cowboy

"Stop playing around! There's a ball going on downstairs. Your presence is required there." You take a deep breath while pinching the bridge of your nose, trying to remain calm even in a situation like this. "It is because of your recklessness that your father appointed me." You watch from a few steps away as Atsumu twirls one of the daggers that was resting on the wooden stand between his fingers.

"Why? Afraid that I might get hurt? How cute." With a swift movement, he throws the dagger, which passes inches from your face and sinks perfectly into the worn target. You don't even flinch at the action that was supposed to intimidate you, instead you just walk towards the target and pull out the stuck blade.

"This is an event made just for you, so what's the point of all this if you're not-"

But before you could finish your sermon, you feel the presence of the blond right behind you, who runs his fingertips over the breastplate of your armor. Your body freezes in an instant, and your breath catches in your throat, something ignites in your heart, something that shouldn't happen.

"What's the point of going somewhere where you won't be with me?" He now rests his chin on her shoulder, and even though it doesn't look at all comfortable, he seems to like the position, or maybe how close your faces are now. "But I'm always by your side."

"You know I didn't mean it that way."

The hand that had been circling the metal now gently cups your chin, the rough fingertips sending shivers down your spine. And in one simple movement, he pulls you into a kiss, as soft as the sound of the violin, muffled by the walls of the room. The kiss ends as quickly as it began, but your lips remain mere inches apart.

"My parents want me to get married soon, so they organized the entire region for this event, trying to find a bride who can stand by my side when I rule the entire kingdom, but..." His palm gently rests on your cheek, which is completely red from the unexpected contact. "...I don't want to be destined to spend my entire life with anyone other than you."

Your expression shows conflict, with the whole situation, and even more so with your feelings, which become increasingly confused. "But... this is wrong, you know it wouldn't work." And even though you utter bitter words, you still return the affectionate gesture, covering his hand with yours, full of scars from your past battles.

"And yet, you never abandoned me." "Because that is my duty." "You had many chances to leave, but you didn't." "Because-" "And yet, you look at me with those eyes."

Now, you had no arguments left to counter the words that were coated in facts. That mouth that always spouted irritating comments captivated you completely, and yet, even though there were ups and downs, you never took these little attacks personally.

God, you loved him.

You change your position, now face to face with the prince, who yearns for closeness and rests his forehead against yours. "But what about your parents? What about your brother? What would they think of this? What would your people think if they saw us like this?" You express your concern, and Atsumu just gives you a somewhat smug smile, as if he doesn't care about the situation. "I can do whatever I want," he whispers in that smug tone of his, and a laugh escapes your lips. "No, you can't."

"Well then, when I become the next king, I can do whatever I want, then nothing will separate me from you."

At the sweet words, you feel your face heat up again, and you look away, where the nearly open window reveals the darkness of the night. And that's when you realize you've been away longer than you should have.

At the large table filled with rich pastries, Osamu takes one and quickly puts it in his mouth, and lets out a sound of satisfaction as he tastes the explosion of flavors, looking around in alert in case someone catches him committing such a dishonorable act. Just as he was about to reach out for another, he felt a squeeze on his shoulder. Even without looking back, he knew it was his brother.

"Be careful not to eat it all, or there won't be any left for our guests." Atsumu's comment is clearly ironic, seeing as he's the next one to get his hands on one of the treats.

"As if you care about that..."

The silence that falls between them is soon filled with the orchestra's melody. The couples present soon join in for a slow dance, the skirts of the dresses spreading across the room as they dance, coloring the entire room.

There was a certain anxiety filling the hearts of all the beautiful women present, praying to the gods that she might be the queen who would rule the kingdom of Inarizaki with the prince, the future king. But little do they know, none of them are deemed worthy of his true feelings.

Osamu looks to the side and sees that his brother is staring at a specific point, or someone.

You.

And so he realizes that there is no one who can steal his brother's heart, after all, it was already conquered a long time ago.

a/n: heeey.... I know it's been a long time since I received this request, and it was only a few days ago that I discovered it....😭😭

Actually, when I announced my return a long time ago I thought I could write, but it turned out I tried to do several things but they weren't turning out the way I wanted, and I felt I could improve. So I gave myself some more time to try to improve my writing, and I think I've improved just a little.