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Jeongguk hadn’t been this nervous since he had to lead his first hunt a few months ago. And that was when he knew exactly what he was doing. He’d had the practice, he’d trained for years to be ready for that first official hunt. But this…
There’s no way he could ever be prepared to propose to Taehyung.
It didn’t help that Jimin, the one who was supposed to be a loving and caring older brother, teased him almost the entire half day ride to the ceremony palace that was shared between the four kingdoms of the region. Now that Jeongguk was finally eligible to be married, said eligibility had become a constant point of jest for his brother. Jimin’s favorite joke was that Taehyung probably already had their wedding gowns already picked out and was waiting for the perfect moment to have them brought out to show off to everyone.
But Jimin could laugh about these kinds of things because he had been betrothed to Yoongi before he was even born. Jimin didn’t have to worry about Yoongi ever rejecting him because they had no choice; their parents had made sure that contract was unbreakable. It was just a lucky turn of events that they ended up disgustingly in love with each other.
In Jeongguk’s case, it didn’t matter how in love with Taehyung he was; if Taehyung’s parents–or even Jeongguk’s–had someone else in mind to take their son’s hand, nothing short of a duel would stop the approved engagement from becoming a union. A shitty tradition, if you asked Jeongguk. And while he was more than capable of dueling for Taehyung’s hand, he knew that it was not something Taehyung would be very thrilled about. Excessive shows of physical force were meaningless to Taehyung and the last thing Jeongguk wanted was an engagement tinged with disappointment due to the nature in which it came about.
With all of this anxiety and worry swirling in his mind and his gut, he stood at the edge of the largest ballroom of the palace alternating between fiddling with the snowflake charm on the chain around the collar of his shirt and the rounded silver buttons of his royal blue jacket. Since they were all gathered here to celebrate the winter solstice, they were all dressed in varying combinations of royal blue and white and red for the occasion. Jeongguk’s own outfit was a blue jacket with red lining, a waist sash, and white pants with a strip of red going down the creases. All of the princes were to wear these pants with their blue jackets, but Jeongguk was excited to see how fancy Taehyung was going to get tonight. Every year he liked to do something different with his outfit because he also treated winter solstice like his birthday party, as his birthday came shortly after the solstice. Last year he’d actually had his jacket made reversible and he switched sides at least four times over the course of the night to show off both sides of his elaborate jacket. It was clever and Jeongguk had a hard time deciding which side he preferred when Taehyung asked for his opinion.
Jeongguk scanned the gathering to see if he spotted any of the other princes on the floor. He knew everyone had been announced, as his family had been the last to arrive but a moment ago. Jimin had run off immediately after being announced, no doubt to find Yoongi, and had left Jeongguk to fend for himself in a room full of nobility he only saw for occasions such as this one. So he had situated himself nearest to the serving tables and watched the crowd and fiddled with his embellishments and worried about how he would propose to the love of his life.
After agonizing for what had to be a quarter hour, he glanced over to the serving table adjacent to his hip and debated if he should eat now or wait for someone to join him so he wouldn’t have to pause in order to greet them. He figured he could always start with some fruit and work his way over to the more filling options like chicken and rice or the beef which sat in a mouthwatering display at the center of the table.
It was just as he was reaching for the grapes when he felt a presence behind him.
“Don’t start stress eating, Jeonggukie, or you’ll choke when Taetae finally comes down,” came Jimin’s smug voice in his ear. He thought he was so funny.
“I take it your retrieval mission was successful,” he asked as he plucked a stem from the bunch of grapes without looking over his shoulder.
“It’s good to see you, Jeongguk. I hear tonight’s a big night for you,” Yoongi greeted warmly after Jeongguk finally turned around to face them. The glittering jewels affixed to his red and white sash caught his eye before Yoongi’s face did. He really ran with the snowflake component this year, as there were three snowflake shaped pins on the sash and a brooch at his collar.
“Hello, Yoongi,” he returned with a grin before frowning at his brother. “Jiminnie, could you not tell the whole world about my most recent source of stress?”
“But who would laugh with me if I kept it to myself?” He pouted as he snactched some grapes from Jeongguk’s hand. “Besides, Yoongi already knew.”
Yoongi’s smile was sheepish when Jeongguk looked at him in alarm. “Namjoon told Seokjin, Seokjin told me. Don’t worry, I think you’ve got a good shot tonight.”
