Chapter Text
Hyunjae had to admit that he had no interest in alphas.
Of course, no one would believe him — after all, he is an omega, the mere scent of an alpha should get him all excited and eager to mate. However, that wasn’t how it worked, and especially, that wasn’t how Hyunjae saw it.
And it wasn’t just that he was so sheltered. As the crown prince, they had multiple guards stationed within the palace, some of whom were indeed alphas. Hyunjae just never felt that pull, and thought the way alphas who were unmated were treated was cruel; he would never participate in that awful trade of ‘buying and owning’ an alpha.
That is, until his cousin, Chanhee went and got his own, a tall red headed fellow named Kim Sunwoo. And ever since Sunwoo came into Chanhee’s life, he’s been pestering Hyunjae about going and finding his own, going on and on about how “there’s bound to be someone who catches your eye!”
And Hyunjae had done his best to ignore his cousin, telling him to leave him alone, until his parents, the king and queen had sat him down and asked him, “Isn’t it time you found yourself a mate? Chanhee already has one, and he’s younger than you!”
Which is why Hyunjae is currently on his way to ‘pick out an alpha’.
He fully intends on leaving without one. It’s not like anyone is going to jump out at him anyways, and so he’s already decided to go and look around before leaving and telling his parents no one caught his eye.
So when the carriage comes to a halt Hyunjae tells himself, ‘Let’s just get this over with,’ as his personal assistant/bodyguard, Haknyeon, follows him into the building.
“Aren’t you excited, your highness? You’ll finally be able to get some action!” Haknyeon says, as he practically bounces alongside Hyunjae. He gives a distasteful look to the beta, as he says, “You would think that the only thing you saw alphas good for is their dicks,”
Haknyeon shrugs. “You’re not entirely wrong,” Hyunjae has to suppress his urge to snort, as they approach the front desk, attracting the woman’s attention. She’s a well-dressed, short beta with long dark brown hair, who immediately perks up upon seeing him.
“Oh! Your highness!” She says, immediately coming out from behind the counter. She bows, and Hyunjae gives her a tight smile. He already feels uncomfortable.
“We received notice you would be coming today! I hope you’ll be able to find the right alpha for you! My name is Heejin, and I’ll be the one guiding you today,” the brunette chirps, and Hyunjae shakes her hand awkwardly.
“Uh, thank you Heejin,” he says, already feeling super awkward. She brightens at the sound of her name coming from his lips, and Hyunjae has to suppress the urge to cringe. He can feel Haknyeon chuckling behind him; his advisor had known him since they were children, and can read his body language better than anyone else, even his parents.
Heejin leads him further into the building, taking them down a sleek looking elevator into a large underground basement filled with small rooms. Each room is see through; Heejin explains that the rooms are built with one way mirrors that allows those outside to see in, but those inside unable to see anything but their own reflections. Hyunjae already feels bad for the alphas trapped within, even as Heejin explains the reason behind it all.
“As we all know, unmated alphas pose a huge risk towards society. Unable to control themselves, once an alpha turns eighteen, they are submitted to one of these facilities until an omega or beta comes and picks them up. Of course, there are some that are never picked, and they usually end up as government service workers, returning every night back to their facility,” Heejin says, gesturing towards one of the rooms which holds an elderly fellow, who sits in a rocking chair reading a book. Hyunjae feels a wave of pity wash over him, as he follows Heejin.
Within each room holds many different alphas. From the age of 18 to mid 30’s, some even in their 40’s and 50’s, Hyunjae lets Heejin talk her little head off, as she brings him through rows and rows of rooms of alphas. Each other has a little information pad in front of it, with head shots of the alpha, along with basic information including name, age, height, and past mating history.
“What’s this?” Hyunjae asks, pointing towards a tally mark near the bottom of one of the many alpha’s information pad. Heejin looks over before saying “Oh! That means that this alpha has been returned once before. Owners can return alphas for any number of reasons - mostly it’s because they were unable to form a bond with the alpha, and thus, both parties agreed it would be best for them to part ways. Other times, it could be just because the alpha was too volatile. And so like any other product, the owner returned them.”
Hyunjae feels nausea roll up in him at the way Heejin talks so matter-of-factly. These alphas are treated no better than objects, dehumanized down to mere toys. He casts a glance at the alpha with a tally mark, a blonde boy who’s curled up in a fetal position, trying to sleep. Pity fills him, as Haknyeon nudges Hyunjae, letting him know that Heejin has moved on.
It feels like hours have gone by. Heejin is stubborn, Hyunjae will give her that. She’s determined to bring him through every single alpha they have, if that’s what it takes, but Hyunjae just wants to go home and get out of this disgusting place.
But as they walk past another row of many glass rooms, Hyunjae suddenly pauses, looking towards one room Heejin had purposely skipped over. His eyes widen, as he walks towards the glass, unhearing to the way Haknyeon calls Heejin over.
Hyunjae can’t believe what he’s seeing.
In the centre of one of the rooms is a blue haired alpha. His black sweater is tattered and black jeans ripped to shreds, with a black leather collar snug around his throat, short leash hanging from it. Everything in the room is either broken or overturned, including the cot-like bed they’ve provided. He looks so, so angry, as he sits in the centre of the room, knees pulled up to his chest.
“Who’s this,” Hyunjae asks, voice barely above a whisper. He almost doesn’t want to ask the question, for fear he’s right.
“This? Oh...your highness, I’m afraid this alpha isn’t suitable for you...that’s Lee Juyeon. Very dangerous, and very volatile. I wouldn't risk it, your highness. He’s already been returned twice due to his violent behaviour and refusal to cooperate.”
Hyunjae’s mind goes blank. Lee Juyeon. The name isn’t one he’s heard in years. And yet, even with all that anger swirling in his eyes, Hyunjae recognizes him. It’s the same Lee Juyeon he played with as a child, the one who would protect him from bullies despite being a year younger than him, the one who declared he would marry Hyunjae when they grew up.
You could say they were childhood sweethearts. Hyunjae had the biggest crush on Juyeon, and when the younger’s family moved away from their position inside of the palace, Hyunjae was heartbroken. He hadn’t seen Juyeon for a good fifteen years, ever since he was seven.
He’s unaware of Heejin’s ramble about how he’s unfit for Hyunjae, the prince going over to the alpha’s information pad. Everything listed there matches with the Lee Juyeon he knows, and he glances down to see the two tally marks at the bottom of the screen. The words CAUTION! SUBJECT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND UNWILLING TO COOPERATE are in flashing letters beneath the information of his name, height, weight, blood type, and birthdate, and it’s at this point that Hyunjae has decided. He will take a mate home. But only to set one of his former best friends free.
“I’ll take him.”
Heejin stops mid-ramble as she stares at Hyunjae in shock.
“Y-your highness? I don’t believe that decision would be wi-”
“Did you not hear me? I said, I want him. ”
‘I’m going to save you, Juyeonnie. I’ll set you free from this wretched place.’
Juyeon growls at the man who tries to grab a hold of his leash. He hated the people in this place, and he hated the fact he was being treated as nothing more than a piece of merchandise. But the man is able to take hold of his leash anyways, and they wrestle him down to tie a piece of cloth between his mouth, making him unable to bite anyone else.
