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Varian could already feel a migraine coming on.

He let out a frustrated sigh as Rapunzel bounced on her feet in front of him. He had been trying to read his book in peace, tucked away on a large, wingback chair in the Coronian library. He’d been interrupted by the Princess rushing in like a bat out of hell, kicking the door in and scanning for the room until she found him. She had a nearly manic grin on her face, eyes excited as she shook three opened letters in his face.

“They’ve all accepted!” Rapunzel crowed, her voice echoing in the silence of the library. Multiple people looked up from their books to glare at her, but she ignored them in favour of waiting for Varian’s reaction. The boy merely raised an eyebrow, looking down to the papers in her hands and back up at her.

“What?” He asked, eyeing the letters. He could make out three separate seals on them, all of them from different royal households. “Who’s accepted what?”

“Well,” Rapunzel began, “I thought it might be fun to maybe invite some of the lord’s sons around, so you could get to know them!”

Oh. Oh dear.

Rapunzel kept chattering, unaware that Varian was beginning to cringe into his chair. “And,” She continued, “If something gets sparked, well wouldn’t that just be wonderful! They’re all from distinguished families, you know, so-”

Varian chewed on the inside of his cheek, his face going bright red.

This is what I get for not telling her about Hugo and I yet, Varian internally groaned. This was just wonderful, wasn’t it? Nothing better than a busybody big sister to just destroy any chance of a normal afternoon.

“And they’ll all be here tomorrow, of course,” Rapunzel’s voice filtered through Varian’s panic, “So that way you’ll all have time to get to know each other! Maybe you’ll find one to take with you to next week’s Summer Gala!”

Varian slapped a smile on his face to appease her, already feeling the stirrings of anxiety in his gut. He’d only really come out to Rapunzel and Eugene a while ago, maybe a year tops. It seemed that Rapunzel had taken it upon herself to immediately involve herself in his love life now that he was home once again.

I just worry about you, he remembered her saying once, all cooped up in that lab of yours.

Her heart was in the right place, Varian knew, and if he were single, he’d probably appreciate it, but the problem was that Varian was most certainly taken, thank you very much. He and Hugo just… well they weren’t quite ready to announce their relationship to the world yet. It was still relatively new, barely even a couple of months really. They’d agreed to hold off on being public until Hugo was better established at the castle.  

Varian was now really regretting that decision.

“Oh, wow!” He said through grit teeth, doing his level best to sound excited. It must have been enough for Rapunzel, as she began to bounce again. Varian sunk deeper into his chair as she began to excitedly describe the three visitors that were coming to the castle.

“So, first there’s Prince Fabrir from Quintonia,” Rapunzel said, holding up a letter with a bright red seal. “He’s the third son of the family, and quite dashing, or so I’ve heard.” She took a seat on the armrest of Varian’s chair, leaning on his side to show him the letter. It was addressed to Rapunzel, from Fabrir himself. Varian only just caught sight of the words court and fair beauty before it was whisked away from Rapunzel.

Another letter, this time with a blue seal, was its replacement. “And then there’s Tomas, a Duke’s son from Pittsford,” Rapunzel cooed, “Heard he’s a real man’s man.” She devolved into giggles, “But also a candidate.” Varian actually got to read a few sentences from Tomas, catching would be honoured to compete for the hand of your brother- before it too was taken away.

“And, last but not least, is Prince Micah of Rochester!” A third letter, very formal, with a green seal. We humbly accept the chance to become stronger allies- and it was gone. “He’s the Crown Prince too, not bad eh?”

She shoved an elbow into Varian’s side, and he couldn’t help but let out a little laugh. He set his book down on a nearby table, picking at his gloves idly.

“Listen, Rapunzel, I really do appreciate you trying to get me a date, but I promise I don’t need your help on this one, I have it handled.” He said, not looking her in the eye. More specifically Hugo had it handled, but-

“Oh, but I just want to see you happy.” She cooed, wrapping him up in a hug. He went willingly, still shorter than her especially considering she had the added height of the armrest under her. She tucked his head under her chin, rocking them both back and forth.

“I am,” Varian said, his voice muffled by her shoulder. “Happy, I mean.”

He felt, rather than saw, her pout, and Varian felt a kiss being pressed to the top of his head.

“I know.” She said, “But I just think it might be nice to get to know a few… potential boyfriends. You’re twenty-one now, and you’re not going to be small and cute forever!” Varian groaned as she brought up a hand to pinch at his cheek.

“I can’t promise I’ll like any of them.” Varian finally conceded, already dreading having to have a conversation with Hugo about this. “But if it makes you happy then I’ll try to be civil.”

He felt a smile being pushed into his hair, and Rapunzel finally let him free from the hug to press a kiss to his forehead. Varian smiled at the affection, refusing to quite let go yet.

“So, tomorrow?” He asked, suddenly nervous.

She nodded, blushing slightly.

“I might not have told you in case you tried to run.” She said, refusing to look him in the eye. Varian would be offended, if she weren’t totally right that he would have made a break for his dad’s house if he had the chance. He settled for rolling his eyes, letting her go and picking his book back up.

Rapunzel kept leaning on him, as he cracked the book open and resumed reading where he’d left off, his sister using his head as an arm rest as she read as well. Varian smiled; these moments were the kinds of things he cherished. A warm fire, a good book, and the comforting presence of those close to him.

One awkward week wouldn’t be too bad, right? There was no way any of the royals Rapunzel had invited were actually interested in a nerdy shrimp like him. They’d all probably just accepted to try and get in her good graces, and Varian was completely fine with that. He could make it through one or two awkward token flirts from their incoming guests before they all turned their attention to Rapunzel.

One week, he could do one week.

He had no idea how he was going to spin this to Hugo, but that could be a problem for later.

For now, Varian was content.

“What the hell?” Hugo seemed more than a little bitter when Varian broke Rapunzel’s plan to him. “What the actual hell, no! No, you aren’t just going to flirt with a bunch of holier-than-thou royals for a week! Goggles c’mon, you of all people have to know how stupid that is?”

Varian bit his lip as Hugo began to pace across their lab, the blond dramatically gesturing with each word. He really did feel bad, he’d be livid if someone tried to flirt with Hugo, and for a whole week? Impossible.

“I don’t like it either!” Varian finally admitted, stopping Hugo in his tracks. Green eyes fixed on Varian, but he didn’t stop. “It’s… awkward, and uncomfortable. But they’re foreign dignitaries, it’d be an insult to send them home now that they’re almost here. And it’s not like I would ever accept any of them anyways.”

