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“Please… please don’t go.”

“Don’t you give up. Don’t you dare.”

“Just let me go.”

“You’re not gonna make it.”

“_______ is dead.”

“I’m not gonna make it.”

“Listen to me. You’re going to be okay, all right?”

“Stay with me.”

“It’s my time.”

“You can’t stop it, I’ve had this coming for a long time.”

“J-Just keep talking, ok?”

“C'mon, stay awake for me.”

“Help is coming soon, I promise.”

“Stay with me.”

“I’m so sorry. For everything.”

“Don’t you die on me.”

“I need you.”

“I’m so tired… just let me sleep.”

“I’m not gonna make it.”

“Would you hold my hand?”

The land that separated Frelia and Renais seemed endless and the bright sky that was once overhead now faded to a deep orange hue. Night was nearing, but Innes wasn’t going to surrender. He needed to find his little sister. He needed to apologize for neglecting her and not showing her the affection she needed. Their mother was deceased and their father was bedridden, he has to be the one to take care of Tana.

He was a poor excuse of a brother…

“I got'er good!” he heard a barbaric voice say through his thoughts followed by boorish cackles and it didn’t take long for Innes to figure out who they were referring to.

Looking up above, he saw a familiar pegasus trying to keep its flight and Innes knew he had to act fast. Ceasing Laodice, he jumped off her back and readied his bow. It only took mere seconds for Tana’s attackers to notice the king but it was already too late. With quick and fluid movements, Innes released his arrows straight into their heads and smirked as their bodies fell to the ground. Though he hadn’t the time to admire his handiwork because just as the last man fell, so had his sister and archaeus.

It was obvous that she was hurt. Her body felt like it was swaying and her head made her want to throw up. The pain was almost too much and she lets out a whimper followed by more coughs. After a moment her eyes slowly open. After a moment she sees her brother leaning over her. “Innes?” She cant speak much more before she closes her eye to stop the spinning.

She had died? What then? 

He relinquished the thought; he’d be lost. He had only made it this far as king because of her support, “I’m... I’m sorry Tana,” he began softly, “I failed you,” he always had trouble expressing his feelings but he needed - no he wanted to change, “I failed you as a king, as a friend, but most importantly... as your brother,” he clenched his fist tightly, feeling his anger and frustration swell up, “I promise I’ll make it up to you.” 

Or at least he’d hope...  

[inspired by this]

“actually… i just miss you.”

“alright, i’ll leave you alone.”

“and slowly… i was forgotten.”

“and then everything just disappears.”

“and where do i go?”

“anyone could tell from here.”

“are you finishing that or…?”

“are you stupid or stupid?”

“anything, just call me, okay?”

“bitch better have my money.”

“bro… that’s so… not cool…”

“but did you do it?”

“call me now. it’s urgent.”

“can’t you listen to me?”

“cross that. don’t answer that.”

“don’t even think about it.”

“don’t you dare walk away.”

“do it. i dare you.”

“did you think i forgot?”

“eventually… you just move on.”

“even if you still do.”

“everything will fall into place.”

“fight me, you attractive stranger.”

“for once, i need you.”

“for once… i was right.”

“for once… i was wrong.”

“forget i even asked you.”

“forget it. you fucking suck.”

“fuck’s sake, what’s your problem?”

“fuck off. i mean it.”

“give and take. that’s life.”

“great. perfect. nice. fuck this.”

“have you lost your mind?”

“hello? it’s me. i was-”

“hey… that wasn’t so nice.”

“here’s a glass of whatever.”

“how about a hug, hm?”

“how about you make me?”

“i haven’t forgot you yet.”

“i can’t be around you.”

“i don’t need you, really.”

“i don’t need this now.”

“is this your first time?”

“it’s just a cut, really.”

“it wasn’t me, i swear!”

“i said i love you.”

“just don’t fuck it up.”

“just… come back alive, okay?”

“just make sure you’ve eaten.”

“kick his ass for me.”

“killed him? wait, what, literally?”

“life really sucks. feel better.”

“letting go hurts… a lot.”

“let me live, will you?”

“no, i don’t need you.”

“nothing can hurt me now.”

“nothing matters anymore to me.”

“okay it was me… so?”

“people lie all the time.”

“pipe the fuck down, asshole.”

“please, you can’t die now.”

“please don’t leave me alone.”

“quiet. they can hear us.”

“quick! give me your phone!”

“quicker, you freaking piece of-”

“quit it or i’ll bite.”

“quit staring! they’ll notice us!”

“really? do i look stupid?”

“real smooth, tripping over air.”

“rise and shine, sweet thing.”

“rise and fucking shine, motherfucker.”

“seriously? give me a break.”

“so… what are we now?”

“so… did you miss me?”

“so… can we go eat?”

