Taemin groaned, lifting his hand to cover his face as the sunlight hit his eyelids. He turned over, only to come in contact with something solid. Only when he felt the vibrations of a deep laugh did he fully awaken and realize where he was.

“Taemiiiin,” the voice sang.

Taemin released a moan of protest and wrapped his arm around the figure, burying his face in his neck.

“You have to wake up eventually, Tae. We can’t stay in bed forever.”

“Don’ wanna,” he mumbled.

“You’re just asking to be tickled.”

Taemin shot up immediately, eyes half-open, but still alert. “I’m up.”

Minho chuckled, sitting up to face the younger boy. “You should see your hair right now,” he reached forward to tangle in fingers in the nest of hair.

“I don’t even want to imagine what I look like right now,” he grumbled, lips set in a slight pout.

Despite Minho’s teasing, he could do nothing but admire the boy’s beauty. His hair tousled into a cute mess, cheeks pink and a bit swollen, and his eyes still slightly glazed with sleep. “I like it. Very endearing.”

“You’re a bad liar,” he retorted. “Why do I have to get up anyways? I was soooo comfortable.”

“Taemin, we’ve been in bed for nearly two days.”

“How about just one more day?” he pleaded. Minho laughed once again at the boy, before ripping the covers off of him. Taemin curled into himself, trying to hide his exposed body, and blushed madly.

“Why are you embarrassed? I’ve already seen every part of you, love.” Minho placed a finger under his chin, lifted Taemin’s face, and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. “Maybe you should dress though, it is quite cold in here, “ he whispered, lowering his hand and brushing his fingers against Taemin’s erect . Taemin shivered, releasing a quiet moan. “S-Stop…I-I’ll get out of bed, alright?”

Minho smirked and pulled away from the boy to get off the bed. “I think I’ll have a bath,” he stated simply. Taemin narrowed his eyes at the mischievous expression on the Prince’s face. “I say you join me.” Taemin let out a squeak of surprise when Minho lifted him from the bed, and practically threw him over his shoulder. He laughed, protesting playfully as Minho carried him to the bathroom.

______________________________

“Minho! M-Min- ah!” Taemin’s nails scraped against the stone floor as pleasure coursed through his body. Minho pounded into him from behind, hands gripping his hips tightly. They were bent over the side of the in-ground stone tub. The bubbles stuck to their skin, the hot water slowly turning cold as they continued.

Minho leaned down to the shell of his ear, “Mmm Tae…, you feel so good. Do you like it? Do I like it when I bend you over like this, love?” The new angle had Taemin screaming out desperately, “Oh god! Yes! Yes! Minho!”  His own was being painfully neglected, and Taemin suspected that the Prince was purposefully teasing him. But somehow…it turned him on even more.

Minho stared down at the boy, his pale body slicked with bubbles and oil, his hair sticking to his flushed face, and his voice becoming raw and raspy from screaming. Minho’s hands shook with the force of preventing himself from releasing into Taemin at that second. He was so unbelievably tight. He thought he was going to lose his mind as the boy clenched around him, screaming his name over and over. His nails dug into the soft skin of his hips, and much to Minho’s surprise, Taemin moaned at the sensation.

He continued to into Taemin, taking one hand off of his hip to reach up and lace his fingers with the boy’s. “P-Please…please touch me, Hyung. I c-can’t take it.” Minho had no idea what Taemin had just called him, but it sent a wave of pleasure through his body, and he immediately reached down to the boy. It didn’t take long before he came, his entire body shuddering as he released into Minho’s hand. As Taemin clenched around him, he let himself lose control and came into the boy, pounding into him mercilessly as he rode out his .

When he finally pulled out of Taemin, the boy’s legs gave out, and he caught him before his could fall in the soiled water. They lay panting, Taemin’s back pressed against his chest.

“I didn’t know you liked a bit of , Taemin,” Minho teased.

“Shut up,” Taemin growled weakly.  Truthfully, Taemin surprised himself with the way he had been so by Minho’s words.

