(CW: Mentions of child death)

Even after another few minutes, Darien stays on the same page while Seren slowly flips his. He didn’t want to end the story so early, only 50 more pages were left. But when Seren looks up, Darien flips a page. Then Seren looks down and Darien’s gaze travels to the painting of a woman before him on the wall. He doesn’t know why he’s staring at it, he would rather stare at Seren but he feels it would be wrong.

The only sounds he hears are of Seren’s anklets, the only touch is the tan and pale patched feet against his hand, the smell is a mixture of the library’s inky smell and Seren’s rose perfume.

When he got so attached to a boy like him? But who could blame him, in his eyes, he was much more beautiful than anyone. Even that brat.

Darien scoffs at the thought of Callisto. He was so small, it’s a wonder he stays in his memory. Or it may be because of his lovestruck  brother. He can never shut up about him. Or his daughter. 

Darien sighs and looks down, his eyes skimming across the words. He grimaces, what does ‘Love is a Symphony’ mean? What in the heavens is a Symphony? He glances back at Seren whose arm was between the pages of ‘Ferocious’ and was gazing outside the window with his chin resting in his palm, elbow propped on his knee.

The afternoon light caught the single white strand of his fiance, the black waves flowed just at his chin and his round lips were in a frown.

Darien also frowns seeing it and scoots closer.

“Why are you upset?”

Seren’s eyes travel to Darien and his face lifts up a bit as if he had forgotten that his lord was sitting just a few feet away. He sets his open book down, page 30. Still so far away but it is fine.

“Nothing, my lord. I was just thinking about how vile Victor is.”

Darien’s frown deepens, he wanted to hold his hand yet he remained frozen.

“How?”

“He killed so many for his dead husband. He even killed his own newborn! He’s just a gross and vile man..”

Seren’s hands are clenching on the cushion. Darien now leans in close but his eyes darken as he catches a whiff of his scent. The mixture of roses and his body scent is quite… pleasant. It has not even been a day yet it feels as if he had known this scent for his life.

“But he did it for his love.”

Seren presses his lips together and vigorously shakes his head. 

“But his husband would’ve hated it. Especially when Victor killed his sleeping child.”

Darien pauses for a moment, his eyes drifting as he thinks about his niece, a frown sours his face. He finally takes one of the clenched hands and pries it open. The cold yet soft hands are like a balm to his heat and his mind zero in on it.

“He was enraged by his spouse’s death...” Darien whispers, rubbing circles on the back of his fiance’s hand, “But the action was beyond reason.”

Seren nods, his frown softening as he looks down at their joined hands. Scarred pale clashing against the pale-patched tan.

“I hope I never understand this kind of love, my lord...”

Darien remains silent but suddenly a smile tugs at Seren’s lips as he meets Darien’s gaze. He shifts on his knees, the anklets chiming while as he moves, resting a hand on Darien’s broad shoulder to grab ‘Love Beyond Death’ behind him.

“My lord, let’s discuss something better.” 

Darien’s breath hitches as Seren leans over him yet he remains still to hide his neck reddens. His hand came to steady his fiance.

‘Ah.. as you wish, Cloud.”

Once Seren has retrieved the book, he sits back closer than before. Darien’s hand lingers on his waist as Seren shifts, the anklets chiming once again. It brings a smile to the duke’s face.

“He is rather restless..”

“My lord, did you know—” He sets ‘Love beyond Death’ aside and retrieves ‘Ferocious’, flipping to page 23, “That the child mentioned here is actually the author of this book?”

Darien raises a brow and leans in to look at the page closely.

“Where did you learn this?”

“My tutor taught me, my lord.”

A white hot pain shatters the Duke’s skull like never before, forcing a hiss to slip past his lips. Seren’s smile vanishes and his hands instinctively hover near Darien’s hand that was digging into his temples.

“My lord!”

Darien cannot hear the chime of his anklets nor smell his distinct scent. A few black spots appear before his eyes and Seren’s figure disappears as his mind rings only with one, deafening word.

Izora.

Izora. Izora. Izora.

A feminine voice mixes with his.

IzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzoraIzo—

Then cool air strikes him before a sharp sting erupts on his cheek and his head snaps to the side. His vision clears and Seren’s teary eyes come into his view.

Seren's hand is shaking, is he in trouble now? Darien’s cheek had an ugly red mark.. Had he hurt him a little too hard? He doesn’t even know he had such strength..

“M-my Lord..?”

As Seren took a tentative step closer, the chime returned. Relief washed over Darien and he pulled Seren closer by his waist, drawing him in between his legs.

“I’m well.” He murmurs, taking out a pristine white handkerchief to give Seren, who takes it gratefully, trying to stifle his sniffs.

“I—” He breaks it off with a quiet sound in the handkerchief, “..I apologize for hitting you, my lord.. Please forgive this, I-I assure you it won’t—,” A hiccup buried in the white cloth between his patched hands, “it won’t happen again..”

“I’m fine, Seren. You shouldn’t cry.” Darien rubs Seren’s waist, trying not to upset him even more.

Seren looks at Darien with his hooded eyes, Darien is growing fond of that dreamy look in his eyes. 

“A-apologies, my lord..”

Darien exhales through his nose and pats the space beside him.

“Let us continue.”

Seren sits beside him quietly, clutching the handkerchief in his hand before he takes a deep breath and smiles at Darien. Or at least attempts to. as his eyes gaze over his whole body for any injuries even though the pain was in the head

“My lord, how was the book?”

Darien leans down with a hum, offering his hand to Seren who immediately takes it. He traces the rough scars of his lord and Darien finds himself unable to tear his eyes away.

“Adequate.”

“I’m glad it is to your tastes, My lord..”