I Suddenly Understand How Miguel Fans Feel 🥵

IT IS TIME

Anyway adults saying “I don’t know isn’t an answer” is part of the reason I learned to lie and bluff so well.

i was drawing something serious for this beautiful movie and then i immediately was struck with inspiration for something stupid.

genshin sugar daddies

premise: you have seven sugar daddies: one for every day of the week. a bit overwhelming, right? however, you somehow find ways to make time for each and every one of them, no matter how emotionally and physically demanding they are. it's just that, now they don't seem too keen on sharing, and you don't know what to do. (modern au)

tw: nsfw, dark content - minors dni

mondays are always harder in more ways than one. mondays are diluc's days, and that means that you're spending a good portion of your nights at angel's share.

on mondays, it's happy hour. which means that you're sitting at a booth in the corner looking pretty while diluc is tending to his customers. you're more than happy to sit back and relax while you wait for him to finish with work. when the drinks are on the house, you're willing to wait as long as it'll take.

periodically, when he's not busy, however, he'll walk over to you and engage in conversation. you act as a taste-tester for new drinks so he's always asking you if you like them. you two will talk about your day, any interesting events, and so on until diluc is pulled back into work again.

then you're back to fiddling your fingers and watching him work. over time, you've learned that he preferred that you not do anything while you were supposed to be with him. that instead, you fixated your gaze on him while he moved about. sometimes you'll catch him looking at you to see if your eyes are still on him.

even while he's dealing with a certain tone-deaf bard, there's something about the way he looks at you so intently that reminds you of a predator.

when angel's share closes, you're there to keep him company while he cleans up. when he's done, he'll sweep you away back to his manor.

you'll fall onto the sheets as he grinds against you. his shallow breaths brush against your throat. the look he gives you is nothing short of intense.

"everyone at the tavern was looking at you, you know," he mutters, running his fingers down your chest, sinking into your pants. he pulls them down effortlessly along with your panties. "didn't you feel it, darling? their filthy eyes on you. they want to ruin you. everyone wants to ruin you."

he throws your legs over his shoulders, his fingers crawling up your thighs. you jump when he suddenly inserts two fingers into your cunt, scissoring you. his free arm wraps around your leg to keep you locked against him. his eyes are glued onto you as he presses a kiss against your calf.

"but your eyes were on me all night, weren't they. couldn't take your eyes off me, could you. you're mine, dear. do you hear me? you're mine."

you don't overlook how tight his grip is. tight enough to make you wonder if he'll ever let you go. in the morning, he does, but you're scared for the day he wakes up and decides that it's for the last time.

tuesdays aren't as bad. when you’re sore from the night before, childe is there to take you out to meals, shopping, and sightseeing. he's not always available to spend time with you on tuesdays, because of his equally-demanding job and whatnot, but when he is free, he never wastes a second.

or a dollar.

childe smirks smugly from his sea. his posture is lax, one hand lazily tracing circles on the chair's arm while the other comes up to rest under his chin.

"how about you twirl for me, girlie? you look so beautiful."

you giggle, observing yourself in the mirror. "why thank you."

you bask in the way the soft satin kisses your skin. the way your newly-own earrings sparkle under the dressing room's light. just a couple years ago, you could've only dreamed of being dressed so prettily.

"do your side-bitches ever treat you as well as me?"

"childe!" you chide.

he laughs, getting up from his seat. but you both know better than to believe his little chuckle is genuine.

he approaches you, sliding his hands around your waist. tucking your head under his chin, he stares at you through the mirror's reflection.

you don't say anything, and childe doesn't either. it appears he's more than happy to enjoy just standing there. his gaze is glossed over, far away.

the two of you sway side to side for what seems like forever until he decides to say something.

"do they buy you pretty things like i do?"

of course they do, you think. although you spend one-on-one time with each and every one of them, they are all aware of each other. it's only right that they did. it was the first thing you said when you brought the idea up to them, that it wasn't going to be exclusive.

but when you see the way he looks at you, you can't really tell him the truth. not when his focus is redirected from his thoughts to you.

