Chapter Text
“Have you seen the Prince's newborn son? He’s absolutely adorable!”
Jean stands in their kitchen with a cup in his hand, watching his mother gush over the Prince’s baby son.
“How is the little prince?” Jean asks as he prepares Lotta’s afterschool snack.
“Besides looking very adorable, he seems to be in healthy condition. The whole family was walking in the park today, and I managed to get pictures of them!”
Jean continues to listen to his mother’s gushing, enjoying the happiness that emanates from her, and seeping into him.
_____
“Jean! The little prince is going to start attending high school, and I want you to join him!”
Eyes widening at such an order, Jean slowly turns around to look at his mother, searching for anything to see if what was just said was a joke.
“Mother, I’ve just turned twenty-five.”
He knew his mother could be eccentric, but to have him go through high school again? He really hopes he won’t be bored to death.
“I know, I know, but please? You can get better and closer pictures of the little prince, become friends with him and get to know him!”
Jean is completely exasperated, but with his mother’s persuading doe eyes, Jean, in the end, accepts said mission to get close to the little prince and maybe become his friend.
I would really prefer not to go through physical education again.
_____
Surprisingly enough, it took no effort on Jean’s part, to become friends with the little prince. If anything, it was the little prince himself, who walked up to Jean and introduced himself, after picking up his pencil.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Nino.”
The little prince says, handing Jean his pencil back.
“Thanks, I’m Jean.”
And it took off from there. Despite Jean’s lacking attempts at being sociable, Nino seems to be able to simply understand what Jean wants.
“It’s your body language, it’s not that difficult to read.”
Nino and Jean began to hang out with each other everyday, with Nino also taking interest in photography. Nino holds a natural talent in taking pictures, this innate sense of what angle makes the light refract just right on someone’s face or how the shadows play with contours of some object. Nino took his fair share of pictures of Jean, if not more than the ones that Jean took of Nino. Yet, Jean continued to take photos, enjoying how easy it was to click away and no matter how bad the photos come out, Jean kept them all.
Of Nino in the sun, Nino in class, Nino eating a plate of spaghetti, all of the pictures that Jean took of Nino, they were all taken with care.
Their first year of high school seemed to be coming to a happy end, but that was when tragedy hit.
“There has been a major railway incident. The train has fallen off the rails…”
The news reporter continues in detail, as to what has occurred, but Jean tunes it out as he sees Nino’s parents’ names on the screen. He knows then that his and Lotta’s parents are gone too.
“Lotta-”
“I know…” Lotta begins to sniffle and burrows into Jean’s side, “Nino, too…”
The phone rings and Jean reaches for it.
“Your parents took care of their records, so nothing can connect back to Dowa. Go to the site of the incident and retrieve what’s left. You can leave Lotta with me.”
Jean did not say anything. His grip tightens on the phone, as well as on Lotta.
“… Alright, I’ll bring Lotta to your place on Saturday.”
Jean hung up, without waiting for a response, and rubbed Lotta’s back till her crying stopped and turned into soft snores. Extracting himself from his sister, replacing himself with a stuffed animal, Jean calls Nino. The phone rings once, twice, three times before it’s picked up.
“Hello…?” a hoarse voice answers.
“Nino.”
“Jean…!” Nino’s voice comes out as a sob as he begins to cry over the phone, the death of his parents finally slapping him in the face.
Jean says nothing as he listens to Nino’s sobs, he waits as he did for Lotta, till Nino’s sobs reduce to sniffles. He doesn’t know what to say… and maybe there is nothing to say.
“It’s late, we should both go to sleep. Good night, Jean.”
“Good night, Nino.”
_____
For Nino to get caught up in a coup is something that Jean does not understand. Nino really is no good at observing others, despite having a job that requires it.
“Smoking really isn’t my thing, but I’ve been receiving cigarettes from districts. This is already the second one.”
“It’s because you always keep cigarettes on you for me. And you also join me sometimes.”
“Well yeah, but that was one time before I almost coughed my lungs out. Now, I don’t know what to do with them.”
Nino fiddles with the cigarettes, before closing the case of them. Sighing, he runs a hand through his hair, the light catching on the strands that are brushed back. Mesmerized, Jean stares before seeing Nino order another beer.
“Hey, are you trying to get yourself drunk tonight?”
“Haha, this isn’t enough to get me drunk, but yes, I am drinking more today. I deserve it after all of these exhausting audits.”
Jean watches as Nino takes another large drink out of his beer, before setting it down and snacking on peanuts.
“It’s only exhausting because you don’t know how to observe.”
“And that’s why I’ve been trying to transfer out this entire time,” Nino huffs dramatically enough that Jean chuckles, “Quite honestly, you would do way better if you had my job. You are the only reason why I even know anyone who makes cigarettes or all those products that are sponsored in those fliers I carry around.”
“Nino, you have charm. That’s why you were prom king.”
“Hey, we said we wouldn’t mention that. It’s embarrassing enough as is and you could have totally been prom king too if you wanted.”
Jean doesn’t say that despite his blond hair, he could never shine as brightly as Nino with his smile and easy laughter. The way he seems to always be willing to listen and give warmth to those who need it. He’s greedy and he knows it.
