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ttomatoez · 5 years

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Anata no Koe

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13125325/1/Anata-no-Koe

Summary: "The one who filled his lonely existence with the emotion called love was Sakura." - Kishimoto. Post-war, SasuSaku fluff and bonding.

Pairing: SasuSaku

Rating: T

A/N: I’m super new to tumblr (as far as posting goes), but I’ve always gotten my ff recommendations from this site, so I thought I’d post some of my own work here to share it with you guys! One day I hope to live up to the same standard as all the wonderful ff I’ve read over the years, but in the meantime, I do hope you enjoy this fic. :)

-CH. 1: 白詰草 - White Clover

She looks happier; peaceful, even.

It's the first thing he notices as he watches her emerge from the shadows outside his holding cell, wordlessly following the brush of her pink hair against the curve of her neck with his mismatched eyes as she steps down the stairs into the light.

He can already tell she's calmed down a lot. There's a softness to her features that he hasn't seen on her before, but he thinks he likes it. He likes the grace in which she walks in her heeled sandals, diligently focused on the metal tray full of first-aid supplies nestled in her arms (as if somehow the pair of quivering glass bottles are what she's been chasing after for so many years and not him). His gaze lingers, calm and curious on the angle of her jaw as she bends to place the tray on one of the visitors stools. It must be the serene expression on her face that's making his chest tighten. The natural arch of her brow leading down to the curve of her lashes, blinking softly. Or the warm half-smile at her lips that could just as easily be a smirk if only he were able to reach into her mind and access her thoughts.

"Sasuke-kun," she says lightly. The shy smile at her lips is soothingly familiar, but it's contradicted by the concerned pinch of her brows as she lifts her head to meet his gaze.

The smile is fake. She's upset.

For the moment, all is still and silent in the hollow, underground caves that have contained him over the past day and a half as they stare at each other in silence. Foreign chakra flickers like static around the otherwise ordinary steel bars, likely sealed three or more times to keep him from escaping. It would take a lot more than that to lock him up for more than five minutes, but he hasn't said anything about it. The drive to fight is lost on him now, discarded right along with his left arm and whatever else remained of his inner demons back at the valley of the end. If he still has any negative feelings buried underneath the numbness in his heart, he hasn't noticed. All that's left of his former self now is an empty shell, a broken bird with the world at its throat.

He looks away discretely, jaw tightening in frustration and shame, absorbing all the unspoken feelings smoldering in her gaze from the other side of the bars. She doesn't have to say anything for him to see what's inside her heart. There's so many conflicting emotions there: disappointment, confusion, anger, hurt, fear, but most of all concern. Concern, not for herself but for him. He's seen the same gut-wrenching pain reflected in her jade eyes over the course of several years, always born from the consequences of his selfish actions, always so selflessly forgiving... It's hard not to recognize it on a surface level - it's Sakura, after all - but without the blind rage and adrenaline-fueled hatred there to cloud his perceptions, he feels it start to gently penetrate the walls of his heart in a way that he can only describe as uncomfortable. For the first time, he can't bring himself to look at her.

She looks off nervously as well, following suit, the smile on her lips settling into an even line. What he may not realize is that over the years, she's become an expert at interpreting all of his non-verbal gestures. If he knows what's in her heart, she knows what's festering in his equally as well (to some extent), but she knows him well enough not to bring it up. For him to simply acknowledge her feelings like this is enough of an apology for right now, so she doesn't mind returning the favor by not pressuring him for more. Maybe someday they'll both be comfortable with expressing themselves out loud, but that day isn't today.

"How's your arm?" she asks, attempting to steer the conversation along. The bandages around his stump are still fresh from when she first put them on a day or so ago while he and Naruto were still unconscious. She did her best to close the opening, cauterizing it with chakra before covering it in healing ointment and wrapping it in several layers of thin gauze, but she knew that the blood would begin to build up again at some point and she would need to come back and change it.

That's what the first-aid supplies are for.

"It stings," he mumbles, glancing at it as if it belonged to someone else.

"Ahh," A genuine smile curls at her lips that he doesn't see. "It'll do that."

Behind him she's already started shuffling the items around in the tray, ripping the gauze into sheets and wetting them with saline. At first it's little more than background noise but curiosity gets the better of him eventually, and he finds himself once again quietly following her movements as if he were a child drinking in new information.

At one time, it must have been around age thirteen, he remembered his distaste for the pinkette had been so strong that he swore he wouldn't touch her if she were the last woman on the planet. He used to find creative places to eat lunch and take shortcuts through the forest just to avoid talking to her, but that had been a different Sakura the whole time. This Sakura; the one with sparkling green studs in her ears who's taller and blinks slower when having a conversation. This Sakura who is not so helplessly clumsy, who measures liquids with her lips slightly parted and barely looks at him anymore, even if it's just long enough to see all the minor ways in which he's changed in such a short amount of time. What would his younger self say if he saw the woman she is now?

They make eye contact as she carefully gathers the tray back into her arms. It feels electric - almost as if nothing ever happened between them in the first place - and she finds herself melting under the smoldering intensity of his gaze. Part of her yearns to know what he's hiding from her; the interest is there, taunting her from the depths of his natural eye. Burning, unyielding. It's the same look she recognizes from the battlefield when he'd caught her delicately under his arm, drinking her in as she drifted in and out of consciousness. At the time she assumed it was love, or at least something like it, but she was wrong.

She looks away for the second time, severing the connection faster than the heat can finish rushing into her face.

"Your bandages need to be changed every two days to prevent infection," she says evenly. The door to his cell would be hell to open for him, but it opens easily enough for her, allowing her to slip through and close it back behind her without ever coming close to dropping the tray. "Right now I'm doing it, but you should be able to yourself after a few sessions - oh, you don't have to stand, Sasuke-kun!"

It's as if she'd anticipated the pain, because by the time the stabbing sensation reaches his chest through his back, she's already lightly dropped the items and rushed to his side to hold him up.

"Here," she says, guiding him back to the wooden bench he was sitting on before. "Sit."

He's sure he must look like an old man, but that's really the least of his worries as he clutches his shirt tightly with the only hand he has left. The pain is similar to what he imagines it feels like to be stabbed by a fistful of chidori; duller and more achey but similar. Is it even possible to feel internal bleeding? Sakura answers his questions with her eyes faster than he can ask them.

"Lean back and relax," she says - it's really more of an instruction - as the pain slowly starts to recede, decaying gradually under the green hue of her chakra pressed to his chest. "I knew there was going to be a little bit of pain from muscle exhaustion, but I healed every major issue I saw when we found you."

Her hands are soft in contrast to the hardened look on her face, slim pink brows drawn together in concentration. The chakra pouring into him is light like a caress, and as more of the pain starts to disappear, he even catches the sweet scent of flowers that's probably her shampoo.

"Sakura-" he grinds out.

"Hush."

He gives her hand a squeeze. At first she thinks it's for comfort, instantly taking her back to their struggles in the chunin exams, but she realizes too late that he's actually pulling it away.

"Just leave it," he says.

Her frown deepens as she slips her hand from his grip. On her face are the words I don't understand.

"Sasuke-" she responds, omitting the honorific. "You're in pain."

When he doesn't look at her she knows there's something else there, but it's not the normal, everyday 'tsk', or 'you're annoying'. It's something deeper; something he probably doesn't even fully comprehend himself. He has a terrible track record of suffering in silence, which is something that has always annoyed her about him, but she continues to try and help him regardless. Even when he doesn't want it.

Her jade eyes blink at him for a few seconds, grasping for the tools to understand but receiving nothing. He's panting lightly now, and there's even a faint tic forming at his brow indicative of frustration.

"At least let me-"

"Sakura."

Naturally, she doesn't make it any easier for him to forget she's there.

The next few seconds pass by wordlessly. He wishes he knew what to say to make her stop worrying, but worrying for Sakura is like breathing and there's probably nothing he can do that will make the medic in her disappear. It's annoying, genuinely, but in a way that's justified by the part of him that isn't quite so wrapped up in his own stubbornness. In other words, his inner self; the part of him that's sealed under strict lock and key and that's often overpowered by his outward persona. The real Sasuke is a lot more docile and caves easily whenever she appears upset or needy. He's calm and curious at the same time but still excitable, much like his older brother, with a rather long-standing, subconscious need to love and be loved by someone that won't eventually disappear. Sakura has the ability to give him that, but that's perhaps what scares him the most about her.

He feels her shoulder shuffle against him and hazards a glance, only to find her pouting like a schoolgirl, lips slightly pursed, eyes downcast and focused on something in the distance. He can't help but look at her skeptically, a small smirk forming on his lips; the last time he saw that face, it was on a much younger version of herself. A much more energetic and aggressive version that once loved him with the strength of her entire being. Always chasing after him, dying for reciprocation. It's funny how simply seeing him in pain is enough to make her forget about all of those conflicting emotions he saw in her earlier. Now she's back to being Sakura again; the same girl that held him in her arms through all of his recklessness, shedding countless tears over his well-being and selflessly shouldering his pain whenever he lacked the ability to express it. She was there even when it put herself in danger. Even when he was the one doing it to her...

He leans his head back and sighs, resting his neck on the padding. The pain in his chest has dulled; he's starting to acclimate to it.

"I deserve it, Sakura," he says finally. "For what I've done."

Her eyes are on him again as he studies the intricate patterns decorating the cave ceiling. Before she speaks, she takes a second to think.

A statement like that is hard to deny when she considers how much trouble he's caused; how many people have lost their lives, directly and indirectly, as a result of his actions. It wasn't even that long ago that he'd betrayed them all completely, punching her through the gut and into a genjutsu. And if that isn't enough of a reason, he then threatened to take control of all the shinobi villages at all of their expense.

As if they meant nothing to him... As if she meant nothing.

The question of whether to forgive him or not weighed heavily on her at some point several months ago - she grieved for a full year when he left the village - but she's past the point of hating him now she thinks. Hatred is like a very strong poison, silent and contagious; it's what drove him to do most of what he did in the first place, but like all poisons, there's an antidote by the name of love. She decided a long time ago not to follow in that cycle, if she were even able to at all. If Naruto doesn't hate him, then neither does she.

He flinches at the sudden warmth of her fingers sliding over his knuckles to grasp his hand. It's such a foreign feeling that he figures it has to be an accident and attempts to tug it back, but (surprise) she doesn't let him go.

"What about if I have mercy on you then?" she replies to his earlier comment, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He doesn't realize how deadly he looks right now as he flicks his gaze on her, pinning her there with the weapons that are his eyes as if to say what are you doing? Sakura thinks that in his confusion he looks somewhat like a caged animal preparing to pounce at the slightest wrong touch, but it's strikes her more as cute than frightening. Sasuke's panic response has always been defensive rage, but the circumstances are in her favor this time since he's stuck here with her for the immediate time-being. Unbeknownst to her though, he's long forgotten the question.

