The sun was low on the horizon as another day in Sanctuary came to an end. The wind blew through the open window, making some of the papers flutter on the mahogany desk. Behind the desk, a young man sat in a leather-backed chair, enjoying the cool breeze as he tried to sort some of the folders on the crowded surface. However, there was something that was, for some unknown reason, bothering him to the point where he couldn't focus very well.
Degel, the Aquarius Gold Saint, couldn't get a certain brother-in-arms off his mind while alone in his library. This person was his best and most-trusted friend, and he has known him since early childhood. For some time now, Degel has heard rumors about him, stating that he liked him as more than a good friend. But Degel knew they weren't true; after all, he knew this man better than anyone.
This man was far different from Degel, mainly due to his lack of intelligence. He couldn't read very well and he didn't understand things like chemistry or advanced math. His hot temperament and stubborn attitude often got him into trouble, especially in Sanctuary, with his other fellow Gold Saints. His unnatural determination and love for fighting always played on his fragile heart, which usually lead to Degel always running to his friend's aid.
Today happened to be an exception. Degel was pulled from his thoughts as his stubborn, war-loving, blue-haired friend ran through the door, his long, wavy locks glued to his shirtless torso with sweat. He stopped abruptly, leaning on his knees and panting raggedly as he clutched his chest in pain.
"So, Scorpio Kardia," Degel mused, forcing down the angry scolding he was going to give his weak-hearted companion and going for a more caring approach, "yet again you ignore my advice to train lightly, and here you are, in pain. When are you going to start listening to me?" Degel walked over to the struggling Kardia, helped him sit in a chair near his desk, and placed a cold hand over his heart. Like every week-to-week treatment of Kardia's heart, Degel sent his cold cosmos into his comrade's flaring chest. In about two minutes, the Scorpio's heart was back to normal.
"C'mon, Degel," Kardia mocked, flashing his usual seductive smile. "You've known me for almost sixteen years, and you still think I'm gonna change? You got lots more learning to do, my friend." He shoved his hand into the deep pockets of his white, wide-legged capris and pulled out a juicy red apple. He placed the apple on the edge of Degel's desk and pulled out a second from the other pocket, taking a large bite out of it. Degel just rolled his violet eyes and took the apple, knowing that his friend's intentions were to make him look defeated.
"And besides," he continued, taking another bite and pushing it to the side of his mouth so his speech could be legible, "we're best friends, so no matter how mad you get at me, you'll always forget in two hours why you were ever mad at me." The Frenchman just walked back to his comfortable chair and sat down. He was never good at comebacks, especially when Kardia actually proved a good point.
"Moving on... I assume someone has told you by now?" Kardia said, his smile fading a little bit and a nervous look covered his face.
Degel cocked a split eyebrow in confusion. "Told me what? I've been told lots of things by lots of people, so you'll have to elaborate for me." Kardia hung his head, avoiding his friend's curious eyes, trying to hide his face. By now, everyone knew. How could Degel not know his secret?
"Well," he began uneasily, "you've heard the rumors about me being gay, right?" Seeing Degel nod, he continued. "Well, you may not believe this, but... they aren't rumors. I like guys." The Greek blushed a deep crimson as his friend's eyes widened. A long silence followed.
"I'm gonna go ahead and excuse myself, since you're probably disgusted by me," Kardia said, getting up slowly.
"No!" Degel stood as he almost yelled, slamming his hand on the desk and causing his sensitive friend to freeze where he stood, staring with his bright eyes. Surprising himself with his own action, he tried to calm himself before speaking again. "Kardia, what makes you think I would be disgusted by you? So what if you're gay; that's no reason for me to think of you any differently. I'm not just going to abandon our friendship because of that. You are who you are, and nobody should judge you for that." Kardia turned toward Degel, feeling tears of happiness begin to form in his crystal blue eyes. He ran to the other side of the table and crushed the Frenchman in a sweaty, you're-the-best-friend-in-the-whole-wide-world hug.
"Degel, this is totally unrelated to the situation, but can I ask you something?" Kardia asked sheepishly.
"Yes, Kardia?" Degel questioned, still embracing his overjoyed friend. The Scorpio smelled surprisingly good, like fresh-cut grass and apples.
