Legami Familiari (Shayde x Fathom)

[Lord Darkshayde]

He fetched a damp washcloth and began wiping away the caked on make-up Adrien forced her to wear. If the man wanted to fuck a clown he could go join the circus for all Evan cared. This though, he began tenderly patting at the worst of her welts, was far too much for a young woman. If something wasn't done soon she would be broken, and Evan wasn't sure if her pieces could be recovered.

"I can kill him." The words left his mouth before the thought had even formed completely in his mind, but he continued, "I traded your life for mine Mia. Let me give you the same deal. My life for yours." His damp hands took hers and held them comfortingly. He reached a finger under her chin, raising her gaze to meet his. "So kiddo," he used the name he called her growing up, "what d'ya say? Wanna shake on it?"

 

[Fathom]

Mia’s eyes snapped up to his, and there was something behind them that drowned out her fire. Fear. “No!” She quickly shook her head, her chest tightening at the thought of Evan trying to take Adrian on in a fair fight. No, she couldn’t let that happen. They would kill him, and then she would still be trapped here without anyone who gave a damn. “You can’t.” She felt her bottom lip tremble, she wanted so desperately for him to swoop in, grab her so they could just run away together, but if they did there wouldn’t be peace. Constant looking over their shoulders. That wasn’t a life she wanted. “He’s going to get bored with me in a week.” She said almost sounding hopeful. Taking the rag from his hands and swiping away the streaks of mascara. Without the coverage of the concealer the marks across her face stood out even more, and Mia flinched looking at them in the mirror.

“We don’t have the numbers to kill him and get out alive.” She muttered, meeting his gaze through the mirror. “What am I gonna do Evan?” She asked her voice cracking . “I can’t keep doing this, but I can’t ask you to sacrifice yourself for me either.”

 

[Lord Darkshayde]

The room felt more confining than it actually was as Evan paced around it. "I know," he said almost dismissively, "I know we can't do that, but I can't think of much better." He slammed his fist into the top of the desk. Paper clips jingled and pens bounced and rolled at the force of it. He saw the act make Mia jump once again. The skittish nature she had developed in only a week was heartbreaking. Even if Adrien did 'tire of her' what was going to be left after that week. The thought turned his stomach into a cacophony of knots.

"I'm just a tough guy your father took a liking to Mia." He turned around to face her fully. "I break bones and smash faces, and I kill the occasional crackhead with a psychopath brother. I'm not the smartest guy around. Maybe if I was I could've made a better decision for you."

"I should have just ran with you the day after the motel. I think that's the last time I heard you happy."

 

[Fathom]

He looked as trapped as she felt. Pacing the walls like a tiger in a cage. “You didn’t make this decision for me.” She said with a small sigh, sitting back down holding the damp rag between her hands. “This…..arrangement.” She said looking down at the ring on her finger. “Has been in the works since I was fifteen.” She looked up, giving him a small smile. “I never wanted any of this.” She gestured around at the golden plated fixtures and the thousand thread count linens. “My entire life I spent trying to get his attention. A fraction of his time. For him to want to spend time with me. For him to just…..want me. Now, I’d be more than willing to never speak to him again. I’d be happy to be broke and penniless if it means I get to get out of this world. And we both know there’s only one way out of it. Especially for women, and men like you. The ones who see too much, hear too much, we could never just be left alone, because we’re lose ends.” She said with a huff. “I just want to be able to be myself. I hate that stupid dress they’re putting me in. And the shoes, nightmare. The cake is a monstrosity that looks like it was thrown up on by a florist. Everything is just so……perfect. It’s maddening really. I’d like to just……mess it up.” She was venting now, once the words started coming out there was no stopping them, and when she had finally unleashed all of the grave injustices she felt like she had endured over their time here Mia stood, facing Evan. “I’m so sick of being their perfect little puppet.” She muttered, before grabbing the front of his shirt, pulling him in for a kiss.

It was sloppy, unplanned, and a little painful given how tender her face was, but the longer it lasted, the more she felt herself melt against him. All the tension and stress melting away into just the pair of them existing in the same space. “I’m sorry. I….i shouldn’t have.” She stammered, pulling back, her fingers brushing against her bottom lip. “All I know, is that in this room full of people today, only one of them seemed to care about what happened to me.” Her eyes met his once more.

 

[Lord Darkshayde]

She listed off every reason they should just accept their roles and behave, but none of them were a good reason. They were necessary for survival, and that was when it collapsed in on him. He had done nothing but survive since the day the Perelli family adopted him. The mafia life was almost instantly ingrained in his entire being, but in doing so he never learned what really living was. Then there were the various brushes with death over the years, the most recent being what landed them both in the room together at that moment.

He wanted to say something to her, but before he could speak she had gripped his shirt and thrust her mouth against his. He instinctively reached for her wrists, but as his fingers closed around them his touch softened. The kiss was dirty and intense, their tongues fighting for ground against each other. The pain in his eye burned, but the passion he felt for her burned hotter. He was about to pull her closer when she pushed back away, apologizing.

"Mia," her name came out breathlessly from his lips, "I-I don't know what that was, but you are right about one thing." He pulled her back into his own grasp, but instead of kissing her he just placed a hand gently in her hair. He pulled her face carefully against his chest and began rocking her slightly. "I do care about you, have for a very long time." The secret left his mouth and he was glad to be rid of it.

 

[Fathom]

“I…that was, stupid, and selfish, and and….Evan I’m sorry. That was so out of line.” She apologized again, even as he pulled her back against him. Mia allowed herself a second to close her eyes. To just enjoy the way it felt to be held, to be seen. She felt the rocking motion, flashback to her first night tied to the bed. The way he had been so quick to come help her instead of letting her suffer alone in silence. He paid attention. Even now, she knew that gentle rocking back and forth was for her benefit, and she allowed her arms to tighten slightly around his waist. The weight of his words settled between them, making her pull back and study his face. “You realize they will kill us if they find out.A-Adrian.” The monsters name was enough to make her stammer. Adrian would torment her and laugh while he forced Evan to listen to her screams. “We have a week to figure it out, right?” She asked trying not to sound too hopeful that they could manage to walk away from this mess without the world burning to the ground around them.