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Chapter Text

The palace is alive tonight. 

Boisterous laughter echoes throughout the ballroom as members of prominent royal families mingle and dance together. On the other side of the room, the King and Queen nod politely, talking with foreign dignitaries about trade agreements, sustainable exports, and other boring royal family business that Yeonjun only pretends to care about. 

There’s something so special about attending royal celebrations like this. Yeonjun loves dressing up in his finest clothes and dancing the night away with strangers from faraway lands. It’s only when he’s reminded of his princely responsibilities that Yeonjun starts to dread these events. 

The young prince fails to stifle a dreamy sigh, admiring the shimmering gowns as they float across the dance door. Each dress looks unbelievably expensive, creating gorgeous works of art as they twirl and flounce around the ballroom.

And the royal ballroom looks absolutely exquisite. His mother had requested massive, elegant decorations that would truly wow the foreign dignitaries—and that’s certainly what she received. The surrounding walls are draped with extravagant silks and floral decor, painting the wide expanse of the ballroom in breathtaking shades of red and pink. 

Yeonjun closes his eyes for a moment, silently basking in the perfectly manicured chaos. This is his life. 

“Hiding from the festivities?” A deep voice murmurs behind him, sliding next to Yeonjun like he’s always belonged there. 

Yeonjun grimaces, keeping his eyes closed. He purposely ignores the way his heart starts racing in his chest. “Maybe.” 

“Hiding from me?” The voice tries again, leaning closer into Yeonjun’s space. Even with his eyes closed, the prince can practically hear the intruder’s stupidly endearing pout. 

“Never.” Yeonjun grins, cracking one eye open to admire his newest companion. He tries and fails to contain the fond smile on his face. “I was wondering where you’ve been.”

Somehow, Prince Soobin gets more or more breathtaking every time they see each other. 

His tousled dark hair, adorable little dimples, and soft smile always make Yeonjun feel weak in the knees. And don't even get him started on how deliciously broad Soobin’s shoulders look in his royal uniform. Soobin is smiling at him like he’s the most interesting person in the room, which makes Yeonjun feel like he could melt into a puddle right there. The crown prince has no idea why Soobin looks at him with such admiration when, in reality, he’s the one who deserves all the praise. Yeonjun feels like he could write pages and pages of poetry about how the other boy makes him feel. 

It’s so embarrassing. 

“Trying to find you, obviously.” The prince shrugs, running his hands through his perfectly styled black hair. Yeonjun knows that the royal stylist will scold him later for his nonstop fidgeting—not that Soobin really cares. He quickly unbuttons the cuffs of his dress shirt, sighing in relief as the blood circulation finally returns to his wrists. Soobin looks handsomely disheveled. Very unbecoming of a royal, but Yeonjun likes him better this way. 

“You didn’t do a very good job.” Yeonjun teases, bumping the younger with his hip. 

“It’s like a madhouse down there, Junnie.” Soobin groans, gesturing to the chaos of the dance floor, “I was looking for you and trying to taste test every appetizer on the menu. Your mom really outdid herself this time with the selection. Crab cake?”

Yeonjun turns, finally giving the other boy his full attention. Sometimes, he has trouble looking directly at Soobin like this—the younger prince just shines so brightly that Yeonjun thinks he should invest in sunglasses or something. Or maybe buy a few thousand pairs of those high-powered eclipse glasses. His companion beams, presenting Yeonjun with a bite-sized crab cake on the palace’s monogrammed napkin. 

Yeonjun sends him a mildly incredulous look. “Are you serious?”

“You know I don’t joke about appetizers. Besides, I’m a man of many aspirations,” Soobin answers, nodding his head solemnly, “and this is the best appetizer on the menu, I swear.”

“Well, if it’s the best…” Yeonjun trails off teasingly. 

“Only the best for you, my prince.” 

Yeonjun’s entire face grows warm. Pointedly ignoring the butterflies in his stomach, he grabs the offered crab cake and pops the appetizer into his mouth. His eyes immediately widen in surprise, chewing happily. Holy shit. This tastes amazing. 

“You’re totally right,” Yeonjun agrees, covering his mouth politely as he speaks. Those royal etiquette classes are so deeply ingrained within him that it’s practically second nature. He secretly takes a peek at the rest of the dance floor to see if any other appetizer waiters are loitering nearby, “Seriously, Binnie. This is amazing.” 

“Just don’t mention it to that old guy in the blue suit,” Soobin huffs, rolling his eyes as he points to a serious-looking guest, “Duke of Whateverlandia—or something? I got caught talking with him for over an hour about marine trade exports.” 

Yeonjun giggles quietly, shoving the other boy’s arm. “It’s Whandia, idiot—you know, the fishing province? You set yourself up for that one.” 

Soobin scoffs, shaking his head. “That man needs another hobby—or a diary. Seriously, who cares? 

“The fishermen in his province, I assume.” Yeonjun answers. 

The younger sighs, leaning against the railing and leveling Yeonjun with a smug grin. “Whatever. All that matters to me is hiding from my parents and eating my body weight in appetizers. And spending the rest of my night flirting with you.” 

Yeonjun rolls his eyes, ignoring the red-hot blush crawling up his neck. He hopes the collar of his royal uniform is high enough to hide the flush. “You’re as charming as ever, Prince Soobin.”

Soobin has always had a natural talent for charming the pants off everyone he meets. He’s nice, gorgeous, and always knows the perfect thing to say to make Yeonjun feel all fluttery inside. It’s so annoying. 

Soobin softly takes Yeonjun’s hand, leaving a chaste kiss on his knuckles and bowing his head. “Well, you’re looking as breathtaking as ever, my prince.” 

If Soobin’s mission is to make Yeonjun feel incredibly flustered, then he’s already succeeding. The older prince will not be surviving the rest of the evening if he keeps this up. Yeonjun takes a shaky breath, reining in his hormones before he does something stupid like throw himself at the other prince. 

“You’re committed—I’ll give you that.” Yeonjun hums softly. 

It’s been this way since they were children, always attached at the hip whenever Soobin’s family visited the palace. Throughout his childhood, Yeonjun always found himself looking forward to his father’s yearly meetings about the state of their nation—especially because it meant that Soobin could visit for a few days. 

As the crown prince of his kingdom, it’s extremely difficult to find someone who truly understands him—but Soobin has never had any trouble. They both understand the unbearable pressure of living beneath a royal title. Soobin has been able to read Yeonjun like a book ever since they were kids. 

Despite this understanding, sometimes there’s a hidden barrier between them. Yeonjun supposes he’s mostly to blame for this miscommunication. He just never knows if Soobin is serious about all this. 

“Only the best for my future husband.” Soobin jokes, eyes crinkling adorably at the corners. He drops Yeonjun’s hand almost reluctantly, sharing another secret smile with him. The elder flushes again, tingling down to his toes. 

There it is again—the long-running inside joke between the two of them (and their families, much to Yeonjun’s chagrin) that Soobin would one day propose to Yeonjun. 

When they were just eleven and twelve years old, little Prince Soobin had proudly announced to their parents that he planned to marry Yeonjun one day. He was still shorter than the elder then, staring up at their parents defiantly and standing on his tippy toes to throw his arm around Yeonjun’s shoulder. Soobin was adamant that he was going to spend the rest of his life with Yeonjun—even making a clunky ring out of some old wire and castle supplies.  

Yeonjun still keeps that stupidly adorable ring in a precious jewelry box, hidden away from prying eyes and nosy advisors. 

But no one else needs to know that. 

One day, I’ll ask you to marry me, Junnie-hyung. Then we’ll finally live happily ever after. 

We’re too young to be thinking of marriage, twelve-year-old Yeonjun answered solemnly, shaking his head. Ask me again in ten years...then maybe I’ll say yes. 

And Soobin just loves to hold that deadline over his head. Yeonjun feels his face heat up, stomach flip-flopping pathetically. If only he weren’t so completely and utterly smitten with the younger prince. 

Instead of saying his feelings out loud and humiliating himself, Yeonjun rolls his eyes and allows himself to indulge in Soobin’s reference to their childhood. “Only a year or so left, I suppose.” 

Soobin beams, gazing at the elder with a mix of fondness and mischief. “Actually, it’s only ten months and seven days. I would know—I’ve been counting since I was eleven.”

Yeonjun barks out a laugh, surprised by the other prince’s commitment to their inside joke.

Because that’s all it is, right? A long-running joke between them. 

No matter how often Yeonjun dreams about marrying Soobin and ruling over their kingdom together, that’s all this will ever be—a silly dream. He knows deep down that one day Soobin will find a beautiful bride, which will absolutely destroy Yeonjun’s heart. Despite this pain, he’ll still be able to support Soobin’s marriage for the good of both their kingdoms. No matter the cost, he would do anything to make sure Soobin is happy. 

But until then, Yeonjun allows himself to enjoy the fantasy behind the joke. 

“You are so annoying.” 

———

“You are so in love, hyung!” Beomgyu practically squeals the next morning, gently placing the prince’s breakfast tray on his bedside table. 

Yeonjun rolls his eyes dramatically, ignoring the red-hot flush creeping up the back of his neck. As his most trusted (and most annoying) advisor, Beomgyu refuses to let Yeonjun get away with anything— especially when it comes to Soobin. 

“I am not, Gyu!” Yeonjun cries, frowning as the advisor opens every window in his bedroom. The early morning breeze carries the lingering scent of fresh flowers from the gardens below. Yeonjun closes his eyes, basking in the floral aroma and dutifully ignoring Beomgyu’s presence. Maybe the younger will finally leave him alone if he pretends to be dead. 

Not likely. 

“You totally are.” Beomgyu hums, giggling quietly at the image of Yeonjun and Soobin dancing together at the gala last night. “It was like a fairytale, hyung! And Prince Soobin obviously returns your feelings.” 

“There are no feelings,” Yeonjun groans, rubbing his temples to prevent an oncoming headache. Judging by Beomgyu’s scandalized gasp, the prince doesn’t think that any of his usual prevention methods will work. “It’s too early in the morning for your delusions, Gyu.” 

“I’m not delusional, hyung!” Beomgyu answers confidently, finally hauling Yeonjun out of bed and pushing him towards his closet, “Everyone in the kingdom knows that Prince Soobin is completely head over heels in love with you.” 

The elder grumbles, sleepily picking out his formal outfit for the day. Most of the foreign dignitaries from neighboring kingdoms decided to stay in the palace overnight, which means that Yeonjun is still expected to be on his best behavior. 

“…Do you really think so?” Yeonjun murmurs, voice sounding small and unsure. 

Even after years of Soobin confirming his feelings, the elder still doesn’t know if these confessions are an elaborate joke or not. Everyone else seems to think that Soobin’s flirting is very real, but Yeonjun is still hesitant to accept. 

Beomgyu apparently senses Yeonjun’s internal conflict, placing the prince’s pillows back on the bed and patting the spot next to him. Yeonjun sighs, walking towards the nicely made bed and slumping heavily against his advisor. “You’re right, Beomgyu…I really do like him a lot.” 

The younger smiles softly, reaching up to smooth down Yeonjun’s wild bedhead. “Obviously I’m right. I’m always right.” 

The prince rolls his eyes again, shoving at the younger’s shoulder in retaliation. “Now you’re really being delusional.” 

Beomgyu laughs loudly, leveling Yeonjun with a pointed look. “You know I wouldn’t lie to you about this, hyung. Prince Soobin gets all soft and starry-eyed whenever he’s around you—and you do it too. Last night, it was almost painful to watch.”

“Whatever, Gyu.” Yeonjun waves his hand dismissively, trying and failing to hide his satisfied smile. He walks back over to his closet, silently scrutinizing each and every one of his outfit choices. 

“Plus, Prince Soobin is super hot now.” 

Yeonjun gasps, throwing a shoe in Beomgyu’s direction that narrowly misses the younger’s smirking face. “Get out of here, idiot!”

Beomgyu cackles evilly, walking towards the door with a skip in his step. Before he leaves, he pokes his head through the door again to wiggle his eyebrows at Yeonjun. “You’ve been practically engaged for nine years , hyung! It’s time to accept that Prince Soobin is super dreamy.” 

Yeonjun tosses the other shoe in Beomgyu’s direction, hitting the doorframe and making the advisor cackle even harder. His laughter echoes through the hallway even after the door is closed behind him. The prince cracks a smile, shaking his head fondly. 

Engaged for nine years, huh?

Yeonjun supposes that’s technically true. Soobin proposed to him when they were just kids, revealing a poorly constructed wedding ring and getting down on one knee—just like the boys in romance movies. The ring was made with a crudely bent paper clip and craft gems from Yeonjun’s art supplies. 

Yeonjun promised to keep it forever—or at least until Soobin could get him a real ring.

Before Yeonjun can stop himself, he’s slowly approaching his beautiful wooden desk and sitting down in his chair. He checks the doorway to make sure that Beomgyu is truly gone. His advisor would never stop teasing him if he found out about this. Yeonjun opens the top drawer and pulls out a tiny jewelry box, delicately encrusted with priceless gems and gold detailing. 

