#and a certain prince was just feeling protective of their human again after hearing about tooth fairies

[abysswalkersknight]

very quick thing I wrote down at nearly midnight because I saw this Brooklyn 99 clip.

....................

‘Pa-papa! Papa come in here!’ Yawning widely Lilia slid off his spot upside down his bed’s canopy, rubbing his sleep heavy eyes as he trudged toward the room next door, where his little one sat quivering with the fragility of a weak legged fawn ‘ah, my darling Silver, what is ever the matter?’ he coos, sliding in next to his son, pulling the frightened child close and nuzzling those soft silvery tresses ‘there’s a monster in my closet!’ the boy cries, clutching his father’s shirt and burying into his side. Despite his inner irritation at being awoken at such an ungodly hour Lilia chuckles good heartedly and continued stroking Silver’s head ‘now, now my dear I doubt there’d be any monsters here let alone inside your closet, perhaps one of your squirrel friends snuck inside?’ he murmurs, glancing at the closet doors with a bemused expression. Ever since he introduced his precious babe to his life Lilia has made it abundantly clear to all just what would happen should anyone dare intrude upon their home, he retained his skills as a soldier of Briar Valley after all. 

Unfortunately his son was not convinced in the slightest ‘no I saw it! It was big and hairy’

‘Big and hairy? My, so perhaps it was a bobcat?’ Silver swiftly shook his head into Lilia’s side. Sighing he gently nudged his boy ‘well I believe you may have just had a nightmare my dear’

‘No it was real!’

‘I’m sure it felt that way’ Lilia says with a wide yawn ‘tell you what. How about I go open the closet and show you there’s nothing to be frightened of’ there was a pitched squeak as he stood and gently he pried the little one’s fingers off his shirt, it was obvious Silver wanted to still cling onto his father but as the fae drew dreadingly closer towards the closet, fear won over and instead Silver hid beneath the warm sanctuary of his covers, oh well he’s still quite young ‘here darling, see? Nothing is there, now I am going to open this closet and show you there is nothing to be afraid of,’ he says, placing a hand on the knob, ‘don’t do that papa!’ shrieked his little boy, ducking under the covers, Lilia chuckles at the cute eyes peeking under ‘see? One. two-AAAAHHHHH!!!!!’

The local wildlife trembled in their burrows as three voices shrieked bloody murder to the heavens. 

Bracing himself on the closet door, Lilia takes huge gulping breaths, on the bed Silver is sobbing his little heart out in terror but the old fae could not move to comfort him with the large figure he’s trapped in the closet in a tight chokehold ‘hurk! Ack, Lilia!’ the third voice gasps, tapping Lilia’s arm. Breath caught Lilia looks down at the intruder ‘Malleus Draconia’ he snarls, slowly releasing the prince ‘and just what made you think you could scare us like that?’ said prince ducked at the dangerously low tone that spoke volumes of just how livid his guardian was, right before a loud smack mingled with the child’s wailing as Malleus rubbed the back of his head ‘go on, get out of Silver’s closet! I’ll deal with you later’ once the dragon slumped outside to the living room, Lilia sighs and busies himself with soothing poor Silver.

‘- and that is why Malleus is not to hold Silver for two weeks at most’ Lilia grumbles while Baul’s daughter and her husband burst out into wild cackles. Oblivious to the prince sulking on the stool he was forced to sit on ‘speaking of Lilia, I believe I can hold him now-’ Malleus starts, already reaching out for the child napping peacefully on his father’s lap, only to have said father lightly slap his hand away ‘no, Malleus, you still have two days left remember? And now poor sweet Silver refuses to sleep in his bed anymore’ he laments the last part to the Zigvolts who giggle once more.

[aishangotome]

Elbert Greetia: Blind Love Ending Chapter 25

Blind Love Chapter 24 Premium Story

♡———♡

If life were a fairy tale, it would be easy to find happiness.

A sinful and ugly monster is awakened by true love, becomes a handsome prince, and finds happiness.

But reality is more cruel than fairy tales that speak of such beauty as a condition for happiness.

--The chatter of people dances on the polished marble.

Bernard Trading Company's malicious "customers." The Queen has ordered their conviction, and I, along with several members of the Crown, have infiltrated a certain ball.

(This is...my last mission as a "one-month Fairytale Keeper".)

Alfons: This crowd reminds me of a while ago. When El wanted the "painting of the sea".

Kate: It feels like it was a long time ago.

Elbert: ...Yeah.

Alfons looked around the venue and yawned rudely.

Alfons: Ugh... Well-behaved parties are so boring.

Alfons: I wish the target would just show up.

Elbert: Roger is searching through all the sounds in the venue. I'm sure he'll find him soon.

Alfons: Roger, can you hear me? Find him quickly. I'm dying of boredom.

Kate: Won't that interfere with the search?

Alfons: Yes, it will.

Elbert: Don't you want him to be found quickly...?

Alfons: The ability to enjoy contradictions is what makes us human, isn't it?

Alfons: That guy can shut out sounds when he doesn't want to hear them, so he won't hear me anyway.

Alfons: I'm going to go get a drink somewhere.

Alfons: William is here for the mission, so I shouldn't be needed unless something major happens.

Alfons: If you need me, call me.

Elbert: Yeah, I got it. ...Have fun.

Alfons: Absolutely! I live to have fun.

Alfons turned around and disappeared into the crowd like a phantom.

Kate: Hehe... He's the same as always.

Elbert: ...I've been saved many times by that side of Al.

Elbert: If it weren't for Al... I might have been even crazier before I met you.

Elbert: Speaking of which... I remembered something I forgot to tell you.

Kate: What is it?

Elbert: Al was saying... about the day we got the painting of the sea.

Elbert: ...Thank you for trying to protect me.

Lord Elbert gently wrapped his arms around my waist.

Kate: Protect...? Ah, that time--

*flashback*

Kate: Lord Elbert. It seems the host hasn't arrived yet... Would you like to step outside for a bit?

Elbert: ...Kate.

Kate: Ah, well... Your face is a little pale, so I thought some fresh air might do you good.

*flashback over*

The feeling of not being able to bear seeing Lord Elbert's face turn pale came back to me.

(But...after that)

*flashback*

Elbert: ...Stop it.

Elbert: Stop touching her, stop criticizing her...

*flashback over*

Kate: ...Lord Elbert, you protected me that day too.

I didn't know anything about his past, his sins, but from that moment on, I knew his kindness.

Kate: Thank you.

Elbert: Mm...

The eyes of the people around us continued to observe Lord Elbert without hesitation, and the whispers that occasionally reached my ears criticized him as if he were a piece of art, but Lord Elbert's face did not pale, and he smiled gently at me.

Elbert: I won't let you make a sad face like that anymore.

Just then, a familiar loud voice suddenly came flying.

Elderly Man: Well, I saw you from afar and thought it couldn't be, but Elbert, it's good to see you again.

White Haired Lady: My, my! You've become even more beautiful!

I turned around at the familiar voices and saw the gentlemen who had been at the previous party.

(...These people)

I was just remembering the time I met them, and I reflexively became wary.

Elbert: ...Hello.

But Lord Elbert greeted them with his usual calmness.

(Lord Elbert...?)

Lord Elbert stepped forward, as if to shield me.

The glance we exchanged for a moment spoke to me.

(..."It's okay.")

Elderly Gentleman: Come now. Don't stand so far apart, let me see your face more closely.

The elderly gentleman reached out his hand without hesitation and strode towards Lord Elbert.

But before his fingertips could touch him, Lord Elbert spoke clearly.

Elbert: ...Stop it.

It was the same cold, resolute rejection he had given me that day to protect me.

Elbert: Stop touching me like that.

Elderly Gentleman: Wha...?

White Haired Lady: Wh-what do you mean, Elbert?

Elbert: ...Exactly what I said.

Elbert: After my father's death... I was taken care of by you.

Elbert: I want to repay my debt of gratitude properly,

Elbert: But... The only person who can touch me freely now is her.

He gently wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer.

The gentlemen stood there stunned, as if they had been bitten deeply by a beast they thought had no teeth.

Elbert: ...Let's go, Kate.

Lord Elbert was about to leave the scene when he suddenly remembered something and turned around.

Elbert: Ah, I should probably tell you this beforehand.

Elbert: If you try to harm her, no matter how much gratitude I owe you,

Elbert: I won't show any mercy... Just remember that.

Elbert: If possible... I hope we can avoid such a thing.

The two men, sensing the unease in Lord Elbert's gentle smile, left the scene quietly without saying a word.

Kate: Lord Elbert...

Lord Elbert had properly rejected those who would hurt him.

Joy burst in my chest.

When I looked up, Lord Elbert was smiling a little shyly.

Elbert: Did I manage not to make you sad?

--CHOICES--

I should have said something too

Yes, of course you did

You were great

---------------

Kate: ...Yes.

Kate: Yes, of course...!

Elbert: ...Good.

Elbert: ...I wonder if I went a little too far.

Kate: I don't think so at all.

For Lord Elbert to say that was going too far, he must have never blamed or insulted anyone before.

The change in Lord Elbert, who has become stronger, and his unchanging kindness are both so dear to me that it hurts my chest.

Elbert: ...! Kate.

As if he suddenly noticed something, Lord Elbert hugged me, covering me up.

Kate: Lord Elbert...!?

(W-with all these people watching...)

Elbert: ...No, with so many people watching...

Kate: N-no, what do you mean?

Elbert: You... You had a very cute look on your face just now.

Elbert: I don't want to show it to anyone else.

Kate: ...?

Elbert: ...I want to gouge out the eyes of everyone who was looking at you.

Kate: ...

Elbert: The person who was looking at you as we were coming here,

Elbert: And the person who was pretending to drink champagne but was sneaking glances at you.

Kate: Was there someone like that...?

Elbert: ...There was.

He hugged me tightly, pressing me close to the point of discomfort.

(He's jealous of even the slightest glance that I wouldn't even notice...)

Lord Elbert is almost scentless, but I recently learned that when he clings to me so closely that his body heat transfers, he has a faint sweet scent.

His desires are deep, his obsessions are dark and dangerous.

But I loved all of it.

Roger: What are you two lovebirds doing during a mission?

Elbert: ...!

Kate: Roger...!

I hurriedly pulled away from Lord Elbert.

Roger: Sorry, but this is work.

Roger: Target confirmed. Moving to a deserted hallway. Now's your chance.

Today's target is a high-ranking nobleman who used to assault the daughters of other nobles. As a valued customer of Bernard Trading Company, he would have beautiful women kidnapped and assaulted.

I remember feeling sick just imagining it when I heard the story.

Roger: I'll go inform Will. Make sure the target doesn't come back to the venue.

Elbert: ...Yeah, I got it.

Lord Elbert nodded quietly, and Roger disappeared into the crowd.

Kate: I'll go with you.

Elbert: Yeah... I can't leave you in this venue.

Elbert: I'll protect you from the sad sights... Come with me.

-

As I walked down the hallway, hand in hand with him, I kept thinking.

The reason Lord Elbert continues to stay with Crown.

He said he joined Crown to obtain something beautiful to atone for his sins.

But even now, after letting go of his atonement, he remains in this organization, in this darkness.

(That must be because--)

Elbert: ...Kate.

Elbert: Stay back a little.

At the end of the hallway, there was a figure.

The moonlight cast a black shadow.

Elbert: ...Good evening.

Man: ...!

It was instantaneous.

Without hesitation, Lord Elbert's toe stepped on the shadow, and the man's body staggered, unable to turn around.

William: --Kate.

Kate: William...

The King of Righteousness, who had appeared out of nowhere, seemed to grasp the situation and turned his gaze towards Lord Elbert.

William: Ah... Tonight, El's "evil" is even more beautiful.

Without immediately approaching, William looked at Lord Elbert with a cheerful expression.

William: Speaking of which--

William: Tonight's target seems to have had an unusual obsession with young ladies with blue eyes and blonde hair.

(Eh...?)

Man: Ugh... Ugh... What is this...?

At that moment, the man, who had turned around with unsteady steps, opened his eyes in astonishment.

Those eyes, even in the darkness, were clearly recognizable--ocean blue.

Man: Cecilia...?

Elbert: ...

Lord Elbert turned his back on the man without answering the question.

Elbert: ...Will, I'll leave the rest to you.

William: Yeah, leave it to me.

Elbert: Let's go, Kate.

(...Just now, the name he called was,)

(Lord Elbert's--)

The man who once assaulted noble daughters.

An abnormal obsession with golden hair and blue eyes.

(Perhaps...)

I started to think, but stopped.

There was no point in searching for the truth.

Lord Elbert was no longer bound by the past.

Man: Wh-what are you doing, stop it, stop--

Lord Elbert's hand gently covered my ears.

Elbert: You don't need to hear this.

Elbert: You don't need to see it.

Elbert: Sad memories can easily... kill people.

(...That must be)

(The reason you stay in this darkness.)

To prevent even a single sad event, like the one that happened to Lord Elbert when he was young, that would leave an unfillable hole in someone's heart.

(If you continue to resist sadness in the darkness like that,)

(I want to stay by your side... always.)

Even if it leads us to the bottom of the endless darkness.

A certain man was condemned by Crown, who "fights evil with evil".

From now on, there will never be another victim of the man's evil hand.

The truth that will be revealed tonight was enough for both Lord Elbert and me.

-

--If life were a fairy tale, it would be easy to find happiness.

A sinful and ugly monster is awakened by true love, becomes a handsome prince, and finds happiness.

But reality is more cruel than fairy tales that speak of such beauty as a condition for happiness.

Sin remains sin.

When a monster looks in the mirror, the reflection is still a monster.

But even with sin, surely--.

-

Victor: It's been a month since you came here. Time flies, doesn't it?

Kate: Yes, it really does.

One month after the promise, the last night.

Just like the first night I met them, I was facing Victor.

The report I wrote about Lord Elbert was submitted to Victor a few days ago.

Victor: You certainly kept your promise.

Victor: From now on, I want you to choose by your own free will.

Victor: The life you want.

Kate: Yes, Victor. I--

Kate: I want to stay in this castle and be by Lord Elbert's side.

Victor: Can you tell me why?

Kate: ...Because I want him to smile.

Kate: Lord Elbert... and someone somewhere in this country.

Unexpectedly, Daisy's smile came to my mind, and my chest ached painfully again.

Kate: My power is small... and I will probably make many mistakes.

Kate: But if I'm with Lord Elbert, I think I can handle anything.

After hearing my answer, Victor smiled brightly.

Victor: Thank you for telling me.

Victor: It's a very kind and wonderful choice, just like you.

Victor: If you choose to live in this darkness with him...

Victor: I welcome you, Kate.

Victor: Welcome to the world of the dark night.

-

Elbert: ... Aren't you cold?

Kate: I'm fine. If we stay close like this, we'll be warm even if the wind blows.

Elbert: ...Then, let's get closer.

Kate: Wow...

We walk hand in hand along the shallows of the early morning, slowly opening up, and talk about random things.

Occasionally leaving the castle and cuddling up on this beach is a blissful time for me.

(...I'm sure it is for Elbert too.)

I can tell by his expression.

A place where we can gaze at each other without being disturbed by anyone.

That kind of place is Elbert's favorite.

Elbert: Speaking of which... I think I'll get rid of everything in my room someday.

Kate: .....!

Kate: Then I can add a lot of things for you.

Elbert: .............

Kate: What kind of things would make you feel more comfortable...

I remember the seashell I picked up before, so small, being put in a fine box and still cherished.

(...It might be fun when that big box is full.)

Kate: Ah...

Elbert: ...What's wrong?

I just found a small, faintly glowing seashell at my feet.

When I squat down and pick it up, the shell that looked white shines in rainbow colors.

Kate: This is very beautiful, Lord Elbert.

I try to hold it out while squatting.

Kate: What do you think, Lord Elbert?

Elbert: ...Yeah.

Elbert: I think it's very beautiful.

Kate: ...Hehe.

I'm happy to get an answer other than "I don't know," and when I smile, Elbert suddenly looks serious and squats down next to me.

Elbert: You still... seem happiest when you smile because of someone else.

Kate: Huh...? Wow--

The moment I let out a small voice in surprise, I was hugged...

I lost my balance and fell into the shallows with him.

The chilly seawater gently wets our bodies.

Kate: Lord Elbert...mmm...

Before I could close my eyes, our lips touched.

Lord Elbert takes my lips as if to quench his thirst, and as he seeks me with an almost painful intensity, my confusion fades away, leaving only a growing affection in my heart.

Kate: Mmm...Mm...

Even though I knew Lord Elbert would get wet, I couldn't help but wrap my arms around his neck.

The more I felt his heat, the louder my heartbeat became, and the sound of the waves faded away.

In between our drowning kisses, Lord Elbert whispered, as if revealing a secret.

Elbert: I'm sorry... Right now, I want your kiss.

Elbert: I want it, I want it so badly.

Elbert: Ever since we met... Every time you smile happily,

Elbert: I'm... My eyes are captivated, my heart is stolen. It scares me how much.

Elbert: If this continues... I might even want your life next.

Elbert: Holding you tight in my arms, making it so you can only see me.

Elbert: Whispering in your ear so you can only hear my voice.

Kate: ... El...

Elbert: Your body temperature, your gaze, your voice, all of it... even though I have it all to myself.

Elbert: It's still... still... not enough.

Elbert: I want you... all of you.

Our lips meet again, stealing my breath away.

The water that wets my skin, the sound of water that reaches my ears, kisses so intense I can't even breathe--

It's like I'm drowning in his desire.

(Why is it... I'm happy, yet...)

(It's painful, and I feel like crying.)

Elbert's curse, its nature is "greed."

Once directed towards the most beautiful thing in this world to atone for his sins, that desire is now all focused on me.

He wants all of me, to make me happy.

Kate: I want to give you everything too.

Kate: But... just like your heart and body belong only to you.

Kate: My heart and body can't completely belong to you.

Elbert: ... I know.

Elbert: Even if these lips stop breathing... and you can't go anywhere.

Elbert: I will surely want to see "you," to make you smile, and it will become unbearable.

"Unsatisfied and gaining nothing" -- that ending will surely come.

Because it's impossible for a person to truly possess another person completely.

Kate: Even so...

Kate: Even if being by your side continues to torment you.

Kate: ...Can I still be with you?

When I confessed everything honestly, Elbert embraced me without hesitation.

With a smile far, far more beautiful than a bisque doll.

Elbert: It's okay... even if I can never truly possess you.

Elbert: I want to eternally seek you, struggle, suffer, and die.

Elbert: ...That is my happiness.

Even with the burden of sin, the two of us can find happiness.

Even if we get hurt, even if we hurt each other--

As long as we're together on this beach, I'm sure.

FIN

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Blind Love: Epilogue

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[aceantarctic]

The Pink Clawed Eclipse

You know, in all the storyshift takes, versions and whatnot, I NEVER see anything done with Mad Mew Mew, which is weird considering her direct connections to MTT and Blooky in canon, you'd think she'd have a more prominent role cause of that. This led me to havin' an idea for what MMM could be like in Storyshift, involving a small bit of reboot's lore and acknowledging some of her subtler connections in Undertale Mew Mew didn't have much to do in her free time, most of the time she just sat in waterfall, pondering and grieving... not like she had anyone to go back to, everyone was either dead or... well the one who was around had better people to talk to than her. They probably don't even remember her for the better honestly But, sometimes she'd venture on down to Snowdin, and at the very end of the forest, there was a door. And a "Overly loud rattling voice" behind it, but that wasn't so bad, not that she finally had someone to talk to... to accept her. And he enjoyed her too! They had so many conversations together Eventually, she noticed that he seemed, quieter than usual, so she asked what was wrong "TELL ME, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HUMANS?" ... this wasn't a question she was expecting. She wasn't exactly a fan of them but... she didn't hate them either. Human's couldn't of been that bad her cousins were able to befriend one... "Well, they're alright I guess, why you asking?" And so Papyrus explained the events that had transpired to the friend he trusted ...turns out, a group dubbing themselves the "Solar Warriors" had killed a human he'd adopted after they were moved to be with Sans to be protected She was appalled to hear this, someone had killed the princes child.. who CARES with they were human it... WHO DOES THAT?!? And was... No one going to object to their actions? To call them OUT for murder?!? Even if it was a human, surely breaking into the THRONE ROOM is against some sort of law, right? Just cause they're part of a little group shouldn't absolve them of any crimes... ...well, even if others are just willing to ignore that for "the sake of freedom", she isn't. She's getting answers. It didn't take long to find out who was involved or where they where situated (pretty easy to look up articles on the Undernet about what happened.. at least once you know it did) and soon enough, she confronted them at waterfall She was furious and god was she letting it be known, how AWFUL and REVOLTING they were When she asked the warriors why they killed a human despite the fact that both Royals had given her the a-okay to live, she was met with "IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF THE KINGDOM" "IT'S FOR OUR FREEDOM!" "WE'VE WAITED FOR SO LONG!" "IT'S WHAT THE GHOSTS WOULD'VE WANTED!" "YEAH, WE DID IT FOR THEM!" Hearing them say something so WRONG about both the royals AND her cousins... it sent her over the edge These... "warriors" weren't seeking justice or freedom, and this wasn't even about revenge. They just wanted a reason to kill humans, and were willing to use ANYTHING to excuse either actions ...even lying to someone's FACE about what their family would've wanted... And she. wasn't. having. it These people want to act like they're above consequences do they? Well two can play at that game... And she is MUCH better at it than they are Countless screams. Boundless dust. All washed away by the stream of murky water And yet. She couldn't care. Why should she care about a bunch of "no name" liers and murders? She could go back to doing...whatever it was she used to do... ...but what if it happened again? What if they tried to kill another innocent under these hallow excuses? Who would hold them accountable then? ... Guess she just found something else to do in her freetime... and something that'd finally let her atone for failing her family before...

...and there's a certain human in Snowdin who very much does appreciate the "pink clawed eclipse"'s vigilantism.

