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Chapter Text

Hidden in the forest, beyond the Cuisinelle Islands, past the beautiful city of Phonopolis, there lies a kingdom. The stunning village of Fazbendia, home to the most impressive performers and unique citizens, is where our story begins. All the way at the top of the hill is the palace, where the king and his adoptive son live. Henry Miller, who’d been thrust into the position of king at a young age, never was able to find himself a wife. 

He did not want this same issue with his son, Prince Dave. He’d found the prince when he was a scrawny orphan boy stealing from the bakery. The moment the king laid his eyes on that raggedy, dirty child, he knew he had an heir. It wasn’t easy, shaping him into the perfect prince, but Henry managed. 

Henry called for one of his phone-headed servants, his voice echoing off of the palace walls. He heard the timid footsteps approaching his throne and before long,  he was met with one of the red ones. Henry leaned into the comfort of his throne, taking a glance at the smaller chair next to his. He cleared his throat before speaking. 

“You there, phone boy. Have the proper preparations been made for my son to visit the village?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. His bags are packed and in the carriage. We uh… still have yet to find living arrangements, though.”

“Please, he’s the prince, he’ll be offered a place to stay the moment he steps foot on that dirty ground. Hard to believe a son as dignified and as intelligent as mine was born in such a disgusting place.” 

“Yes, sir. Shall I fetch the young sire for you?”

“Hmmh… yes, bring me my son. Immediately.” and with that, the king clapped his hands. His phone headed servant ran off, going up the stairs to the prince’s room. He hesitantly knocked on the door, waiting for any kind of reply. There was none, aside from snoring. 

“Your highness?” he called, knocking again. When he still heard the snores, he opened the door quietly and stepped into the room. There he was, the prince, sprawled out on his bed asleep. His limbs were tangled in purple sheets, his hair covered his face, and he was indeed asleep and snoring. Loudly. 

The phone headed servant approached quietly, gently shaking the prince. The prince sat up quickly, looking around. His hair, almost a purplish black, bounced as he turned his head. Green eyes spotted the dial of his servant, and a large smile spread across the royal son’s face. 

“Steven! My favorite phone! How are you?” The prince’s joy over seeing this man was indescribable. The servant, Steven, would’ve smiled if he’d had a face. The prince made it a point to learn the names of his father’s workers, knowing one day he’d have to be the one to take over. 

“I’m quite fine, your highness. Your father has requested to see you this morning regarding your upcoming stay in the village!” 

“Ah, so not breakfast and a chat, hm?” 

“I’m afraid not. Shall I get you dressed, sir?” The prince held a hand up and shook his head, chuckling. He managed to remove himself from the sheets and stood up, stretching. 

“Please, Steven, I’m a grown man, I can dress myself.”

“And it is quite taboo for a prince to do so, sir.” Once again, Steven was met with laughter. The young man walked to his wardrobe, digging through all of the fancy clothing and pulling out a simple coat and some dark purple pants. Steven turned his back to the prince, knowing the royal preferred his privacy with getting dressed. Soon enough, he felt a hand on his shoulder and was met with the prince’s smiling face yet again. 

“Tell you what, you can do my hair. Make me a pretty boy.” he chuckled, going to his vanity and sitting in front of it. Steven rushed over, immediately getting into the hair supplies the prince had scattered around. The prince’s hair was always such a mess in the morning, what with the tight curls and thick texture. Even with the combing, the detangling, and the nearly painful pull when Steven began braiding his hair, Prince Dave sat still. His face was relaxed, and he was just humming. 

After a while, the prince’s hair was done, and his small crown was placed upon his head gently. Steven held his shoulders gently and just looked in the mirror with the young royal. He’d only been a few years older than the prince, but he felt a sense of pride over how well he’d turned out. He was smart, and kind, and worthy of being a king. He patted his shoulders and backed up. 

“Come along, sir, your father’s been patiently waiting,” he said, watching the prince rise from his seat. “I’m sure we’ll chat on your way to the village.” Dave simply nodded and headed out of his room, being followed by Steven closely. The phone man watched the prince slide down the banister of the stairs, much to the king’s chagrin. 

The king thought his son was a picky fool. Not once did any princess he set Dave up with satisfy the prince. If he hadn’t been trying to make sure his son remained partially dependent on him, he’d have forced him to marry the princess of the Virgis kingdom. She wasn’t much to look at, but she’d give strong heirs for the future. 

The king cleared his throat as soon as his son was in front of him. Hair braided neatly, clothes tidy, and a big smile on his face. It made Henry sick. He wouldn’t have let his son know that, though. He had a smile on his face akin to the warm smile a father gives his beloved child. He stood up and held his arms open, inviting him in for a hug. As soon as the young man was in his arms, and couldn’t see his face, Henry grimaced. He patted his son’s back before regaining his smile and holding his son’s shoulders. 

“My boy! Good morning! Are you ready for your little stay in the village?”

“Yes, father. I’m quite excited, I haven’t been to the village since I was a boy!”

“Yes, I’m well aware, since I’m the one who scooped you off of those filthy streets. You know why you’re going, right?”

“To find a bride, sir,” the disdain in the prince’s voice was ever apparent. He wasn’t too keen on the idea of having to get married at all. His father wasn’t married, why did he have to be? He could just as easily adopt another village child and continue the cycle. He knew doing this would make his father happy, though, so he put a smile on his face and stood up straight. “I assure you, I won’t let you down!”

“That’s a good boy, Dave. You’ve always been such a good son,” Henry smiled at Dave, his brown eyes making contact with his son’s green ones. He backed up and sat back down. “Now then, prepare for your stay at the village. Thankfully, your little phone servants live all around so they’ll be there at your beck and call. Perhaps they’ll be kind enough to let you stay with them, hm?”

“Perhaps, sir. Shall I go now?” the prince asked. He so desperately wanted to get away from his father and his judgemental staring. 

“Yes, go along now. Have fun! Don’t miss me too much while you’re gone for the next few months.” Henry shooed his son away, chuckling. His son and his phone headed assistant ran towards the door, going outside into the harsh cold of winter. 

Chapter Text

It was a horribly cold morning. Snow was falling quickly, stinging the skin of the baker who was outside. He grunted as he hammered nails into the sign for his bakery, hoping this time it would stay above the door. He regretted spending what little money he made on a door with a lock. He could’ve used the money for a coat. He sighed, climbing down from the ladder and going back inside to the bakery. 

Inside, it was warm. The ovens were already busy baking the new loaves of bread and the pastries that would be displayed in the building. Sun shined through the windows, kissing the freckles on the baker’s cheeks. He sighed and leaned over his counter, listening to the calm sounds of the winter morning. 

He wished he could just run away from it all. To escape the judgemental glares from his neighbors. He stared at the specks of flour on his shirt, grimacing at how poorly his apron covered him. You’d think they’d do a better job considering it's the only job they’ve got. He thought to himself, going up the stairs to where he lived when the bakery was closed. Behind the door were three beds; a large one, and two small ones. Confined in the small beds, the reasons he couldn’t just run from this miserable cycle. 

Jack had possibly the worst string of bad luck ever seen in Fazbendia. First, he’d been arranged to marry a girl long before he was born. When they did get married, when Jack was thirteen, it became clear Jack couldn’t even fake loving her. She was nice enough, sure, but Jack simply didn’t find her appealing. By the time he was sixteen, his son was born. He nearly didn’t make it, being so small and not breathing so good. It was that day Jack was given the family bakery. Normally, it would go to the firstborn son, but Peter had been preoccupied with being a part of the king’s staff of phone headed servants. Jack was twenty-two, when his daughter was born, and his wife had passed. 

He felt some sense of relief after that, but then the reality that he’d need to raise the children on his own had set in. He didn’t have much knowledge of raising children, having lost his own parents long ago, and Peter was seldom ever available to help him. He could ask Dee, but she was living with Peter’s wife. She wasn’t a fan of Jack’s presence, always blaming it on how he stank of alcohol. It made Jack all the more broken, as he’d stopped drinking after his son was born. 

He didn’t realize he’d spaced out until he felt small hands tugging at the bottom of his apron, and a little voice calling out to him. He looked down to see his daughter, Suzanne, staring up at him with eyes that would make the sky jealous. They were so bright blue, and it made Jack’s heart ache. Had his eyes been like this when he was younger? Perhaps, but the light had long faded from his eyes, being replaced with a dullness that hid more than anyone cared to realize. 

“Papa? Are you there?” He heard the little voice calling to him again. Jack couldn’t run away because nobody in the village would ever treat his children with the respect they deserved. He thought they would do great things one day. He’d make sure of that, so long as he was alive. He knelt down and held the side of his daughter’s face, smiling at her. 

“Good morning, Suzanne,” he said softly, watching her eyes light up. “Are you ready for another lovely day?”

“Yes, Papa! I drew pictures for you to put on the bakery walls today!” Suzanne exclaimed, running to her bed to pull pieces of paper out from under it. Sure enough, she’d doodled loaves of bread and silly looking muffins and croissants. Jack took the stack of papers and stood up. 

“Wake your brother, we’ll hang these up together.” he said. As he started going back downstairs, he heard the beginnings of a little argument between his children. He just ignored it, knowing they would be over it as soon as Suzanne mentioned spending time in the bakery. He heard little footsteps following him down the stairs and there were both children. 

“Good morning, Richard. We’re hanging your sister’s drawings on the walls today.” Jack said, ruffling his son’s hair. His children were his whole world, they were the only people truly there for him. In return, he was of course there for them. He taught them everything about running the bakery, because he knew one day he’d have to let them run the business. He’d be old and fragile one day, and he’d be better off resting in bed knowing his children would run the business smoothly. 

The morning was spent pinning the drawings to the walls, with little made up songs from the children. Jack went to the door to turn his sign from ‘closed’ to ‘open’ and he was immediately met with a customer. His neighbor, Harry, was one of the king’s best cleaners. He always bought things from the bakery the moment the sign was turned. He rushed in, covered in snow. 

“Good morning, Jack!” he chirped, wrapping an arm around the baker’s shoulders. He ruffled his hair, nearly knocking the man’s glasses off of his face. Jack adjusted his glasses before standing up straight and clearing his throat. 

“Good morning, Harry. I’ve got your usual ready”

“Two good loaves of bread, a dozen muffins, and my husband’s cinnamon rolls?”

“Yep. I even threw in a free little bag of frosting for the cinnamon rolls.” 

“Ah, you didn’t have to do that, Jacky boy, I would’ve been happy to pay for it! Hell, I’d be happy to purchase whatever you’d need just so you could keep up this hard work!” 

Jack felt awful having to ask for things. It made him cringe when he thought about needing things. Still, he needed to take whatever he could get. He’d spent his last few dollars on coats for the children and the new door for their living area, the least he could do was ask if a coat for himself was possible. He didn’t want to give in to the ideas people had about him, that he was a beggar who couldn’t care for himself, but he didn’t have enough pride to decline this offer. 

“You think I could get a coat, buddy?” he asked, not making eye contact. Well, as much eye contact as one could make with a telephone dial. 

“Of course, do the children need anything?”

“Harry, I couldn’t ask you to help with them, they’re my responsibility.” 

“Nonsense! They’re like my niece and nephew! They’ll need new clothes for school, no?” Harry had him there. The children did need clothes for school. He sighed and nodded, not even saying anything. He felt a hand pat his back and then watched his neighbor go to his children. Harry presented some small candies to them, and Jack chuckled watching their eyes light up while they each took a piece. 

Harry and his husbands were the only friends Jack had anymore. Sure, he was civil with the street performers, and the husband of the prince’s assistant was polite, but Harry and his husbands were the only true friends he had. They’d bring him food, clothes for him and the children, anything he could ever need, they’d provide. He always paid them back, either with money or with baked goods. He knew they didn’t like to take his offerings, but it didn’t stop him. 

Harry snuck the children a couple of dollars before standing up and going to the counter. He was already counting his money for the things Jack had ready for him, so the baker immediately ran behind the counter to collect Harry’s things. He set a basket on the counter, taking the money the phone man offered him. He noticed he’d been given a few extra dollars, but before he could mention it the phone man ran outside. Jack just shrugged, pocketing the extra and hiding the money used to pay for the goods. 

“Children, go get ready for school. We don’t want you to be late.” 

“Yes, Papa!”

“Okay, Papa!” and with that, the children were running back up the stairs to prepare for the day. Jack knew as soon as he got home, he’d have a busy day as well. The prince was coming to the village, and he’d finally gotten an opportunity to cater the event.

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The village was bustling. Men and women dressing in their nicest clothing; mothers clothing their children in their Sunday best, all for the arrival of the prince’s carriage. Off in the background, bundled up in several shirts, stood Jack. He had a booth set up near the crowd, with his nicer looking baked goods arranged neatly. He’d made a few sales already, but he knew the prince’s arrival would cause the number of people approaching him to skyrocket. 

It was maybe fifteen minutes of waiting outside before the pink and yellow carriage came into view. Everyone could see it, in all its brightly colored glory. A path was made for the carriage to park, and the small door opened to reveal none other than Prince Dave. There was loud applause booming from the crowd, and cheering was heard throughout the small village. Everyone knew of Prince Dave’s origins, how he’d been an orphan living in filth. There was a sense of pride that one of their own had become a royal, and now he was there to hopefully wed one of the unmarried women of Fazbendia. 

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Make way for the prince, give him space!” Steven was not far behind the royal son, and he would make sure Dave wasn’t bombarded with begging from the villagers about where he’d be staying. The phone man didn’t have room in his house, so he needed to think fast. 

“Ah, Steven, worry not, I can handle myself,” the prince said, chuckling. He turned to face the village, holding a hand up as if to ask for silence. The silence was given, and he spoke loud. “I am in need of shelter for the coming months, preferably somewhere warm, and preferably somewhere where I am not housed with someone I’m expected to marry.”

There was an immediate roar of chatter and suggestions. Women talking over men, men talking over children, everyone talking over each other. The prince backed up slightly, seeming nervous. He knew the village was excitable, but this was just ridiculous. Far too loud, far too demanding. He couldn’t believe these were the people he’d be expected to rule over. It was almost annoying. Suddenly, the shrill noise of two children’s voices rang loud and clear in the prince’s ears. 

“The bakery!” Jack’s children shouted. They’d managed to shove to the front of the crowd, initially just to see the prince up close. Once they realized he needed a place to stay, though, they jumped at the opportunity for some good to come their father’s way. If the prince stayed with them, then the villagers wouldn’t be mean to Jack! 

The mutters and mumbles of the villagers replaced the shouting. The prince heard some of the things they were saying about the baker. How he was a bad influence, how he was cursed, how they were sure he’d corrupt the prince. Dave was shocked, hearing how much venom laced the villager’s words. He needed to see this baker, he needed to know who he was. He kneeled down to the children’s level, smiling at them. 

“Hello, children. You want me to stay in the bakery, hm?” he asked, holding a hand out to them. The little girl grabbed it immediately, smiling back at the prince. 

“Yes, your highness. My daddy owns it, and we have a spare room! You could have privacy!” she said, playing with the prince’s fingers. The villagers were simply shocked at the sight. 

“Would your mummy mind if I stayed?” 

“We don’t have a mummy anymore, our daddy wouldn’t care though!!” The boy next to the girl got close to the prince. Dave thought they were cute as buttons. They both had some of the bluest eyes he’d ever seen, and wondered if they’d gotten such blue eyes from their father. Speaking of their father, Jack had noticed his children near the prince, and in a panic ran up and through the crowd of people. He shoved past people, apologizing quickly and finally reaching the center of the crowd. The prince looked up, and his dark green eyes made contact with the baker’s bright blue ones. 

Dave felt so smart for knowing he was right about the children taking after their father. He got a good look at the baker. Not the tallest tree in the forest, but not horrifically short either. His brown hair looked unkempt, and had what seemed to be traces of flour sticking to it. He had a light dusting of freckles on his face, and his orange glasses matched the orange baker’s uniform he wore. 

Jack was quite the sight to the prince. He stood up, holding a hand to shake. The baker took it, hesitantly shaking it and letting go in an instant. He felt the eyes of the village burning a hold in his back. He knew they were judging him for even daring to breathe in the same vicinity as their beloved royal. In front of him, though, the prince smiled. 

“Your children say you have a spare room I could use. Is this true, sir?” Being called sir by the prince made Jack a bit nervous. Nobody called him sir, let alone someone of the prince’s status. He simply nodded in reply, sticking his hands in the pockets of his apron. “Then it has been decided. I shall stay in your bakery until my visit is over. If you’ll have me, of course?”

“Of course, your highness! Stay as long as you need!” Jack finally spoke. The prince couldn’t help but chuckle at the sudden burst of energy from the man. He thought he’d have a little fun with this, and wrapped an arm around the baker’s shoulder much to the dismay of the other villagers. Jack simply stared at the lack of space between himself and Prince Dave. 

“It has been decided! Steven, take my bags to the bakery, please!” he said. He turned his face to Jack. “And you, perhaps lead the way? I’m dreadfully cold and quite starved.” 

Jack didn’t need to be asked twice. He looked up at the villagers, everyone staring daggers at him. He felt awful, but he knew this time it wasn’t entirely his fault. He wasn’t the one who told the prince to get so close to him. He wasn’t even the one to suggest the prince stay at his home, the children were! He cleared his throat and made a gesture at the crowd, trying to ask them to make a path to the bakery. They stood still, still glaring. It broke Dave’s heart to see how much disrespect this seemingly lovely man was given. That time, the prince cleared his throat. 

“Make way for us, if you will!” he nearly shouted. This caused the crowd of people to spread out, and some even left to go home. The ones who stayed watched the prince, the baker, the baker’s children, and the prince’s assistant walk towards the bakery. There were more muffled chats, everyone trying to stealthily make sense of what they were seeing. It was simply unbelievable! 

“Goodness, baker, aren’t you popular,” Dave whispered, chuckling while remaining close. 

“Ah, if that’s popular I detest it.” Jack replied, rolling his eyes.

“I find you to be quite endearing, mister…?” 

“Kennedy. Jack Kennedy.”

“Hmh. Pleasure to meet you, Jack Kennedy,” The prince moved to stand in front of the baker, stopping him in his tracks. He took one of Jack’s hands, placing a polite kiss on his knuckles. He chuckled hearing the gasps from the villagers. “You may simply call me Dave. None of this ‘your highness’ nonsense.” 

Jack stood, dumbfounded. Had the prince really just kissed his hand? And he was given the go-ahead to call him by his first name? He could’ve sworn, this was a dream. A cruel dream, but a dream nonetheless. He simply nodded before starting to walk again, opening the door to the bakery and allowing the new guests to enter. 

“Make yourself comfortable then, Dave. I do hope you enjoy these next few months.” Jack said. He saw a smile on the prince’s face as he stepped into the house and gently squeezed his shoulder before going up the stairs to the living area.

Chapter Text

Jack had no idea how to feel about the literal prince staying in his home. Any change in behavior from Dave could result in the worst possible judgement from the others in the village. He felt weird staring at his new house guest, sneaking glances at him when he was chatting with customers. It was so strange seeing the prince so casual, so unfazed by his own status as a royal. 

Customers didn’t care to hide their disgust at the situation. They’d scoff when Jack spoke, and some even threw coins at him. He didn’t react, not wanting to taint whatever image the prince had of him. He just smiled, and said thank you, and hid the money. Dave noticed, but didn’t say a word. He didn’t want to make a scene in front of the villagers. One scene with his arrival was enough. 

“Er, Dave? It’s a little slow today, let me show you around. Richard, take the counter for me.” Jack’s son immediately grabbed a chair, pulling it up to the counter and standing on it. Dave took the opportunity to gently wrap an arm around Jack’s, getting incredibly close. The baker didn’t mention the gesture, he just started walking up the stairs to the living area. He’d briefly shown Dave the room he’d be staying in, but there was a lot more to the space. He opened the door to reveal a sort of living room. 

“This is where I usually rest after work. I usually help the children with their studies while I’m up here”

“Oh, how wonderful! It is always so lovely to have a place to relax!” Dave let go of Jack’s arm to look around, peeking at the hand drawn pictures on the walls, all signed with one of the children’s names. For someone with such a high status, the prince was acting like he was just another member of the village. It was astounding, seeing someone who was considered as a high-class citizen be so amazed at little things. 

Jack walked towards a little kitchen area, half-heartedly gesturing towards it. “This is where I cook for myself and the children, usually it’s small things. I don’t expect you to eat here, you’re free to eat wherever.” 

