The People's Princess (siblings!jacksepticeye & reader)

Chapter 21

*(Y/N)'s P.O.V*

After parting with Sean, I went ahead and travelled further into the town and the age-old tradition of not interfering with a royal outing was maintained. But I couldn't help but feel like people were staring at me, hard glares digging into my back and I unconsciously clutched my woollen purse tightly, suddenly getting defensive with every step I took. I tried to keep my head high and maintain positive thoughts - it's okay, you're just hallucinating - but when my icy blue eyes took a small glance at my surrounding area, the feeling of judgement weighted down my shoulders immediately, the brutal scrutiny making my stomach churn as the town's men looked at me disapprovingly and mothers slyly whispered to each other. I kept on walking and walked by a group of school kids who were wearing a familiar uniform, purple plaid slacks and white sneakers. They were school kids from Purple Diamond, specifically kids from my home room class, whose eyes carried a lethal amount of loathing and scowls on their faces once they saw me. They muttered quietly under their breaths but purposely loud enough for only my ears to hear "sellout" and "witch" before erupting in hysterical laughter. I had no choice but to maintain a poker face, their sly words throwing sharp daggers at my heart.

"Sweets..." I sighed deeply, stopping in my tracks and looking around for any shops that could satisfy my cravings. Treats were always welcomed to keep the stress at bay, but also calling for the end of the nice outing. I was enjoying myself, too bad people have to be assholes about it... I pondered, meticulously analyzing every store nearby before my eyes landed on a small bakery surrounded by merchants selling varieties of teas and coffee. I walked towards the store and noticed the low foot traffic coming through the doors; it seemed like a quiet place to decompress and eat something tasty.

Walking into the store, I was greeted with the strong scent of freshly made bread, hints of cinnamon and cardamom wafting through the air. The bakery had a calming atmosphere to it, the sun shining through the beige curtains and a radio on the windowsill playing soft music. There were different types of cakes, muffins and pies stacked on top of each other on the various shelves, the entire place feeling like heaven and making me drool. My eyes specifically caught the fruit cakes, already adoring the bakery even though there was not a person in sight when I looked around. "Wow...they even have passionfruit tarts too..." I mumbled in great awe, unable to get enough of this goldmine of a bakery.

"Found what you were looking for?" A deep, hoarse voice suddenly erupted from behind me. I immediately whipped around in shock, hands held up to my chest as my heart skipped a beat. But instead of seeing an angry, intimidating elderly man, I was greeted to a soft smile and a welcoming presence of a taller, muscular boy with wavy brown hair, wearing a tan apron dirtied with white flour. His chocolate brown eyes looked at me warmly and after deducing there was no danger, my guard slightly lowered. "Apologies for frightening you, your Majesty." The boy bowed slightly, and my eyes widened in shock at his friendly nature. He looked no more than a year or two older than me and boys his age were usually hostile towards me, especially with the events that have recently transpired. But this guy...he was different.

"No worries, I didn't know anyone was here." I said passively, feeling my cheeks burn hot and turn pink as the boy never took his eyes off me like he was reading and analyzing every part of my being. "I w-was just looking around..." He nodded understandingly, seemingly giving me space but still not taking his dark brown eyes off of me.

"Shall I brew you a cup of tea and a slice of our passionfruit tart while you browse? It's on the house." The taller boy offered, smiling brightly as he walked to the back of the bakery to prepare the treat without even hearing my answer. I wasn't able to refuse anyway, the words falling off my tongue with the captivating tart and alluring boy whose name I didn't even get the only things on my mind. All of this was new to me, all so foreign I couldn't believe what I was experiencing, feeling like this was straight out of a fairytale after the stress I was feeling suddenly vanished into thin air, replaced with a fuzzy feeling. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy his presence, his attention made me feel seen and I secretly craved more. More of the boy standing near me, looking at me with his charming eyes and warm smile, more of him asking questions with his husky voice. A wave of protectiveness washed over me suddenly and I wanted him to myself; there was no chance of me letting someone who made me forget my stress and feel like I was up in the clouds pass me by or even share his with another person, it would be impossible to do so.