Work Text:
The thing is...
Sunghoon is nineteen years old.
The Crown Prince of Ètovale, heir to one of the most influential monarchies in the world.
And completely, hopelessly in love with his best friend.
Which is a problem for several reasons.
Ever since he was young, everything came with invisible strings attached.
Girls treated him less like a person and more like some limited edition collectible. Some would follow him around in public like bodyguards, some even cried after making eye contact with him once, and others sent letters disturbing enough for palace security to quietly confiscate before Sunghoon could develop lifelong psychological damage from reading them.
Boys, as always, managed to be worse.
They were loud for no reason, they smelled like absolute bounce that ass, and communicated by violently shoving each other into lockers like primitive creatures discovering socialization for the first time. Sunghoon genuinely could not understand how ordinary teenage boys survived daily life while acting like concussed zoo animals.
Everything about people his age exhausted him.
So naturally, he hated almost everybody.
Then Kim Sunoo happened...
Sunoo was well appreciated at school. People liked being around him, as he smiles at everyone, and laughs freely. Teachers adored him, and students gravitated toward him. Because he makes every rooms warmer when he walks in.
But, Sunoo confused Sunghoon.
He had soft features and natural charm that reminded him of girls, but without the suffocating obsession that he experienced. At the same time, he still had the bluntness and comfort of a boy, only without the messiness Sunghoon hated. It’s like Sunoo existed perfectly in the middle, balancing every trait Sunghoon disliked in people.
And Sunghoon's favorite thing about him was how little Sunoo cared about the title attached to his name.
Everyone treated Sunghoon just like how any normal civilian would treat a royal. He'd notice how his teachers straightened their posture when he walked into classrooms, or when students lowered their voices around him.
He could even remember all the times his schoolmates looked terrified to even breathe wrong near him, as if one mistake would have Sunghoon reporting them to the King and getting them publicly executed by sunrise.
It was genuinely exhausting, being treated like some fragile political figure your whole life.
And yet, Sunoo did not care.
Sunoo talked loudly around him, complained around him, laughed at him, even rolling his eyes whenever Sunghoon said something ridiculous.
And instead of feeling offended, it only fascinated the prince even more.
Sunoo, for his own sanity, had known exactly who Sunghoon was from the beginning. There was no hiding the Crown Prince of Ètovale when his face was constantly plastered across magazines, news reports, and gossip articles. Everyone knew Sunghoon was royalty.
Still, middle school him built the courage to sit beside the awkward Sunghoon during lunch one afternoon, receiving a handful of looks, then asking if the seat was taken. Both of them ate in silence for the next 45 minutes, with Sunghoon being the first to finish and leave the table.
Sunoo genuinely thought that would be the first and last interaction he would ever have with the prince.
Which was honestly tragic because Sunghoon was astronomically attractive.
Like, unfairly handsome.
He was well mannered, reserved, humble despite being literal royalty, and magically always looked like he was fresh out of shower despite being at school for nearly nine hours.
His sharp eyes made him intimidating at first, but the more Sunoo looked at him, the more he noticed smaller details instead. The mole near his nose, his thick and dark eyebrows, his big and thick, pretty hands, and the fact that he always smelled clean 24/7, like fresh laundry and expensive cologne.
And the nose.
God.
His nose.
His long, elegant, and oh-so-straight nose, it belonged on sculptures.
Sunoo had nearly lost composure the first time he saw Sunghoon's side profile up close.
And from then on, middle school Sunoo wanted to get close to him for reasons that were absolutely not related to the fact the Crown Prince of Étovale happened to be one hundred percent his type.
Tooootally not....
...
Okay, fine! — Tch, just like every other girl and gay boy in Ètovale…
But unbeknownst to the boy, Sunghoon started sitting with him at lunch every day, eating in silence.
Then again the next day.
And the next.
Then a month in, they started studying together. Then texting each other. They weren't even aware that they were practically spending every possible second attatched at the hip until the entire student body simple accepted them as best friends.
Yet, nobody questioned why the prince of Ètovale followed Kim Sunoo around like he had been imprinted on him since birth.
Sunoo honestly could not say no to a new friend, especially not when that friend turned out to be painfully awkward underneath the princely image everyone feared.
He liked how Sunghoon was just a normal teenage boy who genuinely had no idea about life, and someone who does not understand basic sarcasm half of the time and once asked Sunoo if the phrase 'spill the tea' referred to knocking over a teapot full of rose and cinnamon tea.
The problem was that falling in love with Kim Sunoo and dating Kim Sunoo were two completely different things.
Because Sunghoon was not only a teenage boy. He was the future king.
And future kings were not supposed to secretly date commoners from high school. Even worse knowing that they're the same gender.
If the public ever found out, everything would reak havoc overnight. And worse of all, Sunoo would get dragged into the center of it against his will.
And worse than the public was — His father, The King.
Sunghoon tried not to think too deeply about what would happen if his father ever discovered the truth, because every possible outcome ended badly. The least horrifying possibility involved being disowned publicly and stripped from succession. The worst possibilities were even darker...
Well...Execution was unlikely.
Very unlikely.
But royal families throughout history had done worse for less.
And chances were never fully zero.
Especially not in Étovale's monarchy.
So they kept it hidden.
But people still liked to talk behind Sunoo's back, assuming he was using Sunghoon for money, status, or connections. Sunghoon had overheard it once and nearly got an entire student council suspended over it. Sunoo had to physically hold him back from confronting them.
That was the embarrassing thing about being in love with Kim Sunoo. Sunghoon would do almost anything to keep him smiling.
Which was exactly why their upcoming one year anniversary was driving him insane.
Because Kim Sunoo deserved everything.
And Sunghoon, unfortunately, had access to enough money to attempt giving him exactly that.
