*nervous chuckles*

I hate myself for this, but am truly truly sorry

hope the read is worth it 🥺

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A pensive silence, as heavy as grey clouds before a rainstorm, fell within the colossal pillars of the courtroom.

Taehyung shakily sighed, eyes roving through the crowd to meet the ones already locked with his. Black, dark and twinkling.

"Preluding, your highness, that this isn't my insolence to your power, I suppose matters of kingdom security also concern us, your ministers," Minister han pointed his chin towards the rest of the ministers who nodded, "And I don't remember having discussed of any of this with you beforehand...." The minister turned to Jung hyuk, and warily eyeing him added, "it seems like you don't need us to make democratic decisions here in kaatru anymore, do you, my king?

Of course Minister han would do this. Of course he should've expected him to do this after their disastrous lunch the other day.

"I'm certainly aware of that minister Han, and like I had discussed with you back in our lunch," He addressed with a sweet smile, loving how minister lee rose a suspicious brow at han, "this was meant to be a covert operation. Besides, I couldn't risk having a black lamb in the courtroom—I'm sure, you, minister, are quite aware yourself of such mishappenings, aren't you?"

"But my king, it still hasn't been properly proven that he isn't a rogue, and yet you trust him," Minister Lee interrupted, pointing an accusing finger at Jung hyuk, "but not us? Your own people?"

"Must I remind you, minister, that I proved to you, not any longer than a week into jung hyuk's arrival here that he isn't no rogue," he darkly addressed, pulling a hand up to shut the minister who opened his mouth to interrupt, "that...he isn't no one who poses anymore danger than the rest of us," He took a deep breath, pushing back the images flashing before his eyes.

Images like the ones in his dreams. Dreams where he killed his mother, ryejin, min hyung, jung hyuk with his own two bloody hands; brutally ripping their hearts out—

"But what guarantees that he won't be allying with them," He jumped on his seat, eyes fluttering open to minister lee eyeing hyuk in distaste. "With those rogues"

He had missed out on lots. It was obvious in the way the courtroom was a loud mess. But Ryejin was here, safe and sound, in all her flesh & blood. If he concentrated enough, he could hear her heart beating. And so were min hyung and Jung hyuk. Then mother must be alright too.

"How can we trust a recent intruder, your highness?" It was hard to hear the minister over his pounding heart, but it was safe to say, it wouldn't be anything wise. So he just chose not to reply.

"What are the odds that he is a spy from one of our neighbouring kingdoms? After all of this," The minister eyed him and Jung hyuk, "how would we know, my king?"

"Any alpha can lead the special task force, but we won't let it be someone whom we don't trust—" Whomever does that old haggard trusts?

"He doesn't even sound that convincing —how can we even let him into our kingdom matters that carelessl—"

"What about our safety!? The public's safet—" Enough—

"ENOUGH!" Ryejin yelled to his rescue, drawing down the courtroom to a pin drop silence, "that's enough! You all done interrogating his highness? Huh? "

"I bet none of you trust him, do you? Do you minister han? Huh? What about you, minister lee? Gwan?" Silence. Her dry chuckle toppled off the walls of the courtroom. "Why? Is it because he is an omega? An omega king? Hmm? None of you think he is capable of taking the right decisions for us, do you? None of you, not even for once thought, that his highness's at most priority would be our safety, did you?" She paused for another guilty silence. "guessed so"

"You were speaking of democracy, right minister han? What about the time when he called you to discuss on this subject and you disrespected him and his decisions, huh? " She swiftly turned to minister Lee, "and your problem is our safety, huh?"

"If we're to find out whatever jung hyuk is hiding, then it's better we get the best out of him as we do" Wait—he said that? Oh fuck—

"—Well, he's been running this kingdom since he was 18 and must I remind you minister, when gandhara waged a war against aranya, he ensured we had enough safety here even in his absence"

No no no no ryejin—

"He has sacrificed so much that I doubt any of you would know, after all—"

Sometimes Taehyung speaks things taehyung regrets. 

He had told ryejin to support him on his decision of making Jung hyuk the special commander in force because he was, back then when they had this conversation, sure that he would blow the alpha's cover the more he got to know him. Hell, Jang wook was still spying the neighbouring kingdoms under his orders to find out about Jung hyuk's true background.

But over the week, the alpha had come closer to him. Now, mid uvagai, almost a couple of weeks into Jung hyuk's arrival, Taehyung knew that he is the protector. And bonus, that he smells like after rain, tastes like tarhyung's then favorite habit and has a free choke hold over his self control.

The night at the carnival warned him. Even Jung hyuk did. Of all the wrongs they checked off. He wasn't sure he himself was safe to be around. And once when the alpha finds out his fated omega, like every other protector does, Taehyung knew that he would be thrown out of the picture like he had never been there.

