Where after a bedtime story the 2 friends keep talking before sleeping, joking and not.

No one's POV:
-

The rest of the day passed extremely fast. The 4 friends returned when the sun was about to dissappear under the sea and the shadows of the buildings were growing more and more.

"Weee're home!" Pyros said excited once he stepped his foot in the living room. Fast footsteps were heard and soon the piglet, the bear and the badger children appeared.

"Were you good children while waiting for us to return?" Tefra asked with a calm smile.

"Naughty as always." Mariah's voice was heard from above.

"Hey! We weren't that naughty!" The bear boy said and pouted.

"You especially Bobby, you are the naughtiest!" Mariah replied again. Everyone laughed.

"Ok ok enough. Better get ready for sleep soon." Tefra said.

"Nooo, we're not tired!" The badger girl complained.

"Well, you must-!" Pyros went to say.

"It's ok." Alter said raising his hand. "I'll handle these little bambinos later. You need to rest more for what you've done today. And I wish I can repay your kindness more for saving us from the humans and for giving us hospitality."

"It's our job Guido. No need to do anything for us in return." Tefra tried to deny.

"If I manage to put them to sleep please let me do it for as long as we stay."

2 hours later...

"Alright bambinos. Time for sleep!"

"Nooo!" The 3 little children brought resistance to Alter, who, although in their pajamas, were denying to climb up their beds and lay down unlike Mariah who was already on her bed quiet.

"Do you want me to tell you a story?" Alter suggested with a calm smile. The 3 children made a circle and started whispering. 'Council'. After a few seconds they finally turned to look at him.

"If you say the story very well, we'll sleep!" Bobby the bear announced.

"Deal!" Alter said. Finally the children went on their beds but layed down prone with their elbows pressing the mattress and jaws resting on their hands. They were all waiting for Alter to start narrating. The tall skeleton sat on a chair.

"What story are you going to tell them?" Geno asked who was standing near the door.

"I think I know. But come here Eugenia!" Alter said patting his lap with both hands. Geno chuckled, sat on his lap and looked up to him smiling. After a few seconds Alter finally started with a calm sweet voice narrating.

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful young girl named Rhodope. They named her after her pink beautiful cheeks, that is, rose cheeks. She was living a very quiet, peaceful life, until!" Alter suddenly paused raising his voice just a tiny bit, enough for the children to look at him surprised. "... Some pirates raided the land she was living. And when they saw her they thought that such a beautiful girl would be sold expensive as a slave. And so, Rhodope travelled far away from her home and ended up in Egypt."

"Aaah, poor Rhodope!" The badger girl said. "What happened to her next?!"

"When she arrived in Egypt, she fell on the hands of a rich man. And although he seemed mighty, he valued Rhodope very much, more than all the other slaves he ever bought. But he was lazy and sleepy and did not often supervise his staff. The other women slaves were jealous of Rhodope's beauty and the weakness of her master and abused her often."

"I would have beat them up for harming Rhodope!" The piglet shout-whispered. He suddenly muffled a yawn. Alter raised bonebrows but didn't say anything, just chuckled.

"Yeah. Their jealousy was driving them do that to her. Especially even more because Rhodope's boss was giving her beautiful gifts, only to her. One of these gifts for Rhodope was a pair of beautiful golden sandals. As if she herself wasn't the most beautiful girl, the sandals were making her shine even more when she was wearing them on her feet."

"And then what happened?" Bobby asked rubbing for a moment his eyes but quickly focusing again on Alter, who hummed.

"One day, while Rhodope was swimming in the river, an eagle that was flying very high, saw down on earth her sandals glowing. It lowered and took one of it. A little later, it let the sandal fall but it found the head of the Pharaoh of Memphis, Psammitichos Amasis, who was at that moment taking a walk around his garden."

"Pfff, at the King's head!" Geno said trying not to laugh.

"But Psammitichos wasn't an irritable man. In fact when he realised a sandal fell on his head he laughed. Then, he got impressed by the beauty of it and considered it a sign from the God. He was sure he belonged to a beautiful woman. He searched everywhere and eventually found that the sandal belonged to Rhodope. Her beauty enchanted him and he immediately married her taking her away from the slavery. And since then, they lived happily ever after." Alter finished, saying slower the last words. He smiled wider seeing that the children had successfully fallen asleep and snoring lightly.

"*yawn* Wow, considering the story was short, you're good at telling stories." Geno said rubbing his eyesocket. Alter chuckled and held the smaller close.

"Does my 'bambina' need sleep too? Off we go then." He said quietly carrying Geno and getting out of the room. They soon found theirs and Alter layed Geno down on his bed. The small skeleton turned to his left, having now his back turned on Alter.

