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Traversing the rugged hills beyond Mythland was never an easy task for a man like Jimmy. He enjoyed stepping on damp grass grounds with his webbed feet without a worry, but today was different. He had to wear his cotton-lined boots through the dense dark oak forest. His usually uncovered arms had a thick brown cloak draping over them, with a fur collar around his neck. The edges of the cloak had gold and green embroidery that he had spent hours meticulously sewing. His blonde hair was loosely tied at the back with a little brown string that swung freely in the wind as he walked. Jimmy was going to meet someone today to have a chat, and that someone was the snow elf that lived atop the hills of Rivendell, a cold-ridden empire in the south.
Usually, Scott would be tending to the gardens around the empire when Jimmy comes to visit him. But today, Jimmy noticed an emptiness to the empire. To him, the absence of Scott was immediately noticeable. It was as if the sun was late to shine, his absence made the empire mildly dimmer.
Jimmy climbed the stone stairs along the side of the mountain, walking along the cobble path, under the blue roofed bridge until he reached the inner Rivendell village. He smiled at the polite villagers that bowed gleefully at this emperor's presence, lowering his head to return the gesture. The villagers loved Jimmy because he visited their Empire often, and they knew their ruler loved him too.
The Codfather kept walking around the village, hoping to find Scott at his usual spots ; the flower shop from where he would be arranging bouquets, or the dye shop where he would be helping the shepherd restock the shelves.
He finally decided to ask for help, stopping a baker that was carrying a crate of bread across the street.
“Excuse me, baker!” Jimmy quickened his pace, walking closer to the villager. The villager quickly bowed, stopping on her tracks to listen to the visiting emperor.
“Good afternoon, Codfather!” she replied with a kind smile. “Do you need anything from the bakery?”
“Not today, thank you. But I do need a favour. Did emperor Scott not come by the village today? I didn’t see him.” Jimmy replied, pulling his cloak tighter as a cold gust of wind swept by.
The villager pondered before shaking her head. “No, sir. I did not see the Emperor here.”
Jimmy paused for a moment, nodding to himself before dismissing the baker with a quick bow and a smile. He looked around once again, trying to find the blue gemstone in the midst of his empire.
Maybe he’s just in his home today, no big deal! Jimmy thought to himself before continuing the walk through the village. He reached the palace gate, guarded by two elves that saluted him and bowed as he walked through. Jimmy climbed up the stairs that were lined with flower pots full of red and blue blossoms, with a few yellow buds peeking through here and there. The cold wind was becoming much more noticeable, but Jimmy blamed it on the high altitude.
The palace garden was usually empty and quiet, so Jimmy enjoyed being here. The statue of Aeor standing tall between Scott’s house and the church had little icicles hanging in some places, reflecting the sunlight around the garden like scattered rainbows had rained down.
Jimmy walked towards the door, fixing his hands under his cloak so he could knock for Scott’s attention. But when he was only a few feet away from the door, he heard an unusual sound from the church of Aeor. It sounded like a harmonious mix of glass shattering and chimes, and it was something Jimmy hadn’t heard before. He listened intently, hoping to figure out what was making that noise.
“Saor na sgiathan reothadh… saor na gaoithe fuar-” A whispering voice painfully muttered through shivering lips, the sound echoing quietly in the church.
(TR: "Free the wings of frost… free the cold wind-")
Jimmy’s eyes widened at the realization of who the voice belonged to.
Scott, Emperor Scott.
He ran towards the church of Aeor, stepping up the stairs carefully as to not trip over his own cloak. He walked through the thin layer of snow that had settled on the path. When Jimmy reached the door, he realized he couldn’t hear the voice anymore. He pushed the grand doors open with a grunt, almost falling over when they stopped midway.
