Under the pink tree - Bonus I
Desha x Fem!Reader
Table of contents
Credit : Oreskis
Hello ! Here is the first bonus, there are five of them !
You can read them as only side stories or like Welcome's continuation !
Desha looked at the impressive crowd gathered in the streets. Today was a special day, it was the Underworld’s festival to celebrate the year that was about to end and to welcome the new one to come. Every human and nonhuman were partying without making any distinctions of race or appearance. It was really an achievement for him, the consecration of all his sacrifices. It was not the first one they were holding, it was the fifth, but this year it was particularly huge. Obviously, he was leading the whole thing, as the king, and everyone was honouring him with acclamations, or small gifts. In the first couple of editions, he had been really bothered and annoyed by all those displays, but with time he had understood how important it was for his people to show how much they were grateful to him. And because neither Ouken nor Despa would let him avoid it or try to refuse anything.
During that day and night, there were a lot of events, like songs, dances, spectacles, a big feast and beautiful fireworks. Everyone would put on their best outfits and talk happily with their neighbours. The king was not the only one being honoured during that time, all the guards and people working for the well-being of the kingdom were celebrated too. And that included you. As the Underworld’s guard’s Lieutenant, you were working your ass all year round to make everyone safe and sound. You were doing it because you loved it, and not one second you would have thought how much the people were thankful to you. They had been rather discreet the previous year, but tonight they were no longer holding back.
Already during the parade, you had received a lot of praise and some flowers from children or people in the crowd. Fortunately, you were on your mount so you didn’t have to stop, but now that it had ended and that you no longer had that excuse, you were obliged to receive all their affection. It was really embarrassing, and you quickly became flustered. However, you also felt that it was your job to welcome their will since you were a servant of the kingdom. So it ended up with you, red on the cheeks, looking like a cornered animal, with a trembling smile and a lot of sweat.
At first, Desha had found it particularly amusing to see you in such a dire situation, mainly because it was only fair that he was not the only one suffering, and then because you rarely looked that embarrassed. He really liked seeing you like this and spent most of the day shamelessly looking at you. Until he began to notice some behaviour from his own people. Most of the men and women were grateful to the Lieutenant, but some were more than that. The first time everyone was sitting down for the feast, and the king was peacefully drinking his cup while making fun of Ouken that was receiving a lot of wedding propositions (as always) when you receive one too.
He coughed out the glass’ content, ready to go kill the bold one who had dared ask you out. Maybe it was a secret that you two were dating for a couple of years, but it was not an excuse! However, he had no legitimate reason to take action, and Ouken gently patted his back with a pitiful smile on his lips (while Despa was laughing his ass out without any compassion). Desha broke his cup out of frustration when he saw you smile at the women who had dared approach you. He could not hear exactly what was going on but it was pretty obvious. Thankfully, you rejected her.
But it was not the end. You received a couple of other propositions, and even if you accepted none of them, it put Desha in a difficult situation. The pride of seeing the one he loved being so much appreciated was largely tainted by the fact that he did not especially like to see you being courted that actively. Until then, he had given almost no thought about making your relationship known, there were more drawbacks than benefits, but now it was different…
That night, when you met with your king, a bit exhausted but your head full of stars and your cheeks still red, Desha made you love with so much enthusiasm that you lost your voice for a full day after that.
*
“... like this, it will be perfect”, Despa concluded after his long speech.
“Is all this really necessary ?” Desha sighed, scratching his neck.
He had come looking for advice from his brother, after all with Ouken, his two siblings were pretty popular, and Despa was the most cultivated of them.
“It is !” He almost shouted out of enthusiasm. “It is something that happens only once in a lifetime! It has to be per-fect !”
His younger brother was beaming, clearly talking about it was making him really happy, and secretly he was even more glad that Desha would come looking for his advice on that particular and very intimate matter.
“If you say so…”
After all, he had willingly come to get Despa’s advice, therefore it would only make sense to listen to them now, and act on it.
However, each time he wanted to go on what his brother had advised him, the king would find him unable to do a single thing. It did not feel right, and so out of character for him that he was just stuck, unable to decide what to do. On one hand, he was ready to do the thing, but on the other hand, the way to do it was hard to determine. Despa had to be right, obviously, himself knew nothing about the rules, and the worst would be that he could ward you off by doing the wrong thing.
The more he was thinking about it, the more he was feeling anxious. However, as he was used to it, he just kept everything to himself. He did not want to bother anyone with his silly problems, and just try to keep his head cool. Until one day he almost snapped at a merchant from the surface, during a reunion. That whole ordeal was going way out of hand, it was unacceptable for him that it was going in the way of his kingdom’s well being. So he went straight to the training ground to take some steam off. He was a bit disappointed to not find you around here, before remembering that you were out in town for a short mission. Anyway, he started to train alone.
“Care to spare with me?”
Desha looked at Ouken, his brother’s expression was quite proud, and while he was going to reject him at first, he finally chose to give him a chance. After all, he was the only one around who could give him some kind of challenge.
“Don’t go cry if I hurt you”, he said in a condescending voice.
