Dear Yoongi (and eventually Namjoon),
Something is definitely up over here. In the three days since your departure from the palace, the size of the army housed at the palace has doubled. The size of the court has suspiciously increased at the same time under the impression that we will believe they are simply here to prepare for Prince Jeno's Coming of Age. However, they roam the palace in patterns, all of which cross by or near our quarters, giving me the clear signal that these are no ordinary courtiers. I believe we are under constant surveillance. There have been several nights where people other than our men have entered your chambers. However, they have not stolen anything, which is curious enough other than the fact that they are so clearly spying on us. It is likely that they are aware of my exact identity and I may be in grave danger. Do not worry about me. If you ever fail to hear from me, do not send others to help. Lord Park's safety is our highest priority and his return will not help if something like that were to occur. I am now convinced that King Taemin has something to do with Senior Lord Park's sudden illness. I will attempt to find actual proof within the coming days. As always, I fear the worst.
~ Jung Hoseok
Hoseok wiped his brow as he blew out the candle, the liquid wax freezing as he sealed yet another letter to his best friend.
His shoulders tensed at a soft knock at the window, even the trees coaxing a rise out of the general on high alert in the darkness of the night.
The typically steady general had his routine disrupted, as nearly everything had changed once Jimin departed for Kim for the first time in four and a half months. Prince Jackson visibly relaxing as he was one less man to compete against for immunity, King Taemin's smile growing wide and more frequent, his smooth voice echoing through the halls as his seldom compliments flustering even the servants of the castle.
But the one who had changed the most was the one Hoseok least expected.
He thought Ten would be excited to believe he would have more of his attention as the result of the absence of his 'master' but it was quite the opposite.
Ten had been surprisingly free despite his increase in responsibility due to the large influx of Anti soldiers, and each time he so 'happened' to find Hoseok, he was not his usual calm yet smiling self.
His innuendos were practically absent from his vocabulary, his kisses quite frankly, half-assed, and his mind clearly occupied by something other than the red-haired spitfire that had so constantly held his attention for months on end.
As a result, Hoseok couldn't stop thinking about him, worrying about his mental state, concerned for the man he could understand better than anyone.
And he knew what could be the reason for Ten's hesitation during their interaction, his recent restriction of his words, his tight-lipped smiles overtaking his gorgeous teeth.
There was no way in hell a major general would be able to keep Hoseok's secret from his king, even if the king was legitimately Lucifer incarnate.
Taemin was his superior, and it was only a matter of time before Hoseok's effect wore off of the silver general, and his warrior instincts spouted everything of importance to the Man with the power to snap his fingers to end lives.
He handed off his letter to his ever-faithful messenger, whose eyes reflected the mental state of everyone present in the dark castle- exhaustion.
"Get some rest after you send this off, Heechul. Please, at least for me," Hoseok muttered as he went to close his door, his entire body longing for the solace of his bed.
Heechul only nodded, his hand covering his mouth that betrayed his wish to remain professional as it yawned, "Of course sir. As always."
The moment Heechul was out of sight, Hoseok dashed for the bed, throwing himself into the comfort of potential sleep until the sound of another knock startled him once again, the general screaming silently into the sky as he rose, dejectedly opening the door, his mood still sour until he saw the figure in front of him.
"Hoseok hyung, please. Let me stay here with you tonight," Ten's tired eyes and mouth cried out, his bags more defined than even his own, the man suddenly clinging to Hoseok's body, his lean arms comfortably wrapped around his waist, the most affection the two had shown in days.
Hoseok smiled slightly, his thoughts from earlier in the evening still persisting, his doubts growing about the younger's true intentions.
Damn their positions.
If only they weren't so good at their jobs, perhaps in another life they could have been true lovers, holding hands and running a café or something.
Hoseok nearly laughed out loud, the thought of himself running a boring ass café putting him to sleep already.
If only they didn't love the adrenaline, the power, and the pure joy of keeping a country safe, perhaps it could work out.
Both men knew it was doomed, forbidden, and star crossed.
They both knew that the other could be acting for intellectual gain, their affection merely the result of impeccable training and cunning soldier work.
They both knew they were welcoming a higher risk of death into their lives.
However, it made their hidden relationship all the more addictive, dangerous, and satisfying in the moments they could separate their soul from their job.
In this moment, the elder tenderly leading Ten to his bed, their arms clinging to each other, begging to deny the careers they served, they could imagine a world where they wouldn't be constantly pitted against the other.
In this moment, they were simply Hoseok and Ten, new lovers who were tired as hell.
As much as he tried to ignore it, his hand stroking Ten's soft silver hair in the moonlight, Hoseok knew that for both of their sakes, it could not continue for that much longer.
