AHEIAID Chapter 54: This Man is a Bit Clingy
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When Joey did that—
The darkness quietly receded from the icy world.
The hero, caught between duty and guilt, reason and emotion, finally reignited his soul, radiating a sparkling brilliance once more.
Joey contentedly ran his fingers over his man’s lips and the corners of his eyes.
He gazed into those golden-green eyes, which, though still tinged with traces of blood, had shed their shadows and were once again filled with life.
“Mhm, my dad is finally back.”
Grinning foolishly, he rolled into the arms of the handsome man, taking a deep, deep breath.
Ah~
The scent of a top-tier beauty—inhale—intoxicating!
His lovestruck, starry-eyed expression successfully cracked the composed exterior of the young and handsome "deity." A smile tugged at his lips, and his once-pained expression softened.
Gently and carefully, he pulled the human in his arms closer, his palm sliding under the hem of his shirt, pressing against his back.
The chamomile fragrance that he longed for, yet always brought him both joy and guilt, wafted from the soft curls of Joey’s hair. Garius closed his eyes.
For that brief moment, it felt as though all the heavy burdens he carried dissipated along with his closing eyelids—
Including the guilt that clung to his heart, the nightmares of his past.
Because of him, he was redeemed once again.
“Ahem, actually, I’ve been meaning to say this. Garius, your eyes are like an oasis in the desert. Not ordinary like mine—they’re absolutely stunning. So don’t let them be sad anymore, okay?”
“…Mhm.”
Without opening his eyes, Garius hummed softly, his lips buried in Joey’s curls.
“As long as you’re here, they won’t be.”
Besides, your eyes are beautiful too.
They are pure, innocent.
Soft and warm, seemingly devoid of any power to harm, yet resilient and forgiving—always forgiving me, again and again. No one else is like you, possessing all things beautiful, yet treating them as ordinary, only to give them away to others…
“Joey.”
“Mhm?”
“Joey.”
“Huh?”
“Joey.”
“……”
What the hell? Dad, have you turned into the essence of humanity? No way! A broken-record machine with no abs, no mermaid lines, no long legs?!
Joey looked up in horror, cupping his dad’s cool, flawless face, examining it closely—only to find that Garius was simply exhausted. He was just calling his name over and over, almost like a child seeking comfort.
Mhm, in Northeast dialect, this is called qiu jiao—seeking attention before sleep.
To put it simply, when kids get tired, they fuss and cry until an adult comes to comfort them.
“……” Joey clutched his chest.
Seriously, I’m absolutely done for when a normally cool and aloof man suddenly acts clingy like this. This is lethal!
Joey’s paternal instincts—or rather, his other instincts—flared up instantly.
He quickly adjusted his position, then, utterly smitten, hugged his dad’s head, threading his fingers through that silky, golden hair.
Like coaxing a child, he murmured:
“Hehehehe. Dad—no, baby, sleep tight. I’m right here.”
“When you wake up, we’ll have dumplings, eat some meat, set off firecrackers, wear a floral jacket—”
Wait.
No, no, no! Garius cannot wear a floral jacket. Damn it, now I can’t unsee it.
Jo Inugami finished his murmuring and planted a kiss on Garius' brow.
Not long after, the man who had buried his face in Joey’s thin chest let out slow, even breaths.
His golden-feathered eyelashes rested quietly in the depths of his eye sockets. No matter how much Joey looked, he couldn’t get enough. His gaze lingered on the only thing that didn’t quite match this flawless face—the dark shadows under his eyes.
Sigh… Garius must have been utterly exhausted these past few days…
After sighing, his expression twisted with resentment as he mentally dragged Harry out to be whipped once more.
Damn it! Where the hell is that mutt hiding?
With Garius’ abilities, how has he still not caught him?
If not for Joey still being alive, that bastard could have become the shadow haunting Garius—at best—or, at worst, the spark that ignites chaos in the Empire.
A true menace who just won’t die!
Right, system?
But no indignant response echoed in his mind. Joey blinked in confusion before coming to his senses, smacking his lips and hugging his dad tighter as he closed his eyes.
I need to focus on recovering as soon as possible. Maybe once I’m healed, that dumb system will come back?
And Lucian…
I have to visit them. I won’t feel at ease otherwise…
“Phew~”
Drowsily planning his schedule, worrying about everyone except himself, Joey drifted off.
This time, the room was filled with a second steady breathing.
—But sometime in the middle of the night, Garius’ eyes suddenly snapped open!
His powerful body tensed, his heart pounded violently, and those wide, golden-green pupils—though unfocused—shrank into thin slits as if witnessing something terrifying.
