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Backdated to immediately after the events of last night
The entry to Jack's apartment, off to the side of the boarded up shop he lives above, is locked when @Lux/Finley (Fofo - They/Them) shows up. The lights in his apartment seem to be off, too, but there are footsteps on the stairs, and a few seconds later, the deadbolt clicks and the door opens into the stairwell, lit by a single dull bulb.
Jack's silhouette is ragged, smeared, lines scattering into charcoal dust around him, and he reaches out to pull Lux inside without a word. The metallic scent of blood hangs in the air, Jack's normal rainstorm smell almost entirely obscured. He's shuddering, and trying to control his ragged breathing.
Lux quickly steps inside, pulling the door closed behind them. Their eyes are wide, desperate and worried--and they immediately pull him in for a tight embrace.
"Oh thank fuck," Jack whispers, and wraps an arm around them, using the other to shut the door, lock it, and deadbolt it. "I mean I didn't think...that she'd immediately...but..." He trails off, and after half a second starts back up the stairs.
"I'm fine," they assure softly, reluctantly letting him go--following close behind him up the stairs. Once they're actually inside the apartment Lux puts their hands on his arms, rubbing soothingly. "What happened?"
"She - I had a meeting -" he can't seem to keep still, shifting from one foot to the other. "Tried to bribe me, I wouldn't take it, I can't, an -" he reaches a hand up to run an anxious hand through his hair, thoroughly destroying how carefully it was styled.
"She threatened you. I - had a drink, she said she'd tell the board I got drunk and called her a bitch - she knew things. About me, maybe just a cold read, I - I don't know, I -" he shudders, and breaks away from Lux suddenly to start pacing.
Lux releases him, brows knitting tightly. "Who is this? Bribe you to do what?"
"She - wants an in with the union. for whatever the fuck reason, 'Wealth Management Specialist'," he puts that in quotes. "Fucking corporate investment bullshit. Name's Anna-Marie Cordray."
Lux scowls, their lights brightening and flickering. "She's a fucking vampire. She's been fucking with Mearcstapa, too."
"What." He stops in his tracks, his mantle flaring still more. "She's that bitch?"
"Yes, she is." Lux's hands clench and unclench. "She's going to pay for this. We should... tell the Winter Knights. Or Marjorie. There's a truce with the vampires, and this fucking... spits in the face of it. They should know. They won't let her get away with this."
Jack takes a deep, shuddering breath. "I...I didn't wanna bother the Crowns, with this shit, but 'f that who she is...fuck. That..." he lets out a hollow laugh. "Almost makes me feel better. 'F she's not just some fucked up human who I'd have to deal with alone. "
"You are not alone," Lux says firmly, meeting his eyes. "We're going to work this out." Their phone is pulled from their pocket. "I'm going to text Mearcstapa, okay? He knows a lot of vampires."
"O - okay." He's still standing in the middle of the room, clenching and unclenching his fists, his shoulders hunched. "I don't - I don't want her to hurt you. 'Cause of this. Or if she goes after the union..." He's shaking where he stands.
"I'm okay. I promise I'm okay. I have a hollow now--if it makes you feel better, we can stay there together until this is resolved?" They look up to meet his eyes again, then go back to typing. They get a reply, send another text, then lower the phone to step closer to him. "Mearcstapa is going to get other vampires in on this. If they value this truce at all, they won't just sit on their asses either."
"I...I don't really care where we are, 's long's you're safe." Jack holds a hand out, like he's unable to move from where he's standing but he still wants physical contact.
Lux takes his hand, lacing their fingers through his, stepping in to kiss him softly on the temple. "I'll be okay. She was probably just trying to scare you. But I promise I'll be extra careful. Really careful, not just half-ass careful."
Jack squeezes their hand and sags against them. "I know. Fuckin worked though. The scared part, I...I didn't take her money. Fucking...fifthy thousand dollars, she wrote a check for."
Lux pulls him in, holding him close. "Its understandable to be scared. I'd be fucking terrified if anyone threatened you... But you were brave. You stood up for yourself and didn't let that bitch control you."
"I...fucking feels like...like I ran away." He buries his face into their shoulder.
"In this situation, running away was the right decision," Lux says softly, cupping the back of his head to cradle him.
"It - I put you in danger - and the union, maybe, an' -" he dissolves into tears for the second time in two days, gripping Lux's waist and shoulders.
Lux presses their lips to his temple. "You did nothing. She did this, and she is the one who is going to be punished," they murmur.
"Doesn't feel like that." It's a full-on whimper, in between his sobs and ragged breaths.
Jack gets pulled gently over to the couch so Lux can sit down and draw Jack into his lap to hold. "I know. But what really could you have done, Jack? Attack her? Kill her? There'd be a lot of proof to point towards you, which could hurt the union even more than walking away did. Instead you left before things got worse. There's nothing wrong with that."
He allows himself to be pulled onto the couch, and clutches Lux, trying to calm his breathing. "I...I guess. Whatever happens is still...fuckin damned if i do, damned if I don't. You know?"
