Chapter 24 The Prince's Fiancé
Jason
So this was what it felt like to be The Prince's Fiancé. Jason started to find it relaxing. He expected things to be overwhelming. Jason realized not long after his first date with Caleb, he was falling in love. His every breath, thought and memory was consumed by the same person. Even the music he found himself listening to, all the romantic kind.
If anything changed slightly, it was the mornings. Caleb started showing up. What was more, was that Mr. Bateman was no longer the driver. As if by some unspoken reason, Caleb started picking up and dropping Jason off. Jason appreciated the mornings the most. Sometimes he'd invite Caleb up on those days he arrived early for a short while.
Jason loved it when Caleb would kiss him before leaving for school. Jason would kiss back. Always the perfect gentleman, Caleb was obviously being very careful about how far they took things. They avoided the bedroom at all costs. Jason was grateful for that, because any time the kisses started to get too hot and heavy, he shuddered at the thought of going the extra step. Imagining a bed, Caleb's body above him, he wasn't ready, but sometimes certain parts of his body said otherwise.
He couldn't help that Caleb's lips were addictive. Caleb was very good at guessing all the right movements. His lips were ridiculously soft as were his own! It was like, kissing air. Hugging would follow after those morning kisses. Thankfully this after waking up and performing all his normal morning rituals. He made sure to brush his teeth and extra minute, floss and mouthwash to avoid any traces morning breath. Or breakfast. Those hugs felt like they too could last a lifetime. Jason never asked, Caleb simply offered them, taking Jason into his arms gently. They would remain that way until it was time to get to school. Jason loved the way Caleb would hold him, and off to school they'd go.
Gym class suddenly became his favorite class. They had a free day at least once a week in which everyone could do what they wanted. As long as it was something active. Jason showed Caleb a spot by the side of the school where they could hide. The teachers would pretend like they didn't know about that particular spot, or so Caitlin had said.
There, Jason and Caleb would lay side by side, sometimes with only their heads side by side, just carrying conversation with each other. Week's maybe a month passed. It was all a blur to Jason as the time flew on by but none of that mattered. It seemed like they never ran out of things to talk about.
Jason still made time to spend with Caitlin and Nicklaus on the weekends. Caitlin was gradually warming up but unfortunately, remained leery of Caleb. Nicklaus had long forgiven Caleb's attitude because that was how he was. They still met up at Caitlin's favorite pie shop where Nicklaus worked part time at. Jason never noticed it, until now, at how much Caitlin and Nicklaus managed their schedule's together. They always found ways to be together, and not once did they ever show any sign that they'd been together for ten years. Usually couples would fight a lot or show signs they were tiring of each other.
That wasn't the case with Nicklaus and Caitlin. Jason would notice the way Nicklaus would wink over his shoulder at Caitlin when they thought Jason wasn't paying attention. It happened more frequent on those days would Nicklaus would be working. Jason would have his back to Nicklaus and Caitlin would be able to face him, with her back against the wall. The reflection in the window showed Nicklaus cleaning up a nearby table, throwing dishes in a bin before taking it to the backroom. Nicklaus was bent over, Caitlin would be watching. Nicklaus, somehow knowingly, would do that for her entertainment. Jason had little difficulty noticing the exchange.
It was when Caitlin, usually so put together, would start blushing like a typical schoolgirl whenever Nicklaus caught her looking his way.
"I never expected to ever feel this happy," He admitted to her once. "Do you ever get excited, waking up just because you know you're going to be with Nicklaus that day?" It was a dumb question. The answer was obvious but Jason felt he needed to hear it. He needed to know he wasn't the only one in the world filled with these incredible feelings.
Caitlin was sitting across from him and was trying to stop blushing. Nicklaus caught her staring twice and you'd think they'd been dating for only a month opposed to ten years.
"All the time." She replied dreamily.
When the radio suddenly got louder, both Caitlin and Jason went silent, wondering what was going on. That's when Nicklaus came out from the backroom, still in his work uniform, but lip syncing Hold Each Other. Caitlin blushed a lot, especially when Nicklaus got down on one knee right in front of her to sing. Turned out, he wasn't lip syncing at all. He really was singing! But Jason was secretly hoping singing was not in Nicklaus's future.
Nicklaus couldn't sing, but Caitlin didn't seem to mind. She was... star struck.
