CHAPTER 91:

Wonderful people

The Walkers earned themselves a spot in the royal family's heart almost at first sight. Everyone simply adored them, Jay could tell. While Nya and Zane could have easily faked hospitality thanks to their refined manners, it was obvious that they felt genuinely comfortable around the old couple. And Ed and Edna looked just as pleased with all of them.

The woman seemed to take a special liking for the smallest blond. She was fascinated by his straw-colored hair, something that was very rare to see around their hometown. Lloyd, although reluctant at first, let Edna touch and play with the golden strands, and soon the boy found himself clinging to the lady more than anyone would have ever expected for a creature with his past. Jay didn't even have to worry about Cole; the ex-warrior had slipped into his heart in the blink of an eye, Ed and Edna would love him just as fast. Jay had never been so happy. Having 'both of his families' together, joking around, chatting heartily, and overall just getting along, filled his soul with an indescribable joy.

During the trip, Kai had briefed the married couple about Jay's most recent accident. Ed and Edna however asked for more information from the boy. He got scolded —and with good reason. Even Jay himself was embarrassed by how easily those thieves had tricked him. He'd let his urge to get with the Maharaja cloud his judgment and almost died because of it. But in the end, Ed and Edna were also happy that he'd come out of it 'safe and sound', making good use of his brain and those fighting moves he'd learned under Cole's training.

The emotional and long-overdue reencounter dragged well into the afternoon. Hungry as they were, the Maharaja asked to move dinner up a few hours and have an early, smaller meal all together.

They had had way bigger and more sumptuous feasts at the palace, but the cooks had done a great job at foreseeing the king's comeback and being ready to prepare some extra food for the new guests —although, even just a tiny dish of rice would have sufficed for Ed and Edna.

Jay's parents stared at all the delicious-looking food in astonishment for a while before daring to grab a small portion of anything. Jay chuckled to himself, their saving habits would never disappear completely, and if they ever did, it would only be after a long time.

With their bellies full, Kai suggested Ed and Edna spend the rest of the day just resting or being with their child if they pleased, but the couple seemed joyous to hang around with the royal family a lot more. They just couldn't stay still. So Kai and the others showed the chatterbox duo around.

As expected, the couple was blown away as they stepped into the marvelous garden. Their reactions were similar to Jay's when he first got there —just a bit more friendly. Ed was flabbergasted at the many tools stored in Cole's sanctuary, leading to a conversation about the best materials to take care of weapons, blades, and the like, which Cole was quite an expert in the matter. Edna on the other side went on and on with the princess about the wonderful fabrics they all wore or that were scattered around the royal residence in the form of tapestries, carpets, curtains, and veils —with the occasional input from Lloyd and the Maharaja.

In all honesty, Jay couldn't feel more at home. Although his parents came from a completely different stratum, they seemed to fit perfectly among these people. But that wasn't so strange. After all, Kai and his family weren't regular royals either —in a good sense.

Night finally came upon Ninjago city, and along with it, the calmness and desire of a nice rest after a long day —although the Walker's chatter didn't seem to get affected by any fatigue, much to the others' dismay at some moments.

After having a small snack, the royal family finally called it a day. Ed and Edna were shown to their new temporary alcove. 'Temporary' in case they didn't like it and preferred a different one, as Kai stressed. But the Walkers could only look around in awe at the enormous room, which was way bigger than the house they had lived in during all of their life.

While Ed and Edna accommodated themselves, Kai and his family retreated to allow the couple some intimacy with their son. Jay had been freely hugging and talking to his parents for the whole afternoon, but he appreciated being left alone with them for a bit.

Edna immediately started gushing about the immense place these people lived in, the many decorations they could find everywhere, some of them a bit too fancy in her opinion. Jay could relate, even after living in the palace for so long, there were things he still had to get used to.

They talked and talked as if they hadn't seen each other for ages. It was obvious that the trip had excited the old couple. And even after Ed and Edna scolded their son again over the accident that almost took away his life for real that time, Jay could only smile back at them.

