#lukasabernathy

“Is that really such a bad thing? Needing people isn’t a crime, Zach.”

“You made me need you,” Zach repeated, his words filled with venom and loathing. “And then you lied to me.”

In the corner of his eye Zach watched Lukas stumble back. Zach took the opportunity to blink back the tears and recover his steely expression.

“Zach-”

“When were you going to tell me?” He looked up at Lukas, the picture of innocence. “Axel may have given the order but you took advantage!”

“I didn’t-”

Zach laughed. Under different circumstances he would have sounded crazy even to himself. “You honestly expect me to believe you didn’t know? A boy shows up at your door, bleeding and broken by another man’s hands and you think he’s just going to throw himself at the next available body?”

“No, Zach, please listen to me.” Lukas inched forward. Zach didn’t know whether out of stupidity or desperation, maybe both. Regardless, his magic ignited in the palm of his hand and Lyra formed between them baring her teeth at Lukas.

Zachary Donovan

Lukas Abernathy

And a Samuel "Beantagonist" West

I’m tired but I promised! Here it is. The Bean and his lover  Zach and Lukas’s first kiss as it will be in the book. Roughly. (Tag List let me know if you would like to be added or removed: @forlornraven @madmooninc @chaos-reigns @westywrites @ratracechronicler @micastarsandmirrors @v-writes-sometimes @cogwrites @randompandagirl)

“What’s this?” Zach held up the beige folder. It was thicker and heavier than the others on the desk, but that wasn’t what caught Zach’s eye. Across the top, printed in bold capitals, was Zach’s name. He hadn't been snooping, not really. Lukas had asked for paper and, well, perhaps he’d taken the chance to linger in a room seldom used.

“It’s the information the council gave me on you when I picked up the job.” Lukas reached for the folder, a little too eager to get it back. 

Zach moved it away. “Why are you lying?”

“I’m not.”

“You are. What does it say?” He was curious. It seemed someone had taken his life, written it down, and stuck it in a neat little folder to share with god knows how many people. If they got to know the contents, then surely, he had a right to know too.

“It’s … it’s just a record of official reports and the basic information we knew about you at the time.”

“Official reports of what?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer, but Lukas’s reluctance to answer him made him all the more curious.

“Your magic use, your coven, your … relationships.”

Zach took a step back. Relationships?

“Calliope Matthews, Rumina Walters, and –” Lukas paused, gauging Zach’s expression before continuing, “– Samuel West.”

“You knew? You knew about Sammy?”

Lukas nodded.

Zach ran a hand over his mouth, processing it all. If the council knew about Sammy they probably knew everything else too. Which meant – “You were using me,” he whispered. 

“Zach, it’s not like that.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Zach threw the folder at Lukas. Pages scattered like confetti across the floor. “You used me! Manipulated me from the start. All for what? To get to him?”

Lukas had him pinned to the wall in a heartbeat. His hands clamped tight around Zach’s wrists. “At first, yes. The council thought they could use you to lure Samuel out. But–”

“But what?” Zach spat. “Is this the part where you give me some bullshit speech about falling in love and … and …” Lukas dropped his gaze, not willing to look Zach in the eye. “Oh god.”

Lukas’s shoulder’s slumped. “I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“No.”

“Zach –” 

“We can't.”

“Why? Because of an old wives’ tale? It’s not real.”

“You’re a Shadow. Real or not, our energies don't mix.”

“Of course they do. Witches and Shadows, they're born from each other.”

“Which is why it will never work. We’d only end up –” Zach never finished. Lukas’s lips were on his, silencing him.

For all his protesting, Zach found himself leaning into the kiss, wanting more. He hadn't kissed anyone since Sammy. But the two couldn’t compare. With Sammy, there were rules, expectations, and promises.

With Lukas? In his kiss there weren’t a thousand unspoken words mixed with hundreds of promises, there was an idea. A simple idea that maybe he could be happy. 

Lukas dropped Zach's wrists. One hand moving behind his head, the other snaked under his shirt pressing against the small of his back pulling him closer. The contact sent a shiver up his spine and his body buzzed. For the first time in months, he felt warm.

For the first time in a long time, Zach felt content. With his head on the pillow and Lukas’s fingers tracing strange, and probably random, patterns across his back, the tension of the past six months eased just a little.

“What’s this from?” Lukas trailed his fingers across the scar on Zach’s right shoulder. “It looks like an ‘S’.” Zach turned his head towards Lukas but didn’t offer an explanation. He didn’t need to. Lukas averted his gaze and pulled his hand away. “Sorry.”

