"lucky ending" ver iii - rook & lilia
commissioned by @hanafubukki
A/N: Why is it ver iii you ask? Because I finished it first. Why didn't you title it as v ii then? It's so that I'd get iffy and try to finish v ii ... That being said, my sincerest thanks to hanafubukki, who, without their absolute patience and support these two stories would not have been possible. Thank you so much, this is absolutely dedicated to you.
additional pieces: ver i (dorm leaders), ver ii (???), ver iii (this)
ā
āHey, did you know?ā
You looked up from your meal to see a grinning Ace.
āWell⦠you havenāt told me what this is about Ace.ā you finally said in a dry tone.Ā āSo, noāI wouldnāt.ā Beside you, Epelās lips curled up in amusement.
āAre you sassing me?ā Ace squinted at you.
āWho could say.ā you shrugged your shoulders.Ā āAnyways, what is it?ā Ace studied you for a couple more seconds before he too seemed toĀ āshrugā it off and continue.
āThereās actually a tradition in Twisted Wonderland during graduation season.ā Aceās smile turned wicked, as he raised his hand and tugged at a button on his shirt.
āPlease donāt strip. Nobody needs to see that.ā you saidāDeuce promptly choked on his food and Grim snickered beside you. On his other side, Jack sighed as he patted the man on his back.
āItās not that!ā Ace scowled.Ā āSweet Queen, if you keep going on like that, I swearāā
āSorry, sorry.ā you raised your handsāpalms up.Ā āSo, what is it?ā
āThis button.ā he pointed at the second button from the top.Ā āWell, for NRC, they go with the fifth buttonābut either wayā¦āĀ Sebek leaned forward in interest.
āIs this the button tradition?ā his eyes sparkled,Ā āyou see, I was thinking of givingāā
āIt doesnāt work like that Sebek.ā Ace saidāat which the Diasomnia student immediately deflated in response.
"People give this out at graduation.ā Ace continued.Ā āItās like the last chance to confessābefore you leave the school life behind.ā
āLast chance huhā¦āĀ you thought, as you remembered Crowleyās words from the other day.
āIn my generosity, I have found a way to bring you back home⦠butā¦ā the Headmaster peered at you with glowing eyes. āSomething tells me you donāt want that anymore.ā
āAnd because Iām so generous⦠I will let you decide what you wish to do.ā his eyes brightened behind his mask. āI hope to hear from you soonā¦ā
"Why not the first button?ā you couldnāt help but ask. Ace, who had just finished recounting how many buttons he had given out in his last graduation was startled by your question.
āErrā¦ā Ace scratched the back of his head.Ā āI dunno?ā
āItās the second button, because on the regular school uniform⦠itās closest to the heart. Because graduations at NRC are in the summoning robesāthat means the fifth button.ā Jack finally spoke up,Ā āwhat normally happens is⦠someone confesses, and the other party decides whether or not to give the button. When the other party gives their buttonāit means they return the love of the person who confessed.ā Grimās face twisted at that.
āIn conclusion⦠disgusting.ā Epel shrugged his shoulders, before he shot Jack a look.Ā āIām surprisedĀ you, of all people know that.ā Jackās whole body twitched, and his tail bristled in response.
āSo. you were being a little shit.ā Deuce told Ace.
āYeah Ace, youāre an asshole.ā Grim huffed.
āNot true, all of the people who wanted my heart, got it~ā Deuce grimaced in disgust at his roommateās response. On his other side, Sebek shifted upright.
āI donāt care what you all say, Iām givingāā
āSebek, no.ā
As your friends erupted into chaos your hands fell on top of your second button and you fiddled with it thoughtfully.
ā
The colours of dusk dyed the Pomefiore courtyard in brilliant shades of orange and violets.
It made him breathless.
āWhen something ends, it must be sad. So, tell me then, how an ending could be so beautiful?ā
āāok! Rook!ā
Slap.