Before he realizes it he's tracing her movements again, watching her like a hawk as she grasps his hand in both of her palms, slowly bringing it up to rest on her cheek. To his surprise, she closes her eyes, nuzzling it gently as if it's something precious to her.

...

His eyes widen. He tries to swallow, but his mouth is too dry.

"We missed you Sasuke-kun," she says as her eyelids carefully lift to reveal a pair of somber green eyes, glistening now from welled up tears, still clutching his hand to her cheek. It's not that he's afraid to move it - maybe he would if he could - but his body has locked up entirely against his will. He can't move it.

"We all missed you, and-" There's that same bashful look again. How is it possible that he's the only one making eye contact? "W-We forgive you...ya know..?"

Her hands form nervous fists at her sides, but he doesn't seem to notice. She takes a quick glance at his face; it looks like he's been punched in the gut.

"That message is from all of us," she mumbles, fully aware of the heat spreading over her cheeks. She wishes he would say something; she can't stand the silence as it compels her to keep talking. "Even though you're locked up right now, it's only because Tsunade-sama is still out of the village You're fully pardoned, it's just that the council—ha?"

She jumps slightly, green eyes widening at the feel of his hand sliding slowly down her jaw, taking its time over her neck, before coming to rest on her shoulder.

His grip tightens, clutching her as his head gently lowers, shading his face with his bangs. The urge to pull her into him is so strong he can hardly stand it, but there's still a barrier there that pushes her away with equal force. The walls around his heart are still so impenetrable that sometimes, not even he can override them. No matter how much he wants to feel her head on his shoulder, tears of joy staining his shirt as she clutches him with the intensity he knows she's been repressing under fake smiles and gestures of strength for at least the past few years, he can't seem to make himself move.

"Sasuke-kun?" Her brows furrow gently but part of her is still able to understand. She feels the invisible pull of his heart as if it were made of gravity.

She moves before he has the chance to, gently wrapping her arms around him as if she were a blanket, gathering him into a warm hug that gradually tightens as she tries to hold back the tears that have already started to leak out of the corners of her eyes.

‘We forgive you.’

Somehow he thinks it will take him longer than a few minutes, or even a few days, to soak in those words, but in this moment he's thankful (almost as much as he is overwhelmed) for her presence; her touch, her scent, her voice...

He blinks into her shoulder, arm hovering over her lower back as he moves his head to look at her face. Physically, it feels the same as when she hugged him back at the hospital when they were genin. She's still just as soft and warm and feminine as she was back then, eyes squeezed shut in happiness, latched to him with every ounce of love left in her being. It's always been a lot for him to process - it still is - but he feels more now that he's ever felt in the past. Even as his arm squeezes her closer, softly succumbing to her efforts as he buries his face in her neck, he still feels paralyzed by insecurity and the weight of exactly how much he doesn't know. It's always just been easier to sever the bonds, but he's past that now.

"Sakura," he mumbles into the fabric of her collar, eyes softened and glazed over in concentration.

The past several hours left alone with nothing but his thoughts have had a substantial effect on him, giving him the opportunity to ponder over a litany of things; things that bother him, things that he thinks shouldbother him, things that don't even concern him... Now that the war is over, his goals achieved, he can't help but wonder what to do next. Did he even have a choice in the matter? Sure he's been pardoned, but was he really that innocent in the eyes of the village?

Her cheek brushes the side of his head as she turns to look at him. "Mm?"

He hesitates, closing his eyes against the comfort of her shoulder. "What do you think I should do?" he says. "About the village?"

She tries hard to swallow the sting of uneasiness lingering in her gut as she packs the extra gauze back in its wrapper, tossing his old, bloody ones on the right side of the tray where she'll be able to throw them away later. If only she'd been more prepared for that question, maybe she could have given him a better response than what she did...

‘Don't worry about the village. Worry about being a better you.’

Back over on the bench he looks over his new bandages, gripping his fingers as she'd told him to do to better adjust to the stiff material. Whatever he's thinking in that head of his, somehow, she feels like she only made things worse.

"Thank you, Sakura," he says as she lifts the tray back into her hands, ready to leave. At first she thinks it's just for the bandage change, but it's overreaching and actually applies to multiple things. He has the world to thank her for, but all she can seem to picture right now is the night he left, his words to her, and how she'd woken up to a cold bench at her back and a huge hole in her heart.

"Sasuke-kun," she bites her lip, brows drawing together in concern as she looks at him, at the sudden distance between them.

‘Please be here when I get back.’

"I'll be back in two days," she says, and he watches quietly as she disappears into the shadows, the sweet scent of cherry blossoms lingering in the air.

#sasusaku #naruto shippuden #sasusaku fanfiction #sasusaku naruto #naruto shippuden fanfiction sasusaku #naruto fanfiction

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ineverhadmyinternetphase · 7 years

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Steal My Heart (steal my whole life too) 10/24

Genre: Chaptered, fantasy AU, Prince!Phil, Thief!Dan, romance, enemies to lovers, angst and fluff, slow burn (like serious slow burn)

Warnings: some violence, mentions of death (no main characters), dark magic, descriptions of wounds/blood, some hints of sexual scenes (but no actual smut), murder, dangerous situations, stealing/thievery

Summary: Captain of the Royal Guard and Prince of Morellia, Philip Lester has never been given the chance to find love. Instead, he’s run from a system that works to end class differences and improve equality for its citizens. Happy as he is to make the world a better place, Phil can’t help feeling bitter towards his ancestors for making it impossible for him to find someone who will actually love him for more than just his title, and strives instead for a life of justice and doing good - only to meet his match in the King of Thieves, a man who will change everything he once thought he knew in life. Together, they must depart on a quest to save the kingdom, and, in the process, destroy their differences and find their own form of love.

Word count: 240,000+

Updates: Sunday

Thanks so much to @botanistlester for betaing this giant monster, as she’s been super helpful and encouraging with her little comments and endless excitement. We couldn’t have done it without you <3

Disclaimer: In no way do I claim that this is real or cast aspersions on Dan or Phil

For reference, @snowbunnylester is Phil, @ineverhadmyinternetphase is Dan

(AO3 Link)

Chapter 10

When Phil woke up, it was to Dan's face smushed into his hair and his own face smushed into Dan's chest. It was the most comfortable position Phil had ever found himself in before, and he almost didn’t want to wake up at all because of it. He was warm, and safe, cocooned in Dan’s arms as he was - a word Phil had never thought he’d use in regard to Dan, and yet, here he was. A slow smile began to creep across his features at the thought, and he nuzzled into the warm chest in front of him.

Phil sighed softly, just kind of taking Dan in and trying to center himself around the sensation of waking up in someone else’s arms for the first time in his life. There were thoughts, concerns, worries prickling at the back of his mind, but in the haze of just waking up, Phil kept them at bay as best as he could. He just wanted to revel in this moment for a little bit longer - just a little bit longer.

Having been so exhausted and embarrassed last night, when Dan had slipped into bed with him, Phil hadn’t gotten the chance to take his thief in. The realization of that made his eyes flutter open again, and he felt the sudden desperate desire to see Dan, properly, in the light of day, and apparently half naked on top of him.

Phil felt his cheeks heating up again just at the thought, embarrassingly enough, and was relieved Dan was asleep and couldn’t laugh at him for it. His heart was, also embarrassingly enough, racing in his chest, something that was slightly ridiculous, but Phil had never been in quite a situation like this before.

So, quite slowly, Phil drew back from Dan a bit so he could stare properly without disrupting his thief’s sleep.

It took a bit for his eyes to focus in the dimness of his room, but eventually, they did.

Dan was about three shades tanner than Phil - most likely due to all the time he spent out in the sun, getting the chance to explore the world, unlike Phil - and his chest was marred with scars and littered with marks that befitted someone titled the “King of Thieves.” They were stark against the darkened skin, and Phil raked his eyes over them in interest, sorely tempted to reach out and trace them with the pads of his fingers, but he didn’t. He could feel his heart twisting with the sight of them though. They were a reminder that Dan had been through hardships unlike any Phil had ever had to face, and while they hurt him to see, he wanted to know each and every story one day, just so he could know how strong his thief really was.

Phil was so far gone. The realization of that hit him like a ton of bricks, and prickled at his subconscious where the events of yesterday lay in wait, a constant reminder that nothing was as perfect and easy as it had seemed when Phil had first come awake.

He shoved it away once again. Just this one moment. He just wanted this one moment to look and admire and have, because he still didn’t truly know whether or not Dan was truly his.

Phil’s eyes raked over Dan’s arms, at the muscles defined there by both hard work and a lean diet, and then down over his ribcage, his abdomen, focusing instead on how slim Dan appeared to be rather than the scars that littered his skin. Dan was much smaller than Phil in some ways - where Phil was broad shouldered with a thick frame, Dan was slight but sturdy, every bit the match to Phil. It made him smile even just thinking about it, and then, because he could no longer help it, Phil reached forward and let himself lightly touch Dan’s bicep, just taking in the strength he found there.

He feared so much for Dan’s safety, and yet here Dan was, taking care of him, sheltering him and making Phil feel safer than he had in years. How was that so?

Closing his eyes once more, Phil sighed and shook his head. He could feel awareness dawning on him slowly but surely. He couldn’t hide from his responsibilities forever, couldn’t hide from the events of yesterday no matter how badly he wanted to, no matter how badly he wanted to just stay in this moment and enjoy, for once, some form of physical intimacy with someone he truly liked.

If Dan hadn’t been lying with his face pressed into Phil’s hair, Phil would have taken in the expression on his face for good measure before he faced today. But he didn’t want to wake Dan, not even to see him soft, and relaxed, and vulnerable.

Instead, Phil let his eyes stay closed as the events of last night, of yesterday, slowly drifted back to the forefront of his mind.

He hadn’t forgotten any one of them, not really, he’d just - blissfully allowed himself to temporarily relieve himself of the strain and guilt of what had happened; Dan at the wedding, surprising as ever after the misunderstanding that Phil might, in any way, desire that Dan change for him; the witch, and the curse she’d cast on the Cornelia that had seeped out to infect all who’d attended the wedding; Dan in his bedroom, waiting for him, terrified that something had happened to Phil; Chris, the sorcerer, and the plan to go after a dragon; Dan… the murderer of his Uncle…

There was so much to think on, to speak on, and a dragon to chase in only a month if they wanted to save anyone.

It was all nearly too much.

