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It's been months since James managed to free Arktos out from his icy tomb. Arktos still didn't have as much energy as he did before he froze himself, but it was still better than falling asleep every 5 seconds like he'd done the first few months after being freed. He looks over at his penguin butler standing beside his throne to his right.
The snowman thinks, I never told him that I was awake and aware in that tomb of ice... But, yet I... feel like I should? Something... A... feeling... of some sorts, keeps bothering me because I haven't told him and I hate it. He takes a quick look around the giant hall and notes that they are the only ones there. The snowman thinks for a couple of seconds before deciding to tell the penguin before anyone else comes in and sees him not being mean.
Arktos puts his hand on the penguin's shoulder, clearing his throat to get the penguin's attention. Arktos watches James' eyes widen, the butler's muscles tensing.
James turns his gaze towards the snowman, his expression clearly nervous, and possibly even a bit scared, but none of it shows in the penguin's voice as he asks, "Is there something you want me to do for you, Frostyness?"
"No, no, James. That's not necessary." Arktos replies to the penguin. He takes his hand off the penguin's shoulder and moves his arm to his throne's armrest. The snowman continues, "James, there's something I... need to tell you. About when I was trapped in the ice."
"What is it, Iciness?"
"You know how... when I was trapped in the ice, everyone said that I was in an icy sleep...?"
"Yes, Frigidity?"
"I... I wasn't... asleep, James."
The penguin's eyes widen, a expression of terror and horror on the penguin's face, body stiller than a frozen statue in Arktos' Hall of Triumph. The penguin gulped, and asked, voice having become high-pitched and slightly shaking, "What?"
Arktos replied slowly, as he tried to figure out what to say, "I wasn't in an icy sleep, James... I... I was awake... You know that I can read lips. I... I know that you...I watched you...temporarily abandon me..."
The penguin's body starts to violently tremble as he finally processes Arktos' words. He slowly hangs his head, looking down towards the floor. The penguin gulped and looked back up at the snowman. With tears slowly streaming down his face, an expression of extreme sadness but also acceptance on his face, seemingly expecting an inevitable and permanent freezing, James sighs sadly and expectantly.
The penguin butler thinks, I wonder what corner of the Hall of Triumph Arktos is going to put my frozen statue in... The penguin quietly, slowly, timidly speaks, "I know y-you're mad, Frigidity, especially because you-you trusted me and I betr-betrayed that t-trust. I know you’re going to freeze me… So just… get it over with..." By the time James finishes speaking, he's looking at the floor again, sobbing and sniffling, waiting to be sent to his frozen fate as the newest permanent statue addition to Arktos' Hall of Triumph.
Arktos stares at the penguin, an expression a mix of confusion and surprise on the snowman's face.
"James. Look at me." Arktos says, a firm tone in his voice. The penguin doesn't move his head an inch. The snowman sighs, slightly annoyed, tries again, slightly growling, "James, you ninny. LOOK AT ME." This time James raises his head, and looks at Arktos, confused.
"I'm not going to freeze you, James. I wasn't even thinking about that, to be honest." Arktos explains.
"W-What? I don't understand...? Why-Why not?" James asks, both his tone of voice and expression perplexed. He quickly adds on with panic in his voice, "N-Not that I'm not grateful, sire! Natürlich I'm grateful! V-Very grateful, my Lord! I'm just not sure why you're sparing me, th-that's all!"
"James..." Arktos sighed, then continued, "I'm going to get straight to the point here. James, when I was stuck in the block of ice, I was alone, I had so many frightened breakdowns because I was afraid of being in there forever, and I wanted to go insane in there. But then, one day, you decided to visit, and then you decided to keep coming to visit me, every day! And you'd talk to me, tell me stories of what was going on, like I was awake, even though you thought I wasn't! And all of a sudden, I wasn't completely alone. I... I started to look forward to your visits! Your visits kept me sane, James! I... may not understand why you did it, but thank God you did, because otherwise I would have gone insane! James.. Danke."
Arktos starts to feel an wave of intense, and oddly, warm, emotions start to rise in his chest, and unable to resist the temptation, he suddenly grabs the penguin and scoops his penguin butler into a tight hug, and adjusts his sitting position to slightly curl his body around the penguin, almost as if he was trying to cuddle his butler.
James just stares blankly in shock for a couple of seconds before managing to snap out of it and ask, slowly, "Arktos... my-my Lord! Not that I don't appreciate... this…", the penguin vaguely gestures with his hands as he continues, "but... aren't you worried someone might see... this... and... since you're trying to remind everyone of how nasty you can be now that your powers are back to full power... Wouldn't this just make things worse... So while I very much appreciate this gesture...? I don't want to make anything harder for you, so can you... uhhh... let me..., uhhh... go?"
"James, I don't care about anything but my need to hold something close to me right now. You're that something, so I'm holding you. I don't care if anyone sees this, if someone does, I'll freeze whoever tries to breathe a word of this to anyone else. But... for right now... I'm going to hold you... I just need to, ok... I need to..." Arktos murmured, cheeks lighted a royal purple and his carrot glowing a bright orange, snuggling his head into the crook of James' shoulder.
James' cheeks had turned red as a fire, still amazed by this display of... affection? ...A mini-nervous breakdown?... Or maybe just a need for attention...? James wasn't sure exactly why his dear... master, Arktos, was doing this... But... James realized he didn't care and relaxed into the snowman's grip and snuggled into the snowman's shoulder.
"D-Danke... for not freezing me, Arktos..." James mumbled.
"No, James. Danke for keeping me sane." Arktos replied, muttering.
Eventually, some time later, the two fell asleep, wide smiles painted on their faces.