“I’m not a cry baby…”
The king said nothing, but the look on his face what quite obvious that for him he would always be his little baby brother. So, they went on their duel, and it quickly escalated into some kind of God battle. Desha was holding back to be able to enjoy it, and Ouken gave it all. Like this, they almost destroyed half the castle until the youngest finally gave up.
“You’re so strong, big brother”, he smiled widely, absolutely not saddened to have lost to him, quite the contrary even.
“It's nothing”, Desha shrugged off, surely Ouken was the only person in front of whom he would not brag.
“But even I can tell there's something on your mind”, the youngest spotted while wiping the sweat from his bare chest.
“What are you talking about, did I hit you too hard on the head ?” The king instantly attacked with a smirk.
“Don't do that with me aniki, I know you too well. Just empty your bag, you'll feel better.”
It was a delicate and hard gamble to try and make his brother open up. Almost every time he would just clamp and hide behind his hard jokes, to try and make the other people run from him. But, the topic had to be really special because, after a suspicious and angry look, Desha scratched his neck before putting his head in his hands, and placing it on top of his weapon with an annoyed pout.
“I have asked Despa for advice, but now I find it difficult to follow them”, he finally admitted.
“Hm, Despa is usually right about everything”, Ouken nodded, “But I guess it’s up to you if it’s more personal for you or our brother.”
He stopped to think a moment, his expression became suspicious.
“But maybe if you tell me what it’s about, I’ll be able to help you too !” His smile went too cute, to be honest.
“Bah stop it !” Desha rejected him, waving his hands. “I have work to do !”
Ouken laughed, even he could see that something really interesting was going on with his older brother, and he was very eager to know what all this was about!
Meanwhile, you were far from guessing what was coming for you. Your relationship with your king had been a secret for so long that you no longer questioned it. And the most important persons were already aware of it, so you did not even fantasize about the thought of changing it.
That day, you were quietly going on about training the new recruits when Captain told you that the king was looking for you. You thanked him, before going straight for the throne room, feeling excited to see him so soon in your day. Usually, your two schedules were hard to mix, and you could only see him during the evening and night since he would get up earlier than you. It surely was just about some mission in the Underworld, but it was still a rare occasion to see your handsome boyfriend! You entered the room with a happy smile.
“I hope I am the one that makes you smile like this”, the king jested when seeing you.
“Of course! There’s nobody more gorgeous than you, so it can’t be anyone else!”, you straightly answered without a care in the world for other ears.
Desha scoffed, the back of his neck red, and he felt grateful toward himself to have thought about making everyone else leave beforehand. Your genuine behaviour was not new for him, however, he would still get flustered while hearing you spout such nonsense with such a straight face.
“Let’s head out before you found more stupid things to say”, your king finally spoke again once the heat in his ears was more bearable.
The two of you rode for a while. The day slowly started to end, while you lightly chatted with your king and lover. You had no idea of where you were going, however, you did not try to ask. It was funny to let yourself lead like that, especially when Desha was obviously making a lot of effort. He was committing a lot in small talk, which was not usually his forte, and he looked on edge.
Finally, you looked at the scenery, feeling really relaxed. It was so pleasant to be like this with your king, that you immediately felt like getting used to it. It was not the first time you had gone there with him, but it was still quite rare. He had once told you that it was the place his mother would go when she was fed up with his father and her hardship as a whole. There were a couple of big and ancient trees, they looked a lot out of place here in the Underworlds, but they were magnificent. Their branches were going down to the ground and were heavy from the plethora of pink flowers on them. It was then impossible to see any of the trunks, and you could guess that it should be quite comfy and beautiful from inside.
“I can’t get tired of it”, you commented, you’re eyes widening as if trying to catch all the prettiness from the few trees.
“You know that you can come whenever you want”, Desha shrugged off with a quick smirk.
“It’s not quite the same without you”, you explained switching your gaze to look at him. Your cheeks went a little pink when you noticed how his expression would change when he was here. His eyes were focused on the scenery, and softened a lot, while his usual mocking attitude just vanished to just let the men behind it. You thought that maybe it was the young man he should have been before his hard life took its toll on him. Anyway, you found him even more breathtaking than the rest.
“Why do you say that ?” He asked with a bit of delay before looking in your direction. He immediately froze when he saw your tender expression only dedicated to him. His embarrassment went immediately high, and he turned his face away. “Let’s just get over with it”, he grumbled.
You simply smiled, totally relaxed, waiting for whatever your king had in store for you. He stayed silent for a moment, looking at the trees. But when you took a step to come closer to him, a shout made you stop.
“Y/N!”
A woman was running toward here, and you immediately recognize her. It was the same person who had asked you out during the last festival. Kyra, she was around your age, and she knew you because you had helped a lot during the year by building a couple of houses close to the town for new citizens of the Underworld. You had only done your job, still, it seemed to have meant a lot for her, even if obviously you had turned her down.
“I’m so happy to see you !”
The trees were not far from the new residential area, so it was not strange, although she could not have found worse timing to show up.
“Kyra, what are you doing here ?”
