you promised yourself to protect the weak and the helpless ─ whether it would be to protect a person, a continent, the world or even the whole universe, the principles of the mystic arts were something that you embraced a long time ago... and it was now a part of you, and you do not wish to get rid of it, not now, not anytime, even if circumstances were different you would always find this path and this path will always find you,
that was all that you wished to do in this... rather mundane lifetime ─ minus the mad titan that you partly helped strange and wong with and all the other chaotic events before the destruction of your universe.
the battle was like the collision of galaxies and stars, the blasting lights and bullets like rain in a violent storm, yet it was nowhere near beautiful, you could taste iron on your lips and your chest heaved in desperate need of air... your eyes twinkling not with wonder but great threat.
you were tired, exhausted to the point of blacking out, but you managed to do it,
you all did.
countless lives were lost but you promised that you won't waste those, it was for the greater good. immediately after everything, you got back to work and decided to be far more greater than you already were...
while you were bored out of your mind in the library as the new librarian of kamar─taj, you've felt something, almost knocking the living sense out of you, it was like a sharp slice on your body, as if the fabrics of time and space were disturbed and bothered,
sending goosebumps down your spine... you were curious on what just happened earlier, you could sense the feelings of dread from miles away, and magic... yeah, definitely magic and voodoo stuff...
at first, you were nowhere near from being released by both strange and wong, now the so called sorcerer supreme, saying that you were needed in this place, but you begged and begged until the latter released you with a scowl, it was a magic and mystical stuff, the reason was enough
you promised that you were going to be just fine... and if anything happens you were one portal away from escaping whatever horror and danger is out on your little escapade.
you found yourself in london, with the orange ball of fire behind you, you were behind a man who immediately glanced back his way when he felt a presence beside him, you tilted your head in confusion...
is he the one you were looking for?
"bloody hell" the man exclaimed, seeming as if he was about to faint, he clutched the strap of his bag tightly, his knuckles going white and you could practically see sweat dripping down his forehead, you greeted him softly, not trying to intimidate him further more... he immediately responded with an awkward wave, not leaving his eyes on your... mystical figure,
"you're... you're a sorcerer?"
you liked him immediately after that, people would often call you a witch or a magician or some disney princess with cool orange powers but he was quite different and that immediately entertained you on an extent, you smiled at him,
"correct..."
there was a rather awkward silent as you both continued to stare at each other, in order to avoid the awkward feeling in the air you decided to talk, but immediately stopped when the man talked for you,
"what... what are you doing in london?"
you immediately looked back at the portal behind you, almost forgetting that it's still open and he can pretty much see the library, so you closed it and shrugged softly,
"i don't know actually... i just wanted to... have a day off...?"
you were convinced that this was the person you were looking for, but it seemed as if nothing was happening, yet
but you could feel the magic within him from a mile away, and he was also cute, you doubt that the matter also had magic though...
the man looked down on his shoes in a giddy manner, avoiding your curious gaze
"so uhh... do you like museums?" you grin at his suggestion, before nodding eagerly and stepping forward, you were impressed by the way he treated you as if you didn't just came out of a portal, and that seemed to reassure you just a bit,
"yes, of course" who wouldn't?
he grinned widely, almost as if he was waiting all his life to finally smile a genuine smile, that was the start of something special with the stranger who you promised to protect and help,
he doesn't know it, yet
you've come to known that his name was steven grant, a gift shopist on a museum in london, he loved his job dearly, your first meeting was spent discussing about different things in the museum, from the ancient artifacts and the notable personalities like the gods of numerous mythologies, his boss, donna seemed to be a bit annoyed for how you practically stole him for yourself,
seeming as if he was your tour guide, you didn't mind and you didn't really care, giving donna a bit of a harsh stare when you walked past her,
steven asked you once if you had ever encountered a god, considering the fact that you were a cool, 'magical' person, you were expecting for that question to come and you spent another hour discussing about it, slight bragging about helping someone defeat a certain primordial god, steven was excited and was invested into your stories, watching you carefully as you narrate them,
you could probably say that spending most of your days with him had became like a daily routine, it was fun and pleasant, you would often use and create portals so that he wouldn't be late on his job most of the time... steven was incredibly grateful for that, and you would often show up in the museum with coffees on both your hands,
those were kind, simple gestures that you've loved doing, steven was an interesting person, and it was pretty obvious that he was smitten to you the same way you are to him, people could sense it from a mile away,
even donna who despised the both of you... she joked about it once and steven looked like he was hyperventilating, you had to think of a way to calm him down while you were laughing softly, amused by his behaviour,
days became weeks, and weeks became months, you've come to know about marc spector's existence, things were getting weirder and weirder and this is exactly what you've come for,
but in all honesty, you stayed for steven,
your relationship with steven had became one of the most special things in your life, you were practically best friends, inseparable and was always there for each other, as for marc, it was complicated...
