Archive of Our Own ^beta

Lawless fiddled with the dog tag, his tiny hedgehog paws jangling the chain. He was still getting used to the name engraved into the metal - “Hyde.” Licht had given it to him only a few days before, after nearly a month of staying with him. Lawless had gone through so many Eves that he was well practiced with taking on and throwing away names, but this one was growing on him already. He liked the feel of the tag between his human fingers, the cool metal reminding him of how close he was to his next contract.

Still, he didn't dare transform right now. Licht had been on edge since Krantz went out a couple of hours before, and even though Licht wasn't in the room at the moment, his fidgeting was setting Lawless's spines on end.

He'd been considering showing Licht his human form tonight, but the way things were going, he wasn't sure he'd get to. His suspicions were only reinforced when Licht swept into the room wordlessly, not so much as offering his customary greeting or even a quick pat.

He flopped down on his bed, lying on his back and practically drowning in his oversize black sweatshirt. Lawless didn't sense any particularly bad mood coming from Licht, but there was definitely something strange there. Not that Licht's strangeness was unusual, but this felt different. He watched for a few moments more, but in that time, Licht just turned on his side, curling in on himself a little.

A crack of thunder split the air so suddenly that Lawless jumped and looked toward the window. The sky was dark – darker even than the late night sky should be – and fat droplets of rain gathered on the glass. Krantz had mentioned a storm earlier, but Lawless hadn't really paid much attention. He'd been more focused at the time on how to complete his contract, now that he'd been given a name. When he looked back at Licht, the pianist had his hood up and was huddled into himself even further.

After all the time this guy spent going on about how he was an angel, this was what he was afraid of? Kind of anticlimactic, Lawless thought.

But no. That wasn't quite right. There had been a few storms since Licht had picked him up, and with all the traveling they did for Licht's concerts, they'd run into plenty of bad weather. So maybe it wasn't the storm after all. But why else would he be this out of sorts?

Lawless barely considered it before hopping down from his bench seat at the window. He scampered over to the side of the bed, dog tag jingling when he stumbled over the chain, and uttered a sharp “kyui!” loud enough so Licht would hear.

At first, when Licht didn't move, Lawless thought he might be ignoring him. Rude.

Lawless was about to call out again when he heard the rustling of the bed covers and Licht's hand reached over the side of the bed, lowering to Lawless's current level like a miniature chairlift. The bed was tall enough that Licht had to lean over the side in order for Lawless to be able to climb into his palm, and as he did, Lawless tried to get a look beneath his hood – a difficult feat when everything but his mouth and nose were obscured by the edge of the material. Lawless liked Licht's features. They were sharp, discerning, but could never quite hide what he was feeling.

And now, as Licht raised him up onto the mattress beside him, Lawless didn't need to see his face to figure out something was off. There was a faint trembling in Licht's fingers, probably only noticeable by touch. Lawless nosed them, as he thought a real hedgehog might, and found they smelled pleasantly of lavender soap. Licht used it often, and Lawless found the scent calming and light.

Licht tucked Lawless against his chest, keeping one hand on his side as if he thought he might try to wriggle away. It was another minute before he spoke, and when he did, it was soft, gentle toward his tiny companion as he fingered the tag. “You still like your name, huh?”

Lawless nuzzled Licht's chest, the rough fabric of the hoodie chafing his nose. He had sort of grown to like sitting with Licht this way, tucked against him while Licht petted his prickly back. He'd fallen asleep to it more than once. He was starting to drift off now, too, the pattering rain lulling him with its rhythm, Licht's warmth seeping into his body.

“I'm not afraid of storms,” Licht said suddenly.

Lawless looked up to see Licht's face mostly uncovered, the hood pulled back so to reveal violet eyes staring across the room at the black clouds outside. They were distant, but as he spoke, held a spark of stubborn determination, as if he were trying to prove something both to himself and to the weather.

“Angels aren't scared of things as stupid as thunderstorms,” he said. “Krantz used to tell me that storms are angels watching a play on top of the clouds and the thunder is their applause.”

Lawless perked up. If angels had plays, maybe being an angel mouse, as Licht had earlier dubbed him, might not be so bad, even if he was a vampire.

I don't get this guy, Lawless thought. If he's not scared of the storm, what's his problem?

He had to wait another few minutes for Licht to speak again. Licht's hands drifted over Lawless's back, smoothing his spines, deft and sure, before he moved his forefinger absently to the bridge of Lawless's nose, inciting a ticklish sneeze.

“Sorry,” Licht said, rubbing the back of his knuckle over the hedgehog's forehead with a sigh. “I wasn't paying attention. I forgot you don't really like that.”

S'okay. Lawless nudged Licht's hand again. Licht apparently took it as forgiveness, or else comforting, because he rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling, though his hand never left Lawless. It was like he was keeping him as some sort of lifeline, though Lawless didn't understand why.

