This has gone on a lot longer than I thought it would but I'm happy about that.

Guys. I did a bad and started another Sulay on the side (shhhh I didn't say that). If I eventually posted it, would anyone be interested?

Also, a big happy birthday shout out to my best friend abby378

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Yixing's POV

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Because neither of us could sit in on the newest council Junmyeon had to hold while everyone got him caught up with the rest of the happenings in the country, Baekhyun and I had a mutual agreement to keep each other company. Right now it mostly consisted of both of us in one of the many lounges the Kims had, with Baekhyun's battered PlayStation hooked to the TV. PlayStation 2 specifically, a classic. I watched as he played through Resident Evil 4.

"So Yixing," he said suddenly, pausing the game. "Tell me what happened between you and Junmyeon. He told me something happened, but never mentioned you by name ever. I only just pieced it together before his party."

"Blunt much?" I deadpanned. He simply stared at me. "Luhan mentioned you were Junmyeon's best friend. So why would he keep our relationship hidden from you if you were?" Intentionally invoking him wasn't probably the wisest strategy, but this little worm of jealousy kept making its rounds. Yeah, maybe I was jealous of Baekhyun.

"Maybe to protect you?" he suggested, and the fire inside me dimmed very quickly. "I've heard what he's had to say about it," he added. "But I want to hear what you have to say. Junmyeon says it was the happiest time of his life." Ouch. Right to my heart. "I've known him for a year now. He's been happy, sure, but there always seems to be something lurking under the surface."

"Well, at first, we really didn't get along," I confessed. "If my parents didn't decide to leave me behind for a couple weeks we might have never gotten to be friends in the first place." I paused in my story. "Can I trust you? I don't even know you. And what I'm about to tell you is something only two people in my life really know."

"I knew it from Junmyeon, and haven't said a word to anyone," he pointed out. I inclined my head. "I mean you don't have to say anything, but curious minds are always curious."

"That first night was something surreal," I said, launching right back to it. I needed to tell somebody about him. I needed to feel proud to have him and not be scared of backlash. "It was the first time I'd truly stayed in a different country without my parents. The Kims were nothing but welcoming, but Junmyeon often went out of his way to make sure I was cared for." I chuckled. "But also in that span of time he was being sent to other places on dates. The last one he went on before our...thing...he learned a song, which he sang to me." Out of the corner of my eye I could see Baekhyun smiling, but I forged on. "After that it was like a switch was flipped. We kissed for the first time on that piano bench. It was sloppy but damn it did things to me I still don't know how to explain. From that day on we were practically inseparable. I was so, incredibly, incomparably happy."

"If you talk so highly of him, then why are you getting married to someone else?" Baekhyun asked, a slight edge to his tone now.

"Duty," I replied, wincing at my own response. "Mostly I should say. I have to marry someone who can carry on the bloodline. And Junmyeon, much as I love him, just can't. And it's unfair to him as well. I was hoping he'd move on."

"He can't," Baekhyun sighed, settling back in his seat, gripping his controller a little tighter. "He doesn't talk about it much but I'm pretty sure he'll never be as happy as he was when he was with you. I wish he'd open up a bit more about it though. Keeping it all to himself all the time can't be good for him." Maybe Baekhyun wasn't as bad as I'd thought. At the very least he seemed to care a great deal about Junmyeon. That always counted for something.

"Well I..." I began, only to stop when the door swung open. We both turned towards the sound.

"Baekhyun, Yixing, what are you both doing holed up in here?" Junmyeon's mother asked. "It's nice out. Why don't you go outside for a bit." Baekhyun promptly dropped the controller and ran to shut off the device.

"Yes ma'am," he replied. "I've already played through that game like five times anyway. Come on Yixing." I wasn't perhaps as fast as him, as my movements were still sluggish after whatever bug I'd caught yesterday. But I struggled to my feet and padded after him quietly. He led the way to the garden, and jealousy began to blossom once again. He clearly knew these corridors well. How much time did he spend here? "Ooo, Junnie!" he suddenly called, bolting out the double doors into the garden. And it seemed everything happened in slow motion after that. Junmyeon looked up right as Baekhyun plowed into him, knocking them both to the ground. But his laugh that split the air was loud and clear all the same. "What are you doing out here?" Baekhyun asked as they both sat up. I sat across from them, huffing in annoyance.

"I may be king, but when mother orders I entertain the guests I have in the palace, I don't say no," he said with a grin. "Have either of you eaten lunch yet? I know it's the afternoon." Baekhyun quickly shook his head. "Good, because I had Wonsik prepare us all a picnic." I felt my insides twisting. A picnic. Like the one we never got to finish. "I'm glad to have you both here. I don't know if I say it enough, but thank you. It means the world to me."

"Of course," Baekhyun replied instantly, cutting off whatever I'd been about to say. "What are best friends for after all?" I sulked. Of course they had to remind me that they were in fact the best of friends, and I didn't really need to be here. But when Junmyeon turned to me with a sweet smile, I couldn't bring myself to be upset anymore.

"Yes, of course," I replied, smiling what I hoped to be a genuine smile. "We've always got your back." We were interrupted by a butler bringing out the picnic basket. And so our conversation stopped for lunch. Not that I felt any better about it.

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Junmyeon's POV

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We sat around and ate the food that Wonsik had prepared in relative silence. Baekhyun cracked a joke here and there. And Yixing... Well I knew something was going on inside his head, I just wasn't sure what. It didn't help that he hasn't touched his food yet.

"Are you feeling better?" I blurted. His gaze flicked up to mine. "I just know you were sick yesterday," I continued awkwardly, scratching the back of my neck. Baekhyun coughed lightly. "So how are you feeling now?"

