The Fairy Files (on hold)

Jerik- One Smooth Criminal

Detective Jellal hasn't slept in 3 days and there is an annoying criminal in the precinct holding cell who just won't leave him alone

For day 5 of #ftlgbtales' event "when we take different paths" menslash week! Prompt: tired

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Jellal stared at the computer screen with bleary eyes, repeatedly blinking as he fought to stay awake. He went through file after file, his head dropping lower with each click.

"Ay, blue." Someone whistled at him, like he was a dog that needed to come inside. "You still awake?"

Jellal turned his chair, so that he could put a face to the voice. 

One look and he knew who it was. Cobra. A member of the Oracion Seis gang, known for his adept skill in poison and blackmail. Two things identified this man as the Oracion Seis' snake charmer.

First was the scar that sealed shut his left eye, to fine a cut to be anything but deliberate. Some rumors said the gang's leader, Brain had cut out his eye as a punishment, others said that Cobra cut it out himself. Jellal didn't know which one he believed. Both options were to horrid to even think about.

Second was the tattoo, the one that had given him his name. A long purple snake tattoo circled his right arm, from wrist to shoulder, traveling up the tanned skin. It was so well drawn it almost seemed real. The snake's slitted acid green eyes seemed to watch him, as it would uncoil and strike if he harmed its host.

"Wow." Cobra looked him up and down, twice. "You look like you need to catch up on a week's worth of sleep."

Jellal glared, but its purpose was defeated by the dark bags under his eyes. "As you can see, I'm tired. So, could you please not do this now."

"Someone's cranky." The criminal snickered.

Jellal ignored him and went to drown his sorrows, getting up to make another cup of coffee.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Cobra said and frowned when he was ignored once again. "What is that your tenth cup of coffee?"

"It's my seventh cup." Jellal corrected, taking a long slow sip. The coffee might taste like crap, but at least it was warm. Most importantly it would keep him running.

"You're the only one still here, why don't you go home?"

Despite his exhaustion, Jellal knew what the criminal was trying to do. If he went home no one would be in the precinct to look after they're high profile inmate. He answered anyways. "Can't, I have paperwork to do"

"Your boss must hate you or somethin'."

"Yeah? And your boss must really hate you if he cut out your eye." Jellal shot back, temper boiling over due to the criminal goading and his own exhaustion. Jellal regretted saying it as soon as it came out of his mouth.

Cobra had gone deathly still, his face hard and cold. "I cut out my own eye."

"What?" Jellal sputtered on his coffee. "Why?"

"Because I deserved it," his fingers ghosted over the scar, before falling back into his lap. "And I wanted the pain."

"You felt guilty?" The cop blurted, shocked to his core.

Cobra was silent but the look in his one good eye told Jellal that he had hit the mark. He didn't know why he was so surprised, lots of criminals felt remorse. Maybe it was because he hadn't pegged Cobra as that kind of person.

"If you feel bad about it, then why do you keep on poisoning people?" Jellal asked.

At that Cobra barked out a laugh, but there was no real humor behind it, only bitterness. "I didn't cut out my eye because of that. Those bastards all deserved it. Just like I deserved this." He pointed to his eye.