"Oh, put the new silks over there. Thank you sir!" Jeongguk said, gesturing to the corner of the room. He watched as a few maidens scurried in, all dressed in the uniform's modest white dresses. "No, no, no," he said quickly, "you don't need to dress me. An heir should learn how to dress himself!" He grinned so it reached his eyes, and suddenly he looked like a normal 20-year old, not someone who's had to deal with the stress he faced. The maidens gave him meek smiles, as they always did, and hurried off to do their duties.
When he heard the loud, familiar sound of a door slamming open, he was forced out of his reverie and quickly picked up a washcloth, which he had thrown in the corner of the room. He got back down on his knees and scrubbed hastily as heels brutally clacked against the floor.
His stepmother, along with his two stepbrothers, walked into the kitchen in their too-good-for-you manner. Behind them trailed Hoseok, holding an amount of cloth sacks that could have easily been dispersed between the four people. Hoseok gave him a smile and a wink as he heaved the baggage into the parlor, where the others had gathered.
He was about the only one who ever acknowledged Jeongguk when he wasn't doing something wrong. His stepmother and stepbrothers only ever complained about the things he did. He was given no praise or compliments by them. Hoseok, he only ever brought Jeongguk up. That was his job as his real brother.
Jeongguk and Hoseok were too young to remember a lot about their mother before she died. Hoseok remembered more because he was older, and when he escaped from his room to visit Jeongguk's attic room in the night, he would sometimes tell him stories of their mother. After Hoseok would finish his story, he would rest his hand on Jeongguk's cheek and tell him how similar the two were. Hoseok made Jeongguk feel so happy.
When their father remarried and then died, the boys made a pact to never leave each other's side. Hoseok would hang on to Jeongguk and Jeongguk would hang on to Hoseok.
Their stepmother (or step-monster, as Hoseok liked to call her in the dead of night) decided that Jeongguk was worthless in her eyes. He was to clean, cook, and scrub the floors. Jeongguk was too kind to object. Hoseok always told him to stand up for himself.
The stepbrothers had a strange, friend-like attachment to Hoseok. Neither Jeongguk nor Hoseok knew why, but because of this Hoseok could do things Jeongguk couldn't. He could speak to them as an equal, he had a room that wasn't terrible, and he didn't have to do any dirty work, simply help the family in view of the public eye. Hoseok would always apologize to him about it. Jeongguk would always say he didn't have to.
"Guk! There is no food on this table!" his stepmother shrieked.
Jeongguk winced at the nickname that had become more of a insult. Jeongguk stood up and rushed into the kitchen, expecting to see the meal he prepared on the table. Instead he saw a mess of plates and silverware. Looking around, he spotted his stepbrothers with sly smirks on their face. Jeongguk connected the dots easily when he saw the trash bin hastily shoved in a corner.
He couldn't come to stand up for himself and it cost him his dinner for the night.
He was thankful. It could have been much worse.
----------------------------------------------
"Life is unfair, hyung."
"Taehyung. Your parents literally want you to have a ball. They aren't saying you have to get married on the spot."
"Yoongi-hyung, they are saying he has to marry someone at the ball."
"Thank you, Jiminie! See, hyung? Life is so unfair."
Yoongi sighed and massaged his temples. Taehyung always found it funny seeing his large, bony hands next to his delicate face and features. "Tae, if worst comes to worst, you can just marry Jimin or something."
"Yoongi!" Jimin almost screamed, and in that moment, Taehyung wondered if his parents room was actually right above his or if that was just a myth. If they were, they got one hell of a wake up call. "What about us?" Jimin said, gesturing between each other with one small finger.
"First of all, I said worst. Doesn't mean I think it's a good idea. Second," Yoongi paused to wiggle his eyebrows at Jimin, "I said marry. Doesn't mean we can't fuck on the side."
Jimin turned bright red and Taehyung pulled a pillow up to his face. "Ew!" he yelled, then proceeded to hit the couple with his pillow. "Go be gross somewhere else, lovebirds!"
Jimin and Yoongi made Taehyung feel happy.
----------------------------------------------
A formal knock on the door caused Jeongguk to look up from his extra work. Jeongguk, from his position on the floor, could just barely see Hoseok share a silent look with his stepmother, asking if he should get the door or not. Another sterner knock rapped against the door and Jeongguk's stepmother stood up to get it.
When the door opened, Jeongguk could see a pair of expensive black shoes and proper blue pants. He heard a deep voice speak in a strict tone, sounding like one of the guards that would stand outside of the palace. When Jeongguk moved so he could see the man better, he realized he was a guard from the palace, if the crest on his uniform was anything to go by.
"Hello, Miss. I've been informed there are boys over the age of 18 in this household. Is this true?" The guard spoke in short, concise phrasing. He reminded Jeongguk of his neighbor-friend, Namjoon.
"Yes, there are!" His mother said in her sickly sweet voice she uses with rich strangers.
"Alright." The man pulled a card out of his breast pocket and handed it to Jeongguk's stepmother. "There is a ball tomorrow night. It is for the current prince, Kim Taehyung, to find a suitor." Jeongguk covered his little gasp. Anyone could have a chance to be with Prince Taehyung and become the king? "Dress is formal. Masks are required. I wish your boys luck, have a good day." The guard bowed a little and walked away before he could hear a response.
"Boys!" Jeongguk's stepmother shouted. His stepbrothers sat up immediately. She smiled an evil smile and crossed her arms.
"You have a prince to win over."
-------------------------------------------
Jeongguk usually loved being home alone, but not today.
