Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Jonas felt the tug in his chest right as he saw the lights of the gas station ahead. It was late and he still had miles to go. Logically, he couldn't make stops like these. Besides, if it was one of Angelica's, the one who lived in Chicago, it was dangerous. Still, better a life lived dangerously than none at all. He had to try to reach her cluster. They were Angelica's. He couldn't leave them to figure out being sensate on their own. Not with Whispers already hunting down Nomi as he was. He pulled into the gas station, following the tug like a lifeline. He knew this wouldn't end well. But for Angelica, he could try.

Jonas entered the gas station, not even trying to mask his footsteps. He knew Will was a cop, a good one at that. Jonas did not live this long without picking up a few things. He didn't have the resources to be as skilled as Nomi but he could hack into a police database just fine, if only to read through Will's case files. The poor guy. He had been haunted by things he couldn't explain, a life many sensate had lived. He probably met a young Whispers with the Sara Patrell case. It seems Will had also skirted danger before. Good, at least Will had some practice.

He also, seemingly, had no clue what was happening to him. Browsing cheap psychic magazines, really Will. Those people will never give you what you need, just people desperately trying to become sensate without the pain of truly becoming. Jonas watches as Will's head pops up, sensing his presence. Will slams his items down as he watches Jonas approach him. He appraises Will, trying his best not to smile. Angelica really had a beautiful cluster. Will felt strong, righteous. Not the physical sense but the sheer feelings one felt when standing near Will, his eyes on you.

"Hello"

He got as close as he could without alarming Will. After years of being on the run, Jonas knew the importance of touch, of trust. But he saw Will's fear, a fear he hoped he could assuage.

"My name is Jonas"

Will's eyes were intense, scrutinizing and assessing. Trust would not come easily. Still, he had to try.

"I know who you are."

"You know what they told you, and you know what your senses are telling you. The question is, Will, which of the two are you going to trust."

Trust yourself Will. Trust your cluster. Trust me, please.

"How do you know my name?"

Will looked scared. Jonas wished with all his heart that he didn't.

"She told me"

"who"

"Angelica, the woman that gave birth to you, just before she took her life"

Wistfulness turned to pain in Jonas' voice.

"She shot herself"

Will's voice echoed that ache. Both grieving.

"We all experience many births and deaths during our life...But few know what it means to be truly reborn a sensate"

"A what?"

He is so young, so new to this. Jonas has to show Will that he's not alone.

"You have a migraine. You've had it since you saw her. It will last for several more days. When mine finally ended I cried like a baby, but that's just the beginning."

Jonas remembered his London flat, sobbing into pillows as the aches and flashes of white hot pain finally receded. Everything felt so confusing in the early days. Even now, it is hard to picture the before. Life truly began after he was awoken as sensate.

"You will start to feel strange things. You will feel snow in the summer"

Jonas remembers a flash of a memory, the feeling of cold, suddenly shivering despite the rare warm air of London as the sun shone in through the windows of his flat. The sudden shiver down his spine as he got cold.

"Rain when there isn't a cloud in the sky"

Angelica catching raindrops on her tongue as Jonas stares on, smiling.

"You'll feel anger and joy and pain."

Each a sudden spark in his days, reminding him he isn't alone, not anymore.

"Pleasure without any reason"

Sudden sparks of want down his spine during class. Awkward moments on dates.

Jonas watches will, in the present, lick his lips. Will's face shows every emotion like an open book. Interest, shock, fear and landing on concern.

"Excuse me. Excuse me . Can you see this guy?"

Will grabs the attention of the forgotten cashier. Jonas sighs. He really should have known. The clock begins ticking.

"I don't have much time Will. There's a plane leaving in an hour and I have to be on it."

Cold indifference seeps into Jonas's voice. He can feel it, a mask he knows well. He wishes it didn't have to be like this, but this is what he gets for trying to convince a cop to go against the law. He's been told not to trust himself enough that he no longer does. It's a shame.

"No, you're not going anywhere"

Will shakes his head and Jonas watches as determination creeps into his eyes, his expression, his body language.

Time to switch it up

"There is a girl in San Fransisco, Nomi Marks. She needs your help, just like Sara Patrell needed your help"

Jonas wishes he could apologize as he watches grief flood Will's face, speechless for the moment. Jonas begins to turn, his eyes on Will but taking a chance that his words were enough to stop him. They weren't.