Jeongguk sighed; Seokjin was a terrible gossip. He could imagine how Seokjin caught wind of Jeongguk’s plan: hovering over Namjoon’s shoulder when he read Jeongguk’s letter asking for advice and then pestering him into giving all the details after Namjoon, with his slow reflexes, failed to keep the letter properly hidden from view. “Does Taehyungie know?”
“I haven’t told him, if that means anything. He hasn’t brought anything up with me either, so I’m assuming he’s unaware. I think your biggest threat to secrecy is–”
“Is that our little Jeonggukie?!”
Jeongguk whipped around so quickly, he almost flung his grapes onto the floor. “Hoseok.”
Yes, the loudest of the seven princes, Hoseok would definitely blow his cover unintentionally just from pure excitement of the news. He wrestled Jeongguk into a headlock and ruffled his perfectly styled hair. His mother was going to kill him if she saw him with a single hair out of place.
“Jeonggukie~ Seokjinnie told me you’re gonna–”
“Hoseok, I can’t breathe,” he gasped into Hoseok’s jacket sleeve.
Mercifully, Yoongi laid a hand on Hoseok’s shoulder to pry him off of Jeongguk. Jimin helped him fix his hair into some semblance of decency while Hosek continued to chatter on.
“He said Namjoonie said tonight’s the big night! You’re finally gonna ask for Taehyungie’s hand, huh? I’m so proud of you!”
“You haven’t said anything to Taehyung, have you?”Jimin inquired.
Hoseok gasped dramatically and placed a hand to his chest. “Of course not! Do you think I’m some loud-mouthed ruiner who ruins?”
“You did spoil Joonie’s birthday surprise three summers ago…” Jimin prompted.
“Okay, how was I supposed to know I wasn’t allowed to send him a congratulatory letter?”
“You didn’t have to tell him about the surprise we had prepared at the celebration in your letter,” Yoongi chided. “Anyway, keep your excitement to yourself until after this thing happens, okay, Hoseok?”
Jeongguk looked to Yoongi in gratitude and popped a handful of grapes in his mouth. Jimin made a face of pure judgement before he swiped the rest of the grapes from him. They squabbled over the last few fruits on the stem until Yoongi dangled a bunch for each of them in front of their faces. Hoseok cackled with glee.
They didn’t all get together often, as their respective kingdoms were scattered across the land. Hoseok was farthest south, a half a day’s ride from where Jeongguk and Jimin lived. Seokjin and Namjoon were about two hours north of where they were all gathered; the celebration palace was originally their kingdom’s secondary home before the alliances were formed. Even though Yoongi and Taehyung’s family lived the closest to Jeongguk’s, it still took six hours to get there. Since everyone was so far away, meetings like this only happened for the solstices and special occasions like comings of age and other congratulatory parties. Since this was the winter solstice, this was Jeongguk’s last chance to formally propose before the spring when Taehyung’s parents may or may not start the search for suitors.
Just a few months ago, Jeongguk had finally become of age to officially court someone with the intent to marriage. He’d been anticipating and dreading this night for months. The thought of Taehyung potentially rejecting him had him fiddling with his buttons again. Although he had no real reason to think Taehyung would reject his proposal, he was still filled with apprehension. Whatever Taehyung’s answer, tonight would change Jeongguk’s life forever.
“Jeongguk, you haven’t spoken to my parents yet, have you? Or your own? Does anyone other than us know this is happening?” Yoongi suddenly asked.
Jeongguk coughed quietly into his fist to hide the fact that Yoongi had startled him. “Um. No. I mean… do you think I should? I thought it would be better to be sure Taehyung would agree to it before bringing it up to our parents.”
He didn’t mention that his entire plan was to let Taehyung do all of the talking if he accepted the proposal. It wasn’t like Taehyung wouldn’t insist on doing all of the talking to all of the appropriate persons anyway. Jeongguk was more than prepared to hand the reins over to Taehyung. If he said yes, that is. If Jeongguk managed to get his shit together and ask for his hand.
“It amazes me that you think our Taehyungie would even dream of saying no to you,” Hoseok sighed. “It’s like you hadn’t been present at all while we were children and you just dropped in tonight hoping for some gorgeous stranger you heard of during your travels to agree to marry you.”
“Hoseokie, you know Jeonggukie is painfully impaired by his affection for Taetae,” Jimin interjected as he picked a strawberry from a nearby tray. “All reason is thrown to the wind in that regard.”
