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When Kunikida hears the soft command of come in, he pushes the large wooden doors open, armour clanking heavily against the carpeted floor as he enters the chambers.
He closes the door behind him and rests his sword against the handle. When that's done, he pulls off his helmet, holding it by his side. Kunikida bows until his hair brushes against the ground, as far as he can go, and greets, "Your Highness."
"At ease," comes a gentle voice.
Kunikida straightens up, shoulders dropping, and comes face-to-face with their kingdom's prince.
Not for the first time, and certainly not the last, Kunikida thinks they're breathtaking.
With long bi-coloured hair held up in a low, elegant bun, strong hands covered by delicate silk gloves, and eyes that shift colour depending on the time of day, Sigma is what everyone would call a timeless beauty. A fitting image for royalty, and even more so for a prince.
Sigma stands with his back straight and head held up high. When he makes his way over to Kunikida, his cape sways elegantly with his movements, and his heels click with every step, only muffled by the royal purple carpets. Sigma comes to a stop a few inches away from Kunikida, giving him a once-over.
And then they break into a smile.
"How was training?" Sigma asks, reaching out to wipe off a smudge of dirt on Kunikida's chest plate. It stains their white gloves.
"It was alright," Kunikida answers, heart thumping when Sigma's touch lingers. "How were your lessons?"
Sigma hums, shrugging. "My dance teacher was busy, so it was cancelled. I didn't want a replacement."
"I see." There's a pause where Sigma's eyes drift to Kunikida's lips, but it disappears just as fast. His breath still stuttered, though, and when Sigma steps back, they smile knowingly.
"Um… What did you call me here for, Your Highness?"
Sigma shrugs again, though this time, it's much more sly. "I just wanted some company."
The easy confession tugs on his heartstrings and he swears the air gets hotter. "Oh?"
"Mhm. Let's head out to the balcony, shall we?"
Sigma doesn't wait for an answer. He turns, cape brushing against Kunikida's ankles as he heads towards a tall glass sliding door. He pushes aside the white curtains, revealing a lock. Once Sigma twists it open, the doors slide apart, leading out to a large rounded balcony.
Kunikida's legs finally kick into action as he hurries after him. The moment he steps out, he's greeted with a gust of the chilly night air.
Outside, the sky is almost pitch black, save for a few stars scarcely sprinkled around the area. Sigma's bedroom is on the fourth floor, so it provides a decent view over the castle's garden. The garden is lined with a white picket fence and many rose bushes, which happen to be Sigma's favourites, as Kunikida remembers. Specifically the pink ones.
He glances at the scenery, squinting through the haze of the night. Sigma holds on to the edge of the balcony's railing, leaning over so suddenly that Kunikida's heart rate shoots up in panic. But then Sigma pulls back, chucking at his expression, and says, "Will you dance with me?"
"Ex-excuse me?"
"Dance with me," Sigma repeats, holding a gloved hand out. There's a singular silver ring on their middle finger with a charm the shape of a star. "My knight."
Well, when Your Highness makes a request, it is simply Kunikida's duty to fulfil it.
He takes their hand, rough palm sliding against smooth silk. His other hand hovers hesitantly over Sigma's waist, only resting there when they give him a nod. Sigma grabs his shoulder, stepping closer, and with a soft smile, they begin to sway.
Kunikida doesn't remember when this started. Between highly-personal meetings and bashful compliments exchanged under the guise of royal respect, he and Sigma grew a lot closer than he expected. Kunikida is the leader of the knights, and he is also one that serves Sigma directly, so it's no surprise that they would come into contact more often than not, but…
But then Sigma calls for Kunikida, inviting him to his chambers and losing the formalities when the moon begins to rise. Kunikida goes along with Sigma's whims even if it isn't an ideal arrangement—even if a prince and a knight shouldn't be anything more than that.
Somewhere along the road, the lines between duty and devotion have begun to blur. And Kunikida's heart aches with the desire to serve.
You're a dedicated knight, his leader once told him, back when he was still new and training and rusty, don't lose that.
