After a year of waiting with bated breath, it was no wonder that the news of Prince Junmyeon’s reawakening was met with a loud cry of relief from the kingdom.

Yixing had refused to leave Junmyeon’s side after he woke up, afraid that he’d come back to find Junmyeon still asleep, or dead. Or he’d wake up from a dream, only to see the same thing he had lived for the last year. He wanted to make certain that this was real, that Junmyeon was really back, that Junmyeon wouldn’t leave him. Junmyeon had seemed amused by Yixing’s quiet possessiveness, but he had sobered quickly and let Yixing hold him for a long time.

Eventually, Junmyeon had been unable to stay still, and had asked about his brother. Yixing begrudgingly helped Junmyeon up from the bed to take him to Minseok’s chambers, mindless of the late hour. He knew Minseok wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. He had not been sleeping much, as of late, too aware of the date and what it meant. He had already said his goodbyes to Junmyeon earlier that day, while Yixing had stepped out, and the advisor knew the oldest prince would be awaiting someone to come and tell him of Junmyeon’s passing.

As he suspected, Minseok had been in his room, Jongdae curled up by his side. Yixing could see the tears forming in Minseok’s eyes as Yixing entered first, face crumbling as he pulled Jongdae closer, assuming the reason for Yixing’s visit and noting the tears that still clung to the advisor’s cheeks. But his attention snapped to the movement behind Yixing, and both Minseok and Jongdae gasped once they laid eyes on Junmyeon’s slight smile, the young prince shuffling into the room behind Yixing. Minseok had been up and in front of Junmyeon before anyone could blink, and as he hugged Junmyeon close, his wails bouncing off the walls with their intensity, Yixing had caught the words “You’re awake, you’re really awake” and “Stupid” and “Never do that again” in-between sobs.

Jongdae had hugged Junmyeon the moment Minseok retreated, eyes red and still moist, but the older prince was wearing a wide smile that not even Jongdae had seen since before Junmyeon fell victim to the curse.

From there, it had taken less than half an hour for the whole castle to know of Junmyeon’s awakening, and by sunrise, the news had spread to the edges of the kingdom. There had not been a dry eye that night upon Junmyeon’s awakening. The queen had burst into tears at the sight of her youngest son, alive and well, and even the king’s eyes had looked suspiciously misty. Yifan’s emotions had also overwhelmed him when he saw his childhood friend, squeezing the breath out of the prince.

Guozhi had examined Junmyeon extensively once all of the emotional reunions had settled, pulling him into his room to check him over. Though he had expected the magic to essentially suspend Junmyeon’s life, it was still surreal to see all of Junmyeon’s body functions come back just as sharp as they had been before, the sleep not diminishing his motion or mind. Frankly, there had been a lot surrounding the curse that had stumped the medic, his mind baffled by how it had seemed Junmyeon had simply been frozen in such a state. But more than that, it was the curse’s break that left him confused the most. It had been with a lot of embarrassment that Yixing described the minutes before Junmyeon’s return to consciousness, Junmyeon’s own cheeks burning as he touched a hand to his lips at the memory.

When he had brought the circumstances up to Weishan later, the man had smiled a bit, before suggesting that perhaps the magic had reacted to the emotions Yixing had shared. After all, the curse was made due to Crow’s revenge, driven by heartache and anger. Yixing’s tearful confession and apology might have triggered something within the words, releasing Junmyeon with the similar emotions being displayed. But that was just a guess, and after a lot of questions and little answers, most accepted it as fate.

The aftermath had not been easy, however. While some things remained the same, others did not.

They had not expected Junmyeon to have nightmares. But the prince’s first nights of sleep were fitful, filled with visions of what could have happened, or what fear led him to believe had been a possibility. Dreams of Minseok dying from the curse in front of his eyes, seconds too late to save him. Or of him frozen in his own mind, conscious, but unable to open his eyes as others around his bed mourned him. But the worst by far had been a dream in which everyone, including Yixing, gave up completely, and he watched as an outsider as everyone turned away. The nightmares were horrible, irrational things, but things that he couldn’t seem to escape once he closed his eyes.

