Archive of Our Own

The second he wakes, Jongin knows something is wrong.

Instead of the usual morning sunlight or the clear moonlight drifting in through his window, a red haze illuminates his bedroom. Before he gets a chance to analyze it further, his door swings open with a soft thud.

“Jongin! Jongin, come on. They broke in!” Junmyeon is by his side in an instant, shaking the sleep from him. Brief confusion filters through Jongin’s system. He’s still not really processed anything as Junmyeon urges him into warm clothes. With a vague awareness that Junmyeon is choosing his plain clothes, the kind that he wore when he snuck into town. He numbly pulls on everything that Junmyeon hands him.

“Junmyeon, what’s happening?” His words are thick with sleep but he’s slowly becoming more aware.

“They’re here Jongin, some kind of assassins or something like that. We don’t know who commands them but they’re here for us. To kill us. We need to go.” Finally breaking through his muddled focus, Jongin jerks into motion. He takes the mask Junmyeon offers, pulling it over his face as his body settles into remembering his training. Whilst he’s not the best fighter amongst his brothers, he’s certainly able to hold his own against most of the other people he’s sparred against. Whilst the mask is more associated with someone in the service of the royal family, he’s not sure it will protect him at the moment. He follows Junmyeon out of his room down the corridor towards the nearest way out.

“Where are Jongdae and Minseok? Are they safe?” Jongin whispers his concern to Junmyeon as he can’t see any immediate threat. There’s a long pause as they get close to the end of tthe corridor. After checking that they’re ok and they’re still undiscovered, Junmyeon responds.

“Minseok went to Jongdae when I came to get you. We’re working towards getting to the stables, horses should be ready and waiting for us there.” Junmyeon explains as they creep down the hallways. It’s eerily quiet, the silence broken only by their muffled footsteps and rushed breaths. As they sneak around, they reach the first staircase. Jongin moves to go down the stairs when a huge crash resonates up to them. It sounds like a combination of glass breaking and furniture toppling and Jongin grabs Junmyeon’s arm to force them backwards. Bringing up a map in his head, Jongin quickly plots a new route down the service stairs tucked away at the corner. Getting downstairs is going to be the hardest part of getting to the stables as they’ll be in plain view. A few shouts drift up to them as they hold at the top of the stairs. It stays remarkably quiet as they slip through a few rooms before the shouting starts again and the tension tightens all the muscles in Jongin’s body. The noises seem to be coming towards them so they both search for a way to hide. Junmyeon finds a tall store cupboard meant for cleaning equipment and with only a quick gesture, both Junmyeon and Jongin press together inside it. Something breaks not far from their door and Jongin feels Junmyeon tense against him. Forcing to keep his breath slow and quiet, Jongin focuses solely on listening to what’s happening on the other side of the door. Barely able to hold still, Jongin fumbles to hold Junmyeon’s hand and they squeeze each other as they wait. A few long minutes pass but no more sounds drift to them. Communicating through gestures, Junmyeon eventually eases open the door. He checks as much of the room as he can, slowly inching open the door. Thankfully, it’s clear and mostly undisturbed. With his heart thumping in his ears, Jongin creeps behind Junmyeon, checking every corner, every shadow for danger. Miraculously, nothing materialises. They wind through the corridors, knowing exactly where they need to go despite the vastness of the castle.

When they reach the service door that exits closest to the stables, Jongin’s breath pauses. He desperately strains for any noise, any sign that they’re about to be discovered. On Junmyeon’s count, the door slowly opens revealing revealing a completely empty courtyard, mostly shielded from the red glow. Junmyeon hurries them through the shadows, reaching the stables in record time. Suddenly he stops short as they’re about to enter the stables. Jongin draws back, tensing for a fight when a glint of light illuminates the blade at Junmyeon’s throat. The hand holding it melts into shadow and another one darts out to force Junmyone’s mask off his face.

“Oh thank the Gods,” The whisper comes from the dark as the knife retreats. Appearing out of the shadows, Jongin recognises Minseok instantly and his body sags in relief at the sight of his brother.

“Gave me a good scare there.” Junmyeon whispers the words back, hand unconsciously drifting to his neck.

“I’m sorry, you know I never would usually but I had to be sure of everything. Jongdae is inside with Baekhyun and the horses. We’re pretty much ready to go.” Minseok explains hurriedly in hushed tones as he pulls them inside the stables.

“Baekhyun is coming with us?” Jongin manages to find his voice to ask. He follows his brothers into the shadowy stables. It’s clear the boys aren’t the only ones nervous as the horses huff and fidget in their stalls.

“Yes, he’s the only one though. We need to blend in and that’s hardly going to be possible if we had a full staff. Baekhyun is there to gather any information he can so we know when it’s safe to return.” Minseok explains once again as he helps Baekhyun saddle the last horse. Moving to take the reins for his horse from Jongdae, Jongin nods his understanding. As the five of them climb up into the saddles, Jongin falls back into the tension he’d felt as they snuck from the house. Baekhyun leads them quietly through the grounds, all of them on high alert. By the time they’re finally leaving the grounds, Jongin’s muscles ache from how tightly he’s holding them. They’ve been incredibly lucky to even get this far but Jongin knows they’re far from safe. When Baekhyun and Minseok declare it’s safe enough to talk amongst themselves, Jongin is the first to break the silence.

“How long must we ride to reach the safe house?” He can see Minseok working it out as concentration covers his expression.

