#And as I said before Yeji. BUT WITH A WHIP. INSANITY

[snowddeong]

I need to learn how to draw man. I need fanart of ginger Yeji in Richter's Rondo of Blood fit otherwise I will crumble to ash and cease to exist.

LIKE this fit was practically the same colour as the lighter parts of his fit IT WORKS SO WELL

[cocobeanncteez]

ATEEZ San- All Mine (oneshot)

Genre: angst, suggestive, university au.

Pairing: badboy!san x badgirl!reader

Warnings: profanities, smoking.

You rolled your eyes at the sight of nearly fifteen girls surrounding your boyfriend and his friends outside your dormitory building. Your boyfriend was talking to one particular girl, Jaena, who hated you and was unfortunately in all your classes. She was the definition of a pure spoilt brat, and you absolutely couldn't stand her. Another girl was constantly looking at him from head to toe while she smoked a cigarette. You thought she was weird, but you've seen weirder people here at your university.

Your university wasn't very large and had a population of only seven thousand students, out of which, three thousand were undergraduates. You knew (not personally) all the popular people at your college, and in fact, you were one of them. Just like your boyfriend and his group of friends, you and your friends were infamous too. The innocent and nerdy students wouldn't come near you all since you screamed of nothing but trouble. Even the professors didn't want to deal with such students, but lucky for them, y'all either slept in their class or bunked it.

The parties at your university were insane, most of it were thrown by your boyfriend's group; you rarely missed those parties even if you had to witness people puking their their guts out or dry humping random people while making out.

You met your boyfriend, San, at one of those parties. You both initially just wanted one good fuck that night, but that soon turned into two, into four, into ten, and then San confessed that he liked you and asked you out after nearly beating up someone you were about to hook up with.

No one knew you and San were in a relationship. Everyone thought you both just fucked occasionally. You and San had no plans of letting anyone know about your true relationship with each other because there something so thrilling in secretly dating.

But right now, watching your boyfriend talk to that chick made you just want to go up to him and kiss him in front of everyone, especially her, and tell everyone who he belongs to. You glared at the sight of her stroking the tattoo on San's arm.

"Damn, Y/N, you could kill someone with the way you're staring," your bestfriend said.

"Oh, I want to, Yeji," you said, eyes not leaving Jaena who was giggling at whatever San was saying. The other girl was still eyeing him from head to toe, and you wondered how creeped out San must be feeling. But at the same time, San was used to people eye-fucking him.

"Why don't you just go officially claim Choi San?" Yeji mumbled while lighting a cigarette. "You're clearly whipped for him."

"You hooked up with Park Seonghwa last night, right?" you asked, changing the subject; Yeji noticed but didn't say anything about it.

"Mhmm," she exhaled the smoke from her cigarette. "I'm soo going back for more."

You raised an eyebrow, finally looking away from Jaena and your boyfriend. "You've never wanted to be with the same guy."

"Exactly," she chuckled. "But Park Seonghwa... he's really something else. He's down for it too, so yeah, why not?"

"What if you catch feelings?"

"Nah, not happening," she replied, discarding her used cigarette and lighting another one.

You looked back at San who finally realized you were in the same area as him. He sent a wink your way, a small smirk forming on his face. You rolled your eyes and looked away, making him raise an eyebrow at your actions. When you looked back, Jaena had cupped San's cheek, forcing him to look at her. He purposely leaned into her touch, now that he knew you were watching. You scoffed, knowing that he was trying to piss you off. But two could play this game.

"Pass me your cigarette," you said to Yeji.

"Huh? But you stopped smok—" you took the cigarette away from her, placing it between your own lips. You glanced at San who was looking at you with an annoyed expression; although he was a badboy, he hated smoking and didn't want you doing it at all. Without breaking the eye-contact, you took a small drag, gently releasing the smoke into the air. You controlled the urge to cough, not wanting to fail at this little method of pissing San off.

You took another drag before handing the cigarette back to Yeji who looked amused at the little scene she just witnessed between you and San; she knew something was happening between the two of you.

San decided to piss you off further. He placed his hands on Jaena's bare waist, bringing her a little too close to his body. He leaned down a little and whispered something in her ear, making her gasp. He smirked at her reaction, arms wrapping around her waist completely.

"That's it, I'm going to fucking kill him," you said before storming towards San. You heard Yeji wish you luck while laughing. Yunho and Mingi noticed you making your way to San with an annoyed expression on your face. Mingi elbowed Jongho, gesturing to you with his head; they also knew there was something going on between you and San.

San immediately removed his arms from Jaena's waist when he saw you a few feet away from him. You grabbed his wrist, unbothered by the fact that everyone was staring at you.

"Excuse me? Where the fuck are you taking him?" Jaena asked, disgust clear on her face.

"Where I take my boyfriend," you said loud and clear, amusing him and his friends, "is none of your fucking business." You heard some chuckles and some whistles before you dragged San along with you to your dorm room.

As soon as you unlocked your door and got inside, you pushed him on your bed, immediately straddling his lap. "Choi San."

His eyes shined with amusement while he gripped your thighs, feeling happy that you wore shorts so that he could feel your soft skin easily. "Yes, my love?"

"What the fuck was that, huh?" you asked, crossing your arms over your chest.

"You put that death-stick in your mouth and that pissed me off," he said, glaring up at you.

"You tried to piss me off first!" you stated, making him chuckle beneath you.

"Does me talking to a pretty girl make you get soo jealous, babe?" your eyes darkened at his words.

"Pretty girl? Yeah, sure," you scoffed, knowing she was far from San's taste. "And I'm not jealous," you lied.

"Oh, really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "She invited me to her dorm. Maybe I should head over there ri—"

"You're all mine, Choi San," you grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "You're all fucking mine, do you understand?"

He smirked, enjoying every second of seeing you jealous and possessive. "Oh, am I?" he teased, and you could feel him growing hard underneath you; you knew he loved this side of you.

You leaned down to brush your lips against his, kissing him softly for a few seconds before taking his lower lip between your teeth, gently biting on it.

You pulled away slightly, dragging yourself over his bulge, making him suck in a breath. "Don't make me show you who you belong to."

San's hands moved to grip your hips, making you move harsher on his hard on.

"Oh, I'd love to know," he said with a smirk. "Show me who owns me, baby."

