forum Opportunistic Omnivore: Scavenging the Remains of the Divine || OxO || Closed || 18+

Started March 15, 2023 by @ElderGod-kirky group

tune

Sláine knew what Eurion was doing. He didn't need to be able to read the other's mind, hear his thoughts, or be told. Even the hands squeezing his ass, fingers digging into his flesh through the robes, gave the assassin's intentions away—and Sláine wasn't exactly thrilled.

The prince, ever the brat, lifted his face from where it had been buried and hidden from the world just for the special occasion of glaring up at his mate through his lashes. He could've uncurled to his full height and glared down at Eurion, but it wasn't the same and didn't have the same effect. And, it was obviously a false glare, just enough to portray that he knew what the assassin's scheme was and that he hadn't exactly been wanting to deal with his kinks already. There they were, very obviously in public, with hundreds of Fae milling about with drinks in their hands, hands to the air, and so many eyes and ears that could just be a little too interested in the couple that wasn't moving, because one of them was suspended by just a grip that wasn't innocent by any means and hardly effective for practicality. Eurion asking for more elaborating on his 'please' was just asking to be overheard. Some random Fae would get a little too interested in what was going on, and hear more than they bargained for.

But, did Sláine really care all that much? He'd never meet this people again, not anytime soon. Most were drunk off their asses or just as horny for one another, if they were a couple. The two who did know him and Eurion were nowhere to be seen, and had already been witness to just what they got up to now that they were allowed PDA. Would begging really hurt? Certainly not in the long run. And maybe, for a bonus, maybe the prince would be able to see Eurion desperate for him for just a moment after hearing him beg.

So, his glare softened to a look of need, which was easy to conjure seeing as he was definitely feeling that way. His hands grabbed onto the silk of the robes Eurion wore, tugging and holding on, and he spoke in a soft plea while continuing to look up at Eurion.

"Please," he begged, repeating the word that had started this. Sláine kept his voice low, but didn't dare care to know if anyone overheard. "Please, I want you to take me back and fuck me. I want you to pin me down and think of nothing but you and how you are going to fill me with all of your affection, show me just how much you care for me, over and over again, until I'm drunk on you." His teeth dragged over Eurion's throat, even as Sláine trapped down the immediate reflex to blush over him saying this in a crowd of people. "I want to be defiled. Can you do that for me?"

Eurion couldn't have been more pleased with Sláine's response, especially with the bit he decided he wanted to take on the end. It had the assassin letting out a low rumble of a chuckle, followed by a hum that was more than satisfied with his prince's words. He wondered how far he was able to take him, just what else he was able to get the man to say, whether it was here or in private. Because he had no doubt that, even though Sláine had been with others, he wondered how submissive he had been with them. If the others had been too scared to push too much because he was a prince after all. And who asked, demanded a prince to say such things? Not when it should surely be the other way around.

But the assassin wasn't just anyone. Wasn't just a quick fuck or someone to mess around with here and there when they were bored and needed some release. They were soul bound. Fate had put them together and now Sláine was wearing his mark and unless it was rejected, that mark wasn't going to fade. Not now, not in a hundred years, not even after death. Either way, Eurion didn't care. Back at the inn he had made that perfectly clear to Sláine when he had marked and riled the man up, told him he wasn't in a position to make demands. He wasn't the one in charge here, not with him. His prince could tease all he wanted but when it came down to it, Eurionw as more than aware that all he had to do was give his man a look, set his tone in a certain way, and Sláine would fold and sink to the floor if he asked.

Right here, however, was not the place to ask of that. For their first time together, as much as a deep, primal instinct roared in the back of Eurion's mind to take him where everyone could see, he refused to listen to it. He wanted Sláine all to himself. To have him unravel and turn into a puddle in his hands just for him, where no one would look on to the prince being subject to the assassin's torment and greed. Not this time. Maybe some other time, when Eurion hadn't just gone a week without his mate. When they were solidified once and for all after tonight when there was no going back from it.

"There's a good boy." Those words that had gained such a reaction from Sláine the first time Eurion had used them tumbled from his lips in a purr. So easy to know what to say and do to have his prince right where he wanted. Logic told him to put Sláine down, to have him walk because carrying him through the crowd wasn't exactly ideal but he wasn't about to drop him now. He didn't even give his lover a chance to either ask or move or do anything to try and escape his grip as he walked them back to their place. Eurion hadn't thought that the skill set for weaving through crowds quickly and effectively would come in so useful in this sense. But he was glad of it. And no one made much mind, as if this was a normal occurrence.

Eurion was the first like him that Sláine had been with. In everything about him, because he was just so fucking incredible that he couldn't even begin to fairly compare to everyone else, but mainly in the way he treated the prince. If he simply asked, Sláine would confess as such in a heartbeat: no one had dared to push him like the assassin did. Even before he had been crowned prince, even when he managed to corner someone who was just the type to do so, they didn't. Maybe because he didn't look the type to submit so easily, so nicely. Or maybe it was the prestige of the name still, regardless of the presence of a title. Maybe it was entirely a Eurion thing to push the prince as far as he did, make him crumble and beg and fall to his knees with just a tone.

Because never had he been so inclined to cling to someone as he did, never been subjected to very public displays of lust, never wanted someone to be in total control of him. He could be in the middle of something, and if Eurion demanded it, he'd cave with only minimal complaint at most. No one had ordered him to beg in public, had held him by his ass and squeezed for all to see. He had never wanted to grind against his partner in the middle of a crowd so badly as he did right at this moment. Eurion could croon and tease and point out how pretty Sláine was while submitting to him, and he'd fall apart to just the sound of his voice. Eurion had all the control over the prince, down to his every reaction to certain words, and he knew that if the man asked just enough and just right, he'd bend to anything.

Sláine let out an embarrassingly turned-on whimper when called a good boy, and pressed himself as much against his mate as he could. It wasn't fair how easily Eurion could get such reactions out of him, but at the same time, it felt incredible. His body was humming with the thrill of their situation, even if he wanted to complain and dislike it. But, he looked to the positive—they were finally moving, heading back to the inn. The prince would be getting even worse (better) treatment soon. He'd be torn apart and put back together over and over again. He'll be consumed by nothing but Eurion. His mate. His forever. He could live with this, the domineering switch inside his mate. The submission he happily sunk into and let take over his mind.

But he didn't want Eurion to know that just yet, even if it was obvious. He bit back in retaliation, ignoring how his body was on fire. "Eurion," he whined, nothing more than a breathless whisper. Meant to just be a whine, but he couldn't focus on anything but the ground moving as they headed back to the inn. He wanted it to show up faster. Wanted to get thrown onto the bed right now. Wanted to be devoured by the unholy man carrying him, who would worship him in his own way. Anyone who knew him would be scandalized to know just how much Sláine enjoyed submitting himself to his assassin. He was sure they'd have a heart attack knowing how much he wanted to be fucked by him too.

