[FIN] A Murder of Crows

[BlackFireKitsune]

Zevran's admission wasn't exactly expected but definitely not unwanted, and Abel tightened his hold on his love as he spoke. "That's..." So many things, it was so many things that he didn't know what to say, what to feel and all he knew was that - for some reason, as it so often did when Zevran told him things - he could feel his heart crumbling to pieces in his chest. Again.

The taller blond took a moment or two to clear his head and gather his thoughts before he pressed a fond kiss to his love's head. "I'm glad that I can help you in any way - in the kitchen, but especially that I make you feel at home, I... that means a lot." He reached a hand up to stroke his boyfriend's cheek, even if he wasn't looking into his eyes anymore. Was it too soon ******** it, he'd been over that already. "I love you Zevran - with all my heart - and it makes me so, so happy to know that I've helped you so much. I want to keep helping you as long as I can, as long as you'll let me, but I never gave you permission for anything of the sort," he pointed out firmly but gently as he pressed a soft kiss to his boyfriend's fine blond hair again. "You had the right to be whatever or do whatever you wanted as soon as you left, all I did was help you realize it."  

[TawnyAngel]

"Ah, perhaps I use the wrong words." Zevran exhaled slowly and snuggled his face into his boyfriend's shoulder, feeling almost nauseous from how the warmth of feeling Abel gave him contrasted to the cold dread of what was to come. He hated waiting. Doing was not so bad, but waiting was sickening.

After a few moments of silence Zevran gave Abel another tight squeeze. "You are a wonder. I hate that my past is dragging you into danger, I wish it could be otherwise, but I could never regret meeting you or becoming what we are."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel wrapped his arms tightly - protectively - around his love again and rested his cheek atop Zev's head. "That's exactly how I felt when you helped me with Patty. I thought it was my mess, my burden to bear, and I never wanted to endanger you or Taavi or anyone else, but I... couldn't have managed it without you. I never would've. I'll never regret meeting you or being with you, and I will always do my best to help you any way I can. It doesn't matter if it's helping you cook or helping you with something more dangerous like this, I will always be by your side."  

[TawnyAngel]

When Abel held him like this he felt- "I feel as though you are trying to block out the world with your arms. I feel... I am not sure. I have felt good in other people's arms but not like this." Somebody who wanted to keep him safe was holding him. "I never thought that I would have this." He had thought- made himself think that he neither wanted nor needed it. Why would he want to be some soft weak thing coddled in warm arms, kissed on the cheek and the head and told he was special and protected? Why would he want that when he could claim strength and position for himself by his own wit and skill? The instinct to carve his own way remained but now he saw that accepting kindness did not have to interfere with that.

"With Patty and with this too... Can one can be strong yet still protected by another?" He felt as though the answer was yes and yet at the same time he felt suddenly that he was not strong at all, because he had asked the question and so sought validation for his own softness and it was weak to do that. Was it? No, it couldn't be because Abel was strong yet he had protected Abel; why should the rules be different when it came to him?

Because.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Ahh... Maybe because.. I guess I kind of am? I know I can't actually but..." And then he shrugged as he trailed off. No, he couldn't actually protect Zevran from everything just by holding him tightly, but that didn't stop him from wanting to nor from trying. "I'm glad I can hold you like this."

His question, though... "Of course," he responded confidently, even though it took a moment to think about. "Sometimes it's hard to stay strong, but you have friends to help you that you can rely on when you need to. You're not any weaker a person for needing to rely on them when things get tough. In fact I think a person with good friends like that is stronger than they would be alone."  

[TawnyAngel]

That was more or less what he'd thought Abel would say and he didn't disbelieve him as such but it was still a strange concept to apply to himself. Hopefully he would have time to get used to it. "As you say," Zevran agreed a little vaguely and gave Abel a tighter squeeze. "Shall we go and sit then? I seem to have distracted us again."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Despite how hard he tried to push away the awful, stifling feeling that pressed and weighed down on him from the situation they were in, he found it difficult to do whenever Zevran seemed bothered by it -- to put it mildly. Nevertheless he forcefully shoved the feeling away - the chill in his veins, the gaping, bottomless pit that seemed to open deep in his gut - and squeezed Zev a bit tighter in return. "Yeah, let's sit," he agreed, then let go of his love a moment later so he could step over to the wall of the stairwell and sink down to sit up against it. Once in a comfortable position with his knees propped up, he held his hands out and beckoned Zevran to join him. "Sitting's good, especially if it means I can hold you. Plus this is a good spot to see the sky and the sea, yeah?" A good spot to watch the sunset -- before they both went to confront Zevran's best friend that almost assuredly wanted him dead. How did everything get this ******** up?  

