Here's a Nicholas & EJ Royal AU oneshot where they are both butlers serving Prince K. This story will include forbidden romance, stolen moments, and quiet longing within the walls of the palace. Hope you enjoy! 👑✨

*****
Love had no place here. But it found them anyway
*****

The palace was always alive with movement. Footsteps echoed in the great halls, hushed voices whispered behind gilded doors, and the scent of fresh linen and polished silver lingered in the air.

Nicholas and EJ had learned to move within this rhythm—silent, efficient, invisible.

They were butlers of the royal court, sworn to serve Prince K, the heir to the throne. Their roles were clear, their duties unwavering.

But love had no place in a life of service.

And yet, somehow, it had found them anyway.

Nicholas adjusted the cuffs of his uniform, exhaling softly as he stood by the entrance to the grand dining hall. Across from him, EJ was arranging the silverware with his usual precision, his expression calm, his movements seamless.

They worked side by side every day, their routines synchronized like a well-rehearsed performance. To the outside world, they were nothing more than loyal servants of the crown, bound to their prince and their duty.

But behind stolen glances and whispered words in dimly lit corridors, they had become something more.

Something dangerous.

It had started on a stormy night.

Prince K had been sent away on royal business, leaving the palace quieter than usual. Nicholas had been in the kitchens, securing the windows against the raging winds, when EJ walked in, his uniform soaked through from the downpour outside.

"You're drenched," Nicholas had said, frowning as EJ ran a hand through his wet hair.

EJ huffed, his voice carrying a rare touch of frustration. "One of the stable doors was left open. The guards needed help securing it."

Nicholas sighed, moving without thinking—he grabbed a cloth from the counter and stepped forward, gently dabbing at EJ's damp hair.

EJ froze.

Nicholas should have stepped back. He should have laughed it off, made a joke, pretended it was nothing.

But he didn't.

Because, for the first time, he noticed how soft EJ's expression became when he let his guard down. How his sharp, precise movements faltered just slightly when Nicholas was this close.

That was the moment Nicholas realized—this was dangerous.

And yet, he couldn't stop himself.

Days turned into weeks, and that moment in the kitchen became one of many.

Passing each other in the corridors, their hands would brush—just enough to send a quiet thrill through Nicholas's spine.

When they polished the prince's ceremonial armor, their shoulders would bump, and EJ would give him a small, almost secretive smile.

It was nothing.

And yet, everything.

"One day, we'll get caught," EJ murmured one evening as they stood on the palace balcony, overlooking the gardens.

Nicholas chuckled, resting his arms on the stone railing. "We haven't yet."

EJ shot him a knowing look. "Yet."

Nicholas smirked but said nothing.

Because he knew EJ was right.

Their world was built on discipline, on unwavering loyalty to the crown. A butler's life was not his own to control.

But what they had—these stolen moments, these silent confessions that never made it past their lips—it felt like the one thing they had claimed for themselves.

And maybe that was why neither of them had stopped.

The night of the annual royal ball, the palace was more alive than ever.

The grand hall was filled with nobles in extravagant attire, their laughter ringing through the air as music swirled around them. Nicholas and EJ stood at their posts, watching from the sidelines as Prince K entertained foreign dignitaries, his every move scrutinized by watchful eyes.

They should have been focused.

But Nicholas found himself watching EJ instead.

The way the golden candlelight flickered against his sharp features. The way his gloved hands adjusted the silver tray with precise movements. The way his gaze met Nicholas's for just a second—long enough to feel like a confession.

It was reckless.

And yet, Nicholas did the most reckless thing of all.

As the night drew on, they found themselves alone in the palace storage room, retrieving more wine for the guests. The moment the door closed behind them, Nicholas acted before he could think.

He reached for EJ's wrist, stopping him mid-step.

EJ looked up, startled. "Nicholas, what are you—"

Nicholas kissed him.

The space between them vanished in an instant.

EJ froze against him, but only for a moment—before Nicholas felt him melt into the kiss, the tension in his shoulders unraveling.

It was brief—too brief—but it was enough.

Enough to say everything they had never been allowed to voice.

When Nicholas pulled back, EJ's breath was unsteady, his usually composed expression shattered.

"You..." EJ whispered, but the rest of his words never came.

Because outside the door, footsteps approached.

A voice. Prince K's voice.

"Nicholas? EJ? Are you in there?"

They stumbled apart, hearts hammering in their chests as they tried to steady their breaths, smooth their uniforms, erase the evidence of what had just happened.

Nicholas turned toward EJ, eyes dark with something unreadable. "We can't—"

EJ cut him off before he could finish.

"I know."

And yet, the way his fingers lingered at his side—as if aching to reach for Nicholas again—said something different.

Said that this wasn't the end.

That no matter how impossible this was, it was already too late to stop.

Because love had already bloomed where it never should have.

And neither of them could bring themselves to kill it.