Nobody had backed out of the last battle, everyone wanted to support Ludger for the sake of humanity and for the sake of Ludger himself. They didn't waste any time after the silverette had handed them their weapons and armor, heading through the soul bridge to Canaan. If it weren't for the miasma, Ludger would have brought all of his friends with him to fight Chronos, but he was unable to. After choosing Alvin, Elize and Leia to accompany him to fight Chronos, they proceeded rather quickly despite all the traps set for them. They had to push onward as fast as they could since they knew it was hard for Milla to have the four great Spirits protect them from the poisonous miasma the whole time, especially to do so from afar. Thus, despite all the worried calls from his friends whenever he did something reckless to protect them, Ludger pushed onward until they finally arrived at the place where the last battle of the trial would be fought.
Despite being well prepared, it took all of Ludger's power to fight Chronos and Bisley one right after the other. Even with Leia's and Elize's healing skills, it was hard for the agent to stand straight as Origin was facing him and Elle and asked them for their wish. To be able to stand up straight, he had to prop himself up on his sledgehammer, his body threatening to give in. Before his body could relax even a little, his mind was already racing, contemplating what he would wish for. He took the pocket watch out, looking at it and then at Elle, who was about to become a catalyst, like Julius..
"I want all the fractured dimensions to disappear.", he finally spoke his wish with a heavy ache in his heart.
What about Elle? Don't you care about her at all?
As much as he cherished Elle, he couldn't let Julius' life to go to waste because of her. The fate of the world was his responsibility..Then Bisley's words echoed in his mind. He could become a catalyst. He could save Elle, still. "I could save her myself.", he murmured and held the watch firmly in his grip. If he would transform into his full Chromatus form, he would become a catalyst in no time and Elle would be saved...that was the solution to all their problems! However, just as he was about to do it, he heard Alvin's voice call out to him desperately.
"Ludger! Don't do anything stupid!", he begged. He didn't want to lose Ludger. He couldn't stand watching his beloved one die. Not once more, not after Presa had told him to stay where his heart has led him. Not after Presa had died before his eyes..
Ludger turned his head and smiled sadly. "That's the only way to save Elle...for me to become a catalyst.", he said to the brunette and was about to turn away again, but Alvin would have none of it.
"Ludger, please..please, don't do that. I..", his usually calm voice cracked. He finally had the strength to tell his feelings to the silverette. "I love you, Ludger! Please...don't disappear. Don't die."
Shocked by the confession, everyone was staring at Alvin with their eyes wide open, but nobody dared to say anything to support either of the decisions. Ludger was in on it alone..
Ludger's turquoise eyes widened as well and his chest felt warm. He would be able to experience love if he stayed alive. He looked at Elle, then back at Alvin, torn between the two. Then he felt Elle tug his sleeve and looked at her.
"It's okay, Ludger. As long as you don't disappear, I will be happy.", she said in a sweet voice before taking a step forward. "Please, Origin. Make the fractured dimensions disappear.", she repeated for Origin in a determined voice.
"Are you okay with this?", the spirit seemed worried about the girl sacrificing herself. After all, he loved humans, no matter how foolish they were at times.
But the blonde didn't back down. "Yes. Anything to keep Ludger from vanishing forever. That's the last thing I want to happen.."
"Very well. Then I will grant your wish. All fractured dimensions shall be eliminated."
Ludger watched as the spirit made Elle's wish come true before biting his lower lip. He felt like he had failed. He failed to protect his daughter, no matter fake or not. He blamed himself for hesitating.
"Hey. Ludger, don't look so sad.", the girl smiled at him the best she could under the excruciating pain of becoming a catalyst. It made the agent's heart ache even more. Everyone around him was so strong..he was the only one who was selfish and weak. Elle would have had a full lifetime ahead of her. But he was the one to take it away from her.
The spirits have said something about sealing away the miasma, something about the trial not ending yet...but Ludger couldn't listen. He had just lost the very last part of his family, he realized.
