The Prince's Stableman | Taejin

Chapter 13 - Palace Guards

Back to the present time..

After they were finished eating, they headed back to the stable to finish work. Some of the helpers showed up and so Seokjin allowed himself to go home because he wasn't feeling so well. He thought it be better to isolate himself to avoid making the others sick too.

After taking a bath, Jin tucked himself to bed and gone off to dreamland.

Jin POV

I suddenly woke up with the feeling of a hand on my head. I was startled but I just couldn't move. My eyes were glued shut with eye goop and my throat was sore. My head hurts and I am shivering a bit.

I forcefully opened my eyes to see Namjoonsitting on my bedside touching my forehead and my neck.

"Hyung, you are sick. Remember your own saying? Who would take care of your babies when your'e sick?..."

I forcefully rolled my eyes to the back of my head. I looked back at Namjoon and noticed he had his blanket draped over me on top of my blanket.

"What time is it?" I say with a struggle. "Woah, what the hell happened to my voice?"

"Haha, your voice sounds like you sang with the band for hours in the tavern! Haha! It's 10:00 in the morning, Hyung.."

I jolted up trying to get out of bed when Namjoon pushed me back down by my shoulders.

"Hyung! What the hell. Its still raining today, you should just stay home. I made you some mushroom soup. Oh, and I also made beef bulgogi if you like, there's also some rice and vegetables. I'm so proud of myself, you should try it. It's delicious, you taught me well! Here, have some tea."

Namjoon handed me a cup from the bedside table. "Had he been watching me sleep?"

"Oh, good thing the house didn't burn down in my sleep." I say as I reached for the cup and sticking out my tongue.

"Hyuuung." Namjoon smiles as he fake whines.

"Ah.. Ginger tea.. Thank you.."

I looked at the swirly vapor coming from the tea evaporating into the air. I blew into the cup. "Ugh... I wanted to see V and talk to him more today... I hate being sick."

I took a sip of the tea and immediately felt relieved. It was quiet for a few minutes since I didn't know what else to say to Namjoon. He reaches out and caresses my hair.I freeze a bit... I hate him being like this.

"The horses have the other healthy stable boys and helpers when you get sick, all right? And if you get sick, I am always here for you, okay? Remember that."

Namjoon tucks my hair behind my ear. He stands up and lands a kiss on my forehead.

3rd POV

Seokjin was just staring at his cup. Namjoon went out of the room.

"Come out when you're ready, hyung. Ill prepare the food for you."

Seokjin didn't want to think much about how Namjoon is right now. Its bad enough that he had a headache, adding Namjoon to his thoughts might make it even worse.

Truthfully, Seokjin wasn't feeling up to it today. He just wanted to crawl back into his bed and sleep until he felt better. But he just needed to see V again.

Seokjin was lapping up the mushroom soup Namjoon made for him as they ate together. He didn't really have much appetite to eat a lot.

"Did you see the palace guards yesterday? I was surprised to see them show up here." Namjoon says as he chews his food.

He felt a bit nervous. Years ago, it was determined that the war unseemly started because of infiltration from unsuspected servants. They worked as cooks and random helpers and were effective moles to the Kingdoms seeking for vengeance for months. It was a close call. The royal family had lost trust in their own men and had a few left. They were easily bribed with fake promises of sex and wealth and turned their backs to the royal family. Though some trustworthy people remained, Seokjin's dad was one of them.

"Huh? They don't really go around here. I haven't heard of any sort of break-in? Are they suspecting any group or any one?" Seokjin asks with a bit of worry.

Namjoon swallowed a mouthful of rice and meat.

"Nah.. Don't worry. They were just looking for the Prince. You know him. He's such a rascal. I bet we'd be good friends if he wasn't the Prince." he says as he chuckles and taking another bite of bulgogi and rice.

"My dad has told us stories about the Prince and I could recall my dad's fondness over him. I guess he's started to be more like himself again." Seokjin thought as he looked out their window up to the castle.

They finished eating and prepared for work. Namjoon only agreed that Seokjin could come just to overlook the others while they worked and not do anything more although he preferred Seokjin to stay at their cottage.

The rain was coming and going but Seokjin didn't accept that as a ticket to stay at home. Plus, he had a different agenda in mind. It was already 1:30 in the afternoon when they were ready.

"Hyung, I know you don't have your umbrella. Come on lets go."

Namjoon says as he opens his arms for Seokjin to walk in his inner circle of space under the umbrella.

Seokjin felt kind of awkward. His shoulders and Namjoon's arms were getting wet so they would adjust the umbrella to the other side. But then Namjoon would get almost half of his body wet.

They were both laughing with the conundrum of being two broad shouldered men, specially Seokjin, trying to fit in a small umbrella. Seokjin slapped Namjoon's chest trying to push him away when the latter tried to hug and envelope him tighter in his arm jokingly, attempting to have both of them fit inside the umbrella which resulted into a fit of giggles once again.

When they got to the stable, Seokjin's smile was ear to ear seeing V standing there.

"He doesn't seem okay today. Maybe his flu got worse?" Seokjin thought as he walked towards an upset looking V.

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