Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Moonlight filters into Arlon’s room, gently lighting his abode with pale rays. It’s the only light in the room, save the soft glow of the moon and star patterns on Meikei’s discarded hat and cloak, and the natural, purple glow that lights his coattails and surrounds the ever burning fire of Arlon’s gauntlets. The bed was still freshly made, the coat rack placed only for Meikai, and the intensely, tightly guarded chests that Arlon dares to store anything in rest on the opposite wall to Arlon’s bed. There was a work bench, of sorta, built for someone of Arlon’s height, with even more intense security measures than the other objects in the room - clearly, if Arlon wanted someone to keep out, they were staying out. Other than the beautiful view of space above, the only other notable scenery was the massive garden scape of plants, growing and thriving in every area. Even the occasional animal would pass by, and it firmly speaks to how heavily the moon connects to nature. Often, wolves would pace the perimeter, and owls perch on the unseen roof - Meikai learned these animals are of Arlon’s own, and just like their god, they best work among the night. In a way, one could assume they are Arlon’s familiars, much as Meikai had Old and Tatsumiya.

He knows Tatsumiya has been well, but Meikai can’t help but notice that Old is ever absent. Perhaps he is locked to the Sea of Death, just as Princess Mikotsu had been?

Now is not the time to dwell on these things, at least, not yet.

Arlon, once again, had passed over sleep, favoring to continue working. Between tracking the Chaos Kin, spending time in Meikai’s home dimension with their daughter and her familiars, and then moment like these, where Arlon simply doesn’t rest and finds something else to occupy his time with - Meikai can’t help but notice that perhaps Wadanohara’s lack of care for herself (and bottling of her emotions) may have just been the genetic trait Arlon passed down. Works for others, rarely for self - perhaps that’s just the truth for all of them.

“Hey.” He says as he smiles, leaning forwards onto Arlon’s back, arms lazily thrown around Arlon’s shoulders as he rests his head close to his husband’s ear. He has to stretch up to do so, but he doesn’t mind, really. Arlon doesn’t so much as flinch at the action, but Meikai does have a lot to catch up on in terms of his husband’s behavior. Knowing Arlon, he probably prefers not being able to be read at all - but Meikai will learn, in time, how to properly understand. There’s no point in trying to treat it like they never were an item, but Meikai’s willing to go through the motions of relearning his love.

“Good evening to you as well.” Arlon replies, not so much as looking up from his desk. He seems to be planning something, if Meikai had to guess. It looks like the moon, but not quite.

“What are you working on?” Meikai asks in a quiet voice. He can feel the way Arlon shifts, like he wasn’t expecting Meikai to take interest in what he’s doing. That is still the same - it takes a little coaxing to get the moon out of his shell.

“Ah, it’s... very technical, but I am going to need your input anyway.” Arlon admits, fiddling with the projected screens to reveal the entire image. It’s a diagram of the moon, but not exactly, as it appears to have the ability to split down the middle and reveal a massive set of magic fueled weapons. Meikai stares at it for a moment, a bit confused, but he figures Arlon will make it make sense.

“You see, before I found you again, I had a... second moon, of sorts - known as the Lunar Sanctum. It was a lot of things, including my home, but also a prison for some of the most wicked creatures. However, it was...” Arlon trails off.

“Destroyed?” Meikai offers.

“Putting it lightly, yes.” Arlon grimaces. “I have intended to construct a second one, now that the threats I had contained have disappeared. This time, angel proof.”

Meikai chuckles, lightly, and lets himself lean on Arlon more. He got the gist of what happened before he got here upon meeting Viridi and Phosphora proper, and how Arlon’s always going to be a bit sour his pride and joy was blown up by the goddess of light and her illiterate angel. Meikai couldn't understand the hours of work that went into every detail, but it's not from a lack of care - its a mix of the plans for said massive moon are highly confidential, and it was just too technical to make heads or tails of unless you have an extensive technical background.

"... I assume you wish to capture my attention for the evening, yes?" Arlon finally asks, now finally looking over at Meikai. His mustache brushes Meikai's forehead, briefly, when he turns, and he raises a brow.

"Figured you'd need a break from all the tinkering." Meikai offers, his smile getting wider when Arlon shifts. Meikai's forced to let go, but Arlon gets up out of his chair, then pushes it in. Meikai strides to the coat rack, grabbing his cloak and his hat. "Besides, I'm curious about the oceans here. I need a reputable and trustworthy guide for these oceans."

Arlon's brow remains raised, but the smile is hard to miss. "Unfortunately, Lord Poseidon isn't available. I suppose you will have to have me instead - if that's acceptable."

