said_scarlett: (valynxshana)
Faye ([personal profile] said_scarlett) wrote2007-08-23 06:52 pm

Fic: In The Dark Heart Of The Night; Shadow/Valyn/Shana; NC-17

Title: In The Dark Heart Of the Night
Fandom: Halfblood Chronicles
Pairing: Shadow/Valyn/Shana
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 2,031
Author's Notes: AU, but not the same AU-verse as the other AU-verse.
Summary: The war was won and spirits were high. But still Valyn felt a strange sense of empty longing, and he couldn't forget what he'd done....




There were always certain things one did upon a winning a war. There was dancing and feasting and above all, there was drinking. In the great hall of the Citadel, wine and mead and harder stuff was flowing freely. And down below, in the old stone corridors, it flowed as well.

Valyn leaned back against the stone wall, still feeling tense and exhilarated and as though he was in a dream. They’d won. He had blood on his hands that would never wash clean, but he’d been prepared for that. And he’d won the war.

Or at the very least there was no more fighting and the elven forces were willing to engage in treaty talks. But it was still something. He wasn’t entirely sure what was going to happen to him - it would take a great deal of talking and perhaps even threatening for the Council to allow him to take over his father’s position.

But none of that was bothering him now. Now he was flushed with wine and victory, on the stone floor of an old corridor with Shana and Shadow and a cask of a fine old vintage.

“We did it.” Shadow was shaking his head, his lips red with wine. Valyn grinned and threw his arm around his cousin’s shoulders in a one-armed embrace.

“We did,” he repeated, still unable to believe it. The wine was making him giddy, and his own triumph over his father was making him bold. He squeezed Shadow tightly and leaned over, kissing him firmly on the lips. Normally he’d never display his affection so publicly, but he was tipsy and loose and more free with his emotions than normal.

“Oh, so you’ll kiss him but you won’t even look at me?”

Valyn turned just as Shana swatted him on the shoulder.

“I… you…”

“She’s got a point, Val,” Shadow said, laughing. This, this was what Valyn had been missing. This warm sense of camaraderie. He felt it seeping through him as surely as the wine.

“Fine.” Valyn leaned over and brushed his lips against Shana’s. It was a chaste meeting of skin, hardly the open mouthed display he‘d engaged in with Shadow. But it was a kiss, and far more than Valyn had ever entertained. With Shana, at least. “Now you’ve gotten a kiss, too.”

“That wasn’t a kiss.” But Shana was flushing and looking down at her knees. Her hair was tangled and half out of its braid. She was a pretty thing. But it was Shadow that Valyn leaned against, Shadow who Valyn kept his arm draped about, Shadow who he would fall drunkenly into bed with once the wine and night were nearly gone.

“I’m inclined to agree.” Shadow was grinning wickedly, his green eyes sparkling. He looked devious. Valyn wanted to kiss him again.

“Our lips met, I call that a kiss.”

“Gods and demons, I’ve seen you kiss matronly Ladies more passionately than that. Give her a proper kiss. It‘s a night for celebration, after all.”

There was something disconcerting about Shadow urging him to kiss Shana. Shana wasn’t even looking at them anymore. Her head was turned her cheeks were as red as her hair. Valyn sighed. It was a night of celebration. And what could a kiss hurt? Arm still around Shadow’s shoulders, Valyn leaned forward once more. Shana was still looking away. His free hand tipped her head up to face him, and he kissed her once more. This time he let his lips linger. Shana’s were rough and weather-worn. She seemed frozen against him, and he realized suddenly that she had most likely never been kissed before.

He drew away. Shana was chewing her lower lip, and her eyes were very bright.

“Better,” Shadow was saying, and Valyn could hear the mischief in his voice.

“If you’re such an expert on how Shana should be kissed,” Valyn said, “then you kiss her.”

“No one needs to kiss Shana anymore.” Shana herself finally spoke up.

“I don’t know, I think it’s only fair. Valyn and I kissed, you and Valyn kissed…” Shadow shrugged. “Come here.”

Valyn felt like he was thirteen again, playing kissing games in the garden. He didn’t feel like a war hero or a man or a Lord. He felt like an awkward boy with sweating hands and a fluttering stomach. And it didn’t abate when Shadow kissed Shana, and Valyn could see his lips were open, and his hand was in her hair. It was a lover’s kiss. A surge of jealousy shot through the young elven Lord, though he knew he was hardly the only lover Shadow had ever had. Hadn’t he been encouraging a union between the two halfbloods anyway?