The assassin had never been with anyone like Sláine before. Someone who held actual power over people, a title, a name for himself. Eurion hadn't lied when he had told his prince that all of that didn't matter to him, because it didn't, not really. He could care less whether or not Sláine had a fancy crown atop his head, a throne to sit on or shit tonnes of gold sitting in a safe waiting to be opened and used whenever he pleased. To him, he was his mate. His other half, and he wasn't about to let a title get in the way of taking what he wanted from the man- what they both wanted.

Pointless to even try and deny that Sláine was just as turned on and desperate as Eurion was. Class wasn't exactly part of his nature, he was an assassin, after all. He had been sent to kill the man that he now had squirming in his arms, who had gone from prey to lover in such a short amount of time simply because of that bond between them. Had it not snapped into place when it had, or even existed altogether, Eurion couldn't begin to imagine how different this night might have gone. Chances were they would be getting drunk on the high of Skyfall, the Eclipse, but as friends, potentially. Would they have even come all together? It didn't matter. He had exactly what he wanted and needed and that was enough.

Especially when Sláine was whining his name against his skin. How could anyone resist when it came to his prince? As much as the thought of other lovers having the man in such a way naturally sparked jealously, only for the briefest moment, considering the reactions he was able to draw from him, had others done the same? Or were they too afraid, even if Sláine had pushed? It wasn't a matter Eurion was going to concern himself with because he was the one drawing those noises from him. He was the one with his hands all over his prince and soon would be able to make good on that promise to fuck him into oblivion.

The inn drew near. It was difficult to manoeuvre upstairs when you had a whiny man in your arms but Eurion used his assassin talents to his advantage to get them up and inside as quickly as he was able. The party still drummed below, thrummed with magic and music but Eurion could only focus on Sláine. The beautiful, tempting man in his arms. There were only a few Fae mingling about in the common area when Eurion practically marched them through, but they were either too drunk or too in love to care. And then, he was using his back to push open the door to their place, and then the bedroom door.

The best thing that Sláine liked about their power dynamic was that the most Eurion cared about his title was what the assassin could do to desecrate it. Fuck him on the King's throne, see the prince in a crown and make him wear just that to bed, force the nobles to watch and witness how their prince submitted to an assassin and let himself be fondled and groped in public. Eurion saw his title and saw all the ways to absolutely disrespect it while Sláine was more than willing to let him. There was at least one thing in common between him and Aideen—the two criminals were more than happy to disregard the titles of their lovers and treat them in ways no one was brave enough to do. Aideen just had more practice in the art.

As they walked, Sláine breathed in Eurion's scent and let himself get lost in it. Holding on to avoid being dropped, because of course his stubborn ass mate had to carry him the entire way instead of putting him down—or even moving his hands to have a better grip—the prince did his best to hide his face away from everyone they passed as they walked. They didn't need to know how he slowly rolled his hips into the warmth and muscle of the man carrying him. They didn't need to know that he was panting and whimpering, getting himself riled up by thinking so many things and the anticipation got the most of him. Just the promise of having Eurion all to himself had him crumbling at the seams and letting out the side that only his mate would ever get to see.

They might've started as prey and predator, then lovers, but Sláine believed they still had that dynamic. As they got into the inn and Eurion maneuvered them into their room, he felt like the man's prey suspended in time, waiting for the moment teeth clamped over his throat and he was pinned down. Except instead of death being the end result, it would be breathless pleasure and need, pure satisfaction and a desperation for more even as they worked out the original dredges of desperation. Eurion had chained him up for his viewing and handling pleasure, and the prince was nothing more than a pretty thing to admire and treat however the assassin wished. It was thrilling, giving up that power he had always innately had over people. Even unconsciously, he had always held a natural status that painted him as someone better, with more control.

But he didn't want control right in that moment. He wanted to be tossed onto the mattress and told what to do. Wanted those demeaning praises he knew Eurion would be excellent at, the ones that had him breaking down on the spot. Sláine peered up at his mate and fixed on a lazy glare, even if his eyes were glowing with that need his body made clear. "Of all the choices you had, you chose carrying me the whole way. I could've been dropped."

Sláine was the prince. He was the one from a powerful family full of independent, bossy, arrogant people who cared for their people and dominated wherever they went. They built a kingdom from nothing but refugees and the dirt under their nails. Sláine himself had talked kings down from their sky-high thrones and convinced them of a deal that benefitted them both. He had gone into bloody massacres and commanded his own unit of soldiers. His name was known for control, synonymous with safety, shelter, and care. He was always the one to deal with the cleanup, to tuck in his partner and give reassurances, and always asked to give into the person's fantasy of a perfect prince in their bed.

Never before did he bear the name of his lover on his skin. Never did he dare lie around and let his partner do all the work to take care of him and the aftermath. Hell, he couldn't even remember thinking about making grabby hands at someone in a quiet demand for cuddles, let alone doing it. But then, he never had Eurion until now. His stubborn, scowly, broody assassin who was so gentle and caring towards Sláine. Even when he was torturing the prince in ways that weren't exactly interrogation approved, he took care of him with diligence and an unwavering determination. Sláine wanted nothing else, not when he had a taste of what his mate could provide him with and all the other people in the world seemed less than in comparison. Not when they obliged his childish plea for attention so readily.

Sláine melted into the manhandling, wrapping himself around Eurion's body to avoid being a limp rag doll, but it took him no time to curl up against his mate and hug him tight, head on his chest and eyes lazily blinking up at him. The arms around his body was only an added bonus, and one that he happily soaked in and relished. Sláine nuzzled into Eurion's chest and left a little kiss there. His voice was drawling and sleepy as he mumbled into the man's skin, "Tha thu a h-uile dad dhomh." He tightened his hug and went back to nuzzling, content and happy. So fucking happy. It poured through the bond because he didn't know how else to encompass just how he was feeling, but needed Eurion to know.

Every piece of happiness that Sláine poured through their bond was only met with Eurion's own happiness that he sent right back. Having that bond, knowing of it and being able to properly feel what his prince was feeling was better than he ever could have imagined. Especially now that they were properly together and they didn't have to dance around one another around the other two, they could just be and that was what he was loving. Sláine was everything and more and he was able to touch and kiss and hold and hug and no one and nothing was able to stop him from doing so, not anymore. It was only made better when his prince was cuddled up into his side, pressing a kiss to his chest and mumbling sleepily.

