Title: A Fair Wager
Librarian reader in the Prince!Al Haitham AU!! In second place with a 23.1% vote!
Noble | Head Advisor | Civilain | Royalty | Librarian | Witch (canon)
Wc: 1.4K Warnings: None
You both stare at one another, stockstill, waiting for the other to make a move. This is a song and dance you both know well at this point.
You open your mouth to speak, and his eyes narrow down into a glare.
"No." You get ready to talk really loud, and he sits up, face set definitely in a scowl.
"Don't you dare." Your mouth twitches as you hold back your grin, and he scowls further.
"That's an order from your prince, don't you dare."
"Then why do you keep hiding where I can find you, Your Highness?" You whisper.
"You must have a sort of homing instinct, built in with your witch abilities. You always find me." Al Haitham sighs, and shuts his book, getting ready to stand.
"You can stay, Your Highness. I won't tell on you."
"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow.
"So generous of you."
"I'm in a good mood today. Someone sent a bouquet of black irises to my room." And you have an idea who it was. But he takes no pains to acknowledge your knowing look.
"Odd choice for a bouquet."
"Yes! How odd. Odder yet that I was bemoaning the fact I had no black irises for my new spell, and a bouquet was sent to me with such swiftness. I wonder who it was."
"I wonder." Silence fills the air between you two, but you don't draw back, your smile or your closeness.
Al haitham looks at you, the path behind you. And back to you again. You look back.
"I'm going to go find a new spot."
"Alright."
"May you move?"
"Of course." You step aside, and his eyes fill with suspicion. This is only confirmed when he starts to walk past, and you grab his shoulder.
"Ah. Of course. For a price."
"You know it."
He sighs, exasperated. "Weren't the flowers good enough?" You laugh, and turn him back towards you, and he lets you.
"What is it? Want me to sneak you another one of the patisserie's newest creations? A first edition book? New ingredients for some spells?"
"Hm, no. I want something different." You grin, and he sighs again.
"You're exploiting me, Librarian."
"You let me, Your Highness." You definitely recall hearing about some meeting about foreign relations, and about a very important prince being absent, so of course you went to go look for him. And of course, you found him.
"What number is this? The third time this month that you've skipped a meeting, Your Highness?"
"The second."
"Third, Your Highness. It doesnt matter if I forced you to go back, you still tried to skip."
"What do you want?" He cuts through, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Oh, don't be so irked, Your Highness! You know we both enjoy these little encounters." You reach to pat his head like a child, and he swats your hand away with little effort.
"Of course, you're the only one to not try to fawn over me."
You nod. "Or use you."
"That's a blatant lie. You manipulate me, exploit me, blackmail, patronize, irritate–"
"You wound me, Your Highness!" You turn your face away as if spurned. "I think I will go now, I believe His Majesty would like to know where you've been."
You take teo steps before he grabs your shoulder. You have to purse your lips to keep from smiling.
"I don't need another one of my hiding spots compromised. I asked you what you wanted. Tell me. I'll get it for you."
"What if I said I wanted a date?" You tease. But you see his eyes narrow, and something click into place. Realization dawns on you.
You raise your hands in placation.
"Im sorry!! That's not what I meant!! That's not what I meant!!"
His eyes narrow, and it doesn't look like he believes you. You understand how much his 'curse' has affected his life. Every relationship could be fake, forged. You just gave him cause to deny yours over a jest. It was a tasteless joke.
"Funny, that's how it sounds." You sigh, and turn back to your cart. You still have a job to do, books to put away.
"Im sorry, that was tactless. That's just what we'll call it. You need an excuse to skip these meetings, and I need a test subject for my spells."
"And risk being turned into a frog? No." He starts to walk away.
"These are safe! I promise!" Apparently not caring if anyone sees him anymore, he swipes a book from the shelves and starts speed walking. You grab your cart and pursue him.
"These are completely safe, I swear by it!"
"Then why would you need me to test out spells that have definitive, set results? Seems redundant."
"Because there is something different about you," You grab his bicep and finally he turns, lending you his ear.
"You assume that you are under some spell or curse, because of the extreme adoration of your admirers, and I can't even detect anything from you. That's why we have to run these tests– What about you is different? How do you compare to all the test studies done before?"
"..." He reaches up and adjusts one of his earphones, thinking it over.
"And how exactly does this benefit you?"
"Experiments!!" Your eyes light up in excitement, and he finally turns towards you.
"Oh yes, I know how much you love your pet projects."
You face sours. "Don't call it that. I am eager but not dense Your Highness, I understand the importance of all of this. And I would like your cooperation on this."
"I'm trying to help you, my prince." He sighs, and his hands have moved to the wire of his ear phones.
"...You're going to need more than just me to run these tests. Subjects to test if the spells really work as intended. Regular folks, those under curses, those inflicted with spells similar to my own circumstance."
"I know, my prince, I know. I have almost everything ready, you're the missing piece. I just need you." You give your best sparkling eyes. And wait for his answer with bated breath. He has to accept, he has to.
"Hm." He stops fiddling with his wire, and there is a look of mirth in his dual colored eyes.
"You sound more and more like the lovelorn fools all vying for me." A breath of silence while you marvel at his aloofness, and then…
"Stop playing with me! You know that isn't what I mean!!" You try to smack him, but he grabs your wrists and holds them high in one hand, with irritating ease. You struggle while he moves close to you.
"So you say, so you say. How long did it take you to come up with this elaborate plan to get some alone time with me?"
"That's not it, your highness!!"
"I don't believe you." It's frustrating how easy he holds you up, and yeah, he's handsome, okay? And strong, but it's not that!
"You're a sly little thing."
"No!!! Stop teasing me Your Highness, I'm serious!"
"This is the library. Can you have some respect and be…" apparently you two were too loud, that another librarian has to come to tell you to quiet down.
It's a coworker of yours, and you shyly wave your trapped hands with an awkward smile. She looks over the position you two are in (you see jealousy flash across her face) before she bows and splutters her apologies. She leaves, and you know gossip will spread.
"...So. Is it a yes, or a no?" You say stiffly, trying to hold on to the shreds of your dignity. He drops your hands unceremoniously, you are holding them limp and they almost smack to your sides before you catch yourself. You scowl at him.
"Not much of a choice if I want this spell broken, yes? I agree. But–" he cuts in when your face brightens.
"I'll need something else in recompense. You seem to enjoy this far more than I shall."
"Well, what do you want then, Your Highness?" Bartering with the prince is dangerous. You've heard all about his skillful manipulations. Always leaving with more than you expected to give. He's inspecting you like you're a ware in a merchant's stall.
"Your Highness?"
"I want you to stop calling me by my title. My Prince is fine. But i prefer my own name." What? His name? That's it? Well, it's a drastic overreach of your position, but no special potions or favors?
The prince—Al Haitham, has an expectant look on his face and you're shocked out of your thoughts. You test the words on your tongue.
"...Al Haitham. Al Haitham. My prince." He has no response, but you see his thoughts working behind the shock of his eyes. He turns and steps back from you.
"We can start the next council meeting I skip. Don't use my title any longer, (f/n), dearest. We're supposed to be lovers after all." And he was away.
And your heart is pounding.
Are you sure his 'spell' doesn't work on you? It certainly feels like it has!
Taglist: @tigerpriestess @hypernovaxx @certaindreampost @tanspostsblog @escapeis
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