Just One More (Moon Knight)

[thegreatpretender]

I want to start this with a note that I haven’t had the passion to write fanfiction in like 8 years (I wish that was an exaggeration but it’s really not) and I wanna take a moment to appreciate the creators of Moon Knight with Oscar Isaac because it is a phenomenal show that reignited a flame that I thought was all but snuffed out at this point. 🥳 For those who haven’t seen up to episode 5, there will be some spoilers in this story with a slice of creative freedom because my heart hurts from that last episode. 

In the creative freedom aspect, hocus pocus mumbo-jumbo happened, and (spoiler) Marc was able to get back Steven, who’s a little more intuitive and a little more strong-willed than before but still has the overall innocence to his character. Let me know if you guys like it. I already started to write another part. 😁

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Part 1:

Layla knew something was wrong but didn’t want to call Steven or Marc out on it quite yet since she didn’t know which one of them was having the issue. Though she suspected it was Steven. 
Layla really should have been spending more time looking at the road but she kept getting drawn back to said man. Steven was usually pretty chatty, which she didn’t mind since it did fill in quite a bit of the quiet that surrounded their lives. Steven would ask her how she was feeling (no matter the circumstances), her previous hobbies and for her input before they decided to do anything. 
    At the end of a long day of running across a city and fighting for their lives, he even asked her how her day went as if he wasn’t there with her and Marc through most of it. It caught her so off guard at the time that she burst into laughter and Steven smiled sheepishly before joining in laughing with her at the absurdity of it all. 
But not now. Now Steven was quiet and it appeared he was struggling to stay awake to be a suitable copilot. It concerned her so much more than she expected. 
“Steven?” He blinked sluggishly before looking over at the passenger side mirror, Marc clearly having something to say to him before he looked in her direction. There were definitely more bags under his eyes than usual. 
“Yes, Layla?” 
“Are you ok?” 
“‘m alright,” Steven mumbled. He shifted to sit up straighter, which only caused him to shift more towards the window, and rubbed his eyes. He looked at her again and he gave her his small smile. 
“Sorry for worrying you.” Layla shook her head and gave him her own small smile. 
“No worries. Just… checking in,” She looked back at the road and groaned internally. I’m slowly turning into Marc, she thought. Of course, she was worried. Steven was always a nervous, bustle of energy and he’s currently leaning his head against the window of the jeep, looking dazed. 
Layla attempted to keep up the conversation and Steven was responding, albeit with simple answers. So much so that she thought she was talking to Marc. She was going to question him again when Steven quickly pulled his head away from the glass and pressed his wrist to his face.
“Heh’ptshh!” Steven sniffed but didn’t pull his wrist away yet, “ehh… Heh-” There was a brief pause and Layla glanced over to see his face go lax before he snapped forward again. “Ehhh-ieshooo!” Steven rubbed his nose and sniffed. He tried not to make eye contact with her even though she could see a blush slowly forming on his cheeks. A mix of embarrassment…and a possible fever? 
“Bless you.” Ah…There is it, she thought to herself, reaching over to open the glove compartment, where she was sure she threw a couple of napkins. Steven quickly opened it himself, nudging her back to watch the road, and pulled out a couple of napkins. He placed a handful in his lap and turned away from her as much as he could and quietly blew his nose. He sniffed again and cleared his throat. 
“Thank you. Sorry… I’m not being a very good copilot, am I?” 
“No! You’re ok,” Layla reassured him, “I mean, are you though? Ok, I mean? Cause it’s ok if you’re not. Ok… I mean,” Layla trailed off. Smooth Layla, she thought, real smooth. He’s sick and you slowly turn into an idiot. 
Steven nodded, smiled at her again and sniffled, which made her heart and stomach flip.
“I think it’s just… a head cold. Nothing to be too concerned about. Just need some real sleep and some meds and we should be good as new.” 
Layla nodded. Sounds about right. Being on the run does tend to cause stress and while she and Marc have been running most of their lives, Steven was kind of thrown into the thick of it with no paddle. He’s faired better than she expected though, all things considered. 
“So… Is Marc ok?” Layla questioned and immediately regretted it. Dumb question. 
“I mean, we do share the same body so I would say he’s sick too. Even if he probably doesn’t want to admit that there’s something wrong,” Steven stopped talking and gave a look at the mirror. There was a pause in which Marc must have said something else. “Right…cause you’re so manly and apparently being in touch with our emotions makes me, what?”
Layla wished so badly to be able to hear both sides of the conversation. Marc didn’t really like to talk out loud to Steven, even if he made him feel better. Mostly because it made him feel like he was being watched and judged. But Steven made a conscious effort now to include both Marc and her in the conversation so that no one felt left out, regardless of what people said when they looked their way. Some positive new developments to their relationship after all they’ve been through. 
Steven got a glazed look on his face again and quickly brought up the napkin to catch a sneeze, “Heh-Esshheio!”
“Bless you,” Layla said. She put her hand on Steven’s arm and squeezed. Steven looked over at her, surprised, and as she was about to second guess herself, he smiled at her genuinely. 
“Thank you Layla.” Steven touched her hand and ran his fingers over her knuckles. Layla flushed. 
Then his hand suddenly flung up and basically backhanded his face. Layla grabbed his shoulder, almost swerving off the road but she didn't want him to bang his head against the window. Steven blinked several times to try and get his bearings. He shook his head and brought his hand, which he now had control over again, to gently cover his nose. Steven got another glazed look and she could see his nose flaring with the need to sneeze.
“ehh … hehh… heh-ihh…” His eyes fluttered closed. He barely touched the bridge of his nose only to pitch forward, sneezing forcefully into his fist.
“UhtChSST! hehEhkshew! ehh-SCHhhu! heh…HETSCHSIO!”
“Bless you, Steven,” Layla frowned. Really Marc? 
Steven didn’t bring his hand down right away and Layla reached down to grab the napkins from his lap to bring them closer to his face. Steven took them and tried to blow his nose quietly again. 
Steven then pinched his nose and pitched forward with a squeak, stifling a sneeze. Poor baby, Layla thought, wishing they still didn’t have another hour and a half drive to the next city. 
Steven sniffed again and seemed to consider something for a bit. That or he was having a silent conversation with Marc, which was also a possibility. “Would it be… ok… if I took a nap… and Marc took over for a bit while we’re driving to the next spot?” 
Layla blinked and was about to reject the idea. Why should Marc be rewarded for acting out by getting to be the one out when Steven is clearly being more mature? But on the other hand, Steven must have a good reason for wanting Marc to take over. 
“Well..” Layla looked over again at Steven. Steven stared at her and just waited patiently. She knew that no matter what she said Steven would be ok with it. They both cared so much about what she wanted that it made her heart hurt. “If that’s what you want Steven. Do you think it’ll help?” 
Steven locked eyes with her and nodded. “I think it’ll help… and it might be good for Marc to be out for a bit to get some air.” 
Layla opened her mouth and closed it again. She almost said she didn’t wanna talk to her husband right now. Marc’s most recent escapade was still raw on her emotions. She almost lost them again because of his reckless behavior. Steven must know it, which is why he let her have a say. Instead, Layla said nothing and watched him out of the corner of her eye. 
Steven leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. She could see his body give a tiny shudder. 
Marc’s eyes fluttered open. He winced and rubbed at his eyes, rather forcefully. He sniffed and crossed his arms over his chest, already putting on a macho act as if he also wasn’t sick. Since Layla was outright staring now, he cleared his throat. 
“You really should watch the road,” Marc said, looking over at her, “though it seems like you just love looking over this way recently.” 
Layla swears her hand acted out of its own accord cause the next thing she knew, the back of her hand made contact with his face. It was pure instinct. 
“Hey!” Marc yelped, grabbing his face. “What was-” His voice wavered and he pitched forward, sneezing into his hands. “heh-Huptchssh! eeehketSHHHHHUU! eeeESSSHIOOO!” 
He sniffed wetly and gave her a look, rubbing his nose and then rubbing his hands against his jeans. 
“That was rude,” Marc crossed his arms again. 
“You were rude to Steven first. Bless you, by the way,” Layla said pointedly, because no, she was not inconsiderate. Marc rolled his eyes. 
“Well someone is being flirty with a different person than her husband, so I feel a little justified.” That… didn’t even make sense. Marc and Steven were two parts of the same person. 
Layla sighed and turned to look at the road. This is going to be a long drive. 

