The Lost Angel (2/2)
Title: The Lost Angel (2/2)
Pairing: HaeHyuk
Genre: Fantasy, AU, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Summary: At sixteen, Hyukjae's life turns upside down when he begins to attract the attention of deadly night creatures who can't wait to kill him.
Warnings: Prepare a bucket because there's an insane amount of cheesiness. And fluff. You've been warned.
Previous Chapter: 1A 1B
Beta-ed by: mysapphiresky
“How is he?” Donghae asked worriedly as soon as Siwon had finished examining Hyukjae.
Siwon smiled reassuringly at Donghae. “Don’t worry; it looks like he just tired himself out after using his powers like that. As long as he learns how to use his power properly it won’t happen again. Let’s just let him get some sleep and he’ll be fine.” Everyone heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. It had been a shock to see Hyukjae suddenly collapse.
“Well, his power did choose the right time to show up,” Kyuhyun commented. “It’s a wonder that Chansung is still alive after that.”
Donghae’s eyes flashed in anger. “Well, he’d wish he wasn’t after what I do to him…” His mind was already full of different ways and means to beat the lights out of Chansung for even thinking of harming Hyukjae.
“You’re not going to be doing anything, young man!” A new voice emerged from the door and everyone turned to see that it was Leeteuk, the angel who currently governed the whole kingdom. Beside him was his mate, Kangin.
“Leeteuk hyung, Kangin hyung, you’re finally back!” Siwon said, immediately moving to hug Leeteuk and Kangin in greeting. The rest did the same, unable to contain their elation at seeing the two angels.
“Why didn’t you tell us earlier that you’ve already found the crown prince? We just got the news only two days ago!” Leeteuk chided.
“Earlier?” Donghae echoed incredulously. “No offense, but both of you were practically impossible to find! Where were you anyway?”
“I thought it’d be better for Teukie if we were somewhere far. So I brought him to the Himalayas,” Kangin explained.
“…” No one knew what to reply to that. It was just ridiculous; no wonder none of the messenger angels sent out had been able to find them for weeks!
“The Himalayas,” Donghae finally repeated blankly. “We wanted both of you to relax, have a good time, and generally enjoy yourselves on a second honeymoon and you guys went to the Himalayas?!”
“What are you spazzing about?” Kangin asked gruffly. “We did have a relaxing time, didn’t we, Teukie?”
Leeteuk nodded emphatically in reply. “You should go there yourself one day, Donghae, and you’ll know what we’re talking about. Anyway, let’s not talk about us anymore. I can’t believe so much happened while we were gone! Thank goodness nothing happened to all of you; I wouldn’t have forgiven myself otherwise…”
“Hyung, this is why we wanted you to take a rest in the first place,” Sungmin said. “You’ve been overworking yourself for the sake of the kingdom…”
“But look at what happened the moment I left!” Leeteuk cried dramatically, while Kyuhyun rolled his eyes at the display. This was the exact reason why they had practically forced their leader to take a break; he was just getting too high-strung. But no one had expected so many things to happen in his absence.
“Relax, Teukie. Now, didn’t you say you wanted to see the crown prince?” Kangin asked, successfully diverting Leeteuk’s attention.
“Oh, yes. Is that him?” Leeteuk made his way nearer to the bed where Hyukjae was resting. “Oh my, he has the nicest pair of wings I’ve ever seen,” Leeteuk gushed enthusiastically. “How I wish mine were like his!”
“You’re just saying that because the prince’s wings are pure white while yours are cream colored…” Kyuhyun smirked. It was no secret that Leeteuk loved white after all.
“Still… He looks just like a real angel!”
“He IS an angel,” interrupted Kangin. “And he looks a bit scrawny, if you ask me.”
“What? Hyung, my Hyukkie’s the most perfect angel in the world!” Donghae argued hotly, further adding to the noise in the room. Seeing this, Siwon finally stepped in.
“Maybe we should continue this outside,” he suggested diplomatically. “We don’t want to wake His Highness up, after all.” Everyone quickly quietened at this, only realizing how loud they had been previously. They then left the room silently, with the exception of Donghae who insisted on staying by Hyukjae’s side.
Outside, Leeteuk and Kangin were quickly brought up to speed about all that had happened in their absence, and they had been surprised and disappointed to hear that Chansung had actually launched such an attack while they were gone.
“I knew he was ambitious, but I didn’t think he’d actually do this,” Leeteuk sighed. “Where is he now?”
“He’s in the basement now. His chains are made of iron, so he won’t be using his power anytime soon,” said Sungmin. For some reason, none of the angels’ powers ever worked when they were in contact with iron. As such, iron was a heavily regulated metal in the kingdom; and it was mainly used for restraining prisoners, especially those who had potentially destructive powers.
“If only he hadn’t done this… Have we rounded up all the angels who were in cahoots with him?”
“Yesung hyung’s working on that,” Sungmin affirmed. Yesung had the power of reading others’ minds, and everyone thought it was an annoyance at first, since they didn’t know whether Yesung was actually reading their minds or not. But they soon realized that it was a great asset, since he was a literal walking lie detector, and in cases like this, he could also extract information that was otherwise almost unattainable. It would only be a matter of days before they arrested all the rebel angels.
“Our relations with the werewolves are going to worsen again… Do you think the prince will be able to handle all of this? He looks so young and innocent!”
“He’ll have to learn then,” Kangin said, earning himself a glare from Leeteuk. “What? It’s true. He’s the rightful heir to the whole kingdom, if he can’t do that then he’s not fit to rule.”
“You can’t expect him to be able to handle all this right from the start! We’re going to help him!” Leeteuk declared.
“We are?” Kangin wanted to protest, but one look from Leeteuk shut him up. “Oh, fine.” So much for having more time with Leeteuk now that he wasn’t entirely responsible for the kingdom’s future, Kangin thought sourly. He just hoped that this prince would be up to the task, or he’d definitely beat some sense into him, even if he was the prince and Donghae’s mate.
***
When Hyukjae finally regained consciousness the first thing he noticed was his empty stomach. He was so hungry! The next thing he noticed was that his right hand was trapped under a dead weight. He panicked for a moment before he realized that it was just Donghae.
