Author's note: Things get a little nsfw in this chapter, so if you want to skip that part stop reading at the "-" mark and pick back up after the second "-" mark. Just wanted to give people the out if they're not comfortable! Otherwise, please, READ ON! :)

0o0

Fred quickly found himself completely immersed in the conversation-Leia's world sounded absolutely fascinating, almost a combination of fantasy and sci-fi. Luclandia was run similarly to Tadashi's kingdom, but they had quite a lot more robots and emphasis on technological discoveries. They were apparently the first kingdom to create starships that allowed travel between worlds, and Leia called Ezra over to show some of their more advanced weaponry, such as the laser bladed swords that all castle guards carried.

"Until recently our kingdom was pretty hesitant about exploring advances in technology ourselves, but Leia's and my parents started working to help bring us forward into the future, and Leia and I are doing everything that we can to continue that mission," Tadashi explains for Fred's benefit.

Leia, for her part, seemed as fascinated with Earth as Fred was with her kingdom. Fred wasn't quite sure why she would be so interested in such an ordinary place as Earth, but, then again, maybe he supposed maybe Luclandia seemed ordinary to someone who had grown up there as well.

It was well into the afternoon, after a light lunch had been brought in for them (and Hiro and Ezra had disappeared without a word hours ago), that Leia proposed that it was time for them to go get ready for dinner.

"Of course!" Tadashi agrees before adding, "But, before you leave, there is something that I think I should… Not warn you about, exactly, but make you aware of, at the very least."

"Yes?" Leia glance curiously between him and Fred as Tadashi takes Fred's hand in his own.

"Tonight's banquet, as well as being a welcoming dinner for you, will be serving as-well, it will serve as my public announcement of my betrothal to Fred."

"Your betrothal?" Leia repeats, eyes widening. "My, I certainly did miss a lot in my absence! But I offer my wholehearted congratulations to both of you."

"W-Wait, we're not actually engaged or anything!" Fred stammers out.

"But Tadashi just said-" Leia frowns in confusion.

"This is more of a political matter than anything," Tadashi sighs. "I hate that we're being rushed into this, but, as you know, the other kingdoms have continued sending their choices for potential matches for me here on 'visits'. I've put up with it until now, but now that I'm dating Fred, I'm not at all comfortable with the practice continuing. Still, the other kingdoms won't take our relationship seriously unless we've officially announced our intent to be wed, so this is the best plan that we were able to come up with. It was Aunt Cass's idea, and Fred was kind enough to agree to it."

"It's not that we're against getting married someday!" Fred quickly hurries to add.

"We're absolutely not against that," Tadashi agrees. "But for both of us we feel we haven't been a couple long enough to be able to make that commitment. Still, this will help take pressure off of our relationship for the moment…"

"I see." Leia nods slowly. "I'm very sorry to hear that it's come to this. But I and my kingdom will fully stand in support of both of you, and I'll do everything that I can to help."

"Thank you, Leia." Tadashi gives her a grateful smile.

"Of course." Leia returns the smile warmly before opening the door. "I'll see both of you down at dinner, then. I wish you the best of luck!"

Tadashi bows her out of the room, and then he turns to Fred. "Well, I suppose it's time. Would you prefer to prepare for dinner with me, or do you need some time to collect yourself alone?"

"Honestly? I think it's probably best I get ready with you or else I might get too nervous and pull a Cinderella," Fred admits with a wry smile.

"Fred, love, you do realize that you don't have to do this if you're not comfortable, don't you?" Tadashi says, frowning and cupping Fred's cheek in his hand. "If you don't want to do this, I would never force you. In fact, if you want to leave right now and never come back to this place, I won't stop you."

"Dashi, I want to do this." Fred nuzzles against Tadashi's hand, incredibly grateful that Tadashi was so concerned with his well being in all of this. "I want to do this-not just for you, but with you. I'm nervous, yeah, but if you'll stay with me I know I'll make it through this."