"the things you buy me are a special kind of pretty," you reply.

it seems like that answer is enough for him, because he doesn't say anything else. instead he hums quietly, letting the vibration ripple in the back of your head. he slides his hands down your hips and before you can say anything else, he whips his head around.

"i'll buy these sets." he motions over to the closest clothes rack to an attendant you hadn't noticed. "and that one. and the dress she's wearing. how many colors does this come in, by the way?"

the attendant doesn't hesitate. "five colors, sir. they come in bla—"

"great." he shuffles through his pocket to pull out a black card. "pack them up, we won't be here any longer," he retorts.

the attendant looks ecstatic, quickly shuffling out of the dressing rooms towards the cash register with newfound glee.

"childe," you whine. "i don't think these will fit in my closet."

his hands crawl lower, his finger hovering over your clit. "then they'll fit in mine. come over any time of the week when you want to wear one of my special pretty things."

your breath hitches as he rubs slow circles on your clit. he pushes the two of you back into the dressing room and closes the curtains.

"what are you doing, she'll be back any second—"

he kisses the corner of your jaw, pressing his lips close to your ear. "no worries. if there's one thing i'm sure about, it's that no one undresses you faster than i do."

wednesday is when usually everything calms down. kazuha will typically invite you to a new park, scenic route, or gallery. together, you'll write haikus, sonnets, and limericks together. some hours you'll just sit in silence, putting pen to paper. and when the sun goes down you'll exchange poetry.

out of the seven men, kazuha probably scares you the most. he was the first person you decided to do this whole ordeal with, after all. and since he's known you the longest, he also knows about your circumstances more than others. maybe that's why he's so focused on treating you as if you were a fragile cherry blossom petal. his touches feel like ghosts, running down your forearm as he presses a kiss to the apple of your cheek.

in exchange for his protection, his money, and his care, you give him honeyed words. you act as his muse for when he's hit a creative block. you're there to listen to him read out verses when the wind can't bear the strength to carry them. you listen to his grief about his best friend, his loneliness when he was forced to leave his home country. as someone many of the locals looked to for wisdom, he too carried the emotional burdens of being someone's rock. emotional burdens that he let onto you (whether purposefully or not, you're unsure). but you listen anyway, hearing him talk about days of poverty, where sometimes he had to worry about things to eat, or how to get proper healthcare.

you can't lie and say you're always stable enough to hear some of the things he has to say, but you try.

even if you sometimes feel like you can't take it, you just smile and squeeze his hand tighter like you're supposed to. sometimes your mind will go on autopilot, and sometimes you'll stand up on the grounds of needing to go to the bathroom. but at the end of the day, this is what you signed up for. this. making men happy so that you yourself won't have to worry about your endless debt.

you peer over your notebook to see kazuha immersed in his own writing. but instead of his usual peaceful expression, he looks somber. his hands won't leave the paper, his eyes glued onto the words that he's drawn onto the pages.

"what's got you so worked up?" you ask curiously. "is it something new?"

it's like your voice snaps him out of his trance. he blinks, looking up at you. there's a smile you know all too well on his lips. "yeah, i suppose you could call it that."

"could i look at it? i want to see what's got you so focused like that."

his lips press into a straight line. "hmmm, maybe later."

his words catch you off-guard. usually he's the one who's eager to share his work, regardless of the quality. "oh? is it something you want to keep secret?"

he doesn't many any hint of an answer. instead, he puts down his pen and stares at the ground in contemplation. he's picking and choosing what words to say.

"i could protect you," he says, shuffling his papers to the side. you turn to him, curious. his expression slowly hardens. "by myself, i mean. i could take care of you."

