<Choi Palace>

Hyejeong shut the door while stepping into the small room where the other three members were already waiting.

"What happened?" Jaejun asked.

"Guys-" Hyejeong chuckled, "I've a sizzling hot news in my hand."

"What is it?" Junwoo asked.

"The youngest of the Choi's, Dino, is in love with a mortal." Hyejeong stated, "Her name is Taeri. I don't know much about her yet, but we can figure it out."

"A mortal?!" Yeonjin gasped, "Seriously?"

"Not just a mortal, an easy target." Junwoo smirked, "And a bait as well."

"Yeah, right." Jaejun nodded, "We can use her against them."

"Exactly because she seems to be in good terms with the royalty." Hyejeong added.

"Alright then." Jajeun stated, "Tonight, me and Hyejeong will go to get information of this Taeri. Junwoo and Yeonjin, both of you will get a clear view of the defense system, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Dino's birthday is on the way soon." Seungcheol stated as he sat beside Jeonghan in the balcony of their room. It was night already as the stars had occupied the sky.

"Hmm, it's the first time me and Joshua will be helping in planning in any event of the palace." Jeonghan nodded.

"Yeah." Seungcheol chuckled, "Last year was fun as well. The pool party."

Jeonghan paused for a moment, staring at nowhere.

"Hello?" Seungcheol snapped his fingers in front of the younger's face, "Where are you lost?"

"Uh- nothing, I just recalled something." Jeonghan looked away.

"What did you recall?" Seungcheol tried to look at him, "Why are you behaving so strangely?"

"Shut up." Jeonghan blurted out.

"What did I even do?" Seungcheol whined, "But tell me what you recalled?"

"I-" Jeonghan cleared his throat, "Don't you dare tease me over that." He threatened.

"Oh?" A sly grin appeared on Seungcheol's face, "I'm intrigued."

"You're already teasing." Jeonghan frowned, smacking the older's arms.

Seungcheol chuckled, feigning innocence. "Me? Teasing? I wouldn't dream of it." He held up his hands in mock surrender, a grin still playing at the corners of his mouth. "But seriously, you can't drop a cryptic hint like that and not expect me to want to know more."

"It's nothing serious." Jeonghan shrugged, looking away, "I was just shamelessly staring at you, the whole time. Why do I remember that day so vividly? Argh it's so freaking embarrassing."

Seungcheol's smirk widened, unable to hide his amusement, "You were staring at me the whole time? And you remembered it?" He chuckled, clearly enjoying Jeonghan's embarrassment. "Well, who could blame you? I am pretty handsome." He flexed his arm muscles in a playful manner.

"Yeah? And you were also a grumpy grandpa back then." Jeonghan rolled his eyes, "You've become a good man only after marrying me."

"Hey! I wasn't a grumpy grandpa." Seungcheol dramatically stated, "But yeah, marrying you had a great influence on me. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea."

Jeonghan stared at him for a while after which he pushed Seungcheol's arm lightly.

Seungcheol stumbled back a few steps, dramatically clutching at his arm like he had been hit with a wrecking ball. "Ah, the betrayal!" he exclaimed, "You have wounded me deeply, my dear husband." He feigned a look of mock hurt, his eyes full of playful affection.

"I'm just too embarrassed right now." Jeonghan squeezed his eyes shut.

"It's alright." Seungcheol chuckled, leaning his head on the younger's shoulders, "I was too stupid back then. My real, true love was right in front of me, staring at me as well, but me? It's funny."
-

[Flashback]

-

The pool party was in full swing along with the competitive spirit of volleyball going on in the pool. Seungcheol, Mingyu, Seungkwan, and Dino were in one team while Seokmin, Jun, Hoshi, and Vernon were in another. They were the only ones up for playing.

Minghao, Wonwoo and Woozi had willingly taken up the referee's position while Joshua was of course cheering for Seokmin's team.

Jeonghan had chosen Dino's team to cheer but the fact was, he was more focused on Seungcheol.

Jeonghan felt extremely guilty to be gawking at the eldest prince, who was of course already in love with someone else. But he couldn't help it, his eyes were drawn to the older, his muscular frame flexing with each move.

"Yah don't cheat!!" Seungkwan's voice snapped Jeonghan out of his stance. There was a playful dispute going on between the two teams. The refrees were rather enjoying it while Joshua was talking on Seokmin's team's side.

