Fic: Prophecy

[csi_sanders1129]

Title: Prophecy
Chapters: 1/1
Author: csi_sanders1129 
Genre: Drama. Angst. Romance.
Ratings: K+, maybe T.
Word Count: 3039
Pairings/Characters: TommyMerton.
Synopsis: Merton's found a cure. But, does Tommy want to be human again? Especially if it means losing Merton?
Comments: Ugh, random plot bunny I've had for a while. Not 100% proud of it... BWoC characters not mine. Original characters are.

Prophecy

“Tommy!” Merton called, spotting his best friend crossing through the courtyard on campus, just outside of their dorm. He was juggling a Power-Aid and a highlighter in one hand and a sociology textbook in the other, studying for the exam that was to come the following Monday. When his roommate failed to respond, he noticed the headphones in place, the wire disappearing into his messenger bag. Rolling his eyes, he approached, plucking the headphones off his ears.

“Hey, Merton.” The football player didn’t even have to look up to know who had done it, slipping the book back into his bag and tossing the now-empty bottle into the nearest trashcan before slinging an arm over his friend’s shoulders. “Can you help me with the Bio homework when you get a chance? I am so lost on this electron transport thingy.”

Merton laughed. “Wow… Electron Transport ‘thingy’? You mean ‘chain’?” He teased, before remembering why he’d been looking for the boy in the first place. “Oh, I need to show you something.”

Raising a hopeful eyebrow, Tommy grinned. “Any chance it‘s the easiest way to memorize those Bio PowerPoint’s?”.

“Sadly, no…” Growing impatient, he grabbed Tommy’s arm, dragging him inside of the six-story building that housed their room.

“Hey, what’s the hurry?”

“You’ll see.” Merton promised, shoving his roommate into the elevator.

Tommy stared at him, watching intently, allowing the wolf to use its extra senses to determine whether imminent danger was possible. It sensed none. “Buddy, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

By now, the elevator had arrived and Merton was pulling him down the hall to their room. He unlocked the door, stepping into the small room, books lining the walls, a desk, and a bunk bed on either side of the room. Sports posters and trophies also decorated Tommy’s side of the room, while some of his old things covered his. Books were strewn about on Merton’s usually neat and organized desk, things were highlighted and pages tagged. “I kind of got distracted from my English paper… I was reading this book I forgot I had. And I think I found a cure.”

“A cure for what? Insomnia? Caffeine withdrawal?” When his best friend didn’t laugh, he understood. “For… that?” A nod was the only reply he received. “How…?”

Merton grabbed the heavy text from its spot on the desk, flopping down on his bed. “It’s an ancient prophecy. It’s in Latin, but I have it translated right. It says that on the 15^th full moon, 3 wolf spirits will be summoned and if you do what they ask they’ll turn you human again.”

Tommy stared in disbelief at the book. “It can’t possibly be that easy. There has to be a catch in there somewhere. There’s -always- a catch. Like if I give up the wolf I die, or have to become one of the spirits and wait for the next werewolf to come along, or someone else gets my powers.” He tried to read the foreign characters, only succeeding in making his head hurt.

“There’s not. The next full moon is October 20th. That’s tomorrow.” He assured the taller boy still hovering over his shoulder, sitting on the bed behind him. “Do you want to do this?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Well aren’t we just full of enthusiasm?” Merton teased, flipping to the next page of the book. “Do you have football practice or are we just hanging out tonight?”

“I’ll be back at seven.” He shrugged; digging through his closet for his uniform, now reminded that he had to leave. “See ya later, buddy.”

