Chapter Text
Malleus adored you.
You were his dear friend, how could he not? Ever since you two met, you’ve been nothing but kind to him, nothing but good and gentle and sweet. You invited him to the SDC, you gave him gifts and spoke to him often- you even proposed joining the gargoyle studies club!
In such a short amount of time, you’d already given him so much…so what kind of friend would he be if he didn’t reciprocate? That’s what he was doing now after all, as he set his magic over sages island- he would repay you with eternity, with dreams, with anything and everything your precious mortal heart could desire. It was the very least he could do.
He continued to hum quietly as he drifted around the diasomnia lounge, eyes drifting over the bodies curled peacefully in sleep on the floor. It would be overwhelming to see every dream all at once, so he merely drifted between them- he would simply lock his sharp green eyes on a resting soul as they slept, and he would focus on their dream. It was the easiest way to go about it- like focusing a camera lense on tiny little ants individually as they crawled about.
“I wonder…”
he murmured to himself, strolling slowly in the silence and thorns. His eyes landed on Kingscholar, who’s dreams of royal succession and ascending the throne earned an almost fond chuckle from the dragon. His eyes turned to the more extroverted Leech twin, and he stared blankly for a moment before humming thoughtfully with a puzzled expression and moving on.
His eyes turned to Lilia, his brow quirking in frustration at the seeming static of the dream. He’d done all this for the old bat, and yet he couldn’t seem to glimpse his dream. How peculiar. He let out a huff, deciding to check on his dear guardian later.
He wandered between corpses for a while, enjoying the silent company of their soft breaths as they basked in the eternity he’d blessed them with. Such precious little creatures, he’d grown quite fond of them. But now, his eyes had turned to someone who earned a slight upturning of his lips as he approached. You, with grim tucked at your side, hair sprawled and messy, expression most peaceful. He tilted his head, humming as he looked into Grims dream, which- to keep it short- contained much tuna and winning fights.
“I wonder…”
He repeated again, eyes slowly turning to your shut ones. The great king of darkness, enemy of the world, sank to his knees, tracing a pale clawed hand through your hair, fixing it for you. He was careful to ensure no blot touched your precious skin, that no pain would ever carve itself behind your soft fluttering eyelids as you dreamed
“What do you dream of, my dearest child of man?”
he murmured, fond eyes tracing your features. Because you were no ordinary mortal, not to him. Compared to all the other little creatures in the room, you by far were the most fascinating. The one he cherished to even the same extent he cherished Silver, Lilia and Sebek.
Yes, in your short time here, you'd carved quite the place into his heart. Surely he would never forget you, especially now. The stars would fade and change, the world would rest and shift, but now you would be close through it all, not drowning in the bitter loneliness of eternity, but embraced in it by the blessings of the dreams he bestowed upon you.
So with warm fondness and a gentle stroke of your cheek, he gazed with those bright green eyes into your eternal dream…
»—>
In your dream he awoke, blinking in dim stormy daylight. He recognized his surroundings immediately- his room in Diasomnia. He smirked, slightly smug as he realized your dream took place not in your world, but his. Surely if you were awake to understand the situation, you’d understand now how foolish it would be to return to your home world when you were clearly more content here in tw-
He blinked. Once. Twice. He’d noticed something as he shifted that he hadn’t before for some reason. A weight, a warmth, a scent. Maybe it was because he'd only just entered the dream that it took a moment to adjust, to realize there was something on top of him. He looked down, those bright green eyes that had been so knowing and smug just a moment ago, now widening imperceptibly as he saw you there curled up on his chest, your limbs tangled in his, your breath soft against his heartbeat like you were breathing the very life into him.
what a peculiar situation. It seemed your perfect dream…was cuddling with him.
After the initial shock he couldn’t help but chuckle, amused by your childish affection more than anything. Your soft fingers clutched his shirt so tenderly, your lashes fluttered so adorably as they fluttered open. How could he not find this entire thing to be entertaining?
His friend, his dear child of man, harboring feelings for him? No one had ever had affections like that for him, and if they did, they did not show it. And yet as you woke up, as the dream set in, as the scene was set and your weak mortal mind went immediately along with it, you propped yourself on your elbows and looked up at him with such a loving smile, and kissed his smiling lips so fondly.
Of course he’d go along with it, if it meant your perfect dream would be, well…perfect. Even as his lips tingled from that kiss, and all the ones after as you both murmured sweet words in the morning light. Yes, he’d act the part for you, it was the least he could do for his dear child of man.
»—>
“Oh you sweet thing…”
He murmured in the echoing silence of the diasomnia lounge as he lifted your warm corpse into his arms, tucking you close as he traced his long fingers delicately through your hair, his smile and voice impeccably fond
“That is quite the dream you have, I must admit I am honored to be so important to you…”
His eyes flickered as he spoke, his words unreplied to, unheard in your slumber. In your dreams, he was cuddling you in the early morning hours. In reality, he was holding a corpse…
“No, no not a corpse” he said to himself, pressing his forehead to yours, smiling faintly.
“You are no corpse to me…to call you such a thing would be a sin. No…you are a sleeping beauty, a rose in my garden to be tended to…perhaps my favorite one”
He muttered, pressing his lips to the corner of your mouth as he lifted you, humming a tune he’d heard long ago as he danced around the silent hall with your slumbering body. His sweet, dear child of man, dreaming of true love of all things, in slumber repose.