#ikevam oneshot

[dreamscapesin1582]

[ d-1 ] morgenstond

prompt: theo nsfw / freestyle day

tagging: @delicateikemenmemes​

notes: i know its late af but i’ll post it anyway since i already had the draft of it lying around. also its not really nsfw lmao, i prolly stuck around with freestyle. basically fluff day pt 2

Theo sank his body lower on the warm water of the thermae, quietly attempting to erase his thoughts about the exchanges he came across in that damned strange rectangular object.

Meanwhile, back in the lady’s bedroom, someone was attempting not to squeal in delight.

She hugged the pillow closer to her chest as she buried her face there, feet uncontrollably hitting the mattress. With an excited heart, she recalled the events once more.

“…Hondje, something happened.”

With a furrowed brow, Theo began tapping to oblivion when he clicked the home button by mistake. But before she was able to respond, he found himself viewing her past messages. By the looks of it, with the speech bubbles on either side, it seemed like an exchange between two people.

“Conversations?” He mumbled. He tapped the back button (just as he was taught) and scanned the list of people she talked to. And with his sharp eyes, he didn’t miss that one name that seemed… interesting.

Babe. And with a heart, too. And if that wasn’t alarming enough, there was more text below: Thanks for today. Love you!

“Wait, what are you—” She found out he wasn’t in the gallery anymore and tried checking, but he immediately raised his hand to keep it out of reach. “Theo? Let me see?”

“I was reading something.”

“Reading..?” She thought for a moment, and then her eyes widened. “Wait, did you see my inbox?! Give it back!”

“Why?” Challenged, Theo moved out of the bed and stood up. She followed, jumping to reach the phone he so desperately tries to take away from her. “Was I not supposed to see anything else?”

“I’m trying to take it back because I think we’re misunderstanding something here..!”

“So, you can also receive messages here? So much convenience for one small object.” She didn’t like the smirk he had right now. It was a bit crooked, as if forced. “Just answer me this one thing.”

“…Yes?”

“This—” He stopped. Swallowing his words, he looked at the phone screen once more, only to find it unable to light up again. “What’s wrong with this thing now?”

“Oh, maybe the battery’s dead.” She took the chance to snatch the phone from him. She sighed. “Oh well.”

All of a sudden, Theo marched over to her and gripped her shoulders, prompting her to look up to him and his cerulean eyes. He stared at her intently, while she only blinked curiously at him.  

For some reason, he was itching to ask her who the hell was this babe. But he didn’t want her to think he was being possessive of her, when he himself still couldn’t fully comprehend the reality that there was something between the two of them—that out of the many great men in the mansion, she chose him.

Instead, he just gave her a peck on her lips and moved away, tossing his coat on the bed. She blinked once, twice, her cheeks getting warmer. “W-What was that all about..?”

“I’m gonna head down the thermae for tonight.”

“…S-Should I join you?”

Theo paused for a moment, but schooled his expression when he glanced behind his shoulder to look at her. “They’re still awake. We can’t have them getting a look at you.”

He left, almost as if in a hurry, leaving her to raise her voice and announce that she’s going back to her room. He wasn’t able to hear the addition where she clarified that in case he was misunderstanding, Babe (with a heart) was actually her best friend.

And here we are.

Theo grunted as he stood up, making up his mind to see her again. Quickly changing to fresh clothes, he made his way to her room and knocked. No response. After knocking several times, he found out the door wasn’t actually locked.

“I’m coming in.” He announced, and after stepping inside he found her in her bed, hugging her pillow with a blissful smile while wearing his coat. “Just how many times are you going to sleep…?”

The door closed behind him as he strode towards her bed, sitting on the edge and began admiring every nuance of her sleeping face. He slowly reached out and tucked the few strands of her hair behind her ear. If only she could see the endearment behind his eyes as he watched her…

Just as he bent forward, he was startled to feel the familiar sensation of his lover’s lips on his. The beauty in her eyes, seen in close proximity.

