Infinite Cosmos
Altered Tundra
Waking up next to Phillip would never, ever get old - and even though they hadn’t been missing breakfast in favor of other activities for the entire week (honestly, Alejandro thought that it was probably a record for them; an entire week of being present and no more than five minutes late!) thanks to both of them wanting to keep Gen and Imani company during the meal, Alejandro thought that constantly being able to be with Phillip more than made up for it. The two of them were used to keeping a secret, especially after three years of fooling around behind closed doors, and so far, Aciras had been no exception; both of them had been careful not to let anything out of the ordinary slip out.
To be fair, it wasn’t like the two of them were constantly glued to each others’ sides. Alejandro kept Han company, of course, when it was expected of them, and he went to Leo for hair advice, and hung out with Gen and Imani as well. Ara had been busy with schoolwork, but he did manage to say hi to her a few times, and although Alejandro wasn’t avoiding Chris - whatever they had been had ended years ago - he was careful not to come off as overly friendly, the way he might have been with, say, Raven (who he did end up getting to talk to, in the days following the ball).
Alejandro sighed happily, glancing fondly over at the other prince and taking a moment to lean over and kiss his nose, a habit that had started when they first got together. I could get used to this, he mused to himself, waiting for Phillip to wake up.
Phillip stirred.
After nearly a week, he no longer had to orient himself when he woke up. He knew where he was and who he would find curled up next to or even against him. Some mornings, especially if it was early, he would burrow closer to Alejandro and just go back to sleep.
This time he shifted, opening his eyes, and glanced up with a small smile upon finding the other prince already up. “Hello.” He smothered a yawn, reaching out to squeeze one of Alejandro’s hands. “What time is it?”
Alejandro smiled back at him, giving Phillip’s hand a small squeeze in response. “It’s not too late, I think,” he said, twisting around to check his phone. “We don’t have anything until the carnival, at two. It’s only ten right now.”
He turned back to face Phillip again. “We could get food,” he said, his expression a bit wry. “After we get out of bed.”
Phillip looked thoughtful. “What do you say to breakfast in bed?” He pushed up on one arm so that he was at least sitting up a bit. “We’ll see everyone at the faire. I could text Gen and ask her to just join us in here.”
“I like that idea,” Alejandro replied, snuggling closer and leaning up so that he could kiss Phillip’s cheek. “Do you think she’s up yet?”
“Probably.” Phillip tilted his head down so that he could give Alejandro a proper kiss, lingering for a moment just because he could. With another small smile, he added, “I’ll see.”
Alejandro made a small, pleased sound when Phillip kissed him, shifting so that they were pressed closer still. It would have been nice to just lie there and kiss some more, but Alejandro didn’t want to keep Gen waiting, so when Phillip drew away, he didn’t initiate anything else. “Sounds good,” he agreed, smiling again.
Phillip shifted to accommodate Alejandro, so that he could use his phone without disturbing the other prince. A quick text to Genevieve later—and then one to Imani, to let her know they would meet her downstairs—and it was settled. Phillip glanced around the room, making sure it was fit for callers, but thanks to Alejandro’s fastidious care, there weren’t any clothes that needed to be picked up or put away.
Gen appeared a few minutes later in leggings and an oversized sweater, making Phillip smile. The weather in Aciras really was not suited to her preferences.
After they’d ordered breakfast from the staff, they sat companionably, talking about the past week and their plans for the fair.
“I think I’m going to meet up with Henri, actually,” Gen said, looking only mildly apologetic. “So that he doesn’t have to ride over by himself or with strangers.”
“That’s fine,” Phillip said, unbothered. He was glad Gen and Henri were getting to spend so much time together, even though he suspected it was largely due to some kind of distress on Henri’s part. All Genevieve had said earlier in the week was that he was having a tough time.
Alejandro was delighted to see Gen, of course; the two of them had become friends through Phillip. Spending time with her was always fun.
He nodded along in acknowledgement when Gen said that she was going to ride with Henri. “Oh! But before I forget, Gen, I need to ask your opinion on something.” He cast a glance over to Phillip, and rolled his eyes, smiling teasingly. “Mostly because your brother wears boring clothes so I don’t trust his opinion.”
