Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sterling

The gravel crunched under his feet as he stormed out of the saloon. He started heading right, out of instinct, but he quickly realized he was too drunk and pissed off to go home. 

He swerved left instead, heading towards the woods. 

As he walked, he stewed in his anger. Why did people have to gossip so much? Why couldn’t he just enjoy a drink to take the edge off after a long mind-numbingly irritating shift at Pierre’s without having to hear about what his ex was doing?

He was having a good time, hanging out with Shane, sipping on beers by the fireplace. They were mostly complaining about their jobs, avoiding any more serious topics. Shane understood. He was going through the same thing. Abby had just dumped him not too long ago too. Neither of them wanted to talk about it. They were perfectly content drinking about it together instead.

But no, of course not. Not in Pelican Town, where there was apparently nothing better for these people to do than talk, and talk, and talk some fucking more…

The beers he had been knocking back at a reasonable pace turned into shots of whiskey that were slipping down his throat faster and faster as the insistent chatter invaded his ears.

Maybe it was wrong to call Sebastian his ex. They had never even gotten a chance to make it official before his stupid, impulsive, self destructive behavior pushed him right into the arms of someone else. And not just anyone, no, he pushed him right towards his own ex lover. Someone he had already had history with, someone a new comer in his life didn’t stand a fucking chance against.

What had he been thinking that night? Rubbing it right into Sam’s face that Sterling was going to take Sebastian out of town for a whole day on his motorcycle. Just the two of them all alone far away from here. And he did this right after he had secretly witnessed them sharing an innocent, genuine moment that gave him a front row seat to the obvious chemistry the two shared. He had really marched right up to the pair, asserted his dominance by being a lovesick fool, acting like he had some sort of claim on Sebastian when they were actually supposed to be starting over and getting to know each other the right way after their first few “dates” turned into passionately heated hooking up instead. 

He had suspected Sam’s feelings for Sebastian ran deeper than either of them realized, so he INTENTIONALLY riled him up, and then left. Just left them, alone, up by the train station under a beautiful sunset. Like an absolute fucking moron. Sebastian had texted him just hours later canceling their date and their entire relationship along with it. 

Sterling kicked a rock as he stomped towards…where ever. He was barely even aware of where he was going. He just knew  he couldn’t go home and he couldn’t go back to the saloon. The rock bounced off a fence post, landing back on the path in front of him, making him trip when he stepped on it unexpectedly. 

“Ow!” He stumbled in pain, reaching out for the fence to steady himself. The wood scraped his hands, his uncoordinated grip on the old logs a little too strong. 

Sebastian wanted to be friends with him!? How could they be friends after they fucked under the stars on top of the summit and told each other that they were perfect? Yeah, maybe they didn’t have the right to say that considering they barely knew each other, and maybe the sex was a distraction from the conversation they should have been having about that. But it hadn’t been just sex for him, and at the time he really didn’t think that it was for Sebastian either. They had something, obviously. From the moment they met there was something there. It was too soon to be love but it was something, and whatever that was, it had really meant something to him. 

So naturally, barely a month later, when nothing had filled the hole of hopelessness that Sebastian’s presence in his life had opened and closed in such a short amount of time, it hurt him to hear about how he was moving on.

He knew he was moving on, obviously. He couldn’t even try to deny that he had cut him off for Sam. But he wasn’t just moving on, he was moving away.

Apparently someone died and left him their life savings, so he bought some property in Grampleton.

“It’s a real fixer upper according to Robin! Good thing she’s a carpenter. Hahahaha.” Marnie had said to Mayor Lewis.

”Oh what a lucky young man, Robin does amazing work. He’s going to be the proud owner of a beautiful home when she’s done with it.” Olivia added.

Pierre, apparently not beneath gossiping with the ladies, just had to jump right in with the fact that he had fearfully suspected but didn’t yet have confirmation of.“I heard he’s bring Sam Dawson with him.”

”Oh yeah, they’ve been together a long time right?” Elliott butt in, eavesdropping. 

NO, Sterling had wanted to shout, he had been fucking SINGLE when he met him back in the Spring. This was insane. 

“I think so. Everyone knows time and memories get distorted in the valley from time to time.” Marnie had chuckled. Taking another sip from her third glass of wine.

Lewis shot her a warning look.

”Well I sure hope they weren’t together when Victor saw him with that Sterling boy…” Olivia sneered judgmentally, not catching on to Marnie’s comments. Not that he would have expected her too, most people didn’t know about the magic in the valley, even less about the witch and her shrines.

He certainly hadn’t known before this whole mess.

Shane had been carefully watching Sterling over the rim of his beer during the whole exchange. Silently taking note of his clenched fists and set jaw. After that last comment from Olivia, Shane had quickly reached out to put a hand on Sterling’s shoulder but it wasn’t enough. He slammed his shot glass down as he stood up, marching over to the gossiping Sally’s and regarding everyone with an icy glare. 

“Sterling!” Shane called out to him as a warning but he ignored his friend entirely.

They all looked shocked, like they hadn’t even realized he was here in the first place, never mind sitting right within ear shot of their shitty conversation.

”First of all, I’ll have you know that Sebastian was SINGLE whenever it was that Victor saw us. Secondly, it’s none of any of your business what anyone does. And thirdly, keep my name out of your mouth.” He shot Olivia, the pretentious bitch, the nastiest look before he stormed out of the saloon, letting the door slam on his way out. 

He thought Shane would follow him, but Marnie must have stopped him because he never heard the door to the saloon open as he walked away.

Now, here he was, tightly holding on to a splintering old fence, afraid to let go because he knew the pain would get a lot worse once he did.

He couldn’t stand here slumped over all night though. Groaning, he pushed himself up off the fence, stumbling back into an upright position, cursing under his breath from the pain in his hands.

He took a look around, squinting in the darkness, this section of town only dimly lit by the moon. He was somewhere past Marnie’s ranch, he could tell that much. 

“Fuck” he swore, a shooting pain in his palm dragging his attention away from his current whereabouts. He watched in minor annoyance as blood began to drip down towards his wrist as he held his hand up in front of his face.

He briefly considered going home. Henry and Mia were going to be so disappointed in him though. He sighed, dropping his injured hand to his side and looked up to the stars for answers. 

“Why!?” He shouted at the sky. “WHY!?”

“Are you alright, man?” An invisible male voice answered.

”What!? Who said that?!” Sterling whirled around in every direction, scanning the dark tree line.

A figure stepped towards him from underneath a cherry blossom tree. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” The man apologized sort of gently. 

“Who are you?” Sterling asked rudely, knowing he was too disoriented to protect himself properly if this guy was up to no good.

”The names Morgan. Morgan Francis. My grandfather owned Karizma farm before he died. I took it over not too long ago. And you are?”

“Sterling…Cooper. I uh… live in East Scarp.” He managed to say without sounding too much like an idiot. What a great first impression.

”Well nice to meet you, Sterling. I’d shake your hand but you seem to be injured. What are you doing out here so late?”

Sterling let out a self depreciating chuckle. “Uh… I was at the saloon, got pissed off, went for a walk to cool down. I tripped on a rock, grabbed onto the fence. That’s how I busted my hands, apparently.”

”Well shit, happens to the best of us.” Morgan snickered sympathetically. “East Scarp is a long walk from here. I can clean those scrapes and bandage you up if you’d like? The farm’s right up this path. I was on my way home myself.” He offered politely.

Sterling weighed his options, at this point he would be getting home insanely late regardless, so it would probably be better to show up not dripping with blood, trying to tend to his wounds in the wee hours of the morning without waking anyone. 

“Yeah, okay. Thanks man.” He nodded towards the farmer.

”No problem, Follow me.” Morgan turned and headed up the path.

Sterling followed behind him hesitantly, taking in the now unfamiliar territory.

He hadn’t seen this land since he and Shane were kids, running around trespassing because they knew the kind old farmer wasn’t going to do anything about it. He took the opportunity of their silent walk up to the farmhouse to look around and reminisce on stealing fruit from this orchard and daring Shane to tip over one of the farmers cows. He wouldn’t do it though, Shane was too much of a big softie with animals. It was endearing, really.

The path up ahead now was void of trees or anything else blocking the moonlight, so he could see Morgan clearly now. Well the back of him anyway.

He was tall, probably about the same height as Sterling. Lean. Muscular arms and shoulders. He wore all black, instantly reminding him of Sebastian in a way that made him suddenly nauseous. He didn’t want to think about him anymore.

He focused on Morgan, trying to commit his unique details to memory, desperately not trying to be reminded of Sebastian every time he ran into this new stranger. Morgan was wearing black combat boots, uncharacteristically fancy for a farmer. They had little chain details on them, the silver glinting in the moonlight.

Sterling found himself spacing out, mesmerized by the shiny chains dancing around his boots with every step he took.

He stumbled over a rock mostly buried in the ground. “Fuck!” 

Morgan whipped around to make sure he was okay, chuckling once he confirmed he was fine. “Watch your step.”

After that, Sterling refused to look at Morgan’s feet. Instead he took in the shape of his legs, encased in black skinny jeans with a black studded belt hung around his waist. He tore his eyes away from his ass, determined not to be a fucking creep. Being lonely and heartbroken was no good reason to ogle a stranger just trying to lend a helping hand for his injuries.

He admired the shape of his upper body instead, realizing that his tank top was actually gray, not black like he originally assumed. More silver chains around his neck. His eyes ran down each shoulder and arm, noting all the tattoos staining his lightly tanned arms.

“Well, here we are. Don’t mind the state of the place, I haven’t been here too long. Grandpa left it in pretty rough shape.” Morgan warned, unlocking his front door and pushing it open.

He stepped inside first, flipping on a light before waving Sterling inside.

The first thing he noticed was how tiny it was in here. He could see a kitchen, living room area, a door to what he presumed was a bathroom, and a bedroom down the hall. It wasn’t a mess or falling apart like Morgan had implied, just small and dark.

A streak of gray and black flew past their feet, startling him just a little but he was too intoxicated to really register anything about it until Morgan scooped up the blur of colors into his arms.

He held the cat up for Sterling to see clearly now. “This is Gloomy. She’s a sweetheart.” He smiled. 

Sterling swayed a little on his feet, reaching a hand out to pet her soft little head. “Nice to meet you, Gloomy.”

She purred, causing Sterling to smile for the first time all day. Morgan laughed and set the cat down. “I guess you made a new friend.” He said to her affectionately. 

Without the buffer of the cat, the air in-between them got awkward fast. Sterling shuffled his feet uneasily, trying not to look at Morgan but desperately needing to know if his face was as attractive as his body.

He mentally slapped himself for even thinking about him that way at all. Yoba, he needed to get laid. Sebastian had been the first in a while and it had only jump started his hormones, awakening a side of him that had laid dormant for a while.

“I’ll patch you up in the bathroom.” Morgan announced, clearing the tension in the air. “There’s better lighting in there.”

”Okay.” Sterling mumbled agreeably. This was starting to feel more like a dream than reality. Who even was this guy? Why hadn’t he heard about him like at all?

Morgan opened the door to the bathroom, flicking on the much brighter light. He closed the toilet lid, motioning for Sterling to have a seat. 

He rummaged around in a drawer, pulling out medical supplies while Sterling sat there awkwardly.

Sterling decided to just ask him instead of wondering silently. “So, how long have you been here? In a town this gossipy I can’t believe I haven’t heard much about you.”

Morgan laughed, shaking his head a bit. “Less than a year. I came in quietly, begging Lewis not to raise a whole ordeal. I think most of the people in town heard my name and assumed I was a girl for a while.” He laughed again. “I like to keep to myself, mostly. I wouldn’t be opposed to a drinking buddy though.” He added, casting a sideways look at Sterling.

”I’m supposed to be quitting.” He mumbled honestly.

“Been there.” Morgan agreed. “Alright, let’s see those hands.”

Sterling sheepishly held his hands out, palms up. Morgan scrutinized the cuts and scrapes while Sterling took the opportunity to look at him. Dark brown hair, long enough to cover part of one eye when he looked down. It looked like it was a little shorter on the sides but he couldn’t really tell. His eyesight was still pretty unfocused from the alcohol and rapidly changing lighting throughout the past hour.

His face was perfectly clear, he couldn’t detect a single blemish on it. Sharp cheekbones, perfect eyebrows, his facial structure was a work of art. 

“I’m gunna pour some peroxide over these cuts, can you put your hands over the sink?” Morgan asked, looking up to make eye contact with him.

He could see now that his eyes were a fascinating shade of blue that changed with the lighting. He had sincerely thought they were dark brown outside. He found himself staring instead of responding. 

“Are you okay?” Morgan asked, concern flashing across his gorgeous features.

”Yeah, sorry. Long night.” Sterling laughed it off, getting to his feet to follow his instructions.

“Sorry, this is gunna hurt. You ready?”

”Yep.” Sterling confirmed, craving the fizzy pain to distract him from his thoughts.

He felt his hands shaking in anticipation, freezing when he felt Morgan’s fingers circle around his wrist to keep his hand steady as he poured the peroxide over his cuts. It stung but he was more aware of the light pressure from Morgan’s hold on his wrist than the pain.

He did the same thing with his other hand. Putting the bottle down and letting go of Sterling’s wrist. “Still doing okay?” He asked, checking in.

”Uh huh.” Sterling managed, losing the ability to speak.

Morgan had him sit back down so he could carefully dry his hands off. “You’ve got some splinters stuck in there. I’ll pull them out but it’s not going to feel good.”

Sterling shrugged. “I can handle it.” 

Morgan chuckled, grabbing a pointy pair of tweezers off the counter. He sighed. “Be right back.”

Sterling immediately missed his presence, but he chalked it up to the awkwardness of being in a strangers house, drunk, in the middle of the night, all scratched up.

Morgan returned, this time wearing glasses that somehow managed to make him even more attractive. Sterling bit his tongue, discreetly fighting the affect this man was having on him.

He sat on the edge of the bathtub, grabbing the tweezers again and carefully pulling Sterling’s hand onto his leg as a makeshift surgical table. It took a while but he didn’t feel the pain. He was hyper focused on the warmth of Morgan’s leg and the touch of his gentle fingers.

He dabbed some antibiotic ointment on the cuts when he finished getting the splinters out of both hands. Then placed some bandaids on the worst ones before wrapping his hands loosely with gauze just to make sure the bandages stayed in place until he got home. “You don’t want to deal with these getting infected. Infections are a bitch to live with.” Morgan explained when Sterling crinkled his eyebrows at the roll of gauze.

Sterling briefly imagined stocking shelves with infected cuts on his hands and cringed internally. “Thank you.”

“No problem, man. Anytime.” Morgan smiled softly, taking his glasses off and placing them gently on the counter before looking back at Sterling again.

He knew he was supposed to get up and leave now, but Morgan had him under a spell with his eyes again. Locked in a mystifying staring contest, he felt like he was physically unable to get up off of this toilet seat. It was embarrassing but he couldn’t help himself. 

Morgan broke the spell first, glancing down at Sterling’s unmoving legs before looking back up with a tiny smirk. “Need a hand?” He asked, offering his arm to Sterling to use to pull himself up. 

Sterling grabbed onto his arm, allowing him to pull him up, but he stumbled forward drunkenly instead. Feeling like an idiot as his chest crashed into Morgan’s. He sucked in a breath, prepared to take a step backwards but Morgan’s hands were on his upper arms now, holding him steady. The realization made him freeze. Neither of them moved for a moment, it was almost a hug the way they stood chest to chest. Except Sterlings arms were limp at his sides, while Morgan held onto him closely. His chin was nearly resting on Morgan’s shoulder, hovering just above it. His mouth too close to his ear. He tried to steady his breathing, not wanting to embarrass himself any further, but this proximity to Morgan was making his entire nervous system freak out.

Slowly, so slowly, he backed up until he was looking at Morgan and Morgan was looking at him, his warm hands still squeezing his biceps. 

Sterling made the involuntary mistake of lowering his gaze to Morgan’s lips before realizing what he was doing. He snapped his eyes back up to Morgan’s just in time to see the blue darken to a color that looked deliciously dangerous. He shivered, bracing himself for the lips that were rapidly approaching his own. 

Chapter Text

Sterling

Morgan’s lips were cold and smooth, a sharp contrast to his warm and calloused hands. The first kiss was gentle, just like his hands had been when he was tending to Sterling’s wounds.

The second kiss, after Sterling had recovered from the shock enough to actually kiss him back, was not nearly as gentle. Morgan kissed him hard, using his body weight and grip on his forearms to push him backwards against the wall.

From there his hands moved to Sterling’s chest, gripping handfuls of his shirt to hold him in place while simultaneously pulling him towards him. Sterling struggled to keep up, his lips were moving on autopilot, but his body felt like a car with no one in the drivers seat. 

His mind was working overtime to process what was happening, but it wasn’t fast enough. Just when he was about to bring his arms up from their useless position at his sides, Morgan was already pulling him off the wall and shoving him into the hallway. He stumbled, confused, trying to figure out if he just tripped or if Morgan actually pushed him. His head was swimming. He didn’t have time to figure it out before Morgan’s arms were around him, holding him up so he wasn’t just clumsily swaying on his feet anymore. His lips were kissing him again, walking him backwards down the hallway while his warm hands gripped the subtle curve of Sterling’s waist, steering him in the right direction.

He was just starting to regain control of his limbs when he went suddenly flying backwards, landing on what he assumed to be a mattress. Morgan was on top of him in an instant, crawling over him, kissing him harder. He pushed his tongue in his mouth, stealing the air from his lungs. Then his lips were on his neck, on his collar bones, his throat. He felt a knee slide in-between his legs, giving him something to rub up against as they made out. He felt his hips bucking, moving on their own accord, seeking friction to relieve the growing hunger that was building up inside him. 

Morgan kissed all the way down his chest, sucking and licking, no doubt leaving marks on his skin in the process. He couldn’t bring himself to care. He heard himself moan in surprise and pleasure when teeth clamped down around his nipple, immediately followed by warm, circular licks. Sterling wiggled around, trying to get more purchase against Morgan’s knee while he gave his other nipple the same treatment.

Wait… when did I take my shirt off?

The thought was interrupted by Morgan’s unearthly sexy face looking up at him from in-between his still clothed legs. He slid one hand over his obvious bulge, making eye contact with Sterling before using his other hand to pop the button open on his jeans. He tugged them down, pulling them all the way off his ankles before slithering back up the bed. He palmed Sterling’s dick over his boxers, maintaining incredibly sexy eye contact the entire time. He felt hypnotized, disoriented, and hornier than he could ever remember being. Uncharacteristically quiet, he realized he was afraid to speak. He wasn’t sure why but he felt compelled to just let Morgan do whatever he wanted to do and keep his mouth shut. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe he was just really exhausted… or maybe…

Did he black out???

His boxers were gone and Morgan was naked now too. He felt dizzy, trying desperately to focus his vision, taking in the sight of the naked man on top of him. Morgan’s body was chiseled by Yoba himself, he decided. Farm work was going well for him, apparently.

He suddenly became aware of something pushing against his ass. He was about to protest. About to tell Morgan he was more of a top than a bottom, but before he could will the words to leave his mouth, his dick was engulfed by liquid heat. His tongue felt so fucking good swirling around his cock that he was barely aware of the butt plug Morgan was sliding into him until it was fully inserted. His eyes that had shut involuntarily the second he felt his mouth on him had shot right back open. He wanted to say something, anything to make it stop, but he never found the words before he was moving it in and out slowly but forcefully. The discomfort turned into pleasure, especially combined with the expertise he was exhibiting with his mouth on his cock. 

He was getting close, so close… and then Morgan flipped him over without warning, pushing his face into the mattress so he was face down, ass up. Sterling had thrown his hands out to steady himself when he flipped him over, wincing at the pain now that he realized how he had flexed his bandaged hands. 

Morgan noticed immediately, grabbing his wrists and pulling them behind his back.

”Wouldn’t want you opening these cuts again after I worked so hard to fix them up for you.” He coaxed in a fake empathetic tone as he tied Sterling’s wrists together with his shirt.

Losing control of his hands sent shivers through his body. He couldn’t tell if he loved or hated this but he didn’t have time to think it over now. His legs were pushed up so his knees were closer to his chest and Morgan was already manipulating the plug again, pushing it in and twisting it, eventually pulling it all the way out and tossing it to the side. Sterling whimpered at the sudden emptiness he felt, surprising himself by missing the feeling of being so full. He heard a bottle snap open in its wake before he felt liquid being poured at his entrance, dripping slowly down to his balls.

Oh no. He didn’t want this, did he? He had only done this a couple times and decided it wasn’t for him but… Morgan made everything feel so good so far… 

He felt the unmistakable feeling of the head of a cock prodding at his lubed entrance. Without warning Morgan was pushing inside him at a slow but unforgiving pace. He didn’t let him adjust gradually, he just slid all the way in with one smooth motion until he was bottomed out. The stretching and fullness was overwhelming. He didn’t get to decide if it felt good or bad before Morgan was already pulling out and pushing back in. His fingers digging into Sterling’s hips, holding on tightly to keep his ass up in the air so he wouldn’t fall flat onto the mattress as he fucked him ruthlessly.

He briefly wondered if he even consented to this. He knew he had been checking Morgan out the entire time, undressing him with his eyes as he tended to his wounds, wondering what he tasted like… but now he was just too drunk and confused to do anything but take it. He wondered if Morgan knew how fucked up he was. Was he taking advantage of him? Was this…

His anxious thoughts were chased away by Morgan fucking him faster, slamming into his prostate in a way that hurt so good. He felt himself getting close again, feeling like he was losing all concept of time and space. The sound of Morgan’s balls slapping against his ass was like white noise in a daydream as he drifted away. A momentary black out before he came back into the moment. Just in time to feel Morgan release his death grip on his hips, his hands pushing down on his shoulders instead, grunting as he roughly slammed into him a few more times before he filled him up with ropes of hot cum. The new angle and erotic feeling of being pumped full of cum triggered Sterling’s orgasm at the same time. 

He struggled to catch his breath, finding himself on his back again, hands free, a damp towel cleaning him off. Morgan helped him get his clothes back on while he faded in and out of consciousness. He found himself stumbling down the path past the bus stop, wondering how he even got over here.

Eventually he found himself crashing into his own bed, barely remembering to take his shoes off before falling asleep.

Shane

The Stardrop Saloon fell so quiet after Sterling stormed out that you probably could have heard a pin drop. He waved Emily over, paying for their tab as soon as possible.

He wanted to go after him, at least attempt to calm him down, but Marnie had called his name before he reached the door. Groaning internally, he turned around, looking at her expectantly as she stood up from the table.

“What?” He asked nonchalantly as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.

”May I speak to you, alone!?” She demanded in a way that definitely didn’t sound like a question. 

He sighed, following her to the back room of the saloon. 

“What is the matter with that boy!?” She demanded.

He felt anger bubbling up in his chest. Was she serious!? “Sebastian broke his heart, he doesn’t want to hear about him at all and you guys are sitting there gossiping, dropping both of their names, accusing Sterling of being some kind of homewrecker while he’s literally sitting right behind you! Have some fucking compassion.”

Marnie went from looking angry to looking like she was about to burst into tears. “Oh my… oh my, you’re right. You’re absolutely right. How awful of us… I owe him an apology.”

Shane softened, easing up on her now that she saw the error in her actions. “Too bad no one else at that table would feel the same way. You’re too good for them Marnie, I don’t know why you hang around those people. Lewis included.”

Her expression became defensive again. “They’re not that bad!”

”Yes they are.” Shane said dryly.

“At least I have friends.” She huffed. That third glass of wine really making itself known.

He glared at her. “I have friends too and you shit talk them when they’re sitting right behind you. How does that help me!?”

Marnie sighed, defeated. “I’m sorry Shane. I’ve had too much to drink. I’ll talk to them about being more aware of our surroundings in the future.”

“Thanks.” He waved her off, “I’m going to go look for him now.”

Marnie nodded and sat back down with the gossip club who were all still sitting there looking stupefied. He swung the door to the saloon open, wondering where his stupid friend could have gone. Him and Sterling were alike in a lot of ways. It was comforting, in one aspect. Terrifying in another. He had to live with the fact that Sterling was just one bad day away from offing himself just the same as he was.

After searching all his usual hiding spots, making 10 phone calls that went unanswered, and texting him at least a dozen times, he resigned from his search and rescue mission. He headed home for the night, deciding to just hopefully assume that his friend went home. 

Laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, he wondered if they’d both be happier right now if they never got involved with the younger crowd. At this point in life, the age gap seemed like no big deal, but back in school Abigail, Sebastian, Sam and Penny had seemed so much younger than them. That’s why they never got to know them until recently. Maybe they should have kept it that way. 

Sebastian wasn’t really to blame for breaking Sterling’s heart. He had no idea that he was in love with Sam when they met. It didn’t really matter whose fault it was or what happened though. In the end, Sterling was falling for him and Sebastian said “See ya!” Regardless, that shit was going to hurt, ya know?

His relationship with Abigail was a nightmare though. He knew she made some mistakes when they first got together, but he thought that she had a good heart underneath it. Then her mistakes stacked up so badly that she forced Sebastian to make an offer to a dark shrine of memory in some hut owned by a witch. This town was fucked. Sometimes he wondered if he was actually dead and this was hell. 

Anyway, after that, once all their memories were wiped, Abigail got it in her head that Sam was a creepy stalker who murdered his own ex girlfriend and was going to hurt Sebastian. She got them all convinced that he was dangerous. Sterling was ready to punch his face in. As for himself, he barely knew Sebastian, but he didn’t want anything bad to happen to him. More importantly though, his god daughter, Jas, was best friends with Sam’s little brother and spent a ton of time at their house. All it took was one dinner with their family for Shane to realize that Abby was absolutely fucking bonkers. 

He tried to reason with her, get her to rethink her insane accusations. She didn’t want to hear it. She actually dumped him for not entertaining her fantasy. It hurt, a lot. More than he expected it to. For a little while he honestly thought they had something real. He even almost told her he loved her. What hurt more than anything though was the fact that Jas really liked her too. This was why he avoided dating, he regretted ever giving Abby a chance to hurt them.

It was nothing short of a bad miracle that Abby dumped him before shit really hit the fan though. As it turns out, you can never completely erase true love. Sam and Sebastian falling in love again as strangers unraveled whatever curse had been cast over the valley. Slowly the memories returned, confusing some people but not enough to raise any real suspicion. Those closest to the couple knew the truth, or at least bits and pieces of it.

He wouldn’t know the full story if it hadn’t been for Sam. They worked together at Joja Mart, but maybe suffered together was a better description. Sam escaped. Shane was still suffering.

At the end of their shift one day last week, Sam winked at Shane and said “Watch this.”

He clocked out but stayed behind, curious as to what Sam was about to do.

”Hey, Morris!”

“What is it, Samson?” He had asked dryly, in the arrogant tone he was most infamous for.

“I quit!” Sam announced, a huge grin on his face.

Shane’s jaw dropped. He was jealous, watching his dream come true for someone else instead of him. It wasn’t fair.

Morris got so angry he looked like a caricature of himself. “What!? Is this some kind of joke?!?” He demanded.

”Nope!” Sam said cheerfully. He took off his badge and his hat and handed them over to Morris with a huge smile. “See ya!”

Morris just stood there shaking with anger. Invisible smoke pouring from his ears. “You are banned from ever working for another Joja Mart ever again!!!!”

“Good!” Sam just laughed and flipped him off, practically skipping out of the store. 

Shane quickly followed him out, unwilling to deal with Morris’s wrath. Safely outside, he couldn’t help but ask Sam what happened. 

“Can we go somewhere to like actually talk in private?” Sam asked earnestly, the sunny smile dropping from his face.

Shane wasn’t one for socializing but the sudden mood switch had him curious. “Yeah okay.”

They walked to the beach, Shane followed Sam all the way to the tide pools and down to the end of the pier. “I just want to make sure we’re really alone.” Sam explained when Shane glared at him suspiciously. “This is dark shit.”

They sat down, facing the beach instead of the sea so they’d know if anyone was coming their way.

Sam sighed dramatically while Shane anxiously waited for him to get to the point. “I want to tell you the full truth, but it’s not pretty.”

”I’d rather know, than have to wonder what you left out.” Shane confirmed.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, I pegged you as the type.”

Shane decided not to take offense to that.

“Back in the winter, Abigail kissed Sebastian but he wasn’t interested. She figured out that he had feelings for me, but I was dating someone at the time. Abby did something with her magic that basically poisoned and killed her. She got away with the murder. We didn’t find out until after that whole rescue mission you helped us with, but she had also cast a forbidden love spell on me to “make sure” I returned Seb’s feelings… except I already did have feelings for him. So none of it worked out right. She got Seb convinced that he had to break up with me, which naturally broke my heart. The fucked up spell she used had some kind of condition where everything would be fine except for in that exact event, the heartbroken one would essentially go crazy and stop at nothing to murder the spell caster, which was her. So she forced Sebastian to use the dark shrine to wipe everyone’s memories so that I wouldn’t end up killing her.”

Shane just stared blankly at Sam, wondering if he would have believed any of this if he hadn’t witnessed that magic was real with his own two eyes. The witch had kidnapped Abby and the wizard, her biological father, and Shane somehow got roped into helping save them. Him and his stupid big heart. They should’ve just let her rot in there.

”She’s crazy, dangerous, selfish, and not above murder. You dodged a bullet dude.”

”Fuck…”

“It was Linus that left all that money to Sebastian by the way. We bought a house, we’re moving to Grampleton. Turns out my mom’s not exactly a fit parent, so she’s letting me take Vincent. He’s going to go to a real school like we did.” Sam teared up a little. “Anyway, I’m telling you all this because he’s really going to miss Jas and I feel like you and me could’ve been good friends. Basically what I’m saying is, don’t be a stranger. You’re welcome at our house anytime and I will be thoroughly pissed if you never bring Jas over for a play date.”

Shane laughed, oddly touched by Sam’s offer. “Yeah, man. Totally. I’m happy for you guys. Sebastian too, despite everything.”

”I feel bad, about Sterling, you know. I hope he knows that neither of us wanted to hurt him.”

Shane shrugged. Sterling was really torn up about it but he didn’t want to ruin Sam’s day. He could tell he was still riding the high from quitting Joja Mart. “I believe you. He’ll come around someday, I’m sure.”

Sam gave him a small smile that clearly meant “Yeah right, but thanks for the optimism.”

They chatted for a bit longer before heading back into town. It had almost been kinda… nice.

He, in fact, did not tell Sterling any of this though. Partially because he was afraid he would be distraught over Sebastian moving away and partially because he was afraid he would ask him not to be friends with Sam. That would piss him off, because of Jas, and he didn’t want to be pissed off at Sterling so he just kept it to himself.

He figured he’d let the gossip mill take care of it, which it did, a week later, somewhat unfortunately. Sterling clearly hadn’t taken the news very well. Poor guy. He had dreaded him finding out the news. Maybe he should have told him himself. He hoped the rest of his night after he left the saloon was alright. 

All he knew was that he really didn’t want to lose his only real friend. He loved Sterling, even if he didn’t always know how to be the best friend to him. He vowed to go check on him in the morning. He needed to do better.

Chapter Text

Sterling

The sun shining in through his bedroom window woke him up from his sound sleep. Throwing the covers off of himself, he swung his legs onto the floor, immediately losing his balance as a wave of nausea washed over him. The room spun as he hastily grabbed a trash bin, throwing up whiskey and beer and whatever sad little lunch he had eaten the afternoon before. When he was done puking out his entire soul, he found an extra throw blanket to cover the window with. Satisfied with the new lack of light in his hangover cave, he stumbled back to bed, flopping down on the twin size mattress to rot for a few more hours.

The next time he woke up, it was because someone was standing over his bed, glaring down at him like he was the biggest fuck up in the world. That's not what actually woke him up though. The big fluffy dog licking his bare feet was what disturbed his slumber. He couldn't be mad at Max though.

"Good afternoon, Sterling." Mia greeted him condescendingly. "Someone is here to see you."

"Huh? Who?" He panicked internally, memories from last night rushing through his head. 

Shane stepped into his room, to his absolute relief. "Hey Bud. How are you feeling?"

Sterling gave him a dramatic thumbs up, letting his eyes close and his head fall back against the pillow. "Peachy."

Shane laughed. "I brought you some nice greasy pizza, figured it might help."

Sterling cracked one eye open, reaching for the pizza like a starving raccoon. "You're the best."

"Not really..." Shane admitted, his voice laced with sadness.

"Hmm?" Sterling questioned, mouth full of pizza, head full of hungover misery. Max left, deeply offended, once he realized no one was going to give him any pizza.

"I knew... I knew all of that and I didn't tell you. I'm sorry, you should have heard it from me, not the gossip committee. I was being a selfish prick, just didn't want to be the bearer of bad news."

"How did you find out?" Sterling asked emotionlessly.

"Sam told me everything after work that day he quit, last week. I... honestly, I was afraid to tell you, partially because I knew it would bother you. Mainly because Sam wants me to bring Jas out there for playdates with Vincent and how could I say no, man? That's her best friend." Shane rambled nervously.

"I'm not a piece of shit, Shane. Well, I am but not to children." He laughed. "I get it. I appreciate the apology though. Don't worry about it. We're cool."

Shane looked immensely relieved, switching gears now that his apology was taken care of. "I was worried about you last night. If it's any consolation, I told Marnie off after you left. She really felt like shit."

He sighed. "I don't want Marnie to feel like shit. Just Lewis and Olivia."

"I know, dude. Can't do much about the heartless though."

They shared a laugh, settling into a comfortable silence as Shane's nerves finally settled down enough to eat a slice of pizza too.

"So where did you go last night? I looked everywhere for you." He asked curiously.

"Uhh..." More memories from the night before flashed across his mind. "I kind of just stumbled around in the woods. I tripped and grabbed the fence for support, cut my hands up pretty good."

Shane shook his head. "Honestly dude, I'm relieved. I was worried you got in a fight with someone."

"Just an old wooden fence." Said Sterling playfully.

"Wear gloves next time you go drunkenly stumbling in the woods, idiot."

Sterling laughed. "Yeah okay, I'll make sure I bring my helmet and knee pads too."

"Not a bad idea, my friend." Shane teased. "Alright, I gotta get to work. I'm closing tonight but let me know if you'd like some company after I get out."

"Okay, thanks for the pizza, Shane. You're my best friend."

"Ah, fuck off." Shane said smiling, awkwardly waving as he left his room.

Once Sterling was alone again, he slithered back under the covers, thinking back to last night.

What had he done? He didn't even know Morgan. Heartbroken and drunk, apparently all it took was someone putting Band-Aids on his cuts to get him in bed with them. He felt cheap, and gross. He wondered if Morgan was even as attractive as he thought he was last night. Was the alcohol just altering his perception? What would a guy that hot want with him when they could probably get anyone in this town if they wanted to?

Maybe he had just been too convenient and willing. It was beyond him how Morgan was even into it when Sterling was swaying around like a clumsy newborn giraffe. He remembered practically falling on his ass in the hallway right after nearly knocking the poor guy over in the bathroom. He could barely even form words, never mind do anything besides weakly kiss him back. What the fuck was that even about?

He decided that what happened last night was best left alone. He didn't know Morgan; Morgan didn't know him. No one in town really knew him apparently either. They could just forget it ever happened. He was unlikely to run into him very often if ever anyway.

At least, that's what he thought. Until one week later when he was idly stocking shelves in Pierre's, thinking about taking his bike out for a ride the next day. This weekend was supposed to be sunny, and he felt like a change of scenery might do him some good. The jingle of the door opening caught his attention, pulling him out of his calming thoughts. He picked his head up to turn around and greet the person who just came in. Barely choking out a "Good Morning, Welcome to Pierre's! Let me know if you need any help" before realizing who it was.

Morgan's eyes landed on his as he stared in horror, trying desperately to neutralize his expression before Pierre returned. For a moment they just silently assessed each other before Pierre came out of the back, returning to his post behind the register.

"Oh, it's farmer Morgan! Hello! What a nice surprise! What can I help you with today? I've got tons of seeds in stock." Pierre said in his friendliest salesman voice.

Morgan held a hand up, silencing Pierre respectfully. He smiled in a way that was nothing like his memories from their encounter. This smile seemed deceptive. As if, behind the polite smile, what he really wanted to do was bash Pierre's head against the counter and sprinkle the gold he owed him over his unconscious body as he left with his purchases.

Chills. That smile gave him chills.

"Mornin' Pierre. No seeds for me today, it's almost fall."

He watched Pierre's face drop in disappointment. Yeah, Pierre. No one wants to buy fucking summer seeds when fall is a week away. He had BEEN suggesting that he start selling next season's seeds at least a few days early, but you can't reason with greedy pompous morons who think they know everything. He'd never learn.

"Oh. Well, what brings you in today?" Pierre asked, much less enthusiastically.

"I just need a bigger backpack, that's all." Morgan replied, his tone vaguely threatening. Probably not willing to entertain another dumb attempt at upselling him. 

"Oh! Of course! I'll just have to run in back to fetch one. Please give me a moment, we just had a big shipment of stock come in, so the box might be a little buried." Pierre hurried into the back, not giving Morgan any time to change his mind.

They were alone once again. Sterling decided he was way too sober for this encounter. He had no idea what to do with himself. Was it rude to ignore him? Technically Morgan had already ignored him, though it was an obvious robotic greeting and not one meant for him, and Morgan was definitely not stupid... but still, it was his turn to say something right?

He pretended to be really busy and focused on placing boxes of rice on the shelf, ignoring the oppressive silence. Especially ignoring the quiet clinking and tapping of chains hitting leather boots as the feet inside of them walked closer to where he was crouched down on the floor, stocking boxes of rice faster as if his life depended on it. He felt like a scared little rabbit being hunted by a coyote. What was it about this guy that sent him into such a fucking panic? This wasn't like him at all.

He prayed that Morgan was just grabbing something off of a shelf near him.

"How are your hands doing?" 

FUCK.

He slowly turned his head to look up at Morgan. "Uhm.. good, better... thank you. For your help... and everything."

Morgan smiled at him deviously. "And everything?"

Sterling was sweating, panicking, grasping at straws in his brain for anything to say that didn't sound completely pathetic. He came up with nothing. "Uhm, yeah..." He said, awkwardly chuckling.

Morgan leaned down, getting close enough to speak quietly, nearly whispering. "Come back anytime." Tingles shot down his spine, turning into full blown strikes of lightning as Morgan's teeth grazed his ear.

He was back standing by the counter just in time for Pierre's return, as if nothing happened.

"Here it is! That'll just be 30,000 gold please!" Pierre announced, presenting the backpack to an unimpressed Morgan who was leaning against the counter looking like he just left the set of a vampire movie. God, he was gorgeous. 

"Thanks." Morgan replied somewhat sarcastically, swiping a card in the reader, prompting the register to play a little jingle, Pierre's favorite sound. His eyes lit up immediately. He could practically feel Morgan's eyeroll from all the way over here as he turned to leave.

"Have a great day Farmer Morgan! Please do come again!"

"Oh I plan to." Morgan said, making direct eye contact with Sterling who had entirely forgotten to stop staring before he turned around. His eyes widened as he caught the innuendo, Morgan flashing him a predatory, toothy grin in response before disappearing out the door.

The moment he was out the door, Sterling let out a huge breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.

"What a weirdo." Pierre commented absent mindedly.

Sterling played dumb, wondering if he could milk any information out of his greedy boss. "Who was that?"

"Morgan Francis. His grandfather owned Karizma farm, remember? Sorry, I would have introduced you had I known."

"Oh, it's fine. I've heard that he's not really friendly." He said, trying to bait Pierre to tell him more.

"He is nothing like his grandfather, that's for sure. Farmer Bill was friends with everybody."

"I remember him, he was a nice old man. He used to let us take fruit from his orchard."

"I wouldn't try that with Morgan." Pierre scoffed. "He was always a strange kid."

"He came here?" Sterling couldn't remember him. He wondered if Shane did.

Pierre laughed. "Yeah, almost every summer. He barely left the property though." He shook his head. "He's your age, you know."

He didn't. He hated that it made him happy though.

"All you kids to play with and he just stayed in the house, every summer. Not once do I remember him trying to make friends with any of you. The only time I ever saw him off the property was when Farmer Bill dragged him along to see the moonlight jellies." Pierre said, wandering off as he spoke. "I'm going on my lunch break! You know what to do."

Sterling was thankful that he wasn't looking at him anymore because that last tidbit of information jogged a memory that was so deep down in there that he probably wouldn't have ever made the connection had this conversation never happened.

He could see it now, the last night of summer when they were 14. He and Shane were on the beach, being the little brats that they were back then. They were leading an intense game of man hunt with the other kids around their age. A kid from Ridgeside had been accidentally pushed into the water, so Sterling and Shane ran to avoid getting blamed for it. Running into the woods, a head of blinding bleach blonde hair under the moonlight caught Sterling’s eye.

He stopped while Shane kept running, losing sight of him entirely but he hardly cared. He was transfixed on the unfamiliar boy standing in the woods. His hair was glowing along with his strikingly pale skin. He wore black cargo shorts and a light gray wife beater. A silver chain hanging around his neck. He looked at Sterling, slowly meeting his gaze head on. He remembered feeling frozen to the spot where he stood, wondering who or what he was seeing right then. The boy’s eyes shifted from dark ghostly blue to brownish black as rolling clouds in the sky temporarily blocked the moon. Sterling briefly wondered if he was a ghost or a vampire but then Shane was back, yanking his arm and pulling him along with him as he ran. “COME ON DUDE!!!” He had yelled at him as he resisted at first, craning his neck to stare at the boy, but he was gone. He never saw him again, never found out who he was. Shane told him he was probably just hallucinating but he never believed that. He forgot about it over the years, probably wouldn’t have ever crossed his mind again.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he realized that same ethereally creepy boy from the woods just walked into his place of work and bit his ear suggestively.

Holy Fuck…

Chapter Text

Shane

“Uncle Shaaane, you can’t just give up because I put down two draw 4 cards in a row.”

”Yes I can. How am I supposed to bounce back from this? I have 16 cards in my hand, Jas.” He glared at her.

”You’re no fair!! I can’t win if we don’t finish playing.” Jas crossed her arms, pouting.

”You won!”

”Nuh uh!!! I still have three cards left!!”

Shane groaned.

”Don’t be a sore loser, Shane.” Marnie shouted helpfully from the kitchen.

”Yeah, Uncle Shane! Don’t be a sore loser!!” Jas echoed.

His phone started buzzing incessantly on the coffee table, saving him from being annihilated in Uno by a child. He stuck his tongue out at Jas before going in his room to take the phone call from Sterling.

“Hey Man, what’s up?” 

“Emergency. Need… to talk to… you.” Sterling sounded like he was running, he was huffing and puffing like he was out of breath.

”Is everything okay!? Where are you??” 

“Outside.. your house.” He huffed, gasping for air.

”Did you run here!?” He asked incredulously.

”YES. LET ME IN.” Sterling shouted.

”Okay, I’m coming, jeez.”

He hung up and hurried to the front door. “Sterling’s here, we’re gunna go hang out with the chickens.” He announced to Marnie and Jas before opening the door.

Sterling practically fell into the house, looking like a crazed man on a mission.

”Hi Sterling!” Marnie greeted him with an even friendlier tone than she normally would, probably still feeling guilty about what happened at the saloon last week.

”HELLO MARNIE, HELLO JAS, OKAY NEED TO TALK TO SHANE. COME ON, SHANE.” Sterling was practically pushing him out into the backyard. 

Shane was thankful for his chicken coop, it gave them a private place to hang out since there was no hope for privacy inside the house. 

Once they were securely inside with the door shut, Shane clapped his hands down on Sterling’s shoulders and looked him square in the eyes. “What the fuck is going on dude?”

Sterling took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, definitely still struggling to catch his breath after rushing here so chaotically.

Shane let go of his shoulders to grab him a bottle of water out of the mini fridge that they put in here for obvious other reasons, being that it was their main hang out area. He liked to think that their drunken antics at least provided quality entertainment for the chickens.

Sterling drank half the bottle of water before slamming it down on on the table they made out of crates. 

“Do you remember that summer we started a manhunt game at the Moonlight Jellies festival?”

Shane laughed. “Yeah, when Maddie pushed Ian in the ocean and we ran because Lewis would have blamed us no matter what?”

”Oh, is that who fell off the pier? I don’t really remember much from that night besides-“

”Fell? No, Maddie pushed him. Are you even listening?” Shane narrowed his eyes. “It was awesome.”

Sterling waved his hand to shush him. “SHANE. Stay on topic.”

”I am!” He argued defensively.

”DO YOU REMEMBER when we were running into the woods and I stopped because I saw someone weird and you had to come back to drag me away?”

”You mean your hallucination? I think you drank too many energy drinks that day, dude.”

”It wasn’t a hallucination!!! I saw a creepy boy with glowing skin and hair and creepy ghostly eyes and he was staring right at me and disappeared as soon as you came back for me. I DIDN’T IMAGINE THAT.” Sterling was shouting now.

Shane’s eyes widened, glancing off to the side. “Yeeeeahhh…. Right, right. Okay. You didn’t imagine that.”

”Fuck OFF, dude! Would you let me finish?”

”Get to the point already!” Shane said, rolling his eyes. “You’re scaring the chickens.”

“I’m trying!” Sterling growled. 

Shane made a show of zipping his lips and throwing away the key, staring at him expectantly.

”Okay, I was at work and the farmer from Karizma farm came in to buy a backpack. After he left, Pierre was talking shit about how he’s such a weirdo, so I asked him who he is, and he said he’s farmer Bill’s grandson who, get this, spent EVERY SUMMER HERE.”

”Okay?” Shane said, not following. “I don’t remember his grandson visiting, he definitely mentioned him but I don’t think we ever met.”

”Right, we didn’t. That’s because he never left the property. With one exception, he always went to the Moonlight Jellies festival.” Sterling had a wild look in his eyes like he just solved the mystery of the century.

”Okay… and?”

”What do you mean ‘and’!?!” Sterling demanded. “THAT’S WHO I SAW IN THE WOODS. MORGAN FRANCIS.”

”Okay…. I’m sorry.” Shane said laughing. “I don’t understand why you ran here to tell me that. Just to prove you weren’t hallucinating?”

”No! I-“ Sterling abruptly stopped talking. He looked almost… guilty?

”What?”

Sterling looked scared suddenly, like there was definitely something he wasn’t saying. “Never mind. Yeah, you’re right. I just wanted to prove I wasn’t hallucinating after all this time. Weird, huh?” He chuckled nervously.

What the fuck?

”Are you… okay?” Shane asked hesitantly.

Sterling laughed, sounding a little manic. “Uhm… yeah… no… maybe?”

Shane walked back to the fridge, grabbing two beers and tossing one to Sterling.

He opened it gratefully, sitting down on a crate with a dramatic sigh. Then he tipped the can back and drank half of it in one big gulp.

Shane dragged a crate closer to him, sitting down and taking a sip of his own beer. “Did something happen with Morgan?” He asked softly.

Sterling flinched at the name. His face turned even redder than it had been already from running over here. “I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it…” He admitted.

Shane furrowed his brows in concern, really not liking that answer. “Sterling, did he hurt you?”

He opened his mouth to respond but shut it quickly, shaking his head. “No… I don’t… I don’t think so.”

”You don’t think so?!” Shane questioned, feeling really anxious all of a sudden.

”I don’t know!! It’s complicated, okay!? Just drop it.” Sterling sounded a little panicky and Shane definitely did not want to drop it. His friend looked like he was on the verge of crumbling to pieces though, so reluctantly he kept his mouth shut.

If they were girls, this would probably be the proper time to give him a hug and reassure him that he was there for him no matter what happened. But they were bros… and bros didn’t do that, right? Fuck… he had been an antisocial jerk for too long… having friends he cared about again was hard. He didn't know what he was supposed to do, or not do. He was trying his fucking best though.

Sterling sighed, frustrated. He downed the rest of his beer with a shaky hand while Shane wrestled with his own train of thought. 

Watching Sterling's hand shake made Shane's mind snap back to last week when his hands were all cut up the morning after he fled the saloon. He still had no idea where he had gone after he left, he couldn't find him anywhere and he ignored his calls and texts all night. Suspicion filled his head, he felt his eyes narrow as he made the connection. Sterling had definitely tried to imply that he went straight home, but Shane had mindlessly taken note of the fact that he was still wearing the same clothes from the night before.

He had initially assumed Mia was the one who had bandaged up his hands, but knowing how much of a relentless caretaker she could be when presented the opportunity, there was no way she would have let him go to bed in dirty clothes after patching him up like that. He also knew Sterling very well, enough to know that he didn't do that for himself. He would've washed his hands with soap and water, slapped a Band-Aid on it, and hoped for the best.  

If it wasn't Mia, or Henry who cleaned him up... where did he go? Why was he being so secretive?

——————————————————————

Sterling

He realized far too late into his conversation with Shane that he absolutely did not want to divulge any of the details of his embarrassing encounter with Morgan. A fact that meant he had no reason to rush over here as if someone were dying, declaring an emergency, just to tell Shane that he hadn't been hallucinating that one night nearly 13 years ago when he thought he saw someone in the woods at a festival.

Shane's confusion had been frustrating at first, until he realized that his reaction to the news seemed wildly disproportionate without the knowledge of what had just transpired between him and Morgan. He felt like an absolute moron for coming over here. He had just been so desperate to tell someone. He had been trying desperately to forget about what happened all week and then Morgan had just casually strolled into the shop during his shift looking like an untouchable god of the underworld. 

His hopes and dreams of Morgan being less attractive while sober in the daylight than he had been that night were squashed immediately. Morgan was, in fact, even more attractive than he remembered. Tall, dark, and scary. Alluring like a forbidden fruit. A poison apple. Unethereal eyes and perfect teeth, sharp canines that felt electrifying scraping gently across the sensitive cartilage of his ear. It was terrifying how flawless his appearance was. Sure, Pierre could look at him and his tattoos and gothic attire and antisocial behavior and call him a weirdo, creepy even. But no one could look at that man and honestly call him ugly. He was hauntingly beautiful, at minimum. Sterling felt like a sack of potatoes' in his presence, and he wasn't usually one to doubt his own attractiveness.

He may look down on his choices, and personality, and potential, but he never thought of himself as ugly. He knew he was good looking. It was probably the only reason anyone put up with his shit. He knew he had an endearing goofy grin and puppy dog eyes that had mostly kept him out of trouble his whole life. But he wasn't smiling around Morgan. Cowering in fear was more like it.

So why the fuck had this man actually approach him at work and whisper in his ear that he could come back to his farm any time? What did he see in him? 

All he was sure of, was that he was definitely not going back there. No matter how weirdly sad he had been this morning when he noticed the bruises that Morgan's mouth left all over his body were almost entirely faded. 

"Hey, do you want to just hang out here tonight instead of going to the saloon?" Shane asked him, interrupting his rabbit hole of thoughts.

"Uhm... no, we can go." He mumbled.

"We really don't have to, are you sure?" Shane tried again.

"Yeah. I don't care about those bitches. Let them talk. They won't get a reaction out of me this time." He lied.

"Uhm, okay..." Shane said quietly, scratching the back of his neck. "Are you sure?"

Sterling rolled his eyes, secretly thankful that his friend annoyed him enough to bring him back down to earth. He rose to his feet, putting his hand out for Shane to grab onto. "Let's go."

Shane surprised him by pulling him into a hug once they were both standing.

"Uh..." He waited for an explanation, leaving his hands hovering in the air.

Shane laughed, "Relax. I'm just...trying to be a good friend. Let me fucking do this."

He smiled, touched that Shane was shoving his ego aside to be there for him. He hugged him back, relishing in the safety he felt with his trusted friend. Nothing like the flight or response Morgan elicited from him with his mere presence.

"If anyone hurts you, tell me. I'll kill them dude." Shane said, patting his back while they hugged.

"I know you would. That's why I wouldn't tell you. Who would I hang out with if you were in jail!?" Sterling demanded playfully.

Shane released him, shaking his head. "You better tell me." He gave Sterling a vaguely threatening look. "I can't protect you if I don't know what's going on."

"I don't need you to protect me, Shane." Sterling said with a hint of defensiveness.

"I know you don't. But I need you alive and well, for myself. I'm a selfish bastard, Sterling. You better not get yourself killed." He wagged a finger at him. "Being my only friend is a very important responsibility. You can't leave me."

He laughed genuinely for the first time all day. "Don't worry, pal. You're never getting rid of me."

They learned more about Morgan that night. Pierre just couldn't wait to tell everyone about his rare visit to the shop. He was apparently somewhat of a local anti-celebrity. A mythical creature maybe? The way everyone was talking about him, you'd think that spotting him in town was equivalent to a bigfoot sighting.

"No way, Morgan Francis? What did he want? What did he buy???" Andy asked, nosey as ever.

That man didn't trust anyone. His tone implied he was half expecting Pierre to tell him that he sold Morgan bombs and a gun.

"Just a bigger backpack." Pierre complained.

"A bigger backpack?! For what? Where does he go?" Pam asked rhetorically, strolling over to sit with them. She knew that no one actually knew what Morgan did in his spare time, or any of his time for that matter.

He was a little surprised that Pam was interested enough in Morgan to even join them. She usually sat at the edge of the bar, bugging Gus and Emily and whoever else was unfortunate enough to sit near her.

"I don't know." Pierre replied, shaking his head.

Harvey had been clearly eavesdropping up until this point, apparently unable to hold back from asking the burning question in his mind any longer. "Excuse me, but I have to ask…Does he look healthy?"

Pierre scoffed. "Well, he's got the weakest farmer’s tan I've ever seen for this late in the season. I don't think he sees the sun too much."

Harvey frowned. "That's odd, what does he do over there on that farm? You must know, you pick up what he leaves in the shipping bin don't you?"

“I do… It’s mostly fruit from the trees, tea saplings, stuff from the mines… he almost never buys seeds or grows any crops that I’ve seen. You know, it would be really nice for the local economy if he would buy more seeds from me...” Pierre started on a tangent.

”Hmm.” Harvey frowned thoughtfully. “Sorry, it’s just… as a doctor, I worry he’s not getting enough sun. Vitamin D deficiency is very serious. He’s never come into the clinic, I don’t even have a file on him.”

”What is he, one of them people that’s afraid to go outside?” Andy asked crudely.

”Agoraphobic, you mean?” Harvey corrected politely. 

Andy made an offended face. “How am I supposed to know there’s a word for that?”

Harvey looked uncomfortable, relief washing over his face when Pierre answered for him.

”Nah, he wouldn’t have come into the shop if he was. He didn’t look scared at all. Not very friendly though. He never was, even as a child.”

”He was nice to Sebastian.” Robin commented vaguely.

Sterling had been listening to them discreetly the whole time, but that got his head turning to look right at Robin. Thankfully her back was to him, so she wasn’t aware of his obvious interest in whatever she was going to say next.

Shane sighed, scooting a little closer and resting his hand on the bar top. He was on guard, ready to grab Sterling’s wrist if he tried to get up. Sometimes hanging out with him felt a bit like babysitting. He supposed people felt the same about him though, so he couldn’t complain.

”Sebastian hung out with him before he left?” Marnie asked, the shock visible on her face.

”Sort of. Sebby always smoked his cigarettes by the lake so sometimes he’d catch Morgan coming out of the mines…” She trailed off, refocusing her train of thought.

Sterling was perched at the edge of his seat, hanging on every word.

“I was referring to back when they were kids though. Sebby wandered off one summer, he was probably 7 or 8 at the time. Morgan must have been 10? 11? I don’t know, no older than 12 though. Anyway, he ended up getting lost in the backwoods close to the property line of the farm. Morgan found him scared and crying. He helped him find the house again, knocked on the door and let me know what happened. He was really nice about it. He even let Sebby give him a hug before he left. I don’t think they ever saw each other again until he came back last year but I always thought of him fondly.”

Sterling felt a wave of mixed emotions after hearing that story. The thought of Sebastian lost and scared, crying for help, kind of broke his heart in half. He was also a little disappointed that he wasn’t the one who was there to help him instead of Morgan. The weirdest feeling though, was the strange warmth he felt towards Morgan because of it. He wanted to feel disturbed by the fact that they knew each other, but it almost made him like Morgan more knowing that he had treated Sebastian with kindness and empathy despite apparently being a creepy recluse that never left the farm except to stand around scaring people in the woods.

Wait… like him? Did he? He acknowledged so far that he was attracted to him the same way he was attracted to driving his motorcycle off the highway. But like him? That felt like a stretch.

Shane tapping on his arm brought him back to reality, he turned his head back to face the bar, still listening though, just not as overtly. “Thanks.” He whispered to his friend, thankful he didn’t find himself getting involved in petty bar drama for the second Friday night in a row. 

”Well how ‘bout that.” Pam said, knocking back the beer in her hand.

“I guess it makes sense, they’re both antisocial.” Andy mumbled.

”Leave Sebby alone.” Robin warned.

Andy chuckled. “I ain’t mean nothin bad by it. Not in Sebastian’s case anyway. Morgan’s another story.”

Robin shrugged. “Maybe he has a good reason for staying away from town. Who are we to judge?”

The conversation effectively died out after that, for which he was simultaneously thankful for and disappointed by. He felt his tension thaw out as they moved on to topics he didn’t care about. He gradually returned his attention to Shane who had been unusually quiet. 

He looked at him curiously to see what was up. Shane cocked an eyebrow at him. 

“What!?” He asked defensively.

”You’re obsessed.” Shane said flatly.

”I am not.” Sterling insisted.

”Oh, really?” He asked.

”I’m not obsessed.” He narrowed his eyes angrily. 

Shane looked past him suddenly. “Morgan’s here.”

Sterling nearly fell off the bar stool turning around to face the door.

Morgan was not there.

He slowly turned back to Shane, cheeks blushing with shame. Fuck.

Shane’s smug, knowing grin made him drop his head to the counter in defeat. “Ugh.”

”Told ya.” Shane teased.

Sterling didn’t have a witty response to that so he just closed his eyes and wondered what the fuck was wrong with his brain.

Chapter Text

Shane

It was a weird night with Sterling after they came to the conclusion that his sudden interest in Morgan has definitely progressed to full on obsession.

His poor friend had been moping around ever since Sebastian dumped him, but this was different. When he finally picked his head up after hiding it in his arms on the bar top for at least 25 minutes after their conversation had ended, he just looked downright disturbed. It was hard to tell exactly what he was feeling but it obviously wasn't good. His friends stormy mood did nothing to quell his fears that something happened with Morgan that night. He wanted to ask him about it again but he sadly understood the unspoken boundary Sterling had set in place on that topic. It was definitely off limits.

Seeing his friend like this made him anxious and he didn't know what to do about it so he just sat there quietly with him all night, even making a point to walk him home to make sure Sterling arrived home safely. They hadn't really talked much on their way to East Scarp but once they reached his front gate, Sterling stopped him and gave him a weak but meaningful hug. "Thank you, Shane."

He had just lamely hugged him back and swallowed back words he didn't know how to say. "No problem, dude."

Sterling had nodded in his direction in a parting farewell before heading inside. It was an incredibly lonely walk home after that.

Part him wanted to keep walking once he made it back to the ranch. He wanted to head North, scope out Karizma Farm and see if he ran into Morgan. He wasn't sure what good that would do, but it was killing him to do nothing.

In the end though, the logical part of his brain convinced him that trespassing on a strangers farm was probably a shitty idea, especially if his reason for being there was because he had a sinking suspicion that he did something to his best friend.

Shane collapsed onto his bed, laughing at the irony of how much he was reminding himself of Abigail. He was jumping to worst case scenarios based off of very little evidence just like she had with Sam. He knew this wasn't the same though. Morgan was actually a weird guy that no one knew anything about. Everything about him screamed "sketchy" but that still didn't give him the right to assume anything like he had been. Maybe Sterling just had a crush on him. It was weird as hell behavior for a crush but hey maybe he was just scared of getting his heart broken again. 

It wasn't his business, really. If Sterling didn't want to tell him then he had to live with that. He was definitely going to keep a cautious eye on the situation though.

His phone chirping sent his train of thought careening off the rails. Who the fuck was texting him at 1am?

Speak of the devil…

Abigail: Shane… I miss you a lot. I’m so sorry. I know I fucked up. You have no reason to trust me but I swear I never meant you any harm.

He groaned. Ignoring her and thinking she was a piece of shit was a lot easier when she wasn't talking to him. It kind of hurt to know that she regretted breaking up with him. Wrestling with the decision to text her back or block her number he hastily typed something out and hit send.

Shane: Abby, you killed someone. On purpose.

Abigail: I was protecting my best friend. That girl wanted to ruin his life because he was a “bad influence on Sam” or whatever. I thought Sebastian would kill himself if she did what she said she was going to. I did what I thought I had to do to protect him. I don't expect you to understand but I just need you to know that I'm not evil. I didn't feel good about it, I still wish I hadn't done it.

Shane: I do understand. I understand that you were in love with him and love makes you do crazy things. I just wish you wouldn't act like that wasn't the sole reason for everything you did. It doesn’t make it right.

Abigail: That's not why, Shane... He was my BEST FRIEND.

Shane: Would you have done all of that if it were Sam instead?

Abby took a really long time to respond. He knew the answer anyway. No, she wouldn't have. How could he possibly believe that she wasn't just running back to him now that she physically couldn't have Sebastian in her life? That's besides the point anyway because he was unwilling to look past her tendency for MURDER. Nope, he was all set. He wondered suddenly why he had even responded to her.

His phone finally buzzed again.

Abigail: Would you kill someone if you knew they were planning on hurting Sterling?

Shane: I'm not in love with Sterling.

Abigail: Answer the question.

Shane: In what fucking context, Abby? Murder isn't the answer for every possible scenario, in fact, it's pretty much never the answer.

The little typing dots danced for a while while he stewed in frustration. She really knew how to get under his skin. He definitely had not considered killing Morgan. Hurt him? Maybe. If he actually did anything to deserve it, obviously. But he sure as hell wasn't going to tell Abby about the situation. 

Finally her text popped up, chilling him to the bone before he could even read through the whole message. Primarily because he saw the name "Morgan" in her hypothetical scenario and he immediately started to wonder what the fuck she knew that he didn't.

Abigail: Okay, in your case let's say Sterling's in love with Morgan, but Morgan's dating someone who is a straight up conniving bitch that hates him... if you found out that Morgan's girlfriend was going to plant hard drugs in his room and try to get him put in jail to get him out of the picture, and you had genuine reason to believe this could lead to Sterling ending his own life, if you had the opportunity to make her disappear first, would you take that risk to save your best friend from harm?

Shane's hands shook around the cellphone he was holding up above his face. Abby was certifiably insane. She was not making one point that could be considered rational. Like hello, have you ever heard of calling the police!? But she knew something, and he needed to know what that was.

Shane: Why would you use Morgan in this scenario?

Abigail: Well there's something going on with them isn't there?

Shane: What makes you think that?

Abigail: Sorry, I didn't realize it was a secret. I just saw him stumbling back home coming from the direction of the farm the other night, like reallyyyyy late. It was almost 2am. 

Every fiber of his being wanted to keep rapid firing questions at her but he was terrified that she would catch on to the fact that he didn't actually know anything. She obviously thought Shane was playing dumb right now to protect his friend's privacy. He wanted to ask her when this happened so badly but he couldn't blow his cover.

Shane: Who says he was leaving the farm? That's a bold assumption.

Abigail: Yeah, I know. I didn't think much of it until today. I was about to walk into the shop still in my pajamas to ask Pierre a question but I heard an unfamiliar voice so I hung back until they left. I couldn't see anything but I heard Morgan asking about his hands when Pierre went in the back. And Sterling thanked him for his help with them? I kinda just assumed they were hooking up or something. They should be more discreet if they don't want anyone to find out.

He didn’t need Abby to tell him anything else. That was more than enough confirmation of his fears. He really hoped it wasn’t as bad as it sounded.

Shane: Mind your own business, Abby. And don’t text me again.

He blocked her number before she could say anything else.

——————————————————————

Sterling

He was really thankful that Shane walked him home. He felt bad for not talking to him at all but the truth was he just didn’t know what to say.

He felt like a black hole. A vacuous being that just sucked up anything that made him feel anything at all. Just to get a goddamn break from the soul crushing numbness he felt on a daily basis. Morgan scared him, and apparently his body would rather latch onto that feeling than go with the safe route of avoiding him.

He knew that without a shadow of doubt because if Shane didn’t walk him home, his feet would’ve taken him straight to the farm to find out what Morgan would do if he accepted his offer. 

Fear was apparently more addicting than the safe haven of his paralyzing numbness. He wanted more. More of whatever happened that night. The memories were still blurry but he realized, with a startling revelation, that he didn’t care if Morgan had meant to hurt him. Whether he did or not, his opinion wouldn’t change. He would still feel this urge to go back there like a siren song calling to him all the way from the creepy farmhouse.

He needed to stay away from him. He needed to find something healthier to obsess over than the terrifying farmer and his sort-of-ex who was happily moving on and probably never even thought about him at all.

Sterling took a couple sleeping pills and eventually fell into a fitful slumber. He felt like someone was watching him every time he woke up throughout the night.

The rest of the week went by uneventfully for the most part. He went to work, talked to Shane briefly when he passed by him in town, and spent the rest of his free time with Mia and Henry when they weren’t too busy to spend time with him. Max was a great distraction too, he gave him a reason to go for walks without having to be alone with his thoughts the whole time. 

By the time Friday night came around again, he was actually feeling a little bit less crazy. Pierre let him out of work a little earlier than usual, probably pleased that he hadn’t called out in a while. It was too early to meet up with Shane so he decided to go for a walk around the mountain lake, figuring that if he took the shortcut by the quarry bridge and looped back through East Scarp, he’d back in Pelican Town by the time Shane usually showed up at the saloon.

He was thankful for the extra pair of clothes he kept in his locker at Pierre’s. It was way too warm out to wear a stuffy polo and long pants.

It was refreshing, being outside in cargo shorts and a tank top layered underneath a thin short sleeve flannel. There was a light breeze, not too much humidity in the air, pretty perfect weather for a late summer evening. He was in a good mood, all things considered. At least good in comparison to how down he had been feeling lately. The music pouring through his headphones helped with that too. Music was grounding, especially when he was alone. It kept most of the anxiety away. 

He felt bad for being so distant the last few times he hung out with Shane. He was trying to put himself in a better mood so they could actually try to have fun tonight. Maybe play a round of pool or dabble in the arcade games. He didn’t want to mope anymore.

Walking by Sebastian’s house still stung a bit, especially now that he knew he wasn’t living here anymore. He heard from the chatter in the store this morning that Sebastian and Sam had officially made the move, taking Sam’s little brother along with them.

He wanted to be happy for them. He wasn’t though. He was still hurt that Sebastian wouldn’t even give him a chance. Maybe they could’ve been happier together. 

Who was he kidding? He only would have dragged Sebastian down.

He shook the thought away, focusing on the beauty of the sun reflecting on the lake. It really was gorgeous up here. Zuzu city had nothing on this place. More than anything, he just wanted to find his place here. He didn’t want to go back to the city. He couldn’t figure out where he was supposed to fit in this puzzle but he wanted to try. Going back to Zuzu felt like giving up on himself. He knew he’d never shake his addictions in that hellhole. The person he was when he lived in the city was the furthest from who he really was that he had ever gotten. The lowest point of his life. The rock bottom that led him back here. Back home.

He passed the entrance to the mines at the same time the song he was listening to ended. In the few seconds of silence in-between tracks, he heard someone grunt in a way that sounded pained. 

Ripping the headphones from his ears, he jogged over to the cave entrance to make sure no one was hurt and in need of assistance. 

He heard a demonic screech and froze in place, watching helplessly as a giant black and purple bat went flying through the air. It regained its balance, baring it’s fangs, flapping its wings and screeching again before heading right towards him. 

Like a deer in the headlights he just stood there in horror as a glint of iridescent purple sliced through his line of sight. The bat exploded. 

Like actually exploded.

”What the fuck!?” Sterling said out loud, trying to make sense of what he just witnessed.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the dimly lit cave. It wasn't dark in here by any means, but it certainly wasn't well lit either. The light came from torches that must have been enchanted to never lose their flames. Either that or they really had 24/7, around the clock surveillance where someone would immediately come out here and relight them every time a flame went out. He somehow doubted anyone had time for that.

Finally adjusted to the lighting, his eyes landed on the cause of the bat explosion. A shimmering, glowing, purple sword. A sword that just so happened to be held in the hand of a man who looked like he could be one of the cave monsters himself. Sterling's eyes roamed upwards from the sharp tip of the blade resting on the ground, following it to the hand holding onto the hilt, taking note of the blood dripping down his arm from a gash that looked pretty deep, finally landing on the blinding smile that looked wildly out of place as Morgan acknowledged his presence.

"Sterling! What a pleasant surprise." Morgan's grin didn't falter at all, staring at him with the most joyous expression.

"You're bleeding..." Sterling informed him lamely, pointing at the bloody slash. He was concerned that Morgan didn't even know it was there because how could he seem so unbothered?

Morgan glanced down at the cut, his toothy grin sliding into a more tight lipped smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Ah, yeah. That bastard bat followed me up here. I'm just glad I got him before he got to you."

"Me too." Sterling mumbled honestly. He shuddered at the thought of that thing attacking him. He made a mental note to never come in here again. He also took a mental snapshot of the silver upside down cross dangling from Morgan's ear. He noticed it when he had turned his head to the side to appraise his wound. Sterling only dared to look at the earring for long enough to identify what it was, terrified of having another incident like the one where he tripped over a rock because he was mesmerized by the chains on Morgan's boots. He dropped his gaze to the floor.

The silence after that caused him to look back up at Morgan's face, regretting it instantly. He was looking at him in a smug kind of way, amused apparently by his obvious fear of giant cave bats. Was that so ridiculous?

"What?" He asked, feeling a little insecure. It was hard to feel manly standing across from a guy holding a giant sword that he just effortlessly killed a monster with while he cowered in terror.

Morgan's expression didn't change. "Adorable."

"Adorable?" He echoed, lost.

Morgan ignored him, the smile finally leaving his face as he focused on his injured arm instead. He trapped Sterling in a trance as he pulled his plain black T-shirt off, exposing his naked chest which was covered in tattoos. He had seen them before, that night, but he was too intoxicated to appreciate them then. His eyes roamed all over his chest, following the ink. He took full advantage of the opportunity to stare and commit the image to memory while Morgan assessed the best way to tie his shirt around his arm where it was cut open. Sterling felt pretty stupid for not immediately realizing that he needed to stop the bleeding, at first his brain had been struggling to understand why this man was getting undressed. His heart rate skyrocketed, embarrassing himself when he realized it had nothing to do with him.

Morgan ripped a strip of fabric from his shirt using his sharp teeth, the action having a stupidly compelling affect on him. Now he couldn't stop staring at his stupid face, admiring the sharpness of his jaw and his perfectly shaped lips, and oh shit... Morgan was done tying the fabric around his arm. So done, in fact, that he had been watching Sterling stare at him like a horny teenager for god knows how long.

Morgan's face morphed into a devilish grin the moment their eyes met.

"Yeah. Adorable." Morgan repeated but in a tone more seductive than teasing this time.

Oh no... Sterling felt the air shift, sensing his presence coming closer before his body even physically started moving. As always, he felt glued to the spot. Helpless. Somewhere between unable and unwilling to reject his attention. 

He wasn't naïve enough to believe that this was a budding friendship, romance, or even friends with benefits situation. He didn't know what mysterious other category  it would fall under or what label you could slap on this situation, but there wasn't really any part of him that felt the need to define it in the first place.

Words didn't seem necessary when he was with Morgan. He quite literally rendered him speechless most of the time they had spent together thus far. Morgan did the talking for both of them while Sterling struggled helplessly to retain his composure. He wondered if it would ever get easier.

He didn't feel too hopeful of that happening though. Not with the way Morgan was taking calculated steps towards him, his feet suddenly unglued from the cave floor, backing him into the darker area of the cave. Out of sight from any onlookers. The grin never left his face as he led Sterling to where he wanted him, moving him without even touching him. He was a mere puppet and Morgan held his strings in one hand, a giant glowing sword in the other.

He finally leaned it against the wall without even tearing his gaze from Sterling's eyes. Both of his hands now free, just in time for Sterling's backwards journey come to a sudden end. His back collided with the wall, sending his nervous system into a full on panic now. Morgan glided closer now that Sterling had nowhere else to go. He stood frozen as a statue as the space between them seemed to close in slow motion. Eventually Morgan's hands cupped his face, eyes dropping to his lips immediately. Sterling could feel his breath against his face, his own coming out shakily as he tried and failed to regulate it.

Morgan gave him another merciful moment to focus on breathing before their lips crashed together, much like the way they had in Morgan's bathroom that night. Except this time, the only thing Sterling was drunk on was Morgan. Being sober for this felt like riding a new rollercoaster. Approaching the big drop, not knowing what to expect besides the terrifying adrenaline rush from falling so fast.

The way Morgan kissed was intoxicatingly addicting. He could appreciate it more now that he was sober, more observant. Morgan moved his lips in calculated motions. Each movement was intentional and electrifying. His tongue glided fluidly across his top lip, kissing him deeply before biting his bottom lip, releasing it just to run his tongue across it and kiss him deeply again. He was all over the place but it was anything but sloppy. It was like he had this down to a science. Like he perfected the art of making people freeze and melt simultaneously. He couldn't move, but it was incredible. His whole body was on white hot fire. 

He wanted to touch him too, even though doing anything felt terrifying and dangerous for some reason he couldn't pinpoint. He willed his hands to move, relieved when they cooperated and landed gingerly on either side of Morgan's waist, appreciating the feeling of his bare skin. Cold to the touch but with a deep warmth emanating from within. Soft, smooth. 

He was elated when Morgan made a noise that sounded pleased, leaning into him a little more. He tightened his grip, pulling him even closer. Morgan swirled his tongue around Sterling's one more time before dropping his mouth to his neck in response. Sterling's fingers danced around the skin underneath them, overwhelmed with satisfaction that he was touching him at all. Showing him he wasn't completely useless.

The intricate pattern of licks, and bites, and kisses that Morgan was tracing across his neck and throat had him feeling like pants should be illegal because holy hell was he uncomfortably hard trapped in these shorts. Adjusting them meant letting go of Morgan and he was absolutely not going to do that. What if he couldn't work up the nerve to touch him again? He would just continue suffering.

He felt cold hands teasing the skin along the edge of his waistband, making him shiver. Morgan's hands flattened out, his palms and fingers sliding up under his tank top as he continued the delicious assault on his neck. His intoxicatingly cold hands traveled all the way up his torso, pushing his shirt up along with them. He pinched both of his nipples at the same time, causing Sterling to squeak, sounding just like the little prey animal he felt like he turned into the second he found himself in the presence of this mysterious man. Morgan's mouth left his skin, backing up to look at Sterling thoughtfully. He pushed the fabric of his tank up higher, lowering himself to get a better look at his torso. Sterling was confused but too turned on to care what he was doing so long as he didn't stop touching him.

Morgan finally spoke, sounding mildly disappointed and mischievous at the same time. "They've faded."

Sterling knew exactly what he was referring too. He was disappointed, too. "I know."

"Well we don't want that, do we?" Morgan asked, raising an eyebrow, looking at him with those fucking ghostly hypnotizing eyes.

Sterling shook his head, feeling like he was losing the ability to breathe.

Morgan smirked devilishly, clearly pleased with his response.

He dropped lower again, licking him in bizarre patterns that he had trouble following. The sucking, and biting, and kissing that followed left him a shuddering mess. He wanted to cum so badly but they were in a fucking cave and he didn't know how to ask for what he wanted. He wasn't provided a rule book for this situation he kept finding himself in.

When Morgan was satisfied with the artwork he had created on Sterling's body, he stood up straight and took a step back, admiring the purple and red splotches painted across his skin.

Sterling just stared at him with eyes full of desperate hunger. Burning need.

Morgan's face turned almost angelical, as if this were a perfectly innocent exchange between strangers. “I should get home and clean this up.” He said, motioning to his arm.

Struggling to catch his breath, he felt like a bucket of cold water was just sloshed over his head. “You’re l-leaving?” He hated how disappointed he sounded. Pathetic.

Stepping closer, Morgan smiled, affection shining in his eyes. He raised a hand to Sterling’s face, gently tracing his fingertips from his forehead down to his jaw. He felt his back slide down the wall a couple inches as Morgan used his fingers to lift his chin up. His hypnotic eyes, looking like murky dark blue marbles in the dark cave, bore into his own with an intensity that made him hold his breath. 

“I meant what I said. Come back to the farm anytime.” He said softly.

”Okay.” Sterling whispered.

Morgan leaned in to kiss him, tugging his bottom lip gently with his teeth as he pulled away. ”Although, if we keep meeting like this, I’m not going to want to share you.” The sadistic grin that followed said more than his words.

Sterling felt shivers run up his spine. He said it casually but there was an ever so subtle hint of warning in his tone that made him feel like this was a very, very dangerous game.

His brain couldn’t come up with a safe response so he stayed silent, feeling like he was drowning in the frozen ocean of Morgan’s eyes.

“I hope I see you again.” He said softly, more tender than his previous statement. His fingers cradled Sterling’s jaw while his thumb brushed across his bottom lip. 

He stepped back, releasing him completely. The chilly temperature of the cave immediately came to Sterling’s attention. It was at least 20 degrees colder than it had been outside, he wondered why he hadn’t noticed sooner.

Morgan grabbed the hilt of his sword with the hand of his injured arm, picking it up off the ground. He reached for Sterling’s hand with his other, lacing their fingers together gently. “Follow me, I’ll make sure you get out of here safely. The bat might not be the only thing that followed me up here.”

“Thanks.” Sterling managed to get out. It was frustrating how hard it was to find his voice around him. He felt like a broken toy.

Morgan tugged on his hand, helping him pry himself off the cave wall. Sterling followed closely, trying not to think about how their interlaced hands felt more like binding handcuffs than gentle guidance. It bothered him that the observation didn’t even make him yearn to let go.

Back at the entrance, the sunset felt too bright, out of place, wrong even.

He looked at Morgan like he was waiting for instruction. He smiled, cocking his head to the left behind them. ”I’m taking the mine cart back to the farm. Have a good night, Sterling.” 

He managed to nod in acknowledgement. “Thanks… you too.” He sounded like an idiot as usual, cringing inwardly every time he opened his mouth. He wanted to say something that would make him sound less empty. 

Morgan released his hand and was long gone before Sterling’s brain could finish buffering though.

He took a few minutes to come back down to earth before heading to the saloon. He felt like he was floating the whole journey there, barely aware of his feet touching the ground. He slid onto the seat next to Shane, smiling at him silently in greeting.

”Hey! There you are.” Shane said, handing him a beer he must have already ordered for him.

”Thanks!” The word came out easily. Relief washed over him as he realized he was capable of speaking again. “How was work?”

Shane looked surprised he was actually making conversation. “I mean, shitty as always but Morris was in his office pretty much all day so it wasn’t too bad.”

”Yeah? Pierre wasn’t too much of a pain in my ass today either.”

”The weather probably has everyone in a good mood. Not gunna last much longer though. It’s almost fall.” Shane complained.

”Yeah. Hey, wanna play pool?”

Shane actually smiled. “Fuck it. Sure.”

Chapter Text

Shane

“Fucking tourists.” Shane grumbled.

”I guess they have a right to use the pool table too.” Sterling said noncommittally. 

“There is literally a huge Inn in East Scarp AND Ridgeside.” Shane stage whispered angrily. “Why the fuck are they staying at the Stardrop Saloon?” 

“Maybe Gus isn’t charging as much? Makes sense anyway, I’m sure it’s hard to compete now that the bridge is repaired.”

”Stop making sense. Just let me hate them.” Shane grumbled, hiding his smile.

”I’m sure they’ll be gone after the festival tomorrow. You’re such a grumpy old man, Collins.”

”Fuck off, Cooper.”

“Bite me.”

”You wish.”

”Feisty today, are we?” Sterling teased.

Shane felt weird all of a sudden. “Go get us another round of beers, I’m gunna go take a piss.”

”You got it, dude.”

Shane wandered away from his friend towards the bathrooms. The first thing he noticed was Maddie standing outside the Woman’s bathroom with her arms crossed.

He caught her eyes and she muttered “Fucking tourists” quietly enough so the people in the bathroom wouldn’t hear her.

Shane laughed, whispering back. “Finally, someone who gets it. They’re hogging the pool table too.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “Unbelievable. They’re like roaches.”

”Sterling said they have the right to be here too.” He said with a straight face.

Maddie scoffed. “Do they, though?”

Shane made a face. “Mmm…” 

They both laughed. “Well, good luck with your wait.” He said to her slightly teasingly on his way to open the door to the Men’s room.

He could immediately see how full it was. Scowling he let the door shut, going back in the hallway to lean against the wall, causing Maddie to laugh at his pain.

“Fucking tourists.” He muttered, imitating her from before.

She smirked, sticking her tongue out at him when the door to the Woman’s bathroom opened up. A stranger walked out, oblivious to their haters in the hallway.

Maddie disappeared inside, leaving Shane to wait alone. He realized that was probably the most pleasant conversation they had since they were teens. Huh.

He allowed himself about two minutes of hopeful wonder before remembering that he stocked shelves at Joja and Maddison was a super smart Lab Assistant at a research facility in Ridgeside. She even had her own house. Why the fuck would she ever want him?

He let the bad mood the interaction caused sink in and carry him through the rest of the night.

”You been practicing or something?” Shane asked his friend, mildly annoyed at how he was absolutely kicking his ass at pool right now. The tourists had finally fucked off after a few more rounds of beer.

Sterling laughed, a sound that instantly eased his frustration. It was nice to hear him happy, if even for just a moment and at his own expense.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t extremely worried about him. Between Sebastian and his recent weird behavior surrounding Morgan, he felt like Sterling was teetering on the edge of a breakdown and he desperately wanted to pull him back from the ledge before he fell off of it. He could be overreacting but it was hard not to be paranoid when most of the time lately it felt like his only real friend was slipping through his fingers.

The problem was that he had pretty much no idea what was really going on behind the scenes. He hated that the most information he had regarding their weird secret relationship was from Abby. The last person he felt he could trust. He had a strong intuitive feeling that she had been telling him the truth about Sterling and Morgan. She didn’t appear to have an agenda, just accidentally divulged information she probably assumed he already knew.

”Maybe you just suck.” Sterling teased, lining up his next shot. 

Shane pretended to glare at him, making him look up at him and laugh again as he leaned down over the table to take yet another perfect shot. At least he assumed it was perfect. He wasn’t watching the ball to see if it rolled into the pocket. He was watching Sterling’s chest in horror as the intense bruises he had just caught a glimpse of disappeared when his friend stood up straight again, his shirt settling back into place.

”What?” Sterling asked, amused, taking in Shane’s expression. “Don’t tell me you’re forfeiting already? Yeah, Jas told me how you like to quit before the game ends.” He stopped his teasing when he realized Shane’s expression had nothing to do with the game.

Realization crossed his features and he could see the blood drain from his face.

”Dude…” Shane said quietly.

”It’s nothing.” Sterling chuckled nervously.

”That’s not nothing… what the hell happened?” Shane demanded.

”Nothing happened!” 

“Did you get in a fight or something? Did someone beat the shit out of you?”

”NO! Just drop it Shane. Nothing happened. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Sterling said defensively.

Shane walked around the pool table to stand closer to his friend. “Did Morgan do this?” He asked, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

Sterling’s eyes widened in shock at the question. “W-why would you think that?”

