Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The battlefield was finally quiet.

The stench of smoke and iron still clung to the air, but the roars, the clash of steel, the screams—those had faded into silence. Only the sound of ragged breathing and the faint crackle of dying fire remained.

And Lloyd was on the ground, sprawled out like a disarded doll, his chest heaving as though every breath was stolen from him. He blinked up at the dark sky, vision hazy, forcing himself to scan the field for movement. For survivors. For anyone he had to save.

His gaze blurred, but a familiar voice cut through the fog.

“Master Lloyd…” Javier’s voice trembled, closer than he realized. A shadow fell over him, then warmth—strong arms scooping him off the cold ground.

Lloyd chuckled weakly, though it came out more like a cough. “Yeah, what is it? What’s wrong?”

Javier swallowed hard, holding him tighter as if afraid he’d vanish. “You… you’re hurt. And I let it happen…”

“Nah, I’m fine.” Lloyd waved a shaky hand, grimacing as pain shot through him, but still forcing that crooked smile. “See? Still intact. Both legs, both arms. No holes in the torso. That’s practically a miracle for me.”

“That’s not the point.” Javier’s jaw clenched. He brushed strands of sweat-damp hair off Lloyd’s forehead, his touch gentler than his voice. “You’re trembling. Even if you aren’t pierced through, even if you’re still brething… you pushed yourself beyond what any human should.”

Lloyd laughed softly, though the sound faltered halfway. “I’ll be good as new in just a few… days? Maybe. As long as I don’t collapse like I did back in Cremo.” His words trailed into a shallow gasp, the kind that made Javier’s heart stutter with fear.

“Stop.” Javir’s voice cracked like splintering glass. His arms tightened, desperate, almost crushing. “Stop pretending. Your body—your whole body’s shaking. You can’t lie about this.”

“I’m fiiine.” Lloyd’s sigh was tired, like a man playing a part for too long.

“No, you’re not!” Javier’s voice tore out of him, raw and aching. His forehead pressed against Lloyd’s temple, his shoulders trembling. “You’re not fine. You’ve never been fine. And it kills me—watching you smile like nothing hurts, just so people won’t worry. Just so you can send them away. Don’t you see? It hurts more to see you fake it than it does to see the blood.”

Tears spilled, hot and unrelenting, soaking into Lloyd’s hair.

“Hey, don’t cry…” Llyod whispered, his voice breaking in its own way. With trembling fingers, he reached up, brushing Javier’s cheek. His thumb caught the tears, clumsy and tender. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I just… can’t stand seeing that face on you. So please, don’t cry. If you do…” His breath hitched, shuddering. “…if you do, I’ll start to think I matter that much.”

“You do.” Javier’s reply was immediate, fervent, shaking. He caught Lloyd’s hand, pressing it against his own cheek. “You do matter that much. More than anything. Please, I’m begging yu—stop putting yourself in danger like this. And even if you can’t stop… then stop pretending you’re okay afterward. Just let me see you. The real you. Let me carry it with you.”

Lloyd blinked, stunned into silence by the weight of the words. His lips parted, but no excuse came. Just a quiet, broken laugh that melted into the curve of Javier’s shoulder.

And for once, he let himself be small in Javier’s arms.

Chapter Text

“Javieeer?”

Lloyd stretched languidly in his seat, the old wooden chair groaning beneth him as though threatening to give up.

“Yes, Master Lloyd?” Javier didn’t bother to mask the edge in his voice. His hands were busy mending a small tear in his pink pillow, needle glinting faintly under the light. He knew what was coming—some pointless banter, no doubt. And yet, despite himself, he’d grown used to it. Almost looked forward to it.

“Remember when I kinda died-ish in Cremo?” Lloyd leaned forward on his desk, resting his chin on folded hands. His grin was lazy, almost careless.

Javier’s hands stilled. “…Yes. How could I forget?” His voice came out tighter than he intended. One of the worst days of his life—and one he hated to recall. “Why do you ask?”

“Hmm, why didn’t you just listen to me back then?” Llyod mused, twirling a strand of hair idly. “What went through your head before you went rushing off to save the people of Cremo?”

The needle trembled in Javier’s fingers. “…Nothing much. I simply felt the need to protect the defenseless and innocent. You know how it is.” His tone was clipped, forced, as the needle suddenly snapped between his fingers.

“Of course you wanted to save them,” Lloyd hummed, eyes narrowing in mock thought. “But your duty wasn’t to them, was it?”

“No. It wasn’t.” The words hissed out between clenched teeth. His gaze sharpeneed like a blade. “Why bring this up?”

Lloyd smirked. “There’s no reason. I just wanted to piss you off. And look at you—you’re practically steaming.”

Javier’s glare darkened. “You know how much I despise that day. I’ve expressed my regret countless times. And still, you choose to mock it?” He shot to his feet, scattering the fragments of broken steel from his palm.

“Javier, wai—”

The door slammed shut with a force that rattled the frame.

---

Lloyd lay sprawled on his bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, thoughts heavy.

'I didn’t mean to actually make him mad… ' His chest tightened with guilt. 'I thought he was fine talking about it now. I didn’t think…'

He had to apologize.

---

Knock
.
Knock.

Two soft raps against wood. Quiet. Tentative.

