Chapter 31: The masterpiece that is you

.

It had been raining the whole morning, and Jonghyun had left the window of his office open because he loved to hear the sound of it. He loved the soft scent that lingered when it rained so much. There was a light breeze, but it wasn’t strong enough to make him feel cold.

Jonghyun was sitting on the window sill, looking at the white sky, when he heard Taemin’s subtle cough. Jonghyun turned around and smiled at him, watching Taemin sip his tea. The mountain prince was staring at his own feet.

"I've been thinking..." Taemin said softly.

"About what?"

Taemin was now playing with the seam of his white tunic, and Jonghyun returned his attention to the sky. It didn't look like it would stop raining anytime soon, which made him extremely happy.

"Do you remember that time when you said we should go on a trip in the forest so that I could explore outside of Melalhil?"

A small smile tugged at Jonghyun's lips as he nodded slowly. Taemin was looking at him now.

"I really want to do that. Could we?"

"Yes, of course. I can start planning it if you wish."

Jonghyun saw Taemin's face brighten, but the mountain prince was still pursing his lips.

"Do you think-... I mean, would it be okay with you if Jongin comes too? I’ve thought about it, and…I’d love to be with him for a trip like that. If that’s alright."

Jonghyun frowned. His shoulders slouched, and a little pout appeared on his lips.

"So, I'm going to be the third wheel during your honeymoon?"

"What?" Taemin squawked.

"Come on, you want to go on a trip with your little nymph lover during spring... I'm just going to be in the way."

Jonghyun raised one of his eyebrows, and he saw Taemin suddenly blush and cough.

"That's not what I meant! And we can behave!"

"Can you?"

"You're so embarrassing right now."

Jonghyun laughed. He tried to drink some of his tea, but he ended up choking on it, making Taemin smirk.

"You know, I'm not even sure that Jongin will agree to come... He's very shy so I don't know if he'll be comfortable enough. But I think it would be nice to travel all together."

"I'm still going to be playing chaperone while you two lovebirds get all lovey-dovey."

Taemin straightened up a little and crossed his arms over his chest with an innocent look on his face.

"Actually, I thought we could make it a four-person trip."

"Bring Minho?"

"I wanted to ask Kibum."

Jonghyun froze in his seat, and Taemin's sneaky smile widened. The forest prince blinked a few times and cleared his throat as he peeked over his shoulder at Taemin.

"Kibum?"

"As I said, Jongin is extremely shy... Kibum is his best friend so I think he would be more comfortable with him around."

"That makes sense," Jonghyun nodded. "Lots of sense."

His voice was more acute than usual, and Taemin tried his best not to laugh at him.

"So," Taemin simpered. "How about it? I mean, if you feel like it would be boring for you, then we can go alone, just you and me. It's up to you."

Jonghyun opened his mouth but kept silent. Then he pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at Taemin.

"There's no way for me to come out of this without either losing some of my dignity or sabotaging myself, is there?"

"I don't think so," Taemin admitted with a pleased smirk. "But if you want to pretend that you're not about to accept just because you want to spend time with Kibum, I'm willing to refrain from making you admit that you've got a crush on my boyfriend’s best friend. For now, that is."

Jonghyun rubbed his neck with one hand, squirming slightly as he attempted to avoid Taemin’s gaze.

"Yeah, let's do it..."

"Do you mean going on a little adventure with Kibum and Jongin or pretending like you're not developing very romantic feelings towards a certain cute water nymph?"

"We should go on the trip," Jonghyun blurted out with wide eyes and rosy cheeks.

Taemin drummed his fingers on his armchair, a predatory smile stretching over his face.

"So, we don't pretend that you're not crushing on Kibum? Which means we admit that you are....?"

"Taemin!"

"Alright, alright! I'll let you off the hook. For now."

The mountain prince brushed some non-existent dust off his thighs, yelling when a cushion hit him in the face. He looked over at Jonghyun with raised eyebrows.

"Really now? You're going to be childish?"

"You were being mean."

Taemin stuck out his tongue, and Jonghyun made a face at him.

"I'm off now," Taemin snorted. "I have to meet Jongdae and Minseok and third-wheel my way through another Faerish lesson..."

"Is it that bad?"

"You have no idea. Which is why I would never put you through that by forcing you to be alone with me and Jongin."

