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There were many, many days where Chaos offered to take Daryl away from it all, to give him a break from his busy life, to give him a peace of mind he couldn't afford as Third King of Illyria. Most days, Daryl thanked him, but said no. He claimed he couldn't just up and leave, that it would destroy him after he worked so hard to get where he was.
People relied on Daryl, and he couldn't let them down. That didn't stop Chaos from offering Daryl the option to leave his current life behind. Whenever Daryl came home a broken wreck, Chaos would always remind him that there was a way out, even if he never, ever would take it.
Chaos knew Daryl too well, and he knew that he'd never take the easy way out. It didn't hurt to remind Daryl that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, though. Eventually, Daryl would quit his job as king, just as Ky did, and then, Chaos could whisk Daryl away from his former life.
It was after one particularly stressful day that, surprisingly, Daryl accepted Chaos's offer. Chaos had been hanging around his suite, cooking dinner in preparation for him coming home, when Daryl came home lacking a light in his eyes.
Immediately, Chaos sensed something was off. Not only was he home a few hours late (which wasn't all that uncommon), but his posture was off. He was slouched over, carried several papers in his hands, and refused to look up from the floor. Usually, he was confident, looking forward like he owned the room.
Daryl refused to meet Chaos's gaze, as if he were ashamed of himself.
"Heya, puddin'," Chaos greeted, concerned. He didn't even get a response, as, instead, Daryl immediately crossed the room and went in for a hug, all but collapsing into Chaos's arms. He didn't even wrap his arms around Chaos's body, instead letting them lie limp at his side.
Chaos was stunned for a moment before wrapping his arms around Daryl tightly and asking, "What's up?"
"Hhn," Daryl wordlessly responded, burying his head in Chaos's shoulder. Very faintly, Chaos could feel the wetness of tears on his bare shoulder. Well, shit. That wasn't good.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Chaos asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer. When Daryl shook his head, Chaos's heart fell. It must have been really bad if he didn't even want to complain. If something annoying had happened, Daryl would rant about it like a catty bitch, much to Chaos's delight. He didn't even want to talk…
Chaos tightened his hold on Daryl and swayed him from side to side as he kissed his temple. Sometimes, silence was the best medicine, even if Chaos wanted to comfort Daryl in any way he could. Just like other times when Daryl came home like this, Chaos offered, "We could go away, you know. Just you and me."
"Please," Daryl begged, coming out of his hiding spot on Chaos's shoulder and finally looking him in the eye. The eyes were the window to the soul, and Chaos could tell Daryl was suffering. Something must have really been bothering him.
Then, Chaos processed Daryl's answer. He was… actually accepting Chaos's offer. "Seriously?" Chaos blinked, wondering if he should take Daryl away because of the state he was in. He could be making a rash decision, one he'd come to regret the next day. Chaos was all for rash decisions, but he didn't want to see Daryl come to regret such a momentous choice.
"Just for a night," Daryl clarified, his voice shaky. Ah, right. Daryl wasn't thinking on the grand scale that Chaos was. "I can't- I don't…"
"Anything you want." Chaos kissed Daryl's cheek. "Anything for you."
"Thank you," Daryl whimpered. The next question to answer was where Daryl wanted to go. Chaos could take him anywhere, everywhere. There was no limit to his range, the only limiter being Daryl's preferences.
"Where do you wanna go?" Chaos asked, hugging Daryl closer and staring into his pretty eyes. They were rimmed with unshed tears, something that hurt Chaos to no end. He hated to see Daryl suffer like this.
"I don't care, just take me away," Daryl shook his head, a stray tear slipping down his cheek. Wiping it away with his thumb, Chaos sadly smiled at him. Anywhere, huh? Maybe he should take Daryl to his favorite location, one that didn't have any people around to bother them.
Well, one of Chaos's favorite locations was a busy street corner in the capital city of Illyria, but that wouldn't fit the occasion. The world shouldn't see Daryl like this, not at all. This was private, something only meant for Chaos to see. This was something Chaos was meant to help heal, so Daryl would be looking pretty and working hard the very next day.
The only issue was getting there. If Chaos only had a night to mend Daryl's broken heart, there was no way they could go on an impromptu road trip. There was no way Chaos could get his lover back in time for work the next day, not unless he did some serious speeding. If he sped at all, Daryl would get motion sickness, so that was a no-go.
