Work Text:
It was long expected for the Kingdom of Lunalis to participate in classical arranged marriages. They were beneficial for their royal line, they had always held up to provide at least halfway decent results, and, most importantly, it was how things had always been done. No matter how modern the era, tradition was tradition. So, Kei wouldn’t be surprised when he learned he’d been set up in one. Disappointed, sure — he wasn’t very much interested in having a wedding with some random girl he’d never met — but not surprised.
However, he’d be surprised when his mother told him two details of his selected partner: One would be that she was from the Karanian Empire, Lunalis’s oldest enemies. The second would be that she was not a she at all.
Sure, queer marriage wasn’t anything new in either country. Both had had it legalized for generations now. Still, it occurring between two royals was unheard of, especially for a pairing of the nature of an arranged marriage. After all, a major purpose of such a thing was to produce heirs. Without a person who had a uterus involved, well, that would prove quite difficult.
Kei, to his credit, did try to argue that exact end. If he was going to be forced into a partnership of this nature, it would at least be a logical one. His pleas fell upon deaf ears, however.
The Prince of Karania personally requested you.
This will provide a bridge between our two nations.
You could stop a war.
All synonymous for “you don’t have a choice, suck it up”. Fuck his damn life.
Once Kei heard that the prince would be arriving soon, he decided he’d do whatever it took to avoid the man he was sure would be an insufferable shitstain. It was time to jump ship.
Or, balcony, really. He’d figured out a way to escape from it when he was younger and had been exploiting it ever since. If he jumped off at the right place, he was easily able to catch himself on the tall oak that grew next to it and climb down. From there, it wasn’t difficult to get off the castle grounds.
Wearing casual clothes taken from the servants’ laundry, the boy would make his way out of the grounds that caged him in. He easily slipped past the back gates of the palace and went his merry way into castle town.
He weaved through the streets that had slowly become familiar, examining different storefronts as he passed, lit up in neon lights. He’d heard this place was once a quaint little town surrounding the palace, back in the olden days. Now, the only thing left of that era was the castle itself.
He made sure the hood of his sweatshirt would shadow his face as he passed a few giggling girls. (Judging the people who followed the royal family most closely, they were the biggest concern to him being caught.)
Just as he was beginning to pass them, he found that he had run directly into a man. Kei wasn’t in much a mood good enough to apologize, so he simply said, “Watch where you’re going.”
A handsome man put his hands up, a mischievous smirk carved into his face. His black hair was wildly untamed, yet it somehow managed to fit his face perfectly. “Sorry, sorry! My bad!”
“…dammit…” Kei pulled his hood down further, grimacing.
“Aw, hidin’ your pretty face?”
Kei’s cheeks immediately filled with heat. Hidden away from the world as much as he was as a prince, he didn’t have much experience with… well, being flirted with. (He chose to count screaming fangirls who sounded to be threatening him just as much as complimenting him as not flirting.) “Fuck off,” he muttered, unable to come up with a wittier response in the moment.
“My bad! I’m just a bit like a crow, y’know? See somethin’ pretty and wanna keep it in my sight.” The stranger winked. Based on the lack of… well, freaking out over bumping into a member of the royal family, Kei assumed he wasn’t recognized.
“And I’m sure you say that to every guy you happen to bump into,” Kei deadpanned with a scoff.
“Wow, harsh!”
“Untrue?”
“Very much so,” the man said definitively. “I save flirtation for when it’s truly worth it. Waste of energy, otherwise.”
Well, that actually sounded a bit sweet. Not that Kei was inclined to give this stranger that. “Sure, and I’ll just take your word for it.”
“Scout’s honor!”
Kei paused before beginning to snicker into his palm. What a fucking dork… “Moron…”
The stranger chuckled as well, seeming proud to have made the prince laugh. “You have a wonderful smile.”
“Take a picture, it lasts longer.”
“Maybe I will, and frame it on my wall. It would be a nice way to get to sleep.”
Clever. Cheesy, but clever.
(If only royalty had half the charm this random loser did. Perhaps Kei would be less opposed to an arranged marriage, then.)
There was a small beeping noise from the stranger’s watch. “Ah, I have a prior engagement, you must forgive me.”
“So, I guess I’ll never be seeing you again.” Which… was oddly disappointing. This stranger was entertaining. Kei, though usually the antisocial type, was inclined to chat longer. Especially if that meant avoiding some stuck-up noble.
“Don’t be so sure. I’m hard to get rid of,” the stranger replied with a wink.
“Creep.”
“Or perhaps Kuroo Tetsurou is just a lucky bastard, yeah?”
Kuroo Tetsurou. The fucking prince of the Karanian Empire.
Clearly noticing the realization on Kei’s face, Kuroo grinned broadly. “Speaking of which, you should be heading back as well, Prince.”
Well, shit.