His wrists are also bound behind his back, rendering him unable to fight back, and Juyeon writhes, trying to buck the man sitting on him off of him, but it’s useless.
Juyeon tries to resist, but is still led out of the room, and towards whatever fool bought him this time. He had already scared off two ‘owners’ - a third would be nothing.
At least that’s what he thinks. And how wrong he is, when he’s brought out to the front, squinting against the sunlight.
When his eyes finally adjust, they land on the man in front of him. His heart jumps, and the fight bleeds out of him, eyes wide as he takes in the sight and scent of the man standing before him. Hyunjae. His childhood sweetheart, and best friend.
He’s changed a lot since he’s last seen him, of course. But it’s undeniable that he’s his Hyunjae. That mischievous smile, the big Bambi eyes, and his scent. God, his scent is even more intoxicating now that they’ve both grown up. Juyeon wants to run to him, to hug him and kiss him, to rub his own scent all over that delicious one to make him his. He wants Hyunjae underneath him, to protect that omega as his own, because no one, and Juyeon means no one, would ever hurt his omega.
He has no idea what it was about Hyunjae that made him feel this way. The wave of possessiveness that washes over him when he sees him, even when they were little kids. He can remember the ugly sense of jealousy that would rise up inside of him whenever any of the other kids tried to pick on him, or hold his hand. Hyunjae has always been, and will always be, his to protect. And nothing could change that.
The men who brought him out carefully hand the leash over to another man who stands next to Hyunjae, a beta. Yet Juyeon is heedless to that, his eyes solely on Hyunjae, who’s got this gentle smile on his lips, and that sparkle in his eye that tells Juyeon that yes , he remembers him.
His heart leaps into his mouth. He wants to tell Hyunjae he missed him. That he thought of him everyday ever since they had moved. That he still loves him. But the damned cloth in his mouth prevents him from doing so, and so he just whines pitifully.
There’s a woman at the side blabbing about how dangerous Juyeon is, and how she isn’t sure he’s right for the prince of this country, and Juyeon wants to strangle her, because she has no idea what she’s talking about - Juyeon would never, could never, hurt his Hyunjae. And he’s pleasantly surprised when Hyunjae cuts her off saying, “That won’t be necessary,” before taking the leash from the beta man beside him.
“Your highness?” the man asks, and Hyunjae gives him a smile. “Juyeon will ride inside the carriage with me,” he says, before giving Juyeon that same gentle smile from before. He reaches forwards to undo the cloth tied around his mouth, both the woman from before and the men who brought him out yelling in protest, but Hyunjae pays them no mind, as he says “Haknyeon, undo his wrists as well,”
Juyeon doesn’t know what to say once he’s freed. So he just blindly follows Hyunjae into the fancy carriage, waiting for the omega to follow suit as he signs some papers and assures the people outside that he’ll be fine.
And once they’re gone, and Hyunjae has re-entered the carriage, he tells the driver to start moving, and Juyeon is left alone with Hyunjae in the silence, as the prince gives him a soft smile.
Juyeon hasn’t changed a bit. Of course, Hyunjae had to say he also did change quite a lot, becoming broader and taller, and of course, much more handsome. But he still looked at Hyunjae in that same funny way that he would whenever they were children. Almost like a big puppy.
He is unsure where to start, but decides to introduce himself, just in case. “I’m sure this is all jarring for you, but um, in case you don’t remember me I’m Lee-”
“I do remember you, Hyunjae,” Juyeon says, cutting him off. The alpha looks frightened, almost, and Hyunjae has to refrain from pulling him into a tight hug. “Oh. Uh, well, that’s good,” Hyunjae says, painfully awkwardly.
They ride in silence for a bit before Hyunjae clears his throat. “Okay, let me cut right to the chase. What they do to you alphas there is horrible - that’s no way to live, and I fully intended on just leaving because I really don’t support any of that crap. But then I saw you and I just…” Hyunjae closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I don’t want to force you to mate me, Juyeon. I just want to set you free. I mean...there’s only so much you can do under the guise of being my mate and all but I just...didn’t want to leave you there.”
Juyeon doesn’t respond, and Hyunjae glances at the alpha. He seems to be digesting everything he heard and Hyunjae is fiddling with his ring on his finger. He honestly doesn’t know why he feels so nervous, but instantly snaps back to attention once Juyeon opens his mouth to speak.
“So...I won’t have to wear this anymore?” Juyeon asks, voice small. He’s tugging at the collar around his neck, and Hyunjae’s eyes widen. “Oh no! No, of course not, actually, come here,” the prince says, gesturing Juyeon forwards. He leans in to close the space between them, and undoes the collar, dropping it to the floor. Hyunjae’s heart hurts when he sees the red mark left around his neck, obviously from being pulled by the collar violently.
“When we get to the palace, I can get one of the doctors to take a look at your neck...god, I can’t believe they would do this to you,” Hyunjae murmurs. Juyeon continues to look at him with big eyes, and Hyunjae lets out a sigh. He knew he was doing the right thing, and yet, he feels strange. When he saw Juyeon in there, he had felt something like a pull towards him - but Hyunjae shakes his head, trying to snap himself out of it.
He’s not here to mate with Juyeon. He’s here to rescue him. And give him a good, free life - at least, as good a life as he can inside the palace.
“For the first few months you might need to stick with me...I think it’ll be good for people to see us together so no one questions you. But once things die down a bit, I can see if maybe I can get you your own place to live? It might be far from town, but it’s better than being trapped inside that facility,” Hyunjae says, and Juyeon nods. Silence fills the carriage again, and neither of them are looking at each other. Hyunjae curses internally - was it this awkward for Chanhee as well?
‘Chanhee could probably talk to a wall and have an ongoing conversation with it,’ Hyunjae thinks to himself. The fact that he chose some random alpha probably helped too - the past between him and Juyeon seems to make everything so much more awkward - they know practically everything about each other, that it feels weird to try to re-acquaint themselves with one another.
But just as he thinks that, the carriage passes by one of the nature conservatories that they had gone to on a field trip when they were younger. The sight of it makes Hyunjae smile - he still has such good memories of going there with his class, being partnered with Juyeon because the younger refused to go with anyone else. They had spent the day together, eyes wide as they took in the sight of the forest and other animals, small fingers entwined.
What was the icing on the cake, though, was the way Juyeon had gone to the gift shop with the money his parents gave him and bought Hyunjae a rose quartz necklace. It was just a simple thing - the small rock looped on a leather cord, but the gift made the older’s heart flutter - he still has it to this very day, and just looking at it makes him feel warm.
“I remember that place,” Juyeon comments, and Hyunjae looks over at him. The alpha is gazing at the conservatory, expression one of nostalgia. Hyunjae smiles, as he tries to start a conversation.
“Me too. I remember having a lot of fun in there,” Hyunjae says, and Juyeon nods, smiling a bit. “Chanhee was terrified of the snake they showed us,” Juyeon comments, and Hyunjae laughs at the memory. His cousin was and still is a big wuss - he would probably still scream if he saw the same snake today.
