GIRLS LIKE GIRLS

Once more, so distracted by his actions, he couldn’t spare a glance to the younger. Did he want to? Perhaps, but wouldn’t that give away how truly he worried? Definitely. Thus, eyes remained fixed upon his stirring. That, and her pouring. “Sometimes overthinking things is better than not thinking about it at all, wouldn’t you agree?” Quite the deft thinker at times, when the occasion called for it. Casting glances and gazes away, though, was proven especially difficult when she’d equalised that obstacle of height. Suddenly both on the same level, thus he had to occasionally meet her eyes with his own. In his own mind, avoiding that precious door of eye-contact, would lessen the burn. It would focus his mind. Though there was still that niggling at the back of his mind. How could he lessen the burn, when the person coming to him in such a vulnerable state, was one of the very people he was closest to. “Oh, I’m definitely honoured. But, hey, you should talk more often. Get things off your chest, it might help you in the long run.” Then, and only then, did he look her directly in the eye for the duration they exchanged words. Smiling ever so slightly when her foot met with his hip, only to shake his head. “We take turns, then, getting personal? Sounds good, maybe it’ll help both of us. We’ll talk in your room, mine’s not as luxurious as yours. And we could use the privacy.” 

she mulls over the posed question, not sure if he’sexpecting a reply or if it had been a completely rhetorical question. being pragmatic had its pros for sure, but seeing the way other royals lived their life made her wish she knew how to be as frivolous. ❝ talk more? about my feelings? unrealistic, blocked, reported, ❞ she jokes with a laugh, before returning to a more thoughtful visage. in all seriousness though, i haven’t had someone to confide in for a long time. or, ever, actually. vaguely, she wonders what she’s getting herself into with this personal quid pro quo with the guard,and she considers the repercussions opening up might have on theirrelationship. but he noticed that something was troubling her, and that’s more than she can say for most people. seeing that the hot chocolate is done, she hops off the counter to grab two mugs, picking up a packet of mini marshmallows from the pantry along the way as well, placing them down where she’d been sitting and waiting for him to pour the hot drink into the mugs. she doesn’t top it off with the mini marshmallows just yet though, still holding the unopened packet in one hand as she picks up a mug with her other. they make it to her room without further event, each of them nursing their own mug. out of habit, she heads to her bed, inviting him to join her. in an attempt to postpone the inevitable conversation about feelings, she takes her time opening the packet and topping her hot chocolate with the mini marshmallows, only turning to the male when she can’t put it off any longer. ❝ okay, i opened up a little earlier already, so it’s your turn now. ❞

            ❛ oh, definitely! i love horses, i never learned how to ride one, though. ❜ she follows in pursuit, eyeing the surroundings curiously, remembering how little of this place she had truly explored. ❛ we had a few horses, they were all my father’s, though. well, one was my brother’s—- but, he was afraid of them. they were awfully nice, though. i kinda prefer sheep, if we’re talking about barn animals. ❜ she thought fondly on such memories, her gaze shifting— never able to focus on just one thing.

❝ hey, maybe i could teach you! it’s not as scary as it looks, i promise. ❞ the stables are a little ways behind the main manor, but it’s visible in the distance as soon as they step outside, and daeun leads the swiss princess down the little dirt path. ❝ i don’t know much about barn animals, ❞ she confesses somewhat sheepishly, ❝ and to be honest, i’d rather not look at animals that i eat. i love meat too much to deal with that kind of trauma. ❞ daeun greets the stable boy when they arrive but doesn’t stop to chat, leading colette straight to the foal, grabbing a small handful of hay from the feeding rack as they pass. ❝ hey daisy, ❞ she greets the young filly, offering some hay before reaching out to stroke her mane. ❝ i brought a friend today; her name’s colette. ❞

ursula’s heart leapt at daeun’s words. of course it wasn’t a promise ursula as going to hold the other girl to, but it was something. a hint of something that could happen in the future, when ursula’s mind was functioning at it’s highest capacity. it seemed like every time ursula bumped into daeun, save for their first encounter, ursula was under some kind of influence though. it might be harder than she anticipated to catch daeun alone when they were both of sound mind. “why do you have to be so smart and caring,” ursula grumbled. “it’s both sexy and annoying, because it just makes me want to kiss you more. which you won’t do.” ursula nodded at her next words. she wasn’t feeling nauseous, per se. just like her head might pop off if she moved too fast. “i could lie down,” she relented. 

