“Since he can’t be here.” Francis says finishing her sentence. She nods looking back at Aiden and sighing. “They’re so in love.”
“But isn’t it more than that?” Janus questions. He looks to Dr. Yung for the right word, but the doctor shrugs. “What they have doesn’t even have a proper definition.”
“It’s like they know, ‘even if I’m not by your side, know that I’m always thinking of you.’…” Jenna murmurs wistfully and Janus nods. “You know….” She starts to say. “That’s what I thought we had—that depth of understanding—that connection.” She clenches and unclenches her fist. “But they speak with their actions rather than with their words.”
“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Janus asks his voice soft and Jenna nods. “It still hurts you…doesn’t it?” and she bites her quivering bottom lip as she nods. Dr. Yung looks to her, watching her for a moment as tears filled her eyes before walking over to her and caressing the top of her head. He places a hand to her shoulder and squeezes. Francis looks to her and then looks away as his own tears begin to well in his eyes. Janus stares at his brother and smiles a sad little smile before saying gently. “He’s alright now…he’s alright.” Jenna sniffs and Francis uses the back of his hand to wipe at his eyes. Dr. Yung claps his hands together startling everyone. “We should all grab dinner together!” they all look to him baffled. “Dinner?”
“In the hospital cafeteria of course.” Dr. Yung explains with a hearty chuckle. “Oh,” Francis says rather dejectedly. “You all need a break or two or three and I’m the perfect guy for that!” Janus grins. “Are you really now?”
“Yes and I think I need a break too.” He laughs sheepishly. “That doesn’t sound too bad.” Jenna murmurs and Dr. Yung smiles down at her. “You all should start calling me, Samuel, since I assume we’re past the acquaintances level.” Janus nods. “I agree…Samuel.” He tosses the doctor a wink as he rises up from his seat and walks back over to Aiden. “When do you think he’ll wake up?”
“Probably not until tonight, he needs as much rest as he can get.”
“Mmm…” Janus reaches out to touch Aiden’s arm but stops when his fingers flinch. Janus’s eyes widen. “Ai…den.” He murmurs and Jenna rushes up from her seat and nearly pushes Janus out of the way as she hovers over Aiden. “Did he move? Is he going to wake up?” she asks hurriedly looking at Janus and then towards Samuel. “Well…his fingers did move, but that’s all.” Janus says to her and her expression falls. “Oh…” this time Aiden’s eyebrows furrow and Jenna gasps. “Can he hear us?” she asks Samuel without looking up. “He’s only asleep so yes, but the medicine may prevent him for actually waking up.” Jenna sighs, slinking away from Aiden’s bedside and going towards the window. Outside she could see the now clear sky and deepening sunset. “I’ll stay here all week if I have to.” She declares and Janus walks over and stands beside her. “I’d like to, but I’m sure Aiden would like it if I went to check on Kael.” Janus explains and Jenna nods. “That he probably would.”
“Like I have a choice.” Francis grumbles and Janus grins his way. “You’re thinking about Kai aren’t you?” Janus questions and Francis’s eyes widen. “No…” he crosses his arms. “I just don’t like hospitals all that much.” He averts his gaze from Janus’s. “Well,” Janus heads towards the door. “I’ll make my way over to visit Kael.”
“It’s weird…” Jenna begins to say. “What is?” Janus asks. “Just that…Kael was a normal university student, he was my friend and now…he’s King.” The word stuttered on her tongue. “Crazy isn’t it.” Janus mumbles opening the door and thanking Samuel for his time before stepping out into the hall.
~*~
Kael was drying himself off now, the white petals stuck to his back and legs and he smelled of fine jasmine. He looks towards the mirror, which was fogged over by the steam. He uses the back of his arm to wipe it away. Water ran down the side of his face and sparkled in his dark hair. He takes in a deep breath, his shoulders rising up and his naked body shimmered beneath the yellow bathroom light. He pushes his wet bangs out of his eyes and reaches for a towel to wrap around his waist. He grabs for another towel that he uses to dry off his hair. He opens the bathroom door and smiles at the guard who was dozing off against the wall. He lightly taps his shoulder and the guard jumps, facing Kael with wide eyes. “Your majesty!” he hurries to bow. “I’m so sorry.” Kael chuckles. “It’s fine, you should go get some rest.” The guard straightens up and shakes his head resolutely. “That I cannot do.” Kael places a hand to his shoulder. “Yes, you can, your King is ordering that you do.” Kael smiles softly. “How can I expect you to protect me if you’re dozing off?” the guard looks away from Kael’s intense eyes. “Now, go on, I’m just going to go back to my bedroom.” The guard hesitantly bows. “At least let me walk you to your—“ Kael holds up his hand. “I just need a moment alone.” He flashes a meek smile the guard’s way before walking past him. His wet feet left dark spots on the velvet carpet as he walked. “Wait!” the guard calls after him and Kael glances over his shoulder. “Your robe!” the guard was holding a fluffy white robe in his hands as he walked swiftly towards Kael. “Oh…” Kael takes it slowly. “Thank you.” The guard dismisses himself with a bow, turning his back to Kael and walking in the opposite direction. Kael slips into the robe, letting out a slow sigh as he wrapped himself up in it. He reaches his room in a matter of moments, his body still slightly damp beneath the robe and he sniffs as he pushes his room door open. The room felt stale, not only the air but the objects in the room. Everything seemed to have been frozen in a specific time. As though Kael hadn’t touched anything. He grips the strings of his robe in his hands and sits on the edge of his bed. He stares at the wall for a moment before burying his face in his hands. His shoulders felt heavy and his back ached.
