Byung-yeon wasn’t necessarily surprised when he found the crown prince sitting on the wooden steps in front of his home. Yeong had recently developed a habit of coming around more often in the evening hours, when his staff would be dismissed for the day and he was allowed to roam the palace more freely. Byung-yeon had already seen the familiar figure from a distance and he allowed himself a couple of minutes to just watch silently, still unnoticed, how Yeong dozed there with his head leaning against the wooden post, eyes closed. He appeared relaxed but the position couldn’t possibly be comfortable. Usually Byung-yeon would have been back an hour earlier but he was held back by the new recruits in the barracks.

»Eunuch Hong isn’t here. He has night duties.«, Byung-yeon offered instead of a greeting, because that had been mostly the motivation behind Yeong coming around more often. As if spending nearly his whole day with Sam Nom wasn’t quite enough yet.

»I wasn’t waiting for Eunuch Hong, Byung-yeon.« Yeong didn’t look startled at all when he his eyes and sat up straighter with his usual smile - the one that always left Byung-yeon a little disarmed, the genuine one only a few selected people were allowed to see and Byung-yeon so happened to be one of them. »Am I not allowed to visit my old friend?« And there it turned into a playful pout.

Byung-yeon sighed, smiled and swallowed everything nasty that wanted to bubble up in him. Like you don’t come around for me anymore. Like I usually don’t see you anymore without Sam Nom trailing your every step. But being petty wasn’t suiting him very well and he didn’t want to be the person who burdened Yeong with dark feelings like that. »What can I do for you, jeoha?«

At this Yeong’s expression turned sheepish, if Byung-yeon didn’t know any better he would almost say embarrassed. Yeong stood up swiftly, nodding his head towards the door in a clear gesture that Byung-yeon should follow him inside.

Byung-yeon closed the door behind them and went ahead to light a couple of candles and lanterns. When he was alone in the evening and during the night, he usually wouldn’t bother. Without Sam Nom chattering his ear off about his day and questioned about what Byung-yeon had been up to, he would have probably just undressed, washed himself, tended to his bruises and went to bed - all things he was perfectly able to do only guided by the light of the moon.

He was bone deep tired. It had been an exhausting day full of practice and drills. He would have loved to do nothing more than to shrug out of his layers of heavy fabric. At least he could put his sword aside. A sharp pain shot through his left half when he leaned down, it came so suddenly that he couldn’t quite suppress his nose crunching up with it.

»What happened to your shoulder?«

Surprised Byung-yeon turned around, nearly coming nose to nose with a concerned looking Yeong. Like this he was very aware of the clear height advantage the crown prince had gained on him in the last couple years. And this was just the easiest of all the things Byung-yeon became aware of in that instance. Demurely he lowered his gaze and put a little bit more distance between them, willing his unruly heart to calm down this instance.

»It’s nothing you need to worry about, jeoha.«

»Byung-yeon. I asked you a question and I want an answer.«

Byung-yeon felt hot shame crawling up his neck, as always when Yeong felt the need to address him in a royal tone, just an inch away from ordering him around like an insolent child.

»I didn’t pay attention during training. It’s merely an old wound flaring up.« He had just underestimated the stupidity and recklessness of a young trainee and had been forced to change his sword arm in a way that twisted his left shoulder, which had been dislocated only a couple days ago.

»Do you still have the salve the royal physician gave you?«

»Of course, jeoha.« As if he would ever dare to use that carelessly. It still set in his drawer in its expensive jar, more worth than anything Byung-yeon owned combined, and he only ever used it when his bruises and sores were otherwise unbearable. His shoulder didn’t deserve it. A cool cloth would be enough for it.

»Where is it?«

»I’ll get it, wait!« Byung-yeon quickly interfered, before Yeong could start looking around for it. The box it was in held all his most precious belongings and there were some he would never have the crown prince lay his eyes on or anyone else for that matter. Right on top already was the most incriminating one. It was a sketch Yoon-sung had given him a few years ago for his birthday. Back then Byung-yeon had felt so embarrassed about it that he nearly ripped it in half, feeling ashamed and exposed as Yoon-sung merely looked at him infuriatingly pleased. It was a picture of them at the lantern festival with the crown prince looking at the sky while Byung-yeon looked at the crown prince. The look Yoon-sung captured there was positively forbidden. Leave it to him to turn something innocent into something indecent.

He quickly folded the picture up again, pushing it deeper into his drawer before taking out the jar with the salve.

»You barely used any of it! I told you not to worry about, you could have as much as you want!« Yeong looked at the opened jar as if it had personally offended him in some manner. Byung-yeon grit his teeth until he felt his jaw ache. The whole jar was worth more than most people made within a year. It never stopped feeling like a waste when he used it. »Come on. Sit down, undress and get the soju!«

»In that order, jeoha?« Byung-yeon asked bemused, which only earned him a half serious roll of the eyes.

»I see, you are spending too much time with Sam Nom. You are getting cheeky!«

Ah, Sam Nom. That reminded him that he still wasn’t quite sure why Yeong was here at this time of the day when the eunuch wasn’t around. After all Sam Nom was the one who urged them to get together just to drink, chat and play a game every once in a while. The smile wouldn’t stay on his face as he turned around to first get the fresh bottle of soju he always kept around along with two drinking cups.

»I will treat it myself later. I can reach just fine.« When he returned Yeong was already sitting in his usual spot at the table on the floor.

Yeong regarded him with a raised eyebrow, before clicking his tongue in disapproval. »You could. But you will not.« With his trademark sweet smile he patted the spot next to him like he was inviting a kisaeng for a drink. Byung-yeon frowned and remained standing.

»Come here. It is an order!« Yeong lifted up his nose, the snotty tone perfectly in place whenever he wanted to tease someone but actually wouldn’t allow any objections.

Byung-yeon sighed before flopping down next to Yeong, still with a resemblance of respectful distance. »Jeoha.«, he admonished. »It’s not as bad. It will go away on its own.«

»Oh, it’s not as bad, my dear Byung-yeon?« Yeong asked innocently, wide-eyed as he put an arm around Byung-yeon in a friendly gesture, pulling him close like a drinking buddy. Byung-yeon hissed as his damaged shoulder got pushed painfully against Yeong’s chest. »What was that again?«, he kept on asking while squeezing tighter. Tears sprung to his eyes as he gritted his teeth through the pain. It was only pure instinct to shove Yeong away with a little too much force. If the crown prince hadn’t feathered his own fall with his left, he would have landed very unprincely on his back. A short wave of horror crushed through Byung-yeon - this was the crown prince of Joseon and Byung-yeon was nothing but his meager subject, .

»I am sorry, jeoha.« It slipped out almost automatically as he held his own shoulder, eyes towards the floor.

Yeong clicked his tongue dismissively. »Come now. Undress.«

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