he was bit wary of you for quite a bit, whenever he took control of their body he would talk to you for a second and ignore you for the rest of his consciousness until steven was finally in control,
you've tried your hardest to keep the environment alive whenever marc was near, he was quite dramatic if you were being honest, and dry too... yet you respected his decision with distancing himself from you, because after all, you are weird to him
one time he was in dire need of help, and so you did your best to aid him, this was the first time where he didn't gave you a cold shoulder, accepting the fact that he does need help and you were there whenever both him and steven needed you, and you weren't going to leave anytime soon,
maybe even never.
you were practically taking care of them at this point and you didn't mind about it, not one bit, you've grown to love steven and is starting to like marc too, establishing a relationship is really hard, there is no denying of that matter
yet slowly but surely, you know things are going to be okay for the three of you, you are sure of that,
it took weeks for steven to ask you out on a dinner date, and you were practically waiting for that moment, you smiled when you knew, steven didn't had the chance of finishing his sentence when you said yes. you could hear him jumping in joy behind you as you parted ways and ended the day outside the museum, a smile on your face as you listened to him,
steven looked adorable, even with the anxiety washing his whole figure, he was shaking uncontrollably and you had to place your hand in his in order for him to finally calm down, you said everything was going to be just fine and he nodded warily,
everything was pleasant, none of you rushed nor slowed the process of the date, it was pleasant to finally enjoy something without having to be forced to do it; you both talked about the most random things, how you got to where you are right now, how it all started, all your interests about mythologies, and all sorts of things, as usual
you didn't even focused on the food in front of you, you've only eaten half of it, it was untouched and almost cold while you were too invested with paying your attention to steven, the utensils perfectly untouched on it's position, both your hands finding a home together,
the dinner ended with the both of you walking on the sidewalk of the streets of london absentmindedly, hand in hand, smiling and giggling like little children, then you both stopped walking, steven initiated it, you looked back at him with confusion,
"steven...?" he didn't answered, which made you worried, he stood there, looking at you as if he had saw an angel...
steven opened his mouth then closed it once again, you furrowed your eyebrows, "what is it?" you asked softly, he swallowed the lump on his throat, finally looking away and removing his hands on yours, he looked down on his shoes, you said nothing, waiting for him to say something patiently...
"it's... it's quite complicated..." steven started speaking after a few minutes, you nodded for him to continue,
"it's fine─" "i really─"
you both stopped, wide eyes and hesitant to speak, you gestured for him to continue, "are you sure?" steven asked,
"yeah... uh... continue" you were practically one sentence away from fainting, what was happening? did you do something wrong? why does it seem to be so serious? anxiety was building up inside of you, but you had to be patient, steven wasn't the most confident person, and so you decided to just shut up.
"you're... i, i like you"
oh?
"like... like a lot, yeah... i like you a lot"
oh
you couldn't help but smile as you take his hands on yours again, steven hesitated, but gave in the second after your skin collided, "i know." you tried to mask your nervousness with a sly remark, steven blinked furiously, "pardon?"
"it's pretty obvious, plus, i'm not stupid" you let out a giggle,
"you're not stupi─ oh, goodness, shut it..." you stopped giggling as steven said those words, his eyes widened immediately and he apologized to you violently,
"that wasn't for you i'm really really sorry love..." steven ran a hand through his hair in a stressed manner, "sorry, it... it was marc, he's bothering me again" he rolled his eyes softly.
