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A full moon hung high up in the night sky, and he needed to relax and calm his inner beast. He found himself coming to this very riverside of Lumina Square. The tranquil feeling that this place brought, together with the quietness of the city at this time of the day, helped ease his tensions, though just a little. Lost in his thoughts, Lycaon looked out into the distance.
This was also the place where he spent his time together with Wise. The legendary proxy, Phaethon. The one who managed to tug on his heartstrings and make his heart pound. Thinking about the man, Lycaon felt his heartbeat speeding up, which wasn't what he really came here for. He was about to stop his thoughts of Wise when he picked up a familiar scent.
Lycaon scoffed softly. 'I must be crazy. I can even smell him just by thinking about him.'
Then, he heard soft footsteps walking towards him, so he turned around to check who it was. Seeing the person he was just thinking of, Lycaon couldn't hide the surprise in his eye.
Of course. As the leader of Victoria Housekeeping Co., Lycaon reacted quickly and put on his professional aura.
"Good evening, esteemed Master Proxy."
Despite feeling his heart jumping with excitement, Lycaon didn't let any of that show through his expression. His curiosity in Wise coming here at such a late hour weighed heavier than his happiness from seeing him. From Wise's words, he could deduce that the Proxy was unable to fall asleep and had come out to pass time. After a casual chat, Lycaon felt relaxed yet his heart still excited, prompting him to look up at the moon.
"Tonight just so happens to be a full moon. It's an honor to meet you beneath such brilliant moonlight."
He felt a stare. Turning around, he was met with a pair of curious eyes. 'How cute.' To satisfy the Proxy's curiosity, Lycaon could only explain that he wouldn't end up like those medieval superstitions, not in front of Wise at least.
"In fact, I merely stepped out for a walk as I could not sleep."
Lycaon saw the surprise in the Proxy's eyes which confirmed Lycaon's suspicion of Wise suffering from insomnia. Lycaon was happy that he got to meet Wise, but also worried as he realized the dark circles under the Proxy's eyes have gotten darker as compared to the first time he met him.
While thinking what he could do to help, he remembered the view he once saw when he was jumping from rooftops. Maybe that could help Wise alleviate his stress a little. Plus, it wouldn't be a loss for him as this served as an opportunity for him to spend more time with the Proxy. A late-night date, as the youngsters would call it.
"If you're free, would you accompany me somewhere? The view is beautiful at night, but it takes a little effort to get there."
The moment Wise agreed, Lycaon swiftly wrapped one of his arms under the back of the Proxy's knees while his other arm supported his upper body. Feeling Wise's weight, Lycaon frowned slightly.
'He's too light.'
Lycaon jumped up towards the rooftop of the nearest building, making a mental note to bring more nutritional foods the next time he visits the Proxy. While he was sprinting towards the place he had in mind, Lycaon could feel Wise trembling softly while wrapping his arms tightly around his neck with his eyes tightly closed.
Lycaon couldn't help letting out a soft laugh, thinking: 'What is this cute creature? How precious.'
Lycaon's protectiveness unconsciously came out and he held Wise tighter, pulling him closer to his body. Maybe this action managed to make Wise feel more secure as the trembling stopped and the tightness around his neck loosened.
Finally, Lycaon landed on the rooftop from his memory. Though he didn't want to let the Proxy in his arms down, he decided to restrain his desire as his objective in coming here was to help Wise to relax.
"There is no scientific way to corroborate this, but this place that makes me feel at ease. I always find it easier to sleep after coming here."
"You can walk around and take in the view...if you're not afraid of heights."
Despite having said that, Lycaon was still going to keep his eye on Wise to prevent him from getting hurt. As though someone or something heard Lycaon's thoughts and wanted to play a trick on him, Wise tripped over a thick wire on the ground. Having already moved halfway to help Wise, Lycaon found the Proxy regaining balance by himself, which resulted in a position where his arms and one leg were in the air.
Holding back the giggly feeling in his chest, Lycaon asked Wise if he was okay. Wise straightened himself up and gave him a deadpan look.
"Lycaon, does it make you happy to see me trip?"
Lycaon's mouth twitched. "...Not in the slightest. How could it?"
Thinking that he managed to hide his amusement, he was exposed by the Proxy the next moment. Lycaon sighed internally. 'It's always the tail...' A bit of back and forth ensued, and when the Proxy relented, Lycaon was surprised by the unexpected response. Realizing that he might have let himself go too much and gave off a childish impression, Lycaon quickly tried to salvage his image.
"Ahem... It's possible I was affected by the full moon and became...a little impulsive. Please don't take it to heart." Unbeknownst to him, Lycaon was actually enjoying himself and this was clearly seen by the Proxy standing in front of him.
Lycaon stood by Wise's side as the Proxy admired the view of New Eridu in silence. He took this time to slowly take in Wise's profile. Seeing that the Wise’s eyes were drooping lower than when he saw him half an hour ago, Lycaon decided it was time to bring the Proxy back for him to sleep.
"It's getting late. Let me take you back."
During the journey back to the video store, Lycaon's heart softened at the sight of Wise still desperately clutching onto his clothes, but he could feel the Proxy's trust in him had increased from the way he leaned into his embrace.
Once they have reached their destination, Lycaon hesitated for a while before gently letting the Proxy down. It wouldn't be good if he delayed the Proxy's rest, considering he was already losing sleep.
"Have a pleasant night. I hope the rooftop's insomnia-curing powers worked for you, too."
Lycaon saw the Proxy paused in his steps and looked at him. "Wait, how did you know I suffered from insomnia, too?" Though it was quite obvious, Lycaon didn't want to make the Proxy feel too conscious about himself, so he could only respond with the most logical explanation.
"Hang on, were you just trying to help me with my insomnia, or were you—"
"It is as I said — You are an important partner of Victoria Housekeeping."
"It's a great honor to help resolve problems for our important partners."
Feeling as though his feelings were about to be exposed, Lycaon's heart jumped. Panic took over and he quickly spoke up, cutting off Wise's sentence which would have been deemed disrespectful if Lycaon was acting professionally. Despite having the discipline and professionalism trained into him all these years, this was the first time he broke character.
Thinking that his upright image would soon collapse the longer he stayed around the Proxy, Lycaon quickly excused himself under a pretense of nonchalance.
"Well then, may you have a good night's rest. I bid you adieu."
Without waiting for Wise to respond, Lycaon jumped up to the rooftop of the nearest building, seemingly as though he was running away. As there was no one to see him, Lycaon's face gradually warmed up while his heart was still pounding in his chest. Once again, Lycaon looked up at the full moon shining brilliantly high up in the night sky.
Unexpectedly, the internal emotional unrest he's feeling wasn't caused by the full moon, but by a natural phenomenon called "Wise". Lycaon sighed to himself, a smile tugged on his face.
'Looks like tonight is going to be another long night.'