[a-blue-secret]

CHAPTER XXIX

BACK TO MASTERLIST

Chapter XXVIII | Chapter XXIX | Chapter XXX

GENRES: royal au; fantasy au; magic au; friends-to-enemies-to-lovers; king!beomgyu, vizier!taehyun

PAIRING: taegyu

WARNINGS: swearing

WORD COUNT: 4.6k+

SUMMARY: Best friends turned enemies, Kang Taehyun has managed to trick Choi Beomgyu into his service, and to rule for a year and a day, until his youngest brother would be old enough to take the throne. Choi Beomgyu has no intention of being obedient however, and tries to thwart Taehyun’s orders at every turn. With a growing amount of distrust and lies within the court, will Taehyun manage to keep the kingdom of Gojongja from falling apart?

Beomgyu blinked quickly, shaking his head. He snarled softly, leaves crunching as he stamped his feet.

His mind was a mess of random words and images, all of them adding to his confusion. Beast. Beast, insane, must kill. Must destroy. Kill anything and everything. But suddenly he lifted his head, more words beginning to fill his brain. Human. Human, happy, smile. Taehyun. Taehyun.

Beomgyu snarled again. Who was this Taehyun? Why was his name reverberating in his mind? He shook his head in frustration, trying to gather his thoughts.

Who was he? Was he even a someone? Maybe he was an animal. Was he an animal? What was he? Where was he?

He shook his head, and growled when his thoughts became no clearer. Nothing was making sense. He knew who he was. Or at least, he thought he knew who he was. Who was he?

The beast was about to snarl again when he heard a noise. His head whipped up, his thoughts suddenly dead quiet.

It was a horse. A flying horse.

His eyes narrowed, muscles tensing. For now, at least, he was sure of what he had to do.

Kill the horse.

The horse, as if sensing the beast’s thoughts, swiftly flew off. Beomgyu immediately began to chase it.

Because of the density of the trees, it was impossible for him to open his wings. The horse, infuriatingly, continued to stick to flying above areas of thick foliage, and Beomgyu wanted to roar in annoyance.

But then, much to Beomgyu’s delight, the horse took a wrong turn, flying above a patch of the forest covered by very little trees. He took this chance to leap into the air, wings spread wide as he chased the horse. The horse in question let out a terrified noise, before plunging towards the ground to hide behind a human.

Beomgyu landed in front of the human, eyes fixed on the cowering horse. All he could think of was sinking his fangs into its flesh, feeling its warmth slowly fade as the life was sucked from it. He could almost taste it. The human said something, but he didn’t even register it. It was then that the horse suddenly flew off, and he gave a low growl to himself, ready to take off and chase it again.

But then the human spoke to him.

His eyes whipped to the human, and something in his memory resurfaced. This human… he knew this human. But as soon as it had appeared, the memory had vanished, and he snarled.

“Hey,” the human said softly. Beomgyu bared his teeth, advancing a step. If he couldn’t have a horse, then at least he could have this human.

But the human seemed unafraid.

“You know me,” the human said. “Hey, don’t be like this. Come on, you know me. It’s me, Taehyun. Your moon.”

My moon. Beomgyu stopped short. Little fragments of thoughts were beginning to push their way into the emptiness of his mind, fuzzy and confusing and not quite logical. But one thing was for sure: Beomgyu had a moon. And his moon was important to him.

He gave a growl as the human lifted its hand, but this time it was more of a confused one. The human – Taehyun – held his ground, and after a moment Beomgyu folded away his wings.

“It’s me, Taehyun, the person you’ve known your whole life,” Taehyun carried on. As he spoke, Beomgyu felt like a thick fog had begun to be lifted from his mind, beginning to recall more and more why this Taehyun meant so much to him. But still, he was unsure. Taehyun might have been important, but why was he important?

“It’s so cold here,” Taehyun said, and Beomgyu heard the break in his voice. “So cold. It’s so cold without you. I need my sun.”

Something in Beomgyu sparked at those words, and he leaned forward. He didn’t want Taehyun to be cold, he realised. Taehyun shouldn’t have to be cold.

“It’s so dark and cold without you,” Taehyun whispered. “And I can’t imagine how cold you must be feeling right now too. Come back to me, love. You know me. I won’t hurt you, it’s okay. You… you love me, remember? And I love you.”

I love you…? Beomgyu padded forward slowly, coming closer towards Taehyun’s hand. He sniffed it, taking in the scent, leaning forward until he was almost touching it. He loves me? But… who am I?

He noticed how the hand shook, how the fingers wavered uncertainly. But he also felt the warmth, the determination, the strength coming from it.

“You love me, and I love you.”

And just like that, he knew.

This is Kang Taehyun, and I am Choi Beomgyu.

Beomgyu pressed his forehead against Taehyun’s hand, all of the memories of the vizier coming back to him all at once.

Mine. My moon. My love. My Taehyun.

“Taehyun, oh, Taehyun,” he whispered, the human part of him resurfacing for the first time since he became a beast. Taehyun ran a hand through his mane, and Beomgyu gave a whimper, falling to pieces under Taehyun’s touch.

Taehyun was here. His Taehyun was here. He was here.

.・゜-: ✧ :-

‘Taehyun…’

“Shhh, it’s okay, I’m here,” Taehyun said softly, voice cracking. “I’m here.”

‘God, Taehyun, I missed you so much.’

“I missed you too,” Taehyun whispered as Beomgyu tried to bury his head into Taehyun’s chest. “I missed you more than you know.”

Beomgyu blew warm air over Taehyun’s knees, making a soft whining sound quite uncharacteristic of his intimidating build. Taehyun stroked the beast’s mane, the dark fur silky soft between his fingers. It hurt that Beomgyu couldn’t be here with him properly, but at least he could talk to him, and at that moment that was all that mattered.

‘I love you,’ Beomgyu’s quiet voice said, the words echoing in Taehyun’s brain.

“And I love you,” Taehyun replied in an equally soft tone, smiling even as tears blurred his vision. “And I’m so sorry for making you turn into this.”

Beomgyu shook his head, drawing back slightly to press their foreheads together. ‘It’s not your fault,’ he said quietly. ‘Don’t be sorry.’

Taehyun sank to his knees, and Beomgyu followed him, crouching down in front of the human.

“I’m so sorry you have to be like this,” he whispered, his tears mingling with the soft fur of Beomgyu’s muzzle. “It’s all my fault.”

Beomgyu aggressively shook his head again. He looked at the vizier, eyes dilated so widely to the point that there was only a thin ring of violet around the darkness of his pupils. Even so, they shone like stars, filled to the brim with love for Taehyun.