“What is it that you called me? ‘Hyung’? What does that mean?”

“It’s…it’s a term that we use in my country. It’s how a younger boy refers to an older boy. It just…slipped out. I don’t know-“

“I love it,” Minho whispered.

~~~~~

After taking an actual bath, Minho told him they needed some fresh air after being cooped up inside for days, so they dressed quickly. As Taemin followed Minho outside, his head was swimming with questions. He had just realized that he hadn’t used ‘Hyung’ since he had arrived there, or any other Korean term for that matter.

“Minho?”

“Yes, love?”

“I remember when Onew first told me about this place. I know I’m in a past time, and possibly a different world. So there is no way this could be Korea, could it? You didn’t even know what ‘Hyung’ meant. How am I speaking to you?”

Minho stopped, silencing his endless questioning. “I suppose…you were unconsciously given the ability to speak our language. Truly, the spirits are the only ones with the answers, but I suspect that they gave you the ability.”

“But how can I speak a different language without even knowing?” (A/N: lol Harry Potter reference)

“I’m not sure. As I said, I don’t have all the answers. It seems you still have the ability to speak your language, but have unconsciously been speaking ours.”

Taemin was simply amazed. The fact that it had come so naturally to him, the fact that he hadn’t even realized it until then was fascinating.

“I want to hear you speak it more,” Minho grabbed him by the waist, pulling their bodies close and leaning down to whisper in his ear, “But you can only call me ‘Hyung’.”

____________________________

“I thought you said…the garden had been destroyed?”

Minho gaped at the sight in front of him. The garden looked as beautiful as ever, it looked almost untouched.

Taemin gave his hand a gentle squeeze, “Some servants volunteered to help Onew and I repair it. I knew how important your mother’s garden is to you, and I didn’t want you to come home to see it destroyed.” He looked up at Minho, his eyes unsure and his cheeks flushed pink, “I know it isn’t as beautiful as when you mother built it, but I hope you like it.”

Minho was speechless. Truthfully, when Taemin mentioned that the garden had been destroyed, it flew right over his head. It saddened him, but he was much too enraged by Taemin’s scars to even dwell on thoughts of the garden. The place was, of course, very important to him, but Taemin always came first in his heart.

Now that he had seen what Taemin had done for him, though, he had never felt more…grateful.

He wrapped the boy in his arms, “Thank you,” he whispered, voice laced with gratitude. “Thank you so much, Taemin.”

“It’s nothing…Hyung,” Taemin teased. Minho laughed, pulling away to grab him by the cheeks and plant a kiss on his lips.

After Taemin showed him the details of their work, down to the new fish in the pond and the flowers they planted, Minho led him further into the garden. Taemin glanced at him curiously when they reached a forest, but followed him through the trees without question.

“I’ve never showed you this before,” he stated. “I think you’ll like it.”

After much walking, and much complaining of sore feet, they arrived. Minho grabbed him by the hand, stepping through bushes, and into a clearing.

“Wow…”

Taemin gaped at the sight in front of him. The small lake sparkled in the sunlight, the water so clear and clean, you could almost see the bottom.

Minho smiled at the boy’s expression and followed as he stepped closer to the water. The kneeled at the edge, and a soft smile appeared on Taemin’s face as he watched the colorful fish swim in the crystal clear lake. “It’s beautiful, Minho.”

“It’s the lake we used to bring you here. This is where we did the ritual.”

Taemin stared up at him with wide eyes, “Really?” Minho nodded, and the boy looked back down at the water. His mother’s face appeared in his mind, along with Sungjong, and he felt a deep ache in his heart.

Noticing the boy’s frown, Minho squeezed his hand, “Taemin, you know I love you, right?”

Taemin nodded.

“I want to be with you forever. But I want you to know…you can always go back. I won’t force you to stay here any longer. My deepest wish is for you to be happy, and if that means you have to leave me, then I will not stop you,” Minho confessed, his voice deep and sincere. He dipped his fingers in the water, creating a ripple.

Taemin copied his actions, the ripples made by himself crossing Minho’s. “I…When I first arrived here, I didn’t feel like I belonged at all. I felt lost, and out of place. Korea is my home, it’s where I grew up, where my friends and family are. I miss it everyday.” Minho closed his eyes, preparing himself for the moment when Taemin would say he was going to leave. “But…I was brought here for a reason, and I don’t believe that reason is to make you King. I believe I ended up here because I was meant to be with you,” Taemin chuckled, feeling embarrassed of his cheesy speech. “I don’t know if I believe in fate, but I know I was brought here for that reason.” He placed his palm on Minho’s cheek, turning his face to meet his eyes. “My home is wherever you are. As long as I am with you, I feel like I belong.”

Minho grinned, leaning forward to kiss him softly. “I don’t think I ever properly thanked the spirits for bringing you to me.”

“Oh, I guess you’re right. I only remember you cursing them for bringing you a ‘scrawny little boy’,” he lowered his voice slightly, mocking the Prince’s words from so long ago.

Minho chuckled, “That was a terrible impression of me. My voice is much more alluring.”

The younger boy raised an eyebrow, “I think I did quite well. I sounded exactly like you,” he teased. “Why don’t you ask the spirits what they think?”

“Wh-“

Before Minho could even question the boy, he was pushed into the lake, caught completely off guard. When he resurfaced, Taemin stood above him, his laughter echoing in the forest. “You little brat,” Minho growled playfully.

Taemin’s laughter ceased immediately when he felt a wet hand grasp his ankle, and he was pulled into the water, screaming in surprise.

When they both came up from the water, Taemin glared at the Prince, only to have Minho laugh heartily at his expression. Taemin soon joined him in laughing, unable to stay angry for long.

They both stood in the lake, soaking wet, trying to catch their breath. When they managed to calm themselves down, Minho simply cherished the boy’s smile. He brushed away the wet hair that stuck to his face, admiring the way his plump lips curved into a smile, and his eyes turned into crescents.

“Let’s get married next month, Taemin.”

Taemin let out a disbelieving chuckle, “Wh-What?”

“Let’s get married. Not for the competition, but because I love you. And I want you to truly be mine forever. Will you marry me, Taemin?”

Taemin lowered his head, smiling shyly, a blush staining his cheeks. “Of course.”

