this was a prompt on tumblr like years ago and I never posted it here whoops

She saw evidence of Endymion everywhere she went: a recently organized desk, an open book by the bedside, a pair of wire-rim reading glasses placed delicately by a half-read diplomatic report.

Then there was Makoto bragging about besting the newly-crowned king at hand to hand combat sparring, Minako mentioning that Endymion had recently helped her design her section of the royal gardens (since she knew what looked good, but not what would thrive), Rei catching Serenity in the hallway to clarify something Endymion had said to the priestess earlier that day.

Always his name was on the lips of others, his presence tangible throughout the palace. Serenity clung to this and resented it all the same. Because whenever she looked for Endymion, he was gone. She hadn't had any real time with him in days, it seemed he was always making himself scarce around her.

Perhaps he didn't even want to see her so much anymore. Maybe he was sick of her. Maybe he preferred the varied company of her friends to Serenity's constant stress and worry over the creation of a new city-state.

Just as that thought sent a fissure through her heart, she heard Endymion's chuckle from one of the adjoining rooms. It was mingled with Ami's familiar lilt, and Serenity could tell by her joyful tone that her friend was discussing something technical.

Following their mingled voices, she ended up lingering shyly in the doorway of a large, windowless room - where Ami and Endymion were busily overlooking an enormous telegraphic display and intimidating console full of crystal buttons.

Serenity watched them talk eagerly in jargon she couldn't grasp and suddenly felt out of place and unwanted. She was just making to leave when Ami looked up and spotted her.

"Hello Serenity!" she waved, her eyes sparklingly cheerfully as she smiled. "Come and look at this!"

Endymion turned and breathed her name in a way that made Serenity clutch at the folds of skirt almost nervously. His eyes seemed to drink her in as he watched her step toward Ami on the other side of the display.

"This is our new security set-up!" Ami said excitedly, seemingly obvious to Endymion's distraction. Serenity peered at the unlabeled mass of crystal controls and cringed.

"I'm going to double check the receiver for the 12-A motion-detector unit," Ami said, walking out with a purposeful gait. "Endymion can show you how this works!"

Serenity was just about to sigh and say she could never understand how to use such a thing, when Endymion's hand closed over hers. "It's not that complicated," he said. One large hand guided hers to various main controls, explaining which would cover what section of the palace, what was an alert for intruders, what to touch to produce panoramic shots of the entire outside grounds. Serenity tried to concentrate, even when Endymion's other hand wound around her waist from behind.

"By the way, where have you been lately?" he murmured, lips at her ear.

"Me?" she tried to whirl around at him to glare accusingly but his arms were now both around her, his hands sending her mind into static. "It's you who has been missing lately," Serenity managed to say. She was even more proud of herself for being able to properly lace her words with annoyance. "No matter how much I looked, you've been avoiding me!"

"Quite the opposite, actually," he murmured, lips now at her neck. "I'd see your shoes haphazardly thrown in doorways, your perfume lingering in hallways, hear your laughter echo from across the courtyard but you were always just out of my grasp."

This time he let her spin around to face him, at the same time he reached out and tapped a quick combination of colorful keys on the console before him. The room buzzed slightly and glimmered around them.

"What was that?" Serenity asked, eyes darting around her even as Endymion leaned in to kiss her.

"I just locked the door," he said.