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Something in Flins's heart ached.
Watching the knight open up to Nicole was an unpleasant feeling. Peering furtively from the corner, he could see the fond way Nicole had gazed at the knight, and the way the knight was confiding his insecurities to her, the usual tension in his shoulders absent.
Something was gnawing at his heart. The knight and the angle made a picture-perfect couple. Varka had always been handsome, but Nicole was beautiful, too.
Not like Flins. Flins was pale and looked like a corpse. Flins lacked radiance. Flins lacked....
The lightkeeper's fingers digged into his thighs.
Hearing Varka's boisterous chuckle, he left.
----------
Flins stared at the mirror.
His reflection stared back at him.
He wanted to crack the fragile glass of the mirror. He turned away, unwilling to look at his deathly pale face.
Varka deserved better. Varka doesn't deserve him.
Him, a fae, a loner who hangs around ghosts all the time. A creature, trying to blend in with human society. A monster, who is anything but beautiful.
He still remembers the voices.
"You, who are superfluous."
"You, who are lonely."
Flins trembled at the sink, fingers itching to dig into his scalp.
He missed the short time he had his rest.
His eternal slumber. Peaceful, uninterrupted. Made him feel safe.
Flins shivered.
----------⚔️
Something was off.
Flins was usually seen at the Flagship about a few times a week.
Yet Varka hasn't seen him in the town for a week. The knight scratched his head. Odd.
He missed the lightkeeper.
Flins. Gorgeous, ethereal Flins. The only presence Varka felt comfortable in. The only one who made Varka feel like...Varka. No Knight of Boreas, no grandmaster.
The empty glass hit the wood table of the Flagship with a thud.
----------
The bells tinkled.
Nefer was greeted with the sight of a desperate Varka, a hand running through his hair as he scanned the curatorium.
"Whatcha here for? Make it quick, I'm busy." Nefer's sharp voice snapped him out of his daze. The gaze of her emerald eyes were as piercing as ever.
"Hey, hey, I'm just here for one thing! Hahaha..." Varka laughed awkwardly. Even as Nefer's friend, he admits that the cunning woman can be frightening at times.
"Spit it out, Varka." Nefer rolled her eyes, clearly unamused.
"Have you seen Flins around?" The knight asked sheepishly.
The corners of the woman's lips quirked up. Her interest was piqued, alright.
"Huh. I was waiting for you to finally ask about him." Nefer smirked. Her eyes gleamed mischievously.
Before Varka could retort, Nefer put a finger to his lips.
"Your dear lightkeeper has been at his lighthouse for days. Checking on him would be good."
With that, Nefer sauntered away, her heels clicking against the floor of the curatorium.
"Huh."
The knight made his way towards the gloomy lighthouse.
----------
The first thing he saw when the lighthouse door creaked open was Flins. A worn-out, tired Flins.
His usual smooth hair was rather messy, strands of azure violet clinging to his forehead. His lashes were damp, and the circles under his eyelids were extra prominent.
He was unusually unkempt.
"Flins...? You good?"
Flins blinked, golden eyes staring at the knight, dazed. He rubbed his eyes. Cute.
"Varka?"
"Flins, you don't look good." The knight stepped closer.
"Hm." The lightkeeper let out a soft hum. "Would you like to come in?"
----------🕯️
His eyelids were heavy.
Flins blinked again. Varka's calloused hand was on his forehead. He leaned into it, tilting his head up. Warm.
He could see the way Varka pursed his lips.
"Flins, what happened to you?" There was a tinge of concern in Varka's voice. Or maybe Flins was just hallucinating.
"Mm, nothing. I'm fine."
"But you haven't been in town for a week! It's strange that you've been cooped up in here for so long." Varka's deep voice tickled his ear.
Flins could only turn to him, trying his hardest to smile.
Warm, calloused hands cupped his cheeks gently.
"Flins. You're not okay."