“…Just how many times are you going to fall for this trick?” She quipped back with a teasing smile. His eyes widened a fraction, and her mellifluous laughter spilled tenderly from her lips as she noticed color touching his cheekbones.

“…I was going to apologize, but now I see you just like being naughty.” His words came out husky as he leaned forward, pushing his lover down the bed and trapping her in the confines of his muscular arms. The room suddenly felt warmer, hotter, and he found the burning feeling in his chest mirrored in her eyes. “How can you make me feel so bothered inside…?”

“You tell me,” she purred, locking her arms around his neck, “I don’t know, Theo. Please tell me.”

Schijt. He wasn’t prepared for this. But the last thing he knew was that he was kissing her, his hands uneasy, his whole body begging to feel her in ways that could satisfy the hunger he felt all this while.

But oh, her voice drove him mad. The way her body responded to him. The acceptance. The love. The intense need of him. There was no doubt she reciprocated what he felt, and perhaps more.

Her eyes never lied. And in the heat of the moment, just looking at her eyes left him breathless. All through the night…

“Mm… Hmm…?”

She woke up just as the sun was about to rise, finding herself in the comforts of her lover’s arms. Fast asleep. She took a moment to watch him breath softly, eyes closed, a serene look on his face.

Her hand reached out to cup his cheek, her thumb tenderly caressing his cheek. And she whispered, “I hope you know just how much I’m grateful to be able to love you like this.”

She knew of his insecurities, his doubts, his regrets. But to her, Theo was a man of passion. There was art in his blood, zeal in his fingertips, love in his heart. And he had so much love, she always wondered why he doubted that she wasn’t receiving enough when she was rich of it, every single day.

“Hey, Theo…?” She called out softly. “…I love you.”

The light in the room slowly transitioned with the breaking dawn just as Theo opened his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. She looked surprised.

“So this is how it feels, huh?” He teased. She blushed, pouting.

“No fair!”

He only chuckled as he pulled her closer to him, pressing a kiss on her cheek. Fragments of his previous dream flashed through his mind’s eye, yet in that blissful moment he somehow believed that everything was going to be all right, because he will shower her with everything she deserves and more.

Not bothering to hide the affection in his gaze, Theo exhaled as he beheld the most magnificent artwork he could ever find, right here in his arms, bathed in early morning light.

[malachiexists13]

I've lost all my sanity so here's pictures of my notebook for that Faust oneshot. Its filled with a bunch of other dirty shit but this is basically to let you see just how many corrections and spelling errors I made. Why did I write it all in a notebook? Because I'm shit at writing on mobile and my only computer is a school issued one and Im not crazy enough to write literal porn on my school computer.

As you can see, I rarely ever do editing or corrections because I will correct so much fucking shit. And I tend to just forget what word I'm going to write next or completely forget how to spell it because autism brain. Also my pen nearly exploded like three times, especially when I wrote "internalized homophobia" so ignore the blue ink smudges-

If you can't read my handwriting very well, you can read the oneshot here without all the crossed out words and ink smudges.

[daisiesandshakes]

Ikemen vampire fanfic

Paladins

Pairing: Vincent, Shakespeare & reader

Warnings: angst

It was a wonderful evening, sipping wine and chatting with Vincent and Shakespeare.  Due to the advanced time everybody wants to head homewards and Shakespeare looks for a carriage.

You step outside to take some fresh air while you wait for Vincent, leaning against a metal fence as you notice a drunken voice next to your left side. "What a lovely bird we've got here? You shouldn't be alone here at this time, little lady."

"I am waiting for someone, I'm not alone." You reply with a steady voice, shifting a bit to side only to meet another drunk bully on the other side, grinning at you.

This is not good, drunk men are incalculable. You're about to panic as the first man lifts his hand to touch your arm as you hear a soft, but firm voice.

