#aeron x malachai

[icanbeyourgenie]

[sirens attacking Aeron's ship]

It all happened so fast.

Morgana had finally agreed to let Aeron take a trip on his ship, and the fae couldn't be happier. He even had a pirate suit adjusted just for Calypso, who came with him, and was at first dizzy because of the movements of the ship. But Yasmeen held her hand until she got a grip of it, and now she seemed fine. She was even chatting with her husband, who was in better mood now that he was holding the helm of his ship that he had been in months. Yasmeen knew he loved piracy since... well, since he was a boy always asking her for pirate stories. Malachai came along, and spent more time watching Calypso and Aeron than actually talking. Yasmeen was content just admiring the move of the waves as the ship glided along it, when it all exploded.

The brutal contact with the cold water made her react. She was deep in it, now. Something was holding her leg. She grabbed one of her knives. The water slowed down her movement and blurried her vision, but somehow she was able to make enough damage to her oponent of them to let go of her. It was only when she finally reached the surface that she took a grasp of what happened.

They had been in a narrow path of a shoreline between two rocky cliff. Aeron had not been worried for a second. He had navigated worst paths a million times. But this time, something threw the ship against the cliff, effectively breaking it. Two somethings, actually.

The threat in the water was a bit difficult for Yasmeen to see, but judging by the speed at which the water moved, she would bet on sirens. The threat in the air, however, she never saw it before. Big birds, she thought, before she realized they were only half birds, and half human.

Her blood ran cold, but she snapped out of it. She only had a few seconds to react. She couldn't see where Malachai was, which meant he probably was fighting under the water. Aeron was in the sky, his wings spread. He seldom used them so Yasmeen almost forgot how they looked like. Aeron aimed for the weird bird that currently had Calypso between its claws. It dropped the girl into the water to fight Aeron, and Yasmeen swam towards her protegee.

Her knives slowed her down, but she arrived just in time to fatally wound two sirens that attacked an already injured Calypso. Yasmeen's moves were more difficult in the water. Thankfully, Calypso had turned into a mermaid already. And when Yasmeen became too exhausted to stay afloat after her fourth kill, the princess took her by the waist and quickly made them join the rocky shore.

❝Are you okay?❞ They spoke at the same time, but something moved in the corner of Yasmeen's eye and she was already on her feet, throwing a knife on the head of the bird that was aiming towards them. A few others followed and got closer, using their claws as effective weapons. Yasmeen managed to fatally hurt them before they got to Calypso and, thankfully, Aeron took over and drawed them to him, giving Yasmeen the time to kneel to assess Calypso's wounds. She had a few scratches on her waist, but it was mostly her tail that was bleeding. It probably explained why she hadn't turn back yet.

❝You're hurt.❞

❝So are you.❞ Calypso sounded worried, but Yasmeen had no time to assess her own wounds.

❝It's my job to protect you princess, not the other way around. Now let me see.❞

Yasmeen was aware that they weren't safe. It wasn't an island shore, but the feet of a cliff, filled with pointy rocks that gave them something to sit on and made it harder for the sirens to get to them, but not impossible. Yasmeen trusted Malachai to deal with them, and she knew Aeron could fend against the sky threats. So she focused on Calypso.

Fortunately, the wound wasn't too big. Soon enough, the threats were all dead, and the boys came back to them. Yasmeen let out a breath there. Calypso had grabbed her hand at some point.

❝Are you guys okay?❞ The princess asked, visibly worried.

❝Yes. Are you? Did they hurt you?❞ Malachai answered and the girls shook their heads.

❝Aeron, are you okay?❞ Calypso asked, and Yasmeen thought she was too good for him.

Aeron didn't answer. He was barely standing on one of the rocks, his wings did all of the job. He looked gloomy, almost murderous. He didn't often wear this look. Not that he wasn't dangerous, but Yasmeen knew he was more of the care-free kind of dangerous. The "I'll laugh and smile one second before stabbing you" type. He wasn't the cold-angry type. But seeing this look on his face, she knew he tought of his ship. It was his only joy in the world, it seemed.

❝You'll make another ship.❞ She wanted to think that she said those words respectfully, but she clearly sounded pissed. How dare he care more the well-being of his ship than the fact that they almost lost their lives?

It made him look at her with that same kind of anger, and Calypso immediately changed the subject.

❝What were those things?!❞

❝Sirens.❞ Malachai answered and Calypso rolled her eyes impatiently.

❝I know that already, brother. I meant the weird birds.❞

❝Sirens too.❞ Calypso frowned and he explained. ❝They're very rare, but the siren transformation processus is not unique. When the humans are turned into sirens, their bodies are given two choices.❞

❝So, like... bird or fish?❞ Malachai nodded. ❝You're saying that our brother could've been a bird?!❞

Yasmeen almost laughed but held it back. She could see that Malachai struggled to stay serious too. ❝Pretty much. We do not usually concern ourselves with the bird ones, since they don't live in the sea.❞

❝It was an attack.❞ Malachai answered.

