Bittersweet Company.

Adonis turned around to look at the familiar person. The existence of whom gave him strength and hope.

"What the heck are you doing?"

Magnus started at Adonis, who was all soaked in water, blood visible in some places of his body in horror.

Those beautiful lips which used to be pink were blue now. 

The beautiful person he had seen more than a month ago was in a mess right now.

Adonis smiled at him while tears pooled in his eyes.

It made Magnus's heart ache.

How can a person look so sad?

After a while he started crying.

Magnus just looked at the person in front of him.

He lifted him up and brough him out of water.

The good tempered Adonis suddenly started wiggling.

"Put me down. Don't touch me. Put me down."

Magnus put him down.

Adonis walked backwards.

"Don't come near me. Let me be, let me be. Let me-"

Magnus slightly widened his eyes.

He walked towards Adonis but Adonis looked more terrified.

"Don't come near me, Duke. I-I'm dirty. I'm dirty."

Magnus looked at the trembling person who was crying bitterly. 

He was the most kind, beautiful and humble person he had ever seen. He knew that Adonis was hiding something from him. But what must have happened to him to become like this, all of a sudden?

Magnus was intelligent like Adonis always thought.

So he knew that this must have been triggered by someone.

He didn't know much but what needs to be said should be said.

"You aren't."

Adonis stopped crying and looked at him.

Magnus walked towards him and hugged him.

His warm body wrapped around the cold Adonis.

"You aren't dirty. If you are dirty then no one is pure enough."

The man in his arms was trembling and crying.

"Duke, save me. H-he is here. Duke, please. Duke, I don't want to be like that again. Duke, please. He'll take me away. I'm so s-scared."

Magnus run his hands on his wet hair and said,"No one will hurt you till I'm with you."

Adonis clenched on him tight while bawling his eyes out. He couldn't control himself anymore.

As he trembled in Magnus's embrace due to both cold and fear, he said,"Duke, please don't leave me. Duke, please. Duke. I don't want to be like that again. I'd rather die than be like that. Duke please. Duke."

Magnus's heart felt like thousands knifes were being stabbed on it. The person in his arms was desperately holding onto him like he was the last and only thread of his life.

How lonely must have been till now?

What the Duke happened on the banquet earlier?

Who was the person?

He held Adonis tightly in embrace, making sure that not even the air got past them.

"I won't leave."

"Duke."

Adonis whispered.

Adonis fitted perfectly in Magnus's embrace. He could home the little beauty perfectly in his arms.

After the sobs stopped, Magnus called him.

"Young Master."

No response.

"Young Master Arnall."

No response.

"Adonis."

Still no response.

Magnus panicked.

He held Adonis with one arm and felt his head with another palm.

The body which was as cold as ice some moments ago was burning like fire right now.

He scooped Adonis in his arms, carrying him bridal style and walked inside the mansion.

Rosie who was walking around the corridor saw them.

"What happened, Duke? Young Master."

"Call the doctor, quick."

Rosie grabbed a maid and asked her to call for the doctor. She lead Magnus to Adonis's room.

"Where are his cloths? Bring me a warm change of clothes and warm water with towel."

Rosie gave him everything he asked her and went out.

Magnus swiftly changed Adonis into dry cloths, wiped his hair and moved him to the dry side of the bed.

"Dammit, I should have brought you quickly. The blood loss was because I didn't think rationally."

Rosie knocked on door.

"Duke, the doctor is here."

When Rosie and the doctor entered, Magnus had finished cleaning all the blood from Adonis's hands and head.

The doctor checked Adonis and said,"Young Master's wounds aren't that severe.The blood had long stopped flowing so please don't be worried about blood loss. Now that I've dressed it, no fear of infection. But due to the cold, his fever is quite high. You need to take care of him and lower his temperature to prevent him from catching other diseases."

He scribbled something on the paper and said,"I've written some herbs and ways to make their tonic. Make sure you follow the exact process to make tonic and feed him. He'll be fine soon. Please don't panic."

They both thanked the doctor and Rosie escorted him out.

Magnus sat beside the sleeping Adonis and put his injured palm on his own.

He looked at the person and noticed that the person had become quite thinner, his eyes had sunken down and it also had dark circles under it.

He had noticed earlier that a letter of his was on the top shelf, it looked like it had been opened recently.

He caressed Adonis's hair and said,"If you were so afraid and suffering alone, you should have come to me earlier. I would have made sure to accompany you till you were fine."

Rosie came after a while but maids came calling for her time and again.

"You can go to handle the banquet. You…can trust me. I'll take good care of him."

Rosie thought for a while and nodded his head.

"Then I'd leave our Young Master in the Duke's care."

She went to the door, turned back and said,"And this humble subject trusts the Duke."

Magnus nodded at her.

He stayed beside Adonis, changing the cold towels on his head.

Maybe because of the cold sensation, Adonis opened his eyes hazily.

Magnus placed the cloth on the table, looking at the man lying on the bed.

Adonis smiled at the sight above him. 

Magnus with so much love in his eyes was staring at him, sitting beside him.

This could only happen in a dream, right?

Did the heaven finally have mercy on him after seeing him suffering through nightmares, all this time?

If so, he was going to savour this night, this dream to its fullest.

He stretched his hands and looped it around the magnificent man's neck, pulling him down.

Tears fell down from his eyes.

"If only you could be like this in real life."

"Th-"

Before Magnus could speak his lips were sealed.

Adonis kissed him, sealing his own lips with Magnus.

It felt so real, as always.

He pulled out and smiled beautifully with tears in his eyes.

"I wish I'd never wake up from this dream."

'This is not a dream', something stopped Magnus from speaking those simple words.

Maybe Adonis's sick condition.

Maybe Adonis's tears. 

Maybe his own greed.

But he couldn't care more about it at that moment.

Adonis pulled him down with himself on the bed, hands still around the man.

"Please, don't leave for tonight. I don't want to dream of those awful things again tonight. Stay till the morning. Please."

Magnus didn't say anything.

He got into the bed properly taking  the man in his embrace. He pressed his head into his chest for the night.

Because I want him to sleep well tonight, Magnus thought.