Work Text:
His gun Angled down. His site targeted the creature that Lark was in combat with. Deep breath in.
The creature fell dead. Grant's mind was clear. He surveyed the field. It wasn’t a tall spot. Just the top of a small glass station. Sparrow had two pulled to the ground covered in vines. Grant whipped his head around to the woods close but. Terry Hadn’t returned. Grant clicked his radio earpiece.
“Terry?”
Silence
“Terry, come in?.”
“What’s going on grant,” sparrows asked through the radio as he dispatched a creature.
“Terry hasn’t checked in. I’m gonna head into the woods. Stay in contact”
Grant picked up his weapon by the shoulder strap slinging it around his body. He went to the ladder climbing down. Grant readjusted keeping the gun in him but holding it ready to bring it up and shoot.
Behind him he heard Lark’s Glock go off.
“They're all dead over here” he heard Lark.
“Just took count. 4 out of the 5 creatures are over here. Stay cautions grant. I’ll have a few healing spells prepared just in case.”
“I’ll be cautious. Terry where are you at” he kept his voice low. Stepping into the woods he scanned the foliage, eyes sharp looking for movement.
Grant did his best to avoid the fallen leaves. He went farther in listing for a response from Terry. This could be bad.
Terry stepped around a tree not noticing grant due to him looking around if the tree. His rapier held close to him. Grant looked at his feet and saw some leaves. He brushes his foot against them. Terry whipped his head around and looked at Grant. His left hand coming up to his mouth in a shush sign. Grant walked closer trying to get his back to a tree. Having his back open while he was in what was probably Melee range made him cautious. Terry looked at him and pointed to the other side of the tree. Grant slowly leaned around trying to get a glance at the creature. There was nothing around. Grant eyes widened. Putting his back to the tree sharply. If it wasn't where Terry last saw it then it was hiding.
Grant and Terry stood in silence. Listening for any signs. Something sharp hit his neck. Grant's hand went up pulling away a dart.
“Shit” he dropped the dart and pulled his rifle up again. He aimed in the direction the dart came from. Looking in between the leaves. Sitting on a branch was an acolyte. Grant lined up his shot, he pulled the trigger as the acolyte loosed another dart. The dart lane right into the side of his neck. He watched the bullet hit the shoulder of the creature pushing it out of the tree. The creature screamed loudly, hurting his ears. This creature looked like it used to be human. Its bipeds movement and use of hand told grant this. Sadly this is no longer human.
Grant ripped the dart from his neck. Feeling blood dripping down his neck.
Terry had rushed the creature as soon as it had dropped but he was struggling. Grant let his rifle fall to his side. He reached down to his leg pulling a hunting knife. He quickly moved, sliding over the ground with years of practice.
The creature was on its feet, as Grant moved closer one of its eyes turned and looked at him. The purple purple eye bore into him. One eye on him. One eye on Terry. The eye made him want to freeze, to run, to escape. He clenched his teeth. Grant moved in slicing at the creature as it had started to corner Terry to a tree.
“Careful, its hands are like knives.” Terry called leaning against a tree trying to regain footing. Grant knew Terry was hurt he couldn’t risk looking right now. The creatures hand went straight towards his chest. Grant side stepped doing his best to avoid big roots. A sharp hand slid Across his legs. He grunts at the pain. He felt something inside of him faltering.
The creature took a step back pulling out another dart. Stabbing it into its eye, covering it in purple liquid. Shit. That had gotten in him. He rushed forward, getting the knife stabbed into the creature's buddy. He was too close! The creature smiled a giant to big smile. Stabbing into grants guts. It hit a few important organs as he felt blood come from his mouth. It was nasty and irony. He pulled out the knife stabbing the creature in its eye. He fell to his knees hearing Terry footsteps. Terry finished the creature with a stab to the forehead. It struggled on his rapier screaming it horrendous scream. Grant’s head screamed in agony; tiny needles attacked his nervous system.
The creature slowly fell, Terry directed it slowly to the ground heaving. Terry turned to grant.
“Fuck, Sparrow grant gut are stabbed and my shoulder barely working I don’t think I can get us out.”
“Shit let me get over to you guys. I only got a few slots left but it’ll hopefully be enough to get you two back to HQ, "Sparrow replied. Terry made his way over to grant.
“Shit man, nice wound.”
“You too,” Grant coughed. Shut this ain’t good. “It poisoned me with its shit” Terry nodded. Grant did his best to keep his breathing even. He is going to die. He wasn’t. He had Marco and little Linc at home. He wasn’t going to die.
Marco sat in the living room alone. He looked at the time. 10pm where was Grant? Dinner was cold sitting on the counter. He looked down at his phone. He had sent several calls and text. When he was late home Marco had called the library. That was when he found out that Grant has never worked at the library. He knew Grant was into something, Something dangerous. His main working theory was he knew what turned the sky red. Marco had always noticed the new bruises, The broken bones, the stitches. The purple ooze on his outfits. Marco loved his husband so much and all the pain he carried. He always decided not to push it. The things in Grant minds where the things he actively fought against. The ideas that grant felt he didn’t deserve love. That grant was a bad person. If that were true the small 2 year old wouldn’t be sleepy soundly in his bed.
Marco sighed and stood up. He needed to find his husband, something was wrong he could feel it.
Marco went to their room on Grant’s side. He opened Grant’s dresser drawer and started pulling papers out. There has to be something to tell him where Grant was. Marco flipped through the letters and bills finding nothing that helped him.