❝We used to. When we lived in the sky. My uncle told me about them.❞ It was Aeron's first words. He looked a little bit more like himself already, but still a bit too serious compared to the usual. ❝My mother said they disappeared, but I already encoutered a few during my travels. Not this many in one pack, though.❞

A look of understanding passed between the two princes. A look that testified that, despite their differences, they were both trained soldiers who represented their respective people, and they knew what they had to do next. They nodded to each other.

❝Calypso, can you swim?❞ Malachai asked.

❝I think I can.❞

❝She can't.❞ Yasmeen chipped in. ❝She needs medical care first.❞ Calypso wanted to argue, but everyone could see that her tail was pretty hurt.

❝Then you'll hold on to me as we go back to court.❞

She nodded, as Aeron turned around to hold out his hand to Yasmeen. The two princes had decided of a way to bring the girls back to the fae court, but Yasmeen couldn't take this hand. She looked at the cliff above her.

❝I can climb.❞ She decided, and she knew she could. ❝I'll just walk.❞

❝Don't be ridiculous.❞ Aeron said. ❝It'll take you days. And you know I can't let you do that.❞

He couldn't. The risk of escape was too high. But she held her ground. ❝I'm not flying with you.❞

Yasmeen knew she was making it difficult, but she would always remember the time she flew with him to that wretched island she'll never forget. Malachai and Calypso were probably completely lost, but Yasmeen could feel Calypso squeezing her hand a little stronger, as a sign of support.

Aeron rolled his eyes. ❝You don't have the choice, wraith.❞

❝Yes she does.❞ Calypso answered, using her authoritarian princess voice. ❝If she wants to walk, then we'll walk.❞

Yasmeen almost smiled, her heart a little lighter to see that, even if Calypso didn't understand the problem, she had seen enough of Yasmeen's discomfort to take her side. People usually didn't do that.

❝Or she could swim with me.❞ All eyes turned to Malachai, who looked at Aeron. ❝You take my sister back, I'll take Yasmeen.❞

They looked at each other again, and Yasmeen could see the beginning of a trust blooming. Or at least the mutual knowledge that they were both constantly trying to avoid their immature parents to start a war. They could at least count on that. They agreed, and the girls did too. Aeron was about to take Calypso in his arms.

❝Wait.❞ The princess turned, and without a word, kissed Yasmeen on the lips. ❝That way, you'll be able to breathe underwater for at least an hour. It should be enough time for both of you to get back.❞

❝Hum... Thank you?❞ Calypso laughed at this reaction. Malachai did not.

❝Okay, time to go Sunshine.❞

He took her in, actually paying attention to her wounds, and they went into the sky together. It's when they were finally alone that Yasmeen noticed Malachai's stretched silence.

❝Are you... okay with that decision?❞

❝Of course I am.❞ He lightened up, or at least forced himself too. Yasmeen didn't understand, but blamed it on the recent fight. ❝But, just out of curiosity, why didn't you want to fly with Aeron?❞

Yasmeen wanted to be honest, but she wasn't ready for that conversation yet. ❝I don't particulary trust him. Does that surprise you?❞

❝If it was just that, you wouldn't have let Calypso go with him.❞

❝He can't hurt her without risking a war.❞ He knew it was only half the truth, but he didn't push. ❝Besides... I lost almost all of my knives.❞ She looked almost sad now. ❝I'd rather be with someone I trust completely if I don't have them with me.❞

He swam away without saying a word and, as puzzled as Yasmeen was, she couldn't help herself but realizing that it was the first time she saw his tail. Red, just like his eyes. She didn't have any time to dwell on her feelings that he already came back, holding said knives in his hand. Her eyes widened.

❝You mean those?❞

She jumped out of her rocks and came closer to him - thankfully, she still had a foothold, since they were near the shore. ❝How did you-❞

❝They all landed on the water when you threw them. I just caught them.❞

❝While fighting a hord of sirens?❞

❝I know how you love those knives.❞ Yasmeen didn't even try to hide her smile. ❝Besides, some of them helped. One of them landed right next to me at the exact moment I needed a weapon. I almost tought you threw it on purpose.❞

She put back each one of her knife in their sheath, trying but failing to find a way to thank Malachai for it, so she just stayed silent. Until the moment he touched one of the cut on her cheek, and she winced. ❝I was truly worried for you.❞ He admitted.

❝Were you?❞ She smiled. ❝Well I, on the other hand, trusted you completely, so I'm a little offended. Have I not proven myself to you?❞ She joked, and was satisfied to make him laugh a little.

❝You always have a comeback, don't you?❞

❝I'm afraid so.❞ In the silence that followed, she noticed how close they were but didn't step back. What was it about Malachai that made him feel safe to be close to? She didn't know. He was a prince, and he had shown signs of interests, she should have avoided him like the plague. But she didn't want to. ❝I like your tail.❞ She said instead, and when he looked embarassed, she immediately regretted it. ❝Sorry, is this a weird thing to say? I'm not familiar with-❞

❝It's not weird. Not at all. Just..❞

She knew he wanted to thank her, just like she did earlier. It appeared they had a lost of issues in showing their feelings, so she changed the subject.

