#king!ryan

Maybe it was less than surprising then, that Ryan ordered food to be distributed among the poor. To raise buildings on the outskirts of the city before the winter, where everyone was free to stay. Instead, Jeremy just felt a rising affection for the king. He knew Ryan wanted to make sure to leave his people in the best hands.

The battle at the pass had been quick and decisive, ending in their favour. Jeremy stayed behind to guard the king, of course, but the council was aware of his contribution, as loathe they were to admit it aloud. It was after one such meetings when Ryan dismissed the council, and Jeremy stayed behind hopefully.

“Walk with me, Jeremy,” Ryan said, giving him a careful look. Jeremy nodded, falling into step with his king as he lead them towards the royal gardens.

He’d never walked them before, since they were off-limits to commoners. Curiously he glanced around, reaching out to touch one of the more exotic flowers. The garden was a rainbow full of colours, one blooming flower prettier than the next. Jeremy looked at them in awe, giving Ryan time to gather his thoughts.

“These were my mother's favourite,” Ryan spoke up suddenly, breaking the silence. Jeremy glanced up from the orange and yellow blooms. “She would always tell me she’d first had them planted the year of my birth, to honour the Golden Fool.”

Ryan’s lips twitched, bending down and carefully tracing a finger along the petals.

“Of course, Gavin doesn’t care much for flowers. It’s the sentiment that counts.”

“You still keep the flowers, though,” Jeremy pointed out hesitantly. “Even though Gavin couldn’t care less.”

“In memory of my mother,” Ryan explained, standing straight with a sigh. He clasped his hands behind his back. “She may not have birthed me, but she’d always… cared.” He stared sadly down at the flower beds. “I’d almost… forgotten.”

Jeremy frowned, baffled. “Forgotten?”

Ryan glanced at him. “Caring so… deeply, and freely, even for strangers. She had a big heart.” He grinned crookedly. “You remind me of her.”

Jeremy startled, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Me?”

“You,” Ryan repeated, grin softening into a smile. “It’s… hard to remember, sometimes. What it means to be human.” He ducked his head, eyes growing distant. “Even as I live among them… I try my best to do right by my people, but it’s hard to understand them, sometimes. Gavin doesn’t get it. And sometimes. Sometimes I wonder why I bother.”

“Ryan…” Jeremy trailed off, reaching for his hand and intertwining their fingers shyly.

“These last few weeks… You’ve reminded me of what it means, to be human. And for that, I thank you.”

Jeremy squeezed his hand and stepped closer, raising his free hand to gently brush his knuckles over Ryan’s cheek.

“You are a good king, Ryan. You’re kind and fair.” Jeremy cupped his cheek, tilting his head down. “The decisions you have to make are hard, and sometimes you have to be harsh. But I’ve never doubted your loyalty to your people.”

Ryan smiled softly, leaning into the touch. “And yet, it is you who showed me who those people are. I thought surrounding myself with human advisors would be enough to balance my divine side, but they’re small and petty. Only now, with you by my side, am I starting to realize. Gavin is callous towards human lives, it’s in his nature. And I’ve allowed myself to grow complacent.”

“You hoped giving him humans as companions would make him appreciate their lives more,” Jeremy inferred, brow furrowing.

“And instead, we gained you,” Ryan confirmed, covering Jeremy’s hand over his cheek with one of his own. “You’re my anchor, Jeremy. You tie me to my humanity.”

Jeremy had to swallow hard. “Ryan… I… I’m just a street rat who got lucky, I don’t-”

But Ryan placed a finger over his lips and shushed him. He pulled Jeremy in by their entwined hands, moving to cup his cheek with the other.

“You’re everything,” Ryan whispered, leaning in until his breath brushed over Jeremy’s lips. “Come stay with me tonight. Let me show you… prove to you how much you mean to me.”

“Wha- what about Gavin?” Jeremy murmured, lips grazing Ryan’s as he spoke. “Shouldn’t he…”

Ryan kissed him, soft and chaste. Jeremy could feel his cheeks warm, and he closed his eyes as he leaned into the kiss. After lingering for a moment longer, Ryan backed up slowly, squeezing Jeremy’s hand.