“If the weather holds, two days most likely. There’s an inn along the way we can stay at but don’t expect a royal welcome. Myself and Junmyeon will be one party, you three the other. We’ll explain our cover stories when we get closer.” The explanation is somewhat curt but Jongin doesn’t comment on it. Minseok is likely the most stressed out of all of them. After all, if their parents fall, Minseok is the heir and knowing Minseok, he wouldn’t stay in hiding if he was expected to lead.

The next few hours of riding are filled with mostly silence, no one wanting to talk for fear of giving themselves away. It’s late morning when they break to let the horses rest and to eat whatever is in their packs. Jongin tries not to let the somber mood dishearten him as he chews his way through an apple and some hard bread. Thankful that they’d made it this far, he tries to imagine the safe house they’ll be staying in. Whilst he has always liked the castle, Jongin feels a small buzz of excitement at living somewhere else. He’d enjoyed all the times they’d spent travelling, visiting noble families and the like. The thoughts of their destination occupy the rest of their travels until Minseok calls them to a stop again. With a nod at Baekhyun, they slip off the road once more. Baekhyun quickly begins to explain their aliases.

“Minseok and Junmyeon are off duty soldiers travelling to their family homes together. You can be as close as you like, generally soldiers form a good sense of camaraderie. Myself, Jongin and Jongdae are performers on our way to our next stop. If anyone pressures us for a show, we all know the songs performed at festivals. Jongdae can choose one and lead our vocals whilst Jongin dances but it shouldn’t come to that. We’ll go first, Minseok and Junmyeon shall follow after. Give it at least 20 minutes but no more than an hour. If you’re not there within an hour, I shall begin to search whilst Jongdae and Jongin remain at the inn. Is that ok? Does everyone have it?” Baekhyun’s explanation complete, he looks around searching their faces for any questions. Finding none, he nods to Minseok to let him take over.

“Ok, we’re about 15 minutes ride away from the inn. We’ll see you in the bar area. Stay safe.” There’s quick hurried hugs before Jongin, Jongdae and Baekhyun remount their horses. They’ve only been separated for about five minutes when the nerves settle back into Jongin’s system. Not being able to see Minseok and Junmyeon let’s his brain switch into imagining all the worst case scenarios and it’s only when Jongdae physically taps him that he breaks out of his thoughts.

“Relax Jongin. It’ll be no time at all before we see everyone again.” Jongdae’s easy tone and effortless assurance seeps into Jongin. His brother’s optimistic nature has always been somewhat contagious and Jongin lets it wash over him fully. Shoulders softening, he joins in with Baekhyun and Jongdae’s small talk. It’s easy to pretend to be the performer character Baekhyun has set for him. The rest of the ride passes swiftly and before long, they come across the inn. Following the others lead, Jongin guides his horse to the stables before dismounting and making sure everything is secured.

The inns entry swings open as two slightly drunk men stagger out. Loud talk and laughter spills from the open doorway as Jongdae grabs the door before it closes. He throws a quick grin back at Jongin before crossing the threshold. Quietly, Jongin follows with Baekhyun bringing up the rear. The noise washes over Jongin and he’s a little surprised that he’s not nervous about the crowded inn but comforted by his anonymous nature. It’s hardly the first time he’s snuck out of the castle to pretend to be a nobody. Losing his status was a nice break from the pressures that came with his regular life. Baekhyun sorts them out a room with the mistress of the inn, a bustling woman with a wide smile who ushers them to a table to eat.

The three of them sit, Jongdae effortlessly steering the conversation to something somewhat safe- wondering what the house will be like where they’ll be staying. Baekhyun laughs, and they pass the time easily until the mistress reappears with bowls of stew and chunks of bread. Overall, the atmosphere does a lot to iron out enough of Jongin’s nerves. The stew is delicious and when the mistress returns to them, she finds three empty bowls and compliments abound. They all hear the door swing open again and she disappears to greet the newcomers. Baekhyun does his best to be subtle about checking but he leans slightly to better see the door. With a small huff, his shoulders relax from where they’d been tensing and his small nod shows it is indeed Minseok and Junmyeon. The three of them spend a little more time talking about their destination but call it a night not too soon after Minseok and Junmyeon had arrived. A young boy shows them to their room, a long and narrow place two floors up with three thin beds. Pointing out the bathroom, the young boy asks if there’s anything else they’ll need. Jongdae is quick to assure the boy that they’ll be fine and flicks a coin his way for good measure. The boy catches it with a smile before disappearing from the room.

There’s little preamble about getting ready for bed. Baekhyun volunteers to take first watch, even if they’re a little unsure about whether they’ll need to. A few quick considerations are considered before they decide it’s best to be careful and they can relax once they make it to the actual safe house. Jongin does his best to sleep, but he drifts in and out of consciousness uneasily until Jongdae gently shakes him into full waking. He props himself up against the end of his bed and lets the light from the lamp create shadows until the sunlight peaks around the edges of the shutters. Letting the others sleep a little longer, he splashes water onto his face until he feels completely alert and then dresses in the same clothes as yesterday. Using the same gentle shakes that Jongdae used to wake him, he stirs both Baekhyun and Jongdae from their sleep. It takes them a moment to remember exactly where they are but before long, all three are ready to leave and hit the road again.