Inside his room, Javir sat upright, back braced against the headboard. He didn’t need to ask who it was—the mana signature gave him away instantly. Still, the habit remained.

“Who is it?” His voice was flat, unreadable.

“…It’s me,” came the whispered reply. “Can I come in?”

The hesitation in Lloyd’s tone made Javier sigh. “Come in.”

The door creacked open, slow and careful. Lloyd slipped inside, gaze lowered.

“I’m sorry. For earlier.” His voice was quieter than Javier had ever heard it. “I didn’t mean to actually hurt you.”

Javier’s eyes flicked to him, unreadable. Then he patted the space on the bed beside him.

Lloyd hesitated only a moment before shuffling forward, sitting too far away to be natural. The silence stretched, brittle and uncomfortable, until Javier finally spoke.

“…It’s alright,” he said at last, voice low. “Just—don’t bring it up again. That day… it still feels like a wound. A failure I’ll never forget.”

Lloyd swallowed, throat thick. “I’m sorry,” he whispered again, softer this time, the weight of his sincerity settling between them.

The silence after wasn’t heavy anymore. It was fragile. And maybe, just a little, forgiving.

Chapter Text

The night was quiet and cool, the air crisp against their skin as Javier and Lloyd strolled side by side down the dimly lit street. Most of the townsfolk had long gone home; only a few merchants lingered, locking up their shops for the night, while tired workers trudged back from the construction sites. Lantern light spilled faintly across the cobblestones, their footsteps echoing softly in the stillness.

Javier allowed himself a rare moment of calm. He took in the streets they had rebuilt together—the clean lines of the new biuldings, the sturdy infrastructure. Their work. Pride warmed his chest… until he realized Lloyd was no longer walking beside him.

He turned, half a sigh escaping. “That little—”

The words died on his tongue.

Lloyd stood a few paces back, rooted to the spot before a small, humble cottage. Through the window, a family bustled inside—a mother stirring a pot, a father setting the table, children laughing as they passed bowls around. Golden light bathed the room in a soft, rose-hued glow.

And Llyod… Lloyd was staring at it like it was something distant and untouchable.

There was a glimmer in his eyes that Javier hadn’t seen often. Not mischief. Not pride. Something quieter. Longing, perhaps. Or regret. Javier couldn’t be sure—but the look carried a weight that pressed against his chest.

Then, he heard Lloyd murmur, barely audible:

“I look in people’s windows, transfixed by rose-golden glows…”

The words slipped out like a confession, quiet and raw.

It hit Javier then—something he had overlooked. For all Lloyd had built, all the warmth he gave and received from others… there was still a part of him starved. Starved for something simple. Something domestic. The kind of gentle, unspoken love found in shared meals and warm rooms. A home.

Before he could think better of it, Javier steped forward and took Lloyd’s hand in his own. His thumb brushed gently against the back of Lloyd’s palm, slow and reassuring—soft in a way that Lloyd often claimed a “protagonist” shouldn’t be.

Lloyd blinked, startled. “Uh, what’s this all of a sudden? What are you doing?” His face shifted back into his usual hooligan facade, the sorrow from moments ago slipping behind his practiced grin.

Javier didn’t answer immediately. He lifted his gaze from their joined hands and met Lloyd’s eyes head-on. His were steady, burning with a promise that went far beyond the bond of knight and lord.

“I promise…” he whispered, so softly it almost disappeared into the night.

“Huh? Speak up. I don't have magical heightened senses. Unlike some of us.” Lloyd chuckled awkwardly, tilting his head to the side.

Javier squeezed his hand. “I promise to build that with you… someday.”

The words hung between them like something sacred.

Lloyd raised a brow, exhaling with a shaky sigh. “Ah, you saw that, huh? Don’t read too much into it. I was just… y’know, regular smegular looking-into-people’s-houses-for-fun.”

Javir couldn’t help but smile at the pitiful excuse. There was something so endearingly fragile about Lloyd in moments like this—when his walls wavered but didn’t quite fall.

“Well,” Javier said softly, “I promise it anyway. And I’ll make sure to keep it.”

Chapter Text

The sun was warm and bright, the air fresh, and the county alive with its usual bustle. Children giggled in the park Lloyd had built, their laughter mingling with the chatter of merchants and workers. Everything was lively, peaceful—
Wait. Speaking of Lloyd.
Where was he?

Lloyd was, unsurprisingly, at the training grounds, waving his arms around like a madman.

“What are the chances I get another dud?” he muttered, opening the 'Random Summon Game' with the help of the messenger. “Hmmmmmm… whatever. This goes how it goes.” He sighed, pressing the glowing blue start button.

A loud BOOM echoed. The mechanism exploded in his face, singeing his hair and eyebrows.

[Bwahahahaha, it was a dud! You lost!]
The messenger chimed next to the button, its glowing text annoyingly smug.

“Agh! What the—Messenger, what the hell?!” Lloyd yelled, swatting at the floating text.

[WAIT! Since you just got a dud, the next one probably won’t be! Try again!]

“Hmph. Fine.” Lloyd huffed and hit the button again.

The gears began grinding together with an ear-splitting screech.

“Ugh! It’s so louuud! What in the name of—?! This better be worth it!” Lloyd groaned, covering his ears as he glared at the glowing green machinery.

Then, silence.

“Huh? Did it break?” He leaned closer, poking the green gears suspiciously.

