Archive of Our Own ^beta

When he was a child, he used to ask for stories and myths, rather than fairytales. Not that his mother would not read him those, she was fond of them after all, their grim stories and ironic ends. However she would indulge him by reading him about Greek myths. His father too, he was more fond of them than the fairy tales his mother loved so much.

Stories of heroes and gods, over witches and faeries. 

Jonah clung to those stories, both of them really, because he loved his mother dearly and the Greek myths were one of those things that was between him and his father. One good memory he did like to remember fondly despite his eventual fallout with the man.

That said, Jonah was fond of the iliad and more specifically he had a slight fascination with Cassandra and her curse.

He was a curious thing, his mother and father said so as much, so in his mind having the ability to know the future but being cursed by having no one believe you, seemed like the most petty and horrible thing ever. She knew what would happen, the carnage that would come.

Yet despite warning, despite knowing what could be done to avoid it, she could do nothing to save herself or those around her.

It struck him a bit as a child, what a terrible curse to be bestowed upon. His parents had no good answer for it and with time Jonah would forget about it. After all, it was just a story and there was more to it than just Cassandra and her foresight, so it would get buried as just another tragedy.

Life was normal for many years and he would forget his predilection for mythology, especially when he left home, when he had to change his name and start from scratch. His father disowned him and his mother could not do much, other than shove money at him and hold his face and tell him with a soft voice to take care of himself.

“No matter what, please, please take care of yourself, be safe” He wanted to ask her to come with him, but she shook her head with a haunted and yet sorrowful look. He knew he couldn't, that there would be too many questions and that it would lead to trouble, so he gave her a quick hug, the last one he would ever give her and he would leave.

His father held a funeral for a child that was still alive.

He would only see him one more time at his mother’s funeral a few years later. Jonah had been bitter and he had blamed the man, who in return blamed him for her death. Both of them are horribly angry at each other and at the loss of the woman they loved dearly.

Despite everything, despite being resentful to her as well, Jonah had loved his mother so much and her loss was an actual hit against him.

And worst of all, he blamed himself, because a few weeks prior, in the midst of his studies and work with the entities he had a dream.

Such a peculiar thing indeed, he had dreamed of his mother in the kitchen of their old house, making tea, yet at the last moment, she added something else to it. She would sit on the dining table, stare at the cup and after a long pause she would drink.

In the dream it had set him on edge, the knowledge that something bad was going to happen, it took a while but she started to claw at her throat and to shake horribly before eventually her body stopped spasming and she slumped on the table.

Deadly still.

Long red hair loose for once, pooling around her back and face like a river of blood. 

The dream flipped to a hazy funeral and of his father crying.

Jonah had woken up with his eyes filled with his own tears and with the terror and childish need to contact his mother. Send her a letter, go and visit, anything really. Beholding had soaked it all up, his fear and paranoia that something bad would happen to her.

After a while, after taking a break, he told himself that it was just a dream, a nightmare really. His mother was healthy and happy and why would she ever hurt herself? No, it was simply a mistake.

Yet…when he confronted his father, he asked, point blank, how did she die, suspicious of it, she was healthy and young and had no reason to just die so suddenly. His father however spit out that she had been devastated with his loss, and that she had been miserable the last few years and that her heart just gave out on her, woke up one morning and she was gone.

…

He will admit that back then, he was young, emotions ruling his behaviour, he would grow later on to keep his temper in check, albeit he would have moments of panic. Yet the thing is this, back then, despite his doubts, despite everything screaming to him that it was bullshit.

Jonah took his father’s word for it, because a part of him, the one who had dreamed of his mother adding poison to her own teacup, would rather believe she simply died out of a broken heart than that she could ever choose to kill herself. The thought was too painful to even consider. The woman who would smile at him so brightly, who would comfort him every time he scraped his knee or cut his fingers.

Who stayed with him during the months it took for him to heal out of his pneumonia after falling into the frozen lake. All despite her warnings to stop and wait for her to check on the ice together first. She, who cried next to him and held him and warmed him up as he shook in delirious fever and was wracked in horrible coughs.

Who despite not speaking against his father, still gave him money and a blessing to go.

The thought of her choosing to die was too terribly to consider, so he would accept that she died of a broken heart instead, be it his leaving or his father, and he had much contempt for the man at the time, so he wouldn't put it past it for him to have driven her to it somewhat.

But for once in his life, in his very, very long life, Jonah chose to not to see.

Just this once.

—-

It wasn't the first instance of him having an odd dream, ever since he became involved with Beholding, he would get more often than not, horrible nightmares. Mostly of the stories people would send him, but occasionally, very rarely he would get these…dreams about his friends, about things that didn't make sense. 

Things that haven't happened yet.

On one occasion he dreamed about Albrech and of a library, hidden in secret, he dreamed of a creature with no eyes, guarding a place where books were held. Books that his friend would send him and that would of course lead to his demise.

And the thing is, when Jonah went to visit Albrech during the spring of 1815, he mentioned his dream, casually, vaguely, implying that his friend should be careful about his explorations. Albrech had laughed, saying perhaps keeping his head among all those horror stories was starting to get to him.

Jonah did not appreciate that comment but he bit back the reply he had in mind. If someone had his head on the clouds due to reading it was Albrech himself.

Just because, he told him that if he ever were to send him books, he should know that Jonah would steal them. It was the truth and a warning. 

One that ultimately he would not heed.

So when a few years later, as Jonah had predicted, Albrech would come to him with a story involving a man with no eyes and of a library with books with secret knowledge, it was no sweat off his back, when he did what he promised his friend that he would do all those years ago.

He stole the books, swapped their covers and sent them back. He can't be mad about it, after all, Jonah warned him that this is exactly what he would do, if he were to send them his way. Its not his fault that his friend didn't listen, that he took his words as a joke.

That he didn't believe him.

It was not his fault at all.

…

It would not be the first or last time this would happen, in fact, Jonah would notice the pattern, he would get a dream, one that felt more real than others, that involved the people around him and when he would tell them, even warn them about the possible outcome, no one would take him seriously.

Case in point…and the most egregious out of all of his friends.

Barnabas.

Because Jonah had not been subtle, had not made a single joke about it, he had told him straight to his face what he knew would happen should he choose to cross Mordechai and mock him.

Regardless of the lonely man’s slight favouritism towards their wayward friend, Mordechai was not one to take insults lightly and despite his feelings for Barnabas or Jonah himself, he would never let anyone take advantage of him.

At all.

So Jonah was very straightforward when he told Barnbas what would happen should he ever cross Mordechai or refuse to pay him, let alone mock him.

“There will be no affection saving you, in fact dare i say it will damn you even more so and i for one, wont help my dear friend. He will give you that solitude you always describe in your letters during your journeys and you will not come out of it, and there are no words you could say to convince me otherwise my dear. None at all, for i would let it happen just to satiate my own curiosity”

They were sharing a bath, after certain activities, Jonah had been sore and Barnabas had wanted to accompany him. Which was an excuse to idly arouse him with his fingers, even if Jonah was still a bit overwhelmed. It still felt good mind you, Barnabas have clever fingers and he could make him see stars if he so wished. Which was one of those things he really liked about him.

Among much more mundane ones, he is not that vapid. Jonah held genuine affection for all his dear friends, even if they were to say otherwise, he still held them and loved them and even if they loved him back or used him, he still held nothing but utmost fondness for them.

He would not hate them, even if they were to spit on his name.

“Dear i think you are just exaggerating, i do appreciate the concern or that you would dream of me-” And he is so, so dumb sometimes it makes him want to strangle him. Unfortunately for him, Barnabas is knuckles deep inside him and he can't quite manage the words he wants. Just soft pants and moans as he gets a few kisses on the neck for his efforts.

Prick.

If he comes crying to him later he will not receive any help from him, he can sort it out with Mordechai himself, Jonah did his duty, he tried.

…

Three months later, he finds a letter on his desk, from a man stuck in desperation, one who did not listen to his words or his warnings. Jonah held affection for him and he would have asked Mrodechai to release him and perhaps he would have listened to him.

With enough luck he would bring Barnabas back and the two of them would punish the man in a much less severe way, albeit very delicious for the two would be avatars.

Would have, could have, what if.

None of that happened.

Just like he dreamed, like he predicted, Barnabas was sent to his death and both Mordechai and Jonah used his demise as the stepping stone into their avatarhood. 

Anger and resentment would live between them, even in future encounters, even while sleeping with each other, there would be the weight of a dead body that neither of them saved.

A man who would haunt both of them for the rest of their lives. Mordechai stealing his ribcage, Jonah taking his skull. The lonely man’s wife, a woman who Jonah helped him meet, having just the barest hint of a resemblance to Barnabas himself. A punishment for him, one Mordechai took upon, to bear children he could never love. 

Jonah himself used this to finally settle with Beholding, to commit, to watch but not participate out of curiosity. The next year he would steal the books and doom Albrech to his early grave.

But he warned them and they didn't listen. He told them what he would do with time and yet they did not take him seriously, they did not think him capable of it, despite giving them a warning clear as day.

It was their fault, for Jonah could not help his own nature and they, foolish men that they were, could simply not accept it. All of them wanted him to be a more tame thing. Something which he was not.

What a pity.

This series of events, of dreams, of cause and effect, would lead him to believe that his patron was awarding him with a sort of precognition. However, whether it was his personality or something else at play, no matter how many times he warned the people around him, no one would ever take him seriously.

Jonah could have prophesied their deaths or the numbers of a winning ticket, and not a single one of them would take it seriously, somehow always putting it off as a joke.

As if he would joke about it. It became frustrating, as time and years went by, how no matter what, no one would listen. He meant it too, more often than not, the things Jonah warned people about weren't even his fault, he would dream of random accidents, of bad luck that could be easily avoidable. He would say something and then…they would just call him paranoid and laugh it off.

Not so fun when it happened to them in the end was it? Yet even when he told them I told you so, they still cursed him for not giving them a warning. He did! He did and they didn't believe him!!!

It was genuinely irksome to have to deal with people like that.

Yet it also provided some sort of blanket innocence. Because Jonah warned them, he gave them an out, gave them a choice and no matter what they would always refuse and it would lead to their own misfortune. Sure sometimes he was a participant, but like he said, he warned them he would act the way he would and yet none of them took it seriously.

For a long while, he resented it, for…around his first three bodies, he would find this sort of curse, nothing more than an annoyance. On the fourth body however, he found a source of amusement.

His own little personal joke at everyone's expenses. It became less exasperating when he started to treat it as a game of sorts. He would get a dream, tell someone about it and then just watch it unfold exactly as foretold.