Hugo’s eyes were wide, and his hands dropped to his side as Varian picked nervously at his gloves. Thankfully, the older teen seemed to pick up on the fact that Varian was not doing this for fun and stepped forwards to take Varian’s hands in his own.

“I can’t tell you that I’m okay with it.” Hugo said as he wove their fingers together. “But I understand why you have to go along with this whole charade. Just. Don’t let it go too far?”

Varian flushed, looking down at their hands. He squeezed Hugo’s hands tightly, grounding himself.

“They’re just coming to pretend to court me for maybe one attempt, and then they’ll all move on to why they’re really here.” He assured Hugo, trying for a confident grin. “One or two difficult conversations and then they’ll turn around and go bother Rapunzel for the week.”

Hugo let out a small laugh, but Varian could still see the uncertainty in those green eyes. He offered a delicate smile, bringing up one of his hands to cup Hugo’s cheek, forcing his boyfriend to look him in the eye.

“Hey,” Varian said, “None of them have anything on you, alright? I chose you, and I’ll always choose you. Nothing’s going to change that.”

Hugo’s face split into a fragile smile at that, and Varian leaned in close to kiss it. It was a chaste kiss, at least for the two of them, soft and sweet in the shared quiet of the lab. When they broke apart Varian could feel that his face had split into a dumb grin, his anxiety dissipated for the moment. Hugo looked almost drunk on it, the blond flushing as they still fumbled around each other even after months.

Hugo finally let out a weary sigh, looking Varian in the eye.

“One week?” He asked, almost desperately.

“One week.” Varian confirmed.

They could manage a week.

Varian could not manage a week.

It started the early the next afternoon when the royals began to arrive. Rapunzel, her parents, Eugene, and Varian had all piled out into the courtyard to greet the first of their guests. Arianna and Frederick in the middle, Rapunzel to their right, then Eugene and Varian to their left. Varian tugged at his too-tight collar, already feeling himself begin to sweat. If it were because of the unforgiving summer sun, or the stress of it all. The clothes Rapunzel had forced him into were too stuffy, with multiple layers of silk and cotton constricting Varian’s movements and making him feel almost dizzy with the heat they kept in.

Varian hadn’t slept a wink all night, curled up close to Hugo and trying to ignore the absolute shitshow this whole thing was going to be. What Varian wouldn’t give to have his boyfriend by his side now, but Hugo had been left behind to man the library. At least Varian had Rapunzel and Eugene here, or else he would have turned tail and run hours ago.

However, to be fair, if Rapunzel wasn’t here, Varian wouldn’t have to put up with this farce in the first place. 

The convoy from Rochester was already pulling up into the courtyard, a small squadron of guards on horseback accompanying a large carriage.  All of them were dressed in green, the colour of Rochester’s elite. The carriage was nothing special to look at, pretty basic despite the luxurious trim and quality of it.

The door opened with a simple creak. A tall young man, probably in his low twenties, stepped out. He was probably on par with Hugo’s height, if Varian had to guess, but decidedly a little bulkier. If anything, the older man was on par with Eugene’s build. Micah, for who else could it be, had a puppy-dog kind of face, basic but kind. He was dark skinned, with short black hair and brown eyes. Nothing to write home about, but certainly not offensive to look at.

Micah stood proud for a second, observing them with a polite smile as his green cape fluttered in the wind. He wore a simple tunic, with large armored shoulder pads made of iron and dark leather. He gracefully walked down the small steps from his carriage to the ground, before walking to Frederick and Arianna. He put an arm across his chest, the other behind his back, and bowed in a perfect military form.

“Your majesties.” He said, his voice deeper than Varian would have thought. “It is an honour to be invited to your court for the week.”

“Oh, brother.” Varian heard Eugene whisper behind him, and he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He had a feeling Rapunzel wouldn’t appreciate it if he laughed at her guest first thing out of the gate. He cleared his throat when Micah’s attention drifted over. Varian straightened up in an attempt to look like he belonged here, but that stiffness only worsened when stood in front of him, bowing just as he had to the royals. 

“It is a pleasure,” Micah said, locking eye’s with Varian. The alchemist could feel his face heat up, his wide eyes blinking in shock. Micah stood to his full height, towering over Varian. “I believe we’re going to get along quite well.”

Varian’s brain short circuited slightly, only responding when he felt Eugene gently nudge the back of Varian’s foot with his boot.

“I-Yes.” Varian replied stiffly. “Yes, I think we will.”

Micah smiled politely, dipping his head before turning away. With one last bow to the King and Queen he was escorted past the Coronians, his party ferrying their carriage away to unpack their luggage. Varian sank a little, berating himself. Stupid, he thought, god I’m so stupid.

Eugene put a comforting hand on his shoulder, leaning forwards.

“You’re doing great, kid.” He whispered, idly watching another procession come through the gates. “One down, two to go.”

Varian let out a whine, which caused Eugene to chuckle as the next carriage stopped. This one was massive, decorated in blue. The duke’s son from Pittsford, Varian would assume. Rapunzel said it started with a T… oh crud what was it?

Eugene leaned forwards again, seeming to read Varian’s mind. “Tomas.” He muttered, “Met this one before. Dumb as a stump.”

Oh, that was a good sign.

When the blue carriage shifted Varian found himself tensing up again. This time the carriage door was flung open, smashing into the side of it with a bang. An absolute giant of a figure stepped out. His chainmail was polished to the heavens, covering his arms completely. He wore a tunic emblazed with the Pittsford crest, and large, armoured boots that made his footsteps sound heavy. His face was decidedly more chiselled than Micah’s had been, a wide grin splitting his face in twain. His blue eyes sparkled in the sun, and he tossed his black hair in the wind. His skin was paler, paler than Varian’s even, but it didn’t seem to be from a lack of sunlight. Tomas was maybe around twenty-four, only three years older than Varian himself, but he carried himself with a sense of confidence that made him seem older than he was.

Tomas jumped the gap from the carriage to the ground, landing heavily as his armor rattled.

“I have arrived!” He crowed, holding his arms wide to accept the applause that never came. There was an awkward silence for a second, but Tomas didn’t seem to care, walking purposefully up to the shocked King and Queen. He took a large bow, the motion seeming awkward to him. He then turned to Varian and winked, before giving the alchemist a winning smile and finger-gunning at him.

“You, me, drinks later.” Tomas said, standing upright and waltzing past the stunned Coronian party.

 Varian knew he had to have a dumbfounded expression on his face, because Eugene offered him a pitying smile.

