Bel nods, sighing and suppressing the yawn that comes over him. "I would like that." Bel pictures sitting on a couch just like this, but in their own home instead of guests in another. There's a fire going, there's a sleeping cat in Bel's lap, and Nico is pressed right against Bel as he dozes. "Would you like a dog?" Bel asks upon imagining a sleeping Labrador on the rug.
Bel reaches for a soft blanket draped over the back of the couch, unfolding it with a quick flick of his wrist before febtly laying it across their laps.
Nico kissed the top of his head, smiling softly. He saw a nap in their near future, after they got breakfast in the town. And after he took his medicine. He would need to make sure Bel took that soon. "As long as the cat we have gets along with dogs then I would happily have a dog." It woukd be nice to have their home filled with a few animals. They could grow their family. He coukd almost see his men filling in for dinner, a couple dogs begging for food that most certainly would not be snuck under the table. A cat or two judging then from their perches.
"You need to take your medicine before you think about sleeping again love." Ge wasn't going to let Bel slip on that. Not at the risk of his life. Nico refused to ever see Bel like that again.
"That would be nice," Bel says softly. His nose scrunched at the reminder of medicine. He's always hated medicine. When he was a boy, Mathilde had to practically wrangle him to get Bel to take cough syrup for his colds. Looking back, Bel definitely decides he needs to grant her a raise. "I guess I'll take it," he sighs. "Where did you put the mask?"
He shifts away from Nico to look behind them. The tables are void of any of their belongings, leaving the only real plausibility to be within the bathroom. Except… Bel is sleepy and doesn't want to stand.Its a good thing he has a fiance who would do anything for him. "Could you get it for me?" He looks up at Nico through his lashes.
Nico only smiled at the irritated look on his face. "I'll be right back," he said, giving him a quick kiss before standing. He placed the blanket back on Bel before striding to the bathroom. He found where he had placed the mask on the counter and brought it back to the bedroom. He sat back down on the couch, holding the mask for Bel to put on his face.
"You have to use it love. We're not having a repeat of yesterday ever again." He would never let that happen again. For as long as he lived, he woukd make sure Bel took his medicine every morning.
"Thank you," Bel says as Nico returns, his head tipped over the headrest so he can watch Nico in all his half-nakedness approach. However, he can't decide if he actually means his thanks. "And it won't happen again, love." A sigh. "What happened to me was a result of twenty two years of buildup. It's going to take a hell of a lot to get me to that state again before I'm middle aged."
Bel sighs and takes the mask from Nico, snapping it around the bottom part of his face in a smooth movement. It clicks into place, pinching at Bel's jawbone. His nose scrunched uncomfortably. He takes the vial of pink tinted medicine and screws it into the socket towards the left side of his face. As soon as it locks in, Bels eyes narrow. "Tastes like bad lemons," he notes, voice raspy and a little warped through the mask.
Nico settled back into the seat cushions, trying not to smile at Bel's reluctance. He could tell that he did not mean that thank you. But the medicine was vital and he needed it to live. Nico would force it on him if he had too. He wasn't risking his life ever again. "But there's always a chance that it could happen again if you don't take your medicine." He raised an eyebrow, just daring Bel to challenge him.
But he didn't and Bel slipped on the mask. Nico let out a little sigh of relief. He did not want to start off his morning by wrestling Bel and forcing him to take his medicine. He offered him a sympathetic look as the medicine was locked in and created a bad taste. "I'm sorry my love. Perhaps you can speak to your sister and she might be able to make it taste better without losing the effectiveness." He remembered the little prince on the roof had said something similar about the taste. Perhaps something could be done for him too.
"It's not… terrible. Just unpleasant. I'll be fine." With a huff, Bel falls over to drape himself over Nico's lap. If Bel had to put a better name to the taste, he'd say maybe diluted dish soap that's been left in the corner of the kitchen for far too long. He's positive he'll grow used to the taste. He'll have to, for however long he's going to be living with Nico is going to be another day of medicine. Bel knows the frightening protectiveness that Nico harbors and knows that if he doesn't willingly take it, it wil be forced upon him.
"Do we want to go to the town for breakfast, or do we want to stay in the palace and eat with my family?" He asks as he looks up to Nico. "I'm fine with whichever. The town probably has more options but the palace has very talented chefs."
Nico brushed his hair back as he draped himself over his lap. He smiled down at him. "And your sister could still likely make jt taste better. Would you rather have it tasting like this for the rest of your life and you maybe get used to it? Or have your sister make it taste better while still being affective?" He wouldn't risk alternating the effectiveness of the medicine. But if she coukd make it taste better then Bel wouldn't be as hesitant to take it.
