"far, far away but close, close to you" part XIV
Fandom: EXO
Title: Far, Far Away but Close, Close to You
Pairing(s): chinguline, major Baekhyun/Jongdae, minor Jongdae/Kyungsoo and Chanyeol/Kyungsoo (+ additional pairings in further chapters)
Genre: comedy, humor, prince!au, crack for occasional bad Kpop references
Length: Chaptered
Summary: Being a middle child sucks. Being a middle prince is even worse. Jongdae knows it well especially when his parents leave him with choices A) go and find your inner peace in a monastery and B) go and find your own fairytale. No wonder what he chooses but what follows is beyond everything Prince Jongdae, 2nd Prince of Far, Far Away has ever expected...
Disclaimer: I do not own EXO. Hell I would though. I love fairy tales and such even though I handle them in this story carelessly and a bit lame. The idea has just popped into my mind, any similarity with other works must be an accident.
Rating: PG
Warning(s): drama for the first time in the history of the story... it's nothing serious but unusual(?)
Word Count: 2,845 (altogether ~20,000 we've reached +30,000 guys wtf lol)
Previous Chapters: part I / part II / part III / part IV / part V / part VI / part VII / part VIII / part IX / part X / part XI / part XII / part XIII
Morning finds the inhabitants of Room 992 and 993 in a rather weird atmosphere.
For starters, nobody wakes up in the place they’re supposed to.
When Kyungsoo opens his eyes, he doesn’t find the creaky mattress under him but a sturdy chest and naturally shrieks his head off.
“What are you doing here still?!”
Chanyeol’s woken up too abruptly to function properly but does his best and rubs his eyes while is murmuring something like “keep it down, cutiepie”.
Of course, that just fuels the henchman’s anger more.
“I asked why are you here, you idiot! Why did you sleep here? … AND WHERE IS MY PRINCE?”
“I can assure you he’s sleeping in the room next.”
At least the knight has answered, right? Kyungsoo should appreciate instead of -
“HE IS WHERE?”
Chanyeol’s eyes pop open at instant and sensing the realness of the situation, grabs the smaller’s hands to hold him back and save the royalty’s life at the same time.
“Breathe in, breathe out, ‘Soo. Prince Jongdae is in fact in the next room but he’s safe and sound. The last thing he needs is you barging in and making your relationship worse than it has been.”
Kyungsoo knows Chanyeol is right. He does stay but begrudgingly rolls off from top of the other man and slaps his shoulder. (Chanyeol is smirking under his non-existing moustache at this level of skinship but fears his life enough to do it subtly.)
When Jongdae opens his eyes, he can’t lift his head because there’s another head on top of his and an arm and a leg(!) are draped over his torso preventing him from doing more than squirming.
He hasn’t woken up this cramped since that one time Kyungsoo accidentally rolled over him during his deep sleep, resulting 2nd Prince of Far, Far Away with a numb body for a day.
But he’s not in Far, Far Away… and Kyungsoo doesn’t snore this loudly.
Just then a very familiar shriek sounds from the same floor and Jongdae catches up.
“Good morning.”
“Let me go!”
“I’m fine, thanks.” Baekhyun murmurs, cuddling the other tighter. “You’re really warm and soft.”
Oh my.
2nd Prince of Far, Far Away continues squirming around but even if both of them are lightweight, Baekhyun must have learnt more self-defense because damn, his death choke is as efficient as the ones Vice Head Guard Zitao does on his bad days.
Okay, Plan B.
“I slept in the wrong room, Kyungsoo will kill us.”
“I like how you say us.”
“Baekhyun, that’s not the point.”
“You don’t mean it?”
Really now?
“Um I mean it I guess… I might like it too but once Kyungsoo wakes up, there won’t be us anymore. Not even you or me. Hands and legs off!”
“I’m willing to fight his wrath if we can stay like this for ten more min-“
Jongdae really hates himself for turning to this kind of a shutting-up method again but damn, Baekhyun was practically asking for it!
