TRP: Goro, Hansel, and Mishka (Reconciliation)

[Setting: An inn outside of Alabaster.]

Mishka stayed with Hansel’s corpse until the warmth leeched out of it. He tucked himself under Hansel’s limp arm and wept, huddling his face in Hansel’s shirt. Hansel still smelled like whiskey and gin.

When the corpse was cold—and Mishka was certain Aleksei wasn’t coming back—Mishka dragged himself up. He kissed Hansel’s face, both cheeks, then wrapped his arms around Hansel to hold him.

He wondered if Hansel was with Gruumsh or with Selune.

He thought, I wanted to hold you and tell you everything was going to be okay. I wanted to hold you and tell you I loved you, and nobody was gonna fucking hurt you anymore.

“It’s going to be okay,” Mishka said thickly. “I love you, and I’m gonna go get you back, and nobody’s gonna fucking hurt you anymore.”

He kissed Hansel’s cheek, again, and then he stood up, and he wiped his eyes on his sleeve. There was blood on his clothes.

Once, a few years ago, Mishka had almost drowned. He’d been reckless, and an enemy ship captain paralyzed him while he was jumping across ships. He fell into the water, and Hansel jumped in after him and saved him. A year after that, the same thing happened to Hansel. Something knocked him out and he fell in, and Mishka dove into the water and grabbed him and cracked him back out.

Sometimes, Mishka thought they were both idiots. Fucking reckless morons. But they had one saving grace, and that’s that only one of them ever drowned at a time.

“I got this,” Mishka whispered. “I got you.”

.

And he went for the inn.

He did not run, because he didn’t want to draw attention. If Aleksei was still watching, Mishka wanted to make sure Aleksei thought he was devastated. Aleksei probably didn’t know Goro could raise the dead. Aleksei probably thought Goro would assume Mishka killed Hansel and murder him—and that one was probably true, but Aleksei didn’t know Mishka would take that fucking risk.

Their room as the inn was empty, but another door nearby stood slightly ajar. Mishka padded inside. The room was mussed by empty, save for Goro, who lay curled in the bed, wrapped around an enormous pillow, his forehead scrunched like he was pissed about something. He was still wearing all his clothes. God.

Mishka grabbed his shoulder.

LINA

He needed to sleep.

He needed to sleep.

It would've been easiest to do while cuddling Hansel, but Goro didn't want to ask Hansel for things right now. If Hansel needed to stay up drinking with Larkin, then he should stay up drinking with Larkin.

Goro slept fitfully, and if he hadn't had whiskey earlier he probably wouldn't have slept at all. His dreams were half-lucid. He knew Hansel wasn't in bed with him. He wondered sometimes if he should be worried. But he needed to sleep.

When someone grabbed his shoulder, he bolted upright, as wide awake as if he hadn't been sleeping at all.

"What? Fucking what?" He said it before he even saw it was Mishka grabbing him. What the fuck.

COYOTE

"Hansel's in the orchard."

LINA

"Okay." Goro rubbed his eyes.

COYOTE

Mishka didn't say anything else. Couldn't fucking think of what to say. Probably should've thought about this part before he got here. Instead, he just started going through plans in his head-- get Goro out to the body, get Hansel raised, fake his own death, maybe, make Aleksei think he'd won, somehow, play along, and then, and then--

"Someone attacked Hansel," Mishka said clumsily.

LINA

Goro felt alert, but confused. His head was spinning. Fucking whiskey. He must not've been sleeping for as long as he thought.

The words sunk in after a delay. His gut lurched. "He's hurt?"

He didn't wait for an answer before checking his bracelet. He squinted, having a hard time making anything out in the dimness.

Oh.

No, the reason he couldn't make anything out was because--because the beads were completely black.

Goro scrambled out of the bed, legs tangling in the blankets. Almost landed on his face.

COYOTE

Mishka grabbed him, dragging him up and setting him on his feet.

LINA

"How bad?" Goro said, lurching around the room and grabbing at things that might've been his pack. Or his robe. That had the Foxtail. "How bad?"

COYOTE

Mishka wavered, then stopped. "Listen." He wet his lips. "I'm gonna tell you, and I'm gonna be honest with you and let you know everything, but I need you to fucking trust me, Goro, and do what I say, and don't go running off into the dark in the middle of the night the instant I tell you. Okay? You good?"

LINA

There was his pack. Healing potions. He slipped it on and looked at Mishka expectantly. "Yeah?"

COYOTE

Mishka went for his room, the other room, where his shit was, and fumbled around in the dark, grabbing for his stuff.

He buckled the flametongue rapier around his waist. He wanted all his shit and wanted to be fully armed before he told Goro. Just in case Goro was-- well-- a fucking liar, and took off the instant Mishka told him anyway.

"Where's my scrolls?" Mishka muttered, digging into the bag.

LINA

Mishka just fucking walked out. Goro followed him, a really bad feeling pricking up the back of his neck. This whole night had already been tremendously fucking weird. He'd kind of forgotten, in a way, that he was still half-convinced Mishka was a fucking liar and a traitor. And now here he was, showing up in the middle of the goddamn night, claiming someone attacked Hansel, then saying incomprehensible shit and walking out.

Maybe he was drugged. Maybe he was losing his mind. All Goro knew was that Hansel was fucking unconscious, according to the bracelet.

He watched Mishka digging through his bag. "You said he's in the orchard?"

COYOTE

Mishka grabbed the small leather book where he kept his scrolls. Well, they weren't scrolls, technically, since he kept them bound in a small book, but still. He strapped that into its place at his waist as well. Scrolls. Magic. Rapier. What else?

Mask. Mishka took it off then flipped it back on, making himself look like a plain and unobtrusive human man with freckles and short, choppy brown hair.

