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It has been almost a week since Charles had any good sleep.
His insomnia is getting worse as days go by ever since the accident. Hell, he’s barely passing his tests again. Those questions are easy-peasy, trust him, he could’ve easily scored a 100 on them if it weren’t for the fact that he must put on the dumb friend façade in front of his friends.
Speaking of that, he really needs a break away from them. It feels like his insomnia increases 10 times worse every time he hangs out with them. Don’t get him wrong, he loves them! They’re his dearest friends and all, but if you were to only get an hour of sleep every day, you too would feel like exploding if you must constantly hear your friends shouting and debating over some trivial things at 8 in the morning.
The time shows 2:30am as Charles continues to twist and turn around his bed, trying but failing to get comfortable enough so he can fall asleep. He doesn’t feel…. safe being here. It feels like someone is watching him. It feels like something bad will happen if he stays here any longer. He knows that his friends are here, but he wants to run. He wants to run away from them. He wants to run away from here. He doesn't want to be here. Not here, not now, not tonight.
He silently sneaks out of his room through the window. He had done this plenty of times before, so it wasn’t that hard to do it again at this moment. The blond prince didn’t exactly have a plan in mind on where to go. His legs are screaming at him to move, to leave this place at once. Anywhere is fine, it doesn’t matter where he goes. His mind is begging him to run faster, as if he was being chased down by someone. His legs keep running like there’s no tomorrow.
He doesn’t know how long he has been running until he feels a slight pressure on his shoulder, causing him to smack it away roughly and fall to the ground with a thud.
“-les! Charles!”
The shouts of his name is what finally brings him back to reality. He looks around only to find himself next to a lake, the very same lake where he met with Anubis while he was under his spell. He was too busy inspecting the area to take notice of a certain Italian prince that was currently talking to him right now.
“Do you have any idea what time it is right now? Just what are you doing out here at this late hour, Charles?”
If Charles didn’t know Gion any better, he would’ve said that the brunet was almost worried about him.
“Hey, are you ignoring me on purpose or what?” Gion asks with annoyance in his voice. Charles doesn’t even bother replying to the other prince, as a sudden wave of relief washed down on him at the realisation that it’s really Gion who’s in front of him tonight.
Recently, the two princes have grown closer to each other. The blonde prince will sometimes steal a few glances at the brunet prince. Charles will sometimes make a few comments here or there about the Italian prince, and the latter will scoff at those said comments. Gion will make sarcastic remarks about Charles, and Charles will do the same to Gion. Those two will secretly try to annoy each other every single chance they get. So, if someone were to ask Charles about it, he’d tell them that the two of them were best friends, whether the other saw it like that or not.
Even if Charles himself feels more about Gion than just ‘best friend.’
Well, not that it even matters.
Charles was so deep in his thoughts about the other prince that he failed to realise once again that Gion was still talking to him.
“Hey, are you even listening right now?” Charles didn’t answer. The brunet rolls his eyes and huffs. “Not that I care, but since you’re not going to answer, and you look fine, I’m going to leave now.”
Before Gion could walk away, without thinking, Charles’s hand quickly grabs the other’s hand. “Wait!” he shouts to the other prince, afraid that if he doesn’t, Gion might leave him there. “Please… Don’t leave.”
If Gion was surprised at the vulnerability that the blonde was displaying, he didn’t show it. The two princes stare at each other, letting the silence take over them. After what felt like for days, Charles feels Gion’s hand fidgeting in his, as if asking him to let go. Charles hesitates for a bit, half of him didn’t want to let go of the other’s hand. The other half, however, believes in Gion, believes that he wouldn’t do anything to Charles. No matter how cruel or arrogant the prince of Italy is, he wouldn’t take advantage of Charles right now, not while the prince was showing so much weakness like this.
Charles decides to let go of Gion’s hand. Gion continues to fidget with his hand a bit, making Charles even more nervous, waiting for his next action. For what felt like hours again, Gion finally settles down beside Charles. Another fit of silence fills the lake area. Charles was used to the quiet whenever he was with Gion, he didn’t mind it. He knows that the brunet is not the type to wear his heart on his sleeves, just like himself. They both stare at the lake, and the lake stares back at them. Charles wishes that this moment can last forever. Just him, the Prince of America and Gion, the Prince of Italy, staring at the lake together at the ungodly hour of who knows what time. But of course, he knows that every good thing must come to an end. Gion is the first to break the silence, “You didn’t answer my question.”
“…Just wanted to get some fresh air! You know how stuffy the dorms can be sometimes.” Charles tries to lie to the brunet, putting on his usual charming smile.
