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Hinata Shouyou has led a good life so far. Being the greatest huntsman in his village, feeding his entire family with his hunting skill, becoming an archery teacher for the 9th prince of his Kingdom at 24. Shouyou’s father always brags about him, the villagers puff their chests whenever his name is mentioned in the tavern, his little sister and brother often send him letters asking about the glorious life in the castle.
Shouyou, in an attempt to scribble down replies to them, only mentions that he’s fine and the food tastes too delicious for his own good, sparing any redundant details that might worry them, such as Prince Kageyama Tobio, his very own student, hasn’t been making his life that easy.
The 9th prince isn’t necessarily a bad person, Shouyou supposes, thinking back to him being the only person in the castle actually listens to Shouyou and does not make fun of his mountainous accent. He just has this scowl seared onto his forehead, he doesn’t say much, also, besides from certain insults which Shouyou has to accept, although unwillingly.
The prince is still young, only 19, so Shouyou doesn’t want to pick up a fight with him (not that he can anyway). He thinks it might be the stress of the hunting competition, a vital one at that, to choose the most fitting candidate for the crown out of the 12 princes. Shouyou can’t quite comprehend how being good at hunting equals being good at ruling, but clearly, it’s not his place to have a say.
“Your Highness, your posture is too stiff again,” Shouyou says as he looks at the prince.
The prince doesn’t seem to listen to Shouyou as he quickly releases the arrow. Another miss among many laying down on the grass. Huffing, the prince picks up another arrow and shoots toward the target without proper aim.
Shouyou frowns, he understands the frustration when the competition is nearby and they only have one lesson left. But shooting in pure anger like this is just not doing the prince any good.
And there it is.
“Shh..,” the prince lets out a hiss, seemingly having his finger cut by the sharp string of the bow.
Shouyou instantly sprints over. “Let me see,” Shouyou says and reaches out for the prince’s hand. A small string of blood blooms on the pale skin, and without thinking, Shouyou leans over and sucks on the wound out of instinct.
A second or two passes, he is awakened by the prince yelling and pushing him away. “What do you think you are doing?”
Shouyou’s eyes are still clouded as the prince glares at him and walks away from the field. And then it hits him, he’s offended the only person who can somewhat call “a friend” in this cold castle. Ignoring the lurch in his stomach, Shouyou hastily runs toward the prince’s direction; he might have an idea of where he’s going.
Standing in front of the storeroom, Shouyou exhales and pushes the door, seeing a tall figure sinking in the dark, with his brown boots glinting from the faint sunbeams that stream in from the window. Shouyou swallows. “Your Highness, my apology, I really didn’t mean to---”
The prince's footstep catches in between Shouyou's words, and shortly after, he looms over Shouyou. “Why did you do that?” He asks, and Shouyou’s face heats up from their proximity.
Shouyou looks aside. “I don’t know”
“You do, I know you do,” The prince’s soft voice draws his attention back, and in an instant, Shouyou is lost in a deep blue sea.
It all happens in a haze, his hand clutching on the expensive materials, the prince’s arms wrapping around his waist, lips meeting his own, tender, warm, sweet, just like cherry pies his mother makes; and yet, it sweeps him off the floor and numbs his mind with electric shock waves. Shouyou doesn’t have time to think about the consequences, for a second, he lets go of the titles and melts into a kiss that he doesn’t even know that he’s been yearning for.
They break away for a second. With his eyes still closed, Shouyou says breathlessly, “Your Highness--”
Another light kiss, and the prince murmurs, “call me Tobio.”
“Your--”
“Call me Tobio, Shouyou.”
Shouyou’s heart flutters at the prince whispering his name against his lower lips. Breath shattering, Shouyou calls, “Tobio”
Tobio kisses him again with a squeeze around his waist, slower this time, and Shouyou wraps his hands around Tobio’s neck, indulging himself in the warmth.
Their foreheads lean together after the kiss ends, breath mingling and bodies pressing closely.
“I’m sorry for being a jerk lately,” Tobio mumbles, “but just thinking about how you’ll leave me soon, I just---I can’t--”
Shouyou shakes his head against Tobio’s fringe. “It’s fine, I’m fine, Tobio”
Silence falls upon them again, allowing them for a brief second to savor this short-lived moment, because when they walk out of this room, everything will fall back into its place again.
