Chapter 5: Prince

Akiro’s Point of View

I averted my gaze back to my laptop when I saw a middle-aged couple looking in our direction while mumbling something to each other. It’s the fourth time I saw someone watching and most probably talking about us.

I can’t blame them though. I’d be confused too— or in their case, weirded out— if someone as manly, handsome, and intimidating as this guy in front of me were staring intently at another man.

He didn’t bother me anymore when I firmly told him I'd focus on my research paper, but he never let his gaze stray away from me. It honestly makes me feel self-conscious because I’ve never been subjected to this kind of attention— so intense and focused solely on me, as if no one else was around.

It surprised me that I managed to do at least half of my part in our research paper. His gaze was so distracting that I could feel my hands trembling a bit in my attempt to suppress the overwhelming feeling of being someone’s sole focus.

And that someone is oozing with handsomeness and attractiveness. Damn my gay heart, it’s so hard to control the way it beats so fast and loud!

But I admit that the attention we’re gaining from the other customers near our table makes me feel embarrassed and nervous. Most of them were either middle-aged or seniors, and they’re all giving us a judging look. It’s so unlike the giggling looks we get from teenagers.

“What’s wrong?”

I lifted my head to look at the guy when he suddenly spoke. His voice sounds so cold despite speaking so softly. I think it’s his natural voice.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You keep looking at the other customers, and then you’ll sigh,” he replied. “Are you getting distracted by them? Do you want me to make them leave?”

My eyes slightly widened. “What? No! Why would you do that?”

“Because they’re distracting you,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

I shook my head. “They’re not bothering me. It’s just...”

“It’s just what?”

“They just find it unusual that a guy is staring so intently at another guy.”

His perfect thick brows furrowed, looking at me in confusion. “Why would that be unusual? You’re a sight to behold, and I’m sitting in front of you doing nothing. So how can I not stare at you?”

I felt the blood in my body rushing to my face. I’m pretty sure I’m blushing because of what he said.

Come on, Akiro! It’s not the first time someone complimented your appearance. Why are you blushing like a teenager right now?

But it subsided when I noticed him smirking, probably because he knew his words had an effect on me. I cleared my throat before glaring at him. “Don’t be stupid, mister. You know how most older people’s minds work around homosexuality.”

“Homo— what?”

It was my turn to frown now. “Homosexuality. Same-sex relationship, you know?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Seriously, do you live inside a cave?” I said, my voice dripping with disbelief. “Elders think same-sex relationships are wrong, especially the religious ones. They think it’s a sin— or it’s evil, disgusting. That’s why some of the customers are looking at us. They noticed the way you looked at me, and they were weirded out.”

“The fuck,” he muttered, looking extremely confused. “That doesn’t make sense. Why is liking the same-sex evil? Who says that? They’re stupid.”

“Lower down your voice! They might hear us!” I hissed at him when his voice raised and a few customers glanced in our direction.

“I don’t care about them, Akiro. So can you stop thinking about what they’re thinking about us? You’re not doing anything wrong. You’re just sitting there, looking so effortlessly attractive while doing whatever paperwork you were assigned to do. It’s not my fault either that I can’t take my eyes off you.”

Oh, for pete’s sake.

I shook my head. “I think I’m done for today. I’m halfway done with my part, I might just finish this tomorrow at the library.”

Surely, this ridiculously handsome guy wouldn’t be able to enter our campus, would he? He’s not a student. That, I’m sure.

“I’ll walk you home.”

I looked at him while packing my things. “No, thanks. I can handle myself. I’m a grown up man if it’s not obvious.”

“So? I want to be with you. I want to talk with you. Who cares about that?”

I fought the urge to bury myself beneath the ground to hide my face and avoid the looks we got from the customers because of what this guy just said. He spoke so loudly I’m pretty sure the whole café heard it.

Without responding to him, I stood up and hastily took my bag as I left the shop. Only after I had put some distance between myself and the café did I slow down and let out a deep sigh.

“Why are you in a hurry?”

I muttered a curse before turning to face the guy. I glared at him. “Stop following me, mister. I’m going home. My grandparents wouldn’t like it if they saw you.”

“Stop calling me mister,” he said. “And the feeling is mutual.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “That’s my grandparents. Show some respect.”

His lips pouted a bit, a frown on his face. My lips gaped in disbelief.

“Did you just pout?” I asked.

He averted his gaze and his expression turned blank. “Princes don’t pout, Akiro. It’s unbecoming.”

“Princes?” I muttered, confused. 

“I’m a prince, Akiro,” he said. “So no, I didn’t pout.”

I blinked several times while looking at him. He stared back, his ruby eyes glinting as our eyes met. 

I burst out laughing after a few more seconds of staring at each other.

“Alright, that was quite funny,” I said once I recovered from the laughter, then I continued walking.

Props to this guy who said those words with a blank expression without laughing. That actually made it funnier.

“You think I was joking?”

I halted on my steps upon hearing his cold voice. I turned around and only then did I realise he had stopped walking beside me.

His piercing red eyes sent a chill through my entire body. He doesn’t look like the same man I was with earlier. He’s no longer grinning, not frowning nor looking confused. His stare is still intense, but there’s something in it that wasn’t there earlier.

Goosebumps rose on my skin when a cold breeze brushed against my bare skin. My eyes widened when I noticed how an ice started to weave up to the tree beside the guy. I looked around to see if anyone was seeing it as well, but there was no one around besides the two of us.

“W-what’s happening?” I nervously asked.

He took a step forward, and I unconsciously stepped back. The guy abruptly stopped when he noticed that.

“What are you doing?” I asked again, suppressing how nervous and intimidated I am right now. It didn’t help that I’m still confused about how it seemed like he could freeze things over. First, during the time he went to our house and he almost froze our floor and wall. And then now, there was ice covering nearly half the tree. “How the hell can you do that? Who are you?”

And now that I mention it, I realised he hasn’t introduced himself to me besides calling himself my ‘mate’, or whatever it was.

A cold breeze brushed past me once again. I couldn’t hide the shiver it sent to my body. It’s colder than usual, and it’s not even winter.

“If you just let me explain myself earlier, you would have known me already,” the guy flatly responded. “And you wouldn’t dare to laugh at my face for what I said a while ago.”

My brows furrowed in confusion.

“Then introduce yourself now,” I replied. “And stop freezing things over. It’s so damn cold around here!”

In an instant, the ice melted and the coldness disappeared. I sighed in relief.

But I almost fell on the ground when I noticed the guy was already in front of me. He was standing so near me that I almost got cross-eyed when I lifted my head to look at him.

I’m one of the tallest students in our year at six feet tall, but this guy still towered over me, making me feel like I was only five feet.

“Listen carefully, Akiro, because I’ll only say this once,” he said, his tone serious. My ears and neck burned as his hot breath brushed against my skin.

I swallowed heavily.

He leaned down to level our faces. Red eyes meet blue ones. I tried so hard not to blink or look away, but his piercing gaze made my gay heart race uncontrollably in my chest.

“I am Regia Solaria’s youngest prince, Helios Vladimir Lancaster,” he whispered without breaking our eye contact. “And I am your mate, Akiro Valerian Freniere.”