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He couldn't say he ever minded his scars before.
Hell, in the Family, such things were signs someone had tried to take you out but you got them first!
So, why when he finally dragged himself to a mirror after weeks of recovering from his fight with Henrion did Arackniss suddenly feel different?
His back right leg hadn't yet set completely and caused him to drag his toe claws along the ground before he noticed and fixed it.
His upper right arm was trashed and he had a feeling it would never be the same as before, he had another two more at least.
But the marks he couldn't avoid looking at where the slashes across his face.
His Pops' sharp claws had sunk deep into the right side of his face, running long jagged lines across all four eyes and down to his snout where the middle claw had taken a chunk from the bridge before he could push himself away.
Even the one between his guts and chest didn't seem to bother him much now.
It was the face-
He went to touch it with a tentative left upper left hand before shying it away at the last second.
He knew the eyes were gone, he knew the jagged scars were real.
He looked at the once reaching hand and stared.
Touching them felt too permanent for him right then and so, letting it fall back to his side, he returned to looking at himself and started.
"Pent!"
The snake Demon had slithered quietly after his partner when he heard him shifting.
He watched from a respective distance as he limped through the room and over towards the mirror they now stood before.
He admired his little Sniper's ability to get right back up and spoke such, love lacing his every word as he placed a clawed hand upon the upper left shoulder of the spider.
"Such a sssstrong looking Sinner you make, Nisssy~"
"Seeing outta four eyes alone now, can't say the same, heh.."
"Nisssy~"
The snake lowered himself till he was face level with the Hitman and purred, ever so tenderly touching the scar parted fur upon his lovers head, "I've seen no other Ssssinner come out of sssuch a scrap like thisss until I met you~"
"And to hold yourself up the moment he has the ssstrength? Outstanding my dear~ Ssssomething many should take a leaf from and place in their own bookss!"
The snake Demon barely touched the scars along the spider's face with his hand, looking at themselves together in the mirror ahead as he went on warmly.
"Ssstanding proud, brave, strong~ Nisssy, be assssured that you look as fine assss when we met before- Actuall, if I may be so bold?"
With Arackniss looking at himself in the mirror with Pentious so close beside him now, the serpent cemented within his spider a truth that he himself felt the moment he awoke to his smile~
"You look far better than before~ Thessse scars ssshow how resilient you are, ssstubborn, determined~"
"And you sssshould be proud," A tongue flick touched Arackniss' scarred face and he beamed at his lovers words, "I know I already am of you, Nisssy~"
"It jusst takes time and I'll be there every new ssstep you take~" Pentious assured before locking his long arms around the smaller Sinner carefully.
The snake Demon felt with a slow uncertainty the spider in his hold back up into the contact and didn't move, didn't force him further into him.
He waited and was rewarded when Arackniss let himself press into the strong chest of the snake he loved and watched one of his good hands touch his own.
"I don't think I'd made it through if it hadn't been for you and dat smile of yours, Pent~" Arackniss whispered as he gazed at the two of them in the reflections embrace.
"Neither would I, Nisssy~" Sir Pentious confided before nuzzling his cheek along the soft fluff of his spider's neck, beaming, holding back happy tears.
"Neither would I~"