Hxh X Reader

Sacharine (Shalnark)

N. excessively sweet or sentimental.
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« Nor did I wonder at the lily's white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose:
They were but sweet, but figures of delight

Drawn after you, you pattern of all those. »
- William Shakespeare, sonnet 98

Rays illuminated the bright afternoon in the outskirts' gardens. None other than a single woman knew of the place and it's beauty, and she intended on keeping this way- for she loved nature more than she could ever love someone. Small dogs of various breeds ran around her, never too far but happily nonetheless.

Stress. An awful thing.
When she first discovered the field on a solitary stroll, she stared in bedazzlement, and her tears bowed down to the flowers before her. Such beauty, purity and joy. It was as though all her negative aura had been forcefully vacuumed out and absorbed inside those flowers. In that moment, she felt so grateful that she swore to visit them every day.

On this faithful day, the woman sat, plucking at a harp, singing her songs with a saccharine love, the animals and flowers absorbing the every noise her honeyed voice divinely pledged.

Across the field, in the forest, was a man, who, carefully drawn to the warm tune, made his way forward.

He himself had been relieved of his duties and intended to discover as much as he could far from the city. Something about this forest, it's aura, made it stand out. Not too much but just enough to have you get lost in it and capture you with it's rustling leaves, chirping birds, mildly dense verdant trees and soft rocky paths.

Perhaps the only thing which enabled the two of them to be unique was their field of work. Otherwise, they would have shared the same being and he would have been with her and she with him forever as one.

The man stopped behind a willow, looking at the woman in the field. A wind twirled past the flowers surrounding her and she stopped her tune to lay down amidst the Persian buttercup flowers and marigolds.

She smiled with joy as the sun shone even brighter, and it seemed to the gentleman that the Garden of Eden was occupied by the prettiest angel that lived in the skies.

Baffled, he took a step forward without afterthought, only to be found out by a small barking pup. He took a step back but the woman had already looked his way. She did not seem scared, only worried about his intentions. Looking in his eyes from where she laid, her features relaxed and she bowed her head as a greeting with a gentle smile.

« Why, hello there sir. You're not lost, are you? I could help you find your way if that's the case- or if you'd rather join me in this field, it would be a delight to have you as my companion for the day. Rather, my 6th companion. »

« Thank you, I'm not lost. That forest was so beautiful, I guess I wanted to know more about it, and then I heard your music and it brought me here. My name's Shalnark, it's nice to meet you.»

Perhaps the man was not aware of his appearance, but in this one moment, it seemed to her that she was the one blessed with the presence of an angel. His blonde locks fell perfectly around his jade eyes. The sun and the trees melted into his features, his attires matching purple flowers and their stems. His smile was as warm as the rays that fell from the sky and his tone as refreshing as the gentle wind and the honey which bees made from his pollen.

« I'm Y/N, nice to meet you! Am I to understand you'll stay? If you want, I can play for you! »

« If you don't mind~! »

And so, the devil and the angel shared a lonely patch of earth together, unaware of each other's deeds.

Who's the devil and who's the angel?
It is not a question which can be answered.

After all, if there is evil and good, why would they sit together and enjoy this remote life the same way?

The human heart is difficult.

And yet, she smiled at him, aware of his pains by a single intimate gaze in his eyes. One is better than two, even if the two are not feeling their best. As long as there is hope, even if it is forced, there is no such thing as negative encounter, only forthcoming happiness, distant and certain.

The days that followed turned into weeks and then months. Strangers became intimate friends, both in love with one another, unaware of one another's feelings. She brewed tea for him and taught him to play the guitar while she played her harp. The flowers grew and so did her little stray pups who gladly played around them as their bond strengthened beneath the blue skies and dusks.

And it seemed, one day, in an instant, that she no longer felt the need to deny humans.
It was impossible to keep him away;
for him to be anywhere farther than the edges of this field seemed an impossible demand.

This melodious paradise we created together will not be torn apart for as long we live.

(Part 1?)