Part II Asteria: A Chance For A Fairytale
Sunday, 30 August 2015 21:12![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
olympianlovePart 2: A Chance For A Fairytale (1st book of Asteria series)
Pairings: Kray, side!BaekChen
Summary: Yixing is just a normal person. A little more anti social and reclusive than others but still considered normal. Fresh out of college, he spends his days lazing in his shared apartment, reading fairytales. Until one day, he steps through a mirror and finds a fairyland, complete with handsome princes and snarky gay fairies.
Word Count: 3151
"Picked you up a little earlier so that you can explore."
Yixing smiles as the mirror ripples into the hillside on the outskirts of the town.
He does not hesitate but steps in immediately, wanting to leave the real world behind.
Jongdae flutters his wings and leads Yixing into the town.
Yixing feels the tension in his shoulders bleed out into nothing as he steps into the busy inn he visited the day before.
Jongdae's eyes light up as he frantically waves at Baekhyun over the counter.
Baekhyun winks at him and raises one finger.
Jongdae smiles in satisfaction and he wraps an arm around Yixing's shoulder, ushering him into the inn.
Yixing sits on the faded couch and stares at the townsfolk walking in and out of the inn.
"You take him around town, maybe grab some food and come back here around 7-ish. Maybe he will want to go on a hack with you."
Jongdae's conversation slowly filters into Yixing's ears and he turns to see Jongdae animatedly speaking to Baekhyun.
"Yixing, Baekhyun will show you around town today. I have another job to do. Some guy called Kyungsoo apparently needs enchanting. I'll be back by seven so be here."
Jongdae vanishes, leaving glitter all over Yixing and Baekhyun.
Baekhyun growls.
"He always does that."
After sweeping as much glitter as they could from their clothes, Baekhyun leads Yixing out of the inn and into the town square.
The town bustles with activity and Yixing can fully appreciate just how charming everything is.
Baekhyun leads him over to a stall muttering that he needed buttons.
He spends a great deal of time haggling over the price of buttons while Yixing explores the market nearby.
He hears a cacophony of squeals and screams and gasps of "It's the princes!!" and turns to investigate.
Standing in the middle of the town square are two men, with features so sharp, so beautiful that they seemed otherworldly.
Yixing stands at the side, watching the two princes fight their way through the crowd of screaming girls to get to the market.
One of the princes catches his eye.
The height and shape of the face are so very similar to the man he had danced with the night before.
Yixing stares.
The shorter man is clearly the Crown Prince with the gold circlet atop his brow.
Yixing turns his gaze to the other man.
The man is tall, with handsome features and thick bushy eyebrows.
His blonde hair has been styled and matches the navy blue suit he was wearing.
He lifts his head and catches Yixing's eye.
Yixing ducks his head, embarrassed to be caught staring, at the Prince no less.
He scuffs the toe of his sneaker against the rough cobblestone and avoids raising his head.
A shadow falls across him, making him look up.
The younger Prince stands in his direct line of sight, so tall that he blocks out the sun.
"Have we met?"
The prince asks, reaching out a hand to lift Yixing's chin.
Yixing freezes when warm golden eyes meet his hazel ones.
"N..no."
He stutters, entranced by those eyes that resemble pools of molten gold.
The prince lowers his head, his eyebrows knitting together into a frown.
"You look so familiar."
He murmurs, running his thumb over Yixing's jaw.
"There you are Kris. Come on. Let's go. Zitao is waiting."
The Crown Prince wraps an arm around his brother's waist, too short to reach his shoulders.
He glances at Yixing and nudges his brother again.
Kris snaps out of his daze and nods distractedly, letting his hand fall back to his side.
He smiles at Yixing and walks away, slinging an arm over his brother's shoulders.
Yixing stares after them.
Kris.
The name turns itself over in his head.
The man who had danced with him was called Kris as well.
He had danced the night with the Crown Prince's brother!
Yixing buries his face in hands, remembering how the prince had brushed his fingers over his wrists and kissed them.
He was the prince Yixing had asked him about!
"There you are. Jongdae would kill me if I lost you."
Baekhyun slung an arm around Yixing's shoulders, mouth so close to his ear that Yixing could feel his breath running hot down the nape of his neck.
