“Something the matter, Mr. Shay?” He asks in a teasing tone. Micah’s somewhat taken aback by the sudden ‘Mr.’ added before his last name and his cheeks flush red. Aiden looks between them and shakes his head with a small smile. “Are you two going to start dating now?” He jokes; Micah frantically shakes his head denying that he was into men and Janus simply grins, his expression settled into a demure stare.
Aiden looks back and forth between the lengthy walls to his left and right, his eyes lingering on each painting and portrait of the royal family. There was one when Kael was just a baby, another when he was in his early teens and the most recent one where his jawline was sharp and his eyes fierce. Aiden pauses standing in front of the picture and he stares at it, his eyes a dulled brown. Janus looks towards him watching his expression. Micah (still blubbering about the dating comment) pauses and looks towards Aiden with worry. His eyes trace from Kael’s figure to that of his parents. He looks most like his mother. He notes with a smile that wasn’t exactly a smile, but more of a grimace. “When was this taken…?” He asks without much thought.
“Ah, just last year.” Janus replies.
“Ah,” Aiden takes a step closer to the massive portrait. Has it always been this way? Your entire existence is much more meaningful than mine. He reaches up to touch the golden frame. “Rule number one: no touching of anything in the castle.” Aiden’s hand stutters to a halt at Janus’s commanding voice.
“Sorry.” He mumbles. There’s a click of a door and a flutter of a robe neither men seem to notice. And the light sound of padding feet against the wooden floor that grows nearer to them. “I never much liked that picture,” Spoke a voice softly, a hint of dissatisfaction seeping into his tone. “I think I was too stiff that day.” Aiden’s heart stills and his voice catches in his throat. Micah’s eyes bug at the Prince’s sudden appearance.
“Y-your majesty!” He exclaims bowing deeply. Janus steps over to Kael and adjusts his neck-tie. “It was crooked.” He says quietly, Kael smiles dimly back at him, his gaze sliding over to Aiden. When their eyes meet Aiden bows his head slightly. “Your majesty.” He greets. “Aiden.” Kael says somewhat curtly, his brown eyes glassy. Aiden looks him over; his hair was darker than before (Aiden wondered if Kael had dyed it) his skin was pale, almost translucent, but it only added to Aiden’s curiosity and attraction to him. The need to hold onto him intensified. What if he drifts away like a ghost, never to return. “Are you doing your rounds?” Kael asks, his eyes still resting on Aiden. Janus nods. “Yes, I’m getting these two,” He gestures. “Used to where they will be guarding the castle.”
“I see…” Kael takes a step forward his eyes never straying from Aiden. As Kael neared Aiden had the sudden urge to reach out and embrace him. “It’s…” Kael starts and then he swallows, a shallow smile descending across his lips. “…been a while.” He finishes and Aiden feels himself nodding and taking a step towards Kael until they’re standing inches from each other. It’s on his lips and in his heart, the words ‘I miss you’. But he doesn’t say them, he refrains from taking Kael’s hand and pulling him down to kiss his lips. “It has.” He says and the silence sweeps over them. Micah glances at Janus who was staring at Aiden and Kael with a look of pain etched on his face. “Aiden—”
“Wait.” He interrupts, lifting a hand to Kael’s face and shushing him. Kael looks down at him with curious eyes. “No matter how many times I see your face on TV wearing that crown and robe,” Aiden shakes his head. “I just can’t get used to it.” Kael shifts his weight to his left foot. “It’s just…it’s not you.” Kael’s eyes widen, Aiden reaches up and knocks the crown off of Kael’s head. It drops to the floor before rolling and hitting the wall. “The Kael I know…is not the Prince I hate and the Prince I hate….” Aiden bites his bottom lip.
He was sitting in his sister’s room on her bed, looking around the faded blue of the walls and the peeling plaster falling from the ceiling. His eyes glaze over when they land on her computer desk. It was left untouched as if frozen in time from those years ago. And lying across the desk was one of her notebooks, opened with her scribbly and cursive handwriting lining the pages. Aiden stands up and walks over slowly to the desk. He sits down in the pink chair and stares at the opened pages of her notebook. His eyes dart over the words not really reading them, but then he stops when he sees Kael’s name.“…he’s only ten-years old but he has such a broad imagination. Kaelpays attention to great detail.” He flips the pages and reads them over and over. These were her notes so that she could write her novel.
