💔 The Heartsmith 💔
(a tiny jikook fantasy AU)
JM is a renowned heartsmith who lives a peaceful life in a small coastal town. People from all over the world travel to his village to get their broken hearts fixed by him. His most recent customer is JK, the crown prince +
of a faraway kingdom located all the way across the wide sea.
JM has never seen a heart this broken before, and even though he's curious, he doesn't ask what has caused the damage. He never does. It's not his place.
Mending a heart this shattered takes a long time. JK has +
JM has never seen a heart this broken before, and even though he's curious, he doesn't ask what has caused the damage. He never does. It's not his place.
Mending a heart this shattered takes a long time. JK has +
to stay in the small village for several months and day by day, bit by bit JM patches up his heart.
Unfortunately, when all the pieces are glued together, all the cracks filled, and all the dents smoothed out, JM realizes that a small part of JK’s heart is still missing. +
Unfortunately, when all the pieces are glued together, all the cracks filled, and all the dents smoothed out, JM realizes that a small part of JK’s heart is still missing. +
It's nowhere to be found. JM doesn't want JK — whom he got to know well over the past weeks and who is the loveliest and sweetest person JM has ever met — to know that his heart is irreparable.
And so, during their last appointment, he does something he's never done before. +
And so, during their last appointment, he does something he's never done before. +
Without the other's knowledge, JM uses a piece of his own heart to complete JK's.
---
Just before JK leaves a few days later, happy and relieved, his heart beating lively, he showers JM with gold & flowers to thank him for his service. JM is happy for him too but as JK gets on+
---
Just before JK leaves a few days later, happy and relieved, his heart beating lively, he showers JM with gold & flowers to thank him for his service. JM is happy for him too but as JK gets on+
his ship and sets sail, drifting farther and farther away from JM, taking a piece of his heart with him, JM starts feeling heavy and hollow.
---
When JK arrives on the other side of the world, even though he's finally home, even though he's finally feeling like himself again,+
---
When JK arrives on the other side of the world, even though he's finally home, even though he's finally feeling like himself again,+
even though his heart is full, he can't help but feel like something is missing. But why? His heart is complete again. JM did such a lovely job. Sweet JM, who took all his time tending to him even though he had dozens of customers lining up, JM who let him stay with him, who +
worked overnight to fix JK, not asking once what has caused JK’s heart to shatter like that, without judging him for being so naive and letting someone do something so cruel to him, never giving up hope that that torn and mangled thing could be fixed.
For months JK can't +
For months JK can't +
stop thinking about the heartsmith. Whenever he dreams of him, he wakes up with a pleasant tingling warmth in his chest that he carries with him the entire day.
It's a freezing cold evening in winter when the rumor reaches him. The rumor which apparently has been +
It's a freezing cold evening in winter when the rumor reaches him. The rumor which apparently has been +
spreading for weeks: Of all people, JM, the world's most renowned heartsmith, is suffering from a broken heart. They say it's unfixable because a part of his heart is forever missing. A part which he gave away to mend the heart of a customer he fell deeply in love with. +
Something tugs inside JK’s chest at the news and his mended heart is beating wildly when realization finally sinks in and he understands.
Immediately, he commands his royal fleet to get ready and to bring him back to the small village he left a long time ago, to bring +
Immediately, he commands his royal fleet to get ready and to bring him back to the small village he left a long time ago, to bring +
him back to the place where a broken heart is waiting to be healed.
---
When JK, after a long journey on sea, knocks on JM’s door and it opens, his heart sinks. JM is a lot paler than the last time JK saw him, he has lost quite a bit of weight and there are dark circles under +
---
When JK, after a long journey on sea, knocks on JM’s door and it opens, his heart sinks. JM is a lot paler than the last time JK saw him, he has lost quite a bit of weight and there are dark circles under +
his eyes.
"Is it true?" JK whispers.
JM, who looks shocked to see him, averts his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he says and ducks his head, pulling up his shoulders. "I know I overstepped. It wasn't my place to do something like that without your consent, I just-"
JK stops him +
"Is it true?" JK whispers.
JM, who looks shocked to see him, averts his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he says and ducks his head, pulling up his shoulders. "I know I overstepped. It wasn't my place to do something like that without your consent, I just-"
JK stops him +
by cupping his face with his hands, before leaning in and kissing him gently.
"You're not mad?" JM asks when their kiss breaks, his eyes brimming with tears, his cheeks dusted red.
"Oh, I am mad," JK starts, trailing his thumb over JM's cheekbone. "I'm mad that you did +
"You're not mad?" JM asks when their kiss breaks, his eyes brimming with tears, his cheeks dusted red.
"Oh, I am mad," JK starts, trailing his thumb over JM's cheekbone. "I'm mad that you did +
this to yourself. Why would you?"
"I wanted your heart to be fully healed. I wanted it to be complete."
"That broken old thing? It wasn't worth it."
"It was."
"But why? Now you are the one suffering."
JM cups JK’s hand with his own, a faint smile on his lips. +
"I wanted your heart to be fully healed. I wanted it to be complete."
"That broken old thing? It wasn't worth it."
"It was."
"But why? Now you are the one suffering."
JM cups JK’s hand with his own, a faint smile on his lips. +
"I don't know. I think the thought of you being happy makes the suffering worth it."
There is something hard forming in JK’s throat at the words. Nobody has ever cared for him like this. But JM suffering because of him makes him feel sick.
"I want you to take it back." +
There is something hard forming in JK’s throat at the words. Nobody has ever cared for him like this. But JM suffering because of him makes him feel sick.
"I want you to take it back." +
JM’s face falls and he nods. "I understand that you don't want it, but-"
"I want it." JK shakes his head. "You have no idea how much. I'm selfish, JM. I don't want just a piece. I want your whole heart. All of it."
JM looks at him with wide eyes, a tear making +
"I want it." JK shakes his head. "You have no idea how much. I'm selfish, JM. I don't want just a piece. I want your whole heart. All of it."
JM looks at him with wide eyes, a tear making +
its way down his cheek, getting caught on JK’s thumb.
"You can have it," he whispers. "But only if I can have yours."
JK drops his gaze, suddenly very aware of the faint scars he's still carrying with him as his heart starts beating wildly.
"Even though there will be a +
"You can have it," he whispers. "But only if I can have yours."
JK drops his gaze, suddenly very aware of the faint scars he's still carrying with him as his heart starts beating wildly.
"Even though there will be a +
piece missing? Even though it could fall apart again?"
"Yes. I will treat it respectfully and take care of it. I'll do everything so it won't break again. I promise I'll be gentle with it and I'll make it happy. I'll make you happy."
"I promise I'll do the same."
"Yes. I will treat it respectfully and take care of it. I'll do everything so it won't break again. I promise I'll be gentle with it and I'll make it happy. I'll make you happy."
"I promise I'll do the same."
And with that, JM takes back the piece he gave to JK before, fixing his own heart carefully, only to give the complete thing to JK once he's done, receiving the prince's own heart in return.
Holding each other's hearts safely in their chests they can't be apart for too long. +
Holding each other's hearts safely in their chests they can't be apart for too long. +
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