Goodbye, Ludger.
This echoed in his mind on repeat, his head was pounding and it was taking everything he had not to break down again. Seeing that, the ex-mercenary approached him and wrapped his arms around the shorter male's shoulders. Everything was silent as Ludger allowed himself to break down again, his quiet sobs echoing in the hall of judgement as pale fists gripped the soft fabric of Alvin's shirt.
"We should head back and get some rest. I believe it's hard on all of us...Elle was a friend to us all.", Jude lowered his head as he saw the agent crumble down like that. It wasn't a sight he had ever encountered, so he didn't quite know how to deal with it. Ludger was like a big brother to him, always cheering him up when he was feeling down...and he failed to return that favor, only making him cry more. He immediately bit his tongue.
Nobody blamed Ludger for any of his actions, nor did they blame Alvin for stopping Ludger from sacrificing himself. They all knew they had to move forward, they all knew that between Ludger and Elle, they liked Ludger more. The silverette was always there to help all of them, after all.
"Let's go back. Muzét and I need to return to the spirit realm before my physical form disappears.", Milla said, deciding that it was better for Ludger to get all the bad news at once instead of calming down and then being sad again.
Alvin led out the silverette, supporting him in his walk, since Ludger wasn't in a state to be 100% cautious of where he was stepping due to his fatigue and his sadness. And knowing Chronos, the traps were still intact even though the miasma was clearing out, allowing them to breathe without getting poisoned. Nobody had spoken another word until they stood outside, in the haven of Rieze-Maxia in Marksburg.
"We should get you back home soon, Ludger..", Alvin was unsure of how to help his beloved one except for staying by his side.
"I'll be departing for Rieze-Maxia with the next ship. Forgive me, Ludger.", Gaius said, bowing slightly and earning a nod from the agent. "And please come to visit when you have time."
"I will. Take care of yourself.", Ludger said in the most encouraging tone he could muster.
Before leaving with Gaius, Rowen grinned at Ludger in a knowing manner. There was no way to fool the old royal tactician. "That's quite an...interesting outfit you have there, Ludger."
"Oh...yeah, Alvin bought it for me.", the agent admitted and blushed a bright pink color despite his grief. Rowen always knew everything.
The tactician chuckled lightly and nodded. "Hoho, I see how it is. Well then, Alvin. Please take good care of Ludger. I know you will."
Earning a nod from the salesman, the two left. Muzét and Milla had disappeared already, as if not to trouble the others with the fact that they would never meet again.
"Are you alright, Jude?", Leia asked at that, worried about her friend, but after earning a soft 'Yeah..' from Jude she calmed down and smiled. She knew that the whole situation was almost as bad for Jude as it was for Ludger. Even if Milla didn't die, she would disappear, watching over all of them from afar.
Before anyone could do or say anything else, Ludger's GHS rang. The silverette hesitated for a moment since he wasn't in the mood to hear either of the twin sister's nag at him because of either his loan payment or his work. As it wouldn't stop ringing, Alvin patted the silverette's back, encouraging him to pick up the phone.
"Vera here. We've confirmed your victory over Origin. Please return to Spirius HQ as soon as possible."
The remains of the group had also heard that and nodded eagerly. Elize seemed a bit intimidated by the way Spirius knew every single move they made, but was also determined to follow her friend. Despite the joy of victory, it was quite possible that Spirius would decide there was no need for Ludger anymore, so everyone decided to expect the worst (with Spirius it was always the right thing to do) and to follow their friend to be there to support him if he needed.
"Let's go and see what they have to say now!", Teepo spoke out for her, flying in circles around all of them.
Ludger finally smiled again at Teepo's cuteness and nodded, leading the way to the HQ building. As soon as they arrived at the entrance, everyone was saluting Ludger and Vera had also bowed to him, causing the silverette to become even more confused.
