• most energetic prince in the entire world basically
• as per his country's tradition he has a royal name, Hoshi, and only his close friends and family may call him Soonyoung in private
• super close with a few nobles and this one prodigy kid knight
• often you will find the future king of the country sprinting away from the scene of some royally elaborate prank accompanied by lords Seungkwan and Minghao, Duke Jun, Sir Chan and the royal bard Seokmin
• and they're all giggling
• like all right we expected this from the prince
• and maybe Lord Seungkwan and the royal bard but
• Sir Chan just seemed so mature
• and the duke really ought to know better
• and Lord Minghao is so quiet in public
• it ends in Soonyoung's advisor Seungcheol scolding him
• and Chan's senior Knight Jihoon scolding him
• and Seokmin, Seungkwan, Minghao, and Jun look on and giggle because they've got no one to scold them
• Chan spends the next week assisting kitchen boy Mingyu with various kitchen-related odd jobs
• and then everyone finishes their punishments
• and Soonyoung slings his arm around Chan's and Seungkwan's shoulders
• and says with the biggest smile
• "so what next?"
• and Minghao and Jun exchange looks and place joking bets on who's going to get caught and punished first
• people think he's an immature and lazy prince because of the various shenanigans he pulls with his friends
• but boy does he prove them wrong
• once stopped a war in potentia by talking down the raging ambassador and offering compromises
• he's had six offers of marriage already but politely refused them all
• he dresses neatly in nice shirts and pants + boots
• wears a super pale gold circlet and a cape
• has to dictate letters because his handwriting is so sloppy
• his parents made him hire a scribe
• and so now he has Jeonghan who writes the prince's letters for him and pokes light-hearted fun at his messy handwriting
• Jeonghan also transcribes his speeches on the rare occasion that Soonyoung's parents force him to give a speech
• people are always wondering when he'll get married
• he's of a proper age now, after all, and he is the prince
• this makes him very uncomfortable indeed
• because everyone is pushing for him to marry some noblewoman or foreign princess
• but he's got his eyes on someone
• it's you
• you're the sister one of the knights
• Prince Hoshi knows your face and your name and he knows whose sister you are but heck if he isn't too afraid to ask Joshua to introduce you
• Joshua so knows that Soonyoung is into you
• he sees Soonyoung making eyes at you from across the field when the prince has his tri-weekly training with the knights
• he also sees you making eyes at Soonyoung and is like "uh-oh"
• and Joshua can't decide if he should introduce you two
• or if he should keep you as far away from Soonyoung has he can
• he settles for not doing anything
• if you don't meet, oh well
• and if you do, hooray for Soonyoung getting up the courage to talk to you or vice versa
• but if Soonyoung hurts you Joshua will personally rip the boy's head off, prince or no
• one night you're visiting Joshua and he's not in his room
• so you go looking for him
• and as you're passing by the ballroom you hear piano music
• so you stop and peek
• and Jun's playing the piano (which you happen to know he barely ever does) but that's not what gets your attention
• no, Soonyoung's figure in the middle of the dance floor is what catches your eye
• wearing super tight black pants and a floaty black shirt that billows around him, his feet bare
• Hoshi is dancing
• and it is like nothing you've ever seen before
• his beautiful eyes are half-closed and his hair is soaked with sweat and he just looks...
• there are no words
• tall and lithe, he moves with the grace of a professional, but his style is like nothing you've ever seen before
• he's beautiful
• as the music swells to a crescendo the prince's dancing grows in intensity until it fades abruptly
• he arranges himself into a graceful ending pose, his back to you
• and you slip away
• something in you says you shouldn't tell Joshua about this, so you don't
• Hoshi's midnight dancing is a secret you intend to keep for as long as it is humanly possible
• but you do take to leaving sheet music on the piano desk
• it's kinda risky because he might find out that you're doing it???
• but it's important to have a bigger repertoire
• and Soonyoung doesn't know where it's coming from???
• Jun taps it out on the piano and looks up at Soonyoung like "Soonyoung, this is... this would be great for your dancing"
• Soonyoung stays late without Jun one night and examines the music sheets, running his fingers along the smooth paper
• and then he finds it
• your tiny signature along one of the bottom lines of the staff
• showing that you spent long hours transcribing, maybe even composing this music for Soonyoung
• and he melts
• because !!!!!! you care about him enough to leave this for him!!!!
• but then he starts wondering how you know about his dancing and starts to panic
• because according to his parents he really ought to be focusing more on practical duties — his studies, physical training, et cetera
• what if you tell someone
• what if people find out and make him stop
• he tosses and turns the whole night, worrying
• and in the morning he has to be reminded to eat and to button his shirt all the way before he runs off to find you
• eventually he finds you in the garden and tugs you off to a little secret bower
• "how long have you known?" he asks quietly, looking ashamed
• you shuffle back and forth, staring at your feet
• "three months."