Taking a deep breath, he gently opens the jewelry box to reveal Soobin’s poorly made engagement ring. The mental hoop is lopsided and somewhat pointy, with three shiny gems hot glued in the center. The center jewel mimics a brilliant diamond, with two smaller gems beside it—one blue and one pink. 

When Yeonjun asked Soobin why he chose those colors, he explained that he wanted to incorporate each of their favorite colors into the ring. These colors also corresponded with the royal colors of their kingdoms, joined together in marriage. Soobin has always been incredibly poetic and romantic, even as an eleven-year-old. After all these years, Yeonjun has kept his paper clip ring as safe as possible. 

Yeonjun glances at the calendar above his desk. Only ten months and six days until they resolve their feelings once and for all. 

Yeonjun finds that he doesn’t mind the wait. 

———

Several months pass, and Yeonjun can’t stop thinking about Soobin. There are only five months and fifteen days until Yeonjun’s clock finally runs out, and each day is more agonizing than the last. 

At this point, Yeonjun is ready to stomp over to Soobin’s palace and propose to the other prince himself. Unfortunately for both of them, Soobin is very devoted and very consistent. Even if Yeonjun wanted to get married tomorrow, Soobin would still respect his previous wishes and wait until the time limit has passed. It’s been a running joke for so long that neither of them can give up on it now. Curse Yeonjun and his own stupid ultimatums. 

Not that he’s even positive that Soobin still wants to marry him. Over the past few months, the two of them have exchanged numerous letters about their personal lives and the details of Soobin’s travels. At the bottom of each letter, the younger prince always signs something different. One letter he signs with “your future husband,” but the next is signed “your best friend forever.” 

Even after nine years, Yeonjun is still confused about where they stand. The older prince knows exactly how he’s feeling, but Soobin's heart is still an enigma. 

He’s rereading Soobin’s latest letter for the twenty-seventh time when his thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. Jung Wooyoung pokes his head through the doorway with a smug look on his face, glancing down at Soobin’s letter knowingly. Before Yeonjun can hide the letter, the intruder quickly bows to apologize for the interruptions. 

“Pardon me, Your Highness.” 

Yeonjun waves his hand dismissively, rolling his eyes. “You don’t need to bow every time you see me, Wooyoung. Or call me Your Highness.”

The two of them first met when they were only children in the palace. Wooyoung’s parents worked on the kitchen staff, preparing lavish meals and fantastic desserts for the royal family. Wooyoung and Yeonjun were always trying to smuggle desserts and snacks out of the kitchen (with varying degrees of success). Yeonjun enjoyed finally having a friend who was the same age as him and cherished every moment they spent together. 

Wooyoung easily clicked with both Yeonjun and Beomgyu, much to the palace guard’s dismay. As they grew older, the prince quickly moved Wooyoung into a solidified palace messenger position. After dealing with Beomgyu and Wooyoung annoying him every single day, Yeonjun deeply regrets his hiring choices. 

“My apologies, Your Highness.” Wooyoung answers, bowing deeply again just to annoy him. When he straightens, the messenger wiggles his eyebrows teasingly at the prince, “I’ve come to inform you that a gift has just arrived for you downstairs.” 

Yeonjun sends him an apprehensive look, tentatively tugging on the cuffs of his dress shirt. He tries extra hard to keep his expression neutral. “A gift? Sent by whom?” 

Wooyoung also pretends to be nonchalant, shrugging his shoulders and humming loudly. The messenger tries and fails to hide the growing smirk on his face. “Oh, you know…just a little something from the Royal Kingdom of Ansan…”

Soobin. 

Soobin sent him something. Yeonjun feels himself flush all the way down to his toes at the idea of receiving a gift from the other prince. Soobin is so incredibly thoughtful and caring. What could he have possibly sent? 

The other prince never fails to surprise Yeonjun—today being no exception. 

Wooyoung notices his flustered reaction, sending an exaggerated wink in his direction before disappearing as quickly as he arrived. “Better hurry!” Wooyoung calls over his shoulder, giddy laughter reverberating around the empty hallway. Yeonjun resists the urge to roll his eyes. 

Smug bastard.  

Unable to withstand the suspense for even a second longer, Yeonjun practically races after Wooyoung. When he finally descends the spiral staircase, Yeonjun’s jaw immediately drops.  

Breathtaking pink and red flowers are scattered all around the foyer, taking up every inch of space that isn’t already occupied. Several palace attendants are working to artistically arrange the bouquets, scratching their heads at the large number and trying not to trip over the gorgeous arrangements. 

Wooyoung and Beomgyu are giggling in the doorway, whispering and somehow looking extra devious. Yeonjun doesn’t even want to know what they’re discussing. 

He decides it’s best to ignore them right now, closing his eyes to smell the beautiful floral scent in the air. Kim Namjoon—the palace’s head advisor—stands amongst the blooming flowers, carefully stepping around each vase and directing the other attendants. 

When Yeonjun finally reaches the bottom of the staircase, Namjoon greets him with a teasing smile. “Prince Yeonjun! You seem to have quite the admirer.” 

Yeonjun blushes, ears burning bright red at the implications. An admirer. 

Didn’t Wooyoung say that Prince Soobin was the one responsible for sending him these beautiful bouquets? That means Soobin must’ve been thinking about him. 

Ugh. This boy is becoming more and more irresistible every day. 

“Yeah…” Yeonjun trails off quietly, staring down at the beautiful flowers around his feet in awe. The cold, marble floors of the grand foyer are drowning in pink and red hues, creating an ocean of soft petals around his ankles. Yeonjun feels like his heart is about to thump straight out of his chest. 

“Prince Soobin sent a note with his gift as well,” Namjoon adds, sending Yeonjun a sly wink. The elder subtly gestures to Beomgyu and Wooyoung across the room, placing a beautifully sealed envelope into Yeonjun’s hands. “And don’t worry, I didn’t let those two sneak a peek—even though they certainly tried their hardest.” 

Yeonjun rolls his eyes with huffed laughter, dutifully ignoring the way Beomgyu and Wooyoung are slowly inching closer to him. He’s sure the two of them are dying to know what Soobin wrote in his super-secretive royal envelope. He thanks Namjoon quietly, opening the parchment with bated breath. He’s greeted with Soobin’s beautifully slanted calligraphy, which makes his heart stutter painfully in his chest. 

My dearest Prince Yeonjun, 

It’s been exactly 89 days since I last saw your beautiful face. To show how often I’ve been thinking of you, I’ve sent 89 carnations and camellias to your palace. (That’s about 178 bouquets of flowers—I apologize to your staff in advance.)

The red carnations symbolize my deep admiration for you, hyung. And the pink camellias represent how my heart longs for you every second that we’re apart. I hope you like them! I know you’ve always had a thing for fresh flowers. 

Anyway, I hope you’ll grant me the honor of accompanying me to my 21st birthday gala—I miss our conversations and your lovely face. I promise to serve the best crab cakes you’ve ever tasted in your whole life. Below, I’ve attached a formal invitation. I hope to see you there ;) 

Yours forever,

Prince Soobin of Ansan

Yeonjun reads over the note at least six more times just to make sure he understands everything correctly. He just received a personal invitation to attend the prince’s 21st birthday gala in the form of 178 unbelievable bouquets of red and pink flowers. Holy shit. 

Soobin always finds a creative way to express his feelings for Yeonjun—first through an oddly shaped paperclip engagement ring and now through the language of flowers. Yeonjun knows the younger prince is incredibly poetic, but this is a new level of thoughtfulness. 

“Hyung, aren’t they beautiful?” Yeonjun whispers reverently, bending down to sniff one of the darker red carnations with a dreamy smile. When he looks back up at Namjoon, his eyes are practically sparkling with excitement. 

Namjoon grins softly. “Yes, they’re very lovely, Your Highness.” 

Yeonjun sighs happily, skimming the contents of Soobin’s love note one more time. Wow, Soobin is so poetic. And thoughtful. And kind. The elder can’t help but swoon at the intricacies of the gesture. 

The prince bends down to gracefully grab a pink blossom, inspecting the color with a disgustingly fond smile on his face. “He sends his apologies to the staff, by the way. How will everything fit around the palace? I can’t believe how much thought Prince Soobin put into this silly little invitation. It’s very sweet of him.” 

Namjoon nods in agreement, watching as the young prince practically melts into the flower beds below. The palace advisor almost looks as smug as Wooyoung and Beomgyu. He stifles his laughter, trying to hide the smirk on his face. “Yes, the prince definitely put a lot of thought into his gift—he clearly understands the language of flowers.”

Yeonjun giggles, squatting down to sniff another bouquet of gorgeous red flowers. Distantly, the prince notices that it almost looks like there are two different shades of red—one light and one dark—but thinks nothing of it. Must be his eyes playing tricks on him. Yeonjun suddenly wants to learn as much as he can about the language of flowers. 

“Didn’t you study the meanings of flowers a while ago, Joonie-hyung? You must know all about this stuff.” 

Namjoon nods, swiftly grabbing his day planner from his jacket pocket. The front is embossed with floral decals of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. Namjoon points to them excitedly, rattling off different names and meanings that Yeonjun immediately absorbs like a sponge. 

“That’s so cool, hyung! I think using flowers to express your feelings is beautiful. Soobin said the red carnations show admiration, and the pink camellias represent longing.”

Namjoon raises an eyebrow, patiently waiting for Yeonjun to continue. He looks confused when the young prince trails off. 

“And what did Prince Soobin tell you about the dark red carnations?” Namjoon prompts excitedly. 

Yeonjun frowns, staring back at the flowers in confusion. “What do you mean? There’s no—oh…”

Yeonjun finally starts to notice the mix of light and dark red petals flooding the grand foyer. When he recognized the slight differences earlier, he wasn’t thinking about the possible meanings attached to it. 

Yeonjun checks the note again. Soobin didn’t say anything about two shades of red carnations. The florist must’ve made a mistake with ordering them or something. Yeonjun quickly brushes it off. 

“Maybe it was an accident? He probably ordered two different shades and didn’t realize.”

Namjoon sends him a deadpan look, rolling his eyes. “If Prince Soobin knows enough about the language of flowers to define the carnations and the camellias, then he definitely knew what he was doing. That boy is a hopeless romantic.”

“Romantic?” Yeonjun murmurs, trying and failing to hide his secretly-pleased smile, “You think so? What do the dark red carnations mean, hyung?” 

If possible, Namjoon looks even more smug. “According to my studies, light red carnations mean admiration for someone…but the darker red ones represent deep love and affection for another person.”

Yeonjun nearly drops the delicate flower in his hands when he realizes what Namjoon is implying. “B-but he—I don’t think—hyung, is he—”

Namjoon rolls his eyes fondly, ruffling the prince’s perfectly styled hair. “Obviously, Junnie. It’s not surprising that he’s head over heels in love with you.”

“You got all that from a few flowers?” Yeonjun squeaks, face burning bright red with embarrassment. His heart feels like it’s about to burst out of his chest. 

The elder laughs, wrapping his arm around Yeonjun and pulling him towards the royal kitchens. “Not just from the flowers—also from years of seeing you two flirt and look at each other with those big googly eyes. I’ve been around since he first proposed, and let me tell you—he’s been doing that ever since you were kids.” 

Really? Yeonjun wonders, letting himself be dragged along. Over the past few years, Yeonjun has been so wrapped up in his own all-consuming feelings for Soobin that he never even stopped to think about the younger’s true intentions. Maybe Soobin was serious about his feelings, too. 

The thought makes butterflies erupt in Yeonjun’s stomach. His silly daydreams about living happily ever after with the other prince quickly rise to the forefront of his mind. The two of them walking through the royal gardens, traveling together for diplomatic events, sneaking kisses in the palace hallways. He daydreams about the two of them being engaged for real. 

He wants that life with Soobin more than anything. 

With this realization, Yeonjun begins to plot and scheme his next move. He’s going to absolutely knock Soobin’s socks off at his 21st birthday gala. He’ll present himself as a real candidate for betrothal and spend some time alone with the younger. Maybe they’ll dance the night away and fall in love—just like in Yeonjun’s favorite fairy tales. 

First things first: Yeonjun needs to start planning his outfit. 

As a lover of fashion, Prince Yeonjun has formed a very close relationship with the royal stylists. He’ll need to call his fashion consultant and seamstress immediately. 

After a short debrief (and seemingly endless teasing) from Beomgyu and Wooyoung, Yeonjun sets his plan into motion. 

“Beomgyu, can you call Hongjoong-hyung for me? We have some work to do.”

Chapter Text

Kang Taehyun feels like he’s about to lose his goddamn mind. He definitely does not get paid enough for this. 

He’s been overwhelmingly stressed for several days trying to make last-minute preparations for Soobin’s birthday gala, but now he’s teetering on the brink of a full-blown panic attack. Taehyun has always known that being a royal advisor to the Prince of Ansan would be a stressful job, but he didn’t think it would ever come to this. 

The prince has been missing for over an hour, and the gala is about to begin. Guests have already started to arrive, entering the Great Hall with elegance and grace. Every royal figurehead from the surrounding nations is set to attend, which makes this event a huge deal. 

And Prince Soobin is nowhere to be found. 

With this type of stress, Taehyun swears that he’ll be bald by twenty-five. 

