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After his bitter defeat, Burning Spice locked himself away in his quarters. A small part of the temple that somehow managed to remain in good condition.
How could this happen? Him? Losing against that… that PUNY LITTLE THIEF?! HOW- HOW COULD HE LET THIS HAPPEN?! “That wretched bird will PAY FOR THIS!” A few vases and other decorations shattered to the ground as he grabbed everything in a close range to let out his frustration. Burning Spice stepped to his bed with heavy, agitated steps. “And who does she think she is? HUH?! INSULTING ME- calling me a SORE LOSER WHO COULDN’T HANDLE HIS FAILURE?! PAH- I didn’t FAIL! It’s not my fault life is so- brittle…”, with those words he let himself fall face first into the luxurious bed. Big, soft, decorated with red and golden accents, perfect for an almighty being such as himself. ‘Could I have really sustained life a little longer back then, like she said?’, he thought to himself but quickly shook his head in disbelief. With a loud groan he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “Creators above, what am I THINKING?! This greedy cookie has NO idea what it was like, HA- she can’t tell me how to rule MY KINGDOM-…my… kingdom.”
Memories of his very first kingdom flooded his mind. His subjects were full of life and their surroundings, changing with every year a little more. He was loved by everyone and praised for all he had done… He was an almighty hero amongst them. But eventually they all faced the same fate, over and over and over again… They all withered away only for new life to follow the same path. The one thing in life that was never changing. And the one thing he couldn't control. He remembers the first time he witnessed their fate. He was confused and angry at the Witches for allowing such a thing. And yet… he blamed himself as well. Surely as the Herald of Change he should have been able to do something, right? No matter what, their fate was something he truly couldn’t change. Everything he once held dear would vanish in the blink of an eye. After all, nothing was meant to last forever and yet… he was.
He closed his eyes in hopes of shutting out all those old memories. ‘What a pain…argh damn it! This is giving me a headache… stupid memories, stupid fate, STUPID GREEDY BIRD- ‘
Burning Spice jumped out of his bed and rummaged through every cabinet and barrel to look for his emergency stash of all kinds of alcohol. In case boredom took over once again. But this time, this time it was to drown out his thoughts, to finally have some peace of mind and just…forget all of this ever happened. It didn’t take him long to find every bottle he had hidden away. With a bunch of alcohol in his hands and a will to drown his misery in it, Burning Spice dragged himself back to the bed. With a tired groan he let himself fall into the soft sheets and began to empty one bottle after another.
A few days passed and he was not feeling any better. His head was still throbbing with pain and old memories. But there was one good thing about all this, he could finally indulge in other thoughts as well without any shame. Gleaming blue eyes and a sinister smile which belonged to a certain jester, popped into his mind. Even after all these years, after all this change, being with or seeing, even simply thinking about Shadow Milk always brought him a peace of mind. Never once did he grow bored of the jester's antics. What he wouldn't give to tell him how much he adored him. Every single part of him was perfect. It was as if Shadow Milk was the only one who could truly keep up with Burning Spice's endeavors. He was supporting every bit of it and not because Burning Spice had scared him into submission, but rather because Shadow Milk enjoyed ever part of his actions as much as he did. He would burn this place to the ground if it meant that he would get to see Shadow Milk's joyful smile once again.
Oh what he wouldn't give to see him now.
——
Meanwhile, Shadow Milk had lingered in his realm of shadows for days and awaited news from Burning Spice’s plan to get his other half of the soul jam back. They agreed on keeping each other updated with the missions. By now Burning Spice should have succeeded already. Therefore, Shadow Milk had waited and waited and waited. Almost a whole week had passed and still nothing. This made Shadow Milk suspicious that something unfortunate might have happened. Of course he knew that they couldn’t be killed that easily, so Burning Spice should most definitely still be alive... probably. Better safe than sorry. ‘Well well well, he surely won’t mind a little surprise visit from good ol' me’, Shadow Milk happily thought to himself. And with that, Shadow Milk opened a portal near Burning Spice’s Temple in hopes he’d meet him there.