His only wish was to be at the ball. Hoseok had been dragged along (something about him being a butler), so Jeongguk had no one to talk to. His only available tasks were the many chores he had to do, so he tried to pull a straight face and work.
Of course, that didn't stop him from singing while working. In their nights, Hoseok would occasionally ask Jeongguk to sing quietly for him. Hoseok would say how he sounded like their mother, how amazing his voice is, how he wishes she could hear it.
Being home alone was the one time he could sing to himself. Jeongguk lightly sang a small tune he had heard some villagers singing earlier; a sweet song with a lilting melody that would sound good to anyone's ears. He tried to sing the song to lift his spirits but he was still disappointed about everyone leaving him for the ball, so the melody became melancholy and broken. As he swept the floors and tended the garden, his grievous song became louder, loud enough someone nearby could hear it.
Someone heard it. He was well known throughout the village for being a little crazy in the mind- he tended to not do what people expected of him and instead do the opposite. He wasn't rich, he had barely enough money to live on the streets, but that didn't really matter to him. Jeongguk had become acquainted with him through small actions. He would help him carry something, or maybe sneak him some leftover food. The crazy man was what Jeongguk would call a friend.
That's why when the man heard his song, he stopped walking past the garden Jeongguk was weeding and just listened. Jeongguk's sweet voice clashed perfectly with the sad notes of the song and carried sorrow onto the man's wide shoulders. He couldn't help but stop by Jeongguk and speak to him.
"Jeongguk, why the sad song?" The man said so only the two could hear.
Jeongguk jumped a little at the sudden voice near him. When he realized who it was, though, he smiled sadly and replied, "Nothing, Sir. Just a little bummed today is all."
"Ah, I told you Jeongguk. You can call me Seokjin-hyung, I don't mind." He said, chuckling a little and letting himself into the garden. "According to your sad song, you're more than just a little bummed. What's on your mind?"
"It's really nothing, just a poor boy's wish." Jeongguk said with a sigh.
"Ah, the ball?" Seokjin asked, understanding what Jeongguk implied. He almost looked like he knew something Jeongguk didn't. "How much do you want to go?"
Jeongguk scoffed and looked up at the sky, daydreaming of what it would be like to meet Prince Taehyung. "I would probably do anything to be able to go. Everyone in the town over the age of 18 was invited, its just- I don't have the outfit. I would stick out like a sore thumb." Jeongguk let out a humorless scoff and looked at Seokjin. "I think that's my greatest wish, at least so far in life."
Seokjin stopped and seemed to think for a moment. "If- If you were to have the proper clothing, what would it be?"
Jeongguk smiled and sat on a nearby rock. Even just daydreaming about the ball made him happier. "A white suit, I think. A beautiful suit that shines with diamonds- maybe a fine set of diamond earrings too. And- and a diamond mask that covers my eyes, to hide my identity from my stepbrothers and stepmother."
"And for the shoes?"
"The best leather Oxfords would leave the crowd stunned."
Seokjin actually laughed at this. "Why settle for normal fabric? Fabric laced with real silver would definitely make the prince notice you."
At this point, Jeongguk was laughing too. The two were having an amazing time fantasizing with one another about Jeongguk meeting the prince. "Oh, and how would I get there?" Jeongguk asked between giggles.
"What about this rock you're sitting on? I'll turn it into a golden carriage. Your neighbor- Namjoon- I can dress him up and he can drive you. I'll turn some of these mice into horses, and you'll ride gracefully into the ball." Seokjin smiled and held Jeongguk's hands in his own and swung them around.
Jeongguk hadn't laughed this hard in so long. Seokjin always had the ability to turn Jeongguk's mood around for the better. He fell into Seokjin and said, "Ha! To do that you'd have to be a fairy godfather or something!"
Seokjin's face morphed into a different emotion at Jeongguk's comment. It wasn't a particularly unhappy emotion, just different, more serious. He held Jeongguk's hands a little tighter before letting go and standing up.
Seokjin breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. The wind started to pick up and leaves started blowing around him. Then, strangely, his clothing morphed.
His old, worn-out shirt became a silk, dark blue, button-down shirt. His torn shoes turned into new black ones, and his shoddy pants shifted into black dress pants. His hair tinted a silvery-pink and beautiful eye shadow appeared on his lids. He looked stunning, almost like a fairy godfather.
Seokjin smiled at Jeongguk's amazed look. "You rang?" he said, putting his arms out.
Jeongguk's mouth was gaping open because of his shock. "Wait, so you're actually a fairy godfather?" he then paused as Seokjin smugly smiled at him. "Hyung, that's so cool!"
"Isn't it?" Seokjin said. He walked closer to Jeongguk and looked him up and down. "Now, to get you that outfit. And, Jeongguk, would you be a dear and go get your neighbor Namjoon for me?"
----------------------------------------
"I feel like a proud father." Seokjin said, wiping fake tears from his eyes. Jeongguk was in his golden carriage in the beautiful outfit he described to Seokjin. Namjoon was in a feather-printed silver suit, matching Jeongguk, and sitting in the front of the coach. It hadn't taken much to coax him into helping Jeongguk. The moment Jeongguk said, "Hyung, I need some help!" he had come running. Seeing Seokjin's handsome face was reward enough, not counting the free fancy outfit.
Jeongguk was trying to suppress his excitement. He was going to the ball and his family wouldn't know because of his mask. It was what Jeongguk has asked for, a white mask lined with small diamonds, and it made his features pop, especially his doe eyes. Jeongguk couldn't have asked for anything better.
