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Strong, scarred legs intertwined with his. The afternoon sun waned behind puffy bursts of clouds. Strawberry blond locks were ruffled in a slight breeze; the beginning of spring. ‘This is peaceful… this is perfect,’ they mused. This wasn't an act they indulged within kingdom walls. It was too precious, too risky for unfit eyes. A prince had no business snuggling underneath the warmth of spring with someone of lesser stature. They snuggled their nose further into the prince’s chest, earning a soft giggle from the man.
“Don’t get too comfortable, Sunflower,” Mirio joked. Their nickname -- their name -- was honey coming from the blond’s lips. Thin, chapped lips they wanted to feel. To kiss. They wondered if Mirio’s lips were as soft as the satin within the kingdom. As a rich textile, satin was above people of their status, but being the prince’s personal attendant had perks.
“How couldn’t I, my prince?” Their voice came out muffled. Hot breath that tickled the prince.
Mirio’s azure eyes scrunched up, his features painted into a scowl.
“Sunflower, you know me as Mirio. I know you as my Sunflower.” He pushed himself further against the attendant; a capable form that radiated warmth. He was only a few years older, but the prince was already a hearty man at the age of twenty-three. Mirio’s large hand came down atop their head, petting lazily. It was such a simple form of affection, and yet, they cherished every chance of meager affection.
‘I’m in love with this man.’ The thought hit them bittersweetly. Love was precious. Love was kind, but love was not fair. ‘I’m in love with this man and it’s not fair.’ They didn’t doubt the prince’s affection, but their union would only lead to ostracization and scorn. Mirio wouldn’t be able to assume the throne, and it was… It was unfair to ask that of him.
“Mirio, I --” A hand snaked around their chin, bringing them face-to-face with the prince. Before the sentence became fully tangible, rough lips sealed the attendant’s silence. Their skin prickled from a mixture of surprise and excitement. This was something they had dreamt of. An eluding future with him . The organ within their chest banged around; the sound almost deafening. The kiss was quick. An experimental peck that left them euphoric and bashful. Crimson pooled in their cheeks, red as bright as the now exposed sun.
Look at you, Strawberry Blond.
“Your lips are so soft, Sunflower!” A cheerful grin was plastered on the man’s face. A smile that translated into azure orbs. Mirio smiled with the entirety of his being. He was a man of light that they wanted to follow into eternity.
The attendant could feel Mirio’s humid breath against their lips. They had never been so close with the prince. Sneaking cuddles in a flower field was the magnum opus of their activities. An act of affection kept only between them. But a kiss. A kiss couldn’t be explained as friendship. This wasn’t foreign to them; they had a lover before their position with the royal family. A rough and tumble man that was the antithesis of Mirio.
Words spilled from them like a fountain, “Can I kiss you again? I’m in love with you and I --” They clasped a hand over their mouth, ashamed and fearful of their accidental confession. These words were meant only for them. They weren’t meant to manifest and become real.
Mirio chuckled and ran a finger down their chin, eliciting a shiver. His touch was intimate. His touch was heavenly.
“We don’t have to be in love to kiss, do we?” The twinkle in his navy eyes was like starlight. They wanted to look into them for aeons.
Understanding the prince, their face lit with a flash of pink. Mirio was a fantasy. A dream the attendant realized was impractical. In theory, they wanted this -- needed this… but deep within their being, they desired romance. Loving, tender touches from Mirio as his hearty body engulfed them in a field of flowers. The scent of their love mixing with the sweet aroma of lilac. It wasn’t meant to be in a war-torn field of orange roses. Little fires that dotted the terrain.
But his eyes.
His eyes held the attendant’s dreams and passions. Azure eyes shimmering like ocean waves.
“We don’t,” they replied in confidence. A direct lie as their heart throbbed.