“I will love you forever and when ‘forever’ ends, I’ll love you some more.”
For the event, can I request Malleus for this? I need to send ALL my love to him ASAP. Although for this, feel free to have him being the one saying it to reader.
Gender Neutral Reader x Malleus Draconia Word Count: 1.2k
Prompt 51: "I will love you forever and when ‘forever’ ends, I’ll love you some more."
[EVENT MASTERLIST]
There was something about being in love with a fae that would always be at least a little intimidating.
No, it wasn’t the unearthly powers that could literally rip through the fabric of time and space with a snap of his fingers. No, it wasn’t the cold, serpentine stare or the sharp fangs in his mouth that shined like well-polished knives under the right light. It wasn’t even the horns. Even though they added an extra foot onto the dragon’s already stupidly impressive height.
But there were other things, sometimes. Less tangiblethings.
You tried not to think about it too much, because you loved Tsunotarou. Really, you did. And you didn’t want some… some creeping thing at the fringes of your consciousness to ruin that.
It was cold tonight, and you puffed warm breath onto your fingers. Normally Malleus was the one waiting for you to arrive at your usual Gargoyle Filled haunts, but he’d had a meeting with his retainers today. And you weren’t surprised he was running a bit late in the aftermath.
‘Man, I’m surprised Draconia is ever on time for anything,’ Ace had complained, during some mandatory assembly or other. Watching as Malleus floated into the room a solid two hours after scheduled.
‘He’s usually very punctual,’ you’d answered, confused.
‘Sure, sure. But don’t fae have, like, super fucked up senses of time?’ the redhead mused. ‘Like I bet you could tell him to meet you in an hour and he’d show up a week later or something.’
“Child of man,” a familiar timbre called out over the snow, and you perked up immediately, hopping from foot to foot to get your circulation going again before trotting out to meet him halfway.
“Tsunotarou!” you chirped. “How was your day?”
“Dreadful,” he answered, deadpan, and bent his arm neatly so that you could tuck your fingers into the crook of his elbow and snuggle yourself into his side. He was like a walking furnace, what with the roaring, emerald fires in his belly. And the snowflakes seemed to melt before they’d even touched his skin. “Nothing but paperwork. Perhaps I should turn them all into enchanted quills, and then they might finally be fit for their positions.”
You snorted into your glove. “You’d need to turn some of them into ink then, too.”
“Ah, of course,” he intoned. And then shot you a smirk that was just on the right side of besotted. “Whatever would I do without your wise guidance?”
“Hmm, I don’t know,” you teased, and then smiled right back in that stupidly, soppy way. “But you seemed more than smart enough to manage on your own before I came along. And I’m sure you’ll go back to being brilliant when I’m gone,” you added on a laugh.
But Malleus didn’t join in your giggling.
The fae stopped in place, and you were dragged to a halt with him. You blinked up at him, confused. His expression was… complicated.
“You are leaving?” he asked, each word sounding like it had to be pried out of his mouth with a crowbar.
“What?” you blinked. “Of course not.” Crowley never having bothered to lift a feathery finger to find you a way home aside, you had more than enough reasons to stay here for as long as your meager, mortal life would allow. Going home… it soured something in your stomach that you didn’t even want to consider. So you just tightened your fingers around his arm and shot him as reassuring of a smile as you could muster. “Even if I had the choice, I’d be staying right here.”
But that just made Malleus’s brow pinch up tighter.
“Then what did you mean?” he questioned, perplexed. “When you said ‘when I’m gone.’”
Ah.
You fought a guilty wince. You hadn’t wanted to drag your own little terrors into his worries as well. You really needed to get a better leash on the poor quips that managed to tumble out of your mouth.
“Well, just that, uhm…” You waved your free hand awkwardly. “You know.”
More furrowing.
“I do not,” he said, sounding grumpy. It was a bit adorable, seeing an almighty prince and near God pout at you. But you fought off the urge to coo over his pursed lips and scrunched nose. Time and place, self. Time and place.
“I’m mortal,” you said finally, hoping that would cover it.
“And?”
Ugh. Come on, dude. Give me something here.
You shrugged, tight and awkward. “Just that, well, you know. Your lifespan is near infinite right? And mine is sort of set to be…” You held up your fingers and pinched them close together. “Uhm. Not that.”
“And you think that such an inconsequential factor means that you will be leaving me?” he asked, and you blinked at him in outright confusion.
“It’s pretty consequential,” you squeaked out, and averted your gaze. “And.. and besides. I knew that from the beginning. And I just want to be able to make the best out of the time with you that I have,” you said, hoping it sounded properly reassuring and not like the start of a particularly peppy obituary.
“…I see,” the Prince said, low. “But that doesn’t mean you’ll be gone, I’m sure.”
You blinked again, owlish and slow.
“Pardon?”
“What is the human expression…?” he hummed, tucking your arm back tightly against his side and starting up your leisurely stroll once more. “Distance makes the heart grow fonder? Almost so much as time itself.”
Yeah, you wanted to amend. But not from beyond the grave.
“I guess so,” you shrugged.
“Can you imagine then,” he hummed. “How much I’ll love you in a thousand years?”
“I—” you swallowed, feeling tears prick at the back of your eyes.
But rather than give your poor, fluttering soul a chance to recover, he just pushed onwards.
“I will love you forever, and when ‘forever’ ends, I suppose that I’ll just love you even more,” he said, perfectly level and serious, like he hadn’t just absolutely pulled your heart out of your chest and set the whole of you on fire.
You stared up at his regal, handsome face from beneath a soft veil of falling snow. With those cold, emerald eyes, the pointed fangs, the horns. You felt like your stomach had fallen out at your toes, like the whole of you was bound to float away like a balloon lost in the breeze. Because he’d said—he’d really—
“And of course,” the dragon shrugged. “I’ve always intended to extend your lifespan to begin with.”
You gaped at him wordlessly for a moment, before letting out a hideously embarrassed squawk and pounding at his chest with your gloved hands.
“You could’ve told me that!” you shrieked, practically steaming in the cold with the heat pulsing off your cheeks.
“I suppose,” he smirked, catching your flailing fists easily in one of his own large hands. “But then I wouldn’t have been able to see your reaction to my declarations, would I?” he cooed, all smooth, dark chocolate and smoky embers. “And I had to work so hard to memorize those lines. Fitting as they are, I was told that the moment to use them would have to be perfect, and—"
“Did Lilia set you up for this?” you choked.
Malleus snorted and turned to tug you further down the path. “Only a little.”
.
.