Shane closed his mouth, frowning with worry. He got his answer. It was the same bullshit he used to deflect Abby’s prying questions.

Sterling shook his head. “No. Please Shane, just… forget you saw anything. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“What’s going on with you?” Shane asked quietly, his voice laced with a mixture of pain and anger.

“Nothing.” Sterling insisted, gritting his teeth.

Shane sighed, feeling defeated. “Okay.”

”Can we just play now?” He pleaded.

”Sure.” Shane agreed emotionlessly.

They called it a night not too long after that. Shane didn’t even bother walking him home. He was starting to feel like a lost cause and Shane himself was beginning to feel useless and unwanted. Obviously he didn’t mean as much to Sterling as he meant to him if he was keeping such big secrets from him.

He told Sterling he was tired, but really he just wanted to go get mindlessly drunk by himself. 

Hours later, at the lake in the woods, he laid on the dock looking up at the stars.

He was drunk enough to not feel like dying anymore but not drunk enough to forget everything that led him here.

Why do I even bother trying to make friends? To date? Everyone just hurts me or leaves. I’m not worth sticking around for.

Footsteps coming up behind him interrupted his thoughts.

“Hey.” Said a female voice.

Shane looked up in surprise, not expecting anyone to find him out here, especially not a girl… 

A flash of red hair caught his attention, realizing with a bit of shock that it was Maddie.

”Hey… What are you doing out here?” He asked nervously.

She chuckled. “I could ask you the same.”

He held up a beer. “What’s it look like?”

”Getting drunk by yourself on a Friday night? Hiding from the tourists?” She asked innocently.

Shane laughed. “You always were the smart one.”

Maddie took a seat next to him on the dock. “Don’t do that.” She said scolded him angrily, grabbing a beer out of the case without asking Shane if it was okay.

“Do what?” He asked, deciding not to comment on her beer thievery.

”Act like I’m so much smarter and better than you. I never… thought about you like that.”

”Hmph.” He responded, trying to find the words he wanted to say. “It’s true though, isn’t it?”

”Why, Shane? Because I work for a small town scientist and you work for a big corporation?” She challenged.

“Don’t do THAT.” He protested.

”Do what!?” Maddie asked, raising the volume of her voice in frustration.

”Don’t make me sound better than I am to protect my feelings, Maddie. I stock shelves for my asshole boss who doesn’t give a rats ass about me.”

”That doesn’t make me better than you, or smarter than you. I got lucky, you got a different roll of the dice. You didn’t have to push me away because of that.” Maddie continued angrily, taking a few sips of beer when she was done ranting.

Shane froze. Is that what she thinks?

”Maddie… I didn’t push you away. Not because of that at least…” 

“Then why, Shane!? We were best friends. I thought we always would be. We graduated and then you just… disappeared. And I never heard from you again, not until you came back with Jas.”

“I’m sorry…” He couldn’t tell her. She was right about some of it, but he couldn’t tell her the real reason he left without saying goodbye.

”You’ve explained everything except why you left and never even called.”

”I know… I’m so sorry Maddie. That was wrong of me.” The alcohol was making his head swim. He hadn’t been prepared for this conversation. He’d been back for years and she never asked this before. Why tonight? “I didn’t think you cared… to be honest.”

”You didn’t think I cared!?!? Are you serious!? Shane you ignored all my calls and texts for two years. I gave up, after that. It hurt Shane. I missed you, so much. I missed my best friend. And I still don’t even know why, what did I do to push you away?” She was tearing up now, looking like she wanted to punch him, her hand gripping her can of beer with enough force to dent it.

He felt like the biggest piece of shit on the planet. Words were escaping him. All he could do was struggle to hold back his own tears. He was a coward, he knew that. “I missed you too.” He managed to choke out quietly.

“Then why?” Maddie asked directly, looking at him with her tear filled eyes. Desperately seeking the answer that he wouldn’t give to her no matter how many times she asked. 

He closed his eyes to avoid her gaze, shaking his head solemnly.

He heard her choke back a sob. “Fuck you, Shane.” She crushed her now empty beer can, throwing it at him as she got up and walked away.

The tears streamed down his face freely now. He felt even more alone than he had before their conversation. He had wanted that before Maddie showed up, but when she left all he wanted was for her to have stayed.

He laid there on the old wooden dock, crying until the tears ran out, and all he could see in the night sky with his eyes open, and all he could see behind his eyelids when they closed, was the absence of hope and light. Just pitch black.

Sterling

The waves crashed against the shore, creating the beautifully violent white noise he required to center his thoughts.

He was laying on a bench up on the cliff, overlooking the East Scarp beach. He had woken up early, drank a whole bunch of water, got dressed, took Max for a walk and then brought him home. Henry asked him what he and Shane had been talking about at the saloon last night when Shane looked so upset. He brushed it off, telling him that Shane had girl problems. Henry had just laughed but Sterling knew he had to escape that convo before it could continue. So he left again, heading to the Inn to buy a cup of coffee and a donut, then let his feet take him here, to this bench.

So here he was, looking up at the sky, nibbling on a blueberry donut, thinking about the prior days events while the crashing waves swallowed any other sounds that tried and failed to catch his attention. The closest he’d ever get to meditation.

He couldn’t get away from Shane fast enough last night after he noticed the hickeys from Morgan covering his chest.

The rest of their hang out session had been painful. He knew he was worrying the hell out of Shane and he did genuinely feel bad for that. There was just no way he was admitting to anyone what was really going on.

He barely knew what was going on himself.

All he knew was that he was still painfully not over Sebastian and whatever Morgan was doing to him was a welcome distraction. 

At least, it was. Until last night. He couldn’t pretend that he didn’t understand exactly what Morgan had been implying. If he willingly went to the farm on his own then that would be a clear surrender. Morgan would own him in whatever capacity he wanted to. Whatever the terms would be. He got the message loud and clear.

He didn’t want that. At least he was pretty sure he didn’t want that. What if Sebastian came back? He wasn’t ready to give up on him yet. Him and Sam had only been back together for less than a season. It could still fail. Especially now that they were on their own with a kid to take care of? He wasn’t praying for their downfall… he was just acknowledging that it might not work out. 

Besides that, he didn’t get the impression that Morgan was interested in dating. He had no idea what he would be signing up for by giving in to his offer. The thought of never seeing him again was an interesting type of pain but one that he knew he had to live with. Morgan was obviously fucked up. And so was he. It was a dangerous combination. The opposite of what he needed to get better, to be healthier. He had to admit though, it all felt pointless anyway.

Healthy felt like an unobtainable goal to reach for when just like the morning sky and the ocean water, all he felt was blue. 

Chapter Text

Sterling

“There you are!” Mia exclaimed, appearing in his peripheral vision. “We’ve been looking everywhere.”

”Here I am.” He responded with a forced chuckle. “What time is it?”

”Almost 6:30.” Henry’s voice chimed in from somewhere behind Mia.

”Shit. Sorry guys.” He groaned, sitting upright on the bench. I must have fallen asleep…

”It’s okay, the festival doesn’t start until 10pm anyway, I just figured we could hang out before it too?” Mia offered. Always such a sweetheart.

”Yeah, yeah totally. What did you have in mind?” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes while trying to figure out how long he’d been out for. Must’ve been at least 5 hours. Damn.

”Do you want to go to the spa? I figured that would be relaxing and quiet before we head down to the beach. We can shower off there and leave our swim stuff in the lockers so we don’t have to carry it back.”

Private and secluded with nowhere to hide? Why did this feel like a intervention…

He groaned internally but on the outside he smiled. “Sure, sounds like fun.”

Mia beamed. “Cool!”

45 minutes later Sterling found himself leading the way up to the spa since he knew all the shortcuts the best. As they passed the mountain lake and followed the path up behind Sebastian’s house, an unfamiliar vehicle parked at their house caught his eye. Oh no…

Henry’s eyes followed his gaze when he froze, making the connections quickly. “Sterling… you don’t have to go tonight if it’s too soon.”

He didn’t respond, just started walking towards the spa faster than before. His two companions struggled to keep up, exchanging nervous glances behind his back.

Sterling couldn’t believe they were back already. They just left. He supposed it made sense… why would they want to miss this once a year opportunity? He was more angry at himself for not even considering it a possibility before now. Of course they’d be here…

Oh god, they’re probably going to talk to Shane too…

He really didn’t want to drink tonight. He vowed to stay sober and have a good time with the people who mattered to him. Could he really do this though? With Sebastian and Sam there? He wasn’t so sure.

Henry and Mia were as quiet as he was as they got ready to head into the water. He felt bad for making things awkward but the only thing on his mind right now was two things. The fact that the guy he thought was long gone was here in town right now, and how much that fact made him want to drink.

"Sterling?" Mia said quietly, sitting across from him in the indoor hot spring.

"Hm?"

"Since when do you leave your shirt on in the water?" She laughed. "I don't think you need to be self conscious about your body. You look better than both of us combined."

"Hey!" Henry protested, offended by her statement.

Sterling tensed up at the question but calmed down when he realized they were just joking about it. He faked a laugh and shrugged. "Sorry."

She sighed, and then Henry shocked both of them by speaking up for her. "You need to let him go."

Usually quiet and easy going, the harshness of his tone caught Sterling and Mia off guard. "Henry-"

He cut her off. "It's okay, Mia. He's right. I do."

Henry looked shocked, completely silent now. He must have been expecting an argument. 

"I just don't know how. I've been trying, okay?" He continued.

"Maybe seeing him with Sam tonight will help you move on. He wanted to be friends didn't he?" Mia suggested. "Why don't you just go up to them both and say hi? That's a good first step."

Henry looked skeptical, Sterling scoffed. "Yeah, sure. I'll just go say hi." He said in a fake optimistic tone.

Mia sighed again. "You're a hopeless romantic, Sterling."

That got a laugh out of him. "Yeah, you're right."

She smiled back. Henry changed the subject. For a few hours it was like the festival wasn't even happening tonight, he was able to push it out of his mind and enjoy hanging out with some of his favorite people. However, far too soon it was time to get dressed and head down to the beach.

He made it to Pierre's before he started itching for a drink. You promised yourself you wouldn't, you dick. 

Mia placed a comforting hand on his arm but it didn't do too much to ground him. He felt the tremors in his hands and cursed himself for being so fucking weak. He should just go home. He knew that was a bad idea too though. He would probably end up doing something stupid or pacing back and forth for so long he'd make a hole in the floor.

He decided to just dissociate through the night. The festival was only two hours. He could do it. 

They reached the beach just after 10pm. He resisted the urge to look for Sebastian in the crowd, focusing hard on his companions instead. "Whatever you guys want to do, just lead the way." He said to Mia and Henry.

Mia squeezed his hand and Henry clapped a hand on his back before they led him over to Pierre's little shop stand to check out what he was selling.

"You look kinda mad there Pierre. What did we miss?" Sterling asked his boss, noticing his barely disguised scowl.

"Caroline wants me to hang out with her but I have to stand here because Abigail all of a sudden refused to come after we planned to take shifts." He complained.

Sterling rolled his eyes internally. He knew why she had a sudden change of heart. Sebastian and Sam were here and they had a magic restraining order on her. He laughed out loud by accident.

"What's so funny!?" Pierre demanded. "I could have made you run the stand tonight!"

Sterling threw his hands up in the air. "Woah dude, I'm sorry, I was just laughing at something funny I remembered that has nothing to do with this."

He stood off to the side thinking about what a giant douche Pierre is while Mia perused the goods for sale. Henry came to stand next to him, quietly asking him a question that he had probably been dying to ask ever since he came back home. "Are you happy here?"

Sterling chuckled, not responding right away. He thought about it. Was he? He was absolutely miserable in the city. He was miserable here too but it wasn't nearly as bad. "Happier."

Henry nodded, apparently accepting his answer. "You'll get there."

"Thanks."

Mia finished shopping, leading them across the beach towards the tide pools. He was careful not to look around, dreading accidentally catching a glimpse of the happy couple that he desperately didn't want to see. The were almost to the bridge when he heard his name being called.

He turned around to see Shane heading towards him but his eyes zeroed in on the dark haired man standing close enough to hear him. Sebastian had turned when he heard Sterling's name the same time he had, their eyes locked over Shane's shoulder and Sterling felt like time stopped.

Sebastian looked guilty, nervous, and sad. He wondered why. He really, really wanted to go talk to him but then he saw a tuft of blonde hair walking towards him with a little boy at his side and he yanked his eyes away back towards Shane. "Hey!" 

"What were you looking at?" 

"Nothing"

"You were looking at Sebastian."

"Maybe."

"Do you need me to hang out with you tonight?" Shane asked seriously. "Marnie will understand."

He bit the inside of his cheek, mulling it over. He wanted to say yes but he really didn't want to ruin Marnie's night because he can't handle his own emotions. "No it's okay. Go have fun with Jas. I have Henry and Mia."

"Okay. Just... don't pay attention to them, dude." Shane advised him nervously, as if Sterling might take offense and punch him.

"I'll try." He mumbled. "See ya later."

Shane gave him a pat on the shoulder before heading off to find Marnie again. He snuck one last glance at Sebastian, wincing when he noticed Sam's arm around his shoulders as they talked to Leah and Elliott about something. They looked excited. He tore his eyes away, noticing Mia and Henry had their backs turned, looking out into the ocean.

He redirected his course, steering himself towards the alcohol table. It was mostly fancy mixed drinks for sale and a big bowl of free punch but he knew that in the cooler under the table there were tiny bottles of the hard stuff meant for the mixed drinks. He waited til Gus was distracted, casually acting like he was just readjusting his flip flop, bending down next to the table. He slid his hand under the bottom of the table cloth, feeling around for the cooler. It opened easily enough for him to get his hand inside, grabbing a big handful of whatever was in there. Then he slid his hand out and dropped the bottles into his drawstring bag, standing back up straight and heading back over to Henry and Mia. Just in case I need them.

He chatted with them a bit, listening to Henry drone on about how amazing nature is and how every time he thinks he understands it, something new blows his mind. Mia just kept talking about how she almost studied Marine Biology but changed her mind. He couldn't pay much attention. The chatter all around him on the crowded beach was making him feel like he was speeding towards a panic attack right here in public. The alcohol bottles in his bag were calling to him like tiny saviors. "I'm gunna go to the bathroom guys, be right back." 

He headed to the refreshments first, buying a big cup of Joja Cola before heading over to the port-o-potty's. Finding an empty one and slipping inside, he dumped half the gross soda into the toilet before opening the bottles one by one and dumping them into the cup. He stirred it up, discreetly threw away the bottles, and walked back out. No one looked suspicious. Perfect. He took a few huge sips on his way back over to his housemates, feeling the trembling in his hands die down almost instantly. He hated himself deeply in this moment but there was no other way he could get through the rest of the night without it.

He was able to participate in the conversation a little bit more now, almost starting to enjoy himself even. But then a conversation off to their side caught his attention like a dog whistle designed just for him.

"Did you hear Sebastian and Sam got engaged?" Robin said excitedly to someone from Ridgeside that he didn't recognize.

"Oh how sweet!" The unfamiliar woman cooed.

"I'm so happy for them." Robin said dreamily.

He felt all the air leave his lungs. It felt like his heart had just been ripped from his chest and tossed in a pond full of piranhas. 

Fueled by that sick part of himself that thrived on chaos, he calmly tapped Mia on the shoulder.

"Yeah?" She asked unassumingly. Her and Henry had obviously missed the big announcement. Good.

"I'm gunna go say hi to Sebastian and Sam like you suggested." He lied.

"Oh great! Good luck. You got this." She smiled encouragingly.

Henry looked over at him with a worried expression but Sterling just smiled at him and waved him off. The moment he was far enough away from them he finished the rest of his drink and tossed the empty cup in the trash. Waiting for the several shots of whatever it was to do their job, his eyes scanned the beach for the object of his affection.

They finally landed on Sebastian standing way off to the side, by the woods, on the west end of the beach. He was smoking a cigarette and appeared to be completely alone. Probably anxious in this big crowd just like he was. Flawless timing. Thank you, Robin.

He made a discreet bee line for him, trying to look casual enough to where no one would suspect what he was up to and intercept.

He got over there faster than he expected, the alcohol in his system making him feel like he was on sand powered roller blades.

Sebastian noticed him when he was about 10 feet away, looking very nervous but also a little...relieved? He wasn't sure if he was reading that right but it didn't matter. He just had to hear him out.

He forced his aura to soften, not wanting to scare the poor dude away right off the bat. It wasn't in his nature to be scary or pushy, he just wanted to talk to him. The way things had been left off was still bothering him deeply.

"Hey" Sterling greeted him, slowing down as he approached. He stopped a couple feet away from Sebastian, giving him a little bit of space but staying close enough to hear each other over all the chatter.

"Hey!" Sebastian said back, a little friendlier than he had expected. He liked that. It gave him the courage he needed.

He motioned towards the cigarette and secluded area. "Social anxiety?"

Sebastian chuckled, nodding. "Yep."

"Me too." 

They were both quiet for a moment. Finally Sebastian broke the silence. "Do you... want to go talk for a bit?"

Sterling nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

He followed Sebastian farther along the beach to a little area private area near Blue Moon Vineyard. No one else was over here. They sat down in the sand and looked out towards the water.

In his inebriated state, he could almost pretend they were the only people in the world and everything was okay. Almost.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked Sebastian carefully.

He took a deep breath. "I just want you to know how sorry I am about how everything happened. I feel horrible about it still. If I had any idea what Abby did..."

"I get it, Seb. I wasn't mad at you. It just really hurt me to lose you like that... it still hurts." He tried to keep his voice from wavering but he still sounded close to tears. He told himself to calm the fuck down but he wasn't in control anymore. The alcohol had taken the wheel.

Sebastian snuffed out his cigarette, looking like there was something he wanted to say. "I'm so sorry... It hurt me too, though. You know that right? I didn't want to let you go, but I can't have both of you. I hoped that we could at least still be friends.”

"I really do get it, I swear. It's just that...you were the last thing that meant anything to me, and it hurts to feel like it was nothing to you when it meant so much to me." He looked down at the sand the whole time he had been talking, but risked a glance at Sebastian's face now, suddenly needing to know how he was reacting to this.

His eyes looked a little teary and he seemed a little unstable like he was at war with himself in his head. Sterling foolishly hoped that meant he still had a chance. This wasn't going to end well for him, he could feel the bad decision forming in his head. He knew that the moment he decided to do something dumb there would be no stopping himself. His curse.

"That's not true." Seb whispered finally. "I was falling for you before I found out about Sam. I never got to tell you."

Sterling's heart was beating out of his chest. The beach blurred around them, his focus solely on the beautiful human sitting in the sand next to him. Sebastian turned to make tearful eye contact with him at the same exact moment the bad idea finished loading in his brain. He didn't think, just acted. "Seb... you don't understand. I wasn’t just falling…I did fall for you...That’s why we can’t be friends." He took a deep breath, looking straight into Sebastian's dark and intense eyes. "I'm in love with you."

He watched a tear fall from Sebastian's eye, scooting closer to him until their legs were almost touching. He wiped the tear off of Sebastian's cheek with his thumb, searching his eyes for answers to an unasked question. Sebastian seemed frozen, unable to react. Bad decision time! The devil on his shoulder commanded.

Sterling moved his hand that had still been hovering by Seb's cheek and moved it into his silky black hair. Before Sebastian had time to realize what he was doing, he tilted his head slightly and leaned in, pressing his lips against Sebastian's. He still didn't react so he pulled back a centimeter before daring to kiss him again. Sebastian's hand slowly landed on the back of Sterling's neck, fidgeting with his hair. He went to kiss him again, encouraged by the lack of resistance, and he felt Seb's lips part this time.

He kissed him harder, using his hold on his hair to pull him closer, eliciting a tiny noise from Sebastian. He felt Seb's other hand land on his side, grabbing a loose handful of his shirt. He gently pushed him backwards into the sand, leaning on his elbow to keep himself propped up on top of him. Their tongues found each other's and he realized too late that he all he could taste on Sebastian's tongue besides cigarettes was the unmistakable bite of alcohol. He was drunk too. Oh shit.

The reasonable part of his brain screamed at him to stop, to apologize, reminding him urgently that Sebastian just got engaged. He didn't listen to the voice of reason, he just kept kissing him, losing himself in the moment until Sebastian was the only thing that mattered. Memorizing the feeling of his lips and his soft skin and even more insanely soft hair. The way he smelled, like cigarettes and pine trees and mint. Committing the little noises of satisfaction he made, when he kissed him a certain way or moved his hand to a different part of his body, to memory so that if this was the last time at least he would never be able to forget. The anxious and shy sort of way that Sebastian touched him back was still as endearing as it had been before. He was in heaven, it felt like a dream. Everything he had been missing all this time was happening right now. Sebastian was actually in his arms. "I missed you so fucking much." He whispered into Sebastian's neck, placing a kiss under his ear before going back for his lips. Sebastian whimpered.

”Sterling.” A voice said threateningly through gritted teeth, letting him know he was in major trouble. 

Sebastian gasped. Sterling looked up slowly. Shane was standing over them looking like he was the one who just got cheated on. He bent down and grabbed Sterling’s arm like a disobedient child. “Let’s go.”

He looked back at Sebastian longingly, trying to telepathically convey everything he felt through his eyes. Sebastian looked terrified and sad and like he didn’t want to let go either. “NOW.” Shane demanded.

Shane yanked on Sterling’s arm until he stood up, pushing him back a couple feet. “Stay right there.” He instructed him, pointing a finger angrily. 

Shane crouched down next to Sebastian, handing him an unopened bottle of water. “Here dude, you gotta sober up. Don’t worry, what just happened stays between us.” He shot Sterling a warning glare. He nodded in agreement.

”Okay.” Sebastian whispered shakily, opening the bottle of water.

Shane turned back to Sterling. “Go find Henry and Mia right now. You fucking asshole. I’ll deal with you later.” If looks could kill…

”I’m sorry, Seb…” Sterling said hesitantly. “I love you.”

”GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE.” Shane roared. “And go around that way so no one sees you come from here.” He pointed towards Sophia’s property.

Sebastian started crying. Sterling shot Shane the nastiest glare before stomping away. He turned around one last time, watching as Shane sat down next to Seb and put his arm around his shoulders to calm him down.

Fuck him. Whose side is he on anyway? He was fine until Shane showed up. 

There was no fucking way he was going back to the festival after that. He went up the stairs, pretending to do what Shane told him to, but instead of taking a right back towards the beach, he took a sharp left. 

He passed Blue Moon Vineyard, noticing how creepy it looked with no one home. He wondered how Sophia lived out here by herself. He’d go crazy. 

He wasn’t really sure where he was going, his feet were moving on their own now. The reality of what he just did was setting in as the walk sobered him up. Before he knew it he was crossing the bridge headed towards the ranch.

Oblivious to the silent footsteps following behind him, he kept putting one foot in front of the other all the way to Morgan’s front door. Knocking with the intensity of someone with a death wish. He waited a moment, expecting the door to open to reveal Morgan’s disturbingly beautiful face. 

“Hey.”

Sterling turned around to see Morgan walking towards the house, looking angry and dangerous. Unbridled fear filled his chest when he remembered suddenly what Pierre had told him about this festival… it was the only one Morgan ever attended. Of course he was there… why the fuck did I expect him to be home…

He met Morgan’s gaze with scared, guilty eyes. “Hey…”

”You finally came back.” Morgan said without a hint of benevolence.

Sterling swallowed nervously. Morgan always looked so happy to see him. Not this time… “Yeah.”

”I told you, I’m not sharing you.” He snarled.

His worst fear confirmed, Morgan definitely saw what happened with Sebastian…

Maybe he really did have a death wish.

Chapter Text

Shane 

The Dance of the Moonlight Jellies was always a pretty cool night. Obviously, he wasn’t a fan of the ‘big crowd’ aspect, but the event itself was really cool and Jas always had a ton of fun.

This summer was different though. It was more crowded than the past several years with the bridge to East Scarp repaired. Sterling’s ex fling was here with his fiancée and his conversation with Maddie was still fresh in his mind. He just wanted the night to be over.

The two hour event certainly was dragging.  He checked his phone, it was barely 11. Him and Marnie had just finished talking to Sam and Sebastian. They announced that they got engaged. Marnie teared up, Shane faked a happy smile while groaning internally. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy for them, he just wasn’t excited to deal with Sterling’s reaction to that when the news reached his ears, anyyyy minute now, inevitably. 

He noticed Sebastian seemed a little off. Well aware of his social anxiety, he could understand why he was anxious and sipping on his drink like it was a lifeline. He was very familiar with that song and dance himself. Seb and Sam moving away and coming back for a festival with the big news of their engagement meant way more of a spotlight was on them than usual.

It wasn’t just that though. He seemed like he was subconsciously looking for Sterling. He noticed them looking at each other when he had greeted his friend earlier, but since then it seemed like Seb’s eyes kept wandering off in the direction of wherever Sterling happened to be.

Jas and Vincent had been so excited to see each other that Sam offered to keep an eye on them for a little bit. Marnie ran off to “discreetly” flirt with Lewis the instant the offer left Sam’s mouth. And then Sebastian told Sam he needed a cigarette and a breather, promptly vanishing. Sam didn’t care, he had the kids to chase around, which he was doing quite literally. 

This all meant that Shane was suddenly all alone now, quietly observing the people he cared about. He found Maddie in the crowd, considering going over to apologize for the night before but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. There wasn’t much to say besides the truth. He already decided he wasn’t choosing that option, so there didn’t really seem to be a point in talking to her at all.

He kinda felt like a piece of shit for that though. She obviously really wanted to know why he ghosted their friendship, and he hadn’t given her one single shred of an explanation. That wasn’t right, and he knew it. But what was he supposed to say?

”I knew right after highschool that you were destined for greatness and I was destined to be a lowlife piece of shit. So because I was secretly madly in love with you, I ran away because I knew you’d be better off without me. And then when I realized how dumb that was, I was already back here with a child to care for, courtesy of my dead friends, working at Joja mart with severe depression and an alcohol dependency, so I was far too embarrassed to ever approach you again.” ?????

Ha. Yeah, nope, he was taking that to his grave. Even he could see how dumb his past self had been, but what’s done is done. He had long ago accepted that Maddie was better off without him and the best thing he could ever do for her was to get out and stay out of her life. They had been inseparable best friends in High School, he wanted to spend his whole life with her, but he knew it would only hold her back. He had to disappear to give her a real chance at having a good life.

It wasn’t easy though, not when she had ambushed him like that on the pier. She cried. Like actual tears… he hadn’t realized he meant that much to her. How had he caused such a reaction so many years later? She must not realize what a worthless piece of shit he is.

He stopped watching Maddie, exhausted of thinking about her already. It was an old wound, anyway. It sucked that she had kinda tore it open again last night, but he’d get over it again. Mostly. It never really stopped hurting entirely, but he could live with it. 

Yoba, I hate crowds.

He finally spotted Sterling and started to head over to him, not wanting to be alone anymore, but he looked like a man on a mission. Suspicious now, he watched him throw a cup away dramatically, heading straight for where Sebastian was smoking a cigarette blissfully unaware of the train wreck headed his way. And heeeere we go…

Shane headed over to the refreshment booth to get a better view of those two. He bought a bottle of water and found an inconspicuous spot to stand and watch them.

Neither of them were yelling, so that was a good sign. Then they started walking away, out of view…

That couldn’t be good. 

He found Marnie, giving her a signal to ditch Lewis for a minute. “Hey, keep an eye out for Sam and Jas? I have to go monitor a situation between Sterling and Sebastian.”

Marnie’s eyes widened. “Oh dear…”

”Yep.” He agreed, heading in their direction. He found a spot where he could vaguely hear their conversation and catch a glimpse of them without making his presence know. He knew he was being a little creepy but he also knew how impulsive Sterling could be, and how intoxicated they probably both were. It was a recipe for disaster. 

He eavesdropped quietly, cringing at how emo they both sounded. If Sam didn’t exist those two really would have been quite the perfect couple. They were too alike though. Birds of a feather should not always flock together. He heard that in therapy once.

The cheesy romance movie dialogue stopped suddenly. He listened more closely, growing suspicious of what those two idiots were doing. He left his hiding spot, hurrying over to them without drawing anyone else’s attention. Sure enough, they were making out in the sand like a couple of drunk horny teenagers.

He stomped over to them in a blind rage. Banishing Sterling and settling down next to Sebastian, advising him to drink some water and sober up. 

After Sterling was done stomping away having a mini temper tantrum, he decided it was time to have a heart to heart with Seb while he had him here. He felt like he was babysitting but this was kind of a rare opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Sterling needed closure and Shane needed to be comfortable enough with Seb to feel good about bringing Jas over for play dates. Right now, Seb looked like he needed a friend more than ever.

“Do you want to talk about it? I’ll keep my mouth shut about anything you don’t want repeated. I swear.” He asked awkwardly, not really used to this whole ‘being a good friend’ thing.

”P-promise you won’t judge me?” Sebastian asked cautiously.

”Who the fuck am I to judge?” Shane retorted honestly.

Seb choked back a laugh through his tears. “Touché.”

”I really won’t though.” He said seriously.

”Thank you… I guess I kind of do want to talk about it then, thanks.”

Shane tried to smile encouragingly. It probably looked out of place on his typically scowling face but he really was trying.

“I still have feelings for Sterling.” He admitted quietly. “I didn’t think I did at first… but I was just so distracted. When we got into town earlier I realized that he was going to be here and I got so afraid of him finding out we’re engaged that I just started drinking to calm down. I realize now that I never gave myself the chance to get over him because I just decided to pretend the feelings didn’t exist anymore. I thought that’s what I had to do, you know? I just feel like a fucking idiot now though.”

Yet another storm of rage in Abigail’s name flew through his head. She was so fucking destructive it wasn’t even funny in the least. It wasn’t fair that her victims couldn’t even move on and be happy without suffering from the deep emotional wounds she conflicted.

“Seb… give yourself some credit. What you went through should never happen to anyone. How could you have possibly known about you and Sam when your memory was literally wiped clean? How could anyone know what to do in that situation?” Shane tried to reason with him. The blame was on Abigail. 

“I should’ve gotten closure with Sterling before doing anything with Sam.” Sebastian said solemnly.

”In a perfect world, yeah… the entire situation was fucked though, Seb. You know that, I know that, Sterling and Sam know that. It’s okay to feel guilty but don’t beat yourself up too hard.”

”I proposed to Sam this morning and I already cheated on him.” Sebastian whined, tears streaming down his face again.

Shane tightened the arm around his shoulder in a sideways hug, letting him cry for a moment while he thought of a worthy response. “I won’t tell anyone. It’s your choice if you tell Sam or not, but honestly Seb? I have a pretty good feeling he would understand and forgive you. I’m being the worst wingman to Sterling right now but I gotta be honest with you… you made the right choice. Sam is good for you. Sterling… I don’t know. He’s a good guy with good intentions and I know how much he likes you, but he’s a mess and you need stability. What you have with Sam is the connection the rest of us are all looking for.”

Sebastian sniffled. “Yoba, Shane. I had no idea you were such a softie. You give good advice, have you ever considered being a therapist?”

Shane laughed dryly. “No.”

”Maybe you should, dude. I appreciate you so much right now. I’d be even more of a mess if you weren’t here talking me through this. Thank you.”

Shane blushed, looking out towards the ocean again. “I don’t know how to fix my own life, the least I can do is help others fix theirs.” 

“You deserve to be happy too, Shane.” Sebastian said sincerely.

”Buh.” Shane deflected. “I think the ceremony is starting, do you feel okay finding Sam now?”

Sebastian shrugged. “I don’t feel like a very good fiancée right now.”

”Tell Sam tomorrow if you need to get it off your chest, don’t ruin tonight.” Shane advised. 

Sebastian nodded. “Thanks Shane.” He turned to give him a real hug before getting up and dusting the sand off his pants. “Thanks for the water too.” He said, smiling. 

“Anytime, dude.” Shane smiled back. Sebastian walked away back towards the crowd. He hung back and sat alone for another minute, thinking about how good that had actually felt. Maybe Sebastian was onto something. 

He let himself hold onto that thought for a moment before scoffing. Yeah right… like he would ever be anything more than a Joja Stockboy.

——————————————————————

Sterling

Morgan’s furious gaze pierced him like a knife as he closed the distance between them, joining Sterling on the front porch.

Eyes like a car crash, he couldn’t look away. He could barely detect the blue in Morgan’s irises out here right now. They looked as black as his signature combat boots, always clean despite wearing them around the farm and in the mines. It was as much of a mystery as Morgan himself.

Was this how he was going to die? His final thoughts, Morgan’s shoes and how he always kept them so clean. He wanted to laugh. The hilarity of the situation reaching the front of his drunk brain. He was frozen though, watching Morgan approach him in slow motion. Or maybe Morgan was moving normally and Sterling was the one slowed down. Because before he could even register what was happening, he was already being dragged through the front door that he never even heard open.

He heard the door shut, and lock. Morgan’s tone went from furious to void of emotion. “Go wait on the couch. I have to feed Gloomy.” He instructed.

Sterling obeyed, walking to the couch and sitting down like a toy solider. Waiting obediently for his master to come retrieve him. The small house allowed him to watch Morgan as he bent down to pet his cat, scratching behind her ears lovingly before pulling out a clean food bowl from a cabinet. Gloomy circled around his legs, meowing up a storm while he opened a can of wet food to scoop into the bowl. Sterling watched him set the bowl down on the floor, patting her on the head one more time before throwing the empty can away and washing his hands.

He realized this was the most normal thing he had ever seen Morgan do. It made him seem so much more human than he ever had before. The observation was just as unnerving as when Morgan seemed like an otherworldly creature. Dangerously inhuman, or dangerously human, it didn’t matter. Either way, he was playing with fire and he knew it.

Terror set in as he watched Morgan dry his hands on a towel, he would surely be over to punish him any second now. Sure enough, he turned to walk over to the couch right after he hung the towel back up on its rack. Sterling dropped his eyes to the floor, focusing on the chains slapping against the leather boots as Morgan slowly crossed the room.

He stopped right in front of Sterling’s legs. He didn’t dare look up yet but he felt Morgan’s eyes boring down on the top of his head. Morgan sighed, making him flinch.

”Look at me.” He said quietly.

Sterling looked up into his misty ocean blue eyes, less dark and scary in the light, but still just as intense. Hypnotizing.

Morgan sat down next to him, angling his body so he was facing Sterling. He backed up a bit, leaning against the corner of the couch and the arm rest, bringing one leg up to push Sterling sideways with the sole of his boot, signaling him to do the same on his side of the couch. 

They sat like that in silence for a moment, settling in until they were comfortable. Sterling got the impression they were about to have a conversation for the first time ever. They each had one leg up on the couch, bent at the knee, feet touching. Morgan stared at him from across the couch. He stared back, a weird calmness washing over him. 

“Tell me about him.” Morgan said finally.

Sterling really didn’t want to, but he couldn’t refuse. That wouldn’t go over well. He wondered if Morgan would believe the truth. He kind of got the impression that he was the type of person who would.

”I used to live here… I moved to the city… I came back in the Fall. Shane introduced me to him, Sebastian. I fell in love with him, but someone forced him to use the witches memory shrine to forget his relationship with Sam before we met. They got their memories back, so Sebastian dumped me. They’re engaged now. They moved away. They were only back for tonight.” He explained, trying to keep it simple, hoping Morgan understood everything he mentioned.

“Who forced him to use the shrine?” Morgan asked emotionlessly.

”Abigail. Pierre’s daughter.” Sterling didn’t really care about throwing her under the bus. He kind of hated her. He was sure his facial expression conveyed that too.

”You don’t like her?” Morgan asked.

”No.” Sterling answered honestly.

”I remember you.” He said, switching topics fast.

”What?” 

“When my grandfather was still alive, when we were kids.” Morgan explained.

“I saw you, once, in the woods during this festival. I was 14.” Sterling decided to go with honesty. “I never stopped thinking about you.”

Morgan’s devilish smile reappeared on his face for the first time tonight. “Oh yeah? What did you think about me?”

“That you were the most attractive person I had ever seen in my life.”

Sterling felt like he was injecting truth serum into his veins through his eyeballs because he certainly wasn’t the one in control of the words coming out of his mouth. It was an out of body experience, admitting this shit out loud.

Morgan’s cocky smirk made his whole body tingle. “I wanted to talk to you that night. I would have if your friend didn’t come back.”

”I wanted to talk to you, too.” He admitted.

“Do I have to worry about Sebastian?” Morgan asked suddenly.

Sterling shook his head. “No. Tonight was a mistake. He’s engaged.”

In his head, he wondered what the fuck this was. Why did Morgan think he had the right to control him like this? Why did he let him?

“I hope that’s the truth.” Morgan said casually before he stretched out his leg, resting his boot right on top of Sterling’s crotch. His dick twitched. 

“It is.” He whispered, feeling the air around them shift.

”It hurt me, to see you kissing him like that.” Morgan said, his tone a little more edgy than it had been before. He pressed the sole of his boot against him harder. 

Sterling made a scared noise of discomfort. “I’m sorry.”

Morgan mercifully removed his foot from his crotch. “Come here.”

Sterling obeyed, practically floating across the couch to perch right next to him. 

Morgan looked at him for a moment before grabbing his jaw, bringing his face closer until their lips were only a few inches apart. Sterling could feel his breath on his face. They locked eyes.

”Tell me you’re mine.” Morgan demanded.

Sterling hesitated, wanting the terms and conditions of this agreement before selling his soul to this potential demon.

“What does that mean?” Sterling asked, his voice laced with poorly masked fear and desire.

”I can make the pain go away.” Morgan whispered.

”How?”

Morgan blinked, his eye color rapidly changing from blue to black and back to blue again. It happened so fast he wasn’t even sure if he imagined it or if it really happened.

Sterling immediately felt the anguish of losing Sebastian, the embarrassment and betrayal of Shane yelling at him for what he did, the realization that he could have just ruined Sebastian’s relationship, making him no better than Abby. Every awful emotion he felt before he got here came rushing back, sending him nearly straight into a panic attack. He tried to wrap his head around how he had felt fine just a moment ago and now he was feeling everything as intensely as when it happened.

Tears flowed freely down his cheeks while Morgan stared at him with an expression that seemed empathetic, though there was no way to be sure.

”Say that you’re mine and I’ll make it go away again.” 

“I’m y-yours…” He stuttered out through his shaky sobs, desperate to make it stop, to feel as numb as he had before.

Morgan cradled the side of his face with one hand and looked him in the eyes again. The calmness washed over him as Morgan brought their lips together, kissing him deeply. Sterling was still confused but the feeling of Morgan’s lips on his was a powerful distraction from all of the noise. He kissed him back, more passionately than he normally was able to. Maybe it was the liquid courage coursing through him that made this less nerve wracking. 

Morgan sat back against the couch, pulling Sterling onto his lap. Straddling his legs, Sterling dared to bury his hands in Morgan’s hair, gasping at the feeling of it between his fingers. It was so smooth and soft and cold. 

Their tongues danced around each other’s while Morgan’s hands moved down to grope his ass, pulling him down against him hard so they could grind against each other while they made out. Sterling found himself panting with need already. Morgan sank his unusually sharp teeth into his bottom lip hard enough for them both to taste blood. They moaned at the same time.

”You like when I hurt you?” Morgan asked, his voice raspier than normal.

"Fuck yeah." Sterling responded breathlessly.

The deranged smile and frenzied look in his eyes that his admission brought to Morgan's features gave him butterflies. Sick and twisted butterflies. He felt like he was on fire. 

Morgan's hands slid up his back, pulling him against him hard, their lips crashing back together. The frozen feeling was gone, Sterling actually felt in control of his body. It was almost scarier than when he felt like he couldn't move. This didn't quite feel like being in control. If he had to describe it, he would probably say it felt like freefalling.

Nails scraped down his back, he cried out in pain and pleasure. Morgan scooped him up like he was weightless, carrying him to the bedroom while Sterling wrapped his legs around him and kissed his neck. When they reached the bed, Sterling bit down on his neck hard, ready to find out what would happen if he hurt Morgan back. He growled, throwing Sterling down on the mattress carelessly. His head bounced as he landed like a ragdoll. 

Morgan ripped his shirt off, crawling onto the bed. Covering Sterling's body in violent kisses, the rest of their clothes came off in a frenzied tornado of limbs. It was intoxicating, how they both cycled through being gentle and aggressive, bouncing back and forth between the two fluidly. 

In what felt like no time at all, Morgan had him pinned down with his hands cuffed to the headboard. He was fucking him hard and fast, fingers digging into his thighs as he held onto them tightly.

Sterling whimpered, desperate to be touched as he sensed Morgan getting closer. He was getting there too but he needed something to push him over the edge and Morgan was intentionally torturing him by neglecting his leaking cock in-between them.

He had a depraved idea suddenly, spurred on by all the deliciously violent noises Morgan was making as he pounded into him. "Hit me."

Morgan's eyes shot open, making intense eye contact with him, probably wondering if he heard him right. 

"Hit me." He tried again. "Punch me." 

Morgan stared at him challengingly, slowing down his thrusts while Sterling panted and squirmed underneath him.

"Please. I need more. Punch me." He pleaded, fully begging at this point. He could feel the tears pricking his eyes. 

"Fuck..." Morgan breathed out, looking at him with the most adoration he had ever felt in his life. He sped up his thrusts again while Sterling whimpered underneath him. He could tell he was getting closer as his movements got shakier. Without warning Morgan locked eyes with him and punched him in the nose hard.

Sterling cried out in pain as he reached his climax. Morgan fell on top of him, wrapping his hands around his throat, kissing him passionately as he exploded with his cock buried deep inside him.

Morgan rolled off of him, landing next to him. They both looked up at the ceiling struggling to catch their breath. Morgan reached up to unlock Sterling's handcuffs, planting sweet kisses on his wrists where the metal cut into his skin. Sterling whimpered, overwhelmed by everything he was feeling. He rolled over to face Morgan, grabbing his face with both hands, smashing his lips against his. He knew he was getting blood all over his face but he didn't think either of them really cared at this point. Morgan grabbed onto his hipbone, pulling him towards him as he kissed him back. 

Morgan pulled back finally, searching Sterling's sky blue eyes, darkened with pain and desire. "You're mine." He said it like a fact but there was a hint of uncertainty underneath it.

"I'm yours." He echoed back. 

For the briefest moment Morgan actually looked vulnerable, scared even. Sterling felt himself drowning in his eyes. Too soon, Morgan blinked rapidly like he was trying to shake something off, and then he was getting up off the bed, finding their clothes. He tossed Sterling's onto the bed for him to get dressed. "Time to go. I'll make sure no one sees you."

Sterling nodded, disappointment washing over him. He didn't expect Morgan to ask him to stay but fuck did he wish he would have.

They didn't talk as Morgan led him through the property. He didn't even get a goodbye when they reached the path to the woods by the cherry blossom tree. It seemed like there was a new divide between them, like Morgan was pushing him away now. He was just cold and distant. To his absolute disgust they spotted Abigail sitting under the tree. Hatred washed over him as he thought about them meeting each other. Morgan just gestured for Sterling to sneak around the other side of the tree as he walked over to introduce himself as a distraction. Sterling glared at her from the corner of his eye, nauseous at the sight of Morgan smiling at her and the dreamy way she was looking at him as she smiled back.

His broken nose didn't even hurt until he was almost all the way home. He felt the pain first, and then the emptiness followed soon after. His bed felt emptier and lonelier than ever. 

Chapter Text

Abigail

Sunday morning, the first day of Fall. She wanted to light the calendar on fire.

Her favorite season was finally here but there was pretty much nothing to be excited about this year. She had no friends. She was forced to miss the jellyfish last night because Sebastian and Sam were there. Pierre was pissed at her because he had no idea why she suddenly couldn’t help him run the shop stand like they had planned.

Her mom had her back, of course, she knew the truth. Pierre was just a self centered jerk by nature. It didn’t matter what reason they gave him, he would still be pissed off at her. After all, the world revolves around Pierre and his money.

The first day of Fall meant there was a lot of stock rotation to take care of in the store. New signs needed to be put up, seasonal seeds and items needed to be swapped out, and the shop would be busy all day as the local farmers came in to buy new seeds and supplies. So, naturally, Pierre was an absolutely intolerable nightmare to work with. It might not have been so bad if her and Sterling were still cool, but they weren’t, so his presence was just another horrific factor in her day from hell.

Pierre was expecting him to clock in two hours earlier than usual to help with the season changeover. So when he showed up on time for a regular day, clearly hungover, with what appeared to be a broken, bandaged nose instead, all hell broke loose.

”STERLING!? What the hell happened to you?! You were supposed to be here two hours ago!!” Pierre shouted loudly enough to hurt her ears.

Sterling grimaced. “I forgot, I’m sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry though, he sounded pissed.

”This better not ever happen again! I won't hesitate to fire you! Take down all the Summer signage and put it in the back please. And hurry! You wasted two whole hours already.” Pierre's ears exploded with invisible steam.

Sterling ignored him, getting right to work instead of responding. The safest choice.

Abby tried to say good morning to him, hoping for some forced comradery in their current predicament since they usually didn't work in the shop at the same time, but he just shot her a death glare as if she were the dirt on the bottom of his shoe. 

She wanted to ask what happened to his nose but ultimately decided that even if she did he would probably just inform her that it wasn’t her business.

The morning flew by in an unenjoyable haze. Caroline brought them lemonade at one point, earning a much kinder reaction from Sterling than anything she or Pierre managed to get from him. She felt a pang of jealousy. It was short lived though, because a jingle of the door bell had her turning her head to see the crazy hot farmer she met last night. Morgan.

She felt her face light up as he walked into the store. Pierre was in the back so it was just her and Sterling out on the floor. “Good morning, Morgan!” She greeted him cheerfully.

Sterling dropped something but she didn’t even bother to look to see what happened because Morgan was looking at her now and that was wildly more interesting than his clumsiness.

“Hello, Abby.” Morgan flashed her a grin, melting her insides.

A dumb smile broke out on her face. He was sooooo cute and he remembered her name. “Do you need any help buying seeds?” She asked him.

”Sure.” He said, walking over to the display near the counter.

Abby admired his outfit as she hurried over to him. Black jeans full of small rips, combat boots with chains and a slight platform, black shirt under a black jean jacket. More chains around his neck. Sunglasses perched on top of his head. He was nothing less to her than a wet dream. Seeing someone like that in Pelican Town was as rare as Pierre actually not being a dick. It just didn’t happen. Sebastian was the closest thing to it, being the hottest guy around before, but Morgan made him look slightly above average at best in comparison. His dark brown hair and dreamy blue eyes, chiseled features, perfect smile, and quiet care free demeanor made him alluring as hell.

“What crops are you thinking about planting?” She asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes up at him. 

“Hot peppers, pumpkins, and hops.” He replied confidently.

”Oh, I love pumpkins! Save me one?” She asked playfully.

”Maybe.” He winked at her. She swooned.

Morgan’s gaze kept floating over to Sterling while she picked out seed packets for him which kind of annoyed her because she wanted him to keep looking at her. She couldn’t blame him though, Sterling looked crazy, swapping out signs and throwing the old ones on the floor chaotically. He was like a ball of anger. She wanted him to leave so she could enjoy this interaction without his bad vibes radiating around them.

”I’m sorry about him.” She whispered to Morgan, annoyed and sort of embarrassed by his behavior.

”What happened to his nose?” Morgan whispered back curiously. "is he okay?"

Abby shrugged. Morgan laughed. Sterling threw the next sign on the floor even harder, making her roll her eyes. 

“Sterling, can you go in the back and get a bag for Farmer Morgan?” She tried to sound professional but she realized the annoyance in her tone was still evident anyway.

Sterling whipped around, giving her the nastiest glare. “Sure.”

The second he was out of sight, she turned to Morgan again. “Again, I am SO sorry about him. He’s not usually this grumpy. Have you met?” She was starting to think she was wrong about Sterling coming from the farm that one night. They weren’t acting like the knew each other. She decided to be nosey.

Morgan’s expression was unreadable. “Yeah, we’ve met.”

Well that essentially gave her nothing. She wracked her brain for a follow up question that wasn’t too invasive, but then Sterling was back, standing right by them with the bag she requested.

She pretended to be busy with the seeds but she was watching them out of the corner of her eye. They were staring at each other behind her back silently, it was kind of weird. “I’ll take the bag.” She said to Sterling, tired of the awkward silence.

Sterling handed it to her emotionlessly. “Thanks.” She mumbled in response.

”Thank you, Sterling.” Morgan said in a friendly tone.

”You’re welcome, Morgan.” Sterling replied, sounding… more sad than angry this time. Huh. Abby decided she didn’t like the way he said Morgan’s name. Was she jealous? Of what though?

Pierre came back, to her dismay. He was over the moon when he realized Morgan was actually there to buy seeds for once. He shooed Abby away, taking over the sale. He finished ringing Morgan out, in a considerably calmer mood than he had been earlier. Morgan must have spent a lot of money.

"Bye Morgan! Have a great day! Save me a pumpkin!!" She called out as he headed to the door.

"See ya, Abby." He said with a friendly wave.

Yoba, she loved hearing her name come out of his mouth.

”Sterling, go on your half hour lunch break.” Pierre demanded suddenly.

The dude practically flew outside before he was done speaking. He was so fucking weird lately.

”You met Morgan then?” Pierre asked her, a weird tone in his voice.

Ah, so that’s why he let Sterling leave. Typical.

“Yep. Why?”

”I wouldn’t get involved with him, Abby. I know he’s your… type.” Pierre warned.

”Uhm? I can make my own decisions, thanks. What’s so bad about him anyway?” She questioned angrily. God she hated him.

Pierre scowled. “I’m just trying to protect you Abigail. He’s bad news.”

”Why!? He seems nice.”

Pierre sighed dramatically. “He’s… strange.”

”Why, because he paints his nails black and dresses different?”

”No! Well I don’t like that either, but no! Abby, he was here every summer for your whole childhood. Did you ever see him?”

She was surprised, thinking hard about it for a moment. “No?”

”Yeah, I didn’t think so. He never left the property.”

”So? Maybe he was shy.” She defended.

”It’s not just that, Farmer Bill was always really vague when he talked about him. He mentioned him sometimes, like his age or things he liked, but he never told us who Morgan's mom was or where she was. When his son, Morgan’s dad, came to visit he never brought anyone. It was just weird. Like the kid was just a mystery. Seems like the only people who even met him back then were me, Lewis, Robin, and Sebastian.”

”Sebastian? He never mentioned him…” She said to herself, thinking out loud.

“Yeah he found Sebastian when he was lost in the woods and returned him home. Robin thinks he’s nice because of that but I don’t trust him for a second. He’s weird and I don’t like how we don’t know anything about him. I don’t even know where he was before he came back last year.”

”That’s so fucked up. Why don’t you just ask him? Try to get to know him? Maybe it’s really not that mysterious.”

Pierre glared at her. “Don’t get any ideas, Abigail.”

She rolled her eyes, holding back her response when a customer walked into the store. She got back to stocking shelves, pretending to move on from the conversation to appease him but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t getting ideas.

——————————————————————

Sterling

Pierre letting him go on break was an unexpected reprieve from the jail cell that store had been feeling like lately. It also gave him the opportunity to talk to Morgan, hopefully. If he could catch him.

He jogged towards the bus stop, ignoring the pain in his nose and his hangover headache screaming at him to stop moving. He caught up to him by the entrance to his farm.

”Hey!” He called out, coming to a halt, struggling to catch his breath after running so far so fast.

Morgan turned around to face him, eyes shielded by his black sunglasses. He took a few steps towards Sterling, grabbing his arm and pulling him roughly towards the farm. Once they were on his property, he dropped his bag of seeds and pulled Sterling into a shed, out of the direct sunlight.

“What are you doing here?” He asked calmly, no hint of emotion detectable in his voice. 

“I-“ Sterling faltered, distracted by the hands on his shoulders and the disappointment that he couldn’t see Morgan’s eyes behind the black lenses covering them. 

He was suddenly painfully aware of how much of a mess he was with his disheveled hair, broken nose, stupid work uniform and bags under his eyes from barely sleeping lately. Morgan looked like a demonic angel from the underworld, comically out of his league. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and chase the insecurity away. Morgan asked a question, he might as well answer it honestly. What did he have to lose? His dignity? Ha.

”I missed you.” He said finally, looking at Morgan’s sunglass covered eyes, wishing he could see his expression behind them.

Morgan slowly removed his hands from Sterling’s shoulders, leaving cold patches in their absence. “You don’t know me. You got what you wanted, didn’t you?”

His words were like a slap across the face, and not in a good way. He swore he felt his heart crack a little. “What?!”

”You should go back before he fires you.” Morgan said dismissively.

”…okay.” He responded softly, defeated. 

He hesitated for a minute, but Morgan was obviously waiting for him to get out. 

He didn’t even try to hide the hurt in his eyes as he turned to leave. Morgan stayed silent. Watching him go as if he were just making sure he actually left.

The whole walk back to Pierre’s, he just felt like crying. Nothing made sense. He 'got what he wanted'??? What did that mean? Did Morgan think he just wanted sex, or that he was only there for a distraction last night? Was breaking his nose some kind of sick parting gift? Was he done with him?

Did something happen with Abigail last night?

He walked back into the store like the gloomiest storm cloud to ever cross the valley just rolled in through the open door.

”Yoba, Sterling, what’s your deal today?” Abby commented immediately.

He bit his tongue, dying to ask her about Morgan but knowing it was a horrendous idea. He ignored her instead.

The day went on, customers came in and out of the store, barely registering in Sterling’s mind. All he could think about was how cold Morgan was being. Why did Morgan make him say that he was all his if he was just going to push him away after? Was it just a kink? It hadn't felt like it in the moment... 

Eventually the chatter inside the store ramped up and someone finally mentioned Sebastian and Sam. That got his attention enough to be present again.

His eyes widened when he realized Jodi was here. Sam’s mom was not a fan of her sons sexuality, and she had recently fallen off the wagon with her sobriety, allowing Sam to take Vincent off her hands so he could have a better life. He had kind of assumed she’d leave the valley after that, but here she was. Apparently not too embarrassed to show her face.

It was a woman from Ridgeside that unknowingly approached her. Sterling couldn’t quite remember her name. Flower, maybe? Whoever she was, she was a teacher or something. 

Jodi looked upset, having just been congratulated on the engagement she didn’t approve of. “Oh, uhm. Thanks, Flor.”

So that was her name. He’d forget again. He wasn’t a people person.

The awkward conversation quickly ended after that but suddenly a hand was gently placed on his arm.

He turned to see Abigail looking at him sympathetically. “I’m sorry… I hadn’t heard. That’s why you’re a mess today, huh?”

He ripped his arm away from her. “I don’t need your sympathy Abby. Full offense but you’re the last person I’d want to talk to about it.”

Her expression flittered between anger and hurt. “It’s not my fault he chose Sam.”

”Everything is your fault.” He retorted venomously, not in the mood for her shit.

She looked like he just stabbed her right in the forehead. “Fuck you, Sterling.”

”Fuck you.” He spat back.

She stormed away, leaving him alone for the rest of his shift.

After work, he didn’t even need to check his phone to know Shane would be waiting for him outside. He steeled himself for a lecture, deciding to let Shane rip into him as hard as he wanted to. He just wanted to be on good terms with someone.

Sure enough, Shane was leaning against the side of the building in his Joja uniform, arms crossed, grumpy looking as ever.

“Hey.” Sterling greeted him forlornly.

”Well, look who it is. The home-wrecker.” Shane greeted him back.

Sterling rolled his eyes, walking towards their spot behind the Joja Mart, a little park with a stone Pelican statue in the center. Most people didn’t even know it was there. A hidden slice of seclusion in the middle of the small town.

Shane followed him, instinctually knowing where they were headed. They sat against the statue, settling in for Sterling’s necessary reprimanding. 

To his surprise, Shane handed him a bottle of water and a painkiller. The kindest thing anyone had done for him all day. He was touched.

”Thanks buddy.” He said with only a smidge of teasing in his tone. 

Shane squinted his eyes. “I’m still pissed at you.”

“I know. Lay it on me, I’m ready.” He braced himself, swallowing the pill quickly.

”Sebastian was a wreck after you left. You had no right to put him in that situation. He was drunk and panicking all night. I know you were drunk too but you shouldn’t have gone to talk to him like that. That wasn't fair.”

”What did he say?” Sterling asked curiously.

”He still has feelings for you. He regrets not getting closure before him and Sam got serious again. He feels like a piece of shit for kissing you. He’s probably going to tell Sam.”

Sterling groaned. 

“He deserves to know if that’s what Sebastian chooses, you shithead.”

”I know.” Sterling grumbled, glaring at the ground.

”You’re going to leave him alone now, yeah? Let him go. He wants to be with Sam. You need to let him get over you now. They’re good together. They’re my… friends, I guess. For Jas. You gotta stop causing drama.” Shane demanded.

”Fine!” He threw his arms up dramatically. “No more drama.”

”Good. Are you ready to leave that in the past now?” 

“Yes.” Sterling crossed his arms angrily.

“Great. Moving on. Why the fuck didn’t you go back to the festival? I had to lie to Mia and Henry for you. They were worried.”

”I was pissed off and drunk, I wasn’t going back there.” He replied as if it were obvious.

”Fair enough. Final question, where the fuck DID you go then?! Who broke your nose? Don’t fucking lie to me.” Shane’s tone conveyed that he meant it. He was clearly done with him avoiding his questions. The problem was that Sterling really didn’t know how to explain without causing even more of a mess.

Sterling just stared at him with his mouth hung open slightly. He was expecting the questions but unfortunately never quite managed to prepare the answers. “Uhhh…. I plead the fifth.”

Shane flicked him in the ear, harder than necessary. “No. Where did you go?”

”Ow! Okay!” He glared at Shane. “I went to…a farm.” He said slowly.

”A farm? Whose farm?” Shane demanded.

”Why does it matter?” He asked exasperated.

”Okay, fine, it doesn’t matter. Who broke your nose?” Shane asked again.

He groaned. “Shane… just drop it.” He begged.

”In your dreams, asshole. Give me a name. Now.”

He turned his head to look Shane in the eyes, tears filling his vision. “Shane, please.”

Shane softened, looking more worried than angry. “Please tell me? I can’t help if you don’t tell me.”

”I don’t want help…” He whispered.

”Can you at least tell me why if you won’t tell me who? Why does this person keep hurting you?” Shane pleaded.

Sterling looked away, his face flushing. “I like it.” He finally admitted.

Shane didn’t miss a beat. “You need therapy, dude. This isn’t a quirky little kink. This is dangerous and unhealthy.”

“I know!” He nearly shouted before lowering his voice again. “I think it’s over anyway…”

“Sounds like it’s for the best…” Shane concluded, putting his hand on Sterling’s shoulder. 

Sterling shook his head, mumbling. "Matter of opinion." 

"What can I do to help, dude?"

Sterling laughed. "Put me out of my misery?"

"Not a chance, sorry." Shane patted him on the head.

The show of affection brought Sterling to tears again, he was more fucked up emotionally than he realized. He scooted closer to Shane, dropping his head onto his shoulder, letting his tears soak into Shane's ugly Joja Mart jacket.

"Woah." Shane said in surprise, arm hovering in the air, unsure what to do with it. "Are you okay?"

"Why do I fuck everything up? What's wrong with me?" He sobbed into his best friend's shoulder.

Shane let his arm drape around him, rubbing his arm comfortingly. "It's going to be okay, everything is going to work out. You have to believe that."

He really, really wished he could.

Chapter Text

Sterling

The season dragged on uneventfully, for him at least. 

Morgan hadn’t actually talked to him in almost two months. It still cut like a knife every time he walked by him like he was just a stranger, but he had given up trying to talk to him after being brushed off a couple more times since that day in his shed.

What hurt even worse though… he spotted him talking to Abigail on several occasions. Which was far too many for a guy who rarely even came into town.

He had pretty much assumed at this point that Abigail had turned him against him and they probably had their own secret relationship now. It made sense. Abigail was pretty, and probably just as willing as he was to do anything Morgan wanted.

It stung though. Working with her was hard, he contemplated quitting after ever shift they spent together. Which was thankfully very few or he would’ve quit a while ago.

Sebastian and Sam came back for Spirit’s Eve. Sebastian anxiously avoided him and Sam gave him a wounded look, leading him to the only conclusion one could draw from that; Sebastian definitely confessed that they had drunkenly made out.

Outside of that, there was nothing else going on in his life besides waking up, going to work, hanging out with Shane, and doing his best to just get through another day.

While he was metaphorically licking his wounds and feeling sorry for himself, Shane was working up the courage to tell Maddison the real reason he ghosted her back when they were in college. It was Sterling’s idea. He saw them talking that night at the saloon, the night before the jellyfish festival.

He saw the way Maddie looked at him and it just reconfirmed what he already knew. Maddie always had feelings for him too. He knew it back then and he knew it now. 

But Shane never listens.

He didn’t say anything after that night because he had his own shit going on, but when he eventually got Shane to tell him about what happened later that night and how he made Maddie cry, he gave him a piece of his mind.

He figured that just because his love life was a train wreck, Shane’s didn’t have to be too. Especially not when it was as blatantly obvious as it was that Maddie had never really moved on. 

“There’s no fucking way she had feelings for me, dude.” Shane had said several thousand times over the years.

”You’re a blind fool, Shane.” He had responded every time, sometimes with more colorful language, sometimes a bit nicer than that.

Sterling had FINALLY convinced Shane that he didn’t have to believe it to just take the fucking chance and tell her. The conversation leading up to his surrender had gone something like this…

Shane: I will never tell her.

Sterling: Dude. You made her cry because you wouldn’t give her a reason.

Shane: Exactly why I shouldn’t tell her! She’s better off without me! Always has been, always will be.

Sterling: No, you raging imbecile, that’s exactly why you should tell her. You’re not friends anymore, you barely cross paths, what do you have to lose? If you tell her and she doesn’t feel the same way, at least she’ll finally get CLOSURE and probably feel a lot less anger towards you. And what if she did the feel the same way? What if she still does? Now you have the girl you always wanted. Literally what do you gain by not telling her? Avoiding one awkward conversation that you only have to have once?

Shane: ….. Fuck you, Sterling. FINE.

That was nearly two months ago. Shane was still working up the courage to actually do it. He was ready to anonymously text them both to show up at a location and then lock the fucking door on them and not let them out until Shane confessed. This was something Shane needed to do on his own though, so he stayed out of it.

Tomorrow was the first day of winter. He was absolutely dreading going into work early and having to be near Abigail for hours upon hours. If he was being honest with himself, his dread was less about her and more about the fact that he was kind of terrified Morgan was going to come up somehow and he would be forced to learn more about their relationship, whatever it was.

It was kind of embarrassing how much he actually missed Morgan. Most days he just went through the motions until it was late enough to get drunk or high and go right to bed. Every time he was alone with his thoughts it was like a carousel of Morgan memories going around and around his head until he was too nauseous to function. He would never admit that to anyone out loud though. He was thankful that Shane never asked him about it again. He just seemed pleased by the fact that Sterling stopped having mysterious new injuries.

He knew it was a sick thing to miss, but looking in the mirror naked and not seeing a single bruise or cut anywhere was kind of depressing. It served as a reminder that Morgan was really just a memory now. He wondered if he would ever get over it. So far it really didn't feel like it. He started subconsciously avoiding mirrors.

All he really knew was that 7am came way too fast.

Pierre's scowling face greeted him when he walked in, still drinking his coffee, trying to wake up enough to be of any use.

"Thanks for actually showing up on time this season, Sterling."

"Ah, good morning Pierre." He replied, pretending he didn't hear his sarcasm.

Abigail giggled from somewhere in the shop.

Gross.

He made a mental note to stop being funny.

"Alright, there aren't any new seeds for Winter but we need to get all these signs down, pack up all of the Fall seeds, make sure the ones that will still be good next year are separated from the ones that need to be damaged out and tossed. Then we need to put up advertisements for fertilizers and saplings, and rearrange the bouquet display." Pierre droned on and on. 

Sterling was half listening, half focusing on each sip of his coffee, begging the hot bean water to give him energy without anxiety. Please, please just energy...

"Sterling, did you hear me?" Pierre snapped.

"Hm?" He questioned.

"I said I need you to come with me to Karizma farm, Lewis sprained his wrist last night trying to load all of Morgan's pumpkins into his truck. He asked me if I could go pick up the rest and whatever else is in his shipping bin. It'll be faster with the two of us." Pierre repeated.

"I'll go!!!" Abby chimed in eagerly.

"No!" Pierre and Sterling shouted simultaneously, looking at each other in surprise.

Abby stared at them both in horror. "What the hell?"

"I'll go, the cold air will help me wake up." Sterling announced, trying to sound indifferent, probably failing.

"Abigail, remember what we talked about?" Pierre asked her with an air of condescendence. 

"He's not dangerous! Yoba, why are you so judgmental!?" Abby whined.

"Yes he is." Sterling mumbled, only quietly enough for Pierre to hear him. Vindictive, he knew, but it felt so good to disappoint Abigail.

"You are not coming and that's final. Stay here and work on getting all these signs down, we'll be back. Come on, Sterling." Pierre commanded, making his way out the back door to where he kept his truck parked. 

He had never been more fond of Pierre than he was in this moment.

They got in the truck and buckled their seatbelts, settling into an only slightly uncomfortable silence.

Sterling looked out the window, focusing on his coffee while Pierre maneuvered the truck out of the back garden and onto the road.

"So... you know Morgan, then?" Pierre asked awkwardly.

Sterling sighed, wondering what the right response to this was. "Sort of. Not well."

"But you would agree that Abigail shouldn't get involved with him?" He asked.

Duh. Would it be wrong of him to say that though? Morgan was kinda dangerous. He broke his nose. Sterling begged him to hit him, but that was besides the point, he still did it. Pierre wouldn't want his daughter around that type of violence.

But what if Morgan really liked her... He didn't particularly want to hurt Morgan at all. Abigail was kind of a monster though, too. He was probably better off without her...

"Sterling?" Pierre said awkwardly.

"Oh, sorry. I was thinking about it. Uhm, yeah I would say it's probably not the best idea?" He tried really hard to sound indifferent. It was hard when what he actually wanted to say was somewhere along the lines of 'you should definitely not let Abigail out of her room ever again'.

Pierre sighed in relief. "Thank you. I had a hunch but she made me second guess myself, I was afraid I was being too presumptuous."

They rolled up to the farm just then, Sterling's anxiety spiking in the form of heart palpitations and sweaty hands. Morgan was already outside clearing away dead crops and weeds.

He was wearing black jeans that actually didn't have any rips in them, black boots that actually looked like they were meant for physical labor, a black jacket that looked like it was probably lined with flannel, and a black beanie. He hated how badly the different look made him want to snuggle him. He doesn't want you, idiot... that's probably Abby's boyfriend now.

Pierre put the truck in park in front of Morgan's shipping bin, lightly tapping the horn to get his attention.

Sterling watched in admiration as Morgan put down the tools he was working with, slipping off a pair of black gloves he had been wearing. He headed over to them, making his heart rate sky rocket. 

"Come on." Pierre mumbled to him, opening his door and hopping out.

Sterling kind of forgot how to move but he managed to get out of the truck somehow. He stood there silently as Morgan approached them. 

"Good morning." Morgan greeted them with a nod and a curt smile. If he felt any type of way about seeing Sterling, he masked it well. Ouch.

"Good morning, Farmer. What have you got for us?" Pierre asked politely.

If Sterling weren't so awestruck by Morgan's appearance, he might have been shocked at how Pierre actually wasn't acting intolerable for once. It was hard to focus on him though when he was busy noticing that underneath Morgan's beanie, his hair was actually bleach blonde. He desperately wanted him to take it off so he could see it better. Maybe run his hands through it.

Stop it, Sterling.

"Pumpkins mostly. Lewis took most of the small stuff before he sprained his hand. I guess he couldn't handle them." Morgan replied in a tone that could almost be considered friendly.

Trying to make a good impression on your secret girlfriend's dad?

Pierre shook his head. "That old geezer oughtta hire someone else to do this already. I've offered before, you know? He's too stubborn though. He says he likes doing the rounds, seeing what everyone's growing."

Morgan smiled. "My grandfather always spoke about him similarly. Though, I think he might've called it stubborn and nosey."

Pierre laughed. "Yeah, sounds about right. Alright, let's get this stuff loaded. We've got a lot to do back at the shop still. I doubt Abigail is accomplishing much on her lonesome."

Pierre turned his back to them to open up the shipping bin and then the bed of his truck. Morgan looked directly at Sterling, making him feel frozen to the spot. He was still transfixed by his hair color change. He must have bleached it. It looked so good, from what he could see. His eyes looked brighter blue than usual in contrast. God he was so pretty.

"How's Gloomy?" He asked suddenly, desperate to hear Morgan say something that was meant just for him. He couldn't be rude to him in front of Pierre could he? 

Morgan looked him strangely, like he was trying to figure him out. He lifted an eyebrow, holding eye contact with him until Pierre ruined the moment, calling Sterling over to help load the stuff up. He reluctantly tore his eyes away from the little stare down he had going with Morgan to go help him.

"Hey Pierre, speaking of Abby, give her one of those pumpkins for me, she wanted me to save her one." Morgan said in a kinder tone than he usually used with the man.

Sterling closed his eyes, breathing through his nose in anger, trying desperately to control his temper. He'd have to be born yesterday to not know that statement was meant to hurt him.

"Uh, okay..." Pierre agreed, clearing his throat. He was obviously uncomfortable with this development. That makes two of us...

Sterling wanted to just get back in the truck and not give Morgan another thought or glance ever again, but his traitorous eyes caught Morgan's again as soon as they had the chance.

He looked smug, like he knew exactly what Sterling was feeling. He tried to send him a message through his eyeballs. "I hate you. You suck. Please kiss me and let me see your hair." He hadn't meant to let that last part slip in there but Morgan seemed to have gotten the message anyway, to his dismay. His stupid smug grin got wider and smugger. 

He flinched when Pierre slammed the truck bed closed. Morgan's face fell back to neutral before Pierre sauntered over in a hurry to bid him adieu. "Alright, I think we've got it all. See you in the shop sometime, Morgan?"

Morgan nodded. "Thanks for coming."

"No problem, have a good day Farmer!" Pierre said with a forced cheerfulness in his tone. He hopped back into the drivers seat before Sterling had time to process what he was supposed to do next. 

Morgan looked at him with an unreadable expression, raising a hand in a silent performative wave, aware of Pierre's eyes on the pair. His brain finished buffering, reminding him to get in the goddamn truck. "Bye." He mumbled, having trouble getting the old truck door open. He cursed under his breath.

"Have a good day, Sterling." Morgan said quietly, his tone softer than he was expecting.

He froze, turning to look back at him but Morgan was already walking away towards his fields where he had been working when they rolled up.

The stupid door finally opened, allowing him to crawl back into the safety of Pierre's judgmental aura.

"He's just so weird, isn't he?" Pierre said to him as they drove away.

"Yeah, he sure is." Sterling agreed.

When they got back to the shop, Abigail was hanging up new signage, looking like she was still a bit upset about not being allowed to go to Morgan's farm.

Her attitude changed when Pierre reluctantly handed her a pumpkin, letting her know it was from Morgan. She actually squealed. Sterling decided he officially hated her. The smile didn't leave her face for the rest of the day.

'Have a good day, Sterling' He mocked Morgan in his head. Yeah right.

Shane

The back of Maddie’s head might as well have had flashing LED lights installed on it with the way it held his attention throughout the entire night so far.

He had already zoned out staring at her so many times, finally turned back around to see Sterling looking at him with one eyebrow raised, that this time Sterling slammed his empty beer down on the bar top and rage whispered “Go fucking talk to her.”

Ugh…

”I can’t.” He said decidedly.

”You can and you should.” Sterling replied.

”She’s going to hate me even more.” Shane insisted.

“I’m not sure that’s possible. She’s going to hate you less, if anything.” Sterling rolled his eyes, waving Emily over to order another beer.

”What do I even say?” He felt whiny but he was just so damn nervous. What if Maddie made him feel like a moron for ever thinking about her like that? What if she was creeped out? What if…

”Hey Em, tell Shane to grow some balls and finally tell Maddie how he feels about her.” He heard Sterling say to Emily. His face went red in embarrassed horror.

”Oh my, Yoba, Shane. She doesn’t know!?” Emily stage whispered

”Keep your voice down! And what do you mean!?” He demanded.

“I’m sorry it’s just… I thought it was common knowledge that you and Maddie had feelings for each other.” Emily said awkwardly.

”Hmm… it’s almost like I’ve been saying that for years?” Sterling added, his voice dripping with condescension. 

Shane scowled, his cheeks still on fire. “Fuck… what do I say!?”

”The truth?” Emily offered, still sort of confused. She shook her head. “I can’t believe you never told each other.”

”They’re both dumb but it’s mostly Shane.” Sterling explained, earning a punch in the arm from his best friend.

”Go tell her, Shane!” Emily said with an uncharacteristic frown. “Her aura is always so lonely and sad.” She added quietly.

Shane grimaced.

”Yeah, Shane. Look what you did.” Sterling agreed. “You made her aura sad.”

Emily glared at him playfully. “So is yours.”

”Well that’s not hard to believe.” He grumbled.

She reached out to hover her hand just above his. “Actually… Sterling, there’s something different about you lately. It’s like you’ve been touched by something that’s not human.” Her brows furrowed in concentration.

Sterling swallowed hard. “Uhm… what?”

”I don’t know. I’m sure of it though.”

Shane was looking at them both with quiet contemplation. He usually brushed off Emily’s spiritual stuff but this time he thought he might actually not be shocked to learn she was right about something. 

“You’re fucking with me.” Sterling insisted.

”No, I promise I’m not.”

”Okay, come on Shane, you’re gunna go talk to Maddie now. Look! She’s leaving! Follow her.”

He stopped thinking about Morgan, fast. Anxiety flooding his head once again at the thought of confessing a secret he’d held onto for nearly 9 years.

Emily and Sterling looked like they might actually punch him if he didn’t go.

”Fuck, okay…” He whispered, surrendering.

”You got this buddy.” Sterling said encouragingly.

Emily gave him a huge smile. 

He felt like he was going to puke. The saloon seemed bigger than usual as he followed Maddie to the door. He was way behind her, just crossing the middle of the room as she disappeared through the door. He walked faster, pushing the door open as he stumbled into the night air. Heading towards the bus stop, he quickly caught sight of her long red hair. 

“Maddie!”

”Shane?” She turned around, confusion and annoyance crossing her pretty face.

“Can we… can we talk?” He asked hesitantly.

Maddie hesitated. He wondered if this was a mistake after all. “Okay.”

“Uhm… Fuck, I didn’t realize how cold it was out here.” He laughed nervously.

“I was just headed home… do you want to come to my house?” She offered after scrunching her face up in thought.

“I- yeah… okay.” He nodded. “Lead the way.”

He followed Maddie quietly to the lift that would bring them up to Ridgeside where she lived. They didn’t talk on the way up, Shane just stared in wonder out the window, noticing how many stars you could see from up here.

When the ride was over, Maddie got out and started walking towards her house again. She was walking so fast Shane almost had trouble keeping up. He realized she was probably nervous too. 

He finally managed to catch up just as she was unlocking her front door. As she twisted the knob to open it, she almost looked like she was considering not letting him in for a moment. He wouldn’t blame her.

She opened the door and ushered him inside anyway though. “Welcome to my house, I guess.” She said shyly, flicking on lights and readjusting pillows on the couch. “Do you want some water?”

It was kind of cute, watching her play hostess. “Sure, thanks.”

”You can, uhm… have a seat.” She informed him, gesturing towards the couch.

”Okay.” He sat down awkwardly. 

She walked over to him a minute later with two glasses of water in her hands. She handed him one and held on to the other nervously as she took a seat as far away from him as possible on the other end of the couch.

”Thank you.” He said to her sincerely. For the water, but also for even allowing him in her home.

”What did you want to talk about?” She asked hesitantly.

Shane’s heart pounded in his chest. Being alone with her here was hard. She seemed so familiar but this house wasn’t and it served as a reminder that they barely knew each other anymore. His highschool crush on her seemed like it was lifetimes ago but it was more than that and he couldn’t deny it anymore. She was the one back then and she probably still was, even though he didn’t deserve her. She deserved an explanation, no matter how badly he didn’t want to know what reaction the truth would bring.

”I wanted to tell you the truth…” He started shakily.

”The truth about what?” She asked, fear evident in her voice.

”Why I ghosted you back then…” He took several anxious sips of water. 

“Please.” She whispered.

Shane took a deep breath, preparing himself for heartache and rejection. “You were always so much smarter than me.” He began, earning a glare from Maddie. She stayed silent though, letting him continue. “I knew you were going to be so successful. Then I would look at myself and see nothing but a loser, destined for failure. When I got the rejection letter for the college we wanted to go to together, it kind of hit the final nail in the coffin for me.  I was terrified that if I held onto you, you’d eventually realize that I wasn’t worthy of being in your life and cut me off. I didn’t want to drag you down so I cut you off first because in my head you were better off without me and your life would be better for it. I know how stupid that was, okay? I know. I realized back then too. I wanted to reach out and fix it, but then I got in that car accident…” He trailed off, realizing he was getting to the hard part.

Maddie was hanging on every word, staring at him with an expression he couldn’t place. “Go on.”

”I was so depressed, Maddie. I came back and I had Jas to take care of because I couldn’t do it by myself, I needed Marnie. I was turning into an alcoholic and I had no degree to fall back on since I dropped out. I got a job at Joja Mart and just started going through the motions. I heard how great you were doing with your job at the research facility and your own house, and it just confirmed for me that I was right, that your life was great without me. That’s why I left you alone. But then when you came to talk to me on the dock that night… I realized I was wrong, I realized how much I hurt you, and how stupid I was to keep my reasons to myself.”

”Shane… I never thought so lowly of you. I already told you that, but it’s true. You were my best friend, I never looked down on you and I never would have. Friends don’t do that.”

Shane squeezed his eyes shut, trying to gather the courage to get to his final point. “I know… but… you weren’t just my friend.”

”What do you mean?” She asked so quietly it was almost a whisper.

”Maddie…” He forced his eyes to open so he could look into her pretty blue eyes, hoping he wouldn’t see disgust flash across them after he made his confession. “I was in love with you. That’s why I was so afraid of dragging you down. It was getting harder and harder to hide and I was terrified that you’d feel the same way and I would end up ruining your life.”

”Shane…” She whispered, tearing up.

”I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I ruined our friendship. I meant it when I said I missed you. I just didn’t know how to come back.” He couldn’t stop talking now, the words were pouring out of his mouth as the biggest weight was pulled off of his chest.

Maddie didn’t say anything back, she just put her glass of water down on the coffee table and reached for his, putting his down too. He thought she was going to pull him in for a hug but to his utter shock, she placed a hand on his cheek and leaned in.

Their lips met and the sparks it created reminded him of how much he used to love her. The feelings were resurfacing rapidly, escaping from the box he had locked them in and shoved deep down in the recesses of his heart.  

She finally pulled away, a look of wonder and satisfaction on her face. He stared at her in blissful shock. “I was in love with you too, you fucking idiot.”

”So I’ve heard.” He grumbled.

”What!?” 

Shane laughed. “Emily and Sterling said they’ve known all along.” 

“We were that obvious?” She wondered out loud.

”Yeah, to everyone except each other I guess.” 

She finally laughed too. “Wow. That information would’ve saved me a lot of heartbreak.”

”Me too, but what do you mean?”

Maddie sighed. “Let me tell you about the time I got left at the alter…”

Chapter Text

Abigail

When Pierre finally decided she was done working for the day, she nearly skipped to Morgan’s farm, wanting to thank him for the beautiful pumpkin.

As she approached the front door to the old farmhouse she suddenly felt a little apprehensive. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind her showing up uninvited like this. She wouldn’t stay long anyway, unless he wanted her to… 

She smirked to herself, pulling the chapstick out of her pocket for one last application. Just in case.

Feeling a little risky and impulsive, she decided that if he flirted with her at all she was going to make a move. She felt like she had been dancing around her attraction to him for long enough. Unless he had already had someone else, surely there would be no reason they couldn’t at least hook up, right?

Ascending the steps to his front porch, she cleared her throat and urged her nerves to settle down before knocking politely on the door.

It took him a couple minutes to open up, looking a little confused but not necessarily annoyed, she hoped. He was kind of hard to read. She liked that though. He was mysterious and hot. So hot. Especially with his new hair color. Blonde looked good on him. Maybe a little too good. She tried to refrain from drooling.

”Hi!” She said in a friendly tone.

”Hey, what are you doing here?” He asked curiously.

“I just wanted to come thank you in person for the pumpkin. I love it!” Abby finished her sentence with a big smile, hoping it would be contagious enough to spread to his face.

”Oh, you’re welcome. I’m glad you like it.” He said with what she could maybe consider a grin if she tried hard enough.

”It was really sweet of you to save me one.” She added.

Morgan chuckled kind of awkwardly.

Was this a mistake? Or maybe he was just shy… 

She decided to press harder.

”Well, that’s all I wanted to say! Uhm, no pressure but I’m free tonight if you wanted to maybe hang out?” She bit her lip nervously.

Morgan shrugged. “Okay. Wanna come in?”

Abby was absolutely over the moon as she stepped into his house. The first thing she noticed was the adorable cat sleeping on the couch. She ran over to pet it.

”OMG WHO IS THIS?!” She asked, patting the cat on the head.

She made a little ‘mrrr’ noise, confused as to who was waking her up from her slumber.

“Her name is Gloomy.” Morgan said fondly.

”I love her, she’s adorable.” Abby beamed, trying to pet the cat who was now stretching and squinting at her in mild annoyance. “Let me pet you, kitty!”

Gloomy looked over at Morgan as if to say she was not impressed with this visitor before hopping off the couch and disappearing into the bedroom.

”Aw.” Abby complained.

”Sorry.” Morgan said with very little empathy. “She’s not really a people person sometimes.” That was a lie. Gloomy was a huge cuddle bug.

”It’s okay. Me either.” She giggled. 

“So, what do you want to do?” Morgan asked her, looking at her with a blank expression.

”Uhm… you know, whatever. You got any video games?” She asked, trying to sound a lot calmer than she felt.

”Yeah. What do you play? Animal crossing?” He teased.

Her mouth fell open, faking offense. “Yes actually, but I play other things too.”

”Yeah? Like what?” He snickered.

”Like Journey of the Prairie King.”

”Oh, that game is kind of boring for my taste.” He said bluntly.

She swallowed the disgust away, allowing him to insult her favorite game like that only because of how fucking hot he is. “What do you play?” She asked, disguising the disappointment in her tone.

”Lots of games. Want to play Sea of Thieves?” He offered.

”Uhm… I’ve never played that one, but you can teach me if you want.” She agreed.

”Okay.” 

A few minutes later they were sitting side by side on the couch, legs almost touching, each holding a controller as Morgan tried to explain the game to her.

Abby screeched as something attacked her pirate character.

”You gotta hit it with your sword!”

“Which button is that!?”

”A!” Morgan reminded her, sounding annoyed. He had already told her a few times but she couldn’t remember.

He ended up killing the skeleton for her, they moved on, finding themselves in the water. They heard a weird noise and then something else attacked her character.

“Omg is that a Siren!?” 

Morgan scoffed. “Yeah.”

”What do I do!?” She shrieked, rapidly losing health points.

”Shoot it with the trident.” He said flatly.

”Which button!?” She asked, panicking.