Jason thought he could be looking at his future. He started to notice he was acting the same way around Caleb as Caitlin acted around Nicklaus. Jason loved the way Caleb's eye color would shift whenever he spotted Jason. Like he was the only guy in the world?
Jason now knew what living a fairytale was like. At least, about as much of a fairytale he cared to live. Jason often forgot that Caleb was an actual Prince, and that Jason was on his way to being one too. There were a few times when he was reminded, at school. There were people wanting to take pictures with both Caleb and Jason. Jason didn't mind, but he did have to bite his bottom lip when someone wanted a photo with just Caleb.
Girls giggled, some guys blushed but Jason didn't say anything. Caleb noticed though. Before Jason could shrug it off, Caleb would hold Jason in a one armed hug. They weren't the kind of couple that waited for each other after class. Nor did Caleb pull any strings so they could have more classes together. Jason was perfectly fine with that.
Jason didn't like it when it came to Caleb dropping him off at his house. That meant Jason would have hours of waiting until they could see each other again. He almost wished they could swap numbers but Jason didn't want to come across as the clingy type. He thought many times about inviting Caleb up just to hang out.
And so he did one fateful Friday in mid-October.
"Are we going in?" Caleb was smiling, as if in on a joke that Jason wasn't.
Jason forgot how to talk, let alone move. "Uh, yeah."
Caleb conveniently turned his head away, first to exit. Jason followed suit but his heart was hammering harder than ever before?
"Are you ok? You're looking a little sick."
Damn him for noticing!
"I'm cool. I'm fine." Jason was amazed he didn't stutter. He was not fine. He was not ok. He felt dizzy, maybe a tad faint. Caleb and Jason never hung out after school before. At least not for a while, back when things were different. The possibilities were endless.
Jason amazingly got the key in the right spot but turned his head almost haphazardly. Caleb was standing a mere three feet away standing like a gentlemen, delicious, unreal, smiling, hands clasped behind his back, patient and too amazing to be true. Jason ended up dropping his keys.
Caleb got to them before Jason. They almost bumped heads in the process.
"I'm not sure you're alright." He said. At least he wasn't making any move to leave. Jason didn't want him to leave! The weekends were the hardest of them all.
"I am." Jason said in a surprisingly calm voice before opening the door. Caleb was usually the one opening and closing doors for Jason. Here, it was Jason's job, so he insisted.
They were heading up the stairs when Caleb mentioned how badly his sister wanted to meet him. "She's getting awfully tired of my excuses and I'm afraid she's a force I can't protect you from."
Jason didn't say anything during their ascent. He needed to think as he kept his back to Caleb. Caleb being as oddly perceptive as he was, seemed to sense that. At least it was better than meeting the King and Queen together, at the same time. The Queen herself was enough! Jason wasn't sure when he'd ever be ready for something like that.
"In fact, she's throwing a dinner party in your honor." Caleb said once they were outside the front door.
"What?" Now that was a jaw dropper. Jason heard the keys fall to the ground. This time neither one of them bent to retrieve them,
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," He waved his hands in front of him defensively, "It's more in 'Our' honor."
"Oh no..." Could he still remember to breathe? Apparently not because a coughing fit followed.
Now Caleb looked truly alarmed. "Look I can have a few words with my sister and cancel the whole thing."
"When is this supposed to take place?" Jason managed to ask, though a bit wheezy.
"Tomorrow night." Caleb realized too late the kind of impact that would be. His eyes widened that he looked like he was about try a shushing or calm down gesture.
"Ack!"
"Shh, shh, shh."
"Tomorrow night?" Jason clutched his throat with one hand.
Caleb tried to nod but it quickly changed directions.
"Tomorrow night?" He had to repeat.
Caleb kept his head very still.
Jason needed a few seconds more before getting himself under control.
"I should have warned you about my sister sooner." At least he looked shameful but Jason wasn't going to place any blame on him. "I just found this out via text message while driving you here."
Now Jason understood why Caleb frowned deeply at his phone while they were at the last stoplight.
"Oh no..." Jason felt the back of his head bump into the front door. "Which one was the salad fork?"
"The what?"
"The salad fork, the dinner fork, I easily forget which one is which."
"Jason?"
Jason wasn't listening. Not with his mind racing as fast as it was. "I think the fork with four points is the dinner fork? Then the spoons! All those spoons."
