3,337 words. It's a long one. XD

~oOo0oOo0oOo~

The sixth day had long ago turned into night as Kyungsoo and his husband lay curled together, tangled in their bedsheets. He had spent the day alternating between exploring fictional worlds, creating spontaneous melodies, and running around the palace, leaving his legs rather sore, though he was wide awake. His husband, however, seemed rather tired, and they lay together without saying anything, his husband’s hand lazily along the nape of his neck. Though the atmosphere around them was silent, it was far from uncomfortable, and Kyungsoo took advantage of the quiet to mull through his plethora of thoughts.

He still missed his family terribly, of course, but he would be lying if he said that he wasn’t happy here. The dull ache of his heart was somewhat eased by the multitude of distractions and marvels his new home provided him at every turn. The palace’s library was unparalleled, and its exquisite halls seemed endless and full of new discoveries. The place was beautiful, and the company was wonderful too. Though Zephyrus was always somewhat solemn and taciturn, the wind god treated with utmost kindness, indulging the young prince with whatever he desired. Perseus and Andromeda, those sweet little birds, were always happy to accompany his singing with their lyrical chirps, fluttering adorably in their cage. They reminded him of the songbirds Kyungsoo and his sisters had seen back home, the ones who followed the strolling royals like a trail of brightly colored petals.

And then, there was his husband. Though Kyungsoo still had yet to set eyes on his husband’s face, he could still see the man was kind, so gentle, always so eager to please. Somehow the man had known Kyungsoo loved reading more than almost any pastime, and had provided him with that magnificent library full of wondrous objects and infinite tomes for his perusal. When Kyungsoo told him that he loved to sing, the next day Zephyrus had led him to the room full of instruments, and upon mentioning that he had loved to cook, he had been allowed into the kitchen as well. Surely this was no coincidence.

His complete pampering of Kyungsoo aside, the young prince learned from their nighttime meetings that his husband was very sweet and endearingly idealistic. Though the man had seen the darkest sides of the human nature, he seemed determined to see the best in everything, a mindset that Kyungsoo wanted to think foolish but could only call admirable. Despite the fact that all Kyungsoo knew of him was that he had saved a wind god from an Olympian, the young mortal boy had found himself becoming comfortable in his presence at an almost alarming rate. His husband was revealed to have a dry sense of humor, and by the fourth night they were playfully sparring with their words, though his husband usually surrendered with a chuckle to Kyungsoo’s insistent attacks. He doted on Kyungsoo, never failing to tell him how beautiful he was, and though he proclaimed he generally had trouble expressing his feelings to others, he never hesitated to tell Kyungsoo he loved him.

Kyungsoo couldn’t honestly say that he wasn’t beginning to feel the same way. It was disquieting, how quickly his husband transformed from a malevolent beast to a friend, and how closely he was now toeing the thin line between friend and lover. As he rested with his head on his husband’s chest and his ear pressed against his beating heart, he admitted that it wouldn’t take much for him to fall in love.

Perhaps he already had.

“Kyungsoo?” his husband’s chest rumbled beneath him, and Kyungsoo made a quiet noise of acknowledgement. “Are you tired?” Kyungsoo made another noise in the negative, causing his husband’s chest to rumble again, this time with a soft laugh. “Would you mind if I showed you something?”

Kyungsoo smiled as he felt his husband gather him in his arms. “Not at all.” He felt his husband’s hands wrap him in blankets like a cocoon before he was carried through the darkness. He heard the rustling of a fabric as a curtain was pulled back to reveal a piece of night, little points of light twinkling in the backdrop. There was the sound of fluttering wings, and suddenly they were outside in open air, soaring skyward. Kyungsoo yelped and wound his arms around his husband’s neck, but just as quickly as they had taken off, they were landing, his husband setting him down gently on the cold surface of the palace’s rooftop. The night air around them was wonderfully chilly, like he was drowning in a sea of ice. Above them there was nothing but inky blackness, studded with stars that glimmered and winked like precious jewels. Constellations spanned the expanse of the heavens, portraits of heroes and tales that were forever etched in time’s memories. Kyungsoo felt warm hands lifting him up, and then he was settled on his husband’s lap, arms securing him in place. The light wasn’t enough for him to see his husband’s face, but it was just enough for him to trace the basic outline of the man’s lithe body with his eyes. He could barely make out the shape of wings in the darkness, and tentatively he reached out to touch one. The feathers were soft beneath his fingers, and he heard his husband’s breath hitch.

“Back when times were simpler, I used to come up here all the time to admire the stars,” his husband murmured, nosing Kyungsoo’s jaw softly. “I would just sit here and watch the heavens, and let my thoughts wander.” Soft lips brushed against his cheek, and though the night air was still glacial, Kyungsoo felt warmth spread through his chest.

