His apartment somehow became worse than usual, now that Percival knew he could never leave it. He had no work, Tina had forbidden him from bringing anything home in his suitcase on Thursday, and he couldn't settle to the wireless or his books. Instead he cleaned and scrubbed and did laundry, all by hand rather than by magic so he could do something to keep busy. It took hours and Percival had just collapsed on the couch, finally exhausted enough to possibly sleep, when someone knocked at his door.
If someone knocking on his office door was unusual, then it was even more so when it was his apartment door. He made up a timed message to go to Tina, early warning in case Grindelwald had come back, and then raised his wand before answering the door. Newt was standing there case in hand.
"What are you doing here?" Percival asked.
"The creatures are fine by the way," Newt said, obviously still irritated with Percival. He pushed his way in without a word and accidentally hit Percival with his case as he did so.
"They were getting worked up because I was there," Percival said. "You got them calm because I left. I still don't know why you're here, we finished our conversation." It was not an experience Percival wanted to have again, it had hurt enough the first time.
"No, you talked and expected us to go with it," Newt said quietly. He was still angry, that much was obvious, but Percival was right here. Credence and Newt would do better together than with him in the mix and it would be better for everyone if they just accepted it. Newt put the case down and knocked on the lid.
"He can't come out here," Percival said, one arm outstretched to keep the lid of the case down. "Grindlewald knows where I live, who knows what he has done to the apartment, and he's escaped."
Newt stared at him like he had lost his mind. "Grindlewald has been spotted in Europe. I don't think even he could apparate across the Atlantic. And if you're so worried about Grindlewald, why haven't you moved out of this flat?"
Percival set his jaw. Reasons chased themselves around his head, each one more ridiculous than the last, though all were true. "I won't have him chase me out of my home." Though it was less like his home everyday. "He already did his best to destroy my professional reputation, I wasn't going to let him have this as well." He already had Percival's peace of mind and his dreams, though he neglected to mention those to Newt.
"Look, we have to have this conversation and it's either in the flat or down in the case." Newt gestured sharply. Percival considered the pros and cons of each but eventually it was the thought of what Newt would say if his creatures got injured attacking Percival again that had him pulling his hand back and allowing the crate to open. Credence climbed out, slow and steady.
To see the two of them in Percival's flat was excruciating considering what was to come. To distract himself, Percival stood up and offered them a drink. Both Newt and Credence blinked in surprise but said nothing so Percival made up some coffee, without magic just to draw it out. Newt looked displeased, but took the coffee without a word, while Credence took one sip and proceeded to add cream and sugar by the spoonful into the cup.
"Percival," Credence said quietly after the three of them had sat and drank their coffee in an awkward silence for a long few minutes. "I'm sorry we've been ignoring you this past week." He kept his head down when Percival glanced at him, both hands curled around the coffee cup.
"Credence, that's not why we're having this conversation," Percival replied. "A Golden Snidget is a once in a lifetime opportunity, I understand why you both wanted to focus on that." He glanced at Newt, who seemed to soften at this explanation. "But it may me realise that you two fit together in a way that works. I'm not really a part of that."
Newt and Credence exchanged glances, then Newt spoke. "Look, words aren't going to really do much here. We can say you're wrong and it's never going to actually sink in until we've proved it over and over again. Are you going to let us prove it?"
Percival hesitated and once again the realisation that Credence was dead at Percival's hand came back to him. He was weak though, he had managed to leave Newt and Credence once but he couldn't do it again. "Fine."
"A little more enthusiasm would be great," Newt commented dryly. "You have to promise that you will talk to us and let us show you. In return we will promise that we will make sure you aren't left out in the cold." He glanced at Percival sharply as if a thought occurred to him. "Why did you go into the snow habitat?"
"I needed to rebuild my Occlumency shields and that was a peaceful enough place to do so," Percival explained.
"Queenie said- " Credence paused and restarted hesitantly when Percival and Newt waited patiently for him to finish. "Queenie said you saw some things when you were infected by the potion. What did you see?"
