Work Text:
Paw10j:
Kev’s not serious, is he?
TheKeeper:
I’m afraid so.
Paw10j:
Urgh
Remind me never to actually play any team sports with him.
TheKeeper:
I doubt that’ll be a problem.
Paw10j:
If this goes wrong, we’ll lose again.
TheKeeper:
Dont care
Paw10j:
I know
Anyway, you said you were going to dinner with your family earlier.
How’d it go?
TheKeeper:
Boring
Paw10j:
Not my fault you don’t tell me anything.
And the others all ask me about you, so I need something to tell them. Or Matt, at least.
TheKeeper:
Dont care
Paw10j:
Did you copy paste that?
TheKeeper:
So?
Paw10j:
Okay
Did you finish that book? Should I read it, too?
TheKeeper:
Not worth it. Author’s a dick.
Paw10j:
Okay. Not finished the last one, anyway.
TheKeeper:
Then why did you ask about it?
Paw10j:
Because I like to listen to/read your rants about them. It’s fun.
And it proves me right
You ARE passionate about something
Other than Exy, anyway.
TheKeeper:
Shut up
Paw10j:
…
TheKeeper:
Stop
Don’t
Paw10j:
…
:(
TheKeeper:
Seriously, stop
N’s here
Paw10j:
I thought you’d done your family duties for the week
i.e. had dinner with them
TheKeeper:
He’s been bugging me lately
Going now
Andrew turned his seat around to glower at Nicky. For some reason, his cousin had been more annoying than usual lately, and now he was coming into his room with barely a knock. That probably meant that he wanted to have a Serious Talk about something or other. There were no issues that Andrew could think of: Kevin was safe in his room, probably with Thea; the king and queen were doing their jobs, surrounded by competent guards; Aaron was still circling the pretty medical student; and Nicky hadn’t found his ‘one true love’ yet. So there shouldn’t really be anything worrying Nicky enough to walk into his room without prior warning.
“What are you up to?” asked Nicky, innocently. Andrew narrowed his eyes at him. “It looked like you were typ-”
“Shouldn’t you be working?” Andrew demanded, eyeing Nicky’s whites. Today was a kitchen day. If the palace didn’t have fancy dos - which was most days - then Nicky was in the kitchen. Otherwise, he worked with the other top tier bartenders at the gatherings between the royals of all the neighbouring kingdoms - except for the Laned kingdom, whose royalty were all horrible and the reason that Prince Kevin needed personal bodyguards.
“Eh, nothing’s really happening down there,” Nicky declared with a dismissive wave.
Andrew let his eyebrow twitch upwards for a moment before he stared at Nicky with a blank look. It took a moment for Nicky to get the message. Frankly, Andrew didn’t know why it took so long for Nicky to understand, why are you here?
“Anyway,” said Nicky, as if Andrew had continued their conversation about the palace’s kitchens. “I wanted to come see you, make sure you’re okay…?”
Somehow, Andrew managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. “Explain,” he said, shortly. He was not in the mood for talking to Nicky, not when he had interrupted his brief respite from Kevin.
“Well, it’s just… I’m just worried about you,” Nicky told him earnestly. He even leaned forward where he sat, eyes wide and woeful. “You do more work than play.”
“I play video games,” Andrew pointed out, though he knew exactly what Nicky was getting at. He was, however, not going to make this conversation easy for him.
“You need to get out there,” Nicky continued, bulldozing straight over Andrew’s comment. Andrew cursed the fact that Nicky was so used to his caustic quips that he could now ignore him. “Go meet someone. You’ve got a good job, and you should share that with someone.”
This time, Andrew sighed and barely resisted pinching the bridge of his nose. Nicky was getting more and more persistent about this topic. Andrew had hoped that telling Nicky that he didn’t do relationships would make him back off, but it had only made him take a hiatus. It didn’t help that Nicky was out there doing what he imagined Andrew should be doing, hitting up clubs and bars, searching for Mr. Right. Not to mention Aaron’s infatuation with the medical student he had to work with on a daily basis. Kate-something. From what Andrew had seen of them, she liked him back and they were too busy dancing around each other to truly do anything.
What had probably prompted Andrew’s sudden confrontation was the fact that Kevin and Thea had finally gotten together. Andrew had had the misfortune of being with Nicky when they went to wake Kevin up and found the two of them naked in his bed. Neither of them had been embarrassed and Andrew had left them to get themselves sorted out. That had been a week ago, and he was sure that Nicky was only here now because his worrying was at breaking point.
“Come on, Andrew,” Nicky whined. “Let me set you up with-”
“No.”
“Well, at least come out with me-”
“No.”
“Oh, come on!” Nicky exclaimed. “When was the last time you went to a club without Kevin? All you seem to do these days is sit at the computer.”
Andrew flicked his gaze at the log-in screen for the website he had just been on. He turned back to it and minimised the browser. “So?” he said. “There are dating websites, you know. Maybe I’m on Grindr.”
“ Are you on Grindr?!” Nicky cried, sounding both shocked and worried.
With a flat look, Andrew started to turn back to the computer. “Out,” he said.
“Wait, no,” said Nicky, hurriedly. “I won’t mention Grindr again, okay? Just, what are you doing all day with the computer? Kevin said something about a game, but I didn’t believe him, obviously.”
Taking a deep breath through his nose, Andrew told himself that his knives weren’t the answer here. Swivelling around, Andrew glowered at Nicky. “He’s right. What of it?”
“Really?” Nicky grimaced. “But online games can be addictive. You should go out more, make friends, get yourself a boyfriend.”
