say you'll remember me (1/2)
pairing: kaisoo
rating: nc-17
summary: Jongin hates being held down by his title as a prince. Kyungsoo makes that feeling go away.
warnings: romance, fluff, smut, slight!angst, modern royalty!au
“You look so handsome, Jongin. Go ask a girl to dance.” His mother’s hand on his arm is gentle, but Jongin is still frowning, poking at the cold food on his plate with his fork. He has no interests in talking to any of the princesses from the neighboring countries, nor does he want to be here at this stupid party to celebrate Princess Seulgi’s coming of age. He already had his party. It meant he was up for marriage as a prince, and it was the last thing he wanted to be a part of. Jongin shouldn’t even matter. He’s the youngest of the family. His oldest sister and her husband will surely rule the kingdom, and the line will never reach him. Why must he get married?
“I don’t want to dance,” Jongin mumbles back, wishing his mother hadn’t forbidden him from using his phone at during party. He wishes he could just ignore everyone and check on his cats in Neko Atsume. “I wanna go back to my room.”
“Jongin,” she chastises with a look, “this is an important party.”
“You know I don’t like women, Mother, so I don’t see why you must insist on me marrying one,” Jongin hisses.
“Oh, quit it with your rebellious claims. It’s just a phase, Jongin. You’ll want to marry a pretty girl someday, and you’ll thank me for it later. Now go dance with Princess Seulgi like I’ve asked you to or else,” his mother speaks in a stern voice, and Jongin knows he has no choice but to do as she says. With an immense scowl, he stands up from the table and moves towards another table across the room.
His social skills are horrendous, but somehow he manages to convince the princess to dance with him, and soon they are dancing formally to the classical music playing. Jongin hates ballroom dancing, even though he enjoys many forms of dancing. He wanted to become a ballerino, but that dream was shot down at age twelve when his father said it was much too feminine, and his mother said it wasn’t a fitting dream for a prince. His parents make him feel like a prize to be shown off. He can’t make any decisions for himself, and Jongin was built for only compromises between countries. It’s true. He heard his sisters talking about how he was an accident, so now he’s just a showpiece to marry off to a princess from elsewhere and gain alliances.
It sucks that he’s gay, doesn’t it.
“Let’s get married,” Seulgi suddenly murmurs, and Jongin shoots her a surprised glance as his hands tighten around her waist.
“Why the hell would you want that? You’re as gay as I am,” Jongin whispers back with a snort. He’s known Seulgi for a while, as well as her girlfriend, Princess Joohyun. Their relationship is played off as best friends though, lucky for them. Jongin knows of zero princes who are gay like him.
“Exactly,” she rolls her eyes, “that way we don’t have to worry about the other thinking our marriage is real, and we can cheat on each other as much as we want.”
“You’re acting like that’ll be easy. Pass,” Jongin mumbles, hoping the song will be over soon. Seulgi shrugs, and they go back to being silent. Luckily, it’s only a few more torturous moments before the song ends, and Jongin hastily pulls away and bows formally before making a straight shot to the balcony. He needs fresh air.
It’s a cool spring night, and the Kang’s party was held in some fancy hotel in the city. It had a whole red carpet and everything. It makes Jongin feel more like a celebrity than a prince. He wishes he was a celebrity, then he could make some life choices of his own and not feel like a caged bird waiting to be auctioned off.
Fuck it. He’s getting out of here.
Jongin’s snuck out of parties like this before, though not in a while because his parents had their bodyguards keep a close eye on him. But now that they think his rebelliousness has dissipated, Jongin isn’t held on such a tight leash. So he manages to slip past his mother and father and ducks his head when he walks out of the ballroom and into the hall. Jongin slips off his crown and slides it into his suit jacket and beneath his arm, so he doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
But it doesn’t work.
One of the bodyguards is exiting the restroom when he walks by. Jongin tries to avoid his eye, but it doesn’t work, and suddenly the guard with the thick accent, Zitao, is trying to urge him back to the party, and that’s when he starts running. Attention is called and then the other three guards are running after him, shouting for their prince to stop.
Jongin is quick on his feet, and he works his way past other people before shoving open the door to the concrete fire escape stairs. Panting for breath, he hurries down the multiple staircase, Zitao’s and the other men’s voices echoing through the space as Jongin manages to beat them to the bottom, opening the door that leads to a side entrance of the hotel. He ends up dropping his crown on the ground in the alley, but he pays it no mind.
