Chapter Text
NuNew adjusted the straps of his backpack nervously as he stepped onto the sprawling campus of Swords University. The sun reflected off the cobblestone paths, making the autumn leaves shimmer like gold coins scattered across the ground. For someone who had lived all his life in the quiet pomp of the Kingdom of Hearts, this place felt like stepping into a completely different world.
He barely noticed the students passing by, too focused on the letter clutched tightly in his hand—the letter that confirmed he would be sharing classes with none other than the Crown Prince himself.
Zee Pruk Panich, the Alpha who supposedly carried the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders, was rumored to be serious, distant, and impossibly intimidating. And yet… the moment NuNew glimpsed him across the courtyard, seated on a bench with a stack of books and an expression of quiet concentration, something stirred in his chest.
NuNew swallowed, straightened his posture, and took a deep breath. Alright, new life. New rules. And… maybe a little bit of unexpected pink in all this serious blue.
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The first week at Swords University passed in a blur of lectures, library visits, and quiet walks across the campus. NuNew found himself constantly aware of Zee—how he always seemed to be just a step ahead, organizing everything with meticulous care, yet somehow carrying the weight of his responsibilities with a subtle grace.
One afternoon, NuNew lingered near the university gardens, hoping for a quiet moment to catch his breath. That’s when he saw Zee sitting alone beneath an old oak tree, his notebook open but his eyes staring far beyond the pages.
“Uh… Your Highness?” NuNew called softly, not wanting to startle him.
Zee looked up, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “NuNew. Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I… thought maybe you’d like some company,” NuNew said, stepping closer. “If you don’t mind, of course.”
Zee gestured to the spot beside him. “I don’t mind. Sit.”
The silence stretched, comfortable yet charged. NuNew noticed how the sunlight caught the strands of Zee’s hair, how even in his serious expression, there was a softness that seemed reserved just for moments like this.
“You know,” Zee said finally, closing his notebook, “it’s not easy being in charge. Everyone expects perfection. Sometimes… I forget that I can just… exist, without worrying about the kingdom for a moment.”
NuNew’s heart thumped, understanding more than he let on. “I get that. I left home to see another world… but I think everyone needs a place where they can just be themselves.”
Zee’s eyes softened. “Maybe I can try that… with you around.”
NuNew blinked, a warmth spreading through his chest. It was subtle, almost shy, but undeniable—a connection forming in quiet moments between lectures and responsibilities.
And for the first time since arriving, NuNew felt like this strange new kingdom could… maybe, just maybe, feel like home.