Hex Is Fine

Nyx's appointment was at noon and Hex had a bounce in his step as he hit the salon. He got his hair cleaned up, then went to the spa to get undressed.

The tech came in and took a look at how much had grown, then Hex closed his eyes and relaxed as she professionally, quickly, and uncomfortably stripped the rest of the hair from his body. A scrub down and a rub down and he was set free.

Checking the time, he popped home to grab clothes and a toothbrush, then he hurried back to Nyx's, hoping to beat him home.

He walked in to freshen the bed...

And found Nyx laying there, not much different from when Hex had left him earlier.

"How was the interview?" he asked from the doorway,

He wore tight black trousers and a wine coloured silk shirt with a black brocade waistcoat. His hair was perfect and his skin was glowing. Leaning casually against the door jamb, Hex watched Nyx open his eyes.

"Have you gotten up at all?"

[From here]

"We can try," he assured him.

He truly didn't expect anything from Max. Want, yes. Expect, not at all.

He set the music to a night playlist before he offered Max his hand to take him to the bedroom. Everything in the flat was an antique of some sort.

Except his bed.

Hex's bed was top quality. It was the nicest thing he'd probably ever own. And on nights after bad fights, it was the only place he wanted to be.

He stopped at the edge of the bed and rested a hand lightly on Max's waist.

"Would it be alright to kiss you?" he asked.

Business at the inn was steady. Travelers and merchants alike stopped in to spend some coin and sleep in peace on their way through the realm. The tavern was always busy and boisterous, the whole place bustling with activity.

Hex had only just come back from the market in the next harbor town. A quick boat trip around the peninsula had him buying ingredients that were much harder to come by in Great Harbor.

He could be found in his private room where he brewed potions and spoke with people who needed his talents.

A small girl's arm reached in, waved, and then pulled the curtain back. Hannah was just ten and Hex called her his firecracker. At a young age, she considered herself an equal to any of the staff.

"You've got another one, Hex," she said, stepping back to reveal a familiar face.

"Eliot," Hex smiled, rising from his seat over a bubbling cauldron. "Come in."

Hex was chatting with the cooper about the barrels he had to send back when he saw Nyx walk in with a familiar face. He was utterly confounded and excused himself to rush over.

"Oh my God!" he exclaimed.

Arms flung wide, he pulled Q into a tight hug. Then he took his arms and held him back to look at him.

"It's good to see you," he beamed, but the smile fall and confusion settled back on his brow. "Why are you here? How do you know Nyx?"

The tavern had been busy last night, but they had few rooms full so breakfast was a much more reasonable time of day. A few travelers sat at tables drinking hot pots of tea and cups of chocolate and eating the hearty fare from Mark's kitchen.

Hex delivered a plate to the King's messenger and chatted with him for a while, learning of the troubles with pirates on the north side of the island. It sounded to Hex like the king would be sending troops soon. He'd remember that.

In the middle of the conversation, a young girl from the bakery came in with her hand wrapped in a wet bit of cloth.

"Master Hex," she called and he rushed to her to see to her burn. There were doctors, of course, but Hex's salves and balms were in high demand with the people of the town. He treated her there in the tavern, smoothing the silver, herbs, and tallow into her skin.

And then a fae came in and Hex couldn't tear his eyes off him. He'd seen plenty of fae, but he'd never seen anyone like this. For a moment his feet were glued to the floor, his mouth a bit dry. When he finally could move, he headed straight for the new guest.

"Welcome to the Broom and Cat," he smiled warmly. "In need of a room?"

Sometimes doing what he did was exciting. Out on patrol it was always exciting. Exciting didn't mean good, but exciting nonetheless. Things were less exciting staying in the med bay. Sometimes legitimately boring.

But not today.

Hex came into their room having taken a shower and picked up dinner. His hair was done and his clothes clean. None of which distracted from how swollen and tender his jaw was. He was swollen up to his eye. It had already begun to discolour.

"You won't believe what happened today," he said, ever cheerful as he came in.

Nyx was trading more than ever. That didn't bother Hex so much. Not really. But...a lot of that time was with Bond.

He wasn't jealous...but he was worried. He was certain he was doing a terrible job of being a keeper. He didn't know what he was doing- he was stumbling through it.

But Bond. Bond was commanding. Intimidating. Bond would probably be a way better keeper than him. A lifetime of insecurity had him certain he was going to lose Nyx altogether.

Hex sat in an insanely comfortable chair...that Bond had gifted Nyx...and read a comic as he waited for his nymph to come home from the kitchen.

They'd come to the stadium, Hex ready for a fight. Guards with guns stopped them, but after a bit of conversation and some chatter on the radio, they were let inside and then escorted to an area where a vicious looking woman assigned them a space and took all the information of what skills they could offer the group.

Hex was welcome and put to work in the med center immediately. Nyx was assigned kitchen duty since he could purify water. After a week they fell into the routine of life here and it wasn't bad. The people were kind, the soldiers less so. But there was peace and community.

It was safe.

Hex had been approached by several people asking about Nyx. He was terribly protective. He also knew what value Nyx had and sometimes he would trade the nymph. An hour. A night. And they never wanted for anything.

And then, one morning before the med center or the kitchen, there was a knock on their door. Hex answered and a soldier delivered him a note. He read it, then looked at Nyx.

"It's an invitation," he said.

Hex's new position had eaten his time. Every single chance he got, he spent time with Corbin. He texted when he could, but life in general was keeping them apart most evenings.

There was a new club opening and they'd invited a few VIPs, Corbin among those. Hex had made certain to free up the time and cleaned up for it. He wore a dark plum suit, black shirt and a brocade waistcoat. He had a couple of his buttons undone. He'd taken the tube to Corbin's and they'd take the car from there, they'd agreed.

Every time he got to see him any more, it was like he could actually breathe. He had plenty of mates, but there was just something about Corbin. Something magnetic. Hex had never felt so at home around anyone like this before.

He knocked, his stomach fluttering in anticipation.

There had been an accident on a construction site. Trauma had been busy all afternoon and while they'd saved some, they lost some, too. Overall, it had been a rough day.

So when he got off, Hex went to Corbin's and stepped out on the balcony to have a beer and try to shed all that stress before Corbin got home.

He sat in a chair and watched the city lights. It was beautiful here. It felt more like home than his own flat. He got lost in a fantasy of playing house with Corbin. Thoughts of Christmas. Quiet nights in...

With the glass door closed, he didn't hear Corbin come in.