Archive of Our Own

Xornoth never claimed to be the best person in the world, let alone the best brother, alright? He never meant to take a little teasing too far in front of the other royal members during a meeting House Blossom hosted. He was just trying to lighten the mood but seeing that Scott's expression shifted to annoyance, he knew he'd blundered terribly. Xornoth instantly felt a pang of regret and wished he could take it back.

Scott was currently giving him the cold shoulder, refusing to even look in his direction as they flew back from the Overgrown. Extremely awkward silence hung in the air and Xornoth hated that he was the one who caused it. “Hey Scott-”

Scott simply huffed, clearly not wanting to talk to him after what recently transpired. He clenched his jaw and kept his eyes fixed on the mountains ahead. He beat his wings harder than before, creating a gust of wind as he attempted to outpace Xornoth.

Xornoth wrinkled his nose in annoyance and pushed harder to catch up with Scott. “You got to slow down, at least. It’s too long of a journey back to Rivendell in one go if you overexert yourself.”

“We’ve flown longer distances faster,” Scott replied flatly, seemingly forgetting that he wanted to ignore Xornoth. “Rivendell is only slightly northeast of the Overgrown.”

“Well, yeah, that’s true,” Xornoth struggled to come up with the words that might convince Scott to take it easy, “but with your lungs-”

Scott stopped propelling himself forward to turn to glare at him, using his wings to keep him upright where he was. The glare quickly fell and Scott looked like he was close to crying. “Can you just leave me alone right now?”

The look on his face made Xornoth’s chest tighten. He’d really fucked up, hadn’t he? “I- okay. I’m sorry.”

Scott responded with a sharp but soft sigh before turning to fly toward their home again. It didn’t take much longer before the two landed on one of the many flight landings around the castle. It wasn’t uncommon for elves to have wings and, even if they didn’t, many acquired elytras so it was only natural to have many entrances up higher than ground level.

Scott put his hand on the barrier that prevented entrance to the castle without clearance, muttering in elvish under his breath. The hazy barrier started glowing in a goldish color and Scott walked through. Xornoth followed right after.

Scott hadn’t taken his time to start briskly walking down the hall and away from him. “Scott!” What to say? His brother was quickly moving farther away and he was losing his chance to say anything before he was too far away to hear. “I’m sorry,” Xornoth apologized again before adding, “I love you.”

Scott's brisk pace stopped at Xornoth’s words. He had put his hand against the wall right as he was about to turn the corner and glanced back toward Xornoth. He stared for mere seconds before dipping his head in acknowledgment and rounding the corner.

Xornoth dragged his hands down his face, letting out a groan. He threw his head back and threw his arms down in a huff of annoyance. Well, wasn't this just the best day?

The door to Scott’s bedroom was pushed open, squeaking unpleasantly. The one who opened the door muttered something about getting something to fix the squeaking before walking fully into the room. “Prince Scott?”

“Do I have to?” Scott grumbled drowsily as he awakened. They didn’t even have to say anything else. He knew what they wanted. His body had an internal clock that would bring him out of deep sleep around this time so he was awake enough to be well aware of Elwyn when they came to make sure he was getting started on the day.

Scott could hear the amusement in their voice. “Yes, your highness. As you do around this time every morning.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Scott groaned as he threw the blankets off of him and climbed out of bed. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

Elwyn glanced down at their list to read it off. “It’s not that bad today- you have your usual lessons this morning. King Xornoth has requested that you have lunch with him after you finish your lessons. You have a fitting as well once the royal tailors arrive.”

“Sounds like another extremely interesting day I have ahead of me.” Scott had gone behind the privacy curtain to change out of his sleep clothes as they talked, as he usually did. He didn’t exactly enjoy others dressing him when he could do it himself. Especially on typical days such as today. He could take care of himself. “Anything today that will be more interesting?”

“You’re telling me that you don’t like Byron’s lessons?” Their eyes sparkled with the teasing comment. “I’m sure he would love the constructive criticism.”

Scott snorted at that. “Only if Aeor himself was the one giving it! And even then, I’m not so sure.” He was dressed at this point so he walked out from behind the privacy curtain, shaking his wings out to stretch them after not moving them much all night.

“You also have to get your lungs checked out again to make sure they’re not getting worse.” Elwyn’s voice had softened into a more cautious tone. “Flying to the House Blossom Alliance meeting yesterday would not leave your lungs very happy-”

“I think I will be fine with something as basic as flying.” The elven prince snapped. The pain in his lungs was suffocating but he managed. The trick was just to not give it any attention. He choked down a sob, shoving those pain signals away and locking them in a compartment within his mind. Elwyn gave him a look and held it until Scott briefly broke eye contact. “It’s not my fault.”

“I know it isn’t.” Elwyn looked like they pitied him. Why did they all think he was incapable? “No one blames you. No one resents you for it.”

Scott just huffed in response as he went to put on the jewelry he often dons: several rings, various necklaces, matching earrings, etc. He then set his non-formal stag crown on his head. It was pretty typical of a Rivendell prince’s crown, especially as he was wearing his typical formal but not overly formal clothes. Those formal outfits were saved for special occasions, like galas or coronations. He also had a formal stag crown that was brought out for important events that was much more decorated but also a lot heavier on his head. Not exactly the most practical headpiece for day-to-day life.

“They really don’t.” They tried to reassure him but Scott didn’t want it.

“I don’t need to be counseled.” Scott straightened up, shoulders back. “Let’s just go. I would like to eat breakfast before sitting through Byron’s lessons for today.”

Xornoth’s day was pretty typical of what one would expect from a king. There were a lot of meetings with his advisors and others who aided in managing the empire. Lots to sign off and approve. Lots to manage. He can’t say it was the most fun thing ever but he was proud to rule Rivendell. It had been his dream since he was a young elf and the dream had come to be a reality when he took over a few years ago when his parents decided to retire. No one was very upset about it. They have had over a century-long reign and, throughout it, they have put in the time and effort to deserve to live out the rest of their lives as they pleased. Especially when they had two perfectly capable sons as candidates for the crown.

Xornoth in particular had always been popular among the other elves- especially the ones around his age. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was physically attractive, if people liked they way he conducted himself in public, or if his personality simply drew people in. He didn’t always understand it that well but he wasn’t going to say no to people actually listening to him when he talked. He knew he shouldn’t enjoy people stroking his ego but who doesn’t like being complimented and praised?

Xornoth had been looking forward to lunch because it was his chance to see Scott again. He regretted the day before and just wanted them to get back on good terms. He had requested Elwyn to ask Scott to lunch when he woke so he hoped he would come. Even if Scott still held onto his bitter feelings, he had to eat sometimes.

He finished his meetings scheduled for that morning. He liked getting them out early so he could spend the rest of the day working in his office or spending time doing something fun. He sent a servant to find Scott to let him know lunch was being prepared before heading to the dining room. The kitchen staff had impeccable timing for they just brought out their lunch just as Scott arrived.

“Scott!” Xornoth’s expression brightened, pushing the mind-numbing topics discussed at the morning’s meetings from his mind. He was happy that his brother came to meet him for lunch. He wasn’t too sure he would after the day before.

Scott just hummed in response as he sat down. He paused, looking at the food as a small smile grew on his face. “It was our favorite meal when we were kids.”

"That it is." The smile put Xornoth at more ease. Maybe all was forgiven and forgotten? “I requested the potato dumplings. It’s been a while since the chefs prepared it.”

“It has.” Scott agreed, using the chopsticks provided to pick up one of the dumplings.

The two engaged in some small talk, as one does, discussing their days and things they enjoyed. It was nice because the tension was starting to dissolve and they were going back to how things usually were.

“So Scott,” Xornoth started after finishing the last bite of his dumplings, “there is this event coming up in a few weeks that we were invited to and I was wondering if you wanted to go to it.”

Scott didn’t speak at first because he had just put the last bite of his food into his mouth but his expression showed that he was curious. After swallowing, he asked, “What kind of event?”

“It’s a celebration of sorts at the Ocean Empire- the air touched parts of the empire, obviously.” It wasn’t that uncommon for people to be able to swim but no one but oceanfolk and skilled mages could breathe underwater for any significant length of time so cross-empire events were hosted above the ocean’s surface. Before Scott could speak, Xornoth continued in a teasing tone (that would hopefully go over better), “And yes, your boyfriend will be there.”

“Wha- no!” Scott tried to protest but Xornoth could easily see his ears turning red. “Jimmy is not my boyfriend!”

“The fact you know who I’m referring to is very telling.” The king’s grin just grew wider. Scott didn’t seem angry so that meant the teasing wasn’t bad, right? “I could have been talking about Count Fwhip or King Joel or-”

Scott snorted at that. “Mhm, yeah. Sure. I might believe that if it wasn’t painfully obvious how head over heels Joel is for Lizzie! And Fwhip would probably throw up from laughing so hard at the concept of courting me.”

“Ah, well, you got me there.” Xornoth would give him that but it didn’t change his point. “Still doesn’t change the fact that you’re as head over heels for Jimmy as Joel is for Lizzie.”

The blush on Scott’s face didn’t die down whatsoever. It probably got worse at closer examination and he also looked embarrassed. “He’s going to think I’m weak. He’s got the lungs of a… a cod! He can breathe underwater and on land easily whereas I will be lucky if I get through a few days without needing to take a moment to sit and breathe. My lungs also like to lose functioning at the most inconvenient times. And seeing how everyone laughed the other day-”

Ouch. Yeah, there it was. Shame burrowed in Xornoth’s stomach. “I am sorry about the other day- I just responded and didn’t take the time to think like I should have.”

