The Snow Prince (7/13)

[thesilentelf]

Title: The Snow Prince
Pairing: HanChul, KangTeuk, KyuMin, EunHae, YeWook, SiBum, ShinNari
Rating: PG13
Genre: Romance, AU
Summary: A story of how a snow prince finally falls in love
A/N: Sorry for the 1 week late post. But I'm back!

- part 7 -


Heechul doesn't know what love is anymore. He doesn't know what it feels, what it means and what it's doing to him. He had given up trying to find out what it is.

But here in Hankyung's arms, surely this was it? He was holding him tightly and Heechul had never been held like this before. It felt comforting and scary but he knew he wasn't alone in feeling this. He knew Hankyung felt it too.

"I'm sorry." Hankyung let go of him and Heechul found himself feeling alone again. No.

"What are you sorry for?" Heechul asked and Hankyung bowed at him.

"I don't know if I should touch you or not." Hankyung replied with deep respect and formality in his tone and Heechul didn't like it.

"And are you going to tell me you're sorry for saying all those things just now?" Heechul hoped he didn't. Heechul hoped he wouldn't take them back.

Hankyung shook his head. "No."

Heechul breathed a sigh of relief.

"I can't. I've said them all."

"I don't want you to take them back." Heechul said, looking at him and Hankyung smiled. "What you say to a snow prince always stays. A snow prince always remembers."

"You just made that up, didn't you?" Hankyung raised an eye at him and Heechul shrugged.

"What if I did?" Heechul heard Hankyung chuckle. "But a snow prince can make laws and I can have one by tomorrow morning say that you can never take back what you say inside the Snow Kingdom."

Hankyung laughed at that as he made a move to hold his hand. "You're a very interesting prince, do you know that?"

Heechul scoffed. "Of course."

Hankyung grinned, holding the back of Heechul's palm up to his lips as he pressed a kiss to it. Heechul's heart raced at that.

Hankyung loved him. Heechul thought. And he loved him back. Was this enough?

But then Heechul's heart fell as he realized that this still didn't mean anything. Hankyung would leave someday and there was nothing he can do. Maybe this wasn't such a good thing to hear that he loved him afterall when there was nothing they can do about it.

"What are you thinking?" Hankyung asked, looking at him as he stroked Heechul's cheek.

"I'm happy." Heechul whispered and Hankyung smiled. "I'm happy that you love me. I feel the same way too. But..."

Hankyung's face fell. "No. No buts."

"There is." Heechul said. "I'm happy you love me but we... we can't."

Hankyung looked at him firmly. "Tell me why not."

"Because you're not going to stay here forever."

Hankyung seemed to expect this and nodded. "I know. I can't."

Heechul stopped. Didn't Hankyung realize what this was all about?

Heechul glared at him for this. "You knew you weren't going to stay here forever so what was the point of telling me you love me when we can't even be together?"

Hankyung looked up at him calmly and his next words made Heechul stop and stare at him.

"Run away with me."

Heechul didn't know if this was a joke. Was he serious? Was Hankyung seriously asking him that?

"Run away with me." Hankyung said again and Heechul found himself stuttering.

"I... I c-can't." Heechul hated being taken aback like this. "Hankyung, I can't."

"You can." Hankyung stepped closer, taking his hands in his. "Remember that time you said you wanted to go out and explore the world? Remember that time you said you wanted to feel what it was like to travel? To be on an adventure?"

Heechul remembered that. He remembered that all too well. They were riding on their horses and just enjoying the scenery, talking about it. That was a week ago but it was still fresh in Heechul's mind. He had been so serious about that. But to actually talk about it now...

"Let's travel together." Hankyung squeezed his hand. "You and I. I'll take you to places you've never been before and you're going to love it. Or maybe to places that even I haven't been to. We'll discover them. Together."

Heechul wasn't so sure. What Hankyung was telling him sounded so good. He wanted to do this. With him. But...

"Hankyung... I can't." Heechul said. "I'm a prince. I have my duties."

Hankyung bit his lip.

"The people here need me. My brothers..." Heechul breathed in deeply. "My brothers need me. I need them. I can't leave them."

Heechul looked up at him. "A snow prince cannot leave his kingdom."

Hankyung looked back at him and smiled softly. "I understand. You're right. It was wrong of me to even ask you to come."

"But I want to." Heechul said. "I really do. But I just can't."

Hankyung was taking him in his arms again and Heechul let him.

They stayed that way for a little while, just standing there, arms around each other. The moon shone down on them and the two of them looked so contrasting. So different. Hankyung's black and red robes against Heechul's white and blue. They look so different now and Heechul clutched at him tighter.

They had just started. Heechul had just started to fall in love and he had just found someone. Now it seems that he can't even have him at all.

"I guess," Hankyung breathed on his shoulder where he was resting his chin. "I guess this is goodbye then."