"I'm so happy that you're here..." He sighed.

Ed and Edna were hopeless against the sight of their adorable child looking at them with grateful eyes. Edna softened immediately and hugged her son as they sat together at the foot of the bed.

"We wouldn't miss your wedding for anything in the world, honey. Especially not after all you must have gone through to accept who you are," she murmured, caressing the boy's chin.

Jay gave an unconscious nod. His spiritual journey had been as tough and scary as his encounter with the thieves, maybe even harder in a way.

"I just never thought you'd want to move in forever. I know how much you cherish our hometown."

Edna cooed and squeezed Jay's hand.

"We won't say we had it clear from the start. You know our neighbors depend a lot on your father's handyman skills, we were worried about them, but… Mr. Kai is such a sweetheart. He made us show him around and asked some of our friends for feedback as to what he can do to help the lands thrive again."

Jay blinked. "Did he?"

Ed and Edna nodded.

"He even brought a secretary with him and they had a reunion with the headman," the man explained.

So that's why he took longer to come back… Jay smiled, pleased to know that the Maharaja had proved once again what a beautiful heart resided in his chest.

"You know you can just call him Kai now." Jay reminded his mother.

"Oh, are you sure it's not too soon, honey? We don't want to bother him."

"You won't." Jay might not know Kai as well as the rest of his spouses, but he was sure that the monarch was more than eager to have his future parents-in-law address him in a more familiar tone.

"By the way, when's the big day?" Ed asked.

"We still don't have a set date, but I guess… As soon as possible." Jay smiled shyly. "Kai said it would be a sort of private and intimate wedding; the few of us and maybe the people who work here. He said there's no need to throw huge parties for people who just want to pry into the royal family's life and their wealth," Jay related his future husband's stance about the matter. And truth be told, he'd been utterly relieved when Kai had made that clear even before leaving for Shaiya. The gingerhead had no wish to deal with Pythor's class again, at least not on such a special event.

"Plain as the nose on your face," said the older man while effusively nodding in agreement. "Your mom and I also had a small wedding and life has been treating us fairly well I'd say." He shared a giggle with his wife.

Just wait to live here for a week, Jay thought. This place is like Paradise on Earth... And not because of all the riches.

Their chat went on, as usual the Walkers jumped from one subject to another. Jay only found his cue to go when Edna started to comment on how beautiful the other boys in this house were, giving Jay knowing glances.

"Okay, okay! It's getting late, we should all go to bed and have some rest," he said, getting up from the bed as if he'd been stung on his back by a bee.

Ed and Edna chuckled together some more.

Before leaving them on their own, Jay put his arms around the couple one more time, squeezing them lovingly.

"I'll be, uh… I'll be in Kai's room if you need anything. Or you can call the guards too, they're very friendly," he murmured, anticipating another dose of embarrassing comments.

"I'm sure we'll be just fine, son. I mean…" Ed partially freed himself from the embrace and gestured around, pointing at all the space and furniture they had in the enormous bedroom, as well as the soft tunics they had been given to sleep in.

Yeah, they were in good hands.

After a goodnight kiss, Jay exited the room and made his way to the royal bedroom, where the others were probably whining that he was taking long to join them. When he crossed the threshold, however, Jay was met with two surprises; the chamber was as quiet as a mouse, vaguely lit by a couple of lamps, and instead of a group of loveable idiots, he found only the Maharaja, curled up on the couch, completely crashed out.

Jay walked closer and kneeled down in front of Kai, taking a moment to admire his relaxed features after weeks of being apart. His fingers naturally reached up to caress the king's face, and push away a few hair strands.

Kai's eyelids fluttered open at once.

"Hey, babe," he slurred with drowsiness.

"Hi." Jay sat next to him. "Sorry, I lost track of time."

"S'fine. I'm sure you didn't take that long. Sorry I doze off, I'm a bit tired after the trip." He pushed himself up into a normal sitting position. "How are your parents? Do they like the room or...?" Kai was cut off by his own yawn.

