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Something was thrumming under Alexios’ skin, something dark and itchy and uncomfortable, as he watched his light fall down, and for a moment, time seemed to stop like in the middle of a fight.
Everything faded to black, all the screams and shocked gasps around him went silent, and he stumbled in the direction of the brightest object in the room, heart beating wildly as Barnabas tried to grab his arm and scratched him.
Alexios fell down on the ground at the same time as Thaletas, managing to grab him in his arms before he touched the ground and bringing a hand up to cup his face, feeling his lips starting to wobble and tears growing in his eyes when Thaletas – light, pure, noble, strong, loving Thaletas – looked up at him, choking on his own breath, eyes red, both of his hands around his neck as if it would help him breathe when nothing could.
Thaletas blinked up at him, lips moving but no words coming out, and Alexios knew, in this very moment, that there was no way he was letting him get away like that. He could live knowing that Thaletas was happy without him, here in Mykonos, or somewhere in Sparta, or wherever, but there was no way he was going to let him die like that, not when he deserved so much more.
Not when he had fought beaten, bloody and broken by his side and had survived.
Not when he should have a warrior death, like the true Spartan he was.
Alexios blinked too, feeling the hot tears running down his face as he gently caressed Thaletas’ cheekbone with his thumb, bringing him closer still, until the man was almost on his lap, leaning against his chest.
He didn’t know what to do. The poison was acting too quickly to go get someone who could help, and all the other people at the party were just staring and crying.
The thing under his skin started thrumming faster, stronger, louder, until the buzzing in his ears was deafening, until he couldn’t make out anything, except that, and the weight of his lover in his arms.
Maybe he should yell at the gods and sacrifice himself – a life for a life, it was fair and not unheard of.
Maybe he should just wait until Thaletas’ last breath before putting his own spear through his heart. It was no hero death, but it was better than living while knowing what it felt like to lose the one person he had ever truly loved.
Maybe he should do something. Anything.
Yes, murmured the dark thing under his skin, do something, save him.
How, he wanted to ask. Why, he wanted to scream. Please don’t die I love you, he wanted to sob; but he just looked down into Thaletas’ eyes, and gently murmured.
“I’m not letting you go this easily.”
He didn’t really have a plan, but Thaletas slowly nodded, eyes already starting to glaze over, and Alexios did the one thing he knew to do when in times of dangers: he reached for his spear at his back, letting go of Thaletas’ face in the process, and immediately felt the thing under his skin settle.
His palms were clammy and Thaletas suddenly weighted a lot heavier than he had a second before, so Alexios didn’t let himself think about it, he just acted on instinct and did the one thing he could have never imagined himself doing: he stabbed Thaletas right through the heart, putting in all his strength and managing to slice right through his armor and under armor, feeling a shock wave ripple from his arm, straight down through the spare, into Thaletas’ chest.
There was a loud rumble above them, and Alexios blinked up at the sky just as the thunder was illuminating it, and he closed his eyes, thinking with his heart just for once, asking the gods for a favor, to save Thaletas, to save love and hope and goodness.
To save him, Alexios, because he wouldn’t go on knowing that Thaletas was with Hades.
Another rumble, and the wind picked up, but Alexios didn’t move. He could feel Thaletas against him, could feel that he had stopped breathing, and he was determined to stay like this until the gods had granted him this favor.
God of Light, he thought, save him please. Save the one person who saw all the dark parts of my soul and chased them away with warmth I didn’t know any human capable of. Save the light of my life. Save the one who wanted so desperately to save your sacred isles. Save him, I beg you. I’ll do whatever in exchange.
The wind got stronger, and Alexios gritted his teeth, thinking back on their first time on the beach, how they had fumbled and blushed and hushed soft laughter with kisses, chasing their first orgasm, before going back to the small beach and the small bed of petals Thaletas had prepared, taking their time, using oil to do more than they had at the temple, holding each other close, breath mingling as they had become one, Thaletas softly panting his name against his ear while Alexios shivered and tried not to say three words that would have come way too early.
