Two months later...
"Kardia, I'm gonna hit you with my crutch if you don't knock it off!" The two young men were sitting on the front porch of the Aquarius Temple. Degel, who was trying to read, was still on crutches because he had taken some nasty falls that kept dislocating his knee. His mind was set on reading, but Kardia, covered by his training armor, was deciding to be a 'royal pain in the ass'.
"What's wrong with what I'm doing, darling?" the Scorpio asked innocently, sucking on the green popsicle in his hand.
"It's distracting me!" Degel snapped. "I can't read with that awful noise in my ear."
"Does the noise make you think things?" The Scorpio chuckled as his boyfriend tried to keep a blush from creeping onto his face.
"It does make me think that I want to smack you." Degel closed his book with a long sigh. "Too bad I'm too nice." Kardia smiled triumphantly as his green-haired angel took off his glasses and stood up, taking in the beautiful curves of his slender body.
"You're ogling me again, Kardia," teased Degel, pulling his blue-eyed beauty from his trance.
"I know, darling, but I can't help it," Kardia whined. "Everything about you is so beautiful." The Aquarian limped over to Kardia and sat in his lap, kissing him on the cheek before taking a lick of the frozen treat.
"I'm bored," Degel stated blandly.
"Wanna go down to the training grounds?" asked Kardia. "I have to make sure Yato isn't slacking off, since I haven't been down there very often these past few weeks."
"Ha! Good one, Kardia," Degel joked. "You'd be joining a fight as soon as we enter the arena!" The Scorpio felt offended, putting on his best pouty face. That look always melted the cold Saint's heart. After seeing that look, Degel stood up with a sighed and said, "Fine, we can go. Just don't expect me not to freeze the first person that picks on us."
"Thanks, Ice Cube!" Kardia said cheerfully. Degel grabbed one of his crutches and hopped down the short flight of stairs to where Kardia now waited for him. The Scorpio grabbed Degel's hand and they walked down through the temples.
Most of the temples were empty due to the fact that their owners were out training. However, as they neared the entrance to Gemini, Degel breathing heavily from all of the stairs, Kardia noticed that the Gemini Saint, Aspros, was waiting for them.
"Hey there!" greeted Aspros with a cheeky grin on his face, his deep voice rebounding on the temple's walls. "What happened to you two all of a sudden? You left me all alone to oversee the training of these weakling maggots, you bastard Scorpion!" He grabbed Kardia in a headlock and rubbed the top of his head a few times, messing up the blue mane.
"Nice to see you too, Ass," replied the Scorpio playfully.
"So it is true," the Gemini mused after releasing his captive. "Goldie said that you and Ice Boy got a 'thing' goin' on."
"Yep," Kardia sneered. "He only talks because he's jealous." He wrapped his arm around Degel protectively, and the Aquarius did the same.
"I don't blame him, though," Aspros admitted. "With a face like his, it must be pretty hard to find anyone that would want him." The two blue-haired men laughed, and Degel chuckled a little. "Anyhow, I suppose I should let you guys get on your way. There's only about three or four hours left of the day, and I have to go get Def because he decided to visit his beloved Kanon Island again. And you know how much he loves his volcanoes; once he's there, it's hard to get him back home."
"It was nice talking to you, Aspros," Degel said, shaking the Gemini's hand. "And tell Defteros I said 'hi'."
"Don't worry, I will. Take care, Degel. And Kardia: if he ain't ready for it, control yourself; don't rape him." The Gemini laughed loudly, the echo spreading around the temple.
"You fucking pervert!" Kardia yelled after the Gemini as he jumped into Another Dimension. Degel shook his head, his face pale.
"I'd never do that to you, Degel," the Scorpio promised, looking at the Aquarian lovingly. That's when he saw the Frenchman's exhausted look. "Do you want to rest for a while? You look worn out."
"No, that's alright," Degel replied. "Let's keep going." Kardia nodded and the two Saints continued on their way.
Passing Aries Temple, Kardia noticed that Degel's breathing had gotten more and more rapid. The Aquarian's face was slick with sweat, and his violet eyes looked hazy.
