A Day at the Beach 

              “Your Highness, please.  I don’t think this is the best idea… Your parents are going to be furious if they find out…” Daehyun paced back and forth in front of Youngjae’s bedroom door.  He and Jongup had been locked out in the sitting room while Youngjae and his servant Junhong changed inside for an intended day of riding and gallivanting.  The knight’s insides twisted as his mind ran through all the possible consequences but as usual, the prince didn’t care.

                “Jonguppie, did you pack the picnic basket like I asked?”  Youngjae finally opened the door as he adjusted his loose white top over black riding pants and leather boots.  Junhong strode out from behind him in a similar outfit.

                “Your Highness, please reconsider.  Your parents have been on edge lately…. And not only have they banned you from leaving the castle grounds after your last escapades, but they intentionally left you behind today for your lessons…” Daehyun’s incessant pleading fell on deaf ears, however.

                “Jongup-ah.  Where is it?”  Youngjae turned his attention instead to the shorter brunette, whose sweet puppy-dog eyes flicked from his prince to his best friend, contemplating sides.

                Junhong’s rough clearing of his throat and daggered stare helped him make up his mind quickly, however.  “It’s over on the couch, my lord.”  Jongup bowed his head in shame as his shaggy haired friend him with a scoff.  

                “I thought we were working on this together,” he grumbled.

                “Thanks, Jonguppie.” Youngjae patted the younger boy’s head as he strolled over to the couch to inspect the contents.  As expected, all of his favorites were included.  “Are you ready?  We should get started.” He lifted the basket and turned to his knights.

                “No. We’re not going.” Daehyun crossed his arms and stamped his foot childishly.  Youngjae’s eyes narrowed.  Though always the epitome of a perfect knight in front of everyone else, the four teenagers had known each other since childhood and thus Daehyun was prone to letting his true nature show when they were alone.   He became whiny, bossy and arrogant, but Youngjae’s own obstinate personality could only tolerate so much.

                “Fine,” he responded cooly, making his way past the knight.  Daehyun’s eyes widened even further and his plump lips dropped into an “o”.

                “E-eh?!  What do you mean ‘fine’?!”

                “Don’t come.  I don’t care.  Neh, Junhonggie, didn’t Jaebum say that he and Jinyoung would be free?  Maybe without these two blithering idiots trailing after us we can finally have some alone time with them.” Youngjae smiled at his friend.

                “Yes!” Junhong linked arms with his prince as they strode past the two boys.  “They did say that they’d show us what skinny-dipping is if we could go out alone.”

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                “So where is your lovely son?”

                While Youngjae was busy evading classical lessons by torturing his childhood friends, his parents were visiting the neighboring kingdom.  While the Yoo’s were known for being mostly kind and gentle rulers, the Bang’s were notorious for being much more cunning and ruthless.  Nevertheless, the Yoo’s had to keep up familiar relations as their country was bordered only by the ocean on one side and the Kingdom of Goguryeo on the other.  Though their geographic location allotted them a beautiful country with stunning scenery and wildlife, diplomatically they were isolated.

                “Ah, we are so sorry he couldn’t make it.  He has been very busy with his lessons as of late,” the queen apologized.

                “Our son has been missing him greatly,” the other queen cooed, gesturing to her son across from her.  “Haven’t you, Yongguk?”

                The tall, muscular red head looked up from devouring his food and quickly regained his composure. “Yes.  Though we were such good friends as children, I feel as if I’ve been seeing him less and less.  I’ve been hoping to build more of a relationship with him…”

                The black haired man on his right internally scoffed at his cousin’s blatant façade.  “If I may, Your Highness, you’re so greasy I think I just gained a pound listening to you,” Himchan murmured to his friend.  Yongguk snorted into his wine goblet before whispering back.

                “What can I say? I’m a man in love.”

                “Puh-lease.  I thought you hated that chubby .”

                “Exactly. And what’s better is that he hates me even more.  That’s why I am going to make him mine.  Then I can make the rest of his life miserable as payback for being such an insufferable little brat during our childhood.  And I’ll finally have that cute ocean-front property they call a country for my own,” Yongguk smirked, Himchan laughing along quietly.

