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Fogado is in a predicament.
If there is one thing Fogado is sure of, it's that he knows his preferences. He has never been one for fishing, or the cold, or boring food. Partying is his passion, and one that he won’t even let the war take away from him. He lives his life based on these facts, and strives to have fun while bringing fun to those around him. When it comes to the simpler aspects of his life, it flows as smooth as water. He knows who he is, and knows who he needs to be. If there’s a clear distinction between those two, he doesn’t mind lying to bridge that gap.
Another thing Fogado is sure of is that Alcryst is the complete opposite.
The first time Alcryst stepped foot on the dancefloor of one of Pandreo’s parties, it was obvious he didn’t belong. He was stiff as a board and so overwhelmed by the noise that Fogado found him in the corner with his hands over his ears. He preferred to spend his off time in quiet, dark places, and Fogado often found him fishing with Diamant and Saphir.
Neither of those two facts were problems on their own, but Fogado has found that they pose obstacles in his current objective.
His objective, of course, being to get closer to the Brodian Prince.
Fogado strummed the strings of his instrument absentmindedly. Timid as he was, Alcryst had a big heart. If someone asked him for something, he would do just that and put every piece of his gentle heart into it.
Everything about Alcryst was endearing– even his pessimism. And though Fogado did find some enjoyment in watching the brodian prince's attempts at "boogying down", he doesn't doubt that the guilt of making Alcryst uncomfortable would keep him awake at night. Although recently, the brodian prince has been coming to more of Pandreo’s parties. In fact, he’s finally started to look like he’s enjoying himself. It’s nice to know he can spend time with Alcryst partying, but it would be rude to focus only on one person at a party with so many people, even if that someone is the second prince of Brodia.
A fellow prince, a comrade, a best friend… Fogado wishes he could say he and Alcryst's relationship was more than that.
So how was he going to get closer to Alcryst? Their status as princes of their countries was essentially the only thing they had in common.
"Prince Fogado!" a familiar light voice calls, and it breaks him out of his reverie. "Are you busy at the moment? I mean, besides the music. If you are, that’s fine."
"Hey, Clanne," Fogado greets with a smile, "I'm just cooling off. Need something? I'd be happy to help."
"You would?" The boy's face lights up at his response. "That would be great!"
Fogado lowers his instrument into his lap. "What’cha need help with?"
"I need to go pick some fruits from the orchard, but most of the ones on the bottom of the tree have been picked already. You're pretty tall, so I was hoping you could help me get the ones I can't reach…" Clanne admits, though a bit sheepishly. "It's a bit embarrassing being so short… but, ah, you can keep some of the fruit if we get any extras! You said you like fruits, right?"
“I sure do,” Fogado confirms, and he gets to his feet, abandoning his instrument inside one of the tents he has set up. He could get back to it later. “Lead the way, o faithful steward.”
Sometimes, a little work gets the mind working, and it could be just what he needs to find out a way to bridge the gap between him and Alcryst…
Is what he thought, right before spotting Alcryst sitting by the fountain next to the orchard.
He hadn’t noticed Fogado and Clanne pass by, and the steward hadn’t seemed to notice the Brodian either, considering he was tucked away with his knees to his chest and staring off at something.
“You go on ahead, Clanne,” Fogado says, eyes trained on the brodian prince, “I’ll get to you in a little bit, promise. I just have to do something for a little bit.”
“Oh?” Clanne looks back at him and tilts his head, but ultimately doesn’t question him. “Alright. Take your time, Prince Fogado! The picking isn’t too urgent, anyway.”
“Thanks,” Fogado says in reply, and as Clanne walks off and disappears past the flight of stairs, Fogado masks his presence, and, as quietly as he can, sneaks up behind Alcryst. Then, he swiftly puts his hands over Alcryst’s eyes, and grins at the sound of surprise the brodian lets out.
“Guess who!”
“P-prince Fogado!” Alcryst squeaks, more in surprise than in response, and Fogado drops his hands from his red eyes.
“Ding ding ding! You’re right, it’s me.” Fogado moves to crouch next to him instead of behind him. “How’s it goin’?”
“You— you startled me." The frown on Alcryst's face comes off more as a pout, really. "I'm just… looking at the flowers."
Fogado turns to look at the flowery bushes of the Somniel gardens and tilts his head with a grin. "Hey, I didn't think you liked flowers. Brodia's all mountains, so I guess flowers would be a rare sight."
