Back in Korea

By nightfall the following night, Jejung had settled down in the empress’s chamber where he truly belonged. Though Yunho had his qualms earlier, the arrangement was no doubt the closest he ever got to getting over his unfounded loathing for the prince.

Seated within his own royal chambers, the king took his time to read through the scrolls, trying to concentrate, ironic since there is nothing but deathly silence coming from the neighbouring room. For one, Yunho is starting to wonder if his empress is still awake, since the lack of noises or sound alike is deafening. He tells himself he couldn’t care less.

A sudden loud snivelling and shrill cry coming from next door threw Yunho into disarray. The usually steady man found himself sweeping objects off his table in a clumsy attempt to recover his composure. Like a sudden ray of blinding light penetrating the dark, the sound had the same effect.

The sound of his own brush hitting the ground startled him as well and he sulks even louder. Wandering if he should check out the source, Yunho waved for his personnel aide to do the job for him.

Taking a deep breath as he bends down low to catch the still rolling thin bamboo stick, he almost let out a girly yell upon seeing a pair of pale pretty bare feet from the view underneath his table. Bolting up instantly and yelping, Yunho is most stunned to see Jejung standing right in front of his desk.

The taller man then instinctively sags backwards, almost falling off his chair. “YAH!!” “Who let you in?!” Barking in Korean, Yunho pauses upon seeing Jejung’s wide teary eyes. They reflected genuine fear and the emperor is momentarily at a lost for what he could do besides shutting up.

“Your majesty!” “Forgive your humble servants!” “We couldn’t understand what he is saying.” A few of Jejung’s assigned servants as well as the king’s own rushed onto the scene. The empress looks like he had just escaped from his room in a hurry, wearing nothing more than his sleep wear. His hands were clasped tightly onto the side of the crumpled silk and Yunho can feel his genuine fear.

“… Did someone attack you again?” Yunho spoke in Japanese and Jejung shakes his head, backing away to stand by the door timidly. Sinking to the ground and hugging himself tightly, Jejung started to cry. There and then, the emperor’s gate to carefully stored empathy burst open and the tender-hearted man is consumed by whatever’s flooding out. The big guy has an unusually and extremely soft spot for small pitiable figures such as these.

“It’s okay. You can tell me what scared you.” Subconsciously getting onto his feet and making his way to Jejung’s side, the king whispered gently in Japanese. Extending his muscular hand to the cowering beauty, the compassionate man promises to offer nothing less than comfort and solace.

Jejung is no less stunned by Yunho’s reaction than Yunho is of his sudden appearance. No one has ever bothered to find out why he would be awakened by his own screams. Not the nanny since she never questions him even if he wanted her to. Not the physicians who came to see him since they only cared to prescribe him the best knock-out agent. The nightmares that haunted him on a constant basis, no one knew. Everyone assumed he is simply weak, especially his own father and brother.

Yunho didn’t give a damn before either, since they were sleeping in separate parts of the palace before this, a ten minutes’ brisk walk from one another. Jejung is pleasantly surprised that he acted the way he did since Yunho is known to him as a man with a penchant for snark.

In truth, just minutes before, Jejung had been sleeping when the nightmare started to plague him with even more intensity. It might be the guilt and apprehension accumulating during the day, Jejung isn’t sure. Nevertheless, waking to a few strangers trying to calm you down is a lot scarier than being alone, especially in the dark with minimal visibility. Jejung ended up ‘escaping’ from them and dashing around aimlessly. The source of light from Yunho’s room called out to him and he ended up wandering into the forbidden zone, like moth to a flame.

Bowing his head in embarrassment, Jejung is nowhere near obliged to share while Yunho is still feeling kind nonetheless. “Ghost?” Yunho suggested after placing both palms on Jejung’s still shuddering shoulders. This is a common ritual whenever Junsu gets his nightmares and invades his room too. Yunho sighed. “Nightmare.”