“Where are you?” He whispers to the room knowing he won’t get an answer. Marco has a thought and gently puts a hand inside the drawer touching the top. He was surprised when he felt a piece of paper. He was only half serious when he put his hand up. Like a secret spy movie. Marco gently pulled the paper out reading the top line.
D.A.D.D.I.E.S
The Department for the Acquisition, Destruction, Deployment, and Investigation of Extranormal Stuff.
an address if Grant was anywhere it was here. Marco got a go bag ready snacks, drinks, stuffies, a change of clothes, pull-ups. He had no clue how long finding his husband would take. He gently walked into Lincoln’s room. Should he wake Linc up or just pick him up.
“Hey Lincoln.” He called gently.
“Hmmm?” The small boy stirred and opened his eyes.
“We’re going to go see daddie I’m gonna pick you up now.” He gently picks Lincoln on. Double checking he had Lincoln’s sweater and blanket. He put Lincoln into his car seat, tightening the seat belts of his booster seat. The directions I’m his phone were the only thing that filled the quote car. He didn’t like being Linc out of the house once he was asleep.
The car pulled up outside of an old west house. The word daddy on the outside.
“Looks like this is where daddy is.” He told Linc.
He grabs the bag and unbuckles Lincoln. A glass door stood in front of him. He saw a bottom and pressed it waiting for something.
Lincoln stirs on his shoulder but he just moved his head to the other side of his face. Marco stands the refusing to leave. He stood for 10 minutes till his stubbornness was rewarded with a face.
The door was pushed opened
“No visitors.” It was lark. It was Sparrow. Which one had the beard? They were at the wedding.
“Where’s Grant?” He demanded
“Not here”
“Yes he is”
“Nope” Marco took a deep breath rolling to wake up his son. He stood tall and said
“You Will let me see my husband.” Lark or sparrow rolls his eyes.
“I’m not the one who will deal with the backlash.” Lark or sparrow leads Marco down a hall and some stairs leading to an infirmary looking space. The anxiety that had been building in his gut spiked. Terry stood outside of a door back facing him.
“Terry” Grant put in his parent voice “where grant.” Terry turned a mix of shock and concern on his face.
“How. When. Where?”
“You don’t separate a husband from his family before long they come looking”
“I don’t think you should go in there” he directed at the room behind him. Marco have Terry a ‘really’
“I didn’t think I was gonna stop you.” He hands go up. Marco stands in front of the door breathing. Whatever happened to grant was so bad they just let him in here. Marco hand little Lincoln over to Terry.
“I don’t want to bring him in”
“Yeah I got him” it helped that the people here were Grant’s closest friends.
With Lincoln safe Marco headed into the room.
The site of Grant laying down on a bed, blood covered, ruined him. He started to cry but didn’t make a noise, seeing Henry and sparrow standing over Grant with what looked like magic.
Henry glanced over at the intruder.
“Come to the other side. I’m sorry this is how you're introduced to our world” Marco, still crying, moved around the table. Staring at his husband's wounds. A giant slash in his gut. Several puncture wounds bleeding purple ooze from his neck.
He stood above Grant’s head running a hand through Grant's hair.
He watched silently through silent tears as the wound in his gut slowly was sealed with magic. Magic! So Grant knows people who can use magic. He knew Grant was into some Dangerous shit but he never thought it could get this bad.
Once Grant's wound was sealed Henry took a breath. “Sparrow, can you get some Basil’s leaves? Until I know what effect the poison has had on him I’m hesitant to mess with it. I know it won’t kill him but other than that we have no clue how this one will affect him.” Henry grabbed several leaves and items and started making a salve for once he woke up.
“Marco dear, why do you come? Did one of the boys call you?”
“No. He wasn’t responding and-“ he looked down at Grant starting to cry again. Sparrow quietly left the room. Henry walked over after washing his hand and pulling Marco into a hug.
“Hey hey, he’s still here.”
“I know. I knew he'd been doing something. god Henry, how long has he been in this?” Marco was crying holding onto Henry with one hand the other on Grant's head. Henry looked guilty closed his eyes then opened them.
“12 or 13. I don’t wanna tell his story. I feel like that is something you guys need to talk about.”
“12 or 13” Marco stood shocked. How much danger has Grant been in. He stood there staring at his husband. He lived grant so much.
“If you want you can stay here tonight. We keep extra cots so you can set up here.”
“Lincoln’s with me”
“I can take him home for a while. He can spend time with Hero and normal”
Marco nods. He slowly hand the bag to Henry. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning to check in on him. I doubt he’ll wake up but if he does. As long as he doesn't have any physical problems. Put this in his wounds.” They set Marco up with a black cot near grant. He grabbed a chair and sat in front of Grant's head laying his head next to grants. He looks at the face of his husband asleep.
“You in there my love.” He lets the words hang. “I don’t know even half of this but it is scary. You should have told me. I can handle it. I love you so much and you are in so much pain. It hurts to see you in pain” he closes his eyes and does his best to rest.
Grant's eyes opened. He looked to his left to see Marco. No, why was Marco here? He raised his arm grunting at how sore his entire body felt. That’s what happens when you are healed by magic. The majority of it is healed but some of it disperses itself though your body. He puts a hand on Marcos head. See as Marco was laying his head from off the table. Marcos' eyes opened to meet his.
“I’m sorry,” Grant whispered out. “I’m sorry I never told you”
“I’m not gonna say it’s okay. But it will be. You gotta tell me all of it. Tomorrow.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Good now sleep. I love you,”
“I love you too.”