Oh. Donghae. The angel he was supposed to be mad at, but for some reason, he couldn’t. What was it about the other angel that made him feel this way? He felt weird and strangely empty whenever Donghae wasn’t around, and when the other was around, his heart would start pumping erratically, as if it would jump out of his chest any moment. And when Donghae smiled, it was as if the rest of the world didn’t exist anymore, and the only thing that mattered was that Donghae was happy.
Was this love? He had never experienced such a thing before and he hadn’t expected that it would happen to him in such a manner.
“Hyukkie?”
Oh crap. Donghae had finally awoken, it seemed, and he was now staring at Hyukjae with his huge brown orbs.
“Hyukkie, you’re awake! How are you feeling?”
“I’m hungry…” Hyukjae admitted, just as his stomach gave a loud growl. He looked away in embarrassment.
“Oh, yes, of course you’d be! Wait here, I’ll get you something to eat,” Donghae said, and he rushed out of the room before Hyukjae could even say anything else. Then he was back in record time, with a tray full of food. He stirred the soup, and blew at it briefly before lifting a spoonful to Hyukjae’s lips. “Come, Hyukkie, say ah!”
“W-Wait, I can do it myself - ” Hyukjae’s protests were cut off as Donghae quickly took the chance to push the spoon into his mouth. Donghae chuckled as Hyukjae glared at him, or tried to, at least. It was almost impossible for Hyukjae to look intimidating with his cheeks tinted pink like that. This continued in the same vein until Hyukjae finally gave up, and Donghae grinned in victory.
“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Donghae asked cheekily as the last of the soup was finished and he set the bowl down. “You should rest more, Hyukkie! What you did yesterday was extremely dangerous, you know?”
Hyukjae crossed his arms defiantly and looked away, ignoring Donghae. Inwardly he was cursing the other angel with all his might. Stupid Donghae, I saved you from being drowned by that crazy angel and all you can say is that it was dangerous? Pabo!
“Don’t be angry, Hyukkie…” Donghae placed his hands on Hyukjae’s shoulders, forcing the younger angel to look at him. “Although you were really awesome and powerful yesterday, I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“But I’m not hurt.” Hyukjae said simply, and Donghae had to admit that he was right.
“Well, you could have been. And you were knocked out for a day!”
“But I wasn’t hurt,” Hyukjae insisted stubbornly.
“But if you were, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself for it.” Donghae said this sincerely, hoping that Hyukjae would be able to understand that moment of terror he had felt when Hyukjae had gone directly against Chansung.
The words did mollify Hyukjae somewhat, but he was also once again reminded of the fact that Donghae had been hiding something from him. Well, now was as good a time as any to thrash things out with Donghae. He had to know if Donghae felt anything more than an obligation to take good care of him just because he was the crown prince.
“Donghae.” The sudden seriousness in his voice startled Donghae, who looked questioningly at Hyukjae. “Why didn’t you tell me that we’re… soulmates?”
A flicker of surprise crossed Donghae’s eyes. “How did you know about that?”
“Sungmin told me…”
“How did he know?” Donghae asked. He didn’t remember ever telling this to Sungmin. A sudden thought appeared in his mind. “Is this why you were avoiding me for the past week?”
Hyukjae looked away guiltily. “I wasn’t avoiding you…” Donghae only stared at him incredulously, and Hyukjae hastily admitted, “Okay, maybe a bit.”
“Why?” Does this mean he doesn’t like the idea of being my mate?
“Because you didn’t tell me…”
“Oh.” There was a few moments of silence as Donghae blinked in bemusement. That was all? “I’m sorry, Hyukkie! I was just worried that you’d feel pressured about it and I didn’t want to force my feelings on you.”
“F-Feelings?”
Donghae facepalmed mentally. He supposed that now that he had gone and said it, there really wasn’t any way out of this. “Yes, feelings… I love you, Hyukkie.”
“L-Love?” Hyukjae repeated in shock, mind straining to process the implications of that word. “I - Really?” This wasn’t the exactly the answer he had been expecting, and he didn’t understand why he felt so nervous suddenly, heart thumping wildly in his chest as he waited for Donghae’s reply.
Donghae sucked in a deep breath, before answering confidently. “Yes.” When Hyukjae didn’t run away screaming in shock, he took that as a good sign and continued, “I know this may be a surprise to you, but it’s true. I love you, and no one else in this world will ever be able to take your place in my heart.” With every word that Donghae said, he gained more and more confidence, and now he gazed tenderly at Hyukjae, hoping that he would sense his sincerity.
Hyukjae, on the other hand, was still in a state of confusion and shock. It wasn’t what he had expected, but this was infinitely better than anything else he could have imagined. He was just coming to terms with the idea that he had fallen in love with Donghae, and his initial worry that Donghae wouldn’t like him that way had just been proven to be unfounded.
“Will you give me a chance, Hyukkie?” Donghae asked, taking Hyukjae’s hands in his.
“I… Uh. I really like you as well,” Hyukjae blurted out, offering a hesitant smile to Donghae, who could hardly believe his ears.
“Really? Oh my God, Hyukkie!” Donghae was so excited that he picked Hyukjae up and swung him around, earning a yelp from the other. “I think I’m the happiest angel on earth right now!”
“W-Wait, put me down first! Hae!” Unfortunately for Hyukjae, Donghae refused to release his grip on him and even stole a kiss from the younger angel, which silenced all his protests immediately. It was even better than the very first kiss they shared, in Donghae’s opinion, mainly because Hyukjae was actually responding this time.
“Donghae ah! Get your ass out here - ” Kangin stopped in mid sentence, mildly surprised at what he saw. Then he turned back and left, but not before saying, “Stop raping the poor boy and come out when you’re done.”
“Hyung! It wouldn’t hurt to knock, you know!” Donghae yelled irritably after Kangin, not caring if the other heard him or not. “And I wasn’t raping him!”
“W-Who was that?” Hyukjae asked, slightly flustered that someone had seen them.
“He’s Kangin. Don’t mind him, he’s always this rude.”
***
The next few weeks swept by in a flash for Hyukjae. Donghae had no qualms in announcing their relationship to all their friends, who congratulated the newly formed couple. Hyukjae also found himself busy with lessons from Sungmin on controlling his power. He was rather adept at it now, though there would still be certain times when his control slipped and the weather started reflecting his current mood. It wasn’t a huge problem though, since Hyukjae was normally cheerful and thus the weather was almost always bright and sunny.
