Chapter Text
Is this what Father would have wanted? is this what Father would have wanted? Jeonghan asked his alter-ego while walking back and forth in the reading room. Father was in his dream, telling him to do it. But was he hallucinating? Taken that he had never seen anything supernatural before? No way he could be sure about anything in this weather. The kingdom seemed like it was intoxicated. The only person he could turn to for honest advice seemed not to be in the mood.
Mingyu made his sulking very apparent, that was to say, eyes on the floor, or ceiling, or wall, anywhere but his superior's face, lips pouted in a disconsolate manner, knees and legs closed, his huge arms embracing them. His sword sat right beside him, looking emotionless.
"Though with a constrained mind, because I don't know what causes such dejection, I apologize, Mingyu just stop chewing air and talk already."
"Air is the only thing I can chew on now because of you."
"My pleasure?-- No? Okay," Jeonghan sat beside his most reliant soldier, carefully touched his feet to the other's, hoping to build up the intimacy so Mingyu would drop whatever bad feeling he was having right then "You can't be mad at me, please. I need you,"
Mingyu almost lifted up his face to ensure that this irritation would never come into their way and that every egg Jeonghan had put in his fighter's basket was safe and sound. But he kept it all in the pocket when Jeonghan, with his head still stuck in the golden trashcan somewhere in this palace, added,
"Also because I'm a prince, like, I own the place, do you even have the right to not look at me in the eyes when I want you to?"
Mingyu finished locking words of pardon, took the handkerchief out from his trouser's pocket and threw it at Jeonghan "Shut up. That's bullshit."
"I know. I know. Sorry. I'm in a position that allows me to be that controlling but I'm definitely not a control freak. And I should not be," He said, standing up, acting like he accepted his defeat but then turned around swiftly, pulled Mingyu's sword out of the scabbard and pointed it under Mingyu chin "Fuck. Look up. Talk to me or I'll...."
Mingyu knew the game, just sat there looking up only because the sword technically forced him to "No you won't."
"you don't know what yet."
"Whatever it is you won't do it."
Jeonghan sighed. It's high time he changes the strategy "You're right. look at you, I couldn't do anything to you"
He let go of the sword. It hit the floor and cried out a metal pain.
"You didn't even send me to the nearest civil wars. Never to actual big fucking fights I belong to. All this muscle will go to waste."
"And I don't care one bit. Why, if you want to waste them so much, waste them on me" Jeonghan sat crossed leg right that very spot, facing Mingyu "Promise me when you retired from here don't ever step your feet into the warzone.. like seriously don't go there. Like seriously, don't go to war you're sooooooo sexy."
"Done?"
"No, because you're still mad at me. So I'll annoy you until you can't stand it anymore and submit to forgiveness."
"No need. I will from now on separate my work from my personal life, so, your Highness, how may I help with your I-can't-stop-walking problem? and after I finish I shall continue my sulkใ"
"Fine. It's the dream I told you last night."
"I'm all ears. Your highness" Mingyu's gaze deepened. It was a matter of life or death that was being thrown on the table.
"Should I take my father fathom's words? even if it could just be my hallucination. Uncle's not a very good king either. I doubt people would be so mad if they don't know what's really going on."
"They won't be mad at all your highness."
"How come the confidence?"
"Would you look at the calendar? it's been centuries. People are all anti-monarchy these days"
"Right. And that's because my uncle's a shitty ruler. That way they might actually love me for doing it."
"But that you shall not be so confident, your Highness"
"Why tho"
"They also hate you, your Highness"
"WHY THO"
"Truthfully...." Mingyu cleared his throat, weighing whether he should say it. Jeonghan was his superior, the prince, soon to be no other than the King. He held that power to slit his throat fucking open, even though it's because he's telling the truth. On the second consideration, however, Jeonghan was also his best friend. And as far as he knew Jeonghan wouldn't get much discouraged by the collapse of reputation, (he hardly had any built up to be scared of it falling down anyway). Even if he would, it would never be strong enough to kill Mingyu and his sexy war-block body, thus he was rather confident. "Truthfully because your family as a whole spent all their taxes on unnecessity, be it the luxurious decoration in the houses your uncle rarely live, private jet planes, private submarines, your uncle's 12 wives. You close the goddamn road when you travel, which one of your cousins does a lot. Even when the economy of this country is suffocating, you don't work properly, you just eat and shit on common people's back. You took away their hard works, sweats, tears, blood, and money. You took it all completely, like how you took my ice cream"
"Oh! So it's the ice-cream."
Mingyu choked. He slipped. "Not relevant to our topic."
"No, shhh. It's the ice cream! that's why you're mad at me."