❝It was uncomfortable, I'll admit. Fighting in the water. I couldn't move properly, and my vision was blurry.❞

❝I saw you. You did great, but yes we should totally work on that.❞

❝I can't breathe under water.❞

❝As my sister said, we can easily fix that.��

❝I'm not sure the princess agreed to kiss me before every training session.❞

❝Well then we'll just have to find someone who's willing to do it.❞

Was this flirting? Yasmeen didn't want to answer this question. Lately, they toyed the line a lot, but always came back into safe territory just after. Maybe it was for the best.

❝Something is bugging me, though.❞ She loved the way he immediately listened. ❝I don't really know what happened. One minute we were on the ship. The next I was in the water. But there's a gap...❞

❝The sirens sang. It's hypnotizing for humans. Even I was a little disoriented by the birds' songs. I never heard it before. But... our ears are more fit to it. It's why we had time to react with Aeron. They stopped singing when we fought back.❞

She hated being reminded how humans were so vulnerable. ❝Is there a way to get used to it? For a human, I mean.❞

❝I admit I don't know...❞

❝I'll ask Nate when we get back. I'd like to try.❞ Malachai nodded. Their smiles dropped when they realized they truly had to go now.

❝Just hold on to my shoulders and I'll do the rest. Tell me if I go too fast, I know humans don't always like that. And if you can't breathe anymore at some point, you know what to do.❞

[likeafairytale]

“Okay but did you already have sex with a man though?” — Aeron to Malachai

Malachai almost spilled his drink to the question. It's been five drinks that he told himself that it was 'the last drink' but somehow, they kept coming, and he kept drinking them. No doubt Aeron was the cause of it. Tomorrow, he will wake up with a horrible hangover, and possibly a migraine with the feeling of hating himself, but that will be tomorrow's problem, not tonight's. In between, they talked about numerous subject; navigation, ships, Malachai's gift, but somehow, they came back to the subject of Malachai's sexuality, no doubt that Aeron was the cause of it again. The man seemed distant all the long of their conversation, and now the sea prince knew why; this question was in his brain since the beginning.

Aeron was for sure curious. Malachai knew how to deal with curious people, he had to deal with Nathaniel and Calypso after all, and they were very curious. For sure, Aeron was as curious as his siblings, but he was probably asking the right questions all the time. Always the sensible subjects, the subjects Malachai wasn't at ease with, at least not while being sober. Maybe six drinks ago, he would have been offended, and even would have left the bar, but he was drunk and tired, and the idea of standing up was making him dizzy already. So he stayed there, drinking his drink, that Aeron took pleasure to refill, as soon as he was over. The fae's prince frowned, put the bottle down and looked intensely at Malachai. The sea prince frowned too, sensing a shift in the air. He did not like it. He drank his glass before Aeron could ask anything else, knowing damn well that another forbidden question was following.

“Wait..... Did you already have sex with anyone? I feel I should start there.” Aeron asked in a whispered, as if there were people ready to spy on the two princes. They were, in fact, no one else in the bar. They were alone for an hour, but too deep in their drinking to realize it, probably. To that question, all Malachai did was rolling his eyes and sighed a little.

“I may not be as experimented as you are, but I am not a prudish either.” Later, he would come to regret sharing so much –to him, it was a lot to confess– with Aeron, but once again, that will be the problem of his future self, not his present self, who was now laughing with the other prince, both finishing their glasses. They finished their second bottle of whiskey.

“Hey you can't blame me for asking. You're so... stoic most of the time. It's very possible to me that you never had sex.”

“I'm not so uptight... am I?” Malachai asked, suddenly serious. To him, he was normal, not sharing too much, it never came to his mind that he was hard to read. He looked at Aeron with a puzzled look, and the fae's prince couldn't help but laugh to that.

“Please, 'repressed feelings' could be your middle name. That's why it's fun to anger you.”

“I am, without a doubt, drunk, but I still can perfectly punch you, do you want me to try?”

The sea's prince asked, back to his formal self. It was as if he sobered up thanks to one sentence, and Aeron did not like that at all. He kept refilling Malachai's drink, and the latter kept drinking, until the mood was lighter. Aeron came a bit closer, which made Malachai frowned a little. The prince of the sea moved forward, and once again it felt as if they were sharing a secret.

“So? Did you or did you not, had sex with another man?”

“Why? Would hope to be the first one?” Malachai asked spontaneously. He barely noticed what he just did, just like Aeron. The sea's prince smirked before laughing, while the fae's prince stayed there, processing what just happened.

“... Hey... did you ju- … flirting is my thing!” They both laughed, so much that Malachai's ribs were hurting right now. He felt as if he should call it a day, but it was hard to remember his limis with Aeron. For the first time in his life, he felt free and lighter.