The apartment he currently lived in was proof enough. His father had purchased it for him after deciding the royal palace was too far from Ètovale Private Academy for daily travel.
The place looked less of an apartment and more like something ripped out of an interior design magazine, with floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the city's skyline, soft golden lighting reflecting off pokished marble counters, and every single room looked spotless. — Mostly because Jongseong made sure it stayed spotless.
Jongseong was Sunghoon's royal advisor, though at this point he functioned more like an exhausted babysitter for a prince with unhealthy spending and living habits, and terrible decision skills.
"Jongseong, I don't know what to do!"
Sunghoon dramatically sighed from his place in the sofa, scrolling down online shops on his cellphone. "I don't know what to get Sunoo for our one year anniversary."
Jongseong from the dining table, did not look up from where he was working on his laptop. "And you believe I would know what to buy your boyfriend?"
"Yes." Sunghoon answers. "No, I'm just joking."
Jongseong raises one eyebrow at him.
Sunghoon sank deeper into the couch. "Okay, fine. Half joke."
"You are asking the wrong person here."
Sunghoon sulked with a nervous expression. "It's just... one year is a pretty big deal, right? So like, a present should be very meaningful."
"It should indeed." The older hummed, going back to his work.
"Does a hoodie with a cat design count?" He frowns at the screen of his phone, thumb hovering over the picture displayed on the online shop.
It's a pretty cute hoodie. It was 80% cotton, oversized, white with tiny embroidered cats stitched along the sleeves and hood. The moment he saw it, he immediately thought of Sunoo. White suited him unfairly well, and it made him cuter and brighter. Especially when he buries himself in oversized clothes and walks around half hidden beneath long sleeves.
A small smile pulled at the prince's lips. "Like, he loves cats and he looks cute in oversized clothes. So...?" he added quietly.
Across the apartment, Jongseong sighed deeply, more amused than exasperated. He closed his laptop and stood from the dining table where he had been organizing the prince's schedule for the week.
"Your Highness," he said while gathering his things. "At the end of the day, you are his boyfriend. You two have been best friends since middle school, that's 4 years, plus boyfriends for a year."
Sunghoon could only gulp and bite the insides of his cheek, deep in thought as his advisor spoke.
"— So you know him better than anyone else. I think you already know what he would like." Jongseong ended his words with a light eye smile.
Sunghoon sits up and leans his head against the couch cushions with another sigh of his own. "That's the problem. I know everything he likes, and I've already bought them all for him. What else am I supposed to give him now?!"
The prince then plops back down with a grunt. "And I can't just ask him because it would ruin the surprise!"
The apartment soon became quiet, blending in with it looking barely lived in despite Sunghoon staying there most of the school year. Jongseong insisted on keeping everything organized, mostly because Sunghoon himself had the domestic survival skills of an expensive house cat.
"I have left food in the fridge," Jongseong reminded calmly
" You know how to heat it up, I assume. Remember to—"
"Not heat it up in the microwave because it doesn't have the same taste?"
Sunghoon finished the sentence automatically. Jongseong blinked once before smiling slightly.
"And remember—"
"To separate dark and white clothes before washing them because otherwise everything turns grey?"
"Hm. You have learnt well," Jongseong says, genuinely impressed. "Since everything is in order, I will get going to the castle again. Anything else you need from me?"
"Only if you can somehow tell me exactly what I need to get Sunoo for our anniversary."
Jongseong shakes his head.
Sunghoon giggles at the older who was currently putting on his dress shoes. "Then no. Take care, Jongseong."
Jongseong paused by the open apartment door. "Likewise, Prince Sunghoon. Please remember to lock your doors at night."
"Will do."
The door slams shut and the apartment now fell into complete silence, except for the air conditioning humming in the background.
Sunghoon is left with his phone and the horrible online shop that doesn't tell him what to get his boyfriend. He tossed the phone beside him with frustration before dragging both hands down his face.
What exactly does someone but for Kim Sunoo after one entire year together?
Thinking about it... A hoodie sounded ridiculous and tacky...
Jewelry seemed a tad bit too predictable...
And flowers feel insulting when Sunoo deserved entire gardens — Acres of them.
Sunghoon considered a camera next. Sunoo loved taking pictures of random things, usually photos of sunsets or desserts Sunghoon buys for him, or screenshots of Sunghoon looking annoyed during video calls.
Maybe a camera would work?...A really, really expensive one. The best one in Ètovale, probably.
Then again, Sunoo was a heavily emotional, and sentimental person. Maybe he would prefer something with emotional value instead of something expensive...
Sunghoon groaned softly into his hands.
He knew Sunoo better than anyone. He knew Sunoo scrunches his nose whenever he concentrated. He knew Sunoo hated tomatoes unless they were cooked into a sauce. He knew Sunoo secretly cried during sad animal movies and denied it afterward while cuddling. And he knew exactly how Sunoo looked while sleeping because half the time they accidentally fell asleep during late night video calls together.
Sunghoon knew everything about him.
So why was buying one anniversary present suddenly impossible?
Before he could continue spiraling, his phone buzzed loudly against the couch cushion. The moments Sunghoon saw the caller ID, his entire mood lifted instantly.
A stupidly wide smile spread across his face. "Hey," he greeted, voice noticeably softer. "What's up?"
"Hoonie~ I'm bored and I miss you~," Sunoo petulantly and dramatically announced. Sunghoon could already picture him sprawled somewhere across his bed.
"I just finished all my chores and I'm dying. But I bought that new video game I told you about!"
Sunghoon sat up in less than a second after hearing that sentence. "Oh?"
Video games.
That was another option.
He could buy Sunoo more games... Maybe an entire collection... A better console too, maybe a couple of them, because Sunoo's current ones sounded like it was moments away from exploding every time he turned it on.
"What's the game about? Tell me." Sunghoon asked while reaching around the couch for his laptop.
"Uhm...To be honest? I have zero fucking clue." Sunoo admitted, followed by a cute laugh.
"From what I've collectively observed, most of it's talking about darkness or hearts or friendship or something...Ugh,I don't know. — And ooh! the main character fights people using a giant key!"
"A key?"
"Yeah! A gigantic key," Sunoo repeated seriously. "And there's also a talking duck."
Then Sunoo added carefully, "I...I don't think I understand the game..."
Sunghoon burst into laughter. "It doesn't sound bad. I'd still play it."
"Well, apparently theres like seven games too," Sunoo continued. "I only bought the first one."
Seven games...
Sunghoon immediately opened another browser tab.
Easy. He could absolutely buy all seven.
Maybe the special editions too...
And matching controllers for them both...
And a new TV for Sunoo.
Sunghoon frowned thoughtfully at the possibilities while Sunoo continued rambling into his ear.
"And this game is called?"
"Kingdom of Hearts? Hearts Kingdom? Something like that." Sunoo laughed softly. "I'm still learning over here."
Sunghoon lowly chuckled again, warmth blooming in his chest at the sound.
God, he loved hearing Sunoo laugh.
"Oh wait," Sunoo said suddenly. "Was I interrupting something?"
"Not at all," Sunghoon answered quickly while looking around for where he left his laptop charger. "I was only..."
"Hm?"
Sunghoon hesitated, then sighed.
"I was trying to figure out what anniversary present to get you."
There was an immediate silence from the other line. Then —
"Hoonie," Sunoo groaned softly. "You know you don't have to spend money on me right? We could literally go eat somewhere and I'd still be happy."
"But I want to buy you things," Sunghoon argued immediately. "Doesn't that count for something?"
"I mean... Yeah, as long as you don't do something insane."
Sunghoon narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Define insane."
"Mm...Like...Buying a bouncing castle."
Sunghoon blinked once...Then he slowly opened a third browser tab.
Sunoo continued to laugh, completely unaware of the danger he had unleashed. "Can you imagine if we had a bouncing castle though?"
"We should get a ball pit too," Sunghoon decided seriously while typing the words inflatable castle into the search bar. "And maybe one of those vending machines with snacks inside."
"Oh my god, yes!" Sunoo gasped dramatically. "And a pool table!"
"Do you even know how to play pool?"
"No," Sunoo admits proudly. "But it looks cool."
Sunghoon snorted softly. "So basically, you want an arcade."
"Exactly," Sunoo said excitedly. "We'd call it something cool too."
"Like?"
Sunoo paused confidently.
“Sunoo and Sunghoon's Mega Fun Place!”
...
...
...
"That is the worst thing I have ever heard."
"Ugh! You have ZERO vision." Sunoo stomped, the sound on his foot hititng the ground picked up by the phone.
"You literally sound like a seven year old naming a theme park."
"Don't be such a hater! You're supposed to be my boyfriend!"
As Sunoo continued arguing passionately about the 'arcade's' name through the phone. Sunghoon quietly added both a luxury ball pit and a commercial snack vending machine to his shopping cart.
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
The Next Morning:
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
*clink!*
*clang!* *swish!*
*clang!*
*woosh!*
Next morning began with his daily training with his mentor — Lee Heeseung. Who currently looked throughly unimpressed.
He had been training with him for nearly eleven years now, since he was eight years old. Even after years of training together, Sunghoon still lost most spars against him.
Around them, royal guards continued their own exercises nearby, distant shouts and marchings blending into the cold early morning air.
Sunghoon hated training here sometimes. Everything about palace life felt suffocating lately.
Especially because everytime he looked at his phone during breaks, all he could think about was Kim Sunoo.
Heeseung noticed the distraction immediately.
"You're thinking about him again, aren't you?"
Sunghoon blinked. "What?"
"That boyfriend of yours. You always lose focus whenever he texts you."
"I do not."
"You've checked your phone sixteen times!”
Sunghoon scoffed under his breath before taking another fighting stance. "Can we continue already?"
Heeseung smirked faintly. "If Your Highness insists."
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
An Hour Later:
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Training officially ended only after twenty painful minutes of drills, bruises, and Heeseung criticizing every movement Sunghoon made. Sunghoon's shirt clung uncomfortably to his skin and his arms felt ready to fall off completely.
Heeseung tossed him a bottle of water, which he caught it gratefully before collapsing onto the grass nearby with a tired groan.
Heeseung walked over and sat beside him a moment after, while Sunghoon was pulling off his gloves hastily. Unlike the prince, the older barely looked tired.
Annoying. Sunghoon thought.
A couple of minutes of silence passed, then Sunghoon finally sighed dramatically.
"I need your help."
Heeseung glanced sideways, snapping his head. "What happened?!"
"Woah — No, no, nothing bad," Sunghoon reassured quickly. "Nobody's dying."
Sunghoon motioned him to sit down properly instead of hovering like an interrogator. Once Heeseung settled properly beside him, Sunghoon lowered his voice.
"You have to promise not to tell Jongseong."
Heeseung frowned instantly. Sunghoon genuinely believed Heeseung's frown could qualify as psychological warfare.
"Why can't I tell Jay?" he asked slowly. "Sunghoon. What did you do?"
"Nothing," Sunghoon answered quickly.
Heeseung stared, which Sunghoon coughed awkwardly. "Nothing yet."
"Sunghoon."
"So my anniversary with Sunoo is in a few days," he rushed out. "And I wanted to ask you something."
Heeseung narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Go on."
Sunghoon inhaled once.
"Where...can I buy an apartment?"
Silence.
Like dead actual silence.
Heeseung stared at him with complete disbelief written across his face. Then, in the calmest voice possible, he asked:
"Why...do you need another apartment?"