Whilst Jongdae and Jongin ready their horses, Baekhyun goes a little deeper into town to get a few more food supplies to replace what they had eaten yesterday. As Jongin finishes settling his saddle bags and doing the same to Baekhyun’s horse, Junmyeon and Minseok walk in. With nothing but a nod, they retrieve their own horses and work almost militantly to get themselves ready to go. As they leave, Baekhyun returns and they mount too. With a few quiet words from Baekhyun explaining where they would meet up again, Jongin lets Jongdae carry him into a mindless conversation about who Minseok would end up engaged to as his 25th birthday was approaching fast. Baekhyun mostly doesn’t interject, focused, instead, on making sure they keep progressing in the right direction.

It’s about an hour before they reach the rendezvous point and a weight lifts on Jongin’s shoulders as he sees his brothers resting on a broken log. They join them in their break each chatting about their experience of the night before.

“I had to practically drag Junmyeon upstairs to sleep. He’s far too good at talking to people for far too long.” Minseok complains, but there’s no malice in his words.

“Under normal circumstances, Baekhyun and Jongdae would have been the same. But I think they realised I was a bit nervous and just looked out for me.” Jongin is a little sheepish with his words. He dislikes holding anyone back but he’s naturally more wary than some of his brothers.

“Don’t be silly Jongin. I don’t think any of us were really up for acting too jovial with anyone. Junmyeon is just a magnet for this kind of thing.” Jongdae sweeps in, defending Jongin without even thinking. Being the closest to Jongin in age, Jongdae somewhat understood what it felt like to be the younger brother of the group and to worry about causing trouble for his already far too busy elder brothers. As a result, Jongdae had naturally always babied Jongin more than anyone else and Jongin let Jongdae treat him more than the others without whining. As if sensing their slight discomfort, Junmyeon steers the conversation away.

“We should be at the safe house before nightfall. Let’s make some good progress and we can then finally begin to relax a little more.” With his words, Junmyeon stands and tidies himself until he’s once again ready to go. Following his lead, the others all gather their belongings and remount their horses.

The progress is steady, conversation coming and going. The tension in Jongin’s body and mind slowly fades the further they travel and he no longer flinches whenever they encounter anyone else travelling the same roads as they do. It’s late afternoon when they reach the edge of a slightly bigger town and Baekhyun guides them around to the outskirts. There’s a noticeable anticipation in the brothers as they come up to a large farm house.

The house is maintained well, clearly attended by someone in case it is ever needed. Stables are situated to one side and Jongin forces himself to care for his horse properly despite the excitement at seeing the house and wanting to explore it. The house has two floors and a loft, with a strong stone structure for the whole building. When everything has been sorted with the horses, they all drift to the front door. Minseok produces a key and it fits heavily in the lock. With a loud chunk, he opens the door and pushes his way inside. The others filter in behind him. There’s a small entryway inlet but then the space opens into a wide space. In one corner lies the kitchen, a large table and set of chairs take up most of the open space and a wide bench seat takes the remaining edge. Opposite the bench, stairs lead upstairs and three doors branch off the main room. Upon investigation, the back door leads straight out the other side of the house. The other two doors open into a bathroom and a small bedroom which Baekhyun immediately moves for. It’s almost unspoken that Baekhyun be the one on the bottom floor, he’d be able to discreetly warn them if anyone arrived without them knowing. The brothers all move upstairs and spread out to see the rest of the rooms. Jongdae immediately takes the room in the corner, it’s most likely to get hit with the morning sun and Jongdae has always been the earliest riser of them all. As if by default, Junmyeon and Jongin left the largest room to Minseok. Of the two remaining rooms, they were mostly similar.

“Junmyeon, do you mind if I take the room with the rug? If I wish to practice dance, it would be better with a rug incase of splinters from the wood.” Jongin is careful with his request, even if he knows Junmyeon would be fine with anything. Being the second brother, Junmyeon had quickly become capable at most things. He was a natural leader and people flocked to him naturally. It helped that he had arguably the most calming temperament of the four brothers. Their parents had a tendency to compare them to the seasons, with Junmyeon always being the Spring to come and soothe any ruffles caused by Minseok’s Winter. Jongin used to resent being the Autumn of his brothers but he had steadily calmed over the years when it came to their little nicknames.

“Of course Jongin, I’m happy wherever.” Junmyeon smiles softly as he enters the room now assigned to him. Left to himself, Jongin looks around his new room. It’s certainly a lot smaller than his suite of rooms in the castle but he’s happy enough simply not sharing with any of his brothers. The room is furnished with a simple bed, a wardrobe, which reveals a host of normal style clothes, and a chest situated at the end of the bed. Two shelves are pressed into one wall and a wide window the adjacent one. Jongin is happy enough here and puts away his few belongings that they’d travelled with.

After deciding he was happy with the set up, he moves back downstairs to the common room. Baekhyun is there, checking cupboards in the kitchen and finding them half stocked with simple but fresh foods. When everyone joins back in the main room, Minseok settles them all down and begins to explain.

“Our cover story is simple and minimal so it would be easy to follow. Our uncle who previously owned the house, passed away without any children of his own to pass the inheritance to. Therefore, when it was gifted back to our parents, they thought it best to let us go and tend to the area. We’re still brothers but we have different professions to what we would usually have back home where we were all taught most things. I am a soldier, on leave from the army due to an injury that is slowly repairing itself. Junmyeon is a healer, in a basic sense. We can use the plants and herbs from the garden and the market to produce tonics if necessary. Jongdae and Jongin are both performers, Jongdae having worked in an inn for many years whilst Jongin was more prone to travelling to the Lord’s house and performing there. It gives you both the most freedom and if Jongdae situates himself in an inn in the town, we might be privy to gossip more often. I know what you’re like Jongdae so people will probably grow to trust us more if you’re the one interacting with them the most.” Minseok cuts off then, seemingly not having anything else to add to the story. It leaves Jongin with the most spare time, and seeing as Jongin is likely the one at the least risk, allows him to move around the most. Obviously, he would still need to maintain a lot of practice should anyone question his identity but generally, he’d be ok.

