Chapter XVIII Not His Strongest Suite

Chapter 18 Not His Strongest Suit

Jason

Jason felt like he was dreaming from the moment he woke up extra early. It was obvious his mother was crying but she hid it well. For the first time he caught her reaching for a notepad to write him another inspirational quote of the day. She didn't know he was watching, but he saw her hand reach for a pad of yellow sticky notes. She stopped herself when she noticed Jason was standing nearby. Her eyes were red rimmed but she smiled anyway.

More men dressed in black came in through the front door, to take the one and only suitcase Jason owned. It came as a shock that there were nearly half a dozen men who all decided to come up at the same time. As if there was a sniper lying in wait somewhere. Jason, for a moment, felt slightly embarrassed by how beat up his suitcase looked, along with the fact he had a sticker of SpongeBob and Patrick giving each other a high five. Most of the men looked confused by how much luggage Jason had decided to bring with him. How long was he supposed to be gone away?

It was still dark out but Jason could see the sun starting to peek over the horizon. He tried to focus on that, maybe it would be a good sign of hope. The men all surrounded him without speaking a word. Jason was hoping to find Lucas, a familiar face he could cling to.

No such luck. There was a limousine parked out front for him. Jason mentally sighed in relief when he spotted Lucas standing near the door, silent, still as a statue. Jason wished the man could have at least smiled to reassure him, but Jason realized he needed to start facing things, like how to be more of an adult. He was in fact, eighteen now, and a possible soon-to-be Prince. As far as he understood, over his previously sleepless night, the crown wouldn't be passed down until the passing of the King. Jason could only imagine what the King looked like. Terrifying!

Jason got in the limousine which smelled of leather and mint. He found himself gazing in wide wonder rather than touch buttons that he had no idea of what they might do. He noticed a small television screen, but he was too skittish to try it out. Lucas got in the limousine with him at least, but so did three other men. Lucas kept his presence professional, at least while they were in the company of others. Jason bit his tongue from asking any of the other men why they bothered wearing sunglasses in a well tinted vehicle. He knew it would be rude to ask, so he kept his mouth shut.

He imagined them offering (sarcastically) for him to try out their job. Jason wasn't even sure if they spoke English or not.

The trip was a blur. He had to fight the feeling as though he were saying goodbye to all the places he'd known his whole life. He introverted himself into questions about his biological father. Like how he met his mother, and what he must have been like, but Jason still felt too much resentment. He tried, but failed, of coming with reasons why his father left a pregnant woman behind. Nothing made any sense.

To add to his already pile of mounting concerns, he thought about asking around when he arrived in Sweden. If he even had the chance. His whole schedule felt up in the air.

When he had to board a plane. He half expected, half hoped, he'd see a familiar face on that plane. Maybe the Princess since something about her helped ease his worries and doubts. He would have even settled with sitting next to Caleb! He had to ball his hands into fists as the Captain formally introduced himself, by which Jason nodded in acknowledgment, though his eyes felt wide. Maybe it was due his lack of sleep. The Captain seemingly ignored this and offered half of a bow.

His entourage flanked all four sides, one bodyguard in front carried his embarrassing suitcase, Jason might have imagined it but it looked as though Lucas was fighting a fit of laughter. He walked up the steps ignoring the wind that seemed to pick up before one of the men ducked his head to enter safely. The inside looked exactly like it did in the movies. Comfortable chairs, a flight attendant chimed a greeting, Jason responded politely.

His breakfast was already served in a tray and waiting for him. Jason realized he'd forgotten to eat any breakfast at all. Though his stomach felt queasy just thinking about food. The sausage smelled fresh and that got his stomach to growl. Everyone should have heard it. Jason felt his face go beet red as he subconsciously laid a hand over his stomach. No one said anything though.

Biscuits, with honey and butter were laid to the side along with grape jelly. Scrambled eggs, but without cheese, lured Jason the rest of the way. At least there wasn't a dozen different spoons and forks to eat with. The only thing Jason could remember was, the dinner fork had four spikes.

Jason found himself eating, and a flight attendant, a blonde woman with her hair tied into a tight bun, with blue eyes and a friendly smile, poured him a glass of orange juice. It was a meal fit for a Prince. No doubt about that. Jason kept up with his manners and tried not to inhale his breakfast, though he really wanted to.