Hyukjae had also forged close bonds with Leeteuk and Kangin, who took a liking to him instantly. Even Kangin, who had originally doubted Hyukjae’s abilities, had to admit that Hyukjae was far stronger than he looked and that he would be a good leader for the kingdom. They looked upon Hyukjae as a younger brother, and promised to help Hyukjae out whenever possible. This upset Donghae somewhat, because he couldn’t even do anything as simple as kissing Hyukjae in their presence. Leeteuk would drag him away from Hyukjae while Kangin would accuse him of being a pedophile, which annoyed Donghae to no end. Just because he was almost five years older than Hyukjae didn’t mean anything, damnit.
The days passed in a flash and now, it had been almost two months since Hyukjae had arrived in their kingdom, and Donghae had also arranged a date for his coronation as the new King. That title gave Hyukjae mixed feelings; he wasn’t sure if he would be up to the task, though at the same time he wanted to do everything in his power to play a part in helping the country that had changed his life for the better.
“What are you thinking about, Hyukkie?” Donghae appeared in his room holding a carton of strawberry milk, which Hyukjae gratefully accepted.
“Nothing much… I was just thinking that so much has happened in these two months…”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to find you earlier,” Donghae said. He knew that Hyukjae did not really have a good past, and he felt partially responsible for that.
“Don’t be silly, it’s not your fault. You still found me, right?” Hyukjae smiled widely at Donghae, indicating that he didn’t blame the other at all. “And I’m slightly nervous about tomorrow,” he confessed. His coronation would take place the next day, and it would be his first time out in public with other angels. He just hoped that they would accept him as their new leader.
Donghae sat down next to Hyukjae on the bed. “Don’t worry about tomorrow, I promise you’ll enjoy it.”
Hyukjae doubted it but he didn’t want to burst Donghae’s bubble, so he just nodded in reply. A sudden thought occurred to him then, and he couldn’t help but grin mischievously. “You know… If I’m the King, doesn’t that make you the Queen?”
Donghae’s eyes bugged out comically upon hearing this. “Queen? No way! Maybe we’ll make you the Queen instead,” he joked. “Aw, don’t frown like that, Hyukkie, I was just kidding!”
“Then you agree to being the Queen, then?” Hyukjae asked innocently.
“No way! I’ll think of something,” Donghae decided and Hyukjae pouted slightly. He thought it would have been funny if Donghae did become a Queen instead.
***
The day of the coronation had finally arrived, and it was a complete mess in Hyukjae’s quarters, with servants hurrying in and out. Hyukjae himself was surrounded by numerous other angels who fiddled everywhere with his hair, clothes, wings - one of them even wanted to paint Hyukjae’s nails but Hyukjae firmly denied her.
“Stop playing with your own feathers!” Sungmin slapped Hyukjae’s hand away from his wings and brushed them down again. It had taken them almost two hours to dress Hyukjae in full royal regalia, and he now looked absolutely stunning, though that wouldn’t be the case if Hyukjae continued fidgeting. “You’re going to ruin that nice coat of yours if you keep doing that.”
“I can’t help it…” Hyukjae said apologetically. It had become a habit for him to fiddle with his own wings now whenever he felt nervous. “Where’s Donghae?”
“Oh, er, he’s busy with some final preparations,” Sungmin replied somewhat evasively, though Hyukjae didn’t notice. Before he could wonder when Donghae would be back, though, the tinkling of a bell sounded throughout the entire room, indicating that it was time.
“Your Highness, we must proceed now.” A servant informed Hyukjae, who had already been pulled to his feet by Sungmin. He wanted to wait a while longer for Donghae, but Sungmin told him that was not possible.
“Come on, they’re all waiting for you. We’ll meet up with Donghae later,” Sungmin said as he led Hyukjae out and towards the carriage which would bring Hyukjae to the parade grounds. It was a very traditional affair, and hundreds and thousands of angels would be eagerly awaiting the new King along the way, right up towards the palace.
Hyukjae got into the carriage with a heavy heart as he wondered where Donghae had disappeared off to. The other angel had promised to be with him throughout the whole ceremony, but he was nowhere to be seen. Hyukjae could only hope that nothing bad had happened to Donghae.
As the carriage started towards their destination, Hyukjae took the time to admire its lush interior. The seat was made of silk and intricate embroidery covered every inch of the fabric. The window frame was gilded with gold, and tinted such that much of the sun’s rays were filtered out, making its interior much cooler than it had looked from the outside.
A sudden cheer erupted from outside, startling Hyukjae, who hadn’t been paying much attention to his surroundings before that. He peered out of the window to see what had caused the commotion, and was stunned to see rows and rows of angels crowding the sides of the street that he was currently travelling through. Although Donghae had told him that this would happen, he was still taken by surprise, especially since it was his first time seeing so many angels at one place. They were all beaming and waving excitedly in his direction, and he could even decipher some of their shouts.
“Long live the King!”
“We love the King!”
Hyukjae felt his eyes watering as he heard all these. He felt touched that everyone were willing to give him their support even though this was the first time that they had seen him. This strengthened his resolve to be an excellent king worthy of their love.
It took about half an hour, but Hyukjae actually felt reluctant to leave the carriage when they finally arrived at the parade grounds. Stepping out of the carriage, he looked around for Donghae once more, but was sorely disappointed when there was still no sight of him.
“This way, Your Highness.” Hyukjae turned towards the direction that the servant had indicated, and swallowed nervously. He had to walk past two rows of royal guards before reaching the podium where he would be crowned by Leeteuk and Kangin. And there were still many other angels at the parade grounds watching the entire procession. He would never get used to being in the centre of attention, but Hyukjae steeled his nerves anyway and started forward.
It took forever for him to reach the podium, and along the way Hyukjae was assaulted by flashes from the cameras. He kept up his smile, however, and continued on at the same steady pace towards the podium. When he finally reached, Leeteuk and Kangin both smiled at him, the latter even patting his back in support.
“Good job, kiddo.” Hyukjae felt immensely reassured by the words, since he looked up to Kangin as a father figure and held high respect for the other.
“Thanks, hyung.”
