#nileo

(this takes place post Thro’ Midnight Streets,my social-class swap AU)

Niles should’ve known the debut ball would prove tootempting for a former streetrat like Lion. Despite two years of rigorous educationand conditioning having passed, the glitz and glam of celebrations like thisalways managed to fascinate the boy to no end. Niles wouldn’t’ve begrudged him,if Lion wasn’t the center of said celebration. Admittedly, he’d behaved for severalhours— keeping his manners and speaking to the courtiers and nobility Niles paradedthe boy before. His poise, accent, even haughty attitude had all been perfectfor a member of royalty. None of the guests appeared to suspect the truth ofLion’s origins, and that had made Niles particularly smug.

However, the true guest of import had only just arrived,fashionably late, and Lion had pulled a vanishing act while his back had beenmomentarily turned. Biting back a snarl, Niles had demurred and excused himselfto go search for his errant ward. When he finally found him, he’d nearly laughedaloud. In one of the more curtained, shadowed corners of the ballroom it seemedthat a bevy of nobleman’s daughters had cornered the boy. Lion stood, backliterally to the wall, as the girls surrounding him giggled, fluttered theireyelashes, and a couple bolder ones attempted to tuck a favor in his pocket.

After having spent so much time together, Niles saw thetension in Lion’s too-careful smile and the wildness in the way his good eye glanced,looking for an escape route. Seems the sugar of a new prince had proved toomuch for the social flies, and for all his attitude it seemed Lion was at aloss of what to do with so much female attention. Niles was tempted to leavethe boy to being fawned over as punishment for wandering off— then one of thechits tried to steal a kiss.

Lion’s head snapped back and out of reach, but it lit ajealous fire in Niles that had him storming over. While he’d no intention of Lionliving as frigidly as Crown Prince Marx, he wasn’t about to share him with anunworthy floozy. Besides, the open desperation that broke over Lion’s face whenhe spied him was too good to ignore.

(Almost Kiss + Character in Peril)

devlé and anglé