Mitch walked over to the boy and held out his hand.
"Hi, I'm Mitch" he greeted.
"Jerome." He replied, shaking the human's hand. His accent was very different from Mitch's.
Mitch scanned the boy, taking in his strange looking appearance.
"I take it you're not from around here then?" he questioned.
"No. I was born and raised in the forests just West of here. I am what I've heard humans say.. a bacca." He replied. Mitch furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"A...bacca?" he asked in a puzzled tone. Jerome sighed.
"I take it that baccas are not common here, yes?" He asked. Mitch nodded slowly.
"That would be correct" he responded
"Well, let me formally introduce myself then. My name is Jerome, family of Aceti, born and raised in West Baccain Territory. Bacca is a short term for 'Chewbacca'." He bowed stiffly. Mitch took the boy by the shoulder firmly.
"You don't have to bow to me you know" he chuckled.
"Baccain customs, especially of my family. I was raised in a highly... respected family. It is how I grew up. My apologies." Jerome placed his hand over his own heart, waving his other hand in front of it, showing his sincerity of his apology in Baccain terms. Mitch released his grip and placed his hand by his side.
"I see" he murmured.
"I would like if you could teach me, more of the loosened vocabulary of this land. As you may have noticed, I'm very out of place with my formalities." He let out a nervous laugh. A grin started to form on Mitch's face.
"I would be happy to." He grinned at Jerome.
"It is very pleasing to me of your agreement." Jerome smiled, revealing wickedly sharp Bacca teeth. Mitch chuckled lowly.
"Let's sit down" he gestured to the chairs next to him. Jerome sat down, properly of course, back erect and attention focused entirely on Mitch.
"In return for your lessons on human culture, I shall teach you of my own, yes?" he asked.
"That sounds amazing!" Mitch exclaimed. He had always had a fascination for learning about things that were otherwise never heard of to him.
"Shall our lessons on human culture begin?" Jerome asked, smiling at Mitch's enthusiasm.
"Sure, what would you like to learn first?" he quizzed.
"Well, as I mentioned earlier, perhaps you could assist me on my vocabulary?" Jerome had been raised on formal vocabulary. In truth, he had never heard the word 'amazing' before.
"Okay, first things first, try not to be so formal with the way that you speak. You also seem to have a formal vocabulary. One thing you could change is to stop saying 'shall'. Instead try saying 'will'" Mitch tried to explain, having some difficulty in trying to teach the bacca.
"So instead.. I would say.. 'I will teach you about Baccain culture'..?" Jerome asked, unsure.
"Yeah, that's right!" Mitch answered, pleased that the bacca had understood.
"At first, I was not sure of your vocabulary, but may I try saying something based on what I heard other humans saying?" He asked.
"Go ahead." Mitch encouraged. Jerome cleared his throat.
"Want to come over to my house? You could meet my family." He pronounced each word carefully. Mitch clapped his hands.
"Well done Jerome!" he exclaimed. Jerome beamed with pride.
"I want to try to keep speaking like this. Would you correct me if I say something wrong?" He spoke each word a little slower than normal, still adjusting to the new vocabulary.
"Of course I would" Mitch beamed. The thought of teaching somebody something new delighted him.
"Also, I was being serious about my invitation. Would you like to come over after school?" He asked.
"I would love to Jerome" Mitch replied enthusiastically.
"But might I warn you that I have to behave and speak as I normally would around my parents. That means everything, including my gestures from the Baccain culture. I could teach you some, if you'd like to impress my family." Jerome offered.
"Sure, I like to make my impression on people. Plus it will give me a chance to learn more about you." he accepted with a grin. Jerome nodded.
"Well, first I'd like to teach you how to gesture your friendly nature. Put your hand over your heart, and your other hand over mine, and bring them together. That shows that you are a peaceful person, and that you'd like to live in harmony." Jerome instructed.
Mitch placed his hand on his chest then awkwardly reached over to place his hand on Jerome's. A strange rush of warmth ran through his body when he made contact with the bacca but he just shrugged it off as nothing important, bringing his hands together quickly. Jerome was secretly pleased to be in close contact with Mitch.
"This gesture will especially please my mother. She is wary of humans." He warned.