[mlmxreader]

Keep A Close Eye | Corinthian x nb!reader

Anonymous asked: Corinthian x angel!reader

He thinks he can fix the Corinthian but uno reverse he ends up falling (in multiple ways) for him :)

summary: sent to keep an eye on the Corinthian, you can't say you're exactly surprised when you develop certain feelings that an angel should never feel for a nightmare.

tws: mentions of murder and violence, swearing, smoking

You were assigned to keep an eye on the Corinthian, as a being with similar phsyical power to the Endless - although not quite as strong as them - it was easy for you to get in his good books; he has you down in two seconds. An angel with a soft spot for the mortals' rock and metal music and their horror films. Corinthian had you pinned down to a T in seconds; he didn't mind you hanging around, though, he quite liked your company and he thought it was funny to tease you here and there. He liked having you around, he liked it when you sat in the passenger seat of his Mustang and you felt the wind between your fingertips and sang along to CDs he had in his car; he didn't think he would ever hear 'Girls, Girls, Girls' by Mötley Crüe sung so beautifully ever again. He didn't think he'd hear the words with such passion and joy that it made him grin.

You weren't just there to keep an eye on him, though, admittedly, you had always had your curiosity about the nightmare; you had always been quite curious about humanity, too. You felt more at home with the term nonbinary than their other terms, and when you told Corinthian, he immediately switched to what you liked; maybe humanity was rubbing off on him, maybe he wasn't as much of a dick as everyone had told you. He was... good, really; you were certain that if he was given the time and patience and kindness... maybe he would actually stop killing. Maybe.

Still, those nights where you wandered around the empty streets and holding onto his arm and leaning into his side and sharing earbuds, listening to Mötley Crüe - he seemed to really like that one band - were probably some of the best nights you had ever had; the nights where he would pull you under a bus stop and he would sit on the red bench with his legs spread and keep you between them, his hands on your sides as he watched you so closely, so carefully, as you lit up a cigarette. "My angel," he would whisper under his breath, not wanting you to hear it, "all mine".

You wished. You really, really, wished that was the truth, but you knew it could never happen; he was a nightmare, he killed for pleasure, he killed because he enjoyed it and he liked it. You were an angel, you were meant to protect, you were made to keep things safe and sound. You weren't like him. But you helped him in the end; you managed, at least, to steer him towards those who deserved it. Such as the prince who had been hanging around with child abusers. You pointed him towards those who really did deserve it, if you couldn't get him to stop, you could at least make sure he wasn't going after people who didn't deserve it.

Your wings were clipped, so to speak, as when you were asked when you were going to return, you couldn't give a straight answer; you didn't want to leave him. You couldn't. He was... he was good. He was good, really. You just had to rewrite an ending that would fit; you had to change the story. You couldn't give him back to the Endless.

Still, you weren't shy, not really, and as you laid on your stomach on the bed, you stretched your wings out; great brown feathers a stage for the dancing golden light that streamed in through the cracks in the curtains. Some old rock song on the speaker as you watched the Corinthian.

"Y'know, angel," he started, "we make a pretty good team."

You dared to laugh a little as you shrugged. "Not a likely duo is it, though? An angel and a nightmare? Might as well be a dog and a snake."

"We still make a good team," he told you, coming over and pressing a glass of iced coffee into your hand as he dared to smile. He never could stop looking at you. The way you looked when you were so relaxed... that was his favourite.

When you were relaxed and your wings were out and he could run his fingers along the brown feathers, reminding him of a long eared owl in both looks and texture, knowing he was the only one who was allowed to do such a thing, knowing that you only trusted him to touch your wings; the way you groaned and squirmed into his touch. The lazy smiles. That was always his favourite.

"Maybe I ought to stick around," you mused. "If we make such a good team."

Moving to kneel in front of you, Corinthian didn't waste time, his hand on your jaw as he cleared his throat and groaned softly. "I never thought I'd meet an angel I actually liked."

"And yet here I am," you chuckled. "Although, I never thought I'd meet a serial killer I actually liked... a lot."

"A lot?" He quirked a brow, pouting his lips a little. "Did I just hear an angel say that they like a nightmare a lot?"

"Oh, shove off," you laughed, playfully shoving his face with your free hand as you moved to sit up, the ruffle of your feathers creating a slight breeze like someone had left the ceiling fan on its lowest setting for a moment. "You have any idea of how much fucking shit I could get into if I was..."

"Who cares?" Corinthian scoffed. "We're not there. We're here, with the mortals. Who's gonna know, angel?"

"I guess you got a point," you nodded. "Are you sure that you can stay tied down, though? I know you have an appetite for-"

"I'm sure," he nodded, gently tracing the top of your wing just to make you shiver. "If you are."

if you liked this fic, REBLOG IT - you SHOULD reblog it; spam likers WILL be blocked. as will blogs that refuse to reblog or to give feedback. if you don't wanna reblog, then you'll get blocked; reblogging is the BARE MINIMUM. don't just "like", REBLOG

[the-devil-hunter63]

GUYS

GUYS

GUYS

I had a terrible idea that almost made me cry and now I'm gonna break your hearts as well!!

What if part of the reason Heinsenberg is so hellbent on killing Miranda is because, not only did she ruin his life, but because she took his S/O? Like hear me out on this ...

▪︎WARNING: MENTION OF DEATH AND POSSIBLE SPOILERS▪︎

So Heisenberg and his S/O obviously met because Mother Miranda. S/O was part of a group that were outsiders staying in the village inn while traveling.

Anyways, Heinsenberg and his S/O are inseparable now. He takes them with him everywhere, family meetings included. They are his world. His everything. And everyone knows it.

Everyone has seen him rip Lycans apart with his bare hands, smash others into a paste, and turn people into pin cushions with various metal objects, all in the name of protecting his S/O.

Mother Miranda doesn't like that Heisenberg has softened in certain aspects. She also doesn't like that he puts his S/O before her plan.

How DARE he put some lowly human before her darling Eva!

So she waits. She waits until Heinsenberg fucks up. Fucks up so bad his S/O is left by themselves.

She is also lowkey jealous asf because why should anyone be allowed to be happy when she can't be happy with her Daughter. It's not fair.

So when Heinsenberg voices his opinion on something and actively goes against Miranda, that is the final straw. She is tired of his rebellious attitude. Good children listen to their mothers.

His S/O has actively warned him about acting up. Warning him that his actions have consequences. But he rarely listens. Nothing will ever harm his S/O while he's around.

Honestly, his ego is hard to get past and thats what costs him his world.

So when his S/O goes out to the village to get things for that nights dinner Miranda strikes. She snatches them and takes them to her secret laboratory. (Where chris finds Mia)

When they don't return as the sun starts to set, Heisenberg starts to panic. He just knows something happened. The sudden sinking feeling and pit forming in his stomach fully cements the dread.

All the metal near him starts to vibrate and swirl violently. And it wasn't until he starts to leave the factory does he run into Miranda.

His S/O is slung over her shoulder and her face is cold and cruel. She glares at him and throws his S/O at his feet as if they were mere trash.

"Remember boy, I am your mother. Your loyalties lie with me and me alone." And with that she turns into a bird and flys away.

Heisenberg would drop to his knees with a heavy thud as their body VIOLENTLY convulsed and they're foaming at the mouth. They're body is littered with cuts and bruises and what looks like an half assed implanted Cadou.

"No no no no no no no no!!! That fucking bitch...she can't...i-i...I'm gonna save you kitten/babe/princess/prince/sunshine"

His S/O's last words are something like "this isn't your fault...I love you" or they try to hold a conversation as this man is violently sobbing. Their voice is slowly fading with each word.

They'll cup his face and smile one last time as the convulsions start again, this time way more violent as their body is rejected by the Cadou.

If his S/O is male, they start to shift into a Lycan and he ultimately has to bring himself to kill them with his own hands to save them the horror of being a mindless beast lead by bloodlust.

If his S/O is female, he watches the light leave they're eyes as they cry tears of blood as the Cadou ultimately mangles their body.

Either way, this man is destroyed both mentally and emotionally. Not only was his free will and life taken away from him, now his lover died in his arms.

Heinsenberg will tell himself it's his fault and whisper broken apologies between broken sobs and hiccups as he rocks back and forth with their body.

His pained howls will be heard far and wide. The lycans, and Urias, will howl out with their master at the loss of his mate.

They'll get a grave at they're favorite spot. It's under a lone tree behind the factory with an elegant metal statue made in they're likeness.

Heisenberg will visit it everyday for hours. He talks to the statue. Tells them about whats going on with the lords and updates them on his plan to slowly kill that bitch Miranda.

There are times he'll visit the grave and there are flowers or even other trinkets that represents the other lords sneaking or even the lycans leaving random things there.

His Lycans, mainly Urais, have found him asleep under that tree one too many times. Hell, even some of the lycans sleep under it. Even if they're mindless beasts, they still knew that they're masters mate was a gentle soul that even they liked to have around.

So after the fight with Ethan when Heinsenberg dies, Ethan stumbles upon the grave and understands right away. He may not understand what his S/O saw in him but he will put something of Heinsenberg next to the statue.

When Ethan turns his back he will hear Heinsenberg's laugh accompanied by another one and will feel two hands pushing him forward with a gentle "bring that bitch down and save Rose."

[sevendeadlymorons]

Hello! How are you? Can you do head-canons for the bros (and in-undateables if you want) with a teen MC (like 13-16) pls? Like how they act when they meet them, how they act now, specific head-canons like that y’know? ONLY PLATONIC OR FAMILY-LIKE RELATIONSHIPS no romantic or sexual ones because that’s ✨gross✨ Anyway, thank you for your time and if you don’t want to do this I completely understand! Have a nice day lovely!😘

This ones so sweet so I honestly can’t wait to get started. Hope yer having a great day, love x

FYI: let’s say Belphie wasn’t trapped in the attic for this HC just to make it so that he didn’t murder a child-

Brothers + Dateables Reaction to Teen MC

————————————

Lucifer

When he first chose you for the exchange program, he kind of expected someone... older?

But instead here you were, another chihuahua

To his surprise, you had your calm moments but you also had your energetic moments where you and Mammon would cause problems upon problems around the house

To say you got annoying quickly would be an understatement, but weirdly, he saw you as his own kid and he did anything to protect you

If you were upset, he was straight at your side with a cup of hot chocolate and asking who made you upset, just like a worried parent would

He felt so relieved when after a couple months passed you began to calm down and sit with him and just talk about life and how you’re handling RAD

The first time you gave him a hug he was genuinely surprised and wasn’t sure what to do but he honestly could’ve cried

Mammon

As soon as he saw you he just went straight to the chihuahua jokes. He loved your size cause it meant he could use you as his arm rest whenever he wanted

Immediately took you under his wing and became an older brother figure to you, keeping you safe and rarely letting anyone touch you

He’s like the cool older brother you’ve always wanted who buys you little gifts every now and again as a surprise and makes you laugh all the time

He loves how energetic you are and how much fun you two have together tormenting his brothers

Seeing you sad is something he never wants to see, and I can promise you that sadness will not last long with Mammon by your side

Any type of affection you give him makes him so so happy, like hearing a child say their first word

Honestly though, he likes the chill side of you too where you two can just sit back, watch a movie and say “it’s you” at every unattractive character the both of you come across

Leviathan

Children really wasn’t his thing and he was not expecting to have to look after the exchange student

But after a while, you turned out to be pretty cool since you two shared a lot of hobbies together and you even cosplay with him on certain occasions

He’s a literal older brother figure to you and it makes him elated to have you as his Henry

You two shop for endless useless crap on Akuzon together and get yelled at by Lucifer for blocking the entrance with all the boxes

He’s comfortable around you, especially as you eventually began to calm down and the only thing you wanted to do was stay up all night and laze around in his bedroom all day

If you were ever sad, he’ll quickly turn on your favourite anime or movie and wrap you up in a huge blanket. He never wants to see you upset

You may have given him a heart attack the first time you hugged him though but he was so close to crying, it may’ve been the best day of his life

Satan

Energetic short stack as the new exchange student? No thanks

Sort of just attempted to avoid you the first couple days but you kept on following him, asking him so many questions

But after a while, he began to gradually warm up to you and even shared some of his books with you and read them to you when you had trouble sleeping

The bond he has with you isn’t exactly brotherly, it’s more like the chill uncle that gives you extremely old shit that you never knew you needed

He lowkey protects you with his life though. If someone says something mean to you, he’s the first person who’s at your aid

If you’re upset, he’ll sort that problem out super fast. You won’t be sad on his watch

Didn’t know how to respond the first time you gave him a hug so he pat your head and then it kinda stuck so now whenever you hug him, he gives your head a gentle pat

Asmodeus

Nobody really thought having you around Asmo was a good idea, but actually, you two weren’t a bad match

He definitely without a doubt had that favourite gay brother vibe where he’d dress you up pretty and talk to you about relationships and emotions

He always made you feel good about yourself and made it his mission to never see you sad or lonely

If you ever were, he’ll be like your personal servant until you weren’t. Gifts, words of affirmation, quality time, he’d do anything to see you stay happy

Brought you gifts home occasionally and asked you to try them on if the gift was clothes or accessories and let you try his perfume and lip gloss from time to time

Seeing you gradually grow as you became more comfortable with his brothers and him was such a proud moment for him

He gave you the biggest hug back when you first gave him a hug, he was so excited

Beelzebub

Same with Asmo, nobody thought it was a good idea being around him, especially with his tendencies to eat just about anything

But he was alright with you, he walmed up to you pretty quick and soon took you under his wing like he had another little sibling to look after

Brought you snacks whenever you asked him to and made sure you had a smile on your face constantly

He got so worried if you were upset and even got a little upset himself, so he’d spent more time with you and tell you how great you are until you were happy

If you asked him to, he’d lift you up onto his shoulders and walk around with you just to hear you laugh and feel so tall compared to all the others

Watching you settle down from being this once energetic kid to a calmer one was heartwarming to him and he now enjoys nothing more than sitting back, sharing snacks and throwing popcorn into your mouth when you two watch a movie

He actually cried when you hugged him, no joke, this man was close to sobbing

Belphegor

Another annoying chihuahua around? He’ll pass...

It’s not like he ever actually sees any of his brothers anyway since he sleeps so much, but you just wouldn’t leave him alone for some reason

Sometimes he’d unknowingly wake up to you on the opposite side of the bed after joining him in a nap or on the floor playing on your phone waiting for him to wake up so you could talk to him

After a while, he sort of just got used to you being around him and even enjoyed waking up to find you laying on the ground on your phone

Sometimes you were a bit too energetic for his liking but spending the nights awake with you were always his favourite parts of the day

Once he found you sat in a ball on his floor crying and he’d never gotten up from a nap faster as he sat next to you with a blanket, continuously telling you jokes until you finally smiled

Wasn’t too bothered about you hugging him for the first time, he just smiled, pat your head and went back to sleep

Diavolo

Never expected such a young person to be the new exchange student but he welcomed you with open arms either way

He found it interesting how you didn’t fear any of them at first glance so visited you often to check up on you

Eventually Diavolo visited every day, asking you about RAD and life in the Devildom and even brought you cakes that Barbatos made sometimes

He became a dad figure to you, protecting you and giving you special Prince privileges like allowing you to come over any time you liked

Couldn’t stand the days you came over with a frown on your face from having a bad day at RAD and made sure you were totally comfortable and happy by his side for the rest of the day

It was always a pleasure to see you come over with Barbatos by your side and smile so widely when you see him, it made his heart ache

He may’ve gotten too excited when you first hugged him and squeezed you a bit too hard. The man hasn’t hugged anyone in a while though so can you blame him?

Barbatos

Never expected a human this young to pop out of the portal

But like everybody else, he accepted you as part of the Devildom now and was the very first person to send you a welcome text

He slowly began to become interested in you and visited from time to time; bringing round treats that he’d made at the castle

Schedules little cooking days with you and Luke and loves how you both help him in the kitchen and adores how much you smile when you apply icing to your cakes

Becomes the person you go to when you have something on your mind and he normally drops everything when you come to visit just so he can talk to you

Seeing you sad makes him sad too, so he helps you as best as he can, no matter what he was previously doing. You’re what’s most important right now

Hugs aren’t particularly his thing but a hug from you always makes his day so much better

Simeon

Another child? He’s sorta glad it’s not him who has to look after you since he already has Luke

Well in the end, he sorta does mainly look after you after the amount of times you visit him unannounced

He’s without a doubt the sweet and accepting dad figure to you as he always listens and he understands and he always knows how to cheer you up

You won’t be sad for long with him by your side, he’s just got that vibe about him. It’s imposible to stay upset

Takes you to little cafés when you’re sad and likes to join you and Luke when you’re cooking with Barbatos

Gets emotional when he sees you grow to become apart of every ones life and become so at home and attached to everyone around you

He’ll never forget that first hug you gave him, it reminds him of when Luke gives him one when he gets lonely so he loved every second of it

Solomon

Started to tease you straight away. It can’t be helped when you’re almost the same size as Luke

Never expected to get so close to you and now he’s willingly to protect you with his life. Crazy

You can’t stay sad when he’s around, it’s not possible. He knows exactly how to cheer you up and doesn’t stop until he sees that frown of yours disappear

Comes to visit you once in a while when he has time just to cause trouble around the house and piss off the brothers and chat with you and Asmo

Now Solomon is the definition of cool uncle. He’ll show you shit that’ll make your day, bring you gifts and stupid unnecessary items and just make you laugh so hard that your stomach will hurt

Still teases you from time to time and you become his arm rest for the rest of the year, but on the plus side, he teleports you to the human world to get icecream

Never thought he’d see the day where he’d get a hug, especially from you, so he made it last as long as he could. It felt nice to be appreciated

Luke

Unsurprisingly, you two got along straight away, I mean, two short people in the Devildom gotta stick together, right?

Pretty much began to live at eachothers house with the amount of times you two would visit

Protects you from the demons at least twice a day and tries his best to swat away Solomon and Mammon from leaning on your head

Becomes your new younger brother and he’ll do anything to keep you safe as well as happy and laughing

His heart hurt when he sees his new friend sad, so he asks Simeon if he could take the two of you to get your favourite treats and he’s relieved when he sees you smile again

His favourite days are when you two bake cakes with Barbatos, he likes hanging around with you because you make everything more fun

Couldn’t believe it when you hugged him for the first time and couldn’t help hugging you tighter so it was like watching two little kids see eachother for the first time in months

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Yay rqs are open! My hc request is for the Diasomnia boys’ reaction when feMc shows up to their first date in a rlly nice dress, makeup, and heels. Like it’s their first time seeing her wearing a skirt or a specisl outfit in general? I hope you can do that 🎀

Curiouser and Curiouser...

Malleus maintains a relatively reserved look, but there are a few subtle cues that clue you in on how pleased he is. His widened eyes, the slight smile on his lips, how his eyelids fold over...

Seeing you all dressed up puts him in a really good mood, but he doesn’t express it in over-the-top ways--as a prince, he has to maintain a certain sense of decorum, especially in public. Just know that he’s internally squealing and probably will continue raving about it later to Lilia and co.

He gives you a bow, as though addressing fellow noble, once you stand before him. “Attire as fine as this deserves the royal treatment,” he jokes dryly, taking the back of your hand and planting a quick kiss upon it.

Malleus will want to remember this moment forever: your first date, and his first time seeing you in a special outfit, so he’ll fumble with the camera on his phone to try and take a picture with you. He insists that the photo doesn’t need any filters or other editing once it is taken--he thinks you, and by extension, the picture, looks perfect as is.

Malleus is always courteous, but he’s extra courteous to you since you’ve taken such painstaking efforts to look nice for the date. He volunteers his jacket to keep dust and debris off your outfit, and asks every so often if you’d like to stop and give your feet a rest from the heels.

He assists you with light touch-ups throughout the day, like adjusting stray strands of hair that fall across your face, or wiping up a little lip makeup that smears when you bite into your food. Malleus has the most tender of smiles as he does so, savoring those small, casual moments of intimacy.

Lilia’s eyes light up when he sees you! He’s so excited to see you up close that he just skips right over. Taking your hands in his, he spins you around adoringly while gushing about how adorable you are~

He has an appreciation for cute things, so he’ll want to see your look from different angles! Lilia releases your hands and requests for you to curtsey and twirl so your hair bounces, and your skirt feathers out like flower petals. He claps adoringly all the while, as though cheering you on at a sporting event.

As much as Lilia dotes on you, he also takes every chance he can get to mess with you! Of course, he loves that you put all this effort into your appearance for him, but he wants to see how cute you look after a busy date with him, too!

He’ll tug you along at a frantic pace, sweeping wind into your hair, or challenge you to a race to see who can make it to a designated location first. If you can’t run in heels, no problem! Lilia will sweep you up into his arms and run as fast as he can with you!

Lilia will also boop your nose or nuzzle his face against yours, which smudges your makeup a bit. Oh, and don’t forget the head pats! He’ll mess your hair up really well with those!

Fussing over yourself draws only a chuckle from Lilia. “There is no need to fret, my dear. Even this imperfect look of yours has its own kind of charm. No matter how neat or disheveled your appearance, my feelings for you will remain forever unchanged.”

Silver blinks several times and rubs at his eyes. He thinks, for a moment, that he must be dreaming—so he needs to get rid of whatever drowsiness remains in him!

“Ah... I thought you looked too ethereal to be real for a second there... But I guess it’s not a dream after all. You’re not a dream,” he mutters, smiling softly at you. “Good. I didn’t want to wake up from it if it was.”

He hears it is painful to walk in heels (it’s an experience like walking on a bed of swords, according to his sources), so Silver offers you the crook of his arm to hold onto. It helps anchor you, and no matter how skilled (or unskilled) you may be with walking in heels, just knowing that Silver supports you fills your heart with warmth.

He can’t help but sneak shy peeks at your made up face and cute outfit throughout the date! Silver’s not great at fully articulating his thoughts—the most he can say is a short compliment like “you look nice”, or “that’s pretty”—but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate them!

