Work Text:
Xander rubbed the space between his brow, headache firmly taken root as he set aside another requisition order marked up in indigo ink, fudged numbers circled and questionable requests crossed out with vicious strokes of his pen. The only thing worse than keeping tabs on the army’s budget was keeping tabs on the army’s budget during the winter season. Short days and long, frigid nights meant spending most of the year’s savings on emergency rations and extra clothing, leaving little excess to brighten their traditional holidays. Celebrating was essential to keep morale strong, but only so many concessions could be made to deliver packages from loved ones through extreme conditions or provide a compensated ration of traditional mulled ciders. It was pitiful, really.
That’s why, like clockwork during the last month of the year, commanders filed bogus requests for supplies. It was never egregious. They’d always ask for small things they thought would cost the crown so little that it might not be questioned, or at least save them from dismissal for improper use of army resources. More festive booze. An increased budget for ‘entertainment’ with no line items listed. Or, most memorably, an extra order of light tomes.
Xander had allowed the tome order to go through the previous year. Following his curiosity and a sense of responsibility for allowing such a potentially frivolous request be filled, he paid a surprise visit to see what they were for. As Xander rode up on horseback, the camp glistened like a star field on a snowy canvas, alight with the cheer of winter holidays the prince hadn’t seen since his youth. It was positively stunning.
Unfortunately, it also served as a reminder that war destroyed everything beautiful. The twinkling lights on the horizon gave away their position to the Hoshidans, and at the first touch of dawn after their celebration, a quarter of the battalion was wiped out in a bloody ambush. If Xander hadn’t been there, they might have been completely obliterated. He would not be making the same mistake of letting anything so ‘harmless’ through this year.
Xander glanced over at the thick, steady candle which marked the procession of time across from his desk. Six hours had passed since night fell, and he still had a third of these orders left to review. It would be another long night if he wanted these finished in time for the troops to get what little he could give for the holidays. Xander’s hands and back already throbbed from so long seated at a desk, the kind of ache which was sure only to grow the longer he stayed.
If only he was as spry as in his younger years. These days, fighting felt like less of a strain than paperwork. Yet paperwork was what his people required of him right now - a quick stretch of exhausted joins, then the prince would simply have to push through it for their sake.
A quiet knock outside disturbed his wrist rolls.
“Leave the tea on the stand, Laslow. I won’t be leaving tonight,” Xander replied loudly enough to be heard by his retainer through the heavy oak doors.
They creaked open. The man who answered him from the other side was not Laslow, but Kaze. He bowed as deeply as any butler, carrying a festive tray that filled the air with an aroma of spices and sugar.
That fragrance hit Xander with all the subtlety of a mace to the helm. It smelled like reading fanciful stories to his little siblings while they all huddled around the fire. A day of frivolity and too many sweets followed by a special midnight ride through the snow with his father to see the stars heralding the coming of Nohr’s thaw. The scent, ripe with tradition, clung to the prince, evoking an ephemeral sensation of home he had not realized he was starving for. Faded over years of heavy responsibility but now stoked by the embers of childhood memories, affection he once took for granted flared to life in his chest.
How close it all seemed breathing in that cozy fragrance. Love, family, and a simpler world where justice was real.
“Ah, I haven’t brought you any tea, Prince Xander,” Kaze apologized, bowing once again and drawing the prince back to the present. “I had hoped this warm dairy drink and cookies would be appropriate for the occasion, but do not let my presence interfere with your duties.”
“The occasion?” Xander mumbled to himself.
Kaze provided the answer before Xander could hunt for it in the schedule that laid half-buried on his desk. “We had not set a date yet, however you insisted that you wished to teach me about Nohrian holiday traditions. I heard this is a time of giving for your people. Since Laslow said you’d been working so many long hours, I thought I might provide traditional foods under Peri’s tutelage for you to show my appreciation and dedication to your teachings…”
“You made all this?”
Kaze flushed, setting down the tray to hide his embarrassed expression. “I did what I could. Peri handled most of the baking and picked out the recipes. Your retainer has a talent for it.”
