A/N: 

italics = thoughts

bold italics = flashback

L.Joe led Chunji out of his room and down a long, marble corridor. L.Joe kept thinking about what he had just seen and how embarrassing his actions had been, furthermore he still had his arm was still awkwardly around Chunji. He tried to distract himself by concentrating on the tapping sound of his and Chunji’s shoes on the marble floor. The two reached the end of the corridor and were facing two intricately carved, wooden doors. L.Joe was about to pull open the door but then remembered what had happened almost two weeks and the words of his physician, Minho,

‘I think the only explanation is a panic attack. He may be claustrophobic or have an anxiety disorder that brought it on. But, L.Joe, there’s something else you should know, that may have caused him to act that way...’

L.Joe shuddered at what Minho had gone on to tell him. He tried to put it from his mind and calm himself, the important thing now was to look after Chunji. He turned to the boy next to him who was looking at him with big doe eyes, wondering why L.Joe had not yet moved.

‘Chunji, I’ll be taking you around the castle’ Chunji nodded

‘There’ll be people’ Chunji nodded again

‘A lot of people’ Chunji nodded for the third time

‘OK then. Anyway if you get scared don’t worry, I’ll be here. No one’s going to hurt you. I’ll protect you.’ L.Joe said reassuringly

It’s you that will hurt me. It’s you that will be hurt and then it’s you I’ll need to be protected from. Chunji couldn’t help but think.

With another nod from Chunji, L.Joe pulled open the doors and suddenly they were thrown into a world of light and life, one unlike anything he had seen. They were standing on a marble balcony overlooking a huge court yard that seemed to be accomadating a market place. There were colours everywhere; streamers, people’s clothes, stands. There were children running and laughing across the square and people chatting animatedly to their friends. It was quite a sight and the smell, oh the smell, of all sorts of foods and pastries. Chunji had never smelt or seen such beautiful things and it brought a smile to Chunji’s face. L.Joe noticed his smile and couldn’t help smiling himself, if he was right, that was the first time he had seen Chunji smile, and it was beautiful but L.Joe could still see the sadness that lingered in Chunji’s features. They stood there for a while, Chunji looking over the square, watching people going about their business happily, and L.Joe watching Chunji. However their little trances were broken by the sound of a grumbling stomach. Chunji went bright red and L.Joe just chuckled.

‘Come on, you must be really hungry. Let’s go to the dining hall’ L.Joe said and held Chunji’s arm about to pull him somewhere else but Chunji hesitated, he looked out over the balcony and at the market place again longingly. L.Joe chuckled again, understanding what Chunji was thinking.

‘We can’t eat at the market place today but maybe when you are better. Anyway, the palaces food is quite good, I assure you.’ L.Joe gently tugged on Chunji’s arm and this time Chunji followed him obediently, however when L.Joe looked down at him he noticed the pout Chunji wore and chuckled again, cute, he thought.

They walked along the balcony, through another set of doors, down another long, however slightly bigger corridor, through another set of doors and suddenly they were in a huge hall. There were high, vaulted ceilings and chandeliers hanging. Before the two boys was a grand, carpeted stairway that went down about twenty steps then branched out into two other stairways. However what captured Chunji’s attention was the bustle in front of them. There was what seemed like hundreds of people going in all directions. Some were dressed formally, some extravagantly dressed and some wore simple servant clothing.

Chunji vaguely felt L.Joe leading him down the stairs, he was too preoccupied looking around, marvelling at the beauty of everything before him, the frescos on the walls, the marble cherubs, and everything was beautiful. While he was craning his neck to get a better view of the carvings on the arches, Chunji misplaced his foot and almost went tumbling down the stairs, almost. L.Joe had been well aware of the fact that Chunji was awestruck and so when Chunji stumbled he was already prepared and had quickly wrapped his arm around the other boys waist and grabbed one of Chunji’s arms pulling him closer to himself. His face was now so close to Chunji’s and L.Joe couldn’t help but blush. Chunji looked so adorable, eyes wide in shock and mouth slightly open. L.Joe didn’t realise he had been in that position for a few minutes till Chunji began fidgeting a little. Back to his senses, he shot up immediately and resumed walking down the stairs, pulling Chunji with him. He mentally slapped himself for acting weird.