Phil moved so his fingers could press to Dan’s solid body on top of him again, and he held on tight, because above all else, he didn’t want to lose this. He’d promised Dan that he wouldn’t judge him for his past, had promised Dan that he trusted him, and the fact that he still felt safe in his embrace now spoke volumes even to Phil. No, he wasn’t going to allow anything to fall apart from here on out.

He’d already decided.

He was in love with Dan, the King of Thieves, and while that thought should have been terrifying… it was instead comforting. All Phil really needed from Dan was reassurance that this… this was at least an attempt at something. Was Dan courting him? That was all Phil really needed to know. The rest… would come with time, and today, Phil would make that clear to Dan.

He had made his choice, and he wasn’t turning back now.

Dan stirred slowly, regretfully, really not wanting to leave his warm cocoon of sleep. He couldn't remember a time when he'd last been this comfortable. Wherever he was, he certainly wasn't sleeping on the hard ground under his usual scratchy fur blankets. And he wasn't sleeping alone, either, because his face was pressed into something wonderfully soft and he was surrounded by a familiar scent.

Phil.

Dan remembered, then. He remembered exactly where he was, why he was there, and why he really didn't want to wake up, because that would mean leaving this beautifully soft moment and facing some of the hard, horrible truths he knew would be coming his way. Yesterday had taken its toll on both of them, Phil most of all after what had happened to his family, but Dan… Dan was struggling too.

Had he betrayed his own people? Thrown his lot in with the royals and completely lost sight of who he truly was?

After all, here Dan was, waking up in a royal bed with a royal prince wrapped up in his arms. He had never, ever dreamed himself into this position, never wanted to be here other than to take and take and take from those who had taken everything from him. He’d never expected to be here willingly, to be here to help the very people he hated with every fibre of his being.

It was just… hard to hate Phil. Phil made it difficult by being so reasonable, by having the softest eyes, by wilting the corners of Dan’s world every time he looked sad. Dan didn’t really remember exactly how he’d become so entangled with Phil’s affairs, but now he was, and the idea of leaving Phil to go after a dragon alone was completely incomprehensible.

So Dan had offered to go instead, and then the King had suggested they go together, and now… here they were. Phil in his arms, Dan sprawled out on top of him, wrapped up in royal bedsheets that Phil had somehow managed to steal in the night.

Dan wanted to stay focused on that. He didn’t want to deal with the inevitable questions that would come with a fresh day.

So Dan kept his eyes shut. He did move, however, if only to wrap his arms tighter around Phil and drag him closer, letting out a small sigh into his hair.

Phil knew the moment Dan came awake. His thief’s arms tightened around him, and his breathing became less even. The sound of it, the feel of Dan’s pulse under Phil’s touch, was enough to make the nerves flare back through him. He was scared, if he was being honest, because Dan had said last night they had some talking to do, and while Phil knew what he wanted, the concept of talking… was still absolutely terrifying. Things could go terribly, terribly wrong, and that was the last thing that Phil could ever want.

Still, with Dan drawing him in closer still, arms wrapping warm and comforting around Phil, he couldn't help but physically relax into his touch. Before he knew what he was doing, he was pressing his lips to Dan's collarbones, and kissing him gently. His lips ghosted over the soft skin like brush strokes, and it stirred something inside of him to be touching Dan like this. His own fingers curled tighter to Dan’s skin as he kissed him again, mouthing a little more securely this time, and he felt Dan tremble underneath him.

"Morning, my thief," he murmured softly against Dan's skin, grinning and blushing in equal measure at the reaction he’d been able to elicit. There was a part of him that still couldn’t believe he’d actually just done that; it felt so intimate, to be kissing Dan’s bare skin like this, so foreign and… erotic. Phil had seen and heard of things far more erotic than this, but this was the most erotic moment of his own life so far, and this was - this was intense, for him.

A smile rose unbidden on Dan's lips as he felt Phil pressing kisses along his collarbones. No one had touched him so tenderly before, and it was making his chest ache in the best of ways. Dan stretched out luxuriously under the touch, revelling in the feeling of having Phil so close to him, finally feeling Phil in his arms and at his side, nestled in close. It was all Dan ever wanted to wake up to, forever.

He blinked his eyes open and shuffled down a little, taking his face away from Phil's hair so he could meet Phil's eyes instead.

The sight made his breath catch in his throat; Phil was looking at him with such honesty, such trust, that Dan could scarcely believe it. Even after all the things Phil had learned about Dan yesterday, he was still looking at him like he meant the world.

It was a bit disgruntling to have Dan shifting about, when all Phil wanted was to stay in this moment forever, but he couldn't complain for long when Dan was moving to look him in the face.

A sleepy Dan was quickly become Phil's favorite Dan. There was a softness to his features he didn't often let through, and something especially cute about the ruffled curls on top of his head. Eyes clouded over with sleep, Phil just wanted to draw Dan into him and protect him forever.

Why couldn't their lot in life be easier? If only they could have been two unknown boys working on a farm or something. Anything was better than this. There was so much pain and hardship here, but Phil was determined to overcome it.

"Morning, my Prince." Dan answered through a massive yawn that left him blinking and smiling slightly. He ran one hand down Phil's arm, leaning in to press a kiss to his forehead.

When Dan yawned in his face and then immediately leaned in to kiss Phil's forehead, Phil could only reach forward in response and press his finger into Dan's dimple, the one he'd been dying to touch for ages now.

"Dimple," he stated simply, smiling.

Dan was startled when Phil first poked his cheek, though his eyes cleared when Phil mentioned his dimple. He chuckled. Phil was far too endearing for his own good. Dan kind of never wanted him to let go.

Dan couldn't resist a small wink then. With the emotions of yesterday still bubbling under the surface, Dan wanted to cling to his confident persona for as long as he could. Phil had a habit of getting under his skin, and as much as Dan loved that, it also scared the life out of him. So he said, "I hope I made your first night sharing a bed decent enough. Not many can claim a whole night spent with the King of Thieves. Count yourself lucky."

Of course, then Dan had to go along and ruin the moment with his crude comment, causing Phil to blush dark red all over again, the flush spreading down his chest and noticeably over his collarbones. He was quick to smack at Dan’s chest and shove at him, ducking his head to hide the jealousy clear in his eyes.

"Shut up. I don't want to hear about your escapades with other interests," he muttered back.

He did count himself lucky, though. He counted himself very lucky, because as obvious as it was to Dan that this was the first time Phil had shared a bed with another, it was just as obvious to Phil that Dan had never been this open with anyone else before.

Phil meant something more to Dan, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Phil turning bright red was also not something Dan was ever going to tire of seeing - not when his entire chest flushed as he shoved at Dan. Dan snickered quietly, enjoying himself far too much.

Phil's hair was rumpled, sticking up in an unruly spike from having Dan's face smushed into it all night. And he was smiling, that warm smile that made Dan want to give him the world.

His words betrayed an underlying fear, though - a fear that Dan could address. If he and Phil were going to be having this conversation, then Dan could at least start with something that would make Phil happy.

Dan rolled suddenly, so he was hovering above Phil with his arms cradling either side of Phil's face, and Phil was forced to look straight into Dan's eyes.

"Only you," Dan admitted quietly, sincerely. "You're the only one I've spent the whole night with. You're the only one who's ever meant something, Phil. Do you understand what I'm saying? It's only you."

If, up until this moment, kissing Dan's collarbones had been the most erotic thing Phil had ever done, having Dan hovering on top of him, arms braced on either side of Phil's face so he had no choice but to stare up at him and take him seriously, was the most erotic thing that had ever been done to him. Swallowing thickly, Phil stared up at Dan with wide eyes, taking in the sincerity in his voice, the way he seemed to trap Phil with his gaze.

His body felt warm all over again, sure, but this time it wasn't just because he was blushing.

Phil felt over the moon. This was more than anything he’d been expecting today. He’d wanted some kind of reassurance that this meant something to Dan, sure, but he hadn’t expected to get this.

Shifting slightly, Phil moved to prop himself up on his elbows, heart racing fast in his chest. Dan's body moved with his own to give him room, until they were both so close their breath mingled, and their chests nearly touched. The blanket between them was the only thing fully keeping their entire bodies from touching from head to toe.

There were butterflies in Phil’s stomach, and his breathing was shallow with want. He couldn’t believe Dan was being so vulnerable to him, open. He wanted to take him at face value, wanted to take everything that was being offered to him and snatch it right up.

So he did.

Faces close together, Phil murmured, "Alright. Only me, then. I expect that not to change."

The atmosphere was thick between them. Phil wanted to lean up and kiss Dan, but he didn't. His body was on fire, and his lips were quirking with that giddy feeling of love in his stomach, but he needed Dan to take him seriously right now.

This was so much more than the physical.

This was so much more than sharing a bed.

Dan swallowed when Phil propped himself up, bringing them even closer together. With anyone else, he would have already pulled away the blanket and their remaining clothes and had his way with him, but this was Phil, and Phil meant so much more than that.

Then Phil said he didn't expect that to change, and Dan all but melted against him. He wanted to believe Phil - he so desperately wanted to believe him, but how could he? How could he, when Dan was nothing but a thief? A thief who had murdered Phil’s uncle, on top of everything else.

Dan's heart was going to break again if Phil kept giving him false hope.

So, as much as Dan was loath to, he steeled himself and narrowed his eyes. Without moving even an inch off of Phil, Dan kept his gaze trained on Phil's open, honest eyes, and said, "How can you say that? How can you possibly say that and mean it? You know who I am. You know what I've done, or some of it at least, and I'm sure you can guess at the worst." Dan shook his head, lips drawn down into a frown. "How on earth can you still want me?"

With a low sigh, Dan rolled reluctantly off of Phil and looked the other way.

"You should be finding yourself a pretty princess to give you happy, royal babies and live the life you deserve. Not playing around with someone who's supposed to be your greatest enemy."

Dan’s words hurt. They were like a slap to the face, a cold reminder that of course this couldn’t be quite that easy, of course Dan still had it in his mind that Phil couldn’t truly want him, that Phil wanted him to change. How could Phil have thought it would be simple?

It was just that he wanted it to be so. He wanted Dan to promise him everything, to embrace this relationship they were building, wanted Dan to let go of all the fears and reserves that had been holding him at bay for so long already. Phil wanted this, and he wanted Dan to prove to him that he wanted this too.

So to have Dan throw that back into his face the way he had… it hurt.

Phil should have seen it coming, and yet he hadn’t.

The more the thought about it though, the more he could feel anger beginning to rise in his gut; anger that Dan could think so little of both of them. He tried to contain it, but how did one contain something like that when all Phil wanted to do was scream at Dan, haven't I proven myself at all to you, yet?

