Rhae moved to his side of the field, where his team huddled up for a new plan.  He had a basic grasp of Shrobetide but had only played it in small groups with his brother and some employees. Cracking his fingers, he joined the huddle with a nod to the others.

The game had ended in failure for Rahe's team. Kaisan was a force to be reckoned with, carrying his teammates to victory through a brutal approach. Rhae felt a tinge of fear if he were ever to anger this enchanting human but filed that emotion away deep inside of him. Kaisan approached him, drenched in sweat, wearing a smug expression.

"I won the bet."

"You did. Quiet aggressively, at that." Rhae chuckled as he reached out and tousled Kaisan's sweaty hair to pull his bangs off his forehead. His hand brushed down and stroked his cheek to wipe off a stray smudge of dirt. Kaisan's eyes narrowed as he met Rhae's gaze, unblinking as he nibbled on his bottom lip. Rhae's thumb rubbed against Kaisan's lip before he leaned in and whispered in his ear through Kaisan's pink hair. "I guess you're on top then." 

"Hey!" Kaisan whispered angrily, pushing Rhae's chest as his ears turned red. Rhae laughed heartily, stepping back to give them both space.

"My dear enchanting lover, you said you wanted tension." Rhae joked as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Kaisan cleared his throat and turned away.

"Shall we take a tea break in the garden before we move on to cricket?" Kaisan threw over his shoulder as he walked towards a servant who held some towels on the sidelines. He picked two up and patted his sweaty face with one while offering the other to Rhae, who followed behind him. "The live orchestra is playing right now." 

"Let's do that. I'm not as young as you." Rhae teased while drying his neck. 

"How old are you?" Kaisan asked, looking at him a scrutinizing look as they walked towards the small lake where refreshments awaited.

"Twenty and eight." Rhae shook his head to get the extra sweat out of his hair.

"Damn. An old man took me home." Kaisan snickered, clutching his stomach as he sat at an open tea table. Rhae rolled his eyes.

"How young is this child before me to call me an old man?" Rhae smirked, sitting across from Kaisan and looking at the stunning water view.

"Twenty and one." Kaisan winked over the teacup the servant poured for him.

"A child, indeed," Rhae's smile widened, taking a leisurely sip and looking towards the band onstage. Kaisan peeked at Rhae's lips, noticing that whenever Rhae smirked, only the corner of the left side of his mouth would lift, and a small dimple would quickly appear. The light reflecting off the lake into Rhae's teal eyes illuminated them. Kaisan licked his lips, feeling thirsty.

With a piano accompaniment, the string band played the latest popular melodies that all nobles rushed to teach their children. The servants came out in unison to deliver timed snacks to the occupied tables. Both occupants at the table quietly enjoyed their tea while listening to the background music, relishing the quality time together. After feeling rested, they left the stage and returned to the fields to play cricket. 

"How about a more specific bet this time?" Kaisan asked as they passed the groups still playing Shrobetide. Rhae brought his long fingers to his chin as he pondered. 

"Hmm… as the previous loser, I don't think I have much of a choice in the decision process." 

"Glad you understand." 

"Do you have something in mind?"

"Absolutely."

"Pray, tell."

"I was not sober last night, obviously. When I win at cricket, I will be the one to top tonight."

"Hahaha, is that so?" Rhae's eyes squinted into half moons as he laughed, dimples on both cheeks appearing. The genuine laugh was such a breathtaking sight to Kaisan that his ears tinged red again, and he whipped his head forward, not wanting to be caught staring. "You're so confident that you'll win… but there is no tackling in cricket." 

"I know that!"

"Haha, sure." 

As they both approached the furthest sports field, Kaisan, again, separated them into opposite teams. Even though he was confident in his team pick, he wasn't prepared for Rhae’s skill. Rhae was an excellent swordsman, meaning he could aim a stick perfectly to hit any target. Kaisan, on the other hand, did not have the same amount of experience or time spent in training. And though he was a fast runner and could make long-dive jumps, that wasn't enough for his team to win the event. Frustration took over for Kaisan as he whipped his towel to the ground.

"The young one is quite a sore loser, it seems." Rhae joked as he jogged up beside him. 

"Whatever," Kaisan replied, lightly kicking the dirt towards him. Rhae chuckled and leaned down to whisper in his ears. 

"I guess I still get to top tonight." He blew out against Kaisan's neck. The shorter male shivered in response, hand flying up to cover his neck as goosebumps formed. 

"Stop that! We're outside, and people can see us." Kaisan hissed at Rhae. Rhae patted his back. 

"Round two?" He pointed behind him at the teams setting up for another game. 

"You're pitching first, you cheater." He sternly shot out, ignoring Rhae as he returned to his team.

"Kaisan, you wound me. It's not cheating being good at batting just because I'm talented with swords. What a horrible and cheap comparison." Rahe suppressed a smile as he followed behind.

"Should I just assign you as the umpire?" Kaisan clicked his tongue as he cracked his neck, frustrated at the thought of losing again.

"No cheap tricks, my dear. Cricket has actual rules, unlike Shrobetide." Rhae gave Kaisans shoulder a quick squeeze. Kaisan spat in response. 

"Pretty sure I can change the rules if I wanted to." 

"... Even if you could, I'm sure the other nobles present would riot at the unfairness." 

