"Oh my gosh," said Nathan.
Derrick could only stare, but he could agree.
Jake stood in front of them, just emerging from the bathroom that linked onto Derrick's room.
And before you ask, yes, the castle had plumbing. It wasn't exactly marvelous, but it was better than buckets thrown out onto the streets like the commoners.
That was just too...ew.
Anyways, Jake had just emerged from the bathroom after taking a short shower and changing into some of Derrick's clothes and Derrick was now truly letting himself drink in the appearance of his soulmate.
Jake had a royal blue, gold-buttoned Victorian tailcoat that came to his knees. The white dress shirt underneath was unbuttoned a few buttons, revealing the line of natural muscle underneath. His pants were almost, surprisingly, a perfect fit.
Nathan picked out the color, claiming that it would "make his eyes pop."
Now, as Derrick stared at Jake, he couldn't help but agree. The deep blue made the werewolf's icy blue eyes look like they were glowing and Jake's black, swooping hair falling in them just wanted Derrick to hug him or something.
Derrick felt his heart twang again from the loss of touch.
Jake felt it too, along with the feeling of eyes staring at him. He smiled kindly, not showing off his beauty but not shy of it either. It made him happy that Derrick was staring at him.
It made Jake feel as if, unlike the facade Derrick was holding up, that the prince was just in denial of his feelings. Jake turned to look at his soulmate and their eyes locked.
RRRrrrrrr, Jake's wolf purred, rolling the r's.
"So," Nathan said, breaking the stare and bringing the attention to him, "I'll leave you two to figure out your...situations. Jake, you look great! See ya!"
Nathan threw Jake a wink, which made Derrick scowl and Jake cock a brow.
Since it was five in the morning (and since Derrick refused to sleep alongside Jake in case the werewolf tried anything), the three men decided to stay up. However, after Nathan shared his fashion advice, he decided to leave the two soulmates alone. He wouldn't want to intrude on their feud-love-talk?
Whatever it was.
He still didn't have proof that this Jake fellow was a werewolf, but then again he knew Derrick couldn't come up with that kind of supernatural suspicion.
After all, why would he lie?
While Nathan walked to his temporary room, Jake and Derrick faced each other almost eye-to-eye. There was still that faint irritation in the back of Derrick's mind by the height difference between the two. Jake had a couple of inches on him, and it got under his skin. Why did werewolves have to be so...
Manly?
"Well," Jake coughed awkwardly and sat down on the prince's bed, "What do you want to do today?"
Derrick snorted. That was too much of a normal question for their situation. Then again, maybe if they acted normal, it would just magically feel normal?
Derrick inwardly snorted this time.
"What do ...werewolves usually do?" Derrick asked, daring Jake with his eyes to get offended. But of course he just shrugged.
"We are bored most of the time and we love to run, but we can't go into the woods without orders," he explained.
"You run for fun?" Derrick said, wrinkling up his nose in distaste.
"Well, yeah. There is not much you can do when you are cut off from civilization," he said in a huff.
"Why can't you run in the woods?" Derrick interrogated. He has never met a werewolf before, yet he wanted to know his enemies.
Knowledge is a strength.
"Reasons," Jake mumbled, closing his soulmate off from his mind. He didn't want to find out what Derrick's reaction would be if he found out that hunters killed them off.
Derrick wasn't one to push. Usually, he never even asked because he didn't care. However, when it came to Jake, he suddenly cared about all of this information.
He blamed curiosity.
"What about your family? Do you even have one?" Derrick asked, crossing his arms and raising a brow.
"Of course! Everyone has a family! And why all so curious all of the sudden? Do you have a family?" Jake asked, crossing his arms to prove a point.
"No," was all Derrick replied.
"Oh really? What about your dad?" Jake persisted.
"He doesn't know how to raise me," Derrick growled back.
"And your mom?" Jake said in a lighter tone. He saw pain flash across Derrick's facade and then his scowl again.