Jonghyun’s face broke into a smile as he got up and walked over to his desk.

"I'm going to start planning, then. I’ll make a list of the places I want to show you, set up dates, and such. You'll ask Jongin and Kibum, I presume?"

"I will. But I mean, if you see Kibum first, you can ask him."

"I don't think I-..."

Jonghyun cut himself off when he saw Taemin pause in the doorway and wave at the window. For a moment, he didn't dare move. Absurd, silly thoughts were blooming in his mind, and his throat began to tighten. Taemin was probably just being a tease, though. He probably wasn’t actually waving at Kibum in the window. That would be ridiculous.

Jonghyun turned around, warily, waiting for Taemin to burst out laughing at how he pranked him. But no sound came. Then Jonghyun's eyes fell on Kibum's lovely smile while the nymph leaned over the open window, his face cupped in his hands.

"Hi, Jeongyun!"

Jonghyun didn't hear Taemin's muffled laughter. He hadn’t even realized that his friend and fiancé had left the room and closed the door behind him. All of his attention was solely on Kibum's little grin and sparkling eyes, and he wondered just how long the nymph had been waiting there.

"Hi, Kibum..."

"How is Jeongyun?"

"I'm doing great, what about you?"

The nymph's smile widened at that, and Jonghyun watched him shake his head softly to move the wet strands his of hair away from his face.

"I am happy."

Jonghyun straightened himself and moved slowly towards the nymph. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks when he sat back on the window sill. Kibum was looking at him with the cutest smile on his face.

"How long have you been here?"

"Hmm?" Kibum blinked a couple of times, not really understanding the question.

"When did you arrive?"

The water nymph pouted slightly and glanced at the closed door.

"I don't understand. I arrive and Taemin-..." Kibum waved timidly as if to explain to Jonghyun what had happened. Then he frowned, "is your question?"

Jonghyun couldn't help the small sigh of relief he let out.

"Yes, that answered my question…"

And Kibum beamed, very proud of himself for understanding what his prince had wanted from him.

"What are you doing here?" Jonghyun asked, so soft that he was nearly whispering.

"I come see you," Kibum answered.

He blinked his eyes in confusion as if he couldn’t understand why Jonghyun would ask something so obvious.

"Jeongyun come with me today? Is it possi-... possible?"

Jonghyun mentally listed all of the things he had to do that day, all of the reasons he should decline the invitation. But then he noticed the hopeful look in Kibum’s eyes and smiled.

"Where are we going?"

The nymph glowed with happiness. The deep blue of his eyes slowly melted into that hypnotic shade Jonghyun loved so much.

"It is surprise!"

"Oh really? What are you plotting?" Jonghyun teased with a little smile.

Belatedly, he realized that his word choice might be too complicated again, but Kibum didn’t seem to mind. The nymph simply scrunched his nose for a second and shifted even closer to the elf prince.

"Jeongyun sing to me? The song about Kibum? Please!"

Jonghyun rubbed his neck as he let out an awkward cough; he didn't dare look the nymph in the eyes as he nodded.

"Okay, I'll sing for you."

Kibum cheered loudly and got up from his seat.

"Thanks you!"

He extended his hand for Jonghyun to take while shifting his feet impatiently.

"We go?"

"Give me a few minutes, please," Jonghyun said as he got up and went back to his desk. "I need to grab a few things."

Kibum stayed silent while he watched his prince walk around the room, preparing things. Jonghyun found a bag to pack his notebook in. Then he took a few seconds to write a little note saying that he was out for the day, just in case someone came to look for him, which he knew would happen. His parents and counselors wouldn't be happy about his sudden disappearance, and he knew he would have to face sighs and reprimands the next day, but none of that mattered right now.

"I need to go to my bedroom," Jonghyun said suddenly, his eyes widening as he looked toward Kibum. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Oh?"

"I need something... to sing your song."

Before Kibum could reply, Jonghyun hurried out of his office and carefully locked the door behind him. The nymph climbed into the room, sat on the window sill, in the exact spot Jonghyun had just occupied, and waited patiently, his hands clasped together on his lap. He began to wonder where Jonghyun's bedroom was within the immense castle, and what it looked like. And, most importantly, what was the thing that the prince needed in order to sing for him?

Kibum had spent days thinking about the song Jonghyun had written about him. He was so curious, so impatient to hear it at last.

