#misadventuremay

The house had fallen silent. Bard had sighed, gone to his own room as well, and sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, head in his hands. He heard Legolas’s bedroom door open and new shouts erupted. The door slammed so hard the walls shook.

A few seconds later, Thranduil entered the bedroom. Bard shot him a dark look.

“You’d better not slam that door, I’m warning you.”

Thranduil’s hand, flat on the wood, slowed its momentum and closed the door calmly. Bard’s gaze drifted to the park of Greenwood, plunged in darkness.

“You promised me…” he murmured. “You also promised Legolas you’d make an effort… You promised you’d stop ruining our lives with this…”

“I know… I’m sorry I broke my word…”

“Again…” Bard sighed.

“Again…” Thranduil conceded.

Bard lifted his head, looking mentally and emotionally exhausted.

“As soon as it touches your son, you become… so cold… a real wall… you push everyone away. You push me away too…”

Thranduil looked at him and came to sit beside him. He didn’t know what to say. He slipped his hand into Bard’s, cautiously, as if afraid of being rejected.

“I’m not your enemy, Thran. You know that, right? We’re a team, we’re a family.”

“Yes, I know…”

Bard let out a long sigh.

“Come on… let’s go to bed.” He kissed his temple lightly, not really tender, but not absent either.

Thranduil lay down beside him, let himself be pulled against him, still feeling, despite the betrayal that hung between them, Bard’s love, his support, his forgiveness. They stayed together, no matter what.

Challenge by @monthlywritingchallenges

Elizabeth let out a breath as the shield held and the wave passed over the city. Rodney and Zelenka's plan had worked. They were safe.

Were they?

Next to her, John slumped against the console.

“It's over soon, right?” John asked.

Rodney shook his head. “The eye should hit in a few minutes, and then we have the whole other half of this thing to go through.”

“Great,” John said, sliding down to sit on the floor.

Elizabeth hugged herself and looked around. Her office was off limits as long as the lightning was striking and powering the shield. She didn't want to go there anyway. He'd been there, behind her desk, on her desk. Taking over.

She rubbed her arms and took a deep breath but it didn't help the growing anxiety.

"How much longer?” she asked.

“What?” Rodney replied.

"Never mind.”

She should take a seat like John, but she felt the need to move. She wanted to get out of this room, where everything had happened. To go to her quarters and change. She was soaked to the skin. She'd brought snacks and a MRE in preparation, but not a change of clothes.

“Elizabeth?” John asked softly.

"I'm okay. Just like you told me I would be.”

She settled onto a chair but the anxiety grew. It felt like electricity running over her skin. Out. She needed to get out. Now.

The darkness outside faded and sunlight was streaming through the windows. The eye of the storm.

"Can-" she broke off.

"Yeah the hallways are clear for now but we need to be back here by the time the-"

She didn't wait to hear the rest. She ran off down the stairs and through the halls. Running felt good. It was what she needed.

In her quarters she stripped off the sodden uniform and stepped into the shower. The moment the spray hit her skin, she gave a soft cry and shut it off. It was too much like rain. Instead, she grabbed a towel and dried off. The normally soft material felt like sandpaper against her skin. She tossed it on the bed and went to her dresser but she felt antsy. She needed to move to-

-escape. She needed out. Away from the city and-

-guns. Guns pointed at her. Threats. So many threats they blurred together-

-prisoner in her own home-

-dead she was going to be murdered. She was going to die because-

-invasion. The place she had felt safe her home had been invaded and-

-grabbed. Pulled towards the gate and a fate she knew would be worse than hell-

-shot at. A bullet whizzing past her head.

She picked up the towel again and screamed. Screamed and screamed into it until she was sobbing and shaking.

Brendon walked out of the bathroom to see his husband still spread out across their bed, appearing asleep and had to shake his head. “Are you going to wake up this morning?” he asked as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. 

John hummed. “What time’s it?” he asked, half asleep. 

“Six,” Brendon said. “I need to be leaving soon.” 

Right, Brendon was working today, while John’s day was completely work free. He hadn’t worked a night shift last night, didn’t have a day shift scheduled, and he didn’t have another shift tonight. Over forty eight hours away from the hospital. He was going to sleep in as much as he could today. 