“I used to do that too,” Kyungsoo said as their hands linked together, his husband’s fingers drawing patterns into his skin. “My sisters and I used to go onto the balcony, and my eldest sister would tell us stories.”

His husband’s gentle rubbing halted momentarily. “You miss them, don’t you,” he said quietly, and Kyungsoo could detect great guilt hidden in the recesses of his low voice. In a gesture of reassurance he brought their intertwined hands up, pressing his lips against his husband’s knuckles.

“I do,” he said truthfully. “But not as badly as before.” He turned and tapped his husband lightly on what felt like the nose, in attempt to draw his husband away from his gloomy mood. “What’s your favorite constellation?”

“Tell me yours first,” was his answer as they snuggled closer together, his chin resting on Kyungsoo’s shoulders.

“Princess Andromeda,” Kyungsoo said without a moment of hesitation.

“Is that why you named your lovebirds Perseus and Andromeda?” his husband hummed, the action sending pleasant vibrations through Kyungsoo’s body.

“Mmhmm.”

“May I ask why?”

“It’s because—oh gods, this is embarrassing,” Kyungsoo mumbled, his ears turning slightly pink. His husband prodded him expectantly, nudging him encouragingly like a puppy.

“Tell me?” his husband sounded like he was whining, and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but smile a little.

After a few moments of quiet, he murmured, “It’s because they were in love.”

His husband was silent, waiting for him to continue, and with a sigh Kyungsoo indulged him.

“It’s because their marriage was essentially arranged,” he said, gazing at the shapes of the constellations in question. “Andromeda had no choice but to marry Perseus, who saved her from the sea serpent. Yet despite the fact she was forced to marry him, he loved her, and she loved him in return. They never strayed from each other, and their union was life-long, like the love birds you gave me. They couldn’t see anyone but each other.

“I-I envy Andromeda. Back home, I was in her position, but the chances of anyone loving me the same way Perseus loved her was one in a million. There were so many people who wanted to marry me, but my suitors only wanted me for my father’s power and riches. Once they had those in their possession, what use would they have for me? They wouldn’t have married me for me, so there’s no guarantee that they would have stayed faithful.”

Unlike you, he though silently. You who took me away from my home, and my father’s wealth and power. Here, in the sky, I’m not a prince. I’m just Kyungsoo.

Yet you want me anyway.

His husband was quiet, his lips ghosting over Kyungsoo’s skin. “I love you,” he whispered fiercely as his hold tightened. “I love you.”

I know.

Kyungsoo shuddered, his eyes sliding shut as he turned around, their chests pressed flush together, their hearts beating as one. “Kiss me,” he whispered.

Their first kiss was soft, careful, a chaste press of their lips. Kyungsoo was freezing, his fingers clammy and heartbeat stuttering in his chest, but it was absolutely perfect. 

As they broke apart Kyungsoo felt lighter than he had ever felt before. He felt like he was being plunged in the hottest flames and the coldest ice, a sensation that should have been painful but was instead the most wonderful sensation in the world. He fell in love beneath the endless fabric of the midnight sky and the sparkle of frosty diamonds, the new owner of his heart a man he had never seen before with his physical eyes, a man he had seen with his heart and his soul.

~oOo0oOo0oOo~

The next morning Jongin strode through Olympus, his lips still tingling from the kiss he had shared with Kyungsoo the night before. He didn’t know what prompted the young boy to do it, but he couldn’t help but let the small blossom of hope within him wonder if the boy had begun to love him as well. He tried not to think that tonight could possibly be the last night he would ever see Kyungsoo again.

After all, though he constantly told Kyungsoo he loved him, the young prince never said anything in return.

He entered Minseok’s forge, where he found the god of blacksmiths hammering away at his anvil, the flames of his forge blazing red. The Olympian looked up, brushing sweaty hair out of his face, smiling at the sight of the god of desire.

“Hello, Jongin,” Minseok said amiably as he wiped his sooty hands on a piece of cloth, leaving behind a smear of coal. “Here it is.”

He reached into one of his many pockets, pulling out a small, simple box. Opening it, Jongin found two delicate rings nestled in velvet. They were gold, plain save for the words inscribed on their interiors.

“Omnia Vincit Amor,” Jongin read out, the metal bands glinting prettily in his palm. “Love conquers all.”

Minseok smiled proudly as he quickly gulped down a goblet of water. “Athena’s idea,” he said as he shuffled off to another one of his projects. “Jongin, if you’d prefer something more elaborate, I can easily make you something else. These rings are a bit simple, I can—“

“No, no,” Jongin quickly cut in, still admiring the pieces of jewelry. “They’re perfect. Thank you so much, Minseok.”

