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Ramshackle dorm.
A derelict, a building in shambles. A normally ugly sight that dorm would grant, a falling to pieces thing that ruined the impeccable composition of Night Raven College, but Malleus Draconia didn’t agree with that. The Roi desDragons himself was able to see beauty where everyone else would see a broken-down structure. The peace that building granted, the terribly eerie, yes, but quiet atmosphere that surrounded it, that seeped into its every wall, that accompanied each and every plant and flower of its garden was comforting to Malleus. Here, there was utter peace. The sole exception that broke it was the howling of the ghosts, but he could live with that.
The raven-haired man was standing under a tree, as fireflies rocked themselves around him, shining light in that eerie night. His gaze was captured by the building at the top of the hill. The lights weren’t on. That meant the Child of Man wasn’t home, he assumed. He lightly hummed, ready to leave, but a beep caught his attention and made him stop in his track. It was Roaring Drago, his tamagotchi. Malleus pulled out his palm-sized keychain from his pocket and looked at the small screen, his pet was staring back at him. The little thing was hungry... As Malleus clicked on the buttons at the side of the device to feed him, he perceived a sudden noise coming from behind him. Swift, but slightly clumsy, as if coming from someone wo was trying to scare him, who was trying to catch him off guard. That could mean only one thing: he knew to whom those footsteps belonged to. He paid attention to every little thing, didn’t he? And they were the only one who could ever pull such a stunt to Malleus himself, whose name was enough to stir fear into anyone who heard it, whose presence was enough to shut everyone into a fearful silence. His surprised expression disappeared to leave space to a smile instead, that crept onto his face.
“Boo!” arms wrapped around Malleus’s torso for a moment and tickled at his hips as Yuu raised their voice just enough to try to scare the Malleus Draconia, one of the five most powerful wizards in the world. An amused expression rested on Yuu's face: eyes squinted out of merriment, lips curved in a smile as their hair brushed against their forehead.
Malleus noticed their inseparable companion was with them, Grim. That this idea was his? Malleus could see that, could imagine Grim suggesting with that cheeky tone of his to Yuu’s ear: “Hey, it’s Hornton! Let’s scare him!” and just like that he could see Yuu going along with it, smiling and getting ready to jump on him.
“Unfortunately for you, I heard you coming, Child of Man.” He said, amusement still plain visible on his face. His gentle smile never wavered as the corners of his lips were tugged upwards. Of course, he wasn’t angry.
“Aw, really?” A look of disappointment replaced the smile on Yuu’s face, but that quickly returned to its place after a few instants. “I’ll do better next time!” They said smiling again.
In response, Malleus let out a boisterous laugh.
“Ahaha! You’re really brave. I applaud your courage.” As always, Yuu wasn’t scared of him. Then Grim chimed in, showing a fist up the air: “Yes, next time we’ll give you a big scare!”
“I’m looking forward to that.” Malleus’s smile grew slightly bigger as he spoke those words. It was a smile that reached the eyes: they softened ever so slightly.
Yuu eyed the device in Malleus’s hands. They quickly recognized it. “Is that a tamagotchi? I used to have one back in my world when I was younger!”
“You had one, too?”
“Yeah! It was a bunny, I used to call him Bun Bun.” Yuu smiled sheepishly as they scratched the back of their neck. Bun Bun sure was an embarrassing name. As Yuu trailed off, their words became a whisper but that didn’t prevent Malleus from hearing them.
“Bun Bun...? Mh, that’s endearing.” He replied while a smile still lingered on his lips.
“Maybe they would have been friends, my tamagotchi and yours!” At this point, Yuu wasn’t even sure of what they were saying. The embarrassment had gotten the better out of them.
“I’m sure my Roaring Drago is feeling lonely. He would have been happy to have a friend.” The raven-haired man said, lightly caressing the screen of the tamagotchi with his thumb. Maybe him and Roaring Drago weren’t that different.
“Uhm... I have a can of tuna waiting for me at the dorm, I’ll see ya later!” Not able to stand the embarrassment that filled the air, Grmm hurried off, jumping from Yuu's shoulders and quickly running toward the building up the hill.
