Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Astrid Becke has done it again.  

She could feel their eyes on her back, as she was striding confidently towards the elevator. Only fifteen minutes with the mayor and she had turned and twisted and molded his original plans to her liking. The news traveled quickly through the busy office. Hushed voices following her on the way to the elevator. How did she do that? It's as if she could charm him to do anything. That witch.

She smiled. She liked this feeling of power. Of bending the political reality to her will. Of being completely and utterly in control. Inevitably others would have meetings, dinners, calls with Bertrand Dwendal, and the game would start anew. But she was always one step ahead. She was on top. As she stepped into the elevator, she heard one more whisper: Well, she’ll fall eventually, like everyone else.

Astrid Becke was one of the most influential people in Rexxentrum as those who studied the intricacies of the city's political playing field would tell anyone who cared to ask. They gave her the nickname "Archmage of Civil Influence", for she filled in the shoes of her predecessor as head of the infamous think tank slash intelligence agency “The Candles” with uncanny ease. She had been one of his protegèes and assistants, not the most gifted, but certainly the most ambitious, as it turned out. Though very little was known as to what exactly her previous assignment under the former master had entailed. How this young woman from some far off Zemnian town had made her way to the highest echelon of power in the biggest metropolis of the Dwendalian Republic was still a bit of a mystery. It was said that she came to her position due to another one declining the offer. But she sure never acted like she wasn't always meant to be there. The interested spectators differed on nearly every aspect of her persona: If she was a mere puppet of Trent Ikithon, who at the moment was at the center of a high profile court case. Or if she had been the one to take him down. If she only cared about consolidating her power. Or if her mission was to secure Rexxentrums safety and prosperity. If she was a demon or a saint. What they all could agree on was that she was a force to be reckoned with. And that they would enjoy watching her fall as much as they were fascinated by her rise.

She knew that, of course. She had laughed about that a lot of times. She laughed again when the door of the elevator closed and left her alone in the metal case, carrying her downwards with a steady pace. She laughed like she always did: barely audible, with bared teeth and tight shoulders. She had fought and plotted her way to the top. She had left barren land behind her, uprooted and burned and poisoned. They would wait in vain for her descent. She would not fall. She could not fall. There was nothing left for her to land on.

Chapter Text

In the mornings Astrid Becke goes on a run. This day – like most days – it's still dark as the lithe figure jogs through empty streets, making her way to the woods that crest at the outskirts of the city like a green ocean of damp soil and wet leaves, coated in dew and the first sunbeams of this late September day. The air is brisk and moist as she enters the forest. She is completely focused on her breath, on the best path to take that doesn't slow down her ascent up the hill. One time she nearly slips on a wet root but catches herself instantly. Sometimes she has to slow her pace but she never stops. Only when she reaches the top of the hill does she finally pause and look around. Behind her the trees, silently watching, before her a wide meadow sloping down the Eastern side of the hill, bathed in the morning sun that is quickly rising on the horizon.

She exhales. Closes her eyes and feels the warmth on her skin. Relaxes her shoulders a tiny fraction. At this spot, for this short moment every morning, the loneliness that comes with her job and that she has accepted a long time ago as a necessary trade for her aspirations feels utterly complete and safe. Noone to watch her every move, noone to talk behind her back, noone to plot her demise. Well, she’ll fall eventually, like everyone else. With a short shake of her head she tries to clear it from the nagging voice in her head and opens her eyes again. In the moment it takes for her eyes to adjust to the bright morning light she senses that someone else has entered the meadow. Instinctively she steps back in the shadow of the foliage, straining all her senses to detect the intruder. It doesn't take long: A tall figure is stepping onto the high grass at the far end of the clearing, confidently as if the meadow had only waited for them to do so. At this distance, with the light straining her eyes, Astrid can't see much. A hat. A certain strength in the movement. A dog, running beside them. Looking in her direction. And Astrid turns, runs, through the forest, down the hill, jumping over a fallen tree, ducking under low branches, spooked by this unexpected wanderer, her heart racing from the quick descent and the shock of seeing someone enter her safe place, of possibly being seen, being discovered here at this moment and this place where she is only Astrid for a few minutes every day. She slows her pace when she enters the city again, starting to bustle with men and women going to work, cars and bicycles racing past her, shops getting ready to open.

When she finally comes home, dripping from the dew and her sweat, she scolds herself for being so irrational. It was only another person taking a morning walk. Why had she even thought that she was the only one to know that place? It didn't matter. It didn't matter. Besides, they probably hadn't seen her in the first place. She laughs. Teeth clenched and shoulders tense.

Time to go to work.

