This is more chapters than I thought it would be not gonna lie.

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Li Jie's POV

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"You did what now?" Pop asked, his eyes narrowing. I shrank away from him. I knew telling him about this was a bad idea. But I also understood it would have been a whole lot worse if I didn't. I turned my attention to mom, who so far had remained seated in her armchair. And quiet. She frowned lightly, but she didn't particularly appear upset. "Out of all the idiotic things you could have done boy." Pop pinched the bridge if his nose. Mom finally moved from her chair, slotting in next to pop and whispering in his ear for a few beats. He closed his eyes, visibly relaxing at her words.

We talked all the time about King Yixing and King Junmyeon and their love story. Probably because ot was one kf the most well known in recent history. The first two gay kings, spanning multiple kingdoms. Two boys who found love in the most unlikely place, and against all odds kept finding their way back to each other. It was sappy enough to write a book about.

But I also thought my parents made a perfect love story too, even if it was more on the subtle side. They found each other purely by accident one night, working a party for King Yixing. Pop his faithful right hand man. And mom as an apprentice to the pianist. They struck up a friendship that eventually blossomed into mutual feelings. They went on a few dates together, and pop quickly realized he was actually smitten with her. It took them a few years to settle into a routine together, and mom moved into the palace full time, a newly appointed pianist for King Yixing. A permanent one. Dad tip toed arounf asking the most obvious question, and apparently mom found that amusing and charming, so she never pushed it. One day out of the blue he asked her to marry him, and well... Here I am as proof of their love. It was quiet and comforting and the exact opposite of our kings and in every way as perfect.

"What exactly did you say to him sweets?" Mom finally asked me, ghosimg a hand through pop's hair, no doubt keeping him subdued. "He didn't react well, I take it?" I shook my head, collecting my thoughts into a neat little pile to sift through so I could figure out exactly what I wanted to tell them. Pop finally opened his eyes, fire dancing along them, though all he did was kiss mom's temple. Whatever she said to him, she really got him calm. "Your dad is just worried," mom supplied. "About how this is going to affect things."

"Truthfully? I have no idea," I admitted. "DaeHyun isn't the type to just banish me from being around him, so I don't think I'm out of a job per se. However I think I am going to be held out at arms length for awhile." I breathed in and out for a little bit. Mom and Pop watched me gather myself. "I blurted out that I love him. And that it was driving me crazy. I wasn't sure what to expect... he ran from me. He actually tore off through the palace and locked himself in King Yixing's room. Probably seeking solace from them while he sorted through his thoughts. I... I thought it was what he wanted. He TOLD me he wanted it, last year, when he confessed to me. And granted at the time I didn't think much of it because I thought I didn't love him back, at least in that way. But the more I've thought about it and the longer this has gone on the more I realize that I do. I do love him."

"Son..." Pop just sighed. Then he turned and pulled his little desk chair in front of mom's armchair. He sat himself in her seat, and she perched on the arm, draping her legs over his. Bless her. He patted his desk chair. A clear invitation. I sat. And waited. Pop seemed to be piecing together something in his brain. "I suppose what you're feeling can only be right, huh? You've worked with DaeHyun for many, many years. I'm not about to ask you to separate from him. I just want to know why. Why this is happening all of a sudden. And how we plan to go about this so we don't upset our royal family we love so dearly." I just stared at him, uncomprehending. "Do you think you want to...try a relationship with him?" Pop asked gently.

"I'm not sure he wants a relationship with me. At least, not a romantic one. He's got Hojun now. And he seems content with that fact." I paused. "I definitely shouldn't have just sprung ot on him. I should have given him time to ease into the fact and get his bearings. He doesn't like surprises much." Pop chuckled. On that we agreed. "I feel like I really messed things up this time. He hasn't wanted to see me since. It feels like he's actively avoiding me, now more than ever."

"Are you jealous if Hojun?" Mom asked next. I stuttered to a halt, thinking that over. A little? Maybe? I understood that Hojun had become an important part of DaeHyun's life, and that Hojun adored DaeHyun beyond all measure. But I wasn't sure how deep the connection went the other way. "I feel like maybe you said these things because now that DaeHyun's affections aren't on you, you may be feeling a bit left out. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing. I would give him some space, and bring it up to him at a later time. It needs to be addressed, if not for his sanity then yours."

"You think so?" I mean, it would make some sense as to why I wanted to admit all this now. I never gave it much thought. "There's also the fact I'm, ya know, his servant. I couldn't be a trophy husband for him."

"Oh he'd show you off like you were the most wonderful thing on the planet," Pop responded. I turned to him. "It's DaeHyun. If he's anything like his fathers, then anyone who stands next to him is going to be the most cherished and loved." I inclinded my head, acknowledging the point. I knew for certain that, at least, was the case.

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DaeHyun's POV

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"Hey." Hojun smiled at me from my tablet screen. I felt so guilty I wanted to vomit. "Baby, what's wrong?" he asked, voice pitching in alarm. "You look like you don't feel well. Are you sick?" God... I just didn't deserve him. Maybe I just didn't deserve love, period. "No?" He looked about as troubled as I felt. "Dae?"