That was not a subject Percival wanted to get into but if he ever wanted Newt and Credence to understand what Percival was saying, about how he didn't fit with the two of them and how he was worthless in the relationship, then he needed to expose everything. Every dark thing Grindelwald had sown into him, every cowardly impulse Percival had had, everything. "I got memories. Or things that hadn't happened yet. So I didn't see this happen but I felt like it had already happened." Percival took another sip of his coffee for strength. "You were dead, Credence, by someone wearing my face. You hated me, Newt, for killing Credence." It was strange how something which had haunted him for so long, the potion had to draw it up from somewhere after all, could sound so bland in so few words.
"But it wasn't you," Credence said, sounding confused. Newt fidgeted. "I don't understand why Newt would hate you for that."
"I wouldn't and I don't," Newt said strongly. Percival kept his head down. "Look, can we go into the case? Now we've had this conversation, I would prefer all three of us to sleep together and that bed is not big enough for all three of us."
"Newt, is that such a good idea?" Percival shifted from foot to foot. "You know what happened last time."
"That's only because the three of us decided to have a loud argument right by them. I'm not surprised they got annoyed." Newt was already going down into the case and after a brief mental struggle, Credence climbed down first and Percival next.
Newt had disappeared as soon as Pervical came to the bottom of the ladder and he tried not to let the stab of disappointment show on his face. Credence was still here, doing something with the bed. "Can you make the bed bigger with that spell you use?" Credence gave a wistful glance down where he kept his wand and Percival did what he asked without a word. The bed now resembled more like a king sized one than the narrow single of before.
Newt came back from feeding his animals and closed the door behind him. Credence had got Percival into bed, both of them dressed in their sleepwear, and Newt slid off his jacket and suit before climbing straight into bed. The lights dimmed.
"We aren't complete without you," Newt whispered. It sounded louder in the dark.
"Don't leave us," Credence added. Percival let their warmth sink into him and let himself believe, just for a moment, that he could have this.
Well, this was very fun to write even if Percival Graves angsting took up many more words than I expected. Also I can't count.
2nd FILL - Credence/Newt/Percival: Percival feeling left out and insecure (4/4)
If someone knocking on his office door was unusual, then it was even more so when it was his apartment door. He made up a timed message to go to Tina, early warning in case Grindelwald had come back, and then raised his wand before answering the door. Newt was standing there case in hand.
"What are you doing here?" Percival asked.
"The creatures are fine by the way," Newt said, obviously still irritated with Percival. He pushed his way in without a word and accidentally hit Percival with his case as he did so.
"They were getting worked up because I was there," Percival said. "You got them calm because I left. I still don't know why you're here, we finished our conversation." It was not an experience Percival wanted to have again, it had hurt enough the first time.
"No, you talked and expected us to go with it," Newt said quietly. He was still angry, that much was obvious, but Percival was right here. Credence and Newt would do better together than with him in the mix and it would be better for everyone if they just accepted it. Newt put the case down and knocked on the lid.
"He can't come out here," Percival said, one arm outstretched to keep the lid of the case down. "Grindlewald knows where I live, who knows what he has done to the apartment, and he's escaped."
Newt stared at him like he had lost his mind. "Grindlewald has been spotted in Europe. I don't think even he could apparate across the Atlantic. And if you're so worried about Grindlewald, why haven't you moved out of this flat?"
Percival set his jaw. Reasons chased themselves around his head, each one more ridiculous than the last, though all were true. "I won't have him chase me out of my home." Though it was less like his home everyday. "He already did his best to destroy my professional reputation, I wasn't going to let him have this as well." He already had Percival's peace of mind and his dreams, though he neglected to mention those to Newt.
"Look, we have to have this conversation and it's either in the flat or down in the case." Newt gestured sharply. Percival considered the pros and cons of each but eventually it was the thought of what Newt would say if his creatures got injured attacking Percival again that had him pulling his hand back and allowing the crate to open. Credence climbed out, slow and steady.
To see the two of them in Percival's flat was excruciating considering what was to come. To distract himself, Percival stood up and offered them a drink. Both Newt and Credence blinked in surprise but said nothing so Percival made up some coffee, without magic just to draw it out. Newt looked displeased, but took the coffee without a word, while Credence took one sip and proceeded to add cream and sugar by the spoonful into the cup.
"Percival," Credence said quietly after the three of them had sat and drank their coffee in an awkward silence for a long few minutes. "I'm sorry we've been ignoring you this past week." He kept his head down when Percival glanced at him, both hands curled around the coffee cup.
"Credence, that's not why we're having this conversation," Percival replied. "A Golden Snidget is a once in a lifetime opportunity, I understand why you both wanted to focus on that." He glanced at Newt, who seemed to soften at this explanation. "But it may me realise that you two fit together in a way that works. I'm not really a part of that."
Newt and Credence exchanged glances, then Newt spoke. "Look, words aren't going to really do much here. We can say you're wrong and it's never going to actually sink in until we've proved it over and over again. Are you going to let us prove it?"
Percival hesitated and once again the realisation that Credence was dead at Percival's hand came back to him. He was weak though, he had managed to leave Newt and Credence once but he couldn't do it again. "Fine."
"A little more enthusiasm would be great," Newt commented dryly. "You have to promise that you will talk to us and let us show you. In return we will promise that we will make sure you aren't left out in the cold." He glanced at Percival sharply as if a thought occurred to him. "Why did you go into the snow habitat?"
"I needed to rebuild my Occlumency shields and that was a peaceful enough place to do so," Percival explained.
"Queenie said- " Credence paused and restarted hesitantly when Percival and Newt waited patiently for him to finish. "Queenie said you saw some things when you were infected by the potion. What did you see?"
That was not a subject Percival wanted to get into but if he ever wanted Newt and Credence to understand what Percival was saying, about how he didn't fit with the two of them and how he was worthless in the relationship, then he needed to expose everything. Every dark thing Grindelwald had sown into him, every cowardly impulse Percival had had, everything. "I got memories. Or things that hadn't happened yet. So I didn't see this happen but I felt like it had already happened." Percival took another sip of his coffee for strength. "You were dead, Credence, by someone wearing my face. You hated me, Newt, for killing Credence." It was strange how something which had haunted him for so long, the potion had to draw it up from somewhere after all, could sound so bland in so few words.
"But it wasn't you," Credence said, sounding confused. Newt fidgeted. "I don't understand why Newt would hate you for that."
"I wouldn't and I don't," Newt said strongly. Percival kept his head down. "Look, can we go into the case? Now we've had this conversation, I would prefer all three of us to sleep together and that bed is not big enough for all three of us."
"Newt, is that such a good idea?" Percival shifted from foot to foot. "You know what happened last time."
"That's only because the three of us decided to have a loud argument right by them. I'm not surprised they got annoyed." Newt was already going down into the case and after a brief mental struggle, Credence climbed down first and Percival next.
Newt had disappeared as soon as Pervical came to the bottom of the ladder and he tried not to let the stab of disappointment show on his face. Credence was still here, doing something with the bed. "Can you make the bed bigger with that spell you use?" Credence gave a wistful glance down where he kept his wand and Percival did what he asked without a word. The bed now resembled more like a king sized one than the narrow single of before.
Newt came back from feeding his animals and closed the door behind him. Credence had got Percival into bed, both of them dressed in their sleepwear, and Newt slid off his jacket and suit before climbing straight into bed. The lights dimmed.
"We aren't complete without you," Newt whispered. It sounded louder in the dark.
"Don't leave us," Credence added. Percival let their warmth sink into him and let himself believe, just for a moment, that he could have this.
Well, this was very fun to write even if Percival Graves angsting took up many more words than I expected. Also I can't count.