50. | as constant as a star (big bang) part 1
50.
as constant as a star
i close my eyes and i am where you are
cook/archuleta (19605 words)
So this is it, you guys! This is my Big Bang. Holy shit. Okay, thank you time! First off, starafar: you're the one that inspired this, and this is for you and our love of singing silly songs over MSN. And epicflailer for beta-ing this through all of my ridiculous tense changes and rambling and for being the best cheerleader there could be. Also, bloodbelieve for cheering me on and telling me to write and just generally being the best goddamn Daphne Kirk there could be. ♥ I love all of you, and everyone else who encouraged me to finish this. Thank you, guys.
(I'm going to update later with art, hopefully! :) Just waiting for spurtle.
ETA: LOOK AT MY FANMIX EEE~! EVERYONE GO TELL spurtle THAT IT IS FANTASTIC!
"So I'm going to try to tell a story, and you have to promise to listen, okay? Because like, I'll stop. I really will."
"I don't believe you, but fine. My ears are all yours."
"Okay. Seriously. So, this story starts--"
"Don't say once upon a time, please."
"Why not? It's a classic story beginning!"
"It's so cliché. Besides, I know this wasn't that long ago. I have a feeling I know which story you're telling."
"Oh my gosh, shut up. I told you to listen, not, whatever, judge my story telling skills. I'll just go somewhere else, seriously."
"Fine, fine. Continue."
"Okay. Once upon a time..."
.
...there was this distant land that was ruled over by two adjacent kingdoms. The kingdoms sat side by side along the edge of a lake and the castles of the royals who ruled over each kingdom rested at the very edge of each side of the curve that the lake made before it fell over a waterfall into the Great Ocean.
While the kingdoms were very different, the people got along very well and there was never a murmur of discontent between them. The kingdom that lay to the west was known as Murray, and the king and queen there ruled over a prosperous and friendly people, who were polite to the point of almost strangeness and tended to be prone to shyness. King Archuleta and his wife had just recently celebrated the birth of their fourth child, Princess Melissa Jasmine (who was affectionately called Jazzy by both kingdoms, and Tulsa had actually even sent a beautiful bassinet for her to sleep in, hand crafted by the finest carpenter in both lands and draped in the softest cloths and silks). Murray was a happy, incredibly peaceful kingdom.
Tulsa, while still filled with happy, prosperous people, was less shy and tended to be more outgoing in its opinions and views, which should've caused unrest amongst the people but instead simply gave it its uniqueness and charm. The Queen ran the kingdom as her husband was bedridden and had been for quite some time, and though his passing was imminent, he was still able to converse and meet with those allowed to his room. Tulsa would mourn their king but Queen Beth was a very able ruler and they were not worried about the fate of their kingdom until one of the three Cook sons took the throne.
And technically that was all just backstory, because the real moment the story starts is when the kingdoms throw a party at Murray Castle to celebrate Princess Jazzy's birth properly and allow a public viewing and gifting. The entire Archuleta and Cook families are present and each member of the Cook family is there to present the new princess with a gift.
"Lupe!" Queen Beth cries, throwing her arms open and accepting the Queen of Murray into them eagerly. "She's beautiful."
"She is," Lupe agrees, staring down at her new daughter. "David absolutely adores her. He wants to watch over her all the time."
"Your David is quite the gentleman," Beth notes, watching as Prince David of Murray rocks on his feet next to Jazzy's bassinet, murmuring something to her under his breath. "My own David is becoming a bit of a handful, I admit."
Lupe covers her smile with her hand, casting her eyes automatically to where the Cook Princes are standing by King Archuleta, listening to him explain (again) how their father once took down a bear while lost in the woods beyond their kingdom. David is in the middle, his eyes glowing with the story and his hand clenched around his gift for Jazzy. Lupe can't tell what it is, she's sure that it will be lovely. Prince David of Tulsa has only been to the Murray Castle twice, but on both occasions he was absolutely wonderful to her. He'd even come up and kissed her on the hand as other nobles did upon their first meeting, resulting in smothered giggles from both queens.
"Mother?" Lupe hears, and she and Beth look down at David (her David, and my, that's going to get confusing, isn't it?) "Mother, Jazzy is fussing. She might need to be changed."
Beth is fondly amused. "What a good helper you are, David!" He flushes and ducks his head, fleeing to his sister. "And still only five," Beth continues wryly. "My David, unfortunately, never had that shy stage. He's seven and still manages to surprise me daily."
"Isn't that what children are meant to do?" Lupe asks, and they link arms and walk to Jazzy's bassinet, where David is standing over her and resting a hand on her stomach comfortingly while she makes whimpering sounds and shifts around. "Here, my love." She picks Jazzy up and cradles her to her body, shushing her before she draws too much attention.
"Is she upset?" comes a new voice, and David of Tulsa squints up at Jazzy, having somehow suddenly popped up next to her own David.
"She's not quite used to all these people," Lupe tells him, and David of Tulsa nods seriously. David is staring at the other prince with wide eyes, caught between edging towards his mother and looking more closely at him. On David of Tulsa's other trips to Murray Castle, his meetings with her three eldest children had been brief and left little more than titles in her children's memories. She'd been asked questions but had little to offer in the way of personalities or interests, although she vaguely remembers Beth saying that David of Tulsa enjoyed music, something she thinks David could appreciate.
And, looking down at the two Davids standing side-by-side and glancing at each other when they think the other isn't looking, Lupe has an idea.
"Beth," she begins, turning to her friend, and Beth's eyes are bright when she says, "Way ahead of you, Lupe."
And that is how the second children of the kingdoms of Murray and Tulsa become sort-of engaged.
.
It isn't all spur-of-the-moment as it might sound. The kingdoms had been considering joining for quite some time, and with such an occasion as a wedded union, spirits would be higher than ever. King Archuleta and King Cook agree when the idea is suggested and it's decided that every summer they shall commune to each other's castle, alternating years to allow for equality. Siblings of either prince might attend if they wished, but the two Davids will have to go (whether or not they wanted to). And hopefully all of this would lead to marriage.
Needless to say, Prince David of Tulsa does not enjoy this. "I don't want to spend the summer at Murray Castle! I want to stay and have fun with Michael!" He almost stamps his foot, but Adam had made fun of him for that once and so he resists.
"My dear," Beth says absently as maids pack their luggage around them, "You'll have a wonderful time! You and David are going to get to know one another and it's going to absolutely wonderful." She'd been using that word a lot lately, wonderful. David is beginning to loathe it.
"I don't care about this other David. And what am I supposed to call him? I can't call him David!"
Beth laughs. "That is a bit of a problem, isn't it? We shall have to come up with a nickname for you both. Now, come on, let's go. This is going to be a long boat ride and you know how your brother detests the sea."
Prince David of Tulsa sulks his way across the expanse of the lake, listening to his mother chattering at Adam and Andrew (who is green and clenches Beth's hand under the table hard) as though they aren't going to his own personal doom. He can't understand why it's so important that he get along with this Prince David of Murray. The last time they'd seen one another, he'd been really shy and quiet, and had almost looked like a girl with his big eyes and soft skin. Prince David thinks snidely that he probably couldn't hunt, or shoot arrows or anything. He'd been practicing and even Adam had been impressed when he'd hit the target (once, and after a lot of misses, but he's still learning, okay, it was progress!).
The point is, he hates that he has to devote a whole summer (the best time of year!) to this David of Murray. It sucks, and if his mother wouldn't smack him for it, he'd voice the opinion to everyone who's asked him if he expects he'll have fun at the Murray Castle with Prince David.
And they seriously need another name for him, because David hates thinking like this. It's hurting his head.
.
David doesn't want to have to spend the summer with Prince David of Tulsa. He wants to spend the summer with Claudia and Daniel and his new baby sister, not that weird boy who gave Jazzy a tiny golden lamp (because he said there was this story his mother told him based off the book Arabian Nights and there was a Princess Jasmine, and it was actually all sort of interesting) and asked questions all night long. He'd even gone to the Countess White (whose daughter Brooke, just a barely a teenager, had been really pretty in this soft gold dress) and asked her about her extremely strange dress hat. Everyone had laughed afterward, and Countess White had even let him wear the hat, but David still thought it was rude!
And anyway, why isn't there a big welcoming ceremony like normal? When royalty comes, you're supposed to have this huge celebration with the titles called and formal greetings, but this is just David and his mother in a carriage to meet them at the docks, with a few knights keeping the public at bay (although the people of Murray are very respectful; David totally loves it when they get to do parades and he can shake hands with all the farmers and maids and stuff! Everyone is so, so nice). It's weird, is all, and David doesn't like the change from the usual.
The ship docks with little difficulty, although David does hear a boy shout "Mother, I need off this boat, right now!" A plank is lowered to the dock ground and a few men walk off to make sure it's stable before the Queen of Tulsa and her three sons descend, dressed in casual traveling clothes, although Queen Beth has a pretty parasol held over her head.
"Beth!" his mother calls, waving her hand over her head in greeting, and David struggles not to frown as the group heads their way, the other David leading them with a defiant scowl on his face.
"Hello, Lupe," Queen Beth says, pressing a kiss to her cheek and absently fanning a hand through the air around her face. "It's certainly summer, isn't it? I hope you weren't waiting long?"
"Oh, no," mother says, although um, they kind of got here early so they could make a good impression of their willingness in the negotiations, which made no sense to David at all. "David, here, why don't you say hello to Prince David? And Andrew, dear, do you want to lie in the carriage? You look awfully pale..."
She leads Queen Beth and Princes Andrew and Adam away, leaving him with Prince David, who continues to frown at him as if David were the one who made this whole -- this whole whatever happen! David's first instinct is to frown back, but he knows his mother will be disappointed, so instead he bows a little, the way he was taught, and says, "It's my pleasure to see you again."
Prince David of Tulsa raises an eyebrow at him (David thinks in irritation that it looks sort of stupid on a seven year-old, that condescending stare), but flicks his eyes to where their mothers are surreptitiously watching, and bows as well.
"So happy to be here," he remarks, which isn't quite the response David was expecting and sounds kind of rehearsed, but it's civil, at least.
"Um," David says, not sure where to go from there, but Prince David puts his hands on his hips and makes a face and says, "I am not calling you David this whole summer."
David is shocked for all of two seconds before he mimics the prince's expression, crossing his arms instead. "Ditto."
"So you're gonna be Archie," Prince David continues, which, um, what kind of nickname is that?
"Is that supposed to be from Archuleta?" David asks, confused, and Prince David says, "You can call me Cook, I guess."
David -- Archie -- totally hates his new nickname, but he can't keep calling Cook David in his head. It's going to drive him even more insane than he already is. So he just sticks a hand out and says, "Deal."
Cook spits in his own hand and slaps palms with Archie, smirking when Archie recoils and walking past him towards the carriage while the Prince of Murray tries to keep from crying.
This summer is going to be awful.
.
The worst part is, it totally is. Cook is like this -- he doesn't even know! Cook seems bent on making this the worst summer of his life. It starts with the spit thing -- which, ew -- and escalates at an alarming rate.
