Royalty

XII

A/N: Please vote and leave a comment if you're reading! <3

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I didn't see Jack at all the rest of the day. I went outside that night to wait for Phil again. I was wrapped up in so many blankets I'm not sure I would even be able to get up if he came. I had only been sitting there a few minutes when I heard footsteps coming from behind me.

"I thought you were mad at me?" I said without turning around. Jack handed me a cup and sat down. I stuck my hand out of the blanket and grabbed it. It was full of hot tea. "Thanks"

"I am mad at you" he took a sip of his drink. "But that doesn't mean I want you to get hypothermia and die" I peeked at him from the corner of my eye. "I don't understand why you keep waiting for this guy. Is he really that great?" he asked. I shook my head.

"You wouldn't get it" I said.

"Try me" I bit my lip.

"He's... different. I don't know how to explain it, but he's different than anyone I've ever liked" Jack snorted.

"That's because he has a dick" I elbowed him.

"That's not what I meant"

"He's the first guy you've ever dated, of course he's different" he continued. "Plus everyone's different and some people are going to feel more special than others. That doesn't mean you have to put yourself through hell trying to be with them"

"This isn't that bad" I said stubbornly.

"That's because you have like twelve blankets on you idiot. Let me in" I unwrapped part of my blanket and let him wrap it around himself. "Fuck it's cold out" I sipped my drink.

"I think I love him" I said. Jack turned to look at me. Our faces were really close.

"I know"

"I just... can't understand why he's not here" I felt tears starting to well up. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't cry.

"I don't know why either" he said. "But if he really does love you, there better be a damn good reason" I smiled halfheartedly. We sat in silence for a while. I kept my eyes closed.

"Hey, Jack?" I whispered. "Are you still mad at me?" Jack sighed and leaned his head on my shoulder.

"I can never stay mad at you"

Phil didn't come that night. Or the next. Or the next. Jack sat with me every night waiting. Every night I spent less and less time waiting. After about a week I hardly waited at all. I spent all of my time with Jack now. I ate all my meals with him in the kitchen, it became less weird for me after I learned the cooks name, she was pretty cool. All of the staff was pretty cool actually. I knew all of them, obviously, but I never really knew them. They were all so nice. We played games with them at night before we went outside to wait for Phil. They always had some kind of treat to share. Tonight the the cook made pie.

"Mary, this is the best fucking pie I had ever tasted" I moaned as I scarfed down my piece.

"Language" she scolded. I grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry" Jack was talking with his mother across the table as we ate. "You have to teach me how to bake like this" I said. The cook laughed.

"When are you ever going to bake? I do all the baking for you" she had a good point.

"C'mon, it's a good skill to have" she smiled and shook her head.

"Sure, I'll teach you someday when I have time" I smiled at her excitedly. This was so much fun. I hadn't been this happy in weeks. Since... well, since Phil left.

"Hey," Jack looked up. "We should be getting outside before it get's too cold" I looked down at my clean plate. The happiness quickly faded.

"Um, maybe we don't have to go out tonight?" I suggested. Jack looked surprised. "I mean, I'm kind of tired, and I'm sure if he was coming tonight he would've already left" I added quickly. Jack shrugged.

"Whatever you want to do" I carried my plate to the sink and set it with the other dirty dishes.

"Yeah, can we just go to bed?" I felt kind of guilty, not going to wait for him. It was like I was giving up. But maybe I was giving up. It had been almost two weeks since I last saw Phil, and there what were the chances that he was coming back tonight?

"Sure" While he said goodnight to his mother, I said goodnight to Mary and the others, and we headed up to our rooms. We both changed and went to our separate beds. I laid there for a few minutes and then got back up. I quietly walked into Jack's room, trying not to make too much sound in case he was already asleep. His back was towards the door.

"Dan, what are you doing?" he mumbled sleepily. I froze in the doorway.

"I, uh..." Jack rolled over so he could see me. My face flushed. "I just wanted to... I can't-" Jack sighed and pulled the blanket back for me. I smiled and crawled into bed with him.

"What's the problem?" Jack's bed wasn't very big, it was definitely not made for two people, so when we laid facing each other we pretty much were on top of each other. "Are you having nightmares again?"

"No," I didn't know how to explain it. When I was alone, all I could think about was Phil. I missed him so much that my chest ached. "I miss him" I admitted. Jack made a face. I knew he was tired of talking about him, especially after he all but told me he liked me. "I don't want to talk about him anymore" I said. "I want to forget about him. I want you to... help me forget about him" I leaned closer to him, though there was hardly any room to move.

"Dan" Jack said in exasperation. "You can't keep doing this" he pushed me away. I almost fell out of the bed. "You- you just- you're so-!" he sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. "You get my hopes up, every time. And you make me think maybe, just maybe he likes me too. But you can't like me that way, for so many reason" I grabbed his hand.

"But I think I do like you" I honestly wasn't sure. I knew I felt something for Jack but I didn't know what it was.

"You think, you always think. God sometimes you think to much" I didn't know what I was thinking. I loved Phil, but he was gone and he was probably never coming back. And I did like Jack, and he was here.

"Jack" he slowly turned towards me. "Jack listen to me" Jack waited. I opened my mouth, but didn't know what to say.

So I kissed him.