Alcryst hugs his legs tighter. "I don't like flowers."
"Oh." Fogado's grin falters. Just another thing they don't have in common, then. "Really? Why're you here then?"
"...Looking at flowers upsets me."
Fogado raises a brow and makes himself comfortable on the ground next to Alcryst. The brodian prince moved away from him a little in response, and then, as if he regretted it, loosened his grip on his legs.
"So… you're actively doing something that makes you upset?"
"Yes."
Fogado makes a sound of confusion. "And… why are you doing this, exactly?"
Alcryst sighs, and he runs his fingers over the military patch of his jacket. "I have nothing better to do."
"What, so when you're bored you start sulking?" Alcryst is an odd fellow, Fogado thinks to himself.
Then again, there was nothing wrong with that. He just wishes Alcryst would do things that made him happy.
Alcryst's cheeks go a bit red. "I don't have many hobbies. I don't usually like to ruin the air near the flowers by being around, but…"
"But…?" Fogado presses on. “...You can talk about it with me, if you want. I’m not as great a listener as Pandreo, but I’m all ears. I always am, for you” He pats Alcryst’s back, and although he finds slight happiness at the fact that Alcryst doesn’t flinch at the contact, he doesn’t enjoy the tense expression on the other prince's face.
“I’m just lost in thought. It’s not that interesting.”
“You said that last time too.”
Alcryst hugs his knees tighter again. “Flowers just… aren’t my style.”
“But that’s not all, right?”
“No,” Alcryst confirms with a shake of his head. “They remind me of when I was younger. I tried to sneak out of the castle.”
Fogado pats his back again. “Hey, that’s an adventure you never told me about.”
“Diamant caught me. It wasn’t much of an adventure.”
“Ahh, yeah, I figured it'd be hard to sneak out of such an uptight place... Was it fun while it lasted though?”
“No.”
Shit. “Oh. Sorry.”
Alcryst shakes his head. “You have nothing to apologize for. At the time, I just wanted to see the flowers at the border,” he explains, and puts a gloved hand over his face. “I used to fantasize about… leaving Brodia, and then living in Firene, or traveling the world. I'm not strong enough to call myself a prince of the kingdom of might.”
"You couldn't back then though, right?"
“Yes, um… but I figured it'd never work out. I would've been dragged back home. I mean, I was, but I didn’t even make it to the border.” Alcryst looks up, and before even a second can pass with their eyes locked, he looks away. “My eyes are too red. It's a dead giveaway. Firene didn't have many relations with Elusia, so a child like me coming from the border, and not the port… It'd be obvious.”
“Ah… Yeah, I can see how that could be the case.” Fogado's mind stirs at the possibilities. He learned to stay incognito at a young age, but Alcryst is quite the unique individual. Blue hair wasn't common in Brodia, and the only other person with blue hair and red eyes in the army is the divine dragon who, at the time, was asleep. What’s more, Brodia was a country that took pride in their people and their strength. It wasn’t in their nature to hide themselves. If anyone malicious put two and two together and figured out Alcryst's royal status, there are a lot of things that could have happened, and none of them good.
But none of those were appropriate to bring up. Alcryst is smart; Fogado is sure that he knows all of that already.
“Firene's people are kind and gentle… like the flowers. I'm nothing like that, and I’m not strong like the people of my country, either.” At Alcryst's negative words, Fogado perks up.
“You are kind. I told you, didn’t I?” Fogado looms over him, and smiles in the exact way he knows makes Alcryst embarrassed. It works, clearly, because Alcryst is making those funny whimpers he does when he’s happy but nervous. “That’s why I like you. I like your ‘weirdness’.”
Alcryst, in true Brodian nature, refuses to back down from the ‘challenge’, and backs away. “You’re the one who’s kind, Prince Fogado… You keep finding things about me to compliment… I’m worried that one day, you’ll see just how horrible I am.”
“I’d never be able to run out of compliments for you,” Fogado says, in all truthfulness, but Alcryst shakes his head.
“That can’t be true.”
"Well, just to start off, I like your red eyes."
Alcryst splutters in response. "Wh– what?"
"I like flowers too. Roses are my favorite. They're the flowers of love," Fogado explains, and he picks one from one of the beautifully trimmed bushes to the side and holds it in front of the other. "Your eyes are exactly the same color."