"Congratulations on your victory. We have confirmed former president Bakur's death as well as your success on eliminating the fractured dimensions. From today on, you have the title Victor, for being the most powerful bearer of the Chromatus." she paused to allow the information to sink in for a moment. "Furthermore, you are now promoted to the CEO of the Spirius Corporation. This decision is valid as of now.", she announced.
Ludger stared at her, wide-eyed. He had no idea what the responsibilities of a CEO were and how he would handle those."The...CEO? But I.."
"Don't worry, president Kresnik. I shall assist you in your training. I am certain that you will fill Mr. Bakur's role perfectly.", Vera interrupted him, as if reading his thoughts.
Ludger's friends smiled happily. They were really glad that instead of saying that there would be no need for him to work for Spirius anymore, the agent got promoted and stabilized his job. The position Ludger was now in was the best-paid job in Elympios, so without a doubt, the agent wouldn't have to worry about any debts or his rent being to high.
Before Vera could proceed with lecturing the silverette about his duties and appointments, Alvin stepped in between of the two and stopped their chat."I'd like to let you continue, but you see, our friend Ludger is pretty exhausted. He needs some rest for the day after fighting such a fierce battle.", the brunette explained with a grin, earning a nod from the woman.
"I understand. Please forgive me for being inconsiderate.", she switched her position to be able to face the silver-haired male again. "Please wear your suit to work tomorrow, president Kresnik. You have a very important appointment with Chancellor Marcia."
Ludger nodded and turned around, walking out of the building with quick steps. As soon as he was out, he sighed in relief . It was all happening too fast, way too fast. He looked over to the others and earned a small smile from Jude.
"So you're the CEO now? That makes you and Gaius the two leading roles in the Elympios-Rieze-maxia peace treaties. Chancellor Marcia is a representative, but I hear that Spirius is pulling the strings in Elympios.", he said proudly. "I'm glad that you became the president of Spirius. After all, then I can be assured that nothing bad involving Spirius happens."
The silver-haired male sighed softly. "I am happy...somehow. But the price for this job was too high. Elle and Julius and Victor and the fractured Milla...everyone died to give me the opportunity of living this life."
"You deserved it.", Alvin interrupted, dissatisfied with the depressed thoughts Ludger was having. "Do you think any of them died only because of you? That was their own wish, to save the world. Also, that was their way of showing you their affection for the last time. Julius and Elle wanted you to live on, so don't complain."
Leia winked at the silverette and joked to make him brighten up. "Besides. I can now impress my editor by writing a full detailed report on the second most important person in Elympios. Since I have the permission from Gaius, I can make a scoop of a lifetime by writing an article about you both."
Elize nodded. "And I'm sure you'll change Elympios for the better with your position as the head of Spirius."
Realizing how pathetic he has been acting, he smiled in defeat and looked up to the blue sky. Elle, Julius and Milla...He hoped they would watch over him and make sure he didn't make anything stupid. Then he looked at his friends again and nodded. "Thank you all. I will keep on moving forward.", he reassured them all. He just needed some time to get up again.
Leia hummed curiously, in a slightly teasing way. A grin that was a mix of creepy and amused spread on her lips "Speaking of moving forward. What about you and Alvin?"
That's right. At the gate of judgement, Alvin stopped him from taking his own life by confessing his love...and yet Ludger still gave no answer to that. His cheeks stained a deep red color and he tried to find any fitting words. "I...I...", he stuttered before just clinging to Alvin's arm. "I think I love you too, Alvin."
"You...think?", the hazel eyes were wide and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion about such a vague answer. He didn't yet show anyone as much of his true self as he did to Ludger...usually he would be able to keep it together and say something in an Alvin-typical casanova style, such as 'I know you soon will love me for sure.' But he just couldn't help but be honest with the agent.
Being an airhead, Ludger forgot about wanting to keep everything that happened between them a secret and turned to face Alvin straight on, sighing. "The way you held me when I cried, the way we cuddled in bed after waking up, the kiss on the forehead...and now the confession. Everything you do makes my chest feel all warm and my heart beat hard against it. Damn, I love you, Alvin!"
