Jun slowly pulled away, surprised at how the words easily came out of his mouth. So this is what he was feeling in his body? He shook his head. There was no way he was in love with him, and only saw him as his childhood friend. The thief must be disgusted at him for taking and advantage of him in the dark. Standing up, he went back outside the dim corridor, strictly telling the guards to keep an eye on him, and let his body flop against the wooden door. Jun held his chest, or his heart, that was beating fast and loud he was sure that the knights can here it too. He thought that something was wrong with his heart, but he thought wrong as his heart was beating faster every time he was reminded of Nino.

"I must be crazy," he whispered to himself, clutching his chest tighter as more images of Nino flashed in his mind. "I must be crazy..."

He kept telling himself the same thing, not realizing that his feet led him back inside of the castle. He ignored his friends telling him that Sho was fine, and the worried look they had on their faces as they kept asking him what's the matter. Completely ignoring everyone and everything, his feet led him to his bedroom and didn't bother to wash up once he dove his drained body into the comforts of his missed bed. He closed his eye, still whispering the same thing until sleep had finally taken over...

He stirred in his sleep and his eyes flew open when he felt something cool being pressed on his cheeks. The first thing he saw was his mother's concerned face and then a wet rag she was using to wipe the sweat off of his face.

"Your--"

"Jun, just call me mother," She told him in her soft voice.

He never once called them that way, or dared to since it was disrespectful. But seeing that she meant it, he gulped before saying

"Mother, what kind of love did you have with his majesty?" He asked her.

"Well, you father and I," she started, "We fell in love before your grandparents found out about us. It was the type of love when you just want to be with him, and you just couldn't think of anything but him. I almost lost him to Sky Kingdom's princess, but your father fought for me and claimed my hand in marriage. Why are suddenly interested?"

He didn't want to have lied to her and just tell her that he was having a strange feeling towards the kingdom's infamous thief. But if he told the truth, she might even want to go berserk despite her image and kill the thief herself. Instead, he shrugged. "I just wanted to know."

"It's ok, Jun," she patted his shoulder, "You can tell me. I promise I won't tell the King."

"You really promise?"

She only smiled at him and Jun somehow felt at ease. He doesn't know of a way to break it to her but saw something that could keep him telling the whole truth. Pointing his fingers toward the painting on the wall, he said

"I think I'm in love with Nino..."

He thought she would turn her back on him but she didn't as she kept wiping the sweat from his face. He knew how much it would mean to her if he were to marry a princess his parents would find in the future. Instead, she just smiled softly at him and told him she knew.

"Mother!" He gasped, "But how?"

"Yesterday at the prison cell... I was looking for you and found you there. I didn't mean to look son, I already knew."

"Then... you won't tell him?"

She shook her head and didn't say anything else. After folding the rag on her lap, she stood up and left him all alone in his room. He wondered if his mom was really going to promise him but he couldn't help but notice the look of pain in her eyes. He knew she had broken her heart at the secret he told her, knowing that his feelings are unacceptable towards the criminal of their kingdom. If only Nino hadn't been taken away, his mother wouldn't be in such a pain. He was about to get up and run to her when the door opened and a woman came in.

"Where's my son?" She asked him desperately. "Did you find him?"

Jun walked from his bed and nodded his head before asking her to follow him. He didn't care if he was still in his dirty garments and just guided her towards the castle dungeons. He heard her gasp when the guards opened the prison cell containing the thief. Standing close by, he just kept his eyes on the ground.

"My son..." She called out weakly, "My son..."

He heard footsteps approaching the corner, right where he had left the thief last night, and then her silent sobs filling the room. Jun looked up and saw that the thief was being held by his mother, while she was the hair on his head. Feeling out of place, Jun left them to their own reunion, afraid that he would break down just by watching them. Taking a deep breath, he let it out once he stepped foot on his mother’s garden.

Just as always, it was beautiful. The flowers were blooming and facing the sun as if they were enjoying what it was giving them. Even though his mother doesn’t have the time to take care of the garden herself, it still looked like everyone of them were as gentle as she is. He walked to every flower, watching them too like they were watching him at every step he took. From every roses, they reminded him of his mother, but he stopped in front of the yellow roses which unexpectedly brought him to tears. Jun sank his knees on the ground, wishing that Nino was there with him to see just how beautiful these flowers were just like he was. Instead, he picked out a yellow flower facing him, and walked back to the prison cells.

Nino’s mother was no longer there, probably back to the kitchen where she was working. Hiding the flowers behind him, he bent down until he was facing the thief and gave him the yellow flower.

“Nino,” he smiled, “You’re just as shining as this yellow flower.”

The thief didn’t look up, but he saw tears landing on the petals. He saw his hands grab the flower and disappeared into his black tunic. Without a warning, he gently took the thief’s chin and once again, placed a kiss on his lips before going back to the castle.

TBC