Archie actually wakes up one morning and finds honey spilled all over his clothes, his hair sticky with it and clothes stuck to his body, fingers gooped with strands of amber between them. His only consolation is that Cook is stupid and get it all over himself as well, and therefore has to endure the painful bath necessary to get the honey off their skin as well.
He really, really wants to get Cook back, but he's not going to lower himself to that level. He's not going to give Cook that satisfaction. He might only be six years old, but he knows he's more mature than Cook will ever be. So he stands firm, through the frogs in his bed, through the mice in his shoes, through everything. At least Andrew and Adam aren't participating, although Andrew does giggle when Archie miserably trudges into the Great Hall after getting soaked with a bucket of water rigged over the doorway.
But then one day, they're in the garden with their mothers, just the two of them, and Archie is struggling to stay hidden from Cook while he creeps around the garden looking to, whatever, push him into a puddle, probably. He crouches behind a bush and keeps his eyes peeled for Cook, ears cocked and ready, but he's sort of -- he stayed up late last night reading a book Cook had left lying around, and so he sort of dozes a little so that it's too late, Cook sneaks up behind him and drops a spider down his shirt.
And Archie is -- he is terrified of spiders. He gets it out soon enough but he can still feel the legs on his skin, the grossness of knowing that something that nasty was on him, and he is so, so mad. Cook is howling with laughter, flat on his back with his legs kicking in the air and their mothers aren't looking, and Archie just --
Archie lets out a growl and jumps on Cook, knocking the breath out of him and effectively stopping his laughter. They end up wrestling around on the grass, elbowing and pulling hair and smacking each other, and it really hurts but it's also kind of, maybe kind of funny? Because he's laughing, and Cook is laughing and saying curse words under his breath when Archie manages to knee him in the side as they roll over the cobblestones. And it's not like, fun, exactly, but he's still a little disappointed when their mothers pull them apart, saying, "Boys! Boys, play nicely, alright? Nice is not hitting each other."
And Archie thinks maybe Cook is going to pull the whole "he started it!" thing, which would be so like him, but instead Cook just looks at him consideringly, his hair disheveled and his clothes pulled out of place, and says, "Okay."
The first summer passes in a blur of pranks and fighting and the hot sun bearing down on their heads, smothered giggles and full-blown shouts echoing around Murray Castle until the fall comes and Cook leaves for the winter.
.
Cook is eleven and it is getting really, frustratingly close to summer. It sucks, because all he wants to do is practice with his new bow and maybe try to get that pretty maid in the kitchens to, you know, give him the time of day and not a sucker when he goes down to flirt with her. He does not want to have to entertain Archie again.
Last year had been annoying because Archie had grown into a phase where he sort of looked up to Cook, and that was a lot worse than the first two summers of fighting. Now he wanted to follow him everywhere. He and Johns had taken to hiding in trees when Archie was outside, biting their fists to keep in their laughter until Archie passed under, humming to himself.
Which, okay, maybe Archie wasn't chasing him, but he did look like he wanted to be included in their fun, which, no way. It's bad enough that Archie's spending the summer at his castle. He doesn't owe him anything.
Johns, who's two years older than him and kind of a jerk (but also kind of awesome, so in Cook's mind it balances out) doesn't share Cook's intense dislike of Archie, and actually talks to him sometimes. "What?" Johns asks when Cook catches him talking to Archie about where to find the best instruments in Tulsa, "He's a cute kid."
Not even.
But Johns is the son of some nobleman and has been his friend since he was three, so he puts up with it. Nobody's perfect, and Cook accepts that. He just wishes Archie would accept that Cook does not want to spend time with him.
"Isn't that um, kind of high?" Archie asks him one day, shielding his eyes against the glare of the sun while Johns munches contentedly on an apple, leaned against the trunk of the tree. Cook rolls his eyes and does not mention how Johns had to pull him up the last leg of the way up.
"Maybe for kids," he says, and Archie's half-smile drops into something like a frown, but since Archie never frowns it's more like a puzzled slash angry curve of his mouth.
"You," Archie says, walking directly to the tree and staring up at Cook (who feels laughter bubbling in his chest) "are a jerk."
And then he kicks the tree trunk and storms off.
"Smooth," Johns says. "Like pulling pigtails, or something."
Cook snorts, settling back on his branch. "You're mental. And what does that even mean?"
Johns bites his apple one last time and throws the core down on the ground. "Admit it, mate: you like him."
Cook is so thrown off by that that he falls out of the tree and has to have his arm put in a cast. Archie, to his credit, holds his laughter in until the nurse and their mothers have gone and he's seriously asked if Cook was okay.
When Cook mutters, "I'm fine," Archie nods his head once and then lets loose a peal of giggles, clutching his stomach.
And, looking at the top of Archie's head as he gasps for breath (he's murmuring "sorry, sorry, but you're so stupid," in between his laughs) Cook finds the grace to smile at himself, just a little.
.
This summer is hot, and the word rolls out of Archie's mouth as they wait for Cook's ship (oh my gosh, he'd found out on the first boat ride to Tulsa Castle that he has so many problems with ships, something he and Andrew had thankfully bonded over. It made the stay easier when at least one of the brothers (Adam was mostly too busy flirting with this one maid to really spend time with Archie) would hang out with him.).
"We know," Daniel says, rolling his eyes. He turns a page in his book and shifts so that he's under Amber's parasol more completely. "We can feel it too."
"Is Cook gonna be here soon?" Jazzy wants to know, clutching her own parasol with one hand and holding her hand over her eyes to peer into the distance. Archie wants to roll his eyes because Jazzy and Amber both have sort-of crushes on Cook, even though he's like the biggest jerk ever. Whatever, he knows this summer they're totally going to wise up to him. "I bet he's cuter this year."
"You know, David probably doesn't appreciate you guys talking about his fiancé that way," Danny comments, not looking up from the book he's reading, and Archie starts sputtering and says, "Oh my gosh, I don't know what -- what are you even talking about, I don't care what they think or say about Cook, I don't--"
And then he stops because they're all looking at him with their heads tilted in unison, and Claudia calls from where she was talking with one of the knights to say, "I can see the ship!"
Archie totally hugs her later for the awesome timing because wow, that was weird. He wonders why they were looking at him like that, but it slips his mind when Cook comes off and -- um, he's only fourteen but Cook still somehow looks older than he did last summer, looks more mature. He's taller and his shoulders are a little broader and there's something in his eyes when he looks out over the bay that is -- Archie thinks it's different. He's different.
And then he spies Archie and sticks out his tongue at him when no one is looking, and Archie grits his teeth and thinks, okay, not.
.
"Why the fuck is it taking them so long?" Cook wants to know, and Johns shrugs his shoulders and eyes Carly, who's attending Cook's mother and laughing with her about something.
"Maybe one of the girls forgot something and they had to turn the ship around?" he suggests, and Cook rolls his eyes, jumping off the wall bordering the pier he'd been standing on.
"Even if that wasn't completely ridiculous in the first place, Archie's coming by himself this year. Even Queen Lupe is staying at home. I think it's because Claudia is courting that one duke."
"You mean he's courting her?" Johns corrects him, but they're both grinning.
"I meant it the way I said it. You know Claudia." They grin at each other, and then someone's shouting about the ship in the distance. Cook says, "Fucking finally," and they head to the dock, waiting as the boat is secured and tied up and the plank lowered, everything taking longer than it should (Cook hates that his mother still makes them wait for the Archuletas when they come for the summer; like they couldn't find their way to the castle?) and then finally, Archie's standing at the top of the ship and --
Fuck.
Cook blinks once in shock and then again when the intense want that springs up in him doesn't dissipate, because. What?
"Damn," he hears Johns say. "Someone got a little hot over the winter, which is vaguely ironic," but he doesn't process it because -- how did Archie, what is he doing looking like that? He's supposed to be dorky and annoying and fun to make fun of. He isn't supposed to be biting his lip as he maneuvers his way down the plank, or to have lashes that are dark and long and resting against his winter-pale cheeks, or to be grinning brightly at Cook's mother like -- fuck.
Cook swallows hard and feels the blood rushing in his ears when Archie glances over at him, raising a brow at his expression.
"You okay, Cook?" Archie asks, and Cook manages to say, "Fine," in a tone that barely passes for believable. Archie blinks at him before turning back to Beth and Carly, and Johns says, "This summer should be interesting."
Cook is more interested in getting away from Archie right the fuck now.
The worse part is that it doesn't make sense. He's known Archie since he was five. He's seen him through all of the awkward phases of his youth, and when Cook really looks at him, it's not like he's completely different from last summer. But it's like all the small things came together and now, Archie's this fucking gorgeous fifteen year old and Cook has to physically sit on his hands to keep from touching him in the carriage home.
"You're being weird," Archie decides when Cook all but flees the confinement of the carriage (he'd been pressed up against Archie the whole ride over, this long warm line against his side) and Cook spares him a glare, says, "You have no fucking idea," and escapes to his room.
The summer passes with Cook in this haze of frustrated lust, and he ends up dragging three different servants into broom closets just to attempt to distract himself, but when he dreams, it's about Archie's mouth or eyes or skin, and he hates it so fucking much that he takes to leaving the room as soon as Archie enters it, which in turn makes Archie mad, which in turn makes him hotter, which in turn fucks everything in Cook up a little more.
Needless to say, it's not a good summer for either of them.
.
The next summer, Claudia marries her duke and the entire Archuleta family spends the summer at his home, preparing for the wedding and their parts in it. It is the first summer they've spent apart since they were children and Cook and Archie both deny any sort of disappointment they might feel. Cook can remember the pangs of longing from his last summer, and Archie remembers the sting of Cook refusing to spend more than five minutes in a room with him, but --
That summer, it's possibly the longest one they've had to endure.
.
And then, like the turning of a page, simple and inevitable, King Cook passes, and the Cook family spends the summer after Cook turns nineteen in mourning. They see one another at the funeral, but Cook doesn't process anything beyond the hug Archie wraps him in, kind and warm and reassuring, and he holds on and doesn't let go until someone touches his shoulder and Archie moves on to grip Andrew's shoulder, giving him a weak, watery smile.
And after the funeral, Cook goes to his room and doesn't leave until everyone, including the Archuletas, has gone home.
.
Archie manages to convince himself that nothing is going to be different just because they haven't spent the last two summers together. It's not -- he's known Cook since they were kids, seriously, he's known him for thirteen years and Cook is definitely still the same jerk he'd always been.
Even if, okay, Archie's not going to lie to himself, he's totally a hot jerk. Whatever, Archie has eyes, he's not blind or, or brain dead or anything. But he still hasn't forgiven him for being so mean to him three summers ago. Archie hadn't even done anything! Except, well, come, but it's not like he could help that.
He totally doesn't know why their parents bother. It's pretty obvious that -- well, okay, he might, maybe, possibly like Cook. Maybe? Well, there was that one time when Archie had been eleven and Cook had helped him rescue a kitten from where it was stuck in the fence and they'd taken care of it and Archie had been really happy and Cook had looked so pleased and they'd given the kitten to one of the local girls, who took him in and actually still has him, even.