"kazu—"

"i have the means to make a living for the both of us. i could sell more of my poetry, i know they'll sell well—"

"where is this coming from?" you move closer to him, brushing his hair aside. "kazu, are you worried about something?"

there's something that's stopping him from saying anything. his fingers intertwine with yours, his thumb caressing the back of your hand.

he purses his lips, before turning away and sighing. "no, not really."

after that, he doesn't say anything else. the two of you bask in silence once again. even though you're used to the quiet, there's something deep down in you that feels nervous. like something in the atmosphere changed. there's a sudden resolved glint in his eye as he get backs to writing so diligently on a piece of paper he won't let you read.

after all these days spent talking about himself, somehow you're scared for the day he suddenly decides to stop.

on thursdays you're usually at tighnari's greenhouse, watching him take notes of other plants while you twiddle your thumbs. once in a while, he'll begin rambling about the plants—what kind of species they are, how rare, their medicinal properties, and the like.

you're more of a companion, than anything. someone who can make his days a little less lonelier. and you appreciate it. it's much more tranquil with him. you can enjoy his sharp quips, especially when cyno comes to visit.

his sex-drive is relatively normal, if not a little below average. just like wednesday, you also expect thursday to be a typical rest day.

except when spring comes.

when spring comes, your routine get a little wonky. for one week, at least. because that's when tighnari's heat hits him like a fucking monsoon.

you can already tell when it's coming when he begins to hover closer to you. whenever you take your hand out to do anything, even the slightest gesture, he's already taking it and dragging it towards his sensitive ears.

the moment you've made your plans set to 'take the week off' and help him out, he's already on you, face pressed into your neck as if it's his oasis.

as you can tell, he takes this week very seriously.

"i bet—shit—those other fucks don't get to hold you as long as i do," he lets out as he fucks into you like there's no tomorrow. his hands hold onto your waist like he owns it, pressing sloppy kisses down your spine. "looking so pretty for me. i wonder what they'd say if you got pregnant with my babies. you'd be so much more beautiful plump with my kids. is that what you want huh? to make them angry with my cum stuffed in your gorgeous pussy?"

some days you almost can't believe how uncharacteristically aggressive he is. he dicks you down like he's trying to imprint his shape into the core of your body so that none of the others can fit inside.

and when he cums, he'll take whatever unfortunate portions slip out and smear it all over your chest. especially where your heart is.

then the process starts all over again.

when it's over, he'll spoon you. as if he didn't almost fuck you to death. his touch is tender, like a ghost's hovering over your skin.

"why won't you leave them all for me?"

you shift a little to look at him and kiss him softy, sweetly, on the line of his jaw. "oh, nari, you know i can't."

his ears droop at your words. "you can't, or you won't."

his words make you freeze a bit.

you think back to last week, and the week before, and the one before that. you think about why you started selling your services in the first place, the endless debt you used to be in, and the progression of the relationship between all seven of your...contacts. even if you wanted to, you don't think you could back out if you tried. you've dug a hole for yourself. one deep enough to cause some sort of disruption if you ever decided to stop digging.

so you just hum. "you know how much i love routine."

as some sort of apology, you give him and open-mouthed kiss, one he's almost desperate to return. he moans, hands cupping your face to bring you closer to him.

you're well unaware how much your words have an impact him.

at the end of the week, all al-haitham wants to do is unwind. it's the only logical thing to do. no late-night drinks with the colleagues, no stressful trips to some tourist trap. on fridays, al-haitham comes home to a meal made with love.

when al-haitham's at work during the day, you're usually running your actual errands. it's when you have time to make those one-in-a-blue-moon visits to your actual home, although it's getting harder to call it that.

when it gets to the late-afternoon, you'll usually head to al-haitham's place to start cooking. if you didn't know how to cook before, you do now. every ingredient is handled with care, measured meticulously just as you knew he preferred.

and when he gets home, tired and stressed out, you're there to welcome him with a chaste kiss on the cheek.

during dinner, sometimes he'll talk to you about work or the latest research he'd gotten himself immersed with. in return, you tell him about some of your childhood memories. your likes, your dislikes, what used to be your hobbies. you do your best to keep your personal matters out of the conversation, no matter how many times he tries to pry into your private life.

sometimes dinners feel like a full on investigation, the way he keeps greeding for more information about you. he watches you eat with calculating eyes. you pretend to pay no mind to it.

in the beginning, kaveh used to join you for dinners. you always liked the guy, the way he bickered with al-haitham and riled him up. but now you've begun to see less of him, as if he never comes home on fridays at all.