“I don’t need to.”
“Why not?” Nicky demanded. “How can throwing yourself into danger for Kevin’s sake and hiding behind a computer help you really connect with someone?”
“I don’t need to,” Andrew repeated, annoyed that he had to. “I don’t need a relationship.”
“But how can that sort of life be fulfilling? I mean, unless you fall in love with a guy over the Internet, you’re going to be stuck here, guarding Kevin for the rest of your life. That’s not much of a reason to live, is it?” Nicky hesitated and, with a sad expression, added, “It’s not, right?”
For a moment, entirely out of spite and irritation, Andrew was tempted to say it was. But something stopped him. Maybe it was the computer still humming at his back, a certain someone a few clicks away. Or maybe it was the desperate look in Nicky’s eyes. Whatever it was, it prompted him to say, “It’s not just that.”
“What?”
“It’s more than just a game.” Though, Andrew stopped there. He didn’t want to explain the thing to Nicky. Besides, he really didn’t want Nicky to join the game just to see what it was all about.
“More? Wait, have you really fallen in love with a guy over the Internet?” Nicky tilted his head. “Or, at least, are you dating him?”
Andrew could tell him the truth - that he wasn’t sure what was going on with him and Neil - but he didn’t want to expose them to the world. Before he could formulate a threat to make Nicky leave, Andrew opened his mouth and said something stupid. “Yes.”
Nicky froze. Andrew internally cursed himself and resisted glancing at the computer, as if Neil could hear him. When he refocussed on Nicky, his cousin was wide-eyed. “What, seriously?!” he said, his voice rising in volume with each syllable.
“No,” said Andrew, flatly. He wasn’t sure whether it was a threat to stop Nicky from getting too carried away or an admission of the truth. But, of course, with Nicky, it didn’t matter.
“Oh, my God, you are, aren’t you?!” Nicky screeched. “What’s his name? How’d you meet - I mean, what site? Wait, was it on that Exy site? What about-? Have you video called him yet? Can I meet him? Oh, man, you totally have to let me and Aaron meet him. You know all our relationships and stuff. Please, Andrew, I-”
As Nicky continued to babble - all mostly in one breath - Andrew felt the buzz of his phone from his pocket. He fished it out with difficulty, loathe to move, but that lethargy was knocked aside when he spotted that Kevin was ‘going out’ and required his bodyguards. Andrew sighed, with both relief and annoyance. He wasn’t sure where Kevin was going, but it would likely be somewhere stupid at this time of the day.
“I have to go,” he said over Nicky’s questions.
“What? No!” Nicky cried. “You can’t just pretend to be summoned by Kevin-”
Andrew showed Nicky the message and his cousin grimaced. “Fine. But you need to tell me more about this guy when you get back.”
“No,” said Andrew, grabbing his things.
“Aw, Andrew!”
Ignoring Nicky, Andrew strode through his door. He held it open for Nicky and shut it as soon as Nicky had put one foot into the hall. Nicky made some sort of squeaking noise and scuttled out of the way. Once Andrew had locked the door, he turned, glared at Nicky in an effort to prevent his questions, and began to make his way along the staff corridor. Behind him, Nicky called out a cheery farewell. Andrew didn’t reply.
Instead, he thought of the conversation with Nicky. It was true that he was spending more time on the computer. Despite his best efforts, he had been intrigued enough at the beginning, and now he had no way out.
It was all Kevin’s fault.
A few months ago, Andrew had noticed that Kevin had been going out less, ever since Thea had turned down his offer to dance at one of the extravagant balls that royals were always holding. Since she was a bodyguard, just like Andrew, she rejected him. She was working and she was a staff member, not to mention that they were in the Trojan kingdom. It would have been deemed inappropriate of her to accept. Kevin had been drunk enough to ask and drunk enough to convince himself that Thea didn’t see him in the same light that he held her in.
Since the only thing Andrew did that was of any interest was glaring away overenthusiastic royal fans, he had ended up barging into Kevin’s rooms to find out why he was being so miserable that he hadn’t even gone to any charity dos. He had found Kevin seated at his computer, scrolling through a website. Though Kevin had been contrite, he had spent a good few minutes trying to convince Andrew of how amazing the website was. Andrew had tuned him out and regretted it. Kevin had created him an account with his email, sending him a generic password alongside the activation message.
It turned out that Exy was a large gaming platform. The website contained an MMORPG wherein players formed teams and explored the world, fighting and looting and other fun things. At the same time, it was a blog where people posted fanart of the game and fan fiction and just little thoughts. There were pages where people could post questions and hold discussions. Some of them went on for thousands of posts. But the part of it that Andrew used the most (save the game due to Kevin’s obsession), was the messaging service.
At first, he had only used it to talk to his (reluctant) teammates. Then he had discovered that Renee wasn’t so bad, so he’d responded to her when she messaged him privately. Occasionally, he would entertain the others’ questions - usually with a ‘no’ - but, for the most part, he spoke to Renee and paid attention to their plans in the group chat.
Of course, just as he was getting used to his life as a bodyguard and online brawler, someone swept in and changed it yet again. The Foxes, as their group called themselves, had been in the process of a big kill and loot mission, when someone turned up and stole everything, including the experience points. Those players were often called rogue strikers, people who would fill the striker position - usually the people who dealt the killing blow or who did the attacking while the others were injured - but didn’t have a team. According to the forums, this was usually because they did nothing but play the game or had been beta testers, so had ended up with too high of a level to lower themselves to play with a team.