Sunghoon looked away. "For an arcade."
"...An arcade."
"Yeah."
Heeseung slowly removed his gloves one finger at a time, preparing himself mentally for the conversation ahead.
Sunghoon swallowed nervously. "I accidentally bought a bouncing castle."
"You what?"
"And a ball pit," Sunghoon admitted faster now. "Also vending machines. And maybe a pool table. Definitely a giant television. I was considering getting a new console too."
Heeseung stared at him in horror.
Sunghoon rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I think I ordered most of it around one in the morning."
"You think?! You bought an entire amusement center because its you and your boyfriend's anniversary?!"
Sunghoon sighed dramatically and dropped backward into the grass. "I know."
Heeseung looked like he physically wanted to shake him.
"I really need another apartment though," Sunghoon continued. "If Jongseong finds out before I fix this, he's either going to kill me or help me."
Heeseung barked out a laugh. "Don't underestimate Jay. He's fully capable of doing both."
"Not helping."
Heeseung looked at him for a moment before the irritation on his face slowly melted into amusement.
Because despite everything ridiculous about this situation, Heeseung knew one thing for certain:
Park Sunghoon was devastatingly in love.
"You really love this boy, huh?"
Sunghoon did not even hesitate. "Yeah."
The sincerity in his voice startled Heeseung. Before the older could tease him further, Sunghoon abruptly sat up again and pointed at him seriously. "Anyway. Apartment."
Heeseung laughed under his breath. "Yeah. I know a few places."
Relief instantly spread across Sunghoon's face. "Really?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Unfortunately for me."
"You're literally my favorite person alive."
"I think that title disappears the second Sunoo walks into the room."
"...Correct."
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Later…
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
By noon, Sunghoon somehow found himself seated inside an expensive real estate office with both Heeseung and Jake beside him, stacks of paperwork spread across the table while employees nervously catered to literal royalty.
Sunghoon already had a headache.
"I still cannot believe you're buying an apartment," Jake commented while flipping through paperwork calmly.
As Sunghoon's personal butler, Jake had long since accepted that his job description apparently included enabling royal stupidity.
"Love truly makes people do incredible things."
"Stupid things," Heeseung corrected Jake.
"Can we stop discussing and help me before I accidentally purchase an entire building?" Sunghoon rubbed his temples tiredly. "Also, where do people hire interior designers?"
Jake looked horrified. "You are decorating it too?"
"It's for Sunoo." Sunghoon groaned softly while signing another document.
Buying property turned out to be far more exhausting than expected. There were contracts, approvals, location discussions, security concerns, renovation permits, and approximately nine hundred papers waiting for his signature.
Jongseong would have handled all of this in thirty minutes.
The realization only made Sunghoon feel guiltier.
"This would be easier if Jay was here," Jake admitted eventually.
Sunghoon frowned slightly. "I know."
"Then why not call him?" Jake placed down a folder.
"Because he's busy," Sunghoon answered honestly. "And I don't want him stressing over something this stupid."
Heeseung snorted loudly beside him. "Stupid is one word for it."
Jake laughed quietly while Sunghoon continued miserably signing papers.
Then suddenly, Heeseung's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen once before immediately grinning.
"Oh," he said slowly. "Speaking of the devil."
Sunghoon froze.
"It's Jay."
Sunghoon's soul briefly left his body.
Heeseung answered casually. "Hey. What's up? ...Yeah, he's here."
His grin widened immediately afterward. "You wanna talk to him?"
Sunghoon looked ready to faint.
Heeseung handed the phone over anyway. Very carefully, Sunghoon pressed the phone against his ear.
"H-Hey, Jongseong. Waddup!—"
"— Do not 'Waddup’ me.”
Sunghoon's nervous smile dropped, as he gulped harshly. He immediately knew he was doomed.
"Your Highness. How are we today?" Jongseong asked, sounding forcefully polite.
"G-Good," Sunghoon answered weakly. "You?"
"It was a pleasant morning," Jongseong replied weirdly calm. "Until I arrived at your apartment and was greeted by a delivery worker asking where he should install a bouncing castle."
Sunghoon felt his blood run cold.
Beside him, Heeseung physically leaned away to avoid the incoming disaster.
"The man also informed me, —" Jongseong continued.
" — That there were additional deliveries arriving throughout the week. Including a luxury ball pit, two commercial sized vending machines, a bookshelf worth of video games, four different gaming consoles, contollers, and other miscellaneousness, and a new 65-inch Ultra Thin Samsung TV. Oh, and did I mention a fully equipped pool table?"
Sunghoon closed his eyes slowly.
"Oh, woaahh thats- uhm..." he croaked weakly. "That's... funny."
"Is it?"
"N...No."
"No, it is not. Prince Sunghoon."
Jake had fully turned away at this point because he was visibly trying not to laugh.
Jongseong sighed softly through the phone. That disappointed sigh hurt worse than his yelling ever could.
"Your Highness," he said patiently, "is there something you wish to explain?"
Sunghoon sank lower into his chair. "...May...be."
"Go on."
"So...you remember how I said I wanted to buy Sunoo something meaningful for our anniversary?"
"I do."
"And...Sunoo joked about wanting an arcade..."
"...Sunghoon."
"I might have taken that seriously."
"..."
"..."
"...How seriously?"
Sunghoon inhaled deeply.
"There's a bouncing castle," he confessed. "And a ball pit. And vending machines. Also a pool table. I'm currently buying a large apartment specifically for all of it."
Dead silence. Legit crickets in the polished, enclosed, white corporate office. Even Heeseung and Jake stopped laughing.
Finally, Jongseong sighed again. "Please send me your location."
Sunghoon winced. "I will."