“Baekhyun is related to us, how?” Junmyeon asks, thinking of things before the others manage to get there.

“Baekhyun is an old family friend who has come with us to look after the house. I’m sure we’d be quite lost without him.” Minseok laughs lightly as Baekhyun beams.

“You’ll all have new names as well whilst I get to simply keep mine. Minseok will become Xiumin, Junmyeon will become Suho, Jongdae shall be Chen and Jongin will be Kai. Does everyone understand?” Baekhyun casts a look around the brothers, but they shake their heads. There isn’t that much to understand beyond a new name and a light backstory. Seemingly deciding that the conversation is done, Minseok stands and gestures to Baekhyun to help him in the kitchen with dinner. It’s uncomplicated food as the night is threatening already but all of them eat with a new sense of calm. Without needing to communicate it verbally, they all dissipate into their own rooms after eating to settle in and rest.

Thankfully, the night passes uneventfully, and Jongin wakes to the sun drifting into his room. They spend the day checking everything out. There’s a small garden that could grow vegetables or herbs and the like and Junmyeon is already setting aside an area to grow medicinal things. Jongin helps where he can but he’s eventually shooed away by Minseok who tells him to find something else to entertain himself with. After wandering around the house for a little while, Jongin ends up spending the rest of the day reading and sorting out his small amount of belongings.

A few days pass similarly, all the brothers growing accustomed themselves to their new lives. Jongdae is the first to end up going into town and he comes home seemingly pretty pleased with his integration. Barely a day later, a young boy runs up to the house offering Chen a place performing at the bar and Jongdae readily accepts.

It takes a week before Jongin is happy to leave the grounds of the house. He’s careful to remember the route he takes as he walks around the fields that surround them. About twenty minutes into his walk, the fields stop being empty and he stumbles upon a small flock of sheep. It makes him smile to see another place with some kind of movement and he pauses, watching the sheep. His mind drifts as he leans against the fence, watching the sheep do little else than their normal routines.

Startling as his elbow slips from its perch upon the top bar of the fence, Jongin realises it’s been almost an hour of his daydreaming. Hurriedly dusting himself down, he races home so as not to worry his brothers. There’s a little panic to them but a quick reassurance from Jongin has them all relaxing once more.

It becomes routine then, to walk the fields close by, to daydream whilst watching the sheep. Sometime after his first venture out there, he slightly changes his practice. Swinging himself up onto the wooden fence, Jongin perches there, watching the sheep meander and go about their business. The soft sounds of the wind brushing through the hedgerows let’s Jongin get lost in his thoughts.

He finally let’s himself worry for his parents and the rest of the people working and living at the castle. Jongdae hasn’t heard any rumours or gossip claiming anything has happened to them. The only thing they’ve really heard leak is that the castle had been broken into but there’s nothing about any injuries or anything worse. Adjusting to life has been pretty easy thus far, he’s mostly been helping Junmyeon and Jongdae set up what they need to be able to do everything smoothly. He’s been out a few times to gather the occasional plant Junmyeon has needed and one night he’d performed with Jongdae at the inn but aside from his walks, there hadn’t been much of his own work to do. The nerves from technically still being on the run have begun to fade and Jongin let’s himself drop to half-lidded status and his mind drifts completely.

“Do you like the sheep?” The simple words cut through Jongin’s wandering brain like a knife to the point of a physical reaction. He flails, desperate to keep his balance but ultimately, he fails and falls into the field. Luckily, the sheep are far enough away that he doesn’t frighten any of them. From his position on the grass, Jongin stares up at the man who had startled him so badly.

The man is surprisingly young, close to Jongin in age. His expression is a mix between concerned and bemused before he reaches out a hand in offering. Gratefully, Jongin takes the outstretched hand and climbs back up to his feet.

“Are you okay?” The stranger’s words are tinted by the same soft accent as before but this time, Jongin sees the words are paired with a small mischievous smile.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. You just startled me is all.” Jongin is quick to try and explain himself. There’s a small awkward pause as Jongin brushes himself down in an effort to appear a little more put together and like the prince he actually is.

“I’m glad you’re not hurt, I didn’t mean to startle you so badly. I thought you were simply watching the sheep.” Smiling softly, the stranger has a bit of a teasing look on his face.

“No, I start that way but generally, my mind ends up drifting and it’s nice to not have to think about anything in the real world. I didn’t realise other people are around at this time or I’d have maybe paid more attention.” Jongin rubs the back of his neck, cutting his rambling off to avoid embarrassing himself any more than he already has. The stranger giggles happily at Jongin’s explanation, his eyes crinkling and a deep dimple creases his cheek.

“I’m glad the sheep can help. They’re a bit of a pain to keep them all together and out of trouble but it’s ok as now they’re helping people.” Smiling widely, the man props himself against the fence. “I’m Yixing, I’m looking after the sheep for a few weeks whilst a friend of mine is off having to do his military service training.”

The name is evidently from one of the neighbouring kingdoms which explains the slight lilt in his voice.

“I’m Kai. Me and my brothers inherited our uncle’s house a short distance away. I didn’t mean to intrude. I like to clear my head by walking these paths and I came across the sheep a few days ago.”