A moment later, a massive, greenish-gray creature burst out—its twisted, alien form eerily reminisent of SCP-058.

“God damn it! Holy shit—what is that thing?! It is SCP-058! Oh hell no!” Lloyd shouted, stumbling back before scooping up his summons. “Damn messenger! It’s broad daylight! The townspeople are out!” He bolted toward town, yelling as he went. “Everyone inside! There’s a crazy, spooky, dangerous-as-hell creature in the training grounds!”

“Picpicpic gakgakgak grkgrkgrk…” the monster screeched. “GRAAAAAAGHK GREAAAAAAAAGHKKK!”

“Holy fu—!” Lloyd tripped over his boots mid-sprint. “These cursed boots—!” He scrambled to get up, but too late. SCP-058 loomed over him.

“GRRRCKACKH! RAKAKAKGRACKKAK!” it shrieked, before sinking its teeth into his torso.

“AAAAGH! JAVIER! HELP ME!” Lloyd screamed as the creatures fangs tore into him. His voice cracked; the pain was overwhelming, his skin paling fast, lips tinged blue. He was bleeding out—fast.

And then—light.

A blinding flash split the sky, striking down like divine wrath. In a single heartbeat, SCP-058 was headless. Its body slumped aside while its jaws remained latched onto Lloyd.

“Took you long enough,” Lloyd gasped, managing a weak chuckle as blood soaked through his clothes. “Thought I was gonna bleed out there.”

“Master Lloyd!” Javier was at his side in an instant, prying the monster’s jaws away and tearing strips from his coat to staunch the bleeding.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck… that hurts,” Lloyd groaned, clutching Javier’s arm.

Javier said nothing, jaw tight, fury and fear radiating off him in waves as he hoisted Lloyd into his arms.

“What’s with the silence? Are ya mad?” Lloyd asked, leaning against Javier’s chest as they moved toward the mansion.

“…No. I’m not mad,” Javier hissed between his teeth. But his voice trembled, betraying the rage simmering beneath.

“Yeah right. You are ma—wait. If you’re not mad, then… are you scared?” Lloyd teased weakly.

Javier’s glare snapped down to him, sharp as a blade. “I thought I wouldn’t get there in time. This—” his voice cracked, “—this is exactly why I didn’t want to take leave. You keep doing reckless things and nearly getting yourself killed.”

“Oh, come on. You’re acting like I’ve never done this before.” Lloyd rolled his eyes.

That did it. Javier’s grip tightened, fingers curling against the wound.

“OW! Hey—watch it! Open wound here!” Lloyd hissed.

“I hate it,” Javier burst out. “I hate when you treat your life like it’s practice. Like you’ve got infinite tries. Yes, you’ve died and come back before—but that was luck. What if it doesn’t happen again? What if next time, you actually die? Did you ever think about what that would do to us? To me?!” His voice cracked, raw and terrified.

“Woah, hey. Calm down. I’m alive, and I will be as long as y’all need me.” Lloyd scoffed, but it was shaky.

“I can’t calm down!” Javier’s voice broke completely now. “I’m terrified of losing you. And you keep brushing it off like it’s nothing. Please—at least pretend to care.”

Chapter Text

It was late at night—early morning, actually. Outside the mansion, the night bugs hummed in low, harmonious tones. The moon hung high in the sky, casting a pale silver glow through the window.

Lloyd shifted in bed, blinking sleep from his eyes. He expected to see the ceiling, maybe a sliver of moonlight spilling across the floor.

Instead, he was greeted by the sight of his knight, standing stiffly with his back turned toward him.

“Holy shit!” Lloyd yelled, instinctively reaching for the shovel beside his bed. “Javier, what the fuck are you doing? You damn near scared the soul out of me.” He let out a long sigh, dragging himself upright.

“...I can’t. I can’t do it…” Javier’s voice cracked, his body trembling before he collapsed to his knees. “I don’t want to…” His words dissolved into sobs as his hands clenched against the wooden floorboards.

“Javier—what? What’re you talking about?” Lloyd frowned, sliding off the bed to sit beside him. “Hey. You good?”

“She’s dead.” Javier’s voice was low and raw. “She died in my arms. I—I killed her…” His glare was fixed on the floor, eyes distant and clouded with memories that didn’t belong to this night.

‘Dead? Who’s dead?’ The thought spun through Lloyd’s mind like a storm. And then—click. It all came together.

“Javier… is the she you’re talking about Siluria Namaran?” Lloyd asked gently, placing a warm hand on Javier’s back.

Javier flinched as the heat seeped through his thin sleep shirt. “I… Master Lloyd?” His voice wavered, unfocused. “She died… I killed her, Master Lloyd.” The words broke apart between ragged breaths.

“Ah. A nightmare,” Lloyd murmured, tilting his head slightly toward the corner of the room where the messenger usually lingered. “From the other world?”

[Hey, don’t look at me. I’ve got no idea why he’s dreaming about that life.] The messenger chimed, appearing briefly near Javier’s head.

“She’s dead… she—I…” Javier gasped suddenly, hands shooting forward to grab Lloyd’s shoulders. “Master Lloyd, please…” He shook, as though he might fall apart if Lloyd didn’t anchor him.