"Can I call you 'Ice Cube'?" As odd as the question was, Degel blushed slightly; no one had ever tried to give him a nickname before. Even if somebody was just having a light conversation with him, they'd always worry about an accidental insult that would make him mad enough to freeze them. They still haven't realized that he had changed after their resurrection. Apparently, only Kardia understood that, and the fact that the Greek was considering something that most people would never even think about made Degel feel... warm inside.
"That's fine."
"Okay, just making sure... I think you're melting, Ice Cube." Degel blushed an even deeper red. That must be what this warm feeling is, Degel thought. I thought the barriers of ice around my emotions were strong, but they seem to be weaker with Kardia somehow. Why is he the only person that has ever made me feel truly happy and welcome in his presence?
After a quick look out the window, Degel broke their embrace, and avoiding Kardia's earlier comment told him, "The sun is down, Kardia. I think you should return to the Scorpio Temple so that we can go for that early morning run I'd promised you last week." The Scorpio's face lit up instantly.
"You better not forget it," Kardia taunted, using his warrior face; a rapacious smirk and narrowed, 'I-can-see-your-every-move-before-you-even-realize-it-yourself' eyes. Before Degel could ask what time to meet him, he ran out the door, yelling, "See you tomorrow morning at six-thirty, Ice Cube!"
What am I ever going to do with him? thought Degel, shaking his head as he returned the last folders to their respectable drawers and placed the books back on the overly cramped shelves.
Since Kardia had left, Degel was left with his earlier thoughts. Why is he the only person that has ever made me feel truly happy and welcome in his presence? Degel wondered again. Even though El Cid and Sisyphus are 'in the friend-zone', as they say nowadays, I wouldn't consider them very close friends. Even if Kardia is a hot-tempered idiot sometimes, he isn't afraid to be himself and always has the right thing to say. He helps me in tough situations, and always stands up for me. Not to mention that even when we were kids, he was always helping me with my physical skills. Ugh, what does all of this mean?! Why do I have all these thoughts about him?! I can't believe how confusing all of this is! I can't be... no, there's no way that's the case! Ugh, whatever. I'm not gonna think about this any longer.
As Degel finished putting on his pajama pants and brushing his teeth, he felt Kardia's warm cosmos enter his temple for the second time that day. He walked out his bedroom door just in time to see the pale, tear-stained face of the Scorpio Gold Saint sprinting over to him.
"What is it, Kardia?" asked the confused and concerned Aquarius.
"They destroyed it, Degel," Kardia said mournfully, sobs shaking his body. "There's nothing left; I have nowhere to go! They took her from me!"
"Who destroyed what, Kardia? What in Athena's name happened?"
"T-the...damn Specter!" the Scorpio raged, the needle on his right hand growing with his anger. "He destroyed my temple! I can't find Cleo! She's gone; I looked everywhere for her, but I couldn't find her! Imma kill that son of a whore, Degel! Imma kill em' all!" Degel grabbed Kardia's needle hand, which was now waving around in a disturbing manner. His heart hurt to see Kardia so sad, and he felt terrible for his loss of his home and his beloved Emperor Scorpion, Cleo.
Cleo was Kardia's pride and joy; he had gotten her after their resurrection, and she'd been with him ever since. When he wasn't with Degel or at the training grounds, he was with the beautiful black arachnid, letting her crawl on his arms and legs. Cleo was more than a pet to Kardia; she was his family.
"Did you see who it was?" the Aquarian asked.
"No... but I swear to Hades I'll show that motherfucker what happens when he messes with Scorpio Kardia! And if he killed Cleo... I'll kill him twice!"
Kardia yanked his hand away from Degel, clenching his fists and breathing heavily from his fury. He couldn't believe something so awful could have happened to his adorable pet. He leaned against the wall and sunk to the ground, laying his head in his hands as he began to cry harder. Degel wrapped a supportive arm around his grieving friend and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"You can stay in my temple if you want, Kardia," Degel offered. "As your friend, I'll always be here to help you." Kardia looked up at his green-haired companion. His face was streaked with tears, and his eyes were bloodshot. Degel had never seen the upbeat Scorpio in such a depressed state. However, he saw a slight sparkle surface in his eyes as he practically tackled Degel in a huge hug.
