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After over a decade of separation, it was to the surprise of no one that Taako and Lup had decided that wherever their family was settling down, it would be together. Barry had no complaints and Magnus even volunteered his handiwork in their homemaking where magic just didn’t cut it.
(“I am a fucking transfiguration wizard, Magnus. Turning something into something better is what I do.”
“You guys can’t just turn a tree into a dinner table. Then it’s just a table. There’s no craft behind it!”
“Sure there is! It’s a craft called motherfucking wizardry!”)
And though Taako had nudged at his goth and geeky boyfriend for input as they built, Kravitz seemed content enough to just be along for the ride. That Taako had even been considering his opinions on the liches’ home had surprised him, but Taako had done what he could to put that concern to bed right away.
(“It’s your home, love. It should make you happy first and foremost.”
“You’re stuck with us now, thug. And I’m pleased as punch you’re so damn sweet, but start speaking up or my sister and Barold are going to win all the damn ties by default.”)
In the end, they’d built themselves a modest home well off the beaten path that wasn’t sure if it was a cottage or a manor. Two master bedrooms mirrored each other on opposite ends of the home (“I’ve listened to you two bone enough on the ship, it ain’t happening in my fucking home!”), two guest rooms for the various IPRE members who stopped in (“you too, Ango”), luxurious master baths that put the pocket spa to shame, a huge library, a lab that was JUST by and by Raven Queen legal, and a kitchen that Taako had described as orgasmic no less than twelve times — it was everything they’d ever dreamed of settling into when the Hunger was finally defeated.
When it was finished, the Liches Three had stood out on the cobbled path and marveled up at it with its pale wood and dark trim. Lup, back in her body at last, slung an arm around Barry and Taako’s shoulders with a face splitting grin. “Well? Home sweet home, boys.”
And Taako, for the first time, felt the meaning of the word home in his bones. It was safe and it was theirs. And when Kravitz arrived moments later, as he promised he would to help prepare their House Warming Extravaganza (a Taako™ original, thank you), it was perfect.
—
“Taako?”
He glances over his shoulder at Kravitz. They’re baking cookies, a first day of school gift for Angus that consists mostly of Taako baking and Kravitz looking fine as fuck and out of his way. “That’s my name, bubelah. What’s up?”
“I have a question. And it’s okay if you don’t want to answer, I’ll understand.”
Well that was all kinds of concerning when he goes and puts it like that. He sets the batter aside, thankful Kravitz hadn’t waited for the cookies to be in the oven for whatever this was. “Alright, shoot.”
“How come you never take your true form around me?”
And Taako laughs. “What? This?” And the glamour fades and he is as he was when he rolled like shit in Wonderland. A little less glamorous, but still leagues ahead of the general populace for sure. “You see this all the time. Ain’t no big.”
But Kravitz shakes his head. “That’s not what I meant. I meant your lich form. I am quite familiar with both Barry’s and Lup’s true forms by now, but beyond a few memories that are not my own, I haven’t really seen yours.”
“Oh. Huh.” Taako blinks. He hadn’t expected that. “For starters…” he gestures a hand up and down his body. “I haven’t kicked it recently, my man. This is a true Taako original.”
“Lup says she’s seen you in your ‘work uniform.’”
“Chyeah, that’s work,” he says with a shrug. “It just sorta happens.” Taako touches the spindle against his chest and shrugs. “I get the pull, I tap out to the Ethereal, and I get a little spooky.”
Kravitz stares at him for a long moment and then he laughs. “Taako, you are one of the most brilliant beings I have ever encountered, and I’ve reaped the best of them, but sometimes, my love, you are a little bit dumb.”
Without thinking, Taako sticks his hand in the flour and throws a puff of it at Kravitz. “What the hell does that mean?”
Shaking himself of the flour, Kravitz stands up, the laughter replaced with a gentle smile. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh. I forget so much of this is still new to you. But nothing about you ‘just happens,’ Taako. You take that form when you work because it is most natural to you. It is you.” Kravitz steps close and ignores Taako’s half-hearted glaring to run a floury thumb over his cheek. “This is your body, yes, but from the moment you put on that spindle, you stopped being mortal, you get that yes?”
“Yeah, I got the whole Hand of Fate for all eternity speech from Istus. That train has gone and sailed months ago.”
“Okay. So. If you are a lich, granted further eternal longevity by the goddess of fate herself, why do you think this form is the real you?” There was a moment where Taako was looking into the warm, dark brown eyes of his lover and then another where the red irises of the reaper stared back, his human form gone and replaced by the skeletal emissary of death. “UNLIKE BARRY AND LUP AND YOU, I DON’T HAVE A BODY, TAAKO. THIS IS MY TRUE SELF. I USE THE FACE OF THE MAN I WAS A LONG TIME AGO WHEN IT SUITS ME, BUT THAT FORM IS NOT BOUND BY MORTAL LAWS. IT WON’T AGE OR GROW SICK OR DIE.”
“But I haven’t died, Krav.” Taako shakes his head. “Maybe one day I’ll bite it again and you’ll get the whole spooky package, but until then this is me.”
Even skeletal, Taako gets the sense Kravitz is giving him that ‘mortals are so young and never understand’ smile of his. Which is fucking rich to be giving to an elven lich, honestly.
