Chapter Text
He feels completely like that shy kid he was back then. Shy and timid he was, but as he grew, he learned to be more confident with the help of his family, peers, and his handsome looks. Or at least he was comfortable enough to feign confidence... Now it felt like all those years of growth and improvement had been stripped away in the face of his fiancé and his soon to be father in law. That's how nervous he was.
He doesn't even know what jokes to crack, what questions to ask, when to be silent and when to speak. What the fuck was he supposed to do?! He spends the first few days either hiding in his room or playing with the adorable cat in the gazebo. A sweet calico kitty - a mix of white, brown, and mostly orange, with sharp blue eyes that just reminds him of Chuuya. She was fierce and skittish at first, but with a few treats and a sniff of his hand, she slowly warmed up enough for him to pet her. She sometimes lays down and curls in his lap whenever she's in the right mood. How cute.
One day, he was simply finding comfort in the cat as usual. Under the gazebo, he was protected from the sun by the shadows of the roof, the marble bench warm and comfortable enough(such thoughtful architecture!) to lean against. A plate of biscuits lays on the table. He snuck into the kitchen and politely asked the chefs to make some for him. Apparently the ones in front of him are the prince's favorite.
He was just looking down on the sleeping kitty on his lap when he suddenly heard soft footsteps on the trimmed grass. He looks up to find Chuuya gazing up at him, curious blue eyes and soft red curls.
He felt his heart skip a beat. "Oh, my prince." He still tried to look calm, a pleasant mask of a smile on his face.
Oh no, what should he do? He can't just apologize and retreat to the only safe place of this castle which is his room. He can't be a fucking coward in front of his crush. Okay... he'll just invite the prince to sit with him instead of backing out himself or letting him take control.
"Sit with me, will you? It's been a while." 11 years to be exact.
"That's what I was planning to do anyways." Chuuya scoffs and shakes his head, though a smile braces his lips for a moment.
Too beautiful. I might just die. Reader thought.
Chuuya sits down beside him, their shoulders so close to touching. He could feel flush rising up his neck, his body as stiff as a statue from nervousness. How embarrassing. He just hopes Chuuya was oblivious enough to not notice anything astray.
The beautiful prince notices the kitty on reader's lap, a sort of amused chuckle escaping him. "I see she's grown fond of you, huh? Comfortable enough to sleep on your lap."
"Yes, her company has been most comforting ever since I stepped into this palace."
He knows his reputation. A jokester, a troublemaker, a spoiled second son... Chuuya didn't expect the man before to be so quiet.
"So does the rest of us trouble you, hm?" He questions, a hint of offense in his tone.
"You know that's not what I mean. It's just..." Reader sighs, hand over his eyes as he figures out how to explain.
"Your father is distant, but I understand that's just how he is. And you... Well I apologize for honestly avoiding you, but I was..."
Chuuya clears his throat. How silly and stupid of him to get so heated quickly. Yeah, of course his fiancé would feel awkward. He hadn't even initiated anything to make the other boy more comfortable and welcome at his home. "No, it's my fault." He interrupts, his blue eyes fixated on the reader once more.
"I'm sorry too. I should've approached you sooner."
Reader laughs - a genuine laugh for the first time in days ever since his family left, the tension in his muscles dissapearing bit by bit. "I guess we're even then, hm? Let's simply enjoy our time together, my prince." We're gonna spend the rest of our life together anyways(if things go accordingly).
They spend the rest of the time chatting and and catching up on life. Chuuya tells him about how protective his father has been ever since his mother passed away, reader talks about how difficult it was for him to be alone at times.
Chuuya feels happier now that reader is more comfortable. He promised him he'd try to get his father to be more pleasant too. After all, the old man was still wary of reader given his... reputation. The night he consulted his father about being more welcoming to the poor boy, he responded with a huff, but a muttered agreement. He still reminded Chuuya to take hold of his future husband, learn his strengths and weaknesses and utilize them for the benefit of his kingdom.
"I understand, but you don't have to be so... cunning about it. Was that what you did with mother?" Chuuya frowned at his father.
