𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3,250 words

𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐣𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐠

Hongjoong had a fucking fantastic idea, actually, it might even have been his best idea in a long time.

And it involved them all. No one would be able to thank him no, hell- just thinking about what gains he would have from this had him already rubbing his hands together with a devious grin on his lips.

Because honestly, who would say no to a little bit of drinking?

Especially after what truths had been told of them possibly being locked inside those same walls for a long time... They all needed something to distract themselves with.

The demon prince wasn't thinking about the small amounts of wine there were served with supper - he wanted them to get drunk, really drunk. Drowning all coherent emotions; slurring voices and thoughts and making them forget why they came here, or, why they would not want to come here.

Maybe he could have a taste of drunk mind again, just a tiny bit to satisfy his itching needs.

Maybe...just maybe...

Hongjoong tapped his nails against the surface of the doorway, leaning around the edge of it as he considered the situation of the princes inside the room.

"Snooping around and envying how the others get along, hmm little demon?"

A foul taste swelled on his tongue, and Hongjoong stepped back to stare right into the stupid bitch's face, seeing how the corners of her lips curled the same way he just had done before.

"Fuck off," he grumbled sourly.

"Oh, little one, you forget that I must keep a tight eye on you now that we all know you aren't up to any good," she cooed and proceeded to reach a hand out to ruffle his dark hair.

Hongjoong found himself staying in his spot instead of dodging her act. What?

Hissing, the demon prince turned his head and pushed the sorceress away from him. His hands fumbled to readjust the black crown, "As if the others are any better than me, just wait and see how their patience will wear thin and chaos will break out. You'd be surprised."

"Maybe," she hummed and crossed her arms, "But that doesn't change the fact that they're bonding. And that you are feeling bored here, all alone.."

For a second, Hongjoong held her eyes to his. She tilted her head and he couldn't be more annoyed by those cat-like orbs taking in his reaction. He licked his lips, smirking, as he walked past her down the hallway.

"Demons don't feel any emotions related to that, mother," he spat with mockery, feeling the reaction of a startle expanding in the air.

Clearly, she hadn't been prepared for him to call her by the terms she had claimed herself to come around by. Even if it was only to ridicule her. The sorceress was no one to him.

The clicking heels against the stone floor followed him down the spiral staircase he floated down.

"That is quite not true, dear. I can assure you of that," a certain amused tone clung to her words and Hongjoong quickened his pace.

"Well, me as a demon, do not feel any sort of those emotions," he retorted sharply, eyes not even looking around where he was when he turned to his left before his feet even touched the last step of the gilded marble.

His body moved on its own as if he was out of possession of himself. Conflicted, the demon just wanted to get away from her. And yet, the witch's voice still chirped at him a few steps behind him. Fucking fantastic.

"But you're also half a sorcerer. You cannot lie to me, Hongjoong, I know that you feel emotions."

Suddenly, the demon stopped in his tracks, his torso slowly twisted his upper body around as he found the idea pop into his head another time. Emma was looking at him as if she already knew what he was up to.

Gradually, a smug smile rose on his face without hiding any hints of mischief, "Alright, if you really are that set on having me mingling with the others, what do you then say about making a deal with me?"

The sorceress tipped a brow while she stared at his expression warily, detecting his offer with lots of doubt, "And what requires your offer then?"

Hongjoong felt the tensity of the air like a hot breeze against his skin in the cool, dark hallway. His entire body tingled at the sensation. Emma's eyes shone at him and he chuckled darkly.

"A whole lot of alcohol," he said with a fanged smile.

_____

𝐒𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚

The prince pranced down the hallway as he in his hurry adjusted the dress shirt he had thrown on after the servant had told him he was required in the common room. His sleep had been disturbed just like that.

On his way, he met the dragon prince too, sleepily rubbing his eyes as he seemed just as confused as Seonghwa.

"Hey, Seonghwa.. do you by any chance know what this is about?" the smaller male asked as he ran a hand through his dark ruffled hair.

At his question, the phoenix drew his lips in a line, irritated with the lack of honorifics, "It's Prince Park Seonghwa to you, and no, I do not know what is happening."

Only a glance at him from the corner of his eyes was enough to reveal the way the other prince had stuck his lower lip out, pouting at the harsh way he had been told off. Truth be told, Seonghwa was not here to make acquaintances, unlike the dragon prince,  whose transparent guard he already seemed to have let down.

Wooyoung didn't get to say anything more before they already reached the room. Instantly, Seonghwa noticed how the door was closed unlike what it tended to be.

He wasn't the only one seeing the difference, considering Wooyoung's muddled expression turned toward him. The phoenix prince wasted no time and decided upon stepping forward and pulling the handle. To his surprise, the door went open and then he stood face-to-face with the grinning demon. He was heaving a wineglass in his right hand, flicking it at him in greeting.

"What is this supposed to mean?" he glared down at him while broadening his stance with a harsh shield.

But the smaller one wasn't affected by his intimidating pose at all, instead, he leaned his frame up against the door frame, fingers lightly trailing the grooves as he sent him a smug smile in return, "I brought you all over for a small cosy talk, why, can I not invite you to that?"

