from where he crouched under the wooden awning, suddenly too aware of the soreness of his legs.

“What brings you here, sir?” Taehyung greeted him by standing up and Hoseok flashed him a smile.

“Don’t be so formal, you shouldn’t pretend like we didn’t grow up

together,” Hoseok teased and Taehyung relaxed.

“Hyung, I’m on duty, let me pretend to show a little etiquette,” Hoseok’s shook his head and came to stand under the awning with Taehyung, the two leaning against the wall together.

“It’s unusual for anyone that’s married to work the night shift, and besides that you’re a newly wed,” Hoseok teased and Taehyung merely smiled.

“I volunteered,” he replied and Hoseok’s eyes widened a bit before he nodded.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” an awkward silence fell over them and Hoseok looked over at Taehyung, “is it...” Taehyung’s head turned slightly to eye his friend.

“What?” he asked and Hoseok cleared his throat, his cheeks tinging pink.

“Is it...issues in the bedroom?” Hoseok’s voice was strained as he asked.

“Are you asking me if I am having sexual issues?” at Taehyung’s question, Hoseok sputtered, his face going red as he turned away and Taehyung was endeared. The assassin knew a thousand ways to

kill a man but couldn’t talk about sex.

Yet if one knew his parents, it would be no surprise he was so repressed.

“No,” Taehyung finally replied, “it’s nothing like that.”

He was satisfied with giving that answer because technically it was the truth.

“What is is then?” Hoseok asked and Taehyung looked around, hoping for someone to interrupt them but the nearest guard was about twenty yards away.

He kept his voice light, “why does there have to be a problem? Perhaps I simply enjoy working at night. It’s quieter.”

Hoseok tipped his head to the side, his eyes narrowing suspiciously and Taehyung tried to keep his face relaxed.

It was then that they heard the distant sound of a zither playing in the night.

“What is that?” Taehyung looked over and Hoseok turned as well to

where the noise was coming from and sighed.

“If I had to venture a guess, I would say it is his majesty, the King,” Hoseok replied and Taehyung listened to the song for a moment, his lips tugging into a frown.

“I’ve never heard this song,” he stepped out from the awning a bit to hear it better, “it sounds so sad.”

“That is probably because he composed it himself,” Hoseok replied softly and Taehyung turned back to Hoseok who had a distant look in his eyes.

A moment passed and Hoseok seemed to snap out of his stupor, and smiled playfully at the General.

“Anyway, don’t newly weds always wish to ravish one another?” Taehyung made a face at the question.

“Ravish? Have you been talking with Jimin?”

Hoseok groaned, “he talks and I am forced to listen,” he shook his head, “I fear those two have only become worse after marriage.”

“Undoubtedly.”

The two shuddered, and Taehyung cocked his head to the side, “and what of you, Hoseok? When shall you enter marital bliss?”

Hoseok laugh almost came out like a scoff and he smiled thinly at Taehyung, though his smile did not reach his eyes.

“It is impossible for me to do such a thing,” he replied, and Taehyung shook his head.

“Don’t say that, I recall at the wedding you told Jimin you could

not wait until the Queen Mother crashed yours,” he snickered.

“Things have changed,” Hoseok snapped sharply and Taehyung’s laughter disappeared as his old friends expression hardened. He had never seen Hoseok look that way before.

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that,” he muttered, “speaking of the wedding, I saw you walking with the Queen Mother, I thought you disliked her.“

“Whether I like her or I do not, she is the Queen Mother, and besides that the King asked me to escort her,” Hoseok replied settling back

against the stone wall, and Tae tapped a finger against his lips in thought and he quirked his eyebrow.

“I suppose the Queen Mother must have frustrated you then,” he watched Hoseok carefully who had closed his eyes and was listening to the rain or the zither or perhaps both.

“Why’s that?” Hoseok sighed, sounding tired.

“Well, after her tour, she came back alone,” the assassins eyes popped open and he turned to Taehyung, a smile coming over his face as he laughed.

“Taehyungie, perhaps you should also be a spy,” he teased. Taehyung simply sent a small smile in return and suddenly the sound of the zither cut off.

Ttheir heads swung in the direction it had been coming from.

“Something is wrong,” Hoseok started up, he turned his head back

to Taehyung, “I need to go to the King.”

Taehyung nodded as Hoseok rushed off and he watched him leave, his frown deepening.

Jimin’s concerns which he had voiced while they walked along the wall that day came back to him.

“He’s not himself.”

I LIED!

I couldn’t sleep and I was inspired

Please let me know what you think, if you’ve enjoyed the updates though they were a tad shorter! I love to know your thoughts and theories! You engaging with the story makes it so fun to write! https://curiouscat.qa/hyyhddaeng