After all, though he thought himself exceptionally intelligent, it was probably best not to flaunt that tantalizing little fact in front of everyone, since some people might become offended by it. It was their loss, though, he was convinced; people could really learn something from a mind like his.
They sat across from each other, he and Schmerz, face-to-face like warriors about to settle a dispute, though the setting was far from hostile. It was a little place called The Elbow Room, a quiet, friendly little cafe place that he considered to be a home away from home. Though the place could be eerily quiet some days, it was only a matter of time before local word caught on about how much of a gem the tiny establishment was, and anyone tiring of the raucious ongoings of the local bars could find peace and actual conversation at the cafe. He'd found a job there as a pastry chef, though he did all manner of things such as busing tables and opening up shop, even waitering when the need arose. And with all he had to do there, it sure as hell kept him out of trouble everywhere else.
Everywhere else, that is, but inside his owm mind. In his mind, Aramis had convinced himself of his invincibility, his emotional invulnerability, his surefire bravado and fast-talking act pillars on which he'd built up his ego. He was a titan, a god, impenetrable and impregnable as a fortress, a natural phenomenon to which no man or woman could ever hope to comprehend, much less understand. He was the enigma the elders sought to solve, the gentlemen all men sought to be, the brave and rash hero of many a legend and tale... And yet, there he was, his eyes softening from frustration to fear. His so-called demand was wrapped in the guise of a whispered plea, clutching the hand of his beloved so tightly that his knucles paled with strain.
He had gone without the touch of his lover for a week. A week devoid of those haunting blue eyes, that honey-sweet skin, that silken voice, that embodiment of all that was good and evil in the world standing before him. A full week without a word of affirmation, confirmation, without the love of his life, and the days stretched on for eternities. He thanked Deus that Punishment returned when he did. He's begun to fall ill; his skin clammy, his words broken, his eyes sunken and his stomach thrown into violent cramping spells. It was hard for him to admit he was addicted, but who on earth, after getting their first taste of Punishment, could pull themselves away? They would take to him like a drug and, come hell or high water, they'd risk it all for the chance to feel him pull on their veins again, a master puppetteer at the strings, calling them to dance their bloody dance of devotion as their pride spilt upon the floor.
And so it was with Aramis, the once proud man who used to scream from the mountaintops that no one could rule him. He had fallen victim to Punishment's enslaving ways, and fell over himself day in and day out to bring a smile to that man's face. Oh, yes... he was addicted. And it was a habit he hoped to Deus in heaven he'd never break free of.
"Promise me you'll never go away like that again," Aramis echoed, bringing his lover's hand to his lips and worshipping it with a kiss. "I damn near lost my mind without you here... I couldn't do it again." Punishment smiled. It was all the answer Aramis needed. He leaned forward, then, and pressed his trembling lips to Punishment's, all of the anxious anticipation of the past week rushing out of him as if a dam had burst, and he was finally free of all the ills of the universe. Punishment had come back. He was home... And finally, Aramis could relax again.
He could breathe again.
Dulkai language version to be posted next week.
