Ethereal - TaeBin ✐

Prologue

A single yellow leaf danced along the wind in the air, traveling from one side of the street to the other.

Its pace slowly came to a halt and it finally ended its journey, falling atop of the neat table with a few drinks on top.

"Look at that, will you? Autumn is on the way. It's always been known as a romantic season-"

"Father, please..."

"Soobin, it's about time you move on from her and fulfill her wish, she would never want you to be lonely and grieve her unexpected death, and neither do I nor your mother."

The young man heaved a sigh, reaching out to take the leaf in his hand and examine it closely.

He eyed the outlines decorating it.

Each line resembled a branch of a tree, it was as if the leaf had its mother's roots engraved in its heart, carrying it around. Just like Soobin.

Soobin slowly caressed the yellow leaf, it's soft under his hand. Would she really want me to move on?

"... it will bring joy to everyone's hearts, knowing that their prince has taken a big step of becoming a king, moving on and doing what's best for him and the kingdom."

Soobin paid no mind to his father's - King Sunghoon - words, already used to him pressuring him into finding a new lover, a new princess.

He closed his fist with the leaf still in it and a few seconds later opened it, he brought it in front of his mouth and blew.

The leaf joined alongside the wind once again and started its journey all over again.

He nodded his head, not even knowing what his father was talking about, just so he knew that Soobin was listening, which he in fact was not doing.

"I can not love someone the same as her again, and you know that. Cassandra was- is my only love. She is the only woman to whom I have opened my heart for, and I will not do the same again. So please, stop..."

The king's eyebrows formed a frown, tired of his son acting as if the world ended the moment Cassandra's eyes closed.

"If it's not to your liking to go and look for someone yourself, then let me do it. I will make sure it's someone who you can trust and love the same as Princess Cassandra"

***

Taehyun eyed himself in the mirror, turning around and spinning in his dress, pastel pink in color and decorated with a white, tight corset that highlighted his snatched waist.

An unsure look crawled its way and he finally teared his gaze away from the mirror and looked back at the boy sitting on top of his bed, legs crossed and a bored expression on his face.

"I am not sure I like the way I look in this dress" he muttered to himself but loud enough for the other boy to hear.

"Well, what don't you like about it?"

"It's just..." he sighed, frustrated, "this is too much, Huening. I don't like the way that this dress is hugging my body, it's as if I'm being choked and I can't breathe..."

The boy, Hueningkai, stood up on his feet and walked towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's run away, somewhere where your father can't reach us, there you won't have to wear these stupid dresses-" his words got cut off by the annoyed scoff Taehyun let out. Taehyun pushed Hueningkai's hand off of his shoulder.

"Will you act your age just for once? You are aware that he is my father, I can't just leave him! He is old and needs someone to take care of him!"

Hueningkai held Taehyun's wrist and walked them both to the bed, sitting down. He turned to Taehyun, moving to take his hand in his hand this time. A spell of silence was casted between the two, they stared at each other, not being able to take their eyes off of each other.

Hueningkai tugged a stray strand of hair behind Taehyun's ear with his other hand, then moved his hand to cup Taehyun's face, shaking him out of his thoughts, thoughts he knows are toxic yet his best friend can't seem to let go of.

"This is hurting you, Taehyunie. I hate seeing this dejected expression on your face, and it hurts me more than anything. You deserve to be seen as you and not some girl."

Ah yes, a girl.

Kang Taehyun, the son of Kang Ji-Yeong, who had been forced into dresses and had kept his hair long from the moment he turned five. Having to live a life which wasn't his, a life of lies, lying to his own body and mind.

But it in fact, was not a secret, everyone knew that, but they didn't have the courage to talk about it in front of Ji-Yeong, but behind his back? Sure, they could do that and did do that.

And it was also no lie that his father did all that to keep his only memory of his deceased wife, their son.

Taehyun leaned into Hueningkai's touch and closed his eyes, suppressing the tears from forming and falling out, he can't hurt Hueningkai more than he already has.

A small, yet genuine smile formed on Hueningkai's face.

Hueningkai moved his hands and placed them on Tashyun's shoulders, pulling him closer and letting Taehyun snake his arms around his waist, hugging him back.

Taehyun rested his head on Hueningkai's shoulder and his body relaxed, perhaps this is what he truly needed all this time, a reassuring hug from his soulmate.

"Please don't leave me, Huening, never."

"I would never, I could never do that to us"