AT CRESCENT ISLE, IN ENRIQUE'S ROOM
I'm not a stupid man. I know Moegi is in love with me. The whole crew knows, even Vyse, and every one also knows that Vyse isn't the most perceptive person in Arcadia. We're all still waiting for him to realize that Aika has more than friendly feelings towards him, but he's still pretty oblivious. But back to my point.
I'm not stupid. And I know Moegi loves me. But I don't love her! I mean, I care about her and all, I don't want anything to happen to her, but it's my duty. On my honor, I must protect her. But I don't love her.
No.
I love a Silvite. With beautiful green eyes, and soft shining hair. Graceful...warm voice...
But it's an impossible dream. I'm the Prince of Valua! I have duties to the people and I can't go getting distracted by falling in love...but then. What about my duties to myself?
Vyse put down Enrique's diary. He had told himself he shouldn't read it...but with Enrique gone to tell his mother about Galcian's plan, it had been the perfect opportunity! And he just knew there would be something interesting in it...and boy was he right! He never would have imagined Enrique was in love with Fina! He had to tell Aika immediately!
AT THE VALUAN PALACE, IN ENRIQUE'S ROOM
Enrique was burning up inside. He felt more nervous than he'd ever felt in his entire life. It was midnight...and he couldn't sleep. Not that you'd be able to tell it was midnight in Valua... Enrique looked out the window at the gloomy black clouds he loathed so much. He sighed.
He was going to admit his feelings. Now. He couldn't stand this inner turmoil anymore.
He sat up in his bed and put a cold foot on the floor. He wished he had his slippers but he always seemed to lose them! He shivered.
He left the room quietly and padded down the hall.
He knocked gently on his love's door. He was blushing furiously, but he was going to do this, dammit!
The door creaked open an inch and he saw a bleary sleep-filled bright green eye peer out.
"Your Highness...? Come in...?"
Enrique cleared his throat. He tried to calm himself down. "Thanks..."
He slipped in and softly closed the door. The room had bright red carpet and the curtains were silver, hiding the ugly black clouds of the Valuan sky. Enrique thought that had to be a good sign...not having to look at those clouds while he did this. He looked up into Ramirez's eyes.
"There's something I need to say and I need to say it now before it's too late to say anything."
"Um...yes?" Ramirez looked slightly puzzled but calm.
"I love you." Enrique put up his hand before Ramirez could interrupt. "No, wait. This is probably the cheesiest, most sappy, girliest thing I'm ever going to say in my life, but I'm going through with it anyway, so please. If you think this isn't hard enough, think again. I think I've loved you since the day you came to Valua...there's something about you... Maybe it's your soft but commanding voice, or how you're always so calm and in control no matter what you face...but I've never felt this way before, and I had to tell you without fear. I love you, Ramirez."
Ramirez just shut his eyes. All the self-confidence and calmness seemed to leave him completely. He had told himself not to do this... He had told himself he'd be better off by himself... He'd asked himself millions of times...
"Do you need to love someone?"
"What do you mean, Ramirez?"
"Do you need to love someone?" Ramirez repeated, a tear barely starting to form in the corner of his eye.
Enrique took a step closer to the other man. "If you can't love someone, what will you have to fill the part of your heart that's born empty? We have to find the other half...or we're never as complete as we think we are."
At this point, Enrique was nearly nose to nose with him. "Ramirez, I think I need to love..."
Ramirez slowly raised his hand and brushed his fingertip over Enrique's pink-tinged cheek. He whispered.
"Me too."
ON CRESCENT ISLE, IN THE HALLWAY BETWEEN BEDROOMS
Vyse had woken up a grumpy Aika to tell her all about Enrique's love for Fina, and how they were planning on getting married after they finished collecting the crystals. Of course, the last part was a lie, but Vyse was just trying to make it more interesting.
"Well, we have to tell Fina!" Aika exclaimed, full awake now, and thoroughly excited, and they proceed to do their signature celebratory ritual, arm slaps and all.
"Tell me what?"
Aika and Vyse had made so much noise, a tussled-looking Fina had come out of her room to see what was going on.
"Oh nothing...except that Enrique is in love with you!!" They both screamed at exactly the same moment.
"Um, guys, Enrique loves Ramirez. He talked to me about it last week before he left for Valua. You guys are pretty unobservant."
Vyse and Aika stood there, dumbfounded. They gathered their egos back up and glared at Fina defiantly.
"No we are not, Fina." Aika responded, "Just because Enrique chooses not to have girly private chats about his personal self with us just means that he doesn't trust us not to blab! Wait..."
Vyse nodded proudly. "Exactly."
Fina smirked. "Oh right. So then you are both aware that I've been dating Lawrence for the last month."
"Of course," they both replied simultaneously. "Wait...WHAT?" Then they fainted. Apparently, the fact that Enrique was gay with Ramirez wasn't nearly as shocking as Fina being straight with Lawrence.
Lawrence poked his head out of Fina's room. "You coming back to bed, babe?"
"Definitely." And Fina left Aika and Vyse on the ground.
AT THE PALACE, IN RAMIREZ'S ROOM
Enrique and Ramirez lay sleeping in each other's arms, Enrique blissfully unaware of what was happening back at Crescent Isle, Ramirez just blissful, and Vyse still ignorant of Aika's true feelings.
THE END
Review if you'd like. Doesn't bother me if you don't. Don't you like it when authors give you a choice? I know I do. I hate it when I read things like "REVIEW OR DIE" or "REVIEW OR I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN AND KILL YOUR PET GUINEA PIG SLOWLY". It just seems so violent.