Archive of Our Own

Mamoru Endou was, in the simplest of terms, the ideal knight.

Although he wasn’t particularly skilled with magic and spells, his defensive abilities were top class, and his offensive skillset meant he could give as good as he got. Combined with his dedication to the people he swore to protect and friendly personality, he made an appealing bodyguard for any royal or noble.

Which was why Hiroto was torn. He’d rather have a highly renowned knight from Inazuma City as his new bodyguard than one of the mostly dubious mercenaries from the Teikoku Empire any day, yes, but the idea of stealing such a capable knight from his land didn’t sit well with him.

As he looked down at the other boy from his place at the king’s side, he could see from his posture and expression that the rumors were true – although he spoke with a smile and casual tone, his shoulders were set and his back was straight, in a way that showed he was on guard even while introducing himself to his new employer.

I still have my doubts.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he wanted to test his capabilities, feeling a flicker of flame at his fingertips that he hoped no one else noticed. If Endou did, he made no motion to show it. If he didn’t, well, he wouldn’t be on the job for long.

He held on to those thoughts, curling his fingers into a fist to contain the flames as he stepped forward, towards the young knight.

“Thank you for answering our call, Sir Endou.” He said once he was close enough to reach a hand out. He could feel the fire in his nerves but forced them to simmer under the skin of his palm as he turned it up towards Endou. “It’s an honor to meet such a highly praised knight such as yourself.”

“The honor is mine!” Endou said cheerfully, taking his hand with no hesitation. Hiroto let the fire leak out, and could smell the fabric of Endou’s thick gloves begin to burn.

Endou, in response, didn’t even flinch, simply smiling wider as Hiroto’s eyebrows raised.

He has no idea.

He released the other boy’s hand and glanced down at the scorch mark and wisp of smoke rising out of it, quelling the flames with a single breath as he felt them begin to trail up his forearm. Meeting Endou’s eyes again, he could see nothing in them changed, he still saw the respect and excitement one was to expect from a knight meeting his lord for the first time.

Pulling his hand back, Hiroto smiled back in a way that he hoped hid the anxiety he could feel pooling in his chest.

“I look forward to working with you.”

.

Within a week, Hiroto learned that Sir Endou was a little too dedicated.

He hadn’t noticed it at first. Endou had always shown up on time to meet him in the morning – half an hour after sunrise, just as Hiroto instructed – which he didn’t find odd. It was part of a knight’s duty to be punctual, and even more so to obey his prince’s orders to be punctual.

So finding Endou waiting for him outside his room, greeting him with a smile and a friendly wave, was nothing out of the ordinary. Most of his previous bodyguards had met him properly in the morning too, and the ones that didn’t were swiftly replaced.

He was glad Endou was taking his job seriously, despite his young age. Maybe it was because they were the same age that Hiroto was able to bond with him easier than any of the other knights in the kingdom.

He didn’t like to think about the tingling sensation in his forearm. He had enough problems to deal with as it is.

Such as finding Endou in his room one day, panicked and shaking him awake.

“Prince! Prince Hiroto! Are you okay?!”

If he was being honest, he didn’t even remember falling asleep, he never did. But the pain in his back and neck told him he had done just that, right at his desk, face buried in a thick tome and probably stained with ink if the smudges on the paper were anything to go by.

He blinked wearily, still not quite processing what was going on. Once he did, though, there was fire.

He flew back with a yelp, a stream of flame bursting from his face and exploding with a fwoosh between him and Endou.

Thankfully the young knight’s reflexes were fast and he blocked the worst of the fire, streaks of rose-colored flame washing over his glove. He caught Hiroto by the wrist before he could fall off his chair, pulling him forward to steady him.

“Sorry!” He said, quickly releasing the red-haired boy and stepping back. Hiroto ignored the tingle in his arm that came and went with the contact. “Are you okay?”

“You–” He coughed, a puff of smoke leaving his mouth as he forced the flames back. “--already asked that, yes, I’m fine.”

He took a few steadying breaths, waiting for the smoke to clear from his throat before relaxing. “I’m sorry, that doesn’t happen often…”

He glanced at his desk, glad to see none of the fire had reached anything flammable, and quickly shut the tome he had fallen asleep on. He wasn’t sure if Endou had seen what was in it, but he preferred to keep his research as much a secret as he could. Even if Endou technically worked for him, he could still report anything he found suspicious to his father.

