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“Father, Mother, I’ve told you time and time again that I don’t want to go to the banquet.” Fulgur groaned, shielding his ears from his father vigorously pounding on his bedroom door.
“Son, as the crown prince and future ruler of our prideful nation, we can’t let you miss a momentous event such as this. It’s your 21st birthday, and people of all nations and royalties have gathered to celebrate your coming-of-age.”
Not the Akuma family, though, the prince thought as he dove back under his silken sheets, Father will never let me near him again after the war between our nations, will he?
“Fulgur, dear, can’t you be grateful for the lengths we’ve gone to for your sake? Just once, couldn’t you make our country proud?”
Wonderful. Fulgur sighed to himself as he groggily rolled out of bed at the sound of his mother's voice, It's two against one now. There really is no use in arguing any longer, is there?
The prince swung open the door with a vigorous bang, hair matted and messy from his long slumber. “Will you shut the hell up about finding me a queen if I go?”
“Now, now, darling; I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time.”
~~
Fulgur was having an awful time.
There was no doubt in his mind that he absolutely hated banquets like these. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he hung his spinning head in between his shoulders in an attempt to block out the overlapping noises of heels clacking against marble floor and flutes and violins screeching gratingly high-pitched tunes. Princesses had begun to form bustling crowds beside him, linking their arms into his against his will and looking upwards with disgustingly shimmery eyes as they asked about those love letters he had never bothered to read.
Out of the corner of his eye, though, he caught sight of a lonesome man through the glass doors to the balcony. He stood facing out towards the quiet horizon with the wind swaying his slightly tousled hair, and upon closer inspection Fulgur noticed locks of dark red hidden under murky black waves. But amongst this exquisite sight before him, Fulgur glanced down at the hem of the man’s crimson red cloak and had to hold back a bewildered gasp at the name that was embroidered on it.
The prince attempted to break free from the gaggle of women that were now squeezing him close like sardines in a tin, eventually having to use his own cloak as a distraction so that he could maneuver his way to the balcony while dozens of hands tugged at the discarded clothing. He wasn’t getting that back any time soon.
Uttering an apology to his tailor under his breath, Fulgur sighed a quick huff of relief and dabbed beads of sweat off his forehead before pushing the glass door open.
It was only as the man glanced behind him and the prince’s silver eyes met pools of gold that Fulgur realised how awfully unprepared he was for the circumstance at hand. Alas, the prince knew that starting a conversation presented a better outcome than simply gawking in disbelief at the one standing before him, so he opened his mouth in hopes of at least properly calling the man’s name.
“...Vox?”
“Lovely evening, isn’t it, Prince Fulgur? I didn't realise you thought we were on such intimate speaking terms,” Fulgur blinked once, twice; eyes still blown wide in shock as his grip on what was real began to slip from his hands. Grinning over his shoulder without a care in the world was Vox Akuma, demon prince and heir apparent of his family and sought after by damn near every citizen of his nation, man and woman alike. “Not that I mind it, though— it’s a good step towards peace between our lands, eh?”
And here he is, Fulgur thought as he straightened his posture and smoothed out the crimps in his blouse, standing before me like some kind of…knight in shining armour. Goddamn, is he perfect.
“You must be having bucketloads of fun in there, what with all those future queens at your beck and call.”
“You can speak for yourself,” the younger prince groaned, stepping forward to join Vox at the stone column railings and combing his hands through his disheveled hair, “But I’d like to think that true love doesn’t come from my mother throwing potential maidens at me left and right.”
“Oh, but it’s the rejection that makes it entertaining, is it not? Maybe one day when you’re all grown up you’ll come to understand.” Vox teased, chuckling quietly as Fulgur threw a playful punch at his arm.
Fulgur watched as Vox sipped his glass of champagne, and the way his lips stretched into a warm smile at the feeling of alcohol and bubbles on his tongue had the younger prince pinching himself so as to not get lost in the other’s eyes.
“Besides, how are you even here? I thought our fathers had forbade you from visiting my land after their, um…various disagreements?” Fulgur asked bashfully, and all Vox could do was roll his eyes and chuckle. Both the princes knew all too well that ten fingers would be nowhere near enough to count the times their fathers had declared war on each other, be it over a petty squabble or a life-changing new era, but they would often catch themselves wishing they’d had a better first impression than trying to slit each other’s throats in their parents’ stead.
