As soon as David let it slip that he knew Jake Pierce, the blond's eyes widened and, within two tweets of a whistle, David was inside of the kingdom's castle.
It was a lot bigger than the boy had imagined, but David quickly decided that wasn't his biggest priority right then. What surprised David even more, was when the blond had screamed Jake's name and then- Poof! There was Jake.
In the kingdom's castle.
But then, when Jake explained that Derrick was his soulmate, David understood what was going on.
David had soon recognized Derrick as the prince of the kingdom, so that explained why Jake, being his soulmate, was in the castle. Derrick had the same dirty-blond hair as the king and, even though David had never seen the queen nor her son before, Derrick held the same slight aura of authority as Jake did. Jake was the soon-to-be Alpha. Derrick was the soon-to-be king. It made a powerful mix.
Everything kind of buzzed by his head- David had seen and heard weirder things- until, that is, he was introduced to Nathan Vale Drake.
Holy Moly, he thought, as he shook Nathan's hand, This guy is pretty.
David couldn't help but blush at the smile directed at him. It was a pretty smile with shiny, white straight teeth.
Now, David was an innocent little bean. He had never had a crush or a moment where he was like "Wow, she is hot." If he called girls pretty, it usually meant that they looked beautiful. It was only meant to compliment their looks, nothing more and nothing less.
However this time, David couldn't even voice his opinion on this guy, which in David-language meant "DAYUMMMMMMM."
David blinked twice, still blushing. And Nathan's smile quickly turned into a smirk.
"Are you gonna let go now?" Nathan asked teasingly, making David's cheeks burn bright against his snow-white skin and instantly retract his hand from Nathan's hold. Nathan smiled fondly at the little guy, before turning to Derrick. David was a flustered mess, trying to pick himself up out of the hole he dug for himself.
You just had to stare at him, he chided himself in his head.
"Is he planning on staying here too?" Nathan asked. David wrinkled his nose. He didn't even ask to stay in the castle. He didn't want to. He couldn't. Not with Nathan Vale Drake here.
Prince Rastus was about to say something (probably negative) about Nathan's question, when Jake interrupted. "Yes, he will. He is welcome to stay here for as long as he wants, right Derrick?" The werewolf turned his demanding eyes to Derrick, who still had his arms crossed. The two looked as if they had a silent argument before Derrick turned away.
"Who made you king of this castle?" Derrick huffed, but didn't disagree. Jake stuck his tongue out. David watched the exchange in curiosity. Was this how soulmates were supposed to behave?
David decided to let his friend and his soulmate be, turning to look at Nathan again. The blue-eyed boy was biting his lip in amusement at the two soulmates, making those pretty white teeth poke out of his mouth. David stood slightly-open-mouthed in awe of this boy's pretty smile.
No, David decided, he's not just pretty. He's beautiful.
David ultimately tried to divert his attention elsewhere, but only succeeded in staring at the top of his head instead. The boy had soft-looking hair, and David just wanted to reach out and touch it. The little werewolf was seriously addicted to anything even remotely soft, but all he was socially allowed to do was to look at those beautiful black strands.
David heard arguing of his best friend and the prince in the background, but it was all blurred by his daydreaming. David didn't even know if he could stop staring, and he honestly didn't want to.
Well, that is, until Nathan Vale Drake looked over at him. Nathan's smile was still on his face, even though he caught David gawking at him. The young king, instead, decided to not mention it and talk about something else.
"You know, it would be amazing if you stayed in the castle with us, " the blue-eyed boy said, "It would be nice to have another guy to hang out with. Jeanie would love you."
David blinked out of his daydream. "Who-Who's Jeanie?"
"A friend of mine," Nathan replied, still smiling that pretty smile, "My only friend here, it seems."
"I-I could be your friend," David said, then cringed.
Stupid, stupid, stupid-
"I mean if-if you want me to?"
Ohmygoshjuststopyourmakingitworse- he ranted to himself.
"No, no! That would be-" Nathan chuckled at David's awkwardness, "That would be great! It does get a little bit lonely here sometimes."
"Well, I'm glad you are here then," David said, almost facepalming from his own stupidity. His face was a bright glow of red. "Y-You know, to-to keep me company."
Nathan smiled a brighter smile. "Does that mean you're staying then?"
