No Doubt [Joseph x Aesop]

6

Aesop slides down his mask, getting ready to eat. "I'm fine, Emil-" Blood dropped on the white table cloth, staining it with red crimson colour.

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3rd POV
Eli's eyes widen. "Aesop!!" The embalmer was having a nosebleed and it won't stop. Eli walked over to him and hold his chin up to wipe the blood. "Stubborn. You're so stubborn." Aesop smiled weakly at the sentence. Everyone's attention was on both of them.

"I.. I-i.. have a match t-this morning wi.. With Joseph the Photographer... Aesop coughed up with his eyes half closed. He's so weak that he was about to passed out. Of course, Emily would not let him go to any matches with this. "I'll give a emergency notice to the hunters that you can't go. Someone can replace you. You're not in a good condition to go!" The doctor stated the fact strictly.

"Yep! I can go for him!" Victor Grantz, the postman, raised his hand. Aesop looked around, everyone around the manor looks pretty worried because of him. He want to protest more and go to the match because he want to meet Joseph again. But that would end up in a bad situation. He knew the fact that he's so weak and he can't even walk properly but.. He sighed and nodded, "Alright..." He gave up.

"Good. Eli and Naib, can you help Aesop to get back to his room?" Emily looked at both of them and received a nod from his command.

Hunters side of manor.
Joseph was getting ready for his match this morning. Tying up his silver long hair with a golden ribbon, he look at himself on the mirror once again before stepping out of his room. He will meet his lover again today.

"You're in a good mood today, huh Joseph?" Joseph looked at the person who said it and smiled, "Yeah I really want to crush those survivors more.. I've think about new strategy." He lied. He's actually happy to see Aesop again after they're officially become a couple.

"Oh? Pretty fired up!" Jack grinned while sharping his claw nails. "Forward is annoying, I wanna eliminate him first~" Jack hummed.

"JAAAACK!" Smiley runs up to Jack and Joseph with a paper on his hand. "God damnit Smiley, stop being loud- oh what's that?" Jack's eyes locked on one spot, looking at the paper curiously.

"Let's see.." Jack opened the letter and read it up loud.

Dear hunters,
               One of the survivors, the Embalmer, Aesop Carl can't join any matches starts from today until further notice. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Joseph frowned at that. Aesop looks completely fine yesterday. Usually emergency notice would come up when any of us hunters or survivors are badly injured, sick, or some reasons. But the embalmer yesterday is fine. "Oh poor lil embalmer.. I'll tell the others about this." Jack walked away.

"Joseph, your match will start in 10 minutes." Smiley said a bit louder when he saw Joseph just froze there. "Ah don't worry man! The other survivors will replace the embalmer! Good luck for the match!"

"A-ah yes... Thanks." Joseph snapped out of his mind and walked to the standby room. He admit it that he's worried about Aesop but he can't make it looks too obvious or anyone would get suspicious about this. He sits down on the seat that was especially for hunter and looks on the other side. He can see some glimpse of the survivors and as expected, a person who always fiddled with his makeup box isn't there.

Joseph sighed and waited for other survivors to get ready for the match. No choice, just need to go through some days without the person he loved. He can't go to the survivors manor because that's forbidden so he need to be patient and keeps waiting.

Today's match with Postman, Perfumer, Lawyer and Mechanic doesn't bring victory to him. He only eliminated the mechanic and the other 3 escaped successfully. His mind was so full about his worry for the embalmer and that's interrupting his match today. Joseph walked into his room and slam the door close. He's both disappointed with the match and worried about the embalmer. Fortunately there's no other match the rest of the day for today so he can rest both his physical and mental.

The rest of the hunter just watched Joseph's weird behaviour. He never act like that before since the first day he come to this manor. But no one suspected about his actual problem with Aesop. "Maybe he's upset with the match before. Sweets can cheer everyone up! I'll make some daifuku mochi for tea time today." Michiko the geisha said with her fan close to her face.

"Nice, but hide it from Bane. He will probably gobble them up and we won't even get to taste it." Jack teased.

Survivors side of manor.
Aesop was still sleeping with a wet towel on his forehead. Naib and Eli was taking care of him repeatedly since Aesop didn't open up to anyone in the manor except both of them.  He's still sleeping but when he wake up time from time he would always say he want to play the match when he knew he will only get a no from everyone.

"Let me.. Play..." Aesop was awake at the night and as usual, he's begging to play in the match. Eli pinched Aesop's cheeks to bring him a bit of pain. "How much I need to say nooooooo!"

"Ah! Eli stahp! I'm hick (sick)..!" Aesop hold Eli's hand weakly. "Y-yeah I hon't (won't) go.. I hive hup (give up).."

Naib just watched both of his friends making a fuss. "Hey, Aesop. Why did you go outside in the middle of night? You know right its getting really cold outside at this time. That's why you got sick."

Eli nodded at the fact. "Yeah, and we know the fact that you hate cold. Plus, you're just wearing your pajamas and not any thick clothes."

"Spit out the truth or I'll hide your makeup box!" Naib smirked

"Because... I-i met Joseph." Aesop spoke up the truth which he doesn't realise he actually say that to them.