He’d heard them talking in the hallway the night of the day Endou arrived. He knew his father was starting to grow suspicious.

“A-anyway,” Hiroto started, before Endou could comment. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to wait outside my room, I never gave you permission to enter.”

And as long as things go as planned, I never will.

Endou scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and Hiroto began noticing that the room was better lit than it usually was when he woke.

“Well, I was outside… but you weren’t answering even after twenty minutes passed, so I started getting worried.” He said, looking out the window, where the sun was shining bright in the sky. “I don’t normally have to wait so long for you to come out, and I know you have a busy schedule, so–”

“Wait?” Hiroto repeated, briefly pushing past the fact that he apparently overslept by a whole twenty minutes. “What do you mean you wait?”

Endou blinked and his lips formed a silent “oh” at the realization of what he said.

“Well…” He started refusing to meet the prince’s now accusatory glare. “I know you said to be here exactly half an hour after sunrise, but… I’m usually here ten minutes before. I do my morning training an hour before sunrise and finish up with ten minutes to spare so I just wait outside until you’re ready.”

“... Please don’t do that.”

It wasn’t like Hiroto had much to hide – anything that needed to stay hidden was in the tomes, silent and locked behind his bedroom door and at least four levels of protection spells to keep outsiders outside – but he wasn’t sure how he felt about a knight, trained to be able to hear even the smallest noise that could be registered as dangerous, standing outside his door while he prepared for the day.

Though it wasn’t like Endou would hear much. Hiroto also woke an hour before sunrise, and took the time to wash the ink stains from his hands and make his face presentable. A few cosmetic spells to hide the dark circles under his eyes and the marks left by the paper or his sleeve on the rare occasions he fell asleep while working.

Like last night. He probably looked like a mess.

“I understand wanting to make the best of your time, but there are other things you can be doing with that extra ten minutes. Your room is nearby, you can always return there and do any last minute cleaning or make double sure your uniform is presentable.”

Maybe it was a petty thing to point out, but it was the only thing that came to mind at that moment. Hiroto personally didn’t care if Endou looked “presentable” – his job required him to move around and possibly fight, so it was unreasonable to expect him to look clean and crisp all the time. But as it was, it was the only thing he could say as a “prince” that sounded like a logical excuse to keep Endou away from his room.

He couldn’t take any risk, no matter how small.

Even if that annoying tingling told him otherwise.

.

The third week, they had developed some kind of routine.

Despite Hiroto’s insistence he use his time for anything else, Yagami confirmed that Endou was still ten minutes early to wake him up every morning. According to her, he said he was already used to the schedule and couldn’t change it even if he tried.

Hiroto couldn’t bring himself to force him not to wait. Not only was it a silly and borderline petty command, but he had no reason to. Other than knowing Endou was already there when he finished cleaning up, him being early wasn’t hurting anyone, and he was sure if he brought it up to his father it would just be waved off as Endou being a dutiful knight.

Well, the rumors were right about his dedication .

So rather than sneak around his own room like he usually did to avoid alerting the servants, he grudgingly chose to go along with it, simply talking to Endou through the door as he prepared.

“Mm, I’ve never really been good at magic.” Endou confessed to him one morning, twenty minutes early because it had decided to rain that morning and even he wasn’t reckless enough to attempt his (ridiculous, as Hiroto learned) training in the middle of a storm. “I can cast a few simple earth spells, but I usually leave it up to the others on the team. I’m better with hands-on combat.”

“Earth magic has the most defensive spells, so it might be worth it to study them a little more.” Hiroto said mindlessly, adjusting the stack on his desk so it was in less danger of tipping over. “Although I confess I only know the basic shield spells, the flames prevent me from casting anything without it turning… volatile.”

“So you mean I’m better off learning from someone else, got it.”

Hiroto bit back a grin. He knew Endou couldn’t see his face anyway – at least he followed Hiroto’s order to never enter his room again – but he wanted to limit how attached he got to the other boy. No matter how funny some of his jokes or slip-ups were, or how interesting his stories about his adventures with his friends were, or how marvelous some of their battles sounded.

He briefly considered sending a “friendly” letter to Aphrodi of the Heavenly Kingdom to ask how his day had been. He was sure if he signed it “From Prince Hiroto and Sir Endou of Aliea” the blonde would definitely go into shock.

