Royal Jester

30. Mason

It had only been three days; three days since Ana had left; three days since the world had stopped spinning.

Okay so maybe Mason was being a tad dramatic. But even though it hadn't even been a whole week since they were together, it still felt like he couldn't even fucking breathe properly. The distance hurt. A lot. 

Luckily he was able to find solace in their daily facetimes and calls, one of which she had given him an entire tour of the castle. It had taken at least two hours and Mason now understood why she was so accustomed to such lavish surroundings. 

His door suddenly opened and he turned to face the noise to see his mom walk in. He had gone back home again and would be staying in the guest room until January eighth, when he would go back to the dorm to see Ana and prepare for his upcoming classes. 

"What's up?" He wouldn't have asked, except for the fact that she had walked in without knocking. She never did that. 

"Unless you know royalty," Mason forced his expression to remain impassive, "I think your girlfriend is calling." Okay, that made sense; he had changed Ana's contact name to Princess.

Mason grinned, setting aside the book he had been reading before practically jumping from the bed to grab his vibrating phone from his mom's outstretched hand. "Hey baby," he said as soon as he answered the call. 

"Hello love." His face hurt from how wide his smile grew. He loved that. "Why didn't you pick up earlier?" Any other person would have thought she was being accusatory but Mason knew that she was only curious. Understandably so, he never missed her calls. 

He gave his mom a small smile before lightly shoving her back through the doorway and shutting the door behind her. "I was a dumbass and left my phone somewhere, Mom brought it to me."

"Maybe you should start tying a string around your wrist and attaching it your phone," she giggled. "Just like a little kid with a balloon, it'll never get lost again."

"Not lost," he agreed, "Just completely ruined from dragging it behind me everywhere." 

She laughed again; god he'd kill to hear that in person. "Don't worry, I'll just buy you a new one." 

"Are you offering to be my sugar mommy right now?" Mason smirked and Ana snorted on the other end. "Tempting offer really," he continued just to hear another one of her sweet noises. "But aren't sugar mommies normally supposed to be way older?" 

His efforts were rewarded when she squealed, "Stop it," before she started hysterically laughing.

He sighed as he laid back down on the bed, completely content to just sit there and listen. "I love you baby," he said because he didn't think she could even begin to understand how truly enamored he was with her. 

"I know," she whispered in return. He was slightly surprised she was able to hear him over her own giggles. "I love you." 

"I know," he repeated. And he did.

Ana suddenly gagged, "Ew. Now I know how Lili feels; we're so sappy it's disgusting," Mason chuckled. "Hurry, say something to ruin the mood," she urged.

Mason's eyebrows shot up, "Why do I have to do it?"

"Because you're good at it." How was it that she managed to say the meanest things in the sweetest way?

"Oh fuck off," he laughed with an eyeroll.

He could hear the smile in her voice when she said, "Perfect." 

"You're a terrible girlfriend," he told her jokingly. "I'm just trying to tell you how in love I am with you and you're over there insulting me."