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Oh, this was great fun.
Alex stood under a tree, invisible to those around him as he watched the little intruder clean up the last of the fire wood. It was a simple thing. Taking one log out of the stack as Morgan chopped, and giving it a little shove to send it toppling over onto his unsuspecting victim. He could still hear the, admittedly creative, swearing as Morgan dug themselves out and started restacking.
This little shit won’t make it a week with Alex’s meddling.
Good.
Violent fantasies started to fill the monster’s head as he glared at the farm hand. It would be so easy. A blink, and they would be gone. Or Alex could stretch this out. Pause the world as he showed Morgan exactly why people don’t fuck with his family. His fingers started to itch with barely controlled anticipation as he watched the last of the wood be stacked.
It was then that he spotted his father coming over the hill, looking like he had just come from the neighbor’s house. It was clear the old man was unhappy, but the way his wizened face twisted into a smile as Morgan greeted him was enough to make Alex pause.
Right. His parents seemed to really love this intruder. They wouldn’t forgive him for murdering Morgan, so he had to play this carefully.
Alex threw off his invisibility as the two talked, and he started towards them, not catching much of the conversation.
“I was actually going to ask if I could borrow the truck today.”
The words from Morgan made rage flair inside Alex as he stepped up behind the other. The bastard was trying to steal the truck… again.
“Where do you need to go?” Alex asked, a smile plastered across his face. It gave him no end of pleasure to see those green eyes turned to him, a flash of fear showing before Morgan managed to smile back.
“I need to run a few errands in the city.”
Alex had to admit, the poker face was very good, but he knew the truth. The farmhand wanted out of this situation and away from the monster in front of them. “Perfect!” He said, giving the other a bright grin. “I was headed out that way too. I’ll give you a lift.”
The perfect poker face shifted just a hair as Morgan nodded. “…That sounds great.” They said, sounding as if they really meant it.
“Good!” Mr. Stewart cut in, the only one of the three who’s bright grin was honest. He clapped a hand on Alex’s shoulder, looking between the two younger people. “I’m glad the two o’ya are getting along so good! Y’all ‘ll be best friends in no time.”
Alex’s gaze never left Morgan’s, and he felt a thrill of victory crawl through him at the subtle slumping of the other’s shoulders. Defeat.
“Of course, we will.” To Morgan’s credit, they sounded genuine. “Just let me change clothes, and then we can go.”
Mr. Stewart gave the two a pat on the back before heading inside, and Morgan walked down towards the guest house.
With his father gone, Alex dropped the friendly facade, glaring at the farm hand as they left. Once the other was out of sight, he moved to get his car. It was very out of place on the quaint little farm. Sleek, and shiny, and horrendously expensive. If Alex had it his way, the whole farm would be like that. His parents would want for nothing, but they refused to let him do anything like that. His father wouldn’t even let him replace that old truck, claiming it was special to him. That truck was how he met Alex’s mother.
The same truck Morgan had tried to steal.
Alex pulled up in front of the guest house and waited. It was only a few minutes before Morgan came out, in loose jeans and a shirt that looked like they’d picked it up off the floor, given it a sniff, and pulled it on. The green eyes scanned the car with a skeptical look before the farmhand climbed in, arranging an over the shoulder bag on their lap before buckling up.
“It’s a bit flashy, don’t you think?” Came the barbed quip as Alex pulled out.
His brown eyes rolled behind his glasses. “I don’t recall asking for your opinion.” Alex hissed.
Morgan gave a little huff, glaring out the windshield. “What can I say? I’ve got a generous heart.”
That drew a derisive snort from Alex as he drove out onto the county road, headed towards the city.
Morgan was silent for a long moment, before turning a cautious look to the monster beside them. “So, what’s your plan?” They asked. “Are you hoping to leave me in some ditch on the side of the road?”