Hiroto hummed as he pulled his coat on, fiddling with the cloth that folded over his forearm as he walked over to his bookshelf and grabbed a scroll off one of the bottom shelves – it was a spell he couldn’t use himself because of the flames inside him, but maybe…

“Here.” He said the moment he opened the door, shoving the scroll into Endou’s hands. The brunette took it confusedly, and his brows furrowed when he opened it and read the contents.

“Uh, Your Highness, this is–”

“Let’s go.” Hiroto said, turning to walk down the hall, and Endou scrambled to follow him. “You need to work on your defensive magic, and I need a target.”

Maybe letting the flames take over for a while would help drown out the bubbling feeling in his gut.

.

Endou had never seen real fire before.

Maybe that statement wasn’t the best way to put it, but it was the way he felt.

Back in Inazuma City, there were very few fire-aligned knights, even among the higher ranks. Fire was the most difficult element to control, and the most dangerous, an element of pure destruction. Even Someoka, one of the hot-blooded guys he knew, didn’t dare take his chances.

That was why Gouenji was so impressive when he was recruited. He controlled his flames with ease, they flowed with his movements and obeyed his command.

Hiroto had sounded interested when he heard about Gouenji’s Fire Tornado, so much so that Endou thought he was going to hop onto the first train to Inazuma City just to see it in action. And he didn’t blame him – even seeing it as often as he had during their adventures, it was still a sight to behold.

Which is why he could say without a doubt, Hiroto’s flames were different.

The first time he experienced them was during their first meeting. He wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, but he felt the heat the moment he grasped the other boy’s hand, even through the thick fabric of his gloves. Considering they were dragon leather, that was quite the feat. Even Gouenji’s flames couldn’t burn through them, ignoring the fact that they were made specifically to handle his level of heat.

The second time was that unfortunate morning when Hiroto had accidentally spat a fireball at him. Aside from the fact that he’d never heard of a prince that could breathe fire unless they were from the Northern Lands, he was more shocked at the color - the flames were a beautiful rose red with a touch of black at the tips. He’d never seen fire like it before, though he knew from his battle with Aphrodi and his Holy Knights that flames came in different colors – but Aphrodi’s flames had been a blinding white, and Gouenji’s were a bright red-orange he was used to seeing in everyday life.

They hadn’t scorched his gloves like the handshake, but he felt the heat on his face and saw the air between them warp, and knew it was best not to touch them directly.

The third – and most recent – time was during their first round of “target practice”, which had now joined their daily routine. Seeing a simple fireball spell melt a hole straight through the thick walls of the training hall had made him start to reconsider their training, as interested as he was in the high-level defensive magic Hiroto gave him access to.

Hiroto’s flames were real . There was no doubt about it.

He didn’t know how he was doing it, how he controlled something so destructive and painful. Gouenji had mentioned mastering fire magic was painful in the beginning, the fire didn’t want to be controlled and would fight back, burning you from the inside and eventually the outside.

But this was different. It was as if the fire was part of him , less following a command and more an extension of his body. It came from somewhere deep inside, flowed through his body like blood and exploded with his emotions.

Almost as if he were fire itself.

.

Endou kept those thoughts in the back of his mind for the next month, only to have them pulled forward when a familiar face showed up at Aliea.

Prince Shiro of Hakuren, a Northern kingdom blanketed in snow and known for its ironclad defenses against intruders. It was also home to many races of Beastkin, including the prince himself, whose fluffy tail wagged happily as he greeted Hiroto.

However, he wasn’t the familiar face Endou was referring to. Endou had never met Shiro before, much less seen him with his own eyes until now. Hakuren was a secluded country that rarely interacted with outsiders, for a multitude of reasons.

So it was a pleasant surprise to see a familiar tall, dark-skinned boy at the prince’s side. Even more surprising to see them–

“So,” Endou said with a cheeky grin. “You and the prince huh?”

Someoka closed his eyes and sighed, and Endou assumed he was counting to ten before he opened them again, gaze not leaving the two princes a few feet away.

It was interesting to watch, considering they were exact opposites in every way – while Hiroto’s cool and level-headed demeanor hid a roaring flame that that had nearly burnt Endou on multiple occasions, Shiro’s bubbly and energetic personality told nothing of the frost that followed him wherever he went, in both his footprints and the air he breathed.