"I'm still a cop, I can't let you go"

There it is. So righteous, so brave, even when you're wrong

"I'm not the enemy Will"

"Quite a few governments including this one says you are"

Jonas watches as Will falls back into the mask, the habit of being a cop. Of believing he is right. But he doesn't realize how easy he is to read, how easy it is for Jonas to know him.

"you're about to go for the gun strapped to your ankle, but by the time you do, the fight will be over"

It isn't a threat, Jonas wasn't aiming to scare Will. Jonas wants Will to know that he sees him. Jonas knows him. He won't win this fight. He turns once more but Will reaches for him. Jonas slaps his hand away, shoving Will into the shelves of chips behind him. He watches as Will falls to the ground and turns to leave as he sees Will, going for the gun strapped to his ankle, just like he said. Jonas kicks him, leaving him on the ground once more before walking out the the store. He maintains his composure as he walks out but breaks into a run the moment he hears the door close behind him. He races to his car, yanking the keys out of his pocket. He slams his body into the drivers seat, not bothering with the seatbelt as he shoves the car into reverse. Jonas watches Will race out of the gas station and swerves to avoid him. Tires screech as he turns onto the main road. With his rearview mirror, Jonas watches Will fumble with keys of his own before backing out onto the main road, closely following Jonas.

Fuck. If he doesn't kill me, his driving will get him

Jonas had to be several steps ahead of Will. He couldn't risk Will getting hurt, not after meeting him. But he couldn't get caught either. He yanked the wheel hard, drifting onto a side road. Will following close behind. Will didn't have the advantage of having cluster knowledge, not yet. Will was on his own. The stupid brave boy.

Jonas weaved through Iron bars, silently begging Will to consider his own safety. Jonas, instead, feels Will hit his bumper, risking both of their safety. If Jonas could just distract him for long enough.

"Don't do this Will"

Jonas visited Will, willing his own hands to remain steady on the wheel despite the change in view.

"What the fuck!"

"You spent your life trying to understand what happened to you. If you don't let me go, you might never find out"

He dangled the information in front of the cop, begging the mystery to be more important than honor, for once in Will's life. He pleaded to himself for Will to put himself first, just this once.

"Oh my god I'm losing my mind"

Jonas smiled.

"No, it's just expanding"

He instictually went to touch Will's shoulder, to offer the physical reassurance so many sensates crave before thinking better of it. No need to pressure him more. Not yet.

Jonas left as Will turned towards him, hands off the wheel for just a second when the cars crashed, screeching with sparks flying. For the third time, Will sped up, causing the cars to crash one more. Jonas laughed as he watched Will pop up next to him. There were few times that Jonas could recall the feeling of joy bubble up in his chest, but this moment counted. Watching Will as he learned, so quickly. He was so clever, too smart for his own good but for just this moment, Jonas decided he didn't mind. He rakes a hand through his hair, one of the few visual ways he has of putting himself back together, putting the mask back on. He turns to Will, smile dropped.

"Well Done."

He takes a moment. Will looks like he's about to have a panic attack. Jonas wants to go easy on him but he can't risk losing the advantage Will just gave him.

"Yes the connection flows both ways, which raises the question: If you're here. who's driving back there?"

He looks back at Will's car. Even with the brief glimpse, he can see Will driving behind him. He grins and watches as Will panics, hopping back into his own body. Jonas watches as the headlights behind him veer. Jonas prays for Will's safety for a brief moment. He watches as Will gets control of his car quickly, back to gaining speed. It would be impressive if it wasn't so worrisome. Jonas needs a plan and fast. He sees the road in front of them, growing dangerously short. He knows Will isn't thinking about his own safety, only thinking about how to catch him. So Jonas does the only thing he can, he sacrifices himself, his safety and freedom for Will. He yanks his car's wheel towards Will. His car will be a buffer, a stop between Will and the concrete edge of the plunge below. He sees the headlights as they blind him and decides to send a pray up to whoever listening, may both of them walk out of here alive.

And then they crash, metal tearing into metal as both men fall unconscious.

And then someone listens. We'll never know if there are gods or angels or other mysterious powers.