After years of practice until his wrists were sore, until his shoulders broadened and his body grew into the armour that once hung off him, Kunikida evolved into the strongest knight. He's respected wherever he goes, and people bow to the edge of his sword, as if just the tip is enough to demand it.
Kunikida does not bend to anyone's will.
Except for his prince.
Sigma leads the dance with the mannerisms of a graceful swan, each of his moves calculated and planned. He has always been an organised, detailed prince, those eyes never missing out any details. Kunikida has watched him memorise entire kingdoms' worth of names in the matter of hours, down to their titles, the way he should address them, and even trivial information about their likes and dislikes.
It's no surprise that that level of attention extends to this—keeping a steady pace and toeing just far enough away so Kunikida won't step on his feet.
And that's just how it is. Where Sigma pulls, Kunikida goes. Some might call it a power trip, to have Kunikida like a puppet on string, played like a violin by Sigma's nimble fingers, but it isn't. To him, his succumbing is synonymous with duty, and duty is what makes him the strongest.
To him, being with Sigma means both letting down his guard and being wanted for who he is.
Kunikida gasps as Sigma leans back, arching with their back held by Kunikida's hand. One of their legs lifts slightly, and their dance comes to a halt as they freeze in this dip, painting a still, lovely picture.
The air around them gets headier. Sigma gazes into his eyes, face open in a pure, relaxed expression, as if nothing could break this bubble that they're in. Their breaths come out in short, stilted pants, chest heaving from the dance.
For a moment, it feels as if time truly stills.
Sigma pins him with a steady look, watching, waiting. There is a demand on the tip of their tongue, one that Kunikida can hear even if it isn't spoken aloud. A sort of want.
And Kunikida dares, just then and there, to make his request.
"Your Highness," he whispers, raw and unfiltered. "May I kiss you?"
Sigma beams, tightening his hold on Kunikida's shoulder. "Please do."
Like a starved man, Kunikida leans down and connects their lips in one swooping motion.
Sigma throws his hands around Kunikida's neck, kissing back with fervour. It's as if he's been waiting all this time for Kunikida to make his move, seeing how long he can stave off his desire before it finally breaks him. To test his control and see whether he can differentiate between the boundaries of duty and the crushing hunger for more.
In the end, Kunikida loses that battle and submits to his cravings. But perhaps that was what Sigma was hoping for all along.
Sigma's lips taste like the strawberry shortcake they like so much, the kind of sweetness that comes from obtaining the one thing you wanted. Their lips feel like the soothing twinkling of the stars and the gentle guidance of the moon. Kunikida feels as if he has the most divine celestial being in his arms, and what better entity to devote his life to than one who rules the unknown?
When they part, Sigma's cheeks are flushed red and their lips kissed swollen. Kunikida pants, wishing to carve this image into the depths of his mind forever.
"Kunikida," Sigma calls, eyelashes fluttering. "Will you stay the night?"
He is only a man weakened to his knees. "Of course, my prince," he answers, and it sounds like a prayer.
They re-enter the bedroom, locking up the door and bringing the curtains down. Kunikida sheds his armour, the very thing that represents his status, and is given soft pyjamas to change into. Too high-quality for someone like him, but Sigma insisted, so he must do as told.
And then Sigma removes their crown, setting it on their vanity. They crawl into bed, patting the space next to them in invitation.
The mattress sinks under both their weights. Sigma wraps his arms around Kunikida's body, burying his face in his chest with a satisfied sigh. Kunikida wishes to give both his heart and soul to Sigma—give him his everything.
But this is the closest to everything that Kunikida has, so he brings an arm around Sigma's body and holds him even closer.
Once they turn off the lights, they are enshrouded in darkness and each other's embrace. Sleep arrives soon after.
Here, hidden away in the privacy of Sigma's chambers, they've been stripped of the titles that shape who they are. They are no longer a knight and his prince, a prince and their knight, but they are a divine being and its loyal believer anyway.
It's the same thing, isn't it?