Chapter 652 - 14.48
"I won't allow you to leave, Wife. Not until we've cleared this fight between us. Truly, fighting with you only hurt my heart. I wonder if you feel the same…."
…
Gaius was also hurting, he still loved Clarke so much, but he knew that Clarke wouldn't understand his feeling. Clarke was always the busy one who provided for the family, but it seemed that he didn't intend to keep the family bond.
"Oh, so now that you feel like it, you want to clear this fight between us?" Gaius scoffed mirthlessly. "I bet you don't even know what causes us to fight, right?"
"That—" Clarke gulped. He actually didn't know what caused Gaius to lash out at him before. All he did was work, simple as that. He also had to leave because of Supervillains rampaging the city again, but other than that, he didn't know what was wrong.
Gaius chuckled when he heard no answer from Clarke. As expected, he didn't know.
"Was it because I scolded Hermes and yelled at you? I'm sorry for that one, okay? I'll make up for it. I've been planning on our family vacation in another country as four, how about it?"
"It's not about that…." Gaius sighed. "Clarke, you've been way too busy with your own life that you don't even know about your family anymore."
"But I work for the family. I want to give us a good life," Clarke insisted.
"Is everything about money in your head?"
"But you're the one who told me to work hard because to live normally in this world, we need to have money…." Clarke reasoned.
"But you still have to manage your life with the family and your work life. We're here, not as your stand-in. We're not your token family, Clarke Gaist," Gaius had been thinking about it as well, and he might've taken part in this finance-making activity in the house. "I'll start working from now on. You don't need to work too hard. I'll ask Reed to give me a job, maybe as his secretary."
Clarke reacted wildly the moment he heard that Gaius wanted to work outside. He tightened his embrace even more, and Gaius winced out of pain, "P—Please release me, Clarke. It hurts…"
"I will not allow you."
"Huh?"
"I will not allow you to work!" Clarke yelled. He walked to the bed with Gaius in his embrace, so Gaius couldn't escape.
"C—Clarke, why are you—AH!"
Clarke flung Gaius to the bed. Although it didn't hurt, Gaius was still shocked. Clarke suppressed Gaius by lying on top of him and clenched his wrists tightly.
"Don't call me Clarke! Call me Husband!"
"C—Clarke, it hurts. It really hurts…." Gaius thought his wrist could snap anytime soon. Clarke really didn't understand how strong he could be.
Clarke lost his control as he heard that Gaius would work with Reed instead, leaving him and the kids behind. Maybe it was his crazy jealousy, but he didn't want anyone to ever see Gaius, let alone work with him for a long time.
Because Gaius was too charming for his own good, he was afraid that Gaius would leave him.
"I will work. I will work as hard as I can so you don't need to leave! Just don't leave me! Don't leave me!" Clarke yelled like a madman.
Gaius was surprised, but this wasn't the first time Clarke had ever done this to him.
Clarke had this strange paranoia that his beloved one would leave him. When they were married, Clarke refused to leave Gaius for more than a minute, afraid that Gaius would disappear.
It might stem from Clarke, who was still a baby when he got sent to earth. He might not remember anything about his real planet that got destroyed, but that subconscious fear might've been planted in his head.
[Pupa: Careful of your words, he has severe attachment issues.]
[Yet, he doesn't seem to be attached to his family.]
[Pupa:… You should see it from his perspective. He's trying his hardest, really.]
[Then he should also see it from my perspective, I'm also trying my best to fight this loneliness in my heart!]
[Pupa:…]
"I—I will not leave you, Clarke. I just want to help you to earn money, so you don't need to work like a madman," Gaius struggled, trying to break free from Clarke. But Clarke only tightened his grip on Gaius' wrist even more.
"Ah! Clarke! It really hurts! You'll break my wrists! LET ME GO!"
Clarke was dazed for a moment. He didn't understand this feeling in his heart. But he had a very strong feeling that Gaius would leave him. Gaius had left him so many times, and he would do it again.
It was such a strange sensation, but he didn't know what caused it.
He was afraid that Gaius would leave again, so he tried to keep Gaius only for himself.
Gaius was his wife, after all.
Clarke's blurry gaze finally got clear after a moment. He could see Gaius, who was grimacing in pain. His face was red, and he shed tears, "It… truly hurts… Husband…"
Clarke's eyes widened instantly. He released his grip on Gaius' wrists and got up to separate himself.
Gaius sobbed as he held his wrists that were heavily bruised.
Clarke started having a cold sweat as he realized what he had done just now. He looked at his trembling hands that had hurt his own beloved wife, and he paled instantly.
"W—Wife, I'm sorry—"
"Why are you so rough… I just want to help you…." Gaius wiped the tears on his face. "Do you really want me to be your token wife? As you have your own life while I'm just a decoration in your house?"
"No! I never said that! You're my beloved wife!"
"Then why are you doing this?!"
"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE ME!"
"WHO THE HELL WILL LEAVE YOU, CLARKE GAIST?! I LOVE YOU. I STAY BECAUSE I FUCKING LOVE YOU!" Gaius yelled back. He was tired of this, too tired that he didn't even want to argue with his husband anymore.
Gaius silently grabbed the pillow and said, "I'll sleep with Artemis tonight."
Gaius silently left the room, leaving Clarke, who slumped on the ground, lamenting his own fault.
"Why is everything messed up now?"