Jason could tell Caleb was still trying to get his attention but felt compelled to share everything that went on in his head. "Oh at least I get the tiny plate at the upper left hand side is reserved for dessert. Don't cut the salad with a knife, simply fold the lettuce with a fork. No problem there, already do that on my own. Oh and don't eat until host invites to do so."
"Jason..." No impatience, it was like he was chiding.
"Keep hands in sight at all times. Or was that when you're not holding utensils?"
Caleb seemingly had given up and just looked smug with his arms across his chest. His eyes looked closer to blue.
"The most common toast is sk-sk-skoal. You say Skoal right? And don't reach for your glass until that word is said. Maybe you're right, maybe I do feel sick." Jason was certainly feeling it now. His throat felt weird, like there was a hairball in it. "Eh, heh, heh-heh!"
Now Caleb leaned in, lips pressed against Jason silencing him. All the air immediately rushed out and into Caleb. His hands found Jason's and their fingers turned into complicated knot work. Caleb used only his lips but offered enough taste that Jason had completely forgotten what he was rambling about. Let alone worrying about.
Caleb leaned back but their fingers stayed glued together. His face leaned about a foot away and a lazy smile fell over Jason's face. The words couldn't form coherent sentences, his head felt like it had been dipped in fog.
"Better?" Caleb whispered, face still close by. His eyes no longer blue but a stormy gray.
The itchy feeling at his throat was gone. Maybe.
Jason still felt like he dunked his head under water then he made a reach for Caleb once more. Caleb let him. They lips curled and pressed. Jason felt his body get warm with need to have Caleb closer still. It was too bad there were all these clothes in the way.
Jason felt his head bump back into the front door as Caleb leaned in further, responding to Jason's unspoken desire. Caleb had to break the kiss yet again because the front door opened.
"What on earth...? Oh." Jason's mother was amazingly standing there now looking conveniently in the opposite direction.
Caleb caught Jason by placing his arms around Jason's hips to keep him from falling. One hand happened to rest over one of Jason's... lower butt cheeks. It was quite the compromising situation to be caught in. Jason felt his face burn red.
For the first time in a long time, Jason caught Caleb looking uncertain about what to say. He made sure to move Caleb's hand up higher, to the center of his back with the other hand.
"Mom? What're you doing home?" Jason didn't have to act surprised.
"I took, I took, day off." She too was turning a bright red and was trying to hide her face in her hair. "Huh honey, honey, could I separate you two for a moment please?"
She meant they should be at arm's length apart. Jason figured he could comply, but they both sprang apart like their lives depended on it.
Once they did, she was waving them inside. "Come on inside. Both of you. I can imagine already what the neighbor's might say, if they say they saw you two like that. Thank god you did it on my door and not someone else's."
Leave it to mama Saint Laurent to make an already bad situation sound like it could be worse. Awkward moments only seemed to pile on up since the dinner party thing was sprung on him. Caleb found a way to silence the thoughts that nearly brought Jason to the brink of insanity but then they got caught making out. Jason's mom ducked inside and they followed. Only for her to grab a cup of coffee and duck out of the room.
Her bedroom door shutting brought Jason back to his senses and Caleb shuffled his feet.
"What?"
Caleb flinched.
Jason blinked before giving Caleb his best stern look. "What gives?"
"Huh? I don't know what you're talking about."
Jason wasn't buying it. "Why do I get the feeling you came up here for..." Could Jason say it? "Netflix?" He offered instead. It was lame but it was all he had.
"What's a Netflix? Oh," Jason slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead, "right." He let his hand fall down back to his side. "I'll explain that later." Jason knew by now that Caleb often said things that made no sense when he was nervous. Now Jason was onto Caleb. "Anyways if not that then I know not for the other thing."
Jason did his best to refrain from laughing. Caleb wasn't making any sense. He was nervous alright but Jason had no idea what for. "What other thing?" He threw in a head tilt that usually made Caleb's eyes go hazy, and i worked.
Jason was otherwise, still rendered speechless. His voice made noises that could associated with a car refusing to start. It rarely happened anymore but moments like this was when they both acted like elementary school children who liked each other a lot. Words and phrases got thrown out the window as they tried to find ways to communicate with each other.
"What I mean is." What did he mean? "Ack! Stop that. Whenever you get all nervous and weird, I get all nervous and weird. But never mind that, let's get back to you."
"What makes you think you think I came up here for a specific reason?"
