true nature

He was human, beneath it all – this reminder was her healing power. 

Mason had seen her heal physical wounds, and had even felt his own skin mend beneath her hand. He had heard the snap of bones falling back into place, felt the rush of blood cleaned and pumped into dead organs; and yet this was the sort of healing he wondered at. For so long, he had prided himself on his coldness, his unapproachability. Weapons were not meant to bend; they were meant to be cold, to cut without question. But here, he was malleable. Here, he was human. 

A human who laughed. One escaped him now, and he rolled it over and over in his mouth, savoring the unfamiliar taste. He stood upon a great precipice at all times, ever peering down into the dark; but here, for a moment, he turned his face upward, and allowed himself to behold the sun. All at once, he was a young boy in an overlarge uniform, a boy before manhood, before power, before decay. All at once, he was headstrong and boisterous, the heir to a legacy, and not a doom. He had shrugged on this new darkness like finery, but Mason could not ignore how nice it felt – at her hand – to look upward. 

“Laziness?” he feigned indignation before his voice muffled, face covered by his shirt. Snatching it away, he could not temper the rumbling laugh that continued in his chest. “Were you present for the last hour? I wouldn’t call that ‘lazy’ at all.” A sheen of sweat still sat upon his brow; he wiped it away with his shirt and tossed it aside, far too kept in his own ego to be modest. Instead, he turned his attention to the last article of clothing that she yet missed, which tangled in the sheets beneath his thigh. Mason took it up, the swath of black fabric small enough to fit in his fist, and dangled it just beyond her reach. 

“Is this what you’re looking for?” he mused, “You’re so eager to leave, Aurora. Are you so quick to be rid of me?” He leaned back on the bed, resting upon his forearms, her shirt still dangling between his fingers. The moment she put it on, the moment she left, he knew that pretense would return, and the laughter, the ease, would lock away once more, hidden until their next meeting. Medicinal. He was addicted. 

“Say please.”

Was she present for the last hour? He asked. Had their little excursion not been such a common occurrence at this point, Aurora might have had the sense to blush. Instead she found herself scoffing in her amusement and being adamant in the desire to normalize this unconventional friendship. Thinking that way made it simple to remember each touch as a selfish act of desire void of affections. 

Maybe it was her preparation and experience that made it easy enough to seperate heart from body. Maybe it was how bad she knew it would get otherwise. Or maybe it was that others had already gained possession of the beating in her chest. No matter the reason or combination of reasons, it was a relief that despite the growing care and regard she held for Mason she felt she could still allow for this to continue without worrying about getting tangled up in more than sheets right now. After all, he was very good at what he did and she had no desire to abstain from the distraction he brought. But Aurora also had the sense not to nurture that already massive ego of his by saying so outloud.

“Please, my ass,” she muttered, reaching over. Aurora let out an unintentional breath of a laugh when she ended up almost falling on top of him to finally retrieve the shirt from his grasp. “You know what?” She moved over him to sit at the closest edge of the bed. Inspecting the shirt in her hands now, she was second guessing putting on the sweaty fabric. “You can stay as long as you want... Feed the bird, clean, cook, maybe do some of the laundry... Maybe then I can actually get some more downtime after work and studying.” She was joking. However, the mental image of Mason in a cooking apron making spaghetti and meatballs for her and her study group almost made her wish she wasn’t. 

“I got a resident study group coming here in... less than an hour. We’d definitely love a personal cook or anatomical dummy.” Aurora smirked over at him, taking his pants from the edge of the bed and then pressing them on his chest. “Chop, chop, Mason...” 

After Aurora had pulled back from the quick hug, she let her eyes meet the other woman’s.  “I had good people around me when I needed them, Aurora. I’m who I am partly because of you,” Mina said honestly, eyes crinkling as she smiled.

But she understood the warning that Aurora had given her, the hidden meaning behind those words. And she would keep them close, as she did with all the advice the older woman had given her. She may not agree with it, especially when it came to who Royce was to her, but she would hold onto it. Biting down on the inside of her cheek, she just nodded. “I know, Aurora. I need to work on not relying on my gift quite so often. It’s not perfect.”