Morgan turned off the console, turning to look at her. “You suck.”

”I’m sorry! I’ve never played before…” She felt like she was going to cry. Why am I being such a fucking baby…

“It’s fine, Abby.” He laughed. 

She nervously laughed with him. 

It got quiet with the TV off. She realized how close he was to her and how alone they were. Her pulse quickened, unsure of where to look or what to say. She just kind of kept staring at him, thinking about how he was the hottest guy she’d ever laid eyes on and how badly she wanted him to kiss her.

His eyes were so captivating. So blue, almost hauntingly so. A much prettier color than her own blue eyes. More interesting. She was as jealous as she was turned on.

“I like your hair blonde.” She said nervously, desperate to break the silence.

”Thanks.” Morgan smiled.

She smiled back, in a trance now.

Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me…

She could have sworn he leaned in closer before suddenly…

”Alright, well I have stuff to do in the morning so I’d better get to bed.” Morgan announced, standing up and stretching his arms above his head.

Huh?

”Oh, uhm… yeah, me too.” She stuttered, following him to the door.

”Bye Abby.” He said politely.

She was stunned. Did he not like her?

”Can I… uhm… give you a hug, for the pumpkin?” She asked nervously.

”Oh, okay? Sure…” Morgan said awkwardly, opening up his arms a bit.

She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him, wishing he’d ask her to stay the night. His body felt so toned and warm, he smelled like sea salt and soap. It was intoxicating.

His reluctance to hug her back made her let go far sooner than she actually wanted to, disappointment probably written all over her face.

”Bye Morgan. Sleep well!” She forced herself to say before she walked outside. 

Morgan closed the door the second she was over the threshold. Wow… okay.

On her walk home she thought about how rude he had been nearly the entire time, pissed off at herself for still wanting him anyway. Of course the hot guy is an asshole, she told herself. What did you expect?

Pierre was waiting for her by the front door when she got home. She sighed, sick of being treated like a child. “What?”

”Where were you!?” Pierre demanded.

”Hanging out with Morgan. I wanted to thank him for the pumpkin.” She glared at him defiantly.

”Abigail, I told you not to get involved with him.” Pierre’s angry expression told her she was in trouble but she didn’t care, she was an adult, he couldn’t control her like this.

”I like him, you can’t stop me.” She spat.

Pierre gasped. “You’re grounded!”

”Whatever.” She said, rolling her eyes and pushing past him to go to her room.

She was suddenly more determined than ever to get Morgan to date her.

——————————————————————

Sterling

When he walked into work the next morning, Pierre looked even more pissed off than usual. 

Surprisingly though, he didn’t take it out on Sterling. That was a first. He was almost… concerned.

The moment they were alone without any customers, Sterling couldn’t hold back his curiosity anymore. “Hey man, are you okay?” He asked, walking over to the counter.

Pierre looked startled by the question, at least coming from him. He cleared his throat. Speaking quietly in case anyone snuck up on them, “I got in an argument with Abigail last night… she uh… went over to the farm to hang out with Morgan last night.”

Sterling’s heart fell. “Oh.”

”Yeah… I’m worried about her. She got really defensive. I’m worried they’re… you know…”

”Yeah, I know what you mean.” He cut him off before he could get any more descriptive.

Pierre looked up into his eyes suddenly, looking more vulnerable than he’d ever seen him. “You don’t think he would… hurt her, do you?”

He didn’t know how to answer that. “I don’t think I can say. I don’t know him well enough.”

It was true, as painful as it was to accept. He wanted to know him… Morgan didn’t feel the same way.

”I just don’t want to see something bad happen to her. She’s too trusting.” Pierre continued, sighing dramatically.

A customer came in, looking for winter seeds. “We don’t sell those.” Pierre said tersely.

Jeez, he really was upset.

The customer left and Pierre grumbled, “I tell him every year.”

Sterling chuckled. Pierre looked at him again. “Thanks for checking on me, you’re a good kid Sterling. I’m sorry about Sebastian by the way. I heard what happened. I understand why you’ve been so down lately now. You could have told me, you know? I wouldn’t have been as hard on you.”

He was caught off guard, taking a minute to remember that Pierre didn’t know what actually happened. From his perspective Sebastian had just dumped him and rapidly gotten engaged afterwards. “Thanks Pierre.” He really didn’t need his pity but it was nice that he at least acknowledged that he was usually a jerk, in his own round about way.

His boss just nodded at him, signaling that their little heart to heart was over.

Around lunch time, the devil himself entered the store. Putting Pierre and Sterling equally on edge for different yet related reasons.

”Good afternoon, Farmer Morgan. What brings you in today?” Pierre greeted him with professional politeness.

Sterling braced himself to hear that he just came to see Abby.

”Afternoon, Pierre. I was just stopping by to see Sterling. Did I miss his lunch break?”

”What?” Sterling and Pierre asked in unison as the can Sterling had been about to place on a shelf dropped from his hand and rolled under a display of wallpaper samples.

Pierre recovered first, probably just relieved it wasn’t Abigail he was here for. “Uhm, no actually I was just about to relieve him. Sterling? You can go now.” He sounded as confused and suspicious as Sterling felt himself.

”Thank you, Sir.” Morgan replied with a grin. He smiled at Sterling as well before heading out the door.

”What in Yoba’s name?” Pierre whispered to him as he went to follow Morgan out, wide eyed and weary.

”I don’t know.” He said back.

”I’m calling the police if you don’t come back for the rest of your shift.” 

Sterling snorted trying to stifle his nervous laughter. “Thank you.”

He found Morgan outside, super interested in whatever he was looking at on his cell phone. He briefly wondered if Abigail had his number because he sure didn’t.

”Hey.” He said, trying to get his attention.

”Hey” Morgan echoed, slipping his phone into his coat pocket. The same coat he had on the day before that looked stupidly good on him.

No beanie today, he noticed. His hair looked as amazing as he imagined it would. Of course. It was really starting to piss him off how attractive this guy was. Who gave him the right?

They engaged in a staring contest for a moment, Sterling waiting for a goddamn explanation, and Morgan just… being creepy, probably.

”Do you want to hang out later?” Morgan asked finally.

”What!?” Sterling exclaimed. “Why?”

Morgan looked down, avoiding eye contact. “Abigail sucks at Sea of Thieves.”

They fucking played video games together!? The most human thing Sterling had even witnessed him do was fucking feed his cat but he PLAYED VIDEO GAMES WITH ABBY!?!!? He felt his blood boiling.

”Although I do love that game, I think I’ll have to pass.” He said dryly, done with this guys audacity. He wanted to hang out with Shane anyway, he still hadn’t filled him in on what happened with Maddie. For all he knew, Shane had just chickened out and gone home.

”I’m sorry.” Morgan said in a tone he’s never heard from him before. It sounded real, like he meant it. It caught him off guard.

“Why?” He found himself asking again. Morgan wasn’t making any sense today. It was making his head spin.

”I can’t explain.” Morgan said solemnly.

Sterling scoffed. “Yeah, find someone else to hang out with.” He turned to go back inside the store but a single word made him freeze.

”Please?”

He turned back around, looking at Morgan quizzically. 

“Fine.”

Morgan actually smiled. “See you later.”

“Yep. Bye.” Sterling replied, walking back into the store before things could get any weirder. “What the fuck?” He muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

”What did he want?” Pierre asked curiously.

”To hang out with me later.”

”…Are you going to go?” Pierre questioned.

”I guess so.” He shrugged.

”See if you can find out what’s going on with Abby.” Pierre instructed.

”Yeah, I will.” That was the plan anyway.

”You can leave now. I’ll- uhm… I’ll pay you for the full day.”

Sterling froze, unsure he heard him correctly. “Really?”

”Yeah, go find out what’s going on. Just… be safe, okay?” Pierre looked troubled, but Sterling wasn’t about to argue with free money in his paycheck.

”Okay… thank you, I will.” He said, going to hang up his apron.

He wandered out of the store wondering if he should go home or go straight to Morgan’s. Turns out he didn’t have to make a decision because Morgan was waiting for him to come back outside as if he knew Pierre was going to let him leave. What the fuck?

”Okay how did you know he was going to let me out early?” He demanded.

Morgan just got a devilish smile on his face and didn’t answer the question. “Ready to hang out?”

Sterling shook his head, exhausted of trying to figure everything out. He resigned to just go with it. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

Chapter Text

Sterling

He was no stranger to feeling disconnected from reality. Alcohol and drugs were good for that. Those moments really stood out though when they occurred completely sober. Like right now.

It was a beautiful day, sunny and moderately warm for it technically being winter now. Probably the last warm-ish day they’d have for a while. He got out of work early and he was even getting paid for it. On top of that, he was walking side by side with Morgan, on their way to his farm. The first time Morgan had actually given him the time of day since the night they had passionate sex in which Morgan broke his nose with his fist.

Was he dreaming?

It was possible. There was no conversation being had along the way to help him feel grounded. He felt so spacey he actually couldn’t tell if he was walking normally or not half the time. He kept sneaking glances at Morgan, partially out of overwhelming confusion of what was even going on here, but also because he was just so fucking good looking. He always looked sort of haunting and dangerous, but in these cozy cold weather clothes he’d been wearing lately, he just looked so cuddly underneath that ever present layer of danger he wore so well.

Gloomy ran over to greet them when they entered the front door. She weaved through Morgan’s legs first, before going through the same motions with Sterling, meowing all the way. Once she got her initial greetings out of the way, she pawed at the leg of Sterling’s jeans, clearly asking to be picked up.

He smiled at the sweet little furball, scooping her up to hold her like a baby while Morgan hung up his coat. She purred and reached a paw up to place on Sterling’s nose. “Meow?”

”I missed you too.” He said to her absentmindedly. Then he blushed, remembering their audience. He looked up to see Morgan watching them with a softer look than usual on his stony face. His long sleeve gray shirt covered most of his tattoos. He almost looked innocent.

Their eyes met unexpectedly, causing them both to look away. Also uncharacteristic for Morgan. He was never one to shy away from eye contact, in fact he was usually staring into his fucking soul. Not lately though. He found himself kind of missing it.

Sterling reluctantly put Gloomy down, shoving his hands in his coat pockets instead. He didn’t know what else to do with them. He didn’t know what to do at all, actually. Morgan had better start talking.

”I don’t know what to do with you.” Morgan said finally.

”What do you mean?” Sterling asked, not bothering to hide the slight annoyance in his tone.

“I don’t want you to suffer because of me.” 

“What are you talking about!?” He replied, volume raising. He was so sick of this.

“I can’t tell you.”

”Why the fuck am I here, Morgan?” He asked, a harsh bite in his tone now. If they couldn’t just hang out then he was not above starting a fight. At least it would be an outlet for the storm of emotions he’d been fighting for the past two months.

”I don’t know!” Morgan replied, matching his volume.

”What the fuck do you mean!? You invited me here!” He shouted.

”Yeah but I didn’t make you! You didn’t have to, yet here you are.” Morgan actually looked confused, which threw him off.

”Did you.. expect me not to? Did you not actually want me to come over? I’m fucking lost, dude. You don’t make any sense.”

”No, I-… I did want you to come over, but I didn’t make you.” Morgan struggled to explain, clearly getting frustrated.

“I don’t understand.” Sterling said bluntly, done with this charade. 

“Me either!” Morgan groaned.

”You pushed me away. You haven’t talked to me in two months, and now you hang out with Abigail?” Oops, he had planned on not sounding jealous about that. Too late.

”Don’t worry about that.” Morgan said cautiously.

“Why the fuck not?” He demanded.

”Just don’t.” Morgan warned.

”Dude, fuck you. I can’t believe I spent the last two months wondering why you didn’t want to see me again.” He said without thinking it through. Fuck, why did I say that…

”Is that what you think?” Morgan replied, narrowing his eyes.

”What the fuck else was I supposed to think!? And what was that about me ‘getting what I wanted’!?” Sterling continued. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

“What did you want?” Morgan asked quietly, shifting the tone of the conversation once again.

Whiplash. This was emotional whiplash.

Sterling stared at him, his mind way too jumbled by this chaotic conversation to lie. “You.” Wasn’t it obvious?

Morgan stared back at him. “Then you got what you wanted.”

For a moment neither of them said anything, but then Sterling was crossing the distance between them, burying his fingers in Morgan’s fluffy bleach blonde hair, and attacking his lips like they were the antidote to all of the pain he’d been feeling.

Morgan kissed him back, his hands immediately grabbing hold of Sterling’s waist. 

He moaned into the kiss, running his tongue along Morgan’s lips while his hands traveled down from his hair to his collarbones, tracing their intricate shape with the pads of his thumbs. The waffle knit texture of his shirt sent tingles up his arms.

Morgan unzipped Sterling’s jacket, his hands traveling from his stomach to his shoulders before slipping it off and tossing it onto the coffee table. His keys fell out of the pocket, promptly enticing Gloomy to bat them around on the floor. Amused by her antics, they both smiled against each other’s lips. The sweet innocent feeling gave Sterling butterflies like he’d never felt before. It was ridiculous, how the tiniest thing could feel so intense with Morgan. 

They could be so violent with each other but things could also feel so sweet. He wanted to call it perfect but he knew that wouldn’t be right. One person shouldn’t activate your entire nervous system. It couldn’t be healthy to be terrified one minute and feel warm and cherished the next. But that’s how it was with Morgan, and he was helplessly addicted to the bittersweet torture.

He kissed him harder, whining softly. Morgan wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, his other hand sliding underneath his shirt, appreciating his bare skin. 

His touch sent tiny fireballs coursing through his body. “I want you.” Sterling said quietly in-between kisses, his fingertips dancing along the bottom hem of Morgan’s shirt.

”You have me.” Morgan whispered back, biting Sterling’s lip hard enough to draw blood like some kind of twisted confirmation that he was telling the truth. 

Sterling groaned, grabbing Morgan’s shirt and pulling it off over his head. His own shirt was removed in the same fashion, tossed onto the floor carelessly.

Mrrow!? Gloomy chirped as the shirt apparently landed on top of her. She ran around in circles trying to get it off. 

”GO AWAY, GLOOMY!” Morgan shouted, laughing. "Stop being such a cockblock."

Sterling froze, the sound of Morgan's laughter doing something weird to his brain. He felt like he was malfunctioning. 

“What?” Morgan asked as he turned his attention back to him. He sounded kind of nervous, hands still resting on Sterling’s shoulders.  

System rebooting. 3..2..1..

”I’ve never heard you laugh before. At least, not for real.” He said finally, dropping his eyes to Morgan’s chest, feeling kind of embarrassed for making such a big deal about it. He focused on his tattoos, admiring the blue and black serpents running along his chest, disappearing behind his back and over his shoulders. God, he was so unfairly beautiful. 

Morgan looked panicked all of a sudden. “Shit.” he mumbled.

”What!? It’s a good thing. It was.. really nice to hear.” Sterling said to him, feeling confused by his reaction. Both of their reactions actually.

Unsurprisingly, Morgan didn't answer the question. He just urgently brought their lips back together, picking up where they left off. It was easy to melt into him, even after that weird moment. 

He had never bothered lying to himself about how much he missed Morgan the past two months, but feeling his body against his again after all that time really hammered in just how much he actually missed him. It was like he could breath again, which was kind of funny since he had literally broken his nose the last time they were together like this.

Remembering how shitty Morgan treated him before today, he bit down on his lip like he did to him, giving them matching wounds. He wasn't afraid of hurting him back anymore. He was starting to realize that he liked inflicting pain as much as he enjoyed receiving it, and he was getting the impression that Morgan was the same way. Maybe they both needed therapy.

This was close enough though, right?

Morgan grabbed his wrist and pulled him harshly towards the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them when he heard the pitter patter of feet following them down the hallway. Gloomy pawed at the door angrily.

"He's mine!" Morgan said to her teasingly through the door. Sterling kind of hated how much those two words affected him.

Morgan turned to kiss him again, reaching down to start undoing the buckle on Sterling's jeans. He kissed him back for a moment, but ultimately paused, putting his hands over Morgan's, pressing them harder against him but preventing him from completing the task. 

He looked up, stormy ocean eyes searching Sterling's for an explanation. He could get lost in those eyes, and he probably would a minute from now, but first there was something he needed to say. He shook off the compelling gravitational pull that Morgan's eyeballs possessed, as if they were their own solar system sucking unassuming entities into their orbit. It was a struggle but he managed somehow, successfully keeping himself present in the moment. "Don't push me away again. I can't keep doing this if you do."

Morgan looked pained, not responding fast enough for Sterling's anxiety. He felt himself tearing up. "I'm getting too attached to you, Morgan."

Morgan still didn't say anything, but Sterling could feel his hands trembling against him. He sniffled, allowing his forehead to rest against the soft blonde head of hair in front of him. He let his hands fall away from his belt, gently pulling Morgan's hands along with them. Slowly, he interlaced their fingers so both their hands were clasped together. He stayed still for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut even harder in attempt to prevent any tears from escaping into Morgan's hair. Then he tugged him towards him, letting go of his hands so he could wrap his arms around him. One arm around his back and one around his neck, he squeezed Morgan tightly, fighting back tears again when he felt Morgan hesitantly hug him back. His grip on Sterling was gentle at first, but soon he was crushing him against himself. 

Chest to chest, he could feel both of their heartbeats. Overwhelmed with the grief of not understanding why Morgan had to keep him so shut out of his life, he considered just taking whatever he could get from him. He was trying to get better and be healthier though, and playing this game with Morgan was only going to tear his heart open again and again. If they kept this up, it would only be a matter of time before he couldn't stop himself from falling in love. He already felt like it wouldn't take much to get there. One real heart to heart conversation and he'd probably be done for. He came to the final conclusion that it had to be all or nothing. If Morgan couldn't even promise not to disappear on him again, then he couldn't do this. He needed to leave now before he fell deeper into this black hole.

With a lot of effort he wasn't sure he was capable of mustering, he unglued himself from Morgan. Looking into his eyes, he could have sworn the misty blue was turning black as he spoke the words he wished he didn't have to say. "Goodbye, Morgan."

He made no move to stop him, so he sadly turned around and opened the bedroom door. He wandered around the living space, looking for his things. He found his shirt in the kitchen where it must have fallen off of Gloomy. He shook the fur off of it and pulled it back on over his head. He scooped his jacket off of the coffee table next, pulling it on and zipping it up before getting down on the floor to look for his keys. He heard a little jingle, laughing softly through his pain when he noticed a little paw had batted them towards him from underneath the couch. "Thank you, Gloomy." He whispered to her. She purred in response.

Having all his shit together, he stood up and cast a sideways glance down the hallway. He could vaguely make out the outline of Morgan sitting on the bed with his knees pulled up to his face, head buried in his hands. It sent a fresh wave of pain coursing through him, but as much as he cared and wanted to understand, he couldn't do anything about it if Morgan would never let him in.

With a great deal of pain he walked out the front door and started to head back in the direction of town, wincing as he heard things crashing and breaking inside the house.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maddie

"Maddison?" Mr. Aguar called to her.

"Yes?" She responded, pulling herself away from her thoughts.

"You're distracted today, that's not like you. Is everything alright?" He sounded annoyed but she could detect the genuine concern in his tone.

Her face flushed, unsure what to say about that. "Uhm, yep. Just tired. I didn't get much sleep last night." She lied.

Well actually, it was only a half lie. She hadn't gotten much sleep, but that was because she was up really late talking to Shane, catching up on the years of memories they had missed out on, and making out quite a bit in-between stories too...

She wasn't about to tell her boss that though.

"Okay, well, come here. I want to talk to you about something." He commanded, gesturing to their little lab table. where they'd take their breaks when work was too busy to leave the building for any amount of time.

She took a seat, forcefully pushing the memory of Shane's tongue sliding against hers out of her mind. It wasn't an easy task. She always wondered if he would be a good kisser, turns out he wasn't. He was actually a great kisser.

"So you recall how last Spring we started getting unusual readings on the mana in the valley?" He began. She nodded and he continued. "Well I had a hunch that it was connected somehow to the abnormalities presenting in the water samples around Pelican Town, which is why I've been asking you to collect samples more frequently out there, as you know. I did additional tests on the ocean samples from the Moonlight Jellies, comparing it to the samples we collected the day before and the day after. Naturally, all three samples were different as they are every year due to the properties of the jellyfish. Are you following so far?"

"I think so." She confirmed. 

"Excellent. Well I found there was a property in the water that has been present since last spring that got stronger after the jellyfish festival before dipping back down again. However, it's still present. I've been studying the locals closely, trying to figure out what has changed that would match up with the this timeline. I can't figure out exactly what it is that he's doing but I have a very strong inkling that the new farmer at Karizma farm is involved somehow. The strange new property in the water appeared when he showed up, and got stronger after the festival, of which he did actually attend. I noticed him in the woods, which is weird behavior on it's own since I never saw him in the crowd."

Her eyes widened. That sounded rather spooky. "Wow. What are you proposing we do now?"

Mr. Aguar smiled at her warmly, "Well, we need to take samples from the water that's actually on his property to see if we can get a more concentrated amount of this property to study it better. It's private property and he is quite the recluse, so I'll need you to turn on the charm to gain access to his farm. If he doesn't willingly allow you, then you'll have to get sneaky."

She gulped. "What!? What if he hurts me?"

"He shouldn't... I've prepared you a charmed necklace anyway just in case." He handed her a box containing a dainty trinket inside on a silvery chain. "Wear this whenever you plan on encountering him or going near the property. It should protect you from any ill will."

Her voice shook a little as she agreed. "O-okay. I'll do my best not to let you down."

"I know, Maddison. You never do."

She gave him an appreciative smile in exchange of the kind words, waiting for him to leave the room to let out the anxious breath of air she had been subconsciously holding in. She needed to see Shane as soon as possible.
  

Chapter Text

Shane

“God DAMN, dude. Who’s dying? Somebody better be dying.” He growled into his phone when the call connected.

He left his phone in his bedroom while he took a shower, coming back to 25 missed calls from Sterling. He didn’t even have to call him back because the phone was already ringing again.

”Shane? I need… a distraction.” Sterling said on the other line. He sounded weird, like he was dissociating pretty hard.

More worried than annoyed now he dropped the harsh tone. “Okay, yeah, I got you. Where are you?”

”Chicken coop.” Sterling said simply, abruptly hanging up.

Fuck…

Sterling was going to be the death of him someday. How long had the dude been in there waiting for him? How did he even get in?? He kept the door to the coop locked at pretty much all times.

He hurriedly toweled off and threw on some clothes, grabbing his boots and coat off the hooks in the kitchen before scurrying to the coop with untied laces and his jacket unzipped.

Sterling was sitting inside sitting on an empty crate just kinda staring at the chickens. He turned to look at Shane when he walked in, chuckling emotionlessly. 

“You could have tied your shoes, man. I would still have been alive when you got here.”

“How did you get in here?” Shane asked, ignoring his dumb remarks.

Sterling gestured towards the window.

Shane pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply. “Sterling… why didn’t you just come to the front door?”

“Didn’t want Marnie to worry about me.” Sterling mumbled.

”I think she’d be more worried if she looked outside and saw someone crawling in the window of the chicken coop.”

Sterling shrugged. “Next time. Promise.”

Shane dragged a crate near his friend, sitting down across from him and taking a good look at him. He looked like shit. Red, puffy eyes, obviously the result of crying. Swollen bloody lip. He sighed again. “Dude, what did you do now?”

His friend actually looked mildly offended. “Why is it always what I did? Sometimes things just happen to me, Shane.”

”Okay. You’re right, bud. I’m sorry. What did you do?” Shane asked again, looking him square in the eyes.

Sterling scowled, then his expression dropped back to apathetic. His shoulders slumped. “I think I’m ready to talk about it…”

”Yeah? I’m ready. What happened? Start with what whatever happened today because I gotta admit I’m pretty curious what happened to your lip.” Shane braced himself for a wild ride. Nothing was ever simple with Sterling. Dude was a wild card. He’d be a perfect candidate for a reality TV show.

”My lip?” Sterling looked confused, and then deeply sad. “Oh… Morgan bit it.” His eyes teared up as he stared at the floor.

See?

Shane sighed. “Hold on.” He said, getting up to grab a beer from the mini fridge before sitting back down. “Okay, continue. And maybe start at the beginning. I changed my mind.”

“That night I walked out of the saloon, Morgan found me in the woods with my hands all cut up. He invited me in to bandage me up. We had sex.”

“Uh huh. Naturally. Go on.” Shane nodded, taking a giant sip of beer. Yoba…

”Uhm… then he came in to see me at work, and that was the day I found out he was the guy in the woods, when I ran over here…”

”Yeah, okay. I’m following so far.”

”He bit my ear and told me to come back to the farm whenever I want.”

”In front of Pierre!?” Shane asked incredulously.

”No. He was in the back. Anyway, then I was walking around waiting for it to be time to go to the saloon and I heard a noise in the mines so I went to make sure no one was hurt. A giant bat flew at me and Morgan made it explode, saved my life. Then we made out?” Sterling seemed like he almost didn’t even believe himself.

”Hold on. You made out in the cave next to the dead bat?” Shane asked, seeking confirmation immediately.

“No? It exploded dude, like I said. Anyway uhm that’s when I got all those hickey’s on my chest.” He continued.

”Dude… those were HICKEY’S!? You looked like you got ran over by a truck.” He practically yelled at him. What the fuck!?

”Whatever. Stop kink shaming.” Sterling rolled his eyes apathetically.

“THERAPY, STERLING.” Shane downed the rest of his beer. “Okay, continue.”

”So the next day was the festival. You interrupted me and Sebastian and sent me away so uhm… I went to the farm and knocked on the door, but plot twist, Morgan was there too and saw what happened… he was mad. Uhm… we had sex and he broke my nose, but it’s okay because I asked him to, more or less.”

”Dude…”

“Anyway I thought we were like.. getting more serious, you know?” Sterling continued as if he hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary.

Shane just got up and got another beer while Sterling kept talking, seemingly zoned out in a world of his own now.

”We had a moment where I really thought… whatever it doesn’t matter. He ghosted me for two months and started hanging out with Abby. And then today he came in and asked Pierre if he missed my lunch break.”

”Hold the fuck on.” Shane held up a hand, silencing him. “He’s hanging out with Abby?”

”Yeah. But he told me not to worry about it and I asked why not and he said ‘just don’t’ as if I’d just be like oh okay never mind.” Sterling scoffed.

”We will circle back to this but please continue where you left off.” Shane requested, feeling the dread pooling up in his system. Anything involving Abigail made him nauseous.

”Anyway Pierre let me go on my break, so I go outside and Morgan casually asks me if I want to hang out tonight as if nothing happened… I said no, but he said please… so I gave in. I go back inside and tell Pierre, and he tells me I can leave early and GET THIS, he’ll pay me for the whole day. He just wanted me to fish for information about him and Abby cuz he doesn’t approve of… whatever is going on with them.”

Shane was just hanging on every word, wide eyed at this point. Pierre paying someone to not work was by far the most insane thing Sterling had said so far. Now he really had his attention.

”So here’s where it gets weird…” Sterling continued.

”Right, here’s where it gets weird.” Shane mumbled. Sterling didn’t seem to hear him.

”I go back outside and Morgan’s waiting for me as if he knew Pierre was going to say that. He wouldn’t explain himself so I dropped it and we went to his house. He starts off by saying he doesn’t know what to do with me and acted like he had no idea why I was there even though he invited me. We got in an argument, he didn’t explain anything at all, I kissed him, he kissed me back, I guess we bit each other’s lips too.. uhm, anyway we were about to have sex probably but I asked him  if he was going to push me away again and he didn’t answer so I told him I’m getting really attached to him and he still didn’t say anything so I hugged him and cried and basically said I can’t do this with him anymore and then I left. I heard glass shattering when I got outside.”

Shane let the silence carry on for a moment after his long winded finale. “Is that the end?” He asked hesitantly, not sure how much more he could take.

“I miss his cat already Shane. Gloomy is so cute, she hid under the couch with my keys and batted them at me when I was looking for them.” Sterling cried.

”Are you drunk?”

”Of course I’m drunk, asshole, did you hear anything I just said?”

”Okay, that’s fair.” Shane sighed, rubbing his forehead in thought. “Listen, I can see that you… really like this guy… for some fucking reason… I’m trying not to judge, I really am. But he sounds very, and I don’t say this lightly, VERY toxic. So maybe you should cut your losses? Consider this a clean break and move on?”

”Shane, he’s perfect.”

”No, he’s really not.”

“Yes he is.”

”No. You’re drunk and you’re a slut, Sterling. You’ll find someone else, someone less toxic.” Shane said sympathetically.

”Did you just call me a slut?” Sterling asked curiously.

”Yeah?” Shane responded bluntly.

Sterling nearly fell off his crate laughing so hard. “Fuck you.” He said through his tears of laughter.

”I dare you to look me in the face and deny it.”

Sterling sobered himself up, trying to look serious as he looked at Shane. “I am not a slut.” He said, cracking immediately.

They both doubled over in laughter.

”Thanks Shane, I needed that. Maybe you’re right, I just… have you seen him?”

Shane thought about it for a minute. “No, actually. I don’t think I ever have.”

”Picture Sebastian but taller, fluffy bleach blonde hair, blue eyes like a thunderstorm, covered in sick ass tattoos, perfect smile, in shape, can scoop you up like you hardly weigh a feather…”

Shane threw his hands up. “Woah, woah. I’m gunna stop you there dude, I think I got it.”

Sterling grinned evilly. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

”Save the gay propaganda, Sterling. I have Maddie.”

Sterling’s jaw dropped to the floor. “YOU DID IT!? YOU TOLD HER!? Dude, forget Morgan, tell me everything right now.”

——————————————————————

A couple hours later, after sufficiently calming Sterling down and filling him in on what happened with Maddie, he checked his phone, noticing a text from her that instantly raised his blood pressure.

”Hey Shane… I really need someone to vent to, I’m kind of freaking out.” Her text said.

Never a dull fucking day in Pelican Town.

Sterling insisted he was fine and he’d just go home or something. Shane was skeptical but he didn’t appear particularly suicidal or anything so he eventually gave in, his desire to not fuck things up with Maddie overriding all his other worries.

After drinking a ton of water and brushing his teeth, he took the cable car up to Ridgeside after letting her know he was on his way. She was waiting for him, sitting on a bench by the lift. He found it kind of adorable that she didn’t make him walk all the way to her house alone. 

“Hey.” He greeted her with a smile. 

“Hi.” She said shyly, getting up off the bench to give him a hug. 

He hugged her back, noticing how her hair smelled like a tropical rainforest of flowers and fruits. “Wow, you smell amazing.”

Maddie laughed. “It’s just my shampoo and lotion.” She blushed anyway though, he noticed even though she quickly changed the subject to hide it. “Thank you for coming, by the way.”

”Of course, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you for so long… I’m going to make it up to you as often as I can.” He said sincerely, hoping he wasn’t being too forward.

“Shane…” she blinked back whatever emotion she was feeling as they started walking towards her house. “Can I hold your hand?”

He felt giddy, like this was his first relationship ever and he had never done this before. “Yeah, of course. But only if I can hold yours too.” He smiled, reaching for her hand.

Maddie smiled back, locking their fingers together. “This is going to sound really lame but… this is nice. I wish one of us had the balls to confess our feelings in High School.”

“You’re telling me.” Shane laughed. “I didn’t think you would ever see me as more than a friend. I feel so stupid now.”

”Shane, you were so oblivious. I used to stare at you every time you weren’t looking. I had a picture of us in my locker. I literally texted you 24/7.” Maddie complained.

”Okay, yeah, looking back I guess it seems kind of obvious but back then I really thought you just treated me like a gay best friend or something.”

Maddie sighed. “Okay but you weren’t my gay best friend. We had Sterling for that role.”

Shane laughed. “Ugh. Speaking of Sterling. I just got done consoling him from his most recent heartbreak right before I saw your text.”

“For the record, I am fully aware that you’re changing the subject on purpose and you’re a bitch for that, but I have to admit I’m interested. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve heard a good Sterling Cooper story.”

Shane laughed again. “Yoba, it is always a good story isn’t it? I almost forgot what it’s like having him around. I’m really happy he’s back though. It’s been… lonely.” He looked away, feel guilty all of a sudden. “I’m so sorry Maddie. I wish I talked to you sooner.” 

Maddie squeezed his hand. “I want to forgive you, and I will eventually. Just keep making it up to me like you said.” She let go of his hand to unlock her front door. “Now tell me what happened with Sterling.”

He smiled, still feeling guilty but Maddie was hard to say no to. He followed her inside, plopping down on the couch. “Fine. Apparently him and the new farmer have been hooking up but the farmer doesn’t want anything serious so Sterling cut it off. Also apparently he begged him to break his nose. That’s why Sterling’s nose was broken.”

Maddie’s eyes widened substantially. “God, he’s such a slut.”

Shane almost choked, bursting out into laughter. “I said the same fucking thing!”

”What new farmer, anyway?” She asked, kicking off her shoes and hanging up her coat. She motioned for Shane to do the same, taking his coat from him.

”Morgan Francis, he inherited Karizma Farm from his grandfather Bill.”

Maddie dropped Shane’s coat straight onto the floor.

”What!?” He asked her, standing up in alarm at her sudden terrified expression.

Maddie grabbed his arm, “Shane… that’s what I needed to talk to you about.” She hissed.

”What do you mean!?” 

“Mr. Aguar needs me to get samples from the water on his property. He thinks Morgan might be dangerous though, and that he might not let me so I have to be careful and sneaky and get the samples no matter what. I’m so scared. And now you tell me he broke Sterling’s nose? Fuck…” She said, looking panicked. 

Shane’s eyes practically bugged out of his head. “Oh no… does he think Morgan’s poisoning the water or something?”

”Im honestly not sure what his hypothesis is, my job is just to collect the data for him.”  

“Morgan’s a really fucking weird dude.” Shane warned her.”

”I’ve heard.” She agreed.

“Yeah me too, but Sterling’s experiences with him are so much weirder than what anyone else gossips about him.”

“Tell me everything you can, please, it’ll help me with whatever my boss is trying to figure out.” Maddie pleaded.

He spent the next couple hours going over everything weird Sterling had mentioned about the guy. 

By the end, she seemed even more paranoid that he was going to hurt her but at least she seemed to be more invested in the mission now. She looked as intrigued as she was terrified. “Do you think Sterling would help me with this?” She asked hesitantly.

”I don’t know…He did say he’s done with him, but you know Sterling.”

”Oh yeah, no way he’s really done. That would make for a very boring story and that is not on brand for him at all.” Maddie argued. 

“So true. Do you want to hang out tomorrow night, with him?” He asked her, hoping Sterling would be down for that.

“Yes! Please! Thank you. I hope he’ll be willing to help.” 

“Of course. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?” Shane asked suggestively.

“Hmm.” She pretended to think. “Nope, I don’t think so.” 

“Oh, so we can kiss now then?” Shane asked innocently.

”Psh, yeah I mean I guess? If you really want to.” Maddie teased. 

Shane looked over at the beautiful red head next to him, smiling more genuinely than he had in a long time. He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear before leaning in for a kiss. Just like he always wanted to back when they were teens. 

“Thank you for giving me another chance.” He whispered against her lips. He couldn’t help himself. The urge to apologize for how dumb he had been was just constantly on the tip of his tongue. It was a miracle that she was actually talking to him again.

”Shut up and kiss me.” Maddie demanded.

Chapter Text

Sterling

He lied to Shane.

Not on purpose, but still.

Maddie texted him with some sort of emergency while they were hanging out. What kind of best friend would he be if he didn’t let him go be her knight in shining armor?

Before he left Shane had said, “Hey dude, you’re gunna be okay, right?”

”Yeah, I’m okay. I’ll probably just go home.” He had assured him.

Bullshit.

He did actually consider doing what he said he was going to and just head home for the night. Then the devil on his shoulder said “Hey! What if you didn’t though?”

He never was good at ignoring him.

So, Sterling made sure Shane saw him walking right, the direction of East Scarp. He made a sharp detour north the second he was out of Shane’s line of sight though. He just didn’t want Shane to have to worry about him. He deserved to be able to focus on Maddie tonight.

He wasn’t sure when he actually made the decision to do this, but it didn’t matter. He was doing it. 

It took him about half an hour to make it back to Karizma Farm. Enough time to change his mind if he was going to. He didn’t. The sun had gone down hours ago at this point. It was cold and dark outside but he hardly felt it. The rage boiling inside of him kept him warm enough.

Marching up to the front door without hesitation, he knocked hard twice. 

The door opened almost immediately, revealing the sexiest version of Morgan he had seen so far. He was still shirtless just how he left him. His hair was a mess, blood on his face, lip still swollen where he bit it. The best part? Crazy eyes, absolutely feral. Perfect. I’ll either die or have the best sex my life. Either way, I win.

Sterling glared at him and he glared back.

“What do you want?” Morgan growled.

”I’ve done enough talking. What the fuck do YOU want?” Sterling demanded. 

“I want…” Morgan began, stepping aside so Sterling could enter the house. “you…” he slammed the door shut and locked it, “on your fucking knees. Right now.”

Sterling obeyed without hesitation, glaring up at Morgan as he fumbled with his belt. 

Morgan stepped backwards, leaning his back against the front door. Sterling pulled his jeans and boxers down his thighs, releasing his already hard dick. His mouth practically watered in anticipation.

He gasped when Sterling took it into his mouth, tangling one of his hands in Sterling’s messy brown hair, holding him in place.

Swirling his tongue around every inch, he let Morgan take control of the pace. He shouldn’t be here, he shouldn’t have come back. The hard truth though, was that there was no place he’d rather be.

He slid his hands up Morgan’s body, appreciating his smooth skin from his hips to his toned stomach and chest. He pinched his nipples hard enough to activate the demon inside of him. Morgan growled, tightening his grip in Sterling’s hair. 

He started fucking his throat ruthlessly, with not a single shred of care for how much it hurt him. At least it should hurt, it didn’t really. He was fine. He was in heaven actually. Tears slid down his cheeks as he struggled to breathe through the assault on his throat. Bliss.

He dared to look up when he sensed Morgan was getting close. Blue eyes so dark that they almost looked black, already staring down at him full of hunger and bad intentions. Sterling shivered. The eye contact seemed to push Morgan over the edge, throwing his head back to lean against the door with his eyes squeezed shut.

Focusing on swallowing and catching his breath,  Sterling slowly leaned back on his legs, looking up at Morgan. Reclined against the door with his eyes still closed, chest heaving, coming down from his high… he looked dangerously beautiful. His toned body covered in tattoos and a thin layer of sweat. Sterling felt a pang of heartache.

Morgan still wasn’t his. He probably never would be. How could he ever do better than him? He was ruined forever, no one else could ever compare. Shane would probably tell him to stop dating toxic emo boys but it’s not his fault that he has a type. 

He finally opened his eyes, looking down at Sterling who was still on his knees. His near black eyes seemed to lighten up again as they looked at each other. He still looked dangerous and angry but less like an actual demon. 

“You hurt me again.” Morgan informed him in an angry raspy voice.

”I hurt you!? You fucking hurt me first!” Sterling shouted defensively. His audacity was outstanding. 

“You’re not supposed to be able to hurt me. I don’t understand how you’re doing this.” Morgan growled quietly, as if it were a secret.

”What!? You don’t make any fucking sense.” Sterling responded, getting up off the floor. Looking around the house now that his tunnel vision had worn off a bit, he noticed all of the broken things strewn about. Fuck… His throat felt like he swallowed a bowl of nails.

”Why do you keep coming back to me?” Morgan asked suddenly.

Sterling laughed a dry humorless laugh. “You wanna know why? That makes two of us.”

”I’m not making you. You don’t have to.” Morgan continued, sounding genuinely confused.

”I know you’re not making me and I know I don’t have to. But here I am. So I guess I must enjoy being treated like shit.” Sterling said in response, feeling kind of manic. 

“I don’t want to treat you like shit!!!” Morgan shouted, reaching out to grab his shoulders tightly in frustration.

“Why do you keep doing it then?” Sterling asked him, unable to disguise the sadness in his voice. He looked Morgan in the eyes with his saddest puppy dog eyes, the expression he usually reserves for emergencies. He figured he had nothing to lose.

”STOP DOING THIS!” Morgan yelled, his grip on his shoulders tightening even more, ever so slightly shaking him as he spoke.

“Doing what?” Sterling asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

”I can’t tell you. You’re making this so much harder, Sterling.” Morgan complained.

“What the fuck are you even saying?” Sterling whined, getting frustrated again. “It’s like you’re speaking in tongues. Is this a fucking riddle? Do I need to solve a puzzle to be worthy of your time?”

“No!” Morgan groaned in frustration, catching Sterling off guard by kissing him passionately. It took him a minute to recover before he kissed him back but when he did Morgan slid his hands up to cup his face, tangling his long fingers in Sterling’s hair, and shoving his tongue in his mouth. 

Sterling was panting in no time. “I’m not leaving until you give me answers.”

”Stop fucking talking.” Morgan commanded in a hushed tone, moving his head down to suck on Sterling’s neck.

”No.” Sterling replied defiantly, scratching his nails down Morgan’s back. Morgan bit down in response before licking the wound. “Mmh…” He moaned involuntarily, trying his hardest not to get distracted. He had an idea, if he could just piss Morgan off enough while they were having sex maybe he would slip up and actually give him some information he could work with.

Morgan moved down to lick and suck and bite at his nipples while he quickly undid his belt. He had a hand wrapped around Sterling’s aching cock before he could even consider stopping him. He whined at the sudden sensation combined with his warm mouth on his chest.

Morgan suddenly grabbed him and pushed him onto the couch, pulling his clothes and shoes off until they were both just in their boxers. He crawled on top of him, straddling his hips as they made out, one hand still wrapped around his cock.

While their tongues swirled around each other’s, Sterling felt like he could die happy right here in this moment, no matter how this night ended. He reached up to grab onto Morgan’s ass. How the fuck is he so perfect?

Wait. Focus…

”Morgan…” he panted in-between kisses. “Why won’t you explain?”

His grip on Sterling’s dick tightened, making him whine in response. “I told you to stop fucking asking.” He growled.

”I’m not going to stop asking until you give me a reason.” He replied breathlessly, struggling to stay on topic while Morgan’s hand worked his cock.

“If I tell you, you’ll leave.” Morgan said quietly.

”Fucking try me.” Sterling demanded.

”No.” Morgan said decisively, scrambling off of him and heading towards the bedroom. Sterling got up and followed him, not even thinking about what Morgan was looking for, digging around his room on a mission. 

“Morgan, what do you want from me?” Sterling asked earnestly. 

He found what he was looking for, stalking back over to Sterling who was still unaware of what he was holding.

”I want you to shut the fuck up.” Morgan said darkly, getting right in his face. Then he reached around, grabbing his wrists and wrapping some sort of fabric around them tight.

Once that was secure, Morgan pushed him onto the bed, hovering over him menacingly.

“I want you, Morgan.” Sterling said angrily, looking up into his eyes with laser focus. Hands tied together behind his back. “Why can’t I have you?”

”We can’t be together.” Morgan said in a low threatening tone.

”This isn’t just sex to me. Doesn’t this mean anything to you?!” He asked, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.

“OBVIOUSLY IT DOES! THAT’S WHY WE CAN’T BE TOGETHER!” Morgan practically screamed at him.

Sterling opened his mouth to ask what the fuck he meant by that but suddenly Morgan was shoving something in his mouth and tying it around his head so he couldn’t speak. 

He groaned in frustration but he felt his dick get even harder. 

Morgan kneeled in-between his legs, pushing his thighs apart as he kissed his way down Sterling’s chest. He licked all the way up the length of his shaft, circling the tip with his tongue. Sterling moaned against the fabric in his mouth. 

He tried to fight the heat growing inside him, determined to get Morgan to tell him the truth tonight, but he slipped into submission fully when he felt Morgan’s tongue lapping at his entrance. The moan that escaped him spurred Morgan on. He felt his tongue pushing inside, making his insides feel like jelly. 

Morgan had him crumbling, falling apart in his hands. His mouth returned to Sterling’s dripping cock, licking the beads of precum in slow motion, looking up to catch his eyes while he did it.

Sterling nearly came right then and there from the sight. Then his head was bobbing up and down while a long finger slipped inside him, preparing him for his cock.

If Sterling could talk, he would’ve begged him to get on with it already, telling him how badly he needed to feel him inside him. But he couldn’t speak so he was reduced to whimpers and moans, a slave to Morgan’s agonizingly slow pace.

Two fingers later, he finally seemed satisfied enough to flip Sterling over, pressing his face into the mattress while he rubbed the head of dick around Sterling’s hole, teasing him torturously. 

Finally, he slid inside, digging his fingers into Sterling’s thighs to hold him up while he slowly inched forward until he bottomed out. Sterling wiggled underneath him when he stopped moving, desperate for more stimulation. Morgan adjusted his grip so it was harder for Sterling to move. “Be patient.” He demanded, slapping him on the ass hard enough to leave a mark.

Sterling whined in surprise. Morgan slowly pulled out before pushing back in, settling in to a pace that started slow but got increasingly faster. Sterling couldn’t keep quiet, moaning and whimpering while Morgan filled him up, making him feel whole. He had never enjoyed this with anyone else. A couple exes had tried to get him into it and he just wasn’t about it at all. With Morgan though, it was as addicting as cocaine. Maybe worse. Morgan could do whatever he wanted to him.

Except play with his feelings. That’s where he was drawing the line. Morgan would have to physically remove him from the property later if he wanted him to leave without explaining himself.

Morgan picked up the pace, panting and groaning quietly while he thrust in and out of him. His movements got shakier and he suddenly undid the restraints on Sterling’s wrists and flipped him over, promptly tying his wrists together above his head before he could try anything.

As if he would have, anyway. Morgan had him wrapped around his finger. He wondered if he realized just how whipped he was. He still wasn’t sure what possessed him to come back tonight, Morgan didn’t seem to understand either.

Morgan reentering him ripped him out of his thoughts. He bent Sterling’s legs at the knee, pushing them down so he could get deeper inside him. He moaned Morgan’s name though it just came out as a muffled noise with his mouth gagged. He gazed up at Morgan with teary blissed out eyes.

Morgan leaned down to kiss his neck and nip at his ear, slowing down to focus on his words. “Me and you are such a beautiful tragedy.” He whispered against his cheek, placing a sweet kiss near his eye.

Sterling whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut. His heart was doing things against his will and it was simultaneously increasing how good this all felt, and ripping his fragile heart to shreds knowing that Morgan would probably go back to being cold and closed off after this was over.

Morgan sped up again, reaching down to wrap his hand around Sterling’s cock, his hand matching the tempo of his thrusts. “Come with me.” He commanded. “Come for me.” 

That was all it took, within seconds he was cumming all over Morgan’s hand while he finished inside him with a primal groan.

Morgan released him and gently laid on top of him, breathing hard. He reached up to undo the hand restraints, kissing his wrists like he had done last time, making Sterling stomach flip. Then he untied the gag from his mouth, gently peeling it away and tossing it onto the floor. He avoided Sterling’s eyes the whole time, probably because Sterling was staring at him with unfiltered adoration. He couldn’t help it. Tonight had turned into another nail in his coffin.

Morgan pulled out and rolled off of him, disappearing while Sterling laid there confused and sore but still vibrating with post orgasmic bliss. He came back with a glass of water for Sterling, putting it down on the nightstand before disappearing again. He heard noises in the bathroom, cabinets opening and the sink running. 

He sat up slowly, extremely confused by the fact that he hadn’t been kicked out yet. He was drinking the water when Morgan came back in with a warm wet washcloth, handing it to him silently. He wandered off again after getting dressed in what looked like comfy clothes to sleep in though the lighting wasn’t great so he couldn’t be sure. The only sound in the house was coming from Morgan sweeping up broken glass and whatever else was broken on the floor, he assumed. He came back briefly to take the washcloth away, putting Sterling’s boxers on the bed, but still not speaking.

He wondered if he should feel uncomfortable. Probably. He didn’t though, not really. It was comforting to still be here instead of thrown outside immediately, and Morgan had never gotten him water before. Did he feel bad about destroying his throat? Huh.

Morgan came back a little while later, looking kind of embarrassed, if that were even possible. His face was pretty unreadable but Sterling liked to run with the subtle changes he picked up on and pretend that Morgan actually has emotions. 

“Your clothes are… covered in broken glass. I’m… sorry. I’ll replace them. Would you want to borrow some of mine for now?” Morgan asked awkwardly.

Sterling couldn’t stop the huge smile from appearing on his face. “Yeah, sure.”

”Okay… uhm…” Morgan rummaged around in his dresser. “These should fit you. Here.” He handed him black joggers with skulls on them and a black T-shirt with white speckles. It was adorably emo. He smiled to himself as he pulled them on. “Sorry… I know we don’t really have the same style.” Morgan said, watching him thoughtfully.

Sterling laughed. “Yeah that’s because only one of us can pull it off. Do you have any idea how dumb I’d look if I only wore black all the time?”

”You look good right now.” Morgan said absentmindedly, kinda freezing after the words left his mouth. He left the room again.

Sterling wanted to thank him for the compliment, maybe even say something flirty back, but he was rendered speechless by how bizarre the compliment sounded coming from Morgan’s mouth. The heartache was back. He kind of just wanted to curl up and die. In this bed though. He wasn’t leaving until he was physically kicked out. 

A soft thud alerted him to Gloomy’s presence before she meowed loudly, trotting over to him and rubbing her head against his chest.

”Hi, sweet baby.” He cooed, laying back down so she could curl up on his chest. She purred, vibrating on top of him like a little serotonin machine. He loved cats. Max would never tolerate one in the house though, he’d have to wait until he got his own place.

Morgan walked back in, staring at them with an expression Sterling could only take guesses at. Fear? Disgust? Love? He laughed to himself in his head, yeah right. No chance on that last one.

He focused on Gloomy, not wanting to startle Morgan in type of way. He really really really wanted to stay tonight. It would be hard to go home after this if Morgan kicked him out.

He felt the bed move, trying hard to mask his absolute shock when Morgan laid down and scooted close to him, reaching out to pet Gloomy who was still curled up on Sterling’s chest.

They laid like that for a while, just existing next to each other, petting Gloomy, her purring creating a pleasant white noise in the otherwise silent room.

Morgan sighed, Sterling’s heart started beating faster in response. Here it is… ‘Okay, time to go.’

”I think she would disown me if you left tonight.”

No fucking way…

Sterling swallowed, clearing his throat nervously. “We can’t disappoint Gloomy.”

She opened her eyes at the sound of her name, making a little Mrr noise and stretching her paw out to boop his face. He laughed, scratching behind her ear.

”She hated Abigail.” Morgan said suddenly. 

Silence, for a moment. And then Sterling laughed so hard Gloomy got up and moved to lay on top of Morgan instead. He rolled over to face her, patting her on the head as he said, “Gloomy. You are my best friend.”

Morgan didn’t quite laugh but the quiet chuckle that left his lungs sounded genuine. 

Sterling was at a cross road in his mind again. Morgan was letting him stay the night. He wanted answers, but what if pushing for them made him change his mind? This felt dangerous again. If he stayed, he’d probably wake up in the morning and realize he’s in love. And then what? Morgan probably still wouldn’t explain anything. The clingier he got the more he’d probably just push him away. He was probably just setting himself up for absolute heartbreak right now but what else was new?

He decided not to push it. Instead, he focused on how strange it was to be so close to Morgan and not be doing anything. They were usually arguing or making out. They had never just coexisted. He noticed for the first time that Morgan smelled like sea salt and whatever shampoo he used. It was kind of soothing. 

Taking a huge risk, he wiggled closer, draping an arm across Morgan’s chest. He waited for Morgan to push him away. When he didn’t, to his absolute shock, Sterling reluctantly let himself relax. Discreetly getting a little closer so he could rest his head against Morgan’s chest, Gloomy readjusted too. Purring louder she got up and laid back down, hugging Sterling’s arm as if to make it clear he wasn’t allowed to move.

”Wow.” Morgan mumbled.

Sterling laughed quietly, still terrified he was about to get pushed away. They laid there like that for a while, long enough for Sterling to feel more sleepy than on edge, his eyelids getting heavier. He was almost asleep when he felt Morgan’s arm gently wrap around him, his hand resting on Sterling’s shoulder. He hid his smile, pretending to be asleep to see what else Morgan would do. 

About 5 minutes later, when he actually was seconds away from being fully unconscious, he felt the gentlest kiss press against the top of his head.

Sterling and Gloomy slept peacefully while Morgan spent most of the night staring at the ceiling, silent tears dripping down his cheeks.

Chapter Text

Sterling 

He was having a dream about bringing a kitten home and laughing at how offended Max was by his new roommate when the sound of meowing in real life woke him up.

Confused, he opened his eyes to see Gloomy staring at him with her big grey eyes. “Good morning.” He mumbled to her sleepily, a small smile on his face.

Then his eyes shot wide open.

Gloomy!?

He sat up and looked around the room, realizing where he was. The farmhouse on Karizma farm, obviously. But where was its home owner? 

Sterling rubbed his eyes and listened for any obvious signs of life, but the house was quiet. He looked over at the nightstand, his eyes nearly popping out in disbelief when he spotted a fresh glass of water, a muffin, and his phone plugged into a charger. 

He briefly wondered if Morgan was poisoning him but then his stomach growled and he realized he didn’t particularly care as long as it got rid of the hunger pains.

As he sat there eating the muffin that was surprisingly delicious, memories from the night before floated back to him in bits and pieces. Why didn’t Morgan kick him out last night? He hadn’t answered any of his questions. At least, not really.

All he got out of him was that if he explained anything, then Sterling would want to leave. He vaguely remembered asking something else though… in a moment of desperation he had said, “…doesn’t this mean anything to you!?” He felt embarrassed the moment the words left his mouth but Morgan’s response was peculiar. The question seemed to really upset him, screaming his response in a tone that was much less controlled than the usual way he spoke. He remembered the emotional outburst more than he could actually remember the words Morgan used… Probably because he had immediately gagged him after answering the question. Having your ability to speak taken away was pretty distracting. And hot…

He took a sip of water, trying really hard to recall what Morgan said. It felt important, for some reason. 

Oh yeah.

“OBVIOUSLY IT DOES! THAT’S WHY WE CAN’T BE TOGETHER!”

That’s what Morgan said.

What the fuck did that mean!? That was a confession though, wasn’t it? That’s what he had been trying to get out of him at the very least. Any confirmation that Sterling wasn’t the only one catching feelings here. 

His phone buzzed on the nightstand. He was surprised to see that he only had one text and it was from Shane asking him if he was free today. Curiously, he checked his texts with Henry and Mia, perplexed by the messages letting them know he was sleeping over Shane’s. He had no recollection of texting them at all…

It was nice that he didn’t have any fires to put out though. Maybe he had woken up in the middle of the night and texted them. Except his phone was in his coat pocket in the living room when he fell asleep…

Did Morgan text them?

That was a new level of thoughtfulness he didn’t think he would ever see coming from him. 

Cautiously, he sat at the edge of the bed, scanning the floor for anything sharp before he stood up. It looked clean, so did the hallway, and the living room, and the kitchen, and the bathroom. So clean in fact, that Morgan was nowhere to be seen.

He went to the bathroom and texted Shane back that he was pretty sure he was free but he’d let him know. 

When he was done with that, he looked at himself in the mirror, realizing that for the first time he didn’t look like roadkill after a night with Morgan. Huh. He wasn’t even hungover. 

Hesitantly leaving the safety of the bathroom, he padded over to the living room window, looking out on the farm for any signs of Morgan. Nothing.

Was he supposed to wait? Or just leave? 

He decided to just sit down on the couch and play on his phone for a little bit since it was still kind of early. It was just past 9:30am and he didn’t have anything of importance to do today. Gloomy joined him a couple minutes later, content to curl up behind his head on the back of the couch. 

Sterling zoned out playing a game on his phone. The sound of the front door opening and the sudden gust of cold air startled him, almost dropping his phone onto his lap. 

Morgan walked in holding Joja Mart bags and two hot cups of coffee. All he could do was stare as Morgan sheepishly greeted him, walking over to hand him one of the cups. 

Sterling picked his jaw up off the floor to thank him. 

“I wasn’t sure how you liked your coffee… so I just kinda guessed.” Morgan said awkwardly.

Sterling took a sip. Extra cream, no sugar. Exactly how he liked it. “Wow… you guessed correctly. This is perfect.” Wow. What the fuck?

Morgan smiled before his expression quickly became neutral again. “Uhm… I got you some clothes.” He said nervously holding out a bag for him to take. “I’m sorry your others one got ruined.”

”Thank you.” Sterling said seriously, giving him a small smile as he took the bag. This was bizarre. Completely out of character. What is going on?

Gloomy jumped off the back of the couch to roll around on the crinkly plastic bag. Sterling laughed and pulled it out from under her, looking inside to see what luxurious clothing Morgan managed to find for him at Joja Mart.

He pulled out dark blue jeans miraculously in his size, a long sleeve black shirt, and a black and grey plaid bandana scarf. The scarf was so thoughtful he almost teared up. He wore them a lot but he couldn’t remember ever wearing one to hang out with Morgan. That meant he was paying attention the times he saw him when they weren’t speaking. He felt that pang in his heart again.

“It’s okay if you don’t like them, I figured they’d be good enough to walk home in. I know you said you don’t look good in black but-“

Sterling got up and kissed him, catching him off guard. 

“Mmh.” He mumbled in surprise, catching himself from stumbling backwards before kissing Sterling back. 

Sterling broke the kiss first, overwhelmed by all the emotions he was feeling.“Morgan, why are you being so nice to me?” He asked him somberly, looking him in the eyes.

Morgan looked incredibly guilty. It was obvious even on his usually stoic face. “I told you that I don’t want to treat you like shit…” He mumbled. 

Sterling sensed the “but” that was coming. This was too good to be true so far, which always meant that it was. He was about to hurt him again. He could feel it in his bones. He didn’t respond, just kept looking at Morgan with an expression that meant he knew there was something he wasn’t saying.

“Go get dressed.” Morgan said, forcing a smile. 

Sterling sighed. “Okay.” 

He brought the clothes into the bedroom, changing into them slowly, knowing he was being kicked out. Morgan was probably about to break his heart even more. Why was he doing this to himself? Every encounter with him just cut him deeper than the last. 

He felt completely dejected by the time he was done changing. He looked in the mirror on the back of the door, ripping the tags off the new clothes. It was a good outfit, he had to admit. Especially for Joja Mart standards. 

As sad as he was, the thought of Morgan shopping in there, picking out a scarf for him in the accessory aisle, was a hilariously endearing thing to picture. Morris and Shane were probably so confused to see him in there. Oh shit… Shane was there…

Sterling quietly exited the bedroom, catching a scene he got the impression he wasn’t supposed to be witnessing. Morgan was ripping the packaging off a cat toy he must have just gotten at Joja Mart. Gloomy was circling his legs like a shark while Morgan laughed and told her to stop being impatient. Once the tags were off, he tossed the fluffy blue and yellow toy into the air, laughing when Gloomy leaped straight up into the air to catch it. 

Morgan noticed Sterling standing in the hallway suddenly, he tried to hide his smile but failed miserably. It made Sterling’s heart ache even more. Every gentle moment he witnessed made Morgan seem more real, and that was terrifying because all he wanted was for this to turn into something meaningful. It seemed like he was the only one, though. 

He continued looking at Morgan sadly as he walked over to the couch to sit down again, anticipating a serious conversation.

As he crossed the room, he saw Morgan’s eyes panning his body. “You look good in black.” He said quietly.

”I liked your clothes better.” He said, letting his flirty personality come out of its cage for a minute. What did it matter anyway? Morgan was about to kick him out of his life again. He could feel it. He wasn’t afraid of scaring him away anymore. It seemed inevitable regardless of what he said or did. Might as well be himself.

He looked away when he said it but he glanced back up at Morgan to see his reaction when he didn’t immediately respond. Morgan was biting his lip, staring at the floor. 

Slowly, he sulked over to the couch, sitting down next to Sterling. “I’m sorry.”

”For what?” Sterling asked emotionlessly.

“Everything.” Morgan said vaguely.

Sterling sighed. “Morgan… if you’re going to kick me out and disappear on me again, just do it.”

”I should…” He said, stabbing Sterling’s heart with his words. “But I don’t want to…” He whispered. “I’m being a monster.” Morgan said more to himself than to Sterling. He stared across the room at the window instead of looking at him. 

“Why?” Sterling asked angrily. A thought crossing his mind, not for the first time. “Is there someone else?”

Morgan laughed, surprising him with his reaction. “No.” He shook his head.

He kind of hated how relieving that was to hear. “Then why do you keep pushing me away?”

”I’m just going to hurt you.” Morgan said quietly.

”I don’t care. It hurts me when you push me away.” He replied, frustrated.

”If I let you in, if I tell you everything, you’ll be the one who leaves, and then I’ll be hurt.” Morgan rambled, obviously getting upset with himself and Sterling.

”Why!? Honestly, I doubt it. I doubt I would leave and I doubt you would really be that hurt if I actually did.” He hated how whiny he sounded. This whole conversation was stupid. They were dancing around something that neither of them were saying. Not only that but Morgan was obviously hiding some major shit, but so was he. They barely knew each other. Sterling had some skeletons in the closet and he could only imagine that someone as strange as Morgan would have even more.

Couldn’t they just build a bigger closet though? God, he was such a hopeless romantic. 

Morgan’s eyes snapped up to lock onto Sterling’s, fury dancing behind his misty blue irises. The black of his eyes narrowed, almost looking snake like. It might’ve been freaky if it were anyone else, but Morgan didn’t scare him.

He met his gaze with stubborn confidence. Morgan continued to stare with his wild looking eyes, searching Sterling’s like he was waiting for a different reaction. His pupils narrowed even more, perfectly resembling a snake now. Sterling’s angry stare didn’t waver. 

“Do you really think I wouldn’t care?” Morgan said finally, his eyes relaxing back to normal, moving on with the conversation like nothing happened.

“Yeah? Why wouldn’t I?” Sterling demanded, going along with Morgan’s weird little game. So what? He was a demon or something? He hardly cared what he was. He was willing to pretend he never noticed anything strange about him for as long as Morgan wanted to avoid admitting it, simply because it didn’t fucking matter. It wouldn’t change how he felt, as much as it probably should.

”Sterling…” Morgan said seriously. “I could kill you.”

”Yeah? And? I’m still alive.” He argued.

”Exactly.” Morgan replied.

”What!?” He asked incredulously.

“If I didn’t care, I would kill you.” He said calmly, like that wasn’t a psychotic thing to say.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Sterling asked seriously.

Morgan laughed but it sounded kind of deranged. “I’m dangerous. You have no idea how much. You shouldn’t be here, you shouldn’t want to be. I don’t understand…”

Sterling shook his head, wondering if he was in over his head here. Maybe he should believe Morgan’s warnings instead of ignorantly believing he was a good person. He should tell him that he understands and that he’ll leave now. He should go, and not look back. 

What he said instead was, “Morgan, I’m not afraid of you.”

Morgan just stared at him for a moment. “Even when I hurt you?”

”Especially when you hurt me.” He replied honestly.

”Why? How!?” Morgan asked desperately. And then in a lower tone he added, “What are you?”

Sterling laughed at the irony. Then he shrugged. “I don’t know… fucked up?”

Morgan couldn’t resist smiling at him as he shook his head. He sighed. They sat in silence for a minute, neither of them sure what to say at this point. 

“You’re not going to stay away, are you?” Morgan asked finally. It sounded like he already knew the answer.

Sterling reached for one of Morgan’s hands. “No.”

He was frozen for a few seconds before hesitantly relaxing his hand so Sterling’s fingers could slip between his. 

Morgan looked down at their hands for a while, Sterling panicked internally the whole time. He was pushing Morgan’s buttons but he was sick of being pushed away. If he had to come on way too strong to get through to him then so be it. It was risky but it was worth it. At least he hoped it would be.

”Do you want to play Sea of Thieves now?” Morgan asked, finally looking back up. 

——————————————————————

Shane

The chilly morning air hurt his lungs as he power walked to Joja Mart for his opening shift. He overslept so he didn’t have any time to waste this morning.

He texted Sterling on his way, asking if he was free later. Maddie wanted to hang out with both of them so she could ask him for help with her work assignment. He didn’t mention that in his text though in case it stressed him out. Sterling had been really upset about Morgan the day before.

Like, upset enough to finally tell him what was really going on. Shane had to admit he didn’t love the idea of Maddie getting involved with him at all, and he was afraid this little assignment would get Sterling and Morgan talking again. He was even more afraid of Maddie doing this alone though.

Morgan sounded dangerous and unstable and even though Sterling seemed well aware of that, he always seemed pretty smitten with him anyway. 

Shane made it to the time clock just in time to not earn himself an early morning condescending pep talk from his boss, Morris, about the importance of being on time.

He got right to work, tidying up displays around the register, staying close by in case a customer needed to check out before the official register associate came in. 

The automatic front doors opened shortly after they opened the store. The man who walked in wasn’t anyone he recognized as a past customer. He was tall, blonde, pale, and had striking blue eyes. Even weirder? He was dressed in all black, from his shoes to his beanie. Oh fuck, that has to be Morgan…

Shane busied himself with straightening out a rack of potato chips, making sure all the bags were neatly displayed with the labels facing outward. He kept sneaking glances at the unusual customer in the store, who was walking around curiously like he’d never been inside a Joja Mart before. Maybe he hadn’t…

He discreetly followed Morgan, finding something to do near whatever aisle or department he was in.

He spent some time in the Men’s clothing department, then the pet aisle, before his final stop at the self serve coffee counter.

Shane hurried over to the register, forcing his face to look bored instead of intrigued. Morgan wandered over shortly after. 

“Good morning, did you find everything okay?” Shane said robotically.

Morgan just nodded, placing all his items on the belt. Shane rang out each item, committing each thing to memory just in case. Jeans, a long sleeve black T-shirt, a bandana scarf, a cat toy, and two coffees.

”That’ll be $45, cash or card?” Shane said in a bored professional tone. 

“Card.” Morgan responded bluntly.

”Okay, go ahead and swipe when you’re ready.”

Morgan swiped his card.

”Receipt in the bag okay?” Shane asked.

Morgan nodded again.

”Have a good one.” Shane said pleasantly, handing him his bags and coffees. 

“You too.” Morgan mumbled, quickly leaving the store.

After he was out of sight, Shane took a moment to process the encounter. Morgan was really awkward and quiet but he was also intimidating and spooky. He could see why Sterling was into him though, he was more attractive than Sebastian, objectively. Shane was straight so he didn’t really look at either of them that way. He imagined Morgan breaking Sterling’s nose and felt a surge of protective anger. Even if Sterling had asked for it, what kind of person would actually do it?

He decided right then and there that he did not like this guy.

Chapter Text

Sterling

If he wasn't falling in love already, he definitely was now. 

For the past 3 hours, they had been hanging out playing Morgan’s favorite video game. It took him a while to let his guard down, but when he finally relaxed, and they were just having fun, it was amazing to see his real personality, or at least the non-demonic side of him. Relaxed probably wasn’t the right description, but he was more expressive than usual. All his little reactions to things happening in the game were adorable, and Sterling couldn't stop sneaking glances at him when he was focused on the TV.

What really had him absolutely done for though, was how perfectly they were getting along. Sure, Morgan was awkward and closed off but they were playing the game together like life long best friends and nothing Sterling said or did seemed to bother him. Realizing that they were compatible outside of sex too really broke the delusion that this couldn’t be any more than a toxic hook up.

Now he caught himself wondering if Morgan would ever want their strange situationship to become something real.

Around 1:30, Morgan turned off the game and cleared his throat. “Uhm… I know it’s lunch time and you’re probably hungry… I don’t have much to eat here.” He said apologetically

”What are you going to eat?” Sterling asked curiously. What does a guy like Morgan eat besides breakfast muffins?

”I don’t actually eat every day…” Morgan explained shyly.

”What!? Don’t you get hungry doing farm stuff?”

”I… just have a weird metabolism. Don’t worry about it.” Morgan said dismissively.

Sterling stared at him skeptically but didn’t push it. Morgan and his secrets. Dude was so fucking mysterious. He wasn’t that worried about it though, the past 24 hours had brought so much progress between them. Morgan actually let him sleep over AND hung out with him the next day. I probably should get out of here before I overstay my welcome and fuck this up…

”Alright, well Shane wanted to hang out tonight anyway, so I guess I’ll go home for a bit first.” Then he added, “Thanks for texting Henry and Mia by the way.” 

“Oh.. yeah, no problem.” Morgan replied, avoiding eye contact.

Sterling got up to gather his things, then spent a couple minutes saying goodbye to Gloomy who was acting like she would crawl into his coat pocket and go home with him if Morgan let her. 

“I think she likes you more than she likes me.” Morgan mumbled in a tone that sounded more affectionate than annoyed.

He felt himself smiling at how comfortable he was here now. Morgan’s spooky little house was starting to feel more like home than the house he shared with Henry and Mia. It was a bizarre realization but maybe he just needed to get back home and process all of this.

”Okay, I’m gunna go now. Thank you, for… everything I guess. I’m happy you didn’t kick me out last night.” Sterling admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

”Me too.” Morgan said quietly as he got up off the couch to walk with him over to the door.

They had been acting just like new friends for the past few hours while they played their game but now that they were standing here a couple feet apart, the weird tension was back.

Sterling took a chance, holding eye contact before flicking his eyes down to Morgan’s lips and back up. His heart was beating faster than it should’ve been for such a silly little thing, but Morgan made him feel like he was on fire.

Morgan took a deep breath before closing the distance between them, pressing his lips to Sterling’s with an intensity that was somehow calmer but more powerful than any of their kisses so far. Sterling was on cloud nine. 

They broke apart after a moment and Sterling had to force himself to say goodbye and walk away before they ended up back in bed. 

Shane texted him again during his walk home, confirming that they were going to meet up at the saloon at 5. He asked him what he was up to today but Sterling just kind of ignored his text. He was lucky that Henry and Mia weren’t home when he got back because he really didn’t know what to say about where he’d been for the past day and a half.

He didn’t want to hide his feelings for Morgan but he felt like he had to. Everyone was afraid of him for some reason. Well, except Abigail. And Robin. And Sebastian. Which was still weird as hell. 

Shane knew the truth about about his injuries too. He already regretted that confession. Not that Morgan seemed interested in a relationship, but he still didn’t want anyone thinking that he’s a monster.

Even if he is one.

What the fuck was up with his eyes anyway?

——————————————————————

Shane

Sterling ended up falling asleep, so he and Maddie sat at a regular booth in the saloon and ordered a pizza while they waited for him.

”Is he usually this flakey?” Maddie asked curiously.

Shane shrugged. “I dunno. He hasn’t really been back long enough for me to say for sure, he’s been through a lot the past few months. I get it.”

”Aww, you’re a good friend to him.” She teased.

Shane blushed. “Yeah, yeah.”

She lowered her tone to a whisper. “So you said he’s done with Morgan?”

”Allegedly… I hope he is, I mean I know that wouldn’t help you very much but…” He trailed off, chewing his lip.

”But…?” Maddie pressed.

“The more I think about it… he might be actually dangerous. I don’t know. Sterling says he’s not but… he broke his fucking nose. How is that not dangerous?”

Maddie swirled the straw in her drink around in circles, watching the ice cubes clink together. “Should I pretend I don’t know about that when he gets here?”

”Yes please. Also, I should probably tell you this too… he came into Joja Mart this morning like as soon as we opened. I’ve never seen him in there before.” Shane said conspiratorially. 

“What did he buy? Knives and duct tape?” Maddie snickered.

”No… he bought jeans, a long sleeve black shirt, a plaid bandana, gray I think, and a cat toy. Oh and 2 cups of coffee. It was the weirdest thing. I don’t know what to make of it.” Shane grumbled, deep in thought.

”Well… for starters, he probably has a cat?” Maddie replied sarcastically.

Shane glared at her and she laughed. “I’m just saying, he’s so antisocial, why would he be getting two cups of coffee?”

Before she could reply, Sterling waltzed into the restaurant, scanning the room for his friend when he didn’t spot him sitting at the bar.

Shane called him over, staring openly as he approached the table and slid into their booth next to Shane.

"Hey Sterling!" Maddie said with a smile as he sat down.

”Hey Maddie!” Sterling smiled at her happily, probably thrilled to have the trio back together after all these years.

Shane and Maddie just locked eyes, noticing his outfit at the same time. They shared similar expressions of disbelief on their faces.

Sterling’s happy smile dropped. “What?”

”Where were you this morning?” Shane asked a little too rudely. He hadn't meant to be so obvious but he was suddenly vibrating with rage he couldn't quite explain.

”This morning? Out and about.” Sterling said casually. “Why?”

”Where were you last night?” Shane demanded.

”Sleeping? What the hell, dude?” 

Maddie bit her lip anxiously. "Shane..." She whispered, trying to get his attention. He ignored her.

"Why are you lying?" He asked Sterling in a tone that was probably a smidge too aggressive for this public setting.

He noticed a couple people turned to look in their direction. Oops. Judging by the pissed off look on Maddie's face, she had noticed that too.

"Shane!" She whispered through gritted teeth. He kept focusing on Sterling though. He was looking down at the table, face turning red, looking like he wanted to disappear or punch Shane in the face. Maybe even both.

"Can we maybe not do this here?" Sterling whispered angrily.

"Fine. Outside, let's go." Shane got up and exited the building before anyone could respond.

Out in the cold air all alone for a moment, he realized how crazy he was acting but it didn't really matter. Sterling's safety mattered, and how could he make sure he was safe if he couldn't even tell him the truth? And now Maddie was going to be involved with this guy for work too? It was all too much.

The door to the saloon opened a few minutes later, Sterling and Maddie emerged, both looking calmer but still very irritated at him. 

"Alright, we're going to my house. Come on, Shane." Maddie said emotionlessly, turning towards the lift to Ridgeside.

He glanced at Sterling as they walked, trying to get his attention. Sterling pointedly ignored him. He sighed.

The silence in the cable car was deafening as they rode up to the village. Maddie had her arms crossed and Sterling just stared out the window as if he were being kidnapped.

The walk to Maddie's house after they got off went pretty much the same. Once they were finally inside with the door shut, Maddie turned to Shane and said, "Shane, that was embarrassing and immature. You owe me and Sterling an apology."

He looked down in shame, feeling like a child being scolded for not sharing a toy. "I'm sorry."

Sterling was staring at the floor, but he finally looked up at Shane with a strange expression on his face. "How did you know?"

"I rang him out at Joja Mart this morning." Shane said as if it were obvious. "Why was he buying you clothes?"

"There was broken glass on the clothes I wore over there..." Sterling mumbled.

"Uhm?" Maddie questioned, concern crossing her face.

"He didn't break anything while I was there, my clothes just kinda...fell in the glass." Sterling explained, looking absolutely ashamed of himself. Shane almost felt bad for making him talk about this in front of Maddie, but he reminded himself that her safety was at risk too.

"Dude, why did you go back there last night? You slept over? I knew I should've made you come over here with me." He was angry with himself for that.

"He's not what you think he is!" Sterling argued. "He's... thoughtful and kind."

"He broke your nose." Shane butt in.

"I asked him to!" Sterling reminded him with a glare.

"Sterling, can I talk to you about something?" Maddie said hesitantly.

"Sure." He replied, tilting his head a bit as he turned to look at her.

"My boss, Mr. Aguar, has been noticing some weird things about the water around Pelican Town ever since Morgan moved in. He thinks he has something to do with it. Especially because the only festival he attends is the Moonlight Jellies and the strange property of the water got more concentrated after that. He's tasked me with getting water samples from Karizma Farm's property. He thinks Morgan might be dangerous." She explained carefully.

Sterling's face went through a vast array of emotions before settling on one that looked scared and defensive. "Leave him alone."

"Sterling... I can't... I don't mean him any harm though, can you help me?" Maddie pleaded.

"He trusts me." Sterling mumbled. "I'm not fucking that up."

Maddie looked pained.

"Come on, dude. You have to help her. What if Morgan hurts her?" Shane demanded.

"I told you he's not a fucking monster, Shane." Sterling growled.

"I'm so sorry that I'm not convinced." Shane replied sarcastically.

"Sterling, are you falling for him?" Maddie asked quietly.

He immediately dropped his face to his knees and groaned, not providing any additional response.

”I’m just going to politely ask him if I can get some water samples and if he says no we will go from there. Is that okay?” Maddie asked, switching gears like a pro.

“I guess.” Sterling’s muffled voice replied.

”Can I ask you a question though? Just one?” Maddie asked suddenly.

Shane shot her a warning look, but she continued anyway when Sterling nodded, still not picking his head up to look at either of them.

”Do you believe that he’s just a regular human?” 

Sterling did not respond to that question.

Chapter Text

Maddie

The night ended early after that awkward conversation with Sterling. She didn’t want to pry for more information so the conversation quickly died out. The moment the silence between them got too awkward, Shane volunteered to walk Sterling home. She hoped that he would have the sense to sincerely apologize for the way he treated him at the saloon along the way.

At the end of the day, Sterling was their friend and they needed to put their opinions of Morgan aside and be there for him. If he was really in danger then he was going to need people he could rely on to be there for him without judgement. He wasn’t going to open up to them about shit if Shane was going to treat him like a child in public.

If she wasn’t fully aware that Shane’s heart was in the right place, she might have reconsidered her relationship with him after that embarrassing outburst in public. She had to admit to herself that it did leave a bit of a bad taste in her mouth anyway. Shane always had a temper when it came to things he really cared about, but this wasn’t High-school anymore, he needed to be able to rein it in when it’s not the time or place. She’d have to keep an eye on that. 

Locking her feelings for a Shane in a box and shoving that box all the way in the back of her mind, she walked into the laboratory at the water research center.

”Good morning Maddison. Have you made any progress with the water samples we talked about?” Mr. Aguar greeted her questioningly.

She chewed on her lower lip, determined not to air Sterling’s dirty laundry out to her boss. “Not yet, I was doing some social investigating before making my appearance. I’ll stop by today.”

“You can go now, I’ll be alright here by myself.” He assured her.

She swallowed hard. “Okay.”

”Make sure you wear that charm, Maddison.” He warned.

Two hours later she exited the cable car twirling the protective charm around her neck anxiously with her fingers.

The walk to the farm from here was shorter than she would have liked. She was internally panicking but she forced herself to remain professional and push Sterling out of her mind. She couldn’t let his relationship with Morgan interfere this much with her work. Being Mr. Aguar’s assistant was the best thing she had accomplished since graduating from college. He had given her an assignment and she couldn’t fuck that up just because an old friend was hooking up with the guy. 

The farm house was kind of scary looking, she observed as she approached it. Morgan had been here for nearly a year and it still kind of appeared to be abandoned. The fields were empty, which was typical for the season, but the entire property felt void of life.

The front steps creaked ominously as she ascended them, filling her with a sense of dread. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

Her heart raced while she waited for it to open, nervously curling and uncurling her toes in her boots. She was so tense she nearly flinched when she heard the door unlock.

It swung open slowly, revealing an incredibly attractive blonde man with misty blue eyes. He looked confused.

”Hello… can I help you?” He asked hesitantly.

Wow… what a voice.

”Hello! Morgan Francis, right?” She forced herself to stick to the script even though the tattoos she could see poking out from his long sleeve shirt around his neckline were kind of distracting. They looked like snakes, but she couldn’t tell without staring which she was trying very hard not to do.

”Yes…” Morgan replied, still very confused.

”My name is Maddison, I work for the water research facility in Ridgeside Village. I’m so sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could get some water samples from the bodies of water on your property? We like to keep a close eye on the health of the water around here to make sure everyone stays healthy and safe.” She said with forced cheerfulness.

Morgan’s eyes narrowed a bit. “Uhm… okay?”

She swallowed her anxiety, thankful that he hadn’t outright refused. “Would you like me to just go ahead and handle that myself or do you have time to show me around the property?”

”I’ll show you around, give me a minute.” He said before shutting the door. 

She stared at the barren crop fields while she waited for him to return, wondering what Morgan did to make money during the winter. She didn’t see any livestock on her way in.

He re-emerged a few minutes later bundled up in a winter coat, boots, and a beanie. She was kind of awestruck by how good he made basic winter apparel look. Why was this guy a farmer instead of a model? Maybe the answers were in the water. She really hoped not though. For Sterling’s sake at least.

She followed Morgan around the farm, anxious from the lack of conversation but thankful that this was going so well so far. He led her to a small pond, watching her curiously as she filled a vial with the water from it. Then he brought her to a river, and finally a strange lagoon she didn’t even know about in the north-western corner of his property.

”Wow, this is beautiful. I had no idea this was here.” She couldn’t help herself from saying out loud.

”Yeah, it’s kind of a hidden gem.” Morgan explained quietly.

She filled a vial with water from the lagoon, snapping the cap on and twirling the tube around, studying the water’s unique color.

When she stood back up she realized Morgan was standing right next to her, she looked up into his eyes in surprise. She hadn’t even heard him approach. He was looking into her eyes with an intense gaze that was extremely unnerving.

“You won’t tell anyone about this. You will run your tests on that vial and bring the results to me.” He said in an eerie authoritative voice.

Her mind was spinning a mile a minute but thankfully she remembered the charm around her neck hidden under her shirt. She realized that whatever he was trying to do to her wasn’t working but she at least had the sense to pretend it was. “Okay.” She said in a flat tone, dumbly staring back at him and resisting the strong urge to step back. He was too close.

He stepped back first and casually said, “Is that everything you needed?” 

What the fuck?

”Yep! I think so!” She said cheerily.

Morgan led her back to the exit where she forced herself to politely thank him and say goodbye. She practically ran to the cable car the second he was out of sight.

Back at the research center, she presented the vials to her boss. All of the vials. She made sure to tell him that the oddly colored one was supposed to be a secret, and that Morgan was expecting her to bring him the results.

”You should definitely let him think his plan worked. We will just print an extra copy for you to bring to him.” He said decisively. 

She cringed at the thought of going back there again.

As they performed their diagnostic tests on the water samples, she realized her boss had been unusually quiet about Morgan’s attempt to brainwash her. Shouldn’t he have been more surprised by that? 

“Mr. Aguar?” She said hesitantly, getting his attention.

”Yes?”

“Could a human control another human like that?”

”No. If you are sure that was his true intention then he is not a regular human.”

She gulped. She was definitely sure. “I’m sure… when he stepped back it was like he was pretending it never happened, as if I wouldn’t have remembered. And he snuck up on me when he did it too.”

”We should assume he’s not human until proven otherwise, then. I trust your judgement Maddison.” He concluded.

She was quiet for a moment before asking the question she was terrified to ask. “What could he be then?”

Mr. Aguar looked up from his work, searching her eyes as if appraising her for worthiness before he granted her the knowledge she was requesting. “A number of things.” He responded finally. She guessed that meant she failed his test.

”I see. I would be interested in learning more, if you’d be willing to teach me.” She said carefully.

”My best guess, Maddison, is that he is the offspring of a human and another creature. It is likely that the old farmers son got involved with a non-human entity who gave birth to Morgan. I can only assume that is why he never took over the farm for his elderly father and why no one knows of Morgan’s mother.”

That made sense. She felt foolish for not realizing that before. Odd creature or not, Morgan was still tied to a family, he didn’t show up here randomly. “I understand. What could his mother have been? If you don’t mind me inquiring.”

”I don’t want to shatter your perception of the world, Maddison. If I determine he’s a mundane human who practices mind control, then I’ll regret having told you these things. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.” He went back to his work, signaling the end of their conversation.