Or, oh, when Archie had been fourteen and Cook had just, um, well, gotten really, really good-looking and Archie had been walking down a corridor and a servant had been hurrying past him and Archie hadn't been able to get out of the way fast enough and he'd been knocked over, and he'd thought he was going to fall down the staircase but then a hand had wrapped around his waist securely and it had been Cook, just, just looking down at him and blinking in surprise. Cook had helped him straight again and had said, "You okay?" and Archie had nodded in numb disbelief and Cook had given him a half-smile and then continued on his way. Archie had sort of gaped after him and tried to figure out why his stomach was in knots.
And then the last summer they'd been together, when Cook had been so awful to Archie, there'd was that -- Archie had been talking to one of the guards, just asking him stuff because after coming there for so long he'd gotten to know them all and this guy was younger and new so Archie was trying to, you know, make a new friend. And he was leaned against the wall next to the guard, grinning up at him and he'd heard from across the room, in this cool voice, Cook saying, "Don't you have something to be doing?"
And Archie had blinked and looked up, about to say, Uh, no, and also to ask are we talking now? but Cook was looking at the guard with this unreadable expression. And normally Cook was totally nice to the castle guards or servants, but he looked sort of upset and the guard had bowed and taken off to, Archie didn't know, find some doorway to guard that was anywhere away from huge, freaking jerkface Cook.
"That was rude," he'd said, and Cook had looked at him briefly, this one look that -- it sent shivers down Archie's spine, made a flush heat up his cheeks and his fingertips tingle. It was if Cook had stripped every bit of clothing off of him with that one look, and Archie resisted the urge to look away.
"He has a job," Cook had said in this weird voice. "And it's not to be flirting with the visiting royalty."
"Um," Archie had said, totally indignant, "He's sort of married and has a baby on the way, so maybe you should, like, get your facts straight before you act like any more of an idiot than you already are."
And he had felt immediately guilty after saying it, and was even going to apologize, but Cook had seemed amused by it and had taken a step towards him and said, "Hey, Archuleta," and Archie had said quickly, "I have to go um, unpack!" like he hadn't been here a week already, and had fled the room as quickly as he could.
And okay, all of this added up to maybe somewhat of a crush. Maybe. Archie can remember thousands of little instances that on their own are insignificant, but together -- and it's not like it's even his fault! Everyone has sort of a crush on Cook! Even Daniel had admitted that, "he's kind of awesome." And Cook is, just not really to Archie. He's charming and pretty and is really good with a bow and arrow (um, which is also a factor in his hotness) and could play the guitar (also a factor, stupid Cook) and is polite to everyone and just --
Whatever. It's not love. It's not. Cook isn't even interested in him, which is totally fine, it means it will be ten times easier to get over him. Archie is just, well, they've been together through a lot of stuff. And that matters, somehow.
.
So Cook is under the impression that everything will be fine this year. Regarding his sudden urge to drag Archie to the nearest horizontal (or vertical, he's not choosy) place and promptly kiss the hell out of him, that is. It's been two years since they've seen each other properly and he's more mature now. He's twenty, and he isn't going to let his fucking libido control him again. Besides, even he can admit that he was sort of intolerably rude to Archie and he doesn't want to do that again.
Because, well, okay, he gives everyone shit about the summers, but they aren't that bad. Like, Archie's really awesome to sing with, when their mothers insist they do sing-a-longs or whatever. Cook remembers the first time he heard Archie sing properly, not just under his breath, when he was fourteen and Archie was twelve. And their mothers had been like, oh, let's go serenade some of the children in the marketplace, kids! and Archie had looked totally pleased with the idea so Cook couldn't say anything, and besides, he liked the kids in the market. They'd gone down and Archie had sung Imagine, which, fuck, Cook hadn't even though Archie would know that song, and he'd totally owned it and had made both of their mothers and a bunch of the people standing around cry. Cook even had to scrub a forearm over his eye when he thought no one was looking.
And when he'd said, "That was really good," Archie had smiled brightly at him, like it was the greatest compliment he'd ever gotten.
And Archie sometimes would help him with his puzzles, when he was frustrated and the answer was just on the tip of his tongue, Archie would look up from his music notes and say, "Oh, isn't that that one singer in the far east? Over in um, Britain, oh, Leona Lewis!" And Archie was frustratingly good at cards, but Cook kicked his ass at chess because Archie would get devastated when he either had to lose or sacrifice pieces ("They aren't real people," Cook would say, fighting a smile, and Archie would protest, "I don't like to send my little pieces to their fake deaths, okay, shut up!")
Plus, okay, there's the whole fucking hot thing. Cook is pretty sure it was just his seventeen year old libido talking, but there's no denying that Archie is gorgeous. He's still not quite sure how it snuck up on him like that, but whatever, it's fine. He can go to a gorgeous guy's castle without freaking out.
.
Archie's not nervous. The fluttering in his stomach is totally his hunger pains from skipping breakfast to make sure the carriages were okay and the horses were good and also that the rooms for the Cooks were fine. But he's fine. Just because this is the first time he's seeing Cook in like two years does not mean it's going to be any different.
"Calm down," Claudia whispers, squeezing his arms. "It's going to be fine, David."
"Of course it will," Archie says, because of course it will. "It's just Cook."
Claudia smiles, a secret smile that confuses Archie because, well, it is. "I don't think it's ever just Cook," she says, and then raises her head with everyone as someone calls out that the ship has been spotted on the horizon.
Archie's stomach decides flipping is more appropriate now, and he bites his lip and waits along with his family for the Cooks to descend. And there's Queen Beth, and Andrew, who raises an eyebrow at Archie and grins big, which, what does that mean, really--
And then there's Cook, standing at the top of the plank and scanning the crowd, and his eyes stop on Archie and Archie's stomach is freaking somersaulting around his ribcage and his heart is beating quickly even though he's just standing here. Cook's eyes crinkle around the edges in a soft smile and Archie realizes, faintly, that okay, well, maybe he's a little bit in love with Cook. Just a little.
.
Whatever Cook was hoping for, he's been disappointed. Because Archie is still really hot, yes, and he still kind of wants to pin him against the wall and lick his bottom lip, but more than that, worse than that, he's discovering that he missed him more than he thought (and he'd had a hard enough time admitting that he missed him at all). It's this ache that settles into his stomach when they dock, and it gets worse and worse until he looks around the crowd and then he spots Archie and it's --
It's gone, and he's smiling and his heart is doing crazy shit, he doesn't even know what the fuck is going on but apparently it's amazing because his smile is getting bigger. Archie takes a tentative step forward as Cook's feet touch the ground and his eyes drop and then flicker back up and Cook hates himself for watching him lick his lips nervously.
"Hey, Cook," Archie says quietly, looking a little surprised, and he smiles, just a little. Cook moves forward and has a moment to appreciate how wide Archie's eyes go before he's wrapped in Cook's arms, and Cook buries his face in Archie's hair and says, "Cut the bullshit. I missed you, David."
And for a moment they stand there in a hushed silence and Archie's hands hang by his side, and Cook thinks --
And then hands are fisting in the back of his shirt and Archie is tilting his head into the crook of Cook's neck and breathing deep and saying, "I missed you too."
And from there, it gets easier.
.
It's like a wall has been lifted between them, and they're relearning their way without it. They spend hours together, doing the same things they've always done but with a new edge; with Cook watching the way Archie studies the chess board carefully, the crease of his brows bringing a serious look to his face; Archie starts to notice the ways Cook's fingers move when he presses them against frets on his guitar and wonders about the way they flex, the rapid movement and -- and then he thinks about it too much and blushes. And it's different, and sort of scary, but Archie feels like the happiness he has could spill over any day now and Cook wakes up and his first thought is to find Archie. It is, by far, the best summer they've had together.
And four weeks before it's over, Archie confesses.
.
But it's not, not like he planned on it, or anything. He's just minding his own business, reading some sheet music out on a terrace, and he happens to look down in the garden and see Cook speaking to one of the maids, and she's leaning forward and grinning at him and fluttering her lashes, and Cook is tilting his head and smiling at her and raising one eyebrow in this -- and Archie -- his stomach dips painfully and his fingers feel icy cold and he realizes he's jealous seconds after he's already hurrying downstairs, rushing to the quickest way to the garden.
He turns a corner and collides with Cook about two corridors away from the entrance to the garden and pretty much bounces off of him and stumbles back a few steps.
"Going somewhere?" Cook asks, grinning, and Archie blurts, "Do you like her?"
Cook blinks once, twice, and then smirks. "Who, Olivia? Why?"
"I--" Archie stops, flushing, and then says slowly, "Um, I was just wondering because--"
Cook takes a step forward, crowding Archie up against the stone wall behind him. Archie presses his palms flat against the stone and swallows hard. Cook stares at him, eyes dark and amused and says, "What does it matter?"
Archie hums uncertainly, avoiding Cook's eyes. "It -- it doesn't matter. I just saw you and was thinking maybe you, that you liked her. Maybe." Archie finally chances a look back at Cook to find him grinning widely, looking like he knows something. Which, which he doesn't! He doesn't know anything! He doesn't know how Archie's been miserable and ecstatic all at the same time for the past few weeks and how tired he is of waking up from dreams about Cook and how much harder it is to pretend that he's not ridiculously in love with him, which still doesn't make sense because he totally remembers hating him for the past thirteen years.
"Hmm," Cook says lowly, and Archie shivers once. Cook's eyes dilate and focus on him and he continues with, "Well, you'll be relieved to know that my interests lie elsewhere."
Archie hums again, not sure how to respond because like, even if the implications are so blatant even he can pick them up, it doesn't mean that Cook likes him. It just means that Cook's not interested in the maid. Yes. So.
"That's cool?" he says finally, and Cook's eyes dim a little, and he sighs and leans back. Archie immediately realizes that it wasn't the right answer, or the answer Cook was hoping for, and he moves after Cook automatically.
Cook gives him a half-hearted smile. "Not entirely," he says, and laughs a little, but it doesn't sound happy at all. "But definitely not with Olivia, so you can chill, Archie. We're just friends." He pauses, then says, "So, yeah, I'll be going before this conversation becomes even more uncomfortable, okay? Yeah."
Archie watches him turn away, and it's like -- it feels like something big is happening and he's missed it, or almost missed it, and he doesn't want -- he doesn't know what he's going to do if he keeps having to spend sleepless nights like this, and he doesn't know how much longer he's going to have because obviously Cook could have anyone he wanted, he could be with anyone and Archie wants, he wants --
"Cook," he says desperately, and when Cook turns around questioningly, he leans forward and clumsily presses his lips to Cook's. It's really, really awkward and stupid and he's just about to lean back and pretend he tripped or something when Cook pushes against him hard, sending him slamming back into the wall roughly and tilting his head so that the kiss goes from uncoordinated to amazing in like, seconds flat. Archie makes an embarrassing sound in the back of his throat and tries to keep from doing it again when Cook licks at his bottom lip.