“I’d quite like to see what you’d make, old chap.” Dave patted Jack’s back. He was awfully insistent on touching Jack in some way. It made the baker feel weird, because nobody was nearly this friendly with him. He hoped nobody thought it was weird of the prince to be doing this, especially on his own volition. He just mentally shrugged it off, moving on to Dave’s room. It wasn’t very big, but it didn’t bother the prince. 

“As you saw earlier, this is your room. The door locks, so you won’t have to worry about anyone barging in.” The prince was just nodding, taking everything in. Living here, compared to being at the palace, would prove difficult. He was used to large, fancy rooms and constant chatter from royal staff. Here, it was relatively quiet. There were the sounds of the children chatting, or Jack’s words to the customers, but beyond that it was blissful silence. 

Dave peeked around, just soaking in the simplicity. It’d be nice living like a simple citizen, rather than as a prince. He’d made sure Steven packed his least fancy clothing items, wanting to fit in. He also didn’t want to risk anyone stealing his finer items to sell. He didn’t think this baker would steal his clothes, but that’s probably because he didn’t think he’d stoop low enough to do that. 

“So, pray tell, what do you do for fun?” the prince asked, sitting on the bed and leaning back. 

“I read, or I spend time with my children.” 

“My, my, aren’t you a simple man... What secrets do you hide under this rigid exterior you’re putting up?” The question was enough to stop Jack in his tracks. He didn’t think he was putting up a facade, acting as he would if there were any sort of house guest. Perhaps he was acting a little too hard, now realizing his voice was often flat. He just shrugged. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” he answered. The reply made the prince chuckle as he laid flat on his back, stretching. Jack looked away, not wanting to stare too hard. He heard the bones in the prince’s back pop, and then heard the springs in the bed as the royal sat back up. 

“I’ll get you to open up to me eventually, Mr. Kennedy,” he said, a teasing tone staining his voice. It made Jack scoff, and he backed up.

“Come on, that’s the end of your tour. I need to head back downstairs, feel free to rest up here if need be.”

“I think I’d like to go back downstairs with you.” Jack knew he’d have to really adjust to the prince being in his house. He wasn’t exactly the most popular person in Fazbendia, so having a guest was foreign to him. Especially a guest so insistent on being around him. He wasn’t used to the attention. 

“Come along, then,” he said, turning around and going back downstairs. “If you’re going to be attached to my hip the whole time, we may as well teach you something while you’re here.” 

“Oh, goodie! Perhaps I’ll use these skills with whoever I plan on marrying.” the prince replied, getting out of bed and following the baker. Jack rolled his eyes at the idea of a prince actually baking bread for his wife. 

“Yes, I’m sure your royal wife would just die with joy knowing her husband can bake bread.”

“You never know, my future spouse could appreciate the skill.” The wording made Jack pause for a moment. Spouse? The prince wasn’t even considering a woman only, he could possibly be on the search for a man? Now Jack really needed to keep his distance. He didn’t want to be blamed for the prince’s potential homosexual tendencies. He was already getting weird stares because the prince willingly stayed with him, if the king’s son even breathed the idea of being with a man… 

Jack likely wouldn’t survive that. He’d lose his home, his business, hell, even the children. He couldn’t even fathom the idea of losing his son and daughter, they were all he had. He needed to keep some kind of distance from the prince, if only to protect his family. He hurried back down the stairs and went to hide in the bakery kitchen. The warmth of the ovens combined with the smell of everything he’d ever baked was soothing. He could hear the prince chatting with the children. 

He decided to just hide in the kitchen, listening to the muffled chatter from the prince and the kids. It was a lot better than facing the prince after hearing what he could only assume was a confession from the royal son. The prince… possibly marrying a man? How ridiculous. How absurd! He was the prince, soon to be the king, how could he even fathom the idea. It was fine for the villagers, they weren’t expected to have heirs to the throne. The prince, though… there was no way he was genuinely considering such an idea. 

Chapter Text

It wasn’t long after the prince had entered the bakery that the villagers began to talk. There were all kinds of accusations made towards Jack. 

“He’s planning on seducing the prince!”

“He’s trying to get a spot on the throne to ruin our village!”

“He’ll try to kill our prince!” 

The gossip train was in full speed, and showed absolutely no signs of stopping. Very few people actually enjoyed Jack’s company. He had a reputation for being a bringer of bad luck. It was his fault his brother was sent away to become a phone servant, his fault that his parents passed, and his fault his sister was a court jester-in-training. 

The issue was nobody could explain exactly how it was his fault. He was just the easier person to point a finger towards. He was easy to blame, because he had such a significant lack of backbone to fight against it. He just stood and took it. Perhaps he knew nothing he said could change their minds. Maybe in a way, he thought these things were his fault. 

“He’s interested in men, you know. He’ll make the prince think that’s okay!”

“Everyone knows the prince can’t marry a man! How will he create a suitable heir to the throne?!”

“He could do what the current king did. He adopted a child off of our streets and turned him into a suitable heir.”

Eyes made contact with the dial of Harry Fitzgerald. He stood still, gripping his cane. Despite not having eyes, his body language indicated he was annoyed with how quick his neighbors were to judge Jack. Harry thought Jack was one of the more selfless people in the village. 

“You’re all ridiculous. Making fun of a man with very little. He’d give the coat off his back if he owned a coat.”

Louder chatter rose from the crowd. People were talking over each other, trying to justify their judgements. Complaints of how he let his children run around causing issues, how he was constantly covered in flour, and how he never seemed to smile at anyone. It made Harry internally roll his eyes. Everyone’s children caused issues. That’s the main activity of children. And complaining about a baker being covered in flour was just low. It was like complaining that a coal miner was covered in coal dust. As for the smiling, Harry thought that if he’d had as much bad luck as Jack had, he wouldn’t be too happy with being around people either. 

“This is petty. You all complain about him, yet you’re all keeping his business afloat. If you’re really, truly so against Mr. Kennedy for daring to exist, learn to bake your own bread.” There was a collective gasp from the crowd. 

Unfortunately he was right. He knew these people were too lazy to even fathom the idea of making their own bread. Harry would smirk if he didn’t have the whole phone for a head issue. He simply turned around to head back to his home, reveling in the silence from his neighbors. He walked into his house, closing and locking the door behind him. 

“Oh, Harry, welcome home!” a voice chirped from the kitchen. It was Roger, one of Harry’s beloveds. He went towards the kitchen, humming. He could see Roger and their other partner, Jake, had something cooking. He wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it smelled good. 

“You wouldn’t believe what’s happened today,” Harry said, sitting in a chair and propping his cane against the edge of the table. “The prince came to town, and he’s staying with Jack!”

“Really? Isn’t that peculiar! Jack wouldn’t offer his home like that.”

“Oh, but his children would. They melted that prince’s heart, it seems.”

“You know he has a soft spot for the children of the village, Harry. He truly believes they’re all destined for great things.” 

It was nice just chatting with people who weren’t cruel to Jack for the sake of being cruel. They weren’t his biggest fans, but they didn’t hate him. He was just another person in Fazbendia, trying to make the best out of what he was given. He was doing quite well for himself, in all honesty. Running a bakery in a town where most people refused to learn basic cooking skills was a recipe for success. 

“Have the others started talking?” Roger asked, going to the stove to stir something. 

“Oh, you would not believe how quickly they started talking. As soon as Jack’s door shut, their mouths opened.”

“How rude, what are they saying he plans on this time?” Jake asked. He wiped the counter waiting for Harry’s reply. 

“They think he’s either planning on killing him or sleeping with him. Do they think he’s a black widow?” Harry chuckled at the absurd comment. Some people in the village were stupid. Roger shook his head and set a bowl in front of Harry. 

“Some people will say anything these days.”

“I got onto them this time, I said if they really were as outraged they’d learn to bake for themselves.” There was a gasp from the other two phone men. Harry, often soft spoken and non-confrontational, telling a whole horde of villagers to bake their own bread? Neither could say they blamed him, but the comment was just so out of character for Harry. 

“Harry, you really told them that?” Jake asked, taking a seat next to him. Harry nodded, chuckling before getting a bite of what he could now see was soup. 

“That was a risky thing to say, Harry. You know how these people feel about us.” Roger said, sitting near the other two phone men. 

“What are they gonna do, we’re the only ones who know how to repair stuff in this garbage town.” He had them there; they moved from Phonopolis to open a repair shop in Fazbendia. Before they got there, the village was practically in ruin. 

“What kind of things do you think the others are talking about? Regarding the prince’s living arrangements, I mean.” 

“Well, Jake, if you ask me, they’re going to assume any kindness the prince shows our friend is forced, and that Jack is slowly poisoning the king’s son somehow.” 

This comment caused a fit of laughter from all three phone men. It was absolutely ridiculous how judgemental these people were, especially towards someone as reclusive as Jack Kennedy. He caused very little issues, maybe the occasional flour trail, but he was always polite and quiet. He hardly said a word to anyone, for goodness sake! His children, on the other hand, were quite chatty. 

“You think they’ll accuse Jack of trying to get the prince to take the children?” 

“Oh, goodness, no, Jack loves those children far too much to let them go, especially to that prissy pink palace.” 

Once again, laughter erupted from the group of three. The king’s palace truly was the most ridiculous thing in the village. It stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the brown, red, and gray of the buildings in the village. Bright baby pink, it was almost heinous. There was an unspoken agreement that when the prince took over, he desperately needed to change the color of that ghastly palace. 

“Oh, I wish our neighbors weren’t so harsh with Mr. Kennedy. He’s so kind, always giving away extra baked goods.”

“Roger, he does that with us because we don’t treat him like a thorn in our sides.” 

“No, because Rochelle said he does it with her too, and she’s a hateful old bat!”

“Oh- Jake! Goodness, such language towards our… dear- heh… Dear neighbor, Rochelle.” Harry couldn’t keep his giggles contained. Everyone in the village may have disliked Jack, but they may have disliked Rochelle even more. For good reason, she actually gave people a reason to hate her. Despite the village being indifferent towards homosexuals, Rochelle was adamantly against them even breathing her air. 

She was rather annoying, but everyone in the village chalked it up to her being divorced several times. Coincidentally, three of her ex husbands found solace in each other. Harry, Jake, and Roger were all formerly married to her. Harry left her after catching her stealing from Jack’s bakery. Jake left her for the sole purpose of not wanting to be around her nagging for much longer. Rochelle was actually the one to divorce Roger, claiming he was too much of a worm to be a proper husband. Roger thought that claim was ridiculous. He was no worm, he was an adult man. 

“Surely if everyone in the village can ridicule the nicer person in this village, we can afford to ridicule our ex wife.” Roger said, eating some of his soup. The other phone men nodded. Unlike Jack, she actually deserved some of the cruelty.

Chapter Text

It’d been a few days since Dave decided to settle into the bakery. He knew he’d feel at least a little homesick, sure, but this was nearly unbearable. He sat up from his bed, listening to the sounds in the house. It was silent, give or take the chirping of crickets and the singing of cicadas. He felt like now was as good a time as any to sneak out and explore around the bakery. He slid from under the covers, opening the door slowly and sneaking out of the room. He heard what he assumed were the snores of Jack and his children, and snuck down the stairs. 

He wasn’t expecting  to see Jack sitting at one of the tables in the bakery, glass of water in hand. Dave knew it was considered rude to stare, but he couldn’t help but sneak glances at the man in front of him. Jack, on the other hand, quickly wrapped a robe around himself and cleared his throat. 

“Uh, good evening, Dave. Funny seeing you at this hour.” he said, hoping the light from the candles was dim enough to hide how red his face was. It was embarrassing to be caught in such a state, especially by the prince. 

“Hello, Jack. You don’t need to cover up, I really don’t mind,” the prince replied, settling into a chair across from Jack. He saw the baker’s fingers tighten over the front of the covering. “We’re both adults here, I think we can handle seeing each other without any shame.”

“Awful strange thing to say, sir, considering you and I are very different people.”

“Different worlds, perhaps, but I think we may be more alike than you’d think.” The prince’s voice was smooth, too smooth. Jack shook his head, just sinking into his seat a little bit. He sipped from his glass of water before he looked like he remembered something. 

“Oh, would you like some water, your highness?” 

“Jack, I’ve told you , we’re friends here. Dave will suffice. And I wouldn’t mind a little drink of water if you’re offering.” Jack nodded, standing up and going to the bakery kitchen. There were the sounds of glass clinking and water running before he hurried back into the main sitting room of the bakery. He held the glass out to the prince, water so cold it was already causing condensation.

The hand once gripping the robe tightly in the front now at his side. Dave could see that Jack’s freckles weren’t confined to his face. He had spatterings all over his chest and parts of his stomach, and Dave could swear he saw constellations. He also caught sight of a little heart shaped freckle on the baker’s cheek. He took the glass, moving his other hand to gently poke at the heart shaped freckle. 

“So, what’s this all about? Awful cute thing here.” he said, chuckling a little. The light was dim, but he could swear he saw Jack’s face redden. 

“Oh, uh, yeah. That. Ignore that, it isn’t important. It’s just a shape.”

“You say that, but I think you’re lying. Maybe it’s a sign of sorts.” Dave was really laying on the subtle moves. He wanted to see just how far he could go before the baker threw himself into his arms. Sure, he was here on a specific mission, but nobody said a word about not having a little fun. 

“Psh, a sign? You wish,” Jack sipped from his water once again, rolling his eyes. “It’s just a shape.” 

“You’re so insistent on things,” Dave said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were hiding something from me. Is that it? Are you some kind of secret assassin, hiring children to lure pretty princes to your home to kill them?”

“Please, if I were an assassin, I wouldn’t hire children. They’re prone to chattering and revealing secrets.”

Dave liked just talking to Jack. It was nice to see him so relaxed, compared to how he was in the daytime. During the day, Jack was rigid, standing straight all the time and clenching his jaw when he wasn’t speaking to customers. Right now, though, he was slouched in a chair, shirtless and drinking water with the prince. Talking to him as if they were old friends. 

“Well, if you were an assassin, how would you do your work, pray tell?” The prince leaned forward, folding his hands under his chin and chuckling. 

“Well, for starters I wouldn’t let my target sleep in my home. Assassins often hide their weapons in their homes, it’d be an amateur move to let the target stay in your home.”

“See, if it were me, I’d let them be as close as possible. I’d even gain the target's trust, somehow.” Both men laughed at that. Jack leaned forward as well, nearly nose to nose with the prince. 

“Another thing, I wouldn’t let them sleep so close to me. If I plan on killing them, there’s no telling what they have planned for me,” Jack said, sipping from his glass again. “And one more thing, I wouldn’t open a fake business to lure targets.”

“How did you end up with a bakery, anyway?” the prince asked, setting his glass on the table. He was so entranced with the baker’s way of speaking. The words just fell from his mouth so easily, like he’d thought about this for a while before this conversation. 

“Oh, it was my father’s. He was supposed to pass it down to my brother, but well… he’s a member of your royal staff or whatever.” 

“Your brother is a phone man? What’s his name, perhaps I know him!”

“Peter.”

“Oh, dear. Yes, he does our laundry. He’s often complaining because of how wretched it gets sometimes.” Jack laughed at that. Not a small laugh, either. His face was on the table and he wrapped his arms around his stomach. Dave could swear he saw tears in the baker’s eyes. “What’s so funny?” he asked, opting to move his face a little closer to Jack’s. 

“He hates laundry! When our parents were alive, that was his chore, and he always complained about it! I can’t believe his luck! It must be worse than mine!” 

“Oh, how on earth could a man as devilishly handsome as you have bad luck?”

“Dave, you’re treading dangerous waters there. I haven’t even told my closest friends about my string of bad luck.”

“Pretend I’m closer than anyone else. I promise, your secrets are safe with me.” Dave made a show of crossing his heart, chuckling afterwards. He saw Jack sit up and roll his eyes. 

“You swear you’ll keep this between us?” he asked. While he tried to put on an intimidating front, Dave could tell there was fear hidden in his voice. The prince nodded in reply, and gestured for Jack to continue talking. It was like floodgates had been opened, because as soon as Jack’s mouth opened, it didn’t close for a long time. 

“Well, for starters, I was one of three children born around here. My childhood was fine enough, at least until I learned I had apparently been engaged since I was born to some girl who did not enjoy me. She was nice, sure, but we never got past being acquainted. 

The wedding was very lackluster, as her parents lost all their money gambling on those wretched street performers. We ended up being married in this very bakery, actually. We had our son, Richard, fairly soon after that and he was a healthy boy. Peter got sent away to be one of your little phone servants at possibly the worst time. As soon as he was at the palace, our parents suffered a cruel demise. They’d been ambushed at the bank and were killed by a couple of lowlife thieves. It was a sad day, really. 

I ended up taking over this bakery when I was a very young man. Then I had to deal with my wife’s second pregnancy with our daughter, Suzanne. My wife didn’t exactly make it. She passed within a day, not only leaving me to take care of my sister, but now my two children. It’s a wonder I haven’t begged to be executed for even existing, but then nobody would take care of my children.”

“You mentioned a sister?”

“She’s training to be one of your little court jesters. She signed up and ended up being accepted really quickly.” Dave just nodded hearing this. Now that he looked at Jack, he did look similar to the little Deandra girl who was training to be a marionette jester. They had the same nose, the same little tooth gap, and the same big blue eyes. 

“Yes, I believe I’ve seen her here and there. Anyways, your bad luck, go on.” 

“Yes, yes. After all that mess, I found myself… quite infatuated with men, and when you mix a heavy desire like that with alcohol, well… I got in a lot of trouble. Ruined a few marriages, actually. Not too many people wanted to be around me, not that I care. I have my children, and I get letters from my siblings, and that’s all I need.” 

This story was quite sad to the prince. This man lost his parents, lost his wife, and then got caught up in bad habits. He thought he killed someone or was rude in the past, but this was just a horribly broken man. It honestly broke Dave’s heart. He reached a hand to hold one of Jack’s, rubbing his thumb against his knuckles. 

“None of that was your fault, Jack,” he said. Jack’s blue eyes bore holes into Dave’s dark green ones. “You couldn’t help the things you went through. I’m glad things are a little better, even if these silly villagers think you’re a monster. I don’t think you’re a monster, though.” 

Jack stared at his hand being gently squeezed by the prince’s hand. He quickly retracted it, setting both hands on his lap and turning his head away. He felt ashamed, having spilled his whole story in front of the prince. This was the king’s son. The heir to the throne. This was the future king. And Jack just told him about every bad thing he’s been through. What if this blew up in his face? He couldn’t afford to be publicly humiliated by the future king. 

“I’m going back to bed, Dave. You enjoy your water, if you need a refill, the sink is behind the counter.” Jack stood from his seat, turning to go back upstairs. He felt the prince grab at one of his hands, stopping him in his tracks. 

“Hey. If you ever need another little talk, I’m happy to sit and talk with you, Jack. I applaud you for being so vulnerable.” Dave was met with stunned silence. He tried to get a read on any sort of emotion from Jack. He felt the baker squeeze his hand before quickly running back up the stairs.

The prince stared at his hand. Slight scratches from the baker’s nails on the back of his hand could be seen in the candlelight. He sat back in his chair, sipping the water and looking at the stars from the window. This baker had him wrapped around his finger and Dave couldn’t be more thrilled by the fact. It was all the more fun that Jack had no idea how he was affecting the royal son. 

Dave would get that baker’s guard completely down. He needed to see what else was hidden underneath that tough exterior.

Chapter Text

“Dear Father,

I’ve been in the village for five days now. I’ve never seen such a beautiful place! The villagers are so nice, and I’ve been treated so kindly. You’ll be happy to know I’m living in a bakery, and the kind gentleman who let me in has given me my own room. There’s not much in the way of space, but that doesn’t mean the room isn’t cozy! 

I miss you dreadfully, I hope you’re having fun! I’ve decided to take initiative and learn how to do some of the things the villagers do! The kindly baker has been teaching me how to make my own bread, and I must say it is SUCH an experience! Who knew so much went into the food we eat! I’d like this baker to make my wedding cake. 

I need to know, what’s stopping me from doing what you did? I could just as easily adopt a child or two and rule as an unmarried king, as you did. Were there special circumstances in your case? I simply must know! 

I shall wrap my letter up here, as I’m sure you’re quite busy. I love you, father, don’t miss me too much! 

Your son, Prince Dave II”

“Dave,

I found your letter endearing. Remember you’re royalty, though, and make sure those villagers know as well. 

