Chapter Text
The shrill shrieking of excited children rings through the air, Beomgyu no exception to that. Recess is his favorite time, after all, the best part of school definitely when he’s not doing it.
Immediately he runs over to the far end of the field, little legs carrying him as fast as he can go. That’s where all the pretty trees and flowers are, and he wants to keep practicing what his mama taught him recently.
When he slows down, though, he sees two other children there. One he recognizes, his friend Huening Kai, who's a year younger. Next to him, though, is another little boy he doesn’t know, sitting next to Kai as they play.
Beomgyu loves making new friends, so he doesn’t hesitate to approach them.
“Hi!” he says. Kai is definitely used to how loud he is, but the other boy flinches a bit.
“Hi,” Kai giggles sweetly.
“Who’re you?” Beomgyu asks the other kid, who shyly scoots away and keeps playing with his toy truck.
“That’s Taehyun,” Kai introduces for him, Beomgyu’s eyes lighting up.
“Tyun!” He plops down next to Taehyun, leaning in real close to him.
“No, my name is Taehyun,” the boy finally speaks up, voice high and reserved.
“Tyun?” Beomgyu repeats.
“ Tae-hyun. ”
“Tyun!”
Taehyun seems to give up, pouting a little when Beomgyu flashes him a toothy grin.
“I’m Beomgyu,” he continues, the shyer boy nodding before he turns away completely.
A little hurt by that, Beomgyu scooches closer until they’re sitting side by side. Then, he begins to gather his materials, little yellow flowers and long grass soon laid out next to him.
Despite Taehyun quietly playing with Kai, clearly trying his best to ignore Beomgyu who keeps getting closer and closer, he eventually glances over.
“What’re you doing?” he asks, Beomgyu all too happy to tell him.
“My mama taught me how to make flower crowns! It’s perfect for a prince like me.”
Mama always calls him a prince. So, when Taehyun makes a confused face, he huffs a little.
“I really am a prince! I’m not lying!”
“Really?” Taehyun’s peers at him closely. “But you must be a princess.”
“A princess? ” Beomgyu asks, now also confused.
“Yeah. You can’t be a prince. You have hair like a girl.”
“I’m not a girl, though.” Beomgyu tugs on his long, dark hair insistently. “I’m a boy with long hair!”
“Oh…”
They stare at each other for a moment before Taehyun giggles quietly.
“You’re still pretty.”
Beomgyu’s toothy grin returns, giddy to see the shy boy opening up to him. And he gets a compliment? Double win!
“You’re pretty, too,” he says, not only being polite like his parents told him, but genuinely thinking so.
“Thank you…”
For the first time, Taehyun gives him a big smile, his two front teeth missing. Beomgyu falls into a fit of laughter at the sight, Taehyun and Kai joining him in the giggling.
“Here.” Beomgyu holds up the yellow flower crown that’s been completed. “You can be a prince, too.”
“What about me?” Kai whines, Beomgyu shushing him.
“I’ll make you one, too!” He promises before he smiles at Taehyun. “Do you like it?”
Taehyun looks over the flower crown before he lowers his head so Beomgyu can gently place the delicate accessory on his hair. Once they’re facing each other again, that toothless smile returns.
“Yellow is my favorite color.” He postures himself regally, Kai and Beomgyu clapping. “I make a good prince.”
“Mhm!” Beomgyu nods enthusiastically.
“We should play royalty!” Kai announces, the other two agreeing. “I’ll be the jester,” he says before he hops onto his feet, acting goofy right away.
“I’m obviously the prince.” Taehyun tilts his head when he looks at Beomgyu. “And you… you can be the pretty princess!”
The idea sounds fun to Beomgyu, so he nods happily.
“Sure!”
They continue playing all the way until recess ends. When it comes time to walk back up the field, Beomgyu and his new friend take their time, even if Kai is rushing ahead of them.
“Are you new here?” Beomgyu asks curiously, Taehyun nodding.
“I just moved here to live with my cousin.”
“Kai?”
“Yeah.”
“Ohhh.”
“I don’t like playing with anyone besides Hyuka…” the boy admits. “But… today was fun. You’re the best princess.”
“You’re a good prince, too!” Beomgyu smiles wide.
“Thank you, Beommie.” Taehyun returns that smile.
It wouldn’t be the last time they hung out at recess. All three of them would play games and act out fantastical scenes, and sometimes they’d just sit next to each other, doing their own things.
Beomgyu was getting really good at making his flower crowns, and Taehyun took each of them home. How did Beomgyu know this? Because he went over to visit Kai and Taehyun over a break, finding a whole collection of them pressed into a big book.
“Wow! All the crowns!” Beomgyu gasps, eyes wide.
Taehyun puffs out his chest, proud to show Beomgyu.
“I really am a prince because of you,” he giggles, Beomgyu nodding.
“Prince Tyun, Prince Tyun!”
They exchange a happy smile before Taehyun puts the leather book away.
“I recently saw something about princes,” Taehyun says as he jumps onto his bed.
Waiting there is a picture book, and Beomgyu immediately sits down next to him to have a look.
“Look, right there.” Taehyun’s little finger points to the prince who is standing next to what appears to be a princess.
They aren’t the only characters there, though. Lots of others gather around them, as if it’s a special occasion.
“They’re getting married,” Beomgyu says confidently, knowing all about that grown up activity. He’s been to a few weddings, and loves all the cake.
“Yeah!” Taehyun puts the book down before he leans in closer to Beomgyu. “And since you’re my princess, we should get married!”
Beomgyu’s nose scrunches up, letting out a squeal.
“That’s for adults, though!”
In return, Taehyun pouts.
“But I wanna play wedding!”
“Hmm… No, only when we’re older,” Beomgyu giggles, Taehyun’s wide eyes focusing on his.
“You’ll marry me when we’re older? You promise? ”
“I promise!” Beomgyu says without hesitation.
“Pinky promise, hyung! This is really serious.” He holds up his pinky finger, and Beomgyu does the same. “I’m gonna marry you when we’re older, Princess Beommie.”
They link pinkies, Beomgyu nodding.
“Yes, Prince Taehyun. We’ll have a big wedding and Hyuka can be our jester, entertaining the guests!”
“And we can have so much cake even you can’t eat it all!”
They burst into a fit of giggles, the ideas of what their wedding will be like getting more and more grandiose.
Because they’re just kids. And pinky promises to marry each other isn’t actually real.
Right?