The morning dawned when Rhae heard a light knock on the door from where he stood on the patio. He walked to the door and found a servant standing before him.

"Good morning, my lord. Would you like to dine in or eat in the banquet hall?" they asked calmly. 

"Dine in. Meal for two, please," Rhae responded politely. 

"Of course, my lord," the servant nodded and signaled to another servant who left to retrieve the meal. "Would you like some tea while you wait?"

"Yes." Rhae nodded as he stepped aside to let them into the room. "My partner is currently still asleep, so please keep it down. Let us set it up on the balcony."

The servant nodded, quietly bringing a tea cart into the room, and pushed it to where the breeze slipped through the open patio doors. As the main servant set the table, Rhae slipped into the bed to check on his sleeping companion. He pulled the bed curtains shut behind him and sat on the edge, admiring the view. Kaisan lay on his stomach, arms above his head on the pillow, and the blanket resting barely above his tailbone. Rhae leaned forward and kissed along his shoulders, up his neck, and gently kissed the visible cheek. Only then did Kaisan stir. 

"Breakfast is being prepared. Rest for a few minutes more," Rhae told him as he rubbed Kaisan's lower back, aware of the soreness from the previous night's adventure. Kaisan grumbled in response, eliciting a chuckle from Rhae. "I'll ask them for some warm compresses to alleviate your soreness."

"As you should…" Kaisan replied, still half asleep, rolling onto his side and wrapping his arms around Rhae's waist. He dug his face into Rhae's side to block out all the light as Rhae continued to rub his back. "Wake me when they finish preparing…"

"I will." Rhae kissed Kaisan's hand and got up, placing a fresh robe beside his sleeping form. He pushed off the bed and moved to the newly set table to start on the tea the servant had just started serving. "Thank you."

The servant nodded and headed towards the door, assuming he would fetch the meals. Moments later, he returned with a fresh cart containing an assorted menu of a breakfast spread. While placing each item on the table, the soft clicking of each plate was enough to rouse Kaisan fully from sleep. His outline as he sat up and slid on the robe through the semi-sheer bed curtains was an arousing sight for Rhae over his steaming teacup. 

Kaisan tiredly dragged his feet over the patio table and sat across from Rhae - paying zero attention to the servant at hand. Once the servant bowed and left the room in silence, Kaisan shuffled his chair closer to Rhae and rested his feet upon the handsome man's lap as he stared out over the railing to the expansive garden below while he nibbled away. Rhae's eyes never left his face, and he smiled at Kaisan's cute antics. 

"Do you have any plans for today?" Rhae asked, placing his teacup down. His hands moved to his lap to stroke Kaisan's ankles. He nodded softly in response. 

"Yes. I must head back to my room to change, then check in on my family and join them for lunch," Kaisan said firmly, looking slightly frustrated at the events he must attend. He tilted his head for a moment before meeting Rhae's eyes. "But if you're free after lunch, we can spend the rest of the day together…"

"Just the day?" Rhae smirked, prodding. Kaisan followed up with his own smirk and shrugged as he reached for more tapas. Rhae chuckled as he leaned forward and kissed his cheek. His arm wrapped around his shoulder, and they continued their quiet breakfast, listening to the chirping of birds and the buzzing of cicadas from the garden below. 

"A few open cricket games are set up for this afternoon, as well as Shrovetide Football. Then there'll be a lakeside concert with refreshments. In the evening, the first outdoor ball will be held in the gardens after an intermission for setup. Do any of those interest you?" Kaisan asked offhandedly.

"All of them. We'll spend the remainder of our time together to make up for you leaving me so soon after a fiery night together," Rhae shot back, half teasing and half serious, squeezing Kaisan's shoulder. Kaisan's eyes darted up momentarily to confirm the seriousness of Rhae's statement, and then he nodded in agreement.

