Chapter Text
The low whine of seagulls circling the port ushered in a new day, bringing with them a welcome change in weather. The sky was crystal clear with large, fluffy white clouds circling high up above. It felt beautiful outside, with warm breezes and a bashful sun kissing the homes built on the mountain. Medic was certainly not opposed to such pleasant conditions, but his mind was occupied with less trivial matters. He scurried back and forth between rooms, a small mob of little white doves flitting after him as he juggled feeding them and getting ready at the same time.
“Archimedes! Behave!” Medic groaned, shooing away the rowdy bird in question who had been trying to nest in his hair. Feathers fluttered seemingly out of nowhere like snowfall, mildly frustrating the disheveled man as he went.
The bathroom door clicked shut and Medic sighed happily to finally be by himself again. He set down his neatly folded clothes and got changed, combing his hair and restoring himself to the proper standard he always held himself to. As a finishing touch, he dabbed a little of his favorite cologne on his neck—just because. Medic felt at ease now that he was more put together, so he carried that restored suave with him as he ambled into the kitchen and grabbed a beach towel off the table, which was resting next to something else entirely.
The cold steel of his bone saw reflected a ray of light in his peripheral vision, a silent offer that there was plenty of fun that could be had. Medic’s thoughts were numbed in that moment when he looked at it, but he got a hold of himself just as quickly. He may have been tempted to grab it, but he didn’t want to use it just yet.
He shook his head and emptied out the remaining traces of mischief with it. There would be time for that later. For now, though, Medic had a date with the beach just a stone’s throw away from his back door.
The glass sliding door opened with a loud groan before closing swiftly behind him as the doves tried their best to protest. It hurt Medic to leave them so soon, but he had been suffocating them with enough attention all morning. He walked down the bend and immediately noticed that the rock formations were completely empty, devoid of any signs pointing to a rather elusive siren. Medic blinked, his hands dropping to his sides as he tried to reconcile with his disappointment. He was somewhat hoping that he would get to see his adversary once more.
Then, a rather interesting thought came to mind. Perhaps she’s just a rather good hider. After all, this is her beach, so it would make sense if she was watching his every move from somewhere just out of sight. Furthermore, she could probably stalk him from underwater and Medic would be none the wiser. He smirked at the thought, finding the idea thrilling as he laid out a towel on the sand and settled down on top of it.
Even if his dear foe would not be making an appearance today, he would still find a way to enjoy the passing minutes without her. He laid down on his back, cracking a book open and promptly getting lost within its well-loved pages. Soaking in the sun there was a marvelous feeling, somehow very different compared to New Mexico’s scorching ball of death. The pages of Medic’s book were crisp and smelled of his sandalwood bookshelves back home. The ink still looked fresh even after a lot of time had passed. Each word nearly jumped from the pages as Medic became more and more engrossed in the story. The gentle sounds of the calm waves made the experience even better, lulling him into a trance until he was nearly half-asleep. As a matter of fact, about a half hour went by and he did just that. With his hands folded under his head and the book tipped precariously over his face, Medic dozed off with a light fluttering in his chest. He could definitely get used to this, though he was definitely still cross with The Administrator.
The sand was soft and warm beneath him, pulsing faintly whenever the tide came in. One could say it was almost as if the beach had a heartbeat, soothing the waves before they could become too troublesome. Medic slept there for a long time, feeling more relaxed than he’d been in a long time.
A soft whistle was carried on the breeze, quiet and meek at first before strengthening with the wind. Medic’s eyes fluttered open before he sat up, startled when he realized that he had fallen asleep. Scrambling to gather his sharp state of mind, he rubbed his heavy eyelids and scanned the beach for any sign of life. He had heard something after all, hadn’t he? He couldn’t have imagined it, otherwise he wouldn’t have been woken up.
His head stilled, eyes narrowing when it carried sharply through the air once more.
That tune was very familiar to him, but he hadn’t heard it come out of any other person but himself. It was a lullaby—the very one that had been consistently stuck in his head since childhood.
But how could anyone else there know that song, and where was it coming from?
Medic closed his eyes, feeling the way his heart fluttered in his chest as he strained himself to hear it again. It was similar to the effect of putting a conch shell up to your ear—the echoing sound was there but coming from seemingly no particular direction. Then, it grew a little clearer, as if it were close by.