‘It’s not your fault,’ Beomgyu repeated. ‘You’re the reason why I haven’t become insane even faster. It’s because of you that I’m still holding onto some semblance of sanity.’

Taehyun’s lip quivered, and he buried his face in his hands. “But still, it’s all because of me,” he said, tears spilling out of the corners of his eyes. “If I hadn’t made you become King, you wouldn’t have had to go through all of this. It’s all because of me.”

The beast gave a soft huff, the sound similar to an endeared sigh. Beomgyu curled himself around Taehyun, his warm body making Taehyun feel comforted by his presence. He didn’t say anything and just let Taehyun cry into his fur, sometimes nuzzling his nose against Taehyun’s shoulder to help him calm down.

‘It’s alright,’ he said softly. ‘It’s alright. It’s okay, love.’ Beomgyu felt Taehyun bury his face deeper into his fur. ‘It’s all in the past now. It’s okay.’

Eventually, Taehyun fell asleep, wrapped securely within Beomgyu’s embrace.

.・゜-: ✧ :-

“Oh my god, Taehyun?”

Taehyun blinked his eyes against the bright morning sun, rubbing them with the back of his hand. As he sat up, he realised… he was not in his bed. His bed was not made of dark black furs, nor did it radiate this much warmth.

Beomgyu gave a growl, tensing up his muscles as he stood up, glaring at Hyunjin. He paced slowly until he was in front of Taehyun, shielding him.

Hyunjin’s eyes widened, and he peered behind the beast to look at Taehyun with panicked eyes. “Uh, Taehyun??”

“Beomgyu, wait, it’s okay,” Taehyun said, reaching forward to stroke Beomgyu’s back. The beast flinched, turning around to snarl at Taehyun. The vizier blinked, surprised, before holding up his hands placatingly. “It’s alright, it’s alright,” he said calmly. “It’s me. It’s Taehyun.”

Eventually, Beomgyu ceased his suspicious rumbling, settling down on the ground again. But he still glared at Hyunjin.

Taehyun noticed, to his disappointment, that he wasn’t able to reach out to Beomgyu. The mental wall was back in place, preventing him from reaching Beomgyu.

Hyunjin looked at Beomgyu warily. “Uh, how did you… why is it… what happened?”

“I managed to get through to him,” Taehyun said. Beomgyu whipped round at his voice, and something in his gaze softened. Taehyun reached forward, and Beomgyu willingly pressed his nose against the vizier’s palm, making a small purring noise.

Hyunjin’s eyes widened even more, but this time he had a look of awe on his face. “You really did get through to him,” he said in a soft tone, so as not to startle the beast. “That’s amazing.” He continued to stare in amazement at the huge animal docilely rubbing its nose further into the vizier’s hand, before shaking his head quickly, turning back to Taehyun. “Anyway, I went to your room but Jungwon told me you were out in the fields. I didn’t expect you to be out in the fields like this, but you know. It’s not really a bad thing. So Yeji gave me all of the notes that she’s made about therapy for mentally defective patients. But, seeing you’ve already progressed, I guess you won’t really need them. But you might like them just in case.”

“Oh, thanks, Hyunjin,” Taehyun said, taking the papers from him. “And give my thanks to Yeji, too. This was really kind of you.”

Hyunjin smiled. “It was our pleasure, really. Remember, whenever you need something, you can always ask us.”

“Thank you,” Taehyun said, a smile on his face.

“Well, I’ll be off now. But tell Beomgyu that Yeonjun’s friend says hi, will you?”

“You heard him, Beomgyu,” Taehyun said, running a hand through Beomgyu’s mane. “This is Yeonjun’s friend. Hyunjin is my friend.”

Beomgyu eyed Hyunjin, before grumbling, turning back to curl himself around Taehyun. Taehyun gave a small laugh. “I think he accepts you,” he told the Aruyeonan.

Hyunjin smiled. “That’s good.” He waved, retreating back to the palace. “Bye, Taehyun! Bye, Beomgyu!”

Beomgyu grumbled again, and as before there was a playful undertone to it. Taehyun sat down again, within Beomgyu’s embrace.

‘I’m sorry it took me so long to recognise you,’ Beomgyu said, blowing warm air over Taehyun’s hands. ‘It’s getting harder and harder every day.’

“You don’t have to be sorry about that, love.” Taehyun stroked Beomgyu’s dark fur, curling his fingers in the soft hair of his mane. “I’m just grateful that you are able to. I swear, if you weren’t able to recognise me, I think I would’ve gone insane out of despair.”

Beomgyu nudged his nose on the papers which Hyunjin had brought Taehyun. ‘You asked them to find out how to talk to insane people?’

“I wanted to know all possible ways which could help me reach out to you,” Taehyun said. “Because if I was able to talk to you, then there’s a chance that we can stop this whole curse.”

‘Curse?’ Beomgyu repeated, confusion evident in his voice. ‘Is this what it is? A curse?’

“Oh, you never found out, did you? Here, I’ll tell you.” And Taehyun began to recount all that he’d found out down in Hueningkai’s secret room.

‘Wait, wait, wait,’ Beomgyu interrupted. ‘Yeonjun is a spy?’

Taehyun felt his stomach drop. Well, shit. He sighed, cringing at himself. There was no going back now.

“Yeah,” Taehyun admitted. “And so is Hueningkai. Hueningkai’s his adoptive brother, and he came to Gojongja after Yeonjun came to help Yeonjun with the spy stuff.”

Beomgyu was silent for several long moments.

But then, he huffed out a laugh. ‘I always suspected Yeonjun was a spy,’ he said, chuckling. ‘Damn, I had no idea my suspicions would be correct.’ He flicked his tail, seemingly delighted with the news that Yeonjun was a spy. Taehyun was slightly amazed at how calmly Beomgyu was taking the news. It was almost like he had known it all along. ‘But go on, what happened in the secret room?’

Taehyun carried on explaining, continuing to also detail what had happened in the days after that. When he had finished, Beomgyu hummed thoughtfully, waving his tail lazily.

‘So I’m cursed. By Soobin. Because he wants to take over all of the Four Kingdoms to get back at them for exiling his family years and years and years ago.’

Taehyun nodded. “That pretty much sums it up.”

Beomgyu huffed. ‘I never knew Soobin would be so petty.’ He rested his head on his huge paws. ‘And it’s not a transformation curse, but an insanity curse? So to reverse it I just become… not insane?’

“That’s the idea, I think,” Taehyun said.

‘Well, it’s easier said than done.’

