A Royal Secret

by Jerry Cole

  “Is that a yes noise or a no noise?”

  “Yes,” Steve said in a rush, almost breathless. “Definitely a yes.”

  “Oh,” Bobby said. He was pleased, his cheeks tinged pink this time and Steve felt his heart flutter dangerously in his chest. God, he was an adult, he should not be behaving this way, except Bobby looked just as thrown off as he was, so he supposed they’d be ridiculous together.

  “You should call me.” Steve sounded firm, finding some of his footing again, and the flare was back in Bobby’s eyes, his lips turning into a smirk. “If you want.”

  “You were doing fine without that last part,” Bobby told him. He tugged his backpack onto his shoulder once again and leaned in close to Steve, breath hot on Steve’s face. He smelled like coffee and an expensive cologne Steve recognized but couldn’t name. “I’d have dated you at the mural.”

  With that, he slipped out of the café, and Steve watched him until he disappeared around the corner.

  “So,” Jamie said, making Steve jump. He was holding out Steve’s coffee, and Sam was hovering behind his left shoulder, looking just as interested as Jamie. “You got yourself a date, Mitchell?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Steve said, smirking, finding some level of sass in the fact Bobby had said yes to a date with him. Sure, he was going to have to wait for Bobby to contact him. He hadn’t done the usual call to make sure he had Bobby’s number in return.

  Sam steered him out of the door behind Jamie, and though he was still preoccupied over whether Bobby would call him or just forget or something else, he felt a kick to the back of his sneaker. “It is a date. I can tell you’re worrying about something.”

  “It’s not a date,” Steve said truthfully. Jamie and Sam exchanged a look and Steve sighed. “It’s really not. He has my number, and I hope he’ll call but there’s no guarantee.”

  “Bullshit,” Jamie said. “The way that guy looked at you, he was just as smitten as you. No way he’s not calling you to arrange something, even if it’s only a quick fuck.”

  “Jamie,” Steve snapped. It wasn’t that Jamie wasn’t always that crude, because he was. Having a quick fuck with Bobby also wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, but there was something about him that had Steve wanting more than that. Maybe this was why he didn’t date much. What if all Bobby wanted was a quick fuck? Steve hadn’t thought of that. He didn’t know the guy, after all, and the two times they’d ran into each other, Steve hadn’t managed to string together many coherent sentences in a row.

  Jamie and Sam fell into a fight about whether Bobby was the quick fuck type, which what the fuck did they know, they hadn’t said more than two words, but Steve let their bickering wash over him. It would be too much to stare at his phone to see whether he had a message. Besides, he had a lecture and needed to focus on that instead of his dating life. Not that he had a dating life yet.

  “Get it together, Mitchell,” Sam said, grabbing the sleeve of Steve’s jacket and tugging him out of the way of a gaggle of students coming their way. “You in there?”

  “I’m fine,” Steve said, pulling out of Sam’s grip. “I have to get back to class.”

  Jamie stared at him, and Steve was aware of just how easy he was for Jamie to read. “We’ll see you back at the apartment?”

  “Where else would I go?” Steve said.

  “The studio,” Sam said helpfully.

  “The campus dark room,” Jamie added.

  “The café on campus,” Sam continued.

  “Fuck off,” Steve said good naturedly, smiling, and maybe his friends weren’t terrible after all. “Get to class yourselves, morons, or your grades will slip more than they already are.”

  “My grades are perfect,” Jamie lied, and even Sam flipped him off. They did split away from him, heading off to their own classes, and Steve sucked in a deep breath, shoving away his concern and worry over whether Bobby would call, and headed in for his lecture.

  Chapter Two

  Bobby didn’t call, but he did text. He sent them most of the day, more than Steve could keep up with, but he didn’t seem to expect the same in return. He seemed happy with whatever Steve sent, and Steve liked the steady stream, almost as if he had a hard line to Bobby’s train of thought. Sometimes it was more than Steve needed to know and went over his head at other times when Bobby started talking about his major. Steve was sure it was a technology of some kind, but he couldn’t say exactly what. There was a lot of math involved. When he’d said as much to Sam, he’d got a roll of the eyes.

