𝚆𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 (𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚡 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚡 𝚖𝚑𝚒𝚗)
I have a lot of drafts abt poly relationships, one of the last ones I'm working on is a wedding with the five, but I have no inspiration to continue it, so by now here's this one.
I had a really hard time trying to connect mhin and vere somehow, so by now lets say this are my headcanons abt them.
Longest one till now, took me around three days to finish it. Also, english is not my native language so I apologize if there's any mistake with mhin's pronouns or Vere's.
Idea suggested by my wife @mysticmelodiesoftheforest
Summery: After a quiet evening with Mhin and Vere, doubts about your worth begin to drown you. But in their warmth, and in their words, you start to realize that maybe, just maybe, you’re not as unlovable as you thought.
Warnings: mentions of eating disorder, body image issues, self-esteem issues, anxiety, negative self-talk, emotional vulnerability, comfort and reassurance, poly relationship dynamics, light angst, headcanons.
The moon, large and round, hung above you, bathing everything in a silvery glow. It was that same light that highlighted Mhin's pallor, giving them an almost ghostly air, as if instead of sitting next to you, they had emerged directly from the water and the sky. You watch them in silence, their hand resting against yours, as you sit at the edge of the pier, which stretches silently over the dark water, built of old but sturdy wood that creaked softly every time someone moved on it.
You had come here alone many times, even with Kuras, but over time you found Mhin here. At first, they avoided your company, as always. Now, as the months passed, peace came more easily when you were by their side.
The lake, wide and deep, calmly reflected the open sky, where the stars seemed to sink into the surface like moving embers. In the distance, the breeze carried the echoes of the city of Eridia, distant footsteps, scattered voices, but there everything sounded muffled, as if the world had been left behind when you reached this hidden corner.
The air smelled of fresh water, with that cool, clean touch that sticks to your skin, mixed with the damp wood of the pier and a trace of seaweed. From time to time, a fish broke the surface with a brief splash, rippling with the moon's reflection.
A strand of mhin's hair glistened in the moonlight, and without thinking twice, you gently tucked it behind their ear.
“You look handsome,” you whispered. “Although... you always do. It's just that the moon has a nasty habit of making you mesmerizing.”
The blush appeared on their cheeks as you expected, followed by the typical evasive look.
“Shut up and concentrate on fishing, will you?”
You smiled. And even though they were trying to sound harsh, the corners of their lips betrayed a slight smile. Then, just a whisper
“You're much prettier, anyway.”
You blinked, uncertain. You heard it, but you wanted to confirm it.“What did you say?”
“Argh...” they sighed, putting the rod aside. They turned toward you, their cold hands cupping your face with delicate firmness. “I said you're much prettier. Okay?”
You were about to reply, but Mhin quickly cut you off.
“And I don't want you to deny it again.”
The heat in your chest rose suddenly. Your eyes fell to their lips, lingering on that little beauty mark just below. The air between you became too heavy, too short. And they noticed.
“You know you don't have to ask...” they murmured.
They leaned towards you, pressing their lips against yours. It wasn't a voracious kiss, but a slow one, almost clumsy in its sweetness, laden with tenderness and a shyness that finally surrendered. Their hands sought your waist, pulling you closer with more confidence, deepening the kiss without haste.
After the kiss, Mhin slowly pulled away, their lips still brushing yours as their fingers cling tighter to your waist.
“I love you, Mhin...” you whispered, still feeling their breath mingle with yours.
There wasn't a second of hesitation. They reacted purely with instinct, kissing your face repeatedly: your cheeks, your forehead, the corner of your lips. Each kiss was clumsy, desperate, as if they had been suppressing that urge for too long.
“I love every part of you...” they murmured between breaths, their words trembling as they escaped, "without exception. Do you understand that?"
Your fingers tangled in their shirt, searching for something to anchor yourself to, something to confirm that they were there, that it was true. You've always had a hard time accepting compliments, looking at yourself in the mirror without the reflection feeling like a lie; your body has been a battlefield for so long... but Mhin never seemed to see it that way.
For them, there was nothing to fix, nothing to hide. They loved you with the same intensity you now felt in their mouths, kissing you with tenderness so honestly it hurt, slowly melting the barriers you had built against yourself.
