There was a knock on his door, disrupting Sungmin of Northern Lights from signing yet another document from the pile in front of him. The knock forced a small frown to appear on his fair forehead. He had asked, just like what he did every time he had some serious work to do, to be left alone for the rest of the afternoon. He just could not think of someone bold enough to actually try to disturb him when he had clearly prohibited them from doing so.

Yet his puzzlement did not last long for his eyes caught the sight of the clock and realized it was already four in the afternoon. The hours did seem to pass by so quickly when he was engaged with something important. Without him realizing it, it was already time for his much needed afternoon tea break. Much needed indeed for even he had to admit his body had grown tired dealing with paperwork. A cup of hot tea and some sweets were probably what he wanted the most at the moment.

Smiling, he reclined his body back to his desk chair and called softly.

"Enter."

The double doors clicked open and the first thing to come was a man with smiling chocolate brown eyes pushing a handcart into his study. His eyes widened and his lips parted in shock. From all people he could expect to bring him the tea, he never thought it would be him. He needed a moment before he could speak. And the first word he uttered was a name, a very familiar name.

"Kyu-Kyuhyunnie," he said in disbelief. "Why are you- how?"

Cho Kyuhyun, that man with those brilliant chocolate brown eyes, only smiled. Walking until he stopped beside Sungmin’s desk with the cart. Kyuhyun had a teasing smirk on his face as he stared at his stunned husband.

"Why am I what?" he asked playfully.

"Aren't you supposed to be in Sentia? Why are you---" Sungmin  tried to speak before he realized that his Kyuhyun, whom he had not seen during the last month, was standing in front of him, safe and sound. Without further ado, he sprang up from his seat and crossed the small distance between them to circle his arms around Kyuhyun's neck. Burying his face onto that strong shoulder, he allowed a smile to break on his lips.

He had missed that, Sungmin mused as Kyuhyun's arms wound around his body in an embrace that was both strong and tender. He could feel Kyuhyun drawing some kisses on the side of his neck, and the tingling sensation he felt was enough to send him blushing. Yes, he had really missed his idiot of a husband for sure.

"I missed you," he admitted easily before drawing back so he could see Kyuhyun's face more clearly. He frowned. "But I thought you will come back next week."

"Change of plan," Kyuhyun answered. “Prince Kangin thought it was impolite for me to leave my newly wedded spouse for so long so he sent me back. Though I suspect he just could not stand my obvious melancholic moods any longer."

He chuckled, "Remind me to thank him the next moment I see him."

"I think I can do that," Kyuhyun agreed with a small laugh before he gave Sungmin the usual kiss on his lips.

"I'm home."

Sungmin raised his hand and ruffled Kyuhyun's hair good-naturedly as he smiled.

"Welcome home, Lieutenant Colonel Cho Kyuhyun."

"I honestly prefer you say 'welcome home, my most beloved husband and lord'," Kyuhyun said.

"Too corny," Sungmin replied with mirth in his eyes. "Would you join me for tea?"

"That will be my pleasure," Kyuhyun said easily before giving a chaste kiss on his cheek and then proceeded to prepare the tea.

The afternoon tea was a custom Sungmin of Northern Lights had unlearned to live without. It was necessary to calm his nerves down after hours of working with those migraine-induced documents. Yet that day, he felt the tea break was particularly delightful. He had been dealing with legal documents concerning the reestablishment of some regulations for some hours without much progress, and the break was more than appealing.

Moreover, he thought with a smile as he seated himself to the chair and caught the sight of Kyuhyun preparing the tea, Kyuhyun’s back to him.

"Earl Grey?" he asked when his nose sensed the faint scent of bergamot wafting through the air.

"You usually craved for some Earl Grey whenever you are extremely engaged with paperwork," Kyuhyun explained as his hands poured the steaming dark brown liquid into two cups. Yet his eyes hinted a sense of doubt when he said, "Or do you prefer something else?"

Sungmin smiled and shook his head. For someone so idiotic, Kyuhyun could be so perceptive sometimes.

"No," he said. Indeed, Earl Grey was the best to have after a stressing day. Just inhaling the aroma of it when Kyuhyun put the steaming cup before him was enough to relax his wrecked nerves. "It's splendid. I just thought you would prefer some Oolong tea."

"It's better to have Earl Grey to accompany plum pudding," Kyuhyun explained and Sungmin's eyes widened in surprise at that. Plum pudding was his favorite dessert but it was not yet the right season for plums to ripe. Yet when he saw the content of the blue and white china presented to him, his eyes twinkled in childish happiness.

"Plum pudding," he said.

"Yes, Sungmin, sweetheart, you're right," Kyuhyun said with mock considerateness. "You have a talent for stating the obvious, it seems."

