The Price of Love

Chapter 29

John's PoV

The tall, platinum blond man standing in my doorway strides across the room and crushes me in a tight hug. I squeak in surprise when he kisses my cheek. I thought he moved on. I certainly did. "Holy hell Jack, I missed you." He murmurs.

"You're squishing me." I complain. He instantly releases me. "Oh my God Francis, it's so good to see you again!" I cry, thoughts of Alex momentarily pushed out of my mind. "How are you?" He sits on my bed.

"Hi Maria, good to see you too." He greets her. Maria flashes him a smile and leaves. "I'm doing pretty well Jack. Europe's really nice. You should come visit one day."

"I'd like that." I say. "Maybe after the war's over." I see a shadow pass over his face for an instant, then it vanishes, making me question if I did see it at all. "So how come I didn't know you were coming?" I ask.

"I wanted to surprise you." He smiles, stealing a quick kiss to my cheek. "I didn't want to worry you with thoughts of the ship sinking or anything of that sort, dearest." Tell him to stop. It's not okay anymore. You have Alex. But I don't. I don't want the questions. I don't want his hurt.

"You still should have sent me a letter." I whine. "I missed you Francis." I smile up at him. It's weird that someone is taller than me. Francis is twenty one, like me, but he's almost a full head taller. I'm used to just looking directly ahead to meet someone's eyes, or in Alex's case, look down. God he's so cute. I think wistfully. How can you miss someone so much?

"Come walk with me." I invite him. "Catch me up on what's been happening with you for the past eight years." We stand up. I lead him out of the castle and onto the grounds.

"Nothing much has happened." He says, falling into step beside me. "The same things that were happening here, just less messing around and more studies. I went to France. That was fun. I saw a few executions, you know, the guillotine." He slices his hand through the air and imitates a dying scream. I open my mouth to tell him that that's not what a dying man sounds like, but quickly shut it. He thankfully doesn't notice. "My dad tried to hook me up with some girls, but it didn't work out." He winks at me and I feel my cheeks heat up slightly. "So what have you been up to?" He asks.

"The same old things." I say. "Just my boring old studies and shit." It hurts to not mention Alex, or New York, or their war. Francis cocks his head at me and narrows his icy blue eyes a little.

"You're talking different." He says. "Faster than everyone else here, not like you used to. Not a lot though. That's funny." He shrugs. "You know 'New York's' little 'war'?" He does air quotations as he speaks. I feel a spark of anger at that.

"Yes." I say, keeping my voice calm. "Of course I do. It's been going since before we were born."

"I'm not asking if you've heard of it silly. What do you think about it? We're older now, we can actually judge this stuff." He pushes me playfully.

"I support it." I answer automatically. "I wouldn't help them of course-" Yes I would, and I have. "-But I support the fact that they want to be led by someone that's here and they trust, not someone across the ocean who's a dick to them." He looks at me, thinking it over.

"I've never heard that before." He says. "You've grown up, Jack." He ruffles my hair and I step a few inches away from him. It feels wrong to let him do this. "So now what?" He asks. "I have a few ideas~"

"Francis, no." I say sharply. "It's too soon, you just got back." Surprise flickers in his eyes.

"You have grown up." He mutters. I never used to say no to him. Even a few months ago, I wouldn't have said no. I guess Alex, and New York itself, put that in me. I miss him. Franic resumes talking, but I tune him out, lost in my thoughts. He shoves me and I stumble forward a few feet.

"Hey!" I yell, spinning around. "What was that for?" He stares at me, slightly shocked by my small outburst.

"You were ignoring me." He says. "Sorry, but I was trying to get your attention, but you weren't listening." Hurt flashes in his eyes and I instantly feel guilty.

"I'm sorry." I mumble, walking back to him and hugging him. "Dad's just gonna host a ball and I'm stressing over it. I'm worried he's gonna force me to hookup with some girl." He wraps his arms around me.

"I won't let him." He promises. "Okay Jacky?"

"Okay Francis." I say quietly. I'm sorry Alex. I'm being such a fucking hypocrite right now. I love you. "Did you find anyone in Europe?" I ask him.

"No. There were a few that I thought might, but they didn't work out. And none of them were you." He boops my nose and I feel my cheeks heat up again. "You're so cute." He says. This isn't okay. Tell him to stop. You can't let him do that. I think, panicking slightly. But Alex is going to dump me anyway, then Francis is going to be all butthurt if I turn him down then come back to him. I reflect. He kisses me. Rougher than Alex's sweet, gentle kisses. Much more passionate, and it takes me by surprise. But I do not say no.