"I hope she likes me" he muttered.
"A human as friendly as you will have no problem with her. But be careful, as giving the wrong gesture at the wrong time, or doing it incorrectly could anger her. The slightest alteration in the gesture could change it's meaning entirely." He warned. Mitch became confused.
"How could the gesture's meaning be altered?" he asked.
"If you brought your hands together solidly, that means harmony. Brushing your hands together instead of bringing them together means disharmony." Jerome explained, showing what he meant with his hands. Mitch nodded in understanding.
"I see. That would be a bad mistake to make." He muttered.
"Exactly." Jerome confirmed. He studied Mitch for a while, then mimicked his easy-going way of sitting, rather than his own formal position. Mitch glanced at the bacca and saw that he was trying to sit less formally. Mitch reached over and pushed his abdomen out a little more.
"More like this." he instructed.
"Thank you.." Jerome mumbled, blushing. Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Mitch glanced at the bacca.
"So, where do you live?" he asked whilst grabbing his bag. Jerome bit his lip.
"I'm still not familiar with this area. My parents are sending a car, but there is some on foot travel." He explained. Mitch slung his bag over his shoulder.
"Well, I guess we had better set off now then." He suggested.
Jerome picked his own bag up and led the way to the front of the school where sure enough, a shiny black car with a silver cursive 'A' on the side pulled up in front of them. Upon getting into the car, Jerome began to speak another language to the driver, another bacca before settling back into the soft seats.
Mitch gaped at the car that stood before him. This was much fancier than any vehicle that he was used to travelling. Hesitantly, he clambered in after Jerome and sat next to Jerome on the soft leather.
"This is our driver, Cronier." Jerome introduced the older bacca to Mitch.
"Hello there, my name is Mitch." Mitch introduced himself politely.
"He doesn't speak English." Jerome quickly translated Mitch's words to Cronier, who nodded and smiled, saying something rapidly before pulling out.
"He's pleased to meet your acquaintance." Jerome smiled at Mitch.
Mitch smiled before looking down to his hands and fiddling with his thumbs awkwardly.
It wasn't long before they reached a spot at the edge of the forest with a narrow path.
"This is where we go on foot." Jerome explained. He thanked Cronier, and hopped out, heading towards the path. Mitch followed Jerome out of car and shut the door behind. He glanced back at the vehicle before asking,
"By the way, what does the big 'A' stand for?"
"Aceti. My family name." Replied Jerome. He looked back at Mitch, and doing so, he stumbled over a root, falling to the dirt. Blushing, he began to get up.
"I don't normally trip.." He mumbled.
"Of course..." Mitch groaned feeling stupid. As Jerome stumbled, he quickly ran over to him.
"Are you ok?" He asked
"I guess I was just distracted.." He replied, dusting off his pants.
"The house is just ahead.." He pointed towards the end of the path, opening to a huge house.
Mitch looked up at the house, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Wow, your family must be pretty well off, huh?" he asked.
"I suppose you could say that. This house was left to my parents by my great grandfather, who was the Bacca Ruler. My grandfather made a small fortune to go along with the one my great grandfather had, and it was all left to my father, who now co-rules the Western Baccain Territory with his twin brother. I guess what I'm trying to say is that most of our possessions were inherited." Jerome explained.
Jerome led Mitch up to the massive front doors, opening the door quietly and letting Mitch in. He called out in Baccain to his parents, and a moment later, his mother descended the spiraling staircase. She was finely dressed, and held plenty of grace. She greeted Jerome in his language, but when she saw Mitch, she began to speak in English.
"Ah, Jerome, lovely to see you. Whom is this?" She gestured towards Mitch. Mitch bowed to Jerome's mother politely.
"I am Mitchell Hughes, it is lovely to make your acquaintance today Mrs. Aceti." His mother curtsied politely.
"As to you, Mitchell. Jerome, you've never spoken of him." She regarded Jerome.
"I have just met him today, mother. Where may I ask is father?" He asked.
"Here, son." His father strode in. He was tall, and intimidating to look at.
Mitch was immediately intimidated by Jerome's father's large figure. He shuffled slightly closer to Jerome.