“Yes, but even he has to know that there’s no fathomable reason why Taehyung would turn him away. Him! His Jeonggukie!”
“Stop speaking like I’m not standing right here,” Jeongguk whined as he reached for another bunch of grapes.
“Then stop acting like you’re having your last meal!” Jimin chastised as he smacked Jeongguk’s hand away from the platter. “You’re being silly.”
“You really are the worst sort of brother,” Jeongguk pouted.
“I am the best sort of all things. You’re just being whiny because you’re nervous.”
“You really don’t have anything to worry about, Jeongguk,” Yoongi assured with a smile, “Taehyung will not deny you.”
And Jeongguk knew that. He did. That knowledge didn’t make the task ahead of him any less daunting. He nodded in response to Yoongi’s affirmation and went back to messing with the charm nestled at his throat to occupy his hands since Jimin was imitating a keeper of the fruits.
He stood next to his fellow princes quietly as they continued to converse amicably. It was was nice to know that they were all going to be here for this ordeal. He knew that they all supported him even if they teased and taunted him like it was going out of fashion. They were his brothers, they had all grown up with him and they all knew how important tonight was going to be for him.
If only Namjoon and Seokjin would show their stupid faces and help ease his mind…
“Hoseok, have you seen Namjoon or Seokjin?”
“Yes, we’ve all been here since yesterday. Namjoon is probably trying to arrive fashionably late because he thinks it’s actually fashionable to do so, and Seokjin is…,” he paused as a sly grin spread across his face, “Busy. He should be joining us momentarily.”
Jimin snickered while Jeongguk gagged at what that meant. “What kind of state did you leave him in, Hoseokie?”
Hoseok hummed and pretended to think of a decent answer. “Not one that he can’t recover from. Perhaps I should go check on my dearest?”
“If it means this conversation will stop, please do,” Jeongguk pleaded.
Hoseok winked at him before he sauntered off in the direction of the western exit of the hall, where his family’s wing was. Jeongguk suppressed a shudder as Jimin giggled happily. He was always tickled by any allusion to things that were inappropriate for public discussion. It was a constant annoyance to Jeongguk, which just added to Jimin’s long list of ways to pester him. It didn’t help that almost all of the older princes loved to talk about things that Jeongguk rather wished they wouldn’t while he was present...
Jimin nudged him repeatedly and pointed up toward the main entrance of the hall. “Oh, oh! Jeonggukie, your prince charming is making his grand entrance!”
He turned around with much less grace than he would’ve liked, but he suddenly couldn’t feel his toes. He was beginning to feel that terrified expectation he was becoming so familiar with. If Taehyung was finally joining in on the festivities, then his clock had finally chimed the last hour. This was officially the beginning of the end.
He looked up to the top of the staircase at the main entrance and...
A cape. Of fucking course Taehyung, the princeliest of the princes, was wearing a goddamn cape like the storybook princes they all grew up reading about. Standing there with his simple blue jacket covered by that blinding white cape held together by a chain with a half snowflake charm, he was… breathtaking. Jeongguk had to grab on to Jimin's sleeve to keep on his feet and stop himself from stumbling back into the table. He heard a snicker from his brother but he couldn't even get ahold of himself enough to do anything other than grunt in displeasure.
Jeongguk hated waxing poetic about anything; it was tedious and made him feel silly. Namjoon was a fan of it, as was Seokjin (but only if it was about himself, the budding narcissist), but Jeongguk just didn't understand the appeal. Why use so much time and energy to explain a thing when five words will suffice?
But the sight of Taehyung looking down at the company from the landing of that grand, glittering staircase made him want to write a song and sing it for the entire world to hear. How could it be that his love was even more beautiful than the last time they had met? How could it be that Jeongguk was so blessed to know this man, to have made him smile and laugh, to have been embraced by him? All of these thoughts he would never say out loud for fear of being mocked even more by Jimin, but these musings and more whipped through his head like wind on the beach during a storm. The question that his brain seemed to be shouting through the wind storm of his thoughts as he watched Taehyung finally descend the stairs:
How in the hell was he supposed to find the words to even ask him for his hand?
“Good thing you finished those grapes, or you would've been strangled,” Jimin muttered in his ear gleefully.
Jeongguk swatted at him as he hurried past to meet Taehyung and no doubt drag him over to cause Jeongguk more stress.
