a sweeping gesture to the paperwork that littered the table, presenting the obvious.
"This will take me weeks to translate. For all I know, Mr. Redfox could wake up tomorrow," Davian hissed, baring his sharp teeth, "I need that lacrima."
"We don't have the lacrima."
"I'm not convinced we don't."
"He. Doesn't. Have. It."
"He is the only other viable option, Laxus, don't you see that?" Davian snapped, eyes darting this way and that as he thought quickly, "I can use this."
"Eh?"
"No, no I can use this. He'll be disorientated when he wakes up. Unfocused. Sloppy…"
Laxus balled his fists, his eyes widened, "You're not cornering him when he can't think properly!"
"I'll do what I have to," Davian turned on him, then, and his eyes were nearly glowing, "If that's what I have to do to get a confession, then so be it."
Laxus remembered reaching out for him, grabbing his arm and opening his mouth to say something, but nothing ever came out. That familiar sensation of stubborn calm simmering up through him, seeping through his skin and claiming his mind. He'd tried to fight it. It wasn't like he couldn't tell what Davian was doing. But in the end, he hadn't been a match for the Major when he'd made a decision. His stomach turned remembering how he'd crumpled like discarded paper. Suddenly, the warm mug in his hands was no longer comforting.
Laxus was livid, "That… bastard."
"Yeah, he is, isn't he?" Irena was leaning on her elbows, a sure and easy look on her face as she watched him piece his fracted memory back together, "Don't suppose I can convince you to eat some breakfast before you leave? You look pale."
"I'm fine," Laxus nearly snarled he was so furious. He stood and made for the exit but there was a large dog barring the doorway, sitting squarely so he couldn't get past. He put his hands on his hips, "Move."
"Ramesses only moves when hungry people eat."
"Someone is always hungry somewhere," Laxus growled, "I'm in a hurry."
"Eat it on the ferry, then."
Laxus pulled his eyes back to her and noticed a small bento packed on the table. Her arms were crossed and a smug grin was perched just below strikingly silver eyes. Laxus sort of saw her in a new light. She was as fiery as she was considerate, which was an odd combination. He regarded her suspiciously as he took the box from the counter, a sneaking though that she'd get along well with Mirajane playing in the back of his mind.
"Take the tea as well. It's good for the stomach."
Gajeel blinked into the bright light of the interrogation room. He was agitated and uncomfortable. His skin felt tight and hot, his mind not quite processing what was happening around him. He could hear the flutter of paper and it was distorted, amplified, as if it were coming through a speaker that was turned up far too loud. The chains around his wrists and ankles clinked gently, the light tinkling of his imprisonment never far enough away for him to forget. This place was familiar with its large window that reflected only himself and one other person in this glaringly white room. He glared at the figure opposite him with dark indifference. He was fidgeting with the bandages on his arm, unwrapping and rewrapping his wrist, breathing deeply, trying to focus on the Major and his own hands, trying to ignore the stir of impatient energy in his thighs.
Despite how desperately he tried, he couldn't stop the pensive and anxious twist of fingers in a circular motion. He was running his tongue against his teeth, lingering on the canines. He felt his own throat shutter as he swallowed. His entire body surged with the feeling of leaves rustling hopelessly in the wind, the scraping and scattering of it trembled his soul. This thing he'd been pushing against, gravitating towards, itching to meet in some hopeless reunion, was sitting just there on the other side of four-inch-thick glass. The heat, the aching need that he'd staved off with necessity and antimagic and bloodlust, he no longer could distract himself from. And the entire time Davian just sat, flipping purposely through the pages of a file as he reclined in his chair, utterly unaware of the frothing beast barely tethered just on the other side of the table.
"If ye want a confession, ya ain't gonna get it," Gajeel's voice was coarse and thick with mud and grass. It had been a while since he'd last used his voice, "I didn't kill Unaven."
"Of course not," Davian replied calmly, "I did."
Red eyes widened. Outrage tinged his sight in scarlet and his lips twisted into a snarl, "You? Why?"