To counter them, and the lingering idea of falling back into that eternal sleep, Junmyeon was driven to try not to sleep at all. He’d pace the length of his room, pinch his arms until they were bruised, anything to keep the desire to sleep far away. But soon, he could feel exhaustion clawing up into the back of his mind, making his steps heavier, his actions sluggish. It was out of sheer desperation that he sought out Yixing, stumbling down the hall with fear welling up in his chest.

It surprised him to find Yixing having his own nightmares as well. The man had been writhing in his sheets, mouth open in a silent scream of terror, and Junmyeon had rushed forward. A firm hand on his shoulder had Yixing jerking awake, blinking in surprise at the sight of Junmyeon in his chambers, even as tears clung to his eyelashes. Junmyeon had taken one look at Yixing, chest heaving and fear in his features, before he had crawled beneath the covers and pressed himself against the advisor’s side, letting the weight of Yixing’s arm fall around his waist protectively.

It was only with Yixing that the anxiety of sleeping finally overwhelmed him, tears of fear and frustration falling from his eyes as he spoke of his nightmares. Yixing didn’t voice his own, though the way he tightened his grip was enough for Junmyeon to guess their content was similar in tone. Yixing was adamant that they must sleep, that it wasn’t good for them to stay awake, but Junmyeon stubbornly refused, even as his cries left him trembling.

Only when Yixing began to sing did he settle, tears silently continuing down his face as Yixing carded his fingers through Junmyeon’s hair, his voice quiet and soft and soothing in the dark room. He’d bury his face in Yixing’s chest and let the notes Yixing sang wash over his mind. He had woken up still gathered in Yixing’s arms, the advisor’s face peaceful in his own sleep and the lack of nightmares lingering in Junmyeon’s memory. They didn’t sleep apart again after that, seeking the presence of the other for comfort.

Minseok’s guilt did not leave, either. He still felt responsible for what had happened, still beat himself for it despite Junmyeon and Jongdae assuring him he was not at fault. The one who had done this was Crow, not Minseok; the older prince knew that, but he couldn’t shake it off, though it was a lighter burden now that Junmyeon wasn’t held captive by the curse. It got better every day, there in his heart but fading more and more as Junmyeon continued to thrive.

Not everything in the aftermath was negative, however. One of the more positive developments was the whole royal family finally being together.

Minki and Junhye had not been bad parents, before. But now that Minseok had returned to the kingdom, they realized just how much time they had truly lost with him. The developing years, his entire childhood and adolescence, would forever be a mystery to them, for Minseok could only voice so much of his past, of his early childhood with Kou. Minseok was adamant to keep Kou’s memory and the man’s importance in his life alive in his heart, and he didn’t care to mention the years he spent alone. His parents didn’t push him, nor did they want to insult Kou’s guidance and care for Minseok, knowing he had been there for the prince when they had not. But they were here now, and they were making strides towards being the parents Minseok had deserved.

What had started out as awkward conversations with careful words and shaky glances had begun to feel more natural, easier. Warmth and familiarity began to replace the cold rigidity of their interactions, a relationship beginning to form. Minseok was no longer a stranger, but a prince, a son. Junmyeon’s friendship with his brother aided their parents’ attempts, and soon it was easy to feel like an actual family. It wasn’t perfect, not yet, and it may never be the comfort he had felt with Kou, but Minseok felt himself pushing closer, felt his heart expanding to include them among the ones he held close. They loved him, and he loved them. Jongdae, the optimist that he was, was certain it would never be as strained as it had been those first few months, and Minseok believed him.

But that didn’t mean he had to like everything about being the crown prince.