“so… when’s the next flight?”

“so… how did everything go?”

“sometimes, i wish you died.”

“so what? you did it.”

“time passes slower without you.”

“then what do you suggest?”

“the fuck? who are you?”

“then you tell me why.”

“this is not working out.”

“this isn’t what i wanted.”

“this is all a fucking disaster.”

“when did it all happen?”

“who knew you’d be here?”

“why do i even bother?”

“why do i love you?”

“why didn’t you tell me?”

“you’re just… so, so stupid.”

“you can’t be here now.”

“you look like an accident.”

“you really need to go.”

“you know who to call.”

“You don’t remember?” Innes asked, moving closer to the other king, “Well that’s no good,” he continued, still wearing that same playful smirk, “How should I aid with the recovery of your memory, Ephraim?” 

He couldn’t resist any longer…

Hands now situated on either side of Ephraim, pressing into the hard wood of the desk, he leaned in closer. Grazing his lips, he traced the outline of Ephraim’s jawline, eventually finding his way to the nape of his neck - his favorite spot. 

“Wasn’t it about the restoration of Grado?” Innes whispered, his warm breath ricocheting against the other king’s skin, “Whether or not they had Frelia’s aid?” he managed to continue in between feather-like kisses that eventually brought him back up to the soft lips of the Renais native.

“Do you desire to hear my proposal?” he smiled, an impish smile that could only mean one thing…

Trouble.

“Or do you want me to keep going?” 

     He kept his gaze upon the frelian. That smirk of his.. It only meant that he was up to something. But what? As far as Ephraim knew, it wasn’t going to be something bad. Or so, he hoped. Though, with how close Innes was now, almost invading his personal space– oh, too late, he already was with those lips of his traveling upon the lance-wielder’s jawline, earning a small gasp escaping the latter as a shiver ran down his spine. So he was going to play that game, huh? 

    Innes already knew that Ephraim wouldn’t be able to fight back much if he kept going like this. With that trail of kisses going from his neck to eventually reach his lips, the teal haired male let out a shaky breath as hands moved on their own- reaching forward to grab onto the sniper’s shirt at waist-level.

         “Ah.. Thank you for the reminder..~”

    His words were purred as he leaned closer, his forehead eventually meeting with the other’s once again- a smirk showing itself upon Ephraim’s lips. Two could play that game.. right? 

        “I would love to hear your proposal, but you see.. You’re quite distracting. After all, how am I supposed to focus on that if you keep doing almost everything to to disturb it, hmm..~?”

“Oh?”

Innes grinned as he felt a pair of arms embracing him. Their lips were only just centimeters away from each other now and he desperately wanted to close that small gap. He wanted to ravish Ephraim; he wanted to pull on that green hair of his and mess him up until the next morning. The footsteps that were periodically heard outside the room both exhilarated and frightened the Frelian king. Though he still hated that their relationship had to be kept a secret. In public they had to pretend they were their old selves - rivals. It wouldn't be until they had privacy, if that were even possible at times, he was rewarded with tender kisses. 

But how long could they keep this up until one of them snaps? 

Innes feared it’d be him sooner than later. They would of course come to when and if that arrives, but for now he’d make sure he’d love Ephraim as much as he deserved. 

"Because you’re worth the risk,” Innes accidentally muttered out from his thoughts. And instead of being bashful for being caught zoning out, he took action by pressing his lips into Ephraim’s with such desire and passion that it nearly overflowed. 

Picking Ephraim up, Innes laid him across his own desk. Papers and knick knacks falling to the ground beneath the pair. Innes didn't care. He was too distracted by this moment... too distracted by him. 

        Being pulled into an embrace sure made Ephraim almost melt. His body relaxed, eyelids falling shut for now- until the other spoke once more and eventually moved away- breaking the moment. Which, his body protested against, eyebrows being brought down slightly in a frown before he eventually noticed that smirk upon the sniper’s lips. Oh, right. Business. As in.. Actual business between kings. He almost forgot that it was a thing mostly due to the other’s presence.

   Shaking his head, Ephraim stepped back, moving to lean against his desk and crossed his arms- almost pouting. Yes, they had to talk about business.. but after that, what? Would they be free of doing whatever they wanted? He hoped so. But now, he had to focus- he had to keep his feelings out of the way until they were done. 

             “Right. Er..”

    Hesitation was clear in his tone and perhaps it was because he completely forgot what they were supposed to talk about- gods damn it, Innes. Blue eyes gazed over to the sniper and all that Ephraim was able to manage was a sheepish smile- accompanied with a somewhat nervous chuckle.

           “Honestly, I.. don’t remember what we were supposed to discuss.”

He couldn’t resist any longer...

