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Auctioneer rarely had time to do anything, spending the hours of his remaining days to spread the works of the abyss created by Neatherwalker. From passionately admiring his works Auctioneer slowly became obsessing over the abyss entirely. Every second not spreading the beauty of that abyss was time being wasted, especially when he knew that this world would soon meet its end as those beautiful works consume the human body.
He planned his time carefully, not allowing himself leisure of anything else of the sort. With little to no effort he managed to suppress any and all other needs. The Auctioneer only did what he need to, eat and sleep. He was more than happy to devote everything he had to this art.
With no plans to do anything else he prepared himself for sleep. The next day would be another day to auction the precious works of the abyss to the nobility. Hopefully everything would go well. Occasionally the investigation bureau came to mess with him-
A knock on the door interrupts his train of thought. Before he gets the chance to call to whoever was out there the door unlocks and opens on its own, revealing the face of a rude man in a suit on the other side. It stuns Auctioneer for a moment, he has not seen that face for two weeks- three? Maybe a month has passed since their last interaction.
"Joseph." Aesop breathes out, still standing outside the door. Auctioneer frowns at the sight.
"How did you get in? Usually it is I that looks for you. You know you'll be chased out by my employees soon." Auctioneer shakes his head, pulling the man inside his room. He lets himself be pulled by Joseph. He locks the door behind them. Auctioneer reaches a hand up to Aesop's hair, combing through the strands. "You're a mess. Was it that difficult to sneak in here?"
His usually neat hair was in a mess, Auctioneer could even see some knots. The fabric of his vest was all scrunched up too. Naturally as someone in the investigation bureau, Aesop was his enemy when it came to the abyss. Thus, the servants that Joseph employ know that they should take Aesop down on site. It was more ideal for him to visit Aesop instead. However, he has not felt the need too recently.
"You're still alive." His voice sounded relief, like he was finally letting go of his worries. Aesop's hand hesitantly reaches out to the one on his hair. Gently he holds him by his wrist, pulling his arm down so his palm rests on his cheek. He closes his eyes and pushed his own face into the touch. "Thank god."
"Not even a hello?" Joseph withdraws his hand from Aesop voice. He brushes his hand on his vest. He is not too sure where this strange affection from Aesop was coming from. As the warmth leaves his face he can see a tint of disappointment in Aesop's expression. He tried to hide it, but Joseph can still tell. Though that does not mean he cared too much right now. Not when this man was being insanely rude with his manners.
Aesop reaches his hand out to Joseph again. When Joseph shoots a glare at the approaching hand he returns his arm to his side.
"I do not appreciate this sort of surprise visit. You know this." Joseph scolds as Aesop presses hit mouth into a thin line. "Why are you here?"
He remains silent for a moment, as if unsure how to voice out whatever request he had. It amused Joseph slightly, the usually straightforward and blunt Aesop was standing in front of him in silence while being somewhat reluctant to speak.
"So? I don't have all day for you." Joseph crossed his arms and tapped his shoe against the ground as he grew impatient.
"I can't do this anymore, Joseph." The words come out of his mouth chocked. He took a step forward closer to him, snatching his hand holding it between his palms. Like he was begging. "Work for the bureau instead."
"What?" Stunned, Joseph tires to break free from Aesop grasp. He fails to do so however, trapped in his iron grip. "I am in this relationship-"
Joseph coughs before correcting himself.
"Situation with you, only because you agreed with me that we could pursue whatever we wanted." He feels a little bad when he looks into Aesop's eyes. It was hard to explain, but he could see some sort of desperation in them. "You can not ask me to do that."
"The abyss can corrupt you any time. Especially you, when you're always so close to it." The moment Aesop holds loosen Joseph tears himself away, he stumbles backwards as he does so. "Please, Joseph."
"Don't you think I know that?" He almost snarls at him. Joseph shakes his head, taking a deep breath in to regain some composure. "And I am perfectly capable of preventing it."
"I don't want to lose you to it's corruption. We can still prevent it." Aesop presses on, adamant on making Joseph give up his life purpose for a boring life.
"Even if the abyss were to take me, I think it's beautiful to me immortalized as such an art." To die a natural death would be too cruel of a fate for him. To rot away on his death bed old and ugly. If he were to die, then being immortalized as a work from the abyss would certainly be the way to go. Then, he would be remembered and still be beautiful for eternity. "So don't go worrying your head off about it."
