A fairy tale (gay) Christmas

🌨December 14th🌨

Head knight Jackson Winters🌨

Though the days have been long and cold, and my heart has turned into stone. You somehow manage to make me forget, smile and laugh. Don't ever leave me, even if I know you have to.

❄️🌨❄️

Several days have passed since we left the castle, left our friends and family. We only have each other, just me and him against this big forest.

Sure, I'm a knight and he's a crown prince, but together we are just two boys on a dangerous journey through the country. I know we had to leave, and I know that I am in charge of the mission. I need to protect him, and I can do it without any problems. Because he is just that special to me sometimes.

We rode for about four days, through snowstorms and ice cold nights. Every night we would set up camp under a tree and rest, taking turns to keeping watch. I might have purposely dragged out my watch time so he didn't have to wake up. It's not like he would find out, since there weren't any clocks around.

We were running on low food and water, for both us and for our horses. It was a scary thing, not knowing if we would make it somewhere safe in time. What if we would have frozen or starved to death? That would become a humiliating ending for the nations prince, and for the charming knight that I am known as.

But none of us complained. We either stayed quiet or got to know each other more. He told me to drop the formalities and act like his friend, and he said that in the sweetest voice.

Although we were both tired and hungry and cold, Clearblue managed to keep my mood up by telling jokes and giving random compliments. During the night he would cuddle next to me under the tree, claiming it was for the warmth. I was happy to give the crown prince whatever he wanted, and if what he wanted was me...

Clearblue always knew what he was doing. It's like a feeling that I get around him, that he knows something that I don't. Those knowing smirks and smiles that hold more meaning than I can figure out, especially when he doses off next to me.

"Dream about me"

That's what he always says. And so I do.

Anyway, after four days on the run, we finally came across a small cottage in the woods. The cottage was clearly empty, with one window broken and the door wide open. A few little animals ran around on the first floor, and it was just as cold inside as outside, but at least it was a house.

It had two floors, both very tiny in size. The first floor had a kitchen and an empty fire place, while the second floor had a bedroom with only a few blankets on the floor. The house was abandoned, and no food or furniture except for an old oven and a kitchen table were left. But to us, after four days in the woods, this was more than we could ask for.

On the table laid an old map, that showed the forest. Apparently there was a village not too far away, but it was too late to go there now, and too risky. We would have to wait and gather our strength.

I managed to catch a rabbit that had hopped inside the house, hoping for warmth. Clearblue lit the fire palace and we ate it for dinner. The little animal was the best thing we had eaten for days, so it tasted amazing and I barely felt bad. Clearblue and I were clearly tired, so no words were shared between us until we decided to go to bed.

"Come here"
Clearblue patted the thin blanket on the second floor, where it was still cold. At least it was safer there than right by the door, so both of us could sleep. Sleep next to each other, just me and him, once again.

It confuses me when my heart starts beating like this. When my cheeks heat up and I look down in embarrassment. When my hand start to sweat and I don't know what to say or do. All of that happens around Clearblue, it always has. But what is it? I can't be sick, right? I have no time to be sick, when I need to be protecting Clearblue.

So I try to make it stop. But then he cuddles into me and lays his head on my chest, and I blush in an instant. For warmth right?

"Jackson, have you ever been in love?"

The prince asks me into the silent room, and the little whisper echoes because of the lack of furniture. The question catches me off guard.

"I don't know"

Because I don't. How can I know if I've been in love, if I don't know what it is? Is it like how I love my siblings or parents? Is it like the love that I have for my friends?

"When you love someone..."
He starts, like he was reading my mind, and places his hand over my heart.

"Your heart beats faster"

He then proceeds to put his graceful hands on the side of my face,

"When your in love, your face heats up, and your mind wants nothing but laugh and be free with them"

His touch makes me blush even deeper. Am I in love? Is the charming prince next to me, the one I love? Does he like me Back? This is almost too fast, too much. Especially because he can't, because I can't.

Clearblue has such beautiful eyes, and such a kind smile and pretty laugh. He is both skilled but innocent on the same time, or at least he plays to be. He is charming yet loyal, hardworking but knows when to let go and have fun. Clearblue is a prince, a perfect future monarch. Sure, I am head knight, but am I really close to his amount of perfection?

Not to mention that he is already taken.

There is a moment of silence before I speak up.

"But Clearblue, you are engaged to Daisy"

He sits up and looks down at me. I can barely see his blue eyes because of the dark, but I know that gaze, it's both serious and trustworthy, but also dangerous. Like I'm making a deal with the devil.

"That's the funny thing about love, you can't control it"

I look at him in confusion, and he chuckles lightly and endearingly.

"They try to tell me that I should love Daisy. She is perfect in every way, both for queen and for princess. But Jackson, she's not the one that I love, and I'm not the one that she loves"

❄️🌨❄️