Prince of Thieves (Thief!AU)
There are always risks to taking a job, Ryeowook knows this.
A wrong move can have you in prison or hanging from the gallows before you can blink, from things as petty as a stolen goat cart to the King’s jewels- the latter of which he (unluckily) happens to be after tonight.
A small curse as the wood beneath him creaks, whipping his head around to check for any sign of life in the dark corridor.
Being a thief is not a glamorous job, nor does it end well if you happen to fail. With the customers he’s hunting for tonight, the gallows would be favorable to failure.
Another curse as a palace guard drunkenly turns a corner. Clearly he did not drug the wine enough.
He knows that if he hadn’t taken the job, someone else would have. But as it is his men are dropping like flies trying, and it’s getting to be a nuisance. And who but the unofficial prince of the Thieves Guild could succeed?
He flattens himself to the wall as the guard passes, barely breathing as the oaf stumbles into a room, his chamber presumably.
Ryeowook breathes a sigh of relief and continues down the hallway. It’s nearly pathetic how little security there is, he’s only had to evade five guards and has yet to run into any traps.
It’s almost unnerving how easy it is.
He’s already known this from past accounts though; it all appears easy until the end, when his men end up hung in the square the next morning.
It would be for no other reason that he would end up on this job himself, with such persistent clients. Wealthy challengers of the throne who wish to take the future king down a peg, a thief in the treasury never looks good on ones résumé.
And who could expect the new doe eyed Chinese immigrant ‘Li Xu’ of being Seoul’s underground prince?
Another lock picked, two hallways and a wall to scale before reaching his goal.
Ryeowook sends a small prayer up to God that Zhou Mi is right and there will be no security around the inner sanctum tonight. The knives in his boots aren’t nearly as much comfort as he would like to have.
He curses his position as he picks another lock. If he wasn’t the best then he could be sitting at home sleeping right now. As is he’s on a nigh impossible mission with the promise of death at the end.
Finally in the treasure room, he doesn’t allow himself to relax. That would seem to be the mistake of most of his subordinates, caught by the guards once they finally manage to make it in, though it is rather hard to ask corpses what went wrong.
Much easier to drug guards and ask them.
He’s just finished packing away his spoils: an amulet with the ruling family’s crest, some bracelets, a rare jewel or two, when he notices the man standing in the previously closed doorway.
His bag is forgotten on the floor and knives are in his hands before the stranger can blink.
“Kim Ryeowook, famous prince of the underground thieves, nice to finally make your acquaintance.” Ryeowook’s eyes widen slightly when releasing it is none other than the prince himself who’s tan throat his knives press against.
Kohl lined eyes crinkle in amusement as the recognition must have shown on his face. “I was wondering when they would send someone who could actually get the job done here instead of one of the lower lackeys.”
Ryeowook takes the insult to heart, knife pressing a bit harder against the column of the older man’s throat, not taking an insult of his men lightly.
“You shouldn’t speak so lightly of the deceased Your Highness.” His voice is sweet as his eyes harden. To his annoyance the prince merely smiles brighter.
“You wouldn’t want to add assassination to your crimes tonight would you little prince?” his tone is mocking, and Ryeowook hates the truth in the true prince’s words. “So why don’t you put those nuisances away.”
Ryeowook sighs and sheathes his knives. “So what, are you here to bargain with me? If I leave you your treasures I get to go free?” The prince leans against the wall again, rolling up the sleeves of his hanbok, flicking his dark hair behind his ears.
“Not at all, feel free to keep them. No one else has ever managed to get this far, you deserve a reward.” Ryeowook itches to get his knives back out. “But would you mind coming to my ball tomorrow? Li Xu has such cute ways about him, I wish to see that face again.”
Ryeowook merely raises an eyebrow “So you knew all along? Just waiting for me to actually come into play?”
The prince snorts in a very un royal manner. “Of course, who do you think it is that hired you? I had heard the young prince of thieves had a face of porcelain and the skills of an assassin, how could I resist such a challenge?” He steps off the wall “I have always liked them dangerous.”
Ryeowook flinches away as the last few words are hissed into his ear. The prince simply smiles at him again.
He reaches a hand into his hanbok and extends an envelope. “Here is your invitation, Li Xu, and if you feel like raiding my treasury again, just ask.”
Ryeowook grabs his bag and the envelope before rushing out of the room, not trusting the prince’s words for a moment. He leaves to the sound of a deep laugh following him down the corridors.
He hates the way the envelope burns a hole in his pocket all the way to his home, and the eyes he dreams of that night.
…..
Sungmin is, as expected, furious.
“You could have died!” He’s stomping around like a little kid, things only get worse when Ryeowook tells him this, “I have every right you lucky bastard! If you were dead, where would we be?”
“You would be here, and then you would be the prince of thieves. It isn’t rocket science Sungmin.” Sungmin sputters at him a bit more before sulking on the couch. “The matter that concerns me more is this.”
Sungmin carefully opens the envelope, brows furrowing the farther he gets down. “As I live and breathe, an invitation to the royal ball. It seems your looks and skills precede you, though one seems to have been overestimated.” Ryeowook sends a knife into the wall next to his head.
“Well you’re going to go right?” Zhou Mi, the best informant they have, inquires. “Kui Xian and I are going, there’s said to be a few clients there to discuss business.” Kyuhyun merely grunts in the corner, too busy trying to make a more accurate map of the palace with Ryeowook’s new information to care for dances and balls.
Ryeowook sighs. “I suppose. If he was able to commission us in the first place, then he knows where we are. He’s a complete ass, so I wouldn’t put it over him to have the whole of the palace guard on our door step if I don’t show.” This gets a bark of laughter from Kyuhyun, Zhou Mi now trying to convince him that the ball will be fun and could he at least pretend to listen to him when he talks?