All that aside, Jung hyuk himself couldn't be trusted. Yes, he felt safe to be around. And yes, his lips were softer than the cotton candies taehyung used to eat at uvagai fairs. But Jung hyuk couldn't be trusted. His intentions were still hidden, and he was obscure as hell to read.

"—keep you safe," Ryejin had to stop before she pushed him into an ocean of guilt that taehyung was afraid, he wouldn't be able to swim out of it. "I trust him to keep me safe and I'm certain so do the mass. I'm afraid it's just you," She pushed her chin towards the ministers, "putting him in trials for trivial matters such as this, just cause you don't trust him and not supposedly what is to be for public welfare"

He cleared his throat before minister lee could interrupt, "If I haven't yet earned my council's trust, then so be it," He didn't want this to continue, but then nothing else would make jung hyuk stay. Here in kaatru. Just until uvagai's over and he figures a way out of this mess. His mess. "I have entrusted Jung hyuk with this position and I take responsibility of it"

They exchanged looks, and as always Jung hyuk was unreadable, "Three months. He gets three months to prove his innocence as a loyal special commander in force to kaatru," He surveyed the council full of disapproving chatters and looks. "If any harm might come in the way, because of him, I leave it upon your hands to decide what shall be next"

Great, he pulled the alpha into his mess.

"Fine, we'll see for the coming three months to evaluate how things turn out and if they," Minister han scowled at Jung hyuk, "don't prove to be anything harmful or deceitful, then he shall stay here else... he'll be exiled to isolation in the dark forests of kaatru"

This Sick bastard

Taehyung gulped, and turned to the alpha. A reassuring nod, as expected. But he knew of these dark forests, and exile, even in its closest vicinity sounded much worse than execution. He balled his fist, glaring daggers into the minister's sinister smile.

"I agree," Jung hyuk broke his indecisive silence. The minister smirked.

God, taehyung craved revenge now. So he stood up, hiding his itching-to-punch fists behind his back. "Minister Han, now that a deal has been drawn," He pranced towards the minister's seat, climbing down his throne, "it should only be fair that there's a penalty for whichever party that loses, including you too, right?

"I-i—why must I be punished!? I did no wrong! Neither did I bring-bring any rogue—"

"He. is. not. a. rogue" He gritted through his teeth, hands trembling to punch, slap, throw—hurt the old bastard in anyway possible with two neat hands. "Am I clear? Jung Jung hyuk is not a rogue. And anybody," He leaned towards the minister, who shrunk in his seat, "including you, addressing him that way will be penalized at my orders"

"He-but—"

"Now, " He addressed the minister, pulling together his robe, "minister han, what do you think of a month's time at the black hole, hmm? It's just a dark prison isn't i—"

"NO! no no my king I didn't do anything treasonous—"

Neither did Jung hyuk—

But Taehyung wouldn't know, would he? He couldn't trust Jung hyuk, no matter how many times he kissed the other and how heavenly it felt each once.

"Well then, you can help me, minister, " He smiled, deliberately making it look hostile.

"I-i- b-but my k-king, i did-i did nothing—"

"Okay, you want me to go lenient? Fine then," He pulled a finger to his chin, pretending to think. If there was something the minister hated, it would be parting with his wealths, so he clapped his hands, drawing the court's attention,"You'll donate a third of your land assets to the kingdom, which will then be distributed among small farmers, is that lenient enough for you, minister?"

Minister han turned a dark shade of red, all his fear vanishing to rage. He looked angry, features flushed and breaths turning shallow. Just as the minister opened his mouth in time to yell  taehyung smiled, interrupting, "not enough? Well, in that case I must ask someone in the court to offer a sugges—"

"FINE! I will donate a third of my lands! " The minister declared, "but my king, you're making grave mistakes under bad influence," He glared at Jung hyuk, "your father, King seon ho, wouldn't have liked this, I would know, he wouldn't have liked any of this," He scowled before collecting his cloak and storming off.

Taehyung pulled his robe together,  swallowing a lump in his throat.

Some shallow murmurs aside, the courtroom was quiet. Some pitiful stares. Some angry. Some concerned. And there was Jung hyuk's, still unreadable.

Taehyung climbed up his throne, pretended he wasn't hurt and went about the general grievances for the day. Relatively lesser work today. Got off work, an hour or so later, changed to much comfortable attire, skipped lunch and took refuge at the archery ground.

The target looked more like minister han and less like a wooden pole with it's bull's eye missed by a hair numerous times.

He was sweating profusely, feeling inexplicably hot, inside out. Something felt wrong with him and he blamed it on the skipped lunch. But since when did missing lunches made him feel this angry, like his body has been set on fire?

His last arrow, mind you- the 23rd, missed the bull's eye, again.

