[PLEASE READ] In this chapter the reader will be addressed by princess, and will wear a dress later in the chapter, but pronouns will not be specified/hinted at past that. Thank you!
When one half gets injured, the other half gets the injury as well. Injuries have a delay from person to person.
*Beauty and the Best was published in 1740 by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, originally titled La Belle et la Bete.
"Princess, please-"
"Will you stop trying to hide it! I already know now, so just let me take care of you and we can talk about this later."
------
"When will Satori get here? I don't have long." You say. Ushjima slides a small glass of water across the bar and you pass him your empty one. The crowd seems to grow the later it gets, and without much thought you pull your cloak tighter around you.
"He should be here soon princess."
"I told you not to call me that here Toshi, there's too many people." You whisper. Semi appears from behind the bar and takes the stool next to yours with a sarcastic smile on his face.
"You barely got him to stop calling you by your full title, so take what you can get hun." He says. Thrown over his arm is an apron, which can only mean he's done working for the night.
"You just got off?"
"Yeah, Tendo just got here so my shift's over." He puts his hand out for the drink Ushijima slides his way and you sigh. You've been trying to get Semi to stop drinking so much after his shifts, but of course he doesn't listen to you and your "nagging". While you're busy lecturing Semi on his health and drinking habits you don't notice someone sneaking up behind you until two hands cover your eyes.
"Guess who~" A voice whispers in your ear. You chuckle and lean back until you hit something solid.
"Is it someone with flaming red hair and an ego to match it?" You whisper back.
"Correct!" Your vision comes back and Tendo's spiky hair pops into view. "It's good to see you princess."
"You and Toshi, you guys just need to use my name." You groan. Tendo gives you a wide smile and pats your head over the hood of your cloak.
"He uses it to be formal and I use it because it's cute, two totally different reasons."
"Shut up and start working." Semi throws the ball of ice from his drink at Tendo, who quickly dodges it before slipping behind the bar to help Ushijima.
"So why'd you show up so late? I've been here for an hour!" You get up and follow him behind the bar, despite the inquiring glances you get from the costumers in the area.
"I was dealing with some... family issues, but I'm here now! Just to see you." He puts on that wide grin and you can't help but smile back. After years of knowing him you're used to how touchy he is, so when he grabs your hand and pulls you closer you let him because you know how much he likes to stick to you.
"Nope, you have work to do. Let (Y/n) go." Semi says, and you can't help but frown at the interruption.
"You're just jealous because the princess likes me more." Tendo sticks his tongue out and Semi rolls his eyes.
"I have to get back to the palace anyway, so I guess I should get my stuff and go." You murmur. Tendo sighs before ushering you to the back room and heading towards his bag.
"They didn't have any cream puffs, but other than that I got everything else. I also got a few things that I like that you should try!" He produces the small bag that contains the baked goods you'd asked him to get from town. "You always ask for the weirdest stuff you know. They can make these at the palace."
"The royal baker doesn't make them as good!" You retort. He laughs when you snatch the bag away from him and stuff it under your cloak. "I have to get back to the palace now. Make sure you come on time next time, alright? I want some time to talk instead of just seeing you for two seconds."
"Will do princess, I'll get here ten minutes early!" He puts on a wide smile and you roll your eyes. When he opens his arms you meet him for a warm hug, something you enjoy a lot more than you let on, before he leads you back to the front.
"I'm walking the princess-"
"Oh no you don't, you have work to do. I'll walk (Y/n) home." Semi gets up and holds an arm out for you, which you take reluctantly. Tendo is also reluctant to let you go, so much so that you have to gently tug your wrist away from him.
"I'll be back the same time next week, alright?"
"Fine, I'll be counting down the days!" He says dramatically.
"Bye princess." Ushijima says with a nod. You wave at him before letting Semi take you outside. The night air is cool, just cold enough to barely see your breath form little clouds when you exhale.
"What'd you get Tendo to bring you this time?"
"Some pastries from that bakery I like, plus a few that he recommended." You show him the bag and he peeks at the goodies inside.
"Instead of asking him to get you stuff so you have a reason to keep seeing him you can just, you know, come see him." He hands the bag back with a flat look.
"I ask for stuff because I want it, not because I want to see him." The pout on your face undermines what you're trying to say, and it's clear that Semi doesn't believe you. The rest of the walk consists of Semi badgering you about Tendo, which you block out by thinking about all the things you have to do when you get back. When you arrive Semi walks you up to a secret side gate where a few of the guards you've befriended "monitor" the gate as an excuse to wait for you to come back.
