"Can I at least have a hug?"
"No."
"Maybe hold my hand?"
"Definitely not."
"A handshake?"
"Not even that."
"A high five?"
"Seriously?" Derrick asked, both eyebrows raised at his soulmate walking beside him. Jake was, for some reason, desperately wanting his affection and Derrick couldn't see why.
They were touring the castle.
Jake sighed and gave up. He wanted to touch Derrick in some way; to make the prince feel the same feelings he felt. He wanted Derrick to stop hiding from the fact that they were soulmates, but as their bond grew stronger, he realized that Derrick wasn't hiding.
He was avoiding his feelings.
Now it was Jake's mission to shove the love into his scowling face.
"Why do you hate me?" Jake asked, "What did I do to you?"
"I hate wolves," Derrick said, not really looking at him, "I hate them and I never really wanted a soulmate in the first place. You are both, so I hate you."
"Why do you hate wolves?" Jake asked, but as soon as he asked it, he knew it was a mistake.
Derrick's eyes grew angry.
"Okay, never-mind. You don't have to answer that," Jake mended, "But what about the soulmate thing? Why don't you want a soulmate?"
Jake was putting two-and-two together. Derrick was very guarded about certain things he said about his mother, the reason he hates wolves, and his feelings. He also noticed that he hadn't seen Derrick's mother at the breakfast table, or at all really. Jake didn't want to assume, but it was evident that Derrick's mother had died or left and he had a suspicion that wolves had something to do with it.
Jake may not be the smartest, but he was not an idiot nor was he oblivious.
Derrick sighed, stopped in his tracks, and turned towards his soulmate.
Jake stopped and turned towards him as well.
"My life doesn't concern you, okay? You may be my soulmate, but it is still not your right to go up to me and ask me personal questions," Derrick said.
"But I-"
"No," Derrick interrupted,"I know we are supposed to fall in love and all of that crap they throw at you, but I hate you, okay? You don't deserve to know about my life because you will never be in it. After we figure out how to deal with that weird pain, you can leave. And we'll both be happy."
Jake frowned, getting angry. He was happy most of the time, but all werewolves had a short temper. Derrick didn't really mean what he said, but Jake didn't know that.
Jake grabbed the prince by his shirt collar and pressed him against the nearest wall, not caring if anyone saw, which no one did. His eyebrows were pushed in towards the center of his forehead, his eyes almost lashing out with frustration, his expression deadly serious, and his throat vibrating with a low growl.
"What makes you think that will make me happy?" He said, his volume not raising but seething with anger, "What makes you think that I hate you back? I know that you're avoiding your feelings and it hurts, so I want to know why. Why are you running away from what you have because of what you had? I can feel the secrets in your heart and I have an idea of what they are. I know that you are hiding something that hurts you. As your soulmate, it's driving me insane! You don't have to tell me what is wrong yet, but I refuse to be kicked out of your heart just because of something that happened to you. And so help me, I will bust your walls down if you don't lower them. You don't know much about werewolves, but let me brief you: We are very protective. And even though I have only met you, what? Yesterday? I still want to protect you because, like it or not, you and I are going to love each other for the rest of our lives."
Jake took a deep breath to calm himself and let go of Derrick. He then continued walking down the hallway, not really knowing where he was going. He just didn't like to be angry and had to get away from his source of anger for a second.
Derrick watched him walk, not moving a muscle. He didn't know what to think. Jake was so right, for once the prince didn't have anything to say back. It's like his mind was flipped over, like reality hit him in the face.
Like the whole world was flipped upside down.
He was stunned, to be honest. He didn't know the werewolf could bite back so hard (No pun intended) and didn't realize how strong he was.
Derrick almost...liked it.
Jake had said that werewolves were protective, but Derrick never saw himself as someone worthy to protect. He always thought that he would be the first to be thrown to the wolves (Again, no pun intended) if the choice came down to it. He felt as if no one would care for him that much as to worry for him in that way.