The assassin couldn't help but smile softly, leaning down to press a kiss to Sláine's head, "I don't know what that means," He replied. That was the downside of not understanding his mate's native tongue. He was going to have to learn, even if it took him another century to get everything down packed so he was fluent, he was going to make it his mission to learn, for Sláine, and so he was able to understand what he was saying when not talking in their shared tongue. It made it easier for times like these when his prince was too tired to talk in any other language. It was sweet, if only a little annoying that he didn't understand, "Rest now, Sláine. I'm not going anywhere."

No, he wasn't going anywhere ever again. He wasn't letting the Gods get in the way of them, not letting anyone stop him from being with Sláine. Eurion moved a hand to tangle in Sláine amber curls, running his fingers through the soft locks and gently detangling the knots that he had made throughout their evening. He had no doubt that Sláine was going to more than sore when he woke, maybe even a little wobbly when it came to walking, but at least now he had properly claimed his mate and he had the marks to show for it. The other needed as much rest as he could get if he wanted to be semi-normal by morning.

Sláine furrowed his brows, then shook his head in stubborn refusal. He wasn't tired. He didn't want to be tired. "No, I'm not tired yet," he said, scooting closer so that he could snuggle up against Eurion as much as possible, even slinging a leg over one of his and hooking them together. The eyes he gave his mate were soft and perhaps even more potent than a puppy's. "I want to be with you." Not just in the sense of proximity. Even in sleep he could be with Eurion, but it wasn't with him. It wasn't being awake and able to talk to him or being aware of how they were connected. It wasn't the same. And, ever stubborn, the prince refused to get rid of the time they had to be alone together by sleeping.

Kissing Eurion's skin again, Sláine kept his eyes on his beautiful and handsome mate as he idly traced patterns over his chest. "'You are everything to me.' Missing you was…" He shook his head and laid his cheek on Eurion's chest to soak in even more of his warmth. A flicker of discourse shadowed his eyes, but it was quickly gone when he met his mate's gaze once more. "I'm sorry you were put into a position where everything was revealed… too soon, and how it went down. I know you wanted to keep it quiet, if you didn't tell me." And Sláine completely understood why. He wasn't upset with Eurion for hiding something so important, because he would've done the same thing until he had a better idea of what to do with it. But he also didn't regret being told when he did. The who could've changed, but if he hadn't known then, he wouldn't be like this now most likely.

The only thing he regretted was that both of them were thrown for a loop at the worst possible timing. Eurion had nearly died, and Sláine was in a deep-rooted panic over him dying. They could've been revealed later, when they were more comfortable in their relationship, when they both knew what they were together, when they were both ready. It should've been then, but it wasn't, and both of them were happy and using the bond to their advantage. Who knows what they could be doing if they hadn't been told. They might not even be in the same room together, because then how would Aideen have known to use Sláine to pull Eurion out of hia fear of the gods and their perverted way of portraying Sláine's magic. The prince hated that thought and tightened his full body grip on Eurion as if refusing to let it happen to them.

Gods Sláine was adorable. How could he say no to that face? With those puppy dog eyes and how he had him locked with that leg over his own, tangling them together and taking as much physical contact as he could get from Eurion. His prince may have been the one to call him adorable earlier when he had noticed that heart, but his mate was definitely far cuter than anything he would ever be. With that full body grip that he had on Eurion, how, even though it was obvious that he was tired and needed rest he was still refusing. Stubborn, and Eurion was tempted to fight him on it, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. They had just spent a perfect night together and fighting over sleep with Sláine when he was most likely going to lose, wasn't worth either of their time. He would let his prince regret it in the morning when he woke up tired and sore and realised he should have listened.

The assassin's hand didn't stop moving, even though he did take a deep breath as Sláine spoke. He didn't really want to talk about what happened, how they got to this point, but he guessed it was necessary, just a little, "You don't have to apologise, it's not your fault." And as his prince mindlessly traced the new scar on his chest, that reminder of what had happened, Eurion pressed his face into Sláine's hair and closed his eyes, "I wanted to wait until I knew for sure, but in the end, we're here now, so it doesn't matter when it came out or how. I have you, that's what matters to me." Without what had happened, they wouldn't be there, they would be in different rooms, probably still down in the crowds and pretending not to share glances or finding ways to sneak away for just a kiss. All things considered, maybe it had been a good thing. Well, maybe not good, but helpful in order to get the two to where they were now.

Eurion pressed a kiss to the top of Sláine's head when he felt that grip tighten, "I'm not going anywhere." He mumbled in response. He wasn't going to let the Gods, his own arrogance or ignorance, or Sláine stubbornness stop them from being together. Because really, it was neither his or his mates fault for what had happened. It was the Gods. For twisting his mind for so many years that he had so easily believed what he had been shown. Not again, he wasn't going to believe those things about Sláine again. Even if what he was shown was terrifying, he should know better. Should have known it was a lie. But after so many years of his mind being turned and bent, it was difficult. At least he didn't have to do it alone anymore.

"Mmm." Though he had been the one to bring it up, albeit very briefly and vaguely, Sláine nuzzled into Eurion's throat to comfort his mate, then pressed a kiss right where his pulse was beating. He was as curled up on top of Eurion as he could get with how he had positioned himself and kept inching forward, and he could comfortably slot his face right in the crook of his mate's neck and breathe him in. But, it also gave him ample opportunity to litter lazy kisses all over Eurion's neck and shoulder, dragging his nose over his skin and nuzzling into him with gentle coos and hums. Reassurance and comfort, and a silent apology for bringing up bad memories without intending to. Sláine draw a small smiley face over the scar he was tracing and heaved a sigh. They were together, and weren't going anywhere anytime soon. Because of the unplanned reveal, they could be overly affectionate in front of anyone without fear of consequence. They could have this whenever they wanted.

Goosebumps lined his skin with every movement of Eurion's hand in his hair, and the chills just kept coming. He'd never get over how soft Eurion treated him in times like this. Not when he'd also get the rough and dirty treatment any other time. The prince couldn't have found anyone better, anyone more complex and interesting, than Eurion. No one would be able to measure up to him now that he experienced what he could give and get from the man. Maybe… maybe it was too early for these sorts of feelings, feelings that he couldn't put into words just yet. And maybe it was too early to say that he wouldn't be able to live without Eurion by his side, but he felt it all the same. His mate. His everything.

Sláine smoothed his hand over Eurion's chest, idly feeling his skin and the scars littered there in mindless circles, and the action was just as self-soothing as he hoped it was comforting for the assassin. Another nudge to the man's neck with his nose as he kissed and nipped. "We're here. We're together. Just had the best sex ever. None of that matters now. I'm not going anywhere, either." And never would he. Sláine kept his vice-like body hug around Eurion and stayed snuggled into him, happy to receive all the kisses to his head. If he could help it, he was staying right there, right by his assassin's side, until the very end.