Alejandro pushed the covers aside and got fully out of bed, heading towards the closet (it was much too small, in Alejandro’s opinion. Which was why he’d converted most of the adjoining living area into closet part two). The hat he was looking for was on one of the shelves lining the wall.
“Do you think I should wear this today? I got it before coming to Aciras. It seemed pretty fitting for the kingdom.” He grinned, and brought the red cowboy hat out with a dramatic flourish, holding it up so that Gen could see the delicate strands of diamonds that dangled from the brim. “I have the perfect earrings to go with this, too,” he added as an afterthought.
Genevieve visibly bit back a smile as she considered the hat while Phillip just shook his head at Ali’s disparaging comments about his appearance. “Just because they don’t have jewels dangling off them does not mean my clothes are boring,” he said.
“It’s very you,” Gen offered. “But do you think it might get uncomfortable, being at the fair all day? You won’t have anywhere to put it, and if it gets windy or you’re on a ride, those crystals could blow into your face.”
"Yes it does,” Alejandro shot back to Phillip, grinning again before turning back to Gen and giving her a thoughtful look. “I guess that’s true. I’ll save it for something else, then,” he said, putting the hat back into the closet.
“I can’t wait,” Gen said, still with that small, amused smile.
The rest of the meal passed with chatter about the fair and guesses what entertainments it might bring—Phillip and Genevieve both were sure it would not be the same as the sort of fairs they had in Maris—and, of course, talk about what everyone was wearing. After Phillip gave Gen some gentle teasing about how she was going to manage the Aciran heat—it was common knowledge that she did not bare her legs in public, ever, for any reason—the younger Anders excused herself to go and get ready.
Phillip followed suit, ducking across the hall to his room to change.
After Phillip and Gen left - Phillip promising that he would come right back, after getting dressed - Alejandro set about picking an outfit for the day. He found a nice pair of jeans and a short-sleeved shirt, made of pale turquoise silk and decorated with a white floral design. Then, before Phillip could get back and tell him no, Alejandro found one of his shorter scarves - more of a neckerchief, really - that both of them were familiar with, from the last time they got together. It was a pretty shade of blue that matched his overall outfit, in Alejandro’s opinion.
Phillip was back five minutes later, and Alejandro smiled as he came in wearing a gray v-neck and jeans. “Will you brush my hair, Prince Charming?” he asked playfully, stepping in close to kiss him lightly on the nose before holding out a hairbrush.
“I shouldn’t,” Phillip said, “after you made fun of my clothes.” But he was already smiling and taking the brush. “Go on, sit down.” The scarf, he did not comment on; Alejandro was going to do what he wanted, and complaining only gave him energy.
“I was only stating a fact,” Alejandro answered, shooting Phillip a smug smile as the other prince agreed to it, anyway. Alejandro sat down in front of the vanity, his smile turning fond as he met Phillip’s eyes in the mirror. Phillip started to brush out his hair, and Alejandro savored the feeling of his hands smoothing over his hair, sighing happily.
Phillip relaxed, too, always enjoying the simple intimacy that came from running his hands through Ali’s hair. He brushed it gently and thoroughly, making sure to get all of the little knots and tangles that had formed during sleep.
“Done. I hope it meets your standards,” he teased.
Alejandro ran a hand through his hair and took the brush back from Phillip, setting it back down on the table. “It always does, when it’s you,” he teased back, standing up so that he could give Phillip another quick kiss on the cheek before sitting back down. “I promise, I won’t be more than ten minutes,” he said as he started to put his hair into a French braid, figuring that it would be good to have it out of the way.
After he was done with the braid, Alejandro put on sunscreen (offering some to Phillip in the process) and picked out a pair of dangly earrings. “I’m ready,” he said, giving himself a final once-over in the mirror before hopping up. He took Phillip’s hand and squeezed it gently.
Phillip squeezed back with a smile. “You look good.” Not fit for a day spent entirely outside, maybe, but he’d make sure they both had plenty of time in the shade.
As was his habit, Phillip checked the hall and found it empty—safe for the pair of them to leave Alejandro’s room together without needing explanation, though they had plenty of potential explanations ready, should the need ever arise.
They made it downstairs without incident, stepping into the warm afternoon sun—and as they approached the waiting vehicles, Imani appeared.
“Imani!” Phillip greeted warmly. “You look nice.”
"You really do," Alejandro agreed, shooting the princess a cheerful smile.