“Told you.” The man muttered, as the entire party seemed to grit their teeth together.

Tomas’ smaller party moved on as well, his carriage vanishing towards the servant’s entrance. Varian sighed out a frustrated huff as the third, and final, carriage came into view. Eugene seemed to tense at the new arrival, and Varian chanced a look back to see the man gritting his teeth. Varian raised a brow, but when Eugene caught on to the fact he was being watched he smoothed his face over.

“Fabrir.” Eugene muttered as a red carriage emblazed with gold began to shuffle down the path. “Watch this one, kid, and I don’t say it lightly.”

Varian gulped as the third carriage creaked to a stop, this one done up with gold and intricate carvings as if to show off how rich the owner was. It was Quintonia red, Varian knew, polished to perfection, and scrubbed until it shined.

The last carriage door opened, and Varian saw another man step out from the carriage. He looked to be around twenty-five, tall and smirking. He had the kind of face Varian would have swooned over when he was younger. He had wavy blond hair, and green eyes. Fabrir’s tanned skin stretched wide around his smile. His eyes fixed on Varian immediately, and the boy could feel himself shudder at the hungry way Fabrir’s smile twisted.

Varian could smell the trouble coming off this one from a mile away.

Fabrir was the only one not wearing armor, instead opting for a luxurious tunic of red silk and gold embroidery. He sauntered forwards on perfectly polished boots, bowing deeply to Frederick and Arianna as the other two guests had.

“Your highnesses,” He said, in a voice that was buttery smooth. “A pleasure to see you again, but I’m afraid it’s not for you that I have arrived in your lovely city.”

He stood and turned to Varian then, laying both hands over his heart.

“Ah, there he is!” Fabrir simpered, “The famed alchemist! Tales were told of your intelligence, but of your beauty I was not forewarned.”

He knelt down to one knee, as if proposing, and took one of Varian’s hands.

“Oh, what grace, what beauty, you’re divine my darling.” He cooed, and Varian could feel himself cringing internally. Fenrir tugged Varian forwards a little, forcing the alchemist into accepting as Fabrir went about pressing a kiss to the back of his hand.

Rapunzel had forced Varian to leave his gloves behind just for the arrival, and Varian had reluctantly agreed. He was soundly regretting that choice now, however, as he felt Fabrir’s lips against his skin.

“What a lucky man am I, to gaze upon you this hour.” By the Sun he was still going, “A moon on the darkest night, the very image of nirvana, the most delicate of flowers to be plucked by just the right hand-”

“Okay, that’s enough of that.” Eugene said, leaning over Varian like a vengeful shadow. Varian snatched his hand back as gently as he could from Fabrir’s grip as it loosened, stepping back slightly towards Eugene’s protective aura.

Fabrir stood once more, seemingly unconcerned by the slight, bowing again before looking Varian in the eye.

“I will be seeing you soon, my rose.” He said with a wink, walking past the group and into the castle as well.

There was an awkward silence that filled the courtyard after Fabrir took his leave, the whole group reeling from such an… outward display. Varian leaned forwards so that he could see around Frederick and Arianna, fixing Rapunzel with an irritated look.

“This is the literal worst.” He said, and she met his glare with a sheepish smile.

“Maybe they’re all just really bad at making first impressions!” She defended, before pausing and taking a look to where the suitors had all disappeared. Rapunzel bit at her bottom lip, trying hard to spin this in a positive direction but… “No.” She finally admitted, “This is kind of the worst.”

“Well, at least you admit it.” Varian grumbled, turning around and walking into the castle without another word.

It started small.

The morning after their guests had arrived, Varian very nearly killed himself by tripping over a package that had been left outside his bedroom. It was only by Hugo’s quick hands that Varian managed to not eat the tiles of the floor, the blond catching him with steady hands and hauling Varian upright.

“Woah, Goggles! You okay?” Hugo asked, concerned as his hands shifted their grip from Varian’s sides to his waist, the blond tugging him close. Varian was used to this by now, Hugo’s physically affectionate nature. Hugo tucked the shorter boy into his side, hugging him close. Varian was small enough that the blond could probably wrap around him twice over, but Hugo contented himself with just pressing himself up against Varian as they looked down to the thing that had nearly tripped him.

“Roses?” Varian asked, bending down to grab the flowers. They were wrapped in a delicate golden paper, a cluster of twelve of the flowers cinched by a red ribbon. There was a small note attached, which Varian quickly plucked away from the flowers. He sniffled slightly, the pollen from them already irritating his nose.

The cardstock was folded double, and when Varian flipped it open he couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

A dozen roses can’t compare to you, was all it said, written in a looping scrawl. Fabrir.

“Gross.” Varian muttered, nearly dragging Hugo back into his… well really their room. Hugo hadn’t slept a single night in the bedroom Rapunzel had given him, after all. Varian crossed the room, stopping near the fireplace. The blond followed, grumpily glaring at the flowers.

“Don’t they know you don’t like flowers?” Hugo muttered, “They set off your allergies.”

Varian’s heart did a little flutter, Hugo remembered that. Varian merely shrugged, tossing the flowers into a roaring fireplace. “Doesn’t matter now.” The shorter boy said. “But this might be worse than I thought it would be.” He felt Hugo’s hand run along his arms, Varian turning around to hug his boyfriend.

“This is going to be a long week.” Varian muttered into Hugo’s chest.

“Maybe so.” Hugo agreed, “But after that we might want to consider letting her royal busy-body know that you are taken.”

Varian let out a little laugh, looping his arms around Hugo’s neck. “That I am.” He murmured, leaning forwards in invitation. Hugo closed the gap, wrapping his arms around Varian’s waist as he deepened the kiss into something claiming. Varian’s head spun at being kissed so hard, the shorter boy barely keeping up. A pair of hands were hot on Varian’s lower back, pulling him forwards and into Hugo, and he went willingly.

Hugo’s lips were like heaven, even while they were rough and possessive. Varian felt a little thrill when he felt Hugo’s hands go south-

When they broke for air Varian’s chest heaved, his face bright red at the show of dominance. Something in him preened at the thought of being coveted by the man in front of him, the thought of it doing wonders for Varian’s ego. Hugo looked at him with something close to concern for a second, backing off at seeing how debauched Varian looked, kiss drunk and dazed.

“Sorry, sorry.” Hugo said, looking away, “Got a little carried away there.”

Varian responded by tightening the grip he had on Hugo’s shoulders, one hand reaching up to bury itself in blond hair.

“Mmm,” Varian said, almost a moan. “Do it again.”

Hugo happily obliged.