“Shhh… shhh… it’s okay.” Lloyd’s voice softened as he wrapped his arms around Javier. “It wasn’t real. You’re here, with me.” He brushed a hand through Javier’s hair, pulling him closer into a steady, grounding hug. “Siluria’s fine. She’s alive. I swear she’s okay.”

“Swear?” Javier’s voice was muffled against Lloyd’s shoulder, wet with tears. “Swear she isn’t dead because of me…”

“If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll send her a letter first thing in the morning,” Lloyd said gently. “I’ll read you the reply myself. How’s that sound?”

Javier’s grip loosened, just a little. His breathing began to slow.

“Yes… that sounds okay…”

Chapter Text

Namaran County was supposed to be an easy day.

Negotiate a deal, check the first phase of construction, and head back to Frontera before sundown. Lloyd had even smirked that morning, coffee in hand, saying, “Nothing’s gonna blow up today. Mark my words.”

But now, the county was a blur of dust and chaos.

The ground had split open when a supporting structure beneath the new canal gave way. Workers were screaming. Debris was scattered everywhere.

And Lloyd was gone.

“MASTER LLOYD!” Javier’s voice tore through the settling haze. His usually immaculate blue jacket was streaked with dirt, and his gloves were already ripped from clawing through rubble. His breath came uneven, eyes darting desperately as he scanned the collapsed section.

“He was standing right there,” someone whispered shakily, pointing toward the pit.

Javier didn’t wait. He vaulted over the cracked stone and dropped to his knees, hands digging into the wreckage without hesitation. Stone bit into his skin, but he didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.

Every second that passed felt like sand slipping through his fingers.

“Javier—!” a worker tried to pull him back.

“Don’t,” he rasped, voice trembling but firm. “Don’t touch me. Help dig, or get out of the way.”

He heaved aside broken beams, dust clouding his vision. His fingers bled, nails splintering as he clawed through the mess. His heart pounded in his chest—not with the steady rhythm of battle, but something jagged and panicked.

Please. Please don’t let me be too late.

Minutes bled together. His breaths turned into gasps. His voice cracked from shouting Lloyds name.

And then—

A faint cough.

Javier froze. His head snapped toward the sound. “…Lloyd?”

Another cough, followed by a groan. “Ugh… this is why I hate site inspections…”

Something inside Javier snapped and unraveled all at once. He lunged toward the sound, tearing away the last layer of rubble until—

Lloyd.

Covered in dirt, blood running down his forehead, one leg trapped under a beam. His grin was weak but still irritatingly familiar. “Took you long enough,” he rasped. “I was starting to think I’d have to haunt you guys as the world’s most annoying ghost. Told you—” He coughed again, breath shaky, “—no grave can hold my body down.”

For a heartbeat, Javier didn’t move. His hands hovered midair, shaking. His lungs refused to work properly.

Then he stumbled forward, grabed Lloyd by the collar—
—but instead of yelling, his voice cracked like thin ice.

“Why…” Javier’s fingers clenched, not in anger, but desperation. His breath hitched. “Why do you keep… doing this to me…”

Llyod blinked, startled. “Uh—hey. I’m alive, aren’t I?”

Javier’s grip trembled as he dragged Lloyd into his arms. The motion was clumsy, almost collapsing into him rather than embracing. He pressed his forehead against Lloyd’s dirt-covered shoulder, breaths coming out in shaky bursts.

“I thought…” His voice broke. “…I thought I lost you.”

The words were small. Unsteady. The kind of sound someone makes when a nightmare almost becomes real.

Lloyd froze for a second, caught off guard by the way Javier was clinging to him. “…Javier?”

“You can’t just disappear under a pile of stone and joke about it.” Javier’s voice wavered with a rawness Lloyd had rarely heard. “You can’t—” He sucked in a shaky breath. “—make me believe you’re gone. Not again.”

Slowly, Lloyd’s hand came up, hesitating before resting lightly on the back of Javier’s head. “…Hey. I’m still here,” he said softly, trying for a grin but it came out faint. “Kinda banged up, but I’m alive. Thanks to you.”

Javir stayed quiet, just breathing him in like he didn’t trust the world not to snatch Lloyd away the second he let go.

“…Idiot,” he whispered finally, voice hoarse.

Lloyd huffed a quiet laugh. “Yeah. But I’m your idiot.”

Around them, workers were cheering as they realized Lloyd had survived, but Javier barely heard it.

All that mattered was the unsteady heartbeat thudding against his palm. Proof. Warm and alive.

And for now, that was enough.

Chapter Text

It was dark, dusty, and allergy-inducingly filthy. The air was damp and smelled suspiciously like moldy socks.

Lloyd pinched his nose. “Ugh. It smells like Shrek’s swamp in here.”

Javier sighed, rubbing his temples. “Remind me again why we’re here?”

“For gold!” Lloyd grinned proudly, waving his hands at the half-collapsed cavern around them. “I had a dream about this! OG Javi—I mean, the knight of blood and iron found a gold mine after the ground caved in, so I thought—”

“Ah, yes,” Javier interrupted dryly, “what could possibly go wrong with following a dream and a mystery knight into an uncharted cave system?”

“Well, the part where the ceiling fell on us was unexpected,” Lloyd admitted sheepishly, poking at the boulder pinning his leg. “But look on the bright side—at least we’re not dead.”

“Yet.” Javier crouched down, inspecting the leg. His voice dropped into that deadpan calm that meant he was one second away from losing it. “You have a shattered lower leg, Master Lloyd.”