But thankfully, it was only for a moment.
When the startled man heard the soft, sleepy mumbling above him caused by his movement—a familiar, warm voice—he froze.
A few seconds later, his entire body relaxed.
…Joey?
That’s right. You’re back.
After a long silence, Garius carefully placed Joey’s IV-pierced hand to the side, then adjusted his posture, pulling the warm body closer.
Their waists pressed together as his lips gently, repeatedly kissed Joey’s sweat-dampened forehead. The fatigue on his face eased, and he finally fell back into sleep.
And this time, his dreams were beautiful.
—
Joey thought he’d be able to visit Lucian the very next day.
In reality, he didn’t get out of bed for at least ten days to half a month.
Even going to the bathroom required Garius to carry him.
Yes. Carry him to pee.
Joey buried his face in his hands, burning with shame.
During the first few unconscious days, they used a catheter. But once he woke up, Garius strongly opposed it.
The man had gone completely silent as he watched the doctor remove it.
He looked at the doctor. Then at the catheter.
Then at the doctor again. Then back at the catheter.
That expression—“You touched my partner’s private part right in front of me, even left something inside, and now you’re taking it out in front of me?!”—was something Joey would never, ever forget.
It was as if he had been caught cheating and… finishing the deed!
And in the days that followed, Garius practically quit his job to stay home with him.
Washing his face, cleaning his body, helping him to the bathroom, applying medicine—anything the doctor didn’t have to do, Garius did.
His daily entertainment?
Staring at Joey.
Sideways from the bedside.
Straight on while standing.
Lying down, watching from a full 360-degree angle!
After a while, Joey was completely numb from being watched!
He hesitated for a long time before finally turning to look at the tall, straight-backed man with golden curls, an impeccably handsome yet serious face—His Excellency, the Prosecutor General of District 13.
Their eyes met. The man’s gaze burned with intensity.
Joey hesitated, then finally asked,
“…Garius, did our family go bankrupt?”
The man shook his head. “No.”
“Did you lose your job?”
Another shake. “No.”
Oh. So neither of those things happened, huh?
THEN WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STARING AT?!
Joey was on the verge of a meltdown, frowning as he urged his dad, “Garius, hurry up and go to work. I’m fine now, you really don’t have to worry about me. Worst case, I’ll just have Reston (the new butler) help me.”
“Not going.”
The lips, which had regained some color, parted slightly, releasing those two simple words. Yet, his gaze remained unwavering, tracing the contours of his human’s face as if committing them to memory.
His gleaming eyes were filled with a cloying affection and attachment, creating a stark contrast with his usual cold demeanor.
“…………”
Sigh.
Joey didn’t press the issue.
Clearly, surviving such a disaster didn’t just bring joy—Garius had obviously been left with deep ‘aftereffects.’ His need for control had intensified, and he wanted to stick close to Joey at all times.
But what can I do?
Might as well spoil him.
Joey lifted the blanket, patted the bed, and skillfully summoned his S-Class Iceberg Beast—Garius Heine.
Garius’ lips twitched into a fleeting smile before he quickly schooled his expression back to seriousness. He took off his outer jacket of his loungewear and pulled his human into his arms, inhaling deeply as if cherishing the scent.
His fingers had to stroke the curly hair.
His nose had to nuzzle the hair whorl.
Sometimes, he even acted like some large beast grooming its mate—holding a strand of Joey’s hair between his lips and playfully tugging, lightly pulling at Joey’s scalp with a chuckle.
Joey: ???
What kind of weird habits are these, Dad?!
Due to their curled-up position, Joey was nestled entirely against Garius’ firm chest. He tucked his feet between the other man’s legs, rolled his eyes, and muttered, “Alright, happy now? Sleep, Your Majesty.”
“Mm.” That usually cold voice was now replaced by a lazy, content hum.
—
This clingy, syrupy life lasted for about half a month.
By the time Joey could finally walk short distances again, the Amon-Saxis squad came in a group to visit him.
After experiencing life and death, everyone started with red-rimmed eyes and exchanged a few heartfelt greetings.
Reina even cried.
Under the overwhelming pressure of a certain district governor’s icy aura, this girl—who was several heads taller than Joey—held his hands and said a lot, even excitedly showing him some new trinkets she brought.
Joey just grinned like an idiot, laughing along with her, completely oblivious to Amon silently taking a seat beside him.
The first assistant watched as his superior was surrounded by the lively crowd, a subtle glimmer flashing in his eyes. Then, he looked at Joey and winked.
He had a secret to tell him.
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊
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