“He's getting too much enjoyment from this,” Yoongi said with a pleased smile on his face as he turned to the table behind them to grab an empty glass and a decanter or red wine.
“Could you, like, collar him maybe?”
Yoongi snorted as he poured his glass full of wine. “Nah, he'd enjoy that even more.”
“Gross. Disgusting. The both of you are insufferable.”
Yoongi nearly bent in half from how hard he started laughing while Jeongguk glared at him; it seemed everyone truly was out to make fun of him tonight. Taehyung and Jimin found them like that: Yoongi guffawing while clutching glass of wine and Jeongguk glaring and pouting like a child.
“What's got you so cheerful, darling?”
Yoongi composed himself with a final huff of a laugh and answered, “Collars.”
This made both Jimin and Taehyung's eyebrows raise in interest. Jimin stepped closer to put an arm around Yoongi's waist. “Oh? Did you want to play that game again tonight? I actually brought–”
“Both of you! Detestable,” Jeongguk hissed over the end of Jimin's declaration.
All three of the older princes went into a collective fit of laughter and Jeongguk seriously considered stomping away in his frustration (Jimin and Yoongi were shameless oversharers; there are so many things about the two of them that Jeongguk wishes he didn't know). The only thing keeping him from fleeing this horrendous conversation was the sound and sight of Taehyung's amusement. Unlike Jeongguk, he found the couple's shenanigans entertaining. But there wasn't much Taehyung didn't get enjoyment from, as he managed to find brightness in almost all situations. It was only one reason Jeongguk was so besotted.
“Jeongguk, were you not planning on greeting me? The suspense is getting to be too much,” Taehyung said after they all finished cackling.
"Ah, sorry. They’re sickening, and I had to remind them. I am happy to see you, though, Taehyung.” There. That was a nice and neutral greeting. And he hadn't stuttered! He might be able to do this talking thing after all. Jimin and Yoongi might be nuisances but at least they pulled his mind from his nerves.
Taehyung shifted closer so he could throw an arm around Jeongguk's shoulders and nuzzle into his temple. “I missed you, Jeonggukie. You haven't written me at all since we last saw each other!”
Jeongguk blushed at the thought of the last time they had met. It was for Jeongguk's coming of age celebration. As was customary, he received congratulatory kisses from all of his family and friends and some other nobility who attended the event. Taehyung had been… especially affectionate that night, kissing Jeongguk's cheeks whenever he got the chance and playing in his hair and more of the nuzzles he was so shamefully fond of.
And he'd said, “Now you could be mine, if you wanted, Jeonggukie!”
He said it like Jeongguk hadn't waited his whole life to be old enough to marry Taehyung and be with him always. But Taehyung always said things that had Jeongguk's heart beating faster and his breaths coming quicker; he always said things that had Jeongguk wondering if his feelings could be returned.
Taehyung's words that night were part of the reason Jeongguk was so determined to propose tonight. It's been three months since Jeongguk's ceremony and the next gathering wouldn't be for another three months or so to celebrate the next solstice. Who knew if Taehyung's parents would have found someone they found suitable for Taehyung to be married to by then? Because between the two of them, Jeongguk was the one who was the immediate successor to his family's throne. He would have to be the one to formally ask for Taehyung's hand, instead of the other way around, as Taehyung would be the one to leave his family's kingdom to join Jeongguk's. It would be an exchange of princes, if Jeongguk got his way, since Jimin would be going to be with Yoongi once they were married next spring.
“I, um… was going to! But I– wait! You didn’t write me either, Taehyung!”
Taehyung hummed as tapped the underside of Jeongguk’s chin. “Maybe I was waiting for you to make the first move?”
“I–”
“Do I have to be the one to do everything, Jeonggukie?”
Jimin cleared his throat. “Well! Now that we’re all accounted for, we should probably get some music started, no? Yoongi and I will go alert the band.”
He plucked the glass from Yoongi’s hand and took a deep sip of wine as he headed toward the musicians situated right next to the staircase. Yoongi followed behind while trying to reclaim his wine from his betrothed and failing at it. They sure made for an amusing pair.
But they couldn’t keep his attention from Taehyung for too long. Jeongguk gulped and turned back to Taehyung who was already staring right at him. He could do it now, before the music started and everyone flocked to the middle of the floor to dance the night away. He could do it now, with Taehyung looking him in the eyes like he was anticipating more conversation. He could–
“You’ll save a dance for me, won’t you?”