There was a substantial puddle on the ground around them. Endou supposed it was a good thing they were having tea outside in the garden.

“This sort of thing just happens when you find your soulmate.” Someoka mumbled, adjusting his sword at his side. His sleeve shifted and Endou briefly saw the coin-sized snowflake on the back of his wrist, glittering in the sunlight, a thin halo of frost around it.

He assumed Shiro had a similar mark, somewhere on his body. He asked as much, out of curiosity.

“It’s on his back, between his shoulder blades. Apparently he didn’t even know what it looked like until I showed him mine.”

“How did you see it then?”

“I’m his bodyguard, Endou.” Someoka said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m expected to be around at all times to protect him, so it’s a given that I would see him shirtless at least once.”

“Huh, really?”

Endou’s brows furrowed, looking back at the princes. Maybe customs in Hakuren were just different from Aliea, because Hiroto had basically forbidden him from entering his room since that morning two months ago. At first he thought Hiroto was just shy, but talking with the other servants revealed to him that no one ever entered the prince’s room, not even the king, and they were surprised he hadn’t been burnt to a crisp like his previous bodyguard nearly was.

(Endou had eventually realized that “the previous bodyguard” often referred to the many that came before him, and not just the most recent. Apparently there had been so many they stopped differentiating between them entirely. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.)

So he found Someoka’s statement a little odd, based on his own experiences. Although his previous assumption still held ground, maybe Shiro was just not shy? It certainly seemed like it, the way he threw himself onto Hiroto after the guards finished announcing him.

The resulting steam explosion had been massive, but no one was harmed, at least.

I wonder if he has one… Endou thought to himself, absently rubbing one ankle against the other. He’d noticed the tingling feeling a long time ago, but said nothing about it, not to Hiroto or anyone else in the castle.

The marks only reacted when they were near the person they were destined to be with.

He wasn’t sure if it was right for him to hope.

.

Hiroto wasn’t often out of his room at night. Every night that Endou stood outside his room on guard, he noted the candlelight that leaked out from under the door, and how it stayed on even after he announced he would be turning in for the night. His room was only a few doors down from Hiroto’s so he wasn’t required to be with him 24/7, but he still felt a little awkward going to bed before the other boy, considering he was supposed to be protecting him. What if Hiroto left his room in the middle of the night and ran into trouble?

So the first time in two months that Endou saw Hiroto leave his room at night, he was more than a little curious. Especially since it didn’t seem like he was going to the library or lab or anywhere he’d been during the day.

No, he was leaving the castle entirely.

Endou followed silently, unsure if he should call out or not. He had announced that he was going to bed half an hour before Hiroto snuck out, and it was only because he was having trouble falling asleep that he noticed the creak of the door down the hall. He had immediately shot out of bed and grabbed his sword, only lowering his guard once he saw a familiar head of red hair peeking out.

It was obvious he was trying not to be seen, considering how quiet he had been and how he avoided the main hallways that were patrolled at night. He was carrying something, too, though Endou couldn’t see it very well from his distance.

Once they were outside, he saw Hiroto reach out a hand. There was a light, then many lights as several wisps of flame spread out around him. Hiroto glanced around, not noticing Endou hiding behind the shrubbery of the garden, and dropped something at his feet.

As he began kicking and bouncing it around, Endou realized it was a soccer ball.

He watched in amazement as Hiroto went through what Endou assumed were his self-made exercises, a few dribbles and practice shots directed at the floral arches. Eventually he nodded in satisfaction before slipping into a different stance, one Endou didn’t recognize but realized was his own form.

The motions he went through were both familiar and new to Endou. He could see where he took the basic stances and had them flow into his own style, most likely self-taught from watching sportsmen from afar. The younger folks in the castle often played during their off time, maybe he learned it from them?

In his trance, he almost didn’t notice the dark shadow approaching from behind the hedges on the other side of the garden, out of Hiroto’s sight as he focused on aligning his shot.

The shadow burst out of the hedge with a growl, leaping into the air and claws outstretched towards the prince–

“ GOD HAND! ”

The giant, transparent hand shot out, grabbing the creature by the torso and pushing it back against the same hedge it jumped out of. Hiroto turned around with a start, the ball at his feet being blown away by the gust that followed the impact.

