I was over the moon that Nathan was here with me. I had full time butterflies in my stomach when he was around. I knew he flew all the way here from Chicago just to see me and it made me flattered and incredibly touched by his unexpected gesture. I never thought we’d see each other again. Not after his band canceled their Jubilee performance. Yet here we were, in the kitchen, with a special lunch I ordered from my favorite seafood restaurant. After all that sexing, we did outside, we showered together and made out like teenagers. Nathan was very affectionate and wouldn’t leave my side. I enjoyed his attentiveness and ate it up like candy.

When our lunch arrived, we sat at the kitchen table and shared a plate of cocktail shrimp and grilled salmon. We discussed our hobbies and favorite television shows. Nathan turned out to be a big cosplay fan. Every year, he would dress up for Halloween in an elaborate costume and show off his outfit at different Hollywood parties.

“Model Heidi Klum is famous for her kickass costumes. I was invited to her Halloween bash last year. She spends a fuckload of money and effort on her getup. Last year she dressed up as Jessica Rabbit complete with a gigantic pair of boobs. She looked awesome.”

I took a bit out of my shrimp and sat back in my chair. “So what else are you hiding under your rock star sleeve? What other hobbies are you interested in?”

“Don’t laugh, but I like reading philosophy books. I actually own a collection of must-haves like Plato’s The Republic and Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil.” He revealed.

“Color me shocked.” I did not hide just how impressed I was with him. On the contrary, I shared my favorite books as well. I used to be such a bookwork when I was younger, but lately, all I had time for was reading balance sheets and business contracts. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“Oh, you have no idea.” He winked at me. “I also have a thing for carpentry.”

“Wow. How creative. Do you have pictures of said hobby?” I asked.

“Yeah.” He nodded.

“Show me.”

He sat beside me and showed me his woodwork. He crafted chairs and intricate guitar figurines.

“Nathan. This is amazing. I always knew you were good with your hands.”

“Yes. Yes. I have the magic touch.” He smirked before kissing me on the lips.

He told me more about his hobby and how he learned to use his imagination to craft all sorts of toys as a kid. His foster family was unable to buy him new toys so he had to resort to thrift shops and garage sales. His childhood was clearly not a pleasant one.

“What were you like as a kid?” He asked. “You probably had a room filled with toys growing up. You probably got lost in there and they had to send in a search party to find you.”

“Pretty much. Yes.” I admitted, feeling embarrassed. “We were definitely pampered as children. Grandmother told me that when Ruppy was born, they received all sorts of congratulatory gifts from our neighbors. The King of Waverly sent him a diamond encrusted rocking horse. Can you imagine? A child barely a few days old receiving such a lavish gift?”

“Fuck. Seriously?”

“Yes. Of course, father immediately returned it. He hated how stupidly decadent and spoiled the Waverly kids were. They live in a parallel universe where diamonds and gold are simply part of everyday life. I heard that one of the princes has a diamond encrusted tub in his bathroom.”

“So what did you and your brothers do for fun? Were you allowed to have play-dates?”

“Of course. My parents encouraged us to socialize with other kids. I had plenty of non-royal friends growing up. Some of them are still in touch with me. Others just used me to climb the social ladder, so I quickly terminated our friendship.”

“Yeah. I kind of had a similar problem once our band took off. All of a sudden, my phone was bombarded with calls from high school friends and exes who pretended to care about me all of a sudden. I invited a bunch of them back into my life and they ended up being freeloaders.”

“Those people are the worst.”

“Yep.” He nodded. “I had to put with an insane amount of shit over the years. Fame has taught me plenty of harsh lessons. Lessons I needed to learn. Theo and I used to be so naive. We fell for every word hook, line, and sinker. We trusted the wrong people and they fucked us over big time.”

“Christ. This sounds like a story worth telling.”

“It is. I have a shitload of stories to tell you.” He squeezed my hand affectionately.

“Me too. I feel like we can sit here all day and talk for hours.”