after dinner, there are two different outcomes depending on his mood:

outcome one is that you'll spend the rest of the night curling up on his couch, the both of you immersed in your own books. al-haitham leans on your shoulder as he flips through the pages as if they're nothing. you can't help but feel ticklish whenever his hair brushes against your jaw.

somewhere in the middle, he'll move one hand to start fidgeting with the end of your shirt, sometimes crawling underneath to caress your sides.

outcome two is less quiet. the moment he gets home with that solemn face, you know it's coming. his voice is huskier, his responses shorter. it's usually a result of an impending deadline, colleagues being more peskier than usual.

the moment you two are done with dishes, he gingerly takes your hand and leads you up to the bedroom.

his kisses tastes like green tea and dinner. his hands run up and down your torso, trying to imprint the feel of your skin into every inch of your brain. you whimper when his thumbs press softly into your nipples, rolling them around as they harden.

your hands find purchase on his collar, tugging him impossibly close. he groans at the contact.

you let out a yelp when your back suddenly falls onto the bed. your hands are pressed onto the sheets, al-haitham's fingers encircling your wrists. his knee nudges your legs further apart, rubbing at your clit.

"don't look at the ceiling, dear, look at me," he breathes out, his hands leaving your nipples to gently guide your face towards. "that's it. good girl. just me. just look at me. only me."

he smiles.

"now, let me do god's work on your divine body."

saturdays with ayato can sometimes get hectic. some saturdays you're out getting bubble tea together and enjoying the city, and other saturdays you're hurrying to some publicitiy event hosted by the kamisato clan.

on those type of days, you can expect to wear gowns layered with shiny nylon tulle fabric. it's not as revealing as what you'd try on in dressing rooms with childe. in fact, it's a bit more modest.

today you're wearing a light-blue gown to match with ayato. you turn around to get a good look at the cute bow attached at your waist, your diamond encrusted earrings swaying along with you.

it's as if you've put on another costume. another front to wear for the night.

ayato enters the room just shortly after. in his hands is a diamond necklace to match with your stunning earrings. small smile falls upon his lips when he clasps it on.

"you're beautiful," he mumbles. you giggle when he kisses you square on the lips, licking away the tinted color.

"ayato," you press in-between kisses. you place a hand on his chest to gently push him away. "you're going to ruin my lipstick."

he pulls away with a cheeky smile, taking your wrists to wrap around his neck. "you can always put on some more later."

you pout but kiss him regardless. he tightens his hold on you in reaction, moaning into your mouth.

at these kinds of events, you're there as his plus-one. just so that other officials could stop introducing girls to him when he clearly wasn't interested in them. it'd be arguable to say that you might even be there to make the events a little less intolerable.

somewhere along the lines, you'd sleep with him in addition to being his arm candy at parties. sometimes even before: you two rushing to put on your formal attires and fix your hair minutes before the event started.

but beyond that, you started to get to know him better. he'd whisper into your ear about funny stories relating to the guests as you meet them. sometimes you'd run away in the middle of the party to binge out on the food and talk about your other interests. surprisingly, he doesn't talk about the politics behind his duties as the head of the kamisato family. not as much as you expected, at least.

instead he talks about his dreams for a family. how many kids, what their names would be, how he'd raise them. and as he talked, he'd give you this heavy gaze that you're not sure what to do with. as if he was expecting something from you.

you're beginning to believe that ayato has somehow confused contractual girlfriend with actual girlfriend.

when you had met ayaka months ago, ayato introduced you as his girlfriend. you didn't attempt to correct him—that's ayato's business. not your's. but when you're expecting ayato to come clean to his dearest sister, you're sorely mistaken.

instead, while he kisses your lips so hungrily, he subtly slips a diamond ring onto your finger.

sundays are usually kaeya's days off. although the cavalry captain's duties are seemingly never endless, he takes the day off to take a breather.

in other words, he sees you.

at first, it was just candlelit dinners. he'd walk in with a bouquet of roses, complimenting your dress and staring at you as if he was undressing you with his eyes. he'd take you to somewhere fancy, pull out the chair for you and sweet-talk you all through the night.