He layed for about a minute before feeling a hand tapping his shoulder gently. He turned and saw Alter staring at him, smiling calmly. He had changed clothes and wearing a black t-shirt with black baggy pants. He had taken off his glasses. Wow, he was fast.

"Ya need to change clothes too and prepare more properly to sleep." He said.

"I'm booored." Geno groaned. Alter chuckled and let near Geno pajamas for him.

"Your highness, you can't sleep with the clothes you were wearing all day." He insisted.

"Fiiine." Geno murmured grabbing the pajamas. Alter turned his back, walked towards his bed and sat on the right side of it so Geno was seeing his back. In less than a minute he had taken off his clothes and slipped into pajamas. But instead of laying again he got up and silently approached Alter. He tried to surprise him and was about to yell, Boo!

"Is there something the matter and ya try scare me?" Alter suddenly asked laying back with his hands behind his nape and looking at Geno cheerful. The smaller flinched and yelped.

"How did you-?!"

"Silent people know hearing better." Alter said quietly and cheerful. Geno pouted and looked away. "Don't give me the long face despite it makes ya even more adorable. Go to your bed." Geno covered his face hearing the word adorable and hurried get back to his bed. He layed back and looked up to the ceiling. Silence fell between them for a minute or so.

"Hey... Alter?" Geno asked.

"Yes son?" Alter asked too who had already layed down too. Geno paused for a moment.

"... Do ya feel like keep narrating your life with your brothers some more or ya don't feel ready yet?" He asked. A cold silence prevailed in the room. After a while that felt like eternity Geno heard Alter exhaling loudly enough for the sound to reach him.

"... There isn't much left to say about the peaceful days with my brothers. There's only to say how things went from good to the worst." The taller said quietly looking up to the ceiling lost.

"Ah no no no, hol' up! If we're gonna have a bad night after everything went so well today, this can still wait. Sorry, wrong question." Geno cutted him. He suddenly smiled and turned his head slightly at Alter's direction ready to challenge him. "Have you ever had girl friends in your life~?"

"Oh for God's sake, again?" Alter murmured immediately receiving a chuckle from the other. "Depends on how you mean it. As if in a friendship or relationship? Cause if you mean the 2nd-."

"Whatever it was!" Geno cutted him. "C'mon, seriously? Not even once? Not even one girl didn't catch your interest to become even friends?!"

"Someone close? Nah."

"Dangit..." Geno murmured and looked away. But he quickly found other questions to insist bombardise Alter. "So you are telling me that for as long as ya lived, you! Not even once, not even for a fleeing second in your life until now, you didn't show interest to any female ever?! So many girls were on your village, you didn't feel lonely?! Ya didn't feel the need to have a life partner?! Oh come on, ya were living between people for Samael's sake and after promising your mom to raise him!" The 2 stayed silent for many seconds. Alter pressed his back on the bed's doorframe and looked at the direction of the door room.

"Maybe... once..." The smaller managed to hear from the other.

"Maybe?! Encouraging! So you admit it! Who?! How?! For how long?! When?!" He asked. But before Alter could say anything a few knocks on the door were heard.

"Come in." Alter said all of a sudden happy and kind again changing his voice. The door opened revealing Tefra. She stared at the 2 skeletons with a small smile.

"Is everything alright? I heard noise from your room."

"Ah don't worry Signorina Tefra. Eugenia is just still as energetic and excited even after the story I told the children to sleep! We're talking."

"Indeed they did sleep. Impressive." Tefra said and her smile grew sweeter and bigger. No one spoke for a few seconds. The small goat lady finally turned her back. "If you're fine then we shouldn't worry... goodnight."

"Buona notte principessa." Alter wished. Tefra closed the door behind her leaving the 2 skeletons again to themselves. Geno truly couldn't keep his mouth shut. It wasn't only about teasing. He was really caring to understand.

"What do you think of her after all?" He asked calmly. Alter turned to look at him.

"Why you insist so much friend?" He asked. He wasn't happy all of a sudden. Maybe more sad.

"But honestly, why ain't you trying Al? You think it's so big of a sin?" Geno kept asking, more confused. Alter sighed but didn't say anything. Geno looked down thoughtful. But he suddenly looked at Alter again with another idea. "May I ask something a little different?"

"Shoot me with it." Alter allowed raising hands in the air but mostly out of frustration and as his voice betrayed. Geno cleared his throat to gather his thoughts.

"Let's speak hypothetically." He started. Alter turned to look at him raising bonebrow but waited. "Let's say that ok, you gave up your life in the monasteries to raise your baby bro. Ya also keep your loyalty to The Lord and live according to His will. But without this stopping ya from wanting to find a partner. So, what do you like on women? What attracts you to them, what is capable to steal even a glance from you?" Geno asked carefully.