"A bit sluggish, but it's like I wasn't sick at all," he said at last. "It started after..." He suddenly paused, going back to picking apart his lunch. But I knew what he was going to say. It started after I got there.

In all honestly I didn't really know what prompted my visit to him last night. Maybe it was wanting something familiar. Or maybe it was the desire to lie with him for one more night. But for whatever reason, he'd allowed it. And I soaked it up like a little, needy sponge. It honestly felt so great to be beside him once again, wrapped up in his embrace, even if it was for a short time. I slept well too, so that was a plus.

"Junmyeon?" I was yanked from my thoughts as Baekhyun snapped his fingers under my nose. "Geez, stick a king crown on your head and suddenly you can't socialize with the princes?" He jabbed me in the side, so at least I knew he was joking. Or I hoped he was joking. Yixing's shoulders lifted slightly, and though he didn't make a noise, something told me it was a sigh.

"Nothing will change between us, got it Baek?" I said seriously, drawing a knee up and wrapping my arms around it. "You're still going to be my best friend." I gazed across to Yixing, who was listening silently, picking apart his food with a little more fever. "You either Yixing," I added, and his gaze came back up to meet mine. "I..." I abruptly stopped. There was so much I wanted to say to him. But I couldn't. He glanced back down. Baekhyun shot me a knowing look.

"You can both talk freely you know," he piped up. "It's not like it's a secret from me." Just as I opened my mouth to reply, a guard nearby called out and shot passed us. We all turned as he made a beeline for the hedge wall on the far side of the garden. Another figure disappeared from sight. "What's going on?" Baekhyun asked.

"Damn paparazzi," a voice behind us spoke. I turned to see Heechan striding out through the double doors, looking angrier than of seen him in a long time. "Someone sent in a tip saying they've seen paparazzi snooping around the area. Now that you're officially king, anything you do will be even more closely monitored by the press. Whatever they can get their grimy little hands on. One just tried climbing up or through the hedge wall to get shots of you out here in the garden with Baekhyun and Yixing." He sighed, taking his fingers through his hair. "Of course you had your fair share of it when you were prince, but I fear it's only going to get worse."

"Ah," I said, glancing to my companions. Neither seemed particularly bothered by the news. Then again it wasn't like this was anything new for either of them. Yixing had made headlines all over the globe not too long ago. And I'm sure pictures of my party we're already circulating online. "Well let's not let it spoil any of our fun, huh?" And our picnic resumed, though now everyone appeared to be picking at their food. I was ravenous, but at the same time I didn't feel hungry at all, which sounded strange even to me.

"Heh." I glanced up as Yixing turned his phone screen to me. A photo of the three of us seated around the picnic basket greeted me. I rolled my eyes. King Junmyeon Entertains Guest in Palace Gardens. Damn they'd eat up any bit of news wouldn't they. "Seems you're pretty popular," Yixing continued, tucking his phone away.

"I guess," I replied. "Hey why'd you put your phone away? What if Ying Yue calls or something." He shrugged, picking at the grass beside the blanket, pulling them up one at a time.

"I can talk to her later," he mumbled, going shy on me. "I get to talk to you now." I was left feeling flattered, but also horribly confused. Even more so than the other night. He claimed he didn't feel the same way as I did. So why did he act like it sometimes? And why the hell couldn't it be true.

"I'll be right back," Baekhyun suddenly spoke up, rising and striding away quickly, leaving Yixing and I alone. I glanced to him. Now that I knew the paparazzi were keeping an eye on us, I couldn't do all the things I'd hoped to do with him. I did crawl over so I was sitting beside him though.

"Hi," I said. He cracked a small smile.

"Hi," he replied. I chuckled. "Look about all of this..." He trailed off, looking around. No one was any where near us. He sighed. "Damn it Junnie life is complicated isn't it? I thought I had it figured out. In four months I'm getting married." He leaned back on his hands and closed his eyes. I mimicked his pose. "Everything was supposed to be smooth sailing. At least, in a picture perfect world it would be." I felt his hand go over mine. "I've missed you. I didn't know how bad until your party during our dance. I just wanted to hold onto you and never let you go."

"I wished I could turn back time," I admitted. "So I could relive those moments over and over. But I know you're taken, so I didn't dare let myself hope. I couldn't. It still kind of kills me inside though." I slowly opened my eyes, blinking a few times when the world around me blurred. "Because god damn it Yixing I still like you so much, but I can't do anything about it. It's like... It's like..." It was like a little piece of me broke every time I had to think about it. It felt like the best part of me was being forcefully yanked away time and time again. It felt like I would never reach that same level of happiness I felt when I was with him, no matter how hard I tried. It felt like I was standing on a ledge about to fall and there was no bottom in sight.

"Hey." I jumped when his fingers brushed my skin. They came back wet. "I'm sorry." He wrapped his as around me. "I'm so sorry Junnie. I should have tried to call. I should have tried to visit. I should've let you know. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." With every sorry uttered, he only sounded more broken. And suddenly we were lying side by side in the grass, the world still blocked by a wall of blur. "I hate it," he whispered. "I hated it so much. The first few months after my visit I couldn't even look at any of my dates. Everywhere I looked, it was you. It was always you."

"What happened then?" I asked, barely audible. "What made Ying Yue so special then?"

"She's just a girl Junnie," he replied, sweetly kissing the side of my head. "She's Ying Yue. I don't know how to explain it. But I'm learning something while I'm here."

"Oh?"

"I still love you."

...

Ooooooo. Things are heating up! Excitement!