Archive of Our Own ^beta

Working in the garden was always relaxing to Neil. He got to focus on work, but it was also something he just enjoyed. Not to mention that nowadays he had two little ‘helpers’ that always came with him to the greenhouse Andrew had built just for him. The kittens always followed them around, despite the fact that they had been told many times it was safer in the bedchambers. But telling them that was more for show than an actual reprimand, because both Neil and Andrew enjoyed having them around during meetings or any other tasks they had to do during the day.

Right now, while Neil waited for a potion to finish brewing, he watched the two. Officially they had been named King Fluffkins and Sir Fat Cat McCatterson because Andrew made the mistake of leaving the naming up to Neil, who got help from Nicky. Usually they were just called King and Sir, which Nicky had joked was fitting for royal cats. King’s fur was fluffy and in patches of blacks, grays and orange, while Sir was large and gray. She preferred to lay around, but King seemed to have endless energy, and always wanted to play.

Neil enjoyed playing with her. Andrew enjoyed lounging with Sir. It was a nice balance.

They’d had the kittens for almost four months, now. The winter this year was rougher than most, and every day Neil was glad he found the kittens and took them in. It had also been a year since he had first discovered Andrew was cursed to be a swan and had set out for E’Allen to stop Riko’s plots against the kingdoms. When he’d first left, he never would’ve thought this was where he would be today. But he was grateful this was how things ended up, because there was no other way he’d want it.

King finally stopped annoying her sister to run through the dirt towards Neil. He held out his hands towards her when she made it over, letting out cute meows as she tried to speak. Neil! She meowed, hopping towards his hands. Play?

They were still learning how to talk, but they could say the important things right now. Sir seemed to catch on more quickly than King did, managing broken sentences whereas King usually stuck to singular words. “Potion, King,” he said simply. She knew what that meant - no playing until it was done. One time he’d forgotten about one and the resulting mess was not fun to clean up. “You need a bath,” Neil mused, smoothing down her fur.

King quickly sprang out of his lap and ran back towards her sister. Bath! No! She meowed loudly, hiding behind Sir’s body. Sir lifted her head once to glance around, but quickly decided nothing important was happening, and shifted to lay more comfortably in her sunbeam.

“King, what happens if you’re dirty when Andrew comes?” Neil asked, smiling to himself.

Dirt! King meowed back. Dirt!

He’d let her be for now. But if she was going to be allowed back in the bedchambers, she’d need to get cleaned up. Those were Andrew’s rules.

Sir got to her feet and shook herself. Ick, she said, walking to where Neil was sitting and crawling into his lap. King followed but hesitated when she got close, looking ready to spring away if Neil would try to grab at her. Not out of fear, but for a game. Neil indulged the kitten and pretended to reach out, watching her run to hide behind a nearby pumpkin with a loud screech.

Neil snickered to himself and pet Sir’s back. At that moment Andrew entered the greenhouse, eyes immediately catching onto King’s location. The kitten didn’t seem to notice as he crept closer. “Uh oh,” Neil said loudly. “King, look out.”

She wasn’t fast enough. Andrew snatched her before she could run away and furrowed his eyebrows just slightly. Andrew! Bath! She meowed, squirming.

“Hm,” he hummed. “Yes. Bath.”

No! She argued.

“Yes,” he said back, walking towards the nearest sink.

King tried to protest some more, but there was no avoiding the washing she needed. Neil shook his head fondly and stared down at Sir, who was purring in his lap. When Neil had first begun teaching the kittens how to speak Andrew had joined in, wanting to be able to talk to them as well. He caught on quickly, despite it being slow progress, and in time the four of them would be able to have full conversations.

When Andrew deemed King clean enough, he walked to where Neil and Sir were sitting in the dirt, dropping the other kitten next to her sister while he sat down. Neil glanced at the clothes he was wearing, about to comment about stains, when he noticed that Andrew was dressed casually. “Oh,” he said, “I forgot. Sparring.”

About a week ago, while meeting with Kevin and Matt, Neil had overheard one of the guard’s taunts and took it as a personal challenge. Without using his magic - because he wanted it to be a fair fight - Neil had hit the guard in just the right place off his jaw to knock him out. Apparently, Andrew had been watching and had been impressed enough to ask Neil to teach him how to do that. Neil would never have a problem with teaching Andrew how to defend himself, but he was a little surprised Andrew didn’t already know about that particular pressure point.

In response, Andrew shrugged once. “I figured.”

“Am I that easy to read?”

“No. You learn a lot about someone you spend most of your time with.”

“Yeah, I guess you do.” Neil looked away to stare down at the kittens, smiling to himself as King yawned loudly and collapsed on her sister. “We should adopt a dragon,” he blurted. Both King and Sir seemed to perk up just slightly at that, at least curious. “How about that? Would you like another sibling?”

They meowed broken but cute affirmatives. Sibling , Sir meowed, pausing on the word. What’s...draaa…?

“Dragon,” Neil repeated, petting behind her ears. “They’re big lizards that fly and breathe fire.”

“They’re fucking menaces,” Andrew huffed, leaning back on his hands.

“Andrew!” Neil scolded, covering the kitten’s ears as best he could. “There are children here.”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “We’re not getting a dragon.”

“Why not?” Neil pouted. “It would be cool.”

“They’re giant lizards that can fly and breathe fire,” Andrew stressed, giving Neil a look. “They’re not house pets.”

“It wouldn’t be a pet,” Neil argued. “And if we raised one, I’m sure it would be fine - “

“No.”

Neil grumbled and looked down at the kittens again. He’d teach them how to ask Andrew if they could adopt a dragon, because if they asked he’d never be able to resist. Or maybe that was just Neil. He enjoyed spoiling the kittens.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he remembered he was working. “Potion,” Neil muttered to himself, scooping up the kittens and passing them over to Andrew before walking to his work area. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the potion hadn’t been spoiled and took it off the fire, spooning portions into jars. When Neil came out of his working headspace, he could practically feel Andrew at his side: still holding the kittens, but staring at something on one of the messy tables.

“You finally used it,” Andrew seemed to muse, releasing the squirming kittens to the floor.

He was referring to a large opal he’d found Neil while on their way to Aaron’s wedding. For the longest time Neil hadn’t known how to use it, even though gemstones were perfect for charms and even some potions. It had just felt too special to use. “Yeah,” Neil confirmed, looking back at the jar he was pouring his potion into. “I made Abby a few charms for good luck while I continue researching.”

Andrew hummed. Neil saw him reach out towards one of the shards of the gem that was left. “Are you still using these?”

“Not really. I guess if I have another idea.” Done bottling up his potion, Neil turned to face Andrew fully, feeling some sort of fondness fill him at the sight of the King of Palmetto holding a tiny piece of an opal stone so gently. “Why? Did you have an idea?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.” Neil looked down at Sir, who was rubbing against his legs with a purr. “Take whatever you want.”

He assumed Andrew did, even if Neil didn’t watch him because he got distracted by the kittens. Again. After a few seconds Andrew tapped his shoulder once. “Let’s go,” he said simply.

Neil assumed he wanted to get the kittens back to their room for the night. The sky was getting darker already because the sun still set early in the evening. The kittens followed as they walked through the courtyard, back into the palace and into their room. Waiting at the table was food for King and Sir. “Still want to spar?” Neil asked.

“Yes,” Andrew replied. He crowed close to where Neil was leaning against the table and put his hands on the witch’s waist. “You?”

“Yeah,” Neil hummed, reaching up and hovering one hand around Andrew’s jaw, waiting until Andrew leaned into his touch. “I thought you would’ve known it. Just here.” Neil traced right above Andrew’s jaw, adding pressure to some spots until he found the right place. Andrew tensed, but not in a bad way. “Hit that hard enough and even the largest fucker will go down.”

“Learn that while on the run?” Andrew asked.

“Of course. When everyone’s bigger than you…” Neil trailed off and shrugged. “It’s important to know. Just like this one.” Neil moved his thumb to a place behind Andrew’s ear that almost felt like a tiny knob of bone on his skull, making sure not to add pressure. “Now this will hurt. Feel it.”

Andrew did. His eyebrows furrowed and he tensed again, quickly dropping his hand. “Every instinct I have tells me not to touch that.”

Neil snorted to himself. “Well, yeah. Hit that and it’ll feel like you’re on fire.”

“Where else?” Andrew whispered, leaning against Neil more.

After wondering for a moment why they weren’t just going to go spar, like they’d planned, Neil moved his finger so the back of Andrew’s jaw. “Here,” he said, keeping eye contact as he moved his hand further down. Andrew wasn’t saying ‘no’ so far, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t change in an instant. “Here,” Neil whispered again, tapping the side of Andrew’s neck, just above the shoulder. 

Andrew closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. Neil felt entranced, and suddenly things felt more intimate than a simple lesson on pressure points. “And?” Andrew prompted after a few seconds of nothing.

Neil tapped his exposed collar bone. “Hook a finger through here,” he explained, “and it’ll hurt like hell.”

“No shit,” Andrew said, shrugging Neil’s fingers away.

“Are we still gonna spar?” Neil asked after managing to swallow once.

“Hm? Do you want to?” Andrew asked, stepping out of Neil’s space. He immediately felt cold and wanted Andrew to hold him again.

“I don’t think we’re talking about the same kind of ‘sparring’ anymore,” Neil grumbled, watching Andrew make his way towards the wardrobe.

“I like listening to you explain how to kill someone.”

“That’s not killing someone,” Neil argued. “That’s incapacitating someone. Killing can take too long, sometimes.”

Andrew grunted from the other side of the room. Neil pretended to busy himself by cleaning up the kitten’s mess and directing them towards their beds. When he finally turned back around, Andrew was laying in bed and staring at him. 

