PeaceMaker

Warm. That was how he would describe the moment.

It was one of those times where everything seems to just come to a stop while someone stays in the middle of it all, floating, meditating, existing in that moment alone. That was what Dominic felt when he was in Boris' arms. It was like everything that had been spiraling... no... it was like the world, which had stood still for him, it was like that world restarted. 

Like he was just wakened from a nightmare into a world where it never existed. The only difference was that his nightmare was always going to exist, but this, this moment would be one he'd recognize as an actual normal day. 

He had never expected holding someone like Boris, a harsh, stiff, emotionless stick of a human would give him as much comfort as he was getting right now. Maybe it was the fact that he was getting comfort at all while crying, the fact that someone still held him while he was crying that was the comforting thing to think about. 

Nonetheless, it was like hugging a teddy bear. A grumpy, steadily built but warm teddy. He liked that, it reminded him of his father. 

Boris stood there, still comforting Dominic as he cried into his chest. At first, he had stood there stiffly, trying not to get revolted at the fact that someone, a royal was laying his body of his but then after seeping into the kind of air Dominic was in, he felt looser, more ok with their contact. 

Best of all, he got to prove his earlier observation of Dominic to be correct. He was tiny. Not tiny, but not as big as he was. He was muscular, but not as muscular as he was. The difference was laughable especially since he was supposed to be the prince.

It reminded him of something, something he wished he could do but knew the chance for that was long lost. 

"Got all of it out?" Boris asked. To which he felt a little nod from Dominic. He let out a sigh of relief and patted Dominic's back again. 

Dominic slowly pulled away, looking up at Boris with a smile. It was genuine. "Thanks."

Boris nodded, as he forced Dominic into his seat and nodded at the biscuits. "You're welcome, your highness, are you sure you didn't get dirty and all, hugging someone like me and all."

Dominic cocked his head to the side, giving Boris a perplexed but mocking look. "Me? What for? Are you not dressed cleanly?"

Boris stared down at Dominic for a moment. "Your eyes, they're puffy and your cheeks, they're wet."

Dominic rolled his eyes, "Well of course it would, I did just stand there for 5 minutes and bawl my eyes out."

Boris reached into his breast pocket, pulling out handkerchiefs Kalmin had forced him to keep on him. Turns out they are more useful than to just take up pocket space. Boris placed the handkerchief on the table in front of Dominic. 

"For your eyes," he muttered. 

Dominic smiled, picking it up from the table. "Thanks," he grinned as he wiped his face with the handkerchiefs. After the 3rd wipe, he paused, his nose smelling something on the handkerchief. "When did you get this?" Dominic asked. 

"A few days ago from Kalmin. He had just freshly washed it so don't worry," Boris replied, "I may dislike the people in the castle but not enough to hold a dirty object just for a chance to use it on people."

"Ah..." Dominic muttered as he continued to wipe his face. 'So the scent is from him?' Dominic thought to himself. 'Strawberries and wine... quite a peculiar scent for him.' He placed down the handkerchief on the table and wolfed down a biscuit when he was done wiping his face. 'It smells nice though.'

Boris peered down at Dominic for a moment before continuing on with his sentence. "You need to get ready, the meeting is supposed to be scheduled sometime soon and if I do not get you out of the room in time, Kalmin is NOT going to be that pleased with me," Boris sighed, ushering Dominic out of his chair as he munched on a muffin. 

"Kalmin? Does he keep such a tight rein on you?" Dominic asked as he swallowed his muffin.

"Of course, for someone who made that order, you sure are good at acting like you didn't," Boris rolled his eyes, stopping in front of Dominic's wardrobe. He stepped to the side as Dominic opened up his wardrobe and began to sift through clothing. 

"Told him? Why and how? I've been in my room this entire time and you know how limited my conversing has been," Dominic chuckled, stopping his search to throw a glance at Boris, "when do you think I would have gotten the time to make sure that you get this tight surveillance thing that he must be doing to you."

"So you mean all his hovering and his instructing is by his will only?"

"And appreciated by me too, yes," Dominic nodded his head, "someone did need to teach you the manners in this place so you don't go around and cause a huge mess for us."

"So I'm a ticking time bomb now?"

"Quite frankly, yes, yes you are."

Boris pressed his lips together, he didn't want to say another word in reply. 

Dominic turned around to look at Boris, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Are you pouting?" he asked playfully, "I didn't know someone that pursued the act of being a stone could pout."

"Your compliments are really flattering today, your highness," Boris retorted. 

"Thank you, I do try," Dominic grinned, pulling an outfit out of the closet. He held it over his body and looked up at Boris, "what do you think?"

Boris considered shrugging or looking away or anything that was an act of disobedience, but in the end, he simply sighed. "It looks nice but you're pairing it with the wrong pants."

Dominic cocked his head to the side, his eyes locked with Boris', "I expected you to just give me a half-assed answer."

"That is a half-assed answer," Boris retorted. 

"True," Dominic nodded, throwing the top of his outfit onto a chair and then sifting through his wardrobe for another. Once he found one, he held it to his body and looked up at Boris, "What do you think."

Boris nodded his head and Dominic smiled. He turned around and picked up the shirt then without hesitation, began to get undressed. "I have a question," Dominic muttered. 

No reply from Boris. It was approved. 

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Dominic asked. 