A glare was the only thing Sungmin gave to Kyuhyun, but his glare was as effective as butter against stone. Upon receiving such scowl, Kyuhyun merely laughed and took his seat, seemingly unaffected, and Sungmin could not decide if it was a good or bad thing. He was a Royal Prince and it was disheartening to know that his glare could be rendered ineffective on anyone. When he considered the person in question was his own spouse, maybe it was excusable. Yet when he thought about his Kyuhyun and fully realized what an idiot the other was, he felt it was really unjust that his trademarked glare which could make a cunning terrorist run for his money was plainly vain in front of Kyuhyun's smile.

"I simply learned from the best," Sungmin said with fake haughtiness as his fingers reached for the silver spoon.

"Are you trying to say that I too have a tendency to state the obvious?" Kyuhyun retorted back with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

Sungmin pretended to take his time thinking while his tongue was swirling to sweep that sweet delicacy from his spoon. "No, I'm trying to say that you are an idiot."

"You still love me nonetheless," Kyuhyun said.

"Whoever said I should not love you?" Sungmin smirked naughtily. "After all, you're a pretty good catch for an idiot."

That time Kyuhyun outwardly chuckled. "Guess I should be honoured that His Highness deems me so worthy after all…"

"For an idiot," Sungmin reminded though his voice did not carry any malice within it.

"For an idiot, yes," Kyuhyun easily agreed. "Cannot forget that crucial bit."

Sungmin chuckled and stared openly at his Kyuhyun. "So how was your mission there?" he asked with a hint of apprehension in his voice that he knew Kyuhyun would never miss.

"Did you... get hurt in you mission?"

A loving smile that Kyuhyun threw to his direction expelled any anxiety that he might feel in his heart. And it was nothing but relief that he felt when Kyuhyun answered his question.

"I'm fine, I did not get hurt," Kyuhyun said. "It was only a mission to maintain the peace after the two largest factions there agreed on cease fire. It was not like I was going into full war."

"Oh…" Sungmin said. He knew it was only a simple peace keeping mission but he could not help feeling worried. He knew that being in military was dangerous, no matter what kind of mission they did. And even though Sungmin felt like he was starting to act paranoid, he could not help but worrying his lower lip every time he hear the daily report from those served under him regarding the whereabouts of the troops where his Kyuhyun  was joining in.

"Did you worry about me?" Kyuhyun asked with a somewhat amused smile.

"I… well, obviously, I did," he admitted. There was no use trying to lie or hide things from his husband.

"Even though you said it was only a harmless mission, I still felt worried."

There was a rustle sound of fabrics and the next thing he saw was his Kyuhyun kneeling in front of his chair. A genial smile was planted on his dear Kyuhyun's face. A hand rose up to caress his cheek before a single chaste kiss was dropped against his lips.

Drawing back, Kyuhyun tilted his face, "Sorry?"

And just like how it always was, Sungmin found his self unable to deny that pair of eyes. With a sigh, he smiled.

"Just make sure to drop a call once in a while when you're doing mission, idiot," he said, ruffling Kyuhyun's head affectionately. "You still have that habit of forgetting to call me whenever you're too busy with your military things. If not for the occasional news I got from my brother, I wouldn't have possibly known your condition during those weeks you spent away from home."

Kyuhyun cringed, "Sorry…"

Sungmin looked at the face of his Kyuhyun, still kneeling down before him, and knew that his husband did indeed feel sorry. And just like that, suddenly those days he spent worrying over him did not matter anymore. Kyuhyun was safe and sound, and it was the only thing important.

"It's… fine, I think. You're back home and safe so nothing else matters," he said. Cupping Kyuhyun's face, he kissed his forehead briefly before he chuckled. "At least it was only a month instead of several years like what you did back then."

Remembering those years back then when he was torn with his yearning and confusion, Sungmin could still feel a twinge of pain in his heart. In the end, everything indeed turned out well. It was probably more than just well, he thought as his gaze landed on the ring he now wore proudly on his finger, but still, the memory of those days which constituted into years was enough to force bitterness from the depth of his heart.

Yet amidst the bitterness, Sungmin also felt thankful. It did not trouble him that much when Kyuhyun was away from him for he knew his Kyuhyun would never really leave him. He knew that Kyuhyun loved him. And it was enough, for him it was enough.

"The most important thing is that you're back safely," he said, smiling. "And it's enough."

Kyuhyun stared at him with unreadable emotion flickering across his eyes. And under his gaze, Sungmin observed how Kyuhyun reached inside his pocket. When his dear husband took his hand out of his pocket, a single white flower was within his gentle grasp.

"I cheated this time," Kyuhyun said as he fastened that flower on Sungmin's hair. "I picked this flower from the garden in front of the Palace. I was so ecstatic when Prince Kangin told me I could get back home that I flied here without taking any flower with me."

Sungmin raised his hand. His fingers gently caressed the petals of that flower that Kyuhyun had put amidst his tresses of blonde hair. The flower felt soft under his touch. And suddenly there was warmth enveloping his hand, gentle and comf