Forget Him                        

                   One month later

                 “Hyung, what the hell were you doing back there?!” Jongup chased after Daehyun as the older knight trudged back to the dorms with a split lip and a black eye.  Jongup had walked into the pub to find his hyung in a fist fight with three locals.  He had only just managed to separate them and get him out.

                “Nothing.  I was just letting off some steam,” Daehyun snapped.  Jongup felt his patience run out.  He grabbed Daehyun’s wrist and forced the teen around to stare at him.

                “Letting off steam?  You’ve been biting everyone’s head off for the last month.  You’ve been getting into fights left and right and have basically abandoned your job.  You’re not eating, you’re not sleeping.  You’re a mess.  What the hell is wrong with you?!”

                “What the hell do you think is wrong with me?!” Daehyun shouted back.  He tried to break his wrist free from Jongup’s grip but the shorter boy wouldn’t budge.  “It’s been a month.  A whole damn month and nobody’s been back to tell us .  There’s no telling what Youngjae’s been going through this past month and for all we know those rebels could be sitting around playing with themselves.  No one will let us in on anything and we don’t know how much longer we have to wait, because they don’t give a damn about Youngjae or Junhong.  All they care about is waiting until the time is right for them,” Daehyun managed to break his arm free and pointed an accusing finger at Jongup.  “And you agree with them!  We should be going to get them back!  Hell, we should have gone the second they told us what happened!  But you have no problem sitting on your , not caring what could be going on over there.”  A right hook to his face cut Daehyun off and he sprawled across the ground.

                “You think you’re the only one going insane waiting?” Jongup growled lowly through clenched teeth.  It was taking everything he had to not continue his attack.  “You think I don’t spend every second of every day wishing I was there, beating those sick psychopaths to a bloody pulp?  You’re not the only one suffering!” Jongup fought to contain the tears in his eyes as his voice rose in volume.  “But look at you!  What the hell do you expect to accomplish like that?  Instead of spending this time waiting to come with me training, you spend it moping around.  If you can’t even beat up three drunken farmers, how the hell do you expect to survive more than two seconds when we actually go into battle?  And what good are you to Youngjae if you’re dead?  Huh, hyung?” 

                Daehyun stared wide-eyed up at Jongup, taken aback by his tirade.  Though it stung to hear, he knew everything the boy was saying to be true.  Since Zitao and Luhan had left that night, he had spent the last month imagining all the horrible things currently happening to Youngjae.  He couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t function as he worried about what was happening.  He had mistaken Jongup’s continuous training and exercising as apathy rather than a coping mechanism. 

                “Jongup, I’m sorry, I was wrong.”  Daehyun stood up and dusted himself off but kept a safe distance in case his dongsaeng decided to hit him again.  Jongup’s words had filled him with a renewed sense of determination.  “I know you’re worried about Junhong.  And you’re right; I have been acting like a useless .  Will you train me?” 

                It didn’t take long for Jongup’s signature smile to find its way back on his face.  “Yeah, hyung.  Come on. We have to go beef up those skinny little arms of yours if you ever want to get anything done.”

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                “What’s wrong, Channie?” Bang asked his cousin as the raven haired man huffed and sighed, throwing a miniature fit on the sofa in Himchan’s sitting room.

                “It’s that damn Junhong,” Himchan finally snapped.  “It’s been a month.  A whole damn month.”

                “He hasn’t broken yet?” Yongguk chuckled.

                “NO!  I swear, I’m starting to think that the kid is getting a kick out of it.  I really didn’t think he’d be able to stand everything I’ve put him through but it’s like it doesn’t even faze him anymore.  I’m out of options. I don’t know what to do.”

                Himchan had spent the last month passive aggressively torturing the boy as much as he could.  He had made him scrub the entire castle alone, clean up horse poop by hand, live on one meal a day, sleep in the dungeon, and even dyed the kid’s precious blond hair a dark blue-black.  The last act had gotten him about a second of tears that he thought were a good sign before the brat was back to his snarky self and Himchan was running out of ideas.

                Personally, Yongguk found it hilarious that his cousin was so frazzled.  No one had ever stood up to the terrifying man before.  His sharp eyes and husky voice had everyone either falling at his feet or running in fear, but for the first time someone was actually fighting back and Himchan didn’t know how to react.  But a month was long enough and Yongguk was worried that if the other servant’s saw Junhong’s disobedient and rebellious nature that they might start to get ideas.

                “Leave it to me, Channie,” he said as he patted the distraught boy’s knee.  “I’ll take care of it.”

