Jonalot Week Day 1: Childhood
SUMMARY: The weather takes a turn for the worse when Jonah and Lancelot are out hunting for mushrooms.
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“We should hurry up,” Lancelot said, looking up at the sky. “It’s going to rain soon.”
Jonah’s head had been bent down as he searched the forest floor carefully, but he glanced up as well when he heard Lancelot speak. A pout formed on his lips as he found that there were indeed dark storm clouds covering the sky.
“I suppose,” Jonah sighed. A look of discouragement filled his face, making his brows lower and his eyes dimmer. Lancelot’s heart twisted as he saw that expression, and he was quick to reassure Jonah.
“We can come back tomorrow to look for them. I’m staying for at least three more days, remember?”
Jonah nodded and stood up, and Lancelot was relieved to see his expression clear and his eyes regaining their usual spark. “Of course, my lord! I’ll definitely find those mushrooms tomorrow and bring them to Luka!”
Lancelot could only smile at Jonah’s determination. Apparently, Luka had read about a special type of mushroom that could make a person taller or smaller in a picture book the other day, and Jonah insisted on going out to find such a mushroom to make Luka happy.
Privately, Lancelot doubted the existence of such mushrooms, but he couldn’t bring himself to discourage Jonah. Instead, he simply sighed, and resigned himself to a mushroom-filled week. He supposed that it wouldn’t actually matter, since he’d be with Jonah this entire time, and spending more time with Jonah was the entire reason why he asked his father to let him stay at the Clemence estate for the week.
As the boys began to make their way back to the house, small droplets of rain began to fall from the sky. Lancelot opened his umbrella, glad that he had the foresight to bring one along. Jonah, however, didn’t, so Lancelot held the umbrella carefully over both of them. Jonah peered up at him from beneath long eyelashes and smiled, slightly shy. Unable to help himself, Lancelot smiled back, feeling his heart melt a little.
The trail was slowly becoming slippery now. Lancelot was just about to warn Jonah to watch his step when he heard Jonah’s yelp and the thud of something falling onto the ground.
Lancelot dropped the umbrella and quickly knelt beside Jonah to prop him up. His gaze swept over Jonah, checking for injuries. Apart from a small scrape on his palm and being covered with mud, he seemed alright.
“Watch your step carefully when walking on slippery road,” Lancelot told him, extending a hand to help him stand.
Jonah took his hand, but when he moved to pull Jonah up, Jonah winced sharply. He would’ve fallen back into the mud if Lancelot hadn’t managed to catch him by the arm before that could happen.
Lancelot frowned, noticing the way Jonah seemed to favor his left foot over his right, “Let me see your ankle.”
Of course, Jonah tried to protest, but Lancelot simply ignored him and rolled up the hem of his trousers. Lancelot’s frown deepened as he saw a large bruise forming there. Jonah had probably sprained his ankle in his fall.
Making up his mind, Lancelot turned his back to Jonah and stooped down slightly. He looked behind him and, trying not to notice how large Jonah’s eyes had gotten, told him, “I’ll carry you back.”
“What!? N-no, my lord, I--” Jonah had devolved into a blushing, stuttering mess by now, barely able to form a sentence. Normally, Lancelot would’ve observed him with interest because he likes it when Jonah is flustered because of him, but this time is different. He didn’t want Jonah to be on his feet for another moment longer.
“Are you doubting the future King’s strength?” Lancelot interrupted him. He hadn’t wanted to play the King card, but he didn’t have many other options for getting Jonah back quickly.
“Of course not!” Jonah exclaimed. “But it’s just--it’s not proper, and besides, I’m covered in mud, I’ll just dirty you...”
“Jonah,” Lancelot said firmly. “I don’t care if I get dirty or not.” Seeing that Jonah was still hesitant, Lancelot used his last resort, the one thing that he knows Jonah will never fight him on, “You don’t want me to be out in the rain for any longer, do you?”
Jonah bit his lips as his eyes darted over Lancelot’s back, and Lancelot knew that he had won. He turned his face away to hide the smirk tugging at his lips as he felt Jonah climb onto his back.
“But what about the rain?” Jonah whispered, his breath tickling Lancelot’s ear. Lancelot shivered despite not being cold, and it took him a while to gather his thoughts again.
“I can use magic to levitate it,” Lancelot suggested. He had been practicing levitation for a while now, and he would love to have an opportunity to finally test it out.
“You can’t!” Jonah exclaimed. “Magic is supposed to shorten your lifespan, you know!”
Before Lancelot could convince Jonah that something so small wouldn’t affect him at all, Jonah had already picked up the fallen umbrella and held it over them both. Lancelot felt him sway slightly, unbalanced from having one arm up, and gripped his thighs tighter.
Lancelot made his way slowly back to the house. He could tell himself that it was because the road was too slippery to go any faster, but he knew deep inside that it wasn’t just that. He likes the feeling of Jonah’s weight on his back. He likes the sound of the rain hitting the umbrella that Jonah held over them both. He liked the way Jonah wrapped his remaining arm around Lancelot’s neck. He never wanted to let go of him.
As he walked, he heard a light giggle. Lancelot turned his head to look at Jonah, and found Jonah staring straight at him, cheeks bright and eyes brighter. Even though he never did end up finding those mushrooms and ended up spraining his ankle in the process, Jonah still looked deliriously happy.
Later, they would been found by the maids. Later, a doctor would have been summoned to look at Jonah’s ankles. Later, Lancelot would strip out of his mud-stained clothes, strangely sad to let them be washed.
But for now, Jonah shielded them both from the rain as Lancelot carried him home, and Lancelot wished this moment would never end.
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This fic is set at around a year after they first met, so Lancelot is 13 and Jonah is 11. I originally wanted to make this just a few months after they met, but then I realized that it would take at least a year before Jonah is less awkward around Lancelot, so.
Also the magical mushrooms are from the original Alice in Wonderland. No joke, the first time that I read Alice in Wonderland, I was obsessed with those mushrooms. Idk why, but they were the things that I focused on the most. I was like 8, and 8-year-olds are really weird.