Eurion had no intention of moving away from Sláine and so the grip his mate had on him wasn't exactly necessary, but it certainly wasn't unwelcome. After being without any contact for a week, after such an event where he had needed him and wanted so desperately to talk and fix things, he wasn't about to complain. He was going to relish every kiss and hug and bite as if it were their first time doing such a thing. As if they were back in that inn and having their first kiss where he had been nervous as to whether it was even a good idea to do such a thing. But none of it mattered when he was able to have Sláine like this. Wrapped around him, holding him back just as tightly as he was able, practically on top of him as much as he was able to be, Eurion wasn't letting him go. He hoped that they would have so many more nights like this, hopefully, when they didn't have the Gods pressing down on him at all hours of the day or Aideen set on finding the bastards.

But the assassin tried his best to forget about such thoughts and focus wholly on his prince. The man that had cared for him more the first night that they had met than most people had his entire life. The care that Addie and Cara gave him was different. They were friends, good friends, yes, but they weren't his mate. They weren't the man that fate had deemed was perfect for him and had tied their souls together. Not the prince that had hugged him even though he had been sent to end his life. It was a pairing that was far from usual or normal but Eurion wouldn't have it any other way. He wasn't normal. Sláine wasn't normal. And having a 'normal' relationship didn't seem to fit them in any sense. And just as having his prince trace those patterns on his skin was soothing for them both, so was his hand in Sláine's hair. Running his fingers through the soft locks, gently pulling at the knots until he was was able to run his fingers through it without resistance. He should braid it again. Later, when they weren't exhausted.

He couldn't help but smile as Sláine spoke again. Well, at least that confirmed how he felt about the sex. It would have been a bit of a downer if he hadn't been able to make good on his promise to fuck his mate good. A worry that he wasn't going to have to think about. And the confirmation that he wasn't going to leave was always wonderful and soothing of his worries. Sláine wasn't leaving. Eurion wasn't leaving. They were okay. Better than okay, even, and that was what he wanted, "I wasn't about to let you go even if you wanted to."

The exhaustion was getting to Sláine as they laid there together, but he didn't want to sleep. Not yet. He wanted to soak up all the time he could with Eurion, even if they didn't have to hide anymore and could be affectionate as they traveled instead of waiting for an inn and privacy. This was different. This was total comfort and total vulnerability, with no other eyes or ears around them. Sláine could idly bite at Eurion's skin without causing marks, just to taste his skin and hint at the possibility he could bite harder if he wasn't so tired. He could stay hidden away and completely flush against his mate's body with no clothes between them. Anything said was just between them. They didn't have that while with the others or while traveling. The most they could do to satisfy themselves was get in as many kisses as possible, or hold hands and stay near one another. Sláine was too greedy for that. He wanted everything he could get from his mate, down to the hand in his hair petting him now that the tangles were out. He had stayed up for longer despite being bone-tired—this was nothing to him, and he had all the more reason to stay awake.

But his body had other plans, and he hated it. A deep yawn slipped past his defenses. "Good," he mumbled, then shifted slightly, wiggling around as if trying to get comfortable. The chains were pressing into his skin and it was starting to become annoying. "I'd be disappointed if you let me leave." If Sláine for some reason started pulling away again, he wanted Eurion to yank him back into his place. They weren't allowed another week of silence and nothing between them. Sláine might've been at fault during then, but it had killed him to be away from his assassin. Never again. If they ever had to be apart for any reason, it would be something they couldn't help, and they would be okay. Not unsure of the status of their relationship, not scared of where they stood with one another, okay. It would just be a brief separation, and then they could be back together once it was over.

Sláine rubbed his nose against Eurion's shoulder to scratch an itch, then wiggled some more. "Eurion, baby," he called, and turned his head to kiss the underside of his mate's jaw. "I'm comfy, and I know you like seeing me all pretty and all, but the chains." He had been barely aware of them while being fucked very good, just the slightest rattle of the metal and the slide of them over his overheated skin, but now he was overly aware of them and where they were trapped between either him and Eurion, or him and the mattress. They dug in and were cold in some spots where the heat of the two of them weren't warming the metal.

Eurion knew Sláine was tied and was hiding it, but he would continue to humour his mate for the time being. If his prince wanted to sleep he knew he would eventually pass out, or at least, Eurion could give him a stern look and he would probably do as he asked. For the time being he wouldn't. Not when Sláine was cuddly and cute and trying to get as close as he physically could which at this point was impossible since he was flat against him and had the assassin trapped. His smile couldn't help but grow. If this was pure happiness then this was how he wanted to feel all the time. He wanted the smiles and cuddles and lounging around and not having to worry about anything but his mate. It was totally different to what he was used to, completely and utterly a whole different world. But he was liking it more and more, especially with Sláine by his side.

Had he known that Sláine was his mate years ago he wouldn't have stayed so far away from his city for so long. Of course the chances of them meeting would have been slim. He was a fucking prince and Eurion was no more than scum off the street and yet somehow, perfect together. The opportunity to meet probably wouldn't have come about but he certainly would have tried. Tried for his mate. Tried for them. And definitely would not try and kill him upon meeting for the first time. But nothing could change that they hadn't met in normal circumstances. Nothing could change the fact that neither of them were far from normal, they would never have a normal life, and they would never be normal. Either way, normal or assassin and prince, fate had deemed them perfect, the Eclipse had blessed them tonight and nothing else mattered. Nothing but his prince, the man that he had in his arms fighting sleeping because he wanted to spend more time awake with him as if he wasn't going to be there in the morning.

For the first time Eurion didn't really react when it came to being called baby. He was more focused on Sláine and those chains. He couldn't help but chuckle. It was still amazing that he was chuckling and laughing and smiling so much but it was just something else that Sláine was able to do that no one else could, "C'mon, I'll take them off so they're not bothering you anymore." As much as he loved them on his prince, it was time they came off and his mate was able to relax completely. Eurion moved, unhooking Sláine's leg as he shifted so he was once again on top of him. Only this time there was nothing sexual in his movements. He was gentle and soft as he manouvered around Sláine as he took the chains off, shifting the quilt around them so he could remove the ones around his waist and legs until he had them all in a pile in his hand. Once they were completely gone, he tossed them to one side - omething else he could deal with in the morning - and settled back down into Sláine's side.

Sláine offered Eurion a sleepy little smile when he heard the man chuckle, just a little sheepish that they had been comfortable and he was bothering them with the chains. But, he didn't regret it too much when he had Eurion on top of him again, even if it wasn't sexual. Having that weight over him, the knowledge that the man could manhandle him, pin him down, and overpower him, would never stop sending thrills through him. With Eurion, he could be completely submissive, completely needy and selfish, and not worry about needing to be that independent prince people often expect from him, responsible for the both of them. Eurion was more than willing to be that person. In fact, Sláine had a feeling that if he tried to do anything of the sort that the assassin typically did, he'd get a tongue lashing and some sort of punishment just as he did when he had been a bit of a brat at the beginning.