"I think we should rest, darling," Kardia stated. "You're exhausted."
"I'm fine," insisted Degel, wheezing. Ignoring Degel's claim, Kardia picked him up and walked over to a small cluster of boulders.
"Maybe we should've waited another day or so," the Scorpio said, setting the Aquarian on one of the rocks. "You could black out at this rate. I wasn't even thinking; I should've grabbed a damn water bottle." Degel leaned against his crutch, slowly taking deep breaths. Kardia ran his hand through the Frenchman's long, sweaty hair.
"I'll carry you the rest of the way, if you want," the Scorpio offered.
"I don't care; my give-a-damn's busted," Degel replied breathlessly. Kardia picked up the Aquarian and continued walking to the training grounds. In a few short minutes, Degel had fallen asleep.
The Scorpio could see a small group of boys as he descended the last flight of stairs. Yato, his student from a few years ago, just so happened to be in the middle of it, teaching the new recruits how to destroy rocks with their cosmos.
"So you have been making yourself useful, Yato," Kardia teased, surprising the black-haired teen.
"Oh, Master Kardia! It's nice to see you again!" the Unicorn Bronze Saint replied, soon noticing the green-haired man in his teacher's arms. "How is Aquarius doing?"
"Exhausted and in pain, but still a fighter," replied Kardia, a smirk appearing on his face as he thought of a 'fun' idea. "What do you say we get some sparring in? For the kids' reference."
"You totally just want to kick my butt," Yato guessed, getting into his battle stance. The blue-haired man flashed a knowing smile, laying Degel on a nearby bench before standing confidently.
"Ready?" asked Kardia.
"Hell yeah!" Yato replied enthusiastically.
"That's my good little pony," Kardia said, lunging. Yato swung his arm up just as the Scorpio closed in, but was surprised when his master seemed to disappear. He turned sharply, catching the surface of Kardia's cheek as the Scorpio ducked, planning on using his leg to swipe his student's out from under him. Yato outsmarted him by jumping and flipping over his master, landing behind him and missed a blow to his back. There was a blue flash, then all was still. The Unicorn Saint looked around, trying to pinpoint Kardia's location to no avail.
"Too slow, little boy," Kardia mocked in Yato's ear, swiping his feet from under him and smashing the Unicorn's face into the ground. The Japanese teen groaned, struggling to a sitting position with a small smile on his face.
"Still the lethal scorpion I remember," Yato laughed as he spat blood out of his mouth.
Kardia laughed. "And you're a lot better than when you first gained that cloth. I'm proud of your improvements. But you've still got a lot to learn; that wasn't even half my power." He held his hand out to the black-haired teen and helped him stand.
"What did I tell you, Kardia?" the mocking voice of Degel questioned, a triumphant smile adorning his features.
"Well, good morning, Sunshine." Kardia smiled sweetly. "Did you have a good nap?"
"Don't you play innocent with me, Scorpio," Degel chided. "Every time we're down here, you always pick a fight with someone."
"'Sunshine'? Is that some sort of inside joke?" asked Yato, confused.
"Oh, I never told you, did I, agóri mou?" Kardia said, wrapping an arm around Degel's waist. "Me and this beautiful angel are dating now." The Unicorn stood in shock for a while, not really sure what to think. Even though he was straight, he didn't think that people were wrong to be gay. And he loved his master as if he were his father, but it seemed odd that he would choose the supposedly emotionless, cold Aquarius Saint over someone more like himself.
"Really?" he finally managed.
"Is there a problem here, Unicorn?" asked Degel, getting a little defensive.
"No, there's not a problem," Yato assured. "I'm really happy for you guys, don't get me wrong. It's just, on my perspective, I would've guessed that Master would end up with someone with... 'similar characteristics', you know? Like, he uses heat-based attacks and tends to show what he's feeling, where you have ice-based attacks and don't really show much emotion."
"I guess that's fair," Degel agreed. "I'm working on changing my 'cold' appearance, but I still believe that there is a time and a place to show certain emotions."