“Mmm, today I noticed how Kael flinched when I turned the lights off. I think he’s afraid of the dark.”
“I told a lame pun and he laughed his head off, not because it was funny, but because it was so bad and I was so confident about it -_-.” A grin curls Aiden’s lips, she did tell some rather lame jokes. “We played ‘the butterfly’ game again today even though he didn’t feel that well. He told me, “Skye, you’re the only friend I have, so even if I’m sick, even if I’m on my death bed I’ll play with you.” A tad bit dramatic for a ten-almost eleven year old.”
And reading those words, that’s when Aidenrealized the truth he had been denying for all these years. He flips to the very last page in her notebook and chokes up at what he read.“Kael Lennon, the royal son of the Lennon family—the Prince—vowed to protect me. Can you believe that!?” Aidenwipes at his cheeks, the words blurring together.“I love this kid, I think Aidenwould love him too if they were someday to meet.” Oh, how true had her words become.
I’m so stupid, I’m so stupid. He chokes on his sobs and places a hand to his forehead. He had never come into her room before, never this intimately, he only gave it a glance over every now and then to see if maybe one day she’d return. But something had told him to go, to look into her room. A voice, a whisper—the wind. And so here he was, reading over her words and then realizing just how dumb he was. She wouldn’t want this. He thought bitterly, his lips trembling. “She wouldn’t want me to hate him like this…” And ever so softly he adds. “She wouldn’t want him dead.”
“The Prince I hate…is not you….” His eyes were glistening, his heart hammering in his chest, his body hot. “….but me, Kael.” Janus’s eyes widen and Kael’s legs nearly give out at the sudden confession. All he can get past his lips is a broken. “Wh—at?” Janus himself is confused. Why the sudden realization? Why now? Aiden turns away from Kael and begins the inner monologue he had kept to himself for so long.
“I was going through her things a couple days ago, reading over what she had said about you and the castle.” He glances over his shoulder at Kael, who was staring blankly back at him. “I know...it would have been easier to hear you out, but you’ve got to understand the shock when I saw you that day.” Kael nods. “I just—you, Kael, why you?” And Kael could hear all the pain in his voice. “But, being away from you and having that time to myself, I—I,” He pauses to take a breath. “I realized that you would never want to kill her. She cared for you and you for her and I admit…I was jealous.”
“You two had something I never had with her. A closeness, a curiosity. She was my sister as close as anyone could be, but she was your first true friend…” He stops talking, turning back and looking Kael straight in his eyes. “I don’t hate you. I never have, but that was the lie I told myself so that I could live with her death.” He takes Kael’s hand in his. “How could I hate the Prince when I didn’t know him?” He strokes Kael’s palm. “You said something about losing your memory after my sister’s death?”
“Yes…”
“Just like you lost your memory, I lost my reasoning.” Janus glances towards Micah and ushers for him to follow him the rest of the way down the hall.
“I’ll leave you two to discuss things.” Aiden nods and Janus grips the mid of Micah’s arm pulling him the rest of the way down the hall. Kael and Aiden stand in the middle of the hallway in silence. Aiden takes a deep breath and says. “I’m so
rry.” Kael’s eyes widen. “I’m sorry for freaking out and snapping at you, for hating you and blaming you as a way to shield myself from the pain.” His arms slowly snake around Kael’s back. “I’m sorry…” He pushes Kael into him and holds him tightly. And just like that everything comes crashing down. Kael tries to breathe, but he can’t.
