PeaceMaker

Boris stood there for a moment, paralyzed as he felt Dominic's hands around his waist, hugging him lightly. 'Ah…' he thought, 'he's touching me.' His heart skipped a beat, his heartbeat beginning to speed up. 'His arm- his body- what?'

They stood there for a few seconds in silence as Dominic hugged him before Dominic cleared his throat and his hands around Boris' waist began to loosen and he pulled away slowly, his eyes looking at the ground for a solid minute. 

"Ah…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to grab on to you like that, it's just that I just kind of felt the urge to and my body moved on its own and I-" Dominic began explaining his words, cutting off when he locked eyes with Boris. His eyes were unreadable and his face held no feeling of emotion in them. He stepped back. "I'm sorry. I know it was annoying for me..." Dominic began.

'No… it wasn't,' Boris responded in his mind. 

"..especially since you probably have a lot of things to yell at me for right now…"

'I don't,'

"and you probably still hate me and despise my presence.'

'No- I… I don't even know. But it's not hate I-' He couldn't even think, it was almost like his mind was crashing as his brain could find no response to the touch. And even more, the pounding in his chest, how hard his heart was beating, like it was threatening to jump from its cage. 'Why now…' he thought to himself, "why malfunction now, you idiot. It's not even like he did something uncommon, he hugged a lot of the knights back then and even some noblewomen. A hug isn't something to be- but his scent. He just took a bath recently and it smells so good-'

Dominic stood there for another second before letting out a big sigh and running his hands through his hair. "I messed it all up again didn't I?" he asked, "all I had to do was to keep my--"

Boris wasn't paying attention. There was something about this moment that didn't sit well with him. It was hot and something as simple as a hug was not something he should be overheating like this for. And Dominic- his very presence in this room meant too much on its own. The owner of the books he spent months reading, the owner of the desk he worked at, the owner of the council members he had worked with. He was there, in front of him, in a casual outfit and slightly wet hair. 

Boris stepped back slightly as Dominic's scent wafted up to his nose. Something felt dangerous here. His heart didn't feel safe, and his eyes couldn't focus on one thing. They were jumping from Dominic's hair to his eyes to his hair to his actual appearance. 'But why? WHY?!"

Dominic flinched at that and Boris moved out of his phase, his eyes meeting with Dominic's immediately. They were taken aback. They were scared and there was a twinge of pain and regret. All of the things Boris hated to see in Dominic's emerald eyes the most. 

"I'm sorry," Dominic smiled despondently as he looked away from Boris, "I understand that I overstepped my boundaries. Again..'

Boris flinched, his eyes widening suddenly but his mouth wasn't speaking. 'No.. no that's not true.'

"I really should learn how to not force things on people. First, it's the title, then it's my people, and then it's the kingdom. I just keep throwing things at you," Dominic whispered, his voice shaking slightly. 

'That's not true either I don't blame you-'

"So I'll try to keep my distance now," Dominic nodded, locking eyes with Boris once again, his emerald eyes drowned in confusion and a crestfallen expression on his face. Yet he still smiled. "I'm sorry for thi-"

"I SAID NO!" Boris yelled, his hand grabbing Dominic by the wrist and pulling him towards him with a strong yank. Instead of falling into his chest, Dominic tripped on the edge of the rug and they both fell sideways, onto the couch beside them, Boris falling on top of Dominic but his hand swiftly moved to behind Dominic's head, softening the fall onto the couch. 

"Agh-" Dominic grunts softly, from beneath Boris "it hurts.." 

Boris lifts himself off Dominic's body slightly so he could lift his body off Dominic but still have his big frame canopy Dominic's figure beneath him. 

"I said no," Boris repeated, his golden eyes flashing with unmovable certainty. "No. You're not annoying me, passing on your title to me is not a problem either, neither is me hating you or wanting you to keep your distance from me. I'm not mad or uncomfortable with anything you have done to me anymore." His grip around Dominic's wrist tightened. 

