Felicity's Beast World Apocalypse-Chapter 151: Having You is Nice

The hallway felt emptier after Rose left, like something had been pulled out of it too fast and everything else hadn’t caught up yet.

Felicity didn’t move for a long second. Her arms still hung where they had wrapped around Rose, fingers slightly curled like they expected to still be holding onto her. The warmth lingered, the weight of her still there in memory, and then it wasn’t, and that absence hit harder than anything else, her breath hitched, then the flood gates broke.

Lucan was the first one to step in, not rushed, not loud, just there, his hand coming up to her face like it had every right to be there, fingers sliding under her chin, steadying her before she could fold in on herself. His thumb brushed under her eye, catching the tear before it fell, then another, then another as they came faster.

"Hey, look at me " he said huskily.

Felicity tried to answer, but it came out wrong, caught somewhere between a breath and a sob. She shook her head, small, frustrated, like she was annoyed at herself for it even as it kept happening "I don’t, i don’t want to go, but i think i think i have to." she hiccuped, breath stuttering.

Lucan didn’t interrupt her. He just kept wiping her tears, slow, patient, letting her get it out, pulling her into his embrace whispering " shh its okay, its going to be okay." while gently patting her back.

"I don’t want to leave her," she said, voice breaking again, hands coming up to grab onto his wrists like she needed something solid to hold. "I don’t want to leave and I don’t want to stay and.."

Another hitch in her breath.

"She can’t come," she whispered, like saying it quieter might make it less true. "She can’t and I know that and im being selfish.""

Her voice collapsed again.

"I know I have to go," she said, forcing it out this time, shaking her head hard like she was trying to make herself believe it faster. "I know it’s not safe and I know she’s right and I know, i am being irrational." Her grip tightened, "but I don’t want to."

No one spoke, they just looked at her the way someone would when they looked at a lost kitten. snow teams hearts felt like they could throw them up, and her husbands wanted to go beat up what ever made her sad, but right now she just needed to get it out and they needed to be strong for her.

Behind Lucan, the others stood still in a way that wasn’t passive. It was held, tight, every single one of them feeling it and not stepping in because there wasn’t anything to fix.

Lucan pulled her closer instead.

Not enough to trap her, just enough to ground her, his forehead dipping briefly toward hers before he pressed a quick, firm kiss against her temple, then her cheek, then just beside her mouth like he was mapping her back together.

"It’s alright, little bunny," Lucan murmured, his voice low and calm, unchanged by the moment, like nothing in the world could make it waver.

It wasn’t, but he said it anyway.

Lucan stepped in then, quieter than usual, his presence sliding into the space without breaking it. He didn’t ask. He just moved, one arm coming around her, lifting her clean off her feet before she could protest.

Felicity let out a small sound of surprise, hands instinctively grabbing onto him, still sniffling, still trying to breathe properly "Lucan.."

"It’s okay, little bunny," he said again softly, already turning, already carrying her back toward the room. "Everyone will get ready. You don’t have to do anything right now."

"I want to help," she said immediately, voice thick, shaking her head against him. "I can’t just sit there while everyone.."

"The best thing you can do," Voss cut in calmly from behind them, "is stay put."

Felicity frowned slightly, looking over Lucan’s shoulder, still blinking through tears. "That’s not.."

"It is," Voss said simply. "You moving around like this slows everything down, you resting lets us move faster. "

That landed differently.

Felicity hesitated, her grip on Lucan tightening slightly before loosening again. "...I hate that."

"I know," Voss replied, patting her head gently.

Lucan carried her back into the room, setting her down carefully on the bed, his hand lingering at her waist a second longer than necessary before pulling away. Felicity sat there, shoulders still shaking slightly, trying to get her breathing under control, wiping at her face with the back of her hand like it would make it stop faster.

Victor followed no one expected otherwise. He didn’t stop at the edge of the bed. He stepped in close, close enough that she had to look up at him, his hand coming back to her face, tilting it gently, "there you are," he murmured, softer now.

