a/n: if you're still following this fic, thank you for your support <3 i apologize for posting this so late, since i've been super busy with life and other fic fests! (next chapter update will be in two weeks)

Jongin has been on several dates before. The daughter of a Northern baron who had ignored Jongin in favor of her phone the entire night. A princess from one of the Western kingdoms who had ended up taking a liking to Jongin’s cousin instead of him. He’s also had to the daughters of other nobles from the Eastern courts to official functions - but none of them held his interest for long.

Kyungsoo, however, isn’t like any of the other people that he’s been with before. Kyungsoo, who frowns and insults and laughs at Jongin without a care for his title, is different, and Jongin finds - for the first time - that he doesn’t know what to expect on their date.

What if he messes this up? What if Kyungsoo changes his mind and decides he wants nothing to do with Jongin? What if Jongin ends up doing something utterly stupid and embarrassing like tripping over his feet or spilling food on Kyungsoo’s lap that would result in Kyungsoo refusing to see him again?

“You bled all over his shirt and yet he still kissed you,” Jongdae points out grumpily to him, when Jongin barges into his room first thing in the morning after having worked himself up into a splendid state of panic. “Now please get out so I can go back to sleep.” He effectively throws Jongin out of the room after that.

Jongin spends a good hour trying on different shirts and outfits before meeting Kyungsoo at the agreed time. He goes through everything twice before deciding on a white shirt with embroidered cuffs, paired with dark jeans. The ensemble is simple and tasteful, perfect for a first outing with Kyungsoo.

His efforts are wasted however when he shows up at the royal library and Kyungsoo hands him a dark grey sweatshirt and a black-colored cap. “Our disguises,” he answers Jongin’s unspoken question, who eyes the items for about two seconds before deciding that he’d rather be dressed like a hoodlum than to forgo his first date with Kyungsoo and hurriedly reaches for the sweatshirt, tugging it on.

An hour later finds them walking around the city in their ‘disguises’. At first, Jongin is apprehensive over the usefulness of their outfits, which doesn’t strike him as the best way to go around unrecognized in a crowded capital like this. Every time someone walks past them, he ends up trying to tug his cap down to cover his face.

Kyungsoo stops him after his third attempt. “If you keep acting like you don’t want to be seen, you’ll stand out even more,” he says quietly. “Anyone would think that you’ve never been out of the palace before, your Highness,” he adds, his tone mocking.

Jongin’s hand clamps over Kyungsoo’s mouth instantly. “Not so loud!” he whispers frantically.

When he pulls away, Kyungsoo is blatantly laughing as he reaches up for Jongin’s hand, holding it tightly with his and tugging him towards a large, weird-looking sculpture that’s been erected in the middle of the city square. Jongin tries not to focus on the warmth of his palm against Kyungsoo’s hand, but he can’t stop the way his heart is beating loudly in his ears.

Kyungsoo is patient, pointing out various buildings and structures while explaining their significance and history. He brings Jongin around to the places that he often goes to when he needs to escape the palace, but most of the time, they blend in with the crowd. No one pays them any attention and soon enough Jongin finds himself relaxing enough to enjoy the tour.

Some time later, they end up in the lower part of the city. The buildings here are old, the design and shapes a mere remnant of the Southern kingdom’s earlier designs. There are cracks spread out across walls which have not been painted in decades, with tufts of grass and weed peeking out from between the spaces. Crude drawings have been spray-painted along the walls, some of them making Jongin blush at the implications.

The streets are quiet with barely any signs of activity. Jongin wonders, for a moment, if Kyungsoo has led him into an abandoned area - until he catches the muffled sounds of conversation from one of the buildings drifting into the street. A song plays on someone’s radio somewhere, the sound breaking through an occasional burst of static.

Jongin leans close to whisper into Kyungsoo’s ear. “Are you sure we should be here?” he asks nervously. “This place looks a little… unsavory.” He eyes the closed shutters on one of the shops, the words ‘Keep Out’ painted in red on the metal surface.

Kyungsoo turns and gives him an amused look. “It’s a lot safer than it looks.”

