Everything around Xiang was either dead, burning, or both. War had broken out, with Hope's Peak being the epicenter. The battle between Hope and Despair was not going well for Xiang and those who were fighting for Hope.

Tears were streaming down the normally stoic Soldier's cheeks and landing on the lifeless body of his sister, Sun Li, with the chef's knife she was using to defend herself laying next to her. Xiang cursed himself twice over for not being able to help her.

"Xiang! What on earth are you doing?! I-is that Sun!? Wha- AUGH!" Xiang turned towards the voice of his father that was making his way over to Xiang with a pistol in hand before he was waylaid by a rioter's haphazard firing.

"FATHER!" Xiang screamed as he rushed over to aide his father. His soldier instincts allowed him to quickly get over to his father without getting caught in the crossfire of the battle going on around him. He knelt by his father and took one of his hands into one of his own.

"Xiang... I trained you better than this... this should have been an easy battle to win with us both... But none... none of that matters now... your mother... your mother also died under my watch... so I suppose I can't reprimand you too much. But listen to your father's... last words." Xiang's father coughed up a good amount of blood before continuing. "Live on, my son. Live on and carry on our family name..." Xiang's father manages to utter before passing on to the afterlife.

Xiang could only cry in horror. He was the only one left of his family living... And he could do nothing. He was a disappointment to his family nam-

"Xiang!"

Xiang turned at the sound of the voice to see Faen in his butler outfit that was tattered in some places and ripped in others. There was a growing red stain on Faen's shoulder, which combined with the grimace on the usually happy butler's face was evident enough that he had sustained an injury in this battle. Faen was almost to Xiang's position as he once again shouted his name.

"Xiang!"

"F-Faen! What are you doing out here!?" Xiang screamed at the one he had come to have affections for.

Faen gave him an empty smirk as he slowed to a walk , relief seemingly washing over seeing Xiang not among the deceased. "I won't stand by idly while my partner is out here risking it all! We have to get through this togeth-"

Whatever Faen was going to say was interrupted by the bullet entering one side of his head and exiting the other. Faen fell to the ground, a look of intense shock to be etched on his features for all eternity. Xiang scrambled over to Faen's body the pain in his chest surpassing full capacity as Xiang cradled Faen's head in his lap. Xiang simply stared down at Faen's body, unable to speak, with a look of intense distraught. When Xiang's voice finally came back to him, he could only scream.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Xiang woke up screaming, which alerted Faen who was still up doing his homework after making sure his classmates had been taken care of. The sudden start had almost spilled Faen's tea, but he swiftly caught that before it got on the paper he had been working on.

"Xiang, what on earth happened, love?" Faen asked, concern plain on his face as he put down his pencil and got up from the desk to come over and sit on Xiang's bed. Faen leaned over Xiang, awaiting an explanation of some sort. In the three months they had been together, Xiang had never cried out once.

"It... it was all a nightmare... oh thank the gods..." Xiang said as he started crying tears of joy. He covered his eyes with his hands as soft sobs escaped his mouth. Xiang felt hands tenderly grab his wrists and lift his hands as Faen once more came into his field of view. Xiang looked at him with a hopeful gaze, "Please, Faen, never ever go into the armed forces...it..I... I couldn't bear to lose you, ever," Xiang pleaded of Faen, pain etched into his face. Faen had a look of curiosity and worry on his face before his usual warm smile came back. "I suppose I can put off my homework until the morning..."

Xiang looked puzzled as he looked at Faen getting up, "What are you going to do-?" He began, but stopped once he realized Faen was taking off his jacket and getting into Xiang's bed with him. Faen wrapped his hand around Xiang's back and pulled him in closer.

"Now now, love, I'm here. I don't know what happened in your dream, but I swear as long as you're in my arms, nothing will ever hurt you. Now let us sleep and greet the new day together."

Xiang's face went up two stages of red as Faen pulled him in, but he smiled and snuggled into Faen's chest. Yes, this was his safe haven, and nothing could affect him while he was here.

The pair slept in that position till the next day, where Xiang woke up and realized Faen had already gotten up for the day. Xiang was worried until he looked on the desk Faen was working on, his and Faen's reports done, with a note that had "Breakfast" on it in Faen's clean handwriting.