As soon as they got to the bottom of the stairs they were into the sea of people. Chunji felt lost and flustered, everyone around him had a direction to go in and here he was stranded in the middle. He noticed that unlike the people in the square, who were seemingly careless and happy, these people were serious, cold and busy. Thankfully, L.Joe tightened his grip on Chunji’s arm and pulled him closer. Chunji looked at L.Joe and saw that the boy had pulled a hood over his head and had hung his head lower, hiding most his face. Chunji didn’t understand why but went along with it anyway.

L.Joe pulled them through the crowds of people. They went halfway through the hall and came to a huge, heavy, wooden set of doors that were already open but no one seemed to be going through them. L.Joe led Chunji through the hall, which was smaller than the last but still had the high, vaulted ceilings; Chunji assumed it was the dining hall. There were four long tables that reached the length of the room and at the front of the hall there was a slightly raised balcony were there was another long table, this one however faced the hall and was horizontal rather than vertical like the other four. The two boys walked down the centre aisle between two tables and when they reached the end they went around the balcony and came to another set of doors, which unlike the others Chunji had seen, were pretty plain. L.Joe pulled open one of the doors and motioned for Chunji to go inside. Inside, Chunji found himself in what seemed to be a huge kitchen. L.Joe slammed the door behind them and then out of nowhere there was a man walking, or waddling, towards them holding a ladle in one hand and a chicken drumstick in the other while shouting at them.

‘Who the hell is it now? I swear on chicken, Minhyuk if you are trying to nick my food again, I’ll skin you alive! Oh L.Joe it’s you, then again you are no better than the others, are you my majesty? And who’s this?’ the man stopped in front of them and started looking Chunji up and down, scared Chunji backed away and hid behind L.Joe causing L.Joe to laugh.

‘Hey Onew Hyung, he’s a friend, Chunji, that gossip Key probably already told you’ L.Joe replied

‘Oh yeah he did. Hi Chunji, nice to meet you. I’m Onew the head chef. You’re a bit skinny aren’t you? We need to get some food in you.’ Onew said smiling warmly at Chunji, his eyes sparkling. Chunji feeling a little less scared came out from behind L.Joe and smiled at Onew.

‘That’s what we came here for, hyung.’ L.Joe said and walked over to a table in the centre of the room, sitting down and motioning for Chunji to come and take the stool next to him.

‘Is there anything particular you’d like?’ Onew asked them turning to walk over to a stove.

‘Actually hyung there is.’ L.Joe said with a mischievous glint in his eye that only Chunji could see because Onew was busy stirring something. ‘Could we have some chicken, hyung?’

As soon as L.Joe had said the sentence, Onew had stopped stirring and stiffened. Slowly he turned and looked at the two males, L.Joe to be precise, all of a sudden he had a dark aura around him and his eyes had a murderous look in them that sent a shiver up Chunji’s spine, he was scared of Onew again. But beside him L.Joe began laughing.

‘Don’t worry hyung. We don’t want chicken. Give us anything.’ L.Joe said between laughs. Just as fast as it had come, Onew’s dark aura was gone and he smiled at the two boys before turning back to whatever he was doing.

‘Onew hyung loves chicken. We buy more chicken for the palace kitchen than we buy for any other food, but we hardly ever have any chicken to eat, only about once every two years. Onew hyung says that he needs to have chicken to eat while he’s cooking, it’s part of his contract, and we don’t fire him because he’s actually a really good cook even though he is a major klutz and idiot. Molhaedo Onew Sangtae (Whatever he does, its Onew condition.)’ L.Joe explained, singing the last part. Chunji smiled and looked over at Onew again, this time noticing the pile of what seemed to be chicken bones next to the stove Onew was working at. The smell of delicious food wafted through the air and it calmed Chunji.

