#zeroleo

It was supposed to be a quick and dirty affair – inboth meanings of the word. Niles was his retainer,for Gods’ sake! He was supposed to be protecting him, not… whateverthis was. Absurd as it was, what would hisfather have thought? The kind, gentle man his brother had grown up with, notthe beast they all had faced on the battlefield. If he was beinghonest with himself, Camilla wouldn’t care one way or another, butwhat would Xander think?

He was supposed to takea wife, a concubineat the very least, not…Niles.

Wartime romancesweren’t particularly uncommon, as it was. Hot, sweaty flings intoo-tight tents that didn’t mean anything once everyone went home totheir families. Of course, feelings sometimes got involved, and ofcourse, Leo was one of those people who just couldn’t staydetached. It was strange, almost, considering how aloof he’d alwaysbeen – no one had been good enough for him, everything had justbeen fake, stale, boring, aploy to boost his ego – but then there was Niles, who trampled intohis life through a window and turned it upside-down.

It was, quite frankly,ridiculous.

Now, that’s not to saythat they didn’t have fun, just.You know. They were back at Krakenburg now, and it was strange.They weren’t in a dark tent orbehind the mess hall, or in some lake in the middle of nowhere, thiswas… this was home. Itwas different, now. Slower. More intimate. Justthe thought of that alone was terrifying, if he was being honest, butbecause it was Niles? Well. His heart shouldn’t have been beating asfast as it was at the thought of being taken apart over and overagain.

When they were finallycaught and word spread through the grapevine, it only got worse. It’snot like everyone wasn’t accepting, no,it wasn’t anything like that. In fact, everyone was rather happy forthem – even going as far as saying they saw it coming, to which Leoreplied with a rather indignant look on his face – save for thegeneral public.

Apparently, princesweren’t supposed tobe with anyone who could endanger the royal bloodline. That included(if you were male) other men, and those who were unable to bearchildren. Of course, this wasn’t technically alaw, and his and Niles’ relationship (is that what it was?) wasn’ttechnically illegal,but the public outcry was like a death sentence just on its own.

“We need to stopthis.” Leo said against Niles’ mouth, his voice tight, fists heldfirmly at his sides. Niles’ breath skated across his face, faster,hitched, then slowed to an even pace.

“Ah. Finally come toyour senses, have you?” His hands are shaking when they reach up(to brush the hair from his face, Leo’s mind supplies,) then stophalfway, dropping to his sides in a gesture mirrored to his own. “Isuppose I can’t blame you.”

“You know that’s notwhat I meant.” He sighs, releasing the tension in his arms. Hecouldn’t do this. He couldn’tdo this. “I’m a prince, you know that.”

“Of course you are,Lord Leo. I couldn’t expect any more than being your dirty littlesecret.” when Leo took his hands he winced, and he nearly expectedNiles to pull away. “I just… did not expect such tenderness.”

“You were never my‘dirty little secret,‘” he spat the words like they were poison,eyes narrowing into slits. “I would’ve proudly told everyone if notfor the political fallout. Do you understand me?”

“No, milord, I thinkyou’d be better off whispering it in my ear.” Niles grinned like afox, leaning in for another kiss, which Leo reluctantly returned.Another defense mechanism.

Of course.

He presses theirforeheads together, taking a moment to recollect himself. He wasthere for a reason; hecouldn’t be broken so easily.

“I cannot keep you,”he murmurs mournfully, his breath mingling with his soon-to-be-pastlovers’. “Yet I cannot let you go.”

Call him what you will,Leo believed in one thing above all else: power. Not that he was somecrazed megalomaniac, bent on human destruction, no, he just... craved control. He needed it. It was one of the few thingsthat made him feel sane.

And then there was Niles.

Niles, whose dark pastlays concealed behind layers of risque, self absorbed behavior.

Niles, who stayed with himwhen the sun was dim and there were tears streaming down his face,screams torn from his throat.

Niles, who watches as hehides the half-moons underneath his eyes with big hands that smoothdown the bedclothes over his shoulders.

With Niles, there was nosuch thing as power. Niles made him feel helpless,completely defenseless, and yet... safe. At home. Warm.

That's how he foundhimself then, as usual for this ritual: completely weaponless, notomes in sight – entirely vulnerable while he went through variousforms and papers. Niles sat across the room, nose buried in somethingthat Leo had no doubt was filthy, feet propped up on a side table.

A slow intake of breath,and then, “Lord Leo?”

“Yes, Niles?”

“I must ask,” a pause,perhaps to collect his thoughts, “why is it that you allow me tosee you like this? I could strike you down and no one could stop me.I'd be gone before even Odin caught on. Why?”

Leo took pause at that,pen stalling where it was on the paper.

“Would you?”

“Of course not, my lord!I was just saying--”

“That's why.”

“What?”

“I choose to beunprotected in front of you, Niles, not because I worry that you could hurt me, but because you wouldn't hurt me. Ifanything, I trust in this. For you alone, I will be weak.”

“Lord Leo--”