"I need to tell you something." He waited for me to continue. "I need you to promise you won't be mad. At least at me. And at least until after I've finished." He nodded. His eyes widened considerably, and if this wasn't serious, I might have taken a moment to coo at him and tell him how cute he looked. I closed my eyes, sending up a prayer to whoever would listen to me right now. "Li Jie kissed me." Hojun didn't show much of a reaction. His eyebrow shot up, but true to his word he didn't say anything. "And said he loved me. In the same way I once loved him. I'm confused. And hurt. I want to know why I was strung along all this time and now when it finally seems like I'm moving on and happy he's decided to mess with me some more." I stopped, taking a ragged breath. Hojun pursed his lips, and through the screen it was hard to make out his expression. "Say something?" I pleaded. "Now say something. Anything."

"Do you love him?" The question caught me off guard. I balked. But he remained rather neutral. "Do you love him?" he repeated. "I'm not here to judge. I just need to know what the answer is before I say what I want to day next." Then he waited once again while I collected my composure.

"I do love him," I answered in that careful, calculated way engrained into my very being. "I just am not so sure if I'm in love with him anymore. I'm always going to love him. He's my family." Hojun, for his part, looked surprised. Probably not the answer he expected. I wasn't expecting it either, if I was being honest. "I love you." Hojun practically melted at that, and it felt good seeing him finally happy.

"I love you too." He smiled that smile I adored. "I can't wait for you to come home. I miss you." My turn to dissolve into a puddle of mush. I brought the tablet to my bed, climbing atop the covers and using a random pillow to prop it up so we could still talk. I laid on my side, tucking my hands neatly under my head. "Other than that how is China? King Yixing hasn't pulled all his hair out yet has he?" He mimicked my pose on the screen, his eyes fluttering delicately as he positioned himself so he was comfy. He was a beautiful human. I was lucky to be in his sphere. "Doing alright baby? Has what Li Jie done rattled you at all?"

"A little." He raised an eyebrow and simply stared. "Alright a lot. I thought there's be fireworks and trumpet sounds and a grand, big parade thrown if he ever confessed to me. But all it did was leave me feeling insignificant and pained. Dad told me all these stories about how when Pa said he lkved him it was this happy feeling blossoming inside his chest but all I feel when I think about it right now is sick. And guilty."

"For what it's worth," Hojun cut in. "I'm not mad. At least at you. Fir what happened. How were you supposed to know what he was going to get up to?" Except that didn't pacify me in the way he thought it did. All I could picture was all the the times I went behind his back and was the one who instigated all these things. The kisses. The hand holding. Cuddling. All while Hojun believed he had every ounce of my devotion. "Do you... do you want me to be mad?"

I wasn't sure. If he yelled and cussed me out and the palace staff caught wind of it he was as good as a dead man. On the other hand is calm and collected responses drove me absolutely mad. Maybe I almost preferred it if he WAS angry. Because then at least I'd understand exactly what he was feeling. And maybe I, in turn, wouldn't be twisting with remorse. This was Hojun though. And I'd never seen him so much as raise his voice in my general direction.

"No, I don't think so," I decided at last. "I'm not sure if I'd know how to handle that, exactly. Though I guess I'm confused as to why you're not. You uave every right to be."

"I'm plenty pissed," he assured. "It's just not at you. You didn't ask for that to happen. Why would I be mad at you when he's the one who sprung it on you?"

You should be. If only you knew...

"I love you," I repeated. Another dazzling smile. "I wish you were here. But someone has to keep an eye on things while we're gone." He hummed in a thoughtful way, mulling that over. "We should go somewhere when I get back," I decided. "Somewhere new and fun."

"Like where?" he asked, studying a point beyond the screen. I thought breifly about asking him what was up. But then he snapped back to focus, smiling a soft little smile this time. The secret smile with his cute little left cheek dimple that made me weak in the knees at the best of times.

"Rome? Paris? New York City?" I fired off a list kf places. "I really don't care where we go as long as I'm with you."

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Junmyeon's POV

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"Aren't you worried?" Yixing asked me over our morning tea. I shifted my focus from my paper to him, tilting my head to the side in an obviously questioning manor. "About whatever happened the other night. Whatever it was, it really had DaeHyun shook up." I set my cup down, linking my fingers together while I crafted an answer.

"I am not. At least not yet. DaeHyun is our senstive guy, but he's got your stubborness. I have a feeling he's going to work it out better by himself." Still Yixing appeared troubled, which I definitely found endearing. Fatherhood was a look he wore so well. All aspects of it. I reached across the table, patting the back of his hand. "He's going to be okay Xing. If he reay didn't have it figured out, he would have told us."

"I suppose you are right," he mused at last. I sat back, picking my paper back up, ready to begin our quiet morning activity yet again. "Hey babe?" Once again my eyes rose from their place, only to be greeted with the sight of Yixing leaning comically over the table. He brushed his lips against mine, a hint of his jasmine tea he adored lingering behind in its place. "Love you Junmyeon. I always have..."

"And I always will."

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What fun these last two chapters have been.