Trapped In Hisstory

Clayton looked at the Crown Prince in surprise that he knew that Clifford was with him earlier. "How did you know that Clifford came here?" he asked with furrowed brows.

"I saw him on my way here." Chance responded, "He even told me not to come here, worried that something will happen."

The shy Clayton disappeared and glared at the Crown Prince, "Why did you not listen to him and just go away?" he said with an irritated tone.

"You knew for a fact that I hate you and yet you still dared to show your face to me in my chamber?"

Chance took a deep breath and approached him, "I know you hate me, that is exactly why I came here." He said but Clayton just looked at him with a gaze that is a mix of confusion and hate.

"You must be out of your mind like before," Clayton muttered, referring to the first time they met in the library. 

Clayton sighed, "I am not in the mood to argue with you, best if you just leave." the Second Prince said and turned around.

Chance did not want to give up and leave, "If that is the case, then let us just not argue...and have a conversation of brothers."

The Crown Prince heard a snort from Clayton, as if the Second Prince found his words ridiculous. "Brother..?" Clayton said bitterly with a raised brow.

Clayton turned his head to him and looked at him with a cold gaze, "I stopped considering you as my brother long ago."

There was a sharp pain in Chance's chest as he heard those words. He does not know what really happened between Charles and Clayton before, so there was no reason to be hurt. 'How come it's painful? Is this what the real Charles is feeling right now?'

"Is it not possible...for you to consider me as one again?" Chance said, almost in a whisper.

Clayton laughed, then turned to look at him with hate, "How dare you tell me to treat you as my brother, when you are the one who abandoned me first!"

Clayton approached him and grabbed him by the collar, "You are the one who turned your back on me, brother!"

Alec was about to stop the Second Prince but Chance raised his hand on him, telling him not to interfere. He stayed by the door to follow his orders, as it was best for the brothers to handle it themselves.

'To think that Clayton would hate his brother to this extent, just why the hell did Charles leave him?' he thought.

"Did you have fun?" Clayton asked.

"What are you talking about, Clayton?"

"Does it give you satisfaction to tell people that I am a son of the concubine? That concubine that is known as a whore?"

Chance's eyes widened, "I never—

"You told Clifford! You introduced me like that while smiling, does it make you feel glad that I'm just a bitch's child with no worth?"

Clayton put his hand on his face when Chance suddenly slapped him. Clayton's blood started to boil in anger, he glared at the Crown Prince.

Chance also glared at him, which surprised the Second Prince. Clayton smirked, "See? Your goody brother act ended and your true self is showing. You must have wanted to hit me even long before."

Chance slapped him again and Clayton gritted his teeth, "Shut up, do not speak!" The Crown Prince said before Clayton tried to say anything again.

"I slapped you so you could snap out of it! Why in the world is it so difficult to understand that I do not care whether you are a child of a concubine?"

Clayton did not speak and just stared at him.

"I already told you before! Stop using the concubine and your birth to hide from the world. Stop using it to make yourself look worthless and small!" Chance exclaimed. "You are a prince!"

"Whoever your mother is, nobody cares! Just tell them, 'I am still a prince, I am still above all of you.' Why must you think of others' words?"

Clayton had a bewildered look on his face, "W-what the fuck is wrong with you??"

"No! What the fuck is wrong with YOU!" Chance said, returning his words, "Every time you see me, you are always angry and attack me without even listening to what I want to say!"

Alec was also surprised by the sudden outburst of the Crown Prince but he met out a chuckle because it was a great sight to see. It has been a long time since he saw the two of them together like that.

Clayton's lips parted, not knowing what to say. "You said you are the moon, and I already told you that I love the moon!" Chance continued.

The Crown Prince sighed and sat on the sofa near him, "And even if you do not believe me, you know that there is also someone out there who loves you."

Clayton blushed, remembering what Clifford told him earlier. Clifford confessed to him but he just pushed him away. 

Clayton seemed to have calmed down, and he slowly sat down on the sofa too, but far from the Crown Prince. "You once told me that I will come across someone who will break the walls I built." Clayton said.