“It’s fine.” Scott instantly dismissed Xornoth’s apology with a wave on his hand. Xornoth knew his brother well enough to not trust those words.

“Even so, I shouldn’t have. But I still don’t think that they all think bad of you.” Xornoth tried his best to sound genuine and not condescending. “Most of them look like they enjoy your company. Shrub likes it when you come over to garden in a warmer environment with them, for example. If they didn’t, do you think they would write so fondly to you and ask for you to come again sometime?”

Scott released some of the tension in his shoulders and unclenched his jaw. It looked like he was able to calm some of Scott’s anxieties with his little reassurances.

“It would be nice to not go alone,” he continued what he started earlier when Scott didn’t respond. “As much as I enjoy strengthening alliances and participating in cross-empire events alone, it’s much more fun with a companion. Plus, your relationship with the Ocean Queen’s brother seems to be helping with trade. The Ocean Empire hasn’t been as distrustful working with the “stuck up elves” as they have been through a lot of our history since you and Jimmy befriended each other. It only makes sense for you to come.”

Scott took a moment as he fidgeted with one of his rings before nodding his acceptance to Xornoth’s invitation. “I would like to go.”

“Perfect!” This must mean that Scott really had forgiven him if he was willing to travel all the way there with him. “I’ll write and let them know.”

It has been a couple of weeks since Scott agreed to accompany Xornoth to the Ocean Empire. It was nearing the time that the event was starting so people were anchoring their boats near the lilypads. They got from their boats to where everyone was gathering using their elytras or their wings or the provided smaller boats if they couldn’t fly to get to the lilypads. Scott flew from the Rivendell boat to the giant lilypads connected by bridges with several structures built on top of them. Most of the guests attending the event seemed to be congregating on one large lilypad in particular so Scott figured that’s where he should go.

When flying the short distance across the water, Scott heard a shrill voice yell at the oceanfolk with the small boats to pay attention to them and bring them to land. Scott just rolled his eyes at that. Being rude to oceanfolk wouldn’t do anything. In fact, they’re more likely to ignore you and prioritize literally anyone else. Oceanfolk weren’t known for sucking up to others and letting rudely demanding people have their way.

He landed near the outskirts of the mingling guests before turning to Xornoth, who had also just landed a mere second after him. “Do you need me anywhere specific?”

“No. It’s more of a party than a formality so it’s expected to just strengthen connections and socialize.” Xornoth looked over the crowd before jabbing his elbow into Scott’s side. “Look, there’s Jimmy. You should say hi.”

“This early?” Scott's lack of confidence in his voice bothered him. He usually projected a confident and composed facade to others, but it was different with Xornoth. They had been inseparable since childhood, and even as they ventured out to do their own things, their connection remained. Well, except for the moments when they were tempted to strangle each other, but that was just to be expected from time to time.

“You’ll be fine. Just be your usual charming self.” Xornoth’s reassurance was thrown over his shoulder as he went into the crowd to mingle.

Scott nodded at that- not that Xornoth was looking at this point- before pushing his way through the crowd as well. He quickly realized he hadn’t paid attention to where Xornoth pointed so he had no idea where he was going. Scott spent some time looking around, trying to pinpoint where Jimmy might be.

Scott considered himself tall, especially around most others such as the fae or the humans, so his height somewhat helped him look over the crowd. However, the oceanfolk competed with the elves on who was taller on average, and seeing as this was an event the Ocean Empire put on, there were a lot of oceanfolk around.

Scott froze as his eyes landed on a cod hybrid before quickly realizing they weren’t him. They were a bit shorter, their hair was more of a seaweed green, and their bone structure was just completely different. He wrinkled his nose, annoyed that he got excited about seeing someone so clearly not Jimmy.

He continued to roam the party and socialize, maintaining the poised composure expected of his elven prince status. Conversations with other guests flowed effortlessly. He had grown up attending events like this, making these conversations second nature.

Scott did end up finding Jimmy after a while. It took Scott a few moments to process when his eyes landed on the oceanfolk, wanting to make sure it was actually Jimmy and not just someone his mind tricked him into thinking was Jimmy out of wanting to see him so badly.

The cod hybrid’s blonde hair looked damp underneath his codhead headpiece set on top of his head. Scott could feel his brain upping its dopamine production as he confirmed to himself that it was Jimmy. The cod crown would be enough to signify that Scott wasn’t just seeing things, and it did, but that didn’t stop him from staring awhile longer. It couldn’t hurt to be more sure, after all. There were scales on his face, neck, and arms that shimmered in the light in hues of green and brown. The oceanfolk’s eyes were a hypnotizing brown, just like Jimmy’s.

Scott forced his eyes away, feeling guilty for trying to convince himself that the staring was simply because he couldn’t be sure it was Jimmy when that was very much not true. He was well aware it was Jimmy. He was just a hopeless gay who liked to admire pretty men from afar. Scott could admit that to himself. Though, if he admitted that, he would also have to admit that his eyes didn’t stay off this particular pretty man very long.

Jimmy’s mossy green tunic and mud brown pants made Scott feel extremely overdressed with his traditional, layered clothes. He was glad he wasn’t the only one dressed similarly, seeing as this was how the elves typically dressed on a regular basis, but he still felt like he was stuck out like a sore thumb.

Jimmy was fairly tall, much like Scott was, which gave him a higher chance to be able to catch his gaze. He would be struggling if he were trying to catch King Fern, Queen Rose, or any of the other gnomes’ attention since his eyes weren’t exactly in their line of view. They are extremely short, it’s just a fact. Scott sometimes wonders if their necks are constantly sore from looking up at everyone.

Failing to catch Jimmy’s attention, Scott gave up on getting him to notice him first. The fae Jimmy was talking to looked to be saying their goodbyes so Scott took this chance to approach before Jimmy got pulled into a different conversation. “I hope you didn’t think you could avoid me all night, handsome, because you can’t.”

Jimmy turned to the elf, with those warm brown eyes of his lightening as they fell upon him. Great Aeor above, this man made him feel too many things. “Scott! Uh, Prince Scott! Oh, elves bow in greeting, right? Yeah, I believe so- I just-”

The cod hybrid attempted to do a proper bow that went far too deep for the usual respectful greeting, which Scott found really endearing but it wasn’t needed whatsoever. This wasn’t exactly a formal event or a place where such respect was demanded. “You don’t have to be so formal, Jimmy. We’re not conversing as royalty right now. We’re just two guys at an event that takes place on the giant lilypads. Nothing crazy.”

“Okay, cool. Scott then.” Jimmy grinned. “Are you enjoying yourself? I’m personally enjoying the weather for it’s quite nice out. I spend a lot of my time underwater so I don’t get to experience the cool breeze under the night sky very often.”

“It is rather lovely.” Scott agreed, looking up at the stars overhead. The moon was high in the sky, shining down on everyone like it wanted to enjoy the night too. “What sort of places do you spend your time when underwater? When you have a choice on where to go and are not simply doing daily tasks.”

Jimmy’s face scrunched up in thought. “Well, there are a lot of places to go and most are a lot of fun. I enjoy going to the various towns around the empire the most. You know, away from the bustling of the city center, which is mostly under the lilypads. It’s a break from my obligations and a chance to connect with the other oceanfolk as a whole. They’re so kind to me. One of them even taught me how to weave baskets! Oh, and I’ve been spending a lot of time playing with the-” Jimmy cut himself off, looking like an idea popped into his head. Jimmy held his hand out for Scott to grab. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

Scott looked at the hand, wondering where Jimmy could be wanting to take him before taking his hand. "I hope you've got something exciting planned for us because I'm ready for anything you have in mind." Scott gave the other prince a small smirk, well aware of what his tone could suggest.

Jimmy stammered for a second before simply walking away, dragging Scott behind him. “You will enjoy it. I think. We shall see but it should be fun either way! You’re not afraid of water, right?”

Scott gave him a look that conveyed how ridiculous he thought Jimmy’s question was. “If I were, do you think I would be on a giant, floating lily pad in the middle of the ocean?”

“Right, well, it never hurts to check.” Jimmy’s words were accompanied by a shrug and a chuckle. “Don’t want you to get panicked.”

"Panicked?” Scott gave the blonde an amused and somewhat flirty smile. “Well, I admit my heart races and I feel butterflies in my stomach around you, but I would label that more positively than panicked.”

Jimmy didn't respond as a blush graced his features. Leaving the other man speechless was one of Scott’s favorite things to do. Jimmy was known to be very talkative and expressive, which, don’t get him wrong, he enjoyed, but having the power to quiet him simply with some flirting made him feel like Jimmy might feel the same sort of affection that Scott had for him. Scott hoped he did, anyway. It would make him extremely happy if Jimmy returned his affections but he wasn’t willing to put his heart on the line any more than casual flirting.

Scott let himself be led farther away from the crowd and behind a building near the water. He couldn’t even hear the celebration very well over here, the building partly to thank because it muffled noise coming from that direction.

There wasn’t much to see at the spot Jimmy took him to. He didn’t really have expectations of where Jimmy had wanted to take him but he assumed it would be more interesting than what he saw. The only thing to mention was the chest Jimmy had let go of his hand to open. Scott peered into the chest once it was opened to see several bottles stacked inside. Jimmy pulled out one of the bottles before closing the chest once more. Scott had to process what could be the significance of the bottle for a moment but then he was able to recognize the color and make a guess to what it was based on that. “Is that a-?”

“Water breathing position? Yes. It lasts a decent amount of time, depending on how well it was made and the quality of the ingredients. We’ll bring two, just in case. Should be more than enough time and I can always swim you back up once you can feel the effects starting to wear off.” Jimmy offered the potion to Scott, clearly expecting him to reach out and take it but Scott didn’t do so.