Rook blinked blankly as he realized his face was turned harshly to the side. He raised a hand to touch his face and felt that it was warm due to the harsh slap delivered byā
āAre you finally able to listen to me, Rook?ā
He faced forward to see that the beautiful face of Vil Schoenheit was twisted in a look of disapproval. It took only a second before Rook managed to pull on the smile he always used to placate his Dorm Leader.
āRoi du Poison!ā Rook sang, a hand on his chest and another extended outward, āOur Beautiful Vil! I apologize! I was so distracted by the way the twilight has coloured our beloved dorm, that I was caught utterly speechless!ā Vil tilted his head and scowled at his Vice⦠former Vice Dorm Leader.
āOh, please do not lie to me, Rook.ā Vil fixed his ceremonial robes idly, as he repositioned the hood on his shoulders. āYou were thinking of something⦠No, someone else.ā He narrowed his eyes on the hunter. Rook briefly wondered if he was eyeing the creases in his own ceremonial robes. āExactly what, howeverā¦ā He let his sentence hang, suspended in a moment of silence. Beautiful Vil stared at himāand Rook realized that the man would not let this go. Would no longer let this go. At that realization, Rookās hands fell to his sides and his shoulders slumped.
āI did not think you would notice a thing, Roi du Poison.ā He admitted rather lamely. His eyes flickered off again, in the direction of a certain dormā¦
āDo not insult me Rook. Of course, I would notice. I have known you for so longā¦ā Vil sighed before he snapped. āNow out with it, what exactly is your problem?ā
āWellā¦ā
When it had been time for Rook to choose his internship, he had done so in his typical fashionāan eager single mindedness for the sake of something he considered beautiful. His internship would take him to faraway placesāso much so that it would become difficult for him to keep in contact with his family and his peers. He had known (thought) that it wouldnāt matter too much for him. While Rook could enjoy being in a crowdāhe was more of a solitary creature.
After all, the hunt is best done alone.
And it was fine in the beginning. He was able to throw himself into his internship with all his love and his energy. His supervisors were winded but amazed at his devotion to learning everything he could from them.
āBecause what you do here is beautiful and there is nothing, I love more than seeing beautyāin all its shapes, sizes⦠formsā! How could I call myself la chasseur dāamour if I do not chase after that which I love~?ā He had explained to them, and they had shaken their heads in bemusement over him. Then they shruggedāat least he was enthusiastic.
He did not know what had caused it. But in the middle of exploring a forest, there at the edges of the Land of Pyroxeneāhe is hit with the sudden thought of you.
It causes him to stumble on his step, for his inhale to be a little sharperāand a hand coming up to cover his mouth as he coughed in surprise. There is a knot in his chest that makes him think of the way you would look at him if you were with him at that moment. You would probably be nervousāuncertain about the situation you were in butā¦
You would take his hand. And he would assure you that all would be well.
He blinked, dazed. The image of you standing before him faded away as all distractions do.
When he wondered to himself why he remembered youāhe had thought that perhaps it was because you were one of his fascinations; and Rook Hunt was a man controlled by his need to understand everything that drew his interests.
But why then? At that time?
He had taken his internship to satisfy his fascinations for so many other things and youā
You and your allure were currently a thousand miles away.
There should be no reason for you to continue to dwell in his thoughts⦠for he had already learned everything about you.
When something (or someone) drew his interest, he would consume all the knowledge he could from observing them. When that was finishedā
His eyes would simply fall onto another prey.
You were his last fascination back at Night Raven Collegeājust before his internship began.
So why then did he look back now? So why then is he remembering all the ways you looked at him? In the beginningāyour eyes were filled with confusion. There was a time you regarded him with wariness. Then there came a time you peered at him with acceptance⦠with amusement. With admiration and even with fondness.
You had looked at him with worry in your eyes as well. So many things were left unspoken as he went away for his trip.
