black hole

Nora’s lips tugged into a little smile as he replied, immensely grateful that he was letting her stay. That he was letting her feel safe here with him for a while longer. “Krass” the nymph muttered in response, saying that German she’d told him about, a word that in this context meant ‘great’. More than ‘great’, even. She still couldn’t believe she’d gone ahead and kiss him. The repercussions of her actions frightened her for a moment but he- he had kissed her back before she pulled away, hadn’t he? Just as she was beginning to think about that, Damien took the hand she using to cover her face and her eyes quickly found his. He kissed her knuckles tenderly and passionately at once, with devotion almost. And God, he didn’t owe her any apologies, none at all. She tugged at his hand and pressed a light kiss to his fingers before she spoke. “You’re here now”. And that meant the world to her because right now was when she needed him most, that was why she’d come to him. “Damien?” she asked after a moment of silence, hesitating somewhat. But those soothing blue eyes of his worked their magic and the nymph felt a little more sure of herself. “Kiss me” she whispered.

He licked his lips with uncertainty. She asked him to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her, and still he worried of what might happen. He wanted the possible change in their relationship, but feared it crashing and burning (in three months? Six months? Who could tell). But he couldn’t think about that now, just about Nora and what she wanted. She’d asked for a kiss. He had to give it to her. 

He nodded reluctantly and scooted closer to her, grinning lopsidedly as he put his hand behind her neck to pull her forwards. His breathing hitched and he tenderly pressed his lips against hers. When he pulled back, he nuzzled his nose into hers lovingly. “Anything you need,” he breathed. 

His heartbeat and his protective embrace soothed the nymph more than anything in the past hours from hell she’d been going through. Nora felt both tired and at ease now that she was finally letting herself release the tension that had coiled inside her for so many hours of emotional shock. “Thank you” she said softly, deeply appreciating his offer to be there with her when the time came to tell her mother the new of… Nora closed her eyes tightly for a second, as if blocking out any thought or image regarding what had happened. She didn’t cry again, she just wanted a couple more minutes where she could feel she could breathe again after how suffocated she’d been feelings. “If it’s okay… I’d like to stay for a few days” she admitted. Nora didn’t want to feel like a burden here but the thought of going to home, to her dad’s house, it terrified her. She wanted to feel the way she was feeling now for as long as she could, stretch the feeling as much as possible so it could last. But it probably had little to do with being here and everything to do with being with him. Her hand was still on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat, and she knew that if his palm happened to rest against her heart he’d notice hers became anything but steady. Nora’s eyes darted to his lips for a second and she leaned close, hesitating, before she pressed her lips softly to his. It was a brieft kiss, too brief, because the nymph quickly pulled away, afraid of what she’d done and what it could ruin between them. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have- I’m sorry” she muttered before she covered her face with a hand.

“Yes,” he quickly replied. “Yes. Stay,” he croaked, eagerly, enough to surprise himself. He wanted her near. More than he could vocalize, more than he knew how to. 

His eyes shut before she fully closed the gap, in anticipation, in want. His lips pressed fervently against hers, not having kissed anyone in years, and never with as much desire or compatibility as he shared with Nora. The fire in his belly was officially lit and his hand came up to rest on her cheek, but she pulled away before he could caress it. He stared open-mouthed at her, as she apologized. It took a moment to process. “No Nora it’s okay. It’s okay. I’m sorry I wasn’t at the funeral. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you and Mira. I’m sorry you went through that. I’m sorry for everything.” He took the hand over her face and kissed it as hard as he wanted to kiss her. 

“Thank you, Damien” she said softly in response, managing a little smile. Hearing his name, Hopscotch moved and played his part cuddling close to her. That made her smile brighter for a moment, forgetting her grief for a couple of seconds as she relished Damien’s closeness, his loving support of her. And of course, she appreciated Hopscotch was there too. The nymph shifted a little on the bed, wanting to stay close to the werewolf and his undeniably soothing presence. Their noses were brushing and she closed her eyes for a moment, tired and relieved to feel even a few seconds of peace here after the brutal chaos she’d been experiencing for the past day. As he kissed her hand Nora opened her eyes again, looking at her best friend with warmth in her eyes. His question made her look away, finding a spot to focus on his shirt. “No” she said in a low tone. Her eyes were still downcast, looking at that random spot on his chest. With her free hand she began to trace figures there over the fabric as she spoke. “I wanted to call her this morning before the… before the funeral. But it was my mom and Vincent’s anniversary last week. Ten years” she said with a little smile before she finally looked up but her hand stayed on his chest. Finding comfort in feeling Damien’s heartbeat under her palm. “Vincent’s family is from Lyon and my mom told me all about this big trip they planned so they’re in France right now. I’ll have to tell her soon but I just- I didn’t want to ruin this one, lovely thing for her”.