"Your life should not be thrown away like that so recklessly." Aesop mutters underneath his breath.
"You've seen her. An everlasting work of art made from the human body. I can not believe such a piece came from my humble auction." He hums. Joseph had only saw her for a short time. Vile blossom, was her name if he remembered. "It never made sense to me why Neatherwalker wanted to transfer the erosion to himself."
"Because even he knew what that erosion would do to both her mind and body." Aesop answer plainly. That answer was obvious to Aesop. However for Joseph, he understood the gifts of the abyss better than Aesop ever would. "I worry everyday that you will face the same fate. It's been more than a month since you've came to me, I could only fear the worst. That's why I came to you today."
"I don't need you." Joseph spits back. "This is my decision to devote myself to Neatherwalker and his works."
"Joseph." Aesop raises his voice, gripping both of his forearms. "Please."
"I will not change my mind, Aesop." Joseph looks sternly at the others softening eyes. He just does not understand it.
"If you had to-" Aesop bites on his lips hesitant to speak up. He was pushing himself for no reason at all. "Would you choose the abyss over me?"
"This is selfish of you to ask." Joseph whispers. He barely reacts when Aesop asks him that, it was expected.
"I know."
"Especially when you already know the answer, Aesop."
It may not had seemed like it at all, but Joseph loved Aesop dearly. They spent too many nights together to count, and they were many times he had felt that he only needed Aesop to feel satisfied in life. Aesop must feel the same, or more, with how he was pleading for Joseph to abandon the very thing he has dedicated his life to. Still, that love did not outweigh the one he had for his precious abyss.
Aesop gazed down onto the floor. He could hear his breathing get heavier as the seconds passed, his nails uncomfortably dug past Joseph's layers of clothing into his skin. Aesop breathing hitched, was he holding back tears?
"If you love me that much." He tried to offer Aesop comfort, stroking his head. "Then you could always quit the bureau and help me with my auction."
"We'll both be corrupted by those things." Aesop leaned the weight of his head onto Josephs chest. "There will be nothing left of us to save."
"Then you have to right to ask me such a selfish thing. You don’t want to leave your work for me either.” Oh what a dream it would be to be immortalized with Aesop as works of art. Such a dream will never come to be reality. The path that Aesop choose to walk down will lead him to an ugly demise.
All of a sudden Aesop pulls him into an embrace, pressing Joseph against his own body while his arms warp around him. Joseph struggles but once again is trapped in Aesop's grasp. His neck feels ticklish as Aesop breaths against him.
"If I can't convince you to stay then-" Aesop is cut off by a hard inhale. Was he actually sobbing? Joseph could not imagine it. Not when it came to Aesop.
"Then what?" He warps his around Aesop too, patting him on his back.
"One night." Aesop mutters. "Let me stay one night."
"You can't." Joseph continues to stroke his back like he was consoling a child. "The bureau will ask for you, or my servants will find you're here first."
"We can deal with that with that when it happens." He lifts his head up at last. When he was this close Joseph could see the bags under Aesop's eyes. He looked so tired. "Please?"
"Fine." Joseph supposes he owes Aesop this much at the very least.
"Thank you." A weak smile forms on Aesop's face. His hand brushes through Josephs hair, then undoes his hair tie letting his locks fall free. "You're pretty already… I don't see what the abyss can do to make you any more gorgeous than you already are."
With his guard down now, Joseph stops fighting Aesop. He leans his head against his chest. "Are you complimenting me or trying to convince me again?"
"Take it however you like." Aesop answers plainly, afraid to upset Joseph.
"Maybe in another universe.." Joseph trails off. He really liked Aesop, and as much as he wished he could stay with him, there were other things he had to prioritized. "I'll be all yours."
"Only in another universe?" Aesop is met with a nod.
The man visibly starts shaking. Joseph gets concerned, though he chooses not to say anything. The room stays silent until Aesop speaks up again.
"I wish I could lock you up with me." He says like that is a completely normal thing to wish for. However it does not faze Joseph in the slightest, not when it came to his line of work. "The you'll have nothing else except me."
"That's cruel, don't you think?"
"Yes, it is." He breathes out in a sigh. "I could never do that to you."
Joseph hums in response, he continues to mindlessly pat Aesop's back.