Affogato sat at his desk, resting his feet on it. A document on his lap, reading everything thoroughly.
He sighed, clicking his fingers as he stretched. The paper falling onto the floor. He looked over at the mirror, a bandaid still on his jawline.
The clock chimed. It was 5pm. Affogato was going to be late to Dark Cacao's office.
He'd sigh before getting off his chair, picking up the document before putting it on the desk, and signed it hurriedly.
He picked up the document and hurried out of his room, going up the stairs to the 4th floor, where Dark Cacao's office was.
He stopped at the front of the door, the two guards just starting straight ahead.
"Is he busy? Or is he able to see me?" He asked, looking at one of the guards cold helmet.
"He's not expecting guests..."
"He is. He wanted to see me when I was ready to, and I am ready to!" He stomped his foot.
The other guard sighed before doing a knock against the door, a knock far too familiar to Affogato.
A voice yelled from within, beckoning him to come in. The door was opened by the guards, a purple light seeping through the ever growing crack between the door and frame.
Dark Cacao sat at his desk, plum eyes staring at him intently, questioning him from within.
"Close the door after you." He said, his tone sharp.
Affogato stepped in and closed the door, gripping the document to his side, making himself professional like he always did.
"Is that the document I gave you to sign?" He asked, flicking through a stack of unsigned papers.
Affogato nodded, passing it over on the desk, being careful enough not to chip his freshly painted nails.
He grabbed it, quickly reading it and all the values it contained. Scribbles and circles made by Affogato to show importance and least importance, then his signature at the bottom to show he approved.
Most of it he agreed with, like keeping the alcohol prices high, making education more accessible for the Villages, however, one thing, which was marked as unimportant, left not such a good taste in his mouth.
The longer he stared at it, the more chance it was meant for what he thought it meant.
"Why did you mark this less important?" Dark Cacao asked, pointing to the scribbled line.
"What?" Affogato huffed, bending over as a loud crack echoed the room. He really needed to work on his sitting posture.
Affogato read over it, and then twice, then thrice. He couldn't see what was wrong with his marking on that part of the document.
"Nothing is wrong with it?" He muttered, standing back up straight.
"Nothing wrong? Affogato, it reads 'Wall upgrades'. You've underlined it to -"
"Show that it's not a priority. You always worry about that witching wall. It was causing devastation to the kingdom." He explained, walking behind the desk to get closer to Dark Cacao.
"Don't cut me off, Affogato. I prioritise what I believe is correct. You're no longer my advisor." He snapped back, standing to his full height.
"I may not be your advisor, my Liege, but I was before! And I assure you, my advice is good!" He barked, looking up at him.
"You were corrupted with the lust of control! Your advice then was useless! Why would I find it adviceable now?"
"You asked me to advise you! I merely did what was commanded! I'm a changed cookie, you said that yourself!"
Dark Cacao snarled, stepping closer to Affogato, towering over him with his dark shower.
Affogato took a step back, hitting the memorial of the late queen of the kingdom, knocking over an incense.
Dark Cacao quickly caught its holder, but the sticks and stones fell on the floor, causing a clatter and a woosh.
Affogato peered down at Dark Cacao, watching the King frozen from guilt, his hand pressed against his chest.
Dark Cacao stared at the floor, his mouth agape as he pondered on how to clean up the now present mess of his late wife's memorial.
He stood up before putting the incense holder back to its rightful place, letting out a deep sigh as he leaned against it.
"My... deepest apologies." Affogato muttered, "Let me help you with neat -"
"Don't. Touch. It." He snarled, snapping his head to face him, his hands balling into fists on the fine purple silk.
Affogato's hands snapped to his side before he bowed, taking a step back and heading over to the door.
But he stopped beforehand, staring at a cloaked frame on the wall. He walked over before reaching for it.
"Don't." Dark Cacao huffed before standing up straight, staring at him sternly.
"I need to make sure I look alright." He excused himself, lifting up the curtain, revealing the framed broken mirror.
Affogato played with his hair, attempting to neaten it up, only for two hands on his shoulders to appear.
"Put it back over..." Dark Cacao snarled into his ear.
"Why?" Affogato queried, cocking his eyebrow into a elegant arch, taking out lipstick from his pocket.
"I... I don't like it uncovered." Dark Cacao muttered, squeezing Affogato shoulders tightly.
"Do we suffer from the same?" Affogato asked softly, turning around as he applied his lipstick, "Do we both suffer from hallucinations?"
Dark Cacao took a step back, his eyes widening, mouth agape as he tripped over words to say.
"You too?.." He repeated but asked, his eyes slowly going back to question.
"I'm afraid so, well, I did until I started making my own drinks or asking only one servant, my personal servant. The drinks always smelt off otherwise."
Dark Cacao scurried over to his desk, grabbing his drink of tea before handing it over to Affogato, "This?"
Affogato took it in his hands before giving it a sniff, his face contorted from disgust before dropping it on the floor.
"It smells poisoned, and not a good quality one either." The old advisor scoffed, looking at Dark Cacao and ignoring the brand new mess.
Dark Cacao sighed, sitting down at his desk and holding his head in his hands, "Someone has been poisoning me this entire time...?"