However, the sight the jester was met with was not what he expected. Huge parts all around the temple were either destroyed or completely missing. Speaking of the Spice Temple, if you could still call it a temple… more of a ruin. Shadow Milk overlooked the whole area and let out a whistle. “Woooooow, well someone surely had his fun! More than usual I suppose, but fun nevertheless! A shame I wasn't invited~” To get a better view of the temple, or rather what was left of it, Shadow Milk moved closer and inspected the area. No disciples, no guards, only a few pillars and walls in ruins and most likely about to collapse in a second. Shadow Milk only shrugged at the sight. It was not unusual to see yet another temple in shambles, considering Burning Spice’s temper. Although he had to admit, this was more than having just a usual fit of boredom. Still no sight of Burning Spice, and that made Shadow Milk frown in confusion. “Oh Spiceeeeey where are youuuuu? Come on ouuuut! It’s meeeeeeeeeee, your favorite entertainerrrrrrr!” Nothing. No response whatsoever. Shadow Milk groaned in annoyance: “Ugh this diva!... OH SPICEEEEY! WHERE ARE YOUUUU, SILLY???!!” Nothing. AGAIN! Shadow Milk grew impatient and more irritated by the second. He looked around the ruins once more, but no luck.
That is until he noticed a part of the temple that survived and stayed in good condition. So he tried to call out to Burning Spice as loud as he could while he walked down the intact halls: “BURNING SPICE! HELLOOOO~ ARE YOU HERE???!! I-” Then out of one of the rooms he heard something clatter and falling to the ground with a thud. Quickly, he walked over to the closed door and put his ear close to it. Some more clatter and this time a deep groan followed by mumbling. He couldn’t quite make out the words but that must be Burning Spice for sure. With a witty grin plastered on his face, he teleported himself inside the room for a dramatic entrance: “THERE YOU ARE! Ta-daaaa! IT IS I- Did ya miss meee?~” Oh. Shadow Milk’s smile slowly faltered into an unsure grin at the sight of Burning Spice. The jester approached the bed with slow and careful steps.
The whole room was total chaos. A few broken vases, shelves and torn up fabrics here and there. Scrolls, telling the tales of history, were scattered all over the floor. But the worst part… the countless empty alcohol bottles. They were all splayed around the room and some on the bed. At the very center of it all was Burning Spice… drunk, no doubt. He was laying face first on the sheets, steadily breathing. Warily, Shadow Milk sat down at the edge of the bed. He studied Burning Spice’s current state for a bit, a frown on his face. ‘I haven’t seen him this bad for AGES… let’s see, what to do, hmm’ Carefully Shadow Milk reached over to Burning Spice’s face to push his dark hair out of the way. A rather bad move as he would soon notice.
Without a warning Burning Spice turned around and grabbed Shadow Milk’s reaching hand and held his wrist with a tight grip, almost breaking it in half. “WHAT DO YOU WANT!? GET AWAY...GET AWAY FROM ME! ”, Burning Spice’s voice slurred and thundered through the entire room. His eyes practically burned as he fiercely looked at the intruder, twisting Shadow Milk’s wrist and arm a bit further. A forced and pain-struck smile formed itself on Shadow Milk’s face as he tried to break free from the warrior’s deathly grip. “IT’S ME! IT’S ME! COME ON SPICEY DON’T YOU RECOGNIZE ME??? AAAA- IT’S ME DAMN IT! COME ON GET A GRIP YOU DUMB BEAST-” However Burning Spice didn’t budge a bit and increased the pressure. “AAAAAAA- I DIDN’T MEAN GRIP LIKE THAT! STOP IT! IT’S ME, SILLY! SHADOW MILK-” Burning Spice’s hold on the jester loosened a bit as he stared at Shadow Milk with almost empty eyes now. “Shadow… Milk”, he said in a quiet and raspy tone. “YES, YES THAT’S RIGHT! IT’S ME, SHADOW MILK- NOW LET ME GO!” As if on command, Burning Spice let him go.