Seokjin walked up to the window of the carriage and spoke loud enough so both Jeongguk and Namjoon could hear. "Alright, you two. The ball starts in about ten minutes, and you guys are well-dressed enough to arrive late." Seokjin turned to face Jeongguk specifically. "You are not allowed to stay out past twelve. At midnight, everything I changed will turn back to its original form. If I were you, I would be out of there before 11:30." Seokjin walked over to Namjoon and explained the directions to the palace by road.
Seokjin then yelled a quick, "Goodbye, good luck, and remember midnight!" as the carriage started rolling to the castle. Jeongguk waved and prepared for the most important ball of his life.
----------------------------------------
Taehyung walked around the ballroom, though he couldn't walk around that much without getting stopped by some self-absorbed person who only wanted the crown. Taehyung would consider himself an extrovert, but being around all of these snobby people who just want a higher status made him want to go hide in his bedroom with Yoongi and Jimin.
They had told him earlier they were going to go "do stuff" and swiftly left with no input from Taehyung. So, unfortunately, Taehyung was left alone in a room full of people. The fact that he was the only one that wasn't required to wear a mask made it hard for him to hide.
He had tried to worm himself into a corner with less people, but everyone kept following him. He doesn't exactly blame them for that- the point of this ball was to find him a suitor- but it was still annoying. Taehyung wanted to take his time in a relationship and that was almost impossible when his parents expected to him to have someone in mind by tonight.
Taehyung had already had both men and women alike come up and try to kiss him with no previous conversation. He had immediately pushed them away and walked to a less populated corner of the ballroom, but he was still shocked about how forward the citizens were.
Thankfully, Taehyung had just reached some sort of gap between people bombarding him. In fact, the ballroom itself was quieter. Taehyung looked around to see if anyone had done anything crazy but found nothing. He followed the guest's gazes and suddenly understood why the crowd had become quiet.
A man had arrived a little late to the event, but his beauty made up for it. He wore a stunning white suit, a bejeweled mask, dangling diamond earrings, and dazzling silver shoes. His stature was strong, as if built up by hard work, and Taehyung couldn't bring himself to look away.
Once the man noticed that so much attention was on him, he brought his hands in front if himself and stood still. Taehyung could imagine he was blushing as the man walked into a corner of the ballroom quickly.
Taehyung shook himself out of his transfixed gaze and went back to hiding from the onslaught of people. By then, the excitement of the man's arrival had worn off and guests were lining up to chat with Taehyung. He tried to speak politely to them, but every once and a while, he would look over to see where the man went. He seemed to be very shy around the guests and kept to himself, which made Taehyung feel fuzzy inside. He told himself he didn't know why.
Taehyung moved a little closer to the man, taking a few steps at a time so as not to lose the guest he was speaking with. After chatting up someone for a while, he looked over towards the man. He was talking to one of the servers with far too many platters in her hand, and the man grabbed a few of her plates. As he was talking with the server, he had a huge smile on his face that Taehyung would relate to a bunny's.
This man was so much better than Taehyung expected. He was handsome, kind, and a joy to be around. Even the servant he was helping was smiling.
Taehyung abruptly ended his conversation with a rich man who had too much eye makeup on and started walking over to the kind man. Taehyung could see him set down the platter he was holding and rub the servant's shoulder before bowing with a smile and walking away. Taehyung decided he liked him even more.
Taehyung walked straight for the kind man. He was probably getting stares, he hadn't shown interest in anyone that entire night, but he didn't really care. He had admitted to himself that he was completely whipped for this man, and if Yoongi and Jimin were here, they would have told him the moment the man walked in.
The man didn't notice Taehyung until he was right in front of him. He was fiddling with his suit, almost looking like he had never seen that fabric before. Once he noticed that someone was right in front of him, though, he looked up. Taehyung would only describe the man's face as completely and utterly shocked. The man stood up quickly and bowed as low as he could possibly go without hurting anyone.
"My prince," the man said, and oh did his voice sound like honey, "thank you for inviting me to this wonderful event." Even through the mask, he could see the man's eyes were as wide as saucers.
Taehyung flashed his first genuine smile that night and replied, "It's no problem, I'm thrilled you decided to come." The man's eyes impossibly became even wider at Taehyung's comment. A short silence came between the two, but it was filled them inspecting each other's small details and committing them to memory. The mole under the man's lips caught Taehyung's eye, as well as how naturally wide his eyes were. He had a youthful beauty to him, and Taehyung appreciated that.
Taehyung broke the comfortable quiet by asking, "Would you care to dance with me?" He stuck out his hand hesitantly and looked at the man with question on his face.
The man's shocked expression intensified for a moment then disappeared as he took Taehyung's hand and responded, "Of course, my prince."
Taehyung led him to the middle of the ballroom's dance floor. No one was previously dancing because they all had eyes for the prince, but Taehyung didn't really care. He just wanted to spend time with this wonderful man that he was totally whipped for.
"I'm not exactly that much of a dancer." The man said quietly to Taehyung. His hands were suspended in the air in a "I don't know what to do" manner. Taehyung found him so adorable.
He chuckled and put his left hand on the man's waist while grabbing his right hand and holding at the level of their shoulders. "I'll lead you, don't worry." Taehyung said, leaning closer than necessary. Taehyung could hear the man's hitch of breath as he backed away, which made Taehyung smile.
The orchestra started a waltz and the two flew across the dance floor. The man was actually quite a good dancer, but Taehyung could tell he was nervous by how he was constantly looking at his feet, making sure he didn't step on Taehyung.
He tipped the man's chin up with his right hand before putting his hand back in the other's. The man stared back at Taehyung in wonder and his cheeks flushed from the close proximity. "Don't worry about stepping on my feet, I just want to see what I can of your face." Taehyung silently cursed whoever made this a masked occasion.
