Was gonna post this on Christmas Day, but I was at a place with no wifi, so here we are on December 26th, 2016. Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone!

That evening, the family gathered for dinner. In casual clothes with smiles on everyone's face, they looked like any normal family sharing a meal.

Wook sat at the head of the table with his wife, Myung Hee, on the right. Beside her was Eun. To Wook's left sat So and Soo. Comfortable around each other and in Wook's home, the family dug into the pot of kimchi stew at the center of the table- comfort food.

There were nine different side dishes and even plates of scallion pancakes and grilled meat. "I had the maids prepare something festive," Myung Hee, Wook's wife, said as she sat down with the aid of her husband. "I do hope So and Eun will like it."

Myung Hee was a soft spoken woman with a gentle smile and graceful features even in sickness. She had been born to the Hae family and raised as a princess. Her education had been centered around being a good housewife and since she was fifteen, she was constantly placed in classes, academies, and extracurriculars that Wook just so happened to be in. Their arranged marriage was one that was centered around controlled happenstance by their parents. When she was twenty-seven, she had been told that Wook would be her husband, but by then, they were too in love to care that their parents had arranged anything from the beginning.

Over good food, conversation flourished and Eun talked to Soo about his latest performances once he found out that she knew about his music. Wook smiled as Eun told an animated story about being on a TV show and having to eat an entire lemon for comedic relief while So told Myung Hee about his time in Busan and Ulsan, omitting details that entailed just what he did. Some things were better left unsaid at the dinner table.

"For a K-Pop star, you do eat a lot," So commented as Eun polished off his first bowl of rice and asked for seconds.

"It's because they starve you when you're in training, but I have a fast metabolism and my tour ended last month," Eun said, reaching for more meat. "Are there any more pancakes?"

So drank with the people at the table, accepting the plum wine that had been bottled by Myung Hee herself. Happy for the first time in years, he drank and laughed with his brothers, discreetly placing a hand beneath the table to grasp Soo's.

Their feet touched and So noticed that every so often, when she thought no one was looking, Soo would place a piece of meat or a scallion pancake onto his bowl of rice, as she had when they had lived together long ago.

"So," Wook said, "how will you be going to work tomorrow?"

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, So rubbed his chin. "I thought I would drive, but seeing the traffic today makes me rethink that. Shall we walk together?" he asked as Soo held his hand beneath the table. His already elated emotions soared higher into the clouds.

"We could walk, but what about him?" Wook nudged his head in the direction of Eun who paused mid-story to look between his brothers.

"I'm famous," whined Eun. "You can't expect me to actually go to work now! I'll get bombarded by fans! I don't want to go!"

Scoffing, So took a sip of his wine and set the tiny glass down. "That's your fault, isn't it? Anyways, until this whole abdication process is figured out, you will have to go to work. No, don't give me that look," So snapped as Eun jutted his bottom lip out and made his eyes round.

Wook agreed with So with a nod of his head. "You'll wake up at seven tomorrow and we'll be out the door by eight fifteen," he said. "Oh, and you will wear something less auspicious."

After dinner, fruits were brought for dessert as the family moved to the sitting room to enjoy tea and watch the evening news. A tray of sliced pears, oranges, grapes, and apples was set onto the middle table where the family could enjoy them as they pleased.

A slightly miffed So resisted the urge to push Eun off of the loveseat when the blonde took the spot meant for Soo. He watched as Soo sat beside her cousin, holding onto her arm and talking about the places they could go for walks and what foods they could try together. It seemed Wook had allowed his wife and her cousin full freedom to travel and access to his funds in order to keep Myung Hee happy and well.

They watched the news together, listening about details about their father's abdication and what that meant for the Jong group and for the general public. An entire panel was devoted to discussing if either the CEO, Mu, or the CFO, Yo, were better suited to being the next Chairman.

So felt his once stressed and angry demeanor lessen as he spent time with his family and beloved. It was as if they were any normal family, sitting together after having dinner, eating fruit and watching the news, and So enjoyed that.

