adventures in athenaeas

[day one]

“We’ve just received reports that the convoy has entered the inner gates of Aethen. The guests shall arrive at the courtyard shortly.”

“Is the welcome banquet prepared?”

“Yes, sire… As I’ve told you three times.”

“And the rooms?”

“The rooms inside the palace and the cabin have been prepared and stocked as you requested, my King.”

“Excellent.”

Relief washed over Josh upon hearing the news. Preparations were nothing new to him; that much was true. But though he had been in the courts of royalty and nobles in the past, their incoming wedding guests were different. Unlike all the lords Josh had negotiated with in the past, these people did not treat him as the Crown Prince of Athenaeas. These people treated him as just Josiah, a friend. And in Josh’s experience, genuine, intimate friends were a rarity.

So, having them all over from across the globe for the wedding was a special ordeal. It made Josh excited. Or anxious. Hard to tell. Both emotions twisted the muscles in his heart and made his throat clam up.

After receiving the updates, the King dismissed his servant. Then, he made his way down to the stables with his King’s Guard in tow, ready to receive his beloved guests. When he arrived, he was glad to see that his husband-to-be was already waiting there ahead of him, all tall and handsome in his summer uniform. Ken always managed to quiet his restless heart.

“Hello, my King,” greeted Ken with a warm smile. Only a few hours since they last saw each other and Josh was already so happy to see him.

Josh returned Ken’s tender greeting. When they got closer, he took Ken’s hand and brought it to his lips, smiling as he kissed the golden band around the soldier’s ring finger.

“Hello, heart. Have you been waiting here long?” Josh asked.

“Not long, Your Majesty.” Ken kissed his forehead before continuing. “I was given a short break from my classes to meet everyone. They’re our most honored guests, after all.”

“Indeed. I’m… excited to meet them. It’s not every day we welcome friends.”

“No, it is not, my King. It is a blessed day.”

Just then, the sound of heavy hooves crunching against the cobblestone approached. It started as a quiet rumbling at first before it swelled to a thundering gallop, like angry rhinoceros on the streets. Soon, the heavy set of gates to the stables opened, and Josh felt his mate’s arm hanging protective around his shoulder as if ready to pull him away from immediate danger.

A caravan of soldiers on horses and two carriages stopped in front of them at the stables. Behind them was a single wagon filled with boxes and crates and several other parcels. Some of these were the sundry gifts and shipment from the portside cities. But some, from what Josh could see, looked like foreign bags and luggage so unlike what he was used to seeing in the empire.

The passengers were also unlike what Josh was used to seeing in Aethen. While their people walked around in their garbs of browns and grays, their guests had on them a strange selection of colors: from neons to bright pink to animal skin patterns. They had a look of awe and wonder on their faces as they descended the carriages, as if they could not believe where they were. Seeing their wide eyes and gaping smiles made the King’s heart flutter.

“Are you nervous?” came Ken’s statement, his grip on Josh’s shoulder tightening.

Josh nodded. “Does it show?”

“No, my King,” Ken replied almost proudly. “But I can tell.”

“You would be able to, wouldn’t you?” he chuckled a little.

“Is it about meeting them?”

“Y-Yes…” Josh stuttered. “I… I do not feel confident.”

“About what?” came Ken’s surprised question.

“Friends,” Josh confessed. “I… do not feel confident greeting them as their friend.”

“Oh, that,” the soldier said. His voice sounded amused. “I don’t think you need to worry about that, heart. You shouldn’t underestimate your charms.”

The comment made Josh blush.

The caretakers ran and tended to the horses and some servants hurried to unload the luggage in the wagon. While everyone busied themselves with their tasks, the King and his betrothed walked towards their long-awaited guests with smiles.

“Friends,” Josh said to the small crowd in what he hoped was a cordial tone. “It is my pleasure to welcome you all, finally, to Aethen.”

The tall, slender man in a brown sweater and red knitted scarf was the one to respond on behalf of the group. “It’s our honor, Your Majesty. Your country is magnificent. And so are you.”

“You flatter, sir. You must be the emperor, KJ?” Josh asked as he held out his hand.

“The emperor?” KJ barked out a laugh, shaking Josh’s hand. “Of sorts, I guess. But I’m just a businessman.”

“Hello, Mister CEO, sir,” Ken greeted.

“Soldier. We finally meet face-to-face!” replied KJ with a curious fatherly smile on that youthful face.

Ken warmed up to that smile. “Yes, finally,” he replied.

“H-Hello, Your Majesty… and soldier,” came a smaller, almost breaking voice behind KJ.

A mop of raven hair stuck out from behind the man’s broad shoulder. A pale, somewhat sick-looking face came with it and the widest eyes Josh had ever seen among the party. They had an attractive dark brown shade that the owner seemed charmingly unaware of.

The foreman, Josh thought to himself. The man was just as timid as Josh pictured.

“Greetings, mister foreman. It’s nice to see you,” Josh welcomed, looking at him. “Pardon me for saying this, but you’re looking quite pale.”

“Ah.” KJ peeled away from his conversation with the soldier to turn to Josh. As he did, he slipped one hand down to the small of the foreman’s back. “He was seasick throughout the voyage. So, I do think he needs something warm and lots of rest.”

“I’m fine, KJ,” the man whispered.

The emperor tutted. “No, you’re not, angel. Stop being stubborn.”

Angel. How apt.

That was when Josh picked up the faint scent of pheromones coming from KJ: a cool, spicy, full-bodied scent of fresh pine trees. The scent of an alpha, maybe even an alpha from nobility. And as if responding, the foreman also began to smell of a sweet citrus zest: an omega’s pheromones.

They may not have been aware of it, but their natural chemistry surfaced. Interesting.

“My apologies, Your Majesty,” said KJ. “I must borrow one of your kitchens.”

“KJ!”

“We can have something prepared if you wish,” Josh offered.

“No, no. I’d prefer to make it myself if that’s not too much to ask. I know what he likes.”

The King shook his head. “Not at all. Please feel free.”

“KJ…”

“What? We’re already done with introductions?”

Josh and Ken both turned to the carriages again. The greeting came from a wide, beaming grin and a warm, friendly aura. It came from the uniquely silver-haired man in a neon green jacket and pants that seemed to have been intentionally tattered in places.

All the man had to do was open both his arms and run to them and Josh immediately recognized him as the engineer.

“Hey, Your Majesty! Sol—Your Highness,” the engineer greeted like a joyful boy. He shook the hand Josh stretched out to him. “Hey, congratulations on your wedding, by the way.”

“And on yours.” Josh could feel the wedding ring on the man’s finger.

The confident-seeming engineer showed just the barest hints of bashfulness that made them both smile. If he had a scent, which he did not, Josh was sure he would smell of giddiness.

“You’ll get yours. Be patient.”

The engineer winked. Then, he fell back to the side of another man with tan skin, almost shoulder-length black hair, and a smile made just for the engineer. They looked at each other with so much intimacy, one would think they were soul bonded. An alpha and a beta never looked so good together than then.

Ken walked over to the engineer’s husband, the idol, to greet him. The soldier had once said he was most excited about meeting the man who performed for a living. He sounded enamored last time he talked about how the idol could ‘mesmerize a crowd by just walking.’ Josh laughed then, but he could see how magnetic indeed the said alpha was now.

Greetings were made with Ken’s, “Hello, idol,” to which the idol responded with, “Not an idol anymore.”

“Josiah?”

And then, there was that man.

“Mister writer.”

The gentle face of another ivory-skinned man, almost as pale as an Athenaean, came into Josh’s view. The man walked with a taller, leaner, and tanned younger gentleman with droopy eyes that darted excitedly about. The writer walked with an air of confidence. He did not say a word, but Josh understood him as soon as they shook hands.

It was difficult to find people who could communicate with Josh’s silence. Ken was one. Josh did not expect that the writer would be another.

“Finally,” the writer said.

“Yes, finally, mister writer,” Josh replied. “And… mister surfer boy. Nice to meet you.”

The beta beside the writer snapped his head at Josh, distracted. “Huh? Oh. Uhm, sorry.” He grinned, showing a set of charmingly wonky teeth. “Nice to meet you, Your Majesty. And… Kuya soldier!”

Ken beamed. “Surfer boy. Glad you could make it.”

“It’s summer, so I didn’t have classes!”

“And it’s the perfect season for a wedding,” the writer noted.

“Indeed. We pray for fair skies on the day next week,” Ken replied. His arm found its way to Josh again. “Should we lead them up to their rooms, Your Majesty?”

“Of course,” Josh nodded. Standing closer to Ken, he opened his arms and gestured to their guests. “Again, welcome to Athenaeas, dear friends. Thank you for making time to come.”

All six of their guests nodded, except for surfer boy who seemed enamored by the horses nearby.

“As you requested, we have forgone the welcoming ceremonies. But that does not mean you will not be treated with Athenaeas’ brand of hospitality.”

Ken hummed. “We can tour you around this afternoon, and for the rest of the week, you can use your time as you please. Just… don’t mind the guards assigned to escort you every now and then. For your security.”

“We have guards?” Josh heard surfer boy whisper to his writer.