 

So that's part one. I think I want to make 3 parts to this. Let me know how I'm doing since I'm getting back into writing after so long! Thank you! 

[VioletGarden]

omg thanks for this!! I'm watching the show and just waiting someone make a good fic about it 🥰🥰

[angora48]

Love, love, love! OF COURSE Steven and Marc would have completely opposite reactions to be sick, with Steven being sweetly exhausted and apologetic and Marc trying to brush it off even though he knows Steven already told Layla. I really like the detail that Steven tries to include both Layla and Marc in the conversation when he’s fronting, that’s SO Steven (he’s too wonderful, I love him.) Super excited to read more!

[starpollen]

I don’t know the fandom but I am enjoying this. ☺️ Looking forward to more!

[fraggle]

I can't tell you how happy I am to see this! From the moment I learned about Moon Night I hoped someone could write something. Can't wait for the next part! 😀

[thegreatpretender]

On 4/30/2022 at 8:43 AM, VioletGarden said:

omg thanks for this!! I'm watching the show and just waiting someone make a good fic about it 🥰🥰

It's such a good show! I'm glad you like the fic so far! 🥰 Thank you for the comment! 

On 4/30/2022 at 11:34 PM, angora48 said:

Love, love, love! OF COURSE Steven and Marc would have completely opposite reactions to be sick, with Steven being sweetly exhausted and apologetic and Marc trying to brush it off even though he knows Steven already told Layla. I really like the detail that Steven tries to include both Layla and Marc in the conversation when he’s fronting, that’s SO Steven (he’s too wonderful, I love him.) Super excited to read more!

I really do LOVE Steven so much. Not that I don't love Mark but Steven is just so innocent that I just can't help but love everything about him! And Layla is such a bada$$ too so I really love her character too. Thank you so much for the comment! 

On 5/1/2022 at 12:56 AM, starpollen said:

I don’t know the fandom but I am enjoying this. ☺️ Looking forward to more!

It's a really good show if you wanna give it a try! Thank you so much and I hope you like the next couple parts! 

On 5/1/2022 at 5:08 PM, fraggle said:

I can't tell you how happy I am to see this! From the moment I learned about Moon Night I hoped someone could write something. Can't wait for the next part! 😀

Thank you to so much for the comment! I'll try to do it the justice it deserves! 

 

[thegreatpretender]

It really means a lot that everyone took the time to comment and read it! 🥰 I feel a little more confident getting back into writing since I know people are actually enjoying it. 

So I lied when I said it may be 3 parts and it’s probably going to be closer to 5/6 parts with a possible mini epilogue. Whoops. Just warning that more creative liberties are going to be taken for the next couple of chapters as well which I will try to explain to the best of my abilities. 

Once again some spoilers for the show if you haven’t seen up to episode 5 and some advanced warnings in this part: references to some violence and touching on topics like dissociative identity disorder (DID) and psychosis. 