“No problem, Jongin,” the god of blacksmiths said easily, smiling as Jongin exited, pocketing the rings carefully. As he left he found himself face to face with Athena, her blonde hair and shrewd grey eyes glinting in the sunlight.

“Good day, Jongin,” she said, her voice mellifluous and low. Jongin quickly bowed. “I hope you don’t mind the suggestion I gave Minseok.”

“Not at all, Lady Athena,” he said as the goddess of wisdom seemed to read his entire being with her eyes alone. She leaned closer, tip-toeing slightly to reach Jongin’s ear.

“Love can be just as much a reward as a downfall,” she said softly. “No one knows its potency better than you do. You know how it can turn the wise into mere marionettes, how it can bring the destruction of great civilizations. For the sake of yourself and the sake of your little prince, don’t think for a moment that the puppetmaster can’t become a puppet.”

With these cryptic words she left, leaving Jongin staring blankly at her receding form. Inside his robes the rings seemed to grow heavier, feeling like lead instead of gold.

Kyungsoo studied his reflection, playing half-heartedly with the pearls of his circlet. Tonight was the last of his husband’s promised seven nights. He was going to tell his husband that he was going to stay by his side, and his cheeks flushed slightly at the thought of what else he wanted to do.

Carefully, he smoothed down the fabric of the ivory chiton, the gold designs gleaming in the morning sunlight. He wanted to look nice tonight, special. After one final adjustment, he wandered out of the room, heading down the stairs. Zephyrus gave him a sly, knowing smile when he appeared, causing him to blush slightly in mortification. Stupid immortals and their stupid experience. The wind god no doubt knew what was going on.

The day seemed to drag by, Kyungsoo waiting eagerly for night to arrive. He tried to distract himself with books, but the stories that usually captivated him so easily held no magic for him today. Cooking, too, was of little interest, and when Kyungsoo wandered into the musical room he found himself forlornly pressing keys at random. Perseus and Andromeda seemed to mirror Zephyrus’ amusement, the little birds acting unnaturally quiet, putting their heads together to twitter conspiratorially to themselves.

“You’re making fun of me, aren’t you,” Kyungsoo grumbled as he flopped on a couch, kicking his feet in boredom. Perseus gave a chirp of what sounded suspiciously like agreement as he and Andromeda turned their beady little gazes on him, looking almost smug.

That night Kyungsoo barely ate, a strange mixture of foreboding and nerves leaving him unable to eat without a strange churning of his stomach. He picked at his food, taking only a few bites. Though Zephyrus tried to make him eat, he eventually gave up, as Kyungsoo would only shake his head resolutely whenever the wind god suggested he eat more. Finally the god of the west wind gave up, leading the boy up the staircases to his Master.

Jongin sat on the bed, turning the box containing the rings over and over in his hand. He felt slightly numb as he tried not to think too much, afraid that if he allowed himself to do so he would reduce himself into more of a mess than he already was.

The door creaked open, and Kyungsoo stepped inside, Jongin’s breath hitching in his throat. The boy was dressed in the chiton Athena had made, the ivory fabric only a shade darker than the boy’s pale skin. Minseok’s circlet glinted in his hair, pearls shimmering against his silky ebony locks. He looked so beautiful, the very picture of perfection. Kyungsoo’s cheeks were dusted a soft pink, his eyes lowered as he shuffled forward.

“You look incredible,” Jongin whispered softly as he helped the boy onto the bed. Kyungsoo’s heart-shaped lips quirked into a small smile.

“Thank you,” he murmured, uncharacteristically shy. He settled in Jongin’s embrace, neither of them knowing how to start. Neither of them brought up that it was the seventh night, or Jongin’s promise.

It was Jongin who broke the silence. He played with Kyungsoo’s hair, trying to think of a good way to start. As he sat, mind searching for the right words, he decided request something from the small mortal boy. “Kyungsoo, can you sing for me?”

Kyungsoo hesitated for only a moment before his voice was flowing out, rich and silky, smooth and sweet as honey. The words spilled from his mouth like water from a gentle brook.

Lying beside you, here in the dark
Feeling your heart beat with mine
Softly you whisper, you’re so sincere
How could our love be so blind?

Then song cut short as Jongin felt lips press against his, Kyungsoo abandoning his song in favor of a kiss. Jongin made a quiet noise of surprise as the boy turned over, arms wrapping around his neck.

“Kyungsoo?” he whispered, his mind reeling, his hands finding themselves resting easily on the boy’s hips.