Taehyun quickly spots the prince’s favorite attendant, Huening Kai, and pulls him aside helplessly. “Have you seen the prince? I’ve been looking for him everywhere!”

Kai looks around nervously, purposely avoiding the royal advisor’s intense stare. “Um—I’m not completely sure? He mentioned the ballroom balconies earlier, but I don’t know if—”

That answer is good enough for Taehyun. At least now he has a general idea of where the prince might be. 

“That’s all I need, thank you.”

Taehyun takes a deep breath, desperately hoping to regain a semblance of his composure, and hurries toward the ballroom balconies. If the prince isn’t hiding there, the advisor will have absolutely no idea what to do. 

Luckily for everyone involved, Taehyun immediately spots a mop of black hair and the sparkle of Soobin’s gorgeous royal uniform when he enters the balconies. From this area, the entire ballroom is laid out in front of them. 

The large doors of the castle are open as guests begin to flood inside, whispering excitedly amongst themselves. The couriers loudly announce each family of prominence as they strut into the room, heads held high. The prince is leaning against the railing, scrutinizing each and every guest as they enter the ballroom. Taehyun has never seen Soobin so focused. 

“I’ve been looking all over for you, Prince Soobin! Your mother has requested your presence in her chambers before the gala is set to begin. Beforehand, you must see your stylist for any last-minute wardrobe modifications. As you can see, the guests have already started to arrive, so time is of the essence. We should definitely get going before everyone is here!”

“I’ve been watching the guests arrive,” Soobin mumbles mindlessly, resting his head in his hands and paying no attention to Taehyun’s urgency. His eyes look somewhat unfocused. 

“Prince Soobin, you need to remember to be polite to the other dignitaries once they arrive. This is a very important event, and I know sometimes—” 

“Yeah, okay,” Soobin mutters absentmindedly, leaning over the edge of the balcony to study each person as they enter the ballroom. He’s slumped against the railing with his arms dangling over the side, eyes tracking each guest with interest. He looks like he’s searching for something, eyebrows pinched in concentration and tongue sticking out of his mouth comically. 

Taehyun frowns, annoyed by the prince’s blatant carelessness. As the royal family’s attendant, he often has his hands full with wrangling the prince and ensuring each event runs smoothly. After spending almost an hour searching for Soobin around the castle, Taehyun can’t believe he finally found him watching the guests slowly arrive from the top balcony.

Dignitaries and royalty from all over the world are arriving to commemorate Soobin’s twenty-first birthday with a celebratory gala, but he seems much more focused on watching the guests than speaking with them. Taehyun was supposed to explain the importance of mingling with royal guests and the impact this gala will have on his future, but Soobin is clearly much more focused on something else downstairs. 

Sometimes talking to the royal family is like talking to a fucking brick wall. 

“Soobin, I think this gala could be very important for your future.” Taehyun insists, stepping forward and leaning against the balcony rail beside the prince. 

Soobin still doesn’t take his eyes off the crowd, shaking his head absentmindedly and pretending to agree with his Royal advisor. “Yeah, yeah—really important.” 

Taehyun narrows his eyes. Why is he so focused on the arrival of his party guests? Soobin often dreads formal events and being the center of attention, but he usually swallows his nerves and mingles happily downstairs (with routine breaks to recharge his social battery). Even though making small talk with dignitaries and modestly accepting compliments grates at Soobin’s patience, he’s typically a delight to be around.

Except for right now. Taehyun is certainly not delighted. 

“You know,” Taehyun tries again, studying the prince’s face critically, “the Queen just informed me of your betrothal to Odi. She said your marriage ceremony will take place on Mars.” 

Soobin waves him off, leaning farther over the balcony with squinted eyes. “Sure, that’s great.” 

“Great?” Taehyun feels like he’s about to explode. 

In an instant, he grabs the prince’s arm and tugs him away from the balcony. Soobin looks down at the younger in shock. His eyes widen comically, almost like he’s seeing the advisor for the first time. “Oh—hey, Taehyun!”

“You’re completely hopeless,” Taehyun mutters under his breath, shaking his head slowly. The advisor doesn’t know if the feelings bubbling in his chest stem from fondness or complete exasperation. For some reason, the idiot prince is so distracted by something that he can’t even comprehend human speech. 

Probably exasperation. 

“Huh?” Soobin stares back at him, wide-eyed and innocent. Taehyun sighs heavily. 

“Prince Soobin, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. What could be more important than your gala preparation?”

Soobin immediately flushes, his dark eyes shifting away from Taehyun’s face and back toward the crowd. He looks a little embarrassed—like he’s been caught doing something he shouldn’t be. 

“Well, Prince Yeonjun is coming today and I just thought—” He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, flustered and smiling softly. “—or rather, I was hoping I could see him the second he arrived.” 

Oh. Taehyun should’ve known the prince’s weird behavior was another Yeonjun-related crisis. Everything finally starts to make sense again. 

“You know they’ll announce him, right? You don’t have to stand over the railing like a creep.” Taehyun teases gently, stepping beside the prince to stare over the balcony too. 

“I know.” Soobin only flushes further, desperately trying to hide his face while the tips of his ears burn bright red. Unfortunately for him, Taehyun can see right through his idiocy. After advising the prince for years and constantly attending to his every need, Taehyun can proudly say that he understands Soobin better than anyone—not including his personal attendant, Kai. 

Taehyun has watched Soobin pine over the other prince for years—since they were only children—and his feelings have only gotten more intense as time goes on. Soobin is undoubtedly, wholeheartedly, and embarrassingly in love with Prince Yeonjun. 

Maybe one day Soobin will finally be confident enough to make a move. 

“So,” Taehyun drawls, sending his friend a sideways glance, “when are you actually going to tell Prince Yeonjun that you’re in love with him?”

Soobin chokes, finally tearing his gaze away from the incoming guests to stare at Taehyun with wide eyes. “What do you mean? I’m not—I don’t—we’re not—”

“Sure thing, hyung.” Taehyun nods his head, pretending to play along for the sake of the prince, “I think you forget that I’ve been in the palace even longer than Kai has. I’ve been here since the initial proposal when you two were kids—you’ve never been quiet about your affection for him. I think it’s cute.”

Soobin sighs, tracing his finger along the wood grain pattern of the railing. “He thinks the proposal is one gigantic running joke, Taehyun. I say something, we laugh about it, and I end up falling deeper in love with him. He’ll never take me seriously.” 

Taehyun rolls his eyes, continually surprised by the prince’s impressive stupidity. The advisor has seen the two of them interact for years—giggling together, slow dancing, taking walks in the moonlight—and he’s completely confident that Soobin’s feelings are mutual. The prince is too wrapped up in his own feelings to recognize what’s been right in front of him the entire time.

“If you don’t think he takes you seriously, make him finally realize how serious you are—show Prince Yeonjun how much you care. If words aren’t your strong suit, show him that your feelings are real.”

“Show him my feelings.” Soobin repeats, wringing his hands nervously, “I can—I can do that.”

The royal trumpet echoes through the ballroom once again, signaling the appearance of another prominent royal family. Soobin is so wrapped up in his head that he doesn’t catch the beginning of the announcement, but the ending is impossible to ignore. 

“—followed by the lovely Prince Yeonjun of Seoul.”

Taehyun watches as Soobin practically throws himself over the railing, leaning over the edge precariously to get the best look at Yeonjun’s arrival. The advisor rolls his eyes fondly, grabbing onto the prince’s belt to keep him steady. 

Prince Yeonjun looks absolutely magnificent this evening. He’s dressed from head to toe in white lace, beautifully contrasting his dark hair and sultry makeup. He’s wearing tall lace-up boots made from the finest white leather and a suit jacket tailored with delicate gold trim. The most breathtaking part of his outfit is the gorgeous lace skirt falling down from his waist—creating an effortlessly androgynous look that has Soobin practically drooling. 

The Prince of Seoul has always been known for pushing the boundaries of gendered fashion. The perfectly tailored pants beneath his layered skirt intentionally hug every curve of his body. As he enters the room, royalty and servants alike stop and stare, completely in awe of his incredible beauty. 

Soobin looks like he’s on the verge of malfunctioning. His mouth is hanging open in shock, eyes roaming the beautiful expanse of Yeonjun’s body. Whenever Soobin sees the elder, it’s like his brain melts into a pile of mush. 

“He’s breathtaking,” Soobin murmurs, watching as Yeonjun greets the other royal guests below. Taehyun is sure that everyone in the ballroom can agree with that statement. 

The advisor isn’t completely sure that the prince meant to verbalize his feelings, but he decides to answer anyway. “He really is.” 

“I’m so in love with him, Taehyun,” Soobin whispers, suddenly self-aware. He keeps his voice quiet—like he’s afraid that any sudden movement would destroy the moment surrounding them. “I’ve been in love with him for nine years.”

Taehyun pats the prince’s shoulder in a comforting gesture, giggling quietly at his lovestruck expression. “Remember, tonight you need to show him your feelings. Let him know how much you care—you can do this.”

“I can do this.” Soobin repeats. 

———

“I can’t do this!” Soobin whispers hurriedly, standing behind the gold-plated doors mere minutes before being announced to the crowd. He sends Taehyun a pleading glance. “Why did I think I could do this?”

Taehyun rolls his eyes, grabbing Soobin by the collar and shaking him back and forth. “Stop being a coward!” He whispers back, keeping his voice low to avoid causing a bigger scene. 

Soobin whimpers pathetically, staring back at his advisor with wide eyes. “But what if I can’t show him my feelings? What if he still doesn’t accept my proposal?” 

“Impossible,” Taehyun answers, letting go of Soobin’s collar and smoothing out the neckline. The younger takes a deep breath. “Every time you’re around Prince Yeonjun, you practically ooze romantic feelings for him. You can do this. Get out there and be the handsome, suave prince that I know you are!” 

Soobin nods sharply, still looking a little green. Taehyun just hopes he won’t throw up on the dance floor. Soobin takes a steadying deep breath, mentally psyching himself up for the difficult night ahead. He can do this. 

The trumpets begin to play, signaling the entrance of the royal family. The curtains open, and Taehyun sends one last thumbs up in Soobin’s direction. 

With his shining smile locked in place, Soobin steps forward onto the stage as the entire ballroom bursts into applause. The advisor easily spots Yeonjun and his family in the crowd. He’s gotta admit—Yeonjun is truly a sight to behold. He’s watching Soobin with equally starry eyes. 

Taehyun knows that neither of them has anything to worry about.  

———

After multiple long-winded royal introductory speeches, Soobin tries to make a beeline towards Yeonjun and fails miserably. He’s stopped by at least thirty other dignitaries on the way, but he never loses sight of Yeonjun. 

He notices that Yeonjun is here with his parents and his personal advisor, Beomgyu, who seems to be enjoying himself a little too much. He’s juggling so many plates of appetizers that you would think he’s trying to start his own buffet. Yeonjun laughs, loud and carefree, and Soobin finds the strength to keep going. 

When he finally approaches Yeonjun’s area, Soobin feels like he’s sweating buckets. He makes pleasant small talk with the elder’s parents, discussing when his next visit will be. Soobin hopes he doesn’t sound too eager when he says as soon as possible. 

Eventually, Yeonjun’s parents and Beomgyu make a few lame excuses to leave their area and give the two princes some privacy. Soobin pretends not to see the way Beomgyu makes kissy faces at Yeonjun as he leaves. It makes Soobin’s heart pound louder in his chest. 

“You’re a very popular man, Prince Soobin.” Yeonjun teases, obviously referring to the long list of dignitaries that Soobin just fought his way through.  

“Unfortunately,” Soobin grumbles, suppressing a shiver, “I think the Duke of Caratland was trying to recruit me into his pyramid scheme.” 

Yeonjun laughs loudly, hiding his grin behind his hand to uphold some form of princely manners. He does that a lot around the younger prince. Soobin wants to make him laugh like that—loud, carefree, genuine—for the rest of their lives. 

“If I ever get a message that starts with Hey, boss babe! from you, I’ll make sure to ignore it.” 

The two of them giggle together for a few more minutes, bantering back and forth about stories from their childhood and which dignitaries would most likely join a pyramid scheme. 

Only then does Soobin remember Taehyun’s advice. Tonight you need to show him your feelings, hyung. Let Prince Yeonjun know how much you care.

Soobin takes a deep breath, steeling his nerves. A little embarrassing vulnerability may do him some good. 

“I’m really glad you’re here, hyung.” Soobin murmurs, reaching forward to grasp one of Yeonjun’s hands in his. The other prince’s eyes widen in surprise and his cheeks immediately turn bright pink. Soobin is secretly obsessed with the color. “I was anxiously awaiting your arrival from the upper balcony. I could hardly wait to see you again. And the second you walked into the ballroom, I was—um—well, I was—”

“You were…what?” Yeonjun whispers, voice quiet enough for only Soobin to hear. He squeezes the younger’s hand encouragingly. 

“I was completely taken by how beautiful you are.” Soobin answers, surprised that his voice isn’t shaking, “Although, that’s not very different from how I always feel when I see you, hyung.” 

Yeonjun blushes, raising their conjoined hands to cover his face. Soobin can see how pleased the other prince is by this compliment. 