"... Hypothetically speaking?" Alter asked after a few seconds.

"Hypothetically speaking." Geno reassured. Alter looked up thoughtful for many seconds.

"... Hmmm. Sometimes things on ladies indeed would be interesting to me but never thinking about 'em much. Well, what do I like on women? I like it when they have humour and joke around, when they have kindness of course and they're modest but also when they know when to defend themselves. When they can be dynamic."

"Not bad. Is there anything in particular ya like about the outside appearance. You might not have and it's fine, but, just asking." Geno kept going.

"Nah there's something. I find really adorable small sized people."

"How short?" Geno asked.

"Like your size." Alter threw. Geno didn't know at that moment if he was angry or flustered for being called short and adorable -again- at the same time.

"Nonsense!" He growled covering his face.

"It's not like ya haven't hear me calling ya adorable ever again." Alter kept talking holding back a snicker.

"Shut it!" Geno growled again.

"But how about ya? You tried teasing me enough about women and what I like. What do you like on someone? What's attractive to you?" The taller asked raising bonebrow. After Geno calmed down he looked at his hands thoughtful for a few seconds. He hummed melancholic.

"Tibia honest I didn't think of it much. I wasn't avoiding find relationship, I just didn't think of it important when living on the village. I was grieving for my brothers so deeply and miss them so much, feelings for me didn't matter. I kind of forgotten 'em and... didn't seek for help and support."

"Ah, I see."

"Though..." Geno said then looking up less melancholic. "... With this adventure I'm in and with the chance I got meet the world outside the little village I was confined, meeting different people than the ones I was seeing for 14 years, I find interest in life even a little. And there's... a purpose at least for me."

"I'm glad you think that way." Alter said smiling wider. They both stayed silent then for many seconds. They only moved to blow the candles and soon the room had drowned in darkness. Even then no one spoke for long. But at the moment Alter had think Geno had fallen asleep he saw him with the edge of his eyesocket staring at him directly.

"Alter?" Geno asked quietly. Slowly Alter turned and looked at Geno.

"Yes son?" The taller asked. Geno stayed silent for a few seconds.

"... Hypothetically speaking again, if ya weren't choosing the ascetic life, never becoming a pirate and instead wanting have a peaceful life with family and kids, would you prefer sons or daughters?" He asked.

"I've never pictured myself becoming a parent. I've only been a big brother in my life. But... if life was never taking me to become a pirate, daughters." Alter replied without hesitation in the end.

"Wow that was fast." Geno commented. The other chuckled.

"Deep inside yeah, girls."

"Why though? Ah wait, I think I know..." Geno said smiling gently.

"Why ya think?" Alter asked. Geno closed his eyesocket.

"In memory of your loving mother and because ya were admiring her, you'd wish to have girls and raise them hoping to become like her someday." He said. Alter hummed.

"It wasn't that difficult guess why I would want daughters, was it?" He asked. Both friends laughed quietly.

"But what if ya were never blessed with daughters and only sons?" Geno asked then.

"I wouldn't mind. Every kid coming to this world, no matter the gender, is bless and a gift. After all we can't determine what we would want. But what about you? What would you prefer more? Boys or girls?" Alter asked.

"I... suppose both would be fine, I dunno, I don't think I care if I wanted boys or girls, I didn't think of it much. I can't picture myself as a parent..." Geno said looking away awkward. Alter just hummed and they didn't exchange words again. But soon Geno broke again the silence.

"Hope ya don't mind me saying... that I'm, heh, your adopted daughter." He said awkward. But the other laughed.

"It surprised me a little ya agreed for this at first but worry not! I don't mind. In fact it kinda flatters me."

"Flatters you?"

"Yeah. It's adorable..." Alter said quietly looking away. "... Samael had called me dad once when he was 3. Couldn't blame him, just... it had caught me off guard. I had then to explain him that I was big brother, not dad..."

"Daaaw..." Geno did smiling gently. But soon another question popped up and his smile dissappeared. "Alter..."

"Hm?"

"... When it comes to loving someone, no matter who it is... how do we know we love more than... in a friendly way? What determines this?" Geno asked quietly.

"Where did that come from?" Alter asked raising bonebrow.

"J-Just curious." The smaller replied. Alter looked up thoughtful for a few seconds.

"... Humans most of times doesn't get completely the meaning of love. They banish it or never give it a chance. They can know how to care and love a friend or a family member, but 'falling in love', that one is very hard to feel it. Many people doesn't find 'their soulmate' ever or perhaps they never understand who is meant to be together by their side. But us monsters, who have more magic in our bodies and souls, we can feel and understand in a bigger degree love towards others. That feeling of loving, develops a special function we simply call it bond."