Jongin is unconvinced. “Maybe we should have brought along one or two of the guards.”

“The guards would have made it worse,” Kyungsoo tells him. “If we had shown up here with any of them, it would have given us away as someone important. I guarantee we’d have half the neighbourhood out of their homes crowding around us in a matter of seconds.” He shrugs. “This way no one will pay attention to us.”

Jongin shakes his head and tucks his hands back into the pockets in his borrowed sweatshirt. “I’m still amazed that you can walk about this freely. Back home, my father would never have allowed it.” On Kyungsoo’s advice, he hadn’t mentioned anything about going to the city to the security team in charge of guarding the Eastern princes. Only Jongdae knew of their plans; if anyone went looking for Jongin, Jongdae was to make some sort of excuse to cover for him.

He had wondered too, how Kyungsoo had planned for them to leave the palace without anyone seeing them, and had came up with all sorts of wild ideas involving climbing the palace walls and hiding underneath supply trucks (he blamed Luhan for all those late-night drama marathons that he had forced the Eastern princes to watch with him). In the end, Kyungsoo had brought Jongin through a hidden passage behind one of the shelves in the royal library that had been constructed by one of the previous monarchs, leading them directly to the basement of a bakery outside the palace walls.

“When I was younger, they tried to have someone assigned to me as my bodyguard, but eventually they stopped doing that when they realized I didn’t actually need protecting.” He glances at Jongin again. “Of course, it’s a lot easier when the king isn’t around and most of the security detail is away from the palace.” He stops walking suddenly. “Ah, we’re here.”

Jongin follows his gaze. They’re standing in front of a building that seems slightly run-down. The walls look as if it hasn’t been painted in decades, the color having faded under the sun and rain with paint peeling off the surface. Briefly, Jongin wonders if they’ve ended up at the wrong place - but then Kyungsoo moves, climbing the stone steps towards the heavy wooden doors leading into the building. He pauses for a moment, turning around to look at Jongin who’s still standing at streets below, gaping.

“Coming?” he asks, before turning back to rest his hands on the brass handle, turning it to open the door and stepping through it.

Still feeling apprehensive, Jongin follows him into the building. When he steps through the entrance - instead of the abandoned gloomy atmosphere that he had expected outside, he finds himself standing in the middle of a spacious and brightly lit area.

Jongin looks around him in wonder. There’s a giant chandelier that hangs above them. The walls are covered with paintings, all from an era long past, each panel depicting several characters in various poses. All around the room, there are a number of glass-covered exhibits on display, and there’s even a row of statues along one side of the wall, each dressed in different outfits that match the clothing he’s seen in his history book.

Kyungsoo leads Jongin around the room, explaining the significance of the building to Jongin. “It used to be an theatre when it was first built - but a few decades ago it was turned into a museum. Some of the artifacts you see here are from the first voyage that the Southern king made to the Western realm.” He points out an oddly-shaped instrument that’s sitting on the display stand nearby. “That was the earlier design of the compass that was used on that ship.”

At one point, Jongin glances at Kyungsoo and finds himself mesmerized by what he sees. Here, in this place, Kyungsoo seems different. Gone are the lines of worry that he usually has around his eyes, the tensed set of his jaw whenever he’s surrounded by any of the other courtiers. While his expression is still serious, there’s enough passion in his words to draw Jongin in, making it hard for Jongin to focus on anything else but Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo seems oblivious to Jongin’s staring as he continues talking. “--story of the shrines that the harbour families used to light every night before the fishermen went out to sea. The old belief goes that if the shrine keeps burning till dawn, they would return home safely.” He glances at Jongin, before stopping in his tracks to narrow his eyes at Jongin. "You're not even listening, are you?"

"Well," Jongin begins, feeling guilty at being caught. "I was, at first, but you’re making it hard for me."

Raising his eyebrows, Kyungsoo gives him an unimpressed look. “I’m not even doing anything!”

“You didn’t have to,” Jongin says. “Just being with you is enough to distract me.”

Kyungsoo blushes and looks away, but not before Jongin catches sight of the small smile that’s forming on his lips.