And that's when Jake knew that this whole 'I hate the world' attitude wasn't the real Derrick.
And it had something to do with Derrick's mom.
"We shall not speak of her, understand?" Derrick said lowly and dangerously.
"But-"
"Shut up," Derrick snapped. Jake looked hurt by his rudeness, but he was curious as to what happened to make him this way.
He let the subject drop.
For now.
"Okay well," Jake sighed, " Do-Do you want to talk about this whole soulmate thing?"
Yeah, how does it work with another guy? his wolf asked. Jake scowled.
"What?" Derrick asked, thinking it was him Jake was scowling at.
"Nothing...just my inner wolf again," Jake sighed. This piqued Derrick's interest, and the prince lowered his anger for the moment, joining Jake on the bed.
They were sitting five feet apart, however.
"What does the wolf say? Is it bloodthirsty? Evil?" Derrick asked.
"More like...indecent," Jake scowled.
"Does it have a name?" Derrick asked.
"Not really," Jake answered.
"Can I give it a name?" Derrick asked.
"You," Jake said flatly, "want to give it a name?"
"Is it a boy or a girl?" he asked.
"Well, when I change into a wolf I'm still a boy so... a boy," Jake smirked slightly.
"Maybe name it ...Jake Jr.?" He asked.
Ew, no, Jake's wolf said.
"He...doesn't like that name," Jake bit his lip.
"Uh well how about...Marco?" Derrick asked, wincing.
Is that even a name? his wolf huffed.
"Nope," Jake smiled.
Derrick looked adorable when he was thinking.
"Well then... I have no idea. Seems like we've gotten ourselves in a pickle-"
Jake's wolf gasped.
"Wait," Jake said, "I think we've got something."
I love that name! Pick that one! Jake's wolf purred.
Which one? Jake Jr. Or Marco? Jake asked.
Neither! But Pickle is a perfect name! Jake's wolf rejoiced.
"Uh..." Jake said out loud.
"What is it?" Derrick asked, getting impatient.
"...He seems to like the name... 'Pickle'," Jake said slowly.
Derrick blinked twice.
And then he did something none has seen him do in a long time.
He smiled.
A small, weak smile, but a smile none the less.
Jake just stared in awe of the little white teeth barely poking out of his lips in a mischievous way.
Woah, Jake's wolf- Pickle- panted.
Yeah, Jake agreed, Woah.
Derrick then realized what he was doing and then covered his mouth with his hand in shock.
What's happening to me? was all Derrick thought.
"Hey," Jake said kindly, getting his attention, "You don't have to hide your smile from me. I'm your soulmate, remember?"
Derrick looked at Jake with wide eyes, his hand still over his mouth.
Nononononono.
He shouldn't be smiling or naming Jake's wolf.
He was supposed to hate Jake.
Not fall in love with him.
Too late, an inner part of him reminded him.
Shut up, he told himself.
It's official. He was going insane.
"Hey," Jake soothed, "It's just smiling. It's not the end of the world. And besides, your smile was...it was really cute."
This snapped Derrick back into scowling.
"I am not cute," he growled. Jake just smiled and held his head with his fist.
Stupid werewolf.
"Oh really? How long has it been since you've looked in a mirror?" Jake asked.
"A while. But I know I'm not cute. So, shut up."
Jake felt a twang in his heart from the touch loss, so he reached over and ruffled Derrick's blond hair.
"Cute," he said, while Derrick hastily fixed his bed-head hair. He was still in his pajamas.
"I hate y-"
And then the doors busted open, of course, followed by Loup entering the chambers. After seeing Derrick up, and with a person no less, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Oh uh, your majesty. I was supposed to wake you, but er I see you already have a guest?" Loup shuffled nervously.
Derrick said nothing, only glared dangerously.
"Right! Sorry, your majesty. 'No stepping in your chambers without your say so'! I remember now! I'll just be goin-"
"No. It's fine, really," Jake smiled, kindly, then looked at Derrick, "Right, Derrick?"