For one, he was surprised by how much time he spent sitting through lessons. Kou had taught him the fundamentals of reading and writing, but nothing like this. History, literature, mathematics, philosophy… It was enough to make his head spin. And the tutors weren’t always as patient as Yixing, or as accommodating at Kyungsoo, despite Junmyeon and Yifan’s insistence that the man was actually terrifying. Some of them seemed to think he should be much more intelligent than he was, though Minseok would bet his right arm that they couldn’t hold a bow properly, or field dress a deer if the need arose. He’d like to see those books do the practical things that he had learned over the years.

He was also disgruntled at the etiquette he now had to uphold. Yixing, having served as an advisor for Junmyeon for years, now served as Minseok’s advisor instead, much to the delight of Junmyeon, who had known Yixing feared his relationship with Junmyeon would affect his advice. Yixing was a great friend, and a wonderful advisor, and he was there to make sure Minseok knew what to expect when he would take the throne. Which included how to act.

That had been tough to get a handle on. So what if he ate his food quickly, and with his hands sometimes? So what if he walked loudly? He ate and walked with purpose. He had the majority of his life away from other people, so to suddenly be held to a standard in his mannerisms was a bit overwhelming. Everything he said and did and wore was now a representation of not only him, but his family, and the entire kingdom. Which led to a lot of details that Minseok would have happily overlooked before.

Like now, for instance, while he was wearing this ridiculous outfit that was, apparently, proper attire for a man who was heir to the throne. It wasn’t that he hadn’t worn anything like this before, in these past months; he just couldn’t get used to it. The texture was still so alien, the layers so restricting, so much unlike the loose clothes he had worn all his life. He missed being able to dress as he wished, but, with all that he had gained since coming to the castle, clothes hardly mattered.

“But it’s so soft,” Jongdae sighed wistfully, playing with one of Minseok’s silk sleeves. “If only I could wear this kind of clothes.”

“Believe me,” Minseok said dryly, “you would grow to hate it within a day, as well.”

The weather was pleasant, a mild summer day with a gentle breeze and clear sky. Jongdae had accompanied Minseok to the garden, and they had decided to take a short rest at the gazebo they had, since the Spring Festival last year, chosen as their usual rendezvous point. It was an escape, for a little while at least. Like now, when he was hiding from Yixing. The advisor was undoubtedly looking for him by now, especially since he missed his first lesson of the day. He understood why Junmyeon complained now.

Jongdae hummed, tilting his head as his gaze ran over Minseok’s form. A smirk played on his lips as he said, “Perhaps. But I like seeing you dressed like this. It looks really good.”

He leaned closer, hand coming up to play with Minseok’s collar, and added, nonchalantly, “Though I admit I do enjoy taking them off you.”

That brought a snort from Minseok, and he leveled Jongdae with an unimpressed stare, even as Jongdae’s fingers slid under his collar to trace his skin. “I doubt Baekhyun shares that sentiment. He’d strangle us both if he saw what we’ve done to the last outfit he made for me.”

The stable hand shrugged carelessly. “What? For all that I know, you merely got stuck in the briars.”

“Briars. Of course.”

Jongdae sent him a cheeky smile. “What Baekhyun doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Or scar him for life.”

Minseok let out a sigh, though he did little to hide the curl of his lips. Out of all the things he could complain about, Jongdae’s preferences for clothes on the floor was not one of them. He reached up to grasp Jongdae’s hand, lacing their fingers together as the younger’s head dropped to his shoulder, a content sound leaving him.

Looking down, Minseok studied Jongdae’s face in silence for a moment, and then he carefully slid his fingers under the younger’s chin, tilting his head back. Jongdae blinked, just in time to see Minseok lean down to press his lips against his in a gentle kiss. The initial surprise lasted no longer than a breath, and then Jongdae’s eyes slipped closed again and he pushed closer.

