An hour past sunrise turned out to be hard to gauge. Lily was wide awake long before the sun. Yet she couldn't spot as easily as she hoped. It hid among dark clouds. The world smelled like rain.

Still, the Prince made his way to the beach down his usual route. Head held high and claws sunk deep into the fabric of his sleeves. It will be fine. That had been his mantra. He clung to it until it was true. Everything would be okay. It had to be.

There was no comfort in the familiar scenery. The foliage blended together. All too quickly it gave way to rocks and sand. Yet no ice stirred inside his chest. He turned his head. The beach was empty. Not another in sight. He was never there before Willis.

They clicked their tongue. Hopping the border. They rubbed their arms in rhythmic motions. It will be fine. They gazed out to the ocean. Waters oddly tame. The air still. The calm before the storm. It should have been peaceful. Their skin crawled.

It will be- 

“Hello.”

“Oh dear lord-!” Lily jumped, whipping around to face her new company. Her eyebrows rose when she was met with the sight of a black cape on Willis’ shoulders. With a white fur collar flared out and wrapped around. It made him bigger, imposing. She inched back. “You scared me.”

His ear flicked. “Sorry,” he mumbled halfheartedly. His hands came up to the fur, brushing it.

He doesn't have the blanket, she noted. A lump formed in her throat. She coughed through it, swallowing rough. Now or never. “Willis I-”

“I don't think we should see each other anymore.”

She blinked. “W-what?” She stepped back, looking up to him. He stared back with a blank expression. Had he always had those dark circles under his eyes? "What?” she asked again. Surely I misheard.

Willis sighed heavily. He pitched the bridge of his nose. “I don't think we should see each other anymore.”

She had not misheard. “Excuse me? Where is this coming from?” She grasped at nothing.

“It doesn’t matter. I’d rather not make a big deal out of the whole thing,” he answered flatly. His ears pinned back. Instead of elaborating, he simply turned, walking away.

He did not get far.“W- wait?!” Lily snatched his cape. It pulled taut when he swung around. He moved as if to grab her, but stopped short of outright doing so. 

“Let go,” he hissed.

She complied, stepping forward, “You can’t say something like that, refuse to elaborate, and then leave.” Thunder rolled in the distance. She waved her hands in the space between them. “Are you mad at me? Is that what this is about?”

“Am I mad at you?” he echoed her words. A subdued snicker turned into a cackle. “Oh I don’t know Lilium, am I mad at you?” he mocked. Leaning in with a flash of his fangs, a twisted smile on his face.

She leaned away, scowling, “Don’t be like that. I’m trying to have a serious conversation.” 

“Oh I’m sorry, is my mood inconveniencing you?” his face shifted to his own scowl. He straightened to his full height, shaking out his hands. He cleared his throat. Eyes slipped closed. “Here, give me a second.”

Despite the tightness that grew between her ribs, she entertained the request.

After a moment, he opened his eyes. An eerily warm smile on his face. “Is this better? People love when I smile and wave and laugh with them. I’m the cheerful one, you know!” He almost looked happy. If not for the way his ears drooped, or his eyebrows furrowed a little too much. “I’m great at acting sometimes. Though I’m sure you would know about that.” The act dropped.

What is he talking about? She stared at him. The words came to her eventually. “What are you talking about?” she asked, exasperated. She pulled at her hair. “Spit it out! What is going on with you?” she hissed.

“Why are you here?” he countered her question with his own. All emotion drained from him. The breeze picked up.

She resisted the urge to ask ‘What?’ once more. “To spend time with you…? Broadly speaking.”

“Is that really why?” he stepped toward her. The world darkened.

“Yeah, it is, actually,” she huffed. 

“Is that seriously why you’re out here? Why you keep coming back?” he came at her.

She reeled. “Am I supposed to have another reason?” 

Ever closer. “That first day we met, you told me it would be good for us to talk because we would rule together. I guess it's always just been about that.”

Ever further. “I-” I didn't mean that. “Things can change! Things have changed- I wanted to- I’m-” the words tangled in her throat. 

He loomed. “Yeah things have changed. I've noticed. I finally realized this is all stupid and pointless!” He hit his chest.

She froze. Everything did. “Wh- what…?” her voice was barely a whisper.

Something snapped. “I don't know why you're confused! You made it quite clear that's what you think, and the worst part is that you're right!” his voice roared like the thunder of the impending storm. Claws dug deep into his scalp. “I don't- I don't know why I thought I could get away from it. No matter where I go or what I do my title always follows me. I can't ever be myself.”

All she could do was watch this star collapse.

“You thought I could have been lying about my status as heir. Why would I lie about that? Why would I pretend to have a title I never fucking wanted?!” he snarled the words full of venom and hate. 

“It’s just ruined my life! There's no way out of this either. I can’t run away. I can’t even give my title to Velvet. They don’t want it! Even if they’re everything I could never be,” he got quiet a moment. Stumbling back. Something shifted. “I can't kill myself either. It's not like I haven't thought about it, but believe it or not I like being alive!”

When had this stopped being about her? Had it ever been?

“I never wanted this! Am I going to be stuck here forever, burdened with responsibility I never asked for? Is that all that’s really waiting for me?! What’s the point? I don't know why I’m here! I don't know why you're here! Do you even care about me?! Why-! wh- wh-y-y…” his voice died off. Heaving and gasping filled the space it left. Tears prickled at the corner of his eyes. He opened his mouth a few times, but nothing came out.

He whipped around, almost as if to leave. Instead he kicked the sand, tearing through it. The scream that left his throat dissolved into a sob. He curled in on himself, form lost to the dark fabric of his cape.

Lily's breath shook when she finally let it out. Her whole body did. Everything ached. Say something. DO SOMETHING. “Willis I’m-” she choked out the words. “I’m- s-so sorry-” Did that mean anything now? He didn't look at her, but his ear twitched.

She approached him slow. “and- I’m sorry it took me so long to apologize. I’m sorry I lied in the first place,” everything began flowing from her. The dam broke. “I lied to you, I lied to myself. All because I was stupid and stubborn and afraid!” Her breath picked up.

“I was scared to be wrong. I’ve spent so long pretending like I was okay with all this. Like I was okay with where my life was going,” she couldn’t stop herself. She paced. Thunder crackled, much closer now. “It was easier that way. I hurt you to protect myself,” she admitted. How could I be so cruel?

“I hate it so much. I hate my title and my suffocating home and the path my life is heading down. I hate the kind of person it's all made me!” She clawed at her face, her hair. A fire burned in her chest. “All it's ever done is make me an awful person! I ruined the one good thing I had over it for nothing! I don't-! want… this,” her throat closed up.

Willis stared. Cyan eyes burned straight through her. How long had he been staring?

“I- I didn't not need to say all that oh my stars-” she covered her mouth. I was supposed to be apologizing. Apologize! “I’m so sorry. That's- that's what I was trying to say with… all that. I was wrong.”

“Being here, spending time with you, it matters so much to me. I care about you Willis. Not because of your title but because of you,” she couldn't look at him. Eyes locked on her hands instead. She held them together like her life depended on it. “I was miserable before meeting you out here. You're the one that changed that. I’m sorry I made you just as miserable as I was. You didn't deserve that.”