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                Junhong was polishing all the armor in the main corridor when he caught a glimpse of his reflection.  Honestly, when Himchan had first dyed his hair he had wanted to cry for days.  He had always been so proud of his cute, curly, blond hair, but this look was starting to grow on him.  It added a sort of cool factor and coupled with him losing his baby fat and gaining some muscle due to his new diet and work load, he was enjoying his new edgy look.

                “Be careful staring at yourself like that or you’re going to turn into Himchan.”  Junhong spun around at the sound of an amused voice behind him.  He glared when he saw the offender.

                “What do you want?” he growled.

                “Do I really need to warn you what could happen if you talk to me like that?” Yongguk’s tone was light but his eyes oozed danger.  Junhong kept quiet.  “Actually I came on behalf of my cousin.  It seems that you’ve been giving him a run for his money.”

                “He said I had two options.  I am merely fulfilling my duties for one of those options. I don’t see what I’m doing wrong,” Junhong was quick to defend himself.

                “I didn’t say you were doing anything wrong.  And you won’t be punished for not giving in.  It’s just that…how do I put this?  When Channie comes whining and crying to me all the time because he’s frustrated with you, it really grates on my nerves and aggravates me.  And when I get aggravated I tend to take it out on the people nearest to me… for example… my very adorable husband.”  Junhong’s eyes widened at this.  “Now I’m not going to tell you all the ways that I let my aggravation out, but let’s just say that some might leave him incapable of walking in the morning.” Junhong let out a growl and made to move toward the prince, but Yongguk held is hands up to stop him.  “ But if Himchan were placated, then I wouldn’t need to hear his ing and I wouldn’t have any aggravation to release.  Do you understand?”  Yongguk shot Junhong a smile.  “Just think on it a little bit.”  And with that Yongguk made his way down the hall. 

                Junhong clenched his grip on the shining cloth in his hand as his thoughts reeled around Yongguk’s barely veiled threat.  He had made it this far in defying Himchan and he had intended to keep it that until the day he died, if he had to.  And truth be told, he was furious with Youngjae.  They hadn’t spoken once since Youngjae ruined their plan and forced him to move in here over a month ago.  He saw the prince now and then in the hallways while he worked but he was never even spared a glance from his longtime friend.

                Even so, even though he wanted to hate Youngjae, he couldn’t.  They had been too close for too long for him to betray his friend, even if Youngjae had turned his back on him.  Junhong gritted his teeth, seething over the choice Yongguk was forcing him to make.  Himchan had yet to reveal what being his “personal pet” meant, but he was sure it was nothing pretty.  He kicked the bucket, contents spilling on the floor, but he didn’t care at this point and trudged off to find Himchan’s room.

“Come in,” Himchan lazily answered from his sofa.  He was currently inspecting his newly formed dark circles in his hand mirror.  That brat is ruining my beautiful face with all this stress, he hissed internally.   He turned when he heard the door open and started in surprise.

                “What are you doing here?”

                Junhong shifted from foot to foot as he forced the words to come forth without accidentally spilling vomit with them.  “I came to say… I give in.  I’ll be your personal servant.”

                “My personal pet,” Himchan corrected with a sleazy grin.  He didn’t miss a beat even though internally he was shouting with a mixture of confusion, surprise and joy.

                “Whatever,” Junhong grumbled in response, already starting to regret his decision.

                “Oh this is going to be fun!” Himchan sang as he jumped up and ran to his closet.  “I already have all your outfits made!  Now I’ll just have to get the room ready for you.”  He came back out holding a scanty bunny outfit and handed it to the wide eyed boy.  “Now go take a bath in my tub.  You absolutely reek.  And then put that on and come back out.”

                Junhong glared down at the outfit in his hand once more and back at the greasy face smiling before him.  He took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down before he broke something, and slumped off to the bathroom.

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                “How’s the packing coming?”  Yongguk returned to his room and found Youngjae bent over a suitcase on the bed, neatly folding clothes and stacking them in.

                “I’m almost done.  We’re only going to be gone for a week, right?”  Youngjae looked up at him and Yongguk couldn’t contain a smile as he nodded.  Since it was their one month anniversary, his parents had decided that the two should tour the country and show off the new prince to all the citizens.  His parents had also decided that for the tour it would be best if the boys had complimentary hairstyles.  Their cuts were different- Youngjae’s had stayed basically the same, but Yongguk’s was now shaved around everywhere but the top, which stayed long and styled up.  Though the hairstyles were different, the colors had been dyed a matching sandy brown and Yongguk thought the color really brought out Youngjae’s big doe eyes.

