Butterfly Prince

by Britannica Tany

  “Forget…” Kael echoes placing his hand over Aiden’s. “Sure,” He steps closer, bringing his lips to Aiden’s cheek. “Let’s forget.” Aiden stares over Kael’s shoulder, watching as another car came to a slow along the curb. He closes his eyes and does as Kael had whispered. He forgets, just for that moment he lets it all go. Kael’s lips were soft and Aiden wished to feel them against his, maybe that was just a little too soon for hopeful wishing. Kael tilts his head up and kisses Aiden’s forehead. “Friends do this right?” He questions innocently. Aiden blinks, reality slowly fizzing back. Friends…

  “Yeah, friends can do these things.” He clears his throat and takes a step back. Kael knew that he was lying, but it’d be easier to let these feelings go unsaid. If Aiden asked for Kael to forget, he could, forgetting came easy to him. Aiden looks down to his feet and then looks at Kael. “You’re soaked!” He exclaims. “So are you.” Kael deadpans. Aiden chuckles, risking another glance over Kael’s shoulder. There he saw Janus, watching them from the car window. “My ride’s here.” He says.

  “Oh…” Kael then turns towards his car, which was still waiting on him and mumbles sadly. “I guess you should go.”

  “Yeah.” Aiden begins to walk away, but then stops. “What did you want to show me?” He asks. Kael shrugs. “I forgot.” He jokes, sticking out his tongue and waving. Aiden watches as he goes, the black car speeding off with him. Once Kael is gone, Janus steps out of the car and walks towards Aiden. “What was that?” is the first thing out of his mouth and Aiden shrugs.

  “I don’t know,” Aiden stares after where Kael had gone. “I was hoping you could answer that.” He looks to Janus, his brown eyes taunting. Janus scoffs.

  “I told you to stay away from him.” Aiden goes to open the passenger door.

  “And I told you that I wasn’t.” Janus sighs, sliding into the driver’s seat. “Just like I’m preventing Francis from getting hurt, I’m trying to do the same for you.”

  “Hah…” Aiden laughs, buckling into his seat. “Everyone who tries to prevent me from getting hurt, dies.” He glances towards Janus and shrugs his shoulders as if to say, that’s just how it is. Janus chuckles to himself, sadly amused by Aiden’s words. As they’re driving down the road, Aiden asks. “When do I begin work?” Janus doesn’t answer for a while, the car continues to hum and the rain continues to fall. “You’ll begin next month.”

  “Hmm, next month…” Janus nods. “Hey…”

  “Yes?” Janus peers at Aiden from the corner of his eyes. “What if I said I wanted to kill the Prince…”

  “Well, you’d be kill.” Aiden laughs to himself. “That wouldn’t be so bad.” He says under his breath. “Are you forgetting, Skye?” Aiden shakes his head. “I’m not forgetting her…just acting as though she isn’t there. I’m just acting out a sad little play.”

  “You know who else is acting out their own sad little play?” Aiden closes his eyes and leans his head against the window. “Who?”

  “The Prince.” Janus answers with a grin. Aiden sighs. “Knew you were going to say that.” Aiden drifts into sleep, his arms wrapping around his stomach. Janus glances at him and his eyes glisten with sadness. If he could switch places with God and make this all go away, he'd do it. In a split second, no questions, he'd allow them to redo everything from the beginning. Kael was the little kid he watched growing up, a somewhat introverted child, but a kid none the less. Aiden was also a little kid—they were his little sons. He laughs at the thought. "No way in hell." he presses on the gas pedal and speeds down the street.

  Types of Idiots

  Kai tugs the zipper on his jacket up until he can’t feel the chill of the air against his neck. He brings his hands to his mouth and breathes against them until they’ve warmed. “Summer’s supposed to be coming,” He strides forward. “But it feels like the beginning of winter, geesh.” His steps were long as he strides to Francis’s house since they were supposed to meet up and practice some more. Francis was trying his hardest to get his talent recognized. Kai said he should start a Youtube channel. “I suck at gaining internet fame.”

  “You have a pretty face, long legs…” Kai leans to the side to peer at Francis’s behind. “Your ass is pretty shapely.” Francis shoves him in his chest. “Yeah, thanks for helping me sell my body.” So that idea was tossed out of the window along with the other ones they came up with. Kai had planned on asking the other trainees at the RPA building, but he never got around to doing it.