Chapter Text

"A trip to Xhorhas?" He raised his right eyebrow and slumped deeper into the chair that looked a bit too small to accommodate his big form. He looked relaxed and comfortable, even a bit sleepy from the dinner they had shared in her office. But much like with a drowsing panther the deadly threat was only a millisecond away. There was mild surprise in his eyes and also something else that she couldn't quite place yet. Eadwulf Grieve was the closest thing to family she had in her life. They knew each other inside out and trusted one another completely (at least as much as one could know and trust anybody in this world, which sometimes wasn't quite that much, but one day many years ago she had decided to simply trust Wulf because fuck it). But even for her it wasn't always easy to penetrate his stoic facade. He would have been a great poker player. But play had never been an option for them since their teens. For years and years the only acceptable play for them had been that of a cat toying with the mouse it intended to eat. Trent had made sure of that.

"Astrid?" Eadwulf had started to lean a bit forward, the clouded emotion behind his eyes intensifying. Like a panther preparing for a pounce. Surprised, she followed the quick glance he sent towards her hand. She had broken the tip of her pencil.
"Wulf," she answered dryly, holding his gaze that was now fixed on her eyes and tossing the mutilated pencil aside. It had been a long day.
After a few seconds, Wulf relaxed back into his chair. "So, Xhorhas. Why?" He was a free contractor now, she couldn't order him to do anything he didn't want to do. And they both knew that she had many people and connections in the neighbouring country with many different objectives. Why would she want to send him there too? No use of talking around with Wulf.
"Because we need intelligence on the Taskhand."
A curious tilt of the head. "Verin Thelyss."
"The very same. You have been to Xhorhas before. What do you know of him?"
"Not more than you do. I have never met him. He is generally liked by his people. And talk is, he likes them too. Very jovial but a formidable warrior. Not a close relationship with his mother. Relationship to his brother unclear."
"That's where you would come in. I want to know how his relationship to Essek is. How much he knows. What he thinks and feels about that. If he plans to do something about it." If he is a possible threat to Caleb. Who had been Bren in times past but not forgotten. Never forgotten. "I don't trust anyone else with this. You are the only one who already knows what has happened. What's at stake."
A short nod. But the intense stare continued. He understood. But he was not convinced. She hadn't told him her whole reasoning and he knew. He could be a pain in the ass. He demanded to know why she wanted him to leave now and not in two months. Why she had chosen the day after Beauregard had sent them a brisk memo: "Last witness statements done. We have everything we need to make the hardest case this fucker and his lawyers have ever seen. Cheers."
How would she get Wulf to leave Rexxentrum without him thinking she just wanted to save him from the arduous waiting for any news from court? Him thinking that she only wanted to shield him? As if he needed shielding. She nearly snickered at the thought.
With a small sigh she leaned forward: "I couldn't ask you before because we both needed to be here in case Beauregard needed more information. Now only I have to remain in Rexxentrum to continue business. You don't. And we need that information. Also it's good to get you out of the way of nosy journalists who research more about some things than is good for them. They don't dare to touch me, at least at the moment. But they might find out about you and honestly I don't have the time and energy to deal with that."
Wulf continued to glare at her, but finally his expression softened.
"I'm not stupid, Astrid. You want to give me a task, something to think about, something far enough to let me breathe. And it wouldn't be you if you didn't find something that would also give you crucial intelligence. Don't look at me like that, you have always been efficient with your plans and I respect that. I’ll go to Xhorhas and see what I information I can gather." He stood up and bent over the table, his tall and muscular frame menacing if it hadn't been for the sincere compassion in his eyes. "But if you ever need me here, call. Promise me."
The emotion in his eyes, it had been worry. Worry for her. She didn't like that he felt that was an appropriate emotion concerning herself. She was Astrid Becke, wasn’t she? How silly of him. She could take care of herself. But he waited for an answer, and he wouldn't go without one. "Okay, I'll call." Her voice sounded strangely choked. She gripped his hand. "Pass auf dich auf, Wulf."
"Immer doch." And with a grin he opened the bottle of wine that Beau had sent with the memo. "Cheers."

Chapter Text

"Does this spark joy?" 

Essek held a nondescript brown bowl in his hands, his brow furrowed and his voice showing a substantial amount of uncertainty.

"I mean it's not pretty but it does keep the soup warmer compared to the blue ones Jester gave us last Winter's Crest. Plus it's the first bowl I've bought when coming to Rexxentrum so I have fond memories of it. But it doesn't stack with the blue or the red ones. It always annoys me to find a place for it when it's clean. But on the other hand, it doesn't have dicks on it so maybe we should keep it for, like, serious guests?"

Wulf could have sworn that Essek's hands had started to tremble. But before he could help in any way, Caleb had already embraced Essek from behind.

"Maybe it's time to take a break from tidying, Liebling. It's slowly getting dark … Could you please look after our chickens? It's nearly time for the foxes to go on the hunt and I don't want to leave our guest alone." 

Essek instantly relaxed into Caleb's embrace and let him take the bowl out of his no longer trembling hands. "Oh, of course I'll look after them! Sunny was staying out late the last couple of days and I don't want anything to happen to her!" With a tender kiss and an embarrassed blush when he remembered Wulf was watching, he left. 