Xiang quickly took a shower and put on another change of close as he made his way for the door of the room he and Faen shared. Taking his scarf from the hook and wrapping it around his neck, he left his room and locked it behind him as he made his way to the cafeteria. As he was walking, he could smell the sent of ivory and lavender, two of his favorite scents. Faen must have washed it when he woke up early the morning. Xiang felt a little down, While he had to respect Faen's early morning routines, he had wished Faen would just sleep in with him one of these days. Especially since they didn't have many classes today.

As he stood in the entrance of the cafeteria, he spotted Faen conversing with Nicolette Birza, who was animatedly dominating the conversation, evidenced by Faen's constant stream of nods and laughter, with a few moments of talking himself. Xiang didn't really know what they could be talking about, and with the combined noise from everyone else's conversations, he couldn't really catch any of it.

Xiang, realizing he'd be better off just asking instead of trying to read lips, grabbed his breakfast and headed of to the table. Upon seeing his approach, Nico smiled, waved to him and then got up to leave after telling Faen something along the lines of "See you later, or if not, I'll see you this weekend!" and waving to him, then walking off to go talk to someone else.

"Good morning, love. Did you sleep well?" Faen asked as he took another bite of curry rice.

"Well enough, I suppose. I thought you'd still be there when I woke up, though..." Xiang said a small amount of disappointment in his voice.

"My most sincerest apologies, love, but I had a few things to attend to for the day before our classes," Faen smiled apologetically, placing a hand over one of Xiang's as he sat down, giving it a little squeeze.

"I suppose you do have things to do as a butler." Xiang said, resigned to the fact that he might never get that day of rest with Faen. He started to eat his own breakfast, unaware of the fact of the twinkle that gleamed in Faen's eyes as he watched Xiang eat, knowing smile on his face.

"That I did. However, until our afternoon class, I have a different set of duties to attend to..." Faen said almost apologetically. Xiang looked at him in near disbelief, was this day just not meant to be theirs?

"What duties other than butler duties do you have?" Xiang asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. Faen's smile then gave way to laughter as Faen squeezed Xiang's hand tighter.

"Why that's quite elementary, Xiang. I have my duties as your beloved, of course." Faen said, a sly smile gracing his features. Xiang blushed deeply as he processed what Faen had just said.

"But what about what you and Nico were tal-"

"A gentleman never kisses and tells, Mr. Li. That's for another day. Now hurry up and finish eating, love. Do care not to get anything on that scarf of yours, though, I'm low on Lavender scented detergent," Faen interrupted Xiang as he sat back and waiting for Xiang to finish.

Xiang smiled and finished his food quickly, taking care not to get his scarf dirty again, and then was led back to their room by Faen, which puzzled Xiang.

"What duties do you have in our bedroom?" Xiang asked of the man who pretended not to hear him as he opened the door.

"I was thinking you might need a bit more protection from your insecurities," Faen said as he led Xiang to the bed. Xiang just noticed Faen wasn't wearing his full butler outfit, he was missing the jacket which had been hanging on the chair.

Xiang smiled as he took off his scarf, hanging it next to Faen's jacket, and got into the bed. Faen followed him into the bed and pulled him in towards his chest as Xiang once more snuggled into Faen's chest and Faen's hug deepened. Xiang was once more in his safe haven, and he, for once in his lifetime, actually cursed the fact they had an afternoon class.

A/N : Yo, Penumbro here again. So, here's Day 2. I went back and added some fluff after reading SD'S one shot and feeling like my first was inadequate, so there's some parts even he or the rest of the cult haven't seen in here. So, I hope you guys enjoy it and please leave a review with things you'd like to see off the challenge, or maybe who you'd like to see be cameo'd in further challenges since I've actually yet to write past day 4. If you do need to see the challenges, SD has them as he first chapter in his challenge. I should also mention that my story is probably going to be entirely AU of AFoFD. One last thing, I should mention Faen Skylark is my submission into AfoFD, with Xiang Li belonging to HeroinofDarkness, who loves this ship as much as me :D

Have a good day/afternoon/night , readers!