The Skam Nl Cast Makes Me Wish I Had A Solid Friend Group :((

the skam nl cast makes me wish i had a solid friend group :((

sneak peak!!

(tbh i didn’t really want to do this scene but i couldn’t help but notice the rave for sassy lucas and yes, i understand. this little shit deserves his time to shine.)

yikes, a lover’s quarrel is never fun but you know what is?

enemies to lovers ✨ t e n s i o n ✨(van der stoffels edition)

[side note] the events and character portrayals have been remodeled to fit my vision so it is not 100% accurate and by the book. it’s just a general play on the og characters sort of fitting the skam character moulds

as much as i would love for the skam nl and wtfock universes to crossover for vds purposes (yes ik both shows are over), i believe we were also robbed of seeing the boy squads meeting each other.

you cannot tell me it wouldn’t have been the most chaotic group of friends ever and i would’ve ate it up every single episode.

you were my crown

chapter 5

Ao3

~^~ For the entire week, Lucas seemed to adjust well.

He knocked on Jens’s door and waited impatiently for Jens to drag himself out of bed before entering. (This might’ve had something to do with the guards, or it could be that Lucas actually was listening to him. Jens could know it was the first and still tell himself the latter.) He’d hesitantly started riding lessons with Sander, and seemed more upset about Jens always accompanying than his less-than-stellar capabilities. He’d taken to the duties of a servant without a hint of hesitation; his hands already knew their way around a stable, a wash basin, a bedroom. Jens could admit Lucas certainly had talented hands.

Jens also noticed that Lucas seemed to get along fine with most of the others. He and Sander seemed to get closer by the day, and he seemed to hold an easy respect for Robbe, softening every time in the face of the youngest’s kindness. He even shared an odd camaraderie with Lies that irritated Jens most.

Because of course, with Jens, he still insisted on being entirely insufferable.

It was made worse by the moments in between. They were rare, but Jens caught each and every one of them and clung on. Times he couldn’t help but laugh at one of Lucas’s smart remarks, even when they were always at his expense, and Lucas clammed up in surprise, staring at Jens with twitching lips. Lucas’s own laughter was even rarer, but even more appreciated. He would give a huff or snort at Jens’s expense on occasion; and then there were the blessed times when Lucas seemed to be feeling kind, and his lips curled in amusement along with Jens.

Jens thought they might have just settled into the jabs and barbs so quickly that it now seemed wrong to abandon them, and maybe they were actually forming their own deformed brand of friendship.

He couldn’t say he disliked it entirely. Some part of him had grown a little fond of Lucas’s teasing, when he realised there wasn’t much true malice behind it. Not often, anyway.

But it could be better, so this something wasn’t enough.

Jens rarely had the opportunity to get to know someone the way he could with Lucas. The only time he’d ever really made friends was with Moyo and Aaron, and even they were still based on circumstance. They were the only Lords’ sons his age around. Robbe, Senne, and Sander had all become close to him through necessary proximity. That didn’t mean he didn’t really love them, or thought they didn’t really love him, but it was different. It was another thing Jens thought had been handed to him. He knew if he was unlikable they still didn’t have to like him, but it was different.

Lucas was the first person Jens had chosen for himself.

He didn’t feel that the circumstances mattered in this instance. Jens had been the one to look at him and listen to him and choose not only to stand up for him, but to have him stand by his side. He didn’t know what it was, but something had drawn him to someone for the first time in his life.

And that someone was insistent on pushing him away.

But he wouldn’t let it hurt. Lucas was doing good—he was getting better by the day. That meant he was keeping himself safe. That was what mattered.

The morning Jens woke up on his own with the sun high behind the curtains was when he knew Lucas had finally messed up.

It was a fuzzy realisation in his half-asleep state, but he woke up quickly. He sprung into a sitting position and flitted his eyes around the room. Him, asleep; curtains closed; table devoid of breakfast. He didn’t know exactly what time it was, but he knew it wasn’t as early as usual.

Which meant Lucas was late.

Jens could do nothing more than sit in his confusion for the few minutes it took to hear a loud knock on the door. He stumbled out of bed, preparing himself to scold Lucas for being late. He was tripping over with his foot caught in the bedding when the door swung open, and now he was readying to scold Lucas for never waiting for permission.

But Lucas always waited, now, so that wasn’t right, either.

It wasn’t Lucas. It was Sander.

Jens stumbled free and managed to get out, “What—“

“The carriage never got here,” Sander interrupted without preamble. “It’s almost an hour late.”

“An hour?” Jens kicked his fallen bedding out of the way with a string of quiet profanities before walking closer to Sander. His heart picked up speed as his throat filled with questions. He asked, “Does she know?”

Sander nodded grimly.

Jens swore again and rushed to his wardrobe, flicking through in search of a worn tunic. “What do you know? Did you hear anything?”

“No. Like I said, the carriage hasn’t come. That could be the problem. It may never have even gotten there. It could have been raided, something could have happened the horses…anything.”