Boris stared at Dominic for a moment, his face twisting in confusion. "So you want me to take back my efforts at trying not to become a ball of anger and revolt the same way I did on the first day?"

Dominic gasped, shuddering for a moment when he remembered it. Strangely enough, he only trembled for a moment, his quivering soon going away a second later. If it were on that same day and he thought back on the event, he could have gotten sick just from the visuals in his head and the thought of it. 

It was progress, but not the kind that Dominic preferred. It simply meant that he grew, that he faced something that was much worse than that in mere hours. 

"No," Dominic shook his head, "I just want to know what was the cause of the switch in emotion, you used to growl when you'd see me and hated the idea even speaking to me. Me being locked in my room was a big blessing to you actually."

"No. It wasn't," Boris interrupted.

Dominic paused in the middle of putting on his coat. "What?"

"Because now that you're like this, I actually have to do more for you than less," Boris groaned. "And if I'm being honest, I still hate you."

"Ah..." Dominic nodded, a glint of disappointment passed by his eyes for a moment, "so why?"

Boris thought about it for a moment before looking at Dominic. "I... don't know."

Dominic looked up at him in disbelief. "You don't know?" He repeated, eyeing Boris for a moment before pulling on his pants. "So you're being nice without a purpose? Being charitable I suppose?" Dominic teased. 

"Let's call it that," Boris nodded his head.

"Wow... rude," Dominic rolled his eyes. "You sure those teachings by Kalmin have been working? Cuz' in front of me-"

"Only in front of you," Boris interrupted. 

"Sorry?" Dominic's eyebrow's furrowed. 

"I'm only like this in front of you," Boris repeated. 

Dominic huffed, blowing his cheeks a bit in exaggerated anger. "How mean! So in front of everyone else, you're all proper and polite, then in front of me you... revert?"

Boris thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Sounds about right."

"Sounds about rude," Dominic sighed as he buttoned up his shirt and picked up the tie from the table. He glanced at it for a moment before setting it back down. He looked at it again before sighing and adjusting his pants. 

Boris was watching him, he had been since Dominic mentioned that question. It was like someone placed a question on a quiz that had no direct answer, at least to him as of now. He watched as Dominic exchanged looks with the tie on the chair and a scoff of amusement leaves his lips immediately after. 

"Don't tell me that his highness can't do his own tie?" Boris chuckled, teasing Dominic.

"I just never got the chance to try it myself... I always got assistance from others when I'm dressed. It's kinda been like that since I was young," Dominic chuckled nervously, "I guess I'm missing some skills because of my background and all, must be annoying for you to hear."

Boris tilted his head to the right and stepped forward, picking up the tie from the chair and holding it up. His eyes locked with Dominic's, "Come here."

Dominic flinched and almost immediately, his body moved towards Boris. This golden eyes... the way his deep black curls fell onto his face and his voice. There was something so commanding about his presence. 

Boris stepped closer to Dominic, and maintaining a good distance, began to do his tie. This arm lifts it over Dominic's head and letting go of one side of the tie, he used his hand to lift the collars of Dominic's dress shirt and then took the tie and wrapped it around his neck. 

The ends of the tie were fluffy and they tickled Dominic as they brushed against his skin. He stifled his chuckles and looked up Boris as he fixed his tie. It was there before but wasn't apparent at the time, it wasn't apparent how tall Boris was. Now as he stood as close as he was earlier when he was crying and not being preoccupied with tears, he could recognize the height difference between them. 

"How tall are you?" Dominic asked. 

"Six foot something (182cm+)," Boris replied, "why?"

"Nothing," Dominic chuckled nervously. 'Six foot something... he's taller than me by half a head, how is that even possible?'

Boris pushed down Dominic's collars when he was done. "Done."

Dominic looked down at his tie and a big smile spread on his face. He immediately looked up at Boris. "Thank you!" he announced with a big grin.

Boris froze, staring at his face for a moment, before taking a step away from Dominic. "Do you always wear a big smile like that on your face?" he asked. 

"Do you always have to wear such a big frown on your face every day?" Dominic retorted, "no... it's not even a frown. It's a thin line. There's literally no emotion on your face 24/7"

Boris didn't reply to which Dominic laughed again. 

"If you have enough time to be laughing, then you should also be taking the time to LEAVE for your meeting with your fiance," Boris huffed. 

Dominic's eyes widened in realization. "That's true! I guess I lost track of time!"

KNOCK

Dominic turned to look at the door, a shaky breath seeped out of his mouth. He turned to Boris for a moment, locking eyes, and took a deep breath, pulling down at his coat. He smiled. "I'm guessing that's Kalmin, isn't it?" he chuckled, "I guess it's time to go."

Boris watched, eyes pinned on Dominic as he turned around and rushed over to the cookies, pick up multiple and stuffing them in his pockets. Then he let out another deep breath and sucked in a long breath and immediately pushed forward, walking towards the door and pulling it open.

"You're ready, your highness?" Kalmin asked.

Dominic nodded his head. "Yeah," he smiled. He looked at the ground and took his first step out of the room. He paused for a moment, letting the waves rush over him before nodding his head and preparing to leave. Right before his second step, he stops and his head turns to look at the person across the room, staring right at him, right into his eyes. 

"Thanks, Boris," Dominic smiled, giving a little wave before turning back around and closing the door behind him.