"Leave the lady alone."

It's Vincent! Breathing hard he grips the ceiling of the fence with one hand.

"She is my company." he says as his grip around the ceiling  tightens. Your eyes grow wide. Did you hear metal screech?

But the drunken bullies didn't notice the sound and the growing tense, laughing at him.

"Lad, you better run home!" Both reach out for you.

"I said LEAVE HER ALONE!"

In this moment the screech gets louder followed by a earsplitting clang.

You don't trust your eyes. Vincent stands completely in the shadow, holding the loose ceiling in his hand. Nothing remained from the soft angel you know anymore. His features are hidden in the dark, only his eyes are visible with an unearthly glow.

Another shadow appears next to him, eyes like  burning coal.

"Does Mylady and my dear friend wish for my assistance?"

The sing-sang voice of Shakespeare sounds amused.

The shadow takes the ceiling out of Vincent's hand, bending it into an u-form with no effort. The bullies watch the scene with mouths hanging open and fear in their eyes. William lets the metal drop and in the second it touches the ground he appears directly in front of the first drunken man.

"RUN." he growls with a predator rumble in his voice.

You watch the bullies running away for their dear life,  screaming for help.

Shakespeare giggles. "That was fun,  wasn't it?"

His gaze searches yours as he takes your hand, the unnatural glow in his eyes fades. "I hope thou art without any hurt my little gemstone?"

Vincent rushes to your other side. "I am so sorry! I didn't want to break the fence... It just happened." He looks ashamed down to the floor. "I- I was so angry?! Hope you are not afraid of us now..."

You smile at both vampires. "No, I don't fear you. You both saved me! And we are friends, right?"

With sparkling eyes and a smile Vincent and William nod to each other and take you in between them, holding you at your arms.

"Mylady, our carriage awaits us.  We guarantee thou a safe escort back home."

You never felt more sheltered as in this moment, but to be honest, you see Vincent now with different eyes.

Thank you for reading!

[nuttytani]

Just like a movie

fandom: ikevamp

pairing: vlad x gn!reader 

words: 2000+

warnings: mentions of food and that's pretty much it

a/n- this was my secret santa gift for my dear friend: @jiyuu-chan ! + if you enjoyed it; feedback is highly appreciated!

People say that you are meant to meet a special someone in your life. Someone who would change everything, who would complete you like a piece of a puzzle- someone you are destined to be with from the moment you are born, a string of fate tying you closer.

Soulmates have a special bond with each other; a red string that is attached to their pinky- which can only be seen by them. Such is drilled into every child’s brain from a young age.

When you were younger, your father would always tell you stories of how he had met his soulmate, his wife...your mother. It was otherworldly he said, like nothing else- an indescribable moment, and he wanted you to just know when you had met yours.  

“One day, you’ll also meet your one and only, sweetheart!”

“Really? But…. how will I know?”

“Really! It’s simple. You’ll see a red-,” your dad said- looking a little too excited.

“DARLING- STOP! DIDN’T WE DISCUSS THIS!?? Don’t annoy the poor child…,” your mother screeched from the kitchen as she stormed to your place- giving her husband a sharp look before turning to look at you,  “sweety- you’ll know when that day comes, alright? Why don’t you go play, hmm?”

You only nodded meekly, and rushed upstairs- glad to have your dad stop talking. Your parents’ banter was now muffled, but your mind was clouded with thoughts of what your father was about to say. Perhaps your mother was right...it’s better not to know to keep the moment special.

As you grew up, from kindergarten, primary school to highschool and finally college; you stood by and watched most of your friends find their other half- until you were the only one left. You’d always feel a dull pang in your heart...what if you were destined to be alone for life? When were you going to meet your soulmate? Will people keep on taunting you? These thoughts would lurk in your head, until you couldn’t think anymore. But now you were older and more carefree than before, such thoughts didn’t bother you any longer- at least not completely.