Seonghwa was about to take another step forward when he felt the clench of hands clutching around his shirt behind him. Swallowing tightly, Seonghwa decided to keep his claws to himself, even if he wanted nothing else but to get those filthy fingers away from him again and rip that stupid smirk off Hongjoong's face. The demon seemed to notice it too and his lips only curled even more.

"You want a drink? The others are here as well. It would be rude to turn down such a generous offer in a company like this."

The phoenix prince stared at him for a long moment before eventually narrowing his eyes at him. The crown on Hongjoong's head was not to be trusted. "You still did not answer me what all this is about?"

He rolled his eyes at his question before taking a swig from the glass and showing the rest of it into Seonghwa's hand, gently patting his hand with his before he looked up at Seonghwa's eyes again.

A mischievous glint was to be discerned in those deep, dark mirrors, "I just told you, but let me just repeat myself. We will bond with each other in the most humane way we could, come on in, the others await you two."

Seonghwa frowned, for what in the world was he talking about?

Before he came to any conclusions about this mystified situation, Hongjoong was already pulling them both into the common room, giggling as he did so. Wooyoung's still clung to his shirt as they both entered.

Seonghwa didn't quite know what he had expected to see here, but it was definitely not a calm atmosphere like this where they all just huddled on the pieces of furniture in here, conversing with each other as they sipped on wine as if they actually and freely had decided to be here in the middle of the night.

The phoenix prince tensed when they all suddenly tugged their heads in the direction of Wooyoung and him. Some even dared send him a smile. What in the world was going on?

Soon Wooyoung freed his hands from his clothes, darting past him and throwing himself in between Prince Yunho and Prince Jongho who occupied one of the couches. The werewolf held an arm out for Wooyoung to snuggle into.

He must have brainwashed them, or at least be controlling their minds, because in no way would all the princes suddenly act so friendly towards each other.

"Tonight we have decided to forget about our royal titles and instead embrace the youth we still have. I think many of us tend to forget that we are only young beings, and thus we shall enjoy life until the time comes when we will rule our kingdoms," Hongjoong said as he slumped down into the armchair on Seonghwa's left, sloshing the liquid around in his glassware as he glanced up at Seonghwa with dark eyes.

"We're literally locked in a castle, how can you call this 'enjoying life'?" the dragon retorted, already pulling himself further up to sit as if the talk of being locked in here provoked him.

Quietly, Seonghwa went to take a seat beside the fairie prince, straightening his pants before he leaned back and crossed his legs. He lifted the wineglass in his hand to his nose and smelled its content warily.

"Ssh! It's the thought that counts, anyways, want a drink? I can mix something strong for you to smother your thoughts and send you back to sleep?"

Seonghwa watched how Wooyoung's gaze drew across the table filled with alcohol in front of them all before scrunching his nose in displeasure, "I'm too tired for this, the maid literally woke me up from my sleep and I was having such a good dream.."

It caught his attention.

"What did you dream about?" the demon asked, acutely staring at the other prince on the opposite side of the table.

"Ripping your head off."

The demon giggled as he went to fill his glass with more alcohol to drown his sickeningly thought, although Seonghwa was unsure if that even was possible.

Prince San's voice quietly lifted the room with what priorly had been talked about, "Hongjoong said that we should get to know each other better and that a drink or two might be great to deal with that.."

A few of them hummed and the skeptical look in Seonghwa's eyes soon vanished, "Fine, then fill my glass. Although I tell you, this is only a one-time thing for tonight. After this, we will all be no more than adversaries trying to negotiate an agreement with each other."

Seonghwa's words echoed in the common room, but drunken minds forgot about them rather quickly.

_____

𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐨

Swig after swig was swallowed, poisoning liquid filled heavy minds until no coherent thoughts were able to exist in that specific room in the entire castle. Jongho knew that he had been telling about his family situation and how the sirens' rather abnormal family structures were more unloving than anything else. The alcohol had sweetly pried their tongues loose and he could remember how the other princes had shared some more personal matters from their aspect of life, too - let it be heavy emotions, prior experiences, or family matters - they talked about it all as if they had known each other for years.

It had barely even been a month since they came here.

But Jongho was startled when someone all too suddenly mentioned the obvious and painful distance there was between him and San. It shouldn't have surprised him, considering the fact that he just had been sharing how his parents were close to the merpeople's royal family.

And yet, he and San were not talking.

The siren prince stared at Mingi who sat on his right side and had asked the question, the slightest of fear tainting his eyes.

He could not tell him- he should definitely not!

"I think you two should kiss, trust me, the act can do a hell lot of resolving."

Jongho tensed at the demon's words, eyes about to pop out of his face, "Kiss? But we're friends - my parents even call us brothers! We shouldn't be kissing," he stated matter of factly as if the other was out of his fucking drunken mind.

Turning his face to his right, his sight blurred the more he stared at San. Hongjoong's words still sounded.. promising, but a small part of him also knew the demon could be playing them.

No, what the fuck was he thinking?!