But Jonas Maliki wakes up, most of his side of the car crushed. He turns and sees Will, still slumped over the wheel. And Jonas makes a decision he hopes he wont regret and begins climbing out of the destroyed car, a plan blossoming in his head.

Chapter Text

Will Gorski woke with a start, his arms aching above him. As he tried to sit up, he found resistance in the way metal clearly connected with a hollow metal object. Will sank back into his uncomfortable position. He was trapped, handcuffed actually. Both hands are individually cuffed to the corresponding sides of the bed frame he lay in.

"Apologizes Will, I know this isn't very comfortable but I'm equally sure you know how to pick locks. If you don't, you should learn"

Across the room sits Jonas. In his lap is a half open book and he has glasses in his hand. Reading glasses, Will assumes. He takes a beat to get a log of his surroundings. He's in the middle of a sparse room, no photos or decor. A twin sized mattress, simple sheets and a bedside table to the left. On it sits a cheap lamp. There is a closed doorway where one edge of the room meets another and a window on the wall facing Will. Jonas sits casually in a corner, on a simple chair, clearly waiting for a response.

"I know how to pick locks"

He cringes at the dry feeling in his throat as his words grind together. Nevertheless, Jonas smiles and gets up. He retrieves a cup of water that supposedly sat below him.

"Good. It'll will be a helpful skill. Not now, of course, but in the future I'm sure"

Jonas leans down, offering Will the cup of water. Will shakes his head.

"Its not drugged, I promise. Do you need me to drink it first as proof?"

"You could undo my hands and I could drink it myself"

"Almost a good try Will, but no. I'm afraid I can't have you running around Chicago"

Will just stares at Jonas, desperately trying to create a plan, some sort of escape method. Above him, he hears Jonas sigh before loudly taking a sip of water.

"Ah, just as refreshing and uncompromised as I thought"

Will catches Jonas eyes again as the other man looks down at him, expectantly.

"Fine"

Jonas sits at the edge of the bed, leaning the cup gently towards Will's mouth. Will has just enough room to drink several gulps. Jonas was right, it tasted like regular city tap water. As Will leaned back, so did Jonas, taking the cup with him. Will watched as Jonas crossed the room, settling back into the chair he was previously in. Will lay back again. He wasn't ready to give up, but clearly Jonas wasn't going to miraculously slip up or forget something. Will wondered how far Jonas would go, why he was even still alive and not already labatomized, like Nomi. Shit. Nomi.

"How is Nomi? Is she okay?"

Jonas looked up from the book he has resumed reading. He had that faint smile on his face, the one he had when he first saw Will.

"Your selflessness will get you killed one day Will"

"You mean like today?"

Jonas just sighed.

"I'm not going to kill you Will. I don't want to. Nor would I cut you off from your cluster. You can visit Nomi, check on her yourself"

Will didn't even respond before he started thinking about Nomi, trying to visit her. It took a second, but finally he catches sight of the hospital room she's in, hunched over the computer beside her bed.

"I thought the whole point of hospitals was rest?"

Nomi startles, head shooting up from the computer screen. She catches sight of Will on the other side of the bed.

"You're just another hallucination. Oh god not again"

He watches as Nomi steps away from him. Seeking guidance from Jonas, Will calls out 

"She thinks I'm a hallucination"

Will waits, but there's no response from Jonas.

"Who are you talking to?"

Will looks around, trying to find him.

"Jonas"

"Jonas?"

Will takes a second, focusing on Jonas. It takes a moment, but when he blinks, he's in a familiar room but the view has changed. Will sees his hands and feet, free. He glances to his right to find Jonas, sitting in the same chair he was moments ago. He glances up to see his body, still lying in the bed. Jonas, looks up as he hears Will's gasp.

"You aren't here. You're still lying in the bed"

"Then how am I here? I can feel the floor, I can see the pages on your book"

"You're visiting Will. You can see everything I see, feel everything I feel. But you are a voice in my head, an echo in a dark chamber. You can't share with me, not like you can within your cluster."

"I can't what?"

"Will, you are no longer you. You're so much more now. You are your cluster, their knowledge is your knowledge. And one is about to be destroyed. How is Nomi marks?"

"She thinks I'm a hallucination in her head. I tried telling you but"

"But I wasn't visiting. I couldn't hear you."