"It's not actually just because of the ice-cream."
"Why then?"
"You erm, give my favorite one um to the french girl"
"Oh shit, wait, but it's not like I have a choice, nooo, please, let me explain. So, she's a royal guest. I ate her macaroons so I'd have to find something to compensate."
"Not my problem."
"Are you mad because of the ice cream or because of the french girl?"
"Both."
"Are you mad because of the ice cream or because of the french girl more?"
Mingyu chuckled, swallowed, chuckled again then answered with a low voice "..The french girl."
"Geez you do want the recognition."
"That's not true and I hate you."
"Don't hate me Mingyu it makes me so sad."
"Alright."
"No, If you want to be recognized I will do you the recognition."
"I don't want the recognition. You recognized me enough. Too much sometimes."
"Nonsense!" Jeonghan put both his hand on Mingyu's shoulders "I will paint you, and put your picture on the wall. You're my best soldier. Everyone that walks into the palace will recognize you first before they even see the sight of my pretty pinky"
"Your highness" Mingyu, too, put both his hand on Jeonghan shoulders "please don't. Your painting skill is horrible. It's a complete nightmare"
"Too late. I'll draw you like one of my cousin's french girls. You should go lie down in the drawing-room."
"Sit is enough."
"Whatever floats your yacht," Jeonghan replied, looking up at Mingyu's confused face "What? I'll never let you travel by just boat, you're a confidant of the royal family. "
They ended up walking together to the drawing-room that was unfortunately not too far from the reading room. Within five minutes they were both seated. Face to face with a drawing pad between them.
Mingyu fought his fate.
"May I convince you again that you should, under no circumstances, draw me?"
"I'll give you two chances."
"First of all, when people see my picture they will know that you're a terrible painter. Better to keep your weakness in secret."
"No fear," Jeonghan said, turning his drawing pad around so that Mingyu could see "See I add my signature at the corner of every page and it also says 'pls don't hate me it's my first drawing' "
"But it's not your first drawing."
"Everyone lies. What's the deal?"
Mingyu lost the first argument but determined and brave in the next one.
"People will likely know that you're gay, Your Highness."
"Am I though?"
"Your Highness, they will tear you in pieces."
"Listen, I think you think that I'm gay because I always say things like oh Mingyu please don't fight you're hurting your beautiful abdomen or oh Mingyu you're so sexy please don't go to war, I mean it thoroughly by the way...,"
"And we kiss in the basement"
"And make out in the reading room and I do love, love, dear god I love your upper arms when it's on me and your hair I adore so much when it's between my fingers. And I would practically give up my winter robe for you. I rarely breathe when we embrace one another because I'm so into you. And I know I often beg you to sneak out so we can, uh, you know, um, that, so we can.. "
"fuck."
"Yes, but, in the bathtub, we're always at least five-inches far. Every time we kiss I then keep my finger crossed before I go to sleep and after we have sex I whisper kidding, so it's not counted"
"Do you consider yourself to an internalized homophobic, your highness?"
Jeonghan stared blankly at Mingyu
"What do you mean? Look at me. Check out, I'm blonde, I'm skinny, I'm rich, I'm the uppiest class. I'm a royal. I'm a young male human with no experience of being in poverty, thus hardly care 'bout em poor fellows. I eat people's, what did you say? blood, sweats, and tears. I don't work. I spend taxes so fast and fun like throwing shades on social media. I'm quite a cis, so you can see. Never ever ever been oppressed. never heard of em. Look how many privileges I own that I refuse to recognize. Look at how privileged I am. " He took a deep breath "Ofc I'm homophobic."
Mingyu just sat and accepted that he couldn't get through Jeonghan's head.
"Mingyu, all your arguments are dismissed. Please let me paint you I'll do my best I promise."
The best solider in the palace threw his sword on the floor, surrender, bicep unflexed, flags were all white, noded with little enthusiasm.
"Yay. We'll begin with a wet on wet technique. Why? because I like all my paintbrush like how I like my water," He looked into Mingyu's eyes, dearly and intense "wet."
"That's translated into you like your water wet which is senseless."
"In the name of the dead God, Mingyu, don't say anything anymore. Not even one word. Say nothing. In my defense, I am so in love with you. Nobody this head over heel can talk properly. finger crossed- just don't say a syllable. Okay? say no more I don't wanna hear no thing shhh"
"Did you just say that you're in-"
"I'll cry if you finish your sentence--- Thanks for shutting up. Now let me finish the painting. Tomorrow we'll plan the plan for my uncle. Then we'll think about it later. But just in case my uncle gets me before I get him, let me have the honor of kissing you before I go to sleep, please?"