But the rogue striker who started to plague them actually, eventually, joined them. After a couple of months of being intriguing but evasive, he had started to grow on them all and he had even changed his name in honour of them. Since he was sticking around, Andrew had decided to find out more about him, in case he was dangerous to Kevin. He had already done background checks on the rest of them, but trying to find anything about Neil was difficult. So, much to his chagrin, he had to resort to talking to him.
Months had passed now and Andrew was sure that, despite his best efforts, he had grown used to him. On his last outing to the club for a hook-up, he had even found himself thinking about him. It had become an annoyance but he had gradually accepted it. Neil knew nothing about it and, from his conversations, Andrew knew all too well that Neil was an oblivious idiot, so he likely had no idea.
Still, the likelihood of Nicky bugging him to find out more about his non-existent boyfriend was enough of a problem for Andrew to pull his phone out. The Exy website had an app, though the game couldn’t be played through it. Instead, the messaging, blog and forum features were available. Andrew tapped at his phone and stared at the last message he’d sent Neil. What he was about to do was dangerous, but it would get Nicky off his back. He took a deep breath, let himself feel how precarious the moment felt, and began to tap out messages as he strolled down the hall.
TheKeeper:
be my boyfriend so my cousin stops bothering me.
Paw10j:
What every guy wants to hear…?
TheKeeper:
he keeps bothering me
ergo
fake boyfriend
Paw10j:
Sounds like R.
He keeps asking about my love life, too.
And you don’t want someone closer to you?
TheKeeper:
i told him it was someone i met online
so i’m going to say it’s you
unless you say no
Paw10j:
Well, I mean, what do I have to do?
TheKeeper:
nothing
just agree with me if kevin or anyone asks
kevin is not clever enough to keep it from n
Paw10j:
That’s it?
I would have done that, anyway.
TheKeeper:
n will insist on meeting you
so at least one video call
12.33p.m.
Paw10j:
I don’t want to be seen.
TheKeeper:
then keep the camera turned off
all i need is for him to hear another person confirming it
then he’ll leave me alone
Paw10j:
Really?
TheKeeper:
we can but hope
have to actually work now
Paw10j:
Okay, just
Give me warning before the call, though, yeah?
TheKeeper:
of course
go sleep, you’ve been up all night
Paw10j:
Yes, mom.
Paw10j has logged off.
His prediction came true.
A couple of weeks after he had made up his romantic relationship with Neil, Nicky came calling again, this time wearing his best smile. Andrew gave him a flat look when he opened his door, but stepped aside. Brightening at the admittance, Nicky entered and resumed his previous position. Andrew threw himself into his chair and folded his arms.
“We’re really going to see him, right?” Nicky said, excitedly.
“If he bothers to answer,” Andrew told him.
“Of course he will, if he’s dating you,” said Nicky, simply.
“I meant that he knows you’ll be here and he doesn’t like meeting new people.”
With that, Andrew spun around and tapped his mouse, hitting the call button on the screen. The strange trilling noise that signalled a call going through started and Andrew leaned back, arms crossed as he waited. He looked over the image he was sending to Neil - it would be the first time that he would see Andrew after all. It hadn’t taken long for Andrew to find a really good t-shirt that showed off his biceps, the black material matching that of his armbands. Neil couldn’t see his black jeans or combat boots, but Andrew had made sure his entire outfit was worth seeing. Nicky was in the background, smaller than Andrew for once. His hair was styled and he’d decided to wear a v-neck shirt so that he could show off a rather large rainbow pendant that he had slung over his neck. The purple jeans he was wearing seemed to add to the message of the ensemble.
Eventually, the sound stopped and there was rustling and breathing over the speakers. “Hey,” came a voice that Andrew assumed was Neil’s. Something about it made Andrew’s stomach swoop and he ignored it, staring at the black screen that he had been expecting. A feeling that he had been harbouring was snuffed out; he may have been expecting Neil’s excuses not to show his face, but he had perhaps been… Not hoping. He didn’t hope. But he wondered…
“Hey,” said Andrew, gruffly. He made sure to keep his expression blank as he waved over his shoulder at Nicky. “This is my cousin, the one who’s been bugging me.”
“Hi!” Nicky piped up, cheerfully. “I’m Nicky. But, uh, we can’t see your beautiful face, you know.”
There was a pause. “How do you know it’s ‘beautiful’?” Neil asked, sounding confused. “And, um, I’ve been having trouble with my camera lately. Let me just…” There was tapping and clicking noises while Neil muttered random phrases to himself. Andrew let him act it out, turning slightly to make sure that Nicky wasn’t suspicious.
He needn’t have worried. “Oh, hey, Neil, right?” said Nicky. “Don’t worry about it! I don’t want to cut into your time too much. I know you must not have a lot of time for talking like this. Let’s just chat without it.”
“Are you sure? Andrew says you’ve been bugging him to let you know what I look like,” Neil said, slowly. He sounded cautious, maybe a little apologetic. It was interesting to note that Neil was a pretty good actor since he was definitely convincing Nicky about the ‘broken’ camera.
“Oh, no, don’t worry about it!” Nicky said, cheerfully. “We’ll have plenty of time to meet at some point. Right?”
“Ah, uh, right…” came Neil’s response. Andrew had the feeling that he was now uncomfortable about deceiving Nicky.
“Anyway,” said Andrew, pointedly. He turned to give Nicky a look. “We’ll be talking about what we normally talk about. Leave.”
“Oh, no.” Nicky grinned cheekily at Andrew. “Don’t mind me. I mean, not that I don’t value your privacy and everything, but you two could just be faking it.”
“What do you mean?” asked Neil, thankfully sounding perplexed.