“That’s the same with everything, love,” Taehyun sighed wearily. “It’s always easier to say than it is to do.”

‘When I’m around you, I feel sane,’ Beomgyu said, nudging his nose against Taehyun’s knee affectionately. ‘But at the same time, I’m not. I know that I’m not fully myself, and with one wrong move I feel like I could become insane again. My mind just feels so precariously balanced between sane and insane.’

“I’m sorry, love,” Taehyun said, stroking Beomgyu’s nose. “We’ll find a way. I promise.”

Beomgyu made a soft purring noise. ‘All I need is you,’ he said. ‘I feel saner with you by my side.’

Taehyun smiled sadly. “But I want you back,” he said. “I want you back, and sane. Because if you don’t come back…” he swallowed. “I’m going to have to be the one that kills you.”

There was a chilling silence between them. Then Beomgyu blinked his eyes. ‘It won’t come to that,’ he promised. ‘I’ll come back to you, my love. I promise.’

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Seohyun clicked her fingers in Taehyun’s face. “Taehyun, pay attention.”

Taehyun startled, quickly focusing on what his sisters were saying. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m listening.”

After much discussion, Beomgyu and him had decided that it would be best if Beomgyu stayed in the forests. It would be dangerous for Beomgyu to stay out in the open for too long, and he would be safer in the trees since there would be less chance of him accidentally hurting someone if he suddenly lost his mind. He and Taehyun had also established a telepathic connection, too, so Taehyun felt more reassured that Beomgyu wasn’t going to be entirely alone, since he knew how to communicate with Taehyun telepathically.

But even so, that didn’t stop Taehyun from thinking about Beomgyu.

Nabi stopped talking, looking at Taehyun worriedly. “Maybe we should talk about this another time? I know that you said you were up for this meeting, but if you’re not then it’s completely fine. We understand that you’re worried about Beomgyu, and that’s perfectly okay. We can talk about this another time.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay,” Taehyun said. “I was listening. A bit. But it’s fine, really. You can carry on.”

Nabi pursed her lips, still looking concerned.

“You were talking about the compensation costs, right?” Taehyun prompted. “The village down south. They’re severely damaged from the time the beast flew out and trampled over the majority of their houses. You’re contemplating whether to compensate them using the money we have in the Treasury, or taking more taxes from the merchants. That’s correct, isn’t it?”

“Well, it is…” Nabi said.

“See? I was listening. You can carry on.” Taehyun slumped forward again, resting his head on his arm. Despite his relaxed position, he looked at Nabi intently, telling her to keep talking.

Nabi hummed, not entirely convinced, but continued what she was saying. “So, as I was saying, I think it’d be best to take money out from our treasury. After all, it’s a village governed by the Crown, so it seems only fair that the Crown pays for the damage done to it.”

“I see your point, but wouldn’t it be easier to take more taxes from the merchants?” Seohyun interjected. “There are more of them, and collectively they’d be able to give more than enough money to pay for what has been done to the village. We’d be able to get the money without using up the Crown’s.”

Nabi shook her head. “There’s no point dragging the merchants into this. They won’t like it.”

“It’s not ‘dragging them in’, it’s taking taxes,” Seohyun said. “It’s literally what we’re meant to do. See, just in the town next to the palace alone, there are seven people who make more than enough money every year, and if we could get them all to pay just a little more tax, then…”

Taehyun tried to listen, he really did. But after several more minutes of his sisters arguing about money, he was beginning to zone out. His mind kept drifting back to Beomgyu. How was he doing? Was he doing well? Could he still remember things? Hopefully he wasn’t in pain. What if someone went up to him and tried to kill him? For the majority of the morning Beomgyu had been in the middle of the fields, in plain sight…

“... so that’s what I think. We have enough, anyway. Even after all of the ballroom rebuilding, we have lots.”

“But if this keeps happening, we’ll have to compensate for loads of villages. That will put strain on the Crown’s wealth if we have to constantly pay to get the towns fixed.”

Nabi thought for a moment. “That’s true,” she admitted. “Hey, Taehyun, you’ve been quiet. What do you think?”

“I think,” Taehyun began slowly. “I think… I think that it’s suspicious why no one has set foot in the fields at all.”

“What?” Seohyun turned her head, looking at the window that Taehyun had been staring intently out of.

“I have seen nobody there at all,” Taehyun said. “I’ve been staring out of the window this whole time. And also this morning, I saw nobody. Yesterday, too. No one has even gone to the stables.”

“Oh, that’s because we closed them off,” Seohyun said, turning back to Taehyun. “We prevented anyone from going out to the fields because of the beast. Only if they have special permission are they allowed.”

Taehyun frowned, sitting up. “How did you do that?”

“Protective bubble,” Nabi replied. “We had one of the council members cast a invisible bubble spell over the fields, and you can only get past the bubble if you’re a trusted figure or if you have express permission to do so.”

“Trusted figure?” Taehyun repeated.

“Like our family or the Hwangs,” Seohyun said. “And Yeonjun and his brother, if they come back and Beomgyu’s still a beast.”

“And the council member was Lord Sunghoon, by the way,” Nabi said. “He’s from Beomgyu’s council. Not the old one.”

“Ugh, the old one,” Seohyun said, scrunching her nose in disgust. “We removed them immediately, didn’t we?”

“We did,” Nabi said. “Bunch of idiots, they were. They just didn’t seem to understand that we’d be the ones ordering them around. They hated the idea. So we kicked them out of the council.”

“We’ve been working with Beomgyu’s council ever since,” Seohyun said. “It’s the council that you and Beomgyu put together. They’re smart, by the way. They really are.”

Taehyun gave a smile, resting his head on his arm again. “I know,” he responded. “That’s why I chose them.”

“Well you made a good choice,” Nabi stated approvingly. “It was with them that we managed to finish ballroom renovations.”

“You finished that?” Taehyun said, surprised. “Wow. You’ve only been in ‘rule’ for a week, and you’ve got that done already?”

“All thanks to your council,” Seohyun said, smiling. “They helped us.” She ruffled his hair affectionately, and Taehyun shook his head, but didn’t object to the head ruffle.

Seohyun clasped her hands together again. “But anyway, what do you think about the compensation thing?”

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Though Taehyun was still distracted, he’d managed to be more productive now that he could talk to Beomgyu.