"what is he saying?" you smiled. "it's complicated... don't wanna bother you, really"
you raised an eyebrow and he took a deep breath, steven doesn't have a choice now...
"he... he said i should kiss you"
you hummed, amused as your clutch on his hand tightened just a bit, "oh, stevie... what's stopping you?"
in one blink of your eye you were his and he was yours, his lips were soft just like you imagined and you wished to stay like this forever.
being in love was beautiful, whatever made you feel that way, way back when you were on the library of kamar─taj, you had to thank it, because if it wasn't for that certain event, you wouldn't be here with steven,
after what happened that night, you never separated, steven was the sweetest person in existence, he was pretty much the one who needed help most of the time but he had always insisted with helping you as much as he can, and you appreciate that quite a lot,
museum dates were frequent, both of you were on the library most of the time, laughing and chatting and practically being in love, sometimes you'd go to cafes, and most of the time you're on your own places and just stare at each other all day,
marc had to deal with all of this, it's not like he had much of a choice, you would often see them fighting for no reason at all, sometimes you would see both steven and marc fight about something you didn't know about, you asked them about it, in which they would immediately dismiss,
you decided to find it out yourself, since you never really liked being the clueless person in the group, you've done all sorts of research before, this isn't going to be hard...
and it turns out steven, marc, the both of them, were khonshu's avatar, the god of the moon, you weren't that surprised since that's what you came for anyways, you've been waiting for this moment, you wanted to meet the god face to face, you were quite excited to discuss things with the said god, but marc declined almost immediately,
that annoyed you just a tad bit, you tried harder but the man was not budging, often changing the topic whenever you talk about the moon god,
you got tired, and you got furious, one night steven came home ( his apartment ) looking like he was about to die, his clothes were drenched in blood, both from him and whoever he...
or probably whoever marc had just hurt at that time, you were almost dying from the worry building up inside your chest, and immediately took care of the matter with shaky hands and ragged breaths,
steven was peacefully laying on the couch as you tend to his wounds, "thank you, sweetheart", you placed a kiss on his forehead as a response as you left and went to the kitchen to get him something to drink, when you got back he was sitting on the couch this time, and you immediately knew who it was, you walked in front of him with a small glare, still holding the glass of water,
marc looked up at you, his eyes tense and wary as you sat down beside him, placing the water on the table in front of you which you immediately took away,
the man beside you sighed, practically begging you to give him the glass of water but you ignored his pleas, "what were you doing?" you asked.
"none of your concern" he spat, giving up as he sighed exasperatedly, resting his head on the couch as he looked up at the ceiling.
"none of my concern? you're killing yourself!" you stated, glaring intensely at him, he looked down and glared back at you almost immediately,
"how many times do i have to tell you? i am here and i can always help the both of you as much as i can"
"we can handle it without your help, don't worry about it"
"yeah right, sure... but we can handle it better, with me" you remarked almost immediately.
finally giving the glass of water to him, he sighed contentedly and practically snatched the glass from you, marc motioned it towards, "cheers..." he said before devouring it's content, you stared at him with the most pissed look ever...
marc was out of breath once he was finished, looking back at you with a hesitant expression, he decided to talk, "can i have more...?"
you rolled your eyes, "what do you have to say first?"
"no."
that was his time to roll his own eyes, clearly struggling with standing up as he walked towards the kitchen, you immediately stood up and went after him,
"hey! don't walk away just like that!" you tried your best not to hit him in the shoulder for being too stubborn... you didn't want to hurt him, but that seemed to get his attention when he stopped walking,
"amazing, you actually listen to the things people tell you!" you exclaimed, laughing mockingly as you placed your hands on both of your hips, you both stared at each other with tense gazes,
"you know what?" marc started, "what?!" you answered almost immediately.
