His Knight | Taegguk

13| Bodyguard

a/n: Do these updates make up for my absences?

Jeongguk found Taehyung on his between-shifts break near the palace entrance. He looked to be very sleep-deprived- nowhere near as fresh as Jeongguk himself felt.

"Taehyung!" He called as he hurried over the well-kept grass beneath his feet.

Taehyung spotted him and gave him a smile, though it wasn't as bright as it used to be. Jeongguk hoped he could attribute that to the knight's drowsiness.

"Your Highness," Taehyung greeted him, bowing.

And Jeongguk stopped smiling. For some reason, that title falling from Taehyung's lips felt like a punch to the stomach. There was a moment in which Jeongguk was silent and Taehyung was confused by his pained expression.

"I told you to call me Jeongguk."

Taehyung frowned.

"Oh."

A pause.

"I wanted to speak to you."

"About what?"

"About..." Jeongguk didn't know how to explain it. How could he? "Well, I... I heard a conversation between you and Jimin last night. Forgive me-"

"What?" Taehyung asked, suddenly horrified. "How much?"

Jeongguk sighed.

"I was there before you arrived and long after you left."

Taehyung stared for a moment, lips parted and cheeks going up in flames. Jeongguk sighed, disappointed in himself.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping. But I felt like this needed to be said-"

"Please don't say anything," Taehyung cut in, "I'd rather not talk about it."

"I'd rather we did," Jeongguk countered.

Taehyung sighed.

"You heard what we said, didn't you? You know it's true."

"I did hear you, yes, but please listen. Taehyung, I want to be friends with you. I don't know how you could doubt that at this point. I want you to quit thinking about titles or ranks and just think of me as your equal."

"You know I can't do that," Taehyung looked away.

"Taehyung, please. I feel like I really need you in my life."

"Why?"

"Because... You're just special, okay? I know that's cliche or whatever but it's true. I'm really attached to you and I'm not really willing to let you go at this point."

Taehyung continued to avert his gaze.

"Maybe you need to."

Jeongguk raked his fingers through his hair (which he'd forgotten to brush that morning) in exasperation.

"What will it take to convince you? Haven't I shown you already how much I care? Haven't I made it clear how important you are to me?"

Looking up, the knight let his eyes lock with Jeongguk's. Those stars still shone, but they were dimmer now. The galaxies were blurry. 

"I feel like you're just trying to make up for when I saved your life."

Jeongguk's jaw dropped.

"What?"

"That's what I think, Jeongguk."

"Taehyung, do you think you're the only knight to have ever come to my aid in a dire situation? I've been saved by plenty of knights in my time. I'm an idiot, for goodness' sake, I walk out into the city at three in the morning like I'm asking for someone to come along and assassinate me!" Taehyung didn't know whether to laugh or be appalled, but he ended up giggling, to which Jeongguk smiled. "But of all the knights who've ever saved my life, you're the only one I've ever chased down like this."