Mishka decided to just fucking go for it. "Hansel's dead," he said, steadying himself on the bedside table as he stood up.

LINA

Goro stared at him, hating that he wasn't using his own face.

He couldn't figure out why Mishka would say that. Trying to scare him, or get a rise out of him.

"What?" he said. And he realized he'd already started crying. That was fast. That was an overreaction. He didn't know what was going on. He put a hand over his mouth.

COYOTE

God.

Mishka had shut down, for the most part. He was good at doing that, just locking things up and getting shit done when everything was falling apart.

Still. The look in Goro's face fucking killed him.

He remembered lying in Hansel's arms and crying himself empty, and figured Goro was gonna need to do that, too.

He wanted to say, Do you trust me?

He remembered Goro saying, A little.

"Someone attacked Hansel in the orchard," Mishka said quietly. "They're really fucking dangerous. They attacked us both, and they killed Hansel, and they might still be out there. Get whatever you need to raise the dead, and-- come fix him, please, Goro, I'm fucking begging you. I've got what I need to defend us. Are you coming?"

He took a step out the door.

LINA

Goro cried out wordlessly behind his hand. There was nothing to say, even if he'd been able to say it.

He thought about Hansel, and how he still existed, because his soul was somewhere, but it was... gone. On this plane, in this world, at this inn and its orchard there was... no Hansel. He'd left.

And Goro felt so profoundly alone, standing there.

He used both hands to hide his face, and he wailed and sobbed, gasping for air. All while some part of him stood off to the side and watched and thought, Come on, you're just going to raise him. There's a body. Mishka said so. Get a fucking grip.

He didn't know how long he stood there crying. His sense of the passage of time had completely snapped away. Nothing was happening and he wasn't doing anything. He just existed in this horrible moment, alone, without Hansel.

Gah. Fucking stupid.

He dropped his hands, sniveling, shoulders heaving. "Uh. Uh-huh." He stumbled forward to follow Mishka.

COYOTE

Mishka twitched. He wanted to grab Goro and hold him the way he held Hansel when he was upset, and press Goro's head into his chest the same way he held Hansel's head against his chest. Hold him down. Hold him steady. But he wasn't sure that was fucking allowed.

Well. If it wasn't, he guessed Goro would just tell him to fuck off.

So he waited at the door a moment, reaching out to grab Goro as he passed.

LINA

Goro skipped back a couple steps, teeth clenched, hands going up to protect himself.

COYOTE

Mishka moved back, a little, to give him a little more space, and raised his hands to show they were empty.

LINA

God, Goro was so confused. He wished he was still asleep, having a nightmare. He was shaking a little. "What do you want?" he choked out.

The orchard, Mishka had said. Maybe Goro could dimension step out there.

COYOTE

"It's okay," Mishka said, very quietly. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanted to hold you a minute. You looked freaked out, alright?"

LINA

Goro gave a strangled cry that didn't really mean anything. He didn't move.

COYOTE

God, it fucking killed him to see Goro so upset while there was nothing to be done about it. Mishka wavered, torn. Then he slipped the mask off again and set it on the nearest table.

"I mean it," Mishka said. "I'm not gonna fucking hurt you." Nobody would.  Mishka was fully armed, now.

LINA

"Where is he?" Goro said. His shaking had turned into jitters. He tried to remember what Mishka had said happened. He hadn't been listening close enough.

COYOTE

Mishka motioned, and he went down the stairs.

LINA

Goro followed, whining deep in his throat like a dog. He bit down hard on his knuckle to make himself stop.

COYOTE

Mishka padded down the stairs, mask forgotten behind him. He hurried through the back door, waving Goro through, and then trotted ahead again. He kept a sharp lookout around, headed towards the thicket of trees where he'd left Hansel's body.

Hansel was still there, propped gently up against the tree where Mishka left him. The knife still sticking out of his face, beard soaked with blood, his other eye empty and staring at the foliage above.

Mishka wavered. He thought he was doing a good job keeping it together, but-- fuck, seeing Hansel fucked up like this again almost broke him a second time.

Almost.

He kept it together. He had to. He leaned against a nearby tree and watched Goro.

LINA

Goro hadn't gotten his robe. Didn't need the Foxtail.

He was barefoot. Hansel had made him break his habit of sleeping with shoes on.

It was fucking cold outside. His feet were numb within a minute of walking through the grass. He didn't fucking care.

He thought he'd mostly pulled himself together, occasional whimpers aside. But when he saw Hansel lying there--Hansel's body--

He whimpered more desperately and dropped to his knees beside him. He shook his head over and over, tears dripping down his face, as his hands methodically went about examining Hansel like he was any other corpse.

He hadn't been dead long. Muscles still flaccid. Cold, but it was cold out. Maybe an hour. Goro had been sleeping, even though he'd known something was wrong.

A knife through his eye. Goro braced his palm against Hansel's forehead and carefully, slowly worked the blade out, pinching his thumb and forefinger on either side of it, holding the eyeball in place. Stopping and starting when he had to, to keep it steady. If he was lucky, he'd save the vision in that eye.

Most people would say no chance. But Goro was a really fucking good healer.

Once the knife was out, he laid it across his hands to examine it. Morbid curiosity. Not like he was dying to see bits of Hansel's brain on the tip of it, just wanted a good fucking look at the thing that had killed him.

He blinked, and brought it up to look at more closely. Even bloodied, it was recognizable.

Slowly, he turned his head to stare at Mishka.

COYOTE

"Yeah, if you're gonna try to kill me, just fucking do it," Mishka said, refusing to defend himself.

LINA

"Dragon?" Goro asked.

COYOTE

"No." Mishka's throated closed up, and he hunched his shoulders. Couldn't get it out. Aleks. Not dead. Won't stop fucking with me.

