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"Oh gods, first night in the castle as prince consort and I'm already lost as a hare." Taehyung presses a warm hand against the cool marble wall and peers over the edge, looking down the hall to survey his surroundings. "Silly of me to get lost in technically my castle too now. If only sleep had come easier I wouldn't be in this mess." He huffs out a breath before he walks down the hall, hand sliding and dragging along the smooth surface of the marble.
Taehyung had been aimlessly rolling around in his enormous canopy bed, goose-feather pillows by his sides as he finds it impossible to sleep without holding something (or rather someone) in his embrace. The night air was warm, the window in his room open wide to let in whatever breeze would blow through and cool his damp, heated skin. He'd been tempted to strip himself of his nightshirt all together, the soft, thin cotton too hot against his skin, but it fell just above his knees to his mid-thighs, long enough to at least be called decent, and if it weren't for the fact that the castle maids would be coming in to wake him and bring him his early breakfast come morning, the nightgown would have been off his skin even before he had slid under his duvet. Not like he was in much need of a heavy duvet of all things at the moment.
So he'd taken to roaming his new home in place of staying in bed, bare feet padding against the soft, velvety carpets, and he was regretting ever leaving his bed the more he found himself walking farther and farther away from his room with no idea of how to make his way back unsighted.
He'd seen doors upon doors, all tall to reach the ceilings that were nothing if not flanked with gorgeous crystal chandeliers every ten meters, the doors of probably ebony wood all polished to a mirror shine. He could almost smell the faint, natural sweet scent of the wood, long having had faded but still lingering.
He had been tempted to open a door and peer inside a room curiously, in hopes of finding someone who could possibly assist him in finding his way back to his room, but looking at the fact that no light filtered beneath the doors, he could easily make the assumption that none of the rooms were occupied.
He walked some more, down halls that looked no different from the ones he'd already walked through, and he was beginning to doubt himself. Was I completely and hopelessly lost? How embarrassing. But just as he was about to make a turn to go back to where he (hoped he) had come from, he caught sight of a faint light from underneath a door tucked in a corner, dim but still visible even with the bright lighting of the halls provided by the countless chandeliers.
He slowly made his way to the door, his heart rate slowly increasing and sending a warm wave of nerves through his body. He breathed a self-calming sigh before he held the cold brass handle in his hand, reveling in the cool sensation of the metal against his skin, before pulling it down, the door coming unlocked with a soft click.
He pushed the heavy door gently, the hinges turning soundlessly as he was suddenly bathed in a warm glow, air heavy with dampness and smelling faintly of lavender?
"Hello–? Oh gods! Oh goodness I'm terribly sorry!" Taehyung's cheeks burned a bright red, because right there, sitting in a massive claw-foot porcelain bathtub pushed up against the center of the wall opposite to the door, surrounded by at least a dozen fretting servants and handmaids, was none other than the Crown Prince Jungkook himself, soaking in a steaming bath (how in the world is handling the heat) as naked as the day he was born. Jungkook startles, his skin hot and red, eyes wide with surprise as he eyes Taehyung who stands fumbling by the door.
Taehyung casts his eyes down, eyes shiny with tears at having been caught so embarrassingly wandering the castle like an immature child. He was suddenly reminded of his state of undress, and his cheeks only seemed to darken with embarrassment, now wanting nothing more than to run off to his room and promptly drown himself in his own bed. Maybe the heat of being wrapped in his thick blanket would suffocate him. He only hopes. "I'm–I apologize your majesty for interrupting your bath. I–I best be on my way."
Jungkook had been still as a deer, the maids around him whispering to themselves at the sudden appearance of the prince consort, but suddenly he's sitting up, water splashing and lapping at his legs as he ushers the maid over to him. "Hand me a towel," he orders them quietly yet firmly, "and clean this up please." The maids bow their heads, obeying his commands, as he goes about drying himself down and quickly making work of putting on his breeches and loose, cotton dress shirt.
"Taehyung!" He calls out to Taehyung pointlessly from behind the closed bathroom door, rushes over to fling it open once his boots wear laced up on his feet. "My Prince—! Oh. You're still here." Jungkook turned the corner to find Taehyung still standing there, head cast downwards as his arms hung limply by his sides. "What are you doing roaming about the castle this late, little prince?" He walks closer to Taehyung to stand within arms distance, a comforting smile on his lips as he brings his hand up to his damp hair to give it a slight ruffle. "I would've thought you'd be asleep by now, after such a long wedding ceremony."
Taehyung blushes at the remembrance of their wedding ceremony, and now he wishes nothing more than for the walls to swallow him and end his misery. First night in the castle and not only do you get lost,but you get caught in your night gown by the crown prince himself as well. Such a prince consort you’re turning out to be.
"It's perfectly alright you know. It is your castle now too, so you are free to roam. Although it's rather concerning how you chose to leave your room dressed so..."
"Inappropriately?" Taehyung finishes for him.
"I'd prefer to use the word adorably. Although I can't have people looking at my prized flower dressed as so, you'd take their breathes away." Jungkook brings his knuckles up to brush gently against the swell of Taehyung's rosy cheeks, a look of fondness in his eyes as his fingers ran through the long stands of Taehyung's dusty brown hair, bleached lighter from all his time sitting in the gardens (which he had gifted Taehyung as a courting present) under the sun. "Did you miss me so that you had to come look for me?" His smile was cheeky, as a lyric of laugher fell past his loose lips.
Taehyung pouts his lips petulantly, though his cheeks still glow a healthy pink and he leans slightly into Jungkook's gentle touch. "So full of yourself my prince. Don't mind me, I was casually melting away in my chambers because of this summer heat, but I wouldn't have wanted to soil the blankets so I opted for a leisurely stroll through the palace halls."
"Oh dear, has my pretty flower wilted?" He brushes some loose strands behind Taehyung's pink-tinged ear before he slid his hand down to cup Taehyung's nape gently.
"Terribly so my prince, I don't even think I have the strength to make my way back to my room." Taehyung droops playfully in Jungkook's welcoming arms, rests his head against Jungkook's chest to listen to the strong rhythmic beating of his heart.
"Our room, my darling flower."
"Didn't quite feel like it was our room."
"So you did miss me." Jungkook laughs joyously as he wraps his arms around Taehyung's trim waist and buries his nose in his neck. "If it ever so makes you feel better, I missed you dearly as well, my love." He presses a soft kiss to the side of Taehyung's neck, lingering for seconds before he pulls back, and he's giving Taehyung the brightest of smiles.
"Carry me back?" Taehyung throws his arms over Jungkook's shoulders, the sleeves of his nightgown falling past his knuckles as he curls his arms around Jungkook's neck to play with the soft ebony hairs at his nape.
"Anything for you, darling flower."
Jungkook carries Taehyung back to their room in a comforting silence, walking through the halls with profound confidence, one arm curled protectively around Taehyung's shoulders, while the other cups the back of his bare knees, even braving at times and going as far as wriggling his fingers in attempts at tickling Taehyung's sensitive skin. It only gets him a weak thump to his chest courtesy of Taehyung's fist and a shocked my prince!, but Taehyung still smiles impossibly soft for him.
When Jungkook settles Taehyung on the soft down of their bed, he's already halfway to sleep, his eyes having fallen shut as his feathery lashes fluttered against the high of his cheeks. Jungkook strips of his clothes to acquire his own night gown, and slips under the duvet with Taehyung.
Though Taehyung might've been uncomfortable with the summer heat, the soft fabrics having proven too hot for his damp and heated skin, but in the arms of Jungkook, so warm and safe and content, how bad can it be?