Leeteuk then cleared his throat and started his speech. He enraptured the audience by recounting how Hyukjae had fought valiantly against the traitor Chansung and his army of rebels and werewolves. Leeteuk then rounded off by assuring everyone that he had no doubts that Hyukjae would be one of the best Kings ever for the kingdom. He kept the speech short, since he knew that Hyukjae had already long won over the hearts of the angels, and they would be impatient for the actual coronation.
“Well, this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. We shall begin the coronation now,” Leeteuk said. “Ryeowook, if you please.” The angel named Ryeowook scurried forward and presented the crown to Leeteuk. It was a simple, golden crown with rubies and sapphires all around it and a larger diamond set right in the middle, gleaming brightly in the sunlight.
“I now proclaim the 32nd Crown Prince, Lee Hyukjae, as the new King!” Leeteuk announced, and he placed the crown onto Hyukjae’s head amidst loud cheers from everyone present. Hyukjae smiled and posed for the cameras, hoping that he didn’t look as nervous as he felt. He wanted to ask where Donghae was, but Kangin and Leeteuk had somehow disappeared and he realized that he was left alone in the crowd.
Hyukjae was just about to excuse himself to look for someone he recognized, when everyone suddenly fell silent around him. There was barely time for him to wonder if something had happened when he caught sight of Donghae who had appeared right opposite him, looking extremely handsome in an all white suit. Hyukjae blinked; when had Donghae appeared?
But these words were caught in his throat when Donghae started making his way towards him, his very presence causing the crowd to part automatically for him. Hyukjae felt his heart pounding faster all of a sudden, though he remained rooted to his spot, unsure of what Donghae was trying to do.
When Donghae was standing right in front of Hyukjae, he suddenly pulled the younger boy into a kiss, earning gasps and even screams from the other angels present, who had not been expecting such a scene. Hyukjae himself wasn’t prepared for anything like this either, and he was still dumbfounded even after Donghae had pulled away.
“What are you - ” Hyukjae gasped in shock when Donghae went down on one bended knee and held out a shining silver engagement ring.
“Hyukjae, will you marry me?”
The words shook him right to the core, and Hyukjae first felt disbelief, which quickly morphed into pure joy as he realized that this was not a dream and that Donghae was really right in front of him, asking for his hand in marriage.
“Yes.” Hyukjae answered without hesitation, and then he suddenly flung himself at Donghae and hugged him tightly, tears of joy already streaming down his cheeks. Donghae held him equally tightly, neither party wanting to be the first to let go. They could have gone on like this for the rest of the day, had Leeteuk not finally interrupted them.
“Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have the honour of inviting all of you here to witness the marriage of two souls here who are very much deeply in love.”
“N-Now?” Hyukjae asked, overwhelmed by all the sudden happenings.
“We’ll let the whole kingdom be our witness, Hyukkie,” Donghae replied. He had prepared all this as a surprise for Hyukjae, and he was glad that it was going exceedingly well according to plan. The priest was now at the podium as well, and Sungmin nodded to Donghae to show that everything was ready.
First both Hyukjae and Donghae had to exchange rings, which they both did so with no trouble. Hyukjae gazed at the silver band now resting on his finger. He had never expected that such a simple accessory would be capable of making him feel so happy. In a rare show of affection, Hyukjae reached out shyly and grasped Donghae’s hand. Donghae couldn’t help but grin at this; in fact, he had been grinning like an idiot ever since Hyukjae had agreed to marry him. He couldn’t help it, he was just too elated.
“It’s now time for your wedding vows.” Donghae and Hyukjae dutifully got into place in front of the priest.
“Will you, Lee Donghae, take Lee Hyukjae to be your lawful wedded wife and promise to be true to him in both good times and in bad, and love and honour him all the days of your life? Do you promise to have and to hold him from this day onward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
Donghae clasped his hand tighter around Hyukjae’s. “Yes, I do.”
“Will you, Lee Hyukjae, take Lee Donghae to be your lawful wedded husband and promise to be true to him in both good times and in bad, and love and honour him all the days of your life? Do you promise to have and to hold him from this day onward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then I now proclaim you both as husband and wife. You may now kiss.” As soon as he had said this, Donghae smoothly captured Hyukjae’s lips with his own, sucking and nibbling at the other’s lips while demanding for entrance. Hyukjae didn’t resist, and instead returned the kiss with equal passion, both of them clinging onto the other as if their lives depended on it.
Finally, Leeteuk could take it no more and he cleared his throat loudly, effectively startling the two newlyweds and causing them to break apart. Hyukjae thought he would die of embarrassment when he belatedly realized that all the other angels had been eagerly watching his kiss with Donghae.
“Well, it seems like our newlywed couple are slightly impatient,” Leeteuk said, causing the audience to break out into laughter. “I now welcome everyone here into the palace ballroom to celebrate this momentous event!”
“You’ve been preparing all these behind my back?” Hyukjae asked, turning to Donghae in surprise. He had thought that the proposal was just a spontaneous thing.
“Of course! Why else do you think I disappeared just now?” Donghae sounded extremely proud of himself.
“Oh.” Hyukjae felt utterly stupid now for not realizing this before. “But Donghae, you still broke your promise.”
“Aw, Hyukkie!” Donghae whined, immediately understanding what Hyukjae meant. “I’m sorry I left you, but I had to make sure everything was perfect!”
“You don’t mean it,” Hyukjae accused, pretending to be mad.
Donghae panicked and thought of how he could placate his upset lover. “Of course I mean it, Hyukkie! I can do everything - Hey, are you laughing at me?” Donghae asked when Hyukjae finally collapsed with laughter, eyes twinkling with happiness.
“Donghae, you won’t ever leave me, right?”
“Of course not, Hyukkie. I’ll be right by your side, always.”
-THE END-
A/N: Really fail ending that my beta loves. Though as you can see, I'm not really good at writing fluff. -.- Writing this chapter nearly killed me, well, figuratively, of course. But yeah, finally this is complete! And now I can focus on my other chaptered fic (I'm really not good at multitasking in terms of ficcing). So I hope you guys like this, even if it was utterly corny, but I'm a sucker for happy endings complete with confetti in the air so don't judge me D: Oh btw, does everyone know how Sungmin knew that Hyukjae was Donghae's mate? I'm sure all you smart readers know, right? You could always clarify with me though, hehe. Lastly, thanks for reading this, everyone and supporting me even though I update like a snail ^^
Pairing: HaeHyuk
Genre: Fantasy, AU, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Summary: At sixteen, Hyukjae's life turns upside down when he begins to attract the attention of deadly night creatures who can't wait to kill him.