Instead, he let himself slump back against his bed, and pressed his hands to his face as Dan rolled away from him. Already, he missed the way it had felt to be totally caged in, trapped, by Dan's body.

It was Dan’s final sentence that really go to him though, that made Phil snap until he was sitting up and turning with a glare to Dan’s prone form. He was so mad, he couldn’t even be distracted by the fact that they were both still half naked lying on the bed together, Dan exposed and vulnerable and nonchalant in his nakedness. Instead, Phil reached out with angry fingers and grasped tight to Dan’s arm, forcefully pulling him back up and into a sitting position until he was staring at Phil.

"Shut up. Shut up! I don't want a pretty princess who can give me happy, royal babies and the life you think I deserve,” he hissed, seeing red as he glared at the stunned man in front of him. “Don’t you get it yet? I want you, whether you want to believe that or not!”

Phil flung Dan’s arm away, frustrated, and reached up to rub his hand down his face instead. He groaned before returning a fierce glare onto the man he wished would be his lover.

“Do you have any idea what it's like for me? To be preyed on by men and women of every walk of life, none of whom are in the least bit interested in me? Do you have any idea what it's like, going through life thinking you'll never be happy because you're only worth lies in the treasure your family holds? Do you have any idea what it's like to fall in love with the person who's meant to be your greatest enemy, and still not know whether or not it's safe to admit that to them, to be open with them, because what if they're using you too?"

Phil's chest was heaving as he spoke, the anger coming out despite him having wanted to hold it back, and he stared at Dan with eyes full of fierce desire and trust.

"Yeah, you're right. I do know who you are, Dan. You are my King of Thieves, the most fearsome and terrible wanted criminal in all of my kingdom, a man who has done more than I can possibly imagine, and you know what? I don't care. I don't bloody care, Dan!” he added, the words practically a hiss as he glared. He was trembling, shaking with the uncontrollable anger.

This couldn’t be in question any longer. Phil would not allow this to be in question any more, not when he was this close to having everything that he’d ever wanted.

“I stopped caring when you peeled the fucking blindfold away from my eyes and forced me to see my kingdom for what it is. I stopped caring when you handed me this bracelet, clearly worth both our weights in gold and clearly stolen from some rich family in some town far away, because I can practically feel the blood on it from how those people treat the poor in their city. I stopped caring when I realized that it's our fault, the royals’ fault, that most of you turn to crime, and I stopped caring when I realized that none of that matters to me, at all.”

Phil stopped. He took a deep breath, and he felt himself to soften as he looked at Dan, so clearly stunned and taken by surprise by all of Phil’s words. Gently, Phil reached out and took one of Dan’s hands in his, relieved when Dan did nothing but let him.

He offered his thief as gentle a smile as he could, voice still nonetheless fierce as he continued on.

“I want you, Dan. I want all of you, exactly as you are,” Phil said. “I want the man who stole my heart with his witty humor and taunting eyes. I want the man who made me see who my people really are, the man who goes around and takes for himself what he otherwise couldn’t have from the people who took more from him than he can ever take back, and I want the man who risked his own life as the most feared criminal in the land to bring a fucking sorcerer to my Castle to help me save my family, because you care for me. I want the man who wouldn't let me chase down a dragon on my own, in case I got myself killed. I want you, Dan, King of Thieves, exactly as he is, with no thought in my mind that he should ever change."

Phil let out a deep breath, and practically sagged into his bed at that. His fingers were sweating, he was sure, wrapped up around Dan’s, and his heart was practically beating right out of his chest, because this was it.

This was it.

Phil had laid it all out on the table for him, for Dan, and if he rejected Phil know… that was it.

Dan's jaw dropped, his eyes growing impossibly wider the longer that Phil spoke. Suddenly, it was like all the cobwebs had blown away from Dan's eyes, and he could see Phil exactly as he was - as he had been all this time.

Phil wanted him. Phil had fallen for him. And it wasn't easy, it was complicated as hell, but Phil actually wanted him. As he was. Thief and all, crimes and all, faults and danger and ridiculousness and all. Phil wanted him.

Dan could scarcely let himself believe it.

He’d sat dumbly the whole while Phil was talking, shut up for the first time in probably his entire life. But Dan had just been stripped of all control. There was no need for him to hide behind a persona, no need for him to charm and luck and grapple his way in, because Phil knew all of him and saw him exactly as he was and wanted him anyway.

It was too precious a thought. Not something Dan was allowed. His entire life had been about hiding himself, protecting himself, building up walls and never letting anyone in close enough to see how vulnerable he really was underneath it all. But Phil had somehow cut through all that in one smooth blow that rendered Dan’s heart open. He could feel it now, pumping raw in his chest.

Dan had never been so simultaneously elated and terrified.

So Dan sat speechless for a long moment after Phil had stopped talking, just staring at him. He took in the honesty in Phil's eyes, the way his gaze never once strayed from Dan's face. Phil didn't lie. Phil was a good and honest man and he didn't lie, which meant he'd truly meant everything he just said.

Dan's heart constricted, tightened, and then burst into beams of happiness.

He hadn't ever let himself truly believe that Phil could want him - yet here was irrevocable proof. Phil belonged to Dan, and it was all true.

Dan drew in a shuddering breath, caught Phil firmly by the shoulders, and pulled him in for another hard, demanding kiss.

This time, Dan didn't hold back. He demanded that Phil submit to him, comply with his wishes, and Phil was getting better the more they did this because he let out a little whine and sucked at Dan's bottom lip in a way that had Dan squirming.

Phil had stunned them both. His chest was heaving with his confession, and his heart felt like it was in his throat, and he was staring Dan down, daring him to call him a liar, but it was done. It was out there, and in the clear, and there was nothing more that Phil could say. In front of him, Dan sat wide-eyed and disbelieving.

Until he wasn't.

When Dan's lips pressed to Phil's all over again, they were demanding. They devoured Phil, forced him to open up to Dan, and Phil did so without hesitation. He would give all of himself to Dan in a heartbeat, and if this searing kiss was anything to go by, Dan would accept him wholeheartedly.

The way that Dan kissed him was possessive all over again, taking and taking and taking until Phil could hardly breathe, he was so distracted by the taste of Dan on his tongue. Phil had never felt so much like he belonged, like he was somebody's, like that person wanted to claim him and keep him to themselves forever, and he loved it. He lived for this kiss, whining softly as he tried his best to kiss Dan back.

He was panting even harsher by the time Dan finally pulled away, gasping for breath with eyes half-lidded and lips probably even redder than his face.

Dan pulled away again after a long moment, his eyes dark as he fixated onto Phil's intense blue gaze.

"Two things, my Prince. One - I don't really want you to go marry some Princess.”

"Good, because I don't want to," Phil replied, voice hoarse, only to be shut up by the rest of Dan's words.

Dan scowled at him, continuing., “I want to steal you away and give you your freedom, to do and to be whatever you want."

Phil’s heart fluttered at the idea of anyone wanting to give Phil anything, at the idea of Dan wanting to set Phil free.

"Two--" Dan looked away, suddenly nervous again, but he drew in a shuddering breath, knowing Phil needed to understand this. Dan closed his eyes and turned his head.

"I am not playing with you. This is serious. I admit, maybe in the beginning - you were a Prince and so pretty, how could I resist?" Dan swallowed, but he turned his head to meet Phil's gaze dead on once again. "But I am not using you because of your title, or your money, or anything else you might think. I have treasures galore already, and frankly, I could steal more by breaking into this fucking castle than having to deal with all of your messes constantly."

Dan ran a distracted hand through his curls, still looking at Phil. "So, no, I am not using you. I hoped you would have realised already, but you being a Prince actually makes all of this a lot harder on me."

Phil watched as Dan twitched about in front of him, nervous, as he readied for his second point, and tried not to laugh when his thief turned away, unable to even look at him. He giggled, the sound unlike any Phil had ever emitted before, as Dan called him pretty, but his mouth was quickly dry again as Dan continued to speak, this time looking Phil directly in the eye.

Phil’s heart felt like it was going to pound right out of his chest. He knew this already, he truly did to a certain extent, Dan didn't have to say any of it, and yet Phil craved the reassurance of it all.

"So, my Phil," Dan dragged the name out slowly, like a prayer, like he was savouring the taste of it. "Hate me for anything else, but know that I have never used you. You're mine, you understand? And perhaps I don't fully understand yet, but I do know that I plan to keep you by my side for a very. Long. Time." He whispered the last three words into the skin of Phil's shoulder, nuzzling close and pressing small kisses there against his neck.

Phil laughed again, because that dumb lump was rising in his throat, a ball of emotion that needed some way to escape, and flushed darker still, body filling with warmth, with the way Dan said his title. He watched as Dan leaned in closer, and closer, and closer still, until the end of his sentence was said flush against Phil's neck, followed quickly by soft kisses that made Phil gasp and then groan, eyes falling closed to be touched in such a way. A tremor rushed down his spine, and he fell back to the bed, Dan coming with him.

His mouth worked delicately against Phil’s skin, unlike anything Phil had ever felt before, and he didn’t understand the sensation prickling under his skin, but he could guess, and he didn’t know if he ever wanted it to end.

The thought scared him, terrified him even, but he didn’t make Dan stop. No, he wanted this, even just for a little bit, even if it meant allowing himself to get properly worked up over someone. They could stop whenever. It didn’t have to go beyond what Phil was ready for. He wouldn’t let it, but just for a little while, he wanted this.

He wanted Dan.

Phil's laughter was quickly becoming Dan's favourite thing. He wanted to play with it, to see how many different ways he could get Phil to look so carefree and happy. For right now, though, he was content to lie with Phil and rest close to each other, though they still had a lot to talk about.

Dan was out of his depth here, out of his comfort zone. He felt a bit insane - mad with Phil, mad for Phil, and it was making him do things he never thought he'd consider. Like going to find a damn dragon to save a Princess, of all things.

But those thoughts were for another time. Right now, Dan had Phil under him and all this bare skin present to explore, so he pressed his face into Phil’s neck and bit down gently on the soft pale skin there. His brain could just shut up for a bit - Dan wanted to enjoy this.

"Yours," Phil whispered, reaching up to thread long fingers through thick, dark hair. He pressed Dan's mouth closer to his skin, guided his mouth along the pale expanse there, and closed his eyes to just let Dan take.

It was sometime later, after Dan had pressed thick hickeys into the skin of Phil's neck, with Phil returning the favor as best as he could, the two of them working each other up to a state that Phil didn't think he was ready to deal with, that they lay back down next to each other, a bit of space between their bodies while their chests heaved and Phil tried not to pay any attention to anything below either of their waists.