Goodbye?

Heechul's eyes widened as he let go to stare at him.

"Goodbye?" That word felt so heavy to him. "Why?"

Hankyung looked away. "My work here is done. I'm leaving tomorrow. At dawn."

Heechul didn't know what to think. "What? Why so soon?"

He didn't know Hankyung had his book finished. He knew he would leave but not so soon. Not tomorrow. He was just thinking maybe someday.

"I can't stay long." Hankyung smiled sadly at him. "I always can't stay long."

Heechul didn't understand. He couldn't understand.

"What? But... Why?" Heechul asked eventhough he knew the answer already.

"I usually just work on my book for a couple of days." Hankyung sighed. "But I met you and I lost track of time. I'm sorry."

Doubts started to grow on Heechul and he faced him with a firm stare.

"Were you just playing with me?!" He asked and Hankyung's eyes widened.

"What? No! I would never!"

"Then what was all that confession then?" Heechul felt like he was being cheated on this love game. That he was losing even though it hasn't even started yet.

"Heechul," Hankyung took his hands and Heechul took it back. Hankyung sighed. "Heechul, I love you. I really do. But you just said so yourself you can't leave and I don't want to force you to."

He had a point. And Heechul didn't want to force him to stay either when he knew he had other places to go to. But this was just unfair.

"In fact," Hankyung said, looking up at the moon. "I think it's best if you stay. I'm sorry for even suggesting that you leave with me. Prince Leeteuk would never forgive me. He would think that I was being disrespectful after I just gave him my goodbyes.

Heechul looked at Hankyung. Leeteuk knew? Leeteuk knew he was leaving?

"What? You... You said goodbye to Leeteuk already?"

As Hankyung nodded his head, Heechul stepped back. Leeteuk knew. He knew Hankyung was leaving. That's why he had talked to Heechul earlier. Because he knew. And he was just trying to protect him.

Leeteuk was just trying to protect him.

Heechul felt anger boil inside him.

"Were you going to tell me?" Heechul asked and for a moment, Hankyung just stood there, looking at him.

And then he shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it would bother you this much."

Heechul just stared at him.

"I can't believe you. You weren't even thinking of telling me!"

Hankyung looked painfully at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know I was going to confess tonight. I didn't know you felt the same way. I was going to leave with all these feelings inside. You weren't supposed to know about how I felt!"

"But I know now and you're still leaving tomorrow."

"I have to, Heechul. I can't stay."

Heechul and Hankyung just stared at each other and Heechul found the situation getting worse and worse.

"Okay, fine. Forget about me. For a second, forget about me." Heechul said. "But what about my brothers, huh? They deserve a proper goodbye. Hyukjae and Donghae have grown fond of you. Kyuhyun too. All of them. And Kibum..."

Hankyung hung his head, lowering his gaze.

"Kibum has always been silent. Reserved. But when you arrived, something about you sparked something in him again and it changed him. He's laughing now, Hankyung. Siwon's indebted to you for that. We all are."

Hankyung still didn't look at him and Heechul hated how guilty he looked. Like he knew all this but yet he still wasn't going to do anything about it.

"And me..." Heechul couldn't continue but he had to. "I... You have no idea how much you saved me."

Heechul hated this. He was never helpless. He hated Hankyung for making him feel helpless.

"I'm sorry." Hankyung whispered. "I shouldn't have said anything to you earlier."

That hurt, Heechul thought as he heard it. That hurt too much.

"You just told me that you wouldn't take back what you said earlier."

"I know. But if it's just making things difficult as it is, then... I..."

Heechul didn't want to hear it. He couldn't. He was already feeling helpless as it is and it was just breaking him.

Standing straight and composing himself, Heechul glared at Hankyung.

"Some respect you have for the Snow Princes of the South." Heechul said in his most formal tone and Hankyung looked back at him now knowing that the Heechul he wanted was gone. The person who was standing before him was now Prince Heechul, Snow Prince of the South.

"Heechul- "

"That's 'your majesty' to you, Hankyung-ssi."

Hankyung cringed.

"Not saying goodbye to all of the princes when they have welcomed you with great hospitality and have treated you with care is the most disrespectful thing a person can do to a prince." Heechul said, staring at him icily. "Even if you have said your goodbyes to the eldest prince. The youngest and all of the princes deserve that too."

Hankyung looked at him. "I'm sorry. But I have to leave quick."

"Why?" Heechul asked again and Hankyung just stared at the ground, not answering him.

Fine... If this is what he wants...

Heechul turned his back to him, not wanting to look at him anymore.

"I can't believe I've even fallen in love with a person like you." Heechul breathed out. He didn't dare look at Hankyung as he said it. It was all just too much.

Without another glance, Heechul quickly slipped out from under the trees and as soon as he knew he was far away from him, he ran towards his room.