Ludger was a bit angry that the salesman has made him say it out loud like that, but it only amused Alvin more and caused him to wrap his arms around the slim waist of the agent. He was aware that Ludger wouldn't have ever said anything like that in public otherwise. While the two continued staring into each other's eyes, already closing in for a kiss, Leia cleared her throat, drawing their attention back to reality.
"Excuse mee?! Is there something you weren't telling us about?", she huffed, unamused by the fact that her friends were hiding something so important and Elize supported her despite being angry for another reason.
"Cuddling in bed? Crying on Alvin's shoulder? Why haven't you realized that you love him until now?", the green-haired girl clenched her fists and pouted angrily.
The young doctor just stood there, at a loss for words, and rubbed the back of his head, his amber eyes averted down onto the ground and a blush covering his cheeks. "I don't want to be mean, but could you please take this elsewhere? Seeing two of my friends kiss is making me uncomfortable."
Leia covered Jude's eyes with her hand and turned to Alvin, grinning mischievously. "Kiss him already! Jude just doesn't understand the beauty of men's love!"
Elize whimpered and looked at Leia, all of the sudden understanding what the older girl was playing at. She never knew that her friend liked this kind of romance novels. "Leiaaaa! Don't say strange things, you make me and Teepo uncomfortable too!"
Alvin chuckled. "I think Jude is just jealous. I get to date a sexy, kind, muscular, cute and successful man.", he teased before pressing his lips hard on Ludger's before the shorter one could pull away. Jude had managed to pry himself away from Leia's hand in order to protest against Alvin's words, just in time to witness the kiss.
"Al- Mhh!", the silverette wanted to say something in Jude's defence, embarrassed by everything the brunette had said, but as soon as he felt the slightly rough, yet loving lips on his own, he seemed to forget getting embarrassed over everything else except that. His heart pounded hard against his chest, threatening to jump out if the ex-mercenary would do anything to make it flutter more and Ludger was sure that Alvin could feel that due to their bodies being pressed against each other so tightly.
Jude stood there, unable to look away as if he had just seen something that was out of that world. His whole face was red upon witnessing such a display of public affection. Thinking that he could have ended up like that if he didn't show Alvin the cold shoulder, his heart stung a little, but he pushed that feeling away, disregarding it.
"Now that's a scoop of a lifetime...not to be published, of course.", Leia grinned and blushed a little as the two men broke the kiss. She received a text message and instantly cursed. "Damn, talk about publishing! I forgot that today was the meeting with the chief editor! Well then, I have to be off asap! Alvin, Ludger, I sure hope you contact me via GHS regularly! Jude, we'll see each other no later than when I make an update report on Spyrite technology! And Elize, we gotta meet up for real soon! I wanna go shopping and do girly things again!"
And there she went, fast as the wind. The four of them stared after the reporter baffled and Alvin shook his head soon after. "That's our Leia. I hope she still makes it in time."
They stayed together for a while, talking about Leia and Ludger both being huge airheads, but Jude and Elize soon left too since Elize demanded from Jude to take her to Helioborg and to let her see the spirit fossils so that she could report at her school about all she has seen as soon as she returned to Rieze-maxia. Being left alone with Ludger, the salesman didn't know what to do. He wasn't a stranger to being in love, but he never loved anyone with such a complicated personality as that of the silverette. It's not that he disliked the fact Ludger was so silent, but not knowing what the agent wanted at the moment wasn't really helpful in fulfilling his wishes. Jude was always the one asking him for advice and Presa was a very dominant person in general, sometimes even intimidating. Ludger was neither of them. Before he could suggest anything, Ludger looked at him with a sweet look.
"Alvin. Couples go on d-dates, right? How about we go to Drellin and eat at a restaurant?", he asked with a blush, unsure of whether he even did the right thing. Despite his age of 20 he never was dating anyone before Alvin. The brunette looked at him in surprise, which Ludger misunderstood. "No good? I don't really know what couples do, sorry."