”I understand.” She said simply, trying hard to mask her disappointment.

——————————————————————

Sterling

Work wasn’t as bad as usual, Pierre was actually being uncharacteristically kind to him lately. Probably because he saw him as an ally in keeping his stupid daughter safe, although the little spy mission Pierre sent him on had absolutely nothing to do with her. He didn’t need to know that. 

He told Pierre that Morgan hadn’t really mentioned her, besides saying that they played a video game and his cat was not a fan of hers.

That satisfied the man. He left Sterling alone after that, which was a very welcome break from his usual micromanaging and nit picking. 

Free from the shackles of an overbearing boss, he had the uninterrupted mental space to daydream about Morgan. His thoughts flip flopped between reminiscing on their most recent time together and worrying about the situation with Maddie. He wasn’t sure when she was going over there but he hoped it wasn’t today. He really wanted to see Morgan again before that potentially threw a wrench in their progress.

He really wished that the jingle of the door bells would announce Morgan’s presence but his shift was almost over already and he hadn’t shown up yet. He tried not to over analyze that. It was exciting but frustrating that they had no form of communication outside of chance encounters. 

The end of his shift snuck up on him before he knew it and he found himself outside with nowhere to go besides home. Shane had apologized last night on their walk to Sterling’s house but he was still kind of pissed at him. He would get over it but he wasn’t ready to hang out at the saloon or anything, that was for sure.

He didn’t really have any other friends in town since the drama with Sebastian. Maddie was Shane’s girlfriend. Henry and Mia were busy. Home was boring and lonely. And Morgan? Morgan was probably not expecting him back so soon and he didn’t want to ruin the progress he made with him. He needed to let Morgan come to him if he wanted to. At least this time.

Sterling sighed, kicking at a rock with his shoe. He headed up towards the train tracks, unsure of where else to go. 

He had just gotten past the community center when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Confusion and butterflies erupted in his chest all at once when his screen showed a new message from a contact named “Morgan”. 

He opened it up, nearly dropping his phone when he saw that it said, “Hey. Come over after work?”

When had he gotten Morgan’s phone number??? 

He realized suddenly that he must have put it in his phone when he texted Henry and Mia for him. That’s fucking adorable…

”I’m on my way :)” he texted back.

He spun around, changing course. It took him less than 20 minutes to reach the farm, excitement naturally accelerating his pace.

The anxiety settled in once he was past the front gate. He realized he didn’t actually know what Morgan asked him to come over for. He assumed it was just to see him but maybe that wasn’t it. Maybe he wanted to tell him that the day before was a mistake. Or maybe Maddie had already stopped by and he was holding her hostage in his shed. Sterling shivered at the thought.

His worries were banished by the excited meow that reached his ears as a bundle of gray and black fur raced towards him. Gloomy weaved around his legs, nearly tripping him if he hadn’t had the sense to stop walking as she barreled towards him.

He laughed, scooping the kitty up into his arms and rocking her like a baby. “Hi Gloomy! Did you miss me?”

She meowed and batted at his nose in response.

“I’ll take that as a yes. I missed you too, darling.”

He carried her to the front door while she purred in his arms. He kicked the door lightly with his foot instead of knocking since his hands were preoccupied.

Morgan opened the door with a look of confusion that instantly melted into an amused smile when he noticed the hitch hiker resting in Sterling’s arms.

”She really is obsessed with you.” Morgan commented lightly.

“I’m really obsessed with you.” Sterling replied, staring at Morgan until he met his gaze. His heart rate sped up, but he was determined to let Morgan see this flirty side of him. What was the point in falling in love with this guy if he couldn't be himself? If Morgan doesn't like him for who he is then he'll just have to move on.

Somehow.

That part of the plan was still hazy.

Morgan stared at him with a blank expression for longer than a normal person would, but a smug grin finally broke out on his face. He smiled back, relieved. Morgan stepped aside, allowing him to carry Gloomy into the house. She made a noise of complaint as he set her down on the couch. Standing up on her hind legs, she reached up with her front paws, sinking her claws into the sleeve of his jacket as he turned to walk away. He laughed, about to sit down to pay more attention to her, but Morgan walked over and swatted her paws away gently. "Go away, Gloomy. You had your turn." She fell back down to the couch, squinting her little gray eyes at her owner in absolute betrayal. Morgan didn't look moved. She huffed and jumped off the couch, disappearing from their view.

Sterling's heart was racing as he stood next to Morgan, unsure of how he was supposed to act or what he was expected to do now. Their relationship was so confusing but he didn't feel like he could ask for clarification without scaring him away. So he just waited for Morgan to act first.

He wanted Morgan to pull him into a hug, or maybe even passionately kiss him and carry him straight into the bedroom. Or even ask him about work. Anything besides what he actually ended up saying, which was "So... who is Maddison?"

Sterling froze for a moment, wishing someone had updated him on whatever he had clearly missed. "Uhm... Maddie is Shane's girlfriend. She lives in Ridgeside Village. Why?" He really hoped Morgan couldn't detect that he knew more than he was saying.

"She's some kind of scientist?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, kind of. She's a lab assistant at the water research facility." He explained.

"She came here earlier. She took some water samples." Morgan said absently.

Sterling was so on edge he couldn't stand it.

"To check on the health of the water, I guess..." Morgan continued quietly.

"Oh." He said again, wishing he had something to add that would make him sound less guilty.

Morgan locked eyes with him suddenly, accelerating his heart rate even more. He felt like a scared little bunny being hunted by a hungry fox. "Did you know she was going to come here?"

Sterling weighed his options... lie? Tell the truth? He had no idea what Morgan would think either way. "Yeah she mentioned it last night, she didn't say when she would be by though." Okay, all truth so far...

"Is it really just to test the water quality?" Morgan asked seriously.

"They've been finding some weird stuff in the water around here for the past year or so." Sterling said casually as if he didn't think it had anything to do with Morgan.

"So since I moved here?"

"I don't know exactly. I just started talking to her again. We were friends when we were teenagers."

"Okay. Is there anything else I should know?" Morgan asked him, looking into his eyes.

"Maddie asked me if I think you're human." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. He wished he could grab them out of the air and shove them back into his lungs but it was far too late.

Morgan didn't miss a beat. "What did you say to her when she asked you that?"

"I told her to leave you alone." Sterling responded, feeling ice cold all of a sudden.

"That's it?" Morgan questioned. Sterling nodded. "Why didn't you just say yes?"

Sterling froze, pondering how to answer that. Morgan's tone didn't sound angry, it sounded more like challenging curiosity.

"Because I don't know if that's true." He said finally.

"You're not sure if I'm human?" Morgan confirmed, speaking slowly and precisely.

"No."

"Interesting." Morgan said dismissively. He finally broke his creepy eye contact.

Sterling blinked rapidly trying to catch up. "Interesting??" He questioned.

"If you think I might be some sort of monster, why are you "really obsessed" with me? Or is that why? I fascinate you?" Morgan's eyes narrowed, shooting daggers at him.

"Woah" Sterling threw his hands up in the air. "That has nothing to do with it."

"Oh really? Why do you keep coming back to me then?" Morgan demanded. "Is it just to help Maddie, and whoever she works for, investigate me?"

"Do you seriously fucking think that!?" Sterling asked him, feeling emotions boiling up inside of him.

"You JUST told me that you're not sure if I'm human or not. What am I supposed to think, Sterling?" Morgan retorted.

Something about the way he just had to say his name set him off in a way he didn't expect. He hadn't meant to lose his cool but Morgan just pushed him over the edge with his wildly false accusations.

"Not that I'm here just for fucking research or something??? Because that has nothing to do with how I feel about you." He snapped.

"That doesn't make sense. You have feelings for me even though you're not sure if I'm a human..." Morgan said coolly.

"HOW ARE YOU NOT GETTING THIS!? It doesn't matter if you are or not, because I'd still be falling for you either fucking way!" He argued, tears of frustration pricking his eyes. 

FUCK. He did not mean to say that.

Morgan's eyes widened in surprise.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck...

"What if I'm not entirely human?" Morgan asked quietly.

"I don't care. It doesn't change anything." Sterling replied, feeling like he was in a courtroom pleading his case before a judge.

Morgan startled him then, closing the distance between them rapidly with two big steps. He regained his composure as Morgan grabbed his face with both hands and smashed his lips against his. Sterling kissed him back with just as much enthusiasm, wrapping his hands around Morgan's waist. Morgan's hands moved as they kissed, one sliding up into his hair while the other moved down his back, pulling him closer. 

Sterling was overwhelmed with emotion. The gravity of what he just admitted, what Morgan had just implied, and what they were doing right now after those admissions, was starting to weigh on him heavily. But it wasn't necessarily a bad feeling. At the very least he felt like his feelings were returned and that was enough for right now.

Chapter Text

Sterling

An hour later, they were both naked laying down in Morgan's bed, coming down from the high of passionate (toxic?) sex.

Sterling rolled onto his side so he was facing Morgan, staring at him with his head on the pillow. Morgan copied him with a smile. He easily returned his intense eye contact, being the king of it himself. Maybe Morgan’s endearing creepiness was rubbing off on him. It was an amusing thought.

"What?" He asked.

"I meant everything I said." Sterling said seriously.

Morgan just kept staring at him for a moment. He looked like he was contemplating something.

"I'm only half human." He said finally, briefly closing his eyes before slowly opening them again, bracing himself for Sterling’s reaction.

"Okay." Sterling replied calmly. Sensing Morgan's anxiety about admitting this, he reached for one of his hands, threading their fingers together. "What's the other half?"

Morgan squeezed his hand and shut his eyes again, sighing deeply. "Listen…I am afraid you won’t want me anymore, or you’ll be afraid of me, but I'm also really worried that you'll tell someone. Sterling, if everyone finds out what I am... I'll have to leave, I'll be chased out of here. Please tell me you understand.”

He scooted closer, pulling Morgan into a tight embrace, rolling over until he was practically on top of him. He buried his face in the crook of Morgan's neck, tickling him with his probably sweaty brown hair, kissing his neck softly. "Your secrets are safe with me, Morgan. I would never do anything to hurt you." Remembering the first part of what he said Sterling pulled back until they were face to face. "And I swear I won't change my mind about you." He added, pressing a kiss to Morgan's lips before nuzzling back into his neck.

Morgan hugged him harder, sighing again. "Okay. It's a long story. Let's get dressed, if I’m going to tell you then it'll probably make more sense if I show you something. Maddie already saw it anyway."

Maddie saw it??? That really piqued his interest. "Okay." He agreed, reluctantly rolling off of Morgan to look for his clothes.

Before he could get up, Morgan caught him by the hips, rolling him onto his back so Sterling was underneath him. "Wait." He said nervously, looking into his eyes.

"What?" Sterling asked, butterflies fluttering around in his chest even though they had literally just had sex for the last hour. 

"I just have to say something before... uhm... you know, you might change your mind about leaving, so..."

"Morgan. I'm not going to leave." He said sternly, looking up into his mystifying blue eyes with a sad empathetic expression. "What is it?"

"I think I'm… falling for you too but… I don't really know what that's supposed to feel like, though..." Morgan admitted sheepishly.

Sterling's eyes teared up instantly at the innocence and the courage it must have taken for Morgan to admit that to him. 

“Can you explain what it’s supposed to feel like?” Morgan asked shyly.

He wrapped his arms around Morgan’s neck, pulling him down to kiss him deeply. Then he pulled away, letting Morgan fall onto the bed next to him. They both looked up at the ceiling while Sterling found the words to explain.

“It feels like… free falling into the unknown. But you’re not just scared, you’re excited and happy too. It’s like realizing that you’re becoming attached to this person… almost like an addiction. You just want more and more of them and you miss them when they’re not with you. And then eventually you realize how much it would suck if that person wasn’t in your life anymore, because they’re all you think about and it’s kind of terrifying when you realize that suddenly you can’t even imagine your life without them.”

He could see Morgan out of the corner of his eye, staring at him and listening intently. When he finished speaking he turned to look at him directly but Morgan was already propping himself up on his elbow to look at him. 

“That’s how you feel about me?” Morgan asked him quietly.

Sterling blushed and looked away, unable to meet his eyes. “Yeah.”

”Fuck.” Morgan whispered, closing his eyes.

Regret flooded his system, thinking he just came on way too strong and ruined this for himself. “What’s wrong?” He asked hesitantly. His blood running cold in fear.

Morgan opened his eyes, looking at Sterling with a teary expression. “It’s going to hurt so fucking bad if you stop feeling that way after I tell you everything.”

Sterling blinked. ”Fuck, Morgan, you scared me.” He chuckled nervously in relief.

”Why?” Morgan asked, clearly confused.

”I thought I freaked you out with that whole speech.” He said honestly.

”You did… but…only because you described exactly how I feel.” Morgan admitted.

Sterling stared into his beautiful eyes, feeling himself falling even more every second that passed. “Let’s get dressed and talk about all of this so I can tell you again that I’m not fucking going anywhere and you can stop looking so fucking sad and scared. It’s breaking my heart.”

Morgan laughed. “Okay.”

Ten minutes later they were dressed and heading out the door. Morgan silently led the way, heading north west on his property. Sterling followed by his side, reaching for one of his hands to hold. Morgan squeezed his hand nervously, silently showing Sterling how terrifying this was for him.

He did his best to comfort him, rubbing the back of Morgan’s hand with his thumb in little circles. It felt weird though, walking across the farmland holding hands. It felt too… real. And that was scary because he wasn’t so sure if Morgan would ever actually want them to be real.

Morgan led him to a beautiful part of the farmland that he had only briefly passed by before when using the shortcut up to the mountain. There was a mysterious cave he decided not to ask about that was situated near a beautiful waterfall. They crossed a bridge that led to the other side of the river, ascending a staircase leading to a massive shed. 

“Is this…?” Sterling started to ask, hoping that this creepy looking shed wasn’t what Morgan had to show him.

He laughed. “No. I haven’t fixed that up yet. It’s just down this path.” He clarified, pulling Sterling towards a hidden path off to the side of the dilapidated shed. 

Once they made it through the trees, Sterling gasped at the beautiful sight in front of him. They were standing at the edge of a huge clearing in the woods. Off in the distance, a modest waterfall fed into a large body of water surrounded by bushes and hardwood trees. The water was an unusual color and seemed to glitter deep within. The air felt different up here. Powerful. Rejuvenating.

Morgan let him take it all in for a moment before steering him over to a small bridge closer to the waterfall. They stood there quietly for a moment, holding on to the railing as they looked out into the lagoon. With the roar of the waterfall not too far behind them, Sterling felt more than heard the quiet sigh that escaped his mysterious love interest.

He turned to look at him, urging him with his eyes to get this weight off of his chest already. Morgan seemed to understand, nodding his head slightly before taking a deep breath. Sterling waited for him to speak, realizing suddenly that even though it was winter now, it wasn’t chilly over here at all. Even with the added air flow from the cascading water, it was pleasantly warm. Only now did he notice the steam rising up off of the water. 

“Holy shit, is this a hot spring?” He asked suddenly, cringing when he realized he probably just cut Morgan off.

To his relief, he just chuckled, nodding his head in confirmation. “Yeah. But only when I want it to be. It’s just a regular lagoon most of the time, nothing lives in it though. You won’t find any fish in here.”

”That’s fucking awesome, no wonder you never leave the farm. I wouldn’t either.”

Morgan looked at him with an expression that was equal parts amused and saddened. “I wish that were the only reason.”

”Shit… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” He said, feeling guilty for not thinking before he spoke.

“I know.” Morgan said, smiling reassuringly. Another deep breath and he was finally getting to the point. “I was born here.”

Without context, Sterling would have assumed he meant on this farm, or in this town, but he knew what Morgan really meant. At least, approximately. “In this grove?” He asked first, knowing that probably wasn’t he meant.

”In this spring.” Morgan corrected.

”Wow.” Sterling commented, waiting for the rest of the explanation.

”My father is a human…” He continued. “My mother was a selkie.” 

“What’s that?” Sterling asked quietly. He knew, or at least had an idea, but he wanted Morgan to explain it fully. Truth often differed from legend. 

“To put it simply, they’re seals in the ocean but humans on land. My mother was cursed before my father met her though, so she was no longer able to escape to the ocean as a seal, she was stuck here in the forest. She could still change form but only as a serpent capable of living on land or fresh water. My father discovered her hanging out by this grove when he was a teenager. They fell in love, she eventually told him her secrets. They were careless. When she got pregnant with me, they panicked. They told my grandfather everything, luckily he was understanding and kind. He treated her well, did everything he could to make sure she was comfortable during her pregnancy since she had to stay in human form. We lived in that shed we just passed by. She gave birth to me in this water since no one had any way of knowing how I would turn out.”

”Wow.” Sterling mumbled, hanging on every word.

”I ended up being a pretty normal baby, though my eyes had the tendency to turn snake like and I could be extremely manipulative. They had to keep me hidden. I also didn’t have the appetite of a normal child. They eventually realized that although my body was mostly human, I had mild mind control abilities and a temper when provoked. I was too dangerous to be allowed to live a normal life. So my father moved back to the city to send my grandfather money for me, and my mother stayed here to care for me. When I got older I was allowed to go to the jellyfish festival but that was it. They didn’t allow me to leave the property otherwise. Grandpa told everyone that I only visited in the summer but the truth was that I was here the entire time, until my mother died.”

”How did she die?” Sterling asked hesitantly.

”My father asked someone for help. He wanted us to be able to live a normal life. He thought she was a good witch. She wasn’t. She ended up being the same witch who cursed her in the first place. She didn’t know my mother was still alive. When she learned that she had offspring she tried to kill me, but my mother sacrificed herself instead. My father felt so guilty that he took me to the city with him. I was 17. It was miserable. I spent pretty much all my time on the internet teaching myself all the things I should have learned in school. Eventually he got me my own apartment so I wouldn’t feel like a child anymore, but I hated the city. I was so lonely all the time, he adopted Gloomy for me in attempt to make it easier for me. As soon as I found out grandpa died I decided I was coming back here. It took years of planning but I finally figured it out.”

”Oh my god… I’m so sorry.” Sterling said, squeezing Morgan’s hand.

”I’ve never told anyone any of this.” Morgan said quietly. He looked up at Sterling with sad, scared eyes. “If anyone finds out what I am, they won’t let me stay here. They wouldn’t be comfortable having someone who can control their minds living right in town. I don’t… I don’t want to leave, Sterling. I have nowhere else to go.”

”I won’t tell anyone, I swear.” He promised, reaching out to pull Morgan into his arms. He hugged him back hesitantly, as if he was afraid Sterling would get scared if he squeezed him too hard. “I’m still not afraid of you.”

”I still don’t understand why you aren’t.” Morgan admitted.

”You’re just not scary to me. You’ve never hurt me in any way that I didn’t want you to. I trust you. And I don’t think you mean anyone any harm.” Sterling said softly, still processing everything Morgan just told him. “You haven’t… controlled me, have you?”

Morgan shook his head. “I’ve only influenced your movements. I was so confused for a while because you seemed like you wanted me even after I hurt you, and that didn’t make sense to me because why would you want that? So I thought I was somehow controlling you by accident. I hated that possibility, so I pushed you away. I’m so sorry… I thought I was protecting you.” He looked down into the water, shame and regret painted all over his face.

Sterling felt like his heart was being strangled. He just wanted to grab Morgan and kiss his stupid face for the rest of the day and night but he obviously wasn’t done talking yet and he didn’t want to cut this conversation short.

“I thought you didn’t like me.” Sterling laughed incredulously.

”How could I not?” Morgan asked, finally looking up at him. Sterling’s heart skipped a beat. The urge to kiss him and end this conversation was growing stronger. He needed to distract himself.

He wiped the lovesick smile, that Morgan definitely noticed, off of his face and cleared his throat. “While we’re being honest… why did you hang out with Abby?” He asked hesitantly.

”Oh… I hadn’t spent any time with anyone other than you since I came here. I wanted to make sure I was still in control of my powers so I used her as a test subject because I don’t care about her but she obviously has a crush on me. She was convenient. When everything worked out the way I wanted it to, I realized I was probably wrong for assuming your feelings weren’t real. I also wanted to see if it would make you jealous. Not to be an asshole… I was just so scared that I was subconsciously fucking with your emotions. I had to figure out how you actually felt.”

Sterling was relieved but still kind of mad that he had to miss him and feel unwanted for so long over a misunderstanding. “You could’ve just asked me.”

Morgan laughed. “How could I have known for sure that I wasn’t influencing your responses somehow?”

He supposed that made sense. He still hated it though. Or maybe he just hated the fact that Morgan couldn’t accept that someone actually had feelings for him. 

”I guess.” Sterling said, casting his gaze to the side. “I fucking hate Abby though...”

”I know. That’s exactly why it was her. If I accidentally hurt her I wouldn’t have felt guilty at all.” Morgan explained with a smirk, waiting for Sterling to get it.

Sterling finally smiled. “Okay. I forgive you.” Morgan smiled back. “By the way Pierre totally hates you.” He added.

Morgan laughed. “Good, he’s been nicer to you though right?”

”Yeah actually he has, was that your plan?” 

“Not quite but I figured it would be a beneficial side effect of hanging out with his daughter.” He admitted with a smug grin.

”My hero.” Sterling joked.

Morgan smiled but his expression quickly turned apathetic. He sighed. Sterling could instantly feel the mood shift. He braced himself for bad news.

”I told Maddie to bring me the test results from this water sample and not tell anyone else. I… don’t know what will happen to me if she doesn’t listen. I realized after that they probably had no idea this was even here… I could have just not shown her… I guess that would have been suspicious though.” Morgan rambled nervously.

“I won’t let them do anything to you. I’ll make sure Maddie tells me what’s going on the whole time.” Sterling promised, fear seeping into his soul at the thought of anyone trying to banish Morgan from Pelican Town.

“You don’t have to try to protect me, Sterling. You can have a better life without me. Just because I told you all of this doesn’t mean you have to stay in my life. It’s still your choice. All I ask is that you don’t tell anyone.” Morgan said somberly, his voice wavering towards the end.

His words pierced his heart. ”Morgan-“ Sterling started to protest, but he was quickly cut off.

“A relationship with me would be complicated and stressful. You must realize that, don’t you?” Morgan asked seriously.

Sterling reached up to cup the side of Morgan’s face, leaning in to kiss him gently. Then again. And again. He didn’t back away until he felt the tension slowly but surely melting away from Morgan’s body. “You’re worth it.” He whispered against his lips.

Morgan kissed him harder, running his hands all over his body like he couldn’t get enough of him as they began feverishly making out on the bridge. Their heightened emotions were making all of their senses feel extra intense. What started as a gentle reassuring kiss was quickly becoming heated.

Morgan pulled away suddenly, panting slightly. “Do you want to check out the water? It feels amazing.” He asked suggestively.

”Okay.” Sterling agreed, also somewhat out of breath. He felt like he would do anything Morgan wanted him to right now. Sure, he could blame it on Morgan controlling his mind but this was just pure attraction. 

Morgan kissed him one more time before leading him over to a small set of steps that led down into the water. Then he grabbed two big handfuls of Sterling’s shirt, tugging him towards him roughly, their mouths reconnecting immediately. He took his coat off and threw it in the grass before immediately sliding Sterling’s coat off his shoulders and tossing it right on top of his. They took turns pulling each other’s shirts up over their heads, eagerly running their hands over each other’s bare chests.

Sterling reached for the button on Morgan’s jeans, losing focus when he felt teeth sink into his neck. He moaned, clumsily wrestling with the zipper on Morgan’s pants. He finally figured it out, tugging his pants and boxers down so he could kick them the rest of the way off himself. Morgan paused his assault on Sterling’s neck to focus on getting the rest of their clothes off. He took one of Sterling’s hands once they were both fully naked, pulling him towards the steps.

Sterling pulled his hand away, smiling at Morgan mischievously when he turned around to see what was wrong. He then jumped straight into the water, skipping the steps entirely. 

The force of his cannonball sent water splashing up at Morgan who was still standing at the top of the steps staring at him in disbelief. 

Sterling’s head finally emerged, shaking the water out of his hair like a dog. He caught Morgan’s eyes and grinned. “What are you waiting for? You’re right, the water is amazing.”

Morgan finally unfroze, laughing as he shook his head at him. He climbed down the steps and swam over to Sterling, wrapping his arms around his neck and smiling at him with the most genuinely happy expression Sterling had ever seen on his face. “I love you.” He admitted softly, looking at him with pure adoration.

Sterling blinked back tears, briefly wondering if he had misheard him. The look in Morgan’s eyes told him that he hadn’t though. “I love you too.” He whispered.

Their lips met in a frenzy. Sterling’s arms wrapped around Morgan’s neck and his legs wrapped around his waist. It was so much better in the water than when they made out like this in his house. The water allowing him to float effortlessly freed up Morgan’s hands from having to support his weight. It gave him the freedom to wrap his hand around Sterling’s dick while the other hand tangled itself into his wet hair, holding his face against his own. Sterling whimpered into his mouth, already feeling needy. 

The feeling was amplified when he felt something hard rise up to rest under his ass. He unraveled his legs from Morgan’s waist, allowing his feet to touch the smooth rocky bottom of the hot spring. He sucked on Morgan’s tongue as he found his dick under the water, making him moan. He covered his neck in sweet kisses before looking up into his eyes playfully before taking a deep breath in through his nose and dropping to his knees. Morgan gasped when he felt Sterling’s tongue swirling around the tip of his cock underwater before taking the whole length into his mouth. 

He kept at it until he had to come up for air. Morgan gave him a few seconds to catch his breath before pulling him in for a searing kiss. He pulled him backwards as they made out, bringing them to a shallower area against the edge of the spring. He turned Sterling around, growling directions in his ear to turn around and hold onto the grass. Sterling obeyed and before he knew it, Morgan was slowly sliding inside him. Once he was all the way in, he pulled out and did it again, kissing the back of Sterling’s neck and then the side, nipping at and sucking on the delicate skin. 

He gradually picked up the pace, sliding in and out of him faster and faster. Sterling was thankful that they were in the middle of the woods because neither one of them were being particularly quiet. Especially not as Morgan got closer to finishing and he reached around to help Sterling get there too.

The warm, magical water made everything feel even more incredible than usual and it wasn’t long until he was a moaning and whimpering mess, begging Morgan to cum inside of him.

”Fuck!” Morgan cried out as he came hard, Sterling immediately following, both overwhelmed by the sensations and still riding the high of realizing they were both madly in love. 

He slowly pulled out, spinning Sterling around to pull him into his arms for the most emotional hug they’d shared so far. He had no idea how long they stayed like that but they both ended up crying, clinging to each other like one of them might disappear if either of them let go.

The sun had completely set by the time they finally put their clothes back on and made their way back inside the house.

Chapter Text

Maddie

Her hands shook in her lap as the cable car brought her down from Ridgeside Village. The chilly winter morning had nothing to do with her trembling hands, but the weather certainly wasn’t helping her nerves either.

Mr. Aguar had tasked her with delivering the copy of the water sample results from the lagoon to Morgan, as he requested. The nerve wracking part of it was that she was supposed to keep the sample a secret, which she did not, obviously. She had never been particularly good at deception, and knowing that she was on her way to lie to someone who not only wasn’t human, but also had the capability to be very dangerous, had her a nervous fucking wreck. 

She knew she couldn’t handle going straight over there, which was why Shane was waiting for her at the bottom of the lift. Relief washed over her face as she noticed him standing there next to the platform. She had been so worried that he would be late and she’d be waiting there alone, freaking out for anyone who passed by to see.

She had called him last night, crying hysterically. After 5 minutes of incoherent babbling, Shane had gotten her confirmation that it wasn’t a medical emergency before he hung up the phone and knocked on her door about half an hour later. After telling him everything, it had been painful for both of them when Shane had to leave for the night, but he assured her that he’d be here for her in the morning.

Stepping out of the cable car, she all but rushed into Shane’s arms, burying her face in his warm chest and squeezing her arms around his midsection like her life depended on it. 

Shane knew how anxious she was, instantly returning her embrace, running his hand down over her hair soothingly. “Hey baby, it’s going to be okay. You got this.” He whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re wearing that protection charm right?”

”Yeah… I just… I don’t k-know…” She stammered, feeling like a big cry baby. She couldn’t help it, this was terrifying. “What if he can tell?”

”You got this, babe.” He repeated. “I believe in you. He doesn’t know you so that makes it even easier. Just fake some confidence and make it short and sweet. Then get the hell out of there and meet me back here.”

She squeezed him harder, trying to take his words to heart. “Thank you, Shane.” She said, mumbling the words into his chest. 

“Anytime, babe. I’ll always be here for you.” He kissed the top of her head again. 

“Please don’t disappear again.” She whispered in a semi desperate tone. 

Shane tensed up immediately. “Maddie… I’m so sorry. I’ll never do that to you again, I swear.”

”I can’t lose you again, Shane. Once ripped my heart out, twice would kill me.” She admitted, trying to keep her voice steady. “Fuck I’m really not trying to cry right now… he’ll know something is off.”

Shane pushed her away from him, keeping his hands on her shoulders. “Maddison Pickens, pull yourself together. You are an important woman of science, and you have a mission to complete.”

She was stunned, staring at his serious expression for a moment before bursting with laughter, Shane’s stoic face finally cracking into a big grin. “You almost had me there.” 

Shane leaned in to give her a lingering kiss. “Go on now, get this over with so we have time for a quickie before you have to get back to the lab.”

She felt her cheeks get hot as she stared at him with her mouth agape. “Shane!”

He just winked and gave her a little slap on the butt as he pushed her in the direction of the farm. “I’ll be waiting!”

She gave him one last scandalized look before hesitantly heading towards Morgan’s house. Trying to collect herself after that conversation she realized that Shane was trying to throw her off intentionally to distract her from how terrified she was. “Genius bastard…” she muttered to herself, still focusing on putting one foot in front of the other until the decrepit old farmhouse came into view.

She winced as the crumbling wooden steps leading to the porch creaked ominously under her feet. Taking a deep breath and forcing a professional and unassuming smile on her face, she finally knocked on the door. Her nerves grew more unsteady the longer the door went unanswered. She leaned a little closer to the door, secretly hoping she wouldn’t hear any signs of life inside the creepy house. To her dismay, she was pretty sure she could hear a voice inside. She waited another minute, contemplating knocking again or just straight up leaving. As she was struggling to decide, the lock finally clicked causing her to gasp involuntarily.

The face that appeared when the door opened was not the one she expected to see.

”Sterling!?” She hissed, her professional demeanor long forgotten.

“Maddie! Hey!” Sterling greeted her casually as if this wasn’t super weird and concerning.

”What are you doing here?” She questioned, perhaps a little too aggressively.

Sterling looked a little sheepish, scratching the back of his head before meeting her gaze. “We’re… uh… dating now. Like, for real.” He admitted, smiling at her in a way that conveyed he knew that this was fucked. He looked genuinely happy nonetheless, she had to admit.

That was bad though. Very bad. Part of her almost wished that he would look scared, silently trying to tell her that this was a hostage situation and to go get help. Her heart aches for him. He must have no idea what he’s gotten himself into…

Before she could muster up a response to that chilling announcement, the devil himself slid into view, circling a pale tattooed arm around Sterling’s waist.

”Maddison! I assume you’re here with the results from the water tests?” Morgan smiled a deceptively friendly and innocent smile.

It made her skin crawl, but only because instead of absolute disgust, she was just shocked to find it somewhat calming, almost like she wanted to smile back.

Which she did, but only because she was supposed to be here for business reasons, professionally. Absolutely not because Morgan’s smile was infectiously attractive. She barely had time to analyze that train of thought though, her anxiety was ramped back up to 1000 when she realized Morgan was still waiting for her to respond.

”Oh! Yes! Here it is.” She finally choked out, handing the envelope of stapled data sheets to the dangerous creature in front of her. She had to keep reminding herself of that. Even with her protective charm necklace, he could still harm her. Would he really, especially in front of Sterling? Who knows. But she really wasn’t trying to find out. Shane was waiting for her after all. 

“Thank you! Is there anything else you needed?” Morgan asked politely as he set the envelope down on a table by the door, putting his arm around Sterling’s shoulders this time. She inwardly cringed. How was she going to save Sterling from this monster?

”Nope that’s it. Thank you for your cooperation!” She forced a smile. “And good to see you, Sterling, as always. Uhm.. congrats on the relationship!” She added awkwardly.

They both chuckled and said thanks. “I’ll see you guys around! Bye!” She turned to leave but Morgan stopped her by calling her name.

She turned around slowly, anxiety spiking as she forced a friendly smile on her face.

Morgan took a couple steps out of the house, stopping just in front of her. Her heart pounded in her chest. “You didn’t tell anyone about this, did you?” He asked her seriously, staring down into her eyes.

She faltered for a moment, scrambling for the courage to lie. “No. Of course not.” She finally responded.

Morgan nodded. “Thank you, Maddie. Have a good day.” He smiled at her warmly, stepping back inside the house and giving her a little wave before shutting the door. She felt like she was going to throw up. She forced herself to walk calmly until she was out of view from the house, breaking into a sprint the second she was free from watching eyes.

She really hoped Shane was still waiting for her.

——————————————————————

“She’s lying.” Sterling said bluntly the moment he knew Maddie was out of earshot.

”Fuck.” Morgan grumbled, pacing back and forth, both hands tangled in his hair. He didn’t have to ask Sterling if he was sure or what gave it away. He trusted him. “She must be resistant to my abilities somehow. Like you, but different. Yoba, I wish I was born with an instruction booklet.” 

Sterling couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lungs. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, this isn’t funny. It’s just the way you said that.”

Morgan glanced over at him, the ghost of a smile on his face despite his inner turmoil.

He felt that familiar pang in his heart, still getting used to how well things were going between them. He remembered the words he was allowed to say now, his heart rate increasing as he prepared himself to say them. The excitement had not worn off yet at all. 

He crossed the room, wrapping his arms around Morgan’s neck, encouraging him to release his poor hair in order to hug Sterling back. He gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek before looking into his misty blue eyes. “I love you, Morgan. We’ll figure this out.”

Morgan hastily kissed his lips before responding. “I love you too. Who do you think she told?”

”Probably just her boss and Shane.”

”Shane?” Morgan echoed, sounding worried.

”Yeah… I can find out tonight though. I’ll try to hang out with them. I’ll know if they’re being shady or not. I’m more worried about her boss though.” He admitted. “Let’s look at the results anyway. We don’t even know what they know.”

Morgan sighed, picking the envelope up from the table and shaking out the contents. He peered at the paper skeptically, praying to the god he didn’t even believe in that it didn’t say anything too incriminating.

After a couple minutes of squinting and mumbling out loud to himself, he concluded that he had no idea what any of it meant. He handed the paper to Sterling in frustration. “Does this make any sense to you!?”

Sterling read through the test results carefully, channeling his high school science class education to help him understand what he was looking at. He scratched his head absentmindedly, coming to a conclusion. “Nope.”

Morgan groaned, slumping onto the couch with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

Sterling joined him on the couch, quickly putting his arm around him and rubbing his shoulder soothingly. “It’s okay, maybe I can get her to explain it to me. I’ll see what I can get out of Maddie and Shane tonight, and you… harness the power of Google to make that shit make some sense. We’ll figure this out and then once we know what they know, then we’ll go from there.”

Morgan nodded wordlessly, refusing to look up.

”What did you mean by ‘like me’ by the way?” Sterling asked, steering the conversation in a different direction in hopes of getting Morgan to calm down.

”I don’t think most of my abilities have any affect on you anymore.” Morgan mumbled into his hands.

”You’ve tried?” Sterling questioned, trying to keep his tone as non-accusational as possible.

“Not really.” Morgan replied emotionlessly.

He sighed, giving up on that topic. “Okay…”  He leaned against Morgan instead, resting his head on his shoulder, still rubbing his other shoulder in little circles.

”I don’t want to leave...” Morgan whispered in the most dejected voice he had ever heard come out of him.

It tugged on his heart strings so hard that he came to a sudden realization that hit him like a sack of bricks.

”You know… If it comes to that… I’ll go with you. Anywhere.” He said seriously.

Morgan finally looked up, his eyes teary and emotional. “You would?”

“Yeah.” 

Morgan sniffled. “I can’t do that to you. Why would you want to give up your life to run away with a monster?”

“First of all, you’re not a monster.” Sterling chided him angrily. “Secondly, you’re the best thing in my life, so yeah, I’d follow you anywhere.”

”You can’t possibly mean that… the best thing?” Morgan replied anxiously, avoiding eye contact again.

Sterling grabbed his wrists, causing Morgan’s head to snap up to look at him in surprise. “Listen to me. Our relationship may have started off on questionable terms, but I fell in love with you somewhere along the way, and that means something to me. It means a lot to me, actually. Your problems are our problems now, and not because you’re making them be, but because I want them to be. I’m going to do everything in my power to figure out how to smooth this over so you can stay here, but if that doesn’t work and you have to leave, I’m coming with you. Okay?” 

Morgan looked absolutely floored, staring at him with an expression that could only be described as simultaneously shocked and full of love. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but okay.”

Sterling released his wrists with a smile, grunting in surprise when Morgan threw himself at him, crashing their lips together in a passionate kiss that had them horizontal on the couch in no time. 

Morgan hastily pulled his shirt off, planting kisses all over Sterling’s neck and freshly exposed chest. He moaned at the feeling of Morgan’s lips on his skin. His kisses were going straight to his dick as well as his heart. He let his hands rest loosely on either side of Morgan’s torso, sliding up and down his smooth skin with his movements as he lavished Sterling with attention. 

His mind flashed back to last night. After their life altering conversation by the water and the mind blowing sex following it, they had gone back to the house to eat dinner and cuddle in bed. The magically enhanced water had left them a bit too wide awake to go right to sleep, so they had stayed up for hours just talking and snuggling, getting to know each other better. 

Sterling had admitted that he had some demons too, although they weren’t nearly as interesting as being half selkie and possessing the ability to control others minds on demand. He filled Morgan in on his struggles with substance abuse and addiction, recounting the series of unfortunate events that had caused him to move back to the valley from the city after so much time away.

Morgan had listened intently, asking questions here and there. When he finished his summed up life story, Morgan had reassured him that it didn’t change anything and that he didn’t have to worry about him losing interest in him if he relapsed. The sincerity in his voice brought Sterling to tears, letting the salty droplets soak into the sleeve of Morgan’s T-shirt as he clung to him in relief.

He had never felt so accepted.

The depth of his love for this man was tripling by the day, it was becoming unbearable to imagine his life without him. So when he told him he would follow him anywhere, he meant it with his whole heart.

Morgan’s tongue circled one of his nipples while his thumb brushed back and forth across his other one. The delicious sensations pulled him out of his head, squirming around underneath his incredibly attractive boyfriend. 

“Fuck.” He mumbled, whining as he felt teeth sinking into the sensitive bud. Everything sexual that they did together had gotten even more intoxicating since they confessed their feelings. They both still acted on their kinks but there was an extra layer of care and tenderness that went into every painful touch. Every time Morgan inflicted pain upon him, it was immediately followed by a loving embrace or a healing kiss or a gentle and warm lick. 

He was already madly in love, and it was mind boggling to know that he was nowhere near finished with falling. This was just the beginning.

Chapter Text

Shane

Maddie had just finished telling him a 30 second summary of what happened when she went to the farmhouse. Her sentences all ran together as she tried to get it all out as quickly as possible. He swore he was seeing red, imaging the scene she described to him in his head.

He felt his fists clench involuntarily. “Sterling answered the door?” He repeated, seeking clarification before losing his shit.

”Yes! I was so caught off guard. He acted so casual about being there. And then Morgan was all smiles and pleasantries until he fucking interrogated me all creepy like.”

”That’s awfully fucking domestic of them…” he muttered under his breath. “You think he slept over?”

”It kind of seemed like it, I guess, I don’t know. He said they’re dating ‘for real’ now so probably! Shane, how are we going to get him to see how dangerous he is?” Maddie asked anxiously.

”DATING!? We need an intervention. If that doesn’t work then let’s just hope your boss has a plan to get him the fuck out of Pelican Town.”

”Sterling is going to hate us…” Maddie whispered, reminding him that this wasn’t going to go over well.

”He can hate us, as long as he’s alive and safe.” Shane said matter of factly.

”Babe… he’s your best friend. Are you ready to lose him like that?” She asked, placing a hand on his forearm and looking him in the eyes.

”I’m going to lose him anyway if he stays with that fucking dude!” He insisted. He could feel the frustration bubbling up inside of himself. “Fuck it, I’m texting him right now.”

Maddie sighed nervously, biting her fingernails while she watched Shane type out the message telling him they needed to talk.

The dancing dots appeared and Sterling replied almost immediately saying he was free later.

”Well that was easy.” Shane mumbled.

“Too easy.” Maddie added. She sighed again. “I have to go back to work now. I’ll see you later. Keep me updated.”

”Yeah, you too.” He replied, pulling her in for a mindless hug and a kiss before letting her go. He breathed in the scent of her shampoo, willing it to calm his nerves. It helped a little but not nearly enough.

He walked back to the ranch, thoughts racing through his head. She was right, he really wasn’t ready to lose his best friend. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make if it kept him alive though.

He was so wrapped him in his thoughts he didn’t even see the person he walked straight into until it was too late. “Fuck! Sorry! Sorry!” He apologized hastily before realizing who it was. Abigail.

“Oh.” He said out loud involuntarily, watching her hopeful expression drop suddenly.

”Hey Shane.” She tried anyway, a friendly smile appearing hesitantly on her face. “How are you?”

”Fine.” He said gruffly, pushing past her to continue walking.

”Can we talk for a minute?” She called after him.

”What do you want, Abby?” He snapped, turning back to her with an exaggerated amount of annoyance.

She quickly stepped closer to him, lowering her voice. “Are Sterling and Morgan…together?” She stared up at him expectantly, eyes wide and braced for the answer.

”Why?” He asked, eyes narrowing in aggravation. “Why are you always in everyone’s business?”

She bristled but didn’t back down. “There’s something weird about him, Shane. I’m only asking because I care and I know how much you care.”

He couldn’t help the incredulous laugh that escaped him. “You care? That’s rich.”

Abby glared at him, losing her cool slowly but surely. “Yeah. I do. I’m not all bad you know. I’m trying to help you.”

”Whatever you say. If I remember correctly you were the reason he had his heart completely broken. ” He replied, turning to walk away again. She grabbed his arm with her clammy little hand. He recoiled in disgust. “What do you want!? Don’t fucking touch me!”

Abby pulled her hand back as if his words had scorched her. “Okay, I get it! You hate me! But I’m serious Shane. There’s something not right about Morgan. I don’t know what it is but you need to be careful. He might be really dangerous. I tried to get to know him but he wouldn’t let me in and then he stopped talking to me entirely. I have no idea what’s up with him but it’s concerning and I don’t like it. I know you don’t want to lose Sterling, that’s why I’m telling you this.”

”Okay, great, thanks for your concern. You can fuck off now.” He stalked away before she could say anything else. He heard her groan in frustration. Good. Yoba, he couldn’t stand her.

He veered right instead of left, storming into the Joja Mart a few minutes later, heading straight for the beer aisle.

A case of beer and a disposable nicotine vape later, and he was well on his way to poorly self medicating this crippling anxiety away. 

Slumped against the pelican statue, he allowed his hands to shake freely, not having to put up a mask now that he was no longer in public. The anxiety washed over him in waves as he inhaled deep breaths of the minty chemical air and cracked open beer after beer. He started crying at some point, he wasn’t really sure. All he knew was that he had a really bad feeling about all of this. The pit in his stomach felt about 100 feet deep and it was threatening to swallow him whole.

——————————————————————

Sterling

Part of him wondered if he’d ever grow bored of kissing Morgan, but a bigger part of him knew he wouldn’t. There was just something so addicting about the way their lips fit together, like puzzle pieces that finally found their perfect match. 

He pulled back for just long enough to spot the time on the clock, eyes widening in surprise at how late it had gotten. Time flies when you’re in love I guess…

It was nearly 5:30 and he had promised Shane that he would meet him in the chicken coop at 6.

Morgan turned to look at the time, tracking Sterling’s gaze. “Oh shit, it’s almost time for you to go.” He commented somewhat sadly.

Sterling looked into his eyes for a second, soaking up the unusual display of emotion in his boyfriends eyes. He leaned in for another kiss, cupping his face gently. It was crazy to remember that not long ago at all, Morgan had been a mysterious and unreadable force. Now he got to actually see the subtle disappointment he felt when Sterling had to leave? Incredible.

“I should probably go home after, I have work tomorrow.” He whispered inbetween kisses. He should be getting his shoes and coat on, but he couldn’t seem to pull himself away from Morgan’s face.

”Are you sure you don’t want me to convince him to give you the day off?” Morgan asked suggestively.

He laughed. “That’s tempting but I need the money.”

”For what?” Morgan asked seriously.

”Well, I help with the rent at home. I have a phone bill, motorcycle insurance, health insurance…” he trailed off when he felt Morgan pushing his tongue into his mouth.

“Mm… How do you make bills sound so sexy?” Morgan asked teasingly, his fingertips tickling the skin on the back of Sterling’s neck, making him shiver.

“You’re crazy.” Sterling said, laughing softly. “I’ll come over after work tomorrow and tell you all about my tax returns if you want.” He offered, waggling his eyebrows.

Morgan grinned, leaning in for another kiss, catching his bottom lip in-between his teeth as he pulled away. “It’s a date.”

Sterling smiled back, looking him in the eyes with a melancholy intensity. “I love you. I’ll text you about everything when I get home.”

“I love you too. I’ll be here freaking out.” Morgan admitted, looking down at the floor vacantly.

Sterling groaned, getting up off the couch and pulling Morgan with him. He wrapped him up in a bear hug and squeezed him tight. “Fuck, I hate when you’re sad. Are you trying to convince me to come back tonight? Because it’s working.”

Morgan chuckled. “No. Okay, maybe just a little.”

Sterling pulled back, holding Morgan’s face in his hands instead. “We will figure this out.” He said sternly. “No moping.” 

“No promises.” Morgan mumbled.

Sterling laughed at his pouty expression. “Aren’t you supposed to be a big scary monster or something?”

Morgan shrugged. “Rawr?” He offered noncommittally.

Sterling’s nostrils flared as he struggled not to laugh, ultimately failing. “Oh my god, you are so lucky you didn’t attend public school. They would have ripped you apart.”

Morgan grinned. “I know.” He squinted his eyes. “They would have regretted it though.” He muttered under his breath.

”I know they would’ve.” He agreed, patting Morgan on the head patronizingly, earning him a look of disgust from him. He laughed at his reaction before Morgan could retaliate. “I love you! Bye!” He sang as he flew out the door, walking quickly towards the ranch to make up for the minutes he wasted teasing Morgan.

He didn’t particularly want to treat him like that, but he knew it would distract him from his looming panic attack, and Morgan would probably punish him for it next time he had the chance, and that was exciting.

He couldn’t help himself, smiling down at the ground as he day dreamed about their next encounter. His smile disappeared as he remembered why he was rushing towards Shane’s chicken coop. Part of him was furious that Maddie’s boss had even caused this mess, but he understood that no one knew Morgan like he did, as much as that sucked.

He was unsurprised to see Shane and Maddie waiting in the coop, what did surprise him though was the tense atmosphere that seemed to not be entirely related to himself. “Hey!” He greeted them both, discreetly analyzing the cause of the strange vibes radiating from the couple.

”Sterling.” Shane slurred in an unwelcome tone, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Ah, Shane’s drunk. That’s what it is. 

”Hey.” Maddie replied, shooting Shane a sideways look that clearly displayed her disapproval of his current intoxication.

”What did you guys want to talk to me about?” He asked causally, keeping his tone light.

”How well do you know Morgan?” Maddie started tentatively.

”Pretty well, I would say.” Sterling replied confidently. 

“So you know that he’s a fucking freak?” Shane interrogated him coldly. Anger flashing in his eyes.

”Shane-“ Maddie admonished but decided to just shut her mouth.

Sterling took a deep breath, struggling to stay calm and collected. “He’s not a freak.”

“Well, he sure as hell ain’t human.” Shane retorted.

He had to dig his nails into his palm to control his temper but he was managing so far. “Yes, he’s only half human, I know. That does not make him a freak.”

”I’m sorry, is monster a better word then?” Shane challenged.

”Dude, fuck you. What did he ever do to you?” Sterling demanded, his control slipping.

”He brainwashed you! That’s what he did! He’s going to take you from us!” Shane shouted, wobbling on his feet as he talked animatedly.

Maddie hid her face behind her hand, clearly beyond stressed out. He felt for her, a little. This must be awkward for her. She meant no harm, she was just misguided. She had always been a sweet girl, he didn’t want to blame her for any of this. 

“He didn’t brainwash me, Shane. I love him.” He said coolly.

”Because he made you!” Shane argued.

”He definitely did not. We’ve talked about it.” He explained.

Shane scoffed. “Oh, as if he wouldn’t lie to you? Please Sterling. Don’t be stupid.”

”How about you just mind your own fucking business?” Sterling growled.

”You wish.”

”SHANE! Take a fucking walk. Let me talk to him.” Maddie shouted, finally coming out from her hiding spot behind her hand.

”This is my chicken coop, I’m not going anywhere.” He slurred defiantly.

”Fine then.” Maddie said through gritted teeth. “We will take a walk then. Sterling?” She turned to him with a hopeful and apologetic look on her face.

He nodded, happy to agree. Anything to get away from Shane right now. Maddie was the one who he really needed to talk to anyway.

Maddie led them out of the coop and towards the pond. The little pier was Shane’s favorite place to drink. He idly wondered if Maddie knew that. 

She finally broke the silence once they were well out of earshot from the ranch. “I know what he is, and I know that he tried to use mind control on me twice. It didn’t work because Mr. Aguar made sure I had protection. You understand why this is alarming and cause for concern, right?”

Sterling sighed. “Of course I do, Maddie. You have to believe me when I say this though, he doesn’t mean anyone any harm. He’s just lost and misunderstood and scared. He wants to stay here, he doesn’t want to be chased away. He doesn’t want everyone to be afraid of him. He just wants to live in peace.”

Maddie looked troubled, mulling over her words for a while before responding. “I believe you… but he’s still unpredictable and dangerous, and it’s not all up to me. Mr. Aguar thinks he’s a real threat to have around… Sterling, you must know how dangerous someone with his abilities could be if provoked?”

”So don’t provoke him!” He said louder than intended. Maddie flinched. He felt horrible. “He won’t bother anyone if everyone just leaves him alone.” He continued at a more reasonable volume.

She looked at him sorrowfully. “I don’t know if we can do that.”

”Why not?” He demanded, really not understanding why they couldn’t just leave him be. He’d been here for a year and hadn’t caused any problems. Why was he suddenly a problem now?

”I can’t control what Mr. Aguar does. I don’t even know what he plans to do about Morgan, he doesn’t tell me everything. It’s not up to me. But in my opinion… he knows more about this stuff than we do and we should trust his judgement.” She rambled, seeming uncertain.

”Maddie.” He said urgently. “If he banishes Morgan, I’m leaving too. I’m following him wherever he goes.” 

She stared at him in surprise, searching his eyes for any hint of uncertainty, finding none in his crystal blue eyes. “He means that much to you?”

”Yes.” He replied without hesitation. “If anyone bothered to get to know him, they’d like him too. He doesn’t want to use his abilities on anyone, he only does it when he feels like he has to. He knows you guys are backing him into a corner and he’s scared. He has nowhere else to go, Maddie.” He pleaded with her to understand. Tears threatened to spill over from his eyes. She looked at him empathetically but didn’t respond.

They sat in silence for a while, Maddie appeared troubled, deep in thought. Sterling just curled up on the dock, making himself as small as possible. He wished he was laying in bed with Morgan, not out here worrying if his happiness was going to be ripped away from him. 

“I’m sorry, Sterling.” She said finally. “I’ll let you know whatever I know, but it’s not up to me.”

Hot tears poured down his face. She cautiously scooted closer, rubbing his back gently. “Am I cursed?” He asked her, his voice barely above a whisper.

”No.”

”It feels like it.” He replied.

”Just hang in there, maybe it’ll all work out.” She said reassuringly.

”You don’t seem to believe that though, Maddie. I can tell you know more than you’re saying.” He accused her, still trying to get his tears under control.

The hand on his back stilled for a moment before continuing to move. She sighed. “He plans on going to talk to him, I think. I don’t know what’s going to happen after that. It depends on how Morgan behaves, I guess.”

”Like he’s some kind of wild animal??? He’s half human, Maddie. He has thoughts and feelings, he’s a whole person. He’s had such a hard life already. Why can’t he just fucking be left alone? This makes me so angry.” He felt himself spiraling again. 

“If you want… I’ll… hang out with you guys. If he can be real with me and not try to control my mind again, maybe I’d have a better understanding of where you’re coming from. I’ve only seen the scary and fake sides of him so you have to forgive me for not seeing why you’re defending him so hard.” She said in a tone that sounded like she knew she’d regret saying it.

Sterling looked up at her hopefully. “Really?”

She nodded but her facial expression closely resembled a worried frown. He couldn’t care, it was a chance, one he had to take. 

“Tomorrow night when I get out of work?” He asked.

”Okay. Deal.” 

Sterling hugged her suddenly, startling her. “Thank you, Maddie. You’re my best friend right now.”

She laughed despite herself. “Shane would be devastated to hear you say that.”

”Shane’s too drunk to hear anything right.” He mumbled.

”He cares about you.” She said quietly.

“Are you talking about me!?” Questioned a voice somewhere behind them.

They both flinched. Speak of the devil.

”Yeah, Sterling said I’m his best friend.” Maddie replied with a blank face.

Shane scoffed, stumbling across the pier and flopping down right in between them.

Maddie shuffled over a bit, a look of mild annoyance on her face. 

“Hey buddy. Done being a dick?” Sterling greeted him with a sideways glare.

”Done fucking a monster?” Shane spat back at him.

”Woah woah!!!” Maddie shouted, distracting them both before Sterling punched Shane in the face. “Shane, what is with the aggression?!”

“I don’t like it. I don’t like him.” Shane grumbled.

“Well it doesn’t fucking matter because I love him and he loves me.” Sterling replied, his gaze icy and dangerously angry. “If you want him gone, then I’ll be gone too.”

”You’d leave here for him?” Shane demanded.

”In a heartbeat.” He replied.

Shane scoffed again, obviously hurt and offended but too drunk to put the things he was feeling into constructive words.

”Listen… it’s really late. I have to get home. Sterling, can you make sure Shane gets back to the ranch, and promise me you won’t kill each other?” Maddie interrupted with a worried expression.

”No problem, Mads. Have a good night. Text me when you get home so I know you’re alright.” Sterling replied.

“Thanks, I will. Good luck with Shane.”

”I’m right here.” Shane grumbled.

”Right, goodnight Shane. Don’t kill Sterling. Or yourself. Or anyone else. Just go home and go to bed. Okay?” 

“Bye Maddie.” He said dismissively. She rolled her eyes and left, leaving the two of them all alone.

Sterling waited til he couldn’t hear her footsteps anymore to say, “She’s gunna be pissed at you tomorrow.”

”I know.” Shane replied quietly.

”Why are you acting like this then?” Sterling asked him, the hint of anger in his tone hard to conceal entirely.

”I don’t want to lose you.” Shane admitted after a moment of contemplation.

”Why would you lose me? I’m staying right here as long as he’s allowed to stay.”

”If he leaves, you’ll be gone.” Shane said to himself more than to Sterling. He was fidgeting with the laces on his boots, avoiding eye contact.

”We’ll still be friends, Shane.” Sterling insisted. 

“You won’t be here though. I need you here.” Shane whined frustratedly.

”You have Maddie… you’re not alone. You wouldn’t be alone.”

”Not the same. You’re the only one who gets it.” Shane had his eyes closed now, looking like he was going to start crying at any moment.

Sterling sighed. “I do get it, but I want to be better. I’m trying. You can do it too.”

”You want to be better… for him?” Shane asked, barely making sense at this point. The alcohol had really taken a toll on him tonight. Sterling wondered how much he had actually drank.

He nodded. “And for myself. Don’t you want to be better for Maddie?”

”Of course I do.” Shane whispered.

”Then why are you so wasted right now?” Sterling demanded.

He wasn’t expecting a coherent response, but he had really expected Shane to respond with words. Instead, his response was to turn to Sterling and clumsily place his hand on the side of his head, sliding his fingers up into his hair before leaning forward and kissing his best friend right on the lips with no warning.

Sterling’s brain short circuited, struggling to comprehend what the fuck was happening. He was far too sober for this. He sat there, frozen, while Shane continued to kiss him, seemingly unfazed by how unresponsive he was being.

Finally the wires in his brain untangled, making the connection that Shane was jealous. He was being such an asshole about Morgan because he was JEALOUS. Anger surged through his veins and his body unfroze, pushing Shane away from him forcefully with his hands on his chest. 

“What the fuck, dude!?” He shouted angrily.

Shane looked startled and slightly regretful. He stared at him with his mouth hanging slightly open. The air around them was suffocating all of a sudden. Despite the winter chill, everything felt too hot. Uncomfortable. Tense.

Sterling glared at him with the anger of a thousand suns. “Explain yourself. Now.” He growled. 

The moment felt like it was dragging on forever as he waited for Shane to spit it out already.

Chapter Text

Shane

After Maddie and Sterling left the chicken coop, he punched the wall hard enough to skin his knuckles, drawing blood.

”FUCK!” He cursed, shaking his hand and looking around frantically for paper towels to stop the bleeding. 

He finally found a roll, knocking over a bunch of empty beer cans in the process. He wrapped up his hand as best he could before angrily grabbing another beer. He knew he was well past his intended limit, but that argument with Sterling had upset him too much to care. 

He couldn’t believe Maddie had the audacity to ask him to leave his own home. Why did she want to be alone with him anyway? So they could talk shit about him? Talk about what a worthless piece of shit he is? How maybe he was better off spending all his time with Morgan instead of Shane?

What the fuck does Sterling see in him anyway? He wondered to himself as he gulped down the last few sips of his beer, already reaching for another.

So what, just because he’s hot and mysterious and plays along with Sterling’s weird fucking kinks, he’s the love of his life now? What happened to Sebastian? Wasn’t he just in love with him too? Sterling just loves everyone now? Everyone except him.

Wait.

Where did that thought come from?

Of course Sterling didn’t love him like that. They were just friends. 

Why wasn’t he into him though? He had never made a move, never showed any indication of being interested. Why? Is it because he knew Shane was straight or was it because he wasn’t good enough?

That pissed him off. Why wasn’t he worthy? They were best friends. They understood each other. Yet Sterling had never considered that maybe they could be more?

Did he want more?

No… he couldn’t. He had Maddie. He’d wanted Maddie ever since they were teenagers. 

So why did this feel so shitty?

He needed to ask Sterling… he needed to know why.

He stumbled across the coop on unsteady feet, tossing his bloody stack of paper towels in the garbage as he made his exit. He wasn’t sure where Maddie and Sterling went, but he figured they would have gone somewhere more private than the direction of town. He stumbled towards the pond, his path only illuminated by the moon and the stars, bright and powerful. He felt like they were mocking him. 

He ambled through the woods aimlessly until he heard voices coming from the direction of the dock. He wandered closer, recognizing their voices right away. He thought he heard Sterling say something that included the words “Shane” and “drunk”. Anger flooded his system, storming up to them suddenly.

”ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ME!?” He shouted, feeling satisfied when he noticed them both flinch.

”Yeah, Sterling said I’m his best friend.” Maddie responded bitchily.

Fuck her. Fuck him too.

He stumbled over and forced them to make room for him to sit in-between them. He ignored the look on Maddie’s face. She wasn’t his main concern right now. He would deal with her tomorrow.

”Hey buddy. Done being a dick?” Sterling said to him, giving him a dirty look. 

He felt like he was on fire. “Done fucking a monster?” He retorted without thinking. Sterling looked furious, like he could actually kill him. Part of him wished he would.

”WOAH WOAH!!” Maddie shouted, waving her hands in front of them. “Shane, what is with the aggression!?” 

He wished she would just leave already. He wanted to talk to Sterling without her playing referee.

”I don’t like it. I don’t like him.” He mumbled, unsure who he was really talking to.

”Well it doesn’t fucking matter. I love him and he loves me.” Sterling snapped. The look in his eyes was ice cold. It felt like he was stabbing him in the chest. “If you want him gone, then I’ll be gone too.”

Huh?

”You’d leave here for him?” He asked, afraid of the answer.

”In a heartbeat.” Sterling replied without hesitation.

What? It hurt so fucking bad. His best friend would leave him in a heartbeat? He was trying so hard not to cry that he barely heard Maddie announce she was leaving. He heard Sterling respond, and then he heard his name but she wasn’t talking to him, besides that he couldn’t follow what they were saying. 

“I’m right here.” He mumbled in annoyance and confusion.

”Right, goodnight Shane. Don’t kill Sterling. Or yourself. Or anyone else. Just go home and go to bed. Okay?” Maddie said patronizingly. 

He fucking hated her tone.

”Bye Maddie.”

She rolled her eyes and left. Finally.

The air felt electric now that him and Sterling were alone. Maybe it was his nerves. He struggled to find something to say that would make this all go away.

”She’s going to be pissed at you tomorrow.” Sterling said suddenly.

”I know.” He mumbled.

”Then why are you acting like this?”

He thought about it… like really thought about it. Why was he acting like this?

And then he realized.

”I don’t want to lose you.” He said honestly.

”Why would you lose me? I’m staying right here as long as he’s allowed to stay.” Sterling sounded so annoyed with him, and so confused. He knew he probably wasn’t making sense, but he couldn’t help it.

”If he leaves, you’ll be gone.” He mumbled, absentmindedly tugging on the laces of his shoes. He couldn’t look at Sterling. He would cry for real.

”We’ll still be friends Shane.” Sterling said sternly.

He noticed he didn’t say best friends. He was already being demoted.

”You won’t be here though. I need you here.” He felt whiny and pathetic. It felt horrible. He couldn’t stop though. 

“You have Maddie… you’re not alone. You wouldn’t be alone.” Sterling insisted.

He felt the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He was breaking his heart and he didn’t even know why. Maddie being the only one here for him? Why did that sound so fucking horrible? Oh yeah… because he’d have to be on his best behavior or he’d find himself with no one.

”Not the same. You’re the only one who gets it.” He whispered, trying to tell Sterling why this was bothering him so much. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, holding the tears back by force.

Sterling sighed, and it hurt him even more. “I do get it, but I want to be better. I’m trying. You can do it too.”

For Morgan?

”You want to be better… for him?” Shane slurred quietly.

Sterling nodded. “And for myself. Don’t you want to be better for Maddie?”

What a loaded question. Of course he wanted to. But could he? 

“Of course I do.” He managed to choke out.

”Then why are you so wasted right now?” Sterling demanded, looking straight at him now.

The question cut like a knife. He didn’t know how to answer that. He wasn’t sure he even really knew the answer. The only thing he knew for certain was that Sterling had been his rock ever since he came back to town and he didn’t want him to ever leave again.

He couldn’t form the words. He couldn’t say anything. But Sterling was waiting for him to respond.

Without thinking, he reached for his face. His palm connecting with Sterling’s cheek first before sliding upwards into his hair where his fingers held on for stability. He lurched forward, his lips landing on Sterling’s. He waited for a reaction from Sterling, any indication for him to stop. The seconds stretched on for hours, he felt like he was floating outside of his body. All he was aware of was the warmth of Sterling’s body heat and the soft skin on his lips.

Then suddenly he was being shoved, hard. He opened his eyes in surprise, devastated to see the angry look on Sterling’s face.

”What the fuck, dude!?” He growled as Shane stared in horror. “Explain yourself. Now.”

The gears in his brain stopped turning. He was frozen. He tried to mentally retrace his steps. How had they gotten to this moment? Why had he just done that? Suddenly he remembered his thoughts from earlier.

”Why did you never try to be more than friends with me?” He slurred, trying his best to sound coherent.

Sterling gave him a bewildered look. “Are you fucking serious dude?”

Shane nodded.

”What the fuck?! Uhm, maybe because I valued our friendship too much and I never had any proof that was something you even wanted?!?!” He replied incredulously.

”So you… thought about it?” He asked hesitantly.

Sterling’s palm flew to his face, shutting his eyes and taking a steadying breath before slowly looking at Shane again. His heart was racing.

“Listen, of course the thought crossed my mind a few times over the years, but I would have never acted on anything I felt unless I thought you felt something too. I never put that much thought into it. You being my best friend was more than enough for me.” His tone was more gentle now. Almost like he was trying to talk Shane off a ledge. Maybe he was. “If you’ve been hiding feelings for me… then you picked a really shitty time to act on them. I don’t want to hurt you, Shane. I really really don’t. But I love Morgan, and if you’re going to act like this then I’m going to have to set some serious boundaries with you. Do I need to be worried about you?” He asked gently, only a hint of warning in his tone.

Shane let out a shuddering breath, feeling like the worlds biggest piece of shit. He shook his head, feeling the forest spin with his movements. “No.” He replied as a wave of nausea hit him like a tsunami.

”Good. And good lord Shane, do you remember Maddie? Your girlfriend? What were you thinking?” He continued, giving him a look of pure admonishment.

Shane couldn’t reply, all he could do was turn away from his friend and throw up profusely into the water.

——————————————————————

Sterling

After he got Shane home and tucked into bed with a glass of water and a bucket on the floor, he leaned against a tree outside the ranch debating whether to go home or back to Morgan’s. 

He texted Maddie while he mulled it over, letting her know that her boyfriend was a fucking disaster and to give him some space tomorrow. She replied that she knew he was and she wanted space anyway.

He cringed when he read that message. It would really be a shame if Shane fucked things up with her already after finally getting a chance to be with her. After all these years. He told himself he would try to play Cupid once this whole situation with Morgan was under control. 

Part of him wanted to ask Morgan if he would meet him on the edge of his property closest to the ranch for a quick goodnight hug and kiss before he walked all the way back home to East Scarp, but he knew that if he saw him he wouldn’t be able to resist telling him what just happened with Shane. He wasn’t so sure it was a good idea to tell him, but he needed to think it over a bit harder. He wanted to see what Shane had to say about it sober before he sentenced him to a lifetime of Morgan’s hatred.

He sighed, pushing himself off the tree and starting his journey home. Once he was on a path that was well lit with street lamps, he pulled his phone out again to text Morgan.

Sterling: Hi babe. Rough night. Some good came out of it tho. Maddie agreed to hang out with both of us tomorrow when I get out of work. She wants to meet you for real, like as my boyfriend instead of just the scary monster guy. I know it’s a lot to ask of you but it would mean a lot to me and we need her as an ally. Also she said her boss is planning on talking to you before doing anything extreme. She doesn’t know when, but she said she would keep me updated on anything she finds out.

Morgan: Hi baby. That’s scary as hell but you’re right. I hope I can get her to like me.

Sterling: She will, just be yourself. Minus the mind control attempts.

Morgan: 😕 most people think I’m weird and creepy

Sterling: ? You are. That’s what makes you so alluring. Duh. 😝

Morgan: shut up, I’m serious

Sterling: if she seems weirded out by you, just take off your shirt. Instant hot guy privilege, it’ll throw her off.

Morgan: ……..

Sterling: 😘

Morgan: I miss you.

Damn. It was hard not to regret going home. He was laying down now and his bed felt emptier and lonelier than ever. Being away from Morgan gave him the chance to process all the changes that had happened recently though. In comparison to the past few months, it was absolutely wild to receive such a text from Morgan, but it felt so normal and right now.

He couldn’t imagine going back to the way they were before, dancing around what was really happening between them, pretending they were just using each other as punching bags for their angst and repressed issues. Maybe that’s all it had been at first, but even so, that phase was short lived. They’d been falling like meteors crashing into earth ever since their second kiss. 

And Morgan using emojis?! Adorable.

Sterling: I miss you too. I wish you were here.

Morgan: Me too, but actually it would be better if you were here so we wouldn’t have to be quiet. 😈

Oh.

Oh.

They were really doing this? Morgan really is full of surprises. He was definitely going to fuck with him first though.

Sterling: What do you mean? Do you secretly snore? 😮

Morgan: 😠 No but you do.

Sterling: 😱 I do not!

Morgan: You know… I didn’t really sleep the first time you slept over, soooo… can confirm, yes you do.

Sterling: Maybe you are a monster.

Morgan: Your monster. 😘

His heart fluttered at that text. They’d only been officially dating for a day, so seeing it confirmed in writing was brand new and exhilarating.

Sterling: So what was that about keeping me quiet? 🫣

Morgan: Nah you ruined it. Go to sleep.

Sterling: Noooooo this is a tragedy 

Morgan: Be a good boy and get some rest so we can stay up late tomorrow. 

Sterling: Is that a promise?

Morgan: No. it’s a threat. Goodnight Sterling. 🌙😴🛌

Sterling: Goodnight Morgan ☹️

Morgan: I love you ❤️ 

Sterling: I love you too ❤️

He plugged his phone in on the charger and rolled over in bed, his love drunk smile slowly slipping off his face as the anxiety settled in in its place. He could only wonder what tomorrow would bring. He really hoped it was all good things. The universe didn’t usually bless him that way though.

He wasn’t being dramatic when he asked Maddie if he was cursed. Sometimes it really seemed to be the case.

Chapter Text

Maddie

Getting up and going to work was rough. She had barely slept the night before. She struggled to fall asleep with all the thoughts racing around in her head, driving her insane.

To say that she was pissed at Shane was probably an understatement. The way he treated her and Sterling last night was unacceptable. She supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised, but maybe that made it worse. Why couldn’t he get his shit together? Why did he have to be such an asshole? Why did he have to get drunk off his ass like that? It was infuriating. He made an already bad and stressful situation so much worse.

Besides that, she was painfully aware of her plans to hang out with Sterling and Morgan later, which was a terrifying thought alone. What made it worse was that she had to go to work first, and she had no idea what to expect from her boss regarding the situation. If he told her he was banishing Morgan from the Valley right now, then she’d have quite the mess to deal with. 

She steeled her nerves just before pushing open the door to the lab, startled to find Mr. Aguar standing there looking right at her already. 

“Good morning, Maddison.” He greeted her in a professional tone.

”Good morning sir.” She replied, going to put her things down in attempt to act natural.

”I plan to go to Karizma farm today. I would like it if you would join me.” He announced.

She felt her blood run cold. Morgan would never trust her if she did this. “Ah… wouldn’t that… put me in danger?” She struggled to ask without sounding suspicious.

”Oh no, I’ll be there to protect you if anything were to go haywire. This is just a friendly visit though. I have no ill intentions for him. Not today anyway.” He chuckled.

She gulped. “What’s your plan?”

”Well I would like to formally meet the creature, of course. It would be unfair to consider him a major threat if I determine him too weak to be considered one. I’ll decide how to remove him afterwards.” He explained, as if it were no big deal to kick people out of their homes. 

She wondered where her sudden care came from. She supposed the way Sterling talked about him and cared for him made him seem a lot more human than Mr. Aguar did. And maybe with the way Shane was acting, she didn’t want Sterling to leave.

”O-okay…” She agreed hesitantly. “So he’s going to know I lied about the sample?”

”Oh Maddison. Do you think I am an amateur? Of course not. I’m not going to mention anything regarding it.”

She breathed a sigh of relief, though she still didn’t understand fully.

”Are you ready?” He asked. She finally understood why he was standing by the door. 

“Yes.” She said shakily, gathering her things again and following him out. She felt like she was going to have a panic attack.

——————————————————————

Morgan

Gloomy jumped up on the bed and meowed at her sleeping owner. He still didn’t wake up so she resorted to the only thing she could think of in this emergency, biting his arm. 

“Ow! What the fuck!?” He opened his eyes, blinking the sleep away and sitting up. 

Meow!?!?

”Seriously, Gloomy?” He glanced at the clock. It was barely 10 minutes past her usual breakfast time. “You suck.”

He rubbed his arm where she bit him as he walked to the kitchen. She followed him frantically, nearly tripping over her own paws to get to the kitchen before him.

He filled her bowl, giving her several dirty looks in the process. She meowed the whole time, circling her bowl like a shark. 

Once that urgent task was completed, he grabbed himself a glass of water and went back in the bedroom to fetch his phone.

He smiled at the “Good morning 😇” text from Sterling, deciding he would go visit him at work. He pulled on a long sleeve black shirt and some acid washed jeans before wandering over to the full length mirror on the closet door.

Morgan looked at his reflection with a blank expression, analyzing his appearance with uncertainty as he always did. He had never felt attractive, although he had the power to make anyone be attracted to him, it didn’t do anything for his actual opinion of himself. He didn’t want anyone to find him attractive because he forced them to. 

He didn’t feel ugly, just weird. He was very pale. His blue and black tattoos stood out harshly against his pale complexion. His eyes were dark, sometimes light but in a dreary way in his own opinion. Creepy, as they’d been described. His style was dark, which probably made things worse, but he never wanted to be considered approachable. People were best kept at a safe distance, for their own good as well as his. 

Sterling was the only exception. He didn’t want to push him away ever again. He wanted to hold him close forever. Admitting that to himself was a painful truth to accept but it was real. The thought of leaving this place made him feel sick. Sterling said he would leave too, but that didn’t sit right with him either. How could he ruin his life like that? How could he tell him that he loves him and then take all of his friends and family away? He wouldn’t have anyone besides Morgan to lean on. Wouldn’t that create tension? Wouldn’t he eventually get tired of the loneliness and leave?

He had already decided that he would disappear before Sterling had the chance to follow him, if it came down to it. It would absolutely fucking crush the both of them but Sterling would have a normal life to carry on with. Morgan would probably never recover, but he couldn’t live with himself if he let Sterling come along just to slowly slip into depression as he realized he should have stayed behind.

Morgan squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to think about it right now. Every moment was precious, he needed to soak in every second that he was still here. Pulling on socks and his favorite black winter boots, he went to grab his coat, anxious to see his love before outside forces could separate them.

He paused right as his fingers grazed the collar of his jacket hanging on the hook. Sterling’s maroon colored hoodie was hung over one of the kitchen chairs. He went over to grab it, pulling it over his head. He smiled, inhaling the familiar and comforting scent of his sweet boyfriend. His only true friend in this cruel world. 

Slipping his jacket on over the hoodie, he finally stepped out the front door. He took in the sight of the farm, devoid of life in the chilly season. As abysmal as it appeared, he loved this land. He was born here, it belonged to his family. He wanted to fix it up and see it thrive like it had when grandpa was still alive. He didn’t want to be chased away so some outsider could buy the property and erase all of their history here.

Life had been so fucking unfair to him. This was meant to be a fresh start, his first real shot at building a life and finding happiness for himself. He had to fight for this, he had to go against his fathers wishes and plan it out all alone to make it happen. After a year he found himself in the situation his father warned him he would end up in, under suspicious scrutiny in danger of being chased away. 

It hurt that his father was right. It hurt so fucking bad. He couldn’t even find it in himself to feel angry. Anger meant that disagreed, but that wasn’t true. He understood why they didn’t want him here. He was a monster. He didn’t belong here amongst humans. He might as well just disappear and live in a shack in the woods for the rest of his life span. If that were even allowed. It seemed he wasn’t welcome anywhere. He belonged nowhere.

A sudden pressure against his leg distracted him from his thoughts. He looked down to see that Gloomy had followed him outside. She weaved through his legs purring and looking up at him with love the adorable way that cats do. He smiled at her and bent down to scoop her up and snuggle her. She purred louder, protesting loudly when he sat her back down on the ground.

She followed him to the edge of the property before obediently trotting back towards the house. He missed her comforting presence as he continued his walk to Pierre’s alone. He was thankful that it wasn’t far. He enjoyed going for walks, but not alone through town. The looks he got from passerby’s made him feel like a carnival attraction.

His mood brightened significantly as he reached the front door to the shop. He reached for the handle, pulling back in surprise when the door swung open, revealing an annoyed looking Abigail.

She looked up at him with a look of shock and petty aggravation. “Oh. Hey Morgan.”

”Hello, Abby.” He greeted her indifferently.

”Here to see Sterling?” She scoffed.

”Perhaps.”

She looked him up and down skeptically, eyes lingering on the places Sterling’s hoodie was visible under his jacket. “Wow, a color that isn’t black? That’s Sterling’s… isn’t it?” She asked accusingly.

He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to keep their relationship a secret or not, but something about Abigail’s attitude made him want to keep it to himself. “I have plenty of things that aren’t black, Abby.” He replied dismissively, pushing past her to go inside.

She huffed and walked away, he let the door slam shut.

Sterling looked up from the display he was putting together, a huge smile crossing his handsome face when he noticed Morgan standing there. He smiled back automatically before scanning the room for other people. 

“Pierre went out for something, it’s just me.” Sterling informed him, walking up to him with a smile on his face. “You’re wearing my hoodie.” He commented, his whole disposition lighting up in excitement.

Morgan felt himself blush, tearing his own eyes away from his boyfriend’s intoxicatingly blue ones, pulling Sterling into his arms quickly so he couldn’t see his face. “Hi. I missed you so much.” He whispered, feeling his boyfriend relax against him, hugging him back.

“Mm, me too.” Sterling replied, burying his face in his neck. 

He closed his eyes, feeling some of the tension he was feeling melt away. He was still terrified but everything seemed just a tiny bit less catastrophic with Sterling in his arms. He felt like an anchor, tethering him to the possibility of having a happy life. Without Sterling, everything seemed bleak. He’d been sort of spiraling ever since he found out he was being investigated. He didn’t let Sterling see how bad it was getting though.

”When is Pierre coming back?” He asked conspiratorially, pulling back to look him in the face.

”Probably like 20 minutes?” Sterling responded, tilting his head a bit curiously.

Morgan smiled deviously. “Perfect.”

He went over to the door, locking it from the inside before grabbing Sterling’s arm and pulling him into the back room. Then he pushed him against the wall and kissed him urgently, delighted when Sterling instantly matched his energy. 

Their tongues wrestled for dominance as they made out passionately in the dark storage room. Morgan wasn’t sure what Sterling was thinking or feeling, but as for himself, it was hard not to feel like every time could be the last time they got to have a moment like this. He kissed Sterling like he was never going to see him again. He couldn’t keep his hands still, sliding them up into his soft brown hair before moving to his neck, his shoulders, his arms, his waist, his hips, back up to his hair. He couldn’t get enough of him. 

If this was all tumbling to its end then he needed to commit these moments to memory. He needed something to hold on to. Proof that he was worthy of being loved.

Sterling’s fingers were tangled in his hair, pulling their faces even closer together. Their breaths came out panting and irregular as they struggled to remember to breathe. He was beginning to get the impression that Sterling was terrified too. He felt guilty, suddenly. 

It was going to kill Sterling when he left without him… if it came to that. He had to keep reminding himself that this wasn’t set in stone. Maybe they weren’t doomed after all. He didn’t dare cling to the hope of that possibility though. He had been burned far too many times.

A knock on the front door interrupted them. Sterling immediately pulled back, eyes wide, trying to catch his breath. “I love you. Sneak out the back, I’ll say I locked the door to go to the bathroom.”

Morgan nodded. “I love you too.” 

Sterling leaned in to kiss him again, still looking a little dazed. He disappeared, hurrying to the front door to let the customer in. 

Morgan sighed and found the back exit, finding himself standing in Pierre’s sad little vegetable garden. It was winter so there was nothing growing, but the space was so small he wondered how he grew anything at all back here, never mind crops impressive enough to win the competition at the fair. Pierre is so sleazy.

He day dreamed about a life where he could actually focus on the farm and grow crops worthy of showing off at a fair where he was welcome and accepted. What a comical thought.

He froze in terror when he arrived back at the farm to find Maddie standing on his front porch next to a short and stocky old man with wild blue hair. He assumed he must be Maddie’s boss. He wasn’t expecting to be ambushed like this. Fear prickled at every inch of his being. He felt powerless. His powers wouldn’t work on either of them, he was sure of it.

He briefly considered hiding, but what good would that do? They would just come back again.

And besides, they had already spotted him. 

He gulped, feeling like he was going to throw up, but he trudged ahead regardless, putting on his best nonchalant face as he joined them on the porch.

”Hello! I apologize for not being here, I ran to the store. Hope you weren’t waiting long. Can I help you?” He said in the most normal tone he could muster. He noticed Maddie wouldn’t meet his eyes. That was unnerving.

”Ah hello! Morgan Francis, I presume?”

”That’s me. And you are?” 

“Aguar’s the name. I run the water research facility up in Ridgeside Village. Nice to meet you.” He reached out to shake Morgan’s hand. He worried it was a trick but he went along with it anyway, relieved when he wasn’t immediately shocked or something.

”Nice to meet you too.”

”You’ve already met Maddison here.” He chuckled, motioning for her to greet him.

”Hello Maddie.” Morgan said in a friendly tone.

“Hello!” She finally replied, the fakest forced smile he had even seen plastered on her face. It looked painful. He wondered what was going on here. She had agreed to hang out with him later, so why did she seem so extremely uncomfortable? It made him even more uneasy. 

“Anyway, I just came to introduce myself and thank you personally for allowing us to test the water on your land. It means a great deal to us to be able to keep the inhabitants of the valley safe. Monitoring the water is an important piece of that. This water that surrounds us is our life blood.” He explained.

Morgan bristled internally at the part about keeping the inhabitants safe. He knew that was a dig at him being dangerous. He wasn’t stupid. “You’re welcome.” He said with a smile. 

”You ran to the store you said? Or did I hear that wrong, I don’t see any bags on you.” He chuckled. 

Might as well seem as human as possible, he supposed. Maddie knew the truth anyway. Why lie? “Ah, yeah, I wasn’t shopping. I was just stopping by for a quick visit to Pierre’s to see my boyfriend while he’s working.” He smiled sheepishly for show.

”Pierre’s? Well he only has one employee. I assume Sterling Cooper is your boyfriend in that case?”

”Yes, Sir.” He nodded.

“Well congratulations, he seems like a fine young man. Maddie here has known him a long time, isn’t that right?” He said turning to her.

”Yep!” She agreed, a bit too shrilly for his liking. Why was she so nervous? Were they here to harm him? He felt the hair on his arms stand up.

“Forgive me for being so nosy, just an old man in a small town. I’ll leave you be now. Thank you again for your contribution to our research.” He smiled and waved at Morgan, motioning for Maddie to follow.

“Goodbye! Nice to meet you! Bye Maddie.” He called after them before heading inside and texting Sterling immediately.

What the fuck?

——————————————————————

Shane

He had finally woken up for the day for real around 2 pm. All his waking moments before that had been spent throwing up and chugging water. 

Once he was actually awake enough for long enough to go over the events of the previous night, he immediately ran to the bathroom to throw up again.

No wonder he didn’t have a single text checking in on him.

Sterling and Maddie probably hated him now. He’d be surprised if either one of them wanted anything to do with him anymore.

He owed them both major apologies. As soon as he stopped feeling like the room was spinning every time he moved a muscle that is.

Marnie and Jas weren’t home, so the house was blissfully silent. He wondered if he’d ever feel okay again. A knock on the door that sounded more like a gunshot inside his head interrupted his peace and quiet. “Come in.” He grumbled, assuming it was just Marnie back from whatever she was doing.

He was shocked to find that it was actually Maddie entering his bedroom.

“Hey.” She greeted him.

”Hey?” He responded, confused and surprised.

Maddie sat down on the edge of his bed by his feet. “Feel like shit, huh?” She asked casually.

”Mm.” He grunted in response. “I’m sorry.”