Running down the streets of the city, he feels free and a smile worms its way to his cheeks. The people on the streets recognize him, but he’s gone as soon as they can point him out. Jongin laughs and glances behind him to see Zitao gaining on him, Jongin’s abandoned crown in his hand. Fuck, Jongin’s stamina is shit when it comes to running.
Jongin takes a random detour down an alley, and when he turns to look back again, he runs straight into someone in the alley. The prince lets out an oofas both he and the stranger fall to the ground, but Jongin perks up when he hears Zitao’s voice coming closer. He doesn’t even look at the person, ignoring the what the fuck, as he grabs them and shuffles on his knees, dragging them both to hide behind a dumpster.
Jongin shushes them and listens as footsteps draw closer before Zitao is muttering something in his native language, clicking his tongue before the footsteps draw back and out of the alleyway. The prince lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and relaxes. “I’m sorry about that I was just…” His voice trails off when he finally gets a good look at the person he just pushed over.
Leather jacket, kohl-lined eyes, black hair styled up, a cigarette dangling from a mouth set into a deep frown, and yet something's familiar about the man before him. Jongin scrambles back nonetheless, scared that he’s upset some scary guy, and now he’s going to pay.
But slowly a smirk makes its way to the man’s features, and a fair-skinned hand draws the cigarette from his lips. “Prince Jongin, huh,” a deep, soft voice murmurs, and Jongin’s struck with another wave of familiarity.
“Who...are you?” Normally, Jongin wouldn’t care to know, and it wasn’t odd for someone to easily recognize him, but there was something in how the other man said his name and how his black eyes were filled with amusement.
The smile falls from the stranger’s lips, and he snorts a bit bitterly, taking a drag from his cigarette. “Figures that you wouldn’t remember me. Guess things have changed, huh?” When Jongin continues to look at him in confusion, he blows out the smoke in a lazy cloud. “My name’s Kyungsoo.”
Kyungsoo. Of course, Jongin remembers Kyungsoo. He remembers the smaller but older boy that played with him when they were both younger. Kyungsoo was the son of one of the maids that worked at their estate, a kind woman who took care of Jongin from the age of six to thirteen. Kyungsoo was essentially his best friend throughout those years, and Jongin could remember always inviting Kyungsoo to sleep in his bed since he and his mom lived in the estate. He remembers Kyungsoo as the small, chubby-cheeked, shy boy who dreamed of becoming a singer - and yet, the reality eight years later is completely different.
“Kyungsoo…” Jongin whispers in astonishment. “It’s really you?”
The other male nods. “So you do remember,” his smirks turns into something more of a soft smile, reminding Jongin more of the old Kyungsoo. “I would’ve figured you would have forgotten about me after all these years.”
“How could I?” The prince straightens up as if alarmed. “You left so suddenly, and I...I missed you. I wanted to call you or something, but my mother wouldn’t let me. She wouldn’t even tell me why you and your mom left.” Jongin had just woken up one morning without Kyungsoo by his side, and he ran around the estate, searching for him until another maid had broken the news that they were gone. He’d cried so hard that nothing his parents tried soothed him. He had lost his best friend - his only real friend - and that was something that not even a brand new puppy could fix.
“They found out my mom had some disease that I can’t remember. She tried to hide it after she found out, but they eventually discovered it,” Kyungsoo replies bitterly. “Of course, they couldn’t have an ill maid around, even if she wasn’t too bad off yet, so they kicked us out. I couldn’t say goodbye.”
Jongin’s face pales. “Oh...is she…?”
“Yeah, she died a few years ago.” Kyungsoo stands up, flicking his cigarette onto the concrete and stubbing it out with his boot. He smiles down at the prince before reaching down and helping him up from the ground, and Jongin is surprised at how strong his grip is. Kyungsoo’s hands are calloused while Jongin’s are still smooth and thin, never having done any hard work with his hands. It makes him wonder what Kyungsoo does or how his life is now.
The young prince opens his mouth to speak, but the other man beats him to it.
“Well, it was nice seeing you again, Jongin,” Kyungsoo claps him on the shoulder. “Have fun on the other side, okay?”
“Wait,” Jongin catches Kyungsoo’s sleeve before he can move to leave. “I, um, I can’t…” he bites his lips. “Take me with you.” He really doesn’t want to go back to that stupid party or get in trouble with his parents for leaving. He probably wouldn’t even be able to find his way around this city alone.