“This is exactly how I feel. You’re so easy to talk to Danny. There is just something about your eyes that makes me want to say fuck you to the rest of the world. Fuck you with a capital F. Seriously. I think this is the beginning of something beautiful.” He smiled.

“Baby that is hands down the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.” I reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear.

He leaned in and kissed me. It was a toe-curling kiss that had me moaning into his mouth.

I kissed him back with equal passion. I wished he’d stay here so I’d show him around Raplen as a tourist this time. There were many breathtaking places I could take him to. My country was famous for its lush landscapes, lakes and historical sites.

“I have a brilliant idea. Why don’t you stay with me since you’re on hiatus? Chicago can wait.”

He returned to his seat with an unreadable expression on his face. “Nope. Negative. I can’t.”

His instant change of attitude threw me off. “Then why did you come here? Am I simply your overseas booty call?” I asked, feeling slightly irritated. He’s been blowing hot and cold ever since I met him.

He frowned. “What? Hell no. You’re not a booty call. Did you really think I’d fly twelve hours straight just to get my dick wet? What kind of question is that?” He argued. “Besides, this is not about us. This shit is bigger than the two of us, Danny.”

I dropped my fork. “You sound like a superhero who wants to save the world at the expense of his love life,” I remarked. “What shit are you referring to exactly?”

He ran his fingers through his damp hair and grew quiet all of a sudden. I was torn between anger and frustration. We both had strong feelings for one another. I just knew it. I knew he felt something but he did not want to admit it.

“Danny...” His gentle voice betrayed his cold body language. I had trouble connecting the two. “I love you. I fucking do, but I have the band to consider. My actions will always have an impact on others. I didn’t even have the time to talk to them. My fear is that being alone with you may spark concerns and ignite more rumors about me, especially since you’re openly gay. Do you get what I’m saying?”

Did he just tell me he loved me only to quickly dismiss his feelings in favor of his band mates?

I pushed my chair backward and stood up. “All I heard was more excuses and zero solutions. So no. I do not understand. As a matter of fact, I don’t want to understand.” I huffed. “I had a closeted relationship before and it did not work out. It took its toll on me physically and emotionally, so honestly I’d rather die than go through this again.”

He folded his arms across his chest and pouted like a little child. He looked adorable but he drove me crazy. “I love you, you idiot! I love you like I’ve never loved anyone before, but I can’t handle another heartbreak.” I spilled my beans. He needed to know just how serious I was about him.

“So, where do we go from here?” He asked, sounding just as frustrated as I was.

We suddenly heard a car pull up to the house. Nathan wiped his mouth with a napkin and got up from his chair. I glanced outside the window to find Asher climbing out of his Ferrari rental. Nathan tossed me an accusatory glance on his way to the kitchen sink so I told him not to jump to conclusions. “We’ll continue this conversation later.”

“Fine. Whatever. I should go check into my hotel anyway.” He shrugged and grabbed his keys from the counter. “Take care.”

He left real quick and pushed past Asher on the way to his Fiat. The prince gave me a puzzled look as we both watched Mr. Rock star pull out of the driveway like a maniac.

“What was that about?” He asked.

I sighed and ushered him inside. “It’s complicated.”

“Wait a second. Is this the lead singer of The Moonstones?” He inquired. “I thought their performance was canceled.”

“It was,” I replied, pushing him towards the kitchen. Maybe he’d stop asking questions if I shove food into his mouth. “Would you like some cocktail shrimp? I ordered plenty.”

Asher sat down at the kitchen table and watched me fix him a plate. “You’re acting strange.” He observed. “Did the two of you hook up?”

Silence filled the air for a few seconds. I was still reeling from my argument with Nathan.

“No?” He prodded. “Judging from your body language, I’m guessing the two of you have a thing. A very serious thing. Is he your secret lover or something?”

I served him his food and sat down across from him. “How did you know?”

“I’m exceptionally good at reading people.” He simply replied. “Especially those tormented by love. I guess it takes one to know one.”

“Asher, swear to me that you won’t speak to anyone about this. My relationship with Nathan is a private matter.”

“Of course.” He nodded. “Your secret is safe with me.” He reassured me.