"Oh my Goddess, Degel!" Kardia exclaimed happily. "Thank you SO much! I don't know where I'd be without a friend like you!"
"That's great, Kardia," Degel said, his voice strained, "but could you please loosen your hold on me? I can't breathe..."
"Oh, sorry buddy," Kardia apologized, letting go of his dear friend.
"Yeah, whatever," Degel said with an exaggerated breath. "C'mon, I'll get you some PJ's." Degel led the Greek down a long hallway leading to the back of the temple, where his bedroom was located. He grabbed an extra set of pajama pants for Kardia and showed him to the guest bedroom. Kardia immediately flopped onto the bed, exhausted.
"By the way, Degel," Kardia said, an affectionate smile on his face, "you don't have to worry about me being messy or whatever. I'll pick up after myself."
"That would be helpful," the Frenchman agreed, grinning at his smiling, but clearly depressed, companion. "I'm gonna head to bed, alright? If you need anything, just come wake me up."
"Alright. Thanks for everything, Ice Cube," Kardia said, his deep blue eyes dull. "Good night."
"Good night," Degel replied, closing the door behind him. There has to be more I can do for him, the Aquarian thought as he walked towards his room. I wonder where that scorpion went; maybe I should help him look for her...
Suddenly, the guest bedroom door burst open as Kardia ran towards Degel.
"Degel, Degel, you won't believe it!" Kardia exclaimed as he stopped next to the surprised Aquarius. Crawling on the Scorpio's hand, where she definitely hadn't been before, was Cleo.
"Where in the world was she, Kardia?" Degel asked, looking at the scorpion in bewilderment as his friend handed the beautiful creature to him.
"She must've crawled out of her terrarium today during my nap," the Greek explained. "Just now, I was laying on the bed, and I felt her crawling in my hair like she does at night. She probably thought it was bedtime and came to sleep with me." He grinned widely, all traces of sadness gone. Degel facepalmed; his friend could come up with the strangest possibilities.
"Oh, c'mon Degel," Kardia complained, knowing what his friend was thinking. "She's a sneaky little thing. And she really hates being alone, you know." Degel handed the arachnid back to her owner, who stroked her back lovingly.
"I'll grab a basin for you to keep her in until you can get a new terrarium," the Aquarian said, heading to the bathroom to grab an empty tub. He removed the cover and placed a hand towel at the bottom for the scorpion's comfort before taking it back to the Greek's room. The blue-haired man placed the arachnid inside her temporary home, setting it on the bedside table.
"Alright, I suppose you can sleep easier now that you know she's safe?" Degel said hopefully. "I need to get to bed soon so we can get up early for that run."
"Yep," the Scorpio replied, holding his hand in the air, waiting for his friend to give him a high-five. When Degel didn't do that, Kardia added, "Aw, don't leave me hangin', man." Degel chuckled a little and gave the Scorpio a high-five.
"KalinÃhta," Degel told Kardia in Greek.
"Bonne nuit," Replied Kardia, in French.
OoOoOoOoO
No matter how hard he tried, Degel couldn't sleep. But it wasn't due to the rain falling heavily on the roof; once again, Kardia was stuck in his thoughts. He couldn't help the pain that rose in his chest at the mere thought of his best friend losing his home to Specters, especially since Athena had signed a peace treaty with Hades.
Kardia was generally good-natured, even if he did lose his temper sometimes. He cares about everyone around him, even if they aren't close to him. He may not show it, but Degel knew that the Scorpio had a huge heart.
Kardia grew up in a small, crowded port town in the northern area of Greece. Money was hard to come by, especially when business was slow; if someone wanted something, they'd have to trade one of their most prized possessions to obtain it.
For Kardia, his most prized possession was his older brother, Fyodor. Fyodor had been a father figure to Kardia since the disappearance of their parents; the Scorpio was about five years old at the time, and Fyodor, ten. He kept the little boy out of trouble and taught him a few simple survival tactics. He made sure he was fed and bathed regularly, just as any other parent would do for his or her child.
The blue-haired Greek boy followed Fyodor everywhere: to the marketplace, to the beach, to meet up with his friends; anywhere someone could think of. Kardia loved his brother more than anything in the entire world; that is, until the Specters came and kidnapped him. They said he was "vital to Lord Hades' plan to take over the world". They left Kardia all alone in the village with no one to take care of him.