The circle of flames flickered, and in the light Endou could see what it was – a demonic beast, snarling and eyes glowing a bright red. Its shape was lupine but it stood on two legs, muscular and standing at least six feet tall.

Most likely from the South… Or maybe a mutation from the North?

He ran forward, sword in hand and positioned in front of his torso, blocking the claws as the beast lunged at him. He was forced to knock it back when its jaws came next, taking a defensive stance and focusing his energy to block the next attack–

–which never came.

Just as the beast prepared to lunge again, its growls were replaced with a shriek as its body erupted into flames. It thrashed about, but oddly enough, none of the foliage caught fire, the flames stubbornly clinging to its ragged fur and spreading over its body.

He watched in shock as its movements began to slow, its screams whittling down to pitiful whimpers as the fire ate at it from the inside and out, slumping to the ground. The flames grew stronger suddenly, and with one last yelp there was what Endou could only describe as similar to the one made by Hiroto’s fireball all those months ago, before the pyre died down and there was nothing but ash.

In what Endou could only assume was an attempt to hide the evidence of what had just happened, there was a gust of hot air and the ashes scattered, carried away by the night breeze. The circle of flames also went out, allowing the darkness to fall over them.

He turned to face the prince, slowly to allow his eyes to adjust and take in the faint moonlight that filtered through the trees. Perhaps Hiroto chose this place because it was so secluded, the thick canopy blocking most of the sky and the hedges acting as a wall to keep prying eyes at bay.

And Endou could understand why he needed it.

Even in the darkness, Hiroto was eerily visible. There was a slight glow around him, not intensely bright but enough so that it was almost like seeing him in the shadows during the day. He could make out every detail of his appearance, from his clothes all the way to the way his eyes glanced left to right, as if trying to find something to focus on.

“... I’m sorry.” He said quietly. He didn’t make to leave, but he wasn’t looking at Endou either, gaze now locked on to the spot where the lupine beast used to be. “This happens often, but it’s… not that big a deal. The flames usually take care of them, if they’re not driven off first.”

Endou could feel the fear and anxiety coming off him in waves, as if he was trying his hardest to act like the prince he was. How own mind was reeling, replaying the scene he just witnessed at a thousand times speed, trying to process the information

“We’ll have to report it in the morning, but it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.” He continued, feet still glued to the spot he stood. “It looked like a wolfman, so I’ll have to send a letter to Hakuren and see if they’re missing–”

“Your Highness–”

“–I probably shouldn’t have blown away the ashes like that, if it was from Hakuren Shiro would have wanted to–”

“Your Highness!”

Hiroto’s mouth snapped shut, and he finally looked at Endou.

He looked… incredibly scared.

Endou stepped forward, and was silently grateful Hiroto didn’t move, seeing his hands begin to grasp onto the fabric of his shirt.

Once he was close enough, he reached out a hand. He let it hover just over the other boy’s shoulder, not touching him but still feeling the heat radiating off his body. It was like standing next to an open flame.

He pulled his hand away, thinking of the words to say, the questions to ask.

But one thing was clear.

“You… don’t actually need me here, do you?” He asked finally. Hiroto flinched, glancing away again, his brows furrowing tightly. “Why was I called here? If you’re that strong–”

“You–” Hiroto cut him off, now meeting his eyes entirely. “–you’re right, you weren’t called here to guard me. I can protect myself, easily.”

He paused, taking a deep breath, a single tendril of smoke barely visible between them.

“You’re a cover. To keep me a secret.”

.

After stating those words, Hiroto led him further into the garden, saying they would need a more secluded spot to talk.

They eventually came out to a clearing overlooking Sunshine City below, and looking up Endou realized how bright the night really was outside Hiroto’s fortress of wood and leaves. The stars twinkled and the full moon shone almost as bright as the sun.

“That explains the wolf…” Hiroto mumbled, head turned upward to stare at the sky.

“Yeah…” Endou answered absently, almost losing himself in the sight. Looking down, he could see the streetlamps still burning bright, and could almost make out the handful of people still wandering the streets despite the time. He assumed most of them were patrolling guards, but there were quite a few around the area he knew housed the local tavern.

Part of him wanted to stay lost in the moment, watching the stars above and the people below. It would have been relaxing, on any other night.

