Summary: Frederick starts to open up to his family.

Frederick had always been bad at sharing his interests with his family. He'd kept most of it under wraps. But he was even worse at lying; things he liked slipped through the cracks. He'd heard enough of the shouting from his father, the abuse from the bullies. He knew better. He couldn't let them know anything, lest they judge him.

But sometimes, his family surprised him.

It wasn't as if his brothers never noticed his interests. Frederick was genuinely surprised when Lance remembered what he majored during school - the guy couldn't remember where his own palace's bathrooms were half the time. And Blaine knowing what Frederick's favourite book was? He didn't expect that either. Blaine was always caught up in his charities and events and the like. Since when did he have time for observing his brother's interests?

Gwen encouraged him to open up to his brothers a little more. Frederick grimaced. He'd always been a little jealous of Gwen's closeness with her own sisters; they could share anything with each other.

But Gwen could see things that Frederick himself could not. She reminded him that his brothers were not like his father, or the evil siblings from a stereotypical fairytale. They cared about him.

Baby steps, Gwen told him. Just take it slow. I may not know them as well as you, but… I'm sure they'd appreciate even the little things.

So he started off small, just as Gwen told him. Cautiously, he told Blaine about some other books he liked. Frederick wasn't expecting much when he told Lance that he liked jam biscuits, either. But life was often surprising.

Frederick was sitting by the dinner table, Blaine going on about something or another. Frederick tried to pay attention, rather than zoning out as usually did.

"Oh, Frederick," Blaine observed his brother. "That reminds me."

"What is it?" Frederick asked, praying that it wasn't a lecture.

"While I was at the charity in the Denim Kingdom, I noticed they were selling some of those books you like," Blaine told him.

"Really?" Frederick made a face.

He was more surprised that Blaine had remembered he liked those books than anything.

"Indeed," Blaine replied. "I'll be going there again next week. You're welcome to come."

Blaine was casually inviting him to something? Now that caught him off guard. Did his brother actually want to spend time with him? Well, if there was a bookshop there…

The youngest prince flushed.

"Sure," he shrugged, "I guess I'll go."

"Hey, bro!"

Frederick looked up at Lance, who put his arm around his shoulders.

"Ow, Lance, my neck," Frederick tried to shove him off.

"Gotcha somethin'," Lance handed him a box of jam biscuits.

"Oh…!" Frederick trailed off. "Um… what are these for?"

"For eating?" Lance asked, raising a brow.

"No, I mean…" Frederick bit his lip. "Why did you get them?"

Lance ruffled his brother's hair. "Because you said you like 'em!"

Frederick just kind of stared at him.

"You gonna eat them?" Lance asked. "I'll have them if you don't."

"No, no, it's fine," Frederick took the box, his face red. "Thanks, Lance."

"Sure," Lance grinned.

He kept staring at Frederick.

"Uhh…?" Frederick made a face.

"Where's the bathroom again?" Lance asked.

Frederick facepalmed.

Frederick sat near his mother, who was sipping her tea. She didn't say much, but she offered him a smile. Frederick realised his mother hadn't smiled for a long time. So he smiled back.

Gwen was right. He hadn't been expecting anything, but it was the little things that mattered the most.