“What?” Neil asked after a moment. 

Andrew patted the mattress once. Neil sat down on the edge, not quite ready to settle down, yet. “What did he say to you?” Andrew asked, closing his eyes.

“What did - ? Oh.” He had to be talking about the guard Neil had originally punched. “Nothing important. Why?”

“You’ve never reacted that strongly to Jack’s taunts.”

“So? Jack never says anything important, either.” Neil knew that Andrew wasn’t going to let this one go. He wouldn’t push, but he wanted to understand. “He called my scars ugly,” Neil easily said.

Andrew’s eyes snapped open. “Who was he?”

“I don’t care,” Neil quickly shut down. “And I don’t care that he called them ugly. I just wanted him to know that I don’t want to hear what he has to say.”

While he didn’t look happy about it, Andrew didn’t press for names. He held out a hand on the bed, an offer Neil appreciated but couldn’t take. He shook his head and didn’t reach back, because he always felt stuck under his own skin when it came to acknowledging his scars. He isn’t self conscious about them, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t hate them.

“Neil,” Andrew called, bringing his attention back. “Stop thinking.”

“Sorry.”

“No, I…” Andrew paused, hand still reaching out. “Do you hate them?”

“Of course I hate them,” Neil said, a bit quietly. “They’re a constant reminder of one of my biggest failures.” He narrowed his eyes at Andrew. “And don’t you dare try to tell me they’re not.”

“Not what?”

“Ugly, or… or gross. Pick your poison.”

“They’re not pretty,” Andrew said as though he was stating a fact. Which, Neil supposed he was. “Do you think my scars are pretty?”

“No,” Neil quickly answered.

Andrew nodded. “Betsy once told me our scars tell others that we survived.” He glanced once towards his arm, uncovered by his black arm guards but covered up by dark cloth. “I guess in some fucked up way they do.” Neil didn’t know what to say in response, and felt grateful that Andrew continued. “Do you want to know what I thought when I first saw them?”

Neil didn’t know. He ended up reaching for Andrew’s hand and held on before voicing an affirmative.

“I was angry,” Andrew explained slowly. “And when you said it was because of your own magic, I felt even more angry. At Riko. At myself, for getting cursed in the first place. At you for feeling like you had to push that far.” He gestured for Neil to get closer, then lightly traced the scars on one of Neil’s cheeks. “And now, I just want to make sure you never feel like that again.”

Neil averted his gaze and smiled. After a second he reached for Andrew’s cheeks and leaned forward until their foreheads touched. “You know,” he whispered, “that’s kind of how I feel about you.”

“Hm.” Andrew moved to lay his head on one of the pillows, and Neil followed. “Scars aren’t beautiful,” he continued. “But living on despite them…”

Neil nudged his nose against Andrew’s, then moved to give him a quick peck on the lips. “You’re a real poet.”

“The world never should have educated me,” Andrew said in monotone. “If someone says something like that again, let me get a punch in before you knock them on their ass.”

“Alright,” Neil promised, tracing Andrew’s cheekbones until he fell asleep.

~*~

Neil hadn’t thought about the opal until a couple of weeks later, when Andrew gave him a ring after eating dinner in their bedchambers. The opal was secure in silver metal, the ring not perfectly round and just a little large for Neil’s finger. 

“It’s nice,” Neil decided, putting it on. He wasn’t into jewelry - Andrew liked to add chains and necklaces to his outfits, and Neil wore whatever he chose for him for the day. “It’s for me, right?”

“Yes,” Andrew confirmed. He wouldn’t look away from it where it was on Neil’s finger. “It’s large on purpose - so you can wear gloves if you want.”

Neil had started doing that after Robin gave him some gloves that matched her own. He liked them - they were comfortable and good for riding, archery or working in the garden. “Is it really?” he asked, deciding he’d have to try it out as soon as possible. “Who made this?”

“Me.”

For some reason, Neil wasn’t surprised. “Really? How do you know how to make a ring?”

“I used to work at Wymack’s blacksmith shop, Neil,” Andrew reminded him.

“Oh, yeah.” Neil got to his feet and found the gloves, glad to find that the ring fit perfectly over them. “Thanks.”

He sat back down in his chair. For a few seconds there was silence, finally broken when Andrew said, “You don’t know what that is, do you.”

“Huh? It’s a ring,” Neil said with a frown.

“Yes, Neil. And why do people give rings to each other?”

“Gifts?” Neil guessed.

Andrew sighed through his nose. “I’m proposing, Neil.”

“Proposing what?”

“That I hate you,” Andrew answered, leaning his arms on the table and keeping eye contact. “Do you know what a wedding is?”

“Yes, I went to your brother’s and Nicky’s,” Neil said, rolling his eyes. “What does - ? Oh.”

“Since you’re too stupid to understand - “

“I get it,” Neil interrupted. “You want to get married.”

“To you,” Andrew added. “Just to make that clear.”

Neil got it, and felt just a little bit embarrassed that he hadn’t earlier. But hearing Andrew say that made him feel happy: marriage wasn’t something he’d thought about in the past. Ever. Not even in the time he’d spent with Andrew, because what they had together was perfectly fine. He felt content with their dynamic, especially with the kittens now added to their lives. But now that Andrew brought it up…

“I’d like that,” he decided, fiddling with the ring. “This is nice. You really made it for me.”

“Adding to your theory that I’m dwarvish?” Andrew asked mockingly, getting up from the table to go to his desk. Neil was pretty sure he was only pretending to rifle through papers.

“Well, you found me an opal and made me an engagement ring,” Neil pointed out, turning in his chair to watch Andrew’s back. “Pretty sure that’s evidence.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me,” Neil taunted.

And that’s how they got engaged. When their friends asked for the story, Neil tried to think of something much more romantic: something where they went horseback riding together to a nearby village, went sightseeing and then Andrew actually got down on one knee and asked Neil to marry him. But in the end he just told the truth, because in Neil’s mind the truth was much more fitting and he liked that it wasn’t a big deal.

Marriage is a big deal, but it just felt like the next step to take. Because in the end their dynamic wouldn’t change - Andrew would still be king and Neil would still be his court witch. They’d still have the kittens and do their duties as usual. The only difference would be rings and the fact that they knew they were married. 

Neil liked it. He wanted it.

They both decided a lavish wedding, like the one Aaron and Katelyn had with the entire kingdom there to watch, wasn’t something they wanted. If they were going to get married, it was going to be something private and for them. The best time for Andrew to leave on a trip ended up being towards the end of summer, so that’s when they planned to go: at the end of the summer, in the south of the kingdom, to spend a week at an estate on the beach. Apparently it was a place the royal family used for vacations in the past, as Andrew explained he went there once with Aaron and Nicky. They chose it because Neil had mentioned that in all his travels he’d never been to any coast and wanted to see the ocean at some point in his life.

They packed lightly, and would travel with only Kevin and Robin as escorts, trying to make their leave as quietly as possible. Allison had promised to bring more for when the actual wedding happened, but until then they had a week to themselves. It would take about a day to reach the estate, so they set off right after the sun had risen with Kevin leading the way and Robin trailing behind.

She’d been particularly excited to hear about the wedding plans, teasing that they practically had been in her eyes and in awe over the ring. Then, when Neil asked if she would come with for the ceremony, she’d seemed close to tears and had accepted. Kevin was less dramatic about the whole thing, offering up a simple, “Congratulations,” and agreeing to come along. He was taking his job very seriously, on the lookout for anything or anyone that would dare try to attack. Not that they’d have much luck with a witch and enchantress to fight.

Oh, and the kittens were coming, too.

They loved horseback rides, often meowing questions about things that they saw that weren’t recognized. Usually Neil filled the silence by answering until they finally got tired and fell asleep in their ‘travel pouches’, as Allison had called them. Whatever they were, they did the trick in keeping the kittens in place and safe for any journey. But once in a while Neil would let them out, if they rode with him, and they got much better looks at the world around.

Esprit, Neil’s brown mare, loved the kittens, talking back to them about sights she’s seen in the past. Every time they roamed around the saddle, Andrew watched like a hawk ready to snatch either one that fell off first. Luckily they never did, and one time Neil had tested fate and pointed out that at one point that had been Andrew sitting in the saddle with him, which had promptly gotten him banned from kitten duty for the next eight travels they made. Neil had counted.

Andrew was watching them now as they roamed around the saddle. Sir had mostly curled up against Neil as best she could while King got more adventurous, clearly attempting to climb up Esprit’s neck for some reason. A better view, maybe? Neil lightly scolded her again and explained why she had to at least ask Esprit if it was okay to use her head as a lookout post.

“Or don’t,” Andrew spoke up, staring at King.

Want see, she whined once.

“You can look around once we get to the estate,” Andrew replied, looking forward again. “It’s not much further.”

“How do you know?” Neil asked.

Robin let in an exaggerated inhale. “Can’t you smell the sea?”

Neil sniffed once, and suddenly it registered to him the slight salty tang in the air. Excitement filled him at the thought of seeing the ocean for the first time, and he squirmed enough in the saddle for Sir to get annoyed and ask to be put back in the travel pouch. A few more turns in the road and they were there, looking over large mounds of sand to see the giant crystal-blue water that spread far beyond the horizon. Esprit paused on the stone path to let him gape at it: the waves rushing towards shore, the birds flying overhead, the palm trees seemingly everywhere.

It was beautiful.

“Neil,” Andrew called, now up ahead on the road with Kevin. “Keep up. You can look at it later.”

Neil exchanged a look with Robin, who had also paused to look at the scenery. She shrugged once and the two directed their horses down the path again. Just up ahead was a large house: the color of the stone it was made of just a bit darker than the sand around. Neil could see tons of large windows covering the two stories and a huge patio off the side that would give the perfect view of the ocean. After dismounting, he made sure the kittens were secure in their travel pack before leading Esprit towards the stables, following the others.