Davian's shrug was cold, "It doesn't much matter, does it? You're up for his murder either way, although those charges will probably be dropped. Innocent until proven guilty, and all that. And there is quite a lack of evidence in that case…"
He seemed to have found the page he was searching for and stood abruptly. The sound of the chair scraping against the concrete floor made Gajeel wince. The sound of heels filled the air with same purpose of the driving of a nail into cold, pitiless wood. Gajeel leaned back slightly, pressing his lips into a line as Davian dropped the pages before him. They were pictures he recognized, full of faces mutilated and eyes of glass. The autopsies of the Phantom Risers and Ceatus gazing distantly up as if trapped forever in crystal clear water, grey-tinged and long dead, untouched by fish or scavenger.
Davian sat on the edge of the table, eyes looking steadily into the window, and crossed his arms. Gajeel stared at the photographs but didn't move. His fidgeting stopped, his hands digging fingertips into the table. He didn't seem surprised or upset and he didn't defend himself. Ruby eyes lolled over towards Davian as he waited for what was to happen next.
"Not going to deny those?"
"There's nothing to deny," Gajeel spoke quietly and wondered what Davian was waiting for, why was he dragging this out. Was this a game? Gajeel knew about these kinds of games, and if the Chameleon wanted to go this route then, well, he had always been a little showy, hadn't he? So he let a slow, wicked grin spread across his face, making a point to show extended canines. Davian didn't look at him and Gajeel didn't vie for his attention, just leaned slowly back to gaze up at the ceiling, "What do you want, Major? Can't piece together what happened just right? Want a firsthand account?"
Davian didn't reply but he stared into the window, eyes never straying, and Gajeel wondered briefly if the Major could see something past the two-way mirror.
"Are you just curious?" Gajeel's voice dripped with venom and spite. His predatory gaze centered on the Major, "Want to know how I hunted them down with almost no light? How I figured out what to give that bastard with the bright eyes to keep him alive for all of it? What about the look in Bianca's eyes when she died?"
Davian took in a slow breath, "I think I've got you figured out, Mr. Redfox."
Gajeel scoffed, "You do, eh?"
"You certainly don't lack depth, I'll give you that. And if I had been asked a few months ago if I thought you were a patient man, the answer would have been a resounding no… and I would have been wrong. You are far more keen than I ever gave you credit for," Davian stood and with his hands behind his back, he began to walk. His tread was casual and pointed, and Gajeel found himself schooling a smirk. If Davian was trying to be intimidating, he was missing his mark, "You and I have a lot in common."
Gajeel almost laughed, "We don't."
"And yet, just like me, you've been hiding in plain sight all along, haven't you? Blending in seamlessly into your surroundings leaving no one the wiser?" Davian hummed as he walked, rounding the back of Gajeel's chair.
Gajeel crossed his arms, "I ain't hidin'."
"Aren't you?" he could feel Davian's eyes boring into him as his voice turned borderline patronizing. He bit the inside of his cheek in order to keep himself in check, "I think it started when you were with Phantom Lord. Things were expected of you that you weren't prepared for. Your Master told you that you had to kill for your guild. A stronger man would refuse but self-preservation has a way of manipulating you, doesn't it?"
"I don't know what yer talkin' about."
"No? Then why is it you never stopped me from putting you behind bars? I think we both know you could have."
Gajeel clenched and unclenched his jaw, "With you fabricating evidence? Who are they going to believe, Major?"
"But you knew the murder of Unaven wouldn't stick, didn't you? It was too staged, too obvious. And without the recording lacrima installed at the Phantom Riser's hideout, there would be no way to catch you in the act. I sort of wonder if you had planned to kill him and maybe you were talked out of it."
"Who can say?" Gajeel stretched his feet out under the table, rolling his eyes to the window, feigning boredom. He noticed he'd started tapping his finger against his arm, dug the nail into the bare skin. He forced himself to stop.
"And then there's Ms. Ulrich and that whole scandal. Fifteen murders in cold blood. My own half-sister… I would say it was a waste of life, but, well, the woman was absolutely mad," Davian stopped walking and turned to peer over his shoulder, "That was out of self-preservation as well, wasn't it?"
"She had it comin'," he replied simply, "It was revenge."
"Some of it was, I'm sure. Certainly, the ruthless nature in which you went about things, but I'd wager most of it was just the sort of reaction you'd expect from a cornered animal," it took an enormous amount of effort to wrestle his snarl into submission as Davian made his to his chair. He put a hand to the back of it, leaned against it, and glanced at Gajeel out of the corner of his eye, "Did that get under your skin? Being called an animal?"
