Crimson Crown

⌠69⌡

Jinyoung kicked an innocent rock out of his way as he stepped through the thick forest.

He'd been walking around for maybe 30 minutes now with the excuse to clear his head. Yet as soon as he stepped out of the house, he had secretly hoped he would run into Jackson somewhere nearby.

He began feeling foolish though, wandering around aimlessly like a lost child. He didn't even know which way Jackson had gone, not that he should care. He began thinking about turning back and returning to the house; he might already be back there anyway, and it would give him more time to think about what he wanted to say before confronting him.

Just as he began slowing his pace to turn around, he heard something snap under his foot, then rustle in the bushes around him. He froze like a deer, whipping around to try and scope out who or what might be nearby, but was totally thrown off by the tightening of something around his legs. He looked down, his brows furrowing at a thick rope that quickly closed around him as if it were a snake, and he toppled to the ground. He slid across the dirt, snapping twigs and leaves, and then was suddenly hoisted upwards- totally discombobulated at this point. It all happened so fast, he had no idea what occurred.

He yelped when realized he hung a few meters from the ground. He didn't know what was going on, but he did know that he was trapped in an extremely uncomfortable position and wanted out. He panicked, squirming desperately to escape, yet the shock of it all ruined his core strength at the time and he had difficulty figuring out how to get down.

"If you stop flailing you'll regain your sense of direction."

The familiar voice made his already rapidly pounding heart skip a beat. He flailed around more, his head whipping back and forth in search of the origin.

A soft warmth slid across his cheeks, gentle yet secure. It sent tingles through his entire body, encouraging him to relax. After finally ceasing his squirms, he was able to regain an idea of his position, then looked up.

"I'm right here." Jackson stared down at him, his hands cradling the latter's cheeks. His reassuring touches made Jinyoung's heart throb.

The prince still panted, trying to calm himself while blood rushed to his head- both from hanging upside down, but also thanks to Jackson's sudden appearance. The security he always felt around Jackson returned, yet at the same time scared him, since he couldn't be sure if it was permanent.

"When you're caught in something like this, you should try to relax so you can assess what happened and get out of it. But honestly, you should look where you are stepping first and foremost." Jackson let out a soft breath, sliding his thumb across the latter's cheek before releasing him.

Now that he was no longer spinning and swinging, it was easy to keep himself calm. He curiously watched as Jackson turned and walked off to a seemingly random spot. "Well, I am sorry I did not expect to be caught like prey."

The vampire approached a tree and kneeled down, pulling out a blade from his back pocket. "If only you were always this easy to catch..." he muttered, loud enough for the prince to hear.

"Says the one who always walks away." Jinyoung retorted while squinting in his direction.

He noticed a rope wrapped around the trunk of the tree, and it led up into the branches, then down to the ground. A large rock was on the other end of it, which is what held Jinyoung up in the air. He had stepped right into a hunting trap, too busy thinking about Jackson to pay attention to his footing.

"Jinyoung, I only try to do what I feel is in your best interest-"

"And who are you to determine that for me?"