Chapter 6
Joonmyun sat back on the couch of his library, settled his laptop on his lap and pressed play. His favorite cartoon of all time came out with another side story and he decided to use his day off to catch up on it. After debating between reading one of the books in the library or this, the cartoon had won over. It immediately put a smile on his face when he saw the characters, creatures from all shapes and sizes.
After about a few hours, Joonmyun's phone rang, distracting him from the video on screen. He opted to ignore the call for now, choosing his cartoon over whoever was disturbing his break. When his phone rang once again, Joonmyun took a deep breath and paused the video, frowning at the sight of the cute creatures on his screen.
He checked the screen and saw that the caller was his brother. He refused the urge to sigh. "Hello, Jongin? What's going on?"
"Nice to hear from you too hyung," Jongin said from over the phone, his tone light and cheery. "I was wondering if you could help me out in the garden right now."
"Garden? Of the castle? What are you doing here? Why aren't you at your own house?" Joonmyun couldn't help asking. He winced when he realized how that might've sounded but Jongin just laughed.
"I haven't seen my hyung in months and you already want me to leave the palace?"
Joonmyun sighed, unable to hold it in. "You know that's not what I meant." Despite not being face to face, Joonmyun smiled. "I was just wondering what you're doing here."
"Come outside and see for yourself, hyung," was all Jongin said before he cut off the call. Joonmyun frowned at his phone before glancing forlornly at his cartoon.
"Some other time then guys," he said wistfully, shutting off his laptop and exiting the library.
Joonmyun took his time walking to the garden. If Jongin was going to take time away from his cartoons, he might as well give his little brother some payback. He smiled at the evil thought and continued with his pace.
The royal garden could be found at the back of the castle, a large expanse of greenery their family and ancestors tended to. When his mother died, no one else in the family could pour their heart into it so Joonmyun hired someone else to take care of it, in memory of his mother who loved the flowers and all the plants that lived in the garden.
As he opened the door to the back, Joonmyun took a deep breath and readied himself for whatever shenanigans his brother had in mind.
"Surprise!" People shouted, streamers popping and horns trumpeting. Joonmyun was so taken aback by the sound that he almost lost his footing. He didn't, however, and that made him sigh in relief.
"Happy early birthday, Joonmyun!" they all shouted. Joonmyun smiled at the sight of his family, aunts and cousins waving and smiling at him. Jongin stood in front of them all, a cake in his hand and walked forward to Joonmyun.
"We thought since you were already booked for your birthday that we'd celebrate early this year," Jongin explained, gesturing to the cake. "Now make a wish hyung."
Joonmyun thought about it for a moment before closing his eyes. He felt a little silly making a wish now that he was almost 25 but he waved the thought away. I wish the treaty will pass no matter what happens. He blew out the candles soon after and before he could even open his eyes, Jongin pushed the cake towards his face and everyone cheered, children squealing in delight while the older people laughed and took pictures.
Joonmyun probably should've seen that coming. He grimaced while wiping cream off his eyes and didn’t notice when someone came to his side, swiping some of the cream off the side of his face.
"Not bad," Jongdae commented from his left. Joonmyun turned to Jongdae, surprised to see him there.
"You're here," was all he could mutter, causing the other to laugh.
"Yes, I am. Jongin invited me." Jongdae pointed to the younger Kim who was now back with the crowd caking anyone he could reach. "I think Minseok gave him my number, or at least that's what he said."
"Thank you for coming," Joonmyun said sincerely. "Do you think you could help wipe off all this cream?"
"Depends," Jongdae wiggled his eyebrows. "How do you want to wipe it off?" and added a wink that made Joonmyun laugh.
"Please use a towel.”
"You're no fun." Jongdae pouted and stuck his tongue at him. They didn't have to go far to get a towel because Minseok appeared then with one in hand.
"I thought this might happen," he said as an explanation before he joined the crowd. Both Jongdae and Joonmyun thanked him.
Jongdae both ate the cream and wiped it off, placing a small kiss on Joonmyun's cheek once he was done. Despite the uncomfortable stickiness of his face, Joonmyun felt his cheeks burn at the sign of affection from Jongdae.