"Remember when you asked me if I trusted you enough to follow you into your world?" Phil asked, breathing still heavy. He turned his head to look at Dan, head still dizzy with the feeling of Dan marking him as his. "And remember what I said, about not needing the treasures you wanted to show me?” he added for good measure, waiting for some kind of reassurance that Dan knew exactly what Phil was talking about.

As much as Dan wanted to stay in this safe little warm silence, coming down from… whatever that had been, Phil was talking again. It took a moment for Dan to collect his thoughts enough to divert them from how it had felt to have Phil underneath him, but when he did, he hummed an approval that he knew what Phil was talking about, and turned to face him, admiring the new marks adorning Phil's neck.

Dan had put them there.

Phil was Dan's, for anyone to see.

Dan considered for a moment, head tilting on the pillow to meet Phil’s eyes. What was he saying? There was still a pleasant fuzz all mixed in with Dan’s thoughts that was making it kind of difficult to process.

Had he ever asked Phil to come into his world? Ah - yes, he had, in their garden when he’d kissed Phil for the first time. Was that only a few days ago? It felt like it existed in a different expanse of time. But yes, Dan remembered that conversation - remembered how he’d asked Phil to come with him, and Phil had pulled away, back into his own world, and left Dan alone in the cold.

Dan’s brow furrowed a bit, but he hummed in acknowledgement. “Yes, I remember.”

Phil understood when it took a moment for Dan to hum in approval. It was increasingly difficult for Phil to think straight either, not when he wanted Dan the way he did. He wasn’t ready for that yet, though. This was enough.

“When I said no, I didn't mean I didn't want to share your world, your joys,” Phil finally continued. “I just… didn't want you to fear me the way I feared you. I didn't want you to think I'd want you only for your riches, or via some convoluted plan to trap you."

"I remember that conversation," Dan agreed light-heartedly. "I remember wanting to punch you after, actually. I thought you meant you could never accept me as a thief, that you'd never want to see my world. But if you truly do..." Dan rolled a little closer, eyes bright, "I could tell you about my home. Or the closest thing I've got to a home. You have a castle, but the King of Thieves lives somewhere far more exciting."

Dan glanced down, grinning a little as he reached to tug the silken sheets further around Phil's body, covering his modesty a little. "Though I admit, your bed certainly beats the ground. I don't think I've ever slept so well in my life, once I finally stopped thinking about how confusing you are, I mean."

"I had a feeling you'd misunderstood," Phil murmured in response, trying not to flush any darker than he already was as Dan reached down and shifted up his sheets to help cover Phil some more. It was embarrassing, to say the least.

Phil was just lucky his thief was so respectful of his comfort with these types of things. They’d - gotten almost carried away with the kissing, and Phil had… wanted, but not taken, just yet.

Not yet.

Phil shifted a bit, trying to make himself more comfortable, and then rolled so he was on his side facing Dan as well.

He wanted to be looking at Dan’s face always.

"I want to see your world," Phil murmured, reaching over and taking Dan's hand in his, the one with Phil's ring adorning his finger. He played with the thin band, the small piece of metal, and turned his blushing gaze from Dan's eyes to his fingers.

"I want to know your home, your treasures. I want to learn everything about you," he admitted, smiling. "Though, I must say, we might need to get you a bed if this is the best night's sleep you've ever had," he added, teasing.

Sighing once more, Phil's smile wilted a little.

“That night, when you asked me… I was scared,” he admitted. “I wanted to take a leap of faith on you, but I still didn’t know… you’re a sweet talker, after all.” Here, Phil stopped to nudge Dan a bit, laughing. His eyes were glittering, he was sure, and Dan’s - Dan’s looked thoughtful but warm - open.

“I thought, if I ran away with you that night, eventually I’d discover that you were just using me. It hurt, letting you go, knowing you hadn’t understood, but I figured… if you came back, maybe things were different than I thought after all.”

Dan glanced down as Phil joined their hands together, and he allowed himself a small smile at the sight. He listened intently as Phil talked, explaining exactly what had happened when they had their little misunderstanding the other night.

Dan blinked. Then he blinked again, more slowly. Then his eyes narrowed and he rolled closer still, tone playful. "Prince Philip Lester, have you been testing me?"

At Dan's sudden, intense, narrow eyed-stare, Phil looked up, startled, until his thief spoke, and then Phil was throwing his head back and laughing, because essentially, that was right. He had been testing Dan, just a little bit, wanting to know if things could be the way Phil had dreamed they'd be. He grinned as he turned his full attention back to Dan, eyes taking in the soft playfulness of his face that had made Phil fall for him in the first place.

“Maybe I was,” he agreed softly.

Dan shook his head, tutting quietly. Testing - well, he could understand why. Dan knew all too well that he wasn’t the most trustworthy of people, so if all Phil had been doing this time was keeping him at arm’s length to see whether or not Dan would stay… well, then, Dan couldn’t truly fault him for that.

"I can hardly blame you,” Dan answered softly, and then he grinned. “I do have a fierce reputation, after all. I'm the best at what I do. Even if I never did bother to get a proper bed."

"Fierce reputation, indeed," Phil murmured, reaching up to push a stray curl of hair back behind Dan's ear as he moved, both of them moving to rest their head back against Phil’s pillow, their faces close once more. Phil was still playing with the small ring on on Dan’s hand, something precious and important, and, yes, Phil’s first test. He'd known even then that if Dan wore it, Phil had to mean something to Dan, because it was the least monetarily valuable object Phil owned, and yet Dan had worn it for him anyway.

"I totally have a fierce reputation." Dan's tone was a shade away from pouting as he settled back down on the pillows with Phil, and he was very aware of it, but he couldn't even care. So rarely was he allowed to completely let down his guard that Dan wanted to enjoy every minute of it.

Laughing at the way Dan's voice had gone all pouty, Phil shook his head. "You misunderstood me, my thief. I merely meant, your reputation does not do you justice. You were quite a frustratingly intelligent villain, when I finally met you," he insisted, pressing his fingers to Dan's dimple all over again, because it looked sad when he pouted at Phil like that. He loved it, loved seeing all these different sides of Dan, having him open and vulnerable to Phil in a way that he likely would never be with anyone else.

How had Phil grown so lucky?

Dan's nose wrinkled when Phil touched his dimple again, giving his head a little shake. It wasn't that it felt bad, just... Dan hadn't ever had an affectionate touch like that before. He'd given affectionate touches to others, mostly when charming them out of their possessions, but Dan couldn't even remember the last time someone else had touched him with softness and smiles.

His eyes clouded over slightly, but Dan still leaned into the touch. He didn't want to push Phil away. Not really. Not ever.

“Glad to hear you finally started taking me seriously," Dan sniffed. He slid his fingers through Phil's hair, admiring the way the strands fell straight, much unlike his own unruly curls. "I thought you were completely insane the first time I actually saw you. Who climbs up to a rooftop where they know a dangerous thief is waiting?" Dan tutted, shaking his head. "Though - I suppose it showed me how you managed to put away all of my comrades. Persistence is one of your more annoying traits."

Laughing loudly, Phil threw his head back at Dan. "Well, I had to do something to make you take me seriously," he explained once he'd calmed down a little bit, body still shaking with laughter. As if Dan had called him annoying. Phil was certain he had been, in the beginning, getting in the way and making Dan's life that little bit harder.

Dan laid his head on Phil's pillow and looked at him closely, studying the lines on Phil's face, the intensity of those blue eyes. He brought Phil's hand up close, watching as Phil's fingers played with the silver ring on Dan’s finger.

"Of course I came back, though. I will always come back.” Dan paused for a moment, slightly floored by the truth of those words. He’d been running his entire life, but here, he had someone he wanted to come home to, someone who would keep him tethered.

Someone who had needed Dan to prove himself, to show that he meant everything he promised. So Dan glanced down at the ring on his finger, and then back up to Phil’s eyes, and murmured, “Have I proved it to you? What you needed to see? Because you've proven yourself to me. A hundred times over. All these years I've spent hating you, hating your family, your class... I thought all of you were bad people. You aren't, though." Dan sighed, playing with Phil's hair gently. "At least you aren't, my Prince. Heard you were building an orphanage. Could have done with one of those, when I was growing up."

Phil's mouth was dry again. He already knew his answer to Dan's question, had promised he'd tell him where he stood today, but Dan was still talking, eyes darting about Phil's face uncertainly before finally returning to Phil's eyes, fingers moving to play with Phil's hair.

Phil released Dan's hand, and cupped his cheek.

"If I had known… I wish my family had done these things sooner, for you," Phil murmured, and moved his hand to push a finger under Dan's chin, forcing their gazes to lock, forcing Dan to pay attention and understand how serious Phil was just then.

Those words hurt a little bit. They made Dan tremble, his heart constricting with something he never let himself think about. The dark reaches of his past were buried deep inside his brain, locked away in a corner of his mind that he never, ever went to. This was walking dangerously close to that corner, but with Phil looking at him, touching him so softly, Dan… almost felt safe.

Almost.

"I know you would have done everything for me if you could," Dan agreed softly, meeting Phil’s gaze head on, but Phil shook his head. He wasn’t done speaking.

"You've long since proven yourself to me, Dan,” Phil continued. His eyes fluttered with want as he looked at his thief, his heart pounding away in his chest like no other. “Last night only sealed it home. I was just too scared to take that final leap, despite knowing all along," he murmured, leaning that little bit further in and sighing against Dan's lips. "There was a time when you might have used me, but that's long been gone… Dan, my King of Thieves, I would follow you to the ends of the Earth," he whispered against Dan’s lips, and then he was kissing him, lips gentle and soft, the kiss chaste and raw.

Dan shuddered a little as he watched Phil, listening to his words, and finally allowed himself to believe them. Dan was filled with intense warmth, even as they trod on dangerous territory, what with the mention of Dan being an orphan. Dan still hadn't told Phil about his past - wasn't quite sure he was ready to open those raw wounds yet. Not when he was already so vulnerable.

But then Phil was kissing him, and Dan could do nothing but return it, pressing in close but not too close, not wanting to start anything beyond gentle touches and soft kisses. Phil wasn't ready for more - Dan could tell from the way he held back a little, never pushing past a certain boundary. Dan could respect that, because this was Phil, and Dan was never willingly going to hurt him.

So he kissed him like he meant it, and he did. He kissed Phil like he was everything, reached up to card his fingers through Phil’s hair, to cup his cheek and hold him close, to keep Phil just near enough that he knew what he meant to Dan in that moment - what he meant to Dan always.

He never wanted this to end.

When Phil pulled away again finally, he was playing with the ring on Dan's finger again.