“Well, I was bugging Andrew about getting a boyfriend and he suddenly got one. So, I’d like to at least hear how you get along before I leave.”
“Right…” Neil paused, possibly waiting for Andrew to say something. But all words had flown from his mind in the face of Nicky’s wiliness. “Well, okay. So. Andrew, I got that book you were talking about from the library.”
“Which one?” Andrew drawled, blinking at the screen.
“Uh, ‘The Captive Flesh’. That’s the one about the prince who’s betrayed and sent to the rival kingdom’s court as a slave, right?”
Andrew stilled. “No,” he said, frowning. “That book is called ‘Captive Prince’. I’ve never heard of ‘The Captive Flesh’.”
“Um.” There was rustling and creaking. Then, a dull thump indicated that a book had been dropped onto the desk beside Neil’s computer. “Well… ‘In this historical tale set in the decadent splendour of a North African-’ Ah, yeah, definitely- Oh.”
“What?”
“It’s, uh- Just realised why the librarian was looking at me funny.”
“I take it that it’s some sort of erotic fiction, since it says ‘Flesh’,” Andrew said, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, yes,” said Neil, his voice betraying his grimace. “‘The ecstasy of pleasure in pain’, it says here. I know you said the other book had… sex. But you also said it was a good story. I don’t think this is it.”
“No,” Andrew agreed. “This is the second time you’ve got the wrong book, you know.”
“It’s not my fault!” Neil protested. “It seemed similar! And I think it had been put in the wrong bit.”
“You saw the word ‘Captive’ and picked it up, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” said Neil with a sigh.
“Then I’ll send you a copy,” Andrew decided. “If you still want to read it, that is.”
“Of course,” Neil replied. “It’ll be something to talk about. But you don’t need to do that. I’ll find a copy, somewhere.”
“Yes. From me.”
“Andrew.”
“Neil.”
“You shouldn’t waste your money on me.”
“People in relationships often give each other gifts, I believe,” Andrew commented, trying to make it sound off-hand and not a promise. “This can be one.”
“That’s not the-”
They were cut off by laughter, sudden and bright. Frowning, Andrew turned to Nicky who looked quite happy. “Okay, okay,” he said when he noticed Andrew’s flat look. “I get it. I’ll leave you two to your conversation.” He got to his feet and leaned over to wave into the camera. “Bye Neil! Hope you get your camera fixed soon so we get to see your pretty face.” And, with that, he hurried to the door, paused, winked at Andrew and slipped from the room.
Silence fell. Andrew stared at where Nicky had been, frowning. They hadn’t even said anything romantic. Then it dawned on him and he grimaced. He made sure to smooth out his expression before he turned back to Neil.
“What?” Neil asked, somehow sounding confused and concerned at once.
Andrew realised that he would probably have to explain it to Neil. Sighing, he said, “He’s saying that we’re acting like an old married couple.”
“Huh.” There was a short pause. “So he believes us, then? Mission accomplished?”
“Yes.”
“Cool. So… Should I hang up or…?”
Blinking, Andrew stared at the black square where Neil’s face should be. He should really tell him that he should hang up, let them go back to merely messaging each other. They could go back to normal and that would be the end of it. Nicky was placated and Andrew could make up excuses for not enduring the excruciating experience again. But something about Neil’s wordless suggestion made him pause. It seemed silly for them to hang up if they were going to talk over messages anyway.
“No,” Andrew finally said. “We can talk like this. Why don’t you read out some of that book?”
“Andrew!” Neil exclaimed, laughter in his voice.
👑:
Be more careful next time, Neil.
Paw10j:
I still got it, didn’t I?
👑:
That is no excuse
Prince$$:
oh, leave off, kev
he’s our hero!
B0i of Matty:
yeah!!!
neils aways my hero!!!
👑:
He could have died!
We need to discuss our strategies more.
👼:
It’s rather hard to do over these chats.
Perhaps we should video call.
Paw10j:
I’d rather not.
🐾Captain🐾:
no, it’s a good idea.
maybe skype.
zoom?
someone should look up the best one
👑:
Wait, I have a better idea.
Sacre Black:
Don’t you always?
ThePretzelSavior:
what could be better than a video call?
Paw10j:
Letting me fling myself in front of all monsters without being told off?
Prince$$:
aw, poor neil
let me hold you
*hugs*
Paw10j:
Ha ha, Al.
Like I’d let you hug me.
Prince$$:
youd better let me do it whenever we all meet
👑:
Exactly.
👼:
What do you mean by that, Kevin?
B0i of Matty:
wait you wouldnt le tni hug you?????!!!!!
*let me
Paw10j:
Maybe.
🐾Captain🐾:
kev your idea
before we get distracted hugging neil
Paw10j:
I’m not letting you *all* hug me.
👑:
Let’s all meet up.
I’ll foot the bill.
You can come to my place. There’s enough room.
🐾Captain🐾:
are you serious?!??
Prince$$:
i think what dan means is
ARE YOU SREIOUS??!!
👑:
Of course.
👼:
Remember, we will all be coming from different places, different kingdoms.
👑:
I can do this.
I’m richer than all of you.
Why do you think my name is a crown?
Paw10j:
Irony?
Sacre Black:
Are we really going to do this?
Because…
Despite my best interests, this might be fun.
Paw10j:
(And God forbid you have any of that.)
👼:
Neil.
Paw10j:
😇
ThePretzelSavior:
let’s do it!
it’ll be fun!
B0i of Matty:
i wanna hug neil!
ill be there!!!
Paw10j:
Matt.
Come on.