As their noses touched... God, he wanted to kiss her. But he couldn’t, couldn’t get himself to make the move because she was grieving and would probably crumble under him if he tried anything major. But the emotions were stirring in his belly and he couldn’t stop them. And when she touched him... he tried to calm his heart, as she could literally feel it underneath the fabric. Being a werewolf and forcing yourself to be in control, often Damien had to practice breathing techniques. That is what he did now. “That’s alright,” he said somewhat distractedly. “If you need me in the room... just text me and I’ll be over. Or if you want to sleep over more, seriously, pack a bag... we would love to have you.”

Her own lips curved slightly into a smile for a moment as she looked at Damien. Small as it was, he made her smile through her sadness. He held her close and she let him, burying herself into him, feeling safe enough to break because there was someone holding her shattered pieces together. The nymph’s body shook with a sob but there was also great relief in the werewolf’s words. Her dad loved her. Her dad had been a happy man in this past year partly because of her. She couldn’t allow herself to forget that just because the notion of her father’s last moments seemed so grim. These last months had been good, hadn’t they? Truly good. Remembering that would probably be the only way she would ever be able to get through the tragedy.

Without letting go Nora pulled back just a little, just enough to look up at Damien. Teary-eyed and sad as she was, she smiled again. A ghost of her usual bright smiles but no less honest because of that. “Thank you” she said in a low tone, her voice just an intimate whisper between them. She touched his cheek lightly, her touch soft, loving. “I don’t know how I’m going to get past this -if I’ll ever get past this…” she admitted, eyes welling with tears again. Right now it was impossible to envision a future where she would be okay after this. Her fingers brushed against his skin tenderly, outlining his jaw in a smooth and slow motion before she moved her hand away. “But I’m glad I have you”.

“I’m not going anywhere. And neither is Hopscotch.” At the name, the dog stirred at their feet, placing his big head behind Nora’s back. Damien smiled at the shift of weight on the bed. “Our door is always open, Nora.” He took her hand from his cheek and kissed the back of it, placing it under his cheek as he looked up at her with his pale blue eyes. After a brief pause, he asked chillingly, “Have you told your mom yet?”

“No, they sort of just found me in the woods, so I’m not sure on a lot of shit” Quinn shrugged. He wasn’t at all bothered by his past or his mystery of a childhood. He had a theory whatever biological family he had was actually bad news. This was the best outcome he could have had. “Yeah I am. If you want to, give me a heads up. “ Quinn added before shaking his head at the rambling. He got used to it by now and knew it was just him being more excited than anything. “ I’m a little out of practice, but I can do some stuff. It was something to pass the time when I was moving around. 

“Yeah, I think... I’d like to take up another hobby,” he smiled at the other. When the check came, Damien slammed his hand on the table before Quinn could reach for it. Cat-like reflexes. He grinned and got his wallet out, counting the bills as he put the amount into the folder. He stood up from his seat and waited for Quinn to do the same. “Happy birthday, man,” he said, then hugged the other. 

everyone can see these scars

listen on spotify | 31 songs, 1hr 58min

peterscadoc‌:

Peter numbly looked from his brother to the stranger in front of them, his mouth so dry that he doubted he would be able to speak at all. Jackson Danvers. Danvers, not Cadoc. His brain was struggling to wrap around that, just like it was struggling to wrap around everything else. “Jackson,” he stumbled out finally, echoing his brother like a toddler learning to talk. What was he supposed to say? What could he say? ‘Hi, I don’t fucking know you but I think I’m supposed to get in your space and hug you.’