But, even still, he lifted himself up and helped with the process of getting the chains off as Eurion worked. He loved the feeling of the man's hands on him, how gentle he was and the soft feeling of his fingers brushing over his skin. Sláine was blinking slow, the tiredness catching up at a disappointingly rapid pace, as he watched the assassin work, and his grateful smile was still sleepy. But none of that stopped him from instantly rolling back into Eurion's side when he moved back where he belonged.

The prince snuggled up to Eurion and repositioned himself to where he had been before, but his grip wasn't quite as tight. "Thank you, baby," he mumbled into Eurion's neck, right as his eyes slipped shut. He couldn't keep them open anymore. Now that the annoyance of the metal was gone, he had no other excuse keeping him awake besides his own stubbornness. Still, he refused to completely fall asleep, even if his eyes were closed and his limbs were getting heavy. "M'happy. With you. Us. M'glad I'm your mate." Even if he didn't completely understand the entirety of the concept, and he'd have to ask later, Sláine was happy. Eurion was perfect for him, took care of him, and fulfilled everything Sláine could ever want in a person and then some. A large part of him wished that they had met long ago so he could've experienced this level of happiness—something that he hadn't realized was so foreign to him—when he was younger. Logic said that it would've put Eurion in danger, but his heart wanted the fantasy all the same. Finding a person that matched him had once been an impossible task, but now that he had Eurion, his beloved assassin, he didn't have to worry about it anymore. They were mates, fated perfects. The impossible had become more than possible.

With Sláine next to him again, Eurion once more was able to relax into the soft mattress and focus all his attention on the man lying beside him. He really was just too perfect. If all of this was just another cruel dream that the Gods were playing on him then he didn't want it to end. As much as it would hurt like hell if he was to eventually wake up from the beautiful bubble that the two of them had once more, Eurion wanted to stay here for as long as he could. With Sláine curled against him, with no barriers stopping them from being skin to skin and touching and just being. Never before had he had the opportunity to be with someone who complimented him so well, and never had he wanted to stay with that person for longer than a night. Well, maybe not never, but it had been a damned long time since he had wanted to be this way with someone that the feeling was just as foreign as it had been the first time around. The assassin wasn't going to complain, however, because he was happy and this was good and he didn't want it to end.

Eurion couldn't help but let his smile grow as he listened to Sláine mumble against him. It was more than obvious that his mate was tired and he had humoured him enough that it was time to maybe be a little firm with the man for the sake of resting, "I'm happy with you, with us, too, Sláine," He pressed a kiss to the side of his prince's head, and let the arm that was wrapped around his side draw lazy lines up and down in an attempt soothe and help the man to sleep, "But it's time to sleep, now, my darling. We have another big day tomorrow, and we both need to rest." It had been a long, emotionally and physically exhausting day. From going from not having any contact with his mate to being like this with him now, even Eurion was fucking tired. Things were a lot less complicated when he didn't have a mate to worry about, but he wasn't about to have it any other way.

And tomorrow… tomorrow they would have to go back to reality. As much as they had come for Skyfall, they did have other pressing matters to get to work on. Such as getting into the royal libraries, and finding out more about the Marker Stones and what they meant. Reality would always come crashing down on them no matter how happy and good things were, Eurion knew. But at least this time, he didn't have to worry about hiding his affection for Sláine. He also didn't have to worry about trying to fix things between them because he wasn't letting them separate like that again. No matter what happened tomorrow, they would be okay.

Sláine groaned in protest, denying his own tiredness despite the fact that he couldn't open his eyes now that they were closed. But, he couldn't say no to Eurion when he was being firm with him like that, even just a gentle firmness. He was being told to go to sleep, so he had to. Sláine nuzzled into Eurion and pressed a sleepy kiss where he could reach without moving, too exhausted to even sit up to properly kiss him goodnight, then let out a long sigh as his body slumped and went completely limp and boneless. "I want morning sex," he managed to mumble, a smile twisting his lips against his mate's skin, then he curled an arm around Eurion and let out a sleepy little grunt as he quickly tumbled into unconsciousness, the exhaustion finally pulling him in. "Goodnight, baby. Tha gaol agam ort."

They had tomorrow. They had the rest of their lives. Sláine refused to let anything happen to either one of them that would cut their time short. He would make a deal with the Middle, outside of his blood bound deal his family made eons ago, if that meant he could keep his life with Eurion until the very end. Anything it wanted, he would give. But he hoped it wouldn't come to that and that they'd be okay. The Gods would break their chains on Eurion, and they could live in peace together, learn to live with their lives bound and how to navigate being domestic. It would be different from exploring their relationship while on the move. They'd have to find a place they wanted to stay together. If that place was Sláine's home, then he could open up his quarters for Eurion to live with him, let him make any changes he wanted that would make him feel more comfortable. If it was somewhere else, if his assassin didn't feel comfortable living in the palace, then they could find a place for just the two of them.

It didn't matter that it was all far off in the future, a future that neither one of them were guaranteed until the Gods were out of the picture. Sláine didn't care what Aideen wanted with them, he was making it his personal mission to free his mate from them. If that meant killing them once and for all, then he would. The High Witches were revered as modern gods with their power—an old branch vampires existed from the hand of a Witch, nature's biggest storms hailed from a tiny bundle of feathers up on unreachable mountain tops, the dead rose alongside plants and sold gold eyes that traveled with a band of pirates. They were great, and powerful, and unlike the Gods in every way. The cruel were punished by their own kind, and no one dared be caught pushing their power over others unfairly. If Sláine had to add God-Killer to his roster, then so be it.

Eurion deserved happiness. They deserved happiness. So Sláine dreamed of their future, of what they could create together, and sunk into the warm embrace of his mate.

Eurion didn't even have time to comment on Sláine's request for morning sex because his man was already out within moments of the words leaving his mouth. This time his cheeks did dust a soft pink at the pet name, just as they usually did whenever his prince called him that, but at least the other wasn't awake to see or comment on it this time around, "Goodnight, darling." Once again he didn't know what Sláine said in his native tongue, maybe he would ask in the morning but he figured that he wouldn't even remember if he asked about it. Whatever, it didn't matter. He was just as tired and it was about time for him to get some rest. Eurion pressed a kiss to the top of Sláine's head and settled down, letting his head lull to one side and his eyes close. Everything was better with his mate next to him, and soon he was drifting off to sleep just as quickly. Although his sleep was less than peaceful.

