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"You're doing it again, yknow."
Kuzco said while lying down on his back on this bed as Jim sat near him. He had been staring at the young emperor for a few minutes now, that Kuzco began to think the pirate wannabee was about to suffer from a stroke.
Jim blinked and turned his face away.
"I was just...distracted that's all- Hey! Stop smiling like that!"
"Oh really? Wow, how touching, though I don't blame you." Kuzco said as he got up, stretching his arms as he went to comb his hair. "I mean it's not everyday a peasa- I mean, commoner like yourself, would find themselves to be friends with an emperor. Aka me! Cause we'll, yknow, it's all-
"All about me, right? Well actually it's you, not me, but you get the point."
In the few weeks he was stuck here in this weird empire place, trying to find a way back to Montressor, he'd began reading Kuzco like a book. A very long, self centered, annoying book.
Kuzco turns around and scoffs. "Okay, okay! Fine, maybe it's not all about me...and well...I have someone to thank for teaching me that." He then fondly turns to the window, outside the view was leading towards the main village.
Jim looks at him, noticing how his expression changing to a more somber tone. He gets up from the bed and walks over.
"Who was it?"
"Oh I don't know, Santa Claus? Though they are pretty much the same. Large, old, too nice for their own good, one has reindeer and the other has llamas-
"Um losing track much?"
"Oh right, where was I? Oh yeah, this guy, Pacha, he uh...basically saved me. Even though I tried to destroy his home, WHICH I REGRET, btw."
"Nice save"
"Anyways, it's not like he had to help me...and yet, he did. And..." Kuzco looked down for a moment. "I was so ungrateful. I mean I know I'm stuck up, but wow, looking back, man I did deserve being chased by those panthers..."
Jim looked at Kuzco and realized, maybe he was reading the book kinda wrong.
"And yet, after everything, even when things went back to normal...I still feel, I don't know, guilty? And I should. But yknow what? It's fine...I dont even know why I'm telling you all this."
Kuzco turned away from the window and sighed. After his whole Llama transformation ordeal, he's been trying to make changes to improve his life and his citizens as well. After all, he's the emperor. He's not a God to be worshiped. He's a leader. So he has to start acting like one. Of course that's easier said than done. He can change the laws but he can't change his own attitude.
"I had my own Santa Claus too."
Kuzco perked up, confused. "I'm sorry what?"
Jim chuckled "Right no, that's not it. If anything he was...nothing like this Pacha guy. I mean, he was even willing to kill me at some point!"
Kuzco didn't laugh. Not because of the morbid humor, but because this was the first time since they met weeks ago, that Jim had opened up about anything regarding himself. Sure he said stuff about his mom, his home, stuff like that. But never anything exciting.
Jim noticed Kuzco's reaction and straightens up. "Yeah um...its a long story...longer and honestly way better than yours- not that being turned into a Llama isn't fun, which it isn't but...ugh you get the point."
Jim leaned against the wall, hands tucked in pockets ad he remembers those days...back on the RLS legacy....
"Lets see, he had a large mechanical hand...and foot. He had a weird eye. Was very loud and chatty. But was serious at times too. He taught me things my own dad...would never teach me."
Kuzco scoffs. "Let me guess, you two also went on a life changing journey that changed you to a better person and that guy now is basically your father figure at this point who you still keep in touch."
Jim shakes his head. "I honestly wish that last part was true."
Kuzco stares at him. "What do you mean?"
Jim looks back. "Well...I wasn't the only one who changed. But he had his life and I have mine. It's been a long while since I saw him." Jim walks towards the window, seeing the night sky. "But I know he's out there. That old pegleg."
Kuzco couldn't help but slightly smile. "Wow, I guess you and I aren't so different after all."
Jim looks at him confused. "What do you mean by that? If anything were polar opposites."
"Maybe in terms of personality, status, and good looks. But the fact that two people, whether they were genuinely nice or just using you, helped us become better versions of ourselves, honestly I think that speaks for itself."
Jim couldn't help but smile a little. The bratty emperor was right. They were a lot alike. "What? Are you saying we were meant to meet?"
