After all, hadn't he been thinking about it? Felt it? Even when he hadn't taken the time to consider it. Even before Anthony's assumed death. Even when he'd told himself he couldn't trust someone so easily after what happened with Adrian.

But Anthony was not Adrian. Perhaps he was the opposite.

Adrian had used him, made him feel guilty for no reason, tried to push him into doing things he didn't want, but Anthony? Lucius could not disregard all the lies he'd been put through, but he could see them from Anthony's perspective now, and it made things a little better.

Besides, Lucius wasn't the most honest person either.

Two numbskulls, as well as two liars.

Perhaps they actually suited each other in that way.

Lucius hadn't quite expected it, but Anthony's lips were actually softer than his own, and he wondered if all people with paintings did some extensive skin-care before locking their bodies like that. Regardless, Lucius' lips were dry from his state of unconsciousness and his way of kissing felt rather clumsy when he gave it some thought.

Then another realisation struck him, and he slowly pulled away from the kiss.

Anthony's reaction was hard to figure out. The shock was expected, sure, but there was an expression leaking through that Lucius would either describe as pain, or fear.

Neither was a desirable reaction to a kiss, but Lucius hoped it was for another reason, and he glanced down at the dried smudge on Anthony's lips. In the midst of everything it seemed he'd forgotten the state he was in, having had his mouth covered in blood from his stomach.

"I taste like corpse," he whispered, the realisation colouring his voice with doom.

To his further misery, Anthony confirmed it by nodding, shocked stare persistent.

"Corpse and alcohol."

Lucius sighed in defeat, not without covering his mouth, and turned his head away.

"Well isn't that fucking delightful, he mumbled underneath his hand, the other one pressing hard against his knee to keep him from punching himself. "Always the charmer."

He couldn't see if Anthony's expression had changed. He wasn't sure he wanted to.

"Lucius, are you—"

"I think I should rest a bit more," Lucius hurriedly said, still looking away. His face was burning, and the rapid beating of his heart made his hands tremble. Why? Why had he done that? Not only had he kissed Anthony out of nowhere, he'd shoved the taste of decay into his mouth at the same time. "I just— I got caught up in the moment... I wasn't thinking."

Anthony didn't reply at first, and Lucius finally turned his head to glance at him.

At least his shock seemed to have gone away, but the concern remained ever present in his current frown.

"Is that true?" he then asked, and Lucius pinched his lips together. He was quite certain it wasn't, but could he admit that?

"Well..." He sighed again. He was so tired of lying. "... No. Or, not completely?"

Anthony raised an eyebrow, and Lucius tried shrugging the embarrassment off.

"I really did get caught up in the moment, but I... I would have wanted to anyway."

"Kiss me?"

Lucius only nodded, gaze falling down to his hands.

"And... You regret it now?" Anthony wanted to know, leaning his head down in search of eye contact. "Or are you embarrassed?"

"I'm dealing with quite the morning breath, so..." Lucius smiled a weak, sheepish smile. "It may have been the wrong time for a kiss. Especially a first one."

Anthony hummed.

"Do you think the second one would be different?"

Lucius' laugh was as weak as his smile.

"Doubt it."

Anthony leaned over and tilted Lucius' chin upwards.

"Let's see."

And all of a sudden, it was Lucius' turn to enter a state of shock as Anthony returned the kiss, but Dyris knew he had no intention to pull away. He more than happily welcomed it, relieved that the panic in Anthony's eyes had not been caused by disinterest.

Anthony wrapped his arms around him to pull him closer, and Lucius fell into a daze as their bodies pressed against each other. It felt good. It was almost too much for him. Aside from the occasional hug from Samueli he'd barely touched people the last couple of months, and now he realised how starved he was.

He moved his hand up from Anthony's neck and ran his fingers through his hair. The recent events disappeared from his mind, leaving nothing but memories of the times Lucius had felt this warmth around Anthony before.

