Chapter Text
The imperial Crown Prince's chambers were quiet. Enlightened by the dull candlelight, swallowed in the thick shadows the faint flame was casting all around the room, a single figure was standing by the coffee table.
Warm tea was cooling down in its pot. And a few cookies were resting near the two empty cups.
The night was going to be a rather long one.
Adin didn’t exactly feel exhausted at the thought. And he forbade himself to look forward to it.
It was probably out of routine that this entire thing had stopped feeling like an ordeal to begin with. It would soon turn boring like most of the tasteless, bland activities of his life.
Like the countless duties he had as the Crown Prince, this moment would be a box he’d need to eventually check before going to sleep.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
It was just how things were anytime his dearest friend was visiting.
Or at least, that was what Adin had tried to convince himself of countless times. And what he had failed to do every single one.
He could feel his resolve shatter as he checked his watch for the second time of the evening - and let his eyes narrow when he saw the needle almost hitting the gilded twelve carved in the dial.
His golden pupils followed the mellow, painfully slow movement happening on the watch. He impatiently watched the time leisurely advance and unravel under his eyes.
Then, right on time, he heard fussing from the outside of his room. From his balcony. And swiftly tore his gaze away.
Sauntering to the tremendous window of his room, Adin drew open the curtains framing the opening and took in the surroundings. A familiar figure was cautiously smoothing the fabric of his silky, evening clothes after hopping over the railing from the adjacent room.
A quiet scoff escaped the imperial heir’s lips, and he turned the gilded key in the lock to unbar the door.
The icy air of the late winter bit Adin’s skin, already reddening his pale cheeks. And the figure immediately strode inside.
Rubbing his palm together to warm up his hands, Valentino entered Adin's room. And the soft scent of his shampoo followed after his hurried steps. He had brought coldness inside the room, and it clung to him even after the Mohoru Crown Prince had closed the window.
“Inviting me over to Mogoru during the winter definitely wasn’t a genius move, Adin. Or are you trying to end me ?”
“I almost forgot you were so chilly.” Adin snorted, his eyes glinting with an almost mocking mirth when he saw his friend’s garments. Made with the finest lace and silk of the South. Blue, delicate and beautiful. And obnoxiously light.“Maybe walking around with such an attire wasn’t your brightest idea either.”
“Let's say it adds to my charm.” Valentino retorted, his irritated expression easily fading away as he noticed the still warm tea on the coffee table. “You didn’t lose any time to order it this time.”
“Learning from my mistakes.” Adin replied to the teasing remark, leading his guest to the sofa. His brows frowned slightly when he recalled the last time they had improvised a little evening like this in his room. “Domestics were slow last time.”
“It was late.” Valentino indulgently answered, sitting by Adin on the familiar, comfortable couch. It wasn’t a satisfying justification in the imperial heir’s eyes. But he didn’t feel like arguing with his friend over the issue right now.
Instead, he dismissively hummed. And Valentino grinned, amused to see his reaction. Of course. “Your sleep deprived gaze terrified them enough. It already was a fair punishment per se.”
“What a way to find out the staff of my own palace is frightened of me.” Adin merely threw back, parroting Valentino’s playful tone. A blatant lie. The first of many that will be spilled around during this not so-carefree evening.
Adin was well aware of the image he gave of himself to his people - of the portrait of him depicted by the rumors haunting the hallways of the Sun Palace. It was perfect as it was.
But that was what made Valentino’s soft eyes so destabilizing.
Valentino seemed blind and deaf to all of them. And was looking at Adin like he was the most valuable thing he had even got around. And he was still smiling at Adin as if he wasn’t the most rotten, sick and twisted person he’d ever met before.
“You have that way of looking at people.” His friend casually retorted, almost slapping Adin’s hand away when the man tried to pour some tea for him. He took the pot himself, and served the two of them.
Adin didn’t pay much attention to it, all too used to this familiar display.
“What about it ?” He inquired instead.
“It's just destabilizing sometimes.” Valentino refused to look him in the eyes as he said it. And Adin hated how he almost missed those playful brown pupils on him.
The Caro Crown Prince's gaze was as scorching as the Black Desert Sun, and yet Adin sometimes felt like he wouldn’t mind getting burnt if it was under this star.
“Even for you ?”
Valentino put down the pot, and glanced back at him.
“Especially for me.”
Adin didn’t find anything to reply to this. So he kept his mouth shut. Valentino may be blind and deaf, but he wasn’t mute.
And sometimes Adin would rather have him tongueless. So he couldn’t utter this truthful bullshit only he seemed to believe was true - this truthful bullshit only Adin could lend an ear to and feel his innards being torn apart by the mere sound of it.
Was it guilt ? Or maybe pity ?
The mere thought was laughable.
For someone like him, witnessing orphans getting tortured into dead mana without batting an eye, he was certain both of those things had either never resided in his body to begin with; or had been ripped away from his heart during his young years.
The Emperor to be of the Mohoru Empire wasn’t one to weep over the dead or other people’s suffering. He wouldn’t feel senseless emotions over a fool’s misleaded belief.
But Valentino was no fool.
And Adin was not the Emperor yet.
And if it wasn’t guilt nor pity, the only option left shall remain buried deep inside the Imperial Crown Prince's mind.
This needless, troublesome feeling wasn’t something Adin wished to bother himself with when their plans were so close to its start.
It was better that way.
He took the cup Valentino had poured for him, and drank without double-checking the golden brown liquid swirling inside.
As the flavor hit his taste buds, a wry thought entertained Adin’s mind; if Valentino had wished to poison him, he’d have fallen for the trap very easily.
But Valentino wasn’t the same type of bastard as he was himself.