He falls back onto the bed taking a pillow and clutching it against his chest. He stares up at the ceiling and counts to ten then to twenty and then fifty. He keeps counting so he doesn’t think about Aiden, but that becomes nearly impossible in the silence. He’d take a quick nap and then he’d wake up to get fitted for his robe and his crown. He didn’t want to wear his father’s, he wanted to bury that crown with his father—to bury everything of the past with him. The crown was placed on the vanity in his room and it shone dully, its jewels a lackluster glimmer indented into the gold. The funeral would be a long one…or maybe it’d be a lonely one because Kael knew that his father was friends with few and enemies with all. He turns onto his side and squeezes his eyes shut as he tries his best to get some sleep, even if it was only for a few moments. He had fallen asleep in the tub briefly but realized that wasn’t such a good idea when he awoke to the water tickling his nose. But now he would go to sleep; he snuggles the pillow closer and breathes in and out slowly so as to calm his heart.
Janus was driving out of the hospital driveway and was headed towards the castle when his phone began to ring. It was Micah calling. He quickly answers keeping his eyes on the road. “Hello.”
“Janus, hey.” His voice sounded worn. “Is something the matter?” Micah sighs. “They’ve upped the training regime here, being that the King was shot.”
“Mm, I figured as much.” He pauses before asking “How are you feeling?”
“Tired. That I need you here.” Janus smiles at that, his grip on the steering wheel loosening. “Maybe I’ll return…”
“No, no, you don’t need to do that.” Micah rushes to say. “You’ve been doing this for so long—honestly—I’m glad you left.” Janus gasps. “Really now?”
“Not like that,” Micah chuckles, his deep laugh warming Janus’s heart. “But just…you need to be away.” Janus snorts. “As if I’ll ever be fully away.”
“How so?” Janus brakes at a red-light. “Kael is like my son in a way.” He smiles to himself. “I love that kid, every special little thing about him and even if he tells me to go away,” the light turns green. “I’ll keep worrying about him and I’ll kee
p watching over him.” Janus turns a street corner, the familiar lake that surrounded the castle coming into view. “Hah,” Micah’s laugh was faintly amused. “You sound as though if he were a few years younger you’d ask him out.” Janus laughs loudly at that. “I prefer the quiet, more awkward types such as yourself.”
“Awkward?” Janus’s smile broadens. “How the hell am I awkward?” Micah blubbers. “Around me you are.” Janus remarks coolly and Micah goes silent. Janus rides smoothly across the bridge that led to the castle and he wasn’t at all surprised to see a dozen more guards surrounding the front gates. “Lets go out tonight.” He says suddenly to Micah. “Tonight?”
“Yeah, I miss you.”
“M-Miss me…” Micah mumbles and Janus hums. “I do.” He rolls his window down flashing a smile at the familiar faces of the guards. “But aren’t you busy?”
“Never for you.” Janus replies teasingly and Micah fakes a gag causing Janus to laugh. “And you need a break too being that Aiden and I are down for the count.”
“Aiden?” The guards let Janus pass through. “Yes….”
“Did something happen?” Micah asks and Janus grips the steering wheel tightly. “He was shot.” There’s a stretch of silence before Micah mutters. “The dumbass got himself shot,” Micah snorts. “Wow. You know I always told him he should practice more on how to handle bullet wounds.” Micah groans. “He never listened.”