Jens considered. “It might not be Lucas.”

Sander shook his head, shrugging. “He could be trudging his way here, cursing you for messing up.”

“Let’s hope so,” Jens sighed, settling into his clothes before sitting down to shove on his boots. “Go look for him. Ride out; take Senne.”

Sander bowed slightly, then raised a brow. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to try to convince my mother not to kill him when he does get here.”

“She can’t do anything if it’s a simple mistake, surely.”

Jens looked up at him, stood, and raised his brows back.

Sander pursed his lips and gave a curt nod. “Okay, I’m going.” He strode away, threw open the door, and almost rammed straight into Robbe.

Robbe clasped onto Sander’s shoulders and squeaked an apology, then said, “Jens. You need to come to the drawing room, right now.”

Jens didn’t waste any time arguing. He ushered Robbe to lead the way and followed after him, feeling Sander at his back. He knew what would be waiting for them, but he also didn’t have a clue. It was Lucas, one way or another. Something had happened to Lucas, or something was about to happen to Lucas.

Jens hoped that, either way, it wasn’t his fault. He didn’t need to give Lucas any more reasons to hate him.

“She’s not in the middle of killing him, is she?” Sander asked, optimistic as ever.

Robbe grimaced. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem, actually. It’s not like that.”

“What?” Jens almost clipped Robbe’s heels, and slowed down only to have Sander step on the back of his boot. “What do you mean?”

Instead of answering, Robbe pushed him into the drawing room, where his mother, Lies, and Lucas already stood, surrounding a woman who sat in one of the plush armchairs. It took Jens a second to realise it was Lucas’s own mother, Tess. She lit up when she saw him.

“Jens,” she greeted, all excited warmth, before catching herself. “Your Highness. It’s so lovely to see you again.”

Jens met Lucas’s eyes briefly, and they gave no indication of what was going on. Robbe and Sander lingered at the door, and Robbe gestured towards the hallway, silently telling Jens they would be nearby. Jens wanted him to stay, but he nodded in acknowledgment. As they left, he moved closer to the others and smiled as kindly as he could. “Tess,” he returned, wincing at the clear confusion in his voice. “Is everything alright? Can we do something for you?”

Her eyes widened and she quickly flapped a dismissive hand. “No, no, I’m not here to ask anything of you. It’s just about Lucas. You understand, I can’t let him walk around alone, don’t you? It’s not safe.”

“Not safe,” Jens repeated, tilting his head, flickering his eyes to Lucas again. “I assured you, Lucas is well taken care of here. Have we done something wrong?”

“No,” Lucas said quickly, looking at the Queen.

“Not you,” Tess agreed. “Them. The ones painting my son as a criminal. He’s no criminal! I was there!”

Before Jens could reassure her or Ellis could make a cutting remark, Lies stepped in. She neatly stepped up to Tess and took the woman’s hand, squeezing in comfort. “Of course,” she said softly. “We won’t argue with what you know. But what makes you think anyone intends to do harm? It is more likely a mistake has been made, no?” When Tess hesitated, Lies frowned. “Has anyone made you feel threatened, Tess?”

“Someone is lying about him,” Tess insisted. “He shouldn’t be left out alone.”

Jens wanted to respond. He should point out that Lucas wasn’t alone, that the carriage had been sent for him every morning and obviously must have brought them both here. He shouldn’t say that it was unlikely Tess would be able to do much in the way of protecting Lucas, anyway, and the boy would likely be less afraid heading into whatever possible danger there was alone. Before he could say anything, Lucas grabbed onto his arm.

The touch was so unexpected that Jens froze up, feeling the contact zap through him and root him in place. It was only the thin layer of Jens’s sleeve separating their skin.

“Jens, I need to talk to you.” His voice was tighter than his grip. It was clear that, whatever he had to say, he would rather have kept to himself. But there was a request there now that Jens wouldn’t deny.

He nodded and drew his arm towards himself, bringing Lucas closer. Before he could guide the boy away, however, his mother clasped his shoulder with a warning look.

Lies tugged gently on Tess’s hand. “While you’re here, can I show you around? You can see where Lucas is spending all his time, and I can get you something to drink.”

“Lucas,” Tess began.

“I need Lucas for a moment, if you don’t mind, Tess,” Jens butt in. “He won’t be far, and you’re in good hands with Lies, I promise.”

She waited for Lucas’s nod before carefully accepting the offer, letting Lies guide her out of the room. Lucas and Jens remained, with Ellis staring at them expectantly.

“Why does she think you’re in danger?” Jens asked, cutting right to what bothered him most. He didn’t want to let the conversation be derailed into an argument right off the bat.

Lucas winced. “She’s sick,” he said, quiet and anxious. Jens had never seen him portray such emotion, and even now he was concealing it as much as he could. Desperation was the only reason it slipped through the cracks. “I know that’s not the best way to describe it, but I don’t know how else to explain. She gets this way, with all of these ideas, and she can’t be talked out of it, but afterwards…” He turned to Jens now, and he wore a fierce expression, but his eyes were pleading. “I can’t leave her alone.”

