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Rhadamanthys tilted his head as much as possible, relaxing his shoulder so that his beloved could rest comfortably.
There, in between his arms, was Harpy Valentine - softly soundly asleep as if that was the most beautiful dream he could wish for.
The pink haired boy looked so serene, snuggled onto that man’s strong arms. His hands were placed gently on the other’s chest, his legs curled around his in a loving embrace.
He couldn’t believe himself. Was he - someone who would so strongly forsake his humanity and turn hollow - truly enjoying living nothing but a happy life in couple with that so so precious boy of his?
That life had turned so oddly.
He wasn’t used to feeling safe and at peace. Rhadamanthys was a man with the hero complex: he would die anytime for the cause he believes in, for there couldn’t be a greatest honour. A true knight wearing a very dark and very sparkly armour.
Rhadamanthys looked down and his face softened.
Valentine was such a beautiful boy, inside out. His physical appearance was much pleasing in the British man’s eyes: he didn’t care much how one looked but Rhadamathys is a very honest man and wouldn’t lie on finding someone beautiful. His Harpy certainly was. The Judge was fascinated by his thin lips, long eyelashes, shiny eyes...So beautifully bright and lively. He also liked his body: he wouldn’t deny how grabbing the other’s small waist was something difficult resisting to. He liked the feeling of the Cypriot’s muscles and bones agitating under his own hands.
But his favourite thing of all, in regard of his dear servant’s traits, was his hair.
Valentine would argue on that, for at times he felt like people would consider him girly for sporting such hairstyle. Rhadamanthys liked it tho: so soft, lushly and always smelling of cotton blossom. Rhadamanthys couldn’t help himself fancing playing with those locks of pink hair, he liked much twisting one around his finger and brush his hand throughout.
The blond man let out an almost inaudible chuckle as he got hypnotised by those features.
“You surely are very pretty...” said he extremely softly, in a whisper.
But Rhadamanthys also liked his Harpy for who he was in the inside.
Valentine was such a hard-working person, so genuine, real and caring. He wouldn’t approve of his emotional weakness nor ease on which he’d give in to his feelings. But his being such a human person, soft, caring and so alive gave Rhadamanthys a true inner peace.
When together, that man would be able to relax completely. He didn’t need anyone protecting him, but Valentine made him feel safe. What an odd feeling.
Valentine moved a little bit in his sleep, mumbling something as he clenched a little bit on his Lord’s leg.
Was that a nightmare? Rhadamanthys wondered if so.
He raised his hand, brushing his cheek once and under that very simple and little touch, Harpy’s features immediately relaxed once more.
The Judge smiled at that. Valentine was his and he’d take responsibility for his actions as much as the other’s well being. He couldn’t help himself. Rhadamanthys wanted protect him, keep him safe and sheltered. He wanted wipe away all his tears. Give him all he was dreaming of. He truly wanted love him as he deserved to.
But more often that not, those selfish wishes, needed to be let go. For Rhadamanthys was called onto serving a much greater and sacred duty than simply loving another and fulfilling his own hearth’s desires.
Gold eyes shined as they set on that pretty face. The ever serious man leaned on the other, and with a single finger delicately turned and raised Valentine’s head.
Rhadamanthys lowered more, he couldn’t stop fixating on that face.
On those lips.
So thin, so tiny, so peachy.
Valentine’s little mouth was slightly opened, so close to him his Lord could feel the very sound of his breath.
He wasn’t a man into kissing or any whatsoever romanticism and affections. Tho such was precisely what passed into his head at that very moment... Rhadamanthys wanted to press his lips against the other’s and feel the soft, warm touch of his Valentine. He wished for them to become one.
He didn’t dislike affections, but Rhadamanthys believed there was a time and place for everything. A couple should share intimacy only when intimacy would be allowed and away from pricking eyes once duty would be completed.