The doorknob twisted, and Kibum jumped slightly, straightening up to look at the door. It didn't open, which made the nymph frown. He heard a foreign voice call for Jonghyun before the quiet resumed, and he realized that someone was trying to enter. For a moment, he became a bit anxious, looking around for a place he might hide and wondering if he should jump back to the roof instead, but the doorknob fell back into place and didn’t move again. The nymph heard fading footsteps, and he exhaled loudly. He wondered who had come and what they had wanted with his prince.

He almost shrieked when he suddenly heard a click, and the door opened. But before he could completely panic, Jonghyun entered the room with a sheepish smile.

"I'm back."

Kibum opened his mouth and, for a moment, he wanted to tell Jonghyun that someone almost came in. Then he realized that if an elf was searching for Jonghyun, whoever it was might keep him in the castle, and then his prince would have to cancel their little adventure so Kibum changed his mind.

"We go now?" he asked, wide eyes staring at Jonghyun.

He finally noticed the very large, brown bag that Jonghyun had brought back with him. It seemed heavy on the elf's shoulders, and curiosity overcame Kibum again.

"Yes," Jonghyun breathed out. "Just one minute..."

He picked up the little note on his desk, opened the door just enough to be able to pin his excuse on it, and closed it again. Then, he grabbed the bag with his notebook and went back to Kibum with a soft smile.

"I'm ready, let's go."

Kibum hopped on his feet, his skin glowing faintly with contentment, and he climbed out of the window, back onto the roof. Jonghyun followed him awkwardly and looked to the ground with a frown. His office was on the third floor of the castle, and though he usually had no problems keeping his balance while climbing or jumping, he was carrying a very large instrument. And it was raining.

"Mmm, Kibum, we might have a problem-..." He stopped himself when he suddenly realized that something quite odd was happening.

Kibum tilted his head toward the prince, waiting for him to elaborate on his worries, but Jonghyun was looking at his own hands and feet, noticing that his entire body was dry. He looked at Kibum, who was getting soaked by the rain, then at the wet roof extending next to them. Jonghyun looked up and saw the rain fall, quite heavily, only to slip and slide around him, each raindrop avoiding him as it dropped to the roof instead.

"What-..." Jonghyun gasped, and his eyes fell back to Kibum's mischievous smile. "Are you doing this?"

He extended his hand to the right and watched the droplets of water avoid his arm as he moved around.

"I protec' Jeongyun," Kibum chirped, seeming very proud of himself.

"Thank you..."

"You welcome."

Kibum bounded forward and took Jonghyun’s hand in his, pulling him to the edge of the roof.

"We go now!"

Jonghyun opened his mouth to stop him, to warn him that it would be a bit dangerous for him and his instrument, but Kibum leaped before the elf could say anything. Jonghyun felt his heart bounce and fall in his chest as he was dragged by Kibum's momentum, and he felt his feet leave solid ground. His eyes widened impossibly, but he did his best to keep from yelling in surprise.

"What-!"

There was a soft, warm breeze on his back, and slowly, Jonghyun realized that they were flying. He was being pulled along by Kibum, who was walking in the air, on absolutely nothing, as if it were the most natural thing to do. Jonghyun tried to move his legs, but he felt kind of stupid trying to find a way to balance himself when he absolutely couldn't. Then he heard a gentle laugh.

Kibum caught his other hand and started running, or dancing; Jonghyun wasn't sure.

"Don't let go of me," Jonghyun heard himself beg as he looked at the ground, so far away from them.

It was both terrifying and exhilarating.

Kibum pulled on Jonghyun's hands to bring him closer until his elf finally looked back at him, and he gave the prince a cheeky grin.

"Never."

Jonghyun forgot about his fear; he even forgot about the fact that he was flying. Kibum's eyes were clear as water again, and he wanted to drown in them.
The nymph turned slightly, looking around as they were carried further away by the wind. Jonghyun was staring at him. He was still flailing his limbs around awkwardly, trying to find some equilibrium but to no avail. His body rose and fell as he slowly moved forward, but Kibum walked steadily.

"I really am flying," Jonghyun whispered.

Kibum tightened his hold on his prince's hands and nodded.

"You do flying well," he said in a giggle.

"Oh? It doesn't feel like it."

The water nymph finally noticed the place he wanted to go and winked at Jonghyun.