“My father…has passed. It is shameful for me to admit, truly—but ever since he died at war those many months ago, the nation has descended into a state of havoc and peril,” Fulgur’s eyebrows furrowed with sympathy, yet all he could muster up the courage to do was shuffle slightly closer towards Vox, standing shoulder to shoulder yet hands hesitating just out of reach, “However, it is because of the devastation that our country is under that I have been able to come see you— everyone may be distracted by the current lack of a ruler, but I just couldn’t miss your special day for the world.”
“I’m…so sorry, Prince Vox. I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for you and Ms. Endou.”
“Oh, but that’s the difficult part, my dear prince,” Vox started, twiddling his thumbs as Fulgur averted his eyes towards the potted plant on the windowsill in hopes of covering up the blush that grew on his face from the playful nickname, “You see, my sister and I have had this conversation with nobody but ourselves, but…we truly do feel almost no grief over our father’s loss. If anything, our resentment for his farfetched aspirations of rising above all kingdoms through meaningless battle still remains, because we were pulled into his malevolent plans against our will and ended up hurting thousands of innocent souls. And even…you.”
“Even me?” Fulgur asked, and the older prince nodded with a gentle smile before furtively brushing his knuckles against the other’s.
“You’re special, Prince Fulgur. It’s not often that I sneak past the royal gates just to see somebody, but there’s always been something in me that says I was brought into this world to protect you. Ever since we clashed swords on the battlefield as teenagers I’ve been longing to meet you again someday, in a place where we would both be free of our nations’ expectations. Away from responsibilities, from our parents, from the noise— just us, here in the moment. Is that so much to ask?”
Vox laced his fingers between Fulgur’s, heart jumping at the way the younger’s breath hitched in his throat at the smallest touch before starting to rub circles onto the surface of Fulgur’s thumb, as if he were trying to coax the other into a state of relaxation.
“Pri…Um, Voxxy, I—”
“Oh, hey. Looks like the orchestra’s finally doing their job.” Puzzled, Fulgur peered back through the balcony doors at the main hall to see partners in pairs, swaying with their arms linked together or their hands on waists and shoulders.
“Father and Mother prepared a dance? Leave it to them to go overboard without my permission, I guess.”
“I’m sure it won’t be all that bad. After all, there’s bound to be dozens in that hall who’d be willing to take you as a dance partner, isn’t there?”
Fulgur scoffed, already grimacing at the idea of having to accompany someone in aimlessly whirling each other around for hours. “Me? A dance partner? I’d rather not. Besides, I assure you that nobody wants to see me trying to dance of all things; with how clumsy my footwork is I’m guaranteed to get a poor fellow hospitalised.”
“What if I was there to guide you?”
“...Come again?”
Vox let out a deep hum of contemplation before turning away to gaze once again at the starry sky, eyes fluttering open and closed in a state of reminiscence. “In hopes of a fast and easy betrothal when we were old enough to marry, myself and Reimu were sent to royally mandated dance classes by our father as a child. And though I think my father would have seethed at the idea of me using my techniques for the first time with the son of his greatest rival,” Vox stepped closer still, taking a deep breath in as if he were trying to encode the scent of late-night air and the prince’s spring flowers into his memory for eternity, “I figured we might as well make use of the solitude we’ve found, out here on our own little balcony.”
Our own little balcony, Fulgur repeated in his head as he once again found his soul being swayed by the demon prince’s intense yet tender gaze. Just us and the moon’s soft glow.
“I…guess it wouldn’t hurt to try. However, I have one request of great importance,” Fulgur replied, voice falling to a whisper in a gradual decrescendo and leaning in so his head rested on the older’s shoulder, clinging onto the aroma of carnations right beneath his face that embellished Vox’s chest pocket.
“My father plans to bring the banquet to a close at four o’clock in the morning, and after the guests have said their goodbyes he will come searching for me in this very spot. When the time comes that he sees you, lift me onto your horse and we’ll ride back to your nation together. I, too, have wanted to experience freedom with you ever since the war, and with your father gone and the country distracted with his loss I may be able to avoid the fate of execution on sight.”