Every once in a while, your family and friends would dreamily tell you about their experience, while you’d just listen and nod. An exhausting cycle, where all your concerns would come rushing back to you. Then, of course, they’d never forget to ask about your nonexistent love life... It wasn’t fun to watch them shoot you a sympathetic smile and say “don’t worry, your time will come soon!”

Truly, having a soulmate or not didn’t matter to you, at least that’s what you think. It wasn’t uncommon for few people to be ‘alone’ although that was quite rare and an unfortunate occurrence. Why was it so hard for people to leave you alone? Real life isn't a romantic movie, like everyone would depict it as.

“There we go! I think that’s it now,” the strawberry brunette sighed as he placed the vase of wildflowers on the coffee table. 

“Finally! I’m so tired,” you groaned, slipping to the floor as your back pushed against the couch.

Fumbling with the book in your hands, you motioned the man to sit beside you- not too long after, he too sat lamely next to you on the cold hardwood. Exactly five hours passed since you and your friend Charles began organizing your new house. The two of you were working nonstop- tirelessly to get the place looking more liveable and comfortable. It was a struggle, but the effort was worth it.

“You know...you owe me for this big time,” Charles announced cheekily.

“Spill it. What do you want Charlot?” Brows shot up your forehead, you knew that smile all too well.

“First of all...stop calling me ‘Charlot’ it’s weird! Only Faust calls me that. And to answer your question- I would like to eat your pancakes.” He flashed you a toothy grin.

“Sure whatever you say Charlot,” you snickered, “with coffee?”

“Uh-huh!”

With a roll of your eyes, you stood up and threw the book on the couch before heading to the kitchen. Straight away- you pulled out the mixing bowl and sieved the dry ingredients, while humming to a tune that was stuck in your head.

About a week had passed since you moved into your new house, it was a decent place and safe neighbourhood. But the best part about it was the fact that your house was a five minute walk from town. That meant no more lazy drives to the market, quite the bonus actually.

Remembering a task- you shouted to Charles, “Can you be a sweetheart and do me a favour?”

“Ask away child, your wish is my command,” he said with a flourish of his hands.

“Haha very funny- go get the mail”

“No no no- you’re forgetting something. What’s the magic word~” he sang in a high pitch.

“...Monsieur Charlie, can you please get the mail,” you huffed in annoyance.

Sounds of pancake sizzling and boiling of the kettle filled the kitchen, you were too busy flipping the pancake to notice Charles' presence back in the living room. His eyes were squinting hard at the brown box and some mail sitting snugly between his arms. He looked back and forth between the parcel and your back before he cleared his throat, capturing your attention.

“Hey uhh...is your home address 216b?”

“No. It’s 215b- why do you ask?”

“Are you sure? Because your mail says-”

Before the man could complete his sentence; you snatched the package from him- your eyes widening momentarily.

“I suppose the addresses got mixed up…” Charles muttered

“Yea looks like it…”

The two of you just stared at the package, not knowing what to do. Your first thought was to drop it off at the right address. The house was just in front of yours, it shouldn’t be a problem and maybe you could introduce yourself to your neighbour at the same time.

A smoky scent filled the living, interrupting your train of thoughts; your nose scrunching up in disgust- “What’s that smell?”

The two of you stared at each other quizzically before exclaiming at the same time “THE PANCAKES!!”

[Unfortunately, it took a great deal of time trying to scrape the burnt pancake off your pan and clean it. The unknown package was the last thing on your mind.]

“Thanks for the help Charles, I appreciate it.” You smiled at him.

“No problem, after all, I got to eat a good meal in turn,” he gave you a wink before bidding his byes.

The sky lost its pale blue colour and was now transformed into soft red and violet, all blending in to create a beautiful gradient with specks of white clouds adorning like freckles. A mop of unfamiliar silvery hair passed by your peripheral as you stared up the sky, taking a shy glance towards the man.

