While Nico's reassurances are… well, reassuring, Bel feels they're a little on the doting side. "Thank you," he says with a sigh. "Really, Nico, but… there's no need to be excessive about it." Everyone had always been so excessive about everything growing up. When the prince made a decision, the entire staff was nodding and agreeing and congratulating him on choosing the tablecloth pattern. Every time he made a clean jump on Katya, his coaches were whistling and praising him to the heavens. The only feedback Bel had ever cared about was from his mother and Miran–one of them dead and the other too reserved to even compliment Bel anymore.
Bel sniffs as they enter their room, noting immediately that the bedsheets had been changed. Bel supposes he should feel embarrassed but he's more relieved than anything. The Prince wastes no time flopping face-first onto the bed, any sort of royal energy draining from his shoulders.
Nico nodded. "I can hold back some then. I just don't want you to think I'm upset or judging you in any way. Because I'm not." And he wasn't. He wanted to be there one step at a time as Bel slowly faced his fears. He was there to hold his hand and fight off anything that might come for them.
Nico shut the door behind them and slid the lock in. He noticed the sheets had been changed and made a mental note to leave a good tip. He felt sorry for whoever had to clean up after them. They had been a bit messy. He laughed as Bel flopped down on the bed. He shook his head and walked over to hom. He kneeled in front of the bed and carefully took Bel's shoes off for him, placing them against the bed frame. He took his own off before sliding into the bed. "Come here." He opened his arms.
Bel mutters a muffled thank you into the sheets as Nico removes them. As the man slides in next to him, Bel wastes no time rolling into his awaiting arms. It's safe–warm. Perfect. Bel, despite not feeling tired earlier, finds that sleep is readily coming for him. It must have been the weeks of sleeping on the ground and in the wild and terrified that somrthing was going to kill him in his sleep. However, as much as Bel wants to fall unconscious, he still had questions on his mind.
"What's the leader like, of the Lisais? How am I expected to act around him?" Was it supposed to be a bow situation or should Bel be treated like an equal? Proper titles and pronouns? How flexible is the man regarding a peace contract between their nations?
Ncio pulled Bel into his chest as soon as he climbed up to him. He wrapped his arms tight around him, tucking his head under his chin. He was lying against the headboard, a pillow on his backnto provide some comfort. He ran his hand uo and down his back. A hand thay come to a screeching hault at the question.
He blinked. He had been so unprepared. But this was the time to say it. To say that I was him, who was the leader. And yet the words just didn't come out. "Respectful, but that's all. He's not going to ask you to bow for him or treat him like royalty. He might be royalty, our king, but he prefer for people to be familiar with him. Just be yourself and you'll be fine." Bel was doing more than fine, actually. He had Nico eating out ifbthe palm of his hand and he jad no idea that Nico was the leader. "He'll- He'll tell you his name when we're there. I hope you can understand. It's just to dangerous until we get there." Too dangerous for the words to leave the walls. Too dangerous for the name to spread. Nico was a mystery and he preferred to keep it that way.
Bel practically snuggles into the contact. If he were a cat, he'd be purring. His eye cracks open when Nico suddenly stops. Had Nico just been unprepared for a direct question about his leader? Isn't that the entire point of this mission?
As Nico speaks, Bel knows that it all makes sense. Wildfire, the name would spread like wildfire.Bel wonders if Nico is one of the lucky few to know who the elusive Lisais Leader is. Do all of the Lisais know him? Are they under oath? Really, Bel has too many questions for this late at night. "Alright," Bel says in response, a single word to combat the thousands in his mind. "I'll try my hand at speech writing tomorrow. The last thing I need is to look like a fool in front of him."
Nico's had resumed its stroking as Bel seemed satisfied enough with the answer. Everything would into light in two days time. When they arrived home and Nico's identify was revealed. With that thought, he squeezed Bel a little tighter, taking in to memory the way he felt against Nico.
