*CHAPTER 47:

Metamorphosis


It had been long since Jay witnessed such a powerful storm. The clouds were dark and dense, spilling water like they were at full capacity, letting out all their anger and frustration. Thunders echoed in the distance, the eye of the storm was far away from them but he could still see the occasional bolts of lightning far away, tearing the sky.

Regular kids would usually fear and shake at the sight of lightning. Jay, though, had never fallen under the 'regular kid' tag. He'd always been fascinated by these things. To him, it was amazing how nature could create something as powerful as lightning were. Jay loved watching the shapes they created on the darkened skies. It was so bad they lasted so little time, some were truly beautiful, like complex branches of a tree —an electricity tree.

And honestly, being able to watch them in the comfort of four strong royal walls was even better.

Jay looked behind himself, towards the center of the living room, where Zane and Lloyd were playing some board games. Both boys had a blanket on themselves, Zane's covered just his legs while Lloyd had pretty much wrapped himself up like a larva inside their cocoon, similar to Jay. It was probably the coldest day in all of the rainy season, and while Zane didn't seem much affected by the temperature drop, Lloyd was struggling with it. Jay presumed he was somewhere in the middle. He'd endured worse conditions in his life but still appreciated the blanket Zane had handed him earlier. It made the whole lightning-seeing experience more cozy and enjoyable.

Not everyone found that specific day as nice as him though. The overall temperature around the city had started dropping last night, coming to wake up the guys with a little shower that only worsened as the day went on. It didn't take a genius to foresee Cole's bad mood or Kai's irritated temper. By the end of breakfast, the two boys had to have been separated with the help of their family or someone would have ended up with a sliced throat —well, maybe that was exaggerating, but wow, those two could get very vocal and rude in a matter of seconds.

After Kai had stormed out to attend his business with the help of the princess, Cole stuck with the others for a while, albeit his mood didn't change much. Zane tried to reason with him and make him see that Kai had been in the right place during their argument, although the king hadn't expressed it very nicely. After a while, Cole had waved Zane off and pretty much asked the boy to stop cajoling him. Cole rejected to participate in any of the activities the other guys proposed to keep themselves entertained in such a gloomy day. Jay didn't like seeing the boy like this and tried to talk to him, mediate between Cole and the Maharaja in a different way than Zane —one that the guy would understand more easily. But Jay's encouraging words about reconciliation had only seemed to make Cole sadder for some reason.

At some point the young man vacated the room, saying he wanted to be alone for a while. Most likely Cole was going to find a room big enough to exercise and burn his anger until he could face Kai again. They all knew the couple would make up at some point, their strong personalities sometimes clashed, especially under such weather conditions, but they loved each other too dearly to be angry for more than a day. Nevertheless, Jay couldn't help but worry a bit anyway.

"I'm still cold," Lloyd muttered to the boy in front of him, rubbing his hands together to warm up the apparent cold limbs.

Zane scooted closer and put his lips on Lloyd's forehead, checking his temperature. He carefully inspected Lloyd's face, searching for any signs of possible sickness.

"You seem alright, but your resistance might be down with this sudden temperature change. Do you want to take a hot bath, darling? That should help you. And I can tell the servants to make some special tea for you later."

Lloyd nodded and hugged his friend for a moment before they stood up.

"Jay, would you like to join us?" Zane pointed at the blanket covering part of his body.

"Oh. No, I'm fine. I… I think I'll stay here," he tapped the window he'd been staring through.

Zane gifted him with a soft smile. "You like the rain."

"Yeah. I guess you could say that," Jay uttered.

"That's good. At least there's someone in this house who enjoys this type of days."

The three boys waved at each other then Jay was left alone, sitting on that divan next to the window where raindrops would constantly land on the glass, creating a rhythmic murmur.

He hadn't lied to Zane when he said he liked watching the rain, but he hadn't let out the true reason behind that statement. Jay sighed and leaned his head on the cold windowpane, his eyelids closing with annoyance at where his brain was going to pull him into.

These days, everything was coming back; watching the lightning with his dad when he was a very small kid, learning what little reading the man could teach him, even that kiss on Lloyd's forehead had reminded Jay of his own mother. Each memory was harder to replay than the previous one. It hurt to remember his parents, but it suddenly hurt a lot more that he hadn't been thinking about them constantly since he got into this place.

