The Stealer (1/1)
Jul. 20th, 2004 07:35 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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rugbytackleTitle: The Stealer (1/1)
Author: DarkenHeart
Pairing: VM/SB
Rating: PG for angst
Archive: Rugbytackle
A/N: Unbetad. Cameos at end, thanks to Neil Gaiman. This is so not fact. Italics indicate flashback.
Summary: How Viggo's leaving is dealt with. (Bad summary I know)
Sean bit back a sob as he drained the bottle. Than he threw it across the room, not caring what damage it caused. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Viggo was gone.
"What? Viggo...Viggo I thought you loved me?"
"I do Sean. But-"
"But what? Christ Viggo. After three divorces I'm the one who should be running for the hills. But I'm willing to give us a chance. I know we can work. Is it going to be easy? I'm not daft enough to think that. But if we love each other..."
"And what guarantee is there that our love will be enough?"
Sean dragged himself to bed. In a house that was no longer a home, this was the sharpest reminder of that fact. The bed he and Viggo had picked out together. Memories of lazy Sundays, whispered confessions, and passionate nights had given way to a cold, empty reality.
A voice hoarse from screams and sobs offered up the only prayer left inside a broken man. "Viggo, please come back to me."
An ice cold hand at his cheek woke Sean with a start. Above him, two dark eyes bore into his own, not letting him look away. "Show me. Show me who to be."
The panic building inside him suddenly lessened. He blinked, an uncertain smile crossing his face. "Viggo? Have you...no. This is a dream."
"Then it is a good dream." Blue eyes drew closer as a warm hand cupped his cheek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hello"
"Viggo, it's Orli! Has Sean talked to you?"
"Orli, I appreciate you trying to get us back together but-"
"Dammit Viggo! This isn't about that! Have. You. Heard. From. Sean? Just fucking answer yes or no!"
"No." Viggo nearly dropped the phone in surprise. He couldn't remember the last time he had heard Orlando so upset. "Why? What's wrong?"
"I can't find him! I've gone by the house! His car's there, but no one answers when I knock. I've asked around and it sounds like he went on vacation. But the newspapers and his mail are piling up outside his house. The phone's off the hook and from what I can see thru the windows it's like he just left!"
"Orlando, did you ever think maybe he just did go on vacation and didn't tell anyone?"
"Viggo, Evie's birthday was a couple days ago. He never called her."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Viggo stood outside the house he had once called his, the key seeming to burn into the palm of his hand. His worry started once he heard Sean hadn't called his youngest on her birthday. His girls meant the world to him and he never forgot any of their special days. It grew when he finally reached the house. There was just an air of...wrongness around it. Orlando had taken the newspapers and mail, but today's had arrived and was still not picked up. Sean's tools were lying out in his garden, not returned to their shed as was usual.
Taking a deep breath, he went up to the front door and forced himself inside. The first thing that hit him was the smell of alcohol. Next came the smell of rotting food. He hurriedly opened all the windows in the front room and kitchen. There was something about the scene that nagged at him. Tears sprang to his eyes as he finally realized what it was. With the exception of the beer and wine bottles strewn about, everything was exactly as it had been when he had left two weeks ago. The rotten food he smelled was from that morning's breakfast. In the hall was the book he had heard being thrown against the door as he walked out.
"Oh, Sean. I didn't know you would....but I should have. How could I have done this to you?"
His foot was on the first step of the stairs when he heard a low moan. He paused, listening for it again. His face flushed as he recognized the sound. It was one he himself had coaxed from Sean many a time. So there was someone up there with him. Anger built up in him and he was turning to leave when the sound came again, but this time there was something more. There was...pain?
Running up the stairs, Viggo shoved opened the bedroom door and flew inside, only to come to a standstill. Like the first floor, this room had been closed off and from all appearances Sean had not left it in some time. He could see him in the middle of what had been their bed. But what had happened to him? He was pale, paler than Viggo had ever seen him. Sweat stood out on his forehead and he looked so frail. The sheet was drawn up to his chest and from under it could be seen the shape of someone, the movements leaving little doubt as to what was being done.
