Credence enjoyed dinner with his husband, even if he hadn’t been the one to prepare it. He could feel the lingering effect of his husband’s magic over him, a warmth that covered his skin, never trapping but securing him, keeping him safe. It was almost an embrace. “You could have told me about Mister Grindelwald.” He said softly, not wanting to challenge his husband but concerned that he hadn’t mentioned it. He frowned as he saw pain flash across Mister Graves’ face. “I should have done.” Mister Graves agreed. “But you should have told me about the glasses.”
Credence ducked his head and nodded. “I should have.” He agreed. It had been a mistake. He had risked losing Mister Graves, and Mister Graves could have fixed it with a mere wave of his wand. Mister Graves rested a hand on Credence’s shoulder, guiding him to look up at him. “Hey. Credence, it’s okay.” A thumb brushed his cheek, and he leaned into the contact. “I didn’t want to frighten you if you knew it wasn’t me.” “You’re a good man.” Credence said, and he knew that to be true. His husband was kind. That hadn’t been why Ma had handed him over, but it was the truth, and one that he was grateful for.
“I am not. But I try to be. I don’t want you to ever do what you did this afternoon, do you understand? You could have been hurt.” “I won’t.” Credence said softly, and let Mister Graves embrace him. “Could I ask you for something sir?” “You can ask, but I can’t promise I’ll give.” “Mister Gra-“ Credence caught himself and tried again. “Mister Grindelwald gave me a list of what he wanted. He wanted me to wake him up using my mouth, to cook for him every night, to agree to whatever he wanted… there were some other things. A lot of them. He had told Ma he would hurt me a lot, beat me and…” Credence shivered, feeling Mister Graves tighten his arm around him in response. That gesture calmed him. “I don’t know what you want.” “I want you Credence.” His husband said, his voice gentle, as though what he was saying was simple. Credence bowed his head, and Mister Graves leaned in closer. “Don’t give up Credence. I’m not going to send you away.” “Thank you.” Credence whispered, his voice dropping to match Percival’s, whispering to him as they leaned against each other.
Mister Graves huffed softly and pulled away. “I guess you’ll be staying.” He murmured, then turned to the chair. Credence watched in wonder as it lengthened, changing into a bed. “For you, for now at least.” His husband told him, and Credence obediently climbed in. The bed was soft and warm, and Mister Graves placed a blanket over him tenderly. He closed his eyes to sleep.
***
Percival slipped into his own room and warded the door closed. This evening had gone better than he could have expected. The thought of writing out his own list of things he wanted made his insides twist, brought back too many memories of Grindelwald, but it was clear that was what the boy needed. It was only logical that Credence wanted to know what to expect. Life without such a list must have been frightening. He still wished he didn’t have to give it.
He set a spell to wake him in the morning, knowing that they had clothes to buy. Taking Credence into MACUSA’s heart would expose him to the wizarding world which should have been his birthright. But it would also be a public acceptance of Credence as a partner, if not a husband. For now, he could send Credence away, and despite the agony it would cause the boy no one would know. Taking him into MACUSA’s offices would declare his relationship to the world. It would make it harder for him to be rid of Credence in the future.
He worked for a short while, before closing his eyes and trying to sleep. His nights were haunted by memories of Grindelwald, and the ever-present question of what, exactly, his intentions were towards Credence. Grindelwald had chosen the younger man, and why Percival did not know. If he understood that, it seemed possible that he would work out his own relationship to him. He didn’t want to be like Grindelwald, to take from a frightened man who had already lost so much.
As sleep claimed him it was full of memories of Percival’s time in prison. He remembered the agony of being chained, of being tortured, and knowing that no one could hear you scream. He remembered Grindelwald’s smirk as he had talked about using Percival’s own face to find No Majs, torturing them until their hearts gave out. Lying about which aurors were alive and which he had killed. Percival could picture Grindelwald standing in front of him, glaring at him and then laughing. ‘You really think you are so different from me?’ the image asked, and Graves shuddered. Then, in the dream, the pain started. He could remember the agony of the cruciatus curse with the same vividness he had felt at the time.
In the dream, he was screaming, lost in pain. He screamed in reality as well, waking only at a knock on the door followed by a sound of pain.
***
Credence could hear someone screaming, recognised the voice of his husband. He got to his feet and hurried to his husband’s room.
He slammed his hand into the wood, and yelped as his hands were burned by the contact. He glanced at them, and found that they were unmarked – the momentary flash of pain had done no damage. He repeated the action, trying to hold in the yelp this time. He couldn’t leave his husband alone if he needed him, even if that meant that he would have to be injured to achieve his goal. He shoved at the door again. “Mister Graves?” He tried to picture Mister Graves in his mind, in case it would help him to get in. The door opened, and his husband picked him up, examining his hands carefully. “Are you alright?” Credence asked softly. “I heard screaming.” “I’m fine.” Mister Graves promised. “Just nightmares. Are you alright?”
Credence nodded, then paused and followed his husband into the bedroom. “I slept all day yesterday, and I can rest while you’re at work. I will keep watch.” Credence said, his voice soft but determined. For a moment Graves opened his mouth to protest, but he breathed out slowly. He nodded, allowing himself to lie down on the bed for a little longer. Credence sat beside him, reaching out to stroke Graves’ hair. He relaxed as Graves nuzzled into the touch.