Then quieter this time, Sunghoon mumbled, "Sorry, Jongseong."
The irritation had softened immediately on the other end. "It's alright," Jongseong replied tiredly. "I'm coming over before you accidentally purchase a circus."
*beep*
The call ended.
Sunghoon slowly lowered the phone before handing it back to Heeseung with the expression of a man awaiting execution.
"What did he say?" Jake asked carefully.
"He's on his way," Sunghoon sighed. "I think he's disappointed in me."
Heeseung snorted. "Jay has looked after you since you were a kid. If he truly got angry every time you made a terrible decision, he would have resigned years ago."
"I still don't know if that's supposed to be comforting or insulting."
"Take it as both, You Highness." Jake answered.
Sunghoon groaned and buried his face into the paperwork.
"Maybe I should cancel the bouncing castle."
Both Heeseung and Jake looked at him. Then Heeseung asked carefully, "Did you buy matching shark slippers too?"
Sunghoon looked away with a shameful blush.
Jake burst into laughter loud enough for nearby employees to stare.
"OH MY GOD DID YOU REALLY?!?!"
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
A week later…
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
In the end, Jongseong handled everything.
He finalized the paperwork, negotiated with the real estate agents, fixed whatever legal complications Sunghoon accidentally created, and somehow managed to organize an emergency meeting with interior designers before dinner.
By the time everything ended, Jongseong looked exhausted enough to collapse, yet he still reminded Sunghoon to eat properly before leaving.
But that was a week ago.
Sunghoon felt a little guilty about that...Only a little, though.
Because mostly, he felt excited. The anniversary was only two days away now.
Two days until he could finally show Sunoo everything.
Sunghoon laid sprawled across his bed, one arm tucked beneath his head while his phone rested against his chest. The room around him glowed softly from the city lights beyond the giant windows.
His eyes drifted toward the ceiling.
Two days.
He smiled unconsciously. Then immediately grabbed his phone and called Sunoo.
Sunoo answered on the second ring.
"Hoonie~"
The warmth in his voice alone made Sunghoon relax instantly.
"I miss you," Sunghoon admitted without hesitation. "Can you stay over for the weekend?"
There was a startled noise from the other end. "Can I really?"
Sunghoon smiled into the pillow beside him. "Is that a yes?"
"Obviously it's a yes," Sunoo squealed. "I'm free anyway. I'll leave in like twenty minutes and—"
"No," Sunghoon interrupted immediately, already sitting up. "Stay there. I'll come pick you up."
Sunoo then replied, "Okay~"
Sunghoon was already standing and grabbing his keys.
"Should I wait outside? Or...?" Sunoo asked.
"If you want." Sunghoon pulled on a hoodie, and grabbed a black disposable mask from one of the drawers quickly before heading toward the door. "I'll be there soon."
The best thing about having his license was the freedom of it. For most of his life, Sunghoon had never gone anywhere alone.
He was followed around by royal escorts, all his drivers opened doors for him before he could even touch the handle, even security monitored nearly every public movement he made. Freedom was very rare when you were born into royalty.
Driving himself felt freeing.
Driving to Sunoo felt even better.
Sunghoon drove through familiar roads, one hand resting against the steering wheel while music played quietly through the speakers.
Until he spotted Sunoo waiting outside his house.
Sunoo stood near the curb with a duffel bag at his feet, head tilted downward while scrolling through his phone. He wore an oversized sweater beneath the dim porch light, soft black hair falling into his eyes while the cold night breeze brushed against him gently.
Sunghoon's chest tightened immediately.
God, he was pretty.
The moment Sunoo heard the car pull up, he looked up instantly. Then he smiled the exact same smile that ruined Sunghoon's life every single day.
"Hey, you," Sunoo greeted happily once Sunghoon parked.
Before Sunghoon could even properly say hello back, Sunoo climbed into the passenger seat, tossed his bag carelessly into the backseat, then immediately leaned across the center console to take off Sunghoon's mask, wrap both arms around Sunghoon's neck.
And kiss him.
Sunghoon melted not even a millisecond in. Sunoo always kissed like a man from war, even if they had only spent one day apart.
"I didn't realize how much I missed you," Sunoo mumbled against his lips before pulling away slightly.
Sunghoon laughed softly, unable to stop smiling. "I missed you too."
Then, because he physically could not resist, he leaned forward and kissed him again.
Sunoo giggled against his mouth.
"Sorry for calling so late," Sunghoon murmured afterward, thumb brushing lightly against Sunoo's cheek. "I figured our anniversary is basically in two days anyway, so you should stay over."
"Hmm, Great decision," Sunoo declared while buckling his seatbelt. "Very smart. Extremely romantic. Ten out of ten planning skills. My boyfriend is sooo thoughtful."
"I know~"
Sunoo laughed again before suddenly gasping dramatically. "Wait. Is there food?"
Sunghoon snorted. "Yeah. Jongseong left dinner for us before he went back to the palace."
"Oh, thank God," Sunoo sighed dramatically, clutching his chest. "I'm starving."
"If we hurry, we might eat it before reheating ruins the flavor."
Sunoo pointed at him immediately. "Jay's influence is getting scary."
Sunghoon laughed under his breath while pulling back onto the road.
Beside him, Sunoo kept rambling excitedly about random things from his day, words spilling endlessly from his mouth. Sunghoon listened quietly, occasionally adding comments while stealing glances toward him whenever traffic lights stopped the car.
He liked it when it was just Sunoo beside him, talking about nonsense while absentmindedly playing with the sleeves of his sweater.
"OH," Sunoo suddenly gasped loudly enough to startle him. "The key sword game."
Sunghoon blinked once. "What about it?"
"It got really good."
"The duck game?"
"Yes, the duck game," Sunoo defended immediately. "I'm addicted now."
