Chapter Text
It was two in the morning when Ash was rudely awoken from his sleep by the shrill ringing of his phone. Groaning into his pillow he groped around next to him on the bed where he had thrown his clothes just half an hour previously.
He couldn't find it. Gritting his teeth he raised his head and summoned his phone to him, massaging his temples to try and stave off the headache that he could feel building just behind his eyes.
"What?" He growled into the device.
"I'm coming over."
Ash barely had time to realise that it was Savitar who had called him before two people materialised in his bedroom.
"What?" He asked again then, realising that the phone was rather redundant now, closed it and threw it back into the pile of clothes. "Savitar."
"Acheron!" Savitar said gleefully, causing Ash to repress a shiver at the promise of imminent destruction lurking underneath his tone. He'd spent gods knew how long during training being addressed exactly like that and then being put through hell. From the small shiver the person standing next to Savitar gave, Ash could tell he knew exactly what he had been through, "I'd like you to meet my new disciple – Harry."
The boy looked much like Ash felt right now. Dead on his feet. Black hair hung loose to his shoulders and dull green eyes stared at him half-lidded. He was gently swaying side to side from fatigue.
"Harry this is Ash." Savitar continued, interrupting Ash's concentration on the boy.
"'Lo." The boy murmured, seemingly not even having the energy to raise his hand. If Savitar hadn't changed teaching styles at all in the time that Ash had left then he could sympathise perfectly with him.
"He's going to be your new guardian."
"What?" Ash exclaimed, sitting bolt upright in bed and not caring about the pain that slammed through his head at the action. "No!"
"Yes." Savitar grinned again but this time there was steel behind it. Ash could feel the temperature in the room dropping sharply.
The boy, Harry, just stood there until Savitar nudged him towards the bed. He stumbled forward and crawled up the mattress on hands and knees with his eyes closed until he reached the pillows where he collapsed face down and didn't move.
Ash stared for a moment in disbelief and just a little concern. Was the kid even breathing? He prodded the boy in the head until he got a mumble of annoyance and the kid shifted until he wasn't trying to suffocate himself anymore.
"I haven't slept in three days." Ash growled dangerously as he turned back to his long-time friend, "I don't have the energy to argue with you right now Savitar. Take the boy and leave."
He was speaking to an empty room.
"Savitar!" He shouted, and then shot a guilty look at the boy next to him.
Harry hadn't moved.
Gritting his teeth and ignoring the full blown migraine that was now pounding through his head he tried to contact Savitar mentally.
Savitar had blocked him.
Wanting to scream in irritation Ash went for his phone instead, only to find that Harry was sleeping on top of it and to get it he'd either have to grope underneath him (which would be embarrassing if he woke up) or just push the kid off the bed.
He sighed and flumped back into his pillows. Screw this. He was too tired to yell at Savitar right now. He was even too tired to care that the kid was sleeping next to him and he never let anyone sleep next to him if he could help it.
He didn't even notice when sleep took him and he fell into unconsciousness.