Archive of Our Own

“Stare as long as you wish, my dear, at all the stars the heavens have to offer, I promise you will not find one that shines quite as bright as you.”

The sudden words have Taehyung stiffening, before he turns his head away from the view of the expansive front yard of the palace to rest his eyes on the unexpected visitor. For a moment, he thinks maybe the prince is drunk, or has him mistaken for someone else, or even both, but the next litany of words (he’d never imagined the prince’s voice to drawl so nicely) prove both those assumptions to be wrong.

“I’m sorry, your highness, you must have-”

“My apologies. I did not mean to scare you,” The prince, Jeongguk, takes a step closer, then another, until he’s leaning on the balcony railing alongside Taehyung. “I had a feeling you would be out here on the balcony easel,” Before the brunette can question just what the prince wants to do with him, or even how he knows him, he continues on, “How did I know?” A small chuckle, then a sigh.

“Why, there hasn’t been a ball this month where I couldn’t find you out here by yourself,” Jeongguk says, forlorn, “The when was easy… hm, as the night grew darker, sure enough, I’d find you here, beneath the moon, and all her stars. No… for you, it was always the other questions that bothered me. Who are you, mysterious man, who bewitched me so? Why do you stand out like… like a rose among a field of daisies? How do you manage to get me to speak in such pine?”

A pause tells Taehyung that yes, he can reply.

“Your highness, I am only a mere civilian.” He’s too shy to spare a glance towards the next king of his country, so he settles for staring off into the comforting sky, “You must be mistaken. I am only here, after all, to grant the wishes of my… godmother.”

How ironic, that his words were really more truthful when spoken the other way around. After all, it was his wish to attend the balls, granted by a certain (fairy) godmother.

“But not a single woman back in that ballroom can garner even a peck of my attention, no matter how desperately they may try, and… perhaps, most importantly of all, where do you run off to every night, as the clock strikes midnight? You look surprised. Did you think I didn’t notice how you excuse yourself at the exact same time during every ball?”

“I-I’m sorry, Prince, but I do think you’ve the wrong person.” Taehyung flusters, peeling himself from the stone railing and making for the double doors behind them. What he doesn’t expect, though, is Jeongguk’s pretty, handsome features coming into view. The sight sends him into a fit of stuttering heartbeats and bated breath, and Taehyung can’t help but flick his eyes to a space just above the prince’s right shoulder. He feels steady hands come up to rest on his waist, just on the delicate, slight curve of hips.

“I assure you, I notice a lot more about you than you might expect.” Jeongguk sighs, seemingly perplexed, “No matter. I will find out soon enough.”

“What do you mean by that your highness?” Taehyung was already in a compromising position, and the last thing he wanted was for the prince to throw him in a dungeon because of his previously assumed well hidden affections for the royal figure.

“Hm? Oh, I didn’t mean anything by it. It was nothing more than the prattling of one who considers himself to be your biggest fan,” for the first time that night, Jeongguk gives him a warm little smile, “Well, I would think it’s your turn to humour me a bit, wouldn’t you say? I’ve been craving the deep lilt of your voice since two nights ago.”

“Well… What is there to admire?”

“What is there to admire? Why, my beautiful you, what isn’t there to admire? That… faraway look in your eye when you gaze out over the city each night, the way you move with a grace unlike any lady in this court, not quite floral, but fluid and vibrant in a way that is all your own,”

Taehyung can feel a rosiness settle onto his cheeks at the words, the heat on his skin battling the cool night air. Jeongguk is so close, he’s almost afraid the prince can feel him overheat. “And what about that forlorn touch to your smile that turns even the most candid of our moments together… bittersweet, as if you knew it wouldn’t last?”

“You are making a hassle over nothing, my prince,” The brunette denies, shaking his head and wiggling out of his grip.

“I admit, at first I thought you were intimidated by my station,” Jeongguk laughs, almost in disbelief, “The bachelor prince sought by every eligible lady in the kingdom. Who would he choose? Of course, even I am aware of such titles in my name.”

“But, no, there is more to it than that… You don’t fear that I may be too much for you. If I may be so bold, I think the sorrow and your sigh is that you know… I’m just right for you. And yet, you cannot have me.”

Taehyung turns his head, feeling a breeze dancing along the strands of his hair, and the folds of his clothes. There’s a certain stinging on all his nerve endings, and it all pumps back to his heart, where he feels pain and longing course through his veins.

“Nonsense. Your highness, surely, the crowd is waiting for your presence. Leave me be and go tend to your guests.”