Realizing how he had discouraged the silverette, the taller of the two ran a hand through his long brown hair and grinned a bit. "You got it all right. But I would rather go grocery shopping together, eat your amazing cooking and then spend the rest of the evening cuddling in bed with you."
"You really are lazy, Alvin.", the shorter male chuckled before walking on ahead and letting his mind wander off to ways he could help Alvin out.
It never occurred to him before, but as the CEO of Spirius he would be able to invest the funds in things he believed in. Jude's Spyrite research would be completed faster, Alvin's supply of Elympios with fresh fruit from Rieze-Maxia would flourish and Elympios would become a greener, healthier and happier place. He happily squeezed his lover's hand at that thought.
"I'll cook us some Mabo-Curry for dinner and then we can just relax.", Ludger beamed up at Alvin and then stopped walking, stopping in the middle of the marketplace. Maybe...now that they were together, Alvin would move in with him, too.
"What are you thinking about? You are grinning more than Leia does. And that's a lot, especially for you.", he teased and looked down at the agent. It was so hard to read Ludger, but he was glad that he finally got to see a real happy smile on his lips.
"I..I'll tell you when we're home. It's pretty important.", the silverette explained and went onward to buy the ingredients for cooking. Of course, Alvin would have none of letting Ludger pay for the things he bought.
"You're the cook, so I'll take care of the ingredients.",the salesman explained, taking both bags in one hand while still holding the slender hand of the agent with the other.
He could hear the shorter male mutter something about not being a kid anymore and being able to take care of the shopping himself, but the brunette could only laugh at that. After they finally arrived at the apartment Ludger lived in, the silverette immediately changed into his pyjamas in order not to stain the clothes Alvin gave him with the curry sauce. He then went into the kitchen and started cooking while the salesman was watching the news...or at least acting like he did. In reality, the brunette couldn't take his eyes off of the silverette's back as he hummed and cooked happily, putting all his devotion into the dish.
"Alvin, if you want to stare, please do it less obviously. I feel uncomfortable being observed like a prey by you.", Ludger said without turning around. He could feel the gaze linger on his back.
Instead of denying that he was staring like any normal person would do, the brunette chuckled and stood up, approaching Ludger from behind and kissing the side of his neck. "I just can't take my eyes off of you. Maybe if you'd let me help you cook it would be different?"
"No. I've always cooked alone, so it's fine, really.", the agent smiled a little and shivered, his blush spreading from his cheeks to his neck. He had to be careful. If he got too distracted by the way Alvin had shown his affection, the food would burn for sure, so he carefully tilted his head a bit to escape the greedy lips. Amused by the reaction, the salesman kissed the same spot again before licking it and earned more and more of those delightful shivers.
"I-If you keep up, the food will taste gross. So stop that.", the silverette protested and stirred the sauce. However, the ex-mercenary wouldn't stop assaulting the pale neck with his lips and drawing out small gasps and shivers, soon earning a playful, light hit on the head with a wooden spoon.
"Alvin. What you're doing isn't unpleasant, but please wait until we're done eating. Then you can do as you please. Alright?", he said with a pout, immediately earning a nod from the brunette.
Alvin wasn't going to pass on an opportunity he was given. He knew that the agent was just confused and said that without thinking, but Alvin was going to exploit the hell out of what he said. "So I can still stare at you? I mean, you won't let me cook and won't let me distract you while you're cooking.."
The agent was quiet at that one and just rubbed the spot on his neck Alvin had been kissing, so the brunette took that as a yes and continued watching his beloved silver-haired cook. Soon the meal was ready and put onto two plates. Rollo came up to Ludger and reminded him that he was hungry too though, so the shorter male couldn't eat before he gave the cat some of the Kitty Krisps that he loved so much, earning a content purr from the cat. After that, he sat down at the table and waited for Alvin to sit down too. As soon as the older male sat comfortably, Ludger put his feet on either side Alvin's, smiling cutely. "Now we can eat. I hope you like it, Alvin."
