CH9
= John: Dream
I feel as if I'm floating for a moment before I can see around me. I am in a garden again. The same one in which I was when my father taught me to tame a wolf. At least that is who Jake told me it was. It feel nice here and I wonder if I can go inside the castle in hopes of seeing him or even my sister. I try to move, but I find that I can't. Its not until I hear the crying that I realize that maybe this is another memory. I walk towards the sound and behind a tree I find a boy hunched over bawling his little eyes out. I walk closer to him.
"Are you okay?" My voice, which sounds much younger, asks full of concern. The boy jumps and uneasily looks up at me. The first thing I notice are his red eyes. They remind me of Dave's eyes, but this boy's eyes were a bit duller compared to Dave's intense bright ones. The boy notices me staring and quickly buries his face into his knees. I sit down in front of him and ask again. "You okay?" His crying subsides a bit.
"Leave me alone!" He suddenly barks out from between his knees.
"Not until you tell me why you're crying out here by yourself." I tell him firmly. He tentavily looks up at me again. After a while he decides that he might as well tell me.
"My parents prefer my older brother, Kankri, than me. He's better at dealing with people and knows more about the kingdom than me. He can do things I can't and its just so frustrating! I'm just so useless..." He holds onto his legs as if it were the only form of comfort that he had ever known. I lean forward and hug him.
"Don't say that about yourself. I'm sure your good at something. And if your not then you can just learn to be good at something! I'm still learning the ways of a master prankster. One day I'll be better than my sister and dad! So one day I'm sure you'll be better than your brother!" I feel the boy wrap his arms around me.
"T-thank you."

I freak out at the change of scenery and the darkness all around me. I calm down when I feel an arm around me and I feel warm up against his chest. My mind wanders to the events of two days ago. Dave and I were getting rather cozy up against a tree. His hand had wandered under my shirt while he sucked on my neck and before I knew it my shirt was pulled over me and to the ground. He had started peppering my own chest with kisses when all of a sudden his warmth was gone. I looked up to see Dirk clutching Dave by the collar of his shirt. He told Dave something before dropping him and walking away. Since then Dave has been more alert to their surroundings.
It must have something to do with the people coming after me. While in Dave's arms my dream was the furthest thing from my mind, but I could not help thinking about my family and the danger they are in. His sister is probably scared...or waiting patiently. I don't know why I thought that was a more believable story.
"You okay kid?" I flinch not expecting someone to be awake at this time of night. Whatever time it might be that is. Why is Dirk awake anyways? Almost as if reading my mind he speaks. "I'm keeping look-out for any possible dangers. You should just go back to sleep."
I felt like telling him that I was no longer sleepy, which I wasn't really, but its not like I would be up to anything constructive if I stayed awake so I closed my eyes and nuzzled into Dave for warmth. Just as I was drifting off I heard a small snicker.

= Jake: Reach Home
After two more days of traveling I see that we have finally reached my kingdom. Yesterday Pistol had found where I was and in his claws was a letter from my sister. She was angry at the fact that I had left in the middle of the night without anyone to aid me, though I believe its because I had gone out without her. She had given our father an excuse as to my sudden dissapearance, but that if she heard nothing from me soon she would take matters into her own hands. I hastily wrote her a message back about how I had found John, about his condition, and how close we were to arriving with guests.
As we approached my own castle there appeared to be a small figure outside. Upon closer inspection I realize that it was Jade. I jumped of my horse and stood there as jade came barraling into me. For a girl she had quite a grip. She then took my face in her dainty hands and kissed both my cheeks.
"Haha It's good to see you again Jade."
"You too Jake!" She gives me one final squeeze before looking towards the group and noticing John. "John!" And like that she lets go of me and runs towards John. He doesn't react in time and is pushed onto the ground by Jade. "Oh John it's been so long since the last time I saw you! You didn't visit like planned and then the message-!"
"Ahem." Dave clears his throat which I believe is his code for 'Get your hands off his waifu'. "Mind introducing yourself and letting John breathe?"
"Dave." Dirk smacks his brother upside the head for his rude way of speaking.
Jade quickly gets off of John and pats her gown of any debri. "Oh excuse my manners! I am Jade H. English! I am Jake's younger sister and the Princess of Atunniva!" She ushers us all inside and after making sure, by asking a maid, that the king was occupied we headed towards my room. Once inside she turns to me.
Smack
She strikes me across the face before sitting herself calmly on my green comfy chair next to window. Okay oww, I kinda deserved that. Everyone else was a bit stunned before she broke the ice by
"I would like to know the full story Jake." I become nervous under her stern gaze. It's really hard to speak with her when she's like this. As if noticing my uneasiness Dirk speaks up.
"With all due respect princess I can more accurately fill you in." At that Jade directs her attention to Dirk instead.