You stared at his back discreetly as he fumbled with the keys before opening the entrance to his house. 

‘216b’ the golden letters glistened. 

Huh. So that’s your neighbour! Maybe now’s the time you give him back the parcel, and that’s what you did.

You knocked thrice on the emerald green door, while balancing the huge brown box on your other arm- waiting patiently while you internally panicked. Your hands started to sweat and the box started to slip. Rushed footsteps echoed from the other side before halting suddenly, the green door opened with a start; giving you a little shock.

Once again, you were met with the silvery haired man; his garnet red eyes flickered to yours and at that moment- you felt as if everything froze around you. Your heart started to beat way too fast, and your breathing became shallow- it felt as if you were underwater. A tingling sensation ran up your left hand, your eyes flashed down to see whatever the problem was- only to be met with a scarlet thread wrapped around your pinky. You looked at the man in clear surprise and he too- looked very taken aback as he followed your eyes.

The silence stretched far too long for your liking, with a clear of your throat- you introduced yourself to the perplexed man and spoke

“...I’m the new neighbour”

“Bonjour, how can I help you?” He stared at you with wide eyes.

“So err- the package— I mean...I-I believe this is your mail?” You motioned to the box in your arms, “Looks like the mailman mixed up our home addresses.” You swallowed the lump in your throat.

“Ahh! Why yes- actually I have yours as well- the mail I mean,” his eyes softened in understanding, “Please! Come inside.” He invited you in as he took the parcel from your hands.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude.” You shook your head meekly, still recovering from your speeding heartbeat.

“Not at all! Come in, please,” he insisted with shining eyes.

The house was similar to yours, the same white walls with wooden floors and fixtures- it had a relaxing ambience. You spotted several plants and flowers decorating the house, giving the place a much more peaceful vibe, you were too busy admiring the place to notice your neighbour returning.

He placed two plates of strawberries and tea on the coffee table which caught your attention.

“You have a lovely home uhh…”

“Vlad. I’m Vlad- my apologies, I completely forgot to introduce myself. How rude of me,” Vlad said with a slight smile.

When you turned up his doorsteps, you had no idea of what was to come- you definitely didn’t expect to finally meet your soulmate after all these years and in such a way. Now you understood what people meant by ‘feeling butterflies’

“No, it’s quite alright,” you chuckled while calming your jittery hands.

Vlad took a seat on the couch and pat the place next to him for you to sit. He elegantly picked the teacup and blew softly on it.

“So, how long have you been here?” he asked.

“Not too long actually, been just a week. I’ve finally finished organizing today,” you said while taking a bite into the deep red strawberry- the sweet juiciness making you sigh in delight.

“These strawberries are particularly my favourite- in fact, these were in the parcel you brought,” Vlad said with a deep laugh.

You gave an awkward ‘oh’ as you took a sip from your cup.

Not too long after, the awkwardness disappeared as you two got lost in conversation after conversation and more endless conversation, and a few giggles in between. It was quite easy to trust Vlad- he had a calming and serene aura and had you feeling comfortable in no time, perhaps too comfortable that you didn’t realize how late it was until you glanced at your wristwatch.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry- I lost track of time…”

Vlad gave a hum of acknowledgement as he eyed the wall clock, “It’s not that late.” He looked at you with twinkling eyes, ”Why don’t you stay for dinner? I’d like some company.”

“Hmm I don't know… I’ve overstayed my welcome,” You said with furrowed brows.

“Well I for sure know you haven’t —as I’ve said—I enjoyed your company.”

“Ahh fine! You’re good at tempting people you know?” With a grin, you folded your arms which earned a hearty chuckle from Vlad.

Dinner went smoothly as you two chattered on and on. The two of you stalled your return home but stayed in each other’s presence by washing dishes, eating dessert, extra dessert, and washing dishes yet again until there was nothing left to do.

Once again, you stood at Vlad’s doorstep with a meek smile.

