April 14, 1943

After that day in the forest, monster attacks seemed to happen much more frequently. It was only after a secretary woman, who turned out to actually be a harpy, attacked Carter, that Douxie decided to teach his boyfriend swordplay. He'd need to know how to properly defend himself from magical threats if he was going to survive in this world Douxie had accidentally thrust him into.

Douxie had dragged Carter out of the barracks that night, taking him to a private spot in the middle of the woods. A clearing that was about a fifteen minutes walk from base. This had sort of become their "practice spot".

Douxie put up a barrier to hide them from sight in case anyone else would be crazy enough to be this deep in the woods in the middle of the night. He didn't want to come up with an excuse if anyone saw them using actual swords.
"Alright." He turned to Carter who was putting on the leather arm guards Douxie had given him. A little reminder of Camelot to him, but a practice tool for Carter. "Let's get started."

Carter picked up his sword, the same one that he'd killed the hellhound with. "Next time we do this," he grumbled. "Bring coffee."

Douxie chuckled, summoning a sword from his vambrace. "Not an early riser?"

"It's the middle of the goddamned night." Carter pointed out. He rolled his shoulder, gripping his sword a little tighter. He planted his feet, getting into position.

Douxie smiled a little. Even tired and grumpy, Carter was ready to fight. They walked the ground in a circle parallel to eachother, before Douxie came at him fast. He brought his sword in an upwards arc. Carter parried it, twisting out of the way as Douxie passed him. He blocked the next strike, with ease. He kept on the defensive, watching the way the wizard fought. They'd been doing this every night for nearly a week. Carter knew Douxie's patterns of offense.

He ducked and rolled as Douxie's blade passed way too close to his face. "Woah!" He came up kneeling on one knee, sword held out to block the next strike. "A little close for comfort there, Blue."

Douxie walked closer, tapping his sword against Carter's. He helped him up, brushing some grass from his hair. "Something I learned, Sunshine. Always protect the face."

Carter scoffed lightly, swatting his hand away good-naturedly. "It was a cheap move."

Douxie smiled. "Never count on your opponent to fight fair. In a real battle, you do whatever it takes to make it out alive. Monsters don't have honor. They don't play by the rules."

Carter nodded slowly. "You speak from experience, I'm guessing?"

Douxie sighed but nodded. "After you've lived as long as I have, you learn that the hard way." He pursed his lips, looking at him. "Carter, I never had someone to teach me the hard things about the world. The magical world, I mean. The man who was… supposed to teach me these things… he left before he got the chance."

Left. Carter noted. Left, not died.

"We were in the middle of a war and he just didn't have the time." Douxie continued, eyes turning to the stars. "If… I do one thing right in my life, it's to help you prepare for a life in this world. Being a half-blood…" he glanced at Carter, eyes sad. "It's dangerous. I only ever knew a few and every single one of them…" he sighed. "I want something different, for you, Carter. I want you to have a chance."

Carter stared at him for a while before he smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're giving that to me, Douxie. I wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for you."

Douxie smiled too, placing a hand over the one Carter had on his shoulder. "So, I'm not an absolutely hopeless sword fighting teacher?"

Carter laughed, he truly laughed, for the first time in weeks. It made Douxie's chest swell with warmth. Carter smiled at him, hand moving to cup his cheek. "No, not at all. But that's not what I meant." He gently ran his thumb over his cheek bone. "Douxie, you saved me in more ways than you know. The building, all those monsters…" his smile faded. "My mom…" he sighed, looking back at him. "I don't know where I'd be today if I didn't have you."

Douxie smiled at him, leaning into his touch, gently taking his hand and kissing his knuckles. "I love you, Carter."

A light blush tinted Carter's cheeks, but he smiled softly. "I love you too."