But that’s not why they were here.

“So…” He started, wincing at how strained his tone was. “I’m supposed to… keep you a secret?”

Hiroto sighed softly, lowering himself to the ground and letting his legs dangle over the cliffside. Endou followed, eyes not leaving the red head’s face. The glow had subsided during their walk through the garden, which was a blessing considering he was sure the entire town would have noticed them otherwise.

The prince didn’t speak for a few seconds, opening and closing his mouth several times before he sighed again.

“I’m not the real prince.”

Endou blinked, then blinked again, taking in those five words and letting them sink into his brain for a moment.

He just barely managed to stop himself from crying out in surprise, slapping a hand over his mouth at the first syllable. Hiroto chuckled mirthlessly.

“There was an accident several years ago.” He continued, absently plucking at blades of grass. “The prince – the REAL prince – was hit by a carriage… he died on the way back to the castle.”

Endou stayed silent, shifting his position so he could lean in to listen closer. Hiroto spoke quieter seeing that, understanding what he meant.

Just because we’re alone doesn’t mean we won’t be heard .

“The king was going mad with grief. He had an older daughter, but his son was meant to be the heir, his pride and joy. He was very popular with the people, I heard.” He took another breath, more to steady himself than to rest. “So, even if the king was able to acknowledge that his son was dead , he couldn’t bring himself to tell the people. They would have been devastated, and he knew there would be an issue with nobles wanting to steal the throne. After all, no heir, no one to pass the crown to, since the nobles refused to acknowledge the princess as a candidate.”

He heard the annoyance in Hiroto’s voice, and he understood entirely – although he had only known Hitomiko for a short while when she was scouting him, he could tell she was a capable leader. She helped them pull through many jobs before sending Endou to her home kingdom to guard her brother.

Or, who he thought was her brother. Did she know?

“So, to avoid any potential threat to the throne, the king went looking for someone to take the prince’s place. He wanted to find someone that looked as close to his son as possible – any inaccuracies could be fixed with magic, as long as they were minor. Then… he found me.”

He began drawing some shapes in the now bare patch of dirt he had made. He drew a what looked like a small flame and added lines that seemed to be a body, and a round, human-like shape next to it. Endou bit back a laugh.

“Apparently, the corporeal form I had taken reminded him of his son. So he approached me with a proposal – I would take on his son’s form and act as “Prince Hiroto” until the king could find another suitable heir, and in return… Well, I guess the life I have now is my payment, isn’t it?”

Endou nodded along. It wasn’t hard to understand, though that didn’t make it any easier to listen to. If anything, it felt too… simple. Detached. Coming from Hiroto, at least.

“So what you’re saying is,” He said slowly. “Once the king finds a proper heir, you’ll go away?”

“Essentially.” Hiroto said simply, looking him in the eyes.”He either has another son, his daughter marries, or he finds a trustworthy relative to raise. Though it sounds like things aren’t going so well on any of those fronts.”

“I can imagine…” He’d never seen the king speak to a woman in the castle, and as far as he knew the queen was long dead.

But something still…

“Wait.” He started, and Hiroto paused picking at more grass. “He doesn’t want people to know you’re not the real prince, I get that, but how do I factor in?”

At that, Hiroto looked a little embarrassed, fidgeting slightly.

“Well… you saw what happened back there.” He mumbled. Endou nodded, the sight of the bright rose-colored flames engulfing the wolfman still fresh in his mind. “I can protect myself. But while Prince Hiroto was skilled with magic, he obviously didn’t have abilities like me. Like… something like me. Normal humans can’t do what I do.”

Endou chuckled lightly, opening and closing the fist that Hiroto had attempted to burn several months ago.

“So, you know… if people saw their prince setting demonic beasts on fire with no effort, they would get pretty suspicious.” Hiroto continued. “So the king decided I needed a bodyguard, as a cover, someone that could take care of the threats before I could. Unfortunately the last few haven’t exactly been… helpful.”

Endou recalled the servants mentioning that there were many before him, never giving a specific number but stating they were happy to see someone that was “finally” taking the job seriously – apparently on more than one occasion some of them had just let him wander off in the middle of the city, probably a test from the prince himself that they inevitably failed.

“I’m glad I’ve done a good job then.” Endou said, grinning widely. Hiroto blinked, then smiled back awkwardly.