Didn't matter. As soon as Hansel was okay, Mishka was gonna find Aleks and skin him. Problem solved.

LINA

"Fucking explain yourself, then."

COYOTE

"No. Fuck off."

LINA

Goro tossed the knife away. He wrapped his arms around Hansel's body (cold, cold and heavy), said a prayer, and snuffed them back to their room at the inn.

When they got there, he gave himself another minute just to curl in on himself and cry. He kept his back to the body. Didn't want to look at it. He rocked back and forth a little, face buried against his knees.

He dragged himself to his feet and locked the door. He arranged Hansel's body on the floor with enough room around it to set candles. He took all his supplies out of his bag, then paused for a drink of water. Wet a rag and wiped his hands and face clean.

He set up the candles and incense, laid out his holy symbol, and opened his prayer book to the most recently written page. The result of the research he and Luci had done together.

From a small box where he kept a few material components, he pulled a little drawstring bag. Out of the bag he pulled a diamond. He set the diamond on Hansel's forehead.

He knelt, and began to pray.

COYOTE

Goro and Hansel were both gone with a soft pop.

Mishka sagged against the tree and buried his head in his hands. The tears he’d been holding a bay came flooding back again, and he sank onto the grass and wept.

He was just so tired. Exhausted so deep in his bones he didn’t think he could come back from it. He wanted Hansel, and he wanted to lie in Hansel’s arms and let Hansel hold him for a while. He wanted Joan—he wished she were here. She’d sit with him and hold him while he wept. She’d braid his hair out of his face and tell him he was okay, and that he’d done the best he could.

But there was no one.

He thought to go after Aleks. Solve the problem. Skin him dead. But he couldn’t. He didn’t have his spells back yet.

So Mishka dragged himself up and went back into the woods, then climbed back into the big tree he’d hidden in before, then tucked himself safely inside the branches out of sight. And he slept.

IZZY

A dripping sound, like rain hitting the calm sea. She knew what was coming before he did, and hesitated before leaning in to hug him tightly.

The voice behind him said, "Hey, time to go."

He felt ... heavy. Like he'd been falling or floating, and not even realized until all of his own weight was back on him. He pulled in a breath with some effort, and caught onto the fact that it was a real breath -- smoke and ash, incense.

Ah. Goro. Hansel's lips curled a little and he managed to get his eyes open a crack. God, the sheer weight of just being alive -- he'd never noticed it before. Like he was hungover after also fighting an entire fucking war on his own. Fucksake.

It was the inn. Not the woods, where he'd been before. Shit, he wondered how long he'd --

"Mishka," he slurred out. "Need ..."

Then he saw Goro, more than just smelling him and feeling his presence, and fumbled for him, trying to pull him in.

LINA

Goro had never known relief like he felt when Hansel finally took a breath.

Relief so intense, he shuddered with it. His hair stood on end. He sobbed once, almost--no tears in it--and clambered onto Hansel's chest, into his fumbling arms.

He wanted to ask some things, like--could he see out of his left eye, and did he remember anything from being dead, and was he okay and which god had gotten him--

And he wanted to say some things, like how Mishka was still out there, and Goro hoped to god Hansel wasn't gonna fucking go after him again, that the message oughta have been clear enough this time--

Couldn't say anything, though. He gripped fistfuls of Hansel's shirt and figured that was all he was gonna be able to do for the fucking rest of his life. He remembered how when he'd died, he'd told Hansel it was alright, 'cause it was like he'd just stepped out of the room for a minute.

Fucking bullshit.

IZZY

Hansel tried to squeeze him and only really managed to loosely curl his arms around him. Shit, he was weak.

Try to not die, please, Commander. Yeah, good fucking tip.

He was only about half-conscious, but he could tell Goro was upset. Fuckin' of course he was upset. So he tried to rub his back and kiss his hair, but it was all coming through a fog. He could talk a little, though. "Shemeshi. Oresi. S'okay. M'okay. You got me. Knew y'would."

Then he stirred a little on the end of it, realizing the room was empty except for the two of them. Fuck. Fuck.

"M-Mishka." He tried to struggle upright. "Need -- t-to get --."

LINA

Goro straightened up enough to pet Hansel's hair, try to ease him back down. Should at least help him get to the bed, though. "Shh, shh. It's okay. He's not here. We're safe." Well, fuckin', maybe.

IZZY

"No, nnn." He squeezed his eyes closed. Right. Goro still thought ... "Need to ... fuckin' ... get ..." He couldn't say they needed to get Mishka, 'cause that'd just as easily mean kill him. "Bring him. Here. Safe."

LINA

Maybe dying had fucked with his memory some. "Hansel. He fucking stabbed you in the face. He killed you."

IZZY

"No," Hansel insisted, then immediately held Goro as tight as he could -- not fucking much -- in case it sounded like he was pissed at Goro and not just frustrated with his own fucking inability to stitch two words together. "Fuckin' ... fuckin' Aleksei. Ain't dead. Fucked with us, with ... my head, an' ... framin' Mishka." He tried to shake Goro gently for emphasis, and begged, "Gotta get him. Please. Aleks's ... out there. Please, ahuv."

LINA

Goro sat up a little.

"Ah, fuck." His mind raced to put the pieces together, but it felt less like carefully assembling a puzzle and more like hurriedly gathering up a bunch of crap to toss in a bag. Sure. Aleksei. Whatever. "Fuck. Okay, uh."

He climbed off Hansel, grabbed his holy symbol to shove in his pocket, and reached for his pack. He dug out a healing potion and shoved it into Hansel's hands, then hopped up to get his robe. Needed the goddamn Foxtail this time, just in case.

He wrapped his arms around Hansel again. "Alright, you ready?"