"Hyung!" Dino called Jeonghan, "The ball touched Vernon hyung's hands, right?"

"What?" Jeonghan blurted out, Uh- yeah right. It did."

"Are you blind or just siding with your team?" Joshua pointed at him, "It clearly didn't touch Vernon's hand."

"I-" Jeonghan fumbled with his words. He glanced at Seungcheol who was looking at him with a knowing chuckle.

"Or probably you were too focused elsewhere?" Joshua raised a brow.

"Yeah, I was organizing the drinks." Jeonghan lied.

Everyone scoffed as they got indulged in playing again.

Jeonghan went to the resting area is as he quickly gulped a glass of alcohol. He had to calm himself somehow. He wasn't supposed to be gawking at a man who was actually in love with someone else already. Someone who was already cursed and dead.

"Why am I getting attracted to a stupid person like him?" Jeonghan scoffed.

After a while, Seungcheol approached the same resting area as well. He was drying his hair with a towel while his physique was on full display. Jeonghan tensed slightly but pretended to ignore his presence while sipping on his drink.

"Why didn't you play though?" Seungcheol asked.

"Me?" Jeonghan pointed at himself.

"I don't see anyone else here?" Seungcheol raised a brow.

"Didn't feel like it." Jeonghan shrugged.

"Or you were just scared to lose." Seungcheol laughed slightly.

"Oh shut up." Jeonghan rolled his eyes, "Be glad I didn't play or else your head was going to burst."

"Oh really?" Seungcheol teased, "You think you would have won huh?"

"Exactly." Jeonghan nodded, "And we would have been calling Woozi and Seungkwan for treating your wounds."

"Hmm they're quite skilled with their healing hands." Seungcheol nodded.

"Definitely." Jeonghan continued to sip his drink without batting an eye on the older.

"You look like you're enjoying your drink." Seungcheol grinned, "Mind sharing some."

Jeonghan passed a glass and the bottle across the table, "Here you go."

"Thanks." Seungcheol said, raising his glass. He took a sip and leaned back against the wall; his eyes fixed on Jeonghan.

"Stop staring at me." Jeonghan muttered without looking at him, watching the others playing here and there.

"Oh, really? Says the one who can't seem to keep his eyes off me." Seungcheol grinned. He shifted his position, deliberately flexing his muscles as he took another sip of his drink.

"Okay fine, I was staring." Jeonghan chuckled menacingly, "Because I can. I'm not committed to anyone, unlike you, crying over a dead soul."

"Not in the mood to argue today." Seungcheol masked the slight pain he felt, with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I don't cry over a dead soul, I honor her memories."

"Honor." Jeonghan mocked, "You're literally waiting for her to reincarnate and come back to you, which is not exactly practical."

"You have no idea how it feels." Seungcheol said, his voice low and strained, "To love someone so deeply, only to be taken away from you. It's not about practicality, it's about hope."

"It's about nothing, it's about moving forward, in life." Jeonghan stated, "People around you are willing to help you move on but you're unnecessarily stubborn."

"You think it's that simple?" Seungcheol retorted, "Moving on, just like that."

"It's not easy doesn't mean you've to be stuck into something which is gone, forever." Jeonghan remarked. He couldn't understand why he was feeling a weird ache in his chest.

"It's not that I don't want to, I just can't." Seungcheol's voice was a heavy sorrow, "I can't forget her. She was everything to me."

Oh to be loved by someone like that - Jeonghan thought.

"She's lucky even after-" Jeonghan hesitated to completed his sentence but he reminded himself that he didn't care, "Even after losing her life."

"Lucky?" Seungcheol intervened, "Lucky are those who get to live, to experience life, to cherish moments. Not those who are taken away."

"And the fact that there's still someone to love and defend her?" Jeonghan looked at him, gulping the alcohol again.

"Yes, there is." Seungcheol said quietly, "But it doesn't make her situation any better, does it? Dead is dead, regardless of how much someone loves and defends you."

"And how about the 'alive' people who are always running worried behind you because a dead and not to mention, CURSED soul?" Jeonghan implied.

"I-" Seungcheol halted as he knew that Jeonghan wasn't wrong, "It's not my fault. I didn't choose this."

"But the responsibilities chose you and you can't deny them." Jeonghan retorted, "You are not attaining the throne because of her, which is in turn affecting the entire kingdom."

"I know that." Seungcheol scoffed heavily, "But the pain and agony in my heart is a bit too much."

