Chapter Text
They got to Thailand by accident: they decided to take a boat from Puri without looking at the destination and let the Indian Ocean guide them. They berthed in Phuket, Thailand, and were then roped into the crowd which led them to the local airport. Following the movement, they booked a flight to Bangkok and were in the sky before they even knew it.
The whole thing made them laugh, both happy to let fate decide their destination and glad to discover new landscapes. When they landed, they searched for the nearest hotel and went there, ready to learn more about the country and the best places to visit. After their planning and first night at the hotel, Stiles and Peter went to visit the Bangkok National Museum. The whole site was sublime, and the collections were amazing. The Ram Khambaeng Inscription was part of it and Stiles was so excited about it that Peter’s heart was about to melt. The young man’s thirst for knowledge was insatiable and seeing the first known example of Thai script was sensational. The stele was describing the Sukhotai Kingdom during the time of King Ram Khamhaeng, and even if it was a bit difficult to read for someone who wasn’t fluent in Thai, the description was breathtaking. Their visit lasted hours, and both men loved it, but the Angel’s city was a bit too crowded for the couple and thus became a quick stopover instead of their new residence.
Researching what to do next, Peter proposed to visit a Buddhist temple, as he remembered how much they liked the others they visited before. They agreed on visiting Ayutthaya. They planned to go there as their first stop, before visiting other touristic places and the other former capital of Thailand. Unknown to them, this trip would be a milestone in their life.
After a couple of hours of travel, the couple arrived in Ayutthaya and decided to discover the Chao Phrom Market, known for the freshness of its goods and the eclectic food prepared and sold there. Peter was a foodie, even if he would never agree with this sentence, and described himself as a gourmet or connoisseur instead, and this visit was thus something he was quite excited about.
Once in the market, they started picking out dishes from the displays and eating them along the way. This technique made them start with Som Tam, a green papaya salad that was fresh and full of peps; followed a couple of meters later by a soup. The Khao Soi they tasted was made with chicken and egg noodles, with a coconut and spices browth, giving the soup a taste and allure of comfort food. It convinced both men instantly. They next went to eat some Pak Boong, a Thai vegetable, to have something fresh and green. It sort of tasted like fried spinach and was thus hated by Stiles but loved by Peter.
After that, Stiles absolutely wanted to try Ma Laeng Tod, which are fried insects, and started with a salt and pepper scorpion, before trying a grasshopper with kaffir lime on it. Peter went for a mix of chilies and crickets when the spark asked him if he was “chickening out”. It would go unsaid that the wolf immediately regretted trying it when he felt the shell crack under his teeth. All he could do to contain his disgust was to try something new, and the fruit display he could spot from his position seemed like heaven itself to the assaulted taste buds of the man. Thus, they switched to dessert and tried diverse fruits like mangosteen, guava, dragonfruit, and rambutan. A large spiky green fruit was also displayed, the only opened ones strangely in a vacuum pack, with a downy-looking yellow inside. Peter was going to ask about it when one of the packaging was moved and a little ripped on the side. A putrid scent flew from it and invaded the man’s nose, making him gag. His condition made his lover laugh way too hard for what it was, but the spark took his hand and led him between displays and displays before stopping in front of a small one that seemed to specialize in sweets. They then tried Kluay Tod, a meal made of deep-fried bananas, crunchy on the outside but creamy and warm on the inside, before tasting Khao Niow Ma Muang, a plate of mango, and sticky rice, capped with a dollop of coconut cream.
The sweet taste was amazing, the rich taste of the mango melding with the creamy rice. Stiles and Peter were really enjoying their dish when they saw a child looking at them with big eyes. Stiles smiled at him, waiting for the kids to go back to their parents, but instead, the little bald kid went to them and immediately started to talk to them.
"Why are your eyes wrong?"
Shocked by the question, Stiles blinked several times before answering back.
"I’m sorry, what?"
"Not you. Why are the Mister’s eyes wrong?"
Stiles looked at Peter with questioning eyes, trying to understand what the child was trying to say. Peter’s eyes were their usual beautiful blue, nothing was wrong with them. The wolf glanced between his partner and the child, not really knowing what to say. Seeing that, the kid frowned before talking again.
"Why are your eyes blue and not red?"
Panic took place in both men’s minds and they quickly hushed the little guy, whispering about how the supernatural was not to be discussed in the street. They explained that they couldn’t answer that right now because bad people could hear and hurt them. The boy looked at them with a still frowning face before grabbing Stiles’s hand and walking away.
