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He was practically running inside the Caina, his slender legs moved fast, his clawed hands clenching tightly onto the stack of papers held onto his chest as if they were some valuable, irreplaceable items.
He needed to deliver those as soon as possible, he needed to hurry!
Valentine moved past a group of Specters returning from their missions and corner after corner, he now was in the Great Hall of the Caina, Wyvern Division’s Underworld residence. Many of his close friends were sitting there, eating and chatting together, with Queen being loudly teasing Gordon whom in return was trying to hide from the looks of everybody else around them. Myu was smiling wickedly, purposely invading Wimber’s personal space by pushing Cube towards him who was gesturing annoyed trying not to fall off the bench all three were sitting on.
In a corner far away other Specters were having an animate discussion between them and on a table sitting all alone, Zelos was messily eating his meal.
The Harpy could recognise everyone. Even if it hadn’t been too long since their awakening in this life. He knew each and everyone of those Specters from many, many, really many lives spent together. Wyvern Division was probably the only one not to have lost a single member since its creation back in Age of Myth: something Rhadamanthys, their honourable and beloved General, was very proud of shoving in the face of his peers Minos and Aiacos.
And even if this life had only just began, all of them were rather close - some too much to Lady Pandora’s liking - and had some history between them, being friendship, rivalry or something more... Or even less.
As he looked at them smiling, happy to see them enjoying their evening time, his orange amber eyes met with the Basilisk’s who was sitting with their closest group of friends.
He glanced at Sylphid and his wrathful eyes were staring directly at him, Val could feel his rage and annoyance from the other side of the hall.
His icy gaze pierced him deeply inside, suddenly feeling his throat dried, and it was as if time had stopped. For some reasons Sylphid was always somewhat annoyed to see Valentine, especially when he was working directly for Lord Rhadamanthys instead of staying in the Cocytus prison.
Valentine opened his mouth, as if he wanted ask something, shout at him to stop staring like he wanted kill him, but before he could even think to do so, the other raised his hand and pointed somewhere, his expression stiff and irked.
Sylphid poked the air in front him twice, squeezing his eyes and baring his teeth, one of his thick grey brow raised up.
And in that very second, as he was about to turn, Valentine’s face hit hard onto something and the Harpy fell with his butt on the floor. All the papers in his hands flew around, raining on him.
When he looked up trying to understand what the hell just happened, the imposing figure of his Liege appeared before him, projecting a large shadow on the floor. His face was covered by a large horned helmet and his wings were fully opened curved as if to cup his shoulders and legs, like a shield of sort.
Rhadamanthys looked down but did not move nor said anything.
“Uhm, uhm...” Valentine began mumbling, rubbing his head and trying to grab this or that paper, frantically and nervously. His helmed got knocked a few feet away in such clank that resonated in the entire hall causing everybody to turn their heads in that direction.
Valentine’s heart was racing dramatically: that was highly improper. Not only he fell like an idiot because he got distracted, but of all the people and things to bump into, that needed to be his General. A General who wanted those very papers and was probably annoyed by the waiting and had decided to come taking them by himself.
Valentine heard behind him chairs moving and steps and voices, but with every second passing, all sound began to disappear as the two awkwardly peeked at each other.
“I’m so so sorry, Lord Rhadamanthys.” He said holding a handful of papers upside down, trying not to look at that man feeling afraid of his reaction - more of disappointment than anything else.
“I wasn’t looking were I was going. I... Uhm...” Added more, turning his legs and sitting onto them. “I was making my way to you, My lord, please I know this was... Was all my fault, and if you...”
The Judge grunted for a second, raising his brow as he looked down at the other.
“Get up, cmon.” Rhadamanthys said sniffing, grabbing Valentine’s bicep and pulling him up like he weighted nothing.
”Are you alright?” He asked, keeping his hand onto his arm, his voice was deadpan and serious, but everyone could easily pick hidden tones of warmth and concern in it.
“My Lord...” Harpy replied, looking up directly into his gold eyes, hidden until that moment by his blond locks of hair. Valentine cheeks flushed red and his hands lost completely all their strength, and once more the papers fell everywhere around them.
His legs began feeling shaky.He could feel his own heart beating inside his throat and the more he gulped the more he felt thirsty and embarrassed.
The other face was impassible as he stared at him.
“My... Lord...” He said again, softly, hushing, slowly.
“Valentine.” He replied gently. “Are you alright?” Asked again the Judge, moving his hand towards the Specters’ shoulder and taking a step further to him. Rhadamanthys’ hand moved slowly, heading down on Valentine’s lower arm, squeezing it. And Valentine could swear to have felt his touch even under the heavy metal of the Surplices.
“Are... Are you...?” Answered Harpy eerie, and with such dreamy look on his face he would be asked if sleepy or drunk in another moment.
The Wyvern frowned under his helmet and by then almost everyone else in the Hall was curiously looking them.
Some yelled at the Specter if he was alright, but Valentine didn’t hear - nor see - anybody but his Lord.
“Have I hurt you?” The pink haired man’s voice was the softest, full of the most genuine concern and selfness. The Judge noticed how bright, soothing, sincere, Valentine sounded. And never he had heard somebody sounding so true. That tone from his voice immediately pierced Wyvern deeply inside.