"No, she was a good queen and wife. I didn't have to watch over her at all. But your fiancé is a different case."
"He's perfectly obedient, father."
"And how do you know that?"
Chuuya has no way to respond. He can just tell he is. Maybe his reputation of being troublesome was perhaps all just a rumor? But his father would probably call him foolish for thinking that. Silence passes, and his father takes that as his answer.
"It's too early to make assumptions. But I hear you - I will try to be good to him. Goodnight, Chuuya."
Ugh, father I love you dearly, but quit being so overprotective already - I'm 18 for goodness sake.
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The next few days pass by like bliss. They hang out just like old times - spending most of their time together in the garden or walking around the kingdom in disguise to see what the folks are up to.
Reader's heart flutters whenever the prince approached. Chuuya insisted he simply call him by his name, but reader said no. He even began calling him 'prince' more just to mess with him. Now he sees what his father was talking about.
How radiant he is - with red curls as fiery and his attitude, though always neatly tended to and styled perfectly. And those sharp blue eyes can either be accomodatinf or dangerous depending on his mood. He's a man who knows his worth and status, yet never holds it above others. Admirable and confident, he will make a good king.
He dreamt of kissing Chuuya in a field of flowers one night. It clung to him the entire morning.
That's when he took the courage to be a bit bolder. As they lay on the grass, reader tackles Chuuya down, surprising the shorter man.
"Hey! What are you-" Chuuya fights back fiercely, but that just ends up getting him tickled.
"HAHAHHAHA! Noo- stop. Wait I can't - hahhahah-"
And he hears the uncontrollable laughter of his love and the soft flush adorning his cheeks. He felt Chuuya's soft curls rub against his jaw as the man tilted his head forward in an attempt to hide his laughing face near reader's shoulder.
He lets him go eventually, leaving Chuuya gasping for breath and still chuckling softly on the grass. "What was that for?" He asked.
"Nothing. Just wanted to mess with you, my prince." He hovered over him on the grass, yet he doesn't seem to notice the intimacy of our position... Well, what are we? Friends, fiancés... I want us to be like his mom and dad from before - happy and in love before... well, before tragedy struck. I want us to be like Eros and Psyche, or Apollo and Hyacinthus... Those beautiful Greek couples I've read about in books.
"I told you to just call me by my real name, not my title." Chuuya huffed, sitting up.
"Well, it's not like you can do anything about it." He scoffed, still looming slightly over the prince.
"When I'm king..." Chuuya pretended to glare. Sure, be as angry as you can pretend to be. Reader thought. He always pretends just to intimidate and end things quickly. "You'll follow my ever command without fail, including this one."
"And as your prince consort, I'm the only one who'll be allowed to defy my king's orders." The reader fought back, a rebellious grin on his face.
How annoying. Father was right, after all. He's comfortable enough to act like his reputation now that we've developed a proper friendship. Chuuya thought. But that's fine - he'll hold in his reins soon enough.
It starts with a carress to the reader's cheek that makes him pause in his tracks. Reader looks like he almost just wants to melt into the touch, but he holds that puppy impulse in. "Who said you can defy me just because we'll be married eventually?" Chuuya asks with a cunning look in his eyes. Beautiful bastard.
This is a test.
"M..." The reader's eyelashes flutter, his brows furrowing as he's presented with conflicting choices. Either submit and accept the rare affection, or defy and continue to tease him. He chose the latter - frankly because his mama didn't raise no quitter. No matter how hot and tempting the other option was.
"Me, myself, and I, my prince." I quickly(but very, very reluctantly. And I would continue to replay the memory in my head for nights, rolling back and forth in my bed, filled with embarrassment and regret) pull myself away from him, standing up and dusting myself off, laughing it away like it was nothing.
I observe him. He looks dissapointed, sure, but also amused. Perhaps he learned something? My throat tightens, feeling so suddenly exposed and vulnerable. Does he know of my feelings for him?
"Let's head back inside. My father is waiting for us to join him for lunch." He says calmly, the atmosphere quieter and a little more tense than before.
"Yeah."
...