The bond of trust they both built over the years was far from common - it was resting atop the Caro royal’s infinite loyalty, and a traitor’s mindset that didn’t view Valentino as a potential threat.
How sad their lives were.
And yet, Adin wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Should I take my disturbing gaze off you, then ?” He proposed, fully knowing what Valentino’s reply would be beforehand.
“You better not consider this an option.” The other breathed over his cup, smelling and trying to guess what the composition could be this time as it was slowly cooling down. He didn’t let Adin’s hand on his waist steal his attention away from this mission, and had a sip even after his friend had pulled him to his chest. “Vanilla, lemon and… cinnamon?”
“You’re too good at this.” The victorious smile lighting up Valentino’s even traits made Adin’s umpteenth lie worth it. He had no idea of the composition. He had just ordered something sweet.
But for all that mattered, this lie definitely wasn’t his first. And would most likely not be the last one of the night.
Those lies that held the illusions framing their world together. Those lies that made Valentino’s smiles possible; that made Valentino’s smiles something Adin could look forward to during each of their meetings, knowing very well he was undeserving of them. He didn’t mind.
He couldn’t care less.
Adin was a bastard, after all. Hypocrite, and a very selfish being. Being a liar didn’t seem so ridiculous next to his already countless sins. And it wasn't something he’d ever feel troubled by.
Lying to Valentino was very easy. And he had deemed it as worth it several years ago. It wasn’t about to change because the end was impending.
His friend’s smiling face was worth all the lies in the world. And Adin would abuse it as he pleased while he still could relish this pipe dream they called ‘peace’.
And if it was all thanks to those lies that Adin could receive kisses from those smiling lips, then he didn’t mint either.
The end justifies the means. And Adin was ready to disregard the way if he got what he wanted at the end.
Hence, when Valentino’s mouth tilted up to meet his, he didn’t pull away. And grinned in the kiss.
A smug, self-satisfied grin Valentino had chosen to see as confident and cocky, but also painfully genuine. Maybe he wasn't far from the truth. Maybe he had never been farthest.
Adin couldn’t bring himself to care about it either.
As Valentino’s cold hands rested on his shoulders, Adin let out a little scoff.
“Not warming up ?”
“Not quite. The railing was stone cold.” Valentino sighed, but still let Adin’s gloved hands take his. And move them away from his shoulder, keeping them trapped between his palm to let the velvety fabric warm them up. The Caro heir’s ears turned slightly pink under his long and loose dark strands. As the color dusted over his sunkissed skin, Valentino quietly huffed.
“I don't remember anyone telling you to jump from your balcony to mine like some thief.” Adin scolded, frowning more at the thought of the genuine irritation growing within his stomach instead of mere annoyance. How troubling.
“You did. Complaining about rumors going around the Sun Palace anytime I visit. Didn’t you say countless times you wanted those to cease being spread around ?” Valentino defended himself. And whereas if it was true that Adin had actually complained about the virulence of those hearsays, the reason why he found those troublesome to begin with was far different from what his friend probably believed.
Adin hated the thought of his power being contested. The fear and wariness people of the palace displayed around him was proof of his control over everything happening around.
It had always felt good. Who could resist the appeal of power ? Human greed was too strong for this.
‘Not only human’s.’ The thought was quickly brushed away as Valentino took off his gloves. Under the questioning look he received, the man just grinned cheekily.
“The temperature of the human body is higher than the one of lifeless gloves.”
The explanation didn’t seem to satisfy Adin, but he still allowed Valentino to abandon his gloves on the couch next to him. And to tangle his already warmed up fingers in his.
Adin would pretend he couldn’t feel the way the cold air had let go of Valentino’s hands already.
And Valentino would pretend he hadn’t noticed Adin’s deliberate ignorance.
Because it felt nice that way.
“Next time I'll make sure to wear something thicker before coming over. And gloves.” Valentino absently noted, his eyes analyzing the type of pastries Adin had ordered for him.
The Imperial Crown Prince shook his head.
“You're planning on passing by the balcony again ?” Would Valentino do this the entire week he had planned to stay in the Empire for some official celebration ? Oh, that wouldn’t do. At this rate, the man would end up catching a cold; or an even more severe illness. Valentino’s body was still too used to Caro’s warm and dry climate to roam around in Mogoru’s winter.
But Valentino begged to differ.
“Why, of course. I like it, it's fun. It feels like we’re doing something bad.” Adin couldn't deny the thought was funny enough. Wry, even.
“Is that so ?” He mused.
“Yes. It reminds me of those old Breck romantic fairytales.” Realizing what he had just said, he awkwardly cleared his throat. He still didn’t seem to take his words back, and even specify them. “As I was jumping on your balcony, I felt like the main character of some swashbuckling novel.”
“The heroes that often die at the end ?” Adin offered, unimpressed.
“Some survive.” Valentino protested hearing the other’s flat tone.
“And some slip from their spot when hopping on rooftops and meet a tragic demise.” Before Valentino could protest any further, Adin’s now bare hand lifted to his chin to gently guide his face back towards him. Then, almost against his lips “Next time, just use the regular door.”
And he leaned in for another kiss.
Valentino indulged him. Of course he had.
Because Adin's lies were still holding all the breached morsels together.
It was nice.
It felt good.
The tea in both of the cups had been left untouched this time. And it eventually turned cold after being ignored for hours.
Valentino had stolen the pastries and taken those to his rooms on his way out, later during the night.
Adin found sleep rather easily for once, lulled by his friend’s quiet steps in the hallway, and the hushed sound of Valentino’s door closing.
He slept in a dreamless slumber. Hoping that when he’d arouse back in this wretched world, the illusion would still stand strong.