Once the horses were taken care of, they grabbed their things and walked up the small staircase to the front doors of the estate. Neil held tightly to the squirming kittens until they were inside, then let them go to explore the place. It felt modest after getting used to a life in the palace, but the place also reminded Neil of Allison’s farm estate near the mountains. He liked that it was simple.

“Pick a room,” Andrew told Kevin and Robin. “Most are upstairs. Nobody else is here.”

As the two made their way up the stairs, Neil turned to Andrew. “It’s just us, here?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t servants keep the place clean?”

“Yes. I gave them a week of vacation.” Andrew kicked Neil’s bag towards him. “I hope you didn’t forget how to cook.”

Truthfully, it had been a while since Neil had cooked food for himself, but he was sure that he’d be fine if he at least had some directions. “Well, let’s see what’s stocked,” he decided, turning with the intent to find the kitchen.

He’d barely taken a few steps down the hallway before Andrew was calling him back, motioning to follow up the stairs. Neil did, making sure to grab his bag as he went, and followed Andrew to the second floor. It was much more open space with a large study in the middle, some couches angled in an ‘L’ shape that faced a large black piano. A few walls taken up by bookshelves where there weren’t doorways or halls leading to different parts of the house. Andrew made his way towards one room in particular, tucked in the back corner. Neil almost expected something small when he walked inside, and while the room wasn’t as big as their bedchambers in the palace, it certainly wasn’t small.

There was a small living area fit with two large couches and a fireplace. On a raised platform was a large four-poster bed with white sheets instead of the black Neil was used to. A huge window was right next to the bed, overlooking the beach. Neil dropped his bag by the bed and walked towards it, smiling once again at the sight of the ocean.

“You can open the door,” Andrew told him, already unpacking his things.

Neil hadn’t realized what he thought was a window was actually a door that opened to a small balcony. Immediately he could smell the salt in the air, the sun unblocked by clouds making it feel even warmer. When he leaned against the bars of the balcony he frowned. “Do you think King and Sir could slip through these?” he called to Andrew.

“Maybe,” Andrew replied. He walked to the door of their room and let out a loud whistle for the cats to come find them while Neil ducked back inside, closing off the balcony. 

“This place is beautiful,” Neil remarked, stopping next to where Andrew was setting out clothes they’d brought with them on their bed. Andrew hummed but didn’t stop his work, so Neil laid down on the bed and was happy to find it was almost as comfortable as the one in the palace. “Thank you.”

“Hm.” Andrew turned his back and pretended to search for a wardrobe, but Neil had seen the slight redness to his ears before he could go too far. “Stop laying around and help unpack,” Andrew called over his shoulder, finding a wardrobe and starting to hang their clothes in it.

“But I like watching you work,” Neil called back, not bothering to hide his staring.

Andrew turned around just so that Neil could see him roll his eyes. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go to the beach.”

He made a good argument. Neil rolled off the mattress just as the kittens ran in the room, trying to talk about whatever they had seen but barely managing to speak with their broken sentences. Neil still listened and eventually deciphered that the two liked it here and were excited for the vacation. “At least they’ll tire themselves out,” he whispered to Andrew, keeping one eye on the kittens now suddenly mesmerized by the single rug in the room.

“We can only hope,” Andrew replied with a blank face. “Set up their bed.”

“I can’t wait until they’re old enough to set up their own bed,” Neil replied, moving to do so.

Andrew had apparently lied, because there ended up being no time to go to the beach that day. Right after unpacking they realized they’d have to get a meal started in order for everyone to eat that evening, which led to a mostly joking argument about what to have given the supplies they had. By the time anything had been prepared the sun was setting, but it was still warm enough that they all sat on the large patio and watched the sun dip below the horizon.

There were some stone steps that led to the beach from the patio, and some lanterns hung from the pillars wrapped in vines. Neil wanted to go down to the beach right that instant, but he also felt tired and wanted to save up some energy for the next day. He’d have a whole week to explore the ocean as much as he wanted to. For now, after a day of traveling and then settling into the estate, it was a good idea to go to sleep.

The next morning, Neil woke up feeling too warm. Sometime in the night the sheets had been kicked off the bed and Andrew had spooned Neil closely. Not that Neil hated the cuddling, but it was too hot for that. He gently pulled himself from Andrew’s arms even though he knew there was no way Andrew wouldn’t wake up. As soon as Neil got to his feet the kittens started meowing, first saying good morning, then asking for food. Neil half-heartedly shushed them and pulled on something decent to go down to the kitchen.

There were some leftovers there that he got ready for the kittens, deciding to make some tea for himself. He still didn’t have much of an appetite in the morning, but Andrew had gotten him to at least drink some tea instead of just waiting until he got hungry later. When it was finished, Neil poured the tea in a mug and walked to the large patio with the kittens running after him.

He spent a bit of time alone on the patio, watching the ocean and sipping his drink while the kittens found places to lounge after breakfast. He was eventually joined by Andrew, who had changed into black pants and a tunic that flowed in the wind and that Neil knew was silky to the touch. There was still a bit of sleepiness in his eyes that he didn’t rub away, stopping at Neil’s side to lean against the chair he was sitting in. Neil raised a hand in an offer, and a moment later their fingers were tangled together.

“I left some tea for you,” Neil said, putting his own mug down on the table next to him.

“I saw,” Andrew replied quietly. He wasn’t much of a tea drinker, claiming it was too bitter even when Neil added honey to whatever herbal drink he decided on for the morning. Sometimes he’d drink it, but most days it was left for anyone else to take. Today seemed like one of those days.

“Want to go take a walk on the beach?” Neil asked, looking up at Andrew.

“The sand is going to be cold.”

“But I want to feel the water.”

Andrew let go of his hand and walked towards the stone steps that led to the beach from the patio. “Don’t complain to me when your feet freeze.”

Feeling giddy, Neil got out of his seat and started walking after Andrew, telling the kittens they’d be back soon. As they walked down the steps, Neil grabbed Andrew’s hand again, feeling content with the breeze and the warmth of the sun shining in the sky. When they finally reached the sand, Andrew had been right: it was cold. Neil grit his teeth and refused to complain, but did pull Andrew more quickly towards the water. The sand directly in the sun was much warmer.

When they reached the shore, Neil let go of Andrew’s hand to get closer to it, letting his bare feet get splashed while Andrew stayed behind on the dry sand. The ocean wasn’t as cold as Neil had thought it might be, and as beautiful as it was there didn’t seem anything particularly striking to him other than the shells washed up in the sand. He crouched down to get a better look at some, trying to move away wet sand to dig out a few larger pieces as the waves pushed new sand right back over the holes he had been making. After a little bit his feet were submerged in sand and his clothes were damp.

“It’s not that cold,” Neil called over his shoulder at Andrew, who hadn’t moved to get closer.

In response, Andrew shrugged once and shoved his hands into his pockets. Neil was content to continue digging in the sand until he’d gathered a few shells, finally moving away from the shore to show off what he’d found. The shells themselves were in shades of brown, a few of them curling into cones and others flat as parchment paper. Andrew looked at them in silence until Neil held them in his tunic, trying to dry them but otherwise unsure of what to do with the shells.

Andrew held out a hand. Neil offered him a few shells that he stuffed into his pockets. The rest were dropped into the dry sand as Neil ran back to the water, deciding to wade a bit deeper until the water was up to his knees. It didn’t take long for the cold to get to him, but he refused to get out of the water right away, staring through the clear water as waves hit his legs and his feet began to sink into the sand again.

Eventually, he moved through the water and took Andrew’s hand again, walking down the beach in silence. Sand stuck to his pants and skin, and while Neil felt dirty he also felt perfectly content. The weather was perfect, Neil had his family at the estate, and they didn’t have any work or responsibilities to worry about. It genuinely felt like Neil was getting time off, which he felt like he hadn’t gotten in his life, ever.

“Let’s have a picnic,” he suggested. Andrew squeezed his hand and grunted. “I want to go on a chiche date.”

“Why.”

“Because it’ll be fun.” Neil swung their hands. “My mom had books in the tower I’d read. A lot of them were dumb romances. I want to have a picnic.”

Andrew tolerated the hand swinging for a few more seconds before forcing it to a stop. “I want scones,” he said.

“You’ll go on a picnic with me if I make some scones?” Neil asked, grinning to himself. He stopped walking down the beach and pushed some of Andrew’s hair out of his face, even though the wind pushed it right back. “Anything else you’d like, Honker?”

“A divorce,” Andrew said, eyes narrowing.

“We aren’t even married yet.”

“Right after that, then.”

“All this effort, just to get a divorce?” Neil asked, pulling Andrew back down the beach to go back to the estate.

“Yes.”

“I can’t tell if I’m impressed at your dedication or if I want to laugh at this whole conversation.”

They got back to the estate and went to the kitchen, where Kevin and Robin were eating breakfast. Robin had snatched the tea Andrew left on the counter and was sipping it contently while Neil found what he needed for scones. Neil talked with her about magic while he shopped up some strawberries to add, deciding to also make some blueberry ones when he found the fruit in the kitchen. He also caved and added some chocolate after Andrew stared at him for ten whole minutes as Neil was preparing the fruit.

“What’re you doing today?” Robin asked when the scones were finally in the oven.

“We’re having a picnic,” Neil said happily, starting to look for other things to make. His mind wandered to sandwiches and and crackers and nuts like almonds that Andrew most likely wouldn’t touch. Now that he started baking again he wanted to make some tiny pies for the picnic, but they wouldn’t be ready by the time they should go. Maybe he’d make them for later in their stay.