If you hug me, everyone else will want to, too.
👑:
So, we’re doing this? I’ll make arrangements for this right away!
👻💀👿💋:
what the fuck kevin
👑:
Um.
I have to go.
Talk more later.
👑 has logged off.
👻💀👿💋 has logged off.
Paw10j:
Huh.
Weird.
Prince$$:
we need to figure out what to wear
Sacre Black:
What do you mean?
Prince$$:
so we can find each other at the airport without needing signs
Paw10j:
Like hoodies with paw prints on them?
Prince$$:
yes!!!!!!
🎉🎆🎊
my baby boy coming through!!
B0i of Matty:
hey!
he ws mine an ddans first!
Paw10j:
Guys.
I am right here.
And I’m not a baby.
B0i of Matty:
but your the youngest!
🐾Captain🐾:
come on, guys
dont be mean
but matts right
ThePretzelSavior:
i would like to adopt him too!
Paw10j:
What is happening?
👼:
Don’t worry, Neil. They’re just excited.
Paw10j:
Well, I suppose I can’t blame them.
I’m looking forward to meeting you all properly.
I guess.
TheKeeper:
What?
Paw10j:
There you are!
Where have you been?
You’ve been gone ages.
TheKeeper:
Shower.
…
For fuck’s sake, Kevin.
TheKeeper has logged off.
It was a logistical nightmare.
Both Andrew and Thea had told Kevin that he was an idiot. They were there for his protection and he was throwing it away to invite a group of strangers into the palace. Kevin, however, had declared, apropos of nothing, that he was safe with Andrew and Thea, so he should be able to invite his friends. And, he had added with a glance at Andrew, he thought that a certain someone would be glad to meet them.
So they’d done a lot of back and forth over security. Of course, when they had mostly bought all the plane tickets, King David had appeared with a frown and a question. Were they really organising to have friends over on the same weekend as an official birthday ball for Queen Abby?
There had been arguments and pleading until, finally, a compromise was reached. The Foxes could come to the palace and they could have fun for the whole weekend - as long as Kevin and his friends put in a respectable appearance at the ball. Of course, that had made them scramble to find tailors and sizes for clothing. Andrew had watched Kevin trying to explain without mentioning he was a prince - something he still insisted on, for some reason - and was rather amused. He had had to convince Neil, in the end, since he was being the most stubborn about it.
And then, all they had to do was wait for them to arrive. Which was where he was, waiting with Kevin, Thea, the ‘discreet’ bodyguards and the majority of the Foxes. Only Neil was still to arrive, having had to go to a late shift at work in order to have the weekend off. Andrew felt… impatient, he supposed. There was an entire group of people to deal with and he didn’t want to deal with them alone. He knew that Neil would be someone who could sit at the side with.
Not that he needed the company, he told himself.
Just then, the same hideous shade of orange that the others were wearing (even Kevin) came into view. Andrew blinked and watched the man approach their group, his head moving to and fro as if he was making sure of the layout of the place. It fascinated Andrew for a moment before he shook that from his mind. As the man moved, his copper hair, curled and sticking up in odd places, bounced from how overgrown it looked. There were scars on his face; it may have marred his skin, but it put his simple, stunning features into focus. It was enough to have Andrew still completely, unable to breathe in the face of his unexpected handsomeness. And that smile…
It lit up Neil’s piercing blue eyes with a warmth like fire, burning hotter and bluer than any Bunsen burner Andrew had ever seen.
“Hey,” said Neil. Andrew blinked; he hadn’t noticed how close Neil had gotten to him and now he was an arm’s length from Andrew. “You’re not wearing your hoodie. I know Dan sent you some out.”
Andrew pressed his lips together and looked down at the hoodie Neil was wearing. It was, of course, a bright orange. On it, directly in the centre, was a trail of ten fox paw prints marked out in white. Under the hood, would be his username, also in white. Andrew sighed. “I am not wearing that. Besides, Thea and I are working.”
“Huh?” Neil tilted his head in confusion.
“Don’t you know?” drawled Andrew. “Kevin is the prince of Palmetto. Welcome to his kingdom. Prepare to be staying in a palace. Don’t squeal like Dan and Allison did.”
Neil stared at him, his eyes wide. Curiously, he seemed not only shocked but worried. Then he seemed to shake himself and he sighed. “No wonder he’s so bossy on Exy. And the crown username. Did he pay someone to get that name?”
“Of course.”
Snorting, Neil shook his head and looked over Andrew’s shoulder. “Well, I suppose I should introduce myself.”
“Please. Then we can get back to the palace where Kevin will be safer, I suppose.”
Nodding, Neil stepped around Andrew and they began to walk, in step, to the rowdy group that Andrew had left in Thea’s capable hands. “Bodyguard, huh?”
“Yes,” said Andrew, glancing at him. “Does that interest you?”
“Just explains a lot,” Neil said with a shrug.
“Does it?”
When they were halfway between the arrivals gate and the group, Neil stopped. He had a tight grip on the strap of his duffel bag as he turned to Andrew. “Hey, uh… We can hang out, right? I just figure they’re going to be exhausting, all at once, and you clearly don’t like it, either-”
“You don’t know me,” Andrew cut him off, irritation flashing briefly within him. It was gone as quick as it had come and he forced himself to keep his expression still when he noticed Neil’s disappointment. “But I can squirrel you away if you really want.”
Neil visibly brightened and they continued on their way. However, Neil was, apparently, not one to keep his mouth shut. “Squirrel? Really? I’m offended. I’m a Fox.”
Andrew merely rolled his eyes and released Neil into the foray of the others who swarmed around Neil for hugs and greetings.
