We did it guys. We got to the end. I never thought we'd get here tbh. But I'm so glad we did.

Thank you to Astro for the song later in the chapter (Always You for those who are curious).

...

Junmyeon's POV

...

"Sire." I looked up from my book as Heechan stuck his head into my room. I was pouring through some of our history books just for curiosity sake. I was finally taking my family's advice and relaxing. Though I was still dressed in black dress pants and a white button up with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. "You have guests," he added. My eyebrows rose and I marked my place in the book. I wasn't expecting anyone. Not for a few days anyway. I followed behind him to the throne room.

"Junnie!" Now that was a voice I would recognize anywhere. I grinned as I caught sight of not only Yixing, but King and Queen Zhang. I approached them all slowly, dropping into a deep bow when I was a few meters away.

"At ease boy," a deep voice said above me, and I slowly straightened, meeting one kind and one curious gaze. I swallowed hard, but Yixing's dimpled smile was still enough to melt my heart. I turned my focus on him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I thought you were going home."

"I did, obviously," he replied, motioning to his parents. "I brought them back. They wanted to properly meet you this time." He broke away from them and sidled up to me. "Besides, I have so much time to make up for." He reached out and twined our fingers together, turning to his parents. "Mother, father, meet my boyfriend," he said, his whole face lighting up. I smiled fondly at him. Once upon a time we never would have dreamed to say this out loud. But here he was, showing me off to his mother and father for the first time.

"Pleasure," I said. They smiled at me, and I was glad his father didn't hate our guts anymore. "Not that I'm not happy to see you all, but may I ask why you came back so quickly? I wasn't expecting company for a few days."

"Kinda wanted to see you," Yixing said with a shrug. "I have a couple years to make up for anyway." He tugged on my hand. "Come on. I want to talk." I glanced towards his parents, my training kicking in.

"I can't just leave," I complained. "I have guests. That would be rude." Even as I said it, my mother pushed her way into the throne room. I glanced her way.

"Mr. and Mrs. Zhang, welcome," she greeted, striding up to our little group and giving them a little bow. "I'm sure our boys have a lot to discuss. Why don't you join my husband and I for some tea and cake? Wonsik just brewed a fresh pot."

"Sounds wonderful," Mrs. Zhang said, reaching out and ruffling Yixing's hair. "You boys enjoy." And with that they were off, leaving just the two of us. I turned to him, and he soon plowed into me. I laughed, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"I thought your father would hate us," I admitted, burying my face in his shoulder and closing my eyes, just happy he was here with me. "I missed you so fucking much Xing." He laughed quietly, his shoulders vibrating slightly at the sound. "Not just from the other day," I added as an afterthought. For all the days I laid awake at night wondering where we stood with each other. For all the times I watched him walk away again and again. For every tear I'd shed on his behalf because my feelings would get the better of me. Instinctively my hold on him tightened. He reached up and combed his fingers through my hair.

"I'm not going anywhere," he murmured, leaving a tiny trail of kisses down the side of my head. "Never again." I sighed quietly. "Come on," he added, grabbing one of my hands from around his waist and threading his fingers through mine. "I have something I want to show you. Something I'd been practicing in secret."

"Okay?" I said, following behind him down halls I was all too familiar with. My practice rooms. He stopped at the room with the piano, seeking permission to enter. I nodded, and he led me inside. We sat at the beach together, and all at once I was sixteen again, pouring my heart out to him in this very room. Acknowledging feelings I didn't know existed. He took a breath and rested his fingers on the keys. I watched on curiously.

It was so hard
Before I could stand before you
I shed tears out of fear
That we won’t see each other anymore

Do you remember that last day?
Your warm smile
Remained in my heart, it left feelings behind
And kept circling my mind

With the faith of you waiting for me
Though it was hard, I swallowed my tears and went to you
You told me not to worry no matter what happens

Are you still there?
In these times that were hard to endure
Even if I fall countless times
I’ll get up again and go to you
Though I’m late, I came to you

In the end, it’s you
I missed you
I wasn’t ok

My heart ached because I couldn’t hold you
So I looked for you
I waited for you, tears are coming
The one I love is you

I’m alright even if things are hard
It was too much to endure alone, I need you, I’m afraid
I’m alright though I was alone
But if you disappear, I can’t endure alone

I know you’ve waited for me too
My heart ached because we couldn’t touch
Words I couldn’t tell you
Kept lingering in my mouth

Yes, I didn’t forget, I’m standing here
Quietly, holding it in
Is this our destiny? Are you still there?

Are you still there?
In these times that were hard to endure
Even if I fall countless times
I’ll get up again and go to you
Though I’m late, I came to you

In the end, it’s you
I missed you
I wasn’t ok

My heart ached because I couldn’t hold you
So I looked for you
I waited for you, tears are coming
The one I love is you

Now I’m finally telling you
That it was you since the beginning
Call me once more, hold me once more
If it’s not you, you know I can’t be complete

In the end, it’s you
I missed you
I wasn’t ok (it hurts)

My heart ached because I couldn’t hold you
So I looked for you
I waited for you, tears are coming
The one I love is you

We sat in silence for what felt like eons. His fingers stilled at last as the final note faded into the ever growing darkness, his chest heaving. I was speechless.