Scott wasn’t scared of water, truthful in what he told Jimmy, but he never was one for swimming. His wings took forever to dry and he wasn’t exactly dressed for deep-sea diving. Plus, what if something went wrong and he drowned? That didn’t seem like a fun way to go, to be honest. Yeah, he’s been living awhile, but he still felt too young to die. He still was, technically, if you compare an elf’s lifespan to that of the average human.

Jimmy noticed his clear hesitance and gave him a reassuring smile. “Come on, it’ll be alright. You may want to shed a few layers though. Your clothing looks really heavy.”

He did have a point. Clothes like this were meant more for the harsh winds of Rivendell, not so much for other biomes. Scott's body had always run cold, so it’s not like he minded but he still kept up appearances expected of an elf, if not a royal. To some extent, anyway. It wasn’t typical for him to go to the warmer biomes not dressed like his royal status. He might just opt to not have the fabric be as thick if he had the foresight to consider such things.

“If you want to see me undress, you could have just asked.” The elf flirted once more before he shed a few layers of clothing, folded them, and then placed them inside of the chest. Pleasure welled up inside Scott as Jimmy, now blushing and flustered, spun around to gaze out at the water while Scott removed most of what he was wearing. Jimmy's reaction to Scott's comments was so fucking adorable and always brought a smile to his face. Even though Jimmy didn’t always respond, either ignoring him or moving on with the conversation like nothing happened, Scott didn’t plan on stopping for that reason.

With the layers of his body, Scott was now standing in a loose, blue dress shirt and black slacks. His outfit looked more closely to Jimmy’s now than it did before. He had even taken off his jewelry. Those have been tucked in between the clothes he placed in the chest. Scott did a little twirl, keeping his wings flat against his back in order to not smack the other prince as he did so. That might not be the best thing to do, if not purely for diplomatic relations. “How do I look?”

“A lot less stiff and obnoxious.” Jimmy poked his arm with the potion bottle. “You look more friend-shaped.”

“Friend-shaped?” An eyebrow was raised. “I don’t believe I have shrunk simply from taking off some clothing.”

“You know what I mean! Like- just-” Jimmy buffered as he tried to come up with the words to explain what he meant. “You look less like an intimidating public figure and more like someone… friendly?”

Scott snorted, grabbing one of the potion bottles from Jimmy. “I have encased parts of people or whole people in ice as a display of power and strength before. I would like to think I’m intimidating.”

Jimmy didn’t let that change his mind. “Well, yeah, but did they deserve it?”

“Yes.” Eh, it was probably true. If Scott had done it, then they likely did something to piss him off.

“Then it doesn’t mean you can’t still be friend-shaped! Just morally gray.” Jimmy pointed the second potion bottle at Scott. “Now drink the potion.”

Scott side-eyed him before downing the water breathing potion. As soon as the bottle’s contents emptied down Scott’s throat, Jimmy grabbed his hand again and jumped into the water with Scott at his heels.

Xornoth had taken his time bouncing around the crowd, greeting people, and making small talk. It had gotten a tad too much so he made his leave from the bulk of the crowd and walked to the tables that held food for the event’s attendants to snack on. There were several finger foods and plates with various flavors of cake. Opting out of those for now, he went over to the drinks and poured himself some sweetberryade in one of the disposable cups stacked near the pitchers. The setup was undoubtedly different from the parties the elves back home had, but he was aware that he came from a background of old money and rigid traditions, especially among the higher ranks of Rivendell society. Despite the differences, he found this atmosphere fun and enjoyed it.

“Hey, there’s my favorite fighting buddy!” A familiar voice greeted, sounding pleased to see him here. “Enjoying your time awkwardly hovering by the snack table all by yourself?”

The fighting buddy in question turned to his favorite Helianthian as soon as her voice registered in his brain. “You’re here with me so what does that say about you?”

“Ouch. Did you just call me an awkward loner?” Pearl gasped in fake offense.

“Hey, you said it, not me.” Xornoth’s tone was light and teasing, as it often was around Pearl. She was one of the few people who brought out the best in him so it was always a treat when their paths crossed.

Pearl laughed, a grin spread wide on her face. “Glad to see you haven’t changed since we last talked.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Xornoth set down his cup and picked up an empty cup. “Would you like some sweetberryade? It’s one of my favorites.”

“Yeah, thanks. My voice is starting to die after all this socializing.” Pearl accepted the cup of sweetberryade from Xornoth after adjusting the flower crown on her head. “I’m only really here because my advisors said it’ll be good to ensure we’re on good terms with everyone still.”

“I don’t think anyone can afford to break off trade routes with Gilded Helianthia by starting anything.” The elf pulled his long, purple hair back into a ponytail as they talked. “Your exports are extremely valuable considering how fertile the dirt is at your empire.”

“Well, we aren’t nicknamed the Farming Empire for nothing.” Pearl shrugged a shoulder as they moved to some seating a bit further away from the main festivities. “Nothing tastes better than fresh produce given to you from the earth. You should drop in sometime and visit. We have these apple trees that have recently matured so they’re bearing apples. They are very sweet and make the best desserts and apple sauce.”

“Stop, you’re going to make me wake up in the middle of the night tonight with an apple craving.” Xornoth fake complained with a groan.

“Good.” The dirty blonde human teased. “Maybe then I’ll be able to steal you away from your royal obligations.”

“It would be nice to have a day off.” Xornoth glanced out over the crowd before back at Pearl. “We could bake together or maybe spar?” It had been a while since they’d just been able to hang out away from their responsibilities or public social events.

“Yes. Absolutely. It has to happen now.” Pearl declared as she punched him in the arm a few times, not using any of her strength to do so. “I expect to receive a letter sent from one of your messenger owls as soon as possible to tell me when you’re able to stop by.”

“I’ll see what I can move around and get a date to you soon.” He promised, determined to be able to visit soon. He has been meaning to but, since becoming Rivendell’s king, he’s had a lot less time for personal trips.

“Let the sun shine favor on us that your advisors let you… and even if they don’t, you can go against their wishes. You are the one ultimately in charge.” Pearl innocently sipped her drink like she wasn’t suggesting escaping the responsibilities of an empire in favor of a day of play. “What are they going to do?”

Xornoth let out an amused huff at that. There were things they could do to make his life very difficult but there was truth to what his friend said. But yeah, she was right. They couldn’t really stop him if he tried hard enough. “Aeor, you're a real character."

"Eh, you love me.” Pearl waved her hand in playful dismissal of the notion. “I'm the best in all the land."

Xornoth rolled his eyes but there was no malice behind it. "That you are."

Scott was not mentally prepared for being pulled under the ocean’s surface but here he was. He pushed his wings against his back, figuring the wings would catch water like sails caught the breeze and slow him down so he just used his arms as a means to swim. Wings weren’t good underwater but they were mighty useful outside of it. Scott held his breath instinctively, brain yelling at his body to not drown.

Jimmy let go of his hand and spun to face him. Underwater, the gills on his neck were more noticeable. His scales and fins also had this sort of glow to them. It was rather pretty to see them sparkle in the dim light.

“You know you are able to breathe right now, yeah?” Jimmy’s expression read as if he were trying not to laugh, which made Scott feel a tad embarrassed. He wasn’t used to being on the retrieving side of the fondly amused expression.

Scott’s mind raced with the fear of suffocation if he did take a breath, convinced that his lungs would fail before he could reach the surface. He sent a quick prayer to his god that he wasn’t going to die at this moment. This really would be an awful death. He released the bubble he'd been holding in his mouth, unable to hold it anymore, and forced himself to take a deep breath.

A wave of relief washed over him as he found himself able to breathe normally. The anxiety that had built up in those moments subsided, though it still lingered some.

“Sorry, I should have given you time to think for a second before pulling you in.” Jimmy looked apologetic but didn’t seem too upset over it.

“No shit.” Scott huffed, only slightly annoyed. When Scott’s eyes met Jimmy’s, any and all sins committed against him were instantly forgiven. Aeor, he was down bad for this man, wasn’t he?

Jimmy offered his hand again with an earnest smile. “Hey, this time we can swim together without anybody dragging the other, okay?”

Scott was staring at him with extreme longing to have Jimmy look at him so positively more frequently than now. He took the cod hybrid’s outstretched hand and let him guide them both down deeper below the ocean’s surface. Jimmy’s tail helped him swim faster than Scott could ever hope to on his own. He was still being helped along but they were more or less next to each other as they swam.

The scenery surrounding them was absolutely stunning. Scott could see a lot of the structures that made up the Ocean Empire’s underwater society as they swam deeper under the ocean’s surface. A common theme among the buildings was its use of prismarine, coral, and even terracotta! That last one surprised Scott since terracotta usually didn’t do well with water. He assumed it was glazed and made to be waterproof because it wouldn’t be here otherwise.. He passively wondered if the Mezaleans waterproofed the terracotta as a part of the trade agreement or if the oceanfolk did it themselves.

Scott had seen paintings and heard descriptions of how stunning the underwater empire was but seeing it with his own eyes was something else. It was fairly different from his home in the mountains but still beautiful nonetheless.

Jimmy seemed to let him be in awe for their swim down because Scott didn’t hear anything until they reached what was apparently their destination. “We’re here.”

Scott looked at Jimmy and then over to where Jimmy was referencing. The writing on the sign was written in what one could only assume was oceanic. That meant that Scott had absolutely no idea what it said. He didn’t exactly need to since he had a guide who could and would know if it said anything important. Besides, it just looked like a simple descriptor sign though. Scott didn’t have much time to ponder what the symbols could mean before he was led inside through the door made of reeds.