IZZY

Hansel wasn't sure he was ready to do much of anything, but he nodded.

LINA

Goro snuffed them back out to the orchard, right where he'd left Mishka before. Tried to land so they were sitting, still. It was a little bumpy.

He looked around, blinking, and rubbed his eyes. "Um. Well. He's not here, but uh."

IZZY

Hansel gagged and threw up. All right, well. Coulda fuckin' seen that one coming. There wasn't much on his stomach, at least. He ignored the burn of it coming up and scraped an arm across his mouth, clutching Goro with the other hand just to stay sort of fucking upright.

He coughed, panted, and as loud as he could, screamed Mishka's name through the trees -- until his gut hurt from the force and he had to stop to cough and spit again, groaning.

COYOTE

Mishka woke up.

Things had been black a while, and that had been good. Now he was awake again, and there was... noise, and someone screaming his name.

Hansel. Hansel was screaming his name.

Then it choked off, and turned into a different noise, like pain, or vomiting. Under normal circumstances, Mishka would've stayed in his nice little tree and told anyone who came near to fuck off, but-- Hansel needed him. Nevermind that Hansel punched him in the face and threw him out and threatened to gut him. Nevermind that Hansel was supposed to be dead. Hansel needed him.

Mishka rolled out of the tree, landed on his feet, and took off running, darting around trees. He skidded to a stop in the leaves and mud when he saw two figures standing up ahead.

IZZY

"Mishka." He could only croak it now, and he didn't have the strength to run to Mishka. He just held his arm out, open and asking.

It occurred to him that it could be a trick -- it could be Aleksei.

But the risk was worth it, because he needed to hold his husband, and keep him safe, even if trying killed him again.

COYOTE

Mishka wavered for a second, then stumbled forward the second he knew it was allowed. It was okay.

He threw himself into Hansel’s arms, making a choked, anguished noise and huddling inside Hansel’s jacket. He’d kept himself up all day and he couldn’t fucking do it anymore. He didn’t care if anyone was looking or not.

IZZY

Hansel clung to him, relieved. Okay. He was okay. They were together, and -- and they were still fucked up, but they had Goro, now, too, to watch out for them. He pressed his face against Mishka's hair and kissed him over and over again, stammering between them.

"S'okay. S'okay, khochav. I love you. Understand. S'okay. Fuckin' ... Aleksei. I love you. M'sorry. Got you now. S'okay."

They should get back to the inn, he knew -- it'd be safer there, and god, they all fucking needed rest -- but he couldn't stop to say as much. Too busy babbling out reassurances, because fuck -- Mishka'd been alone, and Hansel had hit him, and not explained anything, not listened, and then gone and fucking died and left him all alone again. He just kept kissing Mishka's head and holding him -- still gripping Goro tight for stability, needing an anchor -- whispering half-nonsense in a desperate attempt at soothing him.

LINA

Goro stood with his feet spread wide--he'd hadn't bothered with his motherfucking boots, again--trying to move as little as possible so it was easier to make a steady base for Hansel. He hadn't once unclenched his fingers from Hansel's shirt.

His eyes darted around, taking in the dark woods. His heart was skittering fast. Neither Hansel or Mishka was in a position to defend themselves, and Goro had drained himself mostly dry already.

"Where is he?" he said. Fucking phantom Aleksei. Wasn't sure if either of them heard.

COYOTE

Mishka made an uncertain noise. Couldn't get anything out, just curled against Hansel's chest inside his coat.

He thought maybe it was over, and they believed him now, and he could lay down and sleep and be safe, but he'd thought that a couple times before and it hadn't fucking been true. Kept getting worse. I love you. Gonna be okay, Hansel had said, and then Aleksei stabbed him in the fucking eye.

Mishka had told Goro, Someone attacked Hansel, and, They're really fucking dangerous. They might still be out there, and then Goro left him. Because of course he did, because Mishka was an untrustworthy bastard. This was what he got for being a fucking liar and a cheat.

"Don't know," Mishka said thickly. "Think-- think he's gone. Please... please don't leave."

It was gonna be fine, now, anywhere. Mishka had what he needed to defend himself.

IZZY

"Ain't goin' nowhere," Hansel said, trying for ferocity, giving up on kissing Mishka and just nudging and nuzzling against him insistently. "All okay. Got you. S'okay."

Goro couldn't step both of them back to the inn, and Mishka was out of magic. He wanted to tell Goro to take Mishka, but it wasn't like Hansel could fuckin' walk. He supposed they were just all walking, then. Better that way. Staying together.

"Inn," he mumbled. "Safer there. Lock th' doors."

LINA

Goro clenched his teeth so hard he was afraid they might crack. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He had done that. He'd left Mishka out here alone, twice. Mishka had--fucking told him to fuck off before, though, and he hadn't--hadn't fucking said a word about--

Not like Goro would've believed Aleksei coming out of his mouth, but--

Fuck. Fuck. He reached one hand over to squeeze Mishka's shoulder. And he stepped away, trying to steady Hansel as he went, so they'd be able to walk.

COYOTE

Mishka couldn't believe it. "What if-- one of you is Aleksei, or-- what if he's nearby, and-- he's going to kill you, one of you, both of you, or do something to fuck it up again, and keep-- keep taking people away, and--"

He couldn't go on, after that. His sense of reality was completely gone. Fundamental truths had shifted. Hansel had hit him and left him. Dead people were not dead. Anything could happen.

IZZY

Hansel shambled along after Goro, relieved he was leading, and held Mishka tight. "Ain't gonna happen. Fuckin' ... know he's there now. Gonna take care of you, ahuvi. Gonna fuckin' skin him. Promise. Hold him down an' you can slit his throat."

