Work Text:
With a hasty flourish, a looping signature graced the last form in what was once a sizable stack of papers.
"Finally finished," the young ruler of the Roan Kingdom groaned, dropping a worn quill into his inkwell. He ran his ungloved hands through dark strands of hair, rubbing circles into his scalp. The cookie basket in his office had long been emptied and the teapot drained, both set on the ground to free up space. What remained on his desk were writing implements, multiple neatly sorted piles of documents, a dry teacup, and candlesticks with candles nearly burnt to the base. Some aspects of running a country never ceased to be soul-sappingly tedious, and the growth of Roan into a budding empire certainly didn't decrease the amount of paperwork crossing his desk on any given day.
At a table set up by Alberu's desk, similarly covered in a slew of papers, a red-haired man raised his head. "...What time is it?"
"It's half past four in the morning, Cale-nim," a voice murmured from the corner of the room where candlelight failed to reach. The pair flinched simultaneously and turned to look at a figure leaning against the wall.
"When did you come in?" Cale asked. He frowned at the newly creased map in his hands, and sandwiched it between two reference books for straightening.
"About twenty minutes ago." Choi Han stepped into the light, his expression equal parts apologetic and amused at their surprise. He was wearing the plain shirt and pants that served as his nightclothes but appeared to not have slept despite the time, his eyes bright and hair relatively unruffled.
"I didn't notice," Alberu muttered, partly to himself. "Am I becoming lax?"
"You were both immersed in your work when I arrived, so I decided not to disturb you," Choi Han explained. "If not detecting my presence is an issue, plenty of people—myself included—would be willing to help Your Majesty practice."
Alberu held up a palm. "No, thank you. I have the feeling that any such practice could snowball out of hand."
Choi Han shrugged. "Fair enough."
"So? Did you come to keep us company?" Cale scrawled a few more notes on a sheet of paper, mentally leafing through his records, then set it aside. Alberu could handle the rest himself.
"I did. The kids wanted to stay awake until Cale-nim got back, but fell asleep in the guest room around midnight. I patrolled the castle for a while afterwards, then decided to come here."
"I wish I went to sleep with them," the nobleman grumbled, sinking onto the table and resting his head on folded arms.
"Well, I'm glad you didn't." Alberu switched from massaging his forehead to rubbing beneath his eyes, where he was beginning to develop shadows. "I would have been up for the entire night again if you left me to do all this on my own."
From where he half lay on the table, Cale put out a nearby candle with a forceful, sullen huff. "I should have."
"My dearest dongsaeng is so heartless towards his poor, overworked hyung." Alberu tilted his head to face the ceiling and closed his eyes with a mournful expression. "How could the citizens' beloved hero possibly abandon his king in such a predicament, having seen—"
"You've summoned me for work purposes twice this month alone," interrupted the reluctant savior. "I thought you promised to let me slack off? Ahh, it must be such an honor to assist the illustrious sun of the Roan Kingdom that our past agreements are trivial, as I am but a pale moon in comparison."
"Is the shining moon which illuminates the world alongside the sun not a fitting descriptor for a certain glorious silver shield?"
"The moon and the sun take their respective turns. One is not called upon during the other's time, even if a noontime moon happens to hang in the sky."
"You punk. Be thankful I only call you over occasionally. It's not too late for me to appoint you as my Prime Minister."
"Choi Han, take your student to the knights' grounds later and toss him around for a couple hours. Show him what will happen if he foists his work on me."
"Instructor-nim, please don't. I have a meeting about import taxation in the morning, and I'm receiving diplomatic representatives in the afternoon. I have actually needed to cut down on training recently for lack of time."
The swordsman laughed softly, offering no direct response to either of them. Choi Han had heard the click of Cale's tongue as they entered the office, had noticed how the weariness in Alberu's posture lessened upon seeing them, had ushered the children out of the room after their greetings to allow the two to concentrate. "You've worked hard, Cale-nim, Your Majesty. It's time to get some rest."
He walked over to the table and slipped his hands under Cale's legs, lifting the smaller man from his chair with the smooth ease of practice. Cale slumped against Choi Han's chest, barely reacting as his thin body was carefully balanced on a single arm. There was no sense in turning down a free ride, and Choi Han would rather break his own limbs than let his precious Cale-nim fall, so he was fine with allowing himself to be positioned like a doll.