“The scavenger hunt was a lot of fun too. I think I still have the map somewhere in my room,” Hyunjae says and Juyeon smiles, nodding. “Do you remember how I literally tackled Younghoon so you could be the first one to complete the hunt?”
Hyunjae laughs loudly, nodding. “How could I forget! He screamed like he was being attacked by a bear, despite the fact you were so much shorter than him then! If it wasn’t for the prize, I probably would’ve ended up on the floor laughing,” Hyunjae says, and they both chuckle at the memory.
“I still have the necklace you gave me too,” Hyunjae comments, and Juyeon turns to look at him at that point. He has this look in his eyes, one that Hyunjae is unable to read, but he just smiles at the alpha, and feels his stomach flip when he smiles back.
‘I guess this won’t be so bad,’ Hyunjae thinks to himself. It would just be like having his best friend back in his life; the beginning might be a bit rocky, but they would probably end up just like they’ve always been - best friends.
After all, that’s all there is between the two of them anyways. A relationship that’s purely platonic, and nothing else, right?
‘I’m just doing this to save you. Nothing else,’ Hyunjae reminds himself, as the carriage pulls into the castle.
Juyeon isn’t sure how he feels about all of this.
Of course, the sentiment was great. He knew his Hyunjae wouldn’t approve of the alpha facilities, and he knew that the only reason he got out of there is because of the omega. But not being his mate?
Juyeon feels as if he’s been cheated. His entire life, he thought about Hyunjae. Wondered what he was doing, if he was okay, if he still remembered him. His childhood love for the omega never faltered, which is why he resisted so much whenever he was brought to anyone else.
And yet here he is, finally with the one omega he’s wanted all along, and it’s like he’s being denied.
Okay, to be fair, he understands where the omega is coming from. It’s been so long, that they’re basically strangers at this point - mating with someone you hardly know isn’t really ideal, despite the amount of omegas who mate their alpha within the week they choose them.
So why does his heart feel heavy when Hyunjae made it so clear to him that he wouldn’t force him to mate with him?
Perhaps it’s because Juyeon wouldn’t mind being Hyunjae’s mate. If fact, he would rather be his mate than anyone else’s - Hyunjae makes him happy and is someone Juyeon wouldn’t mind spending the rest of his life with. Being his mate wouldn’t be a hindrance at all.
Juyeon is questioning his memories now; he felt as if their childhood was one of puppy dog love, the two of them being something a little bit more than just friends. But now he’s wondering if he was imagining things - was Hyunjae never in love with Juyeon the same way the alpha was towards him? His heart feels heavy at that thought.
‘No, that can’t be right,’ he thinks to himself as he gazes out the window. He glances back at the omega, and god, he’s gorgeous. The little beauty mark on his nose is something Juyeon always found adorable and the way that he can still see it makes his heart jump. The prince really is beautiful, dressed in all white and looking like, well, a prince.
‘I was able to make him fall in love with me back then,’ Juyeon thinks to himself as they enter the palace. ‘I can do it again,’ he tells himself. He’s been waiting for Hyunjae for decades, and now that he’s found him, he won’t let him go, not that easily.
Hyunjae really wasn’t sure what he was expecting when they got back to the palace.
Okay, maybe in hindsight he should’ve guessed that there would’ve been people clamouring to see what alpha he’s brought home - after all, this would be the future prince consort as Hyunjae is the only child of the current king and queen.
So when the carriage comes to a stop and Haknyeon opens the doors, Hyunjae is regretting all his life choices when there’s a bright flash and he sees Chanhee standing there with his big camera, a shit eating grin on his face, and Younghoon beside him, the beta laughing. Hyunjae gives them the stink eye, but quickly becomes aware of the fact that there are palace maids and butlers gathered as well, not to mention guards and other passersby who are not too subtly looking in their direction.
“Ah, fuck,” Hyunjae mumbles under his breath. He should’ve known - these people are obsessed with gossiping - the moment they see Juyeon, he knows that the alpha is all they’ll talk about.
And he can tell the moment the alpha steps out, because he hears gasps of men and women alike at the younger, blue-haired alpha’s beautiful features that seem to have been carved with the gods themselves, along with the way Younghoon’s mouth opens and Chanhee raises his eyebrows.
“Isn’t that-” Younghoon doesn’t get to finish his sentence, because a messenger boy is running up to Hyunjae, bowing as he eyeballs Juyeon curiously. “Ah, prince Hyunjae, the king and queen wish to see you and your...mate in the great hall as soon as possible,” he says. Hyunjae glances back at Juyeon, who’s standing just outside of the carriage, looking so very lost, eyes wide as he takes in the palace, and unsure about what to do, or where to go. Hyunjae sighs, as he turns back to the boy and nods, sending him off.
He goes over to Juyeon, grabbing the alpha’s hand. The contact has them both jumping - Hyunjae didn’t know just holding another unmated alpha’s hand would cause such warmth to shoot through him.
“Come on, we have places to go...I really didn’t expect this to be that big of a deal, but I guess it is,” Hyunjae says, as he begins to walk, avoiding eye contact with anyone else. Juyeon follows wordlessly, and Hyunjae sighs again. “Sorry about...all of that. And whatever my parents are going to say. Oh and whatever Chanhee ends up saying because that little shit is definitely going to say something,” Hyunjae says, and for the first time he hears Juyeon laugh.
The sound has his steps faltering as he turns to look at the alpha. His heart skips a beat at the sight of Juyeon’s smile, the very same smile accompanied by the adorable eye crinkle that Juyeon seemed to always wear when he was little. Hyunjae feels his heart rate speed up and he gets oh-so-distracted by the sound of the alpha’s laugh.
“It’s alright. I’m sure they can’t be too bad,” Juyeon says, and Hyunjae snaps out of whatever stupor he was put in as he continues to walk. His hands are sweating, as he lets go of the alpha’s hand, as he says “Oh trust me, you might start to regret having me take you out of that place soon,” Hyunjae says, voice overly serious to indicate he’s joking. The alpha laughs again, and Hyunjae can’t help but smile, looking over his shoulder at Juyeon, smile widening at the sight of the alpha laughing again.
He doesn’t know what that sight makes him so happy, but he decides he likes it. ‘It must be because his laugh is contagious,’ Hyunjae thinks to himself, but that doesn’t explain his racing heart and his stomach that seems to flip whenever he sees Juyeon laugh because of him.
The omega doesn’t get to linger on the thought long though because they’re approaching the main hall. He stops them a few steps away as he takes a deep breath before turning to Juyeon. The alpha looks at him questioningly, and Hyunjae has to contain the urge to gush over how adorable he looks in the moment - like a lost puppy, patiently waiting for a command.
“When we go in there, let me do the talking. Just...follow my lead,” Hyunjae whispers, as he tries to smooth out Juyeon’s sweater and comb his hair with his fingers. If he had the time, he would’ve liked to have Juyeon take a nice long shower, before dressing him nicely and styling him a bit before coming to meet the king and queen, but their commands were right away, so here they are.