The place was a lot less pristine than some of the other structures he saw but it was still fairly nice and homey. There was a lot of plant life and colorful decorations scattered around. The main thing that stood out to him was the amount of small axolotls that swam back and forth. It wasn’t exactly rare to see them, especially when they were such prevalent creatures within this empire’s culture, but this many?

Scott could feel breathing get harder, which was a sign that the water breathing potion was losing its effect. They probably took longer than expected to swim down because Scott was distracted from admiring the architecture. He snagged the second potion and downed that quickly. He assumed they would be going back up soon, anyway, so they could spend some time here before swimming back up.

“This is a nursery for the axolotl guards’ kids,” Jimmy explained after letting Scott soak everything in. “It’s a little something we do for them since they spend a lot of time around the empire aiding the other oceanfolk with various tasks like hunting or warding off predators. Plus, Lizzie has a deep care for them seeing that she’s part axolotl so I feel like the other stuff is just excuses so she can have a place to see all the babies.”

“They’re so cute and little.” Scott turned in the water as he watched them swim around the place they were in. They were really adorable and he felt similar watching them as he did when seeing baby stags playing around Rivendell.

“I know! I like hanging out here when I’m not swimming with the cod or doing other activities.” Jimmy swam around back and forth, easily moving through the water before settling down next to Scott.

The two watched the baby axolotls quietly as they play tackled each other, playing some sort of game involving a small stone.The only thing they could hear were the axolotls swimming around and shallow breathing.

“They’re great conversationalists, you know,” Jimmy spoke up after a while.

“Who?” Was he talking about the axolotls?

“The cod,” Jimmy answered. “For me, anyway.”

“Can you actually hear them?” Scott looked surprised. He searched back in his memory to try to remember if Jimmy had ever mentioned that before.

Jimmy replied with a nod as he swam to leave the nursery. The baby axolotls looked like they were starting to settle down a bit so leaving felt like the best thing to do in order to not disturb them with their conversation. “Most oceanfolk can hear the creatures that blessed their life into existence. I was blessed by cod, hence the tail, fins, and scales. Lizzie was blessed by axolotls, hence the fins and tail. It’s also why her hair is pink and her skin is blue. So on and so forth.”

“Oh, I feel like I’ve,” he paused for a moment to take a breath because he had apparently not done so before speaking, “heard something about that now that you mention it.”

“Most non-oceanfolk people don’t even question why we look the way we do and usually don’t care.” Jimmy shrugged nonchalantly, not really offended by it. “It’s not like many oceanfolk live in the other empires, seeing as they’re all only above water. Most non-oceanfolk don’t trust the breathing potions enough to come down here either so most don’t overlap except maybe Mezal-”

Jimmy’s voice died before he could finish what he was saying. The two princes stared at each other as they realized how long it’s likely been. Both were becoming very quickly aware of the shallow breaths Scott was taking. Scott wanted to kick himself. He had been too focused on the conversation that he ignored the signs. He supposed all those years of ignoring his lungs when they acted up didn’t help him here.

“Where’s the second potion?” Jimmy asked, looking around them before looking back up at Scott for an answer. “Did you-?” Jimmy must have gotten his answer from the expression on Scott’s face.

Without saying another word, Jimmy wrapped his arm around Scott with his hand firmly planted under Scott’s arm before launching them through the water as fast as he could. Scott had never seen Jimmy look so serious before. Scott’s head started to ache and his eyes started to flutter close, even when he tried to keep them open. His body had started to go limp as it tried to cope with the quickly depleting oxygen circulating through his body, his limbs trailing behind him as Jimmy held onto his torso to pull him closer to the surface. The last words Scott heard before the world went dark were Jimmy’s panicked reassurances that cycled between various phrases. “I got you, Scott, Don’t worry. It’ll be okay! Stay with me, Scott. Please.”

Xormoth had talked to his friend for a while longer before she got called away to another conversation. He regretted how short it felt but they couldn’t stay antisocial and avoid everyone else the rest of the time. They both were rulers of their empires, after all.

Xornoth made his rounds again, chatting to more people about topics that didn’t get any deeper than simple pleasantries and small talk.

He did manage to find himself in a conversation with Queen Lizzie. They started off fairly professional with talks about how Xornoth’s journey here was, how Lizzie did such a fantastic job with the event, and how their empires were oh so very strong before quickly devolving into more casual and friendly talk with the topic being their younger brothers. They were something more interesting to talk about than the weather and they both cared about their brothers so conversation came more easily than the other topics they attempted. And, as older siblings, it was only natural to either brag about how well they were doing or complain about how annoying they were. (Okay, yes, Xornoth and Scott are technically twins but Xornoth was born an hour earlier and every hour counts!)

The axolotl hybrid sighed as the conversation continued. The sigh was more in a “they’re idiots, your honor” way than an annoyed way. “As Jimmy’s seabling, I can confirm that Jimmy has, at the very least, some sort of attraction towards Scott. You should hear the way he talks about him!”

Xornoth chuckled. “Scott is fairly enthusiastic when he has the chance to run into Jimmy. His mood brightens a lot, even if he’s recently been pissed off.”

“Jimmy is similar.” Lizzie laughed with him. “At this point, it’s a gamble to see when they confess to each other and who will do it first. I think it’ll be soon, though. I doubt they can go on like this for much longer.”

Xornoth opened his mouth to respond but nothing was said because his attention was snagged elsewhere quickly and out of nowhere. He thought he heard something and it concerned him. It might be nothing but it was like he could feel something wasn’t okay in his bones.

“Is something wrong?” Lizzie lowered her voice cautiously, glancing in the direction Xornoth was looking at before looking back at him.

“Do you hear that?” Xornoth asked, his brows furrowing as he strained to decipher the faint but panicked sounds that reached his ears.

“Hear what?” Lizzie looked at him with concern and confusion, clearly not hearing what he was.

“Panic?” Xornoth guessed but didn’t say more as he started to quickly pace towards where the sound seemed to originate in long strides.

Lizzie followed suit, able to keep up effortlessly. Her long legs aided in catching up to and then matching Xornoth’s determined pace.

The jumbled mess Xornoth had interpreted previously as panic morphed into a series of sobs and frantic muttering.

The muttering was so incomprehensible that Xornoth didn’t think it would be worth it to try and guess what empire they might be from based on the accent. Now that they were far enough from the festivities to not cause distress, Xornoth was able to quicken the pace. Lizzie was able to keep pace right at his side, especially now that she also heard it and guessed where they were heading.

Xornoth stopped dead in his tracks when they turned a corner and spotted two figures on the ground. Lizzie gasped beside him once the situation registered in her mind. When he left to investigate, their brothers were not who he expected to find. Speak of Exor and he shall appear, he supposed. That saying was much more fun when seeing the person appearing sparked joy and not anxiety and distress.

Jimmy, who Xornoth assumed was who he heard considering Scott wasn’t moving and his eyes were closed, was still muttering nonsense as he finished this set of chest compressions. Xornoth noticed that Scott’s chest didn’t move at all now that Jimmy wasn’t touching him. Scott wasn’t breathing, was he? Jimmy shifted to be able to tilt back Scott’s head with one hand and use his other hand to open Scott’s jaw. He took a deep breath before sealing his lips over the mouth he held open. He did that twice before shifting back to start another round of compressions.

Xornoth was relieved to see his brother’s chest rise some with those breaths but that relief was short lived. Scott still layed there without any movement that wasn’t produced by Jimmy’s hands roughly pounding against his sternum. Xornoth felt useless. Fuck that, he was useless in this situation. He had no idea what to do but he assumed it wouldn’t be good to interrupt. Still, he hated feeling so helpless. He glanced at Lizzie, who also didn’t look sure on what to do but she at least looked like she was concentrating. At least she had some idea of what to think of with situations like this because Xornoth came up with nothing when he searched his brain.

Lizzie’s eyes lit up after a moment of holding a focused expression. She quickly turned heel and dove off the side of the lilypad, a bit away from where Scott and Jimmy were. She must have figured out something or worked out an idea of what she could do to help. At least she was doing something, unlike himself. Xornoth couldn’t think of anything to do but stare and pray to Aeor, especially since this wasn’t a super familiar place or situation to him.

Luckily, Scott’s body started to cough up water during this set of chest compressions. Jimmy instantly stopped the compressions, a mangled cry of relief escaping his lips as he rolled the elf on his side. The water expelled from Scott’s lungs to the ground beside them.

“Is he going to be okay?” Xornoth felt like he was about to cry with relief but he didn’t want to be a total mess in case he was needed.

By how Jimmy jumped, it was clear that he hadn’t noticed when the two rulers entered. Luckily, he was able to keep Scott on his side without dropping him. Jimmy was still dripping with water to the point that Xornoth wasn’t able to distinguish between the droplets running down from his hair and the tears he was positive he had.

“What even happened?” Xornoth demanded, rightfully upset but also extremely worried about his brother coughing up water. Well, the water being coughed up is good but the fact there was even that much water in his lungs to start with was upsetting. What was he even doing in the water? It’s not like Scott greatly enjoyed swimming! It wasn’t especially fun in Rivendell, given how cold it is there and the fact they have wings that weren’t really meant for swimming, so he didn’t understand what would possess him to jump in- especially considering what was happening on the other lilypad right now.

It also didn’t go unnoticed that Scott was not wearing everything he was last time Xornoth saw him… and it’s not like Jimmy took off the clothes just then because, otherwise, he would see the clothes somewhere around them in whatever condition they ended up in. This just confirmed that them being in the water wasn’t an accident.