“But what of your family and your sovereignty? Won’t your parents be worried at the loss of their own son?”
“My parents’ love for me was built off their desire for my offspring. I exist to them for the sole purpose of making the royal family proud and carrying on our bloodline. My prince, I ask of you to believe me when I say that no being has ever made me feel more loved and wanted than you have in this very moment.”
“But—” Vox opened his mouth to voice his concerns, but was silenced with Fulgur pressing a swift kiss to the demon’s cheek. A blush began to blossom on his face, and the feeling of the younger’s lips on his pale skin would have made him dizzy if not for the situation at hand.
“No more buts, Vox. I want this; I want you more than anything in my life.”
The demon prince sighed shakily, heart pounding at the mere idea of helping the esteemed prince escape from one of, if not the most highly developed nations. Yet beyond the palpitations of nervousness and unease in his chest there was an even larger pulse that rippled through Vox’s body, one of excitement and courage and pure, unadulterated love.
Desperate to let his own feelings out, Vox embraced Fulgur in a hug so tight and sudden that the younger prince seemed to deflate with a quiet grunt, causing the older prince to pull back slightly. However, before the demon could even leave Fulgur’s grasp he found himself being tugged back into the other’s arms, but this time falling forward so the prince’s lips touched his own in a slow, deep kiss.
"You'll do this for me, won't you?"
“For you, anything,” Vox whispered into the younger’s mouth, the taste of their shared breath still lingering as he ran a hand through his partner's silver hair, “But for now, how about you and I having that dance we were talking about? The symphony will come to an end if we don’t hurry.”
Fulgur nodded, blinking back a few tears of relief and endearment as he stepped back to stretch out an inviting hand, stumbling slightly over his own shoes in the process and eliciting an amused giggle from the demon.
“T-The pleasure would be mine, your highness.” Fulgur stuttered, face still flushed a deep red from embarrassment as Vox let out another puff of laughter.
“Please, just stick to Voxxy— your nicknames for me are my favourite sound in the world.”
~~
Fulgur found himself awakening under silken sheets once again, but this time the bed felt even smaller and the covers even warmer.
He had never been an early riser, usually closing his eyes if he ever woke before noon, but Vox’s hand around his bare waist as the early morning’s sun shone down on his skin was far too difficult to ignore. Fulgur sat up, blinking at the antique wooden door as a grin began to creep up on his face, heart leaping with joy every time he’d look to his left and see his beloved prince sleeping beside him.
Fulgur brought Vox’s hand to his face, laying kisses on all the callouses he had developed from wielding a sword until the demon began to stir awake, groaning as he rolled over to meet eyes with the younger prince.
“Good morning, your highness.” Fulgur whispered, his morning voice still raspy and low as he stroked the demon’s knotted hair.
Vox smiled sleepily up at him, breathing out an amused chuckle. “Did I not tell you to leave the honorifics aside? You sure do love to tease me.”
“How could I not? It’s not often that people get to see this beautiful side of you,” The younger prince’s hand trailed down to cup the older’s face in his hand, brushing an affectionate thumb across his reddened cheeks, “And after the events of yesterday, I know I’ll be seeing so much more than that.”
Memories flooded into Vox’s mind, making him recall the wind whistling in his ears as they rode through what seemed like endless landscapes and fields, the sound of sweet laughter ringing through the floral spring air that they were finally breathing together, and the weight of Fulgur’s head comfortably resting against his back as they approached the gates to his homeland.
No, Vox thought as he watched Fulgur press his lips to his own fingers again, it’s our homeland now.
“As much as I wish to spend the whole day like this with you, my mother will be home from her visit to an allied nation this evening. I think it’ll be a good time to explain our situation, unless you’d rather keep it a secret.”
“I’d love to, but before that—” Fulgur slid back down under their blanket, curling his arms around the demon’s waist and pulling him close, “I think we deserve a few extra hours of sleep. It’s been a long night for the both of us, hasn’t it?”
Vox nuzzled his face into the crook of the younger prince’s neck, breathing out a contented sigh. “I suppose you’re right. Promise you won’t leave me alone?”
“You have my word. Rest well, my sweet prince— I’ll be here when you wake.”