This guy's really broody, he thought, taking the opportunity to observe the odd angel-chan. Lawless wouldn't be surprised if he was scared of storms. Even after barely a month, he'd come to understand many of Licht's mannerisms, and he didn't usually admit to being bothered by things like this. Not to other humans anyway. To his hedgehog companion he'd confided plenty, and a small part of Lawless felt guilty for tricking him for so long. Another reason he wanted to reveal himself soon; Licht was the type to become bitter about these kinds of things. Not that Lawless wasn't expecting that anyway.

“It's weird when Krantz isn't here.”

Lawless frowned as best he could in his animal form, and cocked his head to one side. What did that have to do with anything? He liked Licht's manager. Krantz was the one who had given Licht all sorts of information on hedgehogs, from life span to what they eat to what they like to play with. He treated Lawless like part of a little family, and had hardly objected when Licht wanted to keep a strange pet. In fact, he had even sat down and talked to Lawless a couple of times himself when Licht wasn't around, usually backstage at the concerts Licht insisted they bring Lawless to.

“You probably get it,” Licht continued, peering at Lawless out of the corner of his eye. “You looked lonely, too, when I found you in Boston. I don't know how you survived in a place like that. You're a strong, smart angel mouse, I guess.”

Of course I am. Lawless tilted his chin up, and Licht rubbed beneath it. It was one of Lawless's favorite places to be scratched, and he closed his eyes with a contented smile.

“I bet you had to endure all kinds of storms out there,” Licht said, his touch softening a little. “It must be a lot easier living like this.”

Way easier. Lawless had a preference for high class Eves like Licht and the others, most of whose names he'd forgotten almost as soon as he'd killed them. But it wasn't like he struggled the way Licht thought. He was an immortal vampire, after all.

“It's still weird when no one's here, though.” Licht raised one arm to cushion the back of his head. “I'm not—I mean...it's not a big deal, but...I don't like it.”

The air felt heavier, and Lawless couldn't tell whether it was the change in Licht's tone or the storm's increasing intensity. The rain pounded the glass, and the wind whistled past the trees. A flash of lightning lit up the inky sky, followed by another clap of thunder that shook the house. Lawless didn't mind storms – at least when he went outside, he didn't turn into a hedgehog.

Licht drew Lawless a little closer, and the Servamp padded up to Licht's shoulder, carrying the dog tag in his mouth. Licht's expression softened, and Lawless thought he might've seen the corners of his lips quirk upwards into what might have been the momentary beginnings of a smile before it vanished all at once.

Lawless prodded at Licht's arm with his little paws and Licht bent his arm so his fingers dangled just low enough to scratch behind Lawless's ears. Lawless himself was starting to tire of the petting, but even he sensed that this wasn't the time to show it.

Hang on, Lawless thought, somewhat puzzled. He's lonely? I wouldn't have pegged Lichtan for that kind of thing.

“Krantz isn't usually away for the night,” Licht said, letting his arm fall back to the mattress. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, leaning back against the pillows. “It's empty. The house.”

Another time, Lawless might have laughed at him. After all the times Licht rejected other people's company, it was this sort of thing that bothered him? Then again, Licht was attached to Krantz, and it wasn't like he had any other friends, as far as Lawless knew. He didn't seem to need them.

But it didn't even seem to be the fact that Krantz himself wasn't here so much as the fact that Licht lived in a veritable mansion, and he was all alone in it now. Either way, it was a feeling Lawless was very familiar with.

And so, before he gave himself time to think about he, he crawled up into Licht's lap, curling into a prickly ball on his stomach. He felt Licht tense at first, but he relaxed soon enough, and wrapped Lawless in both his hands.

“I guess you can sense it,” Licht conceded, drawing his knees up, forming a small valley where Lawless could rest.

A thunderous boom rattled the house, and Licht flinched minutely. Lawless kneaded his sweatshirt, adjusting his position. He wasn't exactly intending to comfort the pianist, but it seemed to distract him from the noise of the storm. Licht released a long, slow breath, so deep and drawn out that Lawless wondered if some of his soul might have gone with it.

“Stay here,” Licht said. “Hyde.”

Lawless stared up at him, and although Licht's face appeared as stoic as ever, Lawless didn't miss the hopeful glimmer in his eyes as they stared back, unblinking.

Jeez, angel-chan, Lawless thought, closing his eyes and resting his head on Licht's chest in answer. It's not like I was plannin' on goin' anywhere. I haven't even gotten to the good part.

Licht seemed satisfied with his response and resumed his earlier silence. He returned his gaze to the window, and after a while, Lawless caught his eyelids drooping. He no longer jumped at every crack of thunder or spark of lightning, and his breathing evened out into a shallow rise and fall.

Despite Lawless's own impatience, he supposed he could humor his almost-Eve for a little longer. If he was going to make the angel-chan pianist his new Eve, he had to time it right, after all. It wouldn't hurt to stay in this form for one more night.