Jimmy didn’t answer with anything more than unintelligent noises as he carefully set Scott back on his back now that he stopped coughing up water. He bent down to check for breathing and performed two more rescue breaths. Jimmy pulled away from Scott’s face, muttering what seemed like prayers in oceanic. The elven prince’s body heaved violently as it gasped for air.

Xornoth fell by Scott’s side now that he wasn’t at risk of interrupting whatever Jimmy was doing before. “Scott! Aeor, let him be okay.” He closed his eyes to mutter a prayer as well, slipping into his native tongue.

He wasn’t sure exactly what Jimmy had been doing but it must be some sort of life-saving maneuver. Was this a common medical procedure at empires with water nearby? He’s never heard of it but he didn’t exactly study medical practices. It didn’t matter what it was, where it was commonly used, and for what it was used for. Xornoth needed to stop trying to distract himself from his anxiety. He didn’t need to know what it was. He was simply grateful that, from what he gathered, it had worked as intended. Scott seemed to be breathing somewhat consistently now, though still unconscious. He pulled Scott partly onto his lap and ran his hand through Scott’s cyan blue hair to get it out of his face. It looked unnatural to see Scott’s skin look like a paler version of his hair color, likely due to the lack of oxygen in his blood.

Lizzie emerged from the water, climbing back onto the lilypad with a potion bottle in her hand. “Sorry, I could only find one healing potion in a short amount of time. It should help. How’s he doing?” She didn’t bother to shake herself off as she joined Jimmy by Scott’s side. Jimmy moved down a bit to make room since Lizzie had gone to be by the elf’s head.

“He’s breathing now. Jimmy helped him.” Xornoth reported, somewhat dumbly. Lizzie could see they weren’t that hysterical and she had seen Jimmy doing chest compressions and rescue breaths so she could guess.

Despite Jimmy’s efficiency in saving Scott’s life, he didn’t seem to have calmed down at all. He was shaking, bent forward to the point where his head rested against Scott's stomach. He wasn’t vocalizing his distress anymore but Xornoth wasn’t sure if that was a positive sign or not.

“Good. Otherwise, this wouldn’t do more than pool in the back of his throat,“ Lizzie opened the bottle and slowly poured some between his lips. His body seemed to receive it well so she gradually dumped the rest of the bottle’s contents into his mouth.

“His breathing seems stable now but he’s still unconscious.” Xornoth choked back what he was feeling as he glanced up to meet Lizzie’s eyes after he finished watching the red liquid empty from the bottle.

“It’s common for those who… drown,” Jimmy choked on the word ‘drown’, “to not immediately gain consciousness… assuming they do at all.”

Xornoth was surprised to hear Jimmy speak up and say something comprehensible for the first time in this whole interaction. The cod hybrid’s voice was shaky but that was better than not being able to understand him through the sobs that caught in his throat.

“Since he’s stable and breathing, we should move him someplace more comfortable so he doesn’t wake up however long later on the ground. That way we can better monitor his condition.” Lizzie then offered, “I have a place where we can take care of him nearby.”

Xornoth narrowed his eyes before curtly nodding. Jimmy seemed to know a lot about what to do with drowning victims, which was sort of strange considering he was from and spent most of his time in an empire where everyone could breathe underwater. Xornoth wasn’t going to question it, especially since the fact Jimmy knew how to had probably saved Scott’s life. He would have been absolutely destroyed if he lost his twin.

Xornoth didn’t have a chance to say anything before Lizzie did. “He’s probably going to become really cold, assuming he isn’t already, if we don’t move him soon. Non-oceanfolk don't handle being in the cool winds after being soaked very well.”

Scott had more of an immunity to the cold than the average person, seeing he had a natural skill when it came to ice magic. They were also both used to the cold of Rivendell’s mountains as well. But, even with that, this kind of cold was different from what they usually experienced. Being soaked to your bones with even a mildly chilly wind was worse for your body than a dry body with layers like they had in Rivendell. Besides, Xornoth wasn’t going to complain about his brother getting some sort of medical attention. “I’ll carry him. You lead the way.”

The world came back into view as Scott’s eyes fluttered open. His body felt weighed down like he hadn’t moved in days or like there was someone lying directly on top of him. There was a slight taste of… was that glistering melons that linger on his taste buds? Rubbing his eyes, he realized that he had awoken to an unfamiliar room. His head and chest throbbed, which made it difficult for him to will his body to sit up.

He glanced around the room, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the details to get a sense of where he was and why.

A clear and vivid memory of water filling up his lungs and the world fading from view popped up in his mind. His brain supplied that it was the last moment he remembered before ending up here. Had he drowned? This didn’t look like an afterlife. He certainly didn’t feel dead with how much his body screamed at him.

Scott’s hand flew to his throat, feeling like his throat was trying to close up in order to suffocate him. The more he woke up, the more pain signals from his body were reported to his brain. His lungs felt sort of like they did during the times his lungs would turn against him before, if only a bit worse, so it wasn’t exactly an unknown feeling but still not a pleasant one to be so actively aware of. There was also pain in his chest around the sternum, which felt different and distinct from the pain in his lungs. His whole body just felt extremely bruised and, without looking, he couldn’t differentiate the pain between what was bruised and what was simply aching.

Once he processed the pain, he became aware of what he was wearing. He wasn’t wearing anything that was familiar to him, which made his privacy feel a bit invaded. If you looked at him, it wouldn’t be surprising that nothing he was wearing was familiar to him because he wasn’t wearing much at all. He was only wearing loose pants with a blanket wrapped around him. Scott felt very exposed and naked being in a place he didn’t recognize without the clothes he usually wore. The blanket kept him warm enough, sure, but Scott still preferred to have a conversation first before the clothes came off. “Could’ve taken me to dinner first.” The elf muttered as a little joke to himself. Anything to shift his focus from his body.

“What was that?” When did someone else enter the room?

Scott looked up, surprised to see Jimmy standing there. His expression revealed a mix of relief and guilt as he gave Scott an uncomfortable smile.

Jimmy was now wearing dark green pants that looked as if they were ripped just below the knee, a black shoulderless shirt, and a fishnet top that hung off his right shoulder so he assumed it’s been some time since his last memories. At least long enough for Jimmy to leave him long enough to get changed. Though he didn’t look like he had just been swimming. His hair wasn’t even damp!

The elf didn’t answer that question, running a hand through his cyan blue hair. This was more to calm and comfort himself but he played it off like he was just trying to keep his hair out of his face. “What- how am- we-?”

Jimmy took a breath before interrupting the stammering. “You kind of drowned.” The cod hybrid moved to sit down at the foot of the bed while Scott processed the blunt statement.

Scott pursed his lips at that. He supposed that lined up with what he remembered well enough. Scott moved his legs so Jimmy had more room, suppressing a hiss as his body screamed in protest as he moved positions. “If I drowned, how am I still here?”

“I did chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth to help force the water out of your lungs and get oxygen in your system. We were underwater and I was so excited that you were there that I didn’t register that you used the second potion and I wasn’t paying attention to the time and- why are you laughing?” Jimmy's eyebrows furrowed, brown eyes falling to the bruising on the elf’s torso. “You are going to hurt yourself more.”

“A near-death experience can do that for you, Jimmy. A little laughter isn’t going to do much more damage.” There was no point in being so serious. Jimmy was too stiff compared to what Scott was used to and he didn’t care for it. He didn’t want Jimmy to worry so much that he lost what made Scott fall in love with him to begin with.

“Still.” Jimmy insisted, his fins flaring. Based on his general demeanor and the conversation they’ve been having, Scott was confident that his fins flared because of concern and anxiety over genuine anger or irritation. “As much as I love your laughter, I- fuck, Scott. What did I just say about laughing?”

“I just can’t believe I wasn’t conscious for our first kiss. I have been awake in all of my first kiss fantasies so this is a new one for me.” Scott’s tone became more playful as he tried to lighten the mood. It wasn’t unusual or out of character for Scott to use humor and flirtation as his go-to responses when dealing with pain or stress.

“How are you making jokes and staying so calm? I was the reason you almost died and it’s not like that was a real kiss anyway and..." Jimmy blinked rapidly for a moment, going silent. "Wait, wait, are you wanting to kiss me? Not that I would mind that but I’m just thought you didn’t-”

Even stumbling over his words, this man was so fucking cute. Everything he did was charming, even during distressing times like this. Scott moved closer down the bed, ignoring his body’s protests to gently grab the oceanfolk’s face. “Jimmy.”

He stilled, looking at Scott in a way that showed he didn’t know how to respond to Scott’s advances. “Uh, yes?”

“Can I kiss you?” Scott’s heart was pounding so loud he was worried Jimmy could hear it. He was putting himself out there and couldn’t help but feel anxious even though Jimmy just said he wouldn’t mind kissing Scott.

Jimmy melted into Scott’s hand, whimpering a small “Please.”

Scott smiled softly as his hand gently found its way to the back of Jimmy's head, fingers becoming entangled in his blonde hair as he leaned in to press his lips against Jimmy's. Jimmy eagerly met him halfway, arms wrapping securely around Scott's back beneath his wings.

The kiss was brimming with affection and care. It felt like nothing else mattered anymore. Scott’s brain seemed to stop processing any pain signals for his thoughts were only here at this moment. He simply allowed the intimacy of their connection to wash over him, relishing in the depth of emotion it brought over him. Based on the warmth of Jimmy’s touches on his body, it was clear that both of their hearts mirrored the tenderness of their lips.

The kiss eventually broke, leaving behind an electric, lingering feeling between the two of them.