2nd Prince of Never, Never Land seems delighted being shut up by kissing again, even leans in more when the other prince starts to get off the bed… wait, he gets off the bed?
“Hey.”
“This is not the time for that because of many things.” Jongdae clears his throat while trying to smooth out his wrinkled clothes. Thank God he has his clothes on. “How did we end up here by the way?”
Somehow nothing comes up from yesterday in Prince Jongdae’s mind besides the boring mayflies and the oh-so-not-boring kisses… actually after the latter his mind is like a blank page.
Baekhyun sits up with a sigh. He on the other hand has little to no clothes on.
Jongdae turns his back on him faster than he did when he opened the door of Jonghyun’s room. (There’s nothing new to see anyway… I mean it would be indecent to stare!)
“You passed out in the middle of our first but hopefully not last make-out session.”
Oh… Very romantic.
“And after that?”
“I brought you back to the inn.”
“Of course you did! What I’m curious of is why I slept here.”
Baekhyun clutches the end of the blanket covering his lower half and pulls it up to his nose. It’s nothing to hide his reddening cheeks though.
“I treasure my life enough not to wake up your henchman… and it’s not like you had space to sleep there, Chanyeol was hogging up the blanket, your sleeping space, even said henchman… but why do you make such a problem out of this? We’ve slept together before.”
I’m pretty sure we haven’t slept together before- No, perverted thoughts, not now. Baekhyun is speaking the truth by the way.
And Jongdae’s freaking out is not 100% legit by the way but… he is freaking out.
“It’s… different.”
“How? We haven’t done anything else besides sleeping just like last time… This time we were sleeping on a bed not on the ground though- Jongdae, where are you going?”
Jongdae is going to get his henchman (along with his very likeable punishment). It’s really rude just leaving the other prince there but 2nd Prince of Far, Far Away can’t stay longer. He’s confused and disturbed and… he needs help!
In the room Chanyeol is lounging on the bed like the king he very is not.
“Good morning, Prince Jongdae! How were the mayflies?”
“Cool... Um, where is Soo? And what happened to your eyes?”
The area under Knight Chanyeol’s left eye wasn’t this purple yesterday for sure.
“Kyungsoo is preparing breakfast downstairs… my eye is, well, accidents happen. Is something wrong?”
Jongdae leaves without a word again. Very rude! Second strike… but he doesn’t feel like explaining himself because he has no idea what he’s doing.
On the contrary of Kyungsoo’s personality, he doesn’t bite his prince’s head off for sleeping in another room.
“How was last night?”
“The mayflies were… boring. It’s not like it didn’t worth it-“
Jongdae remembers the kisses he shared with Baekhyun by the lake and shuts up. It did worth it, damn it.
“It’s written on your face that you’re having a problem. Tell me.” Kyungsoo generously offers both his help and a nicely cooked omlette. “Even if it’s about Baekhyun, I’m willing to listen. It’s about him, right?”
“It’s about me, yes.”
Why did those two from Never, Never Land have to get ready this quickly? Jongdae hasn’t got to tell anything!
Baekhyun stands in front the other prince with narrowing eyes.
“I have no idea what has gotten into you but it’s not nice leaving people in a bed they have previously shared.”
(“WHAT?”
“Kyungsoo, don’t think too much into that, my prince doesn’t know how to express himself well.”)
“You… This… I don’t know.” Jongdae whines and almost drops his head into the omlette in front of him in despair. “This is so complicated.”
“It’s not. You just make it sound like it is.”
There must be something in that, Jongdae thinks but he can’t let it go just like that.
“I… have to save a princess. That’s my duty.”
Baekhyun sighs.
“I haven’t said you can’t do that.”
“But if I save her… whether I marry her or not… Arrgh!”
Oh my, Prince Jongdae, get yourself together.
Prince Baekhyun keeps asking.
“What is your problem exactly?”
(“Chanyeol, what has happened between them?”
“I don’t know~”
“You’re obviously lying.
“They’re in front of you, ask them!”)