When Cook finally leans back, breathing heavily, Archie keeps his eyes closed and says, "I think I'm in love with you."
He keeps them closed even when Cook exhales softly, even when Cook cups his face and says, "Archie," even when Cook kisses him hungrily, murmuring, "Me too, Archie, me too," and doesn't open them until Cook rests his forehead against his and says, "I love you too, David."
And yes, totally the best summer ever.
.
"You know, you forgot an important player."
"Hmm? Oh! Dang it!"
"Yeah, dang it."
"Well, I mean, I was trying to get the big part done!"
"More like you wanted to spend forever detailing the love scenes."
"It's really only just the beginning--"
"This whole thing is one huge love fest, you dork."
"It is not! It gets really bad because of what Cowell does, and--"
"Well, you haven't told me who that is yet! So go on, explain."
"You are such a pushy jerk. You don't deserve to hear about him."
"Here, I'll start. But while Archie and Cook were happily making out and not having sex the way Cook wanted to--"
"Oh my gosh."
"--there was an evil man plotting the downfall of the two happy kingdoms, and who wanted to control Murray himself and use the kingdom to conquer Tulsa."
"Very to the point."
"Well you spent forever detailing how long it took for them to fall in love. Just wanted to save some time."
"Okay, yeah, no, I'm going to take it from here."
"Be my guest."
"I will. Okay, so Simon Cowell..."
.
Simon Cowell was a sorcerer who lived on the far edges of the Murray land. Rumors were that he had once been a man of high power in the Murray court and had even been acknowledged for a position of advisor to the king, but it soon became apparent that Cowell's intentions were not for good but rather to gain enough power and authority to take over Murray. When King Archuleta found out, he banished Cowell to the far reaches of Murray and denied him access to the kingdom. Cowell was completely alone but for the lone maid who fled with him, Paula, who was said to have helped him with his potions and brews when he was too busy plotting against the Archuletas.
It had been years since Cowell's banishment, which had occurred when Archie was only three, but those years had not been spent idly. Cowell had studied and researched dark magic and knew that he had enough power to suitably take over Murray and, leading the people as their ruler, to also forcibly take Tulsa.
However, if he wanted Murray to accept him, he couldn't just kill Archuleta and assume they'd be fine with that. He had to worm his way into their disgusting little hearts, and the best way to do that was to marry one of the Archuleta children. The eldest was already married and was apparently headstrong anyway, something he had neither the time nor patience to deal with. The second eldest though, the one called David, he was reportedly shy (or so Paula had gathered from her secret trips into town) and had not yet married, though he was supposedly engaged to a prince from Tulsa. It would be no easy feat, and he'd have to change his appearance to keep Archuleta from knowing, but it could be done.
He was the best match. The other children were too young and would be useless to him. He could marry David, using his refusal of the Cook prince to drive a wedge between the kingdoms, and set up an accidental death for King Archuleta. Because Claudia was a girl, David was next-in-line for the crown and Cowell would become King, and then --
Cowell smiled to himself, and at the lake stretched in front of his dilapidated castle. Then it would simply be over for the kingdoms of Tulsa and Murray.
.
"I think the wedding should take place right away," Cook is telling Ryan, his mother's advisor, who nods eagerly and begins taking notes. "As soon as you can do everything that needs to be done, do it."
"Um," Archie says, crossing his arms a little, "Why?"
They both turn to look at him with their eyebrows raised. "Why not?" Cook asks, and Ryan shoots Cook a small look that is meant to stop him from being stupid -- Cook, of course, misses it.
Archie shrugs his shoulders, feeling silly but also strangely determined. "I just said I loved you. I didn't say that I would marry you as soon as you wanted to."
Cook looks at a loss for words. "But -- but why not? I mean, we love each other. Our parents are practically pushing us down the aisle already. I don't understand."
Archie bites his lip, wishing Ryan would stop his blatant staring and that the servants around them weren't slowing down. "I just -- this is so rushed, and I want us to be sure. I -- why do you want to marry me?"
Archie's blushing through the question, but he needs to know the answer. If it's because of some obligation to their kingdoms, or because Cook is so heavily infatuated with the idea of being in love that he wants to get married because that's the next step, then he won't marry Cook. The thought hurts because gosh, he wants to. He wants to be with Cook always, and he feels that if he marries him and they're together and Cook decides that he made a mistake, it'll probably kill him. Or something. The thought of it alone is what keeps Archie from caving under Cook's bewildered eyes, and he stares resolutely back.
"I--" Cook blinks, and then says, "You're beautiful!"
Oh. Archie can practically feel everything in him deflate, like a balloon being punctured and then squeezed painfully, and his head comes down as he hears Ryan say, "Oh my god, Your Highness."
"Okay," Archie says. "Um, I think I'm going to go for a ride. That's. Yeah, I'm going to go."
"Archie," he hears Cook say, and he can feel Cook reaching for him so he turns away sharply and says, "Don't. Just, don't."
A hush falls over the room, and Archie walks away with only the sound of his shoes on the tiles following him. The door clicks with finality, and he heads to the stables with his head held high and tears pressing firmly against his eyes. He doesn't cry, though, and he doesn't say anything to the stable boy who stares at him. He simply takes his horse from her stall and saddles her quietly, checking her reins and her girdle and the rest of the tack with an intensity reserved for the hardest of puzzles.
He leads her around to the path to the forest and swings his legs over onto the saddle, making sure his feet are securely in the stirrups before he leans low over her and whispers, "Let's go." He kicks twice at her sides and she breaks into a run, wind whipping sharply over her mane to flick it into his eyes. He blinks hard and leans into the wind.
She runs smoothly and hard and they're far into the forest before he makes her stop, pulls her softly and says "Whoa, girl." Even though it's summer, the sun doesn't reach this part of the forest and he feels pinpricks of cold in his cheeks, and wipes the tears the wind pulled from him off of them. Stupid Cook, and his stupid -- he should've known it was hormones the whole time. It wasn't like -- he'd thought that was the reason, that it was just the way he looked (which, whatever, Cook could have anyone he wanted if he wanted someone pretty) and he probably just wanted to make his mother happy and do what his father had wanted before he died and it was just all so stupid and Archie hates that he wants to cry over someone who is so not worth it.
But he is, part of Archie wails, and he finally has to get off his horse and just sit on the ground and wrap his arms around his knees and bury his head in them. He doesn't know how long he sits there, not doing anything but breathing deeply, in and out, but his horse neighs suddenly, high pitched and frightened, and his head jerks up, hand going to where he usually kept his sword (that he's kind of awful with, but) only to remember that he's wearing his formal clothes today and his sword is at the castle, dang it!
His horse stamps nervously by a tree and he wonders what startled her, when suddenly a darkness fills the clearing, and Archie looks up and sees something dark flying towards him, something big and --
.
"I don't get it," Cook says to Michael Johns, who snorts and stops playing catch with one of Cook's nieces to look at him.
"Don't get what part, exactly? The part where he gave you a chance or the part where you just completely and utterly blew it."
"You are so stupid," Ryan Seacrest mutters as he passes by, holding a clipboard and looking really sad that he won't get to plan a wedding after all, which, fuck him. He wasn't exactly helpful, or anything.
"Fuck you, Seacrest!" Cook calls, and his mother says from where she's speaking with Lupe, "Language, David."
She sounds annoyed, which is always, always bad. Cook winces and rubs a hand over his face. "I just -- okay, that was a stupid response, I get it. But I don't get why he wanted to wait to get married!"
"Could it be that you spent a good thirteen years of your life hating each other and only about a month getting along?" Michael asks innocently, and Cook clenches his fists to keep from hitting him.
"What does that matter if we're in love?"
"You couldn't even tell him why you loved him," Michael points out, "beyond the fact that he's beautiful, which he could get from anyone who's ever seen him before."
Cook runs a hand through his hair and growls. "Look, it's not just that--"
"So what is it?" Michael asks.
"Like -- the way he looks when he's learning a new song on his acoustic, the smile he has -- or when he's washing his shirts because he likes how calming it is, or the way his eyes light up whenever he hears music or someone talking about music, or the way his laugh sounds when he means it and he's not just humoring you, and --
"And you couldn't have said all this before?" Michael wants to know, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrow. Cook sighs.
"I was on the spot! There were all these people around and he just -- he's so frustrating."
"Um, how long have you know him?" Michael says. "Doubt that part'll change, mate. Better get used to it. And you'd better go find him and make things--"
"Your Majesty!" Someone bangs on the door that Archie left through earlier and makes several of the people around it start in surprise. "Your Majesty, open up, please, it's 'bout Prince David!"
A knight opens the door and in stumbles a stable boy, who looks out of breath and scared out of his mind. Cook feels something begin to curl around his bones and knows that this is going to end badly.
"Your Majesty," the boys says, looking at Queen Lupe, "Prince David of Murray left 'bout two hours ago to ride, and I let 'em go, I did, but when 'e didn't come back I decided to check things out and about ten minutes into the forest his horse came back without 'em, Your Majesty, and I went in further and it looked like -- I think he's been kidnapped, Your Majesty!"
The boy says this all quickly, taking deep gulps of air afterwards, and Cook's across the room before he comprehends that he's moving.
He grabs the kid and pulls him up onto his toes, looking at him hard. "Do you know where Archie is?"
"N-no," the boys stammers, "no, your Highness, I don't, I just -- I saw something and the horse--"
Cook throws him aside and pushes past him through the open door as people start to talk rapidly behind him. His mind is buzzing with noise and fear and he has got to get out of here.
"Cook!" someone says, "Cook, no, wait, come on, we have to--" It's Michael, and Cook shrugs him off roughly and says, "Fuck off. I have to get my horse and find Archie."
"Cook, we should do this in a group, it'll be--" Cook swings around and punches Michael hard in the mouth, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"I'm not fucking waiting, Michael," Cook says, and the vises stretch from around his bones to spread to his heart and they sink in tight, making it hard to breath. His vision blurs sharply and then snaps into stunning clarity. Michael stays on the ground, blood on the corner of his mouth, staring at him, and Cook turns quickly and goes into the stable.
He pulls his horse from the stable, methodically checking all the parts of his tack and then mounts him quickly, running him into the forest as the sun sets in the background, making things hard to see without the bits of sunlight filtering through the cracks in the trees.
He rides until he comes to a clearing that looks like some sort of struggle occurred, and there are footsteps and broken limbs around and Cook feels panic whipping through him as he recognizes bits of the shirt Archie was wearing on a few on them. His fingers are numb as he searches the area, pushing aside bushes and lifting limbs out of the way and looking, hoping. He finds himself talking to beings he doesn't believe in, asking and praying and hoping, but they don't answer because a few minutes later he finds something glittering underneath a fallen branch, and when he lifts it up, he knows Archie is gone.
