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"I don't want to be your king!" He shouts, words wild and angry. And wrong. So, so wrong.
"I-"
"I don't want to have to deal with your recklessness, I don't want to love you, I don't want to hear your voice, but I do ! Every time!" He breathes steady breaths, and Skeppy watches him.
Skeppy inhales. He exhales. He digs his thumbs into his skin so hard it feels like they might bleed.
He squeezes his eyes shut, hoping that the scene before him would disappear if given enough time.
He opens his eyes. It hasn't.
"Okay." His voice doesn't shake. He can't let it. It's for the best, anyway. "If- if that is what you truly want." Steady breaths, Skeppy .
"It is. More than anything." Skeppy did his best to smile. He really did.
"Whatever makes you happy."
He watched Bad walk out the door.
Skeppy woke up, shock making his body tremble. Tears were falling from a nightmare Skeppy had yet to escape.
Was Bad still here?
--
It was something Bad would never admit to. Something that ran in the DNA of his species, that no human had ever documented. Their secret.
Any Nether demon could track the heartbeat of their most loved being. Bad had wondered why it had taken so long to settle, or, to even realize who the heartbeat belonged to.
Skeppy.
It was obvious since the day he felt a second heartbeat in his ears, beating only when Skeppy needed him most. He'd come to tune it out, afraid if Skeppy found out it would weird him out, not to mention, an envision of his privacy.
But this time, it was impossible to tune out. And that was very, very worrying.
Pushing his covers back and grimacing at the cool air around him, Bad walked as quietly as he could up the stairs and through some corridors to get to Skeppy's room.
He hoped the prince was still there. The guilt of not already being there for him was setting in, he was Skeppy's personal guard after all.
If something happened and Bad wasn't there to protect him, Bad would never forgive himself. He still hadn't for some of the other things. Skeppy made sure he didn't dwell on those though, because apparently Bad made this face when he thought about them, running over all the things he could have done better.
Skeppy says that they're learning this together. Skeppy how not to be so reckless, and Bad, how to better protect Skeppy.
At least he's alive . Bad thought, feeling the sound of Skeppy's heartbeat ring in his ears.
Something slammed into Bad's chest as he neared Skeppy's room. Bad resisted the urge to growl at them, angry for interrupting his mission. But, it was late, and this person was probably tired.
"My apologies-" a familiar voice sniffed, looking up.
"Skeppy!" Bad whispered, pulling the prince into a hug.
"Bad!" Skeppy mumbled into Bad's sleeping shirt, so much relief in his voice, you'd think Skeppy thought he'd died.
"Are you alright?" Bad asked. Skeppy nodded, but hesitantly.
So no, then. Bad thought. "What happened?"
"I- it's stupid." Skeppy mumbled, not moving his face from where it was buried in Bad's shirt. If there was anyone around, they might hear from Bad about how unprofessional this gesture was, and see how badly Bad's face was burning.
But there wasn't anyone here.
"Come on now, let's get you back to your room, and if you're up to it, you can tell me all about this horrible nightmare you had." Bad smiled.
Skeppy moved to walk alongside him, and Bad slung an arm around his shoulder.
Bad learned Skeppy's nightmare was about him leaving.
That Bad had looked Skeppy dead in the eyes and told him just how badly he wanted to leave. How much he hated the young prince. Bad's eyes didn't meet Skeppy's until they got back to his room.
"I'm- I'm sorry that happened." Bad was struggling to find words.
"Don't be sorry, silly!" Skeppy smiled, nudging Bad in the shoulder. Or, the arm, due to the hight difference.
Skeppy's eyes looked so enchanting in the moonlight.
"Let's sneak out to the garden." Skeppy whispered, eyeing the window to the right of them.
"Let's not? I'd rather not get you hurt, or either of us in trouble."
"Then don't get caught!" Skeppy smiled, grabbing Bad's hand.
"Skeppy! Skeppy wait- bad Skeppy!" Bad whisper shouted at Skeppy, who pulled him down the hallway with a cheerful giggle.
Bad almost melted. Good thing he was raised in the Nether and was heat resistant. Darn Skeppy and his adorable giggle. He always won.
Bad found himself on a bench, cool night breeze flowing over him, picking up colored leaves as it went, showing them a beautiful dance that only nature could show.
Skeppy had mumbled into his shoulder that he wished he could be as graceful as nature herself. As beautiful, as lovely.
Bad was led to believe he already was.
It took Bad an embarrassing long time to notice Skeppy had fallen asleep.
Okay, well, that might have been a lie. Bad knew Skeppy was asleep for a while. He didn't dare move, though.
The fear of waking up Skeppy, who looked so peaceful when he slept, the way the lines of stress finally evened, the way his eyes darted constantly from side to side, living in a nightmare of constant attacks and assassins, were still under his eyelids.
So, really, he'd known the moment Skeppy's head had fallen into his shoulder.
At one point, Bad decided it was time to go back to the castle, and gently moved to scoop Skeppy up so as not to wake him. He knew peaceful sleep came rarely to the prince.
That was fine, though. Bad would be with him every step of the way.
Despite the informal gesture of carrying Skeppy to his room while he slept peacefully, (he'd been taught that was something lovers were supposed to do, but Bad was just looking out for him! Right?) He figured no one had seen him. He was in the clear. And so, he figured he'd push his luck.
He gently lifted Skeppy's hand and kissed the top of it.
What on earth possessed him to do that?!
Bad dropped Skeppy's hand in shock.
Oh- oh well. Bad thought to himself, red faced. Hopefully Skeppy wasn't awake.
---
Skeppy hoped to everything he had to live for that his face wasn't red. Bad had kissed his hand. Why?
It didn't seem very Bad-like. Oh well, maybe someday he'd know. But for now, Skeppy figured he'd keep it a secret.
For both their sake.