I Am Tired Of Being A Hero-Chapter 298: Two of them

"Child support? Sage is eighteen years old. Haven’t you heard the saying, Like rust corrodes iron, greed corrodes the mind."

Sage screamed in joy and leapt into Malik’s arms, causing him to fall under her weight. His screams of joy soon turned into loud sobs.

All through the week, Sage had been playing games, making snide remarks, and teasing Lana, Ash, and Arlen. However, compared to all of them, the one who must have been the most worried was him.

For a long time, all Sage had was Malik. Whether it be an older brother, a father, a flatmate, or a boss, the lines were just too blurred to pick one identity. Malik was part of his family.

Ravi exhaled slowly, as if uttering a sigh of relief, or maybe it was out of joy. He closed his eyes like a weary man who could finally fall asleep.

Instinctively, he reached for the larger man next to him. His hands trembled slightly as they moved upward, his palm flat against that broad back.

Arlen chuckled, tightening the hug without any hesitation. "I told you that he would be fine."

"Ravi, I just survived a tribulation. Shouldn’t the person you are hugging be me instead?" Malik said, as if his hands were not full of Ash, Sage and Lana. They have not even allowed him to get up here.

Now he was here, Ravi felt like rolling his eyes. He walked to Malik and stretched his hand to help him up. His palm was so smooth; it reminded Ravi of a new born baby.

He cleared his throat, "It is good that you are back."

"He hasn’t slept since you went for the tribulation stuff." Ash whispered. Well, it could not be called whispering when everyone heard it.

Malik chuckled, "is that so? Did you miss me, Ravi? I am touched." He spread his arms for a hug.

Ravi gritted his teeth, "Don’t push it." He moved to pat Malik’s shoulder and the other pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you." Malik whispered next to his ears, "For everything."

Ravi was silent, the joy in his eyes radiated from the depths of his heart and could not be hidden, "You too. Thanks."

Ravi allowed him three more seconds before pulling away.

"Arlen."

Malik. Welcome back!"

They nodded at each otheEveryone was smiling, and Sage had already opened a dimensional portal. Ash followed him, packing and throwing everything inside the portal as if they could not bear to be here for another second.nd.

"Ah! Everywhere would be so dusty." Lana grumbled as she quickly started harvesting the remaining spider lilies, "I thought you would come back different, but you are just the same." She looked at Ravi with disapproval, "This is the reason we fall back to science, and it won’t fail. Ravi said you were undergoing metamorphism, but you still feel the same." She shook her head, "Maybe I should not conclude just yet. Malik, can I draw some of your blood?"

"No!" Ravi hurriedly said. The blood of an immortal in a lower realm. He could foretell the disaster that it would bring.

As for Malik, even though he did his best to hide it, Ravi’s heart thumped wildly when they hugged.

"We are packed! Let’s start heading home!"

"Not yet." Malik’s voice was as gentle as always, but when he spoke, it was as if even the world went still to listen.

Ravi doubted that anyone had noticed.

"I need to go and pick someone."

"Someone? Malik, you should rest. What are you scheming now?"

Malik raised his hand innocently, "What schemes? I need to pick up my husband. Ah! Your brother-in-law."

Ravi could feel Arlen squeezing his palm, and he squeezed it right back. The underworld had been closed, and he could not contact Ayla, but Malik should be able to get inside.

Anouk was still in there, and Arlen could not yet bring himself to tell his parents about Anouk’s journey into the Netherworld.

They had kept their hopes high for Malik to wait up, and Ravi was even happier that he was attending to it hastily. It was not that Anouk was not safer in the Netherworld, but Ravi wanted to spare Arlen the pain of losing someone.

That hole that never seemed to heal. He knew how terrible the pain was.

He felt a very familiar energy. The lofty, vast, and righteous aura of the Netherworld.

"Close your eyes!Ravi instantly shouted to Ash and Sage while simultaneously raising his hand to close Arlen’s eyes.

They might have abilities, but they are still mortal. If you lay your eyes on death, you will die.

"No need, this is a vessel." The voice was similar and yet different. Ravi looked ahead; a few meters away, there were two men.

Anouk was dressed as if he had just gone shopping in a luxury street in the capital. He was wearing a cable-knit wool jumper, a long-sleeved button-up shirt, tailored trousers, and suede loafers. Ravi blinked. Did the Netherworld expand to human stores since the last time he had been there? He swallowed as he looked at the man next to Anouk.

He was wearing a light-colored robe. The embroidery on his clothes was very delicate, forming a beautiful dove. He had long, black hair that was tied with a white ribbon and his face was completely identical to his friend.

"Fuck. There are two Maliks."Sage, who should be closing his eyes, whispered, and his obedient Ash opened his fingers just enough to create a gap to know what was happening outside."

"Don’t swear" Arlen, Malik and Ravi said all at once.

Anouk’s face was the warmest Ravi had even seen and it grew even warmer when he saw them. He first moved to his brother, patting his back and hugging him.

"Sorry for worrying you." He said coldly to his brother. Arlen did not mind hugging Anouk even tighter.

"It is fine. It is fine. As long as you are back. Fuck, Anouk. I am supposed to be the troublemaker. Don’t worry me like that again."

Anouk patted his head and stepped away.

"Dove, come here!"

"Malik?" Anouk whispered, standing in front of him. His gaze followed Malik meticulously, as if he wanted to imprint every detail of him, from the angle of his hair to the slight wrinkles on his shirt deep into his soul.

He had to be honest. Anouk felt fear in his heart. He had gotten Malik. Malik had admitted to be his. He did not dislike Fengdu but he really did not want...

Malik caressed his short hair, "Dove. You know if over thinking is a competition, you would win." Malik’s voice was light but firm as his mental energy permeated every inch of Anouk, "I am not merging with him, not while you are still in this world."

Anouk’s eyes brightened but then he looked back at the Malik standing at the edge of the water, watching them quietly. Except for his fondness for staring at him and saying the most outlandish things at times, Fengdu had been a complete gentleman throughout his stay. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Don’t look at him." Malik grumbled. He held his chin, turning it to face him, then kissed him.

Arlen shivered next to Ravi, "Why is it so cold all of a sudden?"

Ravi looked at the blind King Yama who still had the perfect gentle mask on his face. He had been with Malik long enough to know the little micro expressions on that face. King Yama was absolutely fuming.