anakiddwrites

In a last-minute decision, Solomon chooses to tell human Karl in advance what really means to become a Chevalier, changing their fates back in 1914.

Paris, 1914

“It’s a humble place... but make yourself home, S-Solomon..!”

Karl unlocked the door of the tiny apartment, his shaky hands making the bunch of keys tinkle together. He opened the way for Solomon to get in, standing next to the door.

“My pleasure, Karl ~ excuse me.” Solomon smiled, noticing his friend was nervous but not commenting on it. “Thanks for having me.”

“T-thanks to you...” Karl mumbled, feeling his heart racing for some reason. “Y-you can leave your shoes here...!”

He huffed, suddenly remembering of manners and taking off his own shoes hastily. Solomon kept watching him with a soft smile, doing the same and following him inside the apartment.

“D-do you want water? Juice? Wine? I h-have a bottle my parents sent me...!” Karl continued to ramble, rubbing his hands together in visible anxiety and too self-conscious for having someone like Solomon in his single, working class apartment.

“Wine sounds perfect, thank you, Karl. You are too kind.” Solomon knew that kind of wine wouldn’t make any difference for his immortal body, but Karl didn’t need to know that and some alcohol could help his human friend to relax a little.

“Great!!! Ah, you c-can have a seat, please...!” Karl took out a blanket from the small couch, smiling nervously. “N-nothing to eat???”

“No, thanks. I’m full tonight.” Solomon smiled with bright eyes, even though it was a lie. He just had a glass with Amshel earlier, but that was his daily quota and it should suffice. “Ah, and Karl...”

“Yes?!” Karl turned to him with wide eyes while picking up the bottle from the upper shelf.

“It’s a lovely place. Again, thanks for having me... I’m happy to be here.”

Karl stared in silence at Solomon for a good minute, holding the bottle like he had fell under a spell.

“... ah.” He blinked, feeling his cheeks warming up but finally smiling softly. “... I’m g-glad. I know it’s not luxurious how you are used to...”

“That doesn’t matter.” Solomon answered fast, even a bit abruptly, looking around with a kind gaze. “I hope I don’t sound... pretentious. But... I really like it here. It does feel comfortable... Do you believe me..?”

Karl thought he had seen a cloud of sadness behind Solomon’s eyes for a moment despite his usual smile, watching him in silence a little more. Even if it should have been just his imagination, a strong urge to reassure his friend came over him.

“Sure I do. You have no reason to lie, hm?” He tilted head with a wide grin, feeling his tension wearing down a little and starting pouring the wine for them, turning his attention to the glasses. “You are always honest to me, I... I appreciate it greatly.”

“..........” Solomon looked away, his smile fading out of Karl’s sight and clutching his hands together discreetly. Every time Karl expressed his trust and gratitude it felt like a twist of a knife stabbing his guts with overwhelming guilt.

It shouldn’t have been difficult, but here he was, feeling awful for secretly leading that young man towards a fate beyond the abyss of life and death.

“... you even... want me to meet your mother. I’m still wrapping my head around it, honestly.”

Solomon clutched his fingers so strong his knuckles turned white, his expression changing to a frown.

He should not have regrets. He was serving... Diva’s will, his mother and lover, following his Nii-san’s absolute instructions. He was now an existence beyond humanity, a Chevalier with the sole duty of serving his Queen in every way. Besides, Karl had been chosen by Amshel for a bigger purpose. The fate of a single human was nothing before his sacred devotion.

It should be nothing.

And yet, the agonising weight in his chest resembled the war times he madly desired to leave behind. That was the whole reason he had accepted to cross the bridge, after all.

He was fine with it. He should be fine with it.

He already had thrown away any mercy and sympathy for the human race, looking down at them as beasts locked in an endless cycle of carnage. A race that didn’t spare even their own children from any convenient exploitation.

Or so he thought, until the moment Karl Fei-Ong smiled to him for the first time in that cold parisian morning and humanity looked a little brighter, a little more hopeful. But soon enough Amshel told him Karl had been chosen as a test subject, meaning he had been elected to become Diva’s next Chevalier... and Solomon’s role was simply warm him up for that already decided outcome.

And now Karl was smiling at him so innocently and grateful for something he had no choice to begin with, unaware of the consequences and implications of that decision.

And as much as Solomon shouldn’t care about human feelings anymore, his heart was wavering in doubts about tainting such an earnest soul like that. The first friend he had since forever, who had gifted him with so many bright moments in a short spam of time, more than he had accumulated in his whole life so far.

And he would repay that warmth by taking out his life and humanity by force. Deep down, he knew there was no way to sugar coat it.

What have I truly become?

“Solomon...?”

Karl was staring at him from up close with concerned eyes, holding two glasses of wine.

“Are you ok? You look pale... well, paler than usual... are you sure you don’t want something to eat?”

“I’m fine, please don’t worry, Karl.” Solomon forced a smile, cursing himself for letting his worries reflect on his expression and taking one of the glasses. “Just the wine is perfect, thanks.”

“... ok...” Karl watched Solomon take a generous sip of the wine already, sitting next to him on the couch and still looking concerned.

Silence fell on them for a few moments before Karl gathered courage to say anything again, following his guts and fuelled by a long sip of half his glass.

“B-But... Solomon... if there is anything bothering you... y-you can talk to me, you know that, right?” He offered his friend his best attempt of reassurance, hoping he didn’t sound condescending or crossing a line. “You always support me, so... I-I mean, we are friends, so of course I’ll listen and support you if you need!... If you... ever need me... haha...”

A bullet to the head would – literally – hurt less.

Karl’s timid expression trying to cheer him up was just too much for his not-human heart to deal. He couldn’t hide a hurt look in his face... nor hold back from suddenly shattering the glass in his hand.

