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There were perks to sleeping in the young master's room with him. For instance, master Lloyd's lullaby service which Javier had come to depend on. He was able to sleep thanks to it, though Javier detested being so dependent on it. A fact that the demon Javier served was well aware of, even going so far as to use it against him.
Another beneficial result of the setup was that Javier was present to defend his charge should the need arise.
Hence why he was awake in the middle of the night.
Javier's charge mumbled something from next to him, tossing and turning in his bed. Javier stared curiously at the hooligan. His master rolled over to face him and Javier noted that Lloyd was sweating, a pained expression on his impish face. It seemed that the young master was having a nightmare. Javier couldn't recall Lloyd ever suffering from them in the past…
“...no please don't.” The sleeping hooligan begged.
Javier… should wake him shouldn't he?
“Don't- don't go…”
It was clearly an unpleasant dream.
“...I need you…”
Javier nodded to himself and sighed as he approached the sleeping form, ready to rouse his sleeping lord.
“Javier…”
Javier froze, heart suddenly beating out of his control. The man's nightmare was… about him? Javier scoffed softly to himself, clearly the young master was having a nightmare about him finally quitting. Javier ignored the hooligan's desperate ramblings and shook him by the shoulder to wake him.
Lloyd gasped awake, his eyes wild and nervous.
“Javier? What are you..” Lloyd trailed off and Javier could hear the young master's heart beat wildly.
Javier gave Lloyd a flat look, “You were having a nightmare.”
Lloyd nodded as if it was expected, “Sorry for waking you, do you need the lullaby to go back to sleep? Of course you do- here-”
Before Javier could respond, Lloyd broke into his ramblings of concrete structure and Javier found his eyes drooping without his consent. By the time he realized what had happened it was already morning and his charge was back to his normal, if you could call it that, self. Javier figured it was a once-off and didn't deign to bring the matter back up.
Until it happened again that night.
“Dad.. Mom.. I'm sorry…”
Javier awoke to Lloyd's night terrors once more. Javier stood and moved to wake his charge from the night terror.
“I'll work harder… come back please!”
He paused, his hand hovering just above Lloyd's shoulder. Lloyd's parents hadn't left though? Arcos and Marabella were still alive and well. Realization dawned on Javier. These were the nightmares of the imposter.
Javier had known for a while. When he had fully accepted it, he didn't know, but Javier had been aware that this Lloyd wasn't really ‘Lloyd’ for quite some time. The devious hellion that had taken over was nothing like the original. No matter how many times the replacement tried to insist that it was all for money he knew better. That somewhere deep, deep down this stranger inside Lloyd Frontera's body cared for them all. There was no other plausible explanation for all the self sacrificial behavior and care that was put into every project, business transaction, side quest, and insane ramblings.
Javier gently shook the imposter awake, “Master Lloyd, wake up.”
Once more, Lloyd gasped for air upon waking as if he'd been submerged in water. Javier patiently waited for his charge to recover.
“Master L-”
“An English bricklayer made the first portland cement early in the 19th century by burning powdered limestone and clay on his kitchen stove. With this crude method, Joseph Aspdin of Leeds laid the foundation for an industry that annually processes literally mountains of limestone, clay, cement rock, and other materials into a powder so fine, it will pass through a sieve-”
Javier awoke in the morning feeling refreshed, well rested, and thoroughly peeved. The man inhabiting Lloyd Frontera’s body was chipper, too chipper. Especially considering the eyebags that were forming.
“Oi, what's that look for? Huh? What'd I do to you Javier? Princess not getting her beauty sleep?” Lloyd taunted while making one of his obscene faces.
Javier looked away to gag.
‘You win this round hooligan.’ Javier thought bitterly.
That night as Javier woke up to the familiar sounds of his master's night terrors, he formed a plan. His plan however was promptly defenestrated as he opened his eyes. Lloyd was already awake. Javier didn't move from his chair, instead discretely taking in the scene.
Lloyd was still in bed, but he'd sat up and held his knees close to his chest. Quiet hiccuping took Javier by surprise, as he hadn't heard that sound since the county's debt had been relieved. Uneven breathing worried Javier. Yet before he could pretend to wake up he heard the young master talking.
“I'll fix it, I'll keep you all safe. I won't let a single one of you die again. I swear on the name Kim Suho. I'll protect you this time Javier, you won't have to lose anyone ever again.” Lloyd whispered to the dark.
Javier felt his breath catch in his throat. There was too much to unpack. They had died before? How did Lloyd know this? Was the imposter's name Kim Suho? Why was this person vowing to protect Javier when it was his job to protect Lloyd? Javier stirred and he could hear Lloyd hastily moving to hide his late night tears.
He opened his eyes and made eye contact with Lloyd- or rather Kim Suho. His master's face was puffy and tear stained.
“You're ugly when you cry.” Javier noted even as he moved to grab a cloth to wipe his master's tears.
Lloyd stared at him for a moment clearly debating on if he should adopt the hooligan persona or not.
Javier stared back and debated on asking questions.
Lloyd put on a sly grin, “I bet you're thinking ‘should I ask him questions?’ I'm right, aren't I?”
Javier smiled, “No sir, I'd never be so insolent.”
Lloyd rolled his eyes and waved a hand at Javier, “Go on. You know you want to.”
Instead, Javier passed the cloth to his master. Lloyd took it and turned away, trying to discretely clear his face of the evidence.
“Why are you protecting me?” Javier decided to ask.
Lloyd fumbled with the rag, clearly taken aback by the blunt, abrupt question.
“Huh?”
Javier reinstated the query, “Why do you feel the need to protect me when it is my job to protect you?”
Surprisingly, Javier noted in the soft moonlight how his master's face gained a pink tint. An interesting reaction to his seemingly simple question.
Lloyd looked away in a refute of eye contact, “It's ‘cause you're bad at taking care of yourself. That's all.”
Javier hummed in response, “Is that so? That doesn't explain why you must be the one to protect me.”
Not-Lloyd let out an exaggerated groan, “Jesus Christ-”
“Who?”
“-Can't you take a hint? I care about you. There. You made me say it. Happy? I care about you and your stupid protagonist self!”
Javier fought off the urge to tease and smirk. This… this didn't feel like something lighthearted. This felt like vulnerability and Javier got the feeling that if he so much as moved the moment would be ruined. He held his breath as the man before him practically whined about caring for him. Somehow it was different from the love letters he got from the ladies in the towns they visited. It felt more… real. Sentimental. Private. Intimate.
The knight gazed upon his lord in the moonlight.
“But what if I care about you too?”
“What? What does that have to do with-”
“What if I want to protect you as well? Because I also care. Then what? Do I not get to protect you in return?”
“I- well- I mean…”
“Seems a little two faced to me Kim.”
“Oh… I- I suppose you're right. It's Suho though.”
A hum, “Suho. It sounds like you.”
A laugh, more subdued and true, “I suppose that's because it is me.”
Javier stretched back into his chair, “I request your lullaby services, Suho.”
Lloyd or rather Suho, nodded, “Yeah, sleep well Javier. ‘Rebar, short for “reinforcing bar” or “reinforcement bar”, is a metal bar that is used to help increase the tensile strength of concrete-'”
Javier slept soundly, and in the morning he noted that his lord had also slept well for the first time in a while.