Jens wanted to reach out and comfort. He clasped his hands together and squeezed tightly, then changed his mind. He set a careful hand on Lucas’s arm. Lucas didn’t shake him off.

“Mother,” Jens started.

The Queen was looking at the door, after Lies and Tess. She turned to the two of them and said, “She will stay here.”

Lucas’s parted lips were the only show of surprise. Jens was sure even he looked more dumbfounded. “What? Really?”

“I understand what he means,” Ellis said, addressing Jens only, it seemed. “I will not ignore an unwell woman, not when I have the facilities to help. Just as I have let Robbe and his mother stay here for years.”

Jens did not know what to say. He wanted to point out how very different it was. Robbe was family, and Ellis had always adored him and his mother. His mother, who had been a Lady, and already a friend of the Queen’s. To him, at least, the difference was glaringly obvious; Lucas was essentially a prisoner.

Was Ellis making Tess one, too?

Was Jens horrible for even thinking she would?

Robbe hadn’t been family before getting here, he reminded himself. Ellis did not seem ill-intentioned or conniving in her offer; as sure of herself as ever, but with no hints of a hidden agenda, no signs of cunning. Maybe Jens should trust the process. Maybe this was their chance.

“But,” Lucas started, and then quickly snapped his mouth shut. Jens understood they were feeling the same. Lucas did not want to trust the offer, or even believe it, but he couldn’t bring himself to risk arguing, either. He hadn’t quite swallowed his suspicions down, however, before saying, “That is a kindness I don’t know how to accept, Your Majesty.”

Ellis lifted her chin. “Good thing the offer is not for you, then. I will discuss it with her myself. You can be grateful that it makes your job easier, now.” She looked from Lucas to Jens and back, then walked out before any of them could put in another word.

They were locked in silence for a moment, and then Lucas stepped back abruptly, pulling his arm from Jens’s touch as if it had burnt him. Jens had forgotten his hand was still on him. It felt more natural to have contact with Lucas than it probably should have, considering Jens had touched him less than a dozen times so far.

“What was that?” Lucas asked, voice wobbly as he stared down at his wobbly hands. He looked up at Jens. “Why would she do that?”

Jens pursed his lips. “She’s not a bad person, Lucas. I believe she meant it.” For now.

“But she doesn’t understand. You don’t understand,” Lucas corrected. “She’s sick, but it isn’t—I can’t—“

Jens took a hesitant step closer to him, but was careful not to encroach. “We do. Robbe’s mother, she has similar problems. Yasmina calls them episodes, when the delusions come, or other times when she…she gets kind of sad? Almost goes mute. But she’s gotten better,” he added, comfortingly. “Since staying here, she’s been given a lot of help, not just by Yasmina. There are ways it can be improved, so that it isn’t so intense.”

“She isn’t crazy,” Lucas said savagely.

“Of course she isn’t. Did I say something that implied—“

“She doesn’t need your help. I’m the one who takes care of her.”

That, he had a much easier answer for. “That’s why my mother said it will make your job easier. Now you can stay here. In the adjoining chambers, like you’re supposed to.” Jens smiled, feeling hopeful, unusually nervous, something in his heart jumping and kicking.

Lucas didn’t look as pleased with the offer as he had hoped, hands curling into fists at his sides before unfurling again, fingers stretching towards the floor. Jens’s gaze clung to them because it was easier than watching Lucas’s frustrated scowl. “Why are you so determined to make my life miserable?” he demanded.

“What?” Jens deflated. “I’m not. I’m trying to do you a favour.”

“That’s what you always say.”

“That’s what I always mean,” Jens insisted.

Lucas’s lips twitched and a muscle in his jaw jumped, holding something back.

Jens felt tired, all of a sudden. “Why do you always make it harder? Why won’t you just accept my help when it’s offered?”

“You aren’t doing any of this to help me,” Lucas exclaimed, taking a step closer. “This is for you. Everything’s always for you. I would have been better off with your mother’s death sentence.”

“And how well off would your mother be then, huh?” Jens snapped.

Lucas recoiled as if he’d punched him. His gaze darkened even further, but Jens only softened his own.

“This is for her. She will be taken care of, Lucas. I swore that I wouldn’t let harm come to you, and I know nothing would hurt you more than any harm coming to her.” Jens knew he was on the right track when Lucas’s harsh expression, and then his head, dropped, leaving him staring at the floor. “You won’t be cut off from her. You will be nearby at any time now should she need you.”

Lucas still clearly didn’t want to give in. Jens needed to give another little push. He took another step closer, and Lucas’s gaze shot up to him. “I could tell from that first moment watching you that you weren’t a bad person. I chose right then to put my trust in you, hoping it was the right decision, and hoped that you would prove it to me eventually. Now I’m asking you to sleep with only a meager wall and single door between us, still hoping you’ll prove me right. But you haven’t had any tests to see if you could trust me, and I know that. So let me to prove it to you through this.”