"Can I get you anything else?" The friendly flight attendant asked. Her name tag read Amy. She was half bent over and Jason didn't miss the fact that Lucas was checking her out.

"No thank you miss Amy." Jason replied.

"Please," She said with her wisdom teeth showing, "call me Amy."

Jason wasn't sure what to say, so he nodded.

When she walked away to announce that departure was due in five minutes. Jason ate a little faster. He generally didn't care for biscuits with breakfast, but he didn't want to come across as a spoiled snot, so he ate them anyway. Everything tasted fresh anyway. What Jason didn't expect was for more food to be delivered and his spork taken away. A man who could be an expert chef pushed a cart in his direction. On a silver platter under a silver lid, croissants and even a crepe were steaming, bringing the smell right with them. Jason's ideal and favorite breakfast. The crepe was stuffed with honest to goodness fresh fruit! Three scoops of some white cream sat in another dish. Jason made sure to use every bit. He dumped nearly the entire syrup dish and ate faster still. Jason had no idea his stomach could contain it all, as he forgot that he was now putting his manners at risk.

His mom used to make him crepes. That was back before she had to leave extra early for work. Jason had tried making his own but it was much harder than it looked. He always managed to make them look like wads of paper thrown in a waste basket. He gave up trying, but his love for those super thin pancakes never dwindled. Especially when his mom knew how to make canned fruit taste like they were picked from a garden.

He drank his orange juice and every drop of that creamy milk that came with the meal. It was when he finished that he remembered to use his napkin to wipe his mouth. He had Lucas, plus the other three men staring at him like he had just licked his plate clean. Jason would be lying if he said he didn't think about it.

Jason thought about saying something smart, but he saw Lucas shake his head while smiling and saying something about, to be a teenager again.

The only other exciting fact about the whole trip other than taking off, was landing. It had been hours and Jason had been itching to get fresh air. The ride at first was fascinating but Jason could only handle it for so long. But none of that mattered anymore. The inevitable had come and Jason knew he was going to have to face the music sooner rather than later.

Jason found himself breathing cool air soon as he was able to step off the plane. He figured he should have maybe said his goodbyes and thanked everyone on the plan for their hospitality, but doing so would have tempted him to get back on. Besides that, he was too mesmerized by the sudden culture shock.

The buildings all around him were art themselves and he could hardly take another step. The air felt a tad chillier compared to home and the smell, at least he was familiar with the ocean. It wasn't like he lived that far from the ocean anyway. But this, it felt like he had stepped back in time, and Jason found hard to take in. Yes the cars were modern but the license plates were different.

It looked as though a lot of the places preferred living out by or on the water. Jason's brain was still having a difficult time taking everything in that he had to close his eyes. He knew Lucas and the other nameless men stopped. Thankfully he couldn't feel any of them staring at him. He needed his moment, THIS moment, for himself.

It only took a few seconds for him to open his and eyes to start talking. He was taken to another black limo and he happily crawled inside. He shut his eyes again once they pulled way to let himself feel every bump hit, every passerby and ever car honk. Surely this was what home felt like.

Once again his brain erased the details. He found himself exiting the limo and now stood in front of what had to be Palace itself. His brain short circuited by this point he hardly realized Caleb was standing in front of him. He was being hugged not in the bone crushing way. Jason closed his eyes once more, he was starting to experience jet lag. He leaned into the hug and his mouth rested over Caleb's shoulder.

Jason knew this was Caleb's way of apologizing, but Jason also knew better. None of this was his fault.

"Are you ok?" Jason didn't miss the absent Australian accent but kept the comment to himself. "I wish I never left you. I wish you didn't have to find out this way." Jason's eyes remained shut and he found himself hugging back but gently. "I froze. I was wrong to leave you all alone like that."

Jason wished they could stay like this forever. The warmth and kindness that radiated off of Caleb was something Jason could never get tired of.

But, Jason knew not to mistake kindness for something more. He found himself pulling back and slowly took Caleb in. Caleb hardly looked anything like the boy he went to school with. Calebs hair was too neat instead of its usual messy display. Jason knew messing it up by rubbing his fingers through it would likely be unwelcome here. He knew Caleb had an image to uphold here but Jason couldn't stop himself from staring at Caleb. Why was he still so beautiful?