”I know you are, Shane.” She sighed. “You were a real asshole last night though, you know.”

Oh he knew… in more ways than she did.

”So did you tell Sterling?” She asked.

”Huh? Tell him what?” He questioned.

She scoffed. “Don’t play dumb. I left you two alone for a reason.”

”What do you mean?” His head was pounding and he felt his anxiety spiking through the ceiling. Mixed with the hangover nausea it was a perfect storm of misery.

”Shane, the way you acted when I told you what happened when I went over there… you didn’t even bat an eye at Morgan trying to mind control me again. All you cared about was the details of him and Sterling’s relationship. I’ve never seen you so jealous.” She explained in a tone that he did not appreciate.

”I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said rudely.

”Right. Well anyway, I’m going to hang out with Sterling and Morgan. Maybe you could have been invited if you stopped being such a child.”

”What the fuck? Are you serious?” He felt the rage begin to simmer under his skin.

“Yeah I am. I came over hoping you’d be lucid enough to actually talk to about it but I see you’re still too hungover and in denial.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m not happy about this obviously but I promised Sterling I’d give Morgan a chance and that’s what friends do. Honestly, I’m terrified and I still have no idea what my boss plans to do about him, but I’m doing this for Sterling.”

”I guess you really are his best friend then.” Shane said venomously.

“No, Shane. That’s you. It would mean way more to him if you were the one giving Morgan a chance instead of being a big jealous baby.” She said condescendingly.

”I’m not jealous!” He growled.

“Sure. Anyway, I’m taking off now. It should go without saying but obviously me and you need to discuss our relationship when you’re feeling up to it.” She got up and left before he could think of anything constructive to say.

Once he heard the front door open and close, he got up to throw up once again. He couldn’t stand the thought of the 3 of them hanging out without him. This felt like a nightmare.

He needed someone to talk to outside of this situation. For the first time in years he genuinely wished he had more friends.

Then he remembered Sam.

He impulsively grabbed his phone, shooting Sam a text before he lost the nerve. “Hey dude. Would you mind if I brought Jas over tomorrow? She misses Vincent and honestly I could use a friend outside of here.”

Sam responded faster than he was expecting. “Yeah totally dude!! I’ll send you the address. Vince will be so excited.”

He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling thankful to have at least one unburned bridge. 

Chapter Text

Sterling

After he saw Morgan’s text about Maddie and Mr. Aguar’s little surprise visit, he told Pierre he wasn’t feeling well. Still in his good graces, he actually let him clock out early. A miracle. He headed straight for Morgan’s house, obviously.

He didn’t even have to knock, the second he reached the top porch step, the door flew open and he was suddenly being wrapped up in a tight bear hug by his extra emo looking boyfriend while an excited little kitty weaved in and out of their legs, getting increasingly upset that Sterling wasn’t devoting his full attention to her.

After having the life squeezed out of him by Morgan, he finally scooped her up when he was reluctantly released. “Hello Gloomy! How are you today, sweet girl?”

She purred loudly, pleased to finally have his attention.

Morgan rolled his eyes. “Whore.” He mumbled under his breath.

Sterling laughed, giving her a kiss on the top of her furry little head as he followed Morgan inside the house.

”I texted Maddie, she’s coming over at 4:30. She said she had no idea they were coming to talk to you today, or what her bosses intentions were.” He informed Morgan, hoping that their plans to hang out weren’t ruined.

To his relief Morgan nodded. “That makes sense. She seemed really uncomfortable.”

”She probably figured you would assume the worst and hate her.” 

Morgan shrugged. “I don’t hate her. Why would I? This is all my fault anyway.”

“Babe… if you hadn’t shown her the hot spring, it would have been discovered eventually. You just got it over with sooner which is probably for the best.” He said in attempt to reassure him. Truthfully, he had no fucking idea what was or wasn’t a good idea in this situation. It was all a mess. 

”I guess.” Morgan replied unconvincingly. “Anyway, you said we have a couple hours before she gets here?” He asked, changing the subject abruptly.

”Yeah. What do you wanna do?”

Morgan smiled at him with that devilish grin he wore so well. “I have some ideas.”

Sterling grinned back automatically. “Oh yeah?” 

Morgan opened his mouth to respond but a knock on the door surprised the both of them. Morgan’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, looking at Sterling for an explanation but he didn’t have one to offer.

”It’s not Maddie.” He whispered, equally confused and concerned.

Morgan walked over to the door slowly, shooting one last fearful glance at Sterling before unlocking the door and turning the knob.

Sterling watched from a safe distance, holding his breath. He prayed to Yoba it wasn’t Mr. Aguar back to kill him or something.

”Abigail!?” Morgan questioned in disbelief.

What?

“We need to talk.” 

He couldn’t see her from where he stood, but her annoying voice was impossible to mistake. What could they possibly need to talk about? He backed up a few feet, hiding himself from her view even more. He didn’t want her reporting back to Pierre that he had tricked him into letting him leave early.

”Okay… about what?” Morgan asked her in a semi-annoyed tone that he barely attempted to conceal.

”Well, I don’t know why I’m even telling you this since you decided to just stop being friends with me out of nowhere, but I just heard that you’re dating Sterling. Is that true?” She asked bitchily, as if she were entitled to the answer.

”Yes? I didn’t ‘decide to stop being friends with you out of nowhere’ by the way. I’ve been busy.” Morgan replied coolly.

Abby scoffed. “Whatever. Anyway, I just figured that if that were true then you’d probably want to know that Shane kissed your boyfriend last night.”

Sterling’s jaw dropped open and his heart rate sped up. That fucking bitch.

”What are you talking about?” Morgan asked hesitantly.

To Abigail, he probably sounded nonchalant and disinterested, but Sterling could detect the panic buried deep in his tone. He felt like a human garbage pail for not being the one to tell him first. 

”Last night, I saw Shane stumbling around alone drunk off his ass so I followed him to make sure he was going to be okay. He was sitting on the pier on the big pond over there with Sterling. I wasn’t close enough to hear what they were saying but I saw Shane lean in and kiss him. Like for at least 30 seconds.” She continued.

“Okay? And?” Morgan replied. Once again Sterling could hear the hurt he was doing an incredible job of concealing, from her at least. He knew knew him too well to be fooled.

”Uhm? Either Sterling is already cheating on you, or Shane just wants your man.” She replied, condescension dripping from her woods.

”Thank you for letting me know, but I really must request that you mind your own business in the future, okay?”

“Wow. I don’t know why I even bothered telling you. Bye Morgan.” Abby snapped immaturely. She turned to leave but stopped and looking back at him with a shit eating grin. “They’re really close, by the way. I’d be a bit more worried if I were you. History could end up winning over the thrill of something new.”

”Get off my property.” Morgan deadpanned, arms crossed in front of his chest.

She flipped him off and stormed away, clearly pleased with the childish way she handled the rejection. Conniving bitch was definitely using this little bit of gossip to get closer to Morgan.

Sterling felt like he was going to pass out as Morgan closed the door and slowly turned to look at him. The mask he wore for Abigail crumbled away and he looked like he felt absolutely betrayed. It sliced his heart like a sword.

Their eyes met and Sterling realized the guilt and pain he felt in this moment was more intense than he expected to feel when it happened. Morgan held his gaze for another moment, dropping his eyes to the floor before daring to speak. 

Morgan’s voice was quiet and soft. Not a hint of anger in his tone. “Is it true?”

”Yeah.” Sterling responded regretfully.

Morgan nodded, looking up at the ceiling, blinking his eyes a few times. Sterling felt like his heart was being strangled. 

“Explain. Please.” Morgan murmured clearly enough for him to hear.

”He was wasted, I didn’t kiss him back, I froze. Then I pushed him away and yelled at him. I guess Abby didn’t see that part, or purposefully omitted it. He threw up and passed out, I brought him back to his house and then I went home. I haven’t talked to him since. I wanted to get an explanation from him sober before telling you.” He explained carefully, praying that Morgan would believe him. 

“Why?” Morgan whispered.

”If it was just a stupid mistake he didn’t even remember making then I didn’t want you to hate him. He’s my best friend. I told him when I was yelling at him though that if he has feelings for me then we need to set boundaries. I don’t know if he even remembers talking about it though.” He rambled, feeling anxious and panicky.

Morgan nodded to show he understood. “Can I ask you a hypothetical question?”

”You can ask me anything.” Sterling said pointedly.

”If we weren’t together, would it have gone differently? Would you have kissed him back?” Morgan asked. He sounded so vulnerable and upset it broke his heart.

He wanted to lie but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “I can’t say for sure. Nothing has ever happened between us. It crossed my mind in the past, but not since I met you.” He said honestly, wishing he could have just said “no” but he knew that wouldn’t have been the truth. 

“You swear?” Morgan whispered.

”I swear. I love you, Morgan. I’m sorry you heard it from Abby before me. I had no idea she was even there. I was just giving Shane the benefit of doubt before tattling on him. Maddie doesn’t know either. I think it’s his place to tell her. I didn’t want tonight to be even more awkward, but here we are.” He chuckled humorlessly.

”I get it. I’m not angry…” Morgan assured him. He still didn’t step any closer though. The sadness in his voice was still overwhelming, and it didn’t go unnoticed that he didn’t say it back when he told him he loved him. The uneasiness Sterling felt was getting stronger.

”Morgan?” Sterling said in a hushed tone laced with fear.

He slowly met his eyes. “Hm?”

”…Are we okay?” He asked fearfully.

“Yeah.” Morgan replied quietly. His body language didn’t reflect that though. He wouldn’t look at him, still hadn’t moved from where he stood by the door.

Sterling wasn’t sure what to do with himself. Time seemed to be standing still. He was painfully aware of his own heartbeat. All he could do was alternate between staring at his hurt boyfriend and looking down at his own feet, occasionally chewing on his bottom lip anxiously.

Gloomy wandered out of the bedroom, blinking her eyes as if the tension in the room was blinding her. She weaved through Sterling’s legs before trotting over to Morgan and meowing softly a couple times before sitting down next to her food bowl.

Morgan wordlessly followed her into the kitchen. While he opened up a can of food and scraped it into a dish, Sterling decided to go lay down in Morgan’s bed. The blackout curtains created a gloomy oasis for him to mope in until his boyfriend decided to interact with him again. He crawled under the covers and rolled onto his side in a fetal position. Shutting his eyes tightly, he once again wondered if he was cursed.

——————————————————————

Morgan

He wasn’t lying when he told Sterling he wasn’t mad at him. He really wasn’t. He just couldn’t tell him what was really on his mind right now.

If anything, he was the one being deceitful. The real reason he was distressed to the point of silence was because he knew now that if he had to leave, he’d be leaving alone but Sterling would already have someone waiting to take his place. Logically, he knew that if he left without him, he would eventually move on and they would both deserve that outcome. He just didn’t expect there to already be someone else lined up. He would be practically throwing Sterling at Shane.

He had taken comfort in knowing that Sterling would have a strong support system after he left him, but this changed everything. What if he found a way to come back but Sterling was already in love with Shane and over him? These were selfish thoughts, he knew that, it didn’t matter though.

He felt like there was an elephant sitting on his chest. All he wanted to do was go into the bedroom and cuddle up to Sterling and tell him that he loves him too and they’re going to be okay. He couldn’t bring himself to do that though. How could he keep acting like there wasn’t a 50/50 chance he’d be disappearing soon? Calling it even was beginning to seem a little too optimistic anyway. He probably was going to have to leave. Maybe it was better to break up with him before it came to that. Maybe he would have an easier time moving on and then he wouldn’t have to feel the intense guilt of knowing that Sterling was still waiting for him. He wanted him to be happy, even if it was at his own expense.

He couldn’t give up that easily though. Befriending Maddie would give him a better chance at not having to leave at all. He had to keep pretending. At least for another few days.

Gloomy finished eating and looked up at him quizzically. He shrugged at her sadly. She sneezed and trotted into the bedroom to hang out with Sterling. He sighed. Maybe he would leave her here with him when he left. She liked him better anyway.

If. He corrected himself.

He checked the time, there was still nearly two hours before Maddie was due to arrive. 

With a great deal of acting skills he joined his boyfriend and traitorous cat in the bedroom.

“Hey…” Sterling greeted him cautiously as he slid under the covers and cuddled up against his back, making him the little spoon.

He just held him for a minute, eventually kissing the back of his head, then his ear, then his cheek. “I love you.” He whispered near his ear.

Sterling rolled over to face him abruptly, looking him right in the eyes. “Please don’t leave me.”

Morgan stilled, his brain taking a few seconds to realize that Sterling meant “please don’t break up with me” and could not actually read his mind and know that he planned to disappear without a trace.

His delayed response caused Sterling’s eyes to tear up in fear, piercing his heart when he realized what he was doing. “I’m not, baby.” He said quickly, praying Sterling wouldn’t hate him for the rest of his life when he left. He felt so fucking toxic. This was exactly why he always kept people so far away. All he would ever do is hurt them, eventually. It was inevitable. He should have left Sterling alone from the start.

It was hard not to feel like the worst person in the world when there was a pair of crystal clear blue eyes looking at him like they would absolutely shatter if he broke Sterling’s heart, knowing that breaking his heart was what he was more than likely going to have to do.

He couldn’t look at him any longer or he was going to blurt out the truth or cry or maybe even both. Morgan closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss him, one hand cupping the side of Sterling’s face. He reciprocated immediately, whimpering in relief as they deepened the kiss.

Morgan moved his hand down to Sterling’s waist, gently grabbing a handful of his shirt to tug him closer. Sterling’s hand was in his hair, fingers tangled in the strands, holding his head in place so he wouldn’t stop kissing him. As if he would even dare. He had no interest in talking right now. There was nothing to say that wasn’t extremely depressing or an outright lie. Sliding his tongue into Sterling’s mouth was a lot easier than talking.

Their tongues swirled around together, retreating only to nip at each other’s lips, the mild pain adding to the intensity that was quickly building between them.

Before long, they were pawing at each other feverishly, desperate to get off before Maddie arrived just to take the edge off of the emotional rollercoaster ride the afternoon had taken them on.

They didn’t waste any time kicking their pants and boxers off, laser focused on the task on hand, only distracted by the offended mrrow from Gloomy as she jumped off the bed.

“Sorry Gloomy” Morgan called out to her before immediately crashing his lips back against Sterling’s, leaning against him so that he was almost on top, their legs tangled together.

Sterling reached down between them, finding Morgan’s hard cock and wrapping his hand around it. He moaned at the contact, pulling his lips away to kiss and suck on his neck instead. “Fuck me. I can’t wait. I need you.” Sterling begged breathlessly. 

Morgan hastily reached for the nightstand drawer, pulling out a bottle of lube and coating his pointer and middle fingers with it. He dropped the bottle onto the bed next to them before finding Sterling’s hole with his lubed fingers.

Sterling groaned impatiently as he teased him, just gently circling with the pads of his fingers. He slowly slipped one finger inside up the the first knuckle before pulling all the way out and doing it again but even slower, watching his boyfriend’s face shift desperately. He slid his finger in deeper, dropping his head down to lick Sterling’s neck and throat, making him whimper. 

He added another finger, sliding them both all the way in, curling his finger tips ever so slightly as he pulled them out. The motion drew a deep moan of pleasure out of Sterling. He was so drunk off the sounds he was making, he didn’t even notice that Sterling had picked up the lube until he heard the lid clicked closed again.

Suddenly a warm, slippery hand was wrapped around his cock, coating his entire length in lube. He moaned and shivered at the unexpected sensation. He got the message loud and clear that Sterling wanted him now but it was more fun to make him wait a little. 

Pretending he didn’t understand Sterling’s obvious cues, he just began fingering him faster, watching in amusement and lust as his face scrunched up in pleasure. He tortured him further by lowering his face to his again, slipping his tongue into his mouth for Sterling to suck on. He moaned around it, creating a vibration that made them both even hornier. 

His grip on Morgan’s dick got stronger, more impatient. He was practically pulling him towards where he wanted it the most now. “Please?” He pleaded, nearly whispering. “I need to feel you.”

Morgan withdrew his fingers, wiping them off on his shirt before pulling it off over his head and tossing it onto the floor to deal with later. He buried both hands in Sterling’s hair, kissing him deeply as he laid on top of him, propped up on his elbows.

He let Sterling guide his cock to where it needed to go, shifting his hips around to give him better access, lining him up while they kissed passionately. Sterling teased them both, slowly rubbing the head of Morgan’s dick around his opening. 

He snapped his hips forwards suddenly, making Sterling yelp into his mouth as he entered him. His noise of surprise quickly turned into a quiet drawn out moan as he slid all the way inside him until he was bottomed out. 

A few more slow thrusts in and out to get him adjusted and Sterling was already wrapping his legs around Morgan’s back, pulling him in deeper. Their moans blended together, synchronizing as they sped up the tempo. 

They continued making out until Morgan felt himself getting close. He released Sterling’s lips, leaning his forehead against his instead. Then he reached down to grab Sterling’s painfully hard dick, pumping his hand up and down the shaft while they panted against each other. He fucked him harder and faster, trying to channel every emotion he felt into his thrusts. Sterling raked his nails down his back, breathlessly moaning in ecstasy. He wrapped his arms around Morgan’s neck for stability, rapidly coming undone. 

He loved seeing Sterling like this. He was so fucking obsessed with every noise he made, every little reaction to his touch, every movement he made. He was hopelessly addicted to the man underneath him. So earth shatteringly in love with him he couldn’t even imagine the pain of living a life without him. His heart felt like it was going to explode.

He closed his eyes, dropping his head lower to whisper in Sterling’s ear. “Fuck…you look so fucking good like this… I’m gunna fill you up baby… cum with me.”

Sterling cried out as he got closer to his release. “Fuck!” His voice dropping to breathless whisper as Morgan’s thrusts became slower and deeper. “Fuck yes… fill me up, babe.”

Morgan kept up the pace, only speeding up a tiny bit just before exploding in a moment of pure euphoria, ropes of white hot cum shooting deep inside the love of his life as he felt him finish in his hand simultaneously. His vision was blurry as he panted in Sterling’s ear, slowly coming down from the high.

He pulled out slowly, collapsing onto Sterling’s chest. He nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck, planting soft, lazy kisses against his skin. 

A sniffle broke him out of his post-orgasmic haze, lifting his head to look at Sterling’s face. He was alarmed to find him crying softly, eyes squeezed shut so he couldn’t look him in the eyes. 

“Babe?” Morgan whispered, his voice laced with concern. 

Sterling sniffled louder. He wrapped his arms around Morgan and pulled him onto his side, promptly burying his face in his chest.

Still alarmed, he wrapped one arm around Sterling’s lower back, petting his hair soothingly with his other hand. “What’s wrong!?” He asked worriedly, kissing the top of his head every few seconds. “Did I hurt you?” He asked fearfully when he didn’t get a response.

For some reason that question just made him sob even harder. He panicked internally but accepted that he wasn’t getting an answer any time soon, focusing his energy on comforting him instead. He rubbed his back gently, running his fingers through his hair, holding him close while he cried until the tears finally stopped on their own.

He was almost falling asleep by the time Sterling was ready to talk, lulled by the rhythm of their hearts beating against each other’s chests. 

“I’m so afraid of losing you.” Sterling said suddenly, startling him from his near slumber.

”What? Why!?” He asked, blinking rapidly.

”I love you so much Morgan.” He whispered seriously. “Like… more than I’ve ever loved anybody, and I’m a hopeless romantic so that’s saying a lot.” He chuckled self deprecatingly. “I’ve only known you for a few months but you’re already the love of my entire fucking life. It’s so scary, babe. I’m terrified. I just keep falling for you deeper and deeper and the thought of losing you makes me hope that I die immediately after if that were to ever happen because I can’t even imagine how painful that would be.” He loosened his grip on Morgan, pulling back to look at him sheepishly, waiting for a response.

All Morgan could do was stare back at him, frozen, spiraling internally.

Fuck. How could he ever leave him? What was he supposed to do!? Let him come with him and watch the life slowly leave his eyes over time? He should have never let him get this attached. He should have known better. He should have-

A knock at the door interrupted his doom spiral. He heard Sterling swear under his breath, scrambling to find his clothes and tissues to clean up and dry his tears.

He felt like he was on autopilot, slowly rising up out of bed, going through the motions of making himself look presentable. He knew he was dissociating, bad. He was having trouble snapping out of it though. 

Sterling was saying something to him but it was hard to tell what he was saying. Something about Maddie and going outside?

Oh. He said he was going to talk to Maddie outside for a little while and to come out when he was ready.

By the time he even registered what Sterling said he was already long gone, distant voices coming from the front yard floating around in his head. 

Chapter Text

Maddie

With a great deal of effort she brought herself to knock on Morgan’s front door. Her hands shook anxiously while she waited for it to open. She had no idea how Morgan would treat her after the surprise visit she’d been forced to tag along for this morning. 

She was left standing there alone on the front porch for a few minutes, giving her enough, too much, time to mull over every life decision that had brought her to this present moment, but eventually the door clicked open. She was relieved to see Sterling’s welcoming smile instead of Morgan’s. She wasn’t quite mentally prepared for him yet.

”Hey!” He greeted her warmly.

”Hi!” She smiled back nervously, a little confused when Sterling stepped out onto the porch and shut the door behind him.

She looked at him quizzically, waiting for an explanation.

“Uh…” Sterling scratched the back of his head, motioning for her to follow him. He typed away on his phone as they walked, filling her with curiosity and even more apprehension. He led her over to a shed that had a little seating arrangement inside that was positioned in front of a fireplace. She was a little apprehensive about going inside but she told herself that it was just Sterling and Sterling wouldn’t hurt her. 

She hoped, anyway.

Sterling threw some logs in the fire and lit it up so they wouldn’t be cold. She stood there idly watching him, unsure of what to do with herself besides shiver. He finally spoke again. “I think I kinda just freaked Morgan out a bit.” He chuckled. “We had sex and then I cried and more or less told him I would die if he ever broke up with me. He was…speechless. You knocked on the door before he could respond. I just texted him telling him we’ll be out here when he’s ready.”

Her eyes widened. “Yoba, Sterling. You can’t just say that shit to people.” 

He shrugged. “Well I did.” He smiled at her sheepishly and she shook her head at him.

“You’re crazy.” She admonished.

”Speaking of crazy…” he trailed off, looking guilty. “You uh… talk to Shane today?” He asked, clearing his throat.

Oh no. This didn’t sound good.

“Sort of… not really though. I went to see him before I came here. He was really bent out of shape. We didn’t talk about much…” She replied.

”I didn’t think it was my place to tell you this before he had the chance to tell you himself… but… after you left, Shane kissed me.” He paused to let his words catch up and set in inside her head before continuing. “I pushed him away and ripped him a new one but we didn’t really have a productive conversation about it because he threw up and passed out immediately after I yelled at him.”

Maddie shut her eyes and let out a deep breath but didn’t interrupt.

Sterling continued awkwardly. “Uhm… apparently Abigail saw it happen. She stopped by earlier to tell Morgan. That’s why I was so emotional... He was pretty upset about it. I wanted to talk to Shane sober before telling anyone what he did, but I guess I didn’t have a choice. I just… I wanted you to hear it from me first in case Abigail isn’t done running her mouth. I’m sorry, Maddie. I don’t know why he did it but I swear I’m not into him like that.”

She was quiet for a moment, and then she laughed. And laughed. Her laughter got more hysterical by the second. She was feeling a little manic all of a sudden. Sterling stared at her with worried eyes, his eyebrows scrunched in concern.

Reeling it in as best as she could, she tried to explain her reaction. “Sterling… listen…When I told him you and Morgan were officially dating he was so fucking jealous. I left you guys alone last night hoping he would fucking man up and admit he has feelings for you. I guess he just kissed you and left it at that instead???? Funny he didn’t mention it when I went to see him today, but he sure did deny having any idea what I was talking about.” She laughed some more, she couldn’t help it. The irony really was hilarious.

Sterling groaned. “What the fuck is wrong with him?”

She shook her head, sobering up. “I don’t know. He needs to figure it out though. He’s getting messy. I shouldn’t have rushed into a relationship with him… that’s definitely over. I think we just need to be friends right now and see where it goes. He needs another friend way more than he needs a girlfriend right now.”

He nodded in agreement. “Yeah definitely. I hope he doesn’t actually have feelings for me… that would be… weird. And inconvenient.” He said uneasily.

”He always swore he was straight.” She remarked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

”I tried to tell him what he was missing out on a while ago and he told me to ‘stop with the gay propaganda’. I guess I was more convincing than I thought.” He said with mock sadness.

Maddie laughed despite herself. She really was sad about Shane but she couldn’t be mad at Sterling about it. Shane’s issues were Shane’s issues. Sterling didn’t do anything wrong and he was obviously devoted to Morgan. She should have known better than to rush into a relationship with someone who had ghosted her for years. She didn’t know him as well as she thought she did anymore. It had all been wishful thinking. 

The door opened suddenly before she could get too deep in her feelings, making her jump. Her eyes flit between Morgan and Sterling, taking note of their expressions curiously after what Sterling had just revealed to her. Sterling’s eyes noticeably lit up as he entered the shed. Morgan looked sad but she could see the subtle affection in his expression when he locked eyes with Sterling for a moment before turning his full attention to her.

He smiled brightly at her. ”Hi Maddie!”

”Hi.” She smiled back, noting to herself with surprise that it felt less forced than usual. Morgan didn’t seem as on edge as their previous meetings. She wondered if it was because they had Sterling as a buffer. 

“What do you guys want to do? I’ve got beers in that little fridge over there, or we could go in the house and watch a movie or play a game?” Morgan offered. 

She glanced at Sterling, catching him staring at Morgan while he spoke with an adoring smile on his face. He really was in love. It was so obvious it was disgusting. She felt a little jealous, in a way. It really kind of sucked that things didn’t work out with Shane. She told herself she could wallow in self pity later though. She was here to get to know Morgan and hopefully have fun, though her expectations were low.

”Do you have super smash bros?” She asked him mischievously.

”I sure do.” Morgan smiled, apparently delighted by her suggestion.

“I’ll smoke both of you.” Sterling interjected. 

“Bet.” Maddie replied, making both the boys laugh. She smiled to herself. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

They headed inside with the promise of more beer in the house. The couch was only big enough for two people so Morgan let them sit normally while he sat on the back of the couch with his legs in-between them. It couldn't have been super comfortable but he didn’t complain. 

While the game loaded, she was pleasantly surprised to find a cat sitting on the floor by her feet, staring up at her curiously. “Hi kitty!” She said excitedly, wishing for the millionth time that she wasn’t too busy for a pet of her own.

”That’s Gloomy, Sterling’s cat.” Morgan announced casually.

”Shut the fuck up.” Sterling cut in, shoving his leg in response. Morgan laughed.

Maddie ignored them. She was too busy locked in a staring contest with a judgmental looking kitty by her feet. After a tense 60 seconds, Gloomy finally meowed in a friendly tone and jumped onto her lap, demanding she be pet immediately.

”Aww she approves of you.” Sterling congratulated her.

“Is there anyone she doesn’t like?” She asked curiously.

”Just Abby.” Morgan answered.

”Shocker.” She bluntly replied. 

“Fuck that bitch.” Morgan mumbled. “Sorry Maddie.” He added quickly.

She laughed. “No, trust me, I agree. It’s definitely fuck that bitch.”

”I like you.” Morgan said smiling. “Cheers to that.” He said, holding up his beer to clink against hers.

She blushed and looked back at the TV, focusing on picking a character instead of responding.

They played for a while after that. Maybe it was the four beers she drank that had her letting her guard down, but after a couple hours she realized she was actually having a lot of fun.

The realization hit her like a freight train. She was having fun. Morgan wasn’t scary, not in this environment anyway. He was a great host, kind and considerate, made sure she was comfortable and always included her in the conversation. She found that listening to him and Sterling’s banter was actually pretty endearing. They were obviously crazy about each other, even after their emotional afternoon before she arrived. There was no detectable tension in the air. The two of them were like lovesick magnets. She couldn’t imagine making any suggestion to break them up. 

She felt sick, suddenly. Mr. Aguar was still being extremely vague about his intentions for Morgan. Whatever he ended up doing could very well hurt them both a great deal. Was there anything she could even do to prevent it though? 

“Maddie?”

The sound of her name startled her. “Huh?” She asked, turning to look at Sterling and then Morgan, unsure of who was even speaking to her.

”Are you okay?” Morgan asked her with a look of concern on his face.

”I… uhm… yeah.” She stuttered.

”Maddie, what’s wrong?” Sterling interjected.

”Morgan… I can’t… I… I just want you to know that I’m so sorry for whatever happens to you… I wish I knew so I could warn you… He won’t tell me anything.” She felt the tears drip down her cheeks as she babbled guiltily. 

As she noted in horror, Sterling and Morgan’s faces fell as her words sunk in. “It’s… alright. I don’t blame you, Maddie.” Morgan said sullenly.

Sterling just cast his gaze downwards, not looking at either of them. Morgan gave her a tiny reassuring smile before becoming very interested in a loose thread on the knee of his jeans.

She felt like a unforgivable monster. She had a hand in this herself whether she meant to or not. She helped Mr. Aguar uncover Morgan’s secrets. She wasn’t innocent. She didn’t deserve their understanding.

“I want to help. Even if it costs me my job.” She said finally, surprising even herself with her admission.

They both looked at her in surprise.

”You don’t have to do that for me.” Morgan insisted, eyes widened.

Sterling just looked at her with a mixture of hope and fear in his eyes.

She took a moment to assess whether it was the alcohol speaking or if she really meant it. She decided she did. “I want to. I couldn’t live with myself if your life was ruined and I didn’t even try to prevent it. Even if I don’t know you well… I can tell that you have a kind soul. You shouldn’t be treated like a dangerous monster based off of assumptions. I’m so sorry that I didn’t believe Sterling at first. You just… scared me, with the…” She trailed off, not wanting to offend or come off as though she was still angry about it.

”Mind control?” Sterling offered.

She nodded looking up at Morgan sheepishly through her teary eyelashes. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry for doing that to you. I was protecting myself, I didn’t mean to cause you any harm or scare you.” He said apologetically.

”I know that now. I understand. I’m going to help you, I swear. I don’t know if it’ll make a difference but I’ll do what I can.” She promised.

——————————————————————

Morgan

He should’ve felt hopeful, or at least relieved that they had an ally now. A real one that was actually on board because she wanted to be and not just out of an obligation to Sterling.

Maddie seemed to genuinely like him now, unless she was really a lightweight and that whole speech was just drunken rambling. She still wore the protective charm around her neck, which slightly hurt his feelings but he decidedly couldn’t blame her for being cautious. Even with the charm he could still pick up on her vibes, she seemed genuine. 

He didn’t fully trust his ability to read intentions and emotions anymore though. He had been wrong about Sterling for so long, but that could have been willful ignorance. Even still, he didn’t trust himself. Trust wasn’t something that came easily. It never had and probably never would. The one and only person on the planet that he trusted was Sterling. 

Sweet, emotional, romantic, and unapologetically honest… his declaration in the bedroom before Maddie arrived had nearly sent him into cardiac arrest. It wasn’t that he came on too strong… it was just that knowing the depth of his feelings when he was almost surely about to abandon him caused an intense surge of guilt that he wasn’t sure how to deal with.

He had pushed it all to the back of his mind while he hung out with him and Maddie, but now that the two of them were fast asleep on the couch, he was painfully alone with his thoughts. He contemplated waking them up and kicking them both out, but that felt mean. So instead he just found a couple of throw blankets and covered them up, making sure their heads hadn’t flopped into horribly uncomfortable positions. It was the least he could do.

He called Gloomy into the bedroom for some company, but she left after a while. To go sleep on Sterling’s lap, no doubt. He rolled his eyes, turning onto his side to get more comfortable. Curling up into a fetal position, he grabbed the pillow from Sterling’s side of the bed and hugged it close to his chest. Shutting his eyes, he buried his face in it, breathing in the scent of Sterling’s shampoo. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye as he let the walls he had up all night crumble down. The repressed emotions took over now that he wasn’t holding them back. 

Having hope was hopeless, he knew what was coming. No one could stop it. Maddie wouldn’t be able to do anything, her boss would just assume her change of heart was due to him somehow controlling her mind despite the protection charm.

It was only a matter of time before he’d have to leave.

He had been slowly drifting off to sleep when a dream about the farm burning to ashes startled him fully awake again. He groaned, remembering suddenly that Sterling had lit a fire in the shed before they went inside.

He begrudgingly pulled himself out of bed, slipping on a pair of socks before heading over to the door to get his boots. 

Opening and closing the front door as quietly as possible as to not wake up Sterling and Maddie, he snuck outside to go check on the fireplace. 

Luckily, the fire had dulled down to just a few glowing embers. He dumped a big cup of water on them just to be safe. Satisfied with the odds of the farm burning down now, he locked up the shed and turned to head back towards the house. A hand on his shoulder stopped him, causing him to whirl around in surprise. 

Mr. Aguar stood in front of him with a less than friendly expression on his face. There was a faint glow illuminating his frame. 

Morgan resisted the urge to become defensive, knowing damn well that he wanted him to show signs of dangerous aggression. 

“Can I help you?” He asked as calmly as he could muster.

”You need to leave this town.” Mr. Aguar said in a simple but commanding tone. 

“Why?” He asked bitterly, anger flooding his veins.

”You cannot be allowed to live here when you possess such powerful abilities that you clearly have no restraint using on the common folk.” His voice got less friendly as he continued speaking. “So it is my duty to protect them, and command you to leave this instant.”

“I haven’t caused anyone harm.” Morgan argued. Panic was mixing with the anger he felt. He didn’t even get to say goodbye to Sterling. Not that he could have anyway, but he would have liked to see him one more time even if Sterling was blissfully unaware of his impending departure.

”You tried to manipulate my assistant. I do not take that type of attack lightly.” Mr. Aguar responded threateningly.

Morgan breathed out a frustrated sigh. “It was a misunderstanding that me and Maddie have worked out. I consider her a friend.”

”You are a dangerous, mind controlling liar, Morgan Francis. You are banned from living in this valley. You will take your leave immediately or I will banish you myself. I promise you won’t like the second option. This is not up for debate.”

”Fine.” Morgan acquiesced through gritted teeth.

“Good. Allow me to escort you.” Mr. Aguar smiled vindictively. 

Morgan heard him chant something under his breath, the glow becoming brighter before he felt something invisible close around his wrists. 

The rage he felt inside threatened to consume him whole but he managed to contain it until the dehumanizing journey was over and he was completely alone on the outskirts of the valley, essentially in the middle of nowhere.

Only then did he allowed himself to collapse to the forest floor and scream, releasing all of the emotions he held inside for hours so that bastard wouldn’t see the damage he had inflicted on his mental health.

He was thankful that Gloomy was at least safe in the house with Sterling. If she was stuck out here with him he wouldn’t have been able to handle the guilt. 

The only thing that made him feel better about this was the fact that Sterling couldn’t have come with him because that fucking scientist definitely wouldn’t have allowed it. At least he didn’t have to feel guilty about leaving him behind. Although, deep down he knew that he would have anyway.  

He supposed that this was his fate, to live the rest of his days cold and alone. After all, where was there left to go? Back to the city? Death was more appealing.

Starting over in a new town? What was the point. There were probably a hundred Mr. Aguar’s all over the world just waiting to pounce. He belonged nowhere, once again.

Chapter Text

Sterling

Rubbing his eyes and blinking rapidly, he tried to remember where the hell he was.

The frantic meowing that woke him up was a pretty good indication that he was still at Morgan’s house. He groaned as he sat up straight, why the hell was he laying so weirdly? He had a cramp in his neck from his head lolling off the back of the couch cushion. When did he even acquire this blanket? 

He tossed the black waffle knit throw blanket off of himself in frustration, still in a distracted daze from the uncomfortable pain in his neck.

A confused groan next to him brought him back to reality once he realized the body next to him was definitely not his boyfriend.

”Maddie!” He whispered loudly, kicking her thigh with his foot. He didn’t bother apologizing for hitting her with the blanket. She’d live.

”Hm- Sterling?” She grumbled, clearly not very pleased to have been awoken from her slumber.

”Wake up! We fell asleep. I just checked the time, it’s only 12:30. Do you want to go home? I’ll walk you to the lift.” He offered, not particularly wanting one of his only friends to be eaten by a bear or kidnapped by a witch in the night.

”Oh… shit. Yeah. Thanks. Is Morgan sleeping too?” She asked groggily, stretching her arms above her head and yawning.

“I don’t know, Gloomy just woke me up a minute ago.” 

The cat had disappeared briefly while he woke up Maddie but she was back again right on cue, clawing at his pants and meowing frantically again.

“Jeez, Gloomy. What’s gotten into you? Is something wrong?” He cooed at his favorite feline. 

She meowed again even louder, sounding as frustrated as a cat could be. 

“Okay, you’re kinda freaking me out Gloom… where’s your daddy?” Maddie asked her, finally getting up off the couch to find her shoes.

Sterling got up as well, scooping Gloomy up into his arms. He was starting to get a bad feeling about her behavior. She was pesky when she wanted attention but this felt different. Something was bothering her and she wanted him to figure it out. His eyebrows scrunched up in worry as he silently moved down the hallway to check the bedroom.

Empty.

Confused but not panicking just yet, Sterling walked over to the bathroom. The door was open and the light was off, the room seemingly unoccupied. He flipped the light on and checked behind the shower curtain for good measure. 

Empty.

His extremities felt ice cold as he returned to the living room. A quick glance around the main living area concluded that Maddie was the only other person in the house besides himself.

”Sterling?”

Maddie’s hand on his shoulder made him flinch but he still didn’t respond.

“Is everything okay?” She tried again. “Where’s Morgan?”

He slowly tore his eyes from the coat rack, looking at Maddie with a troubled gaze. “I don’t know…”

He looked back at the empty hook where Morgan’s coat should be. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Maddie do the same, following where his eyes traveled.

”Maybe he went out to the shed?” She offered like the genius she was. “I don’t remember either of you putting out the fire.”

He breathed out a sigh of relief, laughing at himself for not thinking of that on his own.

”You’re brilliant, Maddie. What would Stardew Valley do without you?” He teased affectionately, ruffling her hair.

She scowled half heartedly, grabbing her jacket and putting it on. She glared up at him at she fiddled with the buttons. “Are you going to get ready?”

”Yeah. Just a minute.” He assured her, placing Gloomy on the floor gently. He turned to grab his coat and shoes, freezing when he noticed something light up on the kitchen table. “Hey Maddie, do you have your phone?”

”Yeah, it’s in my pocket, why?” She replied, still waiting impatiently by the door.

Sterling gulped, feeling his own in his coat pocket. The phone on the table was definitely Morgan’s. There was a chill inside his mind, a tingle down his spine, a looming sense of impending doom. 

He pulled his coat and shoes on, silently joining a yawning Maddie by the door. He opened it and motioned for her to head out first, carefully watching to make sure Gloomy didn’t run out with them before following her and shutting the door behind them.

Maddie shivered, rubbing her arms with her hands. They could clearly see their breaths in the frosty air. He barely felt it though. There was only one thing on his mind.

The old wooden boards creaked as they left the front porch. Maddie looked like the frigid air had woken her up a bit, more alert to her surroundings, and more specifically, Sterling’s mood.

She watched him silently as they walked towards the shed. They could both clearly see that were was no smoke coming from the shed’s chimney, nor was the light on. 

Sterling’s jaw was set, his face stoic as they approached the structure. He opened the door and looked inside while Maddie stood in the doorway chewing on her bottom lip.

Just like the house, the shed was empty.

“FUCK!” Sterling shouted as he punched the wall, oblivious to Maddie flinching in the doorway.

”Maybe he’s somewhere else on the farm?” She suggested quietly. “I’ll look around with you. I don’t have to go home tonight…”

Sterling glared at her, knowing damn well that she knew as well as he did what her words implied. She thought he was gone too, and she also didn’t think Sterling could handle being alone with that information. 

“Are there flashlights in the house?” She asked, quickly keeping the conversation moving and the hope alive. Sterling couldn’t just stand there abusing the walls of the shed. Searching the property would at least keep him moving. 

“Yeah. Probably.” He grumbled, closing the shed back up and following Maddie back into the house.

Sterling rummaged through the kitchen cabinets in search of flashlights while Maddie consoled a borderline hysteric kitty who she was starting to believe knew more than they did about Morgan’s whereabouts. “What did you see, kitty?” She whispered as she smoothed the fur on her little head.

Gloomy looked up into her eyes and meowed sadly. It tugged on her heart strings. “Sterling? I think someone else was here tonight. Gloomy’s acting like she saw a ghost or a stranger…”

”Hmm.” He replied dismissively, having probably made that connection already.

His hand finally brushed over a lantern and a flashlights in the back of one of the bottom cabinets. He pulled them out and brushed the dust off of them over the garbage can. “Alright let’s go.” He said to Maddie, handing her the lantern to carry.

Before headed back out the door he grabbed Morgan’s phone off the table. While they walked across the property he quickly scrolled through the notifications and recent texts. The search turned up absolutely nothing of use. He groaned in defeat.

Maddie cast him a sympathetic look before returning her gaze to their surroundings. They found some suspicious footprints coming from the direction of the lift to Ridgeside Village but there was nothing distinct about them that could really help them crack the case. Searching the rest of the property was a bust as well.

Feeling absolutely powerless, Sterling guided them back into the house. He collapsed onto the sofa, sobbing immediately while Gloomy wailed in anxiety.

”He’s gone.” He whispered to his furry companion, scooping her up and hugging her tightly to his chest.

Maddie watched in horror, feeling the pieces of the puzzle click together in her memory. Before she left work earlier in the day, Mr. Aguar said something to her that had gone straight over her head in her anxious state. She had been too worried about hanging out with Morgan to wonder what he meant as he said goodbye to her. The words echoed now inside her head like rocks in a tin can. “Rest well tonight, Maddison. Tomorrow brings a promising new day for most of us.”

Most of us.

That’s why he told her to “rest well”, because he knew getting rid of Morgan would upset her friend and she’d have to deal with it.

That fucking bastard.

Rage flooded her veins, no matter what happened next she knew that at the very least a new job was in her future.

Her fingernails dug harshly into her palms as she involuntarily clenched her fists. She didn’t bother masking the fury that was most likely apparent on her face. Sterling wasn’t paying any attention to her, anyway. His face was buried in the fur of Morgan’s freshly orphaned cat. Not that Sterling would allow her to be homeless anyway. Gloomy was his cat now. Morgan would make a joke that she always was Sterling’s cat anyway. If he was alive.

She really fucking hoped that he was. 

“Hey…” She started, crossing the room and taking a seat next to her quietly crying friend. “I’m sure you already assumed so, but I’m positive this was Mr. Aguar’s doing. I should have known something was off by the way he said goodbye to me earlier. I’m so sorry that I didn’t connect the dots sooner.” She rubbed his shoulder in attempt to comfort him. His whole body was shaking in grief.

”I was supposed to go with him, Maddie…” His voice broke and he had to take a couple deep sobbing breaths before continuing. “I can’t even talk to him… he doesn’t have his fucking phone.” He sobbed, hugging Gloomy tighter.

”I know, I know…” Maddie whispered, rubbing his back gently.

”I love him so much, Mads… What am I supposed to do now?” He lifted his puffy, tear stained face to look her in the eyes.

Her heart broke for him. “I don’t know, but I’ll try to get any answers I can before I quit.” She promised him.

“Huh?” Sterling asked, looking at her in confusion.

”I don’t want to work for that man anymore.” She admitted, looking down at the floor. 

Sterling put Gloomy down next to him and grabbed Maddie, trapping her in a bear hug. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. She understood his gratitude.

“I don’t think Gloomy can live with Max… You’re smarter than me… Can I live here? Could Mayor Lewis kick me out?” He questioned sadly.

”As long as the house and the land are paid off, I assume it would be okay… I mean, Morgan owns it and you’d definitely have his approval.” She pondered out loud.

”I guess I have a farm and a cat now. I’ll be here until Morgan finds a way to come back.” Sterling said confidently.

Maddie bit her tongue, not wanting to point out that Morgan could very well be dead already. She was positive that Sterling wasn’t anywhere near ready to hear that.

Instead she smiled reassuringly and agreed with him. “I think he would really like that.”

They eventually went to sleep, accepting that there was nothing else they could do in the middle of the night. 

In the morning, Sterling looked better than he had the night before. There was a look of determination on his face to take over the farm that was slightly alarming but she figured that carrying on driven by love and spite was better than him drinking himself to death in mourning.

She decided not to discourage him. Hard work could be healthy for him. It would give him a purpose, at least. He couldn’t fall apart if he had a farm and a cat to take care of, right? She was at least certain that Gloomy would be well cared for, the farm was another story.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright if I leave?” She questioned one last time, hand on the doorknob to head outside.

”Yes, Maddie. Please go. You have to talk your soon to be ex-boss anyway.”

She sighed, he was right. She just hated being the only one who knew what was going on. They had decided to keep it quiet until after she had a chance to talk to Mr. Aguar. She wished Shane was a viable option to keep Sterling company for a bit, but she wasn’t about to make a bad situation worse by adding that mess. Shane was useless right now. To both of them. 

“Okay. Call me if you need anything, please.” She insisted, surprising herself with how motherly she was acting. Maybe she should think about having kids someday after all.

”Thank you. Bye.” Sterling said with a sincere smile before shutting the door in her face.

She rolled her eyes, but smiled to herself anyway. At least he still had his sense of humor. 

After a quick stop home to shower and change, she was off to work to face the man who she had considered a wonderful boss for years now. He felt more like an enemy these days.

“Good morning, Maddison!” He greeted her excitedly, clearly pleased with whatever he had accomplished overnight.

“Morning, Sir.” She mumbled as she set down her things. She struggled to muster up the courage to confront him.

“The selkie problem has been taken care of, by the way. You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

Thank Yoba he brought it up first… She thought to herself, turning to face him with a frown.

”What did you do to him?” She asked emotionlessly.

”Relocated him and told him he is banned from returning. I personally escorted him to the edge of the valley. If the wilderness doesn’t kill him first, I’m sure the loneliness will make him go insane. There isn’t a town for miles. He has no money or communication devices on himself anyway. He’s as good as gone.” Mr. Aguar explained with a grin.

Sadistic jerk.

”Isn’t that a bit harsh?” She asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms.

”No? How so? He tried to control your mind, Maddison.” His brow furrowed in confusion.

She sighed. “He was just scared. He didn’t want to harm me or anyone else.”

”He’s manipulative. That’s what he wants you to believe. That’s not the truth. You’ll see.”

”Where is he?” She demanded.

He held her icy gaze for a moment, analyzing her intentions. “I’m not disclosing that information. Your judgement has clearly been compromised. You can’t be trusted until whatever that monster did to you wears off.”

Fury flooded her senses. “Well then, I quit.” She grabbed her things, getting ready to leave.

”If you walk out that door, I will never allow you to come crawling back.” He warned.

”Good. If I ever did then in that case you could safely assume my judgement had been compromised.” And with that she walked out, letting the door slam behind her.

Years of hard work down the drain, but she didn’t feel regretful. She’d been bamboozled by that man all this time. He didn’t care about her. He was just possessive of her. He didn’t have an empathetic bone in his body. Unlike the “monster” he considered such a threat.

She smiled to herself. He divulged more information than he meant to. His response was proof that wherever Morgan was, he was still alive.

That was more than enough for now.

Chapter Text

Shane

”Jas, are you ready?” He called down the hallway without looking as he tied his shoe laces and padded himself down. Wallet, keys, phone…

”I’VE BEEN READY UNCLE SHANE.” An impatient little voice yelled back at him from the direction of the front door instead of her bedroom as he’d be expecting.

He chuckled to himself, pleased that she was so excited. They didn’t leave town very often, especially not together. She hadn’t seen Vincent in quite some time either. It had really only been since the last town festival but that was a long time for a kid who was used to seeing their best friend most days of the week.

Shane joined her by the front door, saying goodbye to Marnie as they headed out to the truck. For the hundredth time he found himself wishing he had a vehicle of his own, but he had to sell his old car after the accident. It wasn’t an easy decision but he needed the money while he wasn’t working. At least Marnie had a truck that she was more than willing to share when he needed it.

He felt guilty but she insisted that he was doing her a favor, keeping it running. It didn’t have much use around Pelican Town anyway. It was a walking town, just like East Scarp and Ridgeside Village. Vehicles were far and few between. Most people just took the train or bus out of town when they had to. Ridgeside wasn’t even easily accessible on wheels. Horses were the mode of transportation up there. The cable car that carried them up and down the mountain was even big enough for the horses to ride inside too, which was quite the sight to see.

The ride to Grampleton went quicker than he expected it to. Jas chatted excitedly about everything she was going to tell Vincent about. She insisted that he needed to be filled in on every single thing he was missing back in Pelican Town. He had to sternly remind her that she needed to let Vincent talk about his new school too, and that she couldn’t get angry at him for making new friends.

She huffed and puffed at that but he was pretty certain that she understood. He gently reminded her that Vincent having friends to play with in his new town didn’t make their friendship any less special.  She seemed to cheer up a bit at that.

Jas got quiet as they reached Sam and Sebastian’s new neighborhood. He pulled over by a little park to double check he had the right address before continuing on. The silence gave him too much room for his nerves to settle in, painfully aware of how he had set up this play date for himself more than Jas. He felt a little shitty about that but the kids were excited so it wasn’t like he was being entirely selfish.

Shane pulled in the driveway and threw the truck in park. He and Jas both kind of just stared at the house in silent awe for a moment, unable to just hop right out of the vehicle. You just didn’t see houses like this in Pelican Town.

He tore his eyes away from Robin’s impressive architectural renovations, hopping out of the truck and walking around to open Jas’s door for her.

”Woah.” She commented quietly as the followed the path to the front door. Before their feet had even fully landed on the first porch step, the door flew open. Out ran an excited little ginger boy, barreling towards Jas as fast as his little legs could go.

”VINCENT!” She squealed excitedly as he nearly tackled her in a hug.

Sam appeared in the doorway, chuckling as he watched his little brother smother Jas. “Hey Man!” Shane greeted him with a shy wave.

”Hey!” Sam greeted him brightly. “Come on in!”

”Jas! You gotta see the backyard! There’s so many bugs! Well… not right now… but there was in the summer!!” Vincent announced, pulling her hand to drag her into the house.

”Ewww!!” She whined but allowed herself to be dragged anyway. Shane saw the little smile on her face as she disappeared down the hallway.

Sam and Shane followed them inside, crossing through the house until they were walking out the back door onto the impressive patio.

Sebastian was sitting down in a lounge chair with what appeared to be a cup of coffee. He was wearing a thick black winter coat instead of his usual black hoodie.

”Hey.” He greeted Shane, raising his mug up in the air in place of a wave.

”Hey!” Shane replied, still a little nervous to be here talking to either of them, but Sam had always been the easier one to talk to.

Sebastian was cool, he was just a bit more introverted, much like Shane himself. On top of that, he had broken Sterling’s heart, and Shane had also witnessed him drunkenly cheat on Sam with Sterling. Needless to say, this was going to be a tad awkward.

He started to worry about his decision to come here. He had wanted to talk to Sam about what happened with Sterling, but he didn’t feel comfortable talking about it with Sebastian. He had actually dated him, after all. He wasn’t sure if there were any lingering feelings there, but he sure as hell wasn’t trying to get on Seb’s bad side. 

To his absolute relief, Sebastian got up and walked over to Sam, placing a hand on his lower back affectionately before saying, “Hey, you can hang out with Shane if you want. I’ll watch the kids.”

”Are you sure?” Sam asked worriedly.

”Yeah.” Sebastian assured him. 

“Don’t let them play out here for too long… it’s too cold.” Sam warned.

Seb rolled his eyes. “Yes Mother Sam, I know. I’ll bring them inside in a little bit. I’m sure Vince will want to give Jas a full tour of the house anyway.”

Sam abruptly pulled him into a hug, giving him a big kiss on the cheek. “Thanks babe. Love you.”

Sebastian blushed. “Love you, too.” He mumbled, smiling at Shane sheepishly before wandering off to make sure the kids hadn’t disappeared yet.

Shane followed Sam back into the house, relieved that they were alone but suddenly feeling more anxious than ever. “So what’s up, dude? I can tell somethings bothering you.” 

Shane shuffled awkwardly on his feet. “I… uh… I guess I need some advice.” He admitted.

Sam glanced at the clock on the stove and back at Shane. “It’s nearly noon, and it’s Saturday. Beer?”

Shane chuckled. “Please.”

His nerves faded a little after Sam tossed him a cold beer from the fridge and he gratefully took a couple sips. “This house is gorgeous.” He commented, taking in the sight of the kitchen while he sipped on his beer.

Sam scoffed. “Yeah, it is now. You should’ve seen it before we bought it. Robin’s a miracle worker.”

“Wow. I bet. This place is amazing.” Shane replied, walking into the living room and looking around in awe.

“She didn’t have to go this hard, that’s for sure. I guess she felt like we deserved it after… ya know… everything.” Sam remarked somewhat sadly.

Shane nodded. “Yeah, man. I’m happy for you guys.”

Sam gave him a sympathetic smile. “Sometimes I feel like we don’t really deserve all this. We weren’t the only ones hurt by everything that happened.”

Shane shook his head in disbelief. “Don’t think like that, Sam. What you guys went through was worse than what anyone else had to go through.”

Sam shrugged. “I guess.”

”Enjoy it. You definitely deserve to be happy now.” Shane insisted, surprising himself by being so forward. He chalked it up to relief that he was avoiding what he really came here to talk about.

“I appreciate that.” Sam said, smiling warmly. “Wanna go talk about whatever is on your mind in the basement?”

Shane groaned internally now that the spotlight was back on his issues. “Yeah, okay.”

Sam led him down the basement steps, opening up into a large open floor-plan room that had what appeared to be separate zones for different activities. Sam wandered over to a sitting area equipped with a mini bar. Shane was impressed and more than a little jealous.

”Wow.” He whispered in amazement, admiring the neon lights and clean bottles of hard liquor. 

Sam chuckled darkly at his reaction. “Shane… I gotta be honest. Sometimes I feel like a peasant who wandered into a mansion off the street and I’m just squatting here. Feels like one of these days the cops are gunna show up and kick us out for trespassing.”

Shane actually understood completely, feeling a sudden pang of empathy for Sam. He always saw him as a borderline annoying, happy-go-lucky, way too energetic kid when they worked at Joja Mart together. Now he realized that they really weren’t all that different. Somehow that made it easier to get the weight off of his chest.

”Sam… I fucked up with Sterling.” He stated bluntly. “Big time.”

”What happened?” He asked curiously.

”I got blackout drunk and asked him why he never had feelings for me.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “Dude.”

“Oh yeah, it gets worse. I kissed him.” Shane informed him.

”Oh no. No no. You poor thing.” Sam got up off the couch and poured Shane a shot of whiskey and then another one for himself.

Shane accepted it gratefully, knocking it back right away. “He pushed me away and yelled at me. I threw up and blacked out. He got me back to my house I guess. That was two days ago and we haven’t talked since. I think Maddie knows something’s up though. She stopped by yesterday and asked me if I ‘told him yet’ and said she left us alone on purpose. I told her I didn’t know what she was talking about. She got mad and left. I don’t know what to do or what to say to either of them.”

Sam appraised him sympathetically, gulping down his shot of whiskey as Shane finished his story. “Well… first of all, what did Sterling say to you before you blacked out?”

”Basically that me and him crossed his mind in the past but he really loves Morgan…” Shane started explaining, then stopped, noting Sam’s confusion. “Oh. Morgan, the farmer. Karizma Farm? They’re dating.”

”Oh.” Sam said in shock, eyes wide. “Wow.”

”Yeah… it’s… weird. It makes a lot more sense if you really know Sterling though. He’s always had a thing for dark and mysterious guys.” Shane laughed.

”Like Sebastian.” Sam mumbled.

“Yeah.” Shane chuckled and agreed but felt a twinge of guilt, knowing what he knew and not saying anything. It was Sterling’s fault, he reminded himself. Sebastian was vulnerable and he took advantage whether he meant to or not. Seb was pretty innocent in his opinion.

“I gotta be honest before you continue. That guy has always creeped me out.” Sam admitted awkwardly.

“I get bad vibes from him too! Sterling thinks I’m just jealous but I don’t know. Morgan’s weird, and dangerous. In my opinion, at least.” Shane went on, frustrated that he couldn’t tell Sam the whole truth about the guy.

“Well… hopefully nothing bad happens. I mean, I know what I said but Seb thinks he’s a good guy. He’s usually a pretty good judge of character. I mean… besides Abigail.” He muttered darkly.

“Fuck that bitch.” Shane replied without thinking.

Sam laughed, like for real. “Cheers to that, man.” He said as he got up to pour them another round of shots.

After knocking that one back as well, Shane launched back into his story. “So yeah he basically told me that he’s with Morgan and that if I can’t respect that, he’s going to ‘set boundaries’ with me. And he reminded me that I’m with Maddie. That’s when I blacked out. So that’s how it things left off with him.”

”Ouch.” Sam said sympathetically.

“Yeah.” Shane grimaced. “Anyway, so then Maddie stops by yesterday on her way to hang out with the two of them and informs me that she left us alone the night before because I was obviously jealous of Morgan and she wanted me admit it. I guess? Then she said we need to talk about our relationship sometime soon and left all pissed off because I didn’t know what to say to her about the Sterling shit so I just denied it. I was horrifically hungover, in my defense.” Shane concluded his recount of the events, looking to Sam for any follow up questions.

”That’s pretty messy shit, dude.” Sam confessed with a nervous laugh.

Shane found himself smiling despite his inner turmoil. “I’ve always been a damn mess.”

Sam looked at him thoughtfully, humming to himself so Shane would know he was thinking hard about his predicament. 

“Alright, so… correct me if I’m wrong, but I assume the reason you want advice is because you’re not actually sure what you’re feeling for Sterling OR why you’re self sabotaging things with Maddie?” Sam asked carefully.

Shane took a moment to think his words over, realizing with a jolt of fear that he was absolutely right. How could everyone read him like a book when he didn’t even know what he was feeling? He nodded slowly. “Yeah. I think that about sums it up.”

Sam nodded sadly. “Alright, I thought so. Let’s start with Maddie. I’m gunna ask you a bunch of questions, some of them might seem random but just humor me, okay?”

“Okay.” Shane agreed quickly, desperate for someone else to line his thoughts up straight for him because clearly he couldn’t do that himself.

”You and Maddie go way back right?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, she was my best friend in high school. I was hopelessly in love with her. I didn’t think I was good enough for her though, so I ghosted her for years. Apparently she had feelings for me back then too. Wish I knew that.”

Sam nodded. “You and Sterling go way back too though, right?”

”Yep. Best friends, we only lost touch after the bridge to East Scarp got washed out and he moved to Zuzu.”

”Did you ever feel anything for him in the past?” Sam questioned. 

He thought for a moment. “I don’t think so.”

”Were you really excited when he came back?”

”Yeah I mean he was always my favorite person to hang out with after I stopped talking to Maddie. It was lonely without him.”

”Were you jealous of Sebastian?” Sam asked softly, trying to give Shane the impression that it was safe to answer honestly.

”Oh god, no. I was happy for him.” He replied.

”You were dating Abigail though, at the time.” Sam reminded him.

”Yeah… I was. That’s true. Disgusting, but true.” He conceded.

”Were you happy with Abby? At that point. Before shit hit the fan?”

”Yes. I thought I was.” He admitted with a pained expression.

”Okay. Okay… hmm… did you and Maddie jump straight into dating like right away once you started talking again?”

“Yeah…kinda.” Shane admitted, scratching the back of his head. “That was probably dumb on both our parts.”

Sam shrugged. “Sometimes that can work out. Not always though. Moving on, was Sterling single when you and Maddie started dating?”

”I mean… he wasn’t single persay, him and Morgan were just more of a secret. I would say. He was definitely already obsessed with him. We were both single for a while though at the same time, and I don’t really remember feeling anything weird, except the desire to be a better friend to him.”

”Did his obsession, as you called it, with Morgan bother you from the start?” Sam asked, crossing one leg over the other and folding his hands on his knee.

”Sam… you look like a goddamn therapist. Knock it off.” Shane complained.

”Answer the question before I go find a clipboard.” Sam said calmly.

Shane glared at him. “Yeah it did but only because I was worried about him.”

”Why were you worried about him?” He asked innocently.

”He had bruises and injuries that he was super sketchy about. Turns out they have some kind of fucking pain kink.” He felt nauseous thinking about it again.

Sam actually looked concerned now, dropping the therapist act. “Injuries? Like… bad ones?”

”Yeah his torso was one giant bruise one day, another time his hands were bandaged up. His nose was broken. He swears he asked for that though.”

Sam’s jaw dropped. “He ASKED for his nose to be broken!?”

”Allegedly. Like… I don’t know, I guess I believe him. It’s just super fucking weird and makes me uneasy. That hasn’t happened in a while though. Seems like Morgan stopped beating him up for now.”

Sam scrunched his brows in concern. “Alright, well that’s certainly a lot to unpack. We don’t kink shame here though… I guess, if that’s their thing. Just give me a minute.” 

Sam got up and poured another shot. Shane reached out to request one for himself but Sam shook his head, putting a hand up to deny him. “No, you are cut off, sorry. You have to drive Jas home later.”

Shane sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Sam shook himself like he was fighting off a demon. “Alright, just needed to recalibrate after that bomb of a detail you just casually dropped in there.”

Shane laughed ironically at his situation.

”So can you honestly say that their… situationship only bothered you out of concern?”

Shane chewed it over for a moment. “I think so… I mean… I don’t know. I guess whatever was running through my head that possessed me to kiss him that night was sparked by something prior, I just don’t really know what it was.”

”Well… what happened that night leading up to it?” Sam asked, seeking clarification. Shane knew he was being very vague, but that was because there was a massive detail missing from his story. He’d have to get a little more specific if he wanted to get anything out of this conversation.

”Okay so basically, without getting into it, because it’s sort of just Morgans irrelevant business, he may have to leave the farm. Sterling said he would follow him anywhere if he left. That upset me because I don’t want him to leave. I was a drunk asshole and said some shit I shouldn’t have. Maddie yelled at me and her and Sterling went off to the pond to talk alone. I was freaking out, thinking all this shit about how easily Sterling falls in love with people and I remember having this weird thought like why not me? So I found them and Maddie left, and I ended up kissing him. You know the rest.” He trailed off in embarrassment.

”Huh. Well, I know you were really drunk and it’s probably hazy but how did you feel about kissing him?” Sam inquired. 

Shane flinched. “I haven’t really thought about it, to be honest. Been avoiding doing that.”

Sam sighed. “Shane… you have to. Don’t over analyze it, just try to remember how you felt in the moment. That’s the key to understanding.”

Shane felt like a dumbass, realizing Sam was absolutely right. He didn’t know how he felt because he was putting up a brick wall around the situation. Obsessing over it while also not thinking about it. He closed his eyes, letting himself relive the moment for the first time since it happened. A plethora of emotions washed over him.

When he finally opened his eyes, Sam was watching him closely, sympathizing with his pain no doubt. He reluctantly opened his mouth to answer the question, allowing himself to speak without thinking. “Okay… uhm… it felt… relieving? Like I couldn’t believe I was really doing it, almost as if I had always wanted to? Except I don’t really remember ever wanting to before. I didn’t want to stop, even though he wasn’t kissing me back, which is mortifying. I felt… horrible, and disappointed when he pushed me away.”

Sam nodded thoughtfully while Shane poured his heart out, waiting for him to finish before asking anymore questions. “Okay, good. It’s good that you’re being honest with yourself. How did it feel to hear that he had thought about you like that before?”

Shane sighed exasperatedly, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “Painful. It hurt. I wish I didn’t know that.”

”Why does it hurt? Do you feel like you missed your opportunity?” Sam pressed.

”Yeah.” Shane admitted.

“Oof.” Sam reacted emphatically.

Shane shot him a dirty look.

”I’m sorry, dude. I get it. It wasn’t easy for me when Seb was with Sterling.” Sam admitted, making Shane kind of feel like shit for dumping all of this on him. Sterling was probably a sore subject.

”I’m sorry.” Shane apologized sincerely. 

“It’s okay, we’re married now.” Sam said, smiling reassuringly. “Anyway, do you want my final diagnosis?”

“Please.” Shane begged.

“I think… and please remember, I am not a professional so please skip the lawsuit if I’m wrong… I think that Maddie was your first love, and you carried that weight for years. You and Sterling stayed close, you never thought about him as more than a friend probably because you assumed he wasn’t into you and you had some deeply internalized homophobia when it came to yourself. When Sterling first came back, you were just so excited to have your friend back and you were in a satisfying relationship at the time, so his relationship with Seb didn’t bother you either. You also didn’t have to analyze your feelings when you were both single because there was no pressure. When Maddie came back into your life and admitted that she had feelings for you back then too, it was probably extremely validating for you to hear and relieving that she forgave you for ghosting her. You started dating her far too soon after not really knowing each other anymore because you felt like it was right since she was your first love and you never loved anyone like that since then. But now that the exciting newness has worn off, you’re realizing you guys don’t really know each other that well, and you’re really only with her because it made sense to you. You wanted her back then and you could have her now, so you thought you wanted it. Naturally. Why wouldn’t you? But meanwhile, now that you’re in a relationship that isn’t fulfilling you like you thought it would… Sterling’s obsessed with this guy, who you can’t stand, and you’re afraid that he’s going to follow this guy if he leaves town and you’ll lose your best friend again. That fear made you subconsciously realize that maybe you’ve become attached to Sterling in a way that’s a lot stronger than your attachment to Maddie. Which is confusing, and that confusion manifested itself while you were highly intoxicated because you didn’t have the capacity to block out the thoughts and feelings that you’re afraid to acknowledge sober.” Sam took a deep breath, thinking hard about how to word his closing statement. “So just to summarize, I think that you rushed into things with Maddie way too soon and should probably just be friends right now before you lose her completely. And as for Sterling, I think you need to apologize to him. And definitely be honest with yourself about how you feel. Being in denial is just going to lead to more impulsive mistakes.”

Shane’s jaw nearly hit the floor. He was in absolute awe of how Sam managed to just read him like a book.

“I could be way off though. Sorry.” Sam shrugged.

”Dude…” Shane said, his voice breaking as he sat there still reeling in shock. “Why aren’t you an actual therapist? That was amazing. You hit the nail on the head dude.”

Sam blushed. “Nahhhh, I’m just good at reading into things.”

Before he could respond, the basement door burst open and two very excited little kids came running down followed by an apologetic looking Sebastian who was now holding a Redbull in his hand instead of his cup of coffee. 

Shane laughed to himself, never having expected to see Sebastian taking care of children. It was a strangely endearing sight.

He tried to picture him and Sterling in Sam and Sebastian’s place, living in domestic bliss like this. It felt sort of absurd. Maybe he really was just confused because he was scared of losing him. In any case, he felt like he owed Sam some sort of payment for his services.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, giving him instant anxiety. There were only 3 people who regularly texted him and he really hoped it was just Marnie.

No such luck.

Sterling: Morgan’s gone.

Chapter Text

Maddie

As she walked away from the research facility with her head held high, Mr. Aguar opened the same door she had allowed to slam closed.

She resisted the urge to turn when she heard the sound of the door flying open, but she didn’t have to look at him to hear the chilling warning he issued just loud enough for her to hear as she walked away from him.

”You know, if by some miracle you found him out there, I would know. If I see him in this valley again, I will kill him. If I find out you’re hiding him somewhere else… I think you’re smart enough to figure out what will happen. Make the right choice Maddison. Let him rot.” 

She flinched as she heard the door close again. She walked faster, desperate to put as much distance between that man and herself as she possibly could. She was done living in Ridgeside Village, that was for sure. There was no one to protect her up here. Fuck her house, that was going up on the market tomorrow. In fact, she would pack up everything of value to her today.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she unlocked her front door hastily with trembling hands. She was practically hyperventilating by the time she made it inside. She locked the door and let herself lean her back against it, sliding down to sit on the floor while she struggled to catch her breath.

It was horrible realizing that the man she respected, trusted, looked up to, admired, and relied on for income and steady employment was actually a cold blooded killer. She wondered what the hell his angle was, did he even care about the valley? What was he monitoring the water quality for? What was he really doing here?

Who is he?

She idly wondered how many insidious crimes she had unknowingly been a part of. Sure, maybe he truly felt justified in his terrible treatment of Morgan, but he was wrong about him. How many other people had he gotten rid of? She wracked her brain, trying to remember if anyone else had suddenly disappeared. 

The longer she thought about it, the more she realized how many suspicious stories there actually were.

There was Pam’s husband… Emily and Haley’s parents, Linus the homeless man, Malaya and Kimpoi… 

She had to stop thinking about it before she really had a panic attack. Once her breathing was a little more controlled, she scrambled to get up off the floor. Paranoia surged through her head while she tore through her house looking for boxes, frequently looking out the windows and double checking that they were all locked with the shades closed. 

She packed up all of her favorite clothes and treasured belongings, trying hard to make sure everything she packed would be discreetly moveable. She couldn’t just clear out her whole house in one go. That would be extremely suspicious. Now that she was thinking a little bit more clearly she knew that putting her house up for sale was a bad move. She needed to pretend she was still living here. Her life was in danger now. She needed to carefully calculate every move she made. 

The necklace around her neck felt like it was suffocating her. She wondered if he could use it to track her if he wanted to. She ripped it off and threw it across the room. Let him think she was always home. 

Now how was she going to get back to Pelican Town with her stuff without raising suspicion?

——————————————————————

Shane

Shane stared at Sterling’s text for so long that his eyes unfocused and the words jumbled up beyond recognition.

He didn’t snap out of it until Sam waved a hand in front of his face and quietly said, “Come on dude, let’s go upstairs so you can tell me what’s going on.” He waited for Shane to nod slightly before saying, “I’m gunna go show Shane the garage!” to Sebastian who was currently helping the kids set up a board game across the room.

He zoned out again, lifelessly following Sam until they were alone in the garage and Sam was shaking his shoulders.

“Sorry.” Shane mumbled.

He felt Sam reaching for the phone in his hand. “May I?” He nodded, typing in his code from muscle memory to unlock it for him.

Sam read the text that was still open on the screen. “Ah. I see.” He sighed. “I just want you to know that you don’t have to tell me anything, but I can tell that whatever you left out is pretty serious. I’ll help in any way that I can if you need me to.”

Shane finally met his eyes. “He’s not human.”

Sam looked surprised but not exactly shocked. “What is he?”

”Half Selkie.” Shane mumbled.

”What the fuck is that? Aren’t those the things that are like mermaids but like not really?” Sam questioned, looking alarmed.

Shane hoped it wasn’t a mistake, telling him. He trusted Sam though. “Yeah? I don’t know. As far as I know he’s physically a human but he has mind control powers or some shit. That’s why I was so afraid that he was hurting Sterling and making him think that he was okay with it.”

”That’s terrifying, what the fuck? So then it’s probably a good thing that he’s gone, right?” Sam asked, seemingly unsure. “Hey, you never explained what would make him leave.”

”Maddie’s boss, Mr. Aguar, knows what he is. He wanted him gone. He must have done something to him.” He explained.

”Holy shit, is he dead!?” Sam gasped.

”I… I don’t know.” Shane stammered, feeling increasingly anxious about not having replied to Sterling yet. “I’m so worried about Sterling…”

”Text him back.” Sam demanded.

”What do I say?” Shane begged for help. He was at a loss. He was surprised that Sterling even texted him.

”Ask him what happened!? Ask if he needs you to come over!? Damn dude, you kind of suck.” Sam admitted before quickly adding, “No offense.”

“Ugh.” Shane groaned. “Not usually. I just feel like shit about fucking kissing him.”

”Okay well obviously he doesn’t hate you for it so fucking text him and let him know that you’re there for him. You can apologize for what you did later, that’s obviously not what’s on his mind right now.” Sam scolded him. 

“Dude stop making so much sense what the fuck? I feel like I should be paying you.” He complained while taking his advice anyway. He started typing out a message to Sterling, handing his phone to Sam to review before pressing send.

“What happened? Are you okay!? I’m in Grampleton but I can be there in an hour.” Sam read the text out loud before pressing send for him.

Shane nervously bit his nails waiting for Sterling to reply, which wasn’t very long of a wait at all before the typing dots began dancing at the bottom of the screen.

”Breathe, Shane.” Sam commanded.

He obeyed, thankful someone was paying attention to his basic needs because he hadn’t even realized he was holding his breath.

Him and Sam both gasped when the new message popped up. Clearly Sam was invested in this drama now too.

Sterling: I’m at the farm. That scientist fucker did something to him last night. I think he kidnapped him and dumped him somewhere.

Sam read the text over his shoulder, thinking faster than Shane could. “Okay, if you’re okay with it, Jas can sleep over so you can focus on whatever is going on with that situation. Uhm… Yeah. Stay safe dude? Please… check in often. I’m gunna worry like hell about you guys.”

Shane stared at him in shock. “Sam… you don’t have to do that.”

”I know.” Sam responded nervously, scratching the hair on the back of his head. “I just… want to help. Sterling might never be one of my favorite people, but I know what it’s like to be separated from the person you love. And… I know we aren’t super close or anything, but I consider you a friend Shane. I don’t have a lot of those anymore, you know? And you helped us when we were in danger. I haven’t forgotten about that. I owe you.”

Shane stared at him for a moment longer, impulsively pulling him in for a brief hug. “You’re a saint, Sam. Are you sure Jas can stay over?”

”If she wants to, yeah absolutely.”

Shane nodded, “Okay, let’s go ask her.”

They opened the door to head back into the house, revealing a Sebastian who stood there in the hallway with a guilty expression on his face that he was trying hard to conceal. 

“Babe.” Sam said with an accusing tone. “You weren’t eavesdropping, were you?

Sebastian blushed. “No!”

Sam crossed his arms and looked at him with narrowed eyes. 

Seb sighed and threw his hands up in the air in defeat. “Okay maybe. Shane looked like he saw a ghost when you guys came up here. But I only heard that Jas is sleeping over. Which is fine with me by the way.”

Sam glared at him for a second longer before pushing him to the side and walking into the living room where the kids were loudly playing with Vincent’s xbox. His departure left Shane and Seb alone in the hallway.

Sebastian cleared his throat awkwardly before looking up at Shane and dropping his voice to a near whisper. “Hey, I just wanted to say thank you again, you know, for everything. Helping us, helping me… You’re a good dude and if you’re in some kind of trouble I just want you to know that we’re here for you. Like Sam said, we owe you.”

Shane was stunned again. Sebastian was usually a man of very few words, much like himself. The offer had meant a lot coming from Sam but it almost meant more coming from Sebastian. It was more surprising, at the least. “Thank you, Seb. I hope I won’t have to take you up on that though.” He chuckled darkly. 

Sebastian gave him a sympathetic look before shrugging. “I know what you mean. I don’t know what’s going on but I hope everything works out okay.”

Something about the way he said it gave Shane the impression that he overheard a lot more than he admitted to Sam.

Their conversation was interrupted by Jas shrieking and running into the hallway to find Shane.

”UNCLE SHANE, I CAN REALLY SLEEP OVER!?!?” She beamed looking up at him in disbelief.

He laughed at her apparent excitement, nodding. “Of course you can, Jas. It’s up to you.”

She squealed again, throwing her arms around him and chanting “thank you” over and over.

He felt paranoid suddenly that something would happen to him and he’d never see her again. Caught off guard by the sudden fear, he hugged her back until she got bored of that and ran back into the living room to return to the game her and Vincent were playing.

Alone again, he and Sebastian locked eyes, an unspoken understanding that Seb knew, to some degree, that whatever was going on was dangerous. 

“Jas is safe here.” Sebastian assured him. “Go.”

Shane froze for a moment but Sam appeared in the doorway behind him and motioned for him to get going, echoing Sebastian. “Go, Shane. Keep me updated.” He pushed an unopened bottle of water into Shane’s hand.

He nodded at them both, feeling endlessly grateful for their help. “Thank you.” He said seriously, looking at them both before heading out to the truck. Once he was buckled in and ready to go, he commanded his phone to call Sterling as he backed out of their fancy driveway.

He picked up as he drove down the street, headed back towards Pelican Town.

”Hey” Sterling answered, his voice sounded hollowed out, distant.

”Hey” Shane echoed back. “I’m on my way.”

”Okay” 

There was an awkward silence for a minute, but just when Shane began to regret calling him, he spoke again. “Thanks Shane.”

”For what?” He asked curiously.

”Dropping everything to come back.”

”I mean… I was just letting Jas have a playdate with Vincent. I said I had to go, and Sam offered for her to stay over. So now I’m totally free.” He rambled, suddenly painfully aware of the fact that they hadn’t discussed the incident.

”That was nice of him.” Sterling said emotionlessly.

”Yeah…” Shane cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Sam’s a good dude.”

”I know.” Sterling retorted, a defensive bite in his tone.

”I didn’t mean anything by that…” Shane added quickly.

”I know, Shane.” Sterling replied. 

Shane sighed, he was already frustrated with this conversation. He felt like he was doing everything wrong lately.

He decided to change the subject. “What happened?”

“We were hanging out with Maddie… me and her fell asleep on the couch. When we woke up a couple hours later, Morgan was gone.”

He heard Sterling’s voice crack and a sniffle follow it. His heart ached for him. As unapproving of Morgan as he was, he hated to see his best friend in any pain.

”H-he went outside to put out the fire I started in the shed. He left his phone in the house. He’s gone, Shane.” 

He was having a hard time focusing on the road with his friend openly sobbing now on the other side of the phone, but there was no way he was going to hang up on him.

”I’m sorry, Sterling.” Shane said sincerely. The gravity of the situation was setting in, if Morgan didn’t even have his phone then Sterling couldn’t even contact him. He was really was gone.

”I’m gunna take over the farm and take care of Gloomy.” Sterling continued in a broken tearful voice.

”I…” Shane racked his brain for what to say. He wanted to fix things. He wanted to be a better friend. He didn’t want to make things harder for his friend who had already been through so much. “I’ll help you, with the farm. I probably know more than you do. No offense.”

Sterling laughed. “None taken. I’m not very experienced with any of this. I appreciate that though. Thank you.”

The other line got really quiet after that while Shane focused most of his attention on driving. Something was gnawing at the back of his mind though.

”Where’s Maddie now?” He asked hesitantly.

”Oh. She left this morning to go quit her job.” Sterling replied simply.

”Jesus…” Shane grumbled in response. “Have you heard from her since she left?”

Sterling was quiet, too quiet. As if he was just realizing something was wrong. “No. Fuck…”

Shane let out a shaky breath, thinking fast as he passed the sign announcing that Pelican Town was the next exit. “Okay. Okay… Listen to me, stay there. I’m getting off the highway right now. I’m going to go to her house and check if she’s there first. If I don’t text you back within the next two hours, get help finding us.”

”Okay.” Sterling promised. “Be careful Shane? I can’t lose you too.”

He ignored the pang in his heart at the admission, now wasn’t the time to analyze his feelings. 

Chapter Text

Maddie

She managed to get enough clothes and other essentials to last her a couple weeks over to the mine cart entrance without running into anyone. She hated leaving so much behind but she kept telling herself that she could come back for more. She had to keep pretending she was living there anyway. 

Quickly loading her stuff into the questionable metal cart, making a solid attempt to ignore the rust and dirt, she set her course for Pelican Town. Glancing around nervously to make sure she hadn’t been followed, she pulled the lever to activate her getaway ride.

As the cart set into motion, she gripped the front edge of it so hard that her knuckles turned white. She didn’t understand why anyone used this damn thing, but it was her best option for getting out of Ridgeside discreetly. The lift was too obvious and she’d have to walk all the way through town to get to it anyway. The cart system was much more low key, even if she absolutely hated every second of it.

The mine cart flew down the track, occasionally jerking left and right, making her feel like she was on a damn roller coaster. She never did understand the appeal. She loathed amusement parks, the food was good but the rides were a nightmare. If she wasn’t getting tossed around so violently she probably would have held her breath from start to finish.

Her ride finally came to a stop, nearly ejecting her straight onto the ground when it reached the end of the track. She clambered out of it, hastily grabbing her things and heading towards the farm. She had only gone a couple feet when a figure hurrying up the path caught her off guard. She nearly jumped into the nearest bush to stay hidden but she suddenly recognized the person’s face, her mouth falling open in disbelief. “Shane!?”

”Maddie!” He cried out, closing the distance between them and wrapping his  arms around her, hugging her tightly. “You’re okay!”

”Huh?” She replied, deeply confused.

”Sterling told me what happened, I was on my way to look for you. I was so worried when he said he hadn’t heard from you since you left the farm this morning.” He rambled, still looking immensely relieved. “I just got back from Grampleton.”

She was actually a little touched. It was nice to see that she actually did matter to him after all. For a while there she had been beginning to think that she was just an afterthought while Sterling remained his first and foremost priority. It was shocking that he hadn’t gone straight to Sterling first before looking for her.

She felt her anger towards him soften up a bit. Maybe there was still hope for them someday. She needed all the support she could get right now anyway, even if he was only capable of being her friend.

”Thanks Shane.” She said, smiling sincerely. “Help me carry this shit back to the farm?”

“I have the truck parked over there, want a ride?” He asked, motioning to the road below them.

”As long as you don’t drive like a mine cart, I will absolutely accept that offer.” She exclaimed gratefully, following him to the old pick up truck. She dumped her things on the front seat before crawling up inside and pushing them over to make room to sit.

Shane got in the drivers seat as she fastened her seatbelt, giving her a strange look as he turned the key in the ignition.

”What?” She snapped, sensing some sort of judgement radiating off of him, though she wasn’t sure what for.

Shane’s eyebrows raised in defense. “Nothing, it’s just… we’ll be there in two minutes.”

”So???” She asked, feeling frustrated.

”So… why are you buckling up?”

She stared at him like he was the world’s biggest imbecile. “Because it’s the law, Shane.”

”Okay, Maddie, but we’re literally driving out of this lot and turning right onto Morgan’s property… in a town with essentially no other vehicles.” He argued.

“It’s still the law!! Is this seriously what’s important to you right now!?” She asked incredulously as he finally put the truck into motion.

Shane shook his head, obviously still perplexed. “It’s just… who do you think is coming to arrest you if you don’t buckle up for this 120 second journey in this rural ass country town? Maddie, we don’t even have a police station.”

Maddie scowled at him, already sick of his shit. She had so many other important things to worry about, and Shane’s opinion of her safe driving habits was so irrelevant that it didn’t even make it onto the list.

But then Shane peeked over at her expression from the corner of his eye and burst out laughing and she struggled to contain the smile that was spreading across her own traitorous face.

”Suck a dick, Shane.” She bit back half heartedly.

He smiled at her again, giving her the false hope that they’d be okay after all, but just as they turned onto the dirt road leading into Karizma farm, Maddie was reminded of something they had still yet to discuss.

”So… before we focus all our attention on the absolutely horrific chaos that has become our lives… can we just talk about how you kissed Sterling real quick?” Maddie asked, carefully concealing the hurt from her tone. 

Shane groaned and grimaced, nearly swerving into a sapling growing on the side of the driveway. 

“This is why I wore my seatbelt.” Maddie mumbled, crossing her arms and staring out the window instead of the embarassed look on his face.

He breathed out shamefully, gripping the steering wheel a bit more tightly. “He told you then?”

”Yeah? You clearly weren’t going to.” She replied, shooting an accusing glare in his direction.

