009. Weapon

Ikemen Prince | Chevalier Michel x You | G | 233 words

Contrary to popular belief, it was not Prince Chevalier’s swordsmanship that was his most dangerous weapon, as you had the misfortune to realize.

He lowered the book he was reading, and demonstrated to you the most judgmental look ever known to man. You stepped back in reflex, suddenly feeling wronged and threatened somehow, even though you were just telling him that you had already read the book and enjoyed the plot twist at the end.

“I did not ask you about it,” he said in the iciest tone possible. You truly thought that winter had come.

“I’m just happy that I've read something you're reading …”

That arch of his eyebrow, you decided, possessed the most singularly perfect angle that geometry enthusiasts would weep for.

“We finally have something in common …”

Apparently even that didn't deserve the dignity of response, because Prince Chevalier returned to his book, a clear sign of dismissal. You dithered for a bit, awkward and – for some unfathomable reason – guilty, until a sigh cut through the uncomfortable silence and he said:

“Come back when I am finished with this. Make sure you’re prepared with sound arguments.”

And in an instant, like the midday sun freed from clouds, you brightened, energized, saluted and said, “As you wish, your highness!”

008. Nightmare

Villains are Destined to Die | Callisto Regulus x Penelope Eckhart | G | 154 words

All her fears came true – worse, even. And yet –

And yet the debilitating fear never emerged from the depths of her bruised body.

Golden light and blazing fire engulfed her vision, the screeching roar of the dragon high above piercing her ears. All her plans had gone awry, things fell apart. This was the nightmare ending Penelope wanted to avoid.

And yet.

“My lady,” Callisto shouted as he parried Eckles’s sword, “after all of this is over, you will accept all of my gifts and my invitation to take you to a place far and beautiful – away from everyone else, no interruptions.”

Despite the dire situation, Penelope couldn’t help but laugh. Callisto was brimming with such confidence, that he was blindingly radiant with it, and hope still felt somewhere within reach, if only she believed.

And she did. Still believed.

001. Blood

Light and Night | Xiao Yi (Osborn) x You | G | 122 words

It was trickling down the side of his head, a crisp red line on his otherwise pristine skin.

“What happened to you, Boss Xiao?!” you exclaimed, rushing over to him and whipping out your handkerchief, about to wipe the blood away.

He didn’t seem hurt in other places, and he was smiling, shrugging off the injury. But he let you fuss over him, close enough that you could feel his body heat against your skin.

“Just hit some small bump on the road, no big deal,” he said, and then pointed at the corner of his lips. “Make me feel better?”

You flushed, and, flustered, you stammered at him, “Y-You’re hurt on your forehead, not your mouth!”

004. Guess

Ikemen Prince | Nokto Klein x You | G | 163 words

“Do you actually expect me to play this game?”

“Why not?” A shuffle of fabric; Nokto leaned back on his chair, his sharp gaze sweeping across the width of the hall. “It’s a good way to pass the time.”

“Shouldn’t you – I don’t know – do your thing? Gather intelligence and all?”

“And leave you all by your lonesome? Do you think me as an unscrupulous man?”

“Yes.”

Nokto winced. You shrugged; he had it coming.

He recovered quickly, though. “Come on, think of it as training. Who do you think, among these guests, are foreign spies?”

“What do I need training for? And, more importantly, what do I get out of it?”

Nokto paused. Glanced at you. At your lips. Smirked. Heat crept up your neck, your ears, your cheeks. There was something molten in his gaze that tripped your breath, and you couldn’t retreat when he brought his face closer to you, whispered into your ear:

002. Revenge

Love and Deepspace | Zayne & Caleb vs. Sylus vs. Xavier vs. Rafayel | G | 200 words | part of Airport AU

Zayne lamented, for the second time this week, why he was here, in the middle of another airport war.

This time they were at Parking D area, empty of cars but filled with a smorgasbord of obstacles – because it was ‘renovated’ into a paintball field.

He wore complete gear, his gun held limply by his left hand, his other hand rubbing his temples, helmet pushed back. At the other side of the lot Sylus and Xavier were locked in an intense showdown as if two gentlemen in a duel except messier and stupider. Rafayel was crouched behind an inflatable bunker watching the two men destroy each other furiously, an opportunist who clearly knew how to win with the least amount of effort.

Sighing, Zayne was about to turn around and leave when a huge cannon-like thing rolled to a stop next to him. Then it was followed by Caleb decked out in his air force fatigues and aviator glasses. If Zayne focused hard enough he could hear Danger Zone playing in the background.