"Do you think you're up for going into town?" Bel had been through a lot this past day. He didn't want him to over do it by going into town. They did need to replenish their supplies and at least buy more clothes until the rest of their things got to the palace. But that could wait if Bel wasn't up for it.
"I don't think she quite specializes in that field." Treya is a master of chemical warfare. Her potions are meant to poison and hinder, hardly to help and barely anything as simple as flavor enhancing. "I might ask though," Bel adds, hoping Nico would be satisfied with that.
"And I should be good to head into town," Bel answers. "As long as we don't have to climb anything or walk too much." It's just a breakfast rendezvous, maybe a little shopping. Nothing should tax Bel. After that, they'll return to their lovely room and sit in front of the massive mirror for hours as they untangle his locs. Bel takes another few long breaths, the bitter taste luckily fading the more he takes it. The mask is uncomfortable. Maybe when he sees Loven or Sella, he'll ask if they have one that doesn't pinch the square of his jaw.
Nico nodded his head, satisfied with the answer. It never hurt to ask. He bent his head and kissed Bel's head before straightening and continuing to brush back his hair. He was excited to learn how to do Bel's hair. He had always done Nico's. It was time for it to be the other way around.
"I'm sure it won't be too long of a walk. It's only breakfast and a little bit of shopping until the rest of our things get here." Well, he may want to spend a little more on Bel. He had very few clothes. He wanted him to have everything he needed at his disposal. Something nicer and more fit for a prince. Proper for the palace. He knew Bel enjoyed the finer things of life. Now that it was practical, he wanted to indulge Bel.
"That sounds good to me," Bel responds, leaning into the feeling of Nico's fingers in his hair. "After we dress, we can go to one little nook my mother took me to. It's the only place I can remember, but I just remember their lovely eggs. Perfect sunny side up, well spiced, a good side of hashbrowns." Bel's mouth waters just thinking about it and it reminds him of the unpleasant taste in his mouth. "I hope it's still there."
It's been a decade since Bel has last been to Blakkast. He went with his mother and siblings, saw his cousins, spent all his time marveling at the waterfalls. He'd love to do it all again, just this time with Nico. However, before Bel can get too much into his little dream, there's another knock at the door. Bel sits up. "I think it's Lynn."
Nico listened to him with a soft expression. He knew Bel missed his mother. Nico missed his own as well. "We'll see if it's still there." He joped it was. He felt like Bel needed this, returning to his roots and revisiting all the places he went with his mother. Nico had done a similar thing a few years ago. It was a good way to honor her memory and remember the good times.
He looked up as he heard a knock on the door. He instructed Bel to stay on the couch as he got to his feet. He walked over to the door and turned the handle, opening it.
Behind the door is Lynn, her eyes wide and her arms full with two garment bags. "Hi," she greets, breathless. "I uh– found some stuff and the seamstress did some uh… minor adjustments. It's not fancy gut if you want fancy you can go back and um. Fix it." She practically shoves the two bags into Nico's arms. "Just ring if you need anything else!" She looks to Nico and then cranes her head to see Bel peering over the back of the couch. "Bye!" And then she scuttles away. The guard puma watches her go with a bored look.
Nico just watched her unamjsed as she rambled. He wished she woukd just give him the clothes and leave. And she finally did. She practically ran away from the door. He shook his head, shutting it and turning to Bel with a raised eyebrow. "I think we need to ask your cousins for a new maid." This one was too skiddish. "I think she moght faint if I look at her wrong."
He walked over to where Bel was seated on the couch. He found a shirt that was tailored to Bel's measurements and held it in his hands. "Robe off and arms up."
"Oh, be nice to her–" Bel chastises softly. "She's doing her job just fine. She's just a little jumpy, that's all." Back in Araniel, Bels always had to deal with his fair share of skittish staff. They hardly talked to bel when all he wanted was a conversation and never saw him as an equal–instead a far superior being yhat could smite them if anything were to go mildly wrong. Bel's always hated that, but it's simply their instinct around royalty.
Bel sighs at Nico's demand, just a small smile hidden beneath his mask. He unlaces the tie holding the sides together and allows the robe to fall down his shoulders and pool around his waist. He sticks his arms up to allow Nico to slide his shirt over his hair. The shirt fits as well as it could without having to go into a tailor. It's a dark gray color with a few teal accents, the colors of Blakkast. "Not bad," he muses. The material is very soft.
Nico wasn't quite sure how she would be able to do her job effectively if she was scared to walk around them. But Bel grew up in this life and he would trust his judgement. Even if he thought it was wrong. With the mask off and his arms up, Nico slid the shirt over his head and helped him maneuver his arms through the sleeves. He tried not think about needles that had been inserted into his sides as Bel's bare chest was in view for a few fleeting moments.
He leaned forward to kiss his forehead gently before grabbing his trousers out of the bag next. Je motioned for Bel to stand, holding the trousers so they would be easy to step into.
Bel laces the top of his newly acquired shirt, cinching it in a practiced manner. After he's done, he finally removes his mask and takes a long, deep breath. There are mirrors indents on the squares of his jaw from where the contraption had especially dug into his skin. As soon as he sees Sella, he must ask for a larger size. His first few breaths of air are much crisper, cleaner than he's noticed in weeks.
"Love–" Bel almost laughs. "I can put om my own trousers, thank you." Despite his words, Bel still steps into them and kisses Nico firmly when their faces meet. "Thank you," he says again, quietly. "For everything."
Nico only smiled and waited for Bel to step into the trousers. When he finally did, he pulled the fabric up his legs until it reached his waist. He let Bel finish buttoning his trousers. He placed his hands on his hips, returning the kiss as Bel stepped close to him. He reached a hand up, tracing the indents the mask had left. His lips pulled unto a frown. "You have nothing to thank me for, my love." Not when his ignorance coukd have gotten him killed.
Nico pulled the other shirt out if the bag and slipped it over his own head. He stood, looking down at Bel. "We should get going, yeah?" As if on que, his stomach rumbled at the thought of food.
"No, love, you saved my life and introduced me to a new world. I thank you for everything." Another few kisses, hoping that they can smooth out Nico's frown. "And yes, we should get going. I hope I remember the back way out. The main entrance goes right by the dining hall and I know my cousins will be overjoyed to see me." He sighs, resting his head on Nico's collarbone. "I don't have the energy to deal with all eight of them right now. Maybe for lunch. After a nap." He smiles and pulls away, finding his boots sitting by the bathroom to slip on.
He pockets the key sitting on the entry-side table and looks back to Nico. "We all ready?"
Nico melted into the kisses, as small as they may be. Bel had him eating out if the palm of his hand. Both of them knew it by now. The frown faded away after the first kissing he responded eagerly. He wasn't going to argue on this anymore. Simply ignoring the issue at hand by bringing Bel in for another kiss. "We'll slip right out then and pray that no one notices us." Nico wasn't sure he was ready for meeting any of Bel's family right now either. Breakfast, some shopping, and then a nap sounded wonderful. Family could wait.
He laces his shoes up before standing and walking over to Bel's side. He reached forward to take his hand before twisting the doorknob. He nodded his head. "I'm ready. Remember, swift and silent." They didn't want to get caught by his family just yet.
"Silent and swift," Bel repeats with a small smile as he opens the door and leads Nico by the hand. They pass the puma resting on the top of the staircase, Bel making sure to stop and scratch her head before descending the stairs. After the first flight, they find themselves in a long hallway. It smells of food and there are young, chattering voices through a large arch in the hallway. Dining hall. There should be an exit near the kitchen… Easy to get food and goods in and out without dragging it through all of the castle. All to familiar with watching his steps within palace walls, Bel drags Nico past the opening, where the prince catches a brief glance of his cousins all around a large table. Loven sits at the head beside an empty chair, looking slightly out of place with her pale skin and scarlet hair.
Luckily, nobody seems to notice, and they continue to the kitchens. There are a couple chefs milling about, talking of the latest morning gossip in Blakkian. Bel notes every word but doesn't care enough about Hildred and Mason to bother staying to listen. He offers an apologetic smile as he weaves past them, muttering apologies in their native language until they reach the open door allowing the morning air into the kitchen.
Nico did not share the same sentiments when it came to the pumas. It was off putting to him. Pumas were wild animals that should remain in the wild. And yet somehow they had been domesticated and trained to be guards and mounts. It was uncanny. He tired not to make his discomfort known as they passed by the guard puma. As they neared the dining hall, he could hear the voices overlapping each other. Young voices. He hoped his roof friend was in there and not flat on the pavement somewhere. Perhaps one day someone could get through to him that climbing on roofs was not a good idea.
