📜🎩 T H E ☆ M A G I C I A N - Act 73 (BOOK III END)

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🎩▶ Last Chapter

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T H E  ☆  M A G I C I A N

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Act 73 - Last Chapter of Book III

Mel

After a long, dearly needed, and overdue hug that made Mel feel like there was nothing both of them couldn’t manage, the waitress finally approached again. Grateful for the staff’s sense of tact in not disturbing them during their talk, Mel ordered a couple of dishes, and Mary joined in. As if she had just realized the glass was in front of her, the girl also began to drink at last, and she appeared instantly more refreshed.

“Can I ask now how you’ve been?” Mel repeated their question from earlier while holding one of Mary’s hands again, caressing the back with their thumb.

“You can. But I’m not sure I can answer properly. I was just… I don’t know. I just couldn’t function properly.”

“I think I can understand… You’ve been enduring and waiting?”

“Yes. Yes, that…”

“I’m sorry I made you go through this.”

“Melodie…” Mary commented. It sounded reprimanding.

Mel winced. 

“You’re right. Thank you for waiting,” they corrected themself, turning their blame into gratitude.

Mary squeezed their hand a little. “That’s better.” Then she continued, “It was important. I would not have been able to accept your answer either way if you didn’t have time to really think about things. If you’d agreed to stay with me, I might have thought that you did so because of … mercy, maybe. I didn’t want this thought to be the base of our… our relationship. And if you’d declined, I probably would’ve believed forever that you haven’t given it enough thought.”

“I can see why you thought so, my love,” Mel affirmed. Then, having the same notion they had earlier, continued, “When did you get so wise?”

“I’m just following your advice, really. You said we shouldn’t compare us to other couples… or, like, assume how we should behave in relationships, what one can and can’t do, and stuff like that. Right…? So I try to listen to my needs and share them. It’s the only thing I can do, with no reference.”

Mel gently pulled Mary’s hand to their lips, kissing its back softly.

“You are a gem. The gods must’ve really taken a liking to me, seeing how they sent you my way.”

Excuse me? Singular. It was me who pointed her out. But nice to hear you call me a god so casually.

Mary smiled. “You seem better. With your sleek charm returning like this.”

Instead of answering, Mel kissed her hand again. Longer, this time.

After a few breaths, Mary carefully peeled her hand out of Mel’s, just to delicately place it on their cheek, brushing over it.

Mel closed their eyes, leaning into the touch. It felt like this was all they ever needed in life.

They stayed like this for a while, until the food arrived.

When it finally sat in front of them, Mel decided to inquire about something they couldn’t get out of their head.

“Marietje—may I be so rude as to ask you about this place? Why did you choose this? ‘The World’s End’?”

“I’m sorry that it’s not up to our usual standards,” Mary began apologetically, but Mel quickly shook their head.

“That’s not it. Thinking about it, I think having a more casual location was a smart decision. But there are plenty of those close to your place, right?”

“Right. But for one, I was sure that you would not be bothered here, by anyone, unlike in the city,” Mary said, and Mel now noticed only now that they were the only two guests.

“That was important to me. As for the other reason, well…” she began, but seemed a little flustered all of a sudden. 

“Please, tell me,” Mel appealed, now even more curious.

Rosemary put one of the fries in her mouth and chewed longer than needed. Then she said, “I feel a little dumb now, thinking about it. But… I came here a couple of years ago, after the first trip I ever planned without my dad. It was nothing special, just a little ferry ride on the Thames. And it was here where I… kind of… felt like myself for the first time, maybe? When I sat here, all alone, because of my own choice, ordering my own food that my father told me I should avoid because it was unhealthy… I don’t know.”

Mel couldn’t hold back a beaming smile.

“I’m honored to be invited to a place that holds so much meaning to you. And I find it grand that you decided on a location where you feel strong and proud about your decisions. You have a great intuition, my dearest. It’s nice, being here with you, at the world’s end.”

With this new information, Mel took another inspection of the place and couldn’t help but find it very charming now. Beautiful in its own, subtle way. With lots of character and history. Things one wouldn’t see if they were only looking for flashy decadence, or extraordinarity.