"There's a very thin line between love and obsession." Jeonghan stated, "All I know is that true love also teaches you to make sacrifices. Both of them hurt but love heals as well while obsession can't."

"It's easier said than done." Seungcheol looked down at his clenched fists, "You don't understand the depth of my feelings."

"Maybe I do." Jeonghan nodded, "And I can also see the underlying danger in it. You can't because you're yourself drowning in that depth."

"Maybe I am drowning." Seungcheol admitted, his voice rough with emotion, "But I can't seem to find my way out, can't see anything beyond her."

"Because you don't want to." Jeonghan sipped on his drink, "You're not willing to look at your future. Let alone future, you're not even looking at your present."

"I don't know." Seungcheol said softly, "She's all I see in my future."

"And that, your highness, is the exact problem." Jeonghan retorted.

"It's not that easy." Seungcheol muttered.

"Good things never come easily." Jeonghan chuckled bitterly, "You're a warrior too, how can you talk about something being hard or simple?"

"Being a warrior doesn't make me emotionless, Jeonghan." Seungcheol muttered.

"Then maybe I am like that, emotionless." Jeonghan grinned without humor, "People's personality gets affected by their experiences. And I never got to experience a love like that."

"Perhaps it's a blessing." Seungcheol added, "Emotions like this, they can destroy you from within. They can lead you into an endless abyss where the light never shines."

"How can you be experienced and wrong at the same time?" Jeonghan chuckled, "As far as I believe, your true love would never let you feel the darkness. At least I won't. If I get to love someone, I'll make sure their world always shines, even if mine has collapsed."

Seungcheol stared at him briefly. Maybe, admiring his thoughts? He just couldn't understand how he could say something so- beautiful, "You make it sound so simple-"

"Because it is. It is very simple." Jeonghan intervened, "It becomes complicated when we start thinking too much. Our approach makes it messy."

"That's unique, I appreciate it." Seungcheol took a gulp of his drink, "But you're missing the point. Love is messy, complicated. It's not just about the approach."

"Love isn't complicated Seungcheol, we are." Jeonghan chuckled, "It's all about perspective. And we surely don't seem to align there."

"We definitely don't." Seungcheol agreed, "You see it in black and white, while I'm stuck in the world of shades of gray."

Jeonghan looked at the older, the only thing he wanted to say right now was - Let me fill colours in your life and seek some in mine too.

But why? Why would he say that?

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't realise that he was blankly staring at Seungcheol for a bit too long.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Seungcheol asked.

"Nothing." Jeonghan shrugged, "Thought of something illegal."

"What exactly?" Seungcheol raised a brow.

"Killing you or something?" Jeonghan laughed briefly.

"You've a weird sense of humor." Seungcheol grinned playfully, "Well, the way we're always arguing, you surely can have those fantasies. I should be careful."

Jeonghan just nodded. Why was he feeling so giddy? He simply blamed the alcohol for that. He blamed it because he couldn't put up the mask of irritation anymore.

He knew he was falling; he very well knew that. And all he needed was a reality check. And hearing a clear cut no from the older would be the best, right?

"Seungcheol?" Jeonghan asked, "If you get to know that someone admires you just the way you admire her, what would you do?"

"Why such a question?" Seungcheol avoided any eye contact with the younger, "You already know the answer, don't you?"

"I want to hear it from you, just curious." Jeonghan shrugged.

"I would feel nothing, really." Seungcheol's voice was strained, "I can't love anyone else. It would be meaningless, pointless."

Jeonghan never knew he would feel hurt over this. He had just said that it was all so simple, but the fact was that, it wasn't. It was way too complicated.

But anyways, he needed that. A reminder, to not to fall for a committed man. It was funny, really. A cursed, dead soul had the topmost priority.

Funny or pathetic?

Jeonghan laughed to himself as he thought, 'Funny is the situation and pathetic is me.'

"Why are you laughing?" Seungcheol asked hesitantly.

"Nothing." Jeonghan sighed heavily, "My head hurts." Heart does.

"Maybe it's the drinks." Seungcheol's voice was laced with concern, "You should call it a night and rest."

"The night-" Jeonghan chucked his drink at once, "Is going to be long."

"Take it easy." Seungcheol looked at him, "You shouldn't drink so quickly. You'll feel even worse in the morning."

"Hmm." Jeonghan nodded but continued to drink recklessly.