Another moan passed thru Sean's lips, the pain more apparent. Dashing forward, Viggo ripped the sheet off the bed, only to fall back in horror at the blank face and ghastly eyes that turned to face him. "What the devil are you?"
"Not a devil, exactly." A harsh voice made his blood run cold. "But you are close enough." With a cruel smile the thing crawled up the bed to lie next to Sean, pressing against him. A bony hand with long nails caressed his cheek. "Show him, show him who I am."
Fevered eyes looked up as a tongue licked at dry, cracked lips. "Viggo." It was a weak voice that answered.
Viggo's eyes widened, a scream caught in his throat as the thing changed form and became..."Me."
"Yes, you." His own voice came to him from a creature wearing his face. "Though not you. Not that it matters to him."
His mind reeling, Viggo staggered forward to lean heavily against the footboard. "What are you doing to him? And why do you wear...?" A thought suddenly hit him, a half forgotten passage in a book of legends. "No, that cannot be."
"I am surprised. Most have forgotten us. And no, I am neither of the ones whose names you can recall. Our name was lost to your kind long ago. The old ones knew of us, that male could long for male and female for female, but you modern men have chosen to forget that. So you are left with only the Incubi and the Succubae. You may call me a Stealer, that is near enough."
"Why...why are you here? What do you want with Sean?"
"And you care why? It was you that left him. His despair called to me. But I must thank you. His desolation was so complete after your departure, that when I appeared to him he did not wish to leave my side. He left only once, and has been with me since that first night." A hand gestured to the nightstand where a large bottle of sleeping pills and a larger bottle of whiskey sat.
"No!" Viggo put his hand to his mouth, biting down on it to keep from screaming. Because of him?
"Yes. I'm giving him what you could not. And he is giving me what I desire in return." Viggo shuddered to see his hand running down Sean's neck, as he had done so many times. "I shall be sorry to see him die. It has been so long since I have had a warrior to feed from. And a noble one at that. This shall be the last night for us."
"The last..." Viggo's horror grew as he watched Sean stir, weakly reaching for the sleeping pills. "NO!" He threw himself at the Stealer, ripping it away from his love. "Sean! SEAN!! Wake up! Please Sean wake up! Come back to me!! SEAN!!!"
The Stealer sneered, than blinked as it found itself back in the throne room. Pasting a smile on its mouth, it turned around.
"I did as you asked."
"Yes, you did."
"It is a pity to leave him."
"But you will, as was the agreement."
"Of course, Sire." The Stealer laughed inside. As if he meant to keep to the agreement.
"Good. The Corinthian will give your reward. Come along Matthew."
"I love your eyes." The Corinthian smiled with all three of his mouths as he took off his shades.
"Um.. Boss. Don't you think you went a little overboard with that last one? And is your sister going to be alright with you taking one of hers?" Neither paid any attention to the screams coming from behind them.
"Despair was the one who asked me for help, Matthew. She said he reminded her of our Prodigal brother. She asks little of me, so I chose to do as she asked."
Matthew thought for a moment. "You know, Boss. Not to question you. But the Boss never would have done that. He would have ignored Despair, wondered why he should bother about two mortals."
"Yes, I would have. But I am not me, Matthew, am I?" Dream stared at the raven.
"No you're not, Boss."
Author: DarkenHeart
Pairing: VM/SB
Rating: PG for angst
Archive: Rugbytackle
A/N: Unbetad. Cameos at end, thanks to Neil Gaiman. This is so not fact. Italics indicate flashback.
Summary: How Viggo's leaving is dealt with. (Bad summary I know)
Sean bit back a sob as he drained the bottle. Than he threw it across the room, not caring what damage it caused. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Viggo was gone.
"What? Viggo...Viggo I thought you loved me?"