Something was wrong inside the church. There was snow scattered everywhere. The seats were covered in the frosty powder, a few cold gusts of wind showering more snow around the aisle. Jimmy held his cloak closer as he looked around in confusion. He looked at the altar at the other end of the church under the magnificent golden antlers and saw someone kneeling before it. It was Scott, with his pure white wings spreading weakly over his trembling body as he knelt before his own altar. His blue hair was dancing along with the rough wind, until Jimmy saw him fall over on the carpeted floor lifeless.
“SCOTT-” Jimmy yelped before darting down the aisle, his cloak waving behind him as he ran. The string in his hair untied itself in the wind, making his golden hair flow freely.
When he reached the man lying on the cold ground, he fell to his knees, quickly crawling closer. Jimmy looked at Scott with worried eyes as he pulled his barely conscious body closer to him. Scott was still alive and conscious, his eyes were almost fully closed. His breathing was weak and slow, his limbs were trembling and tired. Jimmy put his hand on Scott’s face, checking the temperature. When he felt the cold skin touch his hand he almost flinched, making his worry grow a thousand times.
Jimmy couldn’t spare any time figuring out what happened to Scott. He untied the gold strings that kept his fur lined cloak up, pulling it off his body as quickly as he could. Under the cloak, he was wearing a half untied green shirt over a tight black vest that had gold details on the collar. His gills were more visible now, so were his battle scars. His breath escaped as little cold clouds through his nose, his lips pursed tightly as he pulled Scott up from the ground.
He began to drape the cloak around Scott, wrapping him up quickly and softly. Jimmy saw Scott take a sharp breath in as he was wrapping the cloak around his body, and paused for a moment to check if something had gone wrong. Scott only fell over, shoving his face onto Jimmy’s arms with a quiet groan.
“I’ll get you out of here, hold onto me.” Jimmy told Scott as he finished wrapping him up in his cloak. Scott attempted to nod, but kept his head on Jimmy’s arms. Jimmy carefully stood up, holding Scott at his side. Scott could stand up, but he leaned on Jimmy wearily, his white wings dragging on the floor behind him. His vision was blurry and his ears were ringing as Jimmy supported him up through the aisle.
Each step became harder and harder to endure for Scott. Jimmy felt Scott’s energy falter right beside him, so he quickened his pace, holding him tighter to his body. As soon as they stepped through the door, Jimmy took a relieved breath of warmer air. Scott tried to take a breath again, but ended up losing his vision entirely in half a second, his body giving up on holding itself up. He fainted right there, his head falling unconscious.
Jimmy grabbed him as he fell to his knees, muttering denial to himself. Holding Scott’s face close, he tried to wake him up again. But it was useless. Scott looked like he had fallen into deep sleep. Stray strands of blue hair were covering his closed eyes, and his lips were parted slightly.
“Oh god- oh dear… don’t give up on me- Please…” Jimmy whispered as he put his arms under Scott’s waist and back, pulling him up from the grass path. He carried Scott’s body, not caring for whatever happened around them. Scott could not hear or see anything at all, only his body was being carried away to safety by another emperor.
Jimmy barged into Scott’s house, kicking the door open swiftly. He pulled Scott closer to him as he ran in. He knew his way around Scott’s house, and he decided that the bedroom is the warmest place to keep him. He pushed the door behind him to close it before making his way to the bedroom. After putting Scott on the bed, he took the blankets and sheets and laid them over him, carefully tucking him in. Scott’s cheeks were red and his breath was still cold, so Jimmy stepped away to light the fireplace.
After a few minutes, Scott regained consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking to stabilize his blurry vision. He was still cold, but the blankets and sheets helped him calm down. He realized he was still too weak to do anything major with his body, and in frustration, he let out a soft gruff. Jimmy turned around, putting the metal poker down beside the fireplace when he realized Scott made that sound. He quickly stood up, walking over to Scott with worried eyes.
“Scott? Are you awake?” He muttered, leaning closer to Scott. Scott looked up at the man looking over him and realized it was none other than Jimmy. But despite him recognizing Jimmy, he thought he was dead for sure, and this was the afterlife.
“Am I…” Scott whispered with a hitched voice. “Am I alive?”