@jackson-danvers​

This who development was a lot to process. Jack never fully gave up on finding his sons again, but he did stop practicing what he would say to them. There was only so many times he could get his hopes up before he inevitably spent a few weeks wanting the world to swallow him up. This was different though. This was him being able to have some sort of relationship with his kids even though some time had passed. He’d accept anything, knowing they lived a complete life without them and not wanting to feel like an intruder in his own families life. And while it hurt him how he in a way wasn’t needed, he couldn’t let the opportunity pass. “Yeah, Danvers. We were gonna all be Danvers after the wedding, but-” Jackson replied, before he knew he had to stop himself. It was hard to bring up Bridget even now. When their mom came up though in conversation from Damien, Jack had to address it and it was a wound that still never fully healed. “ I only just moved here. My friend started TriBeCa, our other friend and I are co owning it now. Bridget-” Jack started before letting the words die out on the tip of his tongue. It was an emotional reunion and an emotional topic, but he couldn’t let himself completely fall apart over it. “ Your mom didn’t make it. I only barely made it. I got pulled out of the wreckage after they looked for survivors. I wasn’t triggered so I didn’t heal as easy. I’m really sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep any of you guys safe” Jack replied letting some of the emotions he held back hit him. 

Jack glanced at his sons a moment again, proud of how they were standing in front of him and seemed to have it all together. All he wanted for them was to be happy and healthy and from the looks of it they were At least they were together. A smile fell on his face at hearing they were both in college and all the sadness he felt from losing them and remembering.  He did need to have a converation with them at some point about triggering though and how it happened. His own story was a nightmare. “What are you guys studying? That’s great news. I’m really proud of you two. “ He replied smiling again. “ I really am”

@dcmicns​

“Damien Danvers. That sounds good,” he grinned, wanting to hug his father all over again. He would gladly take Jackson’s name. 

He decided to ignore the bit about their mother, not wanting to dwell on the past or the negatives. “Dad, we’re safe.” He swept it all under the rug, all the abuse from foster families. And Peter looked at him in a very specific way that Damien would’ve known the word for it had he been paying attention on anything other than his father right in front of him. 

It felt weird to use the ‘d’ word. It felt good. It felt safe and comforting and amazing. A miracle, really. His dad was safe, alive somehow. He survived the wreckage, but all alone, all those years ago. How had they all made it to Lethe in the same year or two within each other? 

“Um... general ed so far... I only just graduated, since I was working and going to school. Its hard, juggling... ahem. Peter, tell Dad what you’re taking in school?”

Even though she didn’t see it she could feel the weight of Damien’s body on the bed next to her as he laid down. She wanted to say it. Hold me. But didn’t want to possibly make her friend uncomfortable by her request. A soft sigh filled with relief escaped her when she felt his arm wrapping around her and she closed her eyes for a moment, taking hold of Damien’s hand and holding it close. Even with her eyes closed she could feel a tear slip away at the corner of her eye, falling down her temple and into the pillow. “I just miss him” she whispered “I really miss him… and I- I can’t believe that he’s gone. It’s just- I can’t wrap my head around the fact that he’s truly gone, gone for good” she muttered, her voice coming out weak and raspy “And I can’t stop thinking that he… he burned… that he suffered so much in the end”.

Damien said ‘I love you’ then. Nora’s eyes opened and shifted her position so her back wouldn’t be to him, so she could be looking at him. He was her best friend too and she loved him for it. But… well, she loved him for much more than only their friendship. And she couldn’t help but think that maybe he’d said those words because he loved her as his best friend. “I love you” she said, looking at him in the eye. If the fate decided to take her away as it did with her dad, she didn’t want to leave without Damien knowing it. “I love you, Damien” Nora said again, eyes welled with tears as she nuzzled against his chest, her head tucked under his chin.

Damien swallowed numbly. He had no words of comfort. So he stayed quiet, and blinked back his own tears for Nora’s sake. He had to be strong. For her.

When Nora turned around, Damien froze in his spot, afraid to move, afraid to breathe. She reciprocated. That was all he could ask for. He gave an inkling of a smile to indicate he had heard her loud and clear, and scooted closer to Nora, wrapping the arm on top around her back to press her into him, as close as she was willing. “If there’s anything to say,” he started, nestling his chin on top of her head “know that Clark loved you just as much as you loved him. Probably more. Remember when he first heard you were his daughter? How does the story go? He’d been waiting for you? He needed you? You made his life complete and gave him the best year of his life. It wasn’t for naught. You may not have had enough time, but I think he died... happy, knowing you were well. Knowing you had Mira and me and Peter and Avery to take care of you after he left. Because we’re all here for you.”