"I see they didn't forget to mention the entire family is in town," Wook stated as a panelist began listing the other sons of Taejo that had been seen around Seoul and could receive the position of Chairman besides the top two contenders. So, Wook, Won, Eun, Baek Ah, Jung. "Eun, they'll be hunting for you. You, Baek Ah, and Jung are all public faces. Reporters know exactly what you look like."

So smiled when he saw Eun's mouth drop open in surprise. "B-But I'm not even a part of the company! I don't-"

"Your last name is Wang and you're a stage performer. That is reason enough for reporters to flock to you," said So. "And don't think you can weasel your way out of going to work with us. One of the best ways to ensure a good transition is to get on the public's good side. We'll be followed the entire way to work, but it'll make us look a bit more normal to walk instead of taking my Ferrari."

When the hour long segment of news ended with sports, everyone smiled as Jung's name was announced as a hopeful for another Olympic gold in Taekwondo. "Jung will have to stop fighting in the streets," Wook clicked his tongue with a shake of his head. "Everyone but his mother seems to know about his favorite pastime."

"Who's going to be the one to stop him?" So scoffed. "After the last Olympics, Yo threatened Jung enough to keep him safe for a year, but after that, I'd be surprised if Jung didn't have bruises on his body."

Eun was the first to say he was going to his room, saying he would sleep early to wake early. After him, Myung Hee and Wook retired together. So watched as his brother escorted his wife into their bedroom before closing the door behind them.

Alone once more, So immediately moved to sit beside Soo, pulling her onto his lap and resting his head on her shoulder. "Majesty, what if someone sees?" Soo whispered with a muffled yelp. She placed a hand on So's chest as he closed his eyes against her shoulder.

So inhaled the rosy tones of Soo's perfume, his nose dragging up the nape of her neck. "I'm not a king anymore," he murmured. "I think you can call me So now. And so what if my brothers see? I've waited a thousand years to hold you once more."

He looked at Soo as she smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. Everything about her looked exactly the same as it had in Goryeo except she was less tortured, less sick, and less melancholic. Her eyes shined the way they had when he had first met her, joyful and proud. They had defeated the odds and their fates had aligned once more. This time, So was never letting her go.

Soo looked around with a cautious glance before softly kissing So, her lips glancing off of his before going back for more, each kiss increasing in urgency and need. They had waited for so long.

Cupping So's cheeks, Soo opened her lips as his tongue met hers, a hot passion enveloping them. They kissed until they could not breathe and when Soo pulled away, So returned to resting his head against her shoulder.

"Mmm, I'll have to break up with my boyfriend." Soo's voice was so lovely, he almost did not hear what she said. He sat up with a raised eyebrow.

"Boyfriend?" he repeated, surprised. "You have a... " So stared at her with an unreadable expression. "It's not anyone in the family, is it?" he asked, hoping Jung had not taken her from him again. He did not know if he had the will to fight his brother again.

Shaking her head, Soo replied that it was not. Before she could speak further, footsteps sounded in the hallway and Soo gasped, slipping off of So's lap. She stood and cleared her throat, "Goodnight, Mr. Wang," she bowed to So as Wook stepped out of his bedroom.

"You two still aren't sleeping?" he yawned, moving into the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water. So watched as his brother gulped down a cup of cold tea. Soo had already retreated to her room when Wook sighed and stretched his arms. "Sleep, So," Wook muttered. "We have work tomorrow."

As Wook returned to his bedroom, So also stood and looked around at the quiet house. Chuckling, he peered at the light that peeked out of the crevice of Soo's door.

Walking into his room, So wondered if it would look strange if he did not sleep in his bed. The room was larger than So's single bedroom apartment in Ulsan and was equipped like a hotel. It had a queen sized bed, a desk, stationery, and a closet. There was no adjoining bathroom, but So knew where the closest one was. He felt lonely in such a large room when Soo was just down the hallway.

Opening his suitcase, So removed his pajamas and changed into them and going to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash up before sitting on his bed, feeling the memory foam dip against his weight. He pursed his lips and thought about how he had promised to find Soo in whatever world she had come from. He wanted her. He wanted to be beside her and to feel her. To hear her voice and touch her. He wanted her.

Making up his mind, he began ruffling the sheets on the bed, pulling at the covers and making it look as if he had slept there.

Then, he grabbed his phone before turning the lights off and stealthily walking through the hallway and past Eun's room so he could reach Soo's.

Quietly, he opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it behind him.

Unlike his room- which was for guests- Soo's room was a permanent residence. Her bed had yellow and white sheets with more than two pillows. Not only did Soo have a better desk, she also had a vanity and personal bathroom. Her closet held all of her clothes and Soo herself laid in bed, a book in her hands.

She wore a white nightgown with loose sleeves and her hair fell loose down her back as she sat up with the widest smile. Silently, she set her book down and pulled the covers aside to let So into bed.

So set his phone down onto the bedside table, moving beneath the blankets to where Soo sat. Kneeling on the mattress, and without word, he kissed her soundly and pulled the blankets over his body, resting his weight on his elbow, his other hand moving up Soo's thigh, lifting the nightgown and touching her milky skin and soft flesh.

Soo's arms went around So and she pulled him closer as he used one hand to unbutton his nightshirt and remove it, tossing it onto the floor. "I've waited so long," he growled, in between desperate kisses. Sucking on Soo's bottom lip, he gently bit down before kissing her again.

"So have I," Soo gasped as So pulled her nightgown over her head and tossed it backwards, not caring where it landed. She shivered as So's hands roamed her body, resting on her hips.

"Cold?" So's dark eyes glinted with anticipation as Soo shook her head.

"Just excited," she replied hoarsely, her lips red and swollen.

They undressed each other, hands and mouths caressing and worshiping bare skin until both were gasping for breath. Then, Soo frowned and looked at her bedside table. "Do you have protection?" she asked suddenly, her hand meeting So's shoulder, effectively stopping him.

So emerged from beneath the blankets and blanked as he stared at Soo. Her hair was splayed about her in a halo of dark locks and there were two red splotches on her torso from where So had marked her; one on her left shoulder and the other above her right breast. "No." He mentally kicked himself for not carrying or even buying condoms.

"Well neither do I," Soo said, her hand tracing the muscles that showed through So's skin.

With an elongated groan, he moved off of his naked lover and pressed his face into the pillows, mumbling obscenities at himself into the cushion. He could hear Soo giggling beside him as he swore up and down. "I could, um… use my mouth," she offered apprehensively, reaching to touch So's shoulder blade. The taut lines on his back grew tense and then relaxed.

He grew quiet before replying. "No, it's alright," came So's muffled voice. He wanted to come with her- not on her.

"I guess you'll want to go back," Soo sighed, suddenly uneasy. Would he leave me because I didn't want to have unprotected sex? she thought, worried.

Turning his head, So wrinkled his nose at Soo and gave a harrumph. "And what makes you think that?" he asked. He shifted his body to face Soo. "I love you more than your body. If I can't have your body, then I'll have you." Moving to pull Soo close to him, So wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes, his chin pressing into her hair. "I've waited for so long," he shrugged. "I can wait another day."

Switching the bedside lamp off, So kissed Soo's forehead and changed the subject to get his mind off of Soo's bare body pressed flush against his. "What've you been doing in this life?"

"Makeup," Soo replied. "I used to work at a makeup store until my cousin asked me to move here to help her. I came here to care for her a month ago. After I arrived here, I began to have all these crazy dreams about you, and I'd wake up crying without knowing why. Then, I saw you today and… it all came back."

So hummed as he felt Soo tracing her fingertips up his arm. "I was the same," he replied. "Dreaming but not seeing and not believing. I didn't know who you were until I saw you today and then my memories just flooded back."

