Living Armor Boyfriend: Coeval (complete)

Female Main Character (cis) x Male Monster (nonbinary)

My mother is not a bad person, just a selfish one. I think it’s part of being a child of Father Klaus. Despite the stories of Father Klaus that say he is a giving, wise person, his needs must be met and I think he passed that on to his children. My mother Holly and her siblings Nicolas, Noel, Mikolaj, Belle and who knows how many more, all exhibit the same level of selfishness in different ways.

I think this is where my mother’s desire for attention stems. She has a deep fondness for men. She has several husbands and many more lovers, and I know I have just as many siblings, as my mother just adores being pregnant. I am her eldest child, her firstborn, and while she tried to be a good mother sometimes other matters got in the way. I do hold a level of respect for my mother with my love, but it has been so long since I last communicated with her, I do not know where I stand.

I left Holly’s keep with my father when I was a child. He had fallen out of Holly’s favor, and left to seek his own fortune. He began taking in others who had fallen from Holly’s favor, which is how he and my second father met. My second father was also a lover of Holly, and he had my sister Lydia with her. Lydia is quite a bit younger than me, and she never really got to know Holly. To her, Holly is a faint memory.

Sometime later, my sister Edith came to stay with us. Her father is still Holly’s number-one husband, and she was set to be Holly’s heir. But Edith had a severe falling-out with her over her treatment of her husbands, and she ran from home with the idea that her father needs saving.

To be honest, I’m not sure if the treatment of the men in Holly’s keep is technically terrible. But I want to help my sister. I know how much it means to have my father around and be able to see him whenever I want, so I can only assume how bad it must hurt Edith to not see her father. Also, if we could get to Holly, I think it would be good for Lydia to talk with her.

Right now, everything has gone upside down, sideways, and around a corner. After summoning a spirit to help us combat our mother, we’ve been spirited away ourselves. I’m still in the pavilion with the suit of armor that approached me, but my sisters and the two other animated suits are gone. I scramble, trying to catch my breath from the shock. I look back at the armor, which has a sort of reddish-gold glow about it.

“Where are they?” I’m nearly hyperventilating. “Where did they go? What did you do?” In my panic and fear, I start to grow, nearly standing taller than the suit of armor.

The suit of armor laughs. “Calm down, fine lady, your sisters are safe as they are with my brothers.” He looks me up and down. “My, my, so you do have the power of Father Klaus.”

I shrink back down to normal size and cross my arms against my chest. “Where are they, then? They must be somewhere!”

“My brothers have them. We like to create theatrics and splendor in order to bond with our new partner.” He lifts the visor of his helmet up so I can see three glowing eyes, all bright and golden, one above and between the other two. “The name is Coeval,” he announces with a laugh. “What’s yours?”

“Winifred,” I murmur. “So, if my sisters are with your brothers, then where am I?”

“Glad you asked.” Coeval bows at the waist, then offers his hand to me. “Come with me, I have some things to show you.”

I refuse to take the proffered hand. “Look, we’re both adults here. You don’t need to go about this like some children’s story. Just tell me plainly what your plan is. While you’re at it, tell me why you and your brothers are doing this, when my sisters and I summoned you to be our...”

“Whoa! Whoa!” Coeval raises his hands in surrender. “Calm down. Are you always this high-strung? Where’s your sense of wonder and adventure?”

I frown at him, keeping my arms crossed.

“This is our chance to bond. I am your familiar, and in order for our powers to work for you and your sisters, we have to establish a bond.” He offers his hand again. “So come with me, and live in the moment.”

I look at his hand, then back into his three eyes. “Live in the moment,” I huff. “Easier said than done.”

His eyes roll, and he points outside of the pavilion. “Let me take you to the keep you wish to enter.”

I glare at him in disbelief. “You can’t just waltz in there!” I begin to grow again.

“Hey, hey!” Coeval puts his hands in the air again. “If you haven’t realized yet, this is magic! Think of yourself as being inside a snowglobe right now! Take a breather, Winifred. It’s okay.”

I stand looking down at him until I shrink back to normal size. “This is an illusion?”

Coeval nods and chuckles. “I’m trying to present a lesson to you, and by the looks of it, I’m not a moment too soon.” He offers his hand a third time. “So please, Winifred, let me show you this magic.”

I reluctantly take his hand, and he holds it tightly. “Wow, you’re warm,” I gasp.

