a Lout and a Prince

Part 21

When did it get complicated?

Cale could remember the first night he'd fallen. Giddy and excited feelings bubbling in his heart while he contemplated the impossibility of romance with a light heart.

Yet the realer it became, the deeper his fears grew. A fantasy couldn't hurt him. A one-sided crush couldn't scare him.

Alberu Crossman had been nothing more than a cute little fantasy for him that made him smile.

He hadn't been prepared for the reality of a relationship, he'd just sort of fallen into one.

When did simple fun evolve into something deeper? And when had it twisted up inside of him?

Cale had spent three days thus far in Harris Village. It was an obnoxiously normal village, nowhere near as ominous or cruel as his imagination wanted it to be, and the young couple that had allowed him to stay with them were the likable sort who never seemed to have any drama in their lives at all.

It really begged the question.

When had it gotten complicated?

Could Cale have something as simple as this in his life? If he went back to the capital and talked with Bob, could it really be as simple and sweet as this?

The young couple ran an inn, quite a confusing location for one considering that not many people would visit the village at the edge of the Dark Forest but they didn't seem to want for anything. They were more than happy to take Cale's money at least.

Cale rested his chin on the palm of his hand, resenting Harris Village for being so normal. It wasn't as traumatic or upsetting as he'd expected and therefore it didn't offer an appropriate distraction from his thoughts.

Quite the contrary, the happy and oblivious couple only ever made him think of Bob more. Annoyed that they got to be happy while Cale was contemplating whether his relationship had been real at all. It sort of made him hate both of them.

If only they were more unpleasant, Cale could hate them properly.

"Another drink?"

Cale scowled up at Roksu, the owner of the inn, and accepted the offered beverage. The bastard had business sense, Cale would give him that. He knew exactly when and what to offer Cale in order to loosen his purse strings.

"You're a devious bastard." Cale complained, taking a drink of the fine wine and feeling the tension leave his shoulders.

Roksu presented him with the fakest smile he'd seen in his entire life and poured another expensive glass. "I don't know what you mean, dear customer."

Cale grumbled to himself. There was no point in arguing further. Cale didn't really feel like arguing either. He was grumpy and depressed and jealous and he didn't have the energy to kick up a fuss. "Where's your dumber half?"

Roksu's smile didn't so much as twitch but Cale felt that it was probably best not to insult the man's partner in the future. "Out hunting."

Cale quirked an eyebrow, faintly wondering where any good hunting could be found in the area before shrugging it off entirely. He really didn't care where the brawny one went. Besides, if he was gone than the stupid couple wouldn't flirt quite so much in front of him.

It wouldn't be so annoying if they were even aware that they were doing it.

It was a whole lot of thoughtless gestures. A hand on his hip or helping carry something, a sweet remark and a soft smile. They were just seamlessly happy together and Cale in his heartbreak absolutely hated it.

"Get me another drink..." Cale sagged into the table. "This is too weak."

"Anything for our dear customer." The man chirped in his obnoxiously fake way. Cale couldn't even hate him for it. He very obviously wanted to make bank off of the extremely wealthy customer that he'd lucked into and his earnest dedication to that task was refreshingly greedy.

If that was possible.

The truth was that Roksu was a man that was hard to hate. In Cale's brief time staying in the village he'd quickly been able to piece together that not a single person didn't hold affection or respect for the man. He was capable, smart, and level-headed. Mostly stoic as well, when he wasn't wearing a fake smile for customers.

He was in every way the opposite of all that Cale had become.

He'd focused all of his energy into becoming a nuisance that no one wanted around and he'd succeeded in doing just that. Even those who loved him were troubled by him.

He was sure that if a man as capable as Roksu had his life he wouldn't have made such a mess of it. He'd probably be able to win the heart of any bastard he wanted and he'd be clever enough not to be toyed with or fooled.

That was the difference. That was why Roksu was happily living with a man who clearly adored him and Cale was stuck here, drinking his ass off and running away from his problems. He was just an inferior person, plain and simple.

Bob would probably like Roksu better too. Everyone would.

"Is there something bothering you, young master?"

Cale looked up at the successful redhead and scowled, much drunker than he would normally ever get with his constitution. Three days of nearly nonstop drinking and moping had done the trick though.

"I hate guys like you." Cale said. "All glib and calculating and you know just the right thing to say at the right time, don't you?"

Like Bob. Smart and sweet and able to string together words that so easily swayed Cale's heart.

"I apologize, dear customer." The bastard didn't look at all apologetic and Cale sighed, wishing he could hate him in earnest. He planted his face into the table and grumbled miserably.

"...leave me alone. Leave the bottle."

And although Roksu obeyed diligently, he also came back with a hearty meal that was perfect for nursing Cale's near constant hangover and Cale really didn't like what a good salesman he was.

When the dark-haired puppy returned from his hunting trip, carrying a boar much larger than him, the pair shared a brief kiss and whispered words. Happy in a world all their own.

Cale grabbed a bottle and stormed away to his room. He wouldn't be able to stomach watching more flirtation and happiness when he just wanted to properly mope and despair.

He wasn't really spending very much time actually thinking about a solution. He didn't dare to. What was there to solve? He just didn't know whether Bob had spoken the truth or not. No amount of running away was going to magically provide him with the answer.

He'd still chosen to run though.

Why had it gotten complicated? Cale's heart pinched painfully as he collapsed onto his bed, hugging the bottle to his chest.

He hated the young couple the most because every time he saw them he couldn't help but wonder is it that easy?

He'd thought it was that easy while he was seeing Bob but then...

The truth was that he was scared.

He wanted to leave things in limbo because then he'd never have to learn the truth. He wanted to make Bob nothing more than a fantasy because a fantasy couldn't hurt him.

He was being a coward and he didn't fucking care.

Except everyday he saw the stupid happiness in front of him and couldn't help but wonder if he'd made the right choice.