“I have no doubt she’s been baking these cookies since she was a child. It’s common for young ladies to give homemade holiday sweets away as gifts.” A smile tweaked Xander’s lips as he reached for a star-shaped cookie doused in saccharine crystals that resembled freshly fallen snow. Firm to the touch but buttery smooth and spicy on the tongue. Perfection. As expected of his retainer.
Kaze’s hands fidgeted with repressed curiosity as he watched the prince’s ritualistic consumption of the holiday treat. “It’s good, then?”
“Indeed. You chose well. Did you have some yourself?”
“It was meant as a token of our friendship for you. I couldn’t,” Kaze replied. His eyes darted guiltily away from the temptation of the plate.
“I insist. Think of it as part of the cultural lessons I promised you,” Xander said. “You may need to hurry before Celine claims all of it for herself.”
The cat in question hopped down from her vigil on the bookshelves as if summoned. Xander pushed her face away from the mug she delicately sniffed at, trying to edge closer as the new smells captured her attention. She was not so easily dissuaded. Whiskers dodged beneath the prince’s broad hands, going for a lightning-fast lunge to wet her muzzle in the sweet-scented liquid to spite the two humans.
Thankfully, ninja speed was useful in more than just battle. Celine mewed pitifully from where she remained restrained in Kaze’s grip. “My apologies, Miss Marceline, but this was a gift for Prince Xander, not you.”
“...You’ve started talking to her,” Xander observed. He almost smiled again. It was remarkable how often that rare expression found his way onto his face in Kaze’s presence.
“If it is good enough for a crown prince, surely a lowly ninja should do the same.” Kaze set down Xander's cat with an affectionate pet, shuttering his teasing smile.
“Hm...yes, there is no reason you shouldn’t.”
This was always the game between them. Formalities bent and affections subverted, nothing that would seem too familiar to an outside eye. Yet every interaction they shared was soaked with hints of how strongly they appreciated the other. Two men proudly bound by their titles, these casual meetings between them were the only time they allowed themselves distractions, if only for a moment.
This was where Xander was happiest. Being ribbed by Kaze, he could set aside his crown to be a man. A friend. Both things he had denied himself since this war began, made possible by one charismatic man - a Hoshidan no less. Kaze's unprompted generosity cut through the shroud of loneliness disguised as noble solitude that had strangled Xander. For years, it had coiled around the crown prince like a giant python, growing fat on the prince's misery, until Xander’s strength to struggle against the corruption of his ideals crumbled to wild yet weak death throes.
But now, seeing Kaze’s remarkable determination, a small spark of defiance dared to push back the darkness. Xander knew he could reclaim his purpose. If a ninja could follow his ideals into the unknown, then surely a crown prince could fight for what he thought his people truly needed from their leader. Xander only hoped he had brought Kaze some similar peace.
“If I am disturbing you, I can let you return to your work...” Kaze ventured. Xander suspected he knew full well that he had no intention of cutting their meeting short at this point.
The prince shook his head. “Teaching you our ways is part of my work. These requisition orders will still be here in the morning. The courier rarely leaves before dawn, and the sun rises late this time of year,” he rationalized.
Even if Xander would truly be up all night working to see them delivered on time, the glowing smile Kaze gave at his answer was worth a small lie. “I see. I am honored to stay as long as you will have me.”
“Then, a cookie?”
“Ah, yes, as you wish.” Eager hands quickly lifted the delicate treat. “It is less crumbly than I expected,” Kaze remarked.
Xander nodded, reaching for another and popping it in his mouth with a pleased hum. “That is the butter in them, I'm told. It gives the cookies their rich texture and allows them to hold the traditional star shape.”
“There is a reason for all the stars?” Kaze followed Xander's lead, putting the entire cookie in his mouth in one go. The moment it broke open on his tongue, his eyes widened and fingers clasped over his mouth.
The prince's laugh remained restrained behind a smirk. “I was going to recommend small bites for your first time. The flavors are quite intense. Drink. It it spiced, too, but will help cleanse your palette,” he instructed, holding up the cup.
