CHAPTER 90:
The last parting
"I have to do it."
Jay's brow furrowed.
Cole noticed his friend was not happy and tried to intercede.
"Why don't you wait a few more days?" He asked, to which the Maharaja responded very clearly.
"I will have to wait anyway, I need to reschedule meetings and stuff."
Zane sighed. "Nya is going to kill you. And me too."
"It's for a good cause." Kai chuckled as he tried to defend his stance.
Jay remained unfazed. This time it was Lloyd who tried to side with him.
"Why don't you just send a messenger?"
Kai snorted and reclined on the cushions of the couch. "And tell my future parents-in-law that I'm gonna marry their son through a letter? Fuck, no! What sort of lame proposal would that be?"
Jay still had his head down, gaze fixed on the low table with the tray of teacups and snacks, about to jump but managing to remain calm somehow.
"At least let one of us go with you." Cole tried again.
"The more people the slower the retinue will move."
Cole laughed proudly. "I could get there on foot all by myself way before you all."
Kai arched an eyebrow at him. "You know, any other day I would bet you to it, but I'm not taking any more unnecessary risks."
The first spouse sighed, accepting defeat. Although fruitless, Jay appreciated his efforts. He'd barely been there for three days, and now Kai was suggesting they got separated again already. Well… 'suggesting' wasn't the right word, the monarch was set in stone on the idea of leaving his home for the umpteenth time, no matter how much his family tried to talk him out of that plan, he wouldn't budge.
"Jay," Kai called for him. The boy looked up slowly. "Are you feeling alright? You've been awfully quiet."
Jay bit his lip and looked away again. He understood why Kai was insisting that he must visit his parents, and a part of Jay was actually flattered that the Maharaja wanted to do this with so much conviction. Yet... thinking about being apart from Kai for at least ten days soured his mood.
Jay had briefed Kai about the mishaps he'd gone through on his latest adventure, and he'd also explained to the young man that his parents had played a big role in his spiritual enlightenment. Ed and Edna knew about his feelings for the Maharaja. They surely foresaw the two boys would want to get married as soon as they reunited, there was no actual need to go there and ask them for Jay's hand in marriage formally. Or at least, Jay, as a non-royal person, did not see the need.
"I don't want you to go," he mumbled.
Kai came closer and kneeled on the floor before Jay, he touched his freckled cheek and made sure the boy's gaze was on him before speaking.
"I know, baby, and I promise you this will be the last time we're separated for so long. But I really need to do this. I've fucked up many times, I want to make things right for once. I need to have their blessing before going any further with this. It's important to me."
Jay really wanted to protest, but how could he when Kai was being so kind and sweet? Jay discovered that day that, not only did Kai have a very inconvenient sense of duty sometimes, but also that his smiles were one of Jay's weaknesses.
The boy exhaled tiredly, joining his 'fallen companions' in this little war.
"Okay." Jay gave in.
Kai rose and plopped next to him on the couch, wrapping his arms around Jay and pecking his cheek.
"I'll be back before you even have time to miss me."
As planned, Kai parted a few days later to Jay's hometown. The junkyard boy would have gone with him, he wanted to be there to witness his parents' reaction to the news, but his body was yet too weak to go through the stress of another trip. Plus, as Kai had said, the caravan would advance faster if only the monarch marched with them.
Luckily for Jay, he had some wonderful friends in the palace. The royal family ensured they would make the wait not as tough for him.
All the guys tried their best to keep Jay busy while Kai was away. They couldn't play any rough games or do heavy training, but that didn't mean they kept Jay inside the room caged like a bird. As the days passed they strolled around the garden for hours, drew together with Lloyd, relaxed while reading poetry, even had some light exercise sessions —under Zane's rigorous supervision.
Jay was so grateful that none of them held grudges against his persona for having 'abandoned' them once. Each one of them had easily fallen back into the routines from months ago, as if Jay had always lived there, always been a part of their family.
He had to admit they excelled in keeping him distracted for the most part, but two weeks had already gone by, and there was no sign of Kai. Jay was starting to get worried.
One day, Cole had his arm wrapped around him, keeping Jay close. They were sitting under a tree, enjoying a peaceful rest in the garden, safely hidden from the rays of sun thanks to the leaves above their heads. Lloyd lay on the ground, his head resting on Cole's lap, humming somnolently as the man's big hand stroked his scalp. Zane was stuck inside the palace attending royal businesses with the princess for a while longer.
"You're gonna take a nap too?" Cole asked Jay in a whisper.
"Nah, I'm fully awake," he responded in the same soft voice, not wanting to disturb Lloyd's peace.
Cole shifted on the sly and had Jay lean his head on the side of his chest, he brought a hand up and started to play with the ginger locks as well.
"Can't stop thinking, uh?" Cole kissed the top of Jay's head.
The boy took a deep breath.
"He said he would only be away for about ten days, but it's been two weeks already…"
Jay felt the vibrations of Cole's chuckle against his face.
"Don't worry, he's alright. Sometimes things happen and they have to stop more often or take a different route."