As they make their way out of the neighbourhood, Jongin notices a slight change in the atmosphere here. Vending carts are parked along the pavement by the streets. Music fills the air, with traders calling out to the crowd of people walking past to draw their attention to whatever that they’re selling.

“A street fair!” Jongin utters in glee. “I haven’t been to one of these in years.” He glances at Kyungsoo who’s looking at him in amusement. “I guess you probably get to see this all the time.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “The last time I went to one, it was a few years ago,” he says. “Come one, let’s get something to eat from the food carts.”

They wander around, going from cart to cart. Everything looks delectable and mouth-watering, and the vendors are friendly, smiling pleasantly at the two princes as they call out for them to try their food. A lady selling steamed bread beams at Kyungsoo when he stops in front of her cart. She hands him a paper bag filled with half a dozen buns in exchange for some coins, before turning around to continue gossiping with another lady in the next cart.

Down the street, a small coil of smoke rises from another cart, where a man wearing a bright red scarf around his head is fanning the embers within a charcoal pit, as a woman turns over the chicken skewers placed on the grill above the pit. Jongin buys some of the them for himself and Kyungsoo, along with an assortment of other snacks which seemed too tempting to resist. There are even carts selling books and colorful trinkets; one cart seems to advertise its services for ‘medicinal reasons’ that causes Jongin to eye the sign suspiciously before Kyungsoo drags him away.


*

It’s nearly sundown by the time they find themselves walking along the harbour. Nearby, several workers are cleaning the boats, or covering them up tarp. Except for the sounds of waves splashing against the pier and snatches of workers’ conversations, everything is quiet.

Jongin tucks his hands into the pockets of his borrowed sweatshirt, letting the calm silence envelop him. There’s a sense of peace and satisfaction in the air, the kind that comes after the end of a long day.

He had enjoyed spending his day with Kyungsoo. Jongin had talked about everything, from the books that he had read to the stories from his childhood to the fears and worries he had about having to take up his father’s place on the throne one day.

“I’m a little scared,” Jongin confesses. “That I could never be as good of a king as he is. That I’ll end up making all the bad decisions and choices for the kingdom one day, ruining it.” He lets out a long sigh of resignation. “No matter how many books I’ve read, how many lessons I’ve sat through preparing me for that day, I can never be like him.”

“If he’s your father, then you’re probably more like him than you think,” Kyungsoo says quietly.

“How would you know that? You’ve never met my father before.”

“But I’ve met you. It’s obvious by the way you talk about your father’s kingdom that you care about his people.” Kyungsoo lifts his head and meets Jongin’s eyes. “You’re--you’re a good person, a kind person, Jongin. And when you become king, you’ll be one of the best rulers out there.”

When Kyungsoo has finished talking, Jongin is left feeling a little stunned. He’s never heard someone describe him in that way before. Hearing the conviction in Kyungsoo’s voice makes him forget his insecurities; in that moment, he felt his heart swell with an indescribable emotion. He leans down, intending to kiss Kyungsoo - but his lips end up pressed against Kyungsoo’s palm instead.

“Later,” Kyungsoo tells him sternly, although his eyes are crinkled in amusement. “There’s still one more place I want to show you.” He pulls away before continuing along the walkway. Jongin follows, curious and eager at what else Kyungsoo has planned.

At the end of the harbour, Kyungsoo stops in front of a low wooden gate. He lifts the latch and pushes the gate open, stepping through. They walk along the path leading away from the harbour. The tall grass that lines both sides of the path sway gently in the wind, rustling as they brush against each other.

As the grass begins to thin and the ground begins to grow less firm, the hard rock is soon replaced by sand. Jongin feels his anticipation growing; he can already guess where they’re headed judging by the smell of salt in the air and the faint sounds growing louder, but he doesn’t say anything.

Finally, they reach the end of the path. Jongin finds himself standing on the edge of a beach, the waves rolling gently along the shore with the ocean stretching out as far as the eye can see.

He releases a whoop of delight before turning around to face Kyungsoo. “How did you know?”