conversations were fun with him. you didn't have to think much at all, not about how to pay the bills, the six men in your life who seemingly began to want yours to only revolve around theirs, or being someone your not.

kaeya was probably the only one who you felt you could be comfortable with. he made you laugh, he'd tell all sorts of interesting stories, and he never made the silence feel awkward.

at least, that's how you used to be.

you see, usually after these candlelit dinners you'd both go back to his place, with him ripping off your clothes the moment the door closed. but as of recently, he's been asking to come over to your place instead more often. almost too often.

and that's not the only thing that's changed.

the sex used to be rough. heated. almost as if he was consumed by all of his pent-up sexual frustration and was only focused on getting off. he'd slurp your cunt like a man starved but he'd still rail you as if that's the only thing he cared about.

but as time passed, he's been getting more and more...sensual. the sex is much more slower. personal, almost.

vulnerable.

after dinner, he slowly slips off your clothing. one article after another, until your left in your underwear. he first kisses you on the mouth, then your neck, then your chest, then your stomach. slowly, he makes a trail of them down your body, as if no skin deserved to be left untouched.

although you made a rule that no one could leave your marks on you, it doesn't mean he doesn't try. as he kisses your lower lips, sometimes he'll attempt to leave marks close to your clit. if you're not careful, diluc will find it tomorrow.

his thrusts were always deep, but now that he's much more purposeful about it. it's rhythmic, as if he's trying to reach a new spot inside you. somewhere no one's touched.

the pillow-talks are much more longer as well. he holds you tighter now, wrapping his arms around your hips as he tangles his legs with yours.

instead of ranting on about the silly incidents he witnessed on the job earlier in the week, he talks about his feelings. towards you. towards diluc. towards himself. some nights you can handle it, some nights are too much.

but you can't say anything. not when he's holding onto you like you’re his lifeline. not when he helps you pay off your debt. and so you let his raspy voice whisper in your ear as he combs his fingers through your hair. you listen to him mumble sweet-nothings.

you're not sure if you like the adoring look he gives you as you drift off to sleep.

kot - a regular cat

koshka - a regular female cat

kote (internet slang) - a cute chubby little guy, every single cute cat on the internet

kisa -  a pretty, flirtatious, graceful, cranky and haughty lady

kisunya - an extra pretty, flirtatious, graceful, cranky and haughty lady

kis’ - just a dork, controlled by aliens

kotik - a bit more disney version of a regulat cat

koten’ka - cuddly little fella, will purr and knead you to death 

kotofei - usually a big, old, extra fluffy cat, who knows a lot of bed time stories

kotyandra - fast, thin and slinky, we not sure if it’s even a cat 

koshak - a tough street guy, dogs fear him

kotyara - extra round, exrta big, kind ass fella. 

Thank god for Russian dash cams to bring us wonders like this

Okay so i saw this thing on YouTube and my mind went straight to Jade and Idia from twisted wonderland

Look at the baby mooshroom I swear these exist in twisted wonderland and nobody knows and Mc would 100% be the one to discover them and then Jade and Idia would want to ‘Adopt’ it

Both Jade and Idia be like: what is that? *Starring at the Mooshroom with absolute intentions of adopting*

Baby Mooshroom: *hiding behind it’s new mamma figure* Mooo *Pecking at them cutely*

Mc/yuu: MY Mooshroom son his name Is Red *unaware she just stared a war*

Jade and Idia will fight for the for the right to be the Mooshroom baby’s dad and Yuu/Mc will no the wiser

Meanwhile Lilia is coming for your child

Also credit to KaypeaCreations on YouTube they made the Mooshroom baby

Link to video

Hiii! Congrats on getting 100 followers! Your writing is so good, I enjoyed every one of them. ❤️❤️ If it’s not against the rules, can I request a short story with lots of fluff in which Malleus finds out that the reader is his soulmate please!

𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲'𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

| Notes: Hi, anon!  Nope, it’s all okay! I do mostly hcs bc it’s easy but a short story from time to time is also good. So, for the soulmate plot, I got the idea of creating this whole folklore about some soulmates connecting because of a special song only they know (and you’ll have to pretend here that Disney didn’t created “Once Upon a Dream” in 1959 lol The first part is the classic one and the second is based on Celestial Bunny’s translation of the Japanese 2º paragraph ver (from that one Malleus video everybody watched, link in the special notes). But the very last part is a little adaptation I made. It might seem rushed in some parts bc I actually lost the original by accident and had to rewrite it again but I tried my best to do something really sweet and funny in some parts. Hope you like it! Thanks for the request <3 |

Malleus Draconia x gender neutral reader / soulmates / song connection / scenario / fluff / 2520 words / use of “you” pronouns

Cherry’s Harvesting event 🍒 Masterlist

Once Upon a Song

Malleus was excited that afternoon to meet you at the Ramshackle. He was humming to himself while walking, not singing the lyrics but producing a serene, good measured melody. For all the long centuries of his existence, this particular song has always been present within him in some way. 

Malleus wondered if he himself created the melody and lyrics alone because he had never heard anything like it anywhere else.

It was almost always in the back of his mind, like a protective spell. Malleus hummed it wistfully when he was feeling down and more serene when he was happy. And talking to you always made him happy — in a special, inexplicable way.

He had felt this way since he first met you in the middle of the night among the ruins of that poor dormitory forgotten by Crowley and the world, with the exception of Malleus and the ghosts. From the first glance, something in his heart felt different. More complete. There weren't enough words to describe that feeling.

It was as if he spent his whole life without his horns, essential parts of his nature. However, upon your arrival, he would have felt the horns finally crown his head. 

But it was still a very weak metaphor for his feelings. Perhaps, it should be said that it was like realizing that he was missing something that he didn't even know he had missed. Complicated, yes, but a little more truthful and similar. 

Not that this was the time to think about those things. 

You had promised to walk with Malleus that night to see one of the school towers that had ancient gargoyles reminiscent of guardians from the Valley of Thorns. He was super excited to show you this and you were very interested in finding out more about the history of that world — and spending more time with Malleus, of course.

Not that he realized that last part. Malleus could see that you, unlike the others, didn’t run away from him and enjoyed his company in a very special way, but he wasn’t sure of the depth of your feelings. Which made him strangely sad. 

Even though Malleus said to himself that he would be satisfied if you were just friends, he felt a painful twinge every time he said that. It hurted like being pricked by a needle. Small and treacherous poisoned needle of a light lie, leading him into a fatal delusion. A heavy sleep of fleeting dreams.

“I know you, I walked with you once in a dream...!”

Malleus stopped at the door of the Ramshackle, not having noticed that he had walked so automatically down the stone staircase, lost in thought. Your sweet voice awakened him. 

“I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam!”

But it wasn't just for your melodious voice and yes, for the lyrics you sang. A song that Malleus knew so well, the very one he had been humming before he arrived. The question was: why did you know the song he created?

“And I know, it's true that visions are seldom all they seem, but if I know you...!”

“I know what you’ll do... you will love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream.”

You got scared, letting the broom with whom you danced fall from your hands. While you sang your verse, the door had been quietly opened and Malleus entered uninvited — though he liked to be received by you, his kind and hospitable friend. 

But, finally, he finished the song that was accompanying your cleaning of the room.

Malleus's voice was deep and strong, having turned the cheerful melody into something more sober and serious, almost mirroring his expression at that moment. You didn't know why Malleus was staring at you steadily, as if seeking in you the solution of a mystery. 

Although it was you who should face him like that because he was the one who sang a song that only you knew! Many thoughts agitated your mind, so many that you ended up shaking your head to pull yourself together and pick up the poor broom again. 

“You know that song, Tsunotaro?,” you asked, feeling strange. You tried to smile to ease the tension.

“I've known it for as long as I can remember. Every verse, every note,” Malleus went from serious to apprehensive, starting to walk across the wooden floor that was clean of any dust and cobwebs that had fallen from the ceiling. “How do you know it, child of Man?”

“I don't know... I have also known how to sing it since I was a child. Although I never really heard it anywhere.”

You took another fright when Malleus suddenly approached you, looking directly into your eyes. You might not have the same hesitation as other people about him, but in a way, you didn't blame them for feeling disturbed by Malleus’ intimidating presence. Even more so when he squeezed his eyelids, considering what to do at that moment while watching you.