[icanbeyourgenie]

“ Isn't there something that you want? Something more than anything else in this world? ” – Malachai to Aeron

Aeron didn't have to think to know the answer, but he still paused for a second, deciding if he should give that piece of information to the sea prince or not. Apparently, alcohol made him more honest.

“The sky.” He said, and Malachai raised an eyebrow. “I'd want to go back to the sky. Where we used to live.”

“It was way before your birth that your people came down here, isn't it? You don't know what it was like.”

“I know that we probably flew a lot more. I hate not using my wings for a long time.”

“So you dislike the forest?”

“No I don't. There's a lot of forests in the sky islands. They're mostly forests flying around. With... big voids every 10 meters.”

“So it's the ground you dislike then?”

“Yes. Too restrictive. Humans are fun, but otherwise the land is boring to death.”

The fae sighed and poured another drink to both him and the merman. They stayed in silence after that. Aeron was about to return the question but Malachai spoke first.

“You could, you know ? If you were high king, you could decide to go back to the sky.”

Aeron sneered while emptying his glass. “But I'm not high king, am I?”

“Everyone who has spent more than 10 minutes in this place can tell that your mother wants to name you the crown prince. Not your fucked up brother.”

“And for the hundreth of times, I don't want it. But even if I did, I wouldn't be high king. Morgana's immortal. And she doesn't fight her own battles anymore. So unless there's an actual war between our two people, there's no chance she'll die. Accepting to be the crown prince would just mean losing the bit of freedom that I still have.” He took another sip and looked at Malachai, deciding to push the conversation a bit further. “But you seem fine with it though. ”

“What?”

“Being the heir forever. The dutiful son, always doing your father's biding, even if you lose yourself in the process.”

Malachai's fist tightened. “I have a duty of care towards my people. And my siblings.”

Aeron chuckled. “Ah yes, your siblings. What an excellent excuse is it not? They do worship you... Do you think you're worthy of that worship?”

Malachai seemed really angry now, and Aeron liked it. But he soon understood that angering the man was easy. He had so much anger bottled up inside of him.

“You always have to be an asshole, don't you?”

“An asshole who tells the truth. But I don't judge. After all, we have a lot in common.”

“We don't.”

“Yes we do. We both have great hair.”

“That's not a personality trait.”

“Oh, say that to all the pretendants who want to touch your hair every night.”

This time, they both laughed. Aeron knew these times were trying for Malachai, since his father forced him to find a wife and all his evening were about meeting new sea ladies that could fit. Aeron knew forced marriage all too well, he didn't need to ask to know that Malachai felt trapped.

The sea prince poured another drink.

“It always bugged me, when I was a child. I had the best history teachers, yet no one knew why you just decided to give up on the sky and come on land.”

“The fae people don't know either. Most books from this time have been lost. Or burned.”

Malachai smirked. He had become better at detecting Aeron's subtle deflecting, when he couldn't lie. “But you know?”

“I don't.”

“You at least have a theory.” Aeron's silence. told him he was right. “Won't you tell me?”

Aeron's smile turned devilish when he said: “I don't know. Keep making me drink and who knows where it will lead us.”

Malachai rolled his eyes at the innuendo but he was used to it by now and they kept drinking, soon enough the subject drifting elsewhere.

[icanbeyourgenie]

“ My sister got lost for seven hours in your fucking maze of a castle and no one looked for her?! You're her husband, that you like it or not, your duty is to protect her. Next time I won't be this merciful. ” – a mad Malachai to Aeron after learning Calypso got lost in the castle which prompt him to come

Aeron raised an eyebrow. He didn't expect the son of Triton to be there. Didn't he leave not long after the wedding? Aeron did not push the reasoning further. He didn't care much about a man he talked to maybe twice in his entire life. But he could see that the other prince was angry. Angry enough to confront him in an empty corridor with unsaid threats, when they all knew how fragile the peace between their two people were. Maybe Malachai didn't care, but war was a fate Aeron did want to avoid. However, if the fae had one passion in life, it was to push the buttons of angry people. And seeing the look on Malachai's face, he was about to have some fun.

“What are you talking about?” He was truly clueless there.

“Don't play me for a fool. I'm talking about your cousin 'accidentally' losing my little sister in this fucking maze of a palace for hours! If her maid didn't find her, she'd be dead by now.”

Aeron sneered. “If it's Euphemia you're talking about, it definitely wasn't an accident.”

“I know that. Which brings me back to my original point: You have a duty of care over her. It should not have happened.”

“What shouldn't have happened? Her needing the help of a maid not to die, or calling her big brother to the rescue like a little girl? Because I'd argue that both shouldn't have happened. But hey, who am I to judge the raising customs of merfolk, huh?”

Malachai's eyes got even redder if that was possible. He got closer to Aeron, clearly ready to strike. “Be very careful what you say next.” He warned.