“Take you with me? Why?” Kyungsoo is frowning now, thick brows drawn into a scowl.
“I don’t want to go home. This is the first time in a while I’ve been able to be free, and I don’t want it to be over yet.”
There’s a twist in Kyungsoo’s plump lips and a flash of pearly whites. “So you want to have fun?”
Something in Jongin tells him that Kyungsoo’s definition of fun is probably a lot different than his own, but he nods anyways. At this point, he’ll take anything over that formal, shitty party.
“Alright then, let’s go, Your Majesty,” the raven-haired man starts to lead him out of the alley. Jongin follows, ducking his head a bit just in case he could be recognized as a prince. He clings to Kyungsoo’s leather jacket as they maneuver around people on the sidewalk.
“Where are we going?” Jongin asks once they’ve been walking for a good minute or so.
“For a ride,” Kyungsoo answers, rounding a block where some cars are parked parallel to the sidewalk. Jongin’s mind is only left wondering what that means for a second or two before they come to a stop next to a parked shiny black motorcycle. Kyungsoo pulls keys from his pocket. Oh.
Jongin glances from the motorcycle to Kyungsoo and then back and forth. He should’ve known.
The other man picks up the black helmet lying on a back compartment and hands it to Jongin before opening the seat, revealing a second silver helmet hiding beneath. He tucks that beneath his arm before straddling the machine. Kyungsoo finally catches his stare as he’s kicking up the kickstand and snickers. “Surprised?”
“It’s just...you’ve changed so much,” Jongin mumbles as he steps up and off the curb, holding the helmet nervously in his hands. “I still remember you being a bookworm and being so shy and...small.” He blushes a bit at the last comment. Maybe it was better if he didn’t mention the small factor. He remembers Kyungsoo getting annoyed when Jongin would mock his height.
Kyungsoo shrugs, sticking the key into the motorcycle, turning it and revving the engine. “I don’t think I’ve changed much, but life changes you whether you want it or not. But I’m not dangerous, and I’m not taking you to a fight club or something, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he snorts. “I just picked up some bad habits in how I look and act is all.”
“Where do you work then?” Jongin asks curiously as he moves to sit behind Kyungsoo on the motorcycle.
“Grocery store,” Kyungsoo answers with a grin. “I’m still in school right now, and I live on campus. And I still like reading, by the way. Enough talking though, put your helmet on and hang onto me.” He turns back around, sliding his own helmet on, and Jongin follows his example, squeaking when the bike suddenly lurches forward. He’s quick to slide his arms around Kyungsoo’s torso and hug him tight, and he thinks he hears Kyungsoo laugh, his chest vibrating beneath Jongin’s hands as he pulls the bike out of the parking space and into the road.
And then they’re flying.
Kyungsoo doesn’t hold back on the speed, swerving in between the lanes and cars around them, which makes Jongin scared that they’ll run into someone. For a while, he closes his eyes until he gets used to the wind whipping his clothes and the speed, and when Jongin finally opens his eyes, he’s greeted by the city lights streaming by. He parts his lips in awe as Kyungsoo turns off onto a freeway entrance, dangerously weaving back and forth through the lanes to pass by cars and trucks. Jongin finds himself smiling and grinning. He stops wondering where they’re going, clearly leaving the city, and instead focuses on how free he feels in this moment.
It’s reminiscent of his childhood, when he would run around on the grounds of the estate with Kyungsoo, exploring like the two young boys they were. He’d forgotten how being with Kyungsoo felt. His best friend had always been someone who Jongin could vent to about the frustrations of being a young prince who couldn’t make a single decision by himself. Kyungsoo had also been the one to listen and hug him close when Jongin spilled that he likes boys one day when they were thirteen. With that in mind, Jongin tightens his arms around Kyungsoo. He really had missed him.
He can’t see it, but Kyungsoo is smiling too.
Eventually, Kyungsoo pulls off of the interstate and onto an exit ramp. Jongin has no idea where they are, but it looks like another side of the city, though not as busy. But soon Kyungsoo turns down one street, and Jongin’s eyes widen as he realizes that they’re at the beach. Just to his right is the boardwalk, and just beyond that and over the grassy dunes, he can see the sea, illuminated by the glow of the moon. There aren’t many people because it’s late and also in the middle of spring.
Jongin can’t take his eyes off of it, and the boardwalk goes on forever. Suddenly, he notices Kyungsoo slowing down before the motorcycle turns into a parking space. Why he chose this particular place instead of the hundreds they just passed, Jongin has no idea. Once he shuts the bike off, Jongin stands up and gets off, pulling the helmet off of his head and patting down his hair. Kyungsoo kicks out the kickstand as he gets up before taking off his helmet too, saying nothing as he opens the back compartment and this time takes out a backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. He shuts the compartment and sets the two helmets on top of the bike.
“Why are we here?” Jongin finally asks once Kyungsoo turns to him.
He grins as if he was expecting that question to come. “You wanted to have fun, and what’s more fun than having the beach to ourselves?” Kyungsoo states simply, beginning to walk towards the steps leading onto the sandy beach. Jongin follows with a confused expression, not really understanding how a beach in the late spring can be fun. It’s warm out, but that doesn’t mean the water is too warm.
They shuck off their shoes and socks when they reach the sand, Kyungsoo holding his boots and Jongin with his expensive dress shoes. Treading across the beach, the prince looks left and right and really sees no one. He can see the appeal in just him, Kyungsoo, and the vast ocean in the night.
Kyungsoo stops about halfway between the dunes and the waves lapping at the shore, and he slides the backpack off his shoulder, setting it in the sand and dropping his boots beside him. Unzipping the bag, he produces a rolled up cyan-colored blanket, obviously a bit old judging by its tattered edges. He stands up and spreads it out, the ocean breeze assisting him when he flaps it in the air before lowering it down onto the sand. It’s big enough for both of them to lie on comfortably, and Jongin wonders if he just carries around blankets for the hell of it.
“Were you planning on coming here already?” he guesses.
Kyungsoo nods, sitting down on the blanket and patting the spot beside him, waiting until Jongin sits down to talk to him. “I come here a lot when I’m having trouble composing. It helps clear my mind,” he admits, stretching out his feet beyond the blanket to dig his toes in the sand.
“Composing?” Jongin turns his head to look at him.
“I’m a music major, of course. I couldn’t give up my dream of singing, though I don’t think I want to become a performer or anything. I just want to stay in the background - just write songs and produce,” Kyungsoo keeps his eyes on the ocean as he speaks. “I managed to get a scholarship, a full ride, to the university here, and I can’t ruin it. Once Mom died, I was put in my grandmother’s care, but she didn’t have much money, so it was either this or nothing. The motorcycle was a gift from her,” Kyungsoo snorts. “She saved up everything she had to get me it, and then told me to get my ass out of her house and down to the university in the Southern country.”
Jongin smiles. He’s glad Kyungsoo gets to do what he’s always wanted, especially since he lost his mother so terribly, and it’s obvious that he’s probably had to fight hard for what he’s earned over the past several years. “She sounds great,” he comments.
“She is,” Kyungsoo agrees. “I barely knew her before Mom lost her job, but Grandma acted like she’d always known me.”
“I’m glad you’re not really some gangster then,” Jongin chuckles, watching Kyungsoo roll his eyes at that remark. “I wish I could go to university, but my only purpose is to marry a princess to draw another country in. After that...I guess all I’m good for is to just stand and look pretty for the rest of my life.” Jongin draws out a heavy sigh, gaze falling on the nearly full moon hanging in the sky.
“Is that why you ran away tonight?” Kyungsoo asks softly.
“Yeah,” Jongin smiles a bit, “I was at a princess’s coming of age party. My parents wanted me there, so I could assert my marriageability. But it was suffocating, so I took out the tracking device from my phone without them knowing and ran off. I doubt they’ll look too hard for me anyways. I’m not that important, and I always come back.”
The other man doesn’t say anything for a moment, and instead he reaches for the book bag, unzipping it once more and this time retrieving two cans of beer, offering one to Jongin with a grin. “I brought these just for me, but you look like you need one more than me.”
Jongin takes one can hesitantly. “Um...I’ve never…”
Kyungsoo cracks his open, eyeing Jongin in surprise. “You’ve never drank alcohol?”
The prince shakes his head, a bit embarrassed. He’s twenty-one and never had a sip of alcohol. His mother forbid him from even touching a glass of champagne, saying it built bad character and other kingdoms would want a prince who is pure. Holding the beer can, he’s a little apprehensive.
“Well,” Kyungsoo smirks, reaching back into his bag and this time bringing out the remaining four cans of the six pack he’d brought along. “I guess we’ll need the rest of these if it’s your first time.”
