King of Anything

29

He still hasn't found his pants so he stalks into the house without them. It's fine. It's fine.

"So...what do couples do? Like normal couples?" He asks, as he plops down on our couch, pressing the intercom.

He looks at me. "Are you feeling hungry? I'm a little hungry? Do you want Joseph to make something?"

I chuckle. "Babe, can I call you babe?"

He frowns. "Uh...I don't think I'm modern enough for that."

"So what?" I smile, I sit next to him.

He pulls me into his lap, pushing his hair behind his ears.

"I don't know. I call you dear. I don't know if I could call you baby. I feel like a millennial."

"Maybe Darling? Or King."

"King? Why would I call you King?" I chuckle, burying my face into his neck because he's such a dork.

He does something with his jaw because I feel it, but I don't know what expression it is.

"So, Dear. How about you and I..."

He paused. "Watch...a movie? Do I have a TV?"

"No. But you do have an entire theater room you never use. If Joseph wasn't so vigilant, it would be covered in dust."

"You should hire more servants, Joseph's getting older, and I'm not cleaning this mansion."

He chuckles. "You're already like the mistress of my house. It's like we skipped through steps."

"Yeah. I guess. So...movie? What does your theater work on? You didn't even know we had a theater."

He sighs. "Well, you know the house better than I do. I know where the bathrooms and most of the rooms are."

His strong arms stay around me as I sit on his lap.

"We could just stay like this...let's just talk like this."

"Okay. What do you wanna talk about?"

"How about the fact that my toe nails aren't painted?"

I stretch my bare feet in front of us. He grabs them tenderly, making me wiggle.

"So what? You look nice. And your feet are...cute?"

"I think all feet are ugly. As a general rule."

He shrugs. "I think that has a definite ring of truth to it,"

I laugh, as he rubs my feet softly, almost idly.

I like this. This moment.

"So, what are you doing now?" I ask.

"Developing nuclear weapons," he states.

I chuckle.

He doesn't.

"Oh, you're serious."

"Well let's just say, that long range missile that South Korea has? I can confirm it is real."

Okay. That's...a little scary.

"Don't you worry we'll all...I don't know...die?"

He swallows. "No. We'll all die some day. Might as well make money before we do. After all, mankind will always find a way to destroy mankind. At least I can buy you pretty shoes while they do."

I shrug. I believe that's true. I believe people hurt people, always have always will.

"Does that make you angry?" He asks softly.

"Not particularly. I don't believe you'll be winning any noble peace prizes, but I'm fine with it."

"Then that's all I need to know." He whispers. "That's all I need."

I smile. "Aren't you worried someone will try to steal your research?"

"Not really. I have a strangle hold on the weapons market, legal and illegal. Any hint of my tech on any site, and I get word of it."

"So you're the King, huh?"

I feel his smirk. "Feel free to address me as such. I do hold your mortal lives in my hand, after all."

I chuckle. "Just remember, to remember a bunker before you give the big guns to the communists okay?"

"Y'know, communists aren't that bad."

I look up at him. He shrugs. "I mean...democracy has been failure since it began. I read a quote once, it said something like, in Greece the wise vote and the stupid rule. It's a flawed system."

I shrug. "I agree. I think humans ruling humans is sucky anyway you slice it, but what's the alternative Y'know?"

He nods. "You're so smart. I like that about you. I also find your feet adorable. Is that odd."

I chuckle. "You're odd. So it's fine."

He chuckles smally. "Would you marry me? After an appropriate amount of courtship of course-"

"Nope."

He freezes.

"I need a ring a proper proposal. And not now. Wait about...like a year. And be sweet with it. Okay?"

He laughs from his chest. A full laugh. I don't know if I've heard that before.

"You're so pushy," he laughs. "But Fine. You're right. A year, and a heavy diamond, and a proper romantic proposal. Deal."

I smile. That sounds good. This is...this is nice.

What could go wrong?