You pressed your forehead against theirs, hugging them tightly, as much as your body would allow, and they returned the gesture. The hair tie in Mhin's hair fell out, letting their white hair wave gently in the cold night air.
A soft giggle escaped you as you gave them one last kiss before letting them sit down again, both of you breathing heavily. Before they could say anything else, your voice echoed: “We should head back now, don't you think? Vere is waiting for us.”
A long, tortured sigh escaped Mhin; the mere mention of Vere annoyed them, but they knew it was too late. Reluctantly, they began to pack up their things.
“Waiting for you, rather,” they muttered. “That perverted fox can't wait to get his hands on you again.”
You got up with Mhin, helping them carry one of their bags, and together you walked along a path that crossed the river, entering once again the vibrant streets of the Amaryllis district. You tried to distract them with light conversation, coaxing a smile out of them as you crossed the river and walked through the bustling streets.
Although you knew that the two of them would never fully get along, you have noticed some things change over time, Vere had toned down his teasing of Mhin a bit, although he still provoked them enough to keep them irritated, but without going so far as to make them try to kill him. You were glad to see their relationship becoming more tolerable over time.
“Hmm, we should give the cats names and stop calling them just that, don't you think?” you asked.
“I guess so... What do you have in mind?” Mhin kept walking, their brow relaxed a little.
“Hmm... how about Eli for the white one? And we should give the others a bath too, they're a little dirty.”
Mhin nodded, and the conversation made the time pass more quickly. Soon you both arrived at the house Vere had indicated. It was a normal house, but with a cozy touch of a lived-in home: candles lit up the living room, empty plates on the table, shelves with books and crafts, a comfy armchair with messy cushions. Mhin sat quietly while you walked around lighting more candles to get a better view.
Then, from the shadows of a dark hallway, Vere appeared. His presence was always impossible to ignore, his reddish hair, loose, fell over his shoulders, an earring tinkled with the movement of his ears. His clothing revealed part of his chest and abdomen: a light shawl that hugged his torso, leaving his softly defined muscles visible, his gloves were the same as always, covering only two fingers, and dark pants with silver chains hanging down the sides. The usual chain around his neck hung down on both sides of his chest, like a provocative adornment with a painful undertone, contrasting with the different shades of purple in his outfit. Every step he took seemed to measure the distance between you, his soft, purring voice brushing against your senses.
“There you are... I thought you weren't coming.”
“Where are the clothes I gave you?” he asked with a small, feigned pout, playing with you again. “I wanted you to wear them for this occasion...”
“I kept them in my room at the Wet Wick... you didn't tell me you wanted me to use them today...”
Vere's tail moved quickly, impatiently.
“Don't worry... I brought them here because I figured you'd forget. Very rude of you not to think about it... and I had chosen them with such care.” You knew he was playing with you again, and you smiled.
“Yes, I'll wear it, okay? Wait a minute, how did you get it out of there? And... whose house is this?”
Vere turned away without answering, letting out only a soft laugh as he vanished back into the shadows.
Without realizing it, Mhin appeared behind you. The faint sound of their footsteps was lost in the crunching of the ground, and their presence surprised you. They were holding the bag with the fish, the damp fabric showing the shape of the catch.
You turned to them, blinking with a slight start.
“Ah... what are you doing?” you asked, still recovering.
Mhin seemed slightly annoyed, though not with you. Their tense lips and the way they held the bag gave them away.
“I was going to cook this, but since Vere changed locations again... I don't know where the cats are.”
“If you want, I can help you—”
You didn't finish your sentence. Vere came back from the shadows of the hallway again, moving like a dark reflection. His hand rested on your shoulder and his cold breath brushed your ear as he whispered “Go to the end of the hallway. There's a room there. Change there.”
Then he turned to Mhin. Mhin's brow furrowed when Vere got too close to them.
“They're under the bed in the corner room, covered in dust and dirt. Are you planning on bathing them?” Vere raised an eyebrow and, with two fingers, removed a leaf tangled in Mhin's hair, throwing it on the floor with a gesture of disgust. “It's seems that is true that pets are just like their owners.”
He let out a dry laugh. You kept walking. The last thing you heard was Mhin's voice, full of annoyance, complaining about Vere's insufferable attitude.