His head was still fucking jumbled with the bullshit Aleksei had put in there, and somewhere distant he had the urge to panic, because he fucking remembered Mishka betraying him, he knew it -- but his trust and certainty was stronger, and he crushed Mishka to him as hard as he could.

"S'okay. It's me. I love you, I got you. My star. Mine," he whispered. "He ain't gonna fucking get you. Ain't gonna get anyone."

COYOTE

Mishka dug his feet in and refused to move for a moment, because he couldn't stay inside Hansel's coat attached to him and walk at the same time. Then he relented, and he pushed his way under Hansel arm again, and this time Hansel's arm was warm instead of cold and limp.

He blindly followed Goro back to the inn.

LINA

Once they'd made it into their room, Goro shut and locked the door, then grabbed a chair to stick under the handle how Mishka and Hansel liked. He'd always found that quaint. But fuck, in a pinch, why not.

Next he went to the window--just one, thank god--and examined the latch. Bullshit. Not secure enough. He grasped one of the boards making up the trim and wrenched it loose, hissing when a couple splinters lodged under his fingernails. He snapped it in half over his knee--the inn'd charge them for that, and that was fine, they could fucking go ahead--and wedged both pieces above the sliding panel of glass so it couldn't be opened.

He wondered if Aleksei could teleport. Motherfucker.

IZZY

Hansel dragged Mishka to the bed, collapsing on the side of it because -- fuckin' Selune, he'd just been dead a few minutes ago, and he needed to sit down, because he needed to put all of his fuckin' measly strength into holding Mishka.

While Goro was busy, Hansel wrapped both arms around his husband, wrapped the coat around him, shuffled to pull one boot up onto the bed so that knee was up to guard one side, too -- everything he could do, any little bit. Goro'd brought his trident in, earlier, and he made sure to sit by it, torn between grabbing it for extra protection and not being able to let go of Mishka long enough. He just curled one arm around Mishka's waist and the other up around his shoulders, threading fingers in his hair -- leaves and twigs stuck there from hiding in the trees, and Hansel picked them out carefully and stroked Mishka's hair, head bent to kiss his temple.

"All okay." His eyes flicked up to watch Goro barricading them in. Good. Good. "Got you. S'okay. I trust you, I'm sorry, it's okay." He rocked Mishka gently, leaning into his own exhausted wavering in place. Just kept saying the same things over and over again. "I love you. It's okay, my love, it's okay."

COYOTE

Mishka was caught off-guard.

Goro locked the door and stuck a chair under it— barricaded the window— and Hansel just... grabbed him and held him, finger-combing his hair. He’d expected to go back to the inn and need to do those things himself. Look after himself. Secure the room himself.

But instead, nah. Just sitting on the bed with Hansel while Goro took care of things.

“I’m sorry,” Mishka said miserably. He kept whispering in broken little pieces. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. ‘S my fault. I’ll never lie to you again, I swear. I promise.”

LINA

Goro stalked around the room, twitching, chewing his nails, checking for security flaws like a deranged guy even though he knew there were only two entrances.

Wasn't fuck all more that could be done. He sat--more like crouched--on the foot of the bed at an angle where he could see both the door and the window. Maybe Aleksei could appear fucking anywhere, though. Goro'd always wished he had eyes in the back of his head, and he sure as hell was feeling it now.

IZZY

Hansel shook his head and pushed his face against Mishka stubbornly. "I know. I know. You didn't. Ain't your fault." He let go only briefly to fumble for one of the mussed blankets, tugging it around them clumsily, and sniffled a little. "None of this is your fuckin' fault, my love. Fuckin' none of it. S'okay. I believe you. Not your fault."

COYOTE

Hansel had him. Even if Hansel was half-dead right now. Mishka sank into his arms as far as he could go, wanting to crawl into his clothes and stay there.

Goro curled up on the end of the bed, watching the room. Mishka blinked at him fuzzily, the world hazy through tears and exhaustion. Of course the traitor was not Goro. Goro was a loyal son-of-a-bitch. He did not pretend to like someone for several months and then stab them in the back unexpectedly. He stabbed them in their front. Repeatedly.

Mishka used to think that Goro and Aleksei looked alike. But... their voices were different. He’d never thought about that before.

Back on stable ground. Everything made sense again.

Goro wasn’t saying anything. Hadn’t said anything since he got there— and Mishka wondered, briefly, if Goro didn’t believe him. Waiting until morning to clear Hansel’s memories. That would make sense.

Mishka didn’t say anything. Just let out a long, shaky sigh and relaxed in Hansel’s arms, closing his eyes.

LINA

A few minutes passed, quietly. Goro's tension began to abate a little. That never used to happen if he was spooked and alone--but he wasn't alone. Even if Hansel was half dead and Mishka was out of magic, they'd have his back, somehow. And he'd have theirs.

God, it was weird how just being became so much more bearable when you weren't doing it by yourself.

He kept chewing his nails. Spat a piece of one across the room and finally dared to turn his eyes from the exits. "Is one of you gonna tell me what's going on, now?" he mumbled around his fingers.

IZZY

"Aleksei," Hansel offered. He'd already said that. He tried to remember more, from before he'd ... died. Fuck, Mishka'd had to see --

Hansel squeezed him hard for a moment, swallowing. Had to've been bad enough for Goro, but Mishka felt it happen, stood there powerless and alone, isolated where Hansel had put him -- where fucking Aleksei had fucking puppeted them both.

"I'll cut him apart," he muttered, forgetting he was supposed to be explaining. "Take out his tongue. An' his hands. No more magic." He rocked Mishka, his voice shaking with fury and exhaustion. "We'll make him suffer, ahuvi. Make it take as long as you want. Make him fucking ... weak, and helpless. Make him fucking afraid." He kissed Mishka's hair a couple times and closed his eyes. "Or kill him quick. Over with. Burn his body. No more fuckin' reviving for him. Never gonna hurt you again. Promise, my love. I promise."