"Enough." Seungcheol reached over and placed a firm hand on the younger's arm, "You're going to make yourself sick. Please, just stop."

"Mind your business, Seungcheol." Jeonghan sighed as he took another drink.

"I can't mind my own business when you're behaving so recklessly." Seungcheol exclaimed, "You're going to hurt yourself, Jeonghan. Please, just listen to me."

"C'mon, you're not someone who needs to be concerned about me." Jeonghan chuckled while gently swatting his hands away.

"Damn it, Jeonghan!" Seungcheol snapped, "You think just because I'm not the one you want, I don't care about you? It's true we bicker too much but we're still friends."

Jeonghan chuckled bitterly, looking at the older with half lidded eyes, "What if you're the one I want?"

"Wha-" Seungcheol froze as he stuttered, "What did you just say?"

Jeonghan started laughing, "Look at your face? It's so funny. I was just messing with you. C'mon, you're the last person I would ever want."

"Yeah of course." Seungcheol rolled his eyes.

"Go away." Jeonghan mumbled quietly, drinking yet again.

"No." Seungcheol squinted his brows, "You can't be left alone right now. We should- talk."

"Talk?" Jeonghan slowly looked at him, "About what?"

"About this." Seungcheol gestured towards his drink, "This reckless behavior. We need to talk about what's going on with you."

"What's going on with me?" Jeonghan giggled, "Why are you suddenly so intrigued in me?"

"I'm not intrigued," Seungcheol retorted bristly. "I'm worried, damn it! I can't just sit here and watch you drown yourself in alcohol like this. Something's clearly bothering you, and I want to know what it is."

"Nothing can bother The Yoon Jeonghan, nothing." Jeonghan nodded slowly, "And why are you so worried as if you're my well-wisher or something?"

"Stop pretending like nothing's wrong!" Seungcheol exclaimed. "I can see it in your eyes, Jeonghan. You're hurting, and this is how you're dealing with it. It's not healthy, and I care about you too much to just sit back and watch you self-destruct."

"Why?! Why do you care? You don't need to." Jeonghan whined, "Don't do it."

"Why?" Seungcheol's voice was filled with a mixture of anger and concern. "Because you're my friend! Because I care about you, dammit! And I can't just stand by watching you tear yourself apart like this. I want to help you, but you have to let me in!"

"You're not my friend, shut up." Jeonghan muttered, "Give me some space. I can't even breath with you being around."

"I won't." Seungcheol sternly stated, "You have to talk, no matter what."

"Alright, if you won't go then I will." Jeonghan stood up to leave but stumbled back on the chair, "What the hell is wrong with me?!"

"You're too drunk, that's what's wrong." Seungcheol helped him sit.

"Ugh." Jeonghan inhaled a deep breath, "Stop bothering me."

"You-"

"Joshua!" Jeonghan called loudly.

"Why are you calling him now?" Seungcheol asked.

"He's my brother, Seungcheol, I'll take his help, not yours." Jeonghan nodded.

"Okay calm down, I'll call him." Seungcheol stood up as he did what was asked. Joshua arrived in no time, "What happened?"

"Nothing." Jeonghan held his hand, "Throw me somewhere cozy."

"What's going on?" Joshua asked.

"Talk to him." Seungcheol stood up, "Because he certainly won't talk to me." He glared at the younger for one last time and left.

-

[Present]

-

Jeonghan sighed, "You were so mean to me. But anyways, it wasn't your fault either."

"Still, I'm sorry." Seungcheol embraced the younger in his arms.

"Maybe that's why in the beginning of our marriage, I was always hating on you." Jeonghan scoffed, "Well, hate is a bit too much but yeah, it was all so overwhelming for me."

"Well, it was my fault though." Seungcheol accepted.

"Shut up." Jeonghan chuckled, "We've each other now, that's all that matters to me."

Seungcheol pressed a tender kiss on his forehead, "I love you, a lot."

"I love you too." Jeonghan chuckled.

"If I get to love someone, I'll make sure their world always shines, even if mine has collapsed." Seungcheol quoted, "You said that right?"

Jeonghan gasped, "Why do you remember it?"

"I just do." Seungcheol pulled him closer, "You keep lighting my world, Jeonghan and I'll make sure yours doesn't collapse."

Jeonghan held the older's hands, their strings glowed with absolute elegance, "Promise."

A/n : Yep, they were always fighting-

Anyways take care everyone!
-Jeonghanneyonghaseyo