"Father, this is Mitchell Hughes, my new friend." He introduced Mitch. He felt Mitch move closer to him.
"Mitchell Hughes, pleasure to meet you. Don Aceti." His father extended a large hand to Mitch. He took Don's hand and shook it firmly.
"A pleasure to meet you sir." He greeted.
"Jerome, you are dismissed to entertain your guest." Mitch's mother smiled warmly. Jerome nodded.
"Please, follow me to my bedroom." Jerome led the way up the stairs.
"Would you prefer coffee or tea? It's tradition to offer our guest something." Jerome explained.
"Coffee sounds nice, thanks" he responded.
Outside of Jerome's door, a human maid stood at attention, wearing the full uniform of black lace, right down to the black fishnet stockings.
"Please bring two cups of coffee to my bedroom." Jerome asked, snapping his fingers.
"Yes, Mister Aceti." She hurried off. Jerome entered the bedroom, Mitch following close behind. It was a fairly simple bedroom, but it was large, with a king sized four-poster bed in the corner and a large library with a sitting area.
"I hope I didn't sound rude to the maid.." Jerome mumbled, sitting down on a couch.
"I understand, it's ok." Mitch responded before placing his bag in the corner of the room. He took a seat on Jerome's bed and immediately flopped backwards. There was a knock at the door.
"Enter." Jerome called. The maid came in with two cups of coffee, setting them on the table.
"Thank you." Jerome nodded to her.
"Mitch, please make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a moment." Jerome left the room, leaving Mitch alone with the maid.
"I'm Jessica." She extended her hand to Mitch. He smiled warmly and took her hand.
"Mitch." he greeted before delicately placing a kiss on her small hand. She giggled.
"I've worked for the Aceti family for about 4 years. May I warn you that as polite as they may seem, they don't take too kindly to humans. There's a reason that the waiting staff are humans." She warned.
"Don't worry, Jerome has explained this to me." he replied
"No, I mean-" She began, when Jerome opened the door.
"-be careful." She warned quietly.
"Jessica, are you making conversation with the guest?" Jerome asked coldly. She looked frightened.
"I'm sorry, Mister Aceti. It won't happen again." She hurried out of the room.
"We should hope not." He replied.
"What was she talking to you about?" Jerome asked Mitch.
Mitch looked to the girl walking hurriedly out of the room before drawing his attention to Jerome.
"Erm..nothing, don't worry." He lied. Jerome narrowed his eyes at Mitch suspiciously for a moment.
"Alright... so what would you like to do?" He asked, crossing the room to the window.
"Do you ride horses?" He asked, gesturing towards the stable in the back. Mitch scratched the back of his head.
"To be honest, no." he admitted.
"Then what do you want to do?" Jerome sat on the bed beside Mitch, putting his arm around him. Mitch felt his cheeks flush as the bacca made contact with him.
"I suppose you c- could teach me h-how to ride?" He stuttered.
Jerome looked down and smiled sweetly at Mitch. It was cute, how he was stuttering.
"Sounds alright. I could show you some things that baccas do in the forests." Jerome got up and gestured for Mitch to follow. On the way, Jessica passed by them.
"Tell Mother and Father that I'll be taking our guest out for a ride on the horses." Jerome ordered. She nodded silently, and flashed a sorry look to Mitch, and left. Jerome led Mitch outside, where a man was waiting outside the stable.
"Set up a gentle horse for Mitchell." He said, grabbing a lead rope and leading his own horse, a dark bay, out to begin putting the tack on. Mitch walked over to Jerome.
"What are you putting on that poor horse?" He asked cluelessly. Jerome looked at Mitch.
"Tack.. It's for riding the horse.. but you're right... I'll ride bareback today. But you have to use it." Jerome put the stuff back and hopped on the horse, grabbing the mane gently as the stablehand brought out a dun colored horse, fully tacked.
"Now, get on." Urged Jerome. Mitch looked at the horse, his expression blank.
"How am I meant to get up there?" he asked. Jerome jumped off his horse gracefully and showed Mitch how to get on.
"Now you do it." Jerome said, jumping down and getting back up on his horse.