~~~~~

“Minho! Wake up!”

Minho shot up immediately as the door was flung open, and the panic-stricken voice shouted his name. “What? What’s happening?” He glanced to the door to see a frantic Key picking his clothes up from the floor. He could feel Taemin shifting slightly next to him, slowly coming to consciousness.

“Atelia is attacking the city. Get up and get dressed now. We have to get everyone we can to help protect the palace before they reach us.”

“What…?” He heard Taemin gasp beside.

Minho’s instincts quickly went into effect. He didn’t have time to question anything, the only thing he could think at the moment was protecting his home. He threw the blankets off, and grabbed the clothes Key offered. He dressed as fast as he could, and collected his sword.

He turned around to Taemin, and grasped the frightened boy by the shoulders. “Do not leave this room, Taemin. Do you understand? If you hear anything outside the door, you hide.”

“But Mi-“

“No,” he interrupted sternly. “Stay. Here.”

“You can’t expect me to just sit here!”

Minho palmed Taemin’s cheeks, staring into his eyes desperately. “Please…please do this for me, love. I will be alright. Everything will be alright. I’m going to fix this.” Before Taemin could argue, he silenced him with a bruising kiss. “I love you. Wait for me,” he whispered. He followed Key out the door, leaving Taemin stunned.

When he finally recovered from the shock, he flew out of bed, and grabbed the closest thing he could find to wear.