"It is the end."

Before Jonghyun could ask what he meant by that, Kibum slowly descended, tugging Jonghyun along with him. He touched down effortlessly and led Jonghyun to the ground after him, but the elf prince's landing was much more abrupt. He nearly fell when he stumbled, and he had to take a few steps to steady himself, staggering into the nymph in the process.

Kibum's heart went completely crazy, and he closed his arms around Jonghyun's waist to steady him as he looked at his prince with smitten eyes and rosy cheeks.

"Jeongyun is okay?"

"Yes," Jonghyun coughed as he straightened himself. "I'm alright. That was quite a ride."

Kibum laughed and reached out to touch the elf’s hair, pushing it back into the correct position. Maybe he lingered a little bit. Just a tiny bit.

"Follo' Kibum."

"Always," Jonghyun answered, the shadow of a sneaky grin playing on his lips.

It made the blush on Kibum's face deepen.

They had landed at the foot of a very small hill, one that Jonghyun knew well. It was a heap of rocks and trees; there was a small path snaking up to the top, which offered quite a beautiful view of the surrounding area.

Kibum, keeping one of Jonghyun’s hands in his own, led the other around the mound and past the narrow track that led to the hill’s highest point. He took them to the opposite side, where the ridge ended in jagged cliffs, and began to climb down the rocks.

"Where are we going?" Jonghyun asked again with a frown.

Kibum looked back at him and motioned for him to come closer.

"Come, please!"

A little unsure, Jonghyun obeyed. They followed the ledge that was formed by the rocks, but it was getting a bit difficult for the elf to move around with the instrument still on his back. Kibum was more hopping than walking, and Jonghyun found it easier to move that way so he mimicked him. He was so focused on his feet that it took him a couple of minutes to realize that they were moving in between the rocks, away from the edge, and slowly going into the hill itself.

hen the path became somewhat clearer, no longer forcing him to watch where he was going, Jonghyun’s eyes traveled up the nymph's back, lingering on the spirit's fair skin, thin waist, and glistening hair. He looked at the curve of Kibum's neck and the roundness of his shoulders. He noticed a couple of raindrops still lazily making their way down the nymph's spine.

"It is here."

Jonghyun heard Kibum’s soft voice, but he stood frozen instead of looking around. The nymph turned to face him, and they were standing so close to each other that Jonghyun could see every shade from blue to black, every sparkle of grey, in Kibum's stormy eyes.

"Jeongyun?"

Kibum parted his lips. His voice sounded more acute than usual, and Jonghyun finally blinked back to reality, forcing himself to smile at the nymph.
He really couldn't stop his mind from wandering into faraway dreams whenever Kibum was around.

"Yes?"

Kibum smiled back at him. He seemed relieved. Jonghyun wondered why.

"Look."

The nymph stepped off to the side, finally letting go of the elf's hand, and Jonghyun tore his eyes away to take in the sight before him.

It looked like a miniature canyon filled with shrubs with bluish leaves, light grey stones, and white flowers. There was a river emerging from the rocks, flowing and sprouting into a multitude of small waterfalls. The water made quiet, beautiful sounds that resonated all around the valley, accentuated by the rain still falling.

"It's breathtaking..." Jonghyun whispered.

He heard Kibum giggle next to him, and he turned toward the nymph.

"I mean," Jonghyun coughed, "it's beautiful..."

"I understan' the word now."

Jonghyun smiled, his mind going back to the first time he had properly met Kibum and the adorable misunderstanding that had ensued. The tips of his pointy ears turned red.

"More as Kibum?" the nymph asked with a scrunch of his nose. "It is more beautifu' as Kibum?"

"Absolutely not," Jonghyun answered without even thinking. "Not even close."

Kibum looked absolutely delighted, and Jonghyun thought that the nymph's smile was worth his slight embarrassment.

Kibum moved around the canyon, waltzing and hopping on rocks until he found a nice spot to sit on, and he motioned for Jonghyun to sit next to him. The elf prince moved forward, setting his brown leather bag against a tree before he sat on the wet ground right next to the nymph.

"I didn't know about this place," Jonghyun admitted. "It really is lovely."

"Jeongyun love the water?" Kibum asked, as innocently as he could, while Jonghyun gazed at the small waterfalls.

