Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s somewhere in between late night and early morning, Dirk isn’t sure which. He is guided only by his lantern and dim-witted determination. After being cast out by his village, he is seeking out an infamous witch. He’s been trekking through the woods for about a week now. Low on food and morale, it occurs to him that this journey may have been fruitless. He cannot go on much longer.

The sun threatens to never rise, he feels as if he’s been walking on for hours. The air is frigid. There’s barely a sound besides his labored breathing and the occasional bird. He’s exhausted, he had intended to sleep, but the animals had a better idea. Racoons stole the rest of his measly food supply while he took a brief rest in his tent. He’s decided to walk until he either happens upon food, or freezes.

The snow is frozen solid, barely crunching under his feet. One of the coldest nights of this winter so far. His clothing has gotten ripped up pretty severely over the past week. They fail to keep him warm.

Something heavy behind him sinks into the snow with a loud crunch. He turns, expecting an elk or some other large animal.

Nothing.

Just a large hole in the snow. Made by some gnarled claw.

Okay. Dirk tries to be reasonable, maybe he imagined it? There’s nothing out here with him. He hasn’t seen a single animal since those racoons attacked him shortly after nightfall. That’s odd. He stops, holding his breath. Staying as silent as possible. There can’t be anything out there, right?

There’s slow, heavy breathing behind him. It’s quiet. Getting louder with each breath out.

The creature takes another, loud step forward. He doesn’t dare turn around.

Dirk breaks out into a sprint. His lantern goes out, the world loses its last bit of light. His feet sink a little deeper into the snow each step he takes. The thing behind him is still lurking, taking a casual footstep forward every few seconds. It must be huge, it’s keeping up with no effort.

The branches and bushes scrape at his legs, he trips over logs and rocks. The Beast behind him crushes fallen trees, turning everything in its wake to a pulp. The quiet of the forest is gone, now replaced with a cacophony of broken logs and crushed snow. With his eyes finally starting to adjust to the dark, Dirk spots what he thinks is a clearing in the trees, hard to make out. He turns to the left.

What’s he even going to do? He poses no threat to the thing that’s chasing him. No weapons, he’s fairly weak. He just keeps running and running. His whole body warmed now by the struggle, only reminded of the snow when he trips and just has to keep pushing himself forward.

The clearing in the trees is fast approaching. Dirk assumes that this will lead to some sort of respite from the creature, he’s almost out until- Splash. Dirk trips and falls into a small river, soaking him down to his bones in freezing water. The energy expended in the fight is catching up to him, quickly. He can’t even push himself up. This is it. He’s dead. He lays limp in the water, completely given up.

The Beast approaches, a guttural clicking noise following it. It’s long, with an uncountable amount of legs. He can’t make out the shape of its body. It circles Dirk, and opens its eyes. Bright yellow, blinding. Its face is something between a dog and a snake, several rows of teeth. Its breath is hot on Dirk’s face. He makes a pitiful attempt to bare his teeth and scare it away. Its clicks turn into a growl, which turns into a howl.

“Beast!!!” Someone yells. The first voice Dirk has heard in a week. There’s more running, sounds like a horse? “I’ve caught up to you, unhand my chicken at one, you foul thing!” In this moment, Dirk decides he could be someone’s little chicken, he’s desperate enough to be saved.

The Beast turns its head away. Staring at The Stranger, as he charges in on horseback. “What is it you have there??? Good Lord!!” He gets a little closer, he has a lantern in one hand, illuminating his face. His face is rough and weary, he’s tall and strong looking. “What..... is that...?” His eyes widen with horror, losing his breath completely.

As he closes in, he whips the lantern around, scaring The Beast off. “Gone!! Gone with you.” It whines and scampers off. The Stranger jumps off his horse, and nearly throws the light into Dirk’s face. “Oh God... Please don’t tell me...” His expression turns to queasy. Dirk realizes that he must look dead. He definitely feels dead. The cold of the river has sunk into his heart, he’s fighting to keep his eyes open.

He makes his best attempt to make a weak thumbs-up motion. His arms feel frozen and stiff. The Stranger looks relieved, and pulls Dirk out of the water by the arm. “Oh!! Oh, that’s great. I thought you were dead!! You must be freezing.”

As soon as Dirk stands on his own, The Stranger starts to take his coat off, “Your coat is soaked, it’ll make you sick, take mine.” Dirk drops his coat and takes The Strangers, it’s still warm. He helps Dirk onto his horse, his arms are soft and strong. The warmth of being held makes his heart leap back to life.

“I’m Jake, by the way.” Jake hops onto his horse. Dirk sits behind, hugging onto him, quivering as hard as humanly possible with the energy left in his body. He feels a little embarrassed shoving his face into a stranger’s back like this, but he can’t pull himself away. He digs his hand into Jake’s sides. He feels another pang of guilt as Jake’s whole back goes stiff.

“I’m sorry. I’m not usually this weird to strangers, I’m just cold.” Dirk’s voice is shaky and higher than normal, it’s almost unrecognizable to himself. Jake laughs, a little uncomfortable.

“It’s alright, I get it! Happens all the time, you aren’t the first to venture out to these woods. It’s dangerous out here. Lots of hell-creatures out here, real nasty things.” Dirk can feel the rumble of his voice in his chest, Jake’s voice is low with an unplaceable accent. It could be the hypothermia, but something about Jake’s voice is comforting.

Dirk’s consciousness is slipping, he’s not sure if he will wake up again if he passes out. “I’m falling asleep. Could ‘ya keep talkin’? I need to stay up.”

“Oh alrighty!” Jake racks his brain for a topic. He starts to ramble on about his horses at home, his chickens, the bastard racoons that he leaves food for. The words swirl in Dirk’s brain, barely grasping onto his cognizance. He tries to focus on the sound instead of the words.

Jake smells like pine trees and sage, very minty. His coat is soft, Dirk’s absolutely sunk into him. He’s bigger than Dirk. Quite chipper for it being so early in the morning. The sun is peeking over the mountains, Dirk finally relaxes.