Alex couldn’t help a smirk at the words. He definitely didn’t enjoy verbally sparing with this person. Definitely not. “Don’t tempt me…”
The smaller person shifted in their seat, still eyeing Alex. “Then what is your goal here?” They asked, cocking their head to the side. “It’s obvious you don’t like me, so why offer me a ride?”
“There is no way in hell I’m letting you drive off alone in my father’s truck, thief.” The words came out harshly, and Alex had to shift his grip on the steering wheel. Just because it was Shakanium, doesn’t mean he wouldn’t accidentally break it and blow his cover.
Morgan let out a groan of irritation and glared at the man. “I’m not going to steal the truck, Alex!” They hissed. “I’m not going to steal anything from your parents.”
Alex rolled his eyes, glaring out the windshield as the dirt road turned to a two lane black top. “I’ll believe that once you’re gone.”
The words seemed to silence Morgan, and the other turned away, looking out of the passenger side window. Alex couldn’t tell what they were thinking. Did they just have nothing else to say, or had he hit a nerve? It didn’t matter.
“So…” Alex broke the silence. “Where am I taking you, anyway?”
“City Hall.”
Surprised eyes turned to the farmhand, before moving back to the road. Alex didn’t know what he had expected, but it wasn’t that. “What could you possibly want at City Hall?”
Morgan just shrugged, slumping into the seat. “There’s just some old documents in the archives I need copies of.”
Documents in the archives? That sounded sketchy. “What are you plotting?” Alex asked, suspicion clear in his tone as he eyed the other.
Morgan sat up a bit straighter with a huff, and Alex could feel the glare locked on him. “I really don’t like the way you talk about me as if I’m some nefarious villain.” They hissed, arms crossed over their chest.
“You are a villain, thief.” Alex snapped back. “Just because you’re a shitty one, doesn’t mean I trust you for a second.”
Morgan hissed some colorful words under their breath as they slumped back into the seat. “Just take me to the damned building.” They grumbled, pulling out their phone to start tapping away at the screen.
The rest of the trip passed in silence, only disrupted by the occasional ping of an incoming text message. Alex pulled into the lot of the huge building. It was just as over the top as everything else in this godforsaken city. White marble, grand columns, huge windows and golden trim. It might have been intimidating if Alex was capable of feeling the emotion.
He pulled into a spot, and shifted into park as he looked over at his passenger. Morgan didn’t budge, staring at a string of messages on their phone. Alex didn’t miss the way they gripped their jeans, as if nervous.
He was about to speak up, when a message came in and all of the tension seemed to vanish from the other. The sudden change mesmerized the villain in a way he hadn’t been expecting. It was fascinating to watch Morgan seem to put armor on; straightening up, squaring their shoulders, and taking a fortifying breath. They looked as if they were about to enter a battleground.
“I won’t be more than two hours.” They said, pushing their door open.
Alex scoffed at the words, shutting the car off. “It’s cute that you think I’m letting you out of my sight.” He said, climbing out of the car. He felt a sliver of satisfaction at Morgan’s clear irritation as he followed the smaller person up the ornate staircase and to the front door.
“Fine.” Morgan said, eying the other over their shoulder. “If you really want to watch me do this, then play along.” They turned back to the door and reached for the handle. There was a moment of hesitation, as if the other were bracing themselves, before they pushed through and into the lavish room.
Alex followed the other through a metal detector and down an offensively large hallway. It was more of the same white marble and gold accents that covered the outside of the building. Pretentious sepia toned images of the city’s early days were placed in gaudy frames between the arches that ran the length of the hall at regular intervals.
Ridiculous.
Morgan led him into an offshoot of the main hall, more reasonably sized, but just as over the top as the rest of the building. At the end, there was a small corner desk that faced them. Behind it sat a young man with dark hair and a well-kept beard. He was clearly studying very hard. Pouring over a textbook with a small pair of glasses perched on the end of his nose.
He didn’t seem to notice as Morgan approached until the other spoke. “Ohio! Fancy meeting you here!” The farmhand said in a hushed, but friendly tone. “How’s the internship going?”
