he is no good at all with weapons and, admittedly, kind of a coward at times but she's a warrior through and through and there's absolutely no rule that says a princess can't fall in love with a big-mouthed bookworm (he's checked. twice.)

i.

Frey is sweet, and that's an irrefutable fact. She goes out of her way, every single day without a single failure yet, to put a smile on someone's face. Whether by bringing them a simple but considerate gift, or in Kiel's very special case, by merely existing.

Kiel likes sweet things.

(and doesn't even try to keep it a secret unlike some people.)

So, it's only natural that the blond bookworm becomes somewhat fond of the somewhat oblivious sweet princess in a somewhat ridiculously short amount of time. But, that's just how this story goes, alright?

It's not leather bound or covered in dust. It's not even written down on paper, really. It just sits there; lingering in the air and in the fleeting but meaningful glances and accidental brushes of skin against skin; in all the not really holding hands but sort of holding hands because Frey hasn't moved her hand yet either, so that means something, right?

Yes, he sees the words with perfect clarity sprawled across his ceiling at night when he's just lying there, thinking to himself of all the ways just to get closer than this. The limbo between being friends and actual lovers where their silhouettes have buried themselves.

He's certain that one day they'll get there and it'll be sweeter than any cake or pastry.

ii.

"You are an idiot."

Kiel cannot quite find it in himself to be offended, because Leon is usually right about these sorts of things and so instead of arguing he burrows his head into his arms and groans. "I know..." He murmurs, though the words are muffled by the fabric in the sleeves of his sweater.

Leon seems to understand the sentiment, regardless. "'I love cake,' is not really a proper response to a love confession, yet, somehow from you it seems fitting." The Dragon Priest pats Kiel's back with a little too much force, causing the blond to stumble forward and hit his head against the table. "How did Frey react?"

"Ugh," Kiel says miserably, raising his head to rub at the minor wound. "She didn't say anything, just laughed... But she looked kind of sad." Yes, he remembers now. The look on her face greatly resembled that of a freshly sheered Woolie. "Hit me again, Leon. I deserve it."

Leon laughs. "Come on, kid. It could be worse. At least you know she has feelings for you, or at least did before you committed yourself exclusively to confectioneries."

"This isn't funny!"

"You would find it hilarious if it weren't happening to you," Leon points out, and Kiel acknowledges it as a half-truth. He'd probably be spouting this out as this week's latest round of gossip if it weren't so humiliating. Uuuuuuuurgh.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do," the silver haired man smiles disarmingly. "You're going to hunt down our dear princess and set her straight."

"I thought you would have more of an elaborate plan than that."

"Well, we don't want to frazzle the young lady more than necessary," smirks Leon, as though the thought of teasing Frey might have occurred to him more than once.

"I don't wanna," Kiel whines, tossing his hands up into the air for emphasis. "This is remarkably distressing!"

Leon leans back in his seat, stretching out his palms to rest comfortably at the back of his neck. "It's not a matter of whether you want to or not, kid. Like it or not, you gotta fix this before someone else comes along and sweeps her off her feet and you know it'll happen. And when it does, I sincerely hope it's me."

The idea of Frey with Leon terrifies Kiel more than he's particularly willing to admit. As a result of images of silver haired, green eyed children popping into his mind; all dawning Leon's stupid smirk and blinking with Frey's beautifully long eyelashes, the blond bookworm hops to his feet at once.

"I'll do it!"

iii.

"Um, hey."

Frey glances up, looking suitably surprised at his unannounced presence on her tucked away farm. A tentative smile reaches her lips, and he wishes it would appear less insecure. "Hello, Kiel," she replies softly, eyes darkening ever so slightly before she returns to her work diligently.

He stuffs his hands into the pocket of his overcoat and gnaws at his lips nervously. "Mind if I talk at you while you work, maybe?"

"Sure," her answer comes, and she's already turned away and pulling at rouge weeds.

"O-Okay, then. Where do I begin...?" Right, an apology for being the biggest idiot on the face of the planet. That's a good place to start, probably. "Well, I'm sure you'll be glad to know that on a list of things I love, cake actually only ranks as high as number five." Frey, Forte and his departed family, Selphia, vintage books - Is there anything he's forgetting?

The mint haired girl lets out an unattractive snort and stifles a giggle with the back of her hand, but she's still not looking at him. "Oh?"

"Yeah," he replies. "Um. You're pretty high up there too. Just so you know." She turns, and burns him with her eyes that appear to be a little too amused. "In case you were curious or anything."

"Curious or anything," she says in disbelief, finally turning fully to face him and rising to her feet. Frey smiles, all sunshiney and it's the kind that makes his heart beat like the princes' in his stories do when they meet their princess. "I told you I love you, Kiel," she says softly, staring him in the eye while brushing her hands off idly on her knees.

Kiel can feel his face redden. "Yes. And I said that I love cake. Which I do, but not more than you, just so we're clear."

She takes his hands, then, and he swears he's absolutely not shaking. She kisses the back of his hand, not unlike the princes usually do, and beams at him while he goes a deeper shade of crimson. "I'm glad."

(a/n) leon makes an appearance for no reason other than to amuse me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

if you get the cake thing reference i'll fist bump you into the next century bruh and fun fact: i had dolce's chapter written when i was putting off writing leon's and now all i need to do is proofread and edit i'm so pumped