Tobio breaks the silence. “Let’s get out of this castle, together”
Shouyou pulls back instantly and looks at Tobio’s eyes, studying him, but Tobio doesn’t lie. Frowning, Shouyou says, “you can’t, you’re the next in line for the crown, you can’t just throw it all away”
“Why can’t I?”
“Because--well, because”
“Shouyou,” Tobio pulls him into a hug, croaking out. “Please, I just need you, I don’t care about the crown. But if---if you say that you don’t like me, then---I’ll let you go”
Shouyou sighs, how could he?
“I like you, but, the crown--”
A tight squeeze cuts Shouyou off, followed by Tobio’s shaking voice. “That settles then, meet me at the garden tonight, then---we’ll get out of here, together”
\
It’s late at night, Shouyou can’t remember how long he’s been waiting. It’s definitely not short, considering how his hands and feet are turning ice cold. Another breeze, and the sky is slowly tinting pink at the horizon. Shouyou sighs. He should’ve already known. Why on earth would a prince give up everything just to run away with a peasant like him?
Shouyou wants to get mad, still, he can’t shake the needles sinking down onto his heart.
Maybe it’s time for him to go home.
As Shouyou turns around, hasty footsteps on the grass startle him, followed by a familiar grunt. “That darn pipe, took me ages”
He whips his head around, seeing Tobio, in all of his messiness, running toward him with a smile.
“Ready to go, my love?”
\
Kageyama Tobio has led a fairly dull life, to say the least. People envy him for being born in royalty, for not caring about daily meals, for being wrapped in silk and velvet. Tobio supposes that it’s fair.
But little do they know about the silent war he has to fight with his step-brothers to survive. Little do they know about that freezing night when he cried near his mother’s bedside. Little do they know about the cold touch when he wiped away his dear sister’s tears as she was married to another kingdom, being utterly weak, powerless.
“Live a life that you’ll be proud of, Tobio,” and with that, his sister is gone forever, leaving him behind, swallowed by the shadow.
Kageyama Tobio was left alone when he was 18.
Everything after that was a blur, until he met Hinata Shouyou.
Hinata who is only 24 but has a grin so wide that the corners of his eyes already have wrinkles. Hinata who does fumbling curtseys with horrendous etiquette but shines brightly with his bow and arrows in hands. Hinata who is a stranger but carries with him the warmth that could sear through Tobio’s skin.
Hinata who is the sun, and Tobio fear blinding his eyes by looking at him after staying in the dark for too long.
“Your Highness!” Hinata jolts on the old couch and squawks as Tobio opens the door to the storeroom. Tobio frowns, watching him clumsily wrinkle the paper in his hand and hides it in his pocket.
Tobio closes the door shut and walks over. “You are not supposed to be here”
“Oh, is this room---forbidden? I asked the maid, and she said it was fine”
“It’s not forbidden” - It’s just private, but Tobio decides to leave the rest unspoken. He looks at Hinata and tilts his head aside. “Move over”
“Oh--um, yes, Your Highness” Hinata stammers and scoots to the far end of the couch, leaving room for Tobio to slump down. Tobio sits with a sigh, letting the faint sunbeams from the front window bask on his face.
A few seconds pass, and Tobio says with his eyes still closed, “What are you doing anyway?”
“Oh,” Hinata seems to startle at his voice. “I was writing a letter to my little brother and sister at home, but my room was rather--dark”
“You have siblings?”
“Yes,” Hinata’s voice perks up, “They can be a little impish sometimes, but they are good kids. They also told me that they have been really great at hunting lately, I can’t wait to go back and see it for myself”
Tobio’s eyelids flutter, the sunlight suddenly feels cold against his skin. “I see,” he says, pausing for a moment, and continues, “Is it fun? Your village?”
“It’s a delight! People are kind there, we gather around the fire every night to dance and sing. I have a lot of friends too, and my mother is the best cook, she taught me how to make cherry pie. Oh, and my father too, he taught me how to hunt. You should’ve experienced the rush running in the wood and letting the wind play with your hair Tobio, it’s the best feeling ever”
“Tobio?” Tobio looks at Hinata, and the joyful smile playing on his lips melts.
Hinata immediately kneels down on the ground and stammers. “My apology Your Highness, I forgot, I thought---I didn’t know---please grant me death”
Tobio frowns. “Stop being a fool, who will teach me if you die?”
