Cursed Hearts | ATEEZ

031

I awoke to a world of warmth and comfort and morning everywhere around me as I felt the earliest rays of the October sun on my face, bringing colour to my cheeks as I pressed myself closer to the sturdy wall of heat next to me, clenching my eyes tightly shut as I took in a deep breath.

A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips only to falter slightly as I furrowed my brows, realizing that the steady thrumming which had lulled me to sleep was still beating against my fingertips like drums, the rhythm so familiar that-

My eyes shot open as I tilted my face upwards and suddenly found myself staring directly at the King of Autumn, hazel eyes soft and tender as he raised himself a little higher on the arm he was leaning on, looking slightly disappointed as I quickly removed my hands from his chest, shuffling backwards in order to put some distance between us.

"No matter how important your research is, you should still be taking care of yourself, Yuna," Wooyoung said, ignoring how my eyes widened as he quickly closed the distance again, moving to straddle me as he caged me in with his arms, his handsome features turning stern as his voice took on an edge of seriousness, "Staying awake, skipping meals, isolating yourself like that," he paused, "Please don't do that to yourself, to me."

"I-" I choked, very surprised by the situation I had suddenly found myself in, "Okay." I swallowed thickly as Wooyoung smiled down at me, cursing at my heart for being so embarrassingly honest as it thundered against my ribs at the simple gesture of the king brushing the lock of grey hair out of my face, leaning down to press a soft kiss to my forehead, feeling a blush spread across my cheeks.

I cleared my throat, pondering, for a moment, whether I should tell him about what I had found or keep silent as he had obviously already put two and two together regarding what I had been spending my time with. I decided against it as I studied the comfortable and caring smile upon his face, the happiness in those hazel eyes of his.

I had seen the pain on his face in my dream. The dream which, for the first time in weeks, hadn't haunted me last night. The dream which had shown me that short, painful sight of the cursed love that had brought with it only sadness and suffering to The Eight Kings as well as all of Haelan, to the man in front of me, to me, to the others.

"Did I sneak in here on my own again-?" I began, remembering the first time I had seen the king's quarters, the night where I had been led here by the secretive breeze promising safety and care as it had beckoned me into the king's arms where I had stayed until the morning, just like now.

Wooyoung shook his head, looking almost proud as he stated, "I carried you here. You fell asleep in the library and I got worried when Nari told me you hadn't returned to your room."

"Nari-? I-" I furrowed my brows, confused by his words since I hadn't seen either of the two handmaidens in weeks, "Why didn't you just bring me back to my room, then?

The King of Autumn smiled at that, not an inch of embarrassment on his handsome face or humor in his voice as he said, "I wanted to be close to you," seemingly unaware of how bold the statement was, how it made my blush burn even fiercer, "I've been trying to give you space, to not disturb you when you sneaked off but there's a limit, Yuna, I need attention, I need you," he pouted.

I swallowed thickly as he leaned a little closer to me, carefully running the back of his hand over my feverishly hot cheek, distracting me even more from the internal battle I had been trying to sort out as I thought about how to change the subject, my eyes suddenly going back to his very bare torso.