her cheeks are dusted pink once more at ursula’s words, as they tend to do whenever she’s reminded that she’s not the only one nursing an urge to kiss the other. it’s not the first time they’ve been alone together, but it’s the first time they’ve been alone in her room, and it’s late and ursula kind of looks like she’d do anything daeun asks of her (especially if it means daeun might finally, finally kiss her), and daeun doesn’t know what to do with that kind of power. ❝ to bed then, ❞ she says instead, looping an arm around the blonde’s waist and helping her up. they make it to her bed without any event, and the sight of ursula on her sheets makes her breath catch. she wonders how much of a hypocrite she would be if she kisses ursula now, not two minutes after saying she wouldn’t. somehow, she has a feeling the swedish princess wouldn’t care. she drops a hand onto ursula’s shoulder, idly playing with the thin strap of the girl’s top. she stops when she realises what she’s doing, flushing as she pulls her hand away. ❝ let’s get you into something more comfortable. i can lend you some pyjamas. ❞

“Avoiding?” Eyes widening at Daeun’s confession as his smirk growing bigger with the juiciness of the truth. He paused at the door breathing in the cellar air before eagerly hopping around.   Otto already away from her as she spoke, acting like a kid in a candy store as he looked through the racked bottles. He laughed at her saying she was envious, and he would be too if he was anyone else looking at him and his sister’s life. The thought of people think he was almost incapable of actual romantic emotions sticking with him though. He sighed calling back to her “It is a privilege, one that’ll go away one day, and until then it’s also one we plan on milking for all it’s worth. What exactly are you overthinking, or better yet, why are you labeling something that hasn’t even happened?”

❝ i’m overthinking all the different ways things could play out with your sister, because as much as i try to be a free spirit, my parents have raised me to always think ten steps ahead, and out of everything they’ve ever taught me, that’s the only thing that really stuck. ❞ clearly – judging by his eagerness – this is a place otto is far more comfortable being at than daeun, so despite being the instigator of this little trip, she lets him take the lead, following behind him as he looks through the wine collection. ❝ the problem here is that ursula’s a bit of a wild card, isn’t she? it’s hard to be ten steps ahead of her when i’m not even sure she knows where she’s going. or if she does, she’s very good at keeping me on my toes. ❞ daeun isn’t too familiar with wine – it’s not exactly korea’s liquor of choice – but she spots a familiar name and picks up the bottle to inspect that label more closely. ❝ why am i discussing my strange... courtship with your sister with you, anyway? ❞

            ❛ y-yeah, that’s it.. thanks. ❜ he took it with shaky fingers, slipping it on his wrist and giving it a short stare before shaking his sleeve back down. ❛ a.. friend, g-gave it to me a while ago, so it’s.. kinda special.. y’know. i-i’m a sucker for sentiment. ❜ he shrugged and looked at her with his lips curling into a small smile— a rare occurrence for him. especially around people he wasn’t very close with.

daeun catches the smile, and feels something warm bloom in her chest at the thought of being the one to elicit such a response from the introverted prince. ❝ oh, me too, so i get it. don’t let the people of scoff at sentimentality make you feel bad about it either. i know it’s more pragmatic to be a forward-thinker, but some sentiment humanises us, i think. ❞ shifting slightly to make room for him, she pats the space next to herself. ❝ but i’m sure you’re not here for a philosophical debate, so let’s not get into that. what’re you up to today, hmm? ❞

             ❛ i do— oh! ❜ colette began to reach into her pocket, pulling out a small wrapped chocolate, before she continued, nodding at the polite offer. ❛ sure, i’ll come with. you can still have the chocolate anyways, i’ve started keeping a stash. i took some advice from a friend, so i have plenty. ❜ the other was so bubbly— one of the only people she had met who matched, possibly surpassed her exuberant enthusiasm, and to her, it was delightful.

daeun may have been kidding when she’d asked for chocolate, but she’s hardly going to turn a sweet down when offered to her, so it’s with a large grin that she accepts the chocolate, thanking the other girl exuberantly before unwrapping it and popping it into her mouth. ❝ keeping a stash is a great idea –– you’ve got some pretty wise friends it seems. anyway, ❞ hooking an arm around the blonde’s elbow, she gently pulls the other girl towards the back entrance. ❝ do you like horses? there’s a seven months old filly in the stables. her name’s daisy and she’s an absolute sweetheart. ❞

