Forbidden Melody

The ball had extended late into the night. When Joonyoung arrived home with his son, the stars and sun had only a couple of hours left before they would trade places in the sky. It was already past midnight.

Joonyoung was jolted awake when his carriage abruptly stopped. Mrs. Neisseria, his housekeeper rapped on the carriage door gently and asked if he needed any help carrying Seungwoo inside the house. 

Joonyoung refused her help and thanked her. He slung Seungwoo's arms over his shoulder, and fastened the child's feet at his waist. He signaled his housekeeper to open the door as he carefully made his way out of the carriage and into the house. 

Darkness greeted him as he entered his home. The electricity in the town was rationed and shut off after nine in the evening, only to be restored late in the afternoon. 

Joonyoung fumbled around the hallways as he tried to adjust his vision to the dimness. Only a single lamp, which his housekeeper held, was the source of light in the entire house. He found his way to Seungwoo's room, and carefully set Seungwoo down on his bed. 

He was exhausted from spending the entire night playing the piano. His fingers had already went numb. Yet he took care of his son by taking of the child's shoes, followed by his scarf, coat, and gloves. Joonyoung arranged them neatly on the bedside table.

He thought about proceeding upstairs to sleep in his own bedroom, yet his heavy eyelids prevented him from doing so. It had also started to rain heavily outside; and knowing that Seungwoo was afraid of thunder, Joonyoung decided to lay down and sleep beside his son. 

He could feel himself drift away, like a stump of wood carried by the ocean's waves. Just as he was approaching the shores of slumber, a loud knock on the door woke him up--a huge wave pulling him away from the shoreline of his much needed sleep. 

He grunted and got up. "What is it?" he mumbled sleepily as he opened the door. 

"There are travelers outside, master. They say they have come from the ball, yet cannot return to their homes because tis too far from Giemsa," Mrs. Neisseria replied. 

"They can stay in an inn. There's one a few blocks away. Please be kind enough to give them directions," he instructed her. 

"That is the problem, master," she replied. "None of the inns can accommodate them. All the inns are being occupied." 

Joonyoung sighed. He stood there for a moment, wondering what he should do next. He listened to the rain beating down heavily on the roof, and finally decided to let the travelers into his home. 

"Alright, let us allow them to stay for the night." 

He accompanied the housekeeper to the front door. "Do you have any idea who they are?"

"Not at all, Sir. But perhaps he is a royal. His carriage looks...quite exquisite. He comes with a male servant and a horseman." 

"Where do they say they are from?" Joonyoung asked. He was starting to feel anxious. Sleepiness had escaped him now that events preceding and during the ball revisited his memory. 

The kiss he shared--or rather stole--from Prince Roy became fresh in his memory once again. He recalled how he and Prince Roy had exchanged quick and knowing glances all evening. He saw how the prince stared at him even when he danced with beautiful ladies from other kingdoms. 

He saw Prince Roy stare, because he had been staring at the prince as well. He could not deny that he felt a twinge of jealousy every time he saw someone else in the prince's arms. 

"They come from Monte George, sir."

He wanted to stop his housekeeper from opening the door and allowing the prince to enter his home. Having the prince stay for the night was a formula for disaster and unimaginable danger. Yet Joonyoung's words came a second too late. Mrs. Neisseria had already opened the door and welcomed the guests in. She curtsied to Roy and ushered his companions into the warmth of their living room, away from the cold storm pouring on outside. 

It was Joonyoung's turn to be rooted on the spot he stood on. He berated himself for kissing the prince, yet he could not make himself sorry for it. He enjoyed the kiss, and he felt no regret at all. He watched Roy enter. Roy was drenched, and his companions as wet as he; it turns out his expensive carriage carried no umbrellas with it. Oh the irony. 

Roy shivered in his wet clothes. He greeted the housekeeper politely and thanked her for accommodating him and his servants. He then asked where the master of the house was. 

"He's right there, your highness," Mrs. Neisseria replied turning to Joonyoung's direction. 

Roy's reaction upon seeing Joonyoung was a mere reflection of the other man's own expression. He was surprised to see the handsome pianist standing a few feet away from him. 

"Your highness," Joonyoung composed himself and bowed respectfully to the royal. It was quite a contrast to be so respectful when he had stolen a kiss from the prince earlier. 

"Mister Joonyoung! What a surprise! Thank you for allowing us to stay in your home," Roy was secretly thankful that it was pitch dark. The darkness concealed how red he had turned upon  seeing Joonyoung. 