Somewhere, he lost track of whether he was promising he'd keep Aleksei from hurting Mishka, or promising he wouldn't do it himself. They were both true. The hard dark pit of guilt and horror in his chest was just turning to anger that something else had used him to hurt someone he loved.

Elves died a hell of a lot easier than gods, though. Aleksei oughta know that already, but Hansel could fucking remind him.

COYOTE

Yep. Everything was right with the world again. The panic and fear bled out of Mishka until he was limp and drowsy, lying contented in Hansel’s arms.

“I don’t know what happened,” Mishka said quietly. “Hansel threw me out. But... that cleric. It must’ve been Aleks.” He puzzled it together.  “He changed something in Hansel’s head. Then— he waited to see what it’d do, I suppose, how Hansel would’ve reacted.” Must’ve been real fucking pleased when Mishka got thrown out. “He does that. Little... tweaks to people, likes seeing what happens. He... likes people. And then— Hansel came to find me in the orchard, and we ran into each other there.”

He tried to be specific, and clear, because he thought that might help Goro. More information. “And— Aleks got pissed when he realized it wasn’t going to work. That in the morning, you’d just fix Hansel and everyone would figure out I was innocent. So— he... used a holding spell on Hansel, and then... he had my knife.” He motioned jamming it into Hansel’s eye. “Then he just— left again. He’s like that. Imagine me, but like, bored, rich, and spoiled. And evil.”

LINA

"Thought he was dead," Goro said. Thought Mishka had killed him, but it didn't feel necessary to point that out, other than the fact it meant the death couldn't have been faked.

COYOTE

“Thought he was dead, too. Came back,” Mishka said. “He said— he said Zoya— ah, you don’t know who Zoya is, hm. My mother brought him back after Asenka’s death, it seems, to find out more about what was going on. Don’t know if it was the truth or not, but there you have it.”

Mishka narrowed his eyes briefly. Why was Goro over there? Goro ought to be over here.

Mishka examined himself. This was not a very joinable configuration, unfortunately. He nudged Hansel silently, requesting he move back to prop himself against the headboard.

IZZY

Hansel pushed back to put his back against the headboard, still close to the edge where his trident was. He pulled Mishka along with him, and then once he was there, opened one arm a bit so Goro could also get against his chest, beside Mishka.

LINA

Goro watched them for a moment, not moving. "Your mother's a cleric," he guessed. He scooted closer, slowly.

COYOTE

Mishka eyed Goro a while. Hansel was probably too weak to manhandle anyone, what with being dead recently and all, which meant it was up to Mishka to acquire Goro.

Mishka considered this problem for a while before deciding to do the thing where he just told people what he wanted them to do. "Come over here. I demand it."

Hm. Maybe that was the wrong tone.

"Come over here, please," Mishka tried a second time.

He really just wanted to grab the scruff of Goro's collar and drag him over personally, but that usually didn't work.

LINA

Goro kept scooting. "Your mother's a cleric," he tried again. He crawled into Hansel's open arm, facing Mishka.

The tip of Mishka's ear was still angry red from the cold. Goro brushed his hair aside and cupped it.

IZZY

Hansel curled the arm around him, pulling him in close as possible.

COYOTE

"Mm. Clerics are valuable, so any noble with any cleric ability whatsover is trained pretty rigorously," Mishka said. "D'you want a whole twenty-minute lecture on politics in Alabaster? I can give you one. So, there's twenty-five noble families, and each of them are ranked by the number and power of spellcasters in the family-- clerics are the most valued, naturally, since they spread the glory of Corellon..."

LINA

"She's a cleric who can bring people back from the dead after ten years," Goro interrupted, running out of breath at the end and wheezing a little.

COYOTE

Mishka nodded, eyeing Goro. "Is that... very good? I mean, that's not much better than what you can do, I thought."

LINA

Goro wanted to bite his nails again, but one arm was wedged between himself and Hansel, and the other hand was shielding Mishka's ear. Goro let out a little helpless sigh and started petting Mishka's hair to keep that hand busy.

"I've never... fucking... known a cleric that strong. That was... what made the Leech special, alright?"

IZZY

"Don't matter," Hansel muttered. "Kill her too. Everyone dies th'fuckin' same."

He realized then that he was talking about killing Mishka's mother, which was ... maybe not good. But fuck Zoya, too, for bringing Aleksei back, for letting Aleksei get to Mishka in the first place. Should've protected him better. Yeah. Fuck her. He squeezed Mishka tight again, making a fist in his clothes.

COYOTE

Huh. Mishka hadn't actually known his mother could bring people back that far gone. Interesting that it made her so powerful. Chilling, too, he supposed.

"Hans, we can't just kill everyone who looks at me cross-eyed," Mishka muttered. "Besides. I don't want to kill her. She's-- she's my mother."

LINA

"I wanna kill my mother," Goro offered, helpfully.

IZZY

"Didn't fuckin' look at you cross-eyed," Hansel growled against Mishka's hair. Not that he wasn't over-protective -- he knew he was -- but. "Fuckin' let Aleksei get to you. Should've fucking looked out for you better. Should've been there for you." He settled a bit, though, kissing Mishka hair and huffing quietly. "Killin' Aleksei. Gotta make sure she don't bring him back again, s'all."

COYOTE

"Well, yes, but... look, I'm in a corner here, but we're still not killing my mother." They would absolutely kill Goro's mother. That was fine.

LINA

"But." Hansel had said it all. "What if she brings him back again?"

IZZY

Hansel grumbled. "S'pose you wanna fuckin' talk to her." Right. Mishka did the talking, Hansel did the killing. Goro did both, but this really seemed like more of a killing situation to Hansel.

