When Cale had finally managed to find that mystical state of existence known as calm, a lot of things had changed. For starters, at some point during his wretched state, Alberu had transferred them both to the couch and he was now quite neatly being held in Alberu's lap. He also took note that the state of the situation outside had changed.

Light streamed in through windows that Cale realized had been dark earlier. He wondered how late at night it had been when this all started or how many hours it had been. What day was it? How much time had he lost in... whatever was happening?

...was his family worried...? He didn't want to worry them...

Alberu adjusted his grip, the hand that had been rubbing soothing circles on Cale's back slowing to a halt. He seemed to have an innate sense for when Cale calmed down.

And beyond that–Cale couldn't think of a single person in his life, not even Ron, who had ever been able to calm him down so effectively. Kidnapper or not, Alberu seemed to know the key to disarming Cale's panic like he'd dealt with it countless times before.

"Cale." Alberu said, his voice still just as soft and calm. "I'm sorry, but we do need to finish that talk."

Cale tensed. He didn't like it at all and that fear compounded with more fear and left him raw enough to want to cry again.

He'd been starting to develop a few different suspicions about his current circumstances that didn't involve Alberu being a psychotic delusional kidnapper. None of them were good.

"...why do you need to know what I remember?" Cale grumbled. He was sure that his memory was unburdened with gaps. Aside from how perfect his memory was, he'd already realized in the bathroom earlier that absolutely no time had passed between the moment he closed his eyes in the alley and the moment he'd opened them to see Alberu.

His bruises were just as fresh. He was still damp. And he hadn't had any reason for a memory gap.

Alberu seemed to think he'd lost some memories though and that irked him. He knew it was untrue but also...

Alberu sighed, petting his head gently to soothe him. It frustrated Cale that it worked too. "I just want to figure out what happened to you."

It was so sincere that it made his heart ache.

Cale snorted, deflecting from the feeling. "Nothing, just the usual bullshit. Picked some fights at the tavern, got fucked up, woke up here."

There was a thoughtful pause in Alberu's motions.

"...why were you mentioning a crown prince earlier?" He asked slowly.

Cale shifted in his arms, tempted to pull away but also too comfortable and weak to do so. "Like you don't know. You stole his damn name."

Alberu sighed. "Pretend for a moment that I coincidentally have the same name and I have no idea about this prince. Walk me through it."

Cale was tempted to throw another fit instead but that was exhausting and damn Alberu really was good at soothing him. "...Crown Prince Alberu Crossman of the Roan Kingdom. King Zed's first son? Blond guy with a big smile? I don't know much else about the bastard, I've only ever seen him during speeches or events and shit. And I have no reason to talk to royalty. Way too much fucking trouble."

There was another thoughtful pause.

"Cale. The questions I'm going to ask may seem a bit strange but please humor me."

"...I promise absolutely fucking nothing to you. I still don't trust you."

Strangely Alberu chuckled in response. "Yeah, I gathered that already. Can you tell me about the Roan Kingdom?"

Cale shrugged, feeling a sense of oncoming dread. "The fuck is there to know? Small and mediocre kingdom without much to it. We're not in great condition or terrible condition."

"...and you're from that kingdom."

"I think that much is obvious, you're the bastard that kidnapped me, you ought to fucking know where I come from. Do you need an address? The specific alleyway in the Henituse territory that you nabbed me from? Or are you starting to remember your crimes?"

Despite his accusations, Cale's words had a lot less bite to them than before.

The foriegn place. The man who seemed to know him a little too well in surroundings that were painted with his presence. Alberu's complete ignorance of the Roan Kingdom.

There wasn't necessarily such a thing as theoretical physics in the Roan Kingdom so such concepts like multiverse weren't as well researched as they were in other worlds. But humans still had imaginations and everyone had always wondered at least once 'what if the world was different?'.

Cale had been thinking something along those lines in the alleyway.

What if Alberu wasn't lying?

What if everything around him was real?

What if Cale really did have a fiance and a peaceful happy life only...

...it wasn't necessarily 'his' life?

It wasn't the only theory Cale had come up with. He still hadn't eliminated illusion or coma dream from the possibilities. Both were significantly more likely.

...but damn if this didn't feel real...

"I think I might have an idea." Alberu said, his voice hesitant and soft. Just as it had been before he dropped the 'fiance' bomb. "Cale. You don't have a scar on your left side."

Cale's face scrunched up with annoyance. "Yeah. I do. You had to have seen it earlier. The fuck are you getting at?"

"I'll be more direct." Alberu said, still sounding awkward. "...the Cale I know doesn't have a scar on his left side. He has a scar on his knee that I noticed you definitely don't have."

