Prompt: Apollo/Trans!Nahyuta

Anon here would reaaaaaaalllllllly like to see this ship with Trans!Nahyuta. I have no preference for fluff or smut: just make sure it's happy and positive. 8-D

Before & After

Apollo rubs his eyes as the words start to blur on the page he's reading. It's been a long day, and he doesn't know where Nahyuta gets the energy — it must be hectic, running the kingdom as regent, but he's still diligently taking notes from the law book he's reading as a reference for this particular section they're drafting. Even as he watches, though, the other stifles a yawn, and a glance at the clock tells him it's eleven.

He stands, stretching. "Shouldn't we call it a night?"

Nahyuta finishes the sentence he's writing, then pauses to check the time. "I suppose we should. It has become quite late. Time seems to pass so quickly when you're busy." He rolls the scroll he's using up and uses the end of it to mark his page in the book before rising. "Once again, thank you for your help today, Apollo."

"You don't have to keep thanking me, you know," Apollo mumbles, scratching his head awkwardly. "I signed up for this."

Nahyuta smiles, warm and genuine like he remembers from their childhood, and replies, "I know, but you needn't have, so I'm grateful. May the Holy Mother reward your deeds abundantly."

Oh Nahyuta, what wouldn't I do for you? You had me at "I can't do this without you." But that would only make things more awkward, so Apollo merely smiles back. "Mind if I borrow your bathroom before I head out?"

"Of course not. Please."

By the time he comes back out, Nahyuta is sitting at the dresser, untying his hair, and it really takes him back. He used to brush Nahyuta's hair when they were children because he loved how soft and shiny it was. Admittedly, he'd also been pretty jealous — they used all the same hair products, and his hair never turned out that nice.

"May I?" he asks, approaching as Nahyuta picks the hairbrush up, but despite the surprise in green eyes reflected in the mirror, the other hands it over. Lifting a small section, he gently works the brush through it, and "It's as soft as I remember."

Chuckling, Nahyuta replies, "I couldn't possibly keep it this long if I didn't take good care of it."

"I'm actually kinda surprised you didn't cut it." Apollo would have thought that, as part of the transition, Nahyuta would get the most "masculine" haircut he could think of, but instead, it doesn't look like he ever did more than snip off split ends.

"The thought has crossed my mind several times, but..." Nahyuta looks away as he trails off.

"But...?" Apollo prompts when it doesn't look like Nahyuta will continue.

The other smiles wistfully. "When I recall how much you loved it, I... didn't have the heart."

"Oh," is all he manages as he moves on to the next section, and Geez, what kind of lawyer are you anyway? Do it Justice. "Uh..." But he's drawing a blank because his brain has kinda short-circuited because Wait. For me? You kept it for me?!

"There's no need to shout," Nahyuta says pointedly with a wince, and—

"Oh my God, I said that out loud," he groans, mortified, keeping his eyes on the knot he's trying to untangle.

"Yes, and yes, in part. It's also a lot easier to cut it short than to grow it out, so since I couldn't make up my mind, I erred on the side that was easier to fix." Nahyuta has always been practical.

"Uh, so... If you don't mind me asking, when did you start?"

They've never talked about this before. In fact, he's been here for three months now, and they've barely discussed anything but work. Maybe that's safer ground though — they've fallen into old habits, but the truth is, he doesn't know where they stand anymore, and the more time he spends with Nahyuta, the more certain he is that he doesn't think of the other as just a friend.

"Almost as soon as Her Benevolence was born. Until then, Mother held out hope that there was a chance I might come into the channelling ability someday, and since Ga'ran wasn't having much success with conceiving an heir..." Nahyuta sighs, jewelry jingling as he shakes his head. "In any case, we all acknowledged then that Her Benevolence's spiritual power at birth was already greater than mine at fifteen. The Holy Mother be praised."

Right. Things aren't so simple when you're part of the royal family. Even if Nahyuta couldn't inherit the throne, he might have had to at least try to bear a child who could if neither Amara nor Ga'ran had successfully produced an heir. Regardless of his personal wishes, he had an obligation to his country, which meant trying his best to increase his spiritual power and learn spirit channelling in hopes of having a daughter that could also channel spirits, even if her true parentage would have to be hidden. And since only women could learn to channel spirits... Well, he's glad Nahyuta isn't suffering anymore. Honestly, knowing what he knows, Apollo is really glad to be a commoner here.