“Damn.” Jimmy breathed out, a lazy grin so wide on his face that you could see it in his eyes.

“I should have drowned sooner,” Scott responded with an airy laugh.

Jimmy untangled himself from Scott, which Scott would have been more sad about if Jimmy hadn’t gently placed his hand against Scott’s chest. “Does it hurt to breathe? Do you think your ribs are still broken? We were pretty sure we were able to heal them with the potions but-”

“If it hurt to breathe that bad,” he wasn’t going to admit that there was pain, “I don’t think I would have enough air to be able to kiss you.”

Jimmy looked like he was going to respond when a happy giggle came from the doorway. The two sitting on the bed looked to the two who appeared at the doorway. It was their older siblings because who else would it be? Lizzie looked overjoyed while Xornoth simply looked relieved and like he was about to break down with tears but was holding them back.

Scott and Jimmy quickly shifted away from each other, looking embarrassed like they were a couple of teenagers who got caught sneaking around when they shouldn’t be.

“I called it, Xornoth! Didn’t I say that they would confess soon?” Lizzie clapped her hands and swished her tail, very pleased with this new development.

“Scott, how are you feeling?” Xornoth entered the room to approach the bed, purple eyes full of concern. He had a healing potion in the hand he extended to Scott. “Here, drink this. They told me when I arrived that they were still trying to tend to the bruising but they said your ribs and sternum shouldn’t be cracked anymore.”

“They don’t feel cracked.” Scott looked down at his bare chest and poked himself a few times where the bruising was. He winced, seeming to realize that wasn’t the best idea he’s ever had. “If they were cracked, they healed rather fast. I didn’t think a few healing potions would work that quickly.”

Xornoth had to let out a shuddered breath to keep him calm, subtly playing with his long purple hair. “Did Jimmy not tell you when you woke?”

Scott blinked dumbly back at him before turning to Jimmy. “Tell me what?” His words were slow and cautious.

“Two weeks.” Lizzie pipped up. “We’ve had our healing mages take a look at you and modify the healing potions some for your condition so you’re more likely to heal faster.”

“Fifteen and a half days.” Xornoth corrected, barely holding back tears as it hit him how significant it was that Scott was awake and speaking again. “I’m just glad you woke up at all.”

Scott didn’t speak for a long moment which didn’t help Xornoth’s emotions not go haywire. He previously had to go back to his empire since he hadn’t prepared to be gone for a long period of time. There were responsibilities he needed to tend to as the King of Rivendell even if all he wanted was to stay put at his brother’s bedside. The elf had flown all the way to the Ocean Empire to visit whenever he could because Scott hadn’t been in a good position to be taken all that way.

Xornoth grabbed his brother’s hand and pressed the bottle into his hand as a way to say “Don’t you dare ignore me and drink this now.” “I’ve- we’ve all been worried for you. What were you two thinking?”

Jimmy ducked his head, averting his gaze. Jimmy looked down at his hands like they were suddenly very interesting.

Scott’s wings bristled, now annoyed. “Don’t get on us. We just made a mistake while doing something completely innocent.”

“You were careless!” His voice was starting to raise in volume.

Scott didn’t sound too pleased at the start of Xornoth’s lecture. “We had two water breathing potions and Jimmy showed me some of the Ocean Empire. Would you say no if you were allowed to freely observe someplace you’ve never gone before? Especially one described to be so stunning? I doubt it.”

“You could have gone with more potions and more protections. In fact, you should have!” Xornoth stiffened in annoyance at Scott’s backtalk. He didn’t like the look Scott was giving him. Couldn’t he see that he was just showing his care for Scott’s well-being? “You never know if someone under there has a grudge against Rivendell. Or if another water predator spotted you and decided to have a snack. You should have at least gone with more people.”

“No one would have hurt him.” Jimmy entwined his right hand with Scott’s left. “He was with me and the Ocean Empire has no quarrels with Rivendell or any elves so nothing would have happened there.”

“We also have patrols.” Lizzie offered awkwardly, probably not wanting to get in the middle of the growing argument. “It is unusual for a predator to get past our defenses or even get close to the waters where we live.”

Xornoth inhaled sharply before letting the breath go slowly, wanting to keep himself calm. “I understand that but you have to see my point of view. How would you like it if, let’s say, I took Lizzie out in the snow to the sacred cave, far away from any warmth, and Lizzie started to succumb to hypothermia? When you found out, wouldn’t you be upset? Wouldn’t you be worried and wish we went out more prepared?”

Jimmy seemed to understand what Xornoth was trying to say by the lack of a response before he muttered an apology. Lizzie cleared her throat and Jimmy looked up at them. “I’m sorry, King Xornoth.”

The elf shifted his weight between his legs, not expecting the formalities during this conversation though it felt strong to be referred to with respect to him and his standing. “I appreciate your apology, Prince Jimmy.”

After several minutes of silence, Lizzie took a step forward and offered her hand to her seabling. “Hey, let's give them some space before they leave. I’m sure Rivendell is eager to see their prince now that he’s awake.”

"Thank you, Queen Lizzie," Xornoth said, offering her a brief but respectful bow. "Let me know if you need a favor." Lizzie had refused payment before but he refused to not give anything in return.

"It was the least I could do," Lizzie shrugged off as her gaze shifted toward their brothers as she spoke. "Especially considering how attached my seabling is to your brother. But I would never turn down an 'IOU’ so I’ll let you know when I need something."

While neither of the two on the bed reacted directly to Xornoth or Lizzie’s words, Jimmy gently squeezed Scott's hand and left him with a promise, "We'll talk soon."

The saddened look Scott had written all over his face when he reluctantly nodded did not make Xornoth feel any better about everything. It frustrated him greatly because he was just trying to prevent them from making senseless choices again but they didn’t seem to understand. No matter how old they all get, some of them still act like naive children. Was he just expected to let them be foolish?

If Rivendell’s prince were to die due to the incompetence of the Ocean Empire’s prince, there would be major tensions and trade would be disrupted. And all of that assumed that a war wouldn’t simply break out! Xornoth very much didn’t want to have the burden of war on his shoulders, especially so early into his rule, thank you! Why wouldn’t they see the gravity of the situation?

“Now that you’re awake, we should take one of the boats to the mainland.” They needed a way to get back to Rivendell that would allow Scott to not be in more pain and this seemed like the best course of action. “I’ll send ahead for a carriage to pick us up.”

“I can fly.” Scott inputted sharply but notably refused to meet Xornoth’s eyes. “We don’t need to travel so slow.”

“Your ribs are still bruised which won’t make it easy to fly, you literally had to cough up water that was in your lungs, and almost died from drowning,” Xornoth gave Scott a pointed look. Flying would be a really poor idea, especially that far. “Your lungs already struggle to keep up with you to start with and-”

“I don’t need to be lectured like a damn child.” Scott snapped at him with a glare, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. He often used his hands to accompany his words when he was passionate or upset about something. “We’re the same age. We’ve gone through many of the same lessons. We were raised in the same castle by the same parents and nannies. You are not suddenly so much fucking wiser than me just because you were given a shinier crown to place on your head!”

“I’m just looking out for you!” Xornoth retaliated against the negativity oozing from Scott. Were they really arguing again? It hadn’t been that long ago since they last squabbled yet here they were again. This felt a lot more significant than Scott simply being miffed at some teasing, though.

Xornoth found himself growing even more upset and angry than before. He wasn’t sure what or who he was upset at the most though. Xornoth’s worries were great and perhaps overwhelming at times, sure, but that was just because he cared deeply. Aeor, he loved deeply! He cared about Rivendell and how people saw him, sure, but he loved his friends and family- especially Scott. They were twins and that would never change no matter how many times they were at each other’s throats.

It clearly didn’t matter to Scott as it mattered to Xornoth because why would it? Scott was just going to blow him off like he often did. Xornoth loved him, he really did, but he was so fucking infuriating at times. “Damn it, Scott, you didn’t wake up for fifteen and a half days! Fifteen very long and very anxiety-inducing days. I had walked in on Jimmy repeatedly pressing his hands hard against your chest as he sobbed because you weren’t fucking breathing! Can you imagine how distressing that would be? How awful it is to not know if you were going to wake up or not? Can’t you just do this for me?”

Scott's lips remained sealed, not answering Xornoth’s cries, and his body tensed as though he were barricading a surge of emotions. His expression, though, turned oddly neutral but it was a clear mask once one studied the look in his eyes. Xornoth couldn't quite discern what emotions were lurking behind them, but he sensed elements of uncertainty, stubbornness, and some sort of lurking pain he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Scott slowly took the top off the potion bottle that was still in his hands, keeping eye contact through slitted dark blue eyes the whole time he did so. He placed the bottle against his lips and shot it back, gulping the red liquid down until it was gone. The slitted eyes went back to staring at Xornoth. His brother did not move his eyes off of him, even as he held the now-empty potion bottle out as far as his arm allowed before dropping it. Luckily, the glass was thick enough to not shatter but that didn’t mean the sound was pleasant whatsoever to his ears.

Xornoth clenched his jaw, struggling to contain his frustration at Scott’s disrespect and obstinacy. “That doesn’t mean you’re fit to fly all the way back home,” he emphasized with a stern tone. Xornoth narrowed his eyes at Scott’s defiant stare, their gazes locked in what felt like a silent battle of wills. He refused to back down so this lasted for what felt like lifetimes until Scott finally diverted his gaze.

“Fine.” Scott’s voice wavered as he regained eye contact. “We’ll compromise.”

“In what way?” He lifted an eyebrow in suspicious curiosity.