“I could ask you the same, what you are doing here alone? Did you get a day off?”
You turned around, but she was right, your king had clearly chosen to hide, letting you alone to deal with your admirer.
“Something like that yes”, you evasively answered. “What can I do to help you?”
“I wanted to ask you to reconsider being my girlfriend”, she boldly asked.
You were taken aback by her nerve, usually, you would be quite easy-going, but that kind of situation was not usual and once you had done the logical thing (refusing) you did not understand what you should do. The worst part was that you knew that your king was close, and you did not want him to see or hear anything of these, in case it could make him feel bad. You looked for your words, but nothing would come to your mind.
“Is it what they call harassment?” An arrogant voice wondered from over your head.
“King Desha !” Kyra exclaimed, obviously embarrassed to have been spotted by him. “It’s not what it looks like…”
“Are you taking me for an idiot?” His way of asking was terrifying but you looked at him while holding a smile, you were really appreciating to see him behaving like your protector. It was kind of nice.
“It’s just that I love her !” She blushed. “I want to take care of her !”
“I know first hand that our Lieutenant is already taken”, Desha immediately stopped her, frowning more and more as his cool began to disappear.
“I don’t care”, Kyra almost shouted out of passion. “I would take better care of her than everyone else! Should it even be you, King Desha!”
The demigod’s expression went ugly, and you thought that it was maybe time for you to take action before something bad happen because of an idiot woman.
“It’s nice of you my king to help me out, but I can take care of it myself. Kyra ?” You called out loudly making her jump. “How can you tell you love me when you do not even respect my feelings?”
“I… I-”
“Let me finish”, you interrupted her. “As my king has said, my heart is already taken. And there’s nobody in the world who would be able to take it back. Not even myself”.
Desha’s ears went really hot, while you looked ignited with passion. The young woman in front of you seemed close to the tears, but she suddenly ran away without insisting any longer.
“Damn, that was a real hindrance”, you sighed, before freezing in front of your king’s expression. “Desha you look too cute right now, I do not know if I can stop myself from kissing you…”
“Stop teasing me”, he mumbled unable to get a grip on his feeling after hearing you shout so bravely about your affection for him.
“It was not my intention”, you explained before adding with a mutinous smile. “At first…”
It was so hard for Desha to look at you right now, so he just took a step back and went back to hiding under the tree’s branches. However, a second later you met up with him, a daring smile on your face. At that instant, he cursed your boldness, even if it was also thanks to it that he was there today. He scratched his neck, looking for his own bravery.
Being hidden from the whole world, under a pink dome made everything easier. It was as if that space existed only for the both of you. For a short moment, Desha forgot about all his worries, focusing only on what he wanted to do. It was time for him to grasp a bit of happiness from his existence. It was not too late to ask for some.
“Y/N, would you marry me?”
He could not hold on to his blush and felt his heart go mad in his chest. It was so loud that he felt terribly embarrassed because of it. He had taken out a ring in his palm and was extending it to you while kneeling on one knee. But all his gestures made him feel silly and goofy. He could really easily picture himself on the ground, a gigantic and twisted monster trying to behave like a human.
Each second made it harder for him, and when he dared to look at you, he was even more stressed while seeing you hiding your face in your hands.
“I should have known it was ridiculous”, he began to say, disappointed by himself to have put you in such a difficult situation.
It was obvious to him that you were doing your best to hide your disgust about the idea of spending a lifetime with him.
“Please not another word my king”, you quickly muttered through your fingers. “Do not move either.”
Now he was lost. Your voice did not look disgusted or annoyed, if he had to say, it seemed as if you had trouble speaking as a whole. He began to stare at your hands until he noticed something clear dripping from them. His heart raced again, making him feel bad.
“Are you crying?” He asked without thinking.
“No!” You shouted turning yourself without thinking. “Why can’t I hold them back…”
Desha wanted to rush by your sides, but it was still not clear to him why you were suddenly so emotional. And you had ordered him not to move. Not that he would listen to you, but his anxiety was preventing him from acting on his worries about you. Thankfully, you quickly turned back, your hands down this time.
“Desha I want to marry you, yes !” You valiantly claimed, your cheeks red and soaked with tears, with a smile so bigger than all the others he had seen.
“Really?” That was all he could say. That you could agree had not really been on his agenda, and now he had no idea what to do about it.
Fortunately, you were so taken in the emotion that you just jumped in his arms, making him fall backwards on the grass. He automatically clenched his fist around the ring to not lose it, and catch you with his other hand. You did not let him the time to get his thoughts in order, and went on kissing him. At first, Desha was passive, but if you were going on like this, that had to mean that you were happy no? So, he responded to your kisses, and you cuddled for a while.
“I’m sorry for crying”, you finally said once you had calmed down. “It just really took me by surprise.”
“As long as you truly want it”, Desha asserted with a shaky smile.
“Of course I truly want it! I guess I just had thought that our relationship would never change, so I never thought you would want to do something so engaging…”
Desha stared at you for a moment, without making a jock or a smirk, he just look at you, intensely.
“If it is with you, I can do anything.”
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