"Okay,” Jongdae whispered, lightly holding onto Joonmyun's arm while they made their way to the crowd. “Give me a quick rundown of the people who know about us.”
"Aside from Jongin, his husband, Kyungsoo, my cousin Jaehyun and his boyfriend, Doyoung, I think everyone else might truly believe we’re dating, judging by how close we appear to be." He gestured to the way Jongdae had his hand wrapped around Joonmyun's arm.
Jongdae winked at him. "Just doing my job."
Before Joonmyun could even laugh at the statement, someone came up to them. "Now, Joonmyun," an elderly male voice said. Joonmyun looked up to find his uncle and his wife in front of them. "Don't you think it's rude that you haven't introduced your boyfriend to your immediate family?" His tone might've sounded a little too patronizing but he had a smile on his face, just like his wife.
"Uncle Jongshin, Aunt Miwon." Joonmyun smiled up at them, hugged and kissed them in greeting before turning to Jongdae. "This is Jongdae." Jongshin and Miwon smiled at Jongdae.
"It's very nice to meet you," Jongdae said.
"We're very glad to finally meet you," Miwon said. "Imagine our shock when we heard the news about Joonmyun being spotted kissing an unidentified man in the middle of the night."
Both Joonmyun and Jongdae flushed in embarrassment. Before Joonmyun could properly respond, Jongshin chimed in.
"And to find out that it was real." Jongshin clicked his tongue and shook his head in fake disapproval. Miwon joined in before laughing, causing her husband to break character.
"Oh, you two should see the look on your faces," Miwon commented when she calmed down. "You look like you've been caught doing something wrong." She pat both of their shoulders and brought them in her arms for a short but sweet hug. "I'm very happy for the both of you." She then turned to Jongdae and in all seriousness, she said, "Take care of our little Joonbun, okay?"
"And definitely, don't break his heart," Jongshin added with a wink.
Jongdae looked too stunned to speak and nodded instead. "Good," Miwon said, kissing the top of his head.
"Well then, welcome to the family." Jongshin wrapped an arm around Jongdae's shoulder and dragged him to the heart of the crowd. "Everyone!" he shouted and Joonmyun watched in mild horror as everyone paid attention to the prince and the man beside him. "Meet Joonmyun's boyfriend, Jongdae!"
Joonmyun didn't hate family reunions, not really, but his immediate and extended family tended to go crazy in the privacy of their gardens so it wasn't always... enjoyable. Today was one of those days, he thought, while his extended family eagerly introduced themselves to Jongdae who was his boyfriend of barely two months. His family didn't seem to mind as Jongdae told them this, welcoming him into the family by saying how back in the day, you'd be married within the month!.
Joonmyun decided to back up Jongdae then, giving him some space from his older cousins as well as older aunts and uncles. The tamer cousins, most of them younger, came to them and introduced themselves before going back to their parents' side. Joonmyun almost wanted to join them. Back then, that was him and a lot of his cousins.
"Joonmyun hyung," someone called out, slipping through the crowds while dragging someone behind him.
"Jaehyun, Doyoung.”
Jongdae turned to him and whispered, "They know, right?"
Joonmyun gave a subtle nod.
"It's nice to meet you, Jongdae hyung, I'm Jaehyun and this is my boyfriend, Doyoung," the kid said, smile bright and wide. Joonmyun bit his lip at the way Jaehyun's charms affected Jongdae. Jongdae flushed slightly and took the hands the young couple offered.
"You're Doyoung—the honorary member of the ERU?" Jongdae confirmed before letting go of the other man's hand.
"Yes, I am, I'm surprised you remembered my name," Doyoung commented.
"I've got a great memorization skills," Jongdae said with a wink.
"Alright everyone," Jongin shouted. "Stop crowding the royal couple—" everyone cooed and cheered at the nickname, causing Jongdae and Joonmyun to blush, "—and let them eat." Jongin encouraged everyone to disperse, going back to their tables, and brought the couple to the table they would share.