“I hope I’m not too late,” Caleb said, cheerful and glinting. “So who should I target first?”

013. Guess

The Fantasie of a Stepmother | Shuri Von Neuschwanstein x Nora Von Nuremberg | G | 502 words

It was a good day for a picnic, and Leon and Rachel had been vibrating with excitement since morning. Elias tried to look cool and unconcerned, but Shuri caught him glancing towards the woods every ten seconds or so. The crossbow was obvious on his person, too. Jeremy began keeping them in line once the kids started to neglect the food, half-eaten in favor of playing openly in the field.

Nora was there, like an honorary family member, always a steady figure amidst the chaos of the children. A sketchpad and pencil on his hands, he cut a sharp figure in the landscape. Shuri found her sight drifting over his direction, but whenever he looked up from his drawing her head would whirl away, inexplicably anxious about the idea of getting caught.

But later, her concerns proved to be futile because Shuri had to approach Nora anyway, once Jeremy chased after Elias, who was chasing after Leon and Rachel, who made a game out of something Shuri didn't hear.

“Lady Shu.” Nora put aside the sketchpad and smiled up at her. “Do you need me to get them?”

Nora always knew what she felt somehow. As though he could read her mind, and oftentimes he had an answer ready before she could even ask him something.

Struck by a whim, Shuri replied instead: “Nora, you seemed so serious with your drawing. May I ask what it is?”

Slowly, Nora’s cheeks darkened, but he deftly ignored his own reaction. Another smile, and “Would you like to guess, Lady Shu?”

Off-center, Shuri stared at him. An answer itched its way across her tongue, but she bit the response back before she could utter it.

Nora took the sketchpad back and turned the pages. Shyly he presented the drawing.

“Oh.” Heat crawled under her skin, from the base of her neck and up, up, up to her face.

It was a sketch of her, watching her children, soft warmth in her expression. Each stroke belied an aching tenderness that only someone in love could create. Shuri wanted to trace the lines that shaped her profile on the paper, wanted to feel the care Nora made in hatching the shadows on the skin, clothes, hair.

Nora was now rubbing the back of his neck as the prolonged silence grew to be awkward for him. Shuri hastened to salvage the moment.

“It's beautiful,” she hurried to say. Then, with mustered courage, added, “You always see me as someone more than what I usually feel.”

Nora started at her reply. “Of course, Lady Shu,” he said, full of conviction, full of meaning. “To me, you've always been someone who's –”

He paused, suddenly flustered. Then he shot up and stumbled in the direction of the children.

“I’ll get the kids now, Lady Shu. I'll be back!”

007. Quarrel

Who Made Me a Princess | Lucas x Athanasia de Alger Obelia | G | 248 words

Mostly their quarrels concerned minor stuff, negligible logistical details, but this time it was different.

“You did what.”

Lucas shrugged off Athy’s increasingly hysterical tone, deflected the offensive spell aimed at him, and ultimately scowled at her. Lately Lucas noticed that Athy had grown too comfortable with him – which was not inherently a bad thing. But too comfortable to think that it was okay to hit Lucas with a strong spell whenever he annoyed her? Unacceptable.

“It’s not even a big deal.”

Athy mimed the act of choking his neck. “You tossed the king into a lake. We were trying to secure a trade deal with him!”

Lucas rolled his eyes. She was making it sound worse than it actually was. The king wasn’t injured anyway.

“He asked for your hand in marriage.”

Athy took a deep breath. “And we were going to turn that down! Diplomatically!”

“Tch.” Lucas crossed his arms and turned his back on her, hiding the smirk that twitched into his mouth. “Could’ve been worse – your father could have witnessed that stupid proposal.”

Athy didn’t respond; she was biting her lip, panicked at the thought of Claude seeing that stupid king courting her. And with good reason, because –

“You know they’re having a meeting right now, yeah?” Lucas waited a bit before adding: “That king might mention his plans to marry you –”

006. Beautiful

Ikemen Vampire | Vlad x You | G | 111 words

It sounded like a broken record, but Vlad was truly the most beautiful creature you’d ever seen in your life.

The roses he picked – on his hands they contrasted with the paleness of his skin, like a splotch of blood on a white wall. The smile that blossomed in his mouth gave color to his expression as he created a crown out of those roses.

“Looks beautiful on you,” he said once he laid it on the top of your head.

You tried to put it on him; he danced away. “It’s better on you.”