Dreams and Declarations

"Lotus. Lotus"

Kanda tossed and turned in his bed as sweat beaded on his forehead, his eyes scrunched in pain.

"Tonight is the right time. Awaken and find the Forest"

A beam of pain shot through the samurai who shot up from the bed, panting heavily. As soon as the pain had started, however, it quickly faded to nothing.

It was that voice again - the forest. Kanda slumped back into the pillows and glanced across at the book on Faeries which lay open on his desk. With a grunt, he swung his legs out of the bed and padded his way across the room, slumping into his chair and opening the book at the most recent page.

Fae can communicate with mortals in severe cases where the two realms threaten to overlap in a way considered dangerous to both sides. They will select one that they will claim as a sacrifice to balance out the disturbance. However, it is also seen as an honour and, it is rumoured that if one manages to survive the sacrifice, that they will be gifted with the power of the Fae and the ability to walk between both worlds without grief. A Fae is a very dangerous creature and one to always find a way to back out of a bargain. Only a fool would barter with the Fae, but many take the risk for greed, protection, or love. For the Fae are dangerous but also powerful and, if cornered, will keep their word. However, the request must be very specific otherwise they will twist it to fuel their own purpose.

Kanda read over the information again and again, dots slowly connecting in his head. But how would he help restore the balance? Was it because he wasn't properly human? Flashes of the labs from his creation filled his mind and he quickly shook away the images. As he thought on this line of reasoning, he wondered if it could be the case. Alma would have been another option if he had been brought back as he once was - but from the check ups he received after his awakening, he was shown to be boring and normal with no tattoo or regeneration in sight. So he was the only 'inhuman' one that could help them. Another question stood - what had upset the balance in the first place? Was it Voldemort? Severus seemed to think that he had never truly died. And surely that would go against mortal laws for the Fae to intervene. And suddenly he had a bartering tool. Now to think of what to ask for in return.

"We would all be forced to join him as friend or foe"

That was it. The dark mark. The tether that held Voldemort to this realm, perhaps. It was at least the way that he forced others to stay loyal. For even if they weren't, he could always find them. Maybe they could reverse the magic - Kanda was sure a race as magically powerful as the Fae would be able to reverse engineer something like that - and through that, locate Voldemort. And then, perhaps, he could free Severus from its bondage.

Kanda began furiously scribbling notes as he worked out the ins and outs of Faerie magic and how to patch up any loophole that the Hidden Folk may try and wriggle out of.

Severus spotted Kanda's light from under his door in the early hours of the morning and wondered if it had ever gone out.

"Kanda?"

"Hmm? You can come in"

Severus cautiously opened the door to see Kanda squinting at one of the many books on his desk. Snape sighed at the sight. This was the third time he'd found the apprentice still awake from the night before.

"You're going to ruin your eyes if you keep this up. And your sleep schedule"

Severus realised he was being slightly hypocritical with the last remark, but at least he was never reading quite at this hour, nevermind trying to make notes.

"Hmm. Yeah. Huh what?"

Kanda finally looked up from the texts and grimaced as his vision blurred.

"I just want to finish this-"

Severus had heard enough.

"Bed, Kanda. You're no use to anyone like this. And you're certainly not going to remember anything you read"

Kanda rubbed his eyes but relented with a sigh, slipping a wad of paper between the pages as a bookmark and slamming the book closed.

"I know but I just want to find something"

"And you will, I have no doubt. But you also need to go to bed at some point or you'll end up drooling like a mouldy vegetable"

Kanda snorted at the image of a drooling parsnip. Wow he really did need sleep if this was his humour level. He suddenly became aware of just how tired he was and groaned.

"Ugh I need to brush my teeth and change but tired"

Severus smiled at the slight slurring of words in the man's sleepy state and tugged him up out of his chair.

"Come on, you can leave your teeth for today at least"

Kanda managed the distance to the bed before he fell back down.

"Pyjamas" Kanda mumbled and Severus couldn't suppress the chuckle at how adorable his boyfriend was being.

With a quick swish of his wand, Kanda was out of his robes and into his baggy t-shirt and shorts.

"Wow you're magic" Kanda let out a giggle "And so am I. We're perfect for each other. I lov-"

And with that, the samurai was asleep. Which Snape was quite grateful for. It meant that he was spared from Kanda seeing his expression from his last incomplete statement. Pulling him closer to the pillows and covering him in a blanket, Snape nodded to the Kneazle in the cat bed and closed the door.

He sat down in the living room and held himself lightly. I love you. That's what Kanda had almost said. Severus had thankfully gotten past the self doubt of deserving the relationship to try and convince himself of something else. But it was also just so sudden. The man had also been half asleep so he didn't know how much weight he should give the statement. He decided to just see if Kanda remembered what he said and if it was never brought up, then he would just wait to hear it again when the man truly was ready. Or maybe he'd get there first. With that thought putting a small smile on his face, he decided that it was also good to join his partner in the land of nod and returned to his bedroom for the rest of the night.