"I totally agree," the black-haired teenager said. "You really are wise beyond your years, as people have told me. If the time permits, I'd like to learn a little more about you, but I have to get back to the boys' training. Athena knows what the Pope would say if he saw I was slacking."
"Nice to see you again, shrimp," Kardia said, messing up Yato's hair.
"Nice to see you, too, Master," the Unicorn replied, shaking his hand.
"Bye, Mr. Scorpio! Bye, Mr. Aquarius!" yelled a young, black-haired boy. The two Saints laughed and said goodbye to the smiling children as they walked back to the Aquarius Temple, hand in hand.
Degel was completely content at this late hour. He was reading on the couch, Kardia's head in his lap as he dozed on his back. His hand and the Scorpio's were intertwined over his partner's tan chest, rising and falling with the Greek's breaths.
Suddenly realizing that it might be later than he anticipated, he looked at the wooden clock on the wall. Eleven thirty-four; almost midnight, and they still hadn't eaten dinner.
"Kardia," Degel said quietly, rousing the sleeping Greek by lightly shaking his shoulder.
"Mph... What is it, babe? Wanna sleep," came the Scorpio's mumbled reply, snuggling deeper into the Aquarian's thigh.
"We should eat before we go to bed," Degel insisted. "Just something simple."
Kardia sighed heavily and sat up with a groan. "You got sandwich stuff?"
"Yeah. There's ham, lettuce, and cheese in the fridge. Bread's in the pantry." The Scorpio stood, stretched, and walked to the kitchen to make himself and Degel a sandwich. The Aquarian went back to reading one of his favorite books; The Iliad, written by Homer. He was always fascinated by all of the stories, especially the one that holds the history of his guardian constellation, Aquarius: about a young boy named Ganymede who was captured by Zeus because of his beauty and became the Gods' cupbearer.
"Here you go, darling," Kardia interrupted, setting Degel's plate in his lap. They sat in silence for a while as both Saints ate their sandwiches. When they had finished, Kardia took their empty plates to the kitchen.
"Are you cold, Kardia?" asked Degel as the blue-haired man sat next to him. He could see the goosebumps spreading across the Scorpio's arms.
"A little," Kardia admitted. "Your temple always feels colder than the others."
"C'mon," the Aquarius said as he stood up and limped over to the bear-skin rug in front of the roaring fireplace. The Scorpio followed him obediently, grabbing a few blankets and pillows from the couch and chairs. After making a sort of "nest" over the rug, he helped Degel sit. He laid down over the strategically-arranged pillows, bringing the green-haired man down with him.
"Is this better?" asked Degel, taking off his glasses and setting them on the rug. The light from the flames danced across the Aquarian's face.
"Yes," Kardia replied happily, wrapping his muscular arms around Degel's torso. The minty smell of his shampoo tingled the Scorpio's nose. The Aquarian turned on his side and laid his head on Kardia's chest, running his hand over his boyfriend's rock-hard abs languidly.
"Degel?" asked Kardia shyly.
"Yes?" the Aquarian questioned, turning onto his stomach so that he could look at the Scorpio.
"I've been thinking a lot these past few days, and I think now is the time to ask. Can we, um... can we kiss? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but-"
Degel held a finger over Kardia's lips, his face tinged pink. "Actually, that sounds nice." The Scorpio's eyes widened. He never thought that Degel would consent to that within the short time they've been dating.
Kardia sat up, Degel sitting in his lap. He put his hand behind Degel's head, playing with the green strands of hair as their faces came closer together. The Aquarian wrapped his arms around the blue-haired man's neck, his heartbeat drumming loudly in his ears. Their faces were about an inch apart when Kardia moved his hand to stroke Degel's blushed cheek lightly. There was a slight hesitation from the Scorpio when their lips were just millimeters apart; he tried to calm his heavily-beating heart, thumping strongly against his chest in anticipation. Kardia had no doubts when his lips finally descended on Degel's, creating their first shy, feathery kiss.
The Aquarian's breathing hitched when Kardia's lips touched his for the first time. The Scorpio's lips were warm and smooth; Degel could smell the sweet, tangy scent of apples that seemed to surround the Greek all the time. Not wanting their pleasurable kiss to end, he held Kardia's head and pulled him closer.