“I’m… This is too much. At the moment.” 2nd Prince of Far, Far Away manages to blurt out finally. “Give me time? And… maybe space too?“
Baekhyun doesn’t look happy hearing that but slowly nods.
Jongdae isn’t happy either but he thinks this is what has to be done.
- - -
“Um, my prince, has something happened yesterday? Baekhyun and Chanyeol are riding like ten meters behind us.”
Jongdae has a hard time not looking over his shoulder but at the end just grabs the reins of his new (and dangerous) horse tighter as he answers:
“Are you complaining?”
Kyungsoo is taken aback to say the least. Since when does his prince sound so cold?
“No?”
“Good.”
- - -
“What is going on, Baekhyun?”
2nd Prince of Never, Never Land watches the other prince’s back in the distance with a pout.
“I wish I’d know.”
- - -
According to the detailed map the Queen has gifted his son; the only obstacles in front of them (not counting the dragon) are the awe-inspiring mountains they’ve seen until now only from afar. From closer they’re higher and bigger. It’ll take some days to get through them.
But Jongdae is good with heights. He’s a crybaby and of course he cried when he got stuck on the tree in the middle of saving Ribbon, but he was more afraid of Kyungsoo getting hurt as the latter was climbing up to save both of them.
What 2nd Prince of Far, Far Away is not good with at the moment, are his feelings.
What twisted fairytale this journey has become? The start was bad already - Jongdae was forced to get married (okay he had another option too but he was still forced to choose between the two) and he had to start a journey he hasn’t wanted yet but then he got kidnapped by a gang kid with sexuality twice his age, has had friendship conflict with his best friend along the way and last but not least has seen something he shouldn’t have.
He has met Baekhyun.
Baekhyun with the beautiful body and bipolar personality; who’s a runaway prince liking princes and who has a developed kissing technique (seriously though, where did he get that skill from?) and… he’s really wonderful.
The King and the Queen of Far, Far Away are waiting for their son to bring back a princess, the royal pair of Hot, Hot Summer is waiting for their princess to go home… and Jongdae would rather bring home a prince. This is a situation.
“Too much thinking does bad to you.”
“I have to think.” Jongdae murmurs when Kyungsoo arrives next to him. “Somehow I have to solve this… I have to figure this out.”
“Don’t you think there’s nothing remained to be solved?”
God.
“Soo, don’t start talking in riddles again. Get to the point!”
“If you’re worried about your parents’ response, stop worrying. They were the ones who had sent you on this journey so they shall bear the consequences.”
Good point… but there are other things.
“But… can this work?”
“What?”
“You know, two princes together.”
Kyungsoo is suspiciously too quiet for a good three seconds so Jongdae lifts his head up to look in his direction. His henchman is so deep red it’s hard to decide if he’s embarrassed, angry, or both.
“Soo?”
“I’d… rather not answer that.”
What a helpful friend.
“There’s nobody else I could ask, please!”
“You can ask that blowfish.”
It’s the prince’s turn to blush.
“I’m afraid he’d be biased… Do you think I could ask Chanyeol?”
“Maybe. But… the best would be if you gave up thinking and did what you want.” Kyungsoo explains in a weird voice. “I mean, you like Baekhyun, right? He obviously, well, likes you back too.
Jongdae looks ahead again, his blush permanent.
“You think he does?”
The kisses were something… As in, people don’t go around kissing other people just because they feel like, right? Jongdae is not a love expert but has known this much. On the other hand, no confessions were made. Without them, how would he know?
Jongdae sees from the corner of his eyes the two from Never, Never Land slightly catching up to them. Baekhyun glances at him hopefully.
I’ll ask him, 2nd Prince of Far, Far Away promises to himself as they reach a turn of the road. If I know what we have exactly, I’ll know exactly what I have to do.
“Jongdae, watch out!”
Jongdae is too busy with his sudden decision to hear his friend trying to save his life - the horse the prince is sitting on, (Lucky, as Xiumin mentioned it) nobody knows why but shies to the side, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.
It could be saved from here but there is something else which Prince Jongdae is not good that.
