Chapter Text
Gods, he was tired of all these morons. Of course being a guest of the palace had to be taken advantage of, he didn't disagree with that. He was always a noble, but you had to agree that the difference between a noble house and the literal palace was big.
Still, that didn't had to mean for all those 107 bastards to be the only thing they did eat and drink. Life wasn't always exciting, sure. But at least look for something to do, try.
Because Antinous was better than all of them, he decided to do just that. He went to the palace gardens, far away. As far as he could get from everyone else but still not too far so he he didn't have the issue of anyone thinking he actually left for good.
He stepped into the forest that was surrounding the palace. He kept walking until he found a place with the tiniest lake he's ever seen and some decent looking rocks around it. He sat on the nearest one to the water, leaned back and closed his eyes. The very brief moments of peace he could get were like glory. Antinous was completely sure he has never been in such a noisy place like the palace in all his life.
He hated screaming, but right now it was either that or get stepped as a rug on the ground.
The relaxing scene was interrupted by the sound of leaves rustling. It wasn't the normal kind, but the one of something hiding in them making noise. He quickly got alerted and opened his eyes looking in the direction of said noise... but nothing seemed to be there. Still, he couldn't let his guard down so easily. He was half-blind, after all. He couldn't exactly rely on his sight.
Just as he was about to stop looking to the suspicious bushes, he saw... the top half of a tiny head, big shiny eyes looking right back at him. The kid (he would assume) seems got embarrassed of getting caught, as they went inside the bush again in a flash. Antinous chuckled and decided to have a little fun. Wasn't he looking exactly for it?
His footsteps approached the hide spot, and he stopped right in front of it.
"Hm, how weird. I could say I saw something here, a black so pure I thought it was but one of the most extraordinary animals. But it seems I've been deceived by my eyes... or should I say eye. Ah, I'm not that old yet, am I?" He did a monologue to supposedly no one, letting out a disappointed sigh and scratching his beard.
He heard a giggle come from underneath him, the rustling of leaves coming again. He smiled and put his hands on his hips, looking to the sky in apparent thought. "Ah, I was correct then. There is an animal here. But I don't think animals can exactly laugh..."
"That's because they don't, silly!" Antinous looked towards the sound and saw a little boy come forward from the bush, smiling brightly at him.
He feigned surprise at this. "Oh, you're right! I am indeed very silly. But you knew that information, so it means you're smart." He returned the smile to the kid, this one becoming bigger when the boy laughed loudly.
"I am! And I don't know only that." The kid did a motion with his hand for Antinous to come closer, which the man did and knelt, his full focus on the young one. "Did you know that nymphs powers aren't all bad?" He said this last thing in a hushed tone, as if telling a secret.
Antinous hummed in thought, a curious smirk on his face. "I have heard some stories about nymphs. But all of them end badly. Could you tell me more?" At this the boy eyes lit up.
He nodded, then seemed to think about it better, and smiled showing his tooth gap. "I can not only tell you, but show you. But you have to pinky promise to not tell anyone."
The nobleman was actually surprised at that, but really intrigued by it, too. "Alright, you have my word. May the Gods punish me if I break it." He let out his pinky finger, and the boy giddily intertwined his own with his much bigger one.
"Alright. Look, look!" He went towards a random sprout in the ground, put his hands in front of it and stared hard. Antinous couldn't really understand what was he trying to do, until it happened.
The sprout started to grow rapidly, blooming a tiny but beautiful flower.
The little kid panted like he just ran for a whole day, but then turned towards the older man with the biggest smile only a happy kid could have. Antinous gaped at the flower, before looking at the boy and returning his smile. He clapped enthusiastically.
"That was awesome, kiddo. You're really unique." He put his hand with his palm out, signaling a high-five to his companion. Who quickly got up and ran to him, giving him his high-five and giggling. He smiled warmly at the little one's enthusiasm, before his expression turned serious. "However, don't show this to everyone you meet, okay? Some bad people will try to take advantage of you and your powers. Understood?" The boy pouted but nodded. Aware of the risks showing his powers so freely had.