"Right on time Your Royal Highness." The knights all bow and you bow back, something they've begged you not to do, though you don't bother listening to them no matter how many times they ask. Just because you're royalty doesn't mean you shouldn't show the people that protect you respect, especially the ones who help you out as much as this small group does.
"I wouldn't dare be a minute later Dai." You take out the bag of goodies and hand everyone what they like, as you'd already gotten a small list of your friends favorites last week, and put the remaining treats away. The guards nod at Semi, who they're used to seeing by now, and he gives them a small bow.
"See you next week princess." He says before giving you a short hug. When he turns to go you suddenly remember something you'd forgotten to do before you left the pub, so you reach out and grab his arm to stop him.
"Before you go, this is the list of stuff I want next week. I forgot to give it to Satori so make sure he gets it please." You give him a gentle smile and he quickly looks away as he takes it.
"R-Right, I'll give it to him. Don't do anything to crazy until we see you again."
"No promises." You wave as he walks away, until he finally turns a corner and disappears. When you turn to finally walk through the gates four pairs of eyes are on you, each showing different amounts of amusement as they stare at you.
"I don't want to hear anything from anyone." You say before any of them get the chance to comment. And of course, even though you'd already shut them down, there's always at least one of them that always ignores you.
"He still likes you princess." Kuroo purrs. He nudges Bokuto, who nods rapidly, before turning to Oikawa for his input.
"He does still like you." He says with a shrug.
"Whether he does or not is none of my concern." You say.
"Well it's ours, we all have bets on him and the redhead." Kuroo replies.
"And the one that's always frowning!" Bokuto adds.
"Whatever, I don't care what you guys think. I have other things to deal with." You turn your attention to Daichi and stare at him with a sickly sweet smile. "You. Now that Eita's gone, I was wondering why the Head of the Isle Knights is out here guarding a side gate when he should be doing other things, like sleeping because he has to inspect the troops tomorrow."
Daichi has the decency to look sorry as he avoids your stare, "Well-"
"Nope, I don't want to hear it, because I'm not done. I'm also wondering why the Head of the Royal Guard is here too." You direct your gaze at Oikawa as he stares back unapologetically.
"I'm part of your personal guard. I don't see the issue." He says smugly.
"Yeah, during the day. At night you're supposed to be taking care of business and getting sleep, and you know that." You and Oikawa stare at each other, each as equally irritated, before he finally looks away stubbornly.
"Whatever." He mutters.
"I know you guys are worried about me, but please stop neglecting your normal duties. Even Tetsu, you're part of The Order of the Isle, not the Royal Guard. You shouldn't be here either, but for some reason you're here guarding every week when I come back." He shrugs and you sigh, "I'm going inside. Who's standing guard outside my room?"
"Iwaizumi and Sugawara." Daichi answers.
"Alright. Kou, come with me."
"Yes princess!" Bokuto says stiffly. You nudge him and smile.
"You didn't do anything wrong so relax, I'm just taking you back with me since I want you to get some rest so you can accompany me tomorrow. You too Tooru, come on and send someone else out to replace you and Kou. Dai, Tetsu, I want you both to stand guard until the shifts switch in the morning."
"Understood!" The two reply. You walk towards the palace, Oikawa and Bokuto in tow, and it isn't long before you're finally laying in your plush bed. Even though it's so late there still seems to be officials going about late night business, and with them comes the whispers that seem to follow you like the plague.
"The scarred princess..." You murmur, pulling your sleeve back just enough to see the cuts and bruises that litter your barely visible wrist. Without thinking you pull it up further, looking at the new bruise that's coloring your forearm. "I'm a princess, but I can't even do anything to help you because I don't know who you are."
You let the sleeve fall back in place and close your eyes in hopes of falling asleep. That hope quickly disappears though, as it isn't long before a knock at your door has you sitting up with a sigh.
"Come in."
"Princess, I know you told me to go to sleep but I ran into Kuroo and he told me to come get you because they found that redhead in an alleyway near palace grounds and he's really beat up and they don't know what to do." Bokuto rushes out, his face flushed from exertion as he watches you shoot up from your bed and quickly throw a coat over your night clothes. On the way out you grab a kit filled with medical items you like to keep in case your injuries get too bad.