She brushed the end of her sleeve to her reddened eyes again. Tears and grief, they were… inconvenient for others. No one really knew how to react to that, what to say or what to do. The last thing she wanted was to make her friend uncomfortable to have her here after her plea to stay the night. “He’s so cute” the nymph said with a weak smile as Hopscotch came close, jumping excitedly. She scratched behind his ears before Damien commanded him to stay put. She crouched to pat the dog’s head, her lips subtly curving into a smile. Her eyes then moved to Damien, the smile remaining for a few seconds. “No, don’t lock him out of the room. I love dogs”. Having Hopscotch on the bed with them wasn’t going to be a bother at all.

Nora readjusted her backpack’s straps on her shoulders as she followed Damien to the bedroom. Then she just dropped it by the side of the bed and climbed onto it, laying down on one side. She felt exhausted and heavy and like she could break into a million pieces at any given second. The nymph felt so lonely and small, like a little girl who had just lost her dad. The most excruciating thought was how much she missed him and how impossible it felt to picture her life without him. It had been just one day and it ached more than she could describe. “Can you just lie here with me?” she asked softly even though her back was turned to him. “Please?”.

When Nora bent down to pet Hopscotch properly, she almost looked like her old self. Happy. But there was something in her eye, and something about her smile that wasn’t quite right, that showed she was still in fact mourning. And his heart broke for her. He knew what it was like to lose a parent, though he was much younger he still had more time with his father before Jack had ‘passed.’ But the wound was so fresh for Nora, even though she’d barely had a year with her father, she had grown to love him dearly. That much Damien knew.

“Okay,” he said quietly about the dog, wondering if there was enough space on the bed for all three of them. He sat at the edge of the bed, turning to look at her once he was rightfully clothed. “Do you... do you want me to hold you? Or your hand, or... I’m here for whatever you need, okay?” Damien gnawed on his lower lip before laying down fully next to her. After a moment’s hesitation he scooted closer and wrapped his arm around her, nuzzling his face into her blonde locks. “You can tell me what’s going on... or you can just say, ‘Shut up Damien’ and we can fall asleep right now... I love you, Nora.” 

Suddenly he inhaled sharply. He was afraid of her reaction, and he wanted to close his eyes shut. Was he taking advantage of her? Of her emotional state? Would she misinterpret his words? “You’re my best friend,” he quickly mumbled, fighting everything in himself to keep his eyes open so he could watch Nora’s response. Hopefully it wouldn’t phase her and they could stay best friends and he could be there for her tonight and she’d let him hold her tightly. He hadn’t noticed how she was almost as warm as him, as a fire nymph herself, and the warmth radiating from her skin was welcoming and... stop it, he told himself. She needs you now more than ever, don’t make this weird.

“You’re not losing me” the nymph in a low tone, not needing to speak loudly considering they were standing kind of close. Nora rolled her lips, suddenly more aware of the closeness and took a little step back. “You’re stuck with me” she added in a more light-hearted tone, poking his arm.

The pair walked on and she could see the column of smoke rising to the night sky as he pointed out there was a fire close by. Steering clear of trouble seemed like their best bet to stay safe and keep each other unharmed. But the nymph couldn’t just ignore where the fire was coming from. “It’s close to Asmodean” she said in a serious tone, looking at Damien and then back at the rising smoke. “There were people working today” she added as she grabbed his hand to begin heading in that direction, hoping none of her co-workers were harmed by the fires.

He nodded, finally realizing that’s where her work was located just over the horizon. They jogged easily enough, but as they got closer to the building he smelled something almost familiar. He smelled... oh God. It was Clark Segen. Paramedics were not yet on the scene but from the char he could tell the man was either dead or close to dead, past redemption. Damien looked to Nora, half expecting her to be able to smell it was her own father up those stairs. But she didn’t have enhanced senses, just fire manipulation. And was a saint, she wanted to help. As she bolted, his reaction was quicker and he held onto her upper arm, pulling her back and into his arms. “No, don’t go, don’t go up there,” he muttered. Xander Walsh came around the corner to look at the carnage from the fire. He had a look on his face that reeked of guilt, and Damien knew he was a lamia, but did he...? He couldn’t think about that right now, he held onto Nora. It was like she knew something was wrong, and then the paramedics finally arrived and got their gear ready and the firefighters marched in to look for survivors. 

