Eyes on the Prize

Part 7

Cain blinked as the man dressed in white and gold stepped into the light from the pillar in the shadows behind the princess. His prince, she had called him. Well, he certainly looked like a prince. Cain swallowed, his eyes raking over the man from head to toe as he approached slowly.

The man had hair the color of sweet brown sugar that fell in soft waves around his face. His mask, unlike Cain's own, extended from his hairline down over his forehead to his cheek bones, leaving only a small part of his thin nose showing. His honey colored eyes sparkled warmly as if he was enjoying the look Cain gave him and a small smile graced his thin lips.

He stopped a pace from Cain and bowed in a flourish holding out his white gloved hand to Cain. "I – I don't dance," he muttered but accepted the man's offered hand and received a smile in return.

'You'll do fine,' the man mouthed, and led Cain out onto the dance floor, drawing him around in front of him. Reaching for Cain's other hand; the man gave him a small smile, and placed the hand on his own shoulder before placing his own hand on Cain's waist. 'Relax,' the man mouthed again and Cain exhaled a breath, releasing the tension he felt and the man took the first step, gently leading him in a waltz.

He only stumbled slightly, but the man didn't seem bothered by his own blundering and smiled his reassurance as Cain caught the beat of the dance and soon they were sliding over the dance floor with ease.

As his steps evened out though, Cain's mind drifted to other things, and he sighed softly. He blinked as he felt a gentle squeeze of his hand and looked at the masked man he was dancing with to see concern in his honey colored gaze.

'Are you all right?' the man mouthed.

Cain nodded. "It... it's nothing," he murmured. He really felt like an idiot to be thinking of someone else when he was with someone... he didn't even know when he had started liking men... well, some men apparently... it had started with Glitch...some time or another. And even if there were similarities between the two, this man was not Glitch. His eyes and hair were too light for one thing... even if he was attracted to him, it... he swallowed. It made him feel bad for having such feelings toward this man.

The man nodded and they stopped, but his hand was not released. Instead, he was led out onto the terrace that was bathed in moonlight, overlooking the garden. "Y-you," Cain heard himself stammer and cursed himself for it. "You were the one leaving me flowers, weren't you?"

The man rolled his honey eyes but a smiled played at his lips and he nodded. 'Isn't that obvious?' he mouthed.

Cain couldn't help the blush that crept over his cheeks.

"Do – do I know you?" Cain asked.

The man nodded.

"You – you don't look familiar."

The man smiled.

Cain opened his mouth to say something but the man moved forward and held a gloved finger to his lips "Shh," he murmured and Cain blinked hearing the first sound from the man all night. The man smiled at him and reached into the pocket of his jacket and removed a lavender rose with gold glittering from the tips of its petals. Holding it up, he twirled between his fingers a moment before he reached out and trailed it lightly along Cain's cheek beneath his mask down to his chin making him shiver.

The man smiled at his reaction and held the rose out to him and Cain took it slowly, blinking. 'Until tomorrow night then,' the man mouthed and bowed before turning on his heel and departing, leaving Cain staring after him in confusion.