  It was Sunday and it was quiet, the entire city was silent, as though it were paused. Kai pulls out his phone and quickly dials Francis’s number. His voice comes in on the end: “Hey, I’m too busy right now to answer or maybe I’m ignoring you, call later.” Beeeep. Kai sighs, pulling his phone away from his ear to text Francis. But as he’s going to text him, the dancer calls. Kai answers on the very first ring. “Were you busy?” He questions jokingly. Francis scoffs and then sneezes. “Maybe.”

  “Yeah right.” Kai crosses the street and a breeze rustles his dark hair. “I’m on my way to your place.” He says, Francis hums in response. With no further need for conversation he hangs up and breaks into a jog. Aiden always told him to take any opportunity and practice. “Build up your endurance, you never know when you’ll need it.” Kai wanted to meet the Prince, he wanted to see who this ‘big guy’ was. His breath comes out in short puffs. It was weird how everything was so connected, how Francis knew Aiden, but yet he didn’t. He didn’t know his secret, nor did Francis know Kai’s. He turns a corner and nearly knocks a young woman off of her feet. He apologizes profusely. “Sorry.” He bows and then hurries off before she could curse him out. As he’s jogging away he thinks back to her face and tilts his head. “She looked familiar.” He thinks aloud, his voice echoing with the city silence.

  ~*~

  Jenna stares after the guy who had just bumped into her and her expression draws into a bitter scowl. She wasn’t in a good mood, not at all. It had been a week since her little incident with her boyfriend. Aiden was unable to get it up for her and although she knew, she didn’t want to. Just forget it, forget about it…there’s no way. But then she had saw them talking in front of the campus. After Aiden had called to see her again, he was there with Kael—he was looking at him in that way again. Jenna crosses her arms over her chest and takes a deep breath. She looks to her phone and saw that she had several messages from Aiden: where are you? Can we talk? Jenna don’t ignore me. It’s been a week since I’ve seen you. She rolls her eyes and trudges ahead. She was fearing for their relationship, she’s been with Aiden ever since he was young. She’s witnessed his breakdowns, she was there for him when he lost Skye, but to suddenly have some random stranger appear and take him away. She bites her bottom lip. Her heart was hurting. What drew Aiden to him? What was so special about Kael? She wanted to scream at Aiden that he was another guy and he shouldn’t feel that way about him. She wanted to claw out his heart and keep it for herself. The wind blows her skirt out and she struggles to keep it down. She could see Aiden being drawn to Kael like a magnet—it was inevitable. She almost wanted to cry because Aiden was still trying to deny his feelings, he was still trying to be with her. Her phone suddenly rings and she jumps startled by the sudden noise. She fumbles to take the phone out, her hands trembling. “H-hello?” She answers nervously. “Jenna? Hey!” It was Kael, she stops walking. “Kael…”

  “Yeah, we haven’t talked in while…I missed seeing you.” He says shyly, Jenna pinches herself to keep from screaming. He’s so innocent, like a fresh untainted painting. She couldn’t be mad with him, it wasn’t like he was trying to make Aiden like him. “You missed me? Hmm, that sounds a little far-fetched.” Kael laughs. “Well, I’m speaking for Aiden.” At the sound of his name her heart drops. “Are…you two together?” There’s silence and then shuffling on Kael’s end. “Is he here with me?”

  “Yes...is he?”

  “No, he’s not here, he’s not allowed to come here.” Kael’s voic
e had shifted dangerously low. “Where are you Kael?”

  “I’m home…” Jenna asks no further questions and Kael tells her that she should see Aiden at least one time this week. She nearly laughs at his request, her chest tightening. “You may not know why I can’t see him right now or why I’m putting it off…but I just…” She trails off, the cold air chapping her lips. “I just…” The way he looked at you makes me want to scream. The way he talks and laughs with you. The way he smiles and when you’re not around he talks about you—he talks about you so much and I want you to go away. Disappear! Never come back and let me…let me continue being the only one who makes him smile like that. Let me continue protecting him. He needs me, not you—you stranger. She grips the phone, her palm sweaty. “Jenna?” Kael’s voice was soft, patient. She swallows the lump in her throat and crosses the street, the wind billowing her skirt. “I just—we just hit a rough patch, ya know? All couples go through it once in a while.” She manages a shaky laugh, staring up at the house in front of her. “But we’ll be okay, don’t worry.” She hangs up before he can say anything further. Her breathing is shallow and she feels that way too. Her eyes glaze up the steps of the porch and then to the front door. She was standing in front of Aiden’s house; she knew he wasn’t home, she wanted to talk with his parents.

