Dunk took a deep breath, his fingers tracing the edge of his pendant as he sat up, looking straight into Joongâs eyes.
Dunk:
You never asked me why Iâm really here?
Joongâs eyebrows furrowed.
Joong:
I thought you werenât comfortable talking about it.
Dunk looked down, twisting the pendant in his hands.
Dunk:
Joong⦠Iâm here because of my father.
Joong sat up straighter, sensing the seriousness in Dunkâs tone.
Dunk:
You know Iâm a moon prince⦠and as a prince, I have a duty. I was supposed to find my soulmate.
Joong felt his heart skip a beat.
Joong:
Soulmate?
Dunk nodded.
Dunk:
Yes⦠On the moon, every prince or princess is destined to have one. Itâs the only way the kingdom stays strong. My father gave me this pendant-
Dunk lifted the pendant around his neck.
Dunk:
If someone is truly my soulmate, I should be able to see their pendant glow when I look at them. Butâ¦.
His voice broke slightly, his fingers clenching around the crystal.
Dunk:
No matter how hard I searched, I never found anyone. I looked at every single person in my kingdom. Nothing. No glow. No sign. Nothing. Even no one can see my pendant glowed
Joong listened carefully, his heart pounding.
Dunk:
My father⦠he was furious. He told me that because of me, the kingdom would fall. That without a soulmate, I am incomplete-that I would never be able to rule.
Joong clenched his fists.
Joong:
Thatâs unfair
Dunk let out a small, sad laugh.
Dunk:
I argued with him. I told him that I didnât care about the throne if it meant being forced to find something that wasnât meant for me. So, I left. I came here. I wanted to prove that I didnât need a soulmate to be happy
Joong took a deep breath, his eyes softening.
And then, he spoke the words that made Dunkâs entire world stop.
Joong:
Dunk⦠what if I told you that I can see your pendant glow?
Dunkâs eyes widened.
His heartbeat sped up.
Dunk:
Joong, thatâs impossible⦠Only people from the moon can see it
Joong shook his head.
Joong:
Iâm not joking, Dunk. I can see it change colors. Right now, itâs glowing black. But whenever you smile or feel happy, I see it turn gold. When youâre upset or hurting, it turns black
Dunkâs breath caught in his throat. He's trying to feel the truth of Joongâs words.
Joongâs eyes filled with tears.
Joong:
Dunk⦠What if-what if I was meant to see it?
Dunkâs hands trembled as he pulled the pendant from around his neck.
Slowly, he reached forward and placed it around Joongâs neck.
The moment the crystal touched Joongâs skin
It glowed.
But not gold.
Not black.
A deep, mesmerizing blue.
Dunkâs breath hitched.
His mouth parted slightly in shock, but his voice wouldnât come out.
His hands gripped Joongâs shirt, his entire body frozen.
Joong looked at him, worried.
Joong:
Dunk? What happened?
Dunkâs hands slowly lifted, touching the pendant on Joongâs chest.
His fingers trembled.
His eyes watered.
And then, in the softest whisper, he said
Dunk:
Joong⦠Itâs glowing
Joong swallowed hard.
Joong:
What color?
Dunkâs voice cracked.
Dunk:
Blue.
Joong frowned slightly.
Joong:
What does that mean?
Dunk sucked in a shaky breath, his lips trembling.
Dunk:
It means⦠Youâre the one
Joongâs entire body tensed.
Joong:
What?
Dunkâs eyes flooded with tears as a choked sob escaped his lips.
Dunk:
Joong, youâre my soulmate
Joongâs breath caught in his throat.
Joong:
Are you⦠sure?
Dunkâs tears spilled over, but this time, they werenât out of sadness.
They were out of relief.
Happiness.
He nodded, his hands pressing against Joongâs chest.
Dunk:
All this time⦠I thought I didnât have one. I thought I was alone. But I was just looking in the wrong place.
Joongâs eyes blurred with tears.
He cupped Dunkâs face with both hands, his thumbs brushing away the wet streaks on Dunkâs cheeks.
And then
He leaned in.
His lips touched Dunkâs.
Soft. Gentle.