He shudders and pushes Baekhyun away, reaching around to cover his neck.
"Aaw. Sensitive are you?"
Baekhyun smirks and reaches up, grabbing Yixing round the neck and pulling him down.
Yixing squeals and squirms as Baekhyun proceeds to blow cold air down his neck.
He pushes Baekhyun off and stumbles away, giggling.
"Come on."
Baekhyun smiles fondly at the giggling man and tugs him in the direction of the stables.
"We're going riding."
Armed with sandwiches in their pockets, the pair head down to the nearby stables.
While Baekhyun hands coins over the counter, Yixing wanders down the corridor, peeking into the stalls.
A dappled grey horse peeks at him from inside its stall and Yixing smiles, reaching a hand up to scratch gently on its forehead.
"Yixing, come on. They've got two horses saddled outside."
Baekhyun gestures to the door and Yixing hurries after him, eager to meet the horses.
"Oh wow."
Yixing's lips part in awe when he sees the horses they would be riding.
An quiet Andalusian with grey dapples along its flank and a high spirited coal black Friesian paw at the ground with impatience.
"Dibs on the grey one!"
Baekhyun calls, jogging over to the mounting block and swings himself into the saddle easily, lacing the reins comfortably in his hands.
Yixing follows more slowly, mounting the Friesian with caution, having not ridden in a long time.
A stable boy comes over to help him adjust the stirrups and he thanks him.
Baekhyun digs his heels into the sides of the Andalusian and urges Yixing to follow.
Yixing taps his heels against the Friesian's sides gently and the horse springs forward, responsive.
"C'mon slowpoke."
Baekhyun teases, turning in the saddle to watch Yixing struggle to keep up.
He slows his horse so the two horses can walk side by side.
"Where are we going?"
Yixing asks after he gets himself reacquainted with the workings of a horse.
"The forest. Show you some of our local flora and fauna."
Baekhyun clucks his tongue and the Andalusian quickens his pace.
The Friesian follows, prancing and tossing his mane.
Yixing follows as Baekhyun leads them out of the town and down a side track into the forest next to town.
"You're not planning on cutting my head off are you?"
Yixing jokes as his horse skitters, unsettled by the change in lighting.
Baekhyun laughs, the sound unsettling the black Friesian even more and he spooks, shying away from a low tree branch.
"Nope. Jongdae will kill me first, since you're his charge."
"Woah."
Yixing murmurs, grasping a handful of the Friesian's black mane when the horse dances sideways, nearly unseating him,
He glances at Baekhyun, seated comfortably on the grey Andalusian.
"You could have taken this one, seeing how you're a better rider than me." He jokes, fingers tightening around the reins when the horse jumps forward.
"He's so spooky."
The two men post in comfortable silence for a while as the horses trotted along the path.
The path widens suddenly into a clearing.
"Look, that's a fairy ring."
Baekhyun points at some vibrantly coloured toadstools arranged in a circle with pretty pink and purple flowers speckled around the ring.
"Do fairies really dance around them on a full moon?"
Yixing asks, leaning forward to get a better look.
Baekhyun laughs again.
"No. The pixies do. Can you imagine Jongdae dancing around here?"
Yixing grins to himself as he studies the ring.
They ride past the clearing and into a curtain of ivy leaves, sunlight filtering through prettily.
"Here."
Baekhyun pulls a loose leaf from a vine and hands it to Yixing.
"Press it in a book when we get back to the inn. I'll keep it for you till you get back."
"Thank you."
Yixing rubs the leaf between his fingers before sliding it carefully into his saddlebag.
"One day, we're going to have to bring you out here at night when there's moonlight. It's beautiful in here and the pixies will come out too."
Baekhyun points out different plants and flowers, telling Yixing of their origin and legends behind them.
He pulls several loose flowers from the shrubs they pass by and hands them to Yixing.
One particular flower captures Yixing's attention.
It is an icy blue, the edges of the petals framed with frost.
"It's not even cold here."
He murmurs, running a finger around the petals.
"This is the center of magic after all."
Baekhyun grins and picks up another flower.
This one resembles a rose, except that it is so dark red that it almost looks black.