"screw it."
a glass shatter was heard but the both of you didn't mind nor cared about that matter as marc guided you back to the couch with a hand on your neck and waist, his kiss was rough and desperate,
as if it's the only thing that is keeping him alive and well at this point, the kiss was hot and messy, you found your hands on his hair as he continued to dominate your lips, both of your bodies were in heat in every touch, the temperature in the room said so itself,
things were about to escalate until marc hissed, or practically yelped, you opened your eyes immediately because of it, mind fuzzy and practically in shreds as you processed what just happened,
turns out you accidentally grasped one of his wounds while kissing and you jabbed it quite too hard for his comfort, you cursed to yourself as you immediately brought the first aid kit next to you, carefully patching marc up as you felt his gaze on you,
you looked up and the both of you didn't have to say anything, your actions did it for you,
realizing that you love both steven and marc was a magical day for you, something stronger than do spells you usually do and study.
the next day, steven confessed that you were the reason why they were fighting most of the time, marc had liked you for quite some time and steven knew about it,
you were quite surprised when steven said that he has been bothering marc to confess to you, you were glad that he didn't mind that someone else liked you, and that's what makes him an incredible person,
"are you sure you're... okay with it?" you asked for the tenth time that day. "oh god, of course, honestly, who's not going to fall in love with you?"
"and you like him too, don't you? eh?" steven gives you a boyish grin, tucking a strand of your hair on your ear as you giggled and blushed like a child, "oh! they're smiling" he teased.
"totally good with it, we're both good looking, that cannot be helped" he added proudly.
steven had always been so considerate of others even if others were not like that to him.
it's not like you were bragging but you three have the best relationship, and you really couldn't ask for more because this is all that you'll ever need,
you and steven would sneak in the library of kamar─taj sometimes to read ancient texts and marc would be against it, but he soon gave in, he would often co front with steven and say remarks about him not understanding a single thing in the book that steven was carefully reading,
"shut it, mate" that's what steven would always say.
you love them both so much, and till this day, they would often argue about who you love most, you all know that its just a joke, but you still have to reassure them with kisses on the both side of their cheek.
as for the moon god situation, you three had to eventually deal with it, marc can't keep you in the shadow for so long... the process took quite some time, you explained why you were here in the first place and they took the time to understand that you never necessarily came for them,
to be honest you thought it was the end of it all... it's not like you lied to the both of them, you wished you told them about the matter sooner than later, but all was good because whatever you do, they still love you quite too much,
you suggested once that they can do anything to you as a form of revenge but you ended up in their couch, sipping the best tasting tea in all of the universe ( by yours truly, said steven ) as steven reads a book to you.
your first meeting with the god was not pleasant at all, the god hated you the moment he laid his non existent eyes on your figure and you did that too, only difference is that you have actual eyes...
expect the expected, gods ( some ) are incredibly awful pricks, including khonshu, there's not a single part of him that is not annoying, he was quite arrogant and demanding,
you offered helped once and he practically hissed at you like a feral cat, saying that you were not his avatar so he wouldn't trust you and all of that, you won't be able to forget that, you don't know if you were supposed to be offended or laugh about it.
you absolutely despised the way he treated steven and marc, one time you practically yelled about it to him, saying that he was more like a child than god, he was not offended but he was not impressed at all, good thing you didn't tried to kill each other that day.
you're not quite sure if it's the right term, but khonshu gaslighted the latter once into thinking that you were only with them because they had powers and you were an 'obsessed sorcerer freak' who wanted to gain it,
steven did not care when khonshu randomly said it while you and steven were in the living room, sitting next to each other on the couch while drinking tea together, khonshu appeared out of nowhere, and started to accuse you of planning ridiculous actions, steven awkwardly smiled at it once the god was finished with his rant,
a few hours later after marc was enlightened by the interaction... said that he would've had an argument with the god right there and now if only steven wasn't fronting at that time,
"you don't believe him, right?" you quipped silently,
not leaving your eyes on a book you were currently reading, "you serious?" marc immediately replied and you shrugged carelessly, "don't think it's possible unless you're his avatar" marc rolled his eyes as he stated the obvious,
"and you really don't have to, you don't even have to try most of the time and you finish things quicker than us"
marc ended everything with a kiss on your nose, you closed your eyes and grin, feeling him pause, you open your eyes and your smile softened,
"now, does our darling need another cup of tea?" steven asks.
