"..Your Majesty ?"

Jinki gulped down, fist clenching on his side "I'm.. I'm not.."

Jonghyun chuckled sinisterly before straightening his position and fumbling with his pocket, throwing the piece of the envelope he found from the trash can to the floor right in front of Jinki's feet.

"What..." Jinki frowned, lifting his head up from the floor, stomach churning unpleasantly.

"What ?" Jonghyun barked a laugh "You ask me what ?"

"I have no idea of what you're talking about.." Jinki said, sticking on his lies. "Cause I'm really not.."

"Not receiving letter from the Queen ? Not an impostor ? Not a Prince ?" Jonghyun narrowed his eyes "But you are, Prince Jinki. You are NOT a ing hacker. You're supposed to be on the palace, not meddling with Kkangpae's business !"

Jinki shook his head "You're crazy. How could you come into conclusion I'm a Prince ?" he decided to go for the lie all the way "Just because of a single letter.."

Jonghyun scoffed "Am I stupid ? Even without the picture of you around, everyone could tell how much you resemble The Queen and The King if they start to pay attention." he said "A little more research and I found the year of birth of the first Prince. He should be around our age. The second Prince's year of birth is too young."

"You're watching too much drama." Jinki lightly brushed it off.

"Cut the crap, bastard !" Jonghyun yelled in anger, hands striking forward to grab the other's collar, backing Jinki up to the wall.

Jinki coughed brutally, trying to get Jonghyun's hand off of him. "Your deduction's.. weak." he said, voice strangled "Nobody's gonna.. believe you."

"That's not what I want," Jonghyun squinted, fastening his grip on the other's collar.

Jinki frowned in confusion.

"Exposing you is not my purpose. I could've done it when I found out for the first time." Jonghyun hissed through his teeth "Do you expect you'll still be alive by now if there's anyone else know ? You'll be a pack of entrails ready to be sent to the palace." he spat.

Jinki didn't get it "So why don't you.. tell on me ?" he asked.

Jonghyun tried to steady his breath. Here it is. "Leave." he said coldly.

"Wha..." just that ?

"Leave, Jinki." Jonghyun said, knowing he could call the supposedly high Prince all he wanted now, cause his mighty life was on his hand. "Leave and no one would know about this. Even if they know your true identity after this, you'll be under the protection of the safe palace. We can't touch you. I just need you to leave."

Jinki frowned "W-what ? Why ? It has nothing good to do to you."

"Not to me." Jonghyun said coldly "To Kibum."

"Kibum.." Key.

"I don't care about the damage you'll do to our family. I don't even care about the reason you're spying on us. I just don't want Kibum to know you're lying to him just to get the information of us."

"What ?" Jinki said "I'm not.."

"I DON'T WANT.." Jonghyun cut Jinki off with anger, almost choking Jinki again from how tight his grip on his collar "I don't want Kibum to be hurt because he believe on something he hated the most before he met you."

"Leave, Jinki." Jonghyun glared furiously "It's better for Kibum to know you're suddenly missing like a ghost rather than to know that you're a liar all along."

Both of the guys kept silent for a while, letting the words sank inside their mind.

For Jinki, this was the beginning of explosion from his time bomb. Something that he knew would eventually came in one way or another,but  he just didn't expect it would be this soon.

Thinking of Jonghyun's words, he truly didn't want to just leave like this. No.

"I can't just leave." Jinki finally voiced it out. "Let me think for some time."

"Are you ing kidding me ?!" Jonghyun clenched his teeth again, eyes bulging out "You need more time toying Kibum ?!"

Jinki finally fed up receiving false accusation from Jonghyun that he pushed the guy's hand away "I'm not toying him !"

"SHUT. THE. . UP !" Jonghyun yelled out of his rage, before sending Jinki a good punch on his right cheek with his fist, that The Prince fell on the floor.

Jonghyun was pinning Jinki down, winding the other's already crumpled collar before raising his right hook again "Tell me you'll leave ! Or i'll beat you up into a pulp, you're son of a b...

"Jjong !"

Jonghyun stopped his second punch midway as he heard the shout. The shout from the voice he honestly didn't want to hear at the time. He was afraid for Kibum himself.