Medic’s eyes opened again, and suddenly he felt compelled to lift himself from the sand. He swayed a little tipsily on his feet, clutching his head when a wave euphoria and haziness rolled across him like molasses—slow and suffocating. Medic blinked quickly, stumbling a bit with a whimper as he tried to fight the force quickly overtaking his every thought and seeping into his bones. His legs brought him to the shore, only inches away from the water before a deep-rooted panic began to overwhelm him. He dropped to his knees, feeling the crisp, cold water seeping around him before being pulled back to sea. The tantalizing music crept into his mind and he groaned, crying out when a sharp clarity rendered his head completely void.
In only an instant, it was as if Medic was standing outside of his own body, staring over his shoulder. The ocean rippled and swirled, parting as a figure emerged from its shimmering surface.
Oh, how could Medic breathe when he saw the stars align right in front of him? It was a sight to be remembered, with her hair catching the light at just the right angle and her eyes burning with the most beautiful fury that Medic had ever seen. He felt his heart threaten to pound out of his chest, just begging for her to come closer and tear it out in a wonderful, bloody mess. His hands burrowed softly in the sand, tilting his head forward to meet her with unwavering obedience. Her calculating eyes bore into his, making his face burn hot with conflicting adoration and terror. The part of him that looked over his own shoulder struggled so hard to regain control of his body while the other part was devoted to her will and hers alone.
One of her hands emerged from the water, cascading jewel-like droplets down Medic’s cheek when she reached out and cupped it softly. He leaned into her touch, not of his own volition, and he hated that a part of himself almost seemed to yearn for it. Gently, her fingers traced the line of his jaw before lacing sweetly into his hair, feeling its softness. Medic sighed, a shaky breath escaping him as he was frozen mere inches away from the enchantress herself.
She tilted her head with a slight smirk as she observed his features before her grip on his hair suddenly tightened. He didn’t even have the power to wince or cry out from the pain, dread washing over his body when he was forced to simply watch as her cocky smile fell into a scowl. Her eyes narrowed and her grip tightened once more, forcing him down to eye-level as she stared into the very depths of his soul.
Her arms were no longer covered in the bandages Medic had dressed the day before, with seemingly no remnants of the injury left behind. It all seemed so clear when Medic realized what this was really all about.
This was his final warning:
Back the fuck off or you’re gonna have to watch while I make you drown yourself.
His body shook with stress and effort as he tried to pull away from her, still locked in place when he failed each time.
The woman did not blink, only continuing to narrow in on his widened blue pools as she read every deeply-hidden speck of his character; bringing each one under the light before she studied, scrutinized, and judged whatever it is she saw.
After what felt like an awful, lung-collapsing eternity, her eyes finally drew shut. She seemed deep in thought for a minute before they opened once more, not even looking at Medic. She looked unhappy, disappointed even. Her eyes were missing the gorgeous fire they held moments ago, replaced now with dull resentment and pain.
The woman’s eyes closed once more and she shook her head. Her fingers released Medic’s hair and fell to his shoulder. After a brief pause there came a hard shove, and he was pushed unceremoniously back onto the sand with a gasp. Medic’s teeth chattered when the feeling in his brain began to focus again and he was connected to the rest of his limbs. Shock and overpowering relief overtook his exhausted body when he realized the trance had been lifted, leaving him giggling and gasping for air all at once. He clutched his sides, his forehead resting on the sand as he thanked the universe for letting him live another day.
A small splash of water made him look up, just in time to notice that the woman was taking her leave.
“Wait!” Medic called after her.
She stopped, not turning to look at him, but still stopping nonetheless. Her head turned ever-so-slightly, indicating her slight annoyance at his persistent talent for surprising her.
“I’m Ludwig,” He blurted out, not even caring that he had just given his name to “the enemy”.
“Don’t you have a name?” He asked, his voice labored as his breathing continued to stabilize.
The woman did nothing other than gracefully drift there in the water, not even dignifying his question with a body-language response before she re-emerged herself in the vast abyss of the water. Medic wanted to call out to her again, but it was too late. He was left there, alone, scrambling to collect his thoughts on a beach with no one around to affirm what had just happened.
He grinned, almost wanting to laugh, and was surprised with just how happy he was. Oh, what a wonderful creature indeed. Cat and mouse is a fun game to play, especially when the other person is just as on board with it as you are. As Medic stared out onto the calmed waves once more and stood, ready to return to the comforts of his air-conditioned home, he couldn’t help but whisper out to her that the game was just beginning.