“See ya.” Merton smiled, still entranced by the book. He waited until the door was shut and locked before he dared read the words aloud again. “’On the eve of the fifteenth transformation, the stars shall align, creating the opportune moment, the full moon bared, his affliction released. This shifting of powers allows three great, wolven, spirits to come forth, and, if offered a willing host, called ‘The Protector’, bound by blood and soul to the Creator, the curse shall be lifted from him. The Protector must be an innocent and pure in heart, a defender of our kind, willing to give up life to rid the Creator of the scourge that overtakes him.’ - Wow, this is corny. - ‘The blood of wolves must have passed through the vessel’s veins, before reverting to a mortal state. A special bond is shared between the Creator and the Protector and it shall be tested. The Creator may not become aware of the sacrifice his Protector is making, or of his true involvement in the ritual. It is the ultimate test.’” He was willing to do anything for Tommy.

By the time Tommy returned from practice, Merton has resigned himself to his fate. Tomorrow night, he would sacrifice himself for Tommy, because it was the one thing he could do to prove how much he loved the younger boy without risking their friendship, because there was no way Tommy loved him back, and life without Tommy was not life at all. So, he plastered a convincing smile on his face as they sat through The Lost Boys for the thousandth time in the last year, taking advantage of his last days with his best friend.

“Buddy, what’s wrong?” The football player asked when the scene that Merton always complained about -no matter how many times they’d see the film- had not gotten its usual reaction tonight. The death of David usually sent Merton off on some tangent about predictability in horror movies.

“Nothing, I’m just trying to figure out what the best method for helping you with this ETC thing is.” He lied; amazed that Tommy hadn’t called him on it immediately.

He ended up falling asleep on the couch, his head resting against his roommate’s strong shoulder.

The next day came far too quickly for the older boy, as he knew what the night before them held. Upon waking, Merton found that they’d never actually made it to their beds. The TV had been turned off at some point, but he and Tommy were still sitting on the sofa, the elder boy still sleeping behind him. An arm was draped around his shoulder, keeping him close to his friend while they slept; the other was possessively stationed on his hip.

As Merton’s mind kicked into high gear pondering what this could mean, or, mare likely what it didn’t, he realized that the sooner tonight came the better. He didn’t want to risk their relationship now, not ever. Not when he’d fallen so hard.

His thoughts were quickly disrupted as the football player stirred, releasing his hold on the other boy to stretch. Merton missed the touch already. “

Their schedules were pretty much identical. Neither of them had classes on Saturdays, but Tommy did have a game. And, as always, Merton agreed to go. He sat in the bleachers and cheered his best friend on. Over the past year, Merton had come to understand the game and its objectives, even though the only player he paid attention to was Tommy.

The final score, a pleasing 24 to 10, declared State the winning team. Tommy, grinning ear to ear at the team’s victory, went in search of his best friend, only to find that the older boy had disappeared.

There was no trace of Merton in their dorm room, either. And, without any classes today or any projects due in the near future, there was no reason that he have bailed from the game early. However, the keys to the hearse were gone from their spot in Merton‘s desk. “That stupid prophecy…” He realized, bolting out of the room.

Tommy took off running out of the building, making it into the woods so he could wolf out and go faster. He raced back toward Pleasantville. Merton had said something about that, hadn’t he? It didn’t matter though, because he trusted the wolf to track him down. And it was leading him home.

“Merton!” Tommy shouted, spotting the older boy lying in the gazebo at the park, it felt like it had taken forever to get there, when in fact it took no time at all.

Three translucent beings surrounded the wooden structure, slowly becoming more and more visible, their gazes all fixed on the boy in the center.

“Get away from him!” Tommy dashed into the gazebo, leaning over Merton still form. “Buddy, wake up…Please, you have to wake up.”

“He won’t.” One of the voices around him whispered harshly, and he turned to see one of the figures that he had rushed passed. Only now did he realize they were wolves. The one that had approached him was pure white, with piercing golden eyes. “I am Alexiel, Goddess of the wolves. And you have summoned us.”

“I did not!” He protested, still holding Merton tightly, the boy’s head resting in his lap. “What did you do to him!?” He demanded, the wolf was infuriated.

“We’ve done as the prophecy says. We’ve taken a sacrifice to return you to your human state.” A second wolf announced. This one a dark smoky grey with a silver belly, calculating steel blue eyes staring at him.

