Daroach watched silently from behind a vine-covered pillar, looking out over the moonlight-bathed ruins of Sacred Square and tracking the movements of the figure currently using a flashlight to scan the crevices of the numerous stone structures. Dark had slipped away from their shared campsite earlier, obviously assuming that all of his allies were fast asleep. Daroach had listened intently to his movements as he feigned sleep and had tailed him after assuring himself that Ribbon and Adeleine would be fine on their own for a while.
Dark continued his search for whatever he was pursuing, unknowingly under the watchful gaze of Daroach. A black backpack was slung over his shoulders, and his dark hair waved gently in the breeze, his distinctive chipped helmet having been left back at camp. The dark knight then switched to scuttling forward on his hands and knees to better inspect a low outcropping, causing Daroach to flush slightly. Dark was an undeniably attractive man, and he very much knew it. The tight clothes he chose to wear left little to the imagination save for the long coat obscuring his lower half, but hints of his rear could be discerned as he arched downwards to peer into the small patch of soil he'd found.
Dark backed up and stood, stretching and glancing up at the stony wall before him. He stretched out the two enormous tattered wings jutting out from his back and ascended to the top of the wall with a few powerful wingbeats, though Daroach could tell that the action caused quite a bit of strain. The numerous tears to Dark's wings made it difficult to fly properly, and the man had even confided in Daroach that he was ashamed of his damaged wings and his poor flight.
The two men had bonded well during their initial journey to assist Kirby, and this bond had only deepened over the last couple of days as they set out along with Adeleine and Ribbon to eliminate a new emerging threat. They both had a flair for the dramatic, and Daroach had at first seen this shared trait as a way to get close to the King of Dreadland so that he could perhaps relieve him of some of his riches. Instead, Dark had charmed him with the sincere traits hidden beneath the façade of a moody heartthrob. A bleak and vulgar sense of humor and a secret gentleness lay beneath the constant flirting and insults. Daroach's stomach fluttered slightly as one of Dark's genuine smiles came to mind, and he shook the thought away with reddened cheeks.
Dark landed on the top of the wall, kicking up a cloud of dust that seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. He expertly balanced on the narrow ridge and walked forward, drawing slightly closer to where Daroach was hiding before stopping and crouching down. Dark reached out and began to carefully examine a vividly colored succulent plant, setting his backpack beside him and pulling out a dog-eared book. He opened the book and leafed through the pages, his eyes darting between the plant and the diagrams inked into the paper. Dark stopped on one page, closely comparing the photo to his find before grinning in triumph and slipping the book back into the bag. Next, he withdrew a small plastic bag, a pair of metal tweezers and a scrap of cloth from an outer compartment, gripping the tweezers and spreading the cloth out beside him.
A few leaves from the plant were gently tweezed off the main stem and laid on the cloth. Dark then carefully rolled up the fabric and stowed everything back into his backpack. He slung the backpack over his shoulders and stood, gazing at the stone below. Suddenly the stone beneath his feet crumbled away, sending him hurtling over the edge and towards the hard ground. Daroach darted out from his hiding place, just barely catching Dark. The knight opened his eyes to find himself nestled bridal-style in Daroach's arms, and he gazed up at his last-minute savior. There was a long moment of silence before either man spoke.
"My hero," Dark chuckled, patting Daroach's cheek in a playful manner.
"Of course!" Daroach responded, grinning. He was dearly hoping that Dark wouldn't notice his racing heartbeat due to their proximity.
"But really, thanks. I thought I was going to shatter for sure," Dark said, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He truly loathed being shattered, as the time it took to reform was spent in a dreamless sleep. The thought of the world going on around him as he lay oblivious and useless was not a pleasant one.
"Good thing I was here, I hate sweeping you up," Daroach teased. Dark feigned annoyance at this, though his expression soon turned to curiosity.
"Why were you out here anyway?" he asked. Daroach resisted the urge to glance away as his cheeks reddened, knowing that the perceptive man would certainly pick up on it.
"I saw you leave camp and wondered if you were wandering off to brood on top of something tall, but then I remembered that you're Dark Meta Knight," Daroach joked, hoping his deflection would work.
"Well, since my name is Dark Meta Knight, and I'm not a living napoleon complex with a disturbing weapon obsession, what did you think I was doing?" Dark cackled. The man would never miss a chance to poke some fun at Meta.