“Oh, I didn’t notice,” Lloyd muttered, sarcasm thick. “Thanks for the update, Doc Asrahan.”

Javier gave him a long, unimpressed stare before he started prying the rock up with a low grunt.

“Ow, ow, ow, gentle, dammit!” Lloyd yelped, gripping Javier’s arm. “You’re gonna dislocate me on top of everything else!”

“I am being gentle,” Javier snapped, throwing the rock aside. “Maybe next time you can avoid major injuries by not digging holes you can fall into!”

Lloyd glared. “Excuse me, some of us are visionaries. I was following my intuition.”

“Your intuition has the survival instinct of a toddler with a fork and an electrical socket.” Javier muttered, a reference he learned with Lloyd back in Korea, looping an arm under Lloyd’s shoulders and hauling him up with practiced efficiency.

“Oh, hey, smart referen—Careful! My leg’s broken, not my pride!” Lloyd hissed as Javier lifted him.

“I was aiming for your pride,” Javier said, voice flat.

Lloyd snorted. “You’re lucky I can’t stand right now, or I’d—”

“Fall into another pit?”

“...You’re mean.”

“Correct.” Javier adjusted his grip, trying not to let his exasperation show too much.

They stood there for a moment in the quiet cave, the occasional drip of water echoing around them. Lloyd leaned against Javier’s shoulder with a sigh.

“At least we have oxygen this time,” Lloyd said.

“What good is oxygen if you can’t use your brain with it?” Javier muttered, eyes scanning the dim tunnel.

Lloyd ignored that. “Tell me you’re okay.”

“I’m fine.”

“Liar. You’re radiating murderous energy.”

“That’s because you nearly got yourself killed again, and I’m debating whether to save you or bury you properly.”

Lloyd grinned, despite the blood on his lip. “Aww, you do care.”

Javier’s eye twitched. “I care enough not to let your corpse lower Frontera’s property value.”

“Touching,” Lloyd said with a laugh, patting Javier’s chest with a smirk. “Really warms my heart.”

“Good. Now shut up and stop bleeding on me.”

“Can’t make promises I can’t keep.”

Javier groaned into his hand, muttering a few very ungodly words under his breath before hoisting Lloyd higher. “When we get out of here, I’m building you a padded room. No doors. No shovels.”

“Sounds like paradise. Except the no shovels part, of course.” Lloyd chuckled softly, resting his head on Javier’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

“Tell that to the rock that tried to eat you.”

“Hey, it was a fair fight.”

Javier exhaled through his nose, equal parts anger and fondness mixing in the sound. “…Idiot.”

“Yeah, but your idiot,” Lloyd hummed, and Javier didn’t argue this time.

Chapter Text

The wind howled through the ruined cliffs, carrying the scent of ash and iron. Smoke still rose from what once was Frontera-now nothing more than smoldering ruins and silence.

Javier sat at the edge, unmoving. The cold bit at his skin, but he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were red, dull, unfocused, fixed on the city’s remains far below.

Lloyd’s boots crunched softly against the gravel as he approached. He didn’t say anything at first, only stood beside Javier for a moment before lowering himself to sit next to him. The silence was thick enough to choke on.

Finally, Lloyd spoke, voice quiet but steady.
“Oh horror oh horror… what did you see?” he asked, forcing a small, bitter smile.

Javier’s jaw trembled. “You and I are the only ones left. We didn’t arrive in time to defeat the locusts,” he said, his voice breaking. “I couldn’t save them. I failed. I should’ve tried harder.” His words faded into a whisper. “I should’ve been faster…”

“It’s not like you failed alone.” Lloyd’s voice was soft, but firm enough to cut through Javier’s despair. “They were my people too. I should’ve helped. We didn’t know. We couldn’t help. And… while that isn’t okay, and we can’t just leave it behind…” He sighed, eyes reflecting the burning horizon. “We can learn from it—and start from new beginnings.”

Javier swallowed hard, a quiet, shaky laugh slipping out. “That… I don’t think I have the strength to do it, Master Lloyd.”

Lloyd looked at him for a long moment, then smiled faintly. “Then lean on mine until you do. I’ll carry what you can’t.”

For a while, neither of them spoke. The only sound was the wind, whispering through the ashes of a fallen kingdom.

Then, in the distance, something flickered—a faint glimmer of light beyond the smoke, small and fragile.

Lloyd nudged Javier’s shoulder, voice soft. “Look. Even after all this… the world’s still trying.”

Javier blinked, eyes following the light. He let out a slow, trembling breath. “Oh horror… oh horror… what did I see…” he murmured, almost to himself. “Destruction… and yet… hope.”

Lloyd nodded. “That’s enough for now.”

And together, they sat—two survivors at the edge of ruin, watching the first signs of dawn reach over the ashes of Frontera.

Chapter Text

The candle on Lloyd’s desk had melted down to a waxy puddle hours ago, and the only light left in the room was the pale spill of moonlight from the window. Blueprints covered every inch of the desk, layered with open books, scrawled notes, and a few half-drunk mugs of coffee that had gone cold long ago.

He sat hunched over the mess, ink staining his fingers, one hand clutching a quill that had long since stopped moving. His eyes burned, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop reading the same line on the same paper over and over again.