“Don’t worry, they will be unobtrusive. If you wish to dismiss them, you may. But we are assigning them to you so you can find your way around the Central without a problem,” the King explained. “We’ve also prepared your accommodation inside the palace. We… weren’t sure if you needed separate rooms.”

“Him and I can share,” said the idol in a deep and gruff voice, gesturing to his husband. “Since we also share our luggage.”

The engineer nodded at that.

“Separate rooms for us, if that would be okay,” KJ said. “I think Josh—I mean, mein engel—would be more comfortable.”

“Oh… Yeah,” the foreman said, nodding gratefully.

Josh nodded. “It is done. But writer?”

“Yup?” the writer responded.

“We’ve cleared the cabin in the forest for you and your mate,” Josh told him.

“What, seriously?” The writer’s dark brows shot up his forehead. “Isn’t that cabin your special place?”

“Yes, but… We’ve made some expansions in the recent months. We’ve added a second bedroom for guests that you can use,” Josh explained, almost excited. “You seemed intrigued when we talked about the cabin previously. And I thought you would appreciate the solitude.”

“You can keep writing your book, after all!” chirped the young surfer boy.

“Thank you. I hope it’s not an imposition—”

“It’s not,” Ken told him, putting a hand on Josh’s shoulder. “Please, the cabin is yours for as long as you are here.”

“Wow, special treatment!” teased the engineer.

They all laughed.

“Well, then, shall we go up, heart?” Ken asked Josh.

“Oh, yes. Yes.” Josh nodded and cleared his throat. “You can take what you wish for now, and then we can show you to your rooms…”

Some mumbles of affirmation came, followed by the shuffling of feet. Their guests went back to their respective carriages to gather their belongings.

While everyone else was busy, Josh felt his mate’s temple connect with his.

“You’re doing great, I promise,” the soldier whispered to him.

Josh gave him a sheepish sideways glance. “Do you think so?”

“I know so,” Ken told him. He had his hand on Josh’s waist, a welcome gesture of support that made the King feel safe. “They like you. So you don’t have to worry.”

“Was that friendly and casual, you think?” he asked.

Ken looked at him like he were the beautiful sunrise. “You were… the loveliest… Your Majesty,” he said. “You were the perfect host.”

“I was… just trying to be like you, heart. I guess it worked?”

“Don’t… give me the credit here, Your Majesty. I don’t think you’re aware… of just how incredibly likable you are.”

Josh smiled. He had been worried about their friends’ arrival and the wedding for months. He had fussed over being too formal, being too distant, too cold. Not even his own confidence could console him. Yet, all his mate had to say were a few sweet words, and Josh took heart that he did okay.

Ken was Josh’s reprieve from his turbulent thoughts. A good match for him, indeed.

“Thank you, heart. I needed to hear that.”

He reached up to touch Ken’s cheek and lean in for a kiss.

“Eherm…!”

Except, they forgot one little thing.

The idol was the first to return to them with two backpacks slung across one shoulder. He watched them with unreadable eyes and an eyebrow raised.

“Yeah. So do Athenaeans casually do PDA around here or is it like… your kingly privilege?” he asked.

“Looks like we found a sappier couple than surfer baby and writer, babe,” teased the engineer from behind him.

“My apologies,” Josh responded, blushing. He peeled away from Ken’s body but still stayed within his embrace. “Shall we go?”

“Sure, lead the way… if it’s not interrupting anything…?”

The group chuckled again, and Josh could practically smell Ken’s embarrassment.

Keeping themselves collected, they turned around and began walking into the palace. It was only day one, but Josh felt as if he would be having the most interesting week of his life.

[day two]

“Josh?”

A kiss.

Nothing.

“Josh?”

Okay, two kisses.

Again, nothing.

Ken would have pouted if his lover didn’t look so darned good first thing in the morning. Josh would never agree with him since the writer liked to project a clean, professional image, but Ken thought Josh looked great unshaven, hair unkempt, and without the thin layer of powder he liked to put over his eye bags.

Ken liked his writer just as he is, just as how he had always been. And if Josh turned into a goldfish tomorrow, Ken would still like him.

But he really had to wake up.

“Joooooosh…!”

“Hmrgbghrumgh…”

The writer rolled away from where Ken was sitting and went back to not moving.

“Josh, you promised we’ll do what I wanted to do today.”

“An’ y’ pr’mis’d I’d get to sleep ‘n. Go ‘w’y,” the writer mumbled, going back to sleep.

Ken frowned.

“Josh,” he said, toppling over Josh’s prone form, “come on. Wake up. I even made you breakfast and everything.”

Josh turned his head to him, eyes not quite opening right. “What kind of breakfast?”

“Waffles with berries and syrup,” Ken replied, grinning. “They have a lot of fresh berries around here.”

With a grunt, Ken hopped off the cushioned bed to the small table by the door. He took the tray he left there, walking it over to the yawning writer in the sheets. Josh still looked half asleep as he smiled at Ken, patience on his lips while watching surfer boy approach.

“Hurry and eat! I’ve got something to show you!”

Josh grunted in reply. He picked up the fork and smiled a sleepy smile at the tray of waffles and warm coffee before digging in. When Ken was sure Josh wouldn’t go back to sleep in the middle of his meal, he walked to the small cabinet and started pulling out clothes from their luggage. It was a cold day. Josh needed to bundle up.

“Where are you taking me, by the way? And why the excitement?” he asked, halfway through a mouthful of berries.

“It’s a special place Kuya soldier told me to go see,” Ken replied. “He says it’s better to go early in the morning.”

“I thought you wanted to go see the palace architecture?”

“Later, later. This first,” Ken told him. He approached and bit off the waffles on Josh’s fork. “Hurry, Josh!”

The writer rolled his eyes. But no matter how defiant he pretended to be, he still ate what Ken made for him with gusto. Surfer boy watched him happily on the side, eating whatever Josh held out to him on a fork.

It took some time for Josh to finish his waffles and coffee. But once he had eaten, washed his face, and dressed, he took Ken’s hand and followed surfer boy out to the marked trails.

It was still early and it was cold. The forest around them was just waking up, the sky just beginning to powder baby blue. Josh kept close to Ken’s side, yawning often as they ascended the rocky path. He was watching the thick forest around them with curiosity. Ken knew this was what the writer did whenever he took in his surroundings if only to write about them later. Ken secretly smiled at this knowledge he learned about Josh over the months.

Finally, they approached the top of the hill, where two yellow stone markers guarded the clearing.

“I think this is it…!” Ken exclaimed.

He pulled Josh and began to sprint to their destination. They hurried up, chests heaving as they ran. The light coming from the end of the trail grew brighter and brighter as they approached, and Ken had to squint and close his eyes when they passed the stone markers.

It was unreal. As they stopped at the edge of the cliff, their view was one that overlooked rows and rows of giant sunflowers. Some were already blooming and reaching up towards the sky. Some were just beginning to grow and stretch their stalks. But it was just as amazing as Ken had imagined it would look like, the field gleaming gold under the first rays of sunrise.

Ken gripped Josh’s hand tight. Josh squeezed it back.

“Woah…” Josh whispered. He beat Ken to exclaim about the view they were seeing. “Is this…?”

Ken turned to him with a huge grin. “Yup! This is where Kuya soldier proposed to His Majesty!”

“I thought it’d just be a patch of land,” the writer said, looking at the landscape below them from left to right. “This is… enchanted.”

“Right? Right?” Ken held out his other hand and pointed to one edge of the sunflower field. A small hut was erected there, barely visible with how tall the plants had grown. “Kuya soldier said that’s where they keep the seeds and the fertilizers. And from there, they redirected water from a nearby river to make an irrigation system. Neat, right?”

“I didn’t know architects also bothered with irrigation,” Josh teased with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, I worked at a farm when I was younger. So I know these things,” Ken told him proudly. “Anyway, this is what I wanted to show you.”

“It’s really pretty.”

Josh smiled that smile where he scrunched his nose and show his dimples. It was a smile that Ken loved so much. After all their time together, those were a few of the things that made him remember, ‘Yes, I like this person. I love this person so much.’

So, Ken responded, “Yeah. It’s so pretty.”

Josh rolled his eyes. For sure, he knew what Ken really meant.

They fell into a comfortable silence, watching the sun rise steadily above the mountains of Athenaeas.

“When I graduate…” Ken began after some time.

“Hm?” Josh hummed, absorbing his surrounding landscape again.

“When I graduate, I’ll propose to you,” announced surfer boy with a timid smile on his face.

Josh chuckled. “On your graduation? Really…”

“Yup,” he replied, nodding. “Wearing a toga and a graduation cap and all. I’ll buy you a ring and get down on one knee…” Ken looked around them at the field of sunflowers that one soldier had planted on his own. “It’s not as extra as planting a sunflower field, though.”

“Are you being serious right now?” Josh asked, smile fading.

“Yep,” Ken answered. “We talked about it once before, right? I just thought… I should put a timeline on it.”

“A timeline!” the writer barked.

“So, you know… so I’m motivated.” Ken gave him a small smile that he hoped would tell Josh everything. “But you don’t mind, right? Waiting until I graduate?”