Smile brightening, she couldn’t stop the happiness that had bubbled up. “I always wanted a sister, Ror. So, if you think for one second that I’m ever going to stop annoying you as a little sister should, than you have another thing coming. You’re as stuck with me as I am with you.”

She smiled at Mina’s words. Aurora was grateful for such a sweet and understanding friend. It was a testament to their relationship how easily they could each trust each other and listen. She took Mina’s words to heart just as she knew and could see that Mina, reluctant as she was too think badly of Royce, would keep Aurora’s advice into consideration. Or she would at least listen and therefore remember when it was good to.

A soft, happy laugh escaped her when Mina teased her about their pseudo sisterhood and both smiles between them brightened considerably. “Good,” she said, “I’d want nothing more.” Aurora breathed in, smiling widely, hoping to commit the moment to memory. She would need the kind of love and support she had in times like this to get through the battle she was about to begin between herself and the drug that had taken a hold in her life.

Aurora then gestured with her chin towards the warm cafe she’d ignored in favor of the chillier outdoor seats that would wake her up. “Come on. I’ll buy us some coffee before you go. It’s the least I can do.” Already, Aurora felt the urge to take out the bag of Sinners knowing it wasn’t on her person anymore. As anxiety provoking as that was, it was also a relief. She certainly wouldn’t forget how Mina helped her. 

Contrary to popular conspiracy, the man’s immorality wasn’t synonymous with invincibility. His body regenerated at a quicker pace than others, even when it seemed as though the damage was too great to heal. With Sinners pumping through his veins, he could feel his injuries healing faster than they normally would. His jaw was still sore to touch and movement and the taste of metal was strong in his mouth, but the bleeding had stopped. By the time they arrived to wherever she intended to lead him, he would likely be completely healed. As he said, however, he was fine with wasting time, as he had plenty of it to waste. 

Like many other nights, Ruben’s plans extended as far as wandering the streets until he found his motorcycle or it became late enough where Dexter wouldn’t mind teleporting to him. If he could ensure that one person arrived safely to their home, then he had at least put his ability as a human shield to good use that night. 

Squinting at the card she offered, he nodded, though his mind couldn’t focus enough to read the words. “You can creep all you want,” he granted. He twisted away from Aurora completely to spit on the sidewalk behind him before following her lead down the street. “What’s the worst that could happen by going home with a stranger?” He flashed a grin, then teased, “I don’t usually do this, just so you know. It’s only because you’re from Omerta that I’m trusting you not to be a serial killer.”

Aurora put the card away in her purse and then creased her forehead as her eyes widened at him. The stranger had just hacked up spit on the sidewalk like he wasn’t in one of the fanciest kingdoms in the world. Casual, nonchalant, hungry for trouble and a tad of gross... whoever he was, he was definitely Omertan. Aurora found herself smiling a little as she begun traveling back with him at her side. The man reminded her of home in a good way... He didn’t give her flashback memories and he wasn’t a connection to her past that came with regrets. It was refreshing.

“Is that your logic? Because I’m Omertan I’m... not a serial killer?” She repeated, snorting and grinning over at the amusing stranger. Aurora figured he was joking, especially since, compared to Athos, Omerta was a criminal haven. That was just fine with her. Aurora loved joking around. "You sure you’re from the same Omerta I was born in?” She raised a single eyebrow inquisitively, a smirk curled on her lips. “You know, you can at least give me your name if you’re trusting me not to kill you.” She huffed in amusement. 

Aurora trembled under his touch, and Darius couldn’t relish in the moment more. For a moment, it was as if they were back in Omerta, where they wasted their nights in a daze of alcohol and cocaine. 

“Like a bad idea ever stopped us before.” Darius said breathlessly, the shadows of night posts chasing their heels. Watching Aurora’s hair tumble down her shoulders, he grinned at the realization of her stooping to the level of a criminal breaking into a closed shop. By the next day, all traces of the crime they were about to commit would disappear through the tug of the right strings. For now, however, it seemed they were ready to do whatever they desired to in a place they momentarily called theirs.