Kardia was beginning to lose himself in their wonderful kiss. His thoughts grew fuzzy, wanting something a little more than just a simple lip-press. He pulled back a little, lightly sucking on Degel's lower lip, feeling the Frenchman do the same.
After getting bored of that, Kardia linked their lips again, slowly tracing the outline of Degel's with his tongue. The Aquarian opened his mouth slightly; Kardia gently broke his tongue through the small opening, tasting the minty freshness of the Frenchman. Degel surrendered to this even more passionate kiss, moaning lightly at the pleasurable, apple-flavored taste of Kardia. The Greek moved his tongue over every inch of Degel's mouth, also not wanting this lustful kiss to end.
However, the need for air drew them apart. They pulled away slowly, ending the deep kiss with a gentle one, breathing spasmodically. Kardia looked at Degel's beautiful face: crimson cheeks, slightly-parted lips, and eyes that were shining with happiness. The Scorpio gently pulled Degel into his warm embrace, planting a chaste kiss on his partner's forehead.
"I love you, Degel," Kardia said affectionately. The Aquarian's face grew warmer as Kardia held him closer.
"I love you, too, Kardia," Degel whispered, wrapping his arms around the blue-haired man's neck. The two young men laid down next to the roaring fireplace and fell asleep, still feeling a great surge of happiness.
Kardia awoke to an amazing smell wafting from the kitchen. He stayed on the rug a while longer, though, the warmth from the hearth pinning him down. Not only that, but he wasn't feeling like his normal, spunky self. His head throbbed painfully and his entire body felt like it was being bathed in flames; he wasn't in pain, like his heart sickness, but the heat seemed just as great.
"Oh, you're awake, mon cher," the Aquarian said as he walked into the living room, surprised. "My knee didn't hurt very bad this morning, so I got up and made some apple muffins." Degel sat down next to Kardia, who had a hardly-noticeable grin.
That's when he noticed the blue-haired man's flushed face. The Scorpio's eyes were shining with fever. "Are you okay, darling? You don't look so good." He placed his hand on Kardia's cheek and felt an immense warmth. The Scorpio sighed contentedly, feeling the nice cool hand on his hot skin.
"Oh, Kardia," Degel gasped. "Your face is burning."
"Your hand feels nice," the blue-haired man rasped, snuggling deeper into the large nest of blankets and pillows. A sudden bout of rough coughing seized Kardia's wary body, every hack sounding like it was tearing apart his trachea. Degel rubbed his back affectionately, trying to soothe the sick Greek.
"C'mon, Kardia," the Aquarian said, standing. "You need to rest for a while." The Scorpio followed Degel to the bedroom and laid down on the warm surface as the green-haired man spread more blankets over him.
"Have you ever had the flu, Kardia?" Degel asked.
"I don't think so," replied the blue-haired man in a mumbly tone.
"That explains everything," said the Aquarian, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Since you've never had the flu, the symptoms are a lot stronger. It would be best for you to stay in bed for the next week or so, to help yourself heal. If you think the symptoms are bad now, I'm warning you that they only get worse in the first two to three days."
"Are you frickin' serious? I hate being pent up. Stupid fucking flu." Degel smiled seeing Kardia all bundled up like a cocoon, especially with his adorable pouty face. He sat next to the Scorpio and laid the blue-haired man's head on his shoulder.
"You'll be okay," the Aquarian assured, stroking his hair. "If you listen to me and do what I tell you to for the next week, I'll have a surprise for you. Deal?" Kardia perked up a bit at the mention of Degel's 'surprise'. No one had ever surprised him, besides the times when his friends used to jump out at him from behind pillars and bushes.
"Deal," he said, gingerly laying down in the mountain of pillows. Degel smiled and kissed him on the forehead delicately.
"I'll go get you some muffins, okay?" said the Aquarian.
"And some apple juice? Pleeeeeease?" asked Kardia.
"Sure. I'll be right back." Degel stood up to leave the room.
