Page 52 of Wear It Like a Crown

Focusing on his tea, Leo tucked his naked feet under one corner of the afghan. “Only got them if I read them myself, or if the babysitter girl was there.” He paused, and when he continued, his voice was so quiet it was hard to understand him. “Did read some of the classics to my sisters, though, that’s how I got to know them. Like theRainbow Fish, I saw that on your shelf as well.Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryandMatilda.”

Joshua shifted closer, enough so as to provide Leo with better access to the blanket. With a little smile, Leo wrapped it around his calves. It was clear he wouldn’t elaborate further on reading to his sisters, so Joshua went with, “First time my mum read meThe Witches, I was so scared. She did all the voices, and her Grand High Witch was quiteterrifying.” He raised a brow. “You don’t want to mess with my mum, trust me.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Leo deadpanned. His eyes were amused, bright, and that was what prompted Joshua to push for just a tiny bit more information.

“So your parents, they didn’t read you things?”

“They weren’t that type of parents.” It was a wry statement, very matter-of-fact, one corner of Leo’s mouth quirking. “In fact, they were more the type of parents who host fancy dinner parties and show off their kids like pieces in an art exhibition.”

No love lost, was there?

Joshua thought back to Leo with those street kids, the way he’d fitted right in and had seemed to naturally adapt to their manner of speech. They’d treated him like someone they respected—but not with the kind of respect one would bestow upon an outsider.

How long had Leo been with James? How had he ended up there? What had come between his parents’ fancy dinner parties and working for James? Come to think of it, just how fancy had those dinner parties been? And why did Leo know so much about royal protocol when it was the kind of knowledge one would expect from a noble rather than a commoner? How, why, what, where?

“Do you miss them? Your family?” Joshua watched Leo from the corner of his eye. “I mean, I take it you don’t really talk to them very often. Or do you?”

Several seconds dragged by before Leo replied. “I miss my sisters sometimes. It’s been a while, though.” While gentle, his tone didn’t invite further questions. Nudging his toes against Joshua’s ankle, he moved right on to ask, “What about you? What’s got you out and about at this hour?”

Chapter closed. All right, Joshua would take this at Leo’s pace.

“Woke up to a mouthful of Mo’s hair. Which was followed by Tristan’s flailing limbs hitting me in the face.” Joshua smiled into his milk, then eyed Leo’s cup with sudden interest.

“Poor baby.” Leo sounded supremely unsympathetic, and just for that, Joshua did indeed set down his milk, then pried the teacup from Leo’s fingers. Leo made a disgruntled noise and tried to scuttleaway, but the wall limited his movement, and the element of surprise was on Joshua’s side. With a triumphant grin, Joshua took a huge gulp, nearly burning his tongue, then handed the cup back. Leo accepted it with a narrow-eyed glare and a quick squeeze of his fingers around Joshua’s wrist.

“Thief,” he muttered. “Robbing your subjects, honestly, I can’tbelieveyou, Princeling. Where’s Robin Hood when you need him?”

“That’s my cup, my water, and my tea,” Joshua said.

“I put in all the work, and this cup has been annexed. It is mine now. Customary law.”

So Leo did consider himself the rightful owner of that cup. Joshua had suspected as much after Leo had slapped away Nate’s hand when Nate had tried to pick it up at some point yesterday. Tristan had bought it from a charity shop in Maidenhead, shortly after Joshua’s initial breakdown over his sexuality. The list of insults was faded by now, contours washed out with years of being in Joshua’s possession, and the rim showed a chip. Still Joshua didn’t think he could ever bring himself to discard it.

If Leo wanted to fool himself into believing Joshua would give it up, well. It wasn’t going to happen.

“Don’t even think about trying to squirrel it away,” Joshua told him. “I’d have to send the Secret Service after you.”

“Over a tired old teacup?” The left corner of Leo’s mouth hitched up. “Talk about an overreaction, love.”

Love. It was the third time Leo had directed it at Joshua, and it had come with a teasing note twice, once in an attempt to comfort Joshua. Around the street kids, Leo had used it frequently, and he’d also let it slip that very first time on the phone when he’d mistaken Joshua for—oh. When he’d mistaken Joshua for a kid calling for advice, obviously. That made a lot more sense now.

Either way, Leo used the term quite casually, so it didn’t justify the bright spark of hope shivering in Joshua’s belly. But it was a sign that Leo’s walls were thinning, gathering cracks.

“That cup means a lot to me.” Joshua hoped that the slight delay hadn’t been obvious. “I don’t share it with just anyone.”

“Did you imply that I am ‘just anyone’?” Leo moulded it into ashow of affront, and Joshua absolutely couldn’t resist drawing him into an impulsive, one-armed hug, snickering.

“You’re the most anyone I’ve ever met.”

“That’s such rubbish,” Leo grumbled. “Doesn’t even make sense. And what do you think it is that you’re doing? Will you just—okay, be careful, there’steain my hands. Hot tea.Scaldingtea.” In spite of the protest, he tucked himself into Joshua’s side, his breath fanning out over Joshua’s naked shoulder.

Joshua held himself quiet and still, and after a few short seconds, Leo relaxed further into his hold.

“So, little prince…” Leo’s voice was hardly above a whisper. “Are you ready for another go today? Fresh start?”

“I’ll just have to be, won’t I?” Joshua didn’t mean for it to come out quite this plaintive. He stole Leo’s cup for another sip of tea, but it didn’t quite soothe the faint quiver in his stomach at the thought of forcing himself through another round of rapid-fire questions. The warmth and solidness of Leo’s weight against him helped, if only a little.

This time, Leo had easily surrendered the tea. When he took it back, their fingers brushed over the warm ceramic, and Leo let his touch linger for a moment, turning his head to meet Joshua’s eyes. “You can still call it off. Right now, that’s still possible. If you’ve come to realise that you don’t actually want to go through with it, then the time is now.” The corners of Leo’s mouth tugged down, barely enough to be noticeable. “No one would blame you for it.”