"He's taking this tidying business a bit too seriously", Caleb explained with a soft smile. "I might have to ban all conversations about bowls for the next week or he'll have a heart attack when he realizes that we have even more bowls in the basement." 

"You might have to take the basement bowls in your own hands and hide them from him," Wulf proposed. 

Caleb laughed and shook his head at the same time. "No, I couldn't hide something from him. He has enough secrecy in his life right now."

"I understand." So there went his plan on asking Caleb about Verin. If Caleb would confide in Essek, the latter might tell his brother that Wulf (and in extension Astrid) were interested in him. If Verin was playing a double game, he would be warned. Even if Essek thought he could trust his brother, he was biased. And if he didn't and wouldn't tell Verin, it might trouble him to think about lost family. So the only way for Eadwulf was to go directly to the Taskhand in question and come to his own conclusions. With a mental shrug he took a sip from the hot chocolate that Essek had made for them. The cup looked like a smaller bowl.

Caleb refilled his own cup and sat down on the couch next to Wulf. 

"So, old friend, did you come here only to discuss bowls or is there another reason for your visit?"

"Indeed, there is. I'm leaving the country for a while."

"Ah, are you allowed to tell me about it?" 

"Better not. It's nothing too dangerous. Astrid wanted me out of Rexxentrum for the next few weeks and to be honest I'm glad to leave the city. But I'm hesitant to leave Astrid alone. She is overworking herself. Eventually she will stumble. And it bothers me that I might not be here to pick her up if it happens sooner rather than later."

With a serious expression on his freckled face, so familiar and yet deeply changed since their youth, Caleb firmly gripped his forearm. "I'll have my eye on her, friend."

Wulf took another sip of his chocolate and nodded. “Thank you, friend.” He didn’t really know if the warm sensation in his stomach came from the hot chocolate or from the knowledge that maybe he had lost a friend all these years ago when Bren had left. But now, with Caleb, once again there was a friend he could rely on.

Chapter Text

Wulf left Rexxentrum early on Saturday morning. He took the train, spending hours reading encoded files when he was certain no one could peek over his shoulder. Astrid had compiled an extensive dossier on Verin Thelyss, his staff, his colleagues, his pastimes and hobbies. Wulf read all of it, memorized what he deemed important, made a few notes in his private shorthand, carefully hid the compiled passwords for all manner of infrastructure in Bazzoxan, especially the keys for the Taskhand’s network, and destroyed the rest. When he arrived in Bazzoxan one day later, he found the flat that had been prepared for him, slept for ten hours straight and then got to work to become Leonhard Pine, freelance writer working for several small companies in this military town. He looked forward to being Leonhard. To make his cover believable he indeed had to write various texts for the new website of a local grocery store. In school, before his life had taken the strange and straining tangent that had brought him here to Bazzoxan, he had enjoyed his writing assignments. He had continued this hobby during the last two decades as Hans and Christopher and several other identities. In this sense, Leonhard felt like a welcome homecoming. 

Eadwulf opened the window and smelled the cold air that came down from the nearby mountains. For the next few weeks he would slowly build his base here. Make his own investigations. Hear what the people were saying about Verin Thelyss, Taskhand, leader of the Aurora Watch. And when he was ready, he would find a way of meeting the man himself to make his own assessment. 

Eadwulf was looking forward to his stay in Xorhas. As was Leonhard.

***

Astrid was busy. She had online meetings and work lunches and kept her eye on everything of (possible) importance in Rexxentrum and as much as she could grasp of what was going on in the rest of the Dwendalian Republic. She listened and thought and planned and talked and at night she fell in bed exhausted but feeling somewhat empty. If she ever missed Wulf, she quickly dismissed that feeling. He was better off in Xhorhas at the moment and it was only sensible for them to keep communication sparse.

In the mornings she made her rounds through the city. It took her a week to revisit her usual place in the woods, some childish embarrassment keeping her away for a few days. When she visited the meadow for the first time after the incident , as she called it half-jokingly when talking to herself, she sneaked carefully to the treeline, trying not to be seen by any wayward wanderer. She was a bit disappointed when no other soul was anywhere to be seen. The meadow lay quiet and peaceful before her. 

The following mornings she made it a game for herself to continue sneaking up to the meadow as if a great danger was lurking there that must not see her. Sometimes she surprised a bird or a squirrel and once she secretly watched a doe with her fawn for half an hour before she remembered that she had to go back to work. She nearly missed an important meeting with Bertrand Dwendal that day. She really shouldn’t spend time on those childish things.    

***

"Do you ever use this scarf? Does it spark joy?"

"Every scarf sparkes joy."

"Oh, I see. There are a lot of them though."

"Your observation is – as always – correct."

"Good."

"Essek?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Caleb Widowgast."