The ride home isn’t long. Dirk’s eyes blur as Jake seemingly effortlessly carries him inside. Jake very tenderly lays him out on the couch, and pulls a few knitted blankets on top of him. Dirk whines at the sudden loss of Jake’s warmth. Jake, completely unaware of Dirk’s show of weakness, putters about, starting a fire and running out of the room.

The fire crackles, the room slowly heats up. Dirk’s shaking starts to slow. He starts to take in his surroundings. Jake’s home is cozy, very floral scented. It’s dark, save for the fireplace and lantern left on the table. Honestly, he doesn’t care that he’s in a stranger's home and can barely see. He feels safe, something about Jake and his home are somniferous.

Before Dirk can curl up and slumber, Jake runs in. “I’m brewing tea for you! It’ll be done soon, do you want honey in it?” Oh, that’s sweet. Dirk’s heart warms slightly.

“Oh, thank you. If it wouldn’t burden you, that would be great.” Dirk hasn’t had honey or a good cup of tea in years.

Jake walks into the light, it’s the first good view Dirk’s gotten of his face. He’s got a bit of stubble, eyebags, and bright eyes. The way the light reflects off of his skin makes Dirk’s breath stutter. “Are you feeling any better? You seem to be in better spirits.” He’s quieter now, shyness creeping into his demeanor

“I’m doing a little better. Still cold and tired. Sure I’ll be fine.” Jake gives him an indiscernible look, probably a glance of pity. The way you’d look at a scared rabbit before eating it.

“Alrighty. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything please! I’ll fetch your drink.” He contrives a smile, seeming rather thankful with every opportunity he has to run off. He’s either planning to kill Dirk, or he’s just a bit awkward. Either option is more pleasant than hypothermia or getting eaten by The Beast.

Oh, that thing. Dirk will have to ask Jake about what the hell that was in the morning... If Jake doesn’t kill him in the night, of course. He seemed familiar with the creature? It stole his chicken. He’s not scared of it, just treats the creature like a misbehaving dog. It must harass him frequently, or Jake is very brave. Maybe both.

The sun starts to trickle in through the widows. Jake returns with the tea. “Careful, it’s hot. I’m giving you my fancy ceramic mug.” The tea is pleasantly warm against Dirk’s still frigid hands, his fingers still a little stiff. It’s tart yet still sweet. Dirk knocks back almost all of it, nearly burning himself. His chest and throat feel warmer.

“Thank you.” Dirk feels awful asking, but he needs a place to stay for the night. “I’m sorry, you’ve already given me so much, is it alright if I stay with you? Just for the night. I’ll stay out of your hair as best as I can.”

Jake looks incredulous. “Oh, my good man. I don’t mean this in a creepy way, but I don’t think I could let you leave. It’s dangerous out there, and you’re ill. I don’t mind. You may stay until you feel well enough to leave.”

The way Jake is staring at him, genuine bafflement, fills Dirk with a horrible sense of embarrassment. Of course this stranger isn’t going to save him and give him tea, just to throw him out in the cold again. God, clueless.

“Oh. Um, thank you.” Dirk struggles with finding something to say, he’s embarrassed and exhausted. “So... I don’t want to be presumptuous. Do I just sleep on the floor or maybe the couch, if you don’t mind?”

Jake continues to stare at Dirk, twisting his head to the side. Shame makes Dirk’s heart feel heavy, he knows he said something wrong. “I wouldn’t make you sleep on the floor, dear God!! I have a guest room! I can show you to it now if you’re ready for bed?”

Dirk wants nothing more than to fall asleep, but he feels dirty after running around in the dirt and snow for the past few days. “Do you have any warm water to wash up with? I’m a bit gross.”

“Oh, of course!! I’ll show you the guest room and heat up some water. I’m sure you want clean clothes, I’ll see if I can find some that fit you?”

“That’d be great. Thank you.” He fidgets with his coat sleeve, unsure of why he’s so nervous.

Dirk stands up, still shrouded in his blanket. He follows after Jake. The floor creaks as they walk over it. The guest room is small. It’s got a bed, rug, dressers, and a window. Very cozy, like everything else here so far. It’s also warm. Jake rummages through the dresser, looking fondly at its contents.

“I should have some clothes that fit you in here! Lots of people get lost out here, it’s helpful to have some spares in here.” He’s getting noticeably sleepier. “Ah!! Look, here!” He spins around, showing Dirk some baggy looking clothes. He sets them on the bed. “I’ll get some water heated up for you! I’ll be back soon.”

He leaves. Dirk approaches the dresser, dread creeping into his mind. How many people have been here? Enough that Jake prepares for this. What happened to them? Did other people get lost looking for the Witch? What is Jake even doing out here? Dirk shivers, pulling his blanket around himself like a hug. He’s just paranoid because he’s tired. Right? Jake saved him. He wouldn’t kill him.

This is fine, Dirk will be out of here in the morning. Once he’s feeling better, he’ll run until he finds the Witch. He can’t be too much farther from his goal, right? He needs this, he doesn’t know what he’ll do if he doesn’t find the Witch. Get cast out of village after village? He needs this.

God. He needs rest.

Jake knocks on the door. “I’ve got some warm water and rags! It’s not a full bath, but it’ll do!” Dirk lets him in. He’s got a bucket and a few rags. How did he boil water so fast? “I’ll just set this on the ground and leave you be for the night, alright? Sleep well!” Jake’s eager to sleep, poor man’s been awake for god knows how long. Up until the early hours, chasing the Beast, saving his chickens.

Dirk takes off Jake’s coat, forgetting he even had it. It’s nice, lined with soft wool. He undresses, the warm water feels nice on his cold skin. Being clean feels so relieving after being covered in dirt, snow, and various other forest debris for a whole week. The rivers were too cold to wash off with, would’ve made Dirk ill.

He becomes aware of how sore he is. His legs and arms got roughed up during the chase, and was bruised up after falling. He’s also achy from sleeping on the forest floor for the past few weeks. He’s practically yearning for the bed in the corner in the way a lover would.

