Caspian Jones

Chapter 29: Caspian

"Davy, I can't breathe." I finally confess as soon as Eetu leaves, Coraene and Anna in tow. I can't feel my heartbeat, can't tell if it's going too fast or too slow, but it's not there.

"Is this an attack?" Davy pulls out a chair for me to sit on.

I close my eyes, shutting everything out. Usually this helps, get rid of the sense that betrays me the most. My sight.

If I can't see it, it can't hurt me. If I don't acknowledge that it's real, it won't be.

I've made my own laws, little rules I follow in order to keep myself getting hurt.

Rule 1:
Don't let them in. They're not your friend.

Rule 2:
Never tell them the truth. They'll use it like a blade against tour throat.

Rule 3:
Guard your heart with your life. You can recover from a fracture anywhere else, but your heart is too fragile.

I broke each one of those the second I met Davy.

"Hey, hey, Cas!" Davy presses his forehead against mine. "Cas, it's okay, it's okay, I'm here."

"I don't know if I can stay here much longer."

"I know, but Eetu wants us here. We've just got a couple more weeks and we're gone, okay?"

"Do you know how long a couple weeks is, Davy? Do you know how much could happen in just a day?"

"Look, I'm not saying you have to enjoy your time here, but you have to at least try to keep up the act. For Eetu."

"I just don't want to have to tell my parents... I don't know how they'll react."

"You didn't know how Eetu would react, and he's super supportive."

I open my eyes finally, meeting Davy's. They're reaching into me, grabbing my heart and keeping it from pitching itself off my rib cage down to my feet.

"They love you so much, Cas. I guarantee you, this won't change anything." He's so close. I could lean in. We've done it so many times, why am I so nervous?

Davy takes the initiative, and I'm transported into a different world. One that makes sense, one that feels safe. It's my home. I melt into the embrace, intoxicated, desperately clinging onto this feeling.

God, I love how he feels.

"Okay?" He asks me, leaving the kiss just before I get enough. I suppose that's his tactic.

"Alright." I feel his impression still on my lips, lingering like the town drunk outside the tavern. I'm too scared to have another drink. "I don't deserve you, Davy."

"What do you mean?"

"Just that. I'm- I'm the royal joke, and you're still here, after three years. My best friend."

"I think we've surpassed being friends by now." He laughs slightly. "And hey," he pushes my chin up with his forefinger, "if you're the royal joke, consider me your jester. I'll never leave you."

"That means a lot."

"Now come on. Let's go raise some hell."

"Like we used to?"

"Like we still do."

I let Davy drag me out of the room and downstairs, into the kitchen.

"Well if it ain't my favorite nephews!" Aunt Lian spies us and her face lights up.

"Only one of us is your nephew." I laugh, crouching down to pull her into a hug.

"For now." She winks at me.

"Do you need any help with dinner?"

"If you could get started on some bread, that would help tremendously."

"We're on it." Davy and I head to the back, where the ovens are.

"Davy Jones in the flesh. Thought you ran away." Ronan sets a small bag of flour on the counter. "Here ya go, Caspian. You'll be needing that, won't ya?"

"Well, I'm back for now." Davy rolls up his sleeves and reaches underneath the counter, taking two bowls and giving one to me.

"Hey, I'd love to chat, but I've got to get some wheat to Khai and Jax. We'll catch up later?"

"Sure..."

"Ugh, those guys still work here?" I take a pitcher full of water from the station in front of us.

"Apparently." Davy pours half of the flour into his bowl, then the rest into mine. I do the same with the water. "Hey, they haven't actively targeted me yet. That's good."

"Whoops, sorry, Davy!" Khai bumps into Davy, causing some of the wheat powder he was carrying to poof out and land on Davy, who just sighs, and continues adding ingredients to his dough.

As soon as Khai leaves, Jax takes his place, this time "accidentally" spilling oil all over Davy's boots. Somehow, I'm not caught in the crossfire, so when Ronan decides to try it with an egg, I step in front of Davy, acting like I'm reaching for some more flour. The hard shell breaks against my shoulder.

I simply turn to Ronan, who pales.

"My Lord, I'm sorry."

"Ronan, accidents happen. Especially in the spot where Davy is standing. Let's make sure we're a little more cautious next time, yeah? Someone could get hurt." I brush the fragments of eggshell off my shirt.

"Yes, my Lord." He bows his head and retreats back to his station.

"Cas, are you okay? That was a really raw egg." Davy stops kneading to inspect me.

"I'm fine. Let's get this in the oven and work on vegetables."

"How do you two always manage to leave my kitchen looking like the place blew up?" Aunt Lian asks us as we head back upstairs to wash off at the end of the day.

"It's just part of our charm." Davy shrugs. A piece of potato is stuck to the collar of his shirt. I pick it off and toss it to the side.

"Well, good work today. It's good to have you back."

I hate how everyone says that.

"I did not miss those three." Davy takes off his shirt as soon as the door to my chamber closes. It's when he starts undoing his belt that I have to tear my eyes away. "You didn't have to take an egg for me."

"Don't let them push you around. This might be the last time ever we're in Yna. I say we get them back."

"I don't know..."

"As I used to be an apprentice for my Uncle Rhys, my prescription for them would be a nice, heathy dose of their own medicine. You in?" I look back to Davy, who's finishing buckling up a new pair of pants. I take in the view of shirtless Davy for the few seconds it takes for him to slip my least favorite garment over his head.

"Sure." It's his turn to stare as my shirt flies over my head and on the ground, right on top of his.

"We'll do this after dinner. Now, here's what I have in mind."