Zach pulled himself up, straddling Lukas and taking his face between his hands. “Don’t be.” 

“I should have thought – I don’t want to hurt you. Not in any way. Ever.”

“And you haven’t.” It was a lie, of course. Zach ached all over, but it was an ache he’d willingly endure repeatedly for the rest of his life if he could.

Lukas didn’t look convinced. He put his hands, ever so gently, against the bruises forming on Zach’s skin. 

“Hey.” Zach pulled his attention away from the marks. “You don’t need to treat me like I’m fragile, okay? I can take a hell of a beating before I break. These,” he indicated to the bruises, “aren’t the work of someone who hates me.”

Lukas hesitated, his face contorting into a grimace. “You are kind of fragile.”

A wicked grin spread across Zach’s face, he caught Lukas’s hands in his, pinning them to the wall. “Oh really? Are you forgetting what I am?”

“Of course not. You’re a stubborn witch with no regard for the rules.” 

“Don’t you forget it.”

SO @forlornraven asked about the mouse, and after a little gentle persuasion, I am here to deliver the scene containing the mouse! Tag List: @forlornraven @madmooninc @chaos-reign @ratracechronicler @westywrites @micastarsandmirrors @v-writes-sometimes @cogwrites @randompandagirl @type-writings @reeseweston (let me know if you’d like to be added or removed)

Okay, I teased. You asked. I wrote. I will tag those who showed interest in my dumb drabble idea: @forlornraven @ratracechronicler @joonie-baby @kiaradimari @faeneth @seraphfilth @purple-personal  @bedazzledstrider  @randompandagirl (also @micastarsandmirrors @v-writes-sometimes @cogwrites if you’re interested)

“What the hell did you two idiots do?” Zach leaned over the kitchen table looking at Christian, Lukas, and the carnage surrounding his open grimoire.

Lukas giggled, gazing up at Zach. “You’re pretty.” His eyes lit up and he gasped.

“Lukas? Are you-” Before he could finish Lukas leapt over the table, tackled Zach, and attempted to land several sloppy kisses. “I’m gonna to kill you both! A love potion?”

Christian made no attempt to deny it, nor did he try to help Zach, opting to film the whole ordeal instead. “Oh come on, it’s cute.”

“Cute?” Zach put his hands over Lukas’s face, pushing him back. “You try saying that when you’re squashed beneath two hundred pounds of grown man!” he groaned realising what he'd said. “Make a joke and your death will be slow.”

“I wasn’t gonna,” Christian held up his hand defensively.

“’Wasn’t gonna’ my arse,” Zach growled. “Lukas!” Zach caught Lukas's wrist before his hands wandered too far south. He whined in protest. “Get him off me, Christian.”

Reluctantly, Christian dropped his phone and hauled Lukas away from Zach, struggling to keep his arms pinned.

“Keep a hold of him a moment, would you?” Breathing hard, Zach rummaged through the bottom drawer.

“Hurry up,” Christian grunted. “He’s a heck of a lot stronger than me.”

Zach found the silver vial, it was a basic antidote for most potions, he really didn’t want to brew a new antidote with a love drunk Lukas hanging off him.

He held the vial to Lukas’s lips.  Lukas clamped his mouth shut, shaking his head.

“If you drink it I’ll let you kiss me.”

His mouth popped open faster than Zach could blink. It was almost worth not giving him the antidote just for the easy bribery. Before he could change his mind he poured the grey liquid down Lukas’s throat. He gaged a little, possibly at the wretched taste, but mercifully he didn’t spit it back out. Within seconds he slumped against Christian, out like a light.

“I'll take him to the couch.” Christian heaved himself and Lukas off the floor, dragging the dead weight from the kitchen.

Zach looked around. The kitchen was a mess. He picked up a few of the bottles reading the labels. Some of the ingredients were seriously hard to find. He doubted many witches could even get their hands on half of them.

Christian came back and collapsed in the only chair that had managed to stay upright. Zach held up one of the bottles, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

“I got a friend, owns a herb shop,” Christian said, shrugging.

“Well, your friend gave you a few wrong ingredients.”

“Hmm?” Christian scratched his chin, frowning. “Shouldn't’ve, Lukas showed her your book.”

Zach scanned the page, it wasn't a love potion. It was a potion designed to magnify. He'd shown Lukas these pages weeks ago when he cracked a joke about being under the influence. “Why did he want this?”

“Ain't it obvious?”

Zach frowned.

Christian rolled his eyes and continued. “He told you he loves you. Man, you know Camille left him for another guy.”

“I know.” Lukas had shared that part of his life with Zach one drunk evening. He highly doubted Lukas remembered.