"All right." Tadashi tenderly kisses Fred's forehead. "But if at any time you want to stop, you let me know immediately, all right?"

"I will," Fred promises, his brain choosing to point out that this almost felt like Tadashi asking for his consent for something both less and infinitely more important. If Tadashi was this sweet and concerned with his well being during this sham of a betrothal, he could only imagine what a caring partner he would be in bed…

But no. Fred shakes his head to clear his mind of those thoughts as Tadashi leads him out into the hallway. First they had to get through the banquet. The last thing he needed on top of all of this stress was the awkwardness of a boner to deal with. Still, as he and Tadashi get ready for the banquet together, even though they purposefully changed in different parts of the room, he couldn't help but notice that Tadashi seemed to have become comfortable with getting at least partially naked in front of him… Was that a sign that maybe he was ready to take things to the next step too?

All thoughts about sex were quickly banished from Fred's thoughts as soon as he and Tadashi walked into the banquet hall. There wasn't a large number of guests, but there were still a number of lesser nobles and dignitaries from this kingdom who had been invited to the welcoming dinner for Leia, and Tadashi made a point of introducing him to all of them. Under the best of circumstances Fred's memory for names was rotten, but tonight he was absolutely hopeless, the names disappearing from his brain the moment they were spoken. At least all of them seemed fairly nice and welcoming, and Fred made a mental promise to ask Tadashi's help with memorizing their names later in private.

As soon as the whirlwind of introductions was completed, Fred found himself being seated at the banquet table on Tadashi's right (Aunt Cass headed the table, with Leia and Hiro seated across from them.) Aunt Cass made a speech that, as far as he could tell, was some sort of welcome for Leia (there was an odd ringing in his ears so that he could barely hear anything that was being said.) And then Tadashi was standing up, looking only slightly less nervous than he felt, and Fred felt his heart leaping up into his throat as Tadashi asked for everyone's attention.

Oh God, oh God, oh God, this is actually happening…

"I want to thank you all for being here tonight," Tadashi says, his voice remarkably steady, although Fred could detect a slight tremble in it, and he finds himself worming his hand into Tadashi's for support. Tadashi gives it a grateful squeeze and takes a deep breath before continuing, sounding slightly more confident, "We're here to celebrate the arrival of our dear friend and ally, Princess Leia."

There was a smattering of polite but friendly applause, which Leia accepts with a gracious nod and a smile, but Fred can see a steely glint as she glances back over at Tadashi and himself, and he feels her trying to silently send her support to them.

"But we're here tonight to celebrate another important occasion as well," Tadashi continues, gently tugging on Fred's hand, which Fred took as his sign to stand up. His legs felt like jelly, but he manages to get to his feet, his hand wrapped in a vice-like grip around Tadashi's.

"After our period of courtship, I've never felt more sure that there's no one else that I'd rather spend the rest of my life with," Tadashi continues, and there was a raw, honest conviction in his words that left Fred breathless, although this time it had nothing to do with nerves. "We've both agreed that we want to finish our education before moving any further. But as of tonight, by Fred's agreement and with my aunt's blessing, I am officially announcing my betrothal to Frederick Daniel Lee of San Fransokyo."

There was dead silence for a full moment, but in the silence, even though his heart was beating like a kettle drum in his chest, Fred knows that he had never been more sure that he was completely and totally in love with Tadashi, especially as Tadashi smiles over at him, his eyes shining with pure adoration and devotion.

"Luclandia recognizes this betrothal, and wishes the both of you all joy and blessings in your life together." Fred had almost forgotten that anyone else was in the room, but he was incredibly grateful to see Leia standing, raising her glass in a toast. That seemed to rouse the others at the table, and suddenly one by one the other nobles and dignitaries stood and also pledged their support and well wishes to the couple. Fred found himself leaning against Tadashi for support, unable to believe that things were actually going this well. And he definitely couldn't believe it when people started bowing-wait, were they bowing to him? Was that even possible?