The speech, unsurprisingly, earned him a look of pure disbelief. “Your test of trust is with my mother’s life?” Lucas asked, with a high-pitched laugh of derision.

“I am trusting you with mine,” Jens said.

“You could kill me at any moment easier than I could lay a finger on you. You made a point of showing it, the first day.”

“And I haven’t. So, really, that should be enough to earn your trust already.”

Lucas stared at him, then grit his teeth. “I’m already late. I should be working, or these arguments will all be pointless when your mother simply has me hung.” He spun on his heel before Jens could argue, and disappeared in a second.

Jens blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, trying to catch his bearings.

Then Lucas’s head popped back through the door.

“Have you had breakfast?” he asked, reluctantly.

Jens wordlessly shook his head.

“It’ll be in your chambers in five minutes.” Lucas didn’t move, but looked away, then back at him. “I’ll have mine in my new room.”

He left before his words could sink in and he could catch Jens grinning dopily after him.

|*~^~*|

Jens instantly realised that it was strange, having Lucas so close. His comment about breakfast was clearly his way of giving in without hurting his pride, but Jens refused to actually let him use the damp and dusty room adjacent to his own that hadn’t been used in…honestly, he couldn’t recall if it had ever been used. So they had breakfast together in Jens’s room, which was not the wholly unusual part, but which felt different already, anyway.

It wasn’t until the day had passed as normal, and Lucas was there to snuff out his fire and blow out the last lingering candles before stepping through the door on the far wall of Jens’s room, closing himself away to sleep and stay so close, that the strangeness of the situation sunk in.

Lucas was right there. Behind the door that Jens couldn’t stop staring at. Jens wouldn’t have to go through anybody else to get to him. He was right there, probably not freaking out half as much as Jens, despite how obviously stranger it must have been for him. He could be sleeping already, curled up on the single cot, snoring softly. Did Lucas snore? If he did, should Jens be able to hear it?

He listened, heard his own breath, held it, and listened some more. He could still hear nothing but his own pulse in his ears.

He rolled away from the door and forced his eyes shut.

What did it matter that Lucas was just there? He was just…there. It didn’t make all that much difference. They weren’t suddenly exchanging goodnights; Lucas had not even looked at him during this new task of leaving him in the dark. Lucas hadn’t treated him any differently all day. If anything, he’d only been more anxious to sneak away, checking on his mother in every moment he could find.

Jens should probably be thinking more about Tess, too. She had balked at the Queen’s suggestion at first, and adamantly refused. Jens had been the one to gently persuade her, and Lucas had given him the stink-eye during the whole interaction. But he had reluctantly softened, Jens noticed, when Tess did, looking at Jens and responding kindly and taking his hand as if she already held a fondness for him. Maybe he should be thinking more about Tess. He wasn’t even sure which room she was staying in, and she might have been the key to his whole problem.

He rolled onto his back, frustrated. Lucas would only hate him more, hearing him think that. It didn’t matter that Jens didn’t mean it in any manipulative sense. It sounded bad, even to himself.

Having weirdly panicked non-thoughts about Lucas had probably been better than this. He rolled onto his other side and returned to staring at the door.

Lucas was just behind it. Jens could get up and open the door and be able to look at him. But why the hell would he do that? It didn’t matter. It was unusual. Jens didn’t think anyone had ever stayed in that room. They were just a door away from him.

He wondered what Lucas thought of it, because of course, he had given no reaction when Jens had proudly presented it to him other than a mumbled ‘thanks’. It was much smaller than Jens’s room, with not even half as much furniture or decor, but it was a considerable upsizing from Lucas’s home. Lucas probably hated that, too, on the basis of some principle Jens would not understand and that Lucas would cling tighter to precisely because Jens would not understand.

Jens was getting to know him very well, he realised, with only half sarcasm.

But he couldn’t figure out what Lucas thought of the room, or if Lucas was sleeping as he ought to, or staring at the door like Jens. He didn’t know if Lucas snored, if he was sleeping, or if he seemed more peaceful or happy in his sleep, without that furrow in his brow, or if he was sleeping well or what position he slept in or if he slept without a shirt like Jens or if he had dreams or nightmares often or if he was thinking about this half as much as Jens was. He concluded that the last question was one he could probably answer on his own, and Lucas probably wasn’t thinking about hi—the same questions at all.

But he kept trying to figure it out, anyway, and avoided wondering why he felt any of it was important, and dreaded the thought that every night from now on would have the same questions, the same crisis.

It was enough to eventually fall asleep because he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. But he kept his eyes directed at the door until then, and afterwards Lucas was there, curled up in the darkness behind Jens’s lids without that furrow between his brows, sleeping peacefully where Jens could see him.

|*~^~*|

Two days after Lucas moved in, Jens found him cornered by Lotte in the hallway.

This would not be surprising or alarming if they had already met. Instead, Lucas had managed to go through all of his time here without ever being introduced or running into the little Princess. It was hardly all luck; Jens was willing to bet his mother had something to do with it. It would be easy, considering Lotte still stayed closest to the Queen’s own rooms and had classes with her tutor and maids for too many skills for Jens to keep track of. Ellis seemed to be purposefully short on details when Lotte asked about Lucas, and Lotte was smart enough to know she wasn’t going to get anywhere. She had been bugging Jens to let her meet him instead, on the simple basis it was unfair that she was the only one who didn’t even know what he looked like. Jens had always had to say no because he’d never been able to find Lucas at the time.

Now, it seemed like she’d managed it herself.

“Who are you?” Lotte demanded, with all the air of authority she’d learned from her siblings. Then, not even leaving a second to respond, “You’re him, aren’t you?”

Lucas blinked, looking shocked speechless. “Who?”

“Lucas.” They both snapped to attention as Jens joined them, Lotte with a small, sheepish smile and Lucas with a straighter spine. Jens nodded at him and gestured at the Princess. “This is my little sister, Lotte, who usually remembers more manners than that.”

Lotte made a small sound of protest, but Jens was wholly enraptured with Lucas’s softening features, his lips curving in the barest of smiles. “Oh,” he said. “I’m sorry, I should have known that.” He did a gracious dip; not quite as polished as Sander’s usual bow for the girl. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess. I’m Lucas van der Heijden.”

Jens would not be upset that Lucas showed the youngest member of the family more courtesy than he’d shown him. He was good with children. That was sweet. Like his smile.

Lotte flushed, but then shook her head. “You can call me Lotte, like Robbe and Sander do. And Senne and Jens’s other friends.”

“And Yasmina, and Luca, and anyone else who treats you like the favourite, right?” Jens raised a brow.

Lotte scowled and elbowed him pointedly.

Jens bent slightly as a burst of breath escaped him, but wasn’t derailed from looking at Lucas. “Don’t let her fool you. She’ll treat you like the favourite, too, but she’s not as sweet as she looks.”

Lucas only watched him in amusement. Then he looked to Lotte and very subtly rolled his eyes. (It could not have been more obvious.) Lotte giggled back, and Lucas’s smile widened a fraction, and Jens should’ve been annoyed that Lucas was getting along with absolutely everyone else on the basis of teaming up on him.

But, well. Sweet. He supposed.

Still, he couldn’t show that he was swayed that easily. He tapped Lotte’s shoulder. “Aren’t you supposed to have a dozen or so classes now? What are you doing harassing my servant?”

“I’m not harassing anyone,” she said, indignant. “I wouldn’t have had to if you let me meet him before.”

Jens held his hands up. “Don’t blame me. And don’t avoid the question.”

She pouted and gave a slight shrug.

“What are you doing?” Lucas asked him, in what should have seemed like a retaliation but wasn’t. His expectant expression made it clear he thought the answer might be ‘looking for you’.

Jens could have said that, and he wouldn’t have been lying. But he did have a more prominent reason. “I was going to ask some more questions about the Ackermans’ stay.”

Lucas pursed his lips, and now his expression just said, Ah.

Jens had been mostly avoiding thinking about it, if he was entirely honest. Every time he remembered, a tangled ball of unwanted emotions lodged itself in his chest and made him flighty with anger and anxiety. His mother had no right to make this decision for him; he was sticking by that. He wasn’t sure if it quite explained why the whole ordeal made him feel sick. Why what it might lead to made him feel sick.

He really had liked Jana, once upon a time, did have that boyhood crush on the beautiful Princess, which seemed unavoidable. And it wasn’t that Jens hadn’t thought about her in the years since; but in the way of missing a friend, not a lover.

Lucas, stuck with Jens as he was, hadn’t heard this spiel. Robbe was the only one Jens spoke to about it in any detail. The others, however, had all become victims of his sour mood and been given a gruff explanation in the first couple of days. It was enough for the one mention to make Lucas wary.

Between all of that, and the recent living developments, Jens was running pretty low on sleep.

“We’ll leave you to it, then,” Lotte said lightly. It would have come across better if she hadn’t winced.

Jens sighed, stroked her head briefly, and said, “Don’t miss anything. Go on, get Lucas to escort you if you want, then let him get back to work, okay?”

It dragged both of their smiles back as Lotte shyly glanced at Lucas and turned to lead the way. This was what made Jens a good prince—he was born to please. “Okay,” Lotte agreed, hugging him quickly around the waist before scampering off.

Lucas followed, but paused and glanced back at Jens. Whatever he wanted to say didn’t come, but he raised his brows at Jens instead. Jens nodded his assurance, feeling oddly touched, and Lucas nodded back once before disappearing, too.

Jens continued on his original trek to his mother’s chambers, and stopped when he found the door ajar. Brow furrowed, he nudged it another inch to poke his head through, but stopped again instead when he caught the shimmering glint of chain mail.