“Stop pushing him away. Reciprocate.”

Zach chuckled at his choice of wording, though he really wasn't wrong. “You're pretty smart sometimes, you know that?”

Christian winked and said his goodbyes, promising to call when he got home safely. Zach moved to the couch, waiting for Lukas to wake up.

A few minutes passed. His breathing increased and his eyes fluttered before resting on Zach.

“I'm sorry,” Lukas mumbled, cheeks turning red.

“Don't be.”

“You’re not mad?”

“That you tried to drug me? A little.” There was no point in lying, especially not now. “In truth, I should be sorry.”

“You-” His shoulders sagged, the colour in his cheeks draining. “Christian told you.”

Zach nodded. “I got scared. You say things like that to me and it scares me. Nearly everyone I've ever loved has died. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too.”

“But you won’t.” Lukas took Zach’s hands in his. They were too warm and a little clammy, but Zach couldn’t bring himself to pull away. He didn’t want to.

Tag List (Let me know if you’d like to be added or removed): @forlornraven @ratracechronicler @cogwrites @v-writes-sometimes @westywrites @micastarsandmirrors

This is backtracking a little. With Katie now booted from the book, the overall dynamic between the boys is a bit different than originally planned.

“Here.” Lukas held up a plastic container. He didn't bother with his shadows, using the door instead. Zach watched him, tensed, ready to defend himself. Lukas sat in the empty chair by the table and placed the container on the side closest to Zach. 

“What is it?” He didn't move from the bed, he wasn't that curious.

“Ah, it speaks,” Lukas chuckled. He prised the lid off the container and the sweetest aroma filled the room. “Pasta. For you.”

“No thank you.” It was cruel. His stomach chewed at his insides protesting his willingness to pass on the meal.

“Come on. I know you haven't been eating. You must be hungry?”

Zach nodded. There was no point denying it, they could probably hear his growling stomach on the other side of the country. 

“Then eat.”

Zach shook his head again, pulling his knees to his chest. Lukas may have been nice enough to visit but that didn't mean Zach trusted him or his food.

“Fine,” Lukas sighed, a little too dramatically. “If you won't eat it, I guess I will.” He made a show of picking up the fork and taking a huge bite. He waited a minute then held up the fork to Zach. 

He slid off the bed and took the fork and pasta, sitting on the floor. It was as delicious as it smelled. Zach guessed the pasta and sauce were both handmade. It was too good to be store bought.

“They were poisoning you, weren't they?” Zach froze, wide-eyed. Lukas’s eyes still on him. The chair squeaked and Zach tensed as his shadows fell across him. “It’s okay.” He knelt down to Zach’s level. “I’m not going to hurt you. But you need to tell me the truth.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“If there’s nothing to tell then why weren’t you eating?”

Zach placed the container on the ground, barely touched, and moved as far away as possible within the confines of the cell. “Thank you, for the food.”

After months under a block, Zach was exhausted. A few hours of magic and he’d nearly burned through all his energy. He sat on the floor, elbow resting on his knee, staring at the wispy tendrils curling around his hand. Pure energy, the fastest way to drain himself and expand his strength.

Lukas watched, trying to hide his fascination. He’d been particularly vocal about the demands put on Zach, and not a positive sort of vocal. Even as he sat on the bed he continued to rant about the dangers and how ridiculously high the council’s expectations were.

Zach smothered the magic in his palm with a flick of his wrist. What was left hung in the air a moment longer before disappearing.

“You’re going to kill yourself,” Lukas said.

“I’m not.”

“You run yourself into the red, same thing.”

“It’s not. It’s the only way to increase my power without hurting other people.”

“You’re hurting yourself!”

“Lukas,” Zach growled. He was growing tired of this argument. They’d had it three times on the way home and twice more over dinner.

“No. Don’t you ‘Lukas’ me. The last time you ran yourself into the red you stopped breathing.”

“Good thing you know CPR.” Zach hauled himself up onto his knees and leaned against the edge of the bed. He reached up, taking Lukas’s face between his hands, holding his gaze. “If I don’t do this, more innocent people will die. I can’t let that happen.”

“But you might die.”

“I’m not going to die, I promise.”

“But –”

“Please, Lukas. I can’t do this if I don’t have you.”

Lukas’s mouth twitched. He gripped Zach’s wrists drawing his hands away from his face. “You have me.”

Zach sat back on his heels. He was so tired, but he still had some energy left. He needed to get rid of it all if he had any hope. “Is there any food?”

“Worked up an appetite?”

“Helluva one.”

“I’ll see what I can find.”