It may have started small, but it only got worse.

Rapunzel had tried forced him to get to know his suitors by effectively outing all his hiding places. The library, the lab, hell even the little garden he knew Ruddiger liked, every time Varian emerged from the sanctity of his own bedroom one of them was waiting for him to ensnare him into a conversation.

Case and point, Varian was trying to enjoy a nice morning in the garden with Ruddiger, a book balanced on his lap, only to see a bright blue cape approaching. The alchemist groaned, already resigning himself to more awkward small talk, though he’d certainly had enough in the last two days.

“Hey,” Tomas said ineloquently, throwing himself down on the bench next to Varian without being invited. Varian could swear he felt the stone lift, nearly sending him tumbling to the ground. Tomas fixed him with the same grin from their first meeting, leaning forwards into Varian’s space.

“We never did get that drink.” Tomas said, waggling his eyebrows.

“I wonder why that might be.” Varian said, trying to return to the book he’d been reading. Tomas didn’t seem put off by the frosty attitude, instead squinting down at the book balanced in Varian’s lap. It was about biochemistry, something Varian had been considering getting into for a present for Hugo-

“So, what, you like nerd shit, then?” Tomas asked, his voice full of confusion.

Varian turned to him with a glare, snapping the book closed and facing the man next to him.

“Yeah.” He said with a barely concealed glare. “I like nerd shit.”

“Wouldn’t have taken you for a brainiac,” Tomas shrugged. Varian looked down to his whole thing, seeing the goggles, the apron, the gloves, the boots-

Dumber than a stump indeed, Varian thought, rolling his eyes.

“Pretty thing like you doesn’t need to be smart anyways.” Tomas said, probably aiming for complimentary but falling quite short. “Just need a rich husband and off you go, right?”

Varian’s hands curved into claws around the book, the alchemist gritting his teeth. “I don’t think that’s how it works.” Varian said, trying to back off as Tomas kept leaning into his space. The bigger man took the book from Varian’s hands, waving it in the air.

“Of course it is! If we got together you wouldn’t need all those books,” Tomas said, as if it were a tantalizing offer. “Just think, you, me, on a beach, couple of mojitos, and all night we’ll-”

Tomas was cut off with a grunt when Varian snatched the book back and slammed the hardcover, eight-hundred-page textbook into his gut.

The taller man let out a groan as the air was forced from his lungs, his voice going high pitched.

“Could have just said no.” Tomas whined, doubling over, and falling off the bench.

Varian stood, primly scooping up his book from where it had fallen to the ground. Ruddiger chittered, climbing up onto his shoulders, and Varian stood tall over the man. He glared down at Tomas, a sneer curling over his features.

“No.” Varian said, stepping over Tomas’ prone body and leaving him in the dirt.

He walked back to the castle, intending to go pout in his lab. He stopped just inside the door to the garden, however, as a crisp red apple rolled its way along the floor. Ruddiger let out a happy chirp, scrambling down and going for the snack. Varian sighed but followed his pet, going to scoop him back up.

He only got just around the corner before a set of hands grabbed at him. Varian let out a tiny yell, before feeling a familiar body behind him, dragging him into a broom closet.

There was the small clinking of a glass bottle, before the closet was filled with light, and Varian got a good look at his captor.

“Hugo!” He said, his angry tone devolving into laughter as Hugo pushed him up against the wall of the closet, kissing frantically up Varian’s neck.

“That was so ridiculously attractive.” Hugo grunted, hands curling around Varian’s body until they found a home on his lower back. “God damn, I love it when you’re mean-”

“No marks,” Varian hissed as Hugo sucked at the skin at the junction of neck and jaw. “We promised no marks.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Hugo muttered, switching to give the side he’d tried to maul a break. Varian laughed at the tickling sensation of lips on the sensitive parts of his neck, the giggles turning to a small moan when Hugo sucked on his pulse point.

Varian brought his hands up to tangle in Hugo’s hair, gently drawing the blond up off his neck to kiss him properly. Somewhere along the line the urgency died, and they settled into sweet, almost chaste kisses, leisurely basking in each other’s presence.

“Who would have thought all I’d have to do is assault a Duke’s son to get you this hot and bothered.” Varian mused, squirming when Hugo began to move his hands down to Varian’s thin waist.

“Well, you know, something about seeing you stick it to that stuffy noble is more than enough to get me going.” Hugo muttered, diving in for another kiss.

Varian laughed at that, twisting out of Hugo’s grip, and leading him to the door.

“We are not continuing in a broom closet.” Varian said with a giggle. Hugo followed him like a lovestruck puppy, only just containing himself as they stumbled out of the closet and made a break for their room.

Varian let out a concerned noise as the large tower of books he was carrying wobbled dangerously, the whole thing threatening to tip and fall to the ground. He only just managed to get the balance back, shifting it until it at least settled back into position. Papers stuck out of the books, one or two of them only just staying in their places. Varian bit his bottom lip before taking another step cautiously. He slowly was making his way down to the lab, one trepid step down the castle halls at a time.

“Might I be of any help?” A voice behind him asked, just a little too close to his ear to be comfortable. Varian shrieked louder than he liked to admit, the books going flying as he flailed. The books all hit the floor with a great crash, paper going flying every direction.

Varian stared at them mournfully, sighing, before turning to Micah.

“No, I’m okay, thank you.” Varian said flatly, already stooping down to start collecting the books. Micah followed, surprisingly, gathering papers as well as he could.

“I am sorry.” The prince said, “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

They managed to get the pile back together, but Micah took half and gestured for Varian to lead the way. Varian did, biting the inside of his cheek. He didn’t want to lead Micah on, even if unintentionally. He’d been trying to avoid his suitors for two days for that very reason, refusing to spend any time with them unless he was shanghaied into it.

When they reached the lab, Micah stayed Varian for a second, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. “If I might, um…”

It was the first time Varian had seen him break his shell, and the alchemist pursed his lips in thought.

“I have to be honest with you.” Micah finally said, “I don’t intend on courting you.”

Varian let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank the Sun.” He muttered, eyes going skyward. Micah seemed surprised at Varian’s reaction, but then his face split into a grin. Varian finally nodded to the lab, popping the door open.

“Let’s continue this somewhere private.” Varian muttered, leading Micah into the lab. They set down their books on a worktable, Varian dusting off his hands. Micah seemed awkward, shifting from foot to foot as he glanced around the lab. He seemed confused by the multiple machines and inventions laying around, looking down to his hands uncomfortably. The silence between then stretched for just a beat too long before it grew intolerable.