“Thank you, Prince Soobin. For the record, I felt the same way—I couldn’t wait to see you today. I even designed this outfit specifically for the occasion!”

Soobin admires Yeonjun’s intricate outfit once again, instantly mesmerized by the softness of his features. There are so many little details in the design that practically scream Yeonjun. Soobin feels a little bit lightheaded. “R-really? Hyung, that’s incredible.”

“This is an important celebration, Binnie! The handsome, mysterious Prince Soobin of Ansan—the most eligible bachelor in the four kingdoms—is finally turning twenty-two. It’s a pretty big deal, right?” Yeonjun teases. 

“I wouldn’t say most eligible bachelor…” Soobin mumbles to himself, unable to tear his eyes away from the soft curve of Yeonjun’s lips. 

Thankfully, Yeonjun doesn’t seem to hear him. “My designers helped me create this piece. I have an eye for fashion, but I don’t have the sewing skills to make my vision come to life. It almost feels like I’m wearing a wedding dress, but I really love it.” 

Yeonjun giggles softly, swishing around part of his skirt to emphasize his point. The fabric shimmers under the light of the ballroom, revealing the intricate floral designs hidden within the lace. Soobin follows the movement with his eyes, completely entranced. 

Wedding. Marriage. Yeonjun, Soobin’s brain echoes helplessly.

Soobin blushes, wringing his hands together and laughing nervously. He tries to act as normal as possible even though the world is tilting on its axis. “I’m just glad you actually found my invitation amongst all those flowers. I hope I didn’t cause your staff too much trouble.”

Yeonjun instantly brightens. “The flowers were lovely! I couldn’t believe how many bouquets you sent. You really surprised me, Choi Soobin.” 

Soobin grins, puffing out his chest with false confidence. “Don’t worry, I fully intend to outdo myself for our proposal.”

Our proposal. 

Even saying those words out loud has Soobin ready to melt into the dance floor. He told Taehyun that he wasn’t very good with words—always getting tongue-tied and extra flustered around Yeonjun—but Soobin thinks he’s making his intentions pretty damn clear. He’s always been very serious about marrying Yeonjun and living happily ever after together. Now it’s time for him to show it. 

Just one month and five days, Soobin’s mind supplies helpfully. If only his brain would shut up for more than thirty seconds. 

Yeonjun’s eyes widen, lips parting in surprise at Soobin’s boldness. Neither of them are used to the younger being so forward about his feelings. It’s a very welcome change. 

“Do you really think that you’ll…?” Yeonjun whispers shyly, “That the two of us will…you know…”

For the first time, Soobin realizes that Yeonjun is nervous. He’s wringing his hands the same way Soobin does, blinking rapidly and avoiding the younger’s eyes.

Confidence surges through Soobin’s veins. Yeonjun is nervous. 

“Without a doubt.” Soobin answers. 

Yeonjun gasps quietly, staring up at Soobin with wide eyes. The melody of the orchestra crescendos, and the rest of the world fades away. In a room full of foreign dignitaries and pretentious royal families there to celebrate his birthday, Soobin realizes that Yeonjun is the only person in the room who truly matters. It’s just the two of them. It’s always been the two of them. 

“Then I’ll be waiting, Prince Soobin,” Yeonjun murmurs back. 

Before he can think of a better idea, Soobin reaches down to grab Yeonjun’s hand and slowly intertwines their fingers. He tugs the elder towards the middle of the dance floor, barely taking his eyes off Yeonjun’s glowing smile. 

Soobin has always admired the bright light shining from everywhere around Choi Yeonjun, watching as it grows brighter and brighter with each passing year. There’s just something so incredible about the other boy, and Soobin just can’t get enough. 

As they step onto the dance floor, the guests immediately part to accommodate them. Lords and ladies quickly scurry out of the way, giving the royal couple as much space as possible. Whispers of surprise and other vapid commentary float around the ballroom, but Soobin can’t even pretend to care. Taehyun will deal with it. 

Without hesitation, Soobin’s large hands slide to rest above Yeonjun’s hips—right above the waistline of the elder’s skirt attachment. He feels a little nauseous, like his stomach is twisting in ultra-complicated knots, but he continues to persevere. Once Yeonjun takes his hand, Soobin slides his hand higher to rest below the elder’s shoulder blades. 

Is he doing this right? Everything Soobin has ever learned in royal dance lessons immediately flies out of his brain. He stares down at Yeonjun with wide eyes, momentarily paralyzed with uncertainty. 

He can do this. He’s a prince, for godsakes—he’s been professionally trained to waltz since the moment he took his first steps. 

But everything is different when it comes to Yeonjun. Whenever the elder walks into the room, Soobin feels light and fluttery. He feels like his skull might be filled with brightly-colored cotton balls instead of a normal brain. He wants to giggle stupidly and kick his feet, twirling his hair around his finger like a blushing schoolgirl. How embarrassing. 

Soobin takes a deep breath, putting on his best serene royal face and channeling his fleeting knowledge of dance into something resembling a waltz. For a man attending a royal gala in his honor, Soobin is not a very confident dancer. 

Soobin’s palms are insanely sweaty, and he feels clunky in his own skin. He didn’t even know it was possible to feel clunky. Soobin has never been very good at performing the waltz at these types of events. And it doesn’t help that every eye in the room is laser-focused on them. 

His awkwardness is made even worse by the fact that Yeonjun is a natural. He glides across the dance floor like a professional, dragging Soobin along with him. He has the fluidity and grace of a classically trained dancer. Soobin tries to soak up as much raw talent as possible from the elder. 

“Relax, Binnie. I don’t bite.” Yeonjun whispers, sending him a secretive smile. 

Immediately, Soobin’s brain flashes back to a similar conversation they had nearly eight years ago. Yeonjun’s teasing grin, his fluttering eyelashes, their close proximity…

“Relax, Binnie! I promise I won't bite.” Yeonjun chimes, placing a comforting hand on the younger’s shoulder. 

They’re standing alone in the center of the ballroom, hushed voices reverberating around the arched ceilings. The tables and chairs from the last royal event have been cleared out of the room. Soobin stares down at the scuffed toes of his fanciest shoes, cursing his two left feet for embarrassing him like this. 

Yeonjun and his parents arrived at the castle just yesterday, completely ruining Soobin’s plans to ignore his massive crush. Yeonjun’s parents are here to solidify the longstanding trade agreement between their two kingdoms—but Yeonjun is here to torment Soobin with how insanely handsome he’s become. 

Their parents have already locked themselves away in the study for the afternoon, leaving the two teenagers to roam around the halls of the palace. Yeonjun and Soobin spent the morning playing games in the royal gardens and picking an obscene amount of flowers. Yeonjun really loves carnations. Soobin files away that information for later. 

Soobin’s first mistake is complaining to Yeonjun about how annoying his dance lessons are. His second mistake is allowing the elder to actually teach him how to waltz. 

Or maybe it wasn’t a mistake after all. 

He’s already received a few lessons from the palace’s dance teacher, but Soobin thinks he would much rather learn about dancing from Yeonjun—especially if it means standing pressed against each other in their private ballroom. 

“Well, you might start biting when you realize how awful I am at dancing, hyung.” Soobin groans, wiping his horrifically sweaty palms on the front of his dress pants. 

Yeonjun throws his head back in a surprised laugh. Soobin’s heart jumps pathetically in his chest, utterly entranced by the long column of Yeonjun’s throat. 

“I doubt you’re that bad, Prince Soobin,” the young prince teases, stepping closer to slot their hands together. He places Soobin’s hands on his waist and positions their arms into a proper waltz hold, “You’re just underselling your talent.” 

Even at fifteen years old, Yeonjun always saw the best in him—even when that faith was outrageously misplaced. 

At fourteen years old, Soobin stumbled and cursed his way through the first few steps, crushing Yeonjun’s toes in the process. Maybe if he spent more time actually learning the steps and less time daydreaming about Yeonjun, he’d be a better dancer. For the rest of their practice, Soobin wiggled in and out of that fancy waltz hold, staring down at their feet to avoid any other toe-related catastrophes. 

It seems like nothing has changed since then. 

“Soobin, relax!” Yeonjun whispers, giggling quietly under his breath. “You’re a great dance partner when you’re not overthinking it.”

And that’s true. Once Soobin hit puberty and grew into his gangly limbs, he became a much better dancer. But being this close to Yeonjun does weird things to his brain. 

“I’m just trying to remember everything you taught me, hyung.” Soobin murmurs, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He glances down at their feet, tracking the steps and making sure he’s not within toe-crushing proximity. 

“Always my favorite student,” Yeonjun smiles softly, staring up at Soobin with sparkling eyes, “If it makes you feel any better, you’ve definitely improved. I knew you enjoyed our dance lessons.”

Soobin huffs out a quiet laugh. You have no idea, hyung. 

Soobin delicately twirls Yeonjun and lowers the elder into an effortless dip, starting to feel a little more comfortable on the dance floor. Yeonjun gasps, lips parting in surprise. He definitely wasn’t expecting that. 

“I’ve been practicing,” Soobin mutters, unable to keep the smug smile off his face. “Plus, I had a really good teacher.”

Yeonjun blinks up at him, cheeks flushing pink at their proximity. “You never fail to surprise me, Prince Soobin.”

Soobin’s heart feels like it might beat right out of his chest. He gazes down at Yeonjun, ignoring the slight burn in his muscles from holding the elder in the same position for so long. The obnoxious chatter of the ballroom fades away again, quieting to a gentle hum. 

“Do you wanna get out of here?” Soobin whispers, pulling Yeonjun back into a standing position as the song finally ends. The next song is a lively swing step number. The crowd around them springs to life, but Soobin and Yeonjun stand completely still. 

Yeonjun smirks, shoving the edge of Soobin’s shoulder lightly. “Now you’re really surprising me! Who are you and what have you done with my Soobin?

My Soobin.

They really need to get out of here—before Soobin does something stupid like kiss Yeonjun in front of the entire ballroom. 

Soobin rolls his eyes, lowering their arms but refusing to let go of Yeonjun’s hand. “I have an idea, but we can’t let Taehyun see us leave.” 

Yeonjun looks positively giddy, a wide smile overtaking his face. “Are you suggesting we ditch your birthday gala, Your Highness? I can’t believe you’re being such a bad influence.” 

Soobin groans, trying to hide his secretive smile. Yeonjun will never miss the opportunity to tease him, no matter the circumstances. 

“Do you want to go or not? The offer is about to expire.” 

Yeonjun steps closer, teetering on his tiptoes until his lips practically brush against the shell of Soobin’s ear. He clearly doesn’t want any of the other royal guests prying into their conversation. 

“You know I’ll go anywhere with you, Soobinnie.” He murmurs, checking behind the younger to see if the coast is clear. Taehyun is standing next to the Queen, fixing the train of her magnificent gown. “Taehyunnie is distracted. Lead the way, rulebreaker.” 

Soobin tightens his grip on Yeonjun’s hand, quickly maneuvering between the other party guests with their heads down. Someone calls out to Prince Soobin, but they ignore it, giggling like children as they slip through the secret staff exit near the back of the ballroom. 

The pair easily navigates through the hidden passageways, taking one final turn to reveal the place Soobin was searching for—the royal kitchens.

Yeonjun sighs in relief, taking off his jacket and placing it on the center table. He hikes up the hem of his skirt attachment and jumps to sit on the edge of the kitchen counter. With his jacket off, Soobin has free reign to stare at the delicious curve of his biceps. He feels his mouth watering at the sight. 

Yeonjun leans back like he owns the place, fixing Soobin with a knowing gaze. “Make yourself comfortable, Soobinnie. You look constipated.” 

Soobin rolls his eyes, grumbling something under his breath about proper gut health and stupidly gorgeous muscles. He rummages through the cupboards and drawers until he finds a single plate, two forks, and a dull-looking knife. 

Yeonjun quirks an eyebrow, clearly curious. “Where’s this devious streak coming from? I really could’ve used a partner in crime when I was sixteen, Soob.”

Soobin scoffs, opening the fridge and sending Yeonjun a deadpan look. “Your devious streak gave me a broken arm, hyung. And got me grounded for an entire month.”  

Now it’s Yeonjun’s turn to scoff, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly. Soobin pointedly looks away from the lean muscle of his triceps before he says something dumb. 

“Hey, I apologized for that! Plus, you totally provoked that horse on your own. You can’t blame me for your own obliviousness.” 

The younger laughs, opening the door wider to reveal an unbelievably extravagant birthday cake. The cake is layered with white frosting and light blue detailing all over, standing four tiers tall. It almost takes up the entire fridge. 

Yeonjun gasps at the sight. “Birthday cake! Soobin, you’re a genius!”

Soobin grins at the praise, the tips of his ears turning bright red. He uses the shitty knife to cut into the lower tier of the cake, focusing on a section that isn’t supporting the extra layers. Taehyun will definitely murder him if he destroys this perfect cake before it’s presented to the guests. 

But he’s stealing a small piece from the back of the cake. It’s not like anyone will even see it! Plus, he’s the prince. Soobin thinks that he should be able to have some fancy birthday cake whenever he wants—by royal decree. 