The new clothing is as soft as the inside of Jake’s coat. Surprisingly warm. Baggy enough to conceal his form. Good. Jake won’t notice a thing.

Dirk’s too tired to let his paranoia poison the comfort of the bed. Slipping in feels like wearing a sweater fitted just for him. More knitted blankets, lovingly made. Jake must be able to afford a fancy mattress, stuffed with presumably feathers or wool. This is one of the nicest places Dirk has slept in a long time, as if laying on a cloud.

He doesn’t think much about the Stranger that let him in and could kill him any minute now, or about the Beast that almost ate him. He tries not to think about what he’ll do if he doesn’t find the Witch. He’s bone-weary.

Sleep comes easy to him despite his worries.

Chapter Text

The sounds of birds chirping and rustling in the other room rouse Dirk awake. He jumps up, forgetting where he is. Right, he’s staying in a stranger's home. At least he survived, obviously Jake had no dastardly intentions. 

Dirk stands up, the hardwood floor is surprisingly warm. His legs still ache, nerves still on fire after last night. He tries to take in his surroundings now that he isn’t dying. The sleepwear Jake lended him is quite fancy? A large, off-white, woolen shirt, and matching trousers. While the outfit makes him feel tiny, it’s rather formless. Dirk honestly just feels like a small, sickly, little man right now.

He opens the grey-blue curtains to the window. Bright light floods the room. It must’ve snowed a dreadful amount last night. The snowfall looks thick, hopefully that won’t impair Dirk’s travel today. 

Jake’s muffled voice echoes throughout the house. Dirk decides it’s time to creep out there and say good morning. He’s got to give a better impression now that he’s not freezing to death. His behavior last night must’ve freaked Jake out.

Slinking out of the bedroom, Dirk tries to walk as lightly as possible. As if still being stalked. When he makes his way out to the living room, he finds Jake pacing... He’s holding a chicken, seemingly scolding it.

“You were out so late last night!! Had me worried sick for you!!!! I thought you got eaten, Gregory!!” He hugs the chicken close, Gregory seems to enjoy this gesture greatly.

Dirk clears his throat, Jake nearly knocks himself over.

“Oh!! Sorry I didn’t see you there. I was just about to start breakfast, when this little rebellious thing!!!” He turns to you, showing off the chicken, “Finally decided to come home after his nightly jaunt with The Beast!!”

Dirk’s surprised The Beast didn’t just eat Gregory, apparently chicken meat isn’t good enough for it, only Dirk meat is. “I’m glad he’s ok.” Dirk’s not sure what to say, he has no plan to stay for breakfast. “Thank you for letting me stay the night. I should probably head out, have got a long journey ahead of me.”

“Um, the snow’s real thick out there. You might not want to leave yet? Also you may still get ill.” Jake shifts his weight back and forth on his feet, the floor creaks as he does this. “Stay for breakfast at least? I’ll fix you a tonic to keep you from getting a cold. You did sleep for a long while.”

The offer makes Dirk nervous, he really doesn’t want to trouble Jake. “Thanks for the offer, but you’ve already done so much for me. I don’t wanna burden you any further.”

“No, no! You wouldn’t be a burden.” Jake blurts out. His eyes have gone a little wide, his whole body seeming stiff. He makes an attempt to relax, stiffly petting Gregory. “Humor me. I haven’t had guests in a very long time.” His tone of voice has already softened. “Stay with me for breakfast, we’ll wait for the snow to melt a bit?” He tries to look as innocent as possible, realizing how ominous his begging may seem.

Dirk really has no plan for how he intends to find The Witch, and a nice meal sounds all too tempting right now. Before his food was stolen, it was a depressing situation. Just beets, potatoes, carrots. Whatever could be stored for long in a bag.

“I suppose it’d be best to wait for the snow to clear.”

Jake smiles warmly. “Great! I’ll get breakfast started! Here, hold this.” He hands Dirk the chicken, Jake’s hands are warm as they brush against Dirk’s, lingering for a second too long. He may be just a bit touch starved, but Jake pulling his hands away feels almost heartbreaking. 

Gregory doesn’t seem to mind being held by a stranger. What a ragdoll of a chicken. “Oh, by the way, I never caught your name last night?” He’s walking off to the kitchen, still in sight from the main room.

“Oh, I’m Dirk. Sorry, I probably should’ve introduced myself earlier.”

“That’s certainly a name! Your mother must’ve loved weaponry.”

“Yeah.” Dirk agrees, completely omitting that he never knew his mother, and that he named himself. He sits himself down on the couch, still holding Gregory. How did Jake even convince a chicken to be so docile?

He watches Jake dance around the kitchen, really taking the man in for the first time. He’s much taller than Dirk, probably by two or three heads. Dirk is painfully aware of his own small stature, but he’s sure Jake is abnormally tall. He’s strong and well-fed. The sunlight through the windows bounces off of Jake’s deep umber skin. 

Dirk can have a little crush, it’s earned. How else should one feel when a beautiful stranger saves your life? He’s perfectly justified. 

Jake starts to take note of Dirk’s staring. He quickly tries to make this less awkward. He inspects Gregory, absentmindedly petting him. He’s a small chicken. “Hey Jake, I think Gregory is a hen?”

Jake stops, a little confused. “Yes? He’s a very manly chicken who lays eggs sometimes.” Huh. What is a manly chicken?

“How do you know he’s a manly chicken?”

“I just do! I can tell, y’know, magic and all!”

Dirk feels nervous. Can Jake tell? Is Jake magically aware of his affliction? No, it honestly would not matter if Jake knows. He would’ve said something by now if he knew, and why would he? Gregory is a man. Jake would believe in Dirk’s manhood as well, right?

He hopes he didn’t annoy Jake with his questions. That would be tragic. Jake doesn’t seem too bothered, still cooking away, all smiley. He has a very sweet smile. The creases at the corners of his eyes make Dirk’s chest feel light. He has bright, verdant green eyes, they faintly glimmer in the sunlight. He’s squinting at the oven, struggling with a firestarter.

