Pet

[Captive Prince AU / pet and owner / mild mention of slavery / chansoo] 

What's in a kiss so sweet, so true.

You take my breathes away and leave me blue.

Until the blossoms bloom, until their beauties die,

I will be yours, my dear, then we'll bid our goodbyes

Kyungsoo's gaze was captured. Not by the songstress in the performance ring nor her tragic love song. Across the ring seated among the various dazzling and enchanting things was a creature of exquisite beauty. His hair the colour of golden straw, pliant and light, unlike Kyungsoo's wild curls of midnight black. His eyes were like decadent chocolate, accentuated by a wisp of rose gold shadows painted right at the uplifting corners. It matched the pigments smeared on his bejewelled body, all of which pronounced his identity in excessive flourish. He is a pet, Kyungsoo knows. A fine one.

But this pet was also quite unique, different from what Kyungsoo was used to see in pets. He wasn't slight, frail or effeminate. Though he does have the features court ladies would be envious of, enamouring eyes and a charming smile that'd bewitch anyone. Yet this pet is a man and cannot be mistaken otherwise. His shoulders were a bit too broad, his limbs a tad too long and toned. His frame is wide and long. His superior physic could have made him a fearsome warrior, a death God to be awed at on the battle field, but he is trapped in the games of the court. Another kind of battle, Kyungsoo supposed, a battle of wit and cruel ambitions.

Catching the pet's exquisite face amidst the crowd again, Kyungsoo was taken back by his beauty once more. He had never thought he'd wanted a pet, although he was old enough to possess one. He always despised the idea of owning a human, treating fellow men and women as mere properties. As much as Vere had changed for the better in many ways since the ascendence of King Laurent a century ago, the demeaning custom of pertaining human pets among the nobles remained. Kyungsoo thought this aspect of their culture rather unrefined and extremely inhumane. Yet despite the certainty of his moral judgements, this pet stirred up a desire inside of him unlike anything before.

For the first time in his life, Kyungsoo wanted to own something, someone, entirely to himself. It made him a hypocrite but he cared not. Not if he could have that pet.

The song came to an end and the hall echoed with polite applause. One by one, the spectators rose from their seats, and Kyungsoo made his way across the room in haste. Unblinking, his eyes followed the golden tresses floating above most heads. When he finally reached, he was greeted by a familiar pair of eyes. Bright, confident, and intelligent. The commanding gaze of a lord above him in status.

"Ah Kyungsoo," the man beckoned and Kyungsoo bowed.

"Lord Suho."

Suho was not the man's real name but the honorary title of his family, passed from first son to the first son. The lord smiled and waved for Kyungsoo to rise, and Kyungsoo did.

"I did not know you were fond of performances," Lord Suho spoke again, his tone amusing and light. Kyungsoo had a reputation among the younger noblemen for being stoic and moralistic. It was a rarity to find him at indulgent affairs, such as the performances.

"Once in a while," Kyungsoo replied flatly, and his gaze drifted to the distraction on his left. It was the pet with golden hair, standing close to the highborn lord. Kyungsoo understood instantly. He should have known someone so exquisite was already claimed. His heart dropped as was his gaze, and he awaited to be dismissed.

Lord Suho observed the subtle change in the young man's expression and his smiled widened. The folly of a young heart, so quick to assume. Glancing at the pet beside him, who did not take his eyes off of the dark hair youth since they stood face to face, Lord Suho picked up the conversation again.

"How old are you this year, Kyungsoo."

"I've just turned 20, my lord."

"You're a man now," Lord Suho nodded approvingly, "then a gift is in order," he gestured to the pet beside him and the pet stepped up, a bright and mesmerizing grin on his pretty face. Kyungsoo's eyes widened and his mouth thinned. Pleasantly surprised, he unconsciously perked up and suppressed the quickening of his thumping heart.

"Good day, my lord," the pet spoke, his voice much deeper than Kyungsoo had expected, "my name is Chanyeol. I look forward to serving you from now on."

Kyungsoo flushed at the word 'serve'. His inexperienced mind overwhelmed with inappropriate figments as he stared at the smirking pet with a wide set of eyes. "My lord, this" he mumbled, addressing the amused Lord Suho in urged modesty, "t-this is not necessar-"

"I saw you looking at me," Chanyeol interrupted, unabashed, causing Kyungsoo to blush a shade darker, "I saw that you wanted me. Or do you not?" Taking a step forward, he gazed down at the shy youth and loosely laced their fingers together. "Won't you take me?"

Lord Suho burst out laughing at Chanyeol's impertinence, greatly enjoying himself at Kyungsoo's expense. He too had noticed the young nobleman's keen interest in his pet from across the ring. Chanyeol was little older to be a suitable first pet, but since Kyungsoo seemed to like him so much, Lord Suho waved that concern away. He didn't mind giving his pet away at all, especially since what was about to unfold between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo could prove to be extremely entertaining for him.

"Then it is settled," Lord Suho declared and gave Kyungsoo a concluding pat on his slender back. The young nobleman, still flushed in the face, nodded wordlessly and bowed in gratitude. Then turning to face his new pet, who looked at him with warm and teasing brown eyes, Kyungsoo tried to speak in an unwavering and confident voice.

"You're mine," he said quietly and reached up to brush his knuckles against fine skin. A sign of dominance and authority. Chanyeol leaned into the touch and nuzzled like an animal trained to welcome physical affections.

"I'm yours," the pet replied and smiled, sealing the invisible contract between owner and pet with his verbal submission. From that moment on, Chanyeol became the property of Kyungsoo. His first pet.  

FIN(?)

5/30/2016. For Nat, for Captive Prince. For Nicaise.

A/N: For those of you who have not read the Captive Prince trilogy, YOU'RE MISSING OUT!!! IT'S AMAZING AND WELL WRITTEN AND THE PLOT OMGGGG I'M STILL DYING (I finished the trilogy in 4 days. 1200 pages. No regret.) Nat got me into this mess so I gave her this mess lmao. I might write a sequel...maybe. I am never promising anything.