“I had fun, thanks for having me”

“Me too- and it’s not often to find that your neighbour is your soulmate,” Vlad gave you an impish smile.

“Yea— it was, just like—”

“Just like a movie?”

“You stole my words, monsieur.”

“Perhaps this is our movie,” he said while tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear.

*

*

a/n: if you enjoyed reading this, please don't forget to leave a like and/or reblog. feed back is always appreciated. + join my taglist here

[carnelianns]

hello!

i’m a new writing blog for the ikemen series otome games （＾ω＾）i write headcanons, scenarios, drabbles, and oneshots for:

ikemen vampire (excluding vlad, faust, and charles)

ikemen revolution (excluding amon, deen, darim, and mousse)

ikemen sengoku (excluding ranmaru, mori, and yoshimoto)

requests are open. please check the rules as well. i hope you enjoy!

[dreamscapesin1582]

[ d-3 ] karmozijn

prompt: theo & what breaks his heart 

tagging: @delicateikemenmemes​

warning: mention of death and blood

What have you done?

There she was. From where he stood, Theo watched intently as the woman he loved approached from the other side of the aisle with otherworldly grace. Her eyes twinkled with purest love, the most winsome smile played on her lips, her cheeks bloomed with the prettiest of pink—the veil did nothing to suppress her beauty.

He sighed with adoration, yet it came out trembling. Stifled. Troubled.

At the corner of his vision, he caught Arthur’s stare. That unwelcomed emotion behind his stare left something to burn in Theo’s chest, but he tried to ignore it. He’d seen it for several nights now. Not one more.

This will end soon.

She finally stopped walking, standing in front of the altar. Turning towards Theo, her smile remained. Oh, she was perfect. The greatest masterpiece he could ever hope to set his eyes on.

He honestly tried to smile back. Truly, he did. But he felt something clawing at his throat, clutching his heart with a vice grip. And before he could even move, her figure was eventually overshadowed by a familiar back.

Vincent. Standing beside her, they exchanged a smile before facing forward. And the wedding ceremony began.

Yet at that point, Theo was in a world with only his own voice.

What have you done? He recalled all those moments he held back, let the words he wanted to say to die at the back of his mind. He recalled each moment he let go, stepping away even when every fiber of his being had roared to feel her skin. He recalled the times he wasn’t there when she needed someone, listening to the demon that whispered in his ear instead. That no, it’s not him. It’s not going to be him. Someone else. He…

He always provided her less than what she deserved.

What he wanted.

And so, there she was—

“You’re attending the wedding?” Arthur scoffed at him while Theo kept downing the contents of his glass, and then some more. “You’re a blasted fool, you know that?”

“It’s my brother’s wedding. Of course I need to go.”

“But it’s not just your brother’s wedding, is it? You’re really going to let the truth slap you in the face just like that?”

“…I have to.” Theo confided, the alcohol in his veins giving him the courage to do so. “How else am I going to continue without facing the truth?”

“Question is, will you be able to continue, facing the truth?” Arthur didn’t hold back. Here they were, drinking their miseries away, yet the writer couldn’t give one look at his friend without pity swimming in his eyes. For he knew of the amount of time Theo spent thinking about the woman, the number of whiskey glasses he had to finish laced with the drunken utterings of her name.

“It’s going to burn into your head. Every moment of that day. And you’re going to live with that forever, not leaving you for another moment after. Are you sure you want to live like that?”

…Since when did he ever live without regrets, anyway?

Theo found himself in the same venue, yet there was chaos. People were running about, noise all around. He took a step forward, but he stepped into a puddle of something.

Something…

His gaze fell down on his feet.

Red. Red. Dirtied with red.

White. White frills. White lace. Snow white skin.

And more red.

…There she was.

He knelt at the figure in front of him. Her eyes had no twinkle, no smile playing on her lips, no pink on her cheeks—but crimson stained her all over.