Valentine’s eyes were sparkling, his lips curved upwards and his cheeks flushed, with some locks of hair falling on his forehead, covering partially his sharp features. Pretty features, Rhadamanthys corrected himself thinking.
“You are the one who fell down.” Rhadamanthys replied, moving a bit closer and holding Valentine’s other arm as if afraid he was about to fall.
He looked as frail as a naked branch at the mercy of winter’s winds.
Valentine instinctively raised his arms and gently grabbed Wyvern’s armoured forearm while taking a step towards him, ending up so close that only some inches of distance between their heads were left.
“Uh-Uh. Yeah... I know...”
The taller man looked down, following the other’s movement with curiosity. And when he raised his face the others’ was not touching his only because of his fanged helmet keeping them apart.
The Judge gulped loudly and and his cheeks coloured. A drop of sweat fell from his chin, running until his naked chest beneath the metal armour, a shiver ran on his back when the cold of his sweat traced his hot muscular body.
Rhadamanthys brought his arm closer, raised it and after pausing for a second midair, visibly afraid, he carefully moved away from Harpy’s face that lock of long hair hiding his features. The expression on his face was adorable. Valentine’s cheeks were all flushed. Rhadamanthys found himself impossible not to stare at him. He raised his brow and suddenly, when their eyes met again, his entire body boiled. He felt so hot he wanted strip himself of the heavy armour there and now such was the heat. The collar of his chest piece was bothering him like never before and so started doing the crotch protection as well. He felt the tight pants of his under suit sticking onto his skin and he hated it like nothing else.
Rhadamanthys’ s mouth opened slowly letting his tongue peeking out to wet his suddenly dried and thirsty lips and unconsciously, he squeezed more Valentine’s arm he was holding onto, grabbing it with a considerate strength and a firm but steady pull.
They looked at each other, blushing, without saying a word for a long moment.
The entire hall froze and remained in the most religious silence, not a single Specter dared making a sound afraid to disturb the infinite pining they were so interested witnessing.
“Uhm...” Rhadamanthys tried searching for words, his eyes locked onto the others’ lost within his.
”Yes?”
“Valentine...”
“My Lord...?”
“Y-yes...”
“...Yeah?”
“I... Sh-Shall I let go...?”
Harpy shook his head left to right a couple times, eyes locked on him.
“Please. No” Hushed he.
Rhadamanthys held his breathe as his hand began moving, towards the other’s own hand, as if he was in control of it no more. His body lingered for touch without him even understanding. “N-No?”
Gold eyes focused on the harpy’s features and fell on the thin lips, slightly opened and the skin of his fit, slender, slim body poking out of the Surplice’s collar.
He felt thirsty and barely with any understanding of what was happening, fingers moved and brushed onto Harpy’s ones.
His little mouth opened more and smiled at him softly.
Valentine’s fingers moved in response, his index barely hooking around a finger of the other.
The Judge blushed more, his eyes gleamed, and his lips began curving.
But then, others’ voices came between.
“Hey. Somebody, take Val to his room, it seems to me he’s has taken a hard hit on the floor!” A Specter said from behind, causing some laughters among others further behind.
And when Harpy heard that he immediately retracted, shook his head and waved his arms frantically. His face turned bright red and pulled away from the Wyvern’s hold, almost falling again, half-slipping on the papers as he took a step back. The Judge immediately looked at the one who spoke as if called back to reality, puzzled for a moment before coughing and regaining his straight and perfect posture, lowering his head to re-compose himself away - or so he believed - from anyone’s prying eyes.
“No. Nononono!! I am alright. No need.” Valentine said looking around but his attention was fully on the Judge and his eyes saw no face to associate with that voice, his eyes were seeing only his Lord.
Rhadamanthys returned his gaze on Harpy after making sure his helmet was sitting well on his head, and nodded at him, slowly.
And Harpy caught the shadow of his lips curving upwards even if for just a moment.
Valentine smiled broadly at him, and looked around before returning his eyes on his Liege.
He took a long breathe and he spoke, calmly and polite.
“I am. My Lord. I’m alright.” And with that Valentine kneeled down, in front of the Wyvern.
“Thank you.”
Everyone around immediately lost interest in the situation, and the sound of generic chatting resumed. Some came back to their sits, some returned to their eating and some began to leave the room. Sylphid, who had been observing from a distance like everyone else, grunted and returned his attention onto his plate with a visible smirk on his lips.
“He’s a desperate case, alright?” Queen pointed out, kicking Gordon under the table who in turn blushed and finished in one shot his large drink, holding it with both his hands trying to hide his face behind it.
“Oh, you can say that loud and clear. And yet they seem both completely oblivious to it.” Myu replied, playing with a fork as if it was as little wand of sort, waving it around.
“To what?” Asked Wimber, pushing Cube towards Myu with both his hands and chuckling, sending the Dullahan Specter sliding on the bench, attempting to fight for his place and personal space.
“To the same thing you are. Hehe...” Giggled the Papillon Specter, stepping away just in time and gracefully standing up avoiding the impact with the other and walking away from the bench with the slyest smile on his lips, under the giggling of Queen at his back.