"So. Are you courting me, then, my thief?" he asked, voice coy. He was staring up at Dan from under lowered lashes, looking so beautiful, Dan could do nothing but stare.

The question took Dan a little by surprise, and he paused for a moment, caught up in looking at Phil. Courting - now there was a word Dan had shied away from this whole time, and now… well, it was mostly redundant now, wasn’t it?

So Dan allowed a slow grin to spread across his face. "I don't know, Phil. Does it count as courting if I've already caught you?"

“Dan!” Phil moaned, instantly going deep red and pushing against his thief’s chest. He was grinning despite it all, something low swooping in his stomach at the acknowledgement of those words, but he still wanted to know. Something deep inside of him still longed for the proper reciprocation, for Dan to give him an answer loud and clear, for what they had to be spelled out in pretty cursive writing that no one could take away from him.

“Hush.” Dan leaned in to rub his nose against Phil's, teasingly soft, and pulled away again with a smirk. "Besides, I literally threw a dagger at that scumbag who was trying to flirt with you. I think I made my intentions perfectly clear, and it's entirely your fault if you were too dense to see it."

"You're a menace,” Phil moaned, moving to wrap his arms around Dan’s waist and draw him in close, flushed a deep red from the way Dan nuzzled against him. “You may have caught me already, but my loyal fans may not think that enough. Perhaps I require more gifts showered upon me to ensure they stay away," Phil teased, but he didn't mean it, and, afraid that Dan would misunderstand him again, he pulled them closer together still, and nudged Dan’s nose with his. "All I need... is you."

Dan chuckled deeply as Phil pulled him in close, calling him a menace. He could get used to the feeling of Phil's warm arms wrapped around him, to the way they were so closely entwined. Dan nestled his head against Phil's shoulder and closed his eyes, taking the moment to relax. His limbs were aching and sore from all the running around he'd had to do yesterday, and Dan didn't really want to ever get up.

But then Phil mentioned more gifts and Dan sat up a little, a playful smirk at his lips. "Oh? My bracelet isn't enough to keep others away, you think?" He could tell Phil wasn't entirely serious, but a quick glance down showed that Phil was currently only wearing one thing from Dan - the bracelet - whereas Dan had two gifts from Phil - the ring and the watch.

Dan just couldn't have that. He wouldn't be outdone by his Prince, so he sat up, glancing about the room for his cloak.

"Considering you had to throw a dagger at the last person who attempted to court my attention despite your bracelet, thief, I'd say I might need something more," Phil teased, but his heart was racing with the opportunity to be gifted something else from Dan, not having expected Dan to sit up at Phil’s comment. While Phil had been telling the truth, that all he truly wanted was Dan's heart, he couldn't help the little bit of giddy excitement burning in his chest that Dan might give him more.

When his brother had courted Cornelia, the gifts had largely been from Martyn, and Phil had spent his whole life knowing it would likely be the same for him one day if he managed to find the right person. He was happy to shower Dan in gifts, precious heirlooms and pointless items that meant a lot to Phil, but… the idea of receiving more from Dan was exciting.

Dan sent Phil a long, considering look at that, unsure for a moment, and then -

"...I'm going to do something now.” Dan hesitated a moment longer, glancing down at Phil. “Don't freak out on me."

Carefully, he disentangled himself from Phil and hopped down from the bed, moving swiftly until he found his cloak where it had been dropped the night before. He returned to the bed, sitting cross-legged at Phil's feet, and held the cloak in his lap.

Allowing Dan to remove himself from Phil's bed was hard, but Phil let him as he sat up himself, heart pounding hard in his chest. What was Dan planning on doing? The retrieval of his coat was unexpected and nerve wracking, and Phil suddenly had the horrible and exciting realization that Dan carried many of his treasures on his person.

Dan met Phil's eyes. "Like I said - no freaking out." He turned the cloak over in his lap, liking the satisfying jingle it made, and opened it up to reveal the inner pockets.

As Dan sat at his feet, legs dangling off the bed, and cautioned Phil once again, he merely nodded his head.

He wanted so badly to see the secrets Dan kept in his cloak.

The sound of rattling gold tipped Phil in, but he'd already guessed at that, and he waited with baited breath as the cloak was opened to him.

The cloak was quite literally lined with gold - coins and bracelets, necklaces and earrings, jewels of all kinds glistened out from the pockets, spilling over onto the bed when Dan gave it a light shake.

His first reaction was a startled gasp, eyes going wide as he pulled his legs into himself to sit cross legged and get a better look, spying jewels, and coins, bracelets and earrings, all spilling out from the many pockets lined upon the inside. How did Dan run with this thing on, or better yet, outrun Phil, who'd once thought he was particularly fit?

Before Phil could do much else but gawk, Dan was turning his cloak over, and dumping the entire contents of its pockets all over Phil's bed.

Phil jumped, taken by surprise once again, and turned wide eyes up to Dan.

Dan glanced back up at Phil, watching him closely. "You can have anything from here. Anything you might want, or that will be enough to chase any other courters away." Dan's eyes gleamed in the dawn light. "I want everyone to know who you belong to, Phil."

Phil didn't know what to say. There were so many treasures at his feet, treasures he knew had been stolen and of which Phil should be more offended by, and yet he wasn't. There were gold bracelets and watches far more grand than the one Dan wore now, richly made necklaces and even rings with large stones much prettier than Phil's simple one.

And yet none of it appealed to Phil, even as he let his fingers run over precious jewel after precious jewel.

Slowly, Phil looked back up at Dan, a frown tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Perhaps, it will feel like a rejection, but I don't want any of this," he began gently, reaching out to take Dan's hand before his thief could curl away from him, throwing up walls Phil had only just managed to properly break down.

His eyes were piercing as he stared into Dan's, finger stroking over the cold metal of his ring once more.

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that it's been stolen. It's beautiful. It's all beautiful, and far too grand. I'm not dumb, Dan, and I fear this might not make sense to you in the way that I'd like it too, but… I want something more."

Phil cringed at how the words had come out, and reached out again with his other hand to cover Dan's with both of his own, knowing that was the only way he'd ever come out on top as bigger.

"I don't need riches from you, or precious artifacts and heirlooms. I don't want to pick a gift from your piles of treasures. I'd rather have a simple rock, if it meant something to you," he said quietly, biting his bottom lip, and fearing that Dan would still be offended, despite every attempt by Phil to avoid it.

Dan couldn't help the slight recoil when Phil rejected his treasures.

At first, he feared Phil was going to rebuke him for stealing, and he made to get off the bed, to leave before Phil could damage him further, but Phil grabbed his hand between both of his and earnestly begged him to listen.

So Dan listened, and when he realised exactly what Phil was asking for, his jaw dropped in horror.

Phil wanted something that meant something to Dan.

He wanted to know what was important to Dan. To get under his skin, to know him personally.

And that terrified Dan.

Automatically, Dan shook his head, recoiling again, but Phil's grip held him fast and Dan made the mistake of looking into Phil's eyes again. Those eyes, so honest and soft, were begging Dan to trust him.

Dan could feel himself crumbling.

With a gusty sigh, Dan wilted, crawling up the bed and through the piles and piles of gold to fold himself up against Phil's side. Phil's arms came to wrap around his shoulders instinctively and Dan let them, wanting to be the one comforted for once. He nestled his face into Phil's collarbones and spoke against his skin.

"You ask too much of me, my Prince," Dan sighed, turning his head a little to make his voice clearer. "No one's ever rejected my treasure before. Most people fall over their feet for it, you know? ...I suppose that's what makes you different."

Dan sighed again, keeping himself curled up close to Phil. He felt protected here - safe. Maybe… maybe he could afford to let his guard down a little more, as scary as that thought might seem.

"I don't keep my more precious things on me when I'm out," Dan murmured. "It’s too risky. But I - I do have some. A little pile, in my cave. You actually helped me get one of them." Dan glanced up, eyes clouded as he looked at Phil. "Alexandrus' fairy tales. Remember that? I wanted them because - well. They were my favourite. And my brother's favourite, too."

Dan glanced down, picking up Phil's hand that wore his bracelet, and lightly played with his fingers. "But you can't wear fairy tales to scare off other courters."

The horror was obvious and clear on Dan's face, making Phil wince and almost take it back all back, but he didn't. He waited it out, watched as Dan's resolve seemed to crumble, and his walls break further down, until he was crawling over the gold and jewels scattered all over Phil's bed to crawl into his arms instead. Instinctively, Phil wrapped them around Dan, and held him close, resting his chin on Dan's head. He could feel hot breath puffing against bare skin, could feel the almost non-existent tremble of Dan's body, and waited.

He closed his eyes, but didn't outwardly react to Dan's words, waiting, just waiting, for him to be done. He shifted easily with Dan, allowing him free range of movement, never wanting him to feel trapped, until they were looking into each other's eyes again. Nodding at Dan to encourage him to continue, Phil thought back to that day in the library, the first time they'd nearly kissed, and recalled how strange he'd found it that Dan had been searching for fairy tales - not only fairy tales, but hadn't cared when Phil had said he couldn't promise a first edition.

Hearing word of Dan's favorite sent a thrill through Phil.

He bit his tongue.

He wouldn't ask, though he was craving to know. Dan spoke so little of his past.

One day, maybe, if Dan was willing to share, they could talk about that, too.

Closing his fingers around Dan's, Phil moved his other hand to nudge Dan's chin up to face him.

"Then pick me out something to wear. I don't care what it is, where it came from, or what it means. If it would make you feel safer with me, then I'll take it. But I promise, no suitor will distract me from you. You are all that I want, Dan,” he said with a little smile. “I am all yours. I'd shout it from the rooftops, if you'd let me." He smiled when this made Dan laugh. "I don't mean to ask too much of you. I merely meant, I don't need your riches to prove to me how you feel. I just need you," he attempted to explain, feeling entirely too sentimental and silly in that moment.

Dan's lips twitched upward despite himself at Phil's words. There was so much passion in them - so much openness. Dan recognised their importance. Phil had given himself completely to Dan - all of him, all his fears, his hopes and desires, all of it was right there for Dan's inspection.

Dan wished he could return the favour.

He sat up a bit, still in Phil's arms, and traced a gentle finger down Phil's shoulder when Phil said he already knew how Dan felt, didn't need treasures to prove it. Dan's mouth dried a little. Could he believe that? He so desperately wanted to believe it. Phil just needed Dan - well, Dan could be here for Phil.

Enjoying the vulnerability on Dan's face, Phil leaned in close and placed a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips, eyes fluttering shut at the shared intimacy. He liked the way Dan’s fingers tightened on his body at the touch, liked the way Dan’s breath caught, liked the effect he could have on the man who’d given him… everything.