Mitch bit his lip in concentration. He carefully slipped his left foot into the left stirrup and swung his right leg over the horses back into the other stirrup. His fist pumped triumphantly.
"I deed it!" he cheered. Jerome laughed.
"Very proud of you. Now let's go!" Jerome urged his horse forward, and set off at a trot
"Wait!" Mitch shouted. He took a hold of the reins and imitated Jerome's leg movements, making the horse jolt into a trot.
"Watch this!" Jerome called out. He jumped up and did a handstand on the horse's back while it was still trotting.
Mitch's eyes widened in shock. He was barely keeping control of his horse and Jerome was already doing handstands. Great.
"Show off!" He yelled. Jerome laughed again.
"I've been riding horses for years! What'd you expect!?" He led them into the forest, and soon they were deep within when a crack of thunder echoed and the rain started pouring. The rain quickly made Jerome's horse's back slick, and when Jerome jumped it over a log, he slipped off in the landing, falling into the mud. A sickening crack and a scream arose from Jerome.
"Jerome!" Mitch called out worriedly. He quickly slid off his horse and ran over to the bacca.
"Jerome, are you ok? What hurts?" He whispered, kneeling down beside him.
Jerome groaned in pain. He had landed on a stick, and it pierced his waist when it broke, producing the snapping sound that he had originally thought was a bone.
"My waist.. ow!" He pulled the fragment of wood out of his side, and it began bleeding heavily. He looked helplessly up at Mitch.
Mitch felt the back of his eyes start to sting. He desperately tried to comfort Jerome.
"I- it's all g- going to be o- ok Jerome." he stammered, trying to hold back tears. Carefully he slid one arm under Jerome's legs and the other under his back. He looked around for anything that he could use to help him. Nearby, the horse he was riding before was grazing. Hastily, he jogged to the horse and carefully slid Jerome onto it's back.
"What should we do about the other horse?" he asked, jumping up behind Jerome.
"C-call him. OutLaw's Prince. He'll follow.." Jerome whispered.
"O- ok then". Mitch called out the horses name and sure enough, the horse came trotting towards him. He took the horses mane in one hand whilst holding his horses reins in the other and started to make his way back at a trot.
"How are you h- holding up Jerome?" He asked.
"I feel dizzy..." Jerome slurred before blacking out.
"Jerome?" Mitch shook his shoulders gently. He had passed out. Mitch urged the horse into a canter and made his way hastily back to the stables.
The stablehand saw Mitch and Jerome and immediately knew something was wrong. He pressed the intercom button and called for help, and then ran towards the boys.
"What's wrong?!" he called to the boys.
"I- its Jerome. He fell on a branch and it pierced his hip. He had quite a lot of b- blood loss and now he has p- passed out" Mitch panted between tears.
"My gosh.." He mumbled, taking Jerome in his arms.
"Thank god we have on-site doctors." He ran with Jerome.
"Just leave the horses!" He called back to Mitch. He ran inside, greeted by a nurse with a gurney. Mitch quickly ran after the stablehand.
"Is he going to be alright?" He asked desperately.
"Our doctor's the finest from West Baccain. Of course he will." Insisted the stablehand. "He'll be alright, and you can wait up in his bedroom until he's ready, alright?" He asked. Mitch nodded solemnly.
"Okay." he murmured before heading to Jerome's room. As soon as he got there, he shut the door behind him, collapsed onto Jerome's bed and sobbed loudly into his pillow. Lots of mixed emotions were running through his head right now. Why did he even care for a boy that he had only just met? He had no idea. The door clicked open softly and Jessica walked in.
"You alright?" She asked softly, sitting beside Mitch. Mitch lifted his head from the pillow, his eyes red and blotchy from crying. He quickly wiped them with the back of his hand.
"I guess I'm just worried about Jerome" he murmured softly.
"You really care about him, don't you?" she asked. Mitch nodded slowly.
"Yeah, there is just something about him..." he responded.
"Tell me about him. I haven't gotten to know Mister Aceti that well." she looked kindly at Mitch. He smiled as thoughts of Jerome came to his mind.