“You should keep them on you.”
“Hmm?” Nino looks down at his cigarette case, gazing at it, “I guess so… I mean, it could come into use someday. Why don’t you smoke them, Jean?”
“No thanks, I prefer the usual, these cigarettes are meant for you. Just keep them in the case.”
Nodding in agreement, the conversation moves on and soon enough, it seems as if Nino has forgotten about the cigarettes, but the issue lingers in Jean’s mind. It seems that things won’t be getting easier from here on.
_____
Jean is shaken from Nino’s spotting of him, that he falls back into the snow. He’s never noticed him before, so how come he’s noticed him now? Who told him? No, he knows who told him, but this changes things up. Seriously, the one time he decides to come see him during his audits and he’s spotted. He was never made out for this sneaking around stuff.
Jean decides not to appear in front of Nino for the rest of the audit, if not to save his last bit of dignity at being a horrible spy. But surprise, surprise, Nino calls him when it’s dinnertime.
“Jean, let’s have dinner in my hotel room tonight. I’m in room 214, come join soon.”
That’s that. With no choice, Jean trudges his way to Nino’s hotel room, dragging his feet there, and feeling extremely tired already.
“Jean, you’re here. I ordered food, I hope you don’t mind what I chose.”
Nino greets Jean as if everything is fine, like he didn’t spot Jean from far off, clearly spying on him.
“It’s fine. How’s your audit been?”
Attempting to move away from the topic of spying on Nino, Jean asks about his day, and they chat about it all the way till they’ve finished their food and the alcohol is out. Cracking open a bottle of red wine, Nino pours them both a cup, before he sits back and takes a sip of the wine.
“Jean, to be honest, you really suck at sneaking around. Your usual, popping up out of nowhere for a chat, suits you way better.”
And that takes Jean back. Nino has probably known Jean has always been there but because he’s such a nice guy, he’s never mentioned it. He’s waited this entire time for Jean and damn, he’s really feeling undeserving right now.
“I’m here for ACCA. Thanks.”
“Hey, what are friends for? We do each other’s jobs.”
Jean can’t help but laugh softly, they truly are more suited for each other’s jobs. But no way in hell is Jean ever going to want Nino’s, he hates traveling.
_____
“Nino, you don’t have a right to the throne.”
“Jean, I love you, but you really suck at being subtle. Those words are so clearly recited off of someone else’s tongue…”
Nino’s voice fades as he’s once more overwhelmed by what Jean has told him, of their parents and of his past.
“I don’t care… why didn’t you say anything about your parents? How about Lotta? Did the two of you have to…”
A silence passes between the two after Nino trails off, and Jean is too wound up to look at Nino.
“I’ll be keeping my distance, but...”
Jean leaves with Nino still sitting behind, giving no response to what was said, but Jean hopes he understands; like all the other times he has.
_____
“NINO!”
Jean watches as Nino notices and with pure instinct drops to the ground to dodge. The bullet is already flying through the air when Nino drops, hitting Nino’s arm instead of his back.
The gunner is getting ready to take the next shot, but while Jean is not a fighter, he sure can unhand the man of his weapon, knee the guy in the balls, before smashing his head against the pillar.
Turning his head, Jean sees Nino is already being taken care of, his arm covered with a bled through handkerchief while people are scrambling around in panic. Jean waits for the ambulance to come to take Nino away and when he finally gets to the hospital, Jean does not enter the patient room.
He knows Nino is awake, that he’s fine, and that’s enough. He would have preferred the shot never happened, but he’ll thank his lucky stars that Nino was always the fit one between the two.
_____
Lotta looks up at the stage, not sure as to what will happen. With Nino standing in the back and the other high officials in the front, Lotta worries that something will go wrong. With her worrying close to reaching a peak, she suddenly feels a hand on her shoulder.
“Jean!” is gasped out by Lotta, as she sees her older brother’s tired face, but reassuring smile.
“Nino will be fine. Don’t worry, that’s our little prince up there, he’s got a plan.”
Lotta calms at the reassurance, “You mean you had a plan that you told Nino, who is now using it with his impressive charm?”
Turning back to the stage and seeing the situation taking a turn as the crown prince and ACCA make peace with each other, Lotta turns to see if her brother is alright, but he’s already disappeared.
“Goodness, can’t he keep still for a minute?”
Though exasperated, she smiles fondly at the fact that Jean and Nino have figured things out, and that this coup business has been brought to an end.
_____
Sitting in a bar, Jean once again waits for a certain someone to get off from work.
“Hey.”
Jean hears a familiar voice and smiles towards the person walking up to sit next to him.
“Nino, a cigarette?”
Nino laughs, taking out the cigarette case dedicated solely to Jean, and gives him one. Lighting it up, Jean slowly breathes in before blowing out the smoke, looking straight into Nino’s eyes.
“Did you transfer papers ever get accepted?”
Nino snorts, “They always seem to disappear once I hand them to the chief. Maybe it’ll take a bit longer before I get to become a photographer.”
Jean has nothing to say to that. As long as they’re together, there’s really nothing to worry about.
“Count your lucky stars Nino, because you’re going to need them in the long run.”