But Shadow was still within the circle of his arm, and now Shana’s hand was on his knee to balance herself. Her hand was damp as well.

Shadow wasn’t drawing back. Or rather he was, and he was drawing Shana back with him, pulling her against his chest. Valyn felt her against him and he wasn’t sure where Shana started and Shadow began. It was all warm bodies and soft hair mingling together. Shana was kissing Shadow, then him again, and then both of them at once in a fevered mash of lips. Shana’s hand slipped off his knee and she tumbled, and Valyn felt the world shift….

They were sprawled in a tangle of limbs. Valyn felt Shana’s body pressed snuggly against his, warm and soft. Her buttocks were pressed snuggly against his thigh, and his already warm body warmed even further. Shadow was sprawled across his legs, laughing. Soon Shana was laughing as well, and even Valyn had to smile. What a sight they must have made.

“Shadow, I can’t get up unless you do. And I think I’m crushing poor Shana….”

“I doubt Shana minds.” Valyn felt a swift swat on his own rump. Shadow rolled off of Valyn’s legs, onto his back on the cool stone floor. He was still laughing. Shana was still under him, no longer laughing. And her breathing was coming quicker. Valyn knew why, he wasn’t a fool. He was pressed snug against her, and if he could feel all of her, she could feel all of him.

He suddenly wished he was wearing thicker trousers.

“I still can’t believe it.” Shadow was staring up at the high ceiling. “We won.”

“It doesn’t seem real.” Valyn finally rolled off of Shana, landing on his side between her and Shadow. “Of course that may well be the amount of wine I’ve had. I think I’m done.”

“I don’t think the wine matters.” Shana’s voice was quiet.

“No, I don’t think so either.” Shadow turned, throwing an arm around Valyn’s waist.

“I killed my father.”

Those words fell into silence. Valyn hadn’t meant to say them, but he’d been thinking them, over and over and over in his mind since it had happened. He could still see it in his mind, his father coming towards him…. Then falling backwards, still snarling in rage.

“I killed my father,” he said again. The words felt strange. But they were true. “I killed my father.”

No one else said anything. Shadow moved close, holding him. Shana turned, pressing herself against his back, her arms going around him. They both held him, silently. Shadow’s hand rubbed at his hip. Shana kissed his neck, softly.

“I’m sorry.” Valyn pressed his forehead to Shadow’s, then turned to kiss Shana’s cheek. “I didn’t mean to bring the mood down.”

“It’s fine.” Shadow reached up and ran a hand through his hair. “There’s no point in ignoring it.”

Shana didn’t speak. She held him, though, and he let her. She was warm and soft and her breasts pressed against his back, and ancestors help him, it felt good. Almost as good as Shadow’s body against his.

“It needed to be done,” Valyn said. And it had. But the fact remained that he had killed his own father. It didn’t matter that Dyran had been a monster, that Dyran would have killed them all, that Dyran had been trying to kill him. Dyran had been his father.

“And we won because of it. Don’t let it weigh you down, Valyn. You’re alive, you’re not allowed to be a martyr.”

Now it was Valyn’s turn to be silent, to lay there between his cousin and sister friend. He was aware of Shadow’s hand, still stroking his hip, and Shana’s hand resting lightly against the open throat of his tunic. Her hand was on bare skin.

“We’re going to be sore, if we spend the night on the floor.” Valyn knew it was a foolish thing to say, but he needed to fill the silence and he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“I’m going to be sore, anyway. You landed on me.” Shana swatted him, but gently, her hand light against his chest. Shadow chuckled.

“And Shadow landed on me,” he pointed out. One of Shadow’s hands twined with Shana’s, against Valyn’s chest.

“Only because Shana grabbed me when she fell.”

“She grabbed both of us.”

“I was trying not to fall. ‘Sides, you two are the ones who… started everything.” It sounded as though Shana was blushing again. Shadow’s hand on his hip. Shana’s breasts against his back. These weren’t kissing games any longer. He’d spent many nights between the sheets and between Shadow’s thighs, but Shana…. Shana was an innocent. And no matter how good her skin felt or how passionate her kisses were, she was his sister.

But she’ll never love you as a sister, he reminded himself. And Shadow doesn’t love you as a cousin. They both love you as lovers. And what do you love them as?

Valyn sighed. His blood was still stirred from feeling Shana beneath him. The hands on his skin did nothing to calm him. It was Shadow who was in front of him so it was Shadow to whom he cleaved, Shana’s hand trapped between them. He was surrounded by warmth. Shadow’s hand left his hip, reached behind him, pulled Shana flush against his back.