āPerhaps it is that.ā He had concluded at that time. āPerhaps my research on you isnāt quite finished yet.ā He attempted to dismiss it as such. Often, heāll suddenly remember a person who he had once given his attention to. Often it would just be him attempting to see if they had changed in any way and⦠Perhaps it was the same with you. He nodded to himself. Now that he has figured that outāyou would likely stop interrupting his thoughts⦠It would let him focus on the hunt once more.
At least that is what he told himself butā
The moment he remembered youāyou would no longer leave him alone.
Sometimes he would see you at the edge of his vision, standing there with gentle acceptance on the quirk of your lips. Sometimes he would feel your hand in his as he began to smell the homely scent of Ramshackle after a long day of schoolwork. There were the times he had mistaken the song of a bird for the way you would call out to him; and then the times when his thoughts wander to the taste of sunshine on the bright days you two would share.
Something in him began to hunger. To see you, as you areāwithout you fading away like a daydream. To really feel the press of your hand against his own, to be enveloped in the scent of Ramshackleāone he so strongly associated with your own. To hear your voice, speak his name againāand for the taste of days spent with you.
Suddenly the internship he did not want to endācould not end any faster.
And yet once he had gone back to Night Raven Collegeārestless with the need to soak in your presenceānot even a thought to if you would want to see him only to realize that youā
You were avoiding him.
Rook Hunt was not a person easily hurt. He had the tendency to be blunt and his desire for knowledge has let him step on several peopleās toes. He was used to being avoidedāin fact, it was a thing that brought him excitement.
It was a part of the hunt.
And yetāyet with youā
To know you were avoiding him made him⦠feel. Something. He cannot quite pinpoint what it is. It surely did not feel like fascination anymoreā
There was nothing more important to him than which draws his fascinationsāso what have you become then? What lies beyond his whimsical interest in you?
āYouāre a bigger fool than I thought you were, Rook.ā His Queenās voice made him crash down to reality. He blinked in surpriseāhis lips fell into a perfect o as he studied Vilās irate expression. Ah, had he spoken without thinking?
āAre fools not entertaining to you, my Queen?ā
āPerhaps I found it amusing once... however, for someone who calls himself la chasseur dāamourā¦ā The syllables of the foreign language drip off Vilās tongue like honey. His Queenās lips curled into a saccharine smile. āYou donāt know the first thing about love, do you?ā Rook blinked startledā
āLove?ā He echoed, winded.
āLove.ā Vil peered at him, there was something smug in the curl of His Queenās lipsābut he was unable to examine it further because Vil gestured at him to face forward. With him being as distracted as he wasāhe had failed to realize that they had arrived at the Pomefiore Lounge.
And standing by one of the great windows was Monsieur Cherry Apple⦠and you.
āSenior Vil, Senior Rook.ā Epel greeted, a sweet smile on his face. āSenior Vil, as you requested.ā Epel then waved towards you. You, who had been carefully avoiding his gaze by fixing your own, to the ground.
āCongratulations on your graduation!ā Your voice faltered before you went quiet. Rook peered at youāthe beginning of a frown tilted the corner of his lips. He could see the sweat drip from your forehead, the way your fingers and feet fidgeted⦠As someone who spent so much time observing people, he knew you wanted to run.
But why�
(āCome Epel. Leave them be. There are things I need to discuss with youā¦ā Epel looked at the two of youāquietly standing across each other. He had never seen Rook so quiet beforeāand this was unlike every other time that the older man was hunting. And then there was you⦠Queen, you worried them all⦠āBut if thereās anyone who could cheer you upā¦ā he bumped his shoulder roughly against Rook. Enough to pull the older man out of his thoughts to meet his juniorās eyes.
āTake care of my friend.ā Epelās eyes narrowed, before he followed Vil.)
Confusion mixed with amusement bubbled up within Rook⦠How beaute! For the boyānay, the man to challenge Rook like that⦠It could almost make him weep from the beauty of your friendship! āIf Monsieur Cherry Apple challenged me like that⦠then it is only right that I face his challenge head onā!ā He dragged his eyes back down to your fidgeting form.
