Shortly after midnight, Noctis reached Isaac's apartment.
He had heard nothing from Isaac, and the news had revealed nothing either. At least that told him Isaac had not been captured. However, it said nothing about the condition he was in. The cops certainly wouldn't suddenly stop shooting once they had started, and Noctis worried Isaac had been hit by another bullet.
He hated it when Isaac was injured. He loved his pure white skin, which had shown no scar until he had been shot. It was the only flaw Isaac had — and then it had been that damn cop who had left his mark on Isaac's body.
Just thinking about the cop made the anger rise again.
That bastard had no right even to look at Isaac. He belonged to Noctis, body and soul. No one but him was allowed to touch Isaac. Only he was allowed to love and defile him. He was the only one permitted to mark him, in whatever way.
Unfortunately, over the past week he had barely found time to finally deal with that annoying cop. Even with an injury that partially limited him, the boss kept sending him out to kill people, and that wasn't the only task on his endlessly long to-do list.
The boss apparently intended to work him to death.
At the moment it looked like he had too much work and too little sleep.
He opened the door with his secret spare key and quietly entered the apartment.
The apartment lay in complete darkness before him. Puzzled, Noctis closed the door behind him. Had Isaac not returned yet? That was quite unusual, considering when the raid had taken place and how late it was by now. Normally he finished the raid quickly, and he never wasted unnecessary time with the boss either. He should actually be home. Noctis worried about Isaac — during the last raid he had suffered the gunshot wound, and it had even become infected. What if this time he had been hurt even worse?
Noctis entered the living room. He looked around and listened into the silence. It was pitch-black everywhere. Just as he decided to sit down on the couch, he heard the faint sound of Isaac's shower.
So he is home after all, he thought in relief. But why is everything dark?
Noctis looked at the bathroom door and wondered whether he should simply go in. Isaac would be startled either way — whether he surprised him in the shower or in the dark living room. However, the light in the bathroom was off as well.
Who showers in complete darkness?
Something was wrong. Noctis had entered Isaac's apartment uninvited so often that he knew pretty much all of his habits. Something had definitely happened. The water was turned off, and shortly afterward he heard Isaac groan in pain, followed by an indistinct curse and a thump.
Without hesitation, he hurried to the bathroom.
Half expecting to find a bloodbath, he opened the door.
"Isaac? Is everything okay?" he asked worriedly.
"Noctis?" he asked in a hoarse voice that didn't sound like Isaac at all. A small coughing fit followed before he continued. "What are you doing here?"
"Damn it, what happened to your voice? And why the hell is your entire apartment dark?" He felt along the wall for the light switch. "Where's the damn switch?"
"Don't turn on the light!" Isaac called hastily. Another cough.
Noctis froze mid-motion and forced himself not to flood the bathroom with light.
"Don't tell me you carried out the raid while sick," Noctis said, concerned, stepping closer to Isaac.
"I'm not sick," Isaac replied. He sounded exhausted.
"Did the cop get you?"
Noctis grabbed his phone and set the background to maximum brightness.
"You could say that."
The light dimly illuminated the bathroom. But Isaac glowed as if a spotlight were on him. He sat naked on the floor, leaning against the shower; one leg stretched out, the other bent, one hand shielding his eyes and covering half his face.
At first glance he could see no blood. A relieved sigh escaped Noctis as he knelt beside Isaac. However, the light wasn't bright enough to really tell what injuries he had.
"Do you need help?"
Isaac shook his head but made no move to dry himself. Water ran down his bare body and formed a puddle beneath him. Without hesitation, Noctis grabbed a towel and began drying Isaac. He placed his phone on the floor beside him.
"I can do that myself," Isaac muttered tiredly.
He groaned as Noctis dried his arms, yet made no attempt to do it himself. Isaac clenched his teeth while Noctis continued. The bathroom was silent; neither of them said a word.
Noctis had never seen Isaac like this. Grumpy and irritated, yes. He had coaxed so many emotions out of the former ice block named Isaac Walker — but never like this. Whatever state Isaac was in now, he struggled to describe it.
Only after Isaac, with effort, had at least put on his underwear did he lean against Noctis. He buried his face in his shoulder.