Yixing wonders how on earth could Baekhyun have known that he liked to collect and press fallen plants.
They dismount so that Baekhyun can show Yixing more interesting plant life that grew closer to the ground.
Baekhyun plucks up a lavender star shaped flower rimmed with icy blue petals that seemed to glow in the dim light of the forest.
"A stargazer."
When Yixing's saddlebags grow too full of flowers and leaves, Baekhyun produces a brown coloured sack and offers it to Yixing.
"It won't fill up."
He says, smirking at the look of wonder in Yixing's eyes.
They leave the forest when the stargazers start curling their petals.
Baekhyun hurries Yixing to the inn, muttering curses under his breath about being late.
Jongdae glares at them and hands Yixing the invitation card tucked away in his pocket.
It is black this time, with silver filigree glowing softly against the dark background.
The lettering is silver to match the filigree.
The Royal Family cordially invites you to The Midnight Ball
Theme: Midnight Passion
At the Royal Palace
When the clock strikes eight
Yixing blinks at the theme and a trickle of excitement runs through him at the thought seeing the prince again.
Jongdae conjures up the coach from the night before except that it is now glowing silver and the horses are as black as coal with glittering silver harnesses.
Baekhyun and Yixing watch eagerly as Jongdae murmurs a few words again to change Yixing's outfit.
The sheer blackness of the night combines with the silver starlight, wrapping around Yixing, transforming his T-shirt into a tight, almost sheer singlet and...
"I swear you have an obsession with his collarbones Jongdae."
Baekhyun chuckles at the neckline of the under shirt.
It is even lower than the one on the night before.
Yixing flushes, red creeping up his neck again.
Jongdae rolls his eyes.
"Passion. Baekhyun. Something you will never understand."
Baekhyun laughs, a sly grin tugging on his lips.
"Would you like to show it to me?"
Yixing balks at his words and Jongdae's eyes narrow.
"Stop distracting me you prick."
The darkness shimmers and stills, forming a tight black jacket with silver accents on the wide collar and all the way down the jacket.
Yixing is now wearing tight black pants and dark brown boots that lace up his ankles.
Gunmetal cuffs wrap around his slender wrists and a silver chain hangs from his neck.
Just as before, he finds a masquerade mask hanging off one of his wrists and holds it up.
The mask is silver backed on black, light glancing off the silver filigree, taking attention away from his eyes.
His hair is now more brown than red and slightly wavy, falling to one side of his face.
"You look like a prince!" Baekhyun exclaims in delight, clapping his hands loudly.
He pulls out the dark red rose from earlier and fastens it onto the left breast of the jacket.
Jongdae grunts at Baekhyun and shoves Yixing towards the coach.
"Same rules apply. Back at the gate when the clock strikes twelve or the magic will fade and the gateway will close."
Yixing nods, dimple flashing.
"I'll hold on to your stuff for you."
Baekhyun waves and disappears inside the inn.
Yixing exhales and thanks Jongdae once more before he is shoved not so gently into the coach and the coachman cracks his whip, sending the horses plunging into the falling darkness towards the palace.
Yixing arrives at the palace late once again and he misses the first dance.
He does not however, miss the prince, dressed in fine black silk.
Yixing's jaw drops to the ground when he sees the prince.
The prince seems to have caught on to Yixing's style and decided that it would be a good idea to make the ladies swoon.
He was dressed in a white button down shirt with the top two buttons left open, exposing his muscled chest. His black blazer fits like a dream against broad, wide shoulders and a dark rose almost exactly like his is pinned just above his heart.
He has on a heavy black mask with silver linings and as he turns to face Yixing, he sees the silver hexagonal ring glittering on the prince's right hand.
"You came."
Kris has to restrain himself from ravishing the stranger right there.
Standing in front of the dark oak door of the ballroom, with his pale skin seeming to glow in contrast with the black outfit he wore, the rest of the ballroom seemed to have vanished.
Kris holds out his hand with a seductive smile and Yixing takes it.
The orchestra starts up and Kris leads the stranger through a flamenco, a Spanish dance.
They dance in silence through a rumba and a passionate tango before Yixing withdraws his hand and claims tiredness.
While Kris goes to grab him a drink, Yixing admires the ballroom décor.