“It’s not wise,” De Smet’s deep voice slunk towards him. “He should not have been allowed to stay in your son’s chambers. You know the threat he poses.”

Jens’s heart knocked against his ribs, but he stayed stock-still as he heard his mother sigh. “I do not have to explain my decisions to you, Mathias, and certainly not this many times. I did it for the woman, not the boy. And I will not keep shooting down my son’s orders.”

“You should. He needs to be warned. The boy shouldn’t have been let live, never mind allowed so close.”

“Jens will not be warned,” Ellis said, half-exasperated and half-dismissive. “I don’t believe that telling him anything would cause the reaction you’re looking for. Jens is soft. If anything, curse Lucas too much, and it will fall on deaf ears.”

De Smet shifted, moving his back out of Jens’s sight and, presumably, closer to the Queen. “It is a dangerous game, Ellis. His kind only rot and let it spread.”

“Then let us hope,” Ellis bit back, “that Jens will dig himself out first. The boy will slip up on his own. You need not spread this urgency and push him further under Jens’s protection. Have some trust and some patience.”

De Smet sighed, now, and the clunk of his boot brought him back to where Jens could see before Jens quickly made himself scarce.

|*~^~*|

His anger had only soared to new heights after the encounter, and it pushed him to seek out Sander. He found him in the lower halls this time, heading towards the kitchen for an early lunch with Lucas at his side. They both came to a stop before Jens quite reached them, Lucas with his usual disinterest and Sander with his usual smirk.

“Don’t,” Jens said, before the knight could get a smart word in. “I am not in the mood.”

Sander’s brow twitched. “Clearly.”

“Did it not go well?” Lucas asked. “Your questions.”

Jens looked at him and felt something fierce thrum through him. He pursed his lips, giving a slight shake of his head. “She wasn’t there,” he lied. Which probably wasn’t the best way to earn Lucas’s trust, but better than the truth. Which was that he’d eavesdropped on more plans for Lucas’s eventual demise and ran away before he could get caught.

At least his mother could sit in the comfort of being right. Jens only felt more anger towards them and more protective of Lucas after hearing their words.

Why did they still think he was such a threat? Jens thought that if Lucas really wanted to do away with him, he would’ve found a way by now.

So unless he had Jens under a spell and this was what left his thoughts running every night, leaving him to eventually die a slow death by exhaustion, he was harmless.

“Do you have enough energy left for a training session first?” Jens asked Sander before any of them could question him further, or outright call out his lie.

Sander rolled his head and blew out a breath, considering. “For you, I suppose.” He nodded towards his companion. “But I already promised Lucas I wouldn’t abandon him, and he gets his lunch along with yours.”

Jens huffed, then shrugged it off. “Actually, that works out fine. He can train with us.”

Lucas gaped at him. “Your mother wants to kill me because she thinks I stole a sword, and now you want to teach me how to use one?”

Jens flushed, even while pausing to think about it. “Well, honestly, I probably would, but I meant for hand-to-hand combat. It might stop the guards from thinking they can manhandle you if you know how to break their wrists.”

This got Lucas’s attention.

Meanwhile, Sander clutched at his chest and tipped his head back with a dramatically pleased sigh. “Gosh, I enjoy it when you lose all that princely propriety.”

He spoke with an odd amount of genuity for words that were obviously sarcastic. Jens was hardly proper. Lucas’s lips twitched in amusement, as if he was thinking the same thing.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jens said. He nudged at Sander’s shoulder until Sander changed direction, turning back the way he and Lucas had come. Jens fell into step behind and Lucas hesitantly followed alongside.

“Where do you do…this?” he asked after a moment.

Jens glanced over, then nodded towards the windows. “The knights train outside in different groups, depending on their title. I sometimes lead sessions and train with them, but Sander and I got into the habit of one-on-one when he came to us and I helped catch him up. There are plenty of unused rooms down here by the weapons hall.”

“Catch up?”

Sander looked around at them. “I told you, I haven’t been here long. My training followed the usual process, but it was much more accelerated. But it meant I got special treatment and supposedly learned from the best, and now I can leave them in the dust.”

He threw Jens a wink, and Jens rolled his eyes. “We’ll see about that.”

Lucas was biting down another smile.

Jens waited in the middle of the room for Sander as the knight shuck off his coat and left himself in a light grey tunic. Lucas hovered by the doorway and examined the empty room, the blank stone walls only brightened by the odd lantern and a lone tapestry. Lucas moved to examine it, and Jens wished him luck. It was too worn and faded to depict anything with much clarity. Jens wasn’t sure how old it was or how long it had been here, or if anyone else even knew it existed. Sander had examined it with care at first too, however, so perhaps Jens just wasn’t enough of an artist to understand. To him it was only another battle on another field, this one blurrier than the rest.

“Alright, Lucas, you wanna see how it’s done?” Sander called to him, meeting Jens in the center of the floor.