Not even a Gold Saint with the highest senses could detect what happened next. A cloaked figure smashed through the window, sending shards everywhere. Kardia had no room to react as the figure grabbed Degel and clamped a white cloth over his mouth and nose. Suddenly, just as Kardia was getting ready to strike, another figure grabbed him from behind and knocked him unconscious with the same type of rag. Degel's lungs were burning, but he knew he couldn't take a breath of the drugged cloth. Eventually, he fell unconscious due to lack of oxygen.
It was midafternoon when Kardia finally came to. He was up and moving in a blur as he recalled his current situation, fumbling with his armor as he tried to put it on with shaky fingers. His head was racing. He didn't even finish putting on the last shoulder plate of his magnificent Scorpio Cloth when he felt two strange, dark cosmos, and sprinted out the door. There was another, more faint, a cosmos that Kardia knew by heart; it was his beloved Degel, sending a distress signal through his cosmic energy.
Moving at light speed, Kardia followed the weak cosmos to a run-down tavern in the middle of a nearby forest. The dark cosmos seemed to cover the whole building in a shroud of malice. The Scorpio shredded the door with his Scarlet Needle. He walked into the dimly lit room and stood for a few seconds and listened on high alert. It was a good thing, too, because he heard a muffled sound, a muffled scream more like, that no one would have heard without Kardia's predatory senses. The blue-haired man ran into the room where he heard the sound, but when he emerged in the candle-lit room, he almost screamed in terror and disbelief.
There was his beautiful, green-haired angel, his Degel; gagged, hair pinned up, wearing only his pants, and covered in bruises and cuts. His hands were cuffed and connected by a chain to the ceiling. There wasn't enough chain to allow him to sit down, and he had no energy to stand, so he was (quite literally) hanging by the chain as the metal cut into his wrists. Degel had dry tears on his cheeks, and the Scorpio could see the violet eyes flood again with both pain and relief.
Kardia was utterly shocked; what had his beautiful angel done to deserve such harsh and unjust treatment? He ran to Degel, trying his best not to cry as he clumsily untied the knot in the gag. The Aquarian took in sharp, strangled breaths. Kardia burst the chains and manacles with his Scarlet Needle and caught Degel as he almost hit the ground, hearing the heartbreaking screams of agony from the Aquarian's immense pain.
"How- did you- find me?" the Aquarian choked out through strangled gasping after calming himself a little.
"I felt your distress signal," Kardia explained. "I followed it here. Those sons of bitches are gonna pay, dammit!" He whipped off his cape and draped it around Degel's shivering shoulders. The Aquarian clung to him desperately, his knuckles turning white.
Out of nowhere, two figures dropped into the room, surrounding the couple. Kardia equipped his Needle, ready to protect his beloved at all costs.
"My my, what do we have here?" came a warm, sing-song voice. "I thought I'd get some more time to 'play' with this little doll." Kardia felt Degel shiver in his arms and give a quiet whimper. This must be one of the guys that hurt my Degel, Kardia thought.
The figure to the left of Kardia threw off his cape, revealing the shiny dark armor underneath. Shabby gray hair hung down to the man's waist. Kardia made a hissing sound of displeasure as he recognized one of the three Judges of the Underworld: Griffon Minos.
"You," Kardia growled in disgust, clenching his teeth. "You have some nerve to even lay a finger on Degel, you bastard. And you know what? I'm gonna make you pay the price."
That made the Specter of Hades laugh.
"And what exactly can you do about it now, Scorpio?" Minos teased. "You're nothing more than a puppet in my hands. COSMIC MARIONATION!" Kardia let go of Degel just as the puppet strings wrapped around his limbs. As the strings continued to bend his limbs to Minos' will, the Scorpio moaned in an excited way. His eyes widened, the pupils becoming smaller as he flashed a rapacious smile. Kardia had reached Wild Psychotic Warrior mode.
"I've never felt pain like this before, Minos," the crazed Kardia said, "I love this pain; it gives me a sense of humanity. And right now, I could just rip your sorry ass into teeny, tiny pieces!" With a malicious cackle, he swept his right arm in front of him, severing the cosmic strings of the Griffon.