A tanned skin man sidles up to Yixing, running a hand along his arm.
Yixing startles, eyes falling on the taller man staring hungrily at him.
"Doesn't seem fair for the prince to keep you all to himself."
The young man murmurs, hand coming up to caress Yixing's neck.
Yixing squirms when the man tightens his grip and tries to pry his fingers off.
"So pretty. Hmm. So very pretty..."
The man whispers, hot breath fanning against Yixing's cheek, making him shudder.
"See something you like Jongin? He's mine for the night."
Yixing exhales in relief when Kris returns with a champagne flute in each hand.
Kris levels his glare at the young lord and Jongin backs off, fading to the crowd.
Kris turns to Yixing.
"Sorry about that. Jongin has trouble with respect of personal space."
He smiles and hands him the champagne.
Yixing takes a sip of the cool bubbling liquid to calm his suddenly erratic heartbeat.
Kris wraps an arm around Yixing and guides him out of the ballroom.
They find their way back to the fountain they had been the night before.
Kris settles himself on the bench and watches Yixing wander around, examining the flowers that grow at the base of the fountain.
"Stargazers."
He murmurs, kneeling to brush his hand over the petals.
Kris smiles.
"In our land, they signify love."
Yixing looks up, startled.
Kris shifts on the bench and Yixing goes over, hand reaching out to touch the flower pinned on Kris's jacket.
"What's this?"
Kris grins.
"Passionné fuil."
"It's a pretty name."
"I didn't know that you liked plants."
Yixing grins self consciously.
"I like reading about them."
He looks at the prince, a playful glint in his eyes.
"I saw you in the marketplace this morning."
Kris's eyes widen comically.
"I...I didn't see you?"
Yixing smirks, reaching for the Prince's hand.
He plays with his long fingers, comparing the width of his palm to the Prince's with fascination.
Kris watches him with amusement.
This man plays with his heart like no one has before. No one has ever sent his heart throbbing and thudding like a roller coaster ride like this.
Kris knows that somehow, he has to keep this man. Keep him close and love him the way he deserves.
"Have you ever loved?"
He finds himself asking.
Yixing looks up and unconsciously closes his hand around the prince's hand.
"Yes."
He replies, gaze now faraway and tinged with sadness.
Kris doesn't ask, doesn't push for an answer that may pain him.
Yixing lowers his head and rests his cheek upon Kris's shoulder.
Kris wraps an arm around his waist and they stay like that, listening to each other's quiet breathing.
In the distance, the bell tolls.
One.
Yixing sits up, eyes flaring wide open.
"What time is it?"
Kris tightens his grip.
"Twelve."
He mutters reluctantly.
Yixing stands, pulling his hand out of Kris's grip.
"I must go."
"It's too early."
Kris protests weakly even as he pulls Yixing in and presses a chaste kiss to his forehead.
Yixing sighs in content.
The bell tolls again.
Two.
Yixing pulls away, reluctance written all over his face.
"Goodbye!!"
Yixing breaks into a run.
Three.
Kris stands at the fountain, staring after him, hoping and praying that he would attend the next ball, the last ball.
It would kill him to lose him.
Yixing flings himself into the carriage and the coachman cracks the whip, the carriage careening out of the courtyard and towards the gateway.
Jongdae is waiting for him by the gate.
"Tomorrow, same time."
The bell tolls.
Yixing steps through the gateway and into the real world, the magic melting off him.
Something falls to the ground when he takes a step forward.
He bends and picks it up.
It is the rose that Baekhyun had pinned onto his jacket.
Yixing cradles the rose, admiring the petals.
He knew somehow, that this rose would never die.
The door of the apartment opens and Zitao walks in, flanked by a very very tall man.
"Ge, this is Chanyeol."
Yixing shakes hands with the giant, the image of Kris flashing in the back of his mind.
He could not wait for the next night.
A/N
The flowers are not real.
I just mixed some words in different languages. I know there are flowers called stargazer lilies. In fact they are one of my favorite flowers but for the sake of this imaginary world, I make up my own flower names and magical flowers with magical properties. Just indulge me. Okay this A/N is getting ridiculously long.
Enjoy the wait as I write the last and final chapter:)
Don't be a silent reader:)
Comments and criticism is very much appreciated and valued.
Pairings: Kray, side!BaekChen
Summary: Yixing is just a normal person. A little more anti social and reclusive than others but still considered normal. Fresh out of college, he spends his days lazing in his shared apartment, reading fairytales. Until one day, he steps through a mirror and finds a fairyland, complete with handsome princes and snarky gay fairies.
Word Count: 3151
"Picked you up a little earlier so that you can explore."
Yixing smiles as the mirror ripples into the hillside on the outskirts of the town.
He does not hesitate but steps in immediately, wanting to leave the real world behind.
Jongdae flutters his wings and leads Yixing into the town.
Yixing feels the tension in his shoulders bleed out into nothing as he steps into the busy inn he visited the day before.
Jongdae's eyes light up as he frantically waves at Baekhyun over the counter.
Baekhyun winks at him and raises one finger.
Jongdae smiles in satisfaction and he wraps an arm around Yixing's shoulder, ushering him into the inn.
Yixing sits on the faded couch and stares at the townsfolk walking in and out of the inn.
"You take him around town, maybe grab some food and come back here around 7-ish. Maybe he will want to go on a hack with you."
Jongdae's conversation slowly filters into Yixing's ears and he turns to see Jongdae animatedly speaking to Baekhyun.
"Yixing, Baekhyun will show you around town today. I have another job to do. Some guy called Kyungsoo apparently needs enchanting. I'll be back by seven so be here."
Jongdae vanishes, leaving glitter all over Yixing and Baekhyun.
Baekhyun growls.
"He always does that."
After sweeping as much glitter as they could from their clothes, Baekhyun leads Yixing out of the inn and into the town square.
The town bustles with activity and Yixing can fully appreciate just how charming everything is.
Baekhyun leads him over to a stall muttering that he needed buttons.
He spends a great deal of time haggling over the price of buttons while Yixing explores the market nearby.
He hears a cacophony of squeals and screams and gasps of "It's the princes!!" and turns to investigate.
Standing in the middle of the town square are two men, with features so sharp, so beautiful that they seemed otherworldly.
Yixing stands at the side, watching the two princes fight their way through the crowd of screaming girls to get to the market.
One of the princes catches his eye.
The height and shape of the face are so very similar to the man he had danced with the night before.
Yixing stares.
The shorter man is clearly the Crown Prince with the gold circlet atop his brow.
Yixing turns his gaze to the other man.
The man is tall, with handsome features and thick bushy eyebrows.
His blonde hair has been styled and matches the navy blue suit he was wearing.
He lifts his head and catches Yixing's eye.
Yixing ducks his head, embarrassed to be caught staring, at the Prince no less.
He scuffs the toe of his sneaker against the rough cobblestone and avoids raising his head.
A shadow falls across him, making him look up.
The younger Prince stands in his direct line of sight, so tall that he blocks out the sun.
"Have we met?"
The prince asks, reaching out a hand to lift Yixing's chin.
Yixing freezes when warm golden eyes meet his hazel ones.
"N..no."
He stutters, entranced by those eyes that resemble pools of molten gold.
The prince lowers his head, his eyebrows knitting together into a frown.
"You look so familiar."
He murmurs, running his thumb over Yixing's jaw.
"There you are Kris. Come on. Let's go. Zitao is waiting."
The Crown Prince wraps an arm around his brother's waist, too short to reach his shoulders.
He glances at Yixing and nudges his brother again.
Kris snaps out of his daze and nods distractedly, letting his hand fall back to his side.
He smiles at Yixing and walks away, slinging an arm over his brother's shoulders.
Yixing stares after them.
Kris.
The name turns itself over in his head.
The man who had danced with him was called Kris as well.
He had danced the night with the Crown Prince's brother!
Yixing buries his face in hands, remembering how the prince had brushed his fingers over his wrists and kissed them.
He was the prince Yixing had asked him about!
"There you are. Jongdae would kill me if I lost you."
Baekhyun slung an arm around Yixing's shoulders, mouth so close to his ear that Yixing could feel his breath running hot down the nape of his neck.
He shudders and pushes Baekhyun away, reaching around to cover his neck.
