Written for Sormik Week 2017 Day 2 - Prompts: Ladylake, Conflict, Trust
Ladylake was quiet at night, quieter than Sorey ever imagined a city as bustling as this would be after the sun went down. It even gave Elysia a run for its money as far as silence went, but rather than giving off an air of peace like the seraph village would have, it was somehow lonely instead; the cobblestone streets were void of people, making each of Sorey's footsteps echo through empty alleys instead of padding softly through fresh grass. The cold pangs of loneliness lessened when Sorey rounded a corner of one of the alleyways he'd been exploring, and caught sight of Mikleo.
He was leaning against the railing along one of the stairways, one which overlooked the Great Waterwheel and the small waterfall to the left of it. Of course, Sorey should have known Mikleo would be close to the water. He looked so beautiful and so serene standing there like a statue, head tilted slightly toward the sky, and his violet eyes reflecting the stars. Seeing him like this made home feel not so far away, like things hadn't really changed that much since they'd left Elysia.
Mikleo didn't need to look to know Sorey was approaching; he would have known those footsteps anywhere. Instead of coming to stand beside Mikleo like he usually would, Sorey ducked in behind him, surprising the seraph slightly with warm arms around his slender waist. Mikleo's shock transformed into a small smile, and he allowed himself to melt into Sorey's hold, like a pebble sinking into a warm brook. Sorey leaned his head forward to rest on Mikleo's shoulder, and Mikleo could have sworn he felt a soft kiss being placed there before his companion spoke.
"I'm sorry," was all Sorey said.
"Sorry? For what?" Mikleo's eyes were curious, though Sorey couldn't see them from where he stood. In fact, he simply let his eyes fall closed as he rested there.
"I've been so busy with all this Shepherd stuff lately. I haven't really been paying much attention to you," Sorey admitted, the guilt seeming to pour off him in waves, and Mikleo was finely attuned to those—when it came to water, at least.
The Shepherd's voice was low and soft and full of regret—so much regret that Mikleo could actually feel him hurting. That was perhaps the biggest downside of the armatus. Even though they were more powerful through the bond, it also made it so that the seraphim could feel their Shepherd's pain. How Mikleo hated to feel his pain.
"Don't worry about it, Sorey. I do understand the importance of the Shepherd's duties," Mikleo smirked, mostly so Sorey would stop wearing that 'injured animal' expression.
"I know, I just... don't want you to think I've forgotten about you, because I haven't. I really miss you, you know?" Mikleo was glad that Sorey's tone had lightened by the time he'd come to the end of his sentence, and he gave a chuckle to encourage his optimistic behaviour.
"I miss you, too, Sorey," he smirked again, reaching back to give the Shepherd a playful swat on the head. Sorey made a surprised noise and stumbled backwards, releasing the seraph from his grasp. When Mikleo turned to face him, he was wearing a smile not much smaller than his own; it was quite the feat for anyone to muster a smile as wide and natural as Sorey's.
"So, you're not jealous of the others?" Sorey asked, his grin fading as he lowered his head, making Mikleo realize he wasn't joking. Between armatizing with new seraphim, trying to form a rapport with his new squire, and keeping friendly relations with people like Alisha, Lucas, and Sergei, Mikleo really had been taking a backseat to everyone else lately. Mikleo's smile stayed in place, and Sorey watched the amusement dance in his eyes as they caught the stars' reflection again.
"Oh, I'm jealous. But I'll be alright," Mikleo winked, which made Sorey's heart do a little flutter. It hadn't happened for quite some time, and only Mikleo seemed to have the ability to trigger it; it was something Sorey adored, to be honest.
Sorey's mouth twitched as he scanned his ally's features. Once he confirmed that his seraph really was okay, he let himself smile and reached out for his hand. They linked as easily as magnets, fingers sliding into place between those of their partner, and locking there. Motions like these felt more natural than ever since Mikleo had become a Sub Lord, and their very souls had been bound by the armatus.
In moments like these, Sorey almost forgot there was anyone in the world besides them, like he might just slip into Mikleo and never split back into two entities. It was an inviting thought, but the world needed him. Sorey gave Mikleo's hand a gentle squeeze, which effectively guided Mikleo's gaze towards him. They exchanged a soft smile, knowing they didn't need to say anything more to be understood. Things were good enough here, alone together. In this moment, under the star-speckled sky, they had everything they needed.