"That seems precarious, using only one arm. Are you planning to carry me, too?" Alberu joked as he extinguished the remaining candles and placed back the snuffer.
"Of course," Choi Han answered, extending his free hand to Alberu. The king's brown eyes widened slightly at the other's expectant gaze.
"It's okay, I'll walk. My legs aren't that stiff." He was no stranger to the sensation of pins and needles in his limbs, which would fade away after some movement.
The edges of Choi Han's lips curled downwards in his version of a pout. "Your Majesty. I can't assist you with paperwork like Cale-nim, so at least permit me to do this much." He fixed the man with the puppy-like look he typically reserved for Cale but had lately begun weaponizing against Alberu with increasing frequency.
"Hurry up and get on," Cale ordered, his head lolling in the air over Choi Han's shoulder. "It's not like he can't carry the two of us and more."
"Alright," Alberu sighed with a faint smile. "I suppose there's no harm in it." He kept few servants in his section of the castle, even after his coronation. There would be none out and about at this hour to witness the scene. (The sight of young master Cale Henituse being carried was not a rare one, but for Alberu Crossman to possibly show weakness? Rumors had their ways of getting remarkably twisted, and he didn't feel like dealing with more assassination attempts when the kingdom was still recovering from the chaos of the previous years.)
Alberu took the outstretched hand with one of his own and hopped upwards, Choi Han catching him by the waist. His back twinged from sitting at his desk for hours without any break, and he wrapped his arms around the other's neck for stability. Alberu's knees knocked against Cale's legs as he shifted to center his weight on the bend of Choi Han's arm. The noble let out a small noise, causing the swordsman to mumble apologies, and the king to reassure him in turn.
Alberu felt himself automatically relaxing in Choi Han's hold, leaning into the man's broad frame with an odd sense of being protected. Seated across from him, Cale placed his chin atop Choi Han's head and blinked slowly at Alberu like a cat. "This is quite nice, actually," Alberu commented as fatigue and contentment washed over him.
"I'm happy to hear that. Cale-nim seems to like it too, so I'll do it more often." As Choi Han worked the office door open with the side of his hand, he made eye contact with Alberu, tender with affection and watchful for any loss of balance. After ensuring that his lieges were safely nestled in his embrace, the knight set off towards the king's bedroom.
As they approached the bedroom's entrance, Cale and Alberu were startled for the second time within a ten minute span as a man seemed to materialize from the shadows. His hair gleamed silver in the moonlight from the hallway's grand windows, a sharp contrast to his butler uniform which blended into the darkness.
"Young master, I will notify the children of your whereabouts when they wake." Ron pushed open the doors to the bedroom, not bothering to hide a mirthful twitch of his lips at the sight of their arrangement. "Would you like assistance in retiring for the night?"
Jolted to wakefulness by Ron's presence, Cale shook his head. "No, you can go."
"As you wish. Sleep well."
"Thanks."
The other two likewise gave Ron acknowledging nods, and he bowed, shutting the doors noiselessly behind them.
The curtains had been drawn over the windows, and a single flickering oil lamp on the nightstand illuminated the bed on one side of the room. A canopy bed of dark wood, it was elegant enough to suit Alberu's tastes, but sturdy and large enough to accommodate the three of them. Cale had lamented that despite Alberu's higher status, the king's bedding, mattress, and pillows were nowhere as compellingly plush as his own, whether in the Henituse estate or one of the properties he had acquired in some way or another. Alberu retorted that his impeccable posture would be spoiled if he practically sunk into his bed every night like Cale did. Choi Han was just happy to have a bed.
The devoted knight knelt on one knee by the bedside, gently lowering Cale and Alberu onto the mattress. Cale laid down as soon as his body made contact with the bed, letting his legs hang limply over the edge and closing his eyes.
"You need to change your clothes," Alberu reminded him, tapping one of Cale's polished shoes with a finger.
"Mngh. Give me a minute… or five."
Alberu didn't spare him a glance as he walked over to his dresser and began gathering his nightclothes. "You're not that tired, stop pretending. I can tell."
