Meta sat reclined on the bed, stretched out and impatiently fidgeting. It had been a good seven hours since Dark had shattered, and he had still failed to reform. Shadow Kirby had explained that the damage he took would mean a longer period before he reformed, but it didn't make Meta any less impatient to talk to him. He'd been offered a guestroom to wait in, and though it was certainly luxurious it still did little to assuage Meta's rapidly deteriorating mood.
The cuts to his face and chest had been bandaged up, and he'd discarded his ruined coat and shirt, wearing a simple black shirt for comfort's sake. A novel lay discarded next to him, as he had been entirely unable to concentrate enough to read it. His mind was still a chaotic swirl of thoughts and emotions and he had resigned himself to simply ruminating on them. Meta's ears pricked up as he heard someone knocking at the door, and he went to open it.
"Has he reformed-?" he began, but he fell silent as he caught sight of his visitor.
"I'm back," Dark said. The injuries and cracks inflicted on the man had vanished, but he was still rather disheveled looking. Meta blinked.
"I see that," he replied. An uncomfortable silence fell, and Dark shifted a little.
"Can I come in?" he asked, startling Meta a little.
"Of course," Meta said, moving aside. Dark walked in and made a beeline right to the bed, sitting on the edge and crossing his legs. Meta closed the door and walked over to him, leaning against the nightstand.
"There's a lot for me to do, but Shadow said you wanted to talk to me so…" Dark said, looking at Meta.
"Yes, that is correct," Meta responded. Dark gave him a long look.
"So…talk?" he urged, gesturing for Meta to continue. Meta crossed his arms, tapping his fingers against himself.
"Yes, well…" he began, looking uncomfortable, "I wanted to discuss something with you."
"You're being really vague, which concerns me," Dark drawled, leaning back a little. Meta gave him a narrow-eyed look.
"I am having difficulty gathering my thoughts," he admitted. Dark put a hand to his chin, looking thoughtful.
"Well, does it have anything to do with what you said when I was dying?" he asked. Meta seemed to curl in on himself a little at the other's words, and he pointedly looked away.
"You heard that."
"I thought I imagined it honestly, but apparently not," Dark said. He leaned further back, looking up at the canopy above the bed. "You know, when I thought I was done for, I had an odd thought."
"I was under the impression that all of your thoughts were odd," Meta quipped. Dark leaned forward again and shot him an amused look.
"Maybe they are. But this one stood out," he responded. Meta raised an eyebrow.
"What was it?" he asked. Dark laughed, though he sounded almost nervous.
"You know, after I thought about how everyone would do without me, I couldn't stop thinking…" he said, glancing down and then back up to Meta, "I was so very sad that I wouldn't get to see you again." Meta tilted his head and uncrossed his arms, placing his hands on the edge of the nightstand.
"Why?" he asked.
"Well, I've just gotten to really know you, yeah? And I was sad that I couldn't ever learn more about you," Dark confessed. He shifted a little and looked away. "It seems kinda childish now, but it really hurt at the time."
"I do not think such a notion is childish, particularly when facing death," Meta assured, "But I am confused as to why it was me."
"Like I said before, I thought you were an entirely different person than you really are. But who you really are is someone that I think, uh…" Dark cleared his throat awkwardly. "I think you've become pretty important to me, honestly." Meta gave the man a startled look.
"Really?" he asked, unable to come up with anything clever to say. Dark only laughed and shook his head.
"Is it really hard for you to believe that? I mean, I know you were concerned for your own people too, but you still helped me regain my kingdom with nothing to gain. Even if you acted like an absolute tit at first," Dark explained, "You stayed there when I lost everything, even though I'd done nothing for you but lock you in a mirror once. It's a rare sort of person who would do that."
"I was simply drawn in," Meta responded.
"Oh come on, take the compliment. I'm the last person you need to show humility around."
"I was curious as to what would happen."
"Why are you so desperate to seem like an asshole? You did a good thing because you're a good guy, that's it," Dark sighed. Meta frowned.
"I am not a good person," he began, only to have Dark cut him off.
"I don't want to hear whatever emo bullshit you're about to spout. Even if it doesn't mean anything coming from someone like me, I think you're a good person. Great, even."
"It does mean something," Meta said. The uncomfortable fluttering feeling in his chest was making it difficult to speak. Dark gave him a mildly surprised look.
"Huh. Well, I mean it. Maybe it isn't true, and this is just one degenerate talking to another, but…" Dark turned his head so that his face wasn't visible, "You're a remarkable man. I wish I was more like you." Meta tilted his head a little.
"How so?" he asked. Dark turned back so that Meta could see his face, but his eye was downcast.
"I wish I had your confidence and bravery," Dark confessed.
"I have not noticed an absence of either of those traits," Meta responded, a confused look on his face.
