(A/N: Late update, my bad.)
"Alright, we're done with class for today," Horshwin said. Remis felt his soul almost jump out of his body in relief as soon as he uttered the words. My only comrade has come to my rescue!
Remis hobbled under the walkway's shade and sat down in an attempt to distance himself from the chaos that was the capture target's and Sylvien's antics. He sighed, slumping onto the marble floor with his eyes fixed on the professor's face. Horshwin ambled to and fro the courtyard, his eyeglasses occasionally glinting in the afternoon sunlight. His hair made his persona all the more deranged as it flapped like a white cloth in the wind behind him. Remis' eyes wandered up to the ceiling of the archway, the ornate carvings in the veined marble filling his mind and successfully distracting himself from the new human disaster called Sylvien who was waiting just a few feet away with a content grin etched onto his face.
"Jesus Christ..." Remis muttered under his breath, his expression gloomy and drained. The first day of school felt like an eternity of hell from the first second he woke up and found a capture target waiting patiently at the door. He rubbed his temples, fighting the headache that was definitely coming soon. The now familiar sense of absolute injustice rose in his soul once again when he thought about the events that occurred just a few minutes ago.
He did nothing, absolutely nothing to deserve this! All he did was stop an assassination and heal an injured snow owl! Yet, that somehow spiraled into obsessive capture targets following him around like lost ducklings and his one penpal just appearing out of nowhere, claiming that Remis would be brought back to his home country to... Remis slapped his forehead helplessly. To marry, he finished, sending a shiver down his spine.
He was straight! Completely, wholly, utterly ramrod straight! Marrying another man? Impossible!
Remis pinched the bridge of his nose in powerless frustration. Sadly, that wasn't the only thing he had to worry about. For some strange, inconceivable reason, almost all the capture targets had taken an unnatural liking to him, the brother of the heroine. In the off chance that Sylvien was successful in abducting himself and shipping him off to Nyiel to marry, Remis didn't even want to imagine what would happen in Vires... after all, despite the ikemens' strange antics, they were all high-profile and highly respected aristocrats with too much power to play with. His boss, for example, despite his surly and blushing disposition, was the crown prince. His childhood friend was the prime minister's son, and the puppy boy was a duke's heir. Remis slung the crook of his arm over his eyes. Even waging war... wouldn't be out of the question, I think... Remis thought darkly with a somewhat bitter feeling in his mouth.
"What're you thinking about, Remi~?" A low voice whispered in the black-haired youth's ear, causing him to jolt out of his relaxed slump against one of the chiseled marble pillars. Remis's eyes flitted around in alarm before settling on the angelic smile of Cyrus. His tall figure loomed over Remis as he spoke, the sun shining brilliantly behind him.
"Nothing," Remis answered curtly, his patience stretched too thin to navigate the minefield that was Cyrus. "Actually, I was just planning to return to my quarters since we're dismissed from class now. I'll be taking my leave."
Remis rose from the marble floor, the smooth fabric of his trousers rustling slightly as he stood. Just as he was about to grab his bookback, Cyrus' hand caught his arm with an unexpected firmness. Startled, Remis's eyes flashed up habitually, meeting Cyrus' face. Only then did Remis see the subtle change in his expression. His usually composed expression had acquired a nuanced tension, and his eyes, normally calm, relaxed pools, now betrayed a flicker of restlessness. His usual beguiling yet angelic smile was stiff and domineering, showing his tense insistence.
"Won't you accompany me to the garden, just for a little while?" The sun's rays, casting a warm halo around Cyrus's tall figure, gave him an ethereal glow that, for a moment, made him seem like a character from a dream. He left no room for Remis to make the slightest refusal.
----
The East Garden, an isolated haven on the campus directly adjacent to Remis' dormitory, unfolded before them as they ambled through its small walkways and canopies. Grand weeping willows draped the clearing, creating a protective curtain against the world beyond. The lush leaves of the willows reflected in the neatly placed pools beneath, and in the center of the clearing stood a blooming water fountain, kissed by the afternoon light in a gentle arc. Seated on the fountain's edge, the soothing sounds of water splashing back into the pool cocooned them in an oasis of comfort.