“I already have a boyfriend-” Varian started, as Micah said “My heart belongs to another-”

They both paused, before laughing in unison.

“It seems we have the same problem.” Micah finally said, standing a little straighter. “I have a love, back home. My father won’t approve, so we’re waiting until I am king, but until then…”

Varian nodded, shrugging. “I just haven’t told Rapunzel about my boyfriend yet.” He said, “We were going to wait until he was more established at the castle, none of the royal family really like him that much. She kind of… sprung this whole thing on me. If that wasn’t obvious.”

Micah grinned, suddenly seeming much more at ease.

“I will say I’m glad you understand.” Micah said, “Though if I do say so, you are quite beautiful. If I were not in love, I might just court you myself.”

Varian felt his face heat up, coughing awkwardly as Micah bowed to him.

“I will see you at dinner.” He said, turning and leaving the room.

“Sure.” Varian said, confused as to how exactly the conversation had gone so right, and yet so wrong.

Four days after the disaster with Tomas, and two after Micah’s confession, Varian had gotten a little smarter about avoiding his suitors. It was day six of the agony, and though Tomas had yet to try anything else, Varian knew Fabrir was only just getting started.

After the roses that first day, Varian had begun finding random presents around his hidey holes. Expensive chocolates in the lab, more flowers that made him sneeze outside his bedroom every morning, and even the occasional piece of jewelry that he knew didn’t belong to him appearing in places they didn’t belong.

Though he hadn’t seen Fabrir since the first day, Varian could sense him around, skulking around like an amorous cockroach. Out of all his suitors, Varian had been avoiding Fabrir the hardest. After their disastrous meeting, Varian couldn’t help but want to avoid the other man at all costs. Tomorrow was the Gala, and after that all the suitors would go home. Varian was so close to being home free he could taste it.

Alas, it was not meant to be.

Varian had been gearing up for a trip to town, just to grab some supplies. He and Hugo were in the middle of an experiment when someone had gotten too distracted with trying to kiss Varian into a stupor to watch the chemical they’d had on the burner. It had exploded, covering them both in a pink, sticky residue and leaving them without a single bit of silver nitrate between the two of them.

Varian had offered to go to town, claiming he needed other things as well, but honestly it was really about escaping the castle for a bit. The whole suitor thing had gone on for quite enough, really, and Varian needed a break from looking over his own shoulder.

He’d almost made it, the doors were right there, but when he saw a flash of red Varian knew he was doomed.

“My rose!” Fabrir crowed, and Varian immediately turned around and tried to leave the room. He was too slow, however, as Fabrir grabbed a hold of both of Varian’s hands with a delicate touch.

“You are simply ravishing today my darling,” The man crooned, a besotted smile on his face. Varian felt himself cringe, the feeling of being overwhelmed taking hold. “The eternal sky of your eyes is aglow, dearest one, and I am but a simple man, so enraptured! It is a sea I would gladly drown in, a joy to become lost, to feel such a sweet temptation-”

He’d somehow managed to ensnare Varian now, the hold on his wrists just a pinch too tight as Varian tried to back away.

“I- thank you, Prince Fabrir, but I really have to be going,” Varian tried, looking desperately towards the door.

“Ah, let me accompany you!” Fabrir insisted, using his grip on Varian to spin the younger man around. He used the disorientation to dip Varian, the boy’s dark hair nearly touching the floor before he was brought back up with a strong hand on his waist. Varian tensed when he felt the hand on him, wanting nothing more than to run. “A delicate flower such as yourself shouldn’t be wandering town all on your own, you’ll need someone to protect you-”

“I can take care of myself!” Varian’s voice was snappy with irritation now, any sense of decorum quickly slipping.

Fabrir seemed to pause at that, an icy silence taking over the two of them. Varian suddenly noticed they were very alone in the hall. The hand on his waist seemed to grip just that little bit tighter, the one on his wrist constricting like a shackle.

“Is that so, darling?” Fabrir said, the joyful levity long gone. Varian looked at him with wide eyes, a spark of fear burrowing deep in his gut. Fabrir’s smile turned hungry, a glint in his eye. Varian shuddered, trying to back away only to be reeled back in.

“Such a pretty thing, to be locked away in Corona.” Fabrir murmured, a hand leaving Varian’s waist to stroke his cheek. Varian’s eyes went wide with concern, the boy unable to break their eye contact. “A pity.” The man continued, “But no matter. I’ve found you now, darling, and I don’t think I intend to leave this castle without you.”

Varian’s breath hitched in his throat, his free hand coming up to push at Fabrir’s chest. The man remained as he was, smirking down at Varian. “You know, Frederick said your dowry was shockingly low, a pittance of a price. Almost like they’d be happy to be rid of you.”

Varian’s heart sank just that little bit further.

Varian grit his teeth and shoved at the man once again, more solidly this time. Fabrir didn’t seem to notice, but his grin softened back into the joyful one he’d worn before. With a flourish the man released Varian’s wrist, holding his hands up in innocence.

“No matter.” Fabrir said, his eyes alight with interest. “How does a fall wedding sound to you, my rose? I think you’d look lovely dressed in white, a delicate lily, a perfect moon amongst the darkness-”

“You’ve only known me for a week!” Varian stuttered out, shocked that things had escalated this quickly.

Fabrir shrugged, grinning. “I don’t particularly care for the whole science thing,” The man admitted, “But once I got a look at you that was enough. What a gem you’ll be, my darling, once we clean you up a little. A beautiful little rose for my garden.”

Varian backed away quickly, already heading for the door. He refused to take his eyes off the man in front of him, even as Fabrir continued to wax poetic at him. There was still a sinister look to his eye, however, even as he tried to placate Varian with pretty words.

“-and of course, if I were to let slip to the royal family that their darling boy was being taken advantage of by a former thief, well, I’m sure they would be appalled.”

Fabrir’s tone was light, but Varian’s heart still sunk down to the stone below him.

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Varian stuttered, trying to continue backing out of the room. Fabrir stayed where he was, merely reaching up and tapping at his own neck. Varian’s hands flew to where Hugo had been mauling his neck after the Tomas incident, feeling the slight sting of a hickey. His eyes widened in horror, fixing on Fabrir as the man laughed.

“Ah, to be in love.” Fabrir simpered, “So sad to see such a gem taken by a worthless rat. But don’t worry, darling…” The man’s smile went soft, “I’ll save you.”

The man’s sinister demeanour vanished as quickly as it had arrived, leaving the saccharine prince Varian had thought he’d been. The boy finally backed out of the room, turning and sprinting away the minute he was through the threshold.