The next thing Minseok knew was icy water running down his spine, and he sprang up with a shrill cry. Jongdae was soaked, as well, and Minseok heard laughter from behind them as Jongdae let out a harsh gasp.

“What the -” Jongdae started, around the same time as Minseok growled.

“Junmyeon.”

He turned around to glare at his brother, the younger man returning it with a wink and more laughter, bucket abandoned in the bushes. Before Minseok could move, the other prince had turned and sprinted off.

Honestly, Junmyeon had been slacking on his pranks as of late. He had a lot of catching up to do, missing an entire year. And who was he to miss an opportunity when Minseok and Jongdae presented one?

He had been prepared, had sneaked up on them as they talked, and had then waited for the perfect moment to attack. He had not seen the kiss coming, but when it did, he hadn’t let it gone to waste. And before the two had woken up from the stupor, Junmyeon had dashed off to get a head start in case they decided to chase him down to get revenge.

He purposefully chose the most narrow paths in the garden, down rows of bushes and hedges, through flower beds and ducking between the trees of the small orchard on this end. If they had pursued him, this would hopefully shake them off, or at least delay them long enough for him to hide somewhere until they gave up.

When Yixing strolled out of one path, eyes lifting to Junmyeon with a look of surprise, Junmyeon wasted no time in grabbing his wrist and pulling him along. The advisor let out a small cry as he fell into step.

“Who are we running from?” he asked with the voice of a tired parent, and Junmyeon couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled from his chest.

“My brother and Jongdae,” he answered quickly, weaving in and out of different paths.

“That is exactly who I was looking for in the first place,” Yixing started, and Junmyeon grinned.

“I would advise against finding him right now,” Junmyeon mused. “They are not in the best of spirits.”

Yixing was quiet for a moment, before speaking up again. “What am I pretending to know nothing about?”

Junmyeon shot him a wicked smile over his shoulder. “I found a bucket of cold water in the kitchen. Minseok and Jongdae looked thirsty. Especially after all of that kissing. And it does not matter if you know or not. They saw me.”

Yixing snorted at the words, shaking his head as he continued to run. “Well, at least that saves me time from trying to defend you. I can jump straight into the list of reasons he is not allowed to kill you, even if you may deserve it.”

“You wound me,” Junmyeon said with a chuckle. They were nearly at the outskirts of the garden now, the paths growing increasingly more narrow. That was fine by Junmyeon. They were smaller, but the bushes here also grew taller, concealing them from sight. He had used these paths multiple times in his escape from angry staff members and family.

The thing about these paths, however, was that he and Yixing weren’t the only ones who could hide within them. And Junmyeon remembered that just as he rounded a corner and nearly tripped over an unsuspecting obstacle.

Namely, Kyungsoo settled in Jongin’s lap, connected from hip to mouth.

Junmyeon yelped at he came to a skidding stop, heels digging into the soil below to keep him from trampling the two men. Yixing immediately reached out, grabbing a hold of his waist and pulling him back against his chest to keep him upright. But even if they stopped just short of touching Kyungsoo and Jongin, the others jumped apart as if Junmyeon had physically reached down and yanked them in separate directions.

Kyungsoo gasped, face flushed and eyes wide as he looked between Jongin and the prince. “This… This is not what it looks like.”

“So you were not kissing Jongin?” Junmyeon said with a laugh, part amusement and part terror, because when did Kyungsoo ever get shy about things? Then again, Junmyeon had rarely seen him behaving as anything other than the strict tutor he knew him as. Making out with the gardner typically didn’t fall under that position’s qualifications. Yixing gestured a hand towards Kyungsoo’s chest and the way it heaved with every breath.

“It looks like you were enjoying it, at the very least,” the advisor said with a smile that was just shy of being a smirk. Kyungsoo squawked at the words, burying his face in his hands with a groan.

Jongin gave a nervous laugh, letting his head drop back to look up at the sky as his own blush burned down his neck. “Soo, let it go. It’s not like we haven’t caught them in the same manner.”