"I will, for sure. Your cooking is always amazing. Even though I only tried it once, Jude was always fawning over your cooking skills.", the brunette admitted, starting to eat slowly, but indeed, he was amazed by how good the cooking was and wolfed down the curry rather fast, the intense taste overwhelming him. He couldn't help but give off small content hums at how well the meal was cooked. "Whoa, that really hit the spot. You obviously know how to make a man happy, Ludger."
The paler one blushed again and shook his head. He wasn't used to being showered in so many compliments. "I just like to cook, it's all...Would...would you like to have seconds? There is still some curry left."
The salesman shook his head and grinned happily "I've had enough. If I eat more I'll feel sleepy."
That was a strange trait that Ludger discovered, but he didn't complain. He wanted to know everything about his lover. And that was no exception, even if it made him chuckle breathlessly as he ate his food. He wasn't as quick as Alvin, so it took him a while to finish. The brunette was kind enough to wash the dishes after he was done and Ludger helped him wipe the plates dry. It was really as if they already were a family. They ate together, laughed together, cleaned together and would also be sharing the same bed. The silverette finished drying the dishes and put the towel aside just to have two strong arms wrap around his waist and lift him up.
"A-Alvin!", he protested, but the brunette didn't stop until he reached the couch.
Only then Alvin sat down before pulling the agent onto his lap. "You said I could do as I pleased after we were done eating, did you forget that?" A flirty smirk appeared on the taller male's lips and he pressed his lips against those of Ludger's, this time softly and briefly despite the playful tone in his voice.
"Alvin..", the agent pouted again and wrapped his arms around the ex-mercenary's neck.
"Call me Alfred. Or Al. We're lovers now, so you should use my real name like everyone in my family does.", he explained in a whisper and kissed the silverette's jawline and his cheeks.
"A-Alfred..", the silverette said experimentally, liking the sound of it. "You have a beautiful name.", he admitted and this time he kissed the salesman on his own accord, feeling the brunette nip on his bottom lip after a while, he parted his lips slightly, letting the curious tongue in by doing so. That feeling was completely new to him, so he didn't know what to do at first. Yet he decided to imitate the movements of the older male's tongue, rubbing their tongues together. The feeling was so pleasant that he let out a soft groan into the kiss, one of his hands grabbing a fistful of the soft brown hair to keep his lover in place. It was all too much for Ludger since it was his first kiss, so soon he ran out of air and pulled back, panting heavily, unsure if he did everything right.
Amused, the brunette let out a hum. "Was that your first time kissing like that? You're quite sensitive about everything."
That was exactly what Julius had told him too, but he couldn't help that his body was sensitive. After all, it was almost completely untouched (except by Julius when they hugged). He blushed a little and nodded. "Not only kissing...You're my first lover, after all..", he confessed and shifted in Alvin's lap, looking aside shyly.
"I asked because you are a pretty good kisser already. But I like that, I will make sure that I'll be your last lover, as well.", the brunette chuckled a bit at the confession and followed with a confession of his own after wiping the saliva off of Ludger's soft lips with his thumb. "You know, I was pretty jealous every time you were affectionate with everyone who isn't me. But now, I can only laugh about that. Since now I know I was able to win your heart in the end." Realizing how cheesy and unlike him it sounded, he added "And you know what I said. 'I always get my prey.'" But instead of 'pretty ladies', he got himself a sexy man, which he didn't complain about, of course. "That said, now that I have my prey, I won't let it go." As if to show that he was serious about Ludger being his prey, he sank his teeth into the soft, pale skin in the area between his neck and shoulder, leaving an almost skin-breaking bite mark, drawing a soft, surprised moan from the agent.
"Al...you're really touchy today...", Ludger said with a chuckle, repeating his brother's words. "But I don't dislike it."
