Butterfly

3

"Ne, (M/n). Want to go to the hot springs?" Naoya asks. (M/n) nods and Naoya smile at his answer.
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- Naoya POV -

I wrapped the towel around my waist. I waited for (M/n) since one of the women took him away.

(M/n) and I entered the building and went towards the changing room. "(M/n), hold on. Come this way." The old woman said. I look at him and he lets go of my hand. He nods his head at me to tell me to go on. I sigh and nod back at him.

I turn my head to see (M/n) walking in. The woman was standing by the door. "Keep those shorts on." She tells him. (M/n) wore black shorts and had a black mask that kinda looked the same when he goes to sleep. Why does he have to wear those? I shook it off and swam over to him. "I've never noticed how small your feet are." I joke. He hides them in the water and pushes me a bit. I laugh and pull him in. His hair got wet and looks over at me. I didn't have to see his face to know that he was mad at me. We both began to play against each other in the water.

"Stop that. You two will end up drowning one another." We both look up to see Toji. "Hey, Toji." I greeted. (M/n) waves at him and sinks a bit lower in the water. Toji gets in after taking off his towel. He sits down and releases a tired sigh. "Ne, are you okay?" I ask. "I'm fine. Just tired. I'm pretty sure (M/n) is too." Toji says as he looks over at (M/n). I look back at my friend to see him have his head above the water and cupping the water in his hands. Cute. Wait- is it okay to call a friend cute? Even if it's a boy? I look at (M/n) and smile. I think it's okay. I look back at Toji - who had a small smile on his face. I did notice their friendship did get close and I'm happy about that. I admire both Toji and (M/n) and it's good to see them close.

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I sigh and rest on (M/n)'s lap. He looks off into the distance. I continue looking at his bandaged face. I always wonder why he covers it. Why did he never lets anyone see it. I sometimes think about what he looks like. I then remembered a small memory of my mother.

"There once was a young prince that befriended another. Though the other boy covered his face." Mother starts. "Why?" I ask. "He's part of the knight family. His identity must be kept secret. It didn't bother the young prince for he got along with the boy. The knight child was always a good listener and knew just what to do. The two spent every hour that they could get with each other. They had one another's backs and will always be there for the other. The two soon grew up and still had their strong bond of friendship. The young prince became a king and the young knight became a commander for the kingdom's army. Even after all this time, the king still had no idea what his friend looks like. His mind often went back to the question after he had a talk with his friend or when he saw him. One day, the question drove him insane. He wanted to know. He needed to know." Mother said. "What did he do?" I ask. "He called his friend to his room. "Yes, my lord?" The knight asks. The king turns around and looks at his friend. "What do you look like underneath that mask?" The king asks. The knight was stunned at the question, but let out a soft chuckle. "Like a normal person, my lord." He tells him. "I know, but I want to see your eyes, your smile, your expressions. I want to see the real you. I know it's against the code, but I am your king. Most importantly...I'm your best friend." The king says. He began to weep for all he wanted was to see the face of his true long friend. The knight began to take off his helmet. "If that is your wish. I will do anything for you." The knight says. He lifts the kings' head and the king gasps. 0h, it's getting late. It's time for bed." Mother said. "What?! No, what happens. How does the story end?" I ask as I got out my bedsheets. My mother lets out a soft giggle. "There is no end. There are many possibilities on what could happen after he saw his friend. It all depends on that person on what the outcome will be." She tucks me back to bed. "Will I ever have that chance?" I ask. "There's a once in million chance that it will happen. But if you believe hard enough, maybe it will happen." My mother smiles and said goodnight.

That story came back to me when I first saw (M/n). He was the young knight and I am the young prince.
"Hey..." he looks down at me. "I heard that I will take my father's place when he passes. I was wondering...will you be my knight that fights along my side?" I ask. I felt my face heat up since it sounded a bit stupid. "I-I'm sorry if it sounds stupid. I-" I felt (M/n) grab my hand. I look at him. He nods his head and places my hand on his chest. I smile and tackle him down into a hug. "Let's get stronger together. We'll be unstoppable and make the Zenin Clan better than it already is." I tell him. He hugs me tighter and nods. (M/n) is the knight and I'm the prince. We will grow together and still have our friendship. Once I take my father's place, he will be the leader of the Hei. Maybe soon...I can see what he looks like.