Chance glanced at him, 'Is he going to bring up Clifford?' he thought.

"Someone was indeed able to do that." Clayton continued.

Chance's eyes lit up, this was something he wanted to know about. Finally, Clifford and Clayton ship of his was sailing.

Kidding aside, he was glad that Clayton was starting to open up to him.

"But as soon as he made that crack in my wall, I pushed him away." Clayton said. "Maybe I wanted to prevent him from destroying it, because I was scared of my own feelings."

Chance put his hand on Clayton, "Do not push him away. You will regret it." he said and Clayton stared at him.

~~~~~

"I want to get closer."

Those five words drummed inside the researcher's head, he could feel the blood rushing up to his face, 'What does that mean?' he asked in his mind.

'Want to get closer? You are close! You are so close!' he screamed internally when their faces were about to touch each other by the little gap that was left.

'I am...a guy.' Chance told himself.

Then he remembered the times when Ruther kept bullying him that he was gay. What part of him gives off a gay vibe? He was a quiet person before as they all knew that he was introverted. The only times he showed the slightest happiness was when he was teaching history.

[Ruther: You never changed. Silent and gloomy, dark as the night, but when there's something that interests you, your night-like aura lightens up and shows the stars in your eyes.]

Chance went into a daze. 'Come to think of it, why would he describe me like that when we only know each other online?' he thought. Now he is thinking that maybe, Ruther knew him even before the meet-up of the three of them. Though it was impossible, he thought.

"Crown Prince." Caliber called out with emphasis. "Keep your eyes on me." he said, Chance came to reality and was surprised to feel his nose touching his nose.

Alec took a peek and his eyes slightly widened to see them claiming each other's lips. He felt a piercing sensation somewhere in his chest, he did not look away and just watched them with a blank expression.

Ever since Chance was on his mind the entire dinner, he could not hold back anymore. He deepened the kiss and pulled Chance closer to him. Chance eventually closed his eyes and let his body go with Caliber's flow.

"Stop! Your Highness, we should not do this."

They all turned as they heard the crown prince shouted, Alec could not ask her more about what she had said as Sherin gestured a shush.

None could explain Caliber's expression by the hard push that Chance gave him, "Now you call me 'Your Highness'?" he asked with a little laugh. 

"Prince Caliber, you should be aware of what is proper or not. Stop doing these kinds of things all the time." Chance said with a low gaze, trying not to meet the eyes of the Canopus prince.

Caliber's brows furrowed even more as he stared deeply at the crown prince. "Then..." His low voice has turned into whispers even though they were the only ones in the place. Chance could feel his breath as he was so close, making it hard for him to reject him.

"Say that again while looking at me." he said and held Chance's face into his direction.

Chance was nervous, his heartbeat quickened as he stared directly into the eyes of the Canopus prince. There was a lump forming in his throat but he looked at him straight and repeated his words firmly. "Stop doing these kinds of things." he said with every emphasis.

Caliber stopped and let go of him.

"You should have said so from the start." he said to Chance with a smile.

Despite the smile that he was giving off, one could tell that he was hurt from the look of his eyes.

Somehow, Chance felt guilty even though he did the right thing, 'No, Chance, don't be so soft!' he thought.

Caliber gave a slight bow to the crown prince, "I apologize, I will never do it again."

~~~~~

Chance smiled, "Trust me, I know how it feels." he said. "I once pushed someone away because I kept denying what I felt and because I was scared."

"But days after I did that, I only suffered from the feelings I concealed."

He remembered the kidnapping incident, "I got myself in danger and at that moment, I was scared that I might not be able to see that person again. I regretted pushing that person away."

He glanced at his brother, "I do not want you to have the same regrets as well."

Clayton stared at him, "Then do you...even just a bit...do you regret leaving me behind?"

Chance fell silent and he lowered his head, hesitating to answer. But he raised his gaze back to Clayton again, "I…"

"I lost my memories."