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Part 2

Part of the reason that Marc fell in love with Layla in the first place was her tenacious nature. She has always been fierce but firm in her love for him. Her stubbornness has followed Marc through all sorts of danger. The problem, however, is the extent to which her stubbornness was sometimes an issue. 
Layla held onto her frown and stared at the road like he requested but otherwise didn’t acknowledge his existence other than to bless him should he sneeze. It’d already been close to an hour of silence. 
Marc wasn’t sure where to begin. An apology was needed first and foremost but Gods there was so much to apologize for and not enough time to go through everything and the list continued to grow:
I’m sorry that I never mentioned Steven before? (Still haven’t gotten around to fully apologizing for that, Marc thought with a frown) Sorry I ran off to find a lead since we stopped Harrow but didn’t stop his minions which keep popping up randomly like cockroaches? Sorry that I then decided I needed to pull Steven’s existence back out of the hellscape that was the underworld because being alone in my head was deafening? Sorry that I lied through our entire marriage? Sorry that, even now, I’m still putting you in danger?
Layla was supposed to be driving them to the Pyramid of Giza so he could release Khonshu once more and take on his role again as his Avenger of the Night. But Steven had already snitched on them so there’s no telling if she was going to actually go through with it.
Marc’s breathing hitched and silently cursed. 
“Ehh…..hehhh….” Marc rubbed a knuckle under his nose and pitched forward, trying to stifle “Hxxist! Hnnixsst! Ehnxt!” Damn cold, he thought trying to contain a shiver. 
“Bless you Marc,” Layla said, squeezing his leg. Marc grabbed her hand and interlaced their fingers. 
“Thanks,” Marc cleared his throat and winced, realizing it was starting to hurt more than before. 
Layla looked over at him and squeezed his hand.“So we’re not going to get your mad god friend right away,” She said, looking back to the road so she didn’t have to see his immediate reaction. 
Damn it, Steven. Why did you even say anything? Couldn’t you pretend for a couple more hours? 
“We don’t have that kind of time. Besides, Khonshu can heal us,” Marc said firmly. 
“Yea it can heal injuries. Doubt sickness is at the top of their priorities considering that they forced you to fight when you were almost falling apart before!” Layla glared in his direction but Marc knew it wasn’t really for him. She looked at his face and he felt her trying to pull her hand out of his. Marc let go but dodged her hand when it came towards his face to check how warm he was.
“We’re not that bad,” Marc said, dodging her a second time. 
Layla huffed but pulled her hand back. Marc clearly was more in control of his reflexes than Steven, which was good at least, but would it kill him to let her check? Steven would. 
“Steven already said you need to take some meds and get some sleep. Why would Steven lie?”
“I never said Steven would lie. He’s just a bit of a baby.” As the words left his mouth, Marc felt bad about them. Steven had tried to keep it under wraps because Marc asked him to for as long as he could. It’s not Steven’s fault their body decided to rebel against them. 
“Stop that. You could be nicer,” Layla gave him a look. That one was definitely directed at him.
“I’m nice,” Marc said defensively. He turned down the air conditioning a notch which wasn’t helping his case.
“I’m not talking about being nice to me. I mean being nicer to Steven,” Layla handed him some napkins. Marc was confused for a second before his nose itched. He vaguely wondered how she knew before he did that they were coming and sneezed into the napkins “Ehhxshiooo! Hhehhhttchsst! Heh’ptshh!” There was a brief pause and Marc rubbed his nose, trying to will the sensation away with no luck, “UhtChSST! Heh-Esshheio! Ehh…hehhhh….EETTSCHHHUUU!”
“Bless you…Blow your nose, Marc. It’ll help,” Layla said gently. 
Marc obeyed, going through a pile of napkins before he was able to sniff with no issue. He rubbed his arms and tried to avoid Layla’s gaze.  
Am I being mean? 
“You’re not feeling well so you’ll get a pass today,” Steven said from the passenger window, making Marc jump. Layla panicked for a moment before noticing where Marc was looking and realized Steven must be back. 
“I thought you were napping,” Marc whispered. Steven didn’t look any more rested than earlier. 
“I was trying to but I couldn’t stay asleep so here I am,” Steven yawned, “Did I miss anything important? Did you and Layla have a nice talk?”
“How’s Steven?” Layla asked. 
Marc rolled his eyes at the pair. Marc turned to Layla, “He’s fine” then turned to the mirror, “Kind of…” 
“Liar,” they said in unison. My other half and my wife are ganging up on me. What a life I live… 
“Did you apologize for running off? We said we were going to be more honest with her from now on Marc,” Steven chastised. 
“‘m working on it…” Marc mumbled. 
“Marc, you really should take advantage of the situation and get some well-deserved rest and indulge your wife,” Steven yawned and gave him a look, “But since I know you, I already see you trying to work out how to get to Khonshu once we stop. I don’t approve and I promise I’ll fight each step of the way.” Steven tried to sound firm but he was so tired that it was pretty weak.
“Yea, you’re in peak condition to fight at the moment,” Marc said, raising an eyebrow. 
 "You are not fighting anyone at the moment,” Layla glared at Marc, “And don’t bully Steven because he’s concerned for your health.”
 “I’m currently the one getting bullied here,” Marc grumbled, slumping down in the seat. Steven gave him a sympathetic look. 
“I’m not trying to bully you, Marc,” Layla sighed, “Can we please just take a moment to make sure you’re better before we rush into another situation? Please?” she gave him a sad look, “Is that too selfish?” 
Marc’s throat got tight. He tried to clear his throat only to start coughing. He gave a small groan and leaned against the door like Steven was earlier, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. 
“... We could spare a day or two to get some sleep,” Marc avoided their eyes. 
“Three,” Layla and Steven said together.

 

... And there's part 2. I wanted to get it out before tomorrow's episode breaks my heart, cause I know it will. The next part should be up in a few days once I'm done submitting my finals for my classes.
Thank you again for reading and I'm having a lot of fun writing this for everyone! 

[angora48]

Another great chapter! And 5-6 parts is just fine by me. 😁

Really nice characterization of Marc here. I liked his mental list of apologies and his general crankiness at being sick (sure, Marc, Steven "snitched" on you.) And Layla and Steven ganging up on Marc was really cute. I'm excited to see where we go next! I am so here for grumbly Marc being forced to rest and cinnamon roll Steven getting pampered a little by Layla. Love!

And I totally know what you mean about episode 6. I'm going to watch it right after this, and I'm not sure my heart is ready!!

[sprinkles287]

I am OBSESSING about Marc and Stephen since this show came out and this story is everything I ever wanted. I love how you’ve made them sneeze differently beyond just interacting differently - the subtle and immediate changes is one of the things I’m super impressed with from the actor and I think you’ve done a great job with that here. 

[thegreatpretender]

On 5/4/2022 at 9:16 AM, angora48 said:

Another great chapter! And 5-6 parts is just fine by me. 😁

Really nice characterization of Marc here. I liked his mental list of apologies and his general crankiness at being sick (sure, Marc, Steven "snitched" on you.) And Layla and Steven ganging up on Marc was really cute. I'm excited to see where we go next! I am so here for grumbly Marc being forced to rest and cinnamon roll Steven getting pampered a little by Layla. Love!

And I totally know what you mean about episode 6. I'm going to watch it right after this, and I'm not sure my heart is ready!!

Thank you! It's actually looking more like 7 parts because it keeps getting bigger and bigger as I write which I really wasn't expecting but so long as you are enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it, I guess it all works out in the end. 

There's still going to be ganging up on Marc in some of the other chapters but I did want to put some focus on Steven and Layla's relationship/dynamic because there was just so much potential in the show that they're just gonna have to explore in another season. 

Thank you so much! 

[thegreatpretender]

On 5/6/2022 at 12:33 PM, sprinkles287 said:

I am OBSESSING about Marc and Stephen since this show came out and this story is everything I ever wanted. I love how you’ve made them sneeze differently beyond just interacting differently - the subtle and immediate changes is one of the things I’m super impressed with from the actor and I think you’ve done a great job with that here. 

It really is a wonderful show in character study and I love the way that they decided to end the season. All the actors did a fabulous job and I'm trying really hard to keep them in their respective characters. I hope you enjoy the next couple of parts for the story! 😁

[thegreatpretender]

 

Thank you again to everyone who is liking this! I’m really trying my hardest to keep them in character and do the show justice because it is so good. I'm so happy with the way that the season ended and still encourage people to watch it if you have the chance. 
Needless to say, a brief acknowledgment that more creative liberties are going to be taken for the next couple of chapters as well which I will try to explain to the best of my abilities, and a sprinkling in of Layla enjoying their cold. 
Once again some spoilers for the show and some advanced warnings: references to abuse, violence and touching on topics like dissociative identity disorder (DID) and psychosis and panic attacks. There are also some references to some of the things happening in the MCU Movie/showverse like the BLIP and displaced refugees. 