āMon Monarque⦠It is a pleasure to finally speak with you.ā You flinched at his words. āI feel as if you were avoiding me these past few days.ā
āI wasnātā!ā you looked upāeyes glassy with unshed worriesābut Rookās knowing gaze made you falter. ā⦠No, youāre right⦠Iām sorry. Iāve been very unfair, havenāt I?ā you smiled weakly.
āAs we all are, Mon Monarque.ā This time you finally meet his gaze with those wet eyes of yours. āI believe I have been quite unfair with you as well. There were things you mustāve expected me to say back thenā¦ā He raised his hand, and happy that you were not flinching away, laid it on your cheek. āHow youāve tested me these past few days, mon amour!ā
āNormally,ā he began. āOne such as I enjoy the thrill of the chase. You would not be the first to run from me⦠butā¦ā he stroked your cheek with his thumb. āOnce it was you who was running from la chasseur dāamour⦠once it was you, who began to avoid meā¦ā his lips curled downward againāin memory of the past week⦠āIt did not excite me, mon amourāinstead⦠it filled me with dread.ā At his words, your eyes burned, and your lower lip trembled.
āSorry⦠Iām sorry.ā Your voice is faint. āPlease⦠let me explain.ā And you do. You tell him what the headmaster had told youāabout how you could go home now. You tell him about your conflicted feelingsāabout wanting a reason to stay but thinking about your family. All the while, he stroked your cheek in encouragement.
Beyond your shoulder, through the large windowsāRook could see the way the sun finally, completely dipped past the horizon. The light framed you completely, it made you look like some heavenly beauty who descended upon the earth. It was your mercy that allowed you to appear before him like this. In the brevity of the light illuminating himāYou dazzle himāyou blind him.
You made him breathless.
In this moment⦠he could lose you, couldnāt he?
Ba dump.
His eyes widened as the beat of his heart went unsteady at that realization.
Ba dump dump.
In that moment he realized that your time together could end. Yet, framed by the lightāyou were so beautiful.
āWhen something ends, it must be sad. So, tell me then, how an ending could be so beautiful?ā
He found himself lacing your fingers together before falling to one knee before you. You faltered in your words as he tightened his hold on your hands. Ahāso, this is why he couldnāt stop thinking about you. So, this is what Vil meantāwhen he called him a fool.
āBut there was one ending that was beautiful, non?ā
āRookā¦?ā
āMon monarque⦠Please forgive me for leaving you so. Perhaps I have no right to ask you for this but⦠would you please let me stay with you from now on?ā He whispered as he peppered kisses against your palms.
āRookā!?ā
āā¦Mon amour, I feel faint at the thought of living in a world where you no longer exist.ā
āRook⦠youāre saying that youā¦ā your eyes became even more glassy. He reaches down to his outfit and with a quick snapāremoves the button closest to his heartāand pressed it into your hands.
āTell me your answer, mon amour. I will accept it but⦠knowā¦. I do not call myself la chasseur dāamour lightly. For the prize I am hunting now, is your heart.ā You blink, and the glassy look in your eyesāshattered as tears slipped down your cheeks. āI will not give it up.ā
āThatās right. āThey lived happily ever afterāāare those not the words that define a beautiful ending?ā
ā
Nothing lasts forever.
Lilia Vanrouge was definitely the last person to think that.
But being aware of that doesnāt make it any easier for him. Perhaps it makes it worse. Lilia is used to losing people. They have either died too young or he has lived for too long. And when youāre his age you canāt help but begin to brace yourself for the inevitableāfor the time you lose people as if they were dying like flies.
So when you waltz into his life here at Night Raven CollegeāLilia had an idea about how you might just ruin him.
Itās the curiosity that sparkled in your eyes. Itās the lilt in your voice that he cannot place anywhere in Twisted Wonderland.
You did not belong to this world.
But it was also for that same reason that Lilia was drawn to you.
Perhaps he had multiple interests throughout his centuries of loneliness⦠but you were the first bright spark in a millennia.
