In the span of Jongin’s lifetime, he’s only been hit in the face twice.

The first time hadn’t been his fault; Lady Chadnick, his mother’s thrice-removed cousin’s wife, had been visiting and had brought along her lap dog, a beautiful long-haired Maltese. Since Jongin loved dogs, and had two of his own then, he had snuck out and brought along the lap dog to visit his own puppies. This had turned out to be a mistake; the sight of a potential new friend had set off Monggu in an excited frenzy and he had leapt at the Maltese which had caused her to panic in Jongin’s arms and smack her doggy head into his face. To Jongin’s credit, he hadn’t fainted but the incident had given him a black eye, a split lip and a week of sulking in his room for bleeding all over Lady Chadnick’s dog. (In Jongin’s opinion, the entire incident was hardly his fault, but he had only been ten, and therefore had been in no position to win any arguments.)

Since then, he’s been very careful to avoid having his face marred by any sort of injury; he still suffered a bit of post-trauma from the last incident (there had been blood, and dog fur, and a most unlady-like shrieking sound in the room when the owner had discovered the scene).

Of course, as the universe would have it, he gets hit by a door the second time around. (Still completely not his fault, of course.)

When Jongin finally opens his eyes, it takes him exactly two seconds before he's struck by two very important things: first, Kyungsoo is kneeling in front of him; looking practically ethereal and beautiful and strangely very worried –

- And second, his nose really, really hurts.

“You’re awake,” Kyungsoo says, sounding relieved. “How do you feel?”

And because there’s only so much a person can say when there’s a piece of cloth shoved against one’s face, Jongin answers with a very undignified—“Owngghhfff.”

Kyungsoo blinks at him. “Oh,” he says, gingerly removing it, revealing the large blood stain on it. Anxiously, Jongin checks his nose, and is relieved to discover that the bleeding has lessened.

Jongin struggles to get to his feet, with Kyungsoo’s help. He suffers a moment of vertigo as he attempts to adjust his balance, but the feeling passes after a few seconds.

“Can you walk?” Kyungsoo asks. He’s slipped Jongin’s arm around his shoulders, and is supporting Jongin by the waist. “Let’s get you to a more comfortable spot.” With his help, Jongin manages to stumble into the library with no further mishaps.

Kyungsoo guides him to the nearest chair. “Keep your head bent forward, like this,” he instructs, and Jongin lowers his head. A dusty-looking cloth is pushed into his hands. “Here, add some pressure against your nose with this to stop the bleeding.”

“I’m not using that,” Jongin gives the rag a look of distaste. He’s pretty sure there’s a dead moth still stuck to it.

“Oh for—“ There’s a moment’s pause, at which Jongin looks up to find Kyungsoo ing his cardigan and removing it, draping it over his knee.

“Uh, what are you--” Suddenly Kyungsoo rips out part of the sleeve from his shirt, as Jongin watches with wide eyes.

He folds it meticulously, before handing it to Jongin. “Now stop being stubborn, and hold this against your nose.”

Still in shock, Jongin takes the cloth and does as he asks. He hears Kyungsoo moving away. Moments pass before he hears a soft murmur; it takes him another few more seconds to realize that Kyungsoo is on the phone. The words library and discretion followed by yes, thank you, doctor drifts his way.

When Kyungsoo returns, Jongin tries to tilt his head up to look at him. “No, wait, stay like that,” he says, before crouching down until his face is on the level as Jongin’s. “Let me check on that.” The tip of his fingers are warm as they graze against Jongin’s hand, pulling the cloth away from his nose.

Several seconds pass – most of them torturous as Jongin is treated to the sight of Kyungsoo’s face up close as he checks to see if Jongin is still bleeding – before he pulls back, looking relieved.

“It looks like the bleeding has stopped,” he tells Jongin. “For now, at least – but you should have that checked properly. I called the royal physician earlier, and she’s on her way now.” He hands the cloth back to Jongin. “Keep adding pressure to it, for just for a little longer.”

Jongin stares the torn piece of what was once part of Kyungsoo’s shirt, and lifts his head up to look at Kyungsoo. “You didn’t have to do that,” he says, quietly.

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. “Do what?”