“Hmm… then you should get going,” John said, finally opening his eyes and blinking up at his husband. “Traffic can be annoying.” 

Brendon hummed. “And are you going to be getting up then?” he asked. 

“Me? Why would I want to get up before the sun comes up when I don’t have to work today?” John asked. 

“You’re not going to get up and ready before the monster comes over?” Brendon asked. 

Ah yes, their four year old daughter, Riley, who could in fact be a monster before she ate breakfast. 

John let out a small laugh. “Our four year old daughter is still asleep, therefore I am still asleep,” John said. “We’ll make breakfast together when she wakes up.” 

“Well then, all I can say is good luck to that,” Brendon said as he leant over and pressed a kiss onto John’s forehead.  

“Have a great day over there,” John said as Brendon stood up from the bed. “Have some fun cutting into people.” 

Brendon chuckled. “I always do.” 

John had probably gotten thirty more minutes in bed before he heard the sound of little feet running up and jumping onto the bed.

“Papa!” Riley screamed out as she crawled over the bed to flop over him. John let out a loud ‘oomph’ as her weight fell onto his stomach. “You need to wake up.” 

“Oh, I do?” John asked as he blinked open his eyes to see her. “But I want to sleep in.” 

Riley shook her head. “No, we have to get up now,” she insisted. “The sun’s up now, that means we get out of bed.” 

“Okay, okay, I’m getting up,” he said as he moved to sit up. As he did so, he glanced at the clock on his bedside table. 7:24 At least he was able to get a little more sleep, though it was still certainly earlier than he would have liked for a day off. 

“Breakfast time,” Riley said as she jumped off of the bed and ran to the bedroom door. 

“Right, breakfast time,” John said. “Just let me go to the bathroom real quick.” Riley nodded, though she still told him to make it quick. 

John shook his head. “How did I get such a bossy kid?” he muttered to himself. 

“Can we have lucky charms?” Riley asked as they walked down the stairs, Riley looking up at him with pleading eyes. 

“Only if you don’t tell Daddy,” John said. Just like when John first moved in with Brendon, Brendon had tried (and mostly failed) to break John’s sweet tooth. Now that their daughter was getting to the age of announcing her food preferences, Brendon had been doing the same. At least when Brendon was around, he had been mostly successful in getting the young girl away from the sugary foods. 

When it was just her and John however… 

John enjoyed eating lucky charms more than whatever healthy breakfast food Brendon bought.

Riley smiled as they reached the last step and she ran towards the kitchen.  

John followed after her at a more sedate pace. As she ran over to the pantry to get the box of cereal, John spotted one of their insulated coffee mugs sitting in the middle of the otherwise empty kitchen counter. 

Stuck on the side was a small post it note with Brendon’s handwriting: 

‘So you’re not running around with her half asleep. 

-B’

John smiled as he brought it to his mouth, taking a sip. Amazing. 

Riley came over to him, tapping John’s leg with the cereal box. “Can you help me pour it?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” John said as he turned to the cabinets. “Which bowl do you want?” 

“The cat bowl,” Riley said. 

John hummed as he picked out the bowl with the pink and purple cats and then handed it to Riley.  He then helped her pour the cereal and milk inside of it at the table. 

“So, do you still want to go to the park today?” John asked as Riley started in on her bowl of cereal. 

“Of course,” she said around a mouthful of cereal. “We have to see the ducks.” 

“Just the ducks?” John asked as he took a sip of the coffee. It was great, just like Brendon always made it. 

“And the swings, and the slides,” Riley added. “I have to show you I learned how to do the swings by myself.” 

“You can do them by yourself?” he asked, genuinely shocked. “When did you learn that?” 

“Last week, Daddy took me when you were at work,” Riley said. 

Oh yeah, the one day shift John worked in three months just so happened to be the same day his daughter grew up on him. Of course.

“Fine then, you’ll have to show me,” John said. 

Riley nodded as she took another spoonful of cereal. 

They had plans today, big plans as their daughter would say. 

First they were going to go to the playground at the park down the street from their house where they would first hit the swings and see who could get the highest. 

