ever after

redmancy | tobi-q

continuation to "wish"???

···

a month had passed since the kiss, and a lot has changed between the two.

qq thought kissing him would get all the feelings she had towards him out of her system. however, she knew she should've trusted her science knowledge. guys thought of kissing as nothing, but girls did. and boy was she right.

kageyama thought the kiss was for fun. he thought she didn't mean anything by it, since she could do anything as she was the princess. after all, he was only her mere servant.

and so came the night of the princess' coming of age ball, where her parents invited princes worldwide to come, seeing their daughter didn't take any liking to the princes they brought before.

the ball was scheduled to start at seven in the evening, and qq was to start it by playing two pieces on the harp.

she was afraid. sure, she had plenty of experience performing for an audience, but she still couldn't help feeling scared. she always thought of the many possible negative outcomes, which fueled her anxiety.

"your highness? are you ready?" kageyama said as he knocked on her bedroom door sharply at six thirty.

she tugged a little at the dress, then slipping her feet into a pair of strappy silver heels, "yeah, give me a moment!"

kageyama could pretty much feel her anxiety through the door. knowing her, she was probably walking around in circles. which was exactly what she was doing before he called.

"may i come in?" he asked tentatively.

a pause, then, "sure."

turning the doorknob gently, he opened the door slowly before seeing her back facing him. he entered and closed the door gently.

"is everything alright, your highness?" he asked.

"just fine and dandy!" her voice went higher by an octave.

he didn't know what to say. he knew she hated feeling weak and depending on others. anyway, he wasn't fantastic with words either. however, he felt the need to do something. slowly, he walked forward until he could reach out and just touch her.

"your highness, what i'm about to ask is probably... no, scratch that, definitely not my place to say," he said, trying to keep his voice leveled.

"sure, what is it?" she asked, feeling his presence behind her.

"m-may i hug you?"

her eyes widened, but thankfully, he couldn't see it. her heat slammed against her ribcage painfully, just as kageyama felt his cheeks burn up.

just as he was about to revoke and apologise for his request, qq replied softly, "yes, you may."

wait, what? she actually granted him permission?

she turned around on her heel and stretched her arms open slightly and awkwardly, a timid smile on her face. slowly, he took another step forward and opened his own arms, wrapping them securely around the princess. her arms looped around his somewhat small waist, and she buried her head into his suit while making sure her tiara wasn't poking him. he could feel her hands quivering, and he hugged her even tighter.

"you're going to be alright, your highness," he said, fully aware of the wrong he was doing.

but could he just enjoy it even for a little bit? the touch of the princess, the feeling of her in his arms?