"We did it, love," Tadashi says softly in Fred's ear when they're finally able to sit back down and the actual meal began, the rest of Tadashi's family looking as relieved as they felt.

"I-I guess we did," Fred agrees, still shaking slightly but inexpressibly glad that the worst part was over.

The rest of the meal passed in a blur. Fred knew that he conversed with Aunt Cass and Hiro and Leia, and even a few nearby guests at the table, but if asked afterwards what they'd talked about he wouldn't be able to recall a single thing. His brain was so overloaded with both relief and the emotions that Tadashi's short but impassioned speech had stirred up inside of him that it didn't have room for anything else. It seemed like no time had passed at all before he suddenly found himself walking through the dimly lit corridors back to Tadashi's room.

"As badly as that could have gone, I think we can be incredibly grateful for how it went," he heard Tadashi saying, although he himself more interested in the feeling of Tadashi's arm around his waist (or, more specifically, slightly lower than his waist) than the words that he was saying. "The official betrothal announcements will have to be sent out, but with Luclandia pledging their official support no one in their right mind will try to protest, so we should be in the clear at this point!"

"Hey, Tadashi?"

"Yes, love?" Tadashi smiles down at him as they reach the door to his room. "I'm sorry, have I been boring you with all of this talk of politics?"

"No, it's fine," Fred answers, taking a deep breath before continuing, "Did you… Did you mean what you said back there? About wanting to spend the rest of your life with me?"

"I didn't realize quite how much I meant it until I said it, but… Yes," Tadashi answers, sounding slightly hesitant. "Is… Is that alright with you?"

"It's more than alright," Fred answers, grinning as he starts to pull Tadashi into a kiss. "Because I actually feel the same way about you too."

Tadashi hums softly into the kiss, one hand gripping tighter around Fred's waist as the other one starts to fumble blindly for the doorknob behind them. It didn't take long for him to find it, and they end up stumbling into the room together, Fred somehow knowing that this was about to become a night that he'd never forget for more reasons than just the betrothal banquet.

He wasn't quite sure how this would all work-this was their first time together (as far as he knew, it was both of their first times), but he takes a chance by taking the lead, kicking the door shut behind them and somehow managing to turn the lock without breaking the kiss before backing Tadashi up against the wall. Tadashi didn't seem to mind at all, letting Fred press up against him and eagerly kissing him back.

"Are you okay with this?" Fred breathes when he pulls away for air, his body already showing how much he wanted this but wanting to make sure that Tadashi was fully and without any doubt ready to do this.

"Absolutely," Tadashi answers, raising one hand to stroke Fred's cheek. "Are you?"

"I've never wanted anything more in my life."

"Good." Fred was a bit startled when Tadashi suddenly started to push him away, but then he saw that the other man was shedding his overcoat and kicking off his shoes and Fred quickly follows suit, wanting to get this properly started as soon as they possibly could.

When Tadashi was down to his undershirt and breeches (Fred allowed himself to fully enjoy how nicely they accentuated Tadashi's ass), he stops undressing, making Fred wonder just what kind of game he was up to.

"Are you going to leave me to undress all by myself?" Tadashi asks with a playful pout as he reclines onto his bed, and Fred quickly caught on to exactly what he was doing.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Fred answers with a grin, coming over to climb on top of Tadashi and "help" him take his shirt off. As soon as the garment was gone, Fred allows his hands to freely wander over Tadashi's chest, determined to explore every gorgeous bump and curve of his body.

Tadashi lets out a happy mewl at that, but eventually he catches Fred's hands in his own, asking with a tiny smirk, "This is all very nice, but when are you going to play fair? You get to see me, but when do I get to see your gorgeous body? I only got to see a glimpse when you were teasing me this morning, and I need much more than just a few seconds to fully appreciate you."

"Of course, my love." Fred was truly a bit nervous about this-he'd always considered himself to be on the skinny and gangly side, so he wasn't sure that Tadashi would be at all impressed. Still, Tadashi seemed eager and so he leans back far enough to pull off his own shirt and toss it off to the side of the bed.