Lucas turned to face them and crossed his arms, giving a slight shrug. The curiosity was clear in his face.

“We’ll explain as we go.” Sander winked at Jens and spread his feet into a fighting stance, then gave a beckoning flick of his fingers.

Jens narrowed his eyes and mimicked the other’s position, then held. Sander grinned and lunged first. He was quick, being almost a head smaller than Jens, and knew his strength, but Jens had the advantage of experience. He tracked the blow and could have easily caught it, but instead he spun out, not letting his stance falter. Sander followed and narrowed his eyes.

Jens allowed a glance at Lucas. It would have been easy for Jens to land Sander on his back, but somehow, he thought that would have annoyed Lucas more than it would have impressed him. He needed to let Sander show just how good he was, and then Jens could prove that he was better. He met Sander’s eyes, and knew they had come to the mutual decision to put on a show.

Sander snorted quietly, but simply rolled his shoulders before going again.

They traded blows and parries, dancing their way around the room without getting too close to where Lucas hung at the sidelines. Sander started calling out tips as he moved, turning them into jokes more than helpful drops of wisdom. Still, Lucas seemed to be listening, from the few glimpses Jens got.

It was marvelous at replacing the tension in Jens’s muscles, and that was the important thing. It was energy instead of anger thrumming through him now, and Lucas was nearby, and there wasn’t anything immediate to worry about. This, Jens could manage.

Eventually he feinted a blow and caught Sander off guard, making him wobble and stumble back. Jens grinned, letting the anticipation of the win fill him as he checked to make sure Lucas was watching, before he found his back to the wall with the wind knocked out of him.

“Most important lesson,” Sander called, to where Lucas was hiding a smirk behind his hand. “Never take your eyes off your opponent or immediate threat. Don’t assume you’ve won before the fight’s over.” He braced his arm over Jens’s chest like he was leaning against a particularly sturdy post, rather than holding him back, and looked over his shoulder to offer Lucas another one of those winks, and Jens swept his feet out from under him.

Sander sprawled on his back with a grunt and let his arms flop to the sides. Before Jens could even speak, he let out a loud sigh.

Jens knocked Sander’s boot with his own and gazed down at him. “You were saying?” Sander flipped him off and he huffed, then addressed Lucas without looking up. “Most important lesson. Never let your guard down. Don’t assume the fight’s over before you’ve won.”

He looked up, and the most marvelous thing happened—Lucas grinned at him.

Then he was staring at the ceiling.

He wheezed as he hit the floor, and wondered if the burst of laughter he heard was actually Lucas or a result of the daze he was in. Sander kicked his leg from his own position on the floor, where he’d obviously found it appropriate to take Jens down with him. “You were saying?” Sander drawled.

Jens probably deserved that.

He watched Sander get to his feet and pushed himself onto his elbows, and then Lucas was there, offering a hand. Jens stared at him for a moment, then clasped it carefully, letting Lucas haul him up with surprising strength. Lucas released him instantly, but the feeling lingered in his fingertips much more than it had with that first brief touch outside the carriage.

Lucas brushed dirt off the back of Sander’s shoulder and was rewarded with a smile, and Jens tried not to feel bitter as he dusted himself off. Lucas was his servant, for Heaven’s sake.

“Your turn?” Sander asked him. He nodded at Jens, and Jens froze with his hands on the bottom of his tunic.

Lucas considered him, then shrugged. “I learn better by doing.”

Jens shouldn’t have felt any hesitance. It wasn’t as if Lucas would provide tough competition. He swallowed. “If you’re alright to wait for lunch for a bit longer, then sure.”

“I can’t promise I’ll be as much fun,” Lucas said.

Jens eyed him as he traipsed back to the middle of the floor, pointing at where Lucas should stand in front of him. Lucas rolled the sleeves of his tunic up to his elbows as Jens and Sander had and positioned his feet with Sander’s guidance. Jens watched him before saying, “I think you’ll surprise us.”

Jens came to the realisation quite quickly that he was unprepared for Lucas’s hands on him, and the earlier touch did nothing to lessen the effect. Lucas had kept Jens at a distance as much as he could. He’d had no reason so far to help Jens dress, and while he prepared every bath, he’d made sure not to be in the room any time Jens had one. Normal servants wouldn’t blink, but Lucas hadn’t been raised with that teaching. Jens didn’t really think it was all about modesty, but it came back to trust. It didn’t matter that Jens should be the vulnerable one in those instances; it was too close either way for someone untrustworthy. Jens understood that Lucas pretty much came with the rule ‘do not touch’, and only made the most minor of exceptions.

The rule had been forgotten now. Lucas didn’t seem to think twice about the close contact. Jens pushed aside the thought that it was out of excitement to get a punch at him. Lucas must have actually paid attention, because he managed a hit to Jens’s shoulder within a few minutes and stayed light on his feet. He managed to block Jens’s attempt, but he put him back a few steps, so Jens reached after him.