"Obviously, and me as well, they must of wanted to set me up by making me seem like I have it in my possession. But mine will never be poor quality like that." He yapped, grabbing his chair and pulling it next to the King's instead of the other side of the desk.
The King fell distraught, who would want to poison him? And frame it on his old advisor? Sure, he doesn't have a good reputation due to the scandals, but the King also has a bad one due to letting him back in.
A hand slid over his shoulder before massaging the tensed muscle, the other hand went to his biceps with soft fingers walking themselves along the more pronounced veins.
"What do I do?" He mumbled, hiding his head in his hands as he let out an intense sigh.
Affogato rested his head on his shoulder, still massaging the King's arm as he dug in, trying to attack the intense muscle.
"You could do a process of elimination." He whispered.
The King shook his head, his mind needing a new topic to focus on.
Dark Cacao sighed, grabbing the document off the table.
He stared at it for awhile, Affogato's head still laying on his shoulder, reading over the document with the King.
"We should go back to discussing what we are meant to..." Dark Cacao whispered, turning his head to face Affogato.
"Mmm, are we discussing the document or the other thing you wanted to discuss with me, after the training event?"
"Either." He said, resting back into his chair, shutting his eyes as he tensed his muscles and untensed them.
A deep sigh came from Affogato as he sat up straight and grabbed the document out of Dark Cacao's hand.
"I believe we could make a deal on the reinforment of the wall..." Affogato smiled, looking up at him.
"Which is?" The King asked, his hands flexing against his leg.
"You focus on the wall closet to the licorice sea. The other three have enough protection, and I mean that."
Before he answered, a harsh punch was done on his arm, causing him to growl in pain, before Affogato continued massaging it.
"You're always so harsh..." He grumbled as he stared at the discarded document on the floor.
"But I do a jammy good job!" Affogato stated, before getting up and going behind him, pushing harsher into the muscle.
"Ugh. Fucking oven...." He snarled as he squeezed his legs with hands, gritting his teeth as he struggled against the pain.
Affogato was right, he did do a bloody good job at it. He always had, finding knots in muscles he never even knew were pulled, it became standard between them.
But this time just felt different, it was harsher, more emotion put into it, yet not negative. Like it relaxed Affogato just as much as it relaxed him.
Dark Cacao let out a soft hum as the massage softened up, making him feel even more at ease as his eyes closed.
"That night." Affogato whispered, his hands slowing as his head rested on Dark Cacao's head, "when I found you bleeding out on the snow."
Dark Cacao looked up at him, attempting not to nudge the old advisor's head off.
"I felt... something I couldn't describe then, but thinking about it now. It was regret and pity. It hurt me seeing you that way, it helped me realise that... I made a mistake... I had to prove myself... I did, really."
A small smile slithered onto Dark Cacao's face, his hand sliding over Affogato's, holding them against his shoulders.
"Yes, and you have." He said, closing his eyes as he relaxed into Affogato's grip.
Affogato huffed from behind before removing himself from the back of the King and to the front.
His eyes were slightly red as he resisted tears daring to fall from his eyes. Misery fell over Dark Cacao in his shadow as he loomed over the King.
The King's brows furrowed as he thought of away to comfort him, his hands clenched and unclenched before finally agreeing with a thought in his mind.
His hands shot out to pull Affogato down to his lap, one going up to the old advisor's hair and moving it out the way, then his lips pressed against his forehead, the other hand rubbing his back slowly.
Affogato's hands found themselves around Dark Cacao's neck, his legs pushing against his dress as he straddled the King's thighs.
Dark Cacao held Affogato against his chest, enjoying the heat coming off of him, a small smile crept on his face as Affogato readjusted himself on Dark Cacao's lap.
"You... should probably go." He muttered as Affogato stared at him, his eyes half lidded.
"I don't want to..." He said, his voice tired as his hand slipped to Dark Cacao's chest.
"You have to, you've spent over your visiting hours. And I need to get the alter cleaned..."
"Fineeeeee. But, can I have my office back? I want somewhere quiet to study." He sighed, as he got up, letting the King's hair slip through his fingers.
"Well, it'll need a good clean, otherwise its yours to keep." Dark Cacao smiled as he got up from his chair, opening a drawer and grabbing the spare keys.
Affogato took them from his hands and slipped them into the corset of his dress then started heading to the door.
Dark Cacao speed walked to the door to open it first, reaching for the handle before Affogato grabbed his hand, pulling him into a kiss.
Dark Cacao's eyes blew open, as his soft lips pressed against his drier ones, the old advisor's fingers intertwined with his, grabbing his other hand and putting it on his waist.
Starting to close his eyes, Affogato pulled away and opened the door for himself, "Goodbye, my Liege. I hope to discuss matters with you again, soon." He smiled, waving his hand before shutting the door after he left.
Quiet mutters came from the other side of the door as Dark Cacao touched his lips, his hands shaking as his mind tried to process what happened.
He... witch did he...?
Dark Cacao stumbled to his chair, then slumped down on it, perhaps he was hallucinating again. Perhaps he had a rough day. Or perhaps he was just tired?...
He wasn't sure, but he wouldn't mind feeling those lips against his once more... even if it was awkward.
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What a long wait for a rewritten chapter. I do apologise, my dear followers.
(W.C 2132)