* * * * *

Ryeowook sighed as he heard the commotion out in the garden. He had heard everything and it broke his heart to see Heechul like that.

He hadn't meant to hear everything. He was just out to pick some mint leaves when he saw Hankyung pacing around. He was about to approach him when Heechul had suddenly entered and the two of them had started talking.

At first, Ryeowook was delighted to hear their confessions. At last, his brother had found someone. Things would be alright now. But it also broke his heart to hear them take it all back as quickly as that.

He was happy that Heechul had chosen them than to run away with Hankyung. But if it was just breaking the both of them up...

Ryeowook hid himself on a tree and saw Hankyung slip past him, walking back towards the castle. Ryeowook gave a sigh of relief at not having been spotted. What the two of them shared was private. Ryeowook didn't want to be caught by them.

Hauling his mini sack filled with mint leaves, Ryeowook exited the garden. His thoughts were still on Heechul and Hankyung as he walked up to the kitchen. All of the servants were sleeping now and Ryeowook should be sleeping as well. But he was depressed and he knew ice cream cheered him up.

Hankyung loved Heechul. Ryeowook knew that. All of the princes knew that. He was a wise prince but even if he wasn't, he would still see it. And there was something holding Hankyung back. He wondered what it was.

Ryeowook sat on the kitchen chair heavily, surprisingly not in the mood for ice cream anymore. His brother... Their snow prince... He didn't deserve to have his heart being broken so fast.

Familiar arms suddenly wrapped around his shoulders and he looked up to see Yesung holding him.

"Hey," Yesung whispered, kissing the side of his head and Ryeowook gave him a small smile.

"Hey," Ryeowook replied, holding him back.

"You were out for so long and I was getting worried." Yesung mumbled in his ear. "I don't really like to sleep alone."

Ryeowook chuckled. "I know you don't."

Ryeowook stood up and Yesung released him. He then started storing the mint leaves back on his supply cupboard and unconsciously started wiping the table even if it was already clean. Yesung had sat back down to wait for him but Ryeowook had started picking up a broom, some rags, a mop and-

"Stop."

Ryeowook looked up to see Yesung holding his arm where he was holding the mop and saw that the older one looked concerned. Ryeowook glanced back at the mop and all the cleaning things he had taken out and started to let go.

"Ryeowook, the last time you were like this was when Siwon and Shindong went missing for a week and we sent Kangin and Hyukjae to look for them. You were worrying so much that you just dropped whatever you were cooking and started cleaning instead." Yesung looked at him. "Something's making you worry again. What is it?"

Ryeowook just looked at Yesung, not knowing what to say and Yesung led him to a chair. Sitting down, Ryeowook watched as Yesung started mixing something, opening cupboards and drawers. He didn't know what it was but as soon as he was finished, he gave it to Ryeowook. He drank it all in one gulp and he felt his insides calm down. Not entirely though but it was enough to get him to wake up.

"Thanks." He said and Yesung nodded, sitting beside him.

"What's wrong?"

Ryeowook looked up at him and sighed.

"Heechul..."

Yesung sat up straight. "What about him?"

"He's..." Ryeowook fumbled on the edge of his robes. "He's hurt."

Yesung's eyes widened and immediately stood up.

"Where is he? I'll go get my kit."

Ryeowook grabbed at his arm and Yesung looked at him.

"He's not physically hurt. It's more of a..." Ryeowook slowly raised his palm and covered Yesung's heart.

"Oh." Yesung understood what he meant. "Hankyung."

Ryeowook nodded and Yesung took him in his arms.

"Ryeowook, whatever problems they have, you do know that we can't do anything about it." Yesung said to him, rubbing smooth circles on his back. "They'll have to face it on their own. And they'll work it out together."

Ryeowook looked up at him. "What if they can't fix it? What if it's something you can't fix? Heechul hyung's new at this sort of thing. And something like this is huge... I doubt he'll even know what to do."

Yesung gave him a curious look. "Do you know what they fought about?"

Ryeowook bit his lip as he realized he almost told Yesung what he heard tonight. He had thought of lying but all the wise princes knew when one wasn't telling the truth. So he nodded.

"Yes. But... I don't want to tell anyone. I don't have the right to. Like you said, it's between the two of them."

Yesung nodded. "I understand."

Ryeowook placed his face in his hands. "I don't want Heechul hyung to go through this. He doesn't deserve to get hurt."

Yesung squeezed his shoulder and took his hands.

"If it makes you feel any better, we'll talk to Leeteuk hyung first thing in the morning. He'll know what to do."

Ryeowook nodded his head, trusting Yesung.

Yes, Ryeowook thought as Yesung led him back to their room. Leeteuk always knew what to do.

He just hoped that whatever solution Leeteuk had, it wouldn't be too late.

- part 8 -