"I left her"

"Go see her again, I'm sure she's scared and confused. Once you're done, we can talk about how to free her"

"You'll help me get her out?"

"Of course, Will"

Will sighs in relief and blinks. He opens his eyes back up to the bright lights of Nomi's hospital room.

"I promise I'm a real person"

Nomi startles once again. Will assumes she resumed doing whatever it was on the room's console after he left.

"Yeah, I bet that's what all hallucinations say"

Will paused, trying to figure out his game plan. It took a moment, turning over what Jonas just said. You are no longer you.

"I can tell you something about yourself that you've never told anyone"

Nomi scoffs, finally facing towards him instead of towards the console

"Yeah I would hope so, you are in my brain"

Will grinds his teeth, a bad habit but the current situation has himself indulging in those bad habits.

"How do I prove I'm real?"

"How would I know?"

"Okay how about this. I'll tell you what a place in Chicago looks like. You pull it up on google. You've never been to Chicago, right?"

Nomi nods

"Great, there's a great pizza joint on the corner of 2nd Ave and North Street, its called Sal's. On the outside, it looks like a classic 50's diner but significantly less cleaned up. Did you find it?"

Nomi looks shaken as she looks at the console. Will walks up behind her, looking at the screen.

"Yeah, that's it! Best pizza, especially after a late shift."

Nomi sits down, legs still clearly shaky.

"How are you real?"

Her voice is gentle, shaken.

"I don't know. This guy I met, he's kinda holding me captive, but his name's Jonas and-"

Nomi interrupts Will with a start.

"Jonas is real too?"

"You met Jonas?"

Will sits on the bed beside Nomi.

"Yeah, when I first got in. He told me that Doctor Metzger was going to lobotomize me"

"Oh, he's the one holding me captive."

"Oh"

"Yeah"

"I guess we're both trapped."

Nomi grabs the pillow laying on the bed and holds it, desperately seeking comfort. Will tries to put a hand on her shoulder, to offer her whatever comfort he can provide.

"If it helps, Jonas said we would rescue you?"

"The same Jonas that's holding you captive?"

"...maybe"

"I'll put my faith in my girlfriend then"

"Amanita, right?"

"Yeah"

He sees Nomi smile, something soft and private. He can't help but feel the same way as Nomi's feeling's echo in him.

"She has neat hair"

"Yeah, She really really does"

"Give me her number"

"What?"

Will blinks, willing himself back into his own body, Nomi beside him.

"Jonas get me a piece of paper. Or better yet, my phone"

Jonas glances at him, glasses on the tip of his nose. All he does is sigh before getting up and retrieving pen and a slip of paper.

"Okay Nomi, give me her number"

Nomi turns to Jonas, still taking in the scene before her, Will handcuffed to the bed and Jonas on the chair beside him.

"If I didn't know better, I'd have thought this way a kink thing"

Will feels heat rise to his cheeks. Jonas just sighs again.

"Nomi, the number, please"

Nomi recites Amanita's number and watches Jonas copy it down. She turns back to Will.

"I'll leave you to it"

She winks and she's gone, leaving Will to make direct eye contact with Jonas.

"Why do you have handcuffs Jonas?"

Will suppresses a shiver as he sees Jonas smile.

"I do have a life besides running from shady governments and saving sensates from car crashes"

"So you think you saved me?"

"Yes. I do Will"

The confirmation suddenly set a serious atmosphere, contrasting to the banter the two were just experiencing before.

"Jonas, at least let me have one of my hands"

Jonas blinks, the fight seemingly slipping out of him. Will watches as he sinks back into his chair.

"Will do you still believe I am a terrorist and a danger?"

"The handcuffs aren't helping"

"I don't want to hurt you"

"Then release me and I'll believe it"

Jonas breaks eye contact, head down.

"I can't risk it"

"Risk what? Me actually having autonomy?"

"You getting hurt. Will, there is so much more that what you know."

"Then tell me, please. I can't trust you if you never trust me. It's a two way street Jonas."

Jonas gets up, book and glasses in hand.

"Jonas Come on!"

Will's shouting does nothing as he watches Jonas leave the room. He can see the sunset from out the window, its bright golden rays lighting the room. The door closes and Will sinks back into the bed. His arms feel numb, hanging above him for god knows how long. He wonders if this is it, the end of the line. Will Jonas just leave him to rot?

