26
Touch
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26
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You noticed something odd about Myungsoo. If he wasn’t following you around and being insufferable, then he was training, and if he wasn’t doing either of those things, then he was lounging out on the bench in the garden. Since you found him wearing half of an eternity ring, he’d been avoiding your questions, all the while, keeping a good-natured faced, but there was something off about it.
“Myungsoo-” Your voice faltered as you approached him. His arm fell from its resting place on his stomach and hung limply by his side, off of the bench. His other arm was covering his eyes, and his chest rose and fell slowly with his breathing.
A sense of nostalgia filled you, but you didn’t know why. You reached out carefully and brushed your fingers against his jawline, but suddenly, Myungsoo’s eyes snapped open, and he quickly grabbed your wrist, making sure to grab you over the sleeve of the dress. “That stings, you know. I’m not dead, unlike your husband and your personal attendant.”
Your mood fell as soon as that smirk appeared on Myungsoo’s face, and you jerked your hand out of his grip. “I’ve never had anyone live to tell me how it feels to get the life out of them,” you snapped at him. He yawned and sat up, rubbing the back of his head with sleepy eyes.
“What about your husband?” I wish he’d stayed dead, he thought to himself. Myungsoo had a hard time hiding the darkening look in his eyes.
You blinked a few times in confusion before narrowing your eyes. “How do you know about that?”
Myungsoo froze in place. Right, you’d confided that in him back when you were still madly in love with him. As far as you were concerned now, he was just an annoying bodyguard. He gave you a look over before pursing his lips.
“That’s... a really good question.” He gave you that mysterious smile, and then he was gone.
--
“Woohyun, where are you going?” Woohyun stopped and glanced back into the bedroom. You were taking a nap before the planners got to you. You were supposed to help plan the next ball celebrating Seungho’s birthday. It was also supposed to be a surprise, but it was hard to surprise someone that seemed to know everything that was going on in the castle.
“I have to talk to some people about some pieces and decorations. Figured I’d get that done so you have one less thing to do.” As he spoke, he turned back into the room and hopped onto the bed to give you a kiss on the forehead. You sighed and rolled in the covers, not noticing the small flash of color in Woohyun’s eyes.
“Oh, wait. Woohyun. One more thing.”
Woohyun was already almost out the door but stopped again. “Yes?”
“Are you and Myungsoo close?”
Woohyun thought about his words carefully before he answered you. “I wouldn’t say that. He and I have known each other for a while, but we’ve never been close.” You blinked a few times at his words and nodded. “Why?”
“I was just wondering. He said something earlier, and I thought... Nevermind. You’ll help me with the decorations later, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be back before you get mobbed.” You smiled at Woohyun, and he smiled at you before he disappeared out of the door.
--
“I’m looking for Myungsoo. Have you seen him?” Seungho didn’t look up from his scroll work at Woohyun’s voice. The door to his study closed softly, and he heard a soft crunch as Woohyun sat down in one of the chairs.
“Lots of people are looking for him. No one needs him when he’s here and on duty, but the one day a month he gets off, the entire world is trying to find him.” Silence followed Seungho’s statement for a moment, filled only with the sound of the scratching quill on the scrolls.
“Who else has been looking for him?” Woohyun asked, confused.
Seungho sighed and signed the bottom of the scroll before sending it flying over his shoulder into a cubby. “You, your wife, your wife’s attendant, his best friend, his trainer, some of the higher ranked knights.” Woohyun balked at the list looking for Myungsoo and rubbed at his temples. “The real question is, why are you looking for him?”
“I just wanted to talk to him. Ask a few questions. My wife’s been asking a few questions, and she looks like she’s trying really hard to remember something she’s forgotten. And I’m pretty sure that thing is Myungsoo. She keeps asking who the girl Myungsoo is in love with.”
“Myungsoo’s in love with a girl?” Another silence stretched between them, and Woohyun didn’t even have to look at Seungho to know he was smirking as he did his paperwork.
--
Peace and quiet was all Myungsoo wanted on his day off. He heard on the wind about the number of people looking for him for various reason, and none of the people or reasons interested him at the moment. He was napping in the field just outside of the town when he heard footsteps and recognized the familiar aura coming towards him.
“Someone better be dying,” Myungsoo called from his spot in the tall grass. Eventually, his moonlight was blocked out as Woohyun leaned over him with a frown.
“Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?”
“About as long as I’ve been avoiding you.” Myungsoo opened up an eye and grinned at the scowl on Woohyun’s face. “I miss the days when you’d do anything to avoid me.”
Woohyun sighed and sat down next to Myungsoo, crushing a plot of grass. He stared at the long, flowing pieces in front of him and pulled at them before dropping them onto Myungsoo’s chest. “Should I tell her about you? About how you two used to be in love?”
Myungsoo took in a deep breath. What would happen if you found out? Would you believe Woohyun? Would you be mad at them for lying to you? Of course you would be mad. “How was she, after I left?” Myungsoo asked, changing the subject.
It was Woohyun’s turn to be silent for a moment. “It was... bad. I don’t ever want to see her like that again.”
“I don’t think we should tell her then. If she figures it out on her own, then we’ll deal with it then. But for now...”
--
Seungho pretended to be surprised when he walked into the ballroom of the castle to be greeted by a room full of guests. “Oh, you shouldn’t have,” he said as soon as you came into view. You worked hard to make sure his birthday would be enjoyable.