Warnings: Prepare a bucket because there's an insane amount of cheesiness. And fluff. You've been warned.
Previous Chapter: 1A 1B
Beta-ed by: mysapphiresky
“How is he?” Donghae asked worriedly as soon as Siwon had finished examining Hyukjae.
Siwon smiled reassuringly at Donghae. “Don’t worry; it looks like he just tired himself out after using his powers like that. As long as he learns how to use his power properly it won’t happen again. Let’s just let him get some sleep and he’ll be fine.” Everyone heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. It had been a shock to see Hyukjae suddenly collapse.
“Well, his power did choose the right time to show up,” Kyuhyun commented. “It’s a wonder that Chansung is still alive after that.”
Donghae’s eyes flashed in anger. “Well, he’d wish he wasn’t after what I do to him…” His mind was already full of different ways and means to beat the lights out of Chansung for even thinking of harming Hyukjae.
“You’re not going to be doing anything, young man!” A new voice emerged from the door and everyone turned to see that it was Leeteuk, the angel who currently governed the whole kingdom. Beside him was his mate, Kangin.
“Leeteuk hyung, Kangin hyung, you’re finally back!” Siwon said, immediately moving to hug Leeteuk and Kangin in greeting. The rest did the same, unable to contain their elation at seeing the two angels.
“Why didn’t you tell us earlier that you’ve already found the crown prince? We just got the news only two days ago!” Leeteuk chided.
“Earlier?” Donghae echoed incredulously. “No offense, but both of you were practically impossible to find! Where were you anyway?”
“I thought it’d be better for Teukie if we were somewhere far. So I brought him to the Himalayas,” Kangin explained.
“…” No one knew what to reply to that. It was just ridiculous; no wonder none of the messenger angels sent out had been able to find them for weeks!
“The Himalayas,” Donghae finally repeated blankly. “We wanted both of you to relax, have a good time, and generally enjoy yourselves on a second honeymoon and you guys went to the Himalayas?!”
“What are you spazzing about?” Kangin asked gruffly. “We did have a relaxing time, didn’t we, Teukie?”
Leeteuk nodded emphatically in reply. “You should go there yourself one day, Donghae, and you’ll know what we’re talking about. Anyway, let’s not talk about us anymore. I can’t believe so much happened while we were gone! Thank goodness nothing happened to all of you; I wouldn’t have forgiven myself otherwise…”
“Hyung, this is why we wanted you to take a rest in the first place,” Sungmin said. “You’ve been overworking yourself for the sake of the kingdom…”
“But look at what happened the moment I left!” Leeteuk cried dramatically, while Kyuhyun rolled his eyes at the display. This was the exact reason why they had practically forced their leader to take a break; he was just getting too high-strung. But no one had expected so many things to happen in his absence.
“Relax, Teukie. Now, didn’t you say you wanted to see the crown prince?” Kangin asked, successfully diverting Leeteuk’s attention.
“Oh, yes. Is that him?” Leeteuk made his way nearer to the bed where Hyukjae was resting. “Oh my, he has the nicest pair of wings I’ve ever seen,” Leeteuk gushed enthusiastically. “How I wish mine were like his!”
“You’re just saying that because the prince’s wings are pure white while yours are cream colored…” Kyuhyun smirked. It was no secret that Leeteuk loved white after all.
“Still… He looks just like a real angel!”
“He IS an angel,” interrupted Kangin. “And he looks a bit scrawny, if you ask me.”
“What? Hyung, my Hyukkie’s the most perfect angel in the world!” Donghae argued hotly, further adding to the noise in the room. Seeing this, Siwon finally stepped in.
“Maybe we should continue this outside,” he suggested diplomatically. “We don’t want to wake His Highness up, after all.” Everyone quickly quietened at this, only realizing how loud they had been previously. They then left the room silently, with the exception of Donghae who insisted on staying by Hyukjae’s side.
Outside, Leeteuk and Kangin were quickly brought up to speed about all that had happened in their absence, and they had been surprised and disappointed to hear that Chansung had actually launched such an attack while they were gone.
“I knew he was ambitious, but I didn’t think he’d actually do this,” Leeteuk sighed. “Where is he now?”
“He’s in the basement now. His chains are made of iron, so he won’t be using his power anytime soon,” said Sungmin. For some reason, none of the angels’ powers ever worked when they were in contact with iron. As such, iron was a heavily regulated metal in the kingdom; and it was mainly used for restraining prisoners, especially those who had potentially destructive powers.
“If only he hadn’t done this… Have we rounded up all the angels who were in cahoots with him?”
“Yesung hyung’s working on that,” Sungmin affirmed. Yesung had the power of reading others’ minds, and everyone thought it was an annoyance at first, since they didn’t know whether Yesung was actually reading their minds or not. But they soon realized that it was a great asset, since he was a literal walking lie detector, and in cases like this, he could also extract information that was otherwise almost unattainable. It would only be a matter of days before they arrested all the rebel angels.
“Our relations with the werewolves are going to worsen again… Do you think the prince will be able to handle all of this? He looks so young and innocent!”
“He’ll have to learn then,” Kangin said, earning himself a glare from Leeteuk. “What? It’s true. He’s the rightful heir to the whole kingdom, if he can’t do that then he’s not fit to rule.”
“You can’t expect him to be able to handle all this right from the start! We’re going to help him!” Leeteuk declared.
“We are?” Kangin wanted to protest, but one look from Leeteuk shut him up. “Oh, fine.” So much for having more time with Leeteuk now that he wasn’t entirely responsible for the kingdom’s future, Kangin thought sourly. He just hoped that this prince would be up to the task, or he’d definitely beat some sense into him, even if he was the prince and Donghae’s mate.
***
When Hyukjae finally regained consciousness the first thing he noticed was his empty stomach. He was so hungry! The next thing he noticed was that his right hand was trapped under a dead weight. He panicked for a moment before he realized that it was just Donghae.