"Been called worse,"
"I'm sure name calling doesn't really faze you… but being cornered does. And that's exactly what I'm about to do. Are you prepared?"
Gajeel chuckled and rolled his eyes, "Go ahead."
"You're no fool, Mr. Redfox, you know your way around the underside of the Earthland. Someone is after you and if they're half the villain you used to be, they'll drag everyone you care about down until they get to you. You would do anything to keep your loved ones safe, which is commendable, definitely, but also dangerous. You have to be smart about this, or else you'll end up dead. So, when an officer comes to your door and says he wants you behind bars for the Ulrich murders, that about settles it for you. You can handle yourself in a one on one fight with some thug in a prison cell and your loved ones are safe because for all anyone knows, you're right where your enemies want you to be. Am I getting close, Mr. Redfox?" Davian was walking again, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. Gajeel didn't answer, a smirk plastered across his face as he listened, "While you sit and wait for whatever plan for revenge unfolds, you rest well knowing that the people you care about are safe and when you're right where everyone can see you, you're untouchable. You can't mysteriously go missing, can't be ambushed in some back alley, can't be manipulated… but people can lose interest or be bought with a price. And you can wait years if you have to, to figure out which one of those is the best avenue. Tell me, am I close?"
Gajeel shrugged, "I'm not very patient."
"Is that right?"
"Maybe I just figured that eventually you'd show yer real colors. I just needed to make sure it was where someone was recording," Gajeel grinned, showing his teeth, "There's a lot of cameras at Ember Island, Major Bishop."
Davian looked at him steadily, his lip pulling up slightly at the corner, "I'm impressed. You really know what you're doing."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should. As it turns out, there is only one thing you got wrong."
"Mh? And what's that?"
"I'm not the one who wants revenge on you… and to be honest, I'm not even sure revenge is even on the agenda."
Gajeel's heart made a misstep, "You tryin' to convince me I'm paranoid? That's a weird angle."
"Not at all. Someone is definitely out to get you… it's just not me, and possibly not for the reason you suspect. Which means, there's no need for you to be here," Davian settled back at the place he started, clasping his hands in front of him as he eased his weight to the edge of the table.
"You're kidding."
"Not at all. I can get your name cleared rather easily, actually, I just need a bit of proof in case any questions are asked. Right now, the evidence is stacked against you but if I have the lacrima with the stored files from Bianca's estate, it would be more than enough to sway any opinions to the contrary of your release," Davian cocked his head to the side and gazed over his glasses at him. Gajeel could see the yellow of his eyes flash into view, the human roundness falling apart to reveal the truth underneath, "So, I'll make you an offer, hm? You tell me where you've stashed it and I'll let you go immediately. No paperwork. No waiting on the Grand Magic Council to overturn the verdict. There is a safe house situated on the mainland. You can stay there for as long as it will take for them to clear the release… or longer, if needed. I know sometimes it's difficult to get acclimated to life outside after you've been here for so long…"
Gajeel, despite the front he had so carefully put up, felt suddenly heavy. He ran his tongue against his sharper teeth and itched at his wrist. He could leave. Davian was offering him, with no strings attached, the option to leave and not a day too soon. How much time did he even have before he wouldn't be able to keep himself in check? An afternoon at most? He could be alone where no one could find him; a safe house, off the grid, for an entire week. The trepidation he'd been gripping so tightly to the past few days, he could finally let it go…
…But there was safety in being behind bars. Davian had been so unbearably close, when he'd broken him down. If he was behind bars, he could be touched. He knew from his time with Phantom that other criminals were easily bought. Whoever was after him wanted him in prison. He didn't think for even a moment they'd be satisfied with him only spending a few months locked away. And if it wasn't Davian, it gave him no peace of mind. It just meant there was someone else, someone he didn't know about, still stalking from the shadows. Maybe it was the Chameleon who'd stalked him for nearly a year, or maybe even someone else, Father or whoever it was Laxus had talked about during his stake out. Could he really take the risk that they'd come for the people he cared for? That some he loved would face the consequences to his mistakes?