"Always. Besides, Poseidon isn't nearly as nice to look at." Meikai says with a wink, leaving Arlon to flush pink while he clasps his cloak over his shoulders and sets his hat on his head. Arlon blinks, and attempts to regain composure.

"I don't recall you being so good at words..." Arlon mutters, taking the lead and opening the door, holding it for Meikai.

"I had time to practice." Meikai says with a smirk as he walks through the door. "I missed the ability to show you under my oceans, the least we can do is look under yours."

Arlon shuts the door behind them and fiddles with the heavy lock for a moment. "I can't promise they will be as incredible as yours - at least, I do not know if there will be any kind of city under the water."

Meikai goes to grab his staff out of habit, but quickly puts his hands back at his sides. It's always been a habit of his to play with his staff when he's waiting. Instead, he offers his hand to Arlon, once he's done with the door. "Probably not, but its worth a look."

Arlon takes his hand, carefully, and pauses for a brief moment. Floating would cause the hand hold to be awkward, but walking would make it also awkward because Arlon's gait is much bigger due to his long legs, which could also make things awkward. Such is the problems of gods. Arlon settles for walking, but slowly - which isn't his usual state of being. It shows, because Arlon seems this close to pushing off the ground to float. It makes Meikai chuckle as Arlon attempts to solve this problem, still unwilling to let go of Meikai's hand as they travel to the main hub of Viridi's Garden.

"Try this." Meikai takes a second, and begins to float himself. He can't help the laugh bubbling out of him as Arlon looks, quite frankly, put out that he didn't think of that.

"You think you're hilarious, don't you?" Arlon is honestly pouting at Meikai, which is far more emotion than anyone else in this world or Meikai's will ever see out of Arlon. It's actually really nice, knowing he's the only one to see this side of the moon god. Arlon continues along, pulling Meikai with him, whose still smiling about the whole ordeal. "Yes yes, my dear - the ocean is this way."

Meikai floats along with Arlon, pleased to be holding hands, as Arlon leads them past the stone structures of Viridi's Garden and towards the cliff that it sits near. Arlon hovers over the drop, and pulls Meikai into his arms - surprising the sorcerer at the affection. Arlon easily floats downwards, causing what would normally be a dangerous fall into a feather light glide to the surface of the ocean. The waves lap against the rocks, but other than that, it seems fairly quiet this night. It's the little blessings, really. Arlon goes to set Meikai down on his own, but to the moon god's surprise, Meikai has lazily thrown his arms around Arlon's shoulders, pressing his head under Arlon's chin. Arlon sighs, leaning back so Meikai can rest a bit easier, and uses one hand to keep Meikai from sliding off.

"We have a bed for this, you know." Arlon mutters, but Meikai doesn't seem perturbed and instead continues to lay on Arlon, who is now floating away from the rock cliffs and instead over the open waters. Meikai just sighs.

"I know, but you never sleep. When else do I get the chance?" Meikai asks. Arlon just huffs, but doesn't respond. His sleeping habits are less than stellar, so he knows Meikai's right, anyway.

"... When we return, Mistress Viridi's Garden had hot springs. How about that, we take a bit of time to ease the weariness, then go to bed afterwards?" Arlon offers, and Meikai moves his head to look Arlon in the eyes.

"You promise?" Meikai stares Arlon down, and Arlon's shoulders sag, just a bit.

"Yes, I promise. There is still enough moonlight for use to explore, as well - provided Lord Poseidon is resting." Arlon promises, and Meikai's arms move to around Arlon's body, hugging him tightly.

"Perfect. Let's go." Meikai says with a smile.

Chapter Text

Pleased with his bargained outcome, Meikai finally releases Arlon, and the moon god attempts to stand back up - key word, attempts, as Meikai grabs the front of Arlon’s clothes. Arlon shoots Meikai a confused look, but Meikai doesn’t respond right away, instead responding with a mischievous kind of smile.

“What are you doing, Meikai...?” Arlon mumbles, but his question is answered when Meikai leans in, gently kissing his husband. Arlon goes still, like he hasn’t figured out how to handle this kind of thing yet - which amuses Meikai greatly. He pulls back, making it a short kiss, watching Arlon attempt to catch up. It’s endearing, at least now, but he can tell Arlon’s hesitation in intimacy is going to be a problem later. But that’s later - for now, it’s cute, and Meikai finds himself charmed.

Arlon’s face gets brighter, more pink, as the wiring that decorated his hair seemed to glow.

“I... see.” Arlon attempts to get his composure, looking away for a brief moment.

“See what?” Meikai teases, as Arlon offers his hand.