Hyunjae picks a piece of fluff out of Juyeon’s hair, as he continues to fuss over him. He doesn’t know why, but he really wants them to like Juyeon. And he doesn’t catch the way Juyeon is looking at him, the fondest look in his eyes as Hyunjae straightens out his shirt and picks a piece of lint off his shoulder.
“Here goes nothing,” the prince mumbles, as he enters the hall, Juyeon a step behind him.
And the sight that greets him has Hyunjae groaning.
Of course, his parents are like this. Having gotten all dressed up as if they were to be attending a ball just to meet his mate. Of course, they have to bring out the fancy crowns and the big thrones to intimidatingly sit on. Hyunjae hopes they know that he isn’t bringing home a prince - he had gone to an alpha facility, not some far off kingdom.
He mentally sighs as he stops a few steps away from the front, and bows his head slightly, before saying, “Mother, father, you called?”
There’s a moment of silence in the air, and Hyunjae has to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. He knows his father is trying to intimidate Juyeon, and he can’t help but feel defensive of the younger. Which is why he takes a step back towards the alpha, partially blocking his father’s view of the blue haired man.
The king directs his gaze to his son when he sees how he’s behaving, and Hyunjae levels a look at him. He has his ‘cut-the-bullshit’ look on his face, which is why his mother speaks up.
“Oh honey, you know we just wanted to see what kind of alpha you picked,” she says, and his eyes go to look at the queen, the woman standing up as she descends the steps. Hyunjae doesn’t move, but doesn’t stop her either as she approaches Juyeon.
Hyunjae glances back at the alpha. He seems obviously tense under the gaze of the queen, who gives him a very slow once over, before her eyes go back up to meet Juyeon’s. The alpha immediately bows his head, unsure how to act, and Hyunjae has to bite back a smile. Okay, that was kind of cute. His mother seems to agree, because she flashes Hyunjae a smile, one that he can tell is her way of cooing over the alpha’s shyness.
She quickly schools her face back into that cool facade of a pleasant smile, one Hyunjae has seen her wear all too easily when dealing with nobles and other higher ups, from their own kingdom or others. “What is your name, alpha?” the queen asks, voice all elegance and regality. Hyunjae glances back at his father, who also seems to be holding back a laugh. God, he can’t believe his parents.
“U-uh, I’m Lee Juyeon, your highness,” the alpha stammers out, and the prince almost reaches back to take his hand in his own. Almost. Instead, he clenches his hand into a fist at his side, as he says “Juyeon and I were friends when we were little. He’s the son of the Marquess from the West,” Hyunjae supplies, and the queen nods. “Ah yes, I do remember you playing together as children,” she says, surveying Juyeon once more. The alpha is fidgeting with his sleeves, and Hyunjae feels the need to say, “We were just about to get him settled in and freshened up when the messenger told us you wanted to see us as soon as we arrived. As you know, those alpha facilities aren’t exactly the most elegant of places,” he bites out.
His father lets out a hum, still seated on his throne. The sound has Juyeon’s attention being drawn to the king, peeking up at him, before bowing his head once more. Hyunjae wants to scoff - the action is only going to feed his father’s already huge ego.
“How do we know you’ll treat our Hyunjae right?” his father asks and Hyunjae wants to die of embarrassment. He wishes he could tell his parents that they weren’t actually going to mate, that he just wanted to take Juyeon out of that place, but he has no idea how they would respond. Instead, Hyunjae mentally apologizes to Juyeon for putting him through this.
“Father, this really isn’t necessary, I was the one who chose him-” Hyunjae’s attempt to save the alpha from further scrutiny is interrupted by Juyeon saying, “I can’t give you anything but my word,” he says, voice slightly wavering, but otherwise steady. Hyunjae glances at him, the alpha returning the look with a small smile as if to say, “It’s okay, I can handle this.”
“And how do I know what your words are worth?” the king inquires once more and Juyeon gets on his knees. The action has Hyunjae letting out a small gasp - an alpha submitting before another alpha was very rare, and seeing Juyeon in this position in front of his father stunned him - and very obviously both his parents too, if his mother’s shocked face and his father’s raised eyebrows were any indication.
“I cannot show it to you in any form, but please believe me when I say that I would never harm Hyunjae. As his mate, his happiness and wellbeing would always come before mine - you have my word,” the alpha punctuates the last word as he looks up to make eye contact with the king. A risky move for sure, but it seems to pay off when the king holds his stare for only a moment before nodding.
He signals to one of the guards, who lets Haknyeon into the room, the beta bowing deeply before the regents. “Take Juyeon to the seamstress and get him fitted for some clothes. The festivities are going to start eventually, and it would be better to be prepared in advance,” the king orders, and Haknyeon nods, bowing once more, before he guides Juyeon out of the room. Hyunjae makes the move to follow, but the king’s voice holds his back.
“Son, stay here for a second,” the king calls out, and Hyunjae clenches his jaw for a moment, before turning to Juyeon, who’s looking at him with big lost puppy dog eyes. He has to fight the smile threatening to erupt on his face at the sight, and instead says, “I’ll be with you in just a second,” he promises, flashing the alpha a small grin, before patting his shoulder and watching Haknyeon lead Juyeon to the exit and in the direction of the seamstress.
After Juyeon leaves, Hyunjae turns to look at his parents, huffing. “Why did you guys have to scare him like that?!”
His father erupts into a loud laugh, and his mother isn’t any better. He huffs again, crossing his arms. “Oh, come on son, it’s just instilling a healthy dose of fear,” says the king, the older man getting up and coming down the steps, and patting his shoulder. Hyunjae is keeping his unimpressed face on, even as his mom approaches the two, laughing still.
“If you must know, I was the one who suggested it,” his mom admits, and Hyunjae makes a betrayed face. “I can’t believe you two conspired to make Juyeon afraid!”
“Ah, you’ll understand once you have children too. We just want the best for you. And also to let whatever alpha you brought home that if he doesn’t treat you right we’ll be feeding him to the dogs,” his dad says, and Hyunjae crosses his arms. “Yeah, well, he was probably going to get that speech from Chanhee and Younghoon anyways,” he mentions and his parents laugh again.
“Oh, Chanhee didn’t get a word in yet?” his mom asks and his dad snickers. “Poor boy, I almost feel bad for him now. Almost.”
“Chanhee is like that because it’s your side of the family that’s weird,” Hyunjae accuses his father, and the man makes an offended looking face. Hyunjae smiles when his mom nods, and the king looks betrayed at both of them. “It’s true, we aren’t like that over here,” she says, raising her hands, and that had Hyunjae laughing.
“He seems like a good kid,” his father eventually says, and his mother nods as well. “I thought he was familiar - wasn’t he the one who followed you around like a lost puppy when you guys were younger?” she asks, and Hyunjae has to resist the urge to sigh, and instead only nods. “Yeah, I have to admit I did have a crush on him as a kid,” he admits, the words true. He can feel his face heat up as both his parents make knowing faces, his father wiggling his eyebrows and his mother on the verge of squealing.
“Oh stop it, you two!” Hyunjae says, making them both burst out into laughter.
While it did bother him initially, he’s glad his parents do approve of Juyeon. He just hopes that his friends will go a little easier on him - after all, it’s not like they’ll actually become a couple or anything - he just feels bad for Juyeon being forced to go through all of this without need.