“Something tells me the answer to that riddle lies within the reason you dash off every night as the clock turns over,” Jeongguk sighs, stepping forward to brace the other man against the railing with his arms and body, “You are the only guest I care about… And yet, I don’t even know your name.”

“T-Tae,” he answers, shrinking back. Though he was only an inch shorter than the prince, he felt even smaller in the other’s demanding presence and touchy disposition. “Kim Taehyung.”

“Kim Taehyung… Though we’ve talked like this at every one of these balls so far, trading wits and flirtations as duelists trade blows, I find myself walking away each time somehow knowing… even less of you. But I’ve got a feeling, then, I’ll have all the answers soon.”

“What-”

“What makes me say that? Call it a lucky guess.” Jeongguk looks over, past Taehyung, before uttering a mutter, “Why, would you look at the time? Is it that it struck early? Or is it that time flies when you’re having fun?”

“Already, my prince? I-I’m so sorry, I really must be going,” Taehyung sucked in a nervous breath through his teeth, eyes showing just a hint of panic at the thought of showing what would really happen to him once time was up.

“No, I know, the time has come and you must leave me. How did the bard put it? Parting is always such sweet sorrow. Farewell, Taehyung, I’ll see you soon.”

And like that, Taehyung felt the warmth radiating from the prince taken away as quickly as it came.

“Yes, ah, I’ll see you soon.” He knew he’d let the encounters go too far and swore to his wavering self that this will be the last one. The brunette tried the cold know, once, twice, before giving it a hard jiggle in a sad attempt at escape.

“Oh, are the doors locked? But… however could that be? Why would that happen? Could it be a faulty lock or… is it instead that they were locked on purpose? Perhaps by a, curious prince, made impatient by the constant abandonment. He endured whenever the boy of his dreams would whisk himself away from him every night. Imagine the agony beyond power of speech and frustration when this vixen, this succubus stalks his vision at night and his thoughts every day.”

Taehyung’s heart quickens, finding himself once again pliant in the prince’s hands, “Imagine, how maddening that must be to have something taken away from you again , and again … just when you’re finally about to,” Jeongguk leans in, warm, minty breath kissing Taehyung’s lips, “Get a taste of it. Yes, my dear, I did lock those doors, and now, my sweetness, I can’t let you leave.”

“But believe me, when I say that if you felt for me the way I feel for you, you wouldn’t let yourself leave either. You’ve a secret, do you? One you need to tell me? Well, I have a secret of my own, in fact. I have several, the first of which is that there is a hidden passageway, not easily seen from the balcony… and that, of course, is by intention.”

Jeongguk drew back the slightest bit, reaching up to pull a particular curtain draw- one that didn’t differ from the other braided ones to Taehyung’s untrained eyes. A loud clack had the man flinching, before he turns and a wooden ladder makes itself known.

“Follow it up, and it leads to my room. Come with me now, and we’ll… share our secrets.” Taehyung just about lunges for the base of the ladder, just a bit breathless.

“I really should be taking my leave, Prince.”

“Well, well, suddenly, aren’t you in a hurry, hm? Let me lead the way.” Jeongguk takes the first step, all experience as he climbed up the ladder. Taehyung found it hard not to look down, considering they were on the second floor and scaling between balconies.

By the time Jeongguk is off and Taehyung is just about to make it, the prince offers a hand, and takes the other’s hand in his, clasping it gently and loosely.

“You know, it’s odd... I never let anyone up these stairs, let alone a stranger.” Jeongguk muses, “First you managed to get me talking and now you managed to get me to reveal some of my deepest secrets. Remind me to get my revenge. Oh, I’m not- my god, your clothes!”

Oh. So that’s what happens when he stays out too late. Out of all the possibilities, Taehyung had to end up naked in front of his longtime love.

“What has happened to you? Your clothing seems to be ripping to tatters more and more with each passing moment- Here, take my coat,” Taehyung appreciates how fast Jeongguk sheds his outerwear, and Taehyung graciously accepts for once, happy that the only other living thing in the hallway to witness this debacle is the poor potted plant in the corner.

A turn of a key, the click of a lock, Taehyung poking his head out and then getting flustered when he sees Jeongguk smiling fondly at the gesture. Yes, a very normal day for a common person like him.

They’re out of the hallway and Jeongguk is sneaking the shorter to his room, a stark change in tone from the sultry air of the younger night.