“i flatter you as much as you deserve,” ursula shot back. the swedish princess has never worked so hard trying to earn another woman’s affections before. usually her status and charm were enough to persuade even heterosexual women to fall for her, even if it was just for a night. and if someone put up too much of a fight, ursula would just move on. she was lazy, in that sense. having everything constantly handed to her made her complacent. but there was something about daeun that ursula was drawn to. ursula didn’t care that she was getting nowhere, she couldn’t imagine giving up so easily with the korean princess. she was worth the chase. “i don’t know, i didn’t ask too many questions,” ursula admitted. “nothing too bad.” when daeun tilted her face ursula’s eyes immediately flickered to the other woman’s lips out of reflex. “finally making a move?” she teased.

of course ursula hadn’t the foggiest what substance she had put into her body. it’s not her place to dictate how the blonde lives her life, so despite the concern that lingers in the back of her mind that ursula might just be headed on a path of self-destruction, daeun chooses to believe that the swedish princess knows exactly what she’s doing, and what’s at stake. at the teasing, daeun very nearly reels back in surprise, but she somehow manages to muster enough willpower to stay in place, her expression surprisingly calm as well. ❝ i’ll make a move when you’re in a state that doesn’t render your consent dubious, ❞ she replies evenly, although surely her touch betrays the tenderness that she conceals so carefully in her voice. ❝ although if you’re not in any danger of throwing up, then i might just invite you to my bed. ❞ probably not for the reasons ursula wants to be invited to bed, but it would be far more comfortable at least –– although, daeun wonders whether it would be wise to let usula fall asleep.

“Oh, shame these younger generations. I’m rooting for you.” The older grinned, through that gentle shake of his head. The thought of something so cynically dry ensuing amusement. He seemed to get straight into the notion of creating something, though. At times he would look off, with slender fingers gripping the same wooden spoon, consistently moving the milk as it simmered. Despite his concentrated actions, he was more-so consumed by the Princess. Honestly unaware of the weight of the night, for the other. He seemingly ran into the conversation blinded by his own rose-tinted glasses, thus ushering a raised eyebrow. “You sound unsure.” It was simple. He’d known the other long enough to piece together when she was anything but her usual-self, further suggesting something had arisen that would hinder her emotions. “I have,” he started, looking off once more to avoid that precious eye-contact, changes ever-rising. “I’m not all too sure how much help I can offer, but I’m always someone to vent to. You know that, right?”

she watches as he stirs the milk, seemingly transfixed by the movement. in truth, she’s just struggling to find the words to even begin to attempt to make sense of the thoughts swirling in her mind. ❝ oh it was a lovely night, ❞ she muses, adding the cocoa powder and sugar to the saucepan, ❝ i’m just overthinking things. ❞ shaking her head lightly in hopes that she might shake off whatever bad mood has been shadowing her that day, she hops onto the counter, propping her elbows on her knees, bringing her closer to his eye-level. it’s not hard to notice that he’s avoiding looking at her, and not for the first time she wonders what he’s thinking, considers peeling back the layer of his character that she’s grown to know to try and peer at what’s beneath the surface. ❝ well, i’ve always known in theory that you’d listen if i needed to vent, but i don’t know, i’ve never really considered testing that theory out. but to be fair, i haven’t spoken about this to anyone, so you should be honoured to be the first. ❞ grinning slightly, she reaches out with her foot to nudge his hip. ❝ how about this: we each tell the other something no one else knows–– doesn’t have to be from the night of the masquerade. i think we’re a little overdue for a heart to heart chat, don’t you think? ❞

As the door closed, he turned a little, looking over his shoulder at the invitation. A soft sigh fled his lips at the language used. “Why Korean, you…” Whined the prince. In the back of his mind, he knew there was nothing but good intentions behind her decision but, unintentionally so, it somehow added to his insecurities; he jerked out of the thought regardless. With a happy and slightly dumb smile on his lips did he plop down beside her. Supporting his weight on one arm, he leaned forward, mouth half-open as if to eat straight out of her hand. Dependent and child-like by nature; but he knew he had to grow out of it. He blinked a couple of times, straightening up before taking the sweet in his delicate fingers. “I’m sure I won’t have to.” He responded in their mother tongue, somewhat reluctantly. And nodded just slightly before taking a bite of the confection. “It’s delicious, noona!” His soft tone of voice only matched by the sparkle in his eye.