• he looks up, mouth opening slightly in surprise
• "and you haven't told anyone? Why not?"
• you smile a little sadly before replying
• "you seemed so happy and proud of what you were doing... I can't bring myself to ruin that for you."
• Soonyoung lets out a small laugh and looks at his own feet, a blush rising on his face
• "well, thank you," he says
• it takes him another little while to work up the courage but he asks
• "and, uh... what about the sheet music?"
• you look up, glowing slightly with pride
• "ah, I wanted you to have more music... I wrote that," you confirm
• Hoshi's jaw drops
• "it's so amazing!" he exclaims. "You wrote that by yourself?"
• you blush, and Soonyoung's heart skips a beat
• why are you so cute to him
• "yes, all by myself."
• Soonyoung nods, glancing around and trying to find some sort of excuse to keep talking to you
• because he's kind of living his dream right now — he's talking to you, and you're being cute talking to him and it's so nice
• but you brush aside the curtains of ivy that hide the bower and give him a last look before leaving
• he barely manages to catch your wrist
• "wait, y/n — call me Soonyoung," he blurts
• you give him a confused look, and he blushes
• "my real name," he explains, "for my friends."
• you smile as you free your wrist
• "all right, Prince Soonyoung," you say, and vanish
• he stands there in awe for almost an hour, staring at the spot where you were and his face practically glowing red
• and when he finally stumbles out he's immediately found by Chan and Minghao
• who yell out that "they found him" and everyone can "stop worrying"
• and immediately start fussing over him and Seungcheol is there and so is Joshua and Jihoon is yelling and Jun is too and someone in the back is screaming really loudly???
• no one's sure whether they're happy that he's been found or angry that he went missing
• and Soonyoung is just like ???
• and he's surprised to learn that he's been in there for almost two hours
• he could've sworn it wasn't longer than five minutes
• whoopsie he was thinking about you
• so he confidently continues his nighttime dancing now that he knows you won't rat him out and/or make him stop
• sometimes you watch secretly
• and wow you're falling even harder for this man
• and you keep leaving music for him — whether you composed it, arranged it or bought it for him, you just like leaving music in there
• you haven't seen him dancing to the first piece you gave him, though
• it kinda hurts but oh well, maybe it wasn't that great anyway
• one night you stop by to watch him dance
• and he glances at the door and smiles
• "you don't have to lurk in the doorway any more, you know," he calls, and beckons you in
• you kinda sidle in, feeling like you're intruding by being here
• Soonyoung tugs you over to a chair and sits you down, smiling widely
• "okay now sit here and watch," he says excitedly
• he positions himself in the centre of the room and nods to Jun, trying to conceal the enormous smile on his face
• who gives you a small smile that's half smirk before starting to play
• he's playing one of your pieces, you realise suddenly
• the first piece you ever left for him, in fact
• and Hoshi starts dancing
• he's obviously been dancing for a while so he's all shiny with sweat and his hair is all wet and hanging in his eyes
• his beautiful eyes, eyes you've always admired, that are closed in concentration
• his white shirt is billowing around him and he's just so pretty
• you realise suddenly that he's wearing all white, the complete opposite of the first time you saw him dance
• and when he's finished he kneels down in front of you and looks up with eager eyes
• "so? How was it?" he asks
• you smile and nod, taking his hand
• "better than I could've ever imagined," you reply
• he laughs out of pure joy and brings up his other hand to hold yours
• "I can only do so well because of you," he confesses
• you can't help but blush at that
• "your highness, I —"
• his joyful expression begins to crumple as he looks up at you
• "did I — was I too forward?" he asks, shame and guilt beginning to take the place of joy. "I'm so sorry, I should've —"
• your heart melts
• "not at all!" you hasten to say
• he sighs and bows his head in relief, placing his head on your knees
• you absently smooth some hair out of his face
• "I'm just... so glad to be with you... Soonyoung."
• this is the first time you've ever called him Soonyoung instead of "your highness" or "Hoshi"
• he looks up, beautiful eyes glowing with happiness
• "I'm glad to be with you too, y/n..." he whispers. "I love you."
_________________
ooF i'm Soft For Hoshi
honestly this went through so much editing it's practically unrecognisable from the original draft hEck
okay!! so even though seventeen's comeback is on the fifth (AAAAAAAAAA) don't fret! I will continue my posting schedule ;)
at the moment the lineup for the next two weeks is:
Monday: bad boy!Seungcheol
Wednesday: soulmate!Jeonghan
Saturday: prince!Wonwoo
Monday: bad boy!Jeonghan
Wednesday: soulmate!Minghao
Saturday: Prince!Jihoon
as always, thank you for reading, especially for getting this book to 40 thousand reads!!!! I love you!!