"Let's get this over with then if we still want time to prepare for the dance tonight." Kaisan ignored Rhae as he walked back over to his team. Rhae suppressed a smile as he joined his team strategy meeting. After a few moments from both team discussions, Rhae approached the pitcher's mound - making eye contact with Kaisan, who waited for him at the batter's mound. 

"If he wanted to top me so badly, I would have said yes," Rhae mumbled with a small smile as he wound up. "Can't say no to someone as pretty as him." 

That game ended like the first, causing Kaisan to huff and puff as he stomped to Rhae once the match concluded. Rhae reached out, grabbed Kaisan's hand and dragged him quickly to the hedge maze that lined the fields. After several turns and many grumbles from the grumpy fairy he was dragging, Rhae finally pulled him into his arms and kissed him deeply. 

"Really? You were that impatient?" Kaisan gasped, escaping his lips far enough to say a few words, still breathless from the kiss. 

"You're the one that focused on building the tension to such an explosive degree. How do you expect me to keep it in until tonight?" He replied, nuzzling against Kaisan's neck, groaning. "Once we start dancing, I'm pretty sure parts of me will explode from waiting too long."

"I get it, I get it. But the day isn't over yet, Rhae!" Kaisan pounded his fist against Rhae's pecs in protest. "We are still outside and should be heading inside to get ready for the garden ball soon. It'll be getting dark shortly."  

"Fine," Rhae grunted, covering Kaisan's face in a few more fluttering kisses. "Whatever happened to my enchanting lover? You pulled me into the bushes?"

"He was highly inebriated." Kaisan looked away, embarrassed. 

"Does that mean you regret it?" Rhae asked, looking up at Kaisan as he cuddled his chest in an attempt at puppy eyes. 

"Obviously not, or I wouldn't have spent today with you. Now, stand up. It's unnerving someone taller than me is trying to play the small and innocent card." Kaisan grunted in response. Rhae laughed and gave one last gentle kiss on the lips.

"Then let us part until tonight." He said softly before kissing Kaisan's hand and walking away. Kaisan watched until he was out of sight before his legs gave way out of nervousness and anticipation. He cursed himself because he knew he would have given in if Rhae stayed longer. With a shaky sigh, he stood up and returned to his room. 

*

Rhae followed the sound of music and laughter as he exited the detached palace and down the candle-lit path toward the royal guest gardens. He cleared his throat as he approached the busy crowd lining the outer sides of the designated dance area. It was a humid evening, so his wardrobe was limited for the hot summer outdoor weather. 

He dawned a pearl-white silk blouse, the sides embroidered in silver threads with vines and bellflowers. His grey tweed dress pants may have been a bit heavy for the evening, but more of a precautionary move to avoid any visible accidents. His eyes scanned the crowd for his dancing fairy, which he had a feeling would always arrive before himself. And he was correct in his assumption.

Kaisan was at the far end of the dance grounds, dancing again in a group line with his cousins and sisters. Rhae smiled at how lovely it was to see how close their family was. He wore yet another cape, which was white sheer with embroidery that looked like feathers. His shirt was light cotton and plunging white; sliver claps held the cape to his collar, matching the front and sleeve buttons. The pants were just plain white linen, double-lined as if prepared for the sweaty event. Rhae watched as Kaisan spun around with that same alluring smile from the previous night. 

'Ah, he must be drunk again.' Rhae chuckled as he made his way to the family dance line. He paused to the side to be spotted by Kaisan on his next turn and gave his little fae-looking lover the most charming smile he had ever made. Kaisan's eyes sparkled as he bounced forward into Rhae's arms.

"Took you long enough!" He giggled into Rhae's chest, looking up and giving the same puppy eyes that Rhae had attempted earlier. He had to look away, his neck muscles straining to hold himself back - it was just too enchanting. 

"Then dance with me." Rhae finally looked down and bopped Kaisan's nose to tease him. 

"Join us first!" He squinted back at the tall man before running his hands down Rhae's arms to his hands and tugging him into the group dance. Rhae could only obliged with the honour given to him. The young family accepted him warmly, and a few smaller ones latched on so Rhae would spin the children or throw up in the air. It was such a comfortable feeling, even though they were all strangers. 

"My turn!" Kaisan laughed loudly as he finally made it through the line of family to Rhae. Rhae smiled, wrapped his arms around Kaisan's waist and spun him away from the group. Kaisan rested his arms around Rhae's shoulders and threw his head back as he swung them around the dance floor. Kaisan's cape fluttered and swept the floor around them as they matched steps.

"I've decided that you must be the fairy prince of a kingdom of flowers." Rhae joked. "Every smile you make for every spin is like a flower blooming."

"Stop that." Kaisan gave a booming laugh. He jumped up and wrapped his legs around Rhae's waist so Rhae spun faster. They stopped with the music as Kaisan loosened his legs to get down, but Rhae continued to him from his thighs, staring up at those glittering jewels. Kaisan looked down while panting and flashed a blinding smile. Rhae finally lowered him, and silently stared at each other before running off the floor, holding hands while laughing as they headed back to the detached palace.

Footnotes:

1. Cricket: A ball & bat game involving two teams of 11 people each, with a wicket at each end

2. Shrobetide Football: known as royal football or mob football from the 11th century