                Yongguk walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around the younger boy from behind in an attempt at skinship.  A growl soon rumbled in his throat, however, when Youngjae immediately flinched and tried to pull away.  It had been a whole month and he, like Himchan, had tried everything.  He had tried threats, force and even kindness, but nothing was working the way he wanted.  When Yongguk threatened or hit Youngjae, the boy would back down and become docile.  When he was nice to him- doing things like saying kind words or bringing him snacks- he was less jumpy and slightly more receptive.  When he forced him, he got what he wanted physically from him.  Put together, these were all the things Yongguk technically wanted, but it wasn’t right.  It wouldn’t take long before Youngjae reverted back and he’d have to start all over again.   Yongguk wanted it all to come from Youngjae without him having to manipulate the boy.  This had all technically started as a game, a form of entertainment, but it wasn’t enough for him anymore.  He didn’t just want Youngjae’s body, but now his heart as well.  But that was obviously taken by somebody else.

                Yongguk pulled away as Youngjae fidgeted uncomfortably in his grip and went to inspect the suitcase that Youngjae had packed for him.  He fiddled aimlessly with the clothes inside as his mind raced.  How could he make Youngjae forget about Daehyun?  How could he make Youngjae fall in love with him instead?  Had he not been trying hard enough?  Yongguk mentally replayed some of their past encounters and concluded that maybe he could be a bit nicer.  An idea came to his mind and he smirked.  He’d be able to use this trip to his advantage.

                “…guk….Yongguk…” He snapped back from his thoughts at the sound of Youngjae calling his name.  “Yongguk?”

                “Yes? What is it?” he smiled but, to his disappointment, the gesture wasn’t returned.  Youngjae merely eyed him with a look of confusion and skepticism.

                “I asked when we’re leaving.  And your parents aren’t coming, right?”

                “Oh, sorry.  This evening.  We’ll stay overnight there since we need to be ready early in the morning.  And no, they’re not.   We’ll do the tour ourselves and then the finale will be back here in the capital next week.”

                Youngjae nodded and turned back to his luggage.  He had mixed feelings about the trip.  True, it would be great to get out of the castle, away from the Bangs and to see new sites.  But at the same time, he’d be stuck in a confined space with Yongguk most of the time.  Honestly, he didn’t know what to think about the boy anymore.  At least in the past the older prince was reliably an abusive at all times.  Now Youngjae didn’t know who he was going to meet when he encountered the man, and that scared him even worse.

                Yongguk took one last look at the boy before leaving again.  He needed to start preparations for his sudden plan.

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                                Youngjae let his eyes run over the crowd gathered below them while Yongguk gave his speech.  Youngjae had given some greetings to the villagers in the beginning and now Yongguk was rambling on about something or another.  Youngjae had tuned out long ago and was instead much more interested in the stark contrast between this kingdom and his own.  He couldn’t believe the amount of guards that were placed around and throughout the crowd- especially considering how lackluster and emotionally dead everyone looked. Whenever his parents gave speeches, everyone always seemed much more animated.  When they appeared on stage, greeted the people, or said anything of interest, everyone would enthusiastically clap and cheer.  Here, they all just stood, dead-panned, and Youngjae wasn’t sure they were even listening.

                He also couldn’t help but noticed how haggard everyone looked compared to his own people.  Granted his kingdom didn’t have a lot compared to others, but everyone was fed and cared for.  His great-grandmother had strictly forbidden anyone from working for more than five days a week or ten hours a day when she had ruled.  The law still stood strong and productivity was actually higher than generations before because everyone was rested, healthy and happy.

                Youngjae started to wonder if perhaps these were all things he had taken for granted.  He had just assumed that things naturally happened this way.  But looking out at the people of Goguryeo, they were so gaunt and tired looking.

                “…and with the construction for our new summer home in Ulsan almost finished….”

                “How can the royal family afford another vacation home when we can’t even afford to feed our families?!”  Everyone’s attention, including Youngjae’s, snapped to the raggedly dressed man in the middle of the crowd.  Youngjae side glanced over at Yongguk, waiting to hear his answer, but the enraged man merely made a gesture to the guards and continued with his speech.  Youngjae glanced back and, to his surprise, the man was being dragged away by a troop of guards, no one in the crowd paying him a bit of attention.

                The speech was over and the pair made their way back to their lodgings.  They had been moving in complete silence, but Youngjae’s curiosity finally got the better of him and he spoke up.  “What will happen to that man that the guards dragged away?”

                “He’s already been executed,” Yongguk answered matter-of-factly.

                Youngjae’s eyes bulged in surprise.  “For asking a question?”

                “He tried to make the royal family look bad.  There’s no worse offence in this kingdom.  He knew that when he spoke up.”

                Youngjae couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  “Yeah, but he was worried about feeding his family.  What will they do now?  As rulers isn’t it your job to take of your people?”