Coeval pulls me close. “Okay, we’re going to get a running start.” He puts his arm around my waist and holds me upon his hip. I yelp in surprise as he takes off running. “Wait! Wait!” I slam my palm against his shoulder. “There’s a cliff ahead!” I try to get his attention, but he keeps running faster and faster. I beat at his plating, shrinking in his grasp “Cliff!” I yell as he leaps into the air. I scream and hold onto him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“It’s okay! Look down!”

“No! Why? That’s awful, that’s...” I gasp softly as I peek from the corner of my eye. We’re not falling at all. In fact, we’re suspended in the air. I take it all in, but I still refuse to look down. “What on earth…?” I breathe.

“Not on earth,” Coeval chuckles. “Just look at it all! How beautiful is this scenery? The lights, the buildings.”

I swat at the snow frozen in the air. “This really is magic.”

“There’s magic everywhere, but sometimes you have to take a breath to notice it.” Coeval eases me down, and while my feet touch nothing, they fall flat against the air. I begin to grow again as I look around, awed by something I’ve seen a million times before.

“Come along, now. We’ll be late.” Coeval walks ahead, tugging my hand until I follow. I try to keep up, staying close to him out of fear of falling. My feet feel as though they are touching something solid, but there’s nothing under me.

“You’re not looking.” Coeval pulls me beside him. “Stop looking at my back.”

“This is too much,” I whisper.

“We all worry about where our feet will land, but sometimes it’s fun to let the path carry us.” He stands behind me and takes both of my hands in his, holding them up. As he does, my feet begin to sink through the air and pump like on an invisible bicycle.

“Oh no!” I struggle and squirm. “What are you doing?”

“Relax! You’re flying! It’s freeing, right?” he says. “When you fly, there’s no path you have to follow, so you don’t have to worry!”

I try to steady my legs and keep walking. After a short while, I get used to the feeling, and actually like the sensation of weightlessness. I chuckle softly, letting a smile bloom across my face.

“See?” Coeval laughs. “It’s fun!”

“I always wished I could fly! But Edith was the lucky one when...” I drop a bit and I scramble at the sudden, short plummet.

“Stop that now. The more you fret, the heavier you become.”

I rise back up and turn to look back at Coeval. “Is this what you wanted me to see?”

“We’re almost there, no worries,” he chuckles. “I think you’ll enjoy this.”

We come up to Holly’s keep, and Coeval dances me around the high towers. We go through a window and land on the floor, which now feels so strange. I can hear music and laughter down the hall. Some children come running in our direction, but as I sidestep to avoid them, they run right through me, like a ghost.

“You won’t be seen here,” Coeval says brightly. “All part of the magic!”

I stand still for a moment, looking after the children who just passed us.

“Winifred, is something wrong?” Coeval asks gently.

“It’s been so long since I was last here. I know this place so well, and yet I feel like such a stranger.” I look back up at Coeval and shake my head. “This feels strange to me, even if I can’t be seen. Being here is...”

Coeval puts his hand on my shoulder. “Out of place.”

“Yeah,” I murmur.

“Then why not join the party?” He walks with me down the hall that opens into the grand ballroom, which is decorated from top to bottom in red and gold. I look around in awe. People are dressed in costume, matching the decor of the party. There are tall trees that glitter with decorations, tables filled with all sorts of food. Children are dancing and playing, and I don’t see a single sad face in the crowd. I recognize some of the people from my time growing up here. Old friends of my mother, some of her husbands, a few lovers.

Coeval moves between the people, almost dancing himself. He laughs, as if he considers himself part of the revelry. “Are you just going to stand there and watch, Winifred?” he asks.

“What else can I do?” I murmur. “No one can see me.”

Coeval throws his arms open. “Exactly! You can do whatever you want! You can dance, you can sing, you can make as big a fool of yourself as you want!” He holds both his hands out to me. “Come dance with me!”

I smile shyly. “I’m not really a dancer.”

Coeval leans down to meet my eye. “Does that really matter?”

I take his hands and let him whisk me onto the dance floor. We spin and flourish, and he lifts me high into the air. I laugh loudly, finding myself enjoying the dance, even if I trip and stumble. Coeval spins me out and I topple over, cackling. I lie on the floor with a grin, until I look up and see my mother standing over me.

I jump up in alarm, then remember she can’t see me. Unlike the others in the ballroom, my mother does not look as if she is enjoying the festivities. Her expression is sullen despite a smile, and her eyes are red and puffy from crying.

