The Boy of The River; K.TH & J.JK .:Completed:.

Chapter 69: Still Eating Away.

It still ate away at him. That guilt. It was like an infection, an illness. It spread through his body. It spread through his mind. Jeongguk didn't know what else to think even though he had been told it wasn't his fault. It still sat in the pit of his stomach. Heavy like a rock and building up within. The guilt would whisper in the back of his mind, tormenting him and making him forget what Taehyung had told him.

It wasn't his fault. It was the dragon's. It was the dragon's. The dragons. The dragon tricked him. Tricked him. Him. It was him. It was his fault. He should've known. Jeongguk should've known. This pattern would repeat when he was left alone. When Taehyung was busy helping the villagers rebuild and helping the knights move materials around. When Jeongguk wasn't busy with tasks to
distract his racing mind. Him. Him. Him. He. He.

He was at fault. He knew that. No matter what words he heard to deny the claims, deep down, he felt that it was actually his own fault.

Taehyung had been preoccupied by moving some wood before he turned to look at the warlock. He noticed that the younger looked lost; his eyes were unfocused, but they were moving around and eyelids fluttering, keeping tears at bay. The king frowned before letting a Knight know he needed to go do something and to continue what he was doing. The knight nodded, and Taehyung walked to his lover.

The king placed a hand on the warlock's shoulder. "Sweetheart.." His voice was soft. "Are you alright?"

Jeongguk blinked a few more times. "Huh..?" He looked up at his fiance. "Yeah.. yeahI'm fine, I'm okay." He nodded.

"Jeongguk…" Taehyung looked at the younger male's face. "It's not your fault.."

"I.. I know, " Jeongguk nodded.

"No, no, Jeongguk.." Taehyung made the warlock look at him. "It's not your fault,"

"Yes.. I know that. " Jeongguk nodded as he felt the other's hands cupping his face. What he said was the opposite of how he thought.

"Baby, it's not your fault." Taehyung shook his head.

Jeongguk felt his eyes sting with tears. "I… it really felt like it was.." He sobbed and almost fell to his knees. Taehyung felt the first of many tears land on his thumb and furrowed his eyebrows in worry as he frowned.

"Shh.." Taehyung pulled the young male to sob into his shoulder. "I know, I know." He held the wailing male in his arms as he just let the younger fall and grip and almost crumble from the overwhelming emotions.

"It really wasn't your fault.." Taehyung shook his head.

"It.. it was his fault.. " Jeongguk hiccuped through his sobs into Taehyung's neck. "His fault, not mine."

"Exactly.." Taehyung whispered softly as he nodded and rocked them back and forth where they stood.

"He ruined your kingdom.." Jeongguk sniffed.

"Our kingdom, baby, our kingdom." Taehyung let a small smile play on his lips. Though he had frowned when Jeongguk referred to the kingdom as his and not both of theirs.

"Not yet..hyungie.." Jeongguk shook his head. "Not until marriage.. and my coronation…"

"Look at who's been learning about the customs," Taehyung teased lightly, trying to lighten the mood, but got slapped lightly on his arm. "Okay, okay."

"How would I be referred to as?" Jeongguk questioned.

"Probably King Jeongguk… like how I'm referred to as King Taehyung." He shrugged. "But that's up to you,"

"I like that." Jeongguk cleared his throat as he sniffed and tried to calm down by taking deep breaths. "..I like it a lot,"

"Good," Taehyung smiled. Their conversation felt like little secrets. Though it wasn't a little one.