"Ah, wait a minute you're confusing me. I'm asking you a question. Right?" The whole thing was crashing and burning before him.
"I... think so." He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking more the part of a surly, average American teenager than he was aware of.
"Caleb." Jason snapped a finger. "Focus."
"I just don't want to make you feel like you're being pressured into anything. This... happened so fast."
It did, but Jason couldn't find anything to complain about. Yet.
"Look," he said bringing Caleb to look at him, "I'm happy. As long as you're happy. I haven't been this happy in a long time. Years. Maybe even happier now that I've ever been in my entire life."
He meant every word and hoped that message conveyed through his eyes.
Caleb only stared back, expression unreadable. "Are you?" Pause. "Happy?"
Jason nodded his head before hissing out, "Yes." He could have said more but he didn't want to tarnish the moment by babbling. "But maybe using the word Happy is an understatement. I have a reason to wake up and go to school now. I still get really nervous whenever I see you in the morning. Its worse on Mondays after not seeing you at all for two days, and it's like we're meeting for the first time all over again. And there so much happiness inside I feel like I could burst into tears at any moment.
"Touching you is my favorite remedy. God I can't even remember what it feels like to have a bad day. I hope this doesn't freak you out, but I catch myself saying your name whenever I'm alone."
"You've masterbated to me?" Caleb was quick.
Jason froze. His eyes turned away. "Let's change the subject. Point is, I think, no wait, I know. I'm in love with you Caleb. I don't think that will ever change. Don't get me wrong logically speaking it's possible but, Caleb, these feelings are intense. I just want you to touch me. "
"Good." Caleb said then paused. Kicked the tip of his shoe at the carpet like he was kicking an invisible rock. "I just wanted to make sure of that first. Not like I want you feeling pressuring to doing anything in particular. I just want you happy. I'm happy too if that means-"
"Caleb you're rambling again." Jason felt his eyes narrow, eyebrows knit together. The real reason he decided to take up Jason's offer.
Caleb took two steps forward, striding, causing Jason to go on alert. There was a look, maybe fevered, uncertainty, resolved, stormy eyes getting stormier. Jason somehow understood that look and fought to keep his feet rooted in place. What came next was about to change his life.
"I wanted to do this away from the cameras."
"Oh god..."
"Maybe it's too soon but could you bear with me?"
Jason found himself nodding. He only guessed at first but this made a lot of sense.
Now Caleb was getting down on one knee, reaching beneath the flap of the carpet. There was a lump he never noticed. Jason suddenly remembered the way his mom darted out of the room. He realized how tense Caleb was all day, he was a tad quieter than normal.
A box, suited for something small. It was made of some kind of black material that simmered even in the dull lighting of the living room.
"If I," Jason felt his eyes welling up, "Truly make you happy." He was holding the box up a bit higher his stormy eyes reaching the stormiest yet. "Would you allow me to continue to do so for the rest of your life?" A gold band was in place. At least that's what he expected. Even though the ring wasn't directly in his face, he could see it was custom made. What looked like an inscription on the outer side of the ring was a bunch of fancy swirls etched. Jason could almost picture the gold shaving down at the feet by whoever made this ring.
It was, for lack of a better word, astounding.
Jason had long since lost the ability to speak that Caleb's adam's apple bobbed up and down twice.
Don't faint. Don't faint. Don't faint. Don't faint.
"As for my sister," he said in hopes of breaking the awkward silence, "she's not as bad as you might think." Though his eyes spoke different volumes as he stayed down on one knee. His adam's apple bobbed a few more times in quick succession.
He pressed his lips together for a second then darted his tongue out along the edges of his upper lip. Jason was doing everything he could not to hold his hands over his mouth like a girl. Though it seemed appropriate at the time. Jason knew the answer, more like he felt the answer.
Jason answered the only way he could by dropping down his knees. Caleb looked very much alarmed but Jason's legs could no longer support him. He felt a silly look cross his face that had Caleb suddenly looking more than alarmed. He was about to call down the hall for help when Jason threw his arms around Caleb and kissed him.
"I'll take that as a yes?" Caleb managed to ask once they pulled away a few inches to breathe. It seemed like they both had forgotten how to breathe.
Jason nodded, the swelling in his eyes spilled over with emotions he could never put words to, and he laughed, with Caleb joining in, and Jason's mom standing behind them. They all had smiles on their faces.