“Besides, what do you want me to do about it? Put her on a leash? Oh wait-” He showed his wrist, where still lied Calypso's bracelet. “I already did.”

Malachai's fist ended up on Aeron's jaw faster than expected. Aeron laughed, and Malachai stroke again, and again, to wipe that smile off of the fae's face. It only intensified it but soon enough, Aeron started to fight back, and it got messy real quick.

They were already covered in blood when Malachai started to shake the ground to unsettle Aeron, who immediately fell on his back, giving Malachai the opportunity to get on top of him to keep hitting him. Aeron knew each one of Triton's kids were granted a power, but apart from Calypso's, he had no clue what the others were. Until today.

He used the fairy dust to animate a statue that was resting next to the wall, making it drag Malachai back just enough so Aeron could get back on his feet again. He stroke again, and noticed that for now, as heavily armed as they both were, none of them drew an actual weapon. Good, maybe Malachai did care about not starting a war after all.

“What is the meaning of this?”

This question came from the only person who could actually scare Aeron into giving up a fight. Fortunately, it stopped Malachai too. Of course it did, Aeron thought. Malachai probably had the same experience with Triton. After all, when your parent was the most powerful person alive, you learned to obey real quick.

So they were both on their feet, facing Morgana with their back straight, like they were just having a conversation and weren't covered in blood at all.

“Nothing, your Majesty.” Malachai spoke first. “We were just...”

“Settling a minor disagreement. It's over now.” Aeron finished.

“Good. Because my corridor is no place for a fight. If you boys have some extra energy to spend, we have actual training fields for it. Am I making myself clear?”

The Sceptre glowed a little - a bad sign - and they both nodded. It seemed to appease Morgana, but Aeron knew she hid her true feelings like no one.

“Now, Malachai, I believe you have just returned to us from the Sea. You must be tired from the journey. I had the servants prepare your room.”

“This is very kind of you, your Majesty.” He answered like a proper prince.

“Aeron, you're coming with me. We have things to discuss.”

When she walked ahead, Aeron had to follow her. He only turned around to see Malachai still fuming. He almost laughed. He didn't pay much attention to the heir of Triton before, outside of when he tried to gather informations, but maybe he should have. If the prince Malachai often displayed this temper, Aeron would definitely enjoy his company.

[icanbeyourgenie]

HALLOWEEN APPRECIATION MONTH ➜ Kaeon + the 5 love langages

[icanbeyourgenie]

#self-proclamed bff always there to help you ruin your life with style

[icanbeyourgenie]

#local so-called enemies (bff) seen arguing like an old married couple, actually

[icanbeyourgenie]

[ a drunk Malachai, beating the shit out of Rhys after he said many innapropriate things about Yasmeen from the times he forced himself on her, only stopping because Aeron drags him out of the room ]

Aeron could swear he felt the scratches in his face as he dragged Malachai out. The mermale did not go without a fight, nor multiple insult directed against faes - was it for him or his brother? Aeron didn't know. But fortunately he was way less drunk that Kai right now, which played in his advantage.

He barely closed the door of the library he managed to get Malachai in that the mermale was already storming to it, forcing Aeron to use his body as a barrier between the door and Kai.

"Let me out." The mermale rasped, his eyes somehow gaining a shade of red.

"Not until you calm down. I'm almost jealous you know? I thought you liked my face the most. And here you are beating up my brother instead of me? Men have feelings too, you know?" Aeron joked, referencing the many times Kai punched his face. The mermale didn't seem amused.

"I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"Neither am I! You're forcing me to be the responsible one here. My role is exclusively limited to being devishly handsome and making terrible but fun life decisions. You're the responsible one in this equation-"

"Aeron..."

"-So try to sober up before you go start a war over.... what exactly?"

Malachai went silent. The drinks slowed him down for sure, but even in this state surely he was able to realize that killing Rhys would be a terrible political move. And that's what he was about to do.

That's why Aeron intervened. He wouldn't have cared about a fight. Especially since Malachai was winning - his brother deserved a beating once in a while. But the beating went on and on until Rhys was bloody on the floor, barely conscious, and Malachai did not stop. Even Aeron knew that killing one of Triton or Morgana's children would mean a war. Kai couldn't make that kind of decision when he was so highly drunk.

"Can you step back now? Don't get me wrong I love the proximity, but you're bleeding all over my shirt. You should do something about that nasty scar on your arcade." Aeron half teased.

"Don't you ever shut up?" Kai finally took a step back, reason getting back to him.

"No that's where you say: You should see the other guy! Come on, I can't remember all your lines for you." Aeron dramatically rolled his eyes before his face got back in a more neutral, serious tone. "He is in a pretty rough shape actually. What was all that about?"

"Your brother is a phenomenal dick, that's what."

"Old news. But I told you I'll keep him away from Calypso already. So what happened?"

Malachai looked at him but stayed silent during multiple minutes. Clearly he didn't drink enough to spill all his truth.

"Your mother is looking for you." an uninvited voice spoke.

