“Really?” Levi grinned, intrigued with this bit of information. “I wouldn’t have thought that. When I first met him, I took him as a real hardass. It’s not so surprising now that I’ve known him for a few days, but… as of a week ago, I never would have thought that.”
Cadmus laughed, leaning in a little. "Yeah, it takes him a while to really open up. And even once he does you don't really realize for a while. It's 'cause he's so stoic, y'know? You don't even recognize all the little things he does for you until someone else points them out."
Levi glanced off to the side, nodding, and then looking back. “I’ve noticed a couple nice things he’s done for me over the last couple days, but I may have missed some. So yes, I see what you’re saying.” He lifted up a hand to scratch his nose.
"Oh yeah, I didn't even realize we were dating until he introduced me to someone else as his boyfriend. Now that was an experience." He laughed softly, smile dipping into something private and fond. The smile he gave Fi sometimes when the other wasn't looking. "He's such a good guy. I mean… guess it's not surprising that I love my boyfriend, but still. And… I've been talking about him for too long now, haven't I? Why don't you tell me about yours, maybe we can swap stories or something!"
Levi listened with a content smile, his mind conveniently jumping to Mordecai just before Cadmus suggested taking about him too. “Oh, well, yes, I’d like that.” His smile brightened, and he glanced off to the side as if to search for a story to tell. It seemed like a hundred ran through his mind at once, and it was hard to pick just one. Maybe how they met?
Cadmus gave him a considering look as he fell silent, unsure of what had Levi so silent. He had agreed to share, he was probably just… thinking. "Alright, tell me how you met your boy! Was it love at first sight? Or was it just mild annoyance at first sight? Did you think he was cute?"
Levi laughed softly at the fond memory. “I think it was mild annoyance for him especially. We were dancing at one of the parties, and I was taking too much for his liking. I didn’t like how quiet he was, so that just made me talk all the more.” He rubbed his hand up and down his arm. “Eventually he shut me up, and the night went better when we danced in silence after that.”
Cadmus laughed, trying to picture the memory in his head. Levi, a tad younger than he was now, talking too fast for some grouchy faced, dark-haired stranger. "That's adorable, I always pegged you as a chatterbox. How'd you manage to snag a second date with the guy? And what does he look like?"
Levi laughed at that and nodded, confirming the fact. “Yes, I admit I am a chatterbox, moreso in my own kingdom. And we kept meeting at parties, my parents kept insisting that we spend time together, eat dinners together, et cetera. I think they just meant for us to be close friends, not lovers,” he humored. “He has darker hair than I do, almost black. It’s shorter than mine, and he keeps it tied in a single braid. He wears a lot of deep reds, and his eyes are dark, almost brooding at first, but also soft and intelligent.” He grinned affectionately. “He’s better muscles than I am, and he would do well in the arena too, I think. But he wouldn’t stand a chance against Fiori, not like my brother would. Mordecai doesn’t devote his life to fighting.”
Cadmus laughed, raising a hand to his mouth to stifle it. "Oh my god, that sure sounds familiar! Fi's father bought me to give him someone to spar with, only I was shit at it because look at me." He gestured to his frame, slim and wiry, with only the barest hints of muscle. "I'm a kitchen boy, through and through, but anyways, then his mom took me in as her servant and she kept insisting I hang out with the lug and then… we kind of got closer than she meant us to." He shrugged, quieting down so he could hear what Mordecai looked like. "So you've got a thing for his eyes, huh?"
Levi listened intently with his eyes widened ever so slightly. Their love story sounded familiar, kind of like a mix between his friendship with Marya, and his romance with Mordecai— if Mordecai and Marya were the same person, it would be even more similar. “That’s quite a story,” he smiled warmly, “No wonder you two are so close.”
Levi took a moment to respond after Cadmus gave him time to speak. He let out a long, drawn-out sigh, a smile lingering in the right corner of his lips, “Yeah, his eyes are pretty great. But they’re not the only thing,” he snickered with a light shrug.
Cadmus smiled at the compliment, laughing at Levi's response to his question. "Well obviously it's not the only thing. It wouldn't be much of a relationship if you were only sticking around for his eyes, now would it?" He grinned. "Like, for example, I think Fi's laugh is just the most wonderful thing in the world. Does that mean I don't think his ass is fine as hells? Fuck no!"
Levi responded with a hearty, a bit nervous bout of laughter at Cadmus’ last comment. “That’s funny,” his corner of his eyes crinkled with happiness. “I can second that for Mordecai. But then again his legs are pretty damn fine too,” he snickered. Levi enjoyed talking about Mordecai, it seemed to ease his homesickness to a degree. But he also missed him all the more.