  “Most tech includes math, Steve. It’s like a prerequisite.”

  “English class paying off,” Jamie said, stealing one of the fries from Sam’s plate.

  Sam gave him a dirty look. “Says the guy from Romania who had to take English class to even get into college.”

  “I’ve lived in America my whole my life, dickhead,” Jamie snapped, and the two of them descended into a ridiculous fight with their fries. Steve did need to get better friends. As long as he could find them.

  On cue, Steve’s phone vibrated against the table, and he picked it up, grinning at Bobby’s hey handsome! finally finished class. you up for a date this weekend?

  “Okay, so maybe I have a date this weekend.”

  It was enough to have Sam and Jamie cease their fight. Sam leaned over Steve’s shoulder, reading the text.

  “He calls you handsome a lot?”

  “He’s not wrong,” Jamie said, snatching Steve’s phone out his hand so he could see for himself. Despite Steve’s attempts to get it back, Jamie was an old hand at keep away. Eventually, he gave it back to Steve with an incredulous look. “This guy texts you a lot.”

  Steve didn’t say anything, needing Jamie to know how ridiculous his concern was. So what if Bobby texted him a lot? Maybe the guy didn’t have a lot of friends and Steve was just there for him to talk to. Or maybe he actually liked Steve and was trying to—“Fuck off, Jamie. You’re just jealous because your girl stopped texting.”

  Jamie went off on a rant about women who strung you along and then dropped you, but Steve personally thought she had gone the right way about it; she had told Jamie more than once he needed to get off his ass and actually treat her like a human, just like Steve had done time and again, so really he had nobody to blame but himself. Not that he was a bad guy, but college really hadn’t done him any favors in the laziness arena.

  Sam was staring at him, searching, and Steve let him look. He tapped out a reply to Bobby.

  Steven: I’ve been waiting for you to ask.

  Hey, Bobby replied, you could have asked me.

  I did. Steve looked up in time to see Sam lay a hand on Jamie’s arm, who promptly shut his mouth so quickly his teeth clacked together.

  “You like this guy?” Sam asked.

  “I know I’ve only met him twice,” Steve said, with a sharp look at Jamie, “but as much as he texts me, I text back as well. I do like him, and I wanna go on a date, just to see whether it would work or not.”

  “Fair enough,” Sam said.

  Jamie took a little longer to agree, but after a dig from Sam’s elbow, he scowled. “Sure, whatever, but if he hurts you, I reserve the right to sock him in the jaw.”

  “Sure, Jamie,” Steve said, conciliatory but knowing he wouldn’t let that happen, even if Bobby broke his heart. Which he doubted, given the interactions they’d had thus far. Bobby was a force in his own right, probably going to be difficult to rein in if they did start dating, but Steve assumed it would all work out.

  “Good,” Jamie said, and turned back to his fries.

  “So, the date is happening this weekend?” Sam asked, smirking around the straw in his mouth.

  “Maybe,” Steve hedged. To be fair, Bobby hadn’t actually confirmed anything, and with neither of them knowing where the other lived, they would have to come up with somewhere to meet. “I’m interested, he’s interested.”

  Jamie made a face. “Grow some balls, Steve. Just tel
l the guy where to meet and he’ll be there.”

  “Not sure I want dating advice from someone who can’t hold down a long-term relationship, Jamie,” Steve said, with a wry smile. “But I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

  “The only reason she ended shit with me was because she’s sure some prince is gonna waltz into the college and snatch her up.” Jamie said the last with a sneer, and Steve frowned.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  Sam snorted. “Steve, are you walking around with your head up your ass? Have you paid attention to the news at all this week?”

  “Not really my area,” Steve said distractedly, typing out a reply to Bobby’s how about the mural where you plowed into me that first time?

  Sam and Jamie were silent. Pointedly. Steve looked up to see their identical exasperated looks.

  “What?”

  “In the day of cell phones and internet, Steve, you don’t have any excuse for not actually knowing what the fuck’s going on in the world.” Jamie wiped his hands off on a napkin and scrolled through his phone, shoving it at Steve.