Dominic flinched slightly. "Anymore? So you were uncomfortable and this just probably just bubbled you te-"

"No," Boris interrupted, his voice firm and stern, "that wasn't the reason why."

"Then what is?" Dominic asked.

Boris hesitated. His answer … it was weird. There was no way he was going to explain the way his heart does those little skips in his chest when Dominic was near, or the fact that he hallucinated his presence everywhere, or the fact that he read all the books that he read simply because he read them. Every single explanation he would give would just add more questions for an answer he didn't even know himself.

"What is it?" Dominic pressed, he waited for a few seconds, staring at Boris' face "see, it really is that isn'-"

"It's been a while!" Boris burst out, his eyes darting to Dominic's gaze. "It wasn't because of all you said but because of the fact that it's been a year. A year since I've seen your face, a year since I've talked to you, argued, and a year since any physical contact between us too. I- I was just a bit nervous and I ended up breaking down slightly when you gave me a hug."

Dominic paused, as if he was contemplating believing Boris' words. They stayed in eye contact for a few seconds, Boris' eyes reassuring Dominic until finally, he relaxed, his gaze allowing Boris' to drown in his 

"I didn't know you became shy when I went away?" Dominic teased, "How fun would that be? A big strong attack teddy bear who is kind inside and gets shy easily." He chortled, his hair falling across his forehead playfully. 

"Haha, really funny," Boris rolled his eyes. 

"I know it really is," Dominic giggled to which Boris laughed along. They laughed at nothing in particular for a few seconds until Dominic suddenly quieted down and stared at Boris who was still directly over him. He wiggled his hand loose from Boris' hold and stared at him for a few seconds before his fingers rose up to his face, warm, slim hands brushing against dark chocolate skin. 

Boris' eyes opened gently, a chuckle still leaving his lips as his golden eyes gazed at Dominic. "What is it?" he asked lightly. 

Dominic didn't respond for a few seconds before he replied quietly. "Your smile… your dimples," he commented, his voice dropping to nearly a whisper, "you look so nice when you smile." His fingers trailed down Boris' face to his dimples, his fingers pushing into the deep craters on his face. He chuckled lightly when he noticed the look of blankness in Boris' eyes. "Stop looking so taken aback. It's true. I've never seen someone who looks…" his voice lowers again as one hand trailed down Boris' face to his chin, "so perfect… with dimples when they smile."

Boris flinched, his hand trembling slightly as his heart began to thump faster again. His awareness of the situation was starting to kick in. He was above Dominic, having him completely at his disposal beneath him and he was in such a pose with someone whose touch left hot trails he didn't understand the meaning of, whenever they touched. There was something wrong with this, this pose, this situation, it was too… suggestive. But he couldn't leave it. 

His eyes were already trained into Dominic's and they were locked in this tugging feeling again, stronger than the last time they felt it. His hand trembled again when Dominic's hand railed back up Boris' face to where the dimple indent once was. "You should smile more often," Dominic whispered. Boris' eyes fell to Dominic's lips as he spoke. 

"Do you think so?" Boris replied, his voice dropping low to match Dominic's tone. Dominic twitched at Boris' words, his head slowly nodding. "It does," He replied. 

Boris' arm that held him up lowered, bringing him closer to Dominic's face. "Well did you know, you have a beauty mark right under your right eye?" he asked. 

"Really?" Dominic replied, his eyes lowering, as they followed Boris' gaze. 

"Yes...you do," Boris nodded with a slight chuckle. He stared for a moment before his smile disappeared and one hand that held him above Dominic, raised and touched Dominic's face where the beauty mark laid. "Did you know every time that you speak, the mark moves?"

"Do they?" Dominic asked, his emerald eyes now dazed, his blinking slowing down.

Boris' hand trailed down Dominic's smooth cheeks to his lips, his rough thumb pulling the bottom cherry pink lips aside. "Yes it does," he replied.. His golden eyes gleamed as his face lowered to Dominic's, his gaze trained onto Dominic's lips. 'And I want to kiss them…'