Jungkook leans closer to the prince, “you look stunning.”

Taehyung’s cheeks redden, he averts his eyes with a small nod. Not saying anything. Jungkook reaches to take Taehyung’s hand in his, thumb caressing Taehyung’s knuckles. Taehyung bites onto his lower lip with a smile, looking away without a word.

ᯓᯓ

When Jungkook finally manages to get out of his friends’ and guests’ clutch to retire for the night, he is exhausted. He rolls his eyes at his friends when they accompany him to his room. Once inside, he slams the door closed on their faces.

He winces when he sees the extravaganza of the room. There are too many flowers all over the floor and the bed. He cringes at the thought of the talks the people shared while decorating the room.

He looks over at the table where a bottle of Sherry and two glasses are left for them and arches a brow. Thinking if he should really take a sip because of his nerves.

The door opens then.

“All I am saying is—” Namjoon’s voice is heard.

“Just don’t say it!” Seokjin glares at his husband, pats Taehyung’s back as the prince steps inside the room.

The door closes after the prince. Leaving them both in absolute silence since it all started.

Taehyung looks around the room, resolutely ignoring Jungkook, “now this is…” he purses his lips.

“Too much, I know,” Jungkook clears his throat, unsure of what to do with himself, “let me clean up the bed. Wait.”

Taehyung glances at the bed and winces, “I… I’ll just change.”

Jungkook nods, busying himself with the bed while Taehyung disappears behind the wooden partition. Jungkook glances at it and turns towards the bed with a curse.

He shouldn’t feel this nervous. What’s wrong with him?

He focuses on brushing off the petals so the bed is cleaned by the time Taehyung gets out. Wearing a cotton tunic and pajama. Jungkook turns to look at him when the prince comes closer.

They stand face to face. Finally, after everything is done and dusted, they are here. Looking at each other. Taking each other in.

Taehyung offers him a small smile, “what?” his voice comes out thin, “you are staring.”

Jungkook doesn’t have it in him to protest, he shrugs, “can you blame me?”

Under the dim lights of the candles, Taehyung’s eyelashes flutter, casting long shadows over his pinkish cheeks, “I removed all the makeup.”

Jungkook steps closer, close enough so they are chest to chest, his hands come to rest on Taehyung’s hips, “still beautiful.”

With the prince’s bashful smile, every hesitation, worry, confusion, dilemma seeps out of Jungkook. He leans in to capture those lips for a kiss that Taehyung doesn’t deny him. The prince’s hands come up to rest on his chest, clutching onto the soft material of the hanbok Jungkook wore.

Jungkook trails the kisses down Taehyung’s throat, “I love you.”

Taehyung’s arms wrap around him, pulling him closer, “I do, too.”

It’s a comfortable silence after that. Taehyung inhales sharply when Jungkook picks him up, placing him on the bed with a sly smirk. Taehyung squints his eyes, throwing a pillow at Jungkook’s face.

A laugh bubbles out of Jungkook when he manages to dodge it and Taehyung pouts.

Jungkook takes off his necklaces and drops them on the floor without much care. His eyes stay glued on Taehyung as he climbs onto the bed.

Taehyung leans back on his elbows as Jungkook comes to hover over him. Their eyes never wavering from each other’s.

It takes a moment for them. A moment where their eyes meet. They both search the answer to their hesitation and then Taehyung is lying fully on the bed, wrapping his arms around Jungkook’s neck to pull him in a kiss.

🔞

Jungkook flops down beside Taehyung after cleaning him up. Pulling the prince against his chest. Taehyung comes easily. His eyes closing with a peaceful smile tugging at his lips.

“You know...” Taehyung traces Jungkook's chest with his eyes still closed, “Jin hyung was saying how alone he will be back in the palace. So... I was thinking-”

“No,” Jungkook's arms wrap snugly around Taehyung's waist, he looks down at the omega's now widely open eyes, “no, you are not leaving my side. I refuse.”

Taehyung huffs, “who said I was asking your permission?”

Jungkook's nails dig into Taehyung's sides, earning a squeak from the prince, “who said I was giving one anyway? I am stating the fact. I'll send him all the support he needs, you are not leaving my side.” Then Jungkook frowns, “also, is this the after talk we are having? Very odd of a topic. I suggest something like asking each other if we enjoyed what we did or something like, if you'd want to go again.”

Taehyung scoffs, “no, it was alright. About going again,” he eyes the alpha, “can you though?”

A surprised shriek escapes Taehyng when Jungkook rolls them over with a curse, “I'll show you instead,” Jungkook says against his lips.

ᯓᯓ

Taehyung returns to his room after bidding Yoongi and Jimin farewell. He feels gloomy. Already misses the two. He busies himself with arranging the boxes for Seokjin and Namjoon next. They leave that evening. With a teary Seokjin who asks them to take care of each other and a teary Namjoon who clings to Taehyung for as long as he could before leaving.

Taehyung feels Jungkook's arms wrap around him from the behind and he leans against the alpha, waving his brother and brother-in-law goodbye.

The days pass in a blur since then. Taehyung remembers Jungkook carrying him back to their bed chamber and they mostly stay there. Taehyung has to push the alpha out of the room to go and attend the court.

Jungkook makes a place for him to attend the court too, announcing to the ministers that the two of them will run the kingdom.

That is the only time Taehyung gets to meet the general public and the ministers. Otherwise, he is cooped up in their room with the alpha.

The alpha is insatiable according to him. Taehyung barely gets time for himself. Not that he minds. He loves the attention. He loves Jungkook's touches. He loves how the alpha kisses him. He loves every moment they spend together. He also loves just how attentive the alpha is. Always making sure he is fine that he is enjoying their intimacy just as much.

Taehyung literally has nothing to complain. That is...

“You were deep in talks with king Jihyun,” Taehyung says, leaning against the alpha with a book in his hand, the neck of his hanbok pulled down so Jungkook can mouth at his bare shoulder, “he looked desperate.”

Jungkook scoffs, nipping Taehyung's shoulder, “he had a proposal that he wouldn't take my no for.”

Taehyung arches a brow, still focused on the book, “what was it?”

Jungkook shrugs, wrapping his arms around Taehyung's waist, “he brought a treaty offer between our kingdoms. If I agree to marry his son.”

Taehyung's eyes pause on the page of the book.

Taehyung plucks the bookmark off the bed and puts it between the pages. Then he turns to face Jungkook in his lap. His eyes hold the flames and he doesn't shy away when Jungkook recognizes the emotion in them.

“And what did you say to that?” Taehyung wonders in a barely composed voice.

Jungkook leans back with an amused twitch of his lips, “I asked for some time to think about it.”

“...Think about it?” Taehyung tilts his head, “think about what?”

“The marriage?” Jungkook arches a brow, “you know, the offer is alluring. His entire kingdom and the prince is quite beautiful,” he sighs, feigning thoughtfulness, “either that or there can be a war. I mean, if you ask me, the choice is pretty obvious, don't you think?”