“If you go down the path we went, there’s a great spot for a picnic!” Robin said. “There’s a little grassy clearing that’ll keep the wind away, but you can still see the ocean.”

It sounded like a great spot. Neil glanced at Andrew, who was clearly listening despite the bored look on his face. Neil wasn’t sure if he was genuinely looking forward to a cliched picnic date, or if simply the promise of being alone with food was enough for him to be interested. Neil was pretty sure it was the latter.

“Want to go on a picnic?” Neil called to the kittens from where they were laying in sunbeams.

Picnic? Sir meowed back hesitantly.

“Like a trip,” Neil tried to explain.

“With food,” Andrew added.

They seemed excited for it. The scones finished baking and Andrew tried to snatch one, claiming he needed to make sure that Neil wasn’t going to poison the King of Palmetto. Neil didn’t let him try one, even when Andrew helped him make some of the other food. “Wait until we leave,” Neil scolded with a grin, once again pushing Andrew’s hands away from the scones. “They’re too hot.”

“They’re not,” Andrew argued. 

“Stop,” Neil said through laughter. He was really glad that neither Kevin or Robin were around to watch what was going on. “You’ll burn your tongue.”

Andrew scooted closer to where Neil was guarding the scones. “Kiss, yes or no?” he asked.

Well, if he wasn’t letting Andrew eat the baked goods, then Neil could offer a kiss instead. He leaned down to give Andrew a short kiss that ended up lasting longer than he meant it to when Andrew gripped the hair at the back of his head, easily opening his mouth to Andrew’s tongue and feeling more light headed by the second. When they finally pulled back, Neil gripped the counter more firmly and stared at Andrew through half-lidded eyes.

Andrew raised the hand that wasn’t still gripping Neil’s hair  and shoved a piece of scone into his mouth.

“I can’t believe you,” Neil pretended to grumble, brushing some crumbs away.

“What part of what I did can you not believe?” Andrew asked after swallowing.

“That you’d distract me to get what you want.”

“Again. What part of that can you not believe?”

Nothing Andrew had just done was that surprising - Neil had been pretty sure he would somehow get his way. He leaned in again to brush their noses together, keeping eye contact as he went for another kiss, this time actually keeping it short. After leaning back again, Neil grimaced slightly at the taste of chocolate he got from Andrew’s mouth. “I don’t think I like the chocolate,” he admitted, glancing towards the scones and wishing Andrew had eaten one of the strawberry ones.

“I do,” Andrew replied, reaching to finish off the scone he’d ripped apart earlier.

“Are they good?” 

Andrew nodded while he finished the one he’d stolen.

Neil stepped away to go back to finding more things to pack in the bag. “Leave the rest,” he requested. 

Thankfully, Andrew did, and about an hour later they were on their way to the place Robin had mentioned earlier. They got Esprit ready for the short journey, the kittens in their travel pack and the bag holding the food over Andrew’s shoulder. He seemed to be in an especially good mood today because he didn’t get his own horse ready, instead squeezing onto the saddle behind Neil and holding on as they rode down the path.

Neil was reminded of the time they rode together back to Foxhole after the curse had been lifted. They hadn’t traveled that way since, mostly because it’s not comfortable to ride together on a single horse, but also because they hadn’t been completely alone since returning to the palace. Other than their bedchambers, there were constantly people around. It made Neil feel strangely happy that Andrew wanted to do this when they were alone. Even if it was slightly uncomfortable.

The small clearing Robin had mentioned wasn’t that far down the path. There was a grassy area that overlooked the beach, surrounded by rocks and trees that blocked the breeze. Esprit settled to graze some of the grass with the kittens running around her as Neil found some rocks to keep the blanket they’d packed on the ground. Andrew had given him a look and asked why he couldn’t just use magic to do that, to which Neil was reminded that he definitely could but decided to claim he didn’t want to because that would be too easy.

It was relaxing in that small clearing. Most of the time he and Andrew spent there was in silence, filled once in a while by the kitten’s mumbled nonsense. After they ate most of the food brought, they leaned back on the blanket close together with the kittens napping near their legs. As nice as everything was, Neil knew it was just that way because it was a good day for them both.

“Thanks for coming on my picnic,” Neil said over the distant sound of the ocean. Andrew had laid his head down on one of Neil’s outstretched arms, letting Neil run fingers through his hair. It seemed like he was dozing, but he opened his eyes after Neil spoke. “I like this,” Neil added without thinking.

Andrew nodded once slowly. “Kiss,” he said, “yes or no?”

“Yes,” Neil whispered, smiling to himself as he leaned down to give said kiss. After one it didn’t seem like they could stop, sharing messy kisses and tasting the food they’d made on each other’s tongues until Sir spoke up with a loud complaint that she was trying to sleep. Just to spite her, Neil sat up from the comfortable warmth Andrew’s body gave to lay down next to her and King, kissing their heads until they batted his face away.

Ick! Sir complained, rushing to Andrew’s side.

King bit at Neil’s tunic and tugged a few times, asking to play through the mouthful she’d grabbed. Neil tugged back and eventually pulled away, taking the moment to spring to his feet and run through the clearing with King on his heels. They chased until King got too tired, to which Neil scooped her up and brought her back to the blanket, laying down where Andrew and Sir had been watching.

“You’re sweaty,” Andrew complained, brushing Neil’s hair back. “Gross.”

“Then we should wash up,” Neil suggested with a smirk. “In the ocean.”

“That’ll just get you more dirty. And you’re the only dirty one right now.”

“Hm,” Neil hummed, deciding not to argue. He cuddled King closer to his chest and then moved closer to Andrew for another kiss.

It was a good day for them both. That’s what made it even better.

~*~

One thing that Kevin had quickly discovered was a small courtyard on the opposite side of the patio that had a training area. Andrew had rolled his eyes when Kevin mentioned it, but despite wanting to have a relaxing vacation, Neil couldn’t help but be curious about it. On their third day in the estate he ended up wandering over once he was sure Kevin was done with whatever training he was doing, looking around the area for something of interest.

He ended up finding a small archery range. While he used his shortsword far more often, he’d made sure to continue using his skills with a bow. Andrew had gifted him one after they moved back to the palace, since he’d lost his old one when fighting Jean and then gave Jean’s bow back to make amends. He’d brought it along, because going anywhere without something to defend yourself was a dumb choice, so he went to get it and decided to practice.

The first few shots were rusty - not quite in the center, but at least they all connected with the target. Neil recovered his arrows and continued to practice his aim until he finally hit the bullseye, only slightly satisfied with himself.

“Should’ve known you’d find this.”

Neil looked over his shoulder and watched Andrew walk towards him. His arms were crossed, but that was probably because today was a bit chillier than the past two, the sky cloudy but not gray. “Thought I’d make sure my aim was alright.”

Andrew stopped at his side, looking at the target. “You seem a little off.”

“I know,” Neil grumbled, walking towards the target to gather his arrows again. “I haven’t been practicing as much.”

“I said a little, Neil,” Andrew said once Neil returned to his side. “You still hit the bullseye.”

“Once.”

Andrew rolled his eyes and reached for his knives, which Neil hadn’t noticed had been brought with, in their sheaths on his thighs. Andrew pulled one out and weighed it in his hand for a moment, then lined up and threw it towards the target. Neil was pretty sure that they weren’t throwing knives, but the one that Andrew had thrown spun through the air well and sunk into the bullseye.

“Nice throw,” Neil breathed, impressed. Andrew hummed and threw the other, which landed more to the right of the first one. “Who taught you how?”

“Renee,” Andrew explained. “And a few others.”

“Who?”

Andrew gathered his knives before replying. “When I was a teenager, I stayed with a group of bandits for a while. They taught me how to steal and fight.”

“How long did you stay?” Neil asked, holding his bow more tightly. 

“A little more than a year,” Andrew replied, shrugging. “I don’t remember. It was the first winter I spent not in some kind of shelter.”

Neil nodded. Andrew had briefly mentioned some experiences in the past, mostly about his travels in the warm seasons before finally finding a place to stay during the winters. There were also some things he seemed unwilling to share, if the ‘I can’t remember’ was anything to go by. “What did they teach you?”

“They wanted to teach me how to use a bow,” Andrew said, distaste in his voice. “The closest I got to something like that was throwing knives.”

“So, not into long-range fighting,” Neil summed up. This was nothing new to either of them - Andrew preferred his knives, and only once had Neil seen him use a sword.

“No,” Andrew agreed. “I want to meet a threat head-on.”

“Why?” Neil asked, glancing down at the bow in his hands. It felt so natural compared to any other weapon.

“You fight like you’re ready to run away from it at a moment's notice,” Andrew told him. “I fight to win.”

He was right. More recently, when working with Matt and Kevin and the rest of the guard, Neil had learned how to fight differently. How to use his sword not just as an amplifier for his magic, but for fighting in general. He was out of practice with a bow as he learned a new way of defending himself - one that, admittedly, required him to face a threat head-on like Andrew said he preferred.

“But why not a sword?” Neil decided to ask after a moment, giving the knives a pointed look.

“Doesn’t feel natural,” Andrew said simply, tucking the knives into their sheaths.

“Where did you get those?” Neil asked. “Did you make them in Wymack’s shop?”

“No. They were...a gift, of sorts.”

The answer was slightly cryptic, but Andrew was now looking away, so Neil knew better than to press for any answers. He looked at his bow again because he suddenly didn’t know what to say, and an idea came to him after a moment. “Do you want to learn?”

“Learn what?”

“How to use a bow.”

Andrew seemed hesitant, eyes moving from the bow in Neil’s hands to his eyes multiple times. “The last time I tried to use one, I was fifteen.”

“Okay,” Neil said easily.