Silver’s very patient! If you need to go to the restroom to fix your appearance, he’s fine with waiting for however long it may take to do so (though he does doze off a bit if you take a while in there).

His animal friends come to say hello during your date. A few of the woodland critters bring small flowers, which Silver weaves into your hair, adding to your special look for the day.

Sebek looks completely aghast when he sees you in all your finery. In fact, he’s so shocked that his face goes bright pink, which is a nice contrast to the mint green of his hair.

He fights the blush taking over his face, coughs into his hand, and gives you a lecture about how impractical your manner of dress is. How are you meant to maneuver with those toothpick thin sticks on your shoes? And that flowy fabric offers little to no protection from the elements!

“Love is war!! And you are ill-equipped for that battle field!” Sebek declares with a huff, looking quite proud of himself. “Given this docile, flowery appearance you have adopted... It would be better suited for an act of espionage in enemy territory than as a suit of armor for combat!”

You look confused, so he proceeds to explain that he studied (VERY) old (war) strategy books from the Diasomnia library (recommended by Lilia) to prepare for this momentous day—aren’t you proud of him for being so diligent? Sebek looks to you with sparkling eyes, like a puppy eager for praise!

His expression falters when you let him in on the secret: you didn’t dress up to march off to battle, you dressed up to surprise him! Sebek’s blush deepens as he realizes his mistake and frantically apologizes for it.

He buries his head in his hands in shame, refusing to gaze upon you again (as self-inflicted punishment for his foolishness). After some coaxing from your end, Sebek slowly peeks through the cracks between his fingers and mumbles, “... Y-You... You look nice, human.” And yup, his face is now a bright red instead of pink.

[puspa-san]

Wooden Ring (Hektor x Reader)

Note: The story happens after Yuga Kshetra.

"Happy Birthday, Senpai!" Mash brought a birthday cake with candles on lit to you. You were astonished as you look at your Servants and Chaldea staff. Even after the whole world was bleached, everyone still remembered to celebrate your birthday. Without your realization, a few droplets of tears ran down your cheeks.

"Ah.. thank you guys... even after all of this you still remember... I.." As you broke down crying, Boudica rushed to your side and tried to calm you down.

"It's okay, Master. It's okay..." You can feel a gentle warmth as Boudica hugged you, sometimes she reminded you of your mother. After you feel better, you let go of her and said your thanks once again to the Queen of Britannia.

"No problem, big sister is ready to lend a shoulder to cry on, okay?" Her smile somehow lighten your mand you stopped crying entirely.

"Anyway, let's celebrate your birthday! I made this cake with Director. He was very eager to help me, you know?"

"Wait! I thought you promised not to-"

"Is that true, Director?" You stared at Goredolf in awe. You saw a blush creeped on his cheeks

"Yes, so what!? This is just my repayment for what happened in the Chinese Lostbelt and Tokugawa labyrinth incident, so don't get the wrong idea! Alright!?" You merely smiled at his excuse, as you expected Goredolf was a nice guy deep down. He wasn't as arrogant as you thought when you met him for the first time during the inspection.

"Yes, yes, I know. Thanks, Director. I'll make sure to work harder next time."

"You better be!"

"Anyway, let's blow the candles. Senpai, please make your wish!"

You approached the cake and close your eyes to pray for your wish. After you were done, you blew out the candles and everyone cheered and clapped their hands happily.

"What are we waiting for? Let's hit the party!" Fergus shouted and followed by a few Servants.

.

.

.

The party was lively. Kiyohime happily cut the cake for you, Fergus along with Drake and Blackbeard had a friendly beer drinking contest, Astolfo brought a lot of food for Sieg and insisted him to try every food that they brought, David played the guitar and Mata Hari was dancing to entertain others. Everyone was happy, you couldn't help but smile as you saw everyone enjoyed the party.

"Did you have fun, Master?" Your thought broke as a certain middle-aged Servant spoke to you.

"You can say that. I'm already happy to see everyone enjoying the party. But, how about you, Hektor?" You asked back. The General of Troy who was also your lover merely smiled solemnly.

"As I want to have fun, for some reason I can't." He took a sip of alcohol then continued, "When I was alive, I'm not a stranger to assassination attempts. They tried to kill me multiple times even when we have a party just like this."

"Sorry to hear that... It must be difficult as you're a crowned prince and politician."

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. I worry about you more."

"Huh?"

"This old man is just an ordinary and plain Servant, I don't care what will happen to me as long I can fulfil my duty and responsibility, but...." Hector gave you a serious look, you can saw a tint of anger on his olive orbs.

"You're different, Master. You're just a normal human yet you have many enemies and they are willing to get rid of you for their own good. I still couldn't forgive myself for what happened to old Chaldea and the poisoning incident. Even if you don't blame me, I'm still guilty for failing to protect you."

You fell into silence as you were reminded of those accidents that almost took your life. You avoided eating cake after Koyanskaya attempted to kill you but after two months you were fine and didn't mind eating the cake that was served to you. But, Chaldea massacre? You were traumatized until now. The ruins of Chaldea and dead bodies haunted your memory permanently, your blood always ran cold every time you remember how Rasputin killed Da Vinci with that emotionless gaze.

"That's why..." Hektor placed his drink on the nearest table and took your right hand, he kissed the command spell gently. His hardened gaze became softer and the anger you saw back then was gone into thin air and replaced by determination.

"This time I swear to never leave your side until you can take back your world. This body, this heart, and the lance that I hold shall protect you."

You were taken back by his words. You knew despite his laid back and lazy attitude, he was very serious if it was about protecting someone and to do that he was willing to put his life at stake. That dedication led you to fall for him.

"Ah, Master that reminds me. I have a gift for you."

"A gift?" You raised your eyebrows in curiosity.

"I'll give it to you later. Come to my room when the party is over."

"That's unusual of you.... what's your plan, Hektor?"

"Well, it's no surprise if I tell you now, Master." Sometimes you forgot Hektor can be cheeky even to you. The middle-aged man merely chuckled when he saw you pouted, to him your expression was adorable.

"For now let's enjoy the party, shall we?" He grinned at you and once again sipped his drink.

.

.

.

The party was finally over. You decided to help clean up the mess first before heading to Hektor's room. At first, Boudica refused your offer because she thought you need to rest. but you insisted. She sighed in defeat and let you.

"Hektor, it's me. May I come in?" You gently knocked on the door as you ask his permission.

"Go ahead. Oh, don't forget to lock the door."

You became more anxious as you didn't know what exactly was on his mind now. Why did he ask you to lock the door? What did he plan? What did he want? Your mind is filled with unanswered questions. After you locked the door, Hektor asked you to sit beside him on the edge of his bed.

"So... what gift are you talking about?" You played with the bed sheet to ease your anxiety. Instead answered your question, Hektor just smiled at you and gave you a small black box.

"Open it." As his request, you opened the box. Your eyes widened as you saw a simple yet beautiful wooden ring decorated with an emerald gem lying inside of it. Your emotion suddenly went into turmoil. Confusion, excitement, and joy were mixed into one.

"Master, our relationship only lasts until Grand Order is over. But until then, I want to stay by your side no matter what. Even though we have to say goodbye in the future, I still want to ask you this..." Hektor stood up from his bed and then knelt on one knee. Your heart picked up its beat as you knew what those gestures meant.

"(Name), will you marry this old man?" Your eyes became tearing up in happiness as Hektor proposed to you. You wanted to answer it so badly but nothing came out of your throat, the only thing you can do were nod. Hektor's expression became soft as he saw your response, he took the ring and gently slide it onto your finger, the ring fits on you faultlessly.

"The ring fits on your finger, huh? That's good. Sorry if it isn't fancy, I'll make you better-" You cut him out by hugging him tightly. As your smaller figure snuggled on his chest, the familiar scent of tobacco and coffee infiltrated your nostril.

"I'll treasure this ring..." It may look cheap or dull in people's eyes but you didn't care at all. This wooden ring was made by himself, a proof of his love and dedication for you.

Hektor felt his heart flutter in happiness, he was very grateful he was loved and cherished by you. How can someone kind and wonderful person like you reciprocate love from an ordinary and plain man? He may never find the answer but that's fine.

"I love you, (Name)..."

"I love you too, Hektor..."

This was a story about a living human and a heroic spirit tied their love with a wooden ring.

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Gavin’s Long Journey Date

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 长旅之约, which has not been released in EN! 🍒

[ This date was released on 8 July 2021 ]

Deers rest peacefully beside me, and birds caw from the branches.

All of a sudden, a rustling sound of flapping wings disrupts the peace in the forest.

Smiling subconsciously while tilting my head upwards, a gigantic griffin descends from the sky.

MC: Welcome back, Griffy! Have you been eating and sleeping well?

I walk up to it, burying my face in the griffin’s fluffy chest fur, letting out a happy sigh.

??: You’re only welcoming it?

The voice I’m most familiar with drifts from the griffin’s back. After that, a figure leaps down smoothly.

MC: Gavin, welcome home!

With a turn of my face, I smile while giving him a wave.

Gavin is wearing simple and informal clothes. However, the extraordinary way he carries himself and the exquisite crown on his forehead could only belong to a prince.

He bows before me in a teasing manner, handing me a small bag. Even without opening it, I can smell the fragrance of pastries.

Gavin: Goddess of Nature, I bring you this round of offerings. But stop sharing them with these animals. They’ve put on weight again.

MC: They’re only cute when they’re round and plump.

I retort, unconvinced. Even so, I pinch the squirrel on my shoulder, placing it back onto the tree.

MC: I have also mentioned that you don’t have to bring me any offerings. The person who made the agreement with me was your mother, and I've already accepted sufficient offerings from her.

Despite what I said, I open the little bag that Gavin gave me, grinning while taking out the pastries.

As a deity, I’m basically adept in everything within my own forest. However, I lack the skills and abilities to bake such snacks.

As such, I’m exceptionally happy whenever he brings me such food.

While eating, I continue speaking with unclear articulation.

MC: When your mother came to the forest that year with a jewel which had been passed down from generation to generation, as well as her crown your deity father once gave her...

Gavin: With those items as offerings, she hoped that you’d become my guardian deity who would keep me safe and train me till I became a passable king.

When deities accept human offerings, they reciprocate by bestowing blessings onto humans. This way, a wonderful transactional relationship is formed.

Back then, a queen had brought her son of around fourteen or fifteen years of age to my forest.

That elegant and dignified lady was smiling, but there was faint worry in her eyes.

She told me that her days were numbered, and that she wouldn’t be able to watch her son grow up.

The child’s father was a high-ranking deity who was busy maintaining the earth's order and rarely showed himself.

As such, she gave me offerings, hoping that I'd become her son’s guardian deity, and to protect this small prince.

Gavin does a stretch, then removes the saddle on Griffy.

Gavin: You’ve said it many times, and I remember it all. 

Gavin: Instead of these things, why don’t you eat quickly? I specially bought the basket which just came out from the stove, then rushed Griffy over. The pastries won’t taste good if they get cold.

Gavin draws out his tone, but a smile remains on his lips.

I turn my head towards Gavin, who is helping me manage the medicinal plants with a practised hand. I can’t help but ponder softly in my heart.

This person doesn’t let me protect him much...

Although this half deity obtained the added protection from the Goddess of Nature, he has never asked for assistance aside from guidance.

He has always strived for the things he wanted, and would persist through failure until he reaches his goal.

Later on, this prince who excels in both learning and military skills, and can even control wind, is the one who helps me out.

He always brings me all sorts of human food and small trinkets, calling them offerings.

Gavin: Why are the medicinal plants here turning bare again... did I water them too much?

I can’t help but laugh secretly while walking over to his side. Holding up those medicinal plants, I restore them to life.

Till this day, he only lets me help him in this area.

I think about how despite not having been coronated king, Gavin has long since been able to run a country.

As a guardian deity, I haven’t neglected my duties, have I?

MC: Come to think of it... Gavin, why haven’t you held a coronation ceremony?

Gavin pauses in his movements.

Gavin: Do you want me to become king?

MC: Of course.

Gavin: But if I become king, it means that you’d no longer be my guardian deity.

MC: That... is correct.

Gavin averts his line of sight, and he doesn’t seem to be in a good mood.

This seems to be the case every time I broach this topic with him.

Clearing my throat, I attempt to change the topic to break the awkward atmosphere.

MC: Oh yes, how many days will you be staying this time?

Gavin doesn’t respond. As though he has finally made a certain decision, he sighs deeply and lifts his head, meeting my eyes directly.

Gavin: The reason why I came this time is because there’s something important I needed to tell you. I’ve decided to succeed to the throne.

The overly abrupt news leaves me dumbfounded on the spot.

Gavin doesn’t elaborate further, and continues.

Gavin: Before that, I intend to follow the ancient text and collect the rumoured offerings that deities cannot refuse. That will allow a strong deity to become my new guardian deity, to protect me, and to protect this country.

Hearing his resolute words, my heart feels slightly upset.

Although completing my agreement is a good thing, why does my heart feel empty?

He even said he was going to find a new guardian deity...

I blink a few times, unable to comprehend the feelings churning in my heart.

Gavin: But right now, you’re my guardian deity. Which is why I hope you can accompany me on this journey. Is that okay?

Gavin looks straight at me, his eyes as transparently clear as a cloudless amber sky.

Facing such a him, I can only nod.

-

Despite not yet rationalising my emotions, I reluctantly embark on this journey with him.

The first stop of this journey is the forest in which fairies live.

Looking at the first treasure recorded in the ancient text, I heave a long sigh.

MC: A crystal which can counteract all sorts of curses. It only grows at the tip of the World Tree...

Gavin: What’s wrong? Deities don’t like it?

MC: It’s the opposite. No deities have refused such an offering. To be honest, even I want it. But...

I lift my head. Looking at the giant tree which plunges into the sky, I have a bad feeling.

MC: You have to know that even though I’m a deity, I was born from nature, and the source of my strength comes from the forest and the land. Which also means...

I’m not good at flying.

Likely hearing the implication of my words, Gavin doesn’t hold back, chuckling softly.

MC: Gavin! Don’t laugh! At that height, even a griffin would have difficulties flying up there. Furthermore, people are good at different-

Gavin: Get on.

Gavin leaps onto the griffin, lowering his head to look at me.

The griffin releases an excited caw, its wings flapping up and down.

Faint morning light caresses the side of his face, the gorgeous rosy glow wilfully painting the azure sky.

His hair and indigo cloak roll up with the air currents, the crown on his head reflecting arc lights.

And on his face, there’s a heroic valiance even clearer and more radiant than any jewel.

For a moment, I’m left slightly dazed.

As compared to any other moment, I can clearly sense that he is no longer that little child who had his brows tightly furrowed back then.

The person before me has shed off his childishness, is sufficiently intelligent, and sufficiently mature - a person who is about to become a young king.

I always knew that he was someone worth having faith in.

But there seems to be something else in his eyes that causes my heartbeat to accelerate uncontrollably.

Likely seeing that I haven’t moved in a long time, Gavin leans over, pulling me in front of him steadily, his arms wrapped securely around my waist.

Gavin: Let’s go.

With this soft statement, the griffin, which had been anticipating this for a very long time, flaps its wings, soaring towards the azure sky.

At the same time, a powerful gale whizzes under Gavin’s beckoning.

Using the wind as wings, we fly very, very high.

Gavin: I wanted to take you flying like this since a very long time ago. But I wasn’t able to find a suitable chance.

His words land on my ears amidst the fluttering sound of wind - high-spirited, clear, and without restraint.

I can hear the throbbing of my own heart, reminiscent of the bits of feathers in the air, drifting along with the breeze.

With Gavin around, Griffy doesn’t have to exert much effort, landing at the crown of the World Tree.

There is a rich display of light and colours on the dense and green treetop. Amidst the various lights, a cluster of dazzling crystals emit a tender and dream-like colour.

Gavin: Looks like this is it.

He plucks a crystal deftly, storing it in the travelling bag he carried along.

Seizing this chance, I take several deep breaths to calm the inexplicable throbbing in my chest.

MC: Since we’ve successfully obtained the first item, are we heading to the next destination? Or are we resting here for the night?

Gavin: We’ll set off straightaway. But give me a moment.

Gavin reaches out to pluck a few smaller crystals. Using a few branches around us, he weaves a simple bracelet, then clasps it around my wrist gently.

Gavin: Since you like it, bring a few more back.

Just as he finishes speaking, a few fairies who were grinning among the leaves earlier rush out towards us.

Fairy A: Congratulations! May the fruits of the World Tree protect the two of you forever!

Fairy B: Congratulations on your marriage! I wish you two everlasting sweetness!

MC: Huh?

Watching as the fairies start to sprinkle flower petals over our heads, my face burns with a “whoosh”.

MC: [blushing] What nonsense are you saying?

The fairy grins while speaking once again.

Fairy B: Firstly, don’t the two of you play together often, and like each other more than others?

Very few humans enter my forest. Aside from the small animals, the only one who visits me frequently, chats with me, and has fun with me is Gavin.

As compared to those small animals which aren’t able to talk or bring me snacks, it’s true that I like Gavin a little more.

With this thought in mind, I nod.

At the side, Gavin nods too. But for some reason, the tips of his ears are slightly red.

Fairy A: Secondly, didn’t the two of you make a unique agreement with each other?

Not knowing where this is heading, I nod again. After all, I’m Gavin’s guardian deity.

At the side, Gavin does a similar action.

Fairy A: Lastly, he made a bracelet for you using the crystals of the World Tree, then put it on for you personally. Doesn’t that symbolise that you’re destined for each other?

The fairy says this matter-of-factly, and the surrounding fairies agree in succession.

MC: Wait wait wait wait, this is a misunderstanding! We’re...

The words are at my lips, but I pause.

It seems that I’ve never considered how to define my relationship with Gavin.

I’m his guardian deity, but I can vaguely sense that it goes further than that.

In the end, Gavin takes half a step forward, blocking me from the celebrating fairies.

Gavin: That’s just the tradition of fairies. Humans and deities don’t have such rules. She’s a guardian deity belonging only to me.

-

The heating stove is bright red, and the sound of forging is unceasing.

??: Drink quickly, drink quickly! There are many more barrels!

The dizzying fragrance of alcohol permeates the air. Even if it’s dispelled by the breeze, it lingers for a long time.

??: You’ll only enjoy yourself to the fullest by accompanying it with the best quality cheese! Want a chunk of smoked meat too?

The bustling marketplace is rife with people hawking their wares, cheese, smoked meat, fruits and perfume. The dazzling lineup leaves one overwhelmed.

??: I didn’t expect that humans could drink as well as us! Not bad!

??: After all, he’s a half deity!

A circular table is in the middle of the lively marketplace, surrounded by dwarves who are adept in iron casting.

Aromatic mead courses through the crevices of the crowd and the small path, being sent to the table in a continuous stream.

MC: Gavin, are you sure you can still drink?

This is the first time I’m seeing Gavin drink this much. He wobbles a little while standing beside the table. Fortunately, his eyes are still sober and clear.

Gavin: I’m fine. 

Gavin: [to the dwarves] We agreed that as long as I can outdrink all of you, you’d give the rarest treasure of the dwarves to me - a golden belt praised by all the deities.

Dwarf A: We never lie!

Dwarf B: Goddess, try some! 

Before I can refuse politely, Gavin has already pulled over the wine cup offered to me, drinking it in one mouthful.

Gavin: I’m the one competing against all of you.

Whether it’s due to the mead or the nearby heating stove, my face grows slightly warm.

Another barrel of mead is finished, and the alcohol-loving dwarves at the table have already collapsed.

Gavin presses the wooden wine cup onto the table heavily. Arching a brow, he raises his volume slightly.

Gavin: You’ve lost.

Dwarf A: Fine, you win! The belt belongs to you! But...!

The dwarf stands up wobbly and burps. In front of Gavin, he pats his own chest.

Dwarf A: There’s... there’s something even more... important that I must do! Axe! I want to make an axe - the best axe - and give it to my beloved lady!

While saying this, he runs and staggers towards the forging stove. The dwarves in the surroundings cheer him on and whistle.

MC: What’s happening this time...

The dwarf is inebriated, but his limbs remain deft. He holds up a hammer and picks a chunk of steel which has been scorched red. Then, he begins hammering it with clanking sounds.

Dwarf A: Half Deity! Come here!

Dwarf B: Come and make something too!

The dwarves are rowdy, and they bring Gavin over to a forging stove, teaching him how to forge weapons.

I head over curiously. Gavin seems to think of something. He glances at me, a smile surfacing on his lips.

Then, he holds up a chunk of mithril and gives it a detailed look, as though visualising the shape he wants to carve it into.

After a while, Gavin picks up the iron hammer, hammering in a decisive manner.

Sparks dance in the air, and the flames from the stove are exuberant. The clamour and sounds of hammering are incessant, bringing the celebration of the marketplace to a climax.

Dwarf A: Done!

Cheers erupt from amongst the crowd. That drunk dwarf raises the axe he had forged, then runs towards a small stall in the marketplace.

Dwarf A: This axe is for you, my beautiful woman! Please marry me!

Even from across the marketplace, the loud voice of the dwarf drifts over clearly.

Dwarf B: Hahahaha! Not bad!

The dwarf at the side chuckles so hard that he isn’t able to straighten up. He takes several deep breaths to calm himself down, then turns around to speak to Gavin.

Dwarf B: Half Deity Lad, you too. Your skills are pretty good for a beginner! If you have a beloved lady, don’t hesitate. Just propose directly!

At the other side of the marketplace, the proposal succeeds. A brand new celebration and banquet has already begun.

I don’t bother about the joy which is about to drown us. I simply look at Gavin.

Perhaps he’s drunk a little too much. Right now, he’s staring fixedly at the short staff he forged, a look of contemplation on his face.

What the dwarf said earlier echos in my ears, akin to a mystical magic spell.