As far as Degel knew, that frightful day still haunts his dear friend in his nightmares. One night, he could feel a distress signal through Kardia's cosmos, sent from the Scorpio Temple; he ran down as fast as he could, a few other Gold Saints in pursuit. They got to Kardia's temple and woke him up, concerned about his frightened signal and terrified screaming. After he told them the dream about his childhood, they understood why he seemed to be in distress. And, after he was resurrected, he learned that his beloved brother was the Specter of Mandrake. It took him two months to get over that sickening feeling.
After another hour of tossing and turning, Degel couldn't take it anymore. He got up, walked out the bedroom door, and went to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. He looked at the stove; 12:37 AM. Had he really been up for over three hours thinking about Kardia?
Degel found himself questioning his feelings considering where the Scorpio fit in his life. He had a few really close friends, practically family, including Unity and Seraphina. But Kardia seemed to fit in a different category; not quite family, but definitely more than just a best friend. Degel realized he was asking himself a very important question...
Do I like Kardia? The Aquarian pondered this for a moment. He knew he liked him as a friend, but as far as a relationship... He felt it was entirely possible. After all, Kardia was very handsome; even "sexy" was a possible way to describe him in Degel's train of thought. The Scorpio was very kind to him, too, and he knew the Scorpio was very choosy on who he was friends with. His voice was a warm caress in the Frenchman's ears, even with the abrupt profanities scattered in every sentence he spoke. His natural odor of apples and grass made Degel feel calm when he was stressed. Just thinking about the Scorpio made the Frenchman's stomach flutter. Yes, there was no doubt in Degel's mind; he was in love with Scorpio Kardia.
A slight blush tainted the Aquarian's face. He thought he should go right away and tell him, but he needed to be absolutely positive of his decision. Mustering all of his willpower, the Frenchman crept down the hallway to Kardia's door. He cracked the door slowly, just in case the Greek was still asleep. There was Kardia, sitting up in bed, looking at Degel while the moonlight shone mystically on his face.
"I thought you were awake, Ice Cube," Kardia mused.
"I've been thinking a while," Degel confessed. "I need to talk to you about something."
"Sure, what is it?" asked Kardia as the Frenchman walked in and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Actually, I've been thinking a lot recently," Degel confessed, feeling his heart quicken as his nervousness grew, "about... someone dear to me, someone... I live for every day. I can't go a day without thinking about that person. So I guess, since this should probably be first, considering who that someone is... And I know this may seem crazy to you... I'm also homosexual." Kardia looked at his green-haired companion for a moment, watching his face turn deep crimson. Then he smiled and squeezed Degel's arm, shaking him a little.
"It's hard to admit, isn't it?" Kardia asked when he noticed Degel's odd expression; a mixture of relief, embarrassment, sadness, and broken pride. "I felt the same way when I admitted to it, remember? There's no need for you to be embarrassed. Just think; we can have conversations about boys without it being awkward!" Degel chuckled at this, smiling a little.
"But... there's more to my situation," Degel replied hesitantly.
"What do you mean?" Kardia asked, completely puzzled.
"Well, that 'someone dear to me'? He's here," said Degel, a light blush covering his face. But Kardia looked perplexed; he was confused.
"What? I don't understand," said the Scorpio. "'Here', like, in Sanctuary?"
"Yes," replied Degel.
"Hmmm," Kardia was deep in thought, wondering who it was that Degel liked. "Where's he from?"
"Greece."
"Hmmm... First letter of the first name?"
"'K'." Degel was becoming very irritated with the Scorpio's inability to see the obvious.
"Hmmm... From Greece... starts with a 'k'... I got nothing. Tell me."
The Aquarian stood up and punched the wall with anger.
"Are you seriously so thick-headed, Kardia? You want to know? It's you! How couldn't you figure that out?! I fucking love you, you idiot!" he yelled, storming out of the room and ran out into the freezing downpour, forgetting about his naked torso. His eyes flooded with tears and the night's darkness enveloped him. His heavy footsteps echoed off of the concrete, his feet splashing in huge puddles.
Degel ended up at the harbor, where he took a left onto a narrow dirt path and ran to a place he knew well. It was a huge hill that overlooked the ocean and was unknown by almost everyone in Sanctuary.