                “Do me a favor then, would you.  I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on the cute of that servant of his once you own him.”

                “Anything for you, dear cousin.  How about I wrap him up for your birthday present?”

                “We’ll be having a ball soon,” Yongguk’s mother’s voice cut back through the two boys’ conversation.  “Bring the prince so that the boys can catch up once more.  And who knows… maybe we’ll even be able to make an engagement announcement.”  Queen Bang smiled a fauxly sweet smile at the Yoo’s, who blanched slightly but otherwise held composure…

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                “Hurry up, would you?!  Jeez, you two are so slow.  Come on!” Youngae and Junhong raced their horses ahead through the forest, leaping over fallen trunks and avoiding branches as the wind swept by them.

                “Your highness! Please slow down!” Jongup’s voice called from behind.

                “What if you hurt yourself?!” Daehyun added as the two struggled to keep up with the prince’s superior horse.

                They finally broke through the tree line and onto the vast, white sanded beach.  The first two boys slowed their horses and let them slowly walk to the shore line.  The knights soon flanked them and slowed down as well.

                “Seriously, you,” Daehyun barked.  Youngjae turned to him with an eyebrow raised.  “One day you’re going to hurt yourself and the King and Queen are going to skin us all alive.  Is that seriously what you want?”

                “I’m sorry, Daedae.” Daehyun reddened at the childhood nickname.  “But you know I’ll be fine.  I’ll always have you to protect me,” Youngjae cooed as he reached over to pinch the boy’s cheek, though Daehyun quickly swatted his hand away.

                The four had been “friends” since childhood.  Though in the eyes of everyone else, they were a prince and his three servants, in private they were friends.  Youngjae was the only child of the king and queen.  Though they had tried to raise him up to be a strong and dedicated ruler, or at the very least a desired match for a more powerful kingdom in order to insure the future of their own land, fate had not played in their favor.  Instead they were “cursed” with a loud-mouthed son who took no interest in learning the royal ways and whose brashness and lack of “masculine attractiveness” with his chubby cheeks and constant facial expression of annoyance cockiness scared away all possible suitors.

                Honestly, most people mistook Junhong, the prince’s servant and best friend, as the prince upon first meeting.  He was tall with a sweet face and pretty blond hair.  And though in private he was bratty and cool, in front of others he played the part of the coy, sweet, bashful boy to a t and was a constant figure at the prince’s side.  His mother had been the handmaid of the queen’s and when she had become pregnant not long after the queen had given birth, her son’s fate was sealed by the prince’s side in service.  Though honestly he didn’t “work” so much as he loyally followed Youngjae and was his ever trusted confidant.

                The other two boys had also been raised in the castle.  Like Junhong, they were fated to their jobs at birth due to their family lineages.  They were taken from their families at the young age of 8 and put into knights’ training, living in quarters in the outer parts of the castle.

                The ever sweet Jongup had excelled at training but immediately glued himself to the side of the hot-headed and loud-mouthed Daehyun who protected him from the many trainee bullies.   Training was tough and borderline cruel and the boys leaned on each other for support.  Then, one fateful night, Daehyun met Youngjae for the first time.  He had snuck out of his quarters- an act expressly forbidden and punishable by whipping- in order to steal away into the kitchen in search of food.  He had always been a child with an insatiable appetite but the trainees’ rations were meager.  He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt satisfied.  He had just laid his hands on some bread when a voice sounded behind him.

                “What are you doing in here?”

                He turned around and jumped at the sight.  The young prince was standing in the kitchen, arms crossed and lips pursed.  Daehyun instantly dropped the bread and fell to his knees whimpering. “I- I’m so s-sorry.  I promise I won’t do it again.  Just please don’t tell on me!” he cried.

              “You know, if you’re going to go through all this trouble for a midnight snack, you might as well take the good stuff,” the prince huffed, going over to meat locker and pulling the heavy door open with great effort.  He disappeared for a moment before coming out carrying a tray of sliced meats, cheeses, and fruits.  “Bring the bread, would ya?”

