Chapter Text
Jung Hoseok took one last look in the mirror to assess his appearance. The camisole fit perfectly, emphasizing a strong, flexible body. He doesn't need gloves this evening. His dark honey hair was softly styled. Today he pulled his bangs back, leaving his handsome, masculine face exposed.
Any court lady would be jealous of his long eyelashes, with which he knew how to seduce others no less effectively than his rich brown eyes or his sensual, beautiful mouth. If you looked at his facial features more closely, they might seem feminine, but together they had a devastating power. After all, it is unlikely that in the entire kingdom there will be such a charming man as he, the closest friend of the prince and Dauphin Kim Namjoon.
Straightening a curl that had fallen out of his hair with his long fingers, Hoseok turned away from the mirror and, taking a deep breath, went to the door. The hardest part of this day remained, and he must endure until the end.
Prince Kim Namjoon got married today. The whole kingdom was on its feet. The king spared no expense for the ceremony. Today the poor people worked without respite.
But the main part of the ceremony was left behind. The guests gradually retreated to their chambers, leaving only the closest ones in the same circle. And now, when evening has already come, it is time to hold another ceremony. The ceremony of the first wedding night of young spouses, which should be attended by noble courtiers. They must be witnesses that the young wife is a virgin and has not broken tradition. After that, they leave the newlyweds alone.
Opening the heavy door, Hoseok stepped out into the dim corridor. If he wanted to go to the prince, he wouldn't have to walk long, their chambers are quite close. But now he has to go further, to the very end of this wing, where the bride’s chambers are located. He was supposed to be there not as a friend of the prince, but as the son of the admiral of this country.
Several courtiers had already gathered in the chambers. The newlywed herself was at the very end of the bed in only her night robe, which, since it was transparent, did not hide anything. The young woman was very frightened and confused by what was happening. Soon her husband will come with the king and queen and everything will begin.
Everyone was discussing how the day had gone and the upcoming ceremony, sneaking glances at the newlywed. Hoseok would have felt sorry for this embarrassed girl sitting on the bed if she weren’t his Namjoon’s wife.
Kim Seojong is the princess of country A… According to Namjoon, this is a marriage of convenience. To bring their peoples closer together. But Hoseok was still jealous. Of course, the prince doesn't know about his true feelings for him, but that doesn't stop Hoseok from acting possessive. How he wanted to grab this girl by the long hair, lift her out of bed and throw her out of the palace.
But alas, he does not have the right to do that. And Namjoon, anyway, didn’t know about his feelings. And if he had found out, their long-term friendship would have come to an end. Although same-sex relationships are not officially prohibited in the kingdom, they are not exactly accepted. And Namjoon loves the female sex. Hoseok knew that well. And he had to come to terms with it.
Hoseok sighed and leaned his back against the wall, trying to hide in the shadows. There was only one lamp burning in the room, and therefore there was almost no light, so as not to embarrass the bride even more.
Duke Jung Hoseok felt eyes on him and raised his head, meeting the gaze of eyes the color of burnt coffee. The young princess still sat, looking intently at him. There was something in her eyes, something that made Hoseok wary. This is how someone look at the enemy, trying to understand how strong he is and what are the chances of winning. But why would this person look at him like that?
Before he had time to think about it, the king and queen entered without ceremony, followed by the prince. Everyone immediately stopped talking and bowed. In all their royal majesty, King Kim Jaejoong and Queen Park Chorong stole the show.
Hoseok's dark eyes widened slightly as he saw the appearance of the Dauphin. Namjoon was wearing only an unbuttoned transparent shirt and light sleep pants. He absentmindedly looked around at everyone and went to the bed.
With a slight movement he pulled off his shirt and pants. Hoseok looked over his naked body, noting once again his manly shoulders, wide back, strong buttocks and long legs…
If Namjoon suddenly saw the expression on his face, he would hate him. Oh, Namjoon shouldn’t know what his “best friend” really feels for him.