Looking at Gavin, I find myself wondering if he’d give that short staff to me.

Would he smile while looking straight into my eyes, or would he avert his gaze in embarrassment?

I’m left dumbfounded by these inexplicable thoughts.

Perhaps I’ve also drunk a little too much.

-

Early the second day, we bid farewell to the dwarves, preparing to continue the journey.

MC: I didn’t think we’d witness a wedding. It’s a pity that we couldn’t hear more about how they met and got to know each other.

Gavin: Mm. I’m also really curious.

MC: It’s rare to see you interested in such topics.

Gavin: After all, meetings are special things to me. Meetings and keeping each other company are very beautiful things.

Gavin’s tone is gentle, as though he’s recollecting his most treasured memories. Pale gold sunlight illuminates his eyes, which are even more dazzling than the most expensive jewels.

In this short trance, a fleeting yet unrealistic thought burrows into my mind without notice.

I shake my head forcefully, and decide to say something to distract myself.

My gaze quickly sweeps around the surroundings, then locks on a target.

MC: Gavin, do you still remember how we met Griffy?

As though he didn’t expect my sudden question, Gavin blinks a few times, then strokes the grown-up Griffy, chuckling as he speaks.

Gavin: Of course I remember.

Gavin: Back then, my mother had already passed on for a few years. And that deity father never appeared. 

Gavin: Perhaps because of those things, I had a pretty bad attitude towards you during that time. Sorry.

Till this day, I can still remember that period of time.

His amber eyes, which always sparkle and shine, were dyed with a heavy grey. Even his hair, which always sticks up, had drooped listlessly.

But it’s precisely because I was always by his side that I understood the heartbreak and struggles he faced during that period of time.

And I rejoiced that at the very least, I was there to keep him company.

I walk towards him, reaching out to tousle his hair. Gavin leans down and comes slightly closer to me, a peaceful smile on his face.

Gavin: In short, I came to the forest one day.

Gavin: It was raining that day. I walked to the vicinity of your small house, and discovered that you were taking care of a small, stray griffin which had wandered here from somewhere.

Gavin: You’re a goddess, but you didn’t care about yourself, and only cared about shielding the griffin from the rain.

Gavin: You treated its wounds and fed it, while getting drenched by the rain yourself.

Along with his depiction, memories surge into my heart, and they are dyed with a hazy colour of rain.

MC: I recall how you shielded me from the rain with a large leaf. Back then, I was thinking about how rare it was to see such gentle moments from you.

Gavin: Since then, I...

Gavin’s voice grows softer and softer. He turns his face away a little unnaturally.

MC: Since then?

Gavin ignores my question. He simply clears his throat and hands me something.

Gavin: MC, this is for you.

Accepting it subconsciously, the cold and smooth texture of metal causes me to hold my breath.

It’s the short staff he had personally forged yesterday.

His emblem is carved on the body of the staff, and a quality gem is mounted at the tip.

MC: This is...

Before I can say anything, Gavin hurriedly explains.

Gavin: I’m a human, so I don’t follow the traditions of dwarves. In the culture of humans, giving a handmade gift to someone is a form of etiquette to express gratitude. So... this is a thank you gift. Thank you for teaching me so much, and for taking such good care of me.

MC: I... I see!

Gavin speaks calmly and appears utterly composed.

Accepting the short staff, I turn around to pack my items. Recalling the image that surfaced in my mind earlier, my face burns again.

Clearing my throat, I ask Gavin a question tentatively.

MC: Gavin, according to your customs, what would you give to your bride?

Gavin: I’d craft a ring personally.

While saying this, he takes my travelling bag and fixes it onto Griffy’s back. Then, he picks up the ancient text to confirm our next destination.

MC: When that time comes, I’ll definitely pluck the most beautiful flowers in the forest and make a wedding bouquet for your bride.

Holding a wedding and having a partner - these are things worthy to be happy about.

But when I said this, I found that I couldn’t bring myself to smile.

It’s as though my heart is drowned in deep water. It feels acrid, and there’s also a tightening in my chest.

I’ve lived for a very long time on this land, witnessed the construction and destruction of many kingdoms, and experienced battles and peace since the ancient times till today.

Yet, I’m unable to understand the feelings I’m currently experiencing, and what they signify.

-

After that, we head to many other places together.

We cross the dessert, fly over the ocean, scale the highest mountain peak, and head to the deepest abyss.

We dance in a sea of flowers along with the odes of travelling bards, and bargain with a gigantic, greedy dragon.

The treasures in the travelling bag increase in number. Every treasure obtained makes it increasingly clearer that this dream-like journey is about to come to an end.

On an unknown empty island, Gavin and I sit side by side on the shore, watching as the waves at our feet lap against the rocks.

Looking at the pearl head ornament Gavin just gave me, my voice comes out hoarser than expected.

MC: What will you do once you become king?

Gavin: Quite a number of races are interested in humans. Perhaps I could try broadening trade. I also have to revolutionise the senate.

He talks about his responsibilities earnestly - from commerce to ruling the country, from art to food.

Gavin’s dead seriousness tickles me to laughter.

I console myself with the thought that even after he becomes king and I’m no longer his guardian deity, our relationship wouldn’t change that much. 

Gavin suddenly stops mid-speech, as though deliberating something.

I turn my head, only to see the reddened tips of his ears.

Gavin: Also... I want to marry the lady I like and make her my queen. This way, I can always be with her.

Gavin looks afar off, his gaze gentle, as though he can see his desired future.

For some reason, I want to rush towards that future with him.

And I suddenly realise what that acrid feeling twirling around in my heart is.

Without realising it, my feelings for Gavin have been intertwined and encased by a sense of possessiveness.

I don’t want him to have another guardian deity, nor do I want him to give these treasures we’ve collected together to another deity.

Most of all, I don’t want him to put a personally crafted ring on the finger of another lady.

The sea breeze rolls up tiny, light blue flowers on the beach. They dance in the air, floating towards the ocean.

At this moment, all the clamorous emotions and feelings quieten down, and are crowned a name and definition -

All of this is called “liking”.

-

The journey is about to end.

Griffy returns us to the ground.

Looking at my forest and at my little courtyard, I feel as though everything happened a lifetime ago.

Gavin: It’s nice to be home.

Gavin retrieves the travelling bag, then pats the fence at the door.

Gavin: Wait. Why do the medicinal plants look even healthier than before I left...

I tug onto Gavin before he can check on the medicinal plants.

MC: The journey has already ended, and you’ve collected sufficient treasures. Are you going to succeed to the throne after this? Looks like my agreement with your mother has been fulfilled.

Gavin: That’s right. But aren’t you going to let me rest at your place and have a drink of water?

MC: You have quite a number of things to handle after this. These treasures need to be offered to the deity. And you also have to... marry the lady you like. You should take action quickly and settle these things at one go!

I give him a stern expression, trying to conceal the childish impetuousness in my heart.

Gavin: Do you think the deity will really like these?

Gavin doesn’t leave. He stands in place, his words bringing with them a smile.

Looking at the full and bulging travelling bag, I feel tremendously envious.

MC: Of course. Who was the one who picked them with you? All right, go and offer them to your new deity. Who are you looking for? I could put in a good word for you so he or she would give you a little more blessings.

My voice grows softer and softer, and my gaze flits around.

Gavin: If she’ll like them, I can put my mind at ease. 

Gavin speaks softly, but doesn’t respond to my question. He takes the travelling bag, placing the treasures we’ve collected on the grass before me.

The crystal from the top of the World Tree, the golden belt crafted by the dwarves, the unwilting flower from the deepest part of the desert, the coral from the deepest oceanic trench...

Aside from the recorded treasures, there’s also cheese from the dwarves’ marketplace, a headscarf from sea nymphs, sun-dried jerky from the giants, and other miscellaneous items.

These items were brought along with Gavin because I liked them.

After setting down the last item, he takes half a step back.

Then, he gets down on one knee, tilting his head upwards to look at me.

Gavin: Goddess of Nature, I give you all of these offerings. Please bestow blessings upon me, protect my country, and crown me.

Gavin: And please make a long-lasting agreement with me, to become my queen, and to keep me company.

Gavin: Till death do us part.

Gavin looks at me, his sentiments and tenderness condensing into honey coloured amber.

Sunlight filters through the leaves, landing on his face like a kiss, making his eyes bright and glittering.

MC: [blushing] I...

Before I can respond, Griffy caws happily, giving me a nudge from behind, causing me to fall into Gavin’s arms.

MC: [blushing] Griffy! I didn’t raise you to be this big so you could do that!

I grumble, pretending to be stern. Then, I close my eyes defeatedly, burying my head in Gavin’s arms, not wanting him to have a clear view of my blushing face.

Gavin’s soft chuckle and his breaths land on my ears, akin to the first tender breeze in early summer.

Gavin: I used to worry that the reason for our interactions was due to that prior agreement. 

Gavin: Once the agreement ended, you would no longer have a connection to me. 

Gavin: I was troubled by this for a while, and also tried to delay that day from arriving. 

Gavin: But one day, I made a decision. 

Gavin: Instead of holding on to that past agreement, why don’t I make a new vow instead.

Gavin tilts his chin towards those treasures.

Gavin: But I don’t want you to simply be a goddess who responds to my prayers.

Gavin: This journey was meant for you to understand that my feelings for you aren’t simply the dependence humans have towards their guardian deities.

Gavin: I just don’t know how effective it was...

Gavins speaks, averting his gaze.

Recalling the hints and occasional bashfulness during the journey, I finally understand everything, and my face turns incomparably red.

MC: [blushing] Right from the beginning, you already...

Gavin coughs softly.

Gavin: So, are you willing?

Watching as his eyes draw increasingly nearer to me, it’s as though a pot of honey has been overturned in my heart, and all the flowers seem to be blooming at the same time.

I lift my hand.

MC: I’m the deity who controls the land, forests, and all the animals.

MC: I hereby make an agreement with you-

The forest seems to respond to my words. Birds outstretch their wings, trees rustle, and the land releases a faint humming sound.

Light flickers at my fingertips, akin to a sprouting bud as it flows and spreads over Gavin’s crown.

MC: I will always protect your kingdom. May your land be forever fertile, and may your kingdom forever be peaceful.

My power weaves my words into an unbreakable vow between us.

As a goddess, these are the strongest blessings I can give to him.

With a small smile, I continue speaking. Softly, I give him the blessings from me as MC, and also my response.

MC: I will also share my life with you, and my power.

MC: I will accompany you for a long time, until the destruction of the earth.

A light blooms, encasing us within it.

Gavin doesn’t speak, and simply looks at me.

I recall the day we saw the sea together, and recall the fluttering light blue petals, and the gaze he had when he stared afar off.

I’m guessing that his gaze has finally found a dwelling place.

The rays of light around us gradually recede, and the vow is established.

This isn’t a lengthy ceremony, nor does it involve complicated steps.

But we have cast a connection different from before - one which is unique in the world.

Having used my powers, I lean into Gavin’s arms, looking at the same sky together.

MC: Aren’t you going to say something?

Gavin: Erm... you really looked like a goddess earlier.

There doesn’t seem to be a change in or relationship. However, there’s a certain sweetness in our dialogue.

MC: I am a goddess! Wait, that’s not what I was referring to. May I invite Your Majesty, who has obtained the goddess’ blessings through his own strength, share his thoughts with us?

Gavin pretends to ponder over this seriously.

Gavin: I just remembered that there’s one thing I haven’t done. I plan to make another trip to the dwarves’ nation.

MC: Did you forget something?

Gavin pulls me up, and we stand together. He pats Griffy, getting it ready to set out.

Gavin: I mentioned before that I’d personally craft a ring for my queen.

Gavin: You also promised that you’d pluck the most beautiful flowers in the forest to make a wedding bouquet.

Gavin: I look forward to seeing it when I return.

🐦 MOMENTS 🐦

Gavin’s Post: If griffins really existed, they'd probably feel quite nice.

MC: Would a griffin’s fur feel like a bird’s or a lion’s?

Gavin: ...I have never thought about this question.

-

Gavin’s Post: If griffins really existed, they'd probably feel quite nice.

MC: If only we could rear one!

Gavin: We might need a larger courtyard to let it build a nest.

-

Gavin’s Post: If griffins really existed, they'd probably feel quite nice.

MC: I really want to bury my face in it...

Gavin: Even though we don’t have a griffin, we could ask Flyer if its willing.

🐦 Calls: First ll Second

🐦 Support the cafe by dropping by the tip jar!

[etherealluminescence]

Brothers + the now dateables with an MC who just can’t remember names that are like three syllables or more so they just refer to everyone by their nicknames. The mc is still new and does it and when someone says anything they’re just like “it’s your fault for having a long ass name”

I finally return to writing headcanons wow that only took me a year am I right? Ahahaha I had nearly 200 followers and I’m laughing cause I’m slowly watching them leave me. 😎😭

Jokes aside I’m doing MUCH better after resting for a long time. Mentally and physically! So here you go.

Warning LONG aha aha 🥺😭 I feel like this is shorter than my usual ones. I got to get the hang of it again.

Brothers + Dateables with a GN!MC who can’t remember long names HC

Lucifer

When you were summoned to the devildom, you were pretty confused and filled with a lot of questions. Naturally, you’d refer to the people you were calling out to by name, but for some reason you just couldn’t remember them.

You finally found Lucifer, Diavolo, and Barbatos in the hallways, and approached them to ask a question. You forgot their whole names, but figured since you’ve got the first parts of each, that was good enough.

“Ah Luci, about the tasks for this week, what exactly does this part mean? And Dia, when do you want my report?” You asked them.

Lucifer was pretty mortified. He was also pissed. Did you just call him Luci? And more importantly, did you just cal THE lord Diavolo some kind of stupid nickname?

Diavolo on the other hand was laughing at the nickname you gave Lucifer. You were being scolded by Lucifer, and Diavolo was about to pipe in before you said, “It’s not my fault you have a long ass name, like damn, I could write the entire report by the time I finish saying your name.”

Lucifer is really angry at your behaviour at first but since Diavolo is fine with it... and then he soon realizes you literally can’t remember any of his brothers names with more than three syllables too.

He’ll probably try to give you food or drinks that help with your memory, and eventually finds you calling him Luci cute. Will immediately get angry if anyone else tries to call him that.

Mammon

Mammon was one of the first people you met, and one of the brother’s whose full name you can actually remember. He takes great pride in that!

His name was the first his human remembered and knows by heart! Of course! He is The Great Mammon.

Also kind of sad he doesn’t get a cute nickname! Please give him a cute nickname, he wants to feel special too, or very close to you, he craves contact and affection.

The first time he heard you refer to Lucifer as “Luci” he almost lost it. Thought you were going to die and tried to pick you up and run. So surprised when Lucifer only sighed, and responded to your question.

You had to explain to him you can’t remember names that are long, and his is one of the only so far you can remember. When you refer to Diavolo as “Dia” he just genuinely wonders how you do it, like aren’t you scared?

Well it’s not like it matters! You have The Great Mammon to protect ya’ AND you remember his name, it’s a win for him!

Leviathan

Originally Levi thought nothing of it when you referred to him as Levi, as that’s just what everyone else did. But then he started to notice you’d even refer to anime characters or idols as shortened nicknames.

You could pronounce Ruri easily, so he didn’t notice at first since Ruri was all he talked about, but when he said “Azuki” you kept calling her “Azu” or “Zuki”. He wondered why that was an asked.

You explain to him you just can’t remember “long ass fucking names” and anything with three or more syllables was a chore to remember, so there’s no way you were going to remember Azu’s name.

Finds it kind of sad for you, and difficult to understand what character you’re talking about. One time you kept saying a character from “that one show” and kept pouting while Levi’s head was grinding 3000 gears cause there’s at LEAST 5 characters that start with “Saku” like are you saying Sakura? Which!?

Scared for your life when you refer to Lucifer or Diavolo by their shortened names. Surprised to find out you’re completely safe. Soon comes to a realization you’ll just never be able to remember almost anyone’s name, no matter how hard he tries.

He drills it into your head about a certain character will a three syllable name but after the six hours of listening you just... forgot. Like literally the show’s name has the character’s name in it and you just forgot. Cue Levi sighing and calling you a normie.

Satan

One of the lucky three people spared from you forgetting his name. He didn’t realize it at first since Mammon, Levi, and Beel were all their names or family nicknames.

And then it clicks when you called Lucifer by “Luci”, in front of everyone, at dinner. You just said “Luci please hand me the salt” and Satan stared at you wide eyed.

Were you taunting Lucifer, or did you just have a death wish? Wait neither? You mean THE prideful lucifer just handed you the salt without a retort, or question why you called him that?

Questions you later afterwards about what was up about it, and when you tell him you don’t remember “long ass fucking names” it sort of clicks. Still sort of surprised that Lucifer isn’t pissed at you.

Will research human memory because he doesn’t think it’s normal. Like you can remember words with more than three syllables, but why not names?

Will DEFINITELY make fun of Lucifer for it. “Oh, how was your day, Luci?” And will also flaunt about how you remember his name but not Lucifer’s.

Also, like Levi, kind of sad you don’t remember the name of his book characters and just call them by their physical traits because at that point he doesn’t even know who you could refer to by his thousands of book.

Asmodeus

Asmo finds the nicknames extremely adorable!! Probably makes it a trend on social media to start calling everyone you know cute nicknames.

He didn’t think much when you called him Asmo, but hearing you call Lucifer as Luci, Diavolo as Dia, and Barbatos as Barb or baby just had him smitten.

Definitely wants to use cute nicknames too, but Lucifer is threatening him. After finding out that you physically cannot remember names with three or more syllables, including Asmo’s full name, he feels kind of bad for you.

It must suck not to know the whole name of the world’s most beautiful man! And why he starts hearing you call Simeon “Simmie” or Solomon as “Solly” he definitely steals it and copies you.

Diavolo is happy too to have someone else call him by a casual nickname, and hopes it catches on, much to Lucifer’s dismay.

Will probably want you to call him something even cuter instead of Asmo, as your own special privilege, like “Azzy”. He gets to give you a cute nickname too, though.

Beelzebub

Beel didn’t really notice at first, until Asmo and Satan pointed it out. He asked you if you remembered his name, and you just gave him a blank look and said “Beel, I love you, but you have a long ass name, and that’s not my fault.”

He doesn’t really care though, since you still know his nickname! But he is kind of worried for your memory. Are you okay, can you still remember other words? Do you remember the names of his food orders?

Has introduced you to his gym friends but you for the life of you, cannot remember any of their names. Finds it sort of funny how you just remember them as “leg guy” or “treadmill user”.

If anyone gets mad at you for shortening their name he will stand up for you! Baby understands that you just have trouble with remembering, and will defend you.

Belphegor

Finds this shit fucking hilarious. He’s often called Belphie, which you remember, so it’s not like it applies to him that much.

Kinda pissy how you can remember Mammon’s full name and not his, but there are benefits. He starts calling Lucifer “Luci” from now on and taunts him for being weak to a human.

Finds it funny, too, how you just tell people “your name is too fucking long” and call them by their first syllable or something similar.

He’s not really concerned about why you can’t remember names, okay maybe at first, did he kill you too hard? No? Okay.

He probably thinks you’re like him, can’t be assed to remember people’s shit names at times and remembers them based off looks.

Sleepy baby just wants to nap with you, names aren’t important.

Diavolo

The prince of devildom is extremely powerful, frightening, and no one would dare look down on him. He’s always used to people being formal with him, or trying to get on his good side.

However, one day, this small weak little human came into his realm and didn’t even care to remember his name. It entertained him a whole lot to say the least.

Diavolo doesn’t have a lot of people who’d be casual with him, so hearing you call him “Dia” for the first time made him really happy! He would love to hear you say it more often, and to be super casual around him.

When Lucifer or Barbatos tried to correct you and tell you to use his whole name, you only responded with, “No one has time to say his whole ass fucking name. I’m just gonna call him Dia.”

He’s amused, it’s so daring and bold of you to say that to some of the most powerful demons. Of course, if they continue to pester you about it he would step in and tell them that’s it’s fine and he likes it.

Diavolo also finds it super funny how you can’t remember anyone’s names and just shortens them. He might start calling Lucifer “Luci” too!

Other demons probably look at you like you’re crazy, for addressing their demon lord that way.

Barbatos

Barbatos is pretty stoic, but whenever you call him “baby” you can see a faint blush on his face. He isn’t used to nicknames or affection, so when you give it to him, he’s unsure how to react a bit.

He already knew you couldn’t remember names, and would be fine with you calling him “Barb”, which you did in public. But when it was just you and him, or when you were with the others you’d call him “baby”.

“You have a long ass name so I’ll just call you baby. You’re cute like one. Not to mention, it sounds like Barbie which sounds like Barba- what was your name?”

He is pretty fine with it, except when you call Lord Diavolo just as “Dia”. It’d be fine in private or with the others, but did you really have to yell out “Dia” in front of a bunch of lesser demons?

Overall, he just doesn’t mind. Will probably give you a list or notebook of everyone’s names, and physical traits. In case you forgot who was who based off names again.

Solomon

Ah yes another exchange student! Hope he can get close to you. Okay, maybe calling him “Sol”, “Solo”, and “Solly” is a bit too close for someone you just met right?

When you explain how you just physically cannot remember names he kind of laughs at you and then realizes you’re serious. He knows some people have trouble remembering names, but wow, this was sort of unique. You can remember his first two syllables, why not just one more?

He gets used to it fairly quickly, though. Prefers if you call him “Solo” over the other nicknames, but finds it sort of cute when you call him “Solly” or “Sol”.

He will definitely use a nickname with you and call it a human thing, to try and make everyone else jealous.

The man with at least 5 60+ pact marks, the man who is an amazingly powerful sorcerer, the man who is labeled Devildom 2021’s “sketchiest” individual, is called “Solly”.

When he asked the reason to why you suggested Solly you just responded with “Reminds me of Sully from monsters inc”.