"Hey," Kyungsoo said when they approached. "I'm Kyungsoo and you must be Jongdae." He put out his hand which Jongdae immediately accepted.
"Nice to meet you," Jongdae greeted. It was probably because of his easygoing personality that Jongdae decided to occupy the free seat beside Kyungsoo. Joonmyun took the one next to Jongdae while Jongin took his seat to the other side of Kyungsoo's.
"Thought you guys would be more comfortable seated with people who actually knew your secret," Jongin added with a soft smile. "I suggest you guys go get something to eat before the family decides to hover around you again."
Joonmyun and Jongdae shared a look before going to the table filled with food, most of them cooked from the kitchens of the castle, some brought by the families as a present to Joonmyun. Joonmyun piled his plate with food and then recommended some of the dishes he thought were good to Jongdae.
"Is your family always like this?" Jongdae whispered, making sure there was no one to listen in on them.
Joonmyun grimaced. "Only when there's a private gathering like this." He gave Jongdae an apologetic smile. "Imagine a group of kids who grew up in a strict and almost suffocating environment, always being watched by the public, and then the only privacy they can get is at a private family gathering?"
"And parents approve?" Jongdae asked, a little skeptical when he eyed one of Joonmyun's older cousins belt out off-key to a popular song with a beer bottle in hand.
"Well, their parents were like that too once," Joonmyun said, watching when one of the parents took out his phone to take a video. "I think a part of them believe that their kids deserve to let loose every once in awhile, better here in the presence of family than with a bunch of strangers who'll judge them for it."
Jongdae leaned into him, lips barely brushing against his ears. He froze and every hair on his body stood. "Promise me we'll educate our kids better."
It wasn't just Jongdae's sudden warmth clouding his personal space, it was also the insinuation of them having kids together that made Joonmyun's throat dry all of a sudden. He gave a terse nod and tried to look for the refreshments on the table. He could almost imagine them, tiny chubby mirrors of him and Jongdae. Goodness, they would be adorable.
"Isn't it too early to be talking about kids?" Doyoung piped in, sidling close to Jongdae and almost giving the both of them a heart attack.
"Shit," Jongdae whispered when he turned to find Doyoung's wide smile.
"I'm glad you two seem to be getting along well," he said and followed after them when they made their way to the table.
"When you spend half the day texting back and forth, I think some kind of friendship is bound to form," Jongdae pointed out, taking back his seat. Kyungsoo wrinkled his nose when all four of them sat down, turning to Jongin to whisper in his ear before the younger disappeared.
"You okay, Kyungsoo hyung?" Jaehyun asked.
"Yeah, just the mix of smells sort of bothers me. It's okay though, I asked Jongin to get me something that would help calm me down."
"We can change tables if you like?" Jongdae said, about ready to leave.
"No, it's really fine. Besides, we thought it would be safer for you if you sat with us than others. Not to badmouth Jongin's family—Sorry, Joonmyun—but they can be a bit intrusive."
"Ah, I definitely understand that," Doyoung added in. "When Jaehyun first introduced me to the family, a lot of the aunts and uncles asked me the most embarrassing questions. I wanted to disappear!"
Kyungsoo laughed but grimaced when he remembered his own experiences. "Mine was a disaster. Even with all of Jongin's warnings, I was still unprepared." He shuddered at the memory and then turned to Jongdae, patting his thigh. "This is definitely safer."
"Thanks, guys," Jongdae commented.
Joonmyun smiled and watched as the group engaged in conversation, tossing questions about their life. Jongin came back soon enough with a bottle of tea and joined in the exchange. Joonmyun did his best to contribute, mostly pulled in by Jongin or Jongdae, but he was satisfied with just watching. He could almost see it now, the future where he and Jongdae would be in another gathering, this time with children of their own, and Jongdae mingling in the group like he'd already known them for years.
When the party died down and the cakes were gone, Joonmyun bid most of his family goodbye. Most of his immediate aunts and uncles stayed lingering, reminiscing of their days in the castle.