Tadashi's gaze slowly traces down Fred's body, leaving him feeling slightly exposed until Tadashi purrs out, "How is it that I'm lucky enough that my lover is not only the kindest and most good hearted man in all the worlds, but also the most handsome?"

Fred barely had time to process this-Tadashi actually thought he was handsome after seeing this much of him?-before Tadashi was pulling him down into a kiss that left his mind reeling. He eagerly kisses Tadashi back, feeling himself growing harder with every moment of the kiss but determined to not take this any faster than Tadashi was ready for.

He practically chokes-his breath hitching violently-as Tadashi starts to roll his hips against him without any warning.

"You're being so shy, love," Tadashi whispers softly into his ear. "You don't have to do anything that you're not comfortable with, but you also don't have to hold back if you want to go further."

"I-I just don't want to do anything that you're not comfortable with," Fred admits, his cheeks blazing with heat-he'd never have guessed that Tadashi would be like this in bed. He wasn't at all turned off by it (quite the opposite, actually), but it was a bit unexpected considering how reserved Tadashi had been up to this point. Still, he had been the one who had told Tadashi that he didn't have to hold back around him...

"I'm comfortable with going as far as you want to go," Tadashi answers with a tender smile. "And if that means going all the way tonight, I am more than ready for that."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Absolutely."

"O-Okay." Fred swallows thickly. "I-I want that too…."

"I'm glad that we're in agreement." Tadashi grins up at him before unbuttoning his own pants and taking one of Fred's hands in his own, placing it on his stomach and starting to draw it downwards towards the waistband of his undergarments. He kept his hold loose, clearly prepared to let Fred pull away at any moment, but also encouraging him to take the next step if he was ready. Fred was still feeling just the tiniest bit of nerves as he finally slips his hand inside of Tadashi's shorts, but the minute that he heard the gorgeous sound of Tadashi's first moan as his fingers tentatively graze over his erection he knew that both of them were fully and completely ready for this.

"T-That was amazing," Fred gasps out an indeterminate amount of time later-he'd lost track of how long they'd been at it, but who cared how long it had been when it had been the most amazing experience of his life? They could have been in here a hundred years and he wouldn't have cared.

"It was," Tadashi agrees, softly kissing the back of his neck before nuzzling against it-of the many things they were figuring out tonight, it was that while Tadashi preferred to be on the bottom he also enjoyed being the big spoon, something Fred was incredibly okay with (he would never turn down cuddles with Tadashi, and after-sex cuddles were just that much sweeter.)

"So basically I just had sex with Prince Charming-definitely something I think they'll be leaving out of our fairytale if anyone ever writes it down," Fred laughs.

"Oh, shut up!" Tadashi says, but he was clearly trying to hold in a laugh.

Fred laughs too and carefully turns himself over so that he's facing Tadashi and presses a gentle kiss to his lips. "I love you, Tadashi. And prince or no, I'll be very happy if we can spend the rest of our lives here doing this."

"You wouldn't mind living here someday? It wouldn't be too crazy for you?" Tadashi asks, his tone slightly playful but also hopeful.

"Hey, I'm planning to be a writer, and I can write pretty much anywhere," Fred answers with a shrug. "If anything, this place would probably be great inspiration! Especially since I have my very own fairy tale prince. Maybe I'll be the one writing our story so everyone can know just how amazing you are and how much I love you."

"Well you'll have to make sure that you include how much I love you too," Tadashi tells him with a grin, stroking the side of Fred's face with his thumb.

"Believe me, I will," Fred answers, nuzzling into the touch.

If anyone had told him when he'd woken up three months ago that he'd be here, in a fairy tale castle, snuggling with his prince boyfriend who wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, he would have thought they were completely crazy. It was still a bit hard to believe that any of this was true. But it was. And this was a fairytale that he never, ever wanted to end.