After all, that’s definitely the only reason he’s worried about the alpha...right?
Hyunjae finds Juyeon in one of the dressing rooms, having his measurements taken and looking utterly lost. Haknyeon turns around when Hyunjae enters and the alpha instantly perks up when he sees the omega.
“Sorry for leaving you on your own like that,” Hyunjae says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Haknyeon moves over to Hyunjae and shows him some pictures from the catalogue he’s holding. “I was thinking about getting this one made for him. He needs at least a few nice suits for special occasions and festivals,” Haknyeon says.
Hyunjae resists the urge to sigh and rub his temples. He has no idea why everyone is making this such a big deal. “Can’t he just wear some of my clothing?”
“Your highness! Your clothing is specially tailored for you,” the seamstress exclaims and Hyunjae wants to roll his eyes. “We have similar measurements, it won’t be the end of the world,” he reasons and she shakes her head. “Nonsense! I will definitely tailor clothing worthy of being worn by your mate!”
Hyunjae cringes a bit at the word. He glances over at Juyeon who’s still standing with his arms stretched out as the woman measures him, writing down the measurements on her notebook.
“By the way, Younghoon is waiting for you in the inner courtyard. He wanted to see you two after you’re done here,” Haknyeon says and Hyunjae only nods. Younghoon has been Hyunjae’s closest friend after Juyeon moved. The beta was the son of one of the important scholars who worked in the palace, which is why Hyunjae grew close to the other.
Another glance at the alpha has Hyunjae smiling. He looks so lost, so confused as to what to do as the lady instructs him to raise his arms, and the expression on his face is much like a confused kitten. Hyunjae smiles, before his eyes land on the torn sweater and jeans he’s wearing and remembers.
“Ah! Haknyeon, could you run to my room and get him a change of clothes? Juyeon, if you would like, you can take a shower before we go meet more people,” Hyunjae offers, and Juyeon nods. “That would actually be really nice,”
They sit in silence for a moment, as the seamstress continues to take Juyeon’s measurements. Juyeon obeys every prod and push, and Hyunjae takes a moment to study the alpha. He had seen the pure anger in his eyes when he was in that room. There were no other words for it - just anger at what seemed to be the world. And the way he fought those handlers was vicious - Hyunjae could’ve sworn he saw the appearance of claws and redness in Juyeon’s eyes before he caught sight of him.
That brings another question to mind - why was it that Juyeon stopped struggling? Was it because he recognized Hyunjae? But even then, if it was Hyunjae in his position, the prince knows he wouldn’t have just given in like that - in fact, he was scared Juyeon would’ve hated him for participating in such a cruel act.
But now, as he stands obediently on the little stool, eyes big and questioning as he watches the seamstress and looks around the room, Hyunjae can hardly believe this is the same alpha he brought out of that hell hole. He watches him with a fond smile, eyes tracing over the shape of Juyeon’s body before they land on his neck, the red mark making his heart hurt and reminding him to call a doctor.
But then his eyes lock with the alpha, and Hyunjae feels as if he’s caught. Juyeon is looking at him, staring at Hyunjae as if he wants to say something - either that, or as if he’s assessing him. Perhaps a little bit of both - and they both just stare at each other for a moment. The prince doesn’t know what it is about Juyeon - maybe it’s the way he smells, that delicious musky-woody scent, or maybe it’s from the leftover feelings he still has for the younger from their childhood. But something about him is so very attractive to Hyunjae, and ignites this burning desire in the pit of his stomach.
A burning desire that Hyunjae does his best to snuff out because while he does technically ‘own’ Juyeon, he would never force him to do anything against his will.
The alpha continues to look at Hyunjae, eyes tracing over every detail of his face, and Hyunjae lets himself do the same. His sharp jawline, the line of his nose which curves downwards just slightly, the little beauty mark above his right eye, to his lips. His perfectly shaped pink lips, with the corners of his mouth slightly upturned that gave Juyeon that mischievous look about him - like he knew something that you didn’t. God, Hyunjae wishes he could touch those lips. They looked so invitingly soft, so perfectly shaped, so damn pretty .
‘It would be nice to touch them. Preferably with my own,’ Hyunjae thinks to himself unconsciously, before he shakes himself out of that thought. He can’t go there - not when he promised both himself and Juyeon that this won’t be that type of relationship.
Which is why Hyunjae turns away from Juyeon, cheeks burning and refusing to look at the alpha until Haknyeon returns. He thrusts the clothes at the younger alpha, who’s finally done with his measurements, the seamstress happily jotting some things down, as Juyeon takes the clothing and steps down from the stool.
“Haknyeon can you get one of the court physicians to come to my chambers in about thirty minutes? I would like them to take a look at Juyeon’s neck,” Hyunjae says to the beta, and he nods, before Hyunjae turns to look at Juyeon, ears still red as he says, “Shall we?”
The walk to his room is painfully awkward. Both of them seem to want to say something, yet neither of them say it, and Hyunjae curses his lack of social skills the entire time, unaware of the way the alpha trails behind him, mouth opening and closing multiple times.
Finally once they make it to Hyunjae’s room, he gestures to the open door to his right. “Use the bathroom to freshen up. I can get Haknyeon to get you a toothbrush and whatever else you might need, but for now, just knock yourself out with the shower. There’s extra towels in the closet across from the shower,” Hyunjae says, as he flops down onto his bed. Juyeon only nods once, before going into the bathroom, closing the door behind him with a soft ‘click’. And the moment that door closes, Hyunjae is burying his face in his own pillow, only this close to screaming.
This entire day has been so very draining for Hyunjae, not just mentally, but emotionally as well. And it’s only half past noon - Hyunjae swears he might just pass out from exhaustion at this rate.
And it’s not even a joke - lying in his bed, he starts to feel sleepy, eyelids becoming heavy as he gazes at the ceiling. His mind is still awhirl with thoughts - from Juyeon, to his parents, to Juyeon, to his duties he has to attend to, to Juyeon, Juyeon, Juyeon. Always, it comes back to the alpha, and it’s so very frustrating to the omega that he has no idea why this is, and yet he can’t help it.
He’s not even sure how much time passes - it feels like both a few seconds and also an eternity, but he hears the water turn off, before silence envelops the room. Hyunjae can feel his breathing start to even out, eyelids fluttering as he struggles to keep them open, before coming to the conclusion he’ll only close them for a moment.
But he’s not allowed to for more than a second, because he can hear the door opening, and he hears Juyeon call out, “Hyunjae, would you happen to have a different shirt?”
The sound of the alpha’s voice has Hyunjae immediately sitting up, but he regrets it as his mouth drops at the sight of Juyeon standing in the doorway, towel loosely draped around his waist, and skin still glistening with water. He doesn’t want to stare - tries his best not to, but he can’t help the way his eyes travel over the sight of the alpha’s bare body, eyeing his defined muscles. Every curve and contour is perfect - Hyunjae is this close to walking up to him and touching those glorious abs, before he remembers. Oh right.