Chapter Text

She hated Ludinus Da’leth. Not as passionately and desperately as she hated Trent, but with the cold knowledge that he had always known and was walking freely. That he had his own machinations that she only knew small snippets of – if she was optimistic. That he was the only one outside of prison that could become dangerous for her. Trent haunted her nights. Ludinus haunted her days. 

That morning had already started weird. Very early, Astrid had made her usual run to the meadow. At this time of year the morning air was increasingly brisk and the sun rose later and later. It was still far from the darkest days of the year but summer had clearly ended and the wet morning air already tasted of the cold days to come. Leaning against the smooth bark of a beech tree, she watched the sloping field undisturbed by the sun that had not yet climbed high enough to blind her. Noone to be seen. She relaxed. Then – movement. A tall figure stepping out from the treeline at the base of the meadow, followed by a smaller one. She recognised the hat. The dog. The air of confidence and strength about them. For a second she was startled, thinking about hiding. But she didn't. She stepped forward and looked. The figure wore sturdy clothes, dark browns and greens. They were tall and lanky but moving with control and confidence. Astrid stepped one step further, wanting to see the narrow face more clearly, but couldn't discern the details. They were still too far for that. But it reminded her of something, someone. At that moment she realized that the figure themself had stopped and looked at her. They nodded in greeting and strode forwards, soon vanishing in the shadows of the forest again. 

On her way home Astrid couldn't shake the feeling that she knew them.

Later, when she stepped out of the elevator, she immediately sensed the hushed anxiety in the office. Calianna, her PA, rushed to her side: "He's just appeared here a minute ago. I didn't have time to warn you." She glanced at the man in the dark blue suit standing in the waiting area, his back straight and his long silver hair even straighter. With his usual calm demeanor he turned around and greeted Astrid with the hint of a bow. 

“Ah, Miss Becke, how good to see you.” 

His smile didn’t reach his eyes. Neither did hers. 

“Mr Da’leth, I didn’t expect your visit today. I’m terribly busy, but come to my office, I can of course spare a few minutes for such an esteemed colleague.” 

He followed her into the minimalistic room and stepped up to the window, looking out over the sprawling city of Rexxentrum. 

“I always admire your view.”

"I do too, it is one of the best office spaces in the whole Republic. But I don't think you’ve only made your way here to express that admiration?”

“Ha, the youth, always so impatient. No, of course not. I have heard you have talked a lot with the mayor recently and I wanted to make sure our goals for the safety of this city and nation … align." He followed this statement with the usual elegantly and politely worded inquiries and threats. She answered equally politely and after fifteen minutes of talking and not giving each other the slightest information that they weren't sure the other one already knew, Ludinus started excusing himself. "Well, I'm glad we've talked this over, it's always a pleasure to converse with someone as quick of mind as you are, young Becke. Ah, before I forget: My greetings to Mr Grieve, I'm glad to see he's doing foreign missions again. He always was so talented in those." He was smiling amicably, when he shook her hand. "Until the next time, Astrid Becke." Her clenched chaw nearly cracked when she had to open her mouth to send him on his way. "Have a nice day, Ludinus."

He didn't know exactly where Wulf was. But he would try everything to get that information and he wanted her to know that. She trusted Wulf's skills, Ludinus wouldn’t get far. She still felt a little sick when the controlled anger boiled in her stomach. 

That night Astrid has a strange dream. 

It starts familiar, a dream she has most nights: She is standing with her back to a cliff. Wind ruffling her hair, tugging at her clothes. She knows: to fall down that cliff will kill her. Sometimes Wulf is standing beside her. Sometimes Caleb. Sometimes Bren. This night she is alone.

Every time a man comes towards her, and it is always Trent. She wants to fight him, to hurt him, to throw him off the cliff, but she never can, she is paralyzed. When he has reached her, when he is so close that she can see the pockmarks on his face and feel his breath on her cheek, she wakes in a cold sweat. Always. Usually. But not tonight. This night, Trent isn’t alone. Suddenly Ludinus is there too, laughing coldly. “She’ll fall eventually.” She steps back, hurt. As she stumbles back she sees a tall figure standing behind the men, watching silently. She falls. It feels like flying. 

Chapter Text

There was a cat. More of a kitten, really, sitting on a small protrusion of the wall in a small back alley. Wulf had no idea how the kitten had made it up there. And the kitten obviously had no idea how to get down. Wulf sighed. He was on his way home from a walk around town, shopping for a new sweater, drinking tea at a small coffee shop and picking up groceries. All the while doing small talk with the staff and other patrons, inconspicuously and carefully trying to get further insights on Verin Thelyss, who – as Wulf knew from Astrid's dossier and his own investigations in several pubs and shops and other places during the past three weeks – frequented these establishments. Wulf didn't get very far this day, but he was patient and he had time. Leonhard had work for a few months here and the grocery shop was very pleased with his writing. Which in turn pleased Wulf more than he was willing to admit. 

