Royal Desire [Len x Oliver Fanfiction]

Chapter 2 - Playboy to Lovestruck

~3rd Person POV~

"Mr. Shion...." Len grit his teeth, his arms crossed over his chest as his eyebrow twitched irritably. "Politely I'll ask, what the hell is this?"

Mr. Shion chuckled, looking down at his new clothing. "Very comfy, yes?" He asked, looking around at the village market.

"No! No way!" Len gripped Mr. Shion's sleeve tightly, growling softly under his breath. "A day as a peasant?! You think that'll help at all?!"

"Well, it certainly hasn't taken any effect as of the moment, but I'm sure that in a few hours, you'll have changed somewhat." He paused, smiling as he pointed a finger up a bit. "If not somewhat, just a bit."

Len huffed. "Whatever. Where do we stay?"

Mr. Shion replied almost immediately. "Why, the local inn of course." He held his hand out to the heir, as if he were a child. "Come on now, we mustn't have you get lost."

"Hey!" Len hissed, reluctantly taking Mr. Shion's hand. "I'm not a kid, so don't treat me like one!"

"Now, young master, you must know that this is for your own good." Mr. Shion gripped his hand a bit tighter than Len had expected, causing him to flinch. "Please refrain from behaving abnormally, would you?"

The heir clicked his tongue softly, annoyance apparent in the action. "Whatever...."

---

Oliver hummed softly to himself as he walked around the market, smiling as he held out flowers to the people passing by. "Sir, would you like a flower?" He asked, holding up a chrysanthemum.

The man looked down at him, grimacing a bit. "No thank you, lad." He smiled, but he seemed completely and utterly disgusted by the blond.

The boy flinched a bit at him. "A-ah, sorry, sir...." He waved a hand and quickly moved to someone else, spotting another blond boy who seemed around two years older. "S-si—" He started to call out, but cut himself off when he overheard the conversation he was holding with the blue-haired man next to him.

"I really don't understand why I have to do that," The blond said, obviously irritated. It showed clearly in multiple things: his body language, his expression, and his tone from what Oliver could hear.

"Well, Len," the man next to him stressed his name, "you should get used to it. Besides, it's only one day."

Oliver tilted his head at the conversation before moving closer. "Excuse me," he said, holding out his basket with a smile, "would you gentlemen like some flowers?"

Len blinked, surprised that someone had called out to them, and so casually. "Um, I—"

Mr. Shion chuckled and smiled down at Oliver. "Why, certainly." He pulled out some change from his pocket. "Is this enough for one of your roses?"

Oliver beamed. "Y-yes, just one?"

Mr. Shion nodded. "Yes, that is...Len? Would you like a flower?"

Len blinked. Everything about this girl had enthralled him. Why was her left eye patched up and covered like some sort of treasure waiting to be dug up? Her pale face was practically ghost-like, but it wasn't unattractive. If only he had seen her before.... Maybe he would take her hand in marriage, if the king would bless it...?

"Len?" Mr. Shion nudged the heir's side, causing him to flinch back to reality.

"A-ah! Y-yes, please!" He blushed lightly as he looked at Oliver. "A lily...? If you have one...?"

Oliver paused a moment before nodding with a small giggle. "Yes!" He handed Len a small lily before giving Mr. Shion a rose and then taking the money from both. "Oh, by the way," he turned to Len, "are you named after the prince, or...?"

Len flinched violently, and caught a sideways glance with Mr. Shion before the older started to speak. "Well, you see, my wife and I," Len silently choked on his own spit at the story, "had always liked the prince's name so," Mr. Shion ruffled Len's hair affectionately, "we decided to name him after the prince, yes."

"Oh, I see!" Oliver nodded, beaming once again. "I like the prince's name too! It's very cool!"

Len blushed and then nodded slightly. "R-right," he managed to mumble out, looking away. Mr. Shion smirked a bit.

"He seems very kind, right?" Oliver leaned back a bit on his feet, kind of getting side-tracked. "I've never seen him, but I've heard a lot and he seems like a wonderful person!"

"I-I agree!" The heir suddenly exclaimed, pausing once he did and then hiding behind Mr. Shion a bit. "I-I mean, um...h-he does, doesn't he...?" He laughed awkwardly.

The younger boy giggled and nodded. "Yes, yes." He suddenly flinched and then waved a hand. "I've got to go now. Have a nice day!"

Len nodded a bit once again and then Mr. Shion spoke, "You too."

---

"Kaito, I wanna marry her," Len suddenly muttered as they walked into their inn room. The beds were separate; one at each end of the room. There wasn't much, but it seemed good enough for the one day they would spend there. Meals too, but for a fair price. Not like they couldn't afford it.

"One, I've told you to refrain from calling me by my first name. Two, who are you talking about?" Mr. Shion raised an eyebrow as he looked around and set some of the little things he took with.

Len huffed softly, crawling onto one of the beds and pulling his knees to his chest. "The girl from the market, you know! The flower girl!" He blushed yet again at the mention of her, his face heating up. "She's beautiful...."

Mr. Shion paused, looking over at the heir with a slightly worried expression. "Ahem.... Young master, you...you are aware that was a boy, correct...?" He sighed heavily. "You mustn't play jokes like these, you'll kill me one day...."

Len's eyes went wide. "No, no, that was definitely a girl, Kaito!" He jumped to his feet and shook his head, blushing even more. "Her voice, her facial features, the way she stood and talked and moved: it was all feminine!" He covered his face with his hands. "And when she talked about me—gah! I can feel my heart pounding in my chest!"

Mr. Shion pulled a few strands of hair behind his ear. "Young master, please do not be delusional. I know you are probably a bit annoyed with your father for doing this, but that...that doesn't give you the right to fantasize such things about other men.... Your father would disown you in less than a second!"

Len flinched, looking away. "But Kaito, I'm telling you.... That wasn't a boy, it was a girl! I know it!"