Gently, Noctis brushed a wet strand from his face, then wrapped his arms around him and pulled him a little closer. This might have been the first time Isaac had sought his closeness on his own. Noctis rested his head against Isaac's and stroked his bare, cool, damp back.
Nothing had ever felt more right than this moment.
"What happened?"
No answer.
"Isaac?"
"I screwed up," Isaac replied quietly.
"What did you screw up?"
"Everything. Damn it, everything."
That was why he was so withdrawn. Noctis thought for a moment about when Isaac had ever messed anything up — but there was nothing. Isaac had always been Mr. Perfect. In all his time with him, Noctis had never witnessed a single mistake. Perhaps at the very beginning with the boss, but he had adapted to his new environment very quickly.
"How about you put something on and then just tell me everything?" Noctis suggested.
"That'd be the first time you wanted me to get dressed instead of undressing," Isaac snorted. His breath tickled Noctis's neck.
"You can stay naked if you want," Noctis replied dryly. "I'll distract you for a while and you can tell me everything in an hour."
"Not in the mood," Isaac said tiredly. "Getting dressed does sound good though — the floor's getting cold."
"Shame," Noctis grinned.
"Idiot…" Isaac muttered.
But he didn't sound as embarrassed as he usually did. He just sounded endlessly tired. This was not the Isaac he knew. Not at all. The raid must have gone very badly.
"Where are your clothes?" Noctis asked as he helped Isaac up.
"Bedroom. Ugh…!"
Isaac dug his fingers into Noctis's shoulder and let out a pained sound as he stood. Noctis wrapped an arm around his lover's slim, muscular waist and in that same second considered simply carrying him. Isaac tried to find steady footing, with limited success. He breathed heavily, his hand gripping Noctis's arm. He didn't seem able to put real weight on one of his legs.
Noctis pressed his lips together and forced himself to get Isaac to the bedroom before looking at him properly. He gathered all his willpower not to do it here in the bathroom.
Whether you want it or not, I'm definitely turning on the light in a moment and taking a close look at what that damn cop did to you, he thought grimly.
Isaac was hanging off him with his full body weight. Noctis's patience was hanging by a thread. It was taking too long. He wanted answers and to find out what that stupid cop had done.
Noctis had never been blessed with patience, and today certainly wouldn't be the first day he magically gained it.
Without further hesitation he grabbed Isaac and lifted him into his arms.
"Hey!" Isaac complained.
"Hold on."
Isaac didn't protest further. His arms reflexively tightened around him.
He went straight to Isaac's bedroom and laid him onto the bed.
"Damn it, be a bit more careful!" Isaac scolded breathlessly.
"I'm turning on the light now," Noctis said.
Before Isaac could react, the switch clicked.
"Wait!" Isaac called, but Noctis's patience was gone; he turned on the light and saw Isaac quickly raise his arms to cover his face.
At least now he saw the reason for Isaac's pain. His skin was covered in bruises and abrasions. His right shin was swollen, blood clinging to it and discolored so darkly it contrasted sharply with Isaac's pale skin. The same went for his ribs, his forearms, and the little finger of his left hand.
Noctis absorbed every detail.
"Are you still there, Noctis?" Isaac asked quietly. "I look awful, don't I?"
He pressed his lips together; only now did he notice the swelling and blood at the corner of Isaac's mouth. Noctis clenched his hand into a fist, his fingernails pressing into his palm.
How dare he damage what belongs to me?!
"Noctis?" Isaac asked again, sounding uncertain.
Without a word, Noctis went to Isaac and sat on the edge of the bed. If his body already looked like this… what did his face look like?
"Show me your face."
"I look terrible."
"You don't look terrible," Noctis contradicted, even while mentally running through every possible way of killing the cop.
He leaned forward and kissed the hand Isaac held in front of his face. Then he took it into his own and gently pulled it away. Isaac hesitated and only reluctantly allowed his hand to be guided.
"Besides, you could never look bad. You're the most beautiful man I know."
"Oh yeah? I look more grotesque than ever…" Isaac said quietly. He gave up any resistance and sighed. "Then look closely."
Noctis pulled Isaac's hand completely away and paused when he finally saw his face. He had a bloody, clearly swollen lip, but that wasn't what caught his attention. It was Isaac's eyes — now completely red and bloodshot.
