My bodyguard // Noah x Michael // Royal AU

6. ~Faint~

Michaels pov:
The next morning, my parents had called me down. I completely forgot about last night, now listening to my parents constant complaining about me.

"And don't you ever disobey Noah, your mother, or I, again. Do you hear me young man?" My father's usual cruel voice to me is echoed, slapping my face hard while he had the chance.
"We have had it with you and your 'do whatever you want' behavior!" My mother's annoying voice chimed in.
"I'm sorry..." I brought my hand to the side on my face my father slapped me on.
"'Sorry' isn't good enough." My father says.

"Go change. You look like shit." My mother's annoying voice cuts in. "Royals do not look like that." She pointed to my outfit. It was a casual skater boy outfit. I had baggy jeans, a belt holding them up, and a dark grey band T-shirt. "You're a prince. Not a motherless teenager."

"Fine. I will if it means getting away from you two assholes." I say to them, about to walk away when I felt a warm harsh hand grab my wrist and pull me harshly towards my father.

"You do not talk to your parents that way!" My mother's voice says again.
"And you don't talk to your son like that. You guys want respect? We'll give me respect and maybe I wouldn't act like this." Of course that only got me in more trouble.

I was used to this grip, but my dad tightened it so bad it felt like he was literally going to break.
"Dad! I'm sorry! Please! Let go!" I struggled to pull away.
"No! Not until you learn your place and act properly! We are your parent. You will respect us." My mother yells.
"No!" I yell by instinct.

My father takes as that chance to backhand me across the face again.
"I'm sorry!" I yell.
"That doesn't matter! You are one pain in the ass!" My father's grip tightened even more. I swore my wrists were going to break.
"I-I'll go change! Please let go!" I stutter out.
My father let go. "Fine. Go change. But you need to be back in five fucking minutes."

I practically stumble backwards as he let go from how fast I ran away. As I ran out the door, I saw Mr. Carter standing there.

"You aren't supposed to be here..." I say quietly to him, my voice only low so my parents don't hear.
Mr. Carter took a moment answer.
"I know, but I heard yelling and as your bodyguard, I have to make sure you're fine." He says flatly. "Are you okay?"

I didn't answer his question.
"Seriously, are you okay?" He repeated himself.
"I'm fine. I'm always okay." I say, watching as Mr. Carter's lips purse at my words.
"You know, I'm not stupid. I can see right through you." He finally says.
"Then don't waste time asking next time." I say, obviously having to make a smart ass comment. "Anyway, I have to go change now. I have a 'very important day' today" I say with air quotes.

Mr. Carter chuckled softly. His worried face still very much active. "As if you don't look great in that."
I hope to god I'm not blushing right now. Like really really hope I'm not. "Thanks... but my parents think it's trashy."
"To hell with what they think." And just like last night, Mr. Caters two fingers lift my chin up to look at his eyes.

I realize that we are in the open and quickly pull back.
"I'm sorry. This is not right. I have to change now!" I turn, quickly heading to my room.
I swore I saw Mr. Carter frown in the corner of my eye but as I was walking away, he grabbed my wrist.
"Wait... I just..." He let go. "Never mind. Go change." His voice dropped along with his face.

As I started walking again, he grabbed my wrist again.
"Michael." He said.
"Hm?"
"Do you ever give yourself a break? You're always doing something. You just barely had time for your friends yesterday." He asked.
"Well... I can't... you don't get it." I don't even bother trying to explain.
"Then explain it to me." He says not even a millisecond after finish talking.
"I'm a royal. I have things to do. I am in line to be the next king. I need to know how to do it right..." I trail off.

I could hear Mr. Carters teeth clench together before speaking again.
"You are 16 years old. You're not just a damn Prince. You're not a robot. You're not a puppet. You're a teenager. You need to take breaks." He tries to explain to me.
"I can't." I say.
"Can't or won't?" He asks, thinking he knows the answer.
"I can't! My parents say I can't! I'm a Royal goddamnit! Royals don't get breaks!" I accidentally yell at him.

"Michael. You aren't just some mindless creature. So stop acting like one. You absolutely deserve breaks. You need breaks. Stop listening to what these brain dead assholes tell you.
"I can't. I'll get in trouble." I explain to him.
"Oh, since when do you care about trouble. Do you even want to be king?" He asks the question I hated. I can't say no because I'll sound selfish, but I really don't want this roll.
"I'm going to change."

Noah's pov:
Already. It's now been 7 hours of Michael doing meet and greets. Crazy. He's clearly exhausted and overworked. He's gotten no breaks whatsoever. It's not like I could do much about it. I would get fired.

"I'm going to use the bathroom." Michael quickly got up before his parents could make a dumb protest. I notice him almost trip, deciding I should follow him.
The bathrooms were stalls so I could walk in while he was in there. He turned around at the sound of me walking in.
"Oh, hey Mr. Carter." He says, not too much energy into it.

"You look exhausted..." I say to his baggy eyed face.
"Mhm..." I watch his eyes unfocus as he twitched once and fainted, falling to the ground before I catch him so he doesn't.

I pick him up bridal style, not realizing how damn light he was until now. I look down at his now very pale face, hearing the door open. God. It was King William.

"Goddamnit! Wake the hell up! You're keeping the damn people waiting." He slapped Michael's face, waking him up.

Before I could say anything to King William, he left the bathroom.
I tightened my grip around his body as I felt him struggle to be put down.
"I'm not putting you down right now."
"Why?" He asks.
"You're in no condition to be standing and walk. Forget doing meet and greets." I explain to him. He was literally shaking.
"Please put me down..." His tired voice says to me.

I took a deep, guilty breath. Debating whether or not I should.
"If I put you down, will you go back out to those damn meetings?"
"I have to." He says.
I started to get a little irritated.
"You do t need to do these damn meetings if you can't even get through half without fainting. You need a break."
"I didn't- I just didn't sleep well..." He lies. His lies are so obvious.
"I can tell you haven't been eating properly too." I say.
"I have been! Stay out of my damn business!" He struggles more in my grip.
"I would but my job is your business. And I'm not gonna let you go if you're literally hurting yourself."
"I'm not hurting myself!" He protects.
"You literally are." I try to stay calm.
"I'm not! I can give You a fucking wrist check." He pulls up his sleeves.
"You know there's more ways to self harm, right." I tell him. "And you're doing it without realizing."
"Im not starving myself." He says. "Or overworking myself. I'm not making these decisions. It's my parents."

I sigh.
"Please let me just bring you to your room." He sighs, giving up.
"Fine."

Words: 1364