                Daehyun’s eyes widened at the sight of food he’d never had the privilege to eat and his stomach let out a loud grumble.  He was shaken from his trance by a bell like laugh however.  “Come on, would ya?  I’m getting hungry too!” The prince’s voice twinkled as his eyes turned to crescents and his chubby cheeks rose with his smile.  Daehyun scooped up the dropped bread and joined the prince in sitting on the counter.

                “I’m Youngjae,” the shorter boy extended his hand, cheese already stuffed in his mouth. 

                “I know…” Daehyun murmured, dropping his head.  They hadn’t been taught how to act in front of the royal family yet and he was terrified by his first encounter.

                “Silly, you’re supposed to tell me your name,” Youngjae giggled again.  He dropped his hand and instead busied himself piling meats and cheeses in between two chunks of bread.

                “D-Daehyun…”

                “Well, Daehyun… say ‘AH’!” Daehyun looked up and immediately had his face shoved full of Youngjae’s hand crafted sandwich.  The young prince broke into laughter again at the sight of Daehyun’s astonished expression and chipmunk cheeks before the older boy immediately began to wolf the food down.

                And so went many nights- the two boys sneaking out of their rooms to feast and talk.  At first Daehyun merely asked for leftovers to sneak back to Jongup, but eventually managed to coax the timid boy to sneak out and come along with him.  Youngjae also managed to rouse the sleepy Junhong and drag him along and soon it became a nightly ritual for all four of the boys.   A few years later, when the successful trainees were knighted by Youngjae’s father, Youngjae had begged for Daehyun and Jongup to become his personal knights and guards and thus the four boys managed to continue their secret friendship.

                “See… isn’t this so much better than sitting around, waiting me to finish my piano lessons?” Youngjae sighed as the four boys kicked off their shoes, sprawling across the sand and leisurely munching on their packed lunch.

                “Enjoy it while you can,” Daehyun scoffed through a mouthful of cake, “because when we get back and your teachers report your truancy, your parents are going to keep you shackled in your room.”  Youngjae ignored him as usual however and instead sat up and started to take off his shirt. “W-what are you doing?!” the oldest boy spluttered, choking and coughing on the cake that had become lodged in his throat.  Youngjae’s soft, pale torso soon came into view and Daehyun found his cheeks burning.

                “Going swimming. Why else would we come to the beach?”  Youngjae casually threw the response back at the still sputtering boy as he stood up to undo his pants.  Junhong was soon following suit, leaving the two knights on the ground.

                “Come on, Jonguppie hyung, don’t you want to come swimming with me?” Jongup blushed, but nodded his head at the maknae of the group and quickly stood to rid himself of his shirt.

                “Well?” Youngjae was left standing in only his underwear as he put a hand on his hip and looked down at his knight.

                Daehyun wasn’t quite sure where to look.  Directly in front of him was the basically prince.  He didn’t know why but the sight of his exposed body was causing him great trouble breathing.  He couldn’t help but notice that the boy had leaned out and lost much of his baby fat, leaving him with a nicely built torso.  But when he looked to the side he was met with the incredibly muscular physique of Jongup, which just made him even more conscious about taking his own clothes off.

                “I guess I’ll have to help you,” Youngjae strode forward, grabbing at the hem of Daehyun’s shirt, but his hands were smacked away.

Author’s note: Hello all!  Thank you for making it this far :3  It’s been a long time since I’ve written fanfics so please bear with me.  But my love for DaeJae would just not stop bothering me and the idea of a prince/knight story had been eating away at me, but I couldn’t find one to satisfy my needs, so I figured, why not make my own instead?

I’m planning on doing about once a week updates- but if I find myself incredibly bored/free who knows how that will change. Spring break is coming up in a couple of weeks and I’m sure I’ll find myself sitting at work twiddling my thumbs.

Please let me know what you think- this is a story for you so if there’s something you want to see, let me know!  I may be able to find a way to work it in.

I love you all!  Until next time <3