In that very moment, alone in the silence of that grand room, Rhadamanthys was about to give in to his own desire and peck those l ips. He caressed him again, his nostrils now pervaded with Valentine’s sweet smell. He could feel himself wanting him. And then suddenly the blond man felt left without breath.
He snorted out.
His vision blurred.
His head suddenly felt heavy.
The judge backed up, bringing his left head onto holding his own forehead as those handsome features of his hardened.
He growled clenching his teeth and shutting his eyes.
When he reopened them, everything around him was grey and foggy. Rhadamanthys blinked several times, and slowly the world coloured before him although didn’t really expand much.
His field of view appeared rather limited.
About to wonder what was happing, didn’t get a chance to for a bright voice called out, from behind.
He immediately turned and a beautiful young boy with long pink hair was standing there in front of his eyes.
Rhadamanthys blinked a couple times more, the other tilted his head confused. His hair were wrapped into a braid, and he was holding a crown of flowers. He shifted his weight from a leg onto the other, and at last smiled and said something but... Rhadamanthys couldn’t understand him. That boy’s voice was clear and familiar but for some reasons he simply couldn’t grasp the words. It wasn’t like a foreign language tho more like... A sound and no distinct word in it.
The boy took a step in his direction, perhaps worry.
Was that Valentine...?
Rhadamanthys couldn’t help himself questioning.
He didn’t have the chance to inquire for a sudden ache in head drilled deep into his brain forcing his eyes to shut once again. And when he reopened them, once more everything was blurred and barely made any sense.
He was in bed, tired. A sudden warmth between his arms forced him into looked down and all he could see was hair. Pink hair.
Rhadamanthys frowned and shook his head.
”...What is it, My Lord?” said that person turning over him. “Are you awake?”
“Uhm...”
“Uhm? What is it...?” asked again sounding concerned.
Now the other turned fully, revealing a naked body covered partially by luxurious furs and heavy dark fabric.
Pink hair fell above the shoulders, so long to hid his nipples from any view.
“V-Valentine...”
The other’s eyebrows arched as he rubbed his eyes, sleepy, getting closer to Wyvern between a yawn and a rub onto his eyes.
The boy smiled and as he moved towards him, the blankets fell off showing the entirety of a naked lean body Rhadamanthys knew in every detail far too well. And once close enough, the pretty boy ashamedly kissed his cheek.
Rhadamanthys blushed, his eyes fell on those thin peachy lips curving upwards.
“My Lord can be so cute... Have you got a night...-”
The boy opened his mouth, but once again a sudden pain in Rhadamanthy’s head, and everything slowly disappeared and turned into something different.
Then as the fog lifted, everything was dark and noisy. The very first thing he noticed was the strong scent of blood deep inside his nostrils.
Rhadamanthys tried immediately to move a as reaction of fight or flee for immediate danger spiked his sense, but something prevented him from doing so. He looked down and sudden horror formed on his face.
He was wearing parts of his Surplice, sat with the back on a rocky wall laying in a pool of blood: he couldn’t get up for half his leg was missing, around him more blood, dust and screams.
Was that a battlefield...?
He gulped and frenetically looked around, his eyes jumping from a point to another until he noticed on the ground far far away the shape of something familiar to him. Wings folded on themselves, partially opened and long pink hair tangled all around them.
Rhadamanthys’ immediate reaction was to stand up and dash there, but as he subconsciously tried to do so, inhuman pain pierced his entire body and the man fell on himself crumbling on the ground. The impact splashed the blood into the air, squirting all over his face.
He paralysed for a long moment, his brain having more than some difficulties in not shutting down as his broken body struggled for not entering in shock.
The Judge clenched his fingers digging them deep into dirt in an attempt of pulling himself up.
His body refused to answer his will tho, and Rhadamanthys felt powerless, weak, afraid.
As those emotions began echoing in his mind, the Judge held his breath til he no longer could, and with all his strength pushed up with his arms once more into a desperate effort.