Dan smiled at the kiss pressed to the corner of his mouth, and reached out to grip Phil's face before he could get too far away.

"You're getting good at that," he murmured, eyes glinting, and leaned in close to kiss Phil again, firmly, just in case he wasn't yet fully aware that he belonged to Dan. "I'd happily tell the world I caught the Captain of the Guard, if you'd let me."

Dan's hands on his cheeks made Phil turn his gaze back to his thief, and he grinned into the kiss when Dan moved in to kiss him again. He couldn't help being proud of himself; already, today, he'd shared more intimacy with Dan than he had with anyone else in his life, had learned that he'd proven himself to Dan a long time ago, and had been praised on his ability to kiss. Sort of. At least they weren't clicking teeth together, anymore.

Shrugging shortly, Phil merely replied, "I've had a good teacher," with thoughts of Dan's searing hot lips possessive against his own on his mind.

Unsure just how serious Dan was about sharing their romance with the world, however, Phil held his tongue.

He didn't want to expose Dan and ruin his station in the criminal world, destroying everything he'd done to get there, but at the same time, he wanted nothing more than to show Dan off to the world as his most precious person. His one and only true treasure.

Dan glanced back down at his piles of gold once he'd pulled away, pursing his lips in deep thought.

"I do want you to wear something, though. You've given me two beautiful things, and I can't have you outdoing me." Dan sifted through the treasure for a moment, suddenly knowing exactly what he was looking for.

"What I've given you pales in comparison to what you've given me," Phil murmured in reply, missing it as Dan crawled back out of his arms. He felt cold without Dan's warmth against him. "And by that, I mean both this bracelet, and, if I'm not mistaken, your heart," Phil stated simply, heart racing in his chest at the presumptuous remark.

Still, he was giddy as he watched Dan search through the treasures on Phil's bed in order to pick out the perfect object to make it clear to any and all who looked that Phil was a taken man.

"You think you've got my heart, do you?" Dan asked wryly, glancing at Phil with a small smirk. "Well, I won't be one to disillusion you. If you think you've got it... you probably have."

It wasn't the best confession of love ever, but it was about as close as Dan could get for now. He wasn't used to being vulnerable to another person and he had a lot to sort out for himself. If this - whatever it was - he felt for Phil was going to stick around, then Dan knew he'd have to address some problems. Not the least being how on earth he'd explain it to his community. The thieves and scoundrels and rogues that Dan had grown up with would never understand why he was helping the royal family, of all people. But if they saw Dan stealing away a Prince, then they'd consider it his greatest conquest yet. Dan would have to be careful how he played it; his world was a fickle one. Not to mention Chris already knew.

He didn't want to darken this morning with such thoughts, though. Instead, he glanced at Phil, and that right there was why it was worth risking so much. Phil looking at him, happy, smiling, ready for whatever prize Dan would hand him.

"At the risk of sounding as soppy as you," Dan smirked, gripping Phil's hand in his own and lifting it, "I actually stole this because it reminded me of you. The colour - like your eyes, I thought." Dan held up the chunky golden ring with a sapphire inlaid delicately for decoration - the same one he’d been carrying around for months now. It gleamed in the growing sunlight, shining three different colours, and Dan felt a small sense of pride as he slipped it onto Phil's finger.

"There. I may not have a family name or heirloom to gift you with, but if you say I am enough, I will believe you. I am a King, after all." Dan punctuated his sentence with another cheeky wink at Phil.

Grinning at the back handed compliment, Phil allowed Dan to take his hand and watched anxiously as the treasure was unleashed to him. The blue of the nearly gaudy stone did in fact remind Phil of his own eyes, and as Dan slipped it onto his finger, Phil watched it shine a myriad of colors at him; blue, green, and yellow. Yes, Phil could see how that might have reminded Dan of him. He grinned.

"You are my King," Phil agreed, leaning in to kiss Dan again. He couldn't help it. Dan's lips were intoxicating. But more than that, Phil was just happy because Dan had given him a piece of himself, whether he had a family name or an heirloom to hand Phil or not.

Dan chuckled against Phil's lips, pulling back to nose at Phil's jaw and murmur, "I'm not so sure your father would be happy to hear that.”

Dan leaned in again, wanting very much to kiss Phil until they both forgot the outside world and got completely lost in each other, but a knock at the door jerked him away rather suddenly, popping the little bubble he and Phil had managed to ensconce themselves in since they’d woken up what might have been hours ago now, neither male knew.

"Phil!" a voice shouted through the door, one Dan recognised as that of Martyn Lester, sounding both tired and panicked. "I know you're probably very busy with your thief right now, or sleeping or whatever, but my wife is dying out here. Get out of bed!"

Phil's heart was racing. He could still hear Dan’s confession of love for him swirling around in his head, something he hadn’t gotten to address at the time, distracted as he was by Dan’s gift of the ring he’d stolen because it reminded him of Phil, and his mouth was still throbbing from the memory of Dan’s lips on his. His head was absolutely spinning with joy and exaltation, but before he got the chance to say anything to Dan, to even began to approach his confession, or the ring, or even the events of last night that they still hadn’t gotten the chance to discuss, there was a knock at the door followed immediately by the sound of his hysterical brother Martyn.

The soft, loving mood was destroyed from around them, and Phil's smile faded until his heart weighed heavy again.

He hadn't forgotten Cornelia, no, and perhaps it was unfair he was kindling his own romance while she slowly withered away, but Phil still couldn't bring himself to regret this morning.

He'd cemented something sincere between himself and Dan, and that was equally as important.

Dan smirked a little. Meeting Phil's family had happened in such a rush yesterday that he hadn't really had a chance to enjoy himself, so getting a sudden idea, he spoke up before Phil could answer. "My apologies, Crown Prince. He's going to be a bit busy for a while longer. Wouldn't come in, if I were you."

Before Phil could speak up to throw off his brother, Dan was speaking up for him. Mortified at his words, Phil turned a furious gaze onto Dan, and outright tackled him on the bed.

They went tumbling across Phil’s duvet, the sound of treasures rolling and falling echoing around the room as Phil pounced, shouting "Thief!" loudly, not wanting to reveal Dan's name unless he was allowed. The anger was hardly real, though, and while Phil now knew he needed to release Dan and face his brother, face his family, face the dire situation at hand, he was still a bit distracted, cheeks red.

"We'll be right out, Martyn. I - we’ve only just woken, please ignore him," he demanded. "I haven't forgotten my duty to you."

Martyn, rather fairly, grunted on the other side of the door, and seemed to punch the door one last time irritably. Phil winced, but hardly blamed his brother when he shouted a quick, “Yes, well, meet father and I in the library, then, once you are - presentable.”

Once that was said and done, Phil turned his attention back to the thief who was suddenly underneath him, and watched with trepidation in his eyes as the man stared up at him with mirth and a calculating gaze.

Phil was suddenly very aware of his less than half-dressed state over Dan.

Dan had dissolved into laughter when Phil tackled him, rolling easily across the bed with treasures tumbling down around them. He couldn't resist snickering when Phil's cheeks turned red, the colour spreading down his entire chest - and then Dan got distracted with looking there, because he was suddenly being pinned down by a half-naked Phil on his bed surrounded by gold, and if this wasn't straight out of Dan's dreams...

The thought seemed to occur to Phil, too, when he looked back down at Dan after shouting at his brother. The way his eyes widened when he realised the position he'd inadvertently put them in was entirely too adorable, and Dan wanted to pull him close, to wrap him up in cotton wool and protect his innocence for as long as possible.

But the other part of Dan wanted to destroy Phil, too.

Dan's eyes were calculating as he surveyed Phil, toying with him, deciding exactly how far he could tease him. Phil had Dan's wrists pinned down to the bed, holding him firmly, and Dan rather liked the weight of another body pressing him into a bed. It made a change to how things normally went.

Despite that, Dan knew Phil wouldn't have a clue what to do. And he could use that.

Still smirking, Dan wrapped a leg around Phil's waist and brought him crashing down, until they were flush against each other and Dan's lips were right by Phil's ear. He stayed still, completely immobile, not wanting to take this too far without Phil's knowledge. So instead, Dan breathed into Phil's ear, "Much as I'm enjoying this, I think you're a bit out of your depth. If we had time, though - oh, the things I could show you, my Prince."

This was something completely new to Phil, something completely foreign and terrifying, and as Dan hooked a leg around his waist and dragged him forward until Phil was collapsing, chest to chest with Dan, he couldn't help but to squeal, eyes wide and heart nearly racing right out of his chest.

He was certain that Dan could feel it against him as well.

His face had fallen into the crook of Dan's neck, and every inch of Phil was on fire where he touched Dan. There was far too much skin to skin action going on here, and it didn't help that Phil was wearing far less than Dan. He felt naked and exposed despite his pants hiding his most private of areas.

Dan turned to whisper hot words into Phil's ear, then, and he felt a shiver of anticipation surge through him at the suggestive tone he bore. Phil bit his lip and had to close his eyes to try to not remember the way it had made him feel to have Dan's mouth on his neck earlier that morning just in case he had a very embarrassing reaction right now.

As it was, he was already flushed all over, and it was painfully obvious to both of them that Phil was...aroused.

Scrambling up and off of Dan, Phil released his thief's wrists in order to get away, falling back flat on his bed on his bum, and pressing his face into his hands.

Phil groaned. "What have you done to me?"

Dan couldn't help but chuckle again, watching Phil with bright eyes. He was completely red, all the way down his body, and Dan admired the view by slowly dragging his eyes across every inch of Phil that he could see. Desire tugged low in his belly, but at the same time, Dan could see that Phil was freaking out a little bit right now.

"That's the best part," Dan grinned evilly as he crawled his way back over to Phil, "I haven't even done anything to you yet."

The words only made Phil shudder again, his skin feeling prickly and hot. He'd really never been in this situation before, and he didn't know what to do with himself. Already, he knew he'd be leaving the room with his neck dark and bruised, marked up by Dan, and as embarrassing as it was, he'd wanted that. It was entirely new to be touched by someone else, to have their mouth on him, and finally, Phil understood all the fuss.

But he most certainly wasn't ready for more just then, not to mention Dan had far more experience in this than Phil did.

Phil's embarrassment was obvious from the way he hid his face in his hands, so when Dan touched him, it was to soothe rather than to arouse him further. Dan's hands wrapped gently around Phil's wrists, the touch firm but careful, and he lowered Phil's hands slowly so that he could watch Phil's expression.

"Phil, I'm not going to do anything you don't want - you know that, right?" Dan kept his eyes trained on Phil's face, knowing this was something they needed to clear the air on. "Whatever we do - it'll be at your pace. I'm guessing you've never been in quite this position before, seeing as I stole your first kiss?" Dan allowed himself a proud little grin at that, eyes crinkling, and he rubbed his thumbs calmly against Phil's wrists.

