#oc matthew stagge

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

discovered artbreeder from a post on here and immediately made the ocs and i'm obsessed

prince jack rowe. depressed bi disaster. trying his hardest.

princess skylar rowe. good sister points x 100. just wants to be appreciated. lives for drama tho.

matthew stagge. blacksmith. ray of sunshine. the love of jack's life. demisexual king.

princess nina beryll. everyone's best friend. lesbian queen. magic?

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

how r ur ocs doin lately?? what've they been up to? what's the dumbest thing jack's done recently (bc we all know this boy's pure of heart and dumb of ass)?

aahhh thank you for asking!!! i've been so busy lately they have been on the back burner, but i always love talking about them! as for jack... you get it lmaoo the dumbest thing he has probably ever done was get super wasted at the pub, so much so matthew had to come get him to take him home, and on their was home, chased a cat into the woods because he wanted to catch it. he climbed the garden wall and a tree while drunk to catch the cat only to be attacked by it in the tree, which resulted in him falling out of the tree and breaking his arm and a few ribs. needless to say matthew was not pleased with him, and didn't even try to cover for him when the king asked how he got hurt. 

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

haha if y’all want to send me short story prompts or something about my characters I will definitely write you something and love you forever

background info on them:

setting: gevalla, a sort of medieval kingdom (think medieval europe)

jack rowe: the prince of gevalla, and the first in line to for king. at 23 he should be getting ready to be king but he would much rather spend his days with his boyfriend matthew and jousting. he doesn't want to be king, and doesn't put effort into his duties as prince. bisexual disaster. finds himself in trouble a lot. would kill everyone and then himself for matthew.

skylar ‘sky’ rowe: jacks sister younger sister (20), and princess of gevalla. is a lot like jack so they argue a lot. instead of turning away from the kingdom, she picked up a lot of jack’s duties. has a lot of interest in war strategy and is in charge of leading the kingdoms military. her and jack have the traumatized sibling bond.

matthew stagge: grew up with jack, they were childhood best friends, turned teen crushes, to young lovers. is the castles blacksmith. looks innocent but is really the one behind the ideas getting him and jack in trouble. good tall strong boy.

nina beryll: the princess of a neighboring kingdom. she meets jack at a tournament that was held to signify alliances between the two kingdoms. they bond over their struggles of being royal children and the pressure of wanting to do right by their kingdom and live up to expectations, but also wanting to their own person and do right by themselves. her outgoing personality it’s the total opposite of jack’s closed off one. jack teachers it’s okay to be selfish and do what she wants sometimes, and she helps jack expand his horizons and mature a bit. She starts trouble with matthew every time she visits but jack is happy to clean up their messes just to see his friend and boyfriend have fun.

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

So, as promised (even if it is a week late) I finished the first chapter of my original story. I am not super happy with it, but I am ready to move on from it lol. Feedback would be much appreciated, and I hope it only gets better from here since this one is kind of bland haha

Summary: basically just setting up the story. Jack gets news he doesn't want, and has to tell Matthew. Matthew ressures Jack things will be okay. 

One 

Fate is something that was only spoken in the legends and stories read to children. People never went out in search of their fates, they just lived them. However, when Queen Amilya of Gavella was pregnant with her first born, she suffered from extremely vivid dreams. The finer details of where she was or what she was doing were never the same, but she was always interrupted by the same old woman. The woman was always dressed in the darkest robes, her eyes so white Amilya could see her reflection in them. Every dream the old woman interrupted would shake Amilya to her core, waking her from her slumber, but not without the woman sharing her message. It was always the same; “He shall be the greatest king of Gevalla’s time.” 

At the time, Amilya assumed the woman was referring to her husband. He was a great king who loved his people, and only had their best interest at heart. It made sense for her to be referencing her husband, especially with the handmaid’s old tricks telling Amilya her first born would be a baby girl. Despite that, the old woman continued to haunt her dreams with the same message every single night until the baby was born. 

When she held the newborn in her arms the first time, it was clear the old wives tales had been wrong. The baby was a boy. A beautiful boy with the most powerful set of lungs Amilya had ever heard from something so tiny. As he wiggled in her arms screaming, the messages had become clear; this tiny baby would be the greatest king in all of Gevalla’s time. 