“We have no choice. We need to search for Lilia.”

“W-weren't we going to see gargoyles?,” you tried to remind him of the original appointment.  “What's wrong with us knowing the same song? It's just a coincidence, Tsunotaro. Don't need to be so stressed about it.”

Malleus stopped for a moment to laugh softly, which was a relief because his heart was beating fast like a thunderstorm. In fact, you even heard the faint noise of rain suddenly falling outside. That's what got you worried. 

Malleus’s mood always had strange effects on the weather and days before, he had just helped fix the roof leaks. You thought he was angry, which would make the rain heavier and bring your poor house down. But you were worried for nothing — Malleus didn’t realize that he had given you the wrong impression.

He was happy. Partly. It would only depend on you to make his joy last longer. Malleus was really feeling stunned by those emotions. What you thought had been anger and indignation were, in fact, agitation and confusion. He himself didn’t know what to express at that moment.

But when he held out his hand to you — which you accepted promptly, without hesitation — Malleus just said:

“There are no coincidences…”

For the first time, Malleus said your name.

And so, with a slight swirl of his hand, green fireflies appeared around you and suddenly, you two were no longer there. Grim woke up from his sleep on the couch, only seeing a light green magic in the place where you previously stood facing Malleus. But he just shrugged his shoulders and went back to sleep peacefully.

                                                    🌸

Lilia didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the situation. He must have expected something strange when a gentle thunder strike announced Malleus’s arrival in Diasomnia, bringing you by the hand — and your expression as someone who never magically teleported was priceless. But you seemed anxious about something.

Or Malleus was anxious and you were just being infected by that feeling. What happened was that Malleus snatched Lilia from the kitchen — to everybody’s general joy — and led him to his room, where they could talk alone on that important topic.

Once the situation was explained, you didn't have much else to do other than wait for that old fairy to pour a little wisdom and hope into that strange coincidence. But yet Lilia wanted to have a little fun.

“I don't know if I understood it very well. Can you sing that song for me?,” he asked, giving a pointy smile.

You could feel Malleus inflame his nostrils next to you, a bit of smoke escaping. He must have sensed that his mentor wasn't taking any of that seriously. And you just wanted someone to explain what was the big deal in all of that. 

Yes, it was strange just the two of you knowing an oddly specific song word for word but, you had seen strange and absurd enough things to be alarmed by something like that. 

“Do you want it from the beginning?,” you asked.

“Oh, does it have a second chorus?”

“Yes,” you both answered at the same time, looking at each other shortly after.

Lilia stifled a laugh with his hand.

“Please... lovebirds.”

Those words made your heart miss a beat. You stared at Lilia and his smirk, not knowing how to react. All this time you tried to take your feelings calmly and subtly, living each day with Malleus as if in a fairytale slowly turning page by page.

But, apparently, you weren’t as subtle as you imagined. Malleus also seemed to give Lilia a look, censoring him. Then you took a deep breath, pulling yourselves together. Malleus sang first and out of pure habit, you moved your lips accompanying the verses engraved so firmly in your memory:

“In your transparent eyes, I became my ‘true self’ after we met,” you immediately continued and Malleus recognized your words. “If I love with a free heart, the pain also disappears...”

You turned to each other, more amazed by the way the melody didn’t change and your hearts led you to sing the same thing.

“I must become strong to protect... you…! My precious dream.”

“Like once upon a dream,” you said without taking your eyes off Malleus.

Was it all real? Was it happening right before your eyes? You breathed some air to ask Malleus a question, but Lilia interrupted you.

“How beautiful are soulmates! An old acquaintance told me about it a long time ago but I never thought I would live long enough to witness it with my own eyes,” he got up from his chair, floating around the two of you.

“S-soulmates?,” you repeated, surprise.

“Never heard of it, little human?”

“Oh, we have something like that in our world, but it's just to say that two people seem ‘perfect’ for each other…”

“Well, here it is something much more complex! Malleus, you didn't explain anything to your friend?,” Lilia inquired with another wide grin.