It's the guitar pick he gave him a few weeks ago, a soft blue-green color with the letter D engraved on it. Archie had punched a hole in it and strung it on a chain and now it's lying here in the mud and dirt, left behind, and Cook drops to his knees and waits for the search party to find him.
part two
as constant as a star
i close my eyes and i am where you are
cook/archuleta (19605 words)
So this is it, you guys! This is my Big Bang. Holy shit. Okay, thank you time! First off, starafar: you're the one that inspired this, and this is for you and our love of singing silly songs over MSN. And epicflailer for beta-ing this through all of my ridiculous tense changes and rambling and for being the best cheerleader there could be. Also, bloodbelieve for cheering me on and telling me to write and just generally being the best goddamn Daphne Kirk there could be. ♥ I love all of you, and everyone else who encouraged me to finish this. Thank you, guys.
(I'm going to update later with art, hopefully! :) Just waiting for spurtle.
ETA: LOOK AT MY FANMIX EEE~! EVERYONE GO TELL spurtle THAT IT IS FANTASTIC!
"So I'm going to try to tell a story, and you have to promise to listen, okay? Because like, I'll stop. I really will."
"I don't believe you, but fine. My ears are all yours."
"Okay. Seriously. So, this story starts--"
"Don't say once upon a time, please."
"Why not? It's a classic story beginning!"
"It's so cliché. Besides, I know this wasn't that long ago. I have a feeling I know which story you're telling."
"Oh my gosh, shut up. I told you to listen, not, whatever, judge my story telling skills. I'll just go somewhere else, seriously."
"Fine, fine. Continue."
"Okay. Once upon a time..."
.
...there was this distant land that was ruled over by two adjacent kingdoms. The kingdoms sat side by side along the edge of a lake and the castles of the royals who ruled over each kingdom rested at the very edge of each side of the curve that the lake made before it fell over a waterfall into the Great Ocean.
While the kingdoms were very different, the people got along very well and there was never a murmur of discontent between them. The kingdom that lay to the west was known as Murray, and the king and queen there ruled over a prosperous and friendly people, who were polite to the point of almost strangeness and tended to be prone to shyness. King Archuleta and his wife had just recently celebrated the birth of their fourth child, Princess Melissa Jasmine (who was affectionately called Jazzy by both kingdoms, and Tulsa had actually even sent a beautiful bassinet for her to sleep in, hand crafted by the finest carpenter in both lands and draped in the softest cloths and silks). Murray was a happy, incredibly peaceful kingdom.
Tulsa, while still filled with happy, prosperous people, was less shy and tended to be more outgoing in its opinions and views, which should've caused unrest amongst the people but instead simply gave it its uniqueness and charm. The Queen ran the kingdom as her husband was bedridden and had been for quite some time, and though his passing was imminent, he was still able to converse and meet with those allowed to his room. Tulsa would mourn their king but Queen Beth was a very able ruler and they were not worried about the fate of their kingdom until one of the three Cook sons took the throne.
And technically that was all just backstory, because the real moment the story starts is when the kingdoms throw a party at Murray Castle to celebrate Princess Jazzy's birth properly and allow a public viewing and gifting. The entire Archuleta and Cook families are present and each member of the Cook family is there to present the new princess with a gift.
"Lupe!" Queen Beth cries, throwing her arms open and accepting the Queen of Murray into them eagerly. "She's beautiful."
"She is," Lupe agrees, staring down at her new daughter. "David absolutely adores her. He wants to watch over her all the time."
"Your David is quite the gentleman," Beth notes, watching as Prince David of Murray rocks on his feet next to Jazzy's bassinet, murmuring something to her under his breath. "My own David is becoming a bit of a handful, I admit."
Lupe covers her smile with her hand, casting her eyes automatically to where the Cook Princes are standing by King Archuleta, listening to him explain (again) how their father once took down a bear while lost in the woods beyond their kingdom. David is in the middle, his eyes glowing with the story and his hand clenched around his gift for Jazzy. Lupe can't tell what it is, she's sure that it will be lovely. Prince David of Tulsa has only been to the Murray Castle twice, but on both occasions he was absolutely wonderful to her. He'd even come up and kissed her on the hand as other nobles did upon their first meeting, resulting in smothered giggles from both queens.
"Mother?" Lupe hears, and she and Beth look down at David (her David, and my, that's going to get confusing, isn't it?) "Mother, Jazzy is fussing. She might need to be changed."
Beth is fondly amused. "What a good helper you are, David!" He flushes and ducks his head, fleeing to his sister. "And still only five," Beth continues wryly. "My David, unfortunately, never had that shy stage. He's seven and still manages to surprise me daily."
"Isn't that what children are meant to do?" Lupe asks, and they link arms and walk to Jazzy's bassinet, where David is standing over her and resting a hand on her stomach comfortingly while she makes whimpering sounds and shifts around. "Here, my love." She picks Jazzy up and cradles her to her body, shushing her before she draws too much attention.
"Is she upset?" comes a new voice, and David of Tulsa squints up at Jazzy, having somehow suddenly popped up next to her own David.
"She's not quite used to all these people," Lupe tells him, and David of Tulsa nods seriously. David is staring at the other prince with wide eyes, caught between edging towards his mother and looking more closely at him. On David of Tulsa's other trips to Murray Castle, his meetings with her three eldest children had been brief and left little more than titles in her children's memories. She'd been asked questions but had little to offer in the way of personalities or interests, although she vaguely remembers Beth saying that David of Tulsa enjoyed music, something she thinks David could appreciate.
And, looking down at the two Davids standing side-by-side and glancing at each other when they think the other isn't looking, Lupe has an idea.
"Beth," she begins, turning to her friend, and Beth's eyes are bright when she says, "Way ahead of you, Lupe."
And that is how the second children of the kingdoms of Murray and Tulsa become sort-of engaged.
.
It isn't all spur-of-the-moment as it might sound. The kingdoms had been considering joining for quite some time, and with such an occasion as a wedded union, spirits would be higher than ever. King Archuleta and King Cook agree when the idea is suggested and it's decided that every summer they shall commune to each other's castle, alternating years to allow for equality. Siblings of either prince might attend if they wished, but the two Davids will have to go (whether or not they wanted to). And hopefully all of this would lead to marriage.
Needless to say, Prince David of Tulsa does not enjoy this. "I don't want to spend the summer at Murray Castle! I want to stay and have fun with Michael!" He almost stamps his foot, but Adam had made fun of him for that once and so he resists.
"My dear," Beth says absently as maids pack their luggage around them, "You'll have a wonderful time! You and David are going to get to know one another and it's going to absolutely wonderful." She'd been using that word a lot lately, wonderful. David is beginning to loathe it.
"I don't care about this other David. And what am I supposed to call him? I can't call him David!"
Beth laughs. "That is a bit of a problem, isn't it? We shall have to come up with a nickname for you both. Now, come on, let's go. This is going to be a long boat ride and you know how your brother detests the sea."
Prince David of Tulsa sulks his way across the expanse of the lake, listening to his mother chattering at Adam and Andrew (who is green and clenches Beth's hand under the table hard) as though they aren't going to his own personal doom. He can't understand why it's so important that he get along with this Prince David of Murray. The last time they'd seen one another, he'd been really shy and quiet, and had almost looked like a girl with his big eyes and soft skin. Prince David thinks snidely that he probably couldn't hunt, or shoot arrows or anything. He'd been practicing and even Adam had been impressed when he'd hit the target (once, and after a lot of misses, but he's still learning, okay, it was progress!).
The point is, he hates that he has to devote a whole summer (the best time of year!) to this David of Murray. It sucks, and if his mother wouldn't smack him for it, he'd voice the opinion to everyone who's asked him if he expects he'll have fun at the Murray Castle with Prince David.
And they seriously need another name for him, because David hates thinking like this. It's hurting his head.
.
David doesn't want to have to spend the summer with Prince David of Tulsa. He wants to spend the summer with Claudia and Daniel and his new baby sister, not that weird boy who gave Jazzy a tiny golden lamp (because he said there was this story his mother told him based off the book Arabian Nights and there was a Princess Jasmine, and it was actually all sort of interesting) and asked questions all night long. He'd even gone to the Countess White (whose daughter Brooke, just a barely a teenager, had been really pretty in this soft gold dress) and asked her about her extremely strange dress hat. Everyone had laughed afterward, and Countess White had even let him wear the hat, but David still thought it was rude!
And anyway, why isn't there a big welcoming ceremony like normal? When royalty comes, you're supposed to have this huge celebration with the titles called and formal greetings, but this is just David and his mother in a carriage to meet them at the docks, with a few knights keeping the public at bay (although the people of Murray are very respectful; David totally loves it when they get to do parades and he can shake hands with all the farmers and maids and stuff! Everyone is so, so nice). It's weird, is all, and David doesn't like the change from the usual.
The ship docks with little difficulty, although David does hear a boy shout "Mother, I need off this boat, right now!" A plank is lowered to the dock ground and a few men walk off to make sure it's stable before the Queen of Tulsa and her three sons descend, dressed in casual traveling clothes, although Queen Beth has a pretty parasol held over her head.
"Beth!" his mother calls, waving her hand over her head in greeting, and David struggles not to frown as the group heads their way, the other David leading them with a defiant scowl on his face.
"Hello, Lupe," Queen Beth says, pressing a kiss to her cheek and absently fanning a hand through the air around her face. "It's certainly summer, isn't it? I hope you weren't waiting long?"
"Oh, no," mother says, although um, they kind of got here early so they could make a good impression of their willingness in the negotiations, which made no sense to David at all. "David, here, why don't you say hello to Prince David? And Andrew, dear, do you want to lie in the carriage? You look awfully pale..."
She leads Queen Beth and Princes Andrew and Adam away, leaving him with Prince David, who continues to frown at him as if David were the one who made this whole -- this whole whatever happen! David's first instinct is to frown back, but he knows his mother will be disappointed, so instead he bows a little, the way he was taught, and says, "It's my pleasure to see you again."
Prince David of Tulsa raises an eyebrow at him (David thinks in irritation that it looks sort of stupid on a seven year-old, that condescending stare), but flicks his eyes to where their mothers are surreptitiously watching, and bows as well.
"So happy to be here," he remarks, which isn't quite the response David was expecting and sounds kind of rehearsed, but it's civil, at least.
"Um," David says, not sure where to go from there, but Prince David puts his hands on his hips and makes a face and says, "I am not calling you David this whole summer."
David is shocked for all of two seconds before he mimics the prince's expression, crossing his arms instead. "Ditto."
"So you're gonna be Archie," Prince David continues, which, um, what kind of nickname is that?
"Is that supposed to be from Archuleta?" David asks, confused, and Prince David says, "You can call me Cook, I guess."
David -- Archie -- totally hates his new nickname, but he can't keep calling Cook David in his head. It's going to drive him even more insane than he already is. So he just sticks a hand out and says, "Deal."
Cook spits in his own hand and slaps palms with Archie, smirking when Archie recoils and walking past him towards the carriage while the Prince of Murray tries to keep from crying.
This summer is going to be awful.
.
The worst part is, it totally is. Cook is like this -- he doesn't even know! Cook seems bent on making this the worst summer of his life. It starts with the spit thing -- which, ew -- and escalates at an alarming rate.
Archie actually wakes up one morning and finds honey spilled all over his clothes, his hair sticky with it and clothes stuck to his body, fingers gooped with strands of amber between them. His only consolation is that Cook is stupid and get it all over himself as well, and therefore has to endure the painful bath necessary to get the honey off their skin as well.
He really, really wants to get Cook back, but he's not going to lower himself to that level. He's not going to give Cook that satisfaction. He might only be six years old, but he knows he's more mature than Cook will ever be. So he stands firm, through the frogs in his bed, through the mice in his shoes, through everything. At least Andrew and Adam aren't participating, although Andrew does giggle when Archie miserably trudges into the Great Hall after getting soaked with a bucket of water rigged over the doorway.
But then one day, they're in the garden with their mothers, just the two of them, and Archie is struggling to stay hidden from Cook while he creeps around the garden looking to, whatever, push him into a puddle, probably. He crouches behind a bush and keeps his eyes peeled for Cook, ears cocked and ready, but he's sort of -- he stayed up late last night reading a book Cook had left lying around, and so he sort of dozes a little so that it's too late, Cook sneaks up behind him and drops a spider down his shirt.
And Archie is -- he is terrified of spiders. He gets it out soon enough but he can still feel the legs on his skin, the grossness of knowing that something that nasty was on him, and he is so, so mad. Cook is howling with laughter, flat on his back with his legs kicking in the air and their mothers aren't looking, and Archie just --
Archie lets out a growl and jumps on Cook, knocking the breath out of him and effectively stopping his laughter. They end up wrestling around on the grass, elbowing and pulling hair and smacking each other, and it really hurts but it's also kind of, maybe kind of funny? Because he's laughing, and Cook is laughing and saying curse words under his breath when Archie manages to knee him in the side as they roll over the cobblestones. And it's not like, fun, exactly, but he's still a little disappointed when their mothers pull them apart, saying, "Boys! Boys, play nicely, alright? Nice is not hitting each other."
And Archie thinks maybe Cook is going to pull the whole "he started it!" thing, which would be so like him, but instead Cook just looks at him consideringly, his hair disheveled and his clothes pulled out of place, and says, "Okay."
The first summer passes in a blur of pranks and fighting and the hot sun bearing down on their heads, smothered giggles and full-blown shouts echoing around Murray Castle until the fall comes and Cook leaves for the winter.
.
Cook is eleven and it is getting really, frustratingly close to summer. It sucks, because all he wants to do is practice with his new bow and maybe try to get that pretty maid in the kitchens to, you know, give him the time of day and not a sucker when he goes down to flirt with her. He does not want to have to entertain Archie again.
Last year had been annoying because Archie had grown into a phase where he sort of looked up to Cook, and that was a lot worse than the first two summers of fighting. Now he wanted to follow him everywhere. He and Johns had taken to hiding in trees when Archie was outside, biting their fists to keep in their laughter until Archie passed under, humming to himself.
Which, okay, maybe Archie wasn't chasing him, but he did look like he wanted to be included in their fun, which, no way. It's bad enough that Archie's spending the summer at his castle. He doesn't owe him anything.
Johns, who's two years older than him and kind of a jerk (but also kind of awesome, so in Cook's mind it balances out) doesn't share Cook's intense dislike of Archie, and actually talks to him sometimes. "What?" Johns asks when Cook catches him talking to Archie about where to find the best instruments in Tulsa, "He's a cute kid."
Not even.
But Johns is the son of some nobleman and has been his friend since he was three, so he puts up with it. Nobody's perfect, and Cook accepts that. He just wishes Archie would accept that Cook does not want to spend time with him.
"Isn't that um, kind of high?" Archie asks him one day, shielding his eyes against the glare of the sun while Johns munches contentedly on an apple, leaned against the trunk of the tree. Cook rolls his eyes and does not mention how Johns had to pull him up the last leg of the way up.
"Maybe for kids," he says, and Archie's half-smile drops into something like a frown, but since Archie never frowns it's more like a puzzled slash angry curve of his mouth.
"You," Archie says, walking directly to the tree and staring up at Cook (who feels laughter bubbling in his chest) "are a jerk."
And then he kicks the tree trunk and storms off.
"Smooth," Johns says. "Like pulling pigtails, or something."
Cook snorts, settling back on his branch. "You're mental. And what does that even mean?"
Johns bites his apple one last time and throws the core down on the ground. "Admit it, mate: you like him."
Cook is so thrown off by that that he falls out of the tree and has to have his arm put in a cast. Archie, to his credit, holds his laughter in until the nurse and their mothers have gone and he's seriously asked if Cook was okay.
When Cook mutters, "I'm fine," Archie nods his head once and then lets loose a peal of giggles, clutching his stomach.
And, looking at the top of Archie's head as he gasps for breath (he's murmuring "sorry, sorry, but you're so stupid," in between his laughs) Cook finds the grace to smile at himself, just a little.
.
This summer is hot, and the word rolls out of Archie's mouth as they wait for Cook's ship (oh my gosh, he'd found out on the first boat ride to Tulsa Castle that he has so many problems with ships, something he and Andrew had thankfully bonded over. It made the stay easier when at least one of the brothers (Adam was mostly too busy flirting with this one maid to really spend time with Archie) would hang out with him.).
"We know," Daniel says, rolling his eyes. He turns a page in his book and shifts so that he's under Amber's parasol more completely. "We can feel it too."
"Is Cook gonna be here soon?" Jazzy wants to know, clutching her own parasol with one hand and holding her hand over her eyes to peer into the distance. Archie wants to roll his eyes because Jazzy and Amber both have sort-of crushes on Cook, even though he's like the biggest jerk ever. Whatever, he knows this summer they're totally going to wise up to him. "I bet he's cuter this year."
"You know, David probably doesn't appreciate you guys talking about his fiancé that way," Danny comments, not looking up from the book he's reading, and Archie starts sputtering and says, "Oh my gosh, I don't know what -- what are you even talking about, I don't care what they think or say about Cook, I don't--"
And then he stops because they're all looking at him with their heads tilted in unison, and Claudia calls from where she was talking with one of the knights to say, "I can see the ship!"
Archie totally hugs her later for the awesome timing because wow, that was weird. He wonders why they were looking at him like that, but it slips his mind when Cook comes off and -- um, he's only fourteen but Cook still somehow looks older than he did last summer, looks more mature. He's taller and his shoulders are a little broader and there's something in his eyes when he looks out over the bay that is -- Archie thinks it's different. He's different.
And then he spies Archie and sticks out his tongue at him when no one is looking, and Archie grits his teeth and thinks, okay, not.
.
"Why the fuck is it taking them so long?" Cook wants to know, and Johns shrugs his shoulders and eyes Carly, who's attending Cook's mother and laughing with her about something.
"Maybe one of the girls forgot something and they had to turn the ship around?" he suggests, and Cook rolls his eyes, jumping off the wall bordering the pier he'd been standing on.
"Even if that wasn't completely ridiculous in the first place, Archie's coming by himself this year. Even Queen Lupe is staying at home. I think it's because Claudia is courting that one duke."
"You mean he's courting her?" Johns corrects him, but they're both grinning.
"I meant it the way I said it. You know Claudia." They grin at each other, and then someone's shouting about the ship in the distance. Cook says, "Fucking finally," and they head to the dock, waiting as the boat is secured and tied up and the plank lowered, everything taking longer than it should (Cook hates that his mother still makes them wait for the Archuletas when they come for the summer; like they couldn't find their way to the castle?) and then finally, Archie's standing at the top of the ship and --
Fuck.
Cook blinks once in shock and then again when the intense want that springs up in him doesn't dissipate, because. What?
"Damn," he hears Johns say. "Someone got a little hot over the winter, which is vaguely ironic," but he doesn't process it because -- how did Archie, what is he doing looking like that? He's supposed to be dorky and annoying and fun to make fun of. He isn't supposed to be biting his lip as he maneuvers his way down the plank, or to have lashes that are dark and long and resting against his winter-pale cheeks, or to be grinning brightly at Cook's mother like -- fuck.
Cook swallows hard and feels the blood rushing in his ears when Archie glances over at him, raising a brow at his expression.
"You okay, Cook?" Archie asks, and Cook manages to say, "Fine," in a tone that barely passes for believable. Archie blinks at him before turning back to Beth and Carly, and Johns says, "This summer should be interesting."
Cook is more interested in getting away from Archie right the fuck now.
The worse part is that it doesn't make sense. He's known Archie since he was five. He's seen him through all of the awkward phases of his youth, and when Cook really looks at him, it's not like he's completely different from last summer. But it's like all the small things came together and now, Archie's this fucking gorgeous fifteen year old and Cook has to physically sit on his hands to keep from touching him in the carriage home.
"You're being weird," Archie decides when Cook all but flees the confinement of the carriage (he'd been pressed up against Archie the whole ride over, this long warm line against his side) and Cook spares him a glare, says, "You have no fucking idea," and escapes to his room.
The summer passes with Cook in this haze of frustrated lust, and he ends up dragging three different servants into broom closets just to attempt to distract himself, but when he dreams, it's about Archie's mouth or eyes or skin, and he hates it so fucking much that he takes to leaving the room as soon as Archie enters it, which in turn makes Archie mad, which in turn makes him hotter, which in turn fucks everything in Cook up a little more.
Needless to say, it's not a good summer for either of them.
.
The next summer, Claudia marries her duke and the entire Archuleta family spends the summer at his home, preparing for the wedding and their parts in it. It is the first summer they've spent apart since they were children and Cook and Archie both deny any sort of disappointment they might feel. Cook can remember the pangs of longing from his last summer, and Archie remembers the sting of Cook refusing to spend more than five minutes in a room with him, but --
That summer, it's possibly the longest one they've had to endure.
.
And then, like the turning of a page, simple and inevitable, King Cook passes, and the Cook family spends the summer after Cook turns nineteen in mourning. They see one another at the funeral, but Cook doesn't process anything beyond the hug Archie wraps him in, kind and warm and reassuring, and he holds on and doesn't let go until someone touches his shoulder and Archie moves on to grip Andrew's shoulder, giving him a weak, watery smile.
And after the funeral, Cook goes to his room and doesn't leave until everyone, including the Archuletas, has gone home.
.
Archie manages to convince himself that nothing is going to be different just because they haven't spent the last two summers together. It's not -- he's known Cook since they were kids, seriously, he's known him for thirteen years and Cook is definitely still the same jerk he'd always been.
Even if, okay, Archie's not going to lie to himself, he's totally a hot jerk. Whatever, Archie has eyes, he's not blind or, or brain dead or anything. But he still hasn't forgiven him for being so mean to him three summers ago. Archie hadn't even done anything! Except, well, come, but it's not like he could help that.
He totally doesn't know why their parents bother. It's pretty obvious that -- well, okay, he might, maybe, possibly like Cook. Maybe? Well, there was that one time when Archie had been eleven and Cook had helped him rescue a kitten from where it was stuck in the fence and they'd taken care of it and Archie had been really happy and Cook had looked so pleased and they'd given the kitten to one of the local girls, who took him in and actually still has him, even.
