The Hero and the Demon Lord Reincarnate!

Visit from a friend

Reminders: This story does not include romance as a plot, it can be a subplot, ships are strictly up to interpretation.

3rd POV
The sun rose against the sugary blue roofs of the Vanilla Kingdom castle. The Bluebirds sung and the children readied the streets, sweeping the roads to keep it clean, and the crows flew amongst the sky...

Today was a peaceful day in the Vanilla Kingdom...

Well...a peaceful day for all...but one...

Espresso grumbled as he drank his tenth cup of coffee that day...

"Gee...you're really making a mess of your space...how's your 0 hours of sleep going?" Strawberry Crepe nagged as Espresso continued to grumble...

"I'm trying to figure out something...would you please leave me be?" Espresso said, though rather blunt, Strawberry Crepe got the memo... "Yeah yeah, by the way, that...light haired cookie with the annoying aura is here...said he came to see you."

Espresso blinked, trying to process which cookie they meant...

"Madeleine?!"

Madeleine hummed as he stared at the Stained Glass Window waiting for Espresso, admiring the art and construction that came with it...

Espresso panted as he ran through the halls, "What the heck?! What is he doing here?" He thought, tripping over himself as his perception was broken by his sleep despite wearing glasses...

"Haha! Good to see you old friend! Had one too many cups of coffee didn't you?" Madeleine spoke, looming over Espresso's face as Espresso rubbed his eyes. "Hello to you too...Madeleine..."

"Can you...speak quietly?" Espresso asked, his voice croaked from too much coffee. "What did I tell you about pulling an all-nighter? It's unhealthy for you not to get any sleep! How will you ever get work done?" Madeleine playfully scolded, pulling his work partner up...well former work partner...he practically lives here now...

Espresso groaned, his throat incredibly croaky and his eyes filled with bags... "I work better when I'm awake..." Espresso spoke. "It makes progress..."

"If you say so..." Madeleine spoke with a hint of worry in his voice... "How...long have you been awake?"

"Mhn...3 nights? Maybe? I've been working on something important..." Espresso grumbled. "Ok." Madeleine spoke before lifting Espresso up unto his shoulder.

"You're going to bed."

"Wha-? Hey! Not again! Put me down!" Espresso said, struggling against Madeleine's grip, at times like this Espresso is reminded that Madeleine is a Paladin, trained to defend the Republic...because damn...his grip is strong!

Or he's just that tired...

"Madeleine! Don't make me use Coffee Magic on you!" Espresso threatened as Madeleine chuckled. "Try as you might dear friend, but you know very well the Light has gifted me the power of High Defense, whatever damage you may do it will not affect me!"

Espresso groaned as Madeleine bumped into Black Raisin Cookie...at some point, Espresso gave up struggling...just laying on his shoulder in defeat.

"Haha! Black Raisin Cookie! Don't mind this...you don't happen to know where Espresso Cookie sleeps do you?" Madeleine asked, Black Raisin had to process the scene a bit, staring at Madeleine then Espresso.

"He sleeps in the Inn...you'll know which if you ask the innkeeper."

Madeleine then takes Espresso to the inn, which is a sight to the residents of the kingdom, seeing Espresso flopped on Madeleine's shoulder, just looking like he's dead inside and experiencing second hand embarrassment.

After a while Madeleine wraps him into a blanket roll...

No seriously...

"You know...you could've just laid me on the bed..." Espresso said, feeling incredibly warm. "I'll roll you out once you actually fall asleep! You do this all the time even when we were researching the Soul Jam!" Madeleine scolded.

"Besides...if I laid you down you'd just get back up when I'm not looking!" Espresso slightly pouted...but he can't help but feel sleepy from the warmth...

It was rather comfy...he can remember his days in the Lower City...wandering around looking for scraps of food and playing around with the hierarchy of the Upper City...he wishes such things didn't exist...especially since most of them were Sea Cookies and Vanillians...compared to him who was practically the only bitter cookie living there...

He tries to fight the comfort, as Madeleine watches patiently for him to sleep.

"Hey...how about we spend some time together after I wake up?" Espresso suggested...he may as well be drunken insomniac...but...

He will admit...Madeleine was practically his only friend...next to Gingerbrave but let's be serious Gingerbrave's everyone's friend...if you weren't his friend you were his enemy, no in-between.

He thought his aura seemed to shine bright and his eyes gleam...though that's probably because Madeleine took off his glasses...

"You really mean that?!" Madeleine asked like an excited puppy as Espresso groaned, flinching at the loudness of voice...

"Is that a yes or no? I won't be awake for long!" He spoke, slightly yelling, he could hear Madeleine chuckle in his...well in Espresso's words 'Condescending laugh'

"Sure! Maybe we can hang out in the bar or the castle gardens!" Madeleine suggested, Espresso looked away. "Sure..."

Slowly he began to fall asleep...