And Jinki was turning his head too, frozen as he saw Kibum was standing stiffly on the doorway, mouth gaping before he rushed to them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kibum glared unbelievingly to the dumbstruck Jonghyun before he pushed his bestfriend away, creating space in between the fighting males. "Why are you always attacking Onew ?!"

"He's..." Jonghyun pointed Jinki as he saw Kibum's blaming gaze on him, the truth hanging on the tip of his tounge, but for some reason, he swallowed it back, his fist clenching on the side.

"He's what ?" Kibum frowned to Jonghyun, before he shook his head and turned his attention to Jinki.

"You're bleeding..." Kibum said as he squatted down and reached his hand out to touch Jinki's face, eyebrows furrowed. "Come here."

The next second, Jinki was being pulled to the couch while Kibum was taking the first aid box from the cupboard nearby (Jonghyun had already left the scene with a scoff, after picking up the part of The Queen's letter that was laying on the floor -and fortunately unnoticeable for Kibum-).

The younger was sighing deeply as he sat back beside him and started to treat his wound, asking about why Jonghyun suddenly punched him and why Jinki just didn't punch him back or something like that.

Jinki couldn't hear him clearly, since he was busy staring at the younger, trying to read his expression. He wondered if Kibum heard his word-fight with Jonghyun. Did Kibum know now ? But if the younger did, he couldn't have been taking care of him at the moment. Right ?

"Since when you were standing in the doorway before you came out ?" Jinki bravely asked.

Kibum slightly pulled away, frowning "Huh ? Not long." he said before sighing again "Jonghyun really shouldn't have punched you without reason, that is really weird sometimes." he mumbled, more to himself.

Jinki was still worrief "Why are you back, anyway ?" he questioned carefully.

"I forgot to bring my phone." he said, "I.. was already on the way when I found that i forgot and i decided to get back."

"Ah.." Jinki simply responded.

"Now that you mentioned it," Kibum said as he stood up after gathering all the kit he used and put it back on the aid box."I should quickly grab my phone and go meet Jiyong before he kills me."

Jinki smiled a bit.

Kibum returned the smile "I guess you're fine now, that I could really get going, hmm?"

Jinki only nodded shortly at him, still couldn't believe his luck. One second Kibum came faster, everything wouldn't be the same again.

He let the younger went for a while to search for his phone while he was trying to calm himself. What happened that day drained him. He already couldn't think about what would occur after this.

He was afraid Jonghyun would reveal his identity. So that he really had no choice but to leave.

But then Jinki heard the younger came back rustling to his side, after finding his phone and he was now leaning in to kiss him on the forehead.

"Please be okay..." Kibum whispered.

Jinki was not answering even until Kibum disappeared behind the front door, leaving him to stare blankly on the tiled floor.

No, you please be okay...

--

He needed to steal it from Jonghyun. Before the others find out or that short guy even really decide to tell everyone the truth. He couldn't see well the last time, whether the evidence Jonghyun's saying was really the remaining part of The Queen's letter or not.

He needed to see it himself whether he should be really worried or not.

He knew where Jonghyun's room was.

When everyone else hadn't back yet, he just needed to steal it and keep it safe for a while.

--

"Where the did i put it.."

Jonghyun was fumbling in his room, scrambling around his desk, his small cupboard, his messy bed, just to look for the piece of envelope he hid inside the day before.

He clicked his tounge as he searched through his desk once again, frowning as he couldn't find what he was looking for in the middle of his paper piles.

He tapped his fingers impatiently, letting the gear of his mind grinding. What could happen when he was away ?

That guy. The only one that knew about the evidence.

. Jonghyun gritted his teeth. That impostor really had the nerves.

He finally took a deep breath as he slammed open his door to find the Prince.

--

Jinki was bundled up with the boys in the living room that evening, tho he was not doing anything in particular. He was just half joining to hear Joon discussing something about work with Changmin and half watching the adult movie the boys insisted to see.

His mind was on another thing, or another person to be exact.

And also, he couldn't help but to be sort of insecure to get along with the others now. He was already afraid to think how they all would react if they found out.

"Ah. You're here."

Jinki flinched at the sarcastic tone, knew well who it was.

He turned his head stiffly to see Jonghyun just came to the room, smiling to him too composedly it made him anxious.

Would he do it now ? Jinki thought blurrily, seeing the boys around him who were looking at Jonghyun who was walking to him.