The taller male smirked against the wet skin at the words and the way Ludger's pyjama stretched over his shoulder, whispering against the skin as if he was afraid someone else might hear what they talked about. "Well, Ludger? You wanted to tell me what had made you so happy back at the marketplace, did you forget?"
"O-Oh, right!", the silverette seemed to have forgotten. Then he cupped the cheeks of his lover and made him look up at him, apatite meeting quartz. "Alfred...Since this is all over and we can finally live our lives for ourselves...I would like you to move in with me. It doesn't have to happen immediately, but after a while..you know...", his voice grew quieter and quieter as he realized how shocked Alvin seemed by the suggestion. The last part was nothing but a whisper. "Unless you don't want to, that's also fine."
The brunette's lips curved into a gentle smile. "It's not like that at all. You just keep surprising me with how you are able to take the lead in such things despite usually being so timid.", he pulled Ludger down for a gentle, loving kiss and pressed their foreheads together. "I'd love to move in with you, as long as you're fine with it."
The younger male smiled softly and hummed in approval. "The thought of having someone waiting at home is a pretty nice one, don't you agree? Maybe in my current position I won't be having as much free time as before, so it's even more important that the both of us live together. Then again, if your business will flourish, you won't be home as much as well, will you?"
"I doubt I'll become that successful, Ludger.", Alvin chuckled and shook his head. "I'm just happy that I can prove that Elympios and Rieze-maxia can work together."
Ludger suddenly grinned in a way Alvin never saw before. His eyes were tempting, as if knowing something Alvin didn't and his lips were curved in a proud smile, brimming with confidence. "What if I told you I could tweak a little something to make the Skylark Exchange bow down to you and Yurgen? After all, the main investor of Skylark is the Spirius corporation."
That eyes were so tempting that the brunette had to swallow hard. He didn't know that the puppy-eyed silverette was capable of such a look. Nonetheless, he quickly regained his composure and sighed with a smile on his lips "Isn't that too early to talk about all that? I don't want to do anything else than cuddle and leave all talk about work behind. And considering the time, we should go to sleep soon. So forget everything but me, alright?"
After saying that, the brunette slid one of his hands up the agent's back, causing the foreign face to disappear and the usual puppy eyes to take it's place. Ludger arched his back at the touch and, keeping his gaze locked with that of the brunette, he stroked the ex-mercenary's broad shoulders experimentally in response, his thin fingers inching towards the muscular chest. His bashfulness was still restraining Alvin from going any further than touching his clothed body and that was good that way for both of them. After all, their relationship just started and the agent was still inexperienced with all of these things, so Alvin didn't want to rush things more than he had to.
"Alfred, we shouldn't do anything more than...haah..", the silverette had to gasp as the big hands have found a sensitive spot on his chest. His hand immediately gripped the wrist of the brunette and his gaze told the older male that they had to stop at that unless they were to let their clothing fall.
Alvin chuckled. "You get aroused really quickly. I wonder if it's just because of me or if a little touch is all you need to get in the mood." He wasn't accusing Ludger of anything, but he just wanted to see him at a loss for words. "Anyway...if we are to stop here, we should get ready to sleep and go cuddle in bed instead."
Agreeing to that plan, the silverette slowly got up from his lover's lap, his legs were slightly shaking at the experience, but he covered it up by kissing Alvin before grinning like a kid and running into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Alvin followed close with a happy smile. Upon arrival, the agent hummed. "Al, do you mind using my toothbrush for today? I will use Julius'."
"Oh? My toothbrush is at Balan's, so I could get it. But I don't mind using yours."
Not letting the ex-mercenary get away, Ludger gave him a turquoise brush with a black cat on it's handle, taking the blue one for himself. The design of the toothbrush had amused Alvin so much that he had to laugh.