“Of course. We always dance together.”
Taehyung’s consequent smile caused a smile to form on Jeongguk’s face as well. He could have this. He could have a lifetime of smiles from Taehyung if he asked this question. Taehyung would surely agree to ruling the southern kingdom with him. Jeongguk remembered how the older always made a fuss at the end of the summers he and Yoongi spent at their palace when they were younger, how he always said that he and Jimin could just switch places and that way Yoongi and Jimin could be married and Taehyung would never have to leave Jeongguk again.
It really didn’t make sense that Taehyung would decline his proposal. So then why did he feel this crushing sense of anxiety about proposing? Why did it feel like he had something to fear?
Taehyung pulled Jeongguk even closer so that their foreheads were pressed together. Jeongguk closed his eyes and took a slow breath in and held his breath. Being so close to Taehyung always made it hard to breathe normally and while he loved basking in the warmth that his close proximity brought, he always wondered if that would be how he died. It was almost too much to handle.
“Don’t keep me waiting too long tonight, Jeongguk,” he whispered.
Jeongguk blinked his eyes open when he felt Taehyung’s presence retreat from his body. Taehyung simply raised one of his perfect eyebrows and headed toward the middle of the ballroom floor just as the first notes of one of the traditional songs played during winter solstice sounded.
What. Was that?
The sound of a long whistled note next to him startled him from his daze. “He’s being quite aggressive tonight, isn’t he?”
“Namjoon. He just–”
“You don’t have to try to explain anything to me, Guk,” Namjoon chuckled. “I’ve been watching since Jimin dragged him over to make you squirm.”
“He’s being so mean tonight,” Jeongguk complained. “He keeps making fun of me.”
“Well, we both know he’s not trying to hurt your feelings, but I could talk to Jimin if you’d like? Your wellbeing is my concern right now.”
Jeongguk looked back to where he saw Taehyung last to find he wasn’t there. The partygoers had flooded the area and were in the midst of dancing the simple steps to the first choreographed dance of the night. There would be a few traditional performances before everyone was left to their own devices, some song and some dance. It was the best part of the solstice celebrations, in his opinion. The first dance being performed tonight consisted of everyone following the same steps in a large ensemble, but there were other dances that consisted of lots of partner changes or just one pair remaining together for the entire performance. The dances like this first one allowed for embellishments and Jeongguk laughed as he spotted Hoseok improvising his own steps next to Seokjin and the daughter of a governor of Jeongguk’s kingdom. It seemed he was imitating a bird taking flight with the way he was flapping his arms and hooting in time to the beat.
“No, it’s okay. I’m fine. Just– nervous.”
Namjoon placed a hand on his shoulder. “I would tell you that you have nothing to be nervous about, but I’m sure the others have already said the same.”
He nodded. “Yeah, Hoseokie pretty much scolded me.”
“That sounds like him,” Namjoon said with a smile in his voice. “But like I said in my letter, I think tonight was a good decision. I know how intimidating it is, but you’re going to be fine. And Taehyung seems…”
After a few seconds of silence Jeongguk looked to Namjoon, whose eyes were intent on the crowd of dancers ahead. “He seems?”
“I think he might have an agenda of his own tonight.”
What could Taehyung possibly have planned that would cause him to be so… as Namjoon put it, aggressive? Did he have a solstice gift for Jeongguk that he was eager to present? Did he expect Jeongguk to have a solstice gift for him?! Is that why he had been so impatient and tactile like that? Shit, Jeongguk hadn’t even thought to bring a gift. He should have brought a gift! A proposal is a big deal, how could he have overlooked something like bringing a gift?
Jeongguk scanned the room as he tried to come up with an idea for a last minute gift. Maybe he still had some time before the final partner dance to think of a good gift. Maybe there was something in his room that he could–
“I can smell the gears in your brain starting to smoke from the impending breakdown, Jeongguk. You have to calm down.” Namjoon squeezed his shoulder to get his attention to shift.
“Do you think he expects a solstice gift this year?”
“I can’t even begin to speculate what Taehyung expects from you tonight. Maybe we should go join the party and get your mind off of it for a while.”
“What if he’s expecting a gift from me? I don’t have anything prepared, Namjoon, I was so focused on getting the actual proposal out that I hadn’t even considered bringing a gift!”