It did make him feel slightly like some prophet of old. Gave him a sort of flair, some spice in his life, yes it was frustrating to no end that people would ignore his warnings and put them off as silly dreams or exaggerations, as his own paranoid delusions, which mind you, did piss him off when someone actually referred to it as such, it made his blood boil.

As if he was insane, as if there was anything wrong with him, perhaps, the problem was that there was something wrong with everyone else, because clearly, he was the only one who actually had some sort of common sense at all.

The point is that he started to toy with it in his next few bodies, using his dreams as predictions and watching others fall to their own hubris even if given some forewarning of it. It was fun, it was exciting, it was…boring.

After so many times doing the same thing over and over again, watching the same events unfold in the way he already predicted, Jonah grew bored of it, what was the point of having some sort of lucky precognition if no matter what he said, nothing would change. Even Beholding must have been tired of it, after all, it was not watching anything new.

So after so long, Jonah simply stopped telling anyone about their futures, didn't see the fun in it, it's not like he suffered anything from it, as time went on, years went by, even he felt like his ability got dull. It became harder and harder to discern what was a dream and what was a possibility.

He didn't want to consider that maybe they had been right and he had been making things up, that he had this sense of…dejavu rather than an actual power. Whatever it was, he simply let go of it, especially because none of the visions he ever got were about himself.

All of it was related to other people, but he could never see into his own future, his own choices. Perhaps it was simply because knowing such a thing would create a sort of loop, or perhaps it was simply that the eye could not see into itself and he was his own blindspot. 

Or maybe, the most simple answer is that he would become obsessed with it, seeing what would happen, if he was in danger, if there was harm coming his way. He would lose it if he could see it.

Always worried about his possible demise. Hah.

Perhaps it's a kindness that he can't see it.

…Perhaps.

As it is, Jonah stops thinking about it and his dreams become just that, dreams, messy recollections of the day, but sometimes…sometimes he will wake up, knowing something will happen with a certainty that should be concerning if it was anyone else other than himself.

—-

Peter is a novelty, as a Lukas and as a man, still clearly part of his family’s little clan, but also very distinct compared to most, had a sense of humor to start with, most Lukas avatars were boring.

He was charming, and young and he made a dumb eye joke when they first met. It was enough to make James invite him to play cards with him and Simon after the funding party, his interest was piqued after all. He got to know a little bit more of him and it was enough to draw James in, its not like it wasn't reciprocated, in fact Peter seemed quite happy to flirt back with him.

Oh he was very reserved about himself, but he looked at him with hunger and James…well he appreciated it, that goes without a saying.

So yes, he takes an interest in him and vice versa. It leads to some fun times and eventually when he changes bodies, without telling Peter of course as he wanted to see his reaction to it since their last interaction was a fight, Elias comes out to greet him at the funeral and test the waters.

Its very strange to see the man be so closed off with him, even as he introduces himself. Peter was wearing a fitting outfit for a funeral and he even had some flowers with him. Which surprised Elias, albeit perhaps not so much, the Lukas always delved into death after all. So funerals were like a breeze for all of them. 

He talked to him, he joked and he flirted but Peter was unmoved, worst of all he looked bored and mildly annoyed at his presence, which was rude. When he mentions that James had taught him and mentioned him, Peter shifts and looks at Elias with wariness.

The question is, was it worth it to reveal who he was to Peter? Nathaniel knew, and so did a few more relatives who worked closely with the institute. It was a given after all, it would only be fair and a lesson for the young Lukas man to learn. However…Elias also felt like it would be a challenge to get him to like him, so he would simply play along and reveal himself at a later date. Yes, that sounded perfect.

And so, he started the slow process of getting into Peter’s life again from scratch, not easy, but very fulfilling once he started to chip away at him and get close and closer to the man and oh, how lovely it was, to see Peter slowly fall into his arms twice over.

Hah, makes a man feel wanted for sure, what an ego boost.

—-

They were at a party Simon made, he invited some other avatars and friends of his own. Elias was on the side, Peter next to him both nursing their own champagne glasses. He had slept poorly last night, a series of nightmares involving the latest batch of statements had plagued him. Which usually it wasnt so bad, he wasnt the arhivist in that he could watch over the statement givers nightmares and be seen by them no, Elias worked more as a…filter. The stories would go through him and then settle for the eye.

Or so he thought, he wasn't sure per se, but searching for meaning in this kind of thing usually led to disaster so he tried not to.

Maybe the eye was just messing with him and that's about it. He doesn't like that line of thought but its still possible.

Anyways, he and Peter were talking when Elias' eyes caught a glance of a man, he is sure he never met him before, but he struck him as familiar somehow, in some vague way. Most of Simon’s parties are similar enough that they blur, same with the funding events for the institute, there is just so much you can do before it all becomes repetition after so many decades.

So at some point they all blur together into one big pile, so its not very strange for him to get a sense of deja vu about the whole thing, because in all honesty he has done this so many times it happens more than he wants to admit. So he is a bit shocked with himself when he blurts out:

“He is going to trip against Simon and fall face flat onto the floor” Peter blinks and raises an eyebrow.

“Bold claim to make” Yes, very bold, but one he can feel is true. Its not a deja vu, he has seen this before at some point, in a dream. A bit self conscious and trying to laugh it off, he points out that the man is already tipsy and that Simon has that thing where he can make people dizzy by being too close to him.

“So its not a stretch is it?”

Peter looks, sips his drink, then smiles with some mirth in his eyes. “Wanna bet?”

Elias blinks. “Excuse me?” 

“Wanna bet if he falls? Im sure he won't, in fact i dare say he will be perfectly fine”

Its quite the unfair game, as Elias thinks he knows how this will end, but…on the other hand, he can always squeeze a favor out of the man by winning a bet here and there. The thought slots into place and a smile creeps up in his face. “What are the terms? What do I win?”

“Presumptuous of you to think you will”

“Oh…I know I will, but amuse me” His companion seems to think for a long moment before he nods and says that if Elias were to win, Peter would go with him to one of those dinners he keeps harping him about. 

“The ones with your “friends” that you are so insistent about. Even if im fairly sure you are not close to any of them and you just want gossip”

Hah!!!

“Oh yes, i accept”

“Hm, you didnt hear what i want if i win-”

“You won't”

“But-”

“You won't, but in case you do, whatever you like?”

“...whatever I like huh?” Peter seems pensive, Elias nods with some glee, it doesn't matter, because Peter will lose, so he is not promising anything big at the end of it.

“Yes, now, let us watch and see if im right or not, i am much better at reading people than you are my dear” Peter’s face at the term of endearment is hilarious and Elias can't help but snort. 

“Don't do that”

Challengingly he asks “Do what?”

Peter of course grumbles and says he knows what he means, Elias feigns ignorance which irks the man and terribly amuses him. “Anyways, shall we watch?”

“...fine”

It takes a while, Elias' memories are hazy but eventually there comes a moment where the man’s drinking gets a bit heavier and where Simon, who is fluttering among his guests, gets closer to him. Peter is watching expectantly, so Elias smiles and waits for that moment.

Except-

“Hey Simon!” Peter raises his voice, which Elias looks at him in shock, the old man likewise turns towards him and with a smile he saunters closer to them, away from the man who is still stumbling a bit. Yet he does not fall to the ground as it was foretold.

“There you are! Elias, I expected Peter to lurk, but you? For shame and there are some fun guests today, Maxwell even decided to come, which by the way, I take it we are playing poker all together once he makes his big entrance. You too Peter, i expect to see you there” 

Elias is still reeling a bit, as Peter chuckles and says he would rather eat glass, but Simon hits his back making him stumble and grab Elias arm subconsciously to steady himself. Elias can smell sea salt.

“You funny man, you are coming” And that is not a suggestion or a joke, Simon means it, which Peter simply agrees to, knowing its a losing game either way. Confused and a bit perplexed he goes along with it, noticing that the man has finally gone to sit down. Two of his companions practically dragging him to.

In the meantime Simon drags the two of them towards his playroom where there is already a table set, along with drinks, in preparation for their game. This wasnt…what he had in mind, could it be perhaps that he was confused? Perhaps he truly did mix things up.

As it were, there is no incident and when the night is over and he and Peter go together in the same cab, as Elias intended to spend the night at his flat anyways, he asks what did the man want, for his prize.

“Oh, so now you are not so full of it huh?”

“Sod off, how did you…?” He still doesn't get why it didn't work, it should have, unless he truly was mistaken?

Peter offers him a bewildered look. “You said it was Simon who would make him trip, so obviously if you remove him then no one has to fall, you were right, he got way more drunk than even i expected so I wasn't about to lose a game. Maybe I cheated a bit by pulling the old coot away but it worked didn't it?”

And it did. Huh.

How odd.

A bit subdued, albeit slightly ticked off he lost, he asks again what does he want. Peter seems to mull it over, but after a while he says he will tell him when they get to his place. There is promise there, which Elias can't help but shiver at.

“Very well if you say so” Peter smirks and Elias sneakily touches his hand, away from the cab rider’s eye.

Peter stills but he doesn't push him away and Elias counts that as a victory.

Soon the night becomes a whirlwind of drinks and being tied up, he can't say he regrets the bet, or the fact that he gets to sleep over and steal all of Peter’s warmth away. Or that he leaves early in the morning while the man is asleep, of course stealing one of his sweaters on the way out.

Why should he deprive himself of such a thing? Especially as Peter was bound to leave soon anyways.

A little souvenir never hurt anyone.

—--

They walk in the park, Peter asked him to move in with him, claiming Elias already had half of his things on the flat anyways and that the man spent more time there than at his own place. For convenience's sake, he allows him- and its funny he would even say that- to stay. 

It would be beneficial for the two of them, Elias gets a place closer to the institute and Peter has someone looking after his flat. A win win if you ever see one. It was an obvious and logical conclusion.

…it had nothing to do with sentiment on either of their sides.

Not at all.

Lately Elias had headaches and these little…visions, short, simple. Something about to happen, happening a second later.

Like his dreams, the ones he hasn't thought about in so long, only now, whenever he is relaxing or not thinking too much, they pop up out of nowhere. They are, as usual, actions that lead to unpleasant consequences.

Warning anyone about it always leads to the same result, no one believing a word he says. He tried plenty of course, but no luck. Peter’s intervention last time felt more like a fluke. After all, he still took his words as a game, the only difference was that because it was a game Peter figured he could win and so he changed something.

It gave him a lot to think about, so he decided to try it as well, with Simon and Maxwell, by making bets with them and giving them the information he had at hand. 