"Sometimes I have to question your age, Ludger. This time I have to ask if you are really 20 already. But then again, you are a cute 20-year-old. So I guess that fits.", he commented and let the shorter male put some toothpaste on the brush with a pout. That made Alvin laugh even more. "I'm so sorry, but you are just adorable. Especially when you pout or blush, so I'm determined to make you do that more often.", he winked at his lover who just blushed and turned his full attention to brushing his own teeth with his brother's brush, trying to ignore the comments about his cuteness.
After the both had their teeth clean, Ludger went to his bedroom and prepared the bed for them both. The next time he looked at the salesman he found him standing in his boxers only and almost fell backwards, but managed to hold himself up, his gaze roaming over the tan skin and taking in the sight of the well built body. It was bearing a few scars that were standing out on the sun-kissed skin, but that didn't make the brunette any less attractive. His cheeks were a dark red color and the tips of his ears were too as he finally managed to look away from the taller male.
"You like what you see, eh?", the brunette teased and approached Ludger. "I don't wanna sleep in my casual shirt and I didn't bring my pyjamas with me, so you gotta bear with me sleeping in my boxers only."
"It...It's fine. You look really good, Al.", he confessed and laid down into the bed close to the wall, leaving enough space for the brunette to get in before he could cuddle up to him. He changed the topic so that his blush would subside. "I'm so happy that you fell in love with me.."
If it weren't for Alvin, he would be dead now. And who knew, if he would die, how much grief would that cause to others? Rowen had considered him a part of his family, Jude had always been very fond of him as well...Elize and Leia were also seeing him as a brother. But Alvin would probably take the biggest damage from that decision.
"I'm so happy you saved me, even though I'm sad about Elle...", he whispered as he pressed his body close to that of the brunette as soon as the latter laid down. He wanted to say everything he felt, his heart was beating hard against his chest, urging him to speak up. "I realized I loved you ever since we were kids...", he confessed, causing the taller one to look at him in confusion. Before the older male could get anything past his lips though, Ludger pressed his index finger to them in order to keep Alvin quiet. "Remember what Julius has told us in one of the fractured dimensions? That he used to babysit you and Balan?"
A silent nod from Alvin had urged him to continue on. "Julius has shown me some pictures of you and Balan when I was 6...", he paused and blushed "I thought you were a girl back then, but ever since then I loved how you look."
A blush appeared on Alvin's cheeks and he cleared his throat. "Not exactly what I would like to hear, but I'm still glad we have this kind of connection."
"To be honest, I don't know much about my past. Maybe we have even met in person when I was a baby? I would like to find that photo album Julius had shown me as I was a kid again. But I guess it's inside of his room.", Ludger sighed. He wanted to go and see his brother's room again.
Alvin hummed at that. He heard some rumors around Spirius about Ludger being Bisley's son, but he wasn't sure if he even heard right. If that was the truth, there was no way they met...right? Thus, he just nodded, in order of not discouraging Ludger. He did feel a sudden urge to tease the shorter male though. "Let's see if we can find the key then. But for now, let's not forget to set the alarm for tomorrow. A meeting with the Chancellor is not something you would want to oversleep."
At that joke, Ludger smiled again and poked the taller male's side as a punishment. He had to admit that he was a huge airhead nonetheless, so he set his alarm clock and set it onto the nightstand before burying his face in Alvin's chest again. Then he declared with a yawn: "I'm tired. Fighting Chronos and Bisley was too much."
"Then let's sleep. You need your energy.", the taller male said in an understanding tone before adding in his usual flirty one: "But I won't let you sleep without a goodnight kiss."
With that said, he cupped the shorter male's face and tilted it upwards, pressing his own lips onto that of the silverette. He smiled happily into the kiss as he felt Ludger return it, but he didn't take the kiss any further than being a soft and loving one. "Good night, Ludger.", he whispered softly against the soft lips before pulling back.
"Good night to you too, Alfred.", the paler male said with a happy smile, closing his eyes. He felt that he wouldn't have any nightmares despite everything that happened. "Thank you..", he breathed out right before he drifted off to sleep.