“I’m sorry…but I’m not going to listen this time.”

~~~~~

When Taemin snuck out of the palace, bow and arrows in hand, he was shocked to see that the Atelian soldiers had reached the palace.

He had never seen war. And he never wanted to again.

It was a blood bath. People were falling to the ground left and right, red staining the ground beneath. The sight made Taemin sick, and he turned away momentarily to take a deep, shaky breath. He could only hope that none of his loved ones would have the same fate.

He knew he couldn’t survive in the middle of this, so he had to use his intelligence instead. He had to find a place to hide while he fought. If he could stay hidden and shoot from a distance, he would be at an advantage.

He spotted a storage house not too far from where he was, and he almost cried out in relief. It was small, short enough for him to climb, and the roof was flat with raised edges. Just enough for him to duck under.

He made his was over as discreetly as possible. When he reached it, he found an open window in the back. It was just high enough for him to be able to step on and reach the edge of the roof with his fingers. He struggled to pull himself up, with his bow and arrows on his back, but he managed.

He ran to the other end, looking down and searching through the dozens of soldiers for a sign of Minho.

When he didn’t see the dark-haired Prince, he gave up for the moment, and decided to put his position to good use.

He pulled out an arrow with shaky hands, lining it up and pulling the string back. All of the Atelian soldiers wore red and gold, it wasn’t hard to spot them. But it was hard for Taemin to shoot an actual human being instead of a target. He told himself it was for the Kingdom, though, and aimed only for their limbs. It was much harder, and took more concentration, but he didn’t think he could fatally injure these men, even if they were at war. Watching them fall to the ground in agony was the hardest part for him.

His thoughts were changed, though, when he spotted Minho.

His back was too him, but Taemin would notice him anywhere. The thing that caught his eye was not only Minho, but the man behind him. He was charging toward him, his sward raised, ready to attack the unsuspecting Prince. And Taemin saw red. He thought of nothing but harming the man. He pulled out an arrow, aiming and shooting with unbelievable speed. He made no effort to aim for the enemy’s limbs. He only thought of saving Minho from the large man.

The arrow went straight through his back, into his heart, and Taemin sighed in relief.

__________________________

Minho whipped around, hearing chaos ensuing behind him. What he saw had his mouth hanging open in shock.

The King of Atelia laying dead at his feet, an arrow in his back.

The soldiers around him were shouting profanities, infuriated that their King was dead. They were beginning to panic without his leadership, and Minho didn’t think it would take long for them to retreat.

His eyes darted around the area, trying to spot the person who may have done the glorious deed.

Oh no…

The storage house wasn’t too far away from him, and he could just make out the small figure standing on the roof, grinning broadly.

Taemin…

A much larger figure had joined the boy on the roof, running up from behind, and Minho felt his stomach lurch. “Taemin! Behind you!” Minho ran, faster than he could ever remember running in his life, toward that storage house. He could feel the panic raising inside of him.

The smile fell from Taemin’s lips and he turned around a second too late.

The Atelian soldier forced the dagger into his stomach, “How dare you kill our King, you worthless !”

“NO! TAEMIN!”

The soldier ripped the blade from his gut, and he stumbled back, eyes wide and blood flowing from the wound. The back of his legs hit the edge of the roof and he fell over the side.

‘No..please, no! I’m not going to make it in time to catch him!’

“TAEMIN!”

~~~~~

A/N:

Dun dun dun! :O

Sorry for always harming my bias in all my stories, it's a habit x)

I know, I know, I'm leaving you with another cliffhanger :p I promise i won't take a freaking month to update this time though. I'm soooo sorry about that :( I really just lost all inspiration for this story. But I'm going to finish it, because I just don't leave things unfinished, that's not the way I am.

I think that's why this chapter feels rushed though :/ Like, I tried to give you guys a chapter full of romance, (yes I wrote , even though I said i wouldn't do it again lol), and drama. But it feels like it just ended up being a jumbled mess of mixed emotions :p

I had to give you guys something though. I hope you didn't forget about me ;~;

Side note: i finally addressed the 'language issue'. I had the idea that Taemin unconsciously was given the ability to speak Minho's language in my head since the beginning, but I just never got the chance to add that in until now.