Kaze took several sips, covering his mouth until he could safely close it again. The ninja's cheeks flushed from the intensity of flavor, but noises of discomfort or indelicate gestures to relieve the sensation never came. How he could make such a frenzied move appear elegant was beyond Xander; the prince had trained his entire life to maintain decorum even in desperate situations, yet he doubted he would look half so composed in Kaze's place.
Once he could trust himself to speak without cursing, Kaze responded, “The flavor is...quite strong. Distinctly Nohrian.”
“Yes, I apologize. I should have warned you...”
“...But it is not unpleasant. In fact, I think I would like to know more about it,” Kaze finished, locking eyes with Xander.
The prince normally shied away from reading into subtext not spoken with a blade, but he was no fool. He felt the subject shift from the familiar to something much more dangerous. They did not speak of this other tension between the two of them. Or at least, they hadn’t. There was no doubt Kaze’s meaning had just strayed beyond cookies and into more personal interests, and yet he left the choice in Xander’s hands - play ignorant and move on or dare to reach further into this wyvern's nest.
In his personal study filled with homey smells, good food, and even better company, it was hard to rationalize cowardice in the face of flirting.
“Then I would be honored to share more of it with you,” Xander replied. He let their fingers brush as he reclaimed the cup from Kaze, bringing the untouched rim to his lips for a satisfying sip of his own. Subtle honey and spice. Exactly as he remembered it, and twice as charming for having passed hands. “Where should I start?”
“The stars?” Kaze prompted again. He lifted another cookie, breaking off one of the points.
“Ah, yes. Nohr has a close relationship with the stars, particularly in winter. In rural areas, stars are the only light and the best means to navigate when roads are blanketed in snow,” Xander explained.
He stood from his chair while he spoke, gesturing for Kaze to follow with the tray. This discussion would be more comfortable sitting on a loveseat than standing by his desk. Xander’s thick frame didn’t leave much room for Kaze next to him on the velvet cushions designed for form rather than function, but the ninja didn’t seem to mind sitting shoulder to shoulder while he continued quietly munching on his cookie.
“So, this holiday celebrates the utility of the stars?”
Xander shook his head and wrapped an arm around the back of the seat. Kaze might be comfortable cramming into small spaces, but a Nohrian prince needed room to stretch out. “Not exactly. Although it’s thought the original celebrations may have been something to that effect, over the past few hundred years they have taken on their own meanings. At its core, I suppose you could say this holiday is a celebration of love.”
“Love?” Kaze choked on the spice of his biscuit. He coughed several times before he could find his voice again. “How so?”
Xander politely refrained from commenting on his companion’s struggling breaths. “These cookies are made to commemorate the story of Alina and Kiran. It’s a long story, but the abridged version is that they were lovers who tried to find each other during the most brutal winter Nohr has ever experienced. They couldn’t see the stars in the sky to guide them due to a blizzard, and eventually died from exposure, lost in the storm. When the storm passed the next day, their bodies were found lying next to one another, snow melted where their hands touched, as though they had found their love at the moment of their death.”
Kaze frowned. “That sounds like an unusual thing to celebrate.”
“That isn’t the full story,” Xander continued, picking up another cookie for demonstration. “You see their love was supposedly so strong that they were reborn as what we now call the dawn stars. When the pair can be seen on the darkest day in winter, it means that the snow will begin to thaw and the days will get longer again. We give stars like these in their likeness to wish others a well-lit path in life.”
“I see,” Kaze hummed, tracing the three remaining points of the star in his hand with a finger. “Then, I am glad I gave these to you. Perhaps it is not my place to say, but you’ve been so troubled in recent months...I hope these provide you with light.”
It was true that struggles of conscience had plagued Xander’s evenings as of late. The tensions between himself and Iago had been escalating with each privately questioned order, now rising to levels Xander was certain would cause Nohr irreparable harm. He would prefer others didn’t know those conflicts existed. Such talk could make any sweet turn sour on the tongue, and this was not the occasion for it.
Setting the cookie back down, the prince forced a smile at his companion. “And I am grateful to share them with you. Although, you should be aware that when young ladies bake these cookies in particular, there is usually another meaning.”