"Sorry..." the man said, looking away from Taehyung in embarrassment.
"No need to apologize. You seem like you don't do this much." Taehyung commented.
"I've never danced with someone before." The man said, still not looking at Taehyung.
He was surprised by this- the man was a great dancer for never having danced like this. "Really? Well, I should hope you are enjoying it."
"I am." The man said, finally looking at Taehyung. He was smiling a little bit and Taehyung counted that as a win.
The boys danced for forever, at least to them, almost everyone watching them. As soon as the two got on the dance floor, jealous looks were sent to both of the boys. A few others had decided to join them on the floor, but the boys didn't notice. They were engrossed in one another, simply looking and enjoying each other. Taehyung had to stop himself from kissing the other, you're supposed to be taking your time, dammit.
"Do you want to go somewhere else where we aren't surrounded by the public? I wish to just... speak to you." Taehyung noticed how the man stiffened and how his eyes widened quickly, and rushed to add, "Not to yell at you or anything. I want to chat with you without worrying about everyone else judging us."
The man released a held breath and replied, "I'd love to, my prince."
Taehyung dropped his arm from the man's side. He grabbed his hand and led them through a hallway out to the private garden.
-------------------------------
The two chatted about meaningless things on the way to the garden, small details about themselves that revealed nothing of their personal lives, like favorite colors and hobbies. Jeongguk felt like he was floating on another plane of existence. He was walking in a royal garden with Prince Taehyung, and he seemed actually interested in Jeongguk. The prince was even more beautiful than Jeongguk imagined- he had a sleek, perfect jawline, beautiful eyes with one monolid and one double eyelid, and his assorted moles; on his waterline, nose, and lip. Jeongguk didn't believe he was here, but the prince's large hand in his kept him in the moment.
"Before I asked you to dance, I never asked your name. Mind to enlighten me?" Taehyung asked, swinging their hands slightly.
Jeongguk had an inner struggle. Not many people ever call him by his full name, other than Namjoon and Hoseok. He's often called Guk, but he hates how the once fun nickname had become an insult due to his stepbrothers and stepmother.
"People call me Guk, but I don't like it." Jeongguk replied, shyly looking down.
"Hm..." The prince seemed to contemplate something, but continued to swing their hands. Jeongguk was thankful for the action, it made him feel less tense. "May I call you Gukkie?" Taehyung said, eyes shining in the moonlight.
Jeongguk's heart fluttered. He was so adorable. "You may call me whatever you want, my prince."
"But can I call you Gukkie?"
"If it would make you happy, my prince."
Taehyung seemed frustrated. He stopped walking and grabbed both of Jeongguk's hands in his own. His face was mere inches from Jeongguk's and he looked like a discontented kitten. "I don't care about whether I'm happy or not. I want to know if you, personally, are okay with me calling you Gukkie." he said gently, as if assuring Jeongguk everything was going to be okay.
Jeongguk almost wanted to cry. In fact, tears started welling up in his eyes. He hardly ever gets asked about his opinion on anything.
Taehyung took Jeongguk's impending tears the wrong way. "Oh, no no no, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He said, pulling Jeongguk into a hug and resting one hand on the back of his head. "I didn't mean to be strict with you or force you into anything, I'm sorry."
Jeongguk almost started bawling on the spot, but instead, only let a few tears spill. "It's not that, my prince, it's just..." Jeongguk faded his sentence away as Taehyung pulled Jeongguk back to look at his eyes. Jeongguk took a shaky breath and continued, "I never usually get to choose anything. I like it. And- and you can call me Gukkie. I think it's cute." Jeongguk smiled a halfway bunny smile, but it was enough for Taehyung to grin back and pull him back into the tight hug.
Jeongguk buried his head between Taehyung's shoulder and neck, and the two were together like that for a while. Simply enjoying each other.
Finally, Taehyung spoke. "Gukkie, may I strike a deal with you?"
Jeongguk stayed in his comfortable spot, but replied. "What is the deal, my prince?" At the last words, Jeongguk could feel Taehyung stiffen the slightest bit.
"We can drop the formality and visit my friends. They're very nosy within my love life, and I don't know if you can tell, Gukkie, but I like you a lot." Jeongguk giggled a little, which lead Taehyung to do the same. "They'd really love to meet you."
Jeongguk pulled back from their hug and put his arms around Taehyung's neck. Taehyung's hands defaulted to around Jeongguk's waist, and Jeongguk felt a fluttering feeling near his heart.
"What do you require of me?"
"If- Only if you want to, I would like you to take off your mask so I can see your entire face." Taehyung said, looking down and to the corner.
Jeongguk thought for a second. He certainly wanted to take off his mask, but he'd need to make sure he was somewhere where his stepmother and stepbrothers had no chance of seeing him. "I'll take my mask off, so as you make sure the only one who see me fully are your friends and you, my prince. Deal?"
"Yes, Gukkie, deal."
----------------------------------
Taehyung guided Jeongguk through a long, twisted hallway. It seemed like it was for staff only because of the scarce decorations and low lighting. The grey cement walls were lit by a few torches, but otherwise, there was nothing. It made Jeongguk feel like he was an intruder, but Taehyung's hand in his comforted him.
After a while, they ended up in front of a dark, wooden door. Taehyung turned to make sure Jeongguk was still with him and lead them through the door into yet another hallway. This one was painted a deep red and decorated with hand-painted fleurs-de-lis. Another dark door was opposite the one they just came out of. Taehyung led them to this door and the two stood in front of it for a moment.