“I just wanted to think about it and talk to him first before involving you in my mess.” Shane said carefully, not missing the look of pure disbelief on her face.

”Are you serious? You cheated on me, Shane.” She laughed humorlessly.

“You instigated it! I was wasted Maddie! I threw up right after!” He defended himself, throwing the truck in park before squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a deep sigh. He turned to look at her directly. “Look, I’m really sorry, I mean it. Drunk or not that was a shitty thing to do and I’m extremely embarassed by that incredible fuck up.”

”Yeah, that was a pretty impressive one, even for you.” She said, looking down at the floor of the truck instead of his face.

”Can we start over as friends?” Shane asked her, surprising her with the sudden shift in his tone. He sounded uncharacteristically sincere and vulnerable. It squeezed her fragile heart. 

He held out a hand, looking at her earnestly while she chewed over her answer in her head.

Finally, she reached out and accepted his peace offering, shaking his hand gently, “Okay. Yeah. Let’s start over.”

Shane smiled at her with a look of immense relief. She let him have that for a moment before dropping the bomb.

”By the way, Abigail saw it happen. She told Morgan before I got here last night.”

Shane’s relieved face morphed into shock, embarrassment, and horror. “Oh god…”

“Yeah. Rough luck, man. Alright, Sterling needs us. Let’s go so I can fill you guys in.” She said, hopping out of the truck before giving him anymore time to feel sorry for himself. “Carry my shit in for me, it’s the least you could do.”

——————————————————————

Shane

He watched Maddie walk over to the front door, making sure she was out of earshot before he punched the steering wheel. He then shoved his thoughts and feelings deep down into a locked box inside his mind. This was about Sterling and Maddie now. His stupid bullshit was irrelevant compared to the problems they were facing. 

Gathering all of Maddie’s shit in his arms, he joined her by the front door where she was still apparently waiting for Sterling to let her in.

She cast him a semi-worried look as they waited.

”I just talked to him.” Shane assured her. “We were on the phone pretty much right up until I ran into you.”

She let out a breath, looking a little calmer but still on edge. He got the impression that there was some pretty deep shit happening that he hadn’t been let in on yet. He realized how jumpy and nervous she looked now. She had seemed a lot calmer in the car.

They finally heard the lock click on the other side of the door, revealing an exhausted looking Sterling holding an equally exhausted looking cat.

”Hey guys, come in.” Sterling said apathetically, stepping aside to make room for them.

He followed Maddie inside, looking around curiously, wondering how a half human half monster type of person would live. Simply, it seemed, judging by the lack of… anything. It was pretty barren in here. He tried his best not to judge. It was homey enough, he supposed. The couch looked comfortable and there was an xbox set up on the modest television. 

And the cat was pretty cute, too.

He sighed quietly to himself, forgetting for a moment why they were even here. He absentmindedly put Maddie’s things down on the kitchen table.

Sterling was tracking his movements, apparently, because the moment he laid eyes on the boxes on the table he turned to Maddie with a worried frown. “I take it your resignation didn’t go over well?”

Maddie dramatically collapsed onto the couch, burying her face in her hands for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking up at both of them. “Have a seat guys, there’s a lot to tell you.”

“From the beginning? If you don’t mind. I’m a little lost.” Shane requested sheepishly.

She looked annoyed, glancing over at Sterling as if seeking his permission to not get straight to the point.

Sterling nodded.

She sighed heavily, making Shane feel like a piece of shit for not being available sooner.

”Okay so last night we fell asleep on the couch, Gloomy woke Sterling up freaking out. He woke me up. We realized Morgan was gone. Checked the shed to see if he went out there to put out the fire. The fire was out, he wasn’t there. Found his phone in the house, nothing suspicious on it. Searched the property, found nothing but foot prints in the dirt by the entrance we just came in. We went to sleep. Okay? Can I move on to what happened after I left this morning?” Maddie snapped.

Sterling and Shane exchanged nervous, knowing glances. Maddie had always been a tad irritable when highly stressed out. Time hadn’t changed much, it seemed.

She glared at them both, noting their silent interaction. “I went to work, got that fucking bastard to admit that he dumped Morgan in the woods somewhere outside boundaries of the valley, but he’s definitely alive. I told him Morgan wasn’t a threat, he told me I’m brainwashed and untrustworthy. I told him I quit. I stormed out, he opened the door and yelled out to me that if we found Morgan he would know, and that if we even go look for him he’ll interfere. Said that if we found him and hid him somewhere else then ‘I should know what will happen’. He worded it like a death threat. He also said that if Morgan comes back here he’ll kill him. He told me to make the right decision and ‘let him rot’.

Sterling crumpled, for lack of a better description. Sobs rocked his slim body. The cat he was still clutching like a safety blanket seemed to mirror his emotions, unbothered by the tight hold he had on her.

It was kind of a heartbreaking sight. He wanted to comfort Sterling but he felt incredibly awkward about it, especially being in Morgan’s house knowing that he knew about his fuck up. Even being here felt wrong but Sterling had essentially invited him. Plus, he was determined to protect and help his friends any way that he could. He felt he owed them both, and life would be terrible without them anyway. There was no way in hell he was going to stay out of this and just idly hope for the best from the sidelines.

Not a fucking chance.

Maddie let Sterling grieve for another minute before continuing. “So I went back home and ripped off that protection charm. I have a feeling he can use it to track me, so I left it in my house. I’m gunna pretend I’m still living there. I snuck out with some shit to get by for now. I took the mine cart down here instead of the lift just in case. I’m gunna stay here with you, if that’s alright. I… I’m scared.” She admitted, her voice finally breaking at the end.

Maybe he couldn’t hug Sterling, but there was no reason he couldn’t comfort Maddie. He got up and hurried to her side, pulling her into his arms and rubbing her back soothingly. She melted into him, sobbing uncontrollably.

Sterling locked eyes with her and nodded through his tears. “Of course you can stay here. I would prefer it actually. I’m scared too, Mads.” His voice a broken and haunted version of how it normally sounded.

Shane waved Sterling over without overthinking it, pulling him down for an emotional group hug. Gloomy wriggled out of Sterling’s grasp, clearly not interested in being squashed by three emotional humans. Sterling threw his now free arms around his friends shoulders, leaning on them as he cried.

Shane wasn’t sure what role he was going to play here but he was determined to be of use somehow. His heart was beating out of his chest, overwhelmed by the amount of love he had for these two humans that had somehow not permanently kicked him out of their lives despite him being an absolute fuck up and hurting them both time and time again. He’d be damned if he let some chunky little geriatric mad scientist freak take them away from him.

”Do you guys want me to stay here too? I’m sure Marnie would understand, if I told her a different version of what’s going on…” He asked nervously. Part of him was terrified of the highly likely rejection, but he had to offer anyway.

Neither of them reacted for a moment that felt like 30 years rather than 30 seconds, but then he felt Sterling nodding his head against his shoulder and a wave of relief washed over him. “Okay.” He said quietly, the relief quickly morphing into anxiety as he thought about all the details. “Okay… I will.” 

“You have to be careful now, Shane.” Maddie spoke suddenly. “You know too much. Staying here with us is honestly probably the safest option at this point. We need to stick together and always be ready. Who knows what the hell that sick fuck is planning now. We need to get more help. I… have some theories that this isn’t the first disappearance he’s been behind.”

Shane felt Sterling shiver at the same time as himself. This was feeling more and more like a lethally dangerous rabbit hole to fall down, but what choice did they have, really?

Chapter Text

Sterling/Shane

It took a while but eventually the three of them calmed down enough to have a regular conversation without any tears being shed.

They came to the conclusion that they couldn’t go look for Morgan, and they also couldn’t let their guards down. The only thing they could do was focus on bringing Mr. Aguar down. They needed more help but they didn’t want to put anyone else in danger, so that was probably going to take a lot more thought and discussion before they came up with any potential recruits. 

Shane had been pretty quiet after their emotional huddle but now it looked like there was something he wanted to say. He sat there fidgeting around like it was right on the tip of his tongue.

”What is it, Shane? Spit it out.” Maddie snapped at him before he had the chance to ask him what was on his mind.

”You’re so charming, Maddie.” Sterling scolded her sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m tired of watching him bounce his knee and open and close his mouth every few seconds. He looks like a broken bubble machine.”

Shane glared at her and waited for her to shut up before answering the question. “I was thinking that we should probably let someone else know what’s going on. Like all of it. That way if something happens to all of us, someone outside of this room will at least have an inkling as to who did it.”

Maddie nodded slowly. “That’s probably a good idea.”

Sterling had an uneasy feeling about who he was suggesting they tell though. “I agree, but… who did you have in mind?”

Shane avoided eye contact, nervously picking at something on his sleeve. “Sam and Sebastian…” He mumbled finally.

Sterling sighed.

Maddie was quiet, clearly thinking it over in her head. “Why them?”

Shane looked up at Sterling suddenly, intensity in his gaze. He understood the silent question. ‘Should we tell her?’

He looked over at Maddie who was eyeing them both suspiciously, then back at Shane. He shrugged. “Might as well.”

“What!?” Maddie questioned, looking nearly panicked.

”A lot happened last year…” Shane started. “The wizard that lives in the tower in the woods over there,” he paused, motioning with his hand. “He’s Abby’s real father. Caroline had an affair with him while he was married. His ex wife is now a witch who’s just straight up evil as shit. God, I don’t even know what else to say… there’s so much.”

Maddie’s eyes widened. “What the fuck?”

Sterling took over, seeing as Shane was apparently too overwhelmed by the task of summing it all up to continue speaking. “Yeah anyway, Abby was obsessed with Sebastian but he was in love with Sam so she did some bullshit magic nonsense that she didn’t even research before doing it. Long story short, she murdered Sam’s ex girlfriend and then ended up fucking everything up so badly that Sebastian had to use the witch’s memory loss shrine to erase their relationship or else Sam would’ve killed Abby’s bitch ass.”

Maddie just stared, jaw dropped open.

”I moved back after that happened so when I was dating Sebastian he had no idea who Sam was.”

He let that piece of the puzzle sit with Maddie for a moment, letting her connect the dots for herself. He knew she got it when her face turned sympathetic. 

“Yeah. So obviously I got dumped once he remembered. Oh and Abby was acting fucking crazy trying to convince us that Sam was a psycho killer, and then she broke up with Shane.”

Shane grimaced. “I still regret not being the one to end it. Fucking crazy bitch.”

Maddie just shook her head in disbelief, trying to wrap her head around the fact they really weren’t just fucking with her.

”Oh and there was a whole thing with a ghost boy, that’s why Linus is gone. It was his little brother, he felt responsible for his death so he sacrificed himself to allow his spirit to move on.”

“Wait! So you guys know what happened to Linus?” Maddie asked suddenly.

They both nodded.

”I thought that maybe Mr. Aguar had a hand in his death.” She admitted.

”Nah. We know what happened with all that. He left his life savings to Sebastian. That’s how they were able to afford buying a house in Grampleton.” Shane informed her.

”Wow.” Maddie replied.

”Yeah so… that’s why I suggested telling them. They’re kind of the only people who know that life isn’t what it seems here. Besides… Abigail.” He cringed as he said her name.

”So you think they might even be able to help?” She asked hopefully,

Shane shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. We should definitely tell them though.”

Sterling sighed, listening to their conversation while he tried to push past the hurt and guilt he still felt surrounding Sebastian. He felt like shit that he kissed him while he was with Sam, but he was also still hurt that he never had a real chance with him. It was an awkward situation. He had no regrets with Morgan so he was thankful that they hadn’t stayed together, in a way. But it was still weird to have been cut off so abruptly. Even though he understood the circumstances, it still felt so unfair.

”Are you okay, buddy?” Shane asked him carefully.

Maddie gave Shane a weird look. She probably intended to be more discreet but Sterling was too perceptive. It felt like a curse sometimes.

”Yeah I just… you know.” He grumbled.

”Listen, you don’t have to talk to them. I can do all the talking.” Shane assured him.

Sterling sighed again. Then he said something that shocked Shane and Maddie into sudden silence, both staring at him with their mouths agape.

”Can we talk about how you kissed me?”

He said it so bluntly, so directly, staring right into Shane’s eyes as he said it. His best friend simply froze, looking like a computer that had to emergency reboot before processing the request.

Maddie saved the awkward silence by speaking first. “Uhm… I’m gunna go in the bedroom and listen to some music with headphones on. I’ll come back to check on you guys in like 30 minutes, okay?” 

She ran off before either of them could stop her.

Once they were alone, Sterling continued glaring at Shane. His face had turned red with anxiety and embarrassment but Sterling felt no sympathy for him.

”I’m sorry.” Shane said quietly, braving eye contact for a brief moment before dropping his eyes to the floor. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

”Yeah you do.” Sterling said simply, arms crossed in front of his chest.

He was perched on the arm of the couch while Shane sat on the coffee table, jittery and uncomfortable. They’d been allowing Maddie to sprawl out comfortably on the couch but now that she was gone he held his position just to appear more intimidating to Shane. If he was going to be living here for a bit, then this situation needed to be hashed out and put to rest.

Shane let out an exasperated breath. “Okay, fine, yeah. I was thinking selfishly. I was thinking that Morgan was going to leave and whisk you away with him, and I was going to lose my best friend. All of that worrying mixed with the alcohol in a bad way and I kissed you when I absolutely shouldn’t have. I’m really sorry.”

”Yeah well… Morgan didn’t take me with him, did he?” He couldn’t help himself from biting back. It wasn’t Shane’s fault he was hurting so badly but he had no other outlet for his misery.

Shane flinched but looked into his eyes sympathetically. “I’m really sorry this happened, dude. I know you love him.”

”You know… Abby came over here to tell him that she saw us kissing. He got all scared that I’d fall in love with you if I had the chance to.”

Shane gulped, not enjoying the way that statement made him feel. “W-what did you say?” 

“That I’d thought about it before, but not since I met him.” Sterling said icily, driving the point home as savagely as he could. He didn’t want Shane getting any ideas.

Shane nodded, looking a bit dejected. “I already apologized to Maddie too, if you were wondering.”

”Good. She didn’t deserve that shit.” He replied.

Shane sighed. Something he found himself doing more often lately. Apathy had really taken over these days. “We’re just gunna be friends. Start over fresh.”

”That’s probably for the best.” He agreed. “And what about me and you? Are you done with whatever that was?”

Shane stared at Sterling openly, trying to let himself feel whatever he was meant to feel, and be honest with himself about it. Just like Sam had suggested. His words about denial never ending well echoed around in his head. 

Was he done with that? It was a great question.

He took in Sterling’s striking blue eyes, glassy and a little red from crying and not getting much sleep. His messy brown hair was unbrushed, sticking up a bit in random places while the rest fell over his face. Even though he was angry with him, his usual bubbly confidence was gone. He looked smaller, weaker, more on edge. Shane just wanted to wrap him up in a hug and take his pain away.

That’s what friends were for, right?

It had to be.

”Yeah.” He said finally.

They both knew it was bullshit.

——————————————————————

Morgan

The frigid winter wind felt like it was seeping right into his bones. That bastard scientist had really dumped him in the middle of the woods. He didn’t even know where he was. All he knew was that it was cold and dark and he hadn’t slept in nearly 2 days. 

He couldn’t even feel his feet anymore. Between the cold and the endless walking around, they were like numb chunks of ice stuffed inside his boots. 

He felt like he had been walking for miles but he knew he logically couldn’t have gotten very far. Eventually he gave up on finding more suitable shelter for the night, stopping wherever he was to focus on building a fire with the limited energy he had left. Once the fire was going strong he warmed up enough to summon the energy to hunt for food.

It only took him about 15 minutes to find and kill a rabbit, biological advantages that came with his powers and all. It killed him to have to take an innocent life but he told himself if it wasn’t him it would have been a different predator anyway. He wished it wasn’t the dead of winter, he’d much rather be foraging for berries and vegetables than having to hunt small prey animals.

After choking down his depressing dinner, he curled up against a log a safe distance away from his fire. The ground wasn’t very comfortable at all, but there wasn’t exactly a better option, and he desperately needed some sleep. Wandering around in the woods having been awake for over 48 hours didn’t exactly sound safe.

His coat doubled as a pathetic blanket, the hood up over his head acting as the worlds thinnest pillow. It took him a while to drift off to sleep but he focused on reliving all the good memories he had of Sterling. That seemed to do the trick. He finally drifted off to sleep thinking about pretty blue eyes and how perfectly he fit in his arms. He’d give anything to be able to hold him again. It killed him to not be able to say goodbye.

He knew in this moment that he had been an absolute fool to think that he could have left without Sterling on purpose on his own accord. He would have regretted that decision instantly. This was hell. The worst possible existence he could imagine for himself. All he wanted was to be laying in bed cuddling with the one person who gave him a reason to live, who made him feel accepted for who he was. Instead he was lost in the middle of nowhere, fighting the wilderness to stay alive. 

He wondered how Sterling was doing. How he took his disappearance. He wondered what happened with Maddie when they realized he was gone. He hoped they were both still unharmed. He hoped they at least figured out that he hadn’t just abandoned them in the middle of the night. He wasn’t sure he could live with himself if Sterling was actually sitting there angry and hating him for leaving without even saying goodbye. Couldn’t believe that leaving without saying goodbye had actually been his plan. Maybe this was karma for planning such a horrible thing. 

Maybe he deserved to die this way. Frozen to death in the middle of nowhere where no one would ever find him.

He wouldn’t freeze tonight though. Death couldn’t take him away just yet. He wasn’t going down without a fight.

In his last moments of consciousness he could have sworn he could even smell the familiar scent of Sterling’s shampoo.

Chapter Text

Shane

The rest of the night after his talk with Sterling was tense to say the least. There was an unspoken understanding between them that Shane was definitely full of shit when he said he was done with whatever confusing feelings he felt for him.

Sterling hadn’t looked happy about it but he looked satisfied enough at least to drop it. As if all he really needed was for them both to pretend that everything was okay. They were under Morgan’s roof, after all. He understood the guilt he was probably feeling for inviting Shane to stay there.

Or maybe he was just projecting. He was dealing with a lot of guilt himself.

Maddie had come out of the bedroom after a while, looking between the two of them with an analytical stare. He didn’t know what conclusion she came to but whatever it was, he was thankful she kept it to herself.

The rest of the night was quiet and uneventful for the most part, despite the tension. They kind of just dealt with their own circumstances separately but together, the three of them each engrossed in their cell phones.

He gave Marnie a heavily edited version of the truth, essentially letting her know that both Sterling and Maddie were going through some heavy mental health shit and he needed to babysit them for a little while. He also asked her to accompany him to pick up Jas the next morning. After letting Sam know what was going on, the plan was for them to drive up together and then he would hitch a ride back with Sam while she brought Jas home by herself. 

He hoped that she wouldn’t question it too heavily. He wasn’t sure how to explain that it was for their own safety. He couldn’t quite tell Marnie the truth because if he did, she would surely tell Mayor Lewis immediately and that was a whole can of worms that they couldn’t afford to open just yet. Maybe not ever.

While he was busy with that, Sterling was having what he was sure could only be a very interesting conversation in a group chat with Henry and Mia. Sterling wasn’t feeling very talkative so he wasn’t sure how the conversation was going but he could tell by the wrinkles of concentration on his forehead that it probably wasn’t going great.

On the other side of the room, Maddie was in her own little world, probably searching through work from home job listings or maybe ordering a custom Mr. Aguar voodoo doll from Etsy. Who knows, she wasn’t exactly instigating conversation with either of them. There was a heavy cloud of angst hanging over the trio, making conversation between them feel like an exhausting and unnecessary task.

When Marnie and Sam had both finally said goodnight and stopped blowing up his phone, he put it on the charger and really looked at his two stressed out looking friends for the first time in hours.

Sterling had apparently finished up his awkward conversation too because he was now laying down on the couch vertically upside down with his head hanging off the side and his arms splayed out dramatically, his feet resting against the wall above the couch. Beside him, Maddie was furiously tapping away on her phone with a look of furious determination. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she kept nervously chewing on her nails.

Neither of them seemed too concerned with his existence so he was sort of relieved when he felt a little paw batting at his leg. Shane looked down to see a fluffy little kitty staring up at him with big, pleading eyes. He patted his lap, inviting her to sit with him. She hopped up without hesitation and instantly began purring like a lawn mower. 

He nearly fell over with surprised laughter when a quiet, moody voice muttered “whore” from across the room.

Him and Sterling locked eyes from his upside down position on the couch. The corners of his mouth curved into a tiny smirk, obviously pleased that he made Shane laugh. The small gesture tugged on his heart strings and he silently prayed that he wasn’t actually blushing even though he definitely felt his face heating up. 

Sterling promptly averted his gaze. Shane mentally kicked himself for being so fucking sensitive when it came to him lately. When the hell had things changed between them? He felt like the worlds worst friend. The last thing Sterling needed right now was being forced to tip toe around Shane’s emotions while he worried about figuring out how to get his boyfriend home.

After another hour of awkward silence, Maddie finally put her phone down and sighed. “Alright, where are we all sleeping?”

Shane just shrugged. “I’ll be on the floor, I assume.”

”The bed is big enough for two people. No one needs to sleep on the floor.” Sterling immediately shot back sounding a little irritated.

Shane’s heart rate shot through the roof. What?

“I’ll sleep on the couch if you and Maddie want to take the bed. Or if Maddie’s not comfortable with that, her and I can share the bed and you can take the couch.” Sterling continued.

Shane felt his heart fall into his feet. He wanted to laugh at his own stupidity. Of course he hadn’t meant them. Fucking idiot.

Maddie glanced between them nervously, probably weighing her options. Failure of an ex boyfriend or her gay friend? 

“Shane can have the couch.” She decided finally.

Of course.

Neither of them bothered to say goodnight to him which made him ask himself for the 10th time why they even wanted him here.

As he shuffled around throw pillows and tried to get comfortable he couldn’t help but focus on the back of Sterling’s silhouette exiting the bathroom and disappearing down the hallway. He felt a pang of longing, sort of wishing that he was in that bed instead of Maddie.

Once he finally got comfortable, he found himself once again running through the timeline of how weird shit had gotten but this time it was in extreme frustration. 

No matter how many times he mentally retraced his steps he still couldn’t figure out how Sterling had suddenly become more than a friend to him that day. He couldn’t remember noticing a single sign or thinking a single thought, prior to that night, that indicated anything more than platonic feelings towards him.

It just didn’t make sense.

Angry at himself and the universe as a whole, he finally fell into a fitful sleep. 

What felt like a cat nap at best was apparently a full eight hour slumber because the next time he opened his eyes, it was because Marnie was banging on the front door pissed off and impatient because he wasn’t answering his phone.

The ride to Grampleton felt more like a hostage situation in an interrogation room on wheels. Marnie was very much not letting his vagueness about the situation slide.

”Why are they staying at Farmer Morgan’s house?”

”Why do you have to stay there too?”

”Don’t they have jobs?”

”Doesn’t Sterling already have Henry and Mia to baby sit him?”

“You aren’t involved in some kind of polygamy cult are you?!”

”What the hell is going on, Shane?”

He finally had to kindly ask her to mind her own business for a little while with the promise to explain the situation better when the situation was more under control. He reiterated several times that it wasn’t his drama to spread around like the freshly brewed hot tea of the week. She was definitely furious with him but that seemed to shut her up. Luckily the drive wasn’t too much longer at that point so she was forced to drop it and turn her focus to Jas as they walked up to Sam and Sebastian’s front door.

”Wow.” She mumbled as they made their way down the front path and up the porch stairs.

”Yeah, I think they probably get that a lot.” Shane agreed, remembering how he and Jas had reacted the same way the day before.

She shot a glare in his direction. The sound of his voice apparently disrupting her awe of her surroundings and reminding her that they were not friends right now. Whatever.

Marnie’s feelings were the least of his current worries. He ignored her and knocked on the front door, which opened almost immediately.

”UNCLE SHANE! MARNIE! I don’t wanna go back to stupid Pelican Town, it’s so cool here. We should all stay.” Jas greeted them animatedly with a somber looking Vincent following close behind. She must have been watching them walk up from the window.

”Well hello Jazzy. Did you have a fun night?” He asked his goddaughter, doing his best to pretend there was nothing weird happening in his life. 

“Yeah! Pelican town sucks.” She pouted.

Marnie opened her mouth in preparation to launch into a speech about why that wasn’t true but Sam coming down the hallway to greet them saved them all from having to hear it.

”Hi Shane! Hi Marnie!” Sam smiled at them brightly. “Vince, why don’t you go look around your room one more time to make sure Jas isn’t forgetting any of her things.” 

“Okay Sammy.” Vincent sighed, obeying his older brother. Jas followed him up the stairs wearing a similar expression.

Once they were out of earshot, Sam lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Vincent doesn’t want her to leave. He’s been having a hard time making friends at his new school. None of the kids are mean to him but they don’t really understand how he’s never been to ‘real’ school before. It’s been a rough adjustment.”

”Aww.” Marnie crooned. “Poor little guy.”

”I’ll have to bring Jas over more often if that’s cool with you guys.” Shane offered.

”Totally! She was a perfect angel.” Sam beamed.

“Not our Jas?” Shane joked sarcastically.

Marnie gave him another dirty look which he chose to ignore, opting to call out to Jas instead of acknowledging it. “Jazzy! Are you ready to go?” 

“Vincent can sleep over my house tonight.” Marnie offered in a sudden whisper.

Sam’s eyes widened and he nodded in response.

Two sets of little feet came bounding down the stairs. “I guess so.” Jas said sadly.

”Would you guys like to have another sleepover tonight?” Sam asked casually.

Both the kids eyes lit up like Christmas trees as they eagerly nodded.

Shane laughed. ”Okay well Marnie is going to bring you guys back to Pelican Town. I’m gunna hitch a ride with Sam and Sebastian. I’ll see you later, okay? I love you.” He gave her a hug, hoping that his words were true. He had no idea how dangerous the situation would or wouldn’t become. 

”Okayyyyyy. Love you too, Uncle Shane.” She whined. “Thank you for letting me sleep over.” She said to Sam politely. 

“Any time, cutie.” Sam said to her with a little wave.

Shane and Marnie exchanged a proud glance at her manners. He was happy that Marnie apparently didn’t completely hate his guts right now.

“Bye little man! I’ll bring you a sleepover bag later, okay?” Sam said to Vincent as he ruffled his hair. 

“Okay, Sammy.” Vincent beamed, shyly following Marnie.

“Thank you.” Shane whispered to her as she escorted Jas and Vincent out the door. She gave him a tight lipped smile in response. 

“She has no freaking clue, huh?” Sam asked in a sympathetic tone once the truck doors were closed and the engine was running.

”Not a single one.” Shane grumbled.

”Do you want to talk here for a bit?” Sam offered.

”Honestly, I’m afraid to leave Maddie and Sterling alone for too long…” Shane admitted, worry already creeping into his tone.

Sam picked up on his rapidly escalating nervous energy right away. He placed his hand on Shane’s shoulder and squeezed before letting go and yelling “BABE!!!”

”WHAT???” Sebastian yelled back from somewhere upstairs. Shane wasn’t really familiar with the layout of the second floor.

“CAN YOU TAKE A BREAK FROM WORKING NOW? SHANE HAS TO GET BACK TO THE FARM.” Sam shouted, making Shane cringe next to him. Why couldn’t he just walk up there?…

He imagined Sebastian probably had some sort of office reminiscent of a vampiric bat cave. He knew he had a pretty well paying programming gig but it was hard to imagine him working in a room that wasn’t a glorified coffin with a Keurig. 

“YEAH. GIVE ME 2 MINUTES.” Seb shouted back.

”WE’LL BE IN THE CAR!” Sam replied.

”OKAY.”

Shane couldn’t help himself as he followed Sam to the kitchen to grab bottles of water and his car keys. ”Do you guys always communicate via screaming?” 

Sam laughed. “It started as a joke that this house is way too big for us and Robin should’ve installed an intercom system. But then I got tired of going all the way up there to talk to him and getting all the way back down here just to suddenly remember I forgot to say something else.”

Shane shook his head. He couldn’t imagine living with these two. He was too hungover most mornings to be subjected to such loud noises. He was glad that the worst thing he had to deal with was Marnie passive aggressively vacuuming if he slept in too late. Jas was actually pretty quiet most of the time when he was in his room. He realized with a pang of guilt that it was probably because Marnie warned her to be quiet so Shane wouldn’t end up yelling at her.

He sighed internally. Feeling like the worlds worst god parent was nothing new for him anyway.

Sam led him into the garage, motioning for him to take a seat in the front of his car. “Seb can sit in the back. If he wanted shot gun he should’ve gotten down here faster.”

Shane laughed and did as he was told. Sam climbed in the drivers seat and pressed a button on the roof that opened up the garage door. He backed out into the driveway and then threw it in park while they waited for Sebastian.

”Are you guys gunna head right back?” Shane asked nervously. He honestly didn’t want them to. He wasn’t sure why but their presence made him feel safer. He felt like they were at least a hell of a lot more knowledgeable about all of this stuff than he was. 

Sam shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess it depends on what’s going on. You still haven’t told us everything. If it seems dangerous to leave you guys alone, then hell yeah we’re staying. We still have some clothes and stuff at Robin’s. Seb’s old bedroom is like a forever hotel room for when we visit. Demetrius wanted to expand his lab with that space but Robin told him to eat a dick.”

Shane choked on the sip of water he had been taking. “Damn. I bet he didn’t take that very well.” He said, still laughing.

Sam shrugged again. “Doesn’t matter. Robin probably thinks we’ll never come back to visit if he touches Seb’s basement. She’s honestly probably right.”

A grumpy looking Sebastian finally appeared in the front doorway. He walked over to the car, noticing Shane in the front and awkwardly shuffling into the backseat. 

“Sorry, Sam insisted.” Shane said to him apologetically. 

“Suck a dick, Sam.” Sebastian said seriously. Robin junior apparently, he saw where he got his fiery attitude from now.

”Later, babe.” Sam deadpanned. 

Sebastian actually blushed, Shane noticed from his reflection in the rearview mirror. Cute.

“So what’s going on?” Sam asked, saving Sebastian from his embarrassment. He backed out of the driveway as he waited for Shane to respond, embarking on their journey back to Pelican Town where who the hell knows what would be waiting for them when they arrived. 
——————————————————————

Sterling

If it weren’t for Gloomy laying on his face in retaliation for not jumping out of bed to feed her breakfast at the crack of dawn, he probably would have gladly slept the entire day.

He was coming down from the adrenaline rush the past couple days had given him, and now the apathy was settling into his mind and body. Dragging himself out of bed to feed her took almost as much effort as it would if he were horribly hungover. 

He was not hungover, unfortunately. He was painfully sober. He was reminded of this as he left Maddie still sleeping in the bedroom and walked towards the kitchen, his eyes landed on Shane snoring quietly on the couch. 

Everything was wrong. The love of his life was very possibly dying in the woods at this very moment and meanwhile he and his two best friends were basically prisoners hiding out together in hopes that the crazy scientist dude couldn’t hurt them all.

How did things get this bad?

He felt so hollowed out. 

Sudden banging on the front door startled him. He dropped the spoon he was holding to dish out Gloomy’s food.

Shaking, he walked over to the window, gingerly peeling back the curtains a crack to peek at whoever was standing on the front porch. 

He let out a sigh of relief when he noticed Marnie’s angry face as she should there with her arms crossed. Shane’s cell phone on the table was lit up with a notification that he had 12 missed calls. Oof.

Sterling walked over to Shane, shaking him gently. He opened his eyes, grumbling something incoherent, instantly locking onto Sterling’s. For a moment neither of them said anything. Shane’s eyes softened suddenly, and Sterling was reminded of his weird fucking feelings for him. Anger flooded his system and he snapped. “Marnie’s at the door, she called you 12 times asshole. Go let her in.” 

He watched the softness be replaced with hurt and nervousness in Shane’s gaze. “Fuck.” He mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.

Sterling went back in the bedroom before he could say anything else. It was too early to deal with that mess, Marnie included.

Chapter Text

Shane

Shane took a deep breath. “You guys ready for this?”

”Nothing surprises us anymore, Dude.” Came a moody reply from the backseat.

There was a time where Sebastian had actually started opening up to him, but after that night he had to break him and Sterling apart, it had kinda set that back quite a bit.

Sebastian had reverted almost all the way back to the way he was before Shane dated Abby and started hanging out with him.

He wasn’t rude, just more brooding and quiet than he had been. Shane figured he was probably just embarrassed that he knew about his accidental adultery.

As if Shane even gave a fuck though. He saw what happened. It didn’t surprise him in the least to discover Sterling drunk off his ass, making out with his engaged ex-boyfriend, in the sand on the beach no less.

In fact, it was completely on brand. Sterling had been messy since day one. He had a huge heart though, that’s why it was so hard to judge him for any of the shitty things he did. He just… felt too much, or something. All those feelings combined with all that addiction created the perfect storm. Hurricane Sterling.

”Alright, well, basically Morgan is only half human. His mom was a cursed selkie. His dad is the old farmers son. He lives in the city now. He didn’t want Morgan to go back to the farm because he was trying to keep him safe and hidden but he insisted. Mr. Aguar figured out what he is and kidnapped him and dropped him somewhere outside the valley in the woods because he thinks he’s dangerous. Maddie quit her job, and he basically death threatened all of us into not even looking for him. So Sterling, Maddie, and I are staying at the farm together trying to figure out what the fuck to do. Him and Sterling are totally in love, I guess, so he’s devastated. I’m honestly really worried about him.” Shane finally stopped talking, taking in a huge breath.

”Wow.” Sebastian said quietly. “That’s awful.”

“Yeah…That’s basically everything.” Shane replied.

”Not everything.” Sam mumbled under his breath.

Shane shot him a glare intended to send the message to shut the hell up, but Sebastian was too aware of his surroundings for it to go unnoticed.

”What are you leaving out?” Sebastian asked in an even yet somehow accusatory tone.

Shane groaned. “Nothing.”

“Shane, keeping secrets doesn’t help anyone. We learned that last year.” Sebastian scolded him. 

“Thanks a lot, Sam.” Shane grumbled sarcastically.

”Oh just tell him.” Sam demanded, rolling his eyes.

“Why does it matter!?” Shane nearly shouted.

“It’s going to come out one way or another, dude. He might as well hear it from you.” Sam argued.

”Yeah Shane, just spit it out already.” Sebastian agreed impatiently.

”FINE!” Shane conceded, shutting his eyes and squeezing the bridge of his nose. “The other night I randomly realized that I have feelings for Sterling while super fucking drunk and I tried to kiss him, he totally rejected me, and now things are super awkward.”

”Yikes.” Sebastian said calmly.

Shane noticed Sam giving Seb a weird look in the rearview mirror.

Sebastian huffed and rolled his eyes. “What?”

”That doesn’t bother you?” Sam asked carefully.

”Why would it?” Sebastian snapped.

Sam shrugged, focusing his eyes back on the road.

Shane sat there awkwardly, trying not to accidentally make anything worse with his body language. There was clearly some tension in this car.

”It doesn’t bother me.” Sebastian stated defensively.

”Okay.” Sam replied softly.

An awkward silence stretched on for a while before Seb broke the silence.

”So how long, huh?”

Shane sighed internally, tired of talking about it. “I don’t know, honestly, it came out of nowhere. It still doesn’t make sense to me. Liking him like that never crossed my mind before a few nights ago when it happened. And what makes it even worse is that Abby saw me kiss him and told Morgan.”

”Woah, what the fuck? Where were you?” Sebastian asked, sounding suspicious.

”We were on the pier by the lake near the ranch.”

“What did Morgan say?”

”I don’t really know, I guess he was pretty upset but they talked it out. Sterling told Maddie though… We broke up.”

”Damn.” Seb replied.

”Yeah. It’s… embarrassing, honestly. I don’t even understand how things changed. I’ve never… thought about him like that before but now I can’t stop even though its just all around horrible.”

“What did you do that day? Like, walk me through it.” Sam said suddenly.

”Uhm… I met Maddie at the bus stop cuz she was scared to go to talk to Morgan for work things, then while she went to do that I headed home. Ran into fucking Abigail on the way, she tried to tell me some shit about Morgan. I told her to fuck off. Then I went home and got drunk. Waited for Maddie to come over. She filled me in on her visit with Morgan, then Sterling came over and we had an intervention about them dating. Maddie left us alone, I kissed him, he yelled at me, I blacked out, he helped me home and then left. That’s it.” Shane concluded.

”Okay… back up, what was the full conversation with Abby?!” Sebastian demanded urgently.

“Uh… fuck… I’m trying to remember. She asked me if Sterling and Morgan were dating, and said I should be worried because Morgan’s dangerous and she was only telling me because she knows how much I care about Sterling? I don’t know, I didn’t like how she said it. She was being a bitch. She kept saying that she was trying to help me.”

Sam and Sebastian exchanged a look through the mirror again.

”What!?” Shane asked impatiently, a cold nervous feeling creeping up into his head.

”Dude… she might’ve cast a love spell on you. She did it to me. I wouldn’t put it past her.” Sam said cautiously. 

“Yeah, that’s the only way Abigail knows how to ‘help’.” Sebastian agreed bitterly.

Their words hung in the air, swimming around in Shane’s head.

There it was.

He felt absolutely stupefied.

“Holy shit.” He whispered, jaw dropping open.

“Someone needs to put that bitch in prison already.” Sebastian deadpanned. “She just doesn’t know when to quit.”

“How do I make it stop!?” Shane asked, panic seeping into his soul. He didn’t want this. This was too much.

He knew they were right. He could feel it in his bones now. It made perfect sense.

”I don’t know…” Sam admitted regretfully.

”I do.” Sebastian announced confidently.

”Huh?” Shane and Sam reacted at the same time.

”We need to talk to Ras. Tell him that his dumb daughter is out of control again, and then tell him that he owes us a favor and we want help with Morgan.”

”Do you really think he would help!?” Shane asked.

He felt a glimmer of hope for the first time in weeks. That was dashed a little when he saw the uneasy expression on Sam’s face though.

”Seb… It might not be that easy…” Sam warned.

“We have to help him, Sam. Morgan is a good person. And it’s the least I can do for Sterling.” Sebastian snapped.

Sam sighed dramatically. “Right. For Sterling.”

”I broke his heart, Sam.” 

“I know.” Sam whispered.

”We’re married, you asshole. Stop being jealous. Besides, Morgan saved my life when I was kid. I owe him.”

Sam was quiet for a while, contemplative. Finally he met Sebastian’s eyes in the mirror while they waited at a red light. “Your mom likes Morgan. Should we tell them?”

Shane froze. “Guys I don’t know if we’re really supposed to be telling everyone.”

”Nah Robin and Dem are cool. They aren’t snitches.” Sebastian assured him.

”Okay… ask Sterling first though. I just don’t want anyone else to get sucked into this nightmare.” Shane admitted, feeling guilty suddenly for involving them. It just felt like more and more people were getting caught in the web.

“Of course.” Came Sam’s instant reply. He looked uneasy though.

Sebastian apparently noticed that too because the next words out of his mouth had an icy feel to them. “Sam, Morgan is a good person. You have no reason to be afraid of him.”

”Am I missing something?” Shane asked hesitantly.

”Sam has been scared shitless of that poor guy since he moved back to town. I had to coddle him the entire time just to walk across the property.”

”Shut up, Seb.” Sam whined. “I never said he was a bad person… he’s just… creepy. Okay?”

”Well cut it out, Samson. He doesn’t deserve to die alone in the woods because you don’t like his vibes.”

”I don’t blame you, Sam.” Shane whispered.

”You can shut the fuck up too, Shane.” 

“Woah!” Sam yelled at him, alarmed by his temper. “Where is this coming from?”

”Nowhere.” Sebastian grumbled, sitting back against the seat and diverting his gaze out the window. 

A heavy silence fell over them again and Shane just awkwardly focused on his fingernails until one of them broke the silence. 

Up ahead, a big sign announced that they were now entering Pelican Town. Nervous energy pervaded the car, all 3 of them a little anxious to see how Sterling and Sebastian would get along.

Sam slowed the car down, easing onto the dirt road leading to Karizma farm, where hopefully his friends were still alive and hadn’t been murdered or kidnapped in the two hours he’d been gone.

They pulled up next to the house, cautiously taking in their surroundings before exiting the vehicle. No obvious dangers were present so they walked up the front steps to wait for someone to unlock the door.

Shane discreetly glanced over at the happy couple while they waited. Sam looked nervous and a little sad. Sebastian looked like he was bracing himself for war. Seb caught his eyes just as Shane was about to turn away. His expression softened to one of vulnerability, quickly masking it before Sam could see.

Shane gave him a reassuring smile, instantly understanding that Sebastian was a bundle of nerves and aggravation because of Sterling. More specifically, Sterling and Sam in the same tiny house.

And Shane, who not only knew their little secret but also happened to be in love with him due to a spell cast by a psycho ex girlfriend.

Normal, casual stuff.  

The door clicked open, revealing Sterling who looked surprisingly better than he did earlier that morning. He had expected to find him wasting away on the couch wearing dirty clothes and using Gloomy to wipe his tears. He actually looked like a functioning human. 

“Hey guys!” Sterling greeted them was a calm, welcoming smile.

Seeing a happy expression on Sterling’s face after watching him cry for hours the day before made him feel all sorts of weird inside. It was strange, feeling things yet knowing that it wasn’t real all the same time. He really hoped Sebastian was right about Ras being able to reverse it.

The three of them stepped inside, making their way into the living room where Maddie was typing away on a laptop. “Hey!” She greeted them with a friendly but tense smile.

Sterling pulled out the chairs from the kitchen and set them up in the living room so that everyone could sit down facing each other.

”Shane filled us in on the ride here. I think we should go to Ras for help. Robin and Demetrius could be a huge help as well.” Sam started the discussion, being the most outgoing in the group.

Sebastian nodded. “Yeah, we want to help. My parents already think Morgan is a good guy since he saved me when I was lost when I was a kid. They’ll be furious at Mr. Aguar.”

Shane stared at Sterling while Sebastian spoke, trying to determine if there were still any feelings between them. He couldn’t tell. Sebastian just looked sincere about wanting to help, but Sterling’s face was guarded, emotionless. He wondered if he was making it that way on purpose or if he really was over Sebastian now.

“As long as you trust them.” Sterling responded carefully. 

“We don’t want anyone else getting hurt.” Maddie added, finally looking up from the computer screen.

“You can trust them.” Seb assured them. “They were amazing last year.” He added more quietly.

Sam reached over to hold his hand, instinctively knowing that he had bad memories on his mind. Shane glanced over at Sterling who was staring straight at their interlaced hands before quickly looking elsewhere. His expression stayed unreadable. Interesting.

”What should we do first?” Sterling asked, looking around at everyones faces.

”Well… Vincent is sleeping over Marnie’s tonight, I still have to pack him a bag and bring it over there, so… maybe after that we could take a walk to the tower and see if Ras is around? If he’s willing help maybe we can get him to come here or you guys could go there. I guess it’s up to him… after that I guess we’ll probably regroup? We can tell Seb’s parents later tonight when we go there to sleep.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. 

“Okay. We’ll go do that now, what are you guys gunna do in the mean time? Stay here?” Sebastian asked curiously. 

Sterling gave him a weird look. “Yeah I mean what else is there to do, really?”

”I didn’t mean it like that…” Seb defended

”I know.” Sterling replied, waving him off.

Sam looked back and forth between them nervously while they bickered.

”Come on, Seb.” Sam said quietly, tugging on his husband’s hand. Sebastian looked flustered but he obeyed, following Sam to the door. “We’ll keep you guys updated. Stay safe. Let us know if you leave at all.” 

They all said their goodbyes and thank you’s and then it was just him, Sterling, and Maddie once again.

He sighed dramatically to get their attention.

”Yes, Shane?” Sterling asked bluntly.

”They think Abigail cast a love spell on me.”

Maddie and Sterling’s jaws both dropped.

”What!?” They demanded in unision.

”I told them what happened… with Sterling… and how it makes no sense to me because I never felt anything like that before that day. They acted like I was kind of dumb for not already realizing that Abby could have done that to me. That’s what she did to Sam. I believe them. It makes sense.” Shane rambled, not sure what he wanted them to say about it but he needed them to know that he didn’t choose to be in this mess.

Sterling’s jaw set suddenly. He looked like he was ready to punch someone. “I will fucking kill her.” He said menacingly.

”I’ll help you hide her body.” Maddie agreed.

Shane let out a breath of relief, feeling an enormous weight remove itself from his shoulders. For once, it wasn’t his fault that he fucked things up. 

Chapter Text

Abigail

Frosty frozen grass crunched under her boots as she made her way around the mountain lake. She had just finished exploring the relatively safe upper levels of the mine. She actually had wanted to venture lower but it was getting late and she was really sick and tired of Pierre grounding her.

Abby knew she’d be on house arrest again if she got home too late, so with a dramatic sigh and roll of her eyes she had taken the rickety old elevator back up to the main floor and headed outside. It was a quiet winter evening, almost eerily so. She was still out of breath from her trek through the mines, so hearing herself panting coupled with the clouds in the air caused by her warm breath, it was all just giving her the ick.

She was just about to pull her headphones out of her backpack so she could listen to music instead of the gross sounds of her own breathing when another set of familiar noises was carried through the wind, floating into her freezing cold ears.

Car doors slamming closed.

She froze and turned her full attention towards the direction it came from. Vehicles just were not common in this area of the valley, especially up on the mountain. Judging by the proximity of the noise, the vehicle could really only be located at one location...

From her current vantage point she could see an unfamiliar vehicle parked in front of Robin's house through the snow covered trees. The protection spell Ras had cast to keep her from "bothering" Sebastian and Sam prevented her from being able to actually see them, but the sound of their voices was unmistakable. What were they doing here? 

Curiously she crept further down the mountain path, careful to keep her line of sight mostly obscured. She couldn't see them but that didn't mean that they couldn't spot her if they happened to look over in her direction. She inched closer, desperate to hear what they were saying.

A moment later, she was able to distinguish Sebastian's voice from Sam's. Words finally reached her ears clearly enough to be understood. She leaned as far forward as she could without falling down the embankment, turning her head so that her ear was pointed in their direction.

"I really hope he's okay." She heard Sebastian say, a worried tone in his voice.

"I don't know babe, it could be really dangerous to be all alone out in the woods like that. Depends on where he left him too." Sam replied, sounding very skeptical that whomever they were talking about was okay.

She was interested before, but now they had her positively intrigued. Who could they possibly be talking about???

"I'm sure Morgan could survive on his own... at least for a little while..." Sebastian started defensively before trailing off, sounding unsure.

"Let's hope so." Sam replied sympathetically.

What the fuck?! Morgan's alone in the woods? Why? Where? And who left him there?! Sterling!?

She had a million questions running through her mind and no clear way to get any answers. Why on earth would Sebastian and Sam have anything to do with Morgan's apparent disappearance? 

To her dismay, the voices disappeared and she heard the unmistakable sound of the front door opening and closing.

She scrambled back up onto her feet and hurried home, desperate to do some good old fashioned investigating.

She hadn’t got much further than the community center though before a puff of light purple smoke invaded her vision, disappearing quickly in the frigid air, revealing her biological father standing there angrily in all his wizardry glory.

He crossed his arms and appraised her disapprovingly with his bushy eyebrows furrowed in contempt. “Abigail.” He acknowledged her cooly.

”Ras.” She replied, mocking his icy tone.

”Did you use unethical magic on Shane?” He asked her bluntly, straight to the point. His foot tapped impatiently like he couldn’t wait to get this conversation over with so he could get away from her.

For a while now their relationship had been strained, to say the least. He strongly disapproved of the mess she had made last year, and she couldn’t really blame him but at the same time she actually did blame him for a lot of things.

He had been a really shitty father for most of her life.

She glared back at him, irritated by the way he asked the question. “I didn’t use that spell again if that’s what you’re worried about.”

He merely glared at her more intensely, saying nothing, letting his body language do all the talking.

Abby sighed and rolled her eyes. “It’s just a temporary spell. It’ll wear off in another week or so. I just wanted to fuck with them. They treat me like shit.” She whined.

“Can you blame them, Abigail? You just won’t leave them alone.”

”I was leaving them alone! I tried to get to know Morgan but once he got close to Sterling suddenly I wasn’t good enough to be friends with anymore.”

”Yoba, you are so whiny. You entitled brat. I have no idea how my genetics created someone so childish and self absorbed.” Ras scolded her, losing his patience rapidly.

His words made her furious but she couldn’t help the tears that welled up in her eyes anyway. She decided to ignore him and change the subject, hoping she could at least get the answers to some of her questions if he was going to bully her like this.

“What happened? How did you find out anyway?” She asked, trying her best to sound bored and indifferent. Did her spell inadvertently cause Morgan to disappear? She wasn’t sure how that possibility made her feel.

”Shane was so distraught he went to those poor boys you tormented. They came to me for help reversing it. I needed to know what kind of spell you used first though.” Ras explained, his words dripping with condescension.

Frustration rushed through her, especially because she didn’t know anything about the Morgan situation. She decided to just get straight to the point. “Did something happened with Morgan? I heard a rumor that he’s missing.” She inquired, doing her best to sound innocent as if she hadn’t heard that while spying on the exact people she was ordered to stay away from.

Ras seemed to freeze for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Finally, he shook his head, his expression dropping back to a grumpy neutral. “I don’t know anything about that, but I think you should mind your own business no matter what.”

”Fine.” She huffed, knowing damn well that she would not stay out of it. Morgan was too precious and fascinating to just let escape, even if he was kind of a dick to her. She would still date him in a heartbeat if he ever changed his mind about her. There just weren’t many guys around here to choose from that were actually her type. In fact, there were only 3. One was Seb, who she was absolutely banned from ever trying to make peace with. The second was Morgan. And the third was a farmer from Ridgeside, Jeric, who flirted with her sometimes at festivals but they never seemed to cross paths otherwise.

That was why she wasn’t giving up on Morgan so easily. Yeah maybe he had feelings for Sterling now but so had Sebastian and he got over that real quick. Clearly there was something about the guy that made him disposable. So she had hope that one day Morgan would get bored of Sterling and crawl back to her. Not that they ever really had anything… but they could have. She had almost kissed him so many times but she really wanted him to make the first move. Maybe that was a mistake. Maybe she should have just went for it. She was too stubborn, too much of a chicken, and then he pushed her away to be with Sterling.

So yeah, maybe she had wanted to rock the love boat a bit by casting a little spell on Shane. He deserved it for hurting her, the least he could do was break up Sterling and Morgan for her. He owed her that, right? 

They just had to go and figure it out though. She wasn’t supposed to get caught for this. That really fucking sucked. She just hoped that what she did had nothing to do with Morgan being gone. It would be quite an ironic dose of karma but she would rather not deal with the regret and self hatred that possibility would entail.

She realized that Ras was still staring at her with a deep, ugly frown on his aging face. His purple hair looked streaked with gray and the creases in his face got more wrinkly when he was angry like he was right now. “What?” She snapped in a bratty tone.

Rasmodius sighed, sounding absolutely exhausted. “Abby…” He started, in a tone much more patient and gentle than it had been moments ago. “I don’t… want you to be so miserable with your life. You can’t just stay here and cause drama forever. There’s so many more fulfilling things you could be doing with your life. Abigail, what you’re doing… it just reminds of my ex wife before she became so much worse. She wasn’t always this full of evil and hatred. She started off a lot like you. I don’t want you follow that path. You could have so much more potential.”

Abby listened carefully at first, but being compared to a hideous green witch offended her so much that the message he was trying to convey flew straight over her head. She cut him off suddenly, crossing her arms and giving him the dirtiest of looks. “I am not like that ugly freak that kidnapped us and held us hostage. Are you serious? Just leave me alone. I can make my own decisions.” 

With that she twirled around on her heels and continued her journey home before her weasel of a step father grounded her for getting home past 10pm. She heard Ras groan in exasperation as she walked away. 

Fuck him. She thought bitterly. If he really cared so much he would have been around more to raise me.

Nearly slamming the front door of the shop closed, she stomped into her room and flopped onto her bed, screaming into her pillow. If her mother or Pierre were awake and heard her tantrum, they didn’t come to check on her. 

She felt so utterly alone, as usual. 
——————————————————————

Sterling

He paced back and forth like he was on a mission to dig a trench from the kitchen to the living room.

Maddie and Shane occasionally looked up at him with worried glances but they didn’t dare interrupt.

Sterling was thinking hard about something, every gear in his brain was spinning fast as he lifted his hands and buried his fingers in his hair. To the kitchen, back to the living room, kitchen, living room, kitchen, livin-

“STERLING!” 

He froze at the sudden sound of his voice. His eyes locked on Shane’s, staring at him intensely from his seat on the couch.

”What?” He asked, his features scrunching up in confusion.

”You’re sweating. You look like you’re going to faint at any moment. You need to sit down and drink some water, dude.” Shane insisted, an empathetic half smile crossing his face in attempt to convince him to take his advice.

Sterling sighed, frustrated that Shane derailed his train of thought over something so insignificant. Who cares about hydration during a crisis like this? Not him. In fact, the only beverage he was interested in was an alcoholic one. Though, quite unfortunately if you asked him, there was no alcohol to be drunk in this sad little house that was hardly big enough for the 3 (or 4 if you count Gloomy) of them. He was getting cabin fever like a motherfucker but he would rather go completely balls to the wall insane than be here alone, or worse, back at Henry and Mia’s.

Shane and Maddie would just have to deal with his impending breakdown as they dangled helplessly suspended in this disaster. 

Shane kicked Maddie’s foot with his own, giving her a passive aggressive nudge towards Sterling. She sighed. “He’s right, Stir-fry. Drink some damn water and sit down for a few minutes before Shane has a heart attack watching you pace around. He’s like a dog that can’t relax over here. I can FEEL his nervous energy watching you.”

Shane gasped in offense but kept his mouth shut, looking at Sterling with a hopeful expression instead as he waited to see if Maddie succeeded in convincing him to chill out a little.

Her use of his old nickname warmed a little part of his heart just enough for him to obey, silently filling a glass with water from the sink and lowering himself down to sit on the couch in-between his friends.

Sterling was exponentially more comfortable around Shane now that he knew it was the stupid purple haired cunt’s fault that Shane was suddenly obsessed with him. The near constant nausea that had plagued him in regards to the situation was gone now and he vowed to treat Shane normally until the spell was reversed considering it wasn’t his fault this was happening. That issue (mostly) solved for now, he was able to focus ALL his energy on how they were going to locate and save Morgan.

He knew deep down inside his soul that Morgan was still alive, and he would hold on as long as he possibly could. He just hoped that they found him in time before something horrible happened to him. He just couldn’t bare that possibility. 

Sam and Sebastian were coming back over in the morning to go over everything. He briefly considered not even sleeping before then, but it wouldn’t do him any good to be even more exhausted.

He hoped that what Ras was able to find out tonight would be enough of a lead for them to finally take some action. He felt like he was stuck in quick sand while the love of his life was dying a slow, painful, lonely death. It was agony. 

“Meow?” Gloomy looked up at him from where she sat on his feet. 

He scooped her up and buried his face in her fur. She still ever so slightly smelled like Morgan and it was the most comforting thing that was available to him. 

He wasn’t so sure how long he could survive without Morgan while time slowly killed off every trace of his existence. Sterling couldn’t let him become a distant memory. He would do anything to find him.

Despite Maddie and Shane’s desperate pleas to calm down, he felt the gears in his head whirring back into action. Planning, plotting, stewing in rage… 

A rescue mission was forming, slowly but surely. He just needed to wait for the rest of the details to be delivered to him before he could put the final puzzle together.

Chapter Text

Morgan

Days? Weeks? How long had he been gone now? 

It felt like months but realistically he could only recall a few nights, so it was probably only 3 or 4 days if he had to guess.

He hadn’t eaten anything meaty since that one rabbit he cooked. He didn’t have to. For that, he had his weird metabolism to thank. He was much like a snake in that regard. One meal had him satisfied for days. It was something that often bothered him because he knew he was missing out on a lot of delicious food, but eating too often made him feel lethargic and weighed down. He had accepted he couldn’t eat like a normal human a long time ago.

He did manage to forage a few edible things for tiny snacks and boredom cures here and there though. There were a few types of fruit and vegetables that grew out here in the winter. It was amazing to have that knowledge now, growing up on a farm had its perks.

Today was an especially cold day, he could see his breath easily in the air and his jacket suddenly wasn’t feeling very warm at all anymore. He shivered mildly as he walked through the woods in no particular direction.

He was careful not to go back the way he came, but outside of that he was truly directionless. Lost.

The sun reflected off the glassy snow covered ground, bouncing blinding white light straight into his eyeballs as if the sun itself had sprung a leak and flooded the forest floor. 

Out of habit, he subconsciously reached for the nonexistent sunglasses that usually sat on top of his head. Not to protect his eyes from the light, but to conceal them from potential witnesses.

He didn’t have a mirror handy, but he knew instinctively that his eyes had darkened significantly to protect themselves from the light. It was a cool little thing that always terrified him when it happened in front of other people. He always had to be prepared with sunglasses just in case. He knew he could look straight up demonic when his blue eyes turned so dark they appeared pure black. He didn’t blame any of the people who had freaked out after witnessing his eyes change like that.

There wasn’t anyone out here to scare though. It was just him and the wild animals. Perhaps he was just a wild animal too. Mr. Aguar sure seemed to think so. A dangerous one at that. He scoffed, kicking at a rock as he trekked through the snow.

Sure, he could be scary, he could be downright terrifying. But that wasn’t his goal in life, that wasn’t who he wanted to be. It was a defensive side of him, one he kept locked away for emergencies. He didn’t despise his abilities at all, he was thankful for them. He just generally tried not to use them. He didn’t even really know the strength and depth of his own power because it went largely under utilized. 

All he wanted out of life was peace and quiet and privacy. And love. He could admit that now. For years he thought he would never fall in love, never open up to anyone, and that he was okay with that. He had hook ups here and there, he even had feelings for a few people over the years. They always left, and the few who didn’t? He left them first before he ended up hurting them. He never told anyone what he really was. He never let anyone get close enough to notice that he wasn’t normal. Never trusted anyone enough to show them.

For the majority of his life he was just a dirty little secret hidden away on his family’s farm. Then, his dad took him to the city and he became a dirty little secret in an apartment. It was so much worse. He hated the city. The only perk was that it was easier to blend in as long as he didn’t really talk to anyone and minded his own business. Most of his hook ups took place in dark alleys and sketchy nightclub bathrooms. When he finally got his own apartment he would occasionally bring someone back there with him after a night of drinking too much and losing his sense of caution. He always regretted it. He longed for a real connection he truly believed he could never have.

Morgan knew that Sterling had similar habits when he lived in the city. It was a funny thought, that they were both out there drinking and sleeping around and yet somehow they had never crossed paths. What if they had? What would have happened?

He spent more time thinking about that than he’d be willing to admit. It hurt to think that Sterling could have been a one night stand that never progressed into anything meaningful. Maybe he would have ended up moving to Pelican Town anyway and Sterling would have avoided him like the plague. He wondered if that was even possible. He was so sure that Sterling was his soulmate. They would have felt the spark even as strangers in the city, right?

The pessimistic side of him said probably not. His current circumstances were awful, but he didn’t regret returning to Pelican Town. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t know Sterling the way that he did, and having known him at all was worth dying alone in the woods for. 

Sterling called himself a hopeless romantic? Ha. 

A sudden whistle-like chittering noise snapped him out of his daydreams, causing him to look up into a nearby tree. Part of his unique DNA included an incredible sense of hearing when the situation called for it, making him a lot more aware of his surroundings out in the wild. He could locate the source of a noise automatically, his eyes landing on the culprit before his brain had even fully processed what he was hearing.

A dove launched off a tree and landed on a lower branch closer to him. He stared, watching the bird as it looked directly at him, seemingly trying to hold his attention. Locked in a staring contest, neither of them moved for another moment. Morgan took a hesitant step forward, expecting the bird to take off. When it didn’t, he took a few more small steps towards it. The bird cooed in a way that sounded like approval and encouragement.

Morgan continued walking towards the dove until he was standing almost directly underneath the branch it was perched on. It held his gaze for a few seconds before finally launching off of the tree.

He shook his head in confusion, prepared to move on and direct his attention elsewhere but he suddenly realized that the dove hadn’t actually left. It was on a large rock about 15 feet away, staring at him still.

He tilted his head curiously and the bird cooed. What kind of game are you playing little dove?

He approached the rock cautiously, anticipating the bird flying off again. He was right, it did as soon as he got within 2 feet of it. Her. Somehow he became confident that this was a female despite his limited aviary knowledge.

This time she landed on a low tree branch about 20 feet away, staring, waiting. Cooing encouragingly when he followed.

He understood the game now. For the next hour he followed the bird, feeling a little crazy for allowing it to lead him god knows where, but he had no better plan and after a while he just sort of zoned out, focusing on not losing sight of the dove. 

Eventually they approached a solid wall of rock. The side of a mountain. Fascinated, he watched the dove closely as she sat on a broken tree stump near the rock wall. He tipped his head at her again, questioning. Where now? 

This time, instead of taking off into the sky she simply hopped off of the rock, landing on the ground behind it. She continued hopping from rock to tree branch, landing on any surface that wasn’t covered in snow. Morgan followed her carefully, entranced. He barely felt the cold air anymore. He was laser focused on this strange game of follow the leader.

The mouth a cave came into view and Morgan was struck with the sudden fear that this was a trap. Had he just been lured here by something evil?

The dove fluttered over to the entrance. Hopping twice and cooing at him. She tilted her head in a motion that clearly conveyed he was meant to go inside. 

Apprehension prickled his mind but the bird looked at him with glossy benevolent eyes and cooed softly. She seemed to pick up on his fear, attempting to ease his nerves by being a calming presence. 

Morgan took a deep breath, accepting that this bizarre encounter was a risk worth taking. Worst case, he would be murdered and his suffering would end. 

He stepped forward, walking into the cave cautiously, listening for any clues of what was waiting for him inside. He could detect the sound of dripping water echoing deep inside the cave, but not much else. He stood there in the dark, allowing his eyes to acclimate the way he knew they would. As his surroundings came into focus he knew that his previously darkened eyes were now the opposite, so light that they were more reminiscent of clear ice than any normal eye color.

The cave appeared mostly empty at first glance, but then he heard the scratching and dragging of reptilian bodies crossing smooth rock. 

Terror cut through his soul and he wanted to flee, but he felt frozen in place.

What the fuck was happening?

——————————————————————

Maddie

The already too small house felt more like a closet with so many people shoved inside it. It would have been nice to meet somewhere else, particularly somewhere more spacious, but they were afraid to leave the house uninhabited for any amount of time and everyone needed to be present for this conversation.

Rasmodius stood in the kitchen, careful to choose a spot that gave him a pretty clear view out a window. His rigid stance showed how on edge and anxious he was underneath the cloak and funny hat. She still couldn’t get over the fact that there was an actual wizard in P-town that dressed the part and lived in an eccentric tower. She kept her amusement to herself though, their actual lives were at stake. This wasn’t the time for jokes.

Sam and Sebastian sat at the kitchen table with their chairs turned to face everyone in the room. Sebastian had brought over a coffee maker he pulled out of storage at his parents house. He had just finished brewing a pot of coffee for whoever wanted any.

A mug of scalding hot black coffee now sat on the table in front of him. He looked tired and stressed out. His gaze was often drawn back to the steam rising from the cup. He watched the tendrils rise from his cup pleadingly, as if he was begging it to cool down faster.

Beside him, Sam sat stoically, occasionally giving Seb a reassuring shoulder squeeze or reaching out to hold his hand for a moment. A few times she actually caught his subtle patronizing smiles and Seb’s venomous glares in return. She smiled to herself, realizing that Sam was discreetly making fun of Seb for being so grumpy and forlorn before his morning cup of coffee. They made a cute couple, she decided. 

In the living room, Shane sat on the right side of the couch, with herself on the left. Shane had just sat back down with his own cup of coffee, sitting still aside from occasionally blowing on the hot beverage, he just quietly waited for someone to start speaking.

Maddie was already drinking her own coffee. Being a human with good taste, the light cream she poured in her cup had cooled it down enough to drink nearly instantly. The caffeine seeped into her brain like a warm hug. It had been days without it and she realized now how much she had missed it.

Against the wall facing the kitchen, Sterling leaned back, drinking his coffee silently, being a man of good taste much like herself. He sipped the creamy, warm delicacy without even looking down at his cup. His eyes were locked on Rasmodius who had just finished some sort of spell that ensured no one outside of these walls could spy in on this conversation.

They all waited now for him to speak, tense and on edge. He looked as though he was about to open his mouth, but he looked down instead. Gloomy was sniffing his boots curiously, occasionally batting at a buckle experimentally. 

“Gloomy!” Sterling chided her. His tone was affectionate but anxious, clearly dying to hear what Ras had to say already. 

Gloomy ignored him.

Rasmodius furrowed his bushy purple eyebrows and appraised the little kitty. He reached down to touch her, causing her to meow excitedly and push her head into his hand. “Huh.” He uttered in pleasant surprise.

“What?” Sterling asked nervously. 

Rasmodius scratched behind Gloomy’s ears for a moment before looking up at Sterling to answer his question. “This is no normal cat.” 

Sterling’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?” Everyone else was looking surprised and curious as well. All eyes in the room were locked on Gloomy who seemed unconcerned with suddenly becoming the center of attention. She appeared to be soaking it up, actually.

“She’s some sort of familiar. She has a magical aura around her. I’m not sure exactly.” He smiled down at the cat, appearing kinder than anyone in the house had ever seen him. “Fascinating.” He wondered out loud. “Where did you come from little one?” He scratched under her chin.

Everyone watched the interaction with shock plastered on their faces. This was not normal Rasmodius behavior in any way, shape, or form.

“Morgan said his dad adopted her for him when he was living alone.” Sterling said quietly.

”Hmm.” Rasmodius replied, staring at the cat contemplatively. “What is her name again?”

”Gloomy.”

Ras nodded, looking down at her seriously. “Don’t go anywhere, Gloomy. I have a question for you in a just a few minutes.”

Meow. She replied, sitting down obediently by his feet.

Sterling watched in wonder, slowly looking back up at Rasmodius’s face.

Once he was certain he had everyones attention, he finally began to fill them in on the information he had gathered. His extra friendly expression caused by Gloomy fell right back to a neutral frown as he addressed them.

“I’ll start with the least important matters. Shane, Abigail did indeed cast a spell on you.” He sighed exhaustively. “It’s just a minor, temporary spell. You’ll feel the effects wear off in a couple weeks. I scolded her thoroughly and reminded her to leave all of you alone.”

Shane let out a sigh of relief, though an angry expression lingered on his face. “Thank you.” He muttered, no doubt imagining Abigail’s death the way they all often found themselves doing.

“Now… as for the situation with my colleague…” Ras began, his tired features hardening into an expression of distaste.

Chapter Text

Sterling

Hearing that the weird vibes between him and Shane would be resolved in a short amount of time was immensely relieving but his hands began to tremble in suspense as he waited for Rasmodius to tell them what he found out about Mr. Aguar and Morgan.

“It seems that Aguar still has a personal vendetta with Morgan’s family. His motive for getting rid of him is pretty clear to me. I imagine he just wanted to get petty revenge. From what you’ve told me, what I’ve seen, and my knowledge of Morgan’s lineage, I see no reason to believe that he was any threat to anyone here in the valley. Mr. Aguar was definitely acting on selfish, impulsive decisions, which is not the way we are meant to use our power. That being said, I feel it is my duty to help correct his wrong. I will absolutely be bringing this up at the next council meeting, but until then we need to lay low on the matter lest Aguar decide to flee.”

Ras concluded his explanation as if that didn’t leave a million questions unanswered. He looked around the room as though he was getting ready to head out soon.

Sterling panicked, still trying to remember and process everything he just heard. “Uh… when is the next council meeting?” He asked hurriedly.

”Next Friday.” Ras replied simply.

”That’s over a week away!” Sterling exclaimed.

”Yes.” 

“What if Morgan doesn’t live that long?” Sterling asked, immediately choking up. Tears sprang up in his eyes and he felt his bottom lip tremble.

”I will try to locate him in the mean time but it may be difficult without the councils help.” Ras responded, a deep frown on his face.

”Can’t you contact them sooner?” Sebastian piped in from his seat at the table, eyebrows scrunching in aggravation.

”I cannot do that. The council members are very busy. There would need to be an emergency to contact them outside of arranged meeting times. This would not be considered one, in their eyes.”

Sterling groaned, rubbing his eyes in attempt to stop the tears from falling in front of everyone. When he opened them again, his eyes landed on Sebastian staring at him sympathetically from across the room. He wondered what Seb was thinking. Did he feel bad for him? Or did just think he was pathetic?

”Excuse me, Rasmodius? What do you mean he ‘still has a personal vendetta with Morgan’s family’?”

Thank god for Maddie. That comment almost entirely went over his head in his current state of anxiety.

”Morgan’s mother had a sister… he was in love with her once upon a time but she chose someone else. He’s been bitter towards the family ever since, apparently. I knew at the time but I thought he would have gotten over it by now.” Ras explained reluctantly, as if he despises gossiping even when it was necessary.

”Does Morgan know?” Sterling managed to ask despite feeling like his tongue was too big for his mouth. Anxiety is a bitch.

Ras shook his head slowly. “I doubt it. This happened before he was born. As far as I know, they’ve never crossed paths.”

”So they’re still alive?” Sam questioned curiously.

”Yes.”

”They live in the valley?” Seb fired back.

Rasmodius sighed. “Listen, it’s not my place to tell anyone any of this. I’m supposed to protect the magic in this valley and that includes the innocent souls that reside here.”

”Dude, you just said yes with extra steps.” Sebastian pointed out dryly with a tiny smirk on his attractive face.

The wizard scowled, refusing to even glance in Seb’s direction. “Anyway, that’s all I can tell you. Now I have a question for Gloomy here and then I’ll be on my way.”

Ras crouched down and looked into Gloomy’s eyes. She peered back at him with curiosity, waiting for whatever he was about to do.

”Gloomy, where is Morgan?” He asked her sternly.

Everyone in the room let out a gasp as her eyes began to glow from within, causing Rasmodius’s to do the same. After a tense moment they all watched in shock as their eyes simultaneously faded back to normal.

”I see. Thank you.” Rasmodius said to the cat.

Gloomy dipped her fluffy little head in what appeared to be a sign of respect before trotting off to take a nap on the couch.

Sterling just stared at her in wonder.

What the hell?

”What the hell!?” Sam actually said out loud.

”Shh!” Sebastian shushed him angrily, slapping his arm.

Ras silently looked around the room at all of them before finally locking eyes with Sterling. His heart was pounding out of his chest and he felt like he could faint at any given moment. Was he about to tell them that Morgan was already dead? He couldn’t decipher the look on his face.

”He’s not alone.” Rasmodius said vaguely, offering nothing else in lieu of explaining.

”What do you mean?” Sterling squeaked out. “Who is he with?”

”I’m not certain. Gloomy wasn’t able to show me much. He’s in a cave, somewhere. It’s obvious he’s not the only soul inside. She doesn’t think the others mean to harm him.”

”You can’t figure out where this cave is?” Maddie inquired skeptically.

“No, regretfully. If he were outside perhaps I could track him, but deep inside a cave? Absolutely not.” He frowned.

”Okay, so, he’s gotta go back outside eventually right? Can’t Gloomy just show you again?” Sebastian questioned impatiently. He felt like Sterling’s personal lawyer today, for which Sterling was pleasantly surprised and thankful for. He seemed to be reading his mind and asking the questions he couldn’t bring his own mouth to ask.

Rasmodius shook his head. “No. It doesn’t work like that. Gloomy went right to sleep because what she did was very draining. Her type can’t just do that on command. She’s going to be low on energy for a while.”

Sterling sighed dramatically, staring down at the now empty coffee mug that was jiggling around in his shaky hands.

”I know it’s frustrating.” Ras said in an unusual show of empathy. “But I must go now. I advise you all stay here as much as you can and lay low. I’ll try to cast a protective barrier around the perimeter but it will raise suspicion if Aguar notices that I’ve done so. Just keep that in mind. Goodbye now.” He disappeared in a puff of smoke before anyone could ask him any more questions.

They all marinated in the silence for a few minutes, soaking in all of the new information.

Sebastian was the first to speak up, clearing his throat awkwardly. “So we talked to my mom and Demetrius last night.” Everyone turned to look at him. He sank into his seat shyly but continued speaking anyway. “Uhm… they totally want to help. Mom even said she would do an express house renovation for free, so you guys have more space and Morgan has a nicer home to come back to…”

“She would really do that for us?” Sterling asked, teary eyed.

Sebastian looked a little startled when they locked eyes but he nodded. “Yeah. As long as you want her to, she’ll start tomorrow morning.”

”That would be amazing.” Sterling replied, the corners of his mouth twitching as he held back tears.

”I’ll let her know.” Seb said, pulling his phone out of his pocket and typing away.

”Tired of sharing a bed with me already?” Maddie teased.

”Shut the fuck up or I’ll make you sleep with Shane tonight.” He warned.

Maddie just shrugged, causing Shane to blush immediately. Maybe there’s still hope for them.

“Anyway, Demetrius also said he would start working on some kind of location tracker thing to see if he can find him discreetly without Mr. Aguar knowing it’s us. He’s got Maru inventing a special drone already.” Sam informed him while Seb was busy texting his mom about the renovation.

Sterling couldn’t hold his tears back anymore. Startling everyone, he crossed the room and wrapped one arm around Sam’s shoulders and the other around Sebastian’s. He pulled them close while he cried, mumbling “thank you” and “thank you so much” somewhat incoherently through his sobs.

Sebastians eyes widened and Sam looked mildly uncomfortable but they were both good sports about it.

He eventually released them to go give Shane the same treatment, thanking him for getting Sam and Seb involved in the first place. He was painfully aware that no progress would have been made without them.

Shane looked like he had no idea how to react to Sterling’s outburst but he gently hugged him back after a sheepish “you’re welcome.”

——————————————————————

Maddie

While Sterling made his rounds, crying on everyone’s shoulders, she sat there deep in thought. She was absolutely hell bent on figuring out who Morgan’s secret aunt is. Who was Mr. Aguar so in love with that he was still seeking revenge for his rejection to this day?

Mentally scrolling through the entire population of Pelican Town, Ridgeside Village, and East Scarp, she tried to compile a list of possible candidates. It was exhausting. Her thoughts were getting jumbled too quickly and she found herself second guessing lineages and forgetting people she already disqualified. 

With a frustrated groan she got up and dug through her duffel bag. Pulling out a notebook and a pen with a satisfied smile, she sat back down on the couch and flipped it open to a blank page. Labeling the top of the page “Pelican Town” she flipped to the next two pages, labeling them “Ridgeside Village” and “East Scarp” respectively. Then she flipped back to the P-Town page and got to work, writing down everyones names.

By now, everyone was staring at her in curiosity but hadn’t yet dared to ask her what she was up to.

Sam was finally the first to crack under the oppressive silence (aside from the frantic scribbling of her pencil on the notebook paper.) “Uh… Watcha doin’ Maddie?”

She looked up at him for a brief second before looking around the room at all the other curious sets of eyes staring at her. “Trying to figure out who Morgan’s aunt is, obviously.”

A chorus of ‘Ohhhh’s’ and ‘Smart!’ echoed around her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 

“Alright, since I’ve got all of your attention, let’s make this an open discussion. I’m gunna cross out everyone that we can safely eliminate in Pelican Town and then we’ll move on to the next town. Okay?” 

Everyone nodded. 

“Great. I’ve got every older woman written down. Who can we cross off?”

”Marnie.” Shane replied from his seat next to her. He’d been so quiet that she almost forgot he was even there.

”Okay.” She nodded as she crossed off Marnie’s name on the list.

”Robin.” Sebastian announced.

Scratch.

”Jodi.” Sam replied right after.

She nodded. Scratch.

”Evelyn’s way too old.” Shane decided.

Maddie looked around to gauge everyone else’s opinions on that statement. Everyone agreed.

Scratch.

”Who’s left?” Sterling asked.

”Pam, Caroline, Jessie, Susan, and Olivia.” She read out loud.

“It couldn’t be someone who’s single, right? Cuz why would Mr. Aguar still be so bitter? If she’s single wouldn’t he be trying to win her over?” Sam suggested.

Sebastian looked at him like he was an absolute genius. “Holy shit, babe.” He muttered.

Shane nodded slowly beside her. “That makes definitely makes sense.”

She turned her attention to Sterling who sitting on a floor cushion looking like he was mentally checked out. He had a throw blanket folded on his lap which he had gently placed a sleeping Gloomy on top of.

He lazily opened his eyes, sensing someone staring at him. “Yeah.” He replied, promptly closing his eyes again.

Useless.

”Alright, instead of crossing out single women, I’m going to put an “X” next to their name in case we find out new information that disproves Sam’s theory.” She declared. 

At the top of the page she wrote “X = Single Theory”.

“Wow, you really are a scientist.” Shane mumbled.

She shot him a glare before realizing he was actually looking at her with affection and awe on his face. He looked proud of her. She blushed instead.

”Okay, so we can ‘X’ out Pam, Olivia, Jessie, and Susan. That leaves Caroline. Anyone have good evidence to eliminate her or are we leaving her as our sole Pelican Town candidate?”

”Leave her. Whole family is fucking weird.” Sebastian mumbled. “Who fucking knows with them.”

Maddie laughed. “Alright, East Scarp. You’ll have to help me here Sterling, if you’re awake over there.”

He cracked one eye open. “There’s no one.” 

Maddie closed her eyes and took a calming breath. “Okay. Can anyone who’s not Sterling confirm or deny that claim, please?”

”What about Rosa?” Shane asked.

”She’s gay.” Sterling replied without bothering to open his eyes.

”Okay.” Maddie replied, scratching her name off. “Anyone else?”

”No.” Sterling said decisively.

”Shut the fuck up, Sterling.” Maddie snapped.

”Aideen?” Sebastian offered.

Shane and Sam nodded approvingly as if Seb had just given a good answer on a game show.

“She’s like the same age as us.” Sterling replied bluntly.

”Really? She acts at least 35.” Sam wondered out loud.

Scratch. 

“Is that everyone?” Maddie asked again.

“Yes.” Sterling replied.

This time she just took his word for it, flipping the page to Ridgeside Village. “Okay guys, that leaves Ridgeside… this is probably going to be the hardest. So many people.” She groaned. All those years working at the research facility didn’t leave much time for getting to know anyone.

“Let’s just start by listing all the older women regardless of relationship status and then go back and eliminate them.” Sam suggested, sensing her becoming overwhelmed. 

Sebastian threw an arm around his shoulder affectionately. “Damn, babe. Maybe you could be a scientist too.”

Sam glared at him, Sebastian smiled back and kissed his cheek.

“Thanks Sam… Okay I’ve got Paula, I honestly have no idea how old she is… Uhm, Olga…Malaya… Shanice…Maive…” She trailed off, chewing on the end of her pencil.

“Carmen.” Sebastian added helpfully.

”Lenny.” Suggested Shane.

”Lola?” Sam asked.

“Isn’t she old as dirt like Evelyn?” Shane replied.

Sam shrugged. “Could be a huge age difference. We don’t even know how old Morgan’s mom was. How old is his dad?”

They all sat there silently doing the math in their heads.

“He’s gotta be between 45 and 55, right? I think that’s a safe range.”

Maddie nodded. “Yeah I think you’re right.” 

“How old is Aguar?” Seb asked.

She laughed, shaking her head. “I have no fucking clue. 50? 80? 100? Maybe Rasmodius knows.”

“Damn. Someone get that wizard back here.” Sam whined.

”Ah, leave him alone. He couldn’t wait to get out of here.” Sterling mumbled. “By the way, you forgot Naomi.”

”Thanks for joining the conversation, Sterling.” Maddie replied sweetly, writing Naomi’s name down on the list.

Sterling rolled his eyes, going back to stroking Gloomy’s fur while she purred in her sleep.

”Okay.” She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Who can we eliminate?”

”The single ones. So…” Sam started, promptly shutting up when he realized he didn’t know much of anything about these people.

“Carmen.” Sebastian offered. 

She sighed in relief that at least some progress was being made. She put an ‘X’ next to Carmen. “Who else? Oh yeah, Paula is single!” She added an ‘X’, pleased with herself for thinking of one.

”Lenny.” Shane added.

She snickered. “Oh yeah, how could I forget that?” 

‘X’

”I think everyone else is married.” Sam said after a moment of silence.

”Okay… can we scratch anyone out?” She asked everyone hopefully.

A few beats of silence passed before she sighed dramatically.

”Okay… Let’s just go down the line… What do we know about Olga?” She asked.

”She’s married to Bert, they’ve got two kids. Kimpoi is her brother I think.” Shane answered slowly, trying to recall gossip he’d overheard at the saloon during his frequent drunken nights there.

Sebastian shook his head. “One kid.”

”Is Trinnie not hers?” Sam asked in surprise. She was one of Vincent’s friends.

”No, Trinnie is theirs, Alissa is Kimpoi’s daughter. They just took her in while him and his wife were gone for years.” Sebastian explained nonchalantly, shocking everyone with his knowledge of the townsfolk considering his reputation as an antisocial basement goblin.

Everyone stared at him.

“What!? I highly doubt it’s her.” Sebastian decided. “Bert is Caroline’s cousin. I feel like Abigail would’ve known about it.”

”What the fuck?” Sterling asked. “So that explains the green hair… barely.” He whispered.

”How do we know that Abby doesn’t know that though?” Shane cut in.

Maddie felt like her head was going to explode. “Okay!! Enough, let’s circle back to that family. Next!!! Shanice?”

”She’s from Zuzu.” Sterling mumbled.

Scratch.

”Maive?”

“I think she’s too old.” Sam said thoughtfully.

”What about Lola?”

”Honestly… I think she’s too old too.”

“Any objections to Maive and Lola being too old?” Maddie asked the room.

No one spoke up. Scratch. Scratch.

She sighed dramatically. “Alright, back to the headache of a family. I’m beginning to think the answer is somewhere in this mess. Our only other candidate is Caroline who just so happens to be related to these people?” She groaned. 

“I’m gunna make another pot of coffee.” Sebastian announced.

Chapter Text

Sterling

Gloomy’s shiny black and gray fur was soft and warm under his fingers, soothing his nerves. Petting her was the only thing keeping his hands from shaking. He wondered how long she would be asleep for. 

He saw a pair of dark, sock covered feet padding over to him cautiously from across the room. They stopped right in front of him, drawing him away from the thoughts inside his head. He looked up to see Sebastian standing there sheepishly.

”Coffee?” He asked, offering him a hot steamy mug.

Sterling smiled and reached up to take the cup from him, gratefully accepting the offering. “Thanks, Seb.”

”You’re welcome.” He mumbled, avoiding eye contact with Sterling. He crouched down to pet Gloomy’s sleeping head. “I can’t believe she’s not a normal cat. That was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Sterling was actually so shocked that Sebastian was making conversation with him that he had no idea how to respond. To buy himself an extra moment to think, he nodded in agreement and took a sip of the coffee. It was perfect.

”Aww Sebastian, you remembered how I like my coffee.” He couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face at the realization. Sebastian only drank his black like an absolute freak, but Sterling preferred his with a ton of cream and a splash of coffee.

Sebastian froze, blushing awkwardly. “Uh… yeah, I guess so.”

He felt kind of bad for making Seb uncomfortable, casting a quick glance over at Sam to make sure their conversation wasn’t pissing him off. To his relief, Sam was fully engrossed in something on his phone, not paying any attention to the ex couple.

