Page 99 of The Frog Prince

“I made you feel good,” Otto said, reaching for Alwin and pulling his still-naked body into his chest. “I made you lose yourself in pleasure. It was beautiful to experience.”

“You can’t be serious,” Alwin said, feeling his markings flush.

“I’ve never been too good of a liar, as you’ve seen.”

An image of a tiny, golden-haired boy swearing he didn’t throw his golden ball into the forbidden part of the royal gardens on purpose just so he could wander around looking for it flashed before Alwin’s eyes. He smiled softly, closing his eyes and basking in the memory and the knowledge that not everything changed. Some things, no matter how much time passed, remained constant.

“You most certainly have not,” he said to himself. “I will have to get dressed now.”

“Pity,” Otto said, running his warm hand down Alwin’s side once more before letting him go to put his clothes back on.

“You do have a cure to find,” Alwin said, fixing his clothes.

“I’m trusting my fate to a child’s game,” Otto said dejectedly, and Alwin braved the storm to take his hand.

“I believe in you,” he said. “And there is nobody else here to see if it fails. It’s just me, and I’d never hold that against you. Try.”

“Okay.” Otto nodded in determination, and Alwin’s heart soared at the sight. He was magnificent in his desire to help. “Okay so…pick one closest to your heart. Does that mean physically closest? Or the one I like best? The prettiest one?”

Alwin watched him fret over the meaning and shook his head. “I believe it means whatever you think it does.”

“Are you certain?”

“I couldn’t possibly be,” he said with a small laugh. “But I do have some experience with magic, as you may have noticed.”

“Funny. He’s a jester now.”

“Hardly.” Alwin rolled his eyes even as he tried to hide the little pull of a smile at the corners of his lips. Otto made him happy, he realized. For the first time in years, he was happy.

“Well.” Otto looked around. “I think I will go find the one I like best.”

“A wise decision,” Alwin said. He watched as Otto walked around the clearing, crouching down next to each ring of Blue Moons, inspecting, reaching out, as if calling out to them and asking them to help him make a decision.

Alwin watched those strong legs flex as he walked, the phantom feeling of them under his thighs making him overheat. He watched his long fingers and salivated at the thought of feeling them inside his body. He ran his gaze up and down Otto’s body, strangely proud of the pleasure his own unnatural form provided. He put that gentle smile on Otto’s face. He made those tense shoulders relax. He made his body pliant and sated. He wanted the world to know as much as he wanted, selfishly, to keep it for himself.

“This one.” Otto’s voice broke through his thoughts, and Alwin walked over to watch him crouch and pick it with so much care Alwin could almost hear him apologizing to the little plant for taking it from its home.

He held it in the palm of his hand, glowing and vibrant, his thumb brushing over the gentle surface as if soothing it.

“So I guess I just…” He flexed his fingers and looked at Alwin.

“That is what the song suggests, yes,” Alwin said.

“It almost feels violent to just destroy it.”

Alwin wanted to wipe his frown away.

“It is for a worthy cause, Otto.”

Otto nodded, steadying his breathing before closing his fingers around the Blue Moon. He held it enclosed for a second before letting it flutter to the ground as the song instructed.

The glow flickered softly as it fell, before dimming completely and leaving behind a tiny pile of shimmering dust.

“Oh.” Otto looked down at the powder next to his toes. “This never happened before with anything I tried. It looks like the cure I bargained for.”

“We must be on the right track then,” Alwin said, excitement bleeding into his voice. “Once more.”

Otto reached for the Blue Moon to the right of the now empty space, this time with less hesitation, face alight and eyes burning with hope.