“Ah…?”
“Alina and Kiran were lovers. Many girls take this as an opportunity to bake for the ones they fancy. A batch of these cookies is an invitation to go watch the dawn stars together, just the two of them.” Xander’s smile softened, torn between coy and anxious about how his forwardness would be received.
Although it wasn’t a lie that young ladies did this, the romantic implications were less substantial than he implied when given between adults. Unless Xander was receiving a parcel of cookies from a noblewoman (like the ones sure to arrive later this week) any Nohrian would assume it was merely a gesture of goodwill. There was nothing inherently amorous about the cookies. However, considering how little Kaze knew of their culture, this opportunity seemed as good as any to test the waters he had led them to earlier that evening.
To his surprise, Kaze matched his smile with a shy one of his own. “Then I wouldn’t want to deprive you of your expectations. Pleading ignorance of your culture is no excuse when that’s what I’m here to learn. I believe the solstice is next week. If you do not have other plans, would you attend the viewing of the dawn stars with me?”
“It would be rude for me not to,” Xander replied without a breath between question and answer. He paused, swallowing and clearing his throat to regain his composure. How unseemly to act so eager. “You are the first to ask, and it would be a perfect exposure to the holiday for you. I would be honored to share the experience with you.”
“Then I look forward to our date. Ah...I mean, the date,” Kaze corrected himself all too innocently. Xander could feel the heat rising to his ears. “But for now, I should be going. I still have duties to attend and I interrupted yours as well.”
Seemingly unbothered by the dumbstruck prince’s demeanor, Kaze polished off the last point of the star he’d been nursing while they talked and stood, signaling the end of their time together for tonight. Xander followed, grabbing at his arm before knowing exactly why he was doing it. Kaze turned, pinning him with a quizzical stare beneath pinched brows.
“I...ah...there is one more tradition before you go,” Xander insisted. His deep voice trembled beneath its strength, matching his shaking hands. “When an offer of cookies is accepted it’s...customary to give a kiss in return.”
His nerves couldn’t wait for Kaze to process what was being said. Xander drew the other to him, stepping in and dipping his chin to reach the slighter man’s mouth with his own. It was hardly a passionate kiss, both their lips drier from the cold weather than Xander would have liked and neither exactly sure what this meant, but it was nice. The aroma of warm spice still surrounded them, Kaze’s voice lilted in a pleased sigh, and he fit snugly within the broad prince’s embrace. Xander inhaled, savoring the rightness of it all. When their lips finally parted from their yearning touch, Kaze’s eyelashes fluttered over shining amethyst eyes, looking as though he had just awoken from a pleasant dream.
“A kiss from a handsome prince, even for a lowly ninja...I will have to learn more of these Nohrian traditions,” Kaze breathed against Xander’s lips. Lingering for several moments longer, he eventually withdrew before they gave into the urge to forgo all their obligations for the rest of the evening. This strange, silent attraction between them was quickly becoming too alluring.
Xander squeezed his hand as Kaze pulled away. “Meet me at the stables in five days. I promise to show you the best my country has to offer.”
“I think I’ve already seen it. But I am always eager to experience more.”
The flirtatious smirk Kaze wore as he walked out the door was an image that would stick in Xander’s brain all week. Even as he returned to the slog of orders at his desk, he could not stop his mind from wandering to what wicked things Kaze could have meant by “more”, and what he needed to do to prepare for their date to meet his expectations.
Should he dress up for the occasion? Did Kaze’s modest Hoshidan sensibilities expect Xander to come as he normally was? Or perhaps he should wear something more simple that wouldn’t emphasize the difference in their stations? This had too much potential for disaster. Xander wasn’t used to performing when he could not practice first. He clearly needed to ask and expert how to behave, considering he hadn’t dated in years, but who could answer all these questions about dating yet be loyal enough not to let this bit of juicy gossip about the crown prince slip?
Xander groaned, pen dragging to a halt, ruining the page he was working on as he realized the answer. He was going to have to ask Laslow.