Frustrated, not sure if with himself or the bow, he threw it to the ground and it broke into half the moment it hit the surface. Everything felt wrong. Everything was wrong.

He felt hot, so hot, all over him. It burnt everywhere. His skin, his fingertips, the bow string cuts. Everywhere.

God forbid someone sees him like this. Pathetic, sweating head to toe, unstable and crying. His vision kept blurring in and out, and something hot has been trailing down his burning cheeks for quite some time now. Maybe after the fourteeth arrow or something. It was a recent memory, but seemed rather distant. The wind howled, and it was distant too. The breeze was cool, at first, and then it was painfully hot, wherever the wind hit. His fingertips, face, dried tear trails, bare feet.

He settled down underneath a tree, the cool bark was cool for sometime, until it began burning his back too. He felt helpless and hated feeling so. God, he was so afraid someone might see him this vulnerable.

The bark, the target, the broken bow—all of them disappeared to Minister han? He already had an audience? One, two, three of him? Taehyung wasn't sure, his vision was too blurry. But all of the minister hans kept laughing at him. He could hear them, clear as daylight, dry sinister chuckles.They kept laughing and the minister's words from before kept ringing.

"your father, King seon ho, wouldn't have liked this, I would know, he wouldn't have liked any of this"

He was disappointing his father too, wasn't he?

Tears spilled on his khaki pants, and he didn't bother wiping them. Not like it would make him look any less miserable.

'Much more like an omega', minister han taunted, and the two other minister hans laughed along. His fingertips itched revenge under the fire. And he craved blood. Taehyung craved blood.

So he pulled himself up, threw a punch, square at one of the minister hans jaw. He didn't know if the other was hurt but his fingertips cooled down. And soon did his hands. His knuckles. His insides. All one by one.

But the minister laughed, looking nothing like he was hurt. Looking perfectly fine through his punch, when taehyung was sure he heard a bone or two crack. The fire returned, the cool of his bruised fingertips suddenly lost. It felt much much worse this time.

His insides churned, like trapped in a fire pit, and he couldn't explain why or how. It was bad and burning hot and that was probably his only coherent thought taehyung was sure of.

God, why wouldn't the minister stop laughing. There were too many of him, on top of all of that, three or so. And each of their chuckle rung a chord in Taehyung that sent waves of fury rolling down his veins. He threw another punch to each of them, hoping it would settle it at that.

But they just wouldn't stop, so he kept punching. Each time he withdrew his hand, his hand hurt, but it felt cool. His knuckles were bloody red, but he felt too sickly hot all over to care.

Taehyung kept throwing punches and at one point, he threw one of the minister hans to the ground and he wasn't sure which one, since they all looked identical.

The older didn't stand back up again, and the longer taehyung took to catch his breath the lesser it looked like minister han lying on the ground and more like an uprooted tree, strewn haphazardly, near him. Frighteningly precise to where he had thrown minister han at.

He stepped back, disbelieved, slipped on a rock and fell against it's bark.

The wind blew much clearer and louder now. The sky was a dark grey and it looked like it wouldn't be longer before it rained. The breeze seared his skin apart, but it were his knuckles, most bruised and bloodied, that looked and felt much worse.

It was an odd thing to remember, after uprooting a tree, but he had promised Jung hyuk that he'll teach him kaatru's traditional game of 'paramapadam' today. It was the day of games, after all.

The rest of the minister hans vanished his sight, leaving the battered target pole and broken bow. Both beaten beyond the point of recognition. He didn't know what to answer to anyone who might walk in on him now.

The first drops of rain fell. And like everything else, it was cool at first and later burnt. Everything did everywhere. Even his attire against his skin hurt.

He bit back a sob, because taehyung had never felt this small. Smaller than one of the ants that crawled over his bloodied knuckles and maybe licked off some blood before walking off. Smaller than the time he was denied anything normal. Smaller than- than everything at once.

The rain poured harder, and taehyung couldn't exactly say where it burnt the most. He should get back inside now, but couldn't bring himself to. By now it felt he could live with this fire. Like his flesh had turned numb to it's heat. Like he could live with this weight of someone's words ringing his head and fueling this fire. Like he could live with being small and miserable.

He was soaked to the bone and again it was strange to remember now the first time when he met Jung hyuk. He smiled. Something the alpha always managed on his lips, in person or in thoughts. Speaking of whom, he wondered if Min hyung and him would have bonded over his first patrol around kaatru as the special commander in force. Probably they'd have, they shared lots in common.

Taehyung had no idea how to put out this fire inside of him, and a distant memory reminded him of hyuk. It played like an act, the night when he had felt like this. Searing hot and scary. When he first saw himself in the mirror with ugly purple eyes and black rings.

Were his eyes purple now? He didn't know. Wasn't sure. Hoped they weren't.