. Jinki cursed inside his mind. Of course they would be staring.

Jonghyun had never came to talk to him in public, had he ?

"We should talk." Jonghyun said, his casual tone obviously hiding fangs.

"Awww.." someone teased "You're buddy buddy with Onew too now, Jonghyun ?"

"Yeah," Jonghyun raised his eyebrows once at the speaker "We're kind of friends that know each other's darkest secret."

"Don't tell me you're both gay for each other, man." the other chimed in, inviting a series of laughter from the boys, including Jonghyun, excluding Jinki.

"Nah, it's not." Jonghyun brushed off, before he turned again to Jinki "Let's have some talk, buddy. Before i spill your secret."

Jonghyun was threatening so finely playful that the others were kind of seeing it as a joke.

But Jinki knew how dangerous his position was and how easy Jonghyun could turn the peaceful twilight into bloodbath that he finally stood up and followed the shorter guy out like a loyal puppy.

"Wow," Jonghyun said as they got alone in the hallway "You could be really obedient, huh ? Better than a golden retriever ?"

Jinki gritted his teeth "What do you want ?'

"Give it back to me." Jonghyun said to the point, without wasting time.

"Give what back ?" Jinki frowned.

"Don't act all dumb, you jerk." Jonghyun was glaring again before he hissed "Your mother's letter."

"Huh ?" Jinki shook his head "I don't have it."

"Do you want another punch or something ?" Jonghyun raised his eyebrows, tightening his jaw.

"Why do I always run into both of you together these days ?" Came the voice they didn't expect to find them again.

"Key ?" Jinki asked, seeing the male just arrived in his working outfit.

Kibum was pursing his lips "What's up with you guys ?" he frowned.

Jonghyun clicked his tounge with a low voice that only Jinki could hear it.

"I was just teaching him a thing or two if he wants to be with you." the short guy said lightly.

Kibum frowned before smiled confusedly "Well, that's... great if you both could get along after all this time.."

"Yeah.." Jonghyun nodded to Kibum before he turned to Jinki, forcing a smile "Be careful.." he warned subtly before decided to add "..with Kibum and his PMS demeanor all the time."

"Ya !" Kibum came to slap Jonghyun on the arm.

Jinki just released a shaky laugh, watching carefully as Jonghyun got in to the living room again after flashing him a look.

"Did he really teach you something ?" Kibum asked curiously, getting closer to Jinki.

"Uh.. Yeah.." Jinki nodded "He did.."

"That's good.." Kibum said "I thought he was going to hit you again."

Jinki just smiled somehow nervously.

The younger frowned "Your smile's weird."

Jinki only responded with "Ah.", his lips back into a thin line.

Kibum tilted his head, scrutinizing the older's face "Are you..."

Jinki was tensing up, fidgeting in his place.

"Are you thinking that what Jonghyun said is true ?" Kibum continued.

"Huh ?" Jinki raised his eyebrows.

"About that PMS thing ?" Kibum frowned "I'm not PMS-ing all the time ! He's lying !"

Jinki tried to laugh naturally "Yeah.. Yeah.. I was nervous about that."

Kibum gritted his teeth "I'll kill Kim Jonghyun for scaring you."

Jinki laugh again. How he wished Kibum really would.

--

On the next day, Jinki arrived back at the headquarter when it was almost three in the morning. He was just helping Jiyong doing some fieldwork -something that actually didn't even have connection with his so-called hacking ability again- but he was just to lazy to consider about the right or wrong thing he supposed to do and whatnot now, so he just went with it in the end. He had enough problems already.

Jinki sighed deeply as he walked tiredly to his room, stretching his arms out and letting out a yawn. All he wanted now was just sleep, a good one. If he could go hibernate like a grizzly, it would be better.

He reached for his knob almost blindly, both because the hallway was dark and because his eyes were almost drooping off. His room was dim too, there's no a single light, save for a weak glow from his laptop's screensaver on his desk.

Huh ? Jinki tilted his head a bit, trying to recall if he forgot to turn off his laptop before he went to help Jiyong again, but he was too sleepy to remember so he just shrugged it off. It's not like electricity bill was a problem for Kkangpae. Heh.

He gathered enough strength and will to wash his face, plug his laptop charger out and shut it down before he changed his clothes into the comfortable one, ready to go to bed by dragging his feet but then he just realized there's a mysterious lump of blanket occupying it.