“Gavin offered to give us space tonight, so we could… explore this without his influence. He’ll keep busy with Michael.”

Jeremy frowned, before realization dawned. “He’s afraid that he’s pushing us into this.”

Ryan nodded. “He wants us to be sure that this is something we both want, too, and not something we’re getting into as a favour to him.”

Ryan’s voice was wry, and Jeremy would put the slight tremble down to a dry mouth, if it weren’t for the hesitant look in his direction. Jeremy frowned, glancing down at the flowers. It was strange, seeing the king so nervous. Worried about Jeremy’s opinion of all things.

“He doesn’t need to concern himself,”Jeremy assured him, aware that he wasn’t just talking about Gavin. “You’re quite the catch, as he should know.”

Ryan shrugged, shoulders tense.

“I am the king,” he pointed out awkwardly. “I am showered with compliments daily, but it’s hard to tell when they are genuine.”

“Ryan,” Jeremy started, ringing for words. “You’re amazing. You’ve been nothing but honest with me, showered me in gifts. And I don’t just mean gold and jewels and other courtship tokens. You’ve gifted me with pieces of yourself - the clearing in the forest, this garden, and so many more memories of your past. You listen to what I have to say, to show you, and you elevated me to a position as equal to yours as I’ll ever be able to achieve.”

He paused, clasping both of Ryan’s hands between his own as he stared up earnestly at the king.

“I’m not nearly as good with words as you are, but my affections are genuine.” His eyes took on a challenging glint. “Let me prove it to you. Tonight.”

***

Gavin was absolutely, utterly bored.

Ryan was busy in court and had kicked him out before he could delay proceedings with one of his pranks. Jeremy had the day off, but instead of spending it with Gavin, he was out to catch up with some soldier friends of his. No matter how much Gavin pouted. And then Michael went to watch Ryan in court, knowing Gavin was explicitly forbidden from following, the traitor.

Raised voices reached his ears. Gavin perked up, flouncing down the hallway to peek around the corner.

Two guards appeared to be arguing with one of the men of Ryan’s council. Gavin squinted. The general, maybe? Gavin couldn’t quite recall, and he didn’t much care as long as they didn’t plot against Ryan. The guards’ voices echoed loudly down the corridor, agitated. The general crossed his arms and replied sharply, shortly. Gavin watched curiously as he turned his back on them.

“-need to speak with the king. Please, it is urgent!”

The general glared grimly over his shoulder at them.

“Bring it up with your superiors and stop trying to waste His Majesty’s time. He has much more important matters to attend to.”

“But sir-!”

The general’s face clouded with anger, and Gavin took in the guards more carefully. They were scruffy and dirty, as if they’d been in a recent fight.

“I said get out, soldiers.”

The door fell shut with a heavy thud. Gavin observed the two guards as they exchanged a frustrated look. Excitement bubbled up in his chest. Finally something was happening!

“What now? The king is still our best chance, but if we can’t get word to him…”

“Do you think he’s being obtuse on purpose?” the other asked, frowning at the closed door. “Because it’s about-” He glanced around furtively and Gavin ducked back around the corner. “-you know.”

That seemed worth investigating. He glanced down at himself, frowning in concentration. With a snap of his fingers, his clothes transformed into a green and gold tunic and pants, fit to pass for any courtier. Then Gavin straightened himself and purposefully stepped around the corner. The first guard looked startled at the other’s words.

“Are you suggesting-”

His jaw snapped shut, eyes alighting on Gavin, walking towards them. The guards glanced at each other worriedly and then gave him stiff bows as he approached. Gavin had to suppress a grin. This was gonna be fun. And technically he didn’t start any trouble, so Ryan couldn’t be too mad.

“Gentlemen,” Gavin drawled, sauntering up to them. “I couldn’t help but overhear. What sort of message might you carry that His Majesty must hear of it immediately?”

They traded a hesitant look, before the smaller one answered carefully.

“My lord. I’m afraid we can’t pass the message along with anyone, it must be delivered personally to the king.”

Gavin eyed him knowingly. “You don’t trust the court. How curious.” He grinned slyly as he tossed out his offer, “A bargain, then. Tell me what happened, and I promise you an audience with the king.”

“My lord, what guarantee do we have that you can make this happen?” the taller one asked shrewdly. “How do we know that you have the power to get word to the king?”

“Just my word,” Gavin waved him off, eyeing him consideringly. The slight to his perceived self-importance would have many a courtier bristling, what clever words to choose. Gavin found himself intrigued. Maybe a bribe would get him the information he desired. “I don’t think I’ve seen you in here before. If your message aids my King, I will see you promoted to palace guard or an equivalent position of your wishes.”

The looks the guards exchanged were decidedly dubious. Finally, the taller of the two spoke.

“There was a scuffle with infiltrators within the city,” he caved, before narrowing his eyes and choosing his next words with care. “What we learned from them… We cannot risk this message to be delayed any further. We will speak to the king on this matter, and no one else.”

“Interesting,” Gavin murmured, tilting his head. “Not even an advisor? My, what plot have you uncovered that would lead you to such distrust?”

“We tried telling General Resh,” the smaller one muttered, and Gavin turned his gaze to him. “It’s of… personal importance to His Majesty, yet he send us off with no intention of passing the message on.”

“Is the king in danger?” Gavin asked sharply, playful demeanour cast aside in an instant. His mind flickered to the last and only time someone managed to poison Ryan. His fists clenched and he grit his teeth. Not ever again. Not under his watch.

The guards exchanged another nervous look. “Not… exactly.”

Gavin relaxed immediately, even as he narrowed his eyes and flicked his gaze between them contemplatively. No danger, then, just the usual politics. Perfect for some harmless mischief. “But you believe these news to be dire.”

“Time is of the essence,” the taller guard said urgently, staring pleadingly at Gavin. “If my lord would sponsor an audience, I’m certain my lord will be rewarded richly-”

“Okay,” Gavin agreed easily, then shrugged at their disbelieving stares. No need to barter, bringing this sort of intrigue to light, setting the nobles awhirl was more than worth the trouble. Besides, his curiosity was killing him at this point. “The court’s been too quiet lately. What better than some dastardly plot uncovered to stir them up?”

The guards looked at each other and grimaced, before turning to him and nodding. Putting on a grin, Gavin beckoned them to follow. They hurried after him as Gavin skipped down the corridor, slipping through a well-hidden side door. He waited gleefully for them to catch up with him, bowing with a flourish.

“I don’t believe I’ve caught your names, gentlemen.” Gavin grinned, straightening. He gently closed the door behind them, then walked over and flipped a brazier upside down. The wall ground against the stone floor, revealing a slim opening. “After you.”

“I’m Matt,” the smaller guard introduced himself, eyeing the hole dubiously. “This is Trevor. And you didn’t introduce yourself, either.”

“Didn’t I?” Gavin bat his eyes innocently, stepping through the opening. “Whoops. Must have slipped my mind.”

They ducked through the hole after him, the wall grinding close the moment they stepped through. Matt and Trevor shot each other a wary look, while Gavin mused why those names seemed vaguely familiar. Oh well. Mortal names all sounded the same in the end.

“I can’t help but notice you’re avoiding that question,” the taller one - Trevor - drawled. Gavin shot him a smug grin.

“Hm, if you must, I suppose you can call me… Free.” He beckoned them forward, stopping in front of a patch of wall. “This will open directly to the throne room. Are you ready, dear sirs?”

Matt took a deep breath and nodded to Trevor. The taller guard turned to Gavin and quirked a brow.

“We’ll follow your lead, my lord,” he drawled, and Gavin suppressed a snort. He liked this one’s attitude. With a flick of his hand, Gavin activated the hidden mechanism, not giving away the secret to curious eyes boring into him. The wall slipped open a lot more quietly than the first, revealing the throne and the crowd of nobles gathered in front. It took everyone a moment to notice them appear in the corner behind the throne, but eventually a hush fell over the crowd.