Curious. Jake seems to possess some strong magic. The pleasantly warm house, the fancy items, the serene animals. But he’s struggling with a simple firestarter? It’s an easy motion, just snapping while holding a bit of metal in your palm. Dirk practices the movement. He has no right to judge, not everyone has been catastrophically obsessed with being the best at magic in their past.

Jake’s face grows frustrated as he bangs the firestarter onto the stove, finally managing to power and warm the coils. The fire crackles, a little too large for cooking, but Jake doesn’t seem to mind. He sets a pan onto the oven and continues cooking. 

It doesn’t take long for Jake to finish. He walks over to the table, two plates in hand. “Could you help me clear the table?” Gregory hops out of Dirk’s lap as he starts to haphazardly stack all the books on the table. It’s covered in candles, papers, and other clutter. Jake’s a bit messy, evidenced by the many blankets and pillows on the couch, shelves full of books and knick-knacks.

Dirk hasn’t eaten well in a long time. The eggs, orange slices, and bread look like a meal fit for a king. He digs in, losing it on these eggs. Nothing has ever tasted so good to Dirk.

“Um, sorry it isn’t more fancy! I was planning on going out to buy some fancy winter fruits soon. It’s just a bit tiring to go out, y’know?” Jake’s tone is very apologetic. He’s a lot more nervous than when Dirk first met him. He curls up on himself, making himself as small as possible. Which isn’t actually that small, Jake is not a small man by any means.

In between bites of bread, Dirk shrugs, “No, that’s more than alright. Best food I’ve had in weeks. Thank you.”

“Oh, alright.” Jake sits down on the other side of the couch, trying to give Dirk space. “Weeks? If I may ask, what were you doing out in the woods?”

Dirk doesn’t want to explain his curse, or that he’s seeking out the witch. Those are both surefire ways to earn some sort of ire from Jake. This curse has already got him kicked out of two villages. He doesn’t want to destroy the one solace he has right now. 

He doesn’t say anything, eating his food just to stall answering. What could he even say?

Jake fidgets with his fork, “I’m sorry. I have no right to ask. I was just curious. Lots of interesting folk end up here while searching for the Witch.” Dirk tenses. Of course Jake knows that he’s looking for the Witch, what else would he be doing in the middle of the woods?

“I hope you’re not looking for her. If you are, I’m afraid you won’t find anything.” His voice is small. Something about the somberness of Jake’s voice makes Dirk’s heart feel a little heavier. He feels awful for whatever horrible things he’s made Jake think about. 

Dirk almost reaches for his hand, drawn to him, he stops about two inches short. He’s not normally this affectionate, something about Jake is so magnetic to Dirk. Jake saved Dirk’s life, maybe he owes Jake some hand holding. Jake doesn’t seem to notice the gesture.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” Dirk looks for any way to comfort him verbally. “I wasn’t looking for her.” He’s lying just to ease Jake’s worries, and because he doesn’t want to expose his own curse. It’s okay to lie this one time. 

He is... Very curious about Jake’s baggage with the Witch though. “If it’s not a painful subject, can I ask why she can’t be found?”

“Oh, um, I don’t really like speaking about it much.” Jake pauses, making an attempt to calm down. “It doesn’t really matter, does it? You’re not looking for her anyway.” He looks at Dirk, eyes wide. “If you’re not looking for her, what could you be doing out here? I know you don’t want to talk about it... but if you ever want to, I won’t judge.”

Looking into Jake’s sad face is like looking into the sun. Dirk can’t stand to look for more than a second. He barely knows Jake. As infatuated as he is, he can’t just open up about everything. 

“Well, I’ll take your plate if you’re done. I should get started on making you something so you don’t get ill, and my chores. Feel free to fetch me if you need anything, alright?” Jake stands up, attempting to tidy up. “I’ll be in here, you can knock on the door if needed.” He hardly opens the door to get in, as if trying to hide what’s in the room. He squeezes through the opening, and quickly, but surprisingly softly, closes the door.

Dirk’s entire body relaxes, releasing all the tension he didn’t know he was holding. Not tense specifically because of Jake’s presence. Dirk’s always been like this, unnatural around people.  He’s always presumed that it was part of his curse.

Speaking of that curse, what’s Dirk to do? Jake says that the Witch won’t be found, and he must know these woods best. If Dirk can’t be healed by her, he must take matters into his own hands. Jake seems to have loads of magical books. He’s only ever practiced his own magic, soul seizing, but if he’s determined enough, it has to work.

It has to, right?

Jake will be busy for a little bit. Dirk can get through a few of these books. He pulls a few of the books off the table, this will probably be a good start. Sorting through the surprising amount of story novels, Dirk picks out three books. There’s other magic books, but he doesn’t need books such as ‘Familiars! How to Care For Them and What to Do if It All Goes Wrong!'

The first book Dirk picks up is a deep red and is very worn, the spine of it is falling apart. “The In-Depth Index of Specialty Magic.” Dirk mumbles to himself. Seems interesting. He doubts that it will actually be as expansive as promised. Most books that promise to list all magics, often omit Dirk’s own powers, of course they’ll neglect most other shameful magics. He’s not just looking for a shameful magic, he’s looking for something completely forbidden.

He’s looking for complete body transformation. 

The book doesn’t have much about any sort of secretive magic. Just lists on basic types of magic, signs your child is inclined towards a certain type, how to assist in teaching them. It’s a book meant for parents. Odd that Jake would keep this around. It’s all nonsense. Books and teachings like this ruined Dirk as a child. He was not inclined towards any conventional magic, it made him feel awful. Made him feel like a failure.

Dirk’s hands shake as he sets this book down. He can’t believe how much he was just caught off guard by his own feelings. It’s still a sore subject, Dirk supposes. Getting kicked out of another village, partly because of his magic, reopened some old wounds. He lets his feelings wash over him, taking a deep breath. It’s not a big deal, just a some stupid book.