Simeon

Simeon is a really nice person so he first figures you’re just being really nice and want to give everyone nicknames! And then he soon realizes you literally just cannot remember names.

He finds it sad how you can’t remember the name of his characters, or how you’ll never actually remember his full name, but really finds it cute how you’ve given him a nickname!

You call him “Sim” or “Simmie” and he’s soft for it. Will probably give you a nickname like “my sheep” or “my lamb”. He’s silently hoping Luke too, will call him Simmie. He gives off the energy of a grandparent.

He will try his best to help you remember names, but he won’t try to force you to remember! If you can’t remember, you can’t. That’s completely fine. Don’t stress yourself about it.

Luke

He has a one syllable name, so he doesn’t experience this personally. But hearing you call Simeon “Simmie” or Solomon “Sol” makes him feel a little left out and confused.

Why do you call everyone by a nickname? He wants one too! He overhears you though one night. You were explaining to some demon whose name had like five syllables that you just can’t remember long names.

Oh! He’s suddenly really happy again. It means you know his name, and won’t forget it! Also feels sort of bad for Simeon and Solomon, since you’ll never remember their names.

Will be happy if you call him “Lukie” before realizing it makes him sound like a child.

[izzyfandoms]

A Sleep So Sweet - Chapter One

(This is not the first chapter. There is a prologue, linked in the A Sleep So Sweet masterpost)

When Emile discovered he was the soulmate of the prince of a magical species known as Beings, he did not know how to react. Beings were terrifying, powerful creatures, who often did not care for humanity, and, in their first meeting, his soulmate, the sleep prince, seemed to be no different.  

Will Emile fall in love with his soulmate, or are they simply not meant to be?

SHIPS: Remile, Date (Janus x Nate)

WARNINGS: N/A

GENERAL TAGLIST: @quillfics42 @aj-draws @phantomofthesanderssides @phlying-squirrel @sly-is-my-name-loving-is-my-game @because-were-fam-ily @imtryingthisout @a-creepycookie @littlestr @spooky-scary-virgil @fuyel @mimsidoodles @soupgremlin @aroaceagenderfluid @birdsbookshiddeninrealbirdsskin @quirkalurk @gingers-trashy-stuff @iinyxtello @justaqueercactus @melodiread @mrbubbajones @pun-master-logan @gayturtlez @k1ngtok1 @yourneighborhooddisaster @alexxander-the-gay @full-of-roman-angst-trash @selfcarejanus

A SLEEP SO SWEET TAGLIST: @spellingwillbethedeathofme

Masterpost

A Sleep So Sweet Masterpost

Emile stared at the soulmark on his wrist, not daring to take his eyes off of it just in case it somehow disappeared. When it had appeared in the middle of the night – waking him up from his sleep – he had been shocked, of course, but he had also been tired, half-convinced it was only a dream.

But now he was completely awake, and the tiny crescent moon and stars were still there, like a small silver tattoo, but just a little bit shinier.

It didn’t even feel real, like he was still just dreaming. He ran his thumb over his wrist, like he was trying to smudge paint, but the soulmark didn’t even budge.

It finally hit him. This was real.

Oh, wow, he had a soulmate.

He had a soulmate!

Emile raised his hand to his mouth, finally letting out a delighted giggle.

“Oh my gosh,” he said to himself. “I have a soulmate!”

Wow. He needed to tell his dads.

He finally took his eyes off of his soulmark, looking around for his phone. He picked it up, turning it on and immediately opening the group chat he had with his two fathers: Nate and Janus Picani. They weren’t soulmates – soulmates were a rare thing, after all – but they were still deeply in love, and Emile had always hoped he’d get a love like that someday.

Now that he knew he had a soulmate, maybe that love wouldn’t be so far away.

Emile couldn’t help but let out another delighted laugh, almost bouncing up and down on the spot.

He began to type out a message to his dads.

Emile

Guess what!!!!

He then waited, his eyes flicking between his phone and his soulmark, checking that it hadn’t somehow disappeared in the last few seconds, which it had not, before he got a response from one of his dads: Nate.

Dad

What?

Emile

I got a soulmark!!!!

Nate immediately started typing again.

Dad

Woah really?

Emile

Yes!!!

Dad  

Hold on lemme grab your other dad

Emile waited, practically vibrating with excitement. He lowered his phone, taking another look at the soulmark on his wrist. It was shiny, almost reflecting the light, and he could not help but smile just taking a look at it.

It almost didn’t feel real, like he was having a very pleasant dream, but when he reached over and pinched a bit of skin below the soulmark, he definitely felt it. It was real.

He smiled.

Father

Congratulations!

Dad

Can we see the soulmark?

Emile opened the camera on his phone, taking a quick picture of his soulmark and sending it to his parents immediately.

He then waited for their responses, seeing that both of them had started typing. Then, they both stopped typing at about the same time, and Emile blinked at his phone.

Why had they stopped typing?

He waited, but they did not start typing again.

He blinked, confused, and began to type out another message.

Emile

Hello?

Then Janus started typing again.

Father

Have you seen the news?

Emile

What news?

Dad

The news about the being prince

Emile stared at his phone, wondering what on earth this had to do with his soulmark.

Beings were powerful creatures – abstract things come to life, like fear or memory – and the Being royalty were especially so. Humanity was lucky that Beings were rare and tended to avoid them, as they were dangerous and often did not care much for them.

They were rarely in the news – often ignored by humanity, as if ignoring them meant that their danger was lesser.

Emile

What news?

He waited, staring at his phone, before he received a link from Janus. He clicked on it, and saw that it was a news article, titled: Being prince has a soulmate?

Emile stared at the headline for a few seconds.

How was that relevant to his own soulmark?

A pit began to form inside of Emile’s stomach, but he pushed down the immediate uncomfortable feelings.

No. This was just a coincidence. So many people had soulmates, though they rarely had Beings for soulmates.  

This was just a coincidence.

He scrolled through the article, skimming over the information.

The Being prince – a magical being: sleep come to life – had found a soulmark on his body. This meant that he had a human soulmate, and he wanted to find them. He had made the announcement public, in the hopes that he would find his soulmate as quickly as possible.

Emile scrolled all the way to the bottom, and his heart stopped when he saw the image at the end of the article.

It was a single image of an eye – pitch black and surrounded by silver skin, with black hair peeking out from the top of the picture – and right in the centre of it was the now-familiar crescent moon and three stars.

Emile gasped, and his phone slipped out of his hand, clattering to the floor.

He almost wanted to swear, but he bit his tongue before he could.  

This couldn’t be real. Now he was certain that he must have been dreaming. This... this was impossible.

His soulmate wasn’t a Being. They couldn’t be.

Immediately, there was a pang of guilt inside of Emile.

Beings might have been powerful, terrifying creatures, but who was Emile to judge them? Sure, some of them hurt people, but most of them never did, as far as Emile knew. Who was he to decide that all of them must be cruel and evil and dangerous?

If the universe had decided that a Being was his soulmate, then that Being, at the very least, had to be a good person.

Well, perhaps person was the wrong word, but they had to be good. The universe wouldn’t have paired him up with someone bad. They were meant to be!

Okay. Emile’s soulmate was a Being – a prince of Beings – and that was... not bad. Maybe it was even good! Maybe his soulmate was wonderful – the soulmate of his dreams! Maybe they would be perfect together.

No, not maybe, definitely. His soulmate was his soulmate. They had to be perfect.

Emile nodded to himself. Okay. This wasn’t bad. This was good! He didn’t need to continue his quest for true love: it was being given to him, right in the palm of his hand.

He took a deep breath, and then bent down and picked his phone back up.

He checked his group chat with his dads.

Dad

Thats your soulmark right?

Father

Are you alright?

Emile wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Was he alright?  

He was excited about having a soulmate. He was terrified that his soulmate would be terrifying and cruel. He was guilty that that was the assumption he’d made about his soulmate. He was just conflicted.

He thought about it for a moment, but before he could respond, his phone lit up with an incoming call from Janus. He blinked, before he answered the call and lifted it to his ear.

“Hello?”  

“Did you read the article?” came Janus’s voice from through the phone.

Emile paused. “Yes.”

There was another pause, before he heard his other dad’s voice through the phone.

“Is that your soulmark?”

“I think so.”

“Okay,” Nate said, his voice calm despite what was going on. “How do you feel about that?”

“I... don’t know.”

“Okay, that makes sense,” Nate said.

“You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to,” Janus said seriously. “You don’t even have to meet him if you don’t want to.”

“I know,” Emile said. “But...”

“But?” Nate prompted.

“I don’t know. I mean- I mean he’s my soulmate, right? I know Beings are... scary. But... he’s my soulmate.”

“He’s a Being,” Janus said.

Nate sighed. “Jan.”

Emile frowned. “I mean, I know, but... he’s my soulmate. He can’t... he won’t be bad.” He took a deep breath. “I mean, how much do we really know about Beings? I know the stories, but they can’t all be bad! My soulmate... he could be good.”

“He is your soulmate,” Nate said. “And you’re the kindest person I know. I doubt you’d be saddled with a shitty soulmate.”

“Still, if he is bad, we need to keep him as far away from you as possible,” Janus said.

"I appreciate it, but I’m an adult now, dads,” Emile said. “I can take care of myself.”

Janus hummed like he wasn’t sure whether or not he believed him. Nate let out a laugh, and Emile heard a sound that sounded like he was clapping Janus on the shoulder.

“He’s right, babe. He’s an adult. We can’t protect him anymore,” he said. Emile could practically hear the amused smile on his face. “Just make sure to introduce your soulmate to us once you meet him. I just can’t promise that Jan won’t go all overprotective father on him.”

He laughed, and Emile laughed, too.

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” he said.

In his mind, he imagined what it would be like to introduce his soulmate to his fathers. Hopefully it would go well. Hopefully his soulmate would get along well with his parents.

Would his soulmate be polite and serious? Or would he be funny and entertaining? Would they get along well? Emile certainly hoped so.

But maybe he was getting a little ahead of himself. First, he actually had to meet his soulmate.

Emile paused. How was he even going to do that?

“Gosh, how am I even going to meet him?” Emile said aloud.

Nate hummed in thought.

“I don’t know. Get yourself in the news?”

Emile’s nose wrinkled. “I would rather not.”

“Uh...” Nate said. “I have no idea then. But I know you’ll figure it out!”

Emile smiled. “Thanks, dad.”

“I need to get to work,” Janus said. “Let us know how finding your soulmate goes.”

“I will.”

“Love you!” Nate said.

“I also love you,” Janus said

Emile smiled again. “I love you both, too. Bye!”

“Bye!”

“Goodbye.”

Then, they hung up, and Emile was alone again.

His gaze was immediately drawn back to his soulmark. His eyes traced the curving shape of the crescent moon, and the three small stars that were underneath it.

The sleep prince was somewhere out there with that exact same soulmark just on his eye instead of his wrist. Emile wondered what he was thinking about in that exact moment. Was he thinking about Emile, like how Emile was thinking about him?

Emile could not help but smile at the thought.

Gosh, he couldn’t wait to meet his soulmate.

But first, he had to find out how to.

***

Emile had been on his computer for ages, searching for a way to find his soulmate, but the internet was mostly unhelpful.

There was a ton of research done on Beings, but it was difficult to tell what was reliable and what was useless. Beings were such a wide variety of creatures – some appeared out of thin air, some were once other things – research about one was unlike research about another. And most of the research was about what they were and how they worked, not about how to find them.

Emile sighed, reaching up and massaging the bridge of his nose. This was impossible: it was starting to seem like the only way to find his soulmate was to go through the same methods his soulmate had used to get the information public. And he really, really didn’t want it to come to that.

He was lucky that it was his day off today, so he had plenty of time to research.

Emile clicked on a new article, one labelled ‘Whispering Beings’, that he wasn’t too hopeful would actually be helpful. But he was still going to look, just in case.

His eyes skimmed the first few lines. Whispering Beings were a type of Being that could hear every whisper ever spoken. In fact, they existed in whispers; sometimes they didn’t even have a physical form, they switched between a human-like body to a whisper taken form at a whim. They could be summoned through whispers and used to send messages. Their physical forms looked cloud-like, not entirely physical and they were often benevolent towards humans.

Wait.

Emile suddenly straightened up, his eyes going back a few lines.

They could be summoned through whispers and used to send messages.

There. That was it.

That was how he was going to find his soulmate!

Emile let out a laugh. Finally, he was going to be able to find his soulmate!

Okay. Okay. Now, he just needed to figure out how to summon a Whispering Being.  

His eyes returned to the article.

Whispering Beings could be summoned through whispers. Apparently, you could whisper something into the night sky, and – very occasionally – they would hear you. They would appear in front of you, and they would take your message and bring it to whoever you requested.  

But they were rare. Your message needed to be interesting to them, or they would simply ignore you.

Well, Emile thought that his message was interesting enough. He was the soulmate of one of the princes of beings, surely that would catch the attention of anyone.

Okay. He could do that.

All he had to do was wait for it to become night, and then he would whisper into the sky. He would get his message to his soulmate; he was sure of that.

***

Emile had been waiting impatiently all day for night to come, and when it finally did, he was practically vibrating with anticipation. He couldn’t sit still, tapping his foot against the floor and his hand against his leg.

Was now the right time to do it? The sun had set, the sky was black, but what if he needed to wait until midnight? The article had been unclear, and every other source he had found had been, too.

What if it needed to be at a specific time? Midnight or 1am or 2am, something like that? Emile had no idea. He didn’t want to do it wrong.

After a moment of thought, he stood up. Okay, he might as well try now. If it didn’t work, he could always try again later. He could try as many times as it took for it to work. He would try all night if he had to.

He walked over to his window, opening it and feeling the cool night air wash over him.  

The sky was black, speckled with stars, and the moon was full. Maybe that meant something. Maybe the full moon was something special and would mean that the Whispering Beings were more likely to hear him. Emile had no idea. He was really out of his depth here.

He was a simple therapist! He watched cartoons and documentaries for fun. He knew nothing about magic, and yet the universe had dropped a magical soulmate into his hands.  

This was his life now.

Emile took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. He could do this.

Then, he opened his eyes. Okay, he could do this.

All he had to do was figure out what exactly to say. His brow creased in thought. What did he even say in this situation? What was the right thing to say to summon a Whispering Being? The article hadn’t exactly given instructions on how to summon one.

Well, apparently Whispering Beings heard every whisper, so maybe all he had to do was say who he was and they’d listen.

Okay. He’d give that a try.

He took another deep breath, before he began to whisper.

“My name is Emile Picani, and I’m the soulmate of the sleep prince,” he whispered into the wind. “I want to find him. Can you help me?”

He then waited. He waited and waited and waited, but nothing happened.

Okay. That was okay. He could just try again.

“My name is Emile Picani, and I’m the soulmate of the sleep prince,” he whispered again. “I want to find him. Can you help me?”

“I heard you the first time,” came a voice from behind him. It sounded like a whisper, but was somehow also loud and clear.

Emile jumped, spinning around so quickly that his glasses fell from his face.

Standing there, in the middle of his living room, was a blurry figure, that Emile couldn’t quite make out the details of him without his glasses. All he could tell was that it was white and vaguely human-shaped.

He bent down quickly, picking up his glasses and sliding them back onto his face. He stood up, and saw that the human-shaped figure was almost as blurry as they had been before he had put his glasses back on. They looked like someone had taken a cloud and pressed a man-shaped cookie cutter into them, but the clouds had seeped through the edges a little bit. They didn’t even have eyes or a mouth, despite the fact that words had come from somewhere.

“H- hello,” Emile blurted out, just a little bit terrified of the obviously-inhuman Being.

“Hello,” said the Whispering Being.

“What... what’s your name?”

The Whispering Being just stared at him for a few seconds.

“Beings don’t have names.”

“Oh. Right.”

There were a few seconds of silence.

“So, you're the prince’s soulmate?” The Whispering Being said.

Emile straightened up. “I... think so. The soulmarks match, so... yes.”

The Whispering Being tilted their head.

“Would you like me to bring a message to him?”

“Yes, please.”

“Alright.” The Whispering Being nodded. “I shall. What would you like me to say?”

Emile... hadn’t really thought about that. In his excitement to send a message to his soulmate – and his daydreams about what would happen when they first met – he hadn’t thought about exactly what he wanted to say.  

“Um...” Emile said, fidgeting with his hands. “Tell him... tell him about me and tell me that I want to meet him.”  

The Whispering Being watched him for a few moments, before they nodded.

“Alright. I shall do that. Is there anything else you need?”

Emile thought about it for a moment, before he shook his head.

“Thank you,” he said.

The Whispering Being nodded again. Then, they began to lose their form, becoming more cloud-like and less human-shaped, until the fog that was their body began to fade. They became translucent and then transparent and soon they were gone, and Emile was alone.

He stared at the spot they had been for a few seconds, before he let out a deep breath.

Okay. This Being was going to bring the message to his soulmate. Then, his soulmate would come and they would meet.

Emile could not help but smile just a little bit at the thought. Oh, gosh, he was going to meet his soulmate soon! He didn’t know exactly when, but if his soulmate had been so quick to put the soulmark in the news, then surely he wanted to meet Emile as much as Emile wanted to meet him.

They were going to meet each other for the first time soon.  

Emile let out a little laugh, and practically bounced up and down on the spot, doing an excited little wiggle. He clapped his hands together.

Oh, Emile was so, so excited.

He wondered what exactly would happen next. Would the prince send the Whispering Being back to Emile, with information about a meeting place? Yes, that made the most sense.

But when exactly would the Whispering Being return? Emile had no idea. Maybe they would return again tonight; maybe they were busy and wouldn’t return for another few days. There was no way to know.

Perhaps he should have asked.  

Emile shook his head. Well, there was no point in thinking about that now.

A cool wind came through the open window, and a shiver ran down Emile’s spine. He turned around, reaching out and shutting the window.  

Then, when he turned back around, he yelped and leapt backwards when he saw that there was a new figure standing in the centre of his living room.

He was tall and thin – quite a bit taller than Emile, though that wasn’t difficult – with silver skin, black hair and solid black eyes. In the centre of his left eye was the now-familiar symbol: a silver crescent moon with three stars underneath it.

Emile gasped.

“You’re-”

The Being smiled, crossing his arms.

“I am,” he said. “Hello.”

[aquilaofarkham]

title: the little death rating: T+ word count: 2,409 summary: Two years after his fight with Death, Trevor’s injuries start catching up to him while Alucard realizes that humans are more fragile than he thought. 

For @trevorsmellmont ❤️  Thank you so much for commissioning me!

READ HERE

There’s a sharp pain pooling beneath his right arm, coursing through his ribcage. Trevor ignores it just as he’s ignored all the other aches, jabs, and stings over the past two years. Two years of building something better, something sustainable to last far longer than its young, admittedly green founders. Countless days, weeks, and months erecting homes, gardens, and pens for those dumb gentle animals who think the entire townscape is their personal pasture. Not another mistake of allowing them to wander aimlessly straight into the castle. As if heifers need to learn how to craft medicine or conduct what’s being referred to as “electricity”.

The work will never be finished. Even on days like this when the sun burns hotter than any circle in hell. A few drops of warm salt-ridden sweat crawl past Trevor’s pressed lips and into his dry mouth. Pain and thick heat were never enough to stop him before—he tells himself this, barely certain of his own supportive thoughts (a new concept taking root in his mind). Take it slow, don’t push yourself, idiot. This cabin made from the earth will get built eventually. Another family will receive their forever home to fill with lots of babies. Old wounds beg to differ as Trevor’s arms begin to weaken, each movement slower than the last, struggling to keep up with Greta’s superior pace. She’s always known her way around a mallet.

Another bead of sweat gets caught in Trevor’s lashes, sparing his eyes from temporary discomfort. Though it wouldn’t have mattered as they’re already past any sort of respite. He looks for distraction but can only see the blurred shapes coming from a huddle of bodies, despite being a short distance from them. He knows it’s only Sypha and Alucard with the village children, which gives Trevor some relief.

There’s more comfort to be felt when he remembers that one of those little monsters is his own, nestled in Sypha’s lap then placed in Alucard’s gentle arms. She has a name far too long for any toddler to pronounce—Elizabeta Belnades Tepes Belmont—so what rolls off her developing tongue instead is simply “Liza”. She’s innocent now but once she leaves this little man-made paradise and ventures into a harsher world, she will take more after her mother and father. Grabbing whatever life offers with both fists, clawing and biting her way through every obstacle until her teeth are reddened with bloody meat. For the time being, they relish Liza’s soft cheeks, wispy hair, and the way she throws herself at whichever adult happens to be in her nearest vicinity. The other children are helping her socialize by playing games and embracing frivolity; a tactic Trevor remembers from his own upbringing, though with less games and even less frivolity. 

“Think you can handle one or two more?”

Greta’s voice manages to cut through Trevor’s mental fog. Funny how she asks if he can “think” about anything especially at this suffocating moment. She must have noticed the way his lips curl into a happy doped up grin while observing his family and couldn’t help but inquire. As any close, loved and valued friend would.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“What’s wrong with looking a bit further into the future? Now that we all have one.” 

“Looking is one thing, but seriously suggesting is something else completely. My… performance in certain areas isn’t as up to snuff as it used to be.”

As Trevor says this, things deteriorate and get a bit fuzzier from his eyesight down to his chest. Out of focus. Painful. He keeps talking, keeps ignoring the inevitable. Always ignoring what his own body screams for.

Greta wrinkles her nose at his statement. “There are children present, Belmont.”

“What? I’m referring to the house. I barely managed to get one wall up while you’re already on the fucking roof.”

“So dramatic. You three really do deserve each other. And you’re still young.”

“On the outside, maybe.”

She laughs at his lie, misinterpreting it as another piece of mild self-deprecatory banter he might never be able to live without. Greta says something else, perhaps her own personal jest to counter his, but Trevor cannot hear. Breath grows heavier, forcing out a raspy “it’s fine. It’s just my chest”. Barely able to tell if Greta actually said anything about his sudden condition. Or rather, not so sudden. No, this has been building over quite some time now. His muscles and bones screaming, begging for relief or death, and end to everything—whichever comes first. Feelings that only worsened over the years.

