Stephen White and his Huntsman (boyxboy)

Chapter 1

Stephen White, now eighteen, scrubbed at the granite floor of the grand Avill castle.

His muscles moved tightly underneath his ragged shirt. His loosely shredded pants did nothing to protect his sore knee from the hard surface floor. He could feel the cold granite through his bare toes, not having any shoes to wear.

Giving a heavy sigh, he placed the scrub brush in the bucket and stood up.

The room spun dizzily for a second, and Stephen swayed back, eyes half shut.

"Whoa! Easy there." Stephen snapped out of his stupor and looked up to see Roderick looking down at him with concern.

"Are you okay, your Highness?" He asked coolly, bright hazel eyes staring down into Stephen deep, dark ones.

Stephen straightened up.

"Yes. Just felt faint for a moment. Thank you."

Roderick glanced down at his sack and dug around in it.

"Here." Roderick held a shiny red apple at him.

"Oh, uh thank you." Stephen took the apple graciously.

"No problem. Mind sitting down with me?" Roderick asked.

"Not at all." Stephen replied.

They sat down on the granite bench, and Stephen munched at his apple while Roderick took another one out for himself.

"So how was hunting today?" Stephen asked. "Catch any game?"

"Plenty. The forest was quite generous today." Roderick replied, his light brown hair swayed when he talked. It was so long it reached the space between his shoulder blades and over his shoulders.

He was taller than Stephen by a foot and more broad in muscles. His eyes were a glistening hazel that reflected bits of sunlight like sparkling gold. It took Stephen everything he had not to stare.

They sat by each other, quietly eating their apples until they were both done.

"Well, I better be off now," Stephen said, standing up. "I still have a great many chores to do."

He turned to go but stop when he saw Roderick standing right in front of him. Their chests were only an inch away, and Stephen stared deep into Roderick's gorgeous, hazel-brown eyes.

"Will I be seeing you again today?" Roderick asked curiously, but there was another tone beneath his words - one almost undetectable.

"Perhaps," Stephen answered, coolly.

Neither of them made a move to close the distance between them. Warmth radiated between the two, spreading an electrical current.

"Are you sure?" Roderick whispered, leaning his head down. He never took his eyes off the red-haired beauty in front of him.

"I suppose we will have to wait and see." Stephen murmured back. He lifted his nose and brushed it faintly against the tall man.

"Roderick!"

Both boys raised their head at the direction of the shout.

Standing a few feet away was an older man. He had short light brown hair with a matching beard and cold hazel eyes. He wore the insignia of the castle's Head Huntsman on his dark green tunic.

"We need to head out again." He said firmly, authority etched clear in his speech.

"Yes, father," Roderick replied. He looked back at Stephen. Stephen gave a faint smile.

"I'll see you around." He said, a gleam in his eyes, before walking away.

Before turning around to his father, Roderick took a glance at Stephen's bottom. Then he began to walk towards his direction.

He ignored the suspicious glint in his eyes.

"You should be more careful." Roderick's father told him.

"What do you mean?" Roderick feigned innocence.

"With his Highness." The Huntsmen elaborated. Roderick's eyes flickered over to where Stephen was now bending over a well.

"I have not the slightest clue what you are talking about." He said smoothly. "Come on. We better get going."

He felt his father grip his forearm.

"Don't play ignorance with me." He scolded.

Roderick yanked his arm from his father grasped and stared stonily at him.

"I think the rum is getting to your head." He hissed icily. At this remark, Roderick's father winced.

Roderick walked away, and his father sighed, following after him.

From the high arch window of the stone castle, Queen Harrica watched this exchanged.

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My I wonder what that was between Stephen and Roderick. (;