Oh. Donghae. The angel he was supposed to be mad at, but for some reason, he couldn’t. What was it about the other angel that made him feel this way? He felt weird and strangely empty whenever Donghae wasn’t around, and when the other was around, his heart would start pumping erratically, as if it would jump out of his chest any moment. And when Donghae smiled, it was as if the rest of the world didn’t exist anymore, and the only thing that mattered was that Donghae was happy.
Was this love? He had never experienced such a thing before and he hadn’t expected that it would happen to him in such a manner.
“Hyukkie?”
Oh crap. Donghae had finally awoken, it seemed, and he was now staring at Hyukjae with his huge brown orbs.
“Hyukkie, you’re awake! How are you feeling?”
“I’m hungry…” Hyukjae admitted, just as his stomach gave a loud growl. He looked away in embarrassment.
“Oh, yes, of course you’d be! Wait here, I’ll get you something to eat,” Donghae said, and he rushed out of the room before Hyukjae could even say anything else. Then he was back in record time, with a tray full of food. He stirred the soup, and blew at it briefly before lifting a spoonful to Hyukjae’s lips. “Come, Hyukkie, say ah!”
“W-Wait, I can do it myself - ” Hyukjae’s protests were cut off as Donghae quickly took the chance to push the spoon into his mouth. Donghae chuckled as Hyukjae glared at him, or tried to, at least. It was almost impossible for Hyukjae to look intimidating with his cheeks tinted pink like that. This continued in the same vein until Hyukjae finally gave up, and Donghae grinned in victory.
“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Donghae asked cheekily as the last of the soup was finished and he set the bowl down. “You should rest more, Hyukkie! What you did yesterday was extremely dangerous, you know?”
Hyukjae crossed his arms defiantly and looked away, ignoring Donghae. Inwardly he was cursing the other angel with all his might. Stupid Donghae, I saved you from being drowned by that crazy angel and all you can say is that it was dangerous? Pabo!
“Don’t be angry, Hyukkie…” Donghae placed his hands on Hyukjae’s shoulders, forcing the younger angel to look at him. “Although you were really awesome and powerful yesterday, I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“But I’m not hurt.” Hyukjae said simply, and Donghae had to admit that he was right.
“Well, you could have been. And you were knocked out for a day!”
“But I wasn’t hurt,” Hyukjae insisted stubbornly.
“But if you were, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself for it.” Donghae said this sincerely, hoping that Hyukjae would be able to understand that moment of terror he had felt when Hyukjae had gone directly against Chansung.
The words did mollify Hyukjae somewhat, but he was also once again reminded of the fact that Donghae had been hiding something from him. Well, now was as good a time as any to thrash things out with Donghae. He had to know if Donghae felt anything more than an obligation to take good care of him just because he was the crown prince.
“Donghae.” The sudden seriousness in his voice startled Donghae, who looked questioningly at Hyukjae. “Why didn’t you tell me that we’re… soulmates?”
A flicker of surprise crossed Donghae’s eyes. “How did you know about that?”
“Sungmin told me…”
“How did he know?” Donghae asked. He didn’t remember ever telling this to Sungmin. A sudden thought appeared in his mind. “Is this why you were avoiding me for the past week?”
Hyukjae looked away guiltily. “I wasn’t avoiding you…” Donghae only stared at him incredulously, and Hyukjae hastily admitted, “Okay, maybe a bit.”
“Why?” Does this mean he doesn’t like the idea of being my mate?
“Because you didn’t tell me…”
“Oh.” There was a few moments of silence as Donghae blinked in bemusement. That was all? “I’m sorry, Hyukkie! I was just worried that you’d feel pressured about it and I didn’t want to force my feelings on you.”
“F-Feelings?”
Donghae facepalmed mentally. He supposed that now that he had gone and said it, there really wasn’t any way out of this. “Yes, feelings… I love you, Hyukkie.”
“L-Love?” Hyukjae repeated in shock, mind straining to process the implications of that word. “I - Really?” This wasn’t the exactly the answer he had been expecting, and he didn’t understand why he felt so nervous suddenly, heart thumping wildly in his chest as he waited for Donghae’s reply.
Donghae sucked in a deep breath, before answering confidently. “Yes.” When Hyukjae didn’t run away screaming in shock, he took that as a good sign and continued, “I know this may be a surprise to you, but it’s true. I love you, and no one else in this world will ever be able to take your place in my heart.” With every word that Donghae said, he gained more and more confidence, and now he gazed tenderly at Hyukjae, hoping that he would sense his sincerity.
Hyukjae, on the other hand, was still in a state of confusion and shock. It wasn’t what he had expected, but this was infinitely better than anything else he could have imagined. He was just coming to terms with the idea that he had fallen in love with Donghae, and his initial worry that Donghae wouldn’t like him that way had just been proven to be unfounded.
“Will you give me a chance, Hyukkie?” Donghae asked, taking Hyukjae’s hands in his.
“I… Uh. I really like you as well,” Hyukjae blurted out, offering a hesitant smile to Donghae, who could hardly believe his ears.
“Really? Oh my God, Hyukkie!” Donghae was so excited that he picked Hyukjae up and swung him around, earning a yelp from the other. “I think I’m the happiest angel on earth right now!”
“W-Wait, put me down first! Hae!” Unfortunately for Hyukjae, Donghae refused to release his grip on him and even stole a kiss from the younger angel, which silenced all his protests immediately. It was even better than the very first kiss they shared, in Donghae’s opinion, mainly because Hyukjae was actually responding this time.
“Donghae ah! Get your ass out here - ” Kangin stopped in mid sentence, mildly surprised at what he saw. Then he turned back and left, but not before saying, “Stop raping the poor boy and come out when you’re done.”
“Hyung! It wouldn’t hurt to knock, you know!” Donghae yelled irritably after Kangin, not caring if the other heard him or not. “And I wasn’t raping him!”
“W-Who was that?” Hyukjae asked, slightly flustered that someone had seen them.
“He’s Kangin. Don’t mind him, he’s always this rude.”
***
The next few weeks swept by in a flash for Hyukjae. Donghae had no qualms in announcing their relationship to all their friends, who congratulated the newly formed couple. Hyukjae also found himself busy with lessons from Sungmin on controlling his power. He was rather adept at it now, though there would still be certain times when his control slipped and the weather started reflecting his current mood. It wasn’t a huge problem though, since Hyukjae was normally cheerful and thus the weather was almost always bright and sunny.