  There was an article about Grand Prince Louis and the search, apparently, for his heir. “He has an heir? I thought he didn’t take up with anyone after Princess Maria.”

  “He didn’t,” Sam said, and the exasperation was back with a little fondness. “Steve, fuck man, Maria was pregnant when she fled.”

  “What?” Steve said, frowning.

  “I love you, Steve, but you’re dumb as fucking rocks,” Jamie put in. “You painted a mural about the woman and didn’t know the major point in the story?”

  “To be fair,” Sam said, “it was just conjecture at the time, but there are articles all over the damn place Louis knew she was pregnant. Nobody knows why she ran, only that she’s now dead, Louis is sick or some shit and needs his son to take his place.”

  Steve frowned. “Who cares who sits on the throne? It’s not like they have much to do around here.”

  Sam gave him that, but Jamie took his phone back, brought up another article. “This tells you all the reasons that’s bullshit. You think the Government’s got all the power? There’s a reason we still have a royal family and haven’t kicked them all out yet. They have the power to veto anything the Administration wants to do.”

  Jamie had always been a little bit of a royalist, and Steve could understand it the preoccupation with a family whose power had once been absolute, perhaps still was if what Jamie was saying was true. Steve scrolled through the article. To be fair, he voted when it was time to vote, contributed to politics as much as he could to make sure they had a fair system, but he didn’t understand the mechanics behind it. The royal family’s power was no longer as all-encompassing as it had been, especially with people wanting a say in how they were ruled, and thus, the Government and Administration had been put in place to be the peoples’ voice. Steve didn’t know how much of what they wanted got through to the Palace, but apparently some of it must, based on what the article was saying.

  Not that Grand Prince Louis was an exemplary or even passable ruler.

  “Maybe his missing heir will be a decent person,” Steve said. “Looks like he’s got a search on his hands. Anyway, what’s this gotta do with your girl?”

  “Apparently,” Jamie said, shutting his phone off and putting it back in his jeans pocket, “the heir is in America. Nobody knows who they are—whether they’re male or female—but most people are sure it’s gonna be a guy.”

  Steve wasn’t sure what to make of that. “As if they’re gonna let the Heir Apparent of Mercia just wander around without keeping track of them.”

  Sam actually gave that some consideration. “I gotta agree, Jamie. I don’t think it’s the sort of thing you have no control over.”

  “Exactly,” Steve said, as if his point had been proven. “Besides, it’s not like any of us are gonna end up the heir without knowing it.”

  “We might know them,” Jamie protested, but when both Steve and Sam threw fries at him, they descended into laughing and all thoughts of royals were driven from Steve’s mind.

  By the time he’d shoved both Jamie and Sam into the cab ahead of him, and gave the driver their address, he had time to tug his phone out and see Bobby had agreed to meet him Saturday morning at the mural. Spending the day together was new, but Steve couldn’t wait, keen to get to know Bobby properly and see whether or not this dating thing was actually worth the stress it would put on his college work.

  Thinking over the conversation he’d had with Jamie and Sam, Steve grinned. You’re not secretly a prince, are you?

  It didn’t take long for the reply to come, as usual, and there were a lot of exclamation marks, also as usual.

  What the fuck, Steve??!!!!!!!!!

  Steve snorted. What? It was worth a try right. Not that he expected Bobby to turn around and say yeah or anything, but the thought of Steve ending up dating a prince was a little too fairytale for him. Didn’t think so, Steve typed out, shoving Jamie off his shoulder as he started to fall asleep. “Don’t sleep till we get home, asshole. I’m not carrying your fat ass up the stairs.”

  “Fuck you,” Jamie mumbled, but shifted over, leaning against the cab window. Steve kept one eye on his phone, one eye on Jamie, intent on pinching the hell out of Jamie’s thigh if he fell asleep on the door instead.

  You’re not a prince, are you?

  Nope, Steve said. Common as shit, me.

  Charming. Not that I would care if you were royalty. Could definitely see myself in a palace somewhere.

  You do have the air of a prince about you. But you wouldn’t have the time of day for someone like me.