On his way home it had started to drizzle. Wulf didn't hurry though. He enjoyed feeling the tiny drops on his cheeks and his neck, the empty sidewalk and the sound of his boots on the wet pavement. It was peaceful. Until a small meow from the left disturbed his quiet walk. He entered the alley and found the wet kitten on the wall. 

Now here he stood and sighed. Of course there was a kitten on the wall, wet and pitiful and lost. And of course he was the one who had to save it. Every second he let slide he felt Caleb's stare in his back. Wulf wasn't prone to superstition, but he knew that Caleb would haunt his soul (what was left of it at least) for every drop that fell on that scrawny creature. Under the wet and dirt it looked red. Of course it did. So, there was no question this cat needed saving, but the question remained: How would he get there? It was too far up for him to reach the kitten and there was nothing he could step on. He tried to make himself as tall as he could and coax the kitten to jump down in his hand. No chance. It only held on tighter to the protrusion. He sighed again. Great. The rain got progressively stronger and started to trickle down his neck, under his shirt, down his back. He stared down the kitten and sighed a third time. 

"You need help?" 

Wulf jumped. He had been so focused on the kitten and Caleb's imaginary presence that he didn't hear the actual man behind him approaching. The deep, musical voice sounded strangely familiar, but he didn't dare turn around in case the kitten would fall from its precarious perch. 

"Maybe." 

The man stepped closer. Wulf could only see him out of the corner of his eye. He looked tall and broad shouldered, his face mostly hidden by the hood of his dark violet jacket. Wulf could only see a bright smile, flashing white teeth. 

"I'm always happy to help lost kittens and valiant strangers who try rescuing them. What do you need? I could lift you up."

"Good idea."

The man stepped even nearer and Wulf could smell his Eau de Cologne, musky and light at the same time, plus a faint memory of leather and lime, cozy and sparkly at the same time. It was distracting. Wulf kept his gaze fixed even more on the kitten. It had started to shiver. Time to do something and stop waxing about the smell of the hooded stranger at his side. It was ridiculous. 

"Can you give me a leg up? Then I could reach it."

"Of course." 

A few seconds later, Wulf was standing in the stranger's hands, leaning against his torso while the frightened kitten scratched his fingers. Nonplussed, he pressed the small, dripping creature against his chest with one hand and put his other hand on the man's shoulder. It felt very muscular. He could feel the stranger's warmth seep through his own wet clothes. A warm feeling he hadn't felt in a long time started churning in his belly. Ridiculous. He hadn't even seen the man's face yet, what the fuck was happening? Wulf took a deep breath, focusing again on the tiny trembling body at his chest.

"I've got it. You can lower me down."

Finally he was standing directly in front of the stranger who pulled back his hood, laughing cheerfully. 

"Guess what. It has just stopped raining." He bent forward, scratching the kitten's neck. It immediately started purring. His radiant smile became softer. "Oh hello there little one! No worries, we've got you, you're safe now." 

Then and there, Eadwulf Grieve realized three fundamental truths at the exact same time:

Number one. The man before him, petting and talking to the kitten, was the Taskhand Verin Thelyss himself. His target. That's why his voice had been familiar – Wulf had watched videos of him and listened to his brother talk, who had a similar inflection. The man he needed to know everything about, at least everything that concerned Essek and therefore Caleb. He was standing before him.

Number two. The Taskhand would never suspect a thing because he had approached Wulf, it had been a true chance meeting. He obviously liked the kitten and didn't feel the need to rush away. It would be easy to engage him in a conversation. To be charming and get close. It was perfect for his mission.

Number three. This handsome man named Verin Thelyss, with his long and braided hair and eyes that looked almost violet in the sun that had suddenly come out again, was standing right in front of him. Wulf could smell him. He could see a stray raindrop glistening on his nearly white lashes. He heard him laugh and felt the instant need to hear him laugh again. He watched his hands comforting the now purring kitten and wondered how they would feel on his own skin. These feelings were instinctive and intense and Wulf didn't know what to do about them. He was in trouble.

A second later, his years of training kicked in. He filed the third truth away for later inspection. He took a long breath in and out and slowed his heartbeat to a reasonable pace. He focused on the task in front of him. He smiled.

"I think we haven't introduced ourselves. Hi, I'm Leonhard."

Chapter Text

“Hi Leonhard, nice to meet you. I’m Verin. I would shake your hand, but I think you better take care of the little one here.” That bright smile, again. 

“I guess you’re right.” Wulf smiled, too. He had to, Verin’s smile was infectious. 