Flins bit his lip, trembling subtly. "I told you, knight, I'm fine." His voice cracked.
The voices were coming back. He shivered.
Varka's fingers rubbed his cheeks tenderly.
For the first time, Flins began to shake, tears threatening to spill.
The way Varka held him so tenderly, the gentle caresses on his face. The concern in his voice.
For the first time, Flins felt...loved?
He covered his face as warm tears began to spill. "I-I..." He choked out, "I..."
Varka's ocean eyes widened in alarm. Before Flins knew it, he was locked in a tight embrace. The knight's big arms enveloped his lithe figure as he sobbed into the knight's coat.
Varka's hand rubbed soothing circles on his back.
"I..." His voice cracked.
"I-I apologise that you had to see me in such a state..." He frantically rubbed the tears from his face, breathing heavily.
Warm hands grasped his wrists gently as ocean blue eyes stared into his own.
"Flins, don't hide. You can open up to me, y'know."
More tears threatened to spill out.
And this time he didn't try to stop them, burying his damp face deeper into the knight's coat.
"Apologies...I...." He began, sniffling, "I happened to spy on you and the mage that day and...you looked so close with her so I thought..."
Varka's eyes widened. He then snorted.
Flins tilted his head up to look at the knight.
Then the knight let out a boisterous chuckle, blue eyes crinkling as he gazed at Flins affectionately.
"You thought I was with Nicole? Like, in that way? Really?" The knight wheezed.
"Are you not?" The lightkeeper cocked his head to the side, still sniffling. His lashes were wet and his dainty nose crimson.
Varka shook his head in disbelief.
"Archons, Flins, absolutely not!"
-----------⚔️
Seeing Flins sniffling face looking up at him, the knight almost wanted to pull the lightkeeper into a searing kiss.
The lightkeeper looked pretty even when crying, his pale cheeks a cute shade of crimson and his eyes damp. It did things to Varka he'll rather not name.
But upon registering what Flins had questioned him about the mage, it clicked.
Flins was jealous.
The knight stared at the confused, still sniffling face of the lightkeeper.
"B-but..." The lightkeeper mumbled, "You and her made quite an image. I mean, she's a beautiful and kind angel, so I..."
It clicked again.
Flins was jealous. And insecure.
Varka decided that he had to do this.
Wrapping his arms around Flins's slim waist, he propped him on his lap before leaving a soft peck on the lightkeeper's plush lips.
Before Flins could respond, Varka cupped his cheeks.
"I love you, lightkeeper. Ever since our first meeting, I've always saw you as the most ethereal man I've ever laid my eyes on. At first, I was in love with you for your appearance but..." The knight pauses, sighing.
"I appreciate your presence at the Flagship. When I'm with you, I feel like...Varka. The way you brighten up whenever you encounter a new gem, the slight pout of your lips when you look at stacks of paperwork was all too endearing for me."
"Varka..." Flins gasped, face flushed.
Flins buried his face in the knight's chest, the tips of his ears pink.
"You can't just...compliment me like that!" He let out an undignified whine, " I... I'm not ethereal, and you know I'm a fae and a loner..."
Varka ran his fingers through the lightkeeper's soft hair. "In my eyes, you're the prettiest being I've ever seen. The only one who makes me feel like myself."
He then planted a kiss on the crown of the lightkeeper's head, earning another embarrassed whine.
Flins turned to face the knight, pecking his cheek before huffing.
"I love you too, knight."
----------⚔️🕯️
They strolled through the flower field, hands intertwined.
The knight got on one knee, planting a kiss on the fae's gloved hand.
"Will you be mine?" He blurted out, "Forever?"
The lightkeeper's eyes widened at the sudden proposal, before putting a gloved hand over his flushed face to muffle a chuckle.
He then bent his knees, eye to eye with his knight before cupping his cheeks.
Pressing their foreheads together, he smiled.
"Gladly, Varka."
~