Derrick also didn't realize how much his selfish self was affecting Jake. Derrick said he hated Jake, but now he was guilty for trying to hate him.
All of these realizations were forming into the one thing he could not stand to accept.
He was falling in love with a stupid werewolf.
He almost wanted to cry, but he didn't know if of joy, sadness, guilt, frustration, or stress.
But Derrick would never show such a weakness as crying.
"So," Jake said in a softer tone, "How about that tour?"
Jake had stopped walking and was waiting patiently where he stood for his soulmate to catch up. Derrick sighed, and ran his hand through his dirty blond hair.
Just get the tour over with and then you can go to the attic, He told himself.
He then shoved all of his feelings into the back of his mind and put on an a mask of annoyance.
"Fine," he said, before walking up to him. Jake smiled, and walked with Derrick to their next destination.
~{()}~
"This is the hallway of my ancestors," Derrick said in a bored tone. For many years, he has walked through these hallways and witnessed every small boring corner. He wasn't surprised or ecstatic to show Jake a long hallway lined with pictures of old people who are related to him.
And that are dead.
But Jake was almost like a little kid in a candy store.
He went from picture to picture, looking at each face. Honestly, he wasn't even fascinated at the things. He was only looking at the interesting people.
"Who's this?" asked Jake, staring at a a particularly stern, scary woman who was a little chubby and depressed looking.
"That is my great, great, great aunt Jeanine, "Derrick said wrinkling up his nose, "She wasn't a nice person, but she was extraordinary. She set our government in the right direction, settling our worst financial debt ever."
"How did she do that?" Jake asked.
"Taxes," Derrick mumbled.
"That daughter of a-" Jake looked over, distracted, "Who's that?"
He pointed to a man with a hat on, looking smug. He had this cocky look to his face that screamed "player".
"That would be Nathan's grandpa," Derrick sighed, crossing his arms.
"That explains it," Jake muttered, but someone else caught his eye.
It was a beautiful woman with rich dark-brown hair and little freckles on her face. Her eyes were bright green, like a lively plant, and just her picture made you feel alive and new, like a breath of fresh air. It was like as if she was a goddess of life, her smile shining like a beautiful sun.
She looked very young.
"Who is this?" Jake asked, his eyes wide with wonder. Derrick walked over beside him.
Jake was too focused on the painting to notice the pain in Derrick's eyes, the same green eyes as the woman in the picture.
"She," his voice wavered, so he took in a breath, "She was my mother."
Jake looked at him when he heard this and saw his pain.
"Was?" he softly asked.
Derrick cleared his throat and looked away from the painting.
"I don't want to talk about it," he said, his scowl reappearing.
"Derrick?" Jake said when the prince tried walking away.
"Yes?" the prince asked, turning around to the direction Jake was in.
"Can I give you a hug?"Jake pleaded, wanting to comfort his soulmate.
Jake's wolf has been strangely silent since the tour started, as if waiting carefully for something to happen.
Derrick looked at him, really thinking about it. He had never let anyone hug him unless it was his mom. Hugging Jake in the clearing was just to get rid of that awful pain, even if it was a little enjoyable.
Never once has he wanted one just for comfort.
Very slowly, and very cautiously, he nodded his head.
Jake's heart soared and he wanted to smile, but he didn't want Derrick to change his mind.
So with the same calm expression and easiness, he slowly walked towards Derrick.
Closer.
Closer.
When Jake was close enough he stretched his arms out to a tense Derrick, wrapped his arms around his back and pulled him close.
As soon as their chests touched, their hearts exploded with the same fuzzy feeling as before.
Jake pulled Derrick closer and Derrick gasped, his eyes going wide. Very hesitantly, the prince wrapped his arms around the werewolf, both of them extremely starved of the affection they need. Derrick laid his head on the werewolf's shoulder and Jake buried his nose into Derrick's hair.
Jake smelled of grass, dirt, and rain water, like a meadow on a summer's day.