The ignition had happened as early as the ball. Despite the undesirable art gallery incident and his painful attempt at dancing, Lucius had still had a good time with the two of them joking around.

Next had been the sanctuary, which, unsurprisingly, had only occurred to him afterwards. Both that and the conversation they'd had after Adrian's betrayal had been the first time someone acknowledged what years of trauma had done to him. How it had messed with his head.

Anxiety began creeping forward inside Lucius' mind and he hurriedly tried moving on to Dyris' day.

It was harder than he'd hoped it to be though. For every image of him laughing at failed baking or opening non-turquoise gifts, memories of Adrian's forcefulness or Vaughan slamming him into a wall made themselves known, and things escalated at a rapid pace.

The disgusting words thrown at him and the other Hydrina residents at their execution. The emptiness in Phil's eyes as Lucius had kissed him goodbye. The spliced abominations surrounding him as Carner tried beating him to death.

He tried so hard to make it stop. To prevent his mind from going further and bring forth those memories, but he didn't stand a chance, and the worst of it all mercilessly pushed forward.

Seth.

"Wait," he said, and backed away a little. Not now. Those Scourgefucking memories would not get to him now. "I need a moment."

Anthony turned his head away a little so he wouldn't stare.

"Something you want to talk about?" he asked, but Lucius shook his head. He didn't need more of those memories at the moment. He was supposed to be happy. To finally feel some joy in the midst of everything, but no. No happiness for Lucius, apparently.

"I'm just trying to work out some... Thoughts." He took deep breaths. He had to calm down. The images would never disappear if he focused on forgetting them.

"I get it," Anthony said, and Lucius blinked before glancing over at him.

"You do?"

Perhaps that was it. Why Anthony understood him so well. Perhaps he'd been through similar experiences during his lifetime.

"I have some thoughts to sort out as well," Anthony admitted, gently placing a hand on Lucius' shoulder. "Because that second kiss tasted like death just as much, and I'm not into it."

Lucius was dumbstruck, and his mouth refused to close as he processed it.

"... What?"

"I'm saying there will be no more kissing until you've cleaned your mouth properly." Anthony shook his head in disapproval, and Lucius could do nothing but stare at him for a moment.

Then he laughed.

The terror in his mind didn't stand a chance. For some reason Anthony had the ability to produce a hilarious, exaggerated pout, and it was enough for Lucius to struggle with keeping a straight face.

"You're laughing." Anthony folded his arms and leaned back against the headboard. "My tongue tastes like a ghoul who's been eaten, processed and puked out by another ghoul, and you're laughing."

"No, no I taste delicious." Lucius grabbed hold of his shoulders so he couldn't get away. "Here, I've heard the third time's the charm."

Anthony promptly pushed his head away.

"No!"

"It's no use, Lord Hargreaves." Lucius ducked underneath his hand and grabbed both his arms. "There's nowhere to back away. That headboard will be your downfall."

"I knew furniture would betray me eventually," Anthony whispered in defeat as he was pushed down on the pillow. "Just not like this."

Lucius stopped just inches from his face.

"Curious to know how you think they would."

"Give in under my weight, maggot infestations, fall over me, just generally failing at their purpose, for a start." Anthony counted. "Guess 'preventing my escape' shouldn't have been that surprising."

"Well that mirror of yours isn't even allowed to fulfil its purpose, is it?" Lucius arched an eyebrow. "The back of it won't be of much use."

"I know, I just..." Anthony averted his gaze. "... Don't like looking at it."

Lucius tried to contain a laugh, finding it very funny but also noticing Anthony's troubled look.

"You're... I mean, you have nothing to worry about, Anthony. You know that, right?" His mouth suddenly turned dry as he tried to continue, so he swallowed. "How would you even pretend to think you look... Bad, somehow?"

Anthony remained in thought, eyes seemingly fixed on nothing, but then he raised his eyebrows.