Caleb hardly stood the same and the clothes he currently wore, regalia fit for a Prince. It suddenly made it all too real for Jason. From the white suit jacket that looked like it had never been worn before to all the complicated pins and necktie, well not of it really looked right on him. Maybe Jason was just being biased.

Caleb wore an almost dreamy expression but Jason took a side note on the fact that Caleb never took his hand off Jason's left shoulder. Just that alone kept Jason anchored in place.

"I can give you the grand tour later." He said before giving the gentlest shoulder squeeze as possible. Maybe Jason looked more fragile than he felt.

"Yes please." Jason figured he maybe should have said Your Majesty, but the words never came.

"You're crashing." Jason brain, sleep deprived, was finally starting to catch up to him or this was fainting felt like. "Here. You can lean on me if you want. I'll show you to your guestroom myself."

Caleb did more than offer an arm. He scooped his arm around Jason and Jason was too tired to care how it might have looked to anyone. He wouldn't let himself try to read into Caleb's intentions. He stuck with the fact that Caleb felt personally responsible for his welfare and Jason was going to let him.

Jason had forgotten how wonderful it felt to let someone take care of him. He hadn't realized how bone tired of doing everything himself until now. He could get used to this.

Jason hardly paid any mind to the whole journey. He knew there was a few people Caleb shooed away in Swedish.

He let himself lean into Caleb, a hint of whatever cologne Caleb used kept him rooted in place. But Jason didn't let himself lean too much on Caleb for fear of wrinkling him. He still found himself drunk off of Caleb's kindness and Jason knew it wasn't healthy, because Jason felt sure Caleb couldn't feel the same way as Jason felt about Caleb. A piper's dream.

A fairytale.

All Jason knew was, Caleb brought him to a room that looked like a fancy hotel room. Once more, Jason couldn't process it all.

"You're like a drunk." Caleb commented.

Jason could have kissed Caleb right then and there for bringing him to a place of solitude. He let Caleb lead him to the bed and they sat side by side.

"Should I help you undress? Leave you alone for a nap?"

Jason had no idea what amused Caleb but Caleb was suddenly a little giggly.

"Are you sure you're not drunk?" Jason asked this without thinking and that was when Caleb burst out with a laughter. It was enough to shake the bed (which was starting to feel like cloud nine to him right now) and Jason with him.

Caleb kept his arm around Jason's shoulders. Jason found himself nuzzling over to Caleb's neck before saying, "No. Stay. Please."

Without so much as a warning, Jason found himself curling up against Caleb. Calebs posture might have stiffened but that could have been Jason's pessimistic voice whispering. Caleb never pulled away from Jason, or it could have been because he was too nice to pull away.

"Hold on a sec." Caleb said and gently pulled away from Jason.

Jason did his best to hide the hurt of what was most likely a rejection, but Jason knew he would live through it. That was life.

As Jason started to scoot away and hide his face, he saw Caleb quietly move to the other side of the room to close the curtains. Jason started to curl up by one of the pillows while staying over the blankets. He assumed Caleb would leave anyway so Jason started to strip. Caleb continued to move around like a ghost the same time Jason took off his shirt.

Caleb seemed to move without pause as he stripped out of his jacket and laid it gracefully on a chair near the foot of the bed. Jason never felt a bed quite this comfortable. All he'd ever known were previously used mattresses. Not that they were ever a problem. Jason's mother knew people willing to give up things they no longer had any use for.

Caleb pressed a hesitant knee on the bed and much to Jason's surprise, he crawled over to Jason before cupping his head in both of his arms. Caleb led Jason's head down to his lap and that almost had Jason bursting into tears. Was this really happening? Caleb's lap proved to be far more comforting over the fancy pillows that took up almost half the bed and couldn't help the shiver that broke out. Caleb responded by letting a hand rest over the back of Jason's head.

Jason was amazed he didn't shiver again but it was like the subtle touch had quieted his body.

This had to mean something. Didn't it? Jason could only hope so, but he still found himself refusing to fully accept that. Lest his heart be broken all over again. He knew if he let his heart be broken, this close to his previous heartbreak, it would feel worse. Jason knew he was taking one hell of a risk letting himself hope again, but maybe, just maybe this time would be worth it.

Because, let's face it. Being a realist wasn't his strongest suite no matter how hard he tried.

"I'll never leave you again." Caleb whispered shortly before Jason let himself be blissfully carried off to sleep.