"Aaw. Sensitive are you?"
Baekhyun smirks and reaches up, grabbing Yixing round the neck and pulling him down.
Yixing squeals and squirms as Baekhyun proceeds to blow cold air down his neck.
He pushes Baekhyun off and stumbles away, giggling.
"Come on."
Baekhyun smiles fondly at the giggling man and tugs him in the direction of the stables.
"We're going riding."
Armed with sandwiches in their pockets, the pair head down to the nearby stables.
While Baekhyun hands coins over the counter, Yixing wanders down the corridor, peeking into the stalls.
A dappled grey horse peeks at him from inside its stall and Yixing smiles, reaching a hand up to scratch gently on its forehead.
"Yixing, come on. They've got two horses saddled outside."
Baekhyun gestures to the door and Yixing hurries after him, eager to meet the horses.
"Oh wow."
Yixing's lips part in awe when he sees the horses they would be riding.
An quiet Andalusian with grey dapples along its flank and a high spirited coal black Friesian paw at the ground with impatience.
"Dibs on the grey one!"
Baekhyun calls, jogging over to the mounting block and swings himself into the saddle easily, lacing the reins comfortably in his hands.
Yixing follows more slowly, mounting the Friesian with caution, having not ridden in a long time.
A stable boy comes over to help him adjust the stirrups and he thanks him.
Baekhyun digs his heels into the sides of the Andalusian and urges Yixing to follow.
Yixing taps his heels against the Friesian's sides gently and the horse springs forward, responsive.
"C'mon slowpoke."
Baekhyun teases, turning in the saddle to watch Yixing struggle to keep up.
He slows his horse so the two horses can walk side by side.
"Where are we going?"
Yixing asks after he gets himself reacquainted with the workings of a horse.
"The forest. Show you some of our local flora and fauna."
Baekhyun clucks his tongue and the Andalusian quickens his pace.
The Friesian follows, prancing and tossing his mane.
Yixing follows as Baekhyun leads them out of the town and down a side track into the forest next to town.
"You're not planning on cutting my head off are you?"
Yixing jokes as his horse skitters, unsettled by the change in lighting.
Baekhyun laughs, the sound unsettling the black Friesian even more and he spooks, shying away from a low tree branch.
"Nope. Jongdae will kill me first, since you're his charge."
"Woah."
Yixing murmurs, grasping a handful of the Friesian's black mane when the horse dances sideways, nearly unseating him,
He glances at Baekhyun, seated comfortably on the grey Andalusian.
"You could have taken this one, seeing how you're a better rider than me." He jokes, fingers tightening around the reins when the horse jumps forward.
"He's so spooky."
The two men post in comfortable silence for a while as the horses trotted along the path.
The path widens suddenly into a clearing.
"Look, that's a fairy ring."
Baekhyun points at some vibrantly coloured toadstools arranged in a circle with pretty pink and purple flowers speckled around the ring.
"Do fairies really dance around them on a full moon?"
Yixing asks, leaning forward to get a better look.
Baekhyun laughs again.
"No. The pixies do. Can you imagine Jongdae dancing around here?"
Yixing grins to himself as he studies the ring.
They ride past the clearing and into a curtain of ivy leaves, sunlight filtering through prettily.
"Here."
Baekhyun pulls a loose leaf from a vine and hands it to Yixing.
"Press it in a book when we get back to the inn. I'll keep it for you till you get back."
"Thank you."
Yixing rubs the leaf between his fingers before sliding it carefully into his saddlebag.
"One day, we're going to have to bring you out here at night when there's moonlight. It's beautiful in here and the pixies will come out too."
Baekhyun points out different plants and flowers, telling Yixing of their origin and legends behind them.
He pulls several loose flowers from the shrubs they pass by and hands them to Yixing.
One particular flower captures Yixing's attention.
It is an icy blue, the edges of the petals framed with frost.
"It's not even cold here."
He murmurs, running a finger around the petals.
"This is the center of magic after all."
Baekhyun grins and picks up another flower.
This one resembles a rose, except that it is so dark red that it almost looks black.
Yixing wonders how on earth could Baekhyun have known that he liked to collect and press fallen plants.