Was Jay… forgetting about them? Was he exchanging the humble couple that had been taking care of him all his life for this group of youngsters?

Jay had to be honest with himself. He liked living there, surrounded by luxuries. But who wouldn't? It would be foolish to say he'd prefer to wander around the streets under the blazing sun, transporting pieces of junk on his back. Being able to watch the storm without worrying that the ceiling would collapse over him was definitely something he wouldn't like to trade in.

He told himself he had to stop thinking about his parents and hometown, nothing good would come out of constantly torturing himself with the memories of his family. They didn't really matter at this point, for he was not seeing them ever again most probably. Sure, the sovereign had been desperate when he'd pleaded Jay not to leave him, and maybe Kai hadn't meant it in that way, but Jay had promised him nevertheless. And as much as it hurt to not see his parents… it also hurt to break Kai's heart —for reasons he had yet to comprehend.

Jay sighed again and ruffled his hair, trying to shake the melancholy out of himself, it would get him nowhere. He rested his jaw on his own palm, staring at the dank outside world. His mind drifted back to Kai and Cole, and their little argument that morning. It had started with a random comment from the monarch about his husband's tremendous appetite, and Cole, under the rain effects, had taken it a bit too much to the heart, resulting in him exploding in a fit of rage that had fueled Kai's short temper. It was something stupid, but Jay felt sorry for both boys. After learning about their past, it really saddened him to see Kai and Cole yelling at each other even if they would reconcile later on —because there was always the small possibility that they didn't.

Maybe they could use some help.

The thought came out of nowhere but Jay found it rather opportune. He turned and stared at the door, pensive. He'd managed to fix things when Kai lost his mind weeks ago, maybe he had a hidden ability to help people during arguments.

Jay tapped his knees anxiously then finally gathered the courage to go in search of Kai.

••••••••••••

Lloyd observed the bubble floating on top of the water. His brow pinched in concentration, eyes narrowing, too, for an extra measure. He blew softly, lips hovering just above the water. The bubble moved a few inches away and the boy repeated the action. This time, though, the translucent bead exploded and disappeared with a tiny pop.

"Aw…" Lloyd grumbled.

"Not bad," Zane chuckled by his side.

Lloyd smiled back at him and leaned on the pool wall, the stone was hot, just like the water around them. Ah, he loved hot baths, especially that day! His body was definitely warming up.

"It's a shame Jay didn't come with us," Lloyd commented with a sigh, getting comfortable inside the pool.

"Why?" Zane asked.

Lloyd shrugged. "Dunno, I just… think he could have used a hot bath —to relax and stuff."

"Maybe, but he can always come later with Cole."

"Yeah… I guess you're right," Lloyd tried to play cool, but he was a bit sullen yet about Jay's rejection. It had been hard to admit it, but Lloyd liked the boy. Jay was funny when he wanted to, and very smart as well. He was like a mix of himself and Zane, and Lloyd wanted to get to know him more, maybe become the best of friends someday.

"You're growing."

"Uh?" Lloyd was a bit confused at Zane's words. "No, I'm not. I stopped growing years ago," he chuckled.

"I wasn't referring to the measure of your body," Zane said. "But the measure of your heart."

"What?"

Zane scooted closer and put an arm around Lloyd's shoulders, squeezing him lovingly. Lloyd tensed just a small fraction at the closeness of their naked bodies.

"You've come a long way since Jay ever set foot in our home."

Lloyd bit his lip with embarrassment. "Don't remind me. I can't believe I was such a bully to him."

"Don't beat yourself. You realized your mistake and worked on improving your relationship with him. That's what really matters." Zane kissed his head. "I'm so proud of the man you're turning into."

A rosy glow spread through Lloyd's damp face and he leaned closer to his friend, shifting to hug Zane's chest. Their thighs brushed under the water, tickling Lloyd and giving him the goosebumps. Zane didn't push him away, and neither did Lloyd try to separate himself from the older boy. In fact…

Lloyd's fingertips gingerly moved over Zane's ribs, making their way up the boy's torso. Lloyd nudged a nipple with the tip of his pinky but it didn't seem to stir a reaction from Zane. Lloyd shoved his face deeper in the crook of Zane's neck and kissed him. He could feel the smile in Zane's face as the boy squeezed his back. That was a good sign.

