"Klein… isn't it too early?" Melissa sighed, resting her head against her palm trying to calm down her upcoming headache.
"I… just want to have our wedding before our 1 year anniversary you know?" Klein explained awkwardly- how was he even supposed to explain to Melissa how he had overheard Amon talking about his love life problems in some supernatural meeting in some foggy place that does not actually exist physically? No please, he did not want to get admitted to a psych ward. He doubted Roselle had implemented actual hood mental health institutions instead of just ones that beat the shit out of people hoping they'll beat the mental illness out of them.
"Yes! You haven't even been engaged for a year! Some people wait years to marry their fiancés!" Melissa argued.
"Isn't it you who keeps bugging Benson and me that we are in a marriable age?" Klein did not pout.
"That was before- Ugh!" Melissa groaned. It wasn't like she was against Amon anymore... she had grown to accept him as his brother's partner regardless of his age. But still-! It was too soon!
"Melissa... I just... want to be with Amon." Klein slowly confessed, his cheeks and ears reddening.
The Amon clones around him physically had to stop each other from claiming their husband then and there.
"Well..." Melissa sighed, "I guess it is your life... and I guess he is quite rich too..."
The rich part is the one that ultimately convinced her? She really was his sister... wait- he wasn't actually Klein! Why does he keep forgetting that...
"So… does that mean you'll help me plan it?" Klein asked hopefully.
"First off, ask your lover and talk it out about the date as well as the venue because I have a feeling that you haven't talked it out yet." Melissa lectured. God, was his brother always this stupid? Why did she have to teach him basic courtesy and manners?!
"Oh… right-" Klein looked away.
How was he supposed to bring up this topic with Amon a few hours or days after he just had a talk about this in the Tarot club? Wouldn't that be extremely suspicious?!
Oh god… he could just imagine Amon realizing that Klein was a con artist and a fake cult leader! His relationship would be in shambles-!
But…
Still-
What Melissa said did make sense... and Amon also made sense when he said that it was quite late that Klein had never had this conversation with him...
Of course, there was no way he was about to go out right now and ask Amon about the wedding- that would definitely put him behind bars or whatever these churches use to hold beyonder criminals for the charge of faking the identity of a God.
A few more days... and then he would bring this up with Amon. And maybe he could do some of his own thinking and research meanwhile?
Since he no longer had a need to go to the Divination Club anymore as he had already digested his Seer potion and was already a Sequence 8 Clown, Klein instead focused back on his work of finding the appropriate house with the red chimney.
Though even to him it was quiet obvious that a little too much time had passed and the perpetrator most probably would have long already changed his location- and he had already checked the tenants which had been evenly changed. This brought Klein back to square 1- he did not have a single clue on who this perpetrator was that was causing all these coincidences in Klein's as well as stealing Mr. Azik's child's skull…
Whatever it was- it definitely would be something extremely ugly and sinister. After all any ritual that required the skull of the offspring of a probable high sequence beyonder like Azik definitely would be extremely dark.
And with Amon to protect- Klein had no other choice but to visit Azik Diggers.
"…I've been having the same thoughts to be honest." Azik sighed as he took another huff of his cigar after Klein had finished telling the professor about his work.
"What do you mean?"
"There is no way that whoever took my child's skull hasn't yet come to know of the fact that I've started searching for him- both his activities as well as his movements have become quieter as if hiding from me. That's why I've come to the conclusion to… move to Backlund."
Klein's eyes widened a fraction, "You'd be... leaving?"
"Yes, both in order to potentially draw him out as well as possibly find traces of my lost past..." Azik revealed a small smile, "I will miss my students here."
Klein felt uncomfortable that such a strong presence was leaving his side and off to somewhere far away- but at the same time he wanted to do nothing more than support Mr. Azik. As someone who had first-hand been able to see and observe the kind of pain Mr. Azik was experiencing every day about his lost past... who could blame him?
So Klein smiled and said, "Understood, I'll make sure to have my guard up here and continue my investigations in Tingen and report everything to you as soon as possible. By the way... how am I supposed to come in contact with you? Post isn't the fastest..." and also not the cheapest...