The exhausted Aquarius allowed himself to collapse in the mud near the huge apple tree that was covered in small pink blossoms. The tree grew at the very top of the hill and was surrounded by a whole forest of identical trees, all in full bloom. He caught his breath and quickly climbed up the slick trunk into the densest patch of pink flowers, making himself nearly invisible to anyone who walked by. A thick branch held him aloft as he hid his red, tear-stained face in his knees, every inch of his body soaked and shaking. I was wrong, he thought bitterly. I thought he would realize my feelings, I thought he wasn't such a thick-minded person, but I was completely wrong! Why doesn't he understand my feelings for him, as obvious as I tried to make them? Why does love have to be so complicated?
"Degel?! Where are you?!" Degel heard Kardia's desperate voice yelling over the patter of raindrops as he entered the grove of trees. "I didn't mean to upset you! I just didn't think you had the same feelings as I did! I've been in love with you for quite a few years, Degel; please come out and let me explain myself!" What? He loves me? Degel stood up, about to climb down, but his leg slipped; his hands glanced off the slick bark and he fell, landing on his left side with a loud THUD! The air was punched out of his lungs, so all he could do was gasp in pain and try to force some air back in.
Kardia ran to the Aquarian's side, kneeling above him worriedly. "Are you alright, Ice Cube?!"
"Y-yeah... I think so," Degel lied in a weak tone, still stunned from the fall. But as he tried to get up, his shoulder and knee exploded with intense, stabbing pain. He grit his teeth and grabbed onto Kardia's rain-slicked shoulder, groaning.
"Take it easy," Kardia soothed, wrapping his arm around Degel's back and helping him sit up. "We should get you to the hospital-"
"NO!" Degel yelled. On the list of things he hated, hospitals were number-one. "You know damn well that I HATE the people there because they ask the most irrelevant and stupid questions; not only that, but it smells terrible! There is no friggin' way you're taking me there!"
"Then I'll patch you up in your temple," Kardia said, picking up his friend bridal-style and taking a shorter, but less-covered, way back to the Aquarius Temple.
"I'd rather be there anyway," Degel grumbled, reflexively leaning his head on Kardia's shoulder as the rain lightened to a cold drizzle.
Kardia blushed, holding the injured Aquarius tighter to keep him warm; he set a brisk walking pace, covering a lot of ground while keeping his dear friend as stable as possible.
The duo reached the Aquarius temple a few moments later, soaked and chilled to the bone. Kardia grabbed the medical supplies and some different salves from the medicine cabinet and carried Degel to his bedroom, where they dried off, changed into dry pajama pants, and brushed out their matted hair.
"You've got a bad scrape here," Kardia said, grabbing the peroxide and cleaning out the huge, bloody patch that covered Degel's entire shoulder. He wrapped bandages around Degel's chest and shoulder to cover the large wound and taped it in place. Then, Kardia did the same for the arm.
The Greek began to inspect Degel's knee, pressing lightly on the skin. The flesh around the bone was tender and swollen. As soon as his thumb made contact with the joint, Degel yelped.
"That's not where it's supposed to be," Kardia murmured. "I'll have to relocate it before stabilizing it. Hold still and don't worry; I've done this for quite a few other Saints."
"A-are you sure about this?" asked Degel. "Will it hurt a lot?"
"The first two seconds hurt, but it'll feel a lot better when it's back in place," the Scorpio said. "On the count of three: one... two... three!" With a quick and firm movement, the kneecap regained its place with a pop. Degel cried out from the sudden pain, but gasped with relief at feeling of the joint returning to normal.
Soon, Kardia began to wrap it tightly and carefully with an ACE wrap; the pain came back, and it showed on Degel's face. His eyes were shut tightly; one hand gripped the bedsheets while the other gripped Kardia's shoulder, digging his nails into the skin unconsciously.
"Merde!" Degel cursed in French, teeth grit and on the verge of yelling in agony.
"I'm almost done, Degel," Kardia assured him. "It'll be over soon, I promise." Degel nodded, though the stabbing sensation was almost unbearable. After securing the wrap with safety pins, the Greek grabbed a pillow and lifted his friend's leg gingerly, setting it down under the injured limb.