Lloyd kissed him again, pressing his lips on Zane's skin a bit harder and pawing his chest. He did this for a few more seconds until Zane muttered his name softly. Lloyd craned his neck up and shuddered under Zane's baby blues that stared down at him in the fogginess of the humid ambiance. The anxious boy commanded himself to stay strong and he closed the gap between their mouths, kissing Zane at great length.

"Zane…" Lloyd breathed excitedly when their lips separated. "Can you… Can you touch me?"

Ever since that night with Kai and Cole, Lloyd had been eager to expand his comfort zone. After watching his husbands go at it, in what had been one of the most erotics moments in Lloyd's life, the three of them had played together for a bit longer, sandwiched on the sofa as Kai jerked him off and Lloyd moaned into Cole's mouth. He hadn't dared to engage in something more intense with them at that time, but now… Lloyd longed to break that final chain. To let himself be loved freely.

"Dear, are you sure?" Zane asked.

Lloyd didn't trust his voice so he just nodded, stealing another kiss from Zane's lips. The couple remained like that for a few more minutes, their hands moving up and down their bodies, inspecting every inch of their skin. Lloyd's hands boldly grabbed onto Zane's flesh now and then. The young man felt soft, but maybe that was just a trick of the water that surrounded them.

Zane caressed Lloyd's hips with a tenderness that blew the younger peer's mind away. His hand brushed Lloyd's erection a couple of times and made the boy tremble. Up until then, no other man but Kai had ever touched Lloyd so intimately. Cole had been close to it the other night but the former fighter had decided to let Lloyd mark the pace, and the boy appreciated it. Lloyd wanted Cole to touch him too, to make his mind spin with those powerful fingers as he'd done to Kai. But Lloyd had long ago figured that if he ever decided to step out of his comfort zone, it would most likely be with Zane by his side.

The former doctor was so tender and understanding —not that his other spouses had ever treated him without consideration, but Zane just had those perfect welcoming vibes in him. They made Lloyd feel comfortable and safe to explore his own limits, knowing that his friend would be by his side to guide him every little step of the way.

Somehow they changed positions and Lloyd found himself sitting between Zane's thighs, his back glued to the other boy's chest.

"Isn't this suffocating for you?" Zane asked. With Lloyd's short height, the water reached up enough to cover his shoulders almost completely.

"No, it's fine. I'm used to it."

Zane nodded and kissed his ear. Lloyd jumped when the boy felt Zane's hands rest on his legs.

"Whenever you want to stop, just say so."

Zane went slow. So so slow. Dragging his fingertips up all over Lloyd's torso one more time, tickling his happy trail and the very base of his cock as he went down. Then he massaged what little he could reach of his balls. Zane finally took Lloyd's cock in his hand. The small boy only gasped low, Zane was moving his digits on him ever-so-gingerly. The sensation felt almost foreign. Kai always handled him with delicacy, but this was different. Zane's fingers moved up and down the shaft adding just a tad bit of pressure at some points. Lloyd could feel himself growing bigger and stiffer as Zane peeled his foreskin with extreme care. It was incredible how he could get so riled up with so little direct action already.

"Relax." The reminder fell into Lloyd's ear, spoken out in the softest of the voices. Lloyd nodded and did as he was told, leaning his whole weight against Zane's front and resting his head on the boy's shoulder, looking up into the foggy ceiling until his eyelids closed on their own.

Zane's patience was impressive. Lloyd felt like they had been inside the pool for a lifetime when the boy's digits squeezed him tighter and played more boldly with his dick head. Lloyd bit his lip in the middle of a moan, trying to keep his voice down.

"Do you like it here?" Zane rubbed a thumb all over the glans.

Lloyd whimpered with a nod and Zane continued investigating the sensitives spots of his body. Lloyd couldn't hold still, his hips gyrated and jerked forward, stroking himself on Zane's hand. His friend was getting him closer to his release with every stroke, the other hand switched between Lloyd's balls, his thighs, chest, tummy. It seemed like Zane's fingertips were on fire, igniting all of Lloyd's key spots and heightening his desire.