"Well the thing is, I don't know much about him myself yet. Jerome just has this aura about him though that lures people in. When you first meet him, he may seem like a rich snob who doesn't care about anybody but when you gain his trust, there is so much more to him than that. He is so caring, he is always concerned about others. He is also keen to discover new things much like myself. I think that's why we get along so well. I also feel like there is much to discover about him and I was hoping to learn that, until what happened today..." Tears threatened to spill over Mitch's eyes yet again, and as hard as he tried, they flowed relentlessly. Jessica put her arm around Mitch's shoulders sympathetically.
"I'm sure Jerome's going to be very thankful to you. You saved his life, you know. I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more of him now. He'll most certainly ask you to bring his homework while he's bedridden. He'll definitely teach you more about himself. He'll be in here very soon, and he'll be as bright as ever!" she insisted. Mitch looked directly at her.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Absolutely. He's been hurt before. Maybe not this badly, but still hurt. He was still the same old Jerome... and soon he'll be Master Aceti." she looked down. Mitch put his hand over Jessica's shoulders, reversing the roles.
"You know that he is forced to treat you this way right?" He asked.
"Forced to?" she asked. She had always thought that Jerome treated her this way because he was a stuck-up Prince. Mitch nodded.
"You have no idea how hard he has been trying to fit in with the humans lately. He has been asking me for tutoring actually." he chuckled.
"Well he certainly studied up on being a snobby Prince who treats humans like the second-class." she muttered. A sigh passed Mitch's lips.
"I see where you're coming from Jessica, but his upbringing is no fault of his own." He said softly.
"Hey, if I thought Jerome was bad, he's kind compared to his parents. I guess I can't really blame him... I used to think it was just because he was royalty. But now I see that's not the case... thanks Mitch." she smiled at him. He returned a smile.
"No problem." He replied.
Jessica jumped up as the door opened again, and Jerome was wheeled in by a nurse, who helped him into his bed.
"Mitch!" he whispered hoarsely.
"Jerome!" Mitch exclaimed as Jerome sat next to him. Mitch engulfed him in a hug, careful to avoid his bandaged wound. Jerome shooed away Jessica and the nurse.
"Mitch.. thank you so, so much for saving my life." he looked up at Mitch, tears in his eyes. The tears started to prick Mitch's eyes again.
"I don't need a thank-you, seeing you here is enough." He smiled.
"No, it's not. Mitch.. tell me what you want. Name it, and I'll make it happen." he insisted, looking into the boy's deep brown eyes. Mitch looked deep into Jerome's eyes and whispered in his ear.
"There is one thing you can give me." Mitch cupped Jerome's cheek in his hand before locking in a kiss full of passion and need.
Jerome was taken by surprise, but quickly returned the kiss, feeling every spark between them burst. As he pulled away, he caught his breath.
"Mitch.. that was.. amazing..?" he looked up at Mitch for confirmation that he had used the word right.
Mitch grinned and nodded before interlocking with Jerome again, his fingers tugging at the hair on the bottom of his head. Jerome's mind raced with one question.
"Mitch," he began, pulling away.
"Would you.. be my partner?" he asked.
"Boyfriend.." he corrected himself.
"Jerome, I would love to." he answered, a grin plastered on his face.
A knock interrupted the two, and before Jerome could grant entry, his parents walked in.
"Jerome!" they cried, running uncharacteristically up to him.
"Are you ok? Are you going to be able to recover before your wedding?" they asked hastily.
"W-wedding?" Jerome stuttered, confused.
"Why, the one we arranged for you! Princess Katarina of the East Baccain Territories. It's your duty and the Prince to unite the territories!" Mitch's face dropped as the words escaped Jerome's parent's mouths.
"M- married?" He stuttered.
"Of course! He'll be wed to Katarina in only a month. We were going to tell him after he came home from school, but you were a surprise guest." she nodded to him. Jerome's eyes darkened, and Mitch couldn't have been prepared for what Jerome said.
"No. I will not marry her." he insisted. Mitch swiftly looked at Jerome.
"But Jerome, you have to, for your people..." he muttered unhappily.
"I can rule over West Baccain without a queen. But I can't without my King." he smiled at Mitch. His parents gasped.
''Jerome, you can't be serious. Not only would that be forbidden, but the Aceti family has a reputation!" they cried.