Kuzco turns to face Jim, his eyes widening. "Oh um...well...yeah if you could call it that. Hey what's so funny?"
Jim laughs a little. "Sorry, your face looks cute like tha-" Jim immediately covers his mouth.
The room is silent for a hot minute.
Kuzco and Jim looked like they were in a staring contest with their lives on the line. Kuzco immediately broke the silence with a fake cough. He then tried to look confident as if nothing happened.
"I'm sorry, did you just...call me cute? Hey it's fine! Totally! I get called cute all the time! It's pretty much a lifestyle! I'm basically irresistible! I mean, as long as it was a compliment! Right?"
Kuzco exclaims as he looks at Jim, hoping that's what he meant.
Jim didn't answer.
Kuzco began getting nervous. "I mean, you did mean it like that? A compliment? Right? Please....say something? At least nod? Yeah, please nod?"
Jim closed his eyes and shook his head, accepting the truth. And Kuzco immediately realized the truth.
"Oh god...it wasn't just a compliment."
Kuzco began to take a step back, Jim noticed this and went closer grabbing Kuzco's hand. "Kuzco I'm sorry-"
Kuzco pulls his hand away from Jim's angrily. "What did I tell you about 'NO TOUCHY'!? Is it that hard of a rule to follow?"
Kuzco seemed to almost be in tears.
Jim was taken aback by Kuzco's outburst. But he still didn't leave. "Kuzco, listen, I'm sorry...I get it. It's stupid. I know. I mean, me falling for the most selfish self centered guy I've ever met? It sounds like a nightmare. And yet...it's not. It's a dream come true. And you can call me corny and horrible at this kind of stuff for all I care, but it's the truth Kuzco. And the truth is that i care about you, way more than i should!"
Kuzco looks at Jim, eyes still blurry and red. This had to be a prank. The greatest prank ever and Jim Hawkins really had the guts to pull it off in front of him, the emperor. But Kuzco then realized...no. No this...this was real...why? Becauseif it were a prank, why did Kuzco feel the same way?
Kuzco took a step closer and took a deep breath. "Yknow I'm a handful right? I mean, I don't like being thrown off my groove!"
Jim simply smiled. "I'll be sure to remember."
Kuzco's breath hitched as they got closer. "I still make stupid decisions, like I could fire someone for a dumb reason and no one could call me out!"
"In that case, I'll just hire them back and call you out."
Kuzco stiffened as Jim's hands came to his shoulders. "Well um, I've actually have a terrible childhood! For 18 years, I was raised crazy old royal advisor who tried to kill me with her big dumb assistant!"
"I forgive you, and you know you can come to the Benbow anytime."
Kuzco dramatically looked away as he used his last card. "I can never have children! This kingdom dies with me!"
"Yknow there's a thing called adoption right?"
Alright that's it. Kuzco looks at Jim frustrated. "But you don't get it, do you ponytail? I'm an emperor, you're a commoner! I'm a brat, you're a rebel! I'm a guy and well...you are too! Don't you see anything wrong with that?!"
Kuzco then feels Jim get closer, ignoring the space between them. "And? Nobody's perfect? Especially not us." Jim says as he smiles, knowing that he still clearly didn't listen to authority figures. Still, he slips his hand through Kuzco's cheek, trying to calm him down. "Hey...were going to screw up. But that's ok. We'll just screw up together. What do you say?"
Kuzco realizes that he's not winning anytime soon, and his flustered face was proof of that. So he loosens up, looks at Jim, and closes the distance between them.
Jim is tooken aback at first by the kiss, but then Kuzco pulls away, all blushing. "Oh um sorry, I've never did that before. Can we uh...start over?
Jim laughs it off, it was his first kiss too so it was understandable. "Alright...but this time, I'm making it worthwhile."
And soon the second kiss deepens and becomes more heated than the first one. Clearly these two never had a boyfriend or girlfriend in their lives and it shows. Accidentally tounge biting, stepping on feet, and even falling on the floor instead of the bed.
Yet despite that horrible start, they laughed it off, tried again, and at that moment, the two of them knew, that they were horrible for each other...and they wouldn't have it any other way.