Kevin had, of course, made a schedule. And Andrew, of course, ignored it. The others, however, followed him around as if they worshipped him, so Andrew ended up trailing after them, still alert for any danger. Thea and the other bodyguards often tried to tease him about how serious he was, even when they were in the palace, but Andrew knew that danger could lurk within every person.
Unfortunately, there was a distraction. Neil had noticed how Andrew was at the back of the group and often dropped back to make sure he was okay. Or something. Andrew wasn’t sure what Neil was up to, which unnerved him. Sometimes Neil smiled at him, a soft, fond thing that Andrew could only clench his jaw against words that wanted to spill out. At other points, Neil asked him questions that he could have easily asked Kevin. And, each time he appeared by Andrew’s side, he was closer than Andrew had ever let anyone get to him before.
Thankfully, he had been able to get a few moments’ peace as they all got ready for the ball. Andrew kept his outfit simple. He knew that he would look like a server, with his black slacks and his matching waistcoat. While the servers would be wearing a white shirt and a black bowtie, however, Andrew’s shirt was black and stopped at his elbows, showing off his armbands. Leaving his top button undone, he slicked his hair back to look ‘more acceptable’ as Nicky had told him once or twice. Once he was done, he had stared into the mirror and realised that he’d been dressing himself up for Neil. Gritting his teeth, he had turned on his heel, and stalked out of the room, reminding himself that he would blend in more with the way he was dressed than in his normal clothes.
Now, people in ballgowns and sparkly dresses and tuxedos and tailored suits spun past Andrew. He watched them all, deliberately not looking in Neil’s direction. Beside him, Kevin was taking a break from diplomacy and chatting Exy to Thea, Jean and Matt. For the most part, Andrew was ignoring them, but he knew he’d remember every word later.
Dan suddenly appeared, making Matt falter in his description of the entrance to the next dungeon. Andrew glanced over, vaguely interested to see how much of a fool Matt made of himself. However, Dan steamrollered over their conversation. “This is amazing,” she said, possibly to Kevin. “I would never have expected to be in a palace this weekend. But it’s also great to see everyone. Thanks for inviting us, Your Highness.”
“Kevin is fine,” said the prince in question. He was frowning, probably trying to work out if Dan was mocking him. “And you’re quite welcome, of course. It will be even better once we’ve planned out the next few missions.”
“God, are you still talking Exy?” said Allison as she suddenly appeared with Renee in tow, appearing to find the very idea distasteful. “This is a party. We should all be dancing. How about it, short stuff?” she added, speaking to Andrew, apparently. He sent her a flat look.
“He’s working, sort of,” said Kevin, almost apologetic. “He is my bodyguard.”
“What about the other one?” Allison gestured towards where Aaron and Katelyn were slowly twirling around in the opposite corner.
“He’s a trainee doctor,” Kevin informed her.
“So, if someone mysteriously collapses,” said Dan, grinning, “he’ll be who we should call.”
“Why would someone collapse?” Kevin asked, sounding perplexed.
“Like in a murder mystery,” said Matt, far too excited.
“Kevin,” said Thea, quietly. “Your father is headed in this direction with the king of Canchest.”
“Oh, no,” moaned Kevin.
“What is wrong with the king of Canchest?” Jean asked in confusion.
Thea glanced at him. “The king’s nephew should be around Kevin’s age so he always seems… upset when he speaks to Kevin and it unnerves him.”
“What am I supposed to say to the man whose sister and nephew disappeared off the face of the Earth?” Kevin put to them.
“Well, isn’t it lucky that he’s found Jeremy instead,” Andrew told him, jerking his head in their direction. “You’re saved,” he added, sarcastically. Kevin flinched.
Andrew turned his head to watch the man talking stiltedly to Prince Jeremy of the Trojan kingdom. His chestnut hair curled under the crown he wore. It was a little fancier than David’s, which was just a plain ring; the king of Canchest’s crown had tiny detailing that was only visible up close, along with a row of sapphires. He wore a suit of a duller blue, but it made the sapphires sparkle all the more. Andrew had seen him in that sort of get up before and he wondered if it was an attempt to return his nephew to him, who was reported to have blue eyes.
A sudden presence behind him made Andrew turn, ready to grab a knife. It was Nicky in his bartending outfit, complete with Pride pins littered over his waistcoat, obviously having abandoned his duties. Andrew rolled his eyes as he watched Nicky bounce in place with barely contained excitement. “Andrew!” he exclaimed.
“What?” said Andrew, flatly.
“Oh, come on! Where’s your boyfriend?”
“Ah,” said Kevin, his attention caught by Nicky’s appearance. “I forgot that was a thing. How did that happen, again?”
“None of your business,” Andrew said, shortly. There was a pain under his sternum and it stabbed at him with every reminder that he was ‘dating’ Neil.
“But where is he? I want to see how hot he is!” Nicky exclaimed.
“He’s-” Kevin began.
“Don’t,” said Andrew, firmly.
Nicky sighed. “I know you like to be private, Andrew, and I’m sorry that I poke at you. But I just want to see you happy. So, let me meet your boyfriend, just this once.”
“Did someone say boyfriend?”
Andrew gritted his teeth so that he wouldn’t grimace as he turned to Neil. Every time he had seen Neil tonight, he had had difficulty keeping himself blank. He blamed it on Neil’s outfit that the royal tailors had helped pick out for him. The suit he had been asked to wear was a dark brown with a faint maroon striped pattern. Somehow, it made his hair look a bit brighter and his eyes glowed. Someone had gotten hold of him at some point and put make up on him; Andrew wasn’t sure what they’d done beyond the eyeliner, but it brought attention to his cheekbones and his lips, quirked up in a small smile. And they’d even managed to wrangle his curls, combing his hair from the left side of his head to the right. It meant that several strands brushed against his prominent cheekbone, almost covering one eye, and Neil was all the more alluring for it.