The couple followed, intrigued and a little bit scared for the child in front of them, and they entered a taxi altogether. The kid didn’t seem aware of the awkwardness of the situation, nor of the strangeness of it. They stayed in the cab for fifteen minutes at least, before it stopped in front of a park. Many people were striding the different alleys and observing the statues, even if most of them were broken. You could still recognize the lotus position and the Buddhist traditional gown on the sculpture, circled by some mostly broken walls. Peter and Stiles were quite disturbed by their destination, as well as a little suspicious of this crowded place. The child was small, and his bald head was easily lost in the sea of people. Following as best as they could, the couple was trying to understand where the little boy was leading them, observing their surroundings as they went. After some twists and turns, the three of them arrived in front of a massive tower that Stiles recognized as a prang: a tall tower-like spire richly carved and used as a shrine element in Hindu and Buddhist culture. A beautiful statue of Buddha was carved at the base of the prang, taking half of the front of it. It was sublime, and gave place to a temple behind it: it was Wat Mahathat, also known as the ‘Temple of Relics’. It suddenly made sense, the little boy was talking about the supernatural as if it was the norm, had a shaved head, and was leading them through the alley of the older temple of the city. He probably was one of the pupils of the monks here. It wasn’t a secret that most religions and beliefs were based on supernatural facts. Immediately reassured, Stiles took Peter’s arm and brought him closer to him to share his discovery. Mere seconds after that, the little child started calling for someone, and a monk popped up out of nowhere, wearing a kasaya, all calm and serene.
"Greetings, gentlemen. I see Kob Sook lead you to us without any problem. Good, good. Follow me, please."
Anurak, as the kid called the monk, didn’t wait for an answer before walking toward the principal building of the temple, Kob Sook on his heels. Once again, Stiles and Peter followed a stranger who seemed to know them even if they never ever met before. At this point, it began to look like a habit they would have to become used to during their stay here. They all entered the temple and walked through corridors and stairs before reaching a small room with a single table at ground level, with cushions and tea service as the only other furniture. Anurak asked them to sit and started pouring them tea. The couple exchanged a glance, quite lost on what to do now, and decided to just stare at the old man until he started talking. As always, this method was effective, it was, after all, Hale-approved.
"We were waiting for you two. An Alpha and his Spark, a majestic pair who’ll bring peace and stability to any land. We had a room ready for you, and we prepared clothes for the duration of your stay with us. Kob Sook will show you after you finish your tea."
Peter looked like he had swallowed a lemon, and with all the respect he had for monks, he had to let the old man know that he made a mistake. Monks, and especially Buddhist ones, were known for their clairvoyance, and Peter couldn’t let his ego corrupt whatever fate was reserved for the Alpha pair the monk was talking about. Thus, with great reluctance, he cleared his throat and started talking, only to be tutted like a child.
"I’m sorry to interrupt you Anurak, but I’m no alpha, you got the wrong person."
"Nonsense. You may have lost the eyes, but that does not mean you’re not an Alpha anymore."
"I’m quite sure it’s exactly what it means, it’s one of the first things you teach the pups."
"Then it looks like you will learn more than one thing during your stay here, Alpha Hale."
With a serene smile, Anurak drank from his cup of tea, acting as if all of this was a normal day, and without anything else to say, the two guests started to drink too, exchanging glances until the kid asked them to follow him. At this point, none of the two men even reacted to the strangeness of their situation and just went with him. During their walk, Kob Sook explained to them that they would be expected to show up at 06:00 every morning in the principal garden and that every afternoon was different and they would thus be given their mission of the day in the morning. Before Stiles could ask any questions, the little boy dumped them in front of a room and ran away.
"Did he just-?
"Leave us here with the expectation that you’ll be up and ready tomorrow morning for 6 AM? Yes, yes he did."
"6 AM, Peter. What do they want us to be up at 6 AM? I mean, we will, but why?"
Stiles continued to moan about their planning while they entered the room and, following the flow, they both started to settle themselves in their new house. If they were being honest, they were both intrigued by the monk and all the things they could learn here. They were both thirsty for knowledge and had then accepted the situation quite easily. Peter, as the snob that he was, inspected their attributed outfits first thing when in their new room, while Stiles had chosen to spread himself on the bed, still murmuring about “early awakening” and “hope the breakfast will be worth it”. All in all, they settled quickly and went to bed without any problems.
On the following morning, at 6 AM exactly, both men were standing in the garden wearing the ensemble they were given sooner. The sound of a conch shell calling the monks to puja or prayer and offering service could be heard echoing through the vast quiet ground of the monastery at the same moment. Within seconds, monks appeared out of nowhere and all walked together towards the temple. Anurak stayed behind though and looked at them with a single glance followed by a little smile before making a gesture that Peter interpreted as “follow me” and started walking away. They walked through the gardens and the couple could then see a group of 20 to 40 young monks, ranging from the age of five to twelve years old. They begin to sing a melodic mantra. Their guide explained that this powerful and centuries-old mantra sets into motion a melding together of body, speech, and mind, connecting it with the spirits of three Buddhas of the Gulukpa sect: one of compassion, another of wisdom, and a third, one that helps stabilize and take charge of our mind. The explanation was as interesting as the mantra in itself and both men were absorbed by it, trying to follow everything at once. After a bit of time reciting the mantra, the young monks went to sit in rows to start the prayers.