Namjoon gently guided Jeongguk to the throng while he quietly continued to panic. It was easy for him to forget about a solstice gift, they didn’t exchange them every year, but it might’ve made sense to bring Taehyung a gift since he was planning to propose tonight. It was unlikely that Taehyung would turn him down because he was without a gift, but it now it felt monumentally important that he have a gift when he finally expressed his intent to marry Taehyung.
It was a relief that he could execute all of the steps to the traditional dances without much conscious effort, because he spent the next two dances wracking his brains for a suitable proposal gift. He knew that Taehyung didn’t need anything, but now that it was on his mind, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the thing he was missing to give his proposal impact. He could gift some of his own jewelry or he could sing that song he had contemplated writing when he first saw Taehyung with that cape earlier? Taehyung did say that he loved when Jeongguk performed for the solstices in the past. Maybe he could ask to replace one of the commissioned singers for the evening?
During the brief seconds between one song and another, Jeongguk seriously considered finding one of the singers and discussing his plan with them. He was about to step away from the next dance when someone caught his arm. He whipped his head around to find Seokjin smiling confidently at him.
“I’ve spoken to everyone but you tonight, Jeonggukie, where do you think you’re going? Dance with me.”
“Oh, Seokjin. But I was going to–”
“No, no. That wasn’t a request,” he said firmly. “Tell me what’s on your mind while we dance.”
The music that started afterward was for one of the partner swaps. At least he wouldn’t be stuck with Seokjin’s commanding nature for too long. Surely his next partner would understand if he had to step away to speak with the performers.
“I just… do you think I should sing for Taehyung tonight?” he asked as they began the steps together. This particular dance involved a lot of turns and movements that required they be situated next to each other instead of facing each other, especially since they would be switching partners in a few more beats. It made it easier to maintain some sense of calm whilst he continued to work his idea over in his mind because he had to be aware of when it was time to switch partners.
“A proposal and a serenade? Our Jeonggukie is so romantic,” Seokjin teased.
“Seokjin,” Jeongguk groaned.
His hiccuping laugh in response to Jeongguk’s complaint had him bent over which disrupted their dance and caused them to miss the first switch. Luckily, their would-be partners found each other and saved them all from throwing the dance out of whack. Jeongguk stood over Seokjin, unimpressed, and waited for him to right himself.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. Jimin and Hoseok have been telling me of how nervous you were.”
“This is a big deal to me! Which you know because you were snooping on my last correspondence with Namjoon!”
“Ah, Jeongguk, don’t be upset. Namjoon looked so suspicious that I had to see what all the fuss was about. I was the one who told him to tell you that tonight was a perfect night to state your intent.”
Jeongguk pouted as he circled Seokjin and prepared to meet his next partner. “You could try to be helpful on the night that your suggestion is actually occuring.”
“Yes, I suppose you deserve some mercy tonight. Taehyung seems ready to eat you alive with the way he’s been watching you.”
“He’s been watching me?”
Seokjin winked at him and then they had to switch partners. Even though they were still close to each other, it would have been difficult to try to continue the conversation. Jeongguk didn’t want anyone to overhear anything and potentially alert Taehyung to his plan. So he was forced to remain quiet and pout at Seokjin who danced closeby with a smug look on his face.
Jeongguk switched partners twice more before the song ended and the next shuffling dance started. He was able to dance with his brother and Namjoon, both of them being teasing and supportive, during that dance. Talking with Seokjin had distracted him from his scheme to talk with the singers, so he discarded the entire idea and decided to enjoy the last few formal dances of the night. Being so preoccupied with his approaching conversation with Taehyung almost took the fun out of his favorite part of the night.
And Taehyung… Jeongguk had caught glimpses of him among the crowd and every single time, it seemed that Taehyung was already looking right at him. He didn’t seem as predatory as Seokjin implied, but there was a strong intent apparent in his eyes. It seemed that Taehyung would be coming to claim his dance soon and Jeongguk had to physically brace himself for having Taehyung so close to him again. Dancing with Taehyung was absolutely the best part of every solstice celebration. He loved dancing with the other princes and the rest of the nobility present at the party, but there was also something extra special about having Taehyung’s attention solely on him for however long they remained each dance partners.
The last time their gazes found each other, they maintained eye contact until the end of the song. Taehyung was only a few couples away from Jeongguk and he seemed anxious to get next to him. The moment the last note of the song played, Taehyung hastily bowed to his partner and rushed over to Jeongguk’s side. He was so close that his chest pressed into Jeongguk’s shoulder when he straightened from his own bow with his partner.