Wulf had read and heard a lot about the Taskhand during the past weeks and had learned that nearly everyone seemed to like Verin Thelyss. He was respected and had stayed approachable even as he rose through the ranks. In his youth he had often frequented the pubs and clubs of Bazzoxan. He had been known for his lively partying, often leaving when the sun already started to rise, with at least one fellow partygoer on his side. His copious flings were short lived but held in fond memory. He didn’t break hearts and didn’t lose his heart either, at least that’s what Wulf gleaned from his informants. During the past years, as his responsibilities and workload grew, his visits in the local pubs became fewer and a bit tamer, but he was still no stranger there by any means. Originally, Wulf had planned to meet Verin in one of the pubs, somehow attracting his eye. He had no problem with flirting and getting a bit closer to someone if he wanted that person to share information. He didn’t go all the way and stayed true to his own boundaries – if feelings started to get involved (always from the other party), he retreated (at this time he usually already had enough of the information he’d wanted). It helped if the people were nice but not easily hurt and Verin seemed to fit that description perfectly. If the stories about the Taskhand were true, it would have been a fair game. 

And now the Taskhand stood in front of him and Wulf had to remind himself that nothing of this plan had to change. Yes, things had happened more quickly than anticipated, but no need to change direction. It would be easier now. This was a good thing. No idea why it suddenly  felt dangerous. He knew how to do this. A little flirt never hurt nobody. 

Wulf looked down at the kitten that had settled in his grasp and started to chew on his sweater. “Well, I guess I need to get this one something to eat.”

“Of course, do you live around here?”

Wulf looked at Verin, cocking an eyebrow. 

“Maybe. Why do you wanna know?” 

Verin laughed again. “I don’t want to be creepy or anything, but if those bags of groceries are yours you might need someone to help you carry them – or the kitten. Though it seems to like it at your chest.” Verin gestured at the kitten that currently tried to crawl inside Wulf’s sweater. When he looked up again, Wulf caught his gaze and smiled. “Well, if you’re free, I’ll gladly accept the offer.” He didn’t let go of Verin’s gaze until the other man broke eye contact with another small laugh and grabbed the bags. “Then lead the way, Leonhard.” 

Wulf noted with satisfaction that this last laugh almost sounded a little nervous. It worked.

He decidedly didn't think about how his own stomach had fluttered as he looked into those violet eyes.

Chapter Text

Wulf was always prepared for everything. His flat looked exactly like Leonhard's flat would look: sparsely furnished, a few cardboard boxes still half packed with books and other stuff Leonhard would deem important enough to own. Conveniently, Leonhard was a minimalist. Any sensitive information that would give his real persona and mission away was very well hidden on his laptop and in a "diary", written in code and strewn between ramblings on life and living that nobody would have the stamina to go through if they could avoid it. 

So when the three of them – Verin, Wulf and the kitten – arrived at his doorstep, he asked Verin in. 

Verin didn't even feign to be busy otherwise. He just grinned.

Wulf handed the kitten and a towel to Verin. "The little one seems to like you. You can start cleaning it while I pack away the groceries." He quickly stored away the groceries that needed cooling in the kitchen. He could hear Verin talking to the kitten in the living room. His voice was low, soothing, occasionally disrupted by an "ouch!" or a gentle laugh. Wulf caught himself standing still in front of the open fridge, milk in his hand, simply listening. It was charming. After a minute or two he shook himself out of it. He put the milk in the fridge, closed the door, told himself quietly to start acting like the professional he supposedly was. Another "nonono, that's my finger, not your food!" from Verin made him smile again. Okay. Not professional . So he decided to put Wulf on the back burner as he was apparently not useful at the moment. It was time to stick to being Leonhard. Leonhard could have a silly crush after this ridiculous meet cute. Leonhard simply wanted to get to know Verin, without any hidden agenda. Leonhard could be open and do what he liked and somewhere down the line Wulf could reign things in when he had finally gotten a grip on himself. That was a plan. Leonhard smiled, put the last groceries away and returned to the living room. He really hoped it was a good one.

He stopped when entering the room, leaning against the doorframe, watching Verin wrestle with the kitten that had decided it rather wanted to play with (i. e. kill) the towel than to be subject to any form of cleaning. Verin's complaints ("You rascal, that's mine! Stop it! You're a little devil!") did sound quite amused and he had a big smile on his face when he finally looked up and saw he had been watched. 

"So you're just standing there and doing nothing while this vile little creature is destroying your towel? I hope you don't blame that on me." 

He had taken off his violet jacket, revealing a washed blue t-shirt that was fitted well enough to decidedly not hide any of his muscular arms and shoulders. Verin certainly was well trained. But not in that stiff, inflexible way of people who were simply doing weight training in the gym. His movements – as he was currently wrestling with the cat again – were smoother, controlled and relaxed at the same time. Rather late Leonhard realized that Verin had looked up from the kitten again and had noticed him looking. His violet eyes were twinkling with amusement when their eyes met for a moment before Leonhard looked down, caught. He could feel his cheeks warm up. Verin broke the awkward silence that ensued. "I hope you don't mind me taking off my jacket, it was a bit wet from the rain."

Rubbing it in, you asshole, you very well saw that I don't mind. But let's keep the pretense. 

"Oh, of course, no problem. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold for helping me rescue a kitten."