"I mean, I can fake confidence well enough. But I was so scared during that battle that I nearly let her kill you," Dark said, fidgeting. It was strange to see him without any of his usual bravado.
"While I would have appreciated not being nearly strangled to death, I recognize that you had far more to fear than I in that situation. She cut out your eye, trauma like that never leaves you," Meta assured. He then sighed and crossed his arms again. "At the risk of sounding like some insipid inspirational poster, there is no bravery without fear to overcome."
"God that's cheesy," Dark laughed. Meta only shrugged.
"Perhaps, but it is still true. You displayed remarkable strength facing her like that after what she inflicted on you," he said.
"Couldn't have done it alone, that's for sure," Dark said.
"Likewise," Meta responded. Dark chewed nervously at his lip for a moment before he turned to face Meta.
"I have to say this. Thank you. Really honestly thank you. No sarcasm, no qualifiers. You saved my life and helped take back my kingdom, and I am infinitely grateful that you were there by my side for this whole thing," he gushed, his tone and expression entirely earnest. Meta flushed a little and glanced away.
"Um, you are welcome," he muttered, feeling rather flustered. The two sat in silence for a few long moments, and Meta shifted through his thoughts for something to say. He frowned as he recalled a particular conversation. "Do you remember speaking to me before you were injured?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah. I remember it fine, why?" Dark said, snapping out of his own thoughts.
"I am curious. You intended to ask me something before you were wounded. What was it?" Meta asked. Dark thought for a moment before he remembered what he'd been saying.
"Ah, yes. Well, I was wondering…" Dark said, the light flush to his cheeks standing out on his pale skin.
"Yes?" Meta urged.
"I was going to ask if you wished to join me for dinner. The offer is still open if you'd like," Dark said. Meta blinked.
"A date?" he asked slowly. Dark gave him a surprised look.
"Not necessarily, it doesn't have to be any sort of intimate candle-lit affair or anything," he said. Meta's blush deepened as he pointedly looked at the floor, though it was hard to see against his dark skin.
"I would not object to a date, if that is what you wish," he muttered. Dark gave him a shocked look.
"Really?!" he cried. Meta gave him a blank look.
"You incessantly flirted with me before all of this. Why are you so surprised?" he deadpanned.
"I mean I didn't think it would work. I sort of do that to anyone I think looks good," Dark replied. Meta startled him by letting out a quiet laugh.
"It did not work," he chuckled. He then noted Dark's crestfallen look and amended himself. "Flirting is not why I agreed to a date."
"What? Quit being vague," Dark whined, though he had perked up considerably.
"Like I said earlier, you made me like you. Something about you wormed its way in and refuses to leave," Meta mused.
"Wow. Romantic."
"You should know by now that I am not adept in matters of emotion. I am sure you can grasp what I mean rather than the words I say," Meta huffed. Dark rolled his eyes.
"And you should know by now that I'm teasing you," he quipped.
"I am trying to be sincere and heartfelt, and here you are bringing sarcasm into it," Meta responded, though his tone was light. Dark leaned on his knees, looking up at Meta with a small smile.
"All joking aside, I understand what you're saying. And even ignoring the fact that you're my reflection and I'm a raging narcissist…" Dark said, "You're truly unforgettable. I can't imagine how many hearts you've broken by being so oblivious."
"I am not oblivious," Meta huffed. Dark laughed and shifted closer to Meta, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, if I'm gonna feed your ego this much I have to knock you down a peg too," he chuckled. Meta gave Dark an irritated look, but it quickly faded to something else. Dark tilted his head as the other man continued to stare. "What is it?"
"Nothing, it is just that…" Meta trailed off and shook his head. "Never mind."
"Oh come on, now I'm curious," Dark pouted.
"It was a silly impulse, pay me no heed," Meta muttered, reddening. Dark stuck his tongue out at him.
"Fine, don't tell me your secrets," he drawled. Meta shifted uncomfortably, looking everywhere else before looking back at Dark.
"It is not verbal," he murmured. Dark raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"If you are so very curious, I could demonstrate."
"Of course I'm going to be curious when you're being so vague!" Dark whined.
"Then hush," Meta said, leaning forward to gently kiss Dark. He drew back after only a moment, looking almost shocked at his own actions. Dark gave him his own look of shock before he relaxed and began to grin.
"Hey, that's a pretty good way to shut me up. You should use it more often," he said, looking positively gleeful. Meta continued to stare blankly for a long moment before he turned an impressive shade of red and stood abruptly.
"Excuse me," he said, before turning and darting out of the room. Dark sat in surprise for a second before he leapt up and pursued him, an irritated look on his face.
"You can't just kiss me and run off! It's too cliché!" he shrieked.
(Thank you to everyone who's stuck with this fic! I hope you enjoyed it! There may be other installments in this universe, but that'll be coming later.)