Hands came to press firmly against Aurora’s hips, shoving her up on the nearby counter, lips crashing to meet hers once more. The heat between them almost fizzled at the cool touch of the marble counter top, the kiss only breaking for Darius’ shirt to be torn from his shoulders. 

“And to think just a little bit ago, you were insisting you were some goody two shoes doctor now.” Darius teased, voice breathless before climbing to push her body further onto the cold surface.

“You can’t escape the Banshee that’s still inside of you, ‘Rora.”

༻῾¦، END

“We must concentrate our powers within Athos, not run after every threat we might hear about. If we run towards them, they might find ways to strike once we’re outnumbered,” her father looked towards the king, her own son-in-law, hoping to be heard, but it was the queen who eventually answered “we won’t need an army. We just need about five other Saints to fully secure the king’s safety – and myself. I can take them down, General Buchanan. If they want a war they’ll get one. Or send me all by myself,” she said, her jaw tense and her posture a bit stiff. Some murmured while her father seemed to wait for Sofia to retract her conclusion. No, they’d go on as planned. With one glance towards Royce, then to Jean-Pierre, Sofia left the war room before they could even form a plan. If they’d execute her plan – perfect, if not that’d be on them. She could so easily leave all by herself, but after the doors opened again she saw a determination within Jean-Pierre’s eyes, that immediately signalized he wasn’t going to let her leave all by herself. 

After Jean-Pierre left to prepare for leaving, Sofia was left alone, while simultaneously being around a lot of others – and through all that noise she clearly heard Aurora’s soft voice calling out to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Aurora,” Sofia made a hand gesture, signalizing her to come closer. “I’m sorry, I was dissociating. Wh- what’s going on? No, everything’s fine, I’m just having slept a lot these past couple of days, that’s all.” She tried to apologize with a smile. “Do you have something I could take against that?” Taking her hand, the queen now dragged her along. “Also, have you heard of my brother recently? I haven’t seen him in quite some time and I’m starting to suspect the worst,” she whispered.

Aurora came closer at her gesture, a soft smile curling her lips when Sofia spoke about disassociating. Aurora herself had been caught staring off into space every moment she had a break to herself at the hospital... every moment she wasn’t popping another Sinner in her mouth, anyway. Lately Aurora had been able to almost normalize her behavior - or at least ignore the fact it was becoming such a problem.

“I get that more than you know,” shesaid with a sigh. “Chamomile or Valerian root tea is my go-to response. It’s better to start natural.” The other woman unexpected took her hand than and dragged her along, but Aurora didn’t protest. The question took her off guard more than anything and she hesitating, wondering how best to respond.

“Mason’s fine,” Aurora reassured her, speaking softly. “I promise. I see him pretty often, actually. At the bar or... elsewhere.” She cleared her throat. “He seems okay. Sometimes I just... wonder what kinds of things he gets up to when we’re not together.” She looked over to Sofia again. “He doesn’t talk much but... if it helps, I’ve never once seen him admitted to the hospital. Those powers of his are a lot. They have their perks.”

Minx sat down next to Aurora in the bar and only nodded in reply. She knew that the comment of the other woman was genuine. But that did not take it away that she was not going to continue about it for a long while. It was a subject that she had gotten mad about only a few days earlier with Dexter right in front of her. That had been enough for now.

The Parrino Family was definitely not a name of a stranger back in Omerta. Minx could very well understand that at times the name would come back to haunt Aurora. “I think Athos is a place for many people that can be seen as a fresh start.” The four names that were named to be over here were not the only people over here. She had encountered Dexter and she knew that Elliot was around as a cop somewhere as well. “But you are right, you are never completely able to outrun your past.”

“I haven’t seen anyone else yet from Omerta.” A little lie left her lips smoothly. “Vittorio and Darius are the only ones you’ve seen beside me?”

