It’s a beautiful morning, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and Prince Jongwoon is still in his bed. Ryeowook sighs to himself as he sits on the end of the bed watching the Prince sleep. A normal occurrence in his line of work, but so much nicer to watch Jongwoon sleep than those he is commissioned to steal from.
“Wake up Sleeping Beauty, your Princely duties await you,” Ryeowook states dryly, yanking the covers out from under him, a mop of black hair appearing from under the sheets, and a few unintelligible grumbles said into the pillows.
“What’s that Your Highness? I can’t understand mumbled idiot.” Ryeowook is in no mood to be pleasant this morning, it’s much too early and the fact that he wasn’t waking up in this bed as well is reason enough for a foul mood.
Jongwoon barely stirs as Ryeowook pads closer to the head of the bed, and leans down to whisper in his ear, “I’m going to go take a shower since Henry found it necessary to drag me here along with him. Wouldn’t you like to make it worth my while, coming here so early just for you?”
That has an effect as Jongwoon’s previously sleep filled eyes snap open, dark as pitch with the window light shining on them, and Ryeowook knows without having to ask that his unspoken offer is going to be accepted. He lays a light kiss on waiting lips, feels Jongwoon start to push back a little harder and begins to pull him out of bed and towards the bathroom by the collar.
“Jongwoon are you up yet? You really need to start getting- Oh come on, really you two?”
Of course that’s when Hyukjae walks in; Ryeowook has no idea why he expected anything different to happen. The man is like a walking cockblock. Ryeowook practically growls at him before the older man can say anything else, and stomps into the bathroom. He knows he’s acting like a child, and hears Jongwoon’s laughter following him to prove it. He turns up the shower to its highest setting to make up for it, letting the hot water wash the remains of sleep from his body.
He hears the door close as Jongwoon walks in, careful to dodge the menagerie of weapons sure to be spread across the floor from Ryeowook’s haphazard stripping.
“Well someone’s in a good mood this morning.” Jongwoon practically sings, cheery mood a stark contrast to Ryeowook’s black one as he steps in and wraps his arms around the thief’s petit waist.
Ryeowook merely grunts, determined to remain in his dark mood, even if those hands wandering up his sides slowly start making him think otherwise. He leans his head back on Jongwoon’s shoulder, letting himself relax for the first time in a week. He’s about to lean up and catch the Prince’s lips with his own when Jongwoon speaks up.
“Now don’t throw a tantrum again.” Jongwoon moves them under the spray a little more to get his hair caught in it. “But we can’t this time. Hyukjae will hang me if I’m not out in five minutes. There’s a ball to get ready for.”
This is news to Ryeowook. “What ball?” he flicks Jongwoon’s hair out of is eyes to look into them. “I don’t remember any talk of balls. Who’s this one for?” Jongwoon looks uncharacteristically nervous when he responds.
“For Jessica actually. It was her birthday last month and I know that uncle is just dying to see her get married.” Ryeowook shakes the water droplets out of his hair, growing tired of standing in a shower with nothing of substance happening. “But I have a sneaking suspicion it’s for me as well, the Lords have been dropping hints of all their available daughters needing a husband.”
Ryeowook turns around calmly to look at the nervous Prince, evaluating what he just heard. He laughs and smiles a slow smile. “If they think they can have you, they’re dead wrong,” He says, letting his towel droop lower on his hips and run his hands through his drying hair, results predictable as Jongwoon looks him up and down, eyes darkening.
Ryeowook smiles as he pulls on his clothes, strapping his knives back onto his boots and across his belt, making sure to give Jongwoon a nice view of his ass in the process, and gets started on toweling his hair.
Then his sight is full of Jongwoon, back hitting the cool tiles. “You are such a tease!” The prince growls against his lips, pressing a sloppy kiss into his mouth, hands gripping Ryeowook’s hips and pushing him up the wall as the thief runs his hands through his wet hair and nips at his lips.
There are several loud knocks on the door, and then Hyukjae is screeching at them to get out as Jongwoon needs to get ready for the ball, they get enough as it is, he would know since he walks in on them so much, and would it kill them to lock their doors.
Jongwoon sighs as their moment is obviously ruined, and lightly kisses Ryeowook one more time before sending him on his way with a grin and a tap on the ass.
Ryeowook sends Hyukjae a glare that could melt glaciers when he steps out, and calls over his shoulder as he leaves, “You can expect to see me later, don’t let those pathetic kittens get too close while I’m gone.”
Hyukjae smiles at the thief’s retreating back. “I wouldn’t dream of it Ryeowook.”
…
“Sungmin!” Ryeowook bellows, storming into the thieves’ guild with no regard to those lounging around, he is their Prince after all.
Making his way back into Sungmin’s office of sorts, he bangs the door open to find the black haired thief bent over his desk with Henry leaning over him. “Oh good, you’re here too Henry.” Ryeowook snorts as Henry jumps away like he’s been stung and Sungmin just straightens his clothes.
“Well this had better be important princess; I could swear we had an agreement on this whole knocking before entering thing.” Henry continues to blush in the corner as Sungmin and Ryeowook settle into their usual banter, until The Thief Prince’s gaze settles on him.
“Henry.” Ryeowook smiles warmly at him as he says it, but that only makes the musician more nervous, “Being that you are around the castle so much, you must have known there is a ball tonight for Princess Jessica, and an excuse for a couple of kittens to get their claws into my Prince? Why is it I am just finding out about this today?” Ryeowook’s smile is still in place by the end, but his eyes are like ice chips as he stares Henry down. Henry gulps audibly and fidgets under the gaze.