“Ahh, so you’re one of the new brothers! No wonder I didn’t recognise you straight away.” Yixing’s smile is infectious and Jongin feels the comms of his mouth turn up in response. “Well, would you like to meet the sheep instead of just watching them?”

Jongin is a little surprised at the sudden offer. Back at the castle, no one really offered anything unless it was likely to further their standing or improve their reputation. Nodding eagerly, Jongin let’s Yixing guide him across the field, pointing out a few place to avoid stepping in case he falls. Clearly, he now thinks Jongin is prone to clumsiness which isn’t exactly wrong but it’s not the first impression Jongin wanted to make. The sheep obviously know Yixing and are quick to come up to him in search of food or attention. A little out of his depth, Jongin isn’t quite sure how to respond to the way they push up against him. Yixing giggles at his hesitant nature, and reaches across to take Jongin’s hand. Disguising his surprise as best he can, Jongin lets Yixing guide his palm onto the top of the nearest sheep’s head. They’re surprisingly gentle and let him lightly scratch them. A smile creeps it’s way onto Jongin’s face unsolicited and before he knows it, he’s giggling, trying to include all the sheep in his affections. Yixing’s laugh joins in with his and Jongin feels another layer of nervousness slip from his shoulders.

Before he realises it, Yixing is pulling him towards the barn and the small house besides it and Jongin does his best to not be alarmed in any way.

“Where are we going?” Jongin fights to keep his voice level and without panic.

“Hmm? Oh, I figured you’d probably want to see all of them and there’s a few that prefer to stay inside at the moment. And if you’d like, I can prepare some tea and we can talk more? Unless you need to get back?” Yixing’s explanation reveals his harmless intent and Jongin has to remind himself that no one knows he’s a prince here. With a small nod, he lets Yixing pull him around and in barely no time at all, he’s sat at Yixing’s dining table inside the house with a steaming cup of tea before him. It’s a weird sense of homeliness that wraps around him and despite Yixing’s questions, Jongin feels remarkably at ease.

Time moves too quickly and before Jongin has even realised it two hours have passed since he let himself be caught off guard by Yixing. Regretfully, he finishes the cup of tea.

“I’m sorry Yixing, I would love to stay for longer but my brothers will grow worried about me if I don’t return soon. Thank you for the tea and for introducing me to the sheep.” He smiles widely to punctuate his words and he’s pleased when his smile is mirrored by Yixing, bright enough and wide enough to cause his cheek to dimple.

“I’m honoured! Please come and visit again. Both me and the sheep, ok?” Yixing grabs his hands and sticks him with a puppy eyed look. Feeling himself melt under Yixing’s gaze, Jongin crumbles and nods his agreement.

“Ok, ok, I will be back, I promise!” The shared smile is even warmer than the previous ones and Yixing guides him back to the fence that he’d fallen from. With a wave, Jongin heads back to his new home preparing himself for all the questions his brothers will have.

The questioning is relatively brief, his brothers generally happy that he’s made a new friend but Minseok does a thorough job of warning him to be more careful. A long lecture later, Jongin is flopping onto his bed feeling significantly lighter than he has since this all began.

It becomes habitual then. Every few days he makes sure to walk past the sheep and to lean against the fence until Yixing shows up and drags him inside to say hi and to drink tea. Somewhere between Yixing’s contagious smile and his caring conversation, Jongin finds himself a little lost. Not knowing what else to do, he pins down the only one of his brothers he trusts to take him even a little bit seriously.

“Junmyeon?” Jongin’s voice has the tone of a genuine question, rather than just pestering so Junmyeon looks up from where he’s grinding some herbs.

“Hi Jongin, you can come in.” Junmyeon’s gentle confirmation has Jongin sticking his head round the door. The room smells like lavender and dandelion today but thankfully, the smell isn’t too overpowering. Jongin perches up on the other bench seat and props his chin on his hands.

“I need you to promise not to laugh at me.” Starting by ensuring minimal embarrassment, Jongin fixes Junmyeon with his best serious expression. Junmyeon’s eyebrows furrow at the seriousness of Jongin’s tone and he sets aside what he was doing.

“I’d like to think you’ve come to me because you know I won’t laugh at you. What’s bothering you, Jongin?”

“You know I mentioned Yixing before?” Jongin can’t quite meet Junmyeon’s eyes but he sees his brother nod. “Well, I’ve been visiting him every few days since I first met him and I really like him. But I feel terrible because he only knows me as Kai and whenever he asks me anything about my past or about my family, I have to just sit there and lie to his face. I know I have to do it to protect us but... “

Jongin trails off, the guilt and sadness in his tone must be evident enough that Junmyeon knows it’s a serious issue. Huffing a light breath, Junmyeon climbs from his seat and wraps Jongin into a hug. Whilst Jongin doesn’t cry, it does feel nice to finally share how he was feeling about it all.

“I know it feels awful to have to cover up and hide the truth from him but at the moment, there really isn’t a way around it. Your life could be at risk if he knew who you truly are Jongin. But I don’t want you to feel like you can’t share at least a little bit of your real life with him.” Junmyeon pauses, as if he’s thinking something over and Jongin pulls back to look at him, confusion creasing the space between his eyebrows. “Why don’t you invite him over to dinner here one night? We can all meet him then.”

A sparkle ignites in Jongin’s eyes.

“You would be ok with that?” The hopefulness in his voice completely disarms Junmyeon.