Kyungsoo smiles. “You seemed mesmerized by it when I showed you the view from the library last night. Since your kingdom is far from the nearest port, I thought you might like seeing the ocean.” He looks away, seemingly shy all of a sudden. “It’s-- it’s not much of a beach, but it’s quiet and secluded. I come here sometimes, when I need to escape the palace, where no one can find me.”

“How often do you visit this place?” Jongin asks.

Kyungsoo looks out towards the ocean. “Too often,” he answers softly.

Jongin is about to ask him about it when Kyungsoo seems to shake out of his reverie. “Anyway, why are we still standing around?” He pushes Jongin towards the waves. “Come on, I’ll race you,” he says, and takes off suddenly.

“Wait!” Jongin yells out, giving chase. He catches up with Kyungsoo in ten strides and ends up stealing his cap.

Later, when they’re both tired out from running across the beach, they end up lying on the grassy bank that borders the beach, watching the sun sinking slowly in the horizon. In the distance, the palace stands tall on top of the hill, overlooking the city. Its turrets and walls are shining golden against the diminishing light.

Jongin sits up and pulls his knees against his chest, wrapping his arms around them. With nighttime approaching, the air is cooler than before, sending a slight shiver along Jongin’s arms. It doesn’t help that the sweatshirt he had been wearing is now being used as a makeshift blanket that he’s sharing with Kyungsoo - but he’s not going to complain about that when it means having Kyungsoo sitting closely against his side.

Lulled by the sound of waves crashing against the shore, Jongin lets himself relax, his thoughts wandering. The weight of his responsibilities and titles fade away, replaced by an odd sense of detachment.

Kyungsoo watches the waves for a few moments, then speaks up. “Do you remember asking me once if I ever felt like I was meant to be doing something else, instead of being a prince?” Jongin recalls the conversation they had had the night before, out on the balcony, and nods. “When I was little, I hated being a member of the court. I didn’t understand why I needed to be here; why couldn’t I just have continued living with my parents and be normal.” Kyungsoo swallows, looking out at the waters. “Things became worse when Joonmyun was away at the army. There were many who said that I should claim the throne for myself -- just as there were those who insisted that I shouldn’t be allowed the title of a prince. There were very few whom I could trust.”

Jongin listens, feeling a sense of guilt. His childhood had been filled with so many happy memories: of his sisters teaching him how to dance, of Sehun, who had been his comrade-in-arms when it came to pranking half of the royal staff; of Minseok, who had filled in the role of an elder brother to the sometimes dreamy Jongin, and about half a dozen other friends who had flitted in and out of his life filling it with colorful memories.

He reaches out and places his hand on Kyungsoo’s hands, gripping his fingers tightly. “I wish we had known each other then,” he says, full of earnestness. “I wish-- I wish I had been there to make you happy.” If he could even give a fraction of the happiness he’s had his whole life to Kyungsoo, he would do it in an instant. He would shower Kyungsoo with all the friendship and companionship and affection that he deserved. “I would have been your friend.”

“You’ve--you’ve been more than just a friend,” Kyungsoo confesses, avoiding Jongin’s eyes. “The night I met you, I had no intention of going to the ball. Yet I was curious to see you again.”

“Instead you decided to stomp on my foot and ditch me in the middle of the dance,” Jongin points out, chuckling.

“I wasn’t the one making inappropriate remarks in the middle of the ballroom,” Kyungsoo retorts. “Besides, you deserved it for calling me a terrible dancer.”

Jongin winces, remembering Kyungsoo’s footwork. “Well,” he says after a few seconds have passed. “I think you still owe me a dance after that.”

Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows, watching as Jongin gets to his feet. “Oh?” he asks, this time sounding amused. “And you’re planning on asking me to dance here? Right now?”

Shrugging, Jongin brushes the sand from his jeans. “Why not? There’s no one here, no one to watch us and judge us. No one to worry about.” He smiles at Kyungsoo, before clearing his throat and adding in his most pompous voice, “Your Highness, if you could honor me with a dance?” He holds out his hand with a flourish.

