Chapter 2
"My kingdom isn't too far away so we can just walk." Jake told them as he led the way.
"So where are we going exactly?" Chloe questioned him.
"Rich's place."
"Why are we gonna be safe there?"
"Chlo, we're just gonna have to trust him." Brooke whispered to her girlfriend? Date? Gal?
"It's fine Brooke, has far as you guys know I could be leading you to a place where I’m gonna murder you." Jake joked, although it didn't come off as a joke to the others. "I'm not actually gonna murder you."
"So tell us where we’re going?”
“It’s hard to explain.”
“Do you even know where we’re going?”
“Yes, but I know how to get there, not how to tell other people.”
“You’re definitely gonna murder us.” Michael yelled from the back of the group.
“I’m not murdering anyone.” He told them once again. “I don’t speak for Rich though.”
“So your boyfriend’s gonna murder us?”
“No one is murdering anyone Michael.” Jake repeated.
“So why are we gonna be safe at Rich’s?” Christine asked.
“He’s a...criminal.” Jake awkwardly replied, “He needs to hide out from guards so his place is pretty hidden.”
They continued walking only for Jake to abruptly stop. He bent down to brush some pine needles out of the way, revealing a handle. He grabbed the handle and opened the hatch, which had stairs leading farther down. Jake started heading down the stairs, expecting his friends to follow.
“Brooke,” Chloe held onto Brooke’s arm to stop her from entering the dark staircase, “Are you sure we can trust him?”
“Yes we can, Jake wouldn’t murder anybody.”
“Okay, just...be careful.”
“I will.” Brooke smiled, pressing a small kiss onto Chloe’s cheek before heading to follow Jake. After she went, Chloe shortly followed with Jenna and Christine right behind her. Michael and Jeremy went last. They meet up with Jake at the bottom of the stairs, who was sitting on the end of a bed. In the bed was someone sleeping who looked to be about Jake’s age. They stood at the back of the room watching, not wanting to intrude on the couples moment.
“Hey Richie.” Jake whispered.
“Hm Jake.” He sighed back, “Wait, Jake!”
“Rich, calm down.”
“Thit a guard!” Rich exclaimed, grabbing a sword and aiming it at Michael. “I didn’t actually think you were gonna fucking do thith Jake.”
“What happened to ‘no one’s gonna get murdered’?!” Michael yelled at Jake.
“Where did you get a sword?”
“Where I get all my thtuff from Jake.”
“Okay, Richie. I let you keep a lot of the things you steal, but a sword is not one of them.” Jake calmly responded, taking the sword out of Rich’s hands.
“Well I don’t really feel like going to jai-”
“Michael isn’t a guard” Jake interrupted.
“Where’d you get the armor?” Rich asked Michael, who was still in shock of someone threatening him with a sword.
“I-um, stole it?”
“Huh, imprethive.” He remarked before turning his attention back to Jake, “Tho which one of thethe fancy people did you replace me with?”
“Rich.” Jake glared before turning to face his friends. “Can you give us a moment?”
“What do you want?” Rich asked once the group left the room.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what? Keeping that big of a fucking thercet from me for yearth and then not even addreth it properly just to go goof off with other rich and fancy people.”
“Rich, I didn’t have a choice.”
“Jutht tell me why you lied, then maybe I’ll forgive you.”
“I was afraid that you’d treat me differently if you knew I was a prince.”
“I let my guard down for you Jake, and you did that.”
“I’m sorry, I should’ve told you a lot sooner but I was afraid.”
"Dude, we were friendth for yearth, we dated and kithed and did...other thtuff" Rich rambled.
"I know Richie, I was there."
"I get you were thcared but how do I know if you're hiding anything elthe?"
"Well I’m still just...Jake."
“Are you? You did come back with a bunch of royalth--why did you even bring them here?” Rich asked, cutting himself off mid sentence.
Jake sat closer to him, and he didn’t move away, which was a good sign.
“We need someplace to lay low for a while, then we’re gonna move to Jeremy’s kingdom.”
“Jeremy?”
“The skinny dude that was holding onto Michael.”
“Oh the twink?”
“Yeah that’s him.”
“Tho you are going to uthe my houthe and then leave me here.”
“I was gonna take you with us Richie.” Jake smiled as he took Rich's hand, “Once we get to Jeremy’s kingdom, we can finally have the life we always wanted. We could get our own house-”
“And a dog.” Rich added on with a laugh.
“Then we won’t have to be afraid anymore.” Jake smiled softly at his boyfriend, who returned the smile happily, “And I won’t be a prince anymore.”
“God you're an idiot I love you.” Rich sighed, pulling Jake into a tight hug. “Wath I overacting?”
“No you weren’t baby, I lied to you. You have every right to be mad.” Jake assured him before breaking the hug and pulling him into a kiss. "I'm sorry."
"Thtop apologizing dumbath, did you really think I'd never forgive you?"
"I don't know dude, I was just scared."
"Tho are you gonna let your fancy friendth back in or can I kith you again?"
"Mm friends can wait." Jake sighed before being pulled into a deep kiss.
“Ugh what are they doing in there?” Chloe complained as her and the rest of the new group of friends waited outside of the room.
“This is taking too long, let’s just go in.” Jenna suggested.
“Bet you three gold coins that they’re making out.” Michael told Jeremy.
“Deal.” Jeremy accepted. They opened the door, which was carelessly left unlocked. The couple was sitting on the bed, Rich in Jake’s lap, legs wrapped around Jake’s wasit and Jake’s arms wrapped around Rich’s waist. Indeed, they were making out.
“Ha! Pay up sweetheart.” Michael taunted.
Jeremy pulled out the coins and tossed them to Michael, who caught them with ease. “Wait did you just call me sweetheart?”
“Jake!” Christine yelled, which got all of their attention, including Jake. “Hey.”
“Hey guys.”
“So this is Rich.” Chloe assumed. “Lot shorter than I thought he’d be.”
“Chloe!” Jake glared as that comment must’ve offended Rich. “Yeah, this is Rich-”
“How do they know who I am?”
“He talked about you at the ball.” Michael told Rich before Jake could have a chance to respond.
“Tho he talkth about me doeth he?”
“Shut up!”
“Tho I know the twink’th Jeremy-”
“I’m not a twink!”
“-and glatheth is Michael, but who are the retht of them?”
“This is Brooke and Chloe-”
“Her girlfriend.” Chloe finished, staring fondly at Brooke, whose face turned red.
“...yeah, and this is Christine and Jenna.” He finished.
“Well thome people can thleep in that room,” Rich pointed to a door on the side of the room, “And otherth on the floor.”
“Let me guess, you and Jake get to have the bed?” Jenna questioned, rolling her eyes from the obvious answer.
“No Jake’th gonna thleep on the floor. I get the bed.” Rich taunted. “Now can I pleathe go back to thleep, you realize how early it ith right?"
"Girls, follow me." Chloe announced.
"Why?"
"Because Jenna, do you really want to share a room with them?" She answered, pointing at the boys.
"Good point."