Don't do it. Don't torture yourself. Don't stay here, with him, just because he wants you to. Don't-
David just nodded. He didn't trust his mouth at the moment. Nathan smiled tenderly, then furrowed his eyebrows. David realized why: the fighting in the background had stopped. Nathan looked up at Derrick and Jake, who had stopped bickering a while ago and were staring at the two boys. Derrick had an eyebrow raised and Jake had a knowing grin on his face.
"What?" Nathan asked.
"Are we like this?" Derrick mumbled to Jake, who chuckled.
"I don't know, kitten. I don't know," Jake said, still smiling, but shaking his head.
"What are you talking about?" Nathan asked at the same time Derrick asked, "Did you just call me 'kitten'?" in disgust.
Jake ignored Nathan, "Yes, yes I did, kitten."
"Don't call me that," Derrick hissed.
And they were back to bickering. David raised an eyebrow. Jake was stubborn sometimes and yeah, he wasn't always laid back. He was a barely-adult werewolf for God's sake! Of course he was a tad temperamental. Yet, Jake was more collected than most werewolves and here he was, fighting with his soulmate! Didn't soulmates have an instant-love connection once they met?
Nathan was still smiling and, this time, shaking his head at the two. The beautiful boy leaned over to David's ear before saying "Come on, let's go introduce you to Jeanie and see how long it takes for them to realize we're gone."
David nodded eagerly. He wanted to meet this mysterious Jeanie...
And maybe- just maybe- he wanted to spend time with this guy.
The nice and beautiful, Nathan Vale Drake, Derrick said cheerily in his mind, making himself blush.
~{()}~
Nathan knew David was staring at him when they shook hands. He knew David was staring at him while he watched his cousin and his soulmate argue. He knew David was staring at him when they were talking. And he even felt the little booger's eyes on him as they searched for Jeanie.
Nathan couldn't figure out why David was staring at him, but he had deduced it to two reasons.
One: The boy was a daydreamer, who liked to stare at people. You know, those shy types who blush when they so much as even talk.
Or two: The kid had a crush on him.
Granted, this 'kid' could only be a year or two younger than Nathan, but the king decided that the boy was too innocent and sweet to be called a 'man'. Even if he was one. Also, Nathan could already tell that the boy was someone to protect. A sweet, cute little bundle of adorableness.
Yeah, 'adorable' is how Nathan would describe it.
"So," Nathan asked David as they walked around, waiting to bump into Jeanie, "Have you found your soulmate yet?"
"No," David said softly, "B-But I'm only 20."
"Really?" Nathan asked, "When's your birthday?"
"Less than a month," David replied, "Why? Have you found yours?"
"No," Nathan said, noting the twinge of sadness in his own voice, "I'm starting to think I'll never find them."
David reached over and put a hand on Nathan's shoulder comfortingly. Nathan stopped walking and looked into his eyes with his wide, blue ones. David had surprised Nathan with his soft touch. The king hasn't had many physically comfort him since he was about ten. David gave him a small timid smile.
"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll turn up sooner or later, " David said reassuringly.
David and Nathan continued their search and talked the whole time. Nathan was complaining about how Jake and Derrick were not getting along ("Obviously," said Nathan) and how he and Jeanie had come up with Operation Lovebirds ("I came up with it really," Nathan had said, "Jeanie just insults it."). David had also gotten a brief run-down of the plan before they had found Jeanie.
"I can see why Jeanie insults it," David said truthfully.
"You too?" Nathan asked, "Is it really that awful of an idea?"
"Do you want your head ripped off?!" David asked innocently, now getting comfortable around Nathan, "I mean, I haven't known Prince Derrick for long, but even I have figured out that it won't go well with him."
"I know! I know! But, if he likes it, he can't retaliate in a negative way," Nathan declared.
"And if he doesn't like it?" David's small voice questioned. Nathan laughed.
"Well then you can be the guest of honor at my funeral," Nathan shot with a wink. The flirty gesture caused David to blush.
As if he wasn't blushing already.
Nathan looked ahead, instead of flustering David even more, and spotted a head of brown hair turning the corner: what looked like Jeanie's head. Instead of saying anything, he grabbed David's hand and sprinted down the hallway.
David had no idea why Nathan had suddenly started running, but was too embarrassed to care. The pale boy couldn't help but smile at the warmth he was receiving from Nathan's bigger, stronger hands.