The halls of the castle blurred, Varian’s panic overtaking everything else. His breaths were frantic as he ran, ignoring people shouting his name as he sprinted past them. Eventually he hit the door of the lab, slamming into it and nearly ripping it off it’s hinges. Hugo let out a scream, dropping a vial onto the worktable he was seated at, the blond looking up and seeing Varian in all sorts of disarray.

“Woah, hey, Goggles, where’s the fire?” Hugo asked, going for levity as Varian slammed the door behind him. Hugo’s smile dropped when Varian began to frantically lock it, using a long series of bolts and padlocks to seal the door. Varian ended it all by shoving a table against the door, blocking it entirely.

Varian panted as he backed away, his heart beating at a rabbit’s pace. Hugo stood from his stool, cautiously approaching his boyfriend.

“Varian?” He asked carefully, putting himself between the shorter man and the door. “You good?”

Varian’s manic look flicked to Hugo, breaking free from the door in a panic. “It’s all gone to shit.” Varian gasped, his hands coming up to grip at his own hair. “Oh, by the Sun what am I going to do?”

Hugo looked downright scared now, his hands reaching up towards Varian’s before pausing.

“Can I touch you?” Hugo asked, and Varian, even in his panic, feel just that little bit more in love. Varian’s breath stuttered but he nodded, and Hugo’s hands were quickly on his own. Hugo gently got Varian to stop ripping his own hair out, bringing his hands back down.

“Good, okay, now just breathe with me, okay? In and out, Goggles, you’ve got this. Easy shit.”

Varian giggled through the tears, following Hugo’s lead. Eventually he calmed, his racing pulse finally calming. He didn’t know how to start, how the hell could he tell Hugo about what happened after Varian had assured the blond that nothing would come of the suitors?

Varian bit his lip, unsure of where exactly to start, but knowing he had to somewhere.

“We’re in deep shit.” Varian said, eyes flicking back to the door.

“When aren’t we?” Hugo sighed. Varian didn’t laugh, chewing harder on his lip. Hugo seemed to see that the time for joking was over, his green eyes softening. Hugo tilted Varian’s cheek up, meeting the shorter boy dead in the eye.

“Alright, lay it on me.”

The Summer’s Gala was held once a year, and it was easily the worst of the annual parties. Corona hosted a Gala per season, but only the Summer one included the other kingdoms. Thus, it was stuffier, haughtier, and generally disgustingly boring. Varian had escaped the last two by way of going off on his adventure across the Seven Kingdoms, but he’d been to one in the time between his swearing in as royal engineer and his quest for the seven totems.

One was enough to know they were agonizing.

Royals from every corner of the seven kingdoms were scattered through the largest ballroom in Corona Castle, drinking champagne and dancing to the waltz style music that had been playing all evening. It was a flurry of silk and gemstones, tightly tied ties and perfect makeup, measured dancing and careful conversation.

It was driving Varian insane.

Varian tugged at his suit’s collar, just as bad as the formal getup he’d been shoved in at the start of the week. If anything, it was worse, the tight, cinching vest he wore restricted his chest just enough to make it hard to breathe. It forced Varian to keep his back ramrod straight, which was slowly grating on him the longer the evening went. He looked down to the crystal flute of champagne in his hands, shrugging and finishing the last of it. He set the glass down onto a nearby table, scanning the crowd.

 Hugo was to his left, a strong presence that Varian couldn’t help but lean into. Hugo’s hand had been ghosting on Varian’s lower back all evening, and while Varian usually would squirm away from the open touch, tonight he encouraged it. It was a grounding thing, the heat of Hugo’s touch on him, one that Varian used to focus as he scanned the bustling party for Fabrir.

The man was like a ghost. Varian hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him since the threats, and it was slowly driving Varian to insanity. He caught sight of Tomas, surrounded by varying knights from his country, all of them chanting as he chugged a large drink. Varian groaned, at least there was one problem located. The alchemist grabbed another flute of champagne off a passing server’s tray, downing it in one go and letting the bubbles fizz pleasantly in his gut.

“What do you think his plan is?” Hugo muttered in his ear, using his hand on Varian’s back to draw him closer.

“I don’t know.” The alchemist replied, biting at his thumbnail since his gloves had once again been removed for the sake of public opinion. “That’s what stresses me out. He could be up to something right now and we’d never know it.”

“Who could?” Came a curious voice, and Varian turned around to see Micah, dressed in a ceremonial armor with a silver circlet on his head, holding a glass of his own. Varian felt Hugo’s hand on his back tense, but when the alchemist sighed in relief at seeing Micah, it relaxed.

“We’re just looking for Prince Fabrir.” Hugo said, drawing Micah’s attention. The black-haired prince eyed Hugo, as if sizing him up.

“And you’re the one Varian and I discussed?” Micah asked, checking with the shorter boy. Varian nodded with a grin, and Micah smiled.

“You’re a lucky man.” He said to Hugo, his smile becoming more relaxed. “I think I saw Prince Fabrir near King Frederick and Queen Arianna. They seemed to be discussing something with Princess Rapunzel-”

Varian smiled, taking Hugo by the hand. “Perfect, thank you!” He said hastily, already rushing off towards the head table. Micah simply looked dumbfounded for a second, before shrugging and taking a sip of his drink.

Varian lead Hugo through the crowds by the hand, the two of them approaching the head table. It was mostly abandoned, only Rapunzel and Eugene sitting. The king and queen were gone, off to mingle, but that was fine.

“Guys, okay so-” Varian began, finally just ready to bite the bullet and declare that he and Hugo had been dating, but Rapunzel cut him off.

“Varian!” She said with a smile, “We were just talking to Prince Fabrir about you, he said you two really hit it off! He was already talking about wanting to propose, which is a little silly considering it’s only been a week, but if you’re really sure I guess-”

“Propose?!” Varian yelped, “No, Rapunzel you have to listen to me, he’s-”

The music swelled, and Varian turned to see the royals all gathering for a waltz. He felt a hand grab his and felt himself suddenly be dragged away from Hugo.

“H-hey!” Varian yelled as he was escorted to the dance floor, the boy looking up to see Tomas, very drunk, his boyish face flushed red.

“C’mon!” The rowdy man said, drunkenly grabbing at Varian’s waist with the hand not holding Varian’s. “Dance with me, it’ll be fun!”

Varian felt his vision blur as Tomas roughly spun them around in a circle, the alcohol in his system getting the better of him for a second as nausea took hold. Thankfully, Tomas stopped spinning them, setting Varian’s feet back down on the floor as the alchemist shook his head to dispel the fog that had begun to build up.