Chunji was thinking about what had happened so far today and his mind was beginning to wander when Onew placed a plate in front of him. Chunji looked down and was met with a wonderful sight. There was a huge plate in front of him, stacked with mouth-watering food; there were sautéed potatoes, beans steamed vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and a huge grilled chicken fillet with gravy drizzled all over it.

‘I’m sorry but this is all I could make on short notice, I’ll make you something better for lunch.’ Onew said putting a hand on Chunji’s shoulder. ‘Oh and I gave you some chicken, I heard that you are quite ill and chicken has magical healing powers. Also you are really cute. Aigoo~’ Onew reached out and pinched Chunji’s cheeks, shocking the other then causing him to blush and lower his head. L.Joe didn’t like this and so cleared his throat and sent Onew a glare. Onew got the message and backed away, going to clean the mess he made earlier.

Chunji dug in straight away, he was famished. L.Joe ate some of his food but tipped the rest of it into Chunji’s plate, thinking he needed it more than him. He watched at how the boy cutely cocked his head to the side, still looking at the plate in front of him, which now had more food, paused but then carried on eating with just as much gusto as before. L.Joe chuckled inwardly and carried on watching the boy eat. He began thinking of where he could take the boy next.

‘After you’re done eating, maybe we can go to the library and then the recreational room or I could show you around the rest of the palace. There’s also the armoury and weaponry room. They’re pretty cool. We could also meet some of my other friends, they are really nice but most of them are quite stupid’ L.Joe began talking. He carried on rambling and Chunji stopped listening, he was too busy savouring the food.

Finally Chunji finished eating after having seconds, or was it thirds. They got up to their feet and headed out the kitchen, waving goodbye to Onew

‘Take care. And get better soon Chunji. Oh and if you come by again, I’ll give you some chicken specially’ Onew called after them.

L.Joe excitedly began walking to the doors, ready to take Chunji around the castle. He had been having fun doing this and enjoyed the boys company. However he stopped when he felt something tugging at the hem of his shirt. He turned around and saw Chunji, head hung low, standing there holding L.Joe’s shirt.

‘What is it Chunji? Are you alright?’ L.Joe asked worriedly.

Chunji nodded then cleared his throat. ‘Urm...’ Chunji began but coughed. After clearing his throat once more he tried again. ‘Urm...could...you...take...me to...’

Even though Chunji’s voice was low and L.Joe couldn’t make out exactly what he was saying, L.Joe was overjoyed, Chunji was speaking to him for the first time and even though his voice was slightly raspy, probably from being ill and not having been used in a while, it was angelic.

‘Yes, Chunji? Where do you want me to take you? Could you speak a bit louder?’ L.Joe asked urging Chunji on.

Chunji cleared his throat and looked up, looking L.Joe straight in the eyes. ‘C..could you.. take me to...Niel’ he voiced this time considerably louder and clearer.

All L.Joe’s happiness at the fact that Chunji was speaking, suddenly vanished. For some reason he didn’t like it that the first time Chunji was talking to him it had to be about another person, Niel.

‘Oh crap’ L.Joe exclaimed. He suddenly remembered that all the time that Chunji and Niel had been here, Niel had been by Chunji’s side, protectively looking after him and whenever L.Joe so much as came into the room, Niel would growl and shout at him to get out. This morning however, L.Joe had gotten C.A.P. to drag, literally drag, Niel from the room so L.Joe could get in there. After all it was L.Joe’s room and being kept out of it for nearly two weeks was ridiculous. But the main reason had been to check on Chunji and who would have knew he would wake up today.

Niel was not going to be happy that Chunji had woken up without him and had been taken around the castle in his condition; he was going to be even less happy that it was L.Joe that was with Chunji all this time. 

Authors Note:

I'm so so so sooooooooo sorry I haven't updated in ages. I had exams and then I got ill but now my exams are kind of over and I'm nearly full recovered. This chapter was longer than usual but I felt I owed you so.... Anyhoo I'm going to spam you with some gifs!!

Heres some Onew:

Minho walking back to his seat:                          Taemin walking back to his seat:

Jonghyun walking back to his seat:                     And then theres Onew:

Chunji's not much better himself:

And of course we can't forget L.Joe's long jump: