The Idea of You (Bdoc Royal AU)

Chapter Nine: He Knows

[Day Eight]

It felt like it had been ages since Bdubs was last in his favorite room of the kingdom. The top of the east tower, with no source of manmade light. It wasn't necessary, as the cone ceiling and the round walls were covered with large windows, allowing sunlight to flood the room, covering the various canvases and frames scattered throughout the painting room. He loved spending hours mindlessly painting. It was his escapism.

However, as he cleaned his brush to switch the color, there was a soft knock at the door. "Hello?" he asked, looking over.

"Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but Keralis basically shoved me up the stairs to come to talk to you," Doc explained.

He sighed into a tired smile and placed the glass with the brush down on the stool next to him. "Well, come in then." When the prince stepped into the room, he looked around the area until his eyes fell on the canvas behind Bdubs.

The shorter prince couldn't help but notice that he was still wearing the bracelet he bought him. In all honesty, he expected him to toss it. "He said you had something to tell me?"

Ah, right, that. He gestured to another stool and Doc complied. Bdubs wiped off his brush and lifted a dark purple color from his palette and began to paint. "I've been thinking about the marriage, and I think I have a decent idea. I know you don't want this any more than I do, so I'm thinking we can find a way to convince our fathers to let us rule from our respective castles, but keep the kingdoms united," he explained.

"So... the marriage would just be for show?" the hybrid slowly clarified.

He shrugged before continuing to delicately paint the background. "Yeah. I mean, I'm sure a lot of people are expecting that anyways."

The moment he glanced over he wished he hadn't. The Oropolian prince was looking away, but the flush to his cheeks and ears wasn't hidden. "But, what if, hypothetically, it wasn't just for show. And we ruled from the same place," he spoke quietly and slowly glanced back over. Bdubs turned back to his painting and just stared at it.

"Well, I know that you wouldn't want that," he lied.

"But what if I did?"

He wasn't sure how to answer. Doc deserved an honest response, but he couldn't figure out what exactly that was. The guilty feeling was bubbling inside his gut and he wished the other prince was better at hiding his emotions.

He didn't know when he figured out how Prince Doc felt about him.

It could've been yesterday when he gave him the bracelet. Or a few days prior, when he made him blush just by smiling.

Or maybe, he's known since the moment they were reunited.

Regardless of when he realized it, it didn't matter, because he chose to ignore it. He pretended he didn't notice in hopes that maybe, just maybe, it'd go away. He didn't want to acknowledge it because he felt bad.

Because he didn't feel the same way.

At least, he wasn't sure how he felt.

But in the end, whatever he felt didn't matter. Because in the end, they'll be married whether he wants it to happen or not.

Maybe he could find himself reciprocating Doc's feelings, but for now, he was just... confused. So he gave as honest of an answer as he could.

"Then... I don't know," he slowly responded.

He could feel Doc's eyes boring into him as he continued to paint but pushed through it. The air was awkward and he didn't know what to do besides continue his painting.

"Your painting," the prince whispered. "It's so... dark. If you don't mind me asking, why are you painting phantoms?"

Bdubs set down his supplies and took a small step back. He was drawing a giant phantom in the night sky, only he had raised the horror factor and made the creature more grotesque. "I like to paint my fears and make them scarier than they are, in hopes that when I do encounter it in the future, I'll realize they aren't so bad," he explained with a small smile.

The stool creaked and he glanced over once again. Doc had stood up and was hesitantly walking closer. He stepped to the side, a silent invitation to look closer.

"This is amazing, you're very talented," he complimented as his eyes covered every inch of the canvas.

"Thank you," he murmured. His eyes drifted to the other canvases scattered in the messy room. They were mostly bright; paintings of flower fields, the forest, different magical creatures, his family and friends, but there were some hidden under cloths, or behind the brighter paintings.

One of him being torn to pieces under the weight of his crown.

Another of magic bursting through his veins as if it were blood.

The other fear paintings were leaning up against the wall in the back. There were only three; heights, the dark, and bees. All of which he's over.

"Hey, is everything okay?" He was snapped from his daze as a warm hand touched his shoulder. Doc was staring at him with great concern.

"Hm? Oh, sorry, yeah I'm fine! Just spacing out a little is all," he assured him. The hybrid pulled his hand away to fidget with the bracelet.

"Anyways, I'll leave you be. I should probably get back to packing my things before we go to Oropolis tomorrow."

Bdubs didn't know what came over him. If anything, maybe he should've let him leave. The time to himself might have helped him figure things out. But, after being reminded of the hidden paintings surrounding him, having those terrible feelings resurface in his mind, perhaps that's what compelled him to suddenly blurt out;

"Wait, you can stay if you want."

The way Doc just blinked at him while the flush color returned to his cheeks made him partially regret it. Mainly because he realized that he may be unintentionally leading him on. I can't get his hopes up if I'm not even sure I could reciprocate his feelings.

And yet he still found himself softly smiling as the hybrid slowly sat back down on the stool.

At least now he knew what he could paint next when he found the time.

His uncertainty.