sins_of_a_father | Into the woods

Someone else might have been fishing for interest, but Julian was rather blunt more often than not - it was possible Felix had already told Marco the story since he seemed so taken with Marco, hence the asking.

"He snuck in," Julian said, and there was a brief moment when it seemed like that would be all he said before he shook his head, the corner of a rueful smile on his mouth. "There's a minimum age requirement, he was two years away from it. He lied and slipped in with the rank and file. It was three weeks before anyone noticed. He kept his head down and did the grunt work without complaint."

"And when I got shoved with the other nobility once I was caught, they complained twice as much as any dock orphan looking for a change of pace and regular work did at the lower ranks - while being asked to do less than half the work," Felix clarified, hearing the tail end of Julian's story as he came back in. He paused at the door, switching out his boots for the socks yet again then jogging the rest of the way to the table to sit between the two of them.

"Of course," Marco said with a soft snort. "Disregarding rules already back then," he teased a bit, just because he could. It did sound like Felix though, the Felix he knew, the one that Felix didn't think existed. The one that was more interested in real things rather than what things looked like, the man with a gentle hands with animals and kindness buried somewhere under all the bitter layers.

"Work builds character," he said and then reached over to take the coffee pot, raising to serve them all. "This is what my father says."

As much as Amber would hate to deal with Mandor, he wasn't quite as awful as they might think. Just very disillusioned and a realist. Marco understood him now better than he had before he met Felix.

"How long were you in the rangers?"

Felix resisted the urge to make a crass comment about Marco's father - his expression said as much. He managed to hold his tongue, though, if only because he was busy taking a sip of coffee as soon as Marco poured it. Julian was more sedate and murmured a word of thanks before taking up his own cup.

"-Five years or so? Intermittently, between being pulled away for other shit and all," Felix explained, thinking aloud.

"Technically you're still in them," Julian added, expression and tone mild. "You ran off, you didn't formally resign."

"Shit, talk about being AWOL."

"The benefits of royal blood."

"Anyway why are we talking about me anyway-?" Felix asked with an attempt to change the subject.

"You are the thing we all have in common, unless we walk to talk about how much we hate our parents."

"Maybe you should return to duty every now and then," Marco suggested mildly as he prodded the plate of sandwiches towards them. He thought Felix would enjoy that. It might give him peace and quiet and steady him in a way that other things couldn't.

Right now he still had time for it, too. Later in life - even if Marco didn't think about it for all that much yet - if he would stuck with Marco, he would be expected to stay closer to Chaos.

His snort of amusement was mild but real amusement lingered in his green eyes as he peered at Julian.

"Do you have any children?" he asked Julian suddenly. "And do you want to have any?" he pointed this question to Felix. "I suppose we should make a pact to treat them differently."

While both men gave a "No" to answer Marco's question practically in unison, they couldn't be more different. Julian's was a simple matter-of-fact answer to the question with no emotional attachment to it. Felix's on the other hand was a denial so vehement the life of his sister could be at stake.

"I have neither the time nor the inclination to be a parent, and if I had an 'accident' in the past when I was more willful I imagine they would have found the family by now," Julian explained. He had settled well into his position as Arden's solemn keeper long before Felix was born, in his experience the lost children of the royal family found their way to someone who could take them to Amber within their first hundred years of life at the latest. In even the slowest moving shadows, that time had passed.

Felix made a face at the thought - there were certainly shadows where things worked the way where two men could have children, and that was even before one learned the wonders of shapeshifting, but still...

"Risk turning out like my father? Fuck no. Absolutely not. Even the shittiest kid doesn't deserve that. Never. No pact needed."

"I see," Marco said with a small huff of amusement, mostly at Felix's vitriol about the topic. "Not even as a fuck you to your old man?" he asked with a quirk of his brows. "I would hope that having a poor example would help you be a better father."

But since Felix was so vehemently against it, Marco let it go, his lips quirking a bit.

"I suppose we're back at talking about you, Felix," he teased as he picked up one of the sandwiches and brought it to his plate. If the other two weren't going to eat, he would.

"What about going back to the rangers every now and then?" Topic change.

Julian also didn't comment on Felix's vehement denial, though when Felix was not looking he did cast the young man a sidelong glance that said his own opinion about that as well he was keeping to himself.

Instead he spoke up before Felix could find some denial to Marco's next suggestion-

"He'd be welcome if he wanted to. Felix was always capable, I doubt his skills have deteriorated since his ... sabbatical."