“I’m not sure that this is an appropriate place for a waltz,” Kyungsoo remarks, a hint of smile tugging at the edge of his lips. He takes Jongin’s hand anyway, letting himself be pulled to his feet.

“Just trust me,” Jongin tells him confidently. He tugs Kyungsoo closer until they’re pressed chest to chest and one of Kyungsoo’s hand is clasped in his, the other on Jongin’s shoulder. Jongin’s other arm snakes around Kyungsoo’s waist, holding him firmly.

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen in surprise as Jongin begins to spin them around. “Jongin, what are you doing?”

“What else, Your Highness?” Jongin says to him cheekily. “Merely dancing,” he adds, before releasing his hold on Kyungsoo’s waist to twirl him again.

Kyungsoo’s startled laugh falls from his lips as Jongin spins him around twice, then Jongin pulls him back into his embrace once again. “What do you call this supposed dance then?” he asks, sounding delighted, his voice pitched high, for once.

"I have absolutely no idea," Jongin calls out as he continues to twirl them around. "I just made it up."

"You're impossible," Kyungsoo informs him, laughing as they dance barefoot on the sand. "This isn't even a proper waltz! You're just going around in circles!"

Grinning, Jongin slows down and leads Kyungsoo back into a set of familiar steps. "How about this then?" Jongin asks, lowering his voice slightly, taking in the way Kyungsoo’s face is still flushed from a combination of exertion and excitement. “We dance like this back home, at the spring celebrations.” He slides his hands along Kyungsoo’s arms before lifting them up to rest them on his shoulders.

Kyungsoo snorts softly. “From what I’ve read, that doesn’t actually involve being this close to your partner.” He gives Jongin’s hands, which are placed on Kyungsoo’s hips, a pointed look - before glancing back at Jongin once more.

“I may have taken some artistic liberty with that interpretation,” Jongin replies. “But if--if that makes you uncomfortable--”

The expression on Kyungsoo’s face relaxes into one that Jongin’s grown so fond of, his eyes soft around the edges and his lips curved into a heart-shaped smile that’s genuine and real. “It doesn’t.”

Jongin grins. His hands slide around Kyungsoo’s waist, holding him firmly. All around them, the world seems to be have melted away, leaving only the two of them swaying slowly in each other’s arms in tandem to the waves crashing gently along the shore. With his fingers splayed against Kyungsoo’s lower back, Jongin pulls him closer until they’re practically chest to chest, with barely a hair’s breadth between them.

Kyungsoo seems to shiver under his touch. "Jongin--" he whispers, tilting his head up to look into Jongin’s eyes. There's that look again; the same look he had seen last night, out on the balcony, when they had been locked in embrace. "Jongin--"


Jongin kisses him.

It’s meant to be a gentle and affectionate - but Jongin is startled by the way Kyungsoo responds to him immediately. His arms end up wrapped around the back of Jongin’s neck, as if he’s using him as a lifeline while he opens up - beautiful, willing, his lips parting easily as he flicks his tongue against Jongin’s lips. It’s all that Jongin can do not to push him against the nearest flat surface, but he’s thankfully too preoccupied with trying to match Kyungsoo’s fierce kiss.

Somehow, Jongin progresses from Kyungsoo’s mouth to pressing soft kisses down the line of Kyungsoo’s neck, listening to him gasp at each gentle caress of mouth against skin. When Jongin’s lips brush against his Adam’s apple, a low moan escapes Kyungsoo’s throat as he arches against Jongin’s body, his hands clutching Jongin’s arms tightly.

“Jongin,” he hears. “Jongin, wait.” Placing his hand against Jongin’s chest, Kyungsoo begins to pull back, leaving a little distance between them. “We--ah-- we need to head back to the palace,” he says.

“But we were in the middle of something far more interesting here,” Jongin protests.

Kyungsoo chuckles, low and quiet. It’s a delightful sound, and Jongin stores it away, feeling warm and comforted by the way it fills up his heart. “Joonmyun would be expecting us to show up for dinner.” He gives Jongin another glance. “I’d imagine the other eastern princes would be waiting for us too.”

His tone is light, but in Jongin’s arms, Kyungsoo is trembling slightly - not from the cold, but from something else.

After a moment, Jongin nods. He can feel Kyungsoo relaxing in his arms, and Jongin reaches up to brush away the few grains of sand from Kyungsoo’s cheek. His skin seems warm beneath Jongin’s fingers. As much as he wants to take things further, he knows that he’s moving too soon. Jongin is cautious of pushing the other prince into something he’s not comfortable with.

He leans down to brush his lips against Kyungsoo’s lightly before finally taking a step back, releasing his hold on Kyungsoo. “In that case,” he says, keeping his own tone light as well, “we should make a move now.” On a whim, he adds, “I don’t suppose you have a faster way back that doesn’t involve more walking, does it?” Jongin eyes the distance between them and the palace.

Kyungsoo snorts and shoves his arm playfully. “Not unless you can teleport, then no,” he remarks, to which Jongin lets out a chuckle. “Come on, your lazy highness,” he teases, reaching out for Jongin’s hand. “If we leave now, we’ll make it back in time.”

There are words that Jongin wants to say, feelings that he wants to share - but the moment has been broken and Jongin’s nerves - including the unspoken confession that had been on the tip of his tongue - flees with the fading light.


*
The palace is bustling with activity once more.

It’s the final night of the eastern princes’ stay in the Southern realm. Tomorrow they will head to the Western kingdom, where Luhan will present his wedding invitations to the king. The final leg of their journey will end in the Central realm, before the entourage heads back to the Eastern realms and disperses to their respective homes.

Jongin has mixed feelings about this. When he had first agreed to be part of Luhan’s entourage, he had been told that they would be away from their kingdoms for almost a fortnight. Jongin hadn’t been enthusiastic at the news then, counting the days when he could return home to his father’s kingdom.

But then he had met Kyungsoo. In the short time that he’s spent with Kyungsoo, he’s come to find that his feelings have grown beyond mere affection for the other prince. Last night, before they had parted at the library to return to their rooms, Jongin had felt a great reluctance to leave the other prince; Kyungsoo had to practically push him towards the direction of his apartments.

The entire dinner had barely registered on Jongin’s mind, especially when he had spent most of it looking at Kyungsoo, enjoying the way he would blush whenever he glanced over and caught sight of Jongin’s gaze - at least, until the crown prince had casually brought up the subject of the Eastern princes’ journey to the Western kingdom.

Somehow, Jongin had forgotten that his visit was merely temporary. He doesn’t want to leave Kyungsoo now, not when he’s just getting to know the quiet prince - but he knows that he has his obligation and duty to his closest friend. It’s a dilemma that has Jongin pacing the floor of his room for a good hour before he’s due to make his appearance at the farewell ball tonight.

A firm but quiet knock interrupts his pacing. “Come in,” Jongin calls out.

It’s Minseok who enters the room, dressed for the ball. “We’re ready to head down soon,” he says. “You weren’t answering our messages, so I thought I’d check on you.” He raises his eyebrows quizzically at Jongin, taking in his half-dressed state. “Do you need more time?”

Jongin checks his phone, which he had thrown onto the bed in frustration after attempting to draft a message to Kyungsoo several times. He finds several messages waiting for him and looks up at Minseok sheepishly. “Maybe a couple of minutes.” He hesitates, before adding, “Could you stay for a little while? I… I have something to ask you.”

Minseok nods. He closes the door behind him and takes a seat on the armchair nearest to him, crossing his legs and waiting for Jongin to speak.

Jongin hesitates, unsure of how to put the worries and questions that have been plaguing his mind into words. In the end, he decides to take a personal approach. “What made you fall for Luhan?”

Surprised by this question, it takes Minseok several seconds to recover before answering. “A lot of things, really.” He pauses, giving Jongin a searching look. “Is there a reason you’re asking me that?”

“I’m just… curious.” Jongin swallows, thinking of Kyungsoo’s smile, Kyungsoo’s laugh. “What was it that made you decide you were.. that you had... you know--” He stops, frustrated. “Feelings.”

Minseok ponders the question. “I suppose,” he begins, after a few moments, “it’s the fact that I’m comfortable around him. After all, we’ve been together for years and it was inevitable that I would marry him.” He glances at Jongin. “Does that answer your question?”

Frowning, Jongin shakes his head.

“Hmm.” Minseok taps his chin thoughtfully. “What kind of answer were you hoping to hear?”

Caught off-guard, Jongin fumbles with his response. “How do you know that he’s the one you were meant to be with, instead of someone else?”

A long silence follows Jongin’s words. “We’re not talking about Luhan anymore, are we?” Minseok observes. “Is this related to your feelings for Kyungsoo?”

Jongin freezes. He expects Minseok to laugh or make fun of him.

Instead, Minseok smiles. It’s a reassuring one, rather than mocking. “There’s no rulebook for love,” he says simply. “Sometimes you have to listen to your own heart. The way the person makes you feel inside. The way everything looks brighter and better when you’re with them. It’s these little things that tell you if they’re special.” His cheeks are little pink when he finishes speaking.

Aware that Minseok isn’t the type to openly admit his feelings this way, Jongin finds himself listening intently. Something he says makes him pause, however. “Wait, I didn’t-- I never said anything about--about--”

Love. It seems impossible, yet what else could explain the way Jongin feels whenever he looks at Kyungsoo? How being around him can be so confusing and wonderful and Jongin can’t stop thinking about him all the time, every single moment of the day? How just a simple thing, such as a smile, from Kyungsoo can make him feel warm and his heart full all day?

Minseok claps his hand on a stunned Jongin’s shoulder, whose thoughts are still running at a mile a minute with the sudden realisation of his own feelings for the Southern prince. “Like Jongdae said, it’s hard to ignore the truth when you wear your feelings on your face,” he says with fond affection.

Shortly after, Minseok excuses himself from the room, leaving Jongin alone to finish getting ready for the ball. As he buttons up his shirt and adjusts the cuffs of his sleeves, smoothing down the lace fringes as he replays his conversation with Minseok over and over again, he finally comes to a decision.

Tonight, he’ll confess his feelings to Kyungsoo.


*
Jongin fidgets in his place, feeling nervous.

When he had left his room earlier, he had thought that he would be able to sneak off to meet Kyungsoo before the ball. He wanted them to have their moment of privacy so Jongin could tell him how he felt - but the calls he had made to Kyungsoo’s phone had gone unanswered. He had received a message later, just before entering the ballroom, a simple Can’t talk now, in a meeting with my uncle that made him feel slightly relieved and perhaps guilty for interrupting Kyungsoo’s meeting.

As he stands next to Minseok, trying not to let his impatience show as they await the arrival of the Southern King, he can’t help but notice that while Prince Joonmyun is already here, Kyungsoo is not. It makes him wonder if he’s still in his meeting with the king, which in turn makes Jongin worry if Kyungsoo is planning to show up at all.

Joonmyun approaches the Eastern princes, who are standing in a row near the dais, followed by a tall, lanky young man whom he officially introduces as Prince Chanyeol of the Western realm.

Jongin greets him respectfully when it comes to his turn. He’s heard of the crown prince of the West in name, but he’s never had the opportunity to meet him before. Prince Chanyeol stands more than a head taller than all the other princes; no mean feat, considering that Jongin is already quite tall himself. His coat, which looks almost similar to the ones worn by the other princes, is dark red, with gold and silver embroidered across the sleeves in the shape of flames, the fiery insignia of the Western realm.

Once the Eastern princes have been introduced, Joonmyun turns to Luhan to address him. “Prince Chanyeol has made a suggestion which may benefit you. I understand that you will be heading to the Western realms tomorrow. He has offered to join your entourage instead of returning at a later date as he had planned.”

Luhan looks startled by the offer, although he ends up bowing in acquiescence. “Your Highness,” he begins. “We would be honored to have you join us, although it may be an inconvenience for you since we plan on leaving first thing in the morning.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” the Western prince waves his hands cheerfully. “It was merely a brief visit. They didn’t need me hanging around here anyway.” He grins, brash and unexpected. “So it’s true, then. ‘The first to rise with the worms.’ You Easterners are like the farmers then. Haha!” He looks amused by his own joke.

Jongin feels himself bristling at this remark. It’s been awhile since he’s actually disliked someone at first sight, but Prince Chanyeol seems to be well on his way to the top of Jongin’s list. He’s about to open his mouth and say something when Jongdae’s voice stops him.

“I’m afraid that the phrase is ‘first to rise with the sun, like the bird seeking the worm’, Your Highness,” Jongdae points out, his tone easy and relaxed. He’s smiling, but there’s too much teeth in his grin, which Jongin knows is a dangerous thing. “But then again, perhaps the West has still much to learn about the classic poems that an Eastern child can recite easily in their sleep.”

Prince Chanyeol looks startled for a moment, before he bursts out laughing. “I’m afraid I wasn’t much for memorising poems and classics,” he admits, seeming tickled instead of antagonised by Jongdae’s admonishment, nudging Joonmyun with his elbow. “Not like you, eh, Joonmyun?”

Joonmyun gives him a pained look, breaking his calm and stoic mask for once. “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” he mutters, sounding almost resigned. “You’re always saying things like that without thinking of the consequences.” He glances at the Eastern princes, as if he’s worried that they would take offence at Prince Chanyeol’s words.

“That’s something we’re rather used to, unfortunately,” Minseok says dryly, giving Jongdae a pointed look.

At this, Luhan lets out a loud snort, clutching Minseok’s arm. “Remember when someone thought Jongdae was a servant and tried to proposition him?”

“Excuse me,” Jongdae says, looking offended. “You’re not the one who had to defend himself from almost getting d by an old, pasty-looking lord with bad eyesight.” His face is bright red.

Joonmyun’s eyes grow wide, his hand coming up to hide the smile on his face quickly. Prince Chanyeol, however, has no such restraint and lets out a sudden guffaw.

Jongin can’t help the twitch of a smile that threatens to break out on his face. He remembers the incident quite clearly, the way Jongdae had practically lost all decorum and smacked the old lord’s hands away before they landed on his posterior. Jongin and Sehun had been in near tears, laughing instead of coming to Jongdae’s help.

Somehow, this breaks the tense mood that had been in the air earlier. As Luhan begins a casual discussion regarding their visit to the Western realm, Jongin finds himself relaxing slightly. Prince Chanyeol responds to Luhan’s questions easily and cheerfully, taking little offence at anything that’s being said. Perhaps Jongin had been wrong to judge him so quickly, when it’s clear that the Western prince seems to be harmless.

Suddenly, Joonmyun glances up and the expression on his face changes to one of fondness. “It looks my father will be appearing shortly. There’s Kyungsoo now.” Jongin follows his gaze, to the main entrance doors leading into the hall.

Kyungsoo is standing there, dressed in an evening jacket, the insignia of the Southern kingdom embroidered across his shoulders, looking every bit as handsome and regal and breathtaking that Jongin finds himself taking a moment to drink in the sight.

Next to him, he can hear Prince Chanyeol speaking up. “Finally,” he breathes out. “I almost thought he wouldn’t show up tonight.” He says all of this in a low voice, as if he’s forgotten himself. “He’s always so adamant about staying out of the public eye, although that will change soon enough.”

Jongin’s ears prick up at the way Prince Chanyeol had spoken Kyungsoo’s name. “What do you mean?” he asks, turning back to look at the Western prince.

“Kyungsoo’s never liked being the center of attention,” Prince Chanyeol replies, sounding strangely fond. “But, thankfully for him, once he’s married he’ll only need to show up to one or two functions - enough, at least, as part of his role as a consort.”

“Married? Consort?” Something twists inside Jongin’s chest painfully, his heart dropping to his stomach. “To whom?” he demands.

Prince Chanyeol meets Jongin’s eyes, giving him a broad, unsuspecting smile. “Why, to me, of course. Kyungsoo will soon be marrying me, Your Highness.”




 

*ducks and runs for the hills*