After the swings, they would go to the slides and race each other down on the two that were side by side. And since she was finally big enough, Riley wanted to go down the giant one.

When they were done with the slides, only after Riley won, they would go over to the pond a bit a ways from the playground, where Riley loved to watch the ducks and turtles swim around the pond. 

Only when Riley got her fill of watching the ducks, they would walk around the pond to where there was a small cafe on the opposite side from the playground. John would get a coffee, while Riley would pick out whichever pastry caught her eye in the display case. Though sometimes they would both get a hot chocolate if the weather was cold. It was the middle of June right now though, so an iced coffee and pastry it was. After they took their time eating their treat and drinking their coffee next to the window that looked out at the pond, they would finally go home. 

The plan was great, something John and Riley did every week on the first day he had off, something the worst problem they ever encountered was two older boys hogging the slides.  

Hair like a cloak of blood and crystal rippled as Fade moved. They fae were all beautiful and deadly, but Fade was more. Each movement a martial song of grace and efficiency. Every aspect an artists’ dream. Fade twitched a finger at Leo.

A few quick steps and Leo stood beside him. “Yes lord?"

“Try not to die.” A sly smile pulled at the corners of Fade’s enticing lips.

Leo swallowed and looked away. “I've been shot before, it’s fine.”

The healing didn't take away the pain. Not something he’d whine about to a fae lord. Most of them wouldn't care, but chances were good that the thought would make Fade more eager. The fae stepped from the loading ramp into the back of the truck. A human would clamber awkwardly over the packing crates inside, but Fade flowed around them with his own sort of physics. Leo pulled his eyes away from the sure motion of long limbs, shifting hair teasing slender hips, and yanked the back closed.

Keys jingled as Leo hopped down from the loading dock, his sneakers oddly silent. Only monsters and killers here, they didn't have to act awkward or loud. The truck made up for them when it chugged to life and Leo got on with the boring drive south.

Miles wore on and nerves filled his stomach. He'd told Ash the fae had asked him to do this. It wouldn't look like he escaped the clan if they knew he'd been ordered to it. The rest of the clan had no to reason to follow him. To kill him. It didn’t convince his tight stomach, it felt like if he kept driving south he'd die. His hands cramped on the wheel and he flexed stiff fingers, making sure he didn't break it.

Ash liked his power. She wouldn't give him up. The way their bond felt stretched had to be all in his mind. A tire went with a bang and the truck slewed, Leo’s distracted thoughts not slowing down his reaction time. The truck came to a stop on the side of the highway. The ambushers had likely hoped for a crash, but would plan for everything. Leo took a breath and hopped out.

Impact. Pain tore thorough him and he dropped to the ground, rolling under the truck. The bullet had hit a lung, each breath became a wheezing agony. His vision turned black at the edges; healing and rage were one. A sedan’s tires flashed past his eyes, slow enough to know they'd followed and stopped to drop off his shooter.

Legs appeared as Leo turned his head. A roll brought him out from under the truck, blood trail missing. Absorbed. It would be days before he felt normal, but the pulse of his anger held back his pain and had him moving as his flesh knit itself closed. The human went for a gun. Leo broke his hand. Then his neck.

The silence from the back menaced like no screams could. Reluctant, Leo slowly moved to see the open back, light unable to penetrate inside. He hauled himself up, eyes adjusting. Fade lay in a pool of blood, limbs spread like a child making a snow angel. A beautiful smile greated Leo.

“Excellent job with the truck.” Fade’s satisfied voice pushed some of the rage back for another kind of heat. The soft burr drew Leo into the darkness, until his foot slid on the blood. A shift of balance saved him, from a fall, from enchantment.

Expression radiant with joy, the fae sprang to his feet. Fade's hair stayed clean and dry, but the blurred line between red and crystalline white had moved closer to his feet. His clothes were another matter; blood stuck his white shirt to his slender frame. It dripped from the hem onto his tall black boots. Leo watched it soak the already spattered fabric covering Fade’s thighs.

A soft laugh fell into the silence. “Drive us back now kata.”

“Yeah. Right.” Leo cleared his throat, “I'll, uh, let them know the ambush worked out too. You should… probably stay out of sight.”