“It hit him in his stomach.” Micah snorts again. “He was too short so the bullet couldn’t reach his heart.” Micah cracks, but Janus understood what he was asking. “He’s alright, the surgery went well and he should wake up sometime later.” Micah’s silent for a moment before he mumbles. “That dumbass…”
They hung up on a somewhat solemn note as Janus pulled into the broad driveway of the castle. He parked his car and his grip on the steering wheel tightens before loosening. He turns the key, shutting the engine off and he sits. He sits and he starts thinking about what he would say once he saw Kael. Have you slept well? Are you mourning your father? Are you afraid? He unbuckles his seatbelt. Or maybe it would be better if he just listened.
~*~
Kael awoke somewhat dazedly, as though he had been put under a spell. His eyes felt heavy, but his back no longer ached. What caused him to wake up was the light taptap at his room door. He tugs the robe up over his shoulders and slides off of the bed. He slinks towards the door wiping his eyes on the way. The tap comes again and Kael mumbles out a garbled—“hold on, hold on.”—as he twisted the doorknob. The door creaks open slowly and Kael has only a split second to register who the face is before there’s two arms wrapping around his back and pulling him close. The hold on him was firm but comforting and the voice of the person beside his ear made everything ease away. “It’s alright,” Janus says. “I’m here now, so it’s alright.” Kael’s eyes were wide and his hold on reality began to slip away as the weight of these past few days came falling back onto his shoulders. He clutches the back of Janus’s shirt and buries his face in Janus’s chest. Janus holds him tightly stroking his back and listening as Kael’s voice wavered. “Y-you didn’t have to c-come back…” he chokes out and Janus smiles warmly. “But I wanted to.” Kael lets out what sounded like a laugh mixed with a hiccup and he takes a step back to look into Janus’s eyes, he stares at him as though he weren’t real and then he says softly. “I…I don’t think…the people will accept me.” He says and Janus reaches up to ruffle his hair. “Then what will you do?”
“I’ll show them that I’m worthy.” Janus’s entire expression molds tenderly. “How so?” he asks gently and the expression Kael showed in that moment made him seem so much older. “By being honest, by being kind, by being me.” Janus beams. “There you go.” Kael laughs shyly to himself swiping his bangs out of his face and stating “Tomorrow. I want to see him.”
“And you will.”
“I want…people to know…” Janus quirks a brow. “Know what?”
“My relationship with him—if I want to show the people who I am—I have to show them Aiden, because…” Janus smiles, waiting for it. “He’s a part of me too.”
In This Garden, I Wait
When Aiden awoke, he could smell before he could see. The scent that wafted before his nose was a lemony scent; tangy with a subtle hint of sugary sweetness. Maybe someone had brought something for him to eat or maybe…. “I think he's waking up,” the voice that spoke was soft and there was a hand to his arm. “Really?” There were two voices, Aiden tries to turn his head but even that took a lot of work. So instead he tries to get his eyes to work, to open them so that he could add a face to the voices. “I brought flowers from the garden for him,” this voice was deeper than the other. “Oh? You did?”
“Mmm…”
“Well, I'm sure he'll like it.” So that must have been the lemony scent...flowers. Flowers were nice, Aiden didn't think much of them, only when he was around, only when he wore them or brought them, only when… “Kael,” the name slips past his lips like a breath and he doesn't even realize he's said it, doesn't realize that his lips moved either or that the grip on his arm has tightened and that the person holding his arm is leaning towards him and murmuring his name. “Aid...en.” And upon recognizing that voice without seeing his face, he opens his eyes. The room was dosed in gold light and the person—Kael smiles at him. “Good morning,” he says and Aiden felt the numbness in his body melt away, felt his eyes glisten with joy and his heart crack and begin to beat with meaning. “Kael…”
“Yes…?” Aiden reaches up to touch Kael’s forehead with the tips of his fingers. He inhales and exhales, an unannounced tear rolling down his cheek. “I missed you.” And Kael so badly wanted to reply but couldn't for his throat had clamped up and his words had gone. But he places his hand over Aiden’s and kisses each and every finger. “I missed you too.” He replies his voice a whisper choked with emotion. And Jenna, the only other person in the room, deserts her spot by Aiden’s side and leaves, the door clicking shut behind her.
A few moments later after an emotional silence, Kael had pulled up a chair and was resting his head against Aiden’s chest. He was just listening to the continuous thump, thump of Aiden’s heart, afraid that after any moment it would stop beating. But it kept going on; a continuous b-bump, b-bump that reassured Kael that Aiden was alright. Aiden had his fingers in Kael’s hair, running each finger through each lock and letting out a content sigh. He only wanted for them to stay like this—if only for a little while longer—Kael’s warmth pressing against him and comforting him. “Hey, Kael….” Aiden begins to say, his voice hoarse. Kael lifts his head to look at Aiden. “Yeah, what is it?”
