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Prince Shoto was fed up. With what? Absolutely everything. But especially the fact that his father was making him marry the son of another noble. He didn’t like his fiancé. He didn’t think a prince should masquerade as a lowly bard. Plus, he was just plain annoying. He didn’t see him ever becoming friends with him, let alone marrying him. He paced him room, trying to find a way out of this marriage. He was knocked out of his thoughts by a single rap on the door. Shoto quickly opened it, expecting to see one of his siblings. Instead, he found Prince Denki on the other side of the door.
“No.” Shoto quickly slammed the door and locked it. He walked to the other side of the room and sat on his bed. He really didn’t want to deal with Denki right now. He heard shuffling on the other side of the door, the sound of something hitting the thick wood, and then Denki began to talk.
“Shoto, please, just listen to me. I know you don’t want to marry me. I can understand why, too. I know I’m annoying, I know I’m stupid. You’re smart, you’re handsome, you’re amazing, and I’m just, well, not.” Shoto heard a deep sigh from Denki. “Look, I really hoped this could work out. I’ve been trying, really trying. I hoped you could end up liking me, even just a little bit. Just enough to tolerate me, even.” Shoto slowly stood and walked to the door as quietly as he could. He sat down slowly, back against the door. He could hear Denki perfectly now, and he could imagine that Denki was taking the same pose he was. Legs tucked up, head against the door. He noticed that Denki’s voice was beginning to crack.
“I chose you, Shoto. My mother offered me a choice. It could’ve been King Shinsou’s son, Hitoshi, or Eijiro Kirishima, or you. I only met you once before the choice was presented, but I immediately knew I wanted you. It had to be you. When I met you at that party, you were the only one who was nice to me before knowing I was a prince. You’re a good person. I think I’m in love with you, but I understand you don’t like me. Just, please, try to tolerate me? I’m okay with just being friends, and you can go find a pretty girl, and I can find a cute guy, and we can live our own lives. God, I don’t even know if you’re listening.” Denki paused for a few moments.
“There’s a reason I dress as a bard, you know. It’s to see people’s true selves. If they’re nice to the prince, but mean to the bard, I don’t want anything to do with them. That was especially true at the party, I knew my future partner would be there. I thought, if I have to marry someone, I want it to be someone who is nice to the bard. You were the only one. Out of all those people, you were the only one who treated me like a human.” Denki was definitely crying now. “I guess you like the bard but hate the prince, huh? I must admit, I didn’t see that one coming.” Shoto could hear him trying to hold in his sobs. “I’ll leave you alone. I’m sorry.” Shoto felt his chest tightening. He had to stop him.
“Denki. Wait.”
“Shoto?”
“Marry me.” Shoto didn’t hear him speak for a while, so he decided to fill the silence again. “I’m sorry. All I saw when I heard I was going to marry you was that it was what my father wanted. I didn’t think it was what you wanted too. I thought you didn’t want me either, that you were only coming to me because it was what your mother wanted. I’m sorry I hurt you.” He could feel tears pricking his own eyes. He really didn’t mean to hurt Denki.
“Do you mean it?” Denki was speaking with caution, almost as if he was afraid Shoto was just messing with him.
“I mean it.” He sighed. “For the first time in my life, my father and I want the same thing for me.” He heard a small, choked laugh from the other side of the door.
“Guess we’re living in my land then?” Shoto lit up at the words.
“Can we? That’s an option?”
“Of course it’s an option. Believe me, I don’t want to live anywhere near your father either. I already got what I needed from him.” Shoto could definitely hear the smirk in Denki’s voice.
“Got what you needed?”
“Ah, he didn’t tell you? Two days before I had to announce my decision of which prince I was to marry, your father came to me. I had made my decision the moment it was presented to me, but he didn’t know that. He offered me anything I wanted if I chose you. I now have a fine herd of sheep and enough gold to pay the tender for a lifetime.” Shoto couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m sorry I didn’t realize how perfect you are before today. You’ve already mastered the art of swindling my father, I think I’m obligated to love you now.” After the sounds of laughter faded, he decided to make up for what he’d done. “Do you want to come in?”
“Please?” Shoto stood and opened the door, coming face to face with his fiancé. He looked him over, a small smile gracing his face as he realized that this man was his.
“You’re beautiful.” Denki’s face quickly turned red. “I don’t lie.”
“Thanks,” Denki squeaked out. He slowly stepped into Shoto’s room, almost as if he was afraid the floor would try to kill him.
“May I try something?” he asked as he closed the door.
“Go ahead.” Denki’s voice was quiet as a whisper, far different from how he had spoken before. Shoto stepped towards Denki and wrapped his arms around him. He heard a small gasp before the hug was reciprocated. He smiled as he buried his head in Denki’s hair. He could make this work.