One moment, Eurion was lost in the unconscious world where no dreams plagued his mind. The next he was standing on that stupid white platform. Usually, the realm that the Gods resided in was white, clean, and pristine with only their looming presence over him and whatever else they conjured up around him. But not this time. This time the platform was white but everything else was darkening around Eurion. It wasn't the brightness he was used to when he got taken to their realm, the world around him was grey, bordering on turning darker and darker as every passing moment went by. And Eurion wasn't going to lie to himself. His nerves were a lot more intense than they usually were whenever he was taken here. The only good thing that he didn't have to worry about was the fact that he at least had some pants on, showing up naked in front of the Gods wasn't going to make this easier.

The assassin shifted on his feet, memories of the last time he was here rushing through his mind. Last time he had them invade his mind drastically and tried to turn him against Sláine. Last time he had believed what he had seen. He wasn't going to let it happen again. Everything would be taken with a grain of salt when it came to his mate. He just hoped they wouldn't do anything else.

"Eurion," The voice came booming into his mind and startled the assassin that he physically jumped, twisting on the spot as he tried to find where the voice came from. It had been Xirus' voice, but the God wasn't anywhere near, "You continue to fail me, fail us Eurion. The princes should have been dead by your hand by now, and yet you find yourself in bed with one of them? Don't forget who you ultimately belong to, young assassin." That was when Xirus showed their face, along with Ezekt. Drea was nowhere to be seen, probably off with the other Gods that resided in their realm. But the God of Death only had a wolfish, sadistic grin on his face as he moved from his place in the sky down to the assassin.

"Did we not convince you last time that they are not to be trusted?" He said, and with a flick of his hand, those invisible chains that they kept on him appeared. Eurion, although he tried to keep his expression neutral, only faded into worry as he watched those shackles appear. Those golden lightening chains, ones around his ankles, ones around his wrists, and one around his neck.

Sláine slept soundly through the night cuddled up with Eurion, the dreams he had fading from his memory as soon as they were over. He didn't have any reason to wake up, nothing to stir him from his sleep. But, as if he had a sixth sense for his mate and his state of mind, the prince found himself groggily waking up at some unknown hour without a clue as to what had woken him. Sláine buried his face into Eurion's chest, where he had ended up curled up against on his side with Eurion surrounding him, and tried to go back to sleep. It didn't work, though, and he reluctantly opened his eyes to orient himself and figure out what was going on that was keeping him up. Nothing immediately stuck out to him, nothing about himself felt off, nor did the room around them when he checked his general awareness. And Eurion—Eurion felt off.

The prince pulled away from his mate, eyes squinted in suspicion even when he couldn't find anything that was out of the ordinary. But there was something bothering him enough that it had woken him up and pointed towards his mate. Nothing happened, nothing struck him, but still he watched. It almost felt like an eternity had passed as he didn't take his eyes off of the sleeping assassin, and just when he decided to call it quits and chalk it up to some sort of bad dream, that's when he saw it. The cloud. It was uncomfortably familiar, and the cold of realization settled into his bones when it registered. The Gods were back, and they were haunting Eurion once more. Of course. Of fucking course they showed up just when they had a peaceful and happy moment. They couldn't leave them alone for even a day.

Sláine didn't know what to do. The last time he had intervened, it ended horribly. Eurion was doomed to be plagued by them, and Sláine was doomed to watch him suffer every time. Gently, the prince pushed Eurion onto his back and slid into his lap, palms on his chest and trying to emit as much comfort and familiarity that he could to help his mate as he dealt with the Gods in the other realm. Around him, the room warped, changing and reflecting a room that was painfully familiar. He had only been to the Gods' realm once, but it was seared into his mind already. Their power was growing. And those chains, as the ghost of them wrapped around Eurion from beneath Sláine, it pained him to watch as it happened and he couldn't do anything. He couldn't risk it. All he could do was rest his head on Eurion's chest and whisper prayers to the Middle that he could be okay. Protected.

Eurion knew struggling against those chains was a bad idea. They had always been strong regardless of the power the Gods held but it seemed that with their growing strength, so were the chains. They didn't usually hurt, they were always just there, existing, an invisible weight that Eurion could always feel to some capacity even if he couldn't see them all the time. The Gods tugged on them whenever he needed to remain in line, or brought them out in their realm when he needed the reminder that they were very much real and very much still there. But they had never been present in Eurion's own realm before now. Not that the assassin was aware that they were, but he could tell that there was something different about their hold on him. As he looked down at the chains he tugged his wrist, just to see, and a spark of pain ran up his arm that had him hissing. Not unbearable, but uncomfortable enough that he had no doubt it would only get worse the more he struggled.

"I'm not falling for that," He ground out, only able to twist his head a little to keep his eyes trained on Ezekt as he moved. But the God was soon out of his vision as he floated behind him, and Eurion could only wait and watch Xirus instead, "Sláine isn't- Caoimhe- they're not like you." Because as much as he was scared of the power that they wielded and how it could so easily be turned against him, they wouldn't do so. Sláine wouldn't do so. His mate wasn't like them.*

Ezekt chuckled behind him and soon he could seen the ghostly claws of the God over his head, hovering just above but Eurion was quick to shut his mouth when he felt the God's hand there. His head tilted back with the movement, and it strained his neck in order to have him craning up at the God behind him. One moment he was able to see the God, and could just about see Xirus, too, and the next his vision was shrouded in darkness. He could only feel their presence, feel those damned claws of Death, and those fucking chains around him, "If you're unable to kill them," Ezekt mused, and Eurion felt his body twitch and his mind turning to visions that were far from pleasant, "We'll find another way. But you will find out old Marker Stones. Find them, or the death of your mate will be the least of your worries." And then his body and his mind were twisting and the pain that came with the movement had him whimpering, only made worse with the fact that he couldn't see anything but those visions Ezekt was giving him, how everything else was dark, and each twist of his body had those chains tightening.

In his own realm, those chains on Eurion's body grew more prominent and clear. They weren't solid, but they were becoming close to it, and there was now a dark cloud obscuring his face from view, contrasting that of the chains. At first, there was no movement, no sound from the assassin, but then he was twitching as if trying to get away but failing. With every move it sent pain shooting through him in both realities, that he couldn't stop the soft cries that escaped him in both.

Sláine stayed huddled up on top of his mate, whispering prayers and pleas to anyone that would listen that the Gods wouldn't harm Eurion. He knew it was a long shot and ultimately worthless, because the Gods just had such a strong hold over him after so many years having him as their puppet. Sláine wished he could've been there with his mate when the Gods had initially reached out to him—maybe he could've convinced him to not do it. Maybe he could've been enough to keep Eurion away from the life that would've trapped him to power-hungry beings and now chained in their realm.

