halcyon || seungjin

17: Eternally

Hyunjin and Seungmin have definitely settled into a pattern of domestic bliss. It's been almost half a year in the house, with no sign of royal guards surveying the town, questioning their friends or raiding their home, much to Hyunjin's relief.

Life is just... normal. Peaceful. Not a life Hyunjin has ever known before, but one he's beginning to become familiar with, and one that he loves. Thoughts of the palace and being a prince rarely cross his mind anymore, as if his life just a year ago had never been in the first place. Sometimes he does dream of the burning ring around his finger or of sitting at the dinner table with his parents, but he feels so distant from that life that he doesn't know if he can even remember the details of the King and Queen- his mom and dad's- faces correctly anymore.

But Hyunjin is okay with that.

Minho has been kind enough to come over frequently and teach Hyunjin to cook, Jisung coming along with him always so that he and Seungmin can hang out- play guitar and sing together, or sometimes they'll play board games or chat on the swing in the backyard. Felix drops off leftover pastries and treats from the café some days, Chan and Changbin will visit Hyunjin almost weekly just to make sure he's doing alright. Jeongin comes by the most, probably, just to hang out with Hyunjin like they'd do everyday back in the palace.

During the days when they aren't visiting friends, getting visited by friends, or going out to the city or the forest, life isn't exactly quiet, but it's laid back at home. Hyunjin attempts to make dinner most nights- putting his cooking lessons to good use, and Seungmin will laugh at him when he accidentally fills the kitchen with smoke.

And on the nights when Hyunjin doesn't fall asleep before Seungmin- which is not many, since Seungmin's presence alone has a way of making Hyunjin's eyelids drift shut unlike anything else- he watches Seungmin. They share a bed anyway, so it's only natural that Hyunjin admires Seungmin's strong side profile, outlined in silver by the moonlight, and his perfect face, dotted with light by the stars before he drifts off to sleep. And on nights when he can appreciate Seungmin like this, he does, for as long as his heavy eyelids allow him to.

"Hyunjin?"

Hyunjin's head snaps away from Seungmin's profile and to the door frame, the door cracked open the tiniest bit, letting a sliver of light into the room, and a familiar head of black hair peeking through it.

"Jeongin." He exhales. "I forgot you were staying over."

"Were you just... watching Seungmin?"

"Not in a creepy way!" Hyunjin immediately protests, unable to deny Jeongin's accusation.

"If I recall, that was what you said the time you stalked him from a bush in the garden only to jump out and scare him so badly that he nearly became concussed," Jeongin raises his eyebrows.

Hyunjin rolls his eyes. "If I hadn't done that, we wouldn't be here." He motions to Seungmin, still peacefully dozed off next to him.

"Right," Jeongin says sceptically. "Anyway, I can't sleep."

"Want to go on a walk? It's what Seungmin and I do when we can't fall asleep." Hyunjin suggests, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Sure," Jeongin nods, and Hyunjin carefully peels the covers off of himself, tucking Seungmin- still sound asleep, thankfully- back in after he does so.

They leave through the back door as quietly as possible, first walking through the garden Seungmin has been building up for months, and then into the endless field that stretches all the way to the horizon, tall grass blades waving back and forth like a bed of seaweed in a light current.

"So," Jeongin says into the quiet night, "talk to me. How's life?"

"Well," Hyunjin starts, tilting his face up to the sky in order to take in the expanse of stars above, "I'd say it's going pretty well."