"But you're not brothers by blood.." the vampire lowly rasped into his ear while a hand tucked some of his hair behind his ear, "Look at him Jongho, don't you think a kiss would cheer him up?"

It didn't seem like San was listening to their conversation, his head hanging low as he stared at the floor, body twitching now and then to keep himself awake. Jongho bit his tongue with his sharp teeth, throbbing head trying to figure out why this was not a bad idea. San liked affection.. so why would they not be right?

The siren raised himself from his spot before stumbling over like he had lost the ability to walk.

His hands reached for the merman prince's shoulders and pulled him with him away from the seating arrangement.

Then he said to him adamantly as if it hadn't just been proposed by some of the other princes, "San, we need to talk."

"No, Jongho-yah we need to kiss, Hongjoong said that we should kiss.." San slurred as he brought his hands around the siren's wrists.

Jongho never realised how they barely even reached the wall at the other end of the room, now standing in the middle of the room for everyone to see.

"You're drunk, don't listen to them, that-"

San tightened his grip on him, stumbling a step forward, "But you're the only one I'm allowed to kiss, you told me I cannot kiss Wooyoung then I only have you I can kiss... You're jealous Jjongie, jealous silly Jjongie who only wants me to himself," he sulked, "That's not very nice of you. You have to share me!"

The siren prince fumbled with his words in his mouth as his brain burned to figure out how to calm the other down again, "San, no, that's not true. I don't want to kiss you-"

"But angwy demon prince with pretty black eyes said that we have to kiss! So now we gotta kiss!" San pressed as he reached for Jongho again. But he tripped in the act, resulting in him falling against Jongho and them both stumbling back until the siren lost his own balance and they crashed to the floor.

The merman caged him against the freaking wall.

"You're just jealous of Youngiee," he repeated nonaffected by the way they had shrunk to the ground, laying on top of each other.

But Jongho's heart was racing in his chest. They had hugged a million times, being close like this was nothing new! Damn it, they had even shared the same bed! But this time it just somehow felt different.

Was San right? Was he jealous? No.

"Please listen, we have to talk this out," Jongho swallowed harshly as he was looking San straight in the eyes.

"But my mind has left me already, I cannot think enough to talk! Just kiss me instead. It's less talking."

"San you're drunk."

"No shit Sherlock. So are you."

"We cannot do this, we're only friends," Jongho said, biting his lip, "San, we can't do this, it's wrong."

The next few seconds had never felt longer. Jongho could only feel the way San's knees dug into his thighs as his hot breath fanned his skin until it was full of goosebumps.

"I want it Jjongie, I want to kiss you," San whispered, his voice so faint and weak that Jongho felt the knot in his stomach drop, evoking something even worse.

Somehow, Jongho couldn't get himself to refuse the offer - why couldn't he just tell him that he didn't want it?

"Please?"

Turning his head away from the other prince's pleading eyes, Jongho shook his head denyingly, "San, this is against our bloodlines, you have to consider that you're the crown prince, the next in row to rule your kingdom. You must understand how important it is that you make no mistakes, at all."

His answer had the other groan in return, but Jongho's heart skipped a beat when San's hands held the sides of his ribcage, "Arhh, I hate it when you always have to include our family's business in everything we do. I don't care about them, I just want to do what pleases me and not them! Can't you see it's ruining our lives, they're taking our freedom from us, forcing us to live a life we will never decide for ourselves! Come on Jjongie.. they will never get a chance to know what we're doing here."

They were all trapped in this castle, no one would know what they were doing there.. they could not get to them here...

Something within him snapped and Jongho lost his mind along with how his fingers reached for San's chin.

San's breath hitched, his blown eyes widening as he stared down at Jongho as if he had seen a freaking ghost. Perhaps he had, for Jongho would be killed after this.

He would be killed for kissing the Merpeople Kingdom's crown prince and anyone would ever get to know how soft San's lips had been on his or how he had tasted of bitter wine and sweet desire. Jongho would never stand a chance in court when his mind had already accepted the fact that he was fucking kissing San - that his hand was freely trailing up around San's tiny, tiny waist despite how awkward they still lay on the floor. He smelled of alcohol and salt, but Jongho knew he did too and hoisted himself further up to sit. San followed suit and pressed his lips harder into Jongho's when his arms moved to linger around Jongho's neck with silent traces.

Slowly, he let his hand slide down from San's chin and along his bodyline to stay with the other on the small of his back, giving the slightest push every time San shifted his weight on top of him deliciously. Like this, their lips sloshed perfectly together, and Jongho's eyes closed as he became so content with the moment of having San kissing him like this. Just like this.. So wrong, but feeling so right.

From the far end of the room, a sudden whistle made them stumble away from each other, San flinging himself to the side as he tried to catch his breath again. Instantly, Jongho sobered up, his eyes searching the group of princes wearing different expressions as they all looked in their direction. His heart was hammering in his throat. Jongho realised that San and he maybe hadn't been as alone here as he had thought to begin with. And it made the siren prince blush a crimson red before glancing over at San by his side.

Well, fuck his life.

♛