The results were…underwhelming. Elias still won, neither man seemed keen on changing anything, claiming Elias was simply wrong or messing with them as he had done so long ago. It wasn't the first time he had given either of them predictions, he used to back in the day, in his original body, but like most, they wouldn't listen.

So he gave up on that.

It stood out as a little fluke, the Peter thing.

Anyways, they were in the park walking and enjoying a slightly sunny day, it was the weekend so no work for him. Elias can't help himself, telling Peter that a couple was going to break up. Partially because he saw it happen, partially because he can see with beholding that the man is trying to hold it in, that he fell out of love with his girlfriend and was now seeing something new in one of his coworkers.

“You think so?”

“Yes of course, the man keeps thinking about it, he is already thinking of moving on to his new beau" Peter looks at the hand holding couple and tilts his head before saying the girl feels terribly lonely, even with the man next to her.

“Well, can't blame her, he has already emotionally checked out”

“Hm…You think we could do something out of it?”

“Oh?”

“I mean she will be so lonely and if someone were to find out he has been cheating, his life would be put under scrutiny, i say a win win for both of us” This is why he likes him, aside from his looks and everything else, Peter is surprisingly giving, oh he can be a mean bastard sometimes but when he is in a good mood…

Well the lonely and beholding can work miracles.

The nasty kind of course.

Grinning, he links arms with Peter and starts telling him about his plan, quickly deciding that it would be fun to see the man be persecuted by his own fears and paranoia.

“Perhaps a gift will make its way to his life and then…its a matter of waiting”

“Hm, i like how you think Mr.Bouchard”

Smiling, he says he likes how he thinks too. “Flatterer”

Its a lovely and productive way and when Elias says it will rain, unprompted, with the sky full of sunlight, Peter looks at him in confusion and mild mistrust, but he means it. It will rain soon, he just…he just knows. Its not beholding, or it is, but its not knowledge coming from the weather channel. Hell, the news said it would be sunny for a few days straight, no storms in sight.

With a sigh, he says nevermind. Peter shrugs, but asks if he wants to go eat something at a nearby cafe. So Elias agrees.

When the storm hits they are at the shop, it's sudden, the wind picks up and the sky darkens halfway through them eating their cakes. Peter stares at it, people complain and mutter in the shop. Elias watches as rain falls heavy and sudden. 

“You think it will hail? I left my car outside-” Elias knows there will be hail and it will shatter the man sitting near the entrance car windows. He doesn't bother saying anything about it of course, useless as it is.

Peter looks and says they should finish and go. Elias points out to the rain.

“Oh, we can go through the lonely, the weather is always the same there, no rain to speak of” Which is a big ask out of him, Elias tenses and looks at Peter who seems almost unbothered. 

“And you want a beholder in your realm? How…novel”

“Oh hush, I didn't bring an umbrella and from the looks of it, it does look like it will hail, the temperature dropped too quickly, so shall we go?” Its either waiting till it stops, which will take a long while or go into the lonely with Peter so they can arrive at their flat unscathed and more importantly dry.

He is not happy about either but one would get him back home before the worst of it hits, so with reluctance he nods and Peter grins, saying he will pay then. “My treat”

With that they finish their drinks and food, Peter pays and then they go towards the door. Elias latches onto Peter’s arm, the man snorting before letting out a breath, the room grows colder and the noise disappears, people’s faces become blurry and their shapes are grey and boring.

Difficult to identify. When he looks, there is no rain, just fog in the city. They walk back home with no further incident, Peter chattering aimlessly about nothing at all.

Its not so bad.

Not so bad at all.

—-

The funeral is as any Lukas funeral boring and dreadful, the quiet is suffocating, people in black with no sign of grief in their faces, merely a ritualistic goodbye used as an excuse to make people uncomfortable.

Unfortunately he was invited this time due to being the funeral of one of his previous connections to the family. Peter stood next to him with a blank expression as the whole charade began. So many people there…

His head hurts with so many little visions he is getting, all grim, all leading to death in one way or another. The Lukas drop like flies, of that he never had a doubt, but there are so many instances of them dying of heart disease or being killed by someone else in the family or anything really. They aren't even close to death, some of them seem to happen years from now. So Elias has no idea why he is being informed of it.

Or perhaps its simply a warning to himself, that there will be plenty of funerals in his future to go to, now that would be interesting. Through it all, Peter stands still next to him, Elias has to wear sunglasses as the feeble light of the sun is making him sick. The sky is cloudy already but whenever the sun dares to look upon them, the brightness makes his headache worse.

No one seems to mind, if anything they seem almost relieved to not be seeing his eyes directly which is very rude mind you. As it is, the funeral goes on and eventually the body is buried. Elias and Peter stick around for a bit, the family’s resting grounds is a place he doesn't get to be in often, whenever he is invited to a funeral he is promptly kicked out, but since he has a plus one with Peter, or maybe the other way round, he is allowed a bit more of time.

“I used to play here all the time” Elias looks around, believes it wholeheartedly, its the type of thing he can see Peter doing, running around the unmarked graves as a little boy. 

“I thought you would live in the forest” He teases really.

Peter’s hands stay in his pockets, he gives Elias a reproachful look as he lets his fingers trace the graves.

“I did, but this was the only place my siblings would not come looking for me. I could be alone here, they were too scared of the place to come and try to get me to and make me play with them”

“Poor you” Elias maps out the place, walks around trying to find what he knows is here, the one grace, that even without a name he can still come visit, the one he knows well enough. Peter follows, of course, not wanting to leave him alone in the premises. “A long time ago, after Mordechai married his second wife, around…two weeks after the whole affair, he left on a trip. He took a ship, on the way back from said trip-”

Peter’s face is pained. “I don't-”

Elias continues. “-There was a storm and the ship sinked, fortunately they weren't far from land and miraculously they managed to survive, at least plenty of the man, Mordechai however, did not make it but they did manage to drag his cold dead body back to land to be buried”

Following him like a shadow, Peter tries to grab his wrist but Elias saunters around the place, he knows where it is, its just…there.

He stands behind the headstone, hands on top of it, it looked as clean as all the others, but this one was older, much more worn despite the care put into it.

“Did you know, he had one wish? When he was buried he asked to be buried with a bunch of ribs from the torso of our mutual friend Barnabas Bennet. I kept his skull, he kept his chest. Funny right? He died alone, but he was buried with the one man he could not forget”

“...why are you telling me this?” The disdain in his voice was palpable. Elias shrugs.

“Why not? But honestly…i told him that trip was a bad idea, but he didnt care, said i was being “paranoid” and “annoying” and a bunch of other things i will not repeat” He makes quotation marks at each word. Back then Jonah had the courtesy to warn Mordechai of his untimely demise, but the man did not believe him.

“...what happened to his second wife?”

“Really? That's your question?” His partner shrugs, says he heard the story of Mordechai’s passing plenty of times before. Elias tries to remember, but he never met her, he wasn't even invited to the wedding, which was very rude. He had no idea what she looked like at all.

“I don't know, I never got to see her, and since Mordechai died only two weeks after their marriage i imagine she didn't get to inherit much, his children would have seized any inheritance he left behind, leaving the poor two week bride on her own”

“Hm” Not much more to say to that really. 

Looking at the grave, he finally walks around it and stands next to Peter, who has taken his hands out of his pockets to cross his arms instead. 

“He probably wouldn't have wanted to hear you, you were a walking and talking bad omen”

“Excuse me!” 

Peter had figured he was James a while back, so talking about this stuff was…interesting, fun, he was testing the waters of how much did Peter handle it. So far he did marvelously. 

“Well yes, a redhead called Jonah, you could never step foot on a ship without people wanting to throw you out of it could you?” 

…

…

“...They did give me looks when i travelled to Germany to visit Albrech and Clara yes” 

To be fair he is perfectly aware of the whole bad luck at sea thing, he doesn't mention to Peter that he fit a third criteria with that, only on a technicality really, not that he counts it, he was a man not a woman, regardless of what genitals he possessed back then.

“Hm, so of course he wouldn't have heard a word you said, taking out the fact you are an ass” Slapping his chest he says he is not. “Oh you are, you are a pain in the ass, no wonder he didn't believe you. He must have thought you were messing with him. You with your…frivolous schemes and smug little face. He must have seen that expression you make, the self important one, with the glint on your eye, the “I am better than you and i know more than i am letting on” and he went ugh and went on the trip anyways to die”

It hits a nerve, Elias locks his jaw and glares at Peter, in fact, he shoves information into his head, about his family, about their lives. He did not warn Mordechai about his death with any ill will, he did it as a way for the man to stop and avoid it, yet despite his attempts, he still did it.

He still died a stupid senseless death all because he wouldn't listen to him.

Peter makes a noise of pain and he lets him simmer on it a few more seconds before stopping. It was not worth it.

He turns and leaves. 

The cold and fog clinging to his heels as he does.

Whatever.

Peter does not follow and Elias returns to their flat alone. 

—--

Peter was sick, his head on Elias lap, outside it was raining, Elias just returned from home. He was taking care of him, because…well it was his fault, he had gotten sick first and the lonely sailor had in fact stuck around and looked after him through the fever and the tremors and the sickness that made Elias think of being a child and dealing with hypothermia. 

He had stayed, he could have used Elias' moment of weakness, could have killed him easily, could have, would have.

None of it happen.

“Have you ever read the Odyssey? No? Of course not, you don't like to make imaginary connections, or more realistically, you just don't want to look dumb when you have to squint to read because your vision is shit. We are getting you glasses by the way, i already called the ophthalmologist, we are going, no take backs”

He groans at him and Elias hands caress his cheek.

“Anyways, I think you would like it. It's the story of a man who tries to make his way back home to his wife and kingdom. However due to the intervention of gods and man, it takes him ten years to get back and in the way he loses all his men to calamity after calamity, until he is the only one left”

“...sounds fun”

“And his wife, his poor, clever wife, she has to wait twenty years for him, because you see, Odysseus had to go to war first, the troyan war. I will tell you about the Illiad later, i think you will like this part more. Anyways, she has to wait for him for twenty long years while slowly warding off a series of suitors that want to replace him as king, as at some point they think him dead. So you can imagine how lonely and stressed she was, same with Odysseus"

Peter’s look at him blearily, his usually pale face was flushed and he was sweating. He was a furnace right now, not that Elias minded, as he was usually cool and Peter was pressing his face to his leg, trying to leech off the cold of his skin. “Why are you telling me this?”

Why indeed.

Perhaps because Peter took care of him, perhaps because telling stories was something his parents used to do whenever Jonah was sick. An act of kindness, an act of love.

And Elias knows he loves Peter at this point, he wouldn't have moved in with him if he didn't feel something for the man. 