Blue eyes snapped up to Morgan, and with the new angle, Alex could see a few scars on the young man’s face. “Morgan?!” He said, straightening a bit, clearly surprised.
Morgan pressed a slender finger to their own lips at the word. “Don’t say that to loud, now.”
Ohio cleared his throat, and Alex didn’t miss the way his blue eyes flicked over Morgan’s shoulder at him, before returning to the other. “I haven’t seen you in weeks.” He said, quieting his own voice as he looked the other over. “You look… good.”
That wasn’t the word Alex would have chosen to describe the rumpled mess that was Morgan, but the other just chuckled. “I’m going to pretend that’s a compliment.” They said good-naturedly.
The young man seemed to relax just a bit as he set his glasses aside, offering a genuine smile to Morgan. “Where have you been?”
Morgan just shrugged. “I managed to pick up some work on a farm outside of town in exchange for a place to stay. I still do some odd jobs from time to time, but I’m mostly just a farmhand now.”
Ohio gave a small sigh, not even trying to hide the bit of relief in his eyes. “Good… I was worried about you.”
The words were so genuine, but Morgan just waved it off. “You know better than to worry about me.” They said with a smile. “I always land on my feet.”
The student let out a small chuckle at the words, nodding a bit. “You do, don’t you…?” he said, glancing at Alex once more. “So, why are you here?”
Morgan held their hands up as if pleading innocence, but they gave a bright grin. “You wound me, Ohio. Can’t a person swing by to have a chat with an old friend?”
Ohio just leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a knowing smirk.
The silence stretched on for a moment before Morgan’s fingers waved a bit in the air. “Ok, you’ve got me.” They confessed with a chuckle, leaning in to brace their hands on the desk. “I’m here on business, and I need a small favor.”
The chuckle from Ohio showed he wasn’t upset at the little deception, and he nodded. “What is it you need?”
“I need access to the archives, undisturbed, for one hour.” Morgan said quietly.
“I see…” Ohio said, taking a moment to think about it. He turned a skeptical look at Alex, who simply watched the scene play out before him. “And him?”
Morgan looked over their shoulder at Alex, and for a moment, he thought the other might try to exclude him from this little misadventure. After a bit of consideration, they turned back to Ohio. “He’s with me.” They said, and Alex had to hide his surprise.
A touch of wariness crossed Ohio’s face as he eyed Morgan. “Is he your muscle?” He asked, drawing a soft snicker from Alex.
Morgan just shook their head. “Of course not, Ohio. He’s just an informant. He’s here to help me so that I can get in and out quickly.”
Alex stared at the other as they lied so easily. If he didn’t know the truth, he might have even believed the story, just as Ohio seemed to.
“I would be taking a risk for you…” The student said.
“I won’t get caught.”
“You say that…”
“Please Ohio.” Morgan said, waiting for the man to meet their gaze. “I’m asking as your friend.”
There was a moment of silence as the two watched each other, before Ohio finally gave a resigned sigh. “One condition.”
“Name it.” Morgan didn’t even hesitate in response.
“Get me his phone number.” Ohio said, pointing behind the two.
They turned and Alex caught a flash of argyle and the back end of a fluffy dog as someone passed through the larger hall. He turned back to see a mischievous smirk on Morgan’s face. The look stopped the monster dead in his tracks as a thrill of something unfamiliar coursed through him. Thankfully, he was saved from responding as Morgan turned the smirk back to Ohio.
“You want Barnaby’s number?” Morgan’s words matched their smirk, a thread of amusement winding through them, and in that moment, Alex would give his left arm to hear it again.
Ohio flushed at the question. “…yes.” He said, trying to play it cool, though his poker face wasn’t nearly as good as Morgan’s.
There was a brief silence before Morgan snatched a pen and paper from the other. “Deal.” They said, scribbling the number down.