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Part 3

 
Getting to the city was easy. Trying to figure out which place to stay was safe was the problem. Ammit/Harrow followers were still all over the place and part of the reason they’ve been running non-stop is that each time they try to rest, a follower tries to bring about their own justice. 
Marc actually did fall asleep for the last bit of the drive, which was both a relief and a concern, and Steven was the one who opened their eyes when Layla touched his shoulder. 
Layla felt bad waking them but it was so much more dangerous for them to be in the jeep, sleeping when the two of them were ill and vulnerable. They looked so tired… 
“I’m sorry Steven,” She smoothed the hair away from his face and cupped his cheek, taking advantage of the situation and checking for a fever. Warm but not too bad, for now. She kissed the tip of his nose. 
Steven's nose wrinkled and his breathing hitched, and Layla watched in fascination. He turned and sneezed into the crook of his arm. “Hehh-ehh… ehhh- Ecchisio!” Layla smirked. 
“Sorry again.” 
Steven chuckled and smiled weakly, “No worries. Let’s go.” 
With Steven in tow, Layla slowly made their way from spot to spot trying to find a place to stay. Cash wasn’t particularly an issue but their questionable paperwork is, considering the enemies that Layla and Marc had collected over the years. They needed to find people who wouldn’t ask questions, which was getting harder and harder in a world full of constant madness post BLIP. The GRC didn’t make matters easy either.   
Steven held onto her jacket sleeve and every once and a while she would feel a small tug but after the first three times, she realized he didn’t have anything to say. He was just holding onto her and she wondered if it was to ground himself or to make sure she felt his presence, like a small promise he wasn’t going to leave her. It made her smile. 
Several times during their adventure, Layla would get frustrated with men disregarding her to talk to Steven, even if she was the one asking for help. Steven, ever the gentleman, would tug on her sleeve and then refer them to Layla, “You’ll have to speak to the boss” so she could have the satisfaction of verbally eviscerating them. But she could see Steven was getting more and more exhausted. She really did need to find some sort of arrangement sooner rather than later. 
She was once again in the middle of talking to a man who was starting to get condescending and was waiting for the tug at her sleeve but felt nothing. Then Layla realized there was a lack of a body next to her. Panic seized her and she frantically looked around.
“Steven?” Layla looked around, her chest tightening. Steven was just there. Did Marc take control and leave her behind again? He wouldn’t leave her again… would he? Layla could feel her breathing stop and saw little spots. No, not like this, she thought. She forced herself to take a breath and hold it, pressing her nails into her palm. Layla was about to sprint to make sure the jeep was still there when she saw him in a side alley. 
Steven was leaning down apparently talking to an older woman who kept touching his arm and trying to touch his face. He kept pulling back but was clearly too nice to push her away. She made her way over and resisted the urge to rip him out of the woman’s reach and instead gripped his arm, startling Steven and the woman. Mine. 
“Sweetie?” Layla tried to sound calm but it was rather shaky, “Is everything ok?” The old woman looked harmless enough. She started babbling in Arabic, which Steven couldn’t understand but Layla was well versed. She was calling Steven ‘Ramy’ and asking him where he’s been. 
Steven looked between them helplessly. 
“I’m sorry Layla. She got my attention when you started talking to that man and I thought she needed my help but I can’t really understand her and she tried to pull me w-with her,” Steven wavered, “Hxxnst! Hnnxst!” He stifled two sneezes against his shoulder. The old woman went to touch his face again and Layla tugged him closer giving her a look. I don’t care how old you are, I have no issue throwing hands with an old lady. The old woman glanced at Layla and said ‘Is this your friend Ramy?’ which Steven still couldn’t understand so Layla stepped in.  
“I’m his wife. And his name is Steven, not Ramy. Is there anything we can help you with?”
The woman looked confused and stared at Steven as if trying to find a trick. Layla might feel bad if she wasn’t so used to people lying. 
“Mama!” The three of them turned. A tan woman with dark, long, flowing curls walked towards them with a young girl in tow. She either ignored Layla and Steven or this was a normal occurrence because she was fixated on the old woman. The little girl, however, stared at Steven, in confusion much like the old woman. Layla gripped Steven and tried to maneuver Steven behind her. Steven gently grabbed her sleeve again.
“What are you doing here?! Eliza panicked when she couldn’t find you,” The woman gently pulled the woman back. “I’m so sorry about this.” The woman finally addressed them. She looked at Steven, blinked but other than that just smiled at both of them. 
“Thank you for taking care of my mother-in-law. She was supposed to stay with my daughter, Eliza, but the next thing I knew she was gone.” The little girl, Eliza, moved to the other side of her grandmother and started to whisper to her. 
Steven cleared his throat “No thanks necessary, honestly. We didn’t really do much,” Steven said. The woman seemed surprised and so did her child. 
“Oh, a foreigner! Did you need help finding your way back to a group?” Layla thanked all the gods for Steven’s British accent. 
“We actually are traveling on our own but we were bothered by some zealots who are making finding a place to stay harder than it should be,” Steven said, making Layla give him a look. It wasn’t a complete lie but it was still too close to being honest than she was willing to be at the moment. 
Steven wasn’t paying attention though, breath hitching again. Steven pressed his face into his wrist and Layla felt her stomach flutter for the poor man. 
“Ehh…. eetTSSCHUU! Heetcchhstst! HEHHHSSCHHHUU!” Steven sniffed, “forgive me. I’m also a bit under the weather.” The woman gave a sympathetic smile. 
“I see and I’ll bet they are. Those zealots are everywhere,” She got a dark look, “We don’t associate with them. They ruin lives.”
“Mama,” Eliza said, “He looks like-” 
“He’s not, sweetheart,” The woman said quickly. At their questioning look, she explained “You look a bit like my husband Ramy. He’s gone, though.” Ah, that explains some things at least. 
Steven pitched forward into his wrist once more, “Hnnxt!” but it was closer to Layla than she expected and she gave a tiny squeak. Eliza giggled. 
“Can they stay above the shop mama? It’s open since the other refugees left.” Eliza looked up at her mother. The old woman was calm now. 
The woman twisted one of her curls and looked at them thoughtfully. Layla couldn’t put her finger on it, but for once she didn’t think they were going to be killed by these three. 
“We could pay for the inconvenience,” Layla said. 
“We can talk about that at the house. Let’s get back there first before your friend collapses,” The woman gestured for them to follow as she turned her mother-in-law towards the street. Eliza stared at them a second longer before following her mother. 
Layla looped her arm around Steven’s, “Should we risk it?”
Steven shrugged, “Marc’s still sleeping and would most likely be against the idea but he’s not in control at the moment and we don’t have a ton of options. And if it turns out wrong, Marc will be pleased to say I told you so.” Steven pulled her along. 
“So… is there a Ramy in there?” Layla said as a joke.
Steven snorted. “Layla, please. There are enough people in this body as it is.” 