Your light was different from the way Malleus⦠Silver and Sebek shined for him. They were family. They were a constant source of light in the darkest of days. Andāhe would have them for longer. He would be with Malleus for centuriesāhe would have Silver and Sebek for their lifetimes.
But youāyour light was akin to a shooting star. If he so much as blinkedāif he took his eyes off youāif he looked at you a second too lateā
He would instantly lose your light.
And shooting stars do not leave anything behind.
There would be no way to follow after you once youāve gone.
That is why, while you still glimmered in this world of Twisted Wonderlandā
He would relish in the wayā
You made the world pause.
You made a moment extend into an eternity.
You made an immortal crave just a little more time.
But he would also brace himselfā
Because the world will continue to spin.
Because a moment will always fade away.
Because there is never enough time.
So when you came to him (right before his graduation tooārobes of black ink and spun gold spread around him on the couch), your eyes wet with your worries while your lips spilled the damning words of the Headmasterāhe knew.
āIn my generosity, I have found a way to bring you back homeā¦ā
He knew that the moments he spent with you had ultimately concluded.
He could already see itāthe world dimmed as your bright light shot off into the distance. Ready to burn brilliantly for another world⦠while he must drift into an eternity with your glow haunting him beyond his closed lids.
āNothing lasts forever,ā Lilia thoughtāwistfully. āAll things will come to an end.ā
He knew what you came here for.
You wanted a reason to stay.
But this was something Lilia can notānoāwill not give you.
āāAnd itās insane, Lilia. I canāt believeāhe justāI donāt know what to doāIāwhat do I doā?ā Finally your eyes fall on him and instinctively your heart sunk. You didnāt know why but⦠perhaps itās because you knew him so well by now andā¦
He gazed at you; expression surprisingly solemn and empty. It scared you. Lilia has never looked at you like this beforeāto your knowledge, youāve never seen him wear such a grave expression on his face.
āChild.ā You flinched immediately, eyes wideāand beginning to sting already. You tensed in your seat and the fairy in front of you sighed deeply. āChild, this is something I cannot give you an answer to.ā
āWāwhat?ā You sputtered, your eyes began to water. āButāā
Liliaāsweet, all-knowingābrilliant Lilia. He, who you always felt,had the answers in this world. He, who you felt safest with⦠Who was always able to explain things to youā
For once he had nothing to say?
āBut nothing.ā He saidāvoice light, gentleāalmost as if scared that if he spoke with any more force you would shatter before him.
Who were you kidding?
Youāve already begun to shatter.
āMy dear one, this is not my choice to make.ā He insisted lightly, red eyes gleamed in the dim light of Diasomniaās lounge area. āIt is your own.ā
Liliaās brows furrowed as he watched your expression shiftāfrom sadness, to confusion, paināand⦠He did his best to stiffen himself and not attempt to gather you in his arms. To give you all the reasons to stayā
āIt is not my choice to make⦠but I can give you advice.ā
āThen give it. Please.ā Your voice faltered in that way he knew that the tears were coming. He did his best not to be swayed. Not when such an important decision is laid before youā¦
āI believe you should go home.ā He answered, and your head snapped upright. Shock coloured your whole face.
āLiliaāyouāwhy would youāā you began to cry but he held up a hand.
āMy dear, I have lived a long life full of loss.ā He paused, āI will continue to live with loss at my side but youā¦ā he raised his hand, leant forward to cup your cheekāand wiped away a tear right before it fell down the curve of your face. āYou have not lived that life, child. Not yet. It is not something I would wish on anyone.ā āMost especially you.ā He thought fiercely.
āYou have a chance to find family again. That is good. I believe you should do it. Go home and reunite with them. It is not yet too late for you.ā He murmuredāthis time tears began to fully stream out of your eyes.
āBut Liliaāā you choked out through the tears. āBut Lilia, I love you.ā Your shoulders slackened as if you had finally let go of a burden, but you curled into yourself protectively. Terrified of the words that he might say now.
Liliaās smile is sadābut even worseāis how knowing it was.