“Aerith, hush.” The last wolf commanded, advancing as well. He was much smaller than the other two, a magnificent black, with traces of white evident on his shoulders and muzzle. “I am Amoen, the Prince of the Wolves.”

Tommy stared in disbelief at the creatures before him. “I knew there was a loophole in that prophecy somewhere! I don’t want to be human if it means losing Merton. I’m not letting you do this! He’s mine!” He growled, eyes flashing golden despite already being wolfed out. “You are not taking him from me!”

The wolf roared, the beat released. Tommy felt his body contort, his legs shrinking and bending at different angles, his nose elongating, his ears shifting to the top of his head, and his skin was now covered with coffee colored fur. He snarled, teeth bared, standing protectively over Merton’s form.

“It’s too late, we’ve already done so.” Alexiel informed him, the three wolves began circling around him.

“No! He belongs to me. No one touches him but me. I won’t let you take him! I won’t let you hurt him!” He snarled, eyes following the beasts as they prepared to attack.

The wolves steadily picked up speed, running circles around them now. Tommy growled, trying to keep them all in his line of sight, his body protecting as much of Merton as it could. “You can’t save him. He sacrificed himself for you. So you could return to human form.”

Fighting off the shock that came with that statement and concentrating instead on protecting the smaller boy, he growled deep in his throat. “I don’t want to be human! I want Merton!”

“Why? He’s just another human. You’re an alpha, one of the few left. You’re too good for the humans. That foolish boy sacrificed himself for you, and you won’t even let us turn you back and give the powers to someone worthy.” Aerith laughed, his voice seemingly coming from everywhere at once.

Tommy, sensing that Aerith was the imminent threat to Merton’s well-bring, concentrated on him, eyes narrowing as he held his ground. “He’s mine. My mate, and I’ll be damned of you’re going to take him away from me.” He pounced, landing in front of the silver wolf, jaws snapping.

The other wolfed snapped back, landing a bite on Tommy’s shoulder, moving again to go for the now defenseless boy in the center of the gazebo. “Who’s gonna stop me?”

“I am!” Tommy roared, pushing off the ground to gain extra strength, he launched himself forward, pinning the wolf to the ground, teeth bared against its neck. “Merton. Is. Mine.”

Aerith smirked, not at all phased by his position. “Congratulations. You have passed the test.”

Tommy was still growing furiously, not trusting whatever the wolf was saying. “Give me Merton back, now!” He demanded, releasing the bigger wolf.

“As you wish.” Amoen answered, now standing over Merton himself.

Tommy watched in horror as the wolf leaned down, biting Merton’s neck. “No!” He howled, springing forward and knocking the other wolf out of the way. However, there was no blood. “What did you do to him?” He snarled, glaring.

“Tommy…?“ The weak voice beneath him drew his attention, when he looked down; he saw Merton’s blue eyes staring up at him in terror.

“Shh…” He whispered, nuzzling the black haired boy’s neck. “It’s me. I won’t hurt you.” He laid down over the smaller boy’s body, as close to a hug as he could get while still in complete wolf form. “It’s okay…”

Slowly, Merton’s arms wrapped around the wolven frame, holding tightly. “What happened…?”

“Not now…” Tommy ordered, just concentrating on the smaller boy beneath him, just knowing he was okay now.

Alexiel was beside him, attempting to regain his attention. “Tommy, you have a choice.” She started. “You can remain a werewolf, or you can become a human again.”

It was then that he noticed he was no longer in wolf-form; his body had contorted itself back to normal, albeit with a lack of clothes. He grabbed his torn jeans, sliding back into them quickly and with a minimum of embarrassment. “Werewolf. There’s not a chance in hell I’d give up Merton for anything.”

“Tommy, don’t! This is your only chance to have things back the way they were!”