“... Two thousand seven hundred and forty-four...” he murmured, the number dry and cracked on his tongue. “If I cut the expenses on the west bridge... no, no, that compromises the foundation again—ugh, damn it.”

He rubbed his eyes and laughed quietly. It wasn’t really a laugh—more like a soft, broken thing that cracked in the middle. “Heh. Of course. Lloyd Frontera, genius of Frontera County, can’t even fix his own math anymore.”

The quill slipped from his fingers, rolling off the desk and clattering to the floor. He didn’t bother picking it up.

The exhaustion in his bones was the kind that didn’t come from work, or lack of sleep, or even from stress. It came from the silence that followed when everyone left his office with grateful smiles, when the workers praised him, when the villagers thanked him—and then went home. To families. To rest. To warmth.

And he… just sat there. With the silence.
Thinking. Remembering. Trying not to.

The door creaked open.
He didn’t look up.

“Master Lloyd.” Javier’s voice was quiet, softer than usual—like he was afraid a louder sound might make the room shatter.

Lloyd straightened a little, blinking rapidly, then forced a crooked smile. “Hey, Javier. Didn’t realize it was that late. You can go to sleep, you know—your precious pink pillow must be cold without you.”

Javier didn’t move. His eyes flicked to the pillow on the rocking chair, then back to Lloyd. He crossed the room silently, the soft clink of his boots the only sound.

“Master Lloyd,” he said again, but this time it wasn’t a question. It was a statement—steady, grounding.

Lloyd laughed again, brittle. “Don’t give me that tone. I’m not—hah—breaking down or anything. I just have a few things left to finish. Gotta keep Frontera running, right?”

He gestured vaguely to the pile of papers like proof of his sanity. It would’ve been convincing if his hand hadn’t trembled.

Javier stopped beside him. “You don’t have to hold it together in front of me.”

That made Lloyd freeze. He stared at the blueprints as if they might save him from having to respond.

“I know,” Lloyd said after a moment, voice quieter. “But if I don’t… who will?”

Javier didn’t answer immediately. He simply sat down next to him, the edge of his coat brushing against Lloyd’s sleeve. For a moment, they just sat there—two silhouettes lit by moonlight, surrounded by paper towers and the faint scent of burnt wax.

Javier reached out and placed a hand over Lloyd’s.
It wasn’t commanding, or coaxing—just there. Steady and warm.

“We’ll make it alright to come undone,” Javier murmured. “You don’t have to be the unbreakable mad-genius all the time.”

Lloyd’s throat closed up. His hand twitched under Javier’s, but he didn’t pull away. “You make it sound so easy,” he whispered, laughing without humor. “I can’t—if I stop now, if I let myself—”

His words cracked. He pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes, trying to hide the tears that burned behind them.
But Javier didn’t move, didn’t say anything else. Just waited.

And somehow, that was worse—because silence didn’t demand strength. Silence allowed it to crumble.

“I tried so damn hard,” Lloyd choked out finally, voice muffled. “And it still feels like I’m one mistake away from losing everything again.”

“You won’t lose me,” Javier said softly.

Lloyd’s chest hitched. For a heartbeat, the room was utterly still—only the faint hum of crickets outside filled the air. Then, without a sound, Lloyd leaned forward, forehead falling against Javier’s shoulder.

He didn’t sob at first. He just breathed—harsh, shaking breaths that finally gave way to tears, muffled against the fabric of Javier’s shirt.

Javier’s hand came up to cradle the back of his head, thumb brushing lightly against his hair. “It’s alright,” he whispered. “Let it out. Just this once.”

Lloyd laughed between sobs, the sound raw and unsteady. “You’re gonna get snot all over your shirt.”

“I’ve survived worse,” Javier murmured, lips quirking faintly.

The rocking chair creaked gently beside them, moved by the wind from the window. The papers on the desk fluttered, catching the moonlight like ripples of silver.

For the first time in weeks, Lloyd stopped thinking. Stopped calculating.
He just sat there—small, trembling, and safe.

And when his breathing finally evened out, when the silence grew soft and forgiving, Javier whispered again—

“We’ll make it alright to come undone.”

Chapter Text

It all started when Lloyd decided to check on Javier during his daily training session. It began with the usual banter—
an “I could do that,”
or a “It’s probably easier than you’re making it look,”
or even a smug, “You’re probably getting muscle deterioration from sleeping too much.”

But, obviously, it escalated. Which brings us to now.

They were yelling at each other on the training grounds—again.

“Why do you care?! What I do is none of your business! You’re just a knight—you’re not even my knight!” Lloyd shouted, his voice echoing across the field, face flushed pink with emotion.

“I might not be your knight,” Javier shot back, “but I am your lover! And as both your lover and a knight, it’s my duty to keep you safe!” His hands cut through the air, frustration radiating off him.

Lloyd turned to him with a sneer. “Fuck off with that ‘I’m your lover’ bullshit. It’s not important. It could end at any time—with just a few badly placed words.” His voice was sharp enough to cut steel. “You know what? I’ll end it right now. Ahem—We’re over!”

Javier’s eyes flashed with frustration and fear before settling into something heartbreakingly calm. “There’s nothing you can ever say, nothing you can ever do to make me leave you,” he said firmly. “I won’t. I’ll chase you across the world, through every dimension I’ve traveled, into the next life if I have to—and I’ll keep doing it, over and over again, if it means I get to stay with you.”

