prinxiety one shots

You're hurt

"You're hurt."

I yelped, twisting around, sending another flash of pain through my abdomen. My hand shot down, eyes watering as I squinted back at the prince.

It was late; most of the palace had already retired for the night. I hadn't expected to have to see him until at least tomorrow. He looked furious. Great. Just great. I didn't bother to withhold a groan at that as I eased to sit back down on the edge of the bathtub. 

I'd snipe that he couldn't just storm into my rooms, but unfortunately he owned them so I couldn't exactly do that.

"I got your information-" I stopped, as his shadow fell over me. Close. So close. He sucked in a breath, shoulders tensing. 

He reached past me, picking up the rag from the sink and dabbing at the wound on my skin.

I shivered at the brush of warm water and stared at him, wide-eyed, not entirely certain what was happening. Maybe he'd actually died or fallen into a parallel universe where he wasn't evil. His jaw was tight with tension, hands carefully controlled.

"Names," he bit out.

"Names?" I brow furrowed. "But you wanted-"

"The names," he clarified, "of the people who did this to you."

"I mean, we didn't stop to chat."

"You research your heists well, thief. I know you know who they are."

Well, okay, maybe I did. But I certainly wasn't planning to tell him. That wasn't the information he was working for, and I didn't see why it was such a big deal anyway. "It didn't compromise the mission," I said. "So it's not relevant. And I can -" I made a grab for his hand. "I can do this myself, your highness."

"You." His voice dropped to a growl. "Are hurt. Nobody hurts my people without retaliation."

"I'm not officially your people. That defeats the purpose of-" I stopped at the look on his face. I then realised my  hand was still in his and yanked it back as if I had been burnt.

What. Was. Happening.

Well, most likely, he was being himself - the Dragon Prince. Possessive of anything he considered his property, which was everything, as people were no more than things.

"You will give me the names," he said, even as he continued to clean the blood away as if he was capable of gentleness. "And I will send my guards after them, and they will pay for this."

"I'm not giving you the names." My heart pounded. "And you can't make me. You need my services too much and you clearly don't want me tortured, because if you torture me I can't work and that's what this hissy fit is about."

"Hissy fit."

"And I'll report all of the info from the mission when I'm done here, so you really don't have to-"

"They hurt you."

I stopped a second time, unsure why he kept repeating that line. I studied him, a little more closely and..."Wait. Are you worried about me?" I asked. "Like, feeling human emotions about someone?"

"You're an investment."

"Oh my god."

He scowled at me. "I can have you executed, you know."

"You're getting blood and soapy water all over your fancy elitist prince clothes for me. You're not going to execute me." I didn't know entirely how I felt about that certainty, or about - Wait... Did he like me? This wasn't how he usually acted, usually he was cold and dismissive and generally a tyrant. If he liked me...

Well, he said it himself. He made a habit of always getting what he wanted. A shiver ran down my spine and I held still, nervously, pain still throbbing up my side and blurring the edges of the world as my adrenaline crashed.

"Don't look up the names," I said, once the bandages were in place. To be honest, I was a little surprised he even knew how to wrap a bandage. "They were just doing their job. They - I don't want people hurt. I don't want them punished. I'm not you."

"The monster that I am."

"You've threatened and blackmailed me into spying for you." My voice shook. I felt abruptly exhausted, and hurt, and I needed walls around him but my guard was low and so when I met his eyes my expression was entirely too raw. "You don't get to act like the good guy or the hero. It's your orders I got hurt on. If you actually care about that, listen to what I want and not what your creepy sense of pride is telling you about people touching things that you think are yours."

His eyes had gone wide, as if no one had ever dared talk to him in such a way in his entire life. It might have been funny in other circumstances. I looked down. "Please."

"Get some rest, thief," he said, finally. "I'll expect your report at lunch."

He didn't ask him for the names again.

                                                      Bluebadger19