  ~*~

  Aiden stares at his phone and then sighs, slipping it into his pocket and aiming his gun in front of him. “Steady hand.” Janus instructs, a lollipop bobbing between his lips. Aiden aims again, his eyes squinted on the cardboard target in front of him. “You have to be ready to aim and shoot oncoming targets.” Janus says leaning against the wall. Aiden raises his arm, aims—“If they’re coming for the prince you have to be able to aim properly.”—Aiden lowers the gun and glares at Janus. “I’m not a rookie.” He reminds the older. Janus shrugs. Aiden focuses his gaze on the target again, aims and then shoots. The gun jerks his arm back, but he remains firm in his stance. His eyes were shielded by clear goggles and he wore a thick, black jacket. Janus walks up and places a hand to his shoulder. “How are you feeling?” Aiden clicks the gun into safety and slips it into his holster. “How am I feeling?” He mocks, his eyebrows curving down. “My girlfriend is ignoring me, a friend is making me feel weird things and I’m going to be protecting the guy I hate.” Aiden shrugs off Janus’s hand. “I feel fucking fantastic, thank you.” His tone was honey-coated with sarcasm. Janus runs a hand through his brunette hair and smiles to his feet. “I didn’t know you had so much going on.”

  “Yeah well, I had a life before becoming a bodyguard.” Aiden unzips his jacket and tosses it aside. “It’s just…” He sighs. “Kael…he…” Janus’s eyes flicker stone cold. “You’re still hanging around him?”

  “Yes, and?” Aiden tests, Janus stares into his eyes. “You don’t understand Aiden.”

  “Then make me! Jesus Christ, everyone’s been saying that—you don’t understand.” He throws his hands up. “Make me understand!” He balls his hands up into a fist and hits his chest. “I’m tired of being clueless. The last time I was that way…I lost Skye.” He murmurs, his voice losing its previous momentum. Janus stares at him for a moment and then walks up to stroke his back. “Aiden…I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “You think being around Kael is going to hurt me?” Aiden glances over his shoulder and looks into Janus’s eyes. “You don’t know who he is.” Janus replies. “That’s what I’m trying to do right now. I’m trying to discover who he is because…” Aiden grips his hair. “Just like me, he seems so lost, so lost and confused and precious.” Aiden speaks softly, his eyes glistening. Janus stares at him in shock, his heart beat slowing. “Aiden—”

  “You see, Janus, I feel odd when I’m around him.” Aiden takes a step away from Janus. “But it’s an odd that wraps around me and lulls me to sleep.” Janus listens as he speaks. “I know—I don’t know everything about Kael…but eventually we’ll tell each other everything.” Eventually I’ll break up with Jenna. The thought raced through his mind and then cracked his heart. Break up with Jenna…but why? To be with another guy? To be with Kael? He grabs his coat and opens the door. “Tell the Prince I said hey.” He says as his parting words causing Janus to raise an eyebrow.

  “Warming up to the idea of protecting the guy you loathe?” He calls, Aiden smirks.

  “Hell no, it’s a subtle way of saying go die.” Janus tries not to laugh, but fails in doing so. His laughter fades away and stops altogether when the door clicks shut. He stands in the empty room, his heart heavy and his thoughts running a circle in his mind. “You can always run after him and tell him the truth.” Janus begins to talk to himself. “You can just tell him who Kael really is and just stop it all.” He paces back and forth. “But then…you could put your job on the line if the King or Queen were to find out that you told Aiden before he became an official bodyguard.” Janus curses under his breath. “I can’t say anything…” He swallows and in the back of his mind he was hoping that it would all trickle away, that it would be okay, yes, that everything would be alright.

  ~*~

  Kai stands in the kitchen watching as Francis gathered a few snacks: two cans of soda, a bag of chips and mini cakes that would be eaten in no time. “I thought you invited me over so we could practice.” Kai starts following Francis into the living room. The black haired male looks over his shoulder and grins. “We’ll dance and eat snacks, two birds with one stone.”