Jimmy narrowed his eyes in concern before replying “Yes, Scott. You are very alive. Don’t worry.”
Scott smiled, slowly closing his eyes once again. The smile was small and almost unnoticeable, but enough for Jimmy to notice because he too smiled in return.
“It’s too cold.” Scott whispered again, slowly turning himself away from Jimmy. Jimmy saw Scott’s hands wrapping around his own body in an attempt to hug himself. He felt miserable seeing Scott so helpless and freezing without knowing what happened.
Jimmy stood up and walked around the bed, now standing across Scott who was curling up into a ball while tugging on the blankets. His blue hair was a mess, but the gold hair clips and jewelry made it a beautiful mess. Jimmy tilted his head, looking at how cute Scott looked when he pushed his nose under the blankets. He giggled quietly, sitting down on the bed.
After untying the laces in his boots, he slipped them off and put them to the side. Jimmy hesitated, but finally gave in and pulled himself onto the bed, scooting over to the other emperor that was quietly dozing off. He looked at Scott, keeping his hands together politely before glancing at his face again. Eventually, he laid down beside Scott, keeping his blonde head of hair on one of the ivory pillows quietly. Jimmy lifted his hand over Scott, putting it around him and pulling him close to his own body. He was mildly flustered, but if anything, it's going to help Scott warm up one way or another.
He pulled Scott closer, running his hands through his blue hair. Scott realized what was happening, and it felt like he had won a lottery. He smiled to himself, too weak to grin or giggle. Jimmy felt Scott inching closer, gently pushing his face under his neck. When Jimmy felt Scott’s cold breath on his skin, he felt a wave of shyness and fluster rise up to his face, making his cheeks go redder than what the cold had made it. Scott kept his hands between their chests, and his legs curled up over Jimmy’s knees.
It was genuinely helpful for Scott, being cuddled by Jimmy. It was warm and comfortable, making whatever that was making him freeze fall back slowly but surely. Scott let himself fall asleep under Jimmy's arms, feeling like he was actually in heaven.
Before Jimmy knew it, he had also fallen asleep. Something about holding someone as they fell asleep felt so comforting and calming, and as the fire crackled softly in the background, he began to doze off.
When he awoke again, Scott was not near him. For a split second, Jimmy got worried about his whereabouts, but when he frantically looked around, blinking over and over to focus his eyes, he saw Scott sitting on the edge of the bed, still wearing the cloak around him.
“Oh, Scott!” Jimmy said with a smile, sitting up and scooting closer to Scott, who glanced back with shining eyes. There was a smile on his face, but it was not pure happiness.
“What happened to you back there?” asked Jimmy, now sitting beside Scott. He pushed his hair back, moving the messy bangs away from his slightly flushed face. Scott looked at his face and felt like cupid had shot an arrow through his heart. The Codfather… he looked so… so…
“I was… I was trying to lift my curse with spells.” Scott replied with a croaky voice. He sniffled, as if he had been crying. “Things just didn't go to plan. Thank Aeor you came to help me.” He giggled, glancing down at the cloak.
Jimmy smiled, putting his hand behind his head shyly. “No worries. I was just coming to see you anyway.”
Scott smiled, the corners of his ears turning pink with a blush. But his smile faded again when he said “I'm sorry to be a bother. You probably had something important to do-”
Jimmy interrupted Scott’s woeful reply by cupping his face in his hands. Scott felt his cheeks turning red like poppies when Jimmy pulled him closer.
“Don't apologise.” Jimmy sternly advised Scott, furrowing his brows as his eyes narrowed. Scott looked at him with a wide gaze, quickly replying with a nod. “Ye- yes…” Scott wanted to say “Yes Sir.” but he decided to reserve that for another time.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Scott.” Jimmy added, wiping Scott’s cheek with his thumbs. Scott felt like his head was heavy, and he was letting Jimmy hold it up for him. Maybe he had to take a turn being affectionate. He smiled, tilting his head to the side.