......................................
"Jimin, dear," Lady Park welcomed her son, her hand extending as her son gingerly took it to kiss her outer hand, an odd greeting of mother and son if Yoongi had ever seen one.
Their meeting was so damn formal it made his heart genuinely hurt for the love Jimin craved from his mother yet been denied, even from the moment they met.
Jimin deserved all the love in the world, his kind soul and genuine heart so full and gracious that Yoongi couldn't fathom anyone choosing to be so cold to a man who gave his entire being simply to make others happy.
And yet his parents made it look so easy, their love apparently manifesting itself as ordering the compliant boy around, treating him as a political card rather than their own son.
Sure, it could be the way it worked for most noble families, but the Parks took propriety and tradition to an extreme.
Yoongi was convinced that if it hadn't been for Namjoon and Seokjin's confession all those years ago, the Parks would even have denied their son's sexuality to fit into tradition.
In fact, when Jimin was a child, they had already lined up female prospects for his future marriage, bringing quote, "joy and prosperity to the legacy of the Parks".
It made him want to choke.
Jimin, in his astounding dedication, still chose to love his parents unconditionally, even when they dared not return it. In moments like these, where his mother wouldn't even bring him into her arms in the potential of his father's death, Yoongi wished he could do it himself.
He decided to do the closest thing to wrapping the younger in his arms by tightly grabbing his hand as they walked behind Lady Park, the dark-haired Lord silently praying that it did any good to Jimin's morale to have the support of someone who love- who was his dear friend.
Jimin wasn't prepared to see his unusually healthy father nearing death, much less with such short notice.
When the doors opened, Yoongi was shocked that he didn't burst into tears immediately. Jimin did, however, turn his slight hold on Yoongi's hand into a vice grip, his energy hiding itself in the form of distress, particularly into the elder's palm.
Senior Lord Park had never looked worse.
His deceptively smiling face that he had passed onto his son was deathly pale, his eyes bloodshot, the red veins more prominent than any color on his body, the bright colors on the walls unable to reflect light onto his translucent skin, his dry lips parting at the sight of his only son, his only heir.
"My...... son," he croaked, attempting to lift his hand until his muscles visibly gave up, his voice still managing, "please........ come here."
Jimin glanced at his mother for her approval, and at her nod, moved to his father's bedside, his grip on Yoongi holding fast as the elder was dragged to the bed of a dying man.
He stopped resisting, knowing that Jimin would not dare cry in front of his parents and that the only barrier from the eventual waterfalls was the crushing of his right hand.
For Jimin's sake, he simply kneeled beside him, silent as Jimin awaited his father's words.
"Please, Jimin. If you do nothing else for me, marry someone of importance. Know that then, I will finally have a worthy heir," his father whispered, his words meant to be sincere and tender, yet to everyone else in the universe were among the cruelest things to tell your son before you die.
Jimin only nodded, his robotic, "Of course father," ringing for the thousandth time as they rose at the pleading of his mother, who rushed to close the curtains, ranting something about Lord Park needing his healing sleep or something.
"Our servant, Minhyuck will lead you to your temporary chambers, son."
Jimin only nodded, turning to blindly follow the man in front of them.
Yoongi turned to do the same, but the face of the servant made him momentarily freeze, its familiar structure sending shivers down his spine, haunting him for the rest of the night.
That smirk was disturbingly familiar.
Jimin's vice grip hadn't changed, and didn't leave until he collapsed into Yoongi's ready arms the moment they were alone.
When you restrict a waterfall for a period of time, the water flows ever stronger, the dam walls breaking to let out an even stronger stream than ever before.
And Jimin had restricted his tears for three days.
His tears soaked through Yoongi's clothing, his whispers of dejected disappointment in himself for yet again being denied the approval of his father stabbing nails into Yoongi's already fragile heart.
Yoongi begged for his attention to reign into comforting his lov- friend, but that servant....
His vibrant yet dark red hair.
His structured, sharp jaw.
His slashed eyebrow.
The last time he had seen that face, he was sure it was holding a sword to crown Prince Kim Taehyung's neck.
It couldn't be.....
But there was no one else that could easily be mistaken for the successor to the entirety of the confidential and lethal Anti spies.
Escapee of the Kim prison.
Vengeful Spy.
Lee Taeyong.
................................
(A/N): oof y'all it's about to get I N T E N S E.
Also, omg hi to all the new readers, I love u already, thx for reading the shit that comes out of my mind.
I have also finished planning the namjin prequel omg, thinking of releasing the first chapter before I even finish this book, but we'll see.
I may or may not have teased it in this chapter lmao.
Much Love,
~KM❤️