“I’ll be terrible.”

“That’s fine.”

They seemed to be caught in some kind of staring match. Eventually, Andrew relented, and he nodded. Neil started pulling off his gloves and handed them over. “Wear those,” he instructed, grabbing an arrow. He’d never taught someone how to use a bow and arrow before, but now that Andrew was willing to learn he found he really wanted to. 

“Your gloves are small,” Andrew remarked once said gloves were on. Neil had forgotten that Andrew’s hands were larger than his own, but despite that the gloves did fit over his palms.

“Are they uncomfortable?” he asked. Andrew shrugged once. “Do you have your own?”

After a moment of consideration, Andrew shrugged once more. “This is alright,” he decided, gesturing towards Neil’s bow.

“Right,” Neil said, holding an arrow up, the tip facing down. “Okay, so. This is an arrow.”

Andrew gave him an unimpressed look.

“They have little dips in the end,” Neil continued, feeling slightly embarrassed. He pointed to it, then nocked the arrow in the bowstring. “It fits here, like this, and rests on the nocking point. Then, you pull the string back.” Neil demonstrated, arm raised so that the hand pulling the arrow back was level with his cheek. He didn’t fire the arrow, lowering his bow after demonstrating the stance. “One finger above, and one below the arrow. The string is going to have some tension, but you can’t yank it, or it could break.”

“Do they break easily?” Andrew asked, accepting the bow when Neil passed it over.

“No, I just think you might be strong enough to do that.” Neil pretended to be interested with the arrow in his hands, fiddling with the end for a moment until he couldn’t ignore Andrew any longer, tossing the arrow towards the rest he had. “Okay, show me the stance.”

When he finally looked up, Andrew seemed to be gingerly pulling the bow string back. For someone who hadn’t used one since he was a teenager, his stance wasn’t bad. Neil looked up and down, debating on how he should correct the few errors he saw.

“Can I touch you?” he asked Andrew, stepping closer to his back.

Andrew was quiet for a moment. “Waist up,” he eventually said.

Neil nodded to himself and walked around him, tapping the ground with one foot. “Feet further apart,” he instructed. “Back straighter. And elbow up.” He reached with two fingers to tip Andrew’s elbow higher, until the hand pulling the bow string back was near his cheek. “You can pull more.”

“If your bow breaks, it’s your fault,” Andrew mumbled, but he followed the instruction anyway.

“It won’t,” Neil said easily. “You’re too tense.”

Andrew lowered his arm and held the bow at his side, stopping the stance. “Too tense?”

“Yeah. You need to be relaxed but confident.” Neil demonstrated again, without a bow in his hands. “And you want your arrow to be straight when you shoot. If your elbow is too low, the arrow will go high, and if it’s too high - “

“I get the picture.” Andrew tried again, but there was still a lot of tension in his shoulders. Probably because this wasn’t a familiar position.

Neil took a step closer. “Can I touch your back?” he asked, needing to make sure it was okay. Sometimes it wasn’t.

“Shoulders,” Andrew said.

Neil walked around his back and put his hands on Andrew’s shoulders, thumbs rubbing circles near the base of his neck as though that would take the tension he could feel there away. “It’ll take practice,” Neil said, “but you’re doing well.”

“I hate you,” Andrew said under his breath after a second. He lowered his arms again. “Give me an arrow.”

For a moment Neil was going to ask if Andrew was sure, but he shut up before he could and grabbed one of his arrows, watching closely as Andrew notched it. When he did Neil nodded in approval, facing Andrew’s front to see his form again. “Good,” he decided, pointing to the target. “Try to shoot it. Just release your fingers, and remember to keep the arrow straight.”

The arrow hit the target, Neil was happy to see. It was to the right of the bullseye, but not that far away. Andrew held form after the arrow was released, staring at the target with no particular look on his face. Neil wondered if he was surprised that he hit the target on his first try, or if he was disappointed he didn’t get a bullseye. He decided not to ask.

“Nice shot,” he praised, stepping closer again as Andrew dropped his arms to his sides. “Do you want to try again?”

Andrew just held out one hand for an arrow.

He ended up using all of the arrows Neil had brought with to practice. He never got a bullseye but he hit the target each time, getting closer. Neil corrected his stance a few times, reminding him to keep the arrow straight and to try and relax more. After collecting the arrows from the target, Andrew held the bow out for Neil to take.

“Did you like it?” Neil asked.

Andrew shrugged. “Different,” he said after a moment.

“My mom liked bows because they were long range, but you could also use the arrows in close combat.” Neil twirled one arrow in his hand, a bit clumsily but hopefully impressive. He went for a playful jab at Andrew’s midsection that was quickly and easily blocked. Andrew was almost inhumanly quick to grab one of the knives still on his person, holding it in a reverse grip to block the arrow tip.

“You’re never going to beat me in a knife fight, Josten,” Andrew taunted.

“I don’t know about that,” Neil said back, allowing himself to smirk at the challenge. “I’ve knocked you on your ass before.”

“Or did I just let you?”

Neil felt appalled that Andrew would even think of ‘letting him’. Andrew fought with his all, and he was good, but Neil had been raised to survive. He knew practically every trick in the book because if he didn’t, he would die. “I will fight you here and now,” Neil replied. “We’ll see who’s ‘letting’ the other win.”

Andrew’s knife was returned to its sheath. He turned on his heel and started walking across the courtyard. “Too bad it’s lunchtime,” he called over his shoulder.

“Oh, but I thought you fought to win?” Neil called, grabbing the rest of his arrows and starting to follow.

“Yes. But that doesn’t mean I go looking for fights.”

The statement was almost hypocritical. Almost. Neil mockingly repeated Andrew’s words under his breath as they reached the estate doors, deciding he wasn’t going to go easy the next time they decided to spar.

The fourth day spent at the estate would be their last of peace and quiet. The rest of their friends would be coming in the late afternoon, followed by people like Wymack, Abby, Betsy and Archbishop Walker on the actual day of the wedding. Neil and Andrew spent the morning more lazy than usual, staying in bed despite how hot it was and pretending to sleep, somehow stealing glances when the other had his eyes closed. This lasted until Sir decided she’d had enough and was more than patient waiting for food, and sat on Neil’s head until he agreed to feed her and King.

After breakfast, they went to the beach with the kittens in tow, carrying them down the steps and onto the sand until a blanket and shade was put in place. Neil wanted to lay in the sun, but Andrew made him sit under the shade they brought, reminding him about his skin’s tendency to get sunburned. One time, in the spring, they’d visited Nicky and Erik at their house in the country, and Neil had gotten so red when at a lake Nicky took him to that his skin was almost the same shade of his hair. He’d made a potion to soothe the sunburn, and he’d tanned afterwards, but Neil would never forget the way he’d caught Andrew off guard when he and Nicky sheepishly returned to the house.

It didn’t seem that Andrew would forget, either. So Neil was banned to the shade.

Of course, Andrew laid in the sun. Neil had half-heartedly shot his back glares, but he knew it was for the best that he listen. Sir didn’t seem eager to be in the direct heat, curling up at Neil’s side while King adventured beyond the blanket, hopping in the sand and continuing to repeat the word, Hot! Despite that, it wasn’t until Andrew told her to come back to the blanket that she actually did, laying down in front of Andrew’s head so that he could pet her dirty fur.

“Your cat is filthy,” Andrew grumbled, continuing to pet King.

“They’re our cats,” Neil corrected.

“Until they make messes.”

“Or make too much noise.” Neil laid down on his back and started petting Sir, who purred quietly. “What a grumpy man.”

King hopped away from Andrew’s hand to crawl over his head. Ha, she meowed, rushing to lay next to Sir.

Neil contained his laughter. Andrew rolled over to glare at her, but any effect it had was lost because there was sand covering his nose and forehead. “Having fun, Your Majesty?” Neil asked.

He was ignored. Andrew got to his feet and nodded towards the water. Neil quickly got up as well, telling the kittens to stay put as he ran towards the ocean. Andrew didn’t change his pace, so by the time he finally got to where Neil was splashing around, Neil had already dived under the waist deep water.

“I think I saw a crab,” Neil said, pointing a few feet away. The water was still clear, but not as much as it was the closer to shore they got.

“Don’t go near it.”

“I’m not that stupid.”

Andrew dipped further down in the water. “Debatable.”

Neil splashed some water towards him. Then, he got distracted when he heard some shouts, and looked back to the estate to see their friends on the patio, waving and yelling greetings. Neil waved back. “Guess they’re here.”

In response, Andrew finally went underwater, as though that would let him escape acknowledging anyone else. Which was pointless, because Neil could see him in the water. But he let Andrew do what he wanted, and they spent some time floating in the ocean until Neil started a splash war that felt weirdly competitive. Andrew told him to get back in the shade the moment he noticed Neil’s skin turning red, so they returned to the beach to dry off and lay with the kittens in the shade.

They finally went back to the estate when they couldn’t ignore their hunger any longer, immediately bombarded by their friends in the kitchen, who seemed to be getting a meal ready. Matt pulled Neil into a hug, which prompted Allison and Dan to pull him into hugs as well. Andrew stayed silent and offered judgemental glares at everyone who said anything close to, “Congrats on the wedding!”

In contrast, the kittens were bursting in excitement at the attention they were getting. Neil tried to tell his friends to stop spoiling them, to which Allison scoffed and said, “As if you don’t already spoil them, Neil.”

They were so spoiled.

The place didn’t quiet down until long after the sun had set. Matt had started a fire in the firepit on the patio that they all sat at until they were too tired to stay awake. Neil didn’t know how his friends had so much energy after all the traveling they did, since he had felt exhausted on the day he arrived. At least they had one more day before the wedding, so they could sleep in.