Beside him was Erik, a tall, blond, muscular Prasian guy who had had a run in with pretzels at some point, or so Andrew assumed from his screen name in Exy. He was cheerful and kind and it had been irking Andrew all day to see Neil chattering in his language. So Andrew sent him a glare before he looked to Neil who seemed quite pleased with himself. Andrew narrowed his eyes.
“No,” Andrew said, shortly.
“Uh huh. Who’s asking about me?” asked Neil, looking beyond Andrew.
With a sigh, Andrew turned slightly and gestured at his cousin. “Nicky.”
He expected Nicky to say something, to squeal about how attractive Neil was, but nothing happened. Turning, he found Nicky staring at Erik instead. A quick glance confirmed that Erik was bemusedly blinking back at him, a pleasant smile dancing on his lips. Another look at Nicky told Andrew that, thankfully, Nicky found Erik the more attractive of the two.
“Nicky,” said his cousin suddenly, thrusting his hand out in Erik’s direction.
Erik took it and, instead of simply shaking it, raised it to hover in front of his mouth. “Erik,” he replied with a fond smile. Then, without any consideration for those around them, Erik pressed a delicate kiss to Nicky’s knuckles.
“I- Oh,” said Nicky, rather breathlessly. Andrew supposed he should thank Erik for distracting Nicky from him and Neil. Also, it was vaguely amusing to watch Nicky turn red and grow flustered. “Ah, um, dance?”
“Of course,” Erik replied, already leading Nicky away.
Andrew rolled his eyes and turned to Neil. Looking a second away from outright laughing, Neil said, “And I thought he wanted to meet me .”
“Ha ha,” said Andrew.
“Wait, wait,” said Dan, whom Andrew had forgotten was nearby. “So you two are really dating?”
Neil glanced at Andrew, obviously letting Andrew decide who knew the truth and who didn’t. So, bracing himself, Andrew said, “Yes.” If Nicky somehow got wind of what he’d done, he would never hear the end of it. Better to keep all of them in the dark.
“You didn’t believe us?” asked Neil with mock offence, grinning at Andrew.
“Sheesh, what’s next?” Dan asked, gesturing between Andrew, Neil and Kevin. “Are we going to find out that Renee is actually the creator behind Exy or something?”
“Wouldn’t surprise me, really,” Neil admitted.
“Kevin,” said a voice and Andrew straightened. King David had finally reached their group without his noticing and he berated himself for not being as alert as he should have been. The king of Canchest was with him, as solemn as usual, though he smiled when he saw the prince. Kevin turned and bowed and everyone else followed suit. Andrew inclined his head, which was as much as he did for any royalty and more than he did for Kevin.
"Father," said Kevin, rather pompously. "Your Majesty," he added, much more politely, inclining his head once more to the other king.
"Hullo, Kevin," the king replied in his posh, Canchester accent. He glanced over the group. "And who is this?"
"These are Kevin's friends," King David explained when Kevin hesitated. "He met them in an online game of some sort. Exy, it's called."
"Ah, yes," said the king of Canchest. "I've heard of-" He stopped and stared, his eyes growing wide.
Following his line of sight, Andrew saw that he was looking at Neil - whose jaw had dropped as he stared back. Everyone looked between them, perplexed. A growing sense of unease welled within Andrew. What was happening…?
Before he had much of a chance to think up any horrible scenarios, Neil opened his mouth and said, "Uncle Stuart?"
Everything stopped, including Andrew’s heart. Beside him, someone gasped. The king of Canchest - King Stuart - stared harder. King David turned to a server and started murmuring instructions, his eyes constantly darting to the scene slowly playing out in front of him.
"Nathaniel?" Stuart breathed. "You- How-?"
"No," said Neil, firmly. "Neil. My name's Neil."
Stuart shook his head. "I- Where have you been?!"
Neil turned his head away. "Anywhere but Baltimore," he answered and Stuart grimaced.
"What’s going on?" asked Matt.
"It's nothing," said Neil, quickly. He took a step back, as if he intended to leave. "It's fine."
Andrew could tell that Neil would disappear entirely if left to his own devices. His being ached at the thought of never speaking to Neil again. So, before he could move, Andrew said, "Neil." His voice was as stern as he could make it and Neil looked at him, his pretty eyes wide and his chest heaving. When he caught sight of Andrew, he sucked in a huge breath. Then he cast his eyes over his friends.
"I…" said Neil.
"This is my nephew," Stuart explained to them. "The lost prince of Canchest and Baltimore - which is no longer run by a monarchy." He looked at Neil. "Your father was overthrown. He's dead."
Neil sagged and Andrew reached out to pull him up. But Stuart was at Neil’s elbow before him and David pushed his way into the conversation. "There is a parlour set up for you," he told them. "You should take this there. There are too many people around." Sure enough, several people were watching them already and now they were clearly listening intently.
"I…" Neil glanced at Andrew, looking quite helpless. Something surged within Andrew and he had to resist several impulses, the most prominent of which was to hold Neil close and never let him go. Instead, he flicked his wrist to indicate that Neil should go and sort out his inheritance. Neil nodded and stepped away from Andrew. Wordlessly, Stuart nodded and followed the servant who was waiting to show them the way.