“Oh! Get a piece with lots of frosting, okay?” Yeonjun hums, swinging his feet like an overexcited little kid.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Soobin teases, cutting a crude piece of cake and scooping up a little extra frosting just for Yeonjun. The elder has always had an insatiable sweet tooth. 

Soobin presents the cake to Yeonjun with a dramatic flourish, bowing respectfully. “Your frosting, my prince.” 

Yeonjun giggles, scooting over so Soobin can also hop onto the kitchen counter. They each grab a fork and quickly dig in. Soobin is pretty sure that Yeonjun’s first bite is mostly frosting, but it’s still fantastic. 

Yeonjun moans, closing his eyes and placing a hand over his heart. “Soobin, this is the best cake I’ve ever tasted. I’m so serious.” 

Soobin’s face burns bright red. Is Yeonjun doing this on purpose? To save himself from embarrassment, Soobin stuffs a huge bite of cake into his mouth and nearly chokes. He nods aggressively instead of answering. 

When they finish eating, Soobin sets their plate and forks to the side and tries not to think of the angry scolding he’ll receive from Taehyun later. 

Totally worth it. 

Yeonjun knocks their knees together softly, gazing at Soobin with poorly concealed fondness. “I’m glad we ditched the gala, even if it’s just for a little bit. This is much better than listening to the Duke of Whandia talk about his fishing exports.” 

Soobin scowls, grumbling a little. “Anything is better than that!” 

“I’m not kidding!” Yeonjun giggles before suddenly turning serious again. “I really like spending time with you like this—just the two of us. You’ve always been special to me, Soobin.” 

Soobin’s stomach swoops happily, heart expanding to press against his ribs. Yeonjun likes spending time with him. He’s special to Yeonjun. 

The younger prince suddenly remembers Taehyun’s pre-gala pep talk.  

Remember, tonight you need to show Yeonjun your feelings. Let him know how much you care.

Gazing into Yeonjun’s half-lidded eyes, Soobin thinks he can do that—he’s ready to show the elder his feelings. He reaches down to grab Yeonjun’s hand, lacing their fingers together softly. 

“Hyung, you’ve always been special to me too. There isn’t a moment that goes by where I’m not thinking about you. And I have such a hard time expressing my feelings—instead of just telling you how much I like you, I’m the type of guy that sends you one hundred and eighty-nine bouquets.”

Soobin expects Yeonjun to tease him about his silly gift, but the older prince isn’t laughing. Instead, Yeonjun’s eyes drop to stare at the plush shape of Soobin’s mouth. The younger wets his lips in anticipation. 

“Please kiss me.” Yeonjun whispers, breath fanning over the younger’s lips. 

Soobin doesn’t even think—for the first time in his life, he doesn’t second guess his decision. The love of his life is asking Soobin to kiss him. He would be a total idiot not to accept. After nine years of overthinking, Soobin finally surges forward to press his lips against Yeonjun’s. 

… Holy shit. 

Kissing Yeonjun is better than Soobin could have ever imagined. The older prince’s lips are soft and pliant, tasting like sweet buttercream frosting and lipgloss. Soobin is completely and utterly obsessed. 

One of Yeonjun’s hands is twisted in the collar of Soobin’s royal uniform, keeping the younger prince as close as possible. The other hand rests gently on Soobin’s thigh, rubbing his thumb along the inseam of his pants. 

Soobin instantly melts into the kiss. He can’t believe this is really happening. 

When he imagined his first kiss with Yeonjun—and he’s imagined this moment a lot over the years—Soobin has always pictured romantic sunsets, candles, and string quartets. He definitely wasn’t daydreaming about the royal kitchens.

But right now, this feels like the most romantic spot in the entire castle. 

Soobin caresses Yeonjun’s jaw softly, keeping his body propped up with the strength of his other arm. He’s lucky they’re not standing right now because Soobin feels weak in the knees. He’s actually kissing Choi Yeonjun. 

If only eleven-year-old Soobin could see him now. We did it, buddy! Can you believe it?

When Yeonjun sighs happily against his lips, Soobin takes a second to commit the sound to memory. He’s going to be replaying this moment over and over for the rest of his life, so it might as well be accurate. 

Crash! 

In his haste to kiss Yeonjun senseless, Soobin accidentally shifts too far and knocks their empty cake plate onto the floor. The silverware loudly clatters onto the tile, and the porcelain plate splinters into a million tiny pieces. 

Yeonjun and Soobin jump apart in shock, blinking at each other with wide eyes and kiss-swollen lips. What the hell just happened?

Yeonjun looks so adorably surprised that Soobin almost ignores the mess in favor of kissing him again. His cheeks are dusted pink, and his perfectly-styled hair is slightly disheveled. He’s the most beautiful man in the world. 

Soobin resists the urge to groan. Their romantic moment is effectively destroyed—just like his mother’s priceless antique plate. His mom will probably kill him for destroying a piece of her favorite dining set, but Soobin doesn’t really mind that much. 

He’ll be able to die as a happy man now that he’s finally kissed Choi Yeonjun.  

Yeonjun reaches forward to smooth down the crumpled collar of Soobin’s jacket, smiling sheepishly. Now that the moment has passed, he looks a little embarrassed by his obvious desperation. 

But unfortunately not that embarrassed. Yeonjun smirks softly, gesturing to the shattered plate on the floor. 

“Your mom is going to kill you for breaking her favorite dining set.” 

Soobin can’t help but laugh at their situation, leaning forward to hide his face in Yeonjun’s neck. He can’t believe this is his real life. “If she asks, I’ll just blame you and your clumsiness.” 

Yeonjun huffs, feigning annoyance and combing his fingers through Soobin’s dark hair. The younger prince basks in the casual affection. 

“Your mom would never blame me for this—you know I’m her favorite! That’s why I was invited for high tea, and you were grounded for a month when we were teenagers.”

Unfortunately, Soobin knows that he’s 100% correct. His mother loves seeing Yeonjun almost as much—if not more—than he does. She’s been their biggest supporter since the beginning, letting them sneak off together and making excuses to visit the neighboring kingdom. It also helps that their parents are longtime friends.

Soobin thinks that his mother hasn’t been pushing him to find a spouse because she’s secretly hoping he’ll still propose to Yeonjun. They don’t really talk about it—this massive thing between Yeonjun and Soobin or the ticking countdown—but she’s never been very subtle about her favoritism for Yeonjun. 

“That was so unfair, hyung. Especially when—”

Suddenly, the door to the royal kitchens flies open with a loud bang! Yeonjun immediately yelps in surprise, latching onto Soobin’s shoulder. The younger tries and fails to hide the smug grin on his face. 

He’ll always be ready to protect Yeonjun, no matter the situation. He’ll fight any villain— especially the Duke of Whandia—to keep the love of his life safe. 

Luckily, the only villain standing in the doorway is Huening Kai. He looks a little out of breath, sweating profusely and gesturing to the pair frantically. His eyes look a little crazy. 

“There you both are!” he cries. “Taehyun has been looking everywhere for you, Prince Soobin. We’ve been searching the entire castle!”

Soobin shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry about that, Hyuka. I didn’t realize we were gone for so long.”

“Yeah, we got a little…. distracted.” Yeonjun murmurs, toying with a ruffle on his skirt instead of looking at Kai. His cheeks are bright pink again.

Distracted is one way to put it. Sucking each other’s faces off is another way to put it. Either way, Soobin doesn’t regret anything. 

He’s almost thankful that his mother's plate shattered into a million tiny pieces. Because if Kai had walked in even five minutes earlier, he would’ve interrupted their very intimate moment. 

And Kai doesn’t care about his prince status—he can and will tease Soobin mercilessly, especially about his massive crush on Choi Yeonjun. 

“Distracted?” Kai repeats, pointing to Yeonjun with an exasperated expression, “Your advisor was starting to think that someone kidnapped you! And I don’t even want to ask about the broken plate on the ground…” 

Yeonjun sends Soobin a sly grin, raising his eyebrow. “No kidnapping here—just Soobinnie’s bad influence.” 

Soobin’s face heats up, feeling mildly embarrassed. “That’s rich coming from you, Mr. Releasing-Chickens-In-the-Royal-Ballroom—”

“Hey!” Yeonjun squawks indignantly, “We were nine years old, and it was your idea to give them dance lessons—”

“Not this again!” Kai sighs, shaking his head, “I swear, you two act like an old married couple.”  

Old married couple. 

Soobin and Yeonjun, growing old together and bickering endlessly. Living happily ever after. 

He really likes the sound of that. Only one month and five days left on their countdown. 

Soobin grins, deciding to table this conversation for another day. He hops off the kitchen counter and offers his hand to Yeonjun. The older prince grabs Soobin’s hand gently and follows, smirking at the younger’s chivalry. Soobin silently hopes that he’ll never let go. 

“They weren’t in the library or the royal gardens—which were super nice, by the way. Did you have any luck— oh.” Beomgyu announces, waltzing into the royal kitchens like he owns the place. He jumps back in surprise when he recognizes Yeonjun and Soobin, looking between the two of them with raised eyebrows. He looks pointedly at their intertwined hands and smirks evilly. The older prince swears under his breath. 

“There you are! I told Taehyun that you were probably having a secret little rendezvous, but he wouldn’t listen.” He teases, wiggling his eyebrows excitedly. 

“We just needed to get away from the crowd for a little bit.” Yeonjun answers hurriedly, straightening his skirt and pointedly avoiding Beomgyu’s knowing grin. 

“Clearly you guys were busy,” Beomgyu answers, gesturing to the shards of porcelain covering the ground. “And as much as I hate to interrupt your fake fiance time, your parents are looking for you, Jun-hyung. They’ve already called for your royal carriage.”

“Why can’t you just call it a limousine?” Yeonjun answers, sighing in defeat. He turns to look at Soobin apologetically, “I guess that’s my cue. Thank you for spending the evening with me, Prince Soobin. I really enjoyed myself.”

Yeonjun bites his lip, sending the younger prince a meaningful look. Soobin’s eyes are drawn to the movement like a magnet. He reads the message loud and clear. 

“As did I, Prince Yeonjun.” Soobin murmurs, reaching down to press a soft kiss to Yeonjun’s knuckles. A silent promise of his love and devotion. “I’ll see you next month for our tenth anniversary.”

Yeonjun smirks. “Can’t wait.” 

Chapter Text

With only thirty-eight hours left on their fake engagement countdown, Yeonjun starts to panic. 

Thirty-eight hours. 

Only thirty-eight hours until his life might change forever. Thirty-eight hours until his greatest childhood dream could come true—or thirty-eight hours until the biggest disappointment of Yeonjun’s life. 

It’s a lot of pressure. Yeonjun feels the weight of the world on his shoulders, struggling to breathe under the stress of endless possibilities. 

Will Soobin actually fulfill his promise? The younger seemed pretty determined to propose during his birthday gala last month, but what if something has changed since then? 

Maybe Soobin found the real love of his life at some point within the past month. Yeonjun takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and ignoring the way his eyes sting at the thought. He needs to be mentally prepared to accept any outcome—even the ones that will shatter his heart. 

At Soobin’s birthday gala, they shared a mind-blowing, earth-shattering, gut-wrenching, life-changing first kiss. It was seriously incredible. The kiss was so amazing that Yeonjun wonders what would’ve happened if they hadn’t been interrupted…

But is that enough? Yeonjun hasn’t been able to stop replaying it in his mind over and over and over…but how does Soobin feel?

How is he supposed to exist like a normal person when his entire romantic future hangs in the balance? 

Yeonjun feels like he might be sick. 

When Yeonjun set this deadline nearly ten years ago, he never thought about the consequences of his choice. No one can make rational, life-altering decisions when they’re twelve years old! Yeonjun wishes that Soobin wouldn’t keep stringing him along like this. The past ten years of waiting have been absolutely mind-numbing. 

And even worse—what if it’s all for nothing? 

Yeonjun shakes his head, splashing cold water on his face to erase that train of thought. He really shouldn’t be thinking like this. It’s not fair to Soobin, and it’s certainly not fair to his own sanity. 

Besides, the last ten years with Soobin as his faithful companion haven’t been for nothing. Since their adolescence, both princes have had the opportunity to grow and learn together, cherishing each other's silly little quirks and falling deeper in love with every visit. 

…or at least that’s what Yeonjun has been doing. Hopefully, Soobin has been doing the same.

And Yeonjun will finally know the truth in just thirty-eight hours. 2,280 minutes. 136,800 seconds. 

136,799. 136,798. 136,797. 

Yeonjun splashes water on his face again, groaning loudly at his racing thoughts. Maybe it would just be easier to drown himself in the sink. Honestly, it’s getting pathetic. He needs a distraction—and fast. 

Yeonjun wipes his face with a towel, staring at himself in the mirror. He hasn’t slept much over the past few days, tossing and turning over similar thoughts of marriage and rejection and paper clip engagement rings. There are dark circles beneath his eyes and his hair is a mess, but if he squints at his reflection, he can almost visualize himself as a fiancé. As a husband. 

Or maybe that’s just the lack of sleep. He’s probably just hallucinating. 