“That’s like… give or take, five years?” Josh huffed out a breath. “Wow.”

Ken pouted. “Too long?”

“It’s not that,” Josh said, chuckling. “It’s just…” He groaned. “I never… imagined… that I’d be in a relationship with someone that long. Five years, huh? That’s… a long time.”

“It’s a very, very long time,” Ken agreed. “We’ll spend it together… then, forever.”

Josh looked at him with eyes full of hope. He blinked it away in a second and scrunched his nose again.

“You are… so cheesy.”

“Hehe. You like it.”

Josh just chuckled. He looked at Ken in the eyes and nodded. “I do.” He smiled Ken’s favorite smile again. “Oh, gods, what have you done to me?”

Ken laughed, too. “I made your life less boring is what I did.”

“Hah! You’d better take responsibility, then. I’ll look forward to your graduation,” Josh said. And for the first time that day, a faint tinge of red slipped past his defenses as he smiled at Ken. “And your proposal.”

Ken grinned.

“I do have one request, though.”

“What is it?”

“Please don’t fail any of your subjects,” he pleaded. “Just… don’t. Okay?”

“I’ll try…?” came surfer boy’s uncertain reply.

“If you fail a subject, I’ll push you off this cliff,” Josh told him with a blank stare. “Even if it’s a minor subject. I’m serious.”

“Wah, so scary!” Ken laughed.

He pulled Josh in a tight hug, laying his cheek on the crown of the writer’s head. Josh adjusted his head, letting it slip between the alcove of surfer boy’s neck.

“Five years,” surfer boy whispered just as he felt Josh hugging him back. “Five years, I promise.”

“I’ll wait.” Josh’s hug tightened for just a second. Then, he said, “Now, can we go see the Cathedral?”

Ken laughed again.

What an interesting five years he had ahead of him!

[day three]

Wow.

Ken thought he and Josh were normal, but wow. From the beginning of their journey to Aethen—and the idol didn’t even know there was a place called Aethen—he realized that they probably were not.

They weren’t like writer and surfer baby, for example, who were sickly sweet like too much honey on a pancake stack. Ken realized this when he was watching them at the airport. Surfer baby was interested in almost everything inside Duty Free, which he would hold up to the writer with that lovable goofy grin of his. Writer always imploded at the puppy-in-a-model’s-body’s smile and bought everything the boy touched. Simp. As they got on the plane, surfer baby was already carrying several paper bags of gifts, souvenirs, and goodies from Los Angeles. On the flight, surfer baby made it up to writer by being his personal blanket. Lovey-dovey, sappy, and cuddly, they practically radiated the pink atmosphere of love as the plane soared halfway across the globe.

Dad and the foreman were another thing. Dad, the CEO, would look at the foreman with goo-goo eyes as if he wanted to kiss the man and never pull away. Like, seriously. It was weird. But the foreman wasn’t any better. Whenever dad had his back turned, he stared at him as if he couldn’t believe the CEO was real. Their dynamic, to the idol, was like a mature kind of teenage love. Which was weird because they were the oldest pairing… and Ken was saying that respectfully.

And then, there was the soldier and His Majesty. Wow. They were something else. Ken had already expected it, but he didn’t know just how sappy, sweet, and touchy they could get. It was like they kissed whenever they had the chance and the servants were cool with it: in the courtyard when they greeted Ken and the others; in the hallways when they were giving the tour. And though Ken didn’t see it, he swore they were kissing in the King’s office earlier that day, too. If the soldier’s face and that strange stench from him were any indication.

Overall, Ken concluded that there was something very weird about their friends.

Or maybe it was he and Josh that was weird?

“Ken, I swear. You need to put your used clothes somewhere else. I bought a laundry bag specifically for them!” Josh peeked his head through the extravagant bathroom door, caterpillar eyebrows meeting in the middle.

“Didn’t I already put them in the bag?” Ken asked him.

“No, dork. You put them back in the luggage.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“If I had a penny for every time you say, ‘sorry’.”

Josh walked out to the bedroom in his robe, heading straight to where their bags lay splayed out at the bottom of the canopied bed. Ken watched what his husband would do, wondering if Josh would ever be sappy or sweet with him. Josh didn’t.

For some reason, Ken couldn’t remember a time when they were being drama-worthy sappy. Porn-worthy down and dirty, for sure. But romantic and sentimental? They just weren’t like that. Even after getting married, Ken couldn’t remember a time when they held hands and skipped to the sunset while orchestra music played in the background. Because wasn’t that what happened in real life?

Josh had never complained about it, though, and Ken didn’t really think on it until then. They just weren’t that kind of couple. Ken thought that was fine. But seeing all their gay friends and how they were with their partners, he couldn’t help but wonder if that was something Josh was thinking about.

“What are you looking so dazed for, babe?” came Josh’s voice.

It interrupted Ken’s thoughts and brought him back to their candle-lit room. Josh had his arms crossed over his chest, staring at Ken.

“What?” Ken asked.

“I said, why do you look so dazed?” he repeated.

“Oh, nothing,” the idol replied. “Maybe I’m still jetlagged.”

Josh frowned.

“You’re not feeling well?” he asked, zooming to Ken’s side. He put a hand on his forehead pulled down the skin under his eye. “You don’t look sick.”

“I’m not. I was just thinking about something.”

“You were thinking and then your head exploded?” Josh mocked. “You really should stop abusing your brain, baby.”

They both laughed a little, Ken’s dying down first. When he looked back at his husband, he dared to reach out his hand to cup Josh’s tiny face… just like how he sees it in shoujo anime.

Fuck.

Not only was it cheesy; it also made Ken lightheaded. It was like snakes squirmed inside his stomach and curled up his arm. Looking straight into Josh’s face like that, in that light, in that mood, Ken’s heart did fucking somersaults and backflips. He lost all feeling in his palm. He suddenly couldn’t breathe.

But his husband leaned into his touch with surprising docility.

“What have you been smoking?”

Ken chuckled.

“Idiot. I just…” Wow, and Josh actually liked being caressed? “I realized we’ve never really gone on a proper date. Ever.”

“We’ve gone on plenty of dates,” replied Josh.

“Home dates? Eating out at restaurants?”

“We had a proper date once… though I did have to rush back to the lab. Remember?”

“Well, that doesn’t count.”

Josh pushed Ken’s hand away. “And why the heck not?”

“Because…” The idol paused. “Well, shouldn’t we have a proper date? Like… a romantic one?”

His husband shrugged. “I dunno. Doesn’t really matter, does it? Since we’re married now.”

The twinkle in Josh’s eyes was familiar—Ken had seen it many times before—but he never really stopped to think about what it meant. Now that he finally gave it a good look, it said so many things that Josh would never utter out loud. Things that Ken felt but probably took for granted.

Of how Josh loved him and loved him first.

Of how Josh loved him still and showed it often.

Of how Josh probably didn’t like sappy-sentimental, but that didn’t mean he disliked being treated special.

Ken would be an idiot to not realize all that sooner or later. But now that he has, he felt a little sorry he didn’t realize it soon enough.

He didn’t know what kind of expression he was making. But he must have looked stupid because, though blushing, Josh grinned as wide as a river at him.

“Ah, I think I know what you need,” he said as he pushed Ken down on the bed. “You’re horny, aren’t you?”

“What,” Ken deadpanned.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s why you’re being touchy all of a sudden.”

“Babe, we were literally just talking about romantic dates.”

“Which may or may not be correlated with sex.” Josh slipped his robe off and straddled Ken, even licking his sinful lips with one flick of his tongue. And he wasn’t wearing anything underneath, judging by how supple he felt over Ken’s crotch. This little fucker. “Yes or no?”

“Is sex the only thing on your mind?” he couldn’t help but laugh.

“What, you don’t want to?” Josh pouted.

I do, but how do we make it more romantic than this?

“Fine,” Ken resigned, staying still on his back. He smirked and said, “Do you wanna top this round?”

The engineer’s eyes sparkled again, more child-like this time. “Can I?”

Ken rolled his eyes. “Sure.”

Josh didn’t even hesitate. He ducked down to begin kissing Ken senseless, touching him, lighting a fire in his secret places, and burning his very soul. Ken let himself be held like that, wrapping his arms around his husband’s body with as much meaning as he could.

After tonight, he thought, he will think of a better way to get his love across. Whatever the heck that means.

[day four]

KJ…

Ugh, KJ…

KJ?

KJ, can you…?

Sorry, KJ.

… Thanks, KJ.

KJ…

Love you… KJ…

Ken had always hated that nickname. But it just sounded so sweet on the lips of an angel. He didn’t know when it started but he had begun to like the sound of ‘KJ’.

Since they began preparing for their trip to Athenaeas—processing papers, getting a passport, applying for a visa, buying luggage—Josh had been more or less dependent on Ken for the entire process. He had repeated “KJ, what should I do?” “KJ, what should I write here?” “KJ, am I doing this right?” and several other questions that Ken didn’t even know Josh would be willing to ask. Ken answered each and every one of them.

