They Say I'm Home |Jay x Reader|

𝐂 𝐇 𝐀 𝐏 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑 𝐄 𝐋 𝐄 𝐕 𝐄 𝐍

𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣' 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙑𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐓 suffocating, but that didn't stop him from venturing forward. It was hot on the island. His clothes were clinging onto his skin, causing severe discomfort with each step he took, but if these people were capable of doing it, so was he. The sound of wet pavement under his feet filled his ears with every step that he took. His hands found their way into his coat pocket, fiddling with the string that untangled itself from the stitch.

His feet seemed to carry him from one section of the market to another with no specific destination in mind. He was curious about what the Isle had to offer him. He wanted to see what it was like to live here and experience what Mal and the other VKs experienced for the first sixteen years of their lives.

At least, that's what he tried convincing himself. Deep down, he knew that the only reason he was wandering around, exploring the Isle was to see what made this place so great that it managed to call Mal and Y/N back.

The young king walked into an open space, which was a little ways off from the market. A gentle smile on his face as he allowed his eyes to take in the landscaping and the buildings. He spotted a man, sitting on a chair behind a fish stand, his expression the one of a miserable man. After hearing his footsteps, the older man eyed Ben suspiciously. A shaky sigh escaped the brown-haired boy's lips before offering the stranger a warm smile. He continued walking, going deeper into the secluded area.

His eyes spotted a man leaning against a wooden beam, looking grumpy. A gentle smile formed on Ben's lips as he approached the stranger, his hand extended. "Hey—"

Before he could continue his greeting, the strange man grunted towards the younger boy as he approached him. It was a typical intimidation tactic that most people used on the Isle to intimidate the younger generations. Ben retreated his hand away from him, stumbling away from the man as his eyes widened in fear.

"Found him!" Someone called out, causing Ben's anxiety to spike. Had he been noticed? Recognized, even, by someone here? Gods, he hoped not. Evie gently pulled Ben away from the older man. "Ben, stop. Just stop." The brown-haired king watched as Jay, Carlos and Nakoa saturated in after Evie, Nakoa staying by his side while the other two went to go deal with the stranger. He was paying no mind to what Evie was trying to tell him.

Carlos walked up to the man and stood in front of him. "Hey," he spoke, his voice hard as he tried to get the man to back away from them. Jay pressed his lips together, a poor attempt to suppress a laugh. He pulled Carlos away from the taller male and took a protective stance. The man raised his hands in defeat and backed away, not wanting to deal with a herd of teenagers.

"Dude, what were you thinking?" Nakoa spoke, his breath heavy as he checked Ben for injuries.

Ben opened his mouth, but nothing came out at first. He pointed to where the man was standing seconds ago. "I-I was just—"

"This isn't a parade. It's the Isle," Evie cut him off, a stern look on her face as she eyed the king down.

Jay and Carlos joined them. "Keep your hands in your pockets unless you're stealing," Jay informed them.

"You either slouch or strut," Carlos added.

Evie looked at both of them, pointing an accusing finger in their direction. "And never, ever, smile."

"Noted. Tha—" Nakoa nodded but was abruptly cut off before he could finish his sentence.

"No!" Evie raised her hand in Nakoa's face. "No thank you's and drop the please, too." She looked at Ben. "Same with you. You're notorious for your—" she paused, trying to find the right word "—politeness."