Not just the eyes themselves, but the skin around them as well. He looked as though he had cried all day. Yet the skin seemed irritated rather than simply swollen from tears. Noctis couldn't imagine Isaac crying over a failed job.
He had never seen Isaac cry.
"Say something," Isaac said.
Noctis remained silent.
Isaac laughed softly and immediately winced as the wound on his lip stretched. "Now I finally look like the freak I am."
"Stop. You're not a freak. You never were," Noctis replied gently.
Even one-armed and with green skin, Noctis would still love him.
He would have preferred nothing more than to hunt the cop down immediately, but instead he bent down and pulled Isaac's first-aid kit out from under the bed. He began cleaning the wounds and wiping away the small traces of blood Isaac had missed while showering.
"How did this happen? I can see you fought, but what did he do to your face?"
"Tear gas," Isaac answered.
Noctis paused.
"What?"
"They set a trap that triggered when I tried to steal the painting. Honestly, I don't know how I got out of there half blind," Isaac explained. "Are the contact lenses still in? I still can't really see anything and can't take them out myself."
Noctis set the cloth aside and examined Isaac's eyes. He could only find one and carefully removed it. Isaac exhaled in relief.
"Finally that scratching is gone."
Noctis grabbed a bandage and continued tending to his wounds.
"And what happened then?"
"I stole the painting, fought my way through, got beaten up, and eventually got away."
"If you managed to steal the painting, why are you so down?"
Isaac pressed his lips together.
"Because it's too badly damaged. It broke because I wasn't careful!" he growled angrily. "I disappointed the boss, the client won't buy it, and everything was for absolutely nothing!"
Ah, of course — it's because of the boss.
"It won't be that bad…" Noctis began.
Isaac suddenly sat upright. He grabbed Noctis by the shoulders, and the desperation on his face made Noctis stop mid-sentence.
"You have no idea!" Isaac snapped. "He hates me! I failed my job even though the deal was so important!"
"Isaac, it's just a job. Sometimes things go wrong."
But Isaac didn't listen. Agitated, he ran a hand through his hair.
"If only I'd been more careful, or better at what I do, the painting wouldn't be completely destroyed!" Isaac continued in panic. "Damn it, what am I supposed to do?!"
He was utterly desperate. Just because he had failed once? That was an extreme reaction — even for a perfectionist.
"Isaac, this isn't like you," Noctis said gently. "So it went wrong — and? Those money-hungry bastards will soon find something else to make them happy. The boss isn't worth you tearing yourself apart over this. That bastard only cares about money and power!"
Isaac slapped his hand away and glared at him.
"Don't you dare insult him!" Isaac snapped.
"Then stop putting him on a damn pedestal!" Noctis shot back, irritated. "The boss isn't worth you shaping your whole life around him! Loyalty is fine, but stop worshipping him like a god!"
All at once Isaac looked hurt.
"He is worth it…" he said quietly. "He was there when no one else was. Without him I would have died back then, and without him I could never have built a proper life. You know exactly how I was taken into the clan."
Noctis's jaw tightened.
The boss might have taken him into the clan, but Noctis had been the one always watching over Isaac. He had been there for him, protected him, saved him more than once, and kept trouble away from him.
"A proper life?!" Noctis snapped at him. "This is not a proper life — you constantly put yourself in danger, and lately I keep worrying whether you'll come back alive from your raids!"
"You put yourself in danger too! Or did I imagine the cut wound?!"
Annoyed, Noctis stood up. Normally he would have enjoyed Isaac's concern, but Isaac was clearly trying to change the subject — and Noctis certainly wouldn't allow that.
"The boss doesn't even appreciate your effort," Noctis continued. "He—"
"That… no… he won't again…" Isaac interrupted, stammering, then pressed his lips together and looked away.
His words made Noctis pause.
"…won't do what again?" he asked coldly. But Isaac didn't answer. Noctis grabbed him by the shoulders. "Isaac, what did that bastard do?"
"…don't call him that…"
"What did he do?" Noctis demanded.
"He punished me fairly," Isaac replied quietly.
"Did he touch you?" Noctis growled angrily.
"He just hit me once, no big deal," Isaac said, waving it off.
"No big deal? Your lip is swollen to three times its size and bleeding."
"It's normal in our line of work to take a hit now and then."