Trevor loses control over his legs, now practically boneless. The collision between his head and the ground is nothing compared to the inner war over his heart. Whether it will finally succumb. Greta immediately calls for help—he thinks without confidence, once again. Trevor can still hear voices, but not their exact words. Not Sypha when she demands to know what happened. Not Alucard when he begs for him to stay conscious. Not even Liza as she cries for her papa.

Then all the chaos in the world fades into slow darkness.

--

Alucard stands outside the closed bedchamber door, contemplating how often he’s touched Trevor’s body. Lithe fingertips have memorized every crevice, scar, soft and rough spots alike. Not just as a lover with wandering hands underneath blankets in the dead of night. Or a friend who holds him steady on both feet when he needs it. But as this family’s self-appointed physician. 

Perhaps the prince of two worlds took after his father after all. “Polymath” is what Alucard used to describe Dracula and the very same word others have referred to him as, mostly in the realm of medicine. He knows more than anyone, little offence given towards the herb dispensers and leech farmers (only to be polite for his own townsfolk). Thus, through the anxieties and trembling hands, Alucard gave Trevor his diagnosis: heat exhaustion along with a muscle somewhere in his chest that decided to go rogue and strain itself.

The son of Tepes, the only local doctor worth trusting, and arguably the co-leader of their little prospering hamlet paces across the hall like Trevor did the day Liza was born. He’s on the other side of that closed door, resting. Bedridden from heat exhaustion and a fucking pulled muscle. It bothers Alucard. This shouldn’t have happened to someone who stood up to the personification of Death and pissed in his eye. A stupidly common and easily treatable inconvenience to the human body shouldn’t be the end of a fucking Belmont.

It shouldn’t—unless Trevor’s scars have anything to say about it. The ones on the inside and outside. Inside, unseen, and untreatable. There’s a harsh revelation to be found there; one which the prince has been purposefully avoiding up to this moment. Alucard can try as he wants, use the tools left behind by his father and mother as though it were their final death wish, but he might never tend to what pains Trevor on the inside. He’s a Belmont, undeniably so, but Belmonts are human despite the many recurring signs pointing to the contrary. Then there’s Sypha with her magic, but she’s human as well. Greta and Liza are still human. Humans are more susceptible to dying easy, little deaths even when they follow world-saving victories.

Where does this leave Alucard? Thoughts spiral down, down towards darker places the longer he nervously hovers outside the bedroom. He’s been known to awkwardly stumble into deflection, insisting he’s only half human whenever certain someones bring up this topic of necessary conversation. Meaning he might as well not be human at all. Not when the bodies of those he loves change so rapidly while his remains petrified. It’s only been two years, filled to the brim with countless hours he wouldn’t ever want to trade for the entire world. But the thought of one night as they nestle themselves into bed and Alucard touches either Trevor or Sypha’s chest only to feel an anomaly within their hearts. The earliest sign that time and age will eventually betray them as it does for all mortals—it could be the one thing to break him.

Alucard stops himself at the opportune moment, right before he starts thinking about his mother and father. Did Dracula ever contemplate Lisa’s mortality? Was the decision to never turn her easy or the hardest thing he forced upon his unstable, immortal conscience? Arms crossed over his chest like a protective cage, fingernails digging into the fabric of his shirt until it hurts, Alucard swallows a bitter glob of spit and reaches for the doorknob. Sypha will have to accept the fact that he couldn’t wait for her. He quietly thanks her for the lessons she taught him. If he needs to talk about something—truly talk, no sarcastic wit or banter, just the raw emotions—Alucard no longer hesitates. He won’t, not as he enters the room and immediately sees Trevor still in bed, not quite altogether there. At least he can manage a decent smile and wave of his hand.

“Evening.”

“How does your chest feel?”

“Still a bit tight, but I’ve been taking deep breaths like the doctor ordered.”

The amount of strain heard in Trevor’s voice worries Alucard. Hopefully the Belmont has learned something from the recent past, so he won’t be stupid and suggest anything having to do with leaving bed or getting back to work.

 “I think I should get up.”

“I think that’s a poor decision.”

“Are you saying that as my physician or because you’re letting that pretty little blonde head of yours get too worked up?”

No. Yes. Both? If only Trevor didn’t look up at him with those glassy eyes (can he still see him?) the colour of stained glass windows erected in cathedrals he felt so unwelcome inside. If only that smile, somehow both soft and shit-eating, wasn’t in place of a more serious expression. Then maybe Alucard could voice his concerns without being accused of acting overbearing—an accusation grounded in solid evidence but he’s not ready to admit that yet. Not out loud.

“Normal, healthy adults do not become bedridden after pulling a small muscle in their chest.”

“Belmonts aren’t normal… or healthy in my case.”

Alucard’s brow furrows. “I want to think you’re healthy—” I need to. “—that you’ll live long enough to see the children of this village have little ones of their own. Liza included.”

“God’s sake, she’s only two years old. You and Greta, always talking about looking one step too far into the future. Let her be a child before adulthood rears its ugly maw.”

“Try not to change the subject.”

Trevor lifts his head off the indent pressed into his sweat drenched pillow. “Alright. Fine. I feel much better. I won’t push myself and give my heart some more time to recover.”

No response coupled with broken eye contact; sure signs of Alucard’s reluctance to accept his rather weak assurance. The Belmont has no other choice.

“Come here. Sit.”

Another moment’s hesitation before Alucard complies. Feeling his weight upon the mattress, Trevor blindly reaches for his wrist until calloused fingers grip cool, unblemished skin.

“Now lie down. No, no. Not like that. Place your head right here.” He pats his chest and with a fleeting amount of guidance, Alucard’s cheek fits perfectly between his breasts. Two hands smooth over the dhampir’s curves before one before one rests on his silk smooth head and the other against the small of his back. Alucard lied about one thing: his own body can change in small yet noticeable ways. Without the need to fight for the lives of others, whether today or tomorrow, sharp edges turn softer. Trevor and Sypha have finally let themselves breathe as well, let go, and enjoy all of life’s pleasures.

“Hear that?” He asks Alucard.

“... It’s slow.”

“Slow and strong like it should be.”

Alucard wishes he could bottle up that heartbeat or place it in a box. Preferably a music box to listen to its soothing melody long after its original body and soul are both eventually gone from this world. Who knows? It might make things hurt a little bit less like when he redrew his parent’s portrait or built a much larger nursery where his own used to be. Not a lot, but Alucard could possibly live with just “a little”.

“Speaking of Greta…” The baritone of Trevor’s voice sends deep vibrations through his broad chest, tickling Alucard’s cheek. “She said something about more children.”

“More orphans joining us?”

“No, even though I know how much you love those damn orphans. She asked if we could handle one or two more.”

“What did you say?”

“I implied that she was taking after Sypha’s influence by being wonderfully insane.”

Alucard chuckles in agreement. That sounds like Greta. “You never know. It might be good for Liza if she has a younger sibling.”

With the sound of Sypha’s well timed arrival, he’s mercifully saved from Trevor’s lengthy speech about how patience is apparently a virtue and tirades about his “performance” or lack thereof. Greta reveals herself shortly afterwards with a still crying Liza in tow. So many bodies gathered around one inebriated individual, here for him and him alone. Trevor’s consoled yet exasperated expression directed at Greta in particular says “isn’t there someone more important you could be helping right now?”

Sypha is the first to voice her gratitude after fussing over her exhausting loved one. “I will never be able to thank you enough, Alucard.”

“I think the bed did most of the heavy lifting, love.”

Trevor is given an affectionate, somewhat caring glare in response but his focus is demanded elsewhere once he suddenly notices Liza jumping onto the bed. She snuggles herself between him and Alucard, wetting their shirts with her tears.

“Easy there, you little monster. Papa’s still a bit tender.” Not that she can understand or care.

There’s an aura of relief felt amongst everyone in the room—less with Alucard who smiles bittersweetly. It’s a truth he knew he had to acknowledge before it tore his heart open. Trevor and Sypha will die one day and he will have to bury them. He’ll bury Greta, he might even bury Liza. Not today thank all the gods, or tomorrow, not for the next few decades if fate is kind enough. 

But the day will come. And it will be Alucard’s own little death.

[multi-fxndom446]

Secret love

Diavolo X Reader

I’m weak for Diavolo this man just wants to be included and loved😭

Also this story made sense in my head so I really fucking hope it still makes sense written down and I hope you enjoy it!!

(Lmao also I had to add a lil Mammon angst to hurt myself thank you)

Warning: angst a lil

~~

When you were first summoned to Devildom as an exchange student, you never expected a demon to fall in love with you. Let alone seven.

What’s more, you didn’t expect to fall in love with the one demon you couldn’t have. The soon to be king himself.

~~

We keep behind closed doors

Every time I see you, I die a little more

Stolen moments that we steal as the curtains fall

It’ll never be enough

When you first came to devildom your first priority wasn’t exactly love. More of trying to stay alive amidst the rage the seven brothers had as they all at one point or another tried to kill you. Hell one succeeded.

But now as you got more into the year, you found yourself being the center of attention to all of the brothers. It wasn’t as if you tried to make them fall for you, it just kind of happened.

Though now it’s not playing well in your favor. Many times you’d find yourself in the middle of a sibling fight over who you loved more and each and everytime they got the same answer. “I love all of you equally.”

Which wasn’t a lie. You did love all of them, but you weren’t in love with any of them. Not like you were with him. Diavolo.

The one demon you couldn’t have out of the whole devildom was the one you fell for. And he fell for you as well. Which is why this hurt the most.

You, along with the brothers, were at Diavolos castle, per his request. He said he wanted to have dinner with all of them so he could discuss with them the plans of a party he would be holding.

As always the dinner was chaotic, Levi accidentally exposing Mammon for stealing, Lucifer getting mad at Mammon, Beel eating almost everything on the table and so on.

You watched from your place beside Diavolo as you didn’t even try to simmer down the fight. That had only gotten you in trouble on more occasions then one.

When you were about to say something, you were stopped short. Your head snapped to Diavolo who smiled softly at you, his hand entangling with yours under the table and out of site from prying eyes.

Your surprise died down immediately and was replaced with a certain sadness that such a gesture had to be hidden. Sensing your mood change he squeezed your hand gently and you both went back to eating.

As you drive me to my house

I can’t stop these silent tears from rolling down

You and I both have to hide on the outside

Where I can’t be yours and you can’t be mine

But I know this

We got a love that is hopeless

On many occasions after a dinner or a party, Diavolo would request you stay behind to discuss how you were managing in the Devildom. And yet those conversations always last a few hours and none of the brothers questioned it.

He would always escort you back on the nights he held you back and your silence always gave away how you were feeling, he could read you like a book and you sometimes wondered when you became so transparent to him.

Tonight he insisted on walking so he could have more time with you, a decision that he was regretting now. He felt your fingers brush against his and you did as well because the next moment you pulled your hand away and it about broke his heart.

He knew you were doing it for him and he hated it with his very being. Why couldn’t you be the one he married one day? Why did the rules for a future king have to be so strict?

Finally you started up the path leading to the house of Lamentation but instead of a quick goodbye, you both stood just outside the front door. You were facing him now but your gaze was at the ground, you didn’t want to make him feel bad about the way your eyes glossed over.

He watched you for a moment before he reached his hand out to softly take a strand of your hair between his fingers. “Beautiful.” He whispered, causing you to finally look him in eyes.

“Why can’t I hold you in the street?” He seemed to be talking to himself, almost like he was saying his thoughts out loud. “Why can’t I kiss you on the dance floor? I wish that it could be like that.”

You eagerly took his hand into yours, letting your hair slip through his fingers. “Why can’t it be like that? Cause I’m yours. Please Diavolo.” He could feel his resolve breaking.

Why can’t I say that I’m in love?

I wanna shout it from the roof tops

I wish that it could be like that

Why can’t it be like that?

He was so close to you now, only about a step away. He was reaching out to you again when suddenly he remembered where he was.

He pulled back just as the front door opened and Mammon came into view. “Oi! Y/n we thought you would’ve been back by now!” He pouted and you laughed to ease his nerves but Diavolo could see the disappointment as soon as your laughing stopped.

“I was just leaving.” Mammon almost jumped at the sound of Diavolos voice, having not noticed him until he spoke up.

“L-lord Diavolo, sorry I didn’t see you.” Mammon sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, scared he was gonna get chewed out again but was once again shocked when all he did was kiss your hand and leave.

You held your hand close to you as you watched him go. You knew kissing your hand was just a formality to others around you but to the both of you it held a much more sincere meaning.

As Mammon ushered you inside you finally turned away from Diavolo but now he was the one looking back at you, clenching his fists in jealousy when he saw Mammon’s arm wrap protectively around your waist. And then the front door closed and you were out of reach.

It’s obvious you’re meant for me

Every piece of you just fits perfectly

Every second, every thought I’m in so deep

But I’ll never show it on my face

Diavolo watched you from across the room as you talked away with the brothers. Some demon next to him trying to converse with him about a problem that Diavolo already was in the process of fixing.

He felt his chest warm at your smile and his heart flutter when he heard you laugh. Even from across a massive room filled with guests, he would always be able to hear your laugh.

From the corner of his eye he could see Solomon on his way towards you, he assumed to ask you for a dance like he had done many times. But the fluttering in his chest suddenly turned into a squeezing feeling and he felt his heart ache when he saw the slight blush on your face from whatever the wizard had said to you.

So before Solomon could steal you away for the night, Diavolo politely excused himself to go to you, letting Barbatos pick up the conversation where it left off.

You were just about to take Solomons hand when you both heard someone else approaching and you turned to see the prince with a smile that had a threatening undertone to it.

“Sorry to barge in but could I steal Y/n for a dance first?” Solomon didn’t get a chance to answer because Diavolo took your hand and led you to the dance floor before he could even get a word out.

You could’ve laughed if it wasn’t for the sudden nerves you were feeling being so close to him. It wasn’t like you haven’t been this close before but he always stopped himself before he could finally cross that boundary.

He felt chills go up his spine when you positioned your arm to rest on his shoulders and his around your waist while he still held your other hand in his free one. Oh how perfect your hand felt in his.

But we know this

We got a love that is hopeless

The dance was silent between you two. He didn’t know what to say, only now realizing this was probably a rash decision on his part.

You seemed to notice the new found lack of uncertainty as you looked up at him. “Do you regret this?” You asked him and something told him you weren’t asking about the dance.

“Regret what?” He still needed to hear you say it.

Your voice cracked a little as you responded, “falling in love.” Tears lined your eyelid and his hold on you tightened a little, “meeting me?”

“My darling I could never regret meeting you.” He was quick to say and he so badly wanted to pull you closer but he stopped himself. You could feel the way his muscles tensed in his shoulders as he held back. “Please don’t cry.” He Almost whispered out.

You nodded and looked up at the ceiling to try and stop them because you seemed to think he was more worried about others seeing the human exchange student cry while dancing with the prince when in reality it was tearing him up to see those tears.

“Y/n?” He called to you softly and you looked back to him. The tears you had been trying to get rid of only came back as you stared at his soft eyes, the way they looked at you with so much concern and love had you wanting to kiss him.

“Why can’t you hold me in the street?” You asked the question he had asked himself the day before, “why can’t I kiss you on the dance floor?”

Wish we could be like that

Why can’t we be like that?

Cause I’m yours

His words died out on his tongue and in the next moment the song finally ended and you pulled away from him. “Y/n wait-“

But your hand slipped from his and he suddenly felt like the world was caving in on him. He watched you walk away from him, trying to discreetly wipe away your tears as you approached Mammon who immediately dropped what he was doing to turn to you.

Why can’t I say that I’m in love

I wanna shout it from the rooftops

“Y/n?” His voice was laced with concern upon seeing your tears. “What happened? Are you okay?”

His questions only made you want to cry more and you did. You walked up to him and buried your face in his chest as you let out as quiet sobs as you could. Mammon wrapped his arms around your shoulders, looking around the room for the reason you could be crying and he seemed to find it when his eyes connected to Diavolo who in the next minute turned away.

“You wanna go get some food? Come on let’s get out of here.” He lead you out of the castle and towards all the restaurants but didn’t actually go in any of them.

When he was far enough from the castle he turned to you. You were still trying to calm yourself down and he didn’t know if he should bring up what he thought was wrong. “Y/n please explain it to me, I’ll understand.”

“No no you won’t!” You cried before he said your name again, this time stern enough to get you to look at him and calm enough to calm you down. Your whole body went still at the understanding in his eyes. “I-I love him Mammon.”

Even when he could feel his own heart break at the confession he could feel it break even more knowing your heart was in complete shambles. “And he loves you?” You could only nod, “and you can’t be together because he’s a future king?” You nodded again. “Well screw those rules. If you love each other what’s the difference?”

“It’s not my choice to decide, it’s-“

“-his” he finished for you and you nodded. When he could see the tears start to come back he wrapped his arms around you and brought you into a hug, kissing the top of your head.

I wish that it could be like that

Why can’t it be like that

Cause I’m yours

Back at the Castle Diavolo was making his way towards Barbatos, who held a knowing look in his eyes. “I need to get air I’ll be back.”

“Shall I send Lucifer for you?”

“No” Diavolo was frustrated but he knew he couldn’t take it out on anyone else but himself. “Just let me be for a moment. I just-I just need to think for a moment.”

Instead of waiting for a reply he left. He made his way through the long hallways of his castle before ending up at a balcony. Not just any balcony. It was the balcony he realized he was in love with you.

You were leaned against the railing, admiring Devildom and he could see the sparkle in your eyes before you turned to him. He expected the sparkle to die out when your focus was on him but instead it only intensified.

He took in a deep breathe trying to gather all his thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching. He should have known Barbatos would still send Lucifer anyways. “I told Barbatos I want to be alone.”

“Barbatos didn’t send me.” Diavolo only glanced at him, “I saw you storm away after y/n left.”

I don’t wanna live love this way

I don’t want to hide us away

“So,” Lucifer went to stand next to him. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

“With all due respect Lucifer, I really don’t. Not this time.” Never in his life had Lucifer heard Diavolo sound so disappointed, so..sad.

“It’s about y/n isn’t it?” If Diavolo wasn’t going to tell him, he would pry it out of him. “Did you upset her?”

Diavolo stayed silent for a moment, “yes.”

“Why?”

“Are you my therapist now Lucifer?” Diavolo snapped which allowed Lucifer to know he was hitting a sore subject.

“No. I’m your friend.” It was silent as Diavolo took in his words. He knew he was right and he knew he had to tell someone.

“I’ve upset her because I love her.” Lucifers gaze softened, “and it’s breaking her heart that we can’t be together the why we want.”

“Why because you’re the prince?”

“And because it would be frowned upon for the Demon king to have a human as a queen.” Diavolos sentence trailed off as he looked over the city lights.

“Who would care?”

“Lucifer-“

“No I’m serious. Who would care? The lower ranking demons? Diavolo you’re one of the most powerful demons I know, they wouldn’t even be in the question.” Lucifer stared at his friend who seemed to find solace with staring at his fingers. “If you wished for a simple human to be your Queen then you could have it. So what’s your real reason?”

He was silent. “The elders wouldn’t like it.”

“Screw the elders!”

“Lucifer!” Diavolo turned to him with shock written all over his face. He had never heard Lucifer be so disrespectful.

“Excuse my language but since when have you cared about what the elders think? You certainly didn’t when you made this whole exchange thing happen to begin with!” Diavolo turned away from him again. “If this is about my love for her as well as my brothers love for her, I assure you we only wish for her happiness. In this life and in the next that is all we will continue to wish for. So if her happiness is with you then we will bare it.”

Diavolos eyes widened in shock. It was almost like a weight was lifted off his shoulders hearing Lucifers words. As if to tell him it’s okay he fell in love with you and that they’d be okay if you loved him back. “Now it seems ive gotten through to you. Don’t you have someone you need to find?”

Diavolo turned to him, intending to tell him thank you but as he looked at him the words suddenly didn’t seem like enough. “It’s okay Diavolo. I know.” Lucifer finally said after seeing his friend struggle. “Now go.”

I wonder if it ever will change

I’m living for that day

Some day

You were still in Mammon’s embrace when Diavolo found you. Mammon was the first to see him and he gave him a pointed look.

“Y/n.” Your eyes snapped open when you heard his voice. You slowly pulled away from Mammon who was reluctant to let you go. You seemed to sense his uncertainty so you turned to him, to see if he’d be okay.

When he saw the hope in your eyes, the same hope he had when he looked at you, he knew he had to let you go. And so he did. He watched you walk to the prince and he turned and walked away so he wouldn’t have to hear what was about to be said.

When you hold me in the street

And you kiss me on the dance floor

I wish that we could be like that

Why can’t we be like that?

Cause I’m yours.

“I dont want to hide us.” He said to you, his body tingling with nerves as he watched you. You stood still unsure if what you were hearing was real so he took a step closer. “I fell for you.” He took another step, “I fell for your smile,” another, “your laugh” he was a few more steps from being right in front of you “your personality, everything about you.” He took those final steps to be right in front of you.

You seemed to hold your breathe. “Is this real?” You asked him, terrified he’d disappear.

He chuckled before grabbing your face in his hands, his thumb running across your bottom lip as he leaned down just a breathe away and before his lips touched yours he whispered a small yes.

Im yours

You completely melted into him, clutching onto his arms as your legs became weak from nerves. Without missing a beat one of his arms came to wrap around your waist to hold you up and to pull you impossibly closer to him.

His lips were as soft as you thought they’d be and mixed with the sharp canines he had in his demon form you were ready to succumb to him then and there.

When you finally pulled away from each other you were smiling. Neither of you wanted to step away from the other so instead you brought him back to you for another kiss. He’d die happy if your kisses are what killed him.

