Cursed Hearts | ATEEZ

020 PHOBIA

When I awoke the next morning it was to a world of warmth and comfort, and, just for a moment, I let myself enjoy the feeling of the sun's rays on my face, caressing and bringing colour to my cheeks before letting my eyes flutter open in content, only to widen as I suddenly found myself face-to-face with the King of Autumn, the male staring intently at me through dark lashes lining his hazel eyes of autumn and curiosity.

"Have you always been afraid of the dark?" Wooyoung asked, making me furrow my brows and immediately brush off the fact that we were still tangled up together in the sheets as we had been last night. "What?" I croaked, rubbing my eyes and furrowing my brows in confusion as I decided to address the fact that the situation wasn't very proper considering that practically neither of us were dressed later.

"Do you have a PHOBIA? You seemed awfully anxious and afraid last night." The king explained to which I paused, my mouth falling open in a small 'o' shape as I mumbled, "I'm not afraid of the dark" Wooyoung now also furrowing his brows as he lifted himself slightly off the bed.

"Then why-?" he trailed off, "Oh.. I just- I couldn't sleep so," I cleared my throat, "So.. what?" he asked, "So I snuck out of my room and-" I paused, "And I just ended up here, end of story," I quickly said, avoiding his gaze as I stumbled out of bed, testing my injured leg a little, relieved to find that it was less sore than last night.

"Thank you for letting me sleep here. I'll be on my way then," I said with a single breath, pulling a little at the skirt of my nightgown in an unsuccessful attempt at smoothing down the creases and making it longer, only allowing myself to glance back once and catching the still shirtless king's eye before slipping out of the door and hurrying down the hallway, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"What have you done, Yuna?" I hissed through clenched teeth as I headed back to my room, mentally cursing at my stupidity for leaving my bedroom during the night, for staying in the king's quarters, and for what? Because I had nightmares? Stupid, stupid, stupid-

I let out a squeak of surprise as I turned a corner and bumped into someone, feeling gravity take a hold of me as I stumbled backwards, falling, bracing for the impact that never happened as a strong hand gripped my arm and supported me, pulling me flush against a firm chest the moment a familiar smell of cold nights and clear skies hit me, winter, I realized, as I looked up and locked eyes with Seonghwa.

"I- uhm," the King of Winter cleared his throat, "Goodmorning." A blush immediately burned across my cheeks as my eyes widened, pushing away from him as I smoothed down my nightgown slightly, once again cursing at the sparse amount of material as it refused to become longer, revealing way too much skin for it to be considered proper that I was standing right in front of yet another one of the eight kings of Haelan.

"Hi," I croaked, clearing my throat as I raked my mind for some kind of excuse to leave, to get back to my room, when I realized just how exhausted the king looked. I straightened a little, furrowing my brows slightly as I took in the dark bags underneath his eyes, his cheeks slightly sunken. he looked horrible, handsome as always, but not at all in good shape, I realized, about to ask a question when he beat me to it.

"What are you- Wait, did you come from Wooyoung's quarters?" King Seonghwa asked, eyes widening as they drifted further down the hallway from where a couple of white guards were now strolling down, all of them coming to a halt as the King of Autumn stumbled out of the doors, hastily wrapping a white robe around himself, covering his still bare chest as he glanced down the hallway, catching my eye as he called out my name and headed for the two of us.