Taehyung stepped around to take his appropriate place facing Jeongguk and bowed so gracefully that Jeongguk almost forgot that he was supposed to reciprocate and not just watch his every moment in awe. He managed to bow just in time for the music to start up again. It was one of the dances that called for closer contact than the previous ones. Taehyung sure had impeccable timing.
“You were going to keep me waiting, weren’t you?” he asked as he placed one hand on Jeongguks’s waist and secured the other around Jeongguk’s own left hand.
Jeongguk knew Taehyung was bantering but he scrambled to refute, “No, no! I was just waiting for the right dance to come along, Taehyungie. You didn’t even give me a chance to approach you.”
“Hmm, it seems I’ll have to do everything tonight after all…”
“Hopefully not everything,” Jeongguk mumbled to himself.
Taehyung’s eyes flashed and he hummed again. “We’ll see, won’t we?”
He was definitely behaving suspiciously tonight. Between the cryptic words and the staring, Jeongguk wasn’t sure if there was some cue that he was missing. It seemed that Taehyung actually did have some sort of agenda of his own. It may be that he was expecting some sort of gift exchange after all? Or something else? Either way, Jeongguk supposed he would have to wait and see if Taehyung would reveal the reason for his behaviour later.
There wasn’t any more conversation during that first dance. They kept their eyes on each other and floated across the floor with along with the other couples participating in the dance. Most people had stopped to take a break, as they had all been dancing for quite some time. It wouldn’t be much longer until the vocal performances would start, so it made sense that people would want to stop and have something to eat before being seated for that portion of the event.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jeongguk spied Jimin and Yoongi sneaking away. He briefly wondered if he would see either of them for the remainder of the night and then he concluded that he would not. If his brother had his way, they wouldn’t be seen for the remainder of their stay at the palace. At least that would be two less pairs of eyes that would be watching for Jeongguk to make his move. He wasn’t sure if that made him more or less anxious though so he stopped thinking about it and set his sights back onto Taehyung.
When the last song came to an end some time later, they stood still while all the others started to disperse. Jeongguk found it hard to keep eye contact with Taehyung so he glanced down at his shoes and wondered if that would be a good moment to step away and ask Taehyung the question that had brought him so much stress over the course of the night. It would be the perfect time, as everyone was settling down for the vocal performances and wouldn’t miss their presence so much. They might not even notice that they were gone if Jeongguk managed to–
“Jeongguk,” called Taehyung, “come with me.”
Instead of waiting for a response, he gripped Jeongguk’s hand once more and led him away from the gathering and through the doors that led to his family’s wing. The sound of their footsteps echoing through the empty hallway had tension creeping up his spine. This was it. Whatever Taehyung had dragged him away for, it had created the moment for Jeongguk to finally ask him for his hand. He had to take this chance because another one as perfect as this one might not present itself tonight. It had to be now.
The small reading room was even quieter than the hallway because the thick, ornate carpet absorbed almost all sound. He could hear the sound of the door closing behind him, but Taehyung’s footsteps were muffled as he made his way over to the seat built into the windowsill. There were no lights turned on in the room, only the light from the moon shone through the expansive window. His cape seemed to glow in the moonlight while every other part of him was in shadow as he stood in front of the window. It seemed that Taehyung was hesitating, but Jeongguk couldn’t figure out what reason he might have for hesitating.
“Taehyung?”
“Come sit.” He gestured to the windowsill and took a seat for himself.
Jeongguk took a deep breath before he joined Taehyung at the window. This was definitely the moment. He would have to propose to Taehyung with the moonlight shining in his hair and that stupid cape draped across his shoulders and that expectant look on his face. He could do this.
He may not have trained for this moment, but he was as prepared as he was ever going to be. He just had to say it. He just had to open his mouth and tell Taehyung his wish for them to spend the rest of their lives together and lead his kingdom when it came time for him to take his father’s place. No big deal. He could do this.
“Taehyung, I wanted–”
“Jeongguk, you don’t have to–”
They both stopped speaking and stared at each other. Jeongguk was sure he looked surprised while Taehyung had that expectant look on his face again. Jeongguk took that as his cue to continue speaking instead of prolonging the moment any further.