“Maybe,” Mary continued to confess, “...maybe I wanted to have one last, long drive with you, too. In case… in case things would’ve ended.”

Mel touched her hand again.
A heartbreaking but understandable thought. They would’ve cherished this last drive as a form of coping, too, if things would’ve turned out a different way.

Maybe to change topics, Mary quickly asked, “Is it okay to speak out a wish?”

“Of course, my dearest.”

The girl averted her gaze for a moment. It looked as if she tried to conjure up the strength for what she was about to ask of Mel. Then she said, “Would you stay over, just for tonight?”

Mel tried their best not to choke on their food. They coughed to overshadow their surprise. 

"That's… that's a bit sudden.” 

“I know. I just… It’s my last night in the UK, I’m flying to Shanghai tomorrow. And I think I need it. To hold you. Or be held by you. Maybe not just my hand, but my whole body. To finally understand that you won’t be going away. Does that make sense…?”

“I think it does, yes,” Mel thought loudly, feeling their face flush upon the thought of holding Mary so close, just after wishing for it earlier. “And I am not opposed to it. On the contrary. But I have something rather important to do tomorrow in the very early morning, so I will most likely be gone when you awake. And I will have to get up a couple of times at night; I might wake you.”

“That is fine, I don’t mind,” Mary answered, and the resulting beaming joy on her face was truly life-fueling. It made Mel’s heart flutter just as much as it did before all of this Beelzebub incident had seemed to change everything.

“It’s… uh…” Mary continued, “It’s really just cuddling I’m talking about, though. Not… n-not a secret code or something,” she stuttered, her cheeks now incredibly rosy compared to the rest of her matted skin.

Mel’s face felt even hotter. “Of course,” they commented.

“It’s not that I don’t want to—”

“I know.”

“S-sorry, I’m rambling. I’m… I’m making it awkward.”

“It’s quite alright. It’s making you animated. It’s very welcome to see you like this again, my little dove. And I quite treasure this direct and honest side of yours.”

The rest of the dinner proceeded just as pleasantly; after a while, both of them felt more comfortable and carefree again. On their journey home, in the cab, they finally sat close to each other again, gently holding each other’s hand, small-talking about Mary’s upcoming travel to Shanghai, with Mel giving her some location recommendations.

Once they arrived in Mary’s room (a rather functional room, not like her usual multiple-star experiences), they only took off their shoes and lay down to continue their talk. Rosemary, however, was so exhausted that soon her words came out slow and cozy, indicating that she was almost asleep. They were still in their clothes and hadn’t prepared themselves for bed at all, but Mel didn’t want to disturb Mary’s looming slumber.

Just when Mel thought she had fallen asleep, Mary said, “Melodie,” sleep-drunken, and then continued, “Do you believe in destiny? That it was destiny that we met?”

Mel thought about it for a moment. “I think I believe in ‘attraction of the extraordinary’. I think you made the extraordinary choice to exit the theater we met in an unusual fashion; I made the extraordinary choice to secretly sneak away. Then we both made the extraordinary choice to share a ride, even though we didn’t know each other.”

“I believe it was… destiny…,” was the last thing Mary breathed before she, now clearly, drifted away into a deep slumber, a blissful little smile on her lips.

Mel carefully wrapped their arms around her and pulled her close, surprised, again, by just how soft and warm she was. As she lay in their arms, her breathing became deep and relaxed.

It had a more than calming effect on them, just as it had the last time Mary had dozed off beside Mel.

I know ya don’t want to hear it, Melchior, but you did well.

Mel puffed. But they let the snake speak.

I’m proud of ya for listenin’ to her and your desires. And I promise ya, I’ll protect her. You focus on… whatever this weird non-sexual stuff is you guys are doing.

“Thanks,” Mel whispered, before, they too, fell asleep.

🐍🎩▶️ NEXT CHAPTER (not yet online)

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Spotify🎵 Mel | Mary | Bastet | Lusje | Lynette 🎵

That's it for book III, friends! Hope you enjoyed it so far. I'll take a little break of this till after New Years Eve, then we'll continue with book IV freshly in the new year! It'll bee about Mel's past again, just like book II - and true preg kink nsfw stuff will finally happen. You can be excited!!

• Rose