“You really shouldn’t have. I’m not even sure how old I am anymore,” he said, coughing slightly into his hand. His health was deteriorating now that Gyuri’s blood was wearing off in his system, but he was doing his best to train Myungsoo for his job. Many people were a bit apprehensive with Myungsoo taking over, waiting for him to prove he was up for the job.
“You’ve got to enjoy your health and life while you still can. Come on. I call the first dance,” you said with a smile on your face.
“What? A dance? But how am I going to blow out the candles later?”
--
“She looks beautiful out there on the dance floor, doesn’t she?” All eyes were on you and Seungho as the two of you glided around the dance floor. Even though you were surrounded by people, Myungsoo had a hard time keeping his eyes off of you.
“Yes, she looks stunning.” Myungsoo took a sip of his wine and sighed. Woohyun had that stupid lovey dovey look on his face that made Myungsoo want to punch him in the face.
“Tell you what. Go dance with her. Maybe you won’t strangle me, and I won’t have to beat you to a bloody pulp,” Woohyun said, his eyes never moving from you.
“As if you could beat me up now. I spent the last hundred years learning how to kick your .”
--
For the most part, Seungho seemed to be enjoying himself. With Woohyun and Myungsoo around to take care of you, Joon gravitated towards the High Mage to help him out more often than Seungho cared to admit.
“Joon, I’m fine. You’re acting like I’m going to fall to dust the next time someone bumps into me.” Seungho gave a particularly violent cough, and Joon patted him on the back gently while handing him a glass of water.
“You could, for all I know. Your insides might be nothing more than dust. You are getting pretty old.” Seungho rolled his eyes. If he heard another old comment, he was going to- “Don’t roll your eyes too hard. They might fall out.” Joon yelped when Seungho burned his cheek with his finger.
--
Myungsoo waited while you danced dance after dance. Long ago, on the night of your formal introduction as Arch Mage to the kingdom, you’d promised him a dance. Unfortunately, he never got that dance because Woohyun so rudely interrupted with his presence.
He still wanted to dance with you, but there were so many mixed feelings welling up inside his heart, he could’ve sworn his eternity stone aching. Imagine that, an inanimate object, aching, he thought to himself. But the eternity stone was very much so his life, so it made sense to him, in a way.
“You’re really going to stand here and brood all night long,” Sunggyu asked, taking a sip of his wine. His friends were gathered around him, talking lightly about things going on in their lives. Most of the knights were off dancing with women and girls, and he even spotted Kiseop dancing with a little girl standing on his feet.
“I am enjoying myself by vicariously living through every man that gets to dance with her,” Myungsoo said flatly.
“Stop being such a little boy and go grab the next dance from her. The song’s about to end. Don’t make me push you out there,” Sungjong said as he grabbed Howon’s hand to lead him out to the dance floor. Myungsoo heard the shift in music and watched you bow politely to your partner. Just his luck. The next song would be a slow song.
Sunggyu and Dongwoo grabbed his arm and his glass of wine before shoving him out onto the dance floor. He made his way towards you and sighed before regaining his composure and smiling at you before holding his hand out. “May I have this dance?”
You stared at his hand for a moment before a small smile appeared on your face and you took it. “Why, yes. Of course.”
The two of you came together and started to move across the dance floor, Myungsoo keep his hands planted firmly in your hand and on your upper back. “This position is a bit formal, don’t you think?”
“I don’t want to risk upsetting your husband and causing a scene.” Woohyun was good at causing scenes, and for once in his life, Myungsoo didn’t care to be tangled up in them. He thought it was strange how when he couldn’t beat Woohyun, all he did was pick fights with him, and now that he knew he could beat Woohyun, he didn’t care for it.
Perhaps it had something to do with the lovely lady in his arms.
“I don’t think he’ll mind. He’s been watching me dance with other men all night.” You shifted Myungsoo’s arms so his hand now rested on your waist. Myungsoo sighed and closed his eyes. Even with his eyes closed, the two of you glided around the dance floor effortlessly. And for once in his life, Myungsoo felt like everything was right in his life.
All the sounds of other people faded out, and all that was left was you, him, and the music. Those few moments of his life were all he needed to validate the last hundred years, and the moment ended when his hand twitched in pain.
“You’re not wearing your gloves, are you?” Myungsoo asked, loosening his grip on your hand. His body turned sluggish, and his legs went weak. The eternity stone in his chest felt heavier than usual, and something was squeezing at his heart. You froze for a moment and let go of his hand quickly as he swayed on his feet and fell to his knees, eyes squeezed shut.
“Myungsoo? Myungsoo! Oh my god, Seungho!” you yelled, looking around the room in panic. Seungho appeared in an instant and called for Soohyun and Eli. Eli pulled open Myungsoo’s shirt and let out a string of curses before throwing him over his shoulder.
“This stupid idiot, I swear! Move out of the way!” he yelled, carrying him out of the room, leaving you in a state of panic and confusion. Woohyun ran up to you and grabbed your shoulders.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know! He was fine, and suddenly he was on the floor! I forgot to put on my gloves to dance with him because there aren’t very many living people here tonight and-”
“He didn’t say anything? He was dancing with you for at least five minutes! There’s no way he couldn’t have felt your power draining him.”
You squeezed your eyes shut and tried to calm yourself down. You couldn’t understand why you were getting so emotional over this. What did Myungsoo mean to you?
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