Shaking his head stubbornly, Jejung shied away from the king stubbornly and dried his eyes cutely. Struggling onto his feet, the smaller person feels the need to leave the suffocating presence of this incredibly kind man. He is not used to this kind of treatment. “I’m sorry. I will leave now.” Jejung whispered.

“Don’t be evasive with me.” “You can tell me and that will make you feel better.” The tall man stops him in his tracks and presses him firmly to where he is seated. For once, Jejung is thankful that he wasn’t putting up an act since he would probably be thrown off by all that empathy Yunho is showing him.

Determined to extricate himself and take flight, Jejung is hit by the sudden idea that this is a golden opportunity presented to him, for closing up that gaping distance between him and Yunho. Forcing his onto the ground, the prince took a moment to debate internally, whether he should make use of Yunho’s kindness. Practicality wins.

Stretching out his stiffly tucked away arms, Jejung reached over and held onto Yunho’s bicep. His low body temperature and slightly damp palms are indicative enough. Yunho frowned and patted his head gently in response. The king didn’t know how else to respond. The person in front of him is clearly not Junsu, yet he sees Junsu in the latter. After all, the two younger ones share the same fate and many characteristics in certain ways.

Yunho’s warmth is enough to drive Jejung’s sense awry. He has never felt so warm and assured before in his short life time and it takes some time to get accustomed to it. However, it took a lot less time than Jejung would have liked and he could not but crave more. Like it is an addiction of sorts, the younger one ended up using both hands, plastering them to Yunho’s muscular arms ready to leech off what little affection greedily.

After a long awkward moment in the same posture, the emperor shifted his position to make it easier for Jejung to lean in. He didn’t mean it to be a gesture of a man, but rather, a brotherly figure showing his concern and offering comfort to a younger person. “It’s alright. I understand. You must’ve been traumatised by what happened.” Yunho whispered.

Jejung enticing eyes widen and he immediately dives into Yunho’s odd embrace. Guilt started to wash over Yunho and he found his eyes wandering down Jejung’s back, landing on the thick wade of bandage on the scapular region. Mind slapping himself when he almost drooled at the curves on Jejung’s waist just inches below the wound, Yunho looked away quickly.

On the other hand, the guilt ridden Jejung found himself subconsciously liking the feeling of someone caring for him, being so concerned about him. Yunho’s big hands is warm and despite his many years of coaxing his baby brother, they were inexperienced as they graze against a stranger’s skin. A lovely delicate stranger with the ability to capture his gaze with those bewitching eyes, exquisite ruby lips and fine porcelain skin, driving him crazy with needs.

Remaining silent as he watches Jejung’s breathing slow, Yunho swore at his own hands after realising how they were refusing to leave the mass of softness below it. Indirectly indulging in the scent Jejung emits, the king pushed himself to picture Junsu in his arms instead. How the younger one would draw circles on his abdomen and even punch him softly whenever he said anything sarcastic. Reminiscing about his brother did nothing to calm his raging senses either as he heats up gradually. On the contrary, the area where Junsu used to poke is starting to tingle as well, spreading downwards dangerously.

“Ar… Are you feeling better now?” Yunho quickly suppressed a groan and bottled every emotion he is experiencing up, capping the top tightly. Jejung shifted but kept his hands on Yunho.

Whimpering as he tries to force himself off Yunho, the prince caused the king’s heart to thump even louder and the older man ended up allowing him to stay for as long as he pleased.

“I envy him… for having such a nice oniisama…” The prince spoke barely audibly for the first time in nearly an hour and Yunho heard him loud and clear.

Feigning ignorance, the king can’t help but pity Jejung. “Ehhuh?” Yunho made some weird sound instead of saying something intelligent and the small figure in his arms looks up to stare right into his eyes. Seeing a tomato red Yunho, with the help of the light from the lamp beside them, Jejung smiled, beaming.

Lowering his gaze again long lashes fluttering, the prince shook his head and finally separates himself from his source of heat. “It’s nothing. Thank you.”