"N-"
"Right, Derrick?" Jake repeated more sternly.
"Yes, Dad," Derrick rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and pouting.
That was two letters away from being 'Yes, Daddy', Pickle pointed out.
Jake ignored him and turned back to Loup.
"Just be more polite and knock from now on, okay?" Jake said, smiling.
"Er...Yes, sir," Loup nodded hesitantly, not used to the kindness.
"Call me Jake," the werewolf smiled.
"Yes...Jake," Loup said slowly, then turned to the prince, "I'll leave you to dress."
Loup looked in between the two men, before shaking his head and walking out the door. He had never seen the prince with someone else.
Especially on his bed.
And the person was smiling.
Was Prince Derrick changing for the better?
Nah, it was probably just a wish that Loup knew would never come true.
People like Derrick didn't change.
Or did they?
~{()}~
King Rastus looked around at the breakfast table, which has grown in people over the past few days. His son sat in his usual seat, chewing grumpily on his food, staring at the table like it was the source of his life's problems. His nephew was pushing his food around to make a piece of awful art work, before eating it bit by bit.
And then there was this new stranger.
The stranger- Jake- was not even touching his food. Instead, he was staring at Derrick like a love-struck puppy.
Little did he know, Jake really was a love-struck puppy.
Look how proper he looks, Jake's wolf purred for the nth time, and so ugh. Don't you want to kiss that grumpy face away?
Jake was starting to agree with the wolf. He just wished that whatever was growing between him and Derrick would blossom quickly.
He was like a poor little, stray puppy wanting to be loved without someone to love.
He was starved of affection from his soulmate, wanting to just- to just-
Kiss his little red cheeks until he loves you back? his wolf offered.
Yes, Jake practically whined.
"Do you have a staring problem?" Derrick growled, looking back at him.
"How do you know I'm staring if you're not staring at me back?" Jake smirked.
Derrick growled in frustration before stabbing at his food like he was imagining it was Jake's face.
Jake smiled at his cute little kitten.
It's obvious he's a kitten, his wolf purred, He's stubborn, he hates the world, and he's probably a bottom, to be hones-
Shhhhh, Jake said, Please don't put those thoughts into my head.
Thank heavens Nathan interrupted Jake's conversation with the voice inside of his head.
"How about this? Derrick, give Jake a tour of the castle, while me and your dad talk about kingly-stuff," Nathan suggested, sending Derrick and Jake a not-so-subtle wink.
"That is actually a brilliant idea," the King smiled, wanting his son to spend more time with this random stranger that teaches him manners.
"That's a horrible idea," Derrick stressed, shooting a glare at Nathan. Jake was still staring at Derrick lovingly.
"Now, now, son," the king declared, "You must give this kind man a tour of the castle, for no one else at this table knows the castle as good as you do. Maybe show him your favorite spots? Or even learn more about each other?"
"I would love that," Jake commented, hoping that Derrick would agree. It would give him a chance to get to know Derrick and make the stubborn prince fall in love with him.
Finally, his wolf huffed, You agree with me.
"It's settled then," the king smirked, "After breakfast, Derrick will give you a tour."
Derrick just grumbled unintelligible words, stabbing his food with deadly intentions.
Aw, Jake thought, He's angry. What should we do?
Put him in a sweater so his anger looks cute, his wolf suggested.
Jake's heart stopped just at the mention of Derrick in a sweater. An over-sized one. At this, Jake had to hold back the growl of want threatening to vibrate in his throat.
He didn't know what was happening to him, but one thing he was sure of was that he was going to get Derrick.
Even if it was his dying wish.
"I swear, if you don't stop staring at me, it's not going to be the food that I'm stabbing with this fork," Derrick growled.
Jake sighed and reluctantly turned away.
Today is the day.
He was going to win his soulmate's heart.
Little did he know how close to the finish line he really was.
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