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Kal knew death was a part of life he’d probably never get to experience himself. Sure, he’s watched those he loves die, and he’s killed and assassinated more than he cares to count. He pulled the Contracts on his own sister and Father. He’s watched his good friend and grandfather to his kids pass away of old age. His twin passed just a year or two ago, following after her husband more than a decade later.
All that to say, Kal knows death just as he knows he’ll probably never have to experience it himself. Which is why it hurts so much to see Luca, his precious, aging, silver fox of a husband, lying in their bed, slowly succumbing to an illness of old age when Kal hasn’t aged a day past twenty-five.
“Lucanis?” Spite tries sadly. Spite, who’s partially bound to Kal. Spite, who reflects Luca’s silver fox appearance without any of the aches or pains. Spite, who they’re going to have to come up with a solution for before the night is up.
“What is it, Spite?” Luca asks to Spite’s general direction even if he can’t see any of them anymore.
“Lucanis hurting.” Spite mumbles. “How help Lucanis?”
Luca chuckles mirthlessly. “We all know the only cure, Spite.” Kal bites his lip, preventing the tidal wave of emotions from progressing and drowning him. “Before we get that far, I believe there’s something else we have to take care of.”
Right. Right, they’d agreed to fully bind Spite to Kal before Luca passes. “Mi queridas. I know it’s hard.” Luca grabs his hand, squeezing reassuringly. “You know I’ll always love you, right?” Kal nods sadly. “Then you should know you’re the only one I trust to do this.” He does.
Luca pulls his hand to his lips, kissing Kal’s knuckles softly. “Please, love?”
“… Yeah.” He has to take several deep breaths before continuing. “Yeah, okay.”
“Thank you.” Luca smiles. “I’d hate for you to be all alone after this.” Kal bites his lip, takes another steadying breath, and pulls away. He needs to concentrate to get the spell to function properly, and they only have one shot at it.
Pulling at his magic, Kal focuses it through the bond he shares with Spite, strengthening the connection while slowly severing the one their Spirit companion shares with Luca. Every cut connection cuts that much deeper into Kal’s heart. It makes it that much harder to contain the wellspring of emotions seeping into every fiber of his being.
“Goodbye, Spite.” Luca mumbles. “It’s been nice sharing our body all these years. Treat Kal right, will you?”
“Of course!” Spite cries. It’s already too late. Kal’s already severed the last of the binds letting Luca see the beloved spirit. Spite settles into Kal with a cry of agony at the lost of his longtime host. It sends a single tear down Kal’s cheek.
“Kal?” Luca calls, “Promise me something?”
“What is it?”
Those sightless eyes almost seem to focus on him for the smallest fraction of a second. “Promise me you won’t close yourself off. That you’ll keep letting yourself love and feel like you have with me.”
There’s a rock in his throat. It’s the only thing he can think of that would cause him to be speechless like this. “Yeah.” It’s nearly a sob. “I promise.”
“Good.” Luca pulls him close, placing Kal’s hand over his heart. “One more thing?”
“Anything.”
“Let me be with you in this life and the next. Marry me?”
Kal loses his battle, letting hot, salty tears roll down his face as the damns break open. “Always.” Luca presses his lips to Kal’s reveling in one final kiss as Kal painlessly stops his husband’s heart with his electricity.
Luca slumps back with a smile on those cooling lips. Kal falls back into the bedside chair as a wail rips from his throat, echoed by Spite’s mournful cry, as fat tears carve canyons through his flesh.