“You already knew it?” Ohio asked, clearly surprised as he stared at Morgan’s script, just as messy as the rest of them seemed to be.
Morgan nodded. “Of course! He’s been my best friend since we were little!” They said, all but shoving the paper at the other.
Ohio slowly took it, his blush only getting worse. “I see…” He said, pulling out a small brown key and offering it to Morgan, who quickly snapped it up.
“And of course, that means that I would be pissed if anyone were to break his heart.” Morgan chimed, just as friendly and casual as the rest of this conversation, but Alex knew what the words meant. Judging by the sudden tension in Ohio, he did too. “But I know you no one would dare to that.” Morgan added, giving Ohio’s head a small pat before turning to unlock a fancy door.
Alex watched as Ohio swallowed hard and quickly returned to his studies before the monster turned to follow Morgan into the archives. The dark room was huge, but, unlike the rest of the building, there was a good reason for it. Rows and rows of cabinets filled the space, each one going from floor to ceiling. Occasionally there was a small desk or a few chairs. And on one side was a photocopier and a few computers. When Morgan flipped on the lights, they were a strange color, and it took Alex a moment to realize it was likely that way to protect the documents, some of which were incredibly old.
Brown eyes scanned the area, and Alex felt a little overwhelmed. Morgan clearly didn’t have the same feeling, though. They started skirted the room before finding the isle they wanted and started down it, scanning every cabinet on the way.
Alex followed, no longer looking around the room. His skeptical eyes were locked on this strange person before him as they stopped and opened a drawer to start sifting through documents. The sound of shifting paper was the only one for a few minutes as Alex crossed his arms. Morgan seemed to not notice, or at least not care, about the eyes on them.
“Do you honestly expect me to believe you’re not a villain after that?” Alex asked.
Morgan didn’t even look up from the files. “After what?” They asked.
A scoff from Alex seemed to echo in the space. “After I just watched you lie your ass off to someone you claim is your friend.”
Even in the low light, Alex didn’t miss the other rolling their eyes. “I only did that so he would let you in.” They said, shifting to get a better angle on the files they searched. “I didn’t have to… I could have let him kick you out. But since you seem so keen on watching me like a goddamned hawk, I had to tell a little fib.”
“A little fib?” Alex echoed.
“Yes.”
The explanation did nothing to calm Alex’s paranoia of this person. “And the threat at the end? Was that necessary?”
Morgan snorted. “That’s rich coming from you…” They grumbled, then they gave a small sigh. “I don’t want to see Barnaby hurt. I don’t think Ohio will break his heart, but it never hurts to give a little extra motivation.”
“So naturally you would have to threaten your friend…” Alex hissed, and he could swear Morgan actually flinched at the words.
One drawer shut as Morgan moved to the next, seeming to consider their response. “Ohio and I are… ‘friends’ in that we have a business relationship.
Alex’s eyes narrowed at the words. “What kind of business?”
For a moment, he was sure Morgan wouldn’t answer, before they gave a resigned sigh. “When I was on the street, I did a couple of odd jobs for him.” They explained, never stopping their search. “Mostly research and stuff... But he had this guy that was harassing him and threatening to ruin his career. So, I dug up some dirt on the bastard.” They pulled out one file to give it a closer look before returning it and continuing on. “He even let me crash in his dorm room until the school found out about it.”
Alex moved to sit in a small chair, still watching the other. “Seems shady.”
Morgan just shook their head as they moved to the next drawer. “Not really.” They said. “I didn’t make anything up, I just exposed the truth.”
Alex didn’t trust it. “And how do I know you aren’t lying to me like you did to him?”
The chuckle from Morgan surprised him. “You must think I’m a shit liar then. Give me a little credit.”
Alex snorted, relaxing back in the chair a bit. “I don’t have to give you anything.”
That was enough to stop Morgan’s search. Green eyes looked up at Alex, and he was stunned to see… sadness. “Look, Alex…” Morgan said, all of the snark gone from their tone. “I told you that to be transparent with you. I know you don’t trust me. I get it. If I had your family, I would be protective of them to… But I am no threat to them.”