“What is the meaning of this?” one of the old advisors demanded gravely. Next to him stood the general that brushed off Matt and Trevor earlier, glowering as the two stepped into the hall behind Gavin. The trickster just smirked, sauntering up to the throne with sheer confidence. Ryan watched him with dry amusement, resigned to the shenanigans to come. Gavin gave him a salacious wink, before turning to the fuming advisor, rolling onto the balls of his feet with his arms clasped behind his back.

“Just a short interruption, gentlemen and gentleladies. But who doesn’t like a break for entertainment after all these dry, boring sessions?” he declared loudly, before promptly turning his back on the sputtering council. He skipped ahead to the throne and bowed with a flourish. “On today’s itinerary, we have mischief, intrigue and a plot most delightful! Or, well-” Gavin’s wide grin dropped into a pout. “-at least I hope it’s interesting. They wouldn’t tell me, love.”

“Gavin,” Ryan sighed exasperatedly. “I realize you are bored, my dear-”

“No, no, I promise this is worth it,” Gavin interjected gleefully, bouncing on the ball of his feet. “See, Sargent Radish over there is trying to keep this a secret from you. And then I thought to myself, what could such a venerable and honoured gentleman be hiding?”

Gavin danced up the stairs and leaned over the arm of the throne, fluttering his lashes.

“Aren’t you curious, Ryan?”

“You dare-” the general started, but the king cut him off with a raised hand. Gavin relished in the power his betrothed wielded so easily. Yes, he would make a fine god once he ascended.

Ryan looked at him, arching a brow. “You are quite certain, my dear?”

“Positive,” Gavin assured him enthusiastically, head bobbing up and down.

“Then I will hear what they have to say,” Ryan said imperiously, motioning the guards to step up. “Speak. What news do you bring?”

Trevor and Matt hurried to kneel in front of the steps of the throne, and Gavin perched onto the arm, letting his gaze strife over the crowd curiously, trying to catch their reactions.

“We were ambushed within the city by soldiers in Noiturian armour, Your Majesty,” Matt started hesitantly. “We were on our way back to the barracks when it happened. Eight soldiers wearing orange and blue colours waited for us in an alley. We tried to fight them off but we were outnumbered.”

Gavin’s gaze slid over to the council. The general radiated smugness, but some of the advisors fidgeted nervously.

“They stopped fighting once our companion fell unconscious,” Trevor continued for Matt. “We tried to get to him but we weren’t fast enough. They took him hostage and are holding him for ransom.”

“This is preposterous,” one of the advisors burst out, frowning heavily at the two guards. Gavin eyed him lazily. “Your Majesty, this is a waste of time. The negotiations with the Noiturians are going well, there is no sense in such a move.”

“There is no way they’d be able to sneak into our capital unnoticed,” the general boasted, sneering at Trevor and Matt. “Clearly these two had one too many a drink to come up with such nonsense.”

Gavin cocked his head, observing the guards curiously. They did not seem very drunk. Apparently Ryan agreed with him as he returned his gaze to them.

“You said ‘dressed as’. That implies you don’t think they were who they pretended to be.”

“No, Sire,” Matt agreed hesitantly. “Their colourful armour is rather noticeable. As General Resh says, they couldn’t have snuck in wearing those.”

“Which leaves the question, why bother putting it on again?” Trevor added. Ryan hummed thoughtfully.

“Your companion?” he asked, and Gavin huffed. This turned out a lot more boring than he hoped. He idly kicked his legs, gaze searching the crowd, looking for Michael. He didn’t see him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. “Who are they that the hostiles believe them to be of importance as a hostage?”

The guards hesitated, looking at each other for a long second, before-

“Sir Jeremy of Dooley, Your Majesty.”

Gavin froze.

At his side, Ryan tensed.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Matt and I took Jeremy to the tavern for lunch, trying to catch up. Our schedules hadn’t matched up since he was knighted.”

Gavin turned to face them slowly. The words sounded muffled, distant. I’m going out with friends. Wasn’t that what Jeremy had said?

“They told us they’d be holding him for ransom and that they’d only talk to the king,” Matt continued hastily. “We came here immediately, trying to gain an audience with Your Majesty-”

“They have Jeremy,” Gavin said quietly. Slowly, he turned to face Ryan, feeling incredibly cold. “We need to get him back.”

Ryan nodded slowly, his face a blank mask. The council shifted, glancing at one another uncertainly.

“We should not give in to their demands,” one of them spoke up, stepping forth. Another nodded immediately.

“Sir Dooley is lost,” he agreed. “This has to be a trap, Your Majesty. What evidence do we have to trust these men’s words?”

A murmur swept through the crowd.

“What is the worth of one man’s life compared to the good of many?” the first continued, making a careless gesture. “If they dress falsely, they might want negotiations to sour. We cannot give in to their demands.”

“Yes,” another agreed almost eagerly. “Let them have Sir Dooley, he is certainly replaceable. There is no need to bother with such fools.”

“Your courtiers forget themselves.” Gavin sneered. He stood up, taking a step forward- in the blink of an eye, he was towering intimidatingly over the speaker. “Perhaps a reminder of who they are dealing with is necessary.”

“You dare-!” the first advisor sputtered, but Ryan cut him off, hand slicing through the air.

“You can deal with them as you see fit later, my dear,” he said, sounding strained. His glare swept over the council, and some of them took an involuntary step back, looking chastised. “For now, recovering Jeremy is the priority.”

Something in Ryan’s tone caught his attention and he whirled around to stare at his betrothed. Ryan grimaced, voice soft but firm, “They might not care to keep Jeremy alive for long.”

“They wouldn’t dare,” Gavin spat, before looking at Ryan uncertainly. “Would they?”

“That depends on what their goals are,” Michael spoke up, stepping out of the crowd of nobles and crossing his arms. “Someone who is very aware of how attached Ryan is to your little mortal and wants to sabotage a peaceful resolution to the fighting? There’s more than one warmonger among the council.”

“Such baseless accusations-” another of the advisors sputtered, but fell silent under the combined glare of the king and the god of war.

“Michael,” Ryan greeted the god, inclining his head. “What do you know of this situation?”

“Not much,” Michael admitted, shrugging. “Whatever it is, it’s just barely to do with the current war here. I am aware of some advisors pushing for further hostilities on both sides. I doubt that was the primary motivation behind the kidnapping, however.”

Gavin’s eyes lit up and he spun Michael by the shoulders to face him.

“Jeremy’s a soldier, right? You should be able to find him-” But Michael was already shaking his head. Gavin’s face darkened and he glared at his friend angrily. “Why the bloody hell not? Were you not rubbing it into my face yesterday that as a soldier he’s your charge?”

“I’m only peripherally aware of plots meant to keep this war going. There’s more strife in this world that demands my attention than petty intrigues.” He takes Gavin’s hands, prying them carefully off his shoulders. “There’s thousands soldiers within this city right now, Gav. I could not pick Jeremy out from among them. I’m sorry.”

Gavin’s shoulders slumped and Michael squeezed his hand. He stared helplessly at his friend.

“There must be something we can do,” he whispered desperately. Michael just slowly shook his head.

“Then I will handle this,” Ryan spoke up and Gavin turned to look at him. His voice was dark, dangerous, and the look in his eyes grim. He gave Gavin a tight smile. “I will meet with those who dare take what is mine, and I will find out who is behind this.”

“Your Majesty, I must object,” one of the councillors spoke up. “Send an advisor if You must, but don’t risk Your own life for such a trifle, Sire!”

“And trust you bunch when you’ve made your opinion known already?” Gavin demanded, incredulous. But he was frowning. Jeremy was already in danger, he could not put Ryan in danger, too. He nodded firmly. “I’ll go.”

“Your diplomatic experience is rather limited, my dear,” Ryan drawled. His face was inscrutable, tapping a nail against the arm of the throne. “Yet I share your… misgivings.”

“Your Majesty cannot honestly believe Your council would purposefully put You in danger-”

“Me? No,” Ryan replied lowly, and a chill seemed to descend over the crowd. “Jeremy? That, I doubt.”

“They were denied an audience,” Gavin murmured, eyes lingering on the guards- Jeremy’s friends. Ryan followed his gaze and sat up straighter.

“You told someone of this dire situation?” he asked, focussing his attention back on the guards.

“We brought up the issue with General Resh, Your Majesty,” Matt answered promptly. Gavin’s eyes narrowed and he turned his head in sync with his betrothed, staring at the general.

“He seemed rather unwilling to listen to our message to begin with,” Trevor added, an angry quirk to his grin. “Before we got to say much, even.”

“This is absurd,” the general snarled, crossing his arms behind his back and falling into parade rest. “I do not appreciate these veiled accusations. I am loyal to the crown and my King.”

“To me, perhaps.” Ryan considered him with dark eyes. “But you have been opposed to Jeremy - his suggestions, his rise in ranks.”

“Because he is young and inexperienced!” the general thundered, face reddening in anger. “And yet he has Your Majesty wrapped around his little finger!”

“Take care of how you speak,” Gavin hissed, stepping forward and vanishing. He reappeared behind the general, hands on his shoulders as he leaned in to whisper darkly into his ear. “I do not suffer insults to my beloved easily.”

“And this- this- fool.” The general shook off his hands and turned to point at Gavin. “This jester just waltzes into court and takes over- Your Majesty, I beg Your forgiveness but I cannot help but question if Your Majesty is not compromised.”

A ripple went through the court, muttering and shifting. Ryan leaned forward, eyeing the council intently.

“I see.”

“There was no reason to knight Sir Dooley,” another advisor chimed in, jerking his chin in Gavin’s direction. “Except that he caught this man’s fancy. We trust Your Majesty’s judgement, of course-”

“Do you?” Ryan interrupted silkily as he stood up from his throne. He slowly stepped down the stairs. “Have you not just accused my judgement to be clouded? Proposed that I am blinded by the company I keep?”

“Your Majesty is usually most discreet in such matters,” a different advisor spoke up carefully. “But not lately, especially in regards to Sir Dooley. Perhaps it is time to consider a marriage arrangement. A wife might help to keep a clear head.”

“I will eventually do my duty and ensure heirs of royal blood,” Ryan said frostily. “Who shares my bed at present does not change that.”

Gavin watched closely, confused and frustrated. Finally, he snapped.

“That’s all nice and dandy, but what has this to do with Jeremy?” he demanded. He clenched and unclenched his fist. “This is not helping us to recover him!”

“It is, actually,” Ryan glanced at him, his eyes dark with fury. He bared his teeth. “It does appear as if the council wishes to get rid of… undue influences. I don’t doubt they would’ve tried for you, my dear, if you showed up in disguise less often.”

“Then let them try,” Gavin snarled. “They are too blind to see who they are dealing with.”

The council shifted, shooting each other uncertain looks. Gavin bared his teeth.

“Perhaps,” Ryan murmured, but it echoed loudly through the silent chamber. “Perhaps it is time to reveal yourself to them, my dear. Make them remember the deal that was struck the day of my birth.”

Two of the older advisors sucked in a breath, paling rapidly. Gavin turned his gaze to them, letting his eyes glow golden.

“You- You are-” one stammered, and Gavin let warmth fill him.

“Indeed.”

He shrugged off his cloak, green sparks dancing through the air around him. Golden light embraced him, lighting his immediate vicinity. In the stunned silence, barked laughter sounded out, reverberating from the walls, echoing with the howls of wolves and the roar of a bear. Gavin turned his head as Mogar stepped up next to him in his full, divine glory.

“I am the Golden Fool,” Gavin announced, voice resounding loudly in the silent hall. “God of the lost and stolen, of thieves and tricksters. Years ago I struck a deal with your old king. He would have his heir, but in return the child, once grown, would be mine.”

He paused, eyeing the shaking advisors contemptuously.

“Did you think I would forget? That I would not come for my betrothed?” He let the words linger, before continuing derisively. “I came for Ryan the moment he reached maturity. Be grateful to your king because he loves his people very much. He begged me for more time, time to see his kingdom safely in the hands of his heir.