Now Junmyeon was blushing, because alright, perhaps it had not been the smartest of ideas to kiss Yixing in the library, but in his defense, Kyungsoo was supposed to have been giving his extra lessons to Minseok around that time. It wasn’t like he had been planning to get caught half-dressed and flushed. Yixing could hardly look at Kyungsoo for a few days after that.

Now, at least, they were even.

Before he could say more, however, he heard his brother’s voice close by, and he was running again, pulling Yixing behind him as he pushed past the couple and towards the castle. It was truly his only chance of not being found. He had been roaming the castle halls long before Minseok had come to know them, and he still hadn’t told the older man all of his hiding places.

The gate they came to led out of the garden but then directly next to the training grounds, and Junmyeon let go of Yixing’s hand in the wider space. They took off across the grounds, sparing a glance at Chanyeol and Zitao as they passed, a very smug Yifan standing nearby. Junmyeon caught his eye and called out as he ran.

“Have you won today, friend?”

“Nearly,” Yifan replied with a happy laugh, Zitao rolling his eyes off to the side.

“Luck, Your Highness. He is winning purely by luck.”

Junmyeon thought he heard Chanyeol’s voice rumble out something about Zitao being distracted by Yifan - the man had foregone his shirt, and even Yixing would begrudgingly admit the extra sparring had done wonders for the young lord’s physique - but he turned his attention back to the castle gates when he heard Jongdae’s voice ringing out.

“There!”

The exclamation had Junmyeon running harder, reaching the castle doors and pulling Yixing inside before taking off down the hall, his feet pounding against the floor. He was nearly out of speed, and his side ached terribly, but they had to get just a little further before they hid. But where…

Ducking around the corner, Junmyeon tugged Yixing into the nearest spare room, closing the door just as the sound of the outer doors opening echoed through the halls. He pressed Yixing’s back to the wall, the advisor reaching out to grab Junmyeon’s arms as the prince moved to stand in front of him. Junmyeon held his breath as he listened to Minseok and Jongdae’s footfalls grow closer, the sound of their feet squeaking on the floor from the water their clothes held. Yixing’s chest was pushing against his with every breath, head tilted back against the wall as he focused on being quiet, and they waited.

The footsteps neared, and then passed, disappearing down the hall and away from their hiding spot. Junmyeon let out his breath with a silent laugh, pushing his face into Yixing’s neck to keep quiet, and Yixing wrapped an arm around him tighter, lightly hitting him in the shoulder.

“Should I have let them catch you?” Yixing teased in a hushed tone, hand pushing through the strands of hair at the nape of Junmyeon’s neck. “Saved myself from whatever revenge plot they think of to pay you back?”

“That would imply that I would let you get away,” Junmyeon whispered, still afraid the others would come back down the hall and hear them.

“I could, you know,” Yixing countered, nuzzling against Junmyeon’s hair with a sigh. “As your former advisor, and as Minseok’s current advisor, I really must insist you apologize to your brother and our friend.”

“And as my nightingale?” Junmyeon challenged, looking up at Yixing with a playful smile. “Would you allow your rose to be destroyed?”

“Come now, Junmyeon,” Yixing started, and Junmyeon’s smile grew wider at the sound of his name. He would never get used to the swell of his heart when Yixing dropped his title, even if it were mainly in private. “Even roses need to be pruned from time to time. Perhaps Minseok will go easy on you if you give yourself up?”

“You would not let me suffer at their hands,” Junmyeon said, giving Yixing a soft smile. “I know you better than to believe a word of that threat.”

“Ah, you test me,” Yixing said with a chuckle. “Shall we see if they are close enough to hear the nightingale’s song?”

He took a deep breath, opening his mouth as if to shout, but Junmyeon didn’t let it get that far, leaning up to cover the advisor’s mouth with his own. Yixing squeaked at the sudden press of Junmyeon’s lips, before reaching forward to pull Junmyeon closer by the waist. Junmyeon shivered when Yixing tilted his head, deepening the kiss with a flick of his tongue against Junmyeon’s bottom lip, which the prince readily welcomed.

“You do not play fair, Rose,” Yixing murmured into Junmyeon’s mouth, and the prince smiled into the kiss.

“And yet you still love me,” he quipped, nipping at the advisor’s upper lip and earning a soft groan from the other.

“Yes,” Yixing admitted, hands tightening their grip on Junmyeon’s lower back. “Always.”

Junmyeon didn’t respond to that with words, only kissing Yixing harder, more urgently. They should probably move from their hiding spot, lest Minseok and Jongdae come back through here and start checking rooms to see if they are there. But the feeling of Yixing’s lips against his and the emotions that swelled up in his own chest at Yixing’s gentle touch and gentler words left him forgetting the situation at hand, forgetting everything else other than his love for this man.

He was sure as far as nightingales go, Yixing was easily the best one. But more than that, he was his.

The rose wouldn’t have it any other way.

Meg’s Notes: *ugly, miserable, exhausting sobbing* It is done. And we are not okay. . Sigh. But it has been a long journey for these two, and it was about time we pulled ourselves together and finished this epilogue (shorted part of the entire story, and it took us forever to write, because we dreaded the end. Blah). And it’s fluff! GUYS, LOOK. IT’S FUNNY AGAIN. *cough* Anyway.

Though we don’t have anything concrete for this, I doubt Nat and I will be able to stay away from this AU. In the future, we hope to do side shots, or possibly even another story for a different pairing in this, but it will be a while, as we have many other ideas and commitments and schedule issues. But for all of you who have read this story and commented and upvoted and loved these characters with us, please know we are so so so grateful. This story means so much to us, and to see others get invested in it really means the world to us. So thank you <3 And to all of you silent readers, thank you as well, and please don’t be afraid to talk to us! We really love discussing things with everyone. *Sigh* I’m running out of words to say, and honestly, I don’t think I can put into words all of the thoughts I have with finishing this story. But once again, dear readers and friends, thank you for taking on the journey with us! Until we meet again <3

Nat’s Notes: *Distant wails and sobs* Right. So. Here we are. After… almost a year of plotting and writing (ten months, I believe), we are done. And the result? 236 pages on Word, and ~114.170 words. When we first started discussing this, throwing out ideas… Damn, who’d have thought what it would turn out to become, with chapters that got increasingly longer, and connections, and… Sigh. This is tough. Our baby is all grown up, now, and is leaving, and it hurts. But, alas, that is what must happen. Sigh.

We really did procrastinate quite a bit on this… Heh. Oops. But finishing the epilogue meant finishing this fic, obviously, and eh. In the end, we had to finish, so. And to all of you who have stayed with us throughout this journey, silent or not, thank you from the bottom of my ice cold heart. Really! It means so ing much to know what you think of this fic, that you like it, that there are people who read it. And whether you followed us from the very beginning, or just read this in one go (or over a few days, courtesy of the word count), and whether you commented or read in silence, it really means the world to us. Thank you, again! If you feel generous, do leave us a comment, because we, as Meg said, love discussing, and with the epilogue, we’d really love to know your thoughts! Upvotes are welcomed with kisses and hugs, as well, and likewise with subs.

Thank you!

But wait, we aren’t done yet. With the end of this comes the very beginning of a new tale!

The Lan Hua just docked, so if ye fancy yerself some pirates and sirens, board the ship, and in due time, it will set sail and take ye through a new adventure! Namely, our new collaboration, Sing to Me a Song of Waves. Prepare for (reluctant) pirate Yifan, who catches the attention of Junmyeon the siren, whilst he learns to trust in Captain Zhang Yixing and the crew of Lan Hua. But be warned, sirens are not the only monsters at sea.