At the airport, as they flew to Los Angeles to meet with engineer and idol, Josh looked nervous about his first international trip. “KJ, what should I say at the Immigration?” “KJ, what if they don’t let me in?” “KJ, does this look okay? Should I write it like this?” None of his worries ever happened. The foreman seemed relieved the moment they finally boarded the plane, but he didn’t let go of Ken’s hand the entire trip. After burying his head on the CEO’s bony shoulder, he fell asleep for most of the 16 hours of travel.

Josh was even more dependent on the ship to Athenaeas. Who knew he was the type to get extremely seasick? He was fine on the plane, but a few minutes into their voyage, he began to get queasy and nauseous. The rest of the trip, he mostly spent in his room, having not much strength to watch the ocean or the unobstructed view of the sunset. But because he was so weak, he let Ken stay beside him, attend to him, sleep in his room. Ken felt quite proud to have been his crutch even for a little while.

Ken had spent quite a bit of money just to make sure Josh’s first overseas trip was comfortable. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

“KJ…?”

Yes, absolutely worth it.

The streets of Aethen’s Market Square were bustling with life and activity. It was reminiscent of Renaissance Fairs combined with the brilliant colors of Barcelona. The tents, the wares, the noise—even the distinct smells that Ken caught from the people around him—made him smile. But best and most poignant of all was the strange but sweet zest coming from Josh that had been tickling Ken’s nose for a while.

They trudged down the cobbled streets, flanked by two of His Majesty’s guards, Ken next to Josh. The foreman looked especially handsome in that turtleneck. It made Ken think it was a good idea getting surfer boy to dress the foreman up for a day. And, oh, Josh looked so exquisite in that Ray Ban. Ken would definitely buy him another one of that.

“Yes, love?” Ken answered in the low register he knew gave the foreman goosebumps.

But Josh didn’t look at him. The foreman just bit his lip, keeping his eyes on their friends ahead of them. Engineer and idol were at the front, pointing to different stores and excitedly whispering to each other like two gossiping old men. JC had all but dragged surfer boy into a box-like building that seemed to be a bookstore. Ken was sure that His Majesty and the soldier were not far behind them, getting mobbed by their well-wishers and fans. And they were there, stopping in the middle of the busy street, just waiting.

Josh pursed his lips.

“Maybe… Maybe we should go back,” he said in a low voice.

Ken stepped closer, worried. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Are you still feeling sick? Don’t you feel well?”

“No, I’m okay,” Josh replied and waved his hands. “I just…”

His voice trailed off and sighed, then he didn’t continue his statement. Instead, he went right back to looking ahead of them. At the stalls and the showcases and the beginnings of a city-wide wedding celebration. At the tiny trinkets and the wide variety of foreign foods and delicacies.

So many things from Josh’s body language hinted at his feelings. But it wasn’t his posture or his eyes or his frown that gave his thoughts away to Ken. It was that zest, that scent of lemons or oranges that told Ken what was going on in the foreman’s mind.

“You seem…” he took a deep breath, “uncomfortable, love.”

Josh whipped his head faster than the speed of light. “I—” The foreman looked around. “Everything here is so foreign, isn’t it? It’s all so… unfamiliar.”

Ken smiled. “Of course. Do you feel uncomfortable about that?”

“Just a little bit. I mean, it’s not bad. But I… Look, I don’t wanna cause any trouble.”

“Trouble?” Ken paused to think about that. “Why would you cause trouble?”

Josh shrugged, looking worriedly at the guards within earshot. “Well, I was already a hassle on the way here. I worried everyone on the ship… And don’t even remind me about dinner with the princes. Surfer boy and I might as well have been statues because of how we froze up.”

“But angel, none of that was any trouble to me,” Ken explained. “And I’m sure none of the others thought it was a hassle. They care for you.”

“I know, I know. I’m being pessimistic,” he pouted. “I’m mostly worried I’ll get lost around these parts and you’ll all go on a witch hunt to find me.”

“You won’t get lost, angel. That’s what our guards are for.”

“I know. But I can presume, right?” The foreman gave a weak smile. “I guess… I’m not used to relying so much on other people. But now, I don’t have a choice since… well, I’m not exactly in my comfort zone here.”

“And that’s the beauty of traveling, love. It’s the privilege of being able to step out and learn more about yourself.”

Josh’s smile widened just a little. “I just wish I could… repay you… all of you… even a little bit for this trouble.”

“Trouble?” Ken raised his eyebrow.

The foreman rolled his eyes. “Alright. To thank you for being with me, then.”

“That’s better,” he answered with a smile of his own. “Well… if you want to pay me back, I have several requests.”

Josh gave him a look of suspicion that Ken could see even behind those large aviator shades.

The CEO just smiled. He held out his hand.

“First, I want to hold your hand,” he said.

“What, that’s it?” Josh asked.

“That’s the first,” Ken told him. “Because when will I get another chance to hold your hand in public?”

Josh, at first, seemed too stunned to respond.

But after looking embarrassed for a little while, he reached out and laced his fingers with Ken’s. Only a few times has Josh agreed to that simple gesture of hand-holding in public. That he agreed to if now made it all the more reason to celebrate.

Ken’s heart swelled to twice its size. “Mm. This feels right,” he said.

Josh smiled to himself. “Well, I guess I really won’t get lost like this.”

“Not even if you try, angel.” Ken pulled Josh closer to his side. “For my next request, I want you to buy me a trinket. Just a tiny one for remembrance.”

“You want one?”

He nodded. “Of course. It’ll be like a souvenir.”

Josh gasped. “Hey, that’s right. We should get one for KS, too!”

“And your mom,” Ken added. “Your siblings…”

“And Byte!”

“Well…”

“Come on, KJ…”

Ken sighed. “Oh, alright. Byte, too.”

Josh giggled and looked up at Ken. He said nothing, but with that smile and that scent, Ken could figure out what he wanted to say.

“You are most welcome, angel,” Ken said to him with a smile.

Josh beamed back and squeezed Ken’s hand. Then, he shyly pulled Ken to one of the larger tents with sundry goods and wares on display.

The foreman, for the first time, spoiled Ken that day. Josh bought for him all the tiny trinkets and toys his money could buy. Ken, of course, was only happy to receive them.

[day five]

Tak, tak-tak. Tak, tak-tak. Tak, tak-tak.

The idol’s hands clapped to the rhythm of a waltz. One, two-three. One, two-three. With every measure, Ken was to glide forward with grace, head held high and chest puffed out. He was to be the King Consort, after all. At his wedding march, he must be regal. Just like he practiced.

“One, two-three. One, two-three—don’t! Don’t look down!” The idol commanded from the side, pausing his clapping. “You’re not walking on a tightrope. It’s completely level ground, dude. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“But what if I trip because I didn’t see where I was going?” Ken reasoned.

“That’s why you keep your eyes forward, right? To see where you’re going? Now, keep moving forward. And don’t slouch.”

Ken lifted his gaze and raised his head. He fixed his eyes at the end of the salon, out the window. With one foot in front of the other, he marched again, imagining the wedding of the century that was only a few days away.

But his strict teacher did not seem satisfied with his performance.

“Look, man…” The idol stood from his seat on one of the stools and approached Ken with a grimace. “Remember, you’re gliding. Not stomping. Graceful, not dominant, okay?”

The idol even moved his hand smoothly back and forth as if to demonstrate.

“Ugh, surfer baby should be the one teaching you this,” he complained. “He’s the model. Not me.”

“Uhm, actually…” Ken resumed his normal posture and gave the idol a tentative look. “Actually, idol, I asked for you, specifically, here for a different reason.”

The man raised an eyebrow. “Which is…?”

“Uhm. Shall we take a quick break?” Ken suggested with a smile. He turned to the servant by the door, respectfully asking for them to be served refreshments. “May we sit, idol?”

“Told you I’m not an idol anymore.”

“Er… Ken, then? Though that seems… confusing.”

“Yeah…” The idol looked up at the ceiling with handsome lidded eyes. “Just call me, ‘Dude’ or something.”

“If that’s what you wish… dude—” The man snorted. “Er, sorry. Did I say it wrong?”

“No. It’s just funny when you say the slang when you’re all formal and shit.”

“Shit?”

“No, no, nevermind. Continue. You were saying?”

“Ah, yes.”

They sat down on opposite sides of the table while the refreshments were served. An array of biscuits, cookies, and tarts came along with the King’s exquisite collection of tea on the table. Ken hoped that it was amicable enough of an ambiance to begin the conversation.

The afternoon was still young, and while everyone else was out doing their own business, the soldier had called the idol over to meet. It was at the pretense of practicing his walk down the aisle. But while it was true that Ken needed critique, what he wanted was not exactly something the hired trainers could answer for him.

Ken needed an alpha-to-alpha talk. Someone he trusted; someone he was comfortable with. That was where the idol came into the picture.

“So, what’d you wanna talk about?” he asked, legs crossed and cheek on the palm of one hand. He was rather abrasive He was rather abrasive, but Ken didn’t mind. He had enough experience with Prince Paulo to know that sometimes, a person’s abrasiveness was just their way of taking the lead in conversations.