Part 2
rating: nc-17
summary: Jongin hates being held down by his title as a prince. Kyungsoo makes that feeling go away.
warnings: romance, fluff, smut, slight!angst, modern royalty!au
“You look so handsome, Jongin. Go ask a girl to dance.” His mother’s hand on his arm is gentle, but Jongin is still frowning, poking at the cold food on his plate with his fork. He has no interests in talking to any of the princesses from the neighboring countries, nor does he want to be here at this stupid party to celebrate Princess Seulgi’s coming of age. He already had his party. It meant he was up for marriage as a prince, and it was the last thing he wanted to be a part of. Jongin shouldn’t even matter. He’s the youngest of the family. His oldest sister and her husband will surely rule the kingdom, and the line will never reach him. Why must he get married?
“I don’t want to dance,” Jongin mumbles back, wishing his mother hadn’t forbidden him from using his phone at during party. He wishes he could just ignore everyone and check on his cats in Neko Atsume. “I wanna go back to my room.”
“Jongin,” she chastises with a look, “this is an important party.”
“You know I don’t like women, Mother, so I don’t see why you must insist on me marrying one,” Jongin hisses.
“Oh, quit it with your rebellious claims. It’s just a phase, Jongin. You’ll want to marry a pretty girl someday, and you’ll thank me for it later. Now go dance with Princess Seulgi like I’ve asked you to or else,” his mother speaks in a stern voice, and Jongin knows he has no choice but to do as she says. With an immense scowl, he stands up from the table and moves towards another table across the room.
His social skills are horrendous, but somehow he manages to convince the princess to dance with him, and soon they are dancing formally to the classical music playing. Jongin hates ballroom dancing, even though he enjoys many forms of dancing. He wanted to become a ballerino, but that dream was shot down at age twelve when his father said it was much too feminine, and his mother said it wasn’t a fitting dream for a prince. His parents make him feel like a prize to be shown off. He can’t make any decisions for himself, and Jongin was built for only compromises between countries. It’s true. He heard his sisters talking about how he was an accident, so now he’s just a showpiece to marry off to a princess from elsewhere and gain alliances.
It sucks that he’s gay, doesn’t it.
“Let’s get married,” Seulgi suddenly murmurs, and Jongin shoots her a surprised glance as his hands tighten around her waist.
“Why the hell would you want that? You’re as gay as I am,” Jongin whispers back with a snort. He’s known Seulgi for a while, as well as her girlfriend, Princess Joohyun. Their relationship is played off as best friends though, lucky for them. Jongin knows of zero princes who are gay like him.
“Exactly,” she rolls her eyes, “that way we don’t have to worry about the other thinking our marriage is real, and we can cheat on each other as much as we want.”
“You’re acting like that’ll be easy. Pass,” Jongin mumbles, hoping the song will be over soon. Seulgi shrugs, and they go back to being silent. Luckily, it’s only a few more torturous moments before the song ends, and Jongin hastily pulls away and bows formally before making a straight shot to the balcony. He needs fresh air.
It’s a cool spring night, and the Kang’s party was held in some fancy hotel in the city. It had a whole red carpet and everything. It makes Jongin feel more like a celebrity than a prince. He wishes he was a celebrity, then he could make some life choices of his own and not feel like a caged bird waiting to be auctioned off.
Fuck it. He’s getting out of here.
Jongin’s snuck out of parties like this before, though not in a while because his parents had their bodyguards keep a close eye on him. But now that they think his rebelliousness has dissipated, Jongin isn’t held on such a tight leash. So he manages to slip past his mother and father and ducks his head when he walks out of the ballroom and into the hall. Jongin slips off his crown and slides it into his suit jacket and beneath his arm, so he doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
But it doesn’t work.
One of the bodyguards is exiting the restroom when he walks by. Jongin tries to avoid his eye, but it doesn’t work, and suddenly the guard with the thick accent, Zitao, is trying to urge him back to the party, and that’s when he starts running. Attention is called and then the other three guards are running after him, shouting for their prince to stop.
Jongin is quick on his feet, and he works his way past other people before shoving open the door to the concrete fire escape stairs. Panting for breath, he hurries down the multiple staircase, Zitao’s and the other men’s voices echoing through the space as Jongin manages to beat them to the bottom, opening the door that leads to a side entrance of the hotel. He ends up dropping his crown on the ground in the alley, but he pays it no mind.
Running down the streets of the city, he feels free and a smile worms its way to his cheeks. The people on the streets recognize him, but he’s gone as soon as they can point him out. Jongin laughs and glances behind him to see Zitao gaining on him, Jongin’s abandoned crown in his hand. Fuck, Jongin’s stamina is shit when it comes to running.
Jongin takes a random detour down an alley, and when he turns to look back again, he runs straight into someone in the alley. The prince lets out an oofas both he and the stranger fall to the ground, but Jongin perks up when he hears Zitao’s voice coming closer. He doesn’t even look at the person, ignoring the what the fuck, as he grabs them and shuffles on his knees, dragging them both to hide behind a dumpster.
Jongin shushes them and listens as footsteps draw closer before Zitao is muttering something in his native language, clicking his tongue before the footsteps draw back and out of the alleyway. The prince lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and relaxes. “I’m sorry about that I was just…” His voice trails off when he finally gets a good look at the person he just pushed over.
Leather jacket, kohl-lined eyes, black hair styled up, a cigarette dangling from a mouth set into a deep frown, and yet something's familiar about the man before him. Jongin scrambles back nonetheless, scared that he’s upset some scary guy, and now he’s going to pay.
But slowly a smirk makes its way to the man’s features, and a fair-skinned hand draws the cigarette from his lips. “Prince Jongin, huh,” a deep, soft voice murmurs, and Jongin’s struck with another wave of familiarity.
“Who...are you?” Normally, Jongin wouldn’t care to know, and it wasn’t odd for someone to easily recognize him, but there was something in how the other man said his name and how his black eyes were filled with amusement.
The smile falls from the stranger’s lips, and he snorts a bit bitterly, taking a drag from his cigarette. “Figures that you wouldn’t remember me. Guess things have changed, huh?” When Jongin continues to look at him in confusion, he blows out the smoke in a lazy cloud. “My name’s Kyungsoo.”
Kyungsoo. Of course, Jongin remembers Kyungsoo. He remembers the smaller but older boy that played with him when they were both younger. Kyungsoo was the son of one of the maids that worked at their estate, a kind woman who took care of Jongin from the age of six to thirteen. Kyungsoo was essentially his best friend throughout those years, and Jongin could remember always inviting Kyungsoo to sleep in his bed since he and his mom lived in the estate. He remembers Kyungsoo as the small, chubby-cheeked, shy boy who dreamed of becoming a singer - and yet, the reality eight years later is completely different.
“Kyungsoo…” Jongin whispers in astonishment. “It’s really you?”
The other male nods. “So you do remember,” his smirks turns into something more of a soft smile, reminding Jongin more of the old Kyungsoo. “I would’ve figured you would have forgotten about me after all these years.”
“How could I?” The prince straightens up as if alarmed. “You left so suddenly, and I...I missed you. I wanted to call you or something, but my mother wouldn’t let me. She wouldn’t even tell me why you and your mom left.” Jongin had just woken up one morning without Kyungsoo by his side, and he ran around the estate, searching for him until another maid had broken the news that they were gone. He’d cried so hard that nothing his parents tried soothed him. He had lost his best friend - his only real friend - and that was something that not even a brand new puppy could fix.
“They found out my mom had some disease that I can’t remember. She tried to hide it after she found out, but they eventually discovered it,” Kyungsoo replies bitterly. “Of course, they couldn’t have an ill maid around, even if she wasn’t too bad off yet, so they kicked us out. I couldn’t say goodbye.”
Jongin’s face pales. “Oh...is she…?”
“Yeah, she died a few years ago.” Kyungsoo stands up, flicking his cigarette onto the concrete and stubbing it out with his boot. He smiles down at the prince before reaching down and helping him up from the ground, and Jongin is surprised at how strong his grip is. Kyungsoo’s hands are calloused while Jongin’s are still smooth and thin, never having done any hard work with his hands. It makes him wonder what Kyungsoo does or how his life is now.
The young prince opens his mouth to speak, but the other man beats him to it.
“Well, it was nice seeing you again, Jongin,” Kyungsoo claps him on the shoulder. “Have fun on the other side, okay?”
“Wait,” Jongin catches Kyungsoo’s sleeve before he can move to leave. “I, um, I can’t…” he bites his lips. “Take me with you.” He really doesn’t want to go back to that stupid party or get in trouble with his parents for leaving. He probably wouldn’t even be able to find his way around this city alone.