The music hit a crescendo, the loud beats not doing anything to dispel Varian’s headache as he was basically dragged along the dancefloor by Tomas. The other man had clearly already tried to drink himself under the table, evident in the way he effectively carried Varian across the floor as they spun in the traditional waltz. Varian had never been a good dancer, but he knew his feet were at least supposed to touch the ground at some point.

The song finally ended, and Varian managed to slip from Tomas’ grip, trying to sneak back into the crowd as another song started. He grabbed another flute of champagne, chugging it as well to keep the stress at bay. He needed to find Hugo, then find Fabrir and stop whatever it was that smarmy little shit was up to-

“Varian!” Rapunzel cooed, suddenly in his face as a new waltz began. He nearly jumped back, but relaxed when he saw his sister.

“Rapunzel!” He responded, going along with her as she held out her arms for a dance. She took the lead, hilariously enough, guiding him along as they began to spin in time with the other dancers. Rapunzel was a better dancer than Tomas had been by a mile, but Varian was still beginning to feel a little sick. Had it always been so hot in the ballroom?

“I’m so excited for you!” Rapunzel grinned, laughing as she twirled Varian around in time to the music. Varian couldn’t help but giggle as well, especially when they got a few strange looks from a visiting couple from Equis. “Just think!” Rapunzel sighed dreamily, “You and Fabrir would make such a cute couple, and he’s completely smitten! You deserve someone so devoted-”

“Princess!” Varian hissed, leaning close. “I don’t want to do anything with Fabrir, I don’t know what he’s told you, but I don’t like him at all!”

Rapunzel’s face went through a quick series of emotions, first confusion, then concern, then a brief flash of anger, before finally settling into a stony resignation.

“I see.” She said. Their song ended, but she kept a gentle hold on his wrist. “I’ll have to tell my father about his lies then.”

Varian cringed at that, shaking his head. “He’ll take it as an offence,” Varian muttered, “Just. Just keep an eye on him, okay?”

Rapunzel nodded seriously, opening her mouth to say something only to be swept away by a Lord from Bayangor, the princess disappearing into the swirls of silk dresses and cashmere coats. Varian found another pair of hands on him and nearly screamed as he was once again forced into another dance. Varian went to glare at his new partner, but when Fabrir smirked back the fire was doused immediately.

Varian tried to pull away, but a firm hand on his waist kept him from escaping.

“I was thinking lilies for our wedding,” Fabrir simpered, smiling like a fool. “Or maybe roses? Something white, to go with the traditional red of Quintonia.”

Varian tensed, trying to pull in more breath than the strict vest would allow. Fabrir spun him in a graceful arc before pulling Varian close again. A hand snuck its way to Varian’s lower back, and it made the alchemist want to vomit. He tried again to leave, but was now effectively trapped by the iron limb pinning him to Fabrir’s side.

“Maybe jasmine,” Fabrir was still going, “Though nothing could compare to you, my darling. You’ll be stunning, the true centerpiece of my collection-”

There was a swapping of partners, as is the case in waltzes. Fabrir was forced to release him, and Varian ended up with Eugene of all people.

“Hey kid?” The man said with a frown, “You look pale, are you okay?”

“Not really.” Varian nearly moaned from the stress, looking around the ballroom like he was waiting for something to explode, “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Eugene’s face only got more concerned at that, but Varian was torn away by another partner swap. This time it was Micah, and Varian couldn’t help but feel even worse. Micah was dancing stiffly, which made the whole thing awkward as they tried to stay as far away physically as they could while still keeping in time with the motions on the waltz.

The song ended, and Varian finally managed to escape a little, ending up near the center of the ballroom as people swirled around him. His breaths were coming in short little bursts, the panic beginning to claw up from his chest and into his throat. Varian was getting dizzy from the people spinning around him. Where was Hugo? He needed to see Hugo, needed to know he was okay-

“Varian?” Asked a voice, and Varian flipped around to see Rapunzel’s face in the crowd, her worried face disappearing into the swarm of people-

“Kid?” Eugene, then gone as well-

“Varian?” Micah, a flash of silver-

“Darling!” Fabrir, a smirk flashing in between two couples-

“Goggles?” Hugo? Varian couldn’t see the blond in the crowd. The heat was getting to him, he couldn’t breathe-

Varian let out a gasp as his throat fully tightened, gasping for breath as the anxiety attack hit fully, black spots encroaching on his eyesight as Varian reached a hand up to his throat. The alcohol in his stomach churned, nausea taking over. Tears began to fill his eyes, the boy choking on air. Varian looked around frantically, eyes darting between faces he didn’t recognize.

“Varian!” A voice yelled through the crowd, the swirling swaths of silk and silver all blending together. Varian finally let out a strangled noise as the music hit another loud part, the base of it ringing in his chest as it all became too much, the horns making his ears hurt. The vest was too tight, his ribs were being constricted like a giant fist was crushing him. Blue eyes burned with tears, Varian’s hands clawing at his own throat to try and get it to relax-

It was just too much, the dark spots were taking over his vision, the dizziness taking over. He couldn’t hear anything over his raging heartbeat, it was too hot, he couldn’t breathe-

Varian dropped like a stone, unconscious before he hit the ground.

It was sound that came back first. It faded in like his ears had been covered by layers and layers of fabric, and someone was peeling those layers off one by one. Varian felt the chill of tile under him, leeching into his skin. He groaned as the world slowly faded back into focus.

“-and you can all just back off!” Yelled an angry voice, one that Varian knew well. Hugo. The alchemist began to shift as the shouting got louder, the pounding in his head growing worse at the noise.

“Varian?” A small voice asked, and the boy cracked his eyes open to see Rapunzel and Eugene leaning over him. Oh, he was on the floor. That explained the chill in his skin. Rapunzel had his head pillowed on her lap, the princess carding her fingers through his hair. Her face was crumpled with worry, her big, green eyes focused on Varian as he blinked up at her.

“Oh, thank the Sun.” She sighed, working her fingers through a knot in his hair.

“What happened?” He mumbled, leaning in as one of her hands went to pat his cheek.

“You passed out,” She said, her eyes filling with worry. “Your vest was too tight, it was restricting your breathing, so when you panicked you weren’t able to get enough air.”

Varian looked down and sure enough his vest had been ripped open, the buttons long gone and one edge of it torn.

