Chapter Text
Idia looked at the cat affectionately and the cat nuzzled comfortably in Idia’s arm. Idia finally speaked up. ‘We should probably patch up their injury.’ he said, looking up to Malleus that is staring at him. ‘Ah yes we should, but I think the infirmary is closed.’ Malleus answered, looking down at the cat in Idia’s arm. ‘Yea I think you're right.’ Idia mumbled. ‘Oh I could bring them back to my dorm, I have a med kit in my room.’ Idia said as he gently got up. Malleus tilted his head, ‘You have a med kit in your room?’he said curiously. ‘Ah yea I do, it’s when I sometimes accidentally get hurt in the process of making machinery.’ Idia answered. ‘Oh Malleus, can you help me carry the groceries back to my dorm with me?’ he asked. ‘Ah yes I could do that for you.’ Malleus said, grabbing the bags and holding them in one hand.
They both started to walk back to the hall of mirrors. While walking back, Malleus kept stealing glances at Idia. He notice how Idia’s posture straighten up a bit when he is holding the cat, how his eyes soften when the cat is comfortable in his arms and how badly he wants to kiss those blue lips of his. Malleus' mind went blank at the last sentence, like he couldn’t function anymore.
‘We’re back at the hall of mirrors.’ Idia said, snapping Malleus out of his thought about Idia. ‘Come let’s go to Ignihyde.’ Idia said walking through the mirror with the cat in his arms. Malleus then followed after him, stepping in the mirror to Ignihyde.
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Now Malleus and Idia are standing outside of Ignihyde’s building. Malleus noticed how many stairs they needed to climb to get to Idia’s dorm. ‘Idia, is it okay if I teleported us to your room?’ Malleus asked Idia. ‘I- uh that wouldn’t be a big problem.’ Idia answered. Malleus nodded and placed an arm over Idia’s shoulder. Green light surrounded the three of them as Malleus teleported the three of them to Idia’s room. The three of them safely teleported into Idia’s room, with the help from Malleus.
Malleus sees that Idia’s room is messy with boxes everywhere, book piles on the floor, wires that are connected to outlets and leftover machines scraps. Idia noticed that Malleus is staring and looking around his messy room. He feels very embarrassed that Malleus is in his room and that he sees how messy it is.
The silence is very deafening and awkward for the both of them since they don’t know how to communicate with each other. They just stayed like that for about 2 minutes till the cat in Idia’s arm ‘meowed’ then they remembered what they needed to do.
‘Ah right the cat.’ Idia said.
‘Malleus-shi can you get me the medkit, that is in the bottom drawer of my nightstand.’ Idia said as he gently placing the injured cat on a clean table. Malleus nodded, placing the groceries bags on the ground and walked to Idia’s nightstand to retrieve the medkit. He crouched down and pulled the drawer handle to reveal a red medkit. He grabbed the red medkit and walked to Idia who was with the cat.
‘Here is the medkit that you asked for.’ Malleus said, handing the medkit to Idia.
‘Thanks Malleus.’ Idia took the medkit from Malleus’s hands and placed it next to the cat that was laying on the table. He opened the medkit and grabbed cotton balls, tweezers and rubbing alcohol. He opened the rubbing alcohol bottle and poured some on a cotton ball that is between the tweezers. He then gently rubbed the alcohol on the injured cat’s back right leg. The cat hissed at the sting from the alcohol rubbing on its wound and its sharp claws sticking out. Malleus see how the cats claws sticks out everytime Idia rubbed alcohol on the wound. And he couldn’t help but just stare at Idia when he is treating the cat. He kept staring at his blue lips, badly wanting to kiss those lips until they are swollen.
He could feel his heart pounding really loud and that his ears are turning red from all the blood that is flowing there. He thinks that his heart is ready to burst from all the pounding. Malleus just stayed like that all flustered, looking at Idia.
After some time Idia finished cleaning the cat’s wound and gently wrapped it up in bandages. ‘There all done.’ Idia said proudly looking at the patched up cat.
