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It's cold and dark here.
It's an oddly familiar feeling to them.
It feels like... déjà vu, even.
They couldn't pinpoint exactly what memory was jabbing at the edge of their head, why the thought made their eyes water and their heart sink, but they knew one thing for certain;
It was a lonely feeling.
Not the ordinary kind, but more of a heart-jabbing kind of loneliness.
One that made them feel as if they were alone in the whole wide universe.
Where even the stars wouldn't shine.
Empty. They felt empty.
It was scary, it was sad, it was...familiar.
What kind of memory was this?
It reminded them of...
"Kirbyyyy~!!! Kirby, are you homeeee~??"
The aforementioned puff jumped a little as they recognized the loud, cheery voice knocking at their front door to be Magolor's.
Before they were startled by the noise, they'd been doing nothing but hiding under their covers, overthinking some things.
But most of it had been forgotten once they were snapped out of their thoughts.
"Kirbyyy~???"
"Ahh- I'm on my way~!!!"
They finally called back as they hurried to untangle themselves from their blankets so they could greet their friend, not bothering to take off their sleeping hat.
"I'm letting myself in!!"
"W-Wait-!! uUWAH-!!!!"
Hearing that had made Kirby panic and hurry to get out of bed, making them fall over, still tangled in their blankets, just in time for Magolor to see.
"K-Kirby?! What happened here?!"
"Ahh.. hi, Magolor."
Kirby sheepishly waved at him from the ground, upside down.
"I was just getting out of bed!!"
"This is how the people of Dreamland get out of bed?"
Magolor spoke as he reached out to help Kirby up and out of their covers.
"Hehe- of course not!!"
Kirby responded as they were freed, leaning onto their bed for support.
"Ahh- but did you need something?"
"Yes, yes!! I was gonna ask if you wanted to go adventuring with me for a little while!"
Magolor's ears lightly twitched as he excitedly explained.
"An adventure?"
"Mhm!! I've been kinda bored lately, you see. Nothing like an adventure to spice things up!!"
He snickered a little.
"Mm... Well... can we adventure tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? Why not now??"
"Ahh, well,"
As much as Kirby wanted to hang out with Magolor, their chest still felt heavy and ached. It made them feel like staying in bed some more.
"....I'm not feeling too good."
"...you what?"
Magolor seemed taken aback.
"You? The Kirby? Not feeling well?? Did something happen?"
"Ah- n-nothing too bad, really! I just, umm..."
They were a bit embarrassed to admit a bad dream had put them into such a bad mood. But they didn't want to lie to Magolor, out of all people, either.
"I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, that's all!! Everyone has days like that, right?"
Magolor stared at Kirby for a moment before he nodded.
Sure, he'd most definitely noticed that Kirby's expression wasn't as bright as he was used to seeing it, but it wasn't his business to point it out.
"Well, if you're not coming, I guess I'll-"
"Wait-!"
Magolor was stopped by Kirby's paw tugging at their cloak.
"Ah? You want to come after all??"
"I want you to stay, please."
Magolor was surprised by Kirby again.
"Stay?"
The puff nodded.
"I...don't wanna be alone."
Their eyes drooped a little as they looked to the side, to their strewn about sheets.
Magolor hadn't seen them look like this since he...
...
Well, even though Magolor wasn't good at comforting people, he didn't think saying no was an option.
After all, what kind of friend would he look like to Kirby? And Kirby's friends?
It was already hard enough gaining their trust back, he didn't want to lose progress on that again.
So he put on his best smile and nodded.
"Of course, Kirby!! As long as I get to hang out with my best friend!!"
He internally sighed, however.
What a waste of time.
Kirby seemed to buy it, though, as they smiled a little.
Then they moved to take Magolor's hand and started pulling at it.
"Huh?? What is it?"
"Let's cuddle!!"
"C-CUDDLE?!"
Magolor was so surprised that he'd ended up squeaking, which made Kirby jump a little.
"As in hugging and stuff?? On your bed??"
Kirby's smile dropped again.
"Ah... we don't have to if you don't want to..."
Magolor internally screamed his lungs out.
This was going to be awkward!
He wasn't one for hugs!!
How does one even cuddle!!!!!
"....Nono!! Let's cuddle, Kirby~!!"
Those words burned at his mouth.
"Hmm...if you say so.."
That hadn't returned Kirby's smile yet. He hadn't been convincing enough.
"Just tell me if you wanna stop. I know it can be a lil awkward!!"
Magolor sighed with a little relief as Kirby spoke and led him to their bed.
It was messy and small, but looked comfortable enough.