The hallway was narrow, barely lit by the moonlight coming through the cracks. The old wood creaked under your footsteps. At the end, you found the room. The door gave way with a slight squeak. Inside, the darkness was kinder; a large window let in a silvery thread that fell on the bed. The furniture was in the center, the sheets rumpled as if someone had been sitting there before. A wardrobe stood in the corner, dark and heavy. On the bed, carefully folded, where the clothes Vere had chosen for you.
Vere had always been selective with your clothes, obsessive even, he always gifted you clothes with luxurious fabrics, shiny accessories that only make you feel uncomfortable, it made you think that you just weren’t in his standards. Your body was not something you wanted to show, every mirror was a condemnation. You had long avoided looking at yourself in them, your reflection seemed to become a little more distorted each time. Your relationship with food was just as fraught; rationalizing it never seemed enough.
You sat silently on the bed, feeling the weight of your thoughts. For a moment, you wanted to lock the door and stay there. Not eat. Not to see them. The fear of rejection was a lump in your throat. They were attractive, brilliant in their own way... but you? What were you next to them? The idea that they deserved better gnawed at you. And the fact that they hated each other made you feel like you were forcing them to be together for someone worthless, someone as horrible as you.
“They don't deserve this,” you thought, slowly curling up on the bed. Cold tears ran down your cheeks. “Someday I'll be enough for someone,” you told yourself, as you silently choked back your tears.
Then you heard it. A soft, warm purr coming from under the bed. When you looked down, a small white kitten with blue eyes emerged from the dust. She was dirty, but you didn't care. You picked her up carefully and put her on your lap. The kitten meowed, as if asking what happened with you. She rubbed against your stomach, moving her little paws in a gentle rhythm. Her tiny claws didn't hurt you; on the contrary, they brought a faint smile to your face. With your free hand, you wiped away your tears.
“Thank you, Eli...” you whispered, stroking her head.
You left her on the bed for a moment and got up. You walked over to the mirror in the corner. There you were, but the more you looked at it, the more flaws you found. You walked away, as if fleeing from that image, and picked up the clothes Vere had left on the bed. The kitten played with one of the bracelets, pushing it with her tiny paw. You smiled a little again, and, with slow movements, you began to change your clothes.
When you finished dressing, you looked at yourself in the mirror again. The fabric fits your body with an almost liquid sheen, reflecting the moonlight. Each accessory, made of silver, just like Vere's, sparkled as if it tied you to him in some way. Eli followed you out of the room, when you had enough courage to get out.
The hallway was still dimly lit, but this time the silence was filled with murmurs.
You recognized their voices.
“Stay still, will you?” Vere said, with barely contained annoyance.
“I would if it didn't move so much,” replied Mhin, irritated.
You heard the drip of a faucet and a slight splash. Curiosity led you to the half-open bathroom door.
“Don't you dare get me wet,” Vere's voice sounded closer.
There was another splash, louder, accompanied by meows.
“What? Are you afraid of a little water, little fox?” Mhin's mockery was evident.
“What about you? You need a bath too.”
Then there was the sound of a sudden waterfall: water fell heavily, splashing the floor. Mhin fell silent.
You pushed the door open and stopped in the doorway.
The scene took your breath away.
Vere, with an expression somewhere between amusement and resignation, covered his mouth with one hand while holding a dripping cat in the other. Mhin was completely soaked, their hair plastered to their skin, drops falling down their neck, and their clothes clinging to their body. Inside the tub, several cats stared at him with round eyes, motionless, like little witnesses to a crime.
For a moment, no one said anything. Then Mhin lowered their head, trembling... and burst out laughing. A sincere, unexpected laugh. Vere followed suit, laughing too, though not without Mhin insulting him between laughs —"You damn fox.”
Both noticed your presence then. Vere turned his head toward you; when he saw you wearing the clothes he bought for you it make his tail wag from side to side, until he turned just enough so you couldn't see it.
“See? I told you I have a great taste,” said Vere, with a smile that seemed more mischievous than cruel.
His gaze shifted to Mhin, who was still dripping wet and had flushed cheeks.
“It looks beautiful on you.” Vere caressed the trembling cat in his hand.
