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The sounds of unfettered merriment and warbling laughter trickled into the secluded house, hidden amongst the hovel tucked away in the abyssal embrace of their home. The year was drawing to a close, another full cycle of orbit drawing nearer, and it was a time of celebration to toast to the flickering lights in a dark world. “Rejoice” The drunken voices sang, plucked out on an ancient harp weighing by the hearts of the damned. “For a new story is to be written.” Liquid poured freely, poured into cups and sloshed onto the ground and pooling out of slack mouths. The crowded streets of the Underworld were lit with boisterous noise, the well wishes echoed from mouth to mouth for blessings on everyone’s sacred day.
In a way, it was comforting to hear the carefree winds blow in a land known for its dreary implications rather than the light atmosphere which coloured the land of the dead whose beauty could always be found if one simply looked. Albafica had long since learnt to see way lay under the grim blanket which covered his home, delighting in the underworld’s unique charms. One such charm had made his home on Alabfica’s shoulder, the slight rise and fall of a chest and sprawl of silver blanketing one half of his body bringing a light smile to his face. The winter months brought with it cutting winds and frigid weather, Thanatos’ whisper growing into a declaration of promised eternal rest. The Halls of Judgement would slowly fill up with moaning wraiths as the chill dipped down into unrelenting shivers, victims to the frozen fangs of winter. As one of the Three Judges of Hell, Minos was already worked to the bone via dealing with his subordinates but cajoling wailing wraiths into quieting down for one second if you would be so kind please and thank you, was possibly another prison of the underworld in of itself. The silence wouldn’t last long either, with the vague semblance of serenity hanging in the balance for a precious second before the spirits would inevitably kick up a fuss at the judgement that had been given to them. Perhaps that was why Judgement would always take place outside the standard prisons… Huh, fancy that.
Albafica’s shoulders shook slightly at the slight realization, carding his lithe fingers through the mess of unruly hair sprawled over his upper half. Well if his partner was toiling away in the secret ninth prison of hell then it was all the more reason to let him rest. After all, they had their own tiny devils to deal with at home.
As if on cue, the door to the front bust open and two rascals scampered into the mind dumbing warmth of the abode, freckles of snow dotting their twin frames. In unison, the two froze when their bright eyes caught sight of their sleeping mother and Albafica couldn’t help the soft upturn of lips as he gently pressed his finger against them. As if perfectly scripted, the twins both put their fingers against their lips, mimicking their father before creeping up the stairs towards their rooms, a light snicker shared between the two. Albafica wouldn’t be surprised if tomorrow, he found light bruising scattered across the still-growing bodies of the young Spectre trainee’s, pelted with extreme prejudice by snowballs that mysteriously had small pebbles packed into the unsuspecting centers. Well, it was something to look forward to tomorrow, he supposed with a wry smile.
Hearing the doors to the twin’s rooms click shut, Albafica let out a small breath and leaned forward to the innocuous cup of hot chocolate which had long since cooled into a slowly thickening sludge. Taking a tentative sip, his lips twisted into a grimace at the taste before placing the mug back onto the low table before him. It was a bit of a wonder how Minos had continued to sleep despite the various commotions that filled the room around him, the faint sounds of merriment as winter celebrations that lasted well into the night slipping through the walls of the home. Smiling fondly at the spectre who had decided to use his shoulder as a pillow, Albafica gently brushed away a few stray hairs which dangled before Minos’ face and marvelled at the fleeting touch of contact between them. Once upon a time, Albafica would have flatly refused any physical advances that Minos proposed, the fleeting touches quickly ended with a flinch or a harsh word. Minos had been the first person in almost fifteen years to approach him without fear. Where he held a disdain for human touch, it had been an inhuman one brimming with familiar warmth and comfort, akin to the hand he held when he was younger. And though Minos churred and ruffled soft downy feathers where his father would trill with smooth scales interwoven and overlapping over hardened skin, they still held a spark of familiarity of days where things were simply better, days which Albafica took great comfort in reminiscing over
But now Albafica didn’t have to dream of bygone days where his father’s laughter rang clearly among the meadows of poisonous roses and the gaps between his cold cold fingers were filled with the warmth of someone else who understood him. Of someone who took one look at his fluttering gills and wicked teeth and still threaded his fingers with his, bringing it up to drop a chaste kiss on the pale expanse of the back of his hand. No, he didn’t have to imagine anymore for he was living in that memory, warm and loved by the fireplace with his mate slumbering away peacefully on his shoulder and his children plotting whatever mischief they had decided upon a few doors away.
A light groan drew the gaze of eyes as deep as the sea, the mess of silver hair shifting ever so slightly. An unintelligible garble of sounds which could have been Albafica’s name passed from the drowsy Specter’s soft lips as Minos attempted to push himself up, one hand coming up to rub at his sleep laden eyes. It was an impossibly soft scene as a smile of equal adoration spread across Albafica’s face, reaching across the table to grab twin pairs of forgotten mugs.
“Go back to sleep, dufus.” Albafica laughed fondly, his free hand coming up to brush away the curtain of white which fell over Minos’ scrunched up face. As he moved to stand up, thin arms spun around his waist and drew a soft oof as his ass met the itchy and soft material of their couch, dragged down by the anchoring weight.
Shoving his face into Albafica’s tummy, Minos pouted through half-lidded eyes before the icy blue glaze was covered by heavy eyelids. “You’re thinking too loudly, my siren.” The judge grumbled, one hand coming up to awkwardly slap at whatever it made contact with. “Rest, tomorrow will come with her own enlightening knowledge.”
Chuckling at his mate’s special brand of concern, Albafica set down the mugs again and reached over to tug out the blanket draped over the back of the couch left specifically for these situations. He nudged Minos’ side with his elbow in a silent command to move over, eliciting a yelp that was quickly swallowed into a less embarrassing grumble before the overgrown cuddly bird gave in and migrated back to Albafica’s shoulder. The knitted wool of one edge of the blanket was haphazardly thrown over Minos’ shoulder before Albafica firmly tucked the two of them into a cozy burrito, the whispers of merriment naught but a song on the wind.
Tomorrow would arrive with her own revelry but tonight, he would remain with his partner swaddled in the memories and warmth that were housed in their intertwined fingers.