                                                       ---

Fate had followed Jack everywhere he went his entire life. He grew up running the castle halls, ignoring the servants' whispers about him. As he got older, the pressure to be fulfil his fate grew unbearable. Nothing he did was ever good enough. His father wanted him to be his shadow, learning all it took to run a kingdom. His mother wanted him to be out, talking with the people, learning what they wanted from their kingdom. They both seemed to be good at pointing out the things he was doing wrong

“Jack, have you done your readings?” “Jack, have you been to training?” “Jack, don't argue with your sister at dinner.” “Jack, princes don’t eat with their elbows on the table.” “Jack, jousting armor does not belong in the castle.” No one took the time to ask him what he wanted. 

If anyone had bothered to ask what he wanted, they would know being forced to sit in an advisory meeting with his father and his father's council is the last place he wanted to be. The lead advisor droned on about his weekly report of what the people wanted, but all Jack could focus on was pulling the loose string out of his sleeve. The string barely peaked out of the sleeve, but he had to pull it. The string got longer as he pulled, making his sleeve bunched up, before finally breaking off. He pulled at his sleeve, trying to even out where it bunched up. 

“Jack,” his father's voice, louder than the advisors, interrupted his focus on his sleeve. 

“Wh-,” he started, but remembered who he was speaking to and corrected himself. “Yes, father?” 

He gave Jack his signature face of disapproval. “The Council is speaking to you, and you have the nerve to sit here and ignore them.” 

“Oh,” Jack turned to the Council. They were much better at hiding their disapproval, but Jack knew it was still there. He could feel it seeping off them. “My apologies, I got distracted. There was a thread on my sleeve and-”

“Jack,” his father growled through clenched teeth. “Now is not the time for your antics, the Council needs your full attention. This is important. How do you expect to run this kingdom when I am no longer able?”

It was always that question. He was sick of being asked it every time his father wasn't happy with him. Jack tilted his head to look at the ceiling of the briefing room, and put a hand on his chin. “Hmm how do I expect to run the kingdom, father?” He dropped his hand and turned to face his father head on. “I simply don't expect to run the kingdom.” 

The vein at the King’s temple throbbed, his face red with anger. Jack had to bite his tongue. He was so easy to upset, it almost wasn't fun anymore. Almost.

His father pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. “If you keep on like this, I will have no choice but to keep you out of the tournament.”

Jack’s breath caught in his throat. He hated all of his expectations as Prince, but over the years he and his father worked out a deal. Jack could joust and represent the kingdom in tournaments, if he put the effort into learning to run the kingdom. He couldn’t have jousting taken away from, it was the only thing keeping him sane through his princely duties. 

“I apologize, Father,” He turned to the Council. “Please continue. 

The Council looked to the King for permission to keep going. The King nodded and they moved on into their report of the tournament. It wasn't information that interested Jack, but he knew better than to look like he wasn't paying attention. 

The tournament was held every year by the royal family. The neighboring kingdoms flocked to Gevalla to offer their best knights to fight for their honor. While the events themselves were high steaks competition, the tournament signified the allieship between the kingdoms, and celebrated another year of peace. With that many kingdoms involved, it was impossible to avoid politics, but Jack tried his best to.

“Sir Jack,” the lead advisor spoke up. “You have duties you haven't had for past tournaments.” 

That got his attention. Jack gave him a questioning look, “What are they?” 

“You will be expected to court a princess during the tournament.” The lead advisor began.  “There are three princesses that will be in attendance, and we came to the conclusion to let you pick the one you would like to court. Their kingdoms are aware of this decision, and are in agreement with it. There is no wrong or right choice.”

Not what he expected, and not the duties he wanted. Thoughts raced through Jack’s mind, trying to make sense of what he had just been told. He can't court a princess. He wouldn't. “Then I chose not to.” 

The Council looked at each other. His father shook his head beside him. “Is this about the blacksmith,” the King questioned. 

“His name is Matthew-” 

“His name doesn't matter, Jack,” His father interrupted. “We have been over this. You are not to see him anymore. He puts dangerous thoughts in your head, and is keeping you from doing right by your kingdom.” 

Jack had to clinch his fists to keep himself from snapping. “Matthew isn’t the problem. I simply don't want to court a princess. I am not comfortable with that idea.”