Yes, you’ve guessed (because I’ve told about it before.)
Horses.
Jongdae let’s out a loud cry as the reins fall from his hands. He tries to grab them again but the horse is trashing under him too much to do that. (And he’s clumsy as shit.)
Lucky gets even more disturbed by the lack of guidance from his supposed-to-be rider and decided to shake it off for the better.
“JONGDAE!”
Chanyeol and Baekhyun do their best to arrive to the scene in time but when they do, only Kyungsoo and the horse are standing on the cliff.
“Where is…?”
“He fell. I was here but…” Kyungsoo is in such shock he can hardly speak. “The horse… I…”
2nd Prince of Never, Never Land gets off from the saddle and slowly walks to the edge of the cliff.
Chanyeol is shocked as well but moves to stand beside Kyungsoo and putting an am around his trembling shoulders gives him some comfort.
“You couldn’t -“
“I was right beside him!” Kyungsoo sobs into the knight’s shoulder. “I saw it happening but… it happened so fast.”
Chanyeol leans his head on the smaller’s.
“It’s going to be okay.”
“How?”
The knight doesn’t know either so says nothing more.
That would be it?
This is where the journey of our fantastic four ends?
…
Obviously not. This is a fairytale, people.
“You cried too soon.”
Kyungsoo looks up from the embrace he’s currently in to give the remaining prince a death stare (pun not intended).
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
2nd Prince of Never, Never Land sighs and walks back to the duo.
“You’re so negative all the time, my dear henchman. See, I’m trying to give you the silver line of hope here and you’re already giving me killing looks -“
“Baekhyun, leave your pride now and spit it out!”
Baekhyun is hurt by how his knight sides with someone else but the situation is obviously more important than that so leaves it as it is and says instead:
“There’s a ledge beneath the cliff. I can’t see Prince Jongdae from here and I have no medical knowledge but he has to be around there alive. So I say let’s skip mourning his not-happened death and go find him!”
Prince Baekhyun gets two kicks into his shin but at the end the trio gets back on their horses to find their missing piece.
And where is said missing piece exactly?
Jongdae wakes up with a throbbing head and a burning sensation in his knee. Hearing the eerie silence, he looks around. Judging by the dark, rock walls and familiar dirt, he must be in a cave.
Why does Prince Jongdae keep waking up in unfamiliar places without knowing how he got there? These kinds of surprises really need to stop.
Let’s just think, where was he last when he was conscious? He was riding a horse next to Kyungsoo. Then the horse got scared and he… fell off.
Why is he alive?
It’s a really weird thought but true nonetheless. 2nd Prince of Far, Far Away should be very dead by now. Or is he…?
Jongdae is frightened to say the least but that’s something has to be discovered - the prince tries to move his legs and hands and they do. Thank God. Now he just has to get up and look for…
“Don’t move.”
The stranger’s voice comes from close, making Jongdae jump bigger than he has intended.
“But -“
“You’d broken into so many tiny pieces of bones, I was playing puzzle all day. You’re not healed yet.”
Jongdae gulps.
The voice is not intimidating but what it says it is. So is he alive now or not?
“I am alive?”
The stranger giggles - it’s giggling, not chuckling as the prince’s ears catch a very feminine laugh echo in the cave.
“You’re a cute, clueless one. Now it doesn’t feel like I was wasting my time… Yes, you’re alive. Thanks to me.”
“And who are you?”
Jongdae doesn’t feel like playing with his new? barely saved? life but know your enemy, as Head Guard Kris has said when 2nd Prince of Far, Far Away wanted to slip out of the castle after his curfew and a bunch of soldiers were waiting under his window. (He should have just leave through the door, damn it.)
The voice doesn’t remain just a voice longer. First Prince Jongdae only sees a lit torch but then in the sudden brightness he recognizes a person too.
The female is wearing a cloak, the hood covering some of her face but 2nd Prince of Far, Far Away has heard enough about her to know who he’s facing just from this.
“You’re…”
“I’m your lifesaver.”