Remember you are there to find a bride. I refuse to allow you to be a reclusive shut in, as I am. You will find a bride, marry her, and have the future kings and queens of this land. Frankly, I am appalled that you could even consider not marrying, as there are many benefits to a marriage.

My wife died, so make sure when you’re searching to not marry someone with a weak tolerance to illness. Make sure she’s strong enough to bear children capable of surviving past birth. 

I expect you to return home with a wife, come next winter. I wouldn’t care if you had a simple, poor wedding, but for goodness sake marry a woman before your time is up. 

Keep up with studying your manners. 

King Henry”

“Dear Father,

I found your letter quite informative! I’ve been on the lookout for a wife, worry not, I simply haven’t met a woman who shares the same beliefs as I do. I want someone I can be friends with before I even consider romance. 

I must continue bragging about this baker. Father, imagine the bluest sky you’ve ever seen, and then amplify it at least twenty times. That’s how blue his eyes are. I could swear, father, his eyes put sapphires to shame! 

He’s also strong. He has two children, a little six year old daughter and a thirteen year old boy, and he’s able to just sling them both over his shoulder when they’re being mischievous! I can hardly handle carrying a sack of flour, and this man just carries his children like a child carries their toys! 

Father, I swear, I’ve never seen a person so deserving of a place in our royal staff. He could be a knight, he’s so strong. He’s also selfless, he does so many things for the benefit of others, rather than himself. 

I hope you’re enjoying my letters! The baker used what little money he had to purchase fine stationery for me to use! I’m so flattered, he’s such a kind soul. 

I shall leave you until my next letter. I miss you! 

Your son, Prince Dave II”

“Dave

I’m glad you’re making friends. Save that stationery for when you’re writing about a potential wife, though. We wouldn’t want you wasting this baker boy’s kindness. 

As for knighting someone, perhaps you can do that when you finally become the king. I have no need for new knights, but when you become king you can do whatever you want. You’ll be in charge of the laws, after all. 

Make sure you’re actually leaving that house to meet women. You keep talking about this baker and it means you aren’t exploring. I expect you to leave the house and be social. A good king interacts with his loyal subjects. 

A word of advice, you need to discipline your little red-headed phone servant. He read your most recent letter and giggled while reading the parts about your little baker friend. You need to put that phone in his place, he should know better. Giggling while reading a serious letter, absolutely appalling. 

Make sure you’re eating, I know you’ve had a picky phase but it is time to grow up. 

King Henry”

“Dear Father,

This is my last letter! I must let you know I’m eating well. This baker is one good cook. He makes things I’ve never even heard of! He makes a lot of things by hand, like pastas and whatnot. You’d be rather impressed with this man’s level of skill! 

As for Steven, he was perhaps thinking about a joke I told him! I am quite the jokester, as you know. Because of this, I will not be punishing him. I ask that you don’t punish him, either. 

I think you would benefit from learning their names! We have two red-headed phone men, one of which is the baker’s brother! Our little laundry phone, Peter, is related to not just the baker, but the little jester we’ve been training! Is that not fun, how small our world really is? 

This village is so beautiful, and the people within it make it even more stunning. I’ve never seen such beauty when we traveled, it is so impossible to think that the most beautiful things were right under our noses! 

Please make sure you’re sleeping, I know you don’t think rationally when you sleep. As for me, I’m getting ready to go to a performance with Jack, my baker friend. The street performers are collaborating and doing a whole little concert for the village, and I’m considered a special guest for the evening! 

I will be home before you know it, and I hope you’ll be there to welcome me with open arms!

Your son, Prince Dave II”

Henry scowled at hearing this letter. He stood from his seat and walked towards Steven, wordlessly holding his hand out for the letter. 

“Go to your living quarters. You’re lucky my son’s decided to spare you from punishment. If I had my way, you’d be chained to a wall without any food.” the king said, crumpling the paper into a ball. He watched the phone man run off before stepping towards the fireplace. He tossed the letter into the flames, watching the paper turn to ash almost immediately. He shook his head before walking back towards his throne. 

“Psh, special guest for the evening. That boy’s testing my patience on purpose, I know he is.” 

The king sat down, fiddling with the rings on his fingers. His son was getting far too friendly with this baker. Back in his day, bakers didn’t do anything except bake. Now, they’re befriending princes and poisoning their minds with silly things like doing stuff on your own. That may be how those peasants live, but Henry, and by extension Dave, had royal blood. He was above everyone else now, and he would be until he was dead.

Chapter Text

The prince was up, bright and early as always. He always woke up before the baker and his family, and often used his time to peek around the little house settled on top of the bakery. He had a little notepad with a list of things he noticed his new friend didn’t have. The children had a lot; coats, shoes, and outfits of varying colors and styles. Jack, on the other hand, had three outfits, a single pair of worn-out shoes, and there wasn’t a single coat for him in sight. 

That simply wouldn’t do. Dave, right then and there, decided while the children were in school, he’d take Jack to get some necessities. He wanted to give him something nice, and he’d even make a whole day of it! Because of this impulsive decision, though, he needed to start with the most important thing: breakfast.

He snuck downstairs to the bakery and went to the kitchen, getting some small things prepared. He’d just use his own spending money to pay for what he used, it wasn’t like it’d make a dent in his pockets. He hummed while making something he remembers his cooks made for him, something called pancakes. Who knew all the things you could make with just a little bit of flour and eggs! The prince smiled, just imagining the looks on their faces when they saw that he’d taken care of breakfast. 

He plated everything up all neatly and ran back upstairs, peeking into Jack and the children’s room. They were still sleeping, perfect! He quietly snuck in, going to the baker’s bed and gently shaking him awake. When Jack opened his eyes to see the prince’s, he gasped and made a face. 

“Uh… good morning? What’s the matter?” the baker asked tiredly. The prince blinked before smiling, leaning over Jack and getting nose to nose with him. 

“Good morning, Jack. I made breakfast, and I have a whole fun day planned for the two of us! Up and at ‘em! There’s only so much sunlight!” The baker watched the prince roll off of his bed and quickly go to the children, waking them up. Jack was grateful the prince didn’t seem to mind Suzanne and Richard’s presence. As a matter of fact, Jack could swear the children saw the prince as a sort of role model. Better Dave than Jack, honestly. 

Jack sat up, stretching and popping his back. He watched Dave pick up Suzanne and run downstairs, with Richard following closely. Goodie, I have a moment to get dressed. He thought, scooting out of bed and digging through his closet. He didn’t remember closing the closet door recently, but whatever. He threw on a shirt and some nicer pants before heading downstairs. 

“Ah, there you are! Come on, there’s plenty of food to go around!” Dave set a plate down where Jack normally sat down. “And worry not, I’ll personally purchase replacement ingredients!”

Had Jack been a woman, and Dave a commoner rather than a prince, he’d have thrown himself at the man. Cooking, offering to replace ingredients, and serving him breakfast? Goodness, what a catch. The future queen was going to be one lucky lady. He sat down, looking at the plate in front of him. The prince made a little happy face with his breakfast, with some eggs as eyes and bacon as a little smiling mouth. 

It was awfully cute. Jack almost didn’t want to take a bite, but the growling in his stomach shooed that thought away quickly. He ate one of the eggs and was honestly shocked. For someone with people waiting on him hand and foot, he sure could cook. Jack was impressed. He noticed his children were eating quickly. He knew they ate fast anyway, but this was almost ridiculous. He shrugged it off, eating his breakfast and reading a book.

He could see the prince running back and forth between the kitchen and the sitting area. He could hear dishes clanking around in the sink, like they were being washed. Was he doing the dishes too? Goodness, if he was doing all this, Jack could only imagine the day they’d have when his children were off to school. 

“Children, make sure you actually comb your hair this morning. I’ve noticed a significant lack of combing, and you both know how your hair gets when you neglect it.” 

“Yes, Papa!” 

“Okay, Papa.” 

“And please behave at school, I don’t want to have to bring you home early. Having an education is very important!” Both children groaned and rolled their eyes at this. Jack just shrugged and continued eating. It felt nice not having to be in charge of cleaning up after breakfast, so the fact that he was even able to remind his children to tidy their appearances was a win in his book. It didn’t take long for Suzanne and Richard to be out the door on their way to school. Jack, on the other hand, was still at the table.

Well, he was for a moment until Dave grabbed his arm, dragging him up the stairs. Jack was all kinds of shocked, and didn’t really understand what was going on until the prince shoved him near his closet and ran off. The baker learned quickly that Dave didn’t always tell people to do things. He often shoved them in an area and then pointed at things that indicated his expectations. In this case, Dave was telling him to put his shoes on. He did just that, going back downstairs to see the entire bakery was cleaned up. He moves awfully fast, doesn’t he… 

“Ah, you’re ready! Come on, we’re getting you a coat!” the prince said, grabbing one of Jack’s hands and dragging him into the cold winter air. The baker shivered, shoving his free hand in his pants pocket. It was almost painful how cold it was. His glasses fogged up nearly instantly, and he had to take them off to even see the path ahead of him. 

“Dave, it is absolutely freezing, why are we out here?” he asked, gritting his teeth. The prince chuckled a little, wrapping an arm around Jack’s shoulder and pulling him close. God forbid anyone saw this, Jack could just feel the disgusted stares he’d get. 

“You don’t have a coat, my friend! How do you expect to brave the weather without a proper covering?”

“I don’t. I hardly leave my house, Dave, you know this.”

“Perhaps, but wouldn’t you like to leave on occasion?”

“No.” 

The two letter word took Dave by surprise. Jack normally didn’t speak so flatly. Why on earth was he so against leaving the house? The villagers were nice to the prince, surely they were nice to the man providing food to the people. He shrugged it off, walking into the clothing shop, his arm still draped over Jack’s shoulder. The owner scowled at Jack, and Dave noticed. He shot a rather dirty look at the owner, who backed up quickly. 

“Have a look around, your highness! You and your little… friend.” The prince smiled before looking around. He had an idea of what Jack liked. He liked the color orange, that was obvious. He walked towards a particularly comfortable looking orange coat and pointed it out.

“Jack, how about this one? It’s your favorite color, and it looks awfully comfortable!”

“Dave, I can’t afford this, it has fur lining the inside,” Jack said, backing away from it. Dave pulled him back towards it and held up a little bag. “No. Dave, absolutely not. You are not buying me a coat, I ref- Mgh?!” 

The prince covered Jack’s mouth with his hand. “Shut up. I’m doing this out of the kindness of my heart. You don’t deserve to freeze in the winter!” the prince said, taking the coat off of the rack. He handed it to Jack, letting him feel the material. He could swear, he saw the baker’s eyes water. “You’re also getting a few pairs of shoes in the shop next door. Yours are absolutely falling apart!”

“Dave, I don’t know what to say, I-”

“That’s Prince Dave to you, sir.” the owner snapped. Dave once again shot him a dirty look. Good God, this man’s rude. His mother must have forgotten to teach him manners. The prince chuckled at his thought. He led Jack around the store. 

“Pick out whatever you’d like, it’d be cruel not to pay back the kindness you’ve shown me.”

“What kindness?”

“Letting me stay in your home, silly! That’s mighty selfless of you!” The prince smiled at the baker. He was really trying to be buddy-buddy with this man. It was, admittedly, for nefarious purposes. He was bored, and wanted to fool around a little bit. He knew it was a little selfish, but he had needs. 

Jack quickly grabbed some more items of clothing. Longer sleeved shirts, thicker pants, even a few pairs of socks! He wasn’t trying to abuse this kindness, but these were things he’d needed for a long time. He walked to the counter, setting his items on it and standing patiently. The shop owner quickly wrote down the prices and slid a bill to the prince, tapping the bottom number with his pencil. 

“You owe this much, your highness.” he said, refusing to look up from the paper. He probably didn’t want the prince to shoot him another dirty look. The prince dropped some money on the counter and took Jack’s items, leaving the store quickly. The baker ran after him, grabbing the coat. He put it on and sighed with content. It was so soft, and so warm. 

“Thank you.” he said. He didn’t look at the prince, instead focusing on the path to the shoe shop. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of these acts of kindness, but Harry took too long to get him a coat since their last meeting and Jack was sure he’d freeze to death if the prince hadn’t gotten him one. 

“After this, we’ll go and I’ll replace the ingredients I used to make you breakfast. I’ll get some extra, too.” Dave said, opening the door to the shoe shop. The person at the counter definitely heard what the prince said, and Jack knew it. 

“Dave, really, you don’t have to do this. I can manage just fine.” he said, going towards some sturdy looking boots. He felt a hand pat his back rather hard. 

“You are far too humble! Let me spoil you a little, it’s my treat!” the prince replied. Jack couldn’t say no, especially when the prince had that dumb smile on his face. How on earth did someone so aloof become royalty, it was obscene. 

Jack picked up the boots he was looking at. They weren’t pretty but they did look like they’d last, and the baker was past the point of caring about his appearance. He just nodded at them and looked at the prince. The prince nodded back and then walked towards the nicer shoes in the shop. 

“Oh- Dave, no, I don’t need anything fancy. I don’t go anywhere.”

“Nonsense! You’ll be at my wedding, you’re personally invited, and you’ll need an excellent pair of dancing shoes for the occasion!” Dave exclaimed, holding up a pair of black shoes. Jack couldn’t argue, they were nice shoes, and if he really was invited to the wedding he may as well have a nice pair of shoes. He just sighed and nodded, earning a chuckle from the prince. 

“That’s it, though. Just the boots and the dancing shoes.” 

“As you wish, my friend.” the prince hummed, going to the counter. Unlike the person who worked at the clothing shop, the shoe shop employee was silent while adding up their total. She slid the paper towards Dave, tapping the bottom number. He paid, as he did at the last shop, and then dragged Jack back outside. 

It was at this moment the reality of the situation was settling in for Jack. His own neighbors couldn’t be bothered to help him out when he was struggling. He was the subject of constant ridicule by these people, and often taken advantage of for mistakes he’d made in the past. He didn’t even remember a time before this that somebody had been incredibly generous and insistent on buying him things. 

Yet, here he was with the prince. A man who had a role that was often known for being greedy, power hungry, and cruel. Here this high class man was, parading around the village with an arm around Jack’s shoulders. He was just buying him things for the hell of it. He only argued when the baker refused to accept anything more than the bare minimum. 

It’d been a long time since Jack actually cried. He usually didn’t see a reason to, but right now he couldn’t handle the situation at hand. He stopped in his tracks and stared at the ground, tears pooling into the lenses of his glasses. Dave almost didn’t notice, opting to handle things in his usual jokey manner. 

“Oh, not again! Jack, come on, I simply refuse to stop until I’ve paid back most of your kindness!”

“Why are you doing this?” Jack asked, taking his glasses off and cleaning them. Dave’s demeanor changed, and he tilted his head.

“What do you mean?” 

“You’ve heard what the people in this village say about me. They aren’t lying, I’ve done a lot of rather awful things. Why are you being so nice?” 

Dave was taken aback. Sure, he’d heard a few… unsavory rumors about the baker, but they were honestly insignificant things. The man he saw in front of him wasn’t a bad person in his eyes. He was quite smart, he was an excellent business owner, an attentive father, and he was kind. Not only that, he wasn’t bad at all to look at. That wasn’t super important, but it was a bonus to the prince. 

“Hey, now. I think everyone deserves kindness. You’ve clearly been struggling with money, and your neighbors seem too busy to help-”

“They refuse to help. They do the bare minimum paying me for my baked goods. I messed up badly, and now I’m paying the price for it.”

“Well, I’m helping. You can’t stop me, I do as I please.”

“Does it please you to help a common whore?”

“You’re no whore, Jack, you’re just lonely. If you were a whore you’d be on the streets flaunting your filth and throwing yourself at the first desperate man who’ll give you the time of day. Don’t talk so awfully about yourself, you can’t trust your own judgement of your character.” 

Jack just squinted at the prince. Who did he think he was? There was simply no way he meant any of that. He probably wanted the baker to stop his blubbering and whining, He just huffed and turned to go back home. Unfortunately, he still had his old, worn out shoes and couldn’t outrun the prince. He felt a hand grab at his arm and pull him into a hug. 

It was odd. Dave had only ever hugged his father and a few of his phone servants, and most of the time they initiated that. He wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to do to someone who was simply not having a good time, but it was worth a shot. Jack was mortified, being hugged by the prince in the middle of the village. What if people saw? 

Jack kept his hands glued to his sides, just listening to the noises around him. The wind, the surrounding chatter from passersby, the steady heartbeat from the prince, and his own shaky breathing. He felt Dave’s hand rubbing his back and thought he heard the prince humming a song. It was kind of nice, but he wouldn’t say that out loud. 

“I don’t think you’re a bad person.” Dave said. Realization hit the prince quickly. He’d been in the village for a short time, only a month or so, and the whole time he’d find himself missing being at the bakery when he was out. He’d visit the homes of the other villagers, yet find himself longing for the comfort of Jack’s home. It was like a second home, at this point. It was familiar, and comfortable.

He liked Jack’s house. It was always so full of life, and there was a lot of love in the home. Dave liked the lovey feeling, it was as warm as this hug he shared with Jack was. The more he thought about it, he liked being around Jack as well. The baker was always doing little things, like making all of the meals and cleaning up after Dave. He also gave him the occasional gift; an extra muffin at breakfast, the last cigar from his stash, and he even made a quilt. Dave didn’t even know Jack could do that, especially as quickly as he did. 

Dave kept thinking about all of Jack’s good qualities. The baker didn’t know it, but he had quite a few redeeming qualities. His generosity, his kindness, his creativity, and his humor. He could be quite funny if he was in a good mood for the day. Somewhere along the way, thinking about the things that made good word of Jack’s character, the prince thought about how effortlessly handsome Jack could be. His blue eyes, the freckles, the soft hair… 

“Dave? Are you in there?”

“Oh- yeah, sorry. Lost myself for a moment. Anyway, are you okay? We can save the grocery trip for another day, but I would like to replace what I used for your breakfast.” 

Jack just nodded, pulling off of the hug and walking to the food store. Dave followed, trying to make sense of all of his thoughts. Was this a really good friendship, or did the prince have feelings for the baker? He had to really think about this, because as nice as it would be to have actually found love, he didn’t want to rush into something he wasn’t sure about. Additionally, he’d been sent to the village specifically to find a wife, and as tempting as the idea of getting Jack to crossdress in order to trick his father was, Jack was too manly for makeup and tight clothes to mask. 

The entirety of the grocery trip was a blur to Dave. He got lost in his head and just kept trying to make sense of the things he was thinking about. He didn’t remember walking back to the bakery and going to his room, but by the time he came to a conclusion he was sitting in his bed, wrapped in the quilt Jack had made for him. 

It smelled like him. Dave knew him well enough that he knew what the man smelled like. He could decipher which of the three snoring people was him. He recognized when it was his footsteps walking past his door, as if to stealthily check on the prince. Dave knew it was true. He could try to give reasons for why it wasn’t, but he knew the truth. 

He had fallen in love with Jack Kennedy.

Chapter Text

Richard was the first one to notice something changed. Now, it had been his bright idea to yell and get the prince’s attention the day he arrived in the village. He regretted it, because now there was some man who was constantly ogling his father, and he couldn’t tell this man to leave because he was the prince and could pretty much do whatever he wanted.

The first thing he noticed was the prince’s sudden increase in doing chores. He claimed it was because the chores were fun, but they weren’t. Richard knew firsthand that the chores weren’t fun, especially cleaning the ovens. The prince did it without hesitation, though!

The first time it happened, Richard thought nothing of it, but the second time it happened he noticed that his father smiled at the prince and patted his hand. To the boy’s horror, he saw the prince blush, and heard him giggle as soon as Jack left the room. As if that wasn’t mortifying, the prince stared at the hand Jack touched and just smiled at it. 

The second thing Richard noticed? The flirting. Now, it was embarrassing enough to hear someone actively pursuing his father romantically, but what made it worse was that Jack was stupid and didn’t realize he was being flirted with. Richard heard the prince say his father’s eyes were like the sky; beautiful and blue. His father just shrugged and said his whole family had blue eyes. The prince said Jack was strong, and could probably carry him around like the prince was nothing. Richard’s father, the utter fool, shrugged and said he had to be strong to carry the bags of flour he needs for the business. 

It was sickening. He could care less that the prince was probably gayer than a goose. That was fine, whatever. But flirting with his father? That was gross. His father deserved happiness, sure, but the fact that he was just blatantly missing these signs was almost painful to watch. Richard didn’t know his mother for a long time, but he was grateful to at least remember she was smart and aware of her surroundings. 

