Those erotic books were decent teachers. he supposed. Cheol would be the first to admit that his knowledge of sexual intimacy was lacking. He’d never cared much for producing an heir, and his desire for sex, a desire most others around him seemed to take for granted, was mostly nonexistent. But even he could see the appeal in bringing Min-jun to the brink of insanity with pleasure.
That wasn’t the purpose of his little experiment, however. There was no reason not to exploit every advantage Cheol had at his disposal. Min-jun had a stubborn streak, after all, and Cheol could not risk losing this little game they played. Even if Min-jun didn’t kill him in the end, he still displayed a frustrating amount of loyalty to another leader. There was nothing stopping Min-jun from relaying vital information to the real enemy. Moreover, Cheol wanted that loyalty for himself.
Leaving the comfort of the warm waters, they dried themselves and dressed. Having put on his own clothes, Cheol watched Min-jun’s hurried hands fumble with the ribbon of his shirt.
Ticklish, eh?
Most of what came out of that man’s mouth were useless drivel, and the thought of those words being spat out against a motionless Min-jun made Cheol want to drag the man out and beat him in the streets for all to watch. A rather surprising emotion, one he had buried back when he took the throne. Nowadays, even when he was forced to punish others, he did so without anger. The return of that irrational feeling made Cheol a little uneasy. It put him at a loss, shook him out of control. He’d have to rein it in before going forward with his plan tonight.
Cheol felt the corners of his lips pull up, as he approached his struggling Consort. Gently, he pushed Min-jun’s hands aside and began to tie the ribbon himself. These impulses made him wary as well. They brought them closer, but they felt so natural that they made him nervous.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
And now, as if guided by some curious romantic within him, he slipped his hands underneath Min-jun’s shirt. His consort gave a surprised yelp as his hands met the heated skin of Min-jun’s torso. The sides. His hands raked up and down. The reaction bubbled forth almost immediately. A stream of giggles and delighted screeches, a little rusty and off-beat, as if their owner had forgotten how to laugh. Something tugged on Cheol’s heart at the sound. Min-jun pushed his hand into his chest, trying to push Cheol away.
“St–” Min-jun paused to take a few breaths. “Sto–stop it.” This time, he succeeded in escaping Cheol’s clutches. Those slender hands rolled into fists, nails biting into the pale skin of his palms. Brown eyes, brown like powdered cinnamon, regarded him with such hatred, Cheol could swear he felt a chill run up his spine.
Oh dear. He’d made his lovely consort mad again.
Cheol raised his hands in an attempt to placate the fuming beauty.
“I was simply curious,” he said. “You have a lovely laugh.”
Min-jun huffed, turning on his heel. He took long strides toward the door and slammed them open, disappearing around the corner. Tsk, so eager to run away, that one.
Cheol brushed out any wrinkles that had formed in his clothes during their little scuffle. He walked out of the warm bathing space and into the cool autumn night. Min-jun and that man (Hyun-woo?) stood on the porch outside the door to their apartment, arguing over something. He had an inkling that Min-jun’s conversations with others consisted mostly of arguments. Small talk didn’t suit him.
“Is there something wrong?” Cheol asked as he approached the two men. They both twisted to look at him, their faces lit up by the warm candlelight of a lamp hanging by the side of the door.
“Min-jun is trying to bite my head off for not having an extra bed for you.” Hyun-woo crossed his arms, glaring down at the smaller Min-jun. “Look, if you wanted an extra bed, you should’ve brought it yourself.” He glanced at Cheol. “What’s the issue anyway? Isn’t he one of your boy toys?”
Cheol didn’t enjoy being called another one of Min-jun’s ‘boy toys’ much. After all, he was more than that. Cheol was his husband, lawfully wedded.
“I don’t mind,” Cheol said, putting a hand on Min-jun’s shoulder. “It’s not the first time we’ve shared a bed, after all.”
Min-jun’s mouth fell open, gaping at him, so shocked that he couldn’t even find time to get mad at him. With a finger under Min-jun’s chin, Cheol stopped his gaping. His consort’s lips pulled down into a pout, and Cheol leaned over to place a chaste kiss on them. He could get used to this.
On the other hand, Min-jun had no intention of getting used to it, as he put his fingers to Cheol’s mouth. The cool air had settled into those delicate fingertips. Cheol exhaled a laugh, letting the warmth of his breath settle over Min-jun’s cold fingers. Feeling bold, he took hold of Min-jun’s hand with his own, and let his lips graze the knuckles. They were being watched by a past rival after all, and something in Cheol wanted to set the record straight.
Hyun-woo arced an eyebrow, frowning at their display of affection. “That’s settled, I guess. Just . . . don’t fuck in the house when I’m there.”
“I know, I know.” Min-jun caught himself. “We’re not going to –”
“Yeah, that’s what you always say.” Hyun-woo sighed. “Anyway, let’s get you two settled in.” He walked inside, leaving Min-jun stunned. A second later, he snapped out of his daze.
“I-I’ve never fucked someone while you were in the house.” Min-jun defended himself tooth and nail, storming in after the detective. They entered a pattern as if they’d never parted, their friendship seemingly unaffected by Min-jun’s departure for the Palace. This was Min-jun’s element, a place he felt comfortable in, surrounded by people he felt comfortable with. Cheol knew from experience that he would never find that in the corridors of the Palace, beautiful as they might be. In some small, irrational part of his brain, he hoped the man would one day find comfort in him as well. Perhaps it was simply the King in him, wishing to be a safe haven for his people.
When he entered the room, Min-jun was already wrapped up in their comforter. He laid on his side, facing away from Cheol. A flimsy paper screen separated them from Hyun-woo, giving them an illusion of privacy that was lacking in this tiny space. Cheol laid down next to his consort, never touching, noting that he’d let his hair down from its topknot. A glossy curtain of hair that disappeared under the comforter that Min-jun bound himself so tightly in. With a cautious hand, Cheol wrapped one soft lock of hair around his finger, bringing it to his lips. How long will you continue to be stubborn, my love?
Cheol turned around, not wanting to step over yet another boundary with his consort. They stayed like that, never touching but constantly aware of the other’s presence. Cheol waited, waited until he heard the slow, regular breaths of Min-jun’s slumber.
He pulled himself up on one arm, glancing over Min-jun’s shoulder. Not even the slightest sign of awareness showed on his face, just a ghost of a frown and a twitch of his nose.
Cheol was proud to have enough self-control to not touch Min-jun then, not caress his cheek, or run his fingers down the soft line of his jaw. He couldn’t risk waking him up.
A few hours remained before his companions would awaken. In those hours, he’d pay a visit to that vulgar man who’d shouted such vile things at his consort. They had more to discuss, and Cheol’s methods were best kept out of Min-jun’s sight for now.
So maybe Cheol is Demi-sexual? Loved the chapter, thanks!
Yay, I love seeing ace representation in novels!