"Joonmyun, Jongdae," Joonmyun's Aunt Joomin called. "We just wanted to congratulate you again on your relationship," she said, pulling the both of them into a hug. Her husband, Seyoon, hugged them as well, greeting Joonmyun a happy birthday. Jaehyun and Doyoung bid them goodbye before disappearing with Jaehyun's parents.
Jongshin and Miwon came next, both of them enveloping Jongin and Joonmyun into their arms.
"If you ever need someone to talk to, always remember that I'm here for you," Jongshin whispered before he let Joonmyun go. Joonmyun smiled in the warmth of his arms. He often forgot that he had an uncle he could rely on, who would've been king if he wasn't of age.
"Thank you," he replied, voice tight and arms reluctant to let go.
"Joonmun hyung, Jongde hyung, goobye," Jongshin and Miwon's twins said, hugging Joonmyun and Jongdae's legs.
"Bye," they whispered, kissing the top of their heads before letting them follow after their parents. And then there was just Jongin, smiling at his brother, an arm loosely wrapped around Kyungsoo's waist.
"I hope you don't mind if Kyungsoo and I spend the night," Jongin said instead of goodbye.
Joonmyun smiled. "How many times do I have to tell you that this is still your home."
"Thanks, hyung." Jongin stepped forward and embraced Joonmyun. "Glad to be home," he whispered. "Happy birthday, hyung."
Once he made sure that Jongin and Kyungsoo could take care of themselves, he excused himself so he could take Jongdae home.
"Did you enjoy the party?" Joonmyun asked once inside the car.
Jongdae hummed, thinking about his answer. "It was definitely fun getting to know your family, and yeah, I think I enjoyed myself plenty enough."
"I'm glad," Joonmyun said.
"I was wondering," Jongdae started.
"Yeah?"
"Since a lot of your family members know of our arrangement, would it be okay if I told my parents the truth about us?" he asked, biting his lip soon after.
"I think that should be fair," Joonmyun said after a second of thinking. "I'm sorry you can't tell any more people, but the success of our arrangement rides on the number of individuals who believe in our relationship."
"No, yeah, I understand. My parents are definitely more than enough," Jongdae explained. "It's just that—I feel like it's unfair not to tell them anything and they're already suspecting it's me since they saw the photos from the tabloids."
"How?"
"Apparently, my parents know our front yard and neighborhood a little too well," Jongdae said with a laugh. Joonmyun laughed along too until they quieted down, reveling in the peace that now surrounded them.
No one spoke until they reached Jongdae's house, but it wasn't uncomfortable. The sun had just begun its descent, setting the sky ablaze when Joonmyun walked Jongdae to his door.
"Tell Jongin thanks for inviting me to your birthday party," Jongdae whispered, his hand settled on the door, untwisting.
"I will," Joonmyun replied, stepping closer until he barely had to lift his hand to graze along Jongdae's fingertips.
"I'll see you on your birthday," Jongdae whispered before leaning in, eyes closed. Joonmyun's heart beat wildly in his chest waiting for the press of soft lips against his own. It happened in an instant, just a quick peck and then Jongdae pulled back. Flashes of light threatened to blind them but all Joonmyun could see was the bloom of red and pink on Jongdae's cheeks as he whispered goodbye.
Joonmyun stood there stunned for a minute. That was the first time Jongdae kissed me.
The union scheduled the whole of Joonmyun’s birthday to be spent with Jongdae. Jongdae, understanding that it was his turn to impress, promised Joonmyun a date he would never forget.
Jongdae came to the castle, picked up by Joonmyun's driver, and greeted him with a warm "Happy birthday!"
"Thank you," Joonmyun replied, unsure whether it was appropriate to put his arms around the younger. Before he could come to a conclusion, Jongdae tugged on his arm and pulled him out of the castle and into the car.
"Let's go," was all Jongdae said.
"You're not going to tell me where we're going?" Joonmyun asked, settling closer to Jongdae.
"Nope. It's supposed to be a surprise."