Another issue with the prince’s pursuit of love towards Richard’s father, it was a daily thing. Every single day, Dave would find a new way to try and win Jack’s affections. He cleaned the entire house and bakery. He makes Jack a special lunch when he’s had a rough day working at the bakery. He frequently complimented Jack. It was obvious he thought the baker was attractive, with how often he said something about his face. 

It was annoying. Richard wanted to spend one single day where he didn’t have to listen to that green-eyed goofball gush about how “pretty” Jack’s heart shaped freckle was or how “rugged” his eyebrow cut made him look. He couldn’t exactly tell him to stop, he was a 13 year old boy and he didn’t know if the prince was the type to execute anyone who stood in his way. He didn’t seem too irritable, but Richard couldn’t risk it. 

He got tired of listening to it today, and opted to just go upstairs in order to get away from the prince and his obnoxious flirting. He entered the room he shared with his sister. Suzanne was sitting at the little desk in the corner, drawing something. He sat on his bed and groaned, covering his face. His sister didn’t look up from her drawing. 

“Is he talking about Papa’s face again?” she asked. 

“He said Papa’s smile could light up a room and the idiot said if that was true he wouldn’t need to pay for electric lights.” 

“God. How did we avoid being so clueless?”

“Our mother, perhaps. Suzanne, do you think the prince is really in love with Papa?” 

The girl finally looked up from her drawing, turning to squint at her brother. Surely he wasn’t serious. If this was just a simple one-off, the prince wouldn’t be doing the same thing every day. He was, however, doing this every single day. Multiple times a day, in fact.

“Ricky, I say this as your little sister who loves you so, you cannot be serious. He gets sparkly eyes when he sees our father. I heard in school he’s rejected princesses from other kingdoms. Princesses, Richard. If that were me, I wouldn’t be able to say no to a princess.”

“So… is that a yes?”

“I’m saying it is very likely the prince wants to make our father the future king.” Suzanne deadpanned, turning back to her drawing. She swore, her brother was just as clueless as their father sometimes. She was almost seven, so she was very smart and knew things. 

“God… would that mean we’d have to be a prince and princess?”

“Richard, what else could it possibly mean?” 

“Fair, fair. Ugh, I’m hungry but I don’t want to go downstairs because I’m going to hear another one of the prince’s awful flirts.” 

“I’ll go with you if it means you don’t have to suffer alone?” Suzanne suggested, hopping out of her chair and going to her brother. He sat up and nodded, getting out of his bed and taking a deep breath. 

“If he says something corny, I may be sick.” he said, like it was a confession.

He earned a swift punch in the arm before his sister went to the door, heading downstairs to the bakery. Sure enough, Dave was leaning over the counter just chatting with Jack. Ever since he came to the conclusion that they were in love, he did that a lot. Jack just let him, opting to clean things up behind the counter while the prince prattled on about the silliest things. 

“Papa, we’re hungry!” 

“Oh- well, it is about lunchtime, isn’t it? What do you want, I’ll fix something quick.” Jack said, standing up and wiping his hands on his apron. Dave stepped behind the counter and placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder, causing Richard to cringe. 

“Nonsense, you’ve worked hard all day, those strong arms of yours must be tired. Let me make something for the children!” the prince suggested, smiling wide. Great, now he wasn’t just trying to make the baker fall in love with him, he was trying to get on the children’s good sides. 

“Oh, I couldn’t bother you with that, Dave. They’re my children, after all.” Jack said, patting Dave’s face and walking towards the kitchen. The prince ran in front of him and blocked the doorway to the kitchen. 

“Jack, my dear friend, I’ve grown quite fond of the children, and it would be my honor to make them lunch today,” he said, still smiling. He saw Richard grimace, but brushed it off. “Besides, you need to rest, you’ve been running around like a madman today. Let me take something off of your plate.”

“I don’t know, they’re awfully picky if I’m not the one making their food.” the baker said, turning to look at his children. They were whispering to each other and glancing at him and the prince every now and then. 

“Jack, I insist. Go, relax, rest those pretty blue eyes, I can handle this.” the prince said, guiding Jack to a chair. The baker sighed and nodded, leaning into the seat and just accepting the break. He took his glasses off and set his head on the table nearest to him. Richard took the opportunity to look at his sister and roll his eyes. She gently smacked his arm before sneaking to the kitchen to see what Dave was doing. 

Sure enough he was cooking. It smelled alright, but Jack was correct, they were two picky kids. Richard appeared behind Suzanne soon after and tilted his head. The prince was humming while cooking, and just seemed generally unaware of his surroundings. Richard took the opportunity to clear his throat, getting the royal son’s attention. 

“Oh, hello there. Can I help you?” the prince asked, tilting his head. 

“We know you’re flirting with our father.” the boy replied flatly. His sister impulsively punched him in the gut, causing Richard to lean forward and groan. 

“Wh- hold on. Why are you listening to my conversations with your father?”

“Please, you’ve been quite noisy with your affections. You’re lucky our father hasn’t caught on, it means we can talk to you.”

“Talk to me? About what?” Dave asked, sounding worried. 

“Urgh… what are your intentions with our- hrk- with our father?” Richard asked, sounding like he was about to get sick on the floor. 

“My intentions? What are you getting at?” 

“Oh, ignore my brother, sir, he’s just in pain. What he meant was, our father has bad luck with relationships, I mean you may not have noticed, but our mother is dead,” Suzanne gestured to photos on the walls, all noticeably lacking a mother figure. “And you’ve been quite vocal about how you feel about our dear Papa. We’re just worried.” 

Dave stared at the children. They mattered in this mission as well, he forgot that. If he wanted Jack, he needed to get the children on board. He turned the heat down on the stove and walked towards them, setting a hand on each of their shoulders. 

“Richard, Suzanne, I promise I have no ill intentions,” he said softly, looking between the two. “Your father is the first person I’ve met that I truly feel I love. He’s the perfect man, albeit a bit…” he hesitated to finish the sentence. Thankfully, Richard butted in. 

“Oblivious.” 

“Yes, yes. I want to make it very clear, I don’t want to steal your father from you. In fact, I wouldn’t mind helping him take care of you two! You’re both wonderful children, and you’ve just shown me how caring you are with this little meeting.”

“You don’t want to take him away from us?” Suzanne asked, as if trying to confirm what the prince said. He nodded, smiling.

“Suzy, I can’t imagine falling in love with someone and excluding their children from our future together. I thought about this, don’t worry. You two will still be around, worry not.”

“Do you promise? If it works out, will we still be around?” Suzanne asked, making eye contact with the prince. He just nodded, squeezing her shoulder. 

“Suzanne, I swear on my kingdom. If your father will have me, I promise I’ll care for the two of you as if you were my own. You two would have the entire world and more.” 

Suzanne squinted at him, looking for any sign of dishonesty. She was waiting for Dave to give her any indication he was lying. She needed to know if this was a genuine statement. He maintained eye contact, and he kept a small smile on his face. She patted his hand and nodded at him. 

“He’s telling the truth, Richard. He actually loves our father.” she said, turning to face her brother. He just nodded and groaned some more, still holding his stomach.

Chapter Text

Sick. 

Jack was sick. Not just a snotty nose, can’t breathe kind of sick. This was body pain, pounding headache, being incapable of keeping food down kind of sick. This was the kind of illness he’d close the bakery for. That was the plan, initially, to just make a paper sign stating he was under the weather and unable to fulfill his duties. 

Dave, however, had other plans. 

“Dave, absolutely not,” the baker said, coughing. “You are not running the front counter today.” 

“Nonsense! Let me get a feel for what being a working man is like!” the prince exclaimed, walking Jack to his bed. 

“This is ridiculous, we’ll just be closed today.” Jack protested, trying to stop the prince from walking by stepping on his foot. It was to no avail, because Dave just picked him up and carried him to the bed. 

“Jack, my friend, you have been so hospitable and kind the whole time I’ve been here. Allow me to pay back your kindness,” the prince said, setting the baker in his bed. Jack knew it was no use fighting, if Dave was insisting on running the bakery today, he couldn’t stop him. The prince tucked him into bed, patting his face and stepping back. “You rest, I’ll be back to check on you.” 

Jack just nodded, blinking tiredly and staring at the ceiling. Dave smiled at him before going down to the bakery and checking on everything. His constant need to observe everything Jack was doing finally paid off. He got ovens started, doughs kneaded and rolled out, and even prepped things for pastries! Surely, the villagers would be impressed by this. Dave learned there was nothing those people loved more than warm food in this cold weather. 

The moment he flipped the sign, the people started pouring in. Business seemed to be booming compared to the usual! For the most part, Dave had the usuals down. The phone trio had their two loaves, their muffins, and their cinnamon rolls. The man who owned and made things for the toy shop and his close friend, the woodsmith, came in for breakfast. 

“Your highness? What on earth are you doing!” the woodsmith asked, leaning over the counter. 

“I’m filling in for Jack, he’s sick,” the prince replied, handing the pair some mugs. He knew they always drank coffee with their breakfast. “Poor dear can hardly move, but I refuse to let this place close for the day!” 

“That’s quite generous, sire, but would you not prefer to relax?” the toymaker asked, walking to the table by the window. Dave laughed and shook his head, carrying a pot of coffee to their table. 

“Please, I’ve been on vacation the whole time I’ve been here! The very least I can do is allow Jack to relax,” he hummed, setting the pot down and running back to the counter. “Besides, I’m having fun!”

The woodsmith chuckled, sipping from their mug and leaning into their chair. “You? Having fun? Doing this garbage?” they asked, raising a brow at the prince. Dave just nodded, running to the kitchen to finish a few things up. 

Most of the day’s customer interactions went that way. Customers balked at the idea of the prince willingly doing a job. Some even tried to convince the prince to just leave his post to go on his hunt for a bride. Dave just laughed it off, and said he wanted to do this. The idea was preposterous, but nobody was able to make him budge on his decision. He was stubborn, for sure. 

Eventually, people got wind of the prince running the bakery, and took it as an opportunity to introduce him to their daughters or sisters. Though annoyed, Dave politely declined meeting them. He’d just say, “Oh, I’m working! Perhaps another time?” or he’d brush them off with a wave of the hand. He didn’t want any of those women. Most of the time, the customers understood, but there were a few who outright demanded the prince meet the women. 

“You’re shacked up, playing baker while the real baker lazes about upstairs!” one shouted.

“I spent hours getting her ready and we won’t leave until you meet her!” another customer protested. 

“You mean to tell us you won’t even consider meeting her? Who do you think you are?!” 

It was quite annoying. It’s like these people forgot they were in the presence of a prince and not some low-level worker. If this was how they treated him, he couldn’t imagine the kind of abuse Jack faced after learning why everyone wasn’t fond of him. 

It was the least bad thing. Dave expected murder, or violence, hell he’d believe thievery and fraud. Honestly, him being approached by other people’s husbands and being solicited for sex isn’t a crime. Immoral, at best, but to be treated this badly? He couldn’t believe these were the people he had to rule over. Amidst the demands to meet daughters, every other person had some personal grief with Jack like he was the worst man alive. 

“You know, he’s probably planning on using you. You’ve got money, I wouldn’t put it past him to try to take advantage of that.” a woman said, gathering her items and starting to walk out the door. It was enough to make the prince’s eye twitch before he just let loose. 

“You’d really benefit from being a nicer person. What’s the matter, are you scared of him being so pretty he’ll steal your husband?” Dave asked, leaning over the counter. The woman turned around and stared at him, confused. 

“I beg your pardon?” she asked, clearly shocked. 

“The whole time I’ve been here, that sweet man has done so much for me. Do you know how kind Jack is? He’s so kind, he doesn’t force me to leave the house to meet potential brides. He’s so kind, he brings me breakfast in bed and plays the piano for me if I ask. That man is so kind, he refused to let me buy him anything because he wanted to earn it himself. Obviously, I didn’t listen, but that’s because he earned those things by being so kind. How is a man who has been through absolute hell so kind because of people like you who make him out to be some adulterer monster. By the way, if you’re one of the women whose husband he slept with, maybe you should take time to consider the fact that your husband thought a man was more attractive than you.” 

The woman gasped before running out. Dave smirked before going to turn the sign to “closed” and locking the door, wiping his hands on the apron he borrowed from Jack. He turned around and, speaking of the devil, the baker was standing at the foot of the stairs. He looked exhausted, definitely still sick, and his jaw was dropped. Dave smiled at him and walked over.

“Hey, good evening, how are you feeling?” he asked, feeling Jack’s forehead. 

“Dave, why did you say all of that to her?”

“Say all of what?”

“All those nice things! Saying I’m kind, calling me pretty, all that mess!”

“Well, you’re a friend, Jack. I care about you quite strongly.” the prince replied, taking one of Jack’s hands. Jack stepped back, shaking his head. 

“No, no, you’ll get in trouble if you’re friends with me. Those people hate me! If they hate me, they’ll hate you for caring about me!”

“I don’t care.”

“You should care. This is your future as the king on the line!” 

“Jack, for a friend like you, I’d give up my future as the king any day.” This sentence shocked Jack. He didn’t have friends willing to risk their futures for someone like him. He shook his head again, running his hands through his hair and looking around the bakery. 

“Oh, my God, you cleaned the whole place… and the prep for tomorrow is done… good God you even dusted the light fixtures! Dave, what the hell, they’ll think I’m using you for free labor!” 

“So what? I was just helping out a friend. A random act of kindness. Doing you a favor after you’ve done me many favors the whole time I’ve been here.”

Jack stared at him more, just shocked. He didn’t have anything to worry about, he had the whole evening freed up. He could do something tonight, something for himself for once. Dave hadn’t just done some small kind thing, he’d done Jack a whole act of service. The bakery was absolutely spotless. 

“This is quite a lot to do for a friend.” he finally said, looking at the prince. The prince just chuckled and patted Jack’s shoulder. 

“For you, my friend, I’d give you the world.”

Chapter Text

The king entered his office, rolling his eyes at the stacks of papers surrounding his little phone headed assistant. She was busy rewriting the notes from his latest meeting with his council. She was humming, quickly dipping her pen into its ink and copying the words on each piece from the stacks of papers. 

“Good afternoon, your highness,” she said, not looking up from her work. “The King of Virgis and his council are supposed to be here for a meeting regarding your arrangement.” 

“Excellent, I’ll let you continue these notes, make sure you send someone with me to this meeting to gather notes.” he replied, taking a seat and reading over the stack of already-completed notes. 

“Your majesty, with all due respect, this is not a good idea. You plan on essentially tricking your son into marrying her,” the phone woman said, looking up to make contact with the king’s eyes. She usually didn’t talk about the corrupt actions of the king, but this was just too much for her to handle. “Sir, it is wrong to do this. You’ve convinced the Virgis princess to live in a house with a peasant family and told her to essentially seduce your son. That girl didn’t even want to marry your son!” 

The king scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You’re being ridiculous. This is the way it’s been for generations! There have always been arrangements like this!”

“But sire, you’re making the princess of the Virgis kingdom pretend she’s a commoner! You’ve promised her control of the world, but then you plan on sabotaging your son’s reign over this land!”

“And so what? Last I checked, I was the king and you were my assistant!” the king barked, slamming his fist on the table. The hit caused the pen in his assistant’s hand to bump into her paper, leaving a large blot of black ink all over her notes. The phone woman yelped, sinking into her seat. The king sat up straight and folded his hands on the table, clearing his throat. 

“Forgive me,” he said, taking a deep breath. “But you need to remember I’m doing this for the good of my kingdom. If he marries her, we get a union with the Virgis kingdom. Then we have a connection to the Cuisinelle islands, and beyond that we have the ability to make contact with Phonopolis. After that? Who knows what I’ll be able to get my hands on!” 

“But your highness, your son will notice she’s… well, a proper lady!” the phone woman exclaimed, sitting up quickly. 

“Simple, we tell her to fake that she doesn’t know her manners.  It isn’t that difficult to act like an animal.” the king said, chuckling. She must think I hadn’t planned this far ahead. He thought, leaning into his seat and continuing to read the copied notes. He hummed, adjusting his reading glasses and gently tidying his stack of papers. 

“Sir, we can’t even guarantee that he’ll have eyes for her,”  the assistant said, getting a new piece of paper. “You simply can’t force a love connection.” It was like she didn’t know when to stop. The king could handle a lot. A disobedient son, an unruly kingdom, and even incompetent kitchen staff. What he refused to tolerate, however, was a phone servant who didn’t know their place. Still, he couldn’t snap just yet. He needed to make it clear he was in charge. He set the papers down and looked at the phone-headed woman. 

“Oh, of course you’d think that. Love is nothing in comparison to facts. All she has to do is laugh at his stupid jokes and bat her eyelashes and he’ll follow her like a dog.” The king stood up, leaning over the table. The phone assistant in front of him was filling a paper with notes from the last royal council meeting. She looked at the king and tensed her shoulders. 

“...Yes, your majesty?” she mumbled, gulping. 

“I want you to listen closely. I want you to make sure he goes after that girl. If you dare let him interact with anyone else, I’ll have your head for my collection.” 

The woman gasped. Everyone knew of the king’s collection of phones. It was a room with tall walls, absolutely littered with shelves. Contained within the shelves, rows and rows of damaged telephones. Some had cracks in the plastic. Some had their dials bashed in, which left a big dip on their frontside. Many of them had been popped open, exposing the insides. Getting close enough, you could see the machinery underneath the protective shells had been tampered with or destroyed. These were the heads of the previous phone headed assistants, the ones who dared speak out against his decisions. 

“Now, we wouldn’t want that, now would we?” the king asked, a smile painting his face. 

“No, sire. We would not want that.” she replied, shaking her head and going back to her notes. “I shall go to the village tomorrow and ensure he meets this girl.”

“Good, good. Now then, you go back to this. I have a meeting with the King of Virgis.”

“Yes, sir, I’ll send a helper to transcribe notes for our records.” 

“That’s a good assistant.” The king stepped back, leaving the small office and walking towards the staircase. He could hear people chatting in the main hall. He had it all planned out. He would convince the other king that this union would benefit both kingdoms, he’d get his son to marry the princess, and he would be one step closer to spreading his influence across the world. 

It was a simple plan, being connected to the entire world. In doing this, he could trick his son into absolutely botching his chances at being a good king. Henry already had economic disasters planned, the likes of which the prince had no real way of knowing how to fix. He planned on forcing certain businesses into closure on the basis of breaking the most nitpicky laws. Every single thing that could ever go wrong when Dave took the crown would happen, and it would happen quickly enough that the people begged Henry to take back his place.

“Ah, good afternoon gentlemen! Sorry to have kept you all waiting!” he exclaimed, raising his hands and stepping in front of the crowd.

Chapter Text

“Caroline, thank you for taking the children for a week.” 

“I’m doing this for the children. You swear you haven’t done anything stupid lately?” 

Jack sighed. He understood why his sister-in-law was so skeptical. He’d done a really good job to manage his alcohol consumption though, and thought it warranted a good celebration without the children. Just him and some other adults having a good time. 

“Caroline, I promise I’ve been well-behaved. You haven’t got a thing to worry about. You have fun with the children, and tell Peter I said hello,” the baker said, turning to his children. “And you two behave for your aunt and uncle.” 

“Yes, Papa.” Suzanne said, hugging Jack’s leg before running outside. 

“Yes, Papa,” Richard said, setting his head on Jack’s chest. “We love you.” 

Jack hugged his son and patted his back. “I love you too, don’t miss me too much.” 

Richard nodded and went outside, with his aunt following closely behind him. Jack closed the door behind them before running upstairs to get ready. He finally had a few days to himself, and he was about to let loose and be loud. He went to his room, getting out of his usual uniform in favor of the nicer clothes the prince had bought him. He combed his hair, cleaned his glasses, hell he even shaved. He heard yawning, and remembered there was still a royal guest staying in his spare room. 

“Good morning, Dave! You slept in late, didn’t you?” he said, chuckling. The prince nodded, rubbing his eyes and stretching. It was at that moment Jack had an idea and grinned. “Say, would you like to assist me in hosting a party?”

“Do you have enough friends to host a party?” the prince asked, raising a brow. 

“Of course I do. There’s the gentlemen from the repair shop, your royal assistant and his two housemates, that’s six people alone. I’m sure other people would be willing to come by if you’re helping host it!” 

Dave just stared at Jack, absolutely dumbfounded. He did not have enough energy to argue with the baker. He’d just look at him with those big blue eyes and mope until Dave gave in. Whether it was purposeful or not, it always worked. The prince seemed to find it incredibly difficult to tell the baker no. 

“Alright, alright, show me how you have fun.” he relented, turning around and heading back towards his room. Jack laughed and walked over to Dave, turning him back around and holding him by the shoulders, getting nose to nose with the prince. 

“Dave, I’m about to show you how we less fortunate have fun!” 

The day was spent preparing things. Dave mainly ran around the village, chatting with villagers about how his dear friend the baker was about to throw a magnificent party with amazing food and alcohol. Jack was at home preparing said food. He hadn’t had a big social gathering in ages, but since his children were out of the house, he could finally relax and have a good time. He covered his tables in plastic sheets so they’d be easy to clean later. 

He wasn’t quite sure how he’d get the alcohol, though. He certainly couldn’t buy it, but he couldn’t just make Dave buy it for him. He knew the prince wouldn’t mind, but he felt like he’d be taking advantage of the royal son’s kindness if he asked for party drinks. He’d figure it out, for the moment he was making little sandwiches and preparing an assortment of different finger foods. 

“Okay, I convinced the man who works at the brewery to come to this little get-together. He said he’d bring some things to drink, so we’ve got free alcohol.” 

“How’d you manage free alcohol? You didn’t promise him anything, did you? He’s an awful trickster, he may expect a favor from you.”

“Nonsense, he knows better. If he tries to pull anything funny, I’ll remind him of who’s in charge.” 

Jack shrugged and set up platters of food on one of the tables. He also got a few pitchers full of water on the table, knowing these people were going to need it. He ran back to the kitchen, shouting at Dave to sweep and work on wiping tables clean. The prince hopped to it, not wanting to make his friend do all the busywork. 

As soon as the sky began to darken, the people started wandering into the bakery. Sure enough, the brewery manager brought alcohol and placed it on the food table. Some of the guests also brought snack food, drinks, one even brought a cake! The turnout was even better than Jack could’ve expected. He kept running around, greeting people and directing them to the snack table. For once, they didn’t look at him like he was disgusting. He was just another neighbor. 

He walked towards the table and held a bottle of bourbon, staring at it. He had a choice to make. He could either show Dave what kind of person he was under the influence of alcohol, or he could just stick to serving people. 

“Jack, go on, have a drink! You said you’d show me how to party like a commoner, show me how to party like a commoner!” the prince exclaimed, snatching the bottle from the baker and taking a swig from it.

The choice had been made. He grabbed it back and started chugging from it. It was like second nature, because every last drop made it down his throat. Dave’s eyes widened and he watched his friend grab another bottle, popping the lid off and chugging from it as well. It was like watching someone transform. His friend, who was normally so soft-spoken and reserved, was cackling and dancing with some of the people in the crowd. 

He was a different man right now. He was red-faced and absolutely giddy. He was more social, as well. He was chatting it up with everyone who showed up, wrapping arms around shoulders and joking with everyone. Dave saw some deep, hidden side of his friend’s soul in this moment. He could tell he was about to collapse, though, so he ran over to grab Jack and guide him to a chair. 

“You know, Dave, you’re one pretty guy…” Jack slurred, gripping Dave’s sleeve. “You’d make anyone really happy…” 

“Thank you, Jack. I’m shocked you haven’t remarried, you’re not bad looking yourself.”

“Noo, noo… I’m a grub. A nasty little man.” 

“You’re a father. That’s not nasty, nor grubby.” 

Jack looked at the prince, moving his face close to squint at him. He was intent on being up close and personal with Dave at this moment, constantly leaning close and staring. His breath absolutely stank of bourbon, and his cheeks were bright red from his constant running around. 

“I’m not marriage material, Davey, my dear. I’m good for an evening,” he muttered, chuckling afterwards. “I’m not good for a long time. Ask any of the men here, they’ll tell you.” 

“Okay, you’re going to bed.” Dave started leading Jack towards the staircase, humming. Jack kept stumbling while heading up the steps, clinging to Dave’s side like the prince would run away. The taller of the pair wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing. He opened the door and walked Jack to his bed, keeping a hand on his back. 

“Dave, are we best friends?” the shorter man asked, stopping in his tracks. They were two feet from the bed, literally almost there. 

“Yes, Jack, we’re best friends.” the prince replied, working on gently pushing Jack towards the mattress. 

“Do you promise?”

“Yes, I promise. In bed with you, you’re drunk.” 

The baker nodded, climbing into his bed and snuggling into the soft covers. Dave took his glasses and folded them up, setting them on the bedside table and kneeling down to face Jack. He stared at the prince and just chuckled, setting a hand on his cheek. 

“You’re awfully pretty,” he mumbled, patting the prince’s face. “You’ll make someone very happy one day.” 

Dave was left with a choice now. Would Jack remember anything if he said something in this moment? Would he be able to make an off-handed comment regarding his feelings towards the baker, or would it come back to bite him in the rear? He didn’t want to risk the baker remembering, but he didn’t want to keep it to himself anymore, and just smiled at him. He gently took Jack’s hand off of his face and squeezed it. 

“Thank you, Jack. For the record, though, I’m quite positive you’ve made someone happy as well,” he said, gently tucking Jack in and setting his forehead on the baker’s. “You’ll have your day, I just know it.”

“Keep talking like that and I’ll have to marry you myself, heh…” the baker snored immediately after saying that, clearly fast asleep. Dave patted his shoulder before sneaking out of the room, returning to face the crowd of intoxicated party guests.

Chapter Text

Thank goodness it was an “all businesses can close for the day” kind of holiday. Jack had the most painful, pounding headache this morning. He didn’t even want to get out of bed, feeling too exhausted to even consider breathing essential. He was so glad Suzanne and Richard were with his brother and sister-in-law. He could spend the day relaxing and trying to remember how being human worked. 

“Jack? Are you awake?” 

Dammit. He forgot Dave was still there. Did he have anything better to do aside from hang around? Was he not supposed to be wife-searching or whatever? Jack just groaned and hid his head under his pillow, appreciating the pressure. 

“God, you stink. Do you run around when you sleep, you’re drenched in sweat.” the prince said, getting closer and moving the pillow from his friend’s face. He was met with slightly bloodshot blue eyes and a scowl. “Good morning, sleeping beauty.” 

“Leave me alone.” the baker deadpanned, reaching for his pillow. Dave held it far out of his reach and tsked. 

“Doing that restricts your breathing, Jack. I’d think you’d enjoy breathing at least a little bit.” 

“What do you care, aren’t you meant to be searching for a woman to marry?” 

“Normally I would answer yes to that question, but I’m rather exhausted from talking to people all the time.” 

“You’re a prince, your entire existence is talking to people.” Jack said, sitting up and wincing. His stomach hurt. What the hell did he drink last night, it was killing him. 

“You’re only half correct. It’s also manners classes, joining important meetings with other kingdoms, and scouting for a potential queen. I’m struggling quite heavily with the last part, all your pretty village women are already taken.” 

“Yeah, the men around here have a habit of snatching up the pretty ones to marry. I’m guilty of this.”

“Your wife was pretty? Huh, I thought the children looked too nice to be yours.” Dave said, snickering. Jack gently punched his arm. He’d be a rich man if he’d gotten a dollar every single time someone said that. 

“Shut up. They’ve got my eyes.” 

“Oh, you do have that going for you, hm?” Dave patted Jack’s shoulder and stepped back. “Come on, up with you. You’re not rotting in this bed all day.”

“Who are you, my mother?”

“Just for today, yes. If that gets you to listen to me.” The comment made the baker groan, covering his face and lying back down. He felt large hands grab his shoulders and he was pulled out of his bed, being forced to stand up. His legs felt like jelly, and his vision blurred more than normal. 

“You son of a bitch, put me back in bed.” he muttered. He knew it was in vain, but it didn’t hurt to try a little. He was being dragged to the bathroom, he knew the path well from his late-night stumbles to throw up literally anywhere that wasn’t a floor. 

“You can swear at me all you’d like, but you smell like utter shit,” Dave said, getting water ready for a bath. “I won’t sit in here and watch you bathe, but you need to bathe.” 

“You’re cruel and heartless for this misdeed, your highness.” 

“And you might be the most awful-smelling pretty boy I’ve ever seen. Have fun, use soap. I will be able to tell the difference. God, did you swim in a pile of garbage, I don’t understand how…” he trailed off as he left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Now it was just Jack and this bath. It looked warm, and warm usually helped with pain. He sighed and stripped off his clothing, stepping into the water and sighing. 

It was so nice. The warm water just fully relaxed him and made his bones feel less stiff. He could see the steam rising from it and saw his skin turn a pinkish red from the heat. He didn’t remember the last time he took a good bath. A shower or quickly hosing himself off with the kitchen sink, sure, but a real bath where he could just submerge himself in water? It had been a good bit since the last time he did that. 

There was a knock on the door and he heard it open. “By the way, that little party last night was unlike anything I’d ever seen.” Dave said, stepping in but keeping his eyes focused on the ceiling. As in love as he was, he didn’t want to seem intrusive and stare at him while he was vulnerable. 

“Is that so?” Jack replied, dunking his head under the water for a moment to get his hair wet. It’d grown significantly in the past few months, and washing it was an utter nightmare. 

“Yeah,” the prince said, settling on the floor, his back against the side of the tub. “With royal parties, we’re meant to dress all fancy and eat politely. We have to dance with one person the whole evening, and forget about being loud! What I saw last night… It was incredible.” 

Jack chuckled, reaching for some soap and lathering it into his skin. “You should see how it gets around the new year’s celebration. The drinks are stronger and we have louder music.” 

“Goodness, we’re lucky if we get any music that isn’t subpar opera performances.” 

“Being royal sounds boring,” the baker said, rinsing himself off. He heard the prince chuckle. “Is there anything you guys are good for?”

“Well, outside of making your life easier, we know how to handle a hangover when it’s as bad as yours. Two bottles of bourbon is ridiculous, by the way.” 

“Two bottles of what now?!” Jack sat up, splashing some water on the prince. He heard a gasp and saw Dave stand up quickly, turning to lock eyes with the baker. 

“You seriously don’t remember last night? Good God, you were further gone than I thought. Do you keep headache medicine? It might help you out greatly.”

“Yeah, yeah, in the cabinet above my bed.” 

Dave left the bathroom to search for the medicine, opening the doors to the cabinet and moving some things around. He knew this wasn’t going to cut it. That man needed tea and a cold towel to his forehead and to be fully compressed under a building to feel any semblance of comfortable. He went back to the bathroom and saw Jack nearly asleep in the tub. 

“Good God, you look tired.” 

“You let me drink two full bottles of bourbon, of course I’m tired.” 

“No, don’t twist it, you were already looking at the bourbon. I simply gave you a push. Sit up, I’ll wash your hair while you take this gross medicine.” 

Jack sat up slowly, yawning. Dave patted his cheek. “Keep your mouth open, you're not touching these pills with wet hands.” The baker just kept his mouth open, trying to avoid eye contact with the prince as he dropped a couple of pills into his mouth. It felt weird having someone feed him medicine, but he wasn’t about to complain. Getting pills wet was literally a nightmare. 

Dave rolled up his sleeves and sat on the edge of the tub. “Point out the shampoo, I was serious, I will be scrubbing your hair clean.” 

Jack pointed at the bottle of soap and watched Dave lean over him to grab it, his chest entirely too close to his face for comfort. He noticed Dave almost always had a few buttons undone from his shirt. Goodness, does he have an allergy to covering his chest? Is this how he gets attention from people? 

“Hey. Earth to Jack. You’re staring at me like I have a second head.” 

“Oh- sorry. Thinking. Were you asking me something?”

“No, but your eyes started going opposite directions and I needed you to quit, it was frightening.” 

Jack rolled his eyes, feeling the prince’s fingers run through his hair. It felt like he was combing the tangles out, and it was the most amazing feeling. He closed his eyes and hummed while the prince washed his hair. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Dave was having a good time with this as well. It was doubtful, because his hair was quite gross, but the thought was nice.

He was, however, quite correct in thinking Dave was also having fun. The prince was always a big fan of doing things for other people, as silly as that sounded. He liked feeling useful, being a prince simply wasn’t enough. He wanted to do things for other people that had a nice personal touch. Sometimes it was delivering mail, sometimes it was pulling weeds from people’s gardens, and right now it was washing his friend’s hair. 

“You’re much too kind to me, Dave. I hope you don’t forget me when you get the king’s crown and have to rule this land.” the baker said, tilting his head up to look the prince in the eyes. 

“Oh, I don’t think I’ll ever forget you,” Dave said, smiling. “You’ve simply become too intertwined in my soul for me to even fathom forgetting you.”

“You be careful there, big fellow. You’ll make me fall in love with you.” 

And little did he know, that was all Dave wanted. 

Chapter Text

For once, Dave wasn’t at the bakery. He decided to leave Jack alone to rest for a few hours while he went about doing what he was technically supposed to be doing. It felt like a betrayal to Jack, having to go out and actually find a wife, but he knew his father wouldn’t even consider the idea of him marrying Jack. He grimaced at the idea of marrying some weird woman who didn’t understand how his mind worked. 

He walked into one of the little restaurants near the edge of town. He opted to just hang out there and let the people come to him. He took a seat in the corner and just sat, looking around. The place was kind of dirty, with dust clinging to the light bulbs and ceiling corners. Honestly, having spent four months working at and cleaning an entire bakery taught him a thing or two about restaurant hygiene. 

A waitress walked over to chat with him. She tried to talk about her sister who was oh, so single and desperate for a husband. The prince just waved her off and asked for a glass of water. He was at least hoping for someone who could present themselves to him, rather than someone else trying to present someone. 

“Oh, good morning, your highness!” a vaguely familiar phone woman walked over to Dave’s table. She sat across from him and her dial spun. 

“Uh, hello. Do I know you, madam?” he asked, smiling politely. She laughed a little. 

“It’s me, your father’s right-hand phone!” 

“Ah! Yes, hello! What brings you to town?”

“Oh, I’m out running errands for your father, as per usual. How come you’re here? Have a date?” 

“No, no, I’m just kind of hanging around and viewing my options,” he replied, sipping from his water. “I have to say, they’re not too lovely. Some are too needy, some look like they may kill me!”

The phone woman laughed and began fidgeting with the curled cord attached to her handset. For her, it was a nervous tic. Some people clicked their tongues. Some people tapped their feet. She stuck her fingers through the gaps between the coils in her phone cord. She hoped the prince was stupid and thought it was akin to twirling hair around her finger. 

“There’s a lovely lady I saw in the village today. She’s awful pretty, not to mention polite!” she pitched, enthusiasm apparent in her voice. 

“I dunno, I haven’t really gotten on well with any of the women around here.” 

“You’re far too picky.” 

“Less picky, more… I dunno, distracted?”

This piqued the phone woman’s interest. Distracted? What was distracting him? Was it an addictive habit? Was he gambling? Did he join a cult? She needed to know this stuff. Her head was on the line if she didn’t get at least some information. 

“Distracted? Whatever do you mean?” she asked, leaning forward. Dave looked around, as if to survey the area. He leaned close. 

“Can you keep a secret? From my father? You can’t tell him, it’ll kill me if you tell him.” 

The assistant was taken aback. It sounded like he was almost begging her to keep it to herself. She knew she was supposed to push him towards the princess of Virgis. It was her only job: make sure the prince meets the princess who is pretending to be a commoner. Unfortunately for the king, he’d gotten on her bad side and didn’t feel like honoring his demands. She wanted to know about what, or who was distracting the king’s son. 

“I can keep a secret. I swear on my life.” She watched the prince lean closer, gesturing to her handset. She nodded and he took it, once again looking around. It was like he was making sure nobody was watching him. When the coast was confirmed to be clear, he whispered into the handset. 

He spilled it all. About Jack, about his feelings, about the party, all of it. The more he shared, the more shocked the woman felt. She thought she knew the prince, she thought she knew everything about the royal family. Here she was, though, with solid proof that she was wrong about that. He kept his eyes set on her dial, as if to make eye contact. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

“You mean to tell me the past four months, you’ve been living with and actively courting a man?” she asked through the handset. She was forever grateful for the fact she could do that when she didn’t want to talk out loud. 

“See, the thing is, he doesn’t even realize I love him.” the prince said. 

“But you’ve been making him meals, and doing things for him?” 

“I know! I can’t tell if he’s just stupid or if he genuinely doesn’t know what love looks like.”

“And you said he has children?”

“A son and a daughter, oh they’re the sweetest. They’re viciously protective of their father, I can admire that,” he said, chuckling. “I dunno if I love my own father enough to stick up for him like that.” 

“Don’t let him hear you say that, sir,” the assistant said, laughing in return. “So, you’re not interested in anyone else?” 

“No. I’ve never felt this way about anyone else. He’s literally perfect. I just wish Father was less… uppity about who I marry. I mean, Jack comes with two kids, what’s not to like?”

“Well you know how he is, your highness. He’s very set in his ways.” 

“I know… I wish I could doll Jack up and just pass him off as the perfect wife. I doubt he’d argue against it. Sure, he’d make an ugly woman, but he’s a handsome man! That’s all I need to look forward to, no?” 

This was so much to take in. He fully spilled this secret, and from the looks of it she was the only one who knew about it. She definitely knew that she couldn’t tell the king about this. He might kill her for even breathing around the idea of his son being in love with a man. She would for sure be taking this secret to the grave, but now she needed to make something up to tell the king when he asked for an update. 

“What am I meant to tell your father? He sent me here to push you towards a certain woman because he made a deal with the King of Virgis and the Princess of Virgis is pretending to be a commoner on the condition you fall in love with her!”

“Oh, of course he thought that’d work. I saw her, I recognized her from when our fathers set us up on a lunch outing. I swear, my father thinks I’m stupid.” he grumbled, leaning back in his seat. 

“I know, sir. I wish I had more advice for you, this is certainly troubling… Unless…” She had an idea.

“Unless?” Dave’s eyes lit up a little, and he gripped the handset tightly. 

“So, get this. You become engaged to that princess. However, you don’t need to go through the king to get married since you’re royalty yourself. You marry Jack at some point during that engagement.”

“Then, at the royal wedding, I object and reveal I’m already married, and since I’ve already been accepted as the king…” 

“Your father won’t be able to do a single thing. It’s risky, the holy people here will push back, but I think you’re smart enough to pull it off!”

“Oh, what would I do without you? I swear, the day I become king, you’ve earned a lovely vacation!” 

“Ah! Your highness, you’re too kind. I will be holding you to that, however, I do really need a vacation.” she deadpanned. Dave reached to gently place the handset back in its place and he took another drink from his water. It was genius. Trick his father, get away with marrying Jack. 

Damn it all, I just need to get Jack on the same page. He thought, watching his father’s assistant leave the restaurant.

Chapter Text

Jack felt kind of stupid. Dave made him get dressed in his, quote, “nicest clothes,” for a friendly dinner. His nicest outfits were the suit he wore to his wedding, which was too big back then, and his Sunday best which had been collecting dust in the bottom of his closet. He wasn’t about to wear a full suit to a dinner with a friend, he’d rather eat garbage. 

He ended up being late to dinner. He spent too long washing the Sunday best and ended up having to leave the house with a wet shirt. His hair wasn’t combed, and his glasses were covered in smudges. He hoped this wasn’t the kind of event he needed to look nice for, but by the looks of it this was definitely the kind of place that was out of his price range, let alone appearance range. 

He saw the prince standing outside. Had he been waiting outside this whole time? At least it wasn’t freezing cold, but it definitely wasn’t warm enough to be standing outside waiting for someone. Jack walked over and tapped his shoulder. He didn’t know if it was the moonlight or what, but he thought he saw Dave’s eyes light up when he made contact with Jack’s blue ones. 

“You made it! I was worried you got lost!” he said, hugging the baker tightly. Jack froze, patting Dave’s back and chuckling awkwardly. 

“No, just an outfit mishap. You can kind of feel it, my shirt’s wet.” 

“I thought you were just sweaty, like you always are.” the prince teased, laughing. It made the baker roll his eyes before turning to the door and walking in. Dave was mere inches behind him, almost grabbing the back of Jack’s shirt. They took their seats at a small table and waited patiently for any kind of waitstaff. 

“So, why are we here? Is this place not usually for couples?” Jack asked, picking at the table. 

“Nonsense, there isn’t a sign that says couples only, is there?” 

He had him there. There was no sign saying that. Still, the vases of flowers and unlit candles on every table gave the place a rather romantic atmosphere. Was this the place he and his wife visited for their wedding dinner? It probably was. A waitress came by to greet them. She smiled and asked about drinks. 

“What wine do you have available?” Dave asked, fully blocking the baker from saying a word. They both watched her try (and fail) to subtly roll her eyes before tapping the bottom of the menu. A note that had some long-winded explanation about how they only have one wine and how it was that or no wine at all. The prince just nodded and folded his hands on the table. The scene kind of made Jack chuckle. He was like a polite dog, sitting like that.

“We’ll just have a bottle of the wine, ma’am, and we’ll need a bit longer to order food,” he said, patting the prince’s hands. The waitress just ran off, muttering something about them being a high maintenance table. It was weird, since they only asked about one thing, but whatever. “Okay, hurry up and pick something to eat, she’s gonna be a handful.”

“She’s awful rude, doesn’t she know who I am?” Dave asked, picking up his menu and reading from it. 

“Dave, I doubt her attitude is because of us. She’s probably just tired, it is nighttime.” Jack reminded him, taking his glasses off and using a napkin to wipe off the lenses. He squinted at them to see if the smudges were gone when Dave plucked them from his hands, looking at them. 

“Huh, how blind are you?” the prince asked, chuckling and putting the glasses on. “Woah-! You must be experiencing visual Hell right now!” 

“Dave, please give those back, I can’t see anything,” Jack urged, reaching for them. Dave smacked his hand away and he heard the prince chuckle. “This isn’t funny! I need those to see!” 

“I’ll give them back in exchange for something.” 

“I don’t have money, Dave, you kn-”

“Not money!” Dave interrupted. “Just a small thing. Hold my hand for the evening.” 

“That’s ridiculous, why do you want me to hold your hand?”

“Well, my hand’s cold, and it’s because you kept me waiting. You hold my hand, you get your eyes back.”

“You’re lucky I value my vision.” the baked grumbled, reaching for the taller man’s right hand and holding it gently. The prince used his free hand to take the glasses off, putting them back on Jack slowly. He pushed the middle of the lenses up the bridge of his nose gently, and Jack saw that stupid smile of his. 

“I’m actually just lucky you didn’t argue more.” Dave said, resting his face in his free hand. He squeezed Jack’s hand in the other, getting a feel for the warmth. He thought Jack was so handsome tonight, in his light orange shirt and messed up hair. It was a shame he was clueless about his feelings. 

The waitress returned, and she made a face seeing that they’d started to hold hands. She placed the bottle of wine and two glasses on the table before getting a notepad out of her apron pocket. “What can I get started for you two this evening?” she asked, directing her attention to her little pad of paper. Dave hummed before glancing at the menu one more time and then looking up at the woman taking their order. 

“I’m dying to try this chicken pasta dish. It sounds delightful, and then whatever my dear wants.” He was getting bold, using a phrase like that. He could tell the waitress heard him right, because her eyebrows raised quickly. 

Jack, on the other hand, thought he misheard the prince. Did he just say dear? Did he just call Jack his dear? What the hell was that about? Was he drunk? Who the hell calls their friend dear? When has Jack warranted being called dear? He treated Dave like any other male friend. Sure, he occasionally said stupid things when he wasn’t feeling like himself, but did that warrant being called dear? 

“Uh! Steak.” he blurted out, dropping his menu. 

“How do you want it cooked, sir?” the waitress asked, seemingly relieved that Dave’s odd comment was a one-off thing. 

“Medium. With uhh… y’know what, pick my sides, it’s not like I’m allergic to anything.” he folded his menu shut and absentmindedly squeezed Dave’s hand. The waitress took their menus and walked off, seemingly eager to gossip to the kitchen about what she just saw. Jack waited until she disappeared before staring at Dave. 

“What the hell was that?” he asked, his face red. 

“What was what? I didn’t do anything.” the prince replied, smirking a little. Jack looked utterly dumbfounded. 

“You just called me your dear! Who does that?”

“A friend who cares for his friend very deeply. What, did you not like it?” 

“The last person to call me dear was my mother! God, what’s next, you’re gonna look that poor woman in the eyes and say you’re in love with me?” 

It wasn’t a bad idea. Two birds, one stone and all that mess. He gets over with the  whole confessing his love bit, he makes it public, and he gets Jack to be aware of his feelings. It was almost genius, but the waitress seemed like a gossip, and it was not a good idea to share that kind of information with someone like that. 

“Hello? Earth to Prince Dave! Good God, man, are you drunk? Did you drink before this?” Jack was waving his free hand in front of Dave’s eyes. His other hand was being firmly gripped by the prince’s hand. 

“Oh-! Sorry, sorry, just thinking. Jack, do you have any plans to remarry?” Dave asked, letting go of the baker’s hand to work on opening the wine. 

“I’d like to, but with my track record I think I’ll have to make do with focusing on my business and my children. Who would want to marry me?” 

“Well, I’m sure there’s someone out here who really loves you… And I think that person thinks you’re wonderful, even though you’re hard on yourself.” the prince said, popping the cork and pouring the dark red liquid into the glasses in front of them. 

“Please, who on earth would want me? I’m… well, not as young as I once was, and I’ve got these kids, and I work a lot, and-”

“And you’re kind, you’re not at all bad looking, you can cook like a beast, not to mention you’re funny.”

Jack’s face heated up. What was he doing? He was really laying on the friendly compliments thick. A bit too thick, it was bordering on flirty. Oh God, is he flirting with me? Is he doing it without even realizing he’s doing it?? 

“Heh, hellooo~! Earth to Jack Kennedy!” 

“Are you flirting with me?” 

“WHAT?!” Dave shouted, letting go of Jack’s hand. Shit, he noticed, he saw right through the suave act. The prince fully mucked up the plan, didn’t he? “I mean- what? That’s- heh, that’s preposterous! We’re just… good friends! We can say nice things about each other, n-no?” 

“...God, you’re weird. I’ve never met a friend who acted like you.” Jack said, resting his left hand on the table. Dave’s right hand slowly reached back to grab it, and he rubbed his thumb against the baker’s knuckles. 

“Huh, recovering from a burn here?” he asked, holding the shorter man’s hand closer to his eyes. 

“Oh, no, I accidentally tripped in the hardware store and my hand scraped against some sandpaper. I cleaned it as much as I could,  but I ruined my wife’s wedding ring.”

“What a shame. I’d be happy to pay and repair the ring.” Dave offered, still inspecting the scratches and redness on the other man’s hand. 

“If you could please, I want to save it for whichever child gets married first. One of them gets our old rings, the other one gets their mother’s earrings.” 

“How beautiful. You’re a more sentimental man than I thought.” 

“I just want them to have pieces of their mother around. Suzy never got to meet her, so I try to compensate as much as possible by handing down her old belongings.” 

Dave stared at the baker’s hand. He could see the indent where the ring once sat, an imprint of a memory that still clearly weighed heavy on the baker’s mind. 

“Did you love her?” he asked. 

“Not the way one should love their wife. We were more like friends, but we didn’t love each other the way a husband and a wife should,” Jack replied, squeezing Dave’s hand gently. “I miss her, she was the only one who stuck up for me. She thought I was handsome for a guy she didn’t love romantically, too.” 

“And since she’s gone, there’s nobody else to stick up for you, and tell you you’re beautiful.” 

“Yeah… I’m kind of glad you came around, honestly. You’ve been a great friend to me, I’m really gonna be sad when you have to leave.” Jack admitted, taking a sip from his glass of wine. 

“Jack, what if I didn’t want to leave? Would you let me stay with you?” Dave asked, eyes fixated on the man in front of him. 

“I think I wouldn’t mind that. If it means still having some help, I’d keep you forever!” Jack said, laughing a little. He wouldn’t ever admit it, but in the past four months, Dave had made Jack feel like the most beloved man in the world. He didn’t know if it was on purpose, or if Dave was intentionally buttering him up. Regardless of intentions, Jack liked the feeling of being loved. 

He knew he admitted he was in love with Dave on several occasions. It was very off-handed, usually snippy “if you keep doing that, I’ll fall in love with you,” comments. He didn’t know if the prince was finally catching on, but he was slowly warming up to him. He didn’t know if this was full-on love or just a fling, though, so he wasn’t about to outwardly admit anything. 

“Jack, I’d give you all the help in the world. I’d do so much for you because you’re such a dear friend to me.” Dave said. He gently pressed his lips against the scarred hand, and it made Jack’s stomach do flips. There was no way this was just Dave playing around. If he was joking, he had to have been playing the long game with a joke like this. 

“Be careful, Dave. If you keep this up, I’ll have to marry you before anyone else can get to you.” 

“Well, what can I say? If I take too long finding that wife I’m meant to be searching for, you may just have to take me to the courthouse and force my hand in marriage to you.” 

“I may have to do that, since you’re so lazy. Would you fight against it?”

“I don’t think I would. We’ll find out, I suppose.” 

“Oh, please. Your father wouldn’t like me. I’m crude. You go search for the lovely lady he expects of you. You deserve much better than a man who is constantly covered in flour. You deserve a woman who’ll give you heirs and whatnot.”

“Goodness, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you already were in love with me.~” Dave teased, settling both of their hands on the table gently. 

“Oh, please, you’re in over your head.” Jack scoffed, a small smile on his lips. He hoped it played off as a joke. He did not want to tell Dave a thing. He was already trying to push him towards some suitable woman, he didn’t need the prince to be distracted by his idiocy. He glanced at the flowers in the vase on their table: orange pansies with purple around the edges. 

How convenient. The one table with both of their colors in the vases. He rolled his eyes at it before drinking from his glass again, trying to figure out once again if those dark green eyes were being lit up from the candlelight or if they were shining because of him.

Chapter Text

It was a quiet day in Fazbendia this morning. The local businesses were no busier than usual, but barely anyone was speaking. A presence loomed over the village, as if to listen to every spoken word. A carriage parked in front of the bakery, and for a moment there was no movement. Then, the door swung open, and the king stepped out. He sneered at the bakery, noting the filth on the outside. 

“Tsh… he’s staying in this dirty place? There had to have been better options.” he muttered, shaking his head and knocking on the door. He nearly gasped when he saw a little girl open the door. 

“Hey. Whatcha want?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. Rude. 

“I’m here to see my son. The prince?” Henry said, trying not to sound too disgusted. The little girl ran off and shouted for him. She didn’t address him properly, though. She fully shouted his first name. Who did she think she was? She was a brat, that was for sure. He heard footsteps and then saw his son standing in front of him, eyes wide. 

“Father! Good morning, I wasn’t expecting you to visit!” 

“Davey! My boy, come here, bring it in!” 

The younger man bolted over and hugged his father. The king immediately made a face when he felt his son’s arms wrap around his shoulders. The little girl that greeted him at the door saw, and stuck her tongue out at him. God, who raised her? 

“Oh, Father, I’ve been meaning to write, but I’ve just been so busy!”

“Meeting with the lovely ladies around here, I assume?” Henry asked, raising an eyebrow. He heard his son sigh before he pulled off of the hug, smiling in the king’s face. 

“I assure you, I’ve been meeting with all kinds of eligible ladies.” he said, sticking his hands in his pockets. His shirt was covered in flour, among other things. 

“You’re filthy, how do you expect to rule when you can’t even keep yourself clean?” Henry asked, dusting the flour off of his son’s shirt. Dave’s eye twitched, and he gritted his teeth. He hated it when his father treated him like a child. 

“Father, I’ve been helping around the bakery. A real king gets his hands dirty, that’s something you taught me.” the prince said, gently pushing Henry’s hands away. 

“Dave, what’s taking so long down- OH!” Jack stopped halfway down the stairs when he saw the king. “Your- uh, your highness! My apologies, the prince was just-” Dave cut him off. 

“I was just helping my dear friend Jack here clean his living area up. I made a mess and I offered to clean it up.” the prince said, eyes trained on his father. He could tell he hated hearing that. He was really testing his patience right now. 

“Ah, how… charitable of you. I wasn’t aware we helped like that!” the king exclaimed, almost mocking his son. He thought his son knew better than to test him like that. He took a deep breath before sitting at a table. “Little baker man, bring me whatever your nicer items are.”

“Yes, sir.” Jack replied, running behind the counter. Dave shook his head before sitting across from his father, folding his hands on the table and staring straight at him. 

“To what do I owe this visit, father?” he asked. 

“I just wanted to see my son, is that such a crime?”
“Well, I was hoping we could touch base on something since you are here. Can we do that?” 

“I don’t see why not, by all means, do talk.” Henry replied, leaning back into his chair. 

“Well, first of all, the wife search is going well, but hypothetically what if I were to look in the direction of a gentleman suitor?” 

Bold. Very bold. No corners were cut, it was just a straight shot. 

“Well, you know it’s wildly against the rules to-”

“I reread the old rules, Father. Nowhere does it state that I cannot potentially marry a male suitor.” the prince cut in, staring daggers into his father’s eyes. He was calm at this moment, unfazed by any potential threats. 

“Dave, it clearly states that-” “Any prince or princess is expected, but not required, to marry a man or woman of their choosing, given the union is done before the next coronation of the new king or queen.” the prince cut in once again, much to the annoyance of the king. 

“Do not interrupt me again, Dave. As I was saying, it states that the union must also be approved by the current king, and I most certainly would not approve of such a relationship. What do you think you’re planning, don’t forget I’m still in charge, boy.” Henry spat, causing Dave to flinch slightly. 

“I don’t need your approval for who I fall in love with. I don’t care if I have to wait for you to give up and die, I’ll do whatever I please.” 

“If that’s the attitude you have, I don’t know that you’ll ever be a good king. You’re lucky I’m getting too old to handle this mess anymore. I’d be king until I took my last breath if I didn’t want to relax. You remember your place, Dave. In an instant, I could make you live this peasant nightmare for the rest of your life.” 

They stared at each other for a while. They seemed to have an understanding of how the rest of this little vacation would go for the prince. He’d try to do something, clearly going against his father’s wishes, and his father would be adamantly against whatever it was. Henry stood from his seat and leaned over the table, casting a shadow over Dave. 

“I want to make one thing clear,” he whispered, not breaking eye contact. “If you think about coming back to my palace with a man on your arm, I have no qualms with harming you.” 

“And I have no qualms with fighting for what I believe to be right. We’ll see who comes out on top, won’t we, Father?”

Jack walked in and jumped at the sight of the king seemingly threatening Dave. He quickly placed a carefully wrapped container on the table before running back up the stairs to the living area above the bakery. Henry picked up the container before backing up and smiling at the prince. 

“Have a wonderful rest of your stay, my son. I love you.” 

“I love you too, Father. I hope to see you smiling when I return home with my spouse.” Dave smirked a little, crossing his arms. He watched his father leave the bakery, muttering under his breath. 

Chapter Text

Dave stared at the door in front of him. He really couldn’t believe he was about to actually sit down and talk to this woman. They were familiar with each other, sure, but as far as attraction goes she just wasn’t what he wanted. In fairness, though, she didn’t seem to want him all that badly either. He sighed before knocking on the door. 

The sight in front of him was hilarious. The princess was known for dressing nicely, in only the finest fabrics with the most jewelry on any one woman in the world. Here she was wearing what could best be described as a refurbished flour sack. The prince utterly cackled at the sight, covering his mouth. She scowled, teal eyes glaring at the man in front of her. 

“David,” she said, stepping aside to let him into the house. “Stop laughing, I’ve half a mind to hit you.” 

“Sorry- heh, sorry… awful bold fashion choice, hm?” The prince walked into the house and was absolutely tickled at the sight. She had possibly the shabbiest, most boring furniture in history. “I see the decor matches.”

“Oh, shut up. Did you even bother fixing your hair? It looks like a mess.” 

“It’s just the texture, calm down. So hateful, so early in the morning.” Dave teased, sitting on one of her kitchen chairs. Of all the people his father could’ve chosen to force him into marrying, he chose the one woman who didn’t even like the prince, or any man for that matter. 

“Your father visited me yesterday, talking about, “Oh, Quinn, you’re clearly not presenting yourself to him! He’s thinking of marrying a man! No son of mine will give in to such an ill desire!” And then I have to pretend I’m head over heels for you while he rambles on about stupid things I care very little for! If I had it my way, I’d marry that little phone woman he keeps around.” 

God, she’s talkative. Dave clicked his tongue and shrugged. “At least your father wouldn’t care if you did that. Mine nearly strangled me yesterday.” he said. 

Quinn rolled her eyes and sat across from the prince. She looked annoyed that he even showed up, honestly. She didn’t know what this was about, but she was already sick of looking at his stupid face. “Out with it, why did you want to meet up?” she asked, crossing her arms. 

“I have a plan, Quinny. A plan that gets us both what we want.” he said, leaning forward and grinning. “Do you trust me?”

“What? Get us both what we want?” the princess asked, tilting her head. 

“You get your Lilian, I get my Jack. It’s absolutely foolproof, we could actually be happy!” 

“And if it doesn’t work?”
“Quinn, I assure you, this will work. I stayed up all night working on it!” he said, standing up and getting a piece of paper out of his pants pocket. “First, you and I pretend we’ve fallen madly in love.”

“So step one is lying.” Quinn stated, raising an eyebrow. 

“Precisely. Trust me, you’re too mean for me to actually fall in love with.” 

“What’s step two?” 

“Step two, I marry Jack in secret. I really think I’m making progress with him. This morning, he let me braid his hair, I could’ve sworn he was blushing.” 

“Yes, I’m sure you’re positively joyous,” Quinn said, rolling her eyes. “Where do Lily and I fit into this?” 

“You two will be at the courthouse, of course! Then, once we’ve tied the knot, you shoot your shot with the phone woman!” 

Quinn’s jaw utterly dropped. He wanted her to essentially proposition the woman at his cheap courthouse wedding?! She looked absolutely shocked that he’d even suggest that. Who did he think he was? 

“You cannot be serious.” she finally mumbled. The look in his eyes said otherwise. He was dead serious. Her eye twitched and she covered her mouth. “Dave. You’re insane!” 

“Wait until you hear the final step.” 

“Oh, God, is it bad?” she asked. 

“So you and I go through with a disgustingly elegant royal wedding, then Jack objects and reveals he and I have been legally wed, then maybe Lilian can mention you two and-” Quinn cut him off, covering his mouth with her hand. 

“That poor woman would have a heart attack if she had to stand in front of thousands of people and say she loved me.” she said, glaring. She took her hand off of his mouth and wiped it on his shirt. “Eugh, could you possibly drool less? You spat all over my hand, pretty much.”

“I said maybe, you should work on those hearing skills, you’d benefit greatly from it.” he muttered. The princess just crossed her arms again and stared at the ceiling. 

“If we go through with that, what benefits would we gain?” she asked. 

“We get to be with the people we actually love, and I’ll be reopening trade with Virgis in order to get more building materials. We have entirely too much food, but not enough material to keep some of these houses from collapsing.” 

Now he was speaking her language. Her father had been trying to reopen trade for decades, to no avail. She could make history. She’d be the one to finally get that stupid trade border back in full swing. Sure, she had to play this stupid game before that, but it’d ultimately be worth it. A wife and doing something to benefit her kingdom? She’d play as much as possible. 

“Alrighty, you’ve got a deal. I shall pretend I’m madly head over heels for you. When, uh… when do we have to start this?” 

“As soon as possible.” he replied, standing up from his seat. “Now then, I need to get back to my baker. We’ve got a big cupcake order and he’ll simply collapse without me.”

“I’ll walk you to the door.” Quinn said, getting up and grabbing his arm. He chuckled and walked towards the door, humming. The moment he opened the door, she threw her arms around his shoulders and began to speak quite loudly. “I shall miss you! Please come back to me, darling.” It caught Dave off guard for a second before he chuckled and gently took her hands off of him. 

“I shall return as soon as I possibly can, dearest. Don’t miss me too much.” he said, kissing her forehead. She momentarily grimaced before smiling and giggling. She ran back into the house, slamming the door. She ran to her bathroom to wash her face off, muttering about how she couldn’t believe Dave just roped her into an elaborate scheme. Dave, on the other hand, ran back to the bakery, eager to see his Jack.

Chapter Text

Dave was getting desperate. Short of outright telling Jack he was in love with him, he’d done everything he could think of. Hell, despite the disgusting heat outside, he’d been sneaking into Jack’s bed to snuggle, muttering some nonsense about feeling scared. Jack, ever the kind soul, would just shrug and let the prince lay next to him. 