“That's the only thing I would agree with you on,” Mhin murmured, brushing their wet hair away from their face.
Your heart skipped a beat. You felt the air grow thick, that familiar lump rising in your throat again. Part of you wanted to believe their words; another part rejected them vehemently. Did you really deserve to be looked at like that?
You tried to smile, looking down.
“And who said we are?” replied Vere, taking a step closer.
He set the cat down on the floor, next to the others who were now curled up on the rug. Then he took a towel and draped it over Mhin's shoulders, covering them almost completely. With a gentle movement, he guided them out of the bathroom, although they were dragged rather than accompanied, muttering something under their breath.
When they passed you, Vere didn't give you time to move out of the way. He pulled you along with them, with that gesture of his that was somewhere between authoritative and casual. You were caught between them, Vere in front of you, staring at you with those bright eyes, and Mhin behind you, so close that you could feel the damp heat of their body against your back.
Mhin buried their face in your shoulder, leaving a trail of moisture on your skin.
Your heart was beating so hard you could almost hear it.
Vere cupped your face in his hands. His eyes, normally so vibrant and sharp, softened to gentle embers. He leaned slowly toward you and kissed you with unexpected tenderness. However, doubt remained anchored within you, and the kiss ended too soon.
They both knew something was wrong.
Mhin leaned towards your ear, their warm breath on your skin. Their hands moved carefully from your waist to your stomach, tracing slow caresses while their lips brushed your bare shoulder.
“Tell us... what's wrong?” they whispered.
Vere, without moving away, caressed your cheeks. His smile was almost shy, a rarity for him. His tail curled gently around your thigh, making you shiver at the warmth of his fur.
“Look at me, my love...” His voice was low, silky. “We can skip dinner if you want. It's okay.”
You nodded, but the lump in your throat remained. The mere thought of eating again filled you with anxiety. The more they touched you, the stronger your certainty grew that you didn't deserve any of it. They could be with someone better. Someone whole. Not you.
“Enough...” you said, your voice breaking. “You shouldn't be with me. I'll never be good enough. I'll never be able to... never...”
Your words were drowned out by your own sobs. Vere and Mhin stopped. You closed your eyes tightly, expecting rejection, a cold response, anything that would confirm your fears. But that's not what came.
“Is that what you think?” Vere kissed your cheek, right where a tear was slowly falling. “Do you think we would prefer anyone else more than you?”
“You're seriously mistaken...” said Mhin, and their hand didn't stop caressing you, now more gently, as if they were afraid of breaking you.
Their voice was barely a whisper, but it pierced you.
Vere moved his hand down to your nose, touching it playfully, a sincere gleam in his eyes.
“And if we're here with you, it's because we chose to be.”
They both moved away just enough so you could wipe your face. They stood side by side, looking at you without haste or judgment. Vere's tail swayed from side to side, his ears pricked up, expectant, as if waiting for a signal from you. Mhin crossed their arms, but their expression remained open, vulnerable.
You swallowed hard and finally, your voice trembling, you replied
“I love you both... I really do.”
For the first time in a long time, you didn't think about what you were missing.
You thought about what you already had: them.
And even though they could both be unbearable at times, that's how it would be—and that was okay.Just as they learned to tolerate each other, you were learning to tolerate yourself.
You moved closer slowly, taking their hands in yours, one on top of the other.
For a moment, they looked at each other, sizing each other up as they usually did, but they didn't object.
They just let the shared warmth envelop them.
“We could sit for a while before you both leave,” you said, with a tired smile.
Mhin looked at you and nodded after thinking about it for a few seconds.
“I could stay a little longer... to feed the cats.”
Vere let out a soft laugh.
“You know I have something very important to do.”
You and Mhin knew exactly what he meant; his daily amusement could never wait.
Mhin shot him a sidelong glance, filled with a gentle, almost amused anger.
Before vere left, the three of you sat on the sofa, talking about everything and nothing.
The candles burned slowly, the cats slept nearby, and tiredness began to overwhelm you.
Your eyelids grew heavy, and amid the soft voices of Mhin and Vere, you surrendered to sleep.
You didn't know what they were talking about.
You could barely hear anything.
Only the murmur of the two of them beside you.
And for the first time in a long time, you could finally ignore your thoughts.