"But how?!" Minos yelled in fury. "How did you escape?!" He looked at his shortened threads and noticed a strange glint on the ones that had restrained the Scorpio's arm. He picked one up and felt that it was cold to the touch.
"You're not-taking him-Minos. And you'll never-take me-either." The Griffon looked towards the strangled sound, seeing the severely-injured Aquarius Saint. Degel's arm was thrust out towards him, his chest heaving in rapid sobs. His whole body was emerged in a white mist that expelled icy air.
While the Griffon was distracted, Kardia took aim and hit Minos straight away with fourteen deadly strikes of his Scarlet Needle. Minos doubled over and screamed in pure agony.
"I usually give people two choices: surrender, or die. But you've crossed the line; I ain't even gonna give you a choice," the Scorpio said, positioning his final strike. "SCARLET NEEDLE ANTARES!" The body of Minos convulsed, then turned into sickly black smoke. He turned to the other Specter, who happened to be a foot soldier, and killed him, too.
"Are you alright, Degel?" Kardia asked as he walked over to his crying Aquarius and gently lifted him off the ground. Degel hugged Kardia desperately, burying his face into the crook of the blue-haired man's neck. The Scorpio gently swept his thumb across Degel's cheek, trying to sooth him. He avoided the Aquarian's back, where deep gashes were carved into the smooth skin.
"Yeah," Degel replied shakily. "Good thing is-he didn't-rape me. Was gonna-until you-showed up."
"Oh, thank the Gods I woke up when I did," Kardia whispered. "But he made a lot of damage as is... We need to clean you up and get you in bed. It's all over now, okay? He won't get you anymore. I've got you." Degel nodded, his breathing slowing down and losing its rough edge. He was glad to finally be able to leave this dreadful place and go home.
"Think about warm 'jammies and fluffy pillows and bubbles in the bathtub. 'Cause that's what you're gettin' when we get home." Degel smiled.
"Do you want a piggy-back ride? It's going to be kind of a long walk, and I don't want you to get more hurt than you already are."
"Sure." Kardia bent his knees a little, and Degel wrapped his arms around the Scorpio's neck before jumping and wrapping his legs around Kardia's waist, his boyfriend's arms hooked under his knees. The Greek began a brisk walked from the tavern, anxious to be away from that awful place.
The walk back to the Aquarius Temple seemed like hours for its inhabitant. Degel could only focus on the pain throughout his body. Out of all the things he'd been through, this was no doubt on his list of "Most-Painful Circumstances".
A few Gold Saints stood outside the Aquarius Temple as Kardia and Degel reached it; Aspros, Defteros, and Albafica.
"What happened, guys?" Aspros asked, concerned about the Aquarian's current state.
"I felt you heading for Degel, so I came and waited, just to make sure you guys were okay," Defteros commented.
"A motherfuckin' Specter happened," Kardia said bitterly, helping Degel slide to his feet gingerly. "Griffon Minos kidnapped Degel and chained him up and beat him to a pulp."
"How'd he manage to chain you?" Albafica questioned the Aquarian. "That doesn't seem possible, even in the shape that your knee was in."
"He stormed my temple with one of his minions," Degel said with strain. "They knocked Kardia out with this drugged rag, and I tried to hold my breath, but I ended up passing out."
"You're in quite a bit of pain," the Pisces noted. "May I see the wounds? I should have some herbs that might help." Degel swept his now-loose hair over his shoulder before removing the blood-soaked cloak with a sharp hiss. All eyes fell upon the deep lacerations; seven in total, with most being around eight inches long, although a few spanned the entire breadth of his back. It was almost too hard to see the wounds because of all the blood, not to mention the plethora of bruises everywhere. Albafica studied them carefully for a short time.
"It may take a little bit of time to make, but I can make a salve with some of my plants," the Pisces confirmed. "I'd say about an hour at the most to prepare it."
"You don't think he'll need stitches?" Aspros asked, flabbergasted. "Those gashes are awfully deep."
