The Sole Prince

See, you just had to trust me. [part 1]

The morning comes in slowly. The Gods must have seen the chaos in the middle of the night and realized they both needed some good sleep. Though, as it always does, the sun creeps in between the woodwork, its beams making their way into the room, shining in each of the men's eyes. Sage wakes up first, James' light breathes rippling over his chest and abs. He smiles, now conscious of the contact. Quite quickly the older man realizes that James will be out for a while, beginning to maneuver out from under the younger man without waking him. He makes it, placing an extra pillow where his chest once was, James cuddling up with that instead. Getting dressed happens quickly without the distraction of James pulling him back to bed. Sage makes his way to the dining hall, meeting up with the group after grabbing a platter of food. They say a few hellos and crack many a joke before jumping into business. Eric informs Sage that there's not much to do today, no issues to take care of, rather, which is great news for the captain. He finishes breakfast, picking up food for James, before walking back to the cabin.

Wait, there's one more stop. Sage almost forgot. Coming out from the dining hall, he makes a turn in the opposite direction, making his way to the armory. The pirate currently manning the booth greets him kindly, asking Sage what he wants. An answer comes quickly out of the older man's mouth, soon receiving an assortment of different sized blades. He thanks the pirate, turning on his heels and finally walking back to the cabin.

The slight creak of the wooden door wakes James, lazily opening his puffy eyes after a night of tears. He expects to find himself in Sage's arm, so the pillow underneath him is quite a surprise. Though it's only with a quick turn of the head that he notices the larger man underneath the doorway. His sudden spike of anxiety soothes quickly, seeing the calming outline of Sage, broad shoulders, tapered waist, thick legs. Everything about him, even his serious face that he always has on when he's relaxed, sends an aura of calm.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Sage says quietly, stepping into the room to see James sitting up.

"Morning, captain," James replies, groggy, leaning back against the headboard.

"I brought you breakfast," the older man continues, making his way to the bed. He extends the tray in his hand, James picking it up happily. "And a plethora of swords." The younger man cocks his head to prompt more information out of Sage.

Sage reacts instantly, pulling his coat back to reveal many blades that shine in the sunlight. James almost chokes on his food.

"A little intimidating, don't you think?" the younger man says after finishing his bite. Is he really supposed to learn how to use all of those without hurting himself?

"Well, it's intimidating at first, but I think you'll get the hang of it quickly. Like many things. Like kissing me." Sage smirks, and James' face coats with a light paint of blush. "Training starts after breakfast," Sage says with a smile, walking over to his desk and dumping the blades down with a clink. "I cleared with Eric that I have no captain duties, so today is all about you, my love."

"What fun," James says, deadpan. He's beginning to regret his agreement to this.

"Come on, it'll be a good time. You get to spend time with me," Sage says, turning around at the desk, looking at James before winking. "And we can stop anytime you want. Come on. Just give it a shot."

"Okay, okay, but let me finish breakfast," the younger man saus, giving in, shoveling another bite into his mouth. James continues to eat his food, watching Sage get everything ready for the training session. He organizes the blades on the table, from which ones he wants to start with and which ones he'll throw in at the end just for fun, and clears off clutter from the floor so the someone—James—won't trip.