Stand by Him

𝑳𝑰𝑿 - 𝑵𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒃𝒚𝒆

「𝑶𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒂'𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗」

Sodo had literally destroyed me if you asked me. We were both cuddling in his bed under the covers after a nice warm bath. He was still shirtless but had at least taken the time to put some sweatpants on yet no underwear. I, on the other hand, had taken the time to put everything back on as I was the type of person to be cold everywhere I go. With my head resting on Sodo's chest and his hand running through my slightly tangled hair, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

「The next morning」

In the morning, it seemed that I had woken up before Sodo did. His arms were still wrapped around me tightly even as he slept. I decided to just close my eyes and enjoy the moment while waiting for him to wake up on his own. It's only a few minutes later that I heard his raspy morning voice...

« Good morning, my love.. » He said before he kissed my forehead.

I couldn't help but smile. « Good morning. » I said back, reopening my eyes to look at him.

« Slept good?~» He asked with a teasing smirk on his face.

« Pretty much... did you? » I asked, putting a strand of his hair behind his ear.

« Absolutely. » He said, burying his face in the crook of my neck, being clingy all of a sudden.

I relaxed and stayed quiet for a few minutes before speaking up.

« Should we go upstairs? » I asked him, smiling.

« Aww... already? » Sodo groaned as he removed his head from my neck and looked at me.

« Well... it is 11:30 after all... » I said, looking at the time on the alarm clock on the bedside table.

« Huh? » Sodo said, looking at the time as well.

He looked back at me and kissed my cheek before getting up and stretching. I looked at him as he stretched, my eyes unable to leave his body as I remembered everything that happened last night. Sodo looked back at me and chuckled.

« Your face is all red... » He said, putting his shirt back on.

I chuckled and turned away from him, hiding my red face. On the other hand, Sodo didn't want me turning my face away. He gently grabbed my chin and turned my face towards him again. I smiled at him, and he started to lean in for a kiss.

Our lips soon connected, and he placed his hand on my cheek, rubbing it gently as we kissed. After last night, a simple kiss felt so different... it felt like nothing, yet it was obviously still enjoyable. When he pulled away, he smiled at me and slipped a shirt on.

As he put his shirt back on, I laid down in his bed comfortably and pulled the covers over myself, starting to relax and feeling like I was going to fall asleep again. Yet this was interrupted as I felt light slaps on my cheek.

« Wake up, sleepyhead. Didn't you say that you wanted to go upstairs? » Sodo said, looking at me from above as I lied down.

I let out a laugh and stirred. « Forget I said that, I think I wanna keep sleeping. » I said, closing my eyes again.

« Tsk... you made me get up for nothing. » Sodo sarcastically said before he kissed me on the cheek and let me sleep as he went upstairs with the others.

I got comfortable lying in his bed and slowly drifted off to sleep again.

「Later」

It was probably 1 PM by now... As I headed upstairs after waking up, I saw... Phantom? What was he doing here? Maybe he was just visiting Aurora...

I entered the kitchen and greeted him before making myself a very late breakfast. The more time went by, the more I realized that something was off... as I was sitting in my room, I suddenly realized. I haven't seen Aether of the whole morning. Where was he? Curious yet concerned, I got out of my room and headed to Aether's room.

As I got there, the door was open, yet I saw that it looked different and... Phantom was placing some decorations around? Did I miss something? Why was Phantom taking his room? Where did Aether go? I was confused and decided to go to Copia to ask him where he was. I knocked on the door of his room, and he soon opened the door.

« Neptune! What brings you here? » Copia asked me.

« Hey, Copia... I'm just gonna go straight to the point, I haven't seen Aether of the whole morning, and now Phantom's taking his room, and I just can't find him anywhere. Where did he go? » I asked, tilting my head to the side slightly.

« Oh... Aether, right. I guess you were too busy yesterday... and I didn't want to bother you as you slept... Not everyone was aware until this morning, and I'm sorry for not telling. » Copia said before sighing quietly.

For not telling what? Why did he seem sad like that?

« Well... Let's say he was... kicked out? But at the same time, he didn't have the time for the tours. It was last minute, but he had projects with his other band as well as his own music, and it was getting in the plans of the tour, so I kinda had no other choice... » Copia explained, which made my smile slowly fade... if I even had a smile in my face in the first place.

« Wait, wait, wait... He was kicked out?! I didn't even get to say goodbye! He's already gone?! » I said.

« I'm afraid so... » Copia said, putting a hand on my shoulder as he saw I was sad that I couldn't get to at least say goodbye to him. « But why would he leave just like that?! » I added, still feeling confused yet sad that Aether had actually left.

« He left early this morning... his flight was too early and nobody was uo when he had to leave. I'm sorry, Neptune. » Copia apologized as if it was his fault... which wasn't... well... in a way..?

« Ugh... no... Don't apologize. I'll call him... » I said, smiling a little.

Copia smiled back and patted my shoulder before I left, and he closed the door to his room, going back to whatever he was doing in the first place.

...