“What’re we doing for the ceremony?” he asked Andrew once they were in bed.

“Archbishop Walker is officiating,” Andrew mumbled into the pillow.

“Yeah, but like, where are we doing it?”

“Patio.”

Oh. That was a good choice - view of the ocean, they wouldn’t have to deal with the sand, Allison could no doubt use the decorations she’d not-so-secretly brought. Neil wondered if she’d brought them on her own, or if they were one of the things that Andrew prepared. Neil didn’t really care how it looked or where they were, so long as they could actually get married. “You still promise I can dress myself?” Neil decided to ask, curling closer to Andrew.

“I brought something if you didn’t.”

“No, I did,” Neil assured. Probably not what Andrew had in mind, but it was what he wanted to wear. He’d gone so far as to get Renee’s help, after all. “I’ll let you do my hair.”

Andrew ignored him, either pretending to sleep or actually asleep. Neil spent some time watching him, studying his face in the dark until he drifted off.

~*~

The estate was bursting with activity the next day. Since the following day was the wedding, everyone was roped into finishing preparing everything. Neil helped Renee and Dan make food while the rest of their friends set up the patio the way Andrew wanted. Robin got out of most work because she was watching the kittens, hanging out in the kitchen to converse with everyone there. Around midday, Nicky and Erik showed up to the house, immediately adding more chaos.

“I’m so happy for you guys,” Nicky kept repeating, immediately pulling Neil into a hug when he went to greet the two. “You’ve felt like family forever. This place is amazing, I’m so glad Andrew thought to use it!”

Neil was still reeling from the ‘you’ve felt like family forever’ comment, awkwardly shaking hands with Erik as Nicky ran into the house. “Um, glad you could come,” he got out.

“Me too,” Erik responded. Neil hadn’t interacted with the man often, but he was clearly kind, and a bit protective of Nicky. He was the sort of man that you could sit in silence with and not be uncomfortable, but who was also sure to be listening if there was a conversation. Neil figured that’s one of the reasons why he and Nicky worked well together.

Neil helped carry their things into the estate, then rejoined the mess in the kitchen. Nicky was on the floor with Robin, apparently giving the kittens some gifts. He did this every time he saw them, and when Neil had asked him why he’d claimed that he wanted to beat Aaron at the ‘cool uncle’ title. When Neil had pointed out that Nicky wasn’t technically an uncle, he’d said, “‘Cool Great-Cousin' does not sound as good.”

He was right, it didn’t.

“Neil,” Nicky called, “tell the kittens they’re cute.”

“They understand you just fine,” Neil replied, leaning against the nearest wall to where Nicky and Robin were playing with King and Sir. The two kittens were chasing some kind of toy on a string that Robin had in her hands, surrounded by even more. If Allison thought that Neil spoiled them, she’d have to take another look at what Nicky was doing. “Girls, say thank you,” he said, because they were royal cats that were going to be sassy and polite.

Thank you! King immediately meowed, leaving the toy behind to jump into Nicky’s lap. Sir was more quiet, eyes not leaving the toy on a string.

“They say thank you,” Neil translated. “And that you’re the greatest uncle.”

“Aww!” Nicky cooed, petting King until she purred loudly.

Personally, Neil didn’t think it was difficult to beat Aaron in the ‘cool uncle’ or even ‘best uncle’ category, but he was a little biased.

By the end of the day, the decorations had been completed as well as a majority of the food. Neil liked that the only people around were those that mattered to him and Andrew, and that instead of having some kind of ‘royal wedding’ it was them that created what they wanted or needed for the occasion. They gathered for a late meal around the time the sun set outside, eventually moving into the large living space on the first floor when the wind made it too chilly to stay outside. After a while, Neil noticed that at one point Andrew had slipped away, and decided to leave the dozing kittens with their friends to go looking for him.

He ended up being on the second floor, in the large study area, sitting at the black piano. The fireplace in the large room had been lit, giving the room a warm and gentle glow. Andrew wasn’t playing anything but his fingers moved over the keys, as though he was thinking about it. “You know how to play the piano?” Neil asked, even though he already knew the answer.

Andrew glanced over his shoulder as Neil approached, then nodded at the bench in invitation. Neil sat down and stared at the keys, remembering the one time he’d heard Andrew play. He’d claimed it was one of the things he was required to learn when he came to the palace, saying he suspected it was just another thing to keep him busy and away from everyone else. But he seemed to like playing that one time, and Neil definitely enjoyed listening to the music.

He didn’t have many chances to hear much in the past. And the melodies Andrew had played were nice.

“Will you play?” he requested.

Andrew didn’t say anything, but he started pressing the keys. Neil didn’t know the name of the song, but he didn’t feel he had to. It was a calm melody with lots of higher notes, slowly becoming more rushed. Neil liked watching Andrew’s fingers move across the keyboard, precise and quick as the song’s notes got more complicated. It felt like an age before it returned to the calm melody, eventually fading away. Neil finally looked up from Andrew’s hands to look him in the eyes.

He was pretty sure it was a good day. “Yes or no?” he asked, glancing down at Andrew’s lips.

“Yes,” Andrew hummed, leaning closer.

The kiss felt calming after the rush of how crazy everything had gotten with the arrival of their friends. It seemed to suddenly hit Neil that they really were getting married the next day, which made him smile into the kiss, reaching up to run his fingers through Andrew’s hair while Andrew gripped the back of his neck.

Neil licked his tingling lips when they pulled back, taking a moment to admire Andrew’s face when he didn’t seem up for complaining. 

“Hey, lovebirds,” Robin called, entering the room with arms full of kittens. “They fell asleep, so I thought I’d get them away from everyone else.”

Both Neil and Andrew got off the bench to take the kittens, thanking Robin before she left back down the steps. With nothing else to do, they decided to sit down on one of the couches in the study until they felt like going to sleep.  Neil sat on the edge, one arm on the armrest and the other combing through Andrew’s hair from where he was laying against Neil’s thighs. The kittens had curled up on Andrew’s stomach, and he seemed to be absentmindedly petting them as they slept, quiet purrs filling the air whenever they paused while talking.

It was a game they’d played often in their past: asking questions and trading truths while cuddling. The first time they’d done it was in the sacred grounds, when Andrew was still cursed and had finally gotten Neil to realize that. Back then they hadn’t exactly cuddled, but Andrew had let Neil lay down on his blanket nest next to him, which at the time was a privilege he hadn’t given much thought to. By the time the coronation had passed and they started sleeping in the same bed in the palace, they’d moved to something more close to cuddling and continued to trade truths late at night.

Sometimes they ended up asking the same questions. Neil usually did it, despite already knowing the answer he’d get, simply because he’d want to hear that answer again. Most questions were about simple things, like what Andrew’s favorite color was, or what his favorite dessert to eat is. And Andrew often did the same thing in return: simply asking a question already asked to hear the answer again. It was comfortable, and sometimes they’d end up revealing something the other didn’t already know.

It wasn’t important to Neil to know every aspect about Andrew, or everything that he’d experienced in the past. There would always be some things that they wouldn’t share - some things they couldn’t share, in Neil’s case. He’d never be able to talk to Andrew about Evermore because of the blood oath, and he wasn’t sure if he’d want to, either. Likewise, there were things Andrew kept to himself, especially about his past. They’d opened up more to each other with time, but privacy was just as important as sharing truths. At least, in their minds.

“What’s one thing you really liked as a kid?” Neil asked now. He’d already asked this question before, but every time Andrew told him the answer just a little bit differently. He liked to hear it. “Like, something random.”

“Traveling the country,” was the answer.  “I always kept on the move, especially when winter was going to come around. I could get rides from farmers carrying stuff if I helped them unload their things.” Andrew stopped talking but he was clearly thinking. “You could always find work with farmers, because they never had enough help. One of my favorite views was seeing their fields in the middle of the day.”

“I used to help out on farms,” Neil put in. “Only for a little while, though. And I think I was bad at it.”

Andrew let out a small huff of breath. “Your garden says otherwise.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Neil hummed once before giving his own answer to his question. “I really liked cooked meals my mom made. Usually we just bought food whenever we could, but sometimes she would get ingredients and make something for the night.”

Neil’s fingers got untangled from Andrew’s hair momentarily when he nodded, eyes focused on the kittens. “In one town I lived in, a noble woman would come around and give out meals to children living on the streets. She’d make us gather in one spot and wouldn’t stop fussing.”

Neil had heard that story, too. “Why’d she do that?”

“Hm,” Andrew mumbled, shrugging. “Who knows.”

Sometimes, Andrew would take the time to tell him that the woman had lost her child and couldn’t confide in her husband for comfort, and ended up turning to helping out other children wherever she could. Other times he’d rather move on from those memories. “Your turn,” Neil reminded him.

“What’s a weird talent you have?” Andrew asked. “Besides being incredibly oblivious.”

“Shut up,” Neil groaned. “If I think about it, I can dislocate my thumb.”

Andrew made a face. “That’s gross.”

“Yeah, and it hurts, too,” Neil agreed.

“Learn that to escape cuffs?”

“Generally, yes. Sometimes the cuffs are too tight to get out of even if you do that.” For a moment, Neil remembered Baltimore Estate. “And sometimes I forget I can escape if I do that.”

A few seconds passed. Andrew moved one hand from petting the kittens to tap Neil’s hand that had stopped moving in his hair. “I can say the alphabet backwards.”

Neil scoffed. “That’s not a talent! You just have to look at it and then you can say it backwards if you want.”

“In Dwarvish, too.”

“Still not a talent.”

“I don’t know, then.”

“On the topic of dwarves,” Neil said, smirking to himself when Andrew didn’t hide a quiet groan. “Are you dwarvish?”