"Sabbatical," Felix said with a snort, shaking his head, incredulous. "Is that how you'd mark it down? Talk about royal privilege. ... I don't know, I don't like being parted from Marco for long."

"I'm sure he could find something to do in Arden as well," Julian offered, a small smirk on his face over the edge of his cup.

"It won't take me long to make a trump of this place," Marco countered, then gave Julian a quick glance but did not ask for permission. He had spent here enough time that he could make one with or without Julian's permission. "I have duties that you do not care for back in the Courts. If we're clever about it, you'll be able to spend your time roaming about in the forest while I handle the courtly duties and then the rest of the time we can spend together."

It wasn't that Marco didn't want Felix close and that it wouldn't be effortless given the time fluctuation and different forces pulling Amber and Chaos apart, but he could see how happy Felix was in Arden, how he actually enjoyed spending time with Julian and Marco knew already that he would make it work just to keep that smile on Felix's unfairly attractive lips.

Then he added, aiming for levity and perhaps to bring the mood up with a chuckle or two, "And I wouldn't mind seeing you in a uniform."

Julian cast Marco a curious glance back, one eyebrow raised - it was hard to tell what he meant by it, annoyance or impressed by Marco's lack of asking about making a trump directly into his territory. Not that he had a chance to comment, if he was going to. Felix laughed at Marco's final comment, giving him a wickedly pleased look for just a moment.

"So the truth of motive finally comes out," he teased, before turning to Julian, all bright excitement. "Marco's an incredible artist. Best I've ever seen. That reminds me - he made some new trumps for me, I'll give you one."

He didn't wait for an agreement, taking out his slim deck of trumps so he could go to where the extras Marco made for him were at the back. Thankfully meant to be handed out so he didn't have to worry about any racier images on the cards. Even then rather than simply take one out to pass over he moved some plates around so he could make space on the table to spread out the ones that were Marco's work so Julian could see.

"Not just trumps either, he does actual art-art."

Julian hummed thoughtfully as he leaned in to look at the cards spread on the table, careful to not spill anything on any of them. "Impressive work," he agreed, without a trace of sarcasm.

There was no challenge to that raised brow, Marco simply meeting Julian's gaze calmly. He wasn't about to apologise or belatedly ask for permission. He could give reasons for this, but as long as Julian didn't ask, he wouldn't be pressed to put them forward. And Felix's laughter distracted him from the silent conversation in any case, drawing his attention without a fail as he gave his lover a warm, easily open and sweet smile.

"You've found me out," he murmured, almost a sidenote. He didn't want to talk about the real reasons why he was pushing for this. Because Felix was not easy to convince when it was something he actually really really wanted. He would see a reason to punish himself, or to deny himself somehow.

The trumps being paraded on the table was hardly a surprise. Felix was very taken by his artistic skills. He considered it for a moment whether to put forward the reason why he had replaced all of Felix's cards. Every last one of them. And made him throw away Fiona's. It could be a very uncomfortable conversation and lead to tangents that none of them wanted. However, there was something to be said about putting his cards on the table, Julian might have some inspirations towards protecting Felix.

Keep it simple, Marco. Overthinking is not always the best idea.

"Thanks," he said with an easy smile. "I work hard for it." Then he leaned in to press a kiss to Felix's cheek just because he was adorable and deserved all the sugar in the world.

Then he reached over to flip one of the cards over, his own face, to its backside to show the design that was made as a replica to Felix's lightning tattoo, gold on black. Marco's own deck had a different pattern at the back, all the cards he usually did followed that same form, except Felix's deck.

"I made sure to personalise this for him. It'll make it harder for me to highjack this deck. Because that is not my intention in the least. I've been drawing trump cards for a long, long time, it was the first significant skill I learned. And I know all the tricks you can play with them. It might sound paranoid, but I didn't feel comfortable with Felix having a deck drawn up by my mother."

Cards on the table, Marco shrugged mildly and leaned back in his chair, one knee over the other, his toes drawing idle circle's on Felix's calf.

Felix couldn't help but smiling around Marco, as he explained every detail of his work like that. He had never really been interested in art before, but he could listen to Marco explain his process for hours without ever being bored.

"It certainly makes me feel special having such a beautiful deck," Felix said with a small grin, reaching out to squeeze Marco's thigh.

Cards on the table indeed. Again there was just the minuscule change of expression on Julian's part as Marco admitted to not wanting Felix to have cards made by his mother. Julian had been there for the worst of Amber's in-fighting, and Felix had been born when the throne was still hotly contested. It was an understandable precaution.