It was most indignified, surely, how brutally the two boys startled. Maybe later they'd make a pact not to say it to anyone. Right now, they just looked at Yasmeen, who looked back at them, tilting her head.

"The fuck? Since when are you there?!"

"Not long. I did not want to step on your moment, but your mother is demanding to see you you. Right now."

Aeron sighed. He knew what Morgana wanted. He looked at Malachai, ready to throw a 'You owe me one' but clearly the mermale was in a terrible enough state already. So he just left, readying himself to face his mother and her fake smile.

The silence stretched for a small eternity in the library. Even when Yasmeen moved and put the stitching kit she brought along with her on the table next to Kai, not a single sound was made. Not until she spoke again.

"Thank you. Don't do something that stupid again, but... thank you."

[likeafairytale]

"Be honest with me.... If you liked boys, would I be your type?" - Aeron to Malachai

“Bold of you to assume that I do not like boys already.”

Malachai said nothing else. He simply smirked, the way he learnt to do since he became close to Aeron. Refilling his drink and his brother-in-law's one, he finished his quite easily, while the fae was still on his words. Maybe Malachai stuttered, it can happen when he was drunk, and surely he was to admit his sexuality so openly. Not that he was ashamed to like boys and girls, far from that, but the prince of the sea wasn't the most talkative when it comes to personal life. No one knew he was seeing Wendy in the intimacy of his room, and he hoped for it to stay that way, so in the back of his mind, he reminded himself to stay sober enough to keep it a secret.

Finally, his words arrived in Aeron's brain. The fae prince opened his mouth, visibly surprise, and it made Malachai laughed a little while he refilled his own drink. Perhaps he should stop there for tonight, after all, fae's alcohol was famous to be strong. He finished his drink and decided that it was enough for him, but it wasn't for Aeron, apparently, for the man drank three time in a row, as to process what he just heard.

“Come on, this isn't so shocking, is it?”

“Everything about you is shocking.” Aeron started with amusement. “Seriously, though? Am I your type?” His amusement turned into seriousness and Malachai frowned a little to that.

“Obviously not.” He said without hesitation, without stuttering, and Aeron seemed almost disappointed.

“I like to think you're lying.”

“I'm not.”

“Yes, you are.”

A silence, followed by them both laughing and refilling their drink –damn avarice. They drank in silence for a few more minutes, this time Malachai swearing to himself to stop after this one, while Aeron was deep in his thoughts. It wasn't rare between them to have deep silence in their conversation, most of the time they were initiated by Malachai, since Aeron loved to talk too much to let a pause go too long between them. So the silence did not annoy the sea prince. What disturbed him, however, was that Aeron was silence for a whole minute, his eyes lost in the distance, as if he was piecing things together. After a moment, the fae prince smirked and looked at Malachai, finishing his drink.

“Was it Markos?” He asked, and Malachai was visibly surprised. He stayed silence for a moment, before decided to go for another drink.

“How did you guess?” He asked, grimacing.

“It's always the second in command.” Aeron whispered, smirking, before winking to him.

“... We were young.” Malachai started. His brother-in-law did not ask, but he felt talkative tonight so why not. Or maybe it was the liquor who was talking now. “Markos was my companion, every class I took, he took them with me, every training, he trained with me. He was raised to be my second, my best friend.”

“Ouch, my feelings are almost hurt.” Aeron laughed, which made Malachai rolled his eyes.

“Maybe it was because I was with him all the time. More than with my own siblings. But those feelings disappeared as quickly as they came.”

“Does he know?”

“If he does, he hides it well.”

“Why not? You could have a little fun.”

“I'm not you, I don't jump on everything that moves.” Malachai frowned as if it was obvious, while Aeron put a hand on his heart as if it was hurt.

“Ouch, such vile words from a prince of the seas!” They both laughed and drank to that. “I can't believe he is your type, and I'm not.”

“Not all Blackwater has bad taste in men.” Malachai answered, smirking a little making Aeron laugh. Soon enough, the bottle was over, Aeron went to grab another one to refill their glasses while Malachai swore this was his last drink of the night.

[likeafairytale]

(insp.)

[likeafairytale]

#two halves of a whole idiot

[likeafairytale]

#aeron said 'we ain't platonic with a capital P'

[likeafairytale]

"I actually get that you want to protect your sister's softness. I do. Lyra is a lot like her. She used to crawl into my bed when she had a nightmare - if anyone noticed her she would've been exiled by now. We're trained to be ruthless, the ones that aren't are sent back to their other parent. Which is why I always insisted on being honest about all the cruelties of the world. She insists on staying soft, but I do my best for her not to be weak and blind. That's how you protect the people you love in this world. Otherwise, they'll get badly hurt. Or worse." - Aeron to Malachai

❛Are you judging my way to deal with my sister?❜

❛Maybe a little.❜

Even though Malachai did not like being judged, he couldn't help but chuckled a little to his last words, especially when he showed a little space between his thumb and forefinger to show his point. Although the merman didn't expect it, he ended up by quite tolerating –would he dare say liking?– his brother-in-law. He wouldn't have believed it sooner, but Aeron quite understood what it was to be a prince with so much responsibility, since it was quite obvious that he was his mother's favorite, just like Malachai himself was his father's favorite. It was easy to talk about those problems with him, even though he didn't want to admit it, he tried to pretend he did it unwillingly, but people could see that the merman appreciated the fae, and vice versa, which caused some argument between Malachai and Nathaniel most of the time –the poor siren thought his brother was replacing him, which was completely wrong, but Malachai didn't understand the fear.