Jonghyun held out his hand and stayed silent for a moment, watching the way the rain was still avoiding him. Then he took Kibum's hand in his again, and the nymph immediately intertwined their fingers. Jonghyun felt a few droplets fall on his hand. It was fascinating to him, how Kibum's ever-wet skin could be so soft and smooth.

"I do," he finally said. "Actually, I love rain the most."

"Really?"

Kibum looked at him, breathless, and he felt his heart thunder in his chest.

"I love the rain more than the sun," Jonghyun confessed with a soft laugh. "It's the prettiest. It's relaxing, soothing... It calms me down. And I love how it makes the forest smell."

Jonghyun took his eyes off of Kibum's hand to look at the nymph's face, and he fell into those ethereal eyes again.

"When you want rain, tell me. I give you rain, okay? Always."

"You can make the rain come?" Jonghyun asked.

"Yes!"

There it was again: that confident tone of Kibum’s, just slightly offended. The one he took whenever Jonghyun asked something that was so obvious to him. Jonghyun found it adorable.

"Whenever I want?" Jonghyun insisted.

"Yes!"

"What if I never want it to stop?"

Jonghyun had brought his face just a little closer with a smug little grin playing on his lips. He hadn't expected Kibum to mimic him. Their noses were so close that Jonghyun was almost squinting to be able to see the nymph, and his heart was going completely crazy.

"If Jeongyun want, I make rain on you always," Kibum retorted proudly.

Jonghyun brought his free hand to Kibum's face and let one of his fingers gently the nymph's cheek.

"Alright."

He saw Kibum’s eyes widen, and it made him realize what he had just done. Coughing a bit, he pulled back, missing the disappointed pout on Kibum's lips. But the nymph was quick to hide his letdown, and he tilted his head toward the elf prince.

"Jeongyun sing now?"

"Yes, I will," Jonghyun smiled.

"Good!"

Jonghyun pulled his notebook out of the smaller bag and opened it, setting it next to him before he grabbed his instrument. He was very careful as he took his small gayageum out and placed it over his lap. He heard Kibum's little gasp of surprise but kept his attention on his instrument. He strummed the cords softly, making sure it was in tune, then took a long inhale.

It was somewhat nerve-racking to realize that he was about to sing his song to Kibum. He had already attempted to mentally prepare himself in the last few days, but there he was, an anxious mess as he sat next to the nymph in such an enchanting place. He began to worry a little, wondering if Kibum would like the song he wrote for him.

The rain softened, growing slow and quiet, and Jonghyun briefly wondered if it was Kibum's doing. He stole a glance at the nymph, who was staring at him in wonder, and took a deep breath. Then he looked back at his instrument. The moment his fingers began playing, Jonghyun’s voice joined the melody.

"Woo, how could this be? ... Woo, you're so beautiful ... How should I say this? ... Even when I think hard, it's hard to express ... The masterpiece that is you..."

Kibum barely controlled the gasp that threatened to leave his mouth. Jonghyun's voice was so soft, almost spellbinding as it resonated throughout the canyon, and it filled him with awe.

"I thank God, I see an angel, tears well up, hallelujah ... I see an angel, tears well up, I'm overwhelmed with feeling, hallelujah..."

As hard as he tried, it was impossible for Kibum to understand what Jonghyun was singing. The song moved too quickly, the lyrics filled with new words, but it didn’t matter much to him anyway. Watching Jonghyun sing to him with so much tenderness and emotion was already overwhelming.

"You give me greater feelings than awe (feels so good) ... You make me sing as if I'm praying ... Singing hallelujah, you got me singing hallelujah..."

When Jonghyun finally looked up at him, Kibum thought that his heart was going to explode into a thousand tiny droplets.

"The day I saw you for the first time ... I probably used up all the luck in my life ... But it's worth it. You're amazing, what to do with you?"

For a moment, Jonghyun almost forgot his lyrics. Kibum was glowing with that soft, blue gleam that expressed how happy he was. It made Jonghyun's heart squeeze painfully in his chest.

"When I see you, without knowing, I say hallelujah ... I see an angel, tears well up, without knowing, I say hallelujah..."

Kibum was shivering, chills running up and down his entire body, but he didn't pay them any attention. He simply wished Jonghyun's song would never end.

"You're the work of God, a fatal mistake (a masterpiece) ... I give thanks for your existence ... Singing hallelujah, you got me singing hallelujah ... Singing hallelujah, you got me singing hallelujah..."