  The reply hadn’t come by the time the cab pulled up outside their apartment. Steve stole Sam’s wallet to pay the cab. He might have been drunk, but Steve wasn’t about to let the guy off the hook. When it was his turn, he shoved both Sam and Jamie out onto the sidewalk. “Thanks.”

  “Good luck,” the cabbie said, pulling away.

  Steve sighed, and dug the apartment key out of his pocket. “Next time you’re the sober one, Jamie,” he said pointedly, as he hauled his friends into the building and toward the elevator. “You’re keeping me away from Bobby.”

  “Aw,” Jamie said, drawing out the consonant as he leaned against Steve. “So smitten with his new boy.”

  “It’s cute,” Sam agreed, leaning heavily against the elevator door. Steve bit back on the warning to step away or he’d fall out, but the bastard deserved it for the smirk on his face. True to form, when they reached their floor and the doors opened with a ding, Sam stumbled out, almost falling flat on his face.

  “Mind the doors,” Steve said, letting Jamie make his own way out of the elevator, both he and Sam picking their way across the hall. They didn’t have many neighbors at home, most of them night workers, which was a blessing when they came home from bars. Jamie could be a loud drunk, Steve was clumsy, and Sam was just plain strange when he was drunk.

  Managing to get his friends into the apartment with minimal fuss, Steve left them to sort their shit out, giving both some water, painkillers, and a request not to die in the night. When he shut the door of his bedroom and collapsed against it, he let out a slow breath.

  Bobby had messaged him, finally, and as he collapsed face first onto his bed, Steve scrolled through them.

  I’ll always have time for you, Steve.

  Not that I wanna come on too strong right away, but you know I want this, right?

  Anyway, yeah, date on Saturday, yay.

  Steve loved that Bobby was the kind of guy to say yay unironically.

  You alive, came in just as he was typing a reply.

  Yeah, sorry, was making sure Jamie and Sam didn’t end up waking up in someone else’s bed. I was the sober friend. Thanks for that, by the way, and yeah, Bobby, I know. I can’t wait ??

  The last reply came just as Steve finished showering and was climbing into bed, setting his alarm for the next morning—classes again
, ugh—and it was followed by a picture of Bobby’s grin. He looked like he was in a workshop somewhere, and though it was on the tip of Steve’s tongue to tell him to get his ass into bed and stop working through the night, he managed to refrain. He was certain Bobby wouldn’t want him dictating what he should be doing.

  Sleep well, gorgeous.

  I’d say sleep well in return, Steve typed out instead, but you look like you’re not going to bed for a while. Rest at some point.

  I will ??

  Steve wasn’t entirely sure he believed that, but whatever. He settled his phone on the pillow next to him and managed to get the best night’s sleep he’d had in a while—however cliché that might be.

  Chapter Three

  Saturday came around too quickly.

  Not that Steve regretted his decision to go on a date with Bobby, but he was nervous enough that he was almost hoping Bobby would cancel, or something would come up, but unfortunately, he would have to go.

  “I think I’m dying.”

  “Don’t be dramatic,” Sam said, sliding a plate of bacon and eggs across the table. “It’s a date, not an execution.”

  Jamie dropped down into the chair across from Steve and even though Steve couldn’t see his expression, he knew he was smirking. Flipping him the bird just had Jamie huffing a laugh at him. “Dating is an execution for Steve.”

  “Again,” Steve mumbled into his folded arms. “Dating advice from a failure is not where I wanna go, Jamie.”

  “Ah,” Jamie said, in a tone that had Steve staring at him. “But I am a success at dating! I found myself a girlfriend.”

  “It’s literally been two days,” Sam said dryly, giving Jamie his breakfast and sitting between them. “How did you manage that?”

  Jamie paused, his cheeks going red. Steve and Sam exchanged a look at his expression. “She asked me, actually.”

  “Woah,” Steve said, breathless. “And you said yes? What happened to you being in control of your relationships, Jamie?”

  “Fuck off, Steve,” Jamie said good-naturedly. “She’s amazing. Red hair, great eyes, could probably punch me out.”