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Laios feels how Laios feels. He usually says exactly what he means, and is entirely unconvincing when he doesn’t mean something. And yet, no matter how many observations and notes Kabru took on what to expect, it still shocked him every day just how unpredictable the king could be.
This forced the advisor to think outside of his perfectly calculated conversation structures. He often had to react in the moment and pivot in unexpected directions just to keep up.
“We aren’t trying to come to any agreements just yet,” Kabru reminded Laios, walking side by side through the castle garden while he briefed him for their meeting with a neighboring kingdom’s dwarven officials later that evening. “We just have to make a good impression. We can’t even begin to discuss the logistics of trade if they don’t trust us first.”
Laios nodded along casually, but was seemingly distracted by some hares rushing beneath the rose bushes nearby.
Kabru noted his distraction, continuing the conversation at a different angle that might capture his king’s interest and draw him back in. “Part of that good impression will include what meal we prepare for them. A positive experience they can associate us with, as everyone is more likable on a content, full stomach. Senshi selected a few different recipes and is cooking testers for us right now to sample when we return.”
Laios brought his gaze back to Kabru, eyes lighting up. “He probably has a few tricks up his sleeve on how to satiate their dwarven palates! I wonder if he will make something I haven’t tried yet.”
Kabru smiled a little at succeeding in seizing his interest. It was in these small ways Laios was more or less predictable. In these small ways, Kabru could still be calculated, bringing a hand to his chin. “Perhaps he might. And that’s exactly what I was thinking. It needs to appeal to them, but I’m sure anything he concocts will be effective enough.”
Laios’ attention suddenly fell from Kabru’s face down to the stone path they were walking on, and he slowed his pace. Kabru wasn’t sure what to make of the action, decelerating his stride as well to match while trying to finish the briefing. “After dinner, we’ll have wine, dessert, and hopefully cordial conversation that will leave them with the feeling that they can trust us. If all goes to plan, w-we...“
He stuttered his sentence to a stop as Laios very suddenly dropped to the ground in a squat, focusing on Kabru’s boots. “Wh-what, is something wrong?”
Laios looked up at him, nodding his head toward a bench next to them. “One of your laces came undone. Sit down for a second.”
Kabru’s face reddened a bit at the absurd command, laughing flatly. “I can retie my own boot. Right here, without sitting. It’s not—“
And then Laios started to smile a bit, an excited gleam crinkling in the corners of his eyes. “Can I still do it, though? I want to show you something Falin taught me.”
Kabru moved his mouth into three different shapes as he thought of three different arguments he could push back with. But Laios’ persistent gaze somehow got to him in this moment of being caught completely off guard. He sighed and rolled his eyes, looking away at the hydrangeas beside them as he sat down.
“Alright, what would you like to show me?”
Laios gripped his left boot’s laces in either hand, looping them once and tightening. “It’s called a fairy’s knot. It is almost impossible for it to untie on its own, but really easy for you to undo yourself when you need to.”
He began folding each lace into a few different shapes, but Kabru couldn’t really focus on what Laios was doing while he was leaning in this close to him, caring for him in a way that felt nothing short of gentle and attentive. Even if it was literally just tying his boots. Who tied other people’s boots? What king tied his advisor’s boots?
Laios’ head was right in front of Kabru, and his brain brutally jabbed at him about how completely in reach it was. His hair appeared unreasonably soft, having been damp from a morning wash before they went out to the courtyard, and had since dried in the warm sun. Kabru felt an overwhelming, ridiculous urge to see if it was as soft as it appeared, and it pained him greatly that his mind even dared to consider that for more than a second. Maybe he could just reach out and strangle him instead.
He most definitely should not touch the king either way, it’d be pushing the boundaries of their respective royal positions. Certainly too intimate for any platonic pair in general.
But he didn’t prepare for Laios to be this close and personal with him. Tending to him in such a simple yet kindhearted way.
And so with little time to rationalize, his hand betrayed all reason, reaching forward instinctively to lightly thread a few fingers through the hair on top of his head.
Laios immediately looked back up at him, and Kabru froze under his powerful stare. A beat later, he yanked his hand away, trying to collect himself. “I— should not have done that. I don’t know why I did that. Sorry.”
And then Laios grabbed his hand and placed it back on his head, beaming up at him. “You’re okay— it’s soft right? Marcille found this new soap at the weekend market and gifted me and Falin a couple jars. I didn’t think it would be that much of a contrast from what I normally use, but it makes a world of a difference, huh?”
Kabru felt his face and hand burn, the brief moments of Laios pressing his fingers into his hair feeling like a suffocating lifetime. Once Laios finally moved his hand off of his, Kabru let his own fall lamely down to Laios’ shoulder. His throat felt very dry, forcing his words out. “It is. Perhaps I will have to go purchase a jar for myself this weekend.”