"Let's go." You say, following him as the two of you rush to the gate that you'd just come through an hour or so ago. The whispers still follow behind you as you go, but this time you have an easier time ignoring them since you could care less about a few words right now. You can barely even get your thoughts together enough to reason why Tendo would be anywhere near the castle and not working at the pub, or why'd he be in such a state that Kuroo and Bokuto would feel the need to come find you and bring you to him. When you finally get to the gate Kuroo looks grim as he leads you around a few corners, and it isn't long until you finally see him leaning against a wall looking like he'd just got into a fight against a whole gang of people and clearly lost.
"Jesus Satori, what happened to you?" You drop to your knees in front of him and instantly open your medical case. When you grab his arm he flinches and you feel a throb of pain flare up your arm as a panicked look flashes across his face. He quickly jerks his arm away and tugs his sleeve down far enough to cover his hand.
"I'm fine." He says, his voice coming out soft like even talking too loudly will hurt him. Your heart thuds painfully and you frown.
"Give me your arm, now." You reach towards him and he scrambles away, which sends another burst of pain all throughout your body. Ignoring the aches that are becoming increasingly obvious by the second you crawl after him and latch onto his arm to try and lift his sleeve, but he quickly grabs your wrist before you can.
"Princess, please-"
"Will you stop trying to hide it! I already know now, so just let me take care of you and we can talk about this later." You practically beg, and after a few tense seconds he lets go.
"...Fine." He murmurs. You pull back his sleeve and freeze, staring at the all too familiar sight before you. When he clears his throat you shake away the thoughts and instantly get to work, using any salves and bandages you have to patch him up. His arms are the easy part though, and when you finally get to his face you gasp. You hadn't realized it before, but he has a long row of scratches that span his whole right cheek. You instinctively reach up and brush your fingers over your own cheek where the marks line your face as well.
"You've never had any marks on your face." You whisper. He looks away with a guilty grimace.
"Because I've always asked my stepmother to dodge mine so you wouldn't have any scars on your beautiful face." He murmurs. You gasp and your hand falls away.
"Hey, guys? Go back to the gate please, I'll be back shortly." When you ask them their disapproval is immediate, but after one pleading look from you they make their way back to the palace.
"Princess?" Tendo murmurs. You turn back to him to start applying antiseptic cream to the scratches as well as ask some questions before you can think too hard about them.
"Why didn't you ever tell me? You've known that we're soulmates but you never said anything, and we've known each other for years." He looks away and you move with him to continue disinfecting the scratches, but you also continue with what you were saying, "Since that first time I chased away that group of boys who were ganging up on you in the market I knew there was something special about you. With your long sleeves in the hot weather that matched mine, and that look on your face like you always knew something I didn't, even from the very beginning. Have you known since then?"
"...Yeah." He whispers. "Ever since you got that stupid nickname I've known that you're my soulmate."
"But you've never said anything about it, not once."
"Because I'm the reason you're like this!" He lifts up his arm and points to the many scars marring it's surface. "I'm the reason you get called those awful things! I'm the reason you have to cover yourself up!"
"But it's not your fault Satori!"
"It is my fault! If I wasn't your soulmate you wouldn't have to deal with all of this. If I just wasn't born-"
"Satori, stop." You cover his mouth with your hand and he flinches. "It wouldn't matter if I wasn't your soulmate, because I would still love you regardless. And it would honestly break my heart just the same to see you suffering with all these scars alone. I would take twice as many as I have now if it meant you wouldn't have to go through what you do, because I know your life is far from easy, and I know you get the same ridicule as I do everyday, if not more. So please, stop, because it hurts to hear you say that about yourself when I love you too much for some scars to get in the way."
He stares at you for a long moment, so long you're beginning to worry he passed out with his eyes open, before he whispers, "Why would you love a monster?"
You grab his hand and twine your fingers through his.
"If you're a monster then I am too." You whisper back. When he shakes his head you pull back your sleeve with your free hand and nod at your arm. "See? We're the same."
He stares at you for another long moment before pulling you into a hug. You feel him take a deep breath and wait a few seconds before releasing it. "You're not a monster. We're more like... Beauty and the Beast*."
"Beauty and the Beast? Really?" You whisper. His shoulders shake slightly as he lets out a laugh.
"Really."
"Do you even remember how it ends?" You ask. He shakes his head and you giggle. "Then let's make our own ending since you're so forgetful."