“A long time ago stories were told, not written. What better way to listen to one of the greatest…hits, hah, than to do that? During a rainy sick day” Peter grumbles but stays still, doesn't reject him. “May I continue?”

“...fine, but it better end with him being alone”

Elias' lips twitch upwards. “You could say that, anyways, so the story goes like this—”

He doesn't tell him all of it, at some point Peter drifts off, so it becomes a sort of slowly spun tale, whenever they are laying down and resting. Elias will tell Peter another part of the story. At first the man seemed annoyed, but as days turned weeks, turned months, he noticed that Peter would seemingly subconsciously go and lay down waiting for Elias to come over and start the newest part of the tale.

It was endearing, it made him a bit sad when it ended, after all, the story had to reach its logical conclusion. 

They were lazing around on the couch, Elias on top of Peter, cheek smushed to his chest as he told him about the massacre of the suitors and how he finally reunited with his wife.

“...pity”

“Of course you would say that, one of the biggest reunions and you are disappointed it didn't end with them all alone and split up”

“Well yes, still” 

Elias rolls over a bit, staring right at Peter’s face, pressing a kiss to his chin, the man making a grumpy expression. “Is that what you want to make out of me? Going out to sea and getting lost, making me wait for you?”

Its funny how Peter’s face turns surprised before he rolls his eyes and says Elias would never wait that long. “You would get bored and frustrated and marry the next best thing to keep power to yourself” Pouting he says that's rude. “Am I wrong?”

“Doesnt mean i wouldnt want you to come back, i could marry for business but still prefer if you returned to me, then we can just kill the guy”

Peter’s hands land on his hips. “Who said anything about marriage?” Nosing his jaw he asks what else did he expect? Elias lips press to his jugular and Peter makes a pleased noise. “Cocky”

“You know it, so now you know, and also if you didn't get it, this is where the word odyssey came from, due to the whole story” His partner huffs and then asks if there is also a moral to the story too.

“Perhaps not angering the gods? I don't know what to tell you, hubris perhaps”

The sailor hums and says maybe not tell the guy you just blinded your name. “I thought the whole nobody thing was smart, but then–”

“Yeah…hubris i tell you”

“Mr. Nobody…i like that”

“Oh i bet you do Peter, you want to be nobody so badly it makes you look stupid”

Grinning brightly Elias scoots closer so he could press a few kisses to the man’s neck. Peter squirms and takes a sharp breath before sliding his hands under his shirt, touching his back and riding up his clothes, cool air brushes Elias' skin making him shiver as he drops a few more kisses against him.

“Tease”

“You love it”

“Ah—m-maybe”

The little admittances make Elias blood boil in a good way, his kisses and his petting gets a bit heavier, Peter shifts to slot him better in place as they both start to get a bit too handsy.

Its a fruitful afternoon.

—--

“He will lose all his money” Peter peers at him, Elias is staring at Simon and Maxwell playing cards. The two of them were sitting together, pressed against each other. Usually Peter would be uncomfortable about the display in front of others but they have all drank a bit too much so inhibitions are lower right now.

“Stop cheating with your powers"

But he is not. “I dreamed about it last night, funny you know?”

“You are drunk”

“Hmm I’m not–” But he is quite drunk, Peter is tipsy. Simon is sober somehow, Maxwell is hard to tell, but once you know him for long enough it's easy to notice the way he is slightly leaning on one side over the other and how his fingers twitch occasionally. He also zones out more.

So yeah, he is tipsy, probably getting into the drunk part of it.

“J-just watch”

“Elias come on–”

“Hey Maxwell! You are going to lose, Simon has a winning hand”

Maxwell and Simon turn to him, one with a scowl and the other with a frown. “Piss off Magnus, stop meddling” And then he puts all his chips in. Simon grins and flips Elias off before they resume their game. Five minutes in, as Elias had predicted, Simon had won.

Peter chuckles a little bit and Elias hides his face on his shoulder, snickering as Maxwell curses. “T-told ya”

“P—pfff, th-thats not-hahaha” 

They both lose it a bit as Maxwell turns to them and tells Jonah he is a little shit, Elias chuckles and says he warned him but he didn't believe him. He is now half draped over Peter, who is a bit more stiff now, but still wont push him away. Maxwell glares at the two of them, which is funny.

Then again maybe its simply because he is annoyed that Elias is so comfortable with Peter. 

“You two are disgusting” Flipping him off, Elias calls him an asshole, Maxwell’s return makes his blood boil and Peter still next to him “I'm not the one who is getting handsy with the splitting image of Mordechai Lukas in the flesh while giggling over it Magnus. Wonder what he would have thought of that”

And he throws a nasty look at him and Peter who suddenly becomes more blurry around the edges. Elias sits up straight glaring and sneering at Maxwell, wondering in a sickly sweet voice if he is just jealous he is not getting any di–

Peter hits him on the arm and the room is suddenly submerged in the scent of the sea, its so nauseating that it makes him gag instantly. Elias' body feels cold and the pressure is making his eyes burn. Maxwell for his part stumbles and Peter is the only one oddly not affected by it, as he grabs Elias by the arm to keep him from falling face flat to the floor.

“How about we all calm down lads? Maxwell, don't tease the children would you? Its not very nice, I invited all of you here to have fun, but if you don't behave ...I will be forced to kick you out from my poker nights, and i mean you two. Peter lad, you are doing okay, keep that up!”

And he gives Peter thumbs up, perhaps the only reason why he wasn't included in Simpn’s warning was simply because he kept his mouth shut. Elias and Maxwell are both swaying until the smell of the ocean disperses and they can both breath.

Shivering and feeling sick to his stomach, fear gripping him tightly. Elias says he is going back home. Peter stays in his seat, which prompts him to glare at him. The sailor shakes his head and that's enough for him to angrily make his way to get his coat and hail a cab.

Pricks, all of them. 

Honestly.

—-

Peter proposes on the eve of the new millennium and Elias says yes. They can't marry legally but they sign a post-it note Peter made as a marriage certificate and exchange rings and that's enough.

That is enough.

Elias' ring had an eye engraved in it. Peter had a ship. A golden and silver band. 

It was perfect, it was beautiful and he never expected to marry, but…he was comfortable and despite the man driving him mad and feeding from his loneliness and solitude Elias had enough fun to put up with it. Besides he fed from him as well, it was a matter of reciprocity.

Everything was well.

—-

He has started to tell people their future again, casually, without thinking, prediction after prediction. At work he gives ominous warnings to his staff, none of them take it seriously, which is annoying but funny too, when he clearly tells them how to avoid getting attacked by artifacts or that maybe, cheating would lead to someone getting stabbed.

Which did happen, in fact it was a whole thing. Elias has to pinch the bridge of his nose. Why did it have to happen outside of the building's entrance is beyond him, why did his girlfriend think confronting him at work would be better? Now the police are there and he has to give his own statement about it.

Great. 

Jacob survives, albeit he kind of wants to fire him now, but it would look bad. That's not even counting on the fact he was not doing his job properly anyways AND, and, the little shit was stealing office supplies.

Hm…maybe he should just promote him to artifact storage. He will try to steal something and Elias will get rid of him organically. Yes he will do that.

The point is that it starts to become harder to not say anything and sometimes its like he doesn't even have time to process what he is saying before he does. Knowledge slotting into place as he speaks. Predictions become more pointed too, more specific.

“She will twist her ankle when her heel breaks” 

Peter barely looks over from the menu in his hands. “Hm, I was thinking of some shrimp, what do you think?”

“Im allergic to shrimp you twat” Elias is likewise staring at the menu, albeit his eyes drift to the woman two tables away from them.

“You are? What a surprise”

“Peter”

“You are allergic to shrimp, pineapples and peanuts, I love shrimp, come on—”

“Yes and i like peanuts and beholding will let me eat them with only some mild issues, but shrimp unfortunately is part of the severe allergen part of my life and if you want to see me swell and get a rash then you are the one taking me to the hospital when my throat closes up. So no, Peter, no shrimp, eat it when you are out at sea, you have ample time for it”

Peter grumbles but eventually settles for some sauce with calamari tentacles in it. Elias for his part gets some roasted beef with some potatoes. 

“What were you mumbling before? Something about breaking ankles and whatever?” Rolling his eyes, Elias says twisting ankles and breaking heels.

“The woman over there, if you paid attention to what I say–”

“Ah but that would mean listening to your complaints about the institute and where would I be if I had to hear you talk about how useless some of your staff members are for the hundredth time?” He kicks him under the table, Peter makes no reaction to it whatsoever. 

“I will strangle you”

“Kinky”

…that does get a laugh out of Elias.

“Prick” They stay silent for a bit, eventually Peter changes the topic and Elias forgets. He does hear the woman stumble later and the curse she lets out, but neither of them make a fuss about it as they enjoy their meal.

Peter is too happy to talk about his last trip and Elias is too entertained by his nonsense.

—--

“Hm, I had a dream…”

Peter was half asleep, Elias was staring at the ceiling, the day had been slow, reality crashing down on him since morning. 

“Yeah…?” Peter is not paying attention, almost asleep, he has to leave, has a long trip tomorrow.

…

It will be his last.

“I had a dream that you would get in the Tundra and there would be a storm, a big nasty huge messy storm and that you wouldn't come back”

The room is silent. He thinks the other fell asleep. “Like grandfather..?”

Ah.

As many times before, he curses whatever makes everyone not believe him, bitter bile rises up his throat. “Worse even, what is a wooden ship to a cargo one you know?”

“Elias…its just a dream, if you want to find excuses for me to stay you should find better ones” He wants to scream at him, tell him to believe him, that he is telling him the truth. 

It won't matter if he does.

Elias slumps in bed, the thought of an empty bed once more settles like ice in his chest. Back to a cold flat without the occasional company and the casual romance and touches.

“Right…hah, right”

“...tell me more about it, do I just step into the ship and what? Tsunami hits?” He says what does it matter if it's just a dream. “Hmngh, even so now I'm curious, is it when I leave London?”

He stays quiet, Peter shifts in bed and grabs him, he slaps his arms but he pulls him to his chest, Elias stays there, feeling his face hot and his eyes burning, its not a pleasant end and the fact it mirrors Mordechai’s so much just makes it all the more awful.

Lips press to his neck, hands roam around his body, settling against his belly as Peter rubs there, occasionally a finger teases the band of his pajama pants. Shivering and shifting closer to his palm, he is denied once more when Peter asks him to tell him about his weird freaky dream.

“Oh sod off–!”

“Never, just tell me and I get you off before bed, deal? I will get you to see stars just so you don't think of anything else” Elias breath hitches when he feels Peter's lips press to the nape of neck and his fingers tease him over his clothes.