They dismount so that Baekhyun can show Yixing more interesting plant life that grew closer to the ground.
Baekhyun plucks up a lavender star shaped flower rimmed with icy blue petals that seemed to glow in the dim light of the forest.
"A stargazer."
When Yixing's saddlebags grow too full of flowers and leaves, Baekhyun produces a brown coloured sack and offers it to Yixing.
"It won't fill up."
He says, smirking at the look of wonder in Yixing's eyes.
They leave the forest when the stargazers start curling their petals.
Baekhyun hurries Yixing to the inn, muttering curses under his breath about being late.
Jongdae glares at them and hands Yixing the invitation card tucked away in his pocket.
It is black this time, with silver filigree glowing softly against the dark background.
The lettering is silver to match the filigree.
The Royal Family cordially invites you to The Midnight Ball
Theme: Midnight Passion
At the Royal Palace
When the clock strikes eight
Yixing blinks at the theme and a trickle of excitement runs through him at the thought seeing the prince again.
Jongdae conjures up the coach from the night before except that it is now glowing silver and the horses are as black as coal with glittering silver harnesses.
Baekhyun and Yixing watch eagerly as Jongdae murmurs a few words again to change Yixing's outfit.
The sheer blackness of the night combines with the silver starlight, wrapping around Yixing, transforming his T-shirt into a tight, almost sheer singlet and...
"I swear you have an obsession with his collarbones Jongdae."
Baekhyun chuckles at the neckline of the under shirt.
It is even lower than the one on the night before.
Yixing flushes, red creeping up his neck again.
Jongdae rolls his eyes.
"Passion. Baekhyun. Something you will never understand."
Baekhyun laughs, a sly grin tugging on his lips.
"Would you like to show it to me?"
Yixing balks at his words and Jongdae's eyes narrow.
"Stop distracting me you prick."
The darkness shimmers and stills, forming a tight black jacket with silver accents on the wide collar and all the way down the jacket.
Yixing is now wearing tight black pants and dark brown boots that lace up his ankles.
Gunmetal cuffs wrap around his slender wrists and a silver chain hangs from his neck.
Just as before, he finds a masquerade mask hanging off one of his wrists and holds it up.
The mask is silver backed on black, light glancing off the silver filigree, taking attention away from his eyes.
His hair is now more brown than red and slightly wavy, falling to one side of his face.
"You look like a prince!" Baekhyun exclaims in delight, clapping his hands loudly.
He pulls out the dark red rose from earlier and fastens it onto the left breast of the jacket.
Jongdae grunts at Baekhyun and shoves Yixing towards the coach.
"Same rules apply. Back at the gate when the clock strikes twelve or the magic will fade and the gateway will close."
Yixing nods, dimple flashing.
"I'll hold on to your stuff for you."
Baekhyun waves and disappears inside the inn.
Yixing exhales and thanks Jongdae once more before he is shoved not so gently into the coach and the coachman cracks his whip, sending the horses plunging into the falling darkness towards the palace.
Yixing arrives at the palace late once again and he misses the first dance.
He does not however, miss the prince, dressed in fine black silk.
Yixing's jaw drops to the ground when he sees the prince.
The prince seems to have caught on to Yixing's style and decided that it would be a good idea to make the ladies swoon.
He was dressed in a white button down shirt with the top two buttons left open, exposing his muscled chest. His black blazer fits like a dream against broad, wide shoulders and a dark rose almost exactly like his is pinned just above his heart.
He has on a heavy black mask with silver linings and as he turns to face Yixing, he sees the silver hexagonal ring glittering on the prince's right hand.
"You came."
Kris has to restrain himself from ravishing the stranger right there.
Standing in front of the dark oak door of the ballroom, with his pale skin seeming to glow in contrast with the black outfit he wore, the rest of the ballroom seemed to have vanished.
Kris holds out his hand with a seductive smile and Yixing takes it.
The orchestra starts up and Kris leads the stranger through a flamenco, a Spanish dance.
They dance in silence through a rumba and a passionate tango before Yixing withdraws his hand and claims tiredness.
While Kris goes to grab him a drink, Yixing admires the ballroom décor.
A tanned skin man sidles up to Yixing, running a hand along his arm.
