The courtyard was quiet, silvered by moonlight, the world holding its breath in the hush between midnight and dawn. You stood at your post, the weight of your armor familiar, though it did little to shield you the ache you carried.

It was foolish, this thing you felt. Wanting a prince. Wanting Hikaru.

The prince moved like the night itself — graceful, unbothered by duty in moments like these, when the world wasn’t watching. Blonde hair curling at his nape, eyes like storm clouds before rain. And every time those eyes found you, you felt yourself unravel a little more.

“Your Highness,” You greeted, your voice a little rougher than it should’ve been.

Hikaru slowed, his smile small, teasing. “I told you to drop the title when it’s just us.”

You allowed yourself a fleeting smile.“Dangerous habit. Might forget myself in front of others.”

Hikaru stepped closer, his voice lower now, carrying a warmth that cut through the chill of the night. “Maybe I wouldn’t mind if you did.”

The words hung there, and for a breath, the world seemed to still. Your fingers curled at your side. You wouldn’t cross that line — couldn’t. But sometimes, you let yourself lean too close to the edge.

“Stay safe, Hikaru,” he murmured, the words weighted with everything you couldn’t say.

Hikaru’s gaze lingered on you a moment longer, something unspoken in it, something fragile and reckless. And then he was gone, disappearing into the shadows of the palace, leaving you alone with the quiet, and the ache of wanting what could never be.