  “That’s not such a bad idea, but knowing you Francis…” Kai trails off and then shrugs. “Ya gotta have some faith in me Kai.” He places the pile of snacks onto the table in front of them and bounces over to the stereo. He blasts the music with no warning, almost bursting Kai’s eardrums. “You should at least issue a warning, asshole!!” He hollers over the music. Francis dances over to him, his narrow hips swiveling. “Teach me.” He mouths and Kai stares at him unbelieving. “Lower the music and I’ll teach you!” Kai yells to which Francis blinks. “Lower the volume!” Kai motions his hand in a twisting gesture. Francis brings a hand to his ear as though he were truly trying to hear what Kai was saying. “Piece of…” Kai grumbles stalking over to the stereo and turning it down until it’s a faint doom-doom in the room. Francis looks at his friend and groans. “The bass was about to drop.” He complains. Kai stalks over and shoves him hard in his chest. “Francis Lee, you’re a douche.”

  “I prefer being an asshole, the word kinda rolls off your tongue.” Francis leans towards Kai. “Ass-hooole.” He emphasizes the ‘o.’ “Doesn’t it just roll?” He was smirking, Kai stares at him and then decides to kick him in his ankle. “See if you can dance now.” The rest of their afternoon progressed this way. Whenever Francis got up to dance Kai would criticize him while smacking away on the snacks Francis had brought out. Francis, in turn, would purposely mess up on a routine and during breaks he’d snatch the bag out of Kai’s hand and stuff the chips in his mouth. “You’re a freaking vacuum.” Kai commented. “I prefer black-hole, that’s how Aiden describes it anyway.” Kai laughed. Francis would pretty much eat anything he could get his hands on. His mouth would open up pretty wide. Once, when he was younger, Janus had peeled an orange for him and instead of eating it piece by piece, Francis ate the entire thing in one swallow and a couple of chews. It was a story he gladly shared with Kai. The two had been friends for a while and they were beginning to learn how to rely on each other. “I’ve got your back.” Kai said once on Francis’s birthday last year. Francis was amused by his sudden knightliness. “I’m never dating.” Francis declares as he falls back onto the couch. Kai looks to him confused. “Why not?” Francis shrugs, stretching his legs out and resting his head on Kais thighs. “My cousin is currently having it pretty rough with her boyfriend.”

  “Have I ever met your cousin?”

  “I think once or twice before.”

  “What does she look like?” Francis closes his eyes and tries to describe her as best he can. “Kind of marshmallow-y, but if you
bite into her I’m sure you’ll get bitten back.”

  “I asked for a physical description.” Kai runs his fingers through Francis’s black hair. “Right, right, weeeeell,” He grabs the remote. “She’s really warm looking, kind of short and tiny—like her boyfriend—she has brown hair—”

  “Hey, I think I bumped into her a little while ago.” Francis sits up and looks Kai in his eyes. “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, she was here before you came.” Kai nods absentmindedly. Francis thrums his fingers along Kai’s thigh. “But…is that really why you don’t want to date?” Kai asks softly, Francis shrugs. “I think it’s because I’m gay.”

  “What?” Kai questions and Francis blinks saying in return. “What.” They stare at each other for a moment and then Francis smiles. “Homophobic?” He asks, playfully. “N-no.” Kai looks away from his friend’s unwavering gaze. “God, you’re acting like I didn’t want you to.” Francis jumps to his feet, stretches and yawns. “My cousin—Jenna—I don’t want to say it to her face, but her boyfriend is becoming gay for Kael.”

  “Kael?”

  “Yeah, this guy…” Francis trails off because he knew who Kael really was. “Just some random university student they both befriended.” Francis walks to the kitchen, Kai stares after him. “Aiden’s going to break things off with

  her soon…” Francis says as he clenches his fist. “I wanna punch him in his face.” Kai laughs. “He’s not a bad guy though.”

  “Yeah, but he’s a fool.” Francis replies bitterly. “I mean come on…falling in love with the Prince—the man you want to murder.” Francis says this to himself. In Francis’s eyes Kael was a thief, always stealing what others didn’t have: Francis didn’t have any parents, Kael did. Aiden had a sister, Kael stole her away, Kael meets Aiden and Jenna, and then he steals Aiden away from Jenna. “I should just sell him out, tell Aiden who he is.” But Francis had his reason for not doing so. “Hey, Fran…” Kai calls. “Hmm?”