/

“Here we are now. Now, sit down on my bed. Wait here. I’ll find you some proper clothing. While I admit that I have dreamt quite often as of late of having you in my room, it wasn’t like this. It wasn’t meant to be… perfect. It was meant to be… right . I’ll return shortly with some clothes. No- stay. I promise you, I won’t be alone-”

Taehyung, though flustered and a tiny bit flattered at the lewd admission, stood, far too uncomfortable to stay alone in the prince’s room, naked. “Please, let me, prince.”

“Ah, alright, if you insist. The blankets do look good on you, yes. Well, here we are,” It’s a short walk to his expansive closet, and Taehyung finds himself in a shirt that’s just a little too loose and silk boxers that feel like heaven on his humble skin.

“My prince… I think I am ready to tell you about myself,” Taehyung admits, playing with the sleeves of the soft, fabric shirt, “If-If you’re willing to hear, of course.”

“I would give nothing more to hear anything you wish to tell me,” Jeongguk pulled him to a seat on the bed, their thighs touching, shoulders brushing.

“Well, I… I come from a wealthy family, though they are not kind to me. My stepmom, she runs a fabric shop, along with my two step sisters-”

“You- what? That old widow… but she only has two daughters… Everyone knows her husband and her stepson died in that tragic accident, which as, sorrowful as it was, might have been a welcome escape from that frigid woman.”

“Well, yes, but I am here… I was kept as a maid all this time, and haven’t known many amenities in my life thus far,” Taehyung looks up from his hands, which are nestled between the soft lines of his thighs, “But it could be worse, so I do not complain.”

“But, if you’re her stepson, then… you’re the rightful heir to your father’s estate… But that does not explain how you came to wear such… niceties if you were kept as a maid.”

“A fairy godmother answered my pleads, as irrational as it may sound…” Taehyung gathered up the last ounce of courage he had, and looked into the prince’s understanding, doe eyes, “I understand if you don’t believe me, Prince.”

“Of course I do, my love,” Jeongguk cupped his cheek, thumbing at the soft skin, “Please, call me Jeongguk, or any variation of that as you wish.”

“And how about yours, then… Jeongguk?”

The man smiled, humming at the sound of his own name, before nodding, “My secret? After all of that, you still wish to hear mine? Well, I suppose you’ve earned it, and how can I deny the wish of an angel lying naked in my blankets?”

“All right, in retrospect, my secret isn’t quite as elaborate or cunning, nor as thrilling or shocking, in face, if you’ve been watching my eyes and reading between the lines of my words, dear, I’m sure you must already know my secret…”

A heavy pause, before Jeongguk sighs and finishes, “Is that, I’m in love with you. I teased myself with the idea after the first night, toyed with it the second… fought with it the third and came to accept it on the fourth. And ever since then, I found myself madly, wholey, and helplessly in love with you.”

“But you must know that, right? You must feel it in your heart as I do, resonating ceaselessly since the moment we met. I love you, because you are beautiful, in mind, action and appearance. Or, are you beautiful because I love you? I do not know.”

Taehyung bit his lip, leaning into the man’s touch and shifting closer to fit snugly in his side, “Taehyung… You… You don’t have to go back, you know. The clock is struck midnight, but you’re still here. Surely, that has to mean something. You can leave that life behind. No more scullery and cinder sweeping.”

“Instead, you have opulence and wealth- every extravagance you could want, ever delicacy, but crave every possible pleasure you could ever long for. Say a word, and it’s yours- give all of you to me, let yourself be mine, no one else’s, and it’s yours, Taehyung. And in return, I will also give myself to you.”

“Jeongguk, I- I can’t possibly,” Taehyung turned his head away, at a loss for words.

“You could spend the rest of your life swaddled and pampered, appreciated and adored, loved by the kingdom, and worshipped by your prince. But… That’s not all you want, is it? No, I can tell now. Seething within you, there’s a desire for something, more than just comforts. You have a darkness in your heart, a heavy stain left by the indelible touch of that wretched stepmother of yours. Have they healed? Can they ever?”

“Whatever she and her have done to you, I promise you, we can return upon them tenfold. My word is law, and if you would be mine, then you would have my word to wield like a sword. I will be your knight, and all of the kingdom’s strength shall be my power, all of this can be yours. The wealth, the power, the prestige, and the vindication, and in exchange, I would ask you but for one simple thing- you. All of you.”

“If you say yes, you will be mine until eternity ends, and we can rule this kingdom together- happily ever after. We will seal our vows here now on this very bed and I promise to make you long only for more of my touch, to erase the thought of anyone else from your head. If you say no, I will leave your clothes on the bar of the doors, and you can return to your life of injustice. Let’s say, my dear, what life will you choose?”