Alexios couldn’t remember which god’s temple it had been, but he was willing to ask every single one of them in this moment. And so he did, feeling the thrumming start in his heart this time, and spread again, to his skin and the rest of his body, and then running down the spear, to Thaletas’ unmoving body and rapidly paling skin, but still, Alexios stayed with his eyes closed, face turned to the sky, hoping against all hope that something would happen.
Zeus, king of the gods, please, I’ll give my own life to save him, he thought as thunder sliced the sky again.
You are in my home, replied the thrumming in his body. You spoke my name, no need to call anyone else. You’re a part of him just like he’s a part of you, and so if there is light in one, there is light in two. You should not need any help to do what you want, but you are still ignorant about much, so I will grant you a favor this once. But don’t forget whose name you called and whose sacred grounds you defiled.
There was thunder again, and Alexios distantly thought that it was making the night appear like day, illuminating everything brightly for a second, before the darkness took its place again, and a wave of warmth and gratefulness submerged him.
Thank you so much, he thought as he opened his eyes again and looked down at Thaletas.
The spear did all the work, said the thrumming before vanishing, leaving him there on the ground, empty and with the light of his life still lifeless in his arms.
For a second, he dreaded that this had all been a trick of his mind, that the despair had made him mad and imagine the voice and the thrum and even the thunder, but then Thaletas’ eyelashes fluttered, and Alexios held his breath, waiting, hoping, shaking.
Thaletas’ hazel eyes were on his, and Alexios felt the general release a shaky breath before bringing a hand up to touch his jaw with his fingertips.
“Alexios,” he murmured, wonder and love and fear and hope painted on his face, clear as day, “Alexios what… what happened?”
Alexios looked down at the spear, still sticking out of his chest, and Thaletas followed his gaze, laughing weakly.
“How...”
“I asked the gods,” replied Alexios, putting his hand back on Thaletas’ face and gently stroking down his cheek to his neck, where he could feel his strong pulse against his palm as he thumbed at his jaw, the wave of warmth coming back, settling deeply into his chest as he swallowed his saliva with difficulty, only now realizing that tears were still streaming down his cheek when Thaletas started wiping them away. “You told me I fought like one so I thought...”
Thaletas laughed, loud and clear and everything Alexios wanted to hear, and the misthios leaned down to press his forehead against his, like he had done that first time they had kissed.
“Thank you Apollo,” he whispered as Thaletas’ other hand joined his face and he tilted his head to kiss him, initiating it for possibly the first time since they had started this.
“Thank you Alexios,” whispered Thaletas back, making Alexios smile into the kiss.
“I’m not letting Kyra have you, not after this,” he replied against the Spartan’s lips, before kissing him against.
Thaletas wrapped his arms around his neck and slipped his tongue into his mouth just as the world was coming back into focus around Alexios, sounds of people disbelief and awe finally reaching him, and he took Thaletas’ answer as an agreement.
***
That night, with the warm air brushing against his naked skin, his legs tangled with Thaletas’ under the bed sheet and his ear firmly pressed against his chest to listen to his strong heartbeats, Alexios let himself relax between the general’s strong arms.
There was the tiniest of scar where Alexios’ spear had scratched his skin, only deep enough to leave a mark and draw blood, but the scar was glowing a very soft golden light, and Alexios couldn’t help but feel like this was a physical representation of what Thaletas had done to him after he had exposed all of his deepest and darkest secrets and insecurities.
“I’m sorry I said I would stay with Kyra,” murmured Thaletas in the darkness. “I was being cruel.”
“It’s okay.”
“I want you to know that I love you.”
“I love you too,” replied Alexios, craning his neck to look at him and his blinding smile.
The light of my life, he thought, wrapping his arms tighter around him and closing his eyes with a happy sigh.