“No. Stop that,” Andrew demanded, closing his eyes as though then he wouldn’t have to deal with the question.

“Hand over the royal ancestry and we’ll find out,” Neil taunted.

“There’s nothing there , I’ve already looked.”

Neil couldn’t help the laugh that escaped at the answer. “You looked?!”

“No,” Andrew tried to deny in dwarvish. “There are no records.”

“Bullshit,” Neil argued. “How are there no records of the royal family?”

“No records for you to read.”

“Nicky would give them to me if I asked,” Neil mumbled in elvish, just so Andrew wouldn’t understand what he said.

It seemed he got the jist of it, anyways. “Nicky isn’t allowed to let you read them.”

“You’re mean,” Neil said with a fake pout.

Mean, King spoke up sleepily.

“Even the kittens agree with me.”

Andrew pet behind King’s ears. She immediately purred and went back to sleep. “I didn’t hear anything.”

Neil poked Andrew’s forehead. “Ask me something.”

“Alright. Fall or spring?”

“I’m indifferent,” Neil explained. “The magic in the Enchanted Forest only changes the weather if it wants to. So I’d gotten used to year-round spring climates. Usually winter never came.”

Andrew tilted his head to look Neil in the eyes. “Was this your first winter in years?”

“Yeah. It’s colder than I remember.”

“That’s why you tried making a snowball with your bare hands,” Andrew teased, looking back down at the kittens.

Neil had. He’d also regretted his mistake immediately, but wasn’t about to let it show, so he’d pretended he wasn’t cold and made about ten snowballs before giving up. “Maybe. What do you like?”

“Spring.”

“Why?”

“The snow melts. That used to be my time to run away and start living in the country again. I liked those times more.”

Neil knew. Andrew used to find some kind of orphanage or shelter for the winter before running away again. He’d done it since he was a little kid. 

“Okay, serious question,” Neil decided. This was something he hadn’t asked before, something that only just came to mind now. “Who left the biggest impact on you?”

Andrew closed his eyes and seemed to think. Neil continued to run his fingers through his hair, waiting patiently for the answer that would come. “Black-Beard,” Andrew finally said.

“Who?” Neil asked. He’d never heard that one before.

“You remember that I lived with those raiders for a year?”

“Yeah.”

“He was the leader. Never learned his name - I don’t think anyone knew.” Andrew opened his eyes again but didn’t make eye contact. “That’s just what everyone called him.”

There was no move to continue talking. Neil worried his bottom lip between his teeth and glanced towards the armrest of the couch, suddenly wondering if he’d pushed too far. “If you don’t want - “

Neil stopped talking when Andrew poked his hand again, now moving to make eye contact. “I guess that technically it had been Wymack that saw something worth keeping around first, ‘cause he gave me that job,” Andrew continued, “and then there was Betsy - of course - and my brother and Nicky.” He paused one more time. “But out of all of them, Black-Beard was the first one that really gave me a chance to start living.”

“Oh,” Neil got out, because he didn’t know what else to get out. 

“It happened right after Tilda died,” Andrew explained.

Neil gripped Andrew’s hair more firmly as he leaned down to press a kiss between Andrew’s eyebrows. “I’m proud of you,” he said. It wasn’t the first time Neil had said that, but he felt like he meant it more every time. He’d known that Andrew had been in a place before that he wanted to die, which was something Neil didn’t understand because he’d always wanted to survive. But hearing about it again just made Neil more thankful that Andrew was still around.

“It wasn’t easy,” Andrew admitted.

“I’d never think it was.”

Andrew nodded. “What about you?”

“Hm, I don’t know.” Neil took a moment to think, since he’d never thought about his own answer before. “I guess I’d say my mom, but...maybe not. I’m not sure.” 

Neil hadn’t noticed that Andrew was loosely holding his wrist until he felt Andrew’s thumb start to move back and forth over his pulse point. For a while they sat in silence, neither moving to ask a different question, which would most likely be the case for the rest of the night. The quiet wasn’t suffocating or even awkward the longer it stretched on. Neil just felt comfortable and reassured with Andrew’s weight on his thighs and the purring of the kittens adding to the crackle of the dying fire.

They stayed that way until Andrew got up, carrying both kittens to their room with Neil following. King and Sir curled up in their shared bed, continuing to purr themselves to sleep. Neither Neil or Andrew bothered to change and just climbed into the four-poster bed, sliding under the thin sheet despite knowing one of them would kick it off in the night. Neil settled on his side and stared at Andrew, who was staring up at the ceiling, as though he knew Neil was going to ask something else.

He probably did. He always seemed to know.

It took a few moments to finally find the right words, or maybe to gather enough courage for Neil to ask what he wanted. “Can I hold you tonight?” he asked, keeping his arms tucked towards his chest. “Not for you. Um, for me,” Neil clarified. “I’d feel better. But you can say no.”

Andrew rolled closer. “It’s yes,” he said out loud, moving Neil’s arms around his back. Neil let him move where he wanted, but as soon as they were pressed together and Andrew’s arms wrapped around him too, he felt infinitely better.

For a second he thought about saying something like, “I’m glad you’re here.” But Neil was pretty sure that went unsaid, given how so much of their relationship had been built on gestures in the past. He felt like this was enough.

And when Andrew tucked his head under Neil’s chin and held just a little bit tighter, Neil knew it was, and finally felt settled enough to sleep.

~*~

When Neil woke up on the day of his wedding, he realized it felt like any other day. He was still holding Andrew and was determined to, even though he felt hot again. The sun was shining through the glass door, the kitten’s light snores echoed through their room, and he could hear others already awake and moving through the house. Eventually, someone would be sent to make sure they were up in time for the ceremony. 

But for now, it was just them.

Neil moved his head closer so that his nose was in Andrew’s hair. He didn’t smell like anything in particular, just a little bit like the salt of the ocean. Of course, Andrew chose that moment to wake up. “Are you sniffing my hair?”

“Yeah,” Neil admitted without hesitation.

Andrew pushed out of his arms, sitting up in the bed and kicking the rest of the sheets all the way off. Neil reached out hand while Andrew got out of bed, refusing to do so himself. “It’s so early,” he complained.

“You get up early all the time,” Andrew argued, going to the wardrobe. “Get moving before Nicky comes in here.”

Neil whined once, just to be annoying, then got out of bed. The kittens started to blink awake, so he changed into something so that he could get them food while Andrew did...whatever he was doing. Probably something wedding related, but Neil wasn’t focused on that. Already awake and in the kitchen were Kevin, Nicky and Renee, who passed over a cup of tea. Neil thanked her, then got the kittens their food and sipped the tea while listening to Nicky talk.

“When’s Wymack and Abby coming?” Nicky asked at one point.

“By the afternoon, I think,” Neil mumbled sleepily while drinking some more tea. “They’re coming with Betsy and the Archbishop.”

“Aaron and Katelyn will be here by then, too,” Nicky remarked casually.

Neil almost spit out his tea. “They’re coming?”

“Yeah? You sent them an invitation,” Nicky said with a laugh.

“Didn’t think they’d actually come,” Neil admitted.

“You didn’t think Aaron would come to his own brother’s wedding?” Nicky asked, raising an eyebrow. “He said he wanted to bring you a gift.”

“Oh. No thanks, we’re fine,” Neil decided, moving towards the doors to the patio to leave the conversation. If Aaron was bringing a wedding gift, it was sure to be some sort of payback for what Neil had gifted him. Which meant it was probably something horrible.

He thought that Andrew would’ve joined him outside, but by the time he returned indoors after at least an hour or two to help finish getting things ready, he wasn’t downstairs. Allison took one look at Neil and reminded him to take a bath, which Neil had forgotten about. It would probably be best to be clean by the time everyone was ready for the wedding. He returned to their room to go to the washroom, but stopped short when he saw Andrew was dressed.

“Gu-uh,” he choked, successfully gaining Andrew’s attention.

He was dressed in white, which in itself was a sight to see, since he usually preferred black. Neil was momentarily reminded of his coronation ensemble, since the clothing had some black and orange trim. But that was where the similarities stopped: this fabric was clearly more breathable, which would allow it to flow in the breeze when they would stand on the patio. It had gold buttons and two of the chains Neil always dreaded wearing, but that Andrew clearly liked. The tunic was high-necked and long sleeved, and of course there were knee high boots set out.

“You look nice,” Neil managed to add after he’d looked his fill. Andrew went back to adjusting the collar of his tunic while looking in the mirror. “Why’d you choose white?”

“All Palmetto royals wear white on their wedding day,” Andrew explained.

To be honest, Neil thought for a moment he’d done it because of...the curse. And he was also pretty sure that Aaron hadn’t worn white, but maybe that was because he had been marrying the Queen of Vixen. “I didn’t pick white,” he admitted.

“I told you to wear what you wanted.” Andrew turned away from the mirror and grabbed the boots, sitting down on the bed to pull them on.

“Aren’t you worried about stains?”

“Robin told me she could take care of them.”

“So could I,” Neil huffed, heading for the washroom.

He spent a long time making sure he was clean, only coming out of the bath when his skin started to get pruny. By then Andrew had left their room, so Neil pulled out what he’d chosen to wear alone. He’d gotten Renee’s help because he wanted to look nice, but he also wanted to be comfortable. She’d found him fabrics and gave some input, and together they’d made the outfit. The tunic was dark green, reminding Neil of the Enchanted Forest, with a collar that came up to his jaw and holes for his thumbs to fit into. The pants were black: tight but not restricting, and thankfully not high-waisted. He had some boots and the gloves Robin had given him that he pulled on, finally adding the opal ring to his left hand.

