#slap tw

“I- I don’t deserve- “

*SLAP*

Silence rings out as Roman holds his red cheek and Patton lowers his shaking hand,” it’s not your fault, Roman. So stop acting like it is.”

“But-”

“Logan’s alive. He’s here, but he might not stay if we don’t get his wounds taken care of. Get up, we don’t have all day… sir.”

Roman looks at his servant, the one that had been by his side since he was a boy, and nods numbly as he gets to his feet. Patton helps him up and the dragon lifts a wing for them, gravel and stones rolling off the edge and through the holes on the leathery skin. Patton winces and gets them out and to a spot further away before setting Roman down.

Despite both of them being beaten and bruised, the dragon and prince stare at each other warily. Blue meets hazel as Patton undoes Roman’s shirt to gauge the wounds. Surprisingly, they weren’t that deep, but the burns on Roman’s bicep was blistering red, almost black at the center. Patton could see Logan visibly flinch at the bubbling skin and moves to block the burn from his sight. Tears still streamed from Roman’s eyes, but Patton couldn’t tell if it was from the pain or the thoughts plaguing his master’s mind.

It didn’t matter in that moment, but Patton didn’t notice the shadowy figure crawling over the rubble of the walls that once stood tall and proud. The figure makes its way over towards Logan, limping until the dragon lowers its head to offer them a way up. Roman’s teary eyes blur more at the sight behind Patton and he tries to alert him,” b-behind..”

“Quiet, Roman, I know the dragon is there. You don’t need to worry about it, just rest.”

“Who… is that?” Patton turns and hmphs with his hands about to tear Roman’s shirt,” Virgil! You’re supposed to be resting by the tree! What do you think you’re doing?” “Oh I don’t know, bringing my medical expertise?” Logan lowers his head where Virgil was resting with his ankle elevated on Logan’s horn. It was wrapped in strips from his tunic, which was now cropped,” there’s a kit in the medical wing to your left, Patton. Did Roman hit his head?”

“I’m pretty sure he did, it's bleeding.” Roman scoots back when the dragon lowers his head in and sniffs him,” Patton, get this thing away from me!” “Lo-” He licks Roman’s head and Patton goes silent as he mlems to get the taste out of his mouth. Roman sits in shocked silence, his head tingling and processing what just happened,” WHAT THE F-” “Prince Roman, language!”

“Pat, it LICKED me!” “I know he did, I do have eyes, Roman.” Patton rolls his eyes fondly as Roman sputters indignantly,” Apparently you didn’t taste very good.”

“Excuse you, I taste amazing! Wait-”

Virgil cackles and almost falls off of the dragon’s head as Roman’s face turns the same shade as his cloak. Even Logan is suppressing a smile and snorts a few sparks.

“That isn’t what I meant!” Roman frowns and shields himself with his arm from the shower of sparks.

Patton giggles as he cleans off Roman’s hair,” well, it seems your head is fine now. Logan apparently has magic healing powers now.”

The dragon snorts and crosses its front legs, staring at Roman pointedly.

“What do you want? It’s not like I owe you anything besides a thank you.”

Logan lowers his head and lets Virgil slide off to the ground as Patton comes back with the very out of date medical kit. The handservant gets right to work on Virgil’s newer wounds, bandaging the scrapes on his hands and rewrapping his ankle as the guard leans on the dragon’s forearm. It’s only now that Logan can see how tired Virgil was, and he growls softly in worry, nosing Virgil’s shoulder.

“I’m alright, Lo, just-” He hisses quietly at the second dose of disinfectant on his chest,” just a bit scuffed up. I’ll be fine after a nap”

The dragon clearly doesn’t believe him and removes his coat with his teeth, snuffling at his hair. He only pulls away when Virgil visibly winces and swipes his tongue across the hidden gash on the human’s hair.

“Thanks, Lo. So sanitary.” he smiles loopily and closes his eyes, drifting off,” idiot, I can’t help you if you run from me. Makes my job exponentially harder.”

The dragon snorts and lays a wing over him protectively. “Wow, a skylight!”

---

Geralt wasn’t exactly sure where he was. He knew that Stregobor had drugged him at the club and hauled him off into the back of a stretched limo. He knew that Jaskier would’ve certainly noticed his absence by now. He knew that it was dark and that the windows had been covered with heavy drapes to keep him out of the loop.

“Domino,” the villainous mage/drug dealer chuckled. He entered the room and closed the door behind him, draping the furniture in twisted shadow once again. He crossed the small space and ran the back of his knuckles along one of Geralt’s cheekbones before pulling his hand back to deliver a rough slap. The captive man grunted as his head snapped to the side with the force of the blow, the sound of the impact still ringing through his ears. “It was foolish of you to think that you could evade me for so long. I’ve missed you; I’ve missed looking at you.”

There was nothing Geralt could do but breathe heavily around the gag and brace himself for the next potential strike. He watched Stregobor’s every movement with narrowed eyes but the mage had grown seemingly disinterested. 

“Your precious 007 will be coming for you shortly, I’m sure,” the bearded man continued, pacing the length of the dim room at a leisurely pace. “And then I shall take my revenge on both of you. Until then, my sweet -” and this game with a venomous grin “- I suppose we have some alone time.”