"Oh, my sweet dear, you don't need to do that either. I promise you, it's going to be alright. He may have been raised in a military setting but he's quite laid back. You don't need to worry about such things." Nico couldn't care less about his speeches as long as he cmgot to hea him talk. He could listen to Bel ramble about absolutely nothing and he would listen intently. "He'll listen to whatever you have to say."
Bel laughs quietly, pushing his nose into Nico's chest. He smells nice but Bel quickly pushes it out of his brain. He can't think about that now. There are much more pressing matters than Nicos natural musk. He sighs heavily.
"How can you be so sure?" Bel asks after sobering up. "My father stole his throne and have been kiling his people. My siblings and I have all been accessories in his schemes. I've had so many terrible interactions with diplomats in the past–" His sentence is quickly shut off with a shudder. "I'm… sorry." His anxiety is taking over, even with his nearing sleep.
Nico look down. He gripped Bel's chinnand tilted his head up to look at him. "Hey, hey, it's okay." Je dipped his head to kiss him quickly. "None of this was your fault. He knows that. He's understanding. He's not going ti blame you fir something you didn't do. Just talk to him. You'll figure something out."
Nico was already mulling around solutions I'm his head that would keep Bel happy. He hadnnever truly thought of the king's children until now, until Bel. It was a thought he should have been thinking for a much longer time. There had ti be a way to get to the palace without a total massacre. He wasn't going to kill the entire royal family. He wouldn't be just as bad.
"It's okay, my dear. You trust me yes?" He asked. "I'll be by your side, okay. You won't have to do this alone."
Bel laughs, feeling his worries melt away. "Okay, whatever you say, Nico." Yes, it will all be just fine with Nico at his side. With somebody from the higher circles of the Lisais King at Bel's side, he can't be killed on the spot with whatever mage powers the leader is sure to have. Nico will back him, Nico will protect him, Nico will play the mediator during their negotiations.
Strangely, Bel's glad that it was him who was taken. Despite the obvious perks (Nico), Bel is by far the most diplomatic and patient of all his siblings. He may not be able to hold his own in a fight, but he can always come to a non-violent agreement.
With a few coughs into the crook of his elbow, Bel relaxes against Nico. "We'll think more about this tomorrow," he says, slowly feeling sleep wash over him.
Nico smiled. He laid his head back against the pillow, his hands resuming stroking his back. He could stop the quiet chuckle as Bel coughed. It wasn't funny. It wasn't. He didn't like Bel not feeling the best but it was adorable. His allergies were cute. He made a note to pick him uo some medicines in the morning that would hopefully help.
"We will. Sleep now, my dear," Nioc whispered. He had laid there awake long after Bel had fallen asleep, terrible, terrible thoughts running through his head that had him pulling Bel closed to his body.
Bel tries to reply, but he's too far gone. Sleep overtakes him as he rests in Nico's arms.
However, his sleep isn't peaceful. He's in a dream, he knows it's a dream. Across the clearing is a good he hardly recognizes. A shadowed face, a crooked smile, a knife in hand and a knife lodged his shoulder. The man is bleeding gold and laughing. Bel steps back and trips, crying as he falls to his back. The culprit of his trip none other than a body, this one sickeningly familiar with his red clothes and kind eyes and master sword. There's an arrow in his neck and a knife in his shoulder–
With a sharp inhale, Bel jolts upright, gripping at his pounding heart and fighting away the tears growing.
Nico had only started to let sleep take him. His eyes were beginning to droop and he was letting his body relax. He had exhausted himself with his thoughts. They weren't nice ethoights. He was worming himself up to tell Bel and then talking himself out of it. He had been arguing himself. And now he was exhausted and gotten no where.
But he was wide awake as Bel shot up off of his chest. Nico was sitting up in an instant. He was grabbed Bel and pulling him to him. He wrapped him in a tight hug. He didn't know what Bel had dreamed of but he knew it wasn't good. "Oh, sweet Bel, what's wrong? What happened?"