“Someone wants to be romantic tonight.” Arlon says, gently leading Meikai further from the cliffside. Easily, they both float above the water, and Meikai looks down, into the ocean below. The slow pace allows Meikai to watch the fish below swim about, living their lives as normal. Arlon pays no mind to the ocean, yet, until he comes to a stop. Meikai stops with him, now firmly holding his husband’s hand, looking up at him.

“This way.” Arlon says, and drops down into the ocean. He goes slowly, and it reminds Meikai of slipping into the waters of Deep Sea Town - and Meikai is pleasantly surprised to find he’s not soaking wet. Rather, he is completely dry and able to breathe, which Meikai figures has something to do with Arlon’s power. It’s nice, actually, to not have to deal with sopping wet clothes for once, and it’s just another small thing on a long list of Arlon really just being that thoughtful.

They descend further down, until Arlon reaches what appears to be the floor. Meikai lands shortly after, finally getting a chance ti look at the world under the ocean.

It’s much different from Deep Sea Town, in terms of architecture. The entrance is madd of giant, stone pillars, with massive reefs poking up and out of every place around the building. Colorful fish and other aquatic creatures thrive around the stone palace, swimming through stone and completely unbothered. Past the stone pillar gate is a complex statue of a man with a long beard, long hair and a crown, perched on his head. Arlon smiles at Meikai’s awe.

“This is one of the many entryways to Lord Poseidon’s temple. He may not be the Sea King you know, but... Lord Poseidon owns these waters, in a similar fashion. Thankfully, he and I are always amiable.” Arlon explains, and Meikai makes... an odd expression, one Arlon can’t parse right away. Was the Sea King a touchy subject, perhaps...?

Whatever caused Meikai to make that expression seems to disappear, and he smiles again. “Ah... sorry. Just... I have a question.”

“Go ahead.” Arlon keeps his eyes on Meikai, who hasn’t stopped staring at the statue of Poseidon.

“What kind of person is Poseidon?” Meikai asks, staying still, unmoving. Frankly, Arlon can’t help but be worried.

“Lord Poseidon...? Well, he is a stubborn and unrelenting force. He is strong, greedy, and vain, but beneath the tales of his rage getting the better of him... Lord Poseidon genuinely wants what’s best for the seas. He takes care of every aspect, including keeping a good relationship between himself and I for the sake of the seas. I do not think Lord Poseidon is completely spotless, but I do think he makes an effort to change himself for the better, should it be for the seas.” Arlon pauses. “He has his flaws, but every god and goddess does. But he does not shirk his responsibility as god of the ocean.”

Meikai’s quiet for a moment, watching the statue, until he closes his eyes, nodding slightly. “I see.”

There’s another pause, and Meikai speaks.

“The Sea King... is not as benevolent. I cannot forgive him for what he did.” Meikai says, and a spike of worry jabs Arlon in the gut. He doesn’t flinch.

“I only hope Poseidon isn’t a thing like him.” Meikai admits. Arlon isn’t sure what to do, or how to feel, really - Poseidon was... a struggle to manage, a struggle to handle, and Arlon didn’t feel like he ought to be the one to tell Meikai that Poseidon is... not that great. There are certainly worse gods than Poseidon (Hades comes to mind), but it’s still not... great.

“... I hope so as well. I never met the Sea King, I wouldn’t know.” Arlon admits.

“Well well, what do we have here?” A new voice booms. Arlon doesn’t flinch or react, save for tugging Meikai a little closer. Meikai does flinch, moving as requested.

A man with a beard as white as sea foam and a form just like the statue before them seems to float from out of nowhere, landing before Arlon and Meikai with a gentle plop to the floor. He holds a trident in one hand, and shoves the other in his beard to tug on it thoughtfully. Arlon bows, politely, in greeting - and Meikai reluctantly does the same.

“Good evening, Lord Poseidon.”

“Hello, Arlon. Been some time since you stopped by.” Poseidon’s formal pose lessens, just a bit - and he catches sight of Meikai. “Oh? Who’s this?”

Meikai isn’t sure what to think of Poseidon, but right now he just offers a friendly smile.

“I am Meikai. A pleasure to meet you.” Meikai introduces himself, and Arlon nods approvingly.

“Oh? I thought the Forces of Nature hated humans, Arlon. Didn't take you for the mingling type, either.” Poseidon points out, and Arlon’s previous pleasant air turns cold.

“Apologies Lord Poseidon, but you as well as I know that not every human wishes the destruction of nature.” Arlon doesn’t seem keen on backing down, either. “I bid you to leave a good impression on my spouse.”