In a quick and surprisingly graceful motion for someone so … well built, Verin stood up, letting the kitten and towel be. He stepped up to Leonhard, his eyes still twinkling. 

"Well then I think you should change too. You look positively drenched. Maybe take a hot shower. I don't want you to catch a cold either." 

He was standing near Leonhard now, just at the cusp of being too close for being a stranger, but not quite. An invitation. 

Leonhard hesitated. A part of him wanted to close the distance. To feel the heat radiating off the other man's body that he could sense even now. To take in this dizzying smell of leather and lime. To do something reckless. For the first time since decades. For a millisecond he swayed, leaning in a bit more, but then Wulf was here again: Stop. He's the target. Don't go too quickly or he might be tired of you tomorrow and then there's no way you can earn his trust. Be patient. Be sensible. Be the bloody agent that you are. He snapped out of it and took a small step back. 

"You're right, I need to get in the shower. I think I can handle the kitten alone from here."

Verin took the hint with grace and retreated himself. 

"Of course, take care." 

He petted the kitten one more time, put on his jacket and his boots and opened the door, lingering a bit. 

"If you ever wanna grab a drink or need any help with the kitten … you can text me." 

"I would love to. If you give me your number."

A wide grin lightened up Verin's features.

When Verin was finally gone, Wulf stepped back into his living room to find the kitten asleep on the towel. Even though it hadn’t been cooperating with Verin – stop thinking about his arms god dammit – it was cleaned up and Wulf shook his head at the sight. It wasn't all ginger. It had white and black spots too. 

Wulf kneeled down and gently stroked it with one finger. 

"Du bist eine Glückskatze," he whispered. "Wie gefällt dir Feli? Willkommen daheim."

The kitten quietly started purring.

Chapter Text

It had started small, a couple of weeks after Wulf had left. In hindsight she couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment. But quietly and surreptitiously her ability to live her life slipped from her grasp.
At first she didn’t think too much about it. She didn’t think about her morning run feeling longer and longer from day to day, the hills steeper, her feet heavier. She blamed it on the late sunrise. She didn’t think about her workdays stretching endlessly, her almost missing meetings if Calianna didn’t knock at her door to remind her, her forgetting the name of an important donor to the think tank. Maybe it was only the coffee she missed that day, Calianna messing up her schedule and everyone would forget the name of that entirely forgettable man.

It didn’t help that she couldn’t sleep like she used to. In the evenings she fell in bed tired, desperate for some rest, but rest didn’t come. When she was lucky and sleep found her, it came with nightmares in toe. About Trent and Ludinus and the cliff. And her falling. In those dreams she looked out for the tall stranger. But she couldn't see them. She couldn't see.

After a couple of weeks like this, she couldn’t ignore anymore that something was wrong. She couldn’t ignore that putting on her running shoes in the morning felt equally as exhausting as the whole run had done one month ago. She couldn’t ignore that Calianna made her bigger coffees every day. She couldn’t ignore that Ludinus got a sly glint in his eye when she stumbled on one minor detail in the project they were discussing with Bertrand Dwendal. Astrid Becke wasn’t allowed to stumble. They both knew that.

She pushed through nonetheless. As well as she could. Which wasn’t very well, if she was honest to herself, but well enough that she could feign functioning. And after a lifetime of lying to people, she knew how to feign. And she needed it more badly from day to day. A part of her knew that she could ignore this only for a short period of time. That consuming ever growing amounts of coffee probably dug the pit more deeply that she would fall into eventually. But what was she supposed to do? She wouldn’t give anyone the satisfaction to see her fall. And it didn’t feel like falling. It felt like she was swimming in an ocean of responsibilities and politics and everyday tasks that were pulling her down. But if she was going to drown, at least she knew she could hold her breath for a long time.

When Caleb invited her to dinner, she declined. She was afraid he could see the water closing in around her.

Chapter Text

The kitten sleeping on his belly, Wulf lay on his nondescript gray couch and stared at his phone. He had a messaging app open – the chat with one "Verin T". It was empty. It had been empty for approximately half an hour. Give or take five minutes. Every once in a while Wulf started typing something and deleted it after short contemplation.

Hi.

– Too basic. And maybe Verin gave his number to five different people a day and that could end weird.

Hi, here's Leonhard. 

– More information, but incredibly boring.

Man with the kitten here, wanna grab lunch sometime?

– Horrible. 

And so on. Wulf had never thought a first text could be that difficult. If he blew this, his whole mission here was made nearly impossible. It had been a hot second since Wulf had last initiated a flirty but not too flirty conversation. If asked the day before he would have been pretty confident in pulling it off effortlessly. But then raindrops on nearly white lashes had happened and if he chose the wrong words Verin would think he was a creep or entirely uninteresting. And he needed to see Verin again to protect Caleb. And to hear that laugh one more time. And feel the heat of his body just out of touch. Stop it! But then again, why couldn't he appreciate a beautiful thing? No harm in that, was it?