He needed this. He wanted this. Shadow rubbed against him. Valyn shifted, taking Shana’s hand and bringing it to his lips, gently kissing the heel of her palm. He could feel Shadow running his hand along her body, feel Shana arching and pressing her breasts against him. She was kissing his neck, his shoulder, the edge of his jaw. Her hair was soft against him. And Shadow moved slowly, hardness against hardness, legs twining with Valyn’s, with Shana‘s. It was impossible to tell who was touching who.

Valyn found himself on his back. Shadow’s hand was over the swell in his trousers, Shana was kissing him. He reached for her breasts with one hand, for Shadow with the other. They fell together in a slow joining of lips and limbs, touching and twining together and seeking comfort in one another.

When Valyn leaned back against the stone wall, Shana moving against him while Shadow was inside her, making love to her from behind, he felt real. Shana’s head was thrown back, her thick red hair falling around her shoulders. Her mouth was open, her shoulders heaved, her breasts thrust forward and she was beautiful and wild. Shadow kissed her shoulder, his eyes still gleaming mischievously, meeting Valyn’s eyes and Valyn could feel them both against him.

And he felt good. The sense of a dream fell away, and the reality was heated skin and muffled screams and Shana’s nails and Shadow’s calloused fingertips….

There was no greater acceptance than that, the acceptance of flesh and body and soul. There was no need for words. Everything was said with skin and lips and clinging limbs. Valyn clung to them both, kissed them both, held them tightly as he found his release….

He held them both even afterwards, ignoring the seed and slickness clinging to his thighs. Shana curled against his chest, Shadow’s head on his shoulder, tangled together amongst empty wine flasks on the cold stone floor. This was all he had wanted.

Dyran may have been his father, but this was his family.

[identity profile] chaneystarr.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
Awww, Fey! XD The perfect threesome. He even liked it! She's now all melty in my head! XD adkdfl I can't wait to play with them

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
He did! He was awkward and uncomfortable but, you know, logic. Aw, yay! They're such a nice threesome. On more than just the pretty level. :D

And damn, you guys are fast!

[identity profile] chaneystarr.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:26 am (UTC)(link)
Hahaha, I stalk your journal and happened to be RPing with Cath when I got the notification you'd updated so I poked her too, haha. XD

>.>

No, we're not obsessed at all, really. XD

Pretty is a nice level in itself, but mmmm, so much love. They're so damned cute.

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
YAYZ I HAVE A STALKER!

There is so much love! I love them. They could be very happy together!

[identity profile] chaneystarr.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:42 am (UTC)(link)
They could! And they should be. I agree with the screw canon. ;)

...Although Shana still says she's going to stab him with a fork first...

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
YES! I've always said threesome solve everything!

You do realize that Shana does, actually, have to have a go at him with a fork at some point now?

[identity profile] chaneystarr.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
Haha, they do. I'm a firm believer in that. Most of my pairings end up as threesomes XD

I do. Have him piss her off during mealtime. Or maybe she'll keep one as a weapon. Do they have forks in halfblood? Haha.

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
Threesomes work! Sometimes, anyway. Here it does!

That...shouldn't be hard. They...um... well, since both Keman and Valyn seemed to know what they are, we're going to say yes. I know the elves use them, at least....

[identity profile] chaneystarr.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:57 am (UTC)(link)
It does. I like it here. XD

Haha, no, not when Valyn's involved. ;) I think that's probably one of those things I shouldn't think too hard about, haha. Like Daemon knowing how to play poker. >.>

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 03:02 am (UTC)(link)
So do I. :D

He opens his mouth, he pisses her off. :D Yeah, it's definitely one of those things. I only remember elves using forks because there was direct reference to a fork in an engagement dinner in book 2 - Rena used it to crush her sugar swan or alicorn or whatever to tiny pieces.

[identity profile] chaneystarr.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
Haha, he does, he's just that talented. ;) Poor boy.

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
He is spectacularly talented! No one surpasses him at pissing off Shana! LD

[identity profile] chaneystarr.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 11:31 am (UTC)(link)
That's prolly not a very good accomplishment in the long run. >.>

[identity profile] ranchangrnl.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
...holy moly.

I'm going to need a minute. Or two. Maybe three.

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
Breathe, just breathe. :D SEE WHAT YOU TWO MADE ME DO!

[identity profile] ranchangrnl.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
Hell, if I'm in someway responsible for the hotness that was that I'm going to give myself a cookie.