As he whispered in his native tongue and resisted the urge to storm the Gods' realm yet again, he could feel the room shifting again and again. In one moment, it felt familiar and normal—the next, it felt eerily like the Gods and where they resided. He didn't need to see it to know. Sláine leaned back when he felt the brush of corporeal chains, and his heart only broke even more when those chains became more prominent. Eurion didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to be quite literally shackled to selfish creatures who couldn't do anything but torture and taunt. And the prince couldn't even see his mate's face anymore. The dark shadow veiled it all, even when he cupped Eurion's face in his hands and leaned over him with a soft plea to wake up, to fight it. Hearing him letting out soft cries of pain only made it worse for him.

That's when he lost his self-control. Eurion was in pain. He was hurting, and because of the Gods. Sláine rolled off of Eurion and marched towards his discarded bag to pull on the quickest clothes he could grab, which ended up being just a pair of loose pants and a baggy shirt. Then he rifled through his things to grab any sort of weapon that would give him more peace of mind, not that he believed it would do much of anything that his magic already couldn't do. Half-assed dressed and armed, the prince muttered to himself all sorts of curses and promises to himself that he would free Eurion one way or another. The Gods would pay. This was on them for bringing his attention and rage in their direction through his mate, because had they not been a danger to Eurion, he wouldn't have cared about them at all.

Eurion was on his knees and he was pleading for them to stop. He guessed he should be grateful that it wasn't worse than it was, that it wasn't like last time when Sláine had been there and everything had been utterly terrible. The fact that he was grateful that it wasn't worse than the torture that he was already going through spoke wonders of the hold the Gods had on him. His mind was clouded by visions of his family, of the deaths he believed he caused, and twisting images of his friends. At least there were none of Sláine this time. But the Gods knew where else to hit the assassin and they didn't let up. The longer they went on the weaker his mind became, the more susceptible he was to their hold as if he wasn't already. Whatever happiness that he had had from being with Sláine before was gone now, and the space was filled with nothing but pain and soft cries for it to stop.

It felt like an eternity that he was in that state, but the visions stopped and he could see again. Eurion could feel the tears on his cheeks but couldn't remember when he had started crying. He didn't dare lift his gaze from where it was lowered to the ground under him, didn't lift his head from how it was bowed, didn't even dare to move and wipe at his face. Just stayed there, motionless, like the obedient servant he was supposed to be, "Remember who you belong to, Eurion," Xirus' voice was stern, level and sounded calm, he could tell he was pissed, "Defy us again and you'll be here for longer than you wish."

Eurion finally lifted his gaze up to the faceless God and nodded, "Yes, Master." Ezekt moved from where he was behind the assassin back up to Xirus. He didn't speak, and Eurion was silently grateful once more that he didn't have to hear the God speak into his mind again. It was grating and overwhelming and he had had enough of listening to them both for the time being. And then he was being sent back to his reality.

When his mind returned to his body Eurion shot up with a cry. His heart was beating far too fast, breathing heavy and shaky and his face was tear-stained. So, he had been crying in this reality, too. His eyes were wide but distant, not unlike that of the first time Sláine had been there to witness these events. Even though the chains were gone there were what looked to be black veins left along the skin where the chains had been.

Sláine was just turning to march into the realm, storm the Gods' torture chamber, when that cloud and the chains dissipated. In a single blink, Eurion was shooting up in the bed with a cry, face tear-stained and chest heaving with each shaky breath. In the place of the chains were black veins. The moment that Sláine's mind caught up to what he was seeing, he dropped everything and rushed to his mate's side, barely registering how he jumped up onto the bed to get to Eurion as quickly as possible. One moment, he had been ready to fight the Gods again. The next, he was in Eurion's lap with his hands on his face and softly calling his name.

"Eurion, I'm here, baby, I'm right here." Sláine wiped away the tears on his cheeks, and kept wiping away each tear that fell afterwards. Somehow, this was better and worse than the last times he had seen his mate after a visit from the Gods. Better, because at least he wasn't utterly terrified of Sláine. But worse, because it was nearly like the first time when they had met, and this time the prince knew what was going on and cared a lot more about the assassin in his arms than he had the first time around. It was worse because he could tell that the Gods had done or shown him something that was horrific and only added onto the trauma that his acushla bore on his soul. Every visit marked yet another stain, another blackened burden, and it was only a matter of time until he was nothing more than what the Gods put him through. The Eurion he knew and cared about would be gone if they kept going.

And Sláine could be angry at them all he wanted, could let his fury rise up like he had last time, but it would do him no good. It would do Eurion no good. His mate needed him more than his anger needed an outlet, and the prince had a very solid hold on what his priorities were. Sláine nuzzled their noses together and kept whispering to Eurion, gentle reminders that he was there for him, that they were gone now, and he was okay. Not completely, but he was okay for now, out of their realm and in Sláine's arms. The prince would do anything to keep him safe and protected and calm.

"Tha na h-uilebheistean air falbh." Sláine tried keeping his voice level and calm, but it threatened to crack with every word whispered to Eurion. He was hurting, crying, and Sláine couldn't do anything to help. He had to fight the urge to break down so that Eurion had someone to lean on.

Eurion couldn't focus. His mind was a mess of visions and what he believed to be memories even though they were fabrications of truths that the Gods had shown him. He couldn't make out where he was for a good moment, nor did he really care where he was, to begin with. Those dark eyes darted around the room and tried to fixate on something that would allow him to understand where he was and that was when he saw Sláine. Even though he didn't really process that it was his mate who was at first standing at the foot of the bed, and then moments later in his lap with his hands on his face, he could feel the warmth that radiated from his prince instantly. It counteracted just how cold he really was. How those black veins seemed to have a mind of their own as he felt them trickle up and through him, in his ankles and wrists and neck. They seemed to fade after a moment, not as dark and prominent, but still noticeably there.

Distantly, he heard Sláine speak. Distantly, he was aware he was back in his own body once more. There was a bed under him and around him, his hands were firm on the mattress. There were sheets piled around his lap from where he had sat up. Present. He wasn't there. He was back, his mind was back in his body. He wasn't there, with them, it was okay. Well, it wasn't okay, and he was far from okay.

Eurion could feel the tears falling one by one down his cheeks. They didn't stop, even if he didn't register that was crying, just as he knew Sláine was wiping them away but they just kept falling. The assassin was still, as if he were to move then Sláine would disappear and he would be back in that realm with them once more. But his prince was on his lap. He was there. But his eyes were distant as they focused on Sláine's face. That was when he registered that he was dressed. His bag had moved and Sláine had clothes on and- had he been leaving?