“Ah, yes. Well… I just didn’t know whom to ask.” Ken put down his teacup with one careful motion. “I have… no father figure, you see. All my siblings are females. Josh’s father, the previous Grand Alpha is… well, he is no more. And I know not many married alphas whom I can discuss these private details with.”

“Right… And?”

The soldier cleared his throat.

“Uhm… I-If you don’t mind my asking… dude. How… How is married life for an alpha? I mean, like… Because sometimes people have different expectations from male and female alphas when they’re married. Are there any responsibilities your husband expects from you? Specific… tasks? Any acts of service you do, as the alpha of the household?

“I mean—pardon me for saying this—although your husband is a beta, I’m… I’m sure he also has… some expectations? Given you… are an alpha.”

Ken looked at the man sitting across from him with expectation. He did not blink, did not breathe, just held on to the ensuing silence. He felt like he had been waiting forever to ask those questions. And, gods, he was glad the idol was there to answer them.

But for a little while, the man just remained quiet while looking out the window, pondering.

“Like… How to be a King and things?” he asked Ken.

“Ah, no… What I mean is… like, on a more personal level. As… an alpha husband and provider.”

“Huh…” the idol said after some time. “Well, I don’t know about this whole alpha, beta thing… but don’t you think worrying about what your duties would be as a husband is a little… unnecessary?”

Ken blinked, not expecting the response. “Pardon?”

“I mean—Well, I’m not into this whole ‘secondary genders’ thing. No offense,” he said. “But being my husband’s husband… it’s not a task. It’s more like… an… a thing. Like a privilege or something.

“Maybe because Josh—I mean, engineer—doesn’t exactly have those expectations of me. Like, he couldn’t care less about me providing or whatever. I mean…” He blushed. “Unless it’s like a sex thing. I guess we give and take about that… Anyway.”

He cleared his throat.

“I married him because I wanted to be with him. I wanted to be his… forever partner and all that. Pretty sure he’s the same way. I don’t think he agreed to marry me so he could have… an alpha doing this or that,” the idol explained, but he seemed to be talking more to himself. “We didn’t go into this thinking what we’d get out of it. We went into this because we’d be in it together. You get me?”

“Er…”

“Okayokayokay,” The idol waved his hands as if erasing written symbols in the air. “Think about it like this. Isn’t it a little too narrow-minded of you to ask what you should do when you’re married ‘as an alpha’ or whatever? It’s like, dude, that’s not the kind of roleplay you want after marriage, if you know what I mean.

“The real question is: who do you wanna be for your husband after marriage? ‘Cause believe me, dude. That’s gonna matter more than all this secondary genders role thing.”

They shared a breath in silence.

“What do I want to be…?” Ken asked himself, eyes trailing to his hands. “For Josh…?”

“And don’t give me any of that alpha, phi, omega bullshit. Since I honestly didn’t get any of that.”

“There’s no phi, actually?”

“I know. It was a joke.”

“Oh.”

Ken thought about his answer for a little while. It was not the answer he anticipated. In most Athenaean households, there was some established rule or at least an expectation that the alpha of the household will do such and such things. He did not think Josh would believe any different. But he had forgotten that Josh was not exactly a King who fixated on rules and tradition so much.

So, he just thought about his mate. His Josh, who he was to Ken, and what Ken wanted to be for him once they began their journey as newlyweds.

A small smile crept up to his face, the kind that came with the remembrance of how precious his mate was to him.

“Family,” he answered. “I want… to be his family.”

The idol gave him a smirk. “There you go, then. Not that I needed you to answer. But anyway…”

They laughed.

“Thank you, mister idol. I… apologize that you were the only one I could think of to ask,” Ken said, giving the man a rueful smile.

But the idol just ‘hmph-ed’ and smirked back at him. Indeed, he was a good man. He may be tough on his exterior and hardly showed that he cared about anything. Still, Ken could see how he was sensitive about the things he did care about.

“But seriously, though. The walk?” the idol reminded him after a brief silence. “You should ask surfer baby about it. Not me. I’m… not very patient.”

“Ah, yes. Of course, I apologize,” Ken nodded with an embarrassed smile. “I did try to call for him, but he was out on a date with the writer. There’s a small, hidden garden behind the Cathedral that I suggested they see.”

“There’s something like that around here?”

The soldier nodded. “Yes. There are popular lovers’ lanes at the central. But there are several secret spots that I know of, too. Less crowded, less known.”

The idol hummed, giving an air of nonchalance. He reached over the table to grab a tart from the tray.

Then, his eyes widened, and he snapped his head at Ken.

“You know what? I’m glad I came here after all,” he said with wide eyes and a child-like smile. “Tell me about those secret spots again?”

[day six]

If there was one thing Josh didn’t like about going on a trip with his lover, it was that Ken took too many pictures.

“Okay, now stand over here! Just stand there, by the column!” surfer boy told him, voice echoing throughout the hall. “Taking the picture now…”

Josh wasn’t too comfortable with taking pictures but smiled regardless.

“Say, ‘Proof of life!’” prompted surfer boy. The writer laughed. “Okay! That one was good!”

“Wait, I think I closed my eyes that time!”

“It’s okay. It was a great shot,” he assured.

Ken looked at Josh with an overjoyed expression. His cheeks blossomed with the wide smile he didn’t bother to hide. Two crescents replaced his usually wide eyes, and his lips split so wide it was almost impossible. From where Josh stood, Ken looked like a golden retriever lolling out its tongue and wagging its tail.

It was so cute.

“But why the heck are you taking proof of life?”

Surfer boy mumbled a tiny ‘heh’ and showed the picture off to Josh. It was a candid photo. Josh didn’t think he could look that happy. He had a hand halfway up to his wide, open mouth. He scrunched his nose so that his eyes turned into slits, revealing the dimples that hid behind his cheekbones. If the photo made a sound, Josh would probably hear himself laughing.

Ken flipped through several other photos he had taken of Josh next to architectural marvels of the palace. But if the writer were being honest, surfer boy was probably more invested in the human than the architecture.

“I’m going to send these photos to your mom!” he said.

“What do you mean?”

Ken’s smile faltered a little.

“Uhm… She messaged me before we left. She asked me how you were and how I was doing,” Ken explained, moving his head from side to side. “Then, she complained how you haven’t messaged her in a while.”

“Are you seriously chatmates with my mom?” the writer asked in disbelief.

“She probably wouldn’t bother with me if you messaged her more.”

“Ugh, so she found a new watchdog besides Jun,” Josh pouted. “That’s just great.”

But Ken’s smile only grew at Josh’s tactless words.

“It is,” he said with pride in his voice.

Josh believed Ken liked being referred to as a watchdog for him. It might be his innocence or his innate agreeableness, but Ken enjoyed the fact that people trusted him to look after Josh. That people usually went to him if they needed news about the writer. Ken enjoyed being a name that could no longer be separated from Josh’s. And with how far ahead he seemed to have planned for their future, it didn’t seem as if surfer boy had any thoughts of leaving his side, either.

What he probably didn’t know was that Josh wasn’t going anywhere. He couldn’t. Not even if he tried. Even if Josh didn’t say it out loud, he liked Ken being there for him. Just as much as Josh liked being there for his surfer boy, too.

Six days since they arrived in Aethen, Josh and Ken had toured most of the scenic and hidden spots of the city. That day, they didn’t have much on their itinerary, owing to the King and his fiancé’s meeting with the city council. Ken took that opportunity to insist on a slower tour of the palace, while Josh wanted to go back to the King’s library. Stopping at every other corner to take a photo, though, was an activity Josh didn’t remember agreeing to but went along with anyway.

Ken’s teachers had put in the gentle request that he document the architecture in the mysterious country of Athenaeas. Josh, of course, knew that was just a nice way of saying they made him an errand boy for their own purposes. But Ken probably wouldn’t agree with that.

“Alright. So, how many more pictures of columns do you still need? Enough to satisfy your professors?” Josh asked, hands on his hips.

Surfer boy, however, ever obedient and kind and gentle, just looked at his phone with sparkling eyes and said, “I’ve already taken them all our first day here. Now, I’m just taking pictures of you.”

His smile could still catch Josh off guard.

They made their way further into the halls of the Southern wing. Rows and rows of arcs and columns guarded them on every side. They were freer to roam the palace without their guards. With less of a crowd around them, Josh found it easier to truly take in the newness around him. It was like they were transported into a different time, a different century in Aethen. The writer wanted to see everything.

They were kept from entering the Royal Family’s wing, though.

“Do you think it’s more interesting in that wing than the others?” Ken whispered as they neared its guarded halls.

“Probably,” Josh replied. “It’s where the princes and the King live, so… it’s going to have a lot of interesting things, for sure.”

“Phooey.” Surfer boy pouted. “Maybe we should ask Kuya soldier to give us a tour inside.”

“Well, he’s busy enough. I don’t think he’ll have the time.”

Ken paused. “Maybe we can ask him, then?”

“Him?”

Ken looked over his shoulder. Josh followed. That was the time Josh noticed that a familiar figure walked behind them with the brilliant purple and gold vestiges for Athenaeas’ royalty. The man had shoulder-length hair, pale features, and a pretty face. Those were a stark contrast to the seemingly permanent scowl plastered on his face.