"How old are you in this life?" Soo's chest pressed against So's and he felt her drape a leg over him. "We were four years apart in our past lives, but I think there's a wider gap this time." She pressed her soft lips to So's chin, tracing the lines of age around his eyes with feathery touches. "You look older."

"I'm thirty-four," he said, frowning when Soo muffled a giggle. "What? Don't tell me you're seventeen."

"Twenty-three," corrected Soo. "I'm in love with someone eleven years my senior, but I can't find myself caring. Maybe it's because you're so rich," she joked.

This time, So laughed. "And I'm only in love with you because of your looks," he rebutted, running his knuckles down her spine. "Ah, I know Wook will be furious if he finds out about us."

"He is very in love with his wife, but yes, I think he will lose trust in you, a thirty-four year old man, when he finds out you're with me," she sighed, pushing hair away from So's face to reveal his beautiful eyes. She leaned forward to trace the place where his scars had once been. "I'd visited many times after my cousin got married, and in this life, I think Wook sees me as nothing more than family. I don't have parents here either."

"I'm sorry," So murmured, his eyes locking with Soo's. She shook her head.

"It's fine, but I do think we should keep quiet about our relationship… just for a little while, so we can pretend to have gotten to know each other.

So nodded at Soo's wisdom as he kissed her forehead once more. "Anything for you," he said. "But know that I'm never letting you sleep alone again."

He could feel Soo's shoulders shake as she chuckled. "I didn't expect any less from you, my King."

At five in the morning, So's phone buzzed, alerting him to get back to his room before the house woke up. Groggily waking up, So sighed and looked over at Soo as she slept, her front to him. Her hair was a mess and her chest rose and fell as she breathed softly. So thought she was the most beautiful creature in the world.

Slipping from bed as quietly as he could, So found his pajamas on the ground and pulled them on, buttoning his shirt in the dark. He sat on the bed and gently brushed stray hairs away from Soo's forehead, not wanting to leave her. Reaching over the blankets, he tucked Soo in and pressed the tips of his fingers against his lips, brushing them over her smooth cheek.

Then, silent as the warrior he used to be, So moved with the shadows and returned to his bedroom, feeling like a teenager sneaking back home after spending the night with his girlfriend.

Once in the safety of his room, he turned the lights on and further mussed the bed, sitting and laying on it until the sheets were sufficiently wrinkled and the pillows out of sorts. He even tossed a pillow onto the ground for good measure.

Unable to fall asleep once more, So made his way to the bathroom and turned the shower on to cold, stepping in and shivering as he washed his hair, shaved, and then scrubbed his body with one of the numerous soaps, cleansers, washes, and exfoliators the bathroom was supplied with. The shower contained ten products on its own and the bathroom cabinet was as stocked as a pharmacy, giving way to all sorts of lotions, creams, aftershaves, sprays, and gels. There was a first aid kit under the sink, and a small bag of "please use if needed" makeup supplies. So scoffed at the memory of wearing makeup in Goryeo. He thanked the stars that his scar had not followed him into this life and that no matter how much his mother still hated him, she had not tried to murder him.

Refreshed, washed, and feeling cold, he made his way back his bedroom as the maids began arriving and preparing to make breakfast.

So looked in the closet and saw the suits he had sent to the house via mail before arriving in Seoul. Picking a blue, three piece, he paired it with a white shirt and green tie, choosing a brown belt from the ones Wook offered to let him borrow.

Once he had completed that daily procedure, So looked at the clock beside his bed and noted that it was six thirty in the morning. He exited his room and greeted the house's staff, saying "Good morning" to each person until he reached the kitchen where a pot of coffee was brewing.

With a cup of fresh, black coffee in one hand, So sat in the living room, scanning over the seven newspapers Wook subscribed to. Four were in Korean, and one in Chinese, English, and Japanese each. So chose one in Korean and pulled his reading glasses from his pocket. He drank his coffee as he read about the stock market and idly reminded himself not to forget to buy condoms before he returned home.