Sunghoon laughed. "What happened?"
"I'm not spoiling! I'll show you after dinner."
"You're taking this 'duck game' surprisingly serious."
"Ugh! You don't understand," Sunoo insisted while turning dramatically toward him. "There's friendship and sadness and it gets super emotional near the end."
"...In the duck game."
"Stop calling it the duck game!"
Sunghoon shook his head fondly. "Alright."
By the time they returned to the apartment, Sunoo had somehow talked nonstop for almost the entire drive.
Dinner ended up with Sunoo sitting cross legged on one of the kitchen stools while eating, stealing pieces from Sunghoon's plate every few minutes despite having his own food directly in front of him. Sunghoon complained about it each time, being equally as hungry as the other, only for Sunoo to ignore him completely.
"You're literally royalty," Sunoo argued while stealing another bite. "You have access to unlimited food, so let your peasant boyfriend have some."
"That's not how kingdoms work, Sunoo."
"You're telling me the Crown Prince of Étovale can't get extra dumplings?"
"You're genuinely an idiot, I hope you know that."
Sunoo grinned shamelessly. "Then stop me."
Sunghoon stared at him for two seconds before quietly pushing his entire plate of food closer anyway. Sunoo's smile widened and softened at the offering.
*sigh*...Sunghoon gives in too easily...
Later, after dishes were abandoned in the sink with plan of cleaning them tomorrow, the two of them ended up tangled together on the massive couch in the living room.
Sunoo sat comfortably between his legs with his back pressed fully against Sunghoon's chest while holding the game controller. The television glowed brightly across the dim apartment while soft game music filled the room.
Sunghoon barely paid to his surroundings. He was too distracted by Sunoo.
By the warmth pressed against him.
By the smell of his shampoo.
By the softness of his hair brushing against his jaw whenever he leaned closer.
Sunoo was absolutely perfect to hold.
Sunghoon especially loved sneaking affection onto him when he least expected it. Like wrapping both arms tightly around his waist without warning. Or pulling him backward into his chest suddenly. And pressing random kisses against his cheeks until Sunoo squirmed around laughing.
Every reaction out of Sunoo was addicting.
Currently, Sunghoon rested his chin against Sunoo's shoulder while loosely hugging him from behind, occasionally pressing lazy kisses against the side of his neck between conversations. And Sunoo quietly giggled every single time.
"You're distracting me," he complained halfheartedly while continuing the game.
Sunghoon smiled against his skin before nuzzling his nose lightly into Sunoo's hair.
"Where do you want to eat on our anniversary?"
Sunoo hummed thoughtfully. "I don't really care."
"Well, you have to pick something."
"No, seriously," Sunoo said while leaning his head back slightly against Sunghoon's shoulder. "As long as I'm with you, I'm good. We could literally order burgers and fries and stay in pajamas all day."
Sunghoon blinked. "Would you really?"
Sunoo paused the game before twisting around enough to look directly at him.
"Hoonie," he said softly, like the answer should have been obvious from the start. "It's me."
Warmth spread through Sunghoon's chest instantly.
God.
He loved him so much it physically hurt sometimes.
Sunghoon leaned forward and kissed him briefly, smiling against his lips afterward.
"You're right," he murmured quietly. "I forgot who I was talking to."
Sunoo grinned immediately.
"But," Sunghoon added, squeezing him tighter against his chest, "I still want to take you somewhere nice for dinner."
"Okay."
"And before that we stay in pajamas all day."
"Perfect."
"And no leaving the apartment."
"Ugh, even better."
Sunoo laughed happily before readjusting comfortably against him again, the controllernow back in his hands.
"Okay," The smaller announced seriously. "Now pay attention because this next part of the story is gonna be tragic."
Sunghoon nodded solemnly while immediately pressing another kiss against his cheek. "I'm focused."
"You're literally kissing me."
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Two Days Later:
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Sunghoon woke up slowly to the smell of pancakes and the sound of Sunoo's faint humming.
Sunghoon stayed exactly where he was, buried beneath warm blankets while sunlight spilled softly across the bed through the apartment windows.
His body still felt heavy with sleep, though the weight pressed comfortably against his chest immediately reminded him why.
Sunoo.
Sunghoon looked down slightly.
At some point during the night, Sunoo had apparently rolled halfway on top of him in his sleep. One of his legs remained tangled lazily with Sunghoon's beneath the blankets, and his head had been resting against Sunghoon's shoulder before he slipped away earlier.
Sunghoon smiled sleepily to himself.
Then the bedroom door opened.
"Happy anniversary!"
Sunoo walked in carefully balancing a tray filled with breakfast, hair still messy from sleep and oversized hoodie sleeves pushed up his forearms. The bright grin on his face alone was enough to wake Sunghoon up completely.
"I know I already said it earlier," Sunoo continued while placing the tray carefully on the bed, "but I was half asleep before. This one counts more because now I'm actually conscious."
Sunghoon pushed himself upright slightly, still blinking away sleep while watching him fondly. "Oh?"
"Yeah," Sunoo nodded seriously before climbing onto the bed beside him. "Now I can properly kiss you."
Sunghoon immediately held out his arms. "Then what are you waiting for?"
Sunoo laughed softly before leaning forward without hesitation.
The kiss was warm and slow and sleepy in the best way possible. Sunghoon's hands slid instinctively toward Sunoo's waist before pulling him closer against his chest while kissing him back. Sunoo still tasted faintly like syrup and orange juice, earning a muffled chuckle from Sunghoon.
"Happy anniversary," Sunghoon murmured softly once they finally pulled apart.
Sunoo grinned brightly. "I got your present," he announced suddenly before quickly climbing off the bed again.
Sunghoon froze.
Oh no.
Oh, this was bad.