But he fell again on the ground and his mouth tasted mud and blood combined into a disgusting paste.
Rhadamanthys panted cursing the weak body he found himself inside of, and now taken by a violent shaking, began pitying himself.
As he looked down, blood dropped from his nose tip and his blond hair stuck and crusted on his forehead. Pupils widened.
Was... He dying? Had he - One of the Three Judge of Hell - failed his Holy Mission?! What happened there?
He looked around one last time, somewhat resigned. But when he noticed a faint movement from the body lying far away, he clenched his teeth, biting hard into his lip til wounding himself. He snorted and growled.
With a newly found burst of adrenaline, Rhadamanthys began crawling on the ground. His right foot pushed with all his might in order to move further. His hand grabbed the ground, one step after the other, he pulled himself determined into getting to that body. He tried with all his strength. And when he was almost there, in a last desperate effort, the blond man raised his arm and tried reaching for...
But his vision failed him. Things again turned blurry. Foggy. Pain deep inside his head.
”...My Lord?!” called out a voice again. “My Lord? Are you feeling alight?”
Valentine was holding him, with his hands strongly placed onto his chest, himself still partially curled around his body.
Rhadamanthys shook his head several times.
He heard Valentine calling more than once.
Suddenly, soft, delicate fingers brushed his jaw and cupped his face.
Still feeling dizzy, unsure what was now happening and still upset by that... Trip... from moments before, he didn’t have any strength to resist the other.
Valentine lowered Rhadamanthys’ head, and softly kissed his forehead, gently, on his ash-blond monobrow.
The cheeks of the Judge flushed and suddenly he calmed down.
His hands moved, slowly searching for Valentine. The other didn’t say anything, simply offering his own hand, entwining their fingers together.
Rhadamanthys held the other’s hand tight. Slowly and shaking, he put his other onto Valentine’s shoulder.
“There, there, My gracious Lord.” said the Harpy Specter in his a soft tone as he gently patted his man’s head.
“...V-Valentine.” His voice sounded almost broken. The servant boy couldn’t say he was used hearing his owner’s so afflicted. But he knew well those feelings. When you live so many lives and suddenly memories from long ago begin dancing into your head so vivid you couldn’t even tell when or where they were happening. That was something any Specter was famliar with and everyone of them would find unpleasant.
“Yes, anasa mou?”
Rhadamanthys strengthen his hold on the other. ”....You are always with me.”
“Of course. Always at your side. There... There couldn’t be a biggest privilege for me.”
“Valentine...” He called again Rhadamanthys.
The other chuckled lightly and smiling kissed him once again on his forehead. He was worry but... All he wanted in that very moment, was showering his beloved Lord with love.
“I should give you all your heart’s desires. You... Are my pillar.”
“My heart’s only desire is for being right where I am in this very moment. Holding you so that you can reach every of your own goals, My Lord. It only matters what your eyes can see, I trust and believe in your judgement and your every decision.”
Rhadamanthys felt so flattered.
He didn’t like feeling weak. Defeated. Useless.
But there, in that very moment... He only felt safe held between his Valentine’s arms.
“I’m... going to make you happy.” said slowly Wyvern.
Valentine smiled, his bright orange eyes narrowed as lips shaped into a broad smile.
“You already make me so, My Lord.”
“No. I promise you... I am going to. Maybe... I am unsure I can do it now. In the next life though... At some point in time.. I am going to.”
Valentine then cupped once again his Lord’s face with his tidy hands and raised it towards him. Their eyes met and both men’s cheeks flushed vivid red.
And before Valentine could say something, Rhadamanthys brushed his own nose onto the others’s into a soft cuddle.
The Cypriot chuckled and pressed his own forehead against the other’s.
But before he could tell Rhadamanthys how deeply in love he felt, the blond man spoke with his usual calm and deadpan voice.
“S’agapo, Valentine...”
Rhadmanthys was a very determined man. And he had promised.
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