The harsh retort died in Alex’s throat as he stared at the other, not sure how to process this. He took a deep breath, raising his chin slightly. “…We will see…” He said, watching as the other rolled their eyes and returned to their search.
Alex watched closely, but somewhere between the still, warm air, the dim lights, and the steady shuffling of papers. Time slipped away.
…
“Alex!”
He grunted as his chair was kicked and he shifted to avoid falling out of it. A brown glare turned to meet a green one as Morgan adjusted the bag over their shoulder. “Come on, it’s time to go.” It was clear that this was not the other’s first attempt to rouse him from his impromptu cat nap.
Slowly he stood, giving a little stretch as Morgan started away. “I’m up, I’m up.” He grumbled, following them out of the room. The light of the hall seemed harsh to Alex as the door was locked and the key returned to Ohio.
“Thanks again.” Morgan said, and Ohio nodded with a smile that mirrored the other’s.
“Don’t be a stranger.”
Alex had to maintain a brisk clip to keep up with Morgan in spite of the other’s shorter stride. It was clear that they wanted out of this building quickly. He opened his mouth to ask what the hurry was for, but all that came out was a surprised grunt as he was suddenly shoved into a broom closet. Morgan wedging their smaller body alongside his was the last thing he saw before the door closed, shrouding them in darkness.
“What the-“ Alex’s question was cut off by a cool hand covering his mouth, and he was stunned into silence.
Small tremors were working their way through Morgan’s body. Subtle enough that they wouldn’t be visible, but with so much contact it was impossible not to notice it.
Morgan was afraid.
The strange urge to pull the other into his arms and protect them from whatever dared to frighten them crashed over him like a rogue wave. There and then gone, leaving devastation in its wake.
What the fuck was that? Morgan was an enemy, and like all of Alex’s enemies they would be annihilated once he had his fun. There was no reason to be protective of them. No reason at all.
Morgan shifted slightly, and Alex was aware that they had pressed their ear to the door, listening closely. After a minute of silence, the door opened a crack, and Morgan peeked out cautiously. Slowly inching out, they seemed to decide the danger had passed, because their hand fell from Alex’s mouth to grab his hand and all but drag him out of the closet.
Morgan made their way through the hall, out the front door, and down the steps before finally releasing the monster and climbing into the car.
Alex moved to the driver’s side as he heard Morgan’s door slam, still confused as he got in and opened his mouth to ask what had just happened.
“Drive.”
The single word was enough to silence Alex’s question for now as he started the car and pulled away. The silence weighed like a heavy blanket over them as they headed out of town. Away from the glittering skyscrapers. Away from whatever Morgan was so afraid of.
They turned onto the county highway before Alex finally spoke up. “Ok, you want to be transparent?” He asked, remembering the other’s words from the archives. “Why don’t you tell me what the fuck that was about?”
Morgan shifted, and, for a moment, Alex expected them to brush off the question. “I… saw my brother…” They finally said, curling up on the seat and glaring out the window, looking even smaller than usual.
“The one you were a sidekick for?” Alex asked.
It was as if he’d hooked a live wire up to the other at the words. Morgan whirled on him, uncurling and leveling an impressively angry glare at the monster. “I am no one’s sidekick!” They snarled.
Alex had to admit, if only to himself, that this person could be truly frightening if they wanted to. A pity that they hadn’t met under different circumstances. They might have actually been friends.
As it was, Alex was determined get Morgan to leave his family alone, and the best way to do that was to continue needling them at every turn. He clicked his tongue, shaking his head with a derisive smirk. “Temper, Temper~” He hissed.
Morgan growled and flopped back in their seat, glaring out the window again. “Just… shut up and drive.”
Alex snickered, watching the road. It didn’t matter what this strange person made him feel. They were a threat. A threat Alex intended to eliminate.
One way, or another.