"I do Sean. But-"
"But what? Christ Viggo. After three divorces I'm the one who should be running for the hills. But I'm willing to give us a chance. I know we can work. Is it going to be easy? I'm not daft enough to think that. But if we love each other..."
"And what guarantee is there that our love will be enough?"
Sean dragged himself to bed. In a house that was no longer a home, this was the sharpest reminder of that fact. The bed he and Viggo had picked out together. Memories of lazy Sundays, whispered confessions, and passionate nights had given way to a cold, empty reality.
A voice hoarse from screams and sobs offered up the only prayer left inside a broken man. "Viggo, please come back to me."
An ice cold hand at his cheek woke Sean with a start. Above him, two dark eyes bore into his own, not letting him look away. "Show me. Show me who to be."
The panic building inside him suddenly lessened. He blinked, an uncertain smile crossing his face. "Viggo? Have you...no. This is a dream."
"Then it is a good dream." Blue eyes drew closer as a warm hand cupped his cheek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hello"
"Viggo, it's Orli! Has Sean talked to you?"
"Orli, I appreciate you trying to get us back together but-"
"Dammit Viggo! This isn't about that! Have. You. Heard. From. Sean? Just fucking answer yes or no!"
"No." Viggo nearly dropped the phone in surprise. He couldn't remember the last time he had heard Orlando so upset. "Why? What's wrong?"
"I can't find him! I've gone by the house! His car's there, but no one answers when I knock. I've asked around and it sounds like he went on vacation. But the newspapers and his mail are piling up outside his house. The phone's off the hook and from what I can see thru the windows it's like he just left!"
"Orlando, did you ever think maybe he just did go on vacation and didn't tell anyone?"
"Viggo, Evie's birthday was a couple days ago. He never called her."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Viggo stood outside the house he had once called his, the key seeming to burn into the palm of his hand. His worry started once he heard Sean hadn't called his youngest on her birthday. His girls meant the world to him and he never forgot any of their special days. It grew when he finally reached the house. There was just an air of...wrongness around it. Orlando had taken the newspapers and mail, but today's had arrived and was still not picked up. Sean's tools were lying out in his garden, not returned to their shed as was usual.
Taking a deep breath, he went up to the front door and forced himself inside. The first thing that hit him was the smell of alcohol. Next came the smell of rotting food. He hurriedly opened all the windows in the front room and kitchen. There was something about the scene that nagged at him. Tears sprang to his eyes as he finally realized what it was. With the exception of the beer and wine bottles strewn about, everything was exactly as it had been when he had left two weeks ago. The rotten food he smelled was from that morning's breakfast. In the hall was the book he had heard being thrown against the door as he walked out.
"Oh, Sean. I didn't know you would....but I should have. How could I have done this to you?"
His foot was on the first step of the stairs when he heard a low moan. He paused, listening for it again. His face flushed as he recognized the sound. It was one he himself had coaxed from Sean many a time. So there was someone up there with him. Anger built up in him and he was turning to leave when the sound came again, but this time there was something more. There was...pain?
Running up the stairs, Viggo shoved opened the bedroom door and flew inside, only to come to a standstill. Like the first floor, this room had been closed off and from all appearances Sean had not left it in some time. He could see him in the middle of what had been their bed. But what had happened to him? He was pale, paler than Viggo had ever seen him. Sweat stood out on his forehead and he looked so frail. The sheet was drawn up to his chest and from under it could be seen the shape of someone, the movements leaving little doubt as to what was being done.
Another moan passed thru Sean's lips, the pain more apparent. Dashing forward, Viggo ripped the sheet off the bed, only to fall back in horror at the blank face and ghastly eyes that turned to face him. "What the devil are you?"
"Not a devil, exactly." A harsh voice made his blood run cold. "But you are close enough." With a cruel smile the thing crawled up the bed to lie next to Sean, pressing against him. A bony hand with long nails caressed his cheek. "Show him, show him who I am."
Fevered eyes looked up as a tongue licked at dry, cracked lips. "Viggo." It was a weak voice that answered.