"Was sagst du, Feli?" He gently stroked her white full belly that moved softly up and down. Fast asleep, she didn't answer. 

"Well, fuck, you think being adorable let's you skip that conversation?" She sighed a deep sleepy sigh, stretched her legs, relaxed again and continued being the cutest cat Wulf had ever seen. Caleb would love her. But communications with home were meant to be only for emergencies and though Wulf was certain that Caleb would see cat pics as an emergency, Astrid would not.

Then he had an idea. 

LEONHARD: 

[image of sleeping kitten]

Update on kitten rescue: Little one is sleeping now but told me to thank you for helping to get her down that wall. She still thinks that it was sketchy of you to attack her with the towel, but she has recovered from that betrayal and appreciates the thought behind it. 

Sent.

Delivered. 

…

After 5 minutes, still not read. And the more he reread it, the less funny it sounded.

Wulf pondered deleting the message but that would simply be embarrassing. So he put the phone on the white coffee table next to him and stared at the ceiling. For the first time since he had come to Bazzoxan, he felt a bit lonely. Not terribly lonely because the warm furry ball sleeping on his stomach made him smile every time he looked at it. He could get used to that. Adopting a kitten had definitely not been part of the plan, but he had no intention of bringing little Feli to an animal shelter. His flat was big enough for a kitten for a while and when he was back in Rexxentrum, she could find a loving home with Caleb, where she would have a family and a garden. 

But he felt lonely because now he had this furry ball and he couldn’t share it with anyone. Jester would love her. They weren’t particularly close, but of all of Caleb’s friends it was Jester that Wulf liked the most; and sometimes they shared cute gifs or videos they found on the internet, or the picture of a funnily shaped potato and stuff like that. Not that Wulf was particularly into funnily shaped potatoes, but he liked to know he had made Jester smile. Because when Beau or Fjord looked at him, they always saw the former Volstrucker first and foremost. Jester … she saw that part of him last. 

Wulf sighed, picked up the phone again – still no reply – and started listening to a science podcast. It was later in the evening already and lying on his couch with the sleeping kitten and the sonorous voice of the podcaster, he started drifting off. 

When his phone buzzed loudly, Wulf nearly fell down the couch, steadying himself at the last minute, Feli clawing into his shirt not to slip off. 

“Shit, sorry, Kleine.” He settled back into his previous position, comforting Feli with one hand while reaching for his phone, his heart still racing a bit from the sudden awakening. It was a message from Verin. Didn't help with the heart racing thing. And his phone kept buzzing in rapid succession.

VERIN T:

Oh hey 😊 

Glad to hear that she's doing well! 🥰

And thanks for the cute pic! 😍

Looks like she has found herself a good place to rest 😉

I'm happy I could help with that rescue mission 😃

Meeting you wasn't bad either, I have to confess. 😊

Sorry for the late reply btw, was working out 💪💪💪

How's your day going? 

Looks like a cozy evening 😊

Wulf looked at his phone and had to chuckle. He would have expected Verin to write more … laid back? With less … emojis? And for some reason that made Wulf smile. Also, of course he had been working out. And he was obviously still in a flirty mood – this would be easy after all.

After a few seconds pondering on the visuals of Verin working out, Wulf answered. They talked about the kitten and which things Wulf would have to buy for it and where he could find them. Peppered in between were more pictures of Feli in slightly different sleeping positions, followed by lots of hearts and heart eye emojis from Verin. It was easy. It was effortless. 

VERIN:

Have to go to bed now, getting up early tomorrow 😴

LEONHARD:

Sure, no worries! Does your job require you to get up early?

VERIN:

Yeah, Aurora Watch, it’s in the name I guess 😅

LEONHARD:

Ah cool! Lots of responsibility?

VERIN: 

A bit, but it’s fine 🙃

Can you sleep in? What kind of day jobs do valiant kitten rescuing strangers have? Never met one before today 🤔

LEONHARD:

I’m a writer. 

VERIN: 

So not only sexy but also smart 🤓

Wulf could feel a blush creeping into his cheeks that Verin thankfully couldn’t see.

LEONHARD: 

Haha

I’m no prized author 

The boring kind of writer, websites and such. But I can keep to my own schedule, that’s nice. 

Speaking of schedules, off to bed now, I wouldn’t want you to lose sleep over cat pictures. 

VERIN:

Would be worth it 🤔

But yes, sleep well, Leonhard the Kitten Rescuing Writer 😸

And give Feli some cuddles from me 🥰

LEONHARD:

I will.

And don’t forget, the knight in shining armor in this situation was you. 

VERIN:

Haha

Now you’re making me blush 🤭

LEONHARD:

On no :) 

Good night, Verin

VERIN: 

Good night, Leonhard ☺️

After that last text, Wulf stared at his screen for a while. Then, with a fluttery, light feeling in his chest and a soft smile on his lips, he got himself ready for bed. It took a while though till he could fall asleep.