Ok, he needs to get to this second book. It’s leather-bound, a deep, purple mahogany color. Well taken care of. ‘Obscure Practices and Spells. Volume II’. Jake just has things like this laying around? If he doesn’t hide books like this, what is he hiding? He’s certainly an interesting guy.

Dirk skips through the book, looking for his own powers first. Just out of curiosity. He’s surprised to see that it’s not just a measly paragraph or two, it’s pages upon pages of information. Rituals, practices, guides. Dirk needs to look over this book later, he makes a mental bookmark of the pages.

He flips back, looking for the spells he originally wanted. He finds a few potions for ‘Bodily Mutation’. He’ll need to keep this book for a while. Jake won’t notice one book being missing, right? He’s got so many. Dirk honestly wants to look over all of them now. 

The third book is very well loved, it could be described as ‘falling apart’. It has a faded cover, green with yellow detailing and text. It’s titled 'A Simpleton’s Guide to Potions', it has quite a few bookmarks in it. Several in the pages of potions for healing wounds. A bookmarked page on common potion mistakes. And a few dog-eared pages on healing basic illnesses, animals, and anxiety. It’s an oddly intimate look at Jake’s life, or at least a look at his most used potions.

Careful to not knock the bookmarks out, Dirk skims the pages. The whole book is mostly focused on healing basic physical or mental ailments. Not anything to heal Dirk’s obscure curse. Dirk puts two of the books back on the table. He would go look through the books on the shelf, but that may come off as odd? It’s normal for a guest to look through books that were out in the open. Re-sorting a huge bookshelf may be a bit off putting.

Well, it wouldn’t hurt to skim the titles. Dirk has to turn his head to read the titles. There’s many books about different specialty magics. Interesting, Jake must consider himself a jack-of-all-trades. Or a Jake-of-all-trades. Jake also has many story books in the shelves, Dirk supposes that it could get quite lonely and boring in the middle of the woods, of course some entertainment would be needed.

No books on curses though. That’s fair. Jake isn’t some magic healer, it’s impressive enough that Jake had so many books on magic. Books on curses, and how to heal them, are increasingly rare. Most people just need to troubleshoot with healers or potions until they are cured.

Dirk’s not satisfied, but his findings will have to do. He won’t be satisfied until he looks through all of the books. There’s no witch. No real place for Dirk to go. What else can he do? He can make himself useful to Jake and hide his curse, and hopefully Jake will let him stay. 

He runs his book back to his room. He’s still too tired to perform any sort of ritual tonight. Last night really did wear his energy down, he’s also quite beat up and injured. Maybe Jake was right, he isn't feeling all that well. He's not ill, just still suffering from some sort of residual exhaustion. Tomorrow may be a better day for that.

He looks out the window. The light reflecting off of the snow is blinding. There's foxes playing in the snow. Dirk can see the river running behind Jake's cabin, currently frozen over. The evergreen trees are covered in white snow. It's quite picturesque.

The room smells like pine and cinnamon. It's an interesting combination of sweet, spicy, and minty. Dirk hides the book in one of the dresser drawers, he’s not sure if Jake will care about him snatching a book, but better safe than sorry. The dresser does have lots of clothing, Dirk pulls out the drawers.

There are a few drawers filled with clothing of various sizes. However, most of the drawers are full of neatly folded small clothing, about Dirk’s size. Odd. The more Dirk inspects this room, the more lived in it seems. There’s knick-knacks on the table, handmade blankets on the bed. It feels oddly intrusive to stay here. 

Despite feeling that he’s almost trespassing in somebody's room, he’s too tired and sore to examine those feelings more. He lays down on the bed to rest. Not to nap, just to rest his poor legs, still shaking since last night. 

Jake eventually exits his work room, Dirk scrambles out to meet him. He’s holding a mug, looking a little more tired. “Oh Dirk! I finished it for you. It’s a bit sour, but it should keep you from getting sick.” He hands it to Dirk. It’s cold, and smells like oranges. It is intensely sour, a very sharp flavor. Not wanting to look weak in front of Jake, he refuses to scrunch up his face. 

“The snow hasn’t let up much, has it?” Jake looks at the window, the sun is setting, casting a warm glow on the snow. It’s started to snow again. “Are you still planning on leaving?” He looks worried, his eyebrows lowered and his lips just slightly turned down. How could you say no to that face?

Furthermore, Dirk really has nowhere to go, does he? There’s no nearby places for him to stay, he keeps getting cast away by people because of his curse. He won’t be able to find the Witch. Jake has some books that may help... This is his best option.

“I suppose not. I hope I’m not a bother, I can make myself useful until the weather lightens up. I can work.” Dirk’s not sure how he could work, his magic is only useful in very specific circumstances. He’s good at fixing or building things though. He’s hidden his curse for long stretches of time before, it’s tiring but possible.

Jake lights up. “Oh! You don’t need to work. I know you’re probably still tired and probably a bit scuffed up? Take as long as you need.” Dirk is incredibly scuffed up. His legs are more visibly bruised and scratched, deep purple against dark brown skin. He’s sore but can handle it, but it does look pretty bad. No wonder Jake’s so concerned. 

“No, I want to help. I’ll be all healed up in a day or two. I don’t wanna just move in for a little bit without providing.” Dirk nervously drinks his potion. It gets better after a few sips, still so sour it makes his face twitch, but it's otherwise light and almost frothy? Not like anything he’s ever drank before.

“Suit yourself. Just don’t push yourself alright? It’s going to be a long winter, you have plenty of time to heal.” Jake walks off. “I’m going to fix some dinner, anything you would like specifically?”

Jake’s too kind. “Oh no. Make whatever you want.” Far, far too kind. Not only did he let a stranger into his home, he’s been making Dirk drinks and offering Dirk dinner. Without asking for anything in return.

Dirk sits down, choking down the last of his drink. 

They end up eating venison and potatoes. Dirk’s not sure if Jake’s a wonderful cook, or if the lack of hearty meals has made him rabid for any full meal. The sun sets quickly. Even though the house stays warm despite the outside, it does get a little scary at night. It’s very dark, the floor creaks, hell, the walls creak with the wind.

