Better Left Unsaid

11

The four princes' sat Heine down in the couch of the room. They stood with proud smiles. Well, it was mostly Bruno who stood proudly, the other three were still delighted nonetheless.

"I hope the plans we have made for the benefit of your well-being will satisfy you." Bruno confidently announced.

"You really didnt-"

"Nonsense!" Bruno interrupted the tutor. "As your student I feel obligated to worry for you." I'm afraid he's lost his mind. "Now!" Perhaps that was my fault. "I vow to work harder to take the least amoubt of your time. I will keep myseld from interrupting you as much as I can."

"Oh! Me next!" Licht excitedly stepped forward and pushed Bruno over to the side. The poor prince nearly fell. "I vow to keep focused as much as possible!"

"I vow to sleep less." Kai followed up.

"I-I vow to..." Leo hesitated and fidgeted nervously. "...to try even harder in my studies." Not the first time. Heine smiled. The four nervously looking down at him.

"You already try hard enough. You have no need to do this, it's my duty to serve you when you need." He stood up. "Besides, it was not you four that caused me to make such an embarrassing mistake. I appreciate your concern but I would feel burdened if I was the cause for your struggles."

"We know that but-" Leo started interrupted by Licht.

"You're family!"

~

"Why do you help me?" Heine whispered, careful not to wake any of the others around them in the sewer.

"Why shouldn't I?" Victor looked to him.

"Because there's no doubt that you're a higher class."

"My class has nothing to do with my way of thought." He frowned, leaning on the wall. "Besides...I hate the way my class thinks. I believe everyone deserves a chance. I help you because you need it not because I'll gain something out of it."

"Where did you learn to think like that?"

"You."

"You've lost your mind."

"You could say that." Victor's lips quirked up into a soft smile. "But-I don't know-you and all these others kids are like family. I wish I could give you all the world you deserve. A world where this isn't your daily life. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the future."

Heine chuckled, "You're rambling."

"Sorry."

"You're too passionate about this."

"I have right and need to be."

"I know." Heine looked up at him with a smile. "It's amusing."

"You're too cynical."

"Sorry, guess we both have flaws."

"What's new?" Both quietly giggled. Their giggling interrupted by Heine yawning. He leaned on Victor, his eyes drooping down.

"I have to get going."

"Stay for a little while longer." He closed his eyes. "Don't leave me yet."

~

The door shut quietly. A small smile on his face as he thought about the ridiculous plan the Princes' came up with. He chuckled at such ideas, bringing a hand up to fix his glasses. As intelligent as the princes' may be, it's easy to forget how childish they actually are. They will eventually learn better.

"Heine!" He jolted, glasses flying and landing on the ground. He hurriedly picked them up and turned. He put them on and found none other than Victor sitting at the table in the room.

"You shouldn't scare me like that."

"I'm sorry." Victor smiled. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Waiting for me in my room?" Heine raised a brow. He slowly made his way to the table. "A bit odd, don't you think? Not like I really care. You are the king, after all."

"What does my Kingmanship have to do with this?"

"You still have authority over me." Heine sat in the chair opposite to Victor.

"Well, if you go by the ideas of the great philosophers, you should have authority over me."

"Guess we're equals, then."

"If only..." Victor trailed off, looking down at the table.

"What did you want to tell me?" Heine interrupted whatever thought was building in Victor's head.

"Right." Blue eyes flicked back to him. "You."

"Me?"

"Yes, I'm concerned."

"You have no need to be."

"You seem off lately."

"I can assure you that I'm fine." Blue eyes studied him, searching for some kind of sign against his words.

"Alright." A silence filled the room. Tension filled with something left in the air, leaving it up to them to decide who would start. Victor clearly had something on his mind. All told by the stern look on his face.

"I don't know why you're concerned about me, I'm more concerned about you." Heine muttered, dropping his guard knowing full well that they aren't entirely alone. Guards are always around even if its outside the door. He ignored that fact and relaxed anyway. "You tend to forget to care for yourself."

"I don't really have much choice in that."

"I know." Heine's eyes shifted down to the table. "But the world is hard to hold up alone, isn't it?"

"Who says I'm holding it up alone?" Heine looked back up  meeting Victor's eyes. "My people create the nation but they also hold it up. Without then I am nothing. The same goes for every relationship. We hold each other up, don't we?"

"I..." He paused for a moment to find the right words. "I'm not sure."

"What do you mean?" Victor raised a brow in question.

"This that we have... it's strained. It's become so thin that it could break at any moment."

"I don't-"

"Victor, I'm losing you." Heine grew anxious with Victor not responding. Even more so as his face slumped into a frown.

"What makes you say that?"

"Don't you wish there was no risk to doing this?"

"Heine-"

"Don't you wish that we didn't have to watch our words or actions? Don't you hate it that one slip up could ruin our lives?" Frustration built up within him, anger seeping into his voice. "Are you not sick and tired of me because you have to do so much just to keep the secret?"

"Heine." Victor stood up from his chair, making a quick stride to Heine. He shifted the chair the smaller sat in to his direction as he kneeled down. Once he was down, he brought his hands up to Heine's cheeks and moved closer. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Of course I hate that we have to be so strained. Of course I wish there wasn't a risk to this." He leaned in closer. "But I will never grow tired of you over this."

"How do you know?" Heine's voice broke.

"Because," He looked into amber eyes, taking note of the emotion that filled them. "I love you."