Degel flinched when Kardia placed a hand on each side of his face, making him look up at him. He brushed the hurting man's cheek gently with his thumb, calming the overwhelmed Aquarian.
"You believe me, don't you?" Kardia asked softly. "I really do love you, Degel. I've loved you since a few years before Bluegraad. I was just confused earlier because I was scared, scared that you had feelings for someone else." Degel moved Kardia's hands from his face and held them tight, tears falling down his pale-skinned face.
"No, I shouldn't have yelled," he told the Scorpio as he began to cry softly. "I was mad that you didn't realize my feelings, but... but I never showed them, so you wouldn't have known. I blamed you, but...it wasn't your fault." Kardia sighed heavily as he wrapped his strong arms around the shaking Frenchman.
"It's okay, Degel," the Greek assured, stroking Degel's long green hair.
"Wait... You loved me before Bluegraad?"
"Yeah; that's why I told you to go after Pandora. I wanted you to live, Degel. I wanted to protect you from that bastard Rhadamanthys. Even though I couldn't do anything in the end... I wanted there to be a chance to save you."
All of the icy barriers around Degel seemed to melt away, replaced by an immense warmth. He leaned into Kardia, wrapping his arms around his neck. He wanted to stay there forever, in the warm arms of the Scorpio Saint.
"Thank you for trying to save me," the Aquarian murmured. "I don't care if I ended up dying; you lost your life trying to save mine, and that's more than anyone has ever done for me. But now that we can start our lives over... I think that I'd rather start it with you, with us. Could we do that?"
"I'd love to start my new life with you, Ice Cube," Kardia said with adoration. Degel smiled. "You have a beautiful smile; you should use it more often." Degel blushed, hiding his face in the crook of the blue-haired man's neck.
"So is this what dating is like?" Degel asked after a small silence between them, drying his eyes.
"Yeah," Kardia replied. "Why?"
"Well, if this is what dating is like... it means we're official, right?"
"Well, I thought that was what you implied when you said you wanted to start with 'us'."
"It is. I guess I'm just trying to take in all these new emotions."
"It's okay." Kardia's smile was broken by a deep yawn as he separated from Degel long enough to move to the other side of the bed. He wrapped his strong arms around his boyfriend, turning on the TV. Degel leaned on Kardia's broad chest as he surfed through the channels and decided on the movie "Forrest Gump".
The film was halfway over by the time Kardia realized that Degel had fallen asleep. He checked the time on his phone; two twenty-eight in the morning. He took a break from the movie to get himself a glass of apple juice. When he got back, he grabbed a fuzzy blue blanket and covered the sleeping Aquarius Saint, gathering him in his arms again. How can such a beautiful creature as Degel hold my heart in such a tight grasp? Kardia thought to himself, smiling. I've never had such strong feelings before what I feel for him. No matter what he does, he's always so perfect and adorable... I just want to hold him forever, even if I have to go against the Gods themselves to do so. Eventually, Kardia fell asleep as well, his one-and-only true love resting fitfully in his arms.
OoOoOoOoO
Degel awoke with a migraine and bright sunlight in his eyes as dawn was beginning to fade. He squinted and buried his face into his partner's damp blue curls; he was not, on any terms, a morning person.
"Well, good morning, beautiful," Kardia said, running his hand through Degel's straight green hair.
"Mornin'," Degel mumbled sleepily, blushing at Kardia's complement. He yawned and lifted his head to look at his grinning companion. "What time is it?"
"A little past six," Kardia replied. Degel sat up and stretched his arms slowly, cringing at the ache in his shoulder and yawning widely.
"I suppose we should get ready for our run," he said, rubbing his eyes.
"We're not going anywhere," Kardia stated firmly. "Especially you; do you really think you could run with your knee in the shape it's in?" Degel leaned against Kardia, making the best puppy-dog eyes that he could. But the Scorpio saw through his disguise; the tiredness and fatigue in his body was present in the violet orbs.
"I'm sorry, Degel," Kardia said, hugging the disappointed Aquarian, "but I can't let you do that. You'll just hurt yourself more." Degel crossed his arms and stuck out his lower lip, pouting like a child that didn't get candy at the store.