After catching Jade up with the specifics we decided to plan for how to approach the situation at the castle.
"They'll be expecting us to take the closest road to the castle, so on the return we should head towards the second closest village first."
"Won't that mean that we'll have to travel for a week and a half before getting to the castle? What if something awful happens before we reach the king and princess Jane?"
"Wait...did you just include yourself?" The last thing I need is for Jade to get hurt.
"Of course I will! I won't be able to stand still without knowing that Uncle Egbert and Jane are okay!" Oh great she's getting all riled up.
"Jade. Calm down I'm sure they're okay. King Egbert is a strong man." I say more for John than Jade. "I don't want you getting injured." Dad would kill me...
"Aren't you worried about your own fiancé?" She throws back at me which on any other occasion would not have bothered me, but seeing as how I am hung up on the being that is Dirk Strider, was completely aghast when she said it.
There was a tense silence in the room. I sighed. "...Fine." Not like she would have taken a no for an answer anyways.
"Well enough of that after such a long way of traveling you all deserve some nourishment and rest!" She happily gets up and guides John and Dave out of the room. Dirk moves to follow.
"Dirk wait...!" I grab ahold of his arm. He does, but he clearly refuses to look at me.
"When were you planning to tell me." His voice is cold. It sends a chill down my spine.
"I hoped I wouldn't have had to. It was arranged when we were younger, but I have been planning all of this year to break off the engagement."
"Isn't it necessary for the future king of Atunniva to marry another royal...or at least a woman..." I wrap my arms around his almost afraid that he would leave.
"I'm not taking the thrown. Jade is, it's something we have gone over it together." I feel him pull his arm out of my grip which for a moment fills me with dread. However, he then pulls me into his own arms and places his head on top of my shoulder. He breathes into my neck which sends a completely different kind of shiver run down my spine.
"She does seem more suitable."
"You bugger I have my own merits."
"Are you giving me ideas?" he smirks into my neck. My face flushes as I look at the door. I detach myself from him and go towards the door. He probably thought I was headed out to follow behind Jade and the others, but instead I locked it.
"Maybe I am."
I walk up to him and wrap my arms around his neck. In an instant his lips are on mine. Our lips move vigorously against one another and before I know it his tongue is exploring the inside of my mouth. I meet his tongue trying to reciprocate the things he's doing to me. I feel embarrassed by the sounds I make as he continues his ministrations. I'm sucking on his tongue when he begins to turn us and push me back a couple steps. I meet the corner of the bed when I realize just where we were going to go with this. I let myself fall onto my bed pulling Dirk along with me. As his body falls on me his hips grind into mine. I try and fail to hold in a groan.
"Jake..." Dirk pulls back a little to whisper. I take in much needed puffs of air before pressing myself back onto him. He once again pulls back. "May I?"
"Go...ahead." I gasp out as I grab desperately at Dirk and pull him closer to me.

= Jade: Ignore the fact that Jake and Dirk did not exit the bedroom alongside the rest of you
That's oddly specific.
I ushered John and Dave to the lounge where I had already had set up with John's favorite snacks. And a cake just to mess with him.
"I managed to get some gushers for you John! I do hope that even with your memory loss that they're still your favorite!" I exclaim loudly. I'm just so happy to see him after so long.
He looked at them as if debating whether or not he should trust me. He finally pops one into his mouth and his face lights up in what I hope is recognition. After awhile of talking about their journey John gets up to go to the restroom.
"I think my brother has a thing for Jake." Dave, i think is his name, nonchalantly states.
"Oh, do you think it's mutual?" I wonder mildly interested.
"Pretty likely." he pauses before continuing "so is like the engagement forced? Are you engaged to anyone?"
"Sadly I believe that Jane is in love with Jake, but he sees her as a sister. And John is my fiancé."
"...what?"
"Well it's more like John and I made an agreement that until he finds love I would deter others."
"Why?" He leans in closer obviously interested in what I had to say; which reminded me of the way that teenage girls gossip.
"John became distressed around his fifteenth birthday when the prince of a kingdom across the sea demanded for John's hand in marriage, but John has always been adamant on not being homo. The prince's demands were really hard to ignore so John came to me with the proposition that if I helped him with his guy trouble he would back me up with me being the one to take over the Kingdom of Atunniva instead of Jake."
"Oh my gog..." Dave starts laughing which sort of confused me. Did he find the situation to be funny?
Just then John comes back into the room. Dave looks in my direction as he stands and walks to John. He grabs his hand and returns to his chair John in tow. He sits down and pulls John to sit on top of his lap. He lays his head on John's shoulder as he continues to face me. And then I start laughing.
"I don't even wanna know." John stands as Dave falls of the chair and joins me on the floor.

=...

=...

Wow. I am behind the planned schedule. My laptop was acting up and I had to clean it. There are still a few problems, but at least now I can access the internet.
I was surprised when looking up for certain word meanings that 'bugger' had two distinctly different definitions which I just had to use.
Also, I am bad at writing intimate moments which is why this is a T rating instead of an M.