Avengers: Seven Brides of Set

Fear

A/N: All of my life I've accepted scraps because I felt like that was what I was worth and what I deserved. I told myself to be grateful for the most meager of offerings and treated them like gifts fit for a king. But I know better now. I am worth more than that and I deserve more than that. From now on, if a man tries to offer me scraps, I will kindly tell him that he can keep them.

The rest of the afternoon and early evening were spent touring Department H- which truly was a very similar setup to Avengers Tower. Not long after the tour had concluded, dinner was served. Throughout the entire tour and meal, Thor maintained a very close proximity to Dean. With a gentle hand on his lower back or his thigh, he was conveying his affection and, perhaps, his sorrow for his earlier behavior.

I love him, Dean thought as he looked over at Thor.

But now you love me, Set hissed. There is no way you can love both of us, my Fair One.

Dean winced at Set's use of that term of endearment. No one but Thor ever called him that. But, much like his earlier slip into unfamiliar and uncomfortable thoughts, he found himself doing the same at that moment. A strange warmth filled him at the notion of being Set's Fair One. Thor's touch, once so crave-able and comforting, was now so repulsive to him.

Across the table, Kyle's phone began to ring. "Sorry," he said as he looked at the screen. "It's Professor Xavier. I need to take this." With a kiss on Steve's cheek, Kyle stood and left the dining for the privacy of a nearby bathroom.

"Kyle, I wanted to thank you for taking on that additional class this semester," Xavier said in greeting.

"Oh, it's fine. It's not a big deal," Kyle said. There had been an increase in the amount of students, meaning all of the faculty had been asked to increase their class loads. Kyle had offered to give up his free period to help.

"All the same, it's appreciated. I'm so proud of you, Kyle."

Kyle chucked. "I guess I've come a long way from an angry, angsty teenager, haven't I?"

"I wouldn't go that far."

Kyle hung up the phone and looked at his reflection in the mirror to find that the bathroom around him had changed. Spinning around, he found himself in a narrow crevice. He couldn't see anything above him but could sense that he must be somewhere deep beneath the surface of the earth. All around him, the sounds of snakes abounded. His vision was illuminated by a hazy, green light, permitting him to see what had to he thousands of snakes of various sizes and colors.

"They will not harm you, my bride," Set said from behind him.

Kyle's heart leaped into his throat but the anxiety was quickly extinguished when Set wrapped his powerful arms around him and pulled him close to his body. Kyle's clothes vanished and there was only the press of their naked skin.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting, my prize," Set whispered before placing his lips against Kyle's neck.

Chills ran along Kyle and he leaned bonelessly against Set. "You don't have to apologize," he murmured.

"Of course not," Set said. He slowly spun Kyle around so that he could face him. "That is the benefit of being in love."

"In...love?" Kyle asked.

Set grinned, his dark, mesmerizing eyes flashing. "Yes, Kyle. You love me."

"I love you."

"You would do anything for me."

"Anything for you."

Set captured Kyle's face in his hands. "You would kill for me. You would die for me."