He recalled the kiss. It had not insulted him at all. In fact, he enjoyed it. It left him wanting more.

Joonyoung instructed his housekeeper to bring Roy's servants to their quarters. He offered to take the prince to the master's bed room and let him rest there. Roy was to be given the best room in the house. It was only fitting since he was a royal.

Joonyoung did not mind giving up his room for one night. Staying in Seungwoo's room was completely alright with him. What bothered him was how close Roy was to him as they climbed up the dimly lit stairs. 

There was tension between the two of them. Both of them could feel it. It was the kind of tension that resulted from having unfinished business with each other. 

Business of the inappropriate kind. 

"Are you cold your highness?" Joonyoung asked as they finally reached the second floor. They walked together in darkness. 

"Are you going to keep me warm tonight? Or are you going to repeat what you did to me earlier?" Roy responded, now unable to hold himself back. He knew they were alone with no eyes peering at them nor ears listening to what they said. He stood closer to Joonyoung, whispering right into the taller man's ear.

"If you tell me to do so," Joonyoung answered as he stopped and turned to Roy, barely leaving any distance between them, "I would. Gladly." 

He pushed Roy to the wall and trapped the prince between his arms. He stared at him right in the eye. He could see desire burning in Roy's eyes, and he was sure Roy was able to see the same in his.

Roy stared right back into Joonyoung's brown orbs. He knew that what they were about to do was forbidden. Illegal. Unthinkable. 

Yet he could no longer stop himself. 

"Shall I set up the fire place for you and give you dry clothes?" Joonyoung asked mischievously. 

"You understand perfectly well what I want," Roy answered as he pulled Joonyoung's face closer to his and kissed the pianist, "and what you want." 

Joonyoung laced his hands into Roy's hair and captured his lips once again. Roy held on to the pianist tightly, as if he would fall apart if he didn't. He allowed his hands to travel all over the other man's back. 

Joonyoung's fingers slowly went down from Roy's hair to his coat. He hastily undid the buttons while keeping his mouth connected to Roy's. Roy did not protest. 

Joonyoung allowed Roy's drenched coat to drop on the floor. He would have to explain tomorrow what it was doing there. But right then, it did not matter. 

He nibbled gently at Roy's lower lip, asking for entrance to his mouth. Roy sighed and allowed Joonyoung to do what he wanted. Their tongues danced arrhythmically; both were hungry to explore each other's mouths. 

Roy busied his hands with Joonyoung's tie as he struggled to take it off. It joined his coat on the floor.

They kissed until they reached the door to the bedroom. Joonyoung unlatched the doorknob with one hand, while keeping the other on Roy.

Roy was breathless and exhilarated. He kissed Joonyoung deeply as they entered the room, colliding with one another before falling on the bed. 

Joonyoung finally pulled away from the kiss. "Roy," he sighed the prince's name sweetly.

He pressed his lips against Roy's forehead, and gave the prince a small smile.

Roy smiled back. "Joonyoung," he murmured, "it's better to address you by that name alone. Joonyoung."

He buried his face into Joonyoung's shoulder as the pianist wrapped his arms around him. 

After a few moments, Joonyoung got up, leaving Roy confused as to where he would go. 

Joonyoung walked to his closet and came back to Roy with a new and dry set of clothes. 

"I don't want you to get sick." 

They had discarded all the formalities. Roy was no longer a prince, and Joonyoung no longer a mere pianist. Joonyoung was caring for him, not for the reason that he was a prince, but out of sincerity and affection.

It was an unfamiliar, yet warm feeling; much like the tunes Joonyoung would create. 

It was unfamiliar, yet comforting.

It was real. It was love.

"I should go back downstairs," Joonyoung said as he did his best to smooth out the creases on his clothes. "Seungwoo might look for me. Will you be fine on your own?" 

"Yes," Roy answered. "You must go and attend to your son." 

"Good night, Roy," Joonyoung said as he leaned in to kiss Roy's cheek. 

"Good night, Joonyoung," Roy replied with a smile.

He watched Joonyoung by the orange flickers from the fireplace. He did not feel resentful that Joonyoung was leaving him alone; he understood the other man's priorities. 

As Joonyoung went through the doorway, he observed that there was an X-shaped scar right under the pianist's ear.

It only meant one thing. 

Joonyoung was cursed.