Hyukjae had also forged close bonds with Leeteuk and Kangin, who took a liking to him instantly. Even Kangin, who had originally doubted Hyukjae’s abilities, had to admit that Hyukjae was far stronger than he looked and that he would be a good leader for the kingdom. They looked upon Hyukjae as a younger brother, and promised to help Hyukjae out whenever possible. This upset Donghae somewhat, because he couldn’t even do anything as simple as kissing Hyukjae in their presence. Leeteuk would drag him away from Hyukjae while Kangin would accuse him of being a pedophile, which annoyed Donghae to no end. Just because he was almost five years older than Hyukjae didn’t mean anything, damnit.
The days passed in a flash and now, it had been almost two months since Hyukjae had arrived in their kingdom, and Donghae had also arranged a date for his coronation as the new King. That title gave Hyukjae mixed feelings; he wasn’t sure if he would be up to the task, though at the same time he wanted to do everything in his power to play a part in helping the country that had changed his life for the better.
“What are you thinking about, Hyukkie?” Donghae appeared in his room holding a carton of strawberry milk, which Hyukjae gratefully accepted.
“Nothing much… I was just thinking that so much has happened in these two months…”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to find you earlier,” Donghae said. He knew that Hyukjae did not really have a good past, and he felt partially responsible for that.
“Don’t be silly, it’s not your fault. You still found me, right?” Hyukjae smiled widely at Donghae, indicating that he didn’t blame the other at all. “And I’m slightly nervous about tomorrow,” he confessed. His coronation would take place the next day, and it would be his first time out in public with other angels. He just hoped that they would accept him as their new leader.
Donghae sat down next to Hyukjae on the bed. “Don’t worry about tomorrow, I promise you’ll enjoy it.”
Hyukjae doubted it but he didn’t want to burst Donghae’s bubble, so he just nodded in reply. A sudden thought occurred to him then, and he couldn’t help but grin mischievously. “You know… If I’m the King, doesn’t that make you the Queen?”
Donghae’s eyes bugged out comically upon hearing this. “Queen? No way! Maybe we’ll make you the Queen instead,” he joked. “Aw, don’t frown like that, Hyukkie, I was just kidding!”
“Then you agree to being the Queen, then?” Hyukjae asked innocently.
“No way! I’ll think of something,” Donghae decided and Hyukjae pouted slightly. He thought it would have been funny if Donghae did become a Queen instead.
***
The day of the coronation had finally arrived, and it was a complete mess in Hyukjae’s quarters, with servants hurrying in and out. Hyukjae himself was surrounded by numerous other angels who fiddled everywhere with his hair, clothes, wings - one of them even wanted to paint Hyukjae’s nails but Hyukjae firmly denied her.
“Stop playing with your own feathers!” Sungmin slapped Hyukjae’s hand away from his wings and brushed them down again. It had taken them almost two hours to dress Hyukjae in full royal regalia, and he now looked absolutely stunning, though that wouldn’t be the case if Hyukjae continued fidgeting. “You’re going to ruin that nice coat of yours if you keep doing that.”
“I can’t help it…” Hyukjae said apologetically. It had become a habit for him to fiddle with his own wings now whenever he felt nervous. “Where’s Donghae?”
“Oh, er, he’s busy with some final preparations,” Sungmin replied somewhat evasively, though Hyukjae didn’t notice. Before he could wonder when Donghae would be back, though, the tinkling of a bell sounded throughout the entire room, indicating that it was time.
“Your Highness, we must proceed now.” A servant informed Hyukjae, who had already been pulled to his feet by Sungmin. He wanted to wait a while longer for Donghae, but Sungmin told him that was not possible.
“Come on, they’re all waiting for you. We’ll meet up with Donghae later,” Sungmin said as he led Hyukjae out and towards the carriage which would bring Hyukjae to the parade grounds. It was a very traditional affair, and hundreds and thousands of angels would be eagerly awaiting the new King along the way, right up towards the palace.
Hyukjae got into the carriage with a heavy heart as he wondered where Donghae had disappeared off to. The other angel had promised to be with him throughout the whole ceremony, but he was nowhere to be seen. Hyukjae could only hope that nothing bad had happened to Donghae.
As the carriage started towards their destination, Hyukjae took the time to admire its lush interior. The seat was made of silk and intricate embroidery covered every inch of the fabric. The window frame was gilded with gold, and tinted such that much of the sun’s rays were filtered out, making its interior much cooler than it had looked from the outside.
A sudden cheer erupted from outside, startling Hyukjae, who hadn’t been paying much attention to his surroundings before that. He peered out of the window to see what had caused the commotion, and was stunned to see rows and rows of angels crowding the sides of the street that he was currently travelling through. Although Donghae had told him that this would happen, he was still taken by surprise, especially since it was his first time seeing so many angels at one place. They were all beaming and waving excitedly in his direction, and he could even decipher some of their shouts.
“Long live the King!”
“We love the King!”
Hyukjae felt his eyes watering as he heard all these. He felt touched that everyone were willing to give him their support even though this was the first time that they had seen him. This strengthened his resolve to be an excellent king worthy of their love.
It took about half an hour, but Hyukjae actually felt reluctant to leave the carriage when they finally arrived at the parade grounds. Stepping out of the carriage, he looked around for Donghae once more, but was sorely disappointed when there was still no sight of him.
“This way, Your Highness.” Hyukjae turned towards the direction that the servant had indicated, and swallowed nervously. He had to walk past two rows of royal guards before reaching the podium where he would be crowned by Leeteuk and Kangin. And there were still many other angels at the parade grounds watching the entire procession. He would never get used to being in the centre of attention, but Hyukjae steeled his nerves anyway and started forward.
It took forever for him to reach the podium, and along the way Hyukjae was assaulted by flashes from the cameras. He kept up his smile, however, and continued on at the same steady pace towards the podium. When he finally reached, Leeteuk and Kangin both smiled at him, the latter even patting his back in support.
“Good job, kiddo.” Hyukjae felt immensely reassured by the words, since he looked up to Kangin as a father figure and held high respect for the other.
“Thanks, hyung.”
