The azalea that blooms at night | Taegyu

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ᴇʟᴇᴠᴇɴ

ꕤ⊹ꮺ✧ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴇxɪꜱᴛꜱ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇᴀᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ʜɪꜱ ᴋɪɴɢ ✧ꮺ⊹ꕤ

Beomgyu didn't know how it all started. Perhaps it was because his duty, his purpose, or how his existence was solely made for that one king, but he had loved him ever since.

Their first meeting was nothing extraordinary. Beomgyu was just a product left behind by the demon king, a gift for the human king. He remembered seeing the back of the young king's head, his pink hair so soft and fluffy, so clean and well taken care of. He was clean, with not a single speck of dust on his complicated outfit deserving of an accomplished young king. Beomgyu had watched him clean his hand with a handkerchief before turning to finally look at him.

The dream demon was small back then, so he had to look up at the king. Beomgyu still remembered how the royal towered over him, shielding him from the direct sunlight. The king carried himself with so much grace and authority despite the obvious weariness on his face, a presentation befitting of a king. However, Beomgyu could tell that he was barely hanging on. He was like an empty shell with an obligation that he himself did not wish to take on, yet his responsible attitude and personality had dragged him down and chained him to the title of a king.

Thinking back, Beomgyu might have been wrong about it. Perhaps Taehyun would have liked to be a king... under different circumstances. The reincarnated Taehyun is ambitious, exceptionally smart and always curious, always eager to participate in royal matters and responsibilities.

Beomgyu loves to watch his eyes. So bright, so round, so pure and so pretty. He had always loved his eyes, even when they used to be dark and lifeless back then. But they twinkled whenever Beomgyu was there, and king Taehyun would smile the prettiest smile at him. Beomgyu thought he did something good, and it made him happy.

The king never cried. He didn't have the capacity for tears. It was as if god had removed his ability to produce tears. Beomgyu could see his suffering, his agony, the pained expression and trauma on his face, yet no tears ever came out, even when he whimpered and groaned in his sleep.

Beomgyu's heart would ache for him... if he even had one. The one night the king cuddled him to sleep, Beomgyu had heard Taehyun's heartbeat and felt his warmth. The steady beat of his heart and breathing made him feel unexplainably nostalgic and calm. When he shut his eyes, Beomgyu could see the tranquil sea under a star-studded sky. There was no way the young demon knew what "sea" was, or how it would look like, but the image came to him instinctually.

The waves were merely snoozing, sluggish and slumbering in their liquid robes. They dribbled up to the sand, then shuddered and drizzled their sea spray onto its surface, whisking the stones before releasing. The beach, bathed in the silvery glow of the moon and the shimmering light of distant stars, becomes a tranquil haven.

Beomgyu could feel the cool sand under his bare feet, and when he looked down, he would find the sand reflecting the celestial display above, creating a subtle radiance that contrasted with the darkness of the ocean. The sea itself was vast, a dark expanse mirroring the cosmos. The gentle undulation of the water catches the glimmering reflections of the stars, as if the night sky has descended to meet the ocean.

Gazing up, Beomgyu saw the stars twinkled in a cosmic dance, forming constellations and a river of stars that stretched across the firmament. The only sounds he could hear were the whispers of the gentle wind and the calming cadence of the waves. A profound sense of peace and awe enveloped the young demon as he felt an intimate connection with the king.

But when he opened his eyes and placed a hand over his own chest, he realised he was different. There was nothing beating in his chest, and nothing about him was warm.