"Wow," I finally said, and he grinned shyly, fingers once more dancing over the keys. "I didn't know you knew how to play," I added.

"I didn't," he replied. "Not until a few months after I met Ying Yue. I'm a dancer, not a singer." He turned to me, then glanced away again. "But I couldn't think of any other way to express how I felt. So I had an instructor come in a couple times a week without anyone knowing to teach me." He played a few basic things, simple songs I'd learned when I was young. "I'm still not the best, but I wanted to learn to play. For you."

"For me?" I echoed, glancing his way. But his focus was on something far away.

"Yeah. It seemed poetic in a way. The thing that brought us together in the first place, is the same thing that would bring us together again. Though at the time I just kind of knew that I was homesick for a place and a person I'd only known so briefly." He paused in his storytelling. "I never told Ying Yue because it wasn't the kind of thing she really needed to know. Maybe one day I would've played for her. But she wasn't my muse when it came to this. It was you. Always You. Which is ironically what I unofficially called the song." Something inside me that had once felt incomplete now felt full, and I wasn't sure how to explain it to him. He made me complete.

"Thank you," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "For all of this. For learning a skill and writing a song and...everything." He finally turned my way, leaning so our faces were inches apart. He gave me a shy little kiss, nothing more than a quick brush of our lips, but the butterflies were back all the same. "Now you come," I said, rising and tugging him up. "And dress casually."

...

We strolled along the busy streets of Seoul, hand in hand and looking at shops displaying tacky Halloween decorations. Each of us had a beanie and a mask on. Not that I didn't love my people, but I wanted this time to be about the two of us, and only us. In the distance I heard the quiet rumble of thunder as storm clouds quickly gathered, blocking out the moon.

"Look at that," Yixing said quietly in my ear. I turned to look at the light up ghost, only to feel a pair of arms around me. I jumped slightly at the sudden contact. "Gotcha," he added, chuckling to himself. "You still planning on coming to my party next week." I leaned back to gaze up at him.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I replied. "I love you." All at once I felt emotional. Everything was happening way too fast. From being told I couldn't see him again to his confession to his parents acceptance to his love song. I faced away and took a deep breath, trying to steady my rapidly beating heart. How did we end up here anyway? I never thought it would happen. I never really pictured a future where he was my future. But now I could. I didn't want any other future but one with him.

"You okay?" he asked. I turned back to look at him, smiling softly. I pulled my mask down, took off his, and cupped my hands around his chin. His gaze softened as his eyes met mine. I brushed my lips against his, electricity shooting through me. When I pulled back, I dabbed at my eyes, threading my fingers through his again.

"I'm more than okay," I said. "So much more than okay." And we resumed our walk, our masks in place once again, hands together. I swung them between us, marvelling over the feeling as rain threatened to fall. The air thickened around us as we walked and people thinned out as they seeked shelter. But Yixing and I walked on, happily pointing out things and enjoying each other's company.

"We'd better get going," he said at last as the first few fat drops splashed around us. He pulled me along as my thoughts pulled me under. This was moving along quickly. Too quickly. Did he really want this? He was throwing away an established life with someone who already loved him. As the rain beat down harder, it was getting more difficult to distinguish my tears from the droplets.

"Hey." A soft voice ground me to reality. Yixing turned to me again, pausing in front as I bowed my head. "Hey," he repeated, his fingers trailing over my skin and lifting my face to meet his. "What's wrong Junnie?"

"Nothing," I said, wincing when thunder boomed overhead. "Let's go." But he dug his heels in and grabbed my wrist, stopping me from going anywhere. "Yixing..." I warned.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," he declared as the rain began to soak through my sweater. I shivered slightly. He brushed his wet bangs out of his face. "Junnie, what's wrong?" he repeated. "Please tell me."

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" I asked over the thunder and the lightning, the storm overhead perfectly matching the storm inside. "You and I are risking everything we know. Neither country has ever had a gay king. And neither country is prepared." But that wasn't even half of what I wanted to tell him. What if he woke up one day and decided he didn't want to do this anymore? What if he hated me after just a few months. What if he decided to go back to Ying Yue.

What if he stopped loving me?

But a pair of arms around my waist and a pair of lips pressed to mine made all the worries vanish instantly as my knees nearly gave out. I steadied myself against him, letting myself melt into his kiss and his embrace alike. He reached up and twirled a strand of my hair around his fingers, tugging gently. When we both pulled back for oxygen, he placed a kiss to my forehead.

"I can't pretend to fix everything," he said, his soaked clothes and wet hair reminding me of where we were and what we were doing. "Nor can I say that it'll all be fine. But I can promise you that we are in this together, no matter what. I'm not leaving you. Never again." And he pulled me close and kissed me again and droplets cascaded down our cheeks. I closed my eyes and smiled against him.

Perfect.

...

That's the end of the official story ya'll! I can't believe we did it!