As soon as the cold fear begins to soak through his skin, there's a set of arms around him, holding him tight. When the panic sets in, Bel tries to break free, but a small part of his brain quickly reminds him: safe. Bel slackens, breathing heavily but at least not sobbing. He finally recognizes the comforting presence as Nico, and he's talking in a soft voice.
"Sorry." Is the first thing he chokes out. He's biting at his lip, not wanting to potentially awake anyone with his own misfortune. "'M sorry–" Bel buries his face into Nico's chest, returning the crushing embrace. He can't tell Nico what it was about. Bel can't kill, and the burden of his family's lives are held in his shaking hands.
"Shhh," It's okay. You're safe. Everything okay now." Nico was stroking his back and head. He held Bel tight. "I've got you. Everything's okay." Nico didn't ask what happened. He didn't ask what it was about. Not right now. He could ask later when Bel had calmed down and wasn't shaking any more.
Nico kissed his head gently. He just held him. It was the knly thing he could do at that moment. He just needed to be there.
Eventually after gods know how long, Bel stops his shaking and only chokes a little bit on his breath. His eyes hurt, never quite fully crying but aching from the emotion. He just feels tired. He closes his eyes, shifting to get much more comfortable in Nico's arms. "Sorry," he says one last time, gauging the amount of light filtering through the window. It has to be an hour or so before sunrise. "Let's just sleep."
He shivers slightly and curls more into Nico, hoping that the other man's warmth will help soothe him to sleep.
Nico never stopped stroking his back and brushing back his hair. He offered soft words, trying to soothe Bel. At some point, Nico pulled off his shirt, offering skin contact for the prince. He had meant to undress earlier but he and Bel had pretty much collapsed in bed and it had been forgotten.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly. He used his thumb and forefinger to tilt Bel's chin up to look at him. "I'll listen if you want to talk."
They lay together, Bel's fingers naturally finding the grooves and ridges of Nico's scars and tracing them softly. He keeps his eyes closed, hoping that sweet sleep will knock him unconscious and into a wonderful dreamless rest. At Nico's question, Bel shakes his head. "No, it's… it's silly," he claims. To someone as daring and dangerous as Nico, it is silly and irrelevant and something Bel needs to grow out of.
He never thought he'd have to kill a man. He never wanted to kill a man. He knows that his cruel imagination will force him to relive that day–to relive the moment when sheer instinct came over and Bel ended a life. How could he do it so easily? "I just want to sleep."
Nico shivered under his hand, at the feeling of Bek touching his scars. Had it been anyone else, he would have stopped them. These scars were a symbol of his failure, not that he had told Bel that. He didn't quite like anyone touching them. But Bel could. He didn't flinch away from the touch. He found he liked it even if Bel didn't know the story behind them.
"It's not silly. It's not. If it scared you it's a legitimate fear. Unless it's butterflies. Then I might laugh when you're not looking." He was trying to lift Bel's spirit up while still trying to convince him to talk. "It might help a little bit if you talk about it."
Bel makes a noise somewhere between a laugh, a scoff, and a sneeze–could've been all three. "It's fine," Bel says firmly. "I promise." That's probably the first lie he's told Nico. He's gone his entire life without talking about his fears. Some were clearly more noticeable, especially when caught in the dark. Others he harbored much deeper, rarely shown externally except for a brief comment or shaking nightmare. He's never needed to talk about them. They've never been a reality–well, not until now.
Bel continues his lazy pace, stroking up and down Nico's back and trying to commit every detail to memory instead of thinking about his inner demons. Repression is easy. Vulnerability is hard. Bel rests his head on their shared pillow, his nose hardly a centimeter away from Nico as he tries to sleep, relaxing as it finally begins to take hold.