Because Sunghoon's gifts were currently sitting inside an entirely separate apartment filled with arcade machines and a bouncing castle.
Meanwhile Sunoo apparently had his gift ready right now like a normal person.
Sunghoon sat up straight while watching Sunoo rummage through the overnight bag he brought earlier. He returned a moment later holding something rectangular wrapped neatly in white paper.
Instantly, Sunghoon's chest tightened.
"Here," Sunoo said, suddenly sounding nervous for the first time all morning. "I really hope you like it."
Sunghoon carefully accepted the gift from his hands. It felt light, and book shaped. Slowly, he peeled away the wrapping paper while Sunoo sat beside him chewing anxiously on his lower lip.
It was an album.
A photo album.
The cover was simple. Plain white with tiny doodled stars near the corners, and a white bow. And written neatly in the center:
You & Me ♡
Sunghoon felt his breath stop, then carefully, he opened it. And immediately felt his chest squeeze painfully.
The first page held a photograph from nearly a year ago. Sunoo sat smiling brightly at the camera inside their school cafeteria while Sunghoon sat beside him looking visibly annoyed after apparently getting caught off guard mid bite.
Underneath the picture, Sunoo had written:
"Hoonie still hated me here btw."
(October 8, 2022)
Sunghoon blinked, then slowly turned the page.
Another photo.
And another.
And another.
And more.
There were pictures from school festivals, blurry lunch photos, screenshots taken during video calls, random candid shots of Sunghoon studying, sleeping during car rides, glaring at Sunoo behind stacks of homework, accidentally smiling when he thought novody was there..
Sunghoon remembered every single of them. He remembered every time Sunoo randomly pulled out his phone and said, "Stay still, you look cute."
He remembered every time Sunghoon awkwardly insisted on taking pictures together despite pretending he disliked photos.
He never even realized the times Sunoo had been secretly looking at him through a camera lens.
The album was filled with tiny doodles too.
Little cats.
Tiny hearts.
Moons and stars.
Along side clean handwritten notes squeezed beside pictures, explaining the backstory of each photo.
"Hoonie bought me ramen after this because I cried during exams."
(Febuary 23, 2023)
"This was right before he got jealous over me hugging Jungwon for too long."
(May 13, 2024)
"He looks scary here but he was literally asking me if worms have feelings."
(August, 2025)
Sunghoon swallowed hard, his eyes felt moist and blurry.
Oh my god. I am such a materialistic fuck.
Sunghoon immediately started doubting the absurd amount of money he spent trying to prove how much he loved Sunoo, when this right here in his hands was enough to signify their love for one another.
"Hoonie?"
Sunghoon snapped his head towards Sunoo, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"You okay?"
Sunghoon opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Because he genuinely did not know how to explain what he felt right now.
Nobody had ever loved him like this before.
His throat tightened painfully. So instead of speaking, Sunghoon reached forward suddenly and kissed him.
Sunoo made a startled sound against his mouth before immediately kissing him back. Sunghoon held him tightly, one hand sliding around his waist while the other remained pressed against the photo album still resting on the bed beside them.
Sunoo was too good.
That thought hit him constantly.
Too good for him...
Despite everything Sunghoon lacked emotionally, despite the royal baggage and secrecy and pressure surrounding his life, Sunoo still chose him every single day.
Sunghoon kissed him harder because he did not know what else to do with all the overwhelming affection trapped inside his chest.
When they finally pulled apart, Sunghoon rested his forehead against Sunoo's shoulder while trying unsuccessfully to breathe normally again.
"I love it," he admitted breathlessly. "I love it so much, Sunoo."
Sunoo immediately lit up. "Wow," he laughed softly. "If I knew I'd get this reaction, I would've made albums sooner."
Then his expression softened. "I'm really happy you like it," he admitted quietly. "I love you too, Sunghoonie."
Sunghoon nearly kissed him again. Instead, he pulled him into another tight hug and buried his face into Sunoo's neck dramatically.
"I feel underprepared now."
Sunoo giggled. "Should I be scared?"
"You probably should."
Sunoo laughed, before finally escaping Sunghoon's grip enough for them to properly eat breakfast together.
The rest of the morning passed lazily. They stayed buried beneath blankets watching old cartoons while sunlight slowly filled the apartment around them.
Half the time, Sunoo ended up leaning fully against Sunghoon's chest while flipping through the photo album together, both of them laughing over old memories from earlier school years.
At one point, they ended up completely tangled together across the bed while Sunoo absentmindedly traced shapes against Sunghoon's hand and cartoons continued playing quietly in the background.
Sunghoon had never felt this much love for another person before. It scared him sometimes. But most of the time, it made him feel alive.
By nighttime, Sunghoon finally decided it was time.
Sunoo looked confused the moment Sunghoon grabbed his hand and started dragging him toward the elevator inside the parking garage.
"Hoonie," he laughed breathlessly, "where are we going?"
"You'll see. Trust me."
"I do trust you," Sunoo replied immediately.
The drive lasted around twenty minutes.
The entire time, Sunoo kept trying to guess where they were going while Sunghoon refused to give him answers.
"No hints?"
"No."
"Tiny hint?"
"No."
"Very minuscule hint?"
"I hope you know you're a pain in the ass."
Sunoo gasped dramatically. "Anniversary ruined."
Eventually, they arrived in front of a large modern building near the quieter side of the city.
Sunoo frowned immediately. "Wait. Why are we here?"
Sunghoon finally felt nervous. Because now this either became the greatest idea of his life, or the stupidest.
Taking a deep breath, he grabbed Sunoo's hand tighter before leading him toward the entrance.
"Welcome to..." Sunghoon hesitated briefly.
"...Sunoo and Sunghoon's Mega Fun Palace!"
Sunoo stared at him.
Then burst into horrified laughter. "You actually used the name?!?!"