"S-Sláine?" Eurion's voice was small and broken, "You- were- you- leaving?" Had he finally realised that being with him was too much? That dealing with the Gods and him wasn't something that he wanted? Was he going to reject their bond and leave him alone? The thought only made him break down even more, tears welling in his eyes faster than they could properly fall.

Sláine nearly cracked. Eurion's voice was so small, so broken, and the tears welling in his eyes were falling too fast for the prince to wipe them all away. They soaked his hands and fingers, stained his skin with salty fear. It nearly outwardly broke him, too. On the inside, his rage was on a warpath, but his grief and hurt at seeing Eurion so small and so in pain was an overwhelming tsunami within him. His own eyes grew glossy with unshed tears, a mirror to the assassin in front of him, and Sláine hid that from him by burying his face in the crook of his neck and wrapping his arms around his mate in a crushing hug. He couldn't let Eurion see him breaking too. He couldn't make it worse.

He cursed the rolling salt and sadness that stained his face.

Though his voice was muffled enough to hide most of his raging emotions, it wobbled ever so slightly even when he was firm and unwavering with his answer. "No, never. I'm never leaving you, Eurion, okay? I'm right here, now and always. I was just going to protect you." Sláine kissed Eurion's shoulder and squeezed his eyes shut. He needed to take a moment to collect himself, take in a deep breath and focus on staying calm. A pillar. A steady, unmoving pillar. Rocks didn't cry. But, despite his best efforts, his voice still cracked for a moment and he hugged Eurion tighter. "I was going to be right at your side, like I promised you. I'm still here."

Fuck. He shouldn't have even left the bed. Fighting the Gods had been a stupid mistake before that had nearly cost them their relationship and only hurt Eurion even more. Why had he expected anything to be different? He should've just stayed where he was, stayed curled up with his mate to make sure he woke up safe and protected and without any additional fears or worries. Sláine was just fucking up everything. Eurion didn't deserve that, the hotheaded streak that cost them too much already. He deserved someone that knew to stay put, to stay with him, and could be an anchor from the start without adding on any additional stress or harm. If Eurion hadn't woken up, there's no telling what could've happened to him when Sláine joined them. Luck had kept them from that disaster, but his own actions had inevitably sent his mate, the man he always wanted to keep happy, in a tumbling spiral. Him. Just because he didn't know restraint or patience.

Eurion whimpered. He fucking whimpered and then he was sobbing and he couldn't contain it or stop it. His own arms wrapped around his prince now that he was semi-aware of what was happening he was able to do so. His prince was there, with him, sitting in his lap with his face in his neck and was holding him, telling him that he wasn't going anywhere. Logically, he knew that was true. In the back of his mind, he knew that Sláine wasn't going anywhere but logic had no place in his brain right now. Logic didn't care for how he felt, and the Gods certainly didn't care, either.

His arms were tight around Sláine as he broke down completely. The first time when it had been just them, he had been unable to let out how he really felt and was able to mask it by turning himself into a wall of distance, unfeeling emotion and focusing on the book that he had asked Sláine to find. But now that he was here with him, that they were close and together, he was able to let himself go. It was what he did every time these things happened, at least, in most cases. When he was alone it was easy to let go and cry and break down because no one was around to see him or hold him. There were a few times when Adelphia and Cara had been around and they had comforted Eurion through the pain just as Sláine was doing now, but most of the time? No one. Just him, alone, in the dark of an inn or under a tree somewhere he had to deal with his emotions on his own. And by 'deal with' usually he simply cried or screamed until he exhausted himself and fell asleep.

But a part of him still couldn't quite believe what his prince was saying was true. Did Sláine really want to stay and deal with this? Eurion didn't know how long he would be under the grasp and chains of the Gods, it could be the rest of his life for all he knew and by the end of it would he even be anywhere close to the man that he was now? Eurion knew he could be nothing more than a shell. Hollow and broken, just as he felt now, and that wasn't anything for a partner. He couldn't be a good mate to Sláine, be the man he deserved, if he was forever trapped with the Gods and dealt with this every week, he couldn't be the man that he should be. Eurion felt himself breaking even more at the thoughts, and it only got worse when he got another glimpse of that blackness on his skin.

Eurion was crying. No, sobbing. Sláine had never seen him like before, not like this. The closest had been when he had been on the verge of death, and those sobs had been mixed with screams of pain. This was pure terror and pain-riddled tears. Cries for comfort and to make it all go away. Sláine shifted, adjusting his position on Eurion's lap until he was as flush against him as he could get, legs pressed tight against his hips to the point that he nearly had himself completely wrapped around the man. If Sláine were to move from his straddle and stretch his legs out, he would be able to wrap them around Eurion. Maybe if he felt like his mate needed it, he would do that. Anything to convince him that the prince was there and wouldn't leave. Never.

Though he hated the Gods and how they treated his kind and precious assassin, he would never fault Eurion for it. He wasn't what the Gods did to him. It would be not only cruel, but horrifying to even consider thinking that Eurion wasn't worth staying for because of this. At most, Sláine took issue with it because it was hurting him. It was hurting his mate, the man he swore himself to, and he could do nothing about it. Not yet, at least. It hurt him to see Eurion in so much pain and consumed by so much fear that he broke down with every visit from the Gods, but he could only imagine how much the man himself hurt to be the one experiencing it, to fear the worst of everything because of his cruel and hateful patrons. Sláine tightened his hug around the assassin, practically crushing him into his chest, like he could imprint every ounce of affection and care and warmth he possessed into Eurion's soul. The bone between the cried with Eurion's tears and tore through the prince's heart with every beat of his pulse. He wanted to counter that as much as possible, even if he didn't know if it really would be possible.

It didn't matter what it took. If he could untie Eurion from the Gods and free him from this eternal torture, then Sláine would. He'd go to the ends of the universe to find the one thing he needed to break the chains. If Eurion decided that he didn't want the prince with him anymore, didn't want to have one more thing to worry about when he was dealing with literal Gods that threatened everything he loved, then that was okay. It would crush him, but Sláine would continue to fight for him regardless. He deserved that much, no matter what he thought. Eurion shouldn't have to suffer.

Sláine buried his fingers into Eurion's hair and held him tight, like he was mimicking a boa constrictor. "I'm right here, baby. I'm staying right here. They're not here anymore." And, without alerting Eurion of what he was doing, he let his magic slither all around the room, mingling with the soundproof shield that had stayed up while they slept. It didn't do anything but reinforce that shield, locking in protective layers to make sure that the Gods' influence didn't reach them. Not again. Eurion didn't need that. Sláine knew that he couldn't do that all the time, and that it may not even do anything, but it was a comfort that he wanted to have right now. "It's just us. You and me."