Kisses after midnight (WICKED #0) | ✓

34

JAY ALWAYS KNEW HE was horrible. It had been said to him so many times that he could recite the speech at this point, his tongue not bleeding anymore when he cut himself on the shattered words of glass and stone. He knew, and did still, even though right now had been the most at peace he had ever felt. When the principal announced the arrival of his father though, he could already taste the iron between his teeth.

He pulled nervously at the short sleeve of his Hugo Boss shirt, the ink covering his entire arms swirling as the tension in his muscles increased. Though it was something he had done for himself and he had never regretted it, it always was an unconscious move he made in the proximity of his father, the need to cover up burning in him. He hated that he wanted to hide the sole thing that gave him power, but despite his rebellious shouts, he still feared his father somewhere.

Cold men in powerful positions never meant much good, that was a truth he had learned long ago, when he had wanted to escape, but no one helped him. He still remembered the expression in his teacher's eyes all too well when she saw the new wounds his father had inflicted on his hands, still remembered how she had looked away.

Though he wanted to run now, he also didn't want to leave that man alone with his friends. Honestly, he already found it bad enough the principal had had to deal with him, never mind anyone else in the camp. So he squared his shoulders, clenched his fists and nodded tensely.

"I'll come with," he said.

"Your father's kind," Chase smiled at him," he even came to visit you!"

"Very kind," Jay murmured, not wanting to let his newfound stress shine through but not capable of saying anything better either.

Someone squeezed his hand then and he looked up at Sahar, her touch firm but gentle. When he felt her soft skin around his calloused hands, something in him wanted to cry. Instead, he smiled awkwardly at her and nodded, but before he could leave she pulled him back, still not having let go of his hand.

"I could come with," she offered.

"It's fine," he said quickly, not eager to have her see the way ambassador Ryder was behind closed doors," I'll be just a second."

She searched his eyes then, silently, her lips pulling up in a smile then as she placed her arms around his neck. His heart already skipped a beat, unsure what was happening, but she just hugged him, burying his face against the colorful fabric of her dress. Her Elie Saab perfume danced around him and he closed his eyes for a second, wondering if this was how unconditional love was supposed to feel like.

"Do hurry back," she said when she pulled back," without you here I seem like the only oblivious one when it comes to camping."

"Are you saying you just need me around so you seem better?" he frowned.

"Yes, silly," she smiled, smoothing the wrinkles out of his shirt," that's exactly what I'm saying."

He could feel her honey words seeping through his skin, sweetening his thoughts like sugar and stirring his mind with golden butterflies. So he didn't try to suppress his smile this time, instead nodding and walking towards the principal.

Mateo frowned at him when he passed and just when Jay was about to wave goodbye to him, he started walking with, causing him to stop.

"What are you doing?" Jay said slowly.

"You think you're going alone?" Mateo said," because if so, you're wrong."

"You're wrong," Jay said.

"Oh wow, what a comeback. You flamed me so hard I have to stay here and put ice on it for three whole minutes, because I'm a nice boy who follows safety regulat -"

Gabriela whacked him on his head then, rolling her eyes as Mateo fell to the ground in a very slow and dramatic motion. As soon as he was sprawled out on the ground she shook her head.

"Get up," she said.

"I am hurt," Mateo said, gently turning his head to the side and closing his eyes.

"If you don't get up now, you will be more hurt soon."

"What are you going to do?" Mateo said, grinning happily at her," smother me with your love? Let me choke on sweet nothings?"

"Slap you in the face."

Jay frowned at it all, before deciding to just leave. Right when he turned around though Mateo jumped to his feet, calling out after him.

"Wait!" he said, voice quieter when he spoke next," I meant it, you know. I'm here for you."

"Why are you acting like he's going to his death?" Chase said.

"Yeah," Jay said light-heartedly," you're being too dramatic, Mateo."

"He's always dramatic," Gabriela said," that's nothing new."

"It's only good then that you don't like change, Nena," he smiled at her.

She rolled her eyes, though she did allow him to press her against his chest, his eyes soft as morning light. When he turned towards Jay then that softness remained, in a way that almost broke his heart. Though he didn't speak, Jay knew what he was saying and he shook his head in response.

Mateo seemed to accept that, mouthing words at him then Jay could not understand, first of all because he couldn't read lips and second of all because Mateo was going so fast he probably couldn't have understood even if he could. Still, to avoid prolonging it any longer, he nodded solemnly, mouthing something incomprehensible back. At that Mateo beamed, a wide grin appearing on his face.

Ths feeling of dread had settled in his stomach, an ugly thing made of heavy memories and burning scars, but when the principal placed a hand on his back he could feel it dissipate ever so slightly. Over the days here Jay had found more comfort in the man than he had ever thought possible, in his calloused, dark skin and gentle, pine eyes; even those hideous tracksuits of his made him feel at home in a way now.

"I'm here, son," he said," I'll be with you the whole time."

"You don't have to be," Jay told him.

"I do though," he said," you are my son too, remember? Ambassador Ryder has got some competition, kid."

Happiness blossomed like roses in the dark places of his mind then and his lips tugged in a smile before he could stop himself, the motion awkward on him.

"Believe me," Jay said as they started walking," there's no competition."

The principal's grin got so bright then he had to look away for a moment, the sincerity in his eyes almost scalding compared to what he was used to. It felt wrong, like he didn't deserve to be on the end of eyes so loving, but when he glanced back and Sahar blew him a kiss, that flew out of his head. He stared at her, dumbfounded for a moment, and she gestured at him to catch it. When he did so, she gave him a cheeky smile and the clouds dawned down on earth to his feet.

They reached the clearing very soon, though it was empty now everyone was enjoying their off-time, no one there but one man. Ambassador Ryder stood tall in front of the wooden house, his straight posture immediately making Jay push his shoulders back as he remembered the way his father had disciplined him about his own. Never be an embarrassment to the name, Jae-Soo, he had said.

That was all he was to him in the end, a name.

When he heard the footsteps his father turned around, his thousand dollar smile reeking of power and his suit of wealth, a suffocating stench Jay almost choked on. As soon as he noticed his son, his tattoos, simple shirt and jeans, his eye twitched, a small movement few but Jay could discern, if only because he knew what followed after.

"Jae-Soo," his father said smoothly," how have you been?"