500 Words until "I Love You"

Once Upon a Diasomnia Dream (Day 7 - Free Day = Dancing)

Malleus always enjoyed his evening walk. He knew Sebek and Silver would be looking for him, but he couldn't help it. He needed time to relax, away from school and his princely duties.

Sometimes, he would let his feet took their own path, thus it wasn't a surprise that he found himself in the middle of Heartslabyul's rose maze.

What became a surprise was the sound of someone's singing. A very familiar tone, a very old lullaby. But who would still be awake this late at night?

I know you...I walked with you once upon a dream...

His footsteps made as little sound as possible as he made his way through the maze, following the voice. It led him to the center of the maze. He stopped his track when he finally found the singer.

A familiar orange-haired boy with a diamond painted on his face stood in front of the rose bush. painting the white rose red, lost in his own thought. His head nodded, his foot taped, his wrist flicked the brush following the tempo of the tune that escaped his lips.

Mind you, Cater's voice wasn't the best. He wasn't as sirenic as Azul Ashengrotto or as naturally gifted as Silver. It was rather rough on the edge, but for some reason, Malleus was smitten.

But if I know you, I know what you'll do...
You'll love me at once...
The way you did once upon a dream...

Malleus finally decided to appear, purposely making his steps louder on the grass. Cater snapped his head toward him, eyes widened and mouth gasped.

"M-Malleus?" he hid the paintbrush behind his back. "Wha-What are you doing here?"

"Evening stroll," Malleus answered. "The song you sang..." he said, earning an embarrassed squeak from Cater. "That was the song in which the Slumbering Princess and the Destined Prince sang during their first meeting."

"Yeah..." Cater looked down, playing with his paintbrush. "Even though it seemed like they were stranger, it turned out they were each other's True Love."

"Do you believe in that?" Malleus asked.

Cater sighed. "One can dream. But I don't mind being swept off my feet and dance with my soon to be True Love."

"Then why not try it now?"

"Eh?"

Malleus stretched out his hand toward Cater. "The night is still young. It'll be like dancing in a dream."

"Once upon a dream..." Cater mumbled. He seemed to hesitate at first but eventually placed his hand onto Malleus.

Being a prince, Malleus had learned how to dance. He pulled Cater closer, gazing at the unsure green eyes before giving him an encouraging smile as he took the smaller male by the waist. Cater sheepishly smiled back and placed a hand on Malleus's shoulder. And then, they started to dance. They stepped, spun, and twirled through the night. It wasn't as graceful as the usual ballroom dance, but both boys seemed to enjoy it in every step.

It was like the dance once upon a dream...