Occasionally he’d get hurried letters from Hueningkai, telling him some small things that were going on, like how Yeonjun tripped over his own feet and ended up with a nosebleed, or like how he’d accidentally blown up one of Yeonjun’s boots and the elder had had to hobble around with only one shoe for the rest of the day. He never spoke about what they were doing in Aruyeo, but judging by the dirty, crumpled state of the parchment (and Taehyun hoped that the dark patch he’d found on one of them was anything but blood) he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. But it was comforting to get these letters, because they reassured him that Yeonjun and Hueningkai were not dead.

Taehyun also helped his sisters with whatever they had to do. Though, he wasn’t often needed since Nabi and Seohyun did an incredible job of keeping Gojongja running smoothly.

He talked to Beomgyu more than anything, however. Beomgyu stayed close to the edge of the forests, far enough so that he wouldn’t be able to fly up and kill someone, but close enough so that Taehyun didn’t have to walk far to meet him.

Even though he talked to Beomgyu the most, Hyunjin was a close second. Hyunjin and Yeji were often babysitting Junghoon. Since Jiwon was often out with the military, helping quell the alarmed towns who had been victims of the beast’s rage, it meant that Junghoon would be left with strangers, and eight year olds do not take kindly to strangers. So the Hwang siblings ended up supervising him. Junghoon seemed more comfortable around them than with the governesses in the palace, so he was babysat by them.

“No, no, don’t eat it, I’m not sure it’s edible– Yeji, take it out of his mouth!”

Yeji quickly took the flower away from Junghoon before the boy swallowed it. Hyunjin tsked playfully at Junghoon, taking the flower from Yeji and holding it out of Junghoon’s reach.

“He’s been eating stuff a lot, and I don’t know why,” Hyunjin said, letting Junghoon struggle out of his lap to go and hug the approaching vizier. “As far as I know, eight year-olds aren’t meant to be eating stuff this much.”

“Hello, bub,” Taehyun chuckled, extracting the clingy boy from his legs. “How’ve you been?”

“Hyunjin and Yeji helped me make a flower!” Junghoon said excitedly. “Look, Hyunjin has it right now!”

Hyunjin gave a lopsided grin, holding up the object in his hands. “Junghoon helped make the finishing touches, didn’t you?”

Taehyun took the flower from Hyunjin, turning it around. It was made of iron and copper – he assumed that copper was the metal that Yeji manipulated – and there were streaks of green shoots running through its metal stem. He smiled, giving it to Junghoon. “Wow, did you really? This is amazing, Junghoon!”

Junghoon beamed. “And Yeji promised she’ll help me make a really big flower one day!”

Yeji gave a laugh. “He likes the big flowers,” she said, and Junghoon nodded his head, grinning.

Taehyun smiled, ruffling Junghoon’s hair. “So you’re having fun with Hyunjin and Yeji?”

“Yep! They’ve been really kind,” Junghoon said. “Taehyun, sit down!” He patted the carpeted floor. “Their room has such soft carpets!”

“I wish I could stay, but I’ve got some work to do,” Taehyun said, ruffling Junghoon’s hair again when the younger boy slumped sadly. “Hey, don’t be sad! I’ll get Seohyun and Nabi to come see you sometime. Would you like that?”

Junghoon brightened at that. “Yeah! And do you know when Jiwon will be getting back?”

“I don’t know about that yet, bub,” Taehyun admitted. “But he’ll come back as soon as possible.”

Junghoon held out his pinky to Taehyun, youthful face set in a serious expression. “Promise me he’ll come back soon!”

Taehyun smiled, linking his pinky with Junghoon’s. “I promise.”

Junghoon beamed again. “Good luck with your work then, Taehyun!”

“Thanks bub,” Taehyun said. He looked at Hyunjin and Yeji, smiling. “Thank you for taking care of Junghoon.”

Yeji waved her hand carelessly. “Don’t mention it! Good luck with Beomgyu, Taehyun.”

Taehyun retreated out of the door, smile turning a little forlorn around the edges. “I’ll need it.”

.・゜-: ✧ :-

“Love? Love, I’m here,” Taehyun called. He saw two violet eyes blink open, and Beomgyu emerged from the shadows, rubbing himself around Taehyun. Taehyun gave a laugh as the tufty end of his tail wrapped around his arm, tickling his skin. Beomgyu gave a delighted purr, resting on his paws in front of Taehyun.

‘How have you been?’

“I should be the one asking you that,” Taehyun smiled, sitting down on the grass. “How have you been, Beomgyu?”

Beomgyu gave a dejected huff, blowing at some leaves. ‘Same as always.’ He raised his eyes to gaze at Taehyun. ‘It’s getting harder to keep myself normal.’

Taehyun rubbed Beomgyu’s nose comfortingly, something which he’d noticed that Beomgyu really liked. “Hang in there, love,” he murmured softly. “We’ll find a cure.”

‘I miss you so much,’ Beomgyu said quietly. ‘I miss being able to hold your hand, being able to hug you, being able to stroke your hair and kiss you everywhere. I especially miss the kissing part. Holding your face in my hands while your lips touch mine…. I miss that.’

Taehyun’s ears flushed, and Beomgyu huffed out a chuckle.

‘Do you still get embarrassed by that? You’re so adorable, you know.’

“Taehyun gave a smile, though his ears still warmed. “I miss all of that too. And I miss seeing your smile and hearing your laugh – your proper laugh, not just the laugh I hear in my head – and especially the way your eyes always light up when you look at me. I miss those eyes.” He twisted his fingers in Beomgyu’s mane, watching as the dark strands glinted in the sunlight. “When I look at you now, your eyes remind me of Soobin’s. And I miss your eyes. Yours. The eyes that light up my whole life. The eyes which remind me what love truly is.”

Beomgyu was silent for a long moment. Then he closed his eyes, letting out a small whine. ‘Taehyun, how can you do this to my poor heart? Why must you be so wonderfully eloquent?’ A small pout formed in his tone, and Taehyun laughed.

“I need to use only the most beautiful words to be able to express my adoration for you,” he said lovingly.

‘But it’s not fair! I want to kiss you even more now,’ Beomgyu whined, blinking his eyes sulkily. Taehyun continued to run a hand through his mane, and when he looked into Beomgyu's eyes he could see Beomgyu gazing back at him with an immense amount of love.

“We’ll figure out a cure as soon as possible, and then you can kiss me all you like,” Taehyun promised, an endeared smile on his face. “I promise.”

‘I’ll try my best to not go insane until then,’ Beomgyu replied softly, leaning into Taehyun’s touch. ‘I love you, Taehyun.’

