Chapter Text
"Haaahhh...",
Alberu let out a loud sigh before reaching to his 9th teacup and drinking out of it. It was already late into the evening and he sat the entire day at his office desk signing documents and preparing for the upcoming war. The dim light of his desk lamp burned in his fatigued eyes as he took another big sip of the black tea. Alberu should be thankful and happy since his plans are going well as the Roan kingdom is gaining more and more strength. All thanks to him.
"Him" was Cale Henituse. The young noble had a breakthrough in high society two years ago and quickly changed his title as trash into one of a hero, even though the noble himself disliked his new alias of "young master silver shield".
The young noble was having all the traits Alberu liked and admired. Being calm, calculative, but still kind and caring. On top of having a beautiful face. Alberu couldn't help himself but fall in love. It started innocently, only noticing how frail Cale was, how long his lashes were that decorated his eyes, then he fell in love with his caring nature, he fell in love with his self-sacrificial side.
'Well, that doesn't matter now'
Alberu thought while his chest started to tighten. Nowadays, whenever Alberu looked or thought of Cale, his chest started to hurt and his nose felt hot. Cale was not his and he probably never will. Alberu always was someone to quickly catch on to things, may it be strategies or social circles. Alberu noticed the loving gazes of Choi Han that were directed at Cale. At first, he wanted to fight for his love, but then he noticed, that the gazes were required. Cale didn't notice it himself, but Alberu caught him giving Choi Han extra attention, being flustered when the black swordsman was too close. If that was the case, who was Alberu to selfishly get between them. Alberu promised himself to quickly forget Cale and live up his role as a sworn brother.
"!!!"
Alberu quickly turned his head after hearing steps in his room. He grabbed his spear only to see a slender body being lightened by the moonlight. It was a very familiar silhouette.
"Cale?", Alberu slowly put his spear down. "Did you forget something?"
"..."
"Is something wrong?"
Alberu noticed the disturbed expression Cale had on his face and quickly stood up and moved in the other man's direction. Cale did the same, even faster. The redhead stopped right in front of Alberu, putting both of his cold hands into Alberu's cheeks and then touching his hair and ears.
"What are you doing?"
Alberu asked, trying really hard to hide his flustered voice and rising blush
"How.....?"
"?"
Cale was looking at Alberu, not breaking eye contact and Alberu could see the changing expressions on that young noble's face. It went from disturbed to happy to sad and pained. Then it came to Alberu. The Cale in front of him had longer hair than the Cale he knew and his face was a little rougher and more mature.
"Cale."
Alberu saw the man in front of him flinching when he heard his own name. Both of them stood in silence and Alberu could see Cale collecting himself. Alberu patiently waited, with his face still in Cale's hands.
The latter one finally calmed down and let go of Alberu's face and Alberu looked after the hands that just left his face. He wanted to grab them and feel the cold skin on his face again.
"Hello, your highness, sun of the Roan Kingdom."
the voice that came out of Cale's mouth was quiet and weak, and the words were not spoken in a jokingly mocking tone was always.
Alberu was silent.
"Alberu Crossman"
This time, it was Alberu who flinched when hearing his own name. The words that called his name were gentle and warm. Alberu always wanted his name spoken out of this man's voice like that.
"Who are you?"
Alberu finally asked while frowning. The man looked exactly like Cale, but he knew it was not the Cale he knew.
"Ohh, how could you forget your loyal sworn brother Cale Henituse?"
The other Cale finally had his cocky expression back on his face and the teasing voice.
"You aren't the Cale I know."
"...yes, I'm not."
"Who are you?"
"Do you believe in parallel universes?"
"In what??"
"Parallel universes. I'm Cale Henituse from another universe. I and the Cale you know share the same soul."
Alberu was stunned. This was just like Cale, saying something big and drastic in such a relaxed and calm voice.
"How can I know that you're talking the truth?"
"< The touch of the Sun God will always be by your side. >
< Never set your eyes on taking over the sky. >
< The Sun will always rise. >
< The moment darkness is planted in your bodies... >
< The moment a person with that darkness becomes the head of the household, the sky will be destroyed and the ground will tremble. >"
"..."
The blonde prince immediately recognized the words. it was the prophecy in the secret royal library.
"Remember? I want you to be king, Hyung."
Alberu's heart started to beat faster hearing the "Hyung" said in such an endearing way.
"Then...why are you here?"
"Why not, it sounds like fun."
"Hahhh, that means you're a crazy bastard, no matter what universe you are in?"
"Well, you can say it like that."
Both men looked at each other grinning before both of them started to laugh.
"Much work to do, huh?"
Cale was directly his eyes on the big pile of paperwork that still needed to be done on Alberu's desk
"The usual."
"I help."
"What?"
Cale went to get an arm chair that was next to Alberu's bed and placed it right next to Alberu's office chair. Alberu walked towards his desk, while Cale grabbed one of his pens and started to fill in paperwork.
"When did you change your philosophy from slacking of to working hard?"
did Alberu asked, very impressed by the speed and accuracy Cale was doing his work.
"Well, sometimes we need to change some things up. Here, I finished these, you just need to sign these."
Cale placed a small stack of already finished people next to him, in front of the other chair. Alberu sat down and his hands touched the ones of Cale. He immediately felt his hands getting warm and hearing his love breathing that close to him only made his heart beat faster.
Both men sat in silence while completing the paperwork, only the soft breaths and the scratching of fountain pens decorating the room, while both men exchanged the paperwork at a steady rate.
-
-
-
With Cale's help, Alberu managed to finish the paperwork that would usually cause him an All nighter, to be finished in just hours. Working next to Cale was very calming. And seeing Cale's slender pale fingers holding his pen while writing in beautiful handwriting, made Alberu only more fascinated, as this was a side he never saw with the Cale he knew.
"So that was the last one. Good that I managed it in time."
Cale gave him the last stack of paper.
"In time?"
"Yes, the time I can spend here is only limited. But I will visit again."
Cale stood up and Alberu rashly copied the redhead and did the same.
"Then, I'll be looking forward to seeing you again, Other-Cale"
Alberu reached out his hand for a handshake
"Hyung, don't you think our relationship is more than a handshake?"
Before Alberu could ask what that means, Cale went and hugged him. Alberu could feel the young noble's face in his shoulder and his face immediately started to get hotter, as his heartbeat was dancing in his chest.
"Wha-"
"See you soon, Hyung."
Cale's body started to become more transparent, until it completely disappeared in a matter of minutes, leaving a confused and flustered Alberu behind.
Alberu had trouble calming down, as he still felt Cale's soft hair in his neck, Cale's slender arms wrapping around him, and Cale's smell on his clothes. He sighed while brushing his hands down his hair and hot face.
'Alberu control yourself'
Hyung
Cale never called him that in such a loving voice. Did he just hallucinate everything because of his heartbreak?
But with a glace on the finished paperwork, Alberu knew it wasn't the case. The Cale that hugged just now was real.
'I can't wait for the next visit'