“We’ll take a boat as far as we can to Rivendell. We can dock the boat at Mythland since any closer to Rivendell isn’t really a good place to take a boat.” This part of Scott’s plan wasn’t too far off from Xornoth’s own, so he could accept that. The next part, however, was harder to agree with in good conscience. “Once there, we fly the rest of the way. Deal?”

There was a moment of silence between them before Xornoth sighed. This probably was the best he was going to get without using magic on him without consent. “Fine. I’ll grab you a shirt.”

It had been about six months since Scott almost drowned. Six months since Jimmy showed him part of his world he had never seen before. Six months since they were able to look into each other’s eyes. Six months since Scott was able to enjoy Jimmy’s caring touch on his skin.

Scott groaned, shoving his face into a pillow. The phantom feeling of Jimmy’s lips against his just filled him with desperate longing. It made it so much harder to distract himself with what he could around the castle.

Being royalty was so infuriating at times. He sometimes wished he was just a regular elf who could go visit their boyfriend whenever they wanted. Instead, he was restricted to the castle like some misbehaving child. It was for really stupid reasons too!

…well, fine. He supposed his body giving out mid-flight was a pretty serious reason but that didn’t mean he was any less annoyed. And every other excuse was stagshit too! He didn’t deserve what he was getting, even if he was a bit of an ass to Xornoth before they left the Ocean Empire.

He had been writing back and forth with Jimmy for the entirety of the six month period. They had written to each other before- they had been friends for a while- but never this frequently or this freely. Their letters felt like conversations one would say when snuggling against one another by the warmth of a fire. Light banter was thrown between them as they flirted and talked about various topics such as how their days went (Jimmy’s obviously more interesting than Scott’s), what they enjoyed, and memories they were fond of.

Every letter he received from Jimmy just made him fall in love with him more. Scott kept each and every single personal letter he’d ever received in a drawer. Ever since their recent increase in letter writing started, Scott upgraded Jimmy’s letters to their own bin, separate from all the other letters. They were kept under his bed, unlike the other letters. They were extra special to him so they deserved a special spot. Where else would be better than under where Scott slept?

Scott’s heart ached whenever he remembered how long it had been since they last existed in the same room. The letters helped with the aching but it didn’t make it go away. Scott’s imagination aided in the delusions that Jimmy was actually in the room with him. It felt real enough that he was certain he could see him speaking the words from the letters or curling up beside Scott as he lay on his bed.

…maybe he was losing his mind more than he thought he was. Fuck.

As nice as it was to indulge in the delusions, the truth was that they hadn’t seen each other since their first kiss. Ignoring the technicalities of the mouth-to-mouth which does not count whatsoever (unless there was an opportunity to make a joke about it, obviously).

“Aeor, I would drown again if it meant I was able to see him again,” Scott muttered out loud, throwing the pillow that he previously had pressed against his face off the bed in a huff. He would go through the pain a million more times if it meant he could escape these walls.

At this point, his body was in better shape than it was when he last visited the Ocean Empire. Thanks to the healing potions, the bruising that once colored his chest was gone and his mind was no longer as foggy. He used to like the taste of those potions well enough but now he wouldn't be upset if he never had to drink another one again in his life.

Scott could feel how stiff his wings were from not being able to use them for any real flight, even when they were simply resting. Stretching them helped some but it was not the same. It’s not like he could step outside or fly around the castle with this aggravating restriction. The barriers that kept unauthorized people out were modified to keep Scott in. He was so over it! Honestly, he had been since he found out that he was trapped within the Aeorforsaken castle. His resentment toward “The King” was still fierce and unyielding.

Jimmy had mentioned sometime in the early letters that he wasn't allowed to see Scott either, but the difference was that he wasn't confined within walls like Scott was. Lizzie hadn't imposed such strict restrictions on Jimmy but Xornoth, unfortunately for Scott, had no qualms about doing so. According to Jimmy's letters, he was advised to “leave the Rivendellians alone” and something about elves being stubborn. Scott couldn’t be bothered to give the excuse any real attention because he thought it was silly. The only comfort he could take from the situation is that his boyfriend was able to be free.

Scott had been so lost in his thoughts that he was startled as the door swung open. He hastily pushed himself upright with his hands to look at the one who entered while speaking before relaxing his shoulders. "Oh, your highness! You're already awake. Good."

“I’ve been up for a while,” Scott muttered to Elwyn loud enough for them to hear as he ran a hand through his hair a few times to smooth out the strands of blue hair sticking up in random directions. Elwyn looked like they wanted to say something, but Scott spoke again before they could. “How much longer do you think it’ll be until Xornoth comes back?”

He wasn’t sure how long Xornoth had meant to keep him under house arrest exactly. He knew it was until he was fully healed but he had been for what felt like lifetimes now. He wasn’t even expected to take the healing potions anymore! Xornoth had left before he fully recovered on some sort of diplomatic mission. He’s been gone for literal months at this point while his advisors ran the empire. Scott wasn’t asked for any input because he didn’t have experience ruling and was recently injured so he needed to “focus on recovering” or whatever the advisors’ excuse was for not letting him try his hand at ruling. They were completely ignoring that Scott was next in line for the throne!

…not that he really wanted it. As much as Xornoth has annoyed him, he still loves him and is well aware that Xornoth does better at managing Rivendell than Scott could ever hope to. Even with the ups and downs of their relationship, they were still brothers and had a genuinely good time growing up together. Scott looked back fondly at the memories. The times they got frustrated with the other didn’t seem as loud when surrounded by memories of the good times.

Xornoth had always had more pressure put on him than Scott did. Being the firstborn, even if it was only by an hour, Xornoth was expected to eventually take over the empire. Sure, they both had a long while to explore and take up hobbies before their parents retired but there was always that expectation of the “one day”. Scott could still remember how nervous but excited Xornoth had been from the moment he learned that their parents decided he was ready for his coronation day to the day of the event.

Scott wasn’t sure why Xornoth had to leave when he did, though. It was an awful inconvienant time for Scott because he couldn’t bother Xornoth in typical sibling fashion until he reinstated Scott’s control of the barriers. Many of the castle’s staff he asked didn’t want to and none of them knew how to change the extra layer of magic Xornoth had put on them before he left. Scott understood not wanting to go against the King when your position in the castle wasn’t as concrete as Scott’s but that didn’t mean he was going to be happy about it. Scott couldn’t do anything about it himself either. He wasn’t skilled enough in this area of magic to try and modify the complexities of the protective barrier.

Scott didn't receive many specifics about his brother's trip, but he knew that several other empires had been yearning for Xornoth's undivided attention for a while. Xornoth was relatively new to the throne compared to most of the other rulers. These first few years of Xornoth’s rule had focused on getting his bearings as Rivendell's new leader, but it was only a matter of time before he would be questioned on what was taking him so long. It had become somewhat of a tradition among the lands to visit all the empires within the first several years of your rule. It was a way to demonstrate that you had a good head on your shoulders and were willing to be somewhat civil with other empires, even if your empires weren't on the best terms.

The trip was expected to take a while, considering the necessary travel time and the duration previous rulers had spent on similar journeys. Since it involved transporting clothing, food, other various supplies, and people such as guards and assistants, it had to be on land, which meant they didn't have the speed of wings. Scott understood the importance of the trip and didn't care that Xornoth had gone on it. What he did care about was that Xornoth left without a word spoken about it to Scott. If Xornoth told Scott he was leaving right then, he could have become a thorn in his side until Scott’s demands were met. Let’s just say that Scott would like to have a very peaceful discussion with his dear brother once he returns.

“You’ll be happy to know that he arrived late last night after you already went to bed.” Scott straightened up so fast as Erwyn spoke, energy suddenly pumping through his veins at the news. Elwyn was smiling, likely pleased to be the one to inform Scott of his brother’s return. “He’s wanting to see you in the private living room.”

Xornoth hummed quietly to snippets of various different tunes he remembered from his long journey. He wasn’t exactly sure what tune went to what song from what empire but he wasn’t really caring if the tunes flowed or made sense together.

Journeying had been utterly exhausting but a lot of fun, despite the meetings that felt like interrogations at times. They were curious about what he would say about what he planned to do within various aspects of his empire and more detail in what sort of trades he was able to offer or would want to offer in the future and what he expected in return. Xornoth had expected conversations like this but he didn’t expect them to be so annoyingly dull- especially since he had to repeat the same sorts of things at every empire he went to. Luckily, he was trained to handle it and put up a powerful but not too threatening front, as he did at the shorter meetings he’s attended in the past.

It hadn’t all been boring meetings though. There were pleasant conversations with the rulers of whichever empire he was visiting and their families, events to attend, towns to tour… the only thing he really regretted was forgetting to write back to the castle… or, rather, specifically to Scott. He usually forgot whenever he was in a place to actually be able to send a letter. There was simply a lot to do and see that his mind didn’t have the capacity to think about Rivendell. He just put faith in those he put in charge in his absence. They were who he sent letters to when he was able. They were short updates on where he currently was in case something happened and on how things were going since he didn’t have much time to say more. Xornoth didn’t get anything back in return so he just hoped they were received. He assumed that he wasn’t getting responses because, by the time the letter was received, he was no longer where he last reported he was. There wasn’t truly any point to writing more than a report when no one could reasonably respond.

Xornoth had been flipping through the pages of one of the books he had been reading on the journey back to Rivendell and didn’t get to finish. He put a bookmark between the pages as the door to the living room swing opened to reveal Scott. He set the book down on the table and stood to greet his brother. “Scott, it’s so ni-”

He must have blinked at the wrong time because the next thing he knew, his feet were frozen in place by literal ice and a fist had collided with his face. “What the fuck, Scott?” Xornoth exclaimed in shock, blinking at Scott rapidly as his wings bristled.