Malachai wanted to go for a swim, alone, and as an annoying little brother –now Malachai could actually understand Nathaniel's fear– Aeron started to follow him, probably because he'd rather be with the crown prince of the oceans than with his own brother, which the merman understood, the fae's family was terrible in any sense of the word. At first, Malachai ignored him, like he often did, but like often, Aeron, who hated silence, started to ramble about everything, and the subject of their little sisters came into the discussion.

As stated previously, Malachai did not like being judged, even more when it was about his siblings; since his mother's death, he was the one who had to deal with them, and so raised them because most of the maids and servants were too scared of Triton to discipline them all the way it should. But the problem was that Malachai himself was a teenager, sort of, at the time, and having to be a parent when you had no experience in the matter was difficult, especially when you're expected to train in combat and politics most of the time. He knew he did wrong towards his siblings, especially Calypso, who was still a child of Lyra's age when their mother died, but he hated to admit he failed his siblings.

❛Some people need tough love to understand things. I think your sister requires it.❜ Aeron advised which was very wise of him; anyone would think it was out of character for him to say such a thing, but Malachai knew by now that the fae was actually a wise man, he was just hiding it very well.

❛I know she does.❜ He admitted while sighing. ❛Trust me, I try my best, but each time I do, she shut-downs and refuses to talk until I apologize. I know I should have done it way sooner, but try to raise five children by yourself when you are just as lost as them.❜

Once again, Malachai sighed, coming closer to the shore, and so to the fae. He stayed in the water, for it was refreshing, and he always loved being a merman better than being a human –but who wouldn't? Looking in the distance, Malachai was lost in his mind, asking himself if he should explain better why he was so protective and loving with Calypso, or if this should stay a family business, but once again, Aeron was his brother-in-law, and therefore, even though it was hard to admit, he was family too.

❛She almost died, did you know that?❜ He suddenly asked which visibly was something the fae did not know and wasn't expected to hear.

❛We don't really talk that much.❜

❛She was born prematurely, and almost died. Ironically, she couldn't breathe underwater at first, mother was so scared, father was unbothered. She had to be brought to the surface. Father told me I shouldn't bother to know her name because she was dying anyway. He didn't want to see her, for at least six months. Saying, 'where is the point of knowing her? She's weak, I don't need a weak child.' But then, she got stronger. That's when she started to be interesting to him. In his eyes she had no chance to survive, so seeing her getting strong was... fascinating, I suppose. He liked her, or pretended to, I'm not quite sure with him. Made her the Realm's delight, which became stronger after she received her power. Everyone loved her, the people, the maids, all of us. She was a little miracle. Because she had such a weak upbringing, no one dared being too harsh with her, except Father, maybe. Oh, one maid tried, she got fired by father, and it became an example. After that, she was allowed to do what she pleased, no repercussion, although sometimes she got some from father. All of that to say; this is why she is so... soft and blind to the world's misery. We sheltered her too much.❜

It was clear, at Malachai's look, that these memories weren't the most pleasant he had. And maybe he shouldn't have told them in the first place, especially to Aeron, for it was an intimate matter between the Blackwater family, but a part of him thought that his brother-in-law should know why his wife was so sweet, and soft, and, at time, borderline bratty and selfish. Because she was never told 'no' before. Of course, Malachai did not know all his sister's life story, even though he thought so, he did not know yet about his father's dagger, and how Triton loved to stab his youngest daughter, and this was the reason she was out for days in a row.

❛That's... sad. You all let her get away with her behavior just to spare her feelings. Now look at what she is. Even my little sister has a better knowledge of the world than her.❜ Aeron started while struggling, visibly unbothered by what he just heard, or maybe he did not process all the words yet, Malachai did not know which version he'd rather believe, and the merman prince sighed and rolled his eyes. ❛You smother her too much. Like I said, she'll probably get badly hurt or worse. And that'll be on you.❜

❛She is already married to you, what worse could happen to her?❜ Malachai said with amusement which made Aeron rolled his eyes. ❛But you're right... That's why you're her husband. You tell her the honest truth, and I still stay the good guy, and I got to punch you sometimes. Everyone wins.❜

❛What am I winning in this deal?❜

❛You can be as honest and mean to her as you wish. Should be enough.❜

On those words, Malachai splashed Aeron with his tail, before going back for a swim, letting the fae prince all wet in the shore.