As such when Felix selected a card of his to pass to Julian, Julian did not just slip it into his own deck but fished out the older trump he had for Felix - one made by Fiona - and held it out for Marco to take.

Marco had been marinated in Court politics through most of his life, the kingmaker of Chaos was his father and Mandor did not let resources go wasted. Little things, like making sure your lover's trumps would not be spied upon were perfectly drilled into his spine. Which was why he noted the gesture for what it was as he took the card from Julian, this time with a genuine, warm smile.

"Thank you," he murmured before he pocketed Julian's card. One more of Felix's pretty face safe in his possession. On the return trip, he pulled out a card from another pocket, of his own face - one of many he carried - and handed it to Julian. "In case we feel the need to gossip about Felix one day."

He didn't know this uncle - yet - but he was inclined to change that fact, just because Felix seemed to like this man so very, very much. Marco might have been a little jealous, a little possessive even, but he pushed those thoughts and feelings aside in favour of broadening his understanding of Felix's connections. Julian was quiet and calm and he seemed to both know Felix very well indeed but wish him nothing but the best, which made Marco fond of him already. He'd be replacing Julian's card in Felix's deck tomorrow morning at the latest.

Marco let his hand slip on top of Felix's on his thigh, threading their fingers together. "So, about returning to duty every now and then," he said with a quirk of his brow. Don't think he forgot... "I think it sounds like a good idea."

Felix didn't blush often, and with his coloring it wasn't always easy to tell when he did. Still, Marco was observant enough to no doubt notice the way he faintly colored at the 'in case we feel the need to gossip about Felix', especially with how that got a laugh out of Julian - an actual laugh! - as he took the card with an agreeable nod to slip into his own deck.

"If you're sure you can spare me for all my important courtly functions of being eyecandy or a distraction, or both..." Felix said with a somewhat chagrined grin, looking adoringly at Marco.

"I can have you back in rotation in a day if you're truly serious," Julian offered, which had Felix looking briefly surprised before Julian gave a shrug and added - "There's always some that are good rangers aside from doing poorly with following commands by nobility."

"I'm nobility."

"You hardly act like it, though."

Marco might have looked just a little smug for both that flush and the laugh he surprised out of the stoic uncle. He was well settled into his 'charm the wits out of them' routine and he thought he had Julian where he wanted him, becoming inclined to look at Marco favourably if not quite fondly yet.

"I'll make a do," he promised, voice both soft and affectionate as he squeezed Felix's hand. "You'll be a lot happier here than doting over whatever delegate of whichever state or enduring the shameless flirting of various aunts and uncles." He brushed his thumb over Felix's knuckles and continued quietly. "And I'll be happier when you are happy."

When Julian jumped in to the conversation, though, he lifted his hand to pitch in. "Hold on, you two. Felix will be busy for three days." Marco had made sure that he wouldn't be missed for a couple of days and he fully intended to spend them with Felix, quite possibly pinned to the bed under him. "Then he's free to roam about for a while," he promised with a small, amused smile.

Felix had enjoyed being in Chaos, a lot more than he though the would. Sure it was courts, but he had Marco there, and he was getting to know his brother, and he could ... see a future there. For them. Together. Had Felix ever seen a future at all for himself? No, not really. With Marco it seemed possible. Seemed hopeful.

Arden was where his heart was, though. The first place Felix ever felt safe, felt worthwhile. A fact that was deeply ironic for the other side of his family given his mother had taken over the city manse for the family and raised Felix there because the country had made her feel trapped and alone. He was a little worried about being away from Marco for so long (unicorn, when did you get so clingy-) but the idea of being in Arden again for a longer period had him unexpectedly hopeful. Especially if Marco would come to visit.

"At least three days," Felix said with a small cough. He knew how they could get. He turned his hand so he could squeeze Marco's.

Julian gave a small snicker and shook his head, holding up a hand in surrender.

"I meant only that it could be done on short notice, not to cut your vacation short. "

All that settled, Marco leaned forward once again, now curious that he was saddled with a problem of keeping their schedules aligned. It wouldn't be easy, but he'd never been afraid of tasks that would require some detailed solutions.