Dirk struggles with sleep. All he can focus on is the whining of the house, the howling of the wind, the croaking frogs outside, and the way his legs are still burning. He’s sick of trying to sleep. He’s bored and it’s nearly killing him. 

The anticipation of having spells for tomorrow, and the nervousness of hiding his curse from Jake, is also keeping him up. How does he plan to pull this off? Dirk’s hidden it from strangers before, but not from someone he’s living with. The anxiety feels electric in his blood, he needs to move.

Despite how much the soreness had truly set in, he stands up. He just wants to wander until he can sleep, he’s restless. He creeps out of his room, attempting to remain as light-footed as possible. He winces with every squeal the floor lets out, hopefully this won’t wake Jake.

The house is always warm, but there’s no fire to light Dirk’s way. How is Jake keeping this place so warm? Dirk puts a hand up to the wall, it’s also warm to the touch. Not warm in the way sitting by the fire is warm. It’s warm like how sitting under a blanket with someone is warm.

Something in the window catches his eye. A small warm light against the dark blue snow. He pressed his face against the window. It’s much colder than the rest of the cabin, his face is cold and damp now, his breath causes fog on the window. 

Jake is outside, sitting on his knees in the snow. His face lit up only by candlelight, bright green eyes glowing in the dark. The frogs croak louder and louder. He’s calling out to someone, Dirk can’t make out what he’s saying. He raises the candle up into the air. 

It’s so dark out, Jake’s face and arm are barely visible. The frog croaks grow quiet, as if moving further away. There’s a familiar crunch in the snow. Slowly growing closer and closer. It’s behind the cabin, creeping around. Every step taken shakes the cabin, making it whine and groan. Dirk’s breath gets heavy. There’s this icy cold chill down his spine, he’s covered in gooseflesh, feeling almost as if he’s dying in that river again. Freezing.

A horrible, blinding light suddenly beams into the window. Like looking into the sun. Dirk staggers backwards, trying to shield his eyes. Dirk hears The Beast’s horrible, deep and pithy growl. He tries to pick himself up off the ground. The light has left a blue afterimage of The Beast’s eyes, burned into Dirk’s. 

The Beast has moved on to Jake, walking languidly towards him. Dirk presses his face against the window, struggling to stand with how much his legs are shaking. The Beast circles around Jake. He lowers his candle somewhat, no longer needed now that The Beast’s eyes are lighting up the snow. Jake shows his offering of a plate in his other hand. The leftover meat from dinner. The Beast sniffs it cautiously, before eating the meat and plate, nearly taking Jake’s hand off. 

Jake sets his candleholder on the ground, lifting a nervous hand up to the Beast’s face. The Beast jerks it head away. It forcefully exhales all the air out of its lungs, almost like it’s amused by Jake’s attempt to pet it. It runs off, every step of its thousands of legs causing everything to shake. 

Jake rises, a little shaken. Dirk scrambles off before he’s caught spying. He’s already in his bed by the time Jake opens the door. Despite how warm the bed and house is, Dirk feels cold. What even was that? What is Jake’s involvement with the Beast? 

Dirk hardly sleeps with all his questions stirring in his mind. The anxiety about Jake being possibly more sinister than originally thought weighs heavy on him.

Maybe agreeing to stay here was a mistake.

Chapter Text

Dirk awakens before Jake today. He opens the windows, it hasn't been long since sunrise, the snow seems to be clearing. Sleeping proved difficult, tossing and turning out of anxiety. He’s not exactly well rested, but this will have to do.

Now would be a good time to try some of the rituals in the book Dirk took. He pulls it out and checks for what he’ll need. It seems like basic summoning supplies. With exception to the requirement of a subject. Some sort of small animal.

He sneaks out his room, avoiding the places in the floor that creak, he’s made an attempt to memorize the louder parts of the floor. His clothing is lighter than normal, he would normally wear several layers to hide his chest, but it’s warm and Jake isn’t awake yet.

It feels wrong to take even more things from Jake, but he surely won’t notice a missing firestarter and a few missing candles, right? Gregory is also wandering around the house, he must’ve gotten let back into the house last night. According to Jake, he just comes and goes whenever he feels like it. Dirk scoops up the chicken and takes him back to his room.

Shutting the door, Dirk lets go of the chicken and goes back to his book. He looks over the instructions again and again, trying to commit them to memory. He’s never been great at his own magic, just due to the lack of information surrounding it. Or at least that’s what he’s hoping, he has to be able to learn.

He’s never managed to fully possess anything. He’s seen into the thoughts and feelings of people and animals before, and that’s always been tiring for him. Hopefully this will go okay. 

Dirk tosses a pillow on the ground, and puts a few candles around the pillow, just far enough away to not be a fire risk. This is mostly just to relax the magic user and the animal involved. The candles are fancy, it’s somewhere between bone and cream colored with hexagonal beehive shapes in the side. Slightly honey scented when burning. It’s cozy.

Gregory takes a seat right on the pillow with little coaxing. Dirk slows his breathing. Really studying the chicken. He’s a ginger color, speckled with white feathers. He runs a slow hand down the soft feathers. Inspecting and memorizing Gregory until he can close his eyes and envision the chicken.

The candles flicker and crackle and grow, feeding off the magic in the air. 

He sets a hand on Gregory’s head and lets everything melt together. Feeling the pillow below himself, slowly creeping into the chicken’s mind. Breathing in sync. Dirk opens his eyes, seeing himself from a lower and blurrier view. He did it. 

Dirk nearly throws his own body back in excitement. He’s tossed all the way out of Gregory’s mind already. He’s quite bewildered, he could probably sense Dirk’s presence and intrusion. Dirk pets his head, attempting to comfort the poor thing.

Gregory is let out of the room before the candles are blown out, the smoke could be bad for him. Dirk scoops up the candles to return them before Jake wakes up. He runs around, trying to put the candles back where he remembers them being.