Teleporting wasn't a thing Chaos enjoyed, per se, but he was willing to do it on this one occasion for Daryl's sake. He hated to see him suffer like this, so teleporting would be a sacrifice Chaos was more than willing to make. The only question was how Daryl felt about it, so Chaos asked, "How d'ya feel about teleporting?"
Daryl vaguely nodded his head as if to say that he was more than happy to be teleported away from his life, if only for one night. With his vague confirmation, all Chaos had to think of was a location for them to flee to.
Someplace he cherished, someplace he knew Daryl would enjoy, someplace where they could be alone, just the two of them. He wanted to show Daryl a good time, not in that way, so perhaps he'd choose somewhere with cliffs, just so he could float Daryl in the air. Something, anything to distract him from whatever was plaguing him.
Somewhere with cliffs limited Chaos's options, and he knew exactly where he wanted to take Daryl. It was a place his grandmother had taken him long, long ago, a place that survived the Crusades with little to no damage. Chaos had since visited it, and he was glad to know the surrounding villages had been abandoned, leaving the area desolate and far from humanity.
The Cliffs of Moher, as they were called long ago, were the perfect spot to take Daryl. Before warning Daryl, Chaos wrapped his arms around him to hold him tighter, just in case they were teleported to an unfortunate location.
It had happened before, when Chaos was attempting to teleport, and he ended up fifty feet in the air. He didn't want that happening with Daryl, so he'd make sure to be more cautious than usual.
"Ready?" Chaos asked, talking right next to Daryl's ear. As Chaos caressed his back, Daryl nodded. That was Chaos's cue to teleport them as accurately as he could. Closing his eyes, Chaos warned, "Prepare yourself, puddin'."
While Daryl tensed in his arms, Chaos closed his eyes, wrapped an arm around Daryl's waist, and snapped his fingers. In the blink of an eye, they were transported from Daryl's apartment to the middle of nowhere.
After dealing with the brief wave of nausea that always seemed to impact him when teleporting, Chaos straightened his back and looked around the area. They were safely on the ground, just where Chaos hoped they would be.
The loud crashing of waves could be heard behind both of them, the cliff of which was scarily close. If Chaos were just a little unluckier, they could have plunged into the sharp rocks and ice-cold ocean below. Thankfully, the fate that Chaos didn't believe in was looking out for him and Daryl.
"We're here," Chaos murmured and nudged his nose against Daryl's cheek. He had his head buried in Chaos's chest, clinging onto him desperately as he quietly groaned in displeasure. Unlike Chaos, he wasn't dealing with the nausea very well. "Shit, you okay?"
"Fine, just fine," Daryl didn't sound very convinced of himself, but he removed his head from Chaos's chest and looked up at him, the wind whipping his hair this way and that. Under the clear, non-polluted sky, Daryl was more than handsome. He already seemed to be doing a little better in the fresh air.
For a moment, Chaos allowed himself to get lost in Daryl's eyes, pretty and blue as they were. They were a prettier blue than the sky above them, even if it was the middle of the night and the sky was black. He was talking about the midday sky, okay?
At some point, Chaos would have to take Daryl on a road trip around Ireland, showing him all of his favorite locations. Then, Chaos could properly compare Daryl's eyes to the boundless sky above them.
Anyway, Chaos blinked and shook his head slightly to shake himself out of his lovestruck stupor, asking Daryl, "Wanna look around?"
Once again, all Chaos received was a nod as Daryl righted himself and took several steps backward out of Chaos's arms. They were pretty close to the edge, a footstep or two away, so Chaos didn't blame him for walking away. Following Daryl, Chaos jogged up to him, smiled at him, and grabbed his hand so they could walk together.
"Can I show you around?" Chaos asked, bringing their conjoined hands up to his lips. Daryl still seemed a little frazzled, both from whatever shitty day he had and the teleportation, and he hadn't found his words yet. Stepping closer to Chaos, Daryl nodded, gesturing his head toward a direction for Chaos to lead him.
Sending him a shit-eating grin, Chaos led them back toward the edge of the cliff. When Daryl hesitated, Chaos didn't explain, "C'mon, trust me."
"I don't know if I trust you," Daryl frowned and was notably not teasing. To be fair, Chaos wasn't a very trustworthy person to the masses. He was a world-renowned criminal, after all. Ex-criminal, but the only person who knew that was Daryl, who still didn't trust him.
Laughing, Chaos let go of Daryl's hands and walked backwards until he was at the very edge of the cliff. Daryl lunged at him, grabbing onto his jacket before he could take one last step. They both knew Chaos couldn't be hurt, but the care Daryl showed to him still warmed Chaos's heart.