Josh knew him only as the second prince of Athenaeas, Prince Paulo. They had no interactions except for the fact that they have dinners with the King together. But though he knew him little, Josh’s dislike for the man seemed to stretch on for miles. The reason? Josh wished he knew.

Prince Paulo walked towards them with a gaze as sharp as a knife. His eyes didn’t leave Josh’s, specifically, almost as if he knew the writer’s impressions of him.

“Good afternoon,” he said with a smile. Or maybe the prince thought it was a smile. His lip just twitched upward a little.

He looks like he’s in pain, Josh thought.

“Good afternoon, Your Highness,” Ken greeted, even doing the customary Athenaean hand salute. “We were just passing by. Touring, you know?”

The prince seemed surprised Ken was talking to him. Informally, even.

“Ah…” he replied. And if Josh didn’t know any better, he thought the words, ‘but I don’t really care’ came right after that.

Surfer boy didn’t seem perturbed by the man’s coldness, however.

“I hope your day is going well. You’re busy with the wedding preparations, aren’t you?”

Now, Josh loved his boyfriend’s friendliness. But why was he being so nice to a man so annoying?

The writer bit his tongue.

“Yes. Quite busy,” replied Prince Paulo. “In fact, I must be going.”

Ken beamed at him. “Alright. See you at dinner tonight, Prince Pau!”

The prince seemed uncomfortable replying. With a nod, he turned the corner to the Royal Family’s wing, his guards in tow, and disappeared.

Didn’t even say goodbye. Asshole.

“You know, Ken. Sometimes I wonder how you’re so nice,” Josh told him. They were walking again, away from the Royal Family’s wing.

“What do you mean?” surfer boy asked, eyes wide.

Josh shrugged. “I mean… You’re so nice to everyone.”

“No, I’m not,” Ken denied. “I’m not nice to everyone. Just some people.”

“Yeah, but how can you be nice to a guy like that?”

“Like who?”

“You know…” Josh leaned in closer to whisper. “The second prince.”

“Oh… Him.” Ken giggled and even blushed a little. “He was just… I kind of like him—I mean, not romantically or anything.”

“You think a man like that is likable?”

“I think he has his charms,” surfer boy hummed. “He kinda reminds me of you. So, I couldn’t help it.”

Josh stopped mid-step and glared at him. Ken stopped, too.

“Me?” Josh gasped and took a step back. “He reminds you of me?!”

Despite Josh’s befuddlement, Ken just looked at him and laughed. It was just like how happy little boys laughed. Apparently, Ken didn’t care that he was still in the middle of his existential crisis. So what if he was being compared to a huge asshole, right?

Incredulous, the writer shut his mouth and pouted. But surfer boy just enveloped him in a warm hug.

“Do I look like a snobby asshole traitor to you?” Josh asked, speaking into Ken’s shirt.

“It’s not that…” Ken explained, not even flustered. If it were in the past, he would have cowered at Josh’s outburst. He had gotten pretty cheeky lately. “I mean… Both of you are really pretty.”

Josh pouted. “That’s not a good excuse.”

Ken grinned. “But that’s not why he reminds me of you. Because compared to him, you’re much happier and more smiley.”

Josh pulled back from the hug and narrowed his eyes.

“He reminds me… of the past you,” surfer boy said, his eyes seeming to flash images of both good and not-so-good memories. “He reminds me of you when I first met you. Remember?”

“How do you mean?”

“Well… He looks like… he always has something on his mind. You know? And it’s not just the usual problems people have. It’s like… he’s tired. And angry. About everything.” Ken shrugged and looked almost sorry for a little while. “And he looks like he’s angriest about himself. You can see it in his eyes. You were like that, too… In the past. And didn’t you warm up to me when I was nice to you?

“I mean… You’re still grumpy now, hehe. My grumpy writer,” said Ken, both hands squishing Josh’s cheeks. “But I’m just glad you don’t… have as many black days as he looks like he has. He still reminds me of the old days when you punched people in the nose, though.”

Pouting and cheeks smushed, Josh told him, “Izhuttillyul?”

Ken released him, giggling. “What?”

“I said… Is that really all?” Josh asked him.

He nodded. “That’s all, I promise. You have nothing to be jealous of.”

“Hmph. I wasn’t even jealous…” Josh looked down at their feet, his hands sliding to hold Ken’s. Then, after a moment of pondering, he said, “He just needs to meet… someone like you, I guess. The prince, I mean.”

“You think so?”

“Well, I’m alive and happier, aren’t I?”

Josh’s wrists itched a little, but they didn’t burn. Not anymore. But Josh did have to wonder if Prince Paulo’s scars burned him, too, and if someone soothed them like Ken does for him. If they were so alike, Josh could only imagine how dark and horrifying the place he was in.

And maybe it was that darkness that Josh didn’t like about the prince. Because it reminded him so much of a place he used to live in. He didn’t live there anymore, though. At least, not as often. Because whenever Ken smiled at him, the warmth of that smile chased away the darkness that threatened to drag him back. Most days.

“Not that you made me like this.” Josh nudged Ken’s chin with his finger and smirked. “But you sure gave me the right incentive to get better.”

Ken’s blush returned. Josh never liked public displays of affection, but when surfer boy leaned down to kiss him in that hallway, Josh let him.

Deep down, Josh hoped Prince Paulo will find his own incentive, as well.

[day seven]

Josh was on vacation. And since he had not been on a vacation in a while, he forgot what one actually felt like.

“You can do that?!”

Bright reddish-brown hair, pale complexion, narrow eyes that grew wide with stars of wonder. The kid looked mindblown at the mere mention of simple machines. And his was a pretty face that Josh rarely ever sees.

Then again, all the Athenaean princes were pretty.

“Yup, pretty much,” Josh answered Prince Justin, the third prince. The kid was a lanky twig for a prince. He was tall yet soft, a bud that barely bloomed to his full potential. “Modern dams, of course, have advanced well into the recent years. But I’m sure you can do something as siphoning as a draining system.”

They were at the observation deck of the New Great Dam, just a barricaded hilltop overlooking a portion of the dam. Josh had heard that it was a go-to spot for special guests and visitors. After asking the King for special permission, Josh went there by himself while his husband was… well, he didn’t know where Ken disappeared off to. When he arrived there, he had the pleasure of meeting the brainiac of a prince, Prince Justin. Being fellow nerds, they hit it off right away by talking about dams and their mechanisms.

The third prince looked at the ground, at the crisscrossing lines that they both drew while talking about dams and the mechanisms that control their floodgates. Josh had brought it up as he casually commented on the New Great Dam’s design, but the prince seemed so engrossed in his ideas that they got talking until they eventually squat on the ground, drawing lines and designs on the dirt with discarded sticks. Josh kind of felt sorry for the gardener.

“A flood preventing system,” the prince whispered, unaware of Josh’s dismal worries. His eyebrows buried deep into his forehead. “I always wondered how to do that. I wanted to try things out with this dam’s design, but I just didn’t know how it worked. If only I had known earlier—”

“Hey, kid. Don’t be too hard on yourself. That technology isn’t available here yet.”

“But it could be!” Josh could practically see him stomping his feet like a brat. “I just… need to study it. But the books here don’t have what I need.”

Josh let out a laugh. “The books here are ancient!”

“They are!” Prince Justin pouted. “If I had books… If I could learn…”

“Hmmm… If you want books, I could send some to you. How about it?”

His eyes widened again.

“You… You would do that?” Prince Justin asked.

“Of course. Got old books back at home that I’m not using,” Josh explained. “And I can tell you’ll use it more than my non-bookish housemate.”

“Do you have a hawk? Or something sturdier that can travel great distances?”

Josh snorted. “Yeah, I call it DHL.”

“DHL…” He was in awe. “Wow…”

The prince looked just like a boy then. A starry-eyed kid who found everything about his interests astounding. Josh was also like that once, and he couldn’t help but feel for the kid.

The engineer was already diving deep into his nostalgia when a voice called to him from afar.

“Josh!”

That voice added to his wave of nostalgia, too. Josh had been listening to that deep and dark register, the voice of Josh’s daydreams.

Only he wasn’t just a daydream anymore. Because now, that voice was the voice of Josh’s husband—

Julio.

The engineer laughed.

Ken walked to them with a hurried gait, eyebrows knitted. His long legs made him glide forward, up the hill where Josh and Prince Justin squatted by a large, spreading tree. And while that was not really an image to laugh at—Ken was quite the eye candy, thank you very much—Josh just found it amusing that he dressed so… extra.

Ken slicked his hair back with what looked like a copious amount of gel. It made his silky black locks pull tight to the back of his head, joining the hair that fell over the back of his neck. He wore a cream-colored shirt with billowy sleeves, the top buttons left undone to show off his sharp clavicle. And those legs of his were clad in a dark pair of tight pants.

Josh’s husband looked like the dashing male lead in a Spanish telenovela. Like a Julio or a Gerardo.

He laughed again.

“Why are you dressed like that?” Josh greeted when Ken got close enough. He had to hand it to his husband, though. Julio or not, he still looked so dreamy in whatever he wore.