Joonmyun just nodded when Jongdae continued to keep his silence. The younger practically bounced in his seat in excitement and attempted to keep his mouth shut. Joonmyun appreciated his efforts and decided not to ask anymore.
It didn't take them long to arrive, the car slowing down in a district known for its cafes and themed restaurants. The long street before them buzzed with people, taking pictures along the side and looking for places to eat. Joonmyun looked around truly fascinated. He'd barely been around the area because of the people, but the bright sunlight illuminated the place, drawing them in.
The car stopped at a quieter part of the district where less people wandered the streets, some of them entering the many restaurants lining the road.
"Come on," Jongdae said, pulling Joonmyun out of the car. They stopped in front of a large and quaint cafe. The sign at the top read Cafe Nook with a book and steaming mug of coffee as part of its design. Before he could ask Jongdae about it, the younger pushed him inside.
Cafe Nook kept their store cool and comfortable, lights bright enough to shine on the people reading on every corner and table. Barely anyone paid them a glance while they walked around looking for a place to sit. From what Joonmyun could see, rows and rows of shelves lined the the walls of the cafe, books upon books piled the shelves and tables. Even the corners of the restaurant were filled with books.
Jongdae pushed him up the stairs and they occupied the last free private nook with a row of books lined up against the walls. Instead of chairs, the nook lined the floor with soft throws to be sat on and a square table stood in the middle of it.
"I heard from Jongin that you liked to read," Jongdae began, his words soft and almost far away until Joonmyun realized he needed to pay attention. "Okay fine, I asked him about it and he said you liked to read."
Joonmyun smiled and picked up the book closest to him, a red hardbound book with an author he didn't know. It looked new. "I prefer watching my favorite cartoon, but yes, I like to read," he said with chuckle. "I didn't at first," Joonmyun explained glancing up to make sure Jongdae was listening before he went back to flipping through the book. "It was something my father had to teach me. One day he challenged me to read all the books in our library and when I was eighteen, I finally did it."
When Joonmyun looked up, there was a soft smile on Jongdae's lips, eyes kind and warm. "That's great. In this cafe, if you start reading a book you can stay until closing time to finish reading it," he said gesturing to the book Joonmyun laid on the table.
"Yeah, I can probably finish this in one sitting." He flipped the book close and focused on Jongdae. "What about you? Do you like reading?"
"Occasionally, I'll pick up a book I like, but it's not a hobby I love to do constantly." Jongdae grabbed a small paperback, eyed it carefully before he settled on something thicker. "I originally wanted to spend the day letting you brainwash me into liking your favorite cartoon, but I remembered we had to be in a somewhat public setting so I settled for this instead."
Joonmyun frowned slightly at missing an opportunity to watch his favorite show, but Jongdae was quick to appease him.
"Maybe next time," he said, reaching out to squeeze Joonmyun's hand. "For now, let's order something and we can read peacefully."
After they ordered some food and drinks, they settled into their booth peacefully. They sat with their legs stretched out a little. If their feet more than grazed each others' toes for a few minutes, no one said anything.
Somewhere around the first hour, Joonmyun felt like someone was watching them. He tried looking around the other booths and tables to see if anyone else was looking but he found none. Most of the patrons were busy with their own books. He went back to reading his book soon enough, but the feeling of eyes on them didn't leave him. It wasn't until someone dropped by their nook that Joonmyun's suspicions were confirmed.
Jongdae nearly screamed in surprise, throwing his book onto the floor. "Chanyeol?" he whispered. Joonmyun looked back at Jongdae and then at the man with the wide grin.
"Hey, Jongdae, so," the man named Chanyeol drawled. "You said you had a date and I just happened to be in the neighborhood."
Chanyeol moved to sit beside Jongdae, pushing him to the side so he could greet Joonmyun. The other man smiled widely at him and offered his hand. "I'm—HOLY SHIT! YOUR HIGHNESS!"
Multiple shushes were sent their way and a passing waitress had to remind them to keep their voices down. Jongdae apologized profusely but Joonmyun couldn't hide his smile at Chanyeol's expression, jaw slightly open and eyes wide and unbelieving.