“Am I ever going to know who you are?” the boy wondered against his lips, his fingers tangling in his hair. “Am I ever going to see your face?”

Jongin swallowed thickly, the feeling of Kyungsoo’s body pressing so insistently against his muddling his thoughts. Their lips melded together, Kyungsoo’s plush and sweet. The boy tugged himself closer, their noses bumping together.

“No,” Jongin sighed regretfully, and Kyungsoo pulled away in confusion, his eyes hurt. “I’m sorry Kyungsoo, you can’t.”

“I’m sorry Kyungsoo, you can’t.”

Kyungsoo moved back, the feeling of rejection stinging in his chest. Something pricked at his eyes, and he turned away, determined not to let his husband see the wounded expression on his face. Suddenly he was being enfolded by strong arms, crushed against a muscular chest.

“No, Kyungsoo, don’t get me wrong,” his husband begged, the iron cage of his arms preventing Kyungsoo from escaping, no matter how hard he struggled. “Kyungsoo, please.”

The young prince stilled as his husband pressed placating kisses across his cheeks, down his neck and onto his collarbones, though he remained stiff as a board. The burning feeling behind his eyes prickled again.  He was being childish, he knew, but the thought of being refused by the man he’d come to love hurt more than he’d imagined.

“I love you,” his husband said against his skin, his fingers brushing gently down Kyungsoo’s side.

“That makes no sense,” Kyungsoo gritted out petulantly, turning his head away. “If you truly love me, why won’t you let me see who you are?”

“On the chance that you would feel the same way for as I do for you,” his husband began deliberately, brushing away the rebellious tears that leaked out of Kyungsoo’s eyes. “I wanted you to love me as an equal, not as a god or a monster. I wanted you to love me. If you knew who I really was, you wouldn’t be able to see past the persona the world gave me to see the real me.” His voice was pleading, soft, and slowly Kyungsoo relaxed into his hold once more. “You understand, don’t you, Kyungsoo? You and I, we’re the same. We want to be loved for ourselves, not for what titles we hold, what power we have. And here, in the dark, we can have that love.” His hand settled on Kyungsoo’s chest, right over his heart, which beat steadily beneath his touch. “Here, in this blackness, there’s just you and I.”

His hand faltered before he carefully drew away, and his voice was regretful. “Of course, I understand if you don’t feel the same way.” There was some movement, and Kyungsoo felt his hand open as something cold and metal was placed in his palm. Judging from its smooth, circular contours, it was a ring. Kyungsoo looked up bewilderment, still unable to see anything due to the lack of light.

“Prince Kyungsoo,” his husband said softly, his voice thick with unbridled emotion, and Kyungsoo suddenly found himself utterly speechless, a lump in his throat. “I have told you a thousand times, and I would tell you a thousand times again.” A hand brushed against his face, and a forehead leaned gently against his. “I could slay every monster in the world in your name, explore the ends of the earth, and die a thousand deaths for you, and my actions still wouldn’t be enough to express how much I love you. Your wish is my command, Kyungsoo.

“What do you wish me to do?”

Will I stay by your side, or will I go? 

The ring sat in the boy’s palm, innocuous but full of implication. His unseeing gaze determined, Kyungsoo slipped it onto his finger, staring defiantly into the darkness.

“Prove it to me,” he whispered, his hands tugging at the chiton that was draped over his slim shoulders. “Make me yours, and let me make you mine.” 

~oOo0oOo0oOo~

A/N: Omg I can't reread this chapter without cringing XD. We all know what's going to happen in the next chapter! ;D *shrieks in mortification  

For those of you who aren't familiar with the story of Princess Andromeda, she was a princess whose mommy decided it'd be a great idea to claim that her daughter was more beautiful than the Nereids. They weren't happy, of course, and they complained to daddy Poseidon, who send a big bad monster to terrorize Andromeda's kingdom. The Oracle of Delphi told the king and queen that Andromeda would have to be sacrificed to the sea monster if they wanted it to stop (poor girl, she didn't do anything, either). Luckily Perseus came along, and he promised the king and queen that he'd rid the kingdom of that nasty beasty in exchange for Andromeda's hand. Long story short, he killed the monster, married Andromeda, and they lived happily ever after. What makes this love story different from other greek myths is that Perseus was one of the few mortal heros to stay faithful to his wife. ...Yeah. 

The song SooSoo sings is the beginning of "Open Arms" by Journey, the part that he sang when he performed with Chen, Baekhyun, and Luhan for Global Request Show: A Song For You. His voice is gold, I swear, that boy would do an amazing solo~ :3

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! :) Thank you all so much for all the comments, subscriptions, and up-votes, they're all so much more than I deserve. ^//////////////////////////^