masked | hyunchan

-five-

Chan slips the silk bag of gold into his top and silently slides into the shadows. He takes a deep breath before gliding alongside the wall until he reaches the nearest window. He climbs out undetected and hurries his way back toward HyunJin's chambers.

It'd taken him an hour or two to secure enough gold to keep HyunJin's family afloat. He wanted to ensure that they were well off, but not so well off it drew attention to them. He had an idea of how much HyunJin's paintings had brought in, so he upped it just a bit and calculated everything they would need for the next fifteen years. It seems like it would be a lot—definitely a noticeable amount of gold—but in all reality—no one would notice the difference.

Completely oblivious to everything Chan had done for him, HyunJin continues to aimlessly work at the piece in front of him. He sighs as he stares at the beautiful yet disappointing painting. It's what the King had asked for—a painting of the Prince that depicted him just like everyone else. He looked as if he could blend in with the villagers—of course only if he hadn't bathed for awhile and had worn tattered clothes. He would be noted as someone like HyunJin though. Someone who was too pretty to be born into the mess they'd been given—however they always had a way of making light of the bad.

HyunJin sets his brush down and steps back to observe the masterpiece. The key features were all there—Chan's jaw, his eyes, his dimples—everything—except the flaws HyunJin had strangely grown obsessed with. The more he stares at the painting the more disgusted he is by it. It's not Chan. It's not anyone who walks the Earth—at least not anymore. Before everything happened to Chan—he might've grown to fit this image—but not now. Chan may not be the perfect prince in the King's eyes, but he's perfect in HyunJin's eyes. Seeing this altered version of him makes HyunJin sick. How could a father not love his son for who he is and how he looks—especially when it was his son's flaws were his fault to begin with?

HyunJin jumps and snaps his head toward the doors as they creep open. Relief washes over him as Chan slips inside without a word. He fights the urge to run to the boy and hug him tightly—the urge to beg him to run his fingers through his hair lovingly. But—instead of embracing the younger—Chan makes his way to the easel and stares at the lie HyunJin had crafted. It's gorgeous. The man looking back at him looks confident and strong—something Chan can only imagine being able to possess.

Chan swallows hard before turning toward HyunJin. HyunJin lowers his head ashamed of himself for painting something unrealistic and insensitive. He always prided himself on how truthful his work had been. He did everything in his power to ensure he captured even the smallest of details each of his models kept sheltered within—yet with Chan's he managed to capture what someone wanted to be there.

"I'm sorry." The words fall from HyunJin's lips as he takes a few shy steps away from the older.

Chan turns toward him and sighs as he takes in the boy's broken state. He makes his way toward him and gently wraps his arms around his waist. He pulls him in for a warm embrace and rests his cheek against the younger's. The silence envelopes them in an unspeakable sense of comfort and safety. No one can penetrate the feelings the two have for one another. The bond they forged in less than a day is something truly otherworldly—something only someone like Chan could do.

"I've got the gold. Now all we need to do is get out. Once we're out—we won't have long before they notice. We'll have to deliver the gold and run. We won't have time to linger around." Chan explains as he refuses to loosen his grip on HyunJin. He loves the feeling of warmth he gets from the boy's slender body. He feels so much smaller than him—yet the younger has at least a few inches on him in height.

"I'm ready." HyunJin states as confidently as he can given his lack of rebellious behavior all these years. He's never truly done something as terrible as this. He may have made a few sassy remarks here and there, but nothing that could end with him being beheaded.