Oh, Jay was aware of some of those things that might happen, hence why he found little comfort in Cole's words. Even if Kai had a bunch of guards protecting him, Jay couldn't shake off the fear of never seeing him again.
"I wish I could be as calm as you." Jay repositioned himself, trying to get more comfortable on Cole's pec.
"I've been in your place many times. You have to get used to it at some point if you don't want to lose your mind."
"I wish someone would have warned me about that before I accepted his proposal," Jay joked.
"Would you have said "No"?"
Jay took a moment to think.
"Nah, probably not."
They laughed together, Jay because he'd just admitted he was pretty much a dumbass for the handsome Maharaja, and Cole because he could relate to the feeling.
Jay quickly shushed his friend when he noticed Lloyd stirring on the other's lap. Cole took the hint and calmed down, although the silence between them didn't last much, for Jay felt the need to keep voicing his concerns.
"I still don't get why he has to get my parents' permission to marry me. I told you all that they were fine about it, that they helped me accept my feelings. Does he… not believe me?"
"Jay, of course he does. Kai is head over heels for you. You could tell him the sky is red and he would agree in a heartbeat."
That got a giggle out of Jay.
"I think he's just… excited," Cole said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you know neither Zane or I have parents. And Lloyd's… it's as if they didn't exist, honestly," Cole explained. "Kai has never asked for anyone's hand in marriage because he's never had the chance to."
"And now that he does, he cannot let it go to waste..." Jay murmured, quickly getting what Cole meant.
His friend hummed in agreement. "I'm just guessing here, but yeah, that's the feeling I got."
"Royal thinking, uh?"
"You bet."
Jay groaned and sagged against Cole, faking a sob. The other boy hugged him tightly.
"I know, it's annoying. And, honestly, this is just the beginning." The more experienced spouse chuckled, surely well-versed in handling the complicated king.
Cole squeezed Jay's side tenderly.
"But don't worry, I'll be here with you along the way and to keep down your urge to strangle him, which I tell you now, you'll have tons of that."
Jay whined again, but most of his frustration dissolved in a second thanks to Cole's lighthearted chat. Despite having the darkest and most violent past of them all, the man was a saint at heart.
Jay absentmindedly looked up, their giggles quieted as both boys realized they were staring into each other's eyes. Cole didn't move, but Jay could sense he was dying to lean his head down just a few inches. Jay felt both his face and his chest warming up. He scooted closer, pursed his lips, and waited for Cole to meet him halfway.
The kiss arrived with no delay in the form of soft, careful pecks. They were nowhere near the passion Kai had showered Jay with on the day of their reconciliation. However, Jay enjoyed them just as much. Admittedly, he was thankful for Cole's tenderness. While Jay was completely sure he was in love with these guys, sometimes he still felt shy to be as open about it as the Maharaja. Although he was getting used little by little. And who wouldn't when they were all just so attentive, understanding, and patient with him?
The hand that had been playing with Lloyd's hair abandoned the golden mane and went up to Jay's cheek. The boy trembled, Cole's hand was so big yet it cupped his face with so much gentleness, caressing the sensitive freckled skin with his thumb, brushing Jay's ear with the rest of the fingers.
Jay grabbed onto Cole's shirt, but the limb slowly shifted upwards until he stroked the man's strong neck. His stomach quivered in the best ways and, for the umpteenth time ever since he'd come back to the royal residence, Jay wondered how he could have ever thought that this —a soft pair of lips showering him with eternal love— was disgusting.
When they finally pulled apart, the two boys spent a long minute staring into each other's eyes dreamily. Upon realizing how stupid they probably looked like from outside, Jay blushed and ducked his head, eluding Cole's gaze —but he found another pair of eyes fixed on him.
As quickly as Jay gasped with mild surprise, Lloyd's eyelids closed again, returning that sleepy look to the blond's face.
Cole arched an eyebrow when he saw no apparent change in the boy that rested peacefully on him. He questioned Jay silently and his friend pointed at Lloyd. Cole hummed with a smirk.
The hand that had been caressing Lloyd's hair earlier returned to the boy's head, yet this time stopped before making any contact. Cole's hand hovered on top of Lloyd's face and waited patiently before flicking his nose. Lloyd yelped immediately after and brought his hands up to cover his face, looking up at Cole with annoyance.
"Spying on us, greenie?"
"N-No! I- I just woke up! I didn't see anything!" Lloyd defended himself very poorly, making Cole explode with laughter.
"You're such a bad liar."
"I'm- I'm not!"
"Uhm, are you sure?" Cole's hand made a swift move and lowered to Lloyd's ribs, tickling him.
The smaller boy squealed and jerked as giggles erupted from his mouth.
"Come on, say it again," Cole demanded.
"I'm-! Ah! Cole! No! That's not- That's not fair!" Lloyd cried out the more his friend teased him.
Needless to say that, in a matter of seconds, the three of them were immersed in a tickle war, in which Cole took the chance to keep peppering kisses on the other two boys as he attacked them with playful fingers.
"My lords…"
The group of idiots stopped their game as a voice called for them. Dudou, the chief servant, was standing nearby.
"I apologize for the intrusion, but I just came to transmit the message that His Majesty is back."