“I just…wanted to say your name…saying it is kind of like a lucky charm, ya know?” He says with a crooked grin and Kael smiles gently yet sadly. “Not much luck huh…” he mumbles closing his eyes and Aiden continues smiling. “I just wasn’t awake to say it.” He replies to which Kael laughs lightly. “Kael, Kael Lennon, are you listening?” Aiden pesters and Kael nods. “I’m listening, I’m listening.” Aiden smiles softly. “I dreamed a lot while I was sleeping,”
“What did you dream of?” Kael asks lifting his head and rising to his feet. Aiden’s hand drops back to his side on the bed and he watches as Kael moves across the room towards the window. “I dreamt of you.”
“Oh really now.” With his back to Aiden, Kael tilts his head and Aiden nods. “You were standing in a sweet smelling sea of pastel pink.”
“Mm and what was I doing?”
“Your….your lips were moving and you were calling out.” Kael hmphs. “It was probably you I was calling for.”
“No, rather than a name I think it was a word.” Kael turns around and Aiden could see the question in his eyes. “It was a word Kael…” Aiden murmurs, his gaze flickering about Kael’s face; sunlight seeped through the cracks of the curtains and were reflected across Kael’s face. The speckles of light were like stars and Kael’s dark brown eyes were like
the universe itself. Aiden tries to sit up, but Kael rushes over to him. “What do you think you’re doing?!” He questions sharply and Aiden chuckles. “I was trying to get up.”
“No, no. Lay down.” Kael demands and Aiden stares at him—he stares with this look in his eyes. This look that said that he could sleep forever if Kael was the face he woke up to each and every time he finished dreaming. After a moment he suddenly turns away, clearing his throat and murmuring something about a pain in his side. Kael doesn’t try to notice the beeping of the heart rate monitor, he tries to avert his gaze from the bandages peeping out from beneath Aiden’s hospital gown, he tries his best to ignore his sunken cheeks and instead focus on his lips that were grinning. Focus on his warm hands and on his glowing eyes. “How are things?” He asks and Kael blinks moving back and sitting against the window sill. “Things?” he questions. “At the castle.” Aiden clarifies and Kael mumbles an ‘oh’ as though it were something he had forgotten about. “They’re…moving along.”
“When is the funeral?” Kael sighs, his chest greatly expanding. “A week from now…” he replies. “My mom hopes that everyone will forget about it—forget about father and just accept me as the heir.” Kael laughs bitterly. “What bullshit.” He deadpans staring blankly out of the window. Aiden stares at his back, his grin falling away. “You can’t just forget a person like that after a week,” Kael continues to grumble on. “I can admit that there were parts of him I admired and there were probably plenty more parts others admired. So to say that people will forget him…” Kael digs his fingers into his thighs and Aiden studies his actions with worry. “Kael, I’ll be out soon and everything will go back to normal.”
“Normal isn’t what I want Aiden.” Aiden’s eyes widen as Kael turns to look back at him. “Normal was something I never had, so why would I want it now?” he asks rhetorically, gripping both ends of the curtain. “What I want,” he tugs the curtains apart. “Is you.” Sunlight comes tumbling into the room, splashing across Aiden’s bed and brightening his gray figure. “I want everyone to know you—to know us.” The curtains flutter as Kael releases them. “That’s all.” He glances back at Aiden with a half smile, the curl of his lips not exactly reaching his eyes. Aiden’s eyes bore into Kael for a moment before he lifts his hand to beckon him over. “Come here.” He says and Kael hesitates a moment before drifting his way over to Aiden. Kael looks to Aiden perplexedly, his dark eyes glistening. Aiden smiles thinly as he grips Kael’s wrist and yanks him towards him. The tips of their noses touched and their breaths warmed one another’s faces. Aiden was so close—his smiling lips—so close. Kael swallows, his adam’s apple bobbing with nervous anticipation. “Me too,” Aiden says and as he spoke his lips would brush against Kael’s. “I want everyone to know too.” His grip on Kael’s wrist tightens. “That we,” his eyes begin to close as Kael tilts his head. “Belong to…” and his words fade off to a whisper as Kael’s lips close over his. “…each other.” he finishes lifting his hand to bury it in the back of Kael’s head as their lips molded together. Aiden’s fingers dig into Kael’s head and his hand clutching Kael’s wrist, slides up to grip his bicep. His eyes flutter and Kael nearly falls forward as Aiden’s fingers slip out of his hair and grip the back of his neck. With a final peck to Kael’s lips, Aiden pulls back with a grin. Kael comes away breathless, his cheeks flushed pink. He clears his throat straightening up and murmuring confidently. “That was something I also missed.” Aiden raises a cocky brow. “What?”
Butterfly Prince Page 48