“Take you with me? Why?” Kyungsoo is frowning now, thick brows drawn into a scowl.
“I don’t want to go home. This is the first time in a while I’ve been able to be free, and I don’t want it to be over yet.”
There’s a twist in Kyungsoo’s plump lips and a flash of pearly whites. “So you want to have fun?”
Something in Jongin tells him that Kyungsoo’s definition of fun is probably a lot different than his own, but he nods anyways. At this point, he’ll take anything over that formal, shitty party.
“Alright then, let’s go, Your Majesty,” the raven-haired man starts to lead him out of the alley. Jongin follows, ducking his head a bit just in case he could be recognized as a prince. He clings to Kyungsoo’s leather jacket as they maneuver around people on the sidewalk.
“Where are we going?” Jongin asks once they’ve been walking for a good minute or so.
“For a ride,” Kyungsoo answers, rounding a block where some cars are parked parallel to the sidewalk. Jongin’s mind is only left wondering what that means for a second or two before they come to a stop next to a parked shiny black motorcycle. Kyungsoo pulls keys from his pocket. Oh.
Jongin glances from the motorcycle to Kyungsoo and then back and forth. He should’ve known.
The other man picks up the black helmet lying on a back compartment and hands it to Jongin before opening the seat, revealing a second silver helmet hiding beneath. He tucks that beneath his arm before straddling the machine. Kyungsoo finally catches his stare as he’s kicking up the kickstand and snickers. “Surprised?”
“It’s just...you’ve changed so much,” Jongin mumbles as he steps up and off the curb, holding the helmet nervously in his hands. “I still remember you being a bookworm and being so shy and...small.” He blushes a bit at the last comment. Maybe it was better if he didn’t mention the small factor. He remembers Kyungsoo getting annoyed when Jongin would mock his height.
Kyungsoo shrugs, sticking the key into the motorcycle, turning it and revving the engine. “I don’t think I’ve changed much, but life changes you whether you want it or not. But I’m not dangerous, and I’m not taking you to a fight club or something, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he snorts. “I just picked up some bad habits in how I look and act is all.”
“Where do you work then?” Jongin asks curiously as he moves to sit behind Kyungsoo on the motorcycle.
“Grocery store,” Kyungsoo answers with a grin. “I’m still in school right now, and I live on campus. And I still like reading, by the way. Enough talking though, put your helmet on and hang onto me.” He turns back around, sliding his own helmet on, and Jongin follows his example, squeaking when the bike suddenly lurches forward. He’s quick to slide his arms around Kyungsoo’s torso and hug him tight, and he thinks he hears Kyungsoo laugh, his chest vibrating beneath Jongin’s hands as he pulls the bike out of the parking space and into the road.
And then they’re flying.
Kyungsoo doesn’t hold back on the speed, swerving in between the lanes and cars around them, which makes Jongin scared that they’ll run into someone. For a while, he closes his eyes until he gets used to the wind whipping his clothes and the speed, and when Jongin finally opens his eyes, he’s greeted by the city lights streaming by. He parts his lips in awe as Kyungsoo turns off onto a freeway entrance, dangerously weaving back and forth through the lanes to pass by cars and trucks. Jongin finds himself smiling and grinning. He stops wondering where they’re going, clearly leaving the city, and instead focuses on how free he feels in this moment.
It’s reminiscent of his childhood, when he would run around on the grounds of the estate with Kyungsoo, exploring like the two young boys they were. He’d forgotten how being with Kyungsoo felt. His best friend had always been someone who Jongin could vent to about the frustrations of being a young prince who couldn’t make a single decision by himself. Kyungsoo had also been the one to listen and hug him close when Jongin spilled that he likes boys one day when they were thirteen. With that in mind, Jongin tightens his arms around Kyungsoo. He really had missed him.
He can’t see it, but Kyungsoo is smiling too.
Eventually, Kyungsoo pulls off of the interstate and onto an exit ramp. Jongin has no idea where they are, but it looks like another side of the city, though not as busy. But soon Kyungsoo turns down one street, and Jongin’s eyes widen as he realizes that they’re at the beach. Just to his right is the boardwalk, and just beyond that and over the grassy dunes, he can see the sea, illuminated by the glow of the moon. There aren’t many people because it’s late and also in the middle of spring.