A loud cry wrenched Lloyd's throat and he grabbed onto Zane's legs by his sides. The other boy stopped immediately. "Is this too much?" He asked.

"No," Lloyd snapped and his face suffused with a bright red. He tugged his lower lip into his mouth, biting it as he felt the accusating heat in his face while his voice echoed in the silence of the huge bathroom. Lloyd felt terribly embarrassed, he never imagined he could feel so good letting someone other than Kai touch him, but he did! And now he was cursing at himself for not realizing about that any sooner.

Lloyd's lungs heaved with agitation and his watery moss eyes searched Zane's baby blues over his shoulder. The boy stared at him, waiting patiently without moving an inch.

"Please, Zane… Don't stop…" Lloyd almost cried. Zane's gasped low in surprise at his primal request but took no time to commence pleasuring his spouse all over again. "Uuuuh, uh!"

Zane kissed Lloyd's exposed neck. "You sound beautiful," he whispered, turning Lloyd's vision white as his tremors intensified and the pressure in his guts became unbearable.

"Zane! I… I'm-! Ah, Zane!" He didn't even have time to warn the other boy. Lloyd's back arched and his shoulders tensed as cum shot out of his dick and mixed with the hot water. He didn't mean to be loud, but Zane stroked him long and carefully, making sure to extract until the very last drop from him. It was inevitable that by the time they were done, Lloyd's throat was parched and he felt like he would faint at any moment with all that hot, wet air filling his lungs.

"Lloyd, dear, are you okay?" The question almost went over his head, hadn't it been for Zane grabbing at his arms to help him focus, Lloyd would still be lost in paradise.

With trembling knees, the boy shifted, turning around and straddling Zane as he let his head fall over the shoulder of his companion. Lloyd's breath was coming out uneven yet as he licked his lips and whispered, "I love you." He took a couple of deep breaths and repeated his words, just in case they hadn't come out clear enough the first time. "I love you so much, Zane."

Warm hands were placed on his back, one even reached up to tangle with the golden locks, now darkened by the water.

"I love you too, sunshine."

Lloyd grabbed harder onto Zane and breathed deep, struggling to calm his heart. Zane's member poked him. Being so awestruck by this whole new world of sensations, Lloyd had totally forgotten about Zane's needs. The young man hadn't made any remarks that it required any urgency either, or so hoped Lloyd —what with his dizzy mind, he would have probably missed any obvious indications about it. Lloyd was about to suggest he could take care of that for Zane when the other boy spoke up.

"Let's get you out of here. You need some fresh air," Zane said and he gently moved Lloyd away from his lap, but then took him in his arms again as they both stood up.

Zane put an arm under Lloyd's armpits and around his back, guiding the boy out and into the changing room. Lloyd's steps faltered a little, making him hold onto his friend. Maybe he did need fresh air after all. But as soon as his mind cooled off, Lloyd promised to himself, he would return the favor to his lover.

••••••••••••

Judging by the time, a fair bet would be that Kai was somewhere around the main or first floor, taking care of the kingdom's business. Jay made his way down to the first floor and asked a couple of guards, one of them finally led him towards a studio in which the Maharaja had had a meeting recently.

Jay had already talked to Cole earlier. How far his advice had gone inside the boy, he couldn't tell, but it was worth a try getting a word with Kai as well. Jay wasn't sure how well that could go, he and the Maharaja hadn't been alone in the same room ever since the day they made amends. But Cole was his friend and Jay wanted to help the boy if he could, thank him in some way for all the patience Cole had had with him all this time.

When he reached the door the guard had indicated, Jay stood before the majestuous entrance and breathed deep. As usual, last-minute doubts didn't fail to appear. He had no idea what would Kai's mood be, maybe he'd calmed down, or maybe he'd just grown more stressed with his important reunions.

Either way, you won't know it until you open that door and ask him.

Jay's inner voice was right for once.

He took one final breath and put on his most amiable smile before pushing the door open slowly. Jay had barely taken one step forward into the room when he froze, dumbstruck by what he found before him.

On top of the big table, Kai lay on his back, his outer shirt open and Cole's body hovering above him. The bigger male dragged his tongue all over Kai's neck, giving him little bites on the way down to his collarbone.