Noctis rubbed his face in frustration. Isaac was acting as if the boss was allowed to do anything to him just because he had once saved him.
"You're not seriously telling me you showed up to the boss in this condition and he hit you even though you did everything you could to complete the job?" he asked in disbelief.
Isaac nodded.
"And you actually think that's okay?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Noctis burst out.
"The boss acted completely right and I deserved the punishment!" Isaac hissed.
"You're a damn idiot," Noctis shot back. "What else did he do? Threaten you? Is he planning to beat you again?"
Isaac rubbed his battered face.
"He wants me to do my job," Isaac replied quietly. "If I do my job, he'll be satisfied with me again… like before…"
That was about the moment Noctis's patience finally snapped.
"That's enough, Isaac! Have you developed some damn Stockholm syndrome?!" Noctis snapped. "Maybe you should think about finally leaving that bastard and building something else for yourself!"
Isaac's gaze darkened. "Forget it. I'm not going anywhere. My place is by his side."
Wrong. Your place is by MY side, he thought angrily.
"Your place is not by his side," Noctis growled. "He's exploiting you and you follow that bastard blindly! Look at yourself! You're a complete wreck, and after all the years you did everything he demanded without batting an eye — that's his thanks?!"
"He doesn't need to thank me! All that matters to me is that he can realize his dreams! As long as I can support him, that's enough for me!" Isaac snapped back.
"As long as you can support him?!" Noctis shot back. "Do you even realize that this damn asshole treats you like a puppet?!"
"Stop!" Isaac shoved his hands away. His expression turned distant. "And don't call me that. I follow him because I want to. It's none of your business."
"Huh? None of my business? You do realize we're a couple, right? Of course it concerns me when you keep putting yourself in danger and let yourself be used," he replied coldly.
"Maybe that's exactly the problem!" Isaac snapped angrily.
In an instant Noctis went cold.
"What are you trying to say?" he asked coolly.
"Since all of this started between us, everything has gone wrong! I always managed perfectly fine on my own!"
"Stop talking nonsense. You wanted this just as much as I did, so stop blaming me for it."
Noctis stood and stared down at Isaac, who was still sitting on his bed. Isaac looked up at him defiantly. The bruises were clearly visible by now. The anger would not let him go. His lover sat in front of him injured and beaten, and Isaac retreated into his fantasy world where everything was fine and, above all, justified.
And now Noctis was supposed to be responsible for all of this? Even though he had always been there for Isaac? Even though he had always treated his wounds and worried every time whether he would return safely from his raids?
But Isaac probably couldn't even imagine that. He had no sense for interpersonal relationships and likely didn't even realize how hurtful his words were. And yet Isaac was always on Noctis's mind.
"It IS your fault," Isaac hissed. "Just because I gave you a bit of attention doesn't mean you got the right to interfere in my life."
He didn't just say that.
Noctis clenched his fist.
Isaac's words stabbed into Noctis's chest like a blunt knife — sharp enough to hurt him, but not sharp enough to kill him.
How much he wanted to grab Isaac and shake him until he finally understood how wrong he was. But words had gotten him nowhere in this situation. It was probably time to draw consequences.
"As you wish," he said coldly. He turned away from Isaac. "Then I'll disappear from your life. Have fun being alone again and making the boss happy. I'm not watching this shit any longer."
"Then go! I don't need you!"
Noctis pressed his lips together. How badly he wanted to turn around and really tell Isaac what he thought. But he had said and tried everything. He loved Isaac, and it hurt to leave him like this, but it wasn't possible. The stubborn fool would only learn if Noctis hurt him.
"Noctis…?" Isaac said quietly.
So he left without turning back.
___
No sooner had he left the building than his phone rang. In a bad mood, he answered.
"What do you want, Moz."
"Wow, what crawled up your ass?"
"Say what you want or I'll hang up," Noctis hissed.
A sigh. "The boss is asking how far you are with the job."
Noctis's hand tensed for a moment. He looked up at Isaac's apartment, then immediately turned away again.
"There are problems, but nothing I can't solve," Noctis replied.
"The boss is slowly losing patience. You've been at this for so many years—"
"I'll call when I make progress. Until then the boss can wait," Noctis snapped and hung up.
I've been on this job for so long — he can wait a little longer…, Noctis thought irritably as he headed home.