You Belong to Me

Once out of the castle, Victor slung Mirage on his back and took off running. Mirage's stomach lurched with every step, but he wasn't about to complain. Instead he buried his face into Victor's shoulder, breathing in the armor's metallic smell.

Alarm jolted through him when Victor's Levia flared. The next thing Mirage knew, Victor swung him in front and pulled him tight against his chest. Mirage shouted a protest, but his voice died into a sputter when Victor took a tremendous leap into the air.

The purple glow from the diagram blazing beneath him almost blinded Mirage. Even so, he didn't miss how they seemed to be rising higher and higher, with no sign of plummeting anytime soon. Squirming and twisting, Mirage managed to crane his neck enough to get a glimpse of Victor.

All the breath fled his lungs. A pair of dragon wings sprouted from Victor's shoulders, pitch-black like his armor. With every flap, wind streaked past Mirage's face and the two of them soared higher into the sky.

No way. Victor's armor could do that? Or had Smith added a new feature?

Well, he could ask later. Right now, they needed to make their escape.

Eventually the castle shrank to the size of a dollhouse on the edge of the horizon. As soon as it vanished from view, a dizzying wave of relief crashed through Mirage. All the strength bled from his limbs; he could only dangle in Victor's arms, letting the cool wind wash over him.

It almost felt nice, even freer than flying in a skycraft. But Mirage couldn't just relax and enjoy it. Though he had no way of judging Victor's Levia supplies without the contract, the wizard's labored breathing testified to how much effort this must be costing him.

Yet he didn't stop flying. Only when they reached a series of craggy bluffs did Victor finally swoop in for a landing. By now, the evening sun set the sky ablaze.

Victor landed on a ledge outside a narrow overhang, feet hitting the stone with a solid thud. His arms slipped away and Mirage stumbled forward, unbalanced.

He didn't get time to adjust before a loud crash rang from behind him. Whirling around, he saw that Victor had fallen to his knees.

"Victor!" Mirage reached for him, only to get knocked back by a surge of icy Levia. Astonished, Mirage stared as yet another diagram spread beneath Victor. This one was even more intricate than the one he'd used to fly, and when it swept Mirage within its radius he realized what it must be.

"Don't – " he shouted, but his voice vanished beneath the Levia roaring through his body like wildfire. A fire so cold it stung all the way to the core of his soul. The pain made Mirage clench his teeth, but as the purple flames blazed colder, the chains restraining his own power snapped one by one.

Eventually Victor's Levia retreated from his limbs, but it didn't go away – no, it was gathering in a single concentrated point in the center of his chest. Right above Ulrich's symbol. It felt like a frozen spear was drilling into his heart, tearing apart the softest, most vulnerable part of his being….

Just when he thought he couldn't take another second of this, the pain disappeared. In its place was a soft, subtle power swirling like rose petals.

A power that had always belonged here, yet he'd never realized how much he needed it until it had been taken away. Now – now –

A shaky laugh escaped his lips. He sat up straighter, staring in amazement at the purple symbol glowing on his chest, eradicating all traces of Ulrich's claim.

It wasn't just the symbol. He could feel Victor's power whispering at the edges of his consciousness, now soothingly cool instead of the freezing onslaught from earlier. It calmed him, slowed his racing heartbeat.

Yet he didn't miss how the purple flames flickered, dim as embers. Nor could he ignore the heap of quivering black armor on the other side of the ledge.

"Victor!" Once again, Mirage lunged for him. This time, his fingers closed around the armor, and he fumbled with the helmet until he managed to pull it off. Victor's hair spilled in sweat-soaked curtains over his equally damp face, but it wasn't enough to hide the furrow cutting between his brows.

"You – you – what were you thinking?" Mirage's voice came out shrill and breathless. "Casting two complex spells in rapid succession – "

Victor's lips moved. For a moment, no sound came out, then his throat convulsed and he said in a hoarse whisper, "I...had to. If I...didn't break his contract...he'd be able to find you…."