“Please can we not hide this anymore? I don’t care what anyone says I just want you. It’s always been you.” He whispered softly after you pulled away for a second time.

Your smile was the brightest he had seen in a long time, “I thought you’d never ask.”

~~

[the-lightning-strikes-again]

I really liked reading your fics of Lotor watching movies! Do you think Lotor would like watching Atlantis or lilo and stitch? And who would he watch them with? (Hopefully either Allura or Pidge)

Movie Time with TSL Lotor – Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

It was a cold and rainy morning on the planet of Olkarion, with an emaciated Galran prince swaddled in blankets on the floor of the paladin’s lounge room. Lotor still wore his night robe and Earth-fashion pajamas, his white hair disheveled from sleep. He yawned. His face pulled tight with his harvesting scars, and his long fangs gleamed in the lamplight. He tiredly scratched at his cheek. “Why did you wake me so early, little one?”

Across the room, a pajama-clad Pidge sat cross-legged, plugging in a few cables. “Because. It’s Saturday.”

The bleary-eyed man blinked. “I know not what a Saturday is.”

She looked up, readjusting her glasses. “It’s the day where people get up to eat cereal and binge-watch cartoons. Like a tradition. My brother and I used to do this all the time. And sometimes my dad too, but he slept in a lot.” Her face twisted in a pout. “And everyone here sleeps in for, like, ever.”

“Even the princess?”

“Even the princess.”

Lotor’s gaze slid to the container of milk, courtesy of Kaltenecker, and then to the sacred box of—he narrowed his gaze curiously—frosted cheerios. Pidge had procured two bowls and two little spoons. He raised his nose and sniffed delicately. The box smelled of sweetness and grains, and saliva swarmed through his mouth in anticipation of food. Beneath the blankets, he scratched at his stomach. Wakefulness began to seep through him at the thought of eating and watching more animated drawings from Earth. “You wish to share in this…tradition with me, then?”

“You were sleeping out here on the couch,” Pidge deadpanned, giving him a look, “so you were gonna share in it no matter what.” A small emotion came over her. She glanced down, returning to connecting the cables. “And my brother’s still off-planet, so you’ll have to do.”

He huffed in amusement. “I am a companion of convenience, then. A replacement brother.”

“Yeah, something like that.” She began to scoot away from the cables, grabbing for her cereal bowl.

Lotor quirked a brow. His blanket shifted around him as he picked up the remaining bowl, mimicking her actions. “What is the topic of today’s entertainment adventure?” He watched curiously as she dumped cereal into her bowl and filled it with milk. And then he followed in kind, hesitantly dipping his spoon into the concoction and biting down.

His slit pupils dilated at the sweet taste.

His fangs crunched down loudly.

Pidge munched more quietly, but her lips stretched as she moved to turn on the movie. “It’s called Atlantis: The Lost Empire.”

Lotor’s elfin ears flicked in interest. “Lost empire?” he repeated curiously, voice muffled by cereal.

As the movie began to play, Pidge’s face brightened. “The whole movie involves an old human legend, about this advanced civilization that sunk under the sea in a sudden cataclysm.”

“Fascinating.” His explorer’s heart lifted in excitement, the sleeping disappearing fully from his eyes. In that moment, it did not matter to him that he was 10,000 years old or watching something that was most assuredly meant for children and families. “Does the legend have any form of validity?”

“Well, being mentioned by Plato, who was a real philosopher—” she pointed to the screen to the opening quote—“has made people search all over for it. But so far, nothing’s proven because there’s a lot of sunken cities on Earth.” She paused. “The movie definitely takes some creative license with ancient human tech, too. Like, ancient humans did not fly in fish ships.”

“I see.” Lotor crunched down happily on the cereal, eyes wide. The screen brightened with the cartoon colors of human animation. Strange, fish-like planes streaked through a blue sky in a panic. Lotor instinctively leaned along with the framing of the movie, as if he were on the ships as well. “Calamity is rather fun to indulge in when it’s not real.”

“I know, right?” Pidge grabbed onto her blanket, wrapping it around her.

And the two remained sitting on the floor of the great lounge, increasingly lost in the tale of Atlantis.

***

It was at some point after Milo Thatch’s introduction that Lotor hesitantly spoke up, his voice catching oddly. “This animation.” He tried again. “I thought you said once that humans were unaware of the planet Altea.”

Pidge pushed up her glasses, still cradling her cereal bowl in her lap. “Yep. Didn’t know about it at all.”

Lotor puzzled at the screen. He hummed, setting his cereal bowl down on his lap. “This Atlantis bears significant similarities to Altean technology and to its people, down to being significantly advanced even ten-thousand years ago.”

The human girl blinked. And then her face twisted in a mischief. “Oh, yeah. It might have more similarities than you think.” She began to waggle her bows. “Including to a certain Altean princess.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Also, you kinda remind me of Milo,” she declared. “Just saying.”

His eyes slit further in consternation, for at that moment, the somewhat bumbling but intelligent character of Milo Thatch was sitting in a water puddle after his museum colleagues rejected his proposal. For good measure, Lotor crunched down on another bite of cereal. “I may enjoy ancient history,” he declared, voice muffled, “but I am not as scrawny as he.”

Pidge poked him hard in his ribs, which still jutted out beneath his sleeping robe. “You’re right. You’re scrawnier.”

Lotor flinched away, shooting her a playfully dark glare. “A temporary consequence of being harvested by the witch. I will reclaim my health, and then you will regret making fun of me so.”

Her face split in a wicked smile. “Nah. You’re definitely Milo. Muscle can’t hide that you’re a nerd.”

He sputtered, waving his cereal spoon. “And what of you? With your books and codes. And cat memes.”

“Oh, I’m a nerd,” she declared. “I just own it proudly.”

The fallen prince ate of his cereal in a light disgruntlement. He watched Milo as the character awkwardly stumbled through meeting a busty blond human woman and then a spastic old man in a bathrobe—his objective always set on discovering the secrets of Atlantis and its sources of power.

Milo Thatch owned a cat too.

Lotor’s face began to heat in realization that he did have a lot in common with this strange human man.

***

By the time the character Milo Thatch met the Princess Kida of Atlantis, a real princess had sleepily trailed into the movie room. Allura’s long, pink robes slipped against the tiles of the halls, her curls a tumble down her shoulders. She yawned and proceeded to stumble her way over to Lotor and Pidge.

With little preamble, she flopped over them.

Pidge barely managed to raise her bowl of frosted cheerios in time, squawking. Lotor froze entirely as Allura’s white curls spilled across his lap—her warm cheek leaning against his leg.

“It’s too early for movies,” the princess whined lightly. She snuggled against him and wiggled a bit to get comfortable, laying across two bodies. “I could hear the sound all the way from my room.” Lotor’s attention split from the animated Princess Kida to the living, breathing princess in his lap. His elfin ears flicked back, and his sharp cheeks heated.

Pidge grumped and tried to shove her off.

The princess did not budge, save for a grump right back.

Lotor had long finished off his bowl of frosted cheerios—leaving not even a drop of milk in his wake. But he carefully pushed the bowl further away, in fear that her hair would end up in it. “We are watching Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” he murmured to her, voice straining. “Would you not like to watch it with us?”

Allura made a noncommittal noise, appearing to fall back asleep, the lines in her shoulders relaxing as she exhaled deeply. The action suggested she had grown to trust him a great deal, for the back of her neck lay bare where her hair had parted.

Lotor swallowed hard.

He turned to look at Pidge, who had sighed and given up trying to push Allura off—instead, she’d moved to accept Allura’s robe as something of a blanket and had rested her arms over the back of the princess’s legs.

Lotor hesitated, knowing that the paladins often piled upon each other as a means of displaying familial affection.

As Milo Thatch moved to swim alongside Princess Kida in search of the Heart of Atlantis, Lotor moved to brush his fingers against the waves of Allura’s curls.

It was a soft, hesitant action—testing the waters of her trust. She made a soft noise in response, her lips sleepily stretching. Her elfin ear flicked lightly as the calloused pads of his fingers ran over it. The action itself meant things to Alteans and Galrans, for only family and lovers touched one’s ears.

The princess nuzzled against him.

His heart skipped. Careful of his claws, he continued to toy with her hair as he turned his attention back to the movie, in which Milo’s very interest in Atlantis had now endangered the Royal Atlantean family.

Lotor bit his lip, feeling a great protectiveness for Allura wash over him.

***

The movie indicated that Atlanteans received their power from a great, sentient crystal—the animation of which was not unlike pure quintessence.

“Do you think,” Lotor asked quietly to Pidge, “that it is possible your Atlantis was real, and that some piece of a quintessence-rich substance—a comet, perhaps—landed upon your Earth?”

Pidge looked over at him, readjusting her glasses in interest. “I suppose it would be possible, but you’re suggesting then that Atlantis is real. And that the power in this movie is real.”

“How do you know it isn’t?”

“What would you do with it?” she challenged right back, raising a brow. “You got plans for that power or something?”

The fallen prince made a face. He was still absentmindedly running his claws through Princess Allura’s hair. “No. I simply fear that concentrated sources of quintessence may have this effect in our world—that it bonds to a host and…overtakes them, somehow.” His white brows knitted together. “As it did my own mother, who has been lost to quintessence, and a demon has taken her place.”

Pidge’s gaze fell to Lotor’s hand, which ran along the tip of Princess Allura’s ear. The princess herself was fully asleep against him, her mouth open with a trail of drool slipping against Lotor’s pajama-clad leg.

The girl’s face curled with a sneaky smile. “You’re worried about Allura? Afraid you’re gonna lose her over something, because you loveher?”

Lotor’s eyes snapped to Pidge, his face heating. “I know she has successfully navigated Oriande, but…” He fell silent with emotion for a time before he could add, “My mother came across something of great power, and it changed her.”

The strain in his voice made Pidge’s mischievous smile falter. She hesitated.

The movie played between them as the animated humans fought to steal Kida, who was bonded to the crystal.

Pidge eventually said, voice softer, “Allura’s really powerful. We’re not gonna lose her over anything.”

Lotor’s throat tightened. He continued to stroke Allura’s hair as she slept against him. “You do not know what I have seen quintessence do to people. Even now, if certain groups knew what all Princess Allura could do, they would seek to control her, just as the evil humans in this cartoon wish to do with the crystal-bonded Kida.”

An emotion came over Pidge. “Well—I mean, we wouldn’t let that happen.”

Within the movie, Milo Thatch had accrued a small band willing to risk their lives to retrieve the princess.

Lotor watched, his heart rising in a pound. “Do tell me that they save her,” he demanded. “I will not watch the rest of this if the Princess Kida dies.”

The human girl gave him a look. “It’s a children’s cartoon. They’re not gonna kill off the princess.”

His breath caught oddly, as if he suddenly realized what he was doing. He pulled his hand away from Allura’s hair. “Right, yes. Of course, they wouldn’t.” He breathed out slowly. “That is well.”

“You take these shows too seriously,” Pidge warned. “Half the fun is knowing that it turns out okay, but not knowing how. You just gotta watch.”

“And Princess Kida?” Lotor demanded. “She is not permanently bonded to the crystal by the end, is she?”

Pidge groaned. “Oh my god. Just watch the movie.”

The princess suddenly whined at the loss of Lotor’s touch, her blue eyes cracking open. “No,” she pleaded blearily. She disjointedly reached up, searching for Lotor’s hand. “Keep petting me; it was quite nice.”

He looked down at her, face tightening in a mix of amusement and protectiveness. “Apologies, princess,” he said, moving to run the back of his knuckles against her warm temple. “I will do as you wish.”

She made a happy noise, settling back into sleep.

***

Lotor did not relax until after Milo Thatch had released Princess Kida from her prison, and until after Princess Kida had saved Atlantis and reappeared from out of the crystal’s aura—to land in Milo’s arms.

“You see?” Pidge called, waving her hand at the screen. “What did I tell you?”

Lotor swallowed down emotion. His fingers stilled against Allura’s stiff curls and the warm of her cheek. Despite the fact that he knew the story to be a children’s fairy tale, an odd burn appeared in his eyes. He exhaled shakily. “You were right,” he relented. “The princess lived.”

“Exactly,” Pidge said. For all her youth, she narrowed her eyes with a critical level of awareness. “They saved the princess. Because she had people to fight for her too.”

He raised his vulnerable eyes to her.

An unspoken truth wavered between them—which was that he and the paladins would fight to protect Princess Allura in much the same way, if it ever came to it.

Then, Pidge broke the mood, her expression shifting with a demonic mischief. She waggled her brows. “You love Princess Allura.” She began to shove at Allura’s legs. “Wake up. Lotor wants to declare his undying love for you and tell you that he’ll save you from crystals and evil people and—”

“—Stop it,” he hissed, his cheeks heating. He grabbed for one of the extra pillows that hung off the edge of the couch—and he flung it directly at Pidge. “You gremlin.”

It struck her soundly, but it did not hide her cackle, nor did it stop Princess Allura waking up from all the unsettled movement and raised voices. Her eyes opened a slit. She made a noise of confusion. “What is—going…on?”

She sleepily raised up from Lotor’s lap, her white curls tumbling down her shoulders.

Pidge opened her mouth to respond with a tease, but Lotor smoothly cut in. “Pidge was just putting in another movie,” he said, voice straining. “Weren’t you, Pidge?”

Allura turned to him, still rapidly blinking her eyes. In that moment, she appeared so entirely vulnerable that Lotor struggled against an instinct to gather her into his arms. “Oh, another one?” She yawned. “But I think—I missed all of this one.”

The human girl crawled away, reaching for her watch with her movie collection on it. “Don’t worry,” she called merrily. “I’m sure Lotor wouldn’t mind reenacting it with you one day.”

“I should hope not,” he retorted, his lavender cheeks still in a flame of emotion. “I’d prefer the princess not be in danger at all. And I am not a Milo Thatch.”

“You are definitely a Milo Thatch,” Pidge deadpanned. “Allura, tell him he’s a Milo Thatch. You know he is.”

The sleepy princess only half-understand the plea. She rubbed at her eyes before leaning back against Lotor, resting her heavy cheek against his shoulder, curling up against him. “He’s—my Milo,” she murmured groggily. “Thatch.”

Lotor pressed his lips together, and he damned the skip of his heart.

Allura’s Milo.

He managed a glare at Pidge, but it lacked fire.

The human girl simply smiled back with that demonic mischief before turning away to look for another movie.

[mxvladdy]

Diavolo- True Form

Whoooooooo weeeee! ‘Pologies for the wait on these longer posts. I’ve been hit with a one two punch of house emergencies and sudden costly ass repairs, so my creative juices have been rightly squashed as of late.

Plus side I got my drawing tablet and drafting table back so I can neaten up my blog lay out now (yay!) 

Anyway this one was a challenge in the best possible ways. I really like Diavolo because of how little we know about him so it gave me some wiggle room. Or at least what I know of him- im only on like chapter 23 of the stories. Idk if I did him justice as this is angsty af but I sure had a blast writing it!

Hope ya like! Next up: Beelzebub 

Trigger warning: Mention of blood, and swearing. 

Diavolo-

He'll never show you, so don't ask. His true form is god-like in its own right and such knowledge, such truly raw demonic power in its natural form is not for your mortal eyes.

No matter what your lineage, it would break you. And despite his roles and being the literal devil, he doesn’t want you suffering.

Sometimes when he thinks you wouldn't notice he relaxes his hold on reality, just a fraction. He wants to relieve some of the tension that is always building just below the surface. Like closing your eyes when you have a tension headache. The mental energy he has to exert to keep face is enormous. Regular glamour doesn’t work nearly as well as his own, or Barbato’s magic.

But you see hints during your downtime spent in his company. A ripple in his reflection on the window pane. Unexplainable shadows dancing across his exposed skin. Too many teeth in his mouth when he laughs. Sometimes when you stare into his eyes you see something indescribable staring back behind them. His usually warm and inviting gaze darkening. A barest flicker, a hulking bestial thing kept locked behind in his golden gaze. It's enough to freeze the blood in your veins.

On certain nights when you can slip away from the brothers you stay in his room. Lying  awake, you watch his magic wane and shift as he slumbers. Sometimes you see runes, or at times letters. You are tempted to write them down and ask Solomon. But something stops you each time.

The worst images are the faces. Unknown souls trapped beneath his flesh clawing to be freed. Silent screams fading back into his body as he dreams. Your fragile fingers trace the patterns they leave as you wait for the next day wrapped in his embrace.

Only once have you seen more of his form then he would ever wish. The depths of his strength and mental fortitude were unknown to you so the slip up took you both by surprise. He masks the error well, but the sudden shift in energy in the room couldn’t be suppressed .

You are suddenly so aware of the oppressive weight of gravity on your frame. Your bones grinding together under the force of his aura. You panic, desperate by the need to breathe, but are unable to draw even the smallest bit of oxygen as it is robbed from the room. Time and reality wrapped too, distorting in ways only you thought only Barbatos could do. You knew in that moment the sudden dread of death, how mortally was but a rusty shackle tethering you down.

He collects himself, dispelling the energy and locking his glamour down tight to protect you. But that split second of fury felt like an eternity to you as you sink to the floor. You hiccup a shaky sob and shiver. Your fragile human mind bowing under the strain of what it cannot comprehend. Scolding hot tears fall from your cheeks, before splashing crimson the stone below you.

You didn't approach him again for over a month. No matter how strong you are, some things were better off unseen.

Mini Fic

He didn’t know. For once in his ancient pitiful existence, he had been unaware of his surroundings. It had been for just a moment, one tiny crack in his veneer. The foolishness of Mammon and Belphegor’s actions finally poked the right nerve. He wouldn’t hurt them, for Lucifer’s sake. That prideful demon would never forgive him if he did. But he could scare them. A quick look at his true self; a flash of the deepest bowels of hell. Enough to give them a reminder of their positions and standing in his court. He had expected their whimpers of fear, could taste the acidic tinge of it exuding from their pores. What he didn’t expect though was your blood curdling screams alongside.

Ironically, he would have to thank the second eldest later. His fast thinking is the only thing that saved you from complete damnation. His body shielded yours, taking the brunt of the stronger daemons hellish might for you. What little magic Mammon still had left used to protect you. Though, while your vision was blocked, you could still feel his oppressive presence. It racked your mortal flesh. Diavolo knew what affects his power had on humans. He spent years breaking and consuming damned souls with zeal after all.

The brothers had run from him after that, screaming for Simone. Barbatos following close behind, a look of consternation on his usually impassive face. You had been so limp in Mammon's arms. Diavolo could do nothing, shocked by his own weak will and realization that he might have ruined everything. You had been whisked away so quickly by his faithful servant and the brothers that he hadn’t had a chance to look you over himself. But the brief moment he saw will haunt him for years to come. Your eyes red from the sudden haemolacria, the blood staining your clothes and face. Your fingers digging away at your soft skin, black and purple blotches staining what he could see. Mouth opened wide on a silent scream. He knew what you must have seen. The souls of the damned trapped under his glamour breaking free to latch on to your unmarred soul trying to drag you back with them.

Against his butler's advice he stands at your door now days later trying to see you. He couldn’t sit around and just hear updates second hand. The brothers had been keeping guard most days in a valiant attempt to keep him away. But he could only be waylaid for so long before he used his rank against them.

He had arranged a full council meeting. Every one of the brothers knowing full well it was to get them out of his way. Yet, the order was absolute. This time none of the brothers could reject it. Barbatos would keep them in that room for eternity if he so wished for it. He hated using his age and power against them, but he saw no other way to get to you.

It was foolish now, standing as he was in front of your door. A part of him hoping you would turn the knob and let him in. Let him comfort you for once, instead of the asinine distractions the brothers offered. He could help too. Hells, he wanted to. He wanted to be closer to you. Power discrepancy be damned. The other part of him knowing it was for the best that you didn’t. Your guardian and tormentor all in one. He listens to your muffled sobs for a moment fighting with his feet to stay cemented to the floor instead of heading back in defeat.  

"When my father was still around he took me down to the deepest depths of the kingdom. Where the worst of the traitors and sinners are imprisoned." His deep baritone rumbles through your door during a break in your crying. "It’s a place few seldom go; even now I have yet to return. Back then he told me ‘there will never be a human soul that is undeserving of punishment. Even the ones destined for the celestial realm are tethered to sin.’ At that time I believed him. The things I saw in your realm... " The prince chuckles wearily.

He remembers the ever present scowl on the old King's face. His dark eyes looking out at the sea of damned souls he controlled. Even as a young daemon, fresh into his wings and still sharpening his horns to impress others he could tell how much his father detested his position. How it had warped him, turning him bitter and cold, even to his mate and only child.

Diavolo never wanted to be like that. Not to the ones he supposedly cared for at the very least. "I think that is why he hated the other realms so much.” He continued. “Humans, for their ability to choose which realm they would eventually end up in after they pass. That even the worst sinners could find redemption enough at the last moment to get to the pearly gates. While daemons, no matter how well they served, or the duties they did for the good of their own would never be seen as equals to our celestial counterparts or yours. That this existence is all we'll ever be destined to have. Nightmares and monsters, stories to tell little human children to keep them in line.” He pauses, collecting himself. “I believed wholeheartedly that every human deserved the punishments only my kind could dowel out. But, in this past year I have spent with you, I find myself changing. You are so undeserving of such torment. Somehow you are understanding and forgiving beyond measure to us. You handle our ill tempers with such grace. For daemons such as us, it is staggering, and humbling. I regret that I have hurt you so deeply and have broken your trust. I swear it as the head of this realm I would never intentionally do so." He looks at the door handle willing it to open. " I am so sorry."

Your crying picks up again. Huge heaving sobs that rattle your chest. Great Father, he just keeps making it worse. Clearing his head Diavolo turns.

Rejection of this nature was new to him. No one had ever dared to ignore him, especially such as this. The royal in him- his father's blood- seethed that he would even stoop so low as to grovel to a short lived thing like yourself. Even deeper yet, it demanded another taste of your essences. You little soul kept safe behind your rib cage. He wanted it added to his collection, kept tucked away deep within his maws.