“Fuck, fine” Its a mix of want and anguish, this might as well be the last time they are like this. No one has avoided their death before when he has warned them, they just walk into it.

“It was not London, you were leaving another city” Peter’s hands lowered his pants and boxers. Elias finds it harder to speak as he teases him. 

“Which one?”

“I dont…dont remem–”

“Ah, you remember everything, don't lie little siren, where was I going in that dream of yours?” He makes a soft moan that he hides against his hand, Peter asks why is he playing coy now, but Elias doesn't answer. 

He is not a fan of goodbyes.

Ultimately he remembers it being on the coast of Australia. Peter was leaving there and as he was heading back the ship got stuck in a huge storm and it just…well.

The dream was very clear.

Peter laughs it off and rewards him and Elias enjoys himself but it doesnt…when Peter goes, he watches him leave, albeit not before saying goodbye.

Peter pauses at the door, turns to him as Elias stands in his robe watching him, its five in the morning, the city is still dark. His husband takes a long moment before saying: “See you next time Elias”

He says nothing, doesnt even bother to reply, cant say i love you. It's stuck in his throat, it would be weakness, its too much like last time he did this with another Lukas man a long time ago. If Peter can feel his loneliness he doesn't say.

The flat is empty and Elias is left there already mourning.

—--

Eight months later, Elias returns from work and there is a dead man looking confused as he holds a small cat in his arms.

“So don't get mad, but—” Elias drops his bag in shock at the entrance.

—--

When he asks, later, later because Peter has to say he took in a kitten and wonders why are most of his things hidden in boxes in the laundry room. Elias learns that Peter was going to leave Australia as per usual.

They were on the couch, Elias was drunk and it wasn't even dinner time, he was practically on top of Peter who spent a long while complaining about him moving his things and was Elias that pissed off at him?? He didn't remember doing anything worth that sort of punishment–

“Shut up, you were talking about Australia”

“Well, something really funny happened, there was this massive storm, but we barely missed it because apparently someone in the kitchen screwed up and it led to half the crew getting food poisoning, we had to stay on land for another week so they could go to the hospital and rest. Something about the meat being frozen and unfrozen wrong caused it to spoil a bit and so anyone who ate meat before leaving from the kitchen staff got really sick, we dodged a bullet there I must say. Even i had to admit we were lucky, the local news said a few ships sank it was a real mess”

Elias is just staring at him. Absolutely flabbergasted, that wasnt—the storm was part of the vision the dream but Peter had died in it, the Tundra had sailed yet here it didn't. Food poisoning stopped it from…

He touches his face, Peter looks at him funny. “Why are you acting so weird, you still haven't told me why you put my things away, I didn't even do anything this time to warrant your ire!”

Was he wrong? Were the visions failing him? Was it something else? They were right about literally everything else, all his predictions had come true, why did this one fail? Why is he alive?

“I am just…marvelling at the fact you somehow found it within you to adopt a cat”

Peter stares at him, then shrugs, albeit there is something sheepish in his gaze. “He was in a box, abandoned and alone, all his littermates adopted. Would have died in the rain, perfect lonely companion i would say, even if he makes me think of you”

“Me!”

“Yes you, with your big wide eyes and curious stare that follows me everywhere when I move in the room. He does the exact same thing, now, about my things, is there something you want to tell me?”

Honestly, Elias has nothing, no complicated lie prepared to sweeten the deal. So instead he just says he was doing spring cleaning.

“You didn't say when you would return, so I was going to put them back at a later date before you returned” Peter narrows his eyes, Elias gives him an innocent look. He is very lost and tired and just…marvelled that Peter returned.

He can't stop staring at him.

“Stop that”

“What?”

“Looking at me like that, it's starting to creep me out, i will leave” And he barely thinks to keep his temper in check when he quickly says no. His partner stares and Elias feels embarrassment creep on his face, heat on his cheeks. “Oh? Could it be that the great Elias Bouchard has missed me? Makes a man feel hungry and wanted, disgusting”

“Harhar, laugh all you want you prick” But he is not wrong, Elias spent the past few months counting the days till he figured Peter would die, grieving first and yet here he is. Defying fate and logic and the fears themselves. “You are…so weird dear”

“Excuse me?”

Shaking his head Elias says nevermind, simply deciding to stay where he is, face against Peter’s neck.

It's silent, for a while, the sound of a soft squeak makes him look down with lazy eyes, the fluffy white and brown cat staring up, his front paws pressed to the couch, he looked like he was trying to climb. It couldn't be more than three months old. Peter uses one arm to scoop it up and let it crawl in the space of where his shoulder and neck met. Very close to ELias face. The animal notices him and presses a paw against ELias cheek.

“Whats his name by the way?”

“Oh this is Captain, cute isn't it?”

“Of course you would name him like that” But its relieved and fond and Peter shifts uncomfortably and tries to annoy him, but Elias just doesn't buckle. He simply lays there, stealing all of Peter’s warmth.

What a turn of events.

—-

He tests his dreams and predictions with more fervor, nothing changes, they all come to pass even when he warns people about it. He is nowhere near close figuring out how Peter did it, or well, not him but why did things change. It was quite frankly, bizarre.

—-

“-will be eaten by the spiral in two weeks-”

Peter nods along, staring at the young man, its a very obvious statement, he is helping Elias with Gertrude, even if she ruined his ritual, but he owed Elias a favor and so he is here. Anyways the words are just one of those warnings Elias gives that no one seems to pay attention to.

Especially the young man who looks at Elias with a mix of hurt and confusion as he asks what does that mean. Peter lips thin, he is surprised Elias allowed for someone so blind to the fears to work there but the man is just a sacrifice to stop the spiral ritual so he doesn't care enough to ask.

He is still surprised Elias tells the man not to trust Gertrude if he wants to live, but the boy…the boy simply laughs a bit and says to not joke, she needs his help, she is an old lady going on a long trip.

Peter almost commends him for the naivety, but he is more unnerved by it. As if that old bat was anything but a menace to avatar society. Lord.

He watches through the fog as the boy leaves and he is able to slip back into the office fully, Elias staring at the door before letting out a sigh. Then he looks at Peter with that…look, that makes him feel like he is being peeled raw.

“Yes? Peter?”

He wants to say he doesn't want to do this, why did you warn him? Is there anything he can do to not do this?

Peter really doesn't want to take Gertrude and the boy in his ship, he really doesn't.

“...why did you warn him?” Ah…

“Why not? He is too loyal to her, it will be fun to see that crumble, and the fact he won't even notice till the last possible moment? Delicious” Well that is more like it he supposes. “And don't whine to me about not wanting to take them, you lost or are you not a man of your word like you always pride yourself being? If you lost you owed me a favor and i cashed it in with this so dont come at me complaining, its a quick thing please”

Still very annoying.

“Will this take too long or will you be done with work soon?”

Elias sighs and says he has another hour, but that he is free to wait here so they can go together. “Or you could go now, no sweat off my back, i will meet you there later Peter, you have to feed the cats”

Hm.

Walking around the desk, he stands behind Elias who leans back to stare up at him, bending his neck. Peter smiles down and lets his hands land on his shoulders, sliding towards his chest. Elias pupils widen, Peter leans downwards.

“Perhaps I can make this more interesting, double or nothing, if i win you find someone else?”

“And if I win again?”

“Hm, i take them and…you get to pick an outfit for me”

“And why would I want to dress you up for…” But Peter has another mental image, one Elias seems to catch on as he drifts off. His mouth clinking shut as he sees him swallow, quickly weighting the pros and cons just to get to see Peter wear such a…demeaning outfit.

“Not demeaning, just…ah– unexpected, more like-”

“Slutty”

“Well yes, but you never want to wear anything that shows off what you have”

“Double or nothing, you make a sound noise and i get to avoid taking Gertrude”

“Deal” There we go.

Hopefully he gets away from this, hopefully.

—-

“-I had a dream that you get stabbed”

Peter yawns. Its too early in the morning for this. Barely any light outside, Peter was even going to sleep in today, but Elias words sort of shake him out of his stupor for a moment. 

“If this is because I accidentally put a pink sock into the washing machine, I already told you I will buy you a bunch of new shirts. You can use my card” Turning to the side he buries his face on his pillow and tries to go back to sleep.

Tries.

Because Elias shifts in bed and his cold foot presses to his calf making him slap blindly towards his face. “Knock it off Peter!”

“Stop touching me with your cold feet you freak”

“Stop being so warm then”

He really wants to go to sleep, he really, really does. It's not fair, sometimes Peter wakes up to Elias sleeping with his eyes wide open while talking about a person being skinned alive. Apparently he can regurgitate statements while he sleeps, which is just peachy.

Thankfully he doesn't do it every single day, but when he does, Peter is the one who ends up sleeping and having nightmares and visions and waking up feeling like he licked an electrical wire. The night hadn't been any different and he had to listen to Elias describe someone gouging out their eyes.

Peter had the weirdest dream due to that, where Elias was eating cereal but there were little eyeballs in the bowl and he would eat those and he would hear a sickening noise as the other chewed.

Needless to say, he was not a fan of it.

“You aren't going to stab me in the face right? I don't want you to stab me….” Peter relaxes, its too early for this, just way too early... “Just let's go to sleep, can we? Its not even seven in the morning…”

“Im not going to stab you, i dreamed that you were on the docks with Mikaele-”

“And he stabs me? Mngh, there goes my only other poker player”

“Shut up and let me finish you twat” Peter groans and stays still, waiting. “...you two were on the docks, staring at a box where a man comes out of it” Peter almost asks if the man in the box is the one who does it, but he can feel the glare on the back of his head so he stays silent. “When the man leaves, you two talk for a while and then…a man comes from the shadows and he runs towards you and stabs you in the gut”

Hm.

“Ouch”

“Be serious” 

“I am, I am just baffled why it matters, does it kill me? I don't fancy a stab, but if it doesn't kill me I reckon I can live with it” He feels Elias' arms wrap around him like a trap. Peter stills as the other’s cold body slots against his own. 

“You are so frustrating and impossible”

“I know, any problem?”

“...Peter”

Honestly…

“Do i die?”

“No, but–”

“Then…i reckon its fine, i can live with a stab, im just baffled why would anyone ever want to stab me”

“Do you want me to give you an alphabetical list of why?”

Heh. Peter grins, glad the other cant see it. “Nonsense, you don't have that many excuses”

Jackpot. Elias gets incensed and starts to actually give a list, his voice is soothing, something he will never admit to him, but its enough to carefully allow him to go back to bed. Honestly…he is surprised Elias cares enough to even warn him about it.