Anyway, it was all a ploy to get Daryl to step off the cliff with Chaos. With both of their feet off the cliff, Daryl screwed his eyes shut as if to anticipate a fall. "Open your eyes, sweetheart," Chaos whispered into his ear. He took a step back with Daryl, dragging him forward and further off the edge.
When Daryl did so, he looked down at their feet. There was no solid ground beneath them, but they hadn't plummeted to the bottom of the sea. Chaos wasn't trying to assassinate Daryl, no, not at all! Instead, he just wanted to view the cliffs from a distance with him, away from the cliffs themselves. It required some magic to do the heavy lifting, but they could do so.
"See? You're fine," Chaos murmured lovingly, dragging his lips against Daryl's cheek. Daryl seemed to calm down a little at the prospect of floating over the ocean, knowing that Chaos wouldn't let him drop. More than happily, Chaos wrapped his arms around Daryl in yet another hug, asking, "Can we go out farther?"
"Lead me," Daryl requested, and how could Chaos say no to him? He couldn't, so, taking both of Daryl's hands in his, Chaos continued walking backwards so they were a good distance from the cliffs. Once they were a satisfactory distance away, Chaos stood next to Daryl's side, both of them facing the cliffs.
They really were a wonder to behold, and Chaos knew Daryl felt the same if his quiet awe was anything to go by. He was silent as he held onto Chaos's hand, standing by his side and watching the darkened cliffs get ravaged by waves underneath the bright, star-filled sky. In the dark, the beauty of the cliffs wasn't easily visible, but they were still a sight to behold.
The sheer drop was intense, but with Chaos's magic, there was nothing to worry about. He wouldn't let a hair on Daryl's pretty little head get harmed, no siree.
Along with the cliffs, there wasn't a cloud in sight. The weather could have chosen to work against Chaos, instead being cloudy and overcast. If it had been overcast, he'd have used his magic to make the clouds dissipate, but not having to cast a spell was always a good thing in his book.
Well, maybe he could use a little magic. Just a little. The stars were always a wonder, but what would be even prettier was if…
"Wow," Daryl gasped at the night sky as it suddenly burst with colors of greens, reds, and purples. Exciting the magnetic field in the sky, Chaos summoned the aurora borealis with a single wave of his hand. He wanted to distract Daryl, so what better way than to impress him with his magical prowess?
As the stars twinkled above them and streaks of color danced across the sky, Chaos couldn't help but stare at the much more beautiful picture that was Daryl. Sure, the dancing colors flicking this way and that were beautiful, but Daryl? Oh, Daryl, underneath the swirling lights, was a much more beautiful sight.
He was in awe, staring at the sky with wide eyes and an open mouth. Chaos was standing on the opposite side of his bangs, so he got the perfect look at his handsome face. His eyes shone with admiration, and Chaos was about ninety-nine percent sure that Daryl hadn't ever seen the northern lights before. He wasn't exactly in a prime spot in Illyria, and he always seemed to be busy.
Compared to how he looked earlier when he arrived back in his suite, Daryl looked so full of life, so lively and appreciative of what he had. He looked amazed, as if this was a sight he'd never seen before. The streaks of purple in the sky were particularly pretty, shining against Daryl's face, his favorite color.
For a moment, Chaos turned his gaze away to the sky, just to confirm his theory that a wonder of nature couldn't beat the wonder of Daryl. He was certain that, yes, Daryl was prettier than anything nature could provide, even if there were some wondrous things in nature. Nature couldn't make eyes that shone so brightly, could it?
Chaos was more than happy to have distracted Daryl, to give him a memory to cherish. Maybe he wanted to make it even better, so Chaos turned to stand in front of Daryl.
He bowed before him, kissing his hand as one would do before a dance. "May I have this dance?" Chaos teased, looking up expectantly at Daryl through lidded eyes. In the shimmering lights from the sky above, Chaos saw Daryl's face flush a bright pink, and he looked so very handsome in his formal regalia.
"Of course," Daryl purred, bringing their hands to the side as Chaos stood straight. "Do you want me to lead?"
"Sure thing, Dar," Chaos happily complied, willing to follow Daryl wherever he went. Though he had been hesitant about stepping off the edge of the cliffs at first, now Daryl was confident in every step, just as he usually was when he danced. He had the skills of a seasoned dancer, and Chaos was more than grateful to be his partner.