[TawnyAngel]

"Yes, all of those things," Zevran agreed with a faint smile as he sat down and then leaned back against Abel's chest. He felt as though perhaps he should say something more but nothing came to mind and so he took hold of one of Abel's hands and brought it to his lips to press a soft kiss against the knuckles; perhaps that said enough.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel wrapped his free arm snugly around his love, the fingers on his occupied hand lacing through Zevran's as he leaned his head forward to press a soft kiss atop his head.  

[TawnyAngel]

With both of them lapsed into silence and thought time passed, though rather too slowly for Zevran's tastes.

Eventually, when the light upon the water began to turn orange, they left the rooftop under Sonia's Illusion and made for the warehouse. Zevran took them in via a fire escape that came out on a catwalk that ran around the edge and down the centre of what had presumably once been the main storeroom. It was colder within the building than it was outside and the fact that little natural light was able to pass through the high dusty windows only added to the feeling of chill and gloom.

As yet they seemed to be alone and so Zevran started to gesture around to familiarise Abel with the place as best he could.

"Through the door over there, stairs up to the next level where offices once were; that is where my room is, the stairs creak terribly so we will have warning if anyone comes that way. The catwalk down that way is unstable but this side and the central walkway are safe, we could use this to our advantage perhaps. The door you see over there is another fire escape but it is jammed, rusted shut I think, so no way in or out there without great force. This is a good vantage point, it might be as well to leave Sonia up here with most of our pokemon under illusion while we wait facing the main entrance down there. Taliesen has gone to the trouble of agreeing this meeting, I do not think he will just walk in and shoot me." Probably not. "And in any case, if we are hidden when they enter we lose the advantage of that surprise instantly... Though, we could simply wait hidden and shoot all of them when they enter. It would be very... very practical." Zevran's voice was hesitant as he suggested this and he ran his tongue over his lips; very practical but he didn't like it at all. His heart was beating fast already and his mind raced with a thousand possibilities; was talking Taliesen down among them? Doubtful.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

When the time came to move again Abel followed after Zevran on silent feet, trusting Sonia to keep them safe and out of sight. The warehouse was worse than he'd thought - not by much, but still - and he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy and guilt. No wonder Zevran always wanted to come over so much, when this was where he'd been living. So cold and lonely and empty, to say the least. Still, when this was over that would change. He would change it.

As Zev pointed out and explained the various parts of the building, Abel nodded along and dutifully committed each to memory as best he could. They definitely had the advantage here. They had plenty of options here. Almost too many, actually. Where to start... "Sonia'll stay hidden whether we do or not, just so she can be ready for anything and still have the element of surprise. I might leave one or two of my other pokemon here with her too. Hmm..." He trailed off a moment to glance around, to think, to gather his thoughts. "From what you said... it sounds like he wants to talk before anything else. Or at least, his messages didn't sound like something someone would say if all they wanted to do was kill the other person. So, waiting for them in the open is probably the best option, all things considered..."  

[TawnyAngel]

"Yes, agreed. Perhaps... I don't know," Zevran shook his head, "he has come all this way, lost one of his followers, I cannot imagine he will turn aside now but I have to know what he wishes to say to me." Should he tell Abel or would the extra worry only be a burden? Perhaps it would but if Abel didn't know he was looking for the information he might act before he had it. Zevran exhaled and leaned on the rail of the catwalk so that his face was slightly turned away from Abel. "I need to know if he was sent here or if he has come of his own accord, the difference is very important. Do you follow?"  

[BlackFireKitsune]

As dangerous as it was, as much as he wanted to whisk Zev away from this mess and protect him from it forever, Abel remained standing in place with his thumbs hooked into his pockets, a pensive expression on his face. "Yeah, that's important to find out. For a few different reasons," he added after a moment. Knowing was important, even if that knowledge was painful.

And that... hm. "I... I think I do," he said after a moment or two to think about it. "One is... a lot worse than the other, I expect." If Taliesen was here of his own accord, as Zev said, then this could very well end with Taliesen. But if he was sent here by someone else, then the likelihood of it ending there was... minimal at best, probably.  

[TawnyAngel]

Zevran nodded simply. "Quite so. The Crows always get their mark no matter the cost, any number of operatives no matter how skilled are more expendable than the Crows' reputation for that. So if Taliesen has been sent here officially...." Zevran trailed off and made an airy gesture that rather contrasted the implication he had just made. "A lot worse," he concluded.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

...if he was sent here officially, then Zevran was their mark they would get rid of no matter what. They'd hunt him down any number of times and throw everything - everyone - they had at him until they succeeded. Ruthless hunters, through and through. How must it feel to possibly be a mark of theirs, after spending so many years hunting their marks for them? How did the hunter feel, now that he was being hunted himself?

"I love you," Abel said somewhat abruptly, pulling his gaze from a random spot on the floor far below them to look over at Zevran. "You know I'll always be by your side no matter what, yeah? Whether he came on his own or not."