“If it makes you happy, and you think he’d be ok with meeting us, then sure.” Junmyeon is soft as he reassures his baby brother.

“Ahh, thank you!” Jongin throws his arms back around Junmyeon and nearly topples them both over. With one hand steadying around Jongin’s back and the other holding the edge of the table, Junmyeon laughs at his brother’s enthusiasm.

“Ok, ok, let’s clear this with Minseok and Baekhyun and maybe Jongdae too and we’ll see when this can happen.” Junmyeon’s words have Jongin dragging him through to find their eldest brother. After some small persuasion and only one use of Jongin’s puppy eyes, he gets the go ahead to invite Yixing for dinner.

Jongin is buzzing all the way on his next walk, excited to finally be able to let Yixing see some of his actual home. He pulls up and climbs onto the same fence as always, grinning as he watches the sheep lazily go about their day. This time he’s so hyper aware of everything that he isn’t caught off guard when Yixing appears beside him. They don’t even need to discuss the routine anymore, Jongin following Yixing’s steps to see the sheep first. As always, they crowd around them both. A particularly enthusiastic sheep butts into Jongin, sending him off balance and straight into Yixing, who giggles as he catches him against his chest.

“That’s twice you’ve fallen for me now Jongin, you’re starting to make this a habit!” Yixing giggles as Jongin feels his face and ears burn.

“Once you scared me and this time your sheep seem to have it out for me, you won’t be so lucky the third time.” Jongin’s pout is pronounced enough that Yixing coos at him.

“Come on baby Jongin, tea awaits us.” Setting Jongin comfortably back on his feet, Yixing leads the way into the simple kitchen. It takes almost the full cup of tea for Jongin to summon his courage.

“Would you possibly like to come for dinner this evening? I may have mentioned my friend with the sheep to my brothers and now they’d like to meet you.” Jongin daren’t look up from where his fingers knot themselves together on the table. There’s a long moment of silence where Jongin can barely breathe but thankfully, Yixing breaks it.

“Sure, I’d love to.” His smile crinkles his eyes and dimples his cheek and Jongin feels the same furious blush surge to his face.

“Ahh, really?” Disbelief evident, Jongin’s jaw goes slack. A part of him didn’t believe that Yixing would actually say yes.

“Of course, if it makes you happy, I’ll be there to visit you all. What time? I’ll make sure to sort out the sheep and tidy myself up a little bit to make a decent impression.” A tiny sliver of nervousness creeps into Yixing’s tone betraying him, but Jongin is quick to reassure.

“Thank you! I can’t wait for you to meet them all.” Conversation lulls away from the offer of dinner and round more mundane topics until Jongin decides it’s probably time for him to go. He leaves only after Yixing promises again he will actually be there for dinner tonight.

His brothers have everything sorted by the time he gets back, them arguably more nervous than Jongin himself. Bathing quickly, Jongin actually bothers to look neat. For the first time since having fled the castle, he styles his hair and actually worries over what he’s going to wear. When he hears the knock on the door, he flies down to let Yixing in and it’s immediately obvious that Jongin is not the only one who has put in effort tonight.

Yixing’s hair is pushed back off his forehead and the shirt he wears is the cleanest thing Jongin has seen him wear since they met. Even his boots are polished. Something about knowing Yixing wants to impress has Jongin blushing lightly but he forces it away and guides Yixing in. Baekhyun and Jongdae have gone to town on the meal and the smell fills the whole house.

“Welcome to our home, Yixing.” Minseok is the first one to step forward and he makes introductions quickly as the last few dishes are added to the centre of the table.

“I’m honoured you invited me.” Lightly bowing his head, Yixing manages to hit every polite point and mannerism Jongin spent hours memorising for his etiquette lessons. It’s awkward and overly polite until Jongdae launches into a story about the inn, and the whole atmosphere shifts. The evening sweeps into a comfortable environment and everyone noticeably relaxes as time passes.

As they’re finishing up with the food, the sound of glass breaking interrupts another one of Jongdae’s stories about something that had happened when he was singing last night. Instantly, everyone is on edge with both Minseok and Junmyeon climbing to their feet. Minseok moves quietly to their coat stand where he has inconspicuously hidden one of his swords and quietly draws it from its hiding place. At his brother’s lead, Jongin stands as well, and Baekhyun steps silently down towards where the smash came from. As he’s about to push open the door into Junmyeon’s workroom, there’s a shout and an even louder smash from the front of the house.

The front door slams into the wall as two unknown assailants crash through it. Minseok sets to them parrying their wild slashes and Jongin races upstairs to grab more weapons. His own sword in hand, he peels back down the stairs to find both the attackers on the floor. Swirling around to where more noise is coming from, his eyes widen when he sees Yixing.

Moving with all the grace of a dancer and a trained swordsman, Yixing darts around the other men that have broken into the house. Some kind of dagger sits planted firmly in his hand, and it slides mercilessly into the body of each stranger. Jongdae and Baekhyun are stunned, forced back into a corner, nothing but a kitchen knife defending them. And yet, Yixing manages to keep the attention away from them. His teeth are gritted and when there finally seems to be only one attacker left, he kicks him to the ground but doesn’t sink the blade into him.

“Is one kingdom in tatters not enough for you?” Yixing spits at the masked man on the floor. “Do you need more people living in chaos, desperate to avoid saying anything that might be deemed in support of their king in case you drag them through the streets for it? Are you really in need of that much bloodshed?”

