a Lout and a Prince

Part 13

It was for the best that Cale was probably just about as awkward about emotions as Alberu was. Shortly after their rather dramatic alleyway hug, the pair departed towards the festival with flushed faces that sought to look anywhere but directly at one another.

It was a lucky thing that they were headed to the festival, with the lights and music and vendors all lining the street there was hardly any place without something interesting to look at.

However, despite their notable inability to look at each other, their fingers were laced together in a silent acknowledgement of how much they enjoyed the others' presence.

From the perspective of any outsider they might just look like a shy couple on a first date, which in some ways wasn't inaccurate.

Cale finally managed to collect himself when they were about halfway through the line of vendors and approaching the dancers by the firelight in the town center. He'd caught a glimpse of how he 'looked' with brown hair and blue eyes and felt a certain satisfaction that a face as attractive as his own would look good any which way.

But really what he noticed in the reflection was how nice Bob looked at his side. He was a bit taller and his chestnut skin and dark brown hair looked vibrant in the firelight. His hand still linked with Cale's in a way that perfectly portrayed their current relationship.

Cale's heart raced in his chest.

For a second love, this wasn't bad at all. First time he'd fallen for some doofus prince who would have never given him a second glance and second time he'd accidentally met a man who he could truly be sincere around.

It was new and strange but Cale's heart raced with excitement whenever he thought of the mysterious man who had so swiftly and thoroughly stolen all of his attention.

Cale hadn't fooled himself into believing it was perfect but... well, he had some hopes that it might last. He had no intention of inheriting and who was to care who he spent his time with once Basen was the Count.

There was obviously no future with the prince.

But there might just be a future with Bob. A quiet and sweet one just for the two of them.

Cale would never in pain of death admit to being a romantic but it would be a lie to say he wasn't one. For all his cynicism and crass personality, Cale was the sort who treasured love.

It was how he'd hung onto such a faint first love with the crown prince for such a ridiculous amount of time.

That was in the past though. Even if the thought of the man could still tickle Cale's heart, he had no intention of looking anywhere but at Bob for his future romantic fantasies.

This was one of them.

It was a silly dream of his but when he'd been young, his parents had walked with him through a festival and somewhere in his heart, he'd always wanted to go to one with a person he cared for. It was a romantic ideation that crossed his thoughts every so once in a while, when a festival lit the streets with joyful celebration.

And Bob liked him too. He'd said as much and frankly, the man was garbage at hiding how much he enjoyed Cale's company.

Cale pulled Bob towards the dancers, smiling at him with an expression just for him full of the affection he felt building in his heart.

"Let's dance." He said, confident and full of hope.

Bob smiled softly at him in return, bowing his head to kiss Cale's palm. "It would be my pleasure."

A shiver of delight ran down Cale's spine as they spun into the bodies of commoners who danced without the elegance of nobility but with the spirit of those full of joy.

Bob matched his lead to the music coming from bards and laughter, sending Cale into a fit of happy giggles as they found their rhythm.

Cale didn't really know any folk dances but he could follow the patterns and Bob's lead and in a moment it really didn't matter.

There wasn't any right or wrong way for them to dance with one another so long as they were laughing and smiling and remembered that every separation to spin or dance or flirt just meant that they would have to hold one another tightly in return.

Cale particularly liked the moment when, after the dance had called for him to extend his arms and stand nearly a yard away from Bob, the man had jealously pulled him in and dipped him low before kissing him chastely.

It was every bit as magical as he could have hoped for and the romantic corner of his heart, that had merely hoped to walk side by side, felt that he would have difficulty topping the height of this feeling in all of his life.

When they separated themselves from the dancers, panting and giggling and sweating from the effort, Cale leaned against Bob's chest and closed his eyes. "You should kiss me again." He suggested but he hardly needed to say it.

In the quiet of a single dark nook among the celebrations, Bob stole his lips with a kiss so full of affectionate tenderness that he couldn't breathe.

Cale smiled at him when he pulled away, caressing Bob's cheek and feeling that he'd really struck lucky.

A snigger escaped him as he thought that the silly prince had been something like a cupid. If he hadn't been kidnapped so foolishly then he might not have met this irresistible bastard.

"What's so funny?" Bob asked softly, resting his forehead against Cale's.

Cale hummed. "You probably wouldn't like it if I said." He teased before he leaned up and kissed Bob impishly on the nose. "But mostly I'm just happy."

He really was.

The happiness spread from his heart to his finger tips, making the very ends of his toes feel as light and bubbly as he felt right now.

"Good." Bob said and gently escorted him back into the throng now that they'd had a moment to catch their breath. "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything." Cale said. He guided them towards a stall that smelled appetizing as he said that though. "I worked up an appetite."

Bob chuckled. "Whatever you like."

And the leisurely walk through the stalls, buying whatever caught his eye whether it was a trinket or a meal, leaning into Bob's warmth and feeling his hand locked with his own, feeling that this was the height of happiness he could experience.

Cale went home that night, humming and happy and full of much more than just food or drink.

And as Alberu lingered on his balcony, heart aching as he was pulled into one more delightfully joyful goodbye kiss, he knew that the only right thing to do was to end this before either of them could get more hurt.