Hands now situated on either side of Ephraim, pressing into the hard wood of the desk, he leaned in closer. Grazing his lips, he traced the outline of Ephraim’s jawline, eventually finding his way to the nape of his desk - his favorite spot. 

“Wasn’t it about the restoration of Grado?” Innes whispered, his warm breath ricocheting against the other king’s skin, “Whether or not they had Frelia’s aid?” he managed to continue in between feather-like kisses that eventually brought him back up to the soft lips of the Renais native.

“Do you desire to hear my proposal?” he smiled, an impish smile that could only mean one thing...

Trouble.

@frelians | BREATHES. GAYS INTENSIFIES—

                  He knew that voice far too well.

    To the point that he felt his heart skip a beat- something that only one person was actually capable of doing. A small sigh of relief fell from the king’s lips, eyes closing for a moment as a smile formed on his lips. Indeed, it had been a while. But they couldn’t let their feelings get in the way of their duties- which Ephraim knew they suffered from it, yet they still pulled through. Adjusting his shirt slightly, the teal haired man raised from his chair and moved away from his desk, only to step over- closing the distance between the two of them without a word.

      Hands would reach out on their own, seeking the frelian’s- only to take a hold of them. Ephraim was fully aware of how his body dearly missed Innes’ touch- being so far from each other all the time surely wasn’t kind to either of them- and he then looked up, blue eyes staring up to the other’s face, his gaze filled with affection and love- something that only a selected few would get. Though, in this case, it wasn’t familiar love- it was a lot more than that.

               “..Indeed.”

    He murmured softly as he leaned his forehead against the other’s- resisting the urge to go too forward in so little time. God, he had forgotten how long it had been and it was now just hitting him- and pretty hard, too. Pulling the other’s hands up so that they would cup his face, Ephraim found himself lowering his head, eyes closing, letting his body slowly process everything- well, more like calm down before he ended up pushing against the frelian king a bit too much seeing it wasn’t the time.

            “..I missed you. So much.”

The scent of the other king, his touch, this moment, everything was sending Innes’s mind into a frenzy. He felt lightheaded. There were so many emotions running throughout his body, clouding his mind  that he’d nearly forgotten why he’d come to Renais. And when the memory came back to him, he nearly cringed. For it wasn’t just to pay his lover a visit, but to, of course, speak about business like kings. 

‘A king’s duty is an important one, my son. You must put your people and your kingdom above all the rest. Even if it costs you your own happiness.’ - Hayden to Innes, age 12. 

“Please don’t ever leave me my side,” he whispered, pulling away from Ephraim’s lips. That sentence would be proven to be impossible. They were both kings and they both had their separate duties to uphold. He had no right to have selfish thoughts when it involved his kingdom, his home, the land to which he used to call his everything. That was until he fell in love with Ephraim. 

‘Great kings started off as great boys. This kingdom is the result of our family’s hard-earned work and one day it will be your’s’ - Hayden to Innes, age 8. 

“I… wanted to write to you Ephraim,” he began, leaning his forehead against his lover’s, ”I was afraid that if we’d exchanged letters this entire time, I’d miss you even more,” he shook his head at his own words, “I’m a fool…” 

And thus began the tears…

This was the first time Innes has ever cried in front of anyone. He did want to seem weak to his parents and he wanted to be a strong role model for his sister, Tania - so never once did he cry out in public. 

“When we were apart, all I could think of was you, Ephraim,” he then managed to say in between tears as he lifted his hands to the other king’s cheek and began stroking the soft surface with thumb, “We can’t continue like this… I cant take it.” 

He had no idea what he was insinuating, but if the two of them were going to continue this relationship of their’s something needed to change.  

               “..I don’t want to leave, ever.”

       He murmured, arms retreating away from Innes’ neck, fingers gliding down a bit before coming to a stop, taking a slight grip upon the cloth. It was a lie- he knew they would be separated again and for obvious reasons. Alas, Frelia and Renais weren’t the same kingdom and due to the distance between the two, Ephraim had no idea how long until the sniper would have to go back but even if he was to protest, duties as a king would always - and should always - be priority. Though, he blinked twice once he noticed the tears rolling down the man’s cheeks.

                  That was actually the first time he even saw him cry, if he remembered right.

    Eyebrows furrowing, his smile faded before his hands raised almost out of instinct, his thumbs gently wiping the tears away. He didn’t want to see this- not now. Though, the man’s words puzzled Ephraim for a moment- causing him to stop the motion just to stare, an eyebrow slowly lifting up to show his slight confusion but it all became clear- it was out of fear of missing him even more that Innes hadn’t written him letters, just like why he hadn’t bothered doing so himself. A small sigh left the lance-wielder’s lips.

             “You aren’t a fool, Innes. Because I have done the same- for the very same reasons.”