Everyone around him held their breath, and for some reason Hoseok felt disgusted. All these people seemed like perverts who were going to gawk at someone else's sex. And of course, this excites them. Men who have not even looked at their wives for a long time will suddenly “love” them again after this ceremony, forgetting about their mistresses for a while.
Hoseok hates being here. And one more time we will have to see that he will never be so close to the prince. Yes, they are close, very close, but not in the way Hoseok wants.
He sees how Namjoon easily pushed Seojong away and leaned towards her. Hoseok looked away, trying not to look at them, but still caught the sound of a kiss. His mouth went dry as he imagined the prince's full lips on his wife's.
He won't look, no. At least not to hear it either. Not every rustle of clothes being taken off, not Seojong’s sighs, not Namjoon’s heavy breathing. He will look at the floor, covered with heavy carpets. He will press himself against the wall, as if trying to fall through it and disappear from this room.
But Hoseok involuntarily looks up when he hears the loud moan of the prince’s young wife. And he sees Namjoon’s powerful back. How muscles play under the skin. How small drops of sweat sliding to the lower back. How tight his buttocks and thighs look.
No need to look! Hoseok quickly looks away, meeting the king's dark gaze. The lump of jealousy in his chest dissipates, replaced by anxiety. He had seen this thirsty look of the king more than once. And more than once this gaze stopped on him. Once the king almost crossed the line. But Hoseok managed to “sneak away” from His Majesty’s tenacious hands.
Now the king is looking at him the same way, and Hoseok feels anxious, although deep down he knows that the king will not do anything. Never ever.
Taking a deep breath, Hoseok turns his gaze to the door, waiting for this to all end. It seems like an eternity passes when they announce that this ceremony is over and the newlyweds should be left alone.
Hoseok literally flies out of Seojong’s chambers, feeling like he’s suffocating. Without even thinking that someone can see him, on the way to his room, he begins to take off his clothes. And so he falls into his bed, not bothering to take off his pants and cover himself with the blanket.
He's too tired. This day exhausted him both physically and mentally.
***
Through a light drowsiness, Hoseok feels the bed bending under the weight of a body. A warm hand touched his shoulder. And without even opening his eyes, Jung knows who it is.
“It looks like you had a lot of fun, lying down like that,” Namjoon’s muffled voice was heard.
Hoseok reluctantly opened his eyes. The first rays of dawn had already entered the room. But he couldn’t sleep normally. He turned his head and saw Namjoon nestled on his pillow. The prince also looked tired, but there was a blissful smile on his lips.
“What are you doing here?” Hoseok asked without formality, still sleepy. There has long been a lack of formality in their communication.
“You know that when I have a hard day, I always come to you,” Namjoon drawled, making himself comfortable under his friend’s side.
There was still no blanket on them, and Hoseok was almost shivering from Namjoon’s warm breath on his bare chest. How can he restrain himself when Kim is always so close.
“Now you have someone to go to,” said Jung, raising his hand and stroking Kim’s slightly disheveled hair.
“Shut up,” Namjoon grumbled, closing his eyes in pleasure and leaning forward to prolong the caresses.
Hoseok smiled, not stopping stroking.
“So I’ll get married and go with my wife to my own domain. You stay here, we’ll see who you go to,” Hoseok drawled thoughtfully.
“No,” Namjoon frowned. “You will always live in the palace. We've been together since childhood, and you want to leave me alone?”
Hoseok raised his eyebrows in confusion when he heard the strange tension and irritation in the prince’s voice. But he didn’t have time to think about it because Namjoon quickly changed the subject.
“Did you eat anything at the wedding?” Kim asked, running his fingers from his chest to Jung's abs. “You're so skinny.”
Hoseok quickly grabbed his fingers, laughing quietly.
“Let’s at least get under the blanket,” he suggested, still smiling.
“No, it’s more comfortable this way,” Namjoon shook his head, then pressed his cheek to Jung's shoulder.
“Okay, sleep with me while I still live in the palace,” Hoseok sighed feigningly tiredly.
“Always. You will always live here,” Kim continued.
Hoseok was silent for a moment, and then said quietly, as if signing his own death sentence:
“Always”.