As he puts away the last of the candles, he hears Jake stirring in his room. Before Dirk can really think of an excuse, Jake is already walking out. He drops the last candle and scrambles off to his room. He doesn’t know what Jake would do if he found out. Dirk throws on another sweater or two. His form is fully hidden now.

Jake gently knocks on the door, Dirk nearly falls over. He didn’t do anything wrong, but he feels paranoid. Jake could find out about his curse, or his chicken possession, and Dirk could be tossed out into the cold. Maybe he’s also a little wary of Jake after last night.

“Dirk? Are you awake?” He’s quiet, as to not wake Dirk if he is asleep.

“I’m up.” Dirk opens the door, nervous, but he feels it’d be rude not to answer.

“Um, good morning!” Jake pauses, looking a little bewildered. “Oh dear, is it cold in here? You’re all bundled up.”

“No, I’m just easily cold.” Technically not a lie, Dirk’s always been easily cold. He is quite warm now though.

Jake plays with the hem of his shirt. “Alright, let me know if it gets too cold in here for you.” He avoids eye contact. “I’m making breakfast in a minute! Do you want to help?”

He’s not sure. Something’s off about Jake, he’s in cahoots with The Beast. But also, he still seems to be incredibly kind, and also something about the way he looks at Dirk makes his heart melt.

“Sure.” 

As they walk to the kitchen, Dirk realized how sleepy Jake seems. He’s slowly shambling his way to the kitchen, and he’s yawned a good few times now. He’s more relaxed right now, a little smiley but still reserved and fidgety. His smile is sweet.

Jake pushes a firestarter into Dirk’s hands. “Could you start the stove for me? I’ll grab some eggs from outside.” He walks away with slight spring in his step, emboldened by having someone else deal with starting his stove. 

Dirk lights the fire with ease, although the firestarter feels old. Jake returns quickly, cold eggs in hand. He smiles, almost as a “thank you”, and wordlessly starts to work on the eggs. He taps his foot, humming as he cooks. Jake always seems to be on the move, so full of energy it seems to make him nervous.

As the eggs near completion, Dirk starts to search for plates. Opening various cabinets and drawers. Jake has a cabinet nearly full of mugs, and thick potion bottles. Many fancy and expensive bowls and plates. He tries to grab the two sturdiest looking plates.  

Jake scoops the eggs onto the plates, and motions for Dirk to season them. He’s a little terrified of oversalting Jake’s eggs and being fed to The Beast, but Jake doesn’t seem to care. He’s trying to clean the pan out.

They share a look, and Jake runs to clear off a spot on the table, Dirk follows behind. Jake’s a little more confident today, he sits on the couch and crosses his legs, still trying to give Dirk space but without crushing himself.

“How are you feeling today? Ill or no?”

“I’m feeling better today.” Less dead, but more exhausted. Sleep was near impossible last night, and he’s feeling even more drained after his chicken possession. 

“That’s good! I’m glad to hear!” Dirk’s not sure if Jake actually cares how he’s doing. He’s a stranger who feeds the nearby hell creature. Dirk could be fed to it next. Jake puts his hands together and squeezes them. “Um. I was wondering if you could help me out today! I’ve been meaning to fix up a few things around the house, but I need a second set of hands.”

Dirk’s not sure about this. He wants to be helpful, and earn his stay here. But he’s not so sure about staying here now. He’s wary of Jake, but Jake is downright charming . Dirk wants to make him smile and keep him company. Jake also can make a warm meal and Dirk has a bed here.

“Sure. What are you wanting help with?” 

Jake smiles, impulsively grabbing Dirk’s hand. His hand is warm and a little rough. It’s much bigger than Dirk’s hand, nearly enveloping it. “Thank you!” He lets go of Dirk’s hand. “Sorry! I got excited.” Dirks hand lingers in the air. His heart starts to pound, he’s surprised Jake can’t hear it. “Just some simple things. Pipes broke down a while ago and I need help fixing it.

Dirk chokes out an ‘alright’, and excuses himself. He runs to put his plate into the sink. He doesn’t know why Jake makes him feel like this. Is it fear? Admiration for the person who saved his life? He’s not sure. Maybe both.

He doesn’t know what to do with himself. He supposes he will just hide away until Jake needs him to help fix the house. He needs a minute to decompress.

Dirk takes deep breaths. He’s not sure why Jake has this sort of hold on him. He’s had crushes before, but he’s never felt so drawn to a person. He can’t stop thinking about how warm Jake’s hand is, the slightly thicker skin on his palms. Worn but not callused.

Okay, he needs to lay down. Dirk quickly scampers back to the guest room. He flops onto the bed, still embarrassed. Maybe he’ll nap until Jake’s ready.

Dirk startles from his nap, Jake’s knocking on the door. He opens the door, carrying various building supplies in a basket. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I’ve got the stuff.” Despite the disruption, Dirk is feeling a little more well rested. He’s also feeling much calmer. Jake’s kind, surely there’s a good reason as to why he was with The Beast?

“It’s okay. Let’s go get the house fixed up.” Dirk’s already quite bundled up, and it looks like Jake bundled up while he was asleep. Jake just smiles at Dirk and turns to leave.

Despite being prepared for it, the cold air outside still chills Dirk. The crunch of the snow makes him nervous. He’s been outside a few times to get water, and it’s always made him feel on edge. At least if he’s shaking, he can blame the snow.

Jake leads Dirk to the side of the cabin. Pipes snake around the wall, they’re visibly clogged with snow and leaves. Some of the pipes seem real worn down, no wonder Jake’s taking water from the river. The cabin seems old, it’s using some of the first designs for running water from over a hundred years ago. All the pipes probably need some reinforcing.

“Do you need someone to come out here to redo the magic of the pipes, or can you get them running again by yourself?”

“Um, no?” Jake holds his hands together and squeezes them, a nervous habit of his. “It just needs to be reinforced. The magic just works on its own.”

Huh. Interesting. Most magic-run pipes need to be re-blessed every few years. Usually non-magic items don’t hold the magic in them forever.