“SOLOMON?!” Karl jumped in panic seeing the shards stuck to Solomon’s hand and kneeling in front of him, pale and full of worry in his eyes. “Y-you’re bleeding bad!!! O-oh no, bandages, bandages...”

“There is no need to worry.”

If Solomon’s voice didn’t sound so assertive and eerily calm, Karl would have talked back to him for sure. But he could only look up to him with bulged eyes, feeling a chill across his spine meeting his strangely melancholic expression.

“... d-doesn’t it... hurt...” Karl whispered on his knees, despite his rational thoughts screaming at him to tell Solomon to stop saying nonsense. But something in the back of those green eyes didn’t let him look away or protest, and the smirk he got in response made his heart race.

“Look closely.”

For a moment, Karl was sure he heard Solomon speak directly to his mind, but he was unable to question that as he watched the glass falling off his hand and the deep cuts closing right in front of his eyes. The blood stains remained on the floor along with the bloodied shards, serving as evidence he wasn’t hallucinating the scene.

For the best or for the worst.

He looked up again, jaw dropped and shaking head to toe, looking for any explanation. Solomon knew Karl should be terrified now, seeing the monster unfolding in front of him without warning and breaking his trust like that fragile glass.

A selfish choice that he probably should regret, but Solomon just couldn’t stop smiling, feeling a shred of peace and relief in his troubled heart. He counted the seconds for Karl to freak out and throw him outside under threats, or to run away from the abomination in sheep’s clothes sitting on his couch.

But instead, he felt a cold and shaken, but soft, touch on his hand.

“... h-how... j-just how...”

Karl was mumbling on his knees, frowning and wide eyed, tracing a finger over Solomon’s pristine skin, so close that Solomon could feel his warm breath on his hand as well.

He didn’t give any sign of distancing himself, getting closer instead.

And for the first time since he became a Chevalier, Solomon was hit with genuine fear, thanks to that warm touching shattering a brick in the walls around his heart.

“S-Solomon??!!”

Karl gasped when a pale Solomon retrieved his hand like he had been burned, now looking down to him with confusion and surprise in his wide eyes as well.

His hand, although healed, was also shaking.

“... Karl.”

Solomon blinked, and Karl was still there, despite the fear he could feel running in his human soul. Living up to the words he just had said with his whole sincerity. If there is anything bothering you, you can talk to me.

A timid smile came to Solomon’s features as he covered the hand Karl had touched with his other hand, almost like he wanted to save this warmth.

Without breaking eye contact with Karl, Solomon patted the couch in a silent request for him to sit next to him again. Pretty much for his surprise, it was attended in a moment and Solomon followed him with his unblinking eyes.

“... don’t you have any question... about my mother?”

“H-huh???” Karl frowned, surprised with the question out of nowhere and apparently disconnected from the current matter. Still, he scratched his head and answered in good faith. “Well, many to be honest, but... you told me to not worry about anything...”

“Right. I did say that.” Solomon’s eyes turned cold again despite his smile. He averted his gaze from Karl, staring at his own hand. “But now, I think...”

He knew he shouldn’t, and that was the last moment to give up and find an excuse. Still, Solomon felt at peace when he turned to face Karl again with deep crimson eyes, watching his confused expression turn to sheer fear.

“WHAT THE-?!” Karl jumped back on instinct, hitting against the couch’s arm and staring at Solomon with bulged eyes. “... W-what kind of prank is this, S-S-Solomon???”

He was trembling like a little bird and Solomon could feel his raw fear in his bones, even though he was talking about pranks as if trying to find any logical explanation behind the mystery thrown in front of him.

“... do I scare you? Karl...?” He leaned closer with a smile, showing his fangs just to see his friend gasping loud and whispering a curse.

“S-should I be scared?!” Karl spit out the words, starting to tear up. “S-Solomon...”

The way Karl called his name pulled at the strings of Solomon’s heart – basically reminding him he had one beating inside his chest, human or not. His smile died out and the pain slipped through his red eyes despite his efforts to keep the cold act.

Seeing that slight change happening in front of him, Karl’s shivers calmed down a little.

“... Karl. Why... why you didn’t run...?” Solomon asked in such naive curiosity that Karl started to feel some annoyance along with the confusion and fear.

“... R-run??? Why? Why should I run? W-what are you talking about, Solomon?” He found strength to talk back, taking a deep breathe and looking directly into his friend’s eyes. “You just... cut yourself, then healed like magic and now you have red eyes? What the hell is going on? D-don’t just smile at me all nonchalant saying vague shit, damn!”

Solomon blinked, taken aback by Karl’s huff and impatient rant out of nowhere. He never had seen his friend nervous or losing his temper, but...

He didn’t hate it too, this bolder side of Karl.

“So ain’t it obvious?” Karl continued, scratching his nape and looking away for a moment. “I can’t just... run and I can leave you alone like this.”

Because we are friends, it was the implicit conclusion that even Solomon could pick up at this point.

“S-so, quit the chase and tell me what is going on.”

Karl looked at him again firmly, keeping it together despite the lingering fear that didn’t disappear totally. But his attitude gave determination to Solomon and he reached out his hand to Karl, touching his forehead with his thumb.

“Hmhm. I’ll let you know everything.”

In a second, images of Diva, Solomon and information about the Queen and Chevaliers hit directly Karl’s mind with no room for doubts it was the truth. That was the fastest way to convince him, even though the trick stunt his human mind enough to make him faint, falling directly to Solomon’s arms.

“... so you can make your decision. I’ll support it no matter what.”

Even though thinking on the consequences of this choice scared Solomon to the bottom of his heart, he smiled without regrets seeing the fragile human resting on his lap.

I promise, my friend.