Despite Dan's cackling words, his touch was soothing when he reached for Phil again, thumbs stroking lightly at Phil's wrists. He allowed his face to be uncovered for Dan to look at, and stared into warm brown eyes in disbelief.

"I - I -" he began, but Dan cut him off, still talking. His obvious enjoyment at having stolen Phil's first kiss pulled a reluctant chuckle out of Phil, but he was still shaking with nerves. He didn't want to tell Dan how terrifying this all was for him, but it seemed to be obvious anyway.

Dan continued before he could speak regardless.

"Believe me, I'm more than happy to show you what you've been missing out on. But only when you're completely ready. Despite my reputation, I'm not a complete monster."

"I know you're not a monster," Phil scoffed, though his voice didn't come out as confident as he'd meant for it to. "It's not that, I just -" but Phil couldn't continue, mortified as he was.

It was just that Dan was… experienced, not only in the art of seduction, but in intimacy, in a way that Phil was not. Phil hardly knew how to flirt, and it was Dan who was teaching him how to kiss. He knew there was no reason to be embarrassed at his lack of… expertise, and yet he was.

Knowing that Dan had likely experienced so much, whereas Phil had experienced next to nothing - it, well… was strictly mortifying. What if Phil just - didn’t match up to Dan’s expectations? What if Phil didn’t perform well, or didn’t match up to what Dan wanted? The worries plagued him, even as Dan stared at him like Phil was everything he’d ever wanted, like he wanted to eat Phil up and didn’t know how it was possible Phil could be so nervous.

Phil's small voice and embarrassed expression were doing something very strange and wriggly to Dan's insides. This was a new feeling for him. The lust was there, yes, but it was completely devoured by the desire to protect Phil, to make him feel safe. In that moment, all Dan wanted was to have his Prince smiling and happy again, carefree. Not looking at him like a scared rabbit caught by a desert fox.

Finally, Phil ducked his head.

"I just feel… very out of my league, with you," he finally admitted.

Despite himself, Dan was brought up short at that. He blinked, brows furrowing. "You - you think I'm out of your league?" Dan shook his head, his lips twitching, and then he was opening his arms, offering Phil a hug if he wanted it.

"Phil - you idiot. Flattering as that is, I assure you, we are equals here." Dan tilted his head, wanting to calm Phil a little more, to prove that whatever he was thinking was unfounded. "I may be more experienced in... certain things, but in other ways, you are far above me. Hell, I'd never slept in a proper bed before last night. Plus, I'm ninety percent sure you're older than me, and… those things where I hold more experience are… natural, instinct. There is nothing to be worried about."

Dan was a giant fucking softie, and Phil was never going to let this go as his thief opened his arms to him, offering Phil the hug he most certainly felt he needed just then. The cute little way he tilted his head certainly wasn't helping things either, nor was the dimple in his cheek when his lips twitched.

It felt good to be reminded that they were equals, though, and though Phil couldn't look into Dan's eyes just then, he did allow himself to fall over and into his arms, shoulder pressed to Dan's chest. Dan's arms wrapped around his torso as Phil closed his eyes.

Grinning to himself, Phil nodded. "Well, when you put it that way," he teased.

Dan placed two fingers under Phil's chin and tilted his face up slowly, eyes soft. "I assure you, in every way you think I outstrip you, I could give you a hundred reasons why you're a better man than me. If either of us is out of their league, it's me."

Affronted by Dan’s words to diminish himself, Phil began to frown, and before he could change his mind or chicken out, Phil reached up to cup Dan’s cheek. His fingers drew down on Dan’s skin a bit roughly, forcing Dan close, and he glared at him lightly.

“Excuse me, my thief? While I am certain that I am older than you, I am in no way better than you. You've already said it - we are equals. I won't allow you to think yourself below me," he insisted, and oh how fast the tables had turned.

Dan squirmed when Phil tugged on his cheek, his face screwing up, and he let out a breathy sigh. "Your fascination with my face is going to be the death of me," he muttered, shaking himself loose of Phil and rubbing at his cheek.

"I just like your face," Phil replied cheekily, eyes dropping down low to Dan's lips and licking his own at the sight. He tried for a cheeky, teasing wink, wondered if he’d failed or not, and then sighed as he drew away from Dan, growing serious once again.

"Alright. So. Equals, nothing promiscuous until I'm ready, and I most definitely stole your heart. I'm sure there's… more we should talk about, but my family is waiting," Phil said, winking one last time, but beginning to feel even more somber. For all their teasing and joking, all the kissing and the way Dan made Phil feel, things were not perfect. They might never be, but, and Phil fully believed this, they could work through it.

Phil fully intended to, at least.

Dan didn't like the way Phil's eyes clouded over when he mentioned his family again. Their little world might feel safe and full of warmth, but there was a curse in the castle, and one of Phil's closest relations was in danger. Dan furrowed his brows. Cornelia was Phil's sibling, or soon to be, and Dan remembered all too well what it was like to lose a sibling. He didn't want Phil to have to go through that. Not ever.

"There's definitely more we should talk about," Dan muttered as he forced himself up out of the bed to retrieve his clothing. "Not least of which is the way I so clearly stole your heart when you were supposed to be locking me away. I'll want the details eventually, my Prince. Every last way I managed to get your attention."

Dan was grinning broadly as he slipped his tunic back on, and he picked Phil's tunic up from the floor to throw it playfully at his head. "But first, you need to put on some clothes, or I might never let you get out of this room."

Phil sighed, standing and stretching with a small little yawn as Dan climbed out of bed as well. He was a bit reluctant to watch Dan get dressed, happy as he was to be one the few lucky enough to see his body, but he shook the thoughts away. He didn’t need to be thinking about that, let alone the fact that he most certainly was not the only one Dan had ever charmed into his bed. He felt himself go a little green with jealousy again, and shook his head.

It didn't matter, now. Dan had said so himself. Phil was different, Phil was special, and if Phil had his way, he'd be the last one to ever enter Dan's bed.

Turning around, Phil took in the neat piles of treasures now scattered about his bed, certain there were more under the frame. Afraid of what the maids might say should they come in and see this mess, Phil began to clear it all up. Dan's cloak was still spread out on the bed, open and exposed to him. Phil didn't quite know where any of Dan’s treasures went, but he went ahead and started putting them away regardless.

Turning his attention back to Dan, Phil smiled at him.

"There's plenty I'd like to know myself, like when you started finding excuses to see me when you knew I was a threat on your life. When did you fall for me, then, my thief? And when did you steal this ring, because I'd quite like to know when you admired my eyes so much you found a treasure to mimic them."

It made Phil giddy all over again to think of sharing things like that, to think of Dan laying himself open to Phil for once, but he would be happy to share himself as well. He'd always be happy to share himself as well.

He'd just turned back around to continue collecting Dan's treasures when his tunic hit him over the head, wrapping around his face before falling to land on his shoulder. Startled, Phil yelped and turned back to Dan, scrambling to catch the article of clothing, before blushing hotly once more.

"Perhaps I don't want to leave this room," he muttered, but he still forced himself to go and get dressed, pulling the tunic over his head and abandoning his quest to find all of Dan's precious jewels to instead find his trousers. After all, he couldnt very well leave with no pants on, could he?

He could only hope his family would go easy on the marks on his neck.

Dan's smirk was replaced with a scowl when Phil turned his question back on him. Dan wasn't even sure exactly when he'd started falling for Phil - he'd been all but desperate to keep Phil's attention on him, yes, but that was just because Dan should be the most important thing in Phil's life. It didn't mean he'd fallen for him way back then. Did it?

Dan was completely screwed.

Ignoring these thoughts, at least for now, Dan found Phil's trousers and took them over to him, shoving them into his chest with a determined frown. "Well, like I said. Lots still to talk about."

He turned away with a haughty sniff, though he couldn't help smiling at Phil's attempt to get all the treasures back into Dan's cloak. He'd done a roughshod job, with some pieces still spilling out onto the bed, but Dan didn't even mind. It felt - intimate, having someone else sorting out his clothing for him. Dan would wear this cloak all day, knowing Phil had been the one to fix it up for him.

Dan swung the dark material around his shoulders, leaving the rest of the treasure on Phil's bed. He wouldn't miss it, had plenty more like it. Instead, Dan went straight back to Phil's side once they were both dressed and took his hand, peering intently into his eyes.

"I want you to know," Dan said firmly, "That whatever happens in the next month, I am going to do everything in my power to ensure that you don't lose your family. Dark magic is scary - Cornelia might look awful. But we'll fix her, ok? I promise."

Dan moved his hand down to where the marks were still visible on Phil's neck, knowing he had a matching set of his own from Phil’s earlier, fumbling attempts to mimic his mouth's movements, hidden by his cloak. Phil's stood out more on his pale skin, and Dan gently pressed his thumb there. Mine. The message was clear.

Having Dan shove his trousers into his chest made Phil flush with pride, like Dan was his husband and they were taking care of each other. It was new, and special, and particularly sweet, and Phil found himself smiling more than he probably should as he dragged them up and over his hips. They fit snug, and he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, attempting to smoothe it out and make himself appear that little bit more presentable.

It wasn't long until Dan was once again approaching his side, taking Phil's hand as Phil turned to look at him.

Dan's gaze was intent, his voice stern, and a wave of fear washed over Phil. Dan knew more about this spell than Phil and his family did. There was a haunted look in his eye, but there was also a determination there that caused Phil to swallow thickly, but which also reassured him that he could trust Dan.

"Okay," Phil agreed in a small voice, straightening up a bit as Dan reached out to press his fingers to the marks inlaid in Phil's neck. When his fingers pressed down, it hurt, but it was a good hurt; a reminder. Phil belonged to Dan.

Phil's eyes flickered to Dan's neck, where he'd done his best to perform a similar treatment, but his thief's cloak hid what little marks Phil had achieved. Still, he felt a flush of pride at his handiwork, and gripped tighter to Dan's fingers in his.

"Let's go," he insisted.

Dan stepped back with a small nod. He was satisfied that Phil was at least forewarned about the situation, but he couldn't say he was happy. He knew today would be hard on Phil, and all Dan really wanted was to whisk Phil away from it all so he'd never have to witness the hurt his family would be going through.

But he couldn’t. Not yet. So, with a final deep breath, he took Phil’s hand in his and led him towards the door.

#phanfiction #iwritephanthings #insanityplaysfics #phan fluff #phanfic #steal my heart #uploading this early to make me feel better #will reblog again tonight

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