"Positive," Albafica stated. "The salve should close up the wound a lot faster that stitches. Combined with an ice pack, it'll reduce a lot of the swelling, too, although it may sting a little when it's applied."
"Thank you, Albafica," Degel said.
"It's not a problem. I'm happy to help. I'll be back somewhere within the next hour to deliver the salve."
"Alright." The Pisces turned and left swiftly.
"We better get going, too," Defteros said, turning to his older twin. "Those trainees can't oversee themselves."
"Yeah, you're right," Aspros replied. "We'll see you around, guys. Hope those wounds heal fast, Degel."
"Me, too," Degel nodded. "And thank you."
"No problem," said the younger Gemini. With that, the two brothers left, talking animatedly.
As soon as they entered the temple, Kardia headed straight for the bathroom. After the Scorpio reached the edge of the Roman-style bath, he helped Degel undress, then stripped off his armor and clothes.
"Why are you taking your clothes off, Kardia?" the Aquarian questioned.
"Well, I can't help you wash yourself from up here," Kardia stated matter-of-factly. "And I haven't had even a short shower in at least three days."
Degel couldn't help staring at the Scorpio's amazing physique: large biceps, broad chest with chiseled features, a rock-hard six-pack, and long muscular legs, all of it covered in a layer of bronze skin. The wavy cascade of blue hair reached the small of his back.
Little did Degel realize, Kardia was studying his features, too. He'd seen Degel's body before, but never unclothed.
Even through all of the blood and bruises, the Scorpio could see how beautiful his boyfriend's body was. His figure in general was a lot skinnier; the limbs were muscular, no doubt, but not as pronounced as Kardia's. He had prominent, six-pack abs, which the Scorpio found sexy. What really enchanted Kardia, especially in the training grounds when he was wearing leggings, was Degel's hips; they had just enough curviness to seem slightly feminine. His straight, light green hair flowed gracefully to his waist. And the Scorpio didn't miss how cute Degel was acting, trying to look casual as he held his hands in front of his private area.
The two young men suddenly locked their gazes, noticing that the other was looking at them. Both of their faces turned bright red, and they looked away in embarrassment of being found out.
"Uh... Sorry 'bout that," Kardia said awkwardly, helping Degel into the water. "But you don't have to cover yourself up, you know. You're beautiful. No words could ever describe it. You're like a living angel." Degel blushed as Kardia leaned over and captured his lips in a slow, sensual kiss.
Most of the blood and dirt on Degel's chest came off easily with gentle scrubbing. There were a few sizable gashes on his stomach that stung, but the smaller cuts and scratches didn't hurt. The worst pain was when Kardia was washing his back, which Degel had informed was whipped with the awful strings. The blood was caked over and along the huge gashes, making the job even more painful. Kardia did everything he could to scrub everything off and be gentle at the same time, which proved to be a tough task.
Finally, after more agonizingly slow minutes, Kardia said, "Alright, I'm done with the bad part. All we have to do is wash your hair and we'll be done." Degel sighed in relief, leaning back against Kardia as the Scorpio squeezed some shampoo into his hand. He gently rubbed the substance into the long green locks, smelling a familiar scent.
"Degel, is this apple-scented?" Kardia asked, his lips spread in a playful smile.
"It makes me happy," the Aquarian said, grinning and turning pink. "Since you always smell like apples, I bought it because it reminds me of you; it's like having a little piece of you with me when you're gone."
The Scorpio smiled widely. "That is the cutest thing I've ever heard," he gushed, gently twisting Degel's head to the side and kissing him on the cheek affectionately, the pale green suds sliding gently down his face. The Aquarian felt some of the pain slip away under the massaging treatment on his scalp, a precious calmness spreading around him.
After washing Degel's hair, Kardia washed himself and let the Aquarius soak for a while. Then, he helped him dry off and carried him to the bedroom, helping him put on some pants and then going to the door when Albafica arrived. He took the salve, said a final thank-you, and went back to his Aquarian.