“I--er,” Hinata whips his head up, “I’m sure that there’re plenty of good huntsmen in the kingdom, Your Highness”
“What if I don’t want them?” Tobio leans back to the couch and purses his lips to stifle a smile from Hinata’s incredulous face.
“Then--then, please spare my death for the time being”
“But you did call me by my given name, you should know that not many people are allowed to know my name,” Tobio says, ignoring the fact that he’s the one who told Hinata.
Hinata’s face drops to the ground again. “I understand, I accept my death”
“But my lessons, the King’s order,” Tobio stretches his voice.
“You--” Hinata shoots his head up, yet, the scowl on his face melts as he meets Tobio’s eyes. “We don’t have time for a tedious joke, Your Highness”
Tobio rises to his feet and walks over, crouching down in front of Hinata and squeezing his cheeks, soft and warm, just like he expects. “Who said it’s a joke, you will receive your punishment, Hinata Shouyou”
Hinata huffs, his lips all squished mumbling out a ‘yes’, and the sight makes Tobio laugh slightly. Hinata’s eyes widen, the sudden heat on his cheeks burn Tobio’s fingers, still, he doesn’t let go.
“Your punishment will be--hm, make me a cherry pie”
Hinata pauses before muttering incoherent words. “Thatsit?”
“It can’t be just any ordinary cherry pie,” Tobio continues to give Hinata’s cheeks light squeezes, loving the feeling on his fingertips. “It must be the best one, you said it yourself before, right?”
“Yesyourhighness”
Tobio finally releases the grip, studying the colors on Hinata’s face for the final time before standing up. “Let’s go, it’s time for our archery lesson, isn’t it?” he says, offering a hand to help Hinata stand up.
Hinata stares at his hand for a while. He swallows and holds it to support his knees. “Of course, Your Highness”
Tobio looks at their hands clasping for a brief second before Hinata retreats his, taking the warmth away. Tobio clutches his palm and hums. Maybe it isn’t that searing. Maybe it isn’t that scary. And at that moment, Miwa’s voice reverberates in his head.
Live a life that he’ll be proud of huh?
\
There are two people who just moved to Akari’s village. One of them is Tobio, Akari’s teacher whom she really likes. She tells her mother once that Tobio’s hair looks like it hides stars, and she’ll marry him when she grows up. She’s only 7, but she knows that Tobio will wait for her. And the other one, Akari doesn’t really like him that much, his name is Shouyou or something, she doesn’t remember.
Her mother tells her that they are brothers, but she knows more than that. She sees them kiss a few times, the same way her father does to her mother, so obviously, they cannot be brothers, because Akari never kisses her little brother like that. But Tobio asks her to keep it as a secret, so Akari agrees, although she huffs every time Shouyou comes near them.
And today is the same.
“You’re home,” Tobio says.
Akari, who’s sitting in his lap with a book in hands, follows his voice and looks toward the door. The smile on her lips wanes, catching sight of the fiery red hair of Shouyou.
“I’m home,” Shouyou nods at them before walking in, and much to Akari’s dismay, kisses Tobio’s forehead. Akari sticks out her tongue at them.
“Hey, Akari is still here,” Tobio mumbles.
Shouyou giggles, kissing Akari’s forehead too, but Akari soon wipes it away. She’ll only accept the kiss from Tobio, the true prince!
“Sorry, my princess,” Shouyou smiles.
Akari turns away with a huff, although she quickly hides her reddened face in Tobio’s chest.
“Tired?” Akari hears a word vibrating from Tobio’s chest, followed by small lips touching sounds caught in between Tobio’s patting on her back.
“I’m okay.” It’s Shouyou’s voice this time. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Cherry pie?” Tobio asks.
Shouyou sighs. “You can’t have cherry pie for dinner, Your---”
“Hm?”
“Right, sorry, my darling”
Tobio hums. “That’s more like it”
Akari looks up from Tobio’s chest, her face pinching. Only her father can call her mother darling, so does that mean that Shouyou and Tobio are married too? But they can’t be, Tobio is supposed to marry her.
Just as tears are about to slip from Akari’s eyes, Tobio squeezes her cheeks lightly and asks. “You want cherry pie too, Akari? Shouyou makes the best cherry pie in this whole world. If we ask him politely, he’ll make it for us, right?”
She flicks her gaze at Shouyou, and although he rolls his eyes slightly, he soon gives them a nod.
Akari then sniffles and says, “Yes, please”
If it’s cherry pie, then Akari guesses it’s fine then.