with you anytime

It may have been the delicious meal Takashi Mitsuya had, or perhaps it was the happy folks laughing at whatever business they had.

Neither of these, however, were the reasons for this man's delight on that particular day.

He just woke up feeling happy despite the fact that he wasn't with his lover, which was unusual given that she was his source of joy.

So, what was the cause of his joy? It was pay day!

Takashi, as you can see, was not a particularly good servant in the public eye. Even if you loved him and would rather have him than any other servant, he wasn't a particularly good butler.

He 'kidnapped' you, distracted you from things, and he was a commoner.

Quite so many times, the king had to reconsider paying him, but the best he could do was cut a portion of his salary.

But, thankfully, your mother decided to secretly pay him in full after noticing how happy you were with him the previous days. Which was all that was important.

In any case, he was paid! It was his first wage as your butler.

Although being with you ceased being a job when he fell in love with you, he was able to spend time with the one he adored while also earning money? A win-win situation existed.

The first thing he did was give half of the large sum of money to his family so they wouldn't have to struggle as much.

Next, he put thirty percent of his earnings into savings, gotta plan for the future.

Finally, he intended to use the rest of his earnings to buy you a present, one that you would like.

Takashi had studied what women liked and disliked, so he understood precisely what to get you. It was also a personal favorite of his mother's.

Flowers were disliked by no woman he knew. Bouquets were one-of-a-kind, and he'd love to see you carrying one that belonged to him specifically.

His plans were shattered, however, when he arrived at the palace's very front door.

Because as soon as he arrived, your parents watched from behind as a charming-looking prince was kneeling down to kiss your hand.

As a wave of insecurity washed over him, he threw away the bouquet he just purchased and walked away.

- ღ -

Let's proceed to your side of the issue for an explanation of what Takashi just witnessed.

You and your royal parents waited in front of the palace to greet prince Gray, who had just arrived in the kingdom.

The prince bowed properly and said, "Pleased to meet you again, his and her majesty."

"And you as well, your highness," he said as he glanced up and smiled your way as he walked towards you and kneeled down to kiss your hand.

You grabbed your hand as he was ready to kiss it and yanked it away from him. "It's nice to meet you, but I'd rather you not doing that."

Despite not facing King Akito, you could feel his eyes glaring at you from behind. It was his way of saying 'behave yourself.'

"I see, no issue," Gray coughed.

It would be a lie to suggest the crowned boy was not puzzled; was there a problem?

"Ah, Gray, why don't you come inside with us?" Misa chimed in on the uncomfortable mood, quickly clearing it with her voice.

He nodded with a polite smile as you all made your way in the palace.

- ღ -

The highly lighted sun began to slumber, and the day passed quickly- no, not really. It wasn't even close to being a day.

Gray was infuriating since his flirting attempts were extremely evident, and you had to entertain him.

It had been like that for all the years you'd known him, and you knew so well he was interested in you. On the other hand, that prince did not appeal to you.

Especially since you were head over heels in love with Takashi Mitsuya.

Speaking Takashi, where was he all day? It's no wonder that the day seemed so lengthy.

You were frantically rushing through the castle's hallways, clutching the box Gray had given you. Inside, it contained a golden bracelet that was customized for you.

To be honest, the bracelet could be bought almost anywhere. You had zero intention of keeping such a lame item you had no care for.

You had accidently bumped against something on the floor as you marched forward.

Looking down, you noticed a bunch of flowers on the ground; how could such a lovely object be mistreated as trash?

You chose to leave it there for the time being, sighing, because it wasn't yours to begin with.

Then you met with something else, but this time it was a human. Seriously, what's the deal with you crashing into things?

"My apologies." you looked up to see lilac locks, it was Takashi.

He looked.. rather gloomy. It was a bit dreary, but you were so overjoyed to see him that you didn't notice. "Takashi! Where were you?"

Giving him a warm hug of glee, he didn't hug back. You became concerned when you sensed that something was wrong.

"Takashi?" you said, unwrapping your arms from around him and staring worriedly at him.

"Is something wrong?" you inquired quietly.

The guy gave a barely audible answer, his gaze fixed on the tiny item you were carrying.

"What is that?" he said, staring at the package.

"Oh, this?" you opened the box, revealing the expensive jewelry you had no care for. "It's a bracelet given to me by prince Gray."

Oh.

Takashi's mood had been sour before, and it was even sourer now.

'I.. could never compete..' he mused, sadly staring at the gleaming bracelet that he felt was worth more than his whole existence.

You weren't blind to the fact that he was sadder than usual, and you were also upset by the fact he refused to tell you what was wrong.

Your hands found their way to his face as you set the item down. "There's something wrong, isn't there? "

"Would you mind telling me?" Takashi could feel himself straying in your eyes as he caressed his delicate skin, "Perhaps I can help you solve your problem."

Nothing was more important to him than marrying you.

But there lived a prince of considerably higher status than him, and he was confident that he was worlds below him.

Takashi's hand reached for yours as he took a deep inhale. "I couldn't bear the thought of you with that prince."

If Takashi was anything other than himself, he'd be a shooting star.

If he didn't want to put in a shining show anymore, than you'd be willing to wait once again for the rare show you've been yearning for.

And you'd also be the one helping him shine once more.

"Oh, Takashi." you joked, feeling the warmth on his cheeks as you held them, "Why would you even sweat about that?

Takashi frowned as he pulled you in for a hug, "I love you, y/n."

"I don't wanna lose you."

The night was young, but everything felt so bright, as if you were in heaven, as if heaven was holding you.

How could words affect you so much? How could mere words from a commoner make you feel such euphoria?

Oh right, it was because you loved this commoner.

"I love you so much more." returning the embrace, you savored his scent, which had become your favorite from the days you were together.

"Please don't stress about Gray, he means nothing in comparison to what you mean to me." you uttered.

As you and Takashi stood inside that very palace, tracing figures on his back, the aroma of adoration lingered in the air.

Love is in the air, as they say.

And there was love in the air where Takashi and you stood.

"After all, you're the one I wish to marry."

When you said those words, you didn't notice that there was a woman who happened to pass by the same hallway at that exact moment.

Misa was taken aback by what she had just heard and covered her lips.

She rushed into the king's office silently but quickly, thrilled by the news she had just learned.

- ღ -

"Akito! This is so very great!" Misa cheered as she barged open her husband's office door.

The king grunted irritatedly, "What is it?"

"Our little princess is in love! And.. she also has someone she'd like to marry!" she chirped happily as she danced around the office.

With Misa's words, the king's mood became lighter. "Is that so?"

He smirked, "That is, indeed, so very great. Prince Gray was surely a good match for our princess."

The queen paused her waltz and turned to her husband, "What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? You're the one who barged in here with news." he raised a brow.

Misa laughed awkwardly, "Yes.. but it's not Gray."

"Oh? Then has she met another prince she liked? Kindly tell me who it is, then we'll pay him a visit." Akito went back to work after saying those words.

"Ah.. it's Takashi."

He dropped the quill he was holding, glaring at his paperwork in shock. "What?"

"That was my reaction too! It's honestly so cute, they loathed each other so much and now they're lovebirds!" she proceeded to dance, "What do you think, Akito?"

The king stood up, furious as he grabbed an envelope and a paper.

"I think that this is absurd, and it shall never, ever happen."