Sungmin comes to his rescue though, stepping in front of the violinist. “Temper, temper Wookie. You’ve been gone a week, it’s your own fault you didn’t ask anyone of the latest happenings. It’s unnecessary to drag my poor little Henli into your personal vendetta against women.” Ryeowook tries sputtering at him that it’s only women that want Jongwoon really, but Sungmin ignores him and keeps going, “Besides, you are going right? Just stay close to him and you should be fine. But we really need to do something about your clothes if you are going.”
Ryeowook frowns at his attire. “What’s wrong with how I dress?” He asks, patting down his shirt and jeans.
Sungmin snorts. “Nothing, if you want to be the pauper of the ball. Now come on, let’s make you pretty. Again.” Sungmin drags him off to his closet, and Henry sighs against the wall, this was not the outcome he imagined when he stepped into the thieves’ guild that afternoon.
Sungmin whistles as Ryeowook steps out of the bathroom, "Well look at you, Miss Korean Slutty. The men will be falling over you tonight, your pants look painted on." Ryeowook knows he looks good too, all smiles as he gets ready to leave for the palace, habitually strapping his knives to his boots.
“Now,” Sungmin’s smirk turns predatory as Ryeowook walks out the door, “Where were we?” Henry smiles as Sungmin’s hand grips his, leading him down the hallway. Yes, this was much closer to his predicted outcome.
…..
Jongwoon finds the whole matter of balls very tedious.
It’s not like all of South Korea doesn’t know that his favor lies with the Thief Prince of Seoul, so he sees no reason to have to have his two or three dances with various ladies of the court.
Some young lady is in his arms now, as they dance a waltz across the floor, Jongwoon rapidly scans the ballroom for some kind of excuse to rid him from the girl’s death grip on his shoulders.
He snorts at the gaggle of young men surrounding Jessica by the banister. If there was ever one suited to balls, it was she. His young cousin seems to hold favor to a young idol singer, Lee Jinki if he remembers correctly, her most indulgent smiles falling on the clumsy man.
He finds nothing else of interest in the ballroom, Hyukjae fluttering around and avoiding dancing with all of the various court ladies like the plague, having had his torture earlier in the month. For that, Jongwoon envies him. He seems to be spending his time watching Jessica like a hawk, ready to string up any young Lord whose hands wander.
Instead, he closes his eyes and pretends the small body near his own is Ryeowook’s, the shrill chatter fading in his mind as he thinks back to his first ball with the small man, a sharp quiet voice in his ear instead of the high pitched giggles that currently occupy them. Then he is snapped back to reality as he realizes he really isn’t imagining that soft voice.
“Excuse me Miss.” Ryeowook’s voice is like ice, but Jongwoon feels himself focusing more on the leather clad legs in front of him. “But I believe you’re holding something of mine, and I would like him back now.” Ryeowook is all but shoving the sputtering girl out of the way by the end, worming his way into the Prince’s grasp in her stead.
Jongwoon chuckles into the familiar brown hair. “Yours? Well someone’s gotten a bit possessive hmm?” Ryeowook doesn’t respond for a moment, seemingly content to hum into Jongwoon’s shoulder.
“Yes mine, and you’d do well not to forget it,” Ryeowook states bluntly, fire alight in his dark eyes as Jongwoon leads them across the floor.
Jongwoon lets out a full laugh as he realizes Ryeowook is jealous. It earns him a blush when he says so. “Is that why you’re dressed like that tonight? I’d dance with random women more often if it gets you to put on those pants.” Jongwoon leers at him as they leave the floor, and make their way back to the Prince’s room.
“But you look so much better without them, I will admit that.” Jongwoon’s eyes gain a familiar glint, “Maybe we could retire early? I don’t think these lovely ladies will mind.”
Ryeowook smiles at him. “Well good luck getting them off, it took Sungmin a half an hour to yank them up; apparently I’ve gotten fat lying around the palace with you and ‘disregarding my duties.’” He snorts on the last part, as Sungmin spends just as much time shirking his duties to look for his chubby cheeked musician.
Jongwoon smirks as he locks the door before Ryeowook yanks him down to the bed. “Well we’ll just have to burn that fat off then, won’t we?” he braces his arms on either side of Ryeowook’s head as the younger man grins up at him, “And yes, that’s an order from the Prince.”
Ryeowook continues grinning as he pops the buttons on Jongwoon’s shirt one by one. “Well who am I to refuse then, Your Highness.” The last part is whispered in Jongwoon’s ear and he is unable to repress the shiver down his spine. It promises to be a long and eventful night.
….
It’s a beautiful morning, Jongwoon thinks, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and Hyukjae is yelling at him.
He yells at him for leaving him to all of the vultures once they realized that the ‘older, good looking’ Prince had left, he spat, and he had to spend half the night dancing with Duchesses twice his age.
“I’m sorry Hyukjae.” Jongwoon states flatly. “But I honestly don’t care. You really should just get laid.” And then he’s slamming the door in his sputtering cousin’s face, deciding to deal with the consequences later. He admires the view of sunlight panning across Ryeowook’s face before crawling under the covers.
Ryeowook snuggles up to and gives a small good morning kiss to his chin, sleepily mumbling a greeting, his waist warm as Jongwoon snakes his arms around it. He promises himself he’ll get up in ten minutes, pulling Ryeowook along into a steaming shower before facing a long day of meetings and duties, but that’s ten minutes away and for now he contents himself to hold the warm body next to his. Sometimes it’s all you can get, but really, that’s all you need.
....
Another one down~ More cracky discontinuityXD Eunhyuk does need to get laid though, a EunHae will be written soon enough :D. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed~