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ladyinbooks · 1 year

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About 300 million years ago, @fairflimsyficklefairy talked of a scenario where Hess ends up adopting a dog (and wreaking vengeance on its previous owner). I loved this idea an awful lot, and promised a ficlet. At last, it’s finished! (And @fairflimsyficklefairy I’m so sorry it’s taken so long.)

Title: Worse than his bark Summary: Hespherus Jones: dog dad. Warnings: Usual Hess shenanigans; non-descriptive mention of animal neglect; surprisingly fluffy

“You’ve…got a dog,” Hess says, blinking at Dan.

He’s standing in the living room, shirtsleeves rolled up, hands on his hips as he stares at the bundle Dan’s holding in his arms. He looks disturbingly normal – just another doctor, finished work for the day. A little rumpled and tired, and staring bemusedly at the stray his partner’s picked up.

Were this any other time – any other man, Dan thinks dryly – the whole situation might almost be true.

“He’s a rescue,” he says, and watches the way Hess tilts his head. “We got a call this afternoon from a concerned neighbour. They were going to phone the RSPCA to come and collect him, but –”

“You brought him home instead,” Hess finishes. He blinks again. “And you thought this was a good idea?”

“It’s my house. I can get a dog if I want.”

“You can,” Hess says slowly. “I’m just not entirely sure why you’d want one, but –”

“Because sometimes it’s nice to have someone around who isn’t you!” Dan snaps, a little more viciously than he’d meant to.

The tone of his voice makes the pup in his arms shiver. Guiltily, Dan holds him a little more gently, rubbing his side reassuringly with a thumb. It’s not the poor thing’s fault that he’s been dropped into the middle of a typical Wednesday afternoon meeting of the Hespherus Jones Jealousy Club.

Hess raises an eyebrow. “And does he have a name?” he asks, and for one ridiculous moment, Dan thinks he’s got away with the whole thing.

“Angus.”

“Angus,” Hess repeats. He takes three steps forward and plucks the dog from Dan’s arms, before Dan can stop him.

“No, wait –”

Hess holds the dog up high over his head, face tipped back to look at him. From this angle, the size of Angus’ paws, and the sturdy block of his body are more pronounced. Dan’s not entirely sure what breed he is – a mix of many – but the softness of his big brown eyes had tugged at a part of himself he’d thought long buried.

“Angus,” Hess says again, and this time it’s much gentler. In his grip Angus wriggles a little, smashing one hefty paw down onto Hess’s forehead.

“Give him back,” Dan says. “Don’t you dare –”

The look Hess shoots him from under Angus’s paw is scornful. “Don’t be so bloody ridiculous,” he says sharply. “I’m not going to hurt him.” Carefully, he lowers Angus until he’s cradled against his chest. “He needs a bath.”

“He needs a…”

Oh God. This is it. Dan has finally lost it, hasn’t he? He’s actually standing here, in his own living room, with a man who has so many issues that he’s prepared to murder someone for looking at Dan in the wrong way, and he’s –

Talking about giving the dog a bath.

Dan swallows back a tiny hiccup of hysterical laughter. “Are you going to bathe him?”

“Of course.” Hess drops a small kiss to the top of the dog’s head. “He needs flea treatment too, and a wormer. Is there a vet local to us?”

Yes, Dan’s finally lost his grip on reality. It’s the only explanation. He’s standing here, and the Beast is talking to him about flea treatment. Good God. It really is the end of the world.

“I’ll see if I can find out,” he says, hopelessly wrong-footed.

“If you can’t find anyone, ask Abi,” Hess says absently. “She’ll be able to look someone up.”

“Right,” Dan says, dazed, as Hess makes a gentle little cooing noise at the dog. “I’ll look now.”

He watches as Hess wanders out of the room, talking softly to the bundle wrapped up in his arms. The whole thing is bizarrely normal, to the point it’s making Dan’s head hurt.

If he’s honest, this wasn’t at all what he expected when he brought the dog home. He’d half anticipated a flat-out argument, and Hess banning Angus from anywhere that could be considered shared space at all. Worse, he’d had the worrying thought that Hess might get rid of the dog altogether.

“I’ve fucking lost it,” Dan says quietly to himself, as he hears Hess coo something in the kitchen.

Then he goes to find his phone, so he can look up a vet.

********

“You’ve…got a dog,” Abaddon says, blankly horrified.

The look on her face is priceless, and Hess takes a moment to revel in it.

He’s got Angus perched on his desk, letting the pup gnaw at his fingers. His sharp little baby teeth are wickedly painful whenever they catch a knuckle, but it’s worth it for the lack of destroyed paperwork and Abaddon’s expression.

“Dan found him,” he says with exactly the right amount of cheerful menace to have her frowning. “He wanted to keep him.”

“And you let him?”

“There was no ‘let’ about it. I wanted to keep him too.”

Abaddon eyes Angus dubiously. “You wanted to keep a puppy.”

“No, not just any puppy. I wanted to keep Angus.”

“You’ve named it?” Her expression sours even further. “Now you’ll never get rid of it.”

A particularly vicious nip to Hess’s thumb has him wincing. When he looks down, Angus has his oversized paws wrapped around one of Hess’s wrists. He’s gumming away happily, the look on his blunt little face suspiciously content.

“I’m not planning to get rid of him,” Hess says, softer than he meant to. He hears the small, stifled noise of alarm that Abaddon lets slip, and jerks his head up to look at her.

“Is that a problem?” he asks coldly.

“It’s not really in keeping with your image, is it?” she says. “I mean, having a puppy here while you’re working sends out the wrong message.”

Angus grumbles to himself as Hess pulls his fingers away. He scratches behind the pup’s ears, and raises an eyebrow at Abaddon. “I think it sends out precisely the right message.”

“What, ‘I’ll look after you, if you’re cute enough’?”

“Abaddon.”

It’s the limits of what she can get away with, and they both know it. She scowls, and huffs out an exasperated little sigh. “Fine. Don’t blame me when you push more subordinates in the direction of the rebellion.”

This time he smiles at her, and it is all teeth. Abaddon is too careful to flinch – she knows better than to show such weakness – but she stills. And for a moment, Hess is positive they are both thinking about the last time he was wrists-deep in her, and how she very nearly didn’t walk away after her own little attempt at insubordination.

“If you hear any suggestions that the other side are gaining more of our people,” he says, “then you will tell me immediately. Is that clear?”

“Yes,” she says curtly. Angus lets out a soft little yap, disgruntled now he has nothing to gnaw on. Abaddon’s gaze flickers down to him. “And the… animal?”

“He stays.”

Her mouth very pointedly doesn’t curl into a sneer.

“Fine,” she says. “Just don’t ask for help when it pisses on the carpet.”

********

“You… got a dog,” Raum says, surprised.

The Beast had called him into his office. That hadn’t been a shock – the boss likes to touch base with any demon that’s been Above for a long stretch – but the sight of an oversized mutt gambolling its way across the floor to chew on Raum’s shoelaces is definitely not what he was expecting.

“Is it a problem?” the Beast asks, without looking up from the papers on his desk.

It’s not. But even if it were, Raum isn’t stupid enough to say so. Absently, he reaches down to run a thumb over the fur on the little menace’s head. Its coat is short, but surprisingly soft.

“Not a problem,” he says. From the corner of his eye, he sees the boss glance up, and for a moment he seems to pause. But when Raum looks at him, he’s already shuffling through his papers again.

“Good, because I have a job for you.”

“Oh.”

There’s an odd swelling of something like pride, sitting in Raum’s chest. The boss doesn’t pick just anyone for jobs. There’s only the chosen few: trusted. Loyal. Until now Raum hadn’t even been sure the Beast really knew who he was.

“Paul Stafford. Forty-eight years old. Arrested two weeks ago on a charge of animal cruelty.” The Beast’s lips thin, and Raum feels a frisson of unease. “The arresting officer was PC Daniel Waters.”

Ah. It’s starting to make sense.

Raum has met the Beast’s Consort before, although he doesn’t think the man remembers. Daniel had fished him out of a fountain, saving him from fighting some drunken idiot in Trafalgar Square. Raum hadn’t particularly wanted that fight, and luckily for him he’d been saved in time by a stern-faced handsome man, who hadn’t treated him any differently to anyone else.

It had been… something of a revelation.

“Raum,” the Beast says patiently, and Raum blinks at him.

“Boss?”

“You’re not to let Dan know about this. Do I make myself clear?”

There’s no threat to his words – mostly because there doesn’t need to be. The Beast’s gaze is perfectly level; his expression neutral. He has his hands folded on the desk in front of him, as he watches Raum.

“Not a word,” Raum agrees. He looks down at the puppy still chewing on his shoelaces. “So, when you say a job…”

“I want him dealt with.”

“Painfully?”

A flash of teeth, white and sharp. “Slowly,” the Beast says. “And as messily as possible.” He leans back in his chair, still watching Raum. “I’ll deal with the necessary paperwork in the meantime.”

Humans, Raum has learnt over the last couple of years, do love their paperwork. So it’s generous of his boss to cover that for him – to leave him with the tasty parts of a job, without the tediousness that usually comes with filing for an extraction from Above.

“I’ll get it sorted,” he promises.

He pats the puppy on the head, and carefully removes his shoelaces from its mouth. He gets a sharp little nip in retaliation, but he’s had far, far worse. Besides, he knows it was an accident.

Raum’s got his fingers on the doorhandle, when the Beast clears his throat.

“Oh, and Raum?”

He looks over his shoulder. The Beast is still watching him; still perfectly calm and level. But there’s something sharp in the way he tilts his head; in the small, sly curve at the edges of his lips. He’s human, Raum knows, but nowhere human enough.

“Yes, boss?”

“Be creative.”

********

It’s not so much movement that wakes Dan, as its absence.

Hess has always been a twitchy sleeper. He tosses and turns, digging elbows into Dan’s sides and generally making a nuisance of himself, unless he’s wrapped around Dan so tightly it feels like their heartbeats are pressed together. He talks sometimes, too: muttering to himself in his sleep, in tongues that make Dan’s ears hurt.

Which is why, at half past midnight on a Wednesday, Dan is woken up by a decided lack of restlessness.

When he slides a hand across the sheets, the mattress next to him is warm. It means Hess can’t have gone far. For a moment he contemplates getting up to go and find him. But Hess is unlikely to be causing chaos at this time in the morning, and anyway Dan is half-certain he can hear him moving around in the next room.

He’s almost dozed back off to sleep, when Hess pads back into the room.

Dan cracks an eye open. In the darkness, he can just make out the broad width of Hess’s shoulders; the bowed dip of his head. He’s cradling something in his arms, careful and gentle as he slides back into the bed, settling on his side with his back to Dan.

“There,” he whispers quietly, and there’s a soft little thump as he deposits his burden down too. “Now, stop fussing.”

A little whuff of satisfaction has Dan blinking further awake. He could have sworn that sounded like –

“No,” Hess says softly, and not at all sternly. “Settle down now. You know the deal.”

Another little grumble, and Dan hears the unmistakable sounds of Angus scuffling around, as though he’s looking for a place to collapse. Even with the room so dark, Dan’s almost sure he can see a small little head pop up to look at him from over Hess’s hip.

He watches, and eventually there’s a yawn and the snap of sharp little puppy teeth clicking together. Another soft whump and then everything goes still again.

“He was crying in the kitchen,” Hess whispers, and it makes Dan jump guiltily, caught in the act of watching the pair of them.

“Yeah, but he’s still meant to stay in the kitchen.”

“He was crying,” Hess repeats stubbornly.

Dan’s lost this argument before it’s even begun. He sighs and rolls over onto his side too, staring hard at the bare curve of Hess’s shoulder. “And what happens when he grows? He’s going to be too big to fit on the bed.”

“We’ll get a bigger bed.” Hess says simply.

Of course we will, Dan thinks tiredly. Of course.

Because that makes perfect sense. The Beast, soft over nothing except a mistreated pup who is – apparently – going to be coddled like a little emperor.

“You’re washing the sheets when he moults,” he says to Hess, instead of half the things he’d like to.

“I wash them anyway.”

He does. Dan hasn’t got a leg to stand on, in this not-really-an-argument. “Fine,” he mutters. “But just remember who takes him out for walks when you’re…working.”

“Are you jealous?” Hess asks, sounding amused. He doesn’t roll over to look at Dan, but he shifts, fumbling a hand back until he can pat blindly at Dan’s thigh. “You’ve got nothing to be jealous of, sweet thing. He loves you too.”

Dan sighs. Almost in spite of himself he tips forward a little, resting his forehead against the top of Hess’s spine, near the nape of his neck. The tips of his hair tickle a little, but Dan ignores it. Hess runs hot – he always has – and the warmth of him is surprisingly pleasant. He drapes an arm over Hess’s hip and holds on.

Hess stills at Dan’s touch; then the lines of him relax all at once. “I love you as well,” he adds quietly into the darkness.

It doesn’t sound false. Or untrue. It might be a little unkind, given that he knows Dan’s at his most vulnerable right now – here, in the dark, with no pretence between them – but it doesn’t make it any less sincere.

“I know,” Dan says eventually. The back of his hand bumps into soft fur and a warm body. Under his knuckles he feels Angus chuff out a little grumble, but the pup doesn’t really stir.

Hess hums sleepily. He settles down further; lets Dan press close and hold him tighter. There’s something satisfied in him; something content. Like he’s got everything he needs here, in this moment, with nothing and nobody to gainsay it.

And Dan –

Dan’s got them too, hasn’t he? Both of them. An odd pair of creatures held safe in his arms, even at the risk of sharp teeth and bloodletting. It should be an uncomfortable realisation, and it’s not.

Oh hell, he thinks, resigned and a little soft, as he lets Hess wrap long fingers around his forearm, absent and fond.

We’ve got a dog.

#Ficlet Fridays #Hespherus Jones #Daniel Waters #Path to Paradise

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ladyinbooks · 11 months

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The fantastic DarKymi has created a bound copy of Path to Paradise! It looks absolutely fantastic!

You can find it HERE.

I love the simple elegance of it, and the dark, slightly old-school feel of the binding. It (very appropriately in my opinion!) puts me in mind of the Bibles that used to be lurking around when I was in Secondary school. And the endpaper is perfection. Suitably gothic, with just a lovely hint of Spring, renewal and rebirth. Also, I can’t go without mentioning the font, which I love. It’s so gorgeously readable, and easy on the eyes.

And as for the cover? Perfection! Dan’s swoooords! And wings! Hello, yes, I am getting a very Righteous Man vibe from this. Hess (and I) very much approve! 😍

A huge, huge thank you to DarKymi, for creating this masterpiece! P2P is actually in print! And on someone’s bookshelf! ARRRRGH! You have no idea how much this means to me! Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️🤗

#lady reblogs #Path to Paradise #Hespherus Jones #Daniel Waters

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ladyinbooks · 2 years

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I'm a sucker for 'Babies Ever After' so among your couples, which would want be parents and raise a child? Which would want to create a family of their own? 'Cause I can't stop imagining what would Hess and Samiel be like as Dads XD

Oooh, lovely Anon this is a great question! And I have a lot of thoughts about it!

My immediate thought was 'Samiel'. Like, not even 'Samiel and Jay', just: 'Samiel'.

I think coming from a childhood where he had practically no family at all, there would come a point where he'd seriously start thinking about kids. And wanting them. And wanting them with Jay.

Jay, I think, wouldn't have even stopped to consider the possibility of having children, and I think his initial reaction would be 'Nah'.

But then.

I think the longer they're settled on Elysium, the more Samiel embeds himself into the local community, and I think he ends up as the absolute favourite adult of the neighbourhood children. I suspect he teaches them useful things (like how to fight, or start a fire without man-made tools), alongside a general willingness to let them use him as a babysitter pretty much whenever someone wants a break. I think the kids love him because he treats them like mini adults, and the adults love him because they know their children are safe with him. After all, if anyone came near their kids with ill intent, Samiel would tear them to pieces.

And so one day, Jay wanders out into their garden, and there's Samiel with like four different kids clinging to his arms and legs (and generally using him as a climbing frame), and Jay realises that actually, it's probably time they at least considered starting a family.

Ultimately, I could see them adopting at least one Lenian and one human child.

(And then Aunty Kate and Uncle Venn would have the time of their lives spoiling them rotten. Aunty Kate in particular would just up and take them off joyriding on the Banshee, where the entire crew then take turns teaching them things like 'How to shoot someone who pisses you off', and, 'Why you should always bite people who look suspicious'. 🤣)

Hess as a dad...

Oof. This one is. Hmm. I'm utterly, utterly torn here, Anon! Part of me wants to go 'Aww, if he had kids with Dan, they'd be the safest children in the entire universe! No one would be getting past their dad, the literal Antichrist!'

The more dreadful, awful, horrible part of me is going: 'Hess would absolutely use any potential children as a weapon to ensure Dan never, ever, ever left him'. And yikes, I think that's horrendously dark. 😓

I'm genuinely torn. I don't know which scenario is more likely. I think perhaps it would depend how far along Hess is on his redemptive path...

#lady replies #Samiel Tremark #Hespherus Jones #this was such a great question!

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ladyinbooks · 2 years

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Ok, so @eklastuff asked if Dan ever got jealous, and then this little ficlet... kind of got out of control. 🤣

Title: Cruel as the Grave Pairings: Hess/Dan Warnings: Mild language; mention of murder; Hess’s usual shenanigans Summary: The ambassador keeps touching Hess’s arm...

Set me as a seal upon thine heart; As a seal upon thine arm: For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave… - Song of Solomon (8:6)

The ambassador keeps touching Hess’s arm.

The gathering is small. Intimate. The wine is free-flowing, and Hess is at his most charming. Broad-shouldered in his suit, his tie slightly loosened and his hair dishevelled – he looks every inch the world-weary politician he sometimes likes to play at.

Dan scowls, and tosses back another glass of water.

He’d been asked – told – to come to this thing.

It’s important, Hess had said. It’s time we started talking to other nations about next steps.

Next steps to what, though, he’d carefully not said.

Dan hadn’t wanted to come. He doesn’t want to be here now. Politics and politicians, and false sincerity aren’t things he’s built to endure. It’s not… pointless. Not exactly. But the whole thing is insincere at best, and an outright farce at worst.

After all, it’s not like Hess really needs to ask people to do what he wants. Nobody is going to say no to him. Not the politicians flocking around him; not the demons waiting on them. Not even the bloody ambassador, who still hasn’t taken his hand off of Hess’s shoulder.

The man is handsome, even Dan can admit that. Tall, lean, sharp angles and an immaculate suit. He’s tilted towards Hess, hanging off his every word, fascination practically glowing from him.

Good luck with that, Dan thinks sourly.

The problem is, it sort of hammers home every reason Dan’s not suited to this. He’s not particularly well dressed; he’s not sharply handsome. He’s certainly not interesting or particularly fascinating, or even marvellously clever with words. He’s not someone who could offer Hess alliances, or promises, or aid – and he doesn’t want to be.

He is what he is, and most of the time it’s enough.

But sometimes, it doesn’t quite feel like it.

He sighs, and quietly drops his glass onto a nearby table. The soft thud of it doesn’t draw attention, but it lets him shuffle away into a corner of the room. It’s comforting, at least, to have a wall at his back.

Opposite, Abi is outright charming a small group of people. Her hair is a stark halo, under the soft lights. She’s as smartly dressed as Hess – powerfully competent as she grins.

Silently, Dan resigns himself to talking her down from collecting on the number of deals she’s no doubt making.

Gentle laughter brings his attention right back around to the ambassador.

The man’s got closer now, leaning into Hess’s space with a confident intimacy. His hand still lingers, and his smile’s wide. He’s saying something too quietly for Dan to hear, but from the way Hess’s head is tilted, it must be interesting.

They make a perfect picture.

The thought hits Dan hard: heavy and unwelcoming. For a moment, something hot and bitter rears its ugly head.

This is what Hess should want in a partner. It’s what should be expected of anyone standing at his right hand. Someone who might be able to temper the worst impulses in him: who could steer and support, not fight him every inch of the way.

Not encourage every dark, savage instinct.

Dan is painfully aware that he is not a good influence. In fact, he’s probably a negative one. Because Hess – stubborn, dangerous, manipulative Hess – shows the worst of his tendencies around Dan.

Because of Dan.

If he didn’t have me, Dan thinks, if he could let me go –

The idea of it sits at the back of his throat, sharp and sour.

Maybe, then. Maybe someone like the ambassador. Or any other respectable politician. Hell, even Abi might at least be a practical choice – although that’s a can of worms Dan refuses to even think about.

Someone polite, perhaps. Someone handsome and useful.

Someone who is not him.

There is an unexpected sting at the idea.

Hess needs someone who’s not a bad-tempered, vengeful mess of a man. Someone who believes in the inherent goodness of the world, not Dan’s cynicism and lack of any kind of faith.

Perhaps then, he might at least be more restrained. Perhaps he might –

There is a shift in Hess’s posture. The line of his shoulders stiffens, ever so slightly. The tilt of his head looks suddenly less interested and far more calculating. The twitch of his fingers sends unease prickling down Dan’s spine.

What’s happened?

The ambassador continues to talk, oblivious. The man hasn’t removed his hand – hasn’t so much as blinked at the slow turn of Hess’s head.

Shit. Shit. Can no one else see this? Why isn’t the bloody fool taking a step back?

Dan pushes away from the safety of his corner. He elbows himself through a small cluster of delegates, ignoring the low irritated hum of protest that follows him. Alarm is starting to make itself known as he watches Hess’s profile.

The slow, dangerous curve of that mouth. The way Hess tilts in closer to the ambassador, and this time it isn’t attentive. It’s dangerous.

Three more steps, and Dan manages to push his way to Hess’s side.

He’s just in time to hear, “– just something to consider,” from the ambassador, before he catches hold of Hess’s wrist.

“There you are,” he says.

“Here I am,” Hess says, without turning his head. He is staring at the ambassador, unblinking. “Where have you been, sweet thing?”

Carefully, Dan tightens his hold. Under his fingers, Hess feels like he’s burning up. It’s dangerous, practically imperceptible to anyone else, but it shouldn’t be – God it shouldn’t be.

Every instinct in him is screaming run. But he needs to get the civilians out of here first. Needs to stop whatever this is, before –

Before –

He drops Hess’s wrist. Ignores the ambassador and reaches up to curl an arm around Hess’s neck. “Hey,” he says, instead of answering Hess’s question. “Are you ready to leave yet?”

He feels the way Hess leans into him; the slow, thoughtful slide of his palm across the small of Dan’s back. He’s letting himself be moulded a little; pulled down until Dan’s lips can touch his ear. One thumb drags slowly across the dip of Dan’s spine, the touch of it barely nothing, but somehow sinister anyway.

“I’m not sure I’m done yet,” he says slowly.

Dan sees the first flicker of alarm in the ambassador’s eyes. It makes him tighten his arm; set his teeth to the curve of Hess’s ear. “Are you sure?”

“Well, David here was just outlining a fascinating proposal,” Hess says. The fingers on Dan’s spine dig in a little, not bruising – not quite – but dangerous.

And damnit, this is about to spin out of control. Dan can feel it, in the slip-slide of darkness prickling across his skin. In the way Hess still hasn’t looked at him – far too fixated on the ambassador to worry about the threat Dan may represent instead.

So he squares his shoulders; uses the arm hooked around Hess’s neck to tug more firmly. “You’re done.”

Hess rears back, snarling. “I am –”

“Leave,” Dan says to the ambassador, without looking away from the creature in front of him. “Now.”

“Dan.” Those fingers do sink into his spine now, hard and unforgiving. “Don’t you want to know what he said, sweet thing?”

It’s malice, pure and simple. Hess wants vindication – affirmation of his reaction. From the corner of his eye, Dan can see the way the ambassador flinches back at the change in tone. The man looks suddenly nervous.

Whatever he said, Dan’s clearly not going to like it.

“I don’t,” he says, instead of the truth.

Hess bares his teeth in something that’s no longer a smile. “Liar.”

His hand slides further, his arm wrapping around Dan’s waist and reeling him in tight. He turns his head, mouth pressed to the line of Dan’s cheekbone. Dan can practically feel the expression on his face: the tight, savage line of his lips.

It’s enough of a warning to know what will come next, if Dan’s not careful.

“We’re going,” he says tightly.

He unwinds his arm from Hess’s neck and gets hold of his wrist instead. It’s not a forced march from the room – not quite – but it’s enough that Hess could resist, if he really wanted to.

He doesn’t.

Instead, his arm stays steady around Dan’s waist. He’s a looming presence at Dan’s back: unrepentant and sinister.

As Dan pushes open the door of the nearest exit, the cool of the night air is a pleasant shock. But they’ve barely made it outside, before Hess is slamming into him, shoving him face first against the nearest stone column.

Dan fights against it; tries to twist around so he can see what the hell is happening –

“No,” Hess says, dangerous. “No.”

The full weight of him is resting along Dan’s spine. He hooks his chin over Dan’s shoulder; presses his teeth to the hinge of his jaw.

“No,” he says again, and it’s a warning.

“What the fuck –”

“This,” Hess says, with a spiteful little kiss, “is the only thing stopping me from going back in there, and ripping that smug, self-satisfied moron to pieces.” He inhales once, sharply, pushing Dan harder into the wall. “Now stay still, sweet thing, or you won’t like the consequences.”

He means it. It’s in the way his arms slide around Dan’s waist, holding him tight. His fingers scrabble frantically, ripping buttons off Dan’s shirt until he can get at skin; until his nails can tear bloody marks across the vulnerability of Dan’s stomach.

Dan gasps at the sting of it. Snarls, when Hess growls in return. “What the hell did he do?”

“I could burn them all,” Hess hisses, which isn’t an explanation. “Every one of them in there. Judging you. Judging us. It’s not just him – it can’t be. Thinking I would even want –”

Dan drives an elbow back; gets a rough gasp for his trouble, and precisely no movement at all from Hess. “What?”

Hess flattens his palms; slides them up and presses both hands heavily over the rapid thud of Dan’s heart. There’s barely any room – he must be rubbing his knuckles against stone – but he holds tight. His lips are still pressed to Dan’s jaw, his teeth scraping over stubble as he sucks, hard.

“If they think they can replace you,” he whispers, between one vicious kiss and the next. “If they even begin to try –”

Oh.

“That’s not –”

“Don’t they know what you are?” Hess bends his head; his hair tickles the side of Dan’s throat. He kicks Dan’s legs apart, pressing them wide, then slides a knee between them and pushes up a little. “Don’t they know what I’d do?”

The problem –

The problem is –

Dan does. Dan knows exactly what Hess would do.

Fuck. He’s been so bloody wrapped up in his own self-pity, that he hasn’t stopped to think about this. About the consequences of someone actually suggesting to Hess that he might not be suitable. That there might be other options available.

It strikes some strange, deep-rooted chord in him. Echoes of his own paranoia, perhaps. It’s obvious to everyone, just how out of his depth he is – how much he doesn’t want this.

It’s almost enough to make him believe it. Almost enough to take those half-formed fears and turn them into reality.

Except for the way Hess is holding him. Except for the barely contained violence he can feel at his back. The brilliant fury of Hess’s anger.

He shoves away from the wall as hard as he can. Gets Hess’s arms loosening from around him, just a little, and manages to turn. Both his hands on Hess’s shoulders, and he drives Hess back one step. Two. Brutally efficient, because if he doesn’t keep up the momentum, then –

Hess grunts, as he fetches up against the opposite wall. Dan gets an forearm across his throat and presses down, lightly.

“You’re not going to do anything,” he snarls, and hopes he sounds like he means it.

Hess tilts his head. In the low light seeping from the windows, his eyes are glittering. “Aren’t I?” he asks softly, and oh, he sounds terrible. His hands slide to Dan’s waist, one thumb rubbing the line of his hipbone, strangely tender.

The odd sweetness of it makes Dan falter.

It’s only a tiny moment, an increment of hesitation, but it’s enough.

Hess’s grip tightens and he pulls Dan into him. His smile is vindictive, as he pushes up into the pressure of Dan’s arm against his throat.

“Well then,” he says, breathless and furious. “You’ll have to make me a better offer, sweet thing.”

Two mornings later, Dan is cramming a piece of toast into his mouth before he has to leave for work.

Hess is perched, barefooted and casual, on the edge of the kitchen table. He’s flicking through the morning paper. His hair’s a mess, his throat ringed in bruises. He seems, Dan thinks with vague annoyance, remarkably pleased with himself.

It’s enough to drive him out of his seat. He rounds the table, swallowing his last mouthful of breakfast, and leans over to press a kiss to the corner of Hess’s mouth.

“I’m off.”

“Enjoy work,” Hess says absently, eyes riveted to an article.

“Enjoy isn’t exactly –”

It takes a moment for the headline on the front page to sink in.

Civil servant found dead in Whitehall.

Dan’s not looking at the fine print, though – he’s looking at the picture under the headline.

David Westerfield, smartly dressed in the same suit he’d had on two nights ago. His smile is the same too; so is the neat parting of his dark hair. He’s utterly composed in his picture – polite and polished, and entirely too familiar.

“Is that –” Dan says slowly, horror building in the pit of his stomach.

Hess looks up from the paper. His eyes are dark, as he blinks innocently. “What?”

“Did you –”

He wants to ask. He doesn’t want to ask.

God, please don’t let Hess have done this, as well.

“David Westerfield.”

“Oh.” Hess flips the newspaper around and glances at the front page. “Him. How tragic.” He sounds deeply unconcerned.

“Hess.”

“Dan.”

They stare at one another. Hess’s expression gives nothing away. It makes Dan’s fingers itch to throttle him; to get some kind of confession. An admission of guilt. The coincidence is too high. It’s too much.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing,” Hess says. He shuts the newspaper and tosses it onto the table behind him. Then, he picks up his mug of tea, cradling it.

“Have a good day,” he adds sweetly. “I know I will.”

#Hespherus Jones #Daniel Waters #Path to Paradise #Ficlet Fridays

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ladyinbooks · 2 years

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Hess and Dan and your latest couple of ficlets for them have for some reason been giving me massive political loveless marriage vibes except not entirely loveless but definitely Hess being very obsessive and possessive over his arranged marriage husband who's reluctantly here for the benefit of humanity but still can't quite get himself to hate Hess even tho he should

Ohohoho! Lovely Anon! You have hit on this perfectly.

Ok, so I completely agree with you: yes, it really kind of is a political marriage. But, I need to temper this by saying Hess loves Dan. Like, he's in complete and utter I-would-raise-literal-Hell-for-you-babe sort of love. It's not a nice love, or a pretty love, and it is absolutely (as you excellently put it) obsessive and possessive.

Now, Dan.

Dan, Dan, Dan. Where we leave him at the end of P2P is... more complicated. I have to agree with you: he's in the relationship for the benefit of humanity. But. This is what he tells himself. It's a nice, neatly packaged not-quite-but-almost lie that he can use to soothe his conscience with. Because the thing about Dan is, that he loves Hess 'in spite of'. In spite of himself. In spite of everything that Hess has done. In spite of the things Hess may do. In spite of everything.

But he can't really admit it to himself. He has to work around it. He has to give himself a reason for staying beyond his own selfishness, because he can't quite marry the two ideas up in his head: loving something so dreadful, and keeping to his own moral compass. See, Dan is all about the greater good. So, for 'the greater good', he can sort of deceive himself into pretending he's staying for that reason, which is why he tries to rationalise it.

I think for me, the most telling line in P2P (and it's the absolute truth for once), is when Hess says: You lose your mind when you think I don't love you, sweet thing.

Dan does. But he can't admit it, not even to himself. So he reframes it into staying with Hess 'because'. Because it's better for humanity. Because he might be able to stop him. Because it's a way for him to help. It's desperate, loving selfishness, dressed up and masquerading as selflessness.

He can't lose Hespherus Jones again. He won't. And he has to find a way to live with that.

(I'm sorry lovely Anon, you've caught me in the middle of writing the mini P2P follow-up fic, and this is a massive theme, so you hit me right in the feels with your brilliant ask!)

#lady replies #Path to Paradise #Hespherus Jones #Daniel Waters

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ladyinbooks · 2 years

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Ficlet time! Based on this prompt by a lovely anon on tumblr, who talked about a slightly different take on the P2P organized crime AU! Title: Dead Drop Pairings: Hess/Dan Warnings: Bad language, mentions of organised crime, a drastically open ending Summary: When Dan is twenty-one, he falls in love...

DEAD DROP

#Ficlet Fridays #Hespherus Jones #Daniel Waters

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ladyinbooks · 1 year

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Hello! Hope you had a lovely day, milady. 😉😉

I was binge-listening to Hozier’s album today and came across this amazing song that I couldn’t help but put in my P2P playlist. (Because yes, I really do have a P2P playlist. And IB, too. Yup.) If you already know this song, then I’m proud of sneaking myself into your playlist. If you don’t, then you absolutely should check out the lyrics, because it’s just so, so, “Hess”.

Titled ‘NFWMB’ ⬇️

https://youtu.be/pi6pLTrx94Q

(I would very much like to introduce you to a lot more songs, but most of the lyrics are Korean. It is my little ongoing pet project to translate some of them into English the best I can. So, stay tuned!)

Hello lovely Anon! I hope you are having a wonderful week! ❤️

Firstly: oh my goodness I'm honoured you have playlists for P2P and IB! You have no idea how happy that has made me!

Secondly: No, this delicious song wasn't on my P2P playlist, but oh yes, it is now! You are absolutely right, and it has such big Hess vibes. I mean the apocalyptic theme of the lyrics is already a delight (I see the Yeats reference there and oooh it's good), but then. Then! The way even with the apocalypse it's all about possession and delight and... arrgh! I can't make up my mind if it fits pre-Beast Hess or Beast!Hess more. But either way it fits perfectly.

Oh lovely Anon, thank you for introducing me to this, because it is wonderful, and I'm rolling around in my Hess feels now!

#lady replies #Hespherus Jones #a lovely song rec from a lovely reader

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ladyinbooks · 2 years

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@quenilla sending me posts on Hess and Dan. 🤣🤣🤣 (I love it!)

#lady reblogs #Path to Paradise #Hespherus Jones #Daniel Waters

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ladyinbooks · 1 year

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Glad you're back! I read your post as you had a sequel with the ship Hess x his toxic ways instead of a sequel with Hess and his toxic ways LOL. I'm sure that's always a secondary ship in that universe anyhow.

Aww, thank you lovely Anon! ❤️❤️❤️

I mean, Hess x his toxic ways is very much a thing, so honestly you're not wrong! (I might even go so far as to say it beats Hess/Dan, because I don't think you can have one pairing without the other!)

#lady replies #Hespherus Jones #Daniel Waters #Path to Paradise

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ladyinbooks · 2 years

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I am curious: does Dan ever get jealous?

Ohhh gosh @eklastuff. This is a great question!

The short answer is: yes.

The longer answer is: I'm writing you a ficlet that is nearly finished, because the thought wouldn't leave me alone. 😅

(It should be posted tomorrow - I hope that's ok!)

#lady replies #Hespherus Jones #Daniel Waters

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ladyinbooks · 2 years

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Hi!! I am very new to your works and I am only a little over halfway through P2P and I love it!

I was wondering if there were any characters or actors or artworks that inspired the designs for Hess and Dan. I am having some trouble visualizing their appearances and I was hoping you could provide a reference to what you imagined them to look like!

Hello lovely @lovenless! (And I'm so sorry for my slow response! ❤️❤️❤️)

Firstly, I'm so happy you're enjoying P2P! I have a special place in my heart for those two feral creatures, and it makes me very, very happy indeed that you're enjoying their shenanigans!

Ooh, this is a great question! The honest truth is: no, I don't really have specific actors/characters/artwork from when I was designing Hess 'n Dan. I mean, to be honest I've got them in my head (I can visualise them pretty clearly), but of course one of the problems with that, is that I can only put so much of their descriptions on the page!

I think the closest I can get, is telling you: they're both tall; both strong. Hess is a little taller, longer legs and a slightly leaner, sharper, more handsome face. His hair's longer (it's brown), and shaggy enough to rake his fingers through. He's got a wicked little smile, and an elegant sort of competence to him. (He looks as good in a t-shirt and jeans, as he does in a suit!)

Dan is slightly shorter. A little more rough around the edges. Dark blond hair (maybe light brown), cropped short. He's got hazel eyes, and a strong jawline. He's the kind of person who can't pull off a suit, but looks great in his causal jeans, t-shirt, motorcycle jacket combo. He looks like he could probably fight you and win, but there's a soft little approachable edge to him as well.

(None of which gives you much of a clearer idea. I'm sorry! 😅)

So, throwing this ask open to anyone who wants to give it a go:

Has anyone got any suggestions for Hess 'n Dan visuals they want to put forward for the lovely @lovenless? (Because I'd love to see them too!)

#lady replies #Hespherus Jones #Daniel Waters #Path to Paradise

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ladyinbooks · 2 years

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I read There Will Always Be An Us for the tenth time and Is it wrong that I love gaslighter Hess? 😳

What else would he lie to Dan about? (For Dan's own good of course !)

Oh my gosh, lovely Anon! You've picked one of my favourite AU scenarios for Hess 'n Dan. There Will Always Be An Us was such fun to write, so it makes me very happy indeed that you like it too.

(And if loving gaslighter Hess is wrong, then we can both be wrong together! 🙌)

Oooh, this is such a good question. I think he'd generally only lie about the big things, but I do also think he'd justify it to himself any time he did. So, I want to say he'd sometimes lie about where he's been (ie. not at the hospital, but out dealing with Other Things). I think he'd also feign ignorance over anything that he's personally responsible for, that ends up hitting the media. (A body fished out of the Thames, for example, or a bank robbery.)

I also think Hess would play a very, very careful game of Keep Dan Away From Anything I Do, because the longer the situation goes on, the more difficult he's going to find it to a) come clean about what he really does, and b) even begin to think of letting Dan go for his own good/safety. (Clearly not going to happen.)

... Oh dear. I have to write a follow-up, don't I?

Lovely Anon, you've got me thinking way too much about Hess and Dan in this AU this evening, and it's great fun! ❤️❤️

#lady replies #Path to Paradise #Hespherus Jones #Daniel Waters

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ladyinbooks · 2 years

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Hello there! I just found your work on AO3 and oh my god, I love Hess and Dan so much! Their dynamics! The subtle manipulations that you wrote for Hess is amazing! And the other thing that really made me attracted to their story is the pacing. Is it alright if I ask how you pace the chapters of your story? Do you maybe have a chapter structure or rough scenes in mind before you start writing? Story pacing is something I struggle with and I could use some advise and opinions 😭

(I'm so sorry @themonotonysyndrome - I couldn't resist. My brain saw 'Hello there', and defaulted! 😅)

Hello!

Yay! I'm so pleased you like Hess 'n Dan! ❤️❤️ Hess is a very difficult character to like, so I'm very happy indeed that you enjoyed him and his manipulating ways! (You've reminded me how much I've missed writing him - I really should finish off that last P2P oneshot!)

Oh gosh, I know the feeling! Pacing is always a pain for me too, so you have my sympathies! I can only tell you what I do. It may work for you, it may not (I know my chapters tend to be a bit lengthier than the norm, so I could be speaking about pacing here with an authority I don't have! 😅).

So, what works for me is this:

Generally, I know where the plot is going for a fic. I know several key points I have to hit along the way, both in terms of plot, but also character development. So I tend to aim for these 'pulse points' in each narrative. (I suppose 'Acts' might be a better term, although that sounds like me being pretentious!)

When I know which pulse point I'm aiming for, I work out roughly how long I think it will take me to get there. (E.g. Three chapters.) As you've probably guessed, this doesn't always work for me! (Hence my copious author's notes going 'One more chapter! One more!') However, I'll normally split a chapter up into sections. This is usually three or four scenes, and I'll make little notes for each one.

For example, my notes for chapter 1 of Path to Paradise were - quite literally - this:

Meet Hess (Dan asleep; woken up; meets the neighbours with tea; 'Oh no, he's hot')

Life on the beat (a demon is in trouble; Dan's secret identity! Bit of an explanation - what was he up to Before?)

Getting to know each other - start playful; end with a little bit of 'let's not talk about it'

Hess you gorgeous sinister bastard (soft start, early morning; a 'first' kiss, that's Dan's undoing - this is it: this is the start of everything unravelling; say hello to the Beast

Dan's WTF moment (Hess's brand)

As you can see - not exactly genius notes! 🤣 But it helped me keep a clear idea of what I wanted from the chapter, and mostly kept me from derailing too far.

Sometimes I did derail though, and that's ok! From time to time, Hess or Dan veered sharply off track because they had more to say for themselves, and honestly you do have to go with what works (even if it means a detour).

Which is my very long and rambling way of saying: for pacing, it works for me to have a plan. I don't always stick to it, but I try to know what I'm aiming for. However, if sometimes you need to take a little longer to get to your writing destination, then that's fine too. The characters will let you know where they want to go!

I hope that helps! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

#lady replies #Hespherus Jones #Daniel Waters #Path to Paradise

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