“Ahaha...” Yuu let out an awkward laugh as they looked at Grim scurrying away, then set their gaze on Malleus once again. He was standing under that tree, eyes fixed on Yuu. Perhaps waiting for them to say something else, perhaps taking their sight all in. Yuu’s mind jumped from one thought to another, trying to think of something to say. Then, Malleus spoke. It was but a simple question, but it shocked Yuu down to their boots. It was so unreal. Nobody ever had asked them that, despite it being so... obvious and blatant.
“Do you miss home?” He had asked.
Home.
Home wasn’t Twisted Wonderland.
Home wasn’t Night Raven College.
Home wasn’t Ramshackle Dorm.
Home was back in their world.
A warm cup of tea held tight in their hands while wrapped in the warm cozy blankets of their bed, their back sank in the soft pillow behind them. Headset on, sat in front of their desk while in a discord call with friends. Chilly walks on the way home from school, caressed by the breeze, stepping on the puddles, jumping in them still with childlike wonder.
Home...
Yes, home may not have been a place, but a feeling that you get, rather. Yuu could feel at home at Night Raven College, too. They felt at home with Grmm. They felt at home chatting with Deuce and Ace. But they missed their world all the same, despite all the things that were wrong with it.
Yuu felt their breath get caught in their throat.
“I...” They tried to speak, but nothing came out or, rather, Yuu denied those words that were lingering on their lips from being whispered altogether. They were dangerous words.
“I feel at home when with you.”
They wanted to say.
And that’s when it hit them, like a thunder striking down. Yuu understood the meaning those words carried. A sudden realization that brought a storm inside their heart.
But Malleus was staring at them, eyes filled with curiosity, waiting for an answer.
“Yuu?” He asked.
“I... I don’t know.” Yuu finally said. “Maybe not...”
Malleus’s eyes widened, aghast.
“Then why are you crying, Yuu?”
“What...? I’m... crying?” Yuu brought their hands to their face, fingers caressing the tears that were staining their cheeks. “I... I’m sorry.” They quickly wiped the tears away, rubbing their eyes furiously. But they just wouldn’t stop, would they? “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” They repeated as their legs failed them and hit the ground, knees sinking in the grass.
“Yuu... I...” Malleus started saying.
“I too, am sorry.” He wanted to say, but his lips didn’t part, his mouth didn’t open, his tongue didn’t move. Instead, he crouched down, his arms moved without him telling them to as they wrapped around the Child of Man. The warmth of his embrace spread and mixed with Yuu’s body warmth. Yuu had started sobbing, I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry , they kept saying, their head lowered, sank in their hands.
“Please, do not apologize.” He wasn’t sure what to say. Which magic words could have calmed Yuu down? No, there was no magic trick. Despite being such a powerful wizard, Malleus Draconia did not know any spell that could make Yuu’s sadness go away, that could ease their pain. So, he simply said those three words he felt he had heard many times before when he was a child.
Everything is okay.
“Please, don’t cry... Yuu. I’m here with you.” Malleus’s chin sank into Yuu’s hair. “Everything is okay. You can... lean on me.”
And with that, Yuu’s hands grabbed Malleus’s uniform on the back, clasping the soft fabric of his uniform, their head sank into his shirt. “I’m sorry.” They said again and Malleus couldn’t help but smile.
“All is well, Child of Man. You’re not alone. I’m here with you.... My friend.”
Yuu’s lips parted. They weren’t sobbing anymore, hiccups weren’t escaping their lips anymore, but perhaps something even worse was threatening to come out, something more dangerous. When Yuu had spoken those words, Malleus’s eyes had widened, his hands had started shaking.
But his fingers had clasped Yuu’s jacket tighter, his arms had wrapped around their body with more strength and impetus, his head had sunk into their hair as his hands gripped Yuu’s shoulders into a tender embrace.
“Malleus, I love you.”
The Child of Man had said.
A shaky breath escaped his lips, that hesitantly opened, his eyes were shut tight. In that eerie night, in that soft breeze, there was only them and no one else. Only a sound broke the silence, the sound of Malleus’s voice as he, too, said he loved them.