shut the door & cut me open

RONIN if there's one thing i'm good at, it's surviving "Sorry. Of course not for you - that was harsh of me," Ronin murmured, rubbing at the back of his head and letting out a soft sigh, though he couldn't help but snort at the idea that his artistry was needed for a thank you card. Surely a thanks on a bit of paper would suffice? Another matter for another time. As he was stopped from proceeding into the guildhall, his hands captured by Remi's, the alchemist was indeed spot-on in his assumption. Ronin's question died on his tongue before he had a chance to even say it, the hunter swallowing hard, a puzzled and unhappy frown on his face as he listened to his husband. Every word, every reaction, every feather sprouted... it all screamed but. He loved him forever, but. And then the hammer came down, shattering into every anxiety, every ounce of wary anger, every bit of righteous indignance he'd felt at Loren swaggering into their lives again like it was nothing. Shattering into it so hard, so effectively, that it splintered into pieces that cut and sliced and punctured into Ronin. He'd expected it. Why hadn't he expected it? Because he'd never thought it would be Remi to instigate things, a voice whispered deep inside. Remi loved Loren, but was not in love with Loren. Loren loved Remi, and probably was in love with Remi. They had spent time together whilst he had been 'away'. All that time together. Remi had told Loren to kiss him, even though he didn't want him to. To prove that he wouldn't do it. Ex-lover Sam and Nate lived in their basement. Remi didn't see a problem loaning his power to Ascended - in fact, the loan trumped the (orgasm-inducing) method. And Ianto... who even fucking knew about Ianto. Ronin's hands slipped from his husband's, his breath escaping in a long, slow whoosh that he didn't know he'd been holding in. He seemed to shrink before Remi, tucking his fingers into his coat pockets. "Okay," he said, sounding strangely broken and defeated. He didn't know if there was anger in him now - or if the lack of it was just proof of this weird new acceptance at knowing he would let Remi get away with pretty much anything. King doormat - a new and humiliating title. "Okay," he repeated. "What next?"