      He spoke out, his voice almost a whisper. And here he thought he had been selfish by not writing anything, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of amusement. Both of them, having done the same thing.. That was something new. Something the teal haired male didn’t think it’d ever happen- even after starting to fall head over heels for his rival.

He was annoyed, not at Ephraim, just at their situation. Most days he’s deemed himself very fortunate to have found love within a great man like the other king before him. However, there are some moments where he’s cursed this very relationship. It was unfair that they had to keep their feelings for each other hidden from their loved ones and all of Magvel. Fear always sat at the bottom of Innes’s stomach every second they spent holding and kissing each other. What if someone discovered them in a such a manner? What happens then?

‘Innes you work far too hard for someone who’s just been crowned king. Before I pass, I want to be certain that you will find yourself a suitable wife to marry so that she may birth sons that will carry out our lineage.’ - Hayden to Innes.

“How much can we take until we finally decide to end this all, Ephraim?” Innes then said, his freehand clenching into a fist, “I don’t want to lose you over something like this.” 

And with that clenched fist he threw it against the wall with all his strength. The impact was enough to leave his knuckles red and irritated, but that didn't stop the sniper from repeating. There were so many emotions circulating within him, he didn’t know which one to express and which one to keep quiet. 

All Innes promised when this relationship first started was to keep Ephraim happy. However hearing that tone, that desperation nearly killed Innes inside and he knew that simple promise had been broken. He was the reason the Renais king was distraught and nearly in tears now. Had he been keeping in touch with his lover all this time, neither one of them would be feeling like this - like the world was just seconds away from crumbling at their feet

If there was one thing he could take back, it would all those silent months… all those empty days without Ephraim…

“… I’m sorry,” was all he could muster out, it seemed like if he’d tried to force any more words out he would just break down in front of Ephraim. 

Which was unlike him…

He was Innes; he was known as Magvel’s finest and most prideful sniper and yet he was standing in front of, who used to be his rival, the king of Renais and his lover now trying to fight back all the tears that wanted so badly to escape.

“I’m so sorry Ephraim,” again he was apologizing, but he didn’t know what else to say. 

And so, he decided to transform his words into actions. He turned around to finally face his lover after, what felt like, an eternity. Those sky blue eyes immediately began sucking him all over again, just like they did when the two kings first decided to start this whole journey with one another. And in an instant, all the pain and sorrow that he was experiencing were now fleeting emotions, “It feels good to be home,” he then said, smiling as he leaned in closer to finally capture those lips he’d dreamt about the entire time they were apart. 

         Hearing the other apologize left a light sting at Ephraim’s heart- only because he hadn’t bothered sending letters over to see if he would have gotten an answer, instead, keeping the silence between them heavy as he waited to find one sitting at this desk, waiting to be opened at one point. Eyebrows were slightly furrowed at the second apology, lips drawn into a thin line as he mulled over his words. He wanted to say it was alright- even if his feelings had been hurt. But he could forgive him- perhaps, if the other promised to send more news from now on– something that he would vow to do the same as well.

         He lifted his head once he felt Innes turn around, sky blue hues staring up at his face for a moment before this slightly grim expression of his soon left his face. He wouldn’t be able to stay mad at him- especially this close. But, he couldn’t help but crack up a small smile at Innes’ words, leaning up to meet the sniper halfway- recognizing what he was about to do, and dear god, did he yearn for the day he’d be able to kiss those lips once more.

       And now that he was given the chance to, he didn’t want to break the moment- he wanted it to last forever- or at least, until they would be out of breath at this point. Arms moved from the sniper’s side to loosely wrap around his neck, causing the lancer to push his own body closer to the other’s, silently enjoying the feeling of the familiar warmth he had missed so dearly. It only felt like he could melt against Innes’ touch- something that he hadn’t felt in months but was glad to feel it again- in a good way.

                  He pulled away after a moment, leaning his forehead against the sniper’s.

          “..I find it hard to believe we are reunited but..”

                             He paused for a moment, a chuckle leaving him.

‘Great kings started off as great boys. This kingdom is the result of our family’s hard-earned work and one day it will be your’s’ - Hayden to Innes, age 8. 

“I... wanted to write to you Ephraim,” he began, leaning his forehead against his lover’s, ”I was afraid that if we’d exchanged letters this entire time, I’d miss you even more,” he shook his head at his own words, “I’m a fool...” 

And thus began the tears...

This was the first time Innes has ever cried in front of anyone. He did want to seem weak to his parents and he wanted to be a strong role model for his sister, Tania - so never once did he cry out in public. 

“When we were apart, all I could think of was you, Ephraim,” he then managed to say in between tears as he lifted his hands to the other king’s cheek and began stroking the soft surface with thumb, “We can’t continue like this... I cant take it.”