Crimson Crown

⌠68⌡

Jinyoung was the first to wake out of the other two he shared the guest room with. He was allowed to sleep on the bed while the others laid on mats on the floor (despite him insisting they just share the bed). Regardless, as the sun peeked through the window and gently illuminated the room, Jinyoung found himself awake after a somewhat restless night. Being back in this house after so long would normally feel comforting, but right now, it felt quite awkward.

He carefully got up, minding Mark by his foot who could wake up at the slightest wrong creak, and headed out of the room. He paused just outside, staring at the closed door across the hall. Without even trying, he could sense Jackson in there- he briefly wondered if he was awake too.

Even if he was, Jinyoung still wasn't ready to face him. He swiftly headed for the steps, tiptoeing down to the bathroom.

Once he was safely in, he shut the door behind him, letting out a breath. As much as he tried, it was impossible to avoid Jackson forever.

After relieving himself, Jinyoung collected storage water in a large bucket and heated it on some coals to fill the basin. He felt better than the day before, but craved a warm bath to soothe his body and nerves. Once the water was heated he returned to the bathroom and filled the basin, quickly shedding his clothes and stepping in.

As he settled down into the tub, the warm water engulfed his body. He sat back, relaxing himself as the water made his body feel weightless. He wanted to just clear his mind of everything- for just one day to not think about relationships, or war, or anything at all. Of course, he was asking for the impossible but, he was starting to feel both emotional and physical fatigue. Life as of recently had been taking a toll on him.

And yet here he was, right in the abode of the man who had been one of his most recent stresses. He never thought he would be back here, granted he never thought he'd see Jackson again, but he did hold on to small hope that it wasn't the end of them when he left. He didn't know what he was supposed to do now though. He didn't know if he wanted to forgive Jackson, or if he wanted to keep his distance.

He was scared of getting hurt again, but he was terrible at hiding his natural response whenever Jackson was around. The way Jinyoung would shamelessly stare at his admirable physique, the sound of his rough yet smooth voice reverberating inside him, the addicting and familiar warmth that made the prince melt whenever he felt it. His heart yearned for Jackson, reminding him of the softness of his skin, the strength of his hands, the security of his arms, the tenderness of his kisses...

Jinyoung's hand snaked under the water as the memories played through his head. The water was the closest thing to Jackson's warmth he could feel without going directly to the vampire himself, and the desire to feel so secure and full again made his body crave the attention it had been missing for weeks. He felt dirty, especially doing this sort of thing in someone else's home, but he couldn't help it being surrounded by reminders of Jackson everywhere.

Suddenly, the sound of knocking startled him before he could touch anything. He jolted, ripping his hand from the water as if that would change much of anything. He wondered if it were Jackson outside- seeing him while in this state may just send him over the edge.

"Prince Jinyoung? Are you in here?"

All the tension in Jinyoung's body quickly dissipated. Hearing Youngjae's voice saved him from the embarrassment of facing Jackson right now, though a tiny part of him felt somewhat disappointed.

"Yes, it is me." He breathed out in relief.

"Ah, I worried because when I awoke you were gone." Youngjae stated, his voice muffled through the door. Thankfully he didn't try to come in, or else Jinyoung would be quite embarrassed if he were to catch on to what he'd almost done.