Jongin can’t take his eyes off of it, and the boardwalk goes on forever. Suddenly, he notices Kyungsoo slowing down before the motorcycle turns into a parking space. Why he chose this particular place instead of the hundreds they just passed, Jongin has no idea. Once he shuts the bike off, Jongin stands up and gets off, pulling the helmet off of his head and patting down his hair. Kyungsoo kicks out the kickstand as he gets up before taking off his helmet too, saying nothing as he opens the back compartment and this time takes out a backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. He shuts the compartment and sets the two helmets on top of the bike.
“Why are we here?” Jongin finally asks once Kyungsoo turns to him.
He grins as if he was expecting that question to come. “You wanted to have fun, and what’s more fun than having the beach to ourselves?” Kyungsoo states simply, beginning to walk towards the steps leading onto the sandy beach. Jongin follows with a confused expression, not really understanding how a beach in the late spring can be fun. It’s warm out, but that doesn’t mean the water is too warm.
They shuck off their shoes and socks when they reach the sand, Kyungsoo holding his boots and Jongin with his expensive dress shoes. Treading across the beach, the prince looks left and right and really sees no one. He can see the appeal in just him, Kyungsoo, and the vast ocean in the night.
Kyungsoo stops about halfway between the dunes and the waves lapping at the shore, and he slides the backpack off his shoulder, setting it in the sand and dropping his boots beside him. Unzipping the bag, he produces a rolled up cyan-colored blanket, obviously a bit old judging by its tattered edges. He stands up and spreads it out, the ocean breeze assisting him when he flaps it in the air before lowering it down onto the sand. It’s big enough for both of them to lie on comfortably, and Jongin wonders if he just carries around blankets for the hell of it.
“Were you planning on coming here already?” he guesses.
Kyungsoo nods, sitting down on the blanket and patting the spot beside him, waiting until Jongin sits down to talk to him. “I come here a lot when I’m having trouble composing. It helps clear my mind,” he admits, stretching out his feet beyond the blanket to dig his toes in the sand.
“Composing?” Jongin turns his head to look at him.
“I’m a music major, of course. I couldn’t give up my dream of singing, though I don’t think I want to become a performer or anything. I just want to stay in the background - just write songs and produce,” Kyungsoo keeps his eyes on the ocean as he speaks. “I managed to get a scholarship, a full ride, to the university here, and I can’t ruin it. Once Mom died, I was put in my grandmother’s care, but she didn’t have much money, so it was either this or nothing. The motorcycle was a gift from her,” Kyungsoo snorts. “She saved up everything she had to get me it, and then told me to get my ass out of her house and down to the university in the Southern country.”
Jongin smiles. He’s glad Kyungsoo gets to do what he’s always wanted, especially since he lost his mother so terribly, and it’s obvious that he’s probably had to fight hard for what he’s earned over the past several years. “She sounds great,” he comments.
“She is,” Kyungsoo agrees. “I barely knew her before Mom lost her job, but Grandma acted like she’d always known me.”
“I’m glad you’re not really some gangster then,” Jongin chuckles, watching Kyungsoo roll his eyes at that remark. “I wish I could go to university, but my only purpose is to marry a princess to draw another country in. After that...I guess all I’m good for is to just stand and look pretty for the rest of my life.” Jongin draws out a heavy sigh, gaze falling on the nearly full moon hanging in the sky.
“Is that why you ran away tonight?” Kyungsoo asks softly.
“Yeah,” Jongin smiles a bit, “I was at a princess’s coming of age party. My parents wanted me there, so I could assert my marriageability. But it was suffocating, so I took out the tracking device from my phone without them knowing and ran off. I doubt they’ll look too hard for me anyways. I’m not that important, and I always come back.”
The other man doesn’t say anything for a moment, and instead he reaches for the book bag, unzipping it once more and this time retrieving two cans of beer, offering one to Jongin with a grin. “I brought these just for me, but you look like you need one more than me.”
Jongin takes one can hesitantly. “Um...I’ve never…”
Kyungsoo cracks his open, eyeing Jongin in surprise. “You’ve never drank alcohol?”
The prince shakes his head, a bit embarrassed. He’s twenty-one and never had a sip of alcohol. His mother forbid him from even touching a glass of champagne, saying it built bad character and other kingdoms would want a prince who is pure. Holding the beer can, he’s a little apprehensive.
“Well,” Kyungsoo smirks, reaching back into his bag and this time bringing out the remaining four cans of the six pack he’d brought along. “I guess we’ll need the rest of these if it’s your first time.”
Part 2