still, khonshu, never stopped.
khonshu was terrifying, he would often appear out of nowhere and that would make you jump at any given moment, he does it most of the time whenever marc or steven is not near, he does not care about it really...
it's almost as if he's doing it on purpose, so you'd have a heart attack and die already... and he can have steven and marc for himself only,
you know well that you wont be able to defeat a god ( you can, but you don't want to bother as of the moment, you have lovers to take care of ) you just wanted to see how long it takes for khonshu to lose his patience on you,
marc and steven did not encourage it, but they didn't had a choice because you didn't really listened to what they had to say... steven shook his head multiple times and marc rolled his eyes.
the god's age is as long as his patience unfortunately, it's faltering quite a bit, but he's still finding ways to get rid of you... you didn't bothered with talking out things with him anymore, it was a never-ending process of negotiating and being mocked for doing it.
khonshu paused with his assault for a few days... and when you finally thought that things were gonna end on a good note, you came home to your lovers sitting uncomfortably on the couch as the god talked to them about going on another task of some sort, you practically jumped in the conversation with a subtle 'no.' flailing your arms in the air during the bold claim.
the god immediately paused, looking straight to your way, his body language shows that he was clearly irritated, you looked at him warily as you sat beside your lover, they were frozen on their spot, clearly pressured just moments ago.
an hour had passed as you tried your best to ignore the awkward atmosphere in the air, the god was still there, lurking in the dark parts of the apartment, you would often glare at the direction whenever you hear any movement from it... thinking and hoping that it was him,
hours had passed and he was still there, you felt him wander the walls waiting for you to go away. you were walking back to the living room with an apple on your hand, perhaps it was time for you to address the situation...
"pity, can't treat them like slaves because i am here, right?" you glanced around the room, soon catching your lovers worried eyes as you took a bite of the fruit, immediately choking soon after as the god appeared in front of you. you tried to maintain your composure in front of the god and your lover.
"quiet down, mortal" khonshu hissed, walking in front of you as you tried to keep your head up, he looked down at you as if he was going to eat you alive and rip you into shreds, you could sense the irritation radiating within him, but you really had to express your dissatisfaction of the situation involving the four of you, and you do not wish to not be able to do it sooner,
you furrowed your eyebrows as you wait for him to speak, "what do you wish for? riches? power? anything to get you out of our way?" the god hissed with so much power in his voice, he was trying his hardest to bribe you and you weren't really in the right place to ever think that he was lying about giving you what you truly wanted, he can grant you anything, he did it with marc, he can do it with yours too...
and yet, fuck it.
while scoffing, you crossed your arms, trying your hardest not to drop the fruit in your hand, not until steven... no, marc gently snatched it from you, giving you a familiar look with his eyes, before walking behind you, leaning on the wall.
"is that really what you think of me? i have no intention into stealing whatever they have, i've told this to you already."
"answer the question." the god took a step forward... he is insufferable.
"i'd rather eat my nails for breakfast, lunch and dinner, thank you" you immediately answered, earning a silent whimper from the person behind you, you glanced at them with a small shrug.
khonshu walked past you, "i'll see myself out" he announced, before disappearing, you looked back to him. "sure, let's talk about this later"
"whatever" wow.
you sighed heavily before walking towards marc and steven, "do you think he's ever going to listen love?" steven asked, you glanced down his hands, only to find your apple gone, you didn't asked anything about it and answered almost immediately before steven could say anything about it.
"perhaps? if it's about the both of you, he listens... kind of" you shrugged, crossing your arms as you continue to watch steven as he tries to find his words, but marc did it for him,
"he stopped bothering you, didn't he?" he asked steven, in which the man nodded immediately. "well... yes"
you paused for a moment, as you rub your chin in extreme focus, "but i don't think he'll listen again..."
that made steven chuckle dryly, "right, just because he's no longer bothering me doesn't mean he doesn't hate me" he stated the obvious, concealing his obvious discomfort of the situation with the cute smile he'd always give you and the others.
you sighed, "mhmm, sorry about that stevie..." he smiled, "don't think much of it sweetheart..." and then he paused, when he noticed that you seemed to be ready to speak about something,
"can we neutralize him instead?" you suggested out of nowhere, half joking.