"How does that bond work?"

"The monster's soul with the bigger amount of magic it has in it than a human's soul, deep inside can recognise who it really loves and cares about. Hypothetically if in our minds we say we deny we love someone, the soul knows best. The mind is lying but the soul doesn't deny. If we're denying pure love for someone because of ignorance the soul will eventually 'open our eyes'. Sooner or later."

"So that love is almost... unavoidable? Impossible for a monster to banish it?"

"Most of times yes. But the bond works as recognison mechanism, helpful. It can warn you that someone you care for is in danger, or is hurt, even that they're dying. Short of like that mysterious magic bond twin siblings can have. There are 3 types of bonds a monster can deeply feel and show it who it can trust and love. The first bond and the weakest one is the one between friends. It's where you spend time with a monster you feel you trust, you know they'll have your back and they make you truly happy, but they're not related to you as family. However if the friendship is powerful, pure and unbreakable, that bond can grow to the point 2 monsters can feel like siblings in their souls almost. That's rare and difficult find such strong friendships nowadays."

"Wow. What are the other 2 bonds? What's stronger than the friends' bond?"

"The next bond that follows is the family one. It can be stronger than the friend bond cause after all family is the one you spend most time with the first years. But it's also because of the same magic the kids share with their parents, with their siblings if they have. You develop bond with them, you can feel the bond through other relatives that aren't directly related to ya and recognise who's relative and who's not."

"Wait. What about uncle Asy who helped us enter the Capital? I didn't feel any relationship towards him and yet he said he feels my dad's magic in me despite he's adopted and isn't related at all."

"Ah but that's possible too! Your uncle might was adopted and wasn't blood related with your father's family. But if 2 step siblings grow together in a loving environment from babies almost, they can develop not just friend bond but family bond and their souls learn recognising each other as family related through the magic. While your soul wasn't recognising your uncle as close relative, if your uncle was loving your father's family and the other way around then he would manage recognise you as your father's son and so his nephew from the magic. His soul first by itself recognised ya as relative and believed, even if he had never seen you in his life."

"Awesome."

"Human babies must develop a safe relationship with their parents especially the mother at the age of 3 at least, or else their emotional life and world might be unstable. They won't recognise who their parents are. A baby monster even if it never gets love from it's parents the soul will still always recognise who it has as family. The strongest family bond possible is the one of the kid with it's mother. Next with the father."

"Why?"

"When 2 monsters bring to life a baby made with the combination of their magic, when that baby stayed for so long inside it's mother and later on in her embrace, the close contact it has from the ones that gave it life builds a stable and strong bond. The monster baby in it's soul can recognise where it will find affection, safety and love."

"I see. So. What's the 3rd bond?" Geno asked. Alter stayed silent for a moment again.

"That last bond is the weirdest and most difficult to explain why is it so strong, much stronger than the family one. We call it the bond of Eros. It's when 2 souls absolutely unknown to each other in most cases at first, unconsciously start getting tied without their hosts understanding. That bond with the time passing, it increases nonstopping. The more 2 monsters' minds deny they have feelings the more their souls even from distance grow feelings and even tougher bond cause it's building up with the strongest emotion on earth: love. That bond is stronger than any other, the friendly and family ones, despite it's developed between 2 souls that ain't related and yet doesn't stay as friend bond."

"How strong can the... eros bond be?"

"To the point it makes your feelings go crazy. If you deeply care for someone and for example they do something crazy or dangerous you instantly fear and worry sick. Like really sick. In a more extreme case if the one partner dies, the other's inner world collapses. And many times Geno, if 2 lovers develop such deep feelings for each other because of the eros bond, it doesn't end well. All feelings the one lover gave to the other are gone with the dead. The monster grieves, looses any interest in life and just wants to die..." Alter looked up and sighed deeply. "Bond of Eros is the one that can tell us who will truly make our life happy forever, more than friends or family could ever do together combined. But it requires 2 for that and if the one is abruptly gone, it becomes the most dangerous bond if it breaks and shatters a monster's soul..."

A heavy silence filled the air for many seconds. Finally Geno changed side so his back was facing Alter. He snuggled closer to his pillow thoughtful.

"Understandable. Thank you for telling me... Goodnight Alter..." He said quietly closing his eyesocket. Honestly, Geno wanted to talk more in fact. About the dreams he was seeing lastly. About the siren-blessed guardians that were revealed to him. But something in him was stopping him from saying anything about it to Alter.

"... Good night Geno." Alter said quietly too. He sounded even a little tired, Geno didn't think it was the right time yet. He tried empty his mind and soon he drifted to a quiet sleep...

Not meant last for too long.

3890 words. goodbye μωράκια. stay determined, safe and adorable.