“Ruin your shirt. For… this.” Jongin feels a slight surge of guilt. He iintended to come here, to seek Kyungsoo out and apologize for being a complete arse the night before, and perhaps show him that he was nothing like any of the privileged royals that Kyungsoo seems to detest. Instead, he’s caused more trouble on Kyungsoo’s part, and made him tear up his shirt in order to help Jongin.

“Well, you looked like you needed it more,” Kyungsoo tells him. “It’s only fair – after all, I did hit you in the face first.” He pauses, and there’s a spark of amusement in his eyes. “Right before you fainted like a maiden.”

Jongin bristles at the last part. “Now wait a minute, I did not faint, I just—just had a dizzy spell. That’s all,” he protests. “Besides, I was going to knock, and then wham!, right on the nose—“

“Which wouldn’t have happened had you not been standing there, waiting for goodness knows what reason, instead of knocking on it like any normal person—“

“That’s only because I was trying to figure out what to say to you,” Jongin interrupts. Kyungsoo looks taken aback. “I came here to look for you, because of last night.”

“Last… night…” Kyungsoo voice trails off, and his eyes narrow. “Ah, yes. Typical. I would expect nothing less from someone like yourself.”

There’s a bitterness to his words that causes Jongin to feel slightly offended. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He’s feeling exhausted from just about everything right now; between waking up with a hangover and the talk he had had with Minseok earlier, and being hit in the face by a door by Kyungsoo, Jongin is ready for the day to be over.

(The only consolation is that his hangover has mysteriously disappeared. He figures he should thank Kyungsoo for that.)

“You thought that just because of what happened between us, I would be throwing myself at your feet. That I would be dazzled by your charm and flirtations and eventually be just another name on your list of conquests—“

“Wait, wait,” Jongin holds up one hand in protest. “I never said anything about conquests, nor that I was here for – for that.”

“Then why else would you come looking for me?”

Jongin is about to retort when he catches the look in Kyungsoo’s eyes. He can’t quite name it, but something about his expression makes Jongin take a deep breath, before he continues, this time in a calm voice. “I came looking for you to apologize. For being rude to you last night during the dance. For the things I might have said to offend you. It didn’t occur to me until this morning that you might not have been comfortable with the way I acted – that you might actually hate being around me.” Jongin lets out a sigh, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I’m—I don’t know why I keep messing up around you. I can never say anything right when I’m with you.”

Kyungsoo looks taken aback. After a long pause, the seconds stretching between them uncomfortably, his shoulders sag visibly.

“I’m… sorry,” he says quietly. Surprised at the sudden apology, Jongin studies his expression intently, wondering if perhaps he’s being mocked - but he finds that Kyungsoo looks as regretful as he sounds, even apologetic. “For jumping to conclusions, about your intentions. What you said last night… I’m not used to it. To that sort of flirting.“ Here, he blushes. “I may have overreacted a little.”

Biting his lower lip, Kyungsoo adds, “I don’t hate you.”

The anxiety that has been dogging Jongin all day melts away at this admission. “In that case, how about we try this again?” He holds out his hand. “Let’s introduce ourselves again. Have a fresh start.”

He receives an amused smile. “That’s ridiculous, considering I know quite well who you are,” Kyungsoo tells him. Still, he takes Jongin’s hand anyway, and Jongin grins at him.

“I’ll start, then.” Jongin clears his throat. “I’m Jongin, twenty-two years old, born in the Eastern realms. I like walking my dogs around the park and embarrassing myself in front of strangers.” He deliberately leaves out his titles and any mention of his royal ties. Oddly, it feels… exhilarating.

Chuckling, Kyungsoo shakes his head. “You’re impossible.” There’s a fond look on his face. “You sound like an online dating profile.”

“Oh, come on, it’s not as sleazy as that,” Jongin protests. “Anyway, it’s your turn now. Don’t leave me high and dry here!”

“Fine—fine. Uh… I’m Kyungsoo. And, uh, twenty-three.” His lips are twitching, as if he’s holding back a laugh. “I like to read. And—and meeting strange people in libraries, apparently.”

Jongin’s mind flashes back to their first meeting, right here, in the royal library--

“A kiss,” Jongin repeats, “for your name.”

“It’s… it’s Kyungsoo,” he replies softly.

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin repeats, testing out the name on his tongue.