With a swift move, Shadow Milk pulled his hand away and caressed the bruises on his wrist. “Man that hurt! What has gotten into you, you big brute!” After a bit of silence, Shadow Milk looked up from his aching arm and was met with Burning Spice’s ember-golden eyes simply staring at him. He shifted into a more comfortable sitting position and was facing Burning Spice who was still sitting cross legged, and a bit hunched over, in the center of the bed, still staring . Furrowing his brow in confusion, he waved his other hand in front of Burning Spice’s face. “Helllloooooo~ Anyone homeeee? Earthbread to Spicey!” “My head hurts…”, murmured Burning Spice and held his head in discomfort. “PAH- No wonder!”, Shadow Milk laughed. “What were you trying to DO, ya big dummy?! Scaring me like that! I called out to you so so so many times, I wouldn’t be surprised if the WHOLE BEAST-YEAST heard me! We were supposed to keep each other updated on our plans, rememberrrr???”, he scolded Burning Spice with grand gestures. “Mhm…” Shadow Milk blinked a few times in disbelief. That’s all? “That’s all? ‘Mhm’”, he mimicked Burning Spice, his voice grew increasingly agitated, “THAT’S ALL???! You disappear for a week, are you listening? A WEEK- then I go to your temple, oh no no no so so sorry… silly me, your RUINS, and I find you like this… AND ALL I GET BACK IS THIS PATHETIC REPLY???? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!” Blinded by his confusion and fury, Shadow Milk didn’t notice Burning Spice’s hand reaching out to his face until he felt a warm touch on his cheek. His face heated up at the sudden touch. Too shocked to say anything, Shadow Milk simply stared at Burning Spice and the deep blush which crept up the warrior's face.
“You are- very… beautiful when you are mad… did you know that?”, his speech slurred and yet the emotions behind it were never so clear. "So so- beautiful..." Shadow Milk let out a nervous chuckle and slowly removed Burning Spice’s hand from his face. The warrior’s expression shifted to one of disappointment at the action. Of course Shadow Milk noticed. “Oh come on~ Don’t look at me like that. It is clear you drowned yourself so deep into this shit, you are out of your mind! Your brain is all mush and you talk silly stuff!” The jester teasingly poked Burning Spice’s forehead with one finger to make his statement clear. However, Burning Spice shook his head and grabbed Shadow Milk’s waist to pull him closer to the center of the bed and positioned him right on to his lap. A perplexed squeal escaped Shadow Milk’s lips and he instinctively put his hands onto Burning Spice’s shoulders for a better balance. Their faces were so close to each other, Shadow Milk could practically taste the alcohol from Burning Spice’s breath. “Yeesh man, just HOW much did you drink???” Soft, slurred murmurs fell from the warrior’s mouth and with a slump he nuzzled his nose into Shadow Milk’s nape. The blush on the jester’s face deepened as he felt the hot breath on his neck. “You do realize I didn’t understand jack-shit of what you just said, right?”
Burning Spice leaned back a bit to meet the jester’s eyes, the tight grip on Shadow Milk’s waist remaining. His vision was a bit blurry, and yet he longingly admired his companion’s face with clarity. “Will you… will you stay with... with, eh, me?”, he mumbled unclearly and with a deep rumble. ‘What has gotten into him?’, Shadow Milk asked himself with a deep sigh. “I guess so? Doesn’t seem like you plan on letting me go anytime soon anyways." The jester cleared his throat: "By the wayyy is there any chance you could you knoooow~... loosen the grip a bit? You’re squeezing quite-”
“No.”, with that response and a fierce look in his eyes, Burning Spice only held on tighter, fearing Shadow Milk’s life would slip through his fingers if he didn’t hold on. He can’t keep losing what is dear to him. His eyes wandered to Shadow Milk’s lips, drinking in every detail he could. A squeak slipped past Shadow Milk’s lips and he gave Burning Spice’s shoulder a reassuring pat and smile to show he got the message loud and clear. “YEP- A-Alright I got it, Spicey! Soooo~, might wanna-" Before Shadow Milk could say anything he was interrupted by a deep mumble that belonged to Burning Spice. "Did anyone ever... eh tell you", he trailed off as he focused on the jester's lips once more, "that you... you have such a pretty smile." A deep blush crept up to Shadow Milk's face as he tried to compose himself. "Excuse me??" "And your hair is so... ugh so soft, I want to..." Shadow Milk tried his best not to let it show how flustered he truly was by all the sudden compliments. "Hey- uh come on get it together-" "I wish we could be together...I'd burn your enemies lives to the ground- for you... and... eh and I would... I would destroy everything you don't like", Burning Spice's words were almost completely incomprehensible as he kept trailing off and staring at Shadow Milk while he zoned out. "Just... just tell me-" The warrior nuzzled his face against the jester's neck and left a soft trail of kisses. "Okay okay, slooooow down. How abouuuut~ you instead tell little old me what happened to the point you emptied your WHOLE alcohol stash, mhm?” “No.” Burning Spice leaned a bit back again and was barely listening, his gaze entirely fixated on the jester’s soft lips. Oh what he would give to taste those. Usually he would shake these thoughts away, but… surely he could indulge them for once. Shadow Milk dramatically rolled his eyes at the rather dry response and thought of a way to pry out the information anyways. With his best saddened pout on his face, Shadow Milk slowly lifted Burning Spice’s chin slightly up, forcing him to face the jester. “No? Oh come ooon~ You know how much I love stories! Tell me, mhm?”
