Page 25 of The Frog Prince (The GriMM Tales #6)

The sight of that smile sent a small thrill through Otto, and he ducked to catch Alwin’s eyes again. “Glad we agree.”

“Well there had to be something we agreed on eventually,” Alwin said, voice lighter than Otto had heard it be in a while.

Otto realized his hand was still braced around Alwin, their chests still pressed together in the tiny space and their faces dangerously close.

“I think we might find we agree on more than just this one thing.” Otto’s throat constricted slightly, making his voice come out raspy and low.

He felt Alwin shiver against his chest. Felt the prim and proper prince image he put on wrinkle at the edges.

For a flash of a moment, he appeared human to Otto. Scared and confused and insecure and so many different, uniquely human things all wrapped up in beautiful green.

“Alwin…”

Spindly fingers caught the loose ends of his shirt. Rounded tips brushed against the skin underneath it for just a moment, a shock of cold and wet like the quick swipe of a tongue sending a flash of heat through him.

“Yes?” Alwin breathed.

Otto held that piercing green gaze as he lowered his head just an inch toward Alwin. Saw the green disappear when Alwin’s eyes slid shut as Otto’s breath ghosted over his skin.

So close.

They were so close, and it felt just like it had in the pond. Inevitable. Unstoppable. Otto felt his own eyes close, and all that was left was the feeling of Alwin pressed against him, safe and hidden in the tight alcove.

Their lips barely brushed, slippery skin under Otto’s mouth for a single breathtaking second before it slid away leaving dampness in its wake.

A shudder of overwhelming feeling created a starburst inside Otto’s chest and he leaned in, hungry for more direct contact right as a door slammed somewhere behind them.

Otto jumped away, turning to face the threat only to find nothing but disturbed air and the distant chatter of voices unaware of them.

Alwin swayed on his feet next to him, and Otto turned back as he regained his balance, his soft expression hardening, hands smoothing down his ruffled clothes until there was nothing of Alwin left.

Just the Frog Prince.

“We should head back.” Alwin slipped around him. “Before anything else happens.”

Otto couldn’t argue with him, even though his first instinct was to press Alwin back into the alcove. But as he followed, he felt something precious had been left behind them.

They stuck to the shadows all the way home, and Otto pushed the pang of regret aside as they walked around the house to make sure everything was secure and untouched. Nothing seemed amiss, every window and door secure when he tested it.

Other than some faint boot prints, Otto had nothing definitive to work from.

“They left nothing behind,” Alwin said. “I asked my frogs to check and keep watch. They said someone came by to deliver something after I’d left to find you, but they didn’t get near the house.”

It must have been Old Henry, but there was no way the two were connected. Otto had been with the whole family.

“It could have been a passing traveler. We get many strangers making stops between the bigger towns. It wouldn’t be the first time one stirred up trouble,” Otto said, pacing up and down.

The rationalization wouldn’t sit right, however.

“You don’t sound particularly convinced.”

Otto met his intelligent gaze. “Neither do you.”

“Coincidences are usually the name we give to things we don’t know the true answer for yet.”

“As soon as you were here…” Otto started.

“…something like this happened,” Alwin finished for him.

Otto hardened his jaw.

Had it involved Henne? Just because it wasn’t him personally didn’t completely rule him out. Or had someone else seen Alwin somehow? There was no way to tell.

“We should go inside,” Otto said, wanting walls between Alwin and whatever was lurking out there. He ushered him toward the door, only pausing to grab the old barrel and drag that behind him.

He didn’t relax until the door was closed and locked, settling into the living room and making sure the curtains were tightly closed. He wouldn’t be sleeping tonight. He didn’t want Alwin out of his sight.

“Is this for me?” Alwin asked.

Otto turned. “What?”

Alwin pointed at the barrel in the middle of the room. “This.”

“Oh.” Otto frowned. “Of course. It was the only thing I could find in town. You need it, don’t you?”

Alwin stared at him for a long moment before he looked back at the barrel, sounding a little more croaky than usual. “Yes.”

It was a reaction he often had to any show of kindness.

“I think you should be able to fit, though it isn’t the most elegant,” Otto said.

“Are you trying to strip me of my dignity, young master? Offering me a barrel instead of a copper tub?” Alwin played along.

“I wouldn’t dare to offend your delicate sensibilities, Your Royal Highness. But this is all this humble one has to offer. I hope it will do.” He bowed deeply.

Alwin snorted, eyeing the tub before climbing awkwardly inside. Otto rushed to offer his arm in case he fell, like an official courtier. Soon Alwin was ducking down into the space.

Otto stepped back and leaned against the wall, watching Alwin shift until only his head was visible.

The head that had haunted Otto’s nightmares was now something he was used to seeing.

Something that just was. Alwin. Someone Otto knew.

Someone with an interesting mind, a lot of knowledge, and a plethora of secrets Otto wanted to uncover.

Not a monster.

A person.

A person who clearly wasn’t completely happy.

Or satisfied with the solution Otto had come up with, no matter how he was trying to hide it.

As much as Alwin played at being a fussy prince, he wasn’t so picky.

Images of him sleeping on the floor flashed into Otto’s mind.

A barrel wasn’t beneath him, but as Otto watched him squirm uncomfortably, he realized it wasn’t enough.

He said as much out loud and Alwin’s head snapped up.

“What?”

“It’s not good enough,” he said. “I can tell you’re not as…pleased with it as you were in the pond.”

Alwin shuttered his expression, trying to hide his reactions.

“It will suffice,” he said. Otto didn’t like that answer. “Once the water is in it will work.”

“Will it? Because you look miserable.”

“I am not miserable, Otto,” Alwin said, voice shockingly soft. “Your company more than makes up for the lack of…well…”

“What is lacking here? Other than the water,” Otto asked, coming closer and kneeling so they were eye level. “Please, tell me.”

“It does not matter.”

“But it does.” Otto caught his wandering gaze before he could escape, curling his fingers over the edge of the barrel to prevent them from reaching out.

“You…you saved my sister, Alwin. You helped me try to find the cure for others. You protected my home and me. The least I can do is try and make this bearable for you.”

“It is bearable. I’m not alone anymore. This will do in a pinch.”

“Indulge me,” Otto said. “If we weren’t in a pinch…”

“Otto—”

“IF we weren’t in a pinch, Alwin. What would you want?”

Otto watched his eyes turn toward the window. The forest. Distant and wistful.

“Moss,” Alwin said with a sigh. “Mud. My glen…my frogs. The scent in the ruins. The constant damp.”

“Okay.” Otto pushed back to his feet. “Okay, let’s go.”

Alwin sat straighter in the barrel. “What?”

“We should have been there all along,” Otto said.

“It was my fault. All of this. The unknown danger that might lurk outside now. Henne. All caused by my fear and uncertainty. Flaws I wasn’t ready to admit about my own character that forced you to compromise even though the deal we made was fair.

I want to honor my end of the bargain finally. ”

“What are you saying?” Alwin whispered.

“I’m saying we’re going back to your glen. You’re going back home and I’m coming with you.”