Jonghyun held the last note for a moment before he let out a little sigh and smiled sheepishly when he looked at Kibum.

The rain somehow seemed louder now that Jonghyun had quieted. Kibum's lips trembled as he searched for something to say, for any Elvish word he used to know, but he felt lost and could only blink awkwardly for a little while.

"Did you like it?" Jonghyun asked softly.

The nymph quickly nodded, very enthusiastically, making Jonghyun chuckle.

"Yes," Kibum whispered. Then he coughed. "I know not Elfish word. It is-... it is-... hmmm... brea'takin'?"

"Breathtaking?"

"Yes. And more word."

All of a sudden, Kibum looked distressed. It frustrated him to no end that he couldn’t express how he felt. Jonghyun set his gayageum aside, just enough to comfortably take Kibum's hand in his once more. Just that simple gesture soothed Jonghyun. Holding his nymph in any way lessened the feeling of melancholic longing that always filled him otherwise.

"When you glow like this, it means you’re happy, right?" he asked as he pulled Kibum’s hand closer.

Kibum frowned for a second, then nodded.

"Yes."

"So my song made you happy?"

"I am more happy. The more happy Kibum."

Jonghyun started to laugh. He looked so pleased and lovely that Kibum couldn't help but smile in turn.

"Then I'm really happy too."

"But Jeongyun," Kibum murmured. "I don't understan' the word. I don't understan' the song."

"I figured..."

Jonghyun looked at his notebook and sighed. He had thought about it. He had already tried to figure out a way to explain his lyrics to Kibum, but he wasn’t sure that he could actually do it. He was afraid that Kibum would be upset if he couldn’t understand him.

"Do you have a friend who reads Elvish?"

"Reads?"

Jonghyun showed his notebook to Kibum.

"I can give it to you... Do you have a friend who can explain what it means?"

"Yes, I have frien'. You give me?" Kibum repeated, his face brightening with the prospect of getting an accurate translation of Jonghyun's song.

He could ask Jinki. Or even Kyungsoo. He knew enough fairies who could read Elvish to help him.

"Yes, I can."

Kibum was about to thank him when he stopped himself and closed his mouth, twisting it in an anxious pout.

"But it is secret. You say it is secret that you sing."

"It's alright," Jonghyun assured him. "I want you to understand. I don't think I can explain it well enough."

Kibum saw Jonghyun's cheeks become tinged with pink as the elf gave him the notebook without looking at him.

"Thank you, Jeongyun."

"You're welcome. I hope you like the lyrics... I mean, the words."

Kibum smiled softly as he pulled Jonghyun's notebook to his chest, hugging it with reverence.

"Yes," he murmured before looking at the elf prince from under his eyelashes. "Jeongyun?"

"Hmmm?"

"You sing again? Please?"

Jonghyun scrunched his nose, smiling brightly as he agreed, and sang his song once more. His fingers trembled, and he almost missed a note when Kibum slowly shifted closer to him. When he felt the nymph softly rest his head on his shoulder, Jonghyun stuttered obviously, apologized, and had to take a few seconds to remember how to play his gayageum.

Jonghyun sat straight, still as a rock, and his voice wavered. He could feel Kibum's hair tickle his neck as the nymph snuggled up to him completely.
"Is okay?" Kibum asked in a whisper when he realized that Jonghyun had gasped in the middle of a word.

"Yes... Yes, it's okay," Jonghyun answered faintly.

"You sing again?"

Jonghyun started his song from the beginning again, but his voice broke a little when Kibum nestled his face closer to him with a smile.

The nymph was starting to pick out a few words, here and there, and it made him incredibly happy. He couldn't figure out the meaning of any specific sentence from them, but it still made him proud.

When Jonghyun's voice faded, Kibum sighed.

"Again?"

"Really?"

"Please."

The rain grew stronger, but so did Jonghyun's voice. By the fifth time he repeated the song, the elf prince stopped playing his instrument and simply sang to Kibum while timidly resting his arm around the nymph’s waist in a loose hug. Kibum stilled, eyes wide with happiness, a grin blooming on his face that Jonghyun couldn't see.
All of Kibum's attention was on Jonghyun: the hand next to his, the voice in his ears, the warmth of the body pressed against his own. He was staring at the faint glow around Jonghyun, the glimmering deep green always enveloping him that Kibum loved so much. It reminded him of how jealous he had been the first time he had seen Jongin standing next to Taemin. How envious he had been to see their colors match and meld so perfectly together. He and Jonghyun looked different. He wondered how Jongin would see them. How would the two of them look next to each other? Would the view of them seem weird? That thought had been bothering him for so long.

