Work Text:
“Halt, citizen!” the nearest watcher calls. Teddy resists the urge to roll his eyes. He’d assumed that the watchers would mostly leave him alone.
“Yes?” he resists the urge to launch a few bolts of lightning at the thing. They are especially vulnerable to it, Gortash had told him. He is in no mood for a scan today, or an interrogation about his activity. Maybe he can get Gortash to put him on some kind of ignore list, so the watchers won’t pester him.
“Message for you,” it says and falls quiet for a moment, “Teddy dearest, can you hear me alright?”
“Hello Enver. What’s the matter?”
Astarion stickers at the romantic scene, and Teddy elbows him in the ribs.
“I wanted to tell you that I saw your little friend, what’s his name? The annoying one in blue? Volo? That sounds right.”
“Yes. What about him?”
“It would appear he’s angered a group of cultists down by the docks. I assumed you didn’t want him to explode, but if you did, I can hurry that along too.”
“Thanks,” Teddy smiles, “Can these things bend down?”
The watcher pauses, then bends at the waist so it’s face is much closer to Teddy’s. Still, he stands on his toes and kisses the watcher’s metal face. It is cold and tastes like metal-- not the familiar, warm tang of blood, but something mechanical.
“I prefer the real thing,” Teddy says, “We ought to consider helping Volo. He could be useful. Propaganda is an excellent resource.”
“This is disgusting,” Astarion crosses his arms, “Some idiot is going to write in the paper that the new fad is kissing Steel Watchers.”
*****
“Halt citizen!”
“I’m sure that’s for you,” Shadowheart says, rolling her eyes, “Awfully convenient to have an archduke trailing after you. We could have used this earlier. Has he never heard of a sending stone?”
“Go ahead,” Teddy says, “What is it?”
“There’s a hag in the city. Would you handle that for me?”
“I fucking hate hags,” Teddy says, which he assumes Gortash will consider a yes.
“It’s a bad look for the city. And it’ll give you something to channel your anger. Try not to get yourself killed.”
“You don’t think it’s Ethel, do you?” Shadowheart asks, “Surely we’re not that cursed.”
“Gods I hope not,” Teddy mutters. He digs in his pack for the hag support group poster he’d swiped the other day. It’ll at least give him a place to start, “Thank you for the heads up, Enver.”
“I’m looking out for the city, of course.”
“I don’t think I trust these metal beasts,” Lae’zel says.
“I like them,” Teddy says. He tries to remember their original concept. Gortash says he’d been involved. But the memory is gone with the rest of them. Sometimes, when he can’t sleep, he lays in bed and stares at the ceiling and thinks about everything he’s lost. How must Gortash feel? To have all of these memories of the two of them-- love, happiness-- and for Teddy to have nothing but a blank slate.
“No, you like their inventor,” Shadowheart says, not unkindly.
The watcher, having delivered its message, stomps off. He thinks that this is Gortash’s way of helping him, without coming directly into the city. Maybe he wants to travel with the party. Maybe he just wants to help. Either way, Teddy actually finds it quite…sweet. No one has ever looked after him this way before.
“Do you love him?” She asks, “Is he the love you remember?”
“Yes,” Teddy admits, “Come on. Let’s go kill a hag. That’ll be fun.”
*****
“Halt citizen!”
“It looks worse than it is,” Teddy says, before the watcher can get any ideas, “And it’s mostly not my blood.”
“You’ll bleed out,” Gortash’s voice replies, “It was quite easy to track you through the city.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Teddy says. The watcher stomps after him and Teddy pops his shoulder back into place, “I wouldn’t dare bleed out without you.”
“Who hurt you so badly? Are you losing your touch?”
“Well about seven Githyanki,” Teddy says, “Quit stomping. It’s giving me a headache.”
“Come back to Wyrm’s Rock. I’ll get you a cleric.”
“I’m alright,” Teddy stops, putting a hand on the watcher’s arm, “You don’t have to follow me around. I’m not a child.”
“I am afraid you’ll disappear,” Gortash says softly. The watcher is emotionless but Teddy can hear the real worry in his voice and can only imagine what he must look like, “If I take my eyes off you for too long, who’s to say you won’t vanish again? I refuse to allow that. What do I have all this power for if I can’t keep you from vanishing?”
“You’re really scared aren’t you?”
“Just come back. Let me look after you tonight and you can try to kill me or something come morning to make yourself feel better. There’s a nice window here, just ripe with the possibility of throwing me out of it.”
“I’ll have you know we held our own against those Gith. Have you seen Minthara with a sword? It’s impressive,” Teddy sighs, “I’ll come back to Wyrm’s Rock now. I can’t very well wander around in blood stained clothes now can I?”
“You’re going to be the death of me.”
“Of that you can be sure. I wouldn’t let anybody else have the honor.”
*****
“Halt citizen!”
“Yes, Enver?”
“When are you coming home? It’s been three days.”
Teddy laughs, “You shouldn’t use the watchers to bother me. I’ve been busy.”
“They’re my watchers. I can do what I like with them.”
“I’ll be home before nightfall. I’m sorry, it took longer than we anticipated at the Counting House, so we stayed in the city.”
Home. Has he ever had a home? At least one that didn’t end with him slaughtering all the inhabitants?
“Bring wine. We’re out.”
“Enver, I’m trying to save the city from a Mindflayer invasion and find the best way to slaughter my bitch of a sister. I have better things to do than bring you wine. At least say please.”
“Fine. Sleep outside then.”
Teddy laughs, “It's a damn good thing I love you. You’re horrible.”
He knows this can’t last. This stupid, ridiculous romance. They are not normal people. They don’t court. Don’t marry. Don’t enjoy a happy ending. He’s going to have to kill Orin or she is going to have to kill him. Bhaal will never let him go. And he’s got to decide what to do about this brain.
Does he even want to be Bhaal’s chosen again? Is it possible to reject him? Be finally free of his father’s influence? He hasn’t spoken to anyone about this before. Is it what he wants? Orin has to be dealt with, sure, but does that mean he has to take her place?
Really he wants to take Gortash and leave the city. Start again somewhere else. That’s what he wants but he doubts he’ll get that.
But it’s nice to pretend. It’s so nice to pretend. He’s always been just slightly insane. Maybe this is part of that.
“I’ll start heading there now,” Teddy says, “I love you.”
“I love you too.”