”Thank you again for helping, it means the world.” Sterling said quietly, growing serious again.

Sebastian shrugged. “It’s the least I could do.” The expression on his face looked a little guilty. It tugged at his heart.

”Hey… I don’t blame you for anything, Seb. You know that right?” He stared pointedly at Sebastian until he finally met his gaze.

The eye contact threw them both off for a moment. Sebastian looked unsteady, as if a gentle wind could knock him over in his current crouched position. 

He eventually pulled himself together enough to mumble, “I guess, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel horrible about it.”

”Seb…” Sterling started, but the startling sound of Shane clearing his throat interrupted his train of thought.

His head snapped up to look at his best friend who gave him a stern look before darting his eyes in Sam’s direction. A clear message. ‘Not the time for this, Sterling.’

Who made you the fucking relationship police, Shane?

Sterling and Sebastian shared an awkward, knowing look before dropping the conversation. Seb gave Gloomy one more gentle pat on the head before getting up and returning to his seat next to Sam. His husband.

We’re an interesting team, aren’t we… Sterling thought to himself. 

“Okay, are we ready?” Maddie asked suddenly, reminding Sterling that they were in the middle of solving a mystery.

He groaned. “Yeah.”

The other 3 humans in the room nodded in agreement.

”Okay,” Maddie began, tapping on words she had scribbled down in her notebook. “There’s 3 families. Caroline, Pierre, and Abigail being #1. Bert is Caroline’s cousin. He’s married to Olga, and they have one daughter, Trinnie. That’s family #2. They pretty much raised Alissa, who is the daughter of Olga’s brother Kimpoi and his wife Malaya. That’s family #3.”

Sam looked dazed, like this was a math equation he couldn’t follow. Shane looked bored. Sebastian looked… determined, like he was rolling through the possible solutions in his head faster than any of the rest of them could.

”Okay.” Sterling replied, just to fill the silence. Maddie seemed to be waiting for acknowledgement before continuing.

”Okay… So the more I think about Caroline, the less it makes sense for her to be Morgan’s aunt. I mean, she already had a kid with Rasmodius and ended up with Pierre. It just seems a little too messy. Almost like she’s too easy of a target, you know?”

Sebastian shrugged. “Maybe, I’m just saying you can’t trust that family.”

Maddie shook her head. “I know, but we can cross her off just for now. Okay moving on to her cousin’s family. Olga could be his aunt? But that would mean that Kimpoi is his uncle. Rasmodius didn’t really make it sound like Morgan had any other family. What do you guys think?”

“I mean… maybe he didn’t think Kimpoi was really relevant since he was gone for soooo long?” Sam suggested.

“Yeah, that’s why I saved them for last. Him and his wife were gone for so long I feel like I don’t even know anything about them.” Maddie admitted.

The gears in Sterling’s brain started whirring faster and faster until they came to an abrupt stop.

”IT’S MALAYA!” He shouted outloud, scooping up sleepy Gloomy in his arms so he could stand up. “Sam, you’re a fucking genius.”

His foot missed the cup of coffee resting on the floor by about a centimeter, though Shane was the only one who noticed. He cringed when Sterling’s foot almost knocked it over, relaxing in relief when it remained unharmed. 

Everyone else was looking at Sterling in shock. Especially Sam.

Shane was the only one worried about the carpet.

”I am?” Sam asked, deeply confused.

”How.. why… wh-“ Maddie stuttered, surprised by Sterling’s sudden confidence and involvement in the conversation.

”I just made the connection when Sam mentioned how they were gone for a long time. It reminded me of how Morgan had to leave for a long time too.” Sterling began, having already arrived at the answer but now struggling to back pedal and explain the string of thoughts that got him there.

“Okay but lots of people leave and come back.” Shane replied, playing devil’s advocate even though Sterling got the impression he actually agreed with him anyway.

”Kimpoi met Malaya on a cruise ship.” Sebastian added suddenly. All eyes turning to stare at him. “What??? Abby always said how it was sooooo cute.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, it has to be. Come on, that’s so obvious.”

Sterling felt like a lightbulb had just come on over their heads. 

“Holy shit.” Said Shane. “That means Alissa is Morgan’s cousin.”

”Do you think she knows?!” Sam wondered.

Maddie just kind of sat there with her mouth hanging ever so slightly open. “Oh my… I overheard a conversation between Malaya, Kimpoi, and Mr. Aguar that didn’t make any sense at the time… but now…”

”What did you overhear?” Sterling questioned, feeling overwhelmed again. 

“I only heard the words ‘temporary’ and ‘it wasn’t supposed to happen like this’, I think they were asking him for help? He was all smiles the rest of the day but never explained anything to me. A few days later I saw him talking to them again, outside. He was in a horrible mood when he came back in. I didn’t ask what happened.” 

“So what do you think they were talking about?” Shane asked, wide eyed.

”I don’t know… but it has to be related to why they disappeared for so many years…” She chewed on her pencil thoughtfully. “Sterling, are you sure it’s Malaya?”

”Yes.” He replied without hesitation. He could feel it in his bones.

”Should we… ask them for help?” Sam questioned nervously.

”I don’t know… Rasmodius said Morgan’s not alone, and I wish I knew what the fuck that means.” He muttered.

”If Mr. Aguar helped them with something, they might not even be willing to help the situation with Morgan, honestly. It could be dangerous getting them involved. If Morgan never even mentioned them then maybe they don’t even know they’re related.” Shane spoke up suddenly, dropping a heavy truth on the room.

Sterling groaned. His head was pounding from all the confusion and crying and lack of sleep. He closed his eyes and let his head rest against the wall. It hurt so bad to be trapped in this mess when all he wanted was Morgan’s arms around him. 

It had only been days since he disappeared but it felt like months. He was having a hard time recalling what his voice sounded like and the realization felt like his heart had just been dropped in a blender.

”We have to go pick up Vincent now and get him back home for school tomorrow… Mom will be here in the morning to start construction.” Sebastian said softly.

Sterling cracked his eyes open to see him standing awkwardly about 5 feet in front of him. “Okay.” 

“Are you going to be okay?” Seb asked him so gently that he practically whispered the question.

Sterling shrugged.

”If there’s anything else we can do to help you guys, please don’t hesitate to text us.” Sam chimed in, addressing all of them. 

“Thanks Sam.” Maddie replied sincerely, Shane echoing her reply.

Sterling’s eyes were locked on Sebastians. Why was he being so nice? Out of pity? Guilt?

Maybe he was just feeling a little burnt out and paranoid. He had no reason to feel so skeptical. If him and Sam didn’t care, they wouldn’t be here.

He tried his best to mentally shake off his weird mood.

”Thanks guys.” 

Sam and Sebastian nodded, saying their goodbyes. Seb cast him one last worried glance as they walked out the door.

Wordlessly, Sterling headed straight for the bedroom the second the door shut behind them. He needed to be completely alone for a little while. 

Shane and Maddie watched him from the couch, exchanging worried glances. He didn’t notice.

The only thing on his mind was the fact that there was no way he was going to just wait around and hope Morgan would be okay. He couldn’t risk wasting that much time.

——————————————————————

Morgan

His eyes adjusted to the darkness slower than normal. Probably due to the sheer panic he was experiencing as the unmistakable sound of several bodies moving across the stone floor got closer and closer to where he stood, frozen.

The scene before him finally came into clear view as his eyes finished adjusting to the lack of light, just as the approaching bodies entered the chamber he found himself in. 

One dark serpentine body slithered into view. Then another. And another.

His heart pounded out of his chest as the chamber continued to fill up with giant snakes until there had to be at least 25 of them, surrounding him. Their tongues flickered out their mouths, tasting the air. Gathering information on their intruder.

Could he fight off this many snakes? Was he about to be fucking eaten alive?

Why did the dove lead him here? Where the fuck was he? He didn’t want to die. Not like this, at least. Maybe he deserved it, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t absolutely petrified at the thought of becoming snake food.

The snakes that had paused to taste the air were sliding closer now. Before he could open his mouth to scream in terror, a loud hiss rang out, echoing against the stony walls. The snakes all froze suddenly, falling back a few inches. Out of the crowd, a larger serpent emerged, slithering straight towards Morgan with purpose. 

He couldn’t do anything but watch it approach, transfixed on the black and blue scales that glimmered in the darkness, seemingly illuminated by a light within the serpent itself. 

It stopped about five feet away from him, raising up the front portion of its body until its head was eye level with Morgan. He stared into dark reptilian eyes, briefly wondering if this was the moment his short life came to its tragic end. Then his mind cleared, all the thoughts disappearing suddenly like flipping a switch. 

A voice that sounded nothing like his familiar inner monologue invaded that empty, silent space.

Can you understand me?

What the fuck? Was he losing his fucking mind?

The serpent tilted its head, clearly waiting for something.

He wasn’t crazy, it was waiting for a response. 

Was he supposed to… answer telepathically? Could he do that? Worth a shot. He thought his response, staring directly into the serpent’s eyes.

Yes. 

To his absolute shock, a response echoed immediately inside his head. He wasn’t imagining this, he was sure of that now. The voice was not his own nor one he had ever heard before.

Who are you?

The question made his heart rate accelerate even faster. Should he lie? Who were these peop-...snakes anyway?

My name is Morgan Francis. I’m from Pelican Town. 

Why are you here?

I don’t know, honestly. A dove led me here, I just followed her.

We know that, but why are you out in the woods alone?

He really wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but the snake was waiting for an answer and Morgan wasn’t positive how to keep his thoughts and telepathic messages separate. He tried his best to keep his head empty when he wasn’t answering a question.

I was kidnapped and exiled.

By who?

A scientist from Ridgeside Village, he goes by the name Mr. Aguar.

Instead of a response, the serpent hissed, startling Morgan and causing the other snakes in the cave to tense up, suddenly on edge. Tension filled the dark cave and Morgan wondered if maybe he shouldn’t have said that after all.

Ice cold fear radiated down his body as the snakes wiggled around restlessly, angrily.

Chapter Text

Five months later…

Sterling

The front door swung open with a bang so loud Sterling’s head jolted up from staring blankly into his cup of coffee. “Ow” he mumbled, rubbing his neck as he waited for the intruder to appear. 

“Alright, the coop is ready. All that’s left to do is add some chickens!” Robin announced brightly as she waltzed into the farmhouse kitchen uninvited.

It was fine though, she renovated the whole house for free. That sort of thing surely grants you the right to trespass as you wish, at least during daylight hours. 

“Thank you, Robin. You are a national treasure.” Sterling said with a flirtatious grin.

She blushed before proceeding to smack him on the head with the rolled up newspaper she had picked up off the front porch on her way in. “Don’t flatter me, young man. I’ll charge you double next time to make up for your lies.” She tossed the newspaper onto the kitchen table and ruffled his hair affectionately.

Sterling just shook his head in amusement, the smile slowly slipping off his face as he looked up with teary eyes. Holding his arms out, he offered her a hug which she instantly accepted. “Seriously, thank you so much.” He whispered. “I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

Robin squeezed him before letting go with a final pat on his shoulder as she stepped away. “Please, it’s the least I can do. You’ve been through so much. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything else built around here, okay?”

Sterling nodded, wiping the stray tears from the corners of his eyes. “Okay.”

”I’ll see you later, alright? Name a chicken after me if you really feel you owe me something.” 

He laughed, appreciating the wholesome moment for what it was. “Will do. Bye Robin!” He waved as she closed the door behind her. He watched silently as her bright red head of hair disappeared in the direction of the path leading up to her mountain home.

Alone at last. A rare occurrence these days.

He, Maddie, and Shane had become inseparable. Partially due to the fact that they still feared for their lives thanks to the lunatic scientist from Ridgeside Valley, but aside from their shared trauma bond, they had also just gotten really comfortable living together and taking care of Morgan’s farm as if it were their own.

Sterling felt endless waves of gratitude for his best friends, but being constantly in the presence of other people made it hard to grieve in a way that wasn’t simply bottling everything up and pouring all the restless painful energy into running a farm instead. 

Most days it worked out okay, the farm was in the beginning stages of a successful future, on course to be thriving by mid autumn after all. However, the main draw back to coping this way was that the second he was ever alone he absolutely fell apart. 

He had managed to keep himself together while he knew Robin was outside finishing up the chicken coop. Now that she was off the property and Shane and Maddie were getting the rest of her things out of her abandoned home in Ridgeside, he was free to crumble to the floor in a heap of pathetic limbs with big blue eyes that were rapidly flooding with tears.

Today marked five whole months since the night Morgan disappeared. At first, they had hope that there would be a quick turn around. Gloomy was able to show Rasmodius that Morgan wasn’t alone, but they weren’t able to figure out who he was with or where exactly he was. Ras brought up his disappearance during a council meeting but to no one’s surprise, none of the council members wanted to get involved with the situation. 

It wasn’t a complete waste, however. Rasmodius’s “anonymous” tips had caused a case to be opened up against Mr. Aguar. He was officially being investigated for breaking the laws of magic. If they managed to accumulate any evidence against him, then perhaps he would be locked up and they could finally force some answers out of him pertaining to Morgan’s whereabouts. So far, they hadn’t had any luck. The council’s private investigators hadn’t been able to dig anything up on him thus far. The genius bastard was laying low, keeping his head down, and following the rules. It was infuriating.

The bastard was currently out on a monster hunting expedition, according to Rasmodius, so Maddie and Shane had jumped at the opportunity to clear her house out. She had been too afraid to step foot in Ridgeside since everything had gone down. Her house was a tad too close to the water research facility for her comfort, so most of her belongings had been abandoned for the time being. 

Sterling almost felt guilty for bawling his eyes out. All things considered, they were having a good day. Maddie was finally getting all of her things back, the crops they planted were growing beautifully, Robin had finished their new chicken coop which meant they could bring home some baby chickens first thing in the morning, and there hadn’t been any new tragic events in months. He should be smiling, he should feel hopeful.

All he felt was heart splitting pain.

The sobs wracked through his body, shaking his rib cage as he sobbed into his open hands pressed against his tear streaked face.

Five months without the love of his life. It was getting harder by the day to remember the sound of Morgan’s voice, or picture his hauntingly beautiful eyes in his mind, or remember how it feels to be wrapped up in his warm embrace. It was all slipping away, faster the harder he tried to desperately hold on to it. In reality, Morgan had only been in his life for a brief moment. The brightest flame that burned through his entire being, imprinting on ever fiber of his soul before burning out and disappearing without a trace.

He knew that everyone was silently urging him to let go, to move on, cut his losses and just consider the farm and the cat to be his consolation prizes for losing the best thing that had ever happened to him. They didn’t have to say the words out loud. He knew what they all thought. Morgan was dead, they were all sure of it. Everyone except Sterling and Gloomy, and possibly Seb and Sam. He honestly wasn’t sure what Rasmodius believed. The man was a tough egg to crack.

He couldn’t communicate with the dark and fluffy, magically enhanced feline, not the way that Rasmodius could, but when he asked her if she believed Morgan was still alive out there…the look in her eyes and gentle nod of her head filled him with the unwavering belief that it was true. Morgan was still out there, and they would meet again.

If Morgan survived the frigid winter out in the wilderness, surely he could survive the summer somehow as well, right?

It was a stressful thought, especially as he felt it was a little too warm in this house even with the new air conditioning cranked up high. He couldn’t imagine living outside in this heat. Even Gloomy hadn’t moved from her cat bed that she had deliberately pushed directly in front of an oscillating fan in the living room. She looked at Sterling sympathetically from across the room but made no moves to come comfort him. Jerk.

As for Sam and Sebastian, he wasn’t sure if they had a strong belief that Morgan was indeed still among the living, but they did have the determination to find him regardless. They were essentially becoming like the people who hunt for proof that Big-foot exists, except their target was any sign of Morgan’s past or present presence out in the wilderness.

They were the only ones who could, and cared enough to, actually go out there and look for him. They hadn’t been a part of Mr. Aguar’s threat when he warned Maddie that there would be consequences for searching for him. So every week Sam and Seb packed up a small camper van they bought with Sebastian’s leftover small fortune from Linus and set out to investigate a new area of the wilderness that surrounded the outer edges of Stardew Valley. Meanwhile, Vincent was thrilled to have weekly sleepovers with Jas at Marnie’s house. At least the kids were happy.

With shaky hands, Sterling pulled his suddenly vibrating phone out of his pocket, alarmed to see Shane’s name on the caller ID right above a notification informing him of 23 unread text messages.

”Hello?!” Sterling answered the phone in a panicked greeting, expecting the worst.

”Hey, we’re on our way back with all of Maddie’s shit now. Just wanted to let you know so you can be ready to help us carry it all in. This girl is a certified hoarder.” Shane teased, yelping in surprise when Maddie smacked his arm.

”O-okay.” Sterling stuttered, trying to calm his breathing. 

“Hey, are you okay dude?” Shane asked suddenly, picking up on his odd demeanor.

”Sorry… I just saw so many missed text messages and then you were calling and I just panicked a little. I’m okay.” Sterling said reassuringly, clamping his eyes closed and focusing on taking quiet but deep breaths.

”Missed text messages? From who?” Shane asked curiously.

Sterling felt his blood run cold. “You…? I thought…”

”Nah, man… I haven’t texted you.” A beat of silence. “Maddie said she hasn’t either.”

He felt his stomach drop into his toes as dread flooded his nervous system. “Fuck.”

”What??? Sterling, who texted you?” Shane pressed for details but Sterling could barely hear him anymore over the raucous pounding of his nervous heartbeat.

In a daze, Sterling pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed the speaker button. Unlocking the home screen, he tapped on his message inbox, feeling like his heart would cease to continue pumping blood at any moment. 

“Sterling?” Shane asked again, obvious worry overtaking his tone. 

“It’s Sebastian.” He whispered, unsure if his response had even been audible enough for his friend to hear on the other line.

”I’m sorry, did you say Sebastian??? Is he okay???” Shane demanded, cursing under his breath as he narrowly swerved around a fallen tree branch in the road as Maddie gasped in passenger seat.

”H-he s-said…” Sterling started but was quickly cut off by Shane urging him to hold on a minute as he drove recklessly through the front entrance, speeding towards the house and throwing the truck in park right by the front porch. Sterling let the call hang up as he floated outside to join his friends, feeling completely detached from his body.

Maddie and Shane exited the vehicle and before he knew it, Maddie was rushing towards him and wrapping her arms around him, smoothing his hair and rubbing his back in attempt to calm his nerves. He had barely registered that he was shaking until Maddie rubbed his arms and urged him to breathe.

His unfocused eyes drifted to Shane who stood behind Maddie, his face appearing alarmed and concerned. He didn’t protest as Shane gently removed Sterling’s phone from his hand so he could read the messages on the screen.

”Holy shit…” he murmured in morbid surprise.

”What did he say?” Maddie asked him reluctantly, unsure she even really wanted to know after seeing both of their reactions to whatever it was.

Shane cleared his throat before looking up at Maddie with troubled eyes. “Uh… I guess they’re on their way back from their latest trip… Uhm… they sent some coordinates…” Shane trailed off, looking uneasy.

”Coordinates for… what?” Maddie asked quietly, feeling her throat tighten up in suspense.

”They didn’t actually see Morgan, but they found a shirt torn up like something with claws attacked the person wearing it. They’re bringing it to Demetrius to run tests on the DNA. That’s not all of it though…” Shane mumbled.

“What else did he say?” She whispered, holding on tightly to Sterling who had gone stiff as a board in her arms.

”There were a lot of… dead animals… laying around the same area, uhm… they all had… puncture wounds…” Shane explained, choosing not to repeat it as graphically as Sebastian had explained it.

”Oh.” Maddie said quietly, thinking hard as she ran her fingers through Sterling’s hair. “Well… he has to eat, right? This is… good news? That would mean he’s alive and he isn’t starving?” She said hopefully.

Sterling choked back a sob and Shane met Maddie’s eyes in a silent exchange. Talk about this later.

“He doesn’t like to kill. He’s probably so miserable.” Sterling cried into Maddie’s shoulder. “I just want him to come home.”

”I know, I know. But it’s not safe here yet.” Maddie reminded him, acutely aware of the tears soaking through her shirt. 

Shane sighed and wandered back to the truck to start carrying Maddie’s things inside on his own. “Take Sterling inside, I got this.”

Sterling felt a gentle hand on his lower back guiding him back into the house and down the hall to his bedroom. Maddie encouraged him to lay down before disappearing and reappearing with a glass of water and a headache pill.

“I’ll be helping Shane carry in my things if you need me, okay?” She asked him gently. All he could do was nod.

And then she was gone, and he was alone once again, wondering how the hell he hadn’t run out of tears yet.

A few pathetic, lonely minutes later, Gloomy crept into the room cautiously before jumping onto the bed and curling up on his chest. Her gentle purring lulled him into a fitful sleep full of nightmares, an endless loop of scenes broadcasting Morgan losing his humanity more and more with each day he spent living in the wild.

Chapter Text

Shane

“Yeah, uhm, you should probably tell one of us first before texting Sterling directly when, uh, it’s something that…intense.” Shane scolded Sam over the phone, choosing his words carefully in case his sleeping friend could somehow hear him.

”YOU TEXTED STERLING!?” A voice that did not belong to Sam boomed in the background, making it obvious the call was on speaker.

”Uhm-“ Sam said quickly, sounding extremely nervous. “Was I not supposed to? I thought you said-“

”I SAID TEXT SHANE, SAM. SHANE. WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU TEXT STERLING!? ARE YOU STUPID!?” Sebastian yelled in disbelief.

”Ow.” Shane mumbled, pulling his cell phone away from his ear.

”I thought you said Sterling!!!” Sam defended himself weakly.

”What the hell is wrong with you!?” Seb asked him, finally lowering his volume but not his attitude.

”I’M SORRY!” Sam shouted in response.

”Are you two done screaming yet!?” Shane slowly brought the phone back to his ear, pinching the bridge of his nose.

”I am. I don’t know about Sebastian.” Sam replied bitterly.

”I’m done screaming but I am still disappointed in you, Samson.” Sebastian bit back.

Shane sighed. “Okay, never mind that, can you guys tell me exactly what you saw?”

”Yeah. Where is Sterling now, by the way?” Sebastian asked with a tinge of concern in his tone.

”He’s inside. Sound asleep last time I checked. Maddie’s making sure he stays in there. I’m sitting outside on the porch.” He explained, glancing over his shoulder at the window to make sure no one was looking out at him.

”Okay, so those coordinates we sent were for the exact location of where we found some really disturbing shit. I don’t know if Ras has a cellphone so we need to get that written on paper and get that to him ASAP.” Sebastian began to explain, side stepping the gruesome details he knew damn well Shane was asking for.

”Uh huh. Definitely.” Shane agreed. “So what did you find?”

Sam took a shaky breath, filling Shane with the sensation of impending doom. “Dead animals, dude. So many dead animals.”

”Like… just in a pile? Can you describe the scene?” Shane pressed for more. He didn’t understand why they weren’t just spitting it out already.

”Listen… it’s… well… we took pictures, but they’re not… easy to look at.” Sebastian said slowly.

”Okay…” Shane replied nervously. “So you think… Morgan did that?”

Sam was surprisingly the one to answer him this time. “We think so, but we don’t think he was alone. We found that bloody torn up shirt too… Demetrius should be able to get the DNA on that. Then we’ll know for sure then whether or not this is connected to Morgan.”

”Right… I mean Ras said that he wasn’t alone months ago. I guess it would be a good thing that he still isn’t alone?” Shane felt the thought tumbling around in his brain like a mechanical pinball machine before it fell out of his mouth. It was a good thing, right? He didn’t feel very sure of that.

”Uh… well, if this was Morgan and friends, I don’t know if he’s really in the best company…” Sebastian’s voice responded apprehensively. 

It seemed Seb wasn’t so sure either. “Right…”

Feeling deeply unsettled, Shane rubbed the heel of his boot against the newly redone wooden steps. He found that he truly had nothing else to say.

“We’ll be there in…” Sam paused to look at the GPS, “45 minutes.” 

“Get Rasmodius over if you can.” Sebastian added firmly.

”Yeah, okay, I’ll try.” Shane muttered. “Drive safe guys.” He hung up after hearing the beginning of their half hearted goodbyes. 

Sighing deeply, he buried his head in his hands on his knees. What fresh hell was in store for them? Was it worth digging deeper into this mystery?

Of course it is. He chided himself for even thinking such a thing. Sterling would never give up, no matter how dangerous. Shane wouldn’t dream of abandoning him to fall down that rabbit hole alone. Losing his best friend would be the icing on the cake of his sad story. What would he have left? Jas? She’d be better off without him at that point. He’d be nothing but an empty husk, hardly fit to be a guardian.

The sound of the screen door creaking open distracted him from his self deprecating doom spiral. “Everything okay?” Maddie asked softly, appraising him with a knowing look.

”Yeah, I guess so. For now.” Shane replied ominously. Although it was unintentional, he couldn’t mask the dread he was feeling. He watched Maddie’s face fall.

“For now!?” She asked impatiently.

”Sebastian and Sam will be here in like 40 minutes to explain and show us pictures of what they found. They want us to get Ras over here.” 

“Well, go get him then. I’ll stay with Sterling.” She demanded, her tone indicating that she didn’t understand why he wasn’t on his way to the tower already. It was a 25 minute walk after all.

”Yes M’am.” He grumbled, standing up with a wince as his back screamed in protest. He really needed to remember to talk to Robin about getting a better mattress.

Trekking through the farmland and down the path through the forest was a familiar route, but it all took on an eerie feel now that they had to fear for their lives nearly 24/7. Walking through these quiet but vibrant woods used to be his favorite way to blow off some steam with a 12 pack of beer. Now every little rustle of leaves or squirrels jumping from tree to tree made his heartbeat accelerate.

He wondered briefly if this would ever end. It has to eventually, right?

He didn’t dare put too much faith into that sentiment. He learned at a young age that life wasn’t fair. Never has been, never will be. 

Shane cursed as he stumbled over a tree root, catching himself before he could go tumbling forward.

”Easy.” A judgmental voice spoke from somewhere out of view, scaring the shit out of him.

“Ah! Rasmodius, fuck… you scared me.” He took a deep breath to calm himself as the wizard stepped out of the shadows into view.

The insufferable old man shook his head in disappointment. “It’s a wonder you’re still alive.”

”Thanks.” Shane replied, glaring at the man in his stupid wizard outfit.

”What brings you here?” He asked suddenly, sighing as if he were bored already. He probably was.

Shane ignored his unpleasant attitude. “Sebastian and Sam found something. They’ll be back soon, they asked me to fetch you.”

“Hmm. Alright.” Ras replied, opening a portal and disappearing before Shane could get another word in.

“What the fuck?” He asked out loud to no one in particular.

Hurrying back in the direction he came from, he wondered why the wizard was such a douchebag the whole way back to the farm.

——————————————————————

Sterling woke up from his involuntary nap, instantly hearing the sound of a truck pulling up to the house.

He groggily climbed out of bed and made his way over to the window to peek outside. His blood ran cold when he realized it was Seb and Sam. 

He heard footsteps coming down the hallway, no doubt Maddie coming to check on him.

Acting quickly on instinct he hurried back to the bed, cocooning himself in the blanket and facing away from the door. He closed his eyes anyway for good measure.

The footsteps stopped, then started again, growing quieter with each step away from his bedroom door. He breathed out a sigh of relief. 

He got out of bed again when he heard the front door open and close, creeping out into the hallway, scanning his surroundings like a burglar.

Meow?

He jumped at the sudden unexpected noise, relaxing only when he saw the perpetrator sitting at the end of the hallway, cocking her head to the side as she looked at him questioningly.

”Goddamn, Gloomy…” He hissed. “Read the room.”

Gloomy narrowed her eyes at him but stalked back in the direction of the living room, pausing to flick her tail in a strange motion before disappearing out of sight.

Intuitively he knew she wanted him to follow her.

He obeyed, padding softly down the hall before joining his feline friend by the kitchen window. “Smart girl.” He complimented her, patting her soft little head.

From their new vantage point they could see the party of unlikely allies forming in the front yard, but they were unlikely to notice the two spies watching them from the window.

Gathered in a circle, Seb and Sam had their phones out, passing them around for Rasmodius, Shane, and Maddie to look at whatever was on the screens. Photos, he could only assume.

Squinting his eyes to take a closer look, he noticed a shred of bloodied fabric dangling from Sebastian’s other hand. He felt sick. Was that Morgan’s blood?

He turned around to throw up in the sink, turning the water on to wash it away before shakily returning to the window.

Rasmodius was speaking animatedly now, appearing a little angry. His interest peaked, Sterling took the chance of blowing his cover to lift the window up a crack, allowing the sounds of his friends voices to carry inside. He froze at the loud creak of the wooden frame, waiting to be discovered.

No one turned to look in his direction. He let out the breath he was holding. Gloomy’s ears were rotating like a satellite as she tried to pick up what they were saying. He pressed a finger to his lips and gave her a stern look. She glared at him again, swishing her tail in plain offense.

Finally they were able to hear bits of the conversation as everyone began arguing.

”You have no idea what you’re messing with, you insolent fools.” Rasmodius’s angry voice boomed.

”Well what are we messing with!?” Sebastian demanded.

”I don’t know!” Rasmodius yelled. “But it can’t be good.”

Sterling didn’t need to be able to see Sebastian’s face clearly to know that he was rolling his eyes.

”If you had to guess…?” Maddie asked in a tone much calmer than the boys.

Rasmodius sighed, his shoulders dropping as he thought for a moment. His face was stoic for a moment, and then he frowned. “Snakes.”

”Snakes!?!?” Sebastian retorted in disbelief.

”Like actual fucking snakes!?” Shane added.

Rasmodius shook his head solemnly. “Serpents, snakes, whatever you’d like to call them… I had my suspicions when we confirmed he was in a cave, but I was hoping it wasn’t the case.”

”Why?” Shane questioned.

”The cave dwelling reptilians that live out there are a mystery, even to me… I don’t know much about them, but I do know that they’re dangerous, and they hate humans.” Rasmodius warned.

A solemn silence fell over the group as everyone took that in.

”If they hate humans, then why would Morgan be with them?!” Sam asked, sounding deeply confused.

Everyone turned to glare at him, waiting for him to get it. 

“Oh, right… Morgan isn’t human.” He concluded quietly.

Chapter Text

Sebastian

Internally cringing at Sam’s incredible talent of asking the dumbest question at the worst time, he looked up towards the house in attempt to dissipate the second hand embarrassment he was experiencing.

Unexpectedly, the kitchen window grabbed ahold of his attention. What appeared to be someone looking out the window suddenly vanished from view as his eyes focused in on what he was seeing, leaving behind the outline of a cat staring directly back at him.

He lifted a hand to wave at Gloomy. She blinked twice before hopping out of the window, disappearing.

”Uh guys, I think Sterling was spying on us.” He announced calmly. He raised a finger to point, directing everyones attention towards the window.

”Shit…” Shane muttered, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Maddie groaned. “I’d go talk to him but I think this might require more than one person.”

Sebastian stared at the ground pensively. “I’ll talk to him.” He said finally, with an air of defiance in his tone as if he dared anyone to argue with his decision.

He looked up at the group to assess their reactions. Shane swallowed nervously. “Uh…” 

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Sam staring at him with a confused and worried expression. He made a point not to look in his direction.

Maddie tilted her head in confusion, her eyes darting between Sebastian and Sam.

”Well, go on then.” Ras snapped at him, breaking the awkward silence and effectively saving him from having to justify his actions.

Seb nodded at him appreciatively. Before anyone could protest he briskly headed towards the front door.

Once he was out of earshot, Shane blinked away the confusion, eyes going wide when he realized the house had more than one exit. “Fuck! The back door.” He frantically mumbled, rushing around to the back door just in time to catch it fly open, revealing a guilty and surprised looking Sterling, still in the midst of pulling on his shoes.

”Going somewhere?” Shane asked coldly, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

Sterling sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. He jumped when a hand clamped down on his shoulder from behind when Sebastian finally caught up to them.

”We’ve got a runner.” Shane informed him humorlessly.

Sterling narrowed his eyes in response but made no attempt to defend himself.

Sebastian cleared his throat. “Sterling, can I talk to you?”

Still glaring at Shane, he was slow to respond but eventually his aggravation melted into subtle curiosity, turning his attention towards his (almost) ex boyfriend. He nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

Sebastian offered him a small smile of encouragement. “Shane, do you mind?”

Shane crossed his arms and stared at Sterling intimidatingly. “Go ahead, but I’m staying riiiiight here.”

Sterling rolled his eyes and pulled the door closed with an irritated huff, following Sebastian back inside the house.

Shane just grinned smugly as the door slammed in his face.

”The look on your face leads me to believe you caught him trying to escape.” Maddie deadpanned as she approached the back porch.

”Sure did.” Shane responded triumphantly.

”Good thinking.” She nodded approvingly.

Shane ate up the praise, allowing it to go to his head for just a few glorious seconds before the smug smile slipped from his face. “I’m really worried about him, Mads.”

”Me too.” She sighed. “I hope whatever Sebastian’s saying to him in there helps.”

”I don’t get why he offered to talk to him, but I hope it was worth it.” Shane grumbled, lowering his voice in case Sebastian could hear them.

Maddie shrugged. “I hope so too. Sam looks pretty upset about it.” She whispered conspiratorially.

”Great.” Shane muttered. “I’m sure Ras is being real empathetic about it too.” 

Maddie snorted, the semblance of a laugh escaping from her nose. “Yeah I bet.”

~

Back inside the house, Sterling was perched on the couch clutching Gloomy in his lap like a lifeline. Shaky hands smoothed over her fur as he tried to stay grounded.

Sebastian sat in the chair facing him, chewing on his bottom lip as he tried to come up with the right words to say. Finally, he decided to go with blunt honesty. As mentally fragile as the man in front of him appeared, he got the impression that he wasn’t interested in having sugar coated bullshit shoved down his throat.

”I’m not gunna lie to you, Dude…” He started, waiting for Sterling’s anxious blue eyes to snap up, locking onto his before continuing. “The scene we stumbled upon… it was bad.”

Sterling looked pained, but stayed silent, waiting for him to get to the point.

”I assume you heard what Ras said, am I right?” He asked. Sterling nodded. “If he’s right, if he really is with a bunch of… snakes? Well, I don’t think any of us really know how to handle that.”

Sterling closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, clearly on edge.

Sebastian gazed at him empathetically, wishing he could take away his pain. He owed him that. He owed him a lot. He owed just about everyone, really. 

“But…” He continued, noting how Sterling’s eyes reopened with a glimmer of hope, hanging on to his every word. “We have evidence now… Demetrius can run the DNA and if it’s a match to Morgan’s then at least we know that he’s probably alive.”

”He is alive.” Sterling said suddenly, a defensive bite to his tone.

Sebastian stared at him steadily for a moment. “I believe you, and I trust your intuition.”

Sterling looked surprised, as if he had been expecting an argument. “Th-thank you.”

He reached out to place a comforting hand on Sterling’s knee. “We have your back. I swear. You’re not alone.” 

The guilty look on Sterling’s face told him he got the implied message, don’t try to run off again. He nodded his understanding.

“He doesn’t like to kill.” Sterling said suddenly, his voice dropping to a whisper. It broke Seb’s heart a little.

”He’s in survival mode. People do what they have to do to survive. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to do things that you absolutely hate. He’s still the same person, Sterling.” Seb insisted, squeezing Sterling’s knee to punctuate his point.

Sterlings eyes teared up, gazing into Sebastian’s eyes with a sudden intensity that sucked the air from his lungs.

”But what if he’s not?” He whispered fearfully.

Sebastian didn’t have an answer for him, but he had a new understanding of what was going on inside Sterling’s head.

~

He closed the front door quietly following Shane outside, leaving Sterling alone with Maddie. 

They rejoined Ras and Sam who were engaged in a one sided conversation when they approached. Sam was asking questions about snakes and Ras was staring off into the distance probably pretending Sam’s voice was just a fly buzzing in the air nearby.

Ras looked relieved that they were no longer alone, but Sam looked at Sebastian with such a wounded look he actually felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Shamefully, he stood by his side and reached for Sam’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Sam didn’t squeeze back. Sebastian sighed. He’d have to deal with that later. Right now, they needed to make a plan.

Ras was the first to speak. “He’s not going to do anything foolish, is he?” He asked, jerking his head in the direction of the house.

”I don’t think so.” Sebastian responded with a fair amount of confidence.

Ras nodded his head. “Alright. You two get this sample to Demetrius, I’m going to see what I can gather from it.” He ripped the blood stained shred of fabric down the middle, handing half of it to Sebastian.

He then directed his attention to Shane. “Don’t let Sterling out of your sight. He’s emotional, that makes him a liability.”

Shane gulped. “Yes sir.”

Ras twitched his mustache in vague displeasure. “We’ll meet back up tomorrow night.”

Everyone agreed and parted ways, leaving Shane alone once again to join his closest friends inside the house.

“Now what?” Sterling asked as Shane stepped into the foyer, his gaze somewhat vacant.

”Now we wait for the DNA test results, and whatever Ras can figure out.” He explained with a tired exhale.

Sterling looked like he really wanted to say something but he kept his mouth shut. Beside him on the couch, Maddie rubbed his shoulder soothingly.

Shane plopped himself down in the arm chair with a dramatic sigh, rubbing his face with his hands. “What a fucking day…”

“Mm.” Maddie agreed.

Sterling was silent.

Sebastian was the only one he gave any inkling of his inner turmoil to, but unbeknownst to them all, a storm was brewing inside.

He had a bad, bad feeling that things were worse than they could possibly imagine.

~

Demetrius and Maru were nearly bursting excitement as Seb and Sam stepped into the lab.

Sebastian had called his step father on their way over, letting him know he had a very important mission for him. He expected them to be ready, but it was almost comical how they were perched at the lab table facing the door, eyes hungry and impatient. They looked like they were seated at a restaurant anxiously waiting for their meal.

“Sebby! Sam!” Maru squealed, getting up to hug her brother awkwardly. He shimmied away,  letting her turn her attention to Sam instead. He was the touchy feely affectionate one after all. 

Demetrius greeted them politely but his eyes were trained on the bloodied fabric in Sebastians hand, sealed inside a plastic baggy. “So you think that’s Morgan’s blood?” 

“We’re pretty sure.” Sam confirmed, finally releasing his sister-in-law from a suffocating bear hug that she instantly regretted asking for.

“Hmm.” Demetrius hummed in response. “You brought a DNA sample as well?”

“Duh.” Seb replied with mock sarcasm, holding his hand out to Sam.

Sam pulled a second baggy out of his coat pocket containing a hairbrush that only Morgan had ever used.

Maru carefully took both of the bags and rejoined her father at the table. 

Seb and Sam stood there awkwardly until Demetrius waved them off. “You two go get some rest, we have this under control.”

”Thank you. Both of you. Goodnight.” Sebastian smiled at them both with a little wave before pulling Sam along with him towards his old bedroom in the basement.

Once they were downstairs alone with the door shut, Sam put a hand on Seb’s shoulder, stopping him from whatever he had been about to do next. He looked up in surprise, waiting for an explanation.

”So…” Sam started timidly, “What was that about? With Sterling?”

He sighed. Here we go.

”It was nothing, Sam.” He said decisively.

”It didn’t feel like nothing… Anyone could of gone inside to talk to him, why did it have to be you?” Sam argued.

He felt anger rising up from somewhere deep inside him. “Why are you always so jealous?”

Sam looked like he had just been slapped across the face. “I’m not! What the hell, Seb?”

“I chose you over him. We’re married. Why are you overanalyzing every interaction between me and him?” Sebastian countered, feeling a small fire burning inside himself.

”I’m not trying to, Sebastian. It’s a little hard though when you’re trying so fucking hard to be his hero.” Sam narrowed his eyes, looking at his husband with an expression full of accusations.

”I’m not trying to be HIS hero! I want to help Morgan!”

“Right, okay. Sure. I believe that. Just doing all this for Morgan.” Sam scoffed, crossing his arms against his chest.

”You’re ridiculous.” Sebastian mumbled angrily, crossing the room to look inside his old dresser for some pajamas to change into. Finding an extra outfit for Sam, he tossed them in his direction, promptly going back to ignoring him as he stalked off towards the bathroom.

Sam glared at the back of his head as he disappeared, changing quickly before crawling into bed to wait for Sebastian. All he could think about was that night at the jellyfish festival when Sebastian and Sterling had disappeared at the same time.

Sam wasn’t one to hold grudges, and it wasn’t like he didn’t want to help Morgan or Sterling, he just really didn’t appreciate the way his husband seemed to be hyper focused on making sure Sterling was okay. 

His thoughts were racing… They were never even friends. They had a brief fling and then Sebastian dropped him for Sam. Why did he still care about him so much? It didn’t make sense to him. 

For the first time he wondered if Sebastian was actually completely honest with him. By the time Sebastian made it back to bed, Sam had already fallen into a fitful sleep. 

Sebastian settled down on the couch instead of joining him in bed. For the next two hours he tirelessly scoured the internet for information on dangerous forest snakes. He had to comb through a lot of mundane information before finally stumbling upon some actual lore and folktales. 

Jackpot.

Chapter Text

Morgan

Sunlight beamed through the cracks in the trees, causing him to squint his eyes in discomfort. He wasn’t accustomed to the sun anymore. They traveled mostly at night, taking shelter inside the vast cave and tunnel system that stretched for miles in any direction.

He was rarely alone, but food had been scarce lately, and it wasn’t safe for the others to hunt during the day. There were predators that wouldn’t hesitate to attack a snake of their size, but Morgan wasn’t like them. He was more human than anything else, at least on the outside.

Although, a normal human would be sweating in the baking summer heat. Not him. Not that he was particularly enjoying it. Cool temperatures were preferable to this oppressive heat. 

Tuning out his mild discomfort, he focused his senses on his environment instead. There wasn’t much to hear besides the babbling brook nearby and the birds chirping up in the trees, unsurprisingly. Something was driving away the prey in the area, and he had a growing suspicion that the cause wasn’t quite natural.

Mr. Aguar had to know he was still alive. He was trying to starve him to death, no doubt. The circumstances were just a little too suspicious to be coincidental. 

Hatred filled his mind as his face scrunched up in disgust. He wanted to tear that man apart limb by limb. He had taken everything from him. His life, his home, his best friend, his love…

Sterling.

Grief washed over him replacing his anger. His expression softened. He longed to see Sterling’s face, to hold him in his arms… But really, he just wanted to know if he was okay. He’d probably be beginning to move on by now, that was just a sad reality Morgan had been forced to accept. He deserved to move on, to find happiness. His safety was his bigger concern. If that bastard "scientist" had hurt a hair on Sterling’s head, he wasn’t sure what he would do…

A twig cracked in the distance, snapping him out of his one man pity party. He sniffed the air, confirming the sound had been caused by an animal. A fox came into view seconds later, trotting along blissfully unaware of Morgan tracking its every movement from his hiding spot behind a large rock.

The fox paused suddenly, stopping in its tracks to survey its surroundings. A fatal mistake. Morgan snapped its neck before it could even detect his presence. A sick sense of blended disgust and accomplishment flooded his mind as he threw the animal over his shoulder. Time to return to the others. 

Sebastian  

In his dream he was sailing on a boat alongside a humble cruise ship, about half a yard of distance between them. It was a beautiful sunny day and the water was calm enough for smooth sailing. The cool spray of the ocean splashing up from beneath the boat was a welcome relief from the hot sun. Suddenly, to his left, a flash of green amongst the dark blue water caught his eye. It looked almost like...hair? No… it couldn’t be. It was probably just a clump of seaweed floating on the surface.

Even as he told himself that, his heartbeat quickened as he leaned over the edge of the sailboat trying desperately to get a closer look. The green tendrils disappeared for a moment before resurfacing once again heading closer to the cruise ship. Scrambling for a pair of binoculars he had stashed in his cargo, he finally returned to his post just in time to see a figure with gorgeous green hair grabbing onto a ladder on the side of the ship. He adjusted the view to get a closer look at the woman's face as she turned in his direction and waved. Shock coursed through him as he recognized a vaguely familiar face.

Malaya!?

~

"SEB!"

Sebastian's eyes shot open, his heart pounding a mile a minute inside his chest.  "AHH!"

"Babe, relax! Fuck, it's just me." 

Sebastian took a deep breath and blinked up at his husband who was leaning over him, gripping his forearms tightly with a concerned expression on his face. "Sam..." He croaked out pathetically, trying to ground himself back in reality. 

Sam released his grip slowly, backing up a little to give Sebastian some space. He kept up the worried stare though. "What's wrong? Why didn't you come to bed last night?"

Sebastian sat up carefully, wincing at the sudden pain in his neck from sleeping in an awkward position on the couch. He rolled his shoulders back and flopped his head from side to side, wincing again. Sam just watched him suffer with a mix of empathy and disappointment, arms crossed in front of his chest.

The night before slowly came back to him as he finally managed to shake off the dream. He cleared his throat, reaching for a glass of water on the coffee table. He took a huge sip of water and patted the now empty space next to him on the couch, gesturing for Sam to have a seat.

Sam obeyed, still eyeing him with a heavy amount of suspicion. Sebastian guiltily recalled their fight from the night before. That mess could wait though. They had far more pressing matters to deal with than Sam's insecurity, whether it was justifiable or not.

"Okay, so I was researching the local forest snakes..." he began, watching the suspicion vanish from Sam's face. His husband knew him better than anyone, which meant being fully aware of how hyper-focused he could become on something when the circumstances called for it. Much like Maru and Demetrius. Perhaps it ran in the family even though Dem wasn't his real dad, he still helped raise him.  "Obviously, there was a lot of normal information about normal snakes and poisonous species and all that, but I did some deeper digging into the folklore and I found this." Grabbing his laptop and opening it up to the last webpage he had open, he turned the screen towards Sam and waited patiently while he read through it all.

"Holy shit." Sam said after a while, finally looking up to meet his eyes. 

Seb nodded. "Yeah. I think this is it. I think we're onto something here."

"Did you tell anyone yet?" Sam inquired.

"No... I wanted to wait until the lab results came back." 

He had barely uttered the sentence before someone began banging on his bedroom door. "Sebby!!!" Maru called out. "I'm coming in! You guys better be dressed!"

Sebastian rolled his eyes, and Sam just cast him a sideways look, probably still feeling a little salty that Sebastian hadn't come to bed the night before.

"Come i-" He hadn't even finished his invitation before the door burst open and Maru flew into the room waving around a small stack of papers. "Good Morning, Maru." Sam greeted her pleasantly.

"Hi Sam." She said dismissively, holding the papers up with even more dramatic flair. "We got the results!"

"And?" Sebastian demanded, not wanting to waste any more time. Today felt important...pivotal even. He had a feeling they were on the brink of something big here, and something about that dream had him feeling pretty shaken up as well though he hadn't had time to dissect that just yet. 

"And...it was a match! It IS Morgan's DNA!" She shrieked excitedly.

"Hell yeah!" Sam exclaimed triumphantly, smirking proudly for his part in discovering the bloodied fabric.

Sebastian looked curiously at the papers his sister had finally stopped waving around. "Is that all you guys found?" 

Maru's eyes glittered mischievously, grinning from ear to ear with excitement. "Nope! We have another mystery on our hands."

Sam groaned. Sebastian was somewhere in-between a state of total overwhelm, and inspired determination. "Lay it on us."

"Dad was able to pull some strings and get into the database to run the mystery DNA to see if it matched anyone in the system. We could hardly believe what it came back with." Maru explained, pulling a certain paper out of the stack and handing it to the boys to look at.

"No way!" Sam exclaimed, jaw dropping wide open. He looked at Sebastian, then back at Maru, clearly confused as to why the two of them were grinning in excitement.

"Woah." Sebastian stated plainly, sharing a knowing look with his sister. They both loved a good mystery, and the plot had just thickened substantially.

"Guys, what the fuck? How are you not freaking out right now? WHY ARE YOU SMILING!?" Sam panicked.

Sebastian turned to his husband, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Babe. This is wild. This changes everything. How could we not be a little excited?"

Sam shook his head in disbelief. "I feel like we're stumbling upon secrets we have no business knowing." He warned, his tone sounding more and more uneasy.

"Nah." Sebastian started, his face suddenly serious. "There's been far too many secrets in this valley for far too long. It's about time someone uncovered some of them."

Sam swallowed nervously, eyes flitting back and forth between his husband and sister-in-law. "Are we going to tell Haley and Emily?"

"NO!" Maru protested immediately. "Are you crazy? We don’t even know anything yet. We can't tell anyone else about this. Just Sterling, Maddie, and Shane but ONLY if they're not going to tell anyone either. This can't get out yet. Maybe not ever.”

She looked at the boys with a very serious expression, waiting for them to nod in understanding before continuing. "Okay, get dressed and come upstairs. Dad is waiting for us in the lab." With that, she turned around and hurried back up the stairs, forgetting to shut the door behind her.

Sam got up to close it, turning back to his husband with an unreadable expression. "So... all of that news aside, what was that dream about?"

Sebastian smiled despite himself, Sam could be a little annoying and air headed at times but he was surprisingly perceptive when he least expected it. "I was on a sailboat by myself near a cruise ship. A lady with green hair appeared out of nowhere in the water and swam up to the side of the ship. She waved at me. I swear it looked just like Malaya."

Sam shook his head, clearly overwhelmed by the mysteries that just kept stacking up with the answers just out of reach. "That's fucking weird, babe. What do you think that means?"

"I don't know, but I think it's about time someone reached out to her. She might just be the key to getting to the bottom of this."

“I thought everyone decided it would be best to leave her and Alissa out of it?” Sam countered, looking uneasy.

“Yeah, but maybe we can get some information out of her without telling her what’s going on.” 

“Seb… I don’t think we should go behind everyones backs. What if we make things worse? What if we get Morgan killed?” Sam insisted. He grabbed Sebastian by his shoulders as he drove his point in.

Sebastian sighed. “Okay, fine. We won’t do it secretly, but I’m definitely going to suggest we talk to her when we meet up again.”

Sam released him and nodded, seemingly satisfied with his compromise. “Alright. Good. Let’s go see what Demetrius has to say.” He turned towards the door but Sebastian surprised him by reaching for his hand suddenly.

Seb tugged Sam back towards him and wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug. Sam hugged him back hesitantly. “What is this for?” He asked, skeptical of the sudden affection.

”You know I love you, right?” Sebastian asked seriously. Sam shrugged. It broke his heart a little.

Had he really been that distant lately?

“Sam, I love you so much. There’s a lot of crazy shit going on right now but that doesn’t change how I feel about you, okay? I need to know that you know that.” 

Caught off guard by Sebastian’s unusual display of raw emotion, Sam could only nod and let himself sink into his embrace. “I love you too, Seb.”

Sebastian pulled back just enough to kiss him sweetly before letting go. “Okay, let’s get this show on the road.”

~

Maru had her mouth hanging wide open in shock, looking more like a caricature of herself with her eyes practically popping out of her skull. “WHAT!?”

Across the table, Demetrius just shook his head in solemn fascination as if he wasn’t surprised but hadn’t quite expected this possibility to exist at the same time.

Their reactions made him suddenly aware of how casually Sam had taken it all in just half an hour ago when he showed him the deep web blog he had stumbled upon. 

“How is that possible? Dad, how is that possible!?” Maru was becoming increasingly desperate for an answer as her questions were met with empty silence. Her eyes darted between the three of them, finally staring daggers at her father until he acknowledged her.

”I don’t know.” Demetrius stated plainly. He chuckled in wonder. “I have honestly… no idea.”

Maru still hadn’t managed to pick her jaw back up off the floor by the time Sebastian spoke up again. “Maru, be careful, you might swallow a fly.” Sam teased, earning himself a glare as she snapped her mouth closed and focus her attention back on Sebastian.

“I don’t know either, but the fact that this was pretty hard to find even for me, and these photographs of the journal entries look as old as they claim they are… I believe it.”

Staring at the ceiling rather than his family gathered around the table, Demetrius appeared to be wistfully pondering what it all meant. “Immortality…” he mumbled to no one in particular, chuckling to himself again. 

Sam finally asked the question that no one had explicitly asked out loud yet, though he was sure they were all thinking it. “So… if the cave snakes are humans that have been cursed to a life of immortality unless physically murdered… then who cursed them, and why would Haley and Emily’s dad be with them?”

Silence fell over the table, heavy like a wet blanket. No one had an answer to that. To either of those questions.

Maru was the first to break the silence. “Where do we even go from here?” She asked quietly.

The triumphant feeling Sebastian had been riding on since coming across this information slowly began to deflate as he realized the implications behind her question. Where did they go from here? The entire situation was dangerous any way you looked at it. Mr. Aguar was a constant danger and they truly had no idea how close of an eye he was keeping on any of them.

They really couldn’t talk to Emily or Haley without raising a fuck ton of suspicion that they certainly didn’t need complicating their mission. Malaya might have a lot more answers than they could even dream of but reaching out to her was even riskier, having a direct tie to Aguar and possibly not even being aware of her relation to Morgan. 

They had the wizard, but he didn’t seem to know much about the snakes unless he was just bluffing…

”Do you think Rasmodius knows more than he let on?” He wondered out loud.

Demetrius scoffed. “That man is an enigma.”

”What does that mean?” Sam asked, scrunching his eyebrows.

”It means he’s a nut job so who knows.” Maru answered for her father. 

Sam looked at Demetrius for confirmation. He shrugged. “Basically.”

Sebastian leaned back in his seat, staring up at the white tiles on the ceiling deep in thought. They had to be careful about who they spoke to and what they talked about, but there had to be someone they could trust to do some innocent sleuthing…

”Can we… ask mom to talk to Caroline?” He asked suddenly.

“What would Caroline know that Rasmodius wouldn’t?” Maru countered.

”I mean… petty gossip, probably.” Sam answered honestly.

”How would that help?” Maru asked skeptically, scrunching her face in frustration. 

“Actually…” Demetrius began slowly, trying to put what he was thinking into words. “That might not be the worst place to start.”

Maru looked unconvinced. ”Huh?” 

“Think about it, we’ve all been laying low and mostly keeping to ourselves since everything that happened last year. It might make us look less suspicious and guilty to return to more of a normal social life. Who knows what seemingly mundane gossip might turn out to be a lead in this case.”

”I don’t see ho-“ Maru started to argue but was swiftly cut off by her brother in law.

”Oh my god, you’re right. If we start hanging out in Ridgeside again, it’ll be like we’re hiding in plain sight. We’ve all been avoiding it like the plague all these months… showing our faces around there again make actually get Aguar to let his guard down too.” Sam explained animatedly, clearly pleased with himself for catching on to what Demetrius and Sebastian were thinking. 

Sebastian smiled at him affectionately. He would never say it out loud, but he had a feeling Sam was elated to feel smarter than Maru for a minute. 

Her offensive expression slowly melted into quiet acceptance. She nodded. “Okay, I guess that makes sense. Wouldn’t it be obvious that it’s just a charade though? The guy is a genius, even if he is evil.”

Sebastian shrugged. “He doesn’t really know us, and besides I think we have enough experience to put “actor” on our resumes.”

Maru chewed the inside of her cheek while she thought it over. “I’m gunna go to the library while you guys are at the farm.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” Demetrius concluded. “Let’s not waste any more time.” He pushed his lab chair back suddenly, causing it to scrape against the tile floor with a high pitched whine. Everyone flinched. He simply waved his hands dismissively, shooing them all out of the lab. “Time’s arrow marches forward, children.” 

Successfully pushing everyone into the hall, he shut off the light and grabbed the keys to his little work truck. As far as anyone else in the town needed to know, he was simply going to check on the cave on Morgan’s property. 

Sebastian and Sam got in their own vehicle, taking the long way around passed Marnie’s farm just to lower their chances of raising suspicion. They could ditch their car at the ranch and walk to the farm from there. It was safer that way.

Sam was in the drivers seat looking simultaneously determined and nervous as hell. Sebastian stared out the window as he drove, quietly observing Pelican town as if he were a giant standing over the town with a magnifying glass. Answers could be anywhere, he was sure of it. Every weird thing that happened around here was connected in one way or another. That much was becoming clear.

As they passed the cemetery, Sebastian got a sudden idea. “Pull over.” He demanded, grabbing Sam’s arm. 

“What!?” Sam exclaimed, looking back and forth between his husband and the road.

”Pull. Over.” Sebastian repeated. “I want to check out those gravestones.”

Sam breathed out a sigh of relief as he parked alongside the hedges that fenced in the tiny cemetery.“Oh. Okay. Fuck, babe… I thought there was an emergency.”

Sebastian ignored him, unclipping his seatbelt and getting out of the car the second it was in park. Sam followed behind him slowly as he marched up to the closest gravestone with determination. 

A little too much determination, apparently, because it took him an alarming amount of time and Sam clearing his throat in awkward warning for him to realize they weren’t alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone look at this adorable artwork of Sterling and Morgan by @himetarts 🥹🥰

Chapter Text

Sebastian

“Sebastian? Sam? What are you guys doing here?” A timid but friendly voice called out from the other side of the tiny cemetery.

”Emily?” Sebastian replied in surprise, not registering her question. He turned away from the gravestone to look at the blue haired girl sitting on the ground against the hedges.

Sam took the lead, awkwardly. It was easy to forget when not in uncomfortable isolated situations such as this moment, but Emily was one of his ex girlfriends. “Hey! We were just uh… collecting dirt- I mean soil samples for Demetrius.”

”Oh…that’s… nice of you.” Emily answered him with an air of skepticism. Her eyebrows crinkled a little as if she was trying to figure out why Demetrius couldn’t have done it himself.

Sebastian silently applauded Sam’s quick thinking, even if his excuse had some obvious holes in it. For example, they obviously did not have any containers to collect said “soil samples”. He hoped Emily would leave before she realized that though.

He pulled out his trusty old default personality that the locals would probably describe as ‘perpetually mildly annoyed’ to sell the lie. “Yeah, he’s busy working on some project for Zuzu and Maru is skeeved out by the dead people, so here we are.”

“Ah.” Emily nodded as if it made perfect sense now, and he suddenly noticed how red her face looked.

Sam must have noticed at the same moment because the next words out of his mouth were, “Are we interrupting anything? We can just come back in a little bit if we are. It’s fine, really.”

Emily got up, brushing the dirt off her pants with a conflicted expression on her face. “No, it’s fine. I was just…” She bit her lip and looked away from them. Sebastian noticed her eyes looking a little glassier than they had a second ago.

”Are you okay, Em?” Sebastian asked gently, taking a step towards her. He wasn’t usually this empathetic but… he appreciated all her help with Linus, and he’d always feel a little guilty for marrying the guy who broke her heart. Not too guilty though. Sam was his. He went through hell and back for him and he would do it again.

Emily sniffled, her mouth twitching as she struggled not to cry.

”What’s wrong, Emily?” Sam pressed, also taking a couple brave steps towards her. She wasn’t a bitter scorned lover anymore these days, but after their break up… oof.

She shook her head, looking like she was ready to bolt without explanation, but then she took a look at the two very concerned men staring at her and sighed in defeat. “Honestly, I just came here to cry in peace. We got a letter from mom and dad today, and I didn’t want Haley to hear me crying. She would never come here, so…” She shrugged and wiped away a stray tear, recycling Sebastian’s words from before. “Here I am.” 

Sebastian and Sam shared a lightning fast look before focusing on Emily again. “That’s understandable…” Seb began. “What did it say? Was it bad news?”

Emily shook her head again. “Not like… death bad. They just… I don’t know. They always say they’re going to come home soon, and then soon becomes next year, and next year becomes next next year… it’s just so frustrating because they don’t even call anymore. They don’t visit, they don’t call, all we ever get are these letters. I’m hurt but I’m angry too, for Haley. She was younger than me when they left. Why didn’t she deserve to have parents? Sometimes I think that maybe it’s better than she has less memories of them, but then sometimes I think that it makes it even sadder. I don’t know, I’m so sorry for trauma dumping on you guys.”

Sebastian reached out to place a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t apologize Em, we were the ones not minding our own business. I totally understand where you’re coming from. That’s a really difficult situation to handle and you’re an amazing sister.”

Sam looked over at his husband in mild shock, probably wondering when Sebastian grew a heart. Whatever. He could be nice. Especially when they had a case to crack.

Emily smiled appreciatively through her pain. “Thank you, Seb. That means a lot.”

Sebastian absently smiled back, mentally running through all the possible phrases he could use to confirm if the paper she was fiddling with in her hands was in fact the letter in question.

He settled on being direct, saying a silent prayer to whatever god may or may not exist that Emily wouldn’t get angry at him for crossing a boundary. “Is that the letter?” He asked, pointing to the folded paper clasped tightly by both of her hands.

She nodded sadly, unknowingly throwing them a bone. “Would you like to read it?”

Sebastian mentally pumped his fist in the air. Outwardly, he nodded solemnly, still playing up the empathy act. “Sure.” 

Sam shuffled around on his feet, unsure if he was invited to read it too. Emily glanced at him, immediately aware of his nervous energy. “You can read it after him too.” She assured him, reading his mind like an open book.

Sam gave her an embarrassed smile in response.

Seb read through the letter with a heavy dose of suspicion. It was convincing enough, he supposed. A little too surface level and generic to really be from their parents, but he supposed the distance and emotional detachment from their children could lead to the same tone.

He had meant to keep his mouth shut but he couldn’t hold in his sarcastic comment. “Paris? Really?” He scoffed.

Emily and Sam both looked at him in surprise, except while Emily just looked confused, Sam looked mildly horrified that Sebastian would be so blatantly rude.

Thinking quick on his feet he added, “I mean, that seems right up your ally, Em. I can’t believe they would go somewhere that’s so well known for fashion and not even invite you along.”

Sams shoulders visibly relaxed. Sebastian smoothly handed over the letter to him while maintaining sympathetic eye contact with Emily who just looked immensely sad.

“Yeah… I felt too childish to say it out loud, but that was one of the reasons I was so upset. They didn’t even acknowledge that it’s always been my dream to go there. Thank you for validating me Sebastian. Sometimes I get so caught up in being a positive role model for Haley that I forget that it’s okay for me to feel hurt too. I understand why I felt compelled to come here now. I needed to hear that.” Emily smiled at him with obvious gratitude.

Sebastian mentally patted himself on the back for pulling that out of his ass. “Well I’m glad I could help.” He smiled back, keeping her eyes trained on his as he unlocked his phone in his pocket and opened the camera by muscle memory. Then he looked up towards Mayor Lewis’s house. “Does Mayor Lewis really have a golden statue of himself in his backyard?”

Like puppets, Emily and Sam both turned to look, straining their eyes to see what he was talking about. Sebastian pulled his phone from his pocket, snapped a picture of the letter in Sam’s hands, and dropped his phone back into his pocket before either of them turned back around.

”Oh my god, he does!” Emily exclaimed.

And just like that, the heaviness of their conversation was dissipated and they parted ways shortly after Sam handed the letter back to her and she offered Sebastian a final thanks for making her feel better.

Searching the gravestones proved to be a dead end, but he had a feeling that running into Emily was the real reason his intuition had insisted they come here.

Back in the car where it was finally safe to talk, Sebastian gave Sam a manic look. “Crackpot theory now or later when we’re all together?”

Sam shook his head with a small smile on his face. “Give me the summary. Details later.”

”Her parents did not write that letter.” Sebastian stated matter of factly.

Sam raised an eyebrow at him as they turned towards Marnie’s ranch. “Who do you think did?”

“I don’t know.” Sebastian mumbled with quiet determination. “But I have a hunch.”

~

Sterling

He heard everyone talking around him, but he couldn’t make a word they were saying.

The moment the words, “The DNA was a match” reached his ears, his brain essentially shut out the rest of the world.

He was already sure that Morgan was alive, but having proof now that he was involved in whatever terrible scene Seb and Sam had stumbled upon out in those woods was a lot to process. 

He worried about his safety the most, but beyond that he worried for his humanity. Morgan was an intricate soul. Soft and innocent in some ways, hardened and dangerous in others. He feared that too much time spent in the wrong environment, the wrong experiences… He didn’t even want to finish that thought.

The front door opening and closing brought back his awareness. He looked up just in time to see Sebastian and Sam explaining to a very concerned Demetrius that they were so late due to a potential lead. 

“What is it?” Sterling demanded, surprising everyone else in the room who had probably accepted he’d gone nonverbal for the rest of the day.

Sebastian met his intense gaze for a second before giving Demetrius a questioning look. “Did you tell them about…”

Demetrius shook his head. 

“Tell them.” Sebastian commanded.

All eyes were on Demetrius as he took a deep breath. “We ran the mystery DNA through the system to see if there were any other known matches. There was one. Emily and Haley’s father.”

Sterling furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, Shane and Maddie both made noises of surprise. 

“What the hell?” Shane repeated, looking around wildly to see if anyone else was affected by this news.

Maddie just opened and closed her mouth, seemingly already deep in contemplation. 

Sebastian stepped forward, looking at everyone like a kid excited to show off a new toy. “We ran into Emily on our way here. She was at the cemetery crying because she got a new letter from her parents. She let us read it. Allegedly, they’re in Paris. The letter was weird, it was like… if someone just typed a prompt into chat GPT and then edited it a little to be slightly more personal.”

Demetrius had been quietly taking in this new information, but now that Sebastian had finished speaking he raised an eyebrow. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

Sebastian pulled his phone out of his pocket, opening up his camera roll to show everyone the picture he had taken of the letter. “I don’t think either of their parents wrote that letter. I managed to snap a picture while Emily was distracted. Can we use this to match the handwriting?”

Demetrius smiled, clearly proud of his sons intelligence. Sam stared at his husband absolutely flabbergasted. “Seb, when the hell did you take that picture!?”

Sebastian ruffled Sam’s hair. “You were distracted too, babe.”

Sam stared at the floor, thinking hard. “When?”

”Don’t worry about it babe.” Sebastian brushed him off, passing his phone around the room.

When it finally reached Maddie, she nearly tripped over the coffee table in her haste to get to her bedroom. “BE RIGHT BACK.” She shouted behind her as she ran down the hall.

Everyone looked at each other silently as they waited, listening to the unmistakable sounds of Maddie ripping her room apart.

After a tense moment, she came running back into the living room, Sebastian’s phone in one hand and a worn out notebook in the other. She sat down on the couch, placing Seb’s phone with the picture still open down on the coffee table with the notebook next to it. She flipped through the pages hastily, finally landing on one and smoothing it down so it would stay open.

She motioned for everyone to gather around the table. Five pairs of wide eyes stared down at the obvious match between the handwriting on the page and the letter. “Who?” Sebastian whispered.

”Mr. Aguar.” Maddie replied gravely. She shook her head in disbelief. “I knew it. I knew he was involved in more disappearances. This feels like the tip of the iceberg.”

Sam chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. “I dated Emily, way back…” He began, waiting til he had everyone’s attention to continue. “I had dinner with her and her parents once when they were actually in town. They were nice, but they seemed really distant. Emily was upset afterwards, she thought it meant that they didn’t approve of our relationship, or maybe that they just didn’t enjoy spending time with her. I’ll never forget that night because I just remember thinking that they seemed scared, and I remember wondering why. It makes sense why Emily was taking it so personally but… I just got a different impression. Especially her mom, I mean we were in the private dining room at the saloon and she flinched every time the door opened even though it was literally just Gus bringing our food. I didn’t mention it to Emily because I didn’t want to scare her with her and Haley living alone like that.”

”I’ll fucking kill him.” Shane grumbled. 

“I’ll help you hide his body.” Maddie added.

Demetrius stared at the wall pensively. “There has to be a motive… Something has driven that man to do terrible things, we need to find the common denominator between his victims.”

Sterling looked around the room for Gloomy, needing something to ground him before he floated out the window. Before he spotted her, he noticed Sebastian nervously picking at his fingernails. Suspicious, he called him out on it. “Seb, what is it? You look like you’re struggling to keep your mouth shut about something, you better spit it out.”

Everyone looked at Sterling in mild horror, Sebastian included. He held his accusing glare. Sebastian swallowed nervously.

”I didn’t want to sound crazy, or send anyone on a wild goose chase, but I had a dream…”

Shane looked pissed. “Sebastian. You and Sam LITERALLY had prophetic dreams last year that saved lives. Are you seriously going to discount your dreams like that?! SPIT IT OUT!”

Sebastian flinched, clearly feeling guilty. Sam rub his shoulder affectionately, urging him to speak. “Shane’s right, Seb. Tell them.”

He sighed. “Okay… last night I had a dream that I was on a sailboat alongside a cruise ship. A green haired lady popped up out of the water and swam to the ship. She waved at me and I realized it was Malaya. That’s basically it. I don’t know what it means.”

Maddie’s jaw dropped. “I think I do.”

Sebastian looked towards her full of hope and confusion. “You do?”

”She just appeared out of nowhere, like clearly not out swimming for fun?” Maddie pressed. Seb nodded. “She must not be human. I mean I think we already suspected that, but I think this might confirm it.”

”How?” Sterling demanded, though he had a sinking feeling she was right.

”Well, if Morgan was gone for a long time because he wasn’t human, and so was Malaya, then clearly there’s a common theme there. I think that’s obvious enough. What I’m realizing now though… there has to be a similar, or at least somehow connected reason why Emily and Haley’s parents would be targeted. Maybe they’re not… normal… either.” She finished slowly.

Demetrius swore under his breath. “Maddie, I think you’re onto something.”

”Is he like specie-ist or something?” Shane asked sarcastically. 

“But… if one of their parents aren’t human, wouldn’t that mean that Emily and Haley aren’t human either?” Sam wondered out loud.

”Emily is pretty weird.” Shane mumbled.

“We need Ras.” Sebastian decided, already making his way towards the door.

Sterling squeezed his eyes shut and hoped for what felt like the billionth time that Morgan was okay, wherever he was, whoever he was with.

Chapter Text

Sebastian

The huge wooden door slammed shut behind them all on its own as Sebastian followed Rasmodius into his home.

”What is it? What do you need?” The wizard asked impatiently, tapping his foot on the floor.

”Ras, we need to know what you know about the snakes. I found some information that I’m pretty sure is true, but I need your honesty.” Sebastian looked the older man in the eyes sternly, arms crossed. He wasn’t backing down from this.

Rasmodius sighed, adjusting his stupid wizard hat whilst staring at the stone floor of his tower. Sebastian didn’t budge.

The wizard finally looked up to meet his steely gaze. “What did you find? What do you think you know?”

”Well for starters, the snakes are cursed humans. Am I right so far?”

Rasmodius shook his head. “Not quite.”

Sebastian nearly growled in frustration. “Okay, correct me then.”

”They are cursed, yes, but they are not only humans. Any being can be cursed, it is not exclusive.” 

He let out a breath of relief. So they hadn’t been too far off…

”Thank you.” 

“Mhm. What else?” Rasmodius challenged, crossing his own arms to mirror Sebastian.

”They’re immortal.” He stated it as a fact rather than a question. He had a suspicion that this information in particular was the reason Ras had been playing dumb.

Immortality being something that was actually possible to obtain wasn’t the type of information you’d allow to get around. Sebastian was wise enough to understand that, but he wasn’t going to let Ras treat him like a normal person, not after everything he and his friends had been through. They deserved the truth. 

Rasmodius regarded him with an icy stare, seemingly attempting to determine whether he could handle the confirmation that he was correct.

”Yes. Immortal, but not invincible. They can be killed, though it is not easy.”

Sebastian let out the air from his lungs that he hadn’t even realized he was holding in. There it was. The truth. Where did they go from here?

“Haley and Emily’s parents… were they cursed?” 

Rasmodius actually looked surprised, though he tried his best to return his facial expression to a neutral state. “Why would you ask that?”

”Don’t bullshit me, Ras.” Sebastian threatened, narrowing his eyes.

Rasmodius’s purple mustache twitched in irritation. Or anxiety? Hard to tell with this man.

”Yes.” He finally admitted after a tense round of the staring game.

”Why? By whom?” Sebastian fired back. “Why haven’t you helped them?!”

He couldn’t help himself with the last question. He had tried to remain unbiased but the more he learned Rasmodius was aware of, it all just begged the question of why he was allowing these things to happen.

The wizard looked furious and for a moment Sebastian was terrified he took his questioning too far. His heartbeat quickened, fearing he just pushed away one of their very few allies.

“Why? Because they poked their noses in the wrong persons business. By whom? I think you already know the answer to that Sebastian. Why haven’t I helped them? WHY HAVEN’T I HELPED THEM? Do you think I’m some sort of god? My powers are not limitless. I can’t interfere with deals that were made that have nothing to do with me. If Aguar knew how much I know about the things that he has done… he would have had me taken out a long time ago. Who would protect you all then!? A man who is more evil than good!?”

Sebastian’s jaw dropped in disbelief at his outburst. The number of confessions tucked away in that one rant was staggering. His brain was having trouble processing all that. He wasn’t sure how to feel.

He decided to focus on the blurry details while he had the wizard in this vulnerable state of surprising honesty. “What deals?” 

Rasmodius sighed, closing his eyes and massaging the bridge of his nose.

A lightbulb came on in Sebastians head suddenly. “Malaya, she made a deal with Mr. Aguar, didn’t she?”

”How?” Ras shook his head. “You’re too perceptive for your own good, Sebastian. Don’t you know curiosity killed the cat?”

Sebastian nodded his head in agreement. “Yes, but satisfaction brought it back.”

Rasmodius shook his head in defeat. He took a step closer to Sebastian and raised his hands in the air. “Come here, then.”

~

Morgan

Inside the tunnels was much cooler than it was above ground. This summer was an excruciatingly hot one.

Or maybe he just wasn’t used to spending so much time outside.

The fox that he had brought back for the group was only enough meat for everyone to get a small morsel each.

They wouldn’t starve to death, they couldn’t, but they would suffer from hunger pains if they didn’t eat. Morgan on the other hand, needed food to survive. The snakes insisted he eat more than them but he couldn’t bare the thought of them suffering just so he could eat more.

It took them arguing that he was the only one capable of hunting in this heat, so he needed his strength in order to do that, for him to finally concede.

They had rested for a while after their “meal”, getting just enough rest to continue moving forward without staying in one place for too long. They had to keep it moving. The snakes had shared with him that they were fairly certain he couldn’t be tracked down here in the tunnels, so as long as they traveled this way and only popped out above ground to hunt when necessary, it would be hard for Mr. Aguar to keep track of where they were.

Morgan rolled over, preparing to get up and stretch after his not so cozy little nap on the dirt and stone floor. A sharp piece of something stuck in the dirt cut his side right underneath his ribs.

He had lost his shirt some time ago during a particularly intense day of hunting when the prey was still abundant. 

How long had it been now? He couldn’t be sure. All the days blended together. Most of the time it felt like he was just dissociating, watching his life go by like some kind of horror movie, pretending this was all happening to someone else.

”Fuck!” He exclaimed out loud under his breath, wincing as he touched the fresh cut and immediately felt blood on his fingers. He punched the ground in frustration, fucking up his hand in the process.

His voice sounded so foreign to him these days. The snakes communicated with him exclusively through telepathy, and there wasn’t exactly anyone else to talk to. When he was above ground, his goal was to be quiet as possible as to not alert the prey of his presence.

The group was waking up now, preparing to continue their voyage. They were forming a plan, a sort of revenge against the man who was responsible for many of their sufferings. 

Morgan stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants and ignoring the throbbing pain in his fingers. It only fueled his anger. That fucker needed to pay for his crimes. 

He had learned so much from the serpents in the time he had spent with them so far, it was almost too much information to wrap his head around, especially not having been very familiar with the local folks. He wished he could tell someone who would understand, someone who actually knew these people, someone who could help.

But he was alone down here. He was the only one who could communicate with them. It took him some time to understand why they were helping him and keeping him safe, but he eventually arrived at the answer. 

He was their only hope. 

~

Sebastian

A babbling river next to a large building.

The water research facility in Ridgeside Village.

Two people clearly in distress talking to a man with crazy mad scientist hair.

Their appearances were all hazy but he could make out their distinct characteristics enough to realize who they were.

Mr. Aguar, Malaya, and her husband Kimpoi. 

It was hard to hear anything over the running water, but the distorted audio slowly became clear enough to understand.

”Please help us, we don’t want to spend any more time away from our daughter.” Malaya begged, blurry tears running down her blurry face.

”Magic like that doesn’t come without a price, my friends.” Mr. Aguar responded with obviously fake empathy. “Are you sure you want this?”

”I’ll do anything!” Malaya insisted.

”What will it cost?” Kimpoi whispered apprehensively.

Mr. Aguar scratched his chin, appearing to be deep in thought though he looked downright evil.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

The scene changes.

It’s pouring. Malaya is walking through the center of Pelican Town towards the beach. 

As she passes by 2 Willow Lane, the door swings open.

A beautiful lady with long blue hair frantically runs down the front steps towards her. It’s Emily and Haley’s mother, Kailani.

Malaya looks over her shoulder nervously and starts walking faster.

Neither of them speak, probably to avoid causing a scene.

Kailani follows Malaya all the way to the beach. They’re both soaked now though the rain doesn’t seem to bother either of them. Neither of them carry an umbrella.

”Malaya wait! Don’t do this!”

No one else is on the beach. A loud crack of thunder causes them both to flinch.

”Kailani, please, just go home.” Malaya pleads, finally turning to face the other woman.

”I can’t let you do this. You know it isn’t right. That man is evil.”

”I have no other choice! Go home Kailani!”

Kailani grabs Malaya’s arm to stop her from jumping into the water.

Another crack of thunder booms overhead.

A sudden deep voice behind them grabs their attention.

”You just couldn’t mind your own business could you?” Mr. Aguar says aggressively, glaring at Kailani.

Malaya looks terrified. Kailani looks back at him with pure malice.

“You can’t make her do this.” She says angrily.

“I can do whatever I want, you stupid fish.” He grins sadistically, raising his hands in the air pointed in her direction. “I gave you legs, and I can take them away.”

“NO!” Malaya and Kailani scream in unison, eyes widening in horror.

Frozen in terror, Kailani doesn’t move.

Malaya pushes her off the pier into the ocean while Mr. Aguar chants in another language. 

Strange flashes of light appear under the surface for a moment before they disappear and a series of bubbles and smoke rise out of the water.

Mr. Aguar cackles in delight. “Will you be next, Malaya? Or will you be a good girl and honor our agreement?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*

The scene changes once more. It’s nighttime. 

A man clearly in extreme distress barges into the water research facility in Ridgeside Village, breaking the lock on the door.

Mr. Aguar emerges from his bedroom to investigate the intrusion.

It’s Emily and Haley’s father.

”To what do I owe you the pleasure, Alaric?” Mr. Aguar greets him politely, an amused smile on his face.

”What did you do to my wife?” Alaric demands.

”Sent her back to the sea. Forever. That is where she’s from, after all. What is the issue?” Aguar asks sarcastically.

”Bring her back. Our children need her.” He pleads.

Mr. Aguar laughs maniacally. “Absolutely not. She shouldn’t have meddled in my business. This is the price she must pay.”

”Bring her back or I’ll fucking kill you.” Alaric threatens, pulling a gun from underneath his shirt.

Mr. Aguars steely evil eyes narrow. “What a shame, just like your wife. Seems you need to be taught a lesson as well. Go ahead, try it. I dare you.”

Alaric goes to pull the trigger but he finds himself frozen.

His eyes widen in fear as Mr. Aguar laughs and raises his hands. He begins to chant. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Blinking rapidly, it took Sebastian a few moments to realize he was still inside the tower.

Rasmodius had taken him into another vision, much like the time he warned him about what Abby had done to Sam’s ex girlfriend Rachel. It had been unnerving having Ras place his hands upon either side of his head and listening to him chant in whatever language he was speaking. 

It wasn’t nearly as unnerving as the vision itself though.

A wave of nausea crashed over him and he leaned to the side, throwing up into a potted plant.

Rasmodius watched him, appearing equally disgusted that he just threw up in his plant and sympathetic towards the information he just been exposed to.

“What a fucking monster.” Sebastian said to no one in particular while he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Rasmodius nodded gravely in response. “Obviously I would have liked to stop him, but I fear he is more powerful than I. If he felt the need to dispose of me as well, I fear what he would have done to the rest of you mortals.”

”I understand now. Thank you.” Sebastian replied sincerely.

”I know the truth can be upsetting. I hope you understand what you’re up against now.”

Feeling like he could throw up again at any moment, Sebastian just nodded and whispered “Yeah. I do.”

Chapter Text

Sterling

*drip* 

He was sprawled out on the couch on his stomach hours after everyone left, eyes fixed on the condensation pooling underneath his glass of Joja Cola, slowly dripping off the edge of the coffee table onto the carpet.

An oscillating fan blew slightly below room temperature air at him every time it passed. The white noise was soothing.

*drip*

After their meeting, everyone who wasn't Sterling or Maddie had split up. Demetrius went home to talk to Robin about coming up with a plan for them to start integrating back into society without raising suspicion.

Sebastian said he was going to talk to Ras and confront him about what he had found while researching the snakes.

Sam and Shane left to go spend time with the kids at Marnie's. 

Now that it was summer, Sebastian and Sam had moved back to Pelican Town just until the school year started back up in the Fall. It was kind of an odd arrangement, since Vincent wasn't comfortable staying with Sebastian's parents. Marnie had reluctantly agreed to take him in despite still not really understanding what was going on. The kids were happy about it though, at least.

Sterling just found himself constantly relieved that he wasn't responsible for anyone other than a cat. He couldn't imagine navigating this nightmare with a child under his care.

*drip*

"STERLING!" 

"Huh?" His head snapped up, scanning his surroundings until he noticed Maddie in the chair across the room, open notebooks strewn across her lap and the arms of the recliner.

Truthfully, he had forgotten she was even here.

"Would you PLEASE go get the door?" Maddie asked. "For the fifth fucking time..." She added in a quieter grumble.

He was pretty sure this was the first time she had asked, but whatever.

Sterling groaned, pushing himself up off of the couch and padding over to the front door, barefoot.

On the other side of the door he could hear Sam shout, "Delivery!!" in a singsongy voice.

He opened it slowly with a stoic expression on his face, unable to even muster up a smile to greet them.

"If you left us out here any longer I think the pizzas would have actually melted dude." Shane complained, following Sam into the kitchen, each of them holding a box of pizza from the Stardrop Saloon. They were both sweaty.

He chose not to respond. 

Sam and Shane set the pizza boxes down on the counter. Sterling walked over and opened one of them up apathetically. There were only 4 slices of pepperoni pizza in the box. "Wow, thanks." Sterling said sarcastically. He opened up the other box to find 5 slices of just plain cheese pizza.

Shane punched his arm. "Shut up, we could have just let you guys fend for yourselves. You're lucky we brought back anything."

Maddie appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, her face immediately lighting up in recognition. "Pizza!?"

"Can you guys just save some for Sebastian? He should be back soon, he texted me like 10 minutes ago saying he was on his way." Sam informed them.

"Wow, has he been with Rasmodius this whole time?" Maddie asked in surprise, already filling up a plate and biting into a big slice of pepperoni.

"I think so." Sam replied, sounding unsure.

Sterling glanced over at the clock on the stove. It was almost 8pm. Their meeting had dispersed around noon... 

Feeling hesitantly hopeful, he forced himself to take a bite of the singular slice he had put on his plate. He honestly had no appetite, but he didn't want anyone to worry about him not eating.

Gloomy wandered into the kitchen blinking her eyes groggily like she had just woken up from a nap and couldn't believe everyone was eating without her.

Sterling abandoned his pizza to feed her, pulling a fresh can of cat food out of the cabinet.