But then, as he snuggled up to Jonghyun and decided that he didn't care if their colors didn't match in the end, he realized that they did, although it was much different than the way Jongin and Taemin melded together. Kibum was clear and bright, almost white, whereas Jonghyun was dark and deep. They were opposite shades of the same blue-green, and Kibum found himself smiling when Jonghyun took his hand and made their colors melt into another one. Together, they looked like the water at the top of the High Waterfalls, the ones that never froze; they were the exact same beautiful blue that shone in little sparkles in the water around Kibum whenever he was happy. That had to mean something.

"Kibum?"

The nymph blinked slowly, coming out of his reverie and tilting his head to look at his elf.

"Yes?"

"I have something to ask you..."

Kibum sat up slightly but was careful not to move too far away. He kept his chest and arm pressed against Jonghyun's as he smiled gently at him, waiting for his prince to elaborate.

Jonghyun coughed a little to give himself some courage and tried his best not to lose himself completely in Kibum's eyes.

"I uh-... Taemin-... Taemin had an idea, this morning," he started, searching for easy words to explain the situation. "He wants to visit the forest so I can show him around."

He saw Kibum frown, but the nymph slowly nodded.

"He wants your friend, Jongin, to come with us…"

"Who?"

Jonghyun raised one eyebrow and blinked a couple of times, confused by the look of utter perplexity on the nymph's face.

"Your friend... the nymph, Jongin. Taemin said that you're friends. Aren't you? Taemin's lover."

"Oooooh... You mean Jongin!" Kibum exclaimed with a sudden of genius.

He laughed in amusement, remembering how Jongin had complained to him recently about how difficult it was to say his name in Elvish. Kibum would make sure to tell him that 'Jonghyun' was even harder to pronounce.

"Yes, Jong-nin is friend."

"Alright..."

"You go with Taemin and Jong-nin?" Kibum then asked, his face becoming somber.

It really didn't sit well with him to imagine his prince going away on a little trip with his best friend and that other prince. He was just beginning to accept Taemin and learn to like him after trying to forget his very existence for several months, so he didn't really want to have another reason to be jealous of him.

"Yes," Jonghyun said, a small smile playing on his lips. "Would you, perhaps, like to come with us?"

Kibum squinted his eyes and tilted his head.

"What?"

"Sorry. Hmmm... You want to come with Taemin, Jongin, and me?"

"Oh!"

A large, bright smile bloomed on Kibum's face. His skin lightened so much that Jonghyun's eyes inadvertently fell to the nymph's lips, which looked so pink and striking in comparison.

"I stay with Jeongyun all day?" Kibum excitedly asked.

"Well," Jonghyun coughed. "It would be for a couple of days, actually. We'll make it a long trip."

Kibum gasped, his eyes widening impossibly. He was almost scared that he wasn’t understanding correctly because it sounded too good to be true.

"More than a day? A night too?"

"I don't really know how long right now," Jonghyun admitted with a little smile. "A few days and a few nights."

Kibum was nearly vibrating as he tried to breathe through his nose without exploding into droplets.

"With Jeongyun?"

"Yes, if you want..."

"I come! Yes! Kibum come!"

Jonghyun couldn't help but chuckle when he felt a sudden gush of wind on his face that tousled his hair. Kibum sheepishly apologized, but Jonghyun assured him that he didn't mind.

Then, just as Jonghyun was starting to feel a bit awkward, wondering what more he could do or say to keep his nymph entertained, Kibum started to ask him about the other songs he had written. Or he tried to. He also asked him about the things he liked to do and the things he liked to eat. He demanded explanations on everything and did his best to repeat every new word that Jonghyun taught him like a parrot. He asked him if he liked carrot cakes because Minho had brought him some one day, and he had liked them a lot, so now it was very important for him to know if his prince liked them too. Every little piece of information that Jonghyun shared made Kibum's eyes sparkle.

"Would you like to eat more carrot cakes?"