---

Jaskier gathered Geralt into his arms, pressing kisses to whatever undamaged skin he could reach. The white-haired beauty was draped across his lap in the back of their escape vehicle, unconscious and disastrously pale. The snazzy silver car Q had hooked him up with was driving itself back to headquarters while 007 tended to his lover’s wounds. They were nasty-looking on the surface but were mostly superficial, thank the gods. 

“Oh, my sweet,” the secret agent murmured softly, “I should have gotten there so much sooner. I’m so sorry, love.”

“Jaskier?” 

A pair of golden eyes fluttered open and 007 nearly sobbed. He buried his face in Geralt’s chest and bit back his tears. The wounded man gripped weakly at his shirt; Jaskier cupped the back of Geralt’s neck to better support his weight, settling him gently in his lap. “I was so worried that they’d killed you. Or worse.”

“They barely roughed me up,” Geralt chuckled. “I’m much tougher than I look.”

“You look rather dashing, actually,” Jaskier smiled. It was wan and thin but it was better than the panicked look he’d been wearing when he first came to Geralt’s rescue. The white-haired man grinned sleepily and let himself relax into the secret agent’s strong, firm arms. “Go to sleep, darling. I’ll keep you safe.”

I went to Homeroom. Drew was there, leaning on his desk looking like a fucking prick, as always. He was wearing a gown, too, except his had special trim and a stupid chord with tassels on either end like he was a goddamn curtain.

I was in a blind rage, practically seeing red. I should have seen this coming. I was honestly surprised when my voice came out flat, words coherent, “I think people will miss you out there.” I gestured to his dumb special get-up.

Drew smirked at me. “Probably. Certainly, no one is missing you though.”

I balled my hands into fists.

“I’m assuming you’re here because your name isn’t in the program?”

“What the fuck did you do?”

He just laughed and crossed the room to an open window. Pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one. He held it out to me.

I shook my head. The idea of smoking made my hands tingle.

Fuck, I wished Wyatt were here.

Then again, no, it was better not to add oil to this fire.

“Drew.”

“Look, Emma. What can I say? I got a little angry. My temper gets away from me sometimes. As you know…” He chuckled at himself and let his eyes rake over me.

Ugh.

He rearranged his face into that fucking smile.

The one that had anyone at the school who was attracted to men and half the ones that weren’t swooning and bending to his will. Of course, he’d used that pull to screw me over. Double time.

I was so angry. My heart was beating erratically in my chest. Skipping a beat. Skipping my name. Skipping my chance at freedom. “I—I only ever did what you asked. I’m supposed to be done. I—I—”

“‘I—I—I—’” Drew mocked. He took a long drag of his cigarette, smirking at me. “Emma, don’t you get it? It doesn’t matter what you want. I own you.” He left his cigarette balanced on the windowsill, smoke curling out into the fresh air, and walked over to me.

I backed up and hit a desk.

It scraped across the wood floor. The sound made me cringe.

“Actually, we own you.”

Fucking Tina.

She sauntered in and came to stand in front of me. “Is she making trouble again?”

Drew shrugged and put his arm around her. Gross. So gross. “I was just explaining to her that this only stops when I say it stops.”

“Oh, good.” Tina smiled and looked at her nails. “Things have just been going so well. What with cornering the market like you did with your new little friend and all.”

I ground my teeth together. “Leave him out of it.”

They laughed.

“He’s the one butting his head in. I do hope we can meet one day. I’ve had so much fun getting to know your other friends over the years,” Drew said meeting my gaze and raising one eyebrow.

I tried to hide my enraged shaking. “I’m eighteen. I don’t have to—”

Tina backhanded me across the face.

The desk hit another as I stumbled back. Double scraping across the floor.

I tasted blood. “I don’t have to do what either of you say anymore. I don’t fucking care about graduating. I’ll just leave.”

Tina tilted her head to the side. “Will you though? I thought it was so important to you to be different. To make something of yourself.”

I swallowed a mouthful of spit and blood.

“It would be a shame if your friends also didn’t get that chance. You’ve already been such a bad influence, why continue to drag them down with you?” Drew asked.

My stomach turned. “You wouldn’t—you couldn’t—”

He stepped forward and grabbed onto the front of my stupid graduation gown, pulling me against him. “Oh, Emma. Haven’t you learned by now to never question what I’m capable of?” He held me for a moment longer before pushing me away. He unzipped the gown and pushed it off my shoulders to pool at my feet.

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t make a sound.

It would just make me sound weak. Make me a better target. I’d learned that years ago, before Drew, before Tina, before any of this.

What I knew was to look past the bullshit. Focus on my rage and let it fuel me to the other side.

Drew’s fist sunk into my stomach and knocked me backward. I fell into one of the desks and took it down with me.

“Maybe you need a little reminding? You don’t seem to understand logic.”

I struggled to catch my breath, scrambling to untangle myself from the desk.

I didn’t make it.

He kicked me in the ribs while I was still down on my hands and knees.

Tina chuckled from where she was watching the hallway. “Now this is something she understands.”

Well, at least I wasn’t sweltering in that goddamn trash bag anymore.

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