“FOR NOW. YOU THREE HAVE YOUR BODIES FOR AS LONG AS THEY LIVE— OR FOR AS LONG AS BARRY CONTINUES TO KEEP THAT GODS DAMNED CHAMBER. BUT YOU DON’T NEED THEM. IF BARRY WERE TO TAKE A HIT IN HIS BODY THAT UTTERLY DESTROYED IT TOMORROW, HE COULD COME HOME TO LUP IN THAT SAME HUMAN FORM MINUTES LATER. PERHAPS RUNNING A LITTLE COLDER THAN HUMAN,” he added with a small laugh and a squeeze of his cold bony hand on Taako’s, “BUT STILL THE SAME BARRY BLUEJEANS YOU HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN. BECAUSE THAT IS THE POWER THE RAVEN QUEEN GIVES US. AND THE SAME POWER ISTUS GIVES YOU.”
He chews on his bottom lip, annoyance doused with contemplation. He’d seen Lup go between forms in the past, but he assumed it was just a reaper thing. Grab the scythe, get a little spooky. Falling into his own lich form just seemed natural when he was working. He was surrounded by the bonds that kept this plane alive, it made sense that while he worked he himself was pure magic. He hadn’t realized that that might just have been a conscious choice on his part.
“So. You’re saying I can just go ghost whenever?”
A blink and Kravitz is as human as he ever is around Taako and their friends. “Yes. But if you are still uncomfortable with the idea, we can forget I said anything at all. I had a question and you answered it. You don’t need to show me anything more.”
Taako was already shaking his head before he finished. “Nah. I mean. I didn’t spend much time as a lich, you know? You’ve seen the death counts, Taako’s pretty good at keeping his ass out of the fire. And then the whole ‘didn’t even know I was a lich’ thing,” he said with a quick wave, looking aside to avoid those careful knowing eyes. “I don’t know, I just. I don’t consider that the real deal.”
“That’s fine, Taako. You have plenty of time, all of it in fact,” Kravitz chuckles. He catches Taako’s hand again and kisses his knuckles and Taako can feel his cheeks and his ears flush. “You can be however you like. I will love you all the same.”
“You just have to go and be so sappy about it,” Taako groans, pressing his face into Kravitz shoulder and he can feel him shaking with laughter. He gives him a small shove, but is thankful all the same for the arms that wrap around him.
Taako presses a still flour covered hand to Kravitz’s cheek and kisses him soundly before stepping back out of his grasp. Kravitz smiles at him and that is the last thing he sees before closing his eyes and focusing on his magic.
The spindle is an anchor, a focus when he is without his wand or his glaive, and he feels its weight on his chest as the magic flows over him. Not a glamour, not really, more like stepping into an old familiar cloak.
“WELL? IS TAAKO A HOT BONE DADDY OR WHAT?”
He knows even before opening his eyes that it’s worked, but he doesn’t expect the pure and open awe on Kravitz’s face when he does. Taako’s used to being stop dead gorgeous, clearly, but this is not the same reaction.
“Not the words I might have chosen, but yes.”
He tears his eyes away from Kravitz and looks down, catching the glimmer of starlight that was once his braid over his shoulder from the corner of gleaming eyes. He twists his hands in front of him where soft skin has given way to white bone wreathed in shadow and shades of purple and red. White and purple lights glitter at his fingers where jewels once sat and the long sweeping sleeves of a long familiar red cloak fall towards bony wrists. Sparks of red energy crackle around him, fading into embers of purple at the edges of the cloak.
Lup’s form shimmers orange like a flame and Barold’s necrotic energies are amplified beyond the twins’ in sharp, black shadows around the red, but Taako’s magic has always been a touch more dramatic.
“THIS ISN’T WEIRD?” he asks after a moment, peeking out from beneath the crimson brim of his spectral hat.
And Taako would kiss him if he didn’t think that might be a little weird without proper lips because Kravitz takes both of his hands and holds them close to his own chest.
“Not at all. You are stunning, Taako. Truly. I have seen countless beings in my years and none compare.”
“YOU KEEP THAT UP, THUG, AND I’M GONNA BLUSH.”
Kravitz laughed. “That sounds, perhaps, like a challenge.”
“KRAVITZ, HIGH REAPER OF THE RAVEN QUEEN, ARE YOU GETTING THE HOTS FOR MY BONES?!”
And now Kravitz is the one blushing for real, his dark skin unable to save him this time. Score one for Taako. “Please don’t use her name like that…”
“YOU KINKY LITTLE GOTH, COME HERE,” Taako laughs and as he surges towards him, steps into his elven form as he does— the damage the Wonderland bi-ches gone as he alone determines how damn hot he is, thank you very much. Nose to nose with Kravitz he smiles. “You sir are lucky I love you.”
“Yes, I very much am.”
Somehow, Kravitz is going to be the death of him.
—
He has had a thought in his head for roughly three weeks now and that is three weeks too long. He needs answers. And he has two options: his twin or his lover.
Surely, his twin will be reasonable about his curiosity here.
Surely, she and fucking Barold figured this one out at some point.
Taako hates to be both so very wrong and right all in one mortifying bundle.
If the tapes are ever rolled back on this moment, it’s his own damn fault. But REALLY, they need to lock their damn doors.
“Lulu, I have a question and I need you to— FUCK!” Taako claps a hand over his eyes and slams the door behind him. “YOU ANSWERED IT. I’M DONE. GOING TO GO FANTASY BLEACH MY FUCKING EYES! BYE!”
Lup hovers frozen over Barry, whose mostly exposed and terribly pale skin is suddenly warring for the brightest shade of red against her cloak, as Taako storms away.
“Kill me,” he groans, dragging his hands over his face. “Taako’s never going to drop this.”
Coming back to herself, she turns back towards her husband and grins devilishly bright beneath her hood.
“OH NO, BABE. THIS IS OUR WIN.” And when Barry lowers his hands, the question so easily read in his eyes, she leans close enough for the chill of her form to send goosebumps across his skin. “WE KNOW SKELETOR’S GETTING THE BONE.”