Malleus moved away from you, suddenly losing all his excitement. Worried about him, you followed him to the second window of the room that was right next to a dragon made of stone. The sky was dark, laden with gray rain clouds that grew stronger as the painful minutes passed by.

You gently touched Malleus’s shoulder, which made his gaze pass from the melancholy world outside back to you. 

“I feel like you want to tell me something,” you said, having sounded as docile as possible to make him open up comfortably. “Is it... about this soulmate-thing?”

“ If I tell you... you will cease to be my friend and will turn away from me, disgusted with your cruel fate. This curse that fell on you without you even knowing.”

“I'm not leaving, Malleus. I promise.”

You held his hand, your gaze resolute and determined. Malleus was surprised, it was the first time you called him by name. If only you wanted to call him that for the rest of your lives. Even if you pass away someday, Malleus would echo your words in his mind as if spoken for the first time.

Could he dream about it? Maybe he shouldn't. You deserved so much more than the future of stones and thorns he could offer.

“In truth, I really owe you an explanation,” Malleus sighed. Thunder sounded in the distance, but your eyes didn't leave him. “The myth of soulmates was once very famous a millennium ago but, over the centuries, its fame has been diminishing and today many cultures understand it differently or no longer recognize it at all. In the Valley of Thorns, the ancient tale says that two souls are linked by a song. A song that only they know and have never told anyone.”

“Where have I seen this before?,” Lilia playfully muttered.

“These two people can sing either way, but the lyrics will remain the same. If they create more stanzas, nothing will change. In a mystical way, the other soul will have that same inspiration. In some versions of the most popular fairytale in the valley of the fairies, a princess found her prince with a song they knew together.”

You didn’t interrupt Malleus at any time, listening to him attentively and respectfully. Nothing could take away your focus at that moment. 

“Which means: we're both soulmates,” Malleus finished.

“You say it like it's something bad…”

It was a loud thought you ended up saying, catching Malleus’s attention immediately. He stared at you, confused.

“But it's not...? For you? What would make you happy to be stuck from the eternity of time to someone like me?,” he asked.

“Just talk to him,” Lilia said, more serious now while softly massaging your shoulders. “I'll leave you two alone.”

And so, Lilia disappeared. You had no choice but to face Malleus and confess your feelings, especially when it was obvious that he had no hope that you would love him back. Which wasn't true.

“Malleus, finding out that you are my soulmate does make me happy,” you said, getting a surprised look from him. “If there is anyone in this vast world who would leave me jumping with joy that we are connected forever... it would be you. Always you. I love you, Malleus, and there are no powerful forces in this world that can tear us apart.”

“It takes a lot of courage to say that... my love,” Malleus couldn't help but smile, holding your face gently. “Even though the future is treacherous, I am happy to know that I have you by my side. I think now I understand what I felt I was missing all this time.”

“I know how you feel. I also know that I may not be able to do anything fantastic, but I hope my simplicity is enough.”

“It is, dear. Always was.”

You smiled, tilting your head to feel Malleus’s hand on the side of your face. His skin was cold but strangely comforting. Perhaps because it is the most concrete version of any dream you have dreamed of you being together. 

The song you shared has always been there in your mind, a unique melody like Malleus’s love. And now, you could sing it together. It was a feeling of joy beyond all comprehension.

“Is something going on?”

“THE YOUNG MASTER IS TRAPPED WITH THAT HUMAN!,” Sebek's voice echoed behind the door, scaring both of you.

“They just proposed to each other, Silver... and I would very much like them to finally give a kiss of true love!,” Lilia emphasized the last sentence, trying to feign subtlety.

“Like in fairy tales…” 

Silver’s calm comment made you laugh. You just couldn’t help it. You looked at Malleus and he smiled too, a little embarrassed and anxious. He would pick on those three for interrupting your private moment — unless you could improve his mood with that expected sweet, wonderful kiss that only soulmates can exchange. 

For the first time, Malleus forgot about the gargoyles he wanted to show you that night.

| Special Notes: Malleus as that one video “male cover” of Once Upon a Dream from the Maleficent movie, jap version. |