Chuuya bows in front of Ougai Mori, king of Mali.
His shoulders are tense and his heart feels like it would beat out of his chest any minute. Chuuya holds his hat to his chest, lips pursed.
Ougai rests him cheek on his fist, his elbow propped up by his throne. He keeps his eyes trained on Chuuya, contemplating on what to do.
"...Chuuya." His voice is as sharp as a knife cutting through ice, enough to give Chuuya chills.
"Yes, your highness?"
Ougai hums in return before continuing, "You've been absent every day for the past few weeks.. It's raised my suspicions and Gin was ordered to follow you."
Chuuya's blood runs cold and his heart skips a beat. He looks up at Ougai with a stone cold face before looking back down again. If anyone were to touch Chuuya right now, he would fall over.
"You are aware of the fact that you spend every day with the army commander of Bonorum, the next to be throned?"
Chuuya nods his head stiffly, "Yes, I am very much aware."
Ougai stares down at him for a moment and seconds feel like hours.
"Very well." He finally breaks the silence. "I have a mission for you before you carry on your day with Bonorum's next heir."
Chuuya could feel cold sweat trail down his neck. "Yes?"
"There are a few civilians rioting by the gates. Please do shut them up. Permanently."
"Consider the task done." The mission is beyond easy, an order like any other. He could get it done within an hour and still have time to race to the lake.
Ougai holds a hand up, stopping Chuuya from leaving. "Also, one last thing."
Chuuya stops mid stride.
"You are only allowed to be with them if you could extract information."
Chuuya grips his fists. "In other words, I'm an undercover spy now?"
"Precisely."
Chuuya leaves the throne room.
---
Through all the ups and downs you've thrown at him, he's gotten far than comfortable with your presence. The thought of throwing that away upset him.
What would happen if you found out?
With a heavy heart, Chuuya completes his task slower than usual. The splatter of crimson doesn't bother him a bit. The gates had become a blood bath, and the bodies were disposed of in the moat. Sea creatures and the likes immediately tear the bodies apart ravenously.
Chuuya spends some time with himself in the palace, pacing through hallways and turing corners. He quickly changes himself without much thought, making sure his fedora is on his head. Chuuya splashes his face with water from a basin, trying to clear his thoughts of you.
Would he really have to extract information from you just to be by your side?
Isn't there something else he could do?
Is he willing to do something so dangerous just to see you?
And if so, why?
Why has he become so infatuated with you?
Chuuya stares at himself in the mirror for a while longer before his anger gets the best of him. He throws the tub of basin across the bathroom and it splinters into pieces. Water floods the floor as he swiftly walks out, throwing his coat over his shoulder.
The maids could clean it up later.
Why is it so hard for Chuuya to admit that he's grown fond of you?
Feelings are hard for Chuuya. He's never had friends, so he can't tell whether he likes you platonically or likes you romantically. He doesn't even know if he could consider you a friend.
Wait, of course he does. Or else he wouldn't even have these thoughts.
So does he like you romantically? Or not?
Chuuya growls in annoyance, touching the gate to let it slam down to the ground. He walks across the moat- more like storming- and into the forest.
It isn't until he reaches the lake does he see your disheartened expression.
"C'mon you two. The asshat isn't coming." You say and he steps onto a twig.
It's at that moment, the moment he notices the change of expression, does he realize his feelings.
The way your eyes light up after he's stated how awkward it is.
How funny is it that just one look at you, after thinking for over hours about what his feeling are, does he actually sort them out.
Chuuya Nakahara may have grown a bit too fond of you, and some could say that he has taken a small liking to you.
---
"So what happened? You're never this late." You point out, tugging on Taniyama's reigns to prevent him from trotting too fast.
"I had to finish tailoring a suit. It took longer than expected." You hum in acknowledgment.
"Hey, if I'm taking too much time from you then you can just say it. I know you have stuff to do rather than ride a horse with me." Chuuya looks at you, eyebrow raised.
He asks, "What brought this along?" and you only shrug your shoulders.
"I don't know. It's been about a month since we first met, but we've been meeting every single day from morning till sun down. I'm not taking you away from your family, am I?"
Chuuya scoffs, rolling his eyes. "I could say the same for you, idiot."
"And here I thought we've moved on from the name calling."
"Says the one that called me an 'asshat' just minutes before." Chuuya counters, glaring.
"Touché..." You grumble, looking away. Chuuya chuckles and you laugh.
The both of you arrive in front of the clearing that you found Kishou in a while back. An idea sparks in your mind before you whip the reigns.
"Race you to the end!"
Chuuya cries a, "Fuck, that's not fair!" before high tailing it.
For someone who doesn't own a horse, he's fast with Kishou. Chuuya is right at Taniyama's heels within seconds and you can only smirk with a new idea.
"In Search Of Lost Time!" Movement slows and you take the chance to hop off Taniyama. You waltz on over to Chuuya, pluck off his hat and place it on your own head. He's taken notice, but in his eyes your movement is incomprehensible.
You shove Chuuya off Kishou before reverting time back to its normal pace.
Chuuya lands on his back again as you laugh, the two horses galloping away.
"Smooth, you hilarious fuck, smooth." Chuuya grumbles. You hold a hand out to him for the second time, winking.
"I try."
"That's cheating though. And since when have you had an ability?"
You raise a brow, "We're talking about abilities now? Good, I've been mulling over your's for a while."
Chuuya snatches his hat back and you whistle for Taniyama and Kishou.
And so you explain your ability.
In Search Of Lost Time
the ability to slow down time
And so does he.
For The Tainted Sorrow
gravity manipulation
"So that's what it was~"
"That's what what was?"
"When you threw me to a tree and bounced the rock back, I thought you were just mirroring force." You say, a finger pointed to the sky.
Chuuya rolls his eyes before flicking your forehead.
"Go home, stupid. The sun's setting."