 

... And that is the next part. The parts are getting progressively longer btw so I was debating either having more parts than intended or just having the next couple parts be long as hell. 🤷‍♀️
 

[fraggle]

Oh wow, that was brilliant. The series was fantastic, can't wait for the next part.

[angora48]

7 hours ago, thegreatpretender said:

Thank you! It's actually looking more like 7 parts because it keeps getting bigger and bigger as I write which I really wasn't expecting but so long as you are enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it, I guess it all works out in the end. 

I know exactly what you mean, lol. There are so many time I've started a fic thinking, "Oh, this will just be 4 or 5 parts," and then it's like, 11 parts later...

And I don't blame you at all for mainly focusing on Steven and Layla. I like Marc, but Steven is such a doll and his relationship with Layla is so good. I loved watching her journey over the first few episodes to really understanding that Steven is a separate person from Marc and treating him as such.

More scrumptious stuff in this chapter! I love Steven holding onto Layla's sleeve (and of course he'd be the type to politely defer men back to Layla when they're being dismissive of her,) and I smiled at Layla being annoyed at Steven for being a little too truthful to the family they meet. Nummy sneezes, too--I especially love those stifles!

[thegreatpretender]

Glad everyone likes the story!

Needless to say: creative liberties are going to be taken for the next couple of parts as well which I will try to explain to the best of my abilities, and a sprinkling in of Layla enjoying their cold. 
Once again some spoilers for the show and some advanced warnings: references to abuse, violence and touching on topics like dissociative identity disorder (DID) and psychosis and panic attacks. There are also some references to some of the things happening in the MCU Movie/showverse like the BLIP and displaced refugees. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Part 4

