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"... Don't you guys feel bad for him? Maybe we should help him out here..."
"You're the last person I thought would say that, Yves. You're always going on about how you hate him, what a frivolous fox he is, etcetera, etcetera."
"A big brother's always a big brother, haha!"
"...Can you guys shut up? I can't hear."
Half of Rhodolite's princes were huddled in a small space in their rose garden. Sure, they had royal duties to attend to, but how fun is it to watch their little brother fail at something for once? Yves watched on with furrowed brows, Jin and Clavis snickering to themselves like two schoolboys. Licht was silent, unusually interested in his twin brother's current plight.
"Are you sure you don't want to come to my room tonight? I can make it very worth your while, you know..." Nokto trails off in a seductive voice, one that would unfailingly bed any woman that would listen. But his conversation partner was not a woman that would listen.
"Hah? I got shit to do. I don't have time for you and your antics, Nokto. Seriously, give it up."
Lucia's tone was annoyed, sure, but he picked up his tea cup as he sat back. It wasn't too unusual to see Nokto invite the other man to a tea party, and it wasn't unusual at all for him to fail his advances.
"My, it's like he never courted anyone before!" Clavis sighs, though his smile was amused as ever.
"... That's because he hasn't." Licht's voice is quiet.
"Seducing and falling in love are two different things, after all." Jin says, nodding to himself. "I would know, of course."
"Oh, you littleー! Will you be quiet?!"
"Yves is right, look!" Clavis points out, and they all turn to see Nokto trail a finger down Lucia's chest slowly.
"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you'd rather study boring stuff than hang out with me? You'll make me cry."
"Cry all you want, little man. I couldn't care less."
"...Ouch." The peanut gallery all felt that one.
Nokto's smile fades, and he crosses his legs away from Lucia.
"Ah, geez... You got stuff to do anyways, don't you? You'll be fine."
Even at Lucia's comment, Nokto doesn't turn towards him. Clavis and Jin, the experienced ones they are, feel something coming. They watch as Nokto finally, slowly turns toward Lucia, a pout on his handsome face.
"...But I'll be lonely."
Slight tears prick the corner of his eyes, and Lucia is very obviously taken aback.
"Oh, that was a good one." Jin whispers approvingly.
"I raised that man." Clavis wipes tears of his own.
"No, no, you did not!!! Don't be weird!"
"Shut. Up."
Lucia awkwardly scratches the back of his head as he sets down his tea cup. A sigh escapes his lips, and he opens his mouth.
"...Fine, fine. I'll go study in your room, okay? Don't make that face." His arm wraps around Nokto's shoulders, bringing him in for a comforting embrace.
"...Poor Lucia. If only he knew Nokto was manipulating him!"
"Oh, no, he knows. But who woth a heart as generous as his can resist that?"
"You make it sound like they're an owner and his pet."
"What, are they not?"
Clavis and Jin quietly chuckle to themselves, and Yves whacks them on the head before they can get too loud. As Nokto allows himself to rest his head against Lucia, Licht cannot help but smile quietly to himself proudly.