"Gukkie, no one will come down this hallway and my friends are inside this room. I will drop formal speech when you get rid of your mask, would you like to do that now or when we step inside?" Taehyung asked.
"I'll take it off now, I hate being formal." Especially around someone like you who makes me feel so loved, Jeongguk thought.
Jeongguk hooked his thumb along the silk bow holding his mask to his face. He lifted it off and over his head and immediately looked to see Taehyung's expression.
Taehyung's eyes were wide open and his jaw drooped a bit. He didn't even hide his blunt reaction, and for once in his life, Jeongguk didn't mind that. After a while of Taehyung just staring at Jeongguk's features, he blinked a few times and shook his head.
"Holy shit Gukkie, you're ethereal."
Jeongguk laughed loudly and obnoxiously, how he did around the people he loved. "I didn't expect you to be that quick, Taehyung!" Jeongguk hesitated a little and toed his silver shoes. "Can I call you Taehyung? Or- actually, can I call you Tae?"
"Of course, yeah!" Taehyung said quickly. "As long as you don't call me 'My Prince', I get tired of that so easily." Taehyung winked at Jeongguk. He tried not to feel like he was going to combust from adoration, but that was useless at this point.
Taehyung put his hand on the door handle. "The one with brown hair and is brooding is Yoongi, and the one with blue hair and looks like a ray of sunshine is his boyfriend, Jimin. Truly a power couple." Taehyung lightly snorted and opened the door.
Jeongguk was admittedly terrified of what was to come.
----------------------------------
Taehyung found the two cuddled on his bed (you'd think he'd be phased that they were in full suits and shoes in his bed, but at this point, Taehyung was no longer surprised), Yoongi with his arms around Jimin, who was sitting in his lap and sewing together some fabric. Taehyung recognized it as one of Yoongi's overcoats and smiled at the couple's adorably subtle means of affection (subtle meaning when they were cute, not when they were making ungodly noises in the bedroom right next to Taehyung's).
Jimin looked up from his sewing and haphazardly put his work on an unoccupied portion of the bed in his rush to get up. He completely ignored Yoongi's whine from the lack of warmth. "Who do we have here?" he said, rushing over to inspect a tense Jeongguk. He did a once-over on Jeongguk and looked proudly at Taehyung. "Anything you'd like to tell me, Mr. 'Life Is So Unfair'?"
Taehyung grabbed Jeongguk's hand as a means of reassurance for both he and Jeongguk. "I don't know, is there anything you'd like to tell me, Mr. 'I Think I Have A Good Taste In Men Even Though I've Only Ever Dated A Sloth'?" Taehyung said, putting his hand on his hip to mock Jimin's posture.
"That's sloth-hyung, to you, brat." Yoongi said, finally bothering to join the conversation.
Jimin faked a gasp at Taehyung's remark. "How dare you speak to your elders this way, Kim Taehyung! I'm shocked and offended." Jimin turned to Jeongguk and not so discreetly whispered, "Are you older than him?"
Jeongguk replied with another not-so-discreet whisper behind his hand. "No, he's my hyung."
Jimin sighed. "And I had such a good opportunity too. Oh well, come over here, young one, tell us about yourself." He said, walking over to the bed and sitting near the headrest, back in Yoongi's lap. Jeongguk and Taehyung joined them, sitting on the opposite side, Taehyung's head leaning onto Jeongguk's shoulder and their hands still intertwined. Taehyung's urge to kiss the tip of the other boy's nose was hard to resist, but he managed well enough.
The couple asked Jeongguk far too many questions for Taehyung's liking, but thankfully, they were the basic ones, like his name and age, things Taehyung already knew. Jimin asked most of the questions, though Yoongi chimed in every once and a while with more serious things. When asked about siblings by Jimin, Jeongguk answered, "I have three, but it feels like I really only have one. Or- maybe even two, if you count Namjoon." This puzzled the other three boys and prompted Yoongi to ask about his other brothers. Jeongguk got really red in the face about that, vaguely saying they aren't related by blood nor do they treat him the best. The air got a little darker.
Taehyung felt like he needed to somehow comfort his Gukkie, so he stopped fighting his urge and gave him a quick kiss on the nose. Jeongguk let out a little yelp in response and hid his face in Taehyung's shoulder. Jimin cooed at the two and Yoongi called them a pair of shy lovebirds. Jeongguk couldn't hold back his giggles, and neither could Taehyung, and eventually the four boys were all giggling together. It was truly a beautiful moment, and Taehyung didn't want it to end.
Everyone's giggles died down and they eased into simple chatter, meant not for words but for noise. It was peaceful.
Taehyung glanced at the fancy clock in the corner. It was getting close to midnight. "Ah, guys, it's getting late, I should head down and speak with a few guests before the ball is over. Don't want to send out a bad message."
"That's probably for the best." Yoongi said, checking the clock as well. "Get out of here, heart-eyed kids."
Jeongguk turned to Taehyung sharply. He hadn't realized how big his eyes had gotten when he mentioned the time. "What time is it?" he asked urgently, as if he was due for something.
Taehyung quirked an eyebrow. "Quarter 'til midnight, why?"
His Gukkie's face morphed into that of alarm. "Shit. Jin and Namjoon are going to kill me." He bolted up, grabbed his mask, and ran for the exit, swiftly opening the door and running down the hallway. Taehyung felt a small pain, almost as if something had cracked.
Taehyung started running after him as a reflex, trying to chase after his precious Gukkie. "Gukkie, where are you going?" He yelled down the hall, but all he could see was a figure dart into the passageway they took to Taehyung's room.