You pull back from him just enough to see his face. He stares at you with his dark red eyes, ones that seem to light up whenever they land on you, and you smile. You both lean forward in a moment that feels like a scene straight out of a princess story, minus the typical magic that accompanies the dramatics. And when you kiss, with the stars twinkling overhead, it really does feel like a magical moment.
"And now, you're a prince." You say. He squints at you before busting out laughing.
"I'm your prince, and I'll be for as long as you'll have me." He says with a wide smile.
------
"Are you sure you're alright?" Bokuto flocks around his, his face creased with worry as you walk through the palace halls. You're on the way to a ball to celebrate finding your soulmate, and you're wearing a dress that shows all the scars that litter your arms and back.
"For some reason every style of dress that becomes popular is one that people know I won't wear, and I'm sick of it. These scars are part of me too, so I'll wear what I want and everyone can deal with it. Besides, I can't exactly hide the one on my cheek, so why hide any of them?" You huff. Akaashi gives you an amused look and Bokuto finally calms down. "Satori's already inside, right?"
"Him and the rest of the people you invited are all waiting for you, and the ball's in full swing. They just have to announce you when we get there." Akaashi answers.
"Good, then let's get this show on the road." You nod to the guards to open the doors and watch as everyone slowly comes into view. When you walk out onto the balcony everyone goes silent, their eyes locked on you as you smile down at them. Someone announces you from somewhere in the room, but you're too busy looking for Tendo in the crowd to notice. You finally spot him, and even seeing his face instills a tremendous amount of confidence in you. Even though he does look a little funny right now, with his mouth ajar and his cheeks flushed crimson. As you descend the stairs everyone's eyes are still locked on you, but it doesn't feel as bad as it used to. When you reach the bottom the music picks back up, and you're surround by people greeting you from every direction. You're used to this, as you are the princess of a flourishing kingdom, but the greetings feel oddly genuine compared to the usual thinly veiled judgement and criticism that you're accustomed to. However, as nice as it is, you can't help but be excited when you spot Tendo's lanky figure through the crowd as he approaches you.
"May I have the first dance princess?" He asks as soon as he reaches you. You stare up at him with a smile and take his outstretched hand.
"Of course you can, you don't even have to ask." You've been giving him dance lessons lately, and when he pulls you onto the floor he knows exactly what to do.
"You look beautiful." He whispers.
"And you look as handsome as a prince." You whisper back. He grins and tightens his hold on your waist.
"Your prince."
"My prince, the only one I love with all my heart."
------
"You guys are seriously back again?" Shirabu groans as he sees you and Tendo walk in with your matching cloaks covering you from head to toe. You chuckle and Tendo shrugs.
"It's not like we're gonna stop coming just because I stole Satori. Plus, since we both have to sneak out now it's easier to convince the guards to let me go." You say with a wink.
"Princess, Tendo." Ushiijma says with a nod in your direction. You both take a seat in from of him and he passes you a glass of water and Tendo a mug of warm apple cider.
"You guys come here too often. You might as well just move in." Shirabu grumbles.
"Don't be mad just because you're jealous." Semi calls from the back. Shirabu flushes and Tendo laughs.
"I agree with Semi-Semi." Tendo wraps his arms around you and grins at Shirabu. "There's no need to be jealous though, there's enough of me to go around!"
"Just shut up." Shirabu murmurs. Even with everyone arguing with each other you find it so comfortable to be around these people who've welcomed you since the very beginning, even when you felt like the whole world was against you.
"Hey guys?" They all look at you and you smile. "Thank you for always accepting me and giving me somewhere to be myself, and for being friends with me when no one else wanted to be."
The all stare at you for a moment as they take in what you just said, but as soon as it hits they all react exactly how you expected them to.
"...Softy." Shirabu murmurs before turning away in an attempt to hide his flushed face. Ushijima shows a rare smile and Semi covers his own smile up with a fake cough.
"There's no need to thank us, since you've made all of our lives better too." Semi says.
"Aww, you guys mean so much to me, more than you'll ever know." You get up and reach over the counter to pull everyone, even the always reluctant Shirabu, into a hug. "I seriously love you guys."
"We love you too princess." They all manage to say at the same time. Your next target is Tendo, who you practically jump on with a wide smile.
"And I love you, my dear prince, most of all!" You place a kiss on his cheek and he chuckles.
"And I love you, my beautiful princess, more than you'll ever know." He whispers back.