The taller man was so close to dropping to his knees and begging Jack to love him. He wanted nothing more than to grab his hands and hold them to his chest, to let the baker feel how hard his heart pounded when they were in the same room. He wanted to hold his face and talk about how, from day 1, those blue eyes have been the only thing in his dreams. 

He knew he couldn’t just scare him like that, he’d sound insane! He was honestly lucky Jack was letting him sleep next to him at this moment. Sure, Dave wasn’t doing much sleeping, but he was absolutely soaking in the moment. The room was dimly lit by the moon shining through the window. Jack had managed to stay confined to one side of the bed, not daring to touch the same space the prince occupied.

The prince wanted nothing more than for the space to be bridged. He wanted to reach his hand close and touch the baker’s face. To hold him close and press soft kisses on his face. To watch him wake up in the morning with his face pushed against his chest, trying so desperately to cling to the last whispers of sleep left in his system.

Dave hadn’t realized he’d slightly closed the gap with a hand resting on Jack’s shoulder. He was so close to the shorter man, now. They were so close, there wasn’t anything stopping Dave from just kissing his forehead and snuggling into him. He just needed to lean close. That’s all. He just needed to get closer, and to-

“Dave?” Jack’s tired voice cut through the prince’s thoughts. Dave moved his hand from the baker’s shoulder and just stared at him. His blue eyes were so hypnotizing in the moonlight. 

“Oh, sorry, Jack,” he whispered, patting Jack’s cheek and scooting back a little. “I was just making sure you were still there.” It was a cheap excuse, he could’ve known Jack was still there based on the way the mattress dipped on his side of the bed. 

“Oh… yeah, Davey, I’m still here,” Jack mumbled, closing his eyes. “Did you have a bad dream?” 

“...Yeah, Jack, I had a bad dream.” It felt horrible to lie to Jack like that, but he couldn’t help but melt at the nickname his friend had given him. If the baker acknowledging him made Dave’s heart speed up, the nickname made it feel like his heart was beating at the same rate as a hummingbird’s wings flapped. 

Jack yawned, scooting closer to Dave and wrapping an arm around him. He rested his face on his shoulder, trying to ignore the warmth in his face as he did so. He just wanted to comfort his friend, and this was the only way he could think of in his tired state. He felt the prince’s arms wrap around his shoulders, and he could swear he felt the taller man’s heart beating through his chest. 

“You okay?” he asked, his hands making their way to Dave’s sides. 

“Mhm,” Dave buried his nose in Jack’s hair, holding him gently and taking in the new sensations. Now he could feel every time the baker took a breath, smelling his shampoo mixed with the scent of flour, a smell that surely stained the baker. He heard the sounds of Jack’s breaths starting to even out, a signal that indicated he was falling back asleep. 

“Dave?” the baker mumbled, moving his face from its place on Dave’s shoulder. He was mere seconds from falling asleep before feeling like he needed to say something. He looked into the prince’s alert green eyes, a stark contrast to his exhausted blue ones. 

“Yeah?” the prince replied. He sounded out of breath, like he’d been holding it in without realizing it. He looked at the baker with so much love, so much adoration, so much admiration. 

“I heard you talking to your father the other day,” Jack said, feeling a small rush of adrenaline. “Who is he?” 

The question hung in the air. It shouldn’t have been so hard to answer, to pull Jack closer and tell him it had been him all along, and that he was the only one for Dave. He could barely move, though. He was being held captive by the baker’s intense stare. He needed to answer. He couldn’t leave him hanging. 

He didn’t know if he could give him the truth, though. He didn’t want to worry about whether it would ruin this moment. He could live in this forever, arms tangled and legs daring to follow suit. He knew he had to be honest, it just scared him. He didn’t remember when Jack’s hand made its way to his cheek, a thumb gently rubbing against the rough stubble that was making its way through his usually soft skin. 

“Dave, I won’t judge you. Whoever he is, I’m happy for you.” 

“You.” Dave breathed out, not breaking eye contact. It was Jack’s turn to think about everything. Was he really that much of an idiot that he didn’t see the signs? 

He should’ve known. He tried to play off everything Dave did as a kind gesture between friends. The constant touching, the intense eye contact, the dinner from several days ago… It was all making so much sense he felt like the air got punched out of his lungs. 

He couldn’t tell if this was a dream. In a way, he hoped it was. He didn’t want to be the reason Dave argued with the king. He didn’t want to risk getting Dave hurt, or worse. He didn’t even know what to do, his left hand was still firmly planted at his side, fingertips brushing against the hem of the prince’s shirt. 

“Jack, it’s you.” Dave cut through the baker’s thoughts. “I have been waiting and waiting for you to realize that I’ve been deeply fascinated by everything you do, and everything about you.”

He sat up, and Jack couldn’t help but follow suit. Now they both sat in Jack’s bed, just staring at each other. It was like they were waiting for the other to say something. The silence was heavy, and neither quite knew what their next move should be. 

“I’m not a good person to love, Dave.” 

“I don’t care.”

“You could lose everything. You’ll lose the chance to be the king.”

“I don’t care, Jack.” The sound of the baker’s name on the prince’s tongue sounded so sweet to the shorter of the pair. 

“I’m a father. You’ve met my children. They’ll always come first.” 

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“Dave, we could get in so much trouble. What will everyone think?”

“Why do you care? Shouldn’t the only thoughts that matter be the ones you come up with? I’m willing to give up everything if it means you’ll love me the way I love you.” 

They were once again locked in a staring contest. Jack knew the prince was serious. The way his voice stayed level, and his eye contact never broke, there was absolutely no way he could be joking. He needed to do something, he needed to push through the shock and do anything. 

Neither could quite place when Dave’s hand made its way to Jack’s face. Neither knew when the prince tilted the baker’s chin up with his fingers, forcing him to make even more direct eye contact. Neither of them could ever figure out when Jack’s arms wrapped around Dave’s neck, pulling him down into him. Neither the prince nor the baker could place when their lips collided.

It could’ve happened in the span of seconds, or it could have taken them hours to get to that point. Neither of them knew, and neither of them cared. Neither of them wanted to leave the moment, learning what the other’s mouth tasted like. Hands travelling to grip at hair, or clothing, or anything they could reach. 

They didn’t know when they stopped, they only knew that they’d stopped at one point after waking up and feeling the sun’s harsh light glaring into their eyes. They didn’t remember falling asleep, and neither could quite place whether the previous night’s events were real.

The only evidence that whatever had happened really did happen was the forming of fingertip-shaped bruises on the baker’s hips and the slightly darkened red hue of teeth marks on the prince’s chest.

Chapter Text

It was so quiet that morning. The bakery didn’t open until later, and when it did open everyone who walked through the doors could sense the thickness in the air. It was a first for a lot of things. The prince didn’t greet every single customer that walked through the door, the baker hid in the kitchen for most of the day. Hell, the only people acting somewhat like themselves were the children. They only acted differently upon noticing the sudden shift in mood between their father and the prince. 

It was weird. They were usually all close, joking and laughing and bringing the mood inside the bakery up considerably high. Right now, though, it seemed like the prince and the baker were trying to distance themselves from one another. 

It was only when the bakery closed at lunch that anyone even bothered looking at each other. Jack had stopped hiding in the kitchen and sat at one of the tables, taking his glasses off and just staring at the wood. He saw Dave sit in front of him, folding his hands on the table like always. 

“Jack?” he said softly, trying to get his attention. “Hey, don’t ignore me, please.” 

“Dave we’re in so much trouble,” Jack whispered, not bothering to look up at the man in front of him. “You’ve single handedly signed my death certificate.” 

“I have not. I won’t let them get you.”

“You can’t guarantee that, Dave. What happened to that woman you were parading around?”

“She’s that Virgis princess I told you about. The one with a fascination with Lilian.” 

“Why is she staying in Fazbendia, then? She must’ve done that on her own, no?”

“My father put her up to it. Absolutely ridiculous. She has just as much interest in me as a dog does with grass. She’s honestly probably in it just to get close to my father’s little phone helper. Trust me, please, she means nothing to me.” 

“You kissed me last night.” The baker finally turned to look up at the prince. “You said you loved me, and then you kissed me.” 

“I did.” Dave said, nodding. “I meant it. I love you.” He reached to grab Jack’s hand, not breaking the newly caught eye contact. Jack just stared at him, dumbfounded. 

“How long have you known?” 

“Since I started staying here. Something about you made me feel different, and I saw a better future when I started thinking about you being in it.” 

“You know what I’ve done in the past.” 

“I don’t care. Everyone makes their mistakes and everyone has some kind of strange past. Why should I care that you’ve slept with several other men? I slept with a lot of people before meeting you, it means we’re experienced.” The phrase made Jack gag a little. It was kind of gross when he said it like that, honestly. 

“Dave, you got into an argument with your father about me. You’re usually so happy to talk about him.” 

“He’s stubborn, and in his ways. Honestly, he’s a hypocrite. It’s ridiculous what he expects of me. I have a plan, Jack, but I desperately need you to go along with it.”

A plan? The idea scared Jack, and Dave could tell. He just ran his thumb along the shorter man’s knuckles and didn’t break eye contact. 

“Jack. I promise, it isn’t bad. We just have to go to your silly little courthouse! I have a fake name and everything, it’ll be genius!” 

“Oh, good God, you plan on marrying me in a courthouse with a fake name? You may as well dress me like a woman and parade me around as your wife at that point!” Jack exclaimed, squinting his eyes at the prince. He could just barely make out that he was trying not to laugh. 

“Sorry, love, as tempting as that is, you don’t quite have the figure to pull off being a woman. You’re well endowed, sure, but everything else is quite box-shaped. That’s how I like you, though, don’t change that.” he said, picking up Jack’s glasses and putting them back on his face. Sure enough, the baker could see he had that little smile reserved for when he tried to be serious.

“Thanks, glad to know you think ‘box’ is an attractive shape.” he said, rolling his eyes. He looked at their hands, seeing just how well they fit together. The prince’s soft, dark skin contrasted in all the right ways to Jack’s pale skin that was littered in scars and freckles. Jack moved to interlock their fingers, seeing just how long Dave’s fingers were compared to his own. 

“Jack, I need you to trust me. I think you’re the most kindhearted person I’ve ever met,” the taller man said, moving his free hand to cup Jack’s cheek. “And you’re so selfless, and you’re so beautiful.” 

“Please, don’t flatter me.” the baker replied. 

“It isn’t flattery. These are my feelings. I want nothing more than to marry you and make you a king alongside me, but if I had to lose my title, I’d lose it all just to be with you.”

They were the most sincere words out of the prince’s mouth since he’d come to the conclusion he was infatuated with the baker. He’d go on forever if he was allowed to. Jack squeezed Dave’s hand. “You’re too kind. Don’t get me wrong, I feel the same towards you, but you’re destined for so much greater than what I can provide.” 

“I don’t care. The only thing I care about is you, and what I can do with you. I’d prefer we have a big fancy wedding, sure, but when my father is out of the picture, we can have whatever wedding you’d want.” 

“God, I can’t even imagine a wedding. My last wedding was in this space when I was younger and I was wearing a suit that fits how large I am currently.”

“Heh, you must’ve been swimming in that suit, hm?” 

“Drowning, more like it. Ugh…” He ran a hand through his hair. Ever since he started growing it out more, he’d found it easy to calm himself down by just combing through it with his fingers. Of all the people in the world, the prince wanted him. He was not letting up on that, either, Dave wanted him and him only.

Jack couldn’t remember the last time anyone did want him like that, if there even was a last time. 

“Your plan needs to be tweaked,” he said. “If we get married at that courthouse, using a fake name might make it an invalid union and you’ll be forced to marry that princess regardless. Do you not remember your name from before your father adopted you?”

“...I do not want to use that name. It is a less-than-preferable name. Do you really want to marry a man named William?”

“Eugh-?!” The baker’s eyes widened and he looked utterly shocked. His name used to be William? He used to think Dave was an incredibly plain name for a prince when he was younger, but hearing this new information, he was honestly glad he used a different name. 

“Yeah. That’s what I thought. We could go with my father’s old surname, it’s not like he uses it for anything. Miller has a good ring, no?”

“We could hyphenate. The children keep my name though.” 

“I would expect nothing less. Any other changes?”

“Perhaps don’t make me stand in front of a crowd of people objecting at your big fake wedding. I’d have to watch with the rest of the common people, you know.” 

“...Unless you’re a part of the wedding party. Perhaps the best man?”

“That’s definitely a title for the man you want to be married to. Speaking of, this whole conversation doesn’t count as a proposal.”

“Oh, trust me, I’m planning something very grand and sentimental for my proposal. Prepare to be absolutely wooed, my dear.” 

Jack quite liked being called Dave’s dear. And he liked holding his hand like this. He absolutely loved Dave.

Chapter Text

The next few weeks became all the more domestic.

From the moment the sun rose to the second it set, Jack and Dave settled into a new pattern.

Waking up felt all the more sweeter when it was to soft kisses being pressed into the bump on the bridge of Jack’s nose. Falling asleep felt even more comfortable when arms were wrapping around Dave’s waist, pulling him into a new warmth that slowly became familiar with each passing day. 

The spring turned to summer, and the need for more savory baked goods increased. By this point, everyone who walked through the bakery doors was unfazed by the affection the two men showed each other. It was useless complaining about a decision a blue blood made, especially when it was clear changing his mind was out of the question. 

They’d had an early start to the morning, rising before the sun to prepare items for the day. They tried to be quiet, not wanting to wake the children upstairs. It was one thing to get them to sleep at night, trying to get them back to sleep in the morning was a battle neither were fully awake enough for. They were barely awake enough to talk to each other, but the silence needed to be broken, and who else to break it but the prince. 

“You know, now’s as good a time as any for me to learn a little something about your childhood.” he said, trying to wipe up a flour spill. 

“Why do you wanna know that?” Jack asked, closing the oven on what had to be the millionth loaf of bread this morning. “It’s boring.” 

“Well, if we’re to be married, I need to know everything about you!” 

“Hmh… I guess that makes sense. Awfully boring story, though.” The baker shrugged, getting ready to package up the baked goods that were already done. 

“Oh well, you might be boring but you’re awfully handsome, so I can look past the uninteresting past.” Jack rolled his eyes hearing that, tossing a rolled up ball of paper at the prince. Dave just snickered and leaned over the counter, grinning at the baker. 

“I was born around here, I’m a middle child, and my parents passed away… quite quickly after I got married to my wife.”

“Wow, that’s an overreaction to you marrying.” 

“Well, they didn’t exactly get a say in dying, they got into a little accident.” 

“Ah. My apologies, then. Sorry for your loss.”

“I’ve heard that a lot. They were good parents, they raised me and Peter to be gentlemen. They didn’t quite end up teaching Dee how to be a little lady, my wife ended up kind of showing her those ropes. Dee went on to greater pastures though, practicing clownery or whatever it was. Peter moved in with his wife and now he’s your little laundry boy. Sucker.” 

“How’d you end up with a brother in my phone staff and a sister trying to be my jester?” the prince asked, tilting his head. 

“Well, Peter moved out after our parents passed. He claimed I was bumming him out and left to ‘greater horizons’ or whatever. I don’t quite know why he ended up being in your staff, but I honestly can’t say he didn’t deserve it at least a little bit. He never really helped me out when I was struggling, except to take Dee now and then. He gave me the bakery, so that was at least something. Not enough, though, since she ended up being recruited for your royal entertainment mumbo-jumbo.”

“That doesn’t sound boring. You’ve got quite the tragedy behind you. All that happening, so early in your life, I’m shocked you haven’t absolutely given up.” 

“I couldn’t do that. Everything happened to me so fast, including being a father. I just… absolutely couldn’t give up, I needed to be there for Richard and Suzanne.” 

Dave nodded hearing that. He didn’t know how much Jack had really gone through, outside of vague descriptions like “dead parents” “dead wife” “owning a bakery”. This was all so in-depth. Like a window being opened into the soul of the man he loved. He knew Jack had drawn the short straw, but this was barely even a straw at this point. This was a sliver of a straw. 

“Okay, I’ve told you everything I’m fine with sharing this early in the morning. You, sir, owe me a little glimpse into your past, don’t you?” Jack asked, getting close to Dave and gently poking his shoulder. 

“Oh, I do, now? I thought I was just helping you prepare for the day.” the prince teased, wrapping an arm around Jack’s waist and pulling him closer. 

“C’mon, don’t play with me. I was really vulnerable just now.” 

“Fine, fine. When I was younger, I grew up in the orphanage around here. I ended up running out when I was twelve… or thirteen, I don’t know. I was getting into my teens, that’s for sure. My father found me stealing food out of a dumpster, I don’t quite know why he took me in, but he did. I ended up being pushed into all kinds of classes and fittings and suchlike. Before all that, though, I was just a regular boy. Playing in the streets, stealing from the toy store, I might have stolen something from this very bakery, I dunno.”

“Huh… I might have seen you, I don’t know. Doubt it, I was never allowed in the bakery until I was a little older.”

“Well, now this is your bakery, and I can just take what I please, hm?”

“Hey, now. If I find out you’re stealing from my business I haven’t got anything against putting you in your place.” 

Dave chose to ignore the way his face got warm upon hearing Jack suggest that, choosing to instead squeeze the baker and kiss his forehead. “You know, I think we would’ve been good friends if we met sooner. Before I became a big royal man with royal responsibilities.” 

“And a knack for being a royal pain in my ass.” Jack teased, kissing his cheek and chuckling. 

“You love me,” Dave chuckled. “And you’ll make a fine husband, won’t you?”

“Well, usually they say the third time’s a charm, but I may be able to be an exception to that little saying…” Jack sniffed the air and turned to the oven, his eyebrows raised. “Dave check that oven, please.” 

The prince tilted his head before going towards the oven and opening it slowly, gasping and shutting it almost as quickly as he’d opened it. “My dearest, I’m awfully afraid to tell you this, but we’ll have to remake this batch.”

“Is it bad?”

“My darling, it’s like charcoal. We’d be better off using this for art rather than food. I’m honestly surprised food could get so burnt it becomes a void.” the prince said, making a face at the smell now beginning to spread throughout the kitchen. Jack sighed and went to his ingredient shelf, grabbing the things he needed to retry what was supposed to be the last batch of things for the day.

Chapter Text

“What the hell do you mean I can’t have this cleaned?! It’s just dirty, it’s not ancient fabric!” 

A lot of steps led to Dave snapping at this moment. First a mishap at the flower shop where they didn’t have the exact orange flowers he needed. It was ridiculous, he knew they had those flowers, they had to have intentionally hidden them just so he couldn’t use them for this event. 

If the flower issue wasn’t enough, going back to the palace just to pick up a change of clothes that wasn’t more expensive than the entirety of Fazbendia! He timed his arrival perfectly with his father’s stupid nap after lunch, it was the damned phones that caused the issue! He could barely sneak around his wardrobe without being interrogated about things like “who the lucky dame was” and “would you like to see your father?” He JUST wanted to get some regular clothes! He’d have been better off just going to the one clothing service place in the whole village to get an outfit.

He burnt his fingers on a surprise dessert he’d spent weeks perfecting, and he looked insane with wrapped hands and the smell of oranges and sugar. He was definitely covered in whatever batter didn’t end up on the floor or in the pan it was supposed to go in. Cleaning that mess was another story, but thank goodness the children were at least there to help. Sure, he could’ve done that himself, but he needed to be in several other places, and Steven could only be in so many places at one time. 

It all led up to this. Standing in front of the person working in the clothing shop, being told washing Jack’s suit was “next to impossible,” whatever the hell that meant. 

“I can’t believe this,” he said, setting the folded clothes on the counter and practically glaring at the man working. “I run around all over this town, I burn my hands on a dessert I won’t even eat, I go home and get ambushed by my staff because apparently my father is incapable of giving them the things they need, I can’t find the flowers I need for an event I’m planning, and now here I am. I’m standing in front of you, holding a suit that’s covered in DUST, and you mean to tell me you can’t clean it?!” 

“Your highness, I-”

“If the next words out of your mouth aren’t ‘I’ll try very hard to clean this suit for you, Prince Dave’ so help me God, I will hop over this counter and beat the stuffing out of you.” 

They were locked in a staring contest now. The prince wasn’t quite well known for being a fighter, in fact he was known better for delegating fights to other people. The look in his eyes said he had it in him, though, and the fact that there were several hat racks able to be taken from the floor meant he had weapons at his disposal. 