His face turns red as he immediately darts his eyes back up to Juyeon’s, and only says “Yeah!” before jumping off the bed and grabbing the shirt from Juyeon and practically running to his closet. He’s mentally berating himself for being such an idiot and staring so very obviously at the alpha, before also mentally blaming the alpha for not knowing how to dry himself properly. Or wear clothes, for that matter.
‘I can’t believe he has the perfect body to match that perfect face. That can’t be fair,’ Hyunjae thinks to himself as he digs through his closet for something comfortable for the alpha to wear. ‘It’s his fault for coming out of the washroom like that - why doesn’t he dry his hair, or something first? Or put on some pants?!’ Hyunjae is trying to calm down the redness of his skin, as he grabs the shirt he was looking for - a loose fitting white string shirt, one that’s slightly big on Hyunjae, so it should fit the alpha, seeing as how his shoulders are a bit broader than his own.
“Here. You can wear this,” the prince says, voice tight as he hands the shirt to the alpha. He refuses to let his eyes wander anywhere below neck level with Juyeon, as the alpha smiles, all warmth and innocence that Hyunjae feels immensely bad for ogling his body. ‘And they say that alphas are the danger to society,’ Hyunjae thinks to himself, as he forces a small smile onto his lips.
“Thank you, hyung. I’ll just be a moment,” Juyeon says as he goes back into the washroom to change. Hyunjae barely manages a “take your time,” before he goes back to fall onto his bed, this time actually screaming into his pillow. This day just keeps getting better and better - and he’s not sure if he means this in a sarcastic way or not, because while a pounding headache is starting to form, he also keeps replaying the sight of Juyeon’s gorgeous body in his mind.
‘Is this a curse or a blessing?’ Hyunjae thinks to himself, as he recalls the sight of all that tanned, smooth skin. The defined pecs, and his rock solid abs were more than enough to make Hyunjae’s dick jerk, interested. Especially when combined with the sight of that fine trail of hair that appeared under Juyeon’s navel, leading under that towel to his co-
He literally slaps himself, forcing the thought away. ‘No! Bad Hyunjae! No horny thoughts! Not now, and especially not towards Juyeon!’ he scolds himself, grabbing his own cheeks.
Just because Juyeon is an alpha, and they’re technically supposed to mate, that does NOT mean Hyunjae can fantasize about Juyeon however he wants. ‘We’re just friends. This is just a temporary relationship to help Juyeon escape that horrible place.’ Hyunjae reminds himself, forcing himself to take deep breaths. ‘This isn’t even a real relationship at all! It’s just surviving the festivals and letting things die down a bit before parting our ways and doing our own thing,’ Hyunjae thinks, trying to erase the image of Juyeon’s naked body that seems to be seared onto the back of his eyelids.
The prince picks himself up from the bed, scrubbing at his eyes. There’s no time for him to have a mental breakdown right now - not when he has stuff to do and people to see, especially concerning getting Juyeon settled into the palace.
Once the alpha is out of the bathroom, Hyunjae finds himself walking up to Juyeon and fixing the collar for him, and tucking his shirt into his pants, saying, “You have such long legs and nice proportions; it would be a shame to hide that,” he explains as he fixes Juyeon’s clothes to his own liking.
He doesn’t notice how the alpha is looking at him with such a soft look in his eyes as Hyunjae fumbles with the shirt’s hem, stuffing it into his pants, until he glances up at the younger, actions coming to a stop when he sees how gentle and warm his eyes are.
Hyunjae doesn’t know what it is, why he feels this way whenever he looks at Juyeon, why the alpha just looks at him with such...such softness in his gaze. He finds himself trapped in the look that Juyeon is giving him - the two of them just staring into each other’s eyes, the moment between them full of some sort of tension, and yet, also comfortable in a way. As if this isn’t the first time they’ve done this before.
‘I feel like I’ve stared into Juyeon’s eyes for centuries,’ Hyunjae thinks to himself. ‘And yet, at the same time, I feel like I could continue to just stare into them for centuries to come.’
His heart flutters when Juyeon raises his hand, brushing his thumb against the apple of Hyunjae’s cheek. The alpha smiles all too gently, as he watches redness bloom across Hyunjae’s fair skin, the prince’s cheeks and ears turning red as Juyeon mumbles a soft, “Cute,” at the sight.
And before either of them can react, the moment is broken by a knock on the door, with Haknyeon’s voice calling through, “Prince Hyunjae! I’ve brought the court physician as instructed!”
The words have Hyunjae snapping back to his senses, removing his hands from the band of Juyeon’s pants (oh god, did he really just spend the past moment with his hands shoved down Juyeon’s pants?!) and clearing his throat, before letting both Haknyeon and the physician in, smiling politely at the old man who walks into the room.
Hyunjae sits down on the edge of his bed as Juyeon lets the doctor inspect his neck, and glances over at Haknyeon who’s standing by the door. The beta notices his look and comes over to stand next to Hyunjae, a cheeky grin on his lips.
“What were you guys up to when I was gone?” he asks, the beta wiggling his eyebrows. Hyunjae rolls his eyes. “Nothing, you pervert,” he responds, and Haknyeon smiles devilishly. “Oh really? Is that why you’re so red?” he asks and Hyunjae has half the mind to hit his advisor if the physician wasn’t standing right there.
“By the way, the alpha facility sent over Juyeon’s file for you to read if you want. I left it in your office,” Haknyeon says, and Hyunjae only hums as he looks in Juyeon’s direction. The alpha obediently lets the doctor do a quick checkup on all his vitals, peering down his throat and listening to his heartbeat, as well as inspecting the red mark around his neck.
“After we meet with Younghoon, what else is there to do?” Hyunjae asks Haknyeon absently. The beta laughs, before saying “A lot. We need to start planning the festivities now that you’ve chosen a mate,” Haknyeon says and Hyunjae raises an eyebrow. “Festivities?”
“Of course. The entire kingdom will be celebrating - your parent’s celebration was apparently really big and grand, and took place not long after they were married - both legally and you know,” Haknyeon makes a biting motion with his mouth and Hyunjae makes a face at his vulgar gesture, but understands. The marking process was more official than any legal document - with the alpha placing his claim on his or her partner that bound the two for the rest of their lives. Hyunjae still remembers the way he asked his mother what the scar on her neck was for, and the way she explained very gently to a young Hyunjae how, “This is evidence that daddy loves mommy very much. You’ll understand more when you’re older,”
The memory also unlocks what had happened the following day - when little six year old Hyunjae had told five year old Juyeon, the little alpha had immediately tried to bite Hyunjae’s arm, stating that he loved Hyunjae and was going to marry him one day - the thought making Hyunjae smile to himself both at how cute they were, and also at the irony of the statement.
He means to pester Haknyeon for more details, but the physician is speaking and Hyunjae stands up to hear what he has to say.
“Your alpha is in good condition. The redness around his neck I’m assuming is from rough treatment of the collar?” the man asks, glancing at both Hyunjae and Juyeon. They both nod, and the doctor shakes his head, before saying, “It should be fine within a few days. I can have some cream prepared for you by tonight to apply to the area to help with the healing process,” he says and Hyunjae thanks the old man, the physician only bowing and saying, “It’s my pleasure, your highness,” before leaving the room.