Aurora raised her brows, surprised there was truly no one from Omerta that her friend has seen around Athos now. Being that apparently she seemed to enjoy night life like most Omertans and had been here for a while it felt improbable she wouldn’t have encountered anyone besides Aurora. But whether or not she was keeping things to herself, Aurora decided not to press. She wasn’t that amount of nosy.

“Yes,” she said, relaxing her shoulders and taking the drinks there was brought to their side of the table. “Although I also met a man named Ruben from Omerta too. Strange guy. I didn’t know him from our time there...” She sighed. “But I ask because... I know you might not be all knowing about this stuff anymore but I’m pretty sure that these, um.” She sighed again, hating she was so desperate for answers about this thing that was now destroying her life. “--- these new drugs circulating somehow came from Omerta. Sinners. The chemical composition of them... I don’t know, seems so looks familiar.” She backtracked, looking over to Athena. 

No intel about the whereabouts of the two other Banshees. She was mostly curious about Pandora, but that was something she wasn’t going to tell Aurora. Minx chuckled at the offer that the other woman jokingly gave her. “I think I have to pass that offer up. I don’t think a job in the Wing Hospital is my place to be.” She would probably injure more than cure them. Medicine was not her forte. She was quick with her hands, that was not a location to be quick with her hands.

The words of Aurora couldn’t be more of a lie. She was out of Omerta, yes. But she was not out of the scene that the brunette meant. An angry expression was visible on her face for only a few seconds as Aurora mentioned the heist that had gone wrong. The heist where Dexter had left them behind. “I was luckily not amongst them, it took me quite some time and power to get several of them out of trouble. Not all of them.” Her voice was a little colder than before but she quickly shook the feeling off. She put a smile back on her lips, trying to pretend that her change in demeanor had not happened. “Has the Omerta life caught up with you yet?”

Aurora noted the look that flickered over Athena’s face just for a moment. Anger. And, of course, Aurora didn’t blame her. If anything could send the Healer into a state of anger or rage, even violence, it was when those under her care and those she loved got into trouble. She paused after the question, eyeing the other curiously as they came inside the bar and sat down. “... I’m sorry to hear about your friends,” she said with genuine feeling. 

Aurora then sighed and flagged down a bartender. “Omerta has caught up with me a number of times, to be honest. My family has no shortage of enemies so sometimes I deal with those.” She huffed and smiled sheepishly at Athena. After ordering their drinks, she continued. “I don’t think I can ever completely escape it. But the most significant flashback is having Darius around again then learning Vittorio’s decided to make it his home here too. And now you... it’s funny how many of us have moved out of that place over the past few years.”

“Seen anyone else?”

Aurora pressed her body against his own, and Darius welcomed the intrusion into his own space by pulling her flush against himself. He was aware of Seraphim’s latest addition, how sinfulness dripped from Brooke with ease, yet awareness did little to prevent himself from succumbing to the lust that an ever familiar body brought.

Breath was caught between lips, hungry for more contact. Darius’ fingers dug into Aurora’s skin, crescent moon marks dictating just who a part of her would always belong to; someone she could never truly run away from. Bound by desire, murder, and a shared dark family, even the escape to a different city wasn’t enough to break how tightly bound they were to each other - whether Aurora liked it or not.

They broke for just a moment, if only to find refuge in somewhere more private where they could tear each other apart, the way they so often did in Omerta. The cool air caused goosebumps to momentarily litter Darius’ arms, attention quickly diverted by Aurora’s warm kiss.

As Aurora pulled away, a sigh left Darius’ lips, hands coming to thread through dark locks of hair to keep her close. His grip was possessive and protective, before kisses were pressed softly down to Aurora’s neck. Darius’ hand caught a fistful of hair before he pulled it taut, yanking her head backwards to expose her pale neck.

Sucking hard against Aurora’s skin, his lips crawled back to the lobe of Aurora’s ear, words whispered heat as Darius’ hand trailed down her back. 