Everything had shattered.
----------------------------------
A string of curse words was all that could go through Jeongguk's head as he swerved between rich party guests and servants waiting for their cue to leave. It was almost as if he had stopped time, everything around him was paced normally, and the only other thing going at Jeongguk's speed was Taehyung.
Soaring through the packed ballroom to the exit, Jeongguk mentally hit himself for not paying attention to the time. If he had left earlier, he could have snuck out of Taehyung's eye and left a note with his address, but no, the world was not on his side today. If he had just payed attention to the fucking time he wouldn't have had to leave Taehyung and his friends with no explanation.
He could hear Taehyung calling his name loudly and unintentionally getting the attention of everyone at the ball, but all Jeongguk could do was keep running. He couldn't risk Taehyung knowing that he wasn't actually as beautiful as he looked- that he practically wore rags as his clothing. It was for this reason that he kept running and running, and when he found the big double-door entrance to the grand room, he threw them open and rushed down the stairs, spotting Namjoon and the carriage at the bottom.
As he descended the steps, though, he hesitated. There was one clue he could leave for Taehyung, but it would take him a lot of effort to find Jeongguk.
Jeongguk ripped of his shoe and threw it on the steps, hoping Taehyung liked him enough that he would follow his hint. Jeongguk eventually made it to the bottom of the long staircase, threw open the carriage door, and Namjoon started them down the lane.
Only when he looked back did he see Taehyung standing at the top of the stairs, hand reaching out as if telling him to stop, eyes glistening from unshed tears. "I'm sorry, Tae." He whispered as the carriage rounded the corner and his view of the castle was obstructed.
-------------------------------------
If one good thing came out of that mess, it was that Jeongguk got home before the rest of his household. It gave him time to chauffeur Namjoon back to his house and act as if he had been doing chores while the ball was going on.
As Jeongguk swept the already spotless floor, he couldn't help but think back to Taehyung. Jeongguk had found something beautiful and precious in him- he could tell Taehyung felt the same. It was heartbreaking to leave him with no direct explanation as to why he abruptly left. He couldn't just walk back to the castle in his torn clothes (his decorated clothes as well as the carriage and horses had turned back before they reached his house- for some reason his shoe hadn't, though, so he kept that in the back of his closet) and claim he was the one that had been running from the prince. Jeongguk didn't want to do that to Taehyung and completely lose his royal image.
There was a loud bang as the door opened and Jeongguk furiously swept the ground, hair on his neck standing up in worry. His stepmother walked in, posture perfect as ever, followed by his two stepbrothers, who had mascara running all over their face for some reason, and Hoseok.
The boys were arguing with his stepmother about something and Jeongguk was thankful they didn't pay attention to him, but then again, they hardly ever did.
Hoseok visited Jeongguk's room that night, like always. Jeongguk was situated on his cot when the door cracked open and let in a little light, then the crack got wider and the shadow of Hoseok walked in. Jeongguk quickly lit the candle on his bedside so he could see more of Hoseok than before.
Hoseok joined Jeongguk on his cot and rested his head on his shoulder. "Hey, Jeongguk." he said, kind of awkwardly. Hoseok didn't know that Jeongguk was at the ball, and he could tell he was avoiding the subject.
"Hey, Hobi." Jeongguk used his childhood nickname, which he knew made Hoseok feel more comfortable. He wrapped his arm around Hoseok's shoulders and let a silence linger between the two.
"I'm sorry." Hoseok spoke first.
Jeongguk scoffed lightly and turned his head to look Hoseok in the eyes. "How many times have I told you this? You have nothing to be sorry for." Jeongguk pinched Hoseok cheeks between his fingers, which made him smile. "I couldn't ask for a better older brother."
Hoseok laughed and gave Jeongguk a tiny kiss on the forehead. "And I couldn't ask for a better younger brother."
"How was the ball today?" Jeongguk asked, trying to get to the subject as quick as possible. "Meet anyone nice?"
Hoseok's expression changed into more of pity than anything else. "I didn't, and neither did our brothers, obviously, but the prince sure did." With Jeongguk's feigned inquisition when he raised an eyebrow, Hoseok continued. "He had eyes for no one for half an hour or so, and then- boom. Beautiful man walks in, and that's where all of his attention goes. I couldn't blame him, though, the prince's conversations with everyone looked so forced."
Jeongguk thought for a second for getting out of his cot and standing up. Hoseok made a confused noise as Jeongguk searched through his closet, finally pulling out what he wanted. He sat back down on the cot and moved the candle closer to the silver shoe so he could see.
Realization dawned in Hoseok's face, and he cried, "No- you couldn't have. Right?"
Jeongguk slipped on the shoe and met Hoseok's eyes. "Oh, but I did."
Hoseok gasped, and if the two weren't trying their hardest to stay quiet, he probably would have screamed. "You're the Prince's suitor?" he whisper-yelled. He grabbed Jeongguk by the shoulders and shook him rapidly. "Why the hell did you run away, you idiot! He's the prince!"
Jeongguk's bright smile dimmed a little bit. "I was kind of on a time limit. If I didn't get out of there before midnight, everything I had on would have changed back to my normal clothing." Jeongguk explained, taking the shoe off and setting it on the worn wooden floors, keeping his eyes on the ground.
Hoseok huffed out a breath. "Well, I can understand that." He grabbed one of Jeongguk's hands and intertwined their fingers. Hoseok had always done that to Jeongguk when they were little- especially when he wanted Jeongguk's mood to brighten or when Hoseok was apologizing non-verbally. "What was the Prince like?" he asked.
