a Lout and a Prince

Part 23

Cale's face was unusually somber. Alberu didn't comment initially, he didn't want to lay any additional stress upon him.

It was really when Cale took up rest in his lap, wordless and melancholy, that Alberu couldn't restrain his curiosity any longer.

"Is there something wrong?" He ran his hand up and down Cale's back gently, hoping to offer him some comfort.

Cale shook his head and hid his face in the crook of Alberu's neck. "Bad time of year." He said vaguely but that was enough.

Alberu's rather detailed research into Cale's life wouldn't neglect to note the date his mother passed away. Alberu knew better than most how much that meant. He held Cale securely in a hug and continued to pet him gently. "Sorry to hear that." He said, feeling wretched that he couldn't say more. On impulse he added. "...do you want to talk about it?"

Cale shook his head again, curling up miserably. As though he couldn't make up his mind, Cale's voice filled the quiet room containing only the pair. "...I hate that place."

"What place?"

There was a long silence before Cale chose his words again. Alberu had nearly thought that Cale had fallen asleep in his arms.

"There's this piece of shit village in a piece of shit area of the territory–if she'd never gone to that fucking place–"

His voice was truly full of spite and such vitriolic hatred that it caught Alberu momentarily off guard. He could understand though. Cale described, bit by bit, his feelings of resentment and regret.

How much he wished that he'd begged his mother to stay home that day.

How he wished that place would just disappear from the map.

How he missed her.

His body trembled in Alberu's arms but he didn't cry. He allowed Alberu to comfort him, to hold him, to caress his body and listen to the ugly words of his heart.

Alberu's heart ached. He knew there was nothing he could really do to make it better. All he could do was stay and listen. Be there at his side and kiss Cale's trembling lips when the words became too much.

He wanted to give him the world. Anything and everything he wanted. He settled for giving his time and affection.

But he couldn't help but remember later on just how fixated Cale's thoughts had been on that largely blameless village, as though he couldn't help but think of it when he was at his worst.

And when Alberu couldn't find Cale anywhere else, something akin to terror made its home in his heart.

It was probably a bad thing that he was so drunk.

Probably a very bad thing.

Cale didn't have a whole lot of experience being legitimately drunk and so his impulse control under such stress was greatly limited by his experiences.

"You son of a bitch–!"

With an iron will that didn't dare let him trip, Cale closed the distance between himself and the bastard who dared to show his fucking face. It was quite a feat considering he'd been leaning entirely on Roksu or support only moments ago.

Bob didn't have the time to react or say anything before he was pinned against the door caged between Cale's arms. Cale's glare was as sharp as ever, even when clouded with far too much liquor.

In a way, it was nostalgic. The last time Cale was this inebriated was his 'first' meeting with Bob.

He had half a mind to bite Bob again this time.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!"

Bob opened his mouth, possibly to answer his question but Cale slapped a palm over his mouth with a paradoxical cry of "Shut up!"

Bob's brown eyes were wide and swimming with all sorts of emotions but Cale could trace worry among them and that pissed him off even more.

It didn't help matters to see up close just how handsome Bob was, even while wearing a cloak and concealing half his face behind a veil. Beautiful and enchanting and all Cale wanted was to slap him silly and then kiss him senseless.

He wanted to demand answers right now. While his brain was still thronging with determination and his heart was still full of courage. It was just really distracting that Bob was so stupidly handsome.

Bob's hand reached up and held the hand that Cale had used to muter him before he kissed the palm of Cale's hand. Which of course caused Cale to pull away in shock, heart throbbing in his chest.

Bob opened his mouth to speak again but Cale didn't want to hear it.

The bastard kissed his palm while maintaining eye contact the whole time. He had no understanding or respect for Cale's fucking freyed nerves. The dirty bastard.

Fuck it.

He was biting the bastard.

He took hold of the hand Bob had dared to touch him with and brought it to his lips, biting down with enough force to make Bob wince. That was a bit satisfying.

...Cale didn't like the pain on Bob's face though... bleary minded from the alcohol and feeling guilty for his act, he licked the bite mark apologetically.

Then he remembered that he was supposed to be mad and growled up at Bob with another glare. "You shitty bastard."

Bob's free hand caressed his cheek gently and for a moment, Cale just wanted to give in. Forget all the reasons he was frustrated, confused, or angry. So what if he was being toyed with? Who even cared if he could feel this good.

The short-sighted and hedonistic desire filled him and he almost surrendered to it.

'...I really need to sober up.'

That had been his original plan, hadn't it? And then Bob showed up and destroyed his plans like the crazy and stupid bastard that he was and no–Cale wasn't going to let him ruin his plans. Fuck that.

Cale let out another growl and grabbed Bob by the collar, turning around and dragging Bob further into the inn. He didn't even notice that the innkeeper had apparently made himself scarce. He really didn't give a fuck about anyone or anything else.

Dragging Bob all the way to his alcohol bottle strewn room, he shoved the confused man onto the mattress before flopping down on top of him and curling up sleepily.

Without a single explanation or allowing Bob a word in edgewise, Cale kidnapped him and fell asleep atop of him.

Alberu's eyes traced the curves of Cale's sleepy drunken face and the surrounding proof to Cale's inebriation before he sighed, pulling a blanket over the pair of them and hugging Cale gently to his chest.

That hadn't gone quite how he'd expected and he still hadn't recovered from walking in to see Cale draped over another man.

It struck him for the first time that if he had ever succeeded in ending things, he would have had to endure sights like that.

He held Cale to him tightly and buried his face in his hair, breathing in his scent and finding solace in having him so close by.

He wouldn't have been able to tolerate that.

He'd hardly tolerated his own misguided jealousy with himself, how the hell was he supposed to tolerate seeing Cale with other people? Finding happiness with someone else?

The thought alone was intolerable.

If the man from before had even the slightest intentions towards this beloved man, Alberu would pay any amount of gold to make him disappear.

'...I've really gone crazy.'

Alberu closed his eyes, relieved at least that he found Cale. That he finally had his precious person in his arms.

He'd never let him go again.