Speaking of the royal family though... "What about Ga'ran?" he asks tentatively. If she's not above using Rayfa to blackmail Nahyuta...

"Heh. Ga'ran? She was ecstatic. As long as no other woman of royal blood can channel spirits, no one could take her place as queen. If the ulterior motive had not been so overwhelmingly obvious, I might have appreciated the support."

Apollo doesn't really know what to say to that, so he settles for, "I see," and moves on to the next section of hair.

"You... don't think it's weird?"

"What—" But then he catches the meaningful look on Nahyuta's face in the mirror, and "Oh. O—" He stops, afraid it'll sound insincere. "No, not anymore," he answers honestly instead.

A pale eyebrow arches in question.

"C'mon, Nahyuta, I hadn't seen you in over ten years. I used to tell all the other kids I grew up with a lavender-haired Wonder Woman, you know? Strong, cool, beautiful and wise — although I suppose you'd rather I used a male comparison now. I never expected that the next time we met, you'd be a guy. Heck, until I saw you that day in court, I wasn't even sure it was you."

He'd been utterly confused when he first heard about "Prosecutor Sadhmadhi." Given Khura'in's recent history, surely, no one was naming their kids after any Sahdmadhi, but he remembers growing up with a girl, after all, and everyone said the new prosecutor was male. In hindsight, he realizes that Nahyuta had never been like any of the other girls he'd known at the time, but then again, Nahyuta had always been unlike any other, so he'd figured it was simply a Nahyuta thing — otherworldly.

"Don't get me wrong," he adds quickly before Nahyuta can misunderstand, even as he works at untangling another knot in lavender hair. "I don't mind at all." And he doesn't love Nahyuta any less or differently. "But, sure, it was weird. I was pretty shocked. I mean, it's not the kind of thing you see coming, you know?" His eyes flick up to green ones, but their reflected depths are unreadable. "You looked completely different," he continues, "it was surreal. But now that the surprise has worn off..." He shrugs, smiling fondly, meeting green eyes in the mirror. "Nahyuta, you're still you. And I'm not saying you should, since you're gorgeous exactly as you are, but I wouldn't feel any differently about you if you cut your hair either."

"And how exactly do you feel about me?"

His expression hasn't changed, but Apollo doesn't need his bracelet to notice how tightly Nahyuta is gripping his rosary. In truth, the question is confession enough — if Nahyuta wanted to remain as they are, he wouldn't need to ask.

"Heh. Times like these, I'm glad you're braver than me." He can indict Ga'ran with fifty rifles trained on him, but he'd probably have pretended his feelings were platonic forever if Nahyuta never asked, that the fanciful things he said twenty years ago were the mere ignorant ramblings of a toddler.

"When I grow up, I'm gonna be a defense attorney!"

"Har-har-har! That's my boy!"

"And then I'm gonna marry Nahyuta!"

Dhurke and Datz had choked on their drinks and laughed it off, but he'd been completely serious — Nahyuta was perfect, and he wanted them to be together forever. It wasn't until high school that he started wondering if, maybe, Nahyuta had only indulged his adoration as an older sibling might.

It's funny — he guesses the more things change, the more they stay the same.

He leans down as Nahyuta turns, and the kiss is chaste but sweet, emphatic. Nahyuta relaxes, leaning back into him, and he wraps his arms around the other.

"Don't you remember I always said I wanted to marry you when I grow up?"

Nahyuta laughs. "Well, I'm not that little girl anymore."

"Hold it!" He steps around to face Nahyuta, resting his hip on the dresser. "Does that mean you won't marry me?!"

A beat, a confused blink, and then, "Hold it! You never even properly asked!"

"Okay, but say I did—"

"Satorha! That's not how it works, you po—"

"Objection!" He takes Nahyuta by the shoulders. "What if I still want to marry you?!"

"I—" Their gazes lock. "I thought you were going back after this, once we finish drafting the new legal system...?"

"Do you think you can't change my mind, or will you just 'let it go and move on'?"

Green eyes widen, then Nahyuta smirks. "Hmph." He stands, pressing the tattooed palm of his right hand over Apollo's heart. "You should know — a dragon never yields."

Grinning, Apollo covers the hand with his own. "I guess that means I'm not leaving tonight."

"Ever, Apollo," Nahyuta corrects mildly, leaning in for another kiss. "You're not leaving ever."