Dunkâs breath hitched as he closed his eyes, melting into Joongâs warmth.
Joongâs hands slid to Dunkâs waist, pulling him closer.
Dunk moved onto Joongâs lap, straddling him as he deepened the kiss, his fingers clutching onto Joongâs shoulders like he never wanted to let go.
Joong held onto him like he was something precious.
Something destined.
The pendant around Joongâs neck glowed even brighter, the blue radiating like the galaxies
And in that moment
Everything made sense.
Joong wasnât just someone he met by accident.
Joong was his.
His soulmate.
His missing half.
And Dunk?
Dunk had finally found what he had been searching for his entire life
Their lips parted, Dunk remained on Joongâs lap, his arms still loosely wrapped around Joongâs neck. His breathing was uneven, his heart pounding in his chest like a drum.
Joongâs hands caressed Dunkâs back, his fingers tracing slow, soothing circles. He let out a soft chuckle, resting his forehead against Dunkâs.
Joong:
It makes sense now
Dunk slowly nodded, still dazed.
Joong:
So thatâs why you werenât ready to listen to your heart?
Dunkâs eyes lowered as he nodded again, his grip tightening slightly on Joongâs hoodie.
Joong smiled, He gently cupped Dunkâs face with both hands and placed a soft kiss on his nose, then his cheeks, then his forehead.
Dunk felt a warmth spread in his chest.
And then Joong kissed his lips again.
Dunkâs fingers immediately curled around Joongâs hoodie, holding onto him.
Joong, unable to hold back his emotions, shifted.
With a swift but gentle movement, he hovered over Dunk, guiding him to lay back on the bed. Dunk gasped softly against Joongâs lips, his innocent eyes widening.
Joong smirked slightly at Dunkâs reaction, but his gaze soon turned adoring.
Slowly, he pressed soft kisses along Dunkâs jawline, trailing down to his neck.
Dunk trembled slightly, his hands immediately finding Joongâs shoulders.
Joong reached for the first two buttons of Dunkâs shirt, undoing them slowly.
He pressed a tender kiss on Dunkâs shoulder, inhaling the sweet, subtle scent of him.
Thatâs when Dunk let out the smallest, softest moan
The sound sent a shiver down Joongâs spine.
Joong suddenly froze
Dunkâs eyes were hazy with confusion as he looked up at Joong, blinking.
Joong stared at him, and then
he chuckled.
He reached up, ruffling Dunkâs hair before shifting to lay beside him instead.
Joong:
Youâre too innocent for me
Dunk pouted slightly.
Dunk:
What does that mean?
Joong chuckled again, wrapping his arms around Dunkâs waist and pulling him closer.
He buried his face in Dunkâs soft hair, inhaling deeply.
Joong:
It means⦠youâre my baby. My little angel.
Dunkâs cheeks burned at Joongâs words. He hid his face in Joongâs chest, snuggling into him.
Joong smiled, feeling Dunkâs warmth against him.
Joong:
Letâs sleep, okay?
Dunk nodded against Joongâs chest, his heart fluttering.
Slowly, with their arms wrapped around each other, they both drifted into sleep.
An Hour Later
The room was silent except for the soft sound of Joongâs steady breathing.
Dunk stirred slightly. He blinked sleepily and tilted his head, looking at Joong.
Joong was still fast asleep, his face relaxed, his lips slightly parted.
Dunk stared at him for a moment, admiring the way Joongâs dark hair fell over his forehead.
A small smile played on Dunkâs lips.
Carefully, he reached for his phone.
He adjusted slightly, getting closer to Joong without waking him.
With a gentle touch, he opened the camera.
Dunk hesitated for a moment.
Then, he clicked the picture.
Satisfied, he opened Instagram and uploaded the photo.
I love my Joong.
After posting, he placed the phone back on the bedside table.
Then, with the same soft smile, Dunk leaned in.
He pressed a small, lingering peck on Joongâs lips.
Joong stirred slightly but didnât wake.
Dunk giggled softly, burying himself back in Joongâs arms.
With Joongâs warmth surrounding him, Dunk closed his eyes and let himself drift back to sleep-feeling safer than ever.......