"What does 'being in rotation' mean?" he asked, glancing from Felix to Julian. "On duty around the clock for a period? And then not?" It would make sense given the vastness of Arden. He was hoping it meant Felix would get extended periods of leave as well. Marco would come to visit him wherever they camped in any case, convince Felix to trump him the moment he was available - he could organise his time, which was faster and flimsier in Chaos anyway - but he also wanted Felix's uncontested attention at times, so leaves would be good for it. Eventually, if Felix would stay with him, he could not continue as Arden's guard. Or Marco could not continue as the heir to house Sawall. But that was neither the problem nor the topic of conversation for today, they had time to settle their affairs.

Marco fully intended to settle them with Felix by his side. The rest was somewhat ambiguous.

"If you have longer leaves, I would hope you'd spend them in Chaos."

"It's hardly a nine-to-five," Julian said, familiar enough with 'earth culture' to understand that reference if nothing else, even though he rarely left Arden for extended periods of time if he could help it. Since Marco was hardly an enemy informant even if he was from Chaos, he explained between picking at the food and drink. Besides, it would better to have a refresher in case Felix forgot.

"So being 'in rotation' means several weeks 'on' where you manage patrols, checks of the forest, and can be expected to be called upon at any hour. Mostly what you remember," Julian said with a nod to Felix. "And yes, several weeks 'off' duty between to keep from burning out. We're not at war at the moment, so it's a lot of drills and keeping in shape in the event one does break out and smaller skirmishes with individuals that have issues."

So hopefully easier to manage when your lover was on the other side of creation, in that case...

"This sounds very similar to the Black Rim watch," Marco offered, putting that out there just in case any hurt feelings were had about him nosing into Amber's defences. Not that he had any axe to grind here, his loyalties laid with Chaos but he would come to defend Amber as well if he were called upon it. And he knew this was Merlin's official line, so he wasn't all that worried about giving away state secrets. "I did a rotation there as a young man. Not for me, though. My skills with shapeshift aren't up to bar."

He squeezed Felix's hand and stood up. "All this, it sounds lovely, doesn't it?"

Then he took himself back to the kitchen with some empty plates, aiming to fill them up again while giving Felix an opportunity to talk with Julian by his lonesome. As much as he would like to keep Felix by his side at every given minute of a day, he wanted Felix to regain some of his swagger, some of that confidence and self-assured bravado that he knew would come when he was settled and felt like he was doing good things and also enjoying those things. He didn't know why Felix had dropped out of the rangers, but he meant to find out later and it didn't really seem like it was an issue anymore, whatever it had been.

It did sound lovely, and while Marco went to refill the plates, Julian and Felix talked quietly about specifics of it with some gentle reminiscing of old times when Felix was still so young and first joined the rangers, before he ran away from Amber entirely. Julian was good at deftly dodging landmines in the conversation, of knowing what to not touch on. And Felix supposed if he really couldn't stand being parted from Marco for that long, he could just cut and run after a rotation once again. Even if that was slightly more embarrassing to do as an adult rather than a teenager.

By the time Marco was coming back, Julian patted Felix on the shoulder and stood, pulling his gloves for riding back on.

"I'll not impose on your vacation any longer - though I won't be far if you've any need of me," Julian said, which to anyone else might seem like a threat given how accidentally sinister he tended to be, but Felix at least could see was genuine desire to be helpful. "Thank you for the meal, and it was truly wonderful to meet you, Marco."

Marco found that he was actually sorry that Julian was leaving. He hadn't expected this from a relative, quiet and insightful, respecting of natural boundaries and with a surprisingly well hidden sense of humour. It was by far the most pleasant experience he'd ever had with an elder Amberite, with either uncle or an aunt.

He came to stand behind Felix, putting a plate on the table that was heaped over with more food. His hand lingering on Felix's other shoulder as he smiled at Julian.

"If you happen to be available tomorrow at dinner time, I wouldn't mind hosting for three instead of just two," he said easily and then added with a smile that curved warmer and genuine than before. "Because it was rather lovely meeting you, uncle."

Julian was not thought of as anyone's favorite relative - except for maybe Felix. They had a special relationship, even if it wasn't the kind Felix had longed for in his youth as the hormones started coming in.

Julian gave a glance to Felix at Marco's invitation - checking to make sure it was indeed a welcome one, though he didn't really need to. It was more acknowledging that Felix had the right to say he didn't want company if he did not. Seeing only a hopeful expression on his face, his neutral expression softened a bit further and he gave a nod.

"It would be a delight. I'll see you both then," Julian said, inclining his head and holding up a hand when Felix moved like he was going to stand to see Julian out. "If Morgenstern sees you he'll expect another apple."

"He could have another apple..."

"You'll make him fat and useless."