He remembers the alpha's clothed chest, colliding against his back. The fire melting away, in minutes, like it was never there. Everything turning lighter and lighter before he remembered he was potential danger. He was still, more right now, considering it felt like his insides were being destroyed and it would take no time for him destry someone else's.

The rain had turned to a rainstorm, and puddles had begun forming over the archery ground. It will probably take a while before it stops; maybe he should really get back inside if he didn't want to fall sick again.

But taehyung was scared.

Scared if he would hurt someone. Anyone in there. Hell, he just uprooted a tree and still felt like he wanted to break something. It wasn't necessarily safe and he wasn't in any place to take risks. So he balled into himself against the tree. And everything continued to burn everywhere, silently.

He missed mother. Like when he was eight and things were lighter, and they used to built castles under the rain and bring kingdoms to mud. Like when he was ten and annoyed at the ministers and they used to mock them in their secret pillow fortresses together. Mother had always made sure he would feel special, and still reassures him to be. Only, Taehyung couldn't quite assure himself the same anymore. Maybe mother wouldn't too, if she saw him like this. Like all that she hadn't made him grow up to be.

Footfalls.

He was certain he could hear wet footfalls. They were fast, and his name sounded familiar in the visitor's tongue. It was someone he knew—wait no no no no one should see him like this. What if it was ryejin? What if it was min hyung? God, he doesn't have answers. Think of Jung hyuk think of mother think of Jung hyu—

"Taehyung?" even in a mere memory, Jung hyuk's voice tingled his spine. "Tae? Taehyung?" His whole body shivered under the his touch; the other's palm achingly cool over his cheek. Over his forehead. Over his jaw.

"Wake up, taehyung!" He felt like he was floating. Between the skies, below the water, over the sunset, off the moon, everywhere. It was cool, finally, he felt normal. Like how he ached to be all the time. "Kim taehyung! My king! "

He felt like he had just kissed Jung hyuk. Breathless, light, very light and blissed out. Like he could lick his own lips and feel Jung hyuk there, blink his eyes open and see his mellow smile, trace his features, touch him, feel him. Anything.

"Can you hear me taehyung?" Of course he could. His voice was soft, painfully vivid, and soft at the edges but bold at all the rolls of his tongue. "Taehyung, wake up!" He wished not to. Maybe he would turn twice as dangerous if he does, who would know? Taehyung wasn't sure himself. What if he woke up and ravaged the town? What would he tell his people then? What would he tell ryejin? God, waking up would mean finding answers he didn't want to know. And all of that seemed heavy, but here it felt light. Floating.

Taehyung was desperate. He wanted to stay here wherever it was and think of Jung hyuk. The other made things seem easier, like taehyung wasn't anything harmful, that he was rare. That taehyung could, if he wanted, win over his demons whoever they were. That taehyung could do the impossible, and he felt like he could, if Jung hyuk was there.

Like right now, he could hear rapid footfalls, loud shallow breaths and louder heartbeat. It felt nice, to think and feel, someone was beside him and still alive. He was forced to cherish what was left of himself. He had to learn quick how to, and taehyung could, only he didn't want to. He didn't want to loose any of this. He didn't want to fear, loosing any of this, every waking moment of his life. Taehyung just wanted to be happy. Like normal people could be.

His body didn't burn, and suddenly this felt strange. What would that mean? Was he not a risk anymore? Or was it indicating something bad? Something much worse? What if he had killed someone? Minister han? But it was a tree, wasn't it? Why did everything feel like it has always been normal? Was Jung hyuk beside him?

"Taehyung?" His ears tingled. "My king?" Jung hyuk was beside him.

Something left his forehead and it felt wet and sticky. Probably a wet cloth—was he sick again? He shouldn't have stayed under the rain.

"You're in your chamber, tae," The nickname felt natural, domestic. He liked the way it sounded on the other's lips. "You can rest all you want, alright?" Sounds of shuffling filled the room and he was afraid to be left alone. "I'll be right here, call me whe—"

"s-stay, " Apart from his throat feeling parched, he felt embarrassed. The king of a clan, asking to not be left alone, would've undoubtedly sounded peevish. But Taehyung didn't want to be left alone. Jung hyuk kept things at bay. Kept all the things that hurt him, even himself, at bay.

"At your service, sire, " He didn't want to know why he could see the other smiling when he said that, even when he wasn't awake. "Water?" He nodded and tried opening his eyes.

The first rays of light were painful. And then his chamber slowly slid into his vision and when he was sure of his surroundings he turned in the direction of where he heard hyuk. The other was pouring water, when he took a glance at him, and asked like it was a habit, "slept well? "

"How long?" He cringed at his own voice.

"Not long, you were restless most of the time," And he passed the mug to him. "Drink up"

"Thanks," He muttered, suddenly feeling all the more embarrassed.