“Hugo figured it out.” Eugene said, slowly helping Varian to sit up. His head swam at the movement, but with Rapunzel on one side and Eugene on the other he was able to hold himself up. Which is, of course, when he got to see exactly who Hugo had been yelling at.

All three of the suitors had obviously tried to get to Varian when he’d dropped. The room was startlingly empty, though Varian had the suspicious feeling that the party had probably just moved elsewhere for the time.

Fabrir, Micah, and Tomas all stood facing Varian, but between them stood Hugo. The blond refused to move, backing off the other men every time one of them tried to move forwards. Micah seemed bored, leaning up against an abandoned table, nursing what looked to be a full bottle of whiskey to himself. When he saw Varian, he lifted his chin in a question, and Varian gave him a weary thumbs up. Micah seemed satisfied at that, leaning back and taking another drink as the other two suitors continued arguing with Hugo.

“He needs space!” Hugo was saying to them, “All of you, by the Maker, just leave him alone! Isn’t it obvious he’s not interested?”

“We’re nobles!” Fabrir finally seemed to lose his façade, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Interest has nothing to do with it! It’s all in stature and chequebooks! Though I’d suppose a little gutter rat like you wouldn’t know that, would you?”

Hugo looked downright murderous, reaching into his pocket to no doubt pull out some alchemical tricks to wipe the stupid smirk off Fabrir’s face at last, but Rapunzel was faster.

The princess had had enough, it seemed, as she stood from Varian’s side gracefully.

“Prince Fabrir.” She said, the ice in her voice tangible. “I don’t think you’re a good match for Varian. I’ll have to ask you to leave.”  

Fabrir spluttered for a second, but seemed to see when he was in a losing battle. He scoffed, turning on his heel and storming from the room. Varian glared at his retreating back, only really losing tension once the roach was out of the room.

Rapunzel turned her eye to Tomas, who seemed to wilt under her stare despite the fact that he was easily two feet taller than her, and probably weighed four times as much. Tomas leaned a bit so he could see Varian past Hugo, and gave him a dumb grin.

“You’re cute, but you’re not really my type.” Tomas said, bowing awkwardly in his drunken state and taking his leave. He snatched a bottle of alcohol on his way out, making his way back to the party.

Rapunzel finally turned to Micah, who seemed to think for a second. Finally, he shrugged, chugged the rest of his whiskey, and slammed the bottle onto the table behind him. It landed with a satisfying crack of the glass against polished wood. Once both of his hands were free, Micah held them up in an innocent gesture, pushing himself up and off the table. He left the room without another word, though Varian had a feeling that was by choice, instead of out of fear of the princess.

There was a silence as the door closed gently behind Micah, at long last the suitors were gone. Varian let out a sigh of relief, rubbing his hands up and down his face as the last of the drudgery was finally over. Varian still felt a little tipsy, to be honest, the alcohol he’d been drinking was still in his system.

Maybe that’s why when Hugo finally approached, Varian lifted his arms up with a whine. They’d done this before countless times, with Varian demanding to be carried to bed or around the lab, and Hugo always obliged with a grin. In public, however, he’d never dream of asking that from Hugo, but Varian had had a bit of a rough week damnit and he wanted to be carried, so sue him.

Hugo tensed, eyes flicking to Rapunzel and Eugene, before finally just giving up and bending double to lift Varian up under the thighs. Eugene snickered when Varian wrapped himself around the taller man like a limpet, arms going around Hugo’s shoulders and legs around his hips, respectively.

“Wait, I… oh.” Rapunzel said, seeing the two of them. “How long has this been happening?”

She didn’t sound upset, if anything she sounded as if she’d just found the final piece of a puzzle she’d been working on for weeks, but Hugo turned to her and saw her looking guilty. Eugene stood off the floor as well, grumbling about his poor knees as he did so.

“A few months.” Varian’s voice piped up from where he’d buried his face into Hugo’s shoulder. “We weren’t ready to tell you guys yet.”

Rapunzel’s face fell at that, and she rubbed the back of her neck. “So, I totally just tried to set you up with a bunch of jerks when you already had a boyfriend.” She said, the embarrassment taking over.

“You didn’t know.” Varian’s voice was hazy with sleep, and Hugo finally gave up on trying to save face, turning around slightly so Varian could see his sister. “I should have told you.”

“You weren’t obligated to tell me anything.” She said, head low. “I was being a busybody.”

“Yes, you were-” Hugo piped up, but Varian slapped at his arm in offense.

“You just wanted me to be happy.” He said, snuggling into Hugo’s hold.

Her face split into a grin, cooing at them slightly. “Well, I think you’ve got that handled.” She replied. Varian smiled back, hugging Hugo tighter.

“I really do.” He grinned.

They’d barely made it back to the lab before Hugo was all over Varian.

“Are you okay?” He asked, setting Varian down on their bed. “Didn’t bump anything?”

Varian hummed, stretching out his arms and shaking his head as he leisurely stretched on the bed. Hugo probably caught sight of Varian’s skin in the divide between pants and shirt, but only flushed as he went back to the door to lock it.

“You’re sure?” Hugo asked, looking back to Varian. The smaller boy seemed content to try and bury himself into their sheets and pillows, smiling happily as he stretched.

“I’m fine.” Varian said, “Just a little tired.”

“Fair.” Hugo said, coming back to the bed now that it was locked. Varian sat up, holding out his arms with a grin. Hugo returned the smile, letting himself be enveloped as Varian tugged him down into the bed with him. Hugo found himself being used as a pillow, the smaller boy snuggling up close to his side and letting out a content hum.

Hugo laughed at the sensation of Varian’s breath on his neck, only just stopping from snorting as Varian began to place a series of drunken kisses up the side of Hugo’s neck.

“None of that tonight,” Hugo chided gently, “You have had a rough day, and I need a nap.”

Hugo felt Varian pout, but back off, snuggling instead into Hugo’s shoulder. The smaller boy sighed as Hugo looped his arm around his small waist, tugging Varian close and holding him there gently.

“I love you, you know that, right?” Varian asked, not meeting Hugo’s eye. “No amount of princes, or dukes, or presents will ever change that.”

Hugo smiled, bringing his other arm to wrap around Varian, pulling him forwards so they were nearly plastered up against each other.

“I love you too, Goggles.” Hugo said, kissing Varian’s forehead.

The smaller boy whined, tilting his face up for a proper kiss. Hugo rolled his eyes but obliged, craning his neck down to meet Varian halfway.

“But seriously,” Hugo said, tugging Varian closer, “If your sister ever tries that shit again, we’re moving out.”

The laughter that followed was almost worth being kicked out of bed.

Almost.