"Jeongyun has carrot cake now?" Kibum asked, his eyes trailing up and down Jonghyun's clothes as if trying to find where his prince could hide them.

It made Jonghyun chuckle.

"No, but I'm getting hungry. So maybe we could go back to Melalhil and hide in my office. I'll go steal us some carrot cakes from the kitchen."

"Only Kibum and Jeongyun?" Kibum asked, his voice soft and unsure as he pouted.

"Of course."

The nymph stood up with a little bounce and clapped his hands together.

"Yes!"

Jonghyun carefully put his gayageum back in its protective case, tucked his notebook into his pouch since Kibum had nothing to carry it in right then, and finally took the nymph's hands in his so Kibum could pull him out of their little enchanted shelter. They climbed a few rocks, and Kibum gave him a little warning, probably too late, as he bounced into the air again, making the elf prince gasp.

"Oh, dear Light!"

Kibum's laughter resonated all around.

Jonghyun felt a warm stream of air push him higher and higher, and he desperately tried to walk on it as gracefully as possible. He squeaked when he felt Kibum let go of one of his hands, looking in terror at the nymph who simply smiled at him.

"Don't-...!"

But his complaint died in his throat when he saw Kibum move closer to him, wrapping his arm around his waist with a sneaky little grin.

"Jeongyun isn't scared. Kibum always protec' you."

The nymph was positively delighted to see Jonghyun's cheeks turn pink while the prince nodded awkwardly. Then Jonghyun heard Kibum begin to hum, so very gently, the melody of the song that Jonghyun wrote for him. He relaxed into the nymph's arms a little.

"I hope nobody will see us..." he whispered.

"No, no," Kibum simpered. "Stop to be scared."

Jonghyun chuckled a little. Then he was startled when he realized that they were landing on the roof next to his office. He wished the trip had been just a bit longer.
He briefly thought that maybe, since Taemin and Jongin would most likely be busy on their own, he would be able to fly with Kibum again during their little adventure.
When they entered his office, Kibum immediately claimed the same armchair on which he had sat during his previous visit. Jonghyun left him there for a moment while he ran through some secret passages to the kitchen so that he could steal all the cakes and pies he could find, along with some tea.

When he came back to his office, Jonghyun found the nymph immersed in his notebook, flipping through the pages filled with his handwriting. He thought of how soothing that sight was to his heart, and it made him smile. He was falling in love with a spirit of rain, and as silly as it sounded, it felt like he was meant to adore Kibum. He couldn't think of anything in his life that made more sense or was more meaningful to him than the smile the water nymph gave him every single time he looked at him.

"Jeongyun?"

"Mhmm?"

"Come close to Kibum, please."

Kibum gently patted the armchair next to him, eyeing the plate of cakes that Jonghyun was carrying with a satisfied little smile.
And Jonghyun obeyed.

They kept quiet enough so that they weren’t caught by someone passing by the door and spent the whole afternoon whispering sweet nonsense and stammering questions to each other.

It was only when night slowly fell and the sky darkened that Kibum unwillingly made his way back to the window. Jonghyun didn't let go of his hand as he told him again how they would spend a lot of time together, very soon, while going sightseeing in the forest. While the nymph climbed back onto the roof, he watched Jonghyun lift his hand, leaving a soft, gentle kiss on Kibum's soft skin.

When Jonghyun looked up, with rosy cheeks and timid eyes, he noticed that his nymph had a furious blush all over his face. Kibum coughed and suddenly disappeared from sight.

"Kibum?" Jonghyun called, his voice acute with distress. "I'm sorry?"

He heard a quiet, cheeky laugh and felt a gush of wind wrap around him before suddenly disappearing. Jonghyun watched as his notebook flew through the air in little jolts.

"Stop to be scared."

It was faint, as if muffled, but Jonghyun smiled.

"Alright."

The rain that had stopped an hour before started falling again as Jonghyun looked up at the moon.

.

.

.

My lovelies,

I am sorry that it took me so long to write this chapter & deliver it to you. I hope that if the wait was sad for you in any way, you found comfort in this chapter & you liked reading it.
♥
I waited so long to write this one. Fantastic things are coming now, don't you think?

The song I used here is Jonghyun's « Hallelujah ». It seemed very fitting, isn't it?

Let me know your thoughts about this chapter ♥
& please, until next time, take good care of yourself.