At seven, Wook stepped out of his bedroom, dressed and clasping a leather watch against his wrist. "Morning," he greeted So.

So raised his cup to his brother before continuing to read the newspaper. "Good morning," he returned.

"Sleep well? Thank you," Wook accepted coffee from a maid and sat down beside So, reaching for a newspaper as well.

"Hm, where did you buy your beds from? I slept like a baby," So muttered. His nightmares had not come to haunt him when he slept with Soo, and So was happy to be well rested and to be with his lover again.

"I doubt the bed was anything better than what you have in your home," Wook chuckled as he added a cube of sugar to his steaming cup. "I didn't know you wore glasses," he noted.

Tipping his head, So gave a short nod. "Reading glasses. They're new." Looking around, he wondered where the most flamboyant of the Wangs was. "Eun isn't up yet, is he?"

As if on cue, a tired Eun slumped out of his room, shuffling his bare feet against the wooden floor. His blonde hair was a mess of pink and gold and he wore rumpled pajamas with cartoon ninjas on them. "Brother," he yawned, scratching his back, "I hope you don't mind, I called my stylist and assistant here." Instantly, one of the male staff stepped into the living room and handed Wook a note.

Peering over Wook's shoulder, So read, 'Woman carrying clothing rack and woman with three cases of what looks like hair supplies requesting entrance to apartment.' He scoffed a laugh as Wook rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Let them in," he sighed in exasperation. "Eun, I thought Mother taught you how to dress yourself when you were four."

So sipped his coffee, shaking his head at his pajama clad brother. "You pain the ass."

Eun only collapsed onto the sofa, placing his head on Wook's lap with another massive yawn. "I like living here," he mumbled, feeling Wook softly patting his head. "My brothers are nice."

The stylist and assistant arrived with wide eyes and dropped mouths. They bowed to Wook and So, murmuring their greetings, and when they saw Eun slouched over Wook, they went to work, helping him up and coaxing an energy drink into his hand while showing him the rack of clothing. The stylist took one look at Eun's brothers before nodding and saying she would dress him accordingly.

When Eun stepped out of his bedroom twenty minutes later, he was brushed, styled, and dressed, sporting a layer of eyeliner and straightened hair. Wearing a casual, gray suit with silver pinstripes, he adjusted the cufflinks on his wrists and grinned at his brothers before sitting down with them in the tea room and joining them for breakfast.

The three sat on the ground and ate in near silence, enjoying a hearty breakfast of ground soybean stew that Eun wrinkled his nose at. "Do you only eat ancient Korean food?" Eun asked as he reached out to nab a fried egg and place it onto his rice. His eyes scanned the table for anything that had not been eaten three hundred years ago. "I thought you'd at least have bagels or something sweet."

Wook spooned stew into his mouth and chewed. "Don't complain. Old fashioned Korean food is better for your body. Wait till you hit your thirties. Your body won't metabolize bread and jam as quickly as it once did. Plus, a good breakfast is always a good way to start the day."

So sent a curt look to Eun who huffed and dipped his spoon into the stew, fishing out a chunk of pork. "Well, I'm not thirty yet, aren't I?"

Breakfast resumed without much chatter and when the three were done, Myung Hee and Soo stepped out of their rooms, dressed and ready to begin their own day.

So felt his heart flutter when he saw Soo in a light blouse and tight jeans that shaped her legs in a way hanboks never had. He met her eyes with a small smirk before quickly averting his gaze and reaching for the messenger bag he carried to work. "I suppose we need to begin walking now if we're going to arrive on time." Clearing his throat, So greeted Myung Hee before smiling to Soo. "Hello, Miss Hae."

"Mr. Wang," she returned the expression, her glossed lips shining.

In the foyer, Wook kissed his wife good-bye and So discreetly pressed his hand to the small of Soo's back before pulling his shoes on and exiting the apartment. He watched as Wook smiled at Soo, telling her to have a good day.

So reminded himself again not to forget to buy condoms.