Alcryst's face goes as red as his eyes, and the rose. They almost look like they’re blending into one.
“No one… has ever said that– to me.. before,” he says with a shake of his head, as if he’s trying to disperse the heat that’s concentrated in his face. Cute.
“I bet I can find an endless amount of things about you to compliment.”
“Please don’t do that,” Alcryst begs, looking up at Fogado with nervous red eyes and flushed cheeks. “I don’t think I can handle it.”
Fogado gently places the rose in Alcryst’s hands. “Careful not to prick yourself. Roses are pretty, but they all have their thorns.” He gives a smile as he watches Alcryst caress the flower’s petals like it were a forbidden act. “Strong and beautiful. Kind of reminds me of someone, actually.”
Alcryst looks back up and tilts his head. “Who?”
“You, duh?” Fogado states, and his words leave Alcryst speechless again. “Who else have I been talking about our entire conversation?”
“Me?!” Alcryst almost screams. “Please stop saying things like that. It’s not true. I’m not strong— or beautiful! Especially not beautiful! I’m nothing like you, Prince Fogado…” Then, as if he said something offensive, he covers his mouth and deflates. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that in a bad way.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’ll take that as a compliment! So, you think I’m ‘strong and beautiful’?” Fogado leans down, if only to tease, but the gentle smile on Alcryst’s face surprises him.
“Yes. You are.”
He’s always so quick and confident when it comes to complimenting others.
With a grin, Fogado says again; “you like me.”
“I do…” Alcryst mumbles, as if it were a bad thing.
“Thanks,” Fogado says, as if his heart hadn’t just run and laps around his insides, “I like you, too.”
With just how fast his heart is beating, he’s worried that Alcryst will notice, and he doesn’t really want to blow his cool-guy persona in front of the one specific guy he’s trying to flirt with, so he pushes himself up and stands. “Well, I should get going.”
“Oh, do you have something you need to do?” Alcryst asks. Fogado nods in response.
“Yup! Actually, I promised Clanne to help him pick some fruits for the Divine Dragon.” Fogado dusts off his pants. “Say, if you have nothing better to do, you could come with us! It’s work, but it’s better than sitting here lost in thought, right?”
“I- I suppose so… are you sure you and Clanne are ok with me helping?”
“The more the merrier! We’ll get work done faster that way,” Fogado says. Thankfully, his shameless attempt at getting Alcryst to spend more time with him was successful, as the brodian prince nods in agreement. Fogado offers his hand, and Alcryst reluctantly takes it.
“Before I forget… here, please take your flower back.” Alcryst holds the rose from earlier in front of him, but Fogado shakes his head.
“Keep it! You can press it in one of your books if you like.” The implications of giving someone a rose was completely unsubtle, but as Fogado has noticed, Alcryst can be pretty dense.
“Oh… Thank you, Prince Fogado.” He has a confused look on his face, but Fogado can worry about Alcryst’s lack of awareness on anything related to romance later.
“Do you not want it? You did say you don’t like flowers.”
“I– I think I can start to like them…!” Alcryst admits. “Maybe when I see them… I’ll think of you instead. If I think about you, I think I can start to like them.”
Oh, Fogado is so down bad for this boy.
“Thanks! Nice to know I’m in your thoughts.” He grins playfully to disguise the fluttering of his chest. “Maybe when Bunet goes fishing, I’ll start to like it by thinking about you, too.” His words make Alcryst flush again, but he doesn’t scream in response this time.
“Shall we? The orchard is nearby. Don’t wanna keep Clanne waiting,” Fogado asks again.
“Yes, of course.” Alcryst answers. Fogado turns around towards the direction of the orchard when he’s called out again. “A-and, Prince Fogado?”
“Hm?” He turns around. “What’s up?”
“Thank you for listening to me. You didn’t have to.” At the sigh of Alcryst standing there, playing with the rose in his hands, Fogado can only smile.
“I wanted to. You’re my best friend, remember? That’s what friends do for each other.”
And maybe one day, they can be more than that, Fogado thinks wishfully.
Alcryst gives a small smile back in return. “Oh- of course. Thank you, again.”
As the two of them walk towards the orchard, Fogado feels as if he’s finally made some progress. He’d have to thank Clanne on a later date.