Bel led him back into the kitchen. He heard the cooks speaking but didn't understand what they were saying. He needed to remember to have Bel teach him the language. If he could at least learn the basics he would consider it a successful lesson. With some maneuvering, theh finally made it out the kitchen and into the open air. He let it a silent breath of relief. He felt stuffed in the palace. It felt good to be out.
"You alright?" Bel asks, noting Nico's relieved sigh when they're finally on the streets of Blakkast. Unlike Araniel, the palace here connects straight to the surrounding village–no walls, no moats, no awaiting death traps for any intruders. When Bel was little, he thought it absurd for the castle to blend so seamlessly with the town. Now Bel only wants the same for the kingdom awaiting for him. Oh, how nice it would be to wake up and immedietly find the morning market. He would fill his rooms with baubles and trinkets made my kind old women and wide-eyed children. He would stock up on countless spices and learn of brand new imported fruit. Yes. Yes, that would be very nice.
Bel squeezes Nico's hand a little tighter and begins to drag him through the crowd. Bare of anything to prove him royal, Bel mostly weaves through the population without trouble. There are a few bold shopkeepers who belt and brag of their goods, trying to get Bel to stop and look at them, but the prince is far too hungry for shopping. He has a mission. "I think it should be around this corner?" Bel furrows his brow and rounds the block. There it stands. It looks slightly different then Bel remembers, but he knows quite a bit can happen in a decade. The sign has been repainted and the cartoony egg looks a little sillier. The outdoor patio houses many guests, smiling and sipping their teas as they await their breakfast. The surrounding flowerbeds are full of indigo and white peonies. Bel smiles. "It's still here."
Nico nodded at Bel. "I'm alright. Just happy to be out of the palace." He had never grown up in the palace at Araniel. He hadn't even stepped foot in it. He'd only seen it from a distance and even then, it was only a handful of times. He wasn't used to such luxury. He had always been moving around. Staying in their, albeit glorified, tents. He had stayed in a few homes and cottages on longer missions but it was nothing fancy. It had always been just enough to get by. He knew it woukd take time to get used to the palace and even then, he may never fully get used to it.
Nico ignored all the shop keepers, glaring at those that were a little too bold into submission. He was in no mood to deal with vendors. He was hungry. Just thinking of food had his stomach rumbling. He continued to follow Bel, guiding him through the crowd to make sure he didn't run iver anyone in his determination to find this little nook of a restaurant. But it was there. As they turned a corner, Bel stopped in his tracks and Nico almost ran over him. He smiled, squeezing Bel's shoulders and dropping a kiss on the top of his head. "You ready to go inside?"
If Nico wasn't able to handle the Blakkian palace, Bel wonders if he'll ever be able to endure Araniel's. The walls are colder, the floors are bare, the throne room pulses with power that causes even Bel to grow nauseous. Blakkast has a full dining table, the children around them laughing freely and stretching across the table for an extra bread roll. Perhaps it could warm when Bel's father is gone, but he's never quite been hopeful. There's a reason Bel avoids the hallway in which they found his mother's corpse. It smells like soot and blood. The walls sometimes scream.
Shaking away his memories, Bel leads Nico towards the entrance. He can already smell the eggs and hash, making his stomach grumble the closer they get. The young hostess greets them with a smile before leading them towards a newly cleaned table in the center of the restaurant. Before Bel's able to take a seat, he hears someone yell his name. He straightens, searching the crowd until his eyes land on a tall sous chef with shoulder-length black hair and eyes darker than ebony. "Bel? My gods!" They drop their pans and scuttle through the open kitchen to the dining area.
It only takes a moment for Bel to recognize them as Madden, a friend he had made back when he was a boy. "Mads?" Bel answers, abandoning his chair in favor of hugging his friend. He switches almost immediately to Blakkian, knowing that Mads is hardly fluent in common. "It's been too long!"
"Well, a little hard to find anybody with the borders closed for the past decade," Mads snorts, bringing their hands up to ruffle at Bel's hair. They look behind the prince, seeing the blonde awaiting him at a chair. "I'll leave you to it, but we must hang out before you leave again. I have far too much to tell you." Mads smiles at Bel, then to Nico before ducking back to the kitchen for the morning rush.
Bel laughs disbelievingly, shaking his head as he takes a place across from Nico. "An old friend. We used to love coming here as kids. Who knew they would get a job here?"
Nico had his own worries on how he woukd adjust to the palace life, especially when he took his crown and his kingdom. He felt out of place here in the Blakkast palace. Perhaps it could be that it simply wasn't his home but he doubted that. The life, the luxury, it was all so strange to him. So different. But he believed with time he would get used to it. He had to, or else there was no hope for him taking the crown.
