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"MOVE—!"
It was too late. You remained in place, eyes widening at the looming death before yourself. Your beloved partner stared in utter disbelief, clutching the hilt of his claymore in both of his gloved hands. In a moment of instinct and adrenaline, he rushed forth, using his weapon to block the attack from the Legion monster. It's blades of orange angrily thrashed near Arlan's scarred face, causing his off-white eyebrows to knit together. He gritted his teeth, beginning to force the enemy back. Using it's opposite hand, it swiped it's forearm at Arlan. Blood sprayed from his under eye, his sword slicing the monster's abdomen as he staggered backwards. He placed his gloved hand over the wound, his eyes sealing shut tightly. Before the monster could advance any further, you finished it off with an enraged kick. It's body disintegrated; just like any other monster.
You turned towards Arlan, afterwards rushing to help him. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine," he nodded his head a single time. "Just— get bandages. We have to patrol the perimeter." You froze. "What?" Arlan's expression shifted to convey confusion. "I'm sorry, was I talking too low?" "Ah, no," you inched closer to him, placing a hand on his bleeding face. "If it were anyone else, you'd have order them to get bandaged at the infirmary." "Yes, but I'm okay. Really." He reassured you, or at least, he tried to. Head shaking, you cupped his face in your hands. "No, no. Love, do you know how dangerous that is?" Arlan's gaze shifted to avoid looking into your eyes, his hands curling around your wrists. "It's not that big of a deal. Come on, we have to make sure—"
"No."
Your tone was stern, enough to make him pause. "Listen, leaving that wound unattended can actually kill you. Why won't you ever listen to me?" Both of your hands navigated down his arms, gingerly cradling his forearms. "I— because.. no, I— I'm sorry." That was all he could manage to say. "I've seen too many people fade before my eyes, please, just get disinfected and treated. That's all it'll take, and I'll handle the rest." You pleaded, leaning forth to place a sweet kiss upon the unharmed side of his face. Arlan heaved a guilty sigh, "Alright. Please, if you can, just text me to let me know you're okay." His voice had grown so soft, it made him look like a lost puppy. Your kisses moved from his cheek to his lips, where you planted a prolonged kiss that turned Arlan's entire expression from somber to flustered. Once you pulled back, "See you there, Darling." You said.
Now, you've got swarms of monsters to take care of.
╭┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈𑁍ࠬ┈┈┈╮ ❝ One Hour Later ❞ ╰┈┈┈𑁍ࠬ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈╯
You sprinted to the office of Herta in the space station. You had just texted Arlan about your status, which was alive and unharmed. However, you were eager to see him again. After the day's event, you wished to shower him in grateful smooches from his face to his torso. As soon as Asta dismissed you, you began the rush to grab the item from Herta's office, then the medicine bay. You were unfazed by the enemy attacks from prior, leaving only one priority in your mind; Arlan. Once you reached Herta's office, you quickly made your way to the table. The puppet was unresponsive, meaning Miss Herta herself had logged off. In your hand, you cradled a flower petal of brilliant indigo. You were unable to find more than just a single petal stem, but it was enough. In truth, this flower was birthed within your care. You purchased the seeds while in Belebog, eventually returning to the space station in order to begin growing them. Once a stem blossomed, you plucked it, encasing it neatly in casting resin.
So, there it was. The hair clip you had created with your own two hands, finally finished and polished. It looked beautiful, absolutely stunning, to be exact. With great excitement, you sprinted out of the office, en route to the medical bay. Needless to say, it didn't take you long at all to arrive. You burst into the open area, happily waving to a certain nurse that you know. She snickered, her blonde ponytail swishing as she pointed you to a curtain. It seems she already knows who you're looking for. You gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up before slowing your pace as yoy entered the curtain-surrounded-area. Upon a bed of white, there sat Arlan. He was briefly maneuvering his arm to test the functionality after receiving yet another new injury.
You didn't bother waiting, instead approaching the bedside immediately. Slowly, you seated yourself at his side. You brushed a bit of his bang hair back, revealing a cloudy-gray eye. His gaze turned to stare at you, redness creeping across his complexion. Using the indigo-flower hair clip, you pinned the overgrown hair back. "God, you're so beautiful." Arlan hunched over, hiding his flustered face in his hands. "Thank you..!" "Aww, stop being cute!" You pleaded, observing as the boy lifted his face from his hands. Whatever happened in that moment, you were certain you'd temporarily flatlined from his sheer beauty. You flopped back upon the mattress, heat flushing your features. "Ah— don't die," laughed Arlan as he turned his head to stare at you. You grabbed his forearm, tugging him on top of yourself. With one hand cradling the back of his head, you slithered your arms around him. "W-wait, are you hurt? Why are you here?"
"No, Babe. I'm here to see you."
He instantly melted into you, "Thank you.." he whispered. Your right hand slid upon his cheek, your thumb very delicately running along the bandage that shielded his gash wound. You stretched prior to sitting upright, afterwards standing at the bedside. With your palms upon the mattress supporting you, you hovered over Arlan. You then snatched his face in your hands, placing affectionate kisses on his nose, his lips, his cheeks, his bandage, and his forehead. By the time you reached his forehead, he had turned into a giggly mess. He placed his hands upon your shoulders, grinning up at you in pure bliss. He looked so gorgeous, like a strip of sunlight filtering through tree canopies into an enchanted forest of flowers and wonderful sights. Imagine that forest— it wouldn't even come close to his beauty. At that point, you'd immortalized his dorky grin in your mind, forever to recall it as your most cherished memory.
Your kisses navigated down his neck, with your index finger hooked into the collar of his shirt in order to tug the fabric downwards. You kissed his collarbone, which is about as far as the uniform would allow you to go. So what did you do? You started all over again, this time growing more loving by the second. You adorned his jawline in kisses, then his nose, then his lips with sickeningly sweet kisses— and then one upon his cheek. Laughing as though he was being tickled, Arlan nuzzled into the nape of your neck. "I'm happy you're not mad at me." He confessed. "Love, you were doing it to protect the station— if anything, I'm proud of you," you then pecked his lips, afterwards laughing with giddiness. "Sorry, sorry, I had to." "Just one more," Arlan's hands cupped your face, pulling you into yet another kiss.
As it turns out, he'd be fine. Everyone's beloved Arlan wouldn't fade into naught but a memory, and he certainly wouldn't be stopped by a measly injury. Although you scolded him for overexerting himself, it brought you extreme amounts of comfort; knowing he's genuinely okay. He was gifted time off to recover, where both you and Asta showered him in affection(with both also handling his workloads).