He grabbed Lloyd’s hand in a desperate, trembling hold.

Lloyd froze. Somewhere between his endless thoughts about construction, budgeting, and scammi— right, rightful contract making, a single realization broke through: he’d been insecure. He was terrified that Javier’s devotion came from duty, not love.

But this conversation proved otherwise.

Wordlessly, Lloyd stepped forward and pulled Javier into a crushing hug. His shoulders shook as he cried into Javier’s neck. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean it. Don’t leave.”

Javier wrapped his arms around him, rubbing slow circles on his back. “I wasn’t planning to,” he murmured.

Chapter Text

Frontera burned.
The night sky, once calm and clear, was now a warzone of orange and smoke. Rockets screemed overhead—Lloyd’s rockets. Or, at least, the twisted, modified versions stolen from Greg’s stolen blueprints. Every explosion felt like mockery.
The prince from the past had returned, but this time, he came prepared. His army was twice as large, their weapons brutal, efficient, modern. Even their foot soldiers carried shovels—sharpened blades gleaming with stolen pride.
“Damn copycats,” Lloyd muttered, clutching a piece of debris-streaked steel that used to be part of a house. “They even took my idea and made it worse.”
Javier stood a few feet ahead, blood splattering across his cheek, eyes sharp, jaw tight. “They’re not innovators, they’re scavengers. Keep behind me, Master Lloyd.”
“I’m not hiding behind you,” Lloyd snapped, tossing a mana charge into the enemy line. The blast rocked the ground. “We fight together.”
Hours blurred into exhaustion. The enemy fell back—barely. Frontiera stood, scarred but standing. When the smoke cleared, the air smelled of ash and burnt metal.
“Javier!” Lloyd called over the ruins, stumbling toward him. “You good?”
Javier turned his head just enough to flash a strained smirk. “I’ve been worse.”
Lloyd frowned. “You always say that.”
“Because it’s always true.”
Then Javier turned away before Lloyd could press further. He was hiding something. Lloyd could see it—the stiffness of his shoulders, the faint tremor in his left arm. But he let him go. For now.

That night, the manor was eerily quiet.
The survivors were sleaping, the fires were out, and Lloyd sat awake at his desk, blueprints scattered in chaotic piles. His shovel leaned against the wall, dented and dirty, just like everything else in this cursed county.
He was about to drag himself to bed when he noticed it—drops of red staining the floor. Fresh.
Lloyd followed the trail down the corridor, past the broken window and toward Javier’s room. The door was slightly ajar. Inside, under the flickering lamplight, Javier sat shirtless, his back torn and bleeding where shrapnel had dug in deep. His hands were shaking as he tried to disifect the wounds himself.
Lloyd leaned on the doorway, voice quiet. “You’re not invincible, idiot.”
Javier jolted, the bottle of disinfectant nearly slipping from his grasp. “Master Lloyd—what are you—”
“Shut up.” Lloyd walked in, grabbed the bottle, and sat beside him. “You said you’ve been worse. Were you planning to just bleed out silently to prove it?”
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Oh yeah? How’s that working out for you?” Lloyd snapped, then softened. “Javier, can you get through all the pain inside you if you keep hiding it?”
Javier looked away, jaw tight. His usual composure fractured, trembling under the weight of exhaustion and guilt. “I… I thought I could handle it. I always can.”
“Not this time.”
The silence stretched between them—heavy, raw, and fragile. Lloyd dabbed at the wounds, careful but firm. Javier hissed in pain, and Lloyd only sighed. “You don’t need to play hero every damn time. You’ve done enough.”
For once, Javier didn’t argue. His eyes flickered toward Lloyd, glassy and tired.
“…Thank you.”
Lloyd smiled faintly. “Don’t thank me. Just—stay alive, yeah? Frontera doesn’t need another grave.”
Javier breathed out a quiet laugh, one that almost sounded like relief. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Now shut up before I start crying.”
The faintest smile tugged at Javier’s lips. “Understood, Master Lloyd.”

Chapter Text

The trainig field was empty, save for the sound of wood striking wood.
Again. Again. Again.
Each blow echoed like a heartbeat that refused to quit.

Javier’s breath came in sharp bursts. His shirt clung to his back with sweat, his palms were raw from gripping the wooden blade to tightly. It was late—so late that the crickets had given up singing—but he didn’t stop.

He couldnt.

“Javier.”

Lloyd’s voice drifted from the edge of the field. Calm. Too calm.

Javier didn’t answer. He swung again, muscles screaming, vision blurring fron exhaustion.

“Javier,” Lloyd repeated, stepping closer. “That’s enough.”

The blade hit the dummy one last time, splintering its side. Javier stood there, chest heaving, eyes unfocused. “Not yet.”

“You’ve been at it since dawn,” Lloyd said, his tone growing sharp. “You can barely stand.”

“I can still move.”

“That’s not the point.” Lloyd walkd closer, his boots crunching against the dirt. “What are you trying to prove? There’s no mission left. No one’s asking you to—”

“If I stop now,” Javier interrupted, his voice low but trembling, “then it’ll be for nothing.”

Lloyd blinked, thrown off. “What?”

Javier let the wooden sword drop with a dull thud. “If it helps you,” he said, his voice breaking on the words, “it’s not for nothing.”