Kyungsoo’s cheeks are red, as if he’s blushing--

Kyungsoo clears his throat, interrupting the moment. “If I could have my hand back?”

“R-right,” Jongin releases Kyungsoo’s hand hurriedly. His cheeks, Jongin notices, have turned slightly pink, and he’s looking everywhere but at Jongin.

“So…” Jongin begins, coughing slightly to clear the awkward air. The feeling of Kyungsoo’s touch still lingers against his palm, however. “That—that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Even though he’s blushing, there’s a small smile on Kyungsoo’s lips. “It was… less pompous than I had expected,” he admits.

“Of course,” Jongin declares. “I reserve all the pompous introductions for heads of states and members of the press, not my friends.”

Kyungsoo blinks. “Friends,” he repeats slowly. “We’re—friends?” There’s an unreadable expression on his face. Before Jongin can say anything, the expression is replaced by one of genuine delight. “I’d… I’d like that, very much.” He smiles, his face lighting up instantly and Jongin thinks that he’s completely and utterly screwed.

*

“There’s some swelling around the area, but nothing seems to be severely fractured,” the royal physician tells him. She’s a cheerful-looking woman who breezed into the library minutes after Kyungsoo called her, bringing with her a large medical bag and an air of calm that reassured Jongin that he was in good hands. “Does it hurt much when you breathe?”

Jongin tries to take in a slow breath. “No,” he answers. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices that Kyungsoo is on the phone again, looking displeased. He’s wearing his cardigan again, which hides the torn sleeve on his shirt.

“Good,” she tells him. She rummages in her medical bag, and pulls out a small bottle of pills. “Now, if you start feeling any sort of pain, take one of these and ring me. In the meantime, I would recommend plenty of rest, and have someone get you a cold compress or some ice to help with the swelling.”

“How long before the swelling goes away?” Jongin asks, feeling slightly apprehensive. He doesn’t exactly want to wander around the kingdom with a bruised nose. Jongin had been worried at first that she would insist on him needing to be sent to a hospital, until she had concluded that the combination of his hangover, lack of fluids and the fact that he hadn’t eaten much that day except for the brief meal with Minseok had brought on his dizzy spell - which led to him passing out.

“Two or three days.” She smiles, her eyes twinkling, before adding, “It’ll give you enough time to come up with a story to easily charm the ladies at your court, your Highness.”

Jongin blushes at her teasing tone, and tries to cover up his embarrassment by checking the time on his watch.

To his surprise, he realizes that he was meant to meet up with the rest of the entourage over ten minutes ago. Furthermore, he’s left his phone back in his room, which means there’s no way to let the others know that he’ll be late.

Kyungsoo hangs up his phone just as the physician is about to leave. Once he sees her to the door, he returns to Jongin with an apologetic look on his face. “My uncle—the King, wants me in his study right away,” he says. “You’re welcome to stay here if you want – although you might want to change to something less… bloody?” He gestures at Jongin’s shirt, which has drops of blood on the front.

“I should be getting back,” he tells Kyungsoo. “My… the other princes are waiting for me. Back at the suites.”

“Oh,” Kyungsoo says. “If you… if you want, I could help you. Just to make sure you get back safely.” He chews on his lower lip nervously, looking hesitant.

Jongin ponders the offer for a moment. On one hand, accepting his help would mean that he’ll get to spend more time in Kyungsoo’s company.

On the other hand, he doesn’t want Kyungsoo to get into trouble to meet the king.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me,” Jongin says reassuringly. “You should go to the King right away.” Kyungsoo looks uncertain, but he nods slowly. Just as he’s about to turn around to leave, Jongin reaches out to touch his wrist, gently. “Kyungsoo,” he begins, and Kyungsoo is looking back at him in curiosity. “Thank you.”

The smile that Kyungsoo gives him before leaving the room somehow makes Jongin’s heart beat faster.

He manages to make his way back towards the royal suites without any mishap (with one exception of a cleaning maid who, in the midst of dusting the row of paintings lining the walls at one point, almost drops her duster when he appears around the corner in his messy state), stopping by his room quickly to clean himself up and change into a fresh set of clothes.