If something happened to Lily, to Laxus, because of him… would he be able to live with himself?
"That's…" Gajeel felt sick. His skin seethed at him and for a moment he couldn't speak. He bit the inside of his cheek, took a moment to focus on that simple pain, and breathed, "A generous offer… but I can't."
The Major blinked for a moment and tried again, "That's all I need from you. I just need the lacrima. No confession, no dirt on any of your old guildmates, nothing that would warrant you going into a witness protection program. All I need is visual proof your actions were passion, not premeditated murder."
Gajeel gritted his teeth, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I see…" Davian leaned back slightly, "…you'll have to forgive me but that's really not what I wanted to hear."
"Sorry," Gajeel replied tersely, forcing his eyes to glare at the table.
"I am too." Gajeel snapped his eyes back to the Major. He was holding his glasses in his hands, flipping them over and over. He shook his head and closed his eyes before taking in a deep breath and standing up, walking towards the door. He didn't leave.
"What in the hell are you doing?" Gajeel growled as he heard the familiar click of a lock.
"I didn't want to have to resort to this. After everything, you must know, I did develop a micrometer of respect for you. But you're still a criminal and a murderer so I suppose I won't lose any sleep over it… Laxus will be furious I'm sure…"
"What does Laxus have to do with this?" he tugged jerked to move, forgetting for a moment that he was shackled to the chair.
"You know, you have an exceptional poker face. I would never have known if it weren't for getting so close to your better half these past few days. You have no idea how desperately he's been trying to get you free, and I had been fighting him every step of the way but, as fate would have it, things change. You see, I very much want you out of my prison," Davian took a deep breath and suddenly unraveled. His features became more angled, his fingers sharpening to gold-tipped talons. The stoic, upright façade of Major Bishop vanished into bright yellow eyes and sharp teeth. Gajeel's eyes darted to the two-way mirror and Davian shook his head slowly, "Don't worry, there's no one there. You can feel free to be yourself,"
"What the hell are you playing at?" Gajeel hissed at him as he stepped steadily closer, eyes looking straight into him, tearing into his chest.
"How are you feeling? I'd be willing to bet no one has asked you that question in a while. I hear it's not exactly a fun experience when you're left to your own devices. I, of course, wouldn't know. That particular trait skipped me, you see."
Suddenly, it dawned on Gajeel what Davian was talking about and dread snapped jagged teeth into his chest. He gripped the arms of the chair but couldn't move for the chains that kept him tied. It was Bianca all over again. He was trapped.
No… not this wasn't happening again!
"Calm down, calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not Bianca. I just need you to tell me where the lacrima is."
"I don't…" his throat closed around a whine.
"You do and I know you do. There's no point in hiding it."
"Major…" it wasn't exactly a plea but there was far more panic in that one word than he would ever admit to out loud.
Davian was within arm's reach when suddenly there was pounding at the door. A voice, furious and sharp, was yelling. Gajeel's chest shuddered because it was Laxus's voice. He couldn't make out what he was saying through the soundproofing but he knew it was him. All at once heat and dismay and relief hit him, fighting for dominance in his throat as he watched Davian move with no less determination towards him.
"This room has a magical ward on it. He's not getting in," Gajeel's heart fell into the soles of his feet, "I'm only going to ask nicely one more time. I'll have you know I am not above being cruel."
"You know why I can't do that," Gajeel hissed, finally becoming still as Davian closed the distance. He sighed heavily as he paced slowly out of Gajeel's line of sight, "You're a fucking Major in Custody Enforcement. If you know everything then shouldn't you be helping me?"
"Unfortunately for you, I learned at a young age that helping yourself takes precedence. My commanding officer is one step from stripping me of my command because of Zahir's stunt. A raging Dragon Slayer in heat is simply something I don't have the luxury to indulge. So… how shall we do this?"
"I swear to Mavis herself, Major I will break out of these fucking chains and…!"
"No, you won't. You have other things to think about," Gajeel felt bare hands on his shoulders and his spine went rigid as his flesh skittered. A rush of heat slithered and snapped beneath his skin and he gasped in the wake of its intensity, "Mm… not pleasant."
"Stop it…" Gajeel leaned forward in a pitiful attempt to get away from him. His thoughts scattered and all he could seem to concentrate on was the feeling of Davian's hands on his shoulders and the way his body was boiling.