The two royal spouses beamed with happiness, but Jay's face radiated light as powerful as the giant star over their heads.
"Is he safe?" Jay promptly asked.
"From what I could tell; yes, he is."
Cole elbowed the boy. "See? I told ya'. Nothing to worry about."
Jay narrowed his eyes back in a comical attempt at a thread.
"His Majesty is inside, in the main studio with the princess and Mr. Zane-" Dudou explained, but before he could even finish, Lloyd jumped on his feet.
"Race you there!" He shouted before he started running.
Jay reacted a second later, following his friend as fast as he could. It was the first time in weeks he had done this, and he was pleased to discover that his insides didn't hurt anymore. He caught up to Lloyd by the door that led into the palace and paused as he saw the other boy waiting for him there.
Jay followed Lloyd's eyes and found himself looking back in Cole's direction. The noiret was still there on that spot under the tree.
"You're not coming?" Lloyd put his hands around his mouth and shouted at him.
"Yeah." Cole got up from the grass, nodded at the servant then responded with an equally loud voice at his friends, "I was just giving you two a head start."
Jay and Lloyd gasped when they saw the big boy making a run for them at great speed. The blond squealed and urged Jay to help him open the door. The two of them scurried inside and ran through the halls and stairs while being chased by their friend. Jay was sure that Cole kept a short distance between them on purpose to make the race more exciting.
As they neared the entrance to the studio, Lloyd almost hit his face on the door while trying to be the first to go in. Jay got there a second after the blond, and immediately bumped with Lloyd, almost falling on top of him as the boy had stopped dead on his tracks.
"Lloyd, what are you-"
Jay froze mid-sentence as he counted the persons inside the room. There were five of them when —according to Dudou— there should have been only three.
The princess, Zane, the Maharaja… and an elderly couple as well. One that Jay was very acquainted with, for he'd lived with them all of his life.
"M-Mom?" He stuttered.
"Oh, Jaybird!" The woman exclaimed, stepping forward and opening her arms. Jay only having a split second to open his as well, catching Edna in a hug.
"Mom!" Jay cried out happily, squeezing the old lady with all his might. Edna cooed him, equally delighted to see her son again.
Jay's father appeared next to them, and obviously snuck himself a spot in the family embrace, humming contently at holding his beloved ones altogether.
Jay couldn't help but shed a few tears. Why were his parents in the palace? He had presumed that Kai would invite them to the wedding, but that wouldn't happen until a few weeks at least.
Someone cleared their throat loud enough to snap Jay back to reality, when he looked up he found Kai standing awkwardly next to the Walkers.
"Ain't no cuddles for me?" He asked with puppy eyes.
Jay slowly let go of his parents and approached Kai, his smile growing into a childish grin as he locked his arms around Kai's shoulders. The monarch brought him close to his body and squeezed the boy lovingly, both young men enjoying every second of the hug.
"I've missed you," Jay mumbled, feeling Kai's warmth soothe him in wonderful ways.
"I've missed you too," Kai said back into Jay's ear, then added in a barely audible tone "Your parents talk so damn much."
Jay giggled sheepishly. Due to his job, Kai was used to spending time on long and complicated conversations, but Jay was sure nothing could have prepared him for The Walkers' eternal rambling.
As they pulled away, Jay held onto Kai, exchanging confused stares between the Maharaja and his parents.
"W-Why…? H-How…?" Jay tried to form a coherent question, but the words refused to show up.
Kai smirked.
"You didn't seriously think I was only going there to talk to them, did you?"
Jay blinked, still having no clue about what the other boy was getting at.
Realizing that Jay was very confused, the monarch lowered his sharpness a notch, and took Jay's hands lovingly in his, placing a kiss on each one.
"We'll be a family soon enough —and family stays together."
It took Jay a long moment for realization to hit him, and when it did, he lost control of most of his body. His limbs shook like they were possessed by a spirit, his heart swelled and pushed up against his lungs, beating like crazy.
Kai had brought Jay's parents. Period. He had brought them here, to live in the palace with them, forever.
In a surge of passion, Jay grabbed Kai's head firmly and smacked his lips against the Maharaja's, completely losing awareness of their surroundings for a moment. He could only think how amazing Kai was —and how much he loved the young sovereign.
Although the monarch had been taken aback by Jay's sudden and fierce reaction, he easily relaxed, wrapping his arms around Jay's waist and melting into the kiss they both had been waiting for days.
"Awww…" Edna cooed, snapping Jay back into reality. The boy's face turned as red as all of Kai's outfits put together once he discovered his mother's merry expression.
"Edna, darling, you're embarrassing our boy," her husband told her.
"Oh, I'm sorry. They just look so adorable," Edna couldn't stop commenting.
Chuckles rose around the room from all the assistants, minus Jay whose rosiness hadn't dissolved in the slightest ever after his mother's 'apology'.
Kai's attention then switched to the door, specifically the two boys that stood there and looked like night and day. The Maharaja walked up to them and promptly hugged and placed kisses on his other two spouses. As he turned around, he spoke to everyone in the room.
"Let's take a seat and make some proper presentations, shall we?"
Nobody opposed him.