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Mingyu, turned on her side away from the door, hears the door open.
“Love, have you eaten yet? I haven’t seen you roaming the halls today?”
Mingyu pulls the covers up further, “I’m not hungry right now.”
“How come? You always have at least a snack around this time. C’mon the staff have prepared a delicious—“
“I said, I'm not hungry right now.” Mingyu snaps then relaxes her shoulders. “I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t’ve shouted. That was unladylike of me.” she says quietly and full of shame.
Seokmin quietly closes the door and moves to sit on the bed.
“Has today been hard on you?”
Mingyu sighs, “I had to conversate with my mother today.”
“Ah.” Seokmin lays on his back.
Mingyu sits up abruptly, “You’d think being the official princess of this kingdom would make her— I don’t know, back off!— but every time I call her it’s “Have you knocked off those muscles, deary? It’s very unwomanly for the princess to look like she would have no need for guards.” “Oh and do make sure to shave that upper lip of yours, you’re the princess after all.” and “I must have that gym removed from the palace, rumors are starting to spread.”
Seomkin sits up quickly, “What rumors?!”
“I don’t know, Seokie! And if there are, it’s because I bet she spread them. She can hardly keep her mouth closed for seconds at a time!”
Seokmin rubs her back, “Breathe, princess, breathe.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just-that woman just makes me so angry sometimes!”
“I know, I know. Why didn’t you come to me, hm? You know I’m here if you need to talk, especially about her.”
Mingyu tucks her hair behind her ear, “There are some things that she says that I can’t repeat. I wouldn’t want to poison the air with her harsh words…of you and I.”
Seokmin stills his hand, “…Of me?”
Mingyu slowly nods and looks at him with a pitiful smile, “Of you and I, Seokie.” She licks her lips and looks down at her hands, “Like I said, I won’t repeat her words. Especially as they mean nothing to me, about as meaningless as mosquitoes.”
Seokmin places his hand under her chin and tilts her head towards him, “What of me? I promise you I can handle it, love. So, what of me?”
She moves his hand to her cheek and places a kiss on his palm.
“She says it as if I am more man than you are. That my muscles must’ve gotten lost on its destination to you.” She kisses his palm once more, “I know it’s not true, but words such as that do nothing, but bury itself within you.” a tear trails down her cheek.
Seokmin wipes under her eyes, “Oh, dear, don’t worry about me, okay? Those aren’t the first time I’ve heard words such as those and surely, it won’t be my last.”
“As if that’s supposed to make me feel better? What are you saying to me, Seokmin?”
Seokmin, stunned, tries to remove his hand to give her space, but she tightens her hold.
“You are a part of me, yes? Then you simply cannot accept words that do not belong to you. Words such as those do not belong to you, do you hear me? Do not claim them, do not accept them as if it is a summer breeze that simply flows by you! Do not laugh them off.”
“Would you rather I show my anger instead, my princess?”
“Anything else will do, but not acceptance. Not in front of me.”
“Then that goes for you as well then.”
Mingyu’s mouth shuts, fair.
“Everytime you talk to your mother, you get in the same mood—“
“Well, yes, she is my mother.”
“Can I finish please?”
Mingyu hesitantly nods. Seokmin rubs the back of her hands with his thumbs.
“As I was saying, it’s like she has this hold over you. You have one phone call with her and your whole day is ruined, my love, everyone in the castle can see it, can feel it. I don’t want her to keep doing this to you. I can’t.”
“Then what do you suppose I do, hm? That I haven’t already tried?” Mingyu pulls back from Seokmin’s hands, slides out of the bed, and starts pacing around the room.
“I thought that if I had worked hard—I mean really work hard—and got the official princess stamp then maybe it would stop.” She clutches her head, ruffling up her hair, “What else could I possibly do? How else do I prove my womanhood?!”
Seokmin swiftly stands up and walks in front of her to stop her in place, “Hey, hey, don’t go down that road. You know it’s not good for you.”
He walks back to the bed to get a small blanket and walks back to her to drape it over her shoulders.
“Look at you. You’re in only your nightgown, you’ll get cold.”
Mingyu clutches the blanket close.
“I truly don’t know how anyone can't see you as anything other than what you are, a princess. I mean look at you. I couldn't possibly fully describe a woman such as you.”
Mingyu softly giggles and turns her head, cheeks rosy.
Seokmin cups her cheeks, looking up at her, “Oh, my princess. You’ve been so hard on yourself lately, I wish you wouldn’t. When you’re unkind to you, you’re unkind to me.”
“So have you, my prince. I guess we must both work, yes?”
Seokmin presses a tender kiss on her lips. She is all smiles when he pulls away.
“You are my life and the air I breathe. You are inescapable and I want nothing more than to be full of you in every way possible.”
Seokmin slides his hand down her arm to grab her hand.
“Can we please eat, my love? I know you and I know when you are not satisfied, so please. Do eat with me.”
Mingyu nods, “let me get my slippers and I’m all yours.”
Seokmin lifts his hand to kiss the back of it, “And I, you.”