That was just brilliant and wonderful and so very plausible and damn that was a better "ending" then the book in my opinion. Who wants to read about sobbing Shadow and Shana? Not me! Give me threesome goodnes with Keman watching in the shadows and taking notes, of coures.

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
All the talk of threesomes and Shana being invited and... it put the images in my head!

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed. Because truth be told, I was nervous about this one. Pssh, I saw 'screw canon!' and just ignore the ending at this point. Who needs it?

[identity profile] ranchangrnl.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
Hahaha, and what good images they were too.

Yes. Screw Canon. It only gave us 200-300 pages of the four at most. Yes, yes, plot, storyline, someone probably had to die- bah! What happened to Valyn calling rocks from the sky to kill his dad before skipping off merrily to be with Shadow and Shana?

... well, maybe he wouldn't skip. Though he is an elf. Hmmm...

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
Yay!

I know! Dude, seriously. Valyn's smart enough to just freaking kill Dyran or knock him out or something, rather than using himself as a freaking light socket. And then he'd go back to his real family, and they could have messy incestual threesome sex!

I'm sure there is an instance in which Valyn would skip.

[identity profile] ranchangrnl.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
Right. There had to be some other way then the way he chose. He didn't seem to be the type to go run off and be a martyr. He's not Harry flipping Potter! Sheesh.

Haha, when he's all hopped up on happy pills and a cocktail of ativan and morphine like the nurses gave him and Keman?

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:51 am (UTC)(link)
Seriously! I know he was depressed and desperate to prove himself, but it would have worked a little bit better if he'd been able to go back and reap the praise.

Hahahah, yes!

[identity profile] ranchangrnl.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
You know, I don't think he actually thought his plan through. I think he got up to "and then my father dies" and didn't bother thinking past that part. I'm sure he's somewhere going "Uh, can I get a re-do? Maybe re-roll the dice? Perhaps? Please?"

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
I don't think he did either. I think he thought he did, and I think a part him was all 'I shall die gloriously for my cause if all else fails!' but... yeah. he really wasn't thinking.

(Actually, according to Mercedes Lackey, there were plans to bring him back in the fourth book. But since it will never be written.... :/)

[identity profile] ranchangrnl.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
So he would have been Valyn the White had he shown back up again and helped the other three into bringing the ring to Mordor...

Oh wait, I think I'm mixing canons now.

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I dunno. That would make as much sense as anything else, probably. I know she has a history of bringing back characters way later in the series in bizarre and plot-devicy ways, so the very idea kind of makes me 'O.o'. I know I read one series where one guy was thrown over a cliff onto rocks and came back a couple books later, and another series had a chick who'd drowned and still came back....

[identity profile] ranchangrnl.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 03:02 am (UTC)(link)
haha, for some reason I get the image from Emperor's New Groove in my head where the two baddies fall down a hole and still end up beating the good guys to the evil lair.

Why? Well, the baddies don't even know. By all accounts it should have been impossible.

Does anyone really care? Nah. On with the main plot!

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
Hahahahah, awesome. Yeah, Mercedes Lackey.... I love her stuff, but damn do her plot holes gape.

[identity profile] colortheory.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
..........

*melts into a puddle of happy*

My poor little dragon is rather traumatized, though. I think he was probably on the other side of the door listening to everything and being very, very confused. XD

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2007-08-24 08:19 pm (UTC)(link)
YAYZ!

Oh man, I can imagine. Poor Keman! Talk about '...wtf?!?!'.

[identity profile] mnschoen.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
This is still a hot fic and I've reread it like fifty times because yours is the only HBC fic worth reading. :( I still secretly want to see some weird interspecial Keman/Mero. (I know I'm a little f-ed up.)

Hypothetically, I could write some, but that never turns out very well.

[identity profile] theladyfeylene.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Aw, thank you! Is there anyone else who even still writes HBC fic? The fandom seems...basically nonexistent. (AND I WILL WRITE THAT! AT SOME POINT! I've done Valyn/Keman...)

Aw, I've really liked what I've read that you've sent me!

[identity profile] mnschoen.livejournal.com 2008-09-28 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
I like...swing in and out of the fandom (I swing in and out of fandom in general...damn school) and every once in a while I come back and read a bunch of your stuff and get my jones taken care of and wistfully despair for an actual fandom.

There are people that lurk around your journal, WHY DO THEY NOT WRITE? Curses.

Well, I'm good and preoccupied now, so we'll see if I get off my ass and actually write something. :/ Didn't we have like...a group where one might post sometime? I forgot what it was called. I forgot whether or not I maintained it. wtf.