He could feel the other's eyes as he drank the water, pulled his sheets up, leant again at the headboard and tried ignoring his headache. "You're gonna ask questions, aren't you? " He murmured, eyes shut.

"Yes," His heart dropped and he looked at the alpha, blinking back the headache  "but it's better I'll save it for later" Taehyung sighed, unconsciously loud.

"Thanks," He muttered again, and once again silence fell. Neither spoke, just occasionally stealing glances. Stealing more glances and then looking away, when unexpectedly caught staring.

Taehyung cleared his throat, "So how was your first official patrol?"

"Fun," He knew they would bond over well, "min hyung is fun to be with, we had a lot in common"

They kept falling back to this silence that was usually sad or dramatic between them. But today it just reeked of discomfort. Even the wild breeze from the windows couldn't draw it away.

It was twilight outside, speaking of windows, and it still drizzled softly. Taehyung shivered unconsciously under the sheets.

"Cold?" He turned to Jung hyuk and was no fool to not recognise it was worry crinkling his features. He wasn't sure what to reply, not like any amount of blankets would help. He has been here, whatever this was and tried calling it "the episodes" but that made it sound worse so he just let it be.

"Hmm, " He hummed, atleast to give the other the comfort of being able to do something about his condition. "I'll fetch the blankets myself, no need to—"

"I know, they're in the last cupboard," Jung hyuk interjected, walking over in it's direction. Taehyung's heart flipped over and warmed up, his entire body feeling an odd comfort settle in.

"you can tell me anything, my ki—"

"Taehyung," He corrected.

"Taehyung," Jung hyuk beseeched, and his bed dipped at a side, "you really had me scared for a moment there, at the archery ground"

"Am sorry—"

"Don't be," A hand to his forehead, "your fever isn't reducing, I called the healers, they'll be here soon"

"No," He pushed off his blankets, and noticed to his relief that his attire hadn't been changed. "No no no, not the healers, send them back—"

"But, taehyung your fev—"

"Send back the healers, just-just send them back, you don't understand just please sent them back I beg you—" He rushed to the door, but before he could exit a familiar grip around his wrist had him halt, like under command, and he turned around. Jung hyuk looked worried, and confused, so he sighed coming back inside.

Once he did, Taehyung shut the doors, locked them, shut the windows, locked them too, closed the blinds and took a huge breath in.

"They'd get to know of me," His breaths went shallow, "I ca-can't allow that now, I nee-need time need—atleast until uvagai," He looked down, and noticed his hands trembling, "send them back please"

Jung hyuk came closer, closer enough for him to look up and they could kiss. The other came a kiss close, but then held his trembling hands in his, and said, "trust me," Taehyung can't, it wasn't his disposition, "they won't know"

"How?" He looked right into the other's eyes, "how do I trust you? "

Jung hyuk's hands left his palms, instead wrapped over his hand and trailed it to where his own heart pounded against his chest. "I can hear your heartbeat, it's fast, but not abnormal, " then he entangled their palms, so tight like there was no tomorrow they could tangle it back again. "Your hands are sweaty, possibly the cold fever"

Then the alpha directed his palm towards his forehead, "feel it? the heat?" He shook his head 'no' and felt his wrist getting tugged towards the other's forehead. God, taehyung had almost forgot how Jung hyuk felt. "Feel the difference now? that's your fever, high for about 6 hours now and abnormal—"

"It'll pass—"

"I know"

"I have dealt these before," He argued but didn't bother to remove the alpha's hand still warm around his wrist. "I'll be fine, I am fi—"

"I tried healing you, taehyung," Jung hyuk sighed and it sounded heavy, "your knuckles did, but the fever won't-it just doesn't—I'm. . .worried"

"I've got it under control," Lies. He hardly has anything under control lately and the last thing he has would be himself. "Trust me"

He probably expected them to drag this longer, but they just stared at each other in silence. Neither spoke, just the wind knocking at the window. They didn't answer, the intrusion was rather welcomed in the quiet. "Fine," Hyuk broke it, for the wind and him, hand still wrapped around his wrist, "I'll send them back, but promise me you will rest"

"I will—"

"Pinky promise?" Jung hyuk replaced a pinky to the hand around his wrist.

He tangled them, "I promise I'll rest enough"
 

_____________

"YOU GOT THE SNAKE AGAIN!"

"THAT'S UNFAIR!"

"MOON GODDESS HAS HER FAVORITES CHILD—"

"AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY ME! LOOK AT THA—"

"THAT'S OBVIOUSLY CHEATING! "

One thing led to other and Taehyung was immensely bored until he suggested they celebrate the day of games like it should be and the rest was chaos.

"NO IT'S NOT! LOOK AT THE DICE—"

Taehyung was a one hundred and ten percent sure it was.