But Magolor didn't have time to study it any more than that before Kirby wrapped their paws around him and pressed themselves against his body, nuzzling at his chest.
This made Magolor's ears perk up.
He didn't expect Kirby to start right away!!!
He also didn't expect them to be so...warm, either.
His heart jumped a little again as he felt the puff start purring.
He decided now would be a good time to put his hands down and return the hug, but almost as soon as he touched Kirby, he heard a little whimper come from them, so he immediately took his hands away and backed up.
"Wh-What happened? Did I do something wrong?"
Kirby shook their head, looking up at Magolor.
"Sorry!! I just felt like crying all of a sudden..."
Having a friend to hug after feeling so lonely made Kirby's heart swell up and burst a little! They couldn't help but tear up a bit.
"Hey..."
Magolor's ears drooped, involuntarily, of course.
He reached out to wipe Kirby's eyes, now.
"..."
He'd opened his mouth to ask Kirby further about why they were upset, but he didn't want to get himself into more trouble than he already had.
He's not that kind of person, right?
But he still wanted to do something,
"U-Uh... don't cry!! I'm here!! There, there...?"
So he awkwardly pat their head instead.
Kirby only stared, getting him to panic a little again.
"....is this how you do it?"
Kirby burst into a giggle, making Magolor blush in embarrassment.
He was about to protest, but then Kirby stood up and put a paw to his head.
"It's more like this."
The puff started slowly and affectionately rubbing his head.
"Ohh...oh, that feels nice...."
Magolor murmured under his breath, melting under Kirby's gentle gesture.
He hadn't meant to, of course, but he couldn't help himself.
He leaned into the touch, making Kirby giggle again, snapping him out of the trance.
"A-Ah!!! Ok, ok, I get it now, thank you!!!"
As much as he didn't want to, he waved Kirby's paw away.
"Alrighty."
Kirby sat back down and stared up at Magolor.
This time, he was the one to initiate the hug, surprising Kirby.
He rubbed Kirby's back as he held them, a bit hesitantly.
"Like this, right?"
Kirby nodded, wrapping their paws around him again.
They were purring louder than before now, making Magolor's ears twitch.
Truth be told, Magolor was enjoying the moment a bit. It weirdly made his insides feel all...jumbled up. In a nice way.
Almost warm.
He hadn't felt much of anything like this before. After all, he mostly stayed inside his ship, doing whatever he pleased.
He didn't interact with anyone too often, other than Kirby.
Not like anyone wanted to.
The feeling of someone holding you close, tight, looking towards you for strength,
For... comfort,
It made Magolor feel a bit... powerful?
He likes feeling powerful. But it didn't feel like the right word to describe the emotion.
So he closed his eyes and tried to decipher what he was feeling...
But it didn't last too long, as Kirby spoke up.
"Are you comfy?"
"Huh? Oh- Of course!"
Comfy? Was that the word?
"Mm...good!!"
Kirby sounded content, as they nuzzled Magolor some more.
The pink puff didn't entirely believe anything Magolor had said to them so far, at all, even if they really wanted to, but they really needed the company right now, and they've been wanting to grow closer to Magolor for some time now anyways!
Besides, he was really nice to hug. He was warm and soft.
Almost like mashed potatoes!!! Ahh, they're a little hungry now.
They shook off the thoughts now, though, and focused on Magolor; the feeling of his breathing, his warmth...it really made their loneliness go away!!
But Magolor...was he doing this for himself?
The thought made them restless again.
"Ah, hey,"
"Hm?"
Magolor let go of Kirby.
"Um!! Can I play with your face a little?"
Kirby smiled nervously.
"M-My face??"
"Ah!! I won't see anything!! It's just comfy to me!"
They tried to explain, embarrassed.
"I don't understand what you mean, dude..."
"Ahh, like..."
They stand up and reach out for Magolor's face, slipping their paws under his hood to cup his cheeks.
"This."
The sudden warmth at his face made Magolor flinch a little.
"S-Sorry!! Is it too much?"
He shook his head, however, his hand shifting back to pet Kirby again.
"Nah, you just surprised me a little."
Kirby smiled.
Even if it was an apologetic smile, it made the weird feeling swell up at Magolor's heart again.
Then, Kirby gently reached a paw up a little further under his hood, right under his ears.
It gave him goosebumps.
"Is this ok?"
He nodded, unconsciously leaning into Kirby's touch.
It wasn't unpleasant at all, no. Kirby's soft paws were nothing but comforting to him.
It wasn't until they started stroking his cheek that he noticed he'd been purring, as it got louder.
