spellbound [taekook] ✓

twenty-seven: i need you

Please, if you have a moment take a look at my recent post on my message board to see how you could support the BLM movement. Stay safe everyone.

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Jeongguk woke up to the sound of chirping birds in Taehyung's arms. It took him a few moments to adjust to being awake. He took in a deep breath, doing his best to turn around so that he faced Taehyung without moving the older's arm around him.

"Tae," he called out, his voice low and quiet. Jeongguk sighed, lifting his hand to rake his finger through the older's hair before resting it against his cheek.

"Your highness," Jeongguk whispered, caressing his face.

Taehyung hummed, leaning into the touch but still not opening his eyes. "Go to sleep," he mumbled and Jeongguk chuckled.

"There's work to be done and–" Jeongguk started listing but Taehyung groaned, cutting him off. He finally opened his eyes and pulled Jeongguk closer to him, if that was even possible.

"Can't we just stay in this world forever?" Taehyung asked with a pout.

"One can dream," Jeongguk said. "But right now, we've got to return."

"Yeah, return to not talking to each other," Taehyung said and released the younger from his hold. He lifted himself up into a sitting position and dragged his hands down his face to wake himself up properly.

"Hey," Jeongguk called out, sitting upright as well. "You know we have conflicting opinions that won't disappear unl-unless we're in this make-belief world or we come to a compromise."

"And how do you suppose we come to a compromise?" Taehyung asked, turned his head around to face him.

"You can start by not leading a war with no experience and instead, fight from home by giving your support. Doing that makes you no less of a King," Jeongguk suggested and Taehyung shook his head.

"I would be King no matter what. What I want is to be a good king. One that doesn't back away from a fight and hide behind his people."

"You're not hiding. You're protecting yourself. To be a good king there's needs to be a king in the first place."

Taehyung scoffed. "Jeongguk, I want to protect the people right now, not myself."

"Why can't you just be selfish this one time?" Jeongguk yelled, throwing his hand in the air.

"Just because you're being selfish right now doesn't mean I have to. Not to mention how you volunteered just to be petty. I don't understand! You were all about me fulfilling my role as King of Saphia and now you want me to be a coward!"

"You're not being fair, Tae. This is not being a coward, this is being smart. Yes, I need you. Call that love; call that selfishness; I don't care. But the people need you too and they need you alive. We can't afford to risk anything."

Taehyung let out a frustrated sigh and let his head fall into his hands for a moment before he clapped once. "You know what, you're right about getting back home. There's a lot to be done."

Jeongguk frowned, knowing he ruined the whole point of their fantasy world. Taehyung was about to get out bed but Jeongguk grabbed his wrist and held him back. Taehyung sat down but his back was still turned to him.

"Listen," Jeongguk began, crawling closer to Taehyung until he was close enough to wrap his arms around him. He pressed a soft kiss on his shoulder then let his head rest on it.

"I know very well why you're doing what you're doing and I'm very proud of you for that. There's just this part of me who's afraid something bad will happen that is not letting me support you as I should be. It's why the conflict starts no matter where we are. We can't go on pretending everything is fine or agree to disagree."