The woman finally introduced herself as Topaz and their family-owned a shop and the tiny restaurant next to it. She said they were passed down through their family. Both were actually pretty busy with tourists and she brought them in through the back of the restaurant and led them upstairs. Their place was quaint and reminded Layla of Steven’s flat in London with the number of bookshelves and knickknacks everywhere. There were tons of hanging glass mobiles that glittered all over the place. Eliza went to make tea and Topaz helped her mother-in-law to a side room. Layla and Steven sat at the small circular table in their kitchenette and waited patiently. 
Eliza was a spitting image of her mother, with her long curls barely being contained by a braid. She was also fascinated with Steven and buzzed around him with curious wonder, asking question after question about where he was from and what he liked to do.  Layla guessed it had to do with Steven/Marc resembling her father and she couldn’t blame her. Layla probably would have had the same reaction if she met someone with her father’s face. Steven, having the patience of a saint, answered all of her questions kindly and thoughtfully. Then Layla watched with a smile when both Eliza and Steven realized they both like studying Egyptian Gods and started nerding out about their favorite. It made her wonder briefly what type of father Steven/Marc would be…
Unfortunately, Steven stretched his voice too thin and started to cough. Before Layla could do anything, Eliza got him water and started patting his back. Well, I guess I can relax a bit since there’s no way this kid could kill us, Layla thought. The mom though… 
    “Eliza, leave him be. He’s not well,” Topaz said, returning to the room. Eliza reluctantly moved away to bring over the water for tea.
    “She’s a wonderful child. You must be very proud,” Steven said as he caught his breath. 
    Topaz smiled and served them, sitting down next to Layla. Eliza went to the other end of the room and started to twist wires, apparently starting a new glass mobile project. 
    “She’s a very good girl,” Topaz said fondly, “She loves information about the gods, magic, and spiritual talk. Ramy would let her go on and on. He used to indulge all of them.” Layla was on edge from the statement. All of them? 
Topaz must have seen the unspoken question, “I had three children. Two of them passed away. Then I also lost my husband.” So Topaz lost her children and husband and Eliza lost her siblings and her father. Tragic… 
    “How long has it been since…” Layla trailed off. 
    “It’s been about 3 years for my one child, 2 for the other and about a year for my husband,” She paused briefly before continuing, “We tried to find healing after we lost our child. I found one path that helped me and Eliza to heal. He found those zealots of Ammit instead. He tried to take us both there for “healing”, saying it was a better choice for salvation.” Steven and Layla held their breath.
    “Was he… judged or …” Steven asked hesitantly. Layla thought about it and watched Steven swallow. She had no idea how long Steven and Marc were fighting Harrow before she found her way back into their life. Please say this isn’t another person on their ledger… 
But Topaz nodded and confirmed, “He was judged. I left. My mother-in-law didn’t take it very well, losing her grandchildren and her only son. She started losing parts of herself. But I can’t afford to fall apart. Eliza needs me and my mother-in-law needs me.” All of them were silent for a moment. 
Topaz smiled at them. “You are safe with us from them if you do need a place to stay. We tend to stay here but the area above the shop is vacant most of the time for travelers and refugees displaced from the BLIP. You would probably just have to look out for Bastet but she’s harmless.”
“Bastet… the Cat Goddess of love and fertility?” Steven questioned. Can’t blame him for that question, Layla thought. 
Topaz chuckled, “She truly does believe she’s a goddess but no. Bastet is just a normal tuxedo cat. She comes and goes as she pleases. I’m only mentioning it because she will pop up randomly in the apartment, even if you think you’ve kept her out. She’s special like that.” 
They all laughed and whatever tension was in the air disappeared. 
Steven turned his head away from the ladies and they watched as his face went lax before snapping forward and stifling several sneezes into his elbow as quietly as he could. 
“H’nnxt! Nn’Eshht! ehh-Hettnxxcht!” He sniffed and they watched his body give a shiver. Layla and Topaz shared a look and Eliza stopped her crafting to call over “Bless you!” 
Steven blushed. 
“You should probably go lay down. Traveling isn’t easy on a normal day,” Topaz says. She pulls a set of keys from the kitchen drawer and calls out to her daughter. “Eliza, can you take them over to the other building and let them in? Leave them one of the keys.” 
Eliza jumps up and rushes to grab the keys and waits, bouncing for Layla and Steven to collect themselves. Topaz puts some medicine and other items appropriate for handling a sick patient in a bag and hands it to Eliza. The last thing she threw in was a whole box of tissues. 
They follow her to the other building and go up to the other apartment which has a less lived-in vibe but is still cozy nonetheless. 
Eliza hands Layla a key and the bag. “I’ll be back with some stuff for you guys cause I think the fridge is empty. Let me know if you need anything…”  They smile and thank her but she lingers for a moment.
She glances up at Steven, “Can I come over and talk to you more about mythology when you’re feeling better?” Aww. 
“I would love that.” Steven held out a hand and she shook it, smiling, and dashed away. 
They shut the door behind them and locked it. 
“Alone at last,” Layla said, sighing. Finally the chance to smother Steven and Marc with some TLC. Them being sick was just an addition which she didn’t mind in the least. Steven chuckled. 
“Interesting thing to be eager for given the circumstances.” 
She dropped the supplies on the kitchen table. 
“So where do we start first?” Layla said, ready for Steven to tell her everything he wants/needs.
Steven held up a finger and turned away from her. Layla watched.“Ehhh…” Steven’s nostrils flared and his breathing hitched.  “Ehhxshiooo! Ehhh -hetsshhiiissshh!” Steven released two sneezes into the air, away from Layla. Steven's nose was still twitching slightly. He sniffed and his breathing hitched again. “eehh… hehh…HEH!” There was a pause and he let out an aggravated sound. “Lost it,” he sniffed.
Layla released her breath and said “Pity,” before she could stop herself. Steven made eye contact with her and she could see him working things out. 
Damn it, Steven. Of all the times to be observant, Layla blushed. “I-I meant, bless you,” She mumbled. 
“Thank you, Layla,” Steven pulled the tissues out of the bag on the table and pulled out a couple. He blew his nose, much more loudly than any time before and Layla’s blush deepened. 
Layla turned away. Steven went about wiping down the room that they were going to call their “home” for the next couple of days while they worked whatever bug that Marc and Steven had out of their system in the fastest way possible. She knew she should help him but she felt embarrassed at being found out. This is not how she expected their time together to go. 
Steven stifled the next couple of sneezes and Layla felt her stomach twist. “Hnnisxt! Hiixst!”
“When did you know,” She whispered, wondering if Marc was watching them have this interaction. It never came up in all the time she and Marc had been together. 
“Just a hunch at first, actually. You also did a little squeak out in the alleyway and if Marc’s memory serves me right, that happens when you get… excited…” Steven trailed off from somewhere behind her. Layla groaned. 
“Marc isn’t up at the moment and I haven’t told him, either,” He stated as if feeling her anxiety. 
Layla turned to face him finally. He had pulled out the medicine and was squinting to read the instructions. Headache. He tipped a couple of pills into his hands and dry swallowed them, making a face. “Are you going to? You both said you weren’t keeping secrets anymore from each other,” Layla crossed her arms. Steven glanced at her.
“I won’t say anything, Layla. It’s not anything to be ashamed of though,” 
“Sure… being happy at your significant other’s discomfort is super healthy…” 
“Layla-” Steven wavered and slumped forward, leaning heavily against the table. She was at his side in a second. She grabbed onto this arm and touched his face. Warmer than before but not too dangerous. She should ask Topaz if they had a thermometer. 
Layla gently moved her hands to his temple, adding just a bit of pressure trying to massage the ache away. Steven made eye contact with her, grabbed her hand, and kissed her palm. Steven seemed fine then. Like that wasn’t real… Layla blinked.
Steven, you little- 
“That wasn’t nice,” She pouted. 
“Sorry, love. Making a point since I know there’s a difference between being a sadist and having a kink.” Layla continued to pout, grabbing his hand and maneuvering him into the side bedroom, and basically pushing him towards the bed. She pushed him to sit and Steven worried for a moment that he overstepped. He opened his mouth to apologize when she kissed his head and started to help him remove the layers he had on. 
“At least you’re not judging me,” Layal said lightly, throwing his jacket and button up to the side, leaving him in the lighter white t-shirt. 
Steven huffed out a laugh, “Like Marc and I are in any position to judge people on their lives.” Layla felt him start to shiver and pulled back the comforter and gestured for him to get under. He moved to get under and she grabbed the waistband of his jeans, causing him to give a very manly squeak. 
“Jeans. Off,” Layla said before he got too comfy. Steven blushed but knew better than to fight her. 
“Could I just…” Layla watched him get under the comforter and was about to give him an earful when she realized he just didn’t want her to see him in his boxers. Layla giggled as his face got red and he finally handed her his jeans. She took them and threw them in the pile on the floor. They would have to be cleaned anyway.
Layla laid on top of the comforter and laid next to Steven. She tucked in the comforter around him and Steven just let her. She smoothed his hair back from his head and ran her hand through his hair, lightly scratching his scalp. Steven shuddered and his eyes fluttered close. 
“How’s that, sweetheart?” Layla whispered. Steven snuggled towards her, not asking her for touch but clearly craving more of it. Marc never really let his guard down enough to let her do these kinds of things, in all the years they were together. Steven was an open book and she loved it. 
She switched to rubbing his temples again and he pressed into her hand more. Then pulled back and ducked under the comforter, “He’Ehhxshiooo! Ehhh -hetsshhiiissshhooo!”
“Bless you… poor baby,” Layla whispered, pulling down the comforter from his face. “Do you need anything?” 
Steven sniffed and moved closer to her again until he was almost in the crook of her neck. 
“Just talk. I like listening to your voice,” He mumbled. Aww…
So Layla channeled her inner Steven and rambled. She started with stories her father had told her when she was a child and moved from topic to topic. Steven made small sounds to show he was listening. It went on for about an hour as she felt him slowly sag into the bed and knew he slipped into sleep. 
Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and a tuxedo cat hopped onto the bed with them. It stretched and walked across the bed like it owned the place until it sat in the small space between them. It blinked its golden eyes at her. 
“You must be Bastet,” Layla whispered. Bastet meowed and Layla gently shushed it. Bastet seemed to get the hint and turned into a cat loaf watching them and blinking. 
“Gonna tell me how you got in here?” Bastet blinked and moved close enough for Layla to pet her head. “Not talking huh?” It gave her a look and Layla remembered she shushed her and chuckled, “Ok dumb question.” Steven sighed and snuggled closer to her. Layla smiled but she couldn’t stay like this for too long. She had to get them food, double-check to make sure they weren’t found or followed, needed to wake him at some point for some more meds, and the list continued to grow. But she didn’t want him walking alone either. She looked at the cat which was staring intently at her. 
“Could you stay with him while I go get some things done?” She asked. 
Bastet inched up until she was snuggled against Steve’s chest and started to purr. Steven curled up more. Layla took that as a yes and maneuvered herself off the bed. 
She caressed his cheek and he sighed again and she resisted the urge to get back in the bed. Bastet chirped at her, as if to say the faster Layla gets it done, the faster she can come back. 
A knock at the door in the main room told her Eliza was probably back with more supplies. 
“Alright. Eliza first.” 
 

 

...That's the end of part 4. Topaz is a character from the comics though Eliza is not. I doubt they will ever bring her up in the MCU because she was minor but I think she's a fitting character for the story. The next part is complete but I am tweaking it to make sense. 

 

[angora48]

Super sweet! Steven is such a cinnamon roll--I love that he almost immediately realizes Layla is into his cold, doesn't judge her for it, and promises not to tell Marc. And getting undressed under the comforter because he's embarrassed for Layla to see him in his boxers? Too cute!