So Alberu had put it together too. Cale tensed a bit, ready to be unceremoniously dropped or pushed away. After all, Alberu had been comforting him all this time under the illusion that he was someone else and now harsh reality had set in.

When no rejection came, only patient silence, Cale realized that Alberu was still trying to comfort him. Keep him safe.

In fact... he had to have noticed those incongruences all the way in the bathroom, why the hell had he been so intent on calming Cale down then? Cale was a smelly, angry, and damaged piece of garbage that had appeared and replaced his fiance. Shouldn't Alberu be the one slinging accusations and insults?

"...I don't get it." Cale lied stubbornly.

Alberu chuckled, patting his back gently. "Yeah, you do. You're really not all that different from my Cale, you know?"

Cale snorted, feeling a rush of red embarrassment begin to flood his cheeks. "If that's the case you have fucking horrendous taste."

Another snorted laugh and Cale realized the hands comforting him had begun to tremble.

Alberu had probably been a bit in denial as well.

"Yeah, you don't change." He kissed the crown of his head and Cale felt a bit indignant and soft all at once. "Although, I'll admit that my Cale has calmed down a bit with time."

"...can you stop saying 'my Cale'? It makes me itchy. And why the hell are you still holding me. You know I'm not your damn fiance."

"Yeah. You're not." The admission hurt them both, Cale could tell by the way Alberu's body tensed. "...but you're undeniably Cale and unfortunately for you, I'm very in love with Cale so I'm not about to leave him or you to panic alone."

Wow.

Cale wanted to sneer or scoff or laugh or mock or anything to redirect from the strange feeling that built up inside of him from the thoughtless words from a stranger.

No. They were thoughtful. Affectionate and honest and just so completely terrifying that Cale wanted to run away as fast as he could.

It was a bit hilarious. This whole time, waking up in a strange place and having a complete breakdown, and he'd not once felt the overwhelming desire to run but just a few words of affection and his entire body practically throbbed with the desire to run as fast as he humanly could.

How the hell could other him stand it?! The fluttering emotion inside of him and this agonizingly sweet man who...

"...so does that mean I boned the crown prince in another life?" Cale asked, not so tactfully changing the subject. He scrunched up his face, pulling away from Alberu's chest where his head had been resting and scrutinizing Alberu's face. "...not gonna lie... I really only remember that he was blond and pale and you're kind of the opposite."

"My fathers name is Zed, if that helps." Alberu said with a weak shrug. "He's pale with blond hair. I take after my mother."

"...holyshit I banged the hotter version of that snooty prince in another life. How fucking bizarre is that." Cale let out a ridiculous laugh. The entire situation was just too fucking much to handle so how could he do anyhing but laugh in the face of it.

Alberu, who didn't fluster easily, felt a bit strange about the description but at least Cale was settling down. Cale infamously used grim and sexual humor to cope so he was at least reaching the stage of coping.

Now if only Alberu had time to cope.

He decided to move the conversation along.

"...you said you were in an alleyway?"

Cale stopped laughing a quirked a brow at him. "Yeah, why?"

"...were you in a safe place...?"

"Alleys aren't really known for being safe. I'd probably be in for another beating if those pieces of shit found me again." Cale realized too late why Alberu's face looked aghast and his entire body was tensed.

If Cale had replaced Alberu's fiance completely in an instant, didn't it only make sense for the other Cale to have done the same...?

Cale winced. He'd been far too busy with his own self-pity spiral to spare any pity for... uh... himself.

"...if Ron or one of the estates servants found me first, however, they'd escort me home." Cale comforted with a wince, hoping that the words sounded less hollow to Alberu.

Alberu closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath.

"...would his life be in danger?" He said and Cale really felt the fear and apprehension there.

"No." At least that much he was sure about. "No one in their right mind would kill a count's son. Even out of their right mind, people would stop them."

It sounded a bit strange to admit but it was true. There was a reason that Cale could spend all his time pretending to be a lout and garnering the hatred and resentment of so many. His position in life offered him that specific ability.

Alberu calmed, if only a bit, but his expression was still thick with worry when he opened his eyes. "...do you have any idea how you got here?"

It was as tactfully phrased a question as it could be. What Alberu really wanted to know, what Cale really wanted to know, was hidden in the words.

'Do you know how to undo this?'

"No." Cale felt sorry then. Sorry to Alberu who clearly loved, well a version of him, sorry to the version of him who had clearly done so well for himself only to be dragged into Cale's garbage life. Sorry that he couldn't do anything to fix it.

Alberu smiled at him weakly. "It's okay. I didn't think you did."

He just had to ask. Cale felt wrong remaining in his lap and twisted out of it, moving away on the couch as the two strangers were left with the daunting and terrifying question.

Now what?