The Prince's Stableman | Taejin

Chapter 9 - Kid

Taehyung could not believe that he failed bringing Samchon Jung back. He was not prepared to lose one of, maybe the most important person in his life. He hated himself that Samchon Jung's life wasted away just to save his. He hated himself.

As soon as he was in the castle, he slumped down onto the hard limestone wall and cried. He cried for days. The hurt omega scent was pungent slipping through the crack of his door all over the hall down to his parents' headroom. Needless to say, his parents didn't know what to do. They both comforted Taehyung with their calming scents the best they could but he still would cry himself to sleep, crawling into his nest.

He spent all day and night in his room huddled up in his nest refusing to go out. His cuts and wounds healed but the deepest cut in his heart was the hardest he tried to mend. His parents promised that the stableman's family will get more compensation compared to the others to maybe make Taehyung feel better. Taehyung was grateful of that but could not face his samchon's real family because of the unyielding guilt in his heart.

"If I was his real son, how could money even solve the loss of my father?" he thought to himself.

They won the battle and peace was restored in the kingdom. Weeks and months passed. He stopped going to the stable. He stopped doing any sports and declined Alpha suitors, he basically wished he'd stop breathing.

He was thankful Hobi was there. He was the son of one of the past servants and is his main omega servant. He chose Hobi a long time ago because their age wasn't too far off. He was like his best friend. He was a shoulder he cried on and he did his best to make the prince smile. He was always there when he needed someone and not just because he was obligated to.

About a year and a half passed when he started visiting the stable again. He expertly slips away from his guardians with the help of his scent blocker perfumes. He always came early in the morning so that nobody would notice or bother him. He would ride out with Tata in the forest and breathe in the fresh air. He missed samchon Seokjung so much but doing his morning rides and taking care of Tata and sometimes the other horses made him feel better.

Back to the present time--

"Yes.. my samchon died saving the prince. I hate him for taking my samchon's life away." Taehyung answered as he looked down at his hands on the table.

Concerned, Seokjin never stopped releasing his pheromones even though he knew it was weak. "Know that your samchon did it for the betterment of our nation. You and our families might not be here right now just in case them bitter kingdoms won us over. My dad and your samchon did what they had to do to save not only the prince and the royal family, but us as well. They did not die in vain, they are heroes and I will do my best to live every day to serve the royal family in memory of my father." he ended with a smile placing a hand over Taehyung's and rubbing his thumb over and pulled away.

Taehyung felt tingles spread from his hand all the way throughout his body and his heart. Can he actually forgive himself now? "I mean, there must be a reason why I just met Seokjin now? Is samchon Jung forgiving me?" He pondered as he tried to stop his heart from jumping out of his chest. He could not exactly say what he was feeling. Why was he feeling so warm with this man in front of him when he just met him? He's made him feel so many things in less than an hour that he thought he wouldn't even feel after the war. He looked up at Seokjin and smiled.

"Do you want another cup of coco?" Seokjin asked standing up to take V's empty cup.

Taehyung smiled cheekily.

"No, I'd rather have a cup of you..." he says bashfully.

He was just thinking it but it actually came out. No way to take it back now, he just looked at the other waiting to see his reaction.

Jin was dumbfounded. His face resembled a tomato across his cheeks to his ears. He choked on air.

"Haha. You are silly." Seokjin says as he awkwardly laughed and faced away placing the used cups and bowl in the sink as his eyes stretched out to saucers.

"Was he actually hitting on me? No, he couldn't be. Kids and their jokes these days." he thought. He remembers how his brother teases his friends whenever he would observe them at home.

"So how old are you, kid?" He asked as he quickly washed the dishes.

Taehyung was disappointed to say the least. "Why is he referring to me as a kid? Am I acting childish? .." His brows were downcast looking at the back of Seokjin's head. He certainly did not want Seokjin to think he was just a child when he had rapidly grown interest in being with him in a different kind of relationship. He was so used to being courted and being approached that he found how Seokjin's reactions were irritatingly strange. "Is he not attracted to me?"

He unconsciously rolled his eyes behind Seokjin. "I'm about to turn 25 by the end of next month."

"It's settled then, I am your hyung! I'm three years older than you so you better behave and obey, okay? Are you ready to head to the stables now?" Seokjin playfully asked as he wiped his hands on his pants. He knew V was as old as his brother.

"Yeah." Taehyung pulled a small smile as they both headed to the door.

Seokjin sighed, it was the first time he felt relieved that Namjoon didn't bother waking up. He could not believe that because of Namjoon's laziness, he was able to have some alone time with V. He surprisingly felt so happy about that compared to all the times that Namjoon could just not give a damn about work among other things.

He was so pleased meeting V, a kind and polite stable-boy that was also gorgeous. He was doing his best to ignore the pit of attraction he was slowly falling into because he really wanted to keep things as professional as possible. He can't risk another Namjoon situation.

It was still raining outside, there were two umbrellas available now and Seokjin felt shy to ask if he wanted to share his umbrella again. He handed V his umbrella and smiled signaling him to follow as he used Namjoon's umbrella.

Taehyung was once again disappointed by the fact that they didn't share an umbrella back to the stable. He was all pouting as his feet were stomping heavily on the ground following the older.

🐴

To my taejinnies who read this, thank you so much! I am happy you are enjoying this (I hope) as much as I am loving writing it. Hmwahaha. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I might not be able to upload every day but I will do my best to 😄. My job hates me because of my taejin addiction. hahhaha. I already have written a few chapters ahead but I want to make sure they're how I want them to be. hehe.  Until the next one!