But Ken just gave him a droopy-eyed stare. “I was looking everywhere for you.”

“Why, what’s up?”

“Hello, Idol.” Prince Justin said with a small bow.

Ken bowed, too… tentatively. “Hello, Your Highness,” he greeted.

Cute.

“I apologize. I might have taken his time,” Prince Justin explained. “It’s just he was telling me so much about technology I did not even know existed. He is an astounding gentleman.”

“Yeah, well, amongst other things,” Ken replied with the tiniest of proud smirks.

“It’s alright, Prince Justin,” Josh assured. Turning to his husband, he added, “Why were you looking for me?”

Ken blushed a little.

“I just need you to go somewhere with me.”

“Somewhere?”

“Just… somewhere.”

An awkward three seconds of silence.

“Then, I guess it is best I take my leave,” Prince Justin announced. With one last smile to Josh and a bow to Ken, the boy prince began walking away with his guards on his trail.

By then, Josh didn’t even realize Ken had walked up to him closely and put a hand on his back.

“Okay, but seriously. What’s with the get-up?” he teased, trying so hard not to laugh while looking at his husband.

“Can’t you just say I look hot and get it over with?” Ken replied with a pout. “I told you. I need you to come with me.”

“To where, Julio?”

“Just—” Ken chuckled and took Josh’s hand with surprising gentleness. “Just come with me or I’ll have to fireman carry you.”

With a tight hold on his husband’s hand, Ken dragged Josh downhill, taking the same path as Prince Justin through the trees.

They took the trail for a few minutes, and Josh thought they were going back to the castle at first. But halfway down the hill, he diverged from the gravelly path to a smaller, unmarked trail into the forest. Josh wondered what it was about, but Ken just tightened his grip and said to trust him.

If there was one thing Josh had learned over the years, it was to trust in Ken. So, he went along with him.

Higher and higher up the hill they went. The forest around them grew thicker at one point and Josh became a little on edge because of the unfamiliar surroundings. But Ken said to trust him, and so Josh did. They walked for a few more minutes up the trail until they reached a clearing.

Two soldiers were standing just at the edge of that hilltop. They seemed to be guarding a blanket that was spread out on the ground under a thin canopy of trees. There was a wicker basket there, a guitar, and the thermos Josh had brought with him to Aethen. When they had gotten closer, Josh saw that the edge gave him a panoramic view not just of the palace and the city, but also the dam, the lake, and the untouched forests that spread across for miles on end.

“What the…?”

Ken approached the guards. “Thanks for keeping watch, fellas,” he said while shaking their hands.

“Should we stay here, sir?” one of them asked, the young man with red hair and lots of freckles.

“Er… Close by is fine,” replied Ken. “Some privacy would be nice.”

“Understood. Let us know if you need anything,” said the other soldier, a woman with dark hair and copper skin.

After bowing, the two walked side-by-side and disappeared through the trees.

“Ken, what the hell?”

Josh gave his husband a smile that was both astonished and pleased. Ken just replied with a cocky smirk as he shrugged, got down on the picnic blanket, and started unloading the rest of the basket’s contents.

Josh sat down with him, not yet able to speak.

“Well, I realized that we don’t really bother with proper romantic dates, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have them once in a while,” Ken explained while handing him a saucer with some apple pie.

Josh blinked at the delectable dessert. “Is this what they served us this morning at breakfast?”

Ken blinked, too. “Maybe.”

“What, did you ransack the kitchen for leftovers?” Josh asked him, unable to contain his giggles.

“Okay, okay. So maybe I did ask for some of the apple pie because you obviously liked them so much.”

“Obviously.”

“But to be fair, I made the sandwiches and properly brewed this coffee,” Ken explained. “The water, they gave for free, though.”

“And the get-up?”

Ken smirked. “Like it? It’s my 80’s Casanova look.”

Josh rolled his eyes. But he couldn’t deny that all the effort Ken put in was so uncharacteristically sweet of his husband.

“And…” The idol gave a series of exaggerated coughs. “I also prepared a song.”

“Oh, wow. You went extra today, didn’t you?”

“Shush, shut up. This is your favorite karaoke song.”

Ken grinned at him and started strumming his guitar, pulling a face that reminded Josh of just how much of a lovable dork he was.

Say it’s true
There’s nothing like
Me and you

Not alone
Tell me you
Feel it, too

And I would runaway
I would runaway
With you

Ken paused. He strummed his guitar on the same chord.

Fine.

“‘Cause I~~I have falled in lo~~ve… Wi~~th yooouuuu~~No, never have!” Josh sang with unbridled passion. Ken looked like the shrieking hurt his eardrums but he kept strumming his guitar. “I’m never gonna—stop! Falling in looooove… With you~~”

“Yeah, sing it, babe.”

“No, I’m done,” Josh laughed and stared at the apple pie.

Ken continued strumming his guitar.

After a while, Josh spoke again. “You didn’t have to do this, you know.”

“I know…” Ken stopped fiddling with his instrument to just stare at Josh. “But I wanted to.”

The engineer smiled.

He sliced off a small piece of the pie with his fork. Then, he scooped it up and offered it to his husband.

“I guess we can have one or two of these in a year.”

Ken gladly put the bit in his mouth. “I’d like that, yeah.” Then, “This apple pie is super delicious, though.”

“I know, right?!”

They stayed in that secret spot until the mid-afternoon, when they needed to go back to the palace for afternoon tea. Ken continued playing his guitar, making comments about how nice all the ‘green stuff’ looked. Josh agreed with him before suggesting they go camping at Pinnacles National Park on his next day off.

That would probably be months away. But at least, their next date was something to look forward to in the meantime.

[day eight]

And that’s the beauty of traveling, love. It’s the privilege of being able to step out and learn more about yourself.

Since the first day KJ said that to him, those words had occupied Josh’s mind.

The trip to Aethen—getting a visa, traveling internationally, getting on a boat, and sailing for more than two weeks—was a whole new world to Josh. All his life, he never thought he would have the opportunity to travel like that. To him, the money he will spend traveling was better off spent for his family. But upon his family’s insistence and KJ’s encouragement, he found enough will to splurge on himself a little. Although, if he were being honest, KJ spent the most for him.

Everything he experienced on that trip was so magical and unfamiliar that Josh couldn’t help but think KJ was right. The experience was eye-opening. It made him realize things about himself and about the world he never knew before. For one thing, Josh didn’t know he got seasick easily. And now that he did, he had a better grasp of what to do the next time he and KJ would travel long distances… because there was a ‘next time’. Definitely.

Another thing that Josh didn’t know about the world was that it was a little more accepting than he presumed. At least, Aethen was.

Maybe it was because he grew up believing that people will always think badly about gay people. Josh had heard and seen how some treated and bullied those they believe are attracted to the same sex. Even if he didn’t participate in those horrible acts, sometimes he thought about why they don’t just love like normal people. If not for themselves, but so others can stop being mean to them.

In Aethen, though, he saw that ‘loving like normal people’ wasn’t about genders at all. In fact, in Aethen, the word ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ didn’t exist in their vocabulary. For the first time in Josh’s life, he saw men walking on the streets while holding hands with other men. He saw women parenting children with other women who—and that was something Josh still couldn’t quite understand—impregnated them. He saw how it wasn’t much of a big deal whatever your orientation was in Aethen. For the first time, Josh thought how ‘normal’ was so arbitrary.

For the first time, too, Josh held KJ’s hand in public. Not just the going-to-parties-as-his-plus-one holding hands in public. It was the blatantly-showing-to-others-that-they-were-together kind of holding hands in public. If it were back home, Josh was sure he would have kicked a fuss and be annoyed but secretly happy. But with everyone else doing their own thing and practically not giving a damn about who or what gender Josh held hands with, he found holding Ken’s hand quite nice.

So nice, in fact, that he had initiated it on more than one occasion. He and KJ held hands at the market that day. They held hands all the way back to their rooms and held hands when they went down for breakfast the next day. Earlier, when they were at Josiah and the soldier’s wedding, KJ’s hand found its way to Josh’s and they didn’t let go until the reception when the soldier asked Josh for a dance. KJ still found a way to take Josh’s hands back, though. When the soldier couldn’t handle Josh’s horrible dance skills anymore, KJ took over and they ended up dancing in just one spot. Josh had to stand on KJ’s toes and sway left and right with him, though.

“Hey, you okay, foreman?”

Josh looked up. Blinked. He realized he wasn’t at the ball anymore.

His good friend, the engineer, looked at him with a half-amused face. “What’s going on, bestie?”

Something snapped and crackled close by. The gossiping crickets and forest creatures registered in Josh’s ears.

A bonfire raged in the middle of a circle of chairs and tree stumps. The idol was stoking the fire religiously, its orange light growing brighter against the man’s handsome face. Next to him, surfer baby waited with a tray of… marshmallows? They looked like marshmallows. Probably something they brought for the Athenaeas trip. Behind them, JC sat on a stump, bundled in his thick sweater. He was speaking like a diplomat to His beaming Majesty, Josiah, who snuggled inside the warmth of his husband’s embrace.