He knew.
He had known.
All along.
āA passing fancy, Iām sure.ā He murmured as he pulled away and everything in you cried out in agony as the fairy lets you slip from his fingers. āLove like this will not last.ā
Or at least it wonāt last for a mortal like you. It was in your natureāhe has seen countless immortal fairies let go of their human lovers. He himself had done the same throughout the centuries⦠The mortalsāthey all felt pain and they all felt angerābut ultimately they all moved on. It was the one thing he found that he envied in mortals. For them, life was too short to hold onto those who have chosen to leave themābut for immortals⦠Immortals always lingered. It was their nature to hold onto what they have let slip past them.
He was not an exception.
Never let it be said that he did not mourn each and every what if.
His love for you will lastāuntil whatever end might meet him.
You will be the one he holds onto until nothing left of him remainsā
However this was a type of love he wonāt expect from you. It was a type of love he would not curse you with.
āMove on, my dear.ā His words chased you out of the Diasomnia Dorm. ā⦠as all mortals do.ā He said, softlyāthis time to himself. He looked down at his small, ungloved hands.
His flesh was smooth, supple. His skin was not thin, his bones or veins not protruding. Immortal. Unchanged.
It was the best choice for you.
āLet me be the lonely one. Let me be the one to miss you, while I become a faded memory. Let me be the one to remember the way we loved one another. Let me linger, while you experience all of what life has to offer.ā
Liliaās head snapped up as he heard a noise. (A little hope that, maybe, you wonāt listen to this old man. Who might have grown in years but never truly outgrew his foolishnessā) His eyes caught sight of Malleusāwhose own gaze was fixated on the door.
āFor once, perhaps I shouldāve let myself remain uninvited.ā Malleus said dryly. His eyes moved from the door⦠to Lilia. For a moment Lilia worried that the boy might smite him for making you, his beloved friend, cry. āIn all the time I spent in your careā¦ā Malleus spoke softly, āI have never seen you look so small, Lilia.ā
Lilia inhaled and straightened himself. His lips trembled as he pulled it into a smileābut it snapped right back into a downward curve. There is no point in trying to hide it from Malleusāno point in attempting to tell him that he wasnāt hurt. For Malleus was just like him.
Someone who will linger in the great eternity, missing someone who will never return.
āI see.ā Malleus paused, ā⦠It will never get any easier⦠will it?ā
āLosing someone is always hard. Regardless of the centuries one has lived.ā Malleus raised his head again, eyes distant at Liliaās words.
āWhy do we still interact with mortals, then? Is it worth all this pain?ā
ā⦠Yes.ā
Malleus turned sharply back to Lilia.
āBecause even if there is pain⦠There is great happiness.ā Lilia whispered softly as his eyes moved to the doorāas if willing you to return even when he was the one to tell you to go. āBecause even if we lose them⦠we will have eternity to remember them⦠treasure them⦠love them.ā He chuckled gently. āIsnāt that a beautiful way to live forever? In the loving dreams of someone who will remember you.ā
āYou love greatly, deeply.ā Malleusās brows furrowed, ābut why thenādid you chase them away?ā
āIt is the nature of immortals to hold on, to linger. To remember.ā Lilia said simply, his head tilted back to look at the ceiling. But his gaze was far awayāperhaps fixed onto the sky, remembering all the stars that have slipped past him into the distance. Never to be seen again, but their brilliance and beauty to be remembered. Always to be remembered. āBut mortals⦠the brevity of their lives will make them move on. They have toāthey should move on. They can learn to love anoāā
SLAM.
Lilia flinched as his head jerked upright to look at Malleus. The heirās expression was darkāstormy.
āI did not think I would ever have to teach you anything, Lilia.ā Malleus said, disappointment crackled in his eyes.