But the door opens, with Jonas walking through, keys in hand.

"One arm. Please Will, don't leave."

Will does his best to sit up as Jonas rounds the bed, keys in hand. Will can see the caution in his eyes, the wariness that has kept him alive. He hears the lock turn and release as Jonas leans above him. He pulls a granola bar from his pocket and offers it to Will, settling down on the edge of the bed once again.

"Thank you."

Jonas just nods. His body language looks relaxed, casual, but Will can see the tension, in his eyes, his jaw, in the way he offers the granola bar. Will grabs the bar out of his hand.

"So, Shady governments?"

He sees the tension in Jonas's jaw leave as the man gently smiles.

And the smile falls as Jonas recounts his first meeting with Angelica and the BPO.

Chapter Text

"Call her"

"What the hell am I supposed to say?"

Will held out the phone, trying once again to hand it to Jonas. Jonas only crossed his arms, looking down intently at Will, who was still handcuffed to the bed by his right hand.

"Say you know Nomi. You are allowed to lie Will"

"I'm going to sound crazy"

"Maybe. But she will believe you"

Will only glared at Jonas before hitting the dial button. This argument had been going on for much longer than it needed to, Will knew that but still. He didn't like to lie. He didn't want to tell this truth either though. Jonas was right, he knew. That didn't make this any better. Besides, Will had been chained to a bed for hours, told that a worldwide organization was hunting him and now he needed to save a woman in California. He decided he was allowed to feel a little grumpy.

"Hello?"

Will paused for a moment, panic rising in his throat. He made eye contact with Jonas, who gestured back to the phone.

"Hello?"

The woman's voice asked again.

"Look if this is a prank or scam, I'm having a bad day and I will make you my personal punching bag for interrupting my day."

Jonas only raised his eyebrows, eyes briefly flicking to the phone before meeting Will's once again.

"Amanita Caplan?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"...I'm a friend of Nomi's. My name is Will"

"I don't know what you've heard but Nomi is in the hospital right now and I really need to get her out so say whatever you want quick"

Will looked back at Jonas, panic in his eyes. Jonas only mouthed 'Lie'.

"I know how to get her out"

The words were rushed and Will could feel his heart in his throat, beating jack-rabbit fast.

"You what?"

Will only doubled down on his lie.

"I know how to get her out. You'll have to do the hands-on stuff, I'm out of state, but I can help guide you"

"Who are you?"

"A friend. I promise"

"Fine, I'll take what help I can get I guess"

Will fills Amanita on the details he understands from visiting Nomi. Occasionally, Jonas, now sitting on the edge of the bed once more, nudges him and mouths details that Will had forgotten. Amanita realizes that Will never had a plan halfway through the call, stopping to question how he knows so much about where Nomi is. Will does his best to explain being sense8 without sounding crazy but Amanita remained open minded the entire time. It struck Will how lucky Nomi and Amanita were, to find each other. He couldn't remember the point he stopped believing in true love but he guesses he must have. Hearing Amanita talk about Nomi, how determined she was to save her girlfriend no matter what, he realized how sad it was that he was surprised. The call ended after about an hour with Will confident about Nomi's future. He handed the phone back Jonas and settled back into his somewhat uncomfortable position with his back on the bed, arm raised. Jonas left briefly and came back with a cup of water. Will sat up again, reaching his hand out to grab it. He wrapped his hand around the cup, and Jonas’s fingers still holding the cup. Will glanced up at him, puzzled.

“What did you do” 

“Will.”

”Jonas”

”I need you to drink this”

”You drugged it, didn’t you”

Jonas only held the cup towards him, both of their hands still on it.

”Jonas, you of all people have to know that sedatives leave a grit at the bottom of the cup or a taste. Water isn’t great for either of those.”

”Would you rather I give you the pills themselves”

”Yeah actually, I would”

Jonas raised his eyebrows

”And you’ll take them?”

Will only signed before nodding. Jonas brought back two pills and a new cup of water, handing them one by one to Will. Will said nothing as he swallowed them and waited for sleep to reach him. 

-

Will awoke in the car, handcuff gently clinking against the door handle as he did. He could feel the cars soothing shakes, the easy choice of sleeping once more calling to him but he shook it off best he could.