"Let's go with that as our plan for the day. I may be a bit moody after dealing with my family for a short while, but with how enjoyable time has been with you so far, I should get over it pretty quickly," Kaisan mentioned as he leaned forward for some cheese and grapes. His pink hair was still tousled from the nightly roll, appearing curly as the cool morning breeze glazed over the terrace. His eyes looked like watercolour paints of a hazy pink and a deep purple, not entirely blending yet catching every light reflected in them like an array of gems. 

Those same curious eyes kept stealing glances at the man who held him tight. In the darkness of the fading light, the handsome stranger looked like a novel villain in all black from head to toe. But in the morning sun, that same hair that he assumed was as black as his shadow gave a soft, warm chocolate glint. The dark eyes that stared at him were a deep teal, like a sea ready to swallow you up. 

He shivered as he recalled how those same eyes pierced into him throughout the night. He cleared his throat as he swallowed a chunk of bread before leaning up and kissing the corner of Rhae's mouth as he stood up from his head. 

"I must head back to change before meeting with my family," Kaisan threw over his shoulder as he shyly hurried back into the room in search of his scattered clothes. Rhae chuckled at how adorable his fairy-like lover looked as he attempted to escape his grasp. 

"One of these mornings, I hope you'll be able to stay with me instead of running away." His teal eyes crinkled with a slight smile as he drank his tea. Kaisan threw a look at Rhae over his shoulder. He could only see his silhouette through the blinding light from the patio door. He gave a big toothy grin and shook his hair at the incoming breeze. 

"It depends if you make it worth it." He joked as he dropped the robe to the floor and slipped on his scattered clothes. As he headed toward the bedroom doors, he stopped and turned back for a moment—making sure to meet Rhae's eyes before blowing a kiss. "Prepare a bet whether you win or lose for our cricket game."

Rhae chuckled as the door banged shut, never looking away from Kaisan's retreating form. He finished his meal before preparing for a day of outdoor activities. 

Rhae's neck-length hair tickled his sweaty skin as he made his way towards the field in a simple linen shirt and suspenders, light and secure enough for sports play. A small smile played on his thick lips as he imagined his fairy lightly dancing around people while trying to avoid being tackled. So, the scene before him when he arrived at the field was far from what he had expected. 

Kaisan was already on the field but not lightly dodging like a gazelle, as Rhae assumed. His hair was slicked back, covered in sweat. He wore a simple light vest, so his shoulders were exposed. He had an intense frown as he held the ball and plowed through the oncoming opponents. His shoulder checks into the opposite team were hard enough to send even bigger players off their feet and onto their backs. He made it over the end goal line, dropped to his knees, and screamed in victory. 

Rhae stuttered a laugh in surprise, pausing before he made his way towards Kaisan. This daytime version of his enchanting lover was a lot more manly than his appearance gave off. His hand rubbed the back of his neck out of nervousness when he appeared in front of Kaisan, who pushed himself back into a standing position and met Rhae's gaze with a proud smirk. 

"Can you keep going, or are you already worn out from playing before I arrive?" Rhae poked fun at him. Kaisan scoffed and wiped the sweat off his forehead into his hair before quickly shaking his head—droplets scattering around him. 

"I can go all day. I wouldn't have started early otherwise. Come, let us grab you a team flag." Kaisan came forward and tugged Rhae's elbow. When they approached the referee, Kaisan talked to him quickly and then handed Rhae a flag a different color than his own. 

"Did you throw me on the opposite team?" he responded, surprised. "Here I was, hoping to build some teamwork between us."

"Screw teamwork. I will win against you and take you down to the ground. It's about building tension," Kaisan shot back as a challenge. "Or, can you not handle that?"

"Bring it on. We'll see who's on top in the end." Rhae towered over Kaisan, creating a shadow on his face and making his smile look more menacing. His hand darted out and stroked the back of Kaisan's neck, flicking the beads of sweat from the edges of his pink hair. He winked at the shorter male and returned to tie the flag to his waist. Kaisan let go of the breath he had unknowingly been holding.

Footnotes:

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

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