His heart is racing—aching and his lungs expand and expand and they never stop expanding. “I really like you and I… I shouldn’t have hurt you in that way...” His words fade off as Kael brings a hand to the back of his head and strokes his hair. After a moment Kael breaks the silence by saying, “Now…if only I could find a way to stop blaming myself.” Aiden takes a step back and looks up into Kael’s eyes. “One of these days I’ll bring you Skye’s notebook and you can read for yourself all that she’s said about you.” He smiles up at Kael and then realizes the way in which he’s holding him (a hand on his hip and the other gripping his hand) his cheeks flush red. “I shouldn’t be hold—”
“No!” Kael exclaims holding Aiden’s hand to his waist, preventing him from going anywhere. “Hold me.” And faintly he adds. “It’s alright.” Aiden doesn’t know what to do—so many things are going through his mind and then he just laughs. “Why did it take us so long to get here?” He questions and Kael shrugs. “Who knows…” He swipes Aiden’s ashen bangs out his eyes and says softly. “Maybe it was just easier to deny what we felt, easier to blame and hate than to accept how we felt.” Aiden nods. “Yeah…” His eyes come to a close when Kael’s thumb flutters over his eyebrows and down to his eyelids. “It’s still hard…” Aiden begins. “What is?”
“Talking to you in this way.”
“Mmm, I didn’t expect it to be easy.”
“Yeah, I guess we’ll have to heal each other together.” Aiden smiles and Kael smiles back. “I agree.” Kael bends down crashing his forehead against Aiden’s and letting out a breath. “Something…is still weird about all this.” He murmurs and Aiden hums in agreement. “I think Skye was hiding something from us.” He says and Aiden replies simply. “Don’t you think everyone’s hiding something from one another?” And all Kael can say is ‘yes’.
~*~
Their clothes were discarded on the floor, the boomboom of the stereo drowning out their pants. Francis fumbles for a pillow to prop himself up as Kai grinded against him. His pelvic working tirelessly. “I guess”—pause for breath—“Your dance skills do come in handy.” Francis cracks and Kai grins, his sweaty hair matted to his forehead. The expression he wore was a mix of lust, shock (that this was actually going down) and admiration. Francis had always been bullied because he was prettier or more effeminate than the other boys. But Kai thought he was lovely and manly all at the same time and that was an amazing skill to have.
He admired Francis for his determination and hard work and he thought the feelings he felt for his friend was what he was supposed to feel. But then gradually he realized—aah, this is more than admiration. He hoped that Francis would never find out about his identity as a bodyguard, he’d watch over him and joke with him for the rest of his life he hoped. When Francis grips Kai’s hair they both groan, their breaths hot against their skin. Francis huffs, his lips locking to Kais neck where his teeth graze across his skin. “Francis,” Kai begins shakily, his hips rolling themselves. “Yes?”
“I think—nngh,” He shudders as Francis strokes his nipple. “I think I’m gay too.” He confesses and Francis laughs, leaning up and kissing him lightly. “It’s about time.”
But he also wanted to add: I think I’m in love with you as well.
~*~
The roses were swaying in the wind, their petals dancing along to the breeze. And when Kael and Aiden walked out into the garden, the wind seemed to have settled as though it noticed their intertwined hands. “We used to play out here, me and Skye.” Kael says, standing on the marble steps with Aiden. “It’s a nice place.”
“Yes, it is.” The wind blows past them and caresses their cheeks in a cool touch. Aiden looks towards Kael and for the first time in years he felt at ease.
~PART TWO~
~I will create my own wings and take off into this world~
~Before we take each others hand, before we walk together, I must know who you are~
Embracing you Pt.1
The sun was shining brightly into Kael’s rooms, its rays dancing along the carpeted floor before streaking across the lump in the bed which was Kael’s figure lying sound asleep. There’s a two handed knock on the door and then it’s creaking open, a foot slipping between the crack and into the room. Kael stirs on his bed, never fully waking. “Nngh,” He mumbles, tugging the blanket up over his head to block out the sunlight. A smile dances onto the intruder’s lips, his hands coming out in front of him to shake Kael awake. “Stale Kael,” He coos softly. But Kael does not stir, his back facing Aiden. “It’s time to get up your majesty.” Aiden tries a different approach, but Kael still doesn’t move. With an annoyed humph Aiden strides towards the curtains and yanks them open. Lint and dust-bunnies come fluttering down, the dust dancing in the streaks of light. An agitated moan parts Kael’s dry lips and Aiden turns to face the Prince with a smile. “It’s time to wake up…” And ever so quietly he adds lovingly. “My Prince.” Kael brings a fist to his face, where he wipes the crust out of his eyes and yawns. He sits up slowly and looks to Aiden with bleary eyes. He can see his figure standing in front of the window like an angel in an all-black suit. “Aiden…”
“Yes?”
“Come here.” Kael beckons him over with a lazy up and down wave of his right hand. Aiden raises an eyebrow, but strides over with a bright smile. He stands in front of Kael expectedly and stares down at him. Kael was sitting on the edge of his bed still with that half asleep look on his face that Aiden found to be insanely adorable. Ever since things were put to rest (slightly) between them, Aiden’s feelings towards Kael have been increasing rapidly. He’s been at the castle for a total of five days, not counting when he was doing his first rounds. He had taken Janus’s place in waking Kael and making sure he got up and ready on time. As for his classes, they were now all online and he’d brood over the screen during the night and whenever he caught a break. Sometimes—when Kael wasn’t busy—he’d help him study some of his materials. “What is it?” Aiden asks and saying nothing Kael takes his hand and holds it in his. He felt that it was slightly cold and he frowns. He looks up (quite innocently Aiden notices with an uneasy heart) and he smiles saying quietly. “Lay with me.” It flashes in Aiden’s head the true and purer version of Kael’s words, but then those go flying straight out of the window he just opened and he’s dumbstruck. “W-what?”
“You can’t work like this when you’re cold, lay next to me.” Kael pats the spot beside him and smiles the same charming smile Aiden had denied falling for some time ago. Regaining himself he says quite coolly. “There’s no need for that your majesty.” He drops to one knee before Kael and looks up into his eyes. Kael’s heart stills. “I’ll be just outside, call if you need anything.” Aiden bows his head, the custom in dismissing yourself before royalty. Kael stares down at him and a tender touch falls into his eyes. “Okay,” He reaches down and ruffles Aiden’s ashen hair. “I won’t be long.” He assures the bodyguard and he lightly taps Aiden on his shoulder to reaffirm his words. Aiden rises to his feet and bows once more before exiting the room. The door clicks shut behind him and he leans against it, finally feeling as though he could breathe. “Jesus fucking Christ, Aiden!” He hisses, tugging on the cuffs of his suit. “You’ve gotta think broader than that.” He shakes his head, remembering what he had thought when Kael said to “lay next to him.” And then a thought struck him with such force he slid down the wall and covered his flushed cheeks. “I-is he…a virgin?!” He blubbers, his heart racing.
“Well, wouldn’t that be the obvious conclusion to come to since he’s been locked away for the majority of his life.” Janus’s cool voice drifts into Aiden’s ears and he looks u
p mortified. He hurries to his feet and swallows. “Thinking about his virginity…did Jenna become too boring?” Janus questions cynically and Aiden glares. “Don’t be like that, Janus.” He mumbles. Janus places a heavy hand to Aiden’s shoulder and smiles. “I don’t mind you kissing his majesty, but if you get caught by the King,” He leans forward and whispers. “I can’t guarantee the safety of your life.” He gives Aiden’s shoulder a squeeze and backs off with a wave. “Make sure he’s getting dressed, he has to be out by nine.”
“Y-yes.” Aiden bites his bottom lip, takes a deep breath and waits patiently for Kael to step outside.
Kael was standing in his room half dressed, his pants hanging from his waist unzipped and his shirt buttoned up except for the top two buttons. He shoves a hand through his dark hair and sighs, his lips moist and somewhat sensual despite the lack of sleep glazing his eyes. A smirk spreads across his lips at the sudden thought of toying with Aiden a bit more. He had said those words purposely to pick at Aiden’s mind and see what he was thinking. So…he’s thinking about that too. Kael clears his throat and calls for Aiden. “You can come in!” The door clicks open, Aiden steps nervously through it. Kael faces him still in his disheveled appearance and says casually. “Help me put on my robe.” Aiden’s eyes widen. “Yes, your majesty.” He bows, walking over to Kael with his eyes still focused on the ground. “You can look me in my eyes.”
“It’s…not that—“ he stops short when he hears a chuckle bubble up from Kael. He looks up and sees that the Prince is grinning. “You’re…doing this purposefully aren’t you?” Kael shrugs. “It wouldn’t be any fun if I couldn’t tease you.”
“Uh-huh.”
Butterfly Prince Page 27