Poseidon’s expression changes to one of surprise, like he can’t quite piece together the information Arlon’s bared to him. He blinks, then chuckles.

“I see, I see. So that’s who you scoured the oceans for.” Poseidon gives a sly smile as Arlon avoids it completely. “Alright, then, I won’t get in your way - but I suggest if you want the best views, northwest wing of the palace has the Seahorse Gallery. You can always get in, Arlon, the guards know you.”

Meikai keeps his friendly smile, and Arlon’s tension seems to dissipate. Arlon does a polite bow, and Meikai follows in suit.

“Thank you, Lord Poseidon.” Arlon says, keeping his expression stoic as possible. Poseidon gives a nod, then turns and walks away. Meikai and Arlon watch him go, until Arlon finally sighs, Poseidon out of sight.

“I hope that was suitable?” Arlon asks.

“... We’ll see.” Meikai responds, as Arlon nudges Meikai to follow him. “Where are we going?”

“Not the Seahorse Gallery. It’s a bit too long for this trip. Instead, I wanted to show you something else.” Arlon says, gracefully floating above the sand towards the south. Meikai follows, keeping eyes out for everything that interests him on the way, until they reach a drop off that goes deeper into the ocean. Arlon takes a seat on the cliff’s edge, and Meikai joins him.

It’s a large abyss, cracked through the sand, that drops off into a deep, inky darkness. There’s small wisps of something that keep floating up from the dark, but other than the massive canyon, there’s vistas of what appear to be massive underwater mountains. Its all quite lovely, in a sense. Arlon doesn’t lean on Meikai, or show any affection - instead, he sets his hands in his lap.

“This is the Edge of the Underworld.” Arlon explains. “Not the real, actual edge, but it’s called that due to the sheer drop into the dark. I always wondered if my gate to return to you was in this inky darkness... so I spent many years investigating this area. No luck, as you could imagine.”

Meikai goes quiet, for a moment.

“I’m not sure, if I should be happy you waited so long to see me again, or worried that you refused to move on.” Meikai admits.

“... I at least wanted to try and find you again before I made the choice to move on. I am not cruel enough to move on without saying goodbye.” Arlon responds, and Meikai finally leans on Arlon. They sit like that, together, as they watch the scene. Arlon pauses and looks over at Meikai.

“You are one of two most precious people in my life, Meikai. Especially after I changed. I did not want to forget how you love me.” Arlon admits. “I only could hope that you wanted the same.”

Meikai’s smile returns. “Funny, when I was in the Cast Pearl, keeping the ocean safe... I thought the same thing - that I didn’t want to forget us, and hoped you didn’t want to forget, either.”

There another beat of silence.

“... I love you, Arlon. I’m happy that you’re happy.” Meikai says, closing his eyes.

“... I... I love you as well, Meikai. Please don’t fall asleep yet, I do believe I still owe you a trip to the hot springs.” Arlon says, unable to resist smiling himself.

“Yes, you do - which, I would like to get to that. If you’re ready?” Meikai looks up at Arlon with those beautiful grey eyes.

“Yes, I believe I am. Let us be off.”

Chapter Text

The abyss is left behind as Arlon and Meikai rise, out of the water, back to Viridi's Garden. Arlon leads the way, as expected - this is his realm, after all, he knows the way best. The trip back to the garden isn't even that difficult, either.

When Arlon finally lands in the plaza of Viridi's Garden, the pair are met with no one around. It seems the cover of night was good enough to let them escape without being spotted... or, if they were, no one noticed. Arlon leads Meikai back to... their room. A tad odd to say, but Arlon finds himself minding less and less these days.

"I require a moment to lock away my valuables, before we go." Arlon explains, easily fiddling the intense lock system. It snaps open, as desired, and Arlon steps inside. Meikai follows after - he doesn't want Arlon getting distracted by work (again). Arlon quickly strides to his desk, making easy work of those locks as well, until he finally opens one of the drawers. Carefully, he plucks his monocle off his face, unhooking it from its usual placement, then tucking it under what appears to be a stack of documents - and even then, they appear to be fakes, only to safeguard the real treasure. His brooch is handled in a similar fashion, tucked away into a different drawer, hidden under false documents and plans to prevent it from being taken. Arlon then proceeds to lock the entire work desk all the way back up, as tight as he can manage. Meikai has to admit, it's a bit impressive how far Arlon will go to keep things secure. In a strange way, it makes him feel... better, about Arlon if he had gotten to parent Wadanohara. Meikai decides to leave his cloak and hat behind, considering that they're going to be stripping anyway, and figures he'd rather those not go missing either. AArlon stands back up, blinking a bit to adjust, now that he no longer has one eye constantly reading information.