"But I am tired." Cale stretched and yawned, the sound unmistakably exaggerated.
"Is old age catching up to you?" Alberu teased, stifling the yawn that threatened to escape his own throat.
"Respect your elders, kid. Oh, but I'm more than fine with rescinding your hyung privileges if you don't think they fit anymore."
"That would be more of an effective argument if you treated me with a modicum of respect in the first place."
"How could I have anything but the utmost respect for the kingdom's—"
"Cease. I'm worn out and you're insufferable."
"I'm wounded. Appalled. Distraught, even."
Standing attentively at the side, Choi Han chuckled as he watched the familiar banter. "Would you like any help, Cale-nim?"
"No need." Without opening his eyes, Cale started to unbutton his waistcoat. Alberu and Choi Han exchanged a look of fond exasperation. The king took a pair of loose pants and a white nightshirt from the dresser, and tossed them towards his sworn brother as he passed by on his way to the washroom. The bundle of clothing hit Cale squarely in the face.
After their daywear was properly put away and Cale had taken his turn in the washroom, they extinguished the lamp's flame and climbed into bed. By now, no words about their sleeping arrangements were necessary.
Choi Han slept in the center, as the stillest of the three; any restless movements had been beaten out of him by his decades in the Forest of Darkness. His sleep remained light and easily disturbed, but he found that listening to the breathing of those beside him would quickly lull him back to peaceful slumber.
Cale slept on the left side, often beginning with a few conscious inches between them but gravitating towards Choi Han's warmth during the night. Having grown accustomed to the weight of little legs, tails, or wings on top of him, Cale would sometimes slip Choi Han's arm over his chest as he dreamed, only to push it off again when he woke up. As someone who typically rose with the sun to train, Choi Han savored the tranquil morning hours when his aloof Cale-nim clung to him.
Alberu, the one who shifted the most in his sleep (to Cale's complaint, the first time they shared a bed), slept on the right. On occasion he too would curl up against Choi Han, and the trio would wake up in a tangle of limbs when they had gone to sleep like parallel lines. This would invariably go unremarked upon in the morning, either buried under a lazy mood that had the sworn brothers waking late and refusing to extricate themselves, or lost in the rush to get the king presentable for official matters.
As the last to cross underneath the canopy, Alberu closed the heavy curtains encircling the bed, shrouding them from the outside world. Cale had already burrowed under the blankets, leaving only scarlet locks visible on his pillow. Choi Han pulled up the duvet and tucked it snugly around the redhead's figure, then slid beneath it himself.
"Thank you for coming today; I know it was rather last-minute. I suppose you'll all be returning tomorrow?" Alberu asked, his voice low and intimate as he joined them.
Choi Han rolled onto his side to face him. "Would you like us to stay longer?"
"No, I should be able to handle things." The young king smiled, unguarded and a little wistful. "Cale helped me with the problems that would have caused the greatest difficulties moving forward. Don't let national administration interfere with the children's travel plans. I know Raon has been particularly excited for them."
"Alright."
"About the children," came Cale's muffled voice from beneath layers of fabric. "Beacrox is starting to restrict their sugar intake, so we should probably stop bringing those boxes of sweets home."
"That's a bit of a shame," Alberu responded. "I hear the palace's bakers have been brainstorming new treats to feed them whenever you visit. It's good for morale in the kitchens, not to mention the variety of desserts served after meals."
"We'll just have to come around more often, then."
"Once your work has calmed down, Your Majesty, you should take a vacation and relax with us for a while," Choi Han added.
Alberu paused to consider the list of immediate tasks he had to address, upcoming events, and who he could possibly delegate tasks to. "I might need to put both of you to work a couple more times before I can think about that. There's other things to take care of than just paperwork."
"It would be my pleasure," replied Choi Han, ever earnest.
"If that's what it takes," Cale said with a long-suffering air. "Things will just become more annoying for me if you collapse from exhaustion."
They laid there in comfortable silence, broken only by the rustle of sheets until one hushed voice spoke again. "Good night, Cale-nim. Good night, Your Majesty."
"Good night."
"Good night, Choi Han."