"Oooh..." Kirby cooed happily in response, purring along with him.
They only smiled brighter too.
"You're soft and warm!!"
They didn't mean to say that out loud, but they didn't pay mind to it anyway.
Magolor decided to ignore the comment, however, and hoped Kirby wouldn't notice the blush spreading to his ears.
"Ahh- uh- d-do you do this with all your friends?"
Kirby nodded, still slowly stroking and squishing Magolor's face.
"Mhm!! Well, most of them anyway. Bandee let's me anytime, Meta Knight is the hardest to convince, and Dedede only likes to when he's tired and or cold."
They decided to only mention the friends Magolor knew best.
"Hmm...and you're ok with settling with me for now?"
"I'm- not settling, Magolor... I really do wanna cuddle with you!! I wouldn't have asked if I didn't!! You're my friend too!"
Their movements slowed.
"...Right?"
Magolor stared at Kirby's expression for a moment, trying to think of what to say.
Kirby looked...scared.
And they were.
"That's..." The wizard hesitated.
"I want you to be honest with me, Magolor..." Kirby tried to put on a serious face.
"Will you tell me how you feel? About me?"
"Well, wh-why are you asking, all of a sudden?"
Magolor tried to avoid the question, despite being a bit intimidated by Kirby's sudden tone.
"I really do feel like we're good friends, but I can't help but think that... you don't feel the same, ya know?"
Kirby's grip on Magolor significantly loosened.
"After all, even though you've really changed, that doesn't mean that you actually like me... or have to either! Maybe you're pretending to out of kindness or just because you're scared, but- whatever it might be, I don't want you to lie to me anymore, if you are."
Magolor stared and listened, his ears drooping a little as Kirby went on.
"...Is it-"
Kirby didn't mean to speak their mind so much, but there was no turning back now.
"I-Is it selfish of me to think that way? Or rude? I-I don't mean to hurt you either!! I've just- I-It's been nagging at my head for a while, and-"
"Kirby,"
Magolor moved his hands to hold Kirby's face, mirroring the way they were holding his.
"As embarrassing as this is to admit, you're the only one who's made me feel so... loved? Appreciated?"
He groaned a little.
"Whatever the word is, it makes me feel a little stronger. Even now, when I'm the one helping you!"
Even behind his hood, Kirby could tell he was smiling.
"If that's what being your friend means, then yes!! You're my friend, Kirby. And I-"
He abruptly stopped himself before he blurted the word out in the middle of his tangent.
"You...?"
Kirby prodded at it anyway with sparkly eyes and a smile, curious.
Magolor finally noticed they were very awfully close.
This position they were in, holding one another by the face, did not make it any easier for him.
"Uhh... I- Uh-"
Kirby giggled a little, then, relieving the tension.
"I love you too."
"....you do?"
Magolor's ears twitched, his eyes wide.
Hearing that come from Kirby had made him freeze up a bit.
The puff nodded as they leaned onto Magolor's hands.
"Very very much, even. You're important to me!!"
"Kirby..."
Magolor almost felt like tearing up.
Thinking back to how he'd hurt Kirby, it only made him more confused as to how they could say that so easily.
Kirby isn't one to lie.
"But- But I-"
"Hey!! You've grown a lot since we first met, y'know!"
Kirby smiled more, squishing Magolor's face as they spoke.
"If you hadn't, I don't think we'd be cuddling right now."
They giggled.
"I mean it."
Magolor could feel Kirby's words tug at his heartstrings.
He knew Kirby wouldn't lie about something like this, or any other thing, but he still wanted to tell himself it wasn't true.
"...Loving someone feels like a big, bold claim, y'know. You're sure you're not just saying- ....it?"
Kirby had interrupted Magolor mid-sentence by gently pressing their forehead against his, their eyes closed.
"Mhm."
Magolor immediately grew flustered before he felt comforted by the display of affection.
"Ah- your head is warm-" Kirby inched back a little. "Are you feeling ok?"
Magolor nodded, despite feeling a bit dizzy.
But it was enough of an answer for Kirby to hum in response and start affectionately rubbing his head again.
"I'll say it as many times as I need to, okie? I love you, Magolor!"
That didn't help stop Magolor's flustered blush at all, of course.
"I-Isn't that an important word to you, though?"
"And you're an important person to me."
They smiled.
Magolor felt as if his heart were about to burst.
No one had ever said something like that to him before- how was he supposed to feel?
He could feel a mix of happiness and warmth spread through his mind, making it almost impossible to think about anything other than a warm hug right now.