"Well, apparently I can't dress properly."

"Maybe because you don't use a mirror," Lucius suggested, relieved they were back to making jokes. "But fortunately it's also something you can change. Or ask someone else to pick out clothes for you."

Anthony gave Lucius a look.

"Do you want to pick out clothes for me?"

"Desperately."

"I suppose we could find a tailor some time after you've recovered." Anthony raised a hand to poke Lucius' chest. "And judging by the rate you're bleeding through or ruining your shirts, I think you could go for some new clothes as well."

A burning wave went through Lucius at the touch and he blinked, but shook it off as he had already begun his sentence.

"I certainly wouldn't object to free clothes, assuming you'd treat me."

"You're the town chief now. You can't possibly have a money problem with your not so expensive lifestyle."

"I'm helping Sam with the orphanage a lot." Lucius shrugged. "And with the way the anglers are acting, I'll have to pay for anything related to The Entrails myself."

Anthony smiled, moving his hand from Lucius' chest to his cheek.

"You're admirable. I rarely meet people like you nowadays."

"Doubt many have led the life I have."

Anthony sat up, and Lucius reluctantly backed away to let him move to the edge of the bed.

"I think... Perhaps we should talk more later when you've cleaned up properly." Anthony pushed up Lucius' chin to close his mouth. "And when your breath is better."

"Oh, you're— You're leaving?" Lucius frowned as he opened his mouth again. He hadn't expected their moment to be quite so short, and he certainly had complaints about it.

"I'm keeping my father busy with work," Anthony said, giving him an apologetic smile. "So he won't wonder where you are all of a sudden."

"Right..." Lucius pinched his lips together. It wasn't just Lucia who had places to be.

"Now that you're awake I imagine you'll want to take a bath." Anthony picked up the harmonia from the nightstand. "And I really hope you'll put this on."

He placed the necklace in Lucius' hand and closed his fingers around it, and Lucius looked at it in silence for a moment.

"I-- I don't think I should. It's from your mother. What if I lose it? Or it breaks?"

"It won't, if you wear it around your neck." Anthony smiled again and patted his shoulder. "If nothing else, I would feel better if you wore it, so... Do it for me?"

Lucius surrendered with a vague smile, letting his arm fall to his side.

"Guess I can't refuse that."

"Just until we figure out what happened back there," Anthony promised. "I will take it back afterwards if you're that concerned about losing it."

"Sounds good." Lucius nodded and gave Anthony a grin before the door separated them. He then waited for some time, listening to the fading sounds of footsteps before releasing a trembling gasp.

Then he forced the stiffened muscles in his hand to open, one trembling, convulsing finger after the other, until the harmonia finally dropped to the floor.

He clenched his teeth in an attempt to stay quiet, but a whimper still escaped him as the searing burns still bloomed and blistered over his palm, and he hurriedly covered it with his other hand.

Another trembling sob, and his knees gave way underneath him.

No fucking way.

It had never happened before. He'd held harmonias, he'd entered sanctuaries and holy grounds, why would something like this happen now?

Lucius drew a deep breath to gather his thoughts. The Scourge. Who else could have caused it? But why would harmonias suddenly burn him just because it had entered his plane? Had it just been its presence? Being trapped in The Waste had never hindered it from messing with Lucius' head though, so location seemed irrelevant. It hadn't touched him either. Scourges don't even have physical forms, so there was no way for it to...

Cold sweat flushed over his body as the image of a melting, disfigured face appeared before his eyes, and he remembered the pain he'd felt in his chest earlier.

He crawled up from the floor. His knees wanted to stay down and his breath desperately wanted to choke in his throat, but he still stumbled over to his mirror and opened his shirt.

For a moment, all he could do was stand there, pulse drowning out any other sound around him.

"Wrinkleface..." he finally whispered, and he raised his hand to gently touch the cluster of thick, black veins spreading below his collarbone. "... What the fuck did you do to me?"