Jay giggled, placing his hand on Kai's knee and giving it a little squeeze.

"They love it, don't worry."

The other boy smiled pleased and Jay watched him in silence as Kai tried to rub sleep off his eyes.

"I still can't believe you convinced them to move here," he whispered soulfully.

For a moment, the monarch stared at his soon-to-be spouse, eyes wide and eyebrows raised as if the other had just asked him if birds could even fly. Kai shook his head with a weak chuckle, then grabbed Jay's hand.

"They're your parents, and they love you; they would do anything for you," Kai assured with a soft voice.

The monarch leaned back again, but not before putting his arm around Jay's shoulder and pulling him in closer for a kiss. Jay let himself melt into Kai's affection. Soon they were completely stretched out on the couch, cuddling in the peace of the silent room, enjoying each other's company.

"Where are the others? I thought we were going to sleep here together," Jay asked.

"They said this night is just for the two of us. Apparently, someone has been missing me nonstop..." Kai responded in a teasing tone at the same time he tightened his hold on Jay for a second.

"Ugh…" Jay groaned. Damn Cole! Surely the boy had told Kai about all the times he'd found Jay sighing and daydreaming about the king's return.

Kai's chest vibrated as he laughed lowly.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you either. Even if I had tried, it would have been impossible; your parents were constantly telling stories about you."

"Oh, no." Jay buried his head in Kai's neck, embarrassed to the core.

"You were quite a distracted kid, you know," Kai commented as he silently recalled the countless conversations he'd had with the Walkers. "I'm surprised you don't have more scars than Cole after all those stumbles and falls."

"Shut up!"

"Did you really think you could fly if you flapped your arms fast enough?"

"Kai!" Jay smacked his chest lightly.

The Maharaja burst out laughing.

"Hey, it's fine! I used to think that elephants' ears were that big because people pulled at them when they were babies."

Jay grunted once again, amusement mixed with embarrassment and he couldn't decide whether to curse at his parents for their indiscretion or just laugh with Kai at the innocence they both had as children. In the end, he went for the last option.

"Thank you for all you've done for me, and for what you keep doing yet," Jay said after they both calmed down.

Kai looked at him. "You don't have to thank me. All I want is to make you happy."

And happy he was. Even after Ed and Edna had openly supported Jay's wish to be with a boy, even after the old couple had gladly accepted that their son longed to create a family of his own far away from them, Jay had felt spiritually torn. His heart would always be split between the people who had given him life and the people who had let him find his inner light. Now though, that bittersweet feeling had disappeared. He was complete. And no matter what Kai said, Jay would be forever grateful to the boy.

"You know," Kai broke the silence around them. "When I said I had to go because I needed your parents' blessing… that wasn't the only reason I had."

The Maharaja's arms tightened a fraction around Jay, making the gingerhead look up at him.

"I never had a good relationship with my parents —or any sort of relationship except being blood-related," the Maharaja explained. "When I met yours… I was shocked. I never thought that parents could be so… sweet and caring, so understanding of what truly made their children happy. I guess that's why it took me a while to figure out why you weren't feeling all that comfortable here at first. But then I met your mom and dad and… everything made sense."

Jay listened carefully, aware of how difficult it was for Kai to open up to others about his feelings and fears.

The Maharaja's gaze lowered and fell upon Jay, dreamily staring at him.

"I couldn't have lived in peace knowing you guys were separated because of me. I never had the chance to build something as precious with my dad or my mom, and I didn't want to take that away from you." Kai touched Jay's chin, rubbing a gentle finger on it. "Your parents are such wonderful people; they must be to have raised someone as perfect as you. You guys deserve to be together for as long as destiny allows it."

Had the Maharaja not been holding his face, Jay would have looked away when he felt his cheeks start burning under Kai's compliments.