They all watched Neil leave, trailing after Stuart with tense shoulders.
By the time the party had died down, Neil was still nowhere to be seen. Andrew made sure that Kevin was safely in his room with Thea before he headed for the tallest tower. He shook free a cigarette and lit up as soon as he was in the disused room. Striding to the window, he threw it wide and sat on the sill.
Below him, the world stretched out, far too small and distant to be comfortable. The capital city that nestled at the bottom of the hill twinkled with lights. He could only just see the setting sun as a thin strip of lighter sky almost muffled by the darkness. Above, clouds obscured much of the sky. The only stars that could be seen were alone, the constellations wiped from existence.
He had only smoked half of his cigarette when the door opened behind him. Turning, he saw Neil, suit rumpled, eyes distant. When he spotted Andrew, however, he lit up and Andrew had to look away, back to the stars and lights that were infinitely duller than Neil. Movement behind Andrew telegraphed where Neil was and, soon, the lost prince stood next to him.
"Hi," he said. "I'm a prince."
"So I gathered," Andrew replied, keeping his voice a monotone. "Didn’t think you should tell us?"
"I didn't know." Andrew shot him a look and Neil grimaced, raising his hands in surrender. "I didn’t," he insisted. "My memories of before… They’re kind of fuzzy. I knew my father was important - important enough that my mom couldn’t stand up to him without dire consequences. And that we were often in a palace, though I thought we were just nobles. But we ran because he was…" Neil tugged at his shirt, nervous and uncomfortable.
Andrew could tell that he was about to do or say something stupid, that he wouldn’t want to say but he'd force himself. So, he said, "Because he was a tyrant."
Neil relaxed and nodded. "Right. Yes. We were on the run all over the world before my father's men caught up to us. She- My mother-"
"It was in the news." In fact, it had been a major news story around the world. The body of the Queen of Baltimore found at the beach, burnt and buried.
"Yeah…" Neil flinched at the memory before he visibly shook himself. "Anyway, I kept going until… Well… I got a roommate. And I kept meaning to move on… but then I found Exy. I was paid to beta it and… Well…" Neil shrugged and gestured around them.
"Whatever," said Andrew, shrugging a shoulder. He noticed that his cigarette had burnt down, stubbed it out and lit another. His hands were shaking and he stilled once he put the stick in his mouth, forcing himself to stop.
"This doesn’t change anything," Neil said after a short silence.
"Doesn't it?"
"Nope!" said Neil, cheerfully. "I'll still play Exy. And I'll still be your fake boyfriend. Unless…"
"Unless you want to fake break up?" Andrew suggested.
"I was going to say we could lose the fake part," Neil answered. "If you want. I- You… You’re important to me, Andrew. You're amazing. And it'll mean you won’t have to lie to Nicky. I know you hate lying."
Andrew glared at Neil to make sure he knew how much he disliked that idea. In fact… "I hate you."
Neil stilled. "Ah. Okay. Right."
Sighing, Andrew flicked his cigarette out of the window. Clearly, he was dealing with an idiot. So, without looking at what he was doing, he grabbed hold of Neil’s lapel and dragged the lost prince towards him. "Kiss me," he demanded.
"Oh," said Neil, his shining blue eyes staring straight into Andrew’s. They searched for something as Andrew resisted the urge to look at Neil’s mouth for as long as he could. When he did, he realised that Neil was smiling, a small, precious thing. "Okay," Neil murmured.
"Yes?" Andrew checked.
Neil let out a huff of laughter, right against Andrew’s lips. “Yes, Andrew,” he said.
They both pressed forward at the same time, their mouths meeting in a slow, easy kiss. Andrew tilted his head for better access and the kiss deepened. Neil tasted sweet, like the fruit juices served in the ballroom. He must have taken different ones, for Andrew could taste orange and melon and strawberry as their tongues tangled.
Eventually, they pulled away and Neil grinned brightly at him. Andrew rolled his eyes and pushed him away. Over Neil’s giggles, Andrew said, “Fine. No more ‘fake’.”
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
This is literally the worst.
TheKeeper:
What, being a prince?
Being waited on hand and foot?
Having people fall over each other to try to get even a photo?
Sounds rough.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
Shut it.
It’s all the learning.
They’re making me do *posture training*.
And I can’t go out for runs off the estate.
TheKeeper:
You feel trapped.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
Just a little.
And I’ve been given a list of official events I’ll have to be doing in the near future and the far future and I’m the sole heir unless Stuart has another kid and it’s a boy this time cause of the stupid *rules* and *tradition*.
TheKeeper:
Breathe, Neil.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
Sorry.
It’s just
A lot.
Anyway, how’s everyone in your part of the world?
TheKeeper:
Annoying.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
Informative.
TheKeeper:
Nicky’s decided he’s moving to Prasia with Erik.
Kevin and Thea are being disgusting.
Aaron asked her to marry him.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
Did she say yes?
TheKeeper:
Not talking about this.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
That’s a yes.
TheKeeper:
New topic, Your Highness.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
Wow, okay.
You know you’re not alone, right.
You have me and everyone.
TheKeeper:
Neil.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
I was thinking.
TheKeeper:
Dangerous.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
Stuart likes alliances.
I could boost ours by hanging out with Kevin for a few months?
TheKeeper:
Really.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
Well, I’ll definitely boost our alliance, yeah?
TheKeeper:
You’re an idiot.
An idiot prince.
Another one.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
Just your type, huh?
TheKeeper:
Unfortunately.
Hurry up and make it happen.
FreshPrinceofCanchest:
Sir, yes, sir!