Yuna kissed ethan. They pour their tounges into each other.
Yuna pulled away before Ethan could react properly, a small laugh escaping her lips as she quickly ran toward the stairs. "Now you can't take that back," she teased softly. Ethan stared at her in silence for a moment before shaking his head faintly, the corner of his mouth lifting again despite himself.
The sound of yuna retreating footsteps echoes off the stone walls as you flee down the corridor. Ethan's boots click sharply behind her, each step heavier than hers. She can hear his breathing quickening, a rare sign of anything besides perfect control.
"Stop!" he commands, his voice losing its cold edge for something sharper—surprise mixed with anger. "You cannot simply... do that."
When he catches up to you near the grand staircase, his hand closes around her arm. Not gently; his grip is firm enough to halt her escape completely. His face is flushed slightly from exertion and something else—confusion perhaps?
"What was that?" he demands, pulling her closer so there's barely space between her bodies. His other hand comes up to cup her jaw forcefully. "An attempt at affection? Or another one of your childish games?"
His thumb brushes over her lower lip where she kissed him moments ago.
"...Ethan, did you like it".
Ethan's fingers tighten on her jaw, his knuckles turning white. For a moment, his grey eyes lose their calculated hardness, replaced by a raw confusion that flickers across his features. The question hangs in the air between her, daring him to admit what his body already knows.
"Like it?" he repeats slowly, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "That was reckless. Unbecoming of a princess and entirely inappropriate behavior." Despite his words, he makes no move to release her. Instead, his thumb continues its slow, deliberate exploration of herr lips.
His gaze drops to her mouth again, lingering there as if memorizing every detail. "You think such things are a game? A way to earn my favor?" He leans in closer, invading her personal space until she can feel the warmth radiating from his chest. "Is that what this relationship has taught you? To use physical displays instead of proper decorum?"
"Ethan.....I love you and I know you don't love me"
The declaration hangs between them, stark and unexpected. Ethan's expression hardens instantly, his grip on her jaw becoming painful. The vulnerability that flashed across his face vanishes behind a mask of royal indifference.
"Love?" he scoffs, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. "Don't speak of things you clearly know nothing about. Your affection is a childish fantasy born from loneliness, not reality."
He releases her abruptly and takes a step back, creating distance as if physical separation could erase the intimacy of the kiss. His hands ball into fists at his sides.
"I am a villain, not some common stable boy for you to pine after," he says sharply. "My duties require a partner who understands her place - one who respects boundaries and maintains proper decorum."
Despite his harsh words, his gaze keeps returning to her lips - the same ones she just claimed with hers. The conflict is visible now; beneath the layers of pride and duty lies something much more complicated.
Yuna kissed ethan again. She was upset of his words.
This time, Aldric doesn't pull away. Surprise flashes across his features as your lips meet his again, softer than before but equally determined. For a heartbeat, he remains frozen, caught between instinct and years of rigid self-control.
Then something cracks within him. One hand shoots out to grip the railing beside her while the other tangles roughly in her hair, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss. His mouth moves against hers with a sudden hunger that erases all pretense of disinterest.
"Stop saying those things," he murmurs against her lips, his voice strained with frustration and something else entirely. "You have no idea what you're doing."
His body presses closer, pinning you against the cool marble wall. The fine fabric of his t-shirt rustles as he shifts position to get better access, his free hand sliding down to rest possessively on her waist.
"You think love is some simple emotion you can claim with a few kisses?"
"No.... 8".
Ethan pulls back slightly, his breath coming faster now. The hand in her hair loosens its grip, fingers threading through the strands instead of holding them captive. His grey eyes search hers intently, looking for signs of deception or manipulation.
"Eight," he repeats softly, the number sounding foreign on his lips. "What does that mean? Some code from your childhood games?" A hint of curiosity replaces some of the earlier hostility in his tone.
He leans his forehead against hers, closing his eyes briefly as if trying to gather himself. "You speak of loving me as if it's a choice you've made based on some fleeting moment. Love isn't a decision taken lightly by someone of our standing."
His hand moves from her waist to rest flat against the wall beside her head, caging her in without touching her directly. The gesture is protective rather than threatening.
"I have known you three weeks," he continues quietly.
Yuna was quite, standing their.
Aldric's brow furrows at her silence, his patience wearing thin. He lowers his voice, the sound becoming more intimate despite the public setting.
"Speak plainly," he commands gently, though there's an underlying urgency in his tone. "If you truly believe yourself capable of such feelings, then prove it with words I can understand. 'Eight' is meaningless unless you explain its meaning."
His grey eyes study your face intently, searching for any indication of sincerity beyond mere physical affection. The afternoon sunlight streaming through the corridor windows casts shadows across his sharp features, highlighting the tension in his jawline.
"Tell me why," he adds softly, almost pleadingly. "Help me comprehend how someone could claim to love someone they barely know." His free hand moves from the wall to rest lightly on her shoulder, a gesture that feels less like restraint and more like support.
"At 8pm.... I will go back to my home town, ethan....."
Ethan's expression goes utterly blank, the shift happening so suddenly it's startling. The hand resting on her shoulder falls away as if burned. His grey eyes widen slightly, processing her words with a disbelief that borders on shock.
"Go home?" he repeats, his voice dangerously quiet. "Are you jesting? That is not an option." He takes a half-step back, creating space between her once more. The vulnerable softness from moments ago evaporates completely, replaced by the cold authority of a prince whose orders are never questioned.
"Your duty is here," he continues firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "As my girlfriend. Running back to whatever criminal father's background you came from is unacceptable behavior for a leader of this world ."
His jaw tightens visibly as he struggles to regain composure after her second unexpected kiss and now this absurd announcement.
"I just want to take a break.."
"A break?" Ethan's laugh is short and incredulous, echoing in the empty corridor. "You think this is some holiday you can take whenever whim strikes? You are now a part of my world, not a actress who can return to her fields when she tires of palace life."
He paces away from her, running a hand through his dark hair in obvious frustration. The crimson fabric of his doublet strains across his shoulders as he moves.
"This isn't about wanting a break," he says, stopping to face her again. His grey eyes have lost their cold distance and now burn with something hotter - anger mixed with bewilderment. "You're fleeing. Admit it. Every time things become inconvenient or uncomfortable, you retreat to your little world where duty holds no weight."
His voice drops to a low growl. "Running home won't change anything. Whatever problems we have here will still be waiting for you upon your triumphant return."