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Alberu was chatting with some nobles who he didn’t really care about, mainly stuff to be polite, no great importance. What he didn’t expect was to hear a commotion near the entrance of the hall. It didn’t sound like a bad thing, it was more like… squeaks? Coming from women, like excited shouting, he could hear some men’s gasps too.
“Commander Cale Henituse, heir of Count Deruth Henituse” the announcer said loud and clear, as was his job. Alberu was still confused as to what exactly could elicit such a reaction, he knew Cale was a beauty to die for, but it’s not like this is the first banquet he attends-
Alberu turned around and nearly dropped his glass of wine.
Cale was wearing a dress.
And not just any dress, a noble lady wouldn’t wear that! It’s far too scandalous!
The dress shone with the texture of silk, sticking to the skin in a way that left no curve to the imagination, sleeveless and with a slit that exposed Cale’s left leg, it was a beautiful shade of red that matched his hair color, adorned with gold accents and a black corset around his waist. Alberu felt like he was gonna pass out.
“...Your Highness…?” one of the nobles he was talking to tried to get his attention, but Alberu couldn’t stop looking at Cale.
“We’ll continue our talk later” he flashed them a smile and immediately started making his way to Cale. People were already swarming him, praising his looks and his overall person, some even trying to get closer by laying a hand on his shoulder, a contact his butler (the Gods bless Ron!) was quick to break away.
“Dongsaeng! I’m glad you could make it” Alberu greeted his lover, making no comment on the scandalous and very beautiful dress.
“Of course hyung, I wouldn’t miss it for the world” Cale answered with an almost playful smile, bowing before the prince. Alberu could see Cale was even wearing high heels! The man was insane, but he supposed he must be too because he fell in love with him.
“Prince Alberu, there is something I wanted to ask you…” Alberu wanted to ignore that person in favor of Cale, but unfortunately it was a very important person that he totally shouldn’t ignore, so he put on his best fake smile despite being angry at the interruption on the inside and started talking with the man.
Why did the unimportant nobles all talk to him before Cale’s entrance? Why did the highly crucial talks have to occur after Cale joined the party?? He hasn’t been able to talk to his lover beyond that brief greeting! Why do the Gods hate him?!
He couldn’t even dance with Cale, important noble ladies wanting to dance with him. He had to watch Cale sway with other men and women alike, thankfully he didn’t take the invitations of those who seemed to obviously have ulterior motives.
And so the evening went on, second by painful second Alberu couldn’t spend next to Cale. Until at last it was over.
As nobles got on their carriages to head home and call it a night, Alberu lamented not being able to talk to his beautiful lover nor dance with him, but he should’ve known Cale wasn’t one to leave a party early. Not the ones where Alberu was, at least.
When he opened the door of his chambers, a playful voice greeted him.
“My prince, the shining sun of Rowoon, I’ve been waiting the whole night to talk to you, but his Highness is far too important to be bothered by the likes of me…” Cale, sitting on the prince’s desk, crossed his exposed leg over the other, but Alberu cared not for the flash of skin.
He walked over to Cale and slumped over him in a hug. Cale was surprised, but hugged him right back.
“Tired?” he asked softly, petting Alberu’s hair. He only hummed affirmatively and hugged him tighter.
“I couldn’t talk to you all day, I couldn’t even dance with you, and all those nobles kept talking and talking…” he complained.
“Well, you can talk to me now” said Cale, grabbing his hyung’s necklace and removing the masking spell.
Alberu stayed quiet.
“...Hyung?”
“You leave me speechless.”
Cale started laughing.
“Really? You waited all this time just to make that joke?” Cale’s laughter, as rare as it was, was music to his ears. Alberu kissed his cheek.
“Yes, I waited this long just to see my beautiful lover and make that joke” he laughed.
And at last, Alberu kissed Cale. Their lips slotted perfectly like they had done this a million times, and they probably had but they’ve lost count a while ago.
The kiss was slow, more of a reassurance that they're both here than anything else. Cale was probably expecting something more passionate, Alberu wasn't blind.
“I can't believe you wore this dress just to rile me up” he commented when they parted.
“Oh, I would never do such a thing, I'm just an innocent little noble who wanted to attend a party!” Cale said in the most fake way possible. Alberu snorted at his dongsaeng's antics.
“I swear to the Gods, anything you wear is beautiful, no need to go above and beyond.”
“Anything I wear is beautiful because my face is beautiful.”
“It's beautiful because it's you.”
That seemed to surprise Cale, cheeks instantly coloring red. Alberu doesn't know why he's being so romantic right now, but if it makes Cale blush he'll say anything that comes to mind.
“O-of course, my appearance is so beautiful I'd even make a sack of potatoes look good.”
“You are so kind and so selfless that I'd love you even if you were ugly.”
Cale's face nearly matched his hair.
“Stop that–”
“Let's get married.”
“T-too fast!” Cale covered Alberu’s mouth with his hands to stop him from talking. “Don't joke around with that…” he avoided his gaze, face red.
Alberu kissed Cale's palms and softly removed his hands to let him speak. He interlaced their fingers. “Who says I'm joking?”
Alberu was looking at him with all the love he held for him written all over his face, his real face, the one that was a secret to everyone except those closest to him. Cale opened and closed his mouth several times, not knowing how to respond.
“Can we even do that?” he finally whispered.
“Give me a month and I'll get the laws approved.”
“Why are you proposing to me if we can't even get married yet?!”
“Emphasis on the yet.”
“Gods, you're such an idiot.”
“But I am your idiot.”
“Unfortunately, forever.” Cale smiled. Alberu realized what his words meant. Their lips met again. And again, and again, and many, many times more.
Cale said yes.
They'll worry about their families and the public and the laws later, for now all that mattered was each other. And if Alberu unzipped Cale's dress that night… well, that stays between them.