2 hours ago, thegreatpretender said:

“How’s that, sweetheart?” Layla whispered. Steven snuggled towards her, not asking her for touch but clearly craving more of it. Marc never really let his guard down enough to let her do these kinds of things, in all the years they were together. Steven was an open book and she loved it. 

My favorite bit, lovely details. And so interesting for Layla--obviously, Steven isn't Marc, but after being with him and knowing he's (presumably) always grumpy and a little closed-off when he's sick, it must be wild to have somebody else in the same body who's so eager to accept her caretaking (and indulge her! 🤤)

[Juto]

Just finished this series and I’m absolutely in love with this (though I’ve only finished part 1 - but I’m definitely coming back for more). 

[RemedyBane]

i'm in love with this! i really hope you continue! 

[thegreatpretender]

Not Dead! Just working on stuff for my job since I was a little behind. Thank you again for everyone who is enjoying this! I'm having fun writing it and you can expect more action and angst in the upcoming chapters. I'm having a lot of fun writing this and I'm basically done up to the epilogue which I may or may not post depending on how people feel about the last actual part. 

Once again some spoilers for the show and some advanced warnings in this part: references to child abuse, some violence and touching on topics like dissociative identity disorder (DID) and psychosis. Spotlighting on Marc being bad at feelings and Steven being a bit of a cinnamon roll. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Part 5 

 

Marc sighed and couldn’t tell what it was that woke him but alarms started ringing in his head when he realized he wasn’t in the car anymore. 
He opened his eyes and jolted upright in the bed. There was a weight on the bed near him and he looked down to see a cat looking at him in annoyance. It made a trilling noise at him and shifted itself to be against his body again. The hell did you come from? 
Marc looked around the room and started doing a mental checklist. One door, two windows, 2 side tables around the bed, and one picture frame…with a random woman and a child? It was closer to night now. Head: spinning from sitting up too fast. Slight headache, possible fever. No Layla insight which was the most concerning part. How long was I out?! He wondered if this is what it was like when Steven woke up in different places before. Speaking of…
“Steven!” Marc hissed. The cat stared at him and he hesitantly held out his hand to it. It sniffed him and rubbed into his hand. “Steven,” he hissed again when he didn’t feel Steven’s consciousness at the surface.  
Steven materialized in the reflection in the picture frame, looking more dazed and confused than usual.
“Steven! Where are we?!”
“Oh…how are you feeling Marc?” Steven asked gently. 
“Annoyed! What is going on?!” Marc gestured around them. The cat growled in annoyance and Marc gave it a quick pet as an apology. 
Steven wasn’t phased, “How was your nap?” Marc gave him a look. 
“Fine! Can you answer my question? Where are we?” He gestured to the cat, “Whose cat is this?” 
“Oh, that must be Bastet. She’s so cute.” Marc just stared at Steven for a good minute. Are we high? Or are we sicker than I thought? But that doesn’t make sense cause Marc didn’t feel that awful but Steven was clearly out of it. The cat, Bastet, crawled into his lap, and not knowing what else to do, he scratched behind her ears until she was purring. His annoyance slowly bled away to just plain worry. 
“Are you calmer now Marc?” Steven asked. Marc just nodded. 
“So… Layla and I found a place to stay with a nice lady and her kid. This is their cat, Bastet. She’s named after the Egyptian Goddess Bastet.”
“You couldn’t bother to wake me so I could give my input into this?” Marc’s nose began to itch and rubbed his knuckle under his nose. He cursed under his breath and sneezed into his hand, “Eehhet-shhio! UhtChSST!” Bastet chirped at him.
“Bless you,” Steven said softly, “You were asleep and I didn’t think it was fair to wake you when you clearly needed the rest. Layla and I handled it.” 
“And where’s Layla?” Marc wasn’t trying to sound like he was accusing Steven of not doing his job to protect their wife, but it definitely sounded that way and Steven flinched in through the reflection. 
“I’m… not sure. She was here until I fell asleep,” Steven mumbled. Marc immediately felt guilty. Bastet nipped at his hand, almost like she understood the conversation they were having.
“I’m sorry Steven… I’m being a dick…” 
“It’s ok Marc.”
Marc shook his head and sat back against the headboard. “No, it’s not. I know you’re trying to get a handle on this too and I swear I’m not trying to blame you for this.” Bastet moved to settle somewhere in the middle of his stomach and purred, staring at him and blinking. 
There was something unsettling about the cat’s stare. Like it could see into their soul. “Do you know where she is?” 
Bastet meowed in response and blinked again. 
Mac snorted, “Helpful.” His nose twitched and his eyes became glassy for a second time. Marc pulled up the collar of his shirt to sneeze. “eeehketSHHHHHUU! eeeESSSHIOOO!” 
“Bless you,” Steven said at the same time Bastet chirped. 
The bedroom door swung open and Marc jumped. The young girl from the picture popped her head in holding as many supplies as she could in her one arm. 
“Bless you, Steven! Those were loud,” she commented. She moved to the side table and dropped down the box of tissues, several bottles of medicine, several bags of throat lozenges and a thick book. Marc watched in confusion and glanced over at the picture frame where Steven was staring at the girl fondly. 
“That’s Eliza. Look what she brought us! She’s so thoughtful!” Steven gushed. Marc hid a small smile. It took so little to make Steven happy. 
Marc opened his mouth to thank her and froze. She thinks I’m Steven, Marc thought. If I say anything, she’s not gonna understand why we sound different. And we can’t just switch easily without  her getting concerned either and thinking we’re having a seizure and telling on us.
Steven also realized the problem and stared at Marc helplessly from the frame. Shit. 
Eliza, oblivious to their dilemma, rearranged the pile of supplies on the desk to her liking and Bastet moved from her position on Marc to the side table inspecting the new items and trying to headbutt Eliza. 
“So this is where you were! Are you helping to make our guests feel better, Bastet?” Eliza headbutted Bastet back and giggled. 
She hopped on the side of the bed and looked up at Marc, who was still unsure of what to do. 
Marc could feel Steven take control of his hand and move to his mouth to sign “thank you”. Oh, thank god you’re smart Steven.  
Eliza smiled, “Your welcome” she said and then signed it as well. “Is your throat hurting? Is it easier to sign?” 
Marc shook his fist. Yes.
“Ok! I got you a bunch of different medicines and throat candies so those might help. I brought a bunch ‘cause I didn’t know which you would like.” Eliza grabbed the book and placed it next to Marc excitedly. It was a book about different Egyptian mythological tales. Marc couldn’t help but smile. 
“Layla went over to our home, like an hour ago. And I think her and mom are making some stuff and talking. You were sleeping and she asked if I could stay in case you did wake up,” Eliza explained. Bastet walked back on the bed and nudged at the two of them, annoyed she wasn’t getting attention. Eliza rolled her eyes but pet her and Marc did the same. 
“Mom told me I shouldn’t bother you guys but I still wanted to talk to you about some of these tales and the conflicting stories and get your feedback. And now you’re awake. Sorry your throat hurts too much to talk though,” Eliza picked up the book and stared up at Marc with barely contained excitement. “Could I still read to you and tell you what I think? No one wants to listen to me about this anymore.”
“I want to adopt her,” Steven said. Marc resisted the urge to snort and kept his face as kind as possible. He nodded to Eliza and she opened the book and started to read. 
Eliza made every effort to make the story alive. She did voices and explained certain aspects of the tale that didn’t make sense and Marc relaxed into the bed, nodding and would sign as necessary.  Bastet moved back to his stomach and started purring again. Eliza also moved the tissues closer to Marc and would pause when he needed to sneeze, bless him and continue where she left off. Steven chimed in every once and a while to explain more, which Eliza couldn’t hear but it helped Marc to understand her stories better. He wasn’t really sure how long he was sitting there listening to Eliza but it was undeniably peaceful. 
“I love everything about this,” Steven sighed. Eliza handed more tissues to Marc, noticing his breathing hitch. Marc took them and he nodded, both in thanks and in agreement with Steven.  
He pinched them around his nose. “Hxxist! Hnnixsst! Ehnxt!” Marc blew his nose and the tissues were dropped in a growing pile beside him. He really needed to throw those out but didn’t feel like moving when he was actually comfortable for once. He grabbed more tissues that Eliza offered to him.
“Bless you,” Eliza said, looking at him thoughtfully. “What type of tea do you and Marc like?” 
Marc froze.
“...I no longer love everything about this,” Steven whispered and Marc agreed, also no longer feeling comfortable. Bastet must have felt him stiffen and she stared at Marc. 
Eliza was oblivious once more. “My mom said I couldn’t ask because it was impolite and would probably concern Ms. Layla. But I think it’s more impolite to not accommodate all of you since you’re gonna be here for a bit. And what books does Marc like? I wanna talk to him too at some point,” Eliza said lightly, not aware that Marc was fighting every instinct to bolt. 
Bastet climbed closer to Marc’s face and nudged his chin with her head. He let out a shaky breath, realizing he stopped breathing. There was a subtle tremble in his hands as he tried to pet Bastet. How did they know about Marc? 
Eliza finally noticed something was off, “Are you ok, Steven?” She leaned forward and Marc forced himself to stay still as her hand made contact with his head and she tried to compare it to her own head with her other hand. 
“I think you’re warmer than me but I’m not too sure. Why do parents do that?” Eliza looked annoyed. “I should get the thermometer.” 
This is our chance, Marc thought and Steven shook his head from the frame, begging Marc to not do anything impulsive. 
Marc cleared his throat to get her attention and signed, asking if he could have tea. Bastet growled at him. 
Eliza perked up, “Oh sure! I can get you tea! I’ll be back with some choices! I’ll get a couple books for Marc too!” She hopped off the bed and scooped up Bastet, who growled again staring directly at Marc. 
“Come on, Bast! We can leave them alone for a bit” Eliza said. She waved at the door, “I’ll be back Steven!” And shut it behind her, Bastet meowing loudly from her arms. 
Marc waited a moment longer to hear another door open and close. Then threw everything off of them and grabbed the clothes on the floor.
“Marc, please. We can’t just leave,” Steven pleaded.
“The hell we can’t!” Marc pulled on the jeans and glared at Steven in the frame, “We’re getting the jeep, grabbing Layla and going straight to get Khonshu.” He leaned down again to grab the button up but came back up too fast and had to lean against the wall when his vision swam. 
“Marc!” Steven said frantically. Marc took a moment to breathe before continuing. 
“We have to go Steven,” Marc was firm. 
Steven stayed silent, watching. Marc could feel his unease but shrugged it off. 
Marc walked towards one of the windows and looked out, gauging the best way to get down without making a scene. His hand suddenly grabbed the window sill and refused to let go. Marc groaned.
“Steven,” he growled. 
“...what about Layla? We promised her Marc…” Marc paused. 
“We aren’t leaving her,” he started, “We’re just going to get the jeep and then come back for her.”
“But this doesn’t seem fair…” 
“Steven please,” Marc whispered, “I need you to be on my side for this one. I don’t… feel right…” If that wasn’t the understatement of the year…
Steven was silent for a bit. “...will you feel safer if we check things out?” That’s what it was, Marc thought bitterly. Marc didn’t feel safe. Without Khonshu’s power, there was so much he couldn’t do. So much that could go wrong and it made him feel hopelessly unprepared and insecure about everything with the situation. And the fact that Steven was picking up on it was concerning on a number of levels.
“...yes.” Marc admitted. He locked eyes with Steven through the picture frame. 
Steven stared back, frowning. Steven let go of control over the hand and Marc nodded, hoping the relief wasn’t too apparent. 
“...Let’s get this over with,” Steven mumbled and Marc almost changed his mind if only to not put Steven in a bad spot. 
Marc opened the window and slipped out, unaware that they were being watched from the shadows. 