“Now then! Let’s get going, Younghoon has been waiting ever since you two arrived,” Haknyeon says, ushering both of them out the door. Hyunjae looks back at Juyeon, matching his pace with the alpha as Haknyeon leads the way, the beta heading towards the gardens.
“I hope this isn’t too much of a change for you… I mean, I guess…I just hope it’s not too jarring,” Hyunjae says, and the alpha gives him a small smile. “It is a bit much, but it’s nothing I can’t handle,” he says, voice making Hyunjae’s insides flip. He smiles back, before taking the younger’s hand in his own, an action he doesn’t think that much of, but makes Juyeon’s eyes go down to look at their hands, before looking back up at Hyunjae, cheeks tinged red as the prince says, “That’s good to hear. You’ll just have to deal with this for a few months,”
Hyunjae notices how awkward the alpha seems at the hand holding and goes to release his hand, saying, “Is this too much?” before Juyeon is suddenly shaking his head, blurting out a “No!” and holding onto Hyunjae’s hand that much more tightly. “No, it’s just, I was a bit surprised, that’s all,” the alpha hurriedly explains. “This, um, this is really nice,” he says, cheeks red as he scratches the back of his head. Hyunjae can’t help the way butterflies erupt in his stomach at the sight of the alpha all flustered over the simple action of hand holding.
“Okay then,” he replies a bit awkwardly, as they continue to walk in the direction Haknyeon left, fingers entwined, and both of their faces red, both refusing to look at each other.
The garden is empty at this time of the day, and Hyunjae feels relieved Younghoon chose this place to meet - it’s quiet, beautiful, and relatively away from the hustle and bustle of the palace. He spots the beta with ease, his long limbs and big smile easy to spot from miles away.
Hyunjae smiles back when he spots the beta, noticing how Changmin, one of the other workers in the palace, and Younghoon’s omega boyfriend, is standing next to him, a smile on his lips as well.
Juyeon seems to recognize Younghoon as they near, and Hyunjae lets go of the alpha’s hands to go hug his friend, before nodding politely at Changmin, having only met the other omega a handful of times in the past.
“Younghoonie! I’m sorry we couldn’t come earlier,” Hyunjae apologizes, and the beta waves it off, shaking his head. “It's no problem, it just gave me more time to spend with my Changminnie,” he says, smiling down at his boyfriend. Changmin laughs, nudging Younghoon, before the beta’s eyes wander to the blue haired alpha behind Hyunjae.
“Lee Juyeon. Long time no see,” Younghoon says, offering his hand for the alpha to shake. Juyeon takes it, only to be pulled forwards by Younghoon, the beta immediately saying “You better treat Hyunjae well. If you even think to harm one hair on his head, after his parents and Chanhee kill you, I’ll make sure to feed your body to the pigs,” the beta hisses, and Hyunjae kicks the beta with a frown.
“Younghoon! Stop it,” he says, and Juyeon only nods, eyes wide at the tall beta. Younghoon is still glaring at Juyeon, before he suddenly relaxes, his big doe eyes no longer intense, and a big smile back on his lips. “Alright! As long as that’s clear - here, Juyeon-ah, this is my boyfriend, Changmin. You guys are the same age,” Younghoon exclaims, as he introduces the two. Changmin bows, and Juyeon awkwardly bows back, the two mumbling greetings.
“So! How have you been these past, what, ten years?” Younghoon asks as they start to walk around the garden. Hyunjae looks up at Juyeon, also anticipating his answer - he hadn’t really gotten a chance to just sit down and talk with the alpha, and is curious as well as to what has transpired over the time they were seperated.
“Nothing much. We moved to the seaside, the Western part of the kingdom to be with my father’s family. I had ended up in an alpha facility there, but was moved to the capital because one of my, um, previous owners had also moved to the capital,” Juyeon says, the mention of whatever past person had picked Juyeon out making Hyunjae’s face scrunch up. He can tell Juyeon isn’t too happy to mention them either, and Hyunjae is quick to take Juyeon’s hand into his own, a way to try and comfort the alpha.
He notices and glances down at their hands again, before smiling softly at Hyunjae. The exchange doesn’t go unnoticed by both Younghoon and Changmin, who exchange glances as Hyunjae and Juyeon give each other soft looks.
“I’m guessing it was love at first sight?” Changmin asks, looking at the two. Hyunjae’s attention is brought back to the younger, mouth opening slightly, and Younghoon snorts. “Of course. Even when they were little, they were like this - Juyeon was like a little puppy dog, following Hyunjae everywhere,” Younghoon says, shaking his head. “It’s no wonder you two ended up together,”
“Ah, um, yeah, I guess it’s just, uh, meant to be, or something,” Hyunjae replies, giving a (not very) convincing laugh. He’s glad that Younghoon doesn’t try to pry into Juyeon’s past - though at the expense of Hyunjae trying to fabricate some story about how he just ‘knew Juyeon was the one,’ in his head, in case the beta asks. He just hopes Juyeon doesn’t try to contradict whatever story he ends up blurting out with some random detail or fact of his own, or that Younghoon and Changmin don’t notice any discrepancies.
“You’re so lucky that you two ended up finding each other - I never understood how omegas could just go into that place and come out with an alpha like they’ve picked out a new toy, or a pet, or something,” Younghoon goes on to say, and both Hyunjae and Juyeon have to agree to a certain extent. “You’re right, I don’t get how Chanhee just...plucked that alpha out of there without a second thought,” Hyunjae comments, and Changmin gives a small smile.
“I saw the two of them the other day - the alpha...his name is Sunwoo right? He seemed to be happy with Chanhee, and I’ve never seen Chanhee laugh and smile the way he did with him. I think they’ll be okay together,” Changmin comments and Hyunjae hums, trying to appear uninterested in his cousin’s affairs, but is glad. Him and Chanhee may not always get along, but Hyunjae does care for him - and he would hate for him to be stuck in a loveless relationship.
“What was your reaction when you saw Hyunjae after all these years, Juyeon?” Younghoon suddenly asks and Hyunjae’s eyes widen at the fact that Younghoon is targeting Juyeon instead of Hyunjae. He wants to jump into the conversation, but he knows that the action would send warning bells off in both Younghoon and Changmin’s heads - the two may be slow to catch onto some things, but this would be a definite sign. So instead Hyunjae just looks at the younger, trying to convey with his eyes to not say anything to screw their position up.
Juyeon looks surprised he’s being included in the conversation. He glances at both Younghoon and Changmin, before looking at Hyunjae, mouth opening hesitantly, as he tries to read what Hyunjae is trying to convey without using words.
“I… uh well,” Juyeon licks his lips and Hyunjae squeezes his hand trying to get him to say something . “I guess I was surprised at first,” Juyeon says and both Younghoon and Changmin seem to be hanging off of his every word.
“But after that...I guess I was just happy to see him,” Juyeon replies, looking at the two, before looking down at Hyunjae. He smiles fondly as he looks at the omega and Hyunjae doesn’t know why his face feels hot from the mere look. “He looked like an angel coming to take me away from that place. I really am lucky that Hyunjae hyung was able to find me,” Juyeon says, voice steady as he looks at Hyunjae, smiling lightly, before looking at Younghoon and Changmin. They seem to buy it, because Changmin is cooing, while Younghoon is pretending to barf (though Hyunjae can tell his best friend seems to be happy for him).