Meikai decides that Arlon looks good, regardless if he has his monocle or not.

"I am ready." Arlon says, and the two depart again.

-----

"There ought to be everything we need there, including fresh clothes. I made sure that we had for you, at least." Arlon explains as he opens the door to the changing room, allowing Meikai to go first. As with the garden's plaza, the place is empty, and that's honestly how Arlon would prefer it. "You can leave the details to me. For now, I will..."

Arlon trails off, because Meikai's already beating him to the punch. He already has his uniform top half off before he stops, and Arlon resides to letting his sentence trail off. The changing room of the forces of nature's hot spring appears to work like a standard locker room, complete with the proper lockers, all with the nature theme expected. This building does have a roof, however, and lanterns hung to provide light around the lockers. The only thing between them and the spring itself are the cloth curtains, with the symbol painted on them. Arlon seems very out of place, among these wooden lockers - he seems too high tech, too advanced. One would be curious how his entire outfit works, but Arlon hesitates. Meikai finishes pulling his top off, then makes a concerned expression. "What's the matter?"

"Ah, just..." Arlon can't find it in him to explain.

"Do you need me to look away?" Meikai asks.

"... If it doesn't bother you." Arlon replies, grateful the towel he intended to use was near by. Meikai nods in understanding, then turns away as requested.

Arlon's quick, because Meikai's not even done by the time Arlon gives him the okay to turn around. Meikai doesn't comment on it, instead setting his shoes in the locker, then taking his earrings out (just in case). Meikai quickly wraps the towel around his waist, leaves his clothes in the locker, and Arlon attempts to look as least embarrassed as possible about the situation. Meikai ends up having to gently tug Arlon in after him, if only because Meikai asked if he should. Arlon hesitated briefly, but after a bit of coaxing, finally got in with Meikai. The reward is that the water is wonderful, and Meikai feels rather accomplished when, for real and honestly, the tension in Arlon's shoulders seems to melt away properly. The outside hot spring is wonderful, giving a view to the night sky, as Meikai makes a point to lean on Arlon heavily. Arlon doesn't shift, now that he's in the water, and in fact, leans back, just a bit.

"Thank you for humoring me." Meikai says, then he gives a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Ah, I should be thanking you, I suppose, for getting me to take a break." Arlon admits, finding himself be a tad too sluggish for his own liking, but chalking it up to his body needing to rest.

"I know this isn't how you'd spend time off, thought. That much I know." Meikai's smile doesn't falter, and he opens his eyes. Arlon not sure if it's the water or the tinge of embarrassment that's making him blush.

"That... is true, yes. But I suppose even I need to branch out from my usual, yes?"

"I suppose. I do want to remind you that you can tell me no, though."

"... Thank you, Meikai. You are as gentle and kind with me as ever."

There's a pause between them, as Meikai rests his head on Arlon's shoulder, and Arlon watches the night sky. It's something Arlon figured would never happened, yet here he is. He finally feels able to move his arm, reaching over to take one of Meikai's.

"I... I realize this, is odd to ask, however..." Arlon pauses. "Do you... actually like my changes, Meikai?"

There's a brief pause as Meikai attempts to find the best way to sooth Arlon's worries about this, while still being honest. Arlon could probably tell if he was bullshitting, anyway.

"I... I am happy that you are you, Arlon. Did I expect it? No, but often the best things are unexpected, and all you did was make me love you more, because you've become who you want to be." Meikai finally says, feeling pretty proud of himself for that one. It's true, and he feels that's one of those answers Arlon's going to keep with him when starting to doubt. Arlon goes quiet, and Meikai feels him shudder. He's not in tears over this, is he?

Arlon just smiles, wide - for the first time in who knows how long, he has the most crooked smile on his face that doesn't work with anything else going on but it's endearing all the same. Meikai leans up and pecks his cheek, but Arlon surprises him by turning at just the right time and giving Meikai a proper kiss. It's Meikai's turn to be startled, but he doesn't stay that way too long as the sweet affection is let go. Arlon's smile hasn't fallen, and the joy in his eyes is something Meikai finds precious.

"I adore you, Meikai." Arlon whispers, as Meikai now has his head on Arlon's shoulder, comfortable.

"I love you too, Arlon." Meikai mutters, and finds himself falling asleep. Arlon feels so elated that he doesn't mind at all.

(Arlon did have to wake Meikai and get him to towel off after much effort, then carried him to bed. Arlon stayed in bed that night, and had a restful sleep for the first time in many, many decades.)