Stiles snickered when he saw one of the young monks by Kob Sook’s side succumb to sleep, doubling over the top of his cushion, before being struck in the ribs by their neighbor. The Spark was pretty sure that he would be in the same position if he had to get up this early every day to sing and sit on a cushion, and by the look Peter sent him, the older man was of the same opinion. Some kids were called by one of the older monks who were presiding over everything, and the couple was then informed that it was time for breakfast. On the way to the diner hall, Anurak explained that he wanted the two men to join them in their pratic for their time here, they wouldn’t have to sing as they didn’t have to believe in their religion, but they should learn the movement to better know their own body, watch the kids and help in the kitchen between other things.
Both men were happy to agree and were soon sitting around a table with pah lay and butter tea, the traditional breakfast there. Everything was good, and before they could see anything, one breakfast transformed into two, and into seven, and so on until an entire month had gone by.
In their second month at the monastery, both men realized that they had grown attached to the kids and some monks there. They also realized that they were more settled than before. Stiles had already been meditating before they came here, but this new form of meditation where the whole body would move in repetitive motions, making your muscles ache when you finished your first session was something else. Peter had never really thought about meditating, but the experience with the monks was mind-blowing. He felt more in touch with his wolf, more confident in his ability -which, if you asked Stiles, meant that he displayed a superior air without even having to raise his brows anymore - and calmer than ever. Some of the children had taken to stay with the couple as often as possible and sat around them begging for some stories about the supernatural. It had become quite common for the children to call them ลุง (* uncles) and they both indulged them by answering it. One weekend, some of the youngest kids asked them to take them to the Sunday Amulet Market, telling them that it was unacceptable to not have gone before, especially when part of the supernatural community. Exchanging a glance, they obviously accepted, their hearts weakened for those little monks.
The market was beautiful, taking place in the middle of the gardens, with a plethora of stalls. There were colors everywhere: fabrics, jewelry, cushions, drawings, amulets… The youngsters were giggling, eyes sparkling with delight. They were speaking of the market tales, greeting every monk and bhikkhunī, and leading the couple through the alleys. After half an hour of roaming, the samaneras stopped in front of a particular stall, pushing Stiles and Peter toward it before waving at them and scampering away -not far enough for the couple to be worried, but not close enough to listen in-. The woman running the book was, according to Stiles, looking like the Ancient One of the MCU, with her bald head and traditional gown. She had mind-piercing eyes and called them closer as soon as she saw them.
"One who survived Chaos shall be found when blood tainted moss. One who was unjustly armed by Agni shall soon reach his apogee. Together, they shall bring the Red-eyed tyrant’s loss. Together, they shall go and respond to the land’s plea."
The woman took a quick breath, seemingly going out of a trance-like state, and blinked several times before looking back at them. She then made a small “oh” sound, before beckoning them closer. Her tone was awed, but bordering frantic. Peter was the first to answer, a bit wary of the powerful being in front of him.
"You two have a powerful aura and a worthy fate. You must start protecting your minds, young men, or every sheer will have a stroke seeing you. I see you already have some wards, Spark, beautifully tattooed must I say. It’s good, a good start, but you must continue. You’ll both fight to bring peace to your lands, protecting supernaturals and humans alike. It will be hard, bloody, and tiring, but you’ll flourish thanks to those battles. Please, let me draw protective charms for you, take those amulets to protect yourself."
"You talked about protection, why did we need it now? You seemed to know much about the mind, what are you?"
"You both know what losing your mind feels like, you have both suffered because of your mind. Many enemies will try to do it again. I am the bhikkhunī in charge of my sisters’ protection, as I am well-trained in the matter. My mother was a näcken, my father a sheer, I trained all my childhood before joining the monastery. Here, are some of the traditional charms I’ve made for myself."
Stiles and Peter exchanged a glance before going even closer, looking at the design swirling on her arms that she was extending toward them. The style was obviously a traditional Thai one, with Sak Yant, hanuman, tigers, etc. It was a beautiful art piece, with fine line work and real attention to the body’s curves. The energy was also pulsing through them, drawing Stiles in. His eyes zeroed in on each symbol one after the other. Without any hesitation, he then started questioning the bhikkhunī.