"Looking to fall into the arms of a handsome gentleman?" Daroach quipped, causing Dark to laugh again.
"That's just a bonus," he purred, "What I was really looking for were plants."
"Plants?" Daroach asked, trying to not let his thoughts linger on Dark's first statement. He was just an incurable flirt, he certainly didn't mean anything more by it.
"Yes! I consider myself a discerning collector of succulent plants, and I spotted a bunch of them the last time we were here. So I brought along my tools to collect some!" Dark said, his passion for the subject palpable.
"Succulents? Like cacti?"
"Oh, so much more than just cacti! Lovely geometric Crassula, cute little Lithops, bunny eared Monilaria…" Dark rambled on, though Daroach was more focused on the man's face. His single remaining eye was lit up with interest, and he had an easy, relaxed expression as opposed to his usual carefully composed smirk. Daroach felt unbelievably privileged to be able to witness this softer side of the man who most assumed was simply a twisted and evil version of the noble Knight of Dreamland. Which he sort of was, but he was very cute and charming damnit! "…and Pseudolithos, don't get me started on Pseudolithos… Hey, are you listening?" Dark's words snapped Daroach out of his reverie.
"Sorry, I don't really follow…" he said, grinning sheepishly. Dark gave him an impressive pout, folding his arms in mock consternation.
"Knowledge is something to be heard and gleaned, not ignored like some simpering slack-jawed troglodyte… Or at least I think that's what he said to me the other day at the Dream Palace. How's my Meta impression?"
"The accent is a little off, but I think it's just yours coming through. And it needs a little more condescension," Daroach chuckled. In truth, he did quite admire Meta's intellect and fighting prowess, but the man's consistently haughty attitude made it entirely too much fun to knock him down a peg. It was also deeply frustrating for Daroach to be unable to even tease the man by pick-pocketing him, as his dimensional cape thwarted such efforts.
"Well, my accent's sexier anyways. Anyhow, you should visit my castle sometime. I can show you my greenhouses," Dark chirped, smiling beguilingly.
"Greenhouses, plural?" Daroach asked. Dark tended to not exactly act like royalty, so he managed to routinely make Daroach forget about his high status and vast riches. Which meant he was often caught off guard when Dark casually mentioned such things.
"Oh yes! My collection is quite extensive and has been growing rather rapidly since I've gained unfettered access to your world," Dark clarified, pride evident in his tone. When first meeting Dark, it had been painfully obvious to Daroach that the man was from another world, with his monotone white skin and grey lips. Now, the only time Daroach really remembered Dark's otherworldly nature was when the man mentioned it or was cracked like glass. Dark being fully shattered wasn't the worst thing, since he reformed within a few hours and always seemed merely irritated. No, the worst thing was when he was badly cracked or had a limb shattered, as Dark always seemed so distressed and pain-stricken at such an injury.
"Our succulents are different, right?"
"Yes, they're far more colorful than the ones in the Mirror-World. Most Mirror-World succulents come in shades of dark green, gray or black. Rather dreary, really," Dark said, nodding.
"Sounds like it," Daroach agreed. A moment of silence passed as Dark shifted slightly in his arms before looking at him with a strange expression.
"Say, why are you still holding me?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. Daroach turned an impressive shade of red.
"Uh, I forgot. Let me just…" Daroach moved to set the man down but was halted by Dark raising a hand and shaking his head.
"I'm not complaining. I was just wondering," he said quickly.
"Oh, well, if you're comfortable…" Daroach said, looking at nothing in particular.
"I'm very comfortable," Dark chirped, causing Daroach to look down at him. The man had a placid expression, and the moonlight softened his usually piercing yellow eye.
"I don't think I can carry you back to camp," Daroach sighed.
"Fine. Wimp," Dark said in mock irritation. Daroach gently set the small man back on his feet. Dark took a moment to stretch his legs before turning on his heel to face the other man.
"Ah, of course!" he said, craning his neck and balancing on his toes to leave a quick peck on Daroach's cheek, "Your reward for saving me." He then stepped back and performed a little mock curtsey with the hem of his coat before starting off towards camp. Daroach stood silently for a few moments before scurrying after him.
"I think you might have missed that time. Want to try again?" he called out. Dark paused.
"Don't be greedy," he huffed, glancing back at the man.
Daroach only grinned in response as he caught sight of the cherry-red blush on Dark's cheeks.
(Yes I like succulents, and all the plant genus Dark named are real)