Mr. Azik smiled as if just waiting for Klein to ask this question and handed Klein a copper whistle- it looked antique and incredibly old yet priceless and although Klein couldn't see it even through his spirit vision- when he used his ring to activate his eyes he could see the strong extraordinary power coming from it.
"This is...?" Klein's hands were frozen as he carefully held the whistle since it looked so expensive.
"An item that I woke up with... it summons my messenger in an easy and stealthy way."
After Azik was done explaining and giving an example of how to use the copper whistle, their chat turned a bit more casual as Azik talked about how he was slightly excited yet afraid of his future plans.
Finally, Klein asked, "Mr. Azik... I know you don't remember many of your memories from your previous lives- but if you could- can you give me some advice about... marriage?" Klein blushed slightly as he subconsciously held onto his ring.
Azik looked at Klein in surprise before saying slowly, "You mean... with that Amon offspring?"
Although Klein didn't really understand Azik's way of mentioning Amon, he nodded, "Yes, both of us have already reached a... reasonable age and I would love to bring our relationship one step closer and tie the knot."
"You do realize about his family situation, right? Although you should be much more knowledgeable about it than me and I merely have faint instincts guiding me- eloping with him might even bring danger to your life." Azik said thoughtfully.
Klein looked down at his hands, a look of contemplation on his face, yet his voice was determined, "Yes, I know the dangers... I even know the dangers he would be in by being with me with everything going on... but if not now, then when?" This was one thing Klein had thought carefully about so much during the long rides in between searching for the houses with the red chimney.
He hadn't gone out much or made actually strong social connections with people outside of his immediate family and even then he had kind of set aside the hustle of living life in a big city of China. He had thought he would have plenty of time to find someone, get married, and have a family- but look how abruptly that had ended.
Although he was glad that his first everything was Amon- the sense of loss at not being able to be left with something more from his hometown felt... empty, in a sense.
He couldn't really spend his time willy-nilly once again and lose the chance to become closer to the man he had... come to love. Even if there were many setbacks, multiple things they needed to work around each other, so many secrets to unpack, and many more dates to go... what if he lost the chance now and was never able to get it again?
And besides... what is even a relationship with any sort of hardship?
"Although I am still young... the life of beyonders is small. And the fact that Amon too is a beyonder and with such a big target in his back- I don't want to lose this opportunity and regret it later." For some reason, Klein felt not that uncomfortable confiding in Mr. Azik. Maybe it was the fact that Mr. Azik himself had been so open about his life and his feelings and had shared them so meticulously with Klein- it made Klein feel a bind between them.
Although he might not really have ever been Mr. Azik's student- he couldn't help but see the man as his... mentor- or even someone he looked up to yet trusted.
Azik saw Klein's expression and laughed good-naturedly, "If you really want to- then I don't think you require any sort of advice from anyone. Marriage is not some ceremony- it is a vow between you and your significant other. As long as the feelings are strong and present- that's all that matters."
"Mr. Azik... thank you." For your unintentional blessings.
("Hmm.... this guy is actually kinda decent..." one Amon clone grumbled with extreme distaste yet acceptance.
"We upgrade his ranking?"
"Above Ms. Justice?"
"Are you crazy?! Heck no! This old dead guy might be cool and all- but can he whip out the most bizarre gossip during tea time? Can he?!"
"So... above The Moon?"
"Nah- kinda like the guy a bit more. Lot funnier to bully."
"Alright, we'll talk about the rankings in the next All Amon Conference held in" Worm Amon checked his nonexistent watch on his insect body, "-3 days."
"You can't even calculate days in a watch what the hell are you smoking-"
"It's something called Rizz. You don't have it."
"You're literally a worm!")
"Klein~!" Amon wrapped his hands around Klein's shoulders almost as soon as he opened the door and lovingly have his cheek a small kiss making the future Lord of The Mystery blush and look away bashfully.
Hah... Klein was just so cute! Amon had obviously heard multiple reports about his thought process of Klein throughout the day and was feeling extra loving and clingy.
"It's late already, will you stay over for the night?" Amon asked with a smile.