If the engineer didn’t drag Josh out of his reverie, he would have forgotten where he was. It was their last night in Athenaeas. Josh and his friends had decided they wanted to make it meaningful. And what better way to do that than a campfire? They all hiked up to the cabin where surfer boy and writer were staying. Even the newlyweds joined them a little later after their extensive wedding celebrations.

“You okay?” the engineer asked again. And that time, everyone turned to the foreman.

Josh just smiled. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

“You sure?” seconded the idol, quirking his eyebrow.

“I’m sure,” he pressed. “I’m fine.”

The familiar warmth of KJ’s body appeared beside Josh. And there was that scent he had been smelling on his lover for a while now. Josh turned to the stump on his left and saw KJ’s impossibly handsome wide grin directed at him.

“If you’re cold, we can go back to our rooms, love…” the CEO said.

“I’m fine, KJ. Really,” Josh replied.

“If it’s for us, please don’t feel pressured to stay,” Josiah said from across him. The firelight made his pale complexion glow. “You should rest for your trip tomorrow.”

“It’ll be one heck of a trip, for sure,” commented the idol who was busy skewering the large marshmallows on sticks and putting them over the fire. “Man, two weeks at sea… Not much to do in the open waters.”

“We can fish or something…” surfer boy suggested. He joined JC on one of the stumps and leaned close to him. “And I like exploring the deck.”

“Yeah, but foreman gets seasick easily. Not looking forward to that,” the engineer said.

“Oh, yes. About that…” The soldier looked right at Josh. “The Head Apothecary has prepared some medicine for you. It should help with the seasickness.”

“You didn’t have to.”

The King insisted. “We wanted to.”

“Oh, but—”

“But…” KJ interrupted, and he commanded all the attention to himself. “I think we should move the spotlight away from my lover and to the couple of the night, yes? Your Majesty, Your Highness? Anything you’re looking forward to about married life?”

“Ah…” The King giggled. “Well, we’re setting sail for Daya tomorrow, as well. Our first trip together, and as newlyweds.”

“Oooohhhh! Honeymoon!” engineer teased, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. His husband joined in on the teasing and soon everyone else was.

Their conversation began to center on the King and the now-Consort. The group asked about their plans, their rule, if they had ever talked about building their own family. Josiah was graceful in answering, as expected of the King; somehow, this balanced out well with how candid and tentative his consort’s responses were.

Then, they talked about engineer and how his studies were going. The idol had bragged about how everyone at school liked his husband, about how he was so friendly and how ‘nerdy’ his entire life was in Berkeley. Engineer bragged about how better the idol had gotten at cooking.

Surfer boy added one or two comments about school life, too. About his classmates, favorite teachers. Places he liked going to on breaks. While he talked, everyone leaned over to him, almost hypnotized. Josh thought it showed just how much everyone in their small group of friends doted on their youngest. But none more so than JC, who watched his lover with fond pride. The writer didn’t talk much, but Josh could see how his gaze screamed how proud he was of his surfer boy.

Just like that, their conversations turned to laughter which turned to singing at one point.

Just like that, KJ was able to deflect the attention away from Josh and onto the others. Because he knew that was what Josh wanted.

And if there was anything Josh had learned about himself during their trip, it was that KJ was so considerate of him. He always has been, for sure, but Josh had always been a little bashful and embarrassed about the care KJ lavished him with. Away from all things familiar, Josh realized just how loving of a person he had for a partner. KJ gave to him generously, wanting nothing in return but a few simple touches.

It was strange that such a rich man would have such simple pleasures. Josh would hold KJ’s hand and the man reacted as if he just received all the treasures of the world.

If that was all it took to give back to him, after all, Josh wondered how he could be even more giving.

“Uhm… KJ…?”

They were back in the palace now. It had been hours and hours after the campfire. Josh was tired, it had been a day, yet he still found himself opening the door to a room adjoined to his: KJ’s room.

KJ was sitting on the large canopied bed bathed in candlelight. As soon as Josh called, he looked up from a book he had been reading. His eyes grew wide in surprise when their eyes met. But he gave Josh that wide, priceless smile.

“Love…” he said, putting his book down. “Sorry, did you need something?”

Josh casually leaned on the doorpost.

“What are you doing?” he asked instead of responding.

KJ chuckled. The shadows danced on his handsome face and it was so very pretty.

“This is a book of Athenaean fables,” he replied, raising a thin, old-looking book. “I can’t take this back home with me, so I wanted to finish it before we left.”

“Ah, okay…”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“No, not really. I was just wondering…” Josh lifted his gaze back up. “Can I… sleep here tonight?”

KJ blinked for a few adorable seconds.

“To sleep?” he asked in a tentative voice. “Or… to sleep?”

The insinuation made Josh laugh. “Whichever…”

The CEO sighed.

“This is a very interesting book,” he said, glancing at the book on the mattress.

“I’m not telling you to stop reading…” Josh giggled in reply.

“But I don’t want to ignore you.”

“You won’t. I’ll just go to sleep.”

KJ smiled. “Fine… Come here.”

Josh found it easy to walk and slip under the covers of KJ’s bed, almost as if it were his. He had done it many times before, back home, but for the first time, Josh didn’t feel like he was intruding. He felt like he was walking into a warm welcome. Into his own personal space.

Josh didn’t do anything more after that, and neither did KJ. Somehow that pause felt just right for him.

It didn’t take long before Josh found a cool, comfortable spot next to the CEO’s legs. Between that, the sound of pages being flipped one by one, and the calming scent filling KJ’s room, he was able to close his eyes and fall into a shallow state of rest. But soon after, the CEO shuffled on the mattress beside him and pulled his body close.

“Angel?” KJ whispered, tickling the shell of Josh’s ear. “Are you sleeping?”

“Are you done reading?” Josh just replied, eyes still closed.

“Mmm. Just now,” KJ replied. He took a lungful of air from Josh’s shoulder. “You smell like tangerines.”

“Tangerines are your favorite.”

“I know. That’s why I like it so much.” He breathed in again. “Do I smell like anything?”

 “You smell like Baguio.” Josh hummed.

“And is that a scent that you like?”

“I love the smell of Baguio. You know that.” He turned to KJ on the bed and buried his face in the CEO’s armpit. “KJ?”

“Mm, yes, angel?”

“For your birthday,” he began. “Where do you want to go?”

Ken looked down at him, and his eyes burned orange in the dim light.

“My birthday?”

Josh nodded. “I promised we’d travel abroad on your birthday. Just the two of us.”

“Yes, you did.” He beamed.

“It’s still a few months away. I can probably save enough of my vacation leaves for it,” Josh replied. “And even if I ask you not to, I know you’ll spend your loose cash for me.”

KJ chuckled. “Well said. And yes. Yes, I definitely will do that.”

“So…?”

The CEO breathed and thought for a while, his hands rubbing Josh’s arms.

He said, “Barcelona. I want to visit KS. And you should know Cassandra has been dying to meet you.”

“Cassandra… KS’s partner?”

“Yes. KS tells her stories about you. And now,” KJ tucked Josh’s fringe behind his ear, “she reminds me once a week to bring you to their house.”

“Right… Well…”

“You don’t have to if you don’t to. We can just go somewhere else.”

“It’s alright. I want to.” Josh smiled. “At least, we won’t be traveling by ship to Barcelona, right?”

Laughter bubbled up in KJ’s chest, rising from his stomach to his lips. He held Josh tight in his arms, even locking his legs around the foreman’s body.

Josh knew this meant he was happy. And because he was happy, Josh was happy, too.

“I feel so spoiled,” he said to Josh’s hair. He buried his nose into Josh’s crown and breathed from there.

“You are spoiled,” Josh replied. “You’re a spoiled brat.”

“No. I’m not. KS didn’t spoil me. Not even a little. But you know that’s not what I meant,” he said, looking down at Josh. “I feel so spoiled by you, angel, love. Since we got here. I’m not complaining, though.”

Josh just averted his gaze before KJ melted him with the look in his eyes.

“Yeah, well… Get used to it,” he said, hiding his face in KJ’s armpit again. “So, that’s all. Good night…”

“So, we’re doing this kind of sleeping?” KJ whined.

“Yes,” Josh replied. “Good night, KJ.”

The CEO groaned. But, as he always does, he gave in to Josh’s wants and relaxed on the bed. As he did, the unique Baguio scent became even more poignant, filling Josh up with a deep sense of peace.

Josh didn’t fight it, that peace. Instead, he let it wash over him as he returned KJ’s hug with just as much meaning.

“Good night, angel.”

“Hmm… I love you, KJ.”

The CEO smiled. But Josh could sense his bashfulness somehow.

“I love you, too, mein engel. Good night.”

Before Josh fell fast asleep, one thought crossed his mind. Traveling did teach him something about himself. It was a fact he had taken for granted, a fact he often ignored. But now that he had come face-to-face with, he didn’t want to forget it anymore.

Josh loves KJ. So much. He was imperfectly perfect for him, like a mate to his outcasted soul. Josh would like to keep that bond for as long as he could if he had a choice. Because remembering how much he loved this man, Josh wouldn’t be able to leave him even if he tried.