Hyunjae doesn’t know why his heart is palpitating, or why his entire face is red. He isn’t sure why his stomach is doing flips, or the reason for his suddenly sweaty hands - is he sick? He’s never felt these feelings before, and yet every time Juyeon just speaks, looking at him with such affection in his eyes, Hyunjae feels this way.
‘He’s a good actor,’ Hyunjae thinks to himself, smiling weakly at both Younghoon and Changmin. ‘He could’ve fooled me into believing he really meant everything he said.’
The omega looks back up at Juyeon, and the younger is smiling down at him. He squeezes Hyunjae’s hand, before squeezing it three times in succession. Hyunjae looks at him, confused, but Juyeon only smiles, before letting go of the omega’s hand, as Younghoon starts speaking again.
“Oh! Did Haknyeon start telling you about the festivities?” he asks, and Hyunjae has to shake his head to clear away the questions and confused emotions he has lingering. “He mentioned something about it, but I’m not too sure what it’s going to entail,”
“Seriously? God, Hyunjae, you’re the crown prince, how can you not know this?!” Younghoon says, and Hyunjae sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. “It sounds familiar, but I honestly don’t remember. I guess it’s because I never really thought I would end up with an alpha,” he says, glancing a look at Juyeon again.
Younghoon lets out a big sigh, shaking his head in disbelief. Luckily, Changmin comes to Hyunjae’s aid, as he explains “It’s going to be a week or so of celebration - the event is usually huge for royalty, especially as you’re the one and only heir to the throne. It’s not supposed to happen until after you two, uhm,” Changmin looks at the two before awkwardly saying “...are together, but they’re probably going to want to start the planning now.”
“Are you saying that they won’t commence until we’re mated?” Hyunjae asks and Younghoon rolls his eyes. “What did you think? After mister tall and handsome over there marks you, the wedding will kick off the festivities - and the following week will be just a lot of celebration across the kingdom. Hope you don’t have stage fright,” Younghoon aims the last part towards Juyeon. “There’s going to be practically everyone in the kingdom at your wedding.”
Hyunjae’s mind is whirling. He didn’t expect this and okay, this is kind of bad. His plan is falling apart at the seams if this is what it entails, and he only can feel sorry for Juyeon, for looping him into this without his consent. God, he feels horrible
Thankfully, Hyunjae isn’t going to have to mentally freak out and pretend not to, because Younghoon is checking the time before patting Changmin’s shoulder. “Hey, sorry to cut things short, but we actually have an appointment scheduled soon. I uh, I promised Changmin’s mother we would help her with some things around the house,” Younghoon says and Hyunjae looks up at the two, feeling something akin to envy coil in his stomach at the way Changmin clings to Younghoon’s arm, looking all too happy.
“Oh yeah, you guys should get going. We should probably...you know...settle in and stuff,” Hyunjae says, waving his hand in the general direction of Juyeon, and Changmin bows to both of them, making Hyunjae awkwardly return the gesture. “We should do this again! Maybe a double date in the future!” he exclaims, and Hyunjae has to give a forced smile, as he nods.
His brain is overworking. He can feel the panic starting to set in, and he balls his hands into a fist as he plasters that smile on his lips, nodding and waving as Younghoon and Changmin leave. Hyunjae is so unhearing to his surroundings, that he almost doesn’t notice Juyeon calling his name, not until the alpha is slipping his hand into Hyunjae’s and breaking him out of his trance.
“Juyeon,” Hyunjae breathes, turning to face the alpha. He has a worried look on his face as he asks, “Are you okay?” voice gentle and low. Hyunjae worries his bottom lip, about to say “I’m fine” on instinct, but the look in Juyeon’s eyes and the gentle way he’s rubbing his thumb over Hyunjae’s hand has the omega crumbling.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Juyeonnie. This is so unfair to you, and I had no idea this would happen, and I don’t want to force you to mate me, and-” Hyunjae cuts himself off as he feels the familiar sting of tears behind his eyes, and the omega curses himself for being such an emotional wreck. Juyeon really does deserve better than him, an omega who got too ahead of himself trying to play hero.
And then Hyunjae is being embraced by the alpha and time seems to stop. The warmth of Juyeon’s body, and the solid firmness of his muscled chest and arms surrounding him is just so very comforting and safe . The omega inside of Hyunjae is practically purring in delight at how Juyeon is hugging him, so very protectively as if he was trying to do more than just comfort Hyunjae in this moment.
“You don’t have to be sorry, hyung. None of this is your fault,” Juyeon says, and Hyunjae can feel tears approaching once again at the alpha’s words. “Juyeon-”
“You’re doing your best. And there’s nothing more that anyone could ask of you. You did what you deemed to be the best in your position, and we’ll figure this out together, okay?” Juyeon says, as he draws back slightly to look at Hyunjae in the eye. The prince is sniffling slightly as he swipes at his eyes, but nods. “Thank you.”
Juyeon smiles softly at the omega, before saying, “You called me Juyeonnie, just now,” he comments, still holding the omega loosely. Hyunjae finds he wants to bury himself in Juyeon’s chest again and just inhale his comforting scent, but holds himself back as he wipes his eyes absently, saying, “Did I?”
“Yeah. You haven’t called me that since we were kids,” Juyeon says, watching the omega carefully. Hyunjae looks up at the alpha, before he says, “I-is that okay? Did you not want me to call you that?” he asks and Juyeon immediately flusters, shaking his head. “No! I mean, it’s fine! I, uh...I like it, actually,” Juyeon says and Hyunjae smiles at how cute he is.
“It just… reminds me of when we were little,” Juyeon confesses, rubbing the back of his neck. Hyunjae smiles at the redness of his ears, before he says, “Alright, Juyeonnie,” making the alpha look up at him with a smile and bright eyes, causing the omega to laugh.
‘Maybe this won’t be too bad,’ Hyunjae thinks to himself, as he takes Juyeon’s hands into his. The alpha’s hands seem huge in comparison to his, and he smiles down at the size difference. ‘Juyeon’s right. We’ll figure this out, somehow. Together.’
Even though he still feels a bit bad for forcing Juyeon to act like a couple with him for the next month or so, Hyunjae has to admit, he kind of likes it - not that he would ever say that outloud.
He loves the warmth of Juyeon’s hands in his, the weight and feeling of rightness that he has when he’s holding Juyeon’s hand. Hyunjae looks away from the alpha, not wanting to let him see how red he is from simple hand holding, the action making Juyeon smile fondly at the omega, as he squeezes his hand once, gaining Hyunjae’s attention back to him.
“Cute,” Juyeon mumbled, as he looked at the prince’s reaction, the one word only causing Hyunjae to redden even further. “S-shut up,” he stuttered out, walking away from the alpha, but at the same time, not letting go of his hand.
Hyunjae doesn’t see the lovesick smile on Juyeon’s face, nor the way the alpha looks at Hyunjae like he’s his most precious thing.