But he had been right about everything else before so why would he doubt him?

—-

Peter noticed, he is not stupid, or blind or anything, he is quite sharp despite what Elias or many other people think, he hasn't gotten this far in life, or to survive his family by making it past infancy by not being observant.

Which means he notices the way Elias seems to predict events that always come to pass. Its nothing out of the ordinary, the first few times he did it, he raised an eyebrow and thought he was messing around, what with dreams and casual sentences thrown in about logic and beholding and what not.

But you don't know with beholding that someone is going to trip over their own feet or that they will get in an accident without something being wrong.

So with that in mind, Peter started to pay attention and what he figured out, through time, trial and error, was that Elias' predictions always came to pass.

And that people were oddly reticent to believe him at all about them. Which raises many questions. One time he asks Simon, why did he not listen to Elias warning about getting hit by one of the people he was feeding from before sending them away. His words made no sense to him, well yes but also–

“Well he is always going about sprouting nonsense isn't he?” Peter points out that Elias was right in his assessment and how many times has he been right about something he told Simon. “Oh don't let it get to his head” But he seems to brush it off way too much and he is not the only one, after so many years Peter sees that no one takes Elias seriously which is incredibly baffling.

Yes he is a liar and a smarmy bastard, but he was being horrifically truthful and yet no one listens.

Its intoxicating how isolated it makes the man feel if he is honest, every little rejection from everyone he talks to makes Elias a very delicious meal. 

So yes, of course he listens to what he says, even if he suddenly wakes up from a nap, that he is going to die in a storm. Peter lied of course, he simply told his crew they were staying one more week on shore before leaving, the whole food poisoning thing was a joke to get Elias off his trail.

He may believe him, he is not going to let it get to his head.

The stabbing incident happens as foretold and Peter knew it was coming, he realized that when he and Mikaele made that bet and they were watching a man survive being trapped in a box. He could have moved out of the way, but he thought it would be okay to let this pan out the way Elias saw it. Its not like he died in the dream, he got one gut stab. And Peter now that he had warning, was however able to send the man to the lonely before he ran off.

Mikaele had to drag him to the hospital even if he complained all the way through insisting his wound would heal on its own. He got stitches for his efforts and a very nasty scar.

Elias' expression when he saw it was blank, but he could see some contempt and resignation and that feeling of loneliness grew. Peter just breathed it in as he kissed his neck and pressed him close to the wall to make out feeling definitely well fed today.

Yeah…

—--

Gertrude dies and that was a premonition he did get beforehand, seeing himself shooting her from her perspective. What a trip to be honest.

He has to bite his tongue to not say it out loud and reveal it to her, he ultimately calls Peter and tells him Gertrude is going to die soon, the man going silent in the other line and asking what did she do this time.

“We all want her dead, but really—”

“She is going to try and burn down the institute”

The line goes quiet. “Well that sounds a bit unlikely, what would possess her to do that??”

Deep breath’s Elias, deep breaths…

“Well she hates me for one and she suspects my nature and she wants to get rid of the tunnels so it kills me. She thinks im going to do a ritual and its better to rip it from the root”

“Well are you?” Pinching the bridge of his nose he says that's not the point Peter. “It sounds like it is, are you going to make a ritual? You know it would only be fair if she stopped you like she stopped mine. Thanks for nothing when it came to that by the way”

“Oh sod off! You told me nothing as well, Mr. I'm busy. Or what was the fake name you used when doing the ritual? Was it—”

“Shhhh, stop that, its your fault, you told me the story!”

“Hm didn't expect you to enjoy it that much my dear”

“Ugh! Is there anything to this call or are you just trying to piss me off? Im busy” Elias takes a look an points out that buying shirts is not being  busy. “Stop spying on me, it is if someone keeps throwing mine”

“I only throw the ones that are old! Some of those were simply too ratty!”

“What about my fun ones! I use those during the summer!”

“Pattered flower shirts for the summer are tacky”

“You are tacky”

Elias gasps. “You take that back right now”

And it descends into bickering and despite not noticing before, Elias relaxes. Ever since he had the dream, he had spent the whole day feeling tense, his jaw and back hurt, the conversation and childish war between them managed to unclench that fear deep inside him, the anxiety of what is the to come, a new beginning once the old woman is gone”

When the call is almost over, he thanks Peter, the other asks what for, but he never clarifies, why give him any credit? He doesn't deserve it.

…but Elias admits that deep down, when he spirals or has his moments, that talking to Peter, even if the other is being annoying or difficult, always manages to get him to relax.

Its been a while since he met someone like that.

Especially as he is just a weird oddity who he can't predict properly when he wants. 

“Anyways, I will be back in two months, so see you then Mr. Bouchard?” Elias smiles as he sits on the balcony. 

“See you then Mr. Lukas, thank you for listening to my rambles”

“Hah, not that you give me a choice, or a word in, i mean i could tell you about the seagulls that stole-”

“Goodbye Peter, i love you”

Peter’s voice is soft and almost bashful “...you too” Elias hangs up and breathes out. Soon. 

Soon it all changes.

—-

The funniest thing he has done, was mess with the archive team and tell them about their horrible deaths by giving them hints and inside jokes that none of them believe or take seriously. 

Its incredibly funny and it leads to funny jokes such as telling Martin to be careful or he will catch a parasite, or for Tim to be mindful about open fire. Sasha in particular, once he sees her being consumed by the table he has a fun time teasing her about not stubbing her toe with a table or that she should be careful about her reflection and walking towards danger is not always the best choice.

She puts it all off as him being weird and helpful which is just…especially funny.

One day he just straight up tells her a table will eat her and she just rolls her eyes and laughs saying to be more original.

He can't muster any offense, at least knows that she will be gone and her jokes to Tim about him being weird will be a thing in the past. Also he feels no loss when he sees her stapling statements together. Elias knows he has to let things play out for the sake of his ritual, but he misses Eric, he was the only one who had an actual archival degree. 

…Honestly if this fails he will need to hire an actual team to organize the archives. Its genuinely awful the state of things and none of them is making it any better.

In fact they are making it worse which is very annoying. Still, things happen as he expects them to and so he lets it be.

—-

Peter returns home from one of his trips and the two of them have dinner and a show, torturing a poor server at the restaurant they went to. Its fun and a bit of a plus. When they return home they celebrate fully and get to spend the night together.

Its lovely.

Especially as earlier that day he got him to agree to a little bet, the bet really, to end all things. Once he is out of the way, Peter will take care of the institute and he will pick one of the assistants to turn them into the lonely. Elias has a very good guess of which one he will pick, mostly because he knows Tim won't survive the ritual of the stranger so that only leaves Basira, Melanie and Martin. The first two are too aggressive for Peter’s taste, so the latter is perfect.

Anyways it all goes well and the two of them go to sleep, tired but happy. 

He doesn't remember his dream which is a first, he only wakes up because he feels himself being shaken up, Peter staring at him looking sick, he must have turned the lights on at some point. Elias feels sweaty and shaky, but he has no idea why. He feels Peter hold his face with both hands and stare at him with an expression of both concern and disgust, which is new.

Elias takes a deep breath, mouth dry. He asks what happened, why did he wake him up? Peter seems to hesitate, looking at him in the eye for once

“I…you were narrating a statement” Elias says it can't be just that, Peter looks sick, so he must have said something else. His husband stays quiet, his hands playing with the edges of their blankets. He was sitting down now. Elias likewise had his back pressed to the back of their headboard.

“Peter, just…tell me”

“You…you were narrating a statement of me”

He freezes, brows furrowed, he asks what did that mean? “It means that you were just doing that, you were narrating my statement, i didn't give you my statement, how do you even know–?!” And Elias has no idea, he doesn't even remember what he said. 

“I don't know! I don't even remember what I said, was it just that? Did I…did I say something else?”

He is quick to shake his head. “No, just that, just my…life” And the way he says it…pure terror and disgust, the horrible ordeal of being known. He is already blurry around the edges. 

“Dont leave, i dont know why i gave a statement about you. I really dont, just dont…leave, please, you just got back”

But Peter is not happy, he looks sick, Elias tries to reach out to him, but before he can, the man is gone.

“Fuck!” He grabs his head and tries to remember, but nothing comes to min, if he gave a statement, one Peter never gave…

…

Not yet.

That means he will. The question is how? 

—--

Peter does not contact him and there is a clear animosity there he didn't count on, he hopes he still agrees to their bet, because otherwise all his careful planning would have been for nothing. 

…

And part of him, deep down, wants for Peter to stay, because if Elias is right and the ritual works, then there will be enough sustenance for the man to never have to leave, the lonely will just perpetually feed him and…as a plus, he will have to see Elias rise to the occasion and what is better than that?

A king among men and one with a pretty husband going around.

That only works if the other doesn't just dip on him. 

His dreams or prophecies or whatever he may call it, continue, in fact there is a rise in the amount of them. Now he gets them daily and several during the day and at night, with his dreams he gets the big ones.

The most clear visible ones.

He splits the small information that slots into his brain as lesser futures, but his dreams still remain the most constant when it comes to big events. Its one thing to know someone is going to fall off or touch something dangerous, another to dream about their elaborated death or torture.

Its getting hard to think to be honest.

Still he managed to work things out until the unknowing, through everything he has seen and known, Elias is frustrated he didn't actually get a warning about Martin burning his beloved statements.

But that can be arranged by some light torture. He does work with the hand he is given, allowing himself to get caught and taken to jail, knowing that Peter would have to step in regardless.

Or he hopes, but thankfully his husband is a man of his word, so he does in fact appear to talk to Martin and manage the institute. Its a relief to be honest.

—-

Prison is hell and the visions and dreams he gets are overwhelming, especially as there is just so much stuff that goes wrong constantly and will go wrong and even if he keeps blurting it out no one there listens and then there is someone getting shanked in the bathroom.

Even if he warned him against it.

Peter visits to ask Elias questions or to have him sign papers. When Elias sees him one afternoon he tells him not to drink Martin’s tea.

“Why not?”

Elias is signing some papers. “He will put salt on it” 

“And ruin a perfectly good cup? Martin?”

A bit stressed he snaps a bit, telling him to believe whatever the fuck he wants, Elias just gave him a warning. “Not that it matters, all the power in the world and no one gives a shit”

He is not one to curse so much, but there was a bit of a scuffle this week in prison and he got some bruised ribs. Peter's presence was nice, but his inability to believe irked him. So yes, forgive him for snapping.

“...that bad huh?”