After hopping in the shower, Yeonjun starts to feel a little more like a human being again. He gets dressed in his comfiest loungewear—a cozy pair of black sweatpants, the largest gray hoodie he owns, and the most royally acceptable pair of Crocs in the kingdom. 

He stares down at the precious Jibbitz that Beomgyu and Wooyoung picked out for him last summer—a tiny orange fox, a panda bear, a rainbow, and a sparkly crown with the words Princess written in cursive. And another stupidly adorable bunny charm from Soobin. 

Certainly nothing fit for the crown prince, but it’ll have to do for right now. Yeonjun will expertly avoid his mother’s tattletale advisors and sneak around the castle. No biggie. 

Tiptoeing down the hallways in his Crocs, Yeonjun scurries to the royal advisor’s quarters to find the biggest distraction possible—namely, his best friend Beomgyu.

The door opens swiftly after only one knock, almost as if the younger was expecting visitors. Beomgyu is standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a stupid smirk on his face. 

“To what do I owe this pleasure, my prince? What an honor it is that you would visit me in my own humble abode!”

Yeonjun rolls his eyes, pushing past the advisor and flopping onto his bed with a groan. The sheets are green and smell like something woodsy. Yeonjun sinks deeper into the duvet and pretends to be annoyed. 

“You know what, asshole. My entire life could change in thirty-eight hours, and I can’t stop thinking about it.” 

Beomgyu hums, checking his watch with a raised eyebrow. “Thirty-seven, actually.”

Yeonjun buries his face in Beomgyu’s pillow, wondering if the fabric is thick enough to suffocate himself. “You’re really not helping.” 

The younger chuckles, joining Yeonjun on the bed with an exaggerated bounce. “There’s nothing to help you with, hyung. Prince Soobin is completely head-over-heels in love with you. He’s going to propose just like he promised, and the two of you will live happily ever after like the fairytale princes you are. And then I’m going to tease you about it for the rest of your perfect life.” 

Yeonjun rolls his eyes, trying to hide his secretly fond smile. “You do that enough already. I’ve heard the rumors you’ve been spreading about Soobin’s love letters. It’s the only thing the chambermaids will talk about.”

“C’mon, hyung—what did you expect? You’re giving them nothing. At least I have the decency to share the wealth of gossip.” 

Yeonjun hums, growing quiet for a moment and staring up at the ceiling with unfocused eyes. There are a few misaligned tiles on Beomgyu’s ceiling that completely ruin the cohesive pattern. He wonders if the younger has noticed. 

Beomgyu readjusts his position until his legs are curled up beneath Yeonjun’s head, creating a perfectly bony pillow for him to rest on. It’s comfortable like this. The prince feels safe. Soft. Protected. He feels like nothing outside of these four walls can hurt him. 

When Beomgyu isn’t being the complete bane of Yeonjun’s existence, he can be unbelievably comforting. 

Sometimes they would do this type of thing after Yeonjun’s royal lessons. The prince would be so overwhelmed with future responsibilities and expectations that he would immediately hide in Beomgyu’s bedroom, fully sheltered from the outside world. 

The real world wanted too much from him. In here, he was just Yeonjun— Beomgyu’s pouty hyung. They could always gossip and crack jokes and escape reality for a while. Fitting into that role has always been much easier than bearing the responsibilities of the crown prince title.

Beomgyu doesn’t tease him any further. The younger combs his fingers through the elder’s hair, gossiping about other members of the palace staff and their poor housekeeping skills. Yeonjun is so incredibly thankful for their friendship. 

“—and then Wooyoung was like: that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, but I thought—” Beomgyu rambles, raising his voice in a poorly executed impression of their friend. 

“Hey, by the way—where is Wooyoung? I haven’t seen him much over the past few days.” Yeonjun asks, thinking hard about the last time he saw the palace messenger. 

Beomgyu pauses, blinking up at the ceiling in thought. “Honestly, I have no clue. Now that you mention it, I don’t think I’ve seen him in a few days either.”

“Is he sick or something? Maybe we should check on him later tonight.” Yeonjun suggests. 

Beomgyu shrugs, frowning in thought. “The last time I saw him was about two days ago. I asked if he wanted to sneak out to the stables and he started acting really suspicious. He got all nervous and wouldn’t tell me what he was hiding. It was weird.” 

Yeonjun huffs, sitting up and smoothing down the back of his hair. He doesn’t like the idea of Wooyoung—one of their closest friends since childhood—keeping any secrets from them. 

“Maybe he thinks that we’ve finally caught on to his not-so-secret relationship with Choi San. You know how sweaty and guilty Wooyoung gets when he wants to sneak into the village.” 

The younger laughs, sending Yeonjun a deadpan look. “I don’t know why he’s still so secretive about it. We’ve known about their romantic rendezvous since we were teenagers.” 

“Must be something pretty important if he’s disappearing like this.” Yeonjun shrugs, standing up and stretching his legs. His left leg is completely asleep, and the sun is starting to set in the sky. But he’s beginning to feel much better about the whole impending future thing. 

Beomgyu really is the world’s greatest distraction. 

“We’ll figure out what he’s hiding eventually. No secret stays secret for long in this castle.” Beomgyu grins, straightening his bedsheets and making his room look presentable again. 

“And whose fault is that?” Yeonjun smirks, shaking his head, “But let me know if you find Wooyoung. I think I’m going to take a walk in the gardens before the sun sets—maybe it’ll help clear my mind.” 

“Good idea, hyung. That always makes you feel better.” Beomgyu grins, leading them both towards the door, “Besides, Wooyoungie-hyung can’t hide from us forever.” 

———

“I can’t hide like this from Prince Yeonjun forever, you know! I’m the palace messenger! I’m supposed to message things!” Wooyoung whispers frantically, peeking around the corner of a perfectly sculpted royal hedge. He’s trying and failing to avoid a total nervous breakdown. 

The sun is starting to set in the sky, bathing the gardens in a beautifully golden light. Maybe Wooyoung could actually enjoy the view if he wasn’t about to jump out of his skin. 

“Please, I really need your help with this,” Prince Soobin pleads, struggling to set up an intricate-looking floral arch in the center of the main courtyard. “Besides, Yeonjun-hyung probably thinks you’re sneaking off to meet with Choi San in the village. We’ll be fine here for a little while.” 

Wooyoung gasps, whipping his head around to stare open-mouthed at the other prince. He hopes that the setting sun conceals the flaming blush across his cheeks. “You know about that? Wait— Yeonjun knows about that? That’s supposed to be a secret!” 

Soobin stops struggling for a moment, sending the elder a deadpan look. “Pretty sure everyone in the surrounding kingdoms knows about you and that San guy. You’re worse at keeping secrets than Beomgyu.”

Wooyoung scoffs, peeking around the hedge again to check if anyone is walking down the trail. The coast is still clear. 

“That is so not true. If that was the case, why didn’t you ask Beomgyu for help?”

Soobin shrugs, looking a little bashful. “Because Beomgyu is the best at keeping Yeonjun-hyung distracted…and he would definitely destroy all of my proposal plans. I learned my lesson after he accidentally ruined my surprise visit for Yeonjun’s sixteenth birthday party.” 

Wooyoung winces, remembering the trainwreck of events that occurred at Yeonjun’s party. What a mess. Yeah, maybe it’s better that Beomgyu doesn’t know anything about this. 

Wooyoung pokes his head around the corner again, gasping loudly when he sees the movement of a shadow quickly approaching around the corner. His heart plummets to the pit of his stomach. 

“Code Red! Danger! Emergency! Someone’s coming!” 

Soobin swears under his breath, blinking up at his fully assembled arch centerpiece like it personally betrayed him. He definitely won’t have time to dismantle everything before the intruder walks into this section of the gardens. But based on how the arch is leaning slightly to the left, Wooyoung thinks the structure might just disassemble itself. 

Soobin and Wooyoung quickly crouch down behind the royal hedges, hearts beating rapidly in their chests. Wooyoung silently hopes this person is a chambermaid or gardener that he can easily bribe into silence. If not, they’re totally screwed. 

Wooyoung lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding when he recognizes two very familiar voices. 

“Jeez, Hyuka! Can’t you help me carry some of this stuff?” Taehyun asks in a strained voice, huffing and puffing as he carries two massive pillars in his arms. They round the corner casually, stepping into the center of the gardens like they didn’t just give Wooyoung and Soobin a complete heart attack. 

Kai scoffs, waving a piece of crumpled notebook paper in front of Taehyun’s face. “I can’t carry anything else! I’m in charge of some very precious cargo. Soobin-hyung entrusted this to me—”

The prince in question rolls his eyes, standing up to his full height with a frown. “Taehyun! Kai! I told you to do the bird call we practiced before you start walking down this path! Just so I would know it’s you guys and not some rando from the palace.”

He sends Wooyoung a mildly apologetic look. “No offense, obviously.”

Wooyoung waves him off, clutching his chest as his heartbeat finally starts to settle down again. Maybe he’s not as good at this whole sneaking around thing as he thought. “N-No problem.” 

Yeonjun totally owes him for this. 

Soobin steps forward to take the jagged piece of paper from Kai's hands, holding it to his chest like it’s the most precious thing in the world. After staring at the contents for a moment, Soobin takes a deep breath and tucks the paper into the pocket of his jacket. 

For this incognito mission, the prince is dressed like any other civilian. He’s wearing a pair of light-wash jeans that hug his legs perfectly and a black zip-up hoodie. Wooyoung really should’ve stolen a royal landscaper uniform for Soobin, but unfortunately he didn’t think that far ahead. 

A shame, really. Soobin would’ve looked spectacular in the shorts and polo combo. Oh well. 

“That should be everything, hyung.” Taehyun answers, placing both of the pillars near their growing pile of fancy decorations. He uses the bottom of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face. They’ve made so many trips that Taehyun has already lost count. 

Soobin has been planning this proposal since he was just eleven years old, so there are lots of moving parts here. There’s going to be a floral archway, a string quartet, fancy pillars, and a walkway covered in rose petals. 

This type of preparation means they need as much help as they can get—and as much time as they can get. Soobin needed to secretly team up with Wooyoung so they could sneak into the royal gardens the night before the proposal. 

Everything needs to be perfect by tomorrow. They have a lot of work ahead of them. 

“We can start setting things up tonight and finish the final touches in the morning.” Soobin answers, crossing his arms and staring at the mountain of decorations in front of them. 

“Let’s do this! This proposal is going to be perfect, hyung!” Kai sighs dreamily, picking up a bouquet of roses and twirling around. “Prince Yeonjun is going to love it.” 

Soobin really, really hopes so. 

———

Soobin, Wooyoung, Taehyun, and Kai are so busy organizing the outdoor proposal space that they completely forget to have someone stationed in the lookout position. 

It’s a lot of work, okay? They need all hands on deck if they’re going to reposition the massive flower arch without bumping into the live butterfly terrarium. 

They’ve almost built the second trellis when someone else steps into the clearing and gasps quietly. 

“Soobin? What are you—what is this?”

Shit, Soobin knew he was forgetting something. 

He turns around slowly, blood turning to ice in his veins. Soobin feels like his heart has completely stopped beating, frozen in suspense as he locks eyes with the one person in the entire world who shouldn’t be standing in the royal gardens right now. This cannot be happening. 

Yeonjun stares back at him with wide eyes, practically swallowed up by his comfiest lounge clothes. He’s barefaced and his dark hair is soft and fluffy, most likely freshly washed. Soobin knows Yeonjun probably smells like that citrus body wash the elder is always using. It makes him feel a little lightheaded at the thought. 

The Universe must be messing with him—that’s the only explanation. Or maybe this is all some sort of horrific, anxiety-induced nightmare. Soobin wills himself to wake up, pinching the side of his thigh as hard as he possibly can. When he opens his eyes again, nothing changes. Yeonjun is still standing directly in front of him, jaw dropped in surprise and confusion, looking as radiant as ever. 

“Yeonjun,” Soobin breathes in awe and disbelief. Every single human emotion in the world is filtering through Soobin’s brain right now, trying to adjust to how he’s feeling inside. Happiness, disappointment, surprise, frustration, excitement, embarrassment…and gut-wrenching, paralyzing fear. “You’re—you? You’re not supposed to—not yet! We’re not—why are you—everything is— oh shit.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, Soobin sees Taehyun, Kai, and Wooyoung slowly dropping their pieces of half-formed trellis and stepping away from the center clearing. Once they reach the outskirts of the center, they turn around and begin sprinting as fast as they can back towards the castle—presumably to find Beomgyu. 

Soobin will never hear the end of it if Beomgyu isn’t here for this moment. 

This moment that’s apparently happening right now. Soobin isn’t ready for this! He has so much more preparation to do! He has so many bigger and better plans to set into motion. 

Soobin feels unprepared, floundering like a fish out of water as Yeonjun stares at him expectantly. The wind has been sucker-punched straight out of his lungs. He always feels a little breathless around Yeonjun, but this suffocating this-can’t-be-happening feeling is completely different.

He’s had nearly ten years to plan for this moment, but this is nothing like Soobin ever imagined. 

Soobin imagined a rainbow across the sky and the birds chirping. He imagined the flowers blooming and the world positively bursting with happiness. 