āTeach me..?ā
āWho are you to judge whether my friend should or should not love you?ā The prince murmured, āWho are you to say that their love will fade awayā¦? No⦠that is only something they should decide.ā
Lilia blinked in surprise as Malleus turned away and moved towards the door to Diasomniaās dorm. āMalleusāwhat are youā?ā
āDo not dare to think about their affection⦠their love for you lightly.ā Malleus continued to walk toward the door. He paused as his hand landed on the door knob. He turned to glance at Lilia from the corner of his eye.
āI will not let you underestimate the depth of my friendās love.ā He had said with so much certainty. As if telling Lilia that your return was as certain as night falling, as if your love was as steadfast as the stars above. With a smile, Malleus turned back to the doors and pushed it open to revealā
You.
Lilia sat, frozen as you glared at him with wet eyes. When you blinked the glassy sheen in your eyes would fragment and slip down your cheeks. Your lips were twisted downwards in displeasure, and your hands were curled on your side. You donāt look at Malleusābut you whisper a thank you to him. You had stopped right outside the door, you had criedābut when you heard Malleus speak you quieted to listen. You can only guess that Malleus probably cloaked you in his magic to hide you from the older fae. Lilia turned to Malleus for a moment. Malleus inclined his head, a tiny smug smirk curled on his painted lips.
āYou have my blessing.ā Malleus seemed to say. Lilia wasnāt sure exactly what he meant by it but he didn't dwell on it because Malleus shimmered out of existence. This made his attention return to you.
You walked towards himāalmost stomping. Perhaps any other time he would think of that as adorableābut for right now, he knew he should take this seriously.
Take your feelings more seriously.
āMy dāmhm!ā In a move he never expected from you, you bend down and kiss him. Your eyes shut tight, the tears slipped from your lashes and dropped down onto his cheeks. Your fingers curled in the silky material of the robe as you insistently pulled him closer to you. Just as heās about to do somethingātake you into his arms, maybeāor kiss you backāyou pulled away.
āI love you Lilia.ā You professed. Yes, you werenāt sure about what you were going to doāwhere you were going to go even. But one thing you were sure of, is that you do love Lilia. And that if he reciprocated even a littleā āI want your heart.ā Your fingers curled tightly into his shirt, the button closest to his heart in the center of your palmāand it dug into your skin.
āI donāt need to meet anyone else. I donāt want to meet anyone else..! I just want you. In my life. For the rest of my life.ā Your cheeks flushed at your confession but there was no going back nowāyou could only hope that the price of your honesty was his own.
āI donāt want you to lose anyone if you stay by my side.ā His voice is shaky now. Unlike the self-assured Lilia you had always known.
āThen weāll just have to figure out how to travel between worlds⦠or communicateāI donāt know.ā You cried out. Between the two of you, it had always been Lilia with the answers. āJust donātāmake me choose one or the other⦠Let me choose both. If you donāt want me to lose anyoneāthen help me talk to themābut not at the cost of losing you! I want to spend all my time with youā!ā Your voice pitched as Lilia dragged you down into his lap, fingers curled around the hand on his heart.
ā⦠Iāve always thought I would be satisfied with just a little more time.ā He murmured, breath brushed against the slope of your neck. ā⦠but you want to spend all of it on this old man⦠are you sureā¦?ā
āThereās no one else.ā
āAn immortalās love is nothing compared to the one shared between humans.ā
āImmortal or mortalāwhat matters is that itās you and me.ā You said stubbornly and he couldnāt help but chuckle. Malleus was right⦠there were still so many things he could learn from you⦠Learn to love about you.
And to a man who thought there was never enough timeāultimately, who was he to refuse?
Immortal or mortal, the undeniable truth was that Lilia was still just a man who wanted to love you without regrets. Without thinking of you as a what if.
ā⦠When Iām promised something so dazzling, how can I refuse?ā He pulled away and he gave you a sweet smileāred eyes glimmered with so much love. āIf this is the love youāve chosen to bestow upon me, then it is only right that I return it in full.ā His face drew closer, his exhale wafted across your face.
āYou have my heart then, my dear. Youāve had it since you first dazzled me. And Iām sure you will continue to do so⦠for the centuries to come.ā
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