Yixing startles, eyes falling on the taller man staring hungrily at him.
"Doesn't seem fair for the prince to keep you all to himself."
The young man murmurs, hand coming up to caress Yixing's neck.
Yixing squirms when the man tightens his grip and tries to pry his fingers off.
"So pretty. Hmm. So very pretty..."
The man whispers, hot breath fanning against Yixing's cheek, making him shudder.
"See something you like Jongin? He's mine for the night."
Yixing exhales in relief when Kris returns with a champagne flute in each hand.
Kris levels his glare at the young lord and Jongin backs off, fading to the crowd.
Kris turns to Yixing.
"Sorry about that. Jongin has trouble with respect of personal space."
He smiles and hands him the champagne.
Yixing takes a sip of the cool bubbling liquid to calm his suddenly erratic heartbeat.
Kris wraps an arm around Yixing and guides him out of the ballroom.
They find their way back to the fountain they had been the night before.
Kris settles himself on the bench and watches Yixing wander around, examining the flowers that grow at the base of the fountain.
"Stargazers."
He murmurs, kneeling to brush his hand over the petals.
Kris smiles.
"In our land, they signify love."
Yixing looks up, startled.
Kris shifts on the bench and Yixing goes over, hand reaching out to touch the flower pinned on Kris's jacket.
"What's this?"
Kris grins.
"Passionné fuil."
"It's a pretty name."
"I didn't know that you liked plants."
Yixing grins self consciously.
"I like reading about them."
He looks at the prince, a playful glint in his eyes.
"I saw you in the marketplace this morning."
Kris's eyes widen comically.
"I...I didn't see you?"
Yixing smirks, reaching for the Prince's hand.
He plays with his long fingers, comparing the width of his palm to the Prince's with fascination.
Kris watches him with amusement.
This man plays with his heart like no one has before. No one has ever sent his heart throbbing and thudding like a roller coaster ride like this.
Kris knows that somehow, he has to keep this man. Keep him close and love him the way he deserves.
"Have you ever loved?"
He finds himself asking.
Yixing looks up and unconsciously closes his hand around the prince's hand.
"Yes."
He replies, gaze now faraway and tinged with sadness.
Kris doesn't ask, doesn't push for an answer that may pain him.
Yixing lowers his head and rests his cheek upon Kris's shoulder.
Kris wraps an arm around his waist and they stay like that, listening to each other's quiet breathing.
In the distance, the bell tolls.
One.
Yixing sits up, eyes flaring wide open.
"What time is it?"
Kris tightens his grip.
"Twelve."
He mutters reluctantly.
Yixing stands, pulling his hand out of Kris's grip.
"I must go."
"It's too early."
Kris protests weakly even as he pulls Yixing in and presses a chaste kiss to his forehead.
Yixing sighs in content.
The bell tolls again.
Two.
Yixing pulls away, reluctance written all over his face.
"Goodbye!!"
Yixing breaks into a run.
Three.
Kris stands at the fountain, staring after him, hoping and praying that he would attend the next ball, the last ball.
It would kill him to lose him.
Yixing flings himself into the carriage and the coachman cracks the whip, the carriage careening out of the courtyard and towards the gateway.
Jongdae is waiting for him by the gate.
"Tomorrow, same time."
The bell tolls.
Yixing steps through the gateway and into the real world, the magic melting off him.
Something falls to the ground when he takes a step forward.
He bends and picks it up.
It is the rose that Baekhyun had pinned onto his jacket.
Yixing cradles the rose, admiring the petals.
He knew somehow, that this rose would never die.
The door of the apartment opens and Zitao walks in, flanked by a very very tall man.
"Ge, this is Chanyeol."
Yixing shakes hands with the giant, the image of Kris flashing in the back of his mind.
He could not wait for the next night.
A/N
The flowers are not real.
I just mixed some words in different languages. I know there are flowers called stargazer lilies. In fact they are one of my favorite flowers but for the sake of this imaginary world, I make up my own flower names and magical flowers with magical properties. Just indulge me. Okay this A/N is getting ridiculously long.
Enjoy the wait as I write the last and final chapter:)
Don't be a silent reader:)
Comments and criticism is very much appreciated and valued.