Lloyd’s chest tightened. He stepped closer until he could see the faint tremor in Javier’s hands, the way his shoulders quivered like he was holding back something much heavier than fatigue.

“You don’t have to do this,” Lloyd said quietly. “You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

For a long moment, Javier didn’t respond. His jaw clenched, his throat working soundlessly.

“I should’ve done more,” he finally muttered. “I should’ve been faster. If I had trained harder-”

“Stop,” Lloyd cut in, gentler this time. “You’re not some machine. You don’t need to destroy yourself to feel useful.”

Javier laughed softly, bitterly. “If I don’t keep going… then maybe I’ll have to face what’s left of me.”

The words slipped out like a confession.

Lloyd hesitated, then reached out, resting a hand over Javier’s. “Then I’ll face it with you.”

That made Javier go still. His breath hitched his vision wavering—not from exhaustion this time, but from the weight behind those words.

The silence that followed was heavy but not suffocating. The night breeze cooled the sweat on his skin; his hertbeat slowly steadied.

The wooden sword lay forgotten on the ground between them.

Lloyd gave a small, lopsided smile. “Come on, Javier. Let’s call it a night before you decide to duel the moon.”

Javier exhaled a shaky laugh, shoulders slumping. “Fine… but only because you asked nicely.”

Lloyd grinned, the tension melting just enough. “That’s progress.”

And though Javier wouldn’t admit it aloud, it was the first time in days that stopping didn’t feel like failure.

Chapter Text

The sun had long dipped below the hills when Javier woke to silence.
No drills outside. No footsteps. No clinking of armor.

Just stillness.

The kind that pressed down on his chest like a weight.

He sat up slowly, his body reminding him why he was benched. His ribs still ached from the last mission gone wrong—a fracture, maybe two—and the doctor had demanded rest. “No training, no fighting, no lifting, no anything,” she’d said.

It had been three days. And the quiet was killing him.

The room felt heavier without the usual chaos of Frontera’s walls. His sword leaned against the corner, gathering dust. His gloves sat untouched on the desk. Javier let his head fall back against the wall and stared at the ceiling.

It was a strange thing—to be still when your whole life had been motion.

He almost didn’t hear the knock.

“Javier! You dead yet?”

Lloyd.

The door swung open before Javier could answer. Lloyd walked in with his usual confidence, balancing two mugs and pretending it was pure coincidence he had another cup of coffee.

“Wow, look at you. Sitting still for once. You might actually be learning.”

Javier exhaled sharply through his nose, the closest thing to a laugh he could muster. “I’d learn faster if you stopped barging in every morning.”

“Afternoon, actually.” Lloyd grinned, plopping down on the rocking chair beside the bed. “I was just passing by and figured—hey, Javier might want coffee.”

Javier took the mug with a tired roll of his eyes. “You ‘just happen’ to pass by my room every day now?”

“Coincidence,” Lloyd said, with a wink. “You know me—completely selfless.”

“Sure,” Javier muttered, but the corners of his lips twitched.

They sat like that for a while—Lloyd talking about new building plans, random town gossip, and how someone apparently tried to plant potatoes in the fountain again. Javier didn’t respond much, but his silence wasn’t empty. Lloyd’s voice filled the room, bright and loud and alive.

He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed that sound until now.

Every day it was the same. Lloyd would “drop by,” talk, tease, and leave before sunset. And Javier would sit in that faint warmth long after the door closed.

Until one evening, he didn’t.

Javier waited. The clock ticked. The sky darkened. But no knock came.

He told himself it didn’t matter. Lloyd probably got busy. It was fine. He didn’t need the noise, the warmth, the presence.

And yet—

By midnight, the silence was deafening.

Javier pushed off the bed, ignoring the pain in his ribs, and limped to the window. Outside, Frontera glowed faintly under the moonlight. But for once, it looked… still.

Empty.

He sank back down onto the edge of the bed, clutching the cooling mug of yesterday’s coffee.

“How dull it is to pause,” he murmured under his breath. “To make an end. To rust unburnished…”

His reflection in the window looked foreign—haunted. He’d fought monsters, demons, soldiers, but never himself. Never the stillness that made him feel less alive.

The door creaked open.

“Oi, you look like someone ran you over with a wagon.”

Lloyd leaned against the doorframe, a bit out of breath, holding a paper bag. “Sorry. Greg and Sir Bayern kept me hostage with some stupid blueprint revisions. You didn’t think I’d skip my coffee drop-off, did you?”

Javier didn’t answer right away. His throat felt tight.

“I thought…” He stopped. “Never mind.”

Lloyd blinked, confused but softening. “Hey. I’m here now, yeah?” He walked over and set the bag down. “Can’t have my knight rusting away while I’m gone.”

Javier huffed. “That supposed to be a joke?”

“Only half,” Lloyd said, grinning, though it faltered when he saw the look in Javier’s eyes—relief, quiet and fragile.

Lloyd’s voice gentled. “You don’t have to be moving to matter, you know.”

Javier looked down at his coffee, then back at him. “…Maybe.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Lloyd said, rocking on his heels. “But until you’re ready, I’ll keep dropping by. Someone’s gotta keep the silence from eating you alive.”

For the first time in days, Javier smiled—small, but real.
“Guess I’ll allow it.”