"Half brothers!" The figure sitting on the throne screamed out in an enthusiastic voice as he stood up from his seat to spread out his arms with so much energy spilling from his bubbly aura.
"Apollo." Zhang Wei simply states in greeting, countering Apollo's energy.
Zhang Wei strode further into the hall while Li Wang ran past him in a flash towards the now chuckling Apollo.
"Easy there," Apollo says between chuckles, looking at Li Wang with amused eyes.
Gliding down the steps that led to the foot of the throne, Apollo stretched his arms wide for Li Wang to stumble into his smaller awaiting arms.
"You missed me this much?" Apollo questions in a teasing voice, raising his hand to ruffle Li Wang's slightly spiky hair.
Li Wang's arms grew tighter around his older half-brother and buries his face against Apollo's neck crook.
"Of course." Li Wang answers, raising his head to look at Apollo's face with a wide smile plastered on his face.
"You have not changed a bit, still as goofy as ever," Apollo says, chuckling. A happy toothy smile appeared on his pristine face.
"And you, Andreas," Apollo says, referring to the quiet Zhang Wei who was idly watching his brothers' reunion.
"You have not changed still, don't you get tired of this brooding aura that follows you everywhere you go?" Apollo jokingly asks.
"Not a bit." Zhang Wei sarcastically answers with an eye-roll.
"Want a hug?" Apollo teased, eyeing Zhang Wei with humor-filled eyes.
"I would rather not." Zhang Wei snickers, folding his arms against his chest, his brothers still in each other's embrace.
"Oh, shut up," Apollo says with a chuckle and reluctantly untangles himself from an equally reluctant Li Wang, then moved towards Zhang Wei to wrap his arms tightly around the tense demon.
After the short hug, Apollo released Zhang Wei from the tight embrace, then turned to face his two half brothers with a broad smile on his flawless face.
"I missed you so much, older brother Apollo. It has been long two decades since I last saw your adorable self." Zhang Wei enthusiastically comments, leaning forward to grasp Apollo's cheeks between his fingers and slightly squeeze them.
"That is no way to treat your older brother." Apollo playfully chastised, slapping Li Wang's hands away.
Zhang Wei rolls his eyes at the duo's exchange, clearing his throat to gain their attention.
"What?" The petite king asks with a faux offended expression, frowning at Zhang Wei for ruining his reunion with Li Wang.
"Sorry to break your reunion, but there are more pressing matters." Zhang Wei states, not sounding sorry at all.
Hearing his half-brother's words and the seriousness laced in them, Apollo straightened his back and sports a similar serious expression while Li Wang tensed up.
"Of course. I don't think you came here to chat. What is it?" Apollo asks, impatiently tapping his foot against the marble floor of the throne room.
"W-Why don't we have this discussion over tea?" Li Wang nervously mumbles, but his brothers heard him.
"No, this seems urgent." Apollo mumbles, declining Li Wang's reasoning.
"Go on, speak." Apollo gestures to Zhang Wei, maintaining eye contact with him.
"Nyx is back." Zhang Wei states, still maintaining eye contact with Apollo.
"Wha-" Apollo was unable to complete his sentence of panic as his sight went black.
Li Wang who was closer to Apollo caught his brother's limp body in his arms before his body touches the floor.
"Exactly why I suggested we discussed this over tea." Li Wang grumbles, hoisting Apollo in bridal style in his arms, then starts to walk towards the large door they came in through.
"Oh." Zhang Wei dumbly states, unable to fully grasp what just happened.
With a tired sigh, Zhang Wei moved and followed his younger brother out of the hall after muttering;
"I had no idea he would take it so bad."
-
Apollo slowly opened his eyes with a grunt, rolling unto his back against the soft beddings beneath him. He felt himself being picked up and placed into warm arms as an all too familiar scent wafted through his nose.
"Mike?" Apollo calls out in a scratchy voice.
"I am here." His mate replies and places the edge of a glass cup against Apollo's lips.
Apollo parted his lips and took greedy gulps from the glass till it was empty, silently thanking his considerate mate with a peck to the King's throat.
Michael hummed in pleasure and slightly leaned down to place a gentle lingering kiss on Apollo's forehead.
"Is the water enough?" Michael asks with a worried frown on his face, combing through Apollo's black locks.
"Yes, thank you."
"You are welcome." Michael looks down at his mate with eyes filled with adoration.
"How are you feeling?" Michael asks, adjusting Apollo in his lap.
"They left?" Apollo asks, ignoring his mate's question.
"How are you feeling?" Michael asks again, also ignoring his mate's words.
"I am-" Apollo tries to answer but ends up choking up on his words as straggled sobs escape his lips.
Michael moved to action in comforting his mate by pulling his mate closer to share his body heat. Apollo buried his face against his mate's chest, bawling and drenching Michael's dark shirt in the process; Michael held his mate closer, providing as much comfort to his mate as he could.
"N-Nyx- he-he is back, he is back." Apollo hiccups between sobs, clenching tightly to Michael's shirt.
"Andreas told me, Georgios could not shut up at how beautiful he is and how much he has grown." Michael softly says, hoping that his words would somehow comfort his mate.
"R-Really?"
"They also touched on how bright and happy he is, and that he had loving earthly parents who protected him till their last breaths." Michael softly states.
"R-Really?"
"Yes. They mentioned that he goes by the name 'Yuri', isn't that sweet?" Michael asks. In reality, he could care less about which name his mate's brother bears, all he cares about is his mate's happiness.
"I-It is, it is indeed a beautiful name." Apollo mumbles, a small smile on his face.
"Why were they here?" Apollo asks, sitting up to anticipately search his mate's eyes.
"Ramses tried to send his army and your brother happened to be there, they are in search of Roman to help re-seal his magic." Michael briefly explains.
Apollo gasps when he hears his mate's words, his eyes wide in shock.
"It is impossible to find Roman, after the war," Apollo trails.
"I will go in his place, I will help re-seal your brother's magic," Michael says in an assuring voice, staring down at his mate in the eyes with utmost sincerity.
"Are you sure?" Apollo questions, a worried frown gracing his features.
"Yes. They said they need a sorcerer as strong as Lucifer in terms of prowess and possesses light magic, they do not necessarily need Roman." Michael explains, pulling his mate impossibly closer.
"When are you to leave?" Apollo asks in a small voice.
"When you are ready."