‘So what do you think?’ He turned to Malleus.
‘Well I think you did a splendid job on bandaging the cat.’ Malleus said, looking at the cat then at Idia.
‘A-ah t-thanks..’ Idia stuttered as the tips of his hair turned a bit pink. Malleus notice that the ends of his hair are turning pink and he finds it cute.
‘So what are we going to do with the cat?’ He asked.
‘W-well idk..maybe keep the kitty cat..’ Idia mumbled. Malleus heard what Idia said.
‘Yes maybe we should keep it.’ He said, turning his attention to Idia. Idia then turned to look at him with a shocked expression.
‘R-really we could!?’ He said with excitement. Malleus heart skipped a beat when Idia’s face lit up with excitement and his ears started to turn red.
Without thinking Idia got up and hugged Malleus, wrapping both of his arms around his neck. Malleus froze there as Idia hugged him, this was his first hug that he got from a human besides Silver and Sebek. And his heart was pounding really loud in his chest. He got scared thinking that Idia could hear his heart beat.
A few seconds later Idia let go and felt embarrassed, since he never hugged someone else than Ortho or his parents (which he barley hugs). ‘S-sorry f-for h-hu-hugging you..without your consent..’ Idia said with embarrassment. ‘Its fine Shroud, it only caught me off guard, no need to apologize.’ Malleus said sincerely. Idia nodded and turned his attention back to the cat that is on the table and witnessing this.
‘So should we name them?’ Idia said, turning his attention back to Malleus.
‘Mhm yes but shouldn’t we check what gender the cat is tho?’ Malleus said, walking up to the cat.
‘Ah right the gender, how could I forget.’ Idia said, walking up to Malleus who is by the cat.
Idia gently lifted the cat’s leg to see and he saw that it was a female cat and Malleus took a peak too to see. ‘Ah a female.’ Malleus said. Idia nodded with Malleus. ‘So in which dorm will she stay in?’ Idia turned to Malleus and asked. ‘Well I don’t know if she will like to stay in Diasomnia.’ Malleus said.
Idia thought for a moment before saying ’How about we take turns on taking care of her?’. ‘Well that is not a bad idea.’ Malleus answered. Idia’s lit up with excitement and Malleus saw how his yellow sapphire eyes glow when he is happy. He can’t help but get flustered at the sight of it. Malleus cleared his throat and calmed down. He then turned his attention back to Idia who is now petting the female cat. And his heart skipped a beat whenever he sees him doing something.
Malleus inhaled and exhaled before speaking up. ‘Well I'll leave the cat here in your hands and ill go back to my dorm.’ Malleus said. ‘O-oh alright, bye Malleus.’ Idia said waving goodbye at him. Malleus then left leaving some green glowing particles in Idia’s room.
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Malleus teleported to Lilia who was in the living room. Lilia jumped up when Malleus teleported in front of him. ‘Gah Malleus!? Can you not scare me like that at my age.’ Lilia said. ‘Ah sorry Lilia, I will not do that again.’ Malleus answered Lilia. ‘So tell me my boy is there anything that you need from me?’ Lilia asked, getting straight to the point. ‘Ah well its about these feelings I've started to catch.’ Malleus answered. Lilia was now curious. ‘What are these feelings my boy?’ He asked. Malleus first looked down and sighed. But he then looked at Lilia and told him how his heart starts to beat whenever he sees him doing something and how he wants to kiss those blue lips badly. Lilia analyzed these feelings and told Malleus that its very normal to catch these feelings and saying that this is how humans feel when they liked then for more than friends and later on they will be deeply inlove.
'Its okay to catch these feelings boy.' Lilia said, patting Malleus on his head.
'And these feelings are not just love but you have a crush on them.' He said.
'A crush?' Malleus asked.
'Yes, a crush, is a feeling when your heart starts to beat or pound and that you want to do some passionate things with them.' Lilia explained.
'Ah its seems like I do have a crush on Shroud.' Malleus said.
'Oh that's lovely..WAIT WHAT!' Lilia screamed.