"I don't care. I love Mitch, and nothing's going to change that." He looked down with tears in his eyes.
"Fine. Just remember. When society judges you, and when your subjects rebel against their new king, that's going to be your problem." They stormed out of the room. Tears started to well in Mitch's eyes.
"Y- you didn't have t- to do this" he stammered.
"Yes I did. Be ready to be a King soon." he smiled at Mitch.
No words could come to Mitch's mouth. A king. Him, a king. How was he meant to take on this kind of responsibility? What would happen if everybody turned on him? Mitch grabbed his knees and tucked his head between them, muttering these questions to himself over and over again.
"A-are you alright?" Jerome asked, concerned.
"How am I meant to deal with this?" He muttered.
"I don't know what you mean, Mitch." Jerome sat up, wincing as his waist throbbed. Mitch reached over to Jerome.
"Don't exert yourself, please." He begged.
"Mitch, never mind me. What do you mean?" he asked.
"What if they hate me? What if everyone turns on you like your parents said? What if I am not worthy to have this high a status?" He blurted.
"You are worthy, Mitch. And our subjects would never do it. They love Prince Jerome. And they'll love King Mitchell. You'll see." he assured.
"King Mitchell Hughes... has a ring to it, no?" he smiled. He chuckled.
"I guess it does." Mitch smiled.
-One Month Later-
"Mitch, you need to get the final fitting for your tuxedo, and your wardrobe, done, and that includes your crown." Jerome winked. It was only 3 days until the wedding, and Jerome and Mitch would be crowned Kings of the West Baccain Territory.
"Okay, okay. Which delightful tailor do I have the pleasure of seeing today?" He asked sarcastically.
"Greyfell." Jerome replied. He sat down and sighed, holding his head in his hands. Mitch walked over and rubbed Jerome's shoulders.
"What's the matter?" he asked, concerned. Jerome looked up at Mitch with tired eyes.
"Not only am I fulfilling my destiny of Leadership, but I'm also marrying the love of my life in only 3 days." he replied.
"I don't know if I'm ready to grow up yet." he admitted. Mitch gave a sigh before sitting himself on Jerome's knee. He entwined their fingers tightly and looked into Jerome's eyes.
"I swear that I will be with you through this every step of the way." He promised.
"It's just that... this nervousness isn't expected of me. I knew about my future since I could remember. I've been preparing for this moment forever. But now.." he looked down.
"I'm glad you're with me, Mitch." he planted a kiss squarely on Mitch's lips. Mitch graciously accepted but reluctantly pulled away. He slinked off Jerome's knee.
"Well, I guess I had better go and see Greyfell now." He sighed.
"Wish me luck!" he called over his shoulder, walking away.
"Luck!" Jerome called after him.
-Timeskip to Wedding Ceremony-
"Do you, Mitchell Hughes, take Prince Jerome Aceti to be your lawfully wedded husband?" The priest looked at Mitch. He looked into Jerome's eyes.
"I do". He said through tears.
"And do you, Prince Jerome Aceti, take Mitchell Hughes to be your lawfully wedded Husband?"
"I do." Jerome sounded so sure, even through his tears.
Mitch gently wiped away Jerome's tears with his thumb.
"I now pronounce you husband, and husband. You may now kiss your partner." Jerome took Mitch's face carefully in his hands, and pressed his lips against Mitch's softly.
Mitch wrapped his arms around Jerome's neck in an attempt to deepen the kiss for a moment longer. The priest cleared his throat as Jerome's Father and mother stepped up with two crowns. Jerome and Mitch knelt before them.
"And I now crown you, Prince Jerome Aceti, King of the West Baccain Territory." he placed a crown of Jerome's head.
"And I now crown you, Mitchell Hughes, King of the West Baccain Territory." He said, placing the crown on Mitch's head. The crowd cheered loudly and they stood, walking hand in hand to the balcony, where hundreds of thousands of subject stood. Jerome raised his hand up with Mitch's, and the crowd erupted. They were there, Kings of their land, ready to begin their new lives. Together.
"I love you, Mitch." Jerome whispered. Mitch tilted his head so that it rested in the crook of Jerome's neck.
"I love you more than you know."