When Midnight Strikes-Sequel to Rumpelstiltskin's Reign (An FTRS/RAR AU)

III

HEATH

When Heath woke, every part of him felt exhausted. 

He felt it to his very bones, the aching kind of tiredness that made your muscles freeze up and scream in protest every time you had to move, the kind that made you want to cry or scream or hit something. 

Unfortunately, he was intimately familiar with it.

He opened his weak eyes and stared unsuprised at the bubble of green energy cocooning him, suspending him a few feet off the ground. It was one of Olivina's favorite punishments, this. It was a particular kind of energy that seeped into your skin, directly affecting your muscles and making them feel beyond awful with every movement. It forced you to stay completely still, or else feel terrible pain. But Olivina relished seeing her perpertrators in pain-she would force you to move with her wand, ignoring the way it made your being sing with agony. 

Heath struggled to remember what he'd done this time-and felt a sudden surge of panic. Though the movement sent ice cold daggers through his veins, he twisted his neck to the side and saw Devin suspended beside him, matching his gaze nervously. 

Suddenly Heath was made very aware of several things; his hair was a mess, her expression was terrified and confused, he'd gotten them into this mess, and there was no one around.

They were completely alone.

Though it would hurt, Heath ignored the pain and began to speak, fighting down a few unmanly squeaks of injury. "Dev-Devin." It felt good to say her name, and he barely refrained from smiling. "Have you-have you had this one before?"

She looked at him uncomprehendingly. She hesitantly opened her mouth, her eyes shut tight with what was clearly stalwart perserverance. Heath felt bad for talking to her-now she'd feel compelled to speak. "What do-what do you m-mean?" she forced out.

He averted his gaze. "Never mind."

Her face filled with confusion. 

Heath suddenly swelled with desperation. "At night," he burst out, "do you have the dre-"

The door slammed silently open. Olivina walked in with her usual air of fake annoyance. She chose to pretend these punishments inconvenienced her, but Heath knew she enjoyed them. Devin visibly tensed. Olivina stared at the two of them and smiled brightly. 

"Just back from dealing with another pair of you," she said, feigning exhaustion, "that insufferable Sasha. Always meddling with her little boy toy."

Again, the name struck a dagger through Heath's skull. He should know that name. 

"Let's get to it, shall we?" she asked brightly, all pretense of exasperation vanishing. She lifted her arms in a gross immitation of a conductor twirling his baton, swirling her wand cheerfully through the air. Devin gasped as she was thrown forward. Heath did the same. 

Caught up in a current beyond their control, Heath and Devin were swirled around each other in the manner of a venetian waltz.  If not for the fire running through his body, and the pain in Devin's eyes, he would have cherished the moment. It was awe-inspiring to see the way her hands fit in his, the way her hair bounced along her shoulders, the heat she gave off, the way his constant pull of need, recognizing her every being, his desire to ask her every question burning through him. He would later dwell on the moment for hours, but for now, all on his mind was the pain he felt.

And Devin's forcefully shut eyes, the hisses of pain that escaped her, and the swell of protection rising and rising in Heath's chest.

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