Taehyun leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss onto the fur between Beomgyu’s eyes. “I love you too, Beomgyu.”

taglist: @my-moarmy-heart, @arohabangtan, @a-fragmented-world

[a-blue-secret]

CHAPTER XXXIII

BACK TO MASTERLIST

Chapter XXXII | Chapter XXXIII | Chapter XXXIV

GENRES: royal au; fantasy au; magic au; friends-to-enemies-to-lovers; king!beomgyu, vizier!taehyun

PAIRING: taegyu

WARNINGS: mentions of scars (?)

WORD COUNT: 3k+

AN: This chapter is probably the shortest that the Court of Lies chapters have been in a while, but it's also the fluffiest that they've been for a long time! I hope you like it :)

SUMMARY: Best friends turned enemies, Kang Taehyun has managed to trick Choi Beomgyu into his service, and to rule for a year and a day, until his youngest brother would be old enough to take the throne. Choi Beomgyu has no intention of being obedient however, and tries to thwart Taehyun’s orders at every turn. With a growing amount of distrust and lies within the court, will Taehyun manage to keep the kingdom of Gojongja from falling apart?

“Yeonjun, how’ve you been?” Beomgyu cheered, holding out his arms as Yeonjun came running into the room. They hugged, Beomgyu almost being crushed into the pillows from the force of it.

“I should be asking you that,” Yeonjun grinned, patting his shoulder. “How have you been?”

“Oh, you know,” Beomgyu said, a smile on his face. “I just turned into a beast and almost went insane. You know, the usual stuff.”

Yeonjun laughed.

“Oh, and–” Beomgyu lowered his voice confidentially, “Taehyun told me about all the spy stuff. Though to be honest, I kind of suspected it already.”

“Yeonjun’s eyes were wide, looking at Taehyun. “You did what?”

Taehyun shrugged, sitting down in the chair beside Beomgyu’s bed. “I didn’t mean to,” he said. “But I had to mention Hueningkai to talk about the encounter with Soobin.”

“Ah, Hueningkai!” Beomgyu peered curiously behind Yeonjun. “Where is he? I thought he’d be with you.”

“Hey, hey, you’re going to fall out of bed if you keep wriggling,” Taehyun chided, fixing the bed covers. “Honestly, you’re like a child.”

Yeonjun looked behind him, walking back out into the hallway. He poked his head into the room. “Wait, let me just find Hueningkai first, then I’ll get him to you.”

Yeonjun’s head disappeared, and there were muffled yelps outside, and a lot of scuffling.

“Hey, what are you–”

“Beomgyu wants to see you, brat–”

“No– wait– how does he know–”

“Ask him yourself, now come on–”

“Ah! Yeonjun, my arm–”

Yeonjun dragged in a yelping Hueningkai, grinning. Hueningkai let himself be dragged by the cuff of his sleeve, looking rather shy. Beomgyu grinned as he saw the younger, and held out his arms for a hug.

“Hueningkai!” he beamed. “It feels like it’s been ages since I saw you.”

Hueningkai gingerly hugged Beomgyu, still looking rather awkward. But Beomgyu continued to chatter animatedly, and the Aruyeonan’s stiff frame relaxed, and soon he was grinning and laughing.

Yeonjun beamed like a proud parent, standing beside Taehyun.

“Hueningkai really adored Beomgyu,” he said. “When Beomgyu came to Aruyeo, he was literally the only person who was genuinely nice to Hueningkai.” He nudged Taehyun, grinning. “You have a pretty amazing boyfriend.”

Taehyun smiled, watching as Beomgyu got Hueningkai to relax. “I know, he said. “I know.”

There was the pattering of feet outside Beomgyu’s door, and someone knocked hurriedly. Taehyun walked over to open it, and was almost run over by the Kangs storming into the room. The Hwang siblings followed behind in a more civilised manner, but with big smiles on their faces.

“Beomgyu, oh, you’re finally awake!” Nabi sobbed like an overdramatic mother. “You don’t know how worried we all were!”

Beomgyu stared at them all in surprise as they engulfed him in a huge hug. “What? When did you guys get here?”

“They’ve been here for three weeks,” Hueningkai said, walking back to stand beside Yeonjun. Yeonjun wrapped an arm round his shoulder, smiling. “Yeonjun brought them here to help Taehyun.”

Beomgyu stared at the Kangs, eyes wide. “Wow… Taehyun searched for you guys for ages, you know. Even though he wouldn’t tell me, I knew he was. And yet Yeonjun found you just like that?”

“Well, he had help.” Hyunjin stepped forward, hand outstretched. “My name is Hyunjin. I'm a friend of Yeonjun’s. And this is my sister Yeji.”

Beomgyu grasped his hand, eyes shining with curiosity. Then he suddenly yanked Hyunjin forward, pulling him into a hug.

“No need to be so formal, Hyunjin,” Beomgyu laughed. “You’re Yeonjun’s friend: so you’re my friend too. And this is your sister?” He turned to Yeji. Yeji smiled, and Beomgyu reached forward to shake her hand.

“What, do I not get a hug?” she said teasingly.

Beomgyu gave a sheepish smile, rubbing his nose. “Ah, right! Sorry, I'm just awkward around girls.”

Yeji laughed, giving him a hug. “Don’t worry, I am too. It’s nice to finally meet you, though: the person everyone has been scrambling to save. I can see why it was worth all the effort.” She nodded her head towards Taehyun. “Your boyfriend started smiling more the moment you turned back.”

Taehyun, standing to the side while everyone crowded around Beomgyu, gave a smile. “What can I say?” he said. “I smile around people I’m comfortable with.”

“It’s nice to see you again after all these years,” Jiwon grinned.

“Likewise,” Beomgyu grinned back. He spotted Junghoon hugging Jiwon’s leg, and his smile widened. “Wait, is this Junghoon?”

Seohyun chuckled. “Yep,” she said. “He’s all grown up now, isn’t he?”

Junghoon smiled proudly. “I’m eight!”

“You’re eight?” Beomgyu gave a gasp, smiling at the child. “Oh wow, the last time I saw you, you were only four!”

Junghoon giggled.

“Do you remember Beomgyu, Junghoon?” Nabi asked. “He’s Taehyun’s best friend.”

Junghoon looked at Taehyun, then at Beomgyu. He laughed again. “No, silly, they’re boyfriends!”

The said boyfriends blinked in disbelief as everyone else burst into laughter. Junghoon giggled, proud at having made them laugh.

