Eins x Ernst | The Prince's Chambers Continuation

Continuation Part I

*The next day…*

Ernst steps into Eins chambers, again, but to talk. But luckily, the prince does not seem to be writing in his diary, though he is sitting at his desk. “Eins…”

“What is it Ernst, I do not have time right now.”

“Well…     about your diary…”

“Ernst, you are to tell no one about that. Ever. If word ever gets out, there will be no way I will achieve the throne.”

“Of course, your highness.”

“Now, out, Ernst.”

“Yes, Eins~” Ernst exits with that teasing note in his tone, knowing how it annoys Eins, despite him never voicing it. He doesn't go very far from the door, however.

Inside, Eins quietly lets out something that could be called a sigh. He dips his quill into his inkpot as he takes his so-called ‘diary’ out of his desk. He knows he has the bad habit of mumbling what he writes, but he's never bothered to break it. Besides, only Ernst knows about it, and just how many times will he stand in Eins’s doorway before he orders the High Steward out? Of course, Eins knows that he would never do such a thing, only just send him out.

He mumbles as he writes. “I miss my brothers…    and Adele, she's grown up so much…    but I must inspire them to reach for the throne…     Father is still the same...” And suddenly he stops writing.

“Ernst, we need to break this habit of yours.”

“But Eins, it's fun to hear you mutter! And about your siblings and your father, no less!” Ernst chuckles and he again enters. “If only they knew how soft you really are!”

Eins lets something out that's half sigh, half exasperated noise. “Ernst, you must really stop eavesdropping with your ear pressed against my door. I can tell, you know.”

“Ah ah, but by then, it's too late~” Ernst says playfully, draping his arms around Eins’s neck. His fanciful white hat drops over one eye, which Eins immediately fixes, then frowns.

“Ernst, by now I could compile a list of bad habits of yours that would be good to break. Hat included.”

Ernst mock-pouts. “But you know how much I love my hat!”

Eins takes Ernst’s hat off and exaggerates putting it carefully down on his desk. “I wouldn't want to damage your beloved hat, then.”

Ernst fakes a shocked expression. “Prince Eins, His Royal Highness, using sarcasm?”

“Shut up, Ernst.” As a child, Eins had a habit of taking strands of his hair and playing with them. It is prominent now, as he takes a lock of hair into his hand absently.

“Oh? What is this?” Eins realizes, belatedly, that it is not his dark purple hair in his hand, but Ernst’s white hair. With what could be mistaken as haste he lets go.

“It is merely nothing, Ernst.” Eins’s sharp fingers now find his own hair and twists it. He realizes, again, that Ernst’s hair was soft in his hand. He scolds himself, saying in his mind that he's turning into Kai - which actually might not be the worst thing in the world. After all, one could become like Leonhard, with far below average intellect and a driving taste for sweets.

“Oh?” Ernst says again. “It seems that you have habits we need to break as well.”

Eins winds his hair around his finger, cursing to himself that why did he have to pick such an annoying childhood friend. He was small then, and he knows it can't be helped, but Ernst has grown more annoying throughout their years together - god, that sounds disgustingly wrong, Eins thinks - and knowing about Eins’s childhood habits that haven't been broken doesn't help.

Almost absently, Eins says something quietly under his breath. “Just like that one habit of yours.”

“Which one?” Ernst apparently overheard what Eins said and now settles his chin on top of Eins’s head and his white hair dropping into Eins’s face. In this position, he's able to do that, because while Eins is sitting he is slightly taller. Of course, under normal circumstances when they aren't alone, it would be undignified.

“You know which one, Ernst.” Eins pointedly looks forward. He watches Ernst’s hair sway slowly, near his own.

“No I don't.” Ernst is whining now, and for some reason he's nuzzling his cheek against Eins’s dark hair.

“That habit.” Eins roughly shoves his head up, and apparently Ernst was surprised, or otherwise he would ignore it and keep on with that insistent nuzzling. Instead, though, right now he's steadying himself against the chair Eins is sitting in.

Ernst pouts wordlessly and presses his cheek against Eins’s.

“Now, stop that.” Eins pulls away from his High Steward’s cheek, but still he is trapped by Ernst’s arms.

Truly exasperated now, Eins sends Ernst away.

Ernst complains, but he cannot disobey a direct order from the prince, so he reluctantly goes away.

“Good riddance.” Eins turns back to his so-called ‘diary’, and he notices that he forgot to give Ernst his hat back. He picks it up up and walks over to his open window.

In a childish display, Eins throws the thing outside. It spins, finally landing softly on a high rose hedge. It shall be ruined by the thorns, Eins thinks, almost happily, good, because I never liked the over decorated thing anyways.

He turned back to his desk and picked up his quill once more, dipping it into his inkpot, and begins to write.

It is rare that Eins ever smiles.

Word Count: 918

(A/N): From here on out it'll be my writing now, everyone.