Regret. He was the first one here. He was finally here, beside her. Her name left his lips, despite how it hurt to do so. He called out, again and again, to relive every time that he hadn’t.  

Regret. He heard his heartbeat thundering in his ears. With shaking digits, he reached out to her only to see that his hands weren’t clean.

Regrets dropped like pearls of agony on the now tainted carpet. He could almost hear someone laughing down at him. His chest tightened, he suddenly couldn’t breathe.

Was he really too late?

Was he really… Did he… really…?

And he found a certain someone, standing in front of him. The entity of his regrets that bore the same eyes as him, and they were looking at him with horror. It was then that he realized—

“Theo, what have you done?”

Cold. Theo shot up as cold sweat clung on his skin. Out of breath.

“Mm, Theo…?” A soft voice called out. The bed shifted as the woman turned to face him, only to sit up when she realized he was disgruntled. “What happened?”

“…Ah.” He breathed out as her small hand cupped his cheek and gently turned his face to look at her. Even with the dimness of the room, he found serenity in her eyes—an ocean he would always be willing to drown on…

“Did you have a nightmare?”

A nightmare. Yeah. Yeah, it was just a nightmare. It wasn’t… real…

“Yeah.” It came out a murmur as he laid his forehead on her shoulder. Breathing on her scent while his muscular arms naturally sought for her warmth.

“…It’s just a dream, Theo.” She cooed as she hugged him back. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here until you’re okay.”

But Theo thought otherwise. Why else did he dream of that, if not for the ghosts of his remorse haunting him still, the shadows residing on the recesses of his heart, reiterating the very depths they could pull him in…?

Living sans her would break him. The entirety of him.

Perhaps he really was just a broken man with his fragments barely pieced together. Balancing in a thin line, one wrong move would shatter him.

To lose her might drive him to do even the unspeakable.

Because he… wasn’t strong enough.

And perhaps that dream was just his consciousness telling him of his misgivings. That he was doing something wrong. That he wasn’t doing everything he could…

A reminder that he is lacking—

“…I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“Don’t be. I’m glad I get to hold you while you’re like this.” She rubbed his back while he nestled on the crook of her neck. “You can always tell me.”

If I did… would you stay?    

[dreamscapesin1582]

apricum.

for napoleon’s birthday~

Sunlight peeked through the gaps of the curtains in Napoleon’s room as the morning of August 15 arrived. But of course, in typical Napoleon fashion, he was not there to welcome it at all.

Meanwhile, his lover was already up and about, excited for the special day. Not even the sun could compete on how bright her expression was as she moved all around the kitchen.

“Good morning.” Sebastian hovered behind her smaller figure as he spied a lot of ingredients laid over her working space, along with a basket at the side. “I see you plan to have a picnic?”

“A nice one.” She cast a wink at his direction while arranging the sandwiches with most effort. “I invited Napoleon to have lunch with me outside today. For now, I’ll allow him to sleep a little longer.”

The woman suppressed a giggle when she noticed how Sebastian’s stoic face screamed that he wanted to be there as well, but fortunately his common sense is pulling his obsessed alter ego back.

“Don’t worry, Sebastian. I shall relay your feelings to him.”

“Don’t be absurd and say things you shouldn’t…” He sighed, but eventually a fond smile appeared. “A simple ‘happy birthday’ is enough.”

The butler went on to prepare breakfast for the residents while she worked on perfecting their private little date, blissfully unaware of the internal battle that Napoleon was facing at the moment.

He found himself in the throne room he knew so well. Everything was dim. And on the throne he saw his past self, agitated and anxious. He couldn’t move from his seat as he listened to the madness from outside, as if crucifying him as the Nightmare of Europe.    

Never did he know of a silent night.

But in that room, that prison, he heard a faint voice call. He instinctually knew of that sweet, lovely voice. Among the shadows lurking all over the four corners that encased him, a spark of light appeared before his eyes.  

