Royal Temptations

Chapter 17

This has gone on a lot longer than I thought it would but I'm happy about that.

Guys. I did a bad and started another Sulay on the side (shhhh I didn't say that). If I eventually posted it, would anyone be interested?

Also, a big happy birthday shout out to my best friend abby378

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Yixing's POV

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Because neither of us could sit in on the newest council Junmyeon had to hold while everyone got him caught up with the rest of the happenings in the country, Baekhyun and I had a mutual agreement to keep each other company. Right now it mostly consisted of both of us in one of the many lounges the Kims had, with Baekhyun's battered PlayStation hooked to the TV. PlayStation 2 specifically, a classic. I watched as he played through Resident Evil 4.

"So Yixing," he said suddenly, pausing the game. "Tell me what happened between you and Junmyeon. He told me something happened, but never mentioned you by name ever. I only just pieced it together before his party."

"Blunt much?" I deadpanned. He simply stared at me. "Luhan mentioned you were Junmyeon's best friend. So why would he keep our relationship hidden from you if you were?" Intentionally invoking him wasn't probably the wisest strategy, but this little worm of jealousy kept making its rounds. Yeah, maybe I was jealous of Baekhyun.

"Maybe to protect you?" he suggested, and the fire inside me dimmed very quickly. "I've heard what he's had to say about it," he added. "But I want to hear what you have to say. Junmyeon says it was the happiest time of his life." Ouch. Right to my heart. "I've known him for a year now. He's been happy, sure, but there always seems to be something lurking under the surface."

"Well, at first, we really didn't get along," I confessed. "If my parents didn't decide to leave me behind for a couple weeks we might have never gotten to be friends in the first place." I paused in my story. "Can I trust you? I don't even know you. And what I'm about to tell you is something only two people in my life really know."

"I knew it from Junmyeon, and haven't said a word to anyone," he pointed out. I inclined my head. "I mean you don't have to say anything, but curious minds are always curious."

"That first night was something surreal," I said, launching right back to it. I needed to tell somebody about him. I needed to feel proud to have him and not be scared of backlash. "It was the first time I'd truly stayed in a different country without my parents. The Kims were nothing but welcoming, but Junmyeon often went out of his way to make sure I was cared for." I chuckled. "But also in that span of time he was being sent to other places on dates. The last one he went on before our...thing...he learned a song, which he sang to me." Out of the corner of my eye I could see Baekhyun smiling, but I forged on. "After that it was like a switch was flipped. We kissed for the first time on that piano bench. It was sloppy but damn it did things to me I still don't know how to explain. From that day on we were practically inseparable. I was so, incredibly, incomparably happy."

"If you talk so highly of him, then why are you getting married to someone else?" Baekhyun asked, a slight edge to his tone now.

"Duty," I replied, wincing at my own response. "Mostly I should say. I have to marry someone who can carry on the bloodline. And Junmyeon, much as I love him, just can't. And it's unfair to him as well. I was hoping he'd move on."

"He can't," Baekhyun sighed, settling back in his seat, gripping his controller a little tighter. "He doesn't talk about it much but I'm pretty sure he'll never be as happy as he was when he was with you. I wish he'd open up a bit more about it though. Keeping it all to himself all the time can't be good for him." Maybe Baekhyun wasn't as bad as I'd thought. At the very least he seemed to care a great deal about Junmyeon. That always counted for something.