“Well Li Xu, I suppose we’ll have to break out the fine attire if our little thief is to sweep the real prince off his feet.” Sungmin’s eyes sparkle at the thought. Ryeowook merely buries his head in his hands, not at all looking forward to the long night that surely awaits him.
…..
Hyukjae is, as expected, furious when Prince Jongwoon tells him about the affair in the treasury the previous night.
“How could you be so reckless!” Hyukjae is practically beside himself, Jongwoon just looks smug. “A thief! An armed thief! If your father was still alive he would kill me!”
Jongwoon leans back on his bed. “Calm down Hyukjae. He was harmless, he wouldn’t risk murder and theft, and he’s a thief not an idiot.” Hyukjae stares at him in disbelief.
“And he’s cute too. The way he got so mad when I told him I had been waiting for him was absolutely precious! That’s why invited him to the ball.”
Hyukjae’s mouth hangs open. “You’re a nutcase! I refuse to accept that you are going to rule the country one day!” His head is in his hands by the end.
“Those are usually considered treasonous words cousin.” Jongwoon states lightly, getting up and dressing for the day. “Besides, I won’t have to as long as Siwon doesn’t keel over sometime soon, father did choose him as first successor.”
“Only because you’re a complete madman” Hyukjae mutters to himself, resigning himself to the fact that no matter what he says, the prince seems intent on courting a thief.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you when he slits your throat for being too handsy though.”
Jongwoon laughs in his face and orders him to feed the royal turtles in spite.
…..
Ryeowook decides to forego being announced at the ball, and instead leaves Kyuhyun and Zhou Mi at the door to hop the castle wall and enter through the balcony.
It just makes things seem more exciting.
And it’s so much more fun to watch the rich ladies and lords get slowly plastered and make absolute fools of them with a glass window between him and the chaos.
But it seems only a matter of time before those smiling kohl eyes are on him again from inside the ballroom, and the prince excuses himself from the gaggle of giggling young ladies surrounding him to talk to Ryeowook.
‘Fantastic.’ He thinks, and grabs a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, downing it in one gulp. He has a feeling he’ll need a bit more than that to get through this night.
“Ryeowook! I’m so happy you came.” The prince smiles at him. It makes Ryeowook want to turn tail and run.
“On a first name basis are we now Jongwoon?” Ryeowook happily replies, hoping that if he is a compete ass then maybe the prince will give up whatever fascination for thieves he has gained.
“But of course! That is how it’s done when you’re trying to court someone, isn’t it?” Ryeowook chokes on the second glass of champagne he managed to snag. “Now may I have this dance?” Before Ryeowook can open his mouth and tell the prince exactly what he may have, he’s pulled into a waltz.
And then he’s staring right into those dark black eyes, faces so close Jongwoon’s hair is practically tickling his nose as arms come around his waist and squeeze tight.
Of course he would be dancing the girl’s part.
He complains at Jongwoon about as much, and gets a tighter hold for his trouble and a laugh into his shoulder.
He needs more alcohol to deal with this, but finds it is rather difficult to drink when a grown man is attached to you like a barnacle.
From managing to break away from Jongwoon three times, he manages to down four more glasses and finds the situation as a whole much more appealing while tipsy.
While being led around the floor like some simple minded girl he begins to appreciate being with Jongwoon a little bit more, as opposed to the fat lord in the corner trying to charm Princess Jessica into a dance. At least Jongwoon isn’t too awful on the eyes.
He’s indulgent enough (or tipsy enough) to tell Jongwoon this when asked if he’s been enjoying himself. It gains him a chuckle and a pat on the head.
“You are just too precious. I knew it was a good idea to ask you here.” Jongwoon continues mumbling on something about having told Hyukjae that he was right, and that he should never doubt his older cousin’s advice. All of this chattering is giving Ryeowook a headache, so he decides to solve it himself.
It’s a bit sloppy as first kisses go, but Ryeowook is immensely satisfied to finally have one upped Jongwoon on something. That sounds a bit pathetic, even to his own ears, so he settles for wrapping his arms around Jongwoon’s neck as they continue waltzing and making out on the dance floor like high schoolers at prom.
Not the best idea in retrospect, but it seemed to be the right thing to do at the time.
…..
The first thing Ryeowook notices when he wakes up is that he isn’t in his own bed. And then there’s the whole naked bit too. Then he remembers the night before.
“I’m an easy whore.” He mutters to himself, completely disappointed in the fact that he hopped into bed with the prince of the country only a relative day and a half after meeting him. Not generally the best way of starting a relationship, but he figures that Jongwoon is enough of a douche bag for it to mean something.
And he can’t say it wasn’t good.
He’s getting out of bed to get dressed when the door slams open and he’s face to face with a very irate man.
“Jongwoon! What did I tell you about leaving early from your own godda-“ There’s a rather awkward silence once the man seems to realize that Jongwoon isn’t there to hear him yell at him, and that there is a naked stranger in the room.
“Hyukjae, meet Ryeowook. Future Queen of South Korea and the thief prince of the Seoul Underground.” Jongwoon steps out of the shower, clad in a robe and hair covering his eyes, directing a thousand watt grin in Ryeowook’s direction. Ryeowook throws a nearby boot at him. “Ryeowook, meet my irritable monkey of a cousin Hyukjae.”
Hyukjae spends a few moments strangling the air, announces that it is far too early to deal with naked strangers or future queens and decides he’s going to come back in an hour. Jongwoon just grins as Ryeowook just throws his other boot at him.
It's the start of a beautiful relationship.
I really like writing this ahaha. I am aware of the discontinuity and crack factor, but it was still fun. I've been reading too much of The thief, I know it. I'll probably write a part for Sungmin and Eunhyuk too, which should be fun. Thanks for reading~