Eyes Of The Forsaken

chapter 16

"Who is he?" Taehyung asked, slight anger evident as he clenched his fists.

Jungkook's lips trembled at the raised voice.

"Bad* hyungie," Jungkook cried, tears streaming down his face, panic overtaking Taehyung, who didn't know what to do. The tears of the baby prince pierced his heart.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't cry," Taehyung said, panicking, hesitantly placing his hand on Jungkook's head and starting to pat it. "Why are you crying? Hmm?" he asked in a soft tone.

"You scolded me," Jungkook pouted, complaining.

"Wait, I didn't," Taehyung defended himself.

"You are so, so, so bad," Jungkook started crying dramatically once again.

"Don't cry, please," Taehyung said, panicking, not knowing how to stop the tears of the prince. "Okay, tell me, what do you want? I will buy it for you," Taehyung asked, sounding like he was bribing a child, and to his relief, it worked. Jungkook instantly stopped crying.

He hiccuped, and Taehyung's heart softened at the sight of the fragile prince.

"I want lamb stews," Jungkook demanded, "And tanghulu," he added.

Taehyung became confused. "How do you know about tanghulu?" Taehyung asked in confusion.

Jungkook's lips trembled again, on the verge of crying. "Hey, hey, hey, do you have a well of tears in your eyes? Don't cry, what happened now?" Taehyung asked in concern.

"Hyungie, don't call Gukkie with good names. Hyungie is rude to Koo," Jungkook said sadly, his tears threatening to fall.

Taehyung opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"Hyungie is bad," Jungkook began crying again.

Taehyung panicked again. "Gukkie, doll, don't cry. Look, hyungie is not rude anymore," he assured.

Jungkook sniffed and stopped crying, looking soft as he sniffed.

Taehyung chuckled at him and extended his hands to wipe the tears off the prince's face, but as he touched the skin and brushed his fingers against Jungkook's cheeks, Jungkook winced.

"Am I being rough?" Taehyung asked in concern, taking his hand off the prince's face. His hands sure were rough from practicing swordsmanship and then working the whole day.

Jungkook shook his head violently and took the retracting hands of the warrior in his hands, guiding the warrior's hands to his face and cupping his face with the warrior's hands, Taehyung's hands cupping Jungkook's cheeks while Jungkook's hands cupped Taehyung's hands.

Taehyung got lost in the moment, his face coming close to Jungkook's on its own. He rested his forehead on Jungkook's, closing his eyes, and for the very first time in his life, he felt peace—the peace he forgot he ever had. The peace he was in search of, the peace he searched the whole world for but found in his chamber, sitting on his bed.

"Hyungie is not rough, hyungie is warm," Jungkook whispered.

"But Gukkie needs tanghulu now," Jungkook demanded, wanting Taehyung to keep his promise.

While Taehyung didn't know what to do, where to bring tanghulu in the middle of the night when all of the tribe was sleeping, he thought of distracting the younger.

"Gukki baby, didn't tell hyungie where he got to know about tanghulu because baby is a prince of Goguryeo, right? Then how can he eat this when it's not a dish of Goguryeo?" Taehyung asked the prince, pretty sure that royals never ate such roadside candy.

"Hushhhhhh," Jungkook frowned, putting his finger on his own lips. "Don't tell anyone," he whispered. "Gukkie snuck out of the palace," he said with a proud smile.

Taehyung's eyes widened. He was aware that nobody had seen the third prince.  When he was banished from his kingdom he  spent some months sneakily in Goguryeo. He knew how everyone longed for just one glance of Jungkook, but nobody had the chance to see his face. He knew that even in his kingdom, the third prince of Goguryeo was famous for his utmost beauty and how the king was so protective of him that the prince was not allowed to go out. And here he was, hearing that the prince was roaming around. How dangerous it could be when everyone only wanted Jungkook by hook or by crook.

"Ajumma gave Gukkie lots and lots and lots of tanghulu," Jungkook said, smiling widely, showing his bunny teeth. Taehyung learned to recognize this smile plastered on the younger's face, one for alcohol and the other for tanghulu. The prince sure loved these two.

"Gukkie wants tanghulu," Jungkook whined again, demanding like a brat this time.

"Gukkie baby doll didn't tell hyungie for whom he wrote the poetry," Taehyung tried to distract the prince again, inwardly dying to know about the person.

Jungkook became sad, and Taehyung didn't like it one bit.

"What happened?" Taehyung asked the prince.

"He hates me," Jungkook said, becoming all gloomy again.

"How can someone hate you? No one can hate you," Taehyung whispered.

Jungkook shook his head and put his head on the shoulder of the elder.

" He does ", he breathed out

" But I ......I  fill him in my eyes, include him  in  my every breath .
In this world, I may not have him.
But in that world, I will attain him ", he whispered  his voice showing the pain of yearning . Taheyung held his breath , he started breathing heavily.

"He has beautiful eyes, I want to drown in them " Jungkook murmured.

"I am doomed , I  have succumbed to the allure of the eyes of the  forsaken," he whispered and passed out,  leaving Taehyung in turmoil.

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