𝑹𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒂 • yeonbin {BOOK 2} ✓

°•❁𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕❁•°

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𝑻𝒉𝒆 demon was probably the happiest man alive, with a shine in his scarlet eyes and a foolish small smile on his lips. he had just dropped soobin in heaven's palace and was now going back to hell, though his mind seemed to be somewhere else. a place with brown glistening eyes that shined under the sunlight, with black locks that felt soft beneath his fingers and lips that caressed his own. soobin occupied his mind like the most perfect dream that somehow ended up as his reality.

yeonjun opened the door of his office while still in pure bliss, his dark and powerful aura getting melted by his soft and warm eyes. he was afraid that living never felt so good before, so welcoming and inviting. before, he was ready to die, ready to face everything and lose the same amount, but now? now breathing felt exhilarating, feeling the angel beside him, hearing his soft voice, touching his smooth skin, smelling his sweet and flowery scent. the demon had never enjoyed and wanted to live like he did in that moment.

it was surprising, but for the first time, the red haired didn't feel like he was losing, like he was sinking himself in an inevitable hole of self-destruction, losing his mind in an obsession sure to ruin his soul. yeonjun was simply happy, content with every little thing, because it was the first time he felt life was right. ruby was beside him, living under his roof and annoying him as best as she could, beomgyu and taemin were there to be his two pillars and hold him up, and soobin? soobin was looking at him with shiny eyes, touching him with caring hands and smiling at him with warmth. the only four puzzle pieces he needed to feel complete.

he finally felt like he had all four. soobin was finally there, and even if still uncertain, the king could just care for the fact he was there.

yeonjun sat himself on his table, grabbing the first document from the pile of papers in front of him. he had a lot of work to do and he was glad he could do it all with a light heart and a clear mind. the male asked for a worker to bring him a set of tea, a gentle smile on his face when doing so, that seemed to cause the blood fairy something, who widened their eyes slightly and blushed with the sign. the king didn't smile a lot, he was never rude or impolite, always treated the workers appropriately and with hidden care, but seeing him smile wasn't even near a common thing.

the blood fairy came back with what was asked, gently placing the tray on the table and bowing politely. it wasn't something they could quite stop themselves from doing, but admiring the royal was one of the things they always did when in the male's presence. yeonjun was handsome, red hair and irises, plump lips and sharp eyes, and it was hard not getting lost in his features. the king turned to the fairy, giving them a small smile and nodding his head a single time.

"thank you, jimin." yeonjun went back to writing on the sheet of paper but stopped before the other could leave. "oh, can you please tell taemin to come here?"

"of course, you majesty." the king thanked the other again before going back to work. he had a whole new plan of integration between the two kingdoms he ruled and it wasn't something easy to get out of the paper, way more when he gave soobin more attention than what would be recommended. it wasn't like he cared though, as long as he still ruled his kingdom properly, it was okay to see the angel.

the door was opened not a long time after, taemin coming inside with his usual expressionless face and attentive eyes. he just sat in from of the taller, pouring tea for both before crossing his legs and waiting for yeonjun to end the specific document so they could talk.

"you said there's something important to discuss. go ahead, taem." the red haired looked at him for a second, nodding his head to match his last words, and went back to reading small letters that were more specific and important than he would like.

"dan, stop for a moment, please." the grey haired sighed, taking a sip of his drink and watching as yeonjun did as said, dropping the paper on the table and staring at him with furrowed brows. it was rare for the crystalian to ask such thing, way more when be knew the royal could focus on both the documents and the conversation they were having without much problem.

"okay." the younger nodded, resting his back on the chair and looking at the other. "i'm paying attention. what is it?"

"i-" taemin sighed, so heavily it actually got the demon slightly worried. "i want to dissolve our blood pact."

yeonjun blinked, staring at the male's dark eyes as if trying to discover if he was being serious, turns out, he was. the red haired immediately felt his chest tightening in fear, the crystalian wasn't planning on leaving him, was he? why would he want to dissolve the blood pact? weren't them close? important to each other?

"what?" was all the king could mutter under his breath, his furrowed brows giving away how the words hurt him. he knew how to mask his emotions perfectly, to a point no one could even see them through his eyes, way less features, but he knew he didn't need to do such thing with taemin. so the hurt was clear as water.

"hey, don't look at me like that, okay? it's not what you think." the older got closer, stretching his hand to the other as a silent ask for him to hold it. yeonjun did it, feeling the male intertwined their hands together and caress his skin with his fingers. "let me explain first."

"okay." it was such small and hesitant reply that taemin almost punched himself for bringing the topic at all. he never intended to hurt the younger, even if knowing it could happen, and he knew what the royal was feeling was fear. taemin knew yeonjun inside out and he didn't need to hear words when he could see the scars already.

"i love you. with all my heart, okay? you're the most important person i have, danny, if not the only one. i will always cry your tears and hold your weights when i need, pick your pieces and help mend your heart. always. and not because i can die if i don't do it, but because i care for you and don't want to do anything else." the grey haired smiled softly, looking at the taller with serious and sincere eyes. "i will always be by your side, be your right hand as long as you let me and your friend even after i die. so i'm asking to dissolve the blood pact not because i want to leave, but because i want to be transparent about my reasons to stay."

yeonjun trusted him, with all his life and maybe even more. he could die for the male, put his life at stake, risk everything he had, but he trusted every single word and every little piece from taemin. it was probably the only thing he trusted that much, not even beomgyu or soobin he had that much of a trust on. so he believed every word without even the smallest hesitation.

"i want to stay, i will stay and it's because of you, just you, not an useless pact. i want you to know that and i get it. it's safer to have a blood pact and it lowers the chances of a betrayal, but danny, i rather die than betray you. i rather sink in nightmarish doubts and get consumed by possibilities i can't control but only see. i rather lose my powers and my sanity, rather suffocate in pain and drown in havoc. you need to know that, without a doubt." taemin searched through the taller's eyes, any sign of doubt, any sign of regret or disappointment. it was a desperate search, one he needed to conclude before anything else, one he needed to end up with the right answer. trust.

"i know." yeonjun took his hands out of the other's ones and got up, circling the table before crouching down in front of the male, turning him around and grabbing his hands again. then he smiled, and taemin was washed in relief. "i know that as much as i would die for you, you would for me. don't worry, taem. i trust you, always." the royal placed a kiss on the back of the older's hand, his lips touching the skin gently. "if you want to do it, then we'll end the blood pact. i don't need it to swear to protect you, too. just like you, i'm doing this for you only, not for the pact."

taemin let out a sob, something yeonjun had never seen or heard leaving his lips before. he had cried, because of anger, fear, sadness, but never enough for a sob to pass through his lips. the crystalian dropped himself out of the chair, kneeling in front of yeonjun and hugging him closer.

"i love you, dan." the red haired smiled gently, rubbing his hand on the male's back softly and rhythmically as a source of comfort. then he kissed taemin's temple, feeling the warm tears drop on his collarbone and run down his skin delicately. it was okay, he would pick the crystalian's pieces just as he knew taemin would do with his.

"i love you too, taem."

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