The brothers are silent in shock as they stare at Yixing standing over the injured man. Blood drips slowly from the tip of his blade, landing at his feet and he looks completely different to the gentle person Jongin had spent weeks getting to know. The man lays down at Yixing’s feet snarling.

“You royals are all the same. You pretend and pretend but deep down you hate us all.” Spitting both the words and no small amount of blood, the man winces as he tries to move. “Look at the speed at which you cut us down, Zhang. In defence of who? The Kim Kingdom? Or the so called innocents you try to stop us from protecting?”

The attacker coughs wetly, before succumbing to the high levels of pain and falling back unconscious. Finally, silence fills the room, broken only by the heavy breathing of everyone in it.

“He called you Zhang.” Minseok is the first to speak. Being more used to conflict and the role of an heir, he’s quick to recover from the shock. It’s also thanks to his constant studying about relationships with kingdoms both past and present that he is the first to put everything together. Yixing remains silent, staring down at the person on the floor. The next person to come round is Baekhyun and he gently takes Yixing’s arm. Glancing at each other, Baekhyun carefully peels Yixing’s fingers away from his dagger and moves to clean it. Losing the dagger seems to bring Yixing back to the real world and he straightens up, posture tall as he turns to the brothers staring at him.

“He called me by my name, yes.” Yixing admits the truth and Jongin furrows his eyebrows trying to recall what it means for Yixing to be a Zhang. Dragging all his history lessons together, he finally finds the snippet of information he needs.

Some years ago, the Zhang kingdom of the north had been viciously attacked by unknown assailants. The king and the queen had been slaughtered in their beds and the crown prince had vanished, supposedly kidnapped by whomever laid the rest of the castle to waste. It was one of the biggest massacres ever recorded and since then, the Zhang kingdom had been struggling to even function beyond simple survival.

“You’re the lost prince?” Jongin barely manages to choke out the words. Eyes darting up to meet Jongin’s, Yixing can do nothing but nod his confirmation.

“My guard, Chanyeol, betrayed his post and fled with me. We travelled for a long time before finally realising that we would be safe here. It took a small while but eventually we had the farm set up and the cover established. Then we heard about the attack on your castle. We couldn’t stand by, knowing these people and how much damage they can do. Chanyeol refused to let me leave here though, knowing I would be putting myself in danger, and he set out searching for the king and the queen to protect them and to help them return to their home safely and he’s been sending letters when he can. Little did we know, you guys would appear here as the new arrivals.” Yixing shakes his head, almost as if he still couldn’t believe it. “When I noticed Kai sat on my fence, I thought he looked familiar. The more we talked, the more I knew it was because he was Jongin and not Kai.”

Shock courses through Jongin’s body. This whole time he’d been chewing himself up about not telling Yixing he was a prince when Yixing was doing the exact same thing to him. Yixing looks over at Jongin as he continues.

“I didn’t even realise until after I knew I had feelings for him beyond simply friends. Chanyeol’s latest letter explained that his sources thought some of the attackers were headed my way so when you invited me here, I fully intended on coming clean to you all about everything. I didn’t expect them to attack now, but I’m glad I was here to stop them.” Yixing’s breath is a little heavy as he finishes his explanation and casts his eyes around to make sure everyone is still following him.

“Do the letters say anything about our parents?” Minseok asks, choosing a simple area to start with.

“Not directly, but Chanyeol says they reached whatever safe house they were headed to. There’s been a big exodus of these guys leaving your castle lately and Chanyeol has been there with some others trying to clear the last few out.” The words are barely out of Yixing’s mouth before Minseok speaks.

“We have to go back. We have to help.”

“Yes, we must!” Jongdae finally finds his voice from where he’s been sitting in the corner. “If we can help, we must!”

Faced with the obvious unrelenting desire to return by the princes, Baekhyun doesn’t even try to argue to keep them safe and the house becomes a sudden buzz of activity. Clothes are packed, food is sorted, horses are saddled and Yixing confirms the sheep have someone to look after them before their party of six is ready to leave. It’s only as they begin to ride that Jongin properly processes everything.

Yixing liked him too. Somewhere in the mess of everything, Yixing liked him too.

He’s barely given time to dwell on it though. Minseok drags him into conversations about how best to handle everything when they get there, what to expect and if he’s ok with actively fighting. He’s kept busy discussing everything to the point that when they camp, he thinks of nothing but sleep. As they ride after waking it’s distinctly different. Minseok and Yixing lead, clearly having the most experience in actually fighting. Jongin follows, then Junmyeon and Jongdae with Baekhyun guarding their backs. Admiring Yixing becomes Jongin’s way of distracting himself away from what they’re riding towards. Whilst they were packing, Yixing had returned to the farm to collect his own belongings and now, he’s sat in a crisp shirt, well tailored trousers and boots with his family’s sword hanging from his hip. Admiring him a little too long gets Jongdae playfully shoving him and reminding him of the stars in his eyes.

Minseok shushes them a little harshly but it brings their attention to just how close to home they are. Tying their horses carefully up a safe distance away, they quietly creep towards the castle. There’s two tents outside the gates and a tall man with flame red hair oversees what is happening amongst all the activity. Yixing visibly relaxes seeing him and he straightens out his crouch.

“Chanyeol!” He shouts, crossing the distance between the two of them in a few strides. Surprise paints the features of the tall man before he relaxes and accepts the quick hug Yixing offers. “I bring reinforcements.”

Yixing turns back to the others with a wink and they all straighten up.

“You brought the princes here?!” Chanyeol basically shouts the words at Yixing, who winces at the sudden volume.

