Longer Chapters Should Start To Appear From Now On! - Tumblr Posts

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𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞. 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.

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Hugging the flowers to your chest, you attempted (quite poorly, if you were being honest) to hide your flushed cheeks and pouty lips from the man before you, stuffing the lower half of your face into the petals and taking a deep breath. You couldn't deny the heavenly smell of the blossoms, your vision now slightly obscured by a mesh of various blue hues, the colour that you could only now associate with one person.

Karamatsu couldn't help but to watch you in silence, his dark eyes admiring the way your petite hands clasped themselves around the cut stems, your shoulders and clavicle exposed to the soft light filtering into the small space your dress, though now they were covered in dainty petals as you pressed the bouquet closer to yourself. His mind began to fill with all sorts of ways to describe your elegance and beauty, wanting to remove the white cloth covering his fingers so that he could run his bare fingers over your skin and tresses.

Clearing his throat quietly, he rid his mind of these thoughts as best as he could and licked his slightly dried lips, preparing himself to speak.

"Princess--"

"You--"

The both of you froze, Karamatsu's cheeks darkening at the sound of your voice chiming in alongside his, as did yours, though you were grateful you had the flowers so that he couldn't see this. With a small gesture of his hand, the prince urged you to speak first, to which you shifted uncomfortably in your place, eyes stuck on the flowers bunched in your hands.

"...You didn't need to bring a gift to speak with me, you know," you began quietly, the usual bite behind your words gone as you avoided your original sentence for the time being. "We're not the kind of royals who demand items in exchange for words."

"I am aware," Karamatsu smiled softly, hoping it would encourage you to keep talking with him the way you were doing so now. "Even so, I felt it was necessary if I am to convey these words to you."

"Which are...?" Oddly, your heart began to thud against your chest in anticipation, watching the way his hand moved to run lightly over his coloured streaks of hair before settling it over his chest, looking into your eyes with his rich brown orbs.

"I would like to become closer with you."

The words tumbling from his lips left you in surprise, eyes widening as he continued.

"The same way we did that day we travelled through the forest on horseback, I wish to do that again with you. I must admit, it felt nice to be able to bond with someone after facing so much rejection from other royals I have briefly acquainted..." A quiet huff of laughter left him at that.

"However, I understand that you do not wish to go through with this engagement, and I do not want to force you into yet another unfortunate circumstance," His words became softer, the smile on his lips becoming solemn at its corners as he lowered his gaze, hand pressing firmer against his chest. "So, even if we do not become close as husband and wife, then at the very least, having you as a friend would still warm my heart nonetheless."

Though his heart ached, he knew it would be for the best. Cutting things off earlier into whatever relationship the two of you had begun to form would be much easier, even if it was still painful for Karamatsu to do such a thing. Truthfully, he didn't want to leave, he didn't want to have to give up on you, but if it was something you wanted, he couldn't force anything. Love and friendship are delicate things, preciously moulded by the hands of those who are willing to move forward, and you...

"I don't want you to leave."

Karamatsu's head snapped up, mouth slightly agape as he questioned whether he had heard you correctly, or if he had imagined your words. The crimson staining the tips of your ears and dusting your shoulders told him otherwise. You couldn't meet his eyes, pointing them down towards the few books still laying open and your eyes catching onto the delicately coloured sketch of a baby pink larkspur, the layers bunching together like the skirt of a ball gown.

"I don't... want you to leave," you breathed, squeezing your eyes shut in hopes that it would help you concentrate on what you were saying and not on Karamatsu's twinkling eyes. "I'm sure you've realised this by now, but I'm not used to having such conversations anyone, not even my own parents... Vulnerability has made me weak in the past, and now I believe that becoming hostile towards others is just second nature to me."

A small lull in your voice came and went, ears sensitive to his quiet breaths, and you wondered if he was even breathing at all as he hung onto your every word.

"I know I can't hide away like this forever. I look like more of a coward than anything else, at this point," you sighed. "I know I don't deserve it, but if... if you could..."

This feeling inside of you was so foreign to you. It made you hesitant, made you scared, made you want to back out at the last possible moment, but you knew if you did such a thing you wouldn't get a chance like this ever again - and that thought hurt you more than you thought it would. Swallowing your shallow pride, you forced the words out of your mouth, ignoring that snide voice in the back of your mind telling you to give up already.

"If you could find it in yourself to forgive me for my actions... for what I've said to you... then maybe we could start this over. I want to be patient with you, the same way you have been patient with me."

"... As friends?"

Karamatsu may have been too hopeful, but he wanted to hear it from you nonetheless.

"... Wherever it goes, I don't think I would mind as much." You tried to stay nonchalant about it, though the sudden flush of heat over your skin at the sight of Karamatsu's broad and genuine smile made you fumble, and once you locked eyes, neither of you could bring yourselves to look away. Feeling bold, the prince raised both of his hands and placed them around your own, surrounding them with warmth, the sensation of his gloves brushing against your skin sending a shiver up your spine.

"Thank you, princess." He breathed quietly, the soothing baritone of his voice low for your ears only.

"F-For what?" you responded just the same, the fragrance of hydrangeas now surrounding you both, intoxicatingly sweet.

"For giving me a chance."