“…Napoleon, it’s time to wake up.”

His eyes finally cracked open to see his beloved’s beaming face, centimeters away. He blinked once only to feel a kiss touch his lips. Now he was awake.

“…Did you just kiss me?”

“Well, you surprisingly weren’t, so I went ahead.” He found the melody of her words most pleasing, even when it was such a dreadfully early hour.

“And we’re supposed to stop there?”

The bed creaked as Napoleon pulled her to lie down with him. She found a smirk flash across his handsome face as he pulled the blanket over them. And then it was just the two of them, in their own little world, catching each other’s stares as if nothing else they have ever encountered could look as lovely.

The tip of his nose rubbed against hers as she giggled. His chest warmed at the sound, making him indulge on the feeling and press a kiss on her lips, then on her cheek, on her eyelids, on her forehead… just peppering her with kisses in hopes of sharing the warmth he felt.

“What a very delighted nunuche…”

She smiled as she tugged at him. “Come on, get up. This nunuche of yours will repay you for the kisses.”

“Oh?” His eyes lit up at the reminder of their date today. “Well, then—”

She stared wide-eyed as he languidly removed himself from bed, the sheets dropping on the floor to reveal him in all his glory.

“…Dress up nicely, okay?”

The sun was already high above the sky when they arrived at the meadows they knew well. Napoleon smiled fondly upon catching sight of the shimmer in her eyes as she excitedly made her way towards the colorful array of flowers. They were pretty, but she was the very sight to behold, as the light of the sun behind her only illuminated her figure.

“See that you don’t trip, nunuche.” He teased as he followed her. She glanced behind her shoulder to pout at him when she finally settled on a spot. Napoleon poked her nose as he chuckled. “Here then.”

Sitting on a blanket they laid on the grass, both of them began eating. They chatted about even the most mundane of things, filling the serenity of the meadows with their lighthearted laughter. Jupiter even visited them at some point and circled above them with a proud screech, as if celebrating the birth of its master. And then she left him for a short while, only to return with crepes in both hands.

“Sebastian told me to relay his greetings.”

Napoleon received the dessert and watched as his lover sat beside him and casually leaned her head on his shoulder. “Oh? I’ll thank him later.”  

“Vincent as well, you should have witnessed the smile he had when he was informed of your birthday. Theo also followed with his good wishes, no matter how nonchalant he was… Jean was hesitant at first, finding the right words to say his best wishes, but in the end all he said was ‘bon anniversaire’… which was fine I suppose. He was very sweet.” He listened intently as she seemed extremely happy at the reminiscence of the other residents greeting him through her. “…oh, and Isaac even worked through his courage to ask me to relay his best wishes for today. It was cute.”

“They could have just told me in person. Why did they have to go through you?” It was her turn to poke at him, trying to smooth the wrinkle that was forming on his brow.

“Because they knew I would have you all by myself today.” She said. “Isn’t it nice, though? It’s just the both of us, in this peaceful space.”

Napoleon regarded her words and stared at the flowers that surrounded them, gently swaying with the breeze. He began remembering several pictures of his dream, which was eventually broken by the light that seeped through her affectionate smile.

There were times he doubted it was really over. And it was difficult to get over the several years he spent dealing with the chaos. One could say it was already etched deep within his bones… like his whole identity was meant to wallow within the shadows and never to rise with the goodness of his heart.

Perhaps that was why he finds himself cherishing these bouts of peace. Moments that seem so simple yet feel so perfect. The best things he could ever find in life that cannot be provided by luxury.

She took his hand and pulled him towards the ground where the sunbeams fall, making him see what was there with him all along.    

“Indeed it is,” he looked at her adoringly, bathed by sunlight, “I am able to find the precious gift this life can give while living under the sun. All the things I could ever wish for is right here.”

And it was the best feeling. Basking in the ambience of sunlight, with his heart warmed with love.