Cadmus beamed at the compliment, smacking Levi on the shoulder playfully. "Yeah but it's not your kind of humor, is it?" Levi was kind of adorable when he was happy, with his crinkly eyed smiles and his topsy turvy laugh. He seemed younger too, less weighed down by his worries. "I bet you miss Mordecai a whole fucking lot. I think I'd've gone crazy by now if someone had taken me away from Fiori.
Levi’s chuckled died down as the conversation continued, and eventually came to a soft halt at Cadmus’ last comment. “Yeah…” he looked off to the side. He twirled his ring around his finger again, “It hurts like hell. I know I’ll be seeing him again soon, but… he probably thinks I’m dead.” What if he had moved on already?
Cadmus bit his lip when he realized what a somber turn this had taken. He'd heard about what had supposedly happened to the prince. "Well… the first step of grieving is denial. And… anyway, he probably doesn't think you're dead. He'll hold out hope for as long as he can, that's… that's how things work when you're in love."
Levi nodded, slightly eased by Cadmus’ reassuring words. “He’s very logical, so I think it could go two ways. He could easier logically prove that I’m not in fact dead, just missing. Or he could logically, eventually resign himself that he needs to keep going without me.” He would be Johan’s advisor—that in itself gave a slimmer of hope. Mordecai could provide sound, calculated advice in Levi’s absence.
(I know this doesn't really relate to anything but I'm reading a bunch of love letters and I… I'm so genuinely happy. These are such sweet things, I wanna write something like that someday)
Cadmus nodded. "Logical people jump to… illogical conclusions when they're grieving." He swallowed, remembering the first time Fi had almost died. The second. The third. "But… if Mordecai's sensible, he's going to investigate, and he's gonna figure out what really happened– or get as close as he can, anyways– and then he's gonna do his best to keep going until you come home."
(Ohh! I love those things! I haven’t read any in a while but I’m gonna have to now 😊 and me too!)
“He’s sensible,” Levi nodded, relieved even more at the further encouragement. “I fear for my little brother, though, I doubt he’s as sensible for him being so young.” He could only imagine losing a sibling to death, well, at least thinking they’re dead.
(Read the ones between Vita Sackville-Louis and Virginia Woolf!! That's some top quality stuff right there!)
Cadmus bit his lip, nodding. "That's… different. He'll mourn you, obviously, but… he'll have your Mordecai and the middle brother to help hold him together. And if he's young enough he won't really know what's going on anyways; how old is he?"
(Sweet thanks!! I’ll check them out!)
Levi bobbed his head, “He’s eleven, nearing twelve in a few months.” He stilled the silver ring, keeping himself from twirling it. “He really looks up to my other brother, but our relationship wasn’t bad either. Apparently better than my relationship with my first brother.”
Cadmus sighed. "Well you can put an ixnay on the whole 'not knowing what death' is thing then, but… he's just a kid." His mouth twitched up into a sad sort of half-smile. "Kids are… imaginative. I dunno if they even realize death isn't just moving on to a new world until they really start to grow up."
He laughed a little at the last quip, nudging Levi playfully. "I mean, obviously, but you'll whip your other brother into shape when you get home, so maybe things can get fixed up then."
Levi snickered, "Hah, yeah, I definitely will. Either literaly or figuratively." He would have to decide when he got home. "It's up to the prisons, or most likely the prince regent. High crimes like kidnapping and murder are judged by either the monarch or whoever is highest in charge at that time." If nothing else, he knew that he would send Johan to the prisons, either with physical labor, or hidden away with the worst criminals.
Cadmus nodded, a smile on his face. "I dunno if you wanna get him sent too far away." Was it a good idea to give the prince of an enemy kingdom advice? Probably not. Was he gonna use this against Fi somehow? Possibly. Did he care? No. Levi was just so sweet, he was impossible to hate. "He's a fighter, and apparently he's sneaky enough to get you sent out here without anyone noticing. It'd be a good plan to keep an eye on him so he won't be able to do anything too sneaky."
Levi nodded after he considered it. It made perfect sense. “Yes, hopefully he’ll simply be kept incapacitated in the dungeons on high security. He certainly deserves it.” He lifted his hand to scratch his lip. He felt different here, just as he was playing a character who wasn’t the prince, and had no pride other than the intrinsic dignity brought to him by being noble blood. But being a slave in this enemy kingdom, noble—even royal blood seemed to mean nothing. Even if he was simply playing a character, it still took a toll on his mind and confidence. And politically, he could blame it all on Johan.