"Yes, I already informed my siblings," Klein said as he stepped into the house and allowed Amon to take off his coat and top hat- like a loving and caring partner welcoming their significant other back home after a long day of work.
"That's good, I made some meat pies today." Amon guided Klein to the kitchen lovingly.
Klein paused when he saw the array of pies all over the table as well as the kitchen cabinet.
He... he knew that he ate a lot but- wasn't this a bit too much for both of them?!
"Why did you make so much?" Klein couldn't resist asking.
"The little greetings have been demanding a dinner date with you." Amon replied playfully.
Gremlins? Dinner date?
Before Klein could even process those words, a crow flew over and sat atop his head, making itself comfy and at home. And a few more sat around the dining room along with a few other squirrels and animals. All with something or the other making a ring across their right eye.
Did Amon mean them?
"You talk as if you can actually understand them," Klein commented casually as he played with the feathers of the bird in his arms. "And what do you mean by d-dates..."
Amon yanked away the squirrel he could see was trying to crawl right up Klein's ass and side-hugged Klein, "Well, we're all fighting for your attention every day. They've already long accepted you as my mate and their master..."
Mate...
Wasn't that the animal equivalent of marriage?!
Was- was Amon trying to be extra romantic and clingy today and made all this stuff because he wanted to take matters into his own hands after that talk in the Taort Gathering? Or was he trying to poke at Klein making him understand his intentions and forcing him to bring up the topic of marriage?
But seriously- animals?! That was so- so-!
So Disney princess like that Klein couldn't help but smile wider in pure fondness.
Although he had planned to have this talk much later, Klein felt like this moment was perfect to bring it up.
"Amon... when do you want to get married?" Klein finally asked.
"'When' and not 'if'... Klein, you're so forward~!" Amon hugged Klein so hard that his clones actually had to steal some of his strength at the moment to ensure that they did not squeeze their future husband to death.
"Amon!" Klein shrieked as he almost fell and almost squished a poor little hamster on the ground.
"Can it be at the start of September?" Amon asked excitedly.
"Isn't that a bit too soon?!" Klein's eyes widened. It was almost the end of August! How could they plan an entire wedding in less than half a month? "Why that date specifically?" Klein readily agreed but couldn't hold back the curiosity in him.
"Mm, just felt like the right time~" if he remembered correctly, the incident regarding his father's bastard rape child killing Klein for the first time happened sometime in the middle of September- anytime after that, he literally couldn't marry Klein. Which was why he was in such a hurry.
"Can't it be in October or November?" He hadn't even mentally prepared himself for the actual marriage!
"Klein... please?" Amon begged, using his most potent helpless begging voice that even worked against Medici 57% of the time. "I just wish to be able to call you all mine as soon as possible." Although when Klein had shared the ring handing over the ownership of the Sefirah Castle to Amon as his equal they were already married in the world of high-sequence beings. But living Amon humans for so long as a human and even those 20 he spent with the Lord of Mysteries Klein alongside the Tarot Club and learning about humanity through them as well his beloved father- he wanted whatever this 'bond' was that humans and those who were once humans talked so greatly about.
Of course, he had parasitized so many humans during his lifetime as well as married his own clones when he was still playing around with the idea of the Amon Family- but never were those involving actual feelings… crazy to think that those centuries felt so small and insignificant aside from a few interesting meetings meanwhile the time he spent as just Amon in the human world as well as trapped in the grey fog and even after- all of it felt so long and significant… even his clones were starting to seem cute to him sometimes, a mental illness he would need to get checked as soon as possible after he revives his father completely.
"I'll make sure to hire the best people and have everything! It will be done in a flash!" After all, he had an almost infinite quantity of slaves all at least over the Demigod level. And hey, if he was feeling a little more mischievous the Sequence 7 Nightmare could also join Amon with his grandpa and help him~!
Against Amon's EX-level puppy dog eyes as well as the soft furry animals rubbing against him- Klein couldn't win. He was, after all, a human.
"Also… Klein would be spending the night here right?" Amon said in a low husky voice that sent shivers down Klein's spine. Amon leaned in closer and whispered right against Klein's ears, "Thankfully I wore no underwear today~"
Klein's brain short-circuited.