He followed behind Bel, placing his hand on the small of his back as they were les to their table. He moved to pull the chair out for Bel to take when someone called his fiance name. He turned his head to see someone approaching them. He took a small step back, watching their interaction. He didn't understand what they were saying. Another reminder to have Bel teach him the language.
He helped Bel into his seat as the friend slithered away into the kitchen. He took the seat opposite of him, smiling gently at Bel. "I'm glad you were able to reunite." And he was. It was good for him to see old friends. Bel needed friends. Ones that weren't Nico or any of his men.
"Me too–" Bel responds, leaning back in his chair to catch a glance into the kitchen. Mads is smiling wide, dimples in their tanned cheeks and glossy, curly hair pulled back into a bun. "Gods, what are the odds?" Bel finds his own smile growing. As much as he, erm, appreciates Nico's friends, he hardly considers them his own. They're harsh and tough and probably still think of Bel as some blubbering weak link that managed to seduce their rock solid leader. No, Bel needs people who know of spice racks and fine tailoring and the delicate art of book binding. Who needs a sword when Bel has plenty of pens to share?
An elderly man approaches their table with a notepad in his wrinkled hands. He asks for drink orders, and Bel just responds with their finest warm tea. After getting Nico's order, he nods and shuffles away. Bel turns his attention to the menu, noting how it's all written in Blakkast's sprawling script. "Do you need any translating?" Bel asks with a raised eyebrow. He's already decided on the dish he remembers so fondly from his childhood. While he ordered from the kids menu, his mother had asked for an Eggs Benedict with a side of rosemary hash. Bel wants the same.
Nico reached across the table to take Bel's hand. He tried not show his protectivness. Not because he was worried about some boy coming to take his prince away. But because he was worried about Bel's illness and wanted to be near if anything were to happen to him. Perhaps he would be able to convince him to meet up at the palace where Nico and plenty of doctors were around to help him if need be. He loosen the need to be so near in time but…he had watched Bel almost die just yesterday. He was utterly terrified. What if something had happened before they reached Blakkast? What if Nico hadn't been there? So much could have gone wrong.
As the old man aporached them to take their drinks, he ordered an orange juice and a water. He turned to Bel, offering a small smile. "It's a breakfast restaurant. I'm sure they have a stack of pancakes, that's all I want. Perhaps tomorrow you can tell me the other options." But right now, he was craving something sweet.
Bel raises an eyebrow at Nico's hold on his hand, but doesn't say anything. He's sure the old man taking their order won't try to flirt with Bel, so it's highly unlikely they'll have a repeat of last time. Bel has to repress his shudder thinking about what had happened, how a beautiful night had turned sour so quickly. They're safe now, within the walls of Bel's mother's home. Nobody would dare touch them with Sella on the throne and with her army dutifully following behind her.
The prince smiles. "Yes, I'm sure they'll have pancakes if that's what you want." Just for safe measures, he scans the menu for the listed item. It's listed under the singular entrees and they come in stacks of three or five. "Ooh, they have about seven different types of syrup–" Bel has never personally been of a fan of the sticky sweetness, but the unexpected blackberry syrup piques his interest. The old man returns with their drinks, Bel's tea in a beautiful white china cup painted with delicate blue flowers. Nico's cups are entirely made of metal and frosted from the chill of the liquid. He could almost laugh at the stark difference, but then the man asks for their breakfast order and jolts Bel out of his mind. He asks for the eggs benedict, cooked well and with a small side of their savory bacon hash. The man nods, turning to Nico.
Nico was not worried the least about the old man they had as their waiter. While he was a little suspicious of this Mads person, he wouldn't say a thing about it. Their interaction had been completely platonic and there was no reason for him to worry. At least not yet. Nico held Bel's hand simply because he wanted to. Because it felt nice to have physical contact with him. And because he had been so close to death, he felt like as long as he was touching him, Bel couldn't slip away from him.
He takes the glass as soon as it's set in front of him and takes a sip from it. It was cool and fresh and it made him smile. It reminded him of home. If there was an orange tree near by, they pick some and squeeze it for breakfast. They didn't do it often. They didn't want to take all the fruit from the trees. But it had been a nice delicacy. He orders his large stack of pancakes with regular syrup as the man turns to him. He also asked for a small side of the blueberry syrup so Bel could have a taste with Nico's pancakes.