“Technically, we brought him here.” Jumping to Yixing’s defence, Minseok naturally sweeps in. Chanyeol drops into a hasty bow which everyone is quick to wave away. “Let’s talk strategy and take back our home.”

With a nod, Chanyeol leads Minseok into one of the tents. Jongdae and Junmyeon disappear over to a medics bench to make themselves more useful and Baekhyun links back up with some of the other returning servants, leaving Yixing and Jongin alone.

“Truly, I meant to tell you earlier but I was scared by the reports Chanyeol was sending back. I thought telling you would make you suspect me and you ignoring me would be worse than pretending a little longer so I kept the secret. I promise, once this is over and your home is yours again, I’ll do what I can to make it up to you.” Yixing’s words rush out, practically tripping up over each other as he talks. Grabbing Yixing’s hands, Jongin counters back.

“I was lying to you too so it’s hardly your fault alone. Let us start over!” A small tug at his lips has Jongin standing tall again. “I’m Jongin Kim, the youngest prince of the Kim Kingdom. I’m honoured to meet you.”

Jongin bows deeply. A light laugh huffs it’s way past Yixing’s lips.

“I’m Yixing Zhang, crown prince of the Zhang Kingdom. The pleasure is truly mine.” With an over exaggerated motion, Yixing sweeps into a dramatic bow and kisses the back of Jongin’s hand. Laughing fully, Jongin launches himself at Yixing into a hug. They spin lightly, their happiness a little infective around the tents.

It’s all too soon that they’re spinning around one another for a completely different reason, swords locking with the invaders of the castle. Time seems to stand still as Jongin and Yixing work their way through the castle with everyone else. Sweating and covered in blood and dirt, Jongin finally catches his breath in the main room as Minseok drives his sword through the last attacker. His breathing is ragged in his chest as, slowly, the adrenaline bleeds from his body. Slumping onto the nearby stairs, Jongin can’t quite believe what they’ve done.

He’s not sure how long he’s been sitting there watching Minseok and some of the others move things around. The castle hasn’t changed much, the attackers had clearly wanted to preserve it. There’s a fair few broken things scattered around but not much has changed in the short few months the attackers have had control of the castle.

It’s strange watching everyone else work around him. Generally, they work fast, clearing out the bodies and debris from their attack. Jongin takes a long moment to rest and recollect himself. He’s not sure quite when it happens but he jumps when he suddenly notices Yixing sat beside him. The familiar laughter bubbles out of Yixing.

“Sorry! I forgot how jumpy you can be when you’re lost in thought.” They both laugh as they remember their first meeting.

“It’s ok, I forgive you.” Jongin feels a little floaty. The rush of fighting has finally worn off completely and it’s left him feeling a slight bit empty. When he glances up at Yixing, he finds the other smiling softly at him. Yixing guides Jongin’s head to his shoulder.

“We really did it. They’re really gone from here.” Yixing murmurs the words wistfully, and Jongin hums his agreement. They sit like that, together, a while longer until Chanyeol finds them and berates Yixing for not helping tidy up.

The next few days are a complete blur. Somehow, they manage to get the castle back into a vague state of order before their parents suddenly return. There’s a lot of tearful reunions and introductions as everyone talks over everything that’s happened and tries to catch up.

It’s not until almost two weeks later when Jongin finds Yixing out alone on one of the balconies that he realises something is wrong. Instantly, he’s at Yixing’s side, pressing his body against the other in a physical comfort as well as the emotional support he wants to provide. Yixing is receptive thankfully and winds his arms around Jongin, tucking him close. They stay like that for some time, Jongin knowing that Yixing will talk when he’s ready and that he can’t rush him. Eventually, Yixing sighs and draws back slightly, linking their hands as he draws them over to a bench. Sitting, Yixing plays gently with Jongin’s fingers in his lap.

“I have to go back, Jongin.”

Jongin immediately knows what Yixing means. He may have helped save Jongin’s world but the Zhang kingdom is still conflicted and it won’t be settled until he’s rid the castle and the kingdom of whatever force these attackers come from.

“Let me come with you.” Jongin doesn’t offer, he knows Yixing will refuse the help.

“This is something I have to do Jongin. You need to be here with your family and I need to go and be strong for mine.” Despite hating what the words mean, Jongin knows why Yixing is saying them. “I will be back and we will be together again, I promise.”

As they meet eyes, Jongin finds his own tears mirrored in Yixing’s eyes. Jongin resigns himself to spending however long it needs to be apart.

“Ok, but please, write to me if you can. I don’t think I could bear not knowing anything whilst you’re away.”

“Of course, whenever I can.” Yixing’s words bring a small measure of comfort but it’s torn away when the next morning, he watches Chanyeol and Yixing mount their horses to begin their ride back to their home.

The months apart are long. Jongin reading and re-reading any time any note from Yixing finds its way to him. It’s during a week of silence, rumours filter back to the Kim kingdom of the return of the Prince Zhang and his victory at retaking his castle. Jongin’s relief is palpable and everyone notices his mood improving at the news.

It’s late afternoon as Jongin finds himself in the garden. He weaves his way through until he finds the fence that has become his little hideout whenever he wants to think. As he perches himself on the top post, he lets his mind drift. Just like always, it immediately gravitates to Yixing and the wondering of what he’s doing, what he’s dealing with. Time slips by as his mind wanders. It’s shattered when a voice he’s been waiting to hear breaks through.

“The clouds look like sheep, don’t they?”