Reaching over to pick up the thin stick of bamboo which has stopped rolling a long time ago, Yunho cannot pluck his eyes off Jejung’s long slender limbs through the light blue silk. Eyes travelling up the flawless skin of the other’s arms to the exposed svelte nape and shoulders, the king gulped at the sight of the prince’s exposed upper back.

The muscles there were well sculpted and the scapular bone would shift around, appealing and most angelic. A soft “clop” on the table indicates that Jejung had successfully transferred the brush back onto his work table. The sound dragged Yunho out of his trance and the man swallowed dryly.

“No problem.” Yunho croaked as he watches Jejung prostrate before him and slip out of his room gracefully.

“Get me the wash basin!” The king quickly scrambled onto his feet and barked the order as soon as Jejung is gone. Pacing around his bed until the brass bowl arrives, the king found himself b with needs that a man would normally have.

Grabbing the towel and slapping it onto his face and neck while it is still dripping wet, Yunho ordered everyone to get out so he could relieve himself in private.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV from Yunho

Goodness me! I have never felt this way in my entire 28 years on this earth!

Given, I did have my flings a couple of times, but the feeling is totally different! He drives me nuts and this isn’t the first time he did it. Except I get to hold him this time. I don’t even know how long I have been holding him but it felt like an eternity. The urge is even worst when I have him so close!

A isn’t even enough to rid me of him. Too much! There is too much going on down there!! I don’t think I can keep this up forever. This is so stupid!! I can’t come in contact with him anymore or I will really go bonkers!! I am a man! NO! I mean. I am a clever person who will not let his groin do all the thinking! I am a scholar! A king!

This is so depressing in every aspect! What is even more disturbing now is how I can only think about him even though he is gone for a mere few minutes!! He is only next door… so close! I need to see him! NO nononono! This can’t be right!! I have more important things to entertain myself with!

But everything seems so irrelevant right now!!!! ARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

Me and that stupid brother complex thing going on inside my useless brain!!! He isn’t Junsu! NO ONE is Junsu except Junsu so STOP feeling the need to give out free cuddles to everyone who comes barging into your room with a freaking childish reason such as a nightmare!! YAHHH!!

Okay… Okay… Relax big guy!! Relax!! And you down there!! Stop twitching!! There isn’t anything else for you to screw besides you own hand so settle down already!!

AISH I must be a lunatic… talking to my own private part…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV from Jejung

Enough of him Jejung!! Enough!! He is not someone you can ever hope to get anything from!! He is not someone you should be falling for!! He is a soon-to-be dead man and so are you!!

Plus, you shouldn’t be hoping for someone to love you at this point in time! You shouldn’t be pining for someone to treat you well at this point in time! It’s too late! It’s not going to happen! Your time is up. You are just not meant to be loved. Not in this live.

He may be good to you, but thinking about how kind he is to you will only make you feel worst when the time comes! Stop thinking about it!

Think about the most important thing right now! The messenger you sent to oniisama this morning!! Did he bring the message you want to convey. Your last words…

Anyhow, in order to divert the attention of this assassination from oniisama, I have decided to kill us both with the most conventional method possible. Poison.

First of all, it’s clean. No mess.

Secondly, it’s less painful. I can’t live with myself after killing a living human so pain is a big hindering factor for suicide.

Thirdly, if I die with him then no one will suspect it’s me, since I ended up dying with him… you know. The logic. Of course I don’t want anyone else to be blamed for what I am about to do… so it’s important for people to think we were assassinated… together.

Lastly, even if I do not succeed… the likelihood of the terrible backlash would be smaller. I can just keep trying until I succeed.

Oniisama approves. He was adamant on bloodshed earlier, but I think he sort of understood that me stabbing someone is probably not going to happen. So he smuggled me another one of the capsule I already have with me.

I need to get close to the man so I can complete my mission. Nothing more! What happened today only proved he can be a nice person… but that doesn’t make him any less dead. 

TBC

Please do comment and subsrcibe! *bows*