“It's not up to you. You should be happy we are letting you choose,” His father raised his voice, quickly losing his patience.  “You have to support this kingdom, and having a wife and an heir is part of that. I hope to the gods your heir is better to you than you are to me.”

“I don't want an heir either,” Jack stood from his seat and started for the door. “I didn't ask for any of this. I don’t want to be a prince, and you can't make me.” 

With that, Jack turned on the heel of his boot, and bolted out the door. He could hear his father calling his name, obviously upset with his quick exit, but it was better he leave than say something he would regret. Although, he was sure he was going to regret running out of his meeting when he was getting a lecture at dinner. It didn’t matter now, all he could focus on was hurrying out of the castle.

The corridor the briefing room was in used to terrify Jack when he was a child. The faces of his ancestors lined the wall, passing their silent judgment every time he passed. Even as an adult, the hall left him unsettled enough to not be ashamed about quickening his pace until he was outside the castle's judgemental walls. The garden grew flowers of all kinds, but it could be barren and it would still be a relief every time he stepped foot in it. The garden gates opened to a well worn path. A path Jack had taken countless times to the stables down hill from the castle, and was the path he had taken countless times to search for Matthew. 

Matthew had grown up alongside Jack. He was the son of the blacksmith in charge of all the metal work needs of the castle. As young boys, the two were quick friends, and quite the troublemakers. They were frequently caught stealing food from the kitchens, or harassing the younger princess. As they grew, they started sneaking out late in the night into the woods that backed up to the garden walls. The trees learned their secretes, holding them safe under their canopy. Their late night trips to the woods grew further and far between once Matthew took over his father's position as blacksmith. The change terrified Jack. Matthew started having less time for him, and they weren’t able to do the things they used to. Jack knew they weren’t children anymore, but it still felt as though he was losing his only escape from reality. Luckily, Matthew showed him that growing up is not necessarily a bad thing. 

Matthew spent most of his days working in his shed next to the stables, forging whatever metalwork the castle needed, and was the first place Jack went to for his search.  He found Matthew working on what looked like what was supposed to be a sword. He had his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, exposing his strong forearms. Sweat plastered his curls to his forehead. Normally, that would have bothered Matthew, but he was intently focused on his work that he didn't notice. Jack tried not to obviously stare, but he couldn't force himself to look away. 

“Jack,” Matthew stopped mid mallet swing, just noticing him standing in the doorway. “I wasn’t expecting you until later today. I thought you had the tournament briefing meeting today?” 

Jack laughed dryly, “I did, but I left early.” 

“Left early?” Matthew repeated, tilting his head. He dropped his tool on the work table and crossed his arms. “What did you do?” 

“Nothing,” He replied, which earned a disbelieving look from Matthew, making him advert his eyes. 

“It's hard for me to believe that it was just that simple,” Matthew started. “I know how you are. What happened?” 

“I don't know,” Jack threw his hands in the air, exasperated. “We were making final plans about the tournament coming up, and my father got upset with me for not paying attention, so he threatened my joust.”

Matthew just sighed and shook his head. “Did you pay attention after?” 

“Yes,” he crossed  his arms to mirror Matthew. “That's not the worst of it.” Jack paused to take a breath, trying to steady himself. Matthew gave him a concerned look, but let him take his time to gain composure. “They are forcing me to court a princess. I have to choose a wife by the end of the tournament.” 

Matthew’s eyes widened, and Jack watched him school his expression to stay neutral. He nodded his head with a soft, “Oh.” 

They stood in silence for a moment; Matthew staring at Jack, and Jack avoiding his gaze. He couldn’t face him, not with his mind racing. They both expected the news eventually, but never planned for it. Now that it was finally happening, Jack didn't know what they would do. He wouldn’t give up what he had with Matthew for anything, but he also knew he didn't exactly have a lot of say in the matter. If he refused to comply, he would never see Matthew again. If he complied, there was an equal chance he would never see Matthew again. The uncertainty made his stomach clench.  

A thumb on his cheek brought him back from his thoughts; Matthew wiping a tear off his cheek. He didn’t even realize he was crying. “Don’t get yourself so worked up,” he told Jack. “We knew this was coming, and we can figure something out.” 

Jack shook his head, blinking back tears. “There's nothing we can do,” He said bitterly. “Absolutely nothing. They’re going to finally get their way of making a pawn.”

“You are not a pawn,” Matthew said, pulling Jack to his chest. “You’re a prince.” 