Douxie gently tugged him closer, arm wrapping around his waist. He cupped Carter's cheek, leaning in. Carter's eyes fluttered shut as Douxie kissed him. All thoughts of training were set aside as they pulled eachother closer, lips moving together softly. Douxie's fingers tangled into Carter's hair, his other hand gripping the back of his shirt. Carter wound his arms around Douxie's neck, stepping closer to him with a small groan.

They parted slowly, foreheads pressed together as they held eachother close. Carter leaned into Douxie's touch as he cupped his cheek, gently stroking his thumb over the wizard's jaw. He opened his eyes, smiling fondly at his lover.

"You are the best thing that's ever happened to me." Carter whispered softly, brushing Douxie's hair behind his ear gently. "I love you so much, Douxie."

Douxie smiled, taking his hand and kissing the tips of his fingers. "And I love you, Carter." He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "Never doubt that, Sunshine."

"I won't." His eyes closed as Douxie's lips passed over his jaw, pressing to his neck carefully-

"I thought you two were training." Archie's unamused voice broke the moment.

Douxie sighed irritatedly against Carter's neck before he pulled away, leveling a glare at his familiar. "Arch, we were having a moment."

Archie raised an unimpressed brow at him. "A moment that could get the both of you caught and killed, Douxie."

"That's what the border spell is for."

Carter sighed, gently squeezing Douxie's wrist. "Don't fight with the cat, Doux. It's not worth it."

Archie gave him a look. "You should be on my side, Carter."

Carter smiled wryly. "Periodically, I am."

Archie rolled his eyes.

Douxie picked up the discarded swords. "I suppose we should go back, anyway." He glanced at the sky. "The sun should be up in a few hours."

Carter followed him up the hill, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Next time we're alone, I want you to kiss me like that again." He whispered in his ear, before he quickened his pace to catch up with Archie.

Douxie felt heat rise to his cheeks as he stared at Carter's retreating back.


A few days later.

Carter parried Douxie's sword away, side-stepping quickly, swinging his own weapon at his back. Douxie ducked and rolled forward, swinging his sword up to block Carter's as it came down on him. He knocked Carter's sword away hard enough to leave his boyfriend reeling for balance, giving him time to get back up. Carter recovered quickly and struck again, maintaining his offense.

He drove Douxie back, not giving the wizard time to do anything but block and retreat. Carter forcefully knocked Douxie's sword out of his hand, causing him to fumble and then trip. Douxie blinked with surprise as Carter pointed the tip of his sword at his throat.

"And I win." His smug smile made Douxie's stomach flutter in a weird way. "Well?"

Douxie had to take a moment to find his words. He said, "I really shouldn't have found that as attractive as I did."

Carter smiled and off to the side, Archie faked a gag.

"You're hopeless, Douxie." Archie rolled his eyes.

Carter held his hand out for Douxie to take, helping him to his feet. He pressed a quick kiss to Douxie's lips, pulling away before his boyfriend could deepen the kiss. "I'm getting better at that."

"At kicking my ass?" Douxie laughed. "Yeah, you are."

Carter chuckled. "Well, that. And swordplay in general."

"He's better at it than you ever were." Archie piped up, licking his paw. "He's a natural. Though, I can't say I'm surprised. Demigods are natural warriors. They pick up most forms of weaponry and combat rather quickly."

Carter stared at him. "How do you know that?"

Archie gave him a sideways smile. "I've known quite a few demigods."

"Archie's old." Douxie supplied. "Older than me by a couple hundred years."

Carter went silent for a few moments before quietly saying, "Sometimes I forget you're eight-hundred years old."

Douxie gently took his hand, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles. "Love? You okay?"

Carter sighed, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. "Doux, you're never going to age, right?"

Douxie nodded.

"I will." Carter pursed his lips at the way Douxie's face crumbled at the realization. "It just… makes me remember how limited our time together is. You know, assuming we even survive the war."