“Well, you’re not wrong,” Jiwon said, ruffling Junghoon’s hair.

Beomgyu chuckled. “Well, what have you guys been doing while I was half-insane and Taehyun was busy crying his eyes out?”

Taehyun punched his arm playfully, smiling.

Jiwon gestured to Nabi and Seohyun. “My badass sisters ran Gojongja while you were away.” He pointed to Yeonjun and Hueningkai. “They went and avenged their Queen.” He patted Hyunjin’s and Yeji’s shoulders. “These guys gathered info on how to bring you back, and also supervised Junghoon for me. And I went with the army to subdue the people who wanted to kill you.”

Beomgyu gaped at them, eyes wide. “Nabi and Seohyun did that? Wow, you’re incredible! So you managed to keep the entire Kingdom under control while being pestered by impertinent Lords and a huge insane beast was on the loose?”

“Oh, it was nothing,” Nabi said, smiling.

“And yes, we convinced the army to retreat from the forests, and affected towns are being compensated for their loss. With money coming from the Crown itself,” Seohyun added, grinning. “Everything is going well.”

“Good, good,” Beomgyu smiled. “Wow, you guys all worked really well while I was gone.”

“It was all for you,” Hyunjin said. “We all wanted you back. Even if we didn’t know you – aka Yeji and I – we could tell how much of an important person you were to the people who did know you.”

Beomgyu smiled at that. “Thank you, really. I had no idea that there were so many of you.”

“I mainly brought them so that Taehyun didn’t dissolve into an emotional wreck every day,” Yeonjun interjected, “but it’s good to see that he managed to gather himself and organise a plan.”

“I wasn’t that much of an emotional wreck!” Taehyun protested.

“Taehyun, flower, you were,” Seohyun said, smiling a little. “I didn’t want to say, but you had huge eye bags under your eyes when we came.”

“Speaking of eye bags, Beomgyu still looks hella tired,” Jiwon said. “We should leave him so that he can sleep.”

There were voices of agreement, and the Kangs and Hwangs began to file out.

“Rest well, Beomgyu,” Nabi said, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

Seohyun ruffled his hair. “Get better soon, okay?”

Beomgyu smiled, waving as they left.

And then, once they had left, it was just Beomgyu, Taehyun, Yeonjun and Hueningkai.

“So how long till you can walk again?” Yeonjun asked, dragging two chairs next to Taehyun beside Beomgyu’s bed so he and Hueningkai could sit down. “I heard you sprained both your ankles. Somehow.”

“I talked to Seokjin, and apparently sprains take three days to three weeks to heal,” Taehyun said.

Hueningkai nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a big time range. You could be waiting days or weeks for it to heal naturally.” His eyes lit up. “Or I could whip up a rejuvenator.” He nodded at Taehyun. “Like I did when you fell sick.”

“Does it taste nice?” Beomgyu asked curiously, leaning forward. “Cuz if it doesn’t, you might need to knock me out before I have it.”

“Oh, there’s no need to knock you out,” Hueningkai said, smiling. “It doesn’t taste like anything. Don’t worry.”

Beomgyu nodded, smiling. He sank back down into the pillows again. “So what were you guys doing just now? Taehyun told me about your spy mission over these past couple of weeks, but what about just now? Taehyun had to go fetch you.”

“Well, some spies decided that it would be a good idea to go down to the dungeons and threaten Soobin and his sister,” Taehyun said, staring pointedly at the two Aruyeonans.

Hueningkai held his hands up in surrender. “Wait, don't look at me. It was Yeonjun’s idea!”

“Hey, you agreed to it,” Yeonjun said, lightly punching his arm.

“We only went to tell them to surrender,” Hueningkai said. “When we got there, Soobin was all ready to escape.”

“You killed Arin though,” Taehyun said disapprovingly.

“She’s not dead,” Yeonjun protested. “Soobin just cursed her! Well, he cursed all of us but only she was affected.”

“Besides, we managed to effectively subdue Soobin, without anyone getting killed.” Hueningkai crossed his arms proudly. “I think we deserve a thank you for that.”

“I appreciate it, I do, but I just think that your intimidation tactics were wrong. I mean, I saw you threatening them with a sword! And that whole ‘killing’ thing? Why–”

“Don’t listen to what Taehyun says, because I for one think that what you did was perfectly acceptable,” Beomgyu interjected, grinning. “So is this what you normally do as spies? Intimidate and threaten people and then kill them if they don’t do what you want?”

Taehyun sighed and rolled his eyes, a small smile on his face as Beomgyu began to eagerly ask the two spies about their job.

Yeonjun gave a small laugh, waving his hand. “No, no. I don’t do that all the time. I’m not the mafia.”

“He goes to boring talks and tries to verbally convince people to do what Queen Erajin wants,” Hueningkai said. “He’s only ever been on three physical missions in the whole of our spy careers.”

“Got the scars for it too,” Yeonjun sighed. “A huge one along my bicep, along with tiny ones down my back.” He frowned. “I’ll never forgive that guy for ruining my perfect back. The scars all marr with my muscles, and it’s annoying.”

Hueningkai rolled his eyes, patting Yeonjun’s shoulder consolingly. “There, there. It’s okay. You and I are the only ones who are ever going to see your perfect back muscles anyway.”

“Hey–”

Hueningkai laughed as Yeonjun squished his cheeks angrily.

Beomgyu pursed his lips in thought, staring at the ceiling. “How long have you two been spies?” he asked.

“Since I was twelve, and Yeonjun was fifteen,” Hueningkai replied. “Twelve years.”

Beomgyu nodded thoughtfully. “You were adopted, weren’t you? Do you still have any family left?”

“Oh, as a matter of fact I do. Lea and Bahiyyih, my sisters.” Hueningkai smiled. “They helped Yeonjun and I get Queen Erajin back on the throne.”

“They’re so cool,” Yeonjun interjected, eyes wide. “Hueningkai’s sisters are so cool.”

“Hey, maybe you could ask them to come to Gojongja,” Taehyun said. “We’d definitely like to meet them.”

Hueningkai smiled. “I’m not sure when I’ll be able to see them again, but sure. Of course.”

Beomgyu tilted his head curiously. “But if you have family, why were you adopted?”

“Ah,” Hueningkai hesitated, giving another small smile. “It’s because we had to run away from where we were originally living. My sisters were the ones who were meant to go to Aruyeo with me, but somehow things got mixed up and it ended up with me being the only one who could leave. I came to Aruyeo at the age of seven. As a young child, I had to be adopted.”