"You named it!"
"Oh my god! I was joking!"
"Well, now it's permanent."
Sunoo continued laughing while Sunghoon unlocked the doors. The moment they stepped inside, Sunoo froze by the entrance.
Bright arcade lights reflected across enormous polished floors. A giant ball pit sat directly in the center of the room surrounded by vending machines filled with snacks and drinks. A massive television covered one wall beside several gaming consoles while colorful decorations filled the entire space.
And farther down the hallway sat another room. Containing a literal bouncing castle.
Sunoo's jaw dropped slowly, as Sunghoon smiled nervously beside him.
"There's also a pool table," he added quietly. "And another room for games."
Sunoo turned toward him in complete disbelief. "Sunghoon... how did you even rent this place?"
Sunghoon blinked once. "Rent?"
Sunoo narrowed his eyes. "...You rented it, right?"
Sunghoon looked away awkwardly. "I bought it."
"You WHAT?"
"I-Y-You seemed excited about the arcade idea!"
"I was literally kidding about the whole thing!"
"Wha?- I- You sounded so serious!"
"Hoonie, normal people do not respond to jokes by purchasing property!"
Sunghoon immediately started panicking. "So I-Uh-you hate it?"
"What?! No!" Sunoo grabbed both his arms instantly. "God, no. I love this!"
"R-Really?"
"Yes!" Sunoo laughed helplessly before his expression softened again. "I just... Hoonie, this is so much money."
Sunghoon frowned immediately. "That's not the issue."
"Huh?" Sunoo blinked.
Because suddenly Sunghoon looked genuinely upset.
"You are worth this, Sunoo." Sunghoon continued quietly. "You're even worth more than this."
"Hoonie..."
"I know this is stupid," he admitted with a frustrated sigh. "I know buying an apartment for an arcade sounds insane. But I'm not good at sentimental things like you are."
"That album you made..." Sunghoon swallowed hard. "I can't make things like that. I wish I could. I wish I knew how to explain how much you mean to me without sounding awkward all the time."
Sunoo's expression softened instantly.
"But I still want to show you," Sunghoon continued quietly.
"I want you to understand how important you are to me. I don't care about the money. I care about making you happy."
He exhaled shakily before laughing softly at himself. "So somehow I ended up buying an apartment for an arcade."
Sunoo simply stared at him, then suddenly he launched himself forward and wrapped both arms tightly around Sunghoon's neck. Sunghoon hugged him back immediately like he never wanted to let go.
"Thank you," Sunoo whispered against his shoulder. "Thank you so much, Sunghoon. This means everything to me."
Sunghoon closed his eyes briefly.
"I love you," Sunoo added softly.
Then he suddenly pulled back with a grin and punched Sunghoon lightly in the chest. "Now come lose against me in pool."
Sunghoon blinked. "Neither of us know how to play pool."
They spent the next several hours making up completely fake rules for pool, throwing plastic balls at each other inside the ball pit, racing through the arcade room, and nearly dying inside the bouncing castle after Sunoo aggressively tackled Sunghoon into one of the inflatable walls.
Most of their fights ended with kissing.
Some ended with Sunoo threatening to ban Sunghoon from the arcade for cheating. One ended with both of them collapsing breathless into the ball pit while laughing too hard to move.
At some point during the night, while Sunoo laid half across his chest inside the bouncing castle room, Sunghoon looked down at him quietly.
"Thank you for the past year," he said softly.
Sunoo looked up immediately, while Sunghoon hesitated briefly before continuing.
"I want more of this, I don't want anything else more than to spend my whole life with you." Sunghoon croaked.
The vulnerability in his voice made Sunoo's expression soften. Instead of answering right away, Sunoo leaned forward and kissed him slowly.
Then, smiling against his lips, he whispered:
"For our second anniversary, we should buy a roller coaster."
Sunghoon groaned softly. "Don't tempt me, Kim Sunoo."
Sunoo laughed so hard he nearly fell backward into the inflatable wall.
"Should we check out the video games I got you?" Sunghoon suggested
"You mean the entire corner dedicated to the shelf worth of games? Yes, duh! I'm gonna stay up till morning to play all of them!"
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
The Morning After…
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
The next afternoon, Jongseong unlocked the apartment door using the emergency key Sunghoon gave him.
Immediately, he stopped walking.
The place looked destroyed.
Empty soda cans littered the floor beside scattered plastic balls from the ball pit. Bags of chips sat abandoned across couches and arcade machines while somebody had somehow left a sock hanging from one of the vending machines.
Jongseong slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again.
Carefully, he walked farther inside until he reached the bouncing castle room.
He walked through the inflatable walls quietly, and froze. —
Sunoo and Sunghoon were both asleep in the middle of the inflatable castle, tangled together beneath a pile of blankets.
Sunoo's face was half buried against Sunghoon's chest, while Sunghoon still held him protectively even while asleep.
Jongseong stared silently for several long seconds, then he sighed. Because honestly, he could not decide whether this situation was adorable or deeply concerning.
In the end, he simply left, and closed the door.
And chose not to think about it.
In a couple years, Sunghoon would still think buying an apartment for an arcade was one of the stupidest decisions he had ever made.
Was it financially irresponsible, and logistically horrifying? Yes. It was a complete recipe for nightmare.
But despite all of that, it remained one of Sunghoon's favorite memories.
Right now, Sunoo was asleep against Sunghoon's chest inside a bouncing castle d, while Sunghoon laid, now awake, listening quietly to his breathing and thinking one simple thing:
That loving as the future king of Étovale was never going to be easy.
There would always be risks, expectations, and consequences waiting for them if the wrong person found out.
And if loving Kim Sunoo meant doing stupid things for the rest of his life? —
Sunghoon did not mind at all.