                Yongguk huffed in annoyance.  “No.  It’s not our job to lower ourselves to worrying about peasants.  It’s their job to serve their rulers without question.  It’s not my fault.  It’s just everyone’s drawn lot in life and that’s the way it is.”

                Youngjae shut his mouth in fear of further angering the older prince.  But he couldn’t get his mind off the conversation as they neared the house.  Had this been what his parents were always going on about?  The reason why they pushed him so hard?  So that he wouldn’t end up like this?

                “Go wash up.”  Yongguk’s voice broke through his thoughts.  “We’re going somewhere special for dinner but I have something to attend to first.  I’ll come get you when I’m ready.”  Youngjae nodded with disinterest and headed to the bath.

                Youngjae trembled from nerves as he clutched Yongguk’s hands and the older boy led him through the woods.  When Yongguk came to get him, he had blindfolded the younger boy and told him that he had a “surprise” for him. This had scared Youngjae because so far Yongguk’s “surprises” never ended well for him.

                “Can’t you just tell me what’s going on?”

                Yongguk chuckled in response and Youngjae wasn’t sure whether that was a good or bad sign.  “We’re almost there.  Just a little bit further.”

                They finally stopped and Yongguk removed Youngjae’s blindfold.  Youngjae blinked a few times before taking in the sight before him.  They were in a small clearing in the woods that was completely encircled with cherry blossom trees.  In the middle of the clearing there was a blanket stretched out.  He moved forward to inspect it and saw wine and various dishes laid out.

                “What do you think?” Yongguk’s voice came from behind him.

                “It looks….really good.”  Youngjae felt his mouth watering from looking at everything.

                “Thanks.  Actually I… uh… I made everything.”  Youngjae turned back around.  Yongguk was looking uncharacteristically shy and nervous.

                “You made it?  When?”  They had been busy all day.

                “Last night after we arrived.”

                “Oh.  So that’s why you never came to bed?”  Yongguk nodded.  “But, why?”

                Yongguk stepped forward and took Youngjae’s hands in his once more.  “I wanted to do something special for our one month anniversary.  I know things didn’t get off to a great start, but I hope that they can get better.”  Youngjae opened his mouth, but Yongguk quickly cut him off.

                “Come on. Let’s eat.”  He led him onto the blanket and nudged him to sit down.  “Eat, eat,” Yongguk commanded and filled a plate.  He handed it to Youngjae before preparing the wine.

                Youngjae momentarily eyed the food with suspicion.  He hoped Yongguk hadn’t poisoned it.  But his hunger quickly won out and he lifted his fork to try a bite.

                “It’s really good!” He let out in surprise.  Yongguk flashed him a gummy grin and his eyes twinkled in delight.

                “Really?”

                Youngjae nodded enthusiastically before digging back into his plate with fervor.

                They ate and drank in silence and for the first time in other a month, Youngjae felt at ease.  At least, until Yongguk grabbed his chin and pulled him in for a kiss once he set his plate and drink down.  He instinctively flinched and moved away, but Yongguk kept a firm grip on his chin.

                “Youngjae…” Yongguk’s breath ghosted over his lips and made him shiver.  “What’s it going to take?  What’s it going to take for me to replace him in your heart?”

                To say that Youngjae was taken aback by the question would be an understatement.  “Yongguk, I-“

                “Why are you so intent on making yourself miserable?” Yongguk growled, never loosening his grip on Youngjae’s chin or lessening the distance between their faces.  “Why do you insist on pining after somebody who you’ll never see again?  You’ll never be able to be happy as long as you love him.  But if you forget about him… Forget him and learn to love me, then I can make you happy.  You’re already stuck here anyway… so why can’t you just let go?”

                Yongguk’s words struck Youngjae hard.  Maybe… just maybe he was right…  What good was loving Daehyun going to do him now?  The knight surely hated him and he knew that he’d never be able to see him again anyway.  If he gave in to Yongguk and Yongguk carried on in this manner instead of his usual self, then maybe life here could become bearable.

                Yongguk could tell from Youngjae’s expression that he was starting to win this battle.  He pushed forward, pressing his lips to Youngjae’s once again.  This time the younger didn’t flinch or back away.  In fact, Yongguk was surprised when Youngjae’s lips ever so slowly melded with his and he felt the younger kissing back.

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Author's Note:

Hello all!  I don't have much to say about this chapter except that it's not my favorite (<_<)  It worked out so much better in my head.

But the next installment is going to be .

Like always, it's not necessary to the plot, except that you know it happens.  It will be BangJae but it will be much fluffier than before.

If it's not your thing, ignore the next chapter and I'll see you next time instead!

And thank you guys for all your wonderful comments (*^^*)

<3 Dani