Once A Tale (MXM, BXB)

The Six Swans: Bonus Short

"Done!"

Esque triumphantly leaned backward, holding up his hands.

Pembrook sat before him, between his legs on the floor with his back toward Esque. In-between them was his sheet of long, dark hair... though it didn't seem so long when it had been meticulously braided. Esque had been working on it for the better part of a half hour, determined to get it perfect.

Pembrook cocked his head to look over one shoulder which, of course, wouldn't let him see the braid. "Hm. A mirror, Esque?"

"Oh, yeah. Right, you stay right there."

Proud of himself, Esque pranced to his feet and over to his vanity.

He had managed to keep Pembrook all to himself this morning. They were so busy these days that it was a battle to find free time. Esque would've thought once all of his brothers had returned, things would've been peaceful and less off of his shoulders, but not quite. They all tended to work better as a unit, each of them occupying their own space. Esque had to be there to catch up everyone on what they had missed. Who they had missed, the royalty and nobles and otherwise that came through the castle.

It'd been a steady stream of balls and parties, too, to celebrate the return of the 'lost' princes.

("Hah," Esque scoffed, sometimes not out of earshot, "more like an excuse for all of those wastes of space to schmooze and suck up.")

All Esque wanted to do was bask in his newfound romance (or not so newfound, considering how he had acted toward Pembrook for years and had simply never thought about) and do things like... like couples did! He had so much catching up to do with him and his other brothers that he didn't want to waste time on other people.

Thus, today.

They finally had time alone, which meant Esque could finally—

—show off the braiding he had practiced.

That was romantic, right?

Lovers did each other's hair, right?

Right.

Esque bounced back to Pembrook, who looked up at him expectantly. He shifted the mirror behind him, until Pembrook grunted that he could see.

"You did well, Esque," he said simply, warmly, and held their eye contact. Esque felt his cheeks starting to warm up and he sucked in a deep breath as Pembrook turned around to face him. His hand, the black-skinned and scaled one, reached up to touch Esque's cheek gently before cupping and then—

"Hey, guys, you've got to come and see what me and Tamther rigged up," Herth yelled as he slammed open Esque's door without so much as a by-your-leave.

He took one glance at Pembrook and Esque frozen in place and paused. Furrowed his eyebrows.

And, in about the span of two seconds, Pembrook was in his face and shoving him straight back out into the hall. He slammed the door shut, pulling it to and decisively turning the lock. His face was expressionless, in one of those scary Pembrook is silently furious ways but he had found his soft smile when he turned back to Esque.

At least until Herth said, from outside, "Okay, got it! No more disturbing the lovebirds for the day! Get it. 'Cause we were swans—all right, I'm going, I can honestly feel you trying to melt me into dust from here, Pembrook."

The sound of shuffling feet. Then stomp, stomp, stomp down the hallway.

"Now," Pembrook said with a sigh and he leaned his head to one side. His fingers raised to his collar and coolly pulled his tie loose, followed by popping the top buttons of his shirt. "I believe we were interrupted. Esque, would you sit on the bed?"

Esque was already there, stammering something like yes as he realised that wow, while he had planned out simple, cutesy romantic things for him and Pembrook to spend their day doing... Pembrook clearly had come up with a few ideas of his own, and no human or swan or anything out there should be able to look like Pembrook did as he shrugged off his outer jacket as well and approached Esque.

"Now my hair will not get in the way, either," Pembrook said with one of his gentle, reserved smiles.

"Ri-right!" Esque squeaked, giddy and nervous as he stretched up his hands to meet Pembrook halfway.

And, all the way on the other side of the castle, Herth vehemently told their brothers let's not bug Esque and Pembrook today, Pem might murder us all for real this time.