[likeafairytale]

#when your best memory is when you tried to kill your brother-in-law/enemy/best friend during the Great War

[likeafairytale]

"Being a prince means being trapped. That's why I always wanted to escape." - Aeron to Malachai

Malachai said nothing at first, still looking at the book he had in hands, pretending he didn't really hear him. He was reflecting on Aeron's words. For sure, it was probably the first deep thing he ever said to him, which was quite... disturbing. Usually, Kai was the one saying deep and meaningful things, when the fae was more shallow to say the least. So yes, the mermale needed a little moment to process the words of his brother-in-law. To be honest, he did not know how they came to this discussion. Maybe it was because he was reading a book about travelling and maps, or maybe because lately, Malachai was struggling with the fact that he was a prince and his life was already written since before his birth, either way, Aeron's was sitting in the opposite of him, eyes lost in the emptiness of the room. Finally, the meremale sighed and closed his book, bringing the fae's attention to him.

❝The difference between us, is that I cannot escape. I never could.❞ Malachai started, and he didn't notice how sad and a bit annoy his voice was right now. ❝Not because I'm the firstborn, or because I'm the favourite, but because I'm the only one. As much as my father tries to pretend, I know he'll rather die than letting one of my sister in charge of the Kingdom. They remind him too much of mother, and the idea of a man who isn't his own flesh leading our kingdom is killing him. So if ever you thought because you're Calypso's husband he'll give you the throne, you're mistaken. I'm pretty sure if I die tomorrow, and he has to choose, he'll give it to Naia's husband instead of you, because at least he is from the sea.❞ This time, he did notice how angry he sound while talking, but couldn't help it. Somehow, Aeron's pushed where it hurt, and as often, he rolled his eyes when he saw the fae's smug smile.

❝Wanna me to kill you to see if it's true?❞ Aeron said back, and Malachai had to refrain himself to punch him in the face, which happened a lot lately. ❝Anyway, we always have the choice. You have a brother, he could choose him instead.❞

This time, Malachai let a bitter laugh go off his throat before going back to his book. There were nothing funny about Aeron's words, but the fact that he thought it was so simple, –or maybe he just tried to have right in a discussion he couldn't like often– was laughable for Kai. After a moment, he raised his red eyes and could see he was unbothered by his amusement, which, once again, annoyed him somehow.

❝I love Nathaniel, and I've always seen him like a true brother, but father will never put him in charge. He is not his biological son, and he is a siren. I'm sure Nate knows it deep down. I'm the only option he truly has.❞

To be honest, deep down, Malachai was all right with the idea of not letting this burden on his young brother shoulders. Nathaniel was a poet, not a soldier, not that there were something wrong with that. Kai always enjoyed his brother's way to see the world, it was fascinating and so different of the way he sees it, it felt like a fresh air. But Triton didn't have the same point of view as his first son, and like he said it, the High King of the Seas was still old-fashioned, no matter what he tried to say, and not only, in his mind Nathaniel wasn't built to be a King, but he wasn't from the right lineage.

❝So no, Aeron, we don't all have the luxury to randomly take a ship and travel around the world because we're bored with our responsibilities. Compare to you, I was never free a second of my life.❞

Once again, the bitterness was back. He had some resentment toward the fae, and it was probably because of jealousy. Malachai didn't realize how much as he wanted to be free until he started to come to the Fae's kingdom, and he knew deep down, Yasmeen had something to do with it... Before he could think about this thought further, his attention was caught by Aeron who shrugged, and for once he was glad, because he wasn't sure he wanted to follow this thought right now.

❝Calypso said you were often away, an-❞

❝My sister sees what I want her to see.❞ Malachai cut short, surprising Aeron, who frowned. This time it was the meremale who shrugged and sighed, as if his words were obvious. They were, though, and he knew that the fae couldn't deny them. He loved his youngest sister, but the girl had the wrong habit to romanticize things in her mind; something he blamed himself for, maybe if he didn't protect her this much, she would have been cleverer. He went back to his book, before saying in a sigh: ❝I was away because I had to train, or control the ability to shape-shift as I see fit. Not because I wanted to. Calypso's eyes can be deceptive sometimes.❞

❝Yeah, but she does have pretty eyes tho.❞ This time, Malachai sighed and closed his book, which amused Aeron, who had his smug smile back. ❝Oh, come on, you have pretty eyes too!❞

❝You're insufferable.❞

❝I take it as a compliment.❞

❝It wasn't.❞ Aeron laughed and that was enough for Malachai who rolled his eyes and stood up, throwing the book he had through the table. ❝Now excuse me, but I'd rather leave before you start to talk more, and it makes me want to punch you.❞

❝Once again, I take it as a compliment.❞

[likeafairytale]

youtube wrap game: 45 + Kaeron

“Don’t be fooled by their tender smile, give an inch and they’ll run a mile ” THE VILLAINS LAIR – TOUGH LOVE