“I’m not above undressing you right here and now, so unless you don’t care, I suggest you find us a place a little more private soon.” 

Suddenly her hair was pulled back with his hand in that familiar way, lips trailing down her neck and setting her skin on fire. There was no doubt he could feel her racing pulse against his mouth. It was hard to concentrate. Her breath, like a sigh, escaped her before he started to speak again. Reality settled in again. No. No, there was no way she was allowing the excitement of the moment to go that far without some privacy first. She exhaled and it shook a little like a laugh, hands squeezing his arms to pause him and another kiss pressed against his lips before she answered. “This is a bad idea.”

And yet, she pulled Darius with her anyway as she hurried them to the stores beside the Seraphim building. All humor gone for a moment, she concentrated on getting them somewhere quick. It was late at night and everything was closed but the door of the nearby bakery looked promising. Her hair was ruined already so she took out a clip from the back and let the loose brown curls across her shoulders before concentrating on quickly picking at the lock the way she used to when it was a hobby in Omerta. 

It opened (no surprise) and she tugged Darius inside with her as he shut the door behind him. The concentration was all gone now and she smiled in the excitement of the moment as their lips pressed together again. In the dark of the closed shop, they revisited history.

His cold, blue eyes stared back at his sister with a mix of delight and cold calculation. Her words didn’t do much to him except let him chuckle shortly. Wiping his hand immediately afterward it was obvious that he wasn’t here to simply rescue her, form a bond – if his little sister wouldn’t accept him for who he was now, on his own terms, self-made. Letting her speak looked like the best option, especially since starting a conversation seemed pointless. “You said you left after seeing only destruction awaited in Omerta? I craved for something better, just as you did,” he finally answered her, his voice firm and somewhat laced with anger, still withheld to prove his point. “I am not my father, I am better than him. A Saint, a leader, a man leading powerful armies. All the misery has brought me to this very point, dear sister, and I’m not intending to stop now.” He towered over her. “Don’t drag her into this. She might be far more dangerous than you think. She chooses her own path, not you, not his royal highness prince Henry nor any of her other friends who keep bugging me. Have you ever considered the idea of us not being little anymore?” We create and break rules as we please.” He now screamed at her, furious. “Don’t you fucking dare blame her decisions on me. She knows who I am, Rora – maybe that’s what she wants.” 

Vittorio could feel himself relax again. “Are you coming or what? Or do you want to die here? Still reminiscing about the fucking past?”

God, how Aurora would have appreciated the opportunity to just talk with her brother. To settle their differences once and for all and ask why the hell he’d hated her for so many years. Why they had drifted the way they did and if there was the possibility they could somehow stop the family drama for once. But no, not. Not now that she was a ball of firey, uncontrollable rage with the realization that Vittorio had chosen the life he had. Maybe part of it was the guilt she hadn’t been there to stop him.

Vittorio screamed at her but she stood her ground, resisting the powerful urge to slap him. Somehow, deep inside, Aurora recognized the sharp anger that was now surfacing on top of everything else had a lot to do with something that wasn’t Vittorio’s fault. “Her chest heaved with the way her heart pounded and now her head. Her eyes began to string as she heard the sound of someone running towards them behind her. ‘Aurora! There you are! Oh my God, thank God. Shit, we’ve been looking everywhere. We thought something happened,’ the EMT cried out. ‘You need to come now. There’s a... royal chopper. They’ve been looking everywhere for you - something about an emergency at the palace,’ the man said quickly, now warily casting glances at Vittorio. 

Aurora nodded wordlessly, breath shaky as she composed herself. “I’m fine. I’m coming. Tell them I’m coming,” she said, nodding so that other would leave. He looked at Vittorio once more before rushing back. Aurora turned to give her brother once last look, expression filled with leftover anger but mostly regret and desperation to fix something that she couldn’t. “If it’s true and you’re a Saint,” she said quietly, remembering again that strange complete lose of sight she’d had in the bunker. “Then you’re right. You’re not our father... You’re worse. And the shittiness of our past is nothing compared to what you’ll do now.”