king of hearts | taegguk [ON HOLD]

♛chapter eight

The silence seemed to stretch on and on while Taehyung waited anxiously for the young prince to have some sort of reaction to his confession other than not blinking and giving him that passive-aggressive expression that appeared to be stuck on Jeongguk's impeccable face. Taehyung was beginning to think that he didn't hear him and was about to repeat himself when a boisterous laugh forced itself past Jeongguk's lips.

Taehyung blinked confused, not understanding how in the hell did Jeongguk find his affirmation funny. "Am I supposed to laugh too?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest, ignoring how Jeongguk's large sweater on his frail body was making him look anything but fierce.

"Go ahead!" answered Jeongguk, gripping his stomach like he was holding himself back from doubling over in laughter.

"What part of that sentence seemed funny to you?"

"More like the entire sentence," the raven-haired muttered, lowering himself down on his bed. Taehyung couldn't help but notice how pristine it looked. Actually, on second thought, the whole room seemed barely slept in. The brunette decided not to dwell on it and instead of stomping his foot like an irritated child, he just rolled his eyes and turned to face Jeongguk once more, giving him his most serious look.

"I'm fucking serious, you asshole!"

"If you weren't injured I could've shown you just how much of an asshole I can be," the other boy told him suggestively, offering him a smirk that didn't fail to make Taehyung flustered.

"Can you stop joking around and take me seriously?"

"Look, I don't know what plan you mean-"

"Cut the bullshit, Jeongguk, please! I'm tired of being treated like a ragdoll, pushed around for everyone's liking as if I'm not even there. Do you have any idea how life behind these castle walls is?" Taehyung snapped, his cheeks turning red from the sudden anger taking over his being. He was done. Done struggling to be one of the royals when he wasn't. So if the king didn't start treating him like a human being, then he be damned if he continued treating him like a father.

A father didn't leave your body black and blue with bruises.

Jeongguk paused, taken aback. "Is this a new side of you, brown eyes?"

Brown eyes? Taehyung shook his head, sitting right next to Jeongguk on the bed.

"I'm one hundred per cent serious, Jeongguk. Whatever you're planning, I want in!"

Jeongguk analyzed him silently for a second before sighing deeply, "What brought this on? Two days ago you were calling my people tyrants at your dinner table and now you want to betray your own father?"

He's not my father, Taehyung was tempted to say, but he bit his lip instead. Jeongguk didn't need to know that.

He'd look at you differently. You don't have royal blood. You could be his servant. He wouldn't spare you a second glance.

Taehyung tried not to dwell on his thoughts, but deep down he knew he was right. Prince Jeon Jeongguk wouldn't have any interest in a low-life like him if he didn't believe he was a true-blooded prince.

He couldn't figure out why, but that thought saddened him.

"He betrayed me first when that belt came in contact with my skin for the first time," Taehyung chose to say, settling on half the truth.

At this, Jeongguk did a double-take, incredulous. "What do you mean? Did this happen before?"

Taehyung raised his eyes, meeting Jeongguk's stunned ones and something he saw in those dark orbs pushed him to open up to him despite everything that warned him not too. He'd use it against you, a voice in his mind whispered, but Taehyung ignored it. If he wanted Jeongguk to trust him, he'd have to show the same trust in return.