COYOTE

"I mean, we should burn his body either way," Mishka said. "He's from the Abernathy's. They're the second-ranking family-- or, well, I suppose they were the last time I was here, before I left. Might've changed since then. Who knows." He ran his hands through his hair uncomfortably. "She'll probably just try to kill me if we go talk to her. I wish that she'd just-- fuck off, and leave me alone. Doing all this shit was a mistake. I wish they'd all fuck off and leave me alone. You know, it's a pity they don't think I'm dead--"

He stopped there.

"Huh," he said.

LINA

Mishka sounded like he was about to go off on another scheme. Like the last ten or twenty had worked out well for him.

"There's a spell," Goro said, coming back to the important bit, his voice sharpening, "that can raise the dead even with no body. Does she know it?"

Only legendary, other clerics he'd talked to had said. Goro didn't buy that.

COYOTE

"If she knew that spell, chaveri, my sister would be alive."

IZZY

Hansel frowned, and cuddled Mishka against him, weary but determined. He remembered that Serena wanted him to pass on a message to Mishka, but -- later.

LINA

That was a fair point, and Goro settled a little, but only just. Maybe Mishka's mother was trying to fucking learn that spell.

He kept petting Mishka's hair, stroking it back from his ear. The ear was still reddish. Goro massaged it very gently between his fingers and thumb.

He frowned. "Abernathy. Why do I know that name?"

COYOTE

"Mm." Mishka sighed sleepily. "Probably heard of the Minister of Defense. Abram Abernathy. Aleks's father. Bard fellow."

LINA

No, that didn't seem right. Or... well maybe, but...

All Goro knew was the name was setting him on edge. His heart started racing, and his breathing picked up. He shook his head and cuddled closer to both of them, wrapping his arm around Mishka and clutching the back of his shirt, careful not to dig into skin.

He couldn't figure out what was wrong. Blinking, he tried to remember what they'd been talking about. "Um. Anyway. Faking your death."

COYOTE

Huh. Something seemed wrong with Goro for a moment. Mishka shifted over to partially lie on top of him, because he felt like it, then pulled the covers over them more. "Right, so, I bought this potion from Lyra that makes a person look like me, but I'm assuming it probably wears off after death. So. Here's the pitch. We use it on someone and then kill them in a fiery explosion in public so it looks like I died, but then the body is too badly burned for post-mortem identification."

IZZY

Hansel made an approving grunt. He saw no flaws with this plan. Honestly, it was one of Mishka's simpler ones.

LINA

"Mm." Wasn't perfect, but then, faking one's death never was. "Also--I got a spell. If you decide you need a body. Puts you into a coma for an hour, stops your heart and everything. No one can tell you're not dead. Just a thought."

It felt good, the three of them being squished together. Goro kept his grip on Mishka's shirt and wiggled his other hand around until he could grab Hansel's shirt, too. It was starting to hit him, how fucking tired he was. He rested his eyes.

COYOTE

Mishka sighed again. He was still covered in blood and filth from outside, but eh. Whatever. Too comfortable. He closed his eyes and dozed a little, and felt Goro's heart slowing to a restful pace, and Hansel's heart, too.

"Hans," Mishka said, muddled and warm.

IZZY

"Mmf." His eyes were drifting closed, and he kept forcing them back open to keep watch. It wasn't gonna fuckin' work. He kind of wished they'd talked to Raef and Larkin, asked them to keep a lookout -- was what having family was for, and all.

LINA

Ah, fuck. Goro was really fucking tired. He was gonna have to... get up, stop lying here all warm and shit--

Wait. No. He was supposed to be sleeping. Supposed to be getting his magic back. That was his fucking job right now, he guessed.

He thought he might be able to sleep okay, if the three of them stayed just like this. If he didn't let himself think too hard about how glass could be broken, doors could be hacked down by blades, and Aleksei might know how to teleport. Goro had forgotten to ask.

They were together. It was okay.

He turned his head, shifting it around on Hansel's chest until he found a spot where he could hear Hansel's heartbeat. Good. Good. He whispered a brief prayer of thanks in Celestial.

A strong heartbeat. Soothing. Goro felt himself relax that last little bit. Then he gave Mishka one more squeeze with the arm he had around him. "'M sorry. Left... left you out there."

COYOTE

"'S okay," Mishka said, sleepily, and kissed his shoulder. "You came back."

LINA

Goro groaned softly. Sure as fuck wasn't okay. He didn't know how to make it right, though, except to... keep on lying here, holding him, and to rest and get his magic back, just like he'd planned to for hours now.

He stayed where he was, listening to Hansel's heartbeat. His grip on their shirts eventually softened.

IZZY

Hansel shifted to kiss Goro's head, rubbing his arm, then propped against Mishka again and gave a long, slow sigh.

He kissed Mishka's head, too, and whispered, "Hey."

COYOTE

"Mm. Mhm?"

IZZY

"Love you. Missed you."

COYOTE

"Pft. Asshole. I was going to say I missed you, but you beat me to it."

IZZY

Hansel snickered weakly. He kissed Mishka head again. Never got tired of that. "Serena says hey."

COYOTE

"Serana-- what? She..."

IZZY

"Mm."

Hansel'd already gotten used to the whole thing. Honestly, he was having a fuckin' day. Spending some of it with a dead woman wasn't even that high on the list of bullshit.

"She got me," he said sleepily. "Away from Gruumsh. Was all okay. Wanted me to tell you she doesn't blame you, an' shit. And she can get you too. Y'know. When it's time."

COYOTE

Mishka tensed, a little, at that. Shifted closer. Thinking about what was gonna happen when he died unsettled him; they were still young and alive. Death was a later problem. A much later problem, hopefully.