"C'mon, don't be like that," Kardia said, smiling at Degel's childish behavior and rubbing his beloved's back affectionately. The Frenchman sighed contentedly, relishing the new feeling.
"Do you feel okay?" Kardia asked as he continued to run his fingers over Degel's smooth, pale skin, feeling a slight tremor in the Frenchman's body. "Your back feels really warm."
"I do have a headache," Degel said, wrapping the fuzzy blanket around his shoulders. "And I feel cold. And that's weird, because I'm friggin' Mister Ice Machine, and I'm never cold." Kardia chuckled and felt Degel's forehead and flushed cheeks, feeling an unusual warmth in them, too.
"You have a fever," Kardia confirmed, pulling out the thermometer from the first-aid kit. He stuck the end into Degel's mouth, making sure it was under his tongue. After about a minute, he took it back out and checked the temperature.
"Holy shit! You're definitely not going anywhere today, Degel," he stated strictly. "104.2 degrees is crazy." Degel began coughing violently, his face turning red as he tried to suck in some air between coughs. Kardia was right beside him, though there wasn't much he could do. After the long coughing fit, Degel groaned and laid back against the Greek. His face grew hotter as his body shook with tremors that would make any earthquake jealous. Kardia helped his injured partner get under the covers and laid a few more blankets across his body.
"Kardia?" Degel asked weakly.
"Yeah?" Kardia replied, stroking Degel's warm cheek gently.
"Can you stay with me?" came the muffled answer from the Aquarian as he pulled the covers up to his nose and shrunk into a little ball.
"Of course. I'm not in any hurry to leave," Kardia replied, sliding under the covers to hold his sick boyfriend. Degel immediately grabbed onto Kardia, who wrapped his arms around Degel's back. He held him close, sending his warm cosmos into the Aquarian's cold body. How did he get so sick in one night? Kardia wondered. It's worse than that time when we were kids, when he fell through the ice on the pond and got pneumonia. Maybe that's what he caught... We did spend a while out in the rain, after all...
OoOoOoOoO
By the time Degel woke up, it was half past noon. He suddenly realized that Kardia wasn't with him. Where did he go? Degel asked himself, worried that he had gone to the training grounds and provoked the disease in his heart.
"Kardia?" Degel tried calling the Scorpio, though his voice came out low and raspy due to the dryness in his throat. The blue-haired man walked in just as Degel entered another bout of violent coughing, holding a lidded blue mug, little white tablets, and a glass of water.
"Asmita brought up some Aspirin to help with your pain and fever," Kardia told the Frenchman after the second coughing fit, handing him the water and the medicine. "I made you some chicken broth, too. I went out today after you fell asleep and started rebuilding my temple; I left you a note, but by the time I came back to check on you, you were still asleep. It's almost finished, thanks to some of the other Saints." He climbed onto the bed, still holding the blue mug. After Degel had swallowed the Aspirin and finished off the glass of water, Kardia took the glass, handed Degel the mug, set the glass on the side table, and cuddled with his Frenchman. Degel sipped the broth tentatively as they watched TV.
Suddenly, Degel felt a strong, mischievous cosmos enter his temple. Kardia stood up reluctantly and went to greet the Cancer Gold Saint, Manigoldo.
"I want details," Manigoldo said before Kardia could utter a single word. "I want to know when, where, and how you two got together. Don't skip anything."
"How the hell do you know?" Kardia asked in bewilderment. "We haven't even told anyone yet."
"C'mon, you wouldn't just stay the night here for no good reason. I mean, I know your temple was destroyed and all, but you could've came to my templ-" Manigoldo was cut short by the little black creature that suddenly appeared on his friend's shoulder. "What the hell is that?!"
"That just so happens to be a she, thank you very much," the blue-haired man corrected, grabbing the black arachnid from his shoulder so that she could walk on his arm. "Cleo is an Emperor Scorpion, I'll have you know. Don't tell me you've never seen a scorpion before?" Cleo walked up and down the length of his arm, proudly showing off her sharp stinger. Manigoldo cringed at the thought of the odd creature crawling all over him, not to mention that the arachnid was half as long as Kardia's forearm without the tail included.
"I have, I just don't like them," Manigoldo stated matter-of-factly. "They're disgusting."