The teasing was full of warm affection as Julian pulled on his boots next before heading out with a wave over his shoulder.

Felix watched him go, looking up at Marco when he was out the door to reach up and cover Marco's hand with his own, his smile so bright and open. He didn't know what he'd worried about before - of course the two best people in all of creation would get along.

The bickering about the horse made Marco's lips quirk in amusement but he didn't interject, simply waved his goodbyes to Julian. The way Felix looked up at him like he had hung the moon and the stars on his sky soothed any feathers that might have been ruffled and he berated himself for a moment to ever having felt possessive like a hoarding dragon. Felix needed in his life more people, who wouldn't put him down or take advantage of him, he needed more affection than Marco could give even if he would smother his darling with it all hours of the day. He needed to see there were people, who cared about him just the way he was and Marco would never forgive himself if he'd make that even a little bit harder for him. Julian seemed to be that.

"He really cares about you," Marco said as he let his hand cup Felix's jaw and tilted his head back further. Then their lips were coming together as Marco leaned down to press his mouth to Felix's in an upside down kiss.

There were few in this world that could take Felix's attention from Julian, but all of Felix's attention was on Marco now instead of mooning over every turn of conversation he'd made with his uncle. His smile turned a little bashful when Marco asserted that Julian cared about him. A part of him wanted to protest - just out of knee-jerk nature, that Felix was convenient for sticking it to Corwin that way - but even if they'd never be best friends, Corwin and Julian no longer were at each other's throats the way they had been when Felix had been young.

The idea that Julian just sincerely liked Felix had seemed so strange, never before considered under the haze of his own complicated mess of feelings.

Marco was kissing him right then, though, and everything fell away in favor of that. Felix sighed into the kiss, tongue and lips exploring Marco's mouth gently, adoringly.

"Seemed like he liked you too. 'Course, who wouldn't?"

"I liked him too. I did not expect to do so," Marco admitted, his lips moving against Felix's, because he wasn't all that eager to move away. They were finally alone after spending way too much time cooped up in Chaos under various eyes of his relatives.

"But I very much like you more," he hummed as his hands slipped from Felix's shoulders and down to his chest, gently pulling up the hem of his shirt so he could slip his hand underneath.

"Also, I demand a chance to fuck you in that uniform when you get one," he laughed, light and easy.

Felix's smile turned just a shade gloating at Marco's admission that he liked Julian even though he didn't expect to. He knew Julian had an (unfair in his opinion) reputation among the wider family, and every time he got a chance to prove it wrong was wonderful.

He groaned into the kiss as Marco's hands drifted down his chest, bringing his own up to cover them with his own. He loved Marco's hands especially.

"Fuck - you make me wanna ask for one early. Guess should leave it as something to look forward to after though. 'Sides, I'm wearing far too many clothes right now..."

"You are, I very much agree with that assessment," Marco practically hummed against Felix's mouth. "Let me fix that for you. Come here..."

He straightened up, nudging Felix up from his chair and pulled him in by the front of his shirt. Lips hovering right against Felix's mouth, Marco let his hands trail down along that lean chest, down to narrow waist and beyond. He breathed out a soft sigh as he hooked his fingers under a belt, pulling it open slowly while peering into Felix's eyes.

"Kiss me." A command, perhaps, or a request, barely more audible than a soft murmur but not asking for any arguments.

Felix was always happy when Marco moved him around as he pleased, arching into every touch, reaching up to tug at those beautiful golden curls, needing to touch Marco to tell himself the man was real. The command to kiss Marco was a welcome one, and Felix let out a relieved exhale for it before leaning in to press his mouth to Marco's, tongue eager and searching as his belt easily opened under Marco's clever fingers. He rarely wore clothing difficult to get out of, especially around Marco, so the removal of his belt made his pants loose enough to slip down his hips.

Marco was discovering that Felix's eagerness to follow his orders and yield to whatever demanding touch he put on the man brought him satisfaction that he hadn't exactly expected to feel. It was a little bit of a new thing for them but definitely something he enjoyed.

He let them both enjoy the kiss for a long while, his gentle fingertips dipping under Felix's underwear to push them down the same way his pants had gone, then spent a while just drawing light circles onto Felix's hips and glutes, sometimes dipping his fingers into creases of skin under his buttocks and between them. In the meanwhile their tongues intertwined together, Marco slowly taking control of the kiss, driving Felix back into his own mouth, which he happily made love to after, slowly and thoroughly.

Into the woods

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