"Jongdae, Jongdae," he repeated, his deep voice, despite how soft he spoke, echoed around their nook. "You’re dating Alpha King Joonmyun?"
"Your voice is way too loud, Chanyeol! Shut up," Jongdae scolded, sending Joonmyun apologetic looks.
"It's nice to meet you." Joonmyun smiled and offered his hand for Chanyeol to shake. Chanyeol looked positively stunned when he accepted Joonmyun's hand.
"I'm Your Highness Chanyeol—I mean, I'm Chanyeol, Your Highness," Chanyeol stuttered, eagerly shaking Joonmyun's hand. Joonmyun was almost sure Chanyeol would look at his hand in awe when they pulled apart, but he didn’t.
"I'm Joonmyun. Jongdae's told me about you. You’re his best friend, correct?" Jongdae groaned at the words best friend but Chanyeol's eyes shone and chuckled.
"You told His Highness about me?" He turned to Joonmyun. "Yes, I'm his best friend, been his best friend since we were in middle school."
"I can't believe you're dating the king and you didn't tell me," Chanyeol tried to whisper to Jongdae who just groaned and buried his head in his book. He sent pleading looks in Joonmyun's way but Joonmyun was just happy to watch, getting to know the Jongdae who was comfortable with his best friend.
"By the way," Chanyeol started scooting closer so he could be face to face with Joonmyun. "Are you sure you want to date Jongdae? Because I know him pretty well and I really don't think he's royal material." Chanyeol wiggled his eyebrows for added effect and Joonmyun had to quell down the rush of heat in his gut when Chanyeol brought to light his closeness with Jongdae.
"Yes," he managed to say and he found that it wasn't a lie. When he looked at Jongdae, at the way he frowned at Chanyeol, at the way his eyes pleaded with Joonmyun's, at the way his lips curled around the edges whenever he whined, Joonmyun thought, yes, there is no one else I'd rather be doing this with than Jongdae. He locked eyes with Jongdae then and hoped Jongdae could see that Joonmyun meant it.
"Are you sure?" Chanyeol challenged and Joonmyun raised his brow at the teasing glint in Chanyeol's tone.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh god," Jongdae said scooting away from Chanyeol's side to curl into a ball in a different corner, covering his head with the book and blocking his ears with his palms.
"Where do I begin?" Chanyeol thoughtfully hummed before he smirked. "Our Jongdae here. He has a lot of bad habits like the fact that he whines too much in such a pitchy tone." Chanyeol shook his head and cringed as if he could hear it now. Joonmyun just smiled and remembered Jongdae whining just a few seconds ago. "He also snores a lot."
"Hey! That's because I'm stressed, stressed," Jongdae countered, crawling out of his ball to sit closer to Joonmyun's side. "Please don't let him speak anymore. Isn't there something you can do? Like banish him?"
Joonmyun just chuckled and shook his head. "No, I would actually like to hear what he says. Please continue," he said to Chanyeol who happily supplied Joonmyun a lifetime's worth of Jongdae's most embarrassing stories.
Chanyeol told Joonmyun about the time Jongdae missed his cue for the talent contest because he was so nervous that he needed to use the bathroom, and he didn't leave the whole night. Jongdae countered it with a story of how he came back the next year and won with his chosen song number. The more embarrassing stories Chanyeol told, the more Jongdae countered it with stories of his achievements. Joonmyun laughed and smiled at all of them. It was definitely one of the best ways to get to know Jongdae.
"Well," Chanyeol said, his last story leaving Joonmyun with a fond smile. "After everything I've said, do you still wanna date Jongdae?" There was a different challenge in his tone and Joonmyun could see it in his eyes. Joonmyun smiled wholeheartedly, eyes going to Jongdae who was too busy grumbling to catch Joonmyun.
"Yes," he said, voice strong and final.
Chanyeol clapped his hands and chuckled. "Looks like we got a keeper." He slapped Jongdae on the back and flashed a thumbs up over Joonmyun's way. "Please take care of our Jongdae," Chanyeol said sincerely.