Derrick smelled of herbs, roses, and apples.
The two felt tingly sparks of warmth and happiness zoom through them with jolts. Balloons expanded in their chest and both had their eyes squeezed tight, their breaths slow and deliberate like they were trying to drink in each other while they could.
Thousands of thoughts raced through Derrick's head.
"Why do you hate me?"
"What did I do to you?"
"I still want to protect you because, like it or not, you and I are going to love each other for the rest of our lives."
"No secrets will be left unrevealed
No hesitation to touch each other will be there.
All hate will slowly fade away ."
Derrick pulled back from the hug.
It's happening. Nathan was right.
But Derrick was stubborn.
"You smell like wet dog," Derrick lied, his scowling face back on, "I'm a royal. I shouldn't be around smelly wolves like you."
"You got that right," Jake said, smiling, "You are a royal. A royal pain in my a-"
Don't say it. Don't you dare, Jake's wolf finally spoke, You will be the pain in his butt, not the other way around.
Jake blushed and Derrick raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Derrick asked, "Is it your inner wolf again?"
"Y-Yeah," Jake said, not really looking straight into Derrick's face. If he saw those pretty green eyes, he would think thoughts he didn't want to think.
"What did he say?" Derrick asked, a bit curious.
"You don't want to know," Jake said.
Derrick narrowed his eyes , thinking about what the wolf could possibly be saying.
He remembered Jake saying that Pickle was indecent, but what did that mean?
Derrick backed further away from Jake and then faced the end of the hallway.
"Do you want to see the library?" Derrick asked, wondering if Jake could even read. Most commoners didn't receive a great education. Derrick couldn't even imagine what life would be like, hiding from civilization.
"Sure," Jake nodded, still happy Derrick allowed him to hug him.
I was trying so hard not to ruin the moment, Pickle commented, You. Don't. Even know!
Derrick led Jake to a big room, filled to the ceiling with books. A big window lit the room with sunlight and dust floating in the air sparkled like magic in the rays. Tables were lined along the middle of the room and on them lie a layer of dust.
No one has been in this room in a long time.
Derrick reached for a book on one of the nearest shelves. It was a book that had always stayed in the same place, on the same shelf, in this same room for many, many years.
Derrick's favorite book.
Derrick hasn't read or seen it since his mom died. She was always the one who read it with him. The prince wiped a light layer of dust off of the cover and opened it, scanning over the words as Jake explored.
"You know how to read?" Jake asked, coming up behind Derrick and putting his chin on the prince's shoulder. The prince stiffened as the tingly feeling shot down his spine.
"You don't?" the prince asked, flipping through the pages, distracting himself from his soulmate's breath on his neck.
"No," Jake said, "Teach me sometime?"
Derrick shoved Jake's head off with his hand.
"Maybe," Derrick scowled, "Maybe not."
A servant girl opened the doors up at that moment.
"There you are, your majesty! Your cousin, King Nathan Drake, requests your company out in the stables," the servant said.
"What does he want?" Derrick growled.
"He didn't say, your majesty," she admitted.
"Thank you," Jake nodded, smiling.
"Y-You're welcome, sir," she said, also not used to the kindness. She bowed stiffly before exiting the library, shutting the doors behind her.
"Shall we go see what he wants?" Jake said, smiling.
"Let's go get it over with," Derrick grumbled, leading the way.
Jake smiled.
He may have not gotten Derrick to completely fall in love with him yet.
But the day was not over yet either.
---------------
I'm having a Q&A chapter like I did with Wattpad. If I get enough questions, I'll answer them. I also put this note here so you guys would see it!
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE Q&A CHAPTER ASK AT ANY TIME! But please clarify that the question is for the Q&A chapter- otherwise, I will answer it just in case you are asking out of confusion.
Thank you for reading. I'm gonna to cut it off here before I make the AN too long even tho it pains me.
See ya next time, my little bumblebees
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