"You’re all staring again" she whispered.

His arms wrapped around her, one hand pressing firmly against her back, the other sliding up into her hair, holding her there like he wasn’t planning on letting go anytime soon. Felicity made a small sound, then melted into it, burying her face against him, her fingers clutching at his shirt like she needed to anchor herself.

Victor lowered his head, pressing his face into her hair, inhaling deeply, he shifted just enough to press a kiss into her hair, then another against her temple, lingering just a second too long, like he was making sure it stayed.

Felicity didn’t notice, she was too busy trying to breathe.

Victor pulled back just enough to look at her again, his hand still holding her jaw, thumb brushing lightly over her cheek, "you’re alright," he said again.

She nodded, even though she wasn’t.

He leaned in and kissed her properly this time. Not rushed, not soft either. Controlled and possessive in a way that didn’t ask permission but didn’t take more than she gave back. Felicity made a small sound, hands instinctively grabbing onto him again before the kiss broke.

Victor didn’t move far "one more," he murmured, almost to himself, before kissing her again, shorter this time, like sealing something. "If you break, I break worse, we all break."

Then he let her go "stay here," he commanded.

Felicity blinked at him, still a little dazed. "Where are you..?"

"Handling it" he turned, already moving.

Ivan and Damien fell in behind him without a word, they did however wink at her.

Lucan’s gaze followed them out, sharp, thoughtful, then flicked back to Felicity, softening again as he stepped closer to the bed, "rest, me and Voss are here you are safe, its going to be okay." he said simply.

Leaf Team’s territory felt different before you even stepped inside it. the air was heavier, thicker with the scent of damp earth and crushed greenery, vines creeping along the walls and beams like they’d been there longer than the building itself. The warehouse had been taken and reshaped, claimed in a way that didn’t just block it off but turned it into something else entirely.

When Victor, Ivan, and Damien stepped inside, the reaction was immediate. Every head turned to them eyes locked on, predatory, pupils widening, sharp and instinctive. Every single one of them smelled it.

Her, not faint nor lingering, fresh, Saturated. Like they’d walked through it like they’d rolled in it, it clung to them in layers, thick enough to taste.

Exile’s expression twisted immediately, a low hiss slipping past his teeth before he could stop it "...you’ve got to be joking."

Richard didn’t look much better, but he kept it contained, stepping forward instead, posture straight, controlled. He reached out and smacked Exile lightly on the back of the head without looking at him "behave."

Exile snapped his mouth shut, but his eyes stayed locked on them, sharp and irritated.

Further back, Dawn didn’t move he just watched, quiet, observant, taking in everything without reacting.

Thane leaned against a support beam, arms crossed, looking like none of this surprised him in the slightest.

Dimitri stepped forward, his eyes locked on Victor’s throat like a predator calculating exactly where to tear "Victor," he greeted.

Victor didn’t return it "let’s skip the bullshit," he said flatly.

Dimitri’s mouth twitched slightly, "agreed."

Victor’s gaze flicked over them once, dismissive and assessing all at once. "Lucan is part of us, part of her, not officially but soon."

Exile made a sharp sound, halfway to a hiss before..

smack

Richard hit him again "shut up."

A quiet snort of laughter slipped out, Damien, it was brief just one.

Victor’s head turned slightly, his gaze cutting toward him. Damien went still immediately.

Dimitri ignored it.

"We’re aware," he said, "don’t worry, we all have one." his head pointing towards Exile.

Victor held his gaze for a second, then gave a short nod. "Same."

That was enough acknowledgment.

Dimitri continued, "We’ll follow where you go, together we fight better and train better. Be better."

A offer a good one.

Victor didn’t respond straight away. He stepped forward instead, just enough to shift the space, his presence pressing into theirs without raising his voice, "fine," he said.

"But what are your intentions with my wife?"