extent | duplicitynet

[ ragnor sleeps because he knows there's difficult days ahead, but he knows nick so he ties his rest to his. when nick wakes up, ragnor does too. ]

Morning.

Do you want breakfast?

[ he's not quite at the stage of pretending that nothing happened, but he's close as he works a faint smile onto his face, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the kitchen. ]

It's still early. Lie back down, let's talk.

[ he doesn't want to let nick slip the mask back on, then it'd be impossible to get it off and he'd really rather this not end with nick screaming at him. ]

[ of course he doesn't want to. he can't talk about a lot of it, there were very specific instructions with very specific threats tied to them. but he hesitates for a moment, and then another couple of moments too, before eventually lying back down anyway.

he doesn't know where to start, so he just settles back into ragnor's side, presses his cheek to his chest, and shrugs. ]

Ask me something.

[ ragnor pulls him close. oliver yelled the whole thing at ragnor, and ragnor listened, so he knows how oliver sees the situation, he understands, but he also knows there's more to it. ]

What did he threaten you with?

[ it's an easy enough answer, only made complicated by the fact that nick made very clear promises about not talking, and nick is half-convinced that william could have bugged him somehow too at this point.

despite that he keeps going, a hushed murmur under his breath that's every bit as tired and defeated as he is, but it's still an answer. ]

Oli. Anyone who knew anything. Might as well have been everyone I care about.

He scared you.

[ this william could be more powerful than him. but powerful people don't go around throwing their dicks around, they don't usually need to say it.

sammael hadn't needed to threaten him, once he'd found him ragnor had known what his options were. ]

He wanted you quiet because it gave him an advantage. Because he knew he'd be fucked if it came out. It's not your fault.

Of course he does. I know what he's doing.

[ he just doesn't seem to care. ]

How long has this been going on?

[ that's a question ragnor's not sure he wants the answer to. how long has nick been successfully hiding this? ]

[ that's more complicated. how long--since he first got tangled up with william? since nick knew what he was and slept with him anyway? since it got violent? he drags out his answer, teeth digging into the inside of his cheek as he tries to figure it out. what's best--what's safe to say, too. ]

I found out what he was really like when those lists went up.

[ not that long then. but that raises a different set of questions. ]

How long had he been lying to you?

I thought it was city shit.

[ he'd been ready with the reason, william didn't even have to come up with it. ]

November, I guess. It was only a couple of times, before I found out.

Edited (wordz) 2022-04-02 08:50 (UTC)

I'm sorry.

[ ragnor's furious, but it's not at nick. it's at the situation, and this william, and the fact that 'it's city shit' is a ready excuse for any wanker. ]

You don't need to be sorry.

[ nick shrugs carefully, decidedly not looking at ragnor and instead just...listening in at his chest. ]

I'm fine.

I'm not blaming myself, I'm saying I'm sorry it happened.

[ he just pulls nick closer. ]

Don't lie to me. We've had enough of that.

I think I'm fine.

[ he modifies the sentence carefully, like it makes a difference, and settles his hand on ragnor's stomach, which actually does. ]

I don't regret it. I don't feel bad. Mostly I just feel- [ slimy. ashamed. riddled with guilt over the ever complex web of lies he's been building in all this time. ] ...tired.

[ ragnor threads his fingers in nick's hair. ]

Who knows? I know Oliver and Pierce do. Does Nate?

Nate knows a little. He's probably connected a few dots.

[ and there's a whole different level of guilt there, over asking nate to keep his secrets, over asking him to make charms for and against people without their knowledge, over everything. ]

I asked him not to tell anyone.

Keeping secrets helps him.

[ nick's his priority right now, but he can't help thinking there might be others. people who don't have the support network nick has. ]

I know.

[ nick sucks in a careful exhale, one that shudders at the end. but he's determined not to fall apart again. ]

But Oliver's still contracted to him.

Mmh, he pointed out an anonymous call out post would be a bad idea because of that.

[ ragnor's remarkably calm. he hates the situation and he wants to kill the man, but he's very accepting on his role in this.

it's a familiar situation, a group of kids making a huge mess and him having a very limited ability to help. ]

And if he knows his play is falling apart he might get desperate.

Exactly.

[ nick decided a long time ago that the contract situation took precedence over everything - himself included, strangers included, selfish as it might be. nick cares more about the safety of his very real friend than potential, hypothetical victims. ]

It's like, a month. Six weeks. Once it's done, I'm done.

[ it's proof of growth that ragnor doesn't bristle at that. he just breathes in, and keeps petting him. ]

Nick, I need you to know I understand the situation, and I understand why you're doing what you're doing.

But you don't set yourself on fire to keep your loved ones warm.

If you're already in the fire, it's pointless letting someone else run in too.

[ see, he can do metaphors too. ]

They're coming in with a fire extinguisher.

[ he doesn't think nick understands there is no way they will let him go back to william now that the cat's out of the bag. ]

Oliver's out, William knows you two are aware of what's been going on. The smart thing to do would be to play it against him. You are in the position to make William's stay in this city considerably less pleasant by going public about him. Talk to Oliver and use that— if he lets Oliver's contract expire uneventfully, you don't out him.

[ whether they keep their promise to stay quiet is irrelevant. the point is to let the contract run out.

then, of course, the smart play for william would be to rope in a second contract before oliver's ran out. but maybe the man isn't thinking that far ahead. ]

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