With a big exhale, Burning Spice tried to compose himself… he couldn’t say no to that. He never could. He knew Shadow Milk was putting on an act, and yet he fell for it every single time. That sparkle in his eyes when he put on an act, that pouting expression...'Ugh get it together-' “Fine…”, he grumbled. “That damn THIEF took my half of the soul jam… AGAIN. Destroyed my temple… and my devoted lackeys-",he trailed off with a mumble and shifted his focus back to Shadow Milk's facial features before continuing. "She accused me of being a sore loser…” “Hehehe, she certainly was on point with that one-”, Shadow Milk remarked under his breath. “SHUT- ugh, anyways… She also mentioned… my past kingdoms… and how I FAILED THEM MISERABLY-” The grip on Shadow Milk’s waist tightened by the second. “Woooooha wow wow wow hold on Spicey-” Shadow Milk’s desperate attempts to get Burning Spice to lose the grip on him fell onto deaf ears.
“I wanted to forget what happened… But…She said... she said I FAILED. SHE HAS NO IDEA! SHE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LEARN ABOUT THE CRUDE CYCLE OF LIFE! SHE-... SHE HAD THE CHANCE TO BE BORN, TO-...TO GROW TO EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY OF LIFE AND NOT ONLY WITNESS THE ENDLESS DEATHTRAP THAT HIDES BEHIND IT!” His eyes filled with fury and sorrow. “I WISH I COULD CRUSH HER BELOVED KINGDOM INTO BITS- TO SHOW HER WHAT IS LIKE TO REALIZE-... TO TRULY REALIZE THAT NOTHING IS FOREVER… nothing's meant to last forever… it will all disappear with the blink of an eye…every single time”
“I won’t.”
Burning Spice’s attention shifted back to Shadow Milk. His voice was dragging him back to the here and now. Shadow Milk’s hands reached out to gently cradle Burning Spice’s face. The latter closed his eyes and let himself get lost in the comforting sensation, as he leaned more into the touch.
“Have you already forgotten, silly? I am just as doomed as you are, cursed with immortality. So you will have me nagging, teasing, entertaining, and whatever else your brain can come up with, until the end of time! Trust me, getting rid of me is no easy task~ Imagine me as a sticky note with super glue! Good luck getting that off!”, Shadow Milk reassured with a confident expression on his face. Burning Spice’s expression softened into a smile and a deep small chuckle left his lips:” Heh, I suppose you… you are right with that one… wouldn’t even- even think of getting rid of you…I- I love you too much for that, you know?”, still lost in the moment, Burning Spice slurred his words and didn’t even notice that what was once supposed to stay in his heart has now left to be out in the open. And Shadow Milk knew that this was no lie- he knew lies and he knew drunken lies… but this, this was nothing but the truth. “You do?” “Hm?, do what?”, not yet aware of what had left his lips, Burning Spice only stared at Shadow Milk’s eyes in confusion. Oh those eyes. He was sure he could stare at them forever and never grow bored at the sight of them. How he’d lose himself in those shimmering blue eyes.