She purred appreciatively as he set the bowl down on her placemat. He scratched behind her ears before straightening back up, wondering if he could get away with throwing the rest of his pizza in the trash while no one was looking.

His stomach churned at the thought of actually eating any of it.

A knock at the door had everyone turning their attention to Sebastian's arrival, giving him his chance. He acted like he was just throwing away the empty can, but he flipped his plate upside, pushing it into the trash can before dropping the can on top of it. 

No one seemed to notice. Good.

Sebastian walked in looking like he had just returned from an acid trip with Yoba himself. His mossy green eyes looked haunted and full of wonder at the same time. He looked around the kitchen, taking note of everyone in the room like he was getting ready to make an announcement.

"What did you find out?" Sterling broke the silence impatiently, since nobody else seemed to be planning to.

Sebastian let out a dramatic breath. "I don't know where to begin..."

"Anywhere, just please begin." Sterling begged.

That earned him a warning look from Maddie but Sebastian just chuckled good naturedly, clearly not taking offense.

"Sorry, I guess I'll just start with the questions I asked him... We were right about the snakes, they're cursed humans and other entities, Ras put a lot of emphasis on that part for some reason. They're immortal, but not invincible. They won't die of natural causes but can still suffer and be killed..." He paused, waiting for everyone to acknowledge they understood so far.

"Go on?" Sterling suggested, in a friendly tone that Maddie couldn't scold him for.

"Malaya definitely made some kind of deal with Mr. Aguar. Whatever it was, Emily and Hayley's mom Kailani did not approve. Ras showed me a vision of Malaya heading to the ocean, and Kailani trying to stop her. That's when that psycho cursed her. Then her husband, Alaric, went to interrogate him and pulled a gun on him, but he just ended up cursing him too. He's probably been pretending to be them ever since. Every time Emily and Hayley think they're hearing from their parents..."

"Wait." Shane cut him off. "So Rasmodius knew all of this already?"

"Yeahhh that's kind of what I was thinking at first too, but then he explained that Mr. Aguar is stronger than him, so if he didn't mind his own business he wouldn't be here to tell these tales at all. He said he feels responsible for protecting the valley and without him, Mr. Aguar would just have free reign. So he can only do so much to stop him.”

"I guess that makes sense..." Shane mumbled, not sounding super convinced.

Sterling thought about how he was basically doing nothing to bring Morgan home, and how secretly angry he had been about it all these months. It made a little more sense now, but he still felt like Rasmodius could be doing at least a little more about it.

“I can’t believe I worked for that man for so long, completely oblivious…” Maddie lamented, looking guilty. 

Shane put his arm around her shoulders. “Nothing is your fault, Mads.”

She didn’t look convinced, but she leaned into Shane's chest anyway.

He genuinely hoped they would get back together eventually, but right now all he felt was bitter that everyone had someone except for him.

”Is that all?” Sterling asked Sebastian directly, feeling his mood souring even more by the second. Leaned with his back against the counter and his arms and legs crossed, he probably looked a little intimidating but he was sure that Sebastian could handle it.

Sebastian met his moody gaze, studying his face for any clues to how he was feeling under the surface. “I guess so. I know it’s not exactly a plan, but at least now we have a little more context to work with.”

Sterling sighed, walking towards his bedroom, Morgan's bedroom, without saying another word to anyone. Gloomy chased after him, darting in-between his legs to beat him inside.

He heard Maddie say “just let him go” as he let the door slam shut behind him. He idly wondered who she said it to. 

He was being a prick to his friends, he knew that. But the frustration that had been bubbling up inside him all day was reaching a boiling point and he didn’t know how to deal with it. 

It felt like they were constantly getting closer to nothing. Confirmation that he was still alive seemed to excite the rest of them but he already knew that. So as far as he was concerned, they’d gotten absolutely nowhere in the past 5 months.

Morgan was still gone, and it didn’t feel like they were getting any closer to bringing him home.

It wasn’t lost on him that Morgan had been gone longer than amount of time they were in each other’s lives. Would Morgan even still feel the same way about him if they managed to save him? Was he a fool for holding on so tightly to this love?

He didn’t realize he was crying until he heard himself sniffle so loudly that Gloomy woke up from the nap she was trying to resume and was now staring at him in concern. She got up from the foot of the bed and climbed up to curl into a ball on his chest.

The gesture just made him sob even harder.

A gentle knock on the door some time later let him know in a nurturing tone that Sam and Sebastian had gone back to his parents for the night so it was safe to come out if he wanted to talk about it.

“Goodnight Maddie.” He managed to respond without sounding too choked up.

She paused for a minute but eventually he heard her walking away.

He cried until there were no tears left, eventually falling asleep from pure exhaustion.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sebastian 

“The luau.” Robin stated plainly once they were all seated around the breakfast table. A smug grin on her face.

”Huh?” Sam was the first to voice his confusion but they all looked puzzled.

”That’s your ticket back into the social scene.” She explained, looking absolutely triumphant for coming up with the idea.

”Uh…” Sam started to protest but shut his mouth, waiting to see what everyone else thought first.

”Hm…” Demitrius had a contemplative expression on his face. “That might actually be a genius plan, honey.” He looked at her proudly.

“Sterling and Maddie too?” He asked before Demetrius got too carried away.

Robin nodded. “I mean think about it, it’s either going to look like they’re no longer a threat and just moving on with their lives, or if Aguar still plans to hurt them, he may see this as a chance to hit them while their guard is down. But what he won’t know is how many people are actually going to be on high alert in the event that he does try something. He won’t get away with it this time, we’d almost certainly be able to use whatever he does to take him down.”

Demetrius looked really excited now. He had been rubbing his chin while Robin was talking but he jumped in eagerly now that she was done. “Yes! Especially once we clue Rasmodius in on it. Aguar won’t have a chance in hell to do anything sneaky that wouldn’t immediately backfire on him. In the mean time we can start gathering evidence that he’s involved in these other disappearances. Maybe the council would finally listen if there was a complete case against him."

His mom was absolutely beaming but he couldn't help feeling apprehensive about this, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why...

"Okay this plan sounds pretty solid but am I the only one who thinks Sterling might be a liability?" Sam asked carefully, glancing nervously at Sebastian as he he address the whole table.

Sebastian felt his jaw drop open, turning to look at his husband in shock. "Dude, I was just trying to figure out what I was worried about. Did you just rip that thought out of my head?"

Sam blushed, still looking a little anxious. "I mean... I just feel like he's not exactly emotionally stable enough to pull this off."

He knew Sam was indirectly referring to what happened at the dance of the moonlight jellies, but he couldn't be bothered to get annoyed about it. Sam was right and he had been thinking the exact same thing.

"Maybe that's not a bad thing?" Robin countered thoughtfully.

"How?" Him and Sebastian asked simultaneously.

"If everyone seems a little too fine, I think that would be more of a red flag to Aguar than anything else... I mean the more of a dysfunctional wreck Sterling appears to be, the less of a threat he'll probably see him as." She explained.

Sebastian slowly began to nod, thinking it over. This was starting to make more sense.

Demetrius piped up. "Everyone else from Ridgeside will be there as well, so there's our chance to mingle and gather evidence without seeming like we're intentionally seeking them out."

"I can talk to Alissa." Sam offered. "I just don't understand how she seems so normal if there's a chance she's not human? I mean, Morgan definitely doesn't look normal, especially once you know he's not. But Alissa?"

Maru had been quiet so far but she cleared her throat now, getting everyone's attention. "Can I present my findings?"

"Of course." Demetrius encouraged her.

"I spent hours at the library yesterday, and from my research it seems that every time a human and a non-human have a child, there's only a chance that the offspring will have any non-human features, and even if they do it doesn't mean that they'll be exactly the same as their parents." Maru explained.

"So Alissa probably is normal?" Sam questioned.

Sebastian gasped, connecting the dots faster than his husband. "That explains Emily and Haley!"

Maru smiled at her brother, pleased that he understood where she was going with this. "Yes! After we got that DNA match and you told us about your dream, I just couldn't understand how their parents were involved in all of this, but now I have a theory. It was just an educated guess, but then you told us about the visions Rasmodius showed you... I was thinking about it after everyone went to bed, and the obvious answer came to me."

Everyone was staring at her intently now, at the edge of their seats. "Aguar said that Kailani was from the sea, right? And we already know that Kimpoi met Malaya on a cruise ship, and Seb's dream kinda explained how that happened. So if they're both from the sea, they were probably from the same... community? They aren't related by blood, so maybe they were just best friends?"

"Mermaids?" Demetrius asked rhetorically in child-like wonder.

"That would explain why Emily is so weird." Robin added with a laugh.

"And why Haley is so normal." Maru agreed.

Sam pushed his waffles around on his plate looking like he was deep in thought. He dropped his fork suddenly, head snapping up to look around the table. "Wait, Rasmodius said that Morgan's mother had a sister that Aguar was in love with. But if she was a selkie, how does that make sense if we're assuming that sister is Malaya?"

Maru's face lit up. "Oh!! I also studied how the genetic dice roll when two different non-humans have a child. So let's say a selkie and a mermaid have two children, it would be reasonable that the outcome would be one child with mermaid qualities and the other with selkie features, or even some sort of blend of each."

"Holy shit, Maru, you're a genius." Sebastian told her sincerely. "That makes so much sense, and Sterling said that Morgan told him his mother was already cursed before she got pregnant with him, so that explains why he's so weird, feature wise. That's a lot of different genetics combined with a powerful curse, only watered down by his fathers human DNA."

Demetrius was leaning forward with his elbows on the table, chin resting on his hands, looking back and forth between his children proudly.

"Do we know who cursed her?" Sam asked, wondering if he had forgotten an important detail.

Sebastian shook his head. "Morgan said it was a witch, and that she didn't even know his mother was still alive until his father went to her for help not realizing it was the same witch."

"Did Malaya know that she was still alive?" Maru asked.

He shrugged. "I don't think so? Rasmodius said that he didn't think the sister and Morgan had ever crossed paths. Sterling said Morgan definitely didn't seem to think he had any relatives here. Never mentioned anyone besides his parents and grandfather."

Demetrius looked troubled. "Rasmodius also said that he believed Aguar had a vendetta against the family, but he wasn't the one who cursed or murdered Morgan's mother. And if his intention of banishing Morgan was to hurt Malaya, what would the point be if she didn't even know?

"Just to be petty? He doesn't seem like a guy who needs a good reason." Sam offered.

Sebastian got up, pushing his chair in with a jarring squeak. "Let's go to the farm, Maddie might have more insight, she knows that fucker better than we do."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Maddie

The front door was assaulted by someone's fist knocking impatiently.

Shane flinched, looking at her and Sterling with wide eyes.

"Well go see who it is???" She snapped at him. What the hell was with the men in this house not getting the door?

He reluctantly got up and headed over to the door, looking through the peep hole before opening it up.

Sebastian and company poured into the house, making the living room feel a little claustrophobic now that there were 8 of them.

"Good morning!" She greeted them brightly since the guys didn't seem to be very sociable today.

"Morning!" Robin replied, while the rest of her family tried to find the least awkward spots to settle down.

Sterling was sprawled out on the couch again, but he had the decorum to sit up and scooch over to make some room. He looked a little anxious, she noted. He hadn't really spoken to her or Shane all morning, and now the house was full of even more people so she supposed that made sense.

She was actually really worried about him lately. He was starting to seem angry and hopeless, which was not a good omen.

Once they were all settled in, Shane started a pot of coffee while they took turns filling the three of them in on everything they had discussed among themselves before coming over.

Robin went over her luau idea, assuring them that Sterling wouldn't have to pretend to be over it or anything. Maddie and Shane shared a knowing look from across the room, but Sterling had just scoffed and stayed quiet, nodding to show that he understood the plan.

Shane handed her a cup of coffee just as they were wrapping up their recap. She was about to take a sip when Sebastian concluded with, "So now we're trying to figure out why he would target Morgan if Malaya didn't even know about him."

She lowered her cup so quickly to respond that hot coffee splashed onto her leg. "Fuck!" She exclaimed, putting her coffee down on the side table. Shane hurried over with a napkin. "Thanks." She wiped herself off impatiently, looking around the room to make sure everyone was still ready to listen. "I think that what he told me was adjacent to the truth. I think he really did recognize some property in the water and got a suspicion. So maybe when he came over here and shook his hand, he was actually getting a DNA sample to be sure. If he got the results later that night, he could have just acted impulsively assuming Malaya knew about him without actually knowing for sure. Maybe he thought she did, and he was furious that she managed to keep that from him? Has anyone seen Malaya since he disappeared?"

They all thought about it for a moment, shaking their heads no.

"At the luau we should try to see what she knows. I would think that if she didn't know, she does now. There's no way Aguar wouldn't have rubbed that in her face. He wouldn't have done it if he wasn't going to use it to hurt her."

"Wouldn't she have told someone?? Or reached out to Sterling? Something?" Sam asked.

Sebastian shook his head. "Not if she's afraid of the guy. I would assume she probably feels like her hands are tied, even if she wanted to do something. You guys didn't see those visions... Malaya seemed terrified of him."

Maddie bit her nails anxiously. "I wish I knew what deal she made with him. I mean Sebastian said in the visions that Aguar said something about giving them legs, so I assume the deal Malaya and Kailani made with him was human life in exchange for...what?"

"Maybe just to do his dirty work for him?" Maru suggested. "I mean, it seems like there's a more diverse population of creatures than we were ever aware of. Maybe he thought he could use the mermaids to deal with his underwater business."

She pondered that possibility, all her years of working under his wing flying through her mind as she wracked her memory for any clues. "I've got nothing..." She sighed. "I'll keep thinking about it. Maybe something will come to me."

"The luau is in two days, so let's just act normal, go to the festival, mingle, see what we can find out, and hope that Ras can keep an eye on Aguar?" Robin looked around, making sure they were all on the same page.

After they all left, Sterling surprised her and Shane by being the first to break the new silence. "This isn't going to work."

Shane stopped pretending to read the newspaper to look at him in shock. "What makes you say that?"

"No one is going to give any of us any valuable information in a giant fucking crowd of people, especially not Malaya, and especially if she DOES know anything. We all know Aguar will be there." Sterling explained while laying on his back staring up at the ceiling. "They're being way too optimistic about this."

Maddie felt something in her snap. "Sterling, I can tell that you're getting frustrated and hate that you're starting to lose hope, but we should be doing anything we can instead of nothing and this is the best plan we have right now."

He rolled his eyes but didn't argue back. "I'm just saying, I don't know what the point of me going is. The last thing I want to do is pretend I'm enjoying a party."

"Come for me then. I'm going, and I'm terrified. Do you think I want to see that man!?" She was borderline shouting at him now but she couldn't help it.

Shane was looking at her absolutely bewildered by her sudden hostility towards Sterling. 

"Fine." Sterling conceded. 

"Fine? You'll go?" She couldn't believe he wasn't putting up a fight.

"Yeah. You win." 

Out of view from Sterling, Shane gave her a look that clearly said, "Don't trust him."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Morgan

Starving, exhausted, and recovering from a close call with a mountain lion the day before, he was feeling defeated and guilty that he wasn't providing food for the others.

The stupid mountain lion had gotten away after practically ripping his left arm to shreds. It should have been a relatively fair fight, but it caught him off guard when he fell asleep against a tree trunk... The consequence of not having slept for more than 2 hours at a time in days. 

He was smart enough to know that the attack meant that there wasn't very much prey left around here. He knew he was the feline's last resort.

His abilities included healing faster than a regular human, but the big cats teeth had cut so deep into his arm that a full day later it still felt fresh. The only improvement so far was that the bleeding had stopped.

In the back of his mind he knew that if the others knew he was so injured, they would tell him to rest where it was safe in the tunnels, and to not worry about them. He knew they couldn't starve to death, but they still felt hunger pains, and he couldn't bare the knowledge that were suffering because he couldn't provide for them. They were too close to civilization now to even consider coming out to hunt, so the burden was fully on him. 

Morgan walked through the trees, swaying a bit as he tried to control his balance, but he was becoming dehydrated in the scorching summer heat. He was trying to find a stream to quench his growing thirst but his ears were ringing from whatever animal deterrents Aguar had put up in these woods to starve them out.

His motive was obvious, make the conditions out here unlivable so they would be too weak to find his ass and make him pay for his sins. 

Being unable to hear well made it harder to find the water, forcing him to rely on his sight and sense of smell alone. 

He stumbled over a rock, grabbing onto a tree to catch himself. Pain shot up his bitten arm and he swore under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut in agony.

Suddenly he could hear voices coming from somewhere near by. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, temporarily giving him the stamina to let go of the tree and look around. He spotted two hikers with brightly colored gear walking up a path to his left about 10 yards away. He figured they wouldn't see him as long as he didn't make his presence known. The path turned and headed away from him eventually anyway. 

He watched them with pure curiosity, being the first humans he had seen since he was exiled.

A flash of tan caught his eye, alerting him that he wasn't the only one who had spotted the hikers.

The same fucking mountain lion was crouched low to the ground, stalking them silently on the other side of the path. The hikers were oblivious, chatting away about summer plans and knowledge about the local flora. 

Morgan found himself torn between 3 equally horrible options. 

Option 1: Save them from the mountain lion which could backfire horrifically because he'd also be exposing himself in the process.

Option 2: Do nothing. Get the fuck out of there while the mountain lion was distracted. Live with the guilt.

Option 3: Kill the mountain lion, and then kill the hikers. Return to the others with enough food to share. Live with the guilt.

Chapter Text

Morgan

With more time, maybe he would be able to come up with a fourth plan.

But he didn’t have time. 

The hikers were still blissfully unaware of either predator tracking them.

The mountain lion was closing in on them fast. 

Under different circumstances, he knew he would risk his life to save these people. However, exposing himself wasn’t a risk he could take. Even if he managed to save them from the mountain lion, he knew he looked insane and dangerous, and these people would be terrified of him whether he saved their lives or not.

And even if he could live with that outcome, he had more to think about than just himself. If he was killed, or taken into custody, all of the cursed souls he was trying to help would be doomed. He couldn’t let them down when he was their only hope.

And besides that, there was no guarantee that these hikers would even have a shred of empathy for him after he risked all of their futures to save them.

After ruling out saving them, he was left with two choices. Do nothing, or kill them all.

Doing nothing might feel better on his conscious, but logically speaking it was a waste. That lion had already fucked over his arm, and two full grown humans was way more food than one asshole lion needed for itself. 

His mind was made up. 

Now all that mattered was actually following through.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sterling

The next day, Sterling did nothing but scheme.

A plan was forming in his head. He hadn’t told anyone else but a letter had come in the mail a month ago letting him know that Morgan’s phone plan had been renewed. 

Sterling didn’t know how to handle any of Morgan’s finances, so he had assumed that any services he was subscribed to were no longer active at this point. He had no idea how much money was in Morgan’s account, but he assumed it wasn’t a lot.

But that letter from the cell phone company informed him that it didn’t matter, because Morgan wasn’t paying for his phone plan. His dad was. 

And still is.

The account was under the name Levi Francis. The phone number, email, and home address for the main account holder was also listed on the letter. 

Sterling had stashed the letter in Morgan’s closet and filed it away mentally for later, like some kind of last resort insurance.

He hadn’t told anyone because it was a massive risk to reach out to Morgan’s dad. At best, he was a liability. At worst? Well… he didn’t really want to think about what that could be. But at this point… maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea to see how much the guy actually knew. Maybe he could be of some use.

And what better time to pay him a visit than while the entire local population, including Mr. Aguar, would be distracted at a festival?

All he had to do was make an appearance for Maddie, slip away from the festival unnoticed, retrieve his motorcycle from Henry and Mia’s, drive to Zuzu, talk to Morgan’s dad, drive back, return his motorcycle, and slip back into the crowd before anyone got too worried about him.

Simple, right?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Maddie

The luau was only an hour away and she could feel a panic attack brewing.

Shane was trying to calm her down, but it wasn't helping that he was clearly watching Sterling like a hawk. She wasn't worried about him that much but the way Shane was acting, she kept feeling like she should be.

"What do you think he's going to do Shane?" She finally hissed when Sterling was in the bathroom.

"I don't know! He's been off lately and he agreed to come way too easily. I just don't trust it." He explained vaguely.

"Shane. If you keep staring at him like he's going to whip a gun out of his pocket at any second, you're going to blow our cover. YOU'RE stressing me out more than Sterling is!" She whispered angrily.

Shane look wounded. "Wow! Okay. I hope he doesn't do anything crazy, but if he does I fucking told you so."

Maddie sucked in a breath through her nose, letting it out slowly and intentionally instead of fighting with Shane. She heard the toilet flush, so this conversation needed to be over anyway.

Sterling joined them in the living room, looking apathetic, but that was his average mood these days so there was really nothing alarming about it. Seemed fine to her.

"You ready?" She asked them both, but Sterling was the only one who nodded. Shane had his face in his phone, typing away.

"Hello!? Shane!?" Maddie snapped.

He looked up from his phone, shooting her a dirty look. "Yes."

Sterling raised an eyebrow at their interaction but didn't comment on it.

She hated that these two were her moral support for the day, but maybe they'd be better once they got there.

They walked towards the beach in silence, just focusing on looking natural, as if they didn't feel like they totally didn't belong out here in town anymore. They'd become total recluses which was why this plan was so important. They couldn't let this go on any longer. The hiding wasn't doing anything to help them long term. She was over it, they all were. 

The trio passed by the clinic the same time Sebastian and Sam were coming down the mountain holding hands. She waved at them, relieved to see some more friendly faces.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Sam acted totally normal like it was easy. She envied his ability to do that. 

"Not much! The guys are grumpy, but I'm looking forward to getting a pina colada or something when we get there."

Sebastian pulled out a cigarette, lighting it up and taking a puff. He nodded along to show he was involved in their conversation. Also totally normal Sebastian behavior. Why did she feel like such a bad actress? Ugh. They made it look so easy.

She noticed Shane and Sterling weren't really acknowledging their friends. What is their problem today!?

Sam was pretty much her only ally here it seemed. 

"Oh my god, yeah I'm definitely getting something with the fancy umbrella, the whole works."

"That's pretty gay, Sam." Sebastian said with a straight face.

Maddie laughed. Sam whipped around to ruffle his hair. "Only for you, babe."

Sebastian pretended he wasn't eating that up.

They got closer to the beach and the buzzing of the crowd actually made them feel a little more at ease. They would just blend right in, this wouldn't be so bad right?

She was relieved to see that Robin and Demetrius were already here, mingling with the crowd. They were currently talking to Doctor Harvey, looking very normal. Harvey was laughing about something.

Her eyes scanned the beach, looking around to see who was here and what they were doing. She was a little nervous to see so many of her old neighbors from Ridgeside. She was nervous they'd ask why they never see her around anymore, but she had decided to just tell them that she had been staying with a friend who was going through a rough patch mentally. Hopefully they wouldn't pry after that.

Shane put his arm around her shoulders suddenly, totally catching her off guard. "Come on, Mads. Let's go get those pina coladas."

Relief washed over her as she let him steer her towards the drink stand. Finally, someone else to make decisions for her. She must have really looked frozen in place if he had to intervene. 

She looked over her shoulder to see if Sterling was coming with them but he was already being stolen away by Henry and Mia who had apparently just arrived. They had Max with them. Sterling was crouched down petting him with what looked like a genuine smile on his face.

Well that was reassuring. Maybe everything would be okay after all.

Her and Shane ordered drinks from Emily, who was running the drink stand for Gus. She handed them two coconuts full of frozen drink mix, with cute little umbrellas and palm tree decorations stuck in them, complete with crazy neon pink straws. Shane looked precious holding it.

She couldn't help snorting with laughter when she watched him take a sip a minute later when they had walked away and found an empty spot to stand.

"What!?" He asked her defensively.

"You're adorable Shane." She said, still totally amused by the sight in front of her.

He actually blushed. It tugged at her heart for some reason.

Things had been too crazy to even consider trying to be more than friends with him again, but maybe someday it would make sense... 

She didn't realize she was still staring at him lost in thought until she realized he was finally staring back, looking a little too serious, like he was really trying to figure out what she was thinking.

It made her nervous, so she suddenly took a sip of her drink and averted her gaze to the crowd without offering him any sort of explanation.

Shane noticed Jas before she did, leading her towards his god daughter who was playing in the sand with Vincent while Marnie and Sam chatted casually next to them.

Maddie was really in awe of how fucking normal everyone seemed to be acting besides her. What the fuck was wrong with her?

"What's up, Jazzy?" Shane greeted her.

"Uncle Shane!!! Look at our sand castle!" Jas shouted in excitement.

"Wow, that's pretty nice." He complimented them with a nod of approval.

Vincent looked up at them very seriously. "It's a palace for bugs. The beach ants will live here." 

"A life of luxury, for sure." Shane humored him.

Maddie struggled to remember how to breathe.

Sam must have noticed that she wasn't okay, because all of a sudden he was shooing Shane away, promising to keep an eye on them.

She was about to ask Shane what that was about, but he was already leading her further down the beach to where the food tables were set up.

"We should definitely get some food. I didn't eat breakfast, did you?" Shane asked her in a nurturing tone. She shook her head no. "Okay yeah, make yourself a plate. I mean it."

Maddie looked around at the big bowls and platters, feeling repulsed by all of it.

Shane picked up a plate and started putting things on it while she spaced out. A couple moments later, he was leading her away again while she clutched onto her coconut drink for dear life.

He led her to the furthest east end of the beach, finding a nice spot for them to sit on the ground. Once they were seated in the sand in a cozy little alcove away from most of the festival goers, Shane took her coconut out of her hands gently and put it down next to her in the sand. Then he slid a plate of food into her hands, balancing it on her lap. "Eat, Mads." He commanded.

She looked down at the plate, noticing that Shane had remembered all her favorite things. There was a little tropic mango cake, a big scoop of salad, a slice of blackberry cobbler...

"Shane." She said, feeling herself tear up.

"What's wrong?" He put his arm around her shoulders, looking at her with sudden increased worry now that she was teary eyed.

"You remembered." She managed to say without any tears spilling from her watery eyes.

"Of course I remember." He said simply as if it was no big deal. But it was. She had almost gotten married once and her fiancée couldn't even remember what her favorite kind of cake was. But even after all of his trauma, Shane could still remember her favorite foods that they definitely hadn't talked about since High School?

He tried to focus his attention back on his own plate of food but she stopped him. "Shane?" She said again.

"Yeah?" He turned to look at her again.

She quickly put her plate down on top of the sand in front of her. Reaching out to place a hand on the side of his face, she leaned over to kiss him before she could chicken out.

Shane made a surprised noise, clearly caught off guard, but he kissed her back anyway.

Maddie remembered that they were in public, pulling away before she got too carried away. 

She felt her cheeks getting hot, so she took another sip of her drink and picked her plate back up. "Mm." She moaned after biting into the mango cake.

Shane's silence made her glance over at him curiously. He was just frozen, staring at her in total disbelief.

"What?" She asked him casually.

"You just... kissed me?" Shane replied as if he was asking for confirmation that they had really just kissed.

"Yes." She nodded, taking another bite of her cake.

"I'm not complaining... but why?" Shane voice was an octave higher than usual, she found that amusing. It was nice that she could still make him nervous...

It had been pretty hard to tell how he felt about her the past few months.

She decided to fuck with him like how he left her without answers for so many years. She just shrugged in response to his question, offering no explanation.

"I... uhm... okay, let me just shut up before I ruin it." Shane trailed off, forcing himself to focus on eating his plate of food, but she noticed he chugged the rest of his drink first.

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Morgan

The pain in his arm was still making him dizzy, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins helped keep him steady on his feet. 

He had to act quickly now. As quietly as he could manage in his condition, he followed the mountain lion, getting as close as he could without alerting it to his presence. 

They were approaching the edge of a ravine now. The hikers were walking away from them on the path below, still none the wiser to their impending fate.

Morgan waited to make his move until the lion was totally focused on gearing up to leap down into the ravine and attack.

For a moment the forest was eerily silent, and then suddenly a branch cracked under the weight of the lions heavy back feet pressing into the ground, and Morgan jumped into action without missing a beat.

The mountain lion screeched in confusion and pain as Morgan tackled it, sending them both flying down into the ravine. They hit the ground with a sick crack as the feline's body took the brunt of the impact. Morgan didn't feel a thing as he snapped its neck to finish it off before it had the chance to fight back.

Snapping his head up when he heard a gasp, his dark eyes zeroed in on the hikers, staring at him in horror. Once they locked eyes, they tried to turn and run but Morgan was faster.

He grabbed the skinnier one first. His canine teeth automatically elongated into snake like fangs by the time he sank his teeth into her neck. If he was paying attention he would have seen the life leaving her eyes, but he didn't have time for that.

Her male partner was still running, with what appeared to be a phone in his hands, and Morgan couldn't risk giving him time to make a phone call.

Seconds later Morgan had him pinned down on his back on the dirt path. He dug his sharp nails into the mans wrist, growling in frustration, until he released his death grip on his cell phone. Morgan grabbed it and threw it hard against a tree trunk. The screen audibly shattered and rained down like a cloud of broken glass, glittering in the afternoon sun.

The man looked up at him terrified, but it only fueled him to put him out of his misery faster. He sank his fangs into his neck until he felt him stop breathing. 

Once that was taken care of, Morgan stood up and took a moment to compose himself. The pain in his fucked up arm was actually less intense, he noted. A lot less intense...

He inspected his wounds carefully, surprised to see that they had healed significantly since he spotted the hikers. What the hell!?

He knew he healed faster than most, but he did not know that he could regenerate faster from... well, what he just did.

His abilities were still somewhat of a mystery to him. With no one to guide him and help him learn about himself, he had always just been trying so hard to live a normal life that he never truly discovered what he was actually capable of.

Even his family had forced him to believe that his powers were too dangerous to explore. They didn't want to know his full potential, and that made him afraid to know too. 

He didn't feel afraid right now though. He felt powerful. Like maybe he could actually fight back against the man who had condemned him to this forest and used dark magic to get rid of all of they prey so he would have to starve.

Shaking off his fascination with his healing injuries, he gathered his victims one by one, swinging them over his shoulder to carry them back to the tunnels.

No one would be going hungry tonight.

Chapter Text

Sterling

"No way! Sterling, you're here!?" Mia ran up to him, his cousin Henry and their dog Max trailing behind.

Max started running full pace once he spotted Sterling, dragging Henry behind him.

"Hey guys." He greeted them with a warm smile before crouching down to pay attention to the excited canine. "Max! Buddy! How are you!?"

Max enthusiastically licked his face while he tried to pet him. "Ew, Max! I missed you too but you don't have to slobber all over my face!"

"He misses Max more than us." Mia mumbled to Henry loud enough for Sterling to hear her.

"Can you blame him?" Henry replied. "I'm just happy to see him out and about."

Sterling stood up to look around for his friends that were no longer right beside him. He spotted Shane and Maddie about twenty feet away holding coconut drinks. It looked like Maddie was having an anxiety attack.

Mia stepped towards him, putting a hand on his arm tentatively. "Sterling, when are you coming home?"

"Uhm, I'm sorry but I have to get back to my friends, Maddie's not having a good mental health day, I promised I'd stay by her side. Sorry. It was nice to see you guys!" He backed away, ignoring the disappointment on Mia's face. "Bye Max!" He added, giving him one last pat on his big furry head.

He turned and starting walking towards Shane and Maddie, but a group of people walked past him suddenly causing him to lose sight of them. By the time he had sights on his friends again, they were already headed in the opposite direction.

"Are you in line?" Asked a random woman he didn't recognize. She had a blow up flamingo hat on her head that was a stark contrast from her unapproachable face that clearly screamed "I hate fun".

"Uh..." Sterling looked to his right, realizing he was sort of standing near the line for the drink stand. "Yes I am."

"Oh. Well, could you step forward then? I don't want anyone cutting in front of us, the line is long enough." She replied kind of rudely.

"Sure." Sterling said, gritting his teeth to conceal his irritation as he stepped closer to the next person in line.

Ignoring the bitchy lady behind him, he used his time standing in line to look around. Henry and Mia had moved along, now talking to Aideen by the big punch bowl.

Scanning the beach for anyone else that could be a liability, he spotted Sam and Sebastian talking to Marnie and the kids. Moving on, he located Demetrius and Robin still talking to Harvey like they had been when they first arrived, but now Caroline had joined the group.

He idly wondered how much gossip they really thought they'd be able to extract from these people. It was a stupid plan, in his eyes. No one who knew anything worth a damn to them was going to offer up dangerous information at a public event with the perpetrator somewhere in the crowd.

Yeah, maybe this would help them reintegrate into society but truth be told he didn't feel trapped at the farmhouse. He wasn't afraid to leave. Maybe Maddie was, and he could totally understand why, but he wasn't afraid. Let that evil piece of shit try to do something to him. 

When it was his turn to order, Emily's cheerful face snapped him out of his negativity.

"Sterling! It's been a while, how are you!?" She asked him genuinely.

"I've been better, kind of a rough patch these past few months." He replied honestly, giving her a reassuring smile that he was okay despite his honest response.

"Your aura is different, like something is missing..." She cocked her head to the side, inspecting him thoughtfully.

Sterling snorted humorlessly. "Yeah, you could say that. Uh, anyway, one pink lemonade please?"

Emily shook her head, remembering that she had a job to do and there was an entire line behind Sterling. "Absolutely!" She grabbed a flamingo cup and filled it up with a pitcher of bright pink liquid, sticking a colorful pink straw in it and handing it to him. "Here you are, Sir." She waved off the money he tried to hand her. "It's on me, just promise you'll come visit soon?"

"Thank you, Em." He said sincerely, scurrying along when he heard someone clear their throat behind him, no doubt the same bitchy lady from before.

Looking around again, he caught sight of Shane and Maddie heading towards the east end of the beach holding plates of food. Relieved that Shane seemed to have the Maddie situation under control, he started heading towards them. 

He had almost reached them when suddenly he could see that they were obviously kissing, even though his view of them was still semi-obstructed. His eyes widened, walking slower to give them a moment before he crashed their alone time.

By the time he was walking right up to them, they had separated with Shane blushing profusely and Maddie looking shy but pleased. "Hey guys!"

They both flinched, but looked relieved to see him at the same time.

"Sterling!" Maddie squealed. "I thought we lost you."

"Sup?" Shane asked, looking like a kid that just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Yeah, sorry. I got ambushed by Henry and Mia and then I got thirsty." He held up his drink as proof. "Watcha guys doing?"

Shane started blushing even more obviously. Maddie motioned to their plates of food. "Eating. You're not hungry?"

"Not yet, I'll grab some food in a bit. Do you guys mind if I go hang out with them? Mia was trying to ask me when I'm coming home and I kind of ran off on her because I didn't want to get separated from you guys." He lied through his teeth as convincingly as possible.

Maddie was the first to wave him off. "Yeah dude, go. No problem. I have Shane. Everything seems fine so far, I'm actually kind of having fun." She smiled at him convincingly.

Yeah, having fun sucking Shane's face.

Perfect timing for him though. He needed them to be distracted. This was actually working out in his favor so far.

He looked to Shane, waiting for his approval.

It took him a moment of silence to realize him and Maddie were looking at him expectantly. "Oh, sorry. Yeah man, go talk to them. I'm sure they've been worried about you."

Sterling nodded, not commenting on Shane's weird behavior. They obviously didn't know that he saw them kissing and he intended on keeping it that way, for now. "Thanks man. Alright, well I'll catch you guys later!"

"Bye!" Maddie waved, taking a big bite of some kind of orange cake. 

Shane was still staring wide eyed at the sand in-between his feet.

Maddie must have kissed him first, ha. Good for her.

He headed back to the beach with absolutely no intention of finding Henry and Mia. The dance floor speakers were blaring music now, drowning out a lot of the voices around him.

He spotted Sam collecting seashells with the kids, Marnie and Lewis standing somewhere nearby pretending they weren't into each other. 

Robin and Demetrius were on the dance floor getting jiggy.

He unfortunately had no idea where Sebastian was, but he figured he was either checking in with Ras or was currently in the port o potty, or smoking a cigarette somewhere. Any of those options meant he was good and distracted, so he moved onto planning his best point of exit.

Casually walking towards Elliot's cabin, he smiled at Alex and Haley who waved without bothering to smile back. He pretended to be really interested in the display of flowers resting on top of extra barrels of supplies, discreetly taking a look around before stepping out of view behind the cabin. 

There was a clearing in the trees that he quickly made a bee-line for, quietly maneuvering between the trees until he was back on the main path by the library.

Heading east, he made his way into East Scarp, toeing the line between looking casual and paranoid as he made sure he wasn't unknowingly crossing paths with anyone.

The town was quiet, the only sounds coming from the waves crashing against the shore, and the distant music from the luau carrying over with the wind.

He walked past the pond, getting quacked at by the ducks who were swimming around lazily. "Yeah, yeah. Quack, to you too." He said to them as turned up the path towards his house. 

The house looked the same as it always did, aside from some new flowers in the front yard. He was glad that it hadn't suffered in his absence. Not that he ever contributed much anyway, he reminded himself with a guilty pang.

His motorcycle was right where he left it by the edge of the fence, a sturdy tarp covering it to protect it from the elements. His helmet was still resting on top of the seat.

He pulled the tarp off and wheeled his bike over to the road, returning to grab a couple lawn chairs to put under the tarp just so nothing would look eye-catchingly different if Henry and Mia came home early.

Pleased with his sneakiness, he swung one leg over the bike, straddling the seat as he pulled his helmet onto his head. 

"Going somewhere?" A voice asked him suddenly, causing him to freeze in the middle of buckling his helmet straps.

Sebastian was suddenly standing in front of him, arms crossed, totally blocking his path. 

Sterling's heart rate increased ten fold. "Just going for a ride to clear my head." He lied.

Where the hell did he come from!? Sneaky fucking vampire...

The skeptical look Sebastian gave him clearly conveyed that he did not believe him and there was no point in lying.

He sighed. "Okay, but if I tell you, you have to promise not to stop me."

Sebastian nodded. "Okay. I promise."

He considered making something up, anything less dangerous than the truth. But if he could trust any of them with this, it would be Sebastian...

"I'm going to Zuzu to talk to Morgan's father." He admitted, bracing himself for Sebastian's reaction.

To his absolute surprise, Sebastian just nodded thoughtfully. "Does he know you're coming?"

"No.. I, uh, got his address from Morgan's phone bill. I was just gunna show up and see if he's open to talking to me." He knew how crazy it sounded, but he tried to sound confident. "I figured if he doesn't want to then it was at least worth a shot."

"You don't think they're gunna find anything out today, do you?" Sebastian asked, totally surprising him by hitting the nail on the head.

He laughed, feeling transparent. "That obvious?" 

Sebastian smirked.

"I mean... No. Not really." He added honestly.

Sebastian nodded again, looking around to make sure they were still alone. "I get it. Honestly, me either."

"Really?" Now he was really shocked.

"I'm coming with you." Sebastian said suddenly, stepping around the bike to get on behind him.

What the fuck?

"Uh..." He started to protest but Sebastian cut him off abruptly.

"Don't argue, or I'll text Shane right now and tell him I found you and you're sneaking off to Zuzu."

Oh. That fucking bastard.

"Shane sent you?" He asked bitterly, scooting forward to make room for Sebastian to settle in behind him.

"He texted me before the luau, said you were acting suspicious and to keep an eye on you. Before you get mad at me, I didn't tell anyone I saw you leave."

Sterling wasn't sure whether he should be pissed off, or touched that Sebastian had his back.

"Won't they be looking for both of us then?" He asked skeptically, pulling an extra helmet out of the saddle bag.

"Nah. I'll tell Shane you got overwhelmed and I'm helping you chill out." Sebastian replied calmly.

"Does Sam know you're here?" He tried to ask in a neutral tone but it came out sounding harsher than he meant it.

"Yeah."

"Okay..."

Sebastian was silent.

No further details? Alright... That's not weird or anything...

"Okay. You ready?"

"Ready." Sebastian wrapped his arms around his waist. 

The motorcycle came to life, engine rumbling as they rode out of East Scarp, back through Pelican Town, and out onto the highway towards the city.

Life seemed so much bigger than their problems all of a sudden as they hit the open road. It was actually a beautiful summer day. Not too hot, and the sky was a beautiful bright shade of blue. Fluffy white clouds covered the skyline sporadically.

For a moment, he could almost pretend that everything was fine and normal, and he was just taking Sebastian for a ride like he always wanted to but never got to back when they were together. The irony of their situation now was not lost on him. He almost laughed, but he didn't want to confuse Sebastian.

They passed a sign for Zuzu announcing the next exit. Luckily, there was no need for navigation because he had spent all night studying the route until he had it memorized.

Taking the next exit, he followed the route from memory, turning down a busy road full of people walking around, getting food, shopping... Just living their ordinary lives. Sterling felt angry all of a sudden, wondering why he didn't deserve to be happy.

Sebastian's grip on him tightened when they hit a bump, and for a split second he wondered if he'd be happy if they had never broken up, and he had never met Morgan...

It was a painful thought, but he knew it didn't matter anyway. He couldn't have prevented Sebastian and Sam from falling in love again, even if he had handled things better, it was bound to happen eventually.

Turning onto another road that was more residential, he recognized the name of Morgan's dad's apartment building. This was it...

The engine dulled to a quiet rumble as he found a spot to park against the curb. 

Sebastian hopped off first, pulling the helmet off his head while he waited for Sterling.

He stashed their helmets in the saddle bags while Seb stared at him with a mixture of concern and reassurance. "You sure you want to do this?" 

"Yeah." Sterling nodded.

Sebastian nodded back, pulling out his phone to text Shane and Sam that they were fine and not to worry about them.

He looked around while Sebastian finished typing. Cars and taxis were rushing by, honking impatiently. The smell of exhaust and garbage was prevalent. He didn't miss living here at all, and he totally understood why Morgan risked his life to get out of here and never come back.

Turning back to Sebastian, he put a hand on his arm to show how sincere he was being. "Thank you for coming with me. I have no idea how this is going to go..."

"I owe you, Sterling. Anytime you need me, I'm here." 

Sterling hated how much Sebastian looked like he meant that.

"You don't owe me anything, Seb. But thank you. It means a lot."

Sebastian gave him a sad smile, then cocked his head towards the front door.

He took a deep breath, walking up to the intercom panel. He had the apartment number memorized too, but he checked the picture of the phone bill in his camera roll anyway just to be sure.

Pressing the button for apartment 5G, Sebastian grabbed his other hand to keep him grounded while they waited for a response.

Finally a confused voice came through the speaker. "Hello?"

Sterling held the talk button down to respond. "Hi, Levi Francis?"

"This is. Can I help you?"

"We're friends of Morgan's. We were hoping you'd be willing to chat with us for a little bit."

Sterling and Sebastian exchanged nervous glances.

"Come up."

They had both been holding their breath, finally letting it out when the buzzer announced the door was unlocked.

Quickly finding the elevator, Sterling pushed the button for the 7th floor. *ding* The doors closed and him and Sebastian were all alone.

At least on the motorcycle they didn't have to look at each other, but here in this little elevator the space between them suddenly didn't feel so light and cozy.

Sterling smiled at him awkwardly before clearing his throat and looking down at his feet.

Sebastian smiled back and then promptly became more interested in biting off a hang nail.

The ride couldn't have taken more than a minute, but as the floor numbers slowly ticked higher it felt like they had been trapped in there together for millennia.

*ding* A mutual sigh of relief was audible as the doors opened and they were finally able to escape into the hallway.

They avoided looking at each other, focusing instead on finding the door marked 5G.

Once they found the door, Sebastian squeezed his hand again before letting go and knocking on the door for him.

The gesture was so sweet he wondered how the universe could be so cruel as to let him fall in love with two incredible people, and then take them both away.

They could hear footsteps inside walking towards them. Then a tense moment of silence as they were most likely being scrutinized through the peep hole.

He wondered if their outfits were non-offensive enough.

Sterling in a tan button down Hawaiian shirt with pineapples on it layered over a white tank top, tan shorts and white sneakers. Not his usual motorcycle gear, but he had to look convincing enough for the luau.

Sebastian, historically known for rocking his own personal fashion style no matter the event or season, was dressed in black ripped skinny jeans, a vintage looking black hoodie, and combat boots. Hot as ever, unfortunately.

Finally they could hear the scraping of locks unlocking, and the door slowly opened to reveal a middle aged man with blue eyes and dirty blonde hair. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and gray joggers.

"Hello." The man greeted them with a friendly but suspicious tone.

"Hi! Uhm, Sterling Cooper, nice to meet you, Sir." He reached out to shake his hand. 

"Levi Francis, but you already knew that." He shook Sterling's hand and gave him a good natured smile despite his obvious suspicions.

Sebastian cleared his throat awkwardly. "Sebastian." He reached out to shake his hand.

Levi nodded at him. "Nice to meet you both. Come on in." He stepped back and motioned for them to enter.

Sterling stepped inside first, followed by his very shy and goth ex boyfriend.

Levi led them down the hall into the main living room. He had kinda already guessed by how far apart the apartment doors were, but they were huge inside. He felt like Henry's entire house could fit in this apartment.

"Have a seat, boys." Levi waved a hand lackadaisically in the direction of a white leather couch.

They followed his command, sitting down awkwardly about a foot away from each other.

This couch feels expensive... No wonder he was able to buy Morgan his own apartment.

Levi settled down in a matching armchair across from them. "So what brings you here?" He asked, his friendly tone dropping into a more interrogative one.

"Well... We were hoping you could help us find Morgan. He's been missing for a while..." Sterling began nervously, totally forgetting the script he had prepared in his head.

Levi's eyes widened. "Missing?!"

"Don't worry, he's alive. We know that. But we don't know where exactly he is, and uhm, his phone bill came the other day, and that's how I got your address. So here we are." Sterling finished with a pained smile.

"Okay... So, let me get this straight, Morgan is missing and you are... trespassing on the farm and opening his mail? How long has he been missing, you said a while, but what does that mean?" Levi was at the edge of his seat now, leaning towards them, eyes narrowed accusingly.

Sebastian spoke up suddenly, probably realizing how badly Sterling was blowing this. "He's been gone for about 5 months. Sterling's been keeping the farm going and taking care of Gloomy since he disappeared."

His eyes flashed with recognition at the mention of Gloomy's name. He looked a lot more worried now, probably realizing that they really did know Morgan and this wasn't some kind of sick scam or prank. "Five months? And I'm sorry, who are you to him, his friends?" He looked directly at Sebastian. "Boyfriend?"

Sebastian looked startled. "Uh, Sterling is actually. I'm just a friend."

Sterling awkwardly nodded in confirmation. "Yeah."

Levi nodded in acknowledgement. "Ah, sorry. You just looked more like his type."

Sebastian cringed, but Sterling couldn't help but let out a little laugh.

Levi looked at him in surprise as if that were an inappropriate reaction given the circumstances of their visit. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, it's just that I couldn't believe he was into me either."

That actually earned him a half smile from his boyfriend's father to his relief.

Then the vibes became tense again. "Okay so now that we're properly acquainted. Can you start from the beginning?"

"Right... So I'm from East Scarp, Sebastian's from Pelican Town, I met Morgan last summer. We uh, fell for each other pretty quickly. He disappeared in the middle of the night around five months ago. Left his phone on the table and everything. Gloomy was freaking out. We searched the entire farm for him, found nothing but some weird footprints in the snow heading into the property but not out."

He gave Levi a moment to digest that while he wracked his brain for how to handle the next part. Levi was still staring at him waiting for him to continue. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "There was a man who seemed really suspicious of him for some reason... He had been poking his nose in Morgan's business right before he disappeared."

"Who is this man?" Levi demanded.

"A scientist from Ridgeside Village, he works at the water research facility. He claimed to have found weird properties in the water since Morgan returned."

A tense silence followed, but finally Levi spoke again.

"Why didn't you go to the police?" Levi asked him very seriously in a tone that sounded more challenging than quizzical. He looked Sterling right in the eyes.

Holding his gaze steady, he didn't even blink as he responded confidently. "I think you know why, Sir."

Levi nodded, then let himself relax into the back of the chair. He ran his hands over his face before addressing them again. Sebastian shot Sterling a nervous look.

"So Aguar did something to him. Dare I ask how you know he's alive?" Levi looked exhausted suddenly.

"Recent DNA samples found in the woods." Sebastian piped up suddenly. "My step-father is a scientist. You might know him, Demetrius."

Levi's face scrunched up in genuine fear. "How many people know about him!?"

Sebastian flinched, rushing to smooth over the panic he had just induced. "Oh! Let me explain. Some crazy shit went down with my family last year, so we're no strangers to the magic in the valley. My parents are very fond of Morgan, he found me in the woods and brought me home when I got lost as a child. They referred to him as my hero for years. You can trust them. They only want to help."

Levi let out a shaky breath. "Okay, I'll try to take your word for it. Who else?" 

"My friends, Shane and Maddie. Maddie worked for Mr. Aguar at the research facility but they fell out over this whole thing, she quit and he threatened her life. She's been staying with me at the farm. The only person she told was our other friend Shane. Morgan already trusted them before he disappeared. We've gone to Rasmodius for help, but it seems like even though he's on our side, his hands are pretty much tied. He's been trying but it's not really going anywhere. We were hoping that maybe you had some insight that could help us..." Sterling trailed off, feeling like he said too much and not enough at the same time.

Levi just shook his head sadly, covering his face with his hands. "I told him it was a bad idea. The valley might feel like home to him, but it isn't safe. I told him it wasn't safe. He never listened. He was miserable here in the city. I wish... I wish I had just found somewhere else for us to go, but my job is here. I feel like I failed him."

"I don't think Morgan blames you for anything." Sterling told him softly. 

"Thank you, but I don't think that's true." Levi sighed. "So where is he? Somewhere in the wilderness?"

Him and Sebastian nodded.

"My husband Sam and I searched for him since Aguar had no idea that we knew, he couldn't threaten us like he threatened Sterling and Maddie. We searched for months. The DNA sample was the only thing we found."

"I have to be honest with you guys, I don't know how to help. Every time I've ever tried to do something right for my son, it's backfired. I lost the love of my life trying to give them a better life." Levi squeezed his eyes shut, getting choked up.

Sterling felt his eyes tearing up, empathizing with his pain. He lost the love of his life too. Feeling powerless was quite relatable as well.

Sebastian gently steered the conversation towards something more productive, making Sterling feel another burst of gratitude that he was here right now. "We've deduced that the only way to bring him home is to have Augar taken down. Rasmodius already reported him for misuse of magic, but he didn't have enough of a case to prove that he did anything wrong. We're trying to build a solid case against him that the council can't just brush off. We have, uh, some theories about other disappearances in the valley..."

Levi had his head down in his hands, listening, but he perked up a little now, looking straight at Sebastian as he finished talking.

"We were hoping that maybe you'd know something about Malaya and Kimpoi, or Kailani and Alaric..." He continued.

"Fuck." Levi mumbled under his breath.

Sebastian and Sterling shared a silent look, waiting for him to expand on that reaction.

Levi finally looked back up at them. "My love, Marina... Malaya was her younger sister... I don't know how much Morgan told you, but he didn't know of any other family. We kept that information to ourselves for everyone’s safety."

"Thank you for telling us that, we had a hunch when Rasmodius mentioned that Aguar might have a vendetta on the family." Sebastian explained.

Levi sighed and nodded, then scoffed and shook his head. "Aguar was in love with Malaya, but I guess I should fill you in from the beginning since Morgan never knew any of this."

"Please." Sterling urged, hanging on his every word.

Sebastian squeezed his hand when Levi wasn't looking.

"Marina and Malaya's parents were mixed, a selkie and a mermaid. Marina took after her dad. Malaya took after their mother, the mermaid." He paused to let them take that in.

After searching their faces for any indication that this information was alarming to them, he continued. "Kailani was Marina’s best friend. I shouldn’t be telling you this, I swore to keep everyone’s secrets, but if telling you everything I know helps save my son I’ll do it.”

“This is the right thing to do, Sir.” Sebastian encouraged him. “Mr. Aguar can’t keep getting away with his crimes.”

Levi nodded gravely, taking a shaky breath before continuing his history lesson. “Kimpoi met Malaya when he was working on a cruise ship. Ginger Island was one of the destinations he frequently visited. The girls were all living there at the time, in the rock caves along the water. Kailani, also a mermaid like Malaya, fell in love with a resort employee on the island. Alaric.

Marina worked at the resort too so she could provide for her sister and best friend. They were all orphans. Eventually she couldn’t handle seeing them so sad that they couldn’t be with the men they loved. She had heard rumors of a wizard on the mainland that could give them legs.

Kimpoi snuck her onto the cruise ship and got her into East Scarp. She pretended to be a tourist, asking for directions until she found the wizard in Ridgeside Village. She begged him for help, telling him that she would do anything if only he could help Malaya and Kailani. 

He seemed genuinely willing to help. He visited the island to meet the girls. He hadn’t yet named his price, simply telling Marina that when he thought of a favor she could do for him he would let her know. He was immediately smitten with Malaya. He granted them their wish, they were now free to live on land and live human lives.

After the transformation was complete, he tried to win Malaya’s love. He was furious when he finally realized that her heart already belonged to someone else. Instead of doing the reasonable thing and just moving on, he decided to threaten Marina. He told her that he was cashing in the favor she owed him, and that favor was to break up Kimpoi and Malaya or he would reverse the spell and take away their legs.

Marina wouldn’t do it, Malaya was so happy and in love. She begged him to just reconsider, to have some compassion. He refused. Eventually he decided he would just wait it out and hope they’d break up naturally, but he took his anger out on Marina. He got an evil witch to curse her for not helping him, but something happened during the spell casting process.

They were interrupted by a sudden storm. Lightning striking a tree next to them distracted the witch before the spell could be complete. They were up in the mountains somewhere in the outskirts of Ridgeside Village. The intense thunder caused a minor earthquake, and the ground underneath Marina broke off from the mountain. Aguar and the witch must have assumed she was as good as dead and never bothered to look for her.

She survived the fall and stayed hidden in the woods surrounding the farm. That’s where I eventually met her. She was hesitant to tell me her story at first but we eventually fell in love and she told me everything.

The curse was supposed to permanently trap her in the form of a serpent but since it wasn’t complete, she had the unique ability to shape shift between a human and a serpent, but the curse causes an intolerance to salt water, so she was never able to escape. She was afraid that if she was ever spotted in town, she’d be putting all our lives in danger.”

”Wow.” Sterling commented involuntarily, all of the pieces finally clicking together. 

“Kailani and Malaya thought she was dead too. Marina thought it was safer for them that way. After we had Morgan and he was old enough to start seeming really miserable and lonely on the farm, I tried to find a witch to help us. The worst mistake I’ve ever made in my life… She turned out to be the same witch. When she learned that Marina was still alive, her and Aguar decided to punish her for hiding all these years by murdering Morgan, but Marina sacrificed herself in his place.

I took Morgan far away from there before they could hurt him. They had no idea what he was capable of, if anything at all. For all they knew he was just a regular human, and I intended on keeping it that way. I guess you already know the rest. I have no idea what happened to the others after we left. I can only assume Aguar had a hand in whatever became of them. I knew them, but not well, and they didn’t know anything about me or Morgan being connected to Marina.”

Sterling stared at the carpet, letting all of this marinate in his head. He couldn’t find the words to say to respond to that horrible story.

Sebastian, however, looked like a lightbulb had just turned on above his head.

He startled rattling off facts like he was doing math calculations out loud for everyone to hear. “Rasmodius showed me a vision… Malaya was headed towards the sea and Kailani tried to stop her. Aguar must have reversed the spell and took away her legs.

Later in another vision, Alaric went to confront him, asking what he did to his wife. Aguar told him he sent her back to the sea forever. He demanded he bring her back for their daughters, but he refused. Alaric pulled out a gun and tried to shoot him but Aguar cursed him first. He must have learned how to do it himself because Morgan’s shirt that we found in the woods and got the DNA sample from had traces of Alaric’s DNA on it too.”

Levi and Sterling were both staring at him in awe, trying to keep up with his flow of thoughts. 

“There’s just one detail that still remains a mystery…” Sebastian continued. “In the vision with Malaya, Aguar asked her if she was going to be next, or if she was going to hold up her end of the deal. She’s obviously still alive and well, so I wonder what that sick bastard made her do? Kailani must have known, she was telling Malaya that she didn’t have to do it and that she knew it was wrong. It obviously had something to do with the ocean since she stopped her on the beach…”

”Do you know when the vision took place?” Levi asked.

“Emily and Haley’s parents have been gone for years. They still get letters from them but we basically already figured out that Aguar is forging them.” Sebastian explained.

Levi shook his head. “I have no idea what he could have asked of her. If Kailani is still alive maybe you could get her to tell you. It would be dangerous to even look for her though.”

”Maybe we can figure something out. Do you think she would have gone back to Ginger Island?” Sterling wondered.

”There’s a good chance, but I wouldn’t know.” He shrugged sadly.

Sterling stood up. ”We have to go back now, no one knows we were coming here or talking to you. The luau is going on right now so we took the opportunity to sneak away. I promise I’ll keep you updated. Thank you so much for talking to us.”  

Once they were all standing, Levi shook both their hands again. “Thank you for caring about my son, he’s a good person. I’m so worried for him.”

”We know he is.” Sebastian stated plainly.

Levi walked them to the door, waving goodbye. He looked so haunted it kind of broke Sterling’s heart.

Once they were back outside, Sebastian let out a deep breath. “Fuck dude.” He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it up, taking a long drag.

Sterling felt kind of hollowed out and directionless but there was a teeny tiny seed of hope growing in the void of hopelessness. 

Chapter Text

Sebastian

Surprisingly, they actually made it back before the crowd at the luau started to break up. They hadn’t seen a single person walking around as they rode through Pelican Town and East Scarp was completely empty.

Once the motorcycle was back in place, him and Sterling headed down to the beach. They’d have the whole place to themselves since the festival was in Pelican Town, otherwise on a gorgeous day like this there would be people here too. 

As they descended the stone staircase leading to the tide pools, Sebastian got a flashback of making out… and other things… with Sterling in this exact location.

He risked a glance at Sterling’s face. If his suddenly rosy cheeks were any indication, he was remembering that night as well.

Sterling glanced over at him before he could look away, resulting in an extremely awkward 3 seconds of eye contact.

“Feels like lifetimes ago.” Sterling said quietly, apparently deciding to murder the elephant in the room.

Sebastian cleared his throat. “Yeah.”

”Do you think Jerry is still around?”

Sebastian burst out laughing, slightly embarrassed that Sterling remembered him catching and naming a frog here on one of their first dates.

If you could call it a date. They had met up unplanned at nearly 10pm and then stayed out all night not being able to keep their hands off of each other. By the time they had the sense to go home, it was so late that Sterling had to stay the night at Sebastian’s house. 

“I can’t believe you remember that.” Sebastian shook his head, still chuckling.

“How could I forget?” Sterling replied, smiling sadly. 

He remembered that night vividly too. He had been so close to telling Sterling he was in love with him. But that was before the curse on him and Sam had been reversed.

When it all came back to him, he had been so wrapped up in his intense soulmate level love for Sam that it had been easy to push Sterling out of his mind.

But once the renewed honeymoon phase with Sam had settled down, and Sterling had found him at the dance of the moonlight jellies and told him he was in love with him… it had really hit him how real those feelings had been. It was almost love, even if it was new and tragically cut short.

What they had was real. They were very tuned in to each other’s feelings, sharing the same anxiety and intensity. They looked like total opposites from the outside, but internally they were extremely similar. Sebastian was like the moon, and Sam was the sun. But Sterling was the stars floating beautifully in the night sky with him. 

That deep understanding was the reason he was still able to comfort him better than Shane or Maddie could. 

Sam was the love of his life, and he had no regrets choosing him to spend the rest of his life with. As it turned out, he needed the sun to warm up his dark and cold inner world. But that didn’t make his affection for Sterling magically go away. It was a cruel side effect of Abigail’s crimes. In a normal world, he would never have forgotten about Sam mid happy relationship and then almost fallen for someone else only to remember Sam existed. 

It wasn’t fair. It never would be. He was so dedicated to helping Sterling get Morgan back because out of everyone in the crossfire of Abby’s mistakes, Sterling had suffered the most unfairly. He wasn’t involved in the drama the trio had at all, he was just unlucky enough to meet Sebastian at a time when he was magically “single”. Literally.

Even though he was in a sick way a little jealous of how much Sterling loved Morgan, he was even more relieved that he had someone to love like he did. Him losing Morgan too was just so incredibly fucked up, and Sterling was such an amazing person who didn’t deserve that much loss and cruel misery.

“Seb, I can’t thank you enough for coming with me. I was so grateful that you were there the whole time, I would have totally blown that if you hadn’t been. I mean it.”

They were on the pier now, sitting down on  a wooden bench overlooking the water. 

“I’m glad I was able to stop you before you left. That would have been so scary alone, I can’t believe you were actually going to do that by yourself.” He replied honestly.

Sterling laughed. “You know how impulsive I can be.”

Sebastian smirked at him, unfortunately remembering quite a few examples of that. 

They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying the quiet comfort of each other’s company before they’d have to deal with the others. 

“Are we friends?” Sterling broke the silence again, looking over at him seriously.

Sebastian chewed on his bottom lip, trying to think of how to answer that. “I would like to be.”

”Is that why you’ve been so amazing with all of this though?” Sterling pressed.

Sebastian sighed. He knew where he was going with this now. 

“No.” He admitted.

Sterling’s face softened, waiting for him to continue.

Hesitantly, he reached out for one of Sterling’s hands. He took a deep breath as Sterling stared at him expectantly. “I don’t know the right way to say this, if there even is one… but I love you. I don’t know if that will ever go away. We can’t be together, and I’m okay with that because I love Sam, but when you didn’t have Morgan I felt so fucking horrible that you were alone and I wasn’t. I need you to be happy too, or I just feel guilty and responsible for you being alone because I know that if I didn’t already love Sam, we could have been happy together. Or at least we could have tried to be. I know we didn't know that much about each other at the time, and it was easy to write it off as too messy to mourn, but now... Now we actually know the darker sides of each other, and I don't know about you, but... I don't think it would have changed anything for me.”

He felt his eyes tearing up, and he hated how much he meant the words that he was saying. Even if it sounded fucked up to everyone else, no one understood his inner turmoil enough to be able to truly judge him. They would never have to go through what he went through.

Sterling looked teary eyed too now. He squeezed his hand in response before tugging Sebastian towards him and wrapping him in a bear hug. 

His eyes scanned the beach, making sure they didn’t have an audience first before he let himself melt into the embrace.

”Thank you for saying all of that.” Sterling spoke softly into his hair. “I understand. It was real for me too. I feel the same way. But I don’t want you to feel like you can’t be happy if I never get Morgan back. I love you too, and that means I want you to be happy no matter what. I see how happy Sam makes you, I don't want you to ever lose that feeling because you feel bad for me."

“Okay.” Sebastian whispered back shakily, knowing it was a promise he might actually have to try to keep.

They stayed like that for a while, just relishing in the cathartic moment they had both desperately needed to make sense of their lingering feelings. 

After some time, Sterling sniffled and straightened up, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Is this what they call closure?" He laughed softly.

Sebastian felt his heart being tugged and set free at the same time. He laughed with him. "Yeah, yeah I think so."

"Friends?" Sterling held out his hand with a genuine and hopeful look on his face.

Sebastian shook it with a soft smile. "Friends."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shane

”Sebastian just texted me back saying that him and Sterling at just chilling at the beach in East Scarp and we’re welcome to join them, or they’ll just meet us back at the house if not.” He said to Sam and Maddie as they stood around the fire pit. 

The crowd was really clearing out now, they were among the only dozen or so people left.

The kids were collecting seashells in a bucket Shane had reluctantly bought from Pierre’s overpriced shop stand. Marnie was waiting for them to tell her what the plan was for the rest of the day, chatting with Lewis off to the side where she could still keep an eye on the kids without them overhearing her conversation.

”Yeah Sebastian texted me something similar too.” Sam’s face was unreadable, which was strange for him.

”Does it bother you that they’re getting along so well?” He heard Maddie ask Sam. He nearly choked on his own saliva. How hard did that second piña colada hit her!?

”No. Why would it?” Sam’s reply came too fast to be casual.

”Sterling wouldn’t cheat on Morgan.” Maddie said definitively. “I’d bet my life on it.”

Sam looked mildly comforted by that, nodding in acknowledgment but not adding anything to the conversation.

”Maddie, are you drunk?” He couldn’t help asking her.

She looked up at him in shocked offense. “No!”

Him and Sam shared an agreeing look.

”So what do you guys want to do?” Shane asked, deciding to drop it.

”I kinda just want to go home.” Maddie admitted.

Sam shrugged. “If Marnie is okay with me watching the kids so she can hang out with Lewis I’ll just head back there and you can take Maddie home?”

”Yeah, I’ll go ask her.” Shane replied, awkwardly leaving Sam and Maddie alone while he went to talk to Marnie.

Lewis scuttled away when he approached them after giving him a nod of acknowledgment. So fake.

”Hey, if you want to hang out with Lewis, Sam said he’ll watch the kids at the house while I walk Maddie home.”

”Yeah, I guess that’s okay.” Marnie agreed.

She said goodbye to the kids and wandered off to find Lewis.

He shook his head as he walked back over to his friends. He’d never understand what she saw in that guy.

They split up, Sam taking the kids back to the ranch, and Shane and Maddie walking back to the farm. 

Once they were alone the air between him and Maddie started to feel a little awkward between the kiss and her questionable sobriety.

“I’m not drunk, Shane.” Maddie randomly insisted, remembering his earlier accusation.

“Okay. Well I don’t think Sam appreciated that question about Sebastian and Sterling.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “I did that on purpose. I was only using that as a way to bring up the elephant in the room with those three. I’m sick of Sam looking like his heart is in the blender every time Sebastian and Sterling interact.” She explained sounding completely sober all of a sudden.

He just stared at her, jaw open, in awe. “What kind of witch are you? That was so convincing.”

She shrugged. “It made me feel better about being so anxious when we first got there. Everyone else seemed so normal and I was just freaking out internally.”

”Is that why you kissed me?” He asked nervously.

”No.” Maddie stared off into the distance as they got closer to the farm. “I kissed you because you remembered all my favorite foods after all these years, and not even my fiancée could remember what kind of cake I liked. It’s still so fucked up that I was the one who got left at the altar.” She laughed self-deprecatingly. 

“I’m so sorry, Maddie…” Shane said sincerely. “I feel like such a piece of shit for not being there for you when you were going through that.”

“Yeah… I mean, if you hadn’t abandoned me I probably would have never even fallen for her. I got so attached because I never wanted to lose anyone so important to me again, so I made her the center of my universe thinking that would make her stay. But in the end she left me anyway in the most humiliating way possible.” 

They reached the farmhouse, pausing their conversation while Shane unlocked the door. Guilt rippled through him in waves. He felt like he was going to throw up.

Maddie followed him into the living room silently, waiting for him to say something.

He put his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. ”I’m going to regret that for the rest of my life, but I swear I’ll never leave you again.”

”I wish I could say that I believe you but every time I’ve trusted someone I’ve gotten burned eventually.”

He pulled her into his arms, silently wishing he could promise he would never hurt her again but knowing he was too fucked up to make promises like that.

She hugged him back, flinching when the front door suddenly swung open.

”Oh, hey guys.” Sterling greeted them, followed by Sebastian.

Shane raised an eyebrow at the two of them. They looked calm, happy, refreshed even…

”So what have you two been up to today?” He asked semi-accusingly.

Sebastian shrugged. “Took a walk. Enjoyed nature away from the crowd.”

Sterling nodded along agreeably. 

“Alright, well now that you’re back I’m gunna go help Sam with the kids.” Shane announced, looking pointedly at Sebastian. “Seb, are you coming or would you rather stay here?” The ‘with Sterling’ was silent but implied.

Sebastian retained his calm demeanor. “Yeah, I’ll come.” He waved at Sterling and Maddie, his eyes lingering a second longer on Sterling.

“Bye Seb.” Sterling smiled at him sweetly.

Maddie waved.

“So what the fuck happened?” Shane asked him once they were out of earshot from the house.

”I followed him like you told me to, he was freaking out, I just talked to him and got him to calm down.” Sebastian began. “Then we sat on the beach and talked about how we broke up and it was like we finally got the closure we never got the chance to have before.”

Shane was skeptical.

”And does closure mean making out and confessing your love for each other?” 

Sebastian had been walking a couple steps ahead of him but spun around now to look at him directly, hands up in the air in defense. “Woah, no not at all.” 

“Are you sure?” Shane demanded.

“Yes, I’m sure. What the hell, man? Is it you who’s suspicious or are you just working for Sam?” Sebastian’s eyes narrowed, clearly not taking kindly to his accusations.

“Sam just doesn’t deserve to be hurt, I’m just looking out for everyone.” He replied defensively.

”I’m not going to hurt Sam, okay? You can’t even begin to understand what I went through, or what Sterling went through, what he’s still going through. You abandoned Maddie by choice, the rest of us never had one. So get off your high horse.” Sebastian said venomously.

“Okay, ouch. I deserve that but still, fuck you dude.” Shane spat back. 

“I’ll handle Sam, you just mind your own business.” Sebastian whirled back around and stalked towards the ranch. 

Shane decided to just keep his mouth shut. Between the conversation with Maddie and now this, he really just wanted to get drunk out of his mind…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Morgan

In the heat of the moment he had to break the male hikers phone, but on the way back to the tunnels he realized that the girl probably had one on her too. 

He found it in her backpack and used her face to unlock it and change the passcode. Then he turned off location services before he brought their bodies to the others. 

They were thankful, although not all of them were willing to eat humans, the ones who weren’t shared the mountain lion. Morgan decided to just eat whatever food was packed in the hikers backpacks.

With plenty of hours of daylight left, he decided to go wash the clothes he stripped off of the humans in the river before anyone could come looking for them. 

As he rinsed them off in the stream, he discovered how proud he was of himself for only getting a couple little drops of blood on the clothes. He laid them all out on a rock to dry in the afternoon sun, satisfied that he’d finally have something to wear again. The man was about the same dimensions as himself, so he figured the cargo shorts and black tank top would probably fit him well enough.

He held one of the hiking boots up to his foot, deciding to hold off on trying them on until the socks were actually dry. They seemed like they would fit though.

The girl’s clothing would come in handy for wrapping injuries, he noted. Now that the clothes were drying and everyone was fed, he settled down on a log to go through the backpacks. He was kind of elated to finally have some belongings again, even if he had to kill people to get them. He hadn’t had anything but the clothes on his back in months, and his shirt had been gone for a while now. His pants were barely functional anymore at this point.

Opening up the first backpack, black and pink with lots of mesh pockets, he found himself relaxing for the first time since he’d been banished out here. There were no pressing tasks on his agenda, he had taken care of the only dangerous predator in the area, and he figured he had hours of peace and quiet before anyone came looking for these people.

He found a peanut butter and jelly sandwich which he devoured in about 10 seconds, relishing in the sweet flavor. A few granola bars he decided were better kept as backup emergency food. A first aid kit, a reusable bottle of water, hand sanitizer, sunglasses, and some makeup were among the rest of her belongings. 

The mans backpack was much bigger, tons of pockets and zipped pouches, making it almost feel like a game searching every little compartment. He found another sandwich, more snacks, sunglasses that he immediately put on top of his head, another water bottle, an old ipod with the plug in headphones that he was delighted to find was fully charged, bug spray, sunscreen, car keys, and a tan sun hat.

The keys were concerning, that meant that there was an abandoned vehicle somewhere that someone would question eventually. He decided not to worry about that right now though. The phone was the most interesting thing which was why he saved it for last.

The first thing he did was take note of the date and time, 12:30pm, July 11th. It was weird, knowing the time by something other than the sun. That date rang a bell for some reason though…

The luau.

His chest felt constricted at the thought of Sterling on the beach with all his friends, having a good time. It hurt but at the same time he hoped that was exactly what he was doing. 

With a heavy heart he flipped through all her apps, careful not to open anything that would log activity. He wished he could just look up Sterling on some form of social media just to see how he was doing, but he couldn’t do that without leaving a traceable trail of internet history. 

He couldn’t contact anyone from this phone without putting them in danger and making him a murder suspect. Defeated, he opened the weather app, one of the only things he could safely do. Taking note of which days it was going to rain, he slipped the phone back into the backpack.

There was really nothing else to do since there was no way he was going to go through the texts or photo album. He didn’t want to know anything about these people. He was better off that way. He didn’t feel guilty at all right now and he didn’t want to see anything that would change that.

Using one of the backpacks as a pillow, he laid back with his hands behind his head, staring up at the bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds.

He thought about Sterling, how far away he must be from him, wondering if the time and distance had changed the way he felt about him. He was having trouble picturing his face, and that hurt more than anything. 

A sudden realization ripped him out of his thoughts. They had no idea where they were but this phone… it could show him exactly where they were. Careful to ignore the popup asking him to turn location services back on, he opened the map up to see if it would show the last known location. To his luck, it did. 

He zoomed in, eyes wide, taking in every detail of the map. They were only 5 miles west of Pelican Town.

Chapter Text

Sebastian

He beat Shane to the ranch by a few minutes. Sam was outside with the kids petting the cows when he walked up to the house.

”Hey!” He greeted them all. Vincent waved. Jas and Sam ignored him.

Marching right up to Sam with determination, he hugged him from behind in a surprise attack. “I said hey.” He admonished him for ignoring him.

Sam put his hands on Sebastian’s arms, holding them still for a moment then gently prying them off his body. “Yeah. Hey. What’s up?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Samantha, don’t do this.”

”I will punch you right now in front of these children.” Sam threatened.

”That’s not a very good example to set for Vincent. Not everything can be solved with violence, Sam.”

He scowled at him, probably ready to tell him off but Shane showed up right on time.

”Hey! I’m here to take over with the kids. You guys can go catch up with Demetrius and Robin. See if they got any useful information out of anyone.” Shane made it seem like he was talking to both of them, but he was only really looking at Sam.

Coward.

He was probably a little too harsh towards Shane but it just really pissed him off that Shane would think so lowly of them forever just because of that one moment he witnessed last summer. He wanted to be able to be friends with Sterling without everyone waiting for them to start fucking again. It wasn’t going to happen. 

Him and Sam said goodbye to Vincent and headed up the mountain towards his parents house.

"So, how was hanging out with Sterling?" Sam finally asked, keeping his tone neutral.

"Good." Sebastian responded, intentionally giving him nothing.

Sam looked wounded. "Oh."

"We weren't just hanging out on the beach, Sam."

"What do you mean?"

"When I found Sterling, he was getting on his motorcycle. I made him tell me where he was going, he admitted he was going to Zuzu to talk to Morgan's dad. I obviously wasn't going to stop him because he would just sneak off at a worse time to go do it anyway. So I went with him." He explained carefully.

"What the fuck!?" Sam spun on his heels to look at him.

"Yeah. He doesn't want anyone to know. I'm telling you, and only you, for now. Unless we find out something that makes it anyone else's business, this stays between us. Okay?" He looked Sam in the eyes super seriously.

"Okay... What the fuck though?! How did that go?" Sam looked totally bewildered.

He filled him in on the entire visit, grabbing his hand at the end of his monologue. "And when we got back, the luau was still going on so we went to the beach and talked about how fucked up the last year has been, and Sterling told me that he sees how happy you make me and that even if he never gets Morgan back, that he doesn't want me to feel guilty about it because it's not my fault and his happiness isn't my responsibility. So yeah, we're friends, and he's happy for us. So stop acting like I'm going to run off into the sunset with him when he's literally doing everything he can, taking gigantic risks, to get the love of his life back, and even knowing that he might never get him back, he still wouldn't dare try to take me away from you. He couldn't even if he tried, Sam. I love you more than anything in the world."

Sam grabbed him and crushed him against his chest, squeezing the life out of him. "Okay, okay, I love you, please let me breathe." 

Gasping for breath, Sam just smirked at him and ruffled up his hair with one hand, his other resting on his shoulder. "I love you too, Seb. I'm sorry for being so jealous, I just can't stand the thought of losing you again."

"Neither can I Sam, why do you think I empathize with Sterling so much? Imagine if I was in Morgan's place."

"I would be sneaking off to the city to talk to your dad behind everyone's back too." Sam concluded, shuddering at the thought of having to live through that nightmare.

With that out of the way, they headed into the house to talk to his parents and sister.

They were already sitting at the kitchen table when they walked in, Robin was looking humbled already.

"So?" Sebastian asked as they took their seats at the table.

Robin made a face. "I got nothing."

He raised his eyebrows, looking at Demetrius expectantly. He cleared his throat. "Well, me either. It was still worth it to get them back into society though."

Maru, however, looked like she was about to explode if she went another minute without speaking.

"Maru?" Sebastian asked in surprise. "You look like you have something to share."

"I talked to Alissa," She began, absolutely beaming with satisfaction, "After a couple margaritas, she told me that she doesn't see her mom very often because she visits Ginger Island a lot and never invites her." Pausing for dramatic effect, she took a sip of her water, looking around the table at everyone’s expressions. “I asked her why her mom goes there so much, and she said she has no idea.”

Sebastian had to remind himself that they didn't know everything that he did, and this was actually a huge lead.

Sam looked at him sideways, taking in his jaw dropped expression. "Seb, I think this counts as something that makes it everyone else's business."

Everyone was looking at him now, Maru especially. “What is it Seb?”

He took a deep breath before launching into the whole story.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sterling

”I told Sam you would never cheat on Morgan.” Maddie informed him as soon as Shane and Sebastian were out the door.

He turned to look at her in surprise. “Uhm, how did that come up?”

She shrugged casually. “He seemed upset while you were with him.”

”What did he say when you said that?” He pressed.

”Not much but it seemed to reassure him a little.”

Sterling shook his head. “I’m not a threat to him.”

”I know.” Maddie replied, sounding sincere. “Shane doesn’t trust you guys but I do.”

”Thanks Mads.” He gave her a one armed half hug on his way to the bathroom. “I’m gunna go take a shower.”

”Okay.” She went to go sit on the couch with Gloomy who was sleepier than usual lately.

They were actually kind of getting worried about her. Best case scenario she was just more lethargic lately because of the heat, but worst case… something was actually wrong. He didn’t think he could handle losing her too so he didn’t even want to think about it.

He turned on the water, ready to step inside, but his phone buzzed on the counter several times in a row catching his attention.

Sebastian: Huge news!!!

Sebastian: Mom and Demetrius got nothing, but Maru talked to Alissa

Sebastian: Malaya goes to ginger island all the time and she doesn't tell her why or invite her to come

Sterling froze, wondering where they went from here. This was a huge lead... but dangerous at the same time. This meant that not only was Keilani probably still alive, but they'd have to take the leap and start involving more people if they wanted to actually build a solid case.

Sterling: Fuck, what do we do now?

Sebastian: I told them what we found out, I hope you're not mad. It seemed like the right thing to do. Especially because there's nothing suspicious about Demetrius going to Ginger Island. 

Sterling: Not mad. I appreciate you so much. Great now I have to deal with Shane and Maddie's wrath...

Sebastian: Can't help you with that, sorry! Good luck :P

Sterling shook his head in amusement. Shutting off the water, he reluctantly walked back out into the living room.

Maddie looked up, studying him. "Did you take an imaginary shower?"

"No... uhm... I have a confession..." He began, figuring dealing with them one at a time was better than her and Shane ganging up on him.

15 minutes of admonishments later, Maddie had calmed down enough to help him think about their next moves. They would definitely need to talk to Rasmodius before they did anything stupid. They mutually agreed that Malaya was a liability and they were better off finding Keilani first before cluing her into their mission. 

Assuming that she would want to get back to her daughters and potentially even save her husband, she was more likely to help them. If she was still alive and hiding out around the island, she didn't have anything else but her life left to lose. Malaya, however, was the only one still living a relatively normal life. She had a lot more reason to panic and sabotage their investigation, especially if she was worried about Mr. Aguar hurting Alissa.

They would have to make sure Malaya wasn't on the island when any of them traveled there.

They ended up video calling Sebastian and Sam to talk it over more.

Seb agreed to talk to Rasmodius in the morning. Robin and Maru were going to sniff around to see if they could figure out when Malaya usually traveled to the island. Demetrius was going to talk to Willy about his "new research experiment" on Ginger Island and see about taking some trips out there.

They ended the call feeling more hopeful than any of them had in a while.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Morgan

After telling the others he was doing something potentially risky, he waited for the clothes to finish drying before getting dressed. He was pleased to find the clothes fit almost perfectly, just a little baggy on his toned body. Completing his outfit with the hat and sunglasses, he was almost ready for his little side mission.

He hid the backpacks deep in the tunnels, warning the serpents to hide if they got any inclination of a search party in the area. He brought the phone back up to the surface with him. Using the map that was still showing the last known location, he studied the area carefully, getting himself acquainted with the direction he needed to go. Then he smashed the phone and threw it in the river.

It was almost nightfall by the time he reached the edge of the forest that expanded west past the Cindersap forest. He slipped the sunglasses into his pocket and found a comfortable spot to hide out until the dark cover of night granted him the safety to venture out.

Hyper vigilance of his surroundings came in handy as he inched closer to town. He had always been naturally quiet and sneaky, but ever since he had to fend for himself out in the wilderness, he had gotten even lighter on his feet. You could barely hear the twigs snapping under his feet over the chorus of crickets and frogs echoing through the air.

The abandoned vineyard would be coming up, if his research studying the map was correct. He crept up to the edge of the property, just down below this ledge. Silently, he studied the old abandoned house for any signs of life.

At first it seemed as abandoned as he expected it to be, but then the clinking of bottles rang out into the silence, making him freeze in fear.

Watching closely, he saw movement through one of the dilapidated windows. It looked like someone was swaying around inside, moving things around. But who?

The sound of glass clinking rang out again. He carefully maneuvered lower down the ledge to another flat area with bushes for coverage.

"Fuck!" A voice yelled out, sounding pained as a loud crashing noise pierced his ears. He cringed. To anyone else, it was probably not that loud, but to him when his ears were so trained on something, his hearing was incredibly sensitive.

Aside from the startling noise, he vaguely recognized the voice as familiar. Not someone he had heard speak a lot, but had definitely heard at some point.

Curiosity was eating him alive at this point. Who was in there and what the hell were they doing? Drinking?

His brain ran through all the known alcoholics in town, coming up with a very small list.

Suddenly, the voice yelled out again, and the sound of wood splitting was unmistakable. A distant thump had him descending the ledge all the way to the ground.

Silently creeping up to the house, he peeked through a gap in the wooden siding to see what was going on in there. The building was decaying horrifically, which was evident seeing how there was no one visibly inside but there was a giant hole in the middle of the living room that looked new. A battery powered lantern illuminated the glass beer bottles littering the floor.

Morgan grappled with logic and empathy wondering what the hell to do right now. There was likely no way that person was getting out of the floor hole by themselves, especially not if they were drunk. Also, it was very likely that no one would realize they were missing and find them in time to save their life. However, he should really not be here right now.

"Fuuuuckkkk... so fucking stupid....." The voice in the floor groaned.

Morgan realized with a sudden jolt of shock who he was dealing with here.

He cautiously surveyed the property and surrounding woods, making sure no one else was around. Satisfied that they were truly alone, he went through the front door, carefully navigating the old house. Avoiding all the loose floor boards, vines, and garbage, he approached the edge of the hole in the floor, peering down with an intoxicating mixture of judgment, fear, relief, and excitement.

"Shane?"