"Oh," Mishka said. He was... really fucking glad she was at peace with it... but he supposed he could blame himself in her stead. He had done shitty things, and he wasn't going to do them in the future, either way. "Did you... see any of the others?"

IZZY

Hansel shook his head a little. "Different places." He squeezed Mishka and traced his fingers back and forth on Mishka's back, reflexively adding, "S'gonna be all right," because of how Mishka'd tightened up. They'd work it out. They'd kill any mortal and any god they had to to keep the family together. He had his and he wasn't gonna fucking lose it again.

Then he stirred a bit, waking himself up, and shifted to dig into his pocket, palming the ring until he found Mishka's hand to push it between his fingers. He offered his own ring finger, feeling fuckin' ... awkward and ashamed, but not wanting to put it off another second.

COYOTE

Mishka took Hansel's hand and kissed it, then kissed each finger, then his wrist, then his arm. Then he settled on Hansel's chest-- careful not to wake Goro, still curled up against him, so thin and exhausted-- and cupped Hansel's face, gently steering him downwards for a soft kiss.

He slid the ring back on. Right where it should be.

IZZY

Hansel breathed out a sigh of relief, hooking the back of Mishka's head to kiss him again, then lean their foreheads together.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

COYOTE

"I know," Mishka murmured. He kissed Hansel's knuckles where Hansel hit him. He felt his heart beat a little faster, involuntarily, and made himself settle. "Just... not again. Please." His throat constricted. He remembered saying Please while Hansel backed him outside, knowing bad shit was gonna happen once Hansel drove him out, once he couldn't protect himself or anyone else.

"Wasn't your fault," Mishka whispered.

IZZY

He nodded. The reflex was it is my fault, I should have ... but that wasn't helpful. Didn't matter if he didn't actually cry to Mishka about it, make it Mishka's problem to comfort him -- was just fuckin' pointless to wallow. Didn't help anyone or anything, didn't make anything better. He took a breath.

"Never again," he murmured. "Promise. No matter what fucks with my head." He thumbed the ring. Knew it was a fuckin' possibility, now. He'd be ready for it. It was still in there, though, still clawing at the back of his mind, and he slitted open an eye -- the one Goro'd saved -- to peek at Mishka. Remind himself. "Never again."

COYOTE

"Mhm. You know, I've been thinking... maybe I should stop doing shit like enlisting my family to go on a city-wide crime spree to get revenge on my mother by forcing her to impersonate me and get arrested later. Maybe next time... next time we just stab people."

IZZY

Hansel made an approving sound, smiling a bit. "Do like stabbin' people."

COYOTE

"I know." Mishka sighed wistfully. "I'll miss the adventure, but it's possible it'll be worth it to... y'know... not have this bullshit happen. Y'know, it's-- fucking stupid, but-- if Aleks hadn't done this, I would've just... left him alone. I didn't-- I didn't fucking want to hurt him or kill him. I would've... I would've fucking forgiven him, you know? But-- god. I can't believe he fucking-- he broke you. He killed you."

He kept his voice soft to not wake Goro. He carded his fingers gently through Goro's thick hair. It must've really fucked with Goro's head, having to protect Hansel from him.

IZZY

Hansel grumbled.

"I wanted to fuckin' kill him."

COYOTE

"Well, frankly, that was going to be his problem. I wasn't going to kill him but if somebody else did-- hardly my fucking obligation to stop them."

IZZY

"Mmf. Good. 'Cause I was gonna." He sure as fuck was, now, but that was a given.

It unsettled Hansel on some level, hearing Mishka talk about Aleksei like that. I would have just left him alone. I didn't want to hurt him. I would've forgiven him. It was -- all fresh, right now, because of the tampering -- and it was exactly how Hansel had felt about Mishka, before. Avoiding him like a storm at sea, staying in port. He'd never wanted to hurt him. Just wanted Mishka to ... leave him alone. He'd been pretty fucking sure he would've forgiven Mishka, and ... supposed he had proof of it, now, on his knees and begging for it to just be over.

He held Mishka tighter. Fucking awful to think about.

COYOTE

"You gonna be okay?" He wanted to pull Hansel into his chest, but didn't want to move. Already so fucking comfy. This. This was the best cuddling configuration. Everyone lying on top of each other.

IZZY

Hansel grunted. "Aye, cap'n."

COYOTE

Hm. Maybe he wouldn't be-- of course Hansel was gonna be upset a while-- but things were good now. He'd show Hansel things were okay, over time. Mishka brushed the hair out of Hansel's face. "Is it still in there?" he murmured. "What he did to you?" He rested his fingers on Hansel's temples.

IZZY

He hesitated, then nodded. "I know it ain't real," he mumbled. "I know. Goro'll fix it in the morning. It'll be fine."

LINA

Hearing his name, Goro stirred and mumbled. He blinked at Mishka, then settled again, closing his eyes.

COYOTE

God, that was fucking adorable. Precious. Mishka kissed Goro's hair and watched him settle again.

Then he pulled Hansel a little closer against him, as well. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "You're so fucking strong, you know that, my love? Coming to get me with that still in there."

IZZY

Hansel muttered wordlessly. Hadn't felt particularly strong. "Needed you."

COYOTE

"Well, naturally. I'm amazing."

IZZY

He grinned. "Mm. True. S'true."

COYOTE

God, it felt so fucking good to be back here. Funny to think that thirty years ago, being outside alone by himself was normal for him. Now that he knew how good it felt to have this, the idea of losing it and being driven out was intolerable-- like being frozen half your life and then finally finding a warm campfire to sit by.

He wiped the dirt and dust off his face. Very, very carefully, he shifted himself so Hansel could rest his face on his chest, and tangled his fingers in Hansel's hair to keep him there, humming one of their old songs.