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Abolish stretched out on his bed, gaze sweeping the room. He knew he didn't have anything here from back home, nothing that would help him, but… well, it was worth a try, wasn't it? For the millionth time that day, he pushed himself up, starting to wander around his room again looking for something to make him feel better.
Hugging his pillow helped a little, but it also only made him sadder. He felt too big. Like his brain had been squished down all small and his body didn't match, everything around him didn't match. All the weapons and armor and chests full of supplies and food rations. Something deep in him ached to be home, even though he'd been kicked out of his house long before he'd even died. He was slapped in the face with the fact that he didn't deserve to be back home. He didn't even deserve to feel better now, he was just making everything worse.
Before he could collapse back into bed and start crying again, there was a loud rumble of thunder just outside his house. It nearly jumped out of its skin, but hurried to the door nonetheless, fumbling to open it and look outside. It'd recognize the sound of Nikos's lightning travel anywhere.
"Pretty one!" He beamed at it as he hurried over, reaching his arms out to drag it into a quick hug. Its heart jumped into its throat, but it just fumbled to wrap its arms around him, awkwardly patting his back. "There you are, I was wondering where you went. You did not come to the blessing?"
There had been a blessing? Abolish swallowed hard, hands trembling a bit as he pulled away from the other. That was probably making him look a lot more suspicious, and the last thing he wanted was for anyone to notice him feeling like this, just another thing he was disappointing everyone with. Gods, Hephaestus was probably watching him right now and wishing he'd chosen literally anyone else.
Before he could find any excuse for why he hadn't been there, Nikos tilted their head to the side and questioned, "Are you alright? You… do not look well."
"I'm fine." His voice came out a bit breathless, but he gathered his composure regardless, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the doorframe. The magma he was standing on helped ground him, at least. "Did you… need something?"
"I simply wanted to check on you, pretty one." Nikos stared down at it with a bright grin. "I have not seen you the whole day!"
Abolish shifted and averted its gaze to the ground. It was hardly past noon, but it wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep. Deep down, it knew exactly what it wanted, but the very idea of that made its chest tighten with embarrassment, and admitting any of that aloud felt like a death sentence. "I've been… busy."
"Have you, yes?" Nikos stepped a bit closer, not quite standing on the half-melted coals that guarded Abolish's door. "I assumed so. If you are not still busy, we could… go mining, or hunting, if you would like, pretty one."
It drew in a deep breath, trying to ground itself. Surely it could survive doing such a simple task, it'd gone out collecting resources probably a hundred times just in the past week, to the point where that was practically all it ever did. But his sharp nails dug into his arms and he couldn't force out anything, bottom lip trembling when he breathed in again. He just wanted to rest.
Nikos was quiet for a few moments, before at last murmuring, "Are you sure that you are fine, Abolish? You do not have to do anything. I am only offering, if you'd like to."
His gaze shot up at the sound of his own name and the softness with which Nikos said it, their voice hardly above a whisper now. A hand reached out and settled on the side of his face, a thumb brushing just below one of his eyes, like he was a small child that needed to be comforted. If he was being honest, he felt like a little kid, aching to cuddle up to Nikos and forget about everything else.
"Sorry," he mumbled finally, trying to pull away from them, but their other hand reached over to settle on his back, right on the edge of his scar. His heart pounded quicker, struggling even more to get words out. "I- I don't… feel up for anything, really. I was just- not doing much. Honestly. Sorry, I'm just…"
"You are alright, fiery one." Its eyes flicked around to make sure no one was nearby. It already wanted to melt into the ground forever, but if anyone other than Nikos saw it like this, then maybe it really would try. "Is there… any way I can help?"
Its nose scrunched up a bit, face twisting up as the sob at the back of its throat pressed harder, eyes burning with tears. "I don't- know? Um-" Slowly, its hands moved to rest on the back of his neck, pulling him closer to tuck its face into his firm chest. "I don't know, I kind of want…"
Abolish trailed off, unable to get the words out, its face warming with embarrassment. It wanted to cuddle with him and it wanted stuffed animals and it wanted about a thousand other incredibly embarrassing, stupid things that a grown adult like it should not be craving this badly. Not like he really felt like an adult when he was fighting down tears and there was a voice in his head whining to go home. But an adult man definitely shouldn't be wanting stuffed animals, something he'd fought for so long to have himself seen as, which was probably falling apart because of him acting like this.
"Yes…?" Nikos hummed, the hand on his face moving back to run through his hair. Some of his tension left him in a soft sigh, shivering when their nails scratched at his head. At least they were here with him. "Would you like me to come inside?"
"Mhm…" As he hummed, he moved to pull away, but there was suddenly an arm hooking under his thighs and he could only squeak as he was picked up and held secure against the other's chest with another arm across his upper back. He threw his own arms around their neck and pressed himself closer, unable to stop himself from giggling as he was carried inside.
"That is better," Nikos hummed, nearly dropping him with how hard they laughed, kicking the door shut behind themself. He was soon set down on his bed, but he refused to let go, digging his nails into the back of their neck. "Hm? Do you want me to cuddle you, pretty one?"
He hummed in affirmation, and they soon laid down next to him, adjusting their grip on him to hug him close to their chest. Chuckling again, they rested their chin on top of his head. For a couple minutes, he laid there quietly, breathing in and out and taking in the scent of rain and faint burning hint of lightning, his heartbeat calming to a more regular pace.
Eventually, it shifted and pressed itself closer to them. Maybe it'd gotten a bit too relaxed, because words came tumbling out of it without its permission. "I want- stuffed animal."
Nikos stopped in the middle of running his hand through its hair, while its heart dropped into its stomach. Oh gods. It should not have said that, was it really that out of it to the point where it couldnt even control its own words?
Before it could spiral much, Nikos hummed, "A… stuffed animal? Well, I do not have any, but I am sure we could figure out some way to make you one, hm?"
Abolish felt its face burn, trying to hide in the other's chest as it was overwhelmed with even more embarrassment. "I- No, it's… fine. Um- You… also work."
His face burned even more, heart pounding to the point where he was sure they could feel it. Their shoulders shook with laughter, patting his head a few times while they spoke. "Really? Thank you, little one. You are very sweet."
A pout made its way onto his face, but he just snuggled closer with a soft huff, adjusting his position to nuzzle his face into their neck. He didn't believe that in the slightest, considering he was a gladiator who was far from sweet or nice or anything, but whatever they said; he didn't have the energy to protest anyway. When they pressed a soft kiss into his hair, a little squeak escaped him without his permission.
"Hmm," Nikos hummed, nuzzling their face into his messy curls with another chaste kiss. The kisses were… oddly soft, gentle, for someone as aggressive and loud as Nikos always was. Abolish wasn't sure why, but it made him feel nice, cheering him up after spending hours agonizing over how awful he felt earlier. "You are acting very odd. But it is cute, you are very cute."
A low whine slipped out of it, scrunching its nose up. "I'm not cute. And I'm… acting normal."
At least one of those things was a lie, and the individual holding it let out a loud laugh, squeezing its waist tightly with one arm. "Mhm? I do not think so, fiery one. But that is alright. I love you even if you are acting different."
It opened its mouth to protest, then slowly closed it, its words leaving its head with a soft sigh. Its arms wrapped a bit tighter around Nikos, mumbling into his neck, "Thank… thank you, Nikos."
"Just relax, Abolish." Abolish tried to remember if he'd ever referred to it as its actual name before, but it quickly gave up; it'd really rather just calm down and rest here for a while instead of working itself up to feeling upset again. Nikos pulled him closer, and his eyes slowly drifted shut. Maybe he wasn't doing that awful if they were still here.