As they settled, Cyrus's unwavering gaze remained fixed on Remis, his eyes scouring the youth's expression for any signs of vulnerability. A trace of uneasiness flickered in Cyrus's inscrutable irises, a crease forming between his worked brows. Despite his familiar angelic smile, worn slightly at the edges, small peaks of emotion slipped through the mask he wore.
After a moment of tranquil contemplation, Remis finally worked his eyes up to meet Cyrus's gaze, his brows slightly raised, silently asking the unspoken question, "Why did you bring me here?" Cyrus extended his arm, hand reaching toward Remis' face, but a sudden static-like jolt caused his hand to jerk back. A cough and averted gaze followed, leaving an awkward moment of silence, Remis uncertain about what was transpiring.
Cyrus extended his arm, his hand reaching to grasp Remis' unguarded face. But before he was able to grasp his expression, his hand halted and jerked back as if he was hit by static. He coughed and turned away, hiding his face. An awkward moment passed and Remis stayed silent, unsure of what was going on.
"Remi, what..." what's going on between you and that bastard Lucius? Why is that duke's son still so close to you? In the end, he swallowed down the questions forming a lump in his throat, not able to push them out and reveal his swirling, dark emotions in his gut. He simply sighed wearily. "How do you know that foreigner? That foreign prince from Nyiel."
Remis blinked with slight surprise. Cyrus' actions were unlike his usual. His expression was genuine, his actions restrained and apprehensive, no longer covered by a thin veil of flamboyant mischief. Remis tilted his head, evaluating the sudden change in attitude. I talk with the prince, sometimes. We're old friends, I guess." The answer was straightforward, the tension palpable.
Remis watched as Cyrus's face crumbled at the response, eyes growing darker, mouth twisting into a scowl.
"So you've known him longer than me?" Cyrus quizzed, leaning forward, his face slowly inching towards Remis', leering over his head and casting a shadow on him. "You know him better than me?"
Remis gulped, his head arching back and his arms shuffling around to find a grip on the cool marble rim. Cyrus's hand clenched, knuckles turning white, signaling his displeasure. Danger encroached. "No, I've known you longer," Remis asserted, seizing the moment to propel off the floor. But Cyrus was faster, pulling Remis onto his lap, their proximity unexpected for both. Cyrus' muscles tensed as he felt the weight of Remis' figure saddle his lap, the warmth of Remis' back pressing against his chest, making his skin feel tingly and hot.
Remis twitched, the feeling of Cyrus' tensed muscles inexplicably sending a shiver through his heart. His eyes darted to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of the capture target's expression, but with no luck. For some reason, he knew if he turned his head back to face him, it would only result in a worse outcome. Remis began laughing awkwardly, his mind spinning with thoughts once again. Fuck, I really don't have a good feeling about this.
He shifted, his weight shifting forward from Cyrus' lap in an attempt to slowly slip away from the situation. His ears went red when Cyrus instinctively pulled him back, leaving no room to move between his tight embrace. They sat there, silently, both silent and flustered, until Cyrus finally spoke. His face, nestled into Remis' shoulder like a burrowing hamster, betrayed an uncharacteristic vulnerability. "Why... do you have to be closer to him than to me...?" he muttered, his hot breath permeating through the fabric of Remis' coat. "I don't understand..."
Turning to face him, Remis saw Cyrus keeping his head low, but curiosity triumphed over reluctance. He reached forward, gently lifting Cyrus' chin. The man's eyes were slightly red, his usual angelic smile replaced by a face creased with worry, teeth gritted, and shoulders tense with apprehension. Remis couldn't help but smile at the raw display.
"You know, I like it when you don't wear that stupid mask of yours," Remis said, slowly reaching forward to touch the tip of Cyrus' lips. "You don't look so fake when you act like yourself."
Cyrus blinked, his tongue seemingly stuck. "Y-you..." For the first time, his mind felt fuzzy, his face growing hot, a jumpy, elating feeling coursing through his body. Uncertain of how to respond, his eyes darted back and forth, and his heart raced faster than ever before. In that moment, the vulnerability of their emotions hung in the air, Cyrus helplessly entranced.
The sudden, overwhelming impulse to kiss Remis at that very moment surged within him.