"I'd take that back, if I were you, Cancer Manigoldo," warned a weak, scratchy voice. Using crutches, Degel made his way towards the door. "Kardia can be pretty aggressive when people making rude comments about his pet." To emphasize, Kardia's red nail grew out of his finger. The Cancer backed up a few steps, seeing the murderous look in the Aquarian's eyes, making sure to keep a safe distance between him and the cold Saint.
"Well, I, uh, gotta go see the Pope," said Manigoldo, turning and running towards the door just in time to avoid a Scarlet Needle in the arse. Kardia lowered his hand and looked down angrily at the barely-standing Aquarius Saint.
"Degel, you shouldn't be getting up like that," the Scorpio scolded, picking up his fevered angel and taking him back to bed. "You need to stay in bed and get healthy."
"But I'm bored," Degel whined helplessly. "There's nothing to do besides sleep and watch TV, and that's boring." He couldn't hold the huge yawn that decided to make his true feelings known; he was still really tired and was thinking about taking a long nap, preferably in the Greek's arms.
"Well, it seems like you could use more sleep," Kardia said after Degel's yawn. "I'm getting tired, too; let's go lay down." After Degel gave him an I-don't-believe-you look, Kardia added, "Actually, I just want you to get some sleep so that you can get better. That way, we can go on dates and take long walks through the Sanctuary and make everyone jealous." Degel blushed, making the Scorpio flash his sadistic grin that the Aquarian loved.
As soon as Degel climbed under all of the blankets, he scooted over so that he was sitting on Kardia's lap, leaning his head on the Greek's shoulder. The blue-haired man set Cleo in her new terrarium before he wrapped his muscular arms around the Frenchman's slender waist, sending more of his warm cosmos into Degel's cold body. Shortly after, both of the Saints fell into the beckoning embrace of Morpheus.
OoOoOoOoO
The wonderful smell of vegetable soup invaded Degel's nostrils, awakening him as Kardia's hand stroked his hair. He opened his tired eyes to see the blue-haired Greek standing over him, holding a small bowl in his free hand.
"Sorry for waking you up," the Scorpio apologized as the Frenchman sat up gingerly, handing him the bowl. "I was just thinking that you didn't really eat anything today, so I made some soup for you. And we should probably check on that shoulder of yours."
"That's okay; I've been sleeping all day anyway, so I should probably get up and do something," Degel replied, taking a small spoonful from the half-full soup bowl into his mouth as the Greek unwound the dirty bandages around the Frenchman's shoulder. "Where did you learn how to make such good soup? It's tastes like the stuff my father used to make for me as a child."
"My master taught me," Kardia explained, examining the reddish wounds. "Your shoulder looks really good; I'd keep it open to the air to let it scab over, though. It shouldn't take too long."
"Okay." Feeling light-headed, Degel laid back against the mountain of pillows, covering himself with a thick quilt. The blue-haired Scorpio smiled, reaching his hand over to his sick partner to rub his cheek. The Aquarian closed his eyes, enjoying the sweet caresses of the usually hot-tempered man beside him.
"You're so pretty and lovable," Kardia murmured, laying down next to his green-haired angel.
"Thanks," Degel replied, blushing deeply, trying to find more words. "You're... let's see, what describes you? How about handsome... caring... and, oh, what's the word? I think it was... alluring? Oh Goddess, that's an awkward thing to say." The Aquarian hid his crimson face in the nearest pillow. To his surprise, Kardia just laughed and gently slid him into his warm, muscular arms, placing a gentle kiss in Degel's green hair.
"You make me really happy, Degel. Happier than I've been in a long time." The Scorpio gave his green-haired angel a gentle squeeze. Degel shifted so that he was sitting in Kardia's lap, facing the blue-eyed Greek.
"You make me happy, too, mon cher," the Aquarian replied.
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Hello everyone! If you're wondering why some of this story seems different or other things are added in, that's becuase I went through and edited a lot of it ;). It may seem like a different story, but I hope you enjoy it just as much I did writing it! But beware: if you do not like sexual interactions between men, I would strongly suggest you stay away! There will be graphic yaoi content in later chapters, so be prepaired!
Oh, and if I'm translating any of the French or Greek wrong, don't be afraid to tell me. I'd hate for it to be something offensive to people who speak that language.
KDS out, peeps!