It was sick; it was wrong. He chokes on the idea. The intrusive thought burrowing deep. How deplorable was he? Perhaps the angels were right to keep him out of heaven.

You didn't show to class the following day, or the days after. Unsurprising to him and the seven of the inner council. He figured the other day wouldn’t change anything. But it was utter agony to him. These days trapped in his office only getting short and curt updates on your health from Lucifer. It had been a special kind of torment.

Today he sat once again at his desk staring at some godforsaken bitching of a royal cousin. He knew this whelp. Some backwater thrice removed eons ago. Yet he was demanding an audience? The gall. The ink of their eligible handwriting makes him cross eyed. Would this day ever cease? He looks to his hourglass, the sands within seemingly frozen in time.

"My Lord, perhaps you should take a moment to stretch your legs?" Barbatos moved from his corner. Gloved hand coming to rest on top of the same three lines he had been reading for the past two hours. "This work could wait another evening I’m certain ."

"Did I do the right thing my friend?" Diavolo doesn't even bother answering the question his servant posed. They both knew he wouldn't. "This program. Our human exchange students. Solomon is one thing, but-"

"Your will and path is absolute." Barbatos states. "There are no mistakes within you, merely stumblings onto different paths."

With a gentle push Barbatos moves the hulking demon out of his way to collect and organize the scrolls and letters scattered about the large desk. "You made the right choice bringing them here. Look at what they have done. They are entertainment to you are they not?"

The prince rose knocking his desk aside and descended on his butler. His true form out in all its unholy glory now. His highly condensed magic distorting the study as if he was a black hole. The axis of the room shifts. His priceless collection of books and toys disintegrating from the cold radiation he emits.

It was all for show really. There was nothing he could do to an ancient being such as Barbatos. So he lashed out, throwing a tantrum in the security of his office. The hopeless agitation he felt fueling the flames of his rage. His butler had only added holy water to his already festering wounds.

Barbatos had been by his side for time in memoriam. The crafty bastard had helped raise him. Had shaped him into the ruler he was today. If anyone could break and remold him it would be his oldest companion.

The dark haired daemon waited for the waves of agitation to dry up. Moving only when the prince was in his more presentable demonic form. Large barrel chest heaving as he reined himself in. “Are you back to your senses?” He asks coolly, already categorizing the items to replace and furniture to be mended.

"I had not meant for it to go like this."  Diavolo croaks into his hands collapsing back on what remained of his desk. Building a bridge between realms, yes. That noble idea was the greater purpose of this program, but the rest of it. The classes, and dances. The parties where he threw his newest toys about to see how they would react to things other mortals worshiped? That had been for his own curiosity and amusement. Lesser beings navigating a foreign world blind to the dangers that were right under their very nose. Bring a mortal with no magic into his realm? Deep down he knew this was an inevitability. Especially with the freedoms he granted them. He just didn’t think he would get so attached.

“No one believes that you would hurt them on purpose.” His butler cuts off his downward spiral. “It would ruin the program. That is what you are so stressed about, right?” Barbatos eyes him skeptically. Diavolo, himself, and Lucifer had spent many sleepless weeks constructing and negotiating this program. If the Arch Angels heard a mortal was hurt down here it could very well end this little escapade. But the look in the prince’s eyes told a different story.

A warm glow emanated from his cheeks and he was unable to meet the old daemon’s gaze. Ah. "Or perhaps things have changed?" Barbatos smiles coyly up from beneath his bangs. "You are your mother's son after all. Neither of you were ever able to stem your bleeding hearts for long." Diavolo squawked indignantly but didn’t argue. Instead he merely turns a darker shade of red and curses under his breath.

He skipped out on court that evening. Not that he cared much. The other nobles would no doubt use the time to gossip about his whereabouts and uncouth behavior of late. Truth be told, he was avoiding the brothers more than anything else. They had made it expressly clear (some more then others) how they felt about him currently. He wouldn't doubt that Belphegor had a few more brothers on his side now.

Instead he stood at your door once more with a tea tray in hand. He had bumped into Simone on the way. The angel had come to bring you dinner and to check up on the last of your wounds. Celestial magic worked miracles on those who have been touched by the darker arts. Diavolo was grateful for his talents. And, by some miracle, Simone had made it abundantly clear he was not going to bring this to the higher ups on his end either.

Upon seeing the prince slinking up the house's stairwell the other man had simply smiled and offered him the tray. “I suddenly got a message from Luke. Could you perhaps drop this by our friend’s door?” Diavolo had accepted without preamble, large hands dwarfing the platter of little tea cakes and sandwiches. The young cherubs work no doubt. His cooking was a fine treat, and a great incentive to at least open the door.

“Hello again.” He knocks twice. “I just wanted to check in on you. I know I am the last person you wish to see but I was hoping to talk?” Silence greets him. Were you awake? He breathes deeply and focuses on picking up your vitals. You were up, your heart thumping steady somewhere in the room. That was good. “I also have dinner for you. Simone had an urgent matter to attend to so he- for better or worse- entrusted this to me.”

Diavolo searches hopelessly for something else to say. He couldn’t just leave the food and go. He needed to see you. “I don’t plan on staying long today. I understand when I am not wanted, but I cannot help myself but be worried for you. Perhaps this is just me contritioning, because I know I caused this. The amount of times I have been called a ‘ass’ by Solomon over this have been staggering.” He rambles. After another bout of silence from your end he coincides. “I see- I will leave the food by the door and let you rest.” Defeated he puts the food down and turns to leave.

The door clicks open slowly. One bloodshot eye peeking through the crack. “Oh mio piccolo mortale.” He loses his grip on your shared tongue at a loss. You looked- you must have been in the hall longer then he or the brothers had known. Such damage couldn’t be done in a few moments. Your skin was healing as nicely as Lucifer had said, but the deep purple scarring still remained on the surface. The burn pattern of it all was random. Twisting wounds that reflected an oily sheen from the light of the hallway. “I-.”

“I know-” You cut him off with a raised hand. “and I feel as though I owe you an apology too.” Your voice was so weak and shaky. A mockery of your normally strong and jovial tone. Hearing you laugh at school had brightened the dreary halls. He hadn’t realized it until you weren't there.

“You owe me nothing.” Diavolo says in earnest. He watches you contemplate your next words before throwing whatever you were going to say away.

“Would you like to come in?” Your eyes drop to the tray. “Luke always makes more than I can eat.”

“I don’t think that would be wise.” He backs out. All his plans crashing and burning around his feet. His actions had been irreparable.

“Perhaps not,” You open the door wider taking the tray and heading to your side table, leaving him no room to argue. “But then again, being a lamb among such wolves as yourself and the brothers isn’t smart either.” You meant it as a joke but he couldn’t even muster a chuckle. It was true. Gods. “Dia-” You approach him again but falter at the last second.

As much as you wanted to be close to him again the memories were still so fresh in your mind. The cold hell fire of his magic ensnaring you, searing your skin. The whispered words of sinners long since past still echoing in your head, all in languages you’ve never heard before. The worst though had to be the screaming. Lost souls begging for help. Some sounded so familiar…You shutter involuntarily.

You wanted to hate him for this. Curse him for putting you through this pain. But how much could you blame him? Or any of them? They were daemons. Whether he meant to hurt you or not, it truly had only been a matter of time before it happened. It would be hypocritical of you to fear or hate him forever over this. Six of the seven brothers have threatened your life before, and you have forgiven them. Hell, one of them actually killed you. What’s more was that Diavolo’s wrath hadn’t even been directed at you.

Wrong place at the right time; seemed to be your forte. “Please, come in.” You repeat again firmer than before mustering up either courage or sheer human stupidity to order him in. You couldn’t tell the difference anymore. “We need to talk.”  

He enters, following at your heel like a lost puppy. All air of princedom gone as you clicked the door shut. Diavolo fiddles with his hands, old habits from childhood coming with his nerves. He didn’t know what to expect anymore. Yelling? Some kind of beratement? A plea to go home and never look back?  He would let you.

You pass by him, giving him a large berth of space to get to your seat. “Tea?”  

Diavolo jerks his head to you. He had forgotten momentarily the plate of food he had used to get access to you. You smile sheepishly pushing it and a plate of sweets towards him with your unbandaged knuckles. He doesn’t move till your hand retracts back to your lap. You jerk your head to the open seat waiting for him. You weren’t going to take no for an answer.

“I- thank you.” The daemon sits making himself as small as possible in the straight back chair. He takes the porcelain and drinks mindlessly. The scalding hot tea doing little to help the tightness of his throat, but it did thaw some of the ice in his mind.

“Are-how…” He fumbles so unsure of what to do next. “I see you’ve been keeping up with your school work.” Diavolo closes his eyes, wincing internally at his words. That’s what he comes up with? Idiotic.

You smile anyway, eyeing the massive pile of books and paperwork spewn about your bed. “Yeah. I’ve taken to doing my school work with Levi in his room. Mammon and Beel are nice enough to drop it off to the teachers when they are due.” He nods. He knew this of course. But it was nice to hear it from you. But yet, you don’t meet his eyes. Far too afraid to see what hid behind them.

The thought of being dragged back into those dark depths again makes your pulse quicken. You instead stare at your nail beds, finding them more interesting. They were purple now. The nails stained black by the contact with his magic. “Will- will that go away?” He asks. Demonic curses or taints were nigh impossible to remove fully. Disgustingly, he hoped they didn’t. Then your nails would match his. The darker depths of his soul coo at the idea, happy that in a small way every daemon would know your his. Not as good as a pact, but as close as he could get to being a part of your little mortal life.

“I’m not sure.” You reply honestly bringing your hands up to place them on the table. “Simone and Solomon have done what they could. But, it is as good as it’s going to get for now. They say it could fade with time.” You look up at him, eyes gazing to the left of his face. “Luke thinks I should see a stronger angel.” Diavolo winces, the thought stung, and terrified him. “I told him no.”

That surprised him. This was your chance. The celestial realm had been skeptical from the beginning. If they knew, it would be a perfect caveat for them to step in. “Why?” Finally you look at him. The fear was still there. Hesitation evident in your eyes. Yet you forced yourself to look at him, fighting through your trepidation.

“Did you mean what you said earlier? About your father and what you think of me?”

“Of course.” He replies without hesitation reaching for your cold hands. You flinch but don’t move away. It felt-nice. His warmth chasing away the perpetual chill that covered your fingertips. Idly you stroke his strong hands with your thumbs.

“Then, I think we can work on this privately.” Slowly but surely you felt like you could fix this. Not for the program, but for yourself.  

[ktheist]

in another life (i would be your man)

muses. hero!yoongi / assassin!yoongi / father!yoongi / lawyer!yoongi

word. 2.5k

genre. reincarnation au

x

time and time again, you find yourselves in the other’s absolute mercy.

mercy, which both of you know, the other will not grant.

“have you any last words, hero?” the grass shrivels up around yoongi all because hot air wilts the greenest of life.

a single bead of sweat trickles down the side of yoongi’s face as he looks at you without a shred of fear in the face of death.

“all the gold you’re hoarding... does it bring you happiness?” he says, as though already finding serendipity before you can even drive your talon into his chest.

“happiness!” you roar, mockery dripping off your word, “such humanly sentiments. you forgot who you’re speaking to, hero.”

“yoongi... yoongi’s my name” he sighs softly, eyelids fluttering shut, “say it.”

it is you who fall silent this time.

to say the name of the soul who’s bound to you not for love but for destruction... have you the right?

in your last life, a good few hundred years ago, he’s the one that drove the cross into your chest.

in the one before that, you burn him at the stakes for the wretched powers he held.

in this lifetime, even the armor made of the silver cannot withstand the weight of your paw, talon digging into his chest as he lays underneath you, ready to accept the heroic death.

“very well, if not in this lifetime, then perhaps the next...”

you live for three human lifetimes as the great dragon who brought the continent together. the humans, without their hero, are mere mortals. they learned better than to put their faith in one man.

in the next lifetime, you find yourself kneeling in front of a silver haired man - what a striking hair color for someone who’s supposed to be on the low.

“my hand’s gonna slip,” that gravelly voice still sends shivers down your spine.

“what-” you breathe out, eyebrows knitting together.

he takes his aim.

but there’s something wrong.

the angle he’s pointing at will graze your cheek and ear at most.

then he shoots.

when the bullet bounces against the cement somewhere a few inches away behind you, your body moves on its own. your leg sweep out to send him tumbling down onto the ground. your thighs pin his hips down so he can’t get up and you push the gun farther beyond his reach.

“why are you doing this?” you hiss, knife against his throat.

“don’t you think we owe it to ourselves to be happy?” yoongi says simply, too complacent for a man who’s about to lose yet another life to his enemy.

“that’s not how it works,” teeth gritted together, you press the dulled side of the knife harder against his snow-kissed flesh.

“then, how does it work?” he asks.

for a moment, you’re frozen in place. then you’re taken back to where it all begins.

you were a queen who poisoned her king before proceeding to ruin the kingdom until it remains but a memory to those who’ve lived through your tyrannical era. yoongi was the crown prince from a small country who enticed you into his chambers and kept you locked in a tower like a caged bird while he went to war with the neighboring kingdom with your kingdom’s army.

“i- i hated you for seducing me and locking me up in that tower,” you murmur, breath shaky, “a- and you hated me because i-i couldn’t be killed... because i was...”

“a blood sucker.” he finishes for you.

a flash of anger crosses your eyes and paint your vision red. you press the knife harder - no doubt there would be a bruise, “no matter how immortal i was... i died because of a broken heart. you killed me!”

“i was breaking my own heart for having to keep you locked in that tower but if i let you go...” he trails off, his hand coming to settle on yours.

it’s the first time you hear him choke up.

“so many died because of our love,” yoongi’s voice comes out barely above whisper.

“your sin is mistaking hate for love,” you flick your wrist, switching the side of the blade pressed against his neck to one that could cut through clean and swift.

but before you can seal yet another lifetime of your surviving, a sharp pain cuts into your arm, forcing you to release the blade, your free hand cupping the familiar circular wound that’s gushing with blood.

you push yourself off him, going over the ledge and jumping off to your safety. and yoongi’s left in the cold, night air, the coms in his ear buzzing back to life.

it’s six months later that he finds you, dressed in deep red, smiling seductively as you cling on a man twice your age. all of a sudden, he finds himself ignoring whatever his partner’s saying in the coms and approaching you and the man.

yoongi can barely remember what he said but he remembers the overwhelming feeling of relief when the man pushes you off and march out of the room, shouting russian vulgarities.

“planting a bullet hole in my arm isn’t enough, you just had to sabotage my mission, don’t you?” you’re on top of him once again but the ground isn’t cold and hard as he’s always remembered in the series of you pinning him down in differing lifetimes.

“have you thought about what i said?” he doesn’t look like he minds it anymore.

being pinned down by you, that is.

rather, yoongi quite likes the view of your cleavage when you lean down close enough to whisper into his hears, “i reflected on my past mistakes... and truly, i wish nothing more than to have you gone from my sight once and for all.”

then his index finger ghosts over the softest protrusion of the healed up scar on your arm. and you feel goosebumps on your skin.]

you leave in the morning, slipping out of the hotel room in that skin tight maroon dress, noticing the woman in the lobby, looking like what you would’ve looked like if you were waiting for your partner who went against orders and checked into a room in the very same hotel he was supposed to eliminate his target at.

sloppy. fucking sloppy.

yoongi never sees you after that. he got reprimanded and almost got eliminated by his own agency if it hadn’t been his father, the head of the extermination department who pulled some strings and buried the matter.

it’s a surprise he’s still alive at the age of of thirty-one, owning a lawfirm of his own and living the life he’s never thought he’d have.

a normal one.

then, he spots you, walking down the sidewalk holding a toddler’s hand and smiling down at him like he’s the most precious thing you’ve ever hold dear to.

“stop the car,” yoongi orders.

“s-sir?” the driver, surprised by the sudden request, hesitates.

“pull over!” it’s the first time the young man has ever hear his boss raise his voice.

so he does just that, but a block away from where yoongi last saw you.

he runs as fast as his legs could carry him. but the sidewalk is empty of a woman holding a child’s hand.

it takes another year of him searching records of faces and names. for you have many and unlike yoongi, he’s sure you have no one to pull the strings and make one blunder disappear.

then he finds you, under a pseudonym, of a certain kim hana whose child is named kim youngsoo.

“it’s me,” he announces, stepping into the light that pours past the window and over not even half of the room.

“mommy, can we order pizza?” youngsoo’s lively voice rings from outside of the room.

“yeah, why don’t you decide what toppings you want and i’ll be out there in a sec, sweetie,” your voice sounds heavenly - none of the guarded strain that he usually hears. but your eyes, they look like the eyes of a woman who would give everything to protect her most precious possession.

“so it was you... one year ago,” you say, ambling to the dresser where yoongi easily finds out your motive.

“the gun’s not there anymore, you really think i’d break into the house of an ex-assassin and not think to look for weapons tacked up somewhere out of sight?” he hears the frustrated sigh you make before you stand with your feet apart.

looks like you believe his words.

looks like you’ve got no problems taking him on with bare hands.

“he’s mine, isn’t he?”

a scoff.

“you’re pretty dumb if you think one night’s all it takes to get pregnant with your bastard child.”

“who’s the father, then? why isn’t he around?” he presses on.

and his questions have always been intrusive but you notice the weight of his every inquiry. as if he’d drop dead right this instant if you don’t answer them.

“he walked away, couldn’t accept that we had to always be on the move just because he had a baby with a wanted woman.”

and it’s not the police that wants you.

“his social security number?” yoongi shoots you another question.

“i don’t know. i don’t remember,” you say simply, a shrug accompanying your answer.

“number one rule of being an assassin: never forget anything,” yoongi recites easily, even after five years, he still recalls the drilling his mentor forced him through, “so that leaves us with one possibility: he doesn’t exist, this ex of yours.”

“mooooom.” youngsoo calls out, sounding too close for comfort.

“just a minute, sweetie. why don’t you take my phone out of my bag and get ready to dial up the number to the pizza place?” there’s a lightness in your tone.

envy wraps around yoongi’s heart before he even realizes it. how he wished you’d speak to him in that delicate, loving tone as well.

“look, i’m tired, i’m done playing games, i’ve been done since that night. i know i fucked up and i know some day i’ll pay for it but not tonight... tonight... at least let me have one last night with my kid.”

it’s the way the word ‘my’ and ‘kid’ fall naturally off your mouth that makes yoongi realize that he’s the one stuck in the beginning all along. that he’s the one who couldn’t move on from the past even though he sought to change the present and threw your world upside down when he decided not to take the shot.

before he can say anything, you’re already out of the door but he senses no rush in your footsteps.

“do you have the pizza place’s number down?” there it is again, the soft, tender tilt in your voice.

it’s a little faint but he hears it clearly.

and it may very well just be a trick to make him sympathize but what is he to sympathize with when he’s only here to ask for confirmation?

why do you treat him like death who’s finally come to take back your borrowed time?

well, the answer was simple.

“i paid off the bounty,” yoongi meets you at a cafe where he knows you’ll feel safer.

no assassin will make a move in broad daylight, in public, with his face out for the cameras to record.

“how much?” you sound like you just got another loan tying you down.

“enough that they can’t resist,” he states.

and before you can even say anything, he goes on, “i want to see him.”

“no.” you say curtly.

“he’s my child too.” he slides the white envelope he pulls out of his pocket to you.

it contains the dna results from the hair on the comb youngsoo complained he lost and yoongi’s own hair.

“he’s doesn’t need a father,” you don’t even give the envelope a second glance, “if that’s all-”

“that’s not for you to decide on your own,” he cuts you off.

it’s the firmness in his tone that makes your eyebrows rise. min yoongi has always been a gentle soul. even when he was driving a cross into your heart, he’d done it with the heaviest heart.

and for him to place his foot down like this - how very unlike him.

which is why, when he pulls, you pull harder.

“if you so much as appear in front of youngsoo, we will disappear and i’ll make sure you’ll never us again.”

and with that, you take out the blank check from your purse and slip it over to him. the check and the envelop laying side by side.

money isn’t the issue, you’ve managed to wire every single penny you have to different bank accounts before the agency could even freeze the one in seoul. it took several trips to japan, hong kong and china but you eventually got enough to start a new life with your new life.

and that new life of yours is being shaken by the presence of an entity of the past.

you begin noticing the men and women dressed in plain clothing standing a few feet away from where you and youngsoo go. they’re there, acting absolutely normal which makes it unnormal. always watching, always being on guard as if their lives depend on you and youngsoo’s security.

it goes on for another three months before you finally get tired of it and approach one of them, “call your boss over.”

youngsoo’s blowing bubbles at the park when a sleek black car pulls up at the curb and a familiar face steps out.

“you can see him every week on saturdays, one no-show and you’re out. also- i decide when he finds out,” you set the rules and yoongi looks like he a little kid who’s about to perform at his school’s talent show, “do we have a deal?”

“absolutely,” he nods readily.

yoongi’s hand moves on its own and he almost hooks his index finger around your pinky finger as if asking for some kind of emotional support. but he stops himself.

he walks beside you, watching as you walk out from under the shades of the tree, your expression instantaneously brightening when the sunlight hits, “youngsoo-ah,” you wave the toddler over.

his little legs comes running towards you, curious, bright eyes staring at yoongi and right through his soul. he’s never felt so bare and defenseless.

the only thing that keeps him from running away is the fondness in your voice. and the smile on your face that he’s never seen before, “youngsoo-ah, this is uncle yoongi, he’s mommy’s friend...”

yoongi musters the best smile he can - he never needed to try. it’s the people around him that force smiles to please him. never the other way around. never him having to smile so he wouldn’t scare off his son.

he crouches in front of the child that’s partially hiding behind you, “youngsoo-ah, it’s nice to finally meet you.”