“So glad you've decided to show up,” Jongdae remarks drily when Jongin finally walks enters the sitting room, almost an hour late from the agreed time. He’s seated comfortably in one of the large arm-chairs, with a book balanced carefully on his lap, while Minseok is busy playing with his mobile phone. “What happened to your face?”

“It’s nothing,” Jongin tells him shortly. “Just had a minor accident, that’s all.”

Minseok glances up from his phone with a furrowed brow, looking concerned. “That looks painful. Did you get into a fight or something?”

“What?” Jongin sputters. “No, nothing like that – it was just an accident. I sort of… got hit by a door.”

They both stare at him. “How did you accomplish that?”Jongdae asks.

Reluctantly, Jongin relates the incident at the library, bracing himself for Jongdae’s smart mouth to make fun of him. True enough, when he gets to the part where he has to be helped into the library, Jongdae is cackling and even Minseok is attempting to hide his smile with the back of his hand.

Jongin doesn’t know whether to swear at them or to stalk out of the room, and settles for giving them disapproving looks instead. “You could be more sympathetic,” he grumbles.

Minseok gives him an apologetic look, but Jongdae snorts. “You’re a big boy, you can handle a little bump on the nose.”

“It was more than a bump,” Jongin glares at him.

Jongdae ignores him in favor of continuing on. “The thing is, I can’t actually tell if you’re trying to destroy any chance you have of getting into Kyungsoo’s pants--” Jongin makes a noise of protest against this –“or if you’re just a masochist. So far you’ve managed to insult him, have him stomp on your foot, ditch you at the ball, and then slam the door in your face.” He shakes his head at Jongin in mock sadness. “Sounds like the plot of some bad rom-com.”

“Thanks,” Jongin tells him sarcastically. “That’s what I needed to hear. My life: one big comedy when it comes to Kyungsoo.”

“Aren’t you being slightly overdramatic?” Minseok asks, looking amused. “You’ve just been a little unlucky, that’s all.” He gestures at Jongin to sit down. “Still, I’m guessing there’s more to the story. Did you get around to apologizing in the end?”

Jongin claims one of the empty chairs for himself. “I did. He said that he didn’t hate me. But he also said that we were—“ Jongin frowns, disliking the word suddenly,” friends.

“That sounds like progress.”

“But it doesn’t mean he likes me,” Jongin sighs.

“Why are you so hung up over him?” Jongdae asks. “You could have anyone from all over the kingdom. Even my palace staff sneak away from their posts to peek at you whenever you come by for dinner. Why waste all that effort over one person who doesn’t seem to give you the time of day?”

There’s a long silence as Jongin hesitates, unsure of how to answer Jongdae. He’s been asking himself the same question as well, but each time, he comes up with an answer that somehow feels hollow, dissatisfactory. Was it because of his looks? Jongin did have a weakness for big eyes and a sweet nature - except that Kyungsoo’s eyes seemed to be constantly judging him, and he was blunt and direct around Jongin, which ruled this out. Or was it because they had shared a kiss, which made it possible for there to be an growing attachment, or a fondness between them? Which was unlikely, since Jongin’s kissed Sehun before, on a dare, and Minseok, once, when he had been drunk, and both encounters had made him want to scrub his mouth out with soap.

“I don’t know,” he finally answers, and honestly. “He’s just… he’s not like the others I’ve been with.” At this, Jongdae’s eyebrows arch up, surprised. Jongin doesn’t miss the look that he exchanges with Minseok.

Trying to change the topic, Jongin addresses Minseok. “Where’s Luhan?” he asks, realizing his absence.

“With the Southern King in his study. He’s discussing something on behalf of his father – some shipping agreements, I think,” Minseok says. “The king is due to depart in the morning for the Western realms with his closest advisors, and he won’t be back till next week. Luhan wanted to complete their discussions while he’s here.”

Jongin remembers that Kyungsoo had been called away to attend to the king as well.

“If you’re interested to know, we have the rest of the day off tomorrow,” Minseok adds.

At this, Jongin perks up. “The entire day?” he asks, feeling hopeful. He’s been hoping for a chance to sneak out of the palace, perhaps visit the city, without the need for all the fanfare. There’s a chance he might be recognized during the day, but the nighttime offered better chances of disguise for someone like him.