Underneath the stars and the dancing lights stretching across the night sky, Chaos and Daryl danced the night away. Under his breath, Chaos hummed a tune from his childhood, one that wasn't exactly suited for a waltz, but one that Daryl took in stride nonetheless.
With his hand low on Daryl's shoulder, Chaos couldn't help but stare into Daryl's pretty eyes as they whirled around the air like two lovers combined into one being. It felt so right to be here with Daryl, here at a place far from humanity, beneath the colored night sky, alone together, dancing the night away with one another.
Everything felt right, but Chaos wanted to make sure Daryl felt the same way. "Feelin' better?" Chaos asked. He didn't want to ruin the charming atmosphere, but he did want to make sure Daryl was actually okay instead of playing up a skilled facade.
Their chests were pressed to one another, Chaos's bare and Daryl's layered with clothing. Despite the layers between them, Chaos could still feel Daryl's rapid heartbeat as they took step after step in tune with one another. Daryl's hand on his lower back felt warm, nice, loving.
"I am," Daryl nodded, a pleasant smile on his face. A loving smile, Chaos would dare to say. "All thanks to you."
"No problem, puddin'," Chaos shook his head as he continued, "as I said, I'd do anything for you, you just have to say the word."
"Anything?" Daryl raised an eyebrow charmingly. He was like Chaos's own Prince Charming.
"Anything," Chaos confirmed. Before he requested what he so desperately wanted, Daryl spun Chaos in a circle and dipped him low, done so expertly and flawlessly that Chaos blushed. The things this man did to his heart.
"Kiss me," Daryl requested breathlessly. How could Chaos say no to a request like that? One he could so easily fulfill…
Leaning up, Chaos caught Daryl's lips with his own. He tilted his head for better purchase, his lips suctioned onto Daryl's. With a happy hum, Daryl brought his hand that was held in Chaos's to run through his messy hair, holding his head preciously.
In return, Chaos wrapped both arms around Daryl's shoulders, bringing him lower and closer to him. He tasted like coffee, a taste that would be disgusting coming from anyone else. From Daryl, though? From Daryl, Chaos was actually coming to like the taste they both despised. It helped that Daryl seemed to add copious amounts of milk and sugar, making the taste all the sweeter.
He was warm, too, a balm against the cool night air. Really, Chaos felt like they were two souls joined into one at that moment, and truly, everything was right in the world.
"You're charming," Chaos murmured against Daryl's lips when they broke apart, panting. He rested his forehead against Daryl's as he was brought back upright, the two of them now swaying back and forth in place instead of properly dancing.
"As are you," Daryl flirted, his eyes locked onto Chaos's once he opened them.
With Daryl in his arms, swaying back and forth, Chaos was certain that every little thing was perfect, and he was more than happy to have done it all for Daryl.
—
Back at home, Chaos reheated the risotto he had made for Daryl. They had been away from home for a good few hours, just enjoying themselves all alone in the middle of nowhere. While he stood at the stove, Daryl hugged him from behind after having changed into more comfortable clothing. Though Chaos loved seeing Daryl in his formal get-up, seeing him in his pajamas was a treat.
He always looked good, period, but seeing him softer, more relaxed…
Oh, it was a treat.
As Chaos happily hummed to himself, proud of having mended Daryl's broken heart if only for a night, he stirred the rice in the pan, making sure it was equally heated. Daryl, on the other hand, had his head resting on Chaos's shoulder, watching him cook.
"Thank you," Daryl broke the silence between them by speaking in a hushed tone. "Thank you so much."
"For what?" Chaos turned his head back to look at Daryl, who was blushing a bright pink and had tears rimming his pretty blue eyes. Shit. Seeing that he was on the verge of tears, Chaos turned off the stove and faced Daryl. Holding his face in his hands, Chaos waited for a response.
"For taking me away," Daryl clarified, wiping the unshed tears from his eyes with the palm of his hand. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Daryl…" Chaos trailed off, unsure of what to say when Daryl was being so honest, wearing his heart on his sleeve for Chaos and only Chaos to see. "I'd take you away anytime. I'll always be here for you, you know that, right?"
"I do now," Daryl smiled. "I do now."
Good. Kissing him sweetly and chastely, Chaos stroked Daryl's cheek and whispered against his lips, "Let's eat."
They ate dinner in a comfortable silence that night and went to bed once the dishes were cleaned. As Chaos held Daryl in his arms for as long as he could, he couldn't help but feel that, despite everything they had gone through, for one night, everything was right in the world.