Or, oh, when Archie had been fourteen and Cook had just, um, well, gotten really, really good-looking and Archie had been walking down a corridor and a servant had been hurrying past him and Archie hadn't been able to get out of the way fast enough and he'd been knocked over, and he'd thought he was going to fall down the staircase but then a hand had wrapped around his waist securely and it had been Cook, just, just looking down at him and blinking in surprise. Cook had helped him straight again and had said, "You okay?" and Archie had nodded in numb disbelief and Cook had given him a half-smile and then continued on his way. Archie had sort of gaped after him and tried to figure out why his stomach was in knots.
And then the last summer they'd been together, when Cook had been so awful to Archie, there'd was that -- Archie had been talking to one of the guards, just asking him stuff because after coming there for so long he'd gotten to know them all and this guy was younger and new so Archie was trying to, you know, make a new friend. And he was leaned against the wall next to the guard, grinning up at him and he'd heard from across the room, in this cool voice, Cook saying, "Don't you have something to be doing?"
And Archie had blinked and looked up, about to say, Uh, no, and also to ask are we talking now? but Cook was looking at the guard with this unreadable expression. And normally Cook was totally nice to the castle guards or servants, but he looked sort of upset and the guard had bowed and taken off to, Archie didn't know, find some doorway to guard that was anywhere away from huge, freaking jerkface Cook.
"That was rude," he'd said, and Cook had looked at him briefly, this one look that -- it sent shivers down Archie's spine, made a flush heat up his cheeks and his fingertips tingle. It was if Cook had stripped every bit of clothing off of him with that one look, and Archie resisted the urge to look away.
"He has a job," Cook had said in this weird voice. "And it's not to be flirting with the visiting royalty."
"Um," Archie had said, totally indignant, "He's sort of married and has a baby on the way, so maybe you should, like, get your facts straight before you act like any more of an idiot than you already are."
And he had felt immediately guilty after saying it, and was even going to apologize, but Cook had seemed amused by it and had taken a step towards him and said, "Hey, Archuleta," and Archie had said quickly, "I have to go um, unpack!" like he hadn't been here a week already, and had fled the room as quickly as he could.
And okay, all of this added up to maybe somewhat of a crush. Maybe. Archie can remember thousands of little instances that on their own are insignificant, but together -- and it's not like it's even his fault! Everyone has sort of a crush on Cook! Even Daniel had admitted that, "he's kind of awesome." And Cook is, just not really to Archie. He's charming and pretty and is really good with a bow and arrow (um, which is also a factor in his hotness) and could play the guitar (also a factor, stupid Cook) and is polite to everyone and just --
Whatever. It's not love. It's not. Cook isn't even interested in him, which is totally fine, it means it will be ten times easier to get over him. Archie is just, well, they've been together through a lot of stuff. And that matters, somehow.
.
So Cook is under the impression that everything will be fine this year. Regarding his sudden urge to drag Archie to the nearest horizontal (or vertical, he's not choosy) place and promptly kiss the hell out of him, that is. It's been two years since they've seen each other properly and he's more mature now. He's twenty, and he isn't going to let his fucking libido control him again. Besides, even he can admit that he was sort of intolerably rude to Archie and he doesn't want to do that again.
Because, well, okay, he gives everyone shit about the summers, but they aren't that bad. Like, Archie's really awesome to sing with, when their mothers insist they do sing-a-longs or whatever. Cook remembers the first time he heard Archie sing properly, not just under his breath, when he was fourteen and Archie was twelve. And their mothers had been like, oh, let's go serenade some of the children in the marketplace, kids! and Archie had looked totally pleased with the idea so Cook couldn't say anything, and besides, he liked the kids in the market. They'd gone down and Archie had sung Imagine, which, fuck, Cook hadn't even though Archie would know that song, and he'd totally owned it and had made both of their mothers and a bunch of the people standing around cry. Cook even had to scrub a forearm over his eye when he thought no one was looking.
And when he'd said, "That was really good," Archie had smiled brightly at him, like it was the greatest compliment he'd ever gotten.
And Archie sometimes would help him with his puzzles, when he was frustrated and the answer was just on the tip of his tongue, Archie would look up from his music notes and say, "Oh, isn't that that one singer in the far east? Over in um, Britain, oh, Leona Lewis!" And Archie was frustratingly good at cards, but Cook kicked his ass at chess because Archie would get devastated when he either had to lose or sacrifice pieces ("They aren't real people," Cook would say, fighting a smile, and Archie would protest, "I don't like to send my little pieces to their fake deaths, okay, shut up!")
Plus, okay, there's the whole fucking hot thing. Cook is pretty sure it was just his seventeen year old libido talking, but there's no denying that Archie is gorgeous. He's still not quite sure how it snuck up on him like that, but whatever, it's fine. He can go to a gorgeous guy's castle without freaking out.
.
Archie's not nervous. The fluttering in his stomach is totally his hunger pains from skipping breakfast to make sure the carriages were okay and the horses were good and also that the rooms for the Cooks were fine. But he's fine. Just because this is the first time he's seeing Cook in like two years does not mean it's going to be any different.
"Calm down," Claudia whispers, squeezing his arms. "It's going to be fine, David."
"Of course it will," Archie says, because of course it will. "It's just Cook."
Claudia smiles, a secret smile that confuses Archie because, well, it is. "I don't think it's ever just Cook," she says, and then raises her head with everyone as someone calls out that the ship has been spotted on the horizon.
Archie's stomach decides flipping is more appropriate now, and he bites his lip and waits along with his family for the Cooks to descend. And there's Queen Beth, and Andrew, who raises an eyebrow at Archie and grins big, which, what does that mean, really--
And then there's Cook, standing at the top of the plank and scanning the crowd, and his eyes stop on Archie and Archie's stomach is freaking somersaulting around his ribcage and his heart is beating quickly even though he's just standing here. Cook's eyes crinkle around the edges in a soft smile and Archie realizes, faintly, that okay, well, maybe he's a little bit in love with Cook. Just a little.
.
Whatever Cook was hoping for, he's been disappointed. Because Archie is still really hot, yes, and he still kind of wants to pin him against the wall and lick his bottom lip, but more than that, worse than that, he's discovering that he missed him more than he thought (and he'd had a hard enough time admitting that he missed him at all). It's this ache that settles into his stomach when they dock, and it gets worse and worse until he looks around the crowd and then he spots Archie and it's --
It's gone, and he's smiling and his heart is doing crazy shit, he doesn't even know what the fuck is going on but apparently it's amazing because his smile is getting bigger. Archie takes a tentative step forward as Cook's feet touch the ground and his eyes drop and then flicker back up and Cook hates himself for watching him lick his lips nervously.
"Hey, Cook," Archie says quietly, looking a little surprised, and he smiles, just a little. Cook moves forward and has a moment to appreciate how wide Archie's eyes go before he's wrapped in Cook's arms, and Cook buries his face in Archie's hair and says, "Cut the bullshit. I missed you, David."
And for a moment they stand there in a hushed silence and Archie's hands hang by his side, and Cook thinks --
And then hands are fisting in the back of his shirt and Archie is tilting his head into the crook of Cook's neck and breathing deep and saying, "I missed you too."
And from there, it gets easier.
.
It's like a wall has been lifted between them, and they're relearning their way without it. They spend hours together, doing the same things they've always done but with a new edge; with Cook watching the way Archie studies the chess board carefully, the crease of his brows bringing a serious look to his face; Archie starts to notice the ways Cook's fingers move when he presses them against frets on his guitar and wonders about the way they flex, the rapid movement and -- and then he thinks about it too much and blushes. And it's different, and sort of scary, but Archie feels like the happiness he has could spill over any day now and Cook wakes up and his first thought is to find Archie. It is, by far, the best summer they've had together.
And four weeks before it's over, Archie confesses.
.
But it's not, not like he planned on it, or anything. He's just minding his own business, reading some sheet music out on a terrace, and he happens to look down in the garden and see Cook speaking to one of the maids, and she's leaning forward and grinning at him and fluttering her lashes, and Cook is tilting his head and smiling at her and raising one eyebrow in this -- and Archie -- his stomach dips painfully and his fingers feel icy cold and he realizes he's jealous seconds after he's already hurrying downstairs, rushing to the quickest way to the garden.
He turns a corner and collides with Cook about two corridors away from the entrance to the garden and pretty much bounces off of him and stumbles back a few steps.
"Going somewhere?" Cook asks, grinning, and Archie blurts, "Do you like her?"
Cook blinks once, twice, and then smirks. "Who, Olivia? Why?"
"I--" Archie stops, flushing, and then says slowly, "Um, I was just wondering because--"
Cook takes a step forward, crowding Archie up against the stone wall behind him. Archie presses his palms flat against the stone and swallows hard. Cook stares at him, eyes dark and amused and says, "What does it matter?"
Archie hums uncertainly, avoiding Cook's eyes. "It -- it doesn't matter. I just saw you and was thinking maybe you, that you liked her. Maybe." Archie finally chances a look back at Cook to find him grinning widely, looking like he knows something. Which, which he doesn't! He doesn't know anything! He doesn't know how Archie's been miserable and ecstatic all at the same time for the past few weeks and how tired he is of waking up from dreams about Cook and how much harder it is to pretend that he's not ridiculously in love with him, which still doesn't make sense because he totally remembers hating him for the past thirteen years.
"Hmm," Cook says lowly, and Archie shivers once. Cook's eyes dilate and focus on him and he continues with, "Well, you'll be relieved to know that my interests lie elsewhere."
Archie hums again, not sure how to respond because like, even if the implications are so blatant even he can pick them up, it doesn't mean that Cook likes him. It just means that Cook's not interested in the maid. Yes. So.
"That's cool?" he says finally, and Cook's eyes dim a little, and he sighs and leans back. Archie immediately realizes that it wasn't the right answer, or the answer Cook was hoping for, and he moves after Cook automatically.
Cook gives him a half-hearted smile. "Not entirely," he says, and laughs a little, but it doesn't sound happy at all. "But definitely not with Olivia, so you can chill, Archie. We're just friends." He pauses, then says, "So, yeah, I'll be going before this conversation becomes even more uncomfortable, okay? Yeah."
Archie watches him turn away, and it's like -- it feels like something big is happening and he's missed it, or almost missed it, and he doesn't want -- he doesn't know what he's going to do if he keeps having to spend sleepless nights like this, and he doesn't know how much longer he's going to have because obviously Cook could have anyone he wanted, he could be with anyone and Archie wants, he wants --
"Cook," he says desperately, and when Cook turns around questioningly, he leans forward and clumsily presses his lips to Cook's. It's really, really awkward and stupid and he's just about to lean back and pretend he tripped or something when Cook pushes against him hard, sending him slamming back into the wall roughly and tilting his head so that the kiss goes from uncoordinated to amazing in like, seconds flat. Archie makes an embarrassing sound in the back of his throat and tries to keep from doing it again when Cook licks at his bottom lip.