Nathan was still holding his hand when they had stopped-right in front of a girl with short brown hair and a flowery design on her face. The girl- no, woman- was carrying a basket of laundry. She saw the two boys and raised an eyebrow at Nathan.
"Okay, this is the third time you've come to me for help and we just met today," she explained," What do you need now?"
Nathan smiled, "Can I not hang out with my best friend?"
Jeanie's eyebrow somehow raised further, "I'm your best friend? I didn't know that, thanks for the memo. But I've got to hurry with these sheets so I can finish my shift and bust this joint. My fiance is waiting for our date."
"Wait!" Nathan called, as she turned to leave, "I wanted to introduce you to my new friend!"
She turned around and saw Nathan gesturing to David and smirked, leaning against the wall with the basket still in her arms.
"Well, then. Who's this cutie?" she teased. David's blush burned brightly.
"I-I-uh-Ium-" David stuttered and turned to Nathan for help. The beautiful boy laughed, yet still saved the blond from dying of his social impairment.
"His name is David, and he is Jake's best friend apparently," Nathan said, shooting David another wink. It goes without saying that the boy blushed.
"Hello Jake's GBF, nice to meet ya," Jeanie said, still smirking, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get to work. I promise I will properly introduce myself later, but for now, just know that I my name's Jeanie."
David nodded, storing that information in his head, but he was confused as to what 'GBF' meant.
"Goodbye, idiot," Jeanie said, turning to Nathan, "Oh, and if you're going to go through with that stupid plan, I'd go ahead and get it over with."
Nathan bit his lip and nodded. Jeanie then leaned into his ear and whispered, "Nice catch," before smirking and strutting away. It was only then did Nathan realize he was still holding David's hand. It seemed that David hadn't realized it yet, so Nathan kept holding onto it. He'd get a laugh out of it when David would figure it out. Plus, why not? David's hands were sort of cold, and Nathan thought his might warm them up.
He was also slightly and silently enjoying it.
"GBF?" David asked, confused. Nathan smiled.
"I have no idea," he chuckled, "She's unique though. One of a kind."
"You...have a crush on her?" David asked. Nathan could've sworn he saw disappointment and anxiety in David's eyes, but the boy hid it well. Nathan shook his head.
"God no," he stressed, his eyes wide, "She has a fiance, who's a girl might I add. And I'm leaning more towards guys lately anyways."
David looked away, but Nathan could still see his small smile.
Oh yeah, Nathan said confidently in his head, He definitely has a crush on me.
David had looked down at their hands, noticing they were together, then up at Nathan with wide eyes. Nathan was facing him, smirking. David didn't make any motions that he was going to remove his hand and neither did Nathan. Both were just standing in the hallway, looking at each other, hand in hand. For the first time, the hallways seemed completely empty.
Well until Derrick rounded the corner and smacked Nathan on the arm. David retracted his hand from Nathan's warm hold in embarrassment.
"WHERE WERE YOU??" he growled, then looked at both of them, " You two just disappeared from the face of the earth! I was going to show David a room he could sleep in before you left! We've been looking for you for five minutes!"
"Only five minutes?" Nathan snorted.
"We?" David questioned.
Nathan heard a groan from around the corner, which came from Jake. The werewolf showed himself and gave Derrick a serious pouty face, which David had never seen on his best friend.
"Derrickkkkkkk," Jake complained, "You ruined their momennnntttttt."
"I don't freaking care, okay?" the prince huffed, then turned his glare onto Nathan, "Why are you two down here near the cleaning rooms?"
Nathan didn't know this is where the cleaning rooms were located. Guess he still had trouble finding his way around the castle.
"I had to talk to my friend Jeanie. I wanted her to meet David," the young king explained, looking at David with a smile.
"Jeanie? Who's Jeanie?" Derrick sighed, "You know what, I don't care. Follow me. I'll show David to where he will be staying."
The group of four made their way to David's room, which was just like Nathan's: a servant's room. The servants' rooms were not bad, but they were definitely not as elegant as the nobles'.
"We should all get to bed," Jake commented, "It's been a long day."
They all nodded and went their own ways. Nathan waved David good night as he headed to his room and received a little wave back.
Nathan couldn't wait to spend the time in this castle with David and Jeanie.
He also couldn't wait for tomorrow. Why?
He was ready to begin his plan.
Let Operation Lovebirds commence, Nathan smiled to himself.
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