“Holly, come have a drink with me.” Edith’s father tries to coerce her into moving.

Holly hangs her head and sighs heavily. “Let me find my mask first.”

“You don’t have to force yourself to be out here, you know?” Edith’s father says gently. “I know you’re not up to it.”

She looks at him wearily. I’ve never seen such an expression on her. She always seemed so confident and regal when I was a child. “Every year these things just get harder on me.”

“Then let me reach out to...”

Holly’s eyes widen and she steps back from him. “No! I promised.” She sinks back down and cups her hand over her face. “I made a promise. I won’t interfere with their lives anymore.”

“They are your children,” Edith’s father insists. “My daughter too.”

“They won’t listen to me. As long as you’re here, Edith will always see me as the bad one. She won’t trust me or anyone. It’s best we wait until she lets go of her anger.” Holly turns to the fireplace, where there are stockings hung in a line. She takes one into her hand, and it has Edith’s name embroidered in gold along the heel. “They are my mistakes, and I’ll let them hang over me.”

I stand beside her and look at the stockings. I see one for me and one for Lydia as well. “Oh wow,” I whisper.

“Notice anything?” Coeval stands beside me again.

I look at my mother as she lays her head on her husband’s shoulder. “Yeah, we’re all stubborn.”

Coeval chuckles. “Wouldn’t it be so much easier for you to stop looking at the hurt of the past, and worrying about your actions in the future?” He slips his warm hand onto the small of my back. “Wouldn’t it be easier, Winifried, to let that all go and enjoy what you have right now?”

I sigh heavily. “That’s how Lydia lives,” I grumble. “It would be better for you to be with her.” I move aside, sitting on a stool in the corner. “What does seeing this do for me? If I try to convince Edith of anything other than what she has in her mind, she’ll get mad at me too.”

“But that is her problem, Winifried.” Coeval kneels beside me. “You’re worrying about Edith and Lydia. But what about you? What do you want? How do you want to live?”

The ballroom goes dark and empty. The fire dwindles to a few smoldering embers. There is a chill in the air, and my breath comes out in thick white clouds. “This is what you wanted me to see, isn’t it? This is your magic.”

“You can’t live if you’re concerned with the past, and chasing after an uncertain future.” Coeval stands up and holds his hand out to me. “You can’t ignore yourself.”

I take his hand and stand back up. “How are you so warm?” I move closer to him, holding him like we are about to waltz.

“My brothers and I come from under the Kringle Peaks,” he chuckles. “It’s nice and warm down there.”

I smile and laugh. “Oh, I bet!” I look up and see something under Coeval’s visor besides glowing eyes and smoke. There’s a smile beginning to appear. “Are you cold up here, then?”

“Not as long as you keep standing close,” he winks.

My cheeks grow warm, and I giggle shyly. “When do we have to go back? Soon?”

Coeval and I begin to dance in the dark, silent ballroom. He moves me slowly, and for once, I don’t trip or stumble over my feet. I flow with him, moving to music in my head. “No,” he answers quietly. “We don’t have to go just yet. We can stay here for a while, if you like.”

I lean into him, enjoying his warmth and his company. “Will they be waiting for us, though?”

He laughs jovially again. “Don’t worry about it.”

He picks me up and spins me until I float in the air. He holds me up there, then catches me in his arms. We spin together and then come to a stop. I hold him for the longest time, pressing my cheek to his warm breastplate. “I’ve never danced like this before,” I murmur.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Coeval begins to move again. “Have you always wanted to dance?”

I shake my head. “I never really thought about it. I was never any good, and I don’t dwell on the things I can’t do.”

“Sometimes, it’s just fun to try new things, even things we don’t think we can do.” He lifts me up again, throwing me into the air. Snow falls around me, and I float above the world. I take a breath in the stillness, feeling my worries drift away with the breeze. I see the keep in the distance, and a breeze blows the snowflakes around me. I smile to myself, letting out a laugh before I float back down into Coeval’s hands and touch down on the floor of the pavilion. I look up at him with a bright smile. I turn, watching as my sisters reappear through the falling snow. They stand with their new familiars, and I have so many questions for them. I squeeze Coeval’s hand while they remain standing.

“Thank you,” I whisper to him. “for showing me this.”

He bows his head to me. “I hope to show you many things, but let’s not worry about the future just yet.”