Fill: Broken and Kept (Part 13/?)
“You could have told me about Mister Grindelwald.” He said softly, not wanting to challenge his husband but concerned that he hadn’t mentioned it. He frowned as he saw pain flash across Mister Graves’ face.
“I should have done.” Mister Graves agreed. “But you should have told me about the glasses.”
Credence ducked his head and nodded.
“I should have.” He agreed. It had been a mistake. He had risked losing Mister Graves, and Mister Graves could have fixed it with a mere wave of his wand. Mister Graves rested a hand on Credence’s shoulder, guiding him to look up at him.
“Hey. Credence, it’s okay.” A thumb brushed his cheek, and he leaned into the contact. “I didn’t want to frighten you if you knew it wasn’t me.”
“You’re a good man.” Credence said, and he knew that to be true. His husband was kind. That hadn’t been why Ma had handed him over, but it was the truth, and one that he was grateful for.
“I am not. But I try to be. I don’t want you to ever do what you did this afternoon, do you understand? You could have been hurt.”
“I won’t.” Credence said softly, and let Mister Graves embrace him. “Could I ask you for something sir?”
“You can ask, but I can’t promise I’ll give.”
“Mister Gra-“ Credence caught himself and tried again. “Mister Grindelwald gave me a list of what he wanted. He wanted me to wake him up using my mouth, to cook for him every night, to agree to whatever he wanted… there were some other things. A lot of them. He had told Ma he would hurt me a lot, beat me and…” Credence shivered, feeling Mister Graves tighten his arm around him in response. That gesture calmed him. “I don’t know what you want.”
“I want you Credence.” His husband said, his voice gentle, as though what he was saying was simple. Credence bowed his head, and Mister Graves leaned in closer. “Don’t give up Credence. I’m not going to send you away.”
“Thank you.” Credence whispered, his voice dropping to match Percival’s, whispering to him as they leaned against each other.
Mister Graves huffed softly and pulled away.
“I guess you’ll be staying.” He murmured, then turned to the chair. Credence watched in wonder as it lengthened, changing into a bed.
“For you, for now at least.” His husband told him, and Credence obediently climbed in. The bed was soft and warm, and Mister Graves placed a blanket over him tenderly. He closed his eyes to sleep.
***
Percival slipped into his own room and warded the door closed. This evening had gone better than he could have expected. The thought of writing out his own list of things he wanted made his insides twist, brought back too many memories of Grindelwald, but it was clear that was what the boy needed. It was only logical that Credence wanted to know what to expect. Life without such a list must have been frightening. He still wished he didn’t have to give it.
He set a spell to wake him in the morning, knowing that they had clothes to buy. Taking Credence into MACUSA’s heart would expose him to the wizarding world which should have been his birthright. But it would also be a public acceptance of Credence as a partner, if not a husband. For now, he could send Credence away, and despite the agony it would cause the boy no one would know. Taking him into MACUSA’s offices would declare his relationship to the world. It would make it harder for him to be rid of Credence in the future.
He worked for a short while, before closing his eyes and trying to sleep. His nights were haunted by memories of Grindelwald, and the ever-present question of what, exactly, his intentions were towards Credence. Grindelwald had chosen the younger man, and why Percival did not know. If he understood that, it seemed possible that he would work out his own relationship to him. He didn’t want to be like Grindelwald, to take from a frightened man who had already lost so much.
As sleep claimed him it was full of memories of Percival’s time in prison. He remembered the agony of being chained, of being tortured, and knowing that no one could hear you scream. He remembered Grindelwald’s smirk as he had talked about using Percival’s own face to find No Majs, torturing them until their hearts gave out. Lying about which aurors were alive and which he had killed. Percival could picture Grindelwald standing in front of him, glaring at him and then laughing. ‘You really think you are so different from me?’ the image asked, and Graves shuddered. Then, in the dream, the pain started. He could remember the agony of the cruciatus curse with the same vividness he had felt at the time.
In the dream, he was screaming, lost in pain. He screamed in reality as well, waking only at a knock on the door followed by a sound of pain.
***
Credence could hear someone screaming, recognised the voice of his husband. He got to his feet and hurried to his husband’s room.
He slammed his hand into the wood, and yelped as his hands were burned by the contact. He glanced at them, and found that they were unmarked – the momentary flash of pain had done no damage. He repeated the action, trying to hold in the yelp this time. He couldn’t leave his husband alone if he needed him, even if that meant that he would have to be injured to achieve his goal. He shoved at the door again.
“Mister Graves?” He tried to picture Mister Graves in his mind, in case it would help him to get in. The door opened, and his husband picked him up, examining his hands carefully.
“Are you alright?” Credence asked softly. “I heard screaming.”
“I’m fine.” Mister Graves promised. “Just nightmares. Are you alright?”
Credence nodded, then paused and followed his husband into the bedroom.
“I slept all day yesterday, and I can rest while you’re at work. I will keep watch.” Credence said, his voice soft but determined.
For a moment Graves opened his mouth to protest, but he breathed out slowly. He nodded, allowing himself to lie down on the bed for a little longer. Credence sat beside him, reaching out to stroke Graves’ hair. He relaxed as Graves nuzzled into the touch.