"It would be my pleasure," Joonmyun replied and Chanyeol offered him his hand to shake once more.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Your Highness," Chanyeol said.
"Please call me, Joonmyun," Joonmyun said.
"Thanks for your time... Joonmyun." Chanyeol winked in Joonmyun's way and bid Jongdae goodbye. "Sorry for crashing your date. I promise not to do it next time," he said with a chuckle before walking out of the nook.
Jongdae buried his head in his hands as soon as Chanyeol was out of earshot. "I'm going to kill Chanyeol."
"I don't know. I quite liked him."
He received a soft smack to the side courtesy of Jongdae, but Joonmyun couldn't fight the smile off his face. He was able to see more of Jongdae today, his flustered side, the young Jongdae, the reckless and brave Jongdae.
"It's so unfair," Jongdae muttered, lifting his head out of his hands. "Now you know so much about me, but I barely know you."
Joonmyun flushed at the thought of Jongdae hearing his embarrassing stories. "Some stories just aren't meant to come out into the light."
At those words, Jongdae smirked. "Maybe. But who knows." Jongdae's eyes glinted as he whipped out his phone. "I wonder if Jongin can say the same thing."
Jongdae began typing on his phone and before Joonmyun could check himself, he reached out to grab Jongdae's phone. Jongdae was quick to lift it up and out of Joonmyun's way, leaning back until Joonmyun was toppling over him. The pillows on the floor caught their fall, but they couldn't focus on anything other than the way their chests pressed close to each other.
From this close, Joonmyun could feel Jongdae breathe, feel the way his chest rose up and down, his breath hot on his face. He swallowed and debated for a second on what to do before he settled on pushing himself back. Before he could get himself completely off of Jongdae, the younger pushed himself up and placed a small quick kiss on Joonmyun's lips.
"What was that for?" Joonmyun choked out.
"For this." Jongdae smirked and flashed his phone to Joonmyun. It was a text message to Jongin asking him to tell Jongdae all of Joonmyun's embarrassing stories. A second later, Jongin replied with an affirmation.
Joonmyun groaned and dropped his weight on Jongdae once more, leaning his head against that strong shoulder. He could feel the vibrations of Jongdae's laugh, the way his body moved along with Jongdae's. It made him smile; it was pleasant.
They stayed like that for a few minutes before Joonmyun got up. Jongdae whined that it was only fair that Jongin could ruin his reputation the same way Chanyeol did his.
"You're better off hearing things from Minseok," Joonmyun let slip, quickly biting his tongue the moment he heard himself. Jongdae's mouth dropped and he laughed, trying to keep it down with his hands.
"Thanks for the tip," Jongdae said in between. "I can't wait for them to tell me." He sent another quick text, tongue darting out in concentration. "Just gonna get Jongin to let Minseok in on it too." He winked Joonmyun's way and Joonmyun, as much as he hated the idea of his deepest darkest stories coming to light, couldn't feel too bad about them if he could make Jongdae laugh.
Once Jongdae got Minseok’s quick consent, they gradually went back to their peaceful ambiance. Sometimes, they would laugh at something one of them said before going back to their books. After about an hour, Jongdae and Joonmyun sidled closer to each other, leaning back against the wall, shoulder to shoulder. It was just the comfortable kind of silence between them that Joonmyun liked. He wished he could savor the moment forever.
A certain day in June. Venocia.
"Alpha King Joonmyun confirms dating rumors; dating omega Kim Jongdae," Kyuhyun read aloud. He took a quick sip of his coffee and frowned, throwing the paper against the table. "Sungmin!" he called.
A stocky man entered the dining hall and bowed. "Yes, Your Highness."
"It seems that Alpha King Joonmyun has taken the bait and began dating a male omega," Kyuhyun said, practically seething. If he noticed Sungmin flinching at the words 'male omega,' he pretended not to notice. "Prepare at once."
"For what, Your Highness?" Sungmin asked, his tone obviously worried but Kyuhyun pretended he didn't hear.
"We're going to Sedocia." |
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wheredreamslast2017-02-03 11:38 pm