Leeteuk then cleared his throat and started his speech. He enraptured the audience by recounting how Hyukjae had fought valiantly against the traitor Chansung and his army of rebels and werewolves. Leeteuk then rounded off by assuring everyone that he had no doubts that Hyukjae would be one of the best Kings ever for the kingdom. He kept the speech short, since he knew that Hyukjae had already long won over the hearts of the angels, and they would be impatient for the actual coronation.
“Well, this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. We shall begin the coronation now,” Leeteuk said. “Ryeowook, if you please.” The angel named Ryeowook scurried forward and presented the crown to Leeteuk. It was a simple, golden crown with rubies and sapphires all around it and a larger diamond set right in the middle, gleaming brightly in the sunlight.
“I now proclaim the 32nd Crown Prince, Lee Hyukjae, as the new King!” Leeteuk announced, and he placed the crown onto Hyukjae’s head amidst loud cheers from everyone present. Hyukjae smiled and posed for the cameras, hoping that he didn’t look as nervous as he felt. He wanted to ask where Donghae was, but Kangin and Leeteuk had somehow disappeared and he realized that he was left alone in the crowd.
Hyukjae was just about to excuse himself to look for someone he recognized, when everyone suddenly fell silent around him. There was barely time for him to wonder if something had happened when he caught sight of Donghae who had appeared right opposite him, looking extremely handsome in an all white suit. Hyukjae blinked; when had Donghae appeared?
But these words were caught in his throat when Donghae started making his way towards him, his very presence causing the crowd to part automatically for him. Hyukjae felt his heart pounding faster all of a sudden, though he remained rooted to his spot, unsure of what Donghae was trying to do.
When Donghae was standing right in front of Hyukjae, he suddenly pulled the younger boy into a kiss, earning gasps and even screams from the other angels present, who had not been expecting such a scene. Hyukjae himself wasn’t prepared for anything like this either, and he was still dumbfounded even after Donghae had pulled away.
“What are you - ” Hyukjae gasped in shock when Donghae went down on one bended knee and held out a shining silver engagement ring.
“Hyukjae, will you marry me?”
The words shook him right to the core, and Hyukjae first felt disbelief, which quickly morphed into pure joy as he realized that this was not a dream and that Donghae was really right in front of him, asking for his hand in marriage.
“Yes.” Hyukjae answered without hesitation, and then he suddenly flung himself at Donghae and hugged him tightly, tears of joy already streaming down his cheeks. Donghae held him equally tightly, neither party wanting to be the first to let go. They could have gone on like this for the rest of the day, had Leeteuk not finally interrupted them.
“Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have the honour of inviting all of you here to witness the marriage of two souls here who are very much deeply in love.”
“N-Now?” Hyukjae asked, overwhelmed by all the sudden happenings.
“We’ll let the whole kingdom be our witness, Hyukkie,” Donghae replied. He had prepared all this as a surprise for Hyukjae, and he was glad that it was going exceedingly well according to plan. The priest was now at the podium as well, and Sungmin nodded to Donghae to show that everything was ready.
First both Hyukjae and Donghae had to exchange rings, which they both did so with no trouble. Hyukjae gazed at the silver band now resting on his finger. He had never expected that such a simple accessory would be capable of making him feel so happy. In a rare show of affection, Hyukjae reached out shyly and grasped Donghae’s hand. Donghae couldn’t help but grin at this; in fact, he had been grinning like an idiot ever since Hyukjae had agreed to marry him. He couldn’t help it, he was just too elated.
“It’s now time for your wedding vows.” Donghae and Hyukjae dutifully got into place in front of the priest.
“Will you, Lee Donghae, take Lee Hyukjae to be your lawful wedded wife and promise to be true to him in both good times and in bad, and love and honour him all the days of your life? Do you promise to have and to hold him from this day onward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
Donghae clasped his hand tighter around Hyukjae’s. “Yes, I do.”
“Will you, Lee Hyukjae, take Lee Donghae to be your lawful wedded husband and promise to be true to him in both good times and in bad, and love and honour him all the days of your life? Do you promise to have and to hold him from this day onward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then I now proclaim you both as husband and wife. You may now kiss.” As soon as he had said this, Donghae smoothly captured Hyukjae’s lips with his own, sucking and nibbling at the other’s lips while demanding for entrance. Hyukjae didn’t resist, and instead returned the kiss with equal passion, both of them clinging onto the other as if their lives depended on it.
Finally, Leeteuk could take it no more and he cleared his throat loudly, effectively startling the two newlyweds and causing them to break apart. Hyukjae thought he would die of embarrassment when he belatedly realized that all the other angels had been eagerly watching his kiss with Donghae.
“Well, it seems like our newlywed couple are slightly impatient,” Leeteuk said, causing the audience to break out into laughter. “I now welcome everyone here into the palace ballroom to celebrate this momentous event!”
“You’ve been preparing all these behind my back?” Hyukjae asked, turning to Donghae in surprise. He had thought that the proposal was just a spontaneous thing.
“Of course! Why else do you think I disappeared just now?” Donghae sounded extremely proud of himself.
“Oh.” Hyukjae felt utterly stupid now for not realizing this before. “But Donghae, you still broke your promise.”
“Aw, Hyukkie!” Donghae whined, immediately understanding what Hyukjae meant. “I’m sorry I left you, but I had to make sure everything was perfect!”
“You don’t mean it,” Hyukjae accused, pretending to be mad.
Donghae panicked and thought of how he could placate his upset lover. “Of course I mean it, Hyukkie! I can do everything - Hey, are you laughing at me?” Donghae asked when Hyukjae finally collapsed with laughter, eyes twinkling with happiness.
“Donghae, you won’t ever leave me, right?”
“Of course not, Hyukkie. I’ll be right by your side, always.”
-THE END-
A/N: Really fail ending that my beta loves. Though as you can see, I'm not really good at writing fluff. -.- Writing this chapter nearly killed me, well, figuratively, of course. But yeah, finally this is complete! And now I can focus on my other chaptered fic (I'm really not good at multitasking in terms of ficcing). So I hope you guys like this, even if it was utterly corny, but I'm a sucker for happy endings complete with confetti in the air so don't judge me D: Oh btw, does everyone know how Sungmin knew that Hyukjae was Donghae's mate? I'm sure all you smart readers know, right? You could always clarify with me though, hehe. Lastly, thanks for reading this, everyone and supporting me even though I update like a snail ^^