 

 

....And that is the end of Part 5. It all goes downhill from here folks. Be prepared for violence and angst in the next couple of parts. I was also thinking about writing another one a little more canon to the ending of the season which would be a little more lighthearted than this one but I'm on the fence. 

[Dc1]

This is amazing I can’t wait for more!

[angora48]

Ooh, I love it so much! The Marc-Steven relationship is just the best. You really have their personalities and their dynamic down--I'll gladly read any and all Moon Knight fics you write!

I loved the soft fluffiness of part 4, but the tension and uncertainty in this part, with the hints of action and danger to come, is so good too. And it's fitting the situation. No surprise that Steven would immediately snuggle in for some caretaking but that Marc would go, "Wait, no, we've gotta move!" Marc begrudgingly petting the cat, and letting Eliza read to him, was great, and OF COURSE Steven was just blissfully content. I liked the dilemma of not being sure how to read to her without letting her know that it wasn't Steven, and the solution was really good. Oh, thank god you're smart, Steven, indeed!

Also, I'm not a fan of it in real life, but in a fictional context, I love it when a guy lifts up his shirt collar to sneeze!

13 hours ago, thegreatpretender said:

“That’s Eliza. Look what she brought us! She’s so thoughtful!” Steven gushed. Marc hid a small smile. It took so little to make Steven happy. 

LOVE.

[Sneezy123]

SO GOOD!!!

[SneeVee]

This is beautiful!

[fraggle]

This is epic! Soooo good, I love it.

[JustASneeze]

Ugh this is incredible. Moon Knight rapidly stole my interest so I’m super excited someone wanted to do fan fiction about it!!!