"neutralize?!" steven and marc's accent combining with each other was quite an odd thing, but you had thought it was cute, even if they were in the same body and said the same thing at the same time, you could pick up who was who, marc started it and steven ended it with a high squeal, making you laugh dramatically.
"no, absolutely not" marc warns. "i know, i was kidding" you giggled, the chaos paused as you three stared at eachother in an unknown atmosphere, it wasn't awkward, but it was also not romantic, considering the fact that you were just planning to kill the god that basically revived them,
you should've been atleast tad bit grateful, there was no denying the fact that he was still the reason why marc and steven is still alive anyways.
"i'll find a way, i promise" you half whispered gently, while staring at their eyes as softly as you could... there was no reason to do so, but you still decided to do it, maybe it was to show that you were genuine about the not so new idea that you have been doing for the past few months...
they sighed, "its been months, you sure you're not tired?" marc asked, making you laugh as if it was a cruel joke. "me? tired? for the both of you? never" you deadpanned.
"i'll do anything..." you paused.
you stepped forward, "you two do me a favour first"
"what is it, love?" steven's eyes lit up, eager to help you with all that he has, making you smile graciously, you faced to the side and brought the left side of your face to them, as you asked for a kiss on your cheek, you smiled cheekily, waiting for steven, or marc or the both of them to do something.
there was a sudden movement after a few minutes of total silence in the room, his hands were on your body as he kissed you, not your cheeks but you,
their kiss was both tender and needy, a contrast between your two lovers, one hand was grasping your neck, squeezing it tightly every now and then making you gasp as they immediately entered their tongue inside you, it was probably marc...
the other hand was on your waist, gently caressing you as if you were porcelain, not daring to hurt you with how soft steven's hold on you was, they then switched places with you, and you were now leaning on the wall as their body towered over yours, as if you were in a cage, trapped in their body but you don't wish to escape,
your hands were all over them, hair, chest, jaw, cheeks, the kiss was filling every corner of your body, it was fulfilling in a way no other thing can complete you, it was steven and marc, it had always been them, and no one else,
their presence was like a gift from god, really, and no matter how different steven and marc may be, no matter how determined and serious marc is, and no matter how soft and caring steven was with you every time, there was one thing they were ever truly similar with, that you wont ever be able to tell apart from them...
and it was their love for you, so caring and tender, and so raw, it had always been one thing and not anything else... the way the both of them would make your stomach churn i everywhere without even trying, it is beautiful, there was never a time where it wasn't,
you were quite close to crying in joy, you could feel your tears prickle on your eyelids and you try to prevent them from falling down your red tinted cheeks,
the three of you pulled away the same time you opened your eyes, desperately gasping for air, lips red and swollen.
"you can do whatever you want with him, i really don't care" marc grumbled as he teased his lips on yours, his nose touching yours but he did not move any closer, his lips lingering like a kiss from a ghost and that made you blush just a tad bit, he then pulled away seconds later, suddenly fiddling with his hands in a shy manner,
you smiled tenderly, knowing exactly who it was "but it's better if you're both in good terms, yeah? love?"
"we'll figure it out" you murmured, resting your hands on their neck.
"together?" they both said yet again, their accent in an awful mix of what seemed to be a beverage that you were desperate to drink, quite awkward... yet so beautiful all the same, it was music to your ears.
the gods had gifted you abilities that you were yet to truly unleash, abilities to protect, and help others... to protect the weak and the helpless and those who were less fortunate,
you do not know who gifted you the chance to love though, it may be the gods, it may be from your own will, it may be the path that the universe gave you, but you promised that you won't waste it as much as you did not waste the chance to protect,
you do not know what it would feel to be forbidden from loving, but you were grateful that you weren't, you would thank anyone and everyone for being able to love, and to cherish and to hold someone so close to you and appreciate them forever,
you will protect anyone for marc and steven
and you will also love anyone for them,
everything and anything for them,
it was the first time that you wished for nothing in return,
"always." you said.