Neil didn’t waste time checking the mirror, knowing that Andrew would fix anything that was out of place. He wandered back downstairs to a commotion, seeing that everyone else that was supposed to arrive had. Wymack and Abby were talking to Kevin, Renee was speaking to her mother, Betsy was spoiling the kittens more than they already had been, and Katelyn and Aaron had made it, too. Katelyn was in a simple pink dress, looking nothing like the queen Neil had seen in the past, but the air of royalty was still around her. Aaron was in a gray suit and seemed bored until Neil walked over to them both.

“You’re here,” he observed.

“You invited us,” Aaron reminded him.

“I’m so happy you did,” Katelyn added. She raised one finger to her lips in a shushing motion. “But of course, the Queen and Prince Consort of Vixen didn’t travel out here. That would be dangerous.”

They must be doing that weird thing that Neil and Andrew had done to get to their wedding. Which had been pointless in the end, since they were attacked by raiders, anyways. Neil looked at Aaron again. “You didn’t really bring a gift, did you?”

“Hm?” Aaron asked, not looking innocent at all. “I don’t know. Did we, Katelyn?”

“Aaron did,” Katelyn immediately said, causing her husband to sputter.

“I’m sure it’ll make it back to the palace with us,” Neil said, deciding to go looking for Andrew.

He was in the kitchen, not bothering to hide that he’d already eaten one of the cookies Renee had made. “Do you want to fix my hair?” Neil asked, stopping at his side.

Andrew looked him up and down more than once, then raised a hand to move Neil’s hair the way he wanted. It was still a bit damp, making it easier to style. “You made this,” Andrew stated when he was done.

“How’d you know?”

“Renee told me,” Andrew said. “And your seams are a bit crooked.”

Neil knew. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Andrew took a step closer, the hand that had been in Neil’s hair reaching to grip the back of his neck. “You look nice,” he said quietly.

When he said that, Neil suddenly felt nice. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face, quickly asking for a kiss. Thankfully, nobody walked in on their quick makeout session in the kitchen.

After everyone who arrived had settled in and changed, they slowly made their way to the patio. Neil held on to King to keep her from squirming away and tripping people while he conversed with Matt. He hadn’t noticed how much time had passed until Archbishop Walker approached, asking if he and Andrew were ready.

It was only at that moment that Neil realized he had no idea what to expect, or what the Archbishop had planned. He handed King over to Matt and brushed any of her fur off his tunic, and followed the Archbishop towards the balcony, standing next to Andrew. He was sure his nervousness had to show on his face, as much as he tried to hide it. He was very glad that their wedding was private, without the eyes of the entire kingdom, because just their family’s eyes on him added to the anxiety he felt.

And he wasn’t sure why he felt that way. He didn’t have any second thoughts - he was in this for good, so long as Andrew would have him. And yet he was still nervous.

Archbishop Walker had a smile similar to Renee’s, offering reassurance. “Alright,” she began, “this isn’t a traditional royal wedding, so this will be a shorter ceremony. I’ll walk us all through it.”

Just that statement seemed to help. Neil glanced at Andrew, who didn’t look back but clearly knew Neil was looking at him, because he always knew when that happened. Neil felt himself start to relax, shoulders dropping.

“I assume you all know why we’re here today, but I’ll tell you anyways,” the Archbishop continued. “We’re here to celebrate the union of Andrew Minyard, King of Palmetto, and Neil Josten.”

“Oh no,” Matt spoke up, “I’m at the wrong house.”

Neil let himself laugh with the others, and there, the rest of his nervousness vanished. He sent Matt a grateful look over his shoulder. “You have to stay,” he told his friend.

Stay! King agreed, squirming in Matt’s arms.

“Personally, I see marriage as a beautiful thing,” Archbishop Walker spoke up again. “It’s for when those truly dedicated to one another make a promise to stay together for the rest of their lives. I believe those taking their vows would know better than anyone else, but I am still required to ask for anyone who wishes to object to this marriage to speak now.”

There was a resounding quiet from everyone. The waves from the ocean were the only thing heard while Archbishop Walker waited for a few seconds. Neil leaned towards Andrew. “Is it too late to back out?” he asked.

Andrew rolled his eyes. Robin snorted loudly, but nobody else laughed out loud. “Then let’s move to the vows,” Archbishop Walker decided. She first looked at Andrew. “Andrew, will you take Neil to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

“I will,” Andrew responded.

Archbishop Walker then turned to Neil. He bit his lip and tried to control the fast beating of his heart after he heard Andrew agree to all of that. Which he knew was true - they’d already been faithful and protective and comforting, but it was still nice to hear. “Neil, will you take Andew to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

Neil nodded eagerly. “I will,” he said.

“And will you all, family and friends of Andrew and Neil, support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?”

From behind, a chorus of agreement was shouted into the air. Neil found himself smiling again when he heard the ‘yes’s and ‘I will’s and Nicky’s whistle. But what tugged at his emotions the most was King and Sir’s loud meows of Yes!

“Then I invite you both to say your vows,” the Archbishop said, clapping her hands together.

Andrew reached out a hand in offer that Neil took. “Just say what I say,” he whispered. After Neil nodded, he said, “I, Andrew, take you, Neil, to be my husband. To have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do us part.”

Oh. Wow. Neil thought his hand holding Andrew’s might be shaking just slightly, and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to remember all the words to the vow, or get through it all without stuttering. But he tried his best. “I, Neil, take you, Andrew to be my husband. Um, to have and…” He trailed off, trying to remember the next words.

“To hold,” Andrew told him.

“To hold,” Neil quickly added, somehow not feeling embarrassed or more nervous. Just reassured that Andrew had him, like he always did. “From this day forward. For better, for worse, for richer - though I don’t know how that’s possible - for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish ‘til death do us part.”

He rushed through the last bit, but Andrew was doing his not-smile, so he couldn’t have done such a terrible job.

“Then with these rings, may you remember your vows,” Archbishop Walker said, handing over two gold rings. As they each put their’s on, she continued, “Andrew and Neil have given their consent and made their vows to one another. They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands, and by the giving and receiving of rings. I therefore proclaim that they are now husbands. You may now kiss.”

Everyone behind them began to cheer and clap. Neil faced Andrew to get said kiss, about to ask a very important question, but Andrew beat him to it. “Yes or no?” he asked over the noise of their friends.

“Yes,” Neil agreed, falling forward. He wanted to say more - “Yes, of course,” , “Always yes with you,” , “You already know the answer,” but Andrew already knew all of that. He knew it from the very simple answer given.

When they pulled back from the kiss, taking a moment to stare at each other, the Archbishop spoke up. “Well, let’s go eat!” she declared, starting to walk towards the doors to the kitchen.

As everyone started to follow, Neil reached for Andrew’s hand again, giving one more peck on the lips. “You know,” he started saying, his other hand cupping one of Andrew’s cheeks. “I don’t feel any different.”

“Maybe that’s the best thing about it,” Andrew replied, leaning into the touch.

“Hm.”

There was more than enough food to feed them all for a week, and Neil found himself feeling stuffed after just a few bites. He was happy to watch Andrew try the baked goods he’d made that he hadn’t since living in the cottage. Andrew seemed particularly excited to see the sweet bread, ripping it into tiny pieces to eat, like how he’d eaten it as a swan. Despite the conversations going on around them, Neil couldn’t stop staring at Andrew, who kept scolding him for it.

“Can’t help it,” Neil grumbled, “you look amazing.”

“Shut up,” Andrew growled, knocking back some of his drink.

Neil watched him some more. “What, no percentage?”

“You’re off the charts.”

“Didn’t know that was possible.” Neil looked around the room for a second, then back at Andrew. “Want to go to the beach?”

“Now?” Andrew asked, looking out the window at the dark sky.

“Yeah. It’ll be fun.”

He seemed to be thinking about it. “Yes,” he decided, putting his drink down and holding out a hand.

They slipped away from the kitchen and walked down the stone steps to the beach. The sand was cold, but not cold enough to freeze Neil’s bare feet after he took off his boots. He let go of Andrew’s hand to run towards the water, feeling it and debating on whether or not it was too cold. “I’m going in,” he called over his shoulder, rolling up his pant legs. They still got wet the further out he walked.

There was some splashing coming from behind him. Neil turned around to see that Andrew had followed his lead, taking off his boots and rolling up his pant legs. The white fabric stuck to his skin as the waves got it wet. Neil smiled openly at him, but Andrew wasn’t looking back. He followed Andrew’s gaze up behind him, seeing the full moon shining brightly over the surface of the water. He turned back and said, “It’s a nice night.” 

Andrew finally looked back at him and slowly nodded. “The moonlight is nice.” 

Just over a year ago, the moonlight had been his prison. Over a year ago, he was cursed. Over a year ago, they’d begun traveling to E’Allen to stop a coup. Over a year ago, Neil found his world. 

“Yes or no?” Neil asked first. 

One of Andrew’s arms wrapped around his waist moved so that he could reach up and cup Neil's cheek. His thumb traced over the scars left there. “It’s a yes,” Andrew replied, starting to lean in. “To this,” he added more quietly, their lips brushing from how close they were.

And when they kissed, Neil felt Andrew’s smile against his mouth. As much as he would’ve liked to continue standing there and kiss until his mouth ached, Neil pulled back when he felt his body start to shiver, noticing Andrew was doing the same. “We should go back,” he suggested, pulling his arms away from Andrew to cross them, trying to keep warm.

“Yes,” Andrew agreed, walking back towards the beach.

Neil watched him go for a moment, even though he felt chilled to the bone. One last time he glanced over his shoulder at the moon, then finally he started wading through the water. He wasn’t sure if she’d care, wherever she ended up after death, but Neil still found himself thinking, I made it, Mom, as he walked back on the cold sand of the beach, taking Andrew’s hand as they walked back to the path that led to the estate.