“That’s what you get for putting me on house arrest and then leaving for months, you bastard.” Scott huffed out, head held high as he flicked the hand that had collided with Xornoth’s face a few times.

“Wait, are you still prevented fr-?” Xornoth had started, confused, but was interrupted by an anguished cry from his brother.

“Are you telling me you intended to take down the restrictions months ago but never actually did so?” Scott’s face morphed from grief and disbelief to looking like he would greatly enjoy punching Xornoth again. “Aeor, Xornoth! Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been physically able to go outside?”

Well, now he feels extremely guilty. He had meant to keep Scott at the castle to prevent him from hurting himself more by flying all the way to the northern oceans to see his lover. Scott had always been prideful and, at times, reckless. Just look at what happened when Scott insisted on flying when he shouldn’t have despite Xornoth’s pleas. He crashed and hurt himself so much more! Besides, Scott had always been one to do foolish things out of pure spite so Xornoth did what he decided was a necessary measure for Scott’s safety and recovery! What he didn’t mean, however, was to keep the restrictions in place the whole time he was gone. It must have slipped his mind with everything else he had on his plate.

“I deeply apologize, Scott. I just- I didn’t-” Xornoth struggled to come up with the words to say. It didn’t help that his brain was focusing on the pain signals sent because of Scott’s right hook.

Scott must have decided to dismiss some of his anger when seeing Xornoth stuttering but he still held onto the sharp tone. “It’s whatever. Just don’t do this to me again. You may be the King of Rivendell, but we are brothers first. This is a relationship dynamic where we both have equal power. I don’t need to be managed.”

“Of course.” Xornoth gave Scott a nod to show he agreed with his words. “I genuinely didn’t mean to hurt you like this. I just wanted you to have time to heal fully before you got yourself more injured than you already were.”

“The choices dictating what I do during my life should be mine to decide.” Scott’s tone lost some of its edge. He sounded more exhausted now. “If I am not about to do something that will harm Rivendell, then it shouldn’t be up to you. Can you please promise to not use magic to keep me in line, at least?”

“I only ever wanted what’s best for you, brother,” Xornoth responded, his tone quieter and somewhat raspy.

“Please, Xornoth.” Scott pleaded. “I am more than old enough to manage my own health and well-being.”

The desperation radiating from Scott had him realize that he had vastly overdone it. His concern and precautions had strained their relationship greatly. Xornoth was aware he’s been a tad overbearing and protective since they were young but he hadn’t realized how strong it had grown. Despite being born only an hour apart, Xornoth had taken the role of big brother seriously. More seriously than he should have. The fact that he had gone too far to the point Scott was pleading with him had him upset greatly. “I promise.”

Scott tilted his head back in relief as he audibly exhaled and closed his eyes. With that, the ice that planted Xornoth in place quickly started to melt away until he could step freely again.

"I'll go with you to undo the restriction before my meeting with the advisors but before then..." Xornoth hesitated, his voice softer and more cautious than before. The conversation had been heated and he didn’t want to leave it as it was. It was too negatively emotionally charged to simply leave it as is. "Would you like to sit and talk? I have a lot I would like to share with you. We've been apart for too long, and there's so much I want to share with you."

There was something so freeing about the cool wind blowing through your hair and dancing with the feathers of your wings. Scott had taken for granted his ability to go outside and fly under the sun’s inviting light before but he never would again.

He had been so engrossed with the activity of flying that he didn’t pay attention to where he was. He had been flying simply on autopilot so he was surprised when he spotted the Prisma Palace so soon. It was the tallest structure above the water that the Ocean Empire had so spotting it in the distance gave you an idea of where you were heading. It was also a sign to not to sail your boats or fly too close- unless invited, of course. The Ocean Empire had domain over the northern oceans but their society was contained mostly in one large area so they allowed boats on the waters as long as the boats didn’t do anything harmful to them or get too close for comfort. If one were to try, they were likely to find their ship on the ocean’s floor before they knew what was happening.

Scott flew down closer to the water as he neared the lilypad structures. He didn’t step a foot onto the lilypad, however. He kept himself idle above the water with help from his wings as he waited for one of the patrolling guards to see him and give him permission to effectively enter the empire. There was no point of angering them by trespassing.

He didn’t have to wait long before an axolotl started to swim around where he was holding himself above the water. He heard a faint “Thank you, Sir Strawberry.” before a oceanfolk guard shot up from the water with the use of a trident.

They landed gracefully on the lilypad in front of Scott, quickly twirling on their heels after landing in order to face the elf. This oceanfolk in particular had dark gray skin with what looked to be lighter gray freckles all over their skin. Their dark blue hair had reeds braided through it and many of their scales matched the color of their hair- the scales he could see around their protective but breathable armor, anyway. Making a mental note of the guard themself wasn’t very important to him besides the fact this was the first person he’s seen outside of Rivendell in six months! “State your intent being here, elf. Are there more of you here?”

“No, I’m alone,” Scott assured. “I have come to see Ji- Prince Jimmy.”

The oceanfolk eyed him cautiously. “Why?”

The guard was positioned in a way where they could dodge any attack or start one of their own if they chose to. Scott couldn’t really be surprised nor offended at their suspicion. He respected them for doing their job, if he was being honest, even if he was impatient to hurry this up.

“I’m his- he’s my- we’re boyfriends.” Aeor, that felt so nice to say out loud to someone other than his bedroom furniture. His chest was already swelling up with anticipation and excitement of what was to come. It only made him more impatient with this conversation. He could hardly keep himself composed when all his mind could think about was finally being able to land his eyes on Jimmy’s messy blonde hair and bright smile. It’s been so long since he’s seen the real Jimmy and not just the one his silly gay brain conjured up to keep him company.

“Scott?” The guard looked him up and down with a doubtful expression.

“Yes- how do you know my name?” He was curious how they knew it because he assumed that the guard didn’t know that he was elven royalty based on how they were acting and the lack of title. Plus, he hadn’t put on all the typical layers and jewelry he would normally wear. He had even left his stag crown behind, which was a fairly recognizable sign of Rivendell royalty. He had opted to wear the same outfit he was in after Jimmy had dragged him into the water but before waking up from the whole basically drowning incident. He could have done the outfit he was wearing when they had their first kiss but that seemed like a bad idea, considering he was shirtless with only a pair of loose pants on. He was dressing down from his usual but not that much. Especially since he could still be recognized and, if he was, showing up half-naked in an empire that wasn’t his own did not seem like the best idea.

“People have noticed the prince writing to and gushing nonstop about some elf named Scott for months now.” They relaxed their stance some but still kept an eye on him. “Wasn’t sure if you would ever show up, assuming you actually existed.”

“Unless there is something I’m not being told, I am fairly sure I exist.” Scott cracked a lighthearted smile before letting it drop when the oceanfolk guard didn’t reciprocate the expression. “Can you go get him? Or tell me where he is?”

“I’ll alert him of your arrival. Don’t move or Sir Strawberry won’t hesitate.” The guard didn’t expand on what that meant as they stepped off the side of the lilypad and disappeared under the ocean’s surface.

Now that they knew he was there, he let himself land near the edge of the lilypad. He looked at the water to see the pink axolotl staring right back up at him.

The waiting didn’t take that long in comparison to how long it’s already been. Didn’t help the time go by any faster, though. He mindlessly created small ice cubes and let them fall into the ocean water, slowly creating a collection. He had let himself stare off, daydreaming about how their reunion might go as he did so.

The daydream was interrupted by something- someone? jumping out of the water and straight at the elven prince. Scott didn’t have time to react and move out of the way so they were on the ground before he registered who the oceanfolk who jumped on him was.

“Scott! It is you! You’re finally here!” Jimmy wrapped his arms around Scott’s body. He looked like he was going to cry and Scott could easily understand because he was right there with him.

“I am.” Scott choked on his words as he embraced the other man. He didn’t care that Jimmy was getting him wet from the water dripping off his body. It was the last thing on his mind. “I have missed you so much. It’s so nice to see your face.”

“Yours too.” The blonde laughed with pure joy as his tail swished back and forth behind him.

They had loosened their arms that had previously been tightly around each other but they were still close enough to each other to feel the other’s breath on their face. They held eye contact with one another, staring into the depths of each other’s eyes with giddy smiles plastered on their faces. They had truly fallen for each other despite being so far apart for what felt like a lifetime.

Each and every single letter they had exchanged these past six months was sitting in a container under Scott’s bed and in a drawer in the Prisma Palace. Scott thought back, for a moment, to when he would pull the box out periodically and reread Jimmy’s written words whenever his heart really ached. It felt exhilarating to be present, feeling the touches that had previously existed only as phantoms on his skin.

Scott took the initiative, cupping Jimmy’s face with one hand as he swam in his brown eyes. “May I?”

“You don’t even have to ask. I’ve been waiting for this moment since the last time we kissed.”

“Guess I left a good impression.” Scott’s eyes sparkled with amusement.

Jimmy exhaled a fond, breathy laugh. “Well, then maybe it’s my turn.”

No more words passed between them as Jimmy leaned in, closing the gap between Scott's lips and his own. The kiss quickly deepened, fueled by the mutual affection that had grown over the years. They had started as princes from separate empires before becoming friends and now lovers. As their bodies pressed together, the world seemed to stand still, temporarily releasing them from the constraints of public behavior expectations that came with being royalty. They were just two boys in love, savoring the moments they had longed for for so long. They basked beneath the warm sun's rays and in each other’s arms, knowing that as long as they had each other, nothing else mattered.