#munto with his loneliness because he has to be King

[milkmynk]

Munto, small HC

Quick sketch...

The night all of the Heavenly Realm celebrated the return of the cycle of Akuto, Munto slipped away from the celebrations

Yumemi found him in his throne room, standing in darkness, gazing out at the twinkling lights and fireworks (precious Akuto being spent, an unthinkable extravagance just a few days before) in the distance of the ongoing celebrations

He looks tired but his eyes soften as she steps over to him. She can tell that he doesn’t wish to talk, and truth be told, neither did she

They stand together in comfortable silence for a while, before she glances up at him and sees tears spilling silently down his cheeks

Nearly all his life, he had been walking a tightrope of despair

Teetering between having to be strong for his people, honoring his parents by bearing the duty he had been born to shoulder, fulfilling his destiny as the one to save them all…

All the while frustrated by his weakness, hiding his powerlessness behind a veneer of authority, praying that somehow, some way, he wouldn’t fail his people, his loved ones, his parents.

Things were far from over, there were a million things left to do

But for now, he could finally have a moment of respite

True rest, without imminent destruction snapping at his heels

Yumemi has seen his memories, felt his fears as her own

She hesitates before reaching out and sliding her hand into his

Slowly, almost as though he were in a trance, he turned his head to look at her

Before gradually taking her into his arms and burying his face in her hair

She can feel wetness on her scalp

All of a sudden, he sags onto her as complete exhaustion overtakes him, his full weight bearing down on her petite form

She startles and calls his name in alarm

He manages to rouse slightly, slurring reassurances as she helps him to his throne

She's about to pull away, promising to find help, but he grips her wrist and effortlessly hauls her into his lap

She lets out a squeak, but he simply cradles her in his arms and lets his cheek lay against the top of her head, breathing her in

"... Stay. Just... stay."

It was more plea than request

She's rigid in his arms for a moment, then relaxes cautiously.

"... Okay."

Munto promptly blacks out into a long, dreamless sleep, into which Yumemi follows him not long after