“...I’ll try very hard to clean this suit for you, Prince Dave.” he muttered, taking the suit and disappearing into a back room. Dave decided to browse the store to relax and take his mind off of the stressful day he’d just had. Everything had to be perfect for tonight, and he surely wouldn’t let anything stop that. He’d gotten up entirely too early in the morning to stop now. He much preferred being lazy in bed with Jack, but this was a more pressing matter.

He didn’t know how long he’d been there, but it was apparently long enough for the suit to be done. He knew it could be cleaned.

“Here you go, sir.” the man at the counter said, setting a bag down and going back to the backroom, possibly to scream. Dave grabbed the bag and double checked that the suit was actually cleaned. Sure enough, it was cleaned and just fine! He needed to work on the laziness epidemic in this town, it was ridiculous how many people just wouldn’t do their jobs. 

He had plenty of time to pop back to the bakery and hide this again before Jack decided to crawl out of bed. Dave made sure the bakery would be closed in favor of celebrating this little event he’d planned for God knows how long. Sure, the flowers were wrong and he had bandages all over his hands, but it was better than nothing!

He slowly walked into the bakery, looking around. It was very quiet, apart from the ridiculously loud snoring coming from upstairs. Good to know Jack was still fast asleep and practically dead to the world. Dave headed upstairs and hid the suit back in Jack’s wardrobe, closing it slowly and then walking over to the bed. Jack was sprawled out, tangled in their blankets with his face hidden in his hair. It’d grown out so much, it was almost ridiculous. 

Dave crawled into bed, fitting himself in the remaining space on the bed. He snuggled into Jack’s side and sighed, brushing the hair from his face and getting a good look at the freckles on his face. He thought the little heart shaped one was the most precious thing ever. The simple action of looking at Jack was enough to make the bad day obsolete. 

He heard small footsteps and then saw Suzanne, her big eyes staring unblinkingly at Dave. “Hey, you. We’re hungry.” she said, still just staring. 

“Oh, darling, I’ve just gotten home. Wake him, he’s been sleeping too good today.” He honestly didn’t know what he expected, considering the little girl’s tendency to hit, but he definitely didn’t expect her to punch her father in the stomach. For such a little girl, she sure could punch. 

Jack woke up, coughing and sitting straight up. “Damnit, Suzy, I told you-  ugh… I told you to quit punching me awake.” 

“Your boytoy wasn’t waking you up for me, I had to take matters into my own hands!”

“Don’t punch me! And don’t call Dave a boytoy, he isn’t a boytoy!” 

“Mhm, sure. I’m hungry, please. I can’t make my own food.” 

Jack just groaned and got out of bed, heading to the kitchen and muttering about how the house smelled like sugar and citrus. Dave just sighed and snuggled into the mattress, taking some time to sleep off the stressful morning he had.

Hours passed, and it led to Dave sitting in front of a mirror in Jack’s spare room, working on braiding his hair. It’d become his art, considering he was the only one who took the time to learn about his own damn hair. He’d made sure Jack was getting ready in the bathroom, practically shoving him in there with the newly cleaned suit and a comb. 

Downstairs, Steven was setting up dinner. Matt, the toymaker, and Charlie, the woodsmith, were helping. It was a lot of making sure the food was plated just right, and making sure each person had a place at the table. They were kind enough to invite Harry, Jake, and Roger, considering they were the main people Jack spoke to on a regular basis. There was a general agreement among the guests that the thing they thought was happening was indeed happening. 

Jack went to the spare room, knocking before peeking inside. “Dave? Hey, did you take this to get washed? It looks nice.” 

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I’ve got maybe six more of these braids and I’ll be ready to take you downstairs.” the prince said, getting laser focused on finishing his hair. The baker walked behind him and kissed the top of his head. 

“I usually can’t reach up here, thanks for sitting down.” he joked, chuckling to himself. 

“Yeah, I figured I’d be a bit easier for you to handle, just for today. Mind helping out and finishing these up? I’ve been at this for ages.” 

“I suppose, since you’ve made my day easier by sitting down and making it easier for me to kiss your face.” 

“You didn’t even kiss my face, you kissed the top of my head.” 

“I’ll flick your forehead if you sass me again.” 

“Yes, dear. Please work on my hair now? It’ll be worth your while.” Jack just rolled his eyes and worked on those last few braids, humming. Dave hummed along, drumming his fingers on his lap. He could’ve thrown his whole plan away in favor of grabbing Jack’s hands and nearly begging him to stay forever. He knew better, though. The baker wanted something nicer, and as a representative of the royal family, he had to give Jack nothing less than elegant. 

“You’re thinking, Dave. What’s on your mind, love?” 

“Oh, nothing, you don’t worry your pretty little head about that. You just worry about the things you normally worry about.” He could see Jack roll his eyes again before finishing up the last braid, combing his fingers through the prince’s neatly done hair before pulling most of it back into a bun. 

“I know you do your hair like this often, so let’s kill two birds with one stone, hm?” 

“Many birds will be killed by a singular stone this evening, my love. Are you ready for this dinner?” the prince asked, standing up and holding his arm to the baker. The baker nodded and smiled, taking Dave’s arm and resting his head on his shoulder. Dave led him out of the spare room and towards the staircase, taking a deep breath and looking at Jack. 

He was simply divine. 

They walked down the stairs, the eyes and dials of their guests being settled on the pair. A few tables had been pushed together to mock one of the longer tables that most nice places had. Jack’s eyes widened at the sight. Orange and purple flower petals littered all over the table, nice dinner plates set so that there were ten evenly spaced seats at the table, and possibly the most beautiful looking dinner was at the center. 

Dave led Jack down to one end of the table, pulling his chair out and waiting for the baker to sit. He took the seat, watching the prince run to the other end of the table to sit at the seat across from Jack. They were quite out of reach from each other physically, but emotionally it was like they were the closest in this moment. 

Everyone else took their seats, and dinner started. It wasn’t super unusual for them to have these nicer dinners, especially with this particular set of guests. Tonight it felt different, like it was a more personal event for everyone involved. Dave just stared at the baker with the most adoring look in his eyes.

He was absolutely beautiful to the prince. Never had Dave ever seen someone who could be so effortlessly perfect. Jack may have thought himself to be the most plain man alive, but to Dave he was exquisite beyond description. 

The chatter at the table was even more lively. Laughter, jokes, and playful banter was swapped back and forth between the eight adults, with small teases being directed towards the two children. It was so warm, so comfortable, and so alive. It hadn’t been this lively in the bakery in… 

Jack didn’t remember when it last felt so alive, and so absolutely bright in the bakery. He didn’t realize Dave had kept glancing at him every chance he got. Sipping wine, taking bites from his dinner, even wiping his mouth with a napkin was an opportunity to look at the baker. It made Jack’s face heat up, because in this moment, it was like everything in his life was finally settling into one comfortable place. 

He’d thought about every day since Dave showed up. How he brought life back into his business. How he’d managed to make Jack look forward to working behind the counter every single day. How he made the baker feel wanted, and how he in return felt the most desire he’d ever experienced in a long time. The prince had single handedly given the baker a heavier desire to live. A desire that was past keeping the children alive. A desire that was beyond keeping his father’s business afloat. 

A desire to live, and truly be alive. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts hearing the clink of a spoon against a glass, and saw Dave rise from his seat. Immediately, everyone else went silent, and those dark green eyes made contact with Jack’s bright blue ones. The prince set his glass down before clearing his throat, with everyone directing their attention to him. 

“Gentlemen, and singular lady,” Dave winked at Suzanne, earning a giggle from the girl. “Thank you so much for joining us this evening. While I could’ve done this privately, I wanted the people closest to us to witness this wonderful occasion. First of all, thank you to Steven, Matt, and Charlie, for tidying up these tables and setting up this dinner. Couldn’t have spent a long time on my hair without you guys pitching in. Thanks as well to Harry, Jake, and Roger, for bringing the right flowers when I was about to go insane finding the correct ones. You’ve all contributed to making this event a memorable one.” The group replied generally positive, with plenty of “no problem”s and a few “it was no trouble”s. 

“Dave? Is this-” The prince cut him off, holding a hand up. “Shush. Let me go through this.” 

Jack nodded, setting his hands on the table and watching the prince walk over to him slowly, still talking. 

“Jack, the winter of last year was when you allowed me into your home, and I’ve been so truly happy to have met you. Never has there ever been a kinder, more beautiful person than you in my life. I was sent for one purpose: find a spouse. Sure, my father did specify a wife, but what does he know? He doesn’t control who I love, I hardly had a say in that, myself.” 

“That’s very sweet, Dave.” Roger said after waiting for a moment. 

“Thank you. Jack, you’re the only one I do love. Today I went around this God-awful town, trying to find flowers, gathering our friends, and even getting your suit cleaned. I woke up before the sun to make you a special dessert. Uh, that’s why your entire building smells like sugared oranges, by the way. I fully spilled stuff and made a mess and I- yeah. It’s been a day making sure everything’s perfect just for today.” 

“Oh, my God, Dave. You’re-”

“Hey, now. Let me finish,” Dave said, standing next to Jack and pulling him to his feet. He held his hands, looking him in the eyes. “You’ve been so kind to me all this time. Even when I was a dreadful flirt and I kept taking excuses to see you in as many states as possible. Hell, I kept lying to sleep in the same bed as you when I wanted to be closer.” 

“You were pretending to have nightmares? Dave, good lord.” 

“I know, I’m awful. But you love me, and I love you. I spent weeks upon weeks finding everything I needed for this to just be absolutely perfect. Jack Kennedy, you may not be royal. You may not be a high class citizen, and you may be the last person anyone ever expected to be the object of my desire,” The prince held the baker’s hand up to his chest, resting it so the baker could feel the prince’s heart beating. “But I don’t care. The only thing I care about is you, and your family. I know falling in love with you means I have to also love your children, and believe you me, I’ve absolutely adored them like they’re my own.” 

Though Dave couldn’t see it, Richard and Suzanne were listening to every word the prince said. Richard may have been annoyed by how absolutely lovesick his father and the prince had been, but knowing Dave loved him and his sister like they were his, it was enough to make the teen tear up. Suzanne held her brother’s hand, squeezing it and watching her father and the prince intensely. 

“I have been waiting ages for this, and I’ve wanted to do this since day one. I’ve wanted you since day one,” Dave lowered down on one knee, bringing Jack’s left hand down with him. He reached his free hand towards the table, and Steven dropped a box into the prince’s palm. Now it made sense to Jack why the phone headed assistant sat so close to him instead of near the prince. “Jack Kennedy, would you do the honors of making me the most joyous person in Fazbendia, and would you allow me to make you a king by my side by becoming my husband?” 

The room had grown so silent, with everyone waiting, holding their breaths and leaning close to listen. Dave opened the little box, revealing a quite pretty ring. Purple and orange metal intertwined, with the smallest blue and green gems in the middle. Jack hadn’t expected something so simple, but it was absolutely the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. More beautiful than any fine jewelry that was displayed at the jewelry shop. 

Dave looked up at Jack, waiting. Smiling at him. To him, he was the only man in the world who mattered. To Jack, Dave was the only person in the world he’d truly give up everything for. 

It was so quiet. Barely audible, like the word was being breathed out. Dave heard it. He could’ve sworn his heart stopped when he heard it. 

A near silent “yes,” followed by nodding. The prince stood up quickly, grabbing the baker in a tight hug and lifting him up. It was absolutely everything they both dreamed of. Surrounded by everyone that they cared about, in the place where it all started, having the shared knowledge that this was what they wanted. Something that, in a way, they needed. 

Jack held Dave’s face, kissing him much to the disgust of his son and daughter. As wonderful as it was that they had gotten to this point, now it meant their father was kissing the man who was essentially taking on a secondary parental role to them. 

There were loud words of congratulations, with some of the men at the table pouring more wine and announcing some toast to the newly engaged couple. The prince and the baker couldn’t hear them, though. They were simply too busy looking at each other to even think about their guests. 

The night creeped into the more silent hours, with all of the extra guests leaving quietly and quickly, leaving Jack, Dave, and the children in the bakery. They’d been kind enough to clean up, meaning the pair only had to get the bakery ready for the morning. That was easy enough, since food was already prepared earlier in the day. 

“Jack, lookie there. They’re so tired,” Dave said, pointing at Suzanne and Richard. They’d been slumped in a corner, quietly snoring. “Poor dears. We should get them to their beds.” Jack chuckled and nodded, going to the children and picking Richard up. Dave grabbed Suzanne and they started heading up the stairs, shutting the lights off to the main area of the bakery. 

“Did you mean it when you said you adored them like they’re your own?” the baker asked, tucking his son into his bed and kissing his forehead. 

“Well, of course. They’ll be my heirs, darling, I’d have to love them at least a little. I’m already way ahead of that, though. I love them both so dearly.” the prince replied, setting the girl in her bed and setting one of her stuffed toys on her chest. 

“They still call you Dave, though.” 

“Well, I don’t mind. They don’t have to call me anything they don’t want to.” 

“It doesn’t bother you?” 

“It doesn’t bother me. They’re only little people, after all. They could call me whatever so long as it’s appropriate.” 

“If you say so. Let me over there, she won’t sleep well if I don’t kiss her forehead.” Dave stepped aside and watched his fiance lean down to kiss Suzanne’s forehead. A small smile formed on her face and she snuggled with the toy on her chest. It was like something out of a fairytale, with happily ever after right around the corner.

“I’m going ahead to bed, feel free to say goodnight to them, I’m exhausted though.” Jack said, yawning and walking to his and Dave’s room. 

“Ah, sleep well, I’ll be there in a bit.” the prince replied, flashing a small smile at the baker before looking back at the children. When he was sure Jack wouldn’t see it, he kneeled down between both of their beds and looked between the boy and girl. They were sound asleep, so he checked under Richard’s bed to retrieve a box. 

Upon opening it, there were two necklaces and some extra stuffed toys. He knew they both still liked those soft plush toys, and put a lot of effort into making a set he knew they’d love. A little golden-yellow bunny and a dandelion colored bear. The necklaces were different shades of purple and orange, with a locket in the center resembling the kingdom’s symbol. 

He set the items on their little bedside tables, setting little notes addressed to them underneath their plush toys. He planted quick kisses on the tops of their heads before making sure they were tucked in properly and turning their light off. He quickly and quietly went to his and Jack’s room to sleep, feeling content despite the horrible start to the morning. 

It all ended up being worth it at this very moment.

Chapter Text

In between wedding planning, running the bakery, and working on his plan to confront his father, Dave was busy trying to maintain his fake relationship with Quinn. He needed to convince the general public that they were a real and legitimate couple. He’d take her to lunch, or he’d buy gifts that she could regift to Lily, and sometimes he’d hold her close in public while loudly professing his love for her. 

He felt strange doing all that with her in public, wishing he could do all the same things with Jack. He needed to maintain the image that he and Quinn were madly in love with each other. They were barely considered friends, so this was just awkward.

The clock was ticking ever closer to the final day of the plan. Maintaining this fake relationship was exhausting, and it was just another chore on the already large list he had. Who knew this would be the most tiring part of the plan? He thought the confrontation would be the most tiring part, but no! Lying to a bunch of idiots about being in love with a woman who was definitely uninterested was more exhausting. 

“Dave?” Quinn made him snap out of his thoughts. “Hey, are you alive? You’ve been staring at that wine glass for a while.” 

“Oh. Yeah, sorry, I’m just thinking.” 

“About what? You’re not actually falling in love with me, are you?” 

“Eugh, no. I’m just tired. Lying is exhausting and I’m trying to find ways to make it… not a pain in my own ass.” 

“Oh. You want that little baker boy around more often, don’t you?” 

“Please, he’s not a boy. He’s a grown man with a thriving business, a good job, and two children! He’s pretty much the perfect man,” Quinn decided to stay quiet about the baker’s drinking habits. It was unneeded stress on what was clearly a pile of exhaustion on Dave’s end. “Besides, you’ve got eyes on my father’s phone assistant. Let’s not compare apples to apples when it comes to our attraction.”

“Please, the only thing we have in common is we’re in love with people of a lower status than our own. The way you keep talking about it, it sounds like you plan on leaving the royal family entirely for a man you met last winter.” 

Dave rolled his eyes and sipped the drink in front of him. She was right, they did only have that in common. Still, she could’ve pointed it out in a nicer way. “You’re awfully abrasive, even when I’m nice you’re rude to me. If we’re to maintain the appearance of a happy couple, you need to at least be kinder.” 

“Don’t tell me what to do. I’m in this for the sheer fact that it gets me closer to Lilian. I am not doing any of this for you.” Quinn’s words were venomous, making Dave’s nose crinkle. Hearing her spit those words while they were in public made him a bit mad. 

“We are in a restaurant, do not talk to me like that. I am so sick of you being rude to me.” 

“Oh, you’re sick of me being rude? I’m sick of being a little puppet in your stupid game against your father! Just marry that stupid alcoholic and deal with whatever hissy fit your father has.”

“I have to get the stupid crown before I can make my relationship with Jack public!”

“If it’s soooo stupid, then why do you still want it?!” Quinn’s voice was getting louder, and her face was getting redder. “You’re possibly the most stupid man I’ve ever met!” Dave glanced behind Quinn, seeing their waiter approaching with their food. He started shushing her, but it ended up making her snap. “Are you shushing me? Who do you think you are?!” 

“Quinny, I really need you to calm down, you’re going to get us kicked out and-” “Don’t you interrupt me! I have been doing so well at being your little girlfriend when you’re busy trying to-”

“Is there a problem, miss?” the waiter asked, setting their plates down. The princess stared at him before giggling nervously. 

“No problem, sir. Just a lover’s quarrel.” she said, smiling and taking a bite of her lunch. She shot a quick glare at the prince. “Just you wait.” she mouthed, kicking his foot. 

“Yep. A lover’s quarrel. We’ll get over it.” Dave said. They both watched the waiter leave, holding their breaths as the man disappeared behind the counter. 

“What was that about? Why didn’t you tell me he was there?”

“I tried, you told me not to shush you! Next time you won’t be snippy, huh?” 

“Please, I refuse to take you seriously when you act like that.” 

“Act like what? A mature adult? You’re the one getting mad at me because you insulted my fiance and I was offended. How would you like it if I said Lilian was a cowardly wreck who isn’t capable of standing up to my father because he threatens to tack her head to his wall. Did you know none of those phones even were staff? They’re just phones he found!”

Quinn was honestly shocked. For the first time, she felt like someone put her in her place. She knew she was mean, but she had to be. She was the only daughter in a group of twelve children, and she was the eldest. She was the one who had to make her kingdom proud, but all she wanted was Lilian. Now, though, she looked at the prince’s face and she saw how hurt he looked when he had to think about the awful things she just said about Jack. 

She felt hurt having heard him say that Lily was a coward. It made her chest ache because the phone woman wasn’t there to defend herself. Jack wasn't there to defend himself, either. Did she hurt Dave when she said Jack was an alcoholic? 

“Now then, I’ll pay for this since it’s my turn to pay, but after this I think we should stick to meeting in your home and sneaking Jack in so I can at least have a semblance of a good time.”

“I’m sorry.” Quinn said. She never said sorry. Not when she was rude to her brothers, not when she’d shoved and kicked anyone in her way, never. If anything, she was only apologizing because for the first time in her life, someone gave her a taste of her own medicine. 

“What?” the prince asked, leaning back in his chair. 

“I am sorry. I apologize for insulting your fiance. It was cruel, and I’m sorry.” 

“Are you sick? You don’t apologize for anything.” 

“Right now is the first time. This year is one for history. The first time I apologize for anything, the first time trade between Virgis and Fazbendia gets reopened, and it will be the first time the world will see a kingdom ruled by two kings. You and Jack are going to make fine kings. I just know it.” 

“...Thank you, Quinn.” 

“Don’t get used to this. I’m only apologizing because I realize it isn’t nice to hear cruel things about the woman I’m in love with. So, I’m sorry for insulting him.” 

“Thank you. Now then, I’m serious, we aren’t going out in public anymore. We’ve had so many arguments and these people need to think we’re in love. Just pretend I’m Lilian, I’ve been pretending you’re Jack every time I need to hold your waist or whatever.”

Quinn rolled her eyes and worked on eating her food. On the inside, it was really funny to think about how ridiculous it was to pretend she was someone else. Surely, it wasn’t that easy. She shrugged to herself while Dave rattled off praises about her and how she was truly being the bigger person for once.