The glare he gives would have lesser man cower, Peter on the other hand just stares at him and then sighs. “See you tonight okay?” He doesn't bother with a reply, still seething. Peter picks up everything and goes, Elias is led to his cell and spends the rest of the day feeling more miserable. Not even looking at the institute lifts his spirits, every day there is more fog surrounding it, making it harder for him to see.

It makes him panic if he is honest, he hates it.

At night, late, around…midnight, he feels a cold breeze, which is not unusual, but this one is familiar, just as familiar as the warm hands touching his face. The sheer contradiction of Peter being warm despite being a lonely avatar will always amuse him. The man himself claims its likely a way to make someone miss you, but Elias just reckons he has a high metabolism.

Anyways. Peter lays behind him, his cot too small for this, but they make it work. Elias back to Peter’s chest. Lips brush to the nape of his neck making him shiver in delight. “How is prison treating you?”

“Like hell, the food is bland, the inmates are awful, I am lucky to be where I am, so there is less chance for danger to my person, but still. No matter the blackmail they cant give me too many benefits”

“Hm..sounds rough”

“Oh shush”

Peter is so warm…Elias wants to twist around and hold onto him, make sure he stays, but he bites his tongue and stays still, knowing that if he did the other would slip away between his arms. Sentiment.

The likes that Peter would feed from with glee. He is not giving him that much over him.

“Hm, tell me, what was the story? The one before the odyssey? You never got to tell me about that one” Baffled he asks why. Peter’s fingers grasp his shirt, his voice is soft as he speaks. “Well, I am curious and besides do you have anything better to do? Dont think so” He kicks backwards but the man laughs at his attempt to hurt him. “Aww dont be like that Elias, besides i get to stay a bit longer if you tell me”

And that is, unfortunately, a good enough incentive for him to start.

“Its the Illiad you twat, but i suppose i can tell you, only if you promise to come back for it”

“Only if you make it worth my time”

Hah.

“Fine”

So he does, Elias was more fond of the Iliad more than the Odyssey anyways and this gave him an excuse for Peter to come back to him every night from then on, only to hear him spin a tale. It led him to sleeping more peacefully and sometimes Peter even left him some little morsels, food, actual food that he likes, not the bland things he has to eat every day here.

It makes this whole stay a bit better, it doesn't matter that Peter is actively working against him, it doesn't make him love him any less for him to plan his doom, he would be a bit disappointed if he didn't. Elias is more excited about winning and having Peter see his success. So that outweighs his husband's actions.

Elias will win one way or another no matter what. Still he finds some solace with this and Peter’s little interjections every time he tells the story.

Its not a bad way to pass the time, not at all.

—-

The day his plan comes together, is the day he wakes up with the complete and certain knowledge that Peter is going to die. The dream was clear as day, Peter refuses to answer Jonathan’s question, he gives his statement—

And that takes him back months, to the night where he apparently told Peter his own story. It  now makes sense, it was a warning from the future, only now did it finally become understandable.

It paralyzes him a bit, so close to success and Peter will die out of spite out of…loyalty. Elias is giddy and filled with dread.

It makes the hours it takes for things to happen much more heavy, all things considered.

—-

When they meet in the Panopticon, Elias plays his part, lets Martin do his thing, there is no need for him to do more, he knows the man will not stab him, both because of his behaviour and also because he has already seen it all play out.

Its when Peter sends Martin away that Elias hesitates, knowing the man will step into his domain, wait for Jonathan and that will ultimately be his doom. Peter is angry and frustrated, like a petty child who lost his favourite game.

So…so, one more time, one last time really, he tries one more time, to give a warning.

“If you excuse me–”

“I had a dream” 

Peter pauses and glares at him. “If this is just you trying to rub salt into the wound or mock me then i hope you know you have a big storm coming, i am not giving up that easily” God, he can never make something easy for him even once can he?! No, he has to choose to be difficult, he has to. He—

“If you go there, you will meet your demise, because Jonathan will rip your statement out of you and then…then you will refuse to answer him, the most important question, that will kill you. His powers are too strong now and he will rip you asunder by your own stubborn refusal. So if you go, then rest assured, know that it will be the last thing you ever do”

There is a long silence, seconds tick away, Elias knows Jon is coming, there is not much time for this to play out, Peter has to make a choice, he just needs to do the right one. “Why are you telling me this?”

The suspicion makes him laugh, a long bitter laugh, almost two centuries and this is what he gets huh? It doesn't hurt, the lack of belief, no. Its what he expected, but he would be lying if he didn't say it frustrated him to no end. It was exhausting.

Rubbing his face, Elias leans against the wall of the tower. He is at the top of his greatest achievement and yet he has to deal with this man, this annoying man–!

“I don't know, you are not going to believe me, no one does, but for what is worth, i dont want you dead. Dare i say, i like you alive and relatively well, even if you were trying to get me killed. But when has that ever stopped us? Love is a battlefield and we both enjoy the game too much to let such petty things get in the way of our relationship”

The silence is deafening, Elias glares at Peter’s chest, for once not looking him in the eye.

“You are being ridiculous”

“Hah!” The harsh laugh escapes him. “You have no idea, but then again, what do I know? I just tell people their futures but no one believes a word I say, go then. Walk straight into your own death, what do I care anymore? I will get what i want anyways, you being alive was just a nice plus, but if you want to go and kill yourself out of spite to me, then so be it, i am done with this. I don't know why Beholding granted me this ability, but it has been nothing more than a test on patience. Insanity. Just watching the same thing unfold over and over again, you—!!”

“Pff” Elias stops, stares at Peter who starts to laugh, fury rises up and he quickly walks towards him wanting to punch him. Yet all he gets is arms wrapped around him, keeping his hands away from Peter’s stupid face. 

“Unhand me!”

“You are so…hah, sentiment Elias? Really?”

Flushed in anger and embarrassment he tells him to fuck off. “You don't know what i been through, you have no idea–”

“How terribly isolating it is? How lonely it must be to know no one listens to you despite your best efforts? Or even your worst ones knowing you, I don't particularly believe you couldn't have changed something by, you know, participating? But no, you are always the eternal watcher, the passive player. I'm shocked you are even doing this for me. If i wasnt so angry i would kiss you”

“Kiss me anyways that has never stopped you before you coward”

“...well, you are right, it hasn't"

So he does. Elias protests, just a little bit, but he soon relaxes and lets Peter kiss him a bit more demandingly. When they split, he asks what does he think he is doing. His husband, stubborn, annoying and frustrating to no end, says: “Well I don't want to die, I also don't want you to win, your ritual sounds like a nightmare, but death? Not a fan, not really, so suppose I will leave”

Startled and shocked, he couldn't help but let out a lame- “Huh?”

Peter looked at him with resignation and some amusement. “You said I was going to die if I go, well I'm not going, so we should just leave” Its still confusing and unsettling, is he for real?

“You believe me?”

“Yes? Why wouldn't I? You have been right about quite literally everything else you have ever told me, it would be a bit stupid to ignore you now, especially when its about my death”

Thrown for a loop, Elias is about to ask why, or how, or a myriad of other questions, but he can see Jonathan is almost there, so he tells Peter to go. “But—”

“Go home, we have to talk later, i will meet you there, i must give my archivist a last pep talk” Peter scowls and glares in the direction of the entrance, he almost thinks he will refuse, that he will stay out of spite. Elias hands grip his shirt tightly, sticking his nails against his skin. “Go home and live another day Peter Lukas”

And that is enough to snap him out of his little reverie as Peter finally gives him one charged angry look before he does in fact leave.

He leaves and not to his domain.

Elias' chest felt like it had a weight lifted out of it, he believed him. He actually believed him.

Peter is not going to die today.

He is not.

Huh.

—--

When he arrives home, late at night after having to hide away for safety reasons, he finds Peter on the couch with all three cats on top of him. Even Duchess who usually stays away from him is laying on his lap, letting him run his hand through her fur. He turns to look at Elias with a blank expression. Elias on the other hand feels a bubble of giddiness and frustration.

“Why did you believe me?”

Peter sighs. “I told you, why wouldn't I? You have been right about all the other predictions you have ever made, it would be stupid of me not to”

He walks and sits on the couch, he finds a spare suit hidden in his office, he was sick and tired of the jail outfit. It was an eyesore. “Since when?”

Peter pets Captain who is trying to wiggle his way into his lap, Duchess only slaps him away twice before letting the giant fluffy cat land on her more slim body. He seems slightly nervous.

“Always? Well, at first I thought you were just messing with me, I mean, all the little predictions and I had a dream sounded like some kind of joke, but then, I started to pay attention and realize that no, you were telling the truth and you were right about the things about to happen. What I found most odd was the fact that no one believed it. I mean, strangers? Sure, but Simon? Hell even Maxwell, they both brushed you off even when you told them to their faces and they have known you the longest”

Peter continues petting the cat, when Elias tries to go closer to him, he slides away. Right.

Always, always?!

“How? That's what i dont— how do you believe me? I have tried, centuries, but no one has ever listened to me, not once, you—i thought you didn't!"

“...Well, you were always much more lonely when no one believed you, so isolated…how could I resist? Can you blame me?”

He wants to strangle him, he wants to laugh, Elias runs a hand through his hair and lets out a breath instead. Could he? And the truth is no, he can't, because if it had been him in his shoes he would have done the exact same thing.

Just to see what would happen.

Both of them relaxed against the couch, the tv was off. Silence reigns. “You won” Peter spits out the words venomously. “I hope you are happy”

Elias lets out a breath, happiness is an understatement, he should be elated, yet his mind still puzzles over the impossibility that is Peter Lukas. He was correct, Elias had been lonely, had been isolated.

He has someone who believes and now he doesn't know what to do with it.

How strange.

But its not bad, he is relieved, confused but relieved. Peter lives and so he gets to be there, gets to see what Elias makes of the world.

Eternity.

“You got stabbed” Peter doesn't reply. “If you believed me, how come you got stabbed?”

“...You said I wouldn't die, so why should I worry?”

Oh my god—

“Are you out of your mind?!” His tone scares the cats who hiss. Empress Socks jumps to Elias lap and starts to knead the skin of his thighs, he hasn't seen her in months. She is purring. 

…

He gently pets her as the purring goes louder. He missed home. Missed the cats, his bed, Peter, all of it.

“Oh sod off, i am no worse than you are” And he is unfortunately correct. Peter finally seems to calm down, he is not happy about this, Elias never thought he would be, not when its beholding who is going to win the fear race.

“Dont he so sour, there will be a special place carved out for you in the new world, a very lonely place where you will be constantly fed and never run out of people to torture in our little game”

“Oh because a world where the eye watches everything is something I would ever want” Elias leans against him. 