"Not if she gets killed before she can do too much damage," Lux says, rubbing along his back.
"...That's where this is gonna go, isn't it." He's tensed a little. "I...I don't wanna be part of the violence, I...I can't be."
"And...I don't want you to...do any of that just 'cause of me."
"You don't gotta be, baby." Lux cups their cheeks, looking into his eyes. "Look at me. None of that is your fault. But if it makes you feel better, I'll leave it to others to deal with. You are the only one I care about."
Jack sniffles and blinks, the charcoal under his eyes and on his cheekbones streaked with tears. "I - I know you're right. I just don't feel it. Feel so fucking...guilty. But that...does, I don't want you to get hurt. 'Specially for me."
"Then I won't go anywhere near her. I'll leave it to others," Lux says plainly enough to be easily sealable, if he chooses to. They gently brush the tears aside. "It'll feel bad for a while, I'm sure. Maybe always feel bad. But I think no lesser of you."
Jack's mantle flares again as he seals the pledge, and he nods. "Thank you. 'M sorry, this's fucking...two breakdowns in two days, shit."
"There's no where else I'd rather be right now," Lux says softly, managing a soft smile.
"Thank you." He shifts, snuggling closer, and gives them a kiss on the cheek. "Lemme know what else Mearc says, if he...need anything from me."
Lux nods, slipping out the phone again to check--their other arm curled tightly around him. "Hm... I don't suppose you got any audio or video of the meeting, did you? Otherwise, he's gotten confirmation from some of their higher ups that they're not going to defend her."
"No. I...if there's a next time, which..." he shudders. "I'll do that. somehow."
"There's not going to be a next time. She's not going to get anywhere near you again, if I have anything to say about it."
Lux types, then reads a reply. "Do you have the invitation she gave you? Email or anything? Proof that she lured you there deliberately."
"I've got a voicemail from her secretary, I don't think i deleted it...? She got my number from the union, I guess."
They nod. "If you can send me, or Mearcstapa a recording of it, that'd be helpful. But you don't need to worry about that right now. Just try to breathe and relax."
"Sure. Sure yeah." The idea of a Thing He Can Do To Help seems to calm him a little, and he further sinks into Lux's embrace.
"I...I need a drink," he says after a few moments.
Lux hesitates for a second or two, torn, but then just nods and brushes a thumb along his temple. "Okay. I'll get it for you. What do you want?"
"'S beer in the fridge, that's fine. The idea of rum makes me wanna hurl - for I bit I was afraid she'd drugged me. Didn't, though. Much's I can tell."
Lux's gaze darkens--emotionally and literally, at the idea of Jack being drugged. "...Beer it is." They nudge him gently to the side so they can stand, moving to grab a couple beers from the fridge. They offer one out to him as they sit down. "What do you need, right now?"
He actually stands with them, following them the few steps to the fridge and back. He keeps a hand on them - their arm, their shoulder, their side, whatever.
"...You, here," he says after a few moments of thought. "This beer. Uh...distraction, maybe? Dunno what though."
"Distraction I can do." Lux slides an arm around his waist. "A movie? Video games? Make outs?"
"Mmm....a movie and makeouts sounds really nice." Jack even cracks a smile in Lux's direction before he takes a drink of his beer.
"Sounds great to me, too." Lux grins softly, taking a sip of beer as well. "Let's find something... nice and cute and fluffy to watch."
"Please." He sighs and relaxes into Lux's side as he drinks, and kisses them gently on the shoulder. "D'you mind picking? I don't think I can make any more decisions tonight."
"Yep. Come on." Lux draws him over to the couch, returning him to their lap. After some fiddling with a remote, Lux selects the first light and fluffy thing they see on Netflix--which ends up being Nailed It! Cause honestly they're not going to be watching much of it anyway, probably.
They toss the remote aside, arms wrapping around him, starting to kiss along his jaw and neck softly.
"You're wonderful, d'you know that?" Jack's voice is quiet, and he rests one of his hands gently on Lux's neck.
"I'd say the same about you," Lux murmurs softly, nipping a bit at his throat.
"Pshhh..." his breath catches and he tips his head back, and slides his hand under Lux's hoodie. "'F you say so..."
"I do say so. You're my Jack," Lux purs, nuzzling against him. "And I'm not going anywhere."
Jack blinks, slowly, and runs his hand up Lux's back to hug them close. "I...I think I like that. Being yours."
"Yeah?" They pull back enough to look him in the eyes, smiling warmly. "Mm... I like that too. You being mine."
"Yeah." He nods, and kisses Lux slowly. Deeply. The hand on Lux's neck gripping them just a little tighter, keeping them close.
Lux kisses him back just as deeply, taking their time but not lacking intensity. Their hands move over him, caressing in between possessive squeezes. They aren't going to stop anytime soon--but don't push things any further than that.
Jack seems perfectly happy to keep things at the level they are, though at some point he does actually take off the tie he's still wearing, to get a little more comfortable. His hands run over Lux's body, too, though he's less interested in removing their clothing than just touching them, being as close as he possibly can.
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