“Taehyung, I… wanted to ask you…” he trailed off and looked down into his hands in his lap. Luckily, he wasn’t visibly shaking, but he knew that his hands were trembling so he balled them into fists.
Taehyung shifted forward in order to try to catch Jeongguk’s eyes again. When he succeeded, when he had Jeongguk’s gaze caught with his again he urged him to continue. “Yes?”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever– if I’ve ever told you how much you… mean. To me.”
The most radiant smile Jeongguk had ever seen broke out on Taehyung’s face. He tried to bite his lip to keep the smile at bay, but he had trouble holding it back. Jeongguk sighed in wonder at this man sitting right in front of him. He really was so blessed to be in love with him and to have the opportunity to tell him how he felt. No matter what happened, good or bad, Jeongguk couldn’t be afraid at the sight of that smile.
“I love you more than I can even… express in a coherent sentence. There’s this… you’re so– I can’t believe that you’re here? That I get to experience this life with you in it.”
“Baby’s first confession,” Taehyung gushed.
That comment snapped Jeongguk out of his stupor. He reflexively slapped Taehyung’s nearest boy part, one of his thighs judging from the feel of it, and glowered at him. “I can’t believe that I’m trying to ask you to marry me and you’re making fun of me!”
“Well I can’t believe you made me wait so long for you to ask! I was fully prepared to ask you myself just now!”
“I haven’t–” Jeongguk blinked at him. “You’ve been waiting?”
“I thought that you would ask me at your coming of age ceremony, but you didn’t. And I waited for your letter to my parents stating your intent but as winter solstice drew closer, I realized you wouldn’t send one before tonight. So, I decided that I would ask you myself if you weren’t going to do it.”
“I wanted to so bad, Taehyungie, but I was so scared. What if your parents refused? What if you refused?”
“I could never refuse you, Jeonggukie,” Taehyung replied as he reached up to run his fingers through Jeongguk’s hair. “I love you more than I’ve probably ever said out loud. I’m sorry if you ever felt uncertain.”
Jeongguk tucked his face into Taehyung’s neck at that to hide his blush. They’d grown up exchanging love declarations but Jeongguk always told himself to not get his hopes up and assume that Taehyung meant it the same way he did. It felt so good to hear Taehyung tell him that he loved him and know that he meant it the same way. It was so comforting to hear that his insecurity was baseless.
“You know that I love you, too. So much,” he mumbled into Taehyung’s throat.
Taehyung giggled and tilted his head up so they were face to face again. “Jeonggukie, we’re engaged now. You don’t have to be so shy.”
Jeongguk blushed even harder. “I haven’t even asked you, Taehyung!”
Taehyung smirked. “Don’t worry, Jeonggukie, I know that you want to be mine.” He closed the short distance between them and kissed his cheek. “Your sweet attempt is more than enough for me.” He placed a kiss on his other cheek. “I’m so proud of you, I thought you really would make me wait all night.”
He should’ve seen the final kiss coming, but Jeongguk was so stunned by the cheek kisses that he didn’t have time to anticipate anything more. He was happily reveling in the glorious affection that Taehyung had shown him in the last few minutes. If you had asked him in that moment, there was nothing else that needed other than those precious kisses pressed upon his cheeks.
But the exquisite feeling of Taehyung’s lips slowly moving against his own ignited a desire in him that he had never felt before. He wanted more of this feeling, needed more, so he pushed himself as close to Taehyung as he could get without crawling into his lap and tried to follow his gentle guidance through his very first kiss.
When he pulled back to breathe, he didn’t go far. He pressed their foreheads together and sucked in the deepest breath he had taken all night. “Taehyung. What? Was that?”
“There’s more where that came from whenever you’re ready,” he said as he rubbed their foreheads together.
They sat quietly in the reading room for a long while after that just enjoying being close to each other. They remained bent forward into each other until Jeongguk complained that he was starting to feel sore and Taehyung laughed at how cute he was. They kissed some more and Jeongguk vowed to himself that he would do whatever he had to in order to keep Taehyung happily by his side. He couldn’t believe that he ever felt nervous about proposing. This was better than anything he could’ve ever imagined happening.
As they walked hand in hand down the hall to rejoin the party, Jeongguk pulled Taehyung back from leading them into the ballroom. He smiled at him before leaning forward to kiss his cheek.
“Will you marry me, Taehyungie?”
Taehyung gave him a smile of his own at that. “I thought you’d never ask.”