Dirk gets to work on the parts of the pipes he can reach. Jake provided him with thick gloves, the wood is splintered and rotted and the metal has rusted. He tries to just replace the metal at first, but ripping down large sections and fully replacing it seems like it would make more durable pipes.

What was originally supposed to be a quick project turns into a several day project. The sun starts to make contact with the mountains in the edge of Dirk’s vision. He grew frustrated with the gloves and decided to forgo them entirely. His hands are raw. Despite being mauled by the pipes, Dirk realizes how nice it is to work with his hands again. He used to do so frequently to get by, but he's been on the run for awhile now. He missed this.

Jake helped, wordlessly. They both fall into helping each other like they’ve been working together for years. Jake just seems to know what Dirk needs. He left to go make lunch, and Dirk finds himself missing the help.

He finally returns, basket in hand. He’s got a huge smile on his face as he waves Dirk over. Dirk can’t help but smile back.

“The sun’s setting! We can get back to it tomorrow.” Jake puts his hand out. “Take my hand.”

Dirk shakily takes Jake’s hand. Something about the idea of being close to Jake makes Dirk’s chest feel heavy. He pulls Dirk away from the house, they walk for a good few minutes. Hopefully Jake isn’t leading him away for The Beast’s dinner.

Jake finally stops on a snowy hill, and lets go of Dirk’s hand. He pulls a huge quilted blanket out of the basket, then gently places it on the ground. After sitting down, he pats the spot next to him. Dirk drops to the ground. The view is nice, that must be why Jake brought him here. The sun is setting over the mountains and trees, casting orange beams of light into the sky and onto the pale blue snow.

Jake also looks beautiful in the lighting. The orange sun against his skin. How could Dirk focus on the sunset, when one of the most handsome people he’s ever met is sitting next to him? He’s unpacking the basket, but stops when his gaze meets Dirk’s. Everything slows down. Jake sets down the apples he was holding, and gently puts a hand on Dirk’s face.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have the most striking eyes?” Oh lord. Dirk’s frozen under Jake’s warm hand. “As orange as the sunset. Quite beautiful.” His face near lights itself on fire, so damningly warm suddenly.

Dirk’s heart makes a valiant effort to jump out of his chest, but lands in his throat. His eyes have always been attributed to his curse, bright orange and oversensitive. He’s never had them compared to the sunset, never been complimented on them. 

As suddenly as him grabbing Dirk’s face happened, Jake pulls his hand away. He continues to unpack food from his basket, as if nothing happened. He hands Dirk a few green apples and bread wrapped in fabric. He digs in, starving after all his work today. 

Speaking of that work. “I’ll have to finish up the pipes tomorrow. I’ll need a ladder to reach them.”

“That’s okay!!” He throws an arm up in the arm, gesturing as he talks. “You’ve already done so much for me, you didn’t have to completely redo them, but it’s very appreciated!”

They fall into silence after this. Dirk’s not sure how to feel about this. Jake seems so kind, he set up a whole picnic for Dirk. But then again... The Beast. Dirk considers asking him about this, but that would take admitting to spying him.

Before Dirk can decide, Jake interrupts his thoughts. “Say, I’m planning to make a trip out to a nearby village soon. Would you like to come along?” He pauses, thinking for a moment. “I’m preparing some things to trade for some fancy food. You could pick some things out!”

“That’s real kind of you.” Dirk wants to turn this down, but some fancy fruits sound so lovely. He hasn’t had anything real fancy in a long while. “You don’t have to, but I’d appreciate it.”

“I want to. We could get some real fancy fruits. I haven’t treated myself in awhile. And you’re working real hard, it’s deserved for both of us!” 

That does sound so nice . But Dirk’s hesitant to say yes. “Are you sure? It’s expensive.”

“Oh! Don’t even worry about that. I’m preparing loads of things to trade for myself, and I owe you some food anyway!” Jake seemingly throws Dirk’s worries away with the flourish of his hand. “Know what! Why don’t you keep me company while I work?”

“What are you preparing?”

“Mostly potions! Pretty simple work, just a bit tedious. It gets a bit lonely and boring to be honest.” It does sound a little nice. Despite Dirk trying to remain cautious, Jake’s company is nice. He’s easy to talk to. Dirk hasn’t had camaraderie in a long, long time. He’s always had to stay alert when it comes to others, but it’s hard not to trust Jake.

The sun’s setting fast, the deep dark blue-black sky invading the orange sunset, getting colder. Dirk was kept warm by his work, but now that he’s sitting, he feels cold. He shivers. 

“Oh! It is getting chilly.” Without any hesitation, Jake takes off his jacket, and sets it on Dirk’s shoulders. Dirk nearly freezes. “You poor thing, you’re so small, you must be freezing. We should go in.” Jake’s jacket is warm and heavy, it smells like him. He’s overtaken by the pine smell permeating in the coat.

All of this affection is killing Dirk. Jake is too kind, it makes him suspicious. This is all too much for him. His suspicion of Jake. He’s wearing Jake’s jacket, the one from the other day when he was attacked. It’s getting dark. When it gets dark here, the world is covered in this sheet of inky darkness, smothering it. Snuffing out any flame of hope or life.

His mind plays back The Beast, stalking around the cabin. Jake pats Dirk’s shoulders as they walk back. The moon is back, it’s been sorely missed the past two nights, a small little sliver in the sky. He’s safe with Jake. Jake wouldn’t let The Beast eat him, even if he does have some weird involvement with The Beast.

Jake walks Dirk all the way back home. Dirk excuses himself early, promising to help Jake tomorrow. He feels too sick and he just wants to lay in bed. He’s not sure why he’s so torn up and anxious about it. Jake checks on him a few times, bringing him more blankets. He’s so cold, bone chillingly so, like when he fell into that water.

Sleep laps against his mind. He can’t let go and fall asleep. Every time he gets close, he can hear something outside. Crunching snow, sticks and logs breaking, or a low grumble. He curls up under the safety of the thick blankets, and braces himself for the sleepless night.