"I AM LOOKING!" He barked, rolling the dice again. The dice rolled over the mattress and fell under his blanket. He reveled the blanket open and it was a 5. Jung hyuk chewed on his lips as he moved his coin forward and when it landed on a huge ass snake—

"YES! TAKE THAT FOR BEING RUDE TO ME!" Jung hyuk fist bumped into the air, gathering the dice and shaking it in his palms. He scanned the paramapadam sheet spread over his bed, and it wouldn't take a genius to say he was on the losing end. He had his fingers crossed for Jung hyuk to land on the last snake on the board and get back to square one again.

Jung hyuk did descend down the snake with a three.

"AND THAT SERVES YOU RIGHT FOR CHEATING YOUR MENTOR! " He snatched the other's coin, dragging it back to square one deliberately slow. "Never mess with the master, hyuk, " He shook his dice, finally throwing them. A four—wait a four? that meant he was gonna win if he just got a six on the —

"I'm still new to this game," Jung hyuk sulked, comparing the positions of their respective coins. It was considerably far and Jung hyuk's was farther away from him and the victory point. "A mentor wouldn't want to win, he would want his mentee to shine," Jung hyuk mumbled, deliberately loud enough for taehyung to hear, which he did.

"No thanks, I'll pass," He giggled, making the other shrink against the headboard in defeat. The dice landed on another four instead of a six, and fortunately there were no snakes on the square.

At his chance, Jung hyuk shook the dice lifelessly, dramatically pouting when it landed one square past the ladder. Taehyung gave the other a face and snatched the dice with a smug know-it-all smirk. God, Taehyung was enjoying this way too much than he should be.

"Just two more, just a two," He shook the dice, throwing it over and swiftly shutting his eyes and joining hands in a prayer. Finally he peeked an eye open and his shoulders fell the moment one die displayed a four.

He heard a muffled giggle and mustered the most serious glare he could.

"NeVer mEss WiTh tHe mAstEr, HyUk"

"Mistakes happen," He turned away, mumbling about how the gods had withdrawn his luck. Their bad anyways.

"Now watch and learn," Jung hyuk collected the dice and placed them in his palm painfully slow, slipping in a triumphant smirk or two in the process. The wind was a slow breeze, it didn't bother blowing away the game sheet like it did when they started or shooing away the dice when they threw them on the mattress. It was slow and languid, like time now.

The dice doomed him to defeat with Jung hyuk when the other climbed the longest ladder in the sheet (again, brutally slow) and reached the 100th position. Taehyung detested the gods now.

"See? And that's how you win a game, " Jung hyuk addressed, a Cheshire smile plastered to his lips as he dragged his coin to the top. He glared at the other. Then the board. Then hyuk. Then the board. Then hyuk. Then the board—and flipped it over.

The coins fell, twirled around on the floor and finally the room fell to a tense silence. More tense than the courtroom. Jung hyuk was still in shock, mouth affixed in an O, looking at the empty space on the bed which the board once occupied.

Taehyung stilled, teeth holding back his lips from curving up to a smile.

He looked around, and there was still time to run. He wasn't sure what the other was capable of when he would come off his stupor. So it was the best to quietly leave the room like he didn't exist, Taehyung decided, nodding to himself.

Getting out of the bed wasn't surprisingly that hard. He just had to first slip the blankets off of him without a sound and the next he knew he was by the drawer, a free man ready to run. Step two was easy, he just had to manoeuvre over the game sheet and their tiny coins he had flipped over. He looked up to Jung hyuk, and the other was surprisingly so, still in daze.

He clamped a hand to his mouth to refrain a chuckle, and internally chanted the mantra of focus. Something that usually was hard around hyuk.

Step three: get to the door and vanish into the night. He tip toed till the nearest shelf, then to the window sill, crossed the vase full of dried flowers occasionally checking up on hyuk. The man hadn't moved a lash.

suspicious

Taehyung was just two steps away from the door. From his grand escape. From Jung hyuk. So he took one last historic glance at the alpha, proud of himself for achieving the feat and had almost slipped out when—

"AH! " He doubled over.

"Caught ya!" Jung hyuk tickled his sides, almost having him tripping against the curtains. "Tic-tickles! STOP—that tickles," He tried swatting the other away, even getting as far giving the other an accidental slap, but Jung hyuk had chosen violence tonight and it shone right in his mystic night orbs.

"Ask for forgiveness," Jung hyuk's hands tortured his ticklish bones, from his sensitive sides to touch-foreign nape—everywhere. "You-you wish—AH! STOP I—" The tickle torture amplified at his words. "Then you shall suffer the wrath of the tickle monster"

"Fuck! No—am-stop!" The flesh around his lips ached from mirth. It wasn't like Taehyung had never smiled in his life, but it almost felt like he had just learnt how to do it right. "Ah! You—that hurts fuck! S-stop!" Like he just learnt he could be happy. And that happiness was alright. It was good, timeless and alright.