“Love me? Do you love me?”
Silence. Only the faint sound of Burning Spice’s breathing could be heard, as he processed those words. All he could do was stare. Eyes widened in shock as he processed the situation and he gained a small moment of clarity. ‘Shit. Did I say that out loud?! Oh fuck, what else did I say??!! No, surely not…No no no he wasn’t supposed to-’ While Burning Spice was losing his mind, Shadow Milk let out a laugh. That’s what snapped Burning Spice out of his trance. It may be a little annoying from time to time, but he can’t help himself from smiling at Shadow Milk's joyful giggles. He loved his laugh. So full of energy, and he was now sure it would stay that way until time itself would come to an end. This was the one thing he was sure of, that it was meant to last forever. “Oh- me oh my- you- HA HA-~ You should see your FACE! You look so stupidly sappy~ And no take backsies~ You said it LOUD and CLEAR, so don’t lie to meee~”
Burning Spice slowly took one of Shadow Milk’s hands from his face and planted a soft kiss on the jester’s palm. “Would you… would you stay with me even- even if I admit it? Would you keep me company? Not leave my side?”, his speech was still somewhat unclear and his expression dropped. “Or would you too, slip through my fingers?”
A loud exhale left the jester’s mouth. Putting both arms around Burning Spice’s neck, he pulled himself closer, to the point that their foreheads touched. With a small giggle, Shadow Milk lightened the mood: “Hellooo? Didn’t you listen to me? Ugh how rude~! You can be such a dimwit sometimes, you know that?” “WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?! Oh you will PAY FOR-” “Ah ah ah- let me finish! I already told you, getting rid of me won’t be easy~ Now! Think Spicey, thiiiink! Does that sound like someone who is leaving because of something silly such as… love?”
Burning Spice blinked a few times before mumbling: “No… I guess not” “DING DING DING! WE HAVE A WINNERRRR~ Now-” “But… Do you love me too? Don’t lie.”, hopeful golden eyes stared right through Shadow Milk’s soul. He knew the answer. And with Burning Spice looking at him as if he hung the stars, he couldn't lie…
His facade shattered and his gaze softened as he leaned closer to Burning Spice’s lips. “Of course I do, you silly goose. I loved you back then, and I love you now.”
That was all Burning Spice needed to hear before closing the gap between their lips. There was no rush nor force behind it. It was nothing more than a gentle, blissful kiss, filled with tenderness and quiet joy. Both of them were lost in the sensation. Holding on tight to each other, hoping the moment could last forever. The kiss deepened, as well did Burning Spice's hold on Shadow Milk, whom he pulled in closer and closer.
After parting to catch their breath, their eyes met. “Did- did I ever… ever tell you, that you- you have beautiful eyes. They shine so bright. And they- they have that… eh, fuck.”, Burning Spice trailed off,”... that gleam every time you cast chaos across the land”. Shadow Milk barely understood anything from Burning Spice’s slurred words. He chuckled and teasingly asked: “Oh yea?” “Mhm, I like them a lot…a whole lot”
Shadow Milk gently stroked Burning Spice’s hair: “Alright lover boy, tell me all about my wonderful self once you’re completely sober. Let me go get something to help-” Burning Spice buried his nose into Shadow Milk’s neck and wrapped his arms even tighter around him. “NO- You stay… don’t go.” With one big motion, Burning Spice fell back into the sheets, dragging Shadow Milk with him. Perplexed, the jester looked up at him as he was now laying face first on Burning Spice’s chest. Heat rushed through his face at the suddenness. It was useless to convince him to let him go now. Not that he was in any rush to leave the loving embrace. Shadow Milk planted a gentle kiss on Burning Spice's lips before laying down comfortably on the warrior's chest. Enjoying the comforting silence, accompanied with slow, deep breaths from the already sleeping man below him.
“Alright, alright”, a sigh slipped past Shadow Milk’s smiling lips, “I guess it can’t hurt if we stay like this for a bit…”