"Well, yes, that's obvious, but you didn't have to reform our contract at the same time! You could've waited until your energy returned!"

"No…." Victor's brows knitted tighter. "It's better...to do it all...at once."

"Better!" In disbelief, Mirage smacked Victor's shoulder. Not that he got anything for it besides a ferocious sting in his own palm, of course. "You idiot, why do you always – "

His voice cut off. For a while they stayed there like this, Victor hunched over, Mirage kneeling above him. The only sound was Victor's breathing, harsh and ragged as if he was fighting a battle against himself. Mirage's heart knotted tighter.

"Why," he said quietly, "did you come?"

"What...what do you mean?" Victor wheezed.

"You know what I mean. There was no reason – you didn't have to."

Mirage couldn't stop his voice from shaking. He wanted to grab onto Victor and never let go – but he couldn't. So he fisted his hands into his robe, twisting until his nails pierced the hatefully soft silk.

Victor lifted his head a fraction. With a little groan, he flicked his eyes open. They were bleary and unfocused at first, but sharpened as soon as they landed on Mirage's face.

"Yes, I did. You're...my captain."

"That's complete bullshit!" Mirage yelled. "Me, your captain? Without the contract, there's nothing binding you to me. Captain – what kind of captain have I been to you anyway? If you possessed even the slightest amount of brains, you would have cut your losses and found a strong commander already!"

A horrible ache swelled in his throat, throbbed behind his eyes. It ashamed him to the core, but he couldn't stop it. Not a weakling like him.

The worst thing was Victor never stopped gazing at him. Calm as ever, despite the exhaustion lining his face. "Is that...what you think...of me?"

"It's what I would think of anyone! Anyone who's got anything in the way of common sense, at least!" Mirage raged, slamming his fist into the stone. "You – you – you want the power of the Infernal Legion for your brother, right? I think I've proven well enough that I can't give it to you. I can only drag you down. So why – why – "

He felt like he was going to explode. This bone-deep pain, he'd rip out his own heart if that would stop it for even a second.

"Captain." Somehow, in spite of everything, Victor's voice broke through his roaring heartbeat. Quiet, yet firm with conviction. "It doesn't matter...what you say. I'm not...leaving."

Those simple words did it for Mirage. Everything shattered into pieces – his hate, his fury, his memories of Ulrich. Before he could think about what he was doing, he flung himself at Victor and grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to lift his head.

"Do you mean that?" He had never sounded so small, so weak.

Incredibly, a faint smile flicked up Victor's lips. "Yes, Captain."

"Then – " Mirage tightened his grip, sinking his nails deep into the grooves of Victor's armor. "Then – promise me! I may not belong to you, but you – you belong to me! Don't ever leave me!"

Victor's eyelashes fluttered. Just like that, the furrow between his brows relaxed and the tension drained from his face.

"I promise."

Maybe it was Mirage's imagination, but he thought Victor's purple flames flickered a little brighter. Well, he didn't care. The only thing that mattered was in front of him right now.

Gripping Victor's hair tight, he lifted the human's head and kissed him fiercely. All he wanted was to plunge deeper, taste every inch of his wizard –

But with a gasp, Victor broke away. Mirage snarled, yet couldn't fight against Victor's greater strength.

"Captain, this is...are you certain?" Victor said, gazing at him with troubled eyes.

"Yes, you fool." Peeved, Mirage yanked on Victor's hair. "Take off that armor while you're at it. You're exhausted, aren't you? At the very least I can give you back some power."

"I…." Victor's gaze shifted to the side. "I don't…."

"Shut the fuck up." Mirage yanked harder, forcing Victor to face him again. "Fine, I'll put it this way. Make me forget him."

Victor's eyes widened and a pale pink tinge crept into his cheeks. Some dreamy part of Mirage wondered if this was the first time he'd ever seen the human blush.

Then Victor's hands closed around the back of his neck, rough and clumsy, and he pulled Mirage into a kiss so deep it wiped all thought from his mind.

Just the way he wanted it.