Viggo's eyes widened, a scream caught in his throat as the thing changed form and became..."Me."
"Yes, you." His own voice came to him from a creature wearing his face. "Though not you. Not that it matters to him."
His mind reeling, Viggo staggered forward to lean heavily against the footboard. "What are you doing to him? And why do you wear...?" A thought suddenly hit him, a half forgotten passage in a book of legends. "No, that cannot be."
"I am surprised. Most have forgotten us. And no, I am neither of the ones whose names you can recall. Our name was lost to your kind long ago. The old ones knew of us, that male could long for male and female for female, but you modern men have chosen to forget that. So you are left with only the Incubi and the Succubae. You may call me a Stealer, that is near enough."
"Why...why are you here? What do you want with Sean?"
"And you care why? It was you that left him. His despair called to me. But I must thank you. His desolation was so complete after your departure, that when I appeared to him he did not wish to leave my side. He left only once, and has been with me since that first night." A hand gestured to the nightstand where a large bottle of sleeping pills and a larger bottle of whiskey sat.
"No!" Viggo put his hand to his mouth, biting down on it to keep from screaming. Because of him?
"Yes. I'm giving him what you could not. And he is giving me what I desire in return." Viggo shuddered to see his hand running down Sean's neck, as he had done so many times. "I shall be sorry to see him die. It has been so long since I have had a warrior to feed from. And a noble one at that. This shall be the last night for us."
"The last..." Viggo's horror grew as he watched Sean stir, weakly reaching for the sleeping pills. "NO!" He threw himself at the Stealer, ripping it away from his love. "Sean! SEAN!! Wake up! Please Sean wake up! Come back to me!! SEAN!!!"
The Stealer sneered, than blinked as it found itself back in the throne room. Pasting a smile on its mouth, it turned around.
"I did as you asked."
"Yes, you did."
"It is a pity to leave him."
"But you will, as was the agreement."
"Of course, Sire." The Stealer laughed inside. As if he meant to keep to the agreement.
"Good. The Corinthian will give your reward. Come along Matthew."
"I love your eyes." The Corinthian smiled with all three of his mouths as he took off his shades.
"Um.. Boss. Don't you think you went a little overboard with that last one? And is your sister going to be alright with you taking one of hers?" Neither paid any attention to the screams coming from behind them.
"Despair was the one who asked me for help, Matthew. She said he reminded her of our Prodigal brother. She asks little of me, so I chose to do as she asked."
Matthew thought for a moment. "You know, Boss. Not to question you. But the Boss never would have done that. He would have ignored Despair, wondered why he should bother about two mortals."
"Yes, I would have. But I am not me, Matthew, am I?" Dream stared at the raven.
"No you're not, Boss."
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no subject
Date: 2004-07-20 09:04 pm (UTC)I really liked this, even though I didn't really understand the last bit.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-20 09:22 pm (UTC)Neil Gaiman wrote a great comic book some years ago called the Sandman. Dream, Matthew, Despair and the Corinthian are all from that. If you do a search for the Sandman there are quite a few sites out there for him. Neil references everything from Greek myths to Shakespeare to older comics to literary figures.
If you have any questions, let me know and I'll tell you what I can.
Endless appendix
Date: 2004-07-20 09:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-20 10:35 pm (UTC)Dashing forward, Viggo ripped the sheet off the bed, only to fall back in horror at the blank face and ghastly eyes that turned to face him.
God that part just gave me chills! So good! :)
no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 02:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 01:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 02:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 02:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 03:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 03:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 03:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 06:56 am (UTC)So glad they got back together, though!
~Kris
no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 07:56 am (UTC)*has still little shudders running down her back*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 02:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 04:55 pm (UTC)And no, the 'She' isn't Death, but one of his younger sisters, Despair. She asked Dream to help out Sean. The Prodigal brother, who she said Sean reminded her of, is Destruction, who is her favorite of their siblings.
Enjoy the Dreaming.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-22 12:33 am (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2004-07-25 09:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-25 09:08 am (UTC)Angie