The football player turned abruptly, facing Merton, who was now sitting up. “Don’t you get it, Merton? I don’t want things to go back to the way they were. I don’t care if I’m the wolf, I care about you! I love you. I’d do anything to keep you here with me… I was so scared when I saw you… I thought I‘d lost my chance.”

At a complete loss for words, Merton just stared. He’d talked himself into this to ensure that his feelings would not endanger their friendship, but in doing so, he’d hurt Tommy. “I’m sorry…” He reached out, pulling the other boy close. “I just… I didn’t want to screw everything up… God, I’ve been in love with you forever.”

“Have you made your decision?” Amoen asked, the three wolves still beside them.

“Yes. I’m staying a werewolf.” Tommy stated, releasing his grip on Merton to face them.

“Very well, then.” They moved back to the spots they had been in when Tommy had arrived, surrounding the structure, slowly fading away until the two boys were left alone.

After a moment, the younger boy decided they‘d stayed long enough. “Come on, Merton. Let’s get out of here…” Tommy effortlessly pulled the smaller boy into his arms, carrying him back toward the hearse.

“I can walk, you know.”

“Don’t care.” In reply, Merton’s arms wrapped around his neck, holding tightly. He opened the back of the vehicle, maneuvering them both inside. “Why would you think I’d ever want you gone?”

Merton bit his lip. “I… didn’t. But, I thought, if you knew how I felt, you would. So I tried to show you how much I love you by giving you your old life back.” He hung his head, averting his gaze from his best friend.

Tommy’s fingers pushed his chin up, forcing him to meet golden eyes. “Hey, you wanna know why I will -never- give up the wolf?” The other nodded. “Because, had I not gotten bitten that night. We might never have become friends. I don’t even like thinking about not having you in my life, I don’t know how I managed for the first eighteen years. My old life doesn’t exist anymore. There’s just you and the werewolf, okay?”

“Yeah…” The black haired boy nodded, shifting closer to press his lips to Tommy’s in their first kiss. Tommy’s hands came up to mesh in his hair, keeping him as close as possible, while his own hands wrapped around his back. “Wait… stop.”

“What?”

“You’re bleeding.” Merton pulled his hand back to reveal blood.

“Oh, yeah…” Tommy stared at the wound on his shoulder. “One of the wolves bit me.”

The older boy moved to the font seat. “Come on, we can crash at the Lair tonight. We’ll go back to school in the morning.” He waited until Tommy was sitting in the passenger’s seat before he started driving.

Merton’s house was only a few minutes away, so it didn’t take long to get there. Not surprisingly, his parents were away on business. Becky really couldn’t care if he was there or not. The two quietly made their way down the basement steps to the room that was so familiar to them.

“Go sit down. I’ll get a bandage for your arm.”

“Alright.” The younger boy nodded, sitting on Merton’s bed. A moment later his best friend returned, a first aid kit, a bottle of peroxide and an old t-shirt in hand.

Merton wordlessly set to work on cleaning the wound, as he’d done many times before after battles. Tommy had done it for him, too, after much less heroic encounters with T’n’T.

“Thanks for this, Merton.” The shirtless boy whispered softly, as the gauze pad was placed over the disinfected gash. Once that was taped down, Merton helped him into the old 1985 Eagles t-shirt. “I really don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you, you know.”

Unable to think of a suitable reply to a statement like that, the elder simply pulled Tommy down into the soft blankets of the bed, simply lying beside him. “Me neither.”

He ran his hands through the spiky black hair, watching as the gesture soothed his friend, as he’d always imagined it would. “You keep the wolf in check. You’re the reason I’m good.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“No, really. Those few weeks you were in Heidelberg. It was harder than ever to control it.” He countered, as exhaustion overwhelmed both of them. “Get some sleep, we’ll talk more in the morning, okay?”

Merton nodded, snuggling closer to the stronger boy. “Yeah. Love you.”

“You, too, Merton.” He smiled, his eyes drifting closed seconds after Merton’s did.