"What type of ink did you use for this?"
"I used basic black ink, with artemisia, cinnamon, and clove’s ashes."
"Handpoke or with modern technique?"
"I use a machine except if someone asks otherwise."
"Do you have it with you?"
"Of course, I always have it with me!"
"Good. When do you think you could ink me?"
The surprise was visible on the woman’s face, but Peter was just looking at Stiles with a “really?” look, as if he knew where this questioning was going. Stiles was just looking at the monk with a waiting expression that really conveyed a “well?”. When the bhikkhunī opened her mouth again, her lost expression was still there, and it bleed into her speech, making both men smile softly.
"I- My name is Gamon. A pleasure to meet you."
"I’m Czerwony, but please call me Stiles. A pleasure to meet you too. I would like you to tattoo me if you have time for it. Your work is admirable and your protection is strong. It would be an honor to wear them."
"I can do it tomorrow if you’re still here. Let me draw a design just for you."
"Sure, we’re living in the monastery, you won’t miss us. Please, focus your wards on peace of mind."
"Sure, ลูกไฟ* (Spark)"
They were both smiling at each other, Gamon beaming with pride, and Stiles looking like a proud parent for some reason. Peter was mulling the words in his head, thinking about this new feeling of peace, and how he would like to have it eternally, protecting him from the danger of his own mind. If Stiles was willing to let her tattoo him, Peter was sure of the quality of her work, and thus, he decided to have a tattoo too.
"Would you be able to tattoo a werewolf too?"
"I- Of course. I would need to mix wolfsbane with my ink, but I have some with me so it shouldn’t be a problem. Do you- Would you be willing to be tattooed by a magic user? I know wolves often don’t like us."
"You saw a future where we thrived together, Stiles and I, you saw us side by side when you came back. Do you really think I believed in those idiotic medieval ideas on races?"
Gamon blushed furiously at this, mumbling to herself, Peter decided this was the time to say goodbye, letting her think about everything. With a nod, he focused back on the children still hovering in front of the neighbor’s stales and went back to them. Stiles followed some time after, a kind smile on his lips, and they finished their day playing with the little monks and enjoying the calm around them. That night, both men were enjoying the comfort of their bed, wrapped in one another, when Peter started to talk.
"I never felt closer to my wolf than since we started living here. It’s- more than I ever thought I would feel again."
"I know, I can feel it on you. I’m happy for you, love, you deserve to feel good."
"I’m afraid. Of losing that feeling again. I don’t think I could deal with it."
"Is that why you asked for a tattoo? To be sure to never lose it, lose yourself, again?"
"I want to enjoy my years with you, darling. If a needle can assure me I will, then it’s logical for me to do it. The words she said, and the greeting we got from Anurak, both speak of a future for us. A future with power, and peace. I want that."
"And we will have it, Alpha."
Peter growled at the title, knowing deep down that he would become Alpha once more soon, and that the power never really left him in the first place. Squeezing Stiles’s hips, the wolf lowered his head to nip at his lover’s throat, before kissing it softly. This was a promise, a plea, and a prayer all at once. Their lives would change, but they would come on top of any trials they would face. And the tattoos would be a reminder of that promise. With a sleepy smile, Stiles locked their eyes, before murmuring
"Tomorrow will be the start of a new part of our lives, won’t it?"
"It will be."
"I will miss the kids, we will need to come back to visit from time to time."
"Anything you want, Darling."
"I know you’ll miss them too, but don’t worry Big Bad, I’ll keep your secret."
"Oh my, how kind of you."
Stiles’s laughter was cut short by Peter’s mouth, both of them basking in the prospect of this decision, and the love swirling around them. The night was filled with kisses and sweet words before Morpheus claimed both men. The morning after, they got their tattoos, the traditional design contrasting on the unblemished skin of the wolf, and completing the other swirls of black on the Spark’s. With this symbol etched in their very being, they both thanked Gamon, taking tea with her and exchanging knowledge and stories. The three of them were smiling, promising to stay in touch when Anurak appeared. Gamon excused herself, hugging them before going her way, and the two remaining men looked at the monk with grateful expressions.
"You decided, I see. It is good. When will you go?"
"When someone asks for help. It shouldn’t be long, with all the requests we have, a couple of days, a week at most."
"Then, let us feast. We’ll celebrate your stay here. Know that you’ll always be welcome back."
With a mysterious smile from which he had the secret, the man bowed at them and went back inside the monastery, gait calm, and content. And just like that, the couple knew that this man had played a role in this, and swore to themselves to always be grateful for it.
A couple of days later, when they were on their plane, both men looked at the gifts they had received from the monks, children, and adults, and smiled, happiness warm in their chests.