Bad Guy (CARZIGER ROYALTY AU)

♚ chapter five: fact or false? ♚

Maxx had gone up to the roof every single night, leaving out that note in hopes one day, if only for just one, that he would see a reply written on the paper. That fateful night he had just finished setting down the paper, when the creaking of a door shutting and the shuffling of shoes alerted him someone was climbing up the roof. He ducked behind one of the towers jutting out of the palace roof, and watched as a figure slowly climbed up the slanted tiles and looked around. From his angle, he couldn't quite see their face, but he was sure it was a boy.

The shadowy boy bent down to pick up the piece of paper, and Maxx watched the other from a distance as he merely stared at the writing. The prince tilted his head. "Who are you?" He whispered to himself, hoping to receive an answer. In reality, he should've predicted who the silhouette of a boy was. As the other lifted his face to the moonlight after writing a short answer on the paper, Maxx could see clearly that it was Cody. For a moment, his hopes skyrocketed but the short reply made him think otherwise.

His mind panicked, while his body stayed hidden from sight as he merely watched the other male. Sure, it sounded somewhat creepy, but he couldn't exactly jump out and confront Cody, could he? That would be weird, he decided. While his brain ran laps, he merely watched. Cody had set the paper down, climbed back down the roof, then left.

As soon as he confirmed that the brown-haired boy had, in fact, left, he dashed out to pick up the paper and pencil. His eyes squinted in the dark to read the writing. His face lit up with a smile when he saw the one word written. Sure, it was short, but better than nothing.

With a head full of hope he disappeared back into the castle without a second thought, only to run smack into an unrecognizable person who had been climbing the stairs. Maxx's speed knocked both of them off their feet, and both tumbled down until each of them was slumped against opposite walls. His head spinning, vision blurry, he rose to his feet and gripped onto the jagged stones jutting out of the wall.

He held his head and squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to stop the world around him from spinning, but that only made it worse. His head was pounding and his ears were filled with a ferocious ringing noise. Through all that, through the pain, something, or rather someone, reached out and touched his shoulder. He flinched, then relaxed when he finally saw who it was. He peered at the other through his fingers, and tried to hide his smile.

It was Cody. Everything would be okay. They could talk it out, discuss why the other left, and everything would go back to normal. At least, that was what Maxx had assumed at first glance. Upon closer inspection, the brown haired male seemed to fidget and shift his weight anxiously. Their eyes never met, even when the blond curiously stared the other down in hopes of getting a reaction. His arms fell to his sides and a deep frown settled across the prince's face.

Moonlight leaked in through a small opening far above. In the strange mixture of dark and light, specific details Maxx had not cared to notice before stood out under the spotlight of the moon. Cody's eyes shone a piercing blue, but also revealed a soft side of him hiding inside. The phrase "eyes are the windows to the soul" came to mind as he sat there in the silence, with nothing but his thoughts to converse with.

After finally collecting himself, and dusting imaginary dirt off his pants, he offered his unlikely friend a hand. A hurt feeling washed over his body like a bucket of ice had been dumped on him. Cody had merely stared at his extended hand, clearly hesitant about taking it. "Cody, what's going on?"

He couldn't shake one certain thought from his head. Had the other found out about him being royalty? The royal family wasn't known for being likable, to put it shortly. That didn't explain why the other male had said they were still friends, though.

The secretive spy looked around before, with startling speed, swiftly seizing Maxx's hand and running down the spiral stairs in endless circles which made the blond's head spin. They ran down for what seemed like centuries to the two sleep deprived boys. The prince hadn't even realized the castle had this many floors, but this didn't surprise him. What did intrigue him was where Cody was taking him.

As he often did, Maxx had lost himself in his thoughts once again, so of course he run straight into the other male's back when the brunette abruptly stopped. He looked around, but quickly realized everything was coated in a thick darkness which allowed no light to creep in. The shorter of the two assumed they were underneath the castle, and later, this theory would be proven true.

Suddenly, Cody struck a match with a sound that bounced off the walls of the open chamber, and lit a torch he had grabbed off the wall. The ceiling seemed to slant downward as they walked, and the walls caved in at their sides. It grew hotter and hotter, until they pushed out into an open room drenched in blackness. They had stopped walking, and the brown-haired male finally turned around to face Maxx.

"Sorry we ran all this way, I just couldn't risk it," he began, shifting his weight from one foot to another nervously, just as he had been doing before. The words which flooded out of his mouth next were rushed and hesitant. The tension in the air seemed to be thick enough to slice it with a blade. "There's something I need to get off my chest, Maxx. I haven't been very honest with you."

"No." Maxx spoke, cutting him off. His hands curled into fists and he drew in a deep and shaky breath. Staring him dead in the eye, he spoke.

"My last name is Danziger. I'm the hidden prince."

(thank you for reading so far! i'm very sorry for the lack of updates. and if things seem to be moving too fast or too slow in the story, please tell me. all of y'all's input is greatly appreciated! [also sorry there hasn't been any really romantic stuff lmao])