This was a weird new feeling, but... it was nice.
"Kirby..."
He hadn't noticed he'd teared up until Kirby wiped at his eyes.
"C'mere,"
Kirby tugged his head down a little, towards their bed.
"Let's cuddle some more, okie?"
Now instead of sitting upright, the two were laying next to each other, Kirby's paws still stuffed into Magolor's hood to hold his face.
"Are you comfy like this?"
Magolor nodded, his eyes closed.
He had a bit of a melancholic, sad look to his expression, however.
He couldn't help but think back to when he first met Kirby, of course.
How easy he thought it'd be to use them, and how much it hurt every time he had to remind himself their friendship wasn't real.
It wasn't easy when he ended up having fun with them, inevitably.
It wasn't easy when he saw Kirby's expression turn into one of fear and disbelief.
When he noticed Kirby was crying, defending their real friends behind an ultra sword...
He didn't even want to look at Kirby anymore. He felt ashamed.
As if he'd thrown away something important.
The memory inevitably made him tear up again.
It wasn't unnoticed by Kirby, of course, who inched closer to nuzzle his cheek.
"Magolor..."
They quietly whispered, so only he would hear, which snapped him out of his thoughts.
"You don't have to cry... you're safe n loved here..!"
"..."
Magolor only chuckled a little, sighing as he moved a hand to pet Kirby.
"I know. Thanks, Kirby."
He smiled, not that Kirby could see.
The puff instinctively reached towards his forehead again, but stopped themselves.
"Ah... are you comfy with kissies?"
"K-Kissies???"
Kirby nodded.
"You want to kiss?"
Kirby nodded again.
"If that's alright with you."
Well, that had certainly taken Magolor's mind off of literally anything else.
He knew kissing was an intimate display of affection, but- Kirby wanted to go that far?
It can't be helped, if Kirby wants to, but the thought was making his heart race.
"I-If that's what you want-"
He shifted his hands to hold Kirby's face with one and grip at his scarf with the other.
While Kirby moved to reach up and kiss his forehead, Magolor tugged down his scarf to meet with Kirby's lips instead.
It took the puff a moment to realize they weren't kissing Magolor's forehead.
And another moment for their face to heat up to the point where it felt as if it'd turned red.
Magolor, however, was enjoying the moment.
He couldn't tell why, but the feeling of Kirby's lips against his made his heart flutter and tingle, in a nice way.
Knowing it was quite the intimate display of affection, and Kirby had asked him for it, only made his heart skip a beat again.
Kirby didn't move away, however, instead slightly pressing themself closer to the other, returning the kiss for a moment, before pulling away, much to Magolor's disappointment.
When he opened his eyes again, he wasn't looking at Kirby's soft, reassuring smile like he'd grown used to seeing today, but instead he saw a stunned Kirby with bright red cheeks.
"...Kirby??"
"U-Uwah-- that wasn't what I-I-"
The blushing puff stuttered, trying to speak up, but all that would come out were squeaky noises.
"Don't tell me- th-that wasn't what you wanted me to-"
Kirby, covering their blushy face now, nodded.
Now it was Magolor's turn to go red.
"O-Oh my stars, Kirby I'm so sorry, I didn't think of that first, I thought you- I just- i guess I- You'd just said- I wasn't thinking- I-I- mmMm-?!"
Magolor's tangent was interrupted by Kirby pressing another kiss to his mouth, lingering on it for only a little before they pulled away.
"I-It's ok, Magolor, I-" They paused, before they let out a little giggle. With the tension gone, they felt as if they could relax.
"I love you!"
Magolor couldn't help the happy purr that rumbled at his chest.
"I love you too!"
Ah- that'd just kinda slipped out-
It made Kirby look immensely happy, however.
"Will you say that again? Pretty please?"
Their eyes shone.
Magolor was defeated.
"...I love you, Kirby."
He confessed, with an embarrassed sigh.
Kirby was satisfied with that, luckily, as they reached up to peck Magolor again before they moved to hold him close and snuggle against his chest.
Magolor would return the affection, using a hand to pull up the blanket to cover them both.
"Comfy?"
Kirby giggled. "You said comfy..."
"Oh, quiet. It's fun to say, ok?"
The two giggled quietly, snuggling closer to one another.
Magolor wouldn't normally act this way, of course, it's not the kind of person he wants to appear to be, but... he felt like he could be anyone around Kirby, really.
They were alone anyway, right?
With that thought, Magolor closed his eyes and held Kirby just a little tighter, feeling as if he could drift off to sleep.
"Wait, does this mean we kiss now?"
"Uh-"