“Good morning”

A gentle voice called his attention and he turned to see Riley in the seat beside him. She had a faint smile as she looked at him, clearly amused. Will just looked back, still bleary and confused.

“You’ve got a bit of bed head there” She pointed out. Will went to fix it with his right hand but remembered the cuff just a second too late. The noise grabbed Jonas’s attention from the front seat where he drove.

“I apologize for having to sedate you. That house is one of the few truly safe houses I’ve ever had. I intend to keep it that way”

Jonas made eye contact with Will through the rear view window, watching as Will slowly became more lucid. Just as expected, the moment the current situation registered in his mind, Will took stock of where he was. The backseat of some sort of car. Something smaller than an SUV but definitely not a smart car. It was older, the seats showing the lines in the leather. Will was sat in the back seat, one hand still in handcuffs, the other side attached to the door’s handle. Just behind Riley, in the seat furthest to the left sat Nomi. She caught Will’s eyes.

“We got out. No clue where you’re headed though. Do you trust him?”

Will shook his head, conscious of how much Jonas could see of him. Nomi just hummed in response.

“At least he isn’t bad looking. I’ve been trapped with a number of guys who looked far worse than Jonas” Riley added. Nomi glazed through the concerning bits of the statement. Will decided he would ask later, when he wasn’t being monitored and transported to an unknown place.

“You are absolutely right. I know I’m into women but for a man, he isn’t bad”

Will had to consciously stop himself from rolling his eyes from hearing the two gossip. Riley seemed to catch the aborted action though, and smiled even wider. She leaned over to Nomi but kept her voice a stage whisper, clearly loud enough for Will to hear.

“I bet he’d be pretty good in bed. All careful and controlling”

“Dominating” Nomi added. Will closed his eyes, knowing that he couldn’t stop hearing their words. He could feel their interest deep in his stomach. He didn’t want to process their words, didn’t want to have to decide how he felt about Jonas.

Riley nodded, “dominating”

“And his hair? It’s so good. I bet it’s soft”

“It’s a good length to pull. I hate it when you have to fight to get a grasp”

Will slide further in his seat, eyes squeezed shut.

“Everything alright Will?”

Jonas was looking in the rear view mirror again when Will opened his eyes.

“…yeah. It’s fine”

He heard the girls giggle.

“Any chance you know a way to make people stop visiting”

Jonas put his eyes back on the road, but continued with the conversation, hands steady on the wheel.

“There are blockers. The BPO invented them, a way of keeping sensesates reigned in. Isolated and declared close enough to normal”

“Oh” was all Will had for a response.

“Is there someone visiting right now Will?”

Will got the overwhelming feeling that he would never get used to this. Riley and Nomi still sat beside him, quiet but clearly listening. He could feel Riley’s warmth beside him and hear her breath. The idea that Jonas saw nothing was strange at best and discomfiting at worst.

“Yeah, my…cluster?”

Will was still getting used to all the new terms. He suddenly had new words he used daily that separated his life before and his life now.

“I see. Are they trying to free you?”

“No, should they be?”

“No, I promise no harm will come to you under my care”

He heard Nomi whisper “omg” at the same moment as Riley’s “kinky”. He wished he hadn’t. Will had never found himself in a relationship with any guy, always preferring the soft curve of women but since sharing his life with 7 other people, he found that opinion to be shifted slightly. Will wasn’t blind to men before, but now he was conscious of every time Jonas’s eyes caught the light as he read, and when his hands lifted the cup of water for Will. He remembered how Jonas’s hands felt as he unlocked the handcuffs so Will could relieve himself or stretch. Part of Will begged it to be Stockholm Syndrome but a smaller part of him knew that was untrue.

Will only nodded at Jonas’s comment as he brought himself back to the present. Riley had her hand on his arm.

“If you are too uncomfortable, we can stop”

Will smiled at her, she seemed so infinitely kind.

“No it’s fine. I might go back to sleep though”

Riley nodded, keeping her hand on his arm.

“Do I get to know where we’re headed?”

“Towards another one of my safe houses”

“I thought you said the last one was the safest”

“It was too close to Chicago. Rest Will. It’s okay.”

Will nodded at Jonas’s assurances and the soothing circles Riley rubbed into his arm. He tucked his head back in-between the headrest and door jamb and fell asleep once more.