Work Text:
Soft snoring fills the silence, dead or announcing something akin to it. His fingers numbingly tightened around the bedsheets, holding onto it with heavy breaths, tearing the air sharply. Mountain finds himself empty, his body elaborating what his mind didn't, yet; he concentrates on how his chest moves, following the burdensome tugs of substance. It was as if it was escaping him, or charging him with a force so familiar.
Brown-greenish eyes framed the clock on the bedside table.
3:04 AM
A shiver comes up on him like a sudden cold breeze in a still forest, eyelids snapping open. Turning to the spot next to his, lays content and still asleep, Swiss. His figure was framed by the soft light coming out of the big window in their room, muted and almost not noticeable if vision didn't lock on it; Mountain, tho, had his gaze fixated on him as soon as he was in his line of sight, always.
The earth ghoul sat up a bit more, trying to calm down. The next moment, he stared through the window's glass, searching for threats and dangers possibly hiding in the darkness. The wish of getting closer to see better lost where he could not reach, froze next to his mate with his hands still gripping the covers, anchoring his bones. Time stretched, nearing his state, and alert: seconds passed by with nothingness but worry eating his gut, then he finally connected the dots.
Now Mountain forgets how to breathe at the thought,
lips sealed shut, dry as terrain with no water.
At 3:04 AM, he remembers the piercing screams lacerating what was already a cold atmosphere— four years ago, Terzo was taken away and killed, but at 3:04 of some weeks later, Ifrit and Zephyr were banished. In that moment, his instincts were ready and dragged his trunk out of his room like the world was ending. That night, their pack was in shambles, ruined: Aether was right behind him with tears flooding his eyes and a pained expression that haunted him, the mental image was just as genuine.
The pit opened in his stomach too, when they didn't get a chance to even see them before their disappearance, chewed by the ground and down below. The last words - were those even words? - they heard were terrified screeches, he was almost thankful those weren't played back in replay when he suddenly woke up.
Sweet, sweet Zephyr, their hands moved with eternal care on those keys, graceful yet full of energy. He misses the touch of them, the caress that said more than words could; reassuring and full of patience, always there to help.
Ifrit that spooned whoever felt cold, warming everyone with a heart made out of kindness. Mountain remembers the way he flicked his fingers gently against his forehead when too deep in thought, he is sure that if the fire ghoul was still here, he would've done it again saying something like: "Come back to land, Willow. Earth misses you, and so do we." with the brightest smile.
When Mountain turned to the door, it was 3:39, although the echo took him back to Dew being forced in an elemental transition days after. No one wanted to risk an aggressive fire ghoul with another summoning, it was easy to change their water ghoul, for the clergy. It shook Dewdrop horribly, it hurt emotionally and physically. For months, their pack mate was like a stranger not only to them, but to himself in his own body: burning his past to ashes, his psyche becoming embers. He does not recall how long it took him to recover, if he ever did.
Since then, chaos was spreading; silent, not a true energy but a subtle presence that conflicted their relationships. Aether was attached to their - now - fire ghoul's hip, in the verge of distress. Mountain overlooks the way the quintessence ghoul tried to soothe, heal Dewdrop from all sides, both of them slowly moving away from him. New summonings happened in the meantime, the only good outcome was Swiss.
A force of nature, a rumor that created a bigger crater inside him in worry and warning. Were fast, the voices circling around the new arrival of the multi ghoul. Never before, the ministry summoned one, the strength and rarity of such individuals threatened them with its mention only. In the end, he changed his life forever, gave him what he never had for years: a partner, a mate, someone who loved him just as much as he did.
Mountain gets lost in the forest he sees on the other side of the glass, thinking about his mate being taken away during the latest tour, about how afraid he was that he could not see him anymore, that he'd be banished. How much he cried at the hollowness in his body, the same from when Zephyr and Ifrit howled and they could do nothing to get them back; or when Terzo was forcefully stripped from the stage in front of an entire mass, during a ritual, and they still managed to do nothing.
He did nothing.
He does not know what he would do if it happened to Swiss, being reformed just to fit in someone's scheme, to be perfect in the eyes of others and lose your real self in the process. What occurred to Dew– Mountain does not dare to dream of Swiss going through it; his voice is ethereal, how he plucks or makes his fingers dance on his guitar. What would Perpetua prefer? Pick apart and examine? What element would he want his lover to be?
It makes Mountain sick.
It makes him want to run, never come back.
Take his mate with him, never turning– what Aether should've done.
Mountain would've understood, instead of risking a loss, he was gonna mourn their missing warmth. But he could say "Yes, it was for the best. They are happier now."
Fingers gently grab his arm from beneath the sheets, warm. It takes the earth ghoul back to reality in a short breath, eyes blinking. Shadow engulfs half of their room: the desk with notebooks and stray pages sitting on it, the chair tucked in a messy way close to it and the bookshelf against the wall.
Home.
He isn't in a summoning room, not in a basement where elemental experiments are made, no one is being dragged back to the pits.
Swiss is next to him, now with his eyes half open, tired.
"Mountain?" His voice was lucid, unlike his washed-out state, calling his name with determination. Mountain realized just then the tears rolling down his own cheeks, pokey. His body was freezing cold, his teardrops tepid and comfortable– a weird contrast to the feelings that called them.
"What's wrong, Hun?" Swiss tugged at his forearm, as if telling him to come back under the covers, to hide from the chilly atmosphere of their shared space. The earth ghoul was clueless, did his mate know what was afflicting him? There was a tiny whisper in the back of his mind suggesting that he did, he always did, but was open to understand if there was another catalyst.
Perplexion laced his mouth, words tried to rip his throat open at the chance of speaking his concerns. Like stalactites hitting the ground, he rasped. "If– if they ever dare to break you — it collapses in million pieces, his sussur flickers — I'll take you away from here." Mountain sobs and breaks the hushed silence, it blows stiffly and Swiss catches each drop with his careful caresses.
"Hey, hey– Clover, my love, i'm here… Copia will never let that happen', remember?" Swiss cradled him in his arms, Measured and with care. The multi ghoul makes him sink with him gently, lays him on the bed next to him and hugs him, stays close to him. His heat sips in his frigid bones and melts everything.
Mountain felt slightly reassured, his breath evening out with minutes of stillness. The water's ripples make space for peace, the moon's light shines upon them in a blanket. The earth ghoul wraps his arms around his mate, almost possessively, protecting him from everything and nothing at the same time. He's aware Swiss is as strong as him, could easily survive without him– Mountain still desires to provide and shelter him, anyways.
"No one's out there, yea? 'M looking out now." A hum escapes his lips, eyes staring at his mate turning to the window and peeking out of the nest to give him solace. Mountain leans further, kisses his bent neck to hear his lover's purrs.
"Alright, come back to me…?" Swiss snorts in response; his face eases in contentment, abandoning any worries and facing his partner.