He had no idea what he was saying. Why the hell did he say that? He never visited the market. He was far too busy for any recreational activities that didn’t benefit the kingdom.
Laios patted the boot he had tied and then stood up, returning to the original topic as if nothing weird just happened. “And now you’re set! You just have to pull both laces in exact opposite directions, like you would a normal tie, and it’ll come undone. And the shape of it kind of looks like a fairy, right?”
Kabru glanced down at his boot, and could not see a fairy-like shape at all. He felt a little lightheaded as he moved to stand with Laios and lied breathlessly between his teeth. “Yeah, it really does.”
Laios looked back toward the castle, fidgeting his fingers with excitement. “Should we go do the taste testing now? I can’t stop thinking about all the possibilities.”
Kabru didn’t know if he himself could think at all in the moment, which was quite a feat, but becoming more common around Laios nowadays. He just blinked a few times while his brain worked through the short circuit, then quickly began marching ahead of his king toward stone steps that lead up to the dining hall. “Yes, let’s go.” He thought his throat might close.
——————
The dinner went even better than Kabru expected. Laios surprisingly made some jests that landed fairly well with the dwarves. Kabru cringed at a few of them, but was more than pleased to find they were well received by others. A few glasses of wine in, he was honestly feeling pretty good. He’d almost completely forgotten about their awkward interaction earlier that morning.
Once the officials left and the castle staff began gathering dishes off the table to go clean, Laios stood and approached Kabru, smiling ear to ear. “That was probably our best meeting yet. I think they actually liked me!”
Kabru snorted a little, covering his mouth. “I think so, too. You were brave to tell some of those jokes.” He pushed through wooden doors out to the hall, Laios following after with a light pout.
“Oh come on, they weren’t that bad, were they?”
Kabru felt a little lighter from the drinks and good food. He enjoyed teasing Laios, but he knew he shouldn’t knock his confidence in being king down during an opportunity to encourage it. “They were fine, and seemed to be a big hit with the company we had. Maybe we can have a meeting soon on different humors and who to tell what kind of jokes to. Just to be safe.”
Laios rolled his eyes, nudging Kabru lightly. “I think I’m doing great. Although I did make a similar joke with the elves last week and they were not nearly as thrilled.”
Kabru smirked as he proved his point for him. “Exactly. You are doing great. It all comes down to just reading the room.”
Laios frowned a bit at that, looking out the castle windows to the starry night sky as they neared Kabru’s quarters. “But that’s what I have you for. Maybe stand near me during political dinners from now on so I don’t make a fool of myself. Like you do for the regular meetings we have.”
Kabru laughed, stopping at his door and turning toward the king. “And not enjoy the meal? That’s a good idea though, I’ll be sure to stomp on your foot if you say anything too out of line.”
Laios pouted again like a dog, and Kabru was satisfied enough. “Yeah well, good luck trying to do that if you keep leaving your boots untied. You might just trip yourself and make a fool of us both.”
Kabru’s face flushed, both at the brutal reminder of this morning as well as the implication that he couldn’t take care of himself. “I’ll be just fine, thank you. This morning was an exception.”
And then Laios reached over and ruffled Kabru’s otherwise perfectly kept curls, smiling softly down at him. “Of course you’ll be fine. You know how to tie the fairy knot now.”
Kabru’s brain doubled over into the second short circuit of the day, and he sputtered out a weak reply. “L-Laios, quit it, you’re messing up my hair…”
The king tilted his head fondly, enjoying when Kabru used his actual name instead of referring to him as royalty. He gave him one more tempting ruffle before removing his hand. “It’s the end of the night, no one will see you like this but me. Besides, this makes us even. We now both know how the other’s hair feels.”
Kabru had no idea what to do with that, immediately reaching up to fix his messed up curls. “What are you going on about? Are you drunk?”
Laios chuckled, shrugging. “Maybe a little. I’ve just always wanted to touch yours, just for a moment. You always keep it styled so nice. I bet with that soap it’ll look incredible.”
Kabru’s face flushed a deeper red at this and he stepped to the side, reaching for his door handle. “W-we’ll have to see. Well no matter, rest well, my liege.”
Laios winced a little at the return of official terms, but didn’t take it too much to heart. “Good night, Kabru.”
The advisor rushed into his room and closed the door, promptly locking it. Resting his back up against it, he slid down to the floor, rubbing his hands over his eyes. “Whaaat the hell was that?” He whispered to himself. Why was this getting him so riled up?
Kabru perhaps knew some semblance of the answer to that question, but he very happily saved it for another day to unpack, preferably never.