Jeongguk sighed in contentment and closed his eyes, picturing Taehyung's face in his mind. "He was a joy to be around. You get drawn in by his beauty and stay for his charm." Jeongguk intertwined his other hand with Hoseok's and opened his eyes. "He has this aura of acceptance- like he genuinely cares about you and your views. He made sure I was comfortable and that I was heard." Jeongguk giggled a little thinking about the night. "I met his best friends too. You would love them."
Hoseok whispered something that sounded like "wow, you're so whipped" under his breath and responded, "By the way you're talking about the Prince, I'll probably meet his friends at your guy's wedding."
The two boys giggled quietly and gossiped about the Prince into the late night, but what else was new with them?
-----------------------------------
It took a solid two hours for Taehyung to finally calm down, even with the help of Jimin and Yoongi. He had restrained himself from letting out the waterworks while in the public eye, but once he was back in his room, he stopped putting up a front.
Taehyung was crying in shock more than anything. He was sure the sadness would seep into him soon, but it didn't seem like he felt anything yet.
Taehyung was plain old confused. Jeongguk wasn't opposing anything romantic Taehyung tried to do, so that at least meant he had some type of admiration towards him. Why had he left, then? He seemed completely happy until Taehyung mentioned the time. Maybe he-
Oh no.
Taehyung's sobbing started picking up again and he could hear the faraway voices of Jimin and Yoongi consoling him.
Maybe Jeongguk had run away because Taehyung wanted to talk with other people. How could he be so stupid? This was Jeongguk's first shot with the Prince- he probably wanted his attention the entire time.
Who cares about Taehyung's image, anyway? He was so selfish for thinking Jeongguk was okay with him just leaving him. That's why he had run away and not looked back. He must hate Taehyung.
He found himself bawling harder than before and he realized the sadness had hit. Jimin and Yoongi must have noticed this too, they went from awkwardly hovering around Taehyung to keeping him close to them. Their kind gestures just made him cry harder.
---------------------------
It took a lot of Jimin's willpower to not cry with Taehyung, and he could tell Yoongi felt the same. The two agreed that Jeongguk seemed like a perfect match for their Taehyung, so there wasn't much they could say to tell him he deserved better. Jimin resorted to just hugging Taehyung's shaking body until his episode was over- or, at least, until his tears faltered.
Yoongi was the first one to speak when Taehyung's body was no longer trembling. Jimin could tell he was choosing his words carefully by the way his mouth morphed before letting out sound and how his words were slow but meaningful. "Taehyung... I feel- I feel like Gukkie left that shoe for a reason."
Yes, the shoe. Jimin had almost forgotten. When the ball had ended abruptly, the guards had cleared the stairs and found a shoe. Yoongi had recognized it and brought it to Taehyung, who immediately started crying, and Jimin and Yoongi had assumed it was Jeongguk's. The two had brushed it off as an accident at first, but the longer Jimin thought about it, he agreed with Yoongi. This was a rather strange coincidence that he left his shoe.
"I don't want to fill you with false hope, Tae-Tae, but I agree with Yoongi." He pet Taehyung's back as his face was slowly retracted from of his hands. The rather tall boy looked so small. It made Jimin want to cry even more.
"You- do you really think so?" Taehyung asked, red, swollen eyes wide in hope.
Jimin wasn't really that sure, but thankfully, Yoongi averted Taehyung's question, but still answered it at the same time. "This is Gukkie's shoe right?" Taehyung gave Yoongi a little nod in affirmation. "These look custom fit, by the assorted stitches in the corners. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"But hyung," Jimin butted in, "it's the entire city. Can he really get that many people to try on a shoe?"
Taehyung sat up a little straighter. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, then slowly let it out. He opened his eyes and looked at Jimin. "If it's for Gukkie, it's worth it. Have someone let out a statement to the public that we'll start looking tomorrow morning."
----------------------------
Jeongguk was flattered when he heard of the royal statement about looking for the runaway suitor. He was proud that Taehyung wanted him enough that he was willing to search through the big city. As Taehyung went from house to house, the route was revealed by commoners. Someone had said that somewhere around Jeongguk's house would be the last stop and Jeongguk didn't know if that was a relief or a reason to be anxious.
"Guk! Get in here!" Jeongguk's stepmother yelled. He raced into the hallway and stood at the doorway of her room. She made a face and Jeongguk slowly walked in. Her stare seemed more critical than usual. He wished Hoseok was with him, he always makes Jeongguk feel better.
"You've heard the news of the the runaway suitor." She left no room for an answer. "Tell me, how are they determining who is the runaway?"
Jeongguk tried to keep his voice steady. "They're making every male in the village try on the silver slipper until it fits someone."
"Yes," she said, walking over to her bed and standing there for a second, staring. "And tell me, what does this slipper look like?"
Jeongguk felt like he was walking into a trap. "It's only ever been described as silver."
"Have you seen it before?"
Jeongguk's heart almost stopped. His face was probably red- he was a terrible liar. "No."
She looked satisfied in a cruel way. Jeongguk wondered what she was hiding. "Well that's funny, Guk. I visited the attic the morning and found something I think would interest you in the back of your closet."
Jeongguk could feel his rapidly beating heart come to a screeching halt.
"I- I- That- I can expl-"
"No need," she said. She pulled the silver slipped out from under her bed and held it at eye level, almost as if she was inspecting it. She then dropped it on the bed and stormed over to Jeongguk, grabbing him by his collar. "You will follow me. Now."
Jeongguk couldn't find it in himself to fight back. His mind was blank from shock. His mother had found out- oh no, oh no. What was she going to do?