Jinki widened his drooping eyes in surprise, before he narrowed them again, brain's trying to figure the happening out, until the familiar sound of a soft snore and an uneven breath that were coming from the bundle made his lips stretched into a groggy smile.

He chuckled and slightly shook his head as he saw the lump suddenly curled into a ball, the blanket was pulled a bit on the way, so that now he could see a top of a blond-haired head poking out of the blanket.

Cute, Jinki thought. Before he smiled again, sighing as lifted the blanket up and slowly slip under it.

He settled his body down on the remaining space of the bed, before he turned around to reach his hand out to scoop Kibum gently on his arms, pulling the younger's back to stick on his chest.

Jinki took a deep breath as he buried his face on Kibum's strawberry-scented hair, before he leaned down slowly to peck the shadowdragon tattoo on the younger's nape.

It felt right, so damn right to still have Kibum on his arms despite all the dangers that were still surrounding him.

But Kibum had awoken at the time he felt Jinki's breath on his neck that he squinted his eyes open confusedly, and turned his head around only to see the older's apologetic smile.

"Sorry for waking you up," Jinki whispered, lulling "Go back to sleep."

The younger smiled sleepily, shaking his head "Sorry for sneaking into your room." he said hoarsely. "I was waiting for you then.. i fell asleep."

"Don't mind it..." Jinki mumbled, tightening his hand on the slimmer waist "I like it.."

Kibum smiled before he suddenly giggled, shrugging his shoulder a bit as he felt Jinki's lips brushing his earlobe, "It tickles..." he said.

The playful protest didn't make Jinki removed his lips from where they were, tho. He just loved to hear Kibum's laugh.

But then the younger slowly turned his whole body around to face Jinki. He stared at the older for a while before he softly brushed his thumb under the other's eyebag.

"How's work?" Kibum asked casually. Too casual that Jinki felt a constriction in his chest.

Cause it was too easy for him to imagine.

Him coming home every evening from work -a normal one-, greeted sweetly by Kibum on their bed, he would pepper the younger with endless kisses, and they would share about how their days were going before they really drift off to sleep.

How easy their life together without any of these realities.

Jinki almost wished they were living under different circumstances. Almost.

"Tiring." Jinki finally answered, meek.

Kibum pouted as he shifted even closer and rested his head on the nest of the older's chest. "My poor Onew..." he said.

Jinki just chuckled as he planted a kiss on the other's crown. "Just go back to sleep." he said gently.

"I'm not that sleepy anymore," Kibum sighed, fingers playing with the front of Jinki's shirt  "I just want have some talk but I know you're tired-"

"What do you want to talk?" Jinki asked.

"I...don't know ?" the younger mumbled in his chest.  "I just want to hear your voice..."

Jinki let out a laugh at a rather clingy answer he didn't expect to hear.

"Uh...forget it," Kibum brushed off, embarassed "Let's just sleep." he said as he pretended to close his eyes, tho that only made the older laughed louder.

"You're so weird sometimes, Key..."

"Yet you like it." Kibum remarked defensively, pouting again.

"True." Jinki smiled.

Then Kibum looked up once again, staring at Jinki expectantly for some time before he erased his pout, leaning in to peck Jinki on the lips then nuzzling his head back to the older's chest in ten seconds flat.

Jinki raised his eyebrows at the quite odd gestures, but then he just took a deep breath as he pulled Kibum closer to him, ready to doze off.

And so that night, Jinki was having a really good sleep like what he wished for before.

--

He woke up feeling so well and empty at once in the next morning.

It felt well because it was one of the best sleep he had ever had since he was entering the Kkangpae, and it felt empty as well because when he reached for the source of his well-sleep by his hand, he could find nothing.

Jinki immediately opened his eyes, frowning. Kibum was nowhere to be seen, even the sheet beside him felt too cold, so that meant the younger had gone for a quite long time.

Jinki sighed as he sat up on his bed, he was half-expecting Kibum would still be there to wake him up with kisses.

But then he mentally slapped himself, reminding that he was not living a perfect script out of a korean drama.

And so his disappointment in the morning continued until noon.