“Well,” Minseok hesitates, before continuing, “at least till dinner. Since the Sujun court won’t be leaving till the day after, the crown prince has suggested that we dine with them tomorrow night.”

Jongin slumps back against the seat. So much for his plans, he thinks, pouting a little.

“Apparently Kyungsoo’s attending,” Minseok adds slyly.

Jongin sits back up, unable to keep the grin off his face. “Really?”

“Oh, this is going to be good,” Jongdae snickers. “This time, we’ll get to watch you to embarrass yourself in front of Kyungsoo.”

The cushion that Jongin flings hits Jongdae square in the face, much to his satisfaction, and effectively shutting him up.

*

The next night, four dashingly handsome princes from the Eastern realm make their way towards the dining halls - minus the fanfare and media attention that had surrounded them on their first day of arrival.

With the Southern King away,  the crown prince is left in charge to host the visiting nobles. Prince Joonmyun had insisted on an informal setting rather than a grand one, turning the dinner into - to Jongin’s relief - a much more private affair.

As they gather in the drawing room, waiting for the announcement to enter the dining hall, Jongin casually looks around for Kyungsoo. His nose itches a little, but he wills himself not to touch it, lest he accidentally wipes away the face powder that Jongdae had borrowed from one of the courtiers (Jongdae had smirked in response when asked how he had procured the makeup) to cover up the bruises. He had been reluctant at first, but Jongdae had dangled Kyungsoo’s name like bait in front of him again and the thought of missing another chance to speak to the other man had made him to slink off to his room, sulking, where he had succumbed to having his nose … powdered.

The cover works well enough, as no one seems to notice anything is amiss as he mingles amongst the gathering guests - until he finds himself being pulled into a conversation with the crown prince.

Next in line for the Southern throne, Prince Joonmyun is of the same birth year as Luhan and Minseok. He’s still as excessively polite and as over-earnest as Jongin recalls from meeting him a few years ago, but there’s a certain air of maturity that surrounds him now, perhaps from being put under the limelight more often of late to assist his father.

“I don’t mean to pry,” the crown prince says, suddenly, when Jongin is in in the middle of answering a polite inquiry about the weather. “But I heard that you were injured yesterday.”

“Ah- y-yes,” Jongin stumbles over his words, caught off-guard. “It was nothing serious -- in fact, I’m much recovered now.” He hadn’t anticipated Prince Joonmyun would be asking him about it, since they had never been close.

“I can see that, and I’m thankful that you were not badly harmed. My cousin had seemed very upset by it, but-- “ Joonmyun stops, and blinks. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry, but I was just curious.”

“It’s—it’s fine,” Jongin insists. His ears are aflame – so Kyungsoo had spoken to his cousin about the incident with the door? Damn that man and his mouth (his kissable mouth, Jongin’s brain supplies unhelpfully). “Did… did Kyung—your cousin tell you what happened?”

“Not in so many words,” Joonmyun admitted. “Only that he had requested for the physician to attend to you.” He gives Jongin a concerned look. “I hadn’t realized that you and Kyungsoo were close. He’s never mentioned you before, until recently, and even then, he refused to tell me why you needed to be tended to.”

“Oh… I—“ Jongin flounders, trying to find the right words that didn’t end up with that’s because he’s the one who nearly broke my nose, when Jongdae steps in smoothly.

“Just a result of our sparring practice, your Highness,” Jongdae explains with an exaggerated air. “I may have, however, cheated, so poor Jongin here bore the consequences of my left hook. Your cousin was nearby and offered to send for someone to see that I hadn’t given him a concussion.” He pats Jongin’s shoulder, an all-too-innocent smile on his face. Jongin wants to strangle him.

“A sparring practice?” Joonmyun relaxes, and a wistful smile appears on his face. “I’ve not done that since Kyungsoo and I were children.” He laughs, suddenly. “Of course, I have not had the opportunity to win against him, so perhaps it is for the better.”

“Perhaps we can have Prince Kyungsoo spar with our Jongin here one day. With, say, a little wager? Our kingdoms against yours, give or take a few acres of territory,” Jongdae adds, and Jongin shoots him a murderous look.

Joonmyun laughs again. “I doubt my father would agree to me using our land in such a gamble. But I would not be opposed to a friendly match of, say, fencing – if that’s more to your liking?”

