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The newest and latest dark world that has emerged from the fountain created at the Flower King proved to be a welcome change from the previous one. A vast garden of pink and gold stood in stark contrast to the gloomy disposition of the Dark Sanctuary with its bright and colorful visage, and even despite treacherous pits and segments of its own, it was still a breath of fresh air, almost like a moment of respite.
Especially for Ralsei.
No more panels of the prophecy written in glass looming over them, no longer had he needed to worry about his friend coming across the darker, more somber and tragic parts of fate, having to frantically search and break them before their eyes could even witness a smidge of it - not that it mattered now, since all three of them were on the equal field in regards to it. Still, there was something relieving about not having to fret over such things.
That didn’t mean the Prince was completely at ease, though. Regardless of how this dark world seemed right now, what nagged at his mind was the certainty that it wouldn’t last. This felt not like a new norm, or a return to the old, less tense adventures, but a brief moment of respite - a last breath of air and a calm before the storm, before everything would be ripped asunder and thrown into chaos.
It also didn’t help at all that what was primarily nagging his thoughts was striding with bravado and confidence right in front of him as he trailed behind. Once more, the Fun Gang has been separated, with their human friend left to fend for themselves, while Ralsei and Susie remain, exploring the Dark World together. The two have remained rather quiet as they moved across earnestly, likely because of what work they had to do. Regroup with Kris, reach the Castle that loomed over the horizon, seal the geyser that was bursting endlessly into the sky and hopefully, avoid conflict with their father while at it - though something felt as if it might not be an easy task, and-
“Hey, so.” Susie finally butted in, breaking the silence and Ralsei away from his trance, making him properly glance up at the girl. “You’ve been, uh, weirdly quiet lately.. You okay?” She asked, and the prince couldn’t really tell if she didn’t betray a little concern.
“Huh? Well, I suppose, I’ve been admiring the scenery.” Ralsei remarked after a brief moment of quiet as he gathered his thoughts. “This world is rather beautiful, isn’t it..?”
“Yeah, yeah I guess.” Susie side-glanced away for a second, as if in agreement, before ripping her eyes away and back at him. “But that stuff ain’t it, isn’t it? I know something else is eating you up.” She seemed more insightful than she gave her credit for right now. Did he not notice her peeking at him from time to time or was it foresight? Was he too deep in his own thoughts to not notice, or…?
“I… I suppose you’re right.” Ralsei finally conceded, his form growing a little more downcast as he looked away for a moment, trying to gather his swirling feelings and gain a hold of them before he had dared to continue, somewhat unsure what to say and how to express himself, although in Susie’s presence, it didn’t feel so daunting anymore.
“I’ve been thinking about.. a lot of things. Everything, really. About our journey and everything we’ve been through so far. About you, and Kris, and what wonderful people you truly are. I.. I don’t think I could have asked for better friends than you two.” A fond look spawned on the boy’s face as he smiled warmly.
“Heh. We make a pretty darn good team, don’t we? I mean, we’ve stopped like, two mad tyrants and beat up a titan - that’s gotta count for something.” Susie remarked, a snicker tearing through her face as she reminisced about the past as well. Ralsei’s own face seemed to beam a tad bit brighter, before it warped back into a contemplative look once more.
“But… I’ve been thinking about myself, too. About who I really am, my likes, dislikes and fears.. The things I want and desire dearly.” Another pause, and it seemed as if the prince flinched a little, appearing a smidge more defensive with what he was about to say.
“It’s not that I don’t think I deserve things, no! The more I’ve been pondering about it all, I feel that it’s okay for me to have my own wants, and that it’s not wrong for me to feel that way… It’s just… What if… it ends up hurting people I care about?”
It was getting difficult to keep his gaze straight at the girl, ripping it away to look down at the ground or away, his racing thoughts and the gnawing in his heart growing too fast, and while he could still relatively keep it under a facade, he wasn’t sure if he could continue denying his feelings for much longer.
“Nah. I think you’re overthinking this, man.” Susie’s voice cut through the tense silence - at least the prince felt it that way - inching closer and closing the distance between the two, rather considerably. “I don’t think you could hurt anyone, even if you tried. I know you’d never want that, dude. You’re not that kind of a person.”
That was.. reassuring, to say the least. The trust that another person could carry for him, even in spite of everything - but if only they knew why was the root cause of his turmoil, why he might tear himself apart at any moment was standing in front of it… At the very least, it let him ease down, at least ever so slightly, and speak out again.
“I know that.. and I’m glad you think that of me, Susie.. but, um.. Say, what if it’s something that.. that other person would want, too? What if I, um, let’s say, I cannot exactly, truly fulfil even if I wanted to? Wouldn’t that just.. bring more hurt in the long run. And- and what if they don’t want it and-”
A sharp and acute, but otherwise non-dangerous, let alone lethal pain snapped him out of it as he felt his teeth pressure against his tongue, stopping him from blabbering out even more before he regretted it. Stupid, foolish - he’s already run with his tongue too much. Susie wasn’t that naive, what if she was already catching on to-
“Rals? Hey, hey, it’s okay-” Strong arms grasped him at his shoulders, the touch he only registered as they gripped more firmly and then shook him lightly. “It’s okay… just breathe, dude.” Concern meandered into Susie’s voice as her tone appeared notably more gentle then before… or normally, at this rate. Ralsei’s mouth opened on command and exhaled in and out deeply, instinctively attuning his rhythm to the girl’s own breathing and, at the very least, a fraction of that panic escaped out of him, gone with the wind. It was only now that he took note of how his face felt like it was burning, and his legs trembled a little.
“Damn, that.. sounds like some tough relationship stuff.” Susie remarked, in a more jestful manner, it seemed, as her eyes appeared to move around, occasionally setting on the prince. By now, her grip on his shoulders waned, arms dropping down and letting go of him completely.
Wait what did she just s-
“Yeah.. sorry, I’m not really good with this crap, either, you know? But, I guess you could say I’ve been doing my own thinking about it all.”
“So, there’s like, this person, I like. And just like. I like, like them, a lot. They’re like, kind of a big shot, pretty important… I guess I am this crazy hero of the prophecy and all that, but I’m not sure if I can stand up to what they are.”
Oh. Ralsei knew who they were talking about. He wasn’t sure why it caused him to become more focused and listen attentively. He couldn’t say why there was this twisted, sick sensation that bubbled up inside of him at the idea - no, he knew exactly what it was. But he would never dare to call it by the name, for it would breach beyond that thin veil of imagination and become reality. As much as he allowed himself to feel, he wasn’t sure if he could ever cross that line.
“But, it’s not just that. They’re just, a damn great person all around. Gave me food to eat whether I wanted, offered a place to stay.. One of the first people that let me be more than a stupid idiot that breaks everything and just… make me feel right, I guess. Even if they’re like, a goddamn stuck up nerd and a goody-two shoes sometimes.”
Wait-
“And.. they’re strong, even if they don’t really look like it or think so. And even if they don’t think they don’t matter, they matter to me, so fucking much…”
No- nonononononononononnono-
When… When did Susie get this close? When did her hands intertwine and join together with his..? How did he not notice that-
“I guess I wish I knew how to tell them that..-”
“No, Susie! Don’t think of yourself like that! I’m sure she appreciates you for who you are! You two are wonderful together, you two are made for each other and you deserve to be happy and-”
Oh, he never said any of that.
The darkness completely overtook his sight, and he only picked up a small, surprised and muffled yelp as his form leaned forwards and his lips touched with hers. The ends of his fur spiked and it felt as if his ears climbed upwards all by themselves. This might’ve been the only chance he could ever have, and had he not moved now, there would never be a chance for him to get to know how it feels.
But then, rationale and thought crept back up, as instinct was overshadowed by reason and it was when Ralsei realized just what horrible thing he had done.
Immediately, even if it was a second - a split second, maybe a few seconds, a minute or an eternity - he finally let go, ripping away from the kiss, ready to turn back, kick with his feet with all strength he had and run away, somewhere where no one could find him and hide away in utter guilt and shame.
Stupid - he could never have this. He knew that this would only hurt her in the end, but he had become too selfish, too greedy, and now he was going to pay-
Ralsei wouldn’t run, or even get to make the slightest stride away when a large hand reached the back of his head. With how little he dared to peek, Susie pushed him right back, their snouts joining together once more and the prince felt like he had surged to heaven, yet again, albeit unlike before, when his kiss was an unsteady all or nothing - a little peck in the head of a moment, this was something much more powerful, much more rough than his petty little attempt, with both Susie’s hand and snout pushing into him from the opposing sides, locking him in place and unable to let go, had he even desired to.
Finally, after a seemingly endless surge of ecstasy, the hold relaxed and they were able to release themselves, even for a moment. Heaved breathes escaped the two, and a wet snort seemed to muster out of Ralsei as he tried to breathe through his nose. A little blurry, but just now he finally took nike of the strong, red blush that marked Susie’s face, radiating heat so strong it reached his fur, blending with his own inferno. But beyond that, the dragon’s face was marred with her own terror and fear.
“Shit, Rals, I’m sorry, did I go too rough?” She stammered between breaths, feelings of guilt betraying her as concern beamed through her, a hand that displayed strength now reaching out to tend to the tears that streamed down his face in order to wipe them away-
-but before she could even do that, a loud, yet pathetic and wet whimper yelped out of the goat in protest, his head shaking frantically in refusal as he pushed herself onto her with all force he had. It surprised even Susie herself, and as they got locked into yet another kiss, they stumbled and collapsed down into the ground, an incoming thud muffled by a bed of flowers that had collapsed under the girl’s weight, with her treasure secured just on top of her.
Second, then third and fourth. A round of gentle and graceful kisses from her prince assaulted her, with only brief pauses to catch a breath before he pampqred her again. Finally, she retaliated in her own right, her own smog more sloppy and rough, but just as passionate as his. Even if time might have been off the essence, it was as if none of them wanted this to end.
“Hah… hah… Fucking dumbass…” Susie finally spoke as they settled in for a longer break. “Don’t even think you could ever hurt me, got that? You’re mine, whether you like it or not…”
“M-mhm! I wouldn’t want it any other way…”
And the world felt just oh so wonderful right now.