With dozens of butterflies tickling his stomach, Jay fought against his own nerves and maintained eye contact with Kai. The Maharaja seemed to be done with his speech, yet his eyes spoke volumes to the other boy. Just as Cole had said that very same day, the monarch was head over heels for Jay.

And the feeling was mutual.

"I love you," Jay muttered, unable to say anything else after Kai's touching words.

"I love you too, jaybird."

Jay craned his neck and held onto Kai's chest as they kissed again, smooching every inch of each other's faces before they settled down to cuddle some more.

"Does it feel weird when I call you that?" Kai asked out of the blue.

"Uhm?"

"'Jaybird'. I noticed that's what your mom calls you all the time."

"Oh."

Jay hadn't thought about that. The nickname had always felt so natural on him that, even the few times Kai or the others had used it recently, he hadn't detected any difference.

"Maybe we can come up with something else. Uhm… Bluebird? Nah, that's too similar… Freckles? Sweetcheeks?" Kai started sputtering names as they popped into his mind, some of which Jay found extremely hilarious.

"Anything is fine," he responded then cocked a curious eyebrow. "Why 'sweetcheeks' though?"

"Because… They are sweet!" Kai leaned in and licked a wide stripe all over Jay's face, making him yelp.

"Kai! You oaf!" Jay jerked, quickly wiping the saliva off of himself before he rubbed it back onto Kai, which started a small wrestling battle between the two boys as they laughed and teased each other for a while.

Kai cornered Jay against the couch, pushing him onto the cushioned back of the seat as he grabbed his limbs and kept him locked on the spot to lick his face again without consequences. Jay groaned and fought against his restraints, wiggling his body but to no avail. Or maybe he just didn't want to escape Kai's arms.

Kai laughed victorious while Jay feigned annoyance. The Maharaja then planted kisses on the other boy as an offer of peace. His lips repeatedly dropped on Jay's skin. First on his forehead, then between his eyes, his chin, the curve of his jaw… and lower down.

Jay shivered elated when Kai's mouth touched his neck. The Maharaja didn't devour him, instead, he left a trail of soft pecks on the boy. Never venturing further south than his collarbone, nor taking for granted any skin hidden under the clothes.

Jay sighed, a part of him was relieved that Kai wasn't making any bold moves, but also felt like whining with irritation. Kisses and cuddles were nice, but Jay wanted something more, yet at the same time he wasn't sure about taking the next big step. He obviously desired Kai and felt aroused by the boy, but the idea of actually uniting their lives in a more physical way still made Jay... nervous, in a way he couldn't quite decipher.

Luckily, Kai kept his libido under control, or maybe he was just too exhausted for any sexy tactics, as he'd let on earlier.

His kisses grew further apart from each other until his lips just rested still against Jay's skin. The Maharaja snuggled up to the other boy's chest, taking deep, relaxed breaths. Just at the moment that his arms loosened, Jay managed to put his around Kai's back and head, cradling the boy. He heard a satisfied hum coming from the monarch when he stroked his hair. Jay carefully brushed his fingers through the chocolate locks, letting his fingertips lightly dance over the scalp —and he could swear Kai almost purred like a cat.

"You're gonna fall asleep again," Jay warned.

"Uh…" Kai's response was vague and weak, the boy's consciousness was fading little by little.

"Shouldn't we go to bed?"

Kai rubbed his face on Jay's chest and readjusted his grip around him. "It's comfy here."

Jay blushed and chuckled low. Had Kai meant 'here' as in the couch?… Or as in Jay's body? He didn't dare ask. And he didn't dare move either; Kai fit so perfectly in his arms, and he didn't wish to put a stop to that relaxed breathing of his.

Jay accommodated on the couch, further tangling his legs with Kai's, their bodies completely glued to one another. His hands went back to rubbing up and down the Maharaja's back and occasionally playing with his hair. Kai would be fast asleep in a matter of minutes.

A childish smile bloomed in the lips of the future royal spouse.

He couldn't wait to get married to this adorable boy.