“No, but it's better than the alternative isn't it? Take it as being my plus one, my war price”

He gets blurry on the edges “I could still kill you”

Elias' tone is dry and cutting. “You could try and I would stop you, dont think i am beyond that, you are cute but I wont let you do me harm. Just cheer up Peter, here is to us, to a new world”

“To you and your ego you mean?”

“Oh hush, your ego as well, you helped build this, you could have done so many things differently but you chose this in every way that matters and now here you are”

Peter stays still, tense, Elias' head lands on his shoulder. “So I am your pet? A collection for you to keep until you get bored? Eternity is long Elias, not that i think you will last that long”

“Planning to kill me once more? How unoriginal”

Peter barks out a laugh and lets his head fall on top of his. “Not me, but when the ones you screwed up the most see what you have done, they will come for you and i will not help, you made this glass house, so you deal with it when they stone it”

“You are so boring, not even going to let me enjoy my victory?”

His husband shakes his head and laughs, a bitter thing really. “You have doomed us all, and I have let you. Wonder what does that say about me?”

Elias brushes his lips to his neck. “It says…that you love me and that part of you wants this, after all why not? Why not give yourself the power you deserve? All you have to do is stay with me and you reap all the rewards with none of the effort”

“I put a lot of effort!”

“Into Martin”

His disdain is clear and Peter points out he is being unfair. “You put your effort into the archivist”

“Hm jealous?”

“Oh says the one who kicked me out for talking a bit too long about Martin, we both have priorities”

“Fair enough”

Empress tries to crawl towards his chest so he holds her like a baby. Captain and Duchess finally jump out of Peter’s lap to smell him and roll around him. Its been a while after all.

“I will leave, when this starts, I don't want to be here when it happens”

“You can go as far away as you like, but no matter what i will always be able to find you and you will always come back to me, no matter how long it takes”

“Oh as if you would wait that long”

Elias shoos the cats away and latches to Peter’s arm, looking at him in the eye. “You underestimate me”

The lonely man flushes and looks elsewhere, clearly not expecting the answer. “You jest”

“Hm, if you want to believe that, sure”

Its not an agreement, but some mild form of understanding, Elias means it, it doesnt matter if Peter leaves, he will find him no matter what now. Once the ritual is at play.

So for now he clutches him and pulls him towards him, a welcome home of his own making.

—--

Days before he sent the statement, Elias was sitting on the floor, Peter’s head on his lap. They were on the carpet next to the balcony, he was finishing up the final touches of his incantation. Peter is half asleep.

It was fine.

The police came to talk to the man, but Peter kept him out of sight from them thankfully. Due to the blackmail he had, there was no news about him breaking out from prison, albeit there were some unfortunate ones about the attack at the institute by the hunters. It was closed now, which….well it pissed him off, but it was a necessity.

“You know, i think you were right, i liked the Odyssey better”

Elias pauses from his writing. A hand lands on Peter’s hair, scratching his scalp. “What brings that up?”

“Hm, all your mumbling about your little magic spell to make the ritual reminded me of the witch on the island”

“Circe?”

“That one”

“Hah, i suppose” Its not the strongest connection but he will take it, its a first to have Peter interested in something that is not a documentary about nature or trains. “I find myself more fond of the Iliad to be honest”

Peter yawns, he seems tired lately, despite the fact he hasn't done anything to warrant it. “Surprised you enjoy war stories”

“Oh its a classic, besides it has fun points”

“Hm, maybe if they had just returned the girl…”

“Hush, maybe if they listened to Cassandra none of it would have happened, but no, she was cursed and so Troy had to fall”

Peter doesn't answer, Elias shrugs and continues trying to come up with a good rhythm for the incantation. Wouldn't do to give something lame as his greatest show of power now would it?

“Bit funny”

Elias sighs, pokes Peter’s nose with his pen. “What is Peter? I am busy” A hand brushes him off before giving him the middle finger.

“I was thinking that, she would have fared better on the other side, I mean, you had Odysseous Mr. Nobody over there, he would have been able to believe her. You said Apollo cursed her so nobody would, right? Well, he was Nobody, albeit that happened after the war so maybe it wouldn't have worked?” Elias pauses, trying to grasp what he just said.

“I beg you pardon?”

“You heard me!” His face was flushed in embarrassment already, he is so pale it takes so little to get that lovely pink on his cheeks.

“No I did, I just….” And Elias considers it. It's not…a bad line of thought, yes, it wouldn't have worked back then, unless it works retroactively, in which case it would have been fun and it's the sort of twist on a prophecy that one would expect. Like in the Lord of the Rings when Eowyn defeats the Nazgul.

No men shall kill me, but she is no man.

Who would believe Cassandra? Other than Mr.Nobody himself? Pity they were on opposite sides of the war.

Now, who believes Elias other than Peter?

Cassandra made flesh and…well he wouldn't call him Odysseous, but Peter certainly has the likes of a man who would get lost at sea for ten years just because he pissed off the wrong person. Likely Simon. Peter is nobody, yes he is rich and of a family with a good name, but in general, in life, he is a nobody, he is the person no one notices is there until its too late, he thrives on being no one so he can throw his trap and send you off.

The sort of person who sits back and watches things unfold too. Happy to be in his little corner.

Who would somehow against all odds watch Elias and believe him.

Huh.

Elias fingers scratch Peter’s scalp a bit more harshly. The other makes a satisfied noise. “Masochist”

“Pot on kettle Lias”

As lovely as that line of thought is, his life is not a Greek tragedy, Elias is not a cursed seer, or if he is, there was no one there to tell him how the curse works. Peter is just a man. 

Perhaps at the end of the day its just luck, maybe its because Peter knows him, loves him. Yet the others knew him too, loved him as well at some point. Perhaps the difference is how that manifests? Because Peter knows how he is and what he is willing to do for his goals and still he remains.

…It would be way too romantic and way too simple of course. Ultimately there is no good answer.

Perhaps its the lonely itself, yet Mordechai never believed….Albeit Peter is more adept to it than his predecessor too, so there is food for thought there.

“Hey, stop that, you are looking more and more like you want to crack my head open and i dont like it. I just gave you a little theory that's all, it doesn't mean much. Its just a word play”

Yeah…

“You are right, it doesn't mean much”

His powers are from beholding and why Peter believes him or not is beyond him, he hates that really, but he has no way to know for sure so he will make due. Perhaps when the ritual works he gets his answer, who knows?

Still, he can't help but mull it over.

Elias would make a horrible Cassandra, because if he knew how his story would end, he would run as far away as possible from Troy, screw everyone else, none of them would have believed him anyways.

Hah…Peter would make a terrible Odysseous too. After all, he would not fight so hard to get back to Elias anyways

—--

When the ritual happens, Peter leaves, takes the cats with him, and claims he would rather keep them safe. He allows it, albeit Empress Socks refuses to leave Elias' side, maybe she knows what's coming.

So with reluctance he leaves the cat with him and takes the other too, even Duchess who usually hates Peter lets herself be taken. 

He knows this won't be the last time he sees him, regardless of what Peter says.

They are both creatures of repetition and they can't help but to come back to each other.

So he lets him go. Hopefully it won't be twenty years before they meet again.

One can only hope.

—--

Peter sighs, the ship moving slowly through the streets of London, its very curious how reality shifts to be honest. How the eye’s influence slowly wanes and allows him to create a sea of his own making just so his ship can move through the city.

All towards the tower. 

The cats, which are now massive in size, follow him around like two bouncers, more than willing to jump on a person if they come too close to him. He lets them roam around while he goes up. The tower opens up for him, despite the smooth exterior. 

…What a show off.

But Peter is the biggest fool of them all, after all, what is he doing? Coming back here.

…

There is only one good answer and its not one he wants to admit, that Elias was right somehow, that they are pulled together, that…sentimet rules his heart.

Why would he ever want to admit that? 

The stairs are a nightmare and he has to take several breaks. The man needs to invest in a lift, good lord, he may not be able to die of a heart attack anymore but this place is huge!

After a long, very long, walk he arrives on the upper floor, where the secretary waits with a frozen smile. She is about to tell him Elias is not receiving visitors but her phone rings. She picks up and after a few seconds she hangs up and says he is waiting for him. Peter snorts and ignores her weepy eyes.

When Peter enters, Elias is still rambling statements away. Today Empress is not here, he reckons she must be in the tunnels hunting down people. Or by what used to be the archives, she did like to be there in general.

“Hello there luv, fancy meeting you here, not that anything has changed from the last time. Hey you reckon you could get beholding to install a lift to get up here? I swear each time I come over there are more stairs, its getting ridiculous, how tall do you want this place to be?”

There is no answer, but that's fine. Peter sits by the couch that is inconspicuously laying on the other end of the giant round room.

He waits.

He has always been more patient than Elias.

It takes…who knows? Time works very strangely here, but after a while in which Peter mostly dozes off, eventually he is jolted by the sound of heavy breathing and a body slumped on the floor.

Peter doesn't offer to help, or approaches him, he just waits.

Elias stumbles his way towards him, falling on top of Peter who lays them down for a bit, the reprieve won't last long, Elias is needed. Peter kisses him until he runs out of air. Elias grips him so tightly he would leave bruises under any other circumstance.

its not much, its just for a while, but its what they have. 

Nothing more and nothing else.

—-

Peter is surprised Elias didnt see it coming, heh, pun evry well intended, but he reasoned this would happen eventually, someone would be unhappy enough to try and stop this madness and would come for him.

He lets the archivist kill him, Peter could not do it himself, but he does take a bit of revenge by pushing Martin down the very long set of stairs. Peter smiles when he hears the thuds and crunches of bones snapping. Its a long way down after all.

He stabs the archivist, the shock on his face is very funny, but he had it coming anyway.

And then…as the world crumbles, he sits next to Elias.

“Told you this would happen, i may not be able to know the future but even i could see this was how it was going to end”

Elias says he doesn't want to die, he is afraid. Peter is uncomfortable, he is going to die too and the cats who are all running around the tower.

Stone breaks, the archivist lies dead on the floor, or agonizing, hard to say. Martin is at the bottom of the tower either suffering or dead.

Peter kisses him.

Elias whines but Peter kisses him and says: “I will see you on the other side if there is one and…for what is worth i will try to find you, just wait for me?” Elias lets out a shaky breath before he finally stops breathing. Peter only has a few more seconds before something hits him on the head and its all dark.

What good was seeing the future if in the end its your own death that you cannot avoid?

—

They do find each other, on a beach somewhere. Elias in a body unfamiliar to him but one he is happy to get to know, Peter with the cats who all appeared at some point. He did search for him, took him a long while, but…well.

No more prophecies now, just as much time as they want.