lee heeseung - breathe

- two -

Your mother was calling your name and shaking you by the shoulder. You startled awake. "Huh?"

"Get ready quickly. I need to go into work and the market. You need to watch the prince."

"Prince...?" You mumbled in a daze. Your eyes widened slightly as you gained clarity and stumbled out of bed, nodding as you hurried to the restroom. When you reached the kitchen, your mother had already left and Heeseung lay on the table with fresh bandages and fresh clothes from your late father's closet. He was still unconscious. For a moment, you couldn't see the movement of his chest. You faltered and pressed two fingers warily to his wrist. You let out a heavy sigh at the soft flutter of a pulse and the sight of slight movement in his chest under the thin white shirt. You set his hand down by his side and walked off to eat the breakfast your mother had set out for you.

By the time you'd finished your breakfast and the dishes from the previous night, it was late morning. Hot honeyed light filtered in through the cracks of the window panes and birds chirped cheerfully outside as if nothing in the world was wrong. Meanwhile, you scrutinized the small blooming bloodstain of the gash on his chin. Letting out a small huff, you removed the bandage, re-cleaned the wound, applied fresh salve and a new bandage. Then, you let your hand fall on his arm.

"I have places to be." You whispered to him. "But here I am watching you." You carded a hand back through his hair then groaned in annoyance. "Should I leave you here? You're lucky I don't have any assignments right now. I-" You sucked in a sharp breath when you realized you could see his eyes moving behind his eyelids.

"Hello?" You whispered. You leaned slightly closer and gripped his arm. Slowly, his eyes opened. You gasped and drew your hand away as if it burned to touch him. You tilted and nearly fell out of your stool in the rush, letting out a small squeak of surprise. You steadied yourself and watched as he struggled to sit up, coughing. "Ex- excuse me-" He squinted at you. "But who-"

You steadied yourself abruptly into your stool. "A thank you would be nice."

"What?" He frowned at you.

"For saving your life?"

"Who are you?"

You rolled your eyes and resisted a scoff. How arrogant. "Does it really matter?"

"Matters to me." He shrugged then immediately let out a pained sound. You sighed. "Tell me where it hurts. I can move you to a bed."

Heeseung frowned at you dubiously. "It hurts everywhere."

"No shit." You mumbled. You hopped off of the stool and pushed it to the side as his gaze dragged after you. You approached him again. "Come on, I'll help you walk." You whispered.

"What makes you think I can't-"

"Why don't you try it and see?" You snapped. He stared at you with his lips pressed together into a thin line. Without a word, he threw his legs over the edge and allowed you to wrap an arm around his waist, letting out small whimpers and grunts as his legs took his weight. You nearly keeled over, wavering as you supported his tall frame.

"Sorry." He mumbled. You just shook your head and you hobbled off together towards the guest room. He lowered himself onto the mattress and let out a heavy sigh. His hot breath brushed your shoulder.

"Alright?" You asked.

"I've been better." Heeseung grasped at the sheets as he stuck his legs under with his face screwed up in concentration. You raised your eyebrows and crossed your arms, "So what happened to you?"

Heeseung shook his head but you persisted. He sighed. "Thieves." That was all he offered you. You stared at him for a moment more as he got comfortable then turned around and left the room. You paused outside the door then whirled around and pressed your forehead to the wood. "Call me if you need anything! And don't get out of bed!"

He didn't say anything but you assumed he heard and walked away. Even so, you couldn't figure out for the life of you how thieves had managed to injure him so greatly.

———

"Why were you shouting? What happened to your princely manners?" You sourly opened the door to find Heeseung pouting at you. Your lips twitched in annoyance. He smiled slightly at the sight of you. "I'm bored."

"Not my problem." You shut the door after yourself. Even so, you gathered some books and prepared a small lunch for both of you. Nearly an hour later, you walked into the room. Heeseung was buried under the covers, looking visibly upset and bored. His hair was sticking up from his head like he'd just woken up from a nap and the heavy quilt was up to his cupid's bow.

You set down your precarious pile of books and plates near the footboard then picked up one of the plates again, holding it in Heeseung's direction. "Brought food. It may not be up to your standards but..."

Heeseung's brown doe eyes blinked at you from across the bed. "What?" You frowned. "Mesmerized?" He asked. You glared. He laughed lightly, winced, then shifted and sat up so you could see more of him. He bowed slightly and mumbled something under his breath- maybe a thank you.

You set the plate down in his lap.

You both ate in silence. You discovered that he did have very princely mannerisms. It was obvious in the way he moved, in the way he sat, in the way everything in the room stilled as if it was under his command.

Eating together was immensely awkward.

When you were finished, though, you only dropped the plates off in the sink and came back to the room to grab a book and curl up on the floor with your back against the door. Heeseung already had his nose in a book by the time you returned.

You were so distracted by watching him overtop your pages that you didn't get very far into the book before you started to get hungry again. There was something about him that didn't allow you to tear your gaze away no matter how hard you wanted to. Was it the way he turned the pages with those gentle hands? Was it the furrow of his eyebrows? Was it the pout in his pink lips? Was it the shine in his eyes? It didn't matter, because just the fact that you were attracted to him was immensely annoying. Princes were supposed to be attractive of course, but you had never expected to come so close to a prince for a good reason in your life.

When he looked up at you and made eye contact, you were sure your heart skipped a beat. You frowned deeply. He smiled apologetically. "I'm hungry."

You wanted to tell him to get up out of bed and get himself food but that would be very detrimental to his healing. If not for the fact that you were equally hungry, you would have groaned in annoyance as well. Instead, you placed your unread book on the bed and went off to provide for your patient.