When Cook finally leans back, breathing heavily, Archie keeps his eyes closed and says, "I think I'm in love with you."
He keeps them closed even when Cook exhales softly, even when Cook cups his face and says, "Archie," even when Cook kisses him hungrily, murmuring, "Me too, Archie, me too," and doesn't open them until Cook rests his forehead against his and says, "I love you too, David."
And yes, totally the best summer ever.
.
"You know, you forgot an important player."
"Hmm? Oh! Dang it!"
"Yeah, dang it."
"Well, I mean, I was trying to get the big part done!"
"More like you wanted to spend forever detailing the love scenes."
"It's really only just the beginning--"
"This whole thing is one huge love fest, you dork."
"It is not! It gets really bad because of what Cowell does, and--"
"Well, you haven't told me who that is yet! So go on, explain."
"You are such a pushy jerk. You don't deserve to hear about him."
"Here, I'll start. But while Archie and Cook were happily making out and not having sex the way Cook wanted to--"
"Oh my gosh."
"--there was an evil man plotting the downfall of the two happy kingdoms, and who wanted to control Murray himself and use the kingdom to conquer Tulsa."
"Very to the point."
"Well you spent forever detailing how long it took for them to fall in love. Just wanted to save some time."
"Okay, yeah, no, I'm going to take it from here."
"Be my guest."
"I will. Okay, so Simon Cowell..."
.
Simon Cowell was a sorcerer who lived on the far edges of the Murray land. Rumors were that he had once been a man of high power in the Murray court and had even been acknowledged for a position of advisor to the king, but it soon became apparent that Cowell's intentions were not for good but rather to gain enough power and authority to take over Murray. When King Archuleta found out, he banished Cowell to the far reaches of Murray and denied him access to the kingdom. Cowell was completely alone but for the lone maid who fled with him, Paula, who was said to have helped him with his potions and brews when he was too busy plotting against the Archuletas.
It had been years since Cowell's banishment, which had occurred when Archie was only three, but those years had not been spent idly. Cowell had studied and researched dark magic and knew that he had enough power to suitably take over Murray and, leading the people as their ruler, to also forcibly take Tulsa.
However, if he wanted Murray to accept him, he couldn't just kill Archuleta and assume they'd be fine with that. He had to worm his way into their disgusting little hearts, and the best way to do that was to marry one of the Archuleta children. The eldest was already married and was apparently headstrong anyway, something he had neither the time nor patience to deal with. The second eldest though, the one called David, he was reportedly shy (or so Paula had gathered from her secret trips into town) and had not yet married, though he was supposedly engaged to a prince from Tulsa. It would be no easy feat, and he'd have to change his appearance to keep Archuleta from knowing, but it could be done.
He was the best match. The other children were too young and would be useless to him. He could marry David, using his refusal of the Cook prince to drive a wedge between the kingdoms, and set up an accidental death for King Archuleta. Because Claudia was a girl, David was next-in-line for the crown and Cowell would become King, and then --
Cowell smiled to himself, and at the lake stretched in front of his dilapidated castle. Then it would simply be over for the kingdoms of Tulsa and Murray.
.
"I think the wedding should take place right away," Cook is telling Ryan, his mother's advisor, who nods eagerly and begins taking notes. "As soon as you can do everything that needs to be done, do it."
"Um," Archie says, crossing his arms a little, "Why?"
They both turn to look at him with their eyebrows raised. "Why not?" Cook asks, and Ryan shoots Cook a small look that is meant to stop him from being stupid -- Cook, of course, misses it.
Archie shrugs his shoulders, feeling silly but also strangely determined. "I just said I loved you. I didn't say that I would marry you as soon as you wanted to."
Cook looks at a loss for words. "But -- but why not? I mean, we love each other. Our parents are practically pushing us down the aisle already. I don't understand."
Archie bites his lip, wishing Ryan would stop his blatant staring and that the servants around them weren't slowing down. "I just -- this is so rushed, and I want us to be sure. I -- why do you want to marry me?"
Archie's blushing through the question, but he needs to know the answer. If it's because of some obligation to their kingdoms, or because Cook is so heavily infatuated with the idea of being in love that he wants to get married because that's the next step, then he won't marry Cook. The thought hurts because gosh, he wants to. He wants to be with Cook always, and he feels that if he marries him and they're together and Cook decides that he made a mistake, it'll probably kill him. Or something. The thought of it alone is what keeps Archie from caving under Cook's bewildered eyes, and he stares resolutely back.
"I--" Cook blinks, and then says, "You're beautiful!"
Oh. Archie can practically feel everything in him deflate, like a balloon being punctured and then squeezed painfully, and his head comes down as he hears Ryan say, "Oh my god, Your Highness."
"Okay," Archie says. "Um, I think I'm going to go for a ride. That's. Yeah, I'm going to go."
"Archie," he hears Cook say, and he can feel Cook reaching for him so he turns away sharply and says, "Don't. Just, don't."
A hush falls over the room, and Archie walks away with only the sound of his shoes on the tiles following him. The door clicks with finality, and he heads to the stables with his head held high and tears pressing firmly against his eyes. He doesn't cry, though, and he doesn't say anything to the stable boy who stares at him. He simply takes his horse from her stall and saddles her quietly, checking her reins and her girdle and the rest of the tack with an intensity reserved for the hardest of puzzles.
He leads her around to the path to the forest and swings his legs over onto the saddle, making sure his feet are securely in the stirrups before he leans low over her and whispers, "Let's go." He kicks twice at her sides and she breaks into a run, wind whipping sharply over her mane to flick it into his eyes. He blinks hard and leans into the wind.
She runs smoothly and hard and they're far into the forest before he makes her stop, pulls her softly and says "Whoa, girl." Even though it's summer, the sun doesn't reach this part of the forest and he feels pinpricks of cold in his cheeks, and wipes the tears the wind pulled from him off of them. Stupid Cook, and his stupid -- he should've known it was hormones the whole time. It wasn't like -- he'd thought that was the reason, that it was just the way he looked (which, whatever, Cook could have anyone he wanted if he wanted someone pretty) and he probably just wanted to make his mother happy and do what his father had wanted before he died and it was just all so stupid and Archie hates that he wants to cry over someone who is so not worth it.
But he is, part of Archie wails, and he finally has to get off his horse and just sit on the ground and wrap his arms around his knees and bury his head in them. He doesn't know how long he sits there, not doing anything but breathing deeply, in and out, but his horse neighs suddenly, high pitched and frightened, and his head jerks up, hand going to where he usually kept his sword (that he's kind of awful with, but) only to remember that he's wearing his formal clothes today and his sword is at the castle, dang it!
His horse stamps nervously by a tree and he wonders what startled her, when suddenly a darkness fills the clearing, and Archie looks up and sees something dark flying towards him, something big and --
.
"I don't get it," Cook says to Michael Johns, who snorts and stops playing catch with one of Cook's nieces to look at him.
"Don't get what part, exactly? The part where he gave you a chance or the part where you just completely and utterly blew it."
"You are so stupid," Ryan Seacrest mutters as he passes by, holding a clipboard and looking really sad that he won't get to plan a wedding after all, which, fuck him. He wasn't exactly helpful, or anything.
"Fuck you, Seacrest!" Cook calls, and his mother says from where she's speaking with Lupe, "Language, David."
She sounds annoyed, which is always, always bad. Cook winces and rubs a hand over his face. "I just -- okay, that was a stupid response, I get it. But I don't get why he wanted to wait to get married!"
"Could it be that you spent a good thirteen years of your life hating each other and only about a month getting along?" Michael asks innocently, and Cook clenches his fists to keep from hitting him.
"What does that matter if we're in love?"
"You couldn't even tell him why you loved him," Michael points out, "beyond the fact that he's beautiful, which he could get from anyone who's ever seen him before."
Cook runs a hand through his hair and growls. "Look, it's not just that--"
"So what is it?" Michael asks.
"Like -- the way he looks when he's learning a new song on his acoustic, the smile he has -- or when he's washing his shirts because he likes how calming it is, or the way his eyes light up whenever he hears music or someone talking about music, or the way his laugh sounds when he means it and he's not just humoring you, and --
"And you couldn't have said all this before?" Michael wants to know, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrow. Cook sighs.
"I was on the spot! There were all these people around and he just -- he's so frustrating."
"Um, how long have you know him?" Michael says. "Doubt that part'll change, mate. Better get used to it. And you'd better go find him and make things--"
"Your Majesty!" Someone bangs on the door that Archie left through earlier and makes several of the people around it start in surprise. "Your Majesty, open up, please, it's 'bout Prince David!"
A knight opens the door and in stumbles a stable boy, who looks out of breath and scared out of his mind. Cook feels something begin to curl around his bones and knows that this is going to end badly.
"Your Majesty," the boys says, looking at Queen Lupe, "Prince David of Murray left 'bout two hours ago to ride, and I let 'em go, I did, but when 'e didn't come back I decided to check things out and about ten minutes into the forest his horse came back without 'em, Your Majesty, and I went in further and it looked like -- I think he's been kidnapped, Your Majesty!"
The boy says this all quickly, taking deep gulps of air afterwards, and Cook's across the room before he comprehends that he's moving.
He grabs the kid and pulls him up onto his toes, looking at him hard. "Do you know where Archie is?"
"N-no," the boys stammers, "no, your Highness, I don't, I just -- I saw something and the horse--"
Cook throws him aside and pushes past him through the open door as people start to talk rapidly behind him. His mind is buzzing with noise and fear and he has got to get out of here.
"Cook!" someone says, "Cook, no, wait, come on, we have to--" It's Michael, and Cook shrugs him off roughly and says, "Fuck off. I have to get my horse and find Archie."
"Cook, we should do this in a group, it'll be--" Cook swings around and punches Michael hard in the mouth, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"I'm not fucking waiting, Michael," Cook says, and the vises stretch from around his bones to spread to his heart and they sink in tight, making it hard to breath. His vision blurs sharply and then snaps into stunning clarity. Michael stays on the ground, blood on the corner of his mouth, staring at him, and Cook turns quickly and goes into the stable.
He pulls his horse from the stable, methodically checking all the parts of his tack and then mounts him quickly, running him into the forest as the sun sets in the background, making things hard to see without the bits of sunlight filtering through the cracks in the trees.
He rides until he comes to a clearing that looks like some sort of struggle occurred, and there are footsteps and broken limbs around and Cook feels panic whipping through him as he recognizes bits of the shirt Archie was wearing on a few on them. His fingers are numb as he searches the area, pushing aside bushes and lifting limbs out of the way and looking, hoping. He finds himself talking to beings he doesn't believe in, asking and praying and hoping, but they don't answer because a few minutes later he finds something glittering underneath a fallen branch, and when he lifts it up, he knows Archie is gone.
It's the guitar pick he gave him a few weeks ago, a soft blue-green color with the letter D engraved on it. Archie had punched a hole in it and strung it on a chain and now it's lying here in the mud and dirt, left behind, and Cook drops to his knees and waits for the search party to find him.
part two