“Wait, here, it’s like this.” He waited for Lucas to set his wrist in Jens’s grip on his own, and then Jens drew his arm into position. “Use this part of your arm, keep it turned out.” The hairs on Lucas’s forearm rose as Jens trailed his fingers across it. Then he inched back, letting go as Lucas kept the position on his own, and pushed his arm against Lucas’s. They formed an x as Lucas understood and pressed back, leaning their weight into each other. “There,” Jens praised. “Now you have strength behind him.”

Lucas’s lips quirked and he nodded. He managed to apply said strength and shove Jens backward, and the dance began again.

They stopped when Jens had Lucas locked back against his chest with an arm around his throat. Both of them were breathing hard, and Jens could feel Lucas’s heart pounding against his own. He had leaned back into Jens, the energy drained out of him even though his shoulders remained tense.

“You’ve just killed yourself,” Jens told him.

Lucas made a noise of confusion, and Jens briefly tightened his arm, hearing Lucas’s breath hitch as he went entirely still.

“Don’t lean into someone who has you in a headlock,” Jens explained. “You’re defenseless. I’m going to show you how to get out, okay?”

Even though Jens had eased up again, Lucas hadn’t calmed. Jens realised, with a burst of regret, that he’d scared him. He let his grip slacken.

“Sorry, you’re probably starving now. We can leave it for another time.”

Lucas’s fingers curled around his arm. “No,” he argued, clearing his throat. “No, sorry. Show me now, while we’re here. It’s useful.”

Jens waited to see if he would change his mind, then locked his grip again. “Okay. So you’re gonna turn into my arm, and it’ll be easier to breathe. See? And move your hand down, so your fingers are between you and my elbow, then tuck your chin down into the space. Raise your shoulders to get yourself the room.”

Lucas listened and followed the instructions perfectly. His breath puffed into the crook of Jens’s elbow, where his hand already gripped the more sensitive skin.

Jens took a steadying breath. “Good. Now bend your knees, and your grip will bring me with you. This’ll make it harder for me to tighten my grip again before you can flip me.”

“I’m going to flip you?” Lucas asked, startled.

“Well,” Jens smiled slightly. “If you can.”

Lucas huffed.

“Now step back, on the right where I’m holding you. Careful you keep your weight forward, don’t lean back towards me again. No, not to the side, back. Your foot needs to go behind mine, so we’re calf-to-calf. That’s it. Feel steady?”

A moment to consider, then Lucas nodded.

“Alright, now you’re going to get out. Listen to me and then try, okay? You’re going to bend your knees, and step around with your left foot now, so you’re turning out to face the opposite direction. Keep turning your shoulders and hips into my hold to get more leverage if it’s harder than you expect. You’ll still have the grip on my arm, so pull diagonally across your chest, and I’ll trip on the foot behind me. Make sure you plant your left foot strong. Wanna try?”

Instead of answering, Lucas was already moving. Jens felt himself being drawn forward as Lucas leaned his weight, and then he was spinning. He had himself free in a second, and held onto the momentum as he pulled. Jens’s gravity shifted, and the incremental amount he’d leaned forward made no difference as he fell back onto his ass.

He was flat on the floor again, but now he could see Lucas’s smiling face above him instead of the ceiling. Jens smiled breathlessly back. “Good,” he gasped. “That was—you did really good.”

Lucas’s smile brightened, and he glanced away. “Thank you,” he said.

A sharp clap reminded them of Sander’s presence, and they both looked to find him leaning against the wall, eyes shining. He applauded Lucas with seemingly genuine enthusiasm, and pushed off the wall to walk towards them. “You two make an interesting show. That might be the best thing I’ve seen yet. And I’m impressed.”

Sander held his hand up to Lucas, and Lucas slapped it half-heartedly. He cleared his throat and went about shaking down his sleeves, and this time Sander held out a hand to help Jens up. “I think this deserves a nice lunch, His Highness’ treat.” Sander raised a brow at Lucas. “What do you think?”

Jens scowled at him, but Lucas’s expression was turning hopeful. He turned to Jens just as expectantly, and Jens was reminded of why he was here, of the conversation he’d overheard earlier. He couldn’t imagine how Lucas would slip up.

He wouldn’t let him.

“Fine,” he relented. “But Sander is just as capable of this himself. The cook has a soft spot for him more than me.”

“So our combined qualities make us irresistible,” Sander smirked, before pulling Lucas under his arm. “Even more so when you add this one to the mix.”

Lucas made as if to wrestle his way out of the hold, and Sander quickly let go.

Now Jens smirked. “This one does just alright on his own, I’m sure.”

Lucas’s lips quirked again, and Jens took the win.

i wish i had the attention span to make a vds video edit. i wish.

thinking about how beautiful season 3 of skam nl would’ve been. and not just the cinematography or aesthetics - but the storyline that lucas vdh could’ve had and the emotions that could come to play as he navigates throughout is season. i just know i probably would’ve seen more of myself in him and that would make me sob.