"Uhm… Oh, baby…" Kai hummed, his body undulating beneath Cole as he leaned his head to the side to allow his husband more room to ravage his neck. One of Cole's hands reached down to the shadowed spot where the boys' crotches bumped —and palmed Kai's goods over the clothing.

"Fuck, yes…" The Maharaja cursed with a moan.

Jay was paralyzed. His brain was yelling at his legs to turn around and flee before any of the guys noticed his presence, but the limbs wouldn't obey, as if all communication had been cut between the two halves of his body. The spell only broke when Kai's eyes opened lazily and he gasped alarmed, "Jay!"

"Jay?" Cole's head popped up, the confusion in his face turning to surprise and embarrassment as he, too, saw the boy that was going rigid by the door. "Fuck!"

Suddenly regaining control over his members, Jay retraced his steps and slammed the door shut behind himself. His breath patchy, inhaling and exhaling in short and rushed puffs. Jay was still fighting to break free of his shock when the doorknob rattled behind him and Jay catapulted himself forward, away from the entrance.

"J-Jay!" Cole appeared on the threshold with Kai close behind him, both boys a bit breathless, clothes and hair slightly disheveled. Jay tried to look at them but as his eyes locked with Kai's, he automatically turned his back at the boys, feeling an uncomfortable heat on his face.

"Hey, uhm… Sorry about that," Cole mumbled. I… came to speak with Kai and, uh… We kinda…"

"It's- It's fine!" Jay's voice trembled with a high pitched squawk.

An awkward silence swept over the three young men, tensing Jay's muscles all the more.

"Uh… Did you need anything?" Cole asked. His voice sounded closer and Jay took another step away from the couple, only allowing himself glimpses at the boys.

"No! No, I just… I- I was walking around. Just… I'm sorry I interrupted you."

"It's okay, we're not mad."

Another silence. When Jay looked at Kai and saw the boy licking his lips as if to prepare himself to speak, he panicked.

"Well, I- I better get going!" He exclaimed, and Jay thought that adding a giggle at the end of that sentence would cover up his jitters, but by the looks of concern in Kai and Cole's faces, it had quite the opposite effect.

"Jay, wait. We-" Cole tried to say, walking forward to grab Jay's arm, but the boy shoved him away.

"Don't worry! You- You guys go ahead. Don't stop!" Jay spluttered, his legs starting to shake.

'Don't stop'?! What the hell are you saying?! Jay mentally scowled at himself. His mind was not working as it should have. Where was his mind even?!

He finally managed to get away from the couple, making a run as if his life would shorten with every second he spent next to Kai and Cole. Jay reached the stairs and bumped into one of the guards from before. The large man quickly attended him and asked if he could be of any help. Being an anxious mass of nerves, Jay's stressed brain could only utter an "I'm going to lie down for a while," and he entered the nearest room he found.

The slam of the door echoed in the chamber. He hadn't gotten into one of the spare bedrooms but a living room. It didn't really matter where he got. Jay just hoped he could be 'safe' here.

Safe from what?!

"I don't know!" Jay berated into the cold air of the room. His weakened knees finally surrendered and he sat on the floor, back pressed against the door. Jay dug the heels of his palms on his face, feeling the scalding cheeks. He urged himself to calm down before hyperventilation would make him faint. Why was he so hysterical?

Jay went over the last minutes in his head. He had walked in on Kai and Cole being all… smoochy. That wasn't new, he had seen them kissing and flirting plenty of times.

'Oh, baby…' Kai's erotic whisper reverberated inside his head. Then, suddenly, another head started to react as well. What was going on?!

Jay gasped and pressed his thighs together, shoving his hands down his crotch to stop the hardon from becoming too embarrassing.

So you mean getting turned on upon seeing these guys in action for two seconds isn't embarrassing 'enough'?

Jay groaned, losing the battle he'd been fighting against that stupid voice that only tried to confuse him as days went by. What was happening to his body lately? Why would he grow aroused at men's noises of pleasure?

"You're not attracted to any of them," Jay tried to reason with himself. "You're just confused. You've never been intimate with anyone before and your curiosity is picking up because they're going at it all day, that's all!"

Are you sure?

Jay chickened and pulled his legs up high against his chest, almost curling into a ball.

"You're not gay. You just can't!"