“Of course, your Highness,” Jongdae replies with a slight bow of his head. “In fact, I would consider myself a fair opponent in fencing. If, you would be willing to join me.” Prince Joonmyun beams at this invitation.

Further conversation is interrupted by the small tinkle of the bell, followed by the announcement that dinner is ready. As they excuse themselves from the conversation with the crown prince, Jongdae grips Jongin’s arm, leaning close to whisper to him. “Really? You beat me?”

“Just be glad I was there to help keep your little secret and pride intact,” Jongdae whispers back. “Unless you’d rather it be known that you were beaten by a door instead?”

Jongin hastily clamps his mouth shut.

Any hope that Jongin might have had for getting close to Kyungsoo is dashed, however, when they are shown to their seats. Luhan and his royal entourage have been placed on one side of the table, while on the opposite site, Prince Joonmyun sits in the centre, flanked by Kyungsoo and a few of the other nobles from the Sujun court.

Dinner begins with a delicately decorated dish unique to the Southern realm, followed by three different kinds of appetizers - each seemingly more decorative than the last - before the main dish is served. Jongin, however, finds that he’s unable to appreciate the food that’s been prepared and placed in front of him – not when he’s too busy glaring daggers across the table to the overly-friendly Lord Ryeowook, who was seated next to Kyungsoo and finding every possible opportunity to let his hand linger on Kyungsoo’s arm far longer than necessary.

Of course, none of this would matter to Jongin if it isn’t for the fact that Kyungsoo is actually smiling back at the lord, letting out a chuckle or two on several occasions.

He throws a few more choice glares towards the two of them, all the while viciously chewing on a piece of roasted chicken.

Luhan, who’s beside Minseok, leans back and reaches over taps Jongin’s shoulder. “So I hear that you’re pining after Joonmyun’s cousin,” Luhan whispers, grinning.

Jongin almost chokes. “What,” he sputters, once he’s swallowed everything down with a glass of wine. “I—“ he drops his voice into a whisper when he catches sight of the Lady Kim glancing their way in mild curiosity, “--am not pining.”

Seated between Luhan and Jongin, Minseok lets out a quiet snort of laughter.

Traitor, Jongin mouths silently at Minseok.

“You might want to look a little less obvious about that crush of yours,” Jongdae, who’s on the other side of Jongin, points out. “It’s sort of the way Luhan looks at Minseok, but maybe a little less like you’re ready to tear his clothes off,” he adds, sounding anything but apologetic, as Jongin blushes a deep red and Minseok sends Jongdae a disapproving look. Luhan, on the other hand, has the audacity to look pleased.

“I do not look at him like that,” Jongin hisses, his cheeks still burning from embarrassment. He hopes that no one across the table had caught Jongdae’s words, although he can’t help but feel paranoid after noticing the odd looks that the crown prince is now giving them. “You’re just imagining things.” He chances a glance towards Kyungsoo, who is listening intently as Lord Ryeowook recounts his recent travels.

“You denying it while sending jealous looks his way isn’t exactly helping your case,” he hears Jongdae saying, a little too loudly.

“Could you please keep it down?” Jongin pleads, trying not to lose his sense of decorum and embarrass himself further by shoving Jongdae off his seat.

“But I’m having so much fun.” Jongdae finishes his glass of wine, gesturing to the palace staff who’s topping up Jongin’s glass to fill up his as well. “Why stop now?”

“Jongdae, leave him alone. He’s had enough for one day,” Minseok interrupts them in an amused yet firm voice.

Much to Jongin’s relief, the teasing stops. Verbal fencing with Jongdae has never been his forte. Still, Jongdae is annoying enough with his sly grins and too-obvious nudges, that when Jongin looks up to find Kyungsoo smiling at Lord Ryeowook - he’s so frazzled that he ends up knocking his glass over, dumping wine all over the fine tablecloth.

Minseok lets out a long-suffering sigh as Jongdae begins to laugh.

a/n: I'm sorry to make you all wait for so long for the new chapter ;_; thank you for all the subs and lovely comments, it gives me hope that his isn't as much of a trainwreck of a fic as I think it is.

chapter 3 beta'ed by the wonderful C who proposed about five times to jongdae throughout this fic