The Pisces was right; the salve did sting quite a bit when it was applied, as Degel found out. It didn't take long to put on, though, and after Kardia bandaged the Frenchman's lacerations and brushed both of their hair, the Scorpio slid under the covers to hold him and comfort him. They sat in silence for a while, Degel laying on his side with his head on Kardia's chest. The Scorpio held him closer, kissing his forehead and rubbing his shoulder with immense tenderness.
Suddenly, a hot sensation spread throughout Kardia's body. His heart throbbed and began burning strongly. A frightened and agonized groan escaped the Scorpio's throat; Degel sat up, despite the horrible pain, and set his hand on his beloved's chest, sending his cold cosmos into the burning organ. Kardia looked up at him through squinted eyes, fearing his lover's pain-filled look. His heart slowly stopped burning, and he gathered his beloved Degel in his arms, holding him tightly and rubbing his shoulder to try and ease his pain.
"I'm sorry, darling," Kardia whispered, his eyes filling with tears at the thought of causing his beloved pain.
"It wasn't your fault, you silly scorpion," Degel assured tenderly, smiling despite the burning sensation. "Now quit that; there's no reason to cry. I'm okay." The Aquarian leaned his head against Kardia's chest. There was a long silence between them, and when Kardia looked down, he saw that his beautiful, green-haired angel had fallen asleep. In a few long minutes, the Scorpio also fell into a well-needed rest.
Dawn was breaking as Degel awoke from his slumber. It didn't surprise him that his back throbbed like the bass at a rock concert. What did surprise him was that his bed, besides himself, was empty.
A sudden sound startled him. Degel concluded that it was coming from the bathroom. He strained to hear what the sounds were. He listened again; there was a cough, then an unidentifiable sound.
"Kardia?" Degel called, sitting up. The pain wasn't as bad as he anticipated. The only reply he received was more coughing and that strange sound. With a little difficulty, he stood up and walked over to the bathroom door, which was closed at the moment. Now that he was closer, Degel realized that the weird sound was vomiting.
"Kardia, are you alright?" Degel yelled again, leaning on the door.
"Peachy," Kardia replied hoarsely, taking some raspy breaths as another wave of nausea hit him. Degel opened the door just in time to see his partner, bent over the toilet and holding his hair back with one hand, cough up water and bile. The green-haired man rushed to Kardia's side and took the thick, wavy mass of blue strands into his hand so that his lover could steady himself better. Just in time for another moment of retching.
"Good thing I didn't eat anything," the Scorpio said blandly. He set his hands on the tank and cradled his head in his forearms, taking deep breaths. Degel, still holding back Kardia's hair, rubbed the blue-haired man's back soothingly.
"You should rest now, mon cher," Degel insisted, wrapping Kardia in a hug as he stood up. "I'll make you some chicken broth."
"But what about you?" asked Kardia, coughing into his arm before returning the hug. "We should change those dressings, they're probably nasty-lookin'."
"I'll be fine. We can do that in a little bit." The Frenchman placed a tender kiss on the Greek's red cheek. "You're sick, so you need to sleep."
"Alright, fine," Kardia said, defeated. Degel grabbed his hand and he reluctantly followed the Frenchman to bed again.
"And put on some flannel pajamas," Degel added. "You need to stay warm if you want to get better." After putting his flannel pajamas on, Kardia fell heavily onto the soft mattress, sighing contentedly as his beloved Aquarian stroked his hair.
It wasn't long until Degel heard the soft breath of sleep from Kardia. With a small smile, he went to the kitchen to prepare some tea and chicken broth.
I need to come up with something for the two of us to do, Degel thought. We haven't really been able to do anything for the past few weeks. But what would he like to do? I want it to be a surprise, but I want to do something he'd want to do, too. Let's see... what's something we have in common? Well, we both like swimming, and apples, and picnics, and going to the beach... A nice dinner on the beach! It's perfect!
"Degel, you are such a genius," the Aquarius said aloud to himself. With his idea in place, he wanted to get started on preparations as soon as possible; of course, after he made Kardia's chicken broth.
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Coming up next: things get a little heated between these two love birds ;)
Hope you're all enjoying the story so far! Hugs and kisses from Kardia and Degel! :P