It was the first smile he’d received from the prince since he arrived in the kingdom.

A breeze picked up suddenly, ruffling their hair and clothes. He saw Hiroto glance back behind him in annoyance and the air around him warmed suddenly.

Then thought occurred to him.

“Hey.” Endou started, turning his body to full face Hiroto. “So – you’re not human right? What are you then?”

Hiroto hummed, the air continuing to rise and fall in temperature until he settled on something comfortable. Something glinted in his eyes, and his smile grew.

“Why don’t you guess. If you don’t get it in three tries, I won’t tell you. If your guess is really bad, I might set you on fire.” He said, holding up three fingers. Endou swallowed nervously.

“Hmm…” He started, crossing his arms and thinking hard. “Dragonkin?”

“Wrong.” One finger went down.

“Uhh, a fire fae!”

“Wrong again!” Hiroto was starting to look smug now, and Endou slumped over. “Try harder – think about what you know about me.”

“What I know…?”

He thought back to Hiroto’s flames. He remembered the beautiful rose color and how he’d never seen anything like them in his life. How they followed his every command, came and went with ease and despite how hot they burned, they only seemed to burn what they needed to. As if they knew when not to burn.

Almost as if he were fire itself–

The realization struck him like lightning.

“A fire elemental!” He’d cheered, standing up in amazement. “That’s so cool! I mean, not cool, since you’re hot– I MEAN, not hot as in I think you’re hot, but literally hot, like fire–”

Hearing him stumbling over his words had been the final straw. Hiroto had burst out laughing, falling into the grass and curling into himself as the air left his lungs in bursts. Endou’s face had turned as red as his flames, but he began laughing as well, falling onto the grass next to Hiroto.

Once their laughter had died down, Endou quickly sat up again, a grin on his face.

“So was I right? I’m not on fire so I assume I’m right.” He said excitedly, rocking back and forth. Hiroto smiled in defeat.

“Yes, you’re right. I’m a fire elemental.”

Endou pumped his fist into the air in victory, letting out a quiet “woo!”. Then he slapped a hand onto his crossed ankles, startling Hiroto.

“Since you told me your secret, I have something to show you too!”

Hiroto watched curiously as he rolled up the right leg of his pants, and his eyes immediately latched on to what Endou was pointing to.

—Oh.

Right above his ankle was a red lightning bolt, three strokes long and glowing a faint red.

“It’s my soulmate mark!” Endou said excitedly. “I don’t really talk about it much, and no one really notices it; we used to think it was just a scar from one of the times I fell down, but the doctor said it was mine.”

Hiroto let him talk, about his friends, their marks, how he had been happy for Someoka when he found out he was with Prince Shiro–

But he couldn’t help but scratch at his forearm, the tingling feeling becoming a burn he wasn’t used to feeling.

He wondered if Endou felt it too. If that’s why he was telling him this.

“Lately it’s been feeling kind of funny, too.” He continued, and Hiroto immediately pulled his hand away from his other arm. “I heard they’re supposed to react when you’re near the person you’re destined for, but I haven’t met anyone with the same mark yet.”

“I don't think many people would be willing to strip down and just let you examine their bodies, yeah.” Hiroto replied, laughing at the way Endou sputtered in reaction. “Would you be surprised if I said I had one too?”

Endou gasped quietly, stopping his flailing to stare at Hiroto.

“... Kinda, yeah.” He said finally. “I wasn’t aware non-humans could get them.”

“Shiro isn’t human.” At least not entirely. “I think it happened because I took on human form to become “Hiroto”. I guess whoever has control over the marks decided I should get one too.”

Endou nodded, lost in thought, and Hiroto opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. Instead, he looked upwards, staring at one star in particular that twinkled in and out of sight. He heard Endou flop down next to him, and glancing over he could see the knight’s eyes scanning the sky as well, as if trying to find what Hiroto was so focused on suddenly.

I should tell him, He thought, watching the way Endou’s eyes moved from start to star, brows furrowing in concentration. He already knows this much, maybe it’s–

“Thanks for telling me, by the way.” Endou said, and Hiroto tore his eyes away. “I don’t know if I can do anything, but you’re trusting me with your secret, so I’ll do what I can to help you keep it.”

…Maybe it would be okay to keep one more secret, at least for a little while.