Instead, Soobin is standing next to a slanted floral archway and one poorly built trellis. He’s holding two pieces of the second trellis in his hands. The other decorations are strewn haphazardly all over the ground, forming piles of stupid ugliness that Soobin can’t avoid. 

Yeonjun steps closer until he’s standing directly in front of Soobin, reaching forward to gently grab the pieces from the younger’s iron grip. He reaches up to softly caress the side of Soobin’s face, swiping his thumb across his cheekbone. 

When did Soobin start crying? 

Soobin didn’t even realize he was crying. 

“Binnie, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Yeonjun whispers, frowning at the younger with wide, concerned eyes. Soobin wants to bury his head in Yeonjun’s neck and never come out. 

Soobin can’t believe this is happening. He’s supposed to have another twenty-three hours on the countdown. That’s the way this is supposed to play out. After years of planning and hoping and daydreaming, he can’t believe this is the moment they’ve both been waiting for. 

And Soobin is busy blubbering like a complete baby. 

“You’re not supposed to be here until tomorrow, hyung!” Soobin murmurs frantically, shaking his head. He gestures to the discarded pieces of his world-rocking proposal, sniffling pathetically, “I had so many things planned, and now it’s all ruined. I’m so sorry, hyung. This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.”

Yeonjun smiles, wiping the remaining tears off Soobin’s face. “Bin, it’s fine—”

Finally, Soobin comes to his senses and starts shaking his head vigorously. He bursts out of Yeonjun's hold, nearly ripping the hair out of his head as he surveys the scene like a complete lunatic. 

“No! It’s not okay, hyung! It’s not!” Soobin answers, gesturing wildly to the beautiful scenery surrounding them, “I was going to propose at sunset tomorrow, and everything was supposed to be perfect. I hired a photographer and a full choir and a string quartet! I bought enough flower bouquets and romantic candles to start my own shop! Kai was going to release butterflies into the wind during my confession! And I have this whole amazingly romantic speech prepared, but I totally messed everything up.” 

Yeonjun giggles, his laugh sounding a little watery as his eyes fill with happy tears. Soobin has been planning all of this—an elaborate, romantic proposal—just for him. Yeonjun is so in love with this boy that he’s about to burst at the seams. 

“I am literally so in love with you that it’s stupid,” Yeonjun whispers, a silent confession between just the two of them. It feels amazing to finally say those words out loud, like a permanent weight has been lifted off his chest. Yeonjun feels light and free and so happy he could cry. “I don’t need all that, Soobin. I just need you.” 

Soobin sputters, face burning bright red at the other prince’s casual confession. Choi Yeonjun loves him. He’s so in love with Soobin that it’s stupid. 

“B-but, hyung!” Soobin whines, sweeping the elder into his arms and blinking down at him with massive heart eyes. “I’ve been planning this moment for almost ten years. It’s supposed to be perfect and beautiful and romantic—”

Yeonjun grins. “Soobin, you are perfect and beautiful and romantic. I love you.” 

Soobin feels like the wind has been knocked out of his chest. He struggles to breathe. He decides to be brave and push through with his plan despite the one million added difficulties. 

“I love you too—more than anything. More than my kingdom, more than my royal title, and definitely more than those tiny appetizers on monogrammed napkins.”

Yeonjun laughs loudly, smacking the younger in the chest despite the tears collecting in his eyes. “You must really love me a lot then. All this time, I was afraid it was just some silly little crush.” 

It’s never been just some silly little crush—not to Soobin. And hearing Yeonjun say those words —you must really love me a lot then— has goosebumps rippling across Soobin’s skin. He can’t believe that this is his real life. He can’t believe that he has the honor of loving Choi Yeonjun every single day of his life. 

“It’s more than I can even express with words. I’m so in love with you that it’s stupid, Choi Yeonjun. I’ve known that I wanted to marry you since we were just kids. I’ve been preparing my wedding vows since I was eleven, hyung. That definitely isn’t just some silly little crush.” 

Soobin slowly pulls the crumpled piece of notebook paper out of his jacket pocket, smoothing the edges like it’s a precious artifact. Yeonjun’s eyebrows furrow in confusion before he quietly gasps in surprise. 

“Is that—? Binnie, I can’t believe you actually kept that...It’s been—”

“3,651 days.” Soobin finishes, unfolding the paper to show Yeonjun their scrawled signatures at the bottom of the page in glittery blue ink. “It would’ve been 3,652 days tomorrow if we were actually on time, but—yeah, almost ten years exactly.”

Yeonjun takes the piece of notebook paper in his hands gently, running his finger over the crooked handwriting of twelve-year-old Yeonjun. He skims over the paper, laughing quietly to himself at their silly formalities. He can’t believe Soobin actually kept this. 

On this day, March 4th, 

Prince Choi Soobin of Ansan formally declares that he will propose to Prince Choi Yeonjun of Seoul exactly ten years from this date. Prince Yeonjun, I formally promise to offer you my whole heart and soul through the sacred bond of marriage. 

At the bottom of the page, both Soobin and Yeonjun have signed their names in crude adolescent handwriting. Yeonjun remembers going back and dotting the letter I in “Choi” with little hearts. He also remembers decorating their “contract” with stickers before quickly abandoning the paper to race each other to the royal stables (Yeonjun won, obviously). 

Apparently, Soobin kept this silly piece of paper protected and preserved over the past ten years. Yeonjun definitely wants to cry again. 

When he flips it over in his hands, Soobin’s messy handwriting takes up every inch of space on the back page. Amongst the eraser smudges and spelling errors, there’s a center piece of writing that obviously belongs to eleven-year-old Soobin. It’s written in the same glittery blue pen as the contract. Around the center writing, there are little notes written in every color and direction along the margins, squeezed into every available space. The words create a rainbow of scribbled notes. 

Yeonjun skims the first line of blue glitter pen and gasps, blinking down at the words in shock and adoration. “Are these…?”

Soobin scratches the back of his head awkwardly, somehow having the audacity to look bashful while he reveals the most romantic thing Yeonjun has ever seen in his life. 

“They’re…vows. When I got back home that night, I tried to write out my feelings for you. Eventually, I kept adding these little notes and phrases in the margins every time I thought about our possible future together. Each color pen is for a different year of our lives. There are—uh, there are ten colors, of course.” 

“Soobin, I…”

Yeonjun doesn’t even know how to verbalize his overflowing love for Choi Soobin. 

At eleven years old, Soobin was already so sure of his love for Yeonjun. It’s been so long since their silly proposal, but his feelings for the older prince have never wavered—not even when Yeonjun teased him, or got them in trouble, or broke his stupid arm. 

This time, it’s Soobin reaching forward to brush Yeonjun’s tears from his cheeks. His touch is soft and loving, caressing the elder like he’s the most precious person in the world. Apparently, Soobin has always thought that. But maybe Yeonjun was too blinded by his own confusion and insecurities to realize the extent of the younger’s true feelings. 

“I promise it’s never been a joke to me, hyung.” Soobin insists, “Never.”

Yeonjun feels stupid for ever doubting him. He decides to stop wasting any more time. 

Standing in the royal gardens and wearing his stupidest royal Crocs, Yeonjun finally leans forward to kiss Soobin with every ounce of love and admiration that his body can possibly muster. His heart feels too big for his body, thumping against his rib cage in the steady rhythm of Soobin, Soobin, Soobin. 

It’s almost embarrassing how much he feels for Choi Soobin. Yeonjun’s love for the younger prince is practically oozing out of his body, dripping from the center of his chest and mixing with the tears on his face. 

Soobin reaches down to gently caress Yeonjun’s jaw, just like he did during the first time they kissed. His fingertips are cold from standing outside for so long, but the touch still burns against Yeonjun’s flushed skin. He fails to suppress a shiver. 

This kiss is passionate in a way that Yeonjun has never felt before. Soobin is holding the prince gently, snaking his arm around Yeonjun’s waist and pressing their lips together softly. This kiss is just different. 

Their first kiss in the royal kitchens was much more desperate, with heavy sighs and wandering hands and shattered dinnerware. The constant tension and flirting between them—nearly ten years of mutual pining—had finally reached an explosive breaking point. Yeonjun hasn’t been able to stop thinking about it. 

But this kiss? Yeonjun is pretty sure an asteroid could destroy their planet and he still wouldn’t disconnect their lips. Instead, their bodies would burn to a crisp, and their bones would remain carefully intertwined for the rest of eternity. 

A little morbid, sure—but Yeonjun doesn’t think an eternity with Soobin sounds so bad. 

Yeonjun pulls back from their kiss, blinking rapidly to reorient himself back into the real world. Soobin loves him. 

The older prince takes a shaky breath, grabbing Soobin’s hands and looking up at the younger expectantly. “Go ahead, Prince Charming. I’m ready.”

Soobin blinks. “Uh—for what?”

Now it’s Yeonjun’s turn to smirk. “Your vows, stupid! You said you’ve spent the last ten years formulating this proposal, so they better be good.” 

Yeonjun is obviously kidding. Soobin could propose with another paper clip ring, and he’d still say yes in a heartbeat. He would wear those cheap rhinestones with pride for the rest of his life. 

Soobin nods, accepting the crumpled piece of notebook paper from Yeonjun with a nervous smile. “Just you wait—these vows are going to knock your socks off. You’re gonna fall in love with me so hard.”

“Already have.” Yeonjun grins, silently appreciating the beautiful flush on Soobin’s face.  

“S-Shut up.” Soobin stutters, kicking a piece of discarded trellis to the side so he has space to get down on one knee. 

Yeonjun is already crying. This silly proposal is so much better than he could have ever imagined. 

“Before I get started, I need you to remember that these vows were written when I was eleven years old. I promise that I’m a little bit more eloquent about my feelings now…”

“Well, I don’t know if that’s true…” 

Soobin sends him a scathing look, narrowing his eyes at Yeonjun teasingly. “I’m choosing to ignore that for now because you already said that you’re in love with me.”

Yeonjun laughs, ignoring the way his heart starts doing somersaults in his rib cage. He squeezes Soobin’s hand to urge the younger prince to continue. 

“Alright—Hi, Choi Yeonjun,” Soobin begins, reading off the paper with a fond smile on his face, “I really like hanging out with you and I think you’re really pretty. I want to hang out with you for the rest of my life. My mom says that’s kinda what marriage is like, so I think we should get married. You said I need to wait ten years, but I think I would wait a hundred years if you wanted me to. I would wait forever and ever. You’re the best, hyung—and also really pretty. I can’t wait to be a big, strong prince so I can sweep you off your feet like in the fairytale books. I hope we can ride off into the sunset together.” 

The sun is hanging low on the horizon, painting the sky with breathtaking shades of orange, pink, and blue. Yeonjun thinks that this moment is pretty similar to riding off into the sunset together. Eleven-year-old Soobin definitely had the right idea. 

“When I was 12 years old, I quickly realized that ten years is an awfully long time to wait. One year was already torture, but it didn’t matter. I was prepared to push through those other nine years for you, hyung.” 

“When I turned 13, I asked my mom what being in love felt like. She said it felt a lot like being wrapped up in a warm, safe blanket. She said it felt like flying and falling at the same time, hurtling through the air at top speeds, but knowing you’ll be caught by the person you love every time. It feels like electricity running through your veins, lighting you up from the inside. I was 13 when I realized that I already felt like this for you. I didn’t know how to describe the feeling myself, but I knew that I really liked the feeling.” Soobin reads, turning the paper slightly to the left to read the slanted words in the margins. 

“When I was 14, you gave me private dance lessons and I felt like I was going insane. I was hyper-aware of everything you did—the way you tucked your hair behind your ears, the way you commanded the attention of every room, the way you blushed when I complimented your dancing skills. My feelings for you continued to grow, and I learned to deal with the pleasantly achy feeling in my chest.” 

Yeonjun remembers feeling the same warm, achy feeling in his chest for Soobin throughout their childhood. Each one of those dance lessons nearly gave him a heart attack. When they started, Soobin and Yeonjun were the same height. Two months into their lessons, Soobin grew like a beanstalk overnight. Suddenly, he was three and a half inches taller than Yeonjun. 

Which was so unfair. Not only because Yeonjun was older, but because now he had to look up at Soobin’s face. Staring up into the younger's dark eyes made Yeonjun’s knees feel like jelly. 

He was suddenly hyper-aware of Soobin. The way his black hair swooped across his forehead, or his eyes sparkled, or the way he towered over Yeonjun just a little.

It was incredibly distracting. 

“At age 15, I broke my arm at the royal stables—which was totally your fault, by the way. My mom was furious, but I didn’t really mind. You were practically glued to my side, taking care of me even though you didn’t have to. Do you know that your nose scrunches adorably when you’re worried?”

No, Yeonjun really didn’t know that. He also didn’t realize that Soobin was so observant. 

“When I was 16, I secretly asked for your parent’s blessing to marry you. A little old-fashioned, I know—but my mom suggested it. When I asked, they cried and hugged me like I was already their son.”

“They’ve always loved you.” Yeonjun murmurs, running his thumb over Soobin’s hand softly. 

Yeonjun flashes a watery smile, blinking back his unshed tears. His parents have always loved Soobin. The younger prince could charm the socks off anyone—including the King and Queen of Seoul. 