❝ i get tired of speaking in english too, you know, ❞ she justifies, her voice holding the slightest hint of something akin to wistfulness, but the maudlin moment passes as soon as it comes, and daeun’s smile turns cheerful once more. truthfully, she had expected him to just take the chocolate she had been holding out into her mouth – he has his childlike tendencies, and she has a terrible habit of enabling him – so she’s almost surprised when he reaches for it with his hand instead. nevertheless, she doesn’t comment, grinning broadly at his assessment before popping a piece into her mouth as well, humming softly to herself in approval of her own handiwork. ❝ i’m glad it turned out okay; i started on these last night, so i would’ve been mad if they ended up awful. ❞ 

“Oh, please do. It can be a national holiday, too, celebrated by you; on your lonesome.” And with that, the Guard flicked his hair back, as if to add to dramatic affect. “See, the term ‘hanging out’ seems incredibly mundane. Bro dates, however, makes it sound a lot better. Nobody wants to hang out anymore, dingus.” The affair of searching seemed incredibly awkward, given how usually collected the male was. Faced with such a trial, he’d sucked his bottom lip inwards to suck on the skin, while logical thinking seemed to take over. With the suggestion for something other, though, a bright smile had stolen his lips with the shared effort, as he nodded. “Oh, sure, you take the easier jobs.” He’d uttered, before stepping towards the refrigerator to pull out the milk. With that in hand, he retrieved a saucepan, and settled it upon the stove pot, before setting the stove on a medium heat. While pouring the milk, he’d decided to turn towards the other. “So, what did you think of that ball?” 

❝ young people would rather talk to their phones than go out and hang out with people. ❞ the words are garbled, a poor mimicry of an older person’s speech, although it does give her a good laugh. ❝ well if you want to spend twenty minutes stepping on everyone’s toes as you search for one box of cocoa powder then be my guest. ❞ but seeing as he’s already started to heat up the milk, she quickly locates the cocoa powder on the shelf and takes it down, returning to his side after. perhaps he’s bringing up the ball in an attempt to carry on civil conversation, or perhaps he’s aware that the night sits heavy in her mind still, but either way, the mere mention of the ball makes her pensive once more. ❝ you saw me, ❞ she says. ❝ i had fun. ❞ that’s not the whole truth, but daeun’s still having a little trouble with this whole sharing thing, especially with lukas. but he’s going out of his way to be nice to her right now, and it would be nice to have a confidant that wasn’t related to her for once. ❝ have you ever liked two people at the same time? ❞

“Well doesn’t every one want some kind of steady relationship in their life? Mine just happens to be with alcohol” Otto closed his door behind them a small chuckle coming from him at the thought of his sister actually being knocked down by excessive drinking “Ursula sleeping off a hangover? Either something’s wrong with her, or some very caring person was very persuasive. Besides she’s learned all of her alcohol knowledge from me” Otto sped up a bit catching up to walk next to her, looking over a smirk on his face as he was now genuinely interested in the new topic of Ursula “And you opted out of getting drunk and handsy with my sister? She would have jumped at that offering. I’m sorry, I think you messed up slightly because I don’t think I can give you as great of an experience as that would be”

❝ truly, an ideal we should all look up too, ❞ she snickers lightly, although the amusement fades when otto muses about the unlikelihood of his sister actually being down for the count after a night of drinking. ❝ okay, here’s the truth –– i’m kind of avoiding your sister. ❞ she winces slightly at the admission, although her feet continue to move deftly down the halls. ❝ although i can’t really tell you why because i’m not too sure myself. i mean, i’ll spare you the details because she’s your sister, but she’s beautiful and i like her; there’s definitely been flirting on my end. ❞ the conversation pauses for a moment as they arrive at the entrance to the wine cellar, pushing the door open and stepping into the cool room. ❝ but it seems i overthink too much to have a casual fling. i envy you two sometimes; must be nice to do whatever you like, whenever you like, fuck all to the consequences. ❞