Jinki began to worry when the younger didn't reply his fifth text, he asked the boys but no one knew where Kibum went. He even came to Jiyong's room and asked if the leader sent Kibum to run some errand, but Jiyong said he didn't.

Tho the leader told him that Kibum borrowed his car.

That was sort of strange, because Kibum rarely got out alone. And this time without even any task to do.

Where did Kibum go? Why didn't he tell Jinki beforehand if he had something to do today? He could drive him anywhere.

Jinki didn't really know why he was so anxious. But since the day Jonghyun found out about his identity, he was always nervous whenever he couldn't see Kibum within his sight.

It felt like, a second he let Kibum slipped out of his hand, he would never have the chance to catch him back.

Wait.. Jinki paused for a while. What if Kibum didn't go out alone ?

Oh God... He paced around. He had to look for Jonghyun.

--

But Jonghyun was in the headquarter, inside his own bedroom actually, making out some obscene noise featuring some mysterious girl voice that Jinki didn't even need to guess what they were doing -in a broad daylight-.

So well, he could let out a relief sigh for a while after crossing out the first terrifying possibility on the top of his list.

Although, it didn't really help him to calm down.

Panic began to emerge when he saw the sun had set outside the window. He drummed his fingers on his knee as he tried to call Kibum again, but now it went into mailbox, so then Jinki decided to leave a message, asking Kibum to call him back as soon as he got the message.

Jinki threw his phone to the space of the couch beside him and ruffled his hair, frustrated. There's so many negative feelings about this whole Kibum's missing thing.

He kept changing the tv channel alone and looking outside back and forth from the living room, almost get crazy at the point he wanted to just get on his own car and search for Kibum, but before he could execute his thoughts, he could hear a car engine rattled outside and he quickly jumped from his seat.

Jinki scurried to the door and he, finally, met Kibum halfway, the younger looked tired and worn out and that made him worry.

"Hey..." Kibum greeted weakly.

"Hey. Where have you been all day ?" Jinki asked, reaching his hand out to hold the younger's arm.

"I'm.." Kibum hesitated, looking down "Jiyong send me to do.. something.."

"Jiyong ?" Jinki frowned, confused. He actually wanted to say that Jiyong had told him that he didn't ask Kibum to do anything, but there's something on Kibum's tone that made Jinki decided not to inquire further.

But why he had to lie ?

"Is there.." Jinki hid lips "Is there something wrong ?"

Then Kibum lifted his head to see Jinki, showing off clouds of anxiety and uncertainty in his feline eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but in the end, he closed it back and looked away again.

"Key-ah ?"

Suddenly Jinki felt so insecure. Was he losing him already ?

"I.." Kibum started "I passed the town park on my way home.."

Jinki nodded slowly, expecting the next sentence.

"There was women day festival being held there.."

"Women day festival ?" Jinki raised his eyebrows, thinking for a while before suddenly the realization hit him.

He widened his eyes. It was the annual event his Mother organized every year. He breathed nervously as he asked, "And ?"

Did Kibum really know something ?

"I.." Kibum bit his lip, glancing to Jinki "I.. bought some chicken pot pies for me and you in a booth. But.. it was so delicious that i ended up eating all of them.." he smiled weakly "I guess I'm.. sorry ?"

Jinki raised his eyebrows, totally wasn't expecting that kind of explanation "That's... all ?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah.." Kibum nodded "That's all." he said.

Jinki closed his gaping mouth, chuckling a bit tho he was still doubting "It's.. It's okay, Key. You don't have to be that upset of yourself."

Kibum just smiled softly in return.

Jinki saw the younger was staring down again, and in worry, he lifted his hand up to Kibum's smooth cheek, sighing "You know I love you right?" he suddenly asked, out of his own confusion and fear, offering a soft smile as he caught the younger's eyes lit up a little.

Kibum was looking expectantly at Jinki again, before he also smiled gently and stretched his hands out to reach for Jinki's nape, pulling the older close to him.

Jinki was confused of the reaction at first, but considering that Kibum might just need to be pampered like usual -after his day of hard working-, he wrapped his arm around the younger's back in return, closing his eyes to engulf himself in the other's scent. Completely wasn't aware of how Kibum was actually holding onto him a little bit too tighter than necessary that time.

Or how, as soon as he couldn't see Kibum's face any longer, the younger frowned, his smile suddenly disappeared into a thin line.

--