Antinous looked towards the sky, seeing the sun had already moved quite the distance from the position it was in at the time he arrived here. He frowned and directed his gaze towards the other. "It's getting late. I should go before someone notices my long absence. Do you know your way home safely?"
The kid face went completely blank. Before saying without emotion, "I don't have a home now."
The suitor was shocked for a few seconds, then let out a nervous laugh. "Don't exaggerate it like that. You surely have somewhere to return to."
The younger did a shake with his head. "I came in a ship. My home is in another island. And I don't want to return, anyways."
Antinous looked concerned at the boy. A moment passed and he sighed tiredly. "I'm gonna regret this. I'm gonna regret this a lot." He then turned around and started walking towards the palace, making a gesture with his hand for the other to follow.
He didn't need to see him to know the boy liked that, as he could hear the fast footsteps approaching, almost with a spring in the taps.
This was gonna be awful.
When he arrived at the garden again, he make sure no one else was around for his entrance. He decided to cover the kid entirely with his chlamys, guiding him with a hand on his shoulder which also served as excuse to others to hold whatever he had in there that wasn't a kid at all.
The way to his room was a long one, with lots of pauses to check if the way ahead was safe. But they had done it. The moment he entered he closed and locked the door quickly. He turned around and saw the boy looking around with clear judgment in his eyes.
"You know? I expected a palace's chamber to look better..." Antinous scoffed but couldn't help but smile nonetheless.
"Well, that's because I'm only a guest here. One of many, actually. There isn't exactly the capacities to have better rooms for us right now." He left his chlamys on a chair and fixed his clothes a little. "I have to go attend dinner now. I'll try to bring something for you. Now, hear me attentively, lock the door and don't go out. I know you're probably curious about the palace, but you can't get found. I don't know what will happen if you do, alright?"
The kid nodded and sat on his bed, kicking his legs and looking at him directly.
Antinous got the memo and nodded too, then left. He stayed outside the door a little and relaxed when he heard the lock being put. He walked towards the main hall for the worst part of the day.
"Antinous, my man! You disappeared for some time. Got tired of us already?" A suitor only a little younger than him put his arm around his shoulders. Antinous looked at him annoyed but didn't bite. He put on a smirk.
"Not yet. I only went for a walk. With how much time they kept us here, one runs out of things to do." The other laughed at that and nodded.
"Right. I'm starting to think we're gonna die from boredom before any of us marries The Queen." He clapped his back then went to take a seat on the long table. Others laughed at his comment, adding their own. But Antinous tuned them down.
He took a seat on the place he always chose. Amphinomus at his side smiled and nodded once at him in greeting, which Antinous reciprocated.
Dinner went as normal. As normally loud and obnoxious. But today that was a good thing. Since nobody noticed him putting bits of food into a bag he had in his belt. Well, maybe someone did, but they didn't say anything. Gods knows some of these motherfuckers did it themselves, always trying to take more of the food that wasn't actually theirs.
He excused himself earlier than other days, saying the walk made him want to sleep now. Some joked about his age, to which he replied with a vulgar gesture, making the others laugh harder.
He knocked on his own door and waited a whole minute before it opened. He walked inside, closed the door and locked it. Antinous was gonna ask what took the other so long. But the words died when he saw the little one.
His eyes were half-lidded and glassy. He had a pout and his hair was disheveled.
The older man had to stifle a laugh at the sight. Instead he grabbed the bag he had and sat in his bed, motioning the kid to seat with him. "C'mere, champ. I brought you some stuff." The boy eyes widened and he ran to take his seat besides the man. Antinous opened it and gave it to him, then got up and stood towards the kid's back.
"I'm gonna change for bed, 'kay? Judging by how you were when I came in, I'd say you're sleepy, too." He started to change his clothes to more comfortable ones. The younger of the pair didn't turn but nodded, continuing to eat.
When the man finished changing, he put himself again in front of the other, who had eaten everything already. He handed Antinous the bag and the man left it in a very small table. Then the suitor got in his bed, making space for the kid. This one followed him and got under the blanket too, hugging him and laying his head on his chest, closing his eyes. Antinous smiled and also decided to sleep, not without putting an arm around the boy before.