Now that Yeonjun thinks about it, it was around seventeen years old that his parents stopped teasing him about random crushes or royal dating. They never tried to pressure Yeonjun into matchmaking with other princes. 

They’ve obviously been rooting for Soobin the entire time. 

“Things got a lot more difficult when I turned 17,” Soobin continues, “I was studying abroad across the globe and I felt so out of place. I was no longer orbiting around the center of my universe. That year, I learned how much I can’t stand being separated from you. It felt like a piece of my heart was missing—I couldn’t focus on anything except wondering what you were doing or if you missed me the way I missed you.”

“I did. I missed you every single day,” Yeonjun replies, thinking about how miserable he was during that time. Soobin was gone for an entire year, and Yeonjun felt like he was going crazy. He was practically sedentary, hiding in his royal bed chambers and moping around the castle. “Beomgyu nearly killed me because I couldn’t stop whining about you.”

“He’s the last person who should be complaining about whining,” Soobin answers, rolling his eyes. 

“Don’t let him hear you say that.”

“Anyways, enough about Beomgyu. Let me get back on track.” Soobin answers, clearing his throat and readjusting the paper in his hands. 

“When I turned 18, I realized that I needed to start working harder if I wanted to sweep you off your feet. This was a really difficult year,” Soobin explains, furrowing his eyebrows at the memory, “Princes and Princesses from all around the world started taking a special interest in you, admiring your beauty and intelligence—things that I’d been admiring since I was ten years old. This was the year that I learned if you love something, let it go. It was a really tough lesson to learn. But I decided that I would support whatever decision you made because seeing you happy will always outweigh my most selfish needs.”

“Luckily, I didn’t need to worry about that for very long.” Soobin grins cheekily, “I spent the next year falling in love with your amazing passion. When I was 19, I realized how impressive you are. Your dedication to your family, your friends, your hobbies, and your kingdom inspired me to be a better person.” 

There’s something so unbelievable about being seen like this. Despite the carefully crafted walls that Yeonjun has always hidden behind, Soobin has always been able to understand him. He sees right through Yeonjun’s long list of insecurities and excuses but still loves him anyway. 

Even when Yeonjun struggled to love himself, Soobin was always there to love him unapologetically.

“When I was 20, I felt relieved for the first time in years—only one more year of this godforsaken agony. I started planning my future proposal with Hyuka and Taehyun, making preparations and trying to think of something larger than life. I decided I was going to propose in our favorite place—the royal gardens.”

Soobin laughs awkwardly, gesturing to the empty area around them. “You can see how well that’s turning out...” 

“It’s perfect, Soobinnie.” Yeonjun murmurs. 

“When I finally turned 21, I felt like I could barely contain my love for you. I started acting like a total idiot, sending you insane amounts of flowers and asking our chef to make a special frosting for my birthday cake—just because I know it’s your favorite. I also started planning the proposal with Wooyoung-hyung, which has now hilariously backfired.”

“Planning it with Wooyoung was your first mistake,” Yeonjun teases, shaking his head softly. He loves the palace messenger to death, but the other boy has absolutely zero subtlety. “You know he can’t keep a secret.” 

“I know,” Soobin sighs, looking at the open courtyard around them, “but my options were pretty limited. Namjoon-hyung was on an ambassador trip, and Beomgyu was never an option.”

“Good choice,” Yeonjun chuckles, squeezing Soobin’s hand softly, “Either way, those flowers were lovely, Soobinnie. It was the most romantic thing that anyone has ever done for me—well, besides this proposal. I don’t think anything will ever come close to how romantic this is.” 

“Then I intend to spend the rest of my life trying to outdo this proposal,” Soobin answers, “Because I love you, Choi Yeonjun. There’s no one else in the entire world that I would rather spend the rest of my life with. Ten years ago, I asked you to marry me. It’s a crazy idea for an eleven-year-old to have, but I stand by it. I’m willing to ask as many times as you let me.”

“Go ahead. I’m ready.” Yeonjun answers, letting his tears fall freely. He takes a deep breath and attempts to steady himself.

This is really happening. 

Soobin beams up at him, reaching into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out a tiny black box. It’s made of expensive-looking leather and has the letters CS + CY engraved on the front in gold. 

“Choi Yeonjun, will you marry me?” 

“Yes! Of course I will, Soobin,” Yeonjun whispers, “There’s nothing I want more. Yes!”

“Are you sure?” Soobin teases, wiggling his eyebrows. Even during their romantic proposal, he’s still so genuinely Soobin. His silly, lovable, annoying Soobin. It makes Yeonjun love him even more.

Especially because this isn’t just another random prince proposing to him. This is his best friend. His childhood crush. The person who understands him better than anyone. Yeonjun has never answered an easier “yes” in his entire life. 

“I’ve had ten years to think about it—I’m definitely sure.” He answers, pinching Soobin’s hand just to get back at him. What a brat. 

When Soobin finally opens the tiny black box, Yeonjun’s teasing remark immediately dies in the back of his throat. He gasps quietly. 

There’s a beautiful silver ring nestled inside, with three brilliant jewels attached in the middle. The centerpiece is a gorgeous white diamond—the prettiest one that Yeonjun has ever seen. On either side of the diamond, there are two beautiful gemstones—one blue and one pink. Sapphire and Pink Tourmaline. 

Yeonjun’s jaw drops, blinking down at the sparkling engagement ring in awe. How is this possible? 

He immediately recognizes the ring. Even though Yeonjun usually keeps it tucked away in his dresser, this ring has always haunted his silly nightmares and greatest daydreams. Yeonjun struggles to hold back another flow of fresh tears.

It’s his ring. It’s an exact replica of the stupid paper clip ring that Soobin gave him when they were just little kids. 

Instead of shiny craft-store gems and hot glue, this ring is solid metal and delicate gemstones. The center diamond is unbelievable, but Yeonjun can’t help but focus on the two outer gems. 

Pink and blue. He can’t believe that Soobin even remembered that tiny detail—their favorite colors equally represented and intertwined for the rest of eternity. 

“Binnie, it’s incredible,” Yeonjun gasps, holding out his hand so Soobin can slowly slip the ring onto his finger. His hand is shaking like a leaf, but the younger prince doesn’t seem to notice. Yeonjun’s heart is so full of love for the man in front of him that he can barely breathe. “I can’t believe you did all of this for me.” 

“I would do anything for you, Choi Yeonjun. The best decision I’ve ever made was asking you to marry me almost ten years ago.” 

Yeonjun can barely tear his eyes away from the beautiful ring on his finger. He watches in awe as it glints and sparkles beneath the light of the setting sun. Somehow, it’s even better than he imagined. None of his childhood daydreams could ever compare to this.  

“I still have it, you know…” Yeonjun trails off quietly, afraid of interrupting the sanctity of their moment, “I still have the first ring you gave me.” 

Soobin gasps, loosely intertwining their fingers so he can feel the cool metal of the ring against his skin. “You do? I thought we lost it at the stables.” 

“We did.” Yeonjun hums, thinking back to their childhood contract-making and the competitive race to the stables afterward. One moment Yeonjun was wearing the paper clip ring, then it was gone. Completely disappeared into thin air. “But then I went back to the stables to look for it. I dug through the hay for nearly two hours. And I found it again. I couldn’t just leave it there, Binnie. It was the most important thing anyone has ever given to me—my most prized possession.”

“I wasn’t kidding when I promised to give you a real version of this ring, hyung.” 

Yeonjun places another chaste kiss on Soobin’s lips, blinking up at his fiancé with stars in his eyes. After years of wondering, they finally made it. 

They’re standing in the middle of the royal gardens at sunset, completely alone for the first time in months and wearing their most casual clothes. Their faces are bare. There are no fancy gimmicks or exploding confetti cannons. It’s just the two of them— Soobin and Yeonjun—like the universe always intended. 

Yeonjun doesn’t think his life has ever been so perfect. A soft breeze blows through the royal gardens, and the older prince closes his eyes to savor this moment. 

Behind them, Soobin’s lopsided floral arch begins to creak and sway, teetering precariously until it finally snaps into a pile of poorly assembled pieces—all of his hard work blown over by a single breeze. 

Yeonjun and Soobin can’t help it—their tender moment dissolves into boisterous laughter, loud and unrestrained. Giddy feelings and the tangible relief of finally makes Yeonjun feel like his heart is overflowing with happiness. 

He can’t wait to spend the rest of his life giggling with Soobin. 

Before their laughter can fully subside, Beomgyu and the rest of their friends burst through the clearing of the royal gardens. They’re all sweaty and out of breath, so Yeonjun assumes they sprinted here from the other end of the palace. 

“Did we miss it?” Beomgyu asks desperately, looking between Soobin and Yeonjun with crazy eyes. He points his finger accustatorily at the younger prince. “You’re early, Choi Soobin! Don’t you know how to follow a deadline?” 

Wooyoung quickly covers Beomgyu’s mouth, grinning at the couple apologetically. “Ignore him. He’s really happy for you guys! And I swear I didn’t tell Beomgyu anything about your plan! He’s the one who encouraged Yeonjun to take a walk in the gardens! I hope everything isn’t messed up…”

Taehyun facepalms, shaking his head slowly. Kai waves excitedly at Yeonjun. “Hi, Prince Yeonjun! It’s so great to see you again. Sorry about the trellis.”

Yeonjun giggles, waving at the younger attendant happily. “Hyuka! I’m so glad you’re here. It’s good to see you too, Taehyunnie. And don’t worry, everything was perfect.” 

Soobin rolls his eyes fondly, pulling his fiancé closer into his side. He tucks his chin over the top of the older prince’s hair and Yeonjun snuggles even closer. The sun has finally disappeared beneath the horizon, filling the sky with soft blue light. 

“This was much better than my original plan,” Soobin admits shyly, shrugging his shoulders, “I never needed any of those fancy gimmicks—especially because Yeonjun-hyung was already madly in love with me. But I really appreciate your help, guys.”

“Shut up! We were equally as pathetic,” Yeonjun groans, reaching over to shove Soobin’s chest playfully. As he does so, the older prince can’t help but notice the way his new ring catches the light beautifully. Not even the blue hour sky can stop his engagement ring from shining. 

Apparently, Beomgyu also finally notices Yeonjun’s new ring. The advisor gasps loudly, racing over to the couple and grabbing Yeonjun’s left hand. He squeals in excitement, admiring every tiny detail of the brand new engagement ring. 

“Damn! This ring is incredible, hyung!” Beomgyu praises, ooo-ing and ahh-ing at the beautiful gemstones, “And it looks just like the paper clip ring you keep hidden in your secret drawer!” 

Yeonjun rolls his eyes fondly, unable to stop the massive grin from overtaking his features. “I knew you were snooping through my stuff!” 

“Congratulations!” Kai exclaims, walking closer to give Soobin a supportive pat on the back. “I love you both, but I don’t know how many more proposal strategy meetings I could’ve handled. I can’t believe it’s finally been ten years!”

“Those strategy meetings are only going to get worse, Kai.” Taehyun answers, shaking his head solemnly. He pretends to be annoyed, but the young advisor can barely hide the excited smile on his face. “Now we’ll be planning their wedding.” 

“But there are still about 21 hours left until the countdown is officially over!” Wooyoung announces, checking the special Yeonbin Proposal <3 timer on his phone. “I think we should spend the rest of that time celebrating!” 

Yeonjun can’t help but agree. The weight of uncertainty has been lifted off his shoulders and his heart is overflowing with love. After everything they’ve been through, Yeonjun and Soobin deserve to let loose and enjoy the rest of their countdown. 

Today, Yeonjun spent his entire morning agonizing over the ticking clock. He was counting down the hours, minutes, seconds until this moment. He was pacing around his bedroom like a total lunatic. 

But it was all worth it. Now he’s here—walking hand in hand with the love of his life as they make their way back to the palace. Kai and Taehyun are discussing which outfit Soobin should wear to the royal engagement announcement, while Wooyoung and Beomgyu bicker loudly about who deserves to be Yeonjun’s best man. Yeonjun already knows it’s going to be both of them, but he decides to let them fight it out for now. 

Yeonjun looks at the group of people around him, silently basking in the imperfectly perfect chaos. This is his life. 

“Do you think our parents already have a celebratory gala planned for our engagement?” Soobin murmurs, bumping Yeonjun with his hip. 

“Absolutely,” Yeonjun immediately answers, sending the younger prince a knowing look, “I’m sure your mother has already prepared the invitations.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s had the invitations prepared since we were teenagers. She’s been counting down the days as religiously as I have.” Soobin grins, lifting their conjoined hands to admire Yeonjun’s glimmering engagement ring again. 

Yeonjun doesn’t think he’ll ever get tired of seeing it on his finger. It’s perfect. Pink and blue. Yeonjun and Soobin. Forever intertwined together, for the rest of eternity. He can’t wait to get Soobin a matching one.

For the first time in years, Yeonjun isn’t worried about the descending number on a ticking countdown. Their relationship is no longer contingent on a pre-determined timeframe. He has the rest of his life to enjoy every single moment with Choi Soobin.

And Yeonjun doesn’t want to waste another second.