"There is no solitary confinement right now, Mr. Redfox, nowhere for you to hole yourself up for a week while your body figures itself out. You won't even have your own cell to sleep in at night, you have to share with another inmate," his breath was ghosting over his shoulder, agitating the ache he felt to have his skin touched, kissed, and he squeezed his eyes shut against the involuntary gasp that tattered his breathing, "Criminals, Mr. Redfox, and I'd imagine they're fairly opportunistic. Is that something you really want to put yourself through?"
There was pounding at the door again and more yelling. He could almost make out the words this time. He shivered and Davian pressed his nails into him, the pinpricks of pain enough to force another desperate noise out of his throat.
"He's right outside, you know, just beyond that door. He's been working tirelessly to get you out, facing demons he never even had to. Did you know he's scared of corpses? We ran into quite a few. He wouldn't admit it out loud, of course, the man has more pride than you do, but I could smell it on him. You have a good sense of smell, don't you, Dragon Slayer? You know what terror smells like… like, ah, rotten fruit? Fermenting alcohol? It's sweet, isn't it, and pungent like… oh, well… like…"
"Like a three-day-old corpse… or a crematorium" he huffed as those scents came flooding back to him, the old blood, the foul stink, he could picture the bodies bulging and yellowed and sweating.
"Precisely. Very good," the feelings vanished and Gajeel cried out at the relief. He slumped forward as far as Davian would let him, but those talons held him fast, "Are you willing to tell me where the lacrima is now? I really don't want to stoop any lower than I already have."
"Goddammit…"
"Shall we up the intensity? That was day one? Shall we see how it feels on day three? I'm sure if I wanted to I could just jumpstart you into it. It might take me a minute, though, since I don't know what I'm doing…"
"You wouldn't-! Fuck!" he jerked forward and snapped the chain at his wrist but Davian forced him back into the chair, hissing into his ear. Shivers glided up and down his entire body and a growl wormed its way from his mouth, "You… you fucking… shit, stop-stop!"
"Tell me where it is."
"Davian!"
"Tell me where it is," he felt the words ricochet off each of his ribs and form a vice around his throat. He choked, gasped, whined, and ultimately kicked up with enough strength that he snapped the chain and nearly toppled the interrogation table. Pages slipped from the polished surface onto the floor; pictures of dead men stared up with vacant eyes and bloodless faces, "You can go home, Gajeel. Go home and be with the people you care about. He misses you. Would you have all of his effort go in vain?"
"Stop it!"
"Zahir was a good way to spend some energy but he wasn't enough, was he? Did you think I couldn't feel it when we fought in the courtyard? You're desperate, aren't you? It's driving you wild. You need a release, to respond to your body's call, to find a nest and take a mate. He's out there waiting on you. He feels you as you feel him. Are you just going to leave him to want?"
"It's in my fucking closet!" the hands that held him down vanished, along with the feeling of fire simmering and crawling beneath his skin. His chest was heaving and his legs twitched for movement despite the end.
"Where at?" Davian stated coolly from behind him and Gajeel clicked his teeth.
"I have box… they'll know it when they see it. The one from Bianca's estate, it's there… as far back as I could put it."
"Very good," when Davian came back into his view he was just as human as he'd been when they'd first sat down. Not a single hair was out of place and as he slipped his glasses back on he hid his reptilian eyes. Gajeel glared at him but couldn't find it in him to hurl insults. His skin itched and his thighs felt too close together. Davian withdrew from his pocket a single key and laid it down just within his reach on the table, "I'll be in the hall."
"What the hell is this for?" he breathed, making no move to take it.
"The key to your restraints. I made you a deal, after all," he replied simply, grabbing the file from the table and gathering the pages that had fallen, "If you need a moment, take it. It's a bit of a walk to the safe house… just don't make a mess."
Without so much as another look in his direction, he left. As soon as the door shut behind the Major, Gajeel's chest tore open in a growl and he kicked the table into the wall.
Author's Notes:
Here's the link (with spaces because ff .net is dumb!)
h-t-t-p-s: / / silverskye13. tumblr post / 189931878212 / commission-by-stevmarie-for-a-cover-for-her
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