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Warm afternoon sunlight streams into Alear’s bedroom, bathing the space in a golden glow. Yet despite the late time of day, he lies upon his bed fast asleep. A gentle breeze blows through the sheer canopy draped around him, sending strands of red and blue hair dancing in front of his relaxed face. It paints a perfect picture of peace… Except for the fact that he’s not alone.
Mere feet away from his slumbering form stands another man, similarly fast asleep. His arms are crossed against his chest and his head lolls to the side. His brunette and crimson hair catch in the breeze, sweeping gently across his forehead. It's none other than the crown prince Diamant who snores ever so softly besides him. A fact that Alear is soon to become privy to.
Roused by soft breathing, the dragon's eyes slowly flutter open. He takes a moment to register the open-air room around him. Making note of the setting sun, Alear stretches and pulls himself to an upright position. Judging by the color of the sky, it was probably high time he got up.
He swings his legs off the side of his bed... and finally comes face to face with the crown prince. The discovery makes him yelp, and Alear flinches backwards on the altar. Now having fully broken the peace in the otherwise quiet room, Diamant too begins to stir.
“D-Diamant?” Alear squeaks, a splash of color rising to his cheeks. It wasn’t unusual for him to awaken with someone in his bedroom, but never before had that person also been asleep... How long could Diamant have been standing there?
“Ah, Divine One! You’re awake!” Diamant exclaims as he blinks, shaking off the final dregs of sleep. His eyes grow wide as his thoughts churn to life. He meet's Alear's surprised gaze, his own face turning a shade more pink. A sheepish smile begins to pull on Diamant’s mouth and he covers his face with a hand. “Looks like I nodded off…”
When he finally brings his hand back down, it comes to rest over his heart. His eyes shut tight and Diamant offers the dragon a small bow. “Thanks for waking me,” he adds, awkward pauses chopping up the phrase.
Alear can’t help the soft, endeared smile that overtakes him. Looking up at the prince before him, affection swells in his chest. A feeling that was becoming quite a common occurrence in his presence as of late. The Diamant he had met back in the beginning of the war was very different from the man standing before him now... This Diamant was more gentle, more kind, more doofy than the rumors would have one believe. This Diamant wore his vulnerabilities more openly for Alear to see, and he found he much preferred it that way.
“Anytime,” Alear replies, his voice warm. “I should probably start repaying you all for the favor, anyway.” He laughs a bit, bringing a hand up to scratch at the back of his head.
“Ah, that's not necessary,” Diamant assures with a laugh of his own. He trails off in a yawn—one he fails to stifle entirely—and Alear’s smile falls.
“Tired?”
“Oh no, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Despite Diamant’s reassurances, Alear’s frown persists. He knows all too well of the prince’s habit to stay up into the wee hours of the evening with mountains of paperwork. Diamant is a dedicated man who works hard for his kingdom, and in most cases, Alear found it incredibly admirable. But when it interfered with Diamant’s own well-being, he wasn’t so sure.
Alear regards Diamant carefully, pondering his next move. Then, without warning, he grabs onto the prince’s arm tightly.
“Divine- woah!” Diamant yelps as he’s yanked forwards. Relentless in his pulling, Alear manages to wrestle him onto the bed, and he falls besides the dragon. His shoulder eclipses Alear’s own, and once they both recover from their fit of giggles, they wiggle to readjust comfortably on their backs, arm to arm. The sound of sheets rustling makes Diamant turn his head and he comes face to face with the man beside him.
Alear’s mismatched eyes have always been a sight for Diamant to behold... It’s not often that he gets to gaze into them so close. Feeling a bit breathless, he soaks up the moment while he can.
“Hi,” Alear whispers in the small space between them. His breath puffs against Diamant’s face.
“Hello, Divine One,” Diamant returns, his own voice hushed. Unthinkingly, he brings a hand up to brush a few stray azure strands out of Alear’s face. The smile he reveals underneath is gentle. Curiously, Diamant’s heart begins to ache.
“How many times must I request you call me Alear, Diamant?”
“At least once more, Divine One. As always.”
Alear sighs, exasperated. Diamant smiles. Feeling something warm and soft prod at his hand, Diamant opens it, allowing Alear’s fingers to intertwine with his own.
“…Alear,” Diamant says, after a time. It’s not a question. It earns him a pleased smile from the dragon next to him. He watches Alear turn his head away momentarily, his cheeks turning a beautiful pink, and the funny achey feeling returns.
“Diamant. You should rest.” Alear eventually replies. His tone is laced with concern, and Diamant frowns.
“I couldn’t. I came in here originally to wake you. Not the other way around.” How could he possibly allow himself a wink of sleep when there was so much to be done? ...Never mind that he had nodded off mere minutes ago. (The reminder brings warmth to his cheeks.)
Moreover, how could he possibly calm his racing heart enough while lying here of all places to even fall asleep?
The sheets shift once again as Alear turns onto his side to better face the prince. With the bit of height leverage he has now, he stares down at Diamant disapprovingly. “I won’t take no for an answer,” Alear warns. The surprised look he receives from him brings a playful smile to the dragon's face.
“I…Um,” Diamant flounders for a response, his face beginning to burn brighter. He had not been prepared for a response like that. Alear laughs again, and the melodic sound makes Diamant's heart skip a beat. Then, Alear's thumb is tracing soft patterns along his hand.
Lying here, hanging off Alear's every word and move, Diamant begins to think he might finally understand what his mother always meant when she spoke of “butterflies in your stomach."
Alear shifts ever so slightly closer, until his face leans directly over Diamant’s own. Distantly, he wonders how the dragon doesn’t hear his own thundering heartbeat. Or maybe he does. It’s the last clear thought he has before Alear’s mouth meets his own, and nothing else matters.
He kisses him gently—heartachingly sweet—and Diamant's mind goes blissfully empty. The paperwork that had been nagging at the back of his mind is forgotten, his focus now directed solely to the task at hand. With his free hand, Diamant’s fingers find their way to brush along Alear’s jaw, earning a satisfied sigh from the other man.
It's soft and warm and wonderful, but over all too soon. Alear pulls away as soon as he starts it, leaving Diamant’s hand hovering in the air. The familiar ache returns... But the job is done. Diamant's thoughts are now of Alear and Alear alone, affection thrumming in his chest.
“Sleep now,” Alear murmurs, leaning down to place one more soft kiss against Diamant's temple. As a final bribe to get him to stay, Alear worms his way down besides him, resting his head against Diamant’s chest. Unthinkingly, Diamant responds in kind. The hand not currently occupied by Alear’s wraps around around him easily. It’s surprisingly natural. Like breathing.
Diamant soon finds that sleep, when they are like this, actually comes quite easy, too.