“Thanks to you.” Scott said, closing his eyes comfortably in the warm touch of Jimmy’s hands. Jimmy giggled to himself, but inside his mind he was screaming like a siren.
Scott opened his eyes and couldn’t help but smile harder at the flushed look on Jimmy’s face.
“Don’t try to cast life-threatening spells by yourself again, alright? Let me know, I’ll come over to keep you safe.” Jimmy said, letting go of Scott’s face. Scott felt sad that he let go of him, but it was quickly brushed away when Jimmy leaned in for a kiss. He did not kiss him straight away, instead he stopped when their eyes were only two inches apart.
Scott’s eyes went wide again in shock, only moving his head back slightly from the sudden move. He looked at Jimmy’s eyes, glancing back and forth between the hazel eyes and his lips.
“Can I?” Jimmy whispered, his eyes full of desperation unlike Scott had ever seen before. Scott felt his lips tremble before he finally nodded once, quickly interrupted by Jimmy pushing their lips together. Scott grabbed the blanket under him, squeezing the cloth tight with his fingers when he felt whatever freezing side effect that was remaining in his body melted away under Jimmy’s kiss. He kissed back, closing his eyes to let himself float away under the emperor's grace. They had gone on one date before, but it was ‘purely political’ in the history of their empires. They were very close with each other since that day, but it wasn’t until today their lips touched each other.
“Jimmy is a good kisser…” Scott thought to himself when he felt Jimmy’s hand reaching up to hold his jaw as he turned his head to the side.
Scott didn’t even think about pulling away, not even if it meant he was going to lose his breath, Jimmy would give him his breath back. But the kiss lasted a while, with Scott putting his arms around Jimmy’s back, and Jimmy holding Scott’s waist close to his. Eventually, Jimmy pulled away from the kiss, but not too far. Scott’s eyes looked at him, yearning for more.
Jimmy couldn’t help but quietly giggle at Scott’s look before saying “I believe you have an empire to look over, Emperor Scott.”
Scott pouted before smirking again. “Yeah? Well you can be my empire.”
“That’s so corny.” Jimmy added, laughing silently. “You’re good at being corny.”
“Tch, please,” Scott pulled himself closer to Jimmy before continuing “I’m good at a lot of other things.”
“Oh?” said Jimmy, raising his eyebrows. “Certainly not casting spells, though.” He laughed to himself, only to be met with a flick on the forehead from Scott. “Ow! Sorry.”
“Too soon.” Scott replied, frowning at Jimmy who was rubbing his forehead pitifully. “I’ll get better at it. And when I do, you’ll regret it.”
“Why would I regret it? It’s just going to make you more attractive.” Jimmy mumbled with a cheeky smirk. Scott replied with an amused gasp, putting his hand over his mouth. “You think I’m attractive?”
“Why else would I kiss you?” Jimmy inquired, gently kissing him on the lips once again as a tease.
Scott rolled his eyes and smiled under Jimmy’s quick kiss. He said “I’m going to curse myself to freeze more often. Then we have an excuse to cuddle.” before pulling Jimmy’s shirt forward to fix it.
“We don’t need an excuse to cuddle!” Jimmy replied with a whine. “I get that we’re emperors, but like… we’re allies!”
“I know, I know.” Scott added, patting Jimmy’s chest. “I was just teasing you, idiot.”
Jimmy chuckled to himself, dragging his hands around Scott’s waist before pulling them to his face again. He held Scott’s cheeks again, pouting his lips and narrowing his eyes as if he was analyzing him.
“You’re not cold at all anymore!” He celebrated with a huge grin. “What a solution!”
“You are… so silly.” Scott pinched Jimmy’s scaly cheeks. “Come on, let’s go to the gardens.” He said, standing up from the bed holding Jimmy’s hand.
Later that day, they would spend hours in the garden accompanying each other. An elven girl in the village below the palace grounds would notice them and tease about them with their friends, saying “It’s the Codfather… our emperor is wearing the Codfather's robes!”