“Weren’t you supposed to be going somewhere?”
Letharus yawned and stretched out his arms, before considering Vick’s question. It was quite a relevant question, because Letharus’s stop at the Shield and Stave pub was supposed to be a quick one, and, somehow, a while later, Letharus was still there.
“Not really.”
Vick was already up and about, but he didn’t have much on when it came to clothes. In fact, Vick was just wearing a loin cloth to cover his modesty.
“Oh?”
“I did not really have any plans or anything. Have you been awake for a while?”
Letharus realized that he had slept in, and by quite a bit. Well, about 8 hours. Which, out here in the perpetual void, was longer than normal. Most folks only slept for 5 hours at a time.
“No, not really. I mean, I can open the bar whenever I want.”
“Do you not earn money?”
Vick sat on the end of the bed. Really, the bed was too small for both Vick and Letharus, but they’d made it work.
“Oh yeah, I do make a little. But this place is more of a passion project than anything else. Just to make a little bit more than my Deathven-sponsored income.”
Letharus sat up somewhat, pulling the sheet off himself. “So you can open and close whenever you want?”
“Well, mostly. I do like to at least cover my costs, but I always do. There aren’t many pubs in the Ventra Expanse, there’s only a handful in the Kinigian Wilderness and apparently there’s fuck all in the old Metrum territories. But yeah, where were you supposed to be going?”
“Oh. I was somewhat considering meeting up with my friend Litvir. He runs a Decay Lord sect on the borders if the Ventra Expanse and the Kinigian Wilderness. There was not any time scale, Litvir said I can visit whenever I desire, but, well… I have enjoyed being here. Far more than I should have. More than I deserve at least.”
“Hang on!” Vick blinked. “What do you mean by that?”
“I carry a lot of guilt and self-loathing…” Letharus immediately started to explain as he grabbed the sheet and pulled it around himself. “I am partially responsible for the death of my universe. It was a while ago, but the event twisted me into a horrible monster, someone no longer capable of seeing the light. Took me a very long time to join the light once more.”
Vick shrugged. “Mate, you and pretty much everyone who comes in here has a similar story to tell. But since you were, at some point, mortal, I very much doubt your universe dying was your fault in any way. You were just a random mortal after all. Same way I was.”
“You… understand?”
“Yeah, I understand. But, in all honesty, I don’t remember anything from my time as a mortal in my universe. The Ventra just found me inside some sort of cryopod and trained me up to be a Decay Lord. Decided to do this after the Ventra all split up, as a way to relax.”
“Have you ever considered rejoining a sect? Or returning to Deathven?” Letharus asked.
“Yeah. Considered it. This is more fun. Apparently, the Justar are all pricks, the Phantai are 99% Beh’evok and I don’t want people thinking I’m a Beh’evok myself, and although I’ve heard that the Thantir are nice, but they’re not hiring and I don’t feel comfortable working for someone who’s apparently a better version of me.”
Letharus thought for a moment. “Are you referring to Retvik, codename Flamebearer? One of the Thantir leaders?”
Vick nodded. “Apparently, he’s called Retvik. Retvik also happens to be what my common name was when I was mortal. It’s awkward. I don’t like it. Plus, everyone out here calls me Vick, and I prefer that.”
“The Thantir are very nice though. They freed me from slavery and helped me get back on my feet.”
“Sounds like a thing they’d do. And you were planning on visiting them?”
“Yes. I get on very well with Litvir. He said I was welcome there whenever I wanted.”
Letharus trailed off, then sighed.
“Is something wrong?” Vick asked. “You suddenly seem upset.”
“Is it wrong that… I somewhat just want to stay here?”
“Why would that be wrong?”
Letharus looked Vick up and down, then hesitated some more, before finally speaking. “I like you a lot, Vick. While yes, I ought to go and see Litvir at some point, he and I get along very well, but I want to stay here. With you. For a while. I have not been in a romantic relationship in a very, very long time though, so I do not know what is right or wrong.”
Vick shrugged, then sat down next to Letharus, putting an arm around him. “Aw, you silly thing! There’s nothing wrong with loving someone. You have to do what your heart tells you to.”
“But I am just a hindrance and a distraction.”
“A distraction? Oh certainly. Because you are probably the most attractive person who has visited me in a while. But you’re certainly not a hindrance!”
“I am interfering in your work though.”
Vick shrugged again. “All I do is run a small pub. It’s not that important.”
“Still, I feel like… like I should have a duty or something. And that I need to repay you for letting me stay here.”
Vick blinked, but didn’t say anything at first. He waited a moment, then sighed. “You poor, poor thing. You’re completely out of your depth. When two people love each other, it’s not one person carrying the burdens of the other, it’s the couple sharing and helping to carry each others’ burdens.”
“I guess…”
Vick stroked Letharus’s cheek, then hugged Letharus tightly. “Either way, I really like having you around. You can stay with me as long as you like. And if you feel like you HAVE to do something, I don’t know, maybe you can help wash some dishes or something. You’re not a burden to me though. You’ve legitimately lightened up my life and I have loved having you around.”
“Really?” Letharus stuttered.
“Yep.”
Letharus took a deep breath, then settled down and snuggled up closer to Vick.
“I really appreciate you.”
“And I love having you around!” Vick beamed. “Seriously, things have just felt all-round better since you turned up here.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
Letharus smiled a little, then wrapped his arms around Vick.
“Thank you.”
“No worries, my dear.”