“I don't want to be a prince anymore,” Jack buried his face in the crook of Matthew’s neck. “Being a prince means I lose you.” 

“You’re not losing me,” Matthew scoffed. “I will still be here, building things for the castle.” 

Jack pondered for a moment, hugging Matthew closer to him. He was right, the castle would still need Matthew. They would have a difficult time replacing him, so perhaps Jack could use that to his advantage. He didn't like the idea of having to sneak around with Matthew again, but he had done it before, and he would do it again. 

“You're not losing me, Jack,” Matthew reassured him, rubbing soft circles on his back. “You just have to play Prince for a few days to please your father and the Council, and before you know it, things are back to normal.” 

“Back to normal?” Jack pulled away from him, frowning. He didn't understand how he wasn't more upset. They were about to lose everything they knew, there would never be ‘normal’ again. “Do you not understand what I am saying? I will have a wife at the end of the tournament. A wife, Matthew, a wife. Don't you care?” 

“I do,” Matthew held his hands up as if to surrender. “I promise I do. I don't like this anymore than you do, but I also don't think you should do anything more to upset your father or the Council.” 

Jack scoffed. “They are going to be upset with me no matter what I do.” 

Matthew just shook his head. “Jack, they just want you to be a prince, and they are losing patience with you. Do what they want for the tournament, and we will figure us out after. If you don't follow their wishes, I worry there won't be an us after.” 

A deep breath wracked through Jack’s body. He ran his hands through his hair, hoping that would help organize his thought. He knew Matthew was right, he always was. Jack envied his ability to stay level headed in the face of doom. He couldn't risk losing Matthew, not when his world was about to get turned upside down. 

“We will be okay,” Matthew reassured him. “You can't get rid of me that easily.”

The corner of Jack’s mouth twitched, “I know.”

Matthew held his hand out to Jack, which Jack took. “I wish you were a princess. Then we wouldn't be in this situation.” 

“If only it were that easy. If only.”

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

me: trying to make jack and matthew well rounded dynamic characters

also me: hahahah funny angry man and uptight softie go brrrrrr

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

What are /your/ hcs about ur ocs? They seem really very lovely and I would love to know more about them and their atoeies :)

aww thank you anon!! i really have so many thoughs about them its hard to keep track haha! but here is a few i can think of right off the bat! i hope you like!

matthew was totally oblivious about jack liking him so much so jack basically had to spell it out for him. but once he did matthew realized he felt the same way and was basically head over heels for jack.

matthew is aspec, more specifically demi. jack is the only person he 100% trusts with himself and jack would never do anything to betray that trust.

matthew is constantly making little trinkets out of metal. the window seal in jacks room in the castle is covered in trinkets. sky has a few as well as a necklace. 

jack told sky about his feelings for matthew looooong before he even thought of telling him. she takes a lot of pride in knowing jack trusted her like that.

even tho they haven’t always been as close as they are now, jack and sky share a lot of their secrets with each other. there isnt a lot of people they can trust besides each other and their chosen significant others.

when nina comes into the picture she really throws jack off his game. he’s usually a quiet broody pessimistic person, and nina comes in to his life being very outspoken and being an overall bubbly person and it takes him a bit to get used to her.

under different circumstances jack could see him and nina together but he’s grateful for their platonic relationship. he never had a true friend after him and matthew took the next step in their relationship.

nina has the biggest crush on sky and thinks shes being subtle but absolutely is not. she doesn’t even realize that sky is flirting back.

jack witnesses them flirting (sky is teaching nina to fight bc she believes no princess should be expected to help run a kingdom and not know how to defend herself) and when he catches nina alone after he is like “she’s flirting with you, you know?” and nina just has a “oh” moment

nina befriends a stray cat and brings it into the castle she names ollie. no one can be mad at her for it bc suddenly the mouse problem is gone.

although sky curses ollie frequently for bringing dead mice to her in bed

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

no thoughts, head empty, can’t sleep.. have Jack totally lamenting about his life

If fate is decided before you are even born, then Jack’s parents should not have been surprised with anything he had ever done. He had been disappointing since childhood when he abandoned royal luxury toys to play in the woods behind the castle with a stable hands son. The boy, Matthew, had taught Jack to use his imagination and to dream of things beyond the castle walls, and even beyond his kingdom. 