He found out soon enough when he was dragged up to his room and shoved in. His fate was sealed when he heard a small click on the lock.
-------------------------
Hoseok was told about his stepmother's plan when it was already too late. She had forced Hoseok to dress well for Taehyung's visit, but he would much rather get locked in the attic with Jeongguk so the two could at least be together.
Taehyung had arrived in their part of the town about ten minutes ago, and already, the entire block had been discarded. Hoseok's household was the last to try on the slipper.
When Taehyung finally came to them, Hoseok got a close-up of the Prince and his closest friends. He saw the three of them in a new light now that Jeongguk had explained their personalities to him. He saw the mole on Taehyung's nose Jeongguk had raved about, saw the kind face of the one Jeongguk called Jimin, and he witnessed an eye roll of who he assumed to be Yoongi.
His two stepbrothers obviously didn't pass the shoe test. He noticed the dismayed look on Taehyung's face- he probably knew Hoseok was the only one left. Jimin laid his hand on Taehyung's bicep and tried to give him a comforting look, but Hoseok could tell it didn't help him much.
"Oh, my prince," Hoseok winced at the name, Jeongguk had told him about how much Taehyung hated it, "I forgot to mention something." Hoseok's stepmother showed Taehyung the other slipper. The three royals looked astonished at the shoe's missing half. Taehyung looked up at Hoseok with hope, and he tried to communicate he wasn't the one with a little shake of his head. Taehyung didn't notice.
"Please," Yoongi said, prompting Taehyung to get down on one knee and hold his half of the shoe out for Hoseok, "try it on."
He politely smiled and tried to put on the shoe, but, as he knew, it didn't fit.
Taehyung's face looked too sad to ignore. He looked like he was seconds from tearing up, Jimin already had tears in his eyes.
Hoseok could physically feel his anger towards his stepmother building up in his body. It felt like someone had dropped a boulder on his diaphragm and then threw him onto an abandoned sidewalk, leaving him helpless and alone.
"Are there any other males in this household, M'am?" Yoongi asked, the only one able to speak without crying suddenly.
Don't say it, don't say it.
"No, none at all."
Hoseok broke.
He ripped the shoes from his stepmother's hands and held it in his own. "I'm so done with your bullshit! You're a liar and an asshole!" He shouted. His sudden scream must have scared Taehyung, who was a step closer to crying, so Hoseok put his hand on his shoulder. "Your Gukkie is here, Taehyung."
Taehyung's eyes widened. "But- you're not-"
"My stepmother keeps him here as a slave. He's my brother, we vowed to stick together and take care of each other for forever." Hoseok could feel the sting of growing tears in his eyes, but he ignored them. "I can't take it anymore. Please, save my Gukkie, save him from this hell." There were tears running down his cheeks now.
Yoongi communicated something to Jimin with his eyes. Jimin ran over to Hoseok's stepmother and grabbed her, stopping her from running away. He handed her off to a guard to deal with.
Hoseok looked over his shoulder at his house before shouting, "He's locked in the attic, come on!" and running to the house. Taehyung (he'd been crying for a while by now) was following closely behind him with Jimin and Yoongi taking the rear.
------------------------------
Jeongguk's eyes produced more and more tears. He was dehydrated from the sudden episodes of crying and grief he endured as he cuddled into himself on the floor.
His love, who he knew he had no chance with, was closer than ever and here he was, helpless. What if he had found someone better in his journey? What if his stepmother had tricked him into marrying one of his stepbrothers? What if he called off the search entirely for no reason?
Jeongguk had lost the strength to crawl over to his cot, so the floor was where he was laying. His heart felt like rain, a constant patter against the world that was his body, except with every drop, his heart was squeezed until he would explode with emotion.
He mildly recognized the sound of a lock being broken on his door. In a haze, he wondered who had entered his room so forcefully. He wished they would leave him there to cry himself to death.
Jeongguk remained in his haze until he felt tears that weren't his on his skin. He used all of his willpower to open his eyes slightly and saw a familiar face above him. He felt someone lifting him off of the ground and onto his cot, and then he felt his head in Taehyung's lap. He continued crying, but now, these tears were of joy, not sadness. More tears joined his and Taehyung's, and soon, four loving boys were crying with him.
"It's him," he could hear Taehyung plead to no one, "it's him, it's him."
----------------------------------
Waking up next to Taehyung was definitely added to Jeongguk's top ten list of "best things in the world".
Moving in with royalty was a challenge for both he and Hoseok, but they were able to manage well enough. The hardest part was getting used to the clothing, Jeongguk concluded. It felt so silky and smooth and Jeongguk couldn't help but request more casual clothing. The staff was confused, but did as he asked anyway.
Taehyung's face was as perfect as ever, even in the mornings. The sun always came in from their window and hit his face, making him look like some type of sculpture made from sunny porcelain. His morning voice was beautiful too; low, scratchy, and calming. It made Jeongguk's heart do back flips.
"Morning, Gukkie." he said in his gruff voice, rubbing his eyes and stretching.
Jeongguk smiled and played with Taehyung's pierced earlobe. "You know you can call me Jeongguk."
Taehyung giggled and kissed Jeongguk's nose. "Gukkie is cuter. I like it."
Jeongguk laughed. "Whatever you say, Tae."
Kissing Taehyung was also added to Jeongguk's top ten list, maybe even at number one.
--------------------------------
thanks for reading! i know its really long but its not too much so eh
my ao3 account is @ bpaladin, thats where ill post the actually good version of this. this is just the rough draft basically
if you want the good version, here it is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17086244