Douxie opened and closed his mouth, eyes flitting off to the side. Finally he took in a deep breath, grabbing Carter's face gently, making him look at him. "Carter, I swear on my life that you're going to survive this godsforsaken war. I'm going to make sure you see this hell show through to the end, okay?" He waited for Carter to nod. "And once the war is over, I'll find a way for us to stay together. I'm not going to lose you. I-I can't lose you, Carter. Not like that. Not ever." He took in a shaky breath, blinking away his tears. "You mean too much to me. I love you, Sunshine. I didn't even know it was possible to love someone as much as I love you."

Carter was staring at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. His face conveying an emotion Douxie couldn't quite place. He looked at a loss for words.

"So, if you'll have me." Douxie smiled softly at him, gently wiping his tears away. "When this is over, would you be okay with spending an eternity by my side? Immortality… isn't for the faint of heart. I want you to be sure before you say yes."

Carter stared at him for a moment longer, deep brown searching hazel green. Finally, he cracked a smile, leaning into Douxie's touch. "That sounds an awful lot like a proposal, sweetheart."

Archie snorted. "Might as well be. He basically just asked you to marry him."

Douxie blushed deeply. "Archie."

His familiar shrugged. "You did."

"I didn't- mmph!"

Carter cut him off with a sweet and deep kiss, pouring as much love and passion into it as he could. "I wouldn't mind eternity if it meant spending it with you." He whispered.

Douxie stared at him, cheeks still red and expression flabbergasted. "Carter-"

Carter kissed him again, cupping his cheek. "I'll keep doing that everytime you argue with me."

"Maybe I should keep arguing, then." Douxie smiled cheekily.

Carter laughed. "Can I finish?"

"Yeah, go ahead, love."

"Douxie, I've never loved someone the way I love you. You're brave, compassionate, and everything I didn't even know I needed. You've saved me more times than I can count, and you are truly the last and only person on this planet that I care about." He smiled at him softly, gently holding the hand cupping his cheek. "And I can't imagine my life without you in it. So I wouldn't ask you to imagine yours without me in it. So, when you ask me if I want to be by your side for eternity?" He grinned. "Obviously my answer is yes. And," he was rubbing his thumb over the back of Douxie's hand. "When you properly ask me to marry you, my answer will also be yes."

Douxie stared at him, an unreadable emotion in his eyes. "Archie," he said, his voice low and sultry as he stared into Carter's eyes. "Can you turn around?"

"Why does he need to-" Carter's question was cut off as Douxie very suddenly slammed their lips together.

"Ugh." Archie complained, but did as he was asked. Turning around, however, didn't exactly do much to mask the gross kissing noises coming from behind him.

Douxie held Carter's face in his hands as he kissed him passionately, feeling a burning heat in his chest, brought on by the sudden and flamant desire he felt for his boyfriend. Carter moaned into the kiss, grabbing at the front of Douxie's shirt with one hand, and tangling his fingers into his hair with the other. As their lips moved together, they pulled eachother closer, desperate to close any space left between them.

Archie sighed to himself. This was going on long enough for it to be awkward and he wasn't even watching. Douxie had absolutely no impulse control when it came to Carter.

When they parted, they rested their foreheads together, breaths hot and mixing together. Douxie had moved his hands to Carter's hips during the kiss, and he squeezed them gently, keeping Carter's body close to his.

"You should kiss me like that more often." Carter said, voice hoarse from the kiss. He was smiling though, gently playing with Douxie's hair. "You're good at it."

Douxie laughed breathlessly. "Roughly eight-hundred years of practice." He leaned in slightly, lips brushing over Carter's. "Do you want me to kiss you again?"

"Oh for the love of all things good in this world, please no." Archie begged, turning around. "I can only handle the sound of you two making-out for so long."

Carter laughed and gently pushed Douxie away. "Maybe for the sake of his sanity, we should stop."

Douxie faked a pout but let Carter pull away. "Buzzkill." He shot playfully to his familiar who rolled his eyes.

"Isn't this what you two do whenever you find a moment of actual privacy?"

Carter and Douxie exchanged smiles.

"Sometimes more than that." Carter said and laughed at Archie's groan.