Nico nodded, taking the answer for now. There was a soft smile lighting up his face as he heard the other laugh. Well, sort of laugh. He would ask again tomorrow. Well, later in the day, once they had slept their fill and woken and up well rested. With how early it was in the morning, he didn't see either of them waking until at least midday. That was alright. They deserved a day to sleep in and laze around.
Nico looked at Bel through heavy lids. Their noses were almost touching and he could feel his breath, every inhale that he took. He nodded his head forward and pressed his lips against Bel's softly. There was no pressure, no wanting. Just a simple kiss to comfort and reassure. "I'm here if you do decide to talk."
"In the morning," is the last thing Bel's able to say before he's right back to sleep, comfortably curled in Nico's strong arms.
The night passes and the morning rises and passes into midday. While Bel sleeps heavily through the sunrise beside Nico, others are rising.
Miran awakes and not in the town he fell asleep in. It doesn't take long for him to get out of bed and fix his appearance–dressing and checking his teeth. He may be in simple clothing and without a crown, but he is still a king. (Well, almost.) The vial and talisman he received from his friend are well drained of any magical properties, now just mere trinkets to sew to Flip's saddle. After ensuring he's handsome as ever, Miran exits his room and scuttles to the attached tavern.
The inn he awoke in is identical in every aspect to the inn he fell asleep in. The towns are different, miles and miles apart. Oliphan and Alifant, similar in name and practically identical in layout. The sister cities are ones of magic lurking beneath every floorboard and behind every stone. Miran knows it well, he's been through the twin towns on many occasions. His sisters, on the other hand, are strangers and fearers of its properties–hence why he kept it a secret from them both. He shaved days off their journey, a little magic is nothing compared to saving his little brother.
For the first time for as long as he could remember, Nico slept through the sunrise. It had always been his own personal alarm clock, waking him up at the crack of dawn. But today was different. Today he slept well until the sun had almost peaked in the sky. It had been the best sleep of his life and it was solely because of the sleeping prince in his arms.
His eyes fluttered open, a smile on his lips as he felt Bel still in his arms. He didn't move, he barely breathed. He wasn't going to risk waking Bel up before he was ready to. They had a long night. He deserved to sleep as much as he needed to.
Bel carefully wakes, blinking open his eyes. The first thing he sees is Nico, instantly bringing a sleepy smile to his face. "Good morning," he mutters, voice groggy from the night. Instead of anything romantic or sappy or addressing anything from the night befire, Bel says "I want food." It's been ages since he's had a good sandwich. What better place to have one than a tavern in a lovely village.
Even though he's hungry, Bel remains in the bed, far too sleepy and comfortable to move.
Nico's shoulder bobbed as he laughed. He placed a kiss on his head before pulling away just far enough to look at his face. "It's afternoon, actually," he corrected softly. "Let's get some food in you then." He started to sit up. He looked at the sleepy look on Bel's face. His heart warmed at the look. He was going to put this image to memory. He loved this. And he would never get another day like this again.
"Would you like me to go get some food so you can stay in bed a little longer? I don't mind if you want to rest a little bit longer." Nico couldn't decide if he wanted to spend the rest of their time together in bed or if he wanted to take Bel out into the town and have another date. Both were appealing. He would have to leave it up to Bel.
Bel shakes his head and sits up, closing his eyes tightly at the vertigo that courses through him. When the blackness fades from his vision, Bel yawns and covers his mouth woth the back of his hand. "Good afternoon, then." Bel's never been allowed to sleep in past late morning. It feels strange, though Bel can't complain about being semi-well rested.
"Let's go downstairs," Bel answers. "Walk around and explore now that the sun is out." He moves to stand, taking it slow to allow his sleepy mind to catch up. He yawns again and rubs at his eyes. "Dinner last night was wonderful. Do you happen to know any places witha sandwich? I haven't had one of those in years." The cook that replaced the one of his childhood had always been more adament on fancier delacacies and caviar. Eugh, Bel hates caviar.