His feet hit the tea table near the couch (he wasn't aware how far his feet had taken him to get away from tickles) and he fell backwards. Jung hyuk— whose arm he just noticed were wound tight around him to keep him stable— followed suite. And the tickles stopped.

He breathed, splayed over the couch, like he just learnt how to. Mouthfuls of air in and out, and occasional winds. Wind was chiller, and taehyung knew it meant rain was still round the corner for midnight. But he was warm. His face, toes and one hand awkwardly swinging over the couch aside, he was warm. Something tickled his nose, and he lightly shook his head. The culprit was Jung hyuk's hair. Thick Raven curls, with their bun come undone. They came until his shoulder, abruptly twirled at the end and wavered to the wind, tickling taehyung's nose.

He shook his head again, giggling, trying to shift aside; only to realise he could not. He tried wiggling out, twirled a few free locks around his fingers (who knew when he would get a another chance to), almost melting when their softness pampered his palms. "Jung hyuk," He called the other out, noticing how their feet brushed against the other, their ankles were awkwardly tangled into the other and their thighs brushed against—what the fuck? "Jung hyuk, what are you doin—"

An audible inhale silenced him. And his nape tingled, sending shivers down his system. What was he upto?

"J-jung hyuk? "

Another long, almost impatient whiff against his scent glands.

"Hyu-yuk, that tingles, " He wiggled, maybe for effect or because he could feel something shift in the air. "What-what are you doing?"

Jung hyuk stayed buried in his nape, irresponsive, only his long locks occasionally brushing taehyung's nose from the wind. Strange. Jung hyuk always listened and considered it as significant as it is to show that he did. What was wrong with him?

"Hyuk, are you-are you alright?" Their limbs stayed, to taehyung's absolute embarrassment, the way they were the last time he checked on their position. Each time he wiggled or tried setting himself free, their abdomens collided and that made it twice as much worse.

Jung hyuk wasn't exactly heavy, but his breaths were turning shallow warning him a dearth of sufficient air to his compressed lungs. He patted the other's shoulder. Unresponsive. He tried tickle monster. Still unresponsive. Even tugged the other's locks, but to his dismay, yet stood defeated at his feat.

Another whiff of his nape and it sent thunderous shivers down taehyung's spine.

"Hyuk! Stop that! It's-it—"

A low groan had him pause on his whinings, cheeks glowing red, to tap the other and ask, "hyuk, you alri—"

Jung hyuk shifted around and hoisted himself up with his elbows, his hair still reluctant to let go of their proximity, tickling taehyung's nose, cheeks, and a few long ones even managing to enter his ears. Taehyung unconsciously jolted in his position, their thighs rubbing against each other in the process. His cheeks turned warm, a shiver riding up his abdomen.

Another low groan from Jung hyuk, and taehyung awkwardly peeled his eyes open, mouth already running an apology. "Fuck am sorry we are—" The rest of the words died at his lips the moment their eyes met. Jung hyuk's eyes; his eyes—they were red.

When Taehyung was small, he held red dear to his heart. He used to explain in lengths, to mother, why he loved the color the way he loved it. And god, Taehyung loved red. Head to toe, until nine, Taehyung instructed everyone that if they were to buy him something it had to be red. Taehyung loved red the way no one could have. And today, at 25, locking eyes with Jung hyuk, he realised why.

Because red meant freedom.

Something in him switched, he knew it. Taehyung, as poor he was at labelling things, didn't know what but he knew it felt like freedom. Like he had been clipped together a pair of wings at his back, and he could fly wherever he wanted to. And Jung hyuk, above him, looked like everywhere he wanted to fly to. Eyes flaming red, full of freedom and desire— god, taehyung was being tested.

He wanted to taste it. Taste this freedom. Taste how it would taste on Jung hyuk. Taste Jung hyuk like he was his freedom.

So he pulled the other by his collar, slightly arched himself off the couch and licked the alpha's lips.

Free.

Jung hyuk tasted like freedom, lust, desire and destruction. Taehyung naturally wanted more. He wanted to be destroyed, to know that even if he died from this desire, he was free when he did so. So he impatiently clashed their lips, like it was their last night together, like fate could come in anytime now and sweep Jung hyuk off his feet to take him somewhere there wasn't red.

He grinded their hips, brushed their thighs, shared drools and tasted freedom off Jung hyuk like he knew he would be starved off it for many more nights. Like he didn't want to let go of Jung hyuk's hair, his nape, his shoulders—him because Taehyung realised Jung hyuk was freedom. That the alpha was his new red.