With hands linked together, Nora followed him until Damien got her away from the crowd. A deep frown formed in her brow as he told her he’d heard a gunshot. Not again, she thought. Lethe was cursed with misfortune and chaos had a way of being unleashed when the inhabitans of the supernatural town least expected it. “Okay. Yes, let’s go north” the nymph agreed with a quick nod, holding Damien’s hand a little tighter. They were already on the move but Nora stopped him when he began to apologize. “Hey, the crazy, dangerous shit that happens in this place is not your fault. You didn’t ruin anything”. Her hand was still in his and with her free hand she lightly touched the lapel of his jacket, holding it between her index and thumb. “You didn’t ruin anything” she said again “I was having a great night and in spite of this town’s madness I could go on to have a great night, for all I know” Nora shrugged, smiling lightly at him. And she took notice of a familiar feeling beginning to rise in her stomach, something she’d felt other times around him. “I care about you too. So we’ll look after each other” she told him with conviction. They had looked after each other in a crisis situation before and they could do it again.

“Okay. Okay. You’re right. I just... I just got my dad back, I can’t lose anybody else, okay?” He looked up at her as if he were about to hug her, but chickened out. She knew how he felt, didn’t she? They were on the same page. Even if he was oblivious to the butterflies in his stomach, or that she shared those same feelings, they still were important friends to each other. “Just don’t light me on fire, please. A burning dog is not a happy dog.” He forced a grin and pointed forwards. “We should continue on, yeah?”

“ It could be, technically Quinn is my last name or something like that. “ He shrugged, not really unsure where he was gong with that comment. He literally had no idea about his actual history and he didn’t like to share it but so far Damien was a pretty cool guy and he actually felt semi comfortable around him which wasnt common. “ Oh yeah this place is a booming epicenter of city life. “ Quinn smirked shaking his head. “ You know I’m building my house right? You wanna learn woodworking? “ Little did Quinn know he’d have to add on to the house he was near finished working on

“Is it? Do you know your first name?” Damien grinned at Quinn’s ‘epicenter’ line. In some eyes, it was. Some people revolved around Lethe, thinking it was the best thing since sliced bread. But no, Damien had realistic expectations of the place. He knew it had brought his family back together, but it was just a town, nothing more. “Oh are you? Getting your lumber from CK Timber? I’ve always wanted to go there but I don’t know the first thing about different types of wood--oak, pine, chestnut... wait, is that a tree?” His eyes bulged. If this was a year ago, he’d be embarrassed to look like a dumbass in front of Quinn, but now he was his friend. “Do you know how to carve stuff, like a wooden bird? I hear the old councilman Lowell-something did that, but I’m not... well, you know, friendly with him like I am you.”

The nymph grinned at her friend, glad that he was also up for watching some fireworks on a nice, grassy area. Couples and families hadn’t yet occupied all the good spots, so the pair found their space with ease. She laid down next to him, somehow very aware of his presence by her side even if they were nowhere near touching. Damien’s hands were tucked behind his neck with she had one behind her head and the other on top of her stomach. There would be no accidental grazing of each others hands as they laid there, which frankly, was a shame.

A smile spread across her lips as the fireworks started. It didn’t last long, though. She became serious when she registered Damien’s whispered words, turning to look at him with a frown, confused. “What’s going on?” she asked in a low tone too, reaching out to take his hand to get up from the grass. She trusted him, of course, which was why she didn’t hesitate to follow him, but she still wanted to understand what had prompted him to want to leave. He clearly was aware of something she wasn’t.

After they reached out of earshot of most of the crowd, Damien huffed next to Nora. “I heard... a gunshot. It was only one but it came from the south so we should head north, right?” Unknowingly, he tightened his grip on Nora’s hand. He would jump in front of a bullet for her, even if he didn’t yet realize it. “I’m... I’m sorry for ruining your night. I know you were looking forward to this I just... I can’t let anything happen to you, okay? You don’t heal... Ack, I just care about you okay?”