“And I granted him this wish because I am not without mercy.” His face darkened and he glared at the council. “But my patience wears thin. There are only two mortals on this plane I truly care about. One is here - where is the other?”

Gavin turned his burning gaze to the general and caught his wide eyes. Stared him down with all his divine might as he started to tremble.

“Where. Is. Jeremy.”

***

“How’d you find me?” Jeremy questioned dazedly as Gavin snapped his fingers and the ropes turned to ash. He clenched his hands into fists, and Gavin reached out to grab one, fingers carefully tracing the red lines where rope had cut into skin.

“Jeremy, with the power of our love, of course, Jeremy,” the god chirped, lifting his hand to kiss the inside of his wrist.

“Bullshit,” Jeremy called, and Gavin pouted up at him

“We love you, Jeremy, of course we came. Did you doubt us, Jeremy?”

“No, of course not,” Jeremy hastened to assure him, turning his hand in Gavin’s and entangling their fingers. “Never doubted that you’d come for a second. Just… how?”

Gavin sniffed, raising his head haughtily. “Let’s just say Ryan needs to look for a new general.”

Jeremy shot him a confused look, letting Gavin drag him out of the small closet his captors had stashed him in.

“Wait. What’s General Resh got to do with this?”

“He orchestrated this entire situation,” Ryan spoke up, and Jeremy looked to see the king walk down the stairs. Guards were milling around the house, giving them a wide berth. “He hired mercenaries to dress as our enemies to sabotage the ceasefire and upcoming peace negotiations. They were supposed to kill you the moment a royal messenger reached them.”

They met at the bottom of the stairs, and Ryan cupped Jeremy’s face, thumb stroking gently over his cheeks.

“Are you hurt?” he asked quietly, and Jeremy smiled up at him, leaning into the touch.

“Just a little bruised. I’m fine.” He hesitated, then asked, “Did Matt and Trevor make it back alright?”

Ryan nodded, his expression softening. “Their wounds were minor. They’re being treated right now.”

Arms wrapped around his waist from behind him, and Gavin hooked his chin over his shoulder. When Jeremy turned his head, blond hair brush over his cheek. Ryan’s hand dropped to cup his neck, pressing their foreheads together.

“We were worried,” he admitted hoarsely, fingers a warm pressure on his neck. Jeremy shivered. “I knew you had enemies at court, but I didn’t expect…”

He trailed off, and Jeremy glanced around before leaning in for a quick kiss, a chaste brush of lips.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore,” Gavin muttered darkly, burying his nose in Jeremy’s hair, lips brushing the top of his ear. “I made sure of it.”

Jeremy quirked a brow, leaning his weight back into Gavin. “Dare I ask?”

“Let’s just say he made an example of the general,” Ryan explained, shaking his head. “It wasn’t pretty.”

“He tried to hurt one of mine. He deserved it.” Gavin scowled and kissed Jeremy behind the shell of his ear. “I don’t like being reminded of how vulnerable you are. How fragile. Mortal.”

“I’m sorry,” Jeremy muttered, ducking his head. Gavin’s arms tightened around him.

“Don’t be,” he whispered back, pressing their cheeks together. “It is what it is.”

“He frets every time I fall sick, too,” Ryan tried to reassure him, squeezing his neck. Jeremy closed his eyes and Ryan pulled him closer, cheek resting against his warm chest. “You’ll get used to it.”

“As long as you’re willing to keep me,” Jeremy joked weakly, and Ryan dropped a kiss in his hair.

“As long as you’re willing to stay,” he replied calmly. Gavin pressed closer against his back.

“Please stay?” he asked just barely above a whisper, something vulnerable in his voice. Jeremy closed his eyes and smiled.

“Always.”

Because who would have thought that with one assignment, barely better than a death sentence, he would find true love not just once, but twice?

He had passed away.

The only person who had ever taken interest in him had passed away, he was no longer here and had died.

Ryan held no romantic feelings for the other man, he did not feel any lust or want, he just loved the fact that the man trusted him. The only person who had ever actually trusted him was gone. It left a hole in his heart and it saddened him so, to know that the only friend he had ever had was gone.

Geoff. His name was Geoff Ramsey, a tall and lanky man with a great mustache. He was American, from a place called “America”, Ryan had never heard of the place before Geoff mentioned it. He said it was full of things that Ryan probably wouldnt like since it was so different from his home but maybe one day he could go there.

They talked through a mirror. Well, a mirror on Ryan’s side and a computer screen on Geoff’s. They had met accidentally one day, Ryan had been in his lab when an Enderman spawned inside, flailing about and breaking things and even picked up a potion Ryan had made and dropped it into something the sandy blonde had been working on a few weeks before.

Geoff had been at work one day, recording a minecraft lets play when the boys said they were going out to get some food then they would come back but just as they were about to walk out the door, Geoff’s computer made a loud hissing noise before the screen went black. Obviously, the Gent was a bit mad and stood up quickly, eyes wide and hands all over the computers screen trying to find out what had happened while the other five rushed over to see what had happened.

On Ryan’s side, he was attempting to clean off the residue of the potion that had splashed onto a mirror that had been hanging in his lab. But he stopped as soon as he noticed a face. Someone looking back at him- But they didnt seem to see him.

The sandy blonde kept rubbing and rubbing at the mirror until he could see all of the other man and by then, the other man could see him too. The man looking back at him looked remarkably like someone he knew, someone who lived in an incredibly large house with only torches and one small bed.

He assumed that he was only a look-a-like until he actually got to know him. Apparently his name was Geoff Ramsey, only thirty nine years old with a loving family. He was kind. Apparently Geoff also had friends who looked just like the people he knew too. They had a Michael and a Gavin, Jack and Ray too. Ryan wasnt very.. Close with the people who lived in his kingdom but at least the other him was. Apparently the Ryan over there was just like he was, he looked just like him and even had the same name, they were exactly alike.

Ryan was so happy he had someone to talk to on a daily basis, someone he could talk to about his people and Geoff’s people. He was so happy.

But that was until he found out that apparently time went a lot faster in real life than it did in his world. One week in Ryan’s world was nearly two months in Geoff’s.

It wasnt until he noticed that Geoff started to go a bit.. Grey, that he spoke up. He asked what was wrong and if he was okay. Geoff explained that he was just getting old and that since Ryan couldnt get older, he wouldnt understand. He asked his friend to explain.

Since Ryan was only in a game, it would be impossible for him to age, the whole “getting older” thing confused Ryan, he was probably the smartest person in Achievement-Ville yet he still didnt quite get it.

Time went by and Ryan did some tests to find out if he would ever get older, he tried and tried but nothing ever changed. He didnt get grey hair like Geoff did, he didnt get any wrinkles and his bones didnt ache at all.

Once he had realised that he was not getting older, he wanted to find out when his birthday was. Yes, he could have just asked Other-Ryan but that wouldnt have been fun so over the course of a year in his Minecraft-time, he did multiple tests.

"Ill be back real soon, okay!" He had told Geoff.

His birthday was December 6th 1980. He would have been thirty-three.

Happy with his discovery -actually a lot more than just “happy, he was ecstatic- he made his way to the mirror which was now hanging in his bedroom for easy access. Looking into the mirror he just saw an empty room- No one was there. Thinking that maybe they had gone out, Ryan left, still in a joyful mood and went out to get some air.Months passed before he saw anyone in the mirror again.

It was early one morning when he heard a soft tapping on the mirror. Sitting up in his bed and rubbing his eyes he looked over to the mirror that was opposite his bed. With wide happy eyes, he lept out of bed and practically ran to the mirror.

Apparently it was Other-Gavin. The boy had wide red-rimmed eyes like he had just been crying, and he had multiple tissues scrunched up in his hands. He looked a lot older than when he had last seen him. A lot older, actually.

Ryan asked what was wrong.

Other-Gavin explained.

Apparently Geoff had passed away the night before, his heart just couldnt take it anymore and he passed in his sleep.

He didnt even get to talk to him one last time.