The couch was small, even for one person let alone for two. But Taehyung didn't care. Tonight, the couch was where he realised freedom. Tasted it. Felt it all over. And is still, because of course, he was insatiable. One of the reasons why his self control was currently planting hickeys across hyuk's neck, painting it red. Marking him his freedom. 

The alpha groaned, shivered when he licked a stripe up his neck, peppered kisses, bit into it because Taehyung wanted more. Jung hyuk still held himself up by one of the elbows, the other free arms wound tight around his waist—freedom. Taehyung kissed, licked, bit and fondled the other's clavicle, afraid, if he stopped then they would realise this was wrong. Between the lines of lust and red, he wanted to hide Jung hyuk and rationales. Maybe they'd make good companions if detained and would stop demanding opposite things from him.

He needed air when they parted from their fourth or fith (who knew?) Kiss. But he still wanted more. Of Jung hyuk? Of freedom? He didn't know, but somewhere between they both became one. Like how red and freedom did.

"your scent," The other breathed, finally getting off of him. The cold air hit everywhere Jung hyuk protected him from, and suddenly Taehyung wanted to turn time back. "you smell—you smell different"

"You gave me that sickening green paste to apply it on the bruises you couldn't heal," He explained, sitting up and adjusting his robes. They were still close. The couch offered space enough for him to get away from hyuk, but taehyung preferred ignoring it to stay near the warmth the other radiated off. "Don't blame me for smelling weird, " He smiled, trying to push away this weird desire to stay near the alpha. Must be the episode, he tried convincing himself, but then that wouldn't justify why his fingers were inching forward to lock with Jung hyuk's splayed on the couch.

"No, " The alpha announced, dazed, looking it at him like he was searching for something. He retracted his fingers, instead playing with the ring mother had gifted him on his coronation. "It's-it's not... It wasn't the herbs... It was-it was, " He paused, scanning taehyung's features, "different, the good kind of different"

His cheeks turned red, yes Taehyung loved red but not now.

"Thanks, I guess? " The air was stifling with this need to kiss Jung hyuk again. But he held back, and didn't know why.

Jung hyuk chuckled, fond. He turned redder.

"I still won," Jung hyuk quietly addressed, no rush in his syllables, nothing. Just quietly, softly like he was telling him a fairytale like the other night.

"Huh?" He was too lost in noticing the way his voice rolled off the walls of the room to grasp what the other had said.

Jung hyuk shook his head, smiling. "I still won the game, the paramapadam we played"

"It's mainly luck oriented, than tact, " He tried shrugging his defeat off, still playing with the ring. "You just got lucky today"

"Come on, I beat my master," Jung hyuk gave a jovial push to his shoulders with his. He smiled, and tried hiding it. "Cut me some slack off, Taehyung"

"Alright," Maybe it was the way he said his name that had Taehyung giving in so easily, "beginner's luck, I'll let it pass"

They stayed quiet for a long time after that. That usual silence comforting them before one of them broke in to address the most trivial of things to commoners.

"It's different here," Hyuk did the deeds tonight, "at kaatru, the celebration, the rituals, the ceremonies everything," It was the way he said everything, that made Taehyung feel included and oddly put him at ease, "and there are still four more days left... How do you do this? "

"Do what? " He prodded, because none of what ever Jung hyuk mentioned was all his doing. They were all his people's credits he would be unrealistically badging himself with if he did.

"Make everything seem like," Jung hyuk fumbled with the word, for a solid minute or two and then with a satiafied smile finished, "like it's easy"

Taehyung fell silent. He didn't know how to respond to that. Nobody taught him how to.

"Taehyung?" He stopped ransacking his brain for an answer to the previous question, to look at Jung hyuk, probably like a deer caught in headlights. "Thank you," Jung hyuk whispered, almost getting quietened down by the growing drizzle.

"For what? " He asked just as quiet, afraid if he were any louder he would break the moment.

"For making things easier"

Taehyung didn't know how to respond to that too, so he didn't.

"Thank you too,"  He finally settled with, after a couple of moments.

"Originality, taehyung, originality, " Jung hyuk chuckled, he automatically followed suite.

When their chuckles died down he whispered, "for staying"

"You're welcome," Jung hyuk mouthed, and it felt domestic. Like it was the rightest thing to say right then instead of "I always will"

And taehyung knew, of all the reds he loved, Jung hyuk was his favourite hue.

_____________

A/n;

Yikes the ending sucked.

Writing block is no joke, and honestly I feel like my writing hasn't been good enough lately

Am sorry if this chapter isn't good enough, I promise to improve my best
:(

okay, ig???

STEP ON MY FACE, DADDY

jeon jungkook's wardrobe malfunctions will go down the history books

🍞babie🍞
:(

he is happiness *wipes tears*

The pain of being broke, and not getting a link 🙂

Stop staring bitches, that's my husband

___

Anygays;
bye fr
Tbc (I hope so too:')