Of course, Gion didn’t believe him. “Stop it with the lies. It pisses me off whenever you act like that.”
“You know that you’re not obligated to stay, right? Not like I’m putting a gun to your head or something…” Charles ignores the slight itch his heart made at the thought of the other actually leaving him here alone.
“…It’ll be troublesome if you suddenly went missing the next day and the others suspect me of being the cause of it.”
Charles lets out a mildly amused huff as he replies, “I won’t blame them if they did, since it wouldn’t be your first time doing it.”
That causes a frown on Gion’s face, which causes Charles to burst into laughter. He loves it whenever Gion shows his clear annoyance towards the other. The blonde continues to laugh until he finally calms down and smiles to himself. Having Gion here makes him forget about his worries. He doesn’t have to hide under a friendly façade whenever he’s with Gion. It feels good, having someone who is as complex as himself. Perhaps that’s one of the many reasons why Charles loves the Prince of Italy so much.
After a moment of silence, Charles let out a small sigh before he says, “I just don’t feel safe around the dorms. Had to get out…”
He pauses, wondering If he should mention the whole insomnia thing until Gion beat him to it, “Is that why you haven’t gotten any proper sleep lately?” Charles was about to ask, but the other continued to talk, “Only a fool will not take notice of the way your performance has been quite clumsy lately. Even clumsier than ‘Friendly Charles’.”
Before Charles can even deny it, Gion continues, “Your grades have dropped more drastically than you intended them to. You zone out even more during student council meetings. You are constantly on the verge of getting your head hit first against the walls of the corridor. And you even somehow mistook a sandwich for a burger for God’s sake. And–” Gion turns to face the blond prince properly, observing his tired face. “You look terrible.”
Gion’s thumb brushes the dark circles underneath Charles’ eyes. Then, he pinches the blond’s cheek.
“Ouch! Hey– What was that for!?” Charles whines loudly yet doesn’t make an effort to move the other’s hand away. “God, were you stalking me or something? You know an awful lot about me now. If I didn’t know you so well, I would’ve thought you had a crush on me or someth-!”
Before he could finish talking, Gion pinches his cheek harder this time, which causes Charles to whine even louder.
“Like I said, only a fool will not take notice of it,” Gion says with annoyance as he let go of Charles’s cheek, his hand lingering for a split second longer than necessary. Charles immediately missed the warmth, the unexpected gentleness hidden beneath Gion’s sharp words. Minutes pass before Gion speaks again, his voice softer this time, “Let your guard down. It’s just us.”
Without a warning, Charles lunges forward, wrapping his arms tightly around the other prince. The force of the hug catches Gion completely off guard, causing the two princes to tumble backwards. Gion’s back hits the ground with a soft thud, with Charles landing awkwardly on top of him. Both are still, their bodies tangled together. Their breaths mingled with each other, filling in the silence between them.
Gion blinks, staring up at the blonde prince with wide eyes, “Che diavolo, Charles?” he curses, though there’s no anger in his tone, just surprise.
Charles doesn’t pull away. Instead, he tightens his grip on the brunet, his face buried deeper against Gion’s shoulder. He then barely whispers to the brunet, saying “…Thank you, Uppity Gion,” causing Gion to flush slightly at the genuine tone.
Gion could just let it pass, say it’s not a big deal or anything. But for some reason, he feels the need to clarify some things before the other prince starts thinking about something else, about how the Prince of Italy has gone soft for others, specifically for the Prince of America. So, he says ”Whatever…”
Before Gion can say more, he hears a slight snore coming from the blond prince above him. “Mannaggia… Questo idiota...” he curses under his breath. Maybe Charles is getting bored of Gion, with the way the former is quick to falling asleep so soundly on top of the latter. Somehow, the thought left a foul taste on his mind.
Gion focuses on relaxing, letting the gentle breeze hit their skin. He lets a few minutes pass, basking in the moment with his arms embraced around Charles. Surprisingly, he doesn’t feel like pulling away. Soon, Gion begins to nod off, his eyes fluttering shut and drifting into the realm of slumber.
When the two eventually awake the next morning, they will be flustered and pull away from one another as if the touch were poison, pretending like they hadn’t enjoyed it. They will stutter over their words like bumbling fools, swearing up and down that this never happened, and they shall never talk about it again. Though in their hearts, the two princes knew something had changed. Perhaps for the better.
That will be something they will deal with in the morning. But as of now, the prince of America slept peacefully for the first time in eternity, as the Italian prince holds him with such gentleness and warmth he would never admit.