“We didn’t even know Lea and Bahiyyih were alive until five years go,” Yeonjun said, comfortingly wrapping an arm around Hueningkai’s shoulders.

“I thought they’d hate me, since I was the only one who made it to safety,” Hueningkai said.

“They didn’t hate you though, did they?” Beomgyu said. “There’s no way anyone can hate you.”

Hueningkai gave a small smile. “Thanks.”

There was a tense silence. Then Taehyun clapped his hands, leaning forward.

“Alright, I think that’s one tragic past that we can unpack another time,” he said. “Maybe we can all gather to discuss our tragic pasts? I know for sure that Beomgyu and I have experienced rather traumatic childhoods, and by the sound of it, so have you two.”

Yeonjun smiled, standing up. “Right! We could all have a counseling session together where we just cry about our pasts.”

Hueningkai chuckled at that, smiling.

“But anyway, I think we’ll leave you and Beomgyu in peace now,” Yeonjun said. “Beomgyu ought to rest if he’s going to get well soon.”

Taehyun nodded. “Alright, see you!”

Hueningkai waved. “Get better fast Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu nodded, grinning. “I will.”

Hueningkai gave another wave, and then the two spies left the room.

A calm silence enveloped the room. As soon as the door had shut, any tension or hyperness dissipated from the room, and a tranquil atmosphere settled over them, as delicate and pure as a bubble.

Beomgyu lay back in his bed with a contented sigh, smiling up at the ceiling. Taehyun gazed around the room, watching the way the sun sparkled against the candelabras.

The bubble of calmness wibbled and wobbled and reflected the light pleasantly, rainbow patterns dancing leisurely as Beomgyu turned to look at Taehyun, smiling.

Taehyun caught Beomgyu looking at him, and smiled back. Neither of them said anything for a long moment, content with just basking in each other’s presence.

And then Taehyun spoke, and the bubble of calm popped to sprinkle a glittering cloud of happiness over them.

“You have no idea how wonderful it feels to see you in real life,” he said softly, bringing up a hand to trace intricate patterns onto Beomgyu’s cheeks. Beomgyu laughed at the tickling sensation, and reached up to catch Taehyun’s hand in his own.

“You have no idea how wonderful it feels to be able to touch you properly, with my own hands,” Beomgyu responded, the smile bright on his face. He sat up, keeping Taehyun’s hand in his own. And then, flipping it over so it was palm-up, he pressed his lips against the soft surface, before leaning forward to press Taehyun’s hand to his lips.

Taehyun’s ears pinkened as he recognised the palm kiss that Beomgu had given him. He took Beomgyu’s hand in his own and, ever so gently, gave him a palm kiss of his own. They both gave soft laughs, smiling widely at each other.

Beomgyu reached forward, placing his hand softly on Taehyun’s cheek. He gently drew Taehyun towards him, until their faces were mere millimeters apart. The next words Beomgyu said brushed against Taehyun’s lips, light and ticklish.

“Taehyun, love?”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

And with that, Beomgyu closed the gap between them, and their lips met in a soft, gentle kiss.

.・゜-: ✧ :-

“Hey hey, don’t get up so fast, you might still pull your stitches out–”

Beomgyu tsked affectionately, gingerly standing up. “It’s been five days, love. I’m due to get them taken out in a couple of days. I’m sure that it’s very unlikely I’ll pull them out now.”

Taehyun sighed, letting Beomgyu use his shoulder to pull himself up. “If you say so.”

Beomgyu straightened, stretching. “Ah, it feels so nice to be standing on my own two feet again! How long has it been since I’ve done this? Three weeks? Four? I have no idea.” He gave a joyful yelp, spinning and jumping up and down. Taehyun laughed as Beomgyu ran around the room, arms in the air.

“Remember to thank Hyuka for the rejuvenator,” Taehyun said, as Beomgyu hopped over all sorts of furniture.

“I will, don’t worry!” Beomgyu called, doing a headstand before jumping onto his feet again. “Ah, this feels so nice!”

He leapt around the room, prancing and spinning around. Taehyun smiled. With his face set into a bright laugh, limbs nimbly jumping over objects, Beomgyu had never looked younger. It was adorable to watch.

Eventually, Beomgyu hopped to a stop in front of Taehyun, grinning. His face was alight with a smile, features glowing.

“I’ve missed this,” he said. He reached for Taehyun’s hand, gently kissing his knuckles. “I missed being able to hold your hand.”

He spread his arms, pulling Taehyun in for a tight hug. “I missed being able to hug you.” He pulled back slightly, hands running through Taehyun’s hair. “I missed being able to stroke your hair and kiss you everywhere.”

Taehyun laughed as Beomgyu placed feather-light kisses all over his face.

“And…” Beomgyu cupped Taehyun’s face with his hands, Taehyun’s head tilting up slightly to stare at Beomgyu adoringly. “I missed being able to hold your face in my hands, while…”

He leaned forward, kissing Taehyun.

“I missed being able to hold your face in my hands while your lips touch mine,” he finished, grinning widely.

Taehyun’s ears flushed, but he smiled, hands coming to wrap around Beomgyu’s shoulders.

“You really are the most adorable person ever,” he said, before pulling Beomgyu in for a longer kiss.

They were smiling: smiling so hard against each other’s lips that it was difficult for them to carry on the kiss. Taehyun pulled away, and Beomgyu leaned forward to gently nudge his nose against the vizier’s.

“I love you,” he said softly. “And I’m so glad that I’m able to say it properly now. I love you, Kang Taehyun.”

“It’s Jeo Taehyun,” Taehyun teased, smiling.

Beomgyu rolled his eyes playfully, kissing his nose. “Fine. I love you, Jeo Taehyun.”

“Though actually,” Taehyun said musingly, “Perhaps it’s Kang Taehyun, since I was legally adopted.”

Beomgyu laughed and peppered Taehyun’s entire face with kisses. “Make your mind up, will you? I want to be sentimental here!”

“Okay, okay! I prefer Kang Taehyun, anyway,” Taehyun said, smiling.

Beomgyu pecked his lips. “Actually, on second thought, I think Choi Taehyun is better,” he said. “What do you think?”

Taehyun’s ears warmed yet again, and he buried his face into Beomgyu’s neck, giving an endeared sigh.

“You know what? I think I like that too.” He breathed in Beomgyu’s warm scent, and smiled. “I love you too, Choi Beomgyu.”

taglist: @my-moarmy-heart @arohabangtan @a-fragmented-world