Why would he want to be gay? That would only add more problems to his already complicated existence! It would make him…

What? 'Dirty'? You know that excuse isn't valid anymore.

The voice was right. He was over the phase of considering homosexuality dirty. He just couldn't put the word 'filth' next to these guys after living with them. The royal family exuded love and care for each one of their members, a whole lot more than most straight couples Jay had seen in his life.

Straight couples.

Mom and dad.

Jay shivered. What would his parents think of him if they knew he was feeling this? —whatever it was. What would they think if they knew Kai set Jay's nerves on fire with his beautiful moans?!

"Beauti-?!"

Jay grabbed his head hard and rocked back and forth. Shaking with fear, scared out of his mind. Scared of that 'unknown Jay' that was cooking inside of him.

••••••••••••

"We're fucking geniuses," Kai exclaimed, plopping down on the nearest seat as he entered the studio again. Cole was standing up yet, but he wore the same type of embarrassed and fatigued expression as the Maharaja.

Both boys had been tormenting themselves for as long as they had seen each other off after breakfast. Much as Kai had demonized Cole at first for getting so ridiculously irked at his innocent joke, Nya had talked him out of such thoughts and made Kai see that Cole sometimes got tired of all those comments about his big appetite. Kai hadn't meant to offend his husband in any way, but guess the rain was badly affecting him that day.

When the noiret had appeared after his meeting and apologized for some of the things he'd said earlier, Kai did the same too, throwing himself into Cole's arms and kissing him deeply as he reaffirmed his love for the boy. It was usual for them to get needy after a fight, that's why Kai hadn't even tried to stop Cole when the man laid him on the table and started giving him all his love. Some hand or mouth action wouldn't hurt, and if they were quick enough, no one would find out —it wouldn't be the first time they managed to sneak a quickie between reunions and businesses.

But lo and behold, someone did come. And it had to be Jay, out of all people. As if things hadn't been complicated enough with the boy already.

"It's my fault," Cole said. "I got carried away."

"We both did," Kai corrected him. He wasn't going to put the blame on Cole when he'd been as fine spread out beneath him moments ago. "Do you think he's mad?"

"No. No, I don't think so," Cole approached and leaned his backside on the table. "I know Jay, he's probably just… surprised."

"Surprised?"

"Yeah, well, you must have noticed he's not used to being… open about sex. Not like us anyway."

Kai nodded. Much to his dismay, he had noted the boy was rather shy when it came to sexual matters of any type. Kai, though, wondered if this was something normal in Jay, or if that just happened with gay sexual matters.

"Do you think he hates it when… when he hears us during…?" Kai coughed.

Cole looked at him, his lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed with deep thinking. "Hate is such a strong word. And, honestly, I don't think that's the case. He's never said anything about it."

"I know, but…" Kai remembered how Jay's eyes had avoided him that morning about a week ago when he'd brought up the subject. Jay had said he was fine, but what if the boy wasn't telling them all the truth.

Or maybe you're just a dumbass and overthinking, instead of grabbing the issue by the horns, Kai told himself and released a groan. He'd been hoping that time would give him the weapons to be confident enough, to not doubt Jay's forgiveness. But time didn't always hold all the answers.

"I think I should have a chat with him," Kai said, his face lifting up a moment later to look at his lover. "We haven't been talking much lately."

Cole smiled with a nod. "That sounds good, you two should definitely try and… reconnect."

Kai simpered but the curve in his lips faded soon.

"Hey," Cole grabbed his hand and squeezed it with affection. "I know you guys can do it, don't be scared to talk to him with your heart. He's a good guy."

'A good guy.' Lloyd had said the exact same thing, and the boy hadn't been all that fond of Jay at the beginning. Kai was still a bit sensitive from all the mess he had caused weeks ago. Keeping up with the kingdom's affairs had distracted him and somewhat helped him not lose his focus again. But it had also taken away his attention from the real deal. Ever since their mutual apology, Jay and he hadn't had another intimate moment. Not because they hadn't had the chance to, but because that was what Kai had been doing all his life when things didn't go his way; ignoring the problem so he could keep his head over his shoulders. Old habits die hard they said, but no more.

He would talk to Jay. What about —he didn't know. But Kai wanted to know how Jay was doing. And he also wanted the boy to know how he was doing.