As they grew older, their childish ideals diminished, being replaced by the challenges of what their fathers referred to as being men. Men didn't play in the knights in the woods. Men learned their place in the world. Jack’s place was in the castle, learning to run a kingdom and court a princess. While Matthew’s place was apprenticing with the castle blacksmith. 

The woods held different meanings now. It was their woods, their escape. Their comfort at the end of a long day when the pressures of being young  men was too much. The woods held their secrets. Trees keep the best secrets. The secrets of hard conversations and stolen kisses. They watered the trees with their tears and fed them with laughter.  

Jack knew better than anyone else that no one gets to change their fate. If they could, Jack would be the perfect prince his parents dreamed of. Perhaps it was a good thing he couldn't change his fate. Matthew wouldn't fit into Jack’s life as the perfect prince. The life of a perfect prince was not a perfect life. 

Jack looked over to a sleeping Matthew, silently thankful for his fate. Fate gave him Matthew, and Matthew gave him the guts to live his life how he wished. He would never grow tired of waking up next to his fate. 

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

jacks fav way to cuddle (even if it’s not comfy for long) is just to completely lay on matthew and wait for matthew to wrap his arms around him. It makes him feel safe and loved and makes him forget everything going on

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

hey stupid head tell us about matthew

have this incoherent list of hc that makes no sense

Matthew is demi and jack is the only person he can truly ever see himself trusting fully and able to be with. They don't have a word for demi but when people ask him about his romantic life or anything he always just tells them there is only and will only ever be jack for as long as jack wants to put up with him

Matthew is the blacksmith for the castle so he is always busy building something but in his free time he makes little trinkets out of scrap metal. They are mostly animals but he also likes making flowers or tiny versions of everyday things like a cup or sword. He gives a lot of them to jack, but he also gives some to nina or sky. Jack thinks the tiny versions of things are hilarious, so that's the majority of what he gets, but he will also occasionally get a flower or an animal which are extra special to him.

When sky starts seriously trying to run the kingdom and takes over jack’s job of running the knight's order, matthew makes her special custom armor and weaponry. It's practical enough to keep her safe and allow her to fight, while still being artfully done.

When they were younger, sky and matthew didn't get along because he would pick on her, but now they think of each other as siblings they never asked for (and still pick on each other)

He is really good at baking. He doesn't have a lot of time to do it, but he loves every time he has the opportunity. His mother taught him how and it is his way to still feel close to her when he misses her

Matthew doesn't like to show any negative emotions (especially around jack) and pretends everything is fine when things feel like they are falling apart, and jack has learned to pick up on when things are too fine and will make matthew talk a break and relax with him. He can eventually get matthew to talk to him and let him help, and matthew is grateful for it.

Him and nina are really close and talk a lot about literally everything. Their friendship started with nina asking for advice on how to handle jack being his normal self and bloomed into them sharing everything about themselves and asking for advice about every little decision they make.

When nina told him about her crush on sky he was so excited and happy for her it took everything in him to not tell sky and just let nina figure it out. He just wants his friends to be happy

He is the tallest of the group (so like 5 inches taller than jack 9 inches taller than nina and like a whole foot taller than sky) and sometimes he gets tired of looking down at everyone and will do the Tall Person stand (you know the one where tall people stand with their legs way out ro be shorter) so he doesn't have to look down. He mostly does it with sky and it drives her insane

When jack competes in tournaments, matthew likes to bet on him to make extra money, and at one point it was a problem because he bet so much money and lost it, so now jack doesn't let him (but he still does)

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

the ‘oh shit’ when either jack or matthew realized they were in love/had a crush on the other person?

thank you for sending anon!! i took this a different route than i originally planned, but i think it turned out pretty good. i hope you enjoy it!!

A soft knock echoed through Jack's room while he was changing for bed. He quickly pulled his nightshirt on and made his way to the door. He could only guess who would be bothering him this late in the evening.

“Jack,” Nina whispered, peeking her head through the cracked door, not bothering to wait for him to answer. “Can I come in?”

Once again, she did not wait for his reply, and let herself inside, gently closing the heavy oak door behind her, trying not to draw attention to them. She was dressed in her nightgown, her braids pulled up out of the way, she looked as exhausted as he felt.

“Do I get a say in the matter?” Jack asked, not bothering to put any heat behind it. He had grown quite fond of Nina in the few months he had known her, and was one of the few people he would allow to interrupt his nightly routine.

“No,” Nina smirked at him before sheepishly averting her eyes to her feet.

“I didn't think so,” Jack remarked and fell on his bed. Something was obviously on Nina’s mind, but he had learned not to force people to talk. He of all people knew that finding the right words took time.

Nina took a moment to stare at him lying in bed before making her way over as well, standing at the edge as if to wait for permission to join him. He wiggled to the opposite side of the bed, opening up plenty of space for her. She gladly took the invitation and laid on her back next to him, leaving just enough space so they weren’t touching. Jack tilted his head to look at her, but she stared intently at the brick pattern of his ceiling. After a moment, Nina flipped on her side, propping herself up on her elbow to look down at him. He gave her a questioning look, waiting for her to open up why she needed to hijack his bed.

“You have known Matthew your entire life,” Nina said, not a question, but a confirmation.

The statement took him aback. He tilted his head in response, not understanding what she was going for. “I have known him for as long as I can remember,” he told her.

Nina just nodded, her eyes wandering around his room. The soft yellow light of the candles around the room reflected in her eyes. “How did you know you wanted to be more than close friends with him?”

“What is this about, Nina?” He questioned, unsure of why she wanted to know. The entire kingdom knew he was unofficially with Matthew at this point, but his true feelings for him were a well guarded secret he intended on keeping. Many thought he was just with the blacksmith to prove a point, and rebel against his title, and he was happy to let them continue to believe that.

“I am simply curious,” she admitted, but Jack knew there was more to it. “You're the only person I have ever known that has truly chosen their person, and not had them chosen for them.”

Jack pondered for a moment, searching her face for clues. She averted her eyes from his gaze. “Is this about Skylar,” he questioned, narrowing his eyes at her.

Nina ducked her head into her shoulder, attempting to hide. “Perhaps,” she mumbled.

Of course it was. Jack had seen their hushed hallway conversations, and the way they both got embarrassed when they saw him. He had seen Sky teach Nina to fight, saying she was doing it because no princess should be labeled helpless, but the way she always let Nina win told him otherwise.

“I already told you to just tell her how you feel,” he rolled his eyes. “I know she feels the same way. She is actually pleasant when you are around.”

Nina let out a dramatic sigh. That was obviously not what she wanted to hear. “That is what I wanted to ask you about. How did you know that's how you felt about Matthew. I want to be sure before I tell her.”

“I can't tell you how you feel, Nina,” he told her. “That's not how that works. Only you know how you feel.” Which wasn't necessarily true, as both her and Sky were painfully obvious about their feelings toward each other.

Nina gave him a pathetic, pleading look as her reply, and Jack rolled his eyes. He knew she wouldn't leave without him giving her the answer she was looking for, which was easier said than done. His relationship with Matthew was in the making for their entire life, and was never something he thought too hard about. Everything seemed to happen when it was supposed to, making their progression to their current relation seem simple. The most turmoil their relationship faced, both as friends, and as partners, was simply growing up. There was no uncertainty they wouldn't be in some sort of platonic or romantic relationship, and neither of them went searching for labels. They instead just let friendship progress into much more.

“I am not sure what to tell you,” Jack admitted. “Our situation was different from yours. One day we were friends, and the next we were more than friends. It just happened.”

“How did you know you were okay with being more than friends with Matthew,” Nina asked. Jack knew she wouldn't be satisfied with the answer. “There must have been a point when you realized there was a possibility there was more.”

Jack rubbed his eyes, too tired to fend off her questions, and searched his memory for the earliest feelings of Matthew. His memories of being a young adolescent were not his most fond, and were the most difficult to dig up, even the ones surrounding Matthew. There were so many emotions swimming around his head at the time that many memories were forgotten, but finally settled on one he was comfortable sharing.

“I remember asking my mother for advice once,” he started, unsure how to navigate the memory. Nina perked up, her eyes full of interest, ready to absorb every detail he was about to offer. “I must have been around thirteen or so. I was beginning to notice girls my age, and how they looked and made me feel.”

Nina let out a short giggle, not even attempting to hold it back.

Jack glared at her. “That was normal for a boy of my age,” he remarked before continuing. “Matthew made me feel the same way. I was genuinely confused why he made me feel that way as well. He was my closest friend, and I felt guilty thinking of him in such a way.” Nina nodded, letting him know she was still listening. “I didn't want to lose our friendship, so I went to my mother for help.”

Nina raised an eyebrow in question. “Your mother? Really?”

“Yes, my mother,” it still embarrassed him to think about. Now, he would never dream of going to her with something so personal. “I know it is hard to believe, but we used to be close.”

“What did you say to her,” Nina asked. She knew him well enough to know he almost never told the complete truth to his parents.

“I asked her what you're asking me now; how she knew she how she felt about my father.” At the time, Jack didn't fully understand royal marriages were often made out of treaty, not through feelings of fondness, but his mother understood what he was looking for. “She assumed I was asking because of a girl.”

Nina laughed again. “I am sorry,” she smiled. “I simply can't picture you noticing a girl, or speaking to your mother about your feelings.”

“That's because you know me now. This was before my parents lost all hope for me, and I wasn't going to correct my mother and tell her I was asking because I felt that way about Matthew.” It was hard for Jack to remember a time where his relationship with his parents wasn't stained, and where he wanted to do as he was told. As he expanded his relationship with Matthew, the less room he had for pleasing his family. “She told me she knew she had feelings for my father when she saw him and felt flutters in her stomach, and she couldn't help but smile. She felt safe around him, and could trust him with herself. She said that if someone makes me feel like that, then it is a sign they are possibly more than a friend. The next time I saw Matthew, I thought about what my mother said, and realized I felt the same way about him. I still do.”

“Ah,” Nina nodded, processing what he said. “Sky gives me stomach flutters, too. I feel comfortable when I am with her. I can trust her.”

Jack gave her a half smile, only confirming what he already knew. “Then tell her. Don't do what I did and hide it until it was unbearable. I know she feels the same way.”

“Did she tell you,” Nina asked, barely masking the desperation in her voice.

“No, but I am not blind.” He rolled on his side to mirror her. “It is just painfully obvious.”

“I know,” Nina rolled her eyes and groaned dramatically. “How do I even go about telling her, though?”

“Any way is better than what I did,” Jack admitted.

“Oh?” Nina questioned.

“Yeah,” Jack had been trying to block the memory out of his mind since it happened, but Matthew made it impossible by bringing it up every time he wanted to embarrass him. He never thought he would bring it up to embarrass himself. “Matthew loves to use it against me, I am surprised he hasn't told you.”

Nina shook her head, “He hasn't, we don't generally talk to you.”

Jack pretended to be hurt, “Well now you can ask him about this. We used to have a spot near the creek behind the garden walls. We were talking one day, and I just told him I wanted to kiss him, but instead of waiting for him to react, I ran back to the castle.”

Nina’s eyes widened, and she let out a piercing laugh. “You ran away,” she exclaimed.

Jack tried to shush her, suppressing his own chuckle. “Yes, so as long as you don't do that, you will be okay.”

“Knowing that, I feel a lot better,” she admitted and let herself fall back onto her back.

They laid together silence for a moment before Nina sat up and kicked her legs over the side of the bed.

“Where are you going,” Jack inquired, even though he was sure he knew the answer.

“To go see if Sky is still awake,” she looked over her shoulder at him and smirked. “I have to tell her the story of you telling Matthew how you felt about him.”

“I am glad my pain can bring you comfort,” he remarked, but returned the smile.

He watched her make her way to the door, opening it carefully to check if anyone was in the corridor. When she was satisfied there was no one watching she stepped out.

“Good luck,” Jack called out to her before she shut it again, though he doubted she actually needed it.

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

jack. my boy. my disaster boy.

matthew. the bestest boy around. the one full of love.

skylar. my badass. beautiful shit starter.

nina. my beautiful princess. the saving grace. we love her.